20. They went along all that day and, when nightfall came, they went up to a place and found a cave. Rabbi Elazar said: Let one enter into the cave, for perhaps he will find there a place that is better suited. Rabbi Yosi entered and saw another cave within it and the light of a candle shining in it. He heard a voice that said: "When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light towards the body of the candlestick" (Bemidbar 8:2). Here, the Congregation of Yisrael, THAT IS MALCHUT, received light, as supernal Ima, THAT IS BINAH, is adorned, and all the candles, THAT ARE THE SFIROT OF MALCHUT, illuminate within and from her. THEY SAID ABOUT THEMSELVES: Two refined souls soar from her; THAT IS, THEY UPLIFT MAYIN NUKVIN (ENG. 'FEMALE WATERS') WITH THEIR TORAH STUDY. All the best men - MEANING ALL WHO UPLIFT FEMALE WATERS THROUGH THEIR TORAH THAT ARE REFERRED TO AS 'GROOMSMEN' - connect MALCHUT to the upper one, WHICH IS BINAH. From there, THEY DRAW HER LIGHT downwards.

21. Rabbi Yosi heard this and was glad. He came to Rabbi Elazar. Rabbi Elazar said to him: Let us enter, since the Holy One, blessed be He, hastened before us on this day to produce miracles for us. They entered. As soon as they entered, they noticed two people who were involved in Torah study. Rabbi Elazar said: "How excellent is Your love, Elohim! Therefore the children of men shelter under the shadow of Your wings" (Tehilim 36:8). They stood up. Then they all sat down and were merry. Rabbi Elazar said: "How excellent is Your love, Elohim!" How excellent that I have found You. The Holy One, blessed be He, has done us grace in this place. Now light the candles - MEANING THAT THEY SHOULD CONVERSE IN MATTERS OF TORAH TO RAISE FEMALE WATERS TO KINDLE THE SFIROT OF MALCHUT FROM IMA, AS WAS SAID ABOVE.

24. Rabbi Acha said: During the time when the most profound of all - THAT IS, SUPERNAL ABA - shines, it shines upon the stream, THE SUPERNAL IMA ABOVE. The stream flows in a straight way, MEANING THROUGH THE CENTRAL COLUMN, THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN, to irrigate all, MEANING ALL THE GRADES OF MALCHUT. Then it is written: "when lights (lit. 'raises')," since everything exudes from the deepest. "When...raises," MEANS that it comes from the deepest side that is referred to as 'thought,' WHICH IS ABA. And all means the same, MEANING THAT IT IS THE SAME AS WHAT RABBI YOSI AND RABBI YEHUDA SAID. Then the Congregation of Yisrael is blessed, and blessings prevail throughout the worlds.

29. "The well that the princes dug out, that the nobles of the people delved..." (Bemidbar 21:18). The well is the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT; "that the princes dug out," is Aba and Ima, that gave birth TO MALCHUT; "that the nobles of the people delved," are the Patriarchs, WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN. It is written: "the nobles of the peoples are gathered together, the people of the Elohim of Abraham" (Tehilim 47:10). THE ELOHIM OF ABRAHAM IS CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN, FROM WHICH GVURAH AND TIFERET ARE DRAWN. "...THAT THE NOBLES OF THE PEOPLE DELVED..." MEANS THAT THEY CONSTRUCTED it in order that it would be blessed from them through one level that is the Righteous, WHICH IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, that stands over it AND POURS UPON IT ALL THAT THERE IS IN CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. Therefore, we have this saying: 'When this well travels, it is with the help of the patriarchs that it travels.'

30. AT TIMES MALCHUT is called a 'well' AND AT TIMES it is called a 'sea.' It is called a 'well' when Isaac, WHO IS GVURAH OF ZEIR ANPIN, goes out with weapons FROM THE LEFT COLUMN from the side of Ima, and comes to draw THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH FROM IMA TO MALCHUT and fill her up, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SECRET OF THE VERSE: "HIS LEFT HAND IS UNDER MY HEAD" (SHIR HASHIRIM 2:6). Then She is called 'the well of Isaac' OR 'the well of Miriam,' as has already been explained. IT IS CALLED 'sea' when it illuminates from the uppermost river of Aba, SINCE SHE THEN RECEIVES CHOCHMAH AND CHASSADIM, since streams run to her, as it is written: "all the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full" (Kohelet 1:7).