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).

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.

101. Now, LET US EXPLAIN this verse from the standpoint of the secret of wisdom. Come and see, "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden" (Beresheet 2:10). This river, DENOTING BINAH, spreads on all sides when this Eden, NAMELY CHOCHMAH, joins with it in complete union in this path not known above or below, DENOTING YESOD OF CHOCHMAH, as in the verse, "There is a path which no bird of prey knows" (Iyov 28:7). Thus, CHOCHMAH AND BINAH desire not to part from one another. Then fountains and streams exit FROM THEM, DENOTING THE MOCHIN OF ZEIR ANPIN, and crown the holy son, ZEIR ANPIN THE SON OF YUD HEI, with all these crowns, DENOTING MOCHIN. It is then written, "With the crown with which his mother crowned him" (Shir Hashirim 3:11), DENOTING MOCHIN ALSO KNOWN AS CROWN. At that time, that son ZEIR ANPIN will inherit the inheritance of his father and mother, NAMELY THE MOCHIN THAT EXUDES FROM THE UNION OF CHOCHMAH AND BINAH THAT ARE REFERRED TO AS ABA AND IMA. Then, He will delight in pleasures.

140. As they were going, they stayed in a field and prayed. A fiery cloud descended and surrounded them. Rabbi Shimon said: I believe that the wish of the Holy One, blessed be He, is here. Let us sit down. They sat and discussed words of Torah. He said, "As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country" (Mishlei 25:25). I examined the words of King Solomon and found that they were said with wisdom.

142. HE EXPLAINS HIS WORDS: In this verse, its beginning is not its end, nor does its end match up with its beginning, MEANING THEY ARE TWO DIFFERENT IDEAS. But when I examine them closely, I see common characteristics included from one to the other, both for its beginning to its end or vice versa. IT IS WRITTEN, "good news from a far country" and "As cold water to a thirsty soul," IN WHICH "as cold water to a thirsty soul" IS ONE CONCEPT and "good news from a far country" IS A SEPARATE CONCEPT. YET THEY ARE RELATED ONE TO THE OTHER, as both speak of satisfaction; just as the one gives satisfaction, so does the other give satisfaction. THIS IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN INCLUDING BOTH CONCEPTS, AS WE SAID.

143. As they were sitting, someone arrived and said that the wife of Rabbi Shimon was healed from her illness. The friends heard a proclamation that the Holy One, blessed be He, forgave the sins of the generation. Rabbi Shimon said: Now was fulfilled the verse, "good news from a far country" which gives satisfaction "as cold water to a thirsty soul." He said to them: Let us rise and go as the Holy One, blessed be He, is performing for us miracles.

144. He opened the discussion saying, "Cold water to a thirsty soul" is referring to Torah. Of all those who merit to toil in Torah and satiate their souls from it, it is written, "good news from a far country." The Holy One, blessed be He, announces about many favors for him in this world and in the World to Come. This is the meaning of "good news." Whence do they come TO BE GOOD? "From a far country," MEANING from the place in which the Holy One, blessed be He, was far off from him at the beginning, MEANING where He was in enmity with him at first, as it is written, "And the earth shall rise up against him" (Iyov 20:27). From this place, they welcome him with peace. This is the meaning of, "A far country." It is also written, "Hashem appeared to me from afar, saying, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore I have remained true to you" (Yirmeyah 31:2). THE END OF THE ARTICLE IS MISSING.

160. This river is called the mother of the Garden of Eden, DENOTING MALCHUT, AS BINAH IS REFERRED TO AS MOTHER (HEB. EM, ALEPH MEM), AS IT IS WRITTEN, "IF (HEB. IM, ALEPH MEM) YOU CRY AFTER BINAH" (MISHLEI 2:3), being higher than the Garden. IT IS CALLED MOTHER, because Eden, DENOTING CHOCHMAH, joins with it and does not leave it. For this reason, all the springs OF MOCHIN come out, draw FROM IT and water all sides, BOTH TO THE RIGHT OR TO THE LEFT, and open doors within it. Hence, there is Mercy coming from it, DENOTING THE CENTRAL COLUMN and Mercy opened in it AS THE BEGINNING OF THE OPENING OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH RECONCILES AND JOINS RIGHT WITH LEFT BEING THE PERFECTION OF EVERYTHING, STARTS AT BINAH.

