288. Immediately, IT IS WRITTEN: "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked" (Beresheet 3:7), as The Children of Yisrael knew in the exile of Egypt that they were NAKED without the Torah. It is written of them AT THE LAST EXILE: "Yet you were naked and bare" (Yechezkel 16:7), BECAUSE THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL RECEIVED GARMENTS FOR THEIR SOULS FROM THE TORAH AND ITS PRECEPTS. THEREFORE, WHILE THEY WERE IN EXILE IN EGYPT, AND DURING THE LAST EXILE, THEIR SOULS WERE PERFORCE NAKED WITHOUT THE TORAH. Because of this, Job said twice, OF THE TWO EXILES, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there" (Iyov 1:21). THE FIRST TIME HE SAID "NAKED" ALLUDED TO THE EXILE IN EGYPT, WHEREAS THE SECOND TIME ALLUDED TO THE LAST EXILE. So the name Moses changed for the mixed multitude into desolation (Heb. shamah) and an object of scorn. AND THIS IS RELATED TO WHAT IYOV SAID, "And naked shall I return there (Heb. shamah)," alluding to the fact that he, MOSES, shall change INTO desolation among THE MIXED MULTITUDE in the last exile. And he shall walk among them and "return there." This is why JOB said, "Hashem gave, and Hashem has take away; blessed be the name of Hashem" (Ibid.), MEANING, "HASHEM GAVE" THE TORAH AND HE "HAS TAKEN AWAY" IN THE LAST EXILE FROM YISRAEL. "BLESSED BE THE NAME OF HASHEM."

301. The waters of the frozen sea, NAMELY MALCHUT, absorb the water of all the seas of the world, and it gathers them all into it. The waters go forth, moving back and forth INSIDE IT and are absorbed into it. This issues from above, FROM BINAH, AND SETTLES IN MALCHUT. The proof of this secret is in the verse: "Out of whose (Heb. mi) womb came the ice?" (Iyov 38:29), WHICH ALLUDES TO BINAH THAT IS CALLED MI (ENG. 'WHO') AND IS WHERE THE ICE THAT REACHED MALCHUT ORIGINATED. IT TURNED INTO A FROZEN SEA, whose waters are frozen so that it can absorb other waters. THIS MEANS THAT THE FROZEN WATERS, WHICH ARE ICE, HAVE BECOME FULL OF EMPTY HOLES. IF WATER IS POURED ON THEM, THE ICE ABSORBS IT. BY THE WATERS TURNING INTO ICE, THEY HAVE BECOME A VESSEL TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL WATERS.

314. This is a reference to the secret we have mentioned in the verse: "Out of whose (Heb. mi) womb came the ice?" (Iyov 38:29). It is certainly from the womb of Mi, WHICH IS BINAH. IN OTHER WORDS, that which is subjected to questioning. But one should not ask what is above or below. One can only ask about that starting place in order to know. It may not be known, because this is impossible. It may be inquired of, but not known.