34. We have learned that this river gave forth deep streams, WHICH REPRESENT THE THREE SFIROT - CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN - with the anointing oil to replenish the Garden of Eden, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and water the trees and plants, NAMELY THE SFIROT OF MALCHUT. Of this, it is written, "The trees of Hashem have their fill; the cedars of Lebanon, which He has planted" (Tehilim 104:16). These streams, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, flow and continue on and join two pillars that the Baraithas refer to as Yachin and Boaz, NAMELY NETZACH AND HOD. These NAMES are appropriate. From there, NETZACH AND HOD come out all these streams, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, and rest in a certain level referred to as Righteous, NAMELY YESOD, as it is written, "But the righteous is an everlasting foundation (Heb. yesod)" (Mishlei 10:25). All together they join in that level referred to as "sea" that is the sea of wisdom, NAMELY MALCHUT. This is the meaning of the verse, "All the rivers run into the sea" (Kohelet 1:7).

35. You may say that when the streams reach this spot, NAMELY MALCHUT, they stop and don't come back, yet immediately following that, it says, "To the place where the rivers flow, thither they return (lit. 'return to go')" (Ibid.), for the river never stops its waters. "They return:" To where do THEY return? HE ANSWERS: They "return" to the two pillars, Netzach and Hod. They "go" to this Righteous, WHICH IS YESOD, to seek out blessings and joy. This is the secret of what we learned, "This is the Leviathan, whom You have made to play therein" (Tehilim 104:26). It is the righteous.

88. When the anointing oil flows to these two pillars, referred to as "students of Hashem" (Yeshayah 54:13), and are called Tzevaot, NAMELY NETZACH AND HOD, it gathers there. When it exits from there through that level called Yesod AND ARRIVES at the smaller Chochmah THAT IS MALCHUT, KNOWN AS THE SMALL CHOCHMAH BECAUSE IT CONTAINS ONLY SIX CORNERS OF CHOCHMAH AS EXPLAINED EARLIER, it is called the 'tongue of the learned.' FROM HER, it goes out to awaken the sublime holy beings. At that point, it is written, "Hashem Elohim has given me the tongue of the learned." Why? "That I should know how to sustain him that weary." The Holy One, blessed be He, gave this to the holy luminary, Rabbi Shimon. Furthermore, he raised him higher and higher TO UPPER WORLDS. For this reason, all his words are said manifestly, and are not concealed. About him, it is written, "With him I speak mouth to mouth, manifestly, and not in dark speeches" (Bemidbar 12:8).

211. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). The Faithful Shepherd, NAMELY THE SOUL OF MOSES, said, at that time, BEFORE THE COMING OF MESSIAH, the Mishnah scholars, sages of supernal wisdom, scholars of Kabbalah, scholars of the secrets in the Torah, will have a time of hardship, AS THEY HAVE NOTHING TO SUPPORT THEM. This is the meaning of, "As the hart (Heb. ayal) pants after the water brooks" (Tehilim 42:2) as they, NAMELY THE SAGES MENTIONED EARLIER, are springs of water of Torah flowing to the Shechinah, AS TORAH IS REFERRED TO AS WATER. Torah is the central pillar, MEANING ZEIR ANPIN, THE CENTRAL COLUMN. These springs of water, NAMELY THE SAGES MENTIONED EARLIER FROM WHICH COMES FORTH TORAH MEANING WATER, are in distress, in sadness and in poverty. These are the pains and distresses of the one who has given birth, namely the Shechinah, as it is written in regard to Her, "And let her who bore you rejoice" (Mishlei 23:25). She will be in those labor pains, MEANING with their distress OF THE SCHOLARS OF WISDOM AND TORAH, AS MENTIONED, AS THEIR AGONY IS CONSIDERED AS THE LABOR PAINS OF THE SHECHINAH.

214. From these sounds that She cries, the seventy SOUNDS equaling the seventy words IN THE PSALM, "May Hashem hear you in the day of trouble" (Tehilim 20), Her womb is opened. This refers to the letter Bet (=two) MEANING CHAMBER OF (HEB. BEIT) THE WOMB, encompassing two chambers in order to give birth FROM THEM to two Messiahs - MESSIAH, SON OF DAVID AND MESSIAH, SON OF JOSEPH. She brings her head between her knees. Her head is the central pillar, MEANING ZEIR ANPIN. HER KNEES ARE two thighs, Netzach and Hod, which are the two prophets. From there are born two Messiahs, AS MENTIONED. At that time, He "strips the forests bare," MEANING CHOCHMAH WILL BE REVEALED. The serpent will be removed from the world, AS THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH WILL DO AWAY WITH ALL KLIPOT. End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).

233. Rabbi Yitzchak said to Rabbi Shimon: If it pleases my master, we have learned "but the righteous is an everlasting foundation" (Mishlei 10:25). Some explain that the world rests upon seven pillars, but some say the world rests on one pillar, NAMELY YESOD, AS THE VERSE SAYS, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS ARE AN EVERLASTING FOUNDATION." How do we reconcile these words SO THAT THEY DON'T CONFLICT? He answered: They all pertain to the same idea. There are seven - THE SEVEN SFIROT, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT - and among them, there is one pillar called Righteous, WHO IS YESOD. THE SEVEN rest upon it and the world is sustained upon it. As it rests upon it, it is as if it rests upon all the seven, SINCE YESOD CONSISTS OF SEVEN SFIROT - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT. Therefore, it is written, "But the righteous is an everlasting foundation (Heb. Yesod)" and we have several times established these matters.

388. Seven complete weeks, MEANING SEVEN SFIROT OF MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED SHABBAT, WHEN THEY ARE COMPLETED, are expressed by seventy letters OF THE NAME OF AYIN-BET (72). THE MAIN BODY IS SEVENTY, AND TWO EXTRA ARE THE SECRET OF WITNESSES OR SCRIBES. HE EXPLAINS HIS WORDS: When the 72 ascended, they ascended by the letters Vav, DENOTING ZEIR ANPIN, IN ITS CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, which are listed in the portion of Beshalach in the verses, "And the angel...removed...and it came... And Moses stretched out" (Shemot 14:19-21). When the Shechinah receives FROM ZEIR ANPIN and the seven impressions are stamped on Her BY HIM, NAMELY SEVEN COMPLETE SFIROT, THEN seventy imprinted letters OF THE NAME AYIN-BET rise from Her. We have learned that the letters OF THE NAME AYIN-BET ascended through certain marks and hidden ways KNOWN only to truly righteous men, pillars of the world.