206. Rabbi Aba was staying with Rabbi Shimon. Rabbi Shimon rose at midnight to study Torah, and Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba rose with him. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion saying, "As the hart pants after the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, Elohim" (Tehilim 42:2). The friends have established this verse. Fortunate are Yisrael more than all nations that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them the Holy Torah and bequeathed to them saintly souls from a holy source in order that they should observe His commandments and take pleasure with the Torah. All those who take pleasure in the Torah need not fear anything, as it is written, "Unless Your Torah had been my delights, I should have perished in my affliction" (Tehilim 119:92).

208. We have learned that "as the hart (Heb. ayal) pants after the water brooks" refers to the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY MALCHUT, as the verse says, "O my strength (Heb. eyal), haste You to help me" (Tehilim 22:20). "MY STRENGTH" REFERS TO MALCHUT. "Pants after the water brooks," MEANING to be watered by the water of the spring, REFERRING TO BINAH, through the aid of the Righteous, NAMELY YESOD. "Pants (Heb. ta'arog)" as the verse says, "To the beds (Heb. arugot) of spices" (Shir Hashirim 6:2). "So my soul pants for You, Elohim," MEANING to be watered from You in this world and the World to Come.

209. HE QUESTIONS: What are the sources of the spring? HE ANSWERS: THERE IS one spring above, NAMELY BINAH, as it is written, "And a river went out of Eden to water the Garden..." (Beresheet 2:10). It flows on from there and waters the Garden, NAMELY MALCHUT. All these streams, NAMELY THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT RECEIVE FROM THE RIVER, flow out and join in the two springs known as Netzach and Hod OF ZEIR ANPIN. These are called water brooks AND POUR in that level called Righteous, MEANING YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, from which it continues and goes out; and the Garden is watered, NAMELY MALCHUT. For this reason, the hart and the deer are together, REFERRING TO righteousness and the Righteous, NAMELY YESOD AND MALCHUT THAT ARE TOGETHER. HART STANDS FOR MALCHUT AND DEER FOR YESOD.

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.

238. Rabbi Aba said: My master has told us from the text of the Mishnah that Yisrael were only exiled from their land for renouncing the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, "We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Yishai" (II Samuel 20:1). DAVID DENOTES MALCHUT, SO THEY WERE SAYING, "WE HAVE NO PART IN MALCHUT." I have found another verse on this. It is written, "Now see to your own house, David" (I Melachim 12:16). HE QUESTIONS: DOES THE HOUSE OF DAVID ALSO DENOTE MALCHUT? He replied: Certainly MALCHUT is referred to as the house of David, as it is written, "O house of Jacob, come, and let us walk in the light of Hashem" (Yeshayah 2:5). The house of Jacob is similar to that which is written in, "And I will glorify My house of glory (Tiferet)" (Yeshayah 60:7), SINCE JACOB IS TIFERET AND THE HOUSE OF TIFERET IS MALCHUT. IN THE SAME MANNER, THE HOUSE OF DAVID POINTS TO MALCHUT. THE EXPLANATION OF THE VERSE, "O HOUSE OF JACOB, come, and let us walk in the light of Hashem:" IT HAS THE SAME MEANING as in, "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden" (Beresheet 2:10). RIVER REFERS TO ZEIR ANPIN THAT WATERS THE GARDEN THAT IS MALCHUT. He planted the Garden to enjoy himself there with the pious ones who dwell within. THEREFORE, IT IS SAID, "O HOUSE OF JACOB," DENOTING MALCHUT, "COME, AND LET US WALK IN THE LIGHT OF HASHEM," WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN THAT WATERS MALCHUT.

241. Rabbi Elazar said: It is written, "For on that day will He forgive you..." (Vayikra 16:30). It should say, 'will I forgive you,' AS IF SOMEONE IS SPEAKING FOR HIMSELF. HE ANSWERS, "Will He forgive you" SPOKEN IN THIRD PERSON includes Jubilee, DENOTING BINAH, from which springs flow, MEANING THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, to water on this day all sides and to water and satiate everything. This is the meaning of "you," namely "for you," in order to cleanse you this day, as it says, "that you may be clean of all your sins before Hashem" (Ibid.). Harsh Judgment will not affect you.

242. Rabbi Yehuda said: How lucky were Yisrael that the Holy One, blessed be He, craved them and wished to cleanse them, so that no sin would be found with them, in order that they could be members of His chamber and dwell in His palace. Regarding the future, it is written, "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you..." (Yechezkel 36:25).