77. The friends of old have explained this matter, IN SAYING THAT THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL WAS WHEAT. They began from a distance, MEANING TO SAY, WITH A VAGUE EXPLANATION, saying simply wheat, MEANING THAT CHITAH CONTAINS THE LETTERS OF SIN (HEB. CHET) AND INDICATES SIN. THERE IS NO INTENTION OF ACTUAL WHEAT, BUT MERELY AN ALLUSION TO IT. Then, the latter came and said actual wheat. THAT IS, IT ALLUDES TO YESOD OF MALCHUT, AS MENTIONED, THAT SHE IS CALLED 'THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL,' AS MENTIONED. Isaiah came and explained it: "And from terror (Heb. mechitah, spelled with Chet and Tav); then it shall not come near you" (Yeshayah 54:14). Therefore, WHEAT is the central point in order that there should be no sin, since without this point, there would have been sin. And the substituting of Tet and Tav is a guarding against the Other Side and the cleansing thereof.