26. HE QUESTIONS: What is apparent here, MEANING WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN A FOREIGN FIRE TO A FOREIGN WOMAN? HE ANSWERS: At the beginning, they brought near TO THE HOLINESS something that was far removed FROM HOLINESS AND DEFILED THE HOLINESS, as it is written, "When they offered a foreign fire." Here too, Zimri COMMITTED THE VERY SAME SIN in that he brought near THAT which was far FROM HOLINESS (NAMELY, THE FOREIGN WOMAN TO THE HOLINESS) BECAUSE he brought near the name of the King, THE SIGN OF THE HOLY COVENANT, to the distant one - NAMELY, THE FOREIGN WOMAN. Immediately, "When Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation" (Bemidbar 25:7). At this point, he corrected the earlier crookedness. Then the Yud was added to his name to enjoin the letters together, THE SECRET OF YESOD THAT CONNECTS ZEIR ANPIN WITH MALCHUT. Thus, he was promised peace, WHICH IS YESOD REFERRED TO AS PEACE, as it is written, "Wherefore say, Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace" (Ibid. 12), My very covenant, NAMELY YESOD.

41. Rabbi Shimon said: We have ascertained that something in its due season IS EXCELLENT. This is sure. At this point, the Holy One, blessed be He, came to warn Aaron not to err with the same sin with which his sons erred. This due season is well known TO BE MALCHUT. For this reason, he must not err by joining a different time to the King. This is the meaning of the verse, "That he come not at all times into the holy place." Even when he will see that the time is given over to another, NAMELY THE OTHER SIDE, to run the world, IT SHOULD BE given over to its hands in order to enjoin and bring the world near to holiness, as I and My Name are one, SINCE EVEN THE OTHER SIDE SERVES ONLY ME. For this reason, "that he come not at all times (or: 'with every time') into the holy place." If he wishes to know with what he should approach, the answer is with zot (Eng. 'this' fem.), WHICH IS MALCHUT OF HOLINESS, "With this (Heb. zot fem.) shall Aaron come into the holy place" (Vayikra 16:3). This zot is the time that holds to My name through Yud, WHICH IS YESOD, that is imprinted in My name AND WITH IT he may come into the holy place, not at all times, but "he comes not at all times."

82. Underneath all of them, MEANING BELOW ALL LEVELS OF HOLINESS MENTIONED BEFORE, many thousands and tens of thousands OF KLIPOT come out, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SECRET MEANING OF THE VERSE, "A THOUSAND SHALL FALL AT YOUR SIDE, AND TEN THOUSAND AT YOUR RIGHT HAND: BUT IT SHALL NOT COME NEAR YOU" (TEHILIM 91:7). They come down and wander through the world until the Shofar blowers blow, THAT IS THE SECRET OF UNITY OF THE THREE COLUMNS - KNOWN AS FIRE, WATER AND AIR - THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE SOUND EMANATING FROM THE SHOFAR. Then they reassemble and hold to the scum found in the nails, NAMELY IN THE REFUSE MATTER OF THE ILLUMINATION OF THE BACK SIDE KNOWN AS NAILS, AS MENTIONED ABOVE.

84. Because of this, the priest needs to meditate upon sublime matters, to unify the Holy Name from that place that requires unity, MEANING TO DRAW IN THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH ONLY TO MALCHUT. Therefore, we learned that it is written, "Thus (with zot) shall Aaron come into the holy place" (Vayikra 16:3). Through zot, DENOTING MALCHUT, he needs to bring holiness near its place AND TO EXPEL THE OTHER SIDE, WHICH DESIRES TO DRAW FROM HER THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH FROM ABOVE DOWNWARD. From this place, FROM MALCHUT, man needs to fear the Holy One, blessed be He, MEANING THAT WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH THAT IS REVEALED AT MALCHUT HARSH JUDGMENTS THAT PUNISH THE WICKED AND MOVE THE OTHER SIDE FAR AWAY ARE ALSO REVEALED. AS A RESULT, ONE FEARS HER. About this, it is written, "O that they were wise, that they understood this (Heb. zot)" (Devarim 32:29). Immediately, "they would consider their latter end" (Ibid.). This means that if people would look at the penalty AND SEE how ZOT, NAMELY MALCHUT, is united together with her hosts, MEANING SHE GIVES LIGHT TO THEM ONLY FROM THE ASPECT OF BELOW UPWARDS, and how all these members of the hosts, who are attached to her to serve her were appointed before her to punish and repay the wicked, WHO WISH TO DRAW DOWN HER LIGHT FROM ABOVE DOWNWARDS, immediately "they will understand their latter end" and pay attention to their deeds and not sin before the Holy King.

