4. Rabbi Aba said, "Serve Hashem in fear:" What fear is meant here? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT IS THE EXPLANATION IN THIS CONTEXT OF FEAR? HE ANSWERS: As we have established, it is written, "The fear of Hashem is the beginning of knowledge" (Mishlei 1:7) and "the fear of Hashem is the beginning of wisdom" (Tehilim 111:10), so the Holy One, blessed be He, is referred to in this name, "Fear of Hashem," NAMELY MALCHUT. Rabbi Elazar said: IN EXPLANATION OF RABBI ABA'S WORDS, "Serve Hashem in fear," MEANING he who wishes to perform the service of his Master, from what point should he begin and to which area should he aim his service in order to unify the name of his Master? He repeats his words "with fear," because fear, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is the start OF SERVICE going from below upwards, AS THE FIRST SFIRAH GOING FROM BELOW UPWARDS IS MALCHUT.

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."

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).

113. What did Simeon see in attaching himself to Levi more than to the others? Reuben was also his brother and close to him, JUST AS LEVI, SO WHY DID HE NOT STICK WITH REUBEN? HE ANSWERS: Simeon saw and realized that Levi was of the aspect of Judgment and Simeon was caught up with even harsher Judgment, so he said: Let us join one with the other and we could destroy the world. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He took Levi aside to His place and said, 'From this point on, let Simeon stay bound with ropes alone.'

171. Come and see that the Yud י at the beginning OF THE NAME, YUD HEI VAV HEI, includes it all. It is concealed on all sides, and no paths open WITHIN IT. It encompasses male and female, NAMELY THE SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA, AS THE YUD IS THE SECRET OF ABA AND TWO LETTERS OF THE YUD FULLY SPELLED - NAMELY VAV AND DALET - ARE IMA. THEY ARE CONCEALED AND UNOPENED. The tip at the top of the Yud hints at naught, MEANING KETER CALLED SO, SINCE THERE IS NO CONCEIVING IT. Afterwards, the Yud, THE SECRET OF EDEN, issued from itself that river that continually flows out, NAMELY BINAH. From it, Hei will conceive WITH A SON AND A DAUGHTER, WHICH ARE VAV AND DALET. ITS SHAPE HINTS AT ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT AS EMBRYOS WITHIN IT, IN THE SHAPE OF DALET AND VAV. Of this HEI, it is written, "And a river went (lit. 'goes') out of Eden" (Beresheet 2:10). IT IS WRITTEN "goes out," MEANING CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING, not 'went out,' IN THE PAST TENSE. For this reason, THE HEI need not part FROM THE YUD. As a result, it is written, "my love" (Shir Hashirim 4:1) IN RELATION TO HEI, WHICH IS WITH YUD AS TWO FRIENDS THAT NEVER PART FROM ONE ANOTHER.

180. We have learned that it is written, "And he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Yisrael" (Ibid. 16). HE QUESTIONS: What is meant by "and he shall make atonement for the holy place?" However, Rabbi Elazar said: Behold, we learned that the wicked cause a defect above and awaken Judgments. They cause the sanctuary to become unclean and the mighty snake begins to reveal itself. At that point, Judgments are awakened in the world. On this day, the priest needs to bring purification to all and to crown His holy Sfirah, NAMELY CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN, which is the head of the King, AS CHESED IS HIS FIRST SFIRAH, in order that the King come to dwell with the Queen, NAMELY MALCHUT. As the head of the King travels, all move along, MEANING ALL HIS SFIROT, to join with the Queen and instill joy and blessings in the world.

192. The Hei adorns the Vav with 70,500 crowns - THE SECRET OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF CHOCHMAH, THE SECRET OF SEVENTY THOUSAND, WHICH IS THE RIGHT COLUMN. CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF BINAH ARE THE SECRET OF FIVE HUNDRED, THE LEFT COLUMN, which are adorned with one crown, BEING THE SECRET OF DA'AT THAT UNIFIES AND INCLUDES THEM. This is the essence of the verse, "With the crown with which his mother crowned him" (Shir Hashirim 3:11). BINAH IS CONSIDERED THE MOTHER OF VAV THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN. IT TURNS OUT THAT the Vav's top is engraved with two tops, NAMELY CHOCHMAH AND BINAH. THEREFORE, THERE ARE TWO TIPS WRITTEN AT THE TOP OF THE VAV, one tip higher, HINTING AT CHOCHMAH, and one tip lower, HINTING AT BINAH. The Yud, NAMELY CHOCHMAH, lowers then on to the Vav, MEANING THAT THE VAV IS JOINED WITH THE YUD LIKE THE HEI. The main impression of all the engravings, MEANING THE CENTRAL COLUMN, between THE TWO TOPS, IS the seventy faces adorned from above downwards. Goblets and flowers hover in it. This one rises, NAMELY FLOWERS, the other descends and they are engraved one in the other.

197. All these books are open before Him and are recorded before Him all these sins. He credits them and cleanses them from all sins. This is the essence of the verse, "From all your sins before Hashem, that you may be clean." "Before Hashem" literally; THIS REFERS TO THE ILLUMINATION OF THE FACE OF HASHEM, THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH WHICH FORGIVES ALL SIN. Those that recite this verse only to this point are permitted to do so, NAMELY UNTIL "BEFORE HASHEM" but no more, as no one else is permitted to announce "that you may be clean" but the High Priest ALONE, who performs the service and unifies the Holy Name. When he unifies THE HOLY NAME and the blessing is in his mouth, that voice, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, comes down, strikes him and causes the word to glow in the mouth of the priest, and he says, "That you may be clean." He performs his service and thus the rest of the supernal beings are blessed.

201. After he completes HIS PRAYER, the Cherubs raise their wings as before and sing. At that point, the priest realizes that goodwill prevails, a time of joy for all. The people know that his prayer was accepted, as the verse reads, "Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Yeshayah 1:18). THE PRIEST steps back and utters his prayer. How fortunate is the share of the priest. As a result of him, there is joy upon joy that day on high and low. Concerning that hour, it is written, "Happy are those people that are in such a case: happy are those people, whose Elohim is Hashem" (Tehilim 144:15).

237. We have learned that on that day, all joy and every light and every indulgence in the worlds, NAMELY FORGIVENESS OF SINS, all depend on supernal Ima. All springs are drawn and flow from it, MEANING BOTH THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH AND THE ILLUMINATION OF CHASSADIM. Then all these candles glow, BEING THE SECRET OF THE LIGHTS OF THE FIRE WITHIN MALCHUT, and they glow with light and joy until everything becomes fragrant. At that point, all Judgments are within the glow, AS THOSE JUDGMENTS DRAWN FROM THE FIVE AFFLICTIONS CAUSE CHOCHMAH TO SHINE FORTH. IF NOT FOR THEM, THE CHOCHMAH WOULD NOT BECOME REVEALED AS MENTIONED. The Judgment is not being carried out, BUT IS MERELY IMPENDING. This is the meaning of, "You shall afflict your souls," TO ENABLE THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH.