58. We have learned that Rabbi Yosi said, Once the world needed rain. Rabbi Yesa, Rabbi Chizkiyah and other friends came before Rabbi Shimon. They found him and his son going to see Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair. When he saw them, he said, "A poem of ascent of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity" (Tehilim 133:1). HE QUESTIONS: What is meant by "brothers to dwell together in unity?"

64. IN CONTRAST TO WHAT IS WRITTEN, "AND HIS SISTER STOOD AFAR OFF," it is surely said, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together (Heb. gam) in unity" WHEN MALCHUT, WHICH IS THE SISTER OF ZEIR ANPIN, STANDS NOT AT A DISTANCE BUT TOGETHER. Regarding them, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, we have explained "also together" the same way as "And yet (Heb. gam) for all that (Heb. zot fem.)" (Vayikra 26:44), GAM BEING THE SECRET OF MALCHUT CALLED ZOT. SIMILARLY, "GAM IN UNITY" REFERS TO MALCHUT. IN TRUTH, it would have been included in the brothers sitting together AND THERE WOULD BE NO NEED TO INSCRIBE THE WORD GAM. Since "Gam (Eng. 'also')" is written it is meant to include all of those higher above ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT; THAT IS, THEY ARE YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH. For the whole reign is now in that place - YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH.

65. Another explanation for, "Behold, how good and how pleasant..." These are the friends, when they sit together and don't sit apart from one another. At first they appear as people at war with each other, wanting to kill one another. Afterwards, they return to each other in brotherly love. What does the Holy One, blessed be He, say ABOUT THEM? "Behold how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together (Heb. gam, Eng. 'also') in unity." The word gam comes to include the Shechinah. Moreover, the Holy One, blessed be He, pays attention to what they say, and has enjoyment and rejoices with them. This is the essence of the verse, "Then they who feared Hashem spoke to one another: and Hashem hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was it is written before Him..." (Malachi 3:16).

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.

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.

170. He said to him: Elazar, my son, be careful not to write the Holy Name improperly from now on. For of him who does not know to write the Holy Name properly and to tie the bond of Faith, the bond of one and one, OF ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, ACCORDING TO THE SECRET OF THE VERSE, "HASHEM SHALL BE ONE, AND HIS NAME ONE" (ZECHARYAH 14:9), so as to unify the Holy Name, it is written, "Because he has despised the word of Hashem, and has broken His commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off" (Bemidbar 15:31). This is even if he causes a degradation of one level or one unity from just one letter among them.

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.

320. Rabbi Yosi said, when righteous men multiply in the world, it is written, "His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me" (Shir Hashirim 2:6), MEANING THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT JOIN IN UNITY, ONE WITH ANOTHER. When the wicked multiply in the world, it is written, "He has drawn back His right hand from before the enemy" (Eichah 2:3), AND THE LEFT RULES WITHOUT THE RIGHT. THEN ALL JUDGMENTS ARE POURED DOWN FROM IT. Rabbi Chizkiyah said, We understand it from here, WHERE IT IS WRITTEN, "and a whisperer separates close friends" (Mishlei 16.28), meaning that the King separates from the Queen, BECAUSE OF THE EVIL MAN CALLED WHISPERER. This is the meaning of the verse, "The nakedness of your father, or the nakedness of your mother, shall you not uncover" MEANING YOU SHOULD NOT CAUSE THE UNCOVERING OF JUDGMENTS ABOVE TO THE NURTURING OF THE OTHER SIDE THROUGH WHICH A SPLIT IN THE HOLY UNION WILL OCCUR.

372. The joining of Yud with supernal Hei, CHOCHMAH WITH BINAH, is not dependent on Chesed, AS ARE ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, but their joining and attachment and dependent on Mazal, BEING THE BEARD OF ARICH ANPIN WHO JOINS CHOCHMAH WITH BINAH, for they never separate. The Yud is tied with the Hei and the Hei is tied to the Vav. The Vav is tied to the LAST Hei and the Hei is tied to all, YUD-HEI-VAV. All is considered one knot, and one thing; they never separates from each other, so to speak. If one causes division, it is considered as if he is destroying the world. This is referred to as the nakedness of all.

373. In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will return the Shechinah to Her position, as everything will find itself in one unity, as it is written, "On that day Hashem shall be one, and His name One" (Zecharyah 14:9). If you ask: So now, He is not one? No, as now the evildoers cause ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT not to be as one, as the Queen distances herself from the King, and they do not find themselves joined. Supernal Ima, BEING BINAH, distances herself from the King and does not nourish Him.