87. We have learned before my master what is Holiness - It is perfection of all called the highly sublime Chochmah, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA. From this place flows the holy anointing oil through known paths to the place called supernal Binah, THE SECRET OF YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH. From there, flow streams and fountains in every direction, MEANING BOTH TO CHOCHMAH AND TO CHASSADIM until they reach this zot (Eng. 'this'), NAMELY MALCHUT. When blessed, this zot is called holiness and is called Chochmah and we call her the Spirit of the Holiness, meaning spirit, NAMELY THE SIX ENDS, from this holiness of higher above, MEANING THE SIX EXTREMITIES OF CHOCHMAH. When the secrets of Torah exit and stir from her, she is then called 'the holy tongue.'

96. All of these that are not found to be just in this world, even there ABOVE BEFORE COMING TO THE WORLD, distance themselves from the presence of the Holy One, blessed be He. They enter the chasm of the great abyss and hurry to descend to this world. And we learned that their souls are stiff necked in this world, as they were before coming to this world. They throw away the saintly part that THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, gave to them FROM THE SIDE OF HOLINESS and go wander about and become impure in that chasm of the great abyss. They take their share there, precipitate the hour and descend to earth. If a man later gains merit and repents before his Master, he will receive back his own portion, NAMELY, THE HOLY PORTION THAT HE THREW UPWARD, AS MENTIONED. This is the meaning of the verse, "That which is, already has been; and that which is to be has already been..."

109. Behold, here is Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, who is Sfirah of Chesed, a supernal head OF ZEIR ANPIN, MEANING THAT HIS CHESED HAS BECOME CHOCHMAH, WHICH IS HEAD. For this reason, he inherits the glory of most High and binds the highest knot, the knot of holiness, the knot of Faith, MEANING THE UNITY OF ZEIR ANPIN WITH MALCHUT. How fortunate is his share in this world and in the World to Come. About this table is said, "This is the table that is before Hashem" (Yechezkel 41:22). Rabbi Pinchas rose and kissed him and blessed him. He kissed Rabbi Elazar and all the friends and blessed them. He then took the cup and said a blessing.

135. The Holy Nation gives to him what is needed for him, NAMELY a goat (Heb. seir). This is the secret of "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy (Heb. sa'ir) man" (Beresheet 27:11), AS HE IS AN ASPECT OF THE OTHER SIDE. IT CONTAINS MALE AND FEMALE CHARACTERISTICS, and just as in the side of holiness there is male and female, so too in the side of defilement there exist a male and female. A popular saying goes like this: Throw a bone to a dog and he will lick the dust off your feet; HERE ALSO, WE GIVE TO THE OTHER SIDE A GOAT AND HE IS CONVERTED TO BE A DEFENDER.

176. Rabbi Yehuda said that it is written, "And he shall go out to the altar that is before Hashem, and make atonement for it" (Vayikra 16:18). "To the altar" is WRITTEN without further qualification, HINTING AT THE CELESTIAL ALTAR, NAMELY THE SECRET OF YESOD OF MALCHUT. As it is done below, so it is done above. All is intertwined one with one THROUGH THE ALTAR THAT IS YESOD OF MALCHUT. We have learned that just as on this day the priest procures forgiveness here below, IN THE TEMPLE, so it is above. When the priest here performs his service, so does the celestial priest, REPRESENTING CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT POURS ABUNDANCE TO MALCHUT. There is no SERVICE above, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF CHESED POURING TO MALCHUT, until there is SERVICE OF THE PRIEST below, since the holiness of the supernal King starts to rise from below. All worlds are in one unity before the Holy One, blessed be He.

289. Rabbi Yitzchak said: IT WAS the practices of Egypt THAT THEY USED to worship the maidservant, MEANING THE KLIPAH CALLED MAIDSERVANT, as we have explained. The practice of Canaan WAS TO worship THAT PLACE called "the captive that was in the dungeon" (Shemot 12:29). Therefore, it is written, "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brethren" (Beresheet 9:25). For this reason, they all falsified in matters of holiness and everything practiced IDOLATRY. For this reason, IT IS WRITTEN, "After the doings of the land of Egypt, in which you dwelt..." (Vayikra 18:3). Rabbi Yehuda said: They created evil Judgments that will rule over the land, NAMELY MALCHUT, as the verse says, "That your land be not defiled" (Devarim 21:23) and, "And the land is defiled" (Vayikra 18:27).