"Just and victorious"

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon says that the nations of the Other Side have taken the abundance that should have belonged to Yisrael. But the righteous will eventually be victorious and the queen, Malchut, will return to them. We learn about the seven pillars that the world rests on, and the one pillar, the Righteous, or Yesod, that they rest on. Lastly Rabbi Shimon talks about the everlasting statute that God has made for Yisrael.

Earth Egypt Firstborn Other Side Slavery

230. We have learned that one day the friends were walking with Rabbi Shimon. Rabbi Shimon said, I see all nations are higher above and Yisrael are below all. Why? It is because the King has dismissed the Queen from Him, and invited a maid in her stead, as the verse says, "For three things the earth is disquieted...for a slave when he becomes king...and a handmaid that is heir to her mistress" (Mishlei 30:21-23). Who is this handmaid? She is the foreign kingdom OF THE OTHER SIDE, whose firstborn Hashem smote in Egypt, as it is written, "Even to the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill" (Shemot 11:5). At first, she used to sit behind the millstone, but now she is "a handmaid that is heir to her mistress." INSTEAD OF EXTENDING HER ABUNDANCE TO HOLY MALCHUT, THIS MAID OF THE OTHER SIDE TAKES ALL THE ABUNDANCE AND EXTENDS IT TO THE NATIONS THAT ARE FROM HER SIDE.

230. תָּאנָא, יוֹמָא חַד הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי חַבְרַיָּיא עִמֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אָמַר ר"ש, חֲמֵינָא אִלֵּין עַמִּין כֻּלְּהוּ עִלָּאֵי, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל תַּתָּאֵי מִכֻּלְּהוּ, מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין דְּמַלְכָּא אַשְׁדַר מַטְרוֹנִיתָא מִינֵּהּ, וְאָעִיל אַמָּהוּ בְּאַתְרָהָא. כד"א, תַּחַת שָׁלֺשׁ רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ וְגוֹ.' תַּחַת עֶבֶד כִּי יִמְלוֹךְ וְגוֹ.' וְשִׁפְחָה כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּהּ. מַאן שִׁפְחָה. הִיא כִּתְרָא נוּכְרָאָה, דְּקָטַל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בּוּכְרָא דִּלְהוֹן בְּמִצְרַיִם. דִּכְתִיב עַד בְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה אֲשֶׁר אַחַר הָרֵחָיִם. אַחַר הָרֵחָיִם הֲוַת יָתְבָא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וְהַשְׁתָּא, הַאי שִׁפְחָה תִּירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּהּ.

Daughter Righteous Zion

231. Rabbi Shimon wept and said: A king without a queen is not considered a king, so a king who clings to a maid who is the servant of the queen, where is his honor? A voice will inform the Queen saying, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold your king comes to you: he is just and victorious" (Zecharyah 9:9). The Righteous, YESOD, is victorious, because until now he rode in a place that is not his, in a strange place, NAMELY THE MAID, and nurtured it. NOW THE QUEEN RETURNS TO HIM.

231. בָּכָה ר"ש וְאָמַר, מַלְכָּא בְּלָא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, לָא אִקְרֵי מַלְכָּא. מַלְכָּא דְּאִתְדַּבָק בְּשִׁפְחָה בְּאִמָּהוּ דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, אָן הוּא יְקָרָא דִּילֵיהּ. וּזְמִינָא קָלָא לְבַשְּׂרָא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וְלֵימָא גִּילִי מְאֺד בַּת צִיּוֹן הָרִיעִי בַּת יְרוּשָׁלַםִ הִנֵּה מַלְכֵּךְ יָבֺא לָךְ צַדִּיק וְנוֹשָׁע הוּא. כְּלוֹמַר, צַדִּיק הוּא נוֹשָׁע, בְּגִין דַּהֲוָה רָכִיב עַד הַשְׁתָּא בַּאֲתַר דְּלָאו דִּילֵיהּ, בַּאֲתַר נוּכְרָאָה, וְיָנִיק לֵיהּ.

Crowns Egypt Firstborn Idolatry Other Side Righteous

232. About this, it is written, "Humble, and riding upon an donkey" (Ibid.), as he was poor at first "and riding upon an donkey." As we have established, it refers to the lower crowns of the idolatrous nations, the firstborn of which Hashem killed in Egypt, AS THEY ARE CONSIDERED "AN DONKEY." This is the meaning of, "And all the firstborn of cattle" (Shemot 11:5). We have established this matter so to speak with "just and victorious" MEANING that he is more VICTORIOUS than anyone. Until now, the Righteous, NAMELY YESOD, resided without righteousness, DENOTING MALCHUT. Now that THE RIGHTEOUS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS are joined, he is "just and victorious," because he NO LONGER dwells in the Other Side. We have learned that "the righteous perishes (lit. 'is lost'), and no man lays it to heart" (Yeshayah 57:1). This verse is complicated. IT READS "lost" when it should be written 'is lost.' So what is the meaning of "lost?" HE ANSWERS: He really lost. What did he lose? The Queen - and he joined another place called maid.

232. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב עָנִי וְרוֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר, עָנִי הֲוָה בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וְרוֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא, אִינּוּן כִּתְרִין תַּתָּאִין דְּעַמִּין עע"ז, דְּקָטִיל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בּוּכְרָא דִּלְהוֹן בְּמִצְרַיִם, הה"ד וְכָּל בְּכוֹר בְּהֵמָה, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלֵּי. כִּבְיָכוֹל צַדִיק וְנוֹשָׁע הוּא, הוּא וַדַּאי יַתִּיר מִכֺּלָּא. בְּגִין דְּעַד הַשְׁתָּא שָׁארִי צַדִּיק בְּלָא צֶדֶק. וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּיִזְדַּוְּוגוּן כַּחֲדָא, צַדִיק וְנוֹשָׁע הוּא, דְּהָא לָא יָתִיב בְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא. תָּאנָא, הַצַּדִיק אָבָד וְאֵין אִישׁ שָׂם עַל לֵב וְגוֹ,' הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא, הַצַּדִיק אָבָד, נֶאֱבַד מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַהוּ אָבָד. אֶלָּא אָבָד מַמָּשׁ, וּמַאי אָבָד. אָבַד לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וְאִתְדַּבָק בַּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא, דְּאִקְרֵי שִׁפְחָה.

Pillar Righteous Seven

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.

233. א"ר יִצְחָק לְר' שִׁמְעוֹן, אִי נִיחָא קָמֵי דְּמֺר, הָא דְּתָנֵינָן, דִּכְתִיב וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם, מַאן דְּאָמַר, דְּעַל שִׁבְעָה קַיְימִין קַיְּימָא עָלְמָא. וּמַאן דְּאָמַר, עַל חַד קַיְּימָא עָלְמָא, הֵיךְ מִתְיַישְּׁבָן מִלֵּי. אָמַר לֵיהּ, כֺּלָּא מִלָּה חַד הוּא, דְּהָא ז' אִינּוּן וּבְהוּ אִית חַד קַיְּימָא, דְּאִקְרֵי צַדִּיק, וְקַיְימֵי עָלֵיהּ, וְעָלְמָא בְּהַאי אִתְקַיְּימָא. וְכַד אִתְקַיְּימָא עָלְמָא עָלֵיהּ, כְּאִלּוּ אִתְקַיָּים עַל כֻּלְּהוּ שִׁבְעָה. וְעַ"ד כְּתִיב, וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלֵּי בְּכַמָּה אֲתַר.

Daughter Holy Land Zion

234. We have learned that this maid would eventually rule the Holy Land below, just as the Queen ruled at first, as it says, "Righteousness lodged in it" (Yeshayah 1:21), REFERRING TO MALCHUT CALLED RIGHTEOUSNESS, but now "a handmaid that is heir to her mistress" in every respect, BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW. However, the Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future return the Queen to her original position and then whose joy will it be? One says: The joy of the King and Queen. It is the joy of the King for returning to her and casting off the maid as we said. It is the joy of the Queen, because she has returned to join the King. This is the essence of, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion."

234. וְתָאנָא, הַאי שִׁפְחָה זְמִינָא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּלְתַּתָּא, כְּמָה דַּהֲוַת מַטְרוֹנִיתָא שַׁלְטָא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, דִּכְתִיב צֶדֶק יָלִין בָּהּ, וְהַשְׁתָּא שִׁפְחָה כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּהּ בְּכֺלָּא. וְזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְאָתָבָא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא לְאַתְרָהָא כְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וּכְדֵין מִמַּאן הוּא חֶדְוָותָא, הֲוֵי אֵימָא חֶדְוָותָא דְּמַלְכָּא, וְחֶדְוָותָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא. חֶדְוָותָא דְּמַלְכָּא, בְּגִין דְּיֵתוּב לָהּ וְיִתְפְּרַשׁ מִשִּׁפְחָה, כַּדְקָא אֲמֵינָא. וְחֶדְוָותָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, בְּגִין דְּתֵיתוּב לְאִזְדַּוְּוגָא בְּמַלְכָּא, הה"ד גִּילִי מְאֺד בַּת צִיּוֹן וְגוֹ.'

Zot (This, Fem.)

235. Come and see that it is written, "And this (Heb. zot fem.) shall be an everlasting statute to you" (Vayikra 16:34). HE QUESTIONS: It should read, 'It shall be...to you.' Wherefore the word zot? HE ANSWERS: THE EXPLANATION OF THE VERSE IS as we said. It is an everlasting statute, WHICH IS MALCHUT, which is always referred to as "an everlasting statute," WHICH MEANS the decree of the King, as He placed all His laws in this place, MALCHUT, and sealed them as one seals everything in a storehouse. IT IS assuredly "an everlasting statute." In this "zot" DENOTING MALCHUT, He marks and engraves all His storehouses and hidden things.

235. תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב וְהָיְתָה זֺּאת לָכֶם לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם. וְהָיְתָה לָכֶם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי זֺאת. הָא דְּאַמָרָן, לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם. בְּכָל אֲתַר וַאֲתַר חֻקַּת עוֹלָם אִתְקְרֵי, גְּזֵרַה דְּמַלְכָּא, דְּעַיִּיל כָּל נִמוּסוֹי בַּאֲתַר דָּא, וְאַסְתִּים לוֹן, כְּמָאן דְּסָתִים כֺּלָּא, בְּאַסְקוּפָא חֲדָא. חֻקַּת עוֹלָם וַדַאי. בְּהַאי זֺאת רָשִׁים וְחָקַק כָּל גְּנִיזִין דִּילֵיהּ, וְכָל טְמִירִין דִּילֵיהּ.