"All the rivers run into the sea"

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon wonders how people can ignore the wishes of God for so long, and says that no one lends his ear or wakens his heart. He says that in later generations people will have forgotten the Torah entirely; there will never be another generation like Rabbi Shimon's until the generation in the time of the coming of the Messiah, when knowledge will reawaken in the world again. We read about the river, Binah, in which the roots of the Tree of Life are spread. We read of the Sfirot that come forth from this river and the anointing oil that replenishes the Garden of Eden. These streams flow down to the righteous and join together in the sea of wisdom, Malchut. When the wicked interfere, the blessings of these streams are not felt, and judgment is awakened in the world instead of peace. Then people can be blessed only through the priest.

Aaron Darkness Eyes Moses Rivers Seas

30. "And Hashem said to Moses, Speak to Aaron your brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place" (Vayikra 16:2). Rabbi Shimon said, "All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full..." (Kohelet 1:7). Rabbi Shimon said: I wonder about people, that they have no eyes to see, no heart to observe, they do not know, or pay attention to the wishes of their Master. How asleep they are and do not awaken before the day will come when thick darkness will cover them; the owner of the deposit will demand his due accounting from them.

30. וַיֺּאמֶר יְיָ' אֶל מֺשֶׁה דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֺן אָחִיךְ וְאַל יָבֺא בְכָל עֵת אֶל הַקֺּדֶשׁ וְגוֹ' ר"ש פָּתַח וְאָמַר, כָּל הַנְּחָלִים הוֹלְכִים אֶל הַיָּם וְהַיָּם אֵינֶנּוּ מָלֵא וְגוֹ.' אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, תַּוַּוהְנָא עַל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, דְּהָא לֵית לְהוּ עַיְינִין לְמֵחֱזֵי, וְלִבָּא לְאַשְׁגְחָא, וְלָא יַדְעִין, וְלָא שַׁוְיָין לִבַּיְיהוּ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בִּרְעוּתָא דְמָאָרֵיהוֹן, הֵיךְ נַיְימִין, וְלָא מִתְעָרֵי מִשֵׁנָתַיְיהוּ, עַד לָא יֵיתֵי הַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּחָפֵי עָלַיְיהוּ חֲשׁוֹכָא וְקַבְלָא, וְיִתְבַּע הַהוּא מָארֵיהּ דְּפִקְדוֹנָא, חוּשְׁבָּנָא מִנַּיְיהוּ.

Bread Directions Love Soul, The Torah Wine

31. וְכָרוֹזָא כָּל יוֹמָא קָארֵי עָלַיְיהוּ, וְנִשְׁמָתֵהוֹן, אַסְהִידַת בְּהוֹן בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְלֵילְיָא, אוֹרַיְיתָא רָאמַת קָלִין לְכָל עִבָר, מַכְרֶזֶת וְאוֹמֶרֶת, עַד מָתַי פְּתָאִים תְּאֶהֲבוּ פֶתִי מִי פֶתִי יָסוּר הֵנָּה חֲסַר לֵב אָמְרָה לוֹ. לְכוּ לַחֲמוּ בְלַחְמִי וּשְׁתוּ בְּיַיִן מָסָכְתִּי. וְלֵית מַאן דְּיַרְכִּין אוּדְנֵיהּ, וְלֵית מַאן דְּיִתְּעַר לִבֵּיהּ.

Jeremiah Messiah, The Torah

32. Come and see: Later generations will come when Torah will be forgotten among them, the wise will gather in their own place and there won't be found anyone who can begin to explain and finalize THE TORAH. Woe to that generation. From here on, there will not be a generation like the present one until the generation in the time of King Messiah, when knowledge will awaken in the world, as it is written, "For they shall all know Me, from the lowest of them to the greatest of them" (Yirmeyah 31:33).

32. ת"ח, זְמִינִין דָּרֵי בַּתְרָאֵי דְּיֵיתוּן, דְּיִתְנְשֵׁי אוֹרַיְיתָא מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ, וְחַכִּימֵי לִבָּא יִתְכַּנְּשׁוּן לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ, וְלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח מַאן דְּסָגִיר וּפָתַח. וַוי לְהַהוּא דָּרָא. וּמִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה, לָא יְהֵא דָּרָא כְּדָרָא דָּא, עַד דָּרָא דְּיֵיתֵי מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא, וּמַנְדְּעָא יִתְּעַר בְּעָלְמָא, דִּכְתִּיב, כִּי כֻלָּם יֵדְעוּ אוֹתִי לְמִקְּטַנָּם וְעַד גְּדוֹלָם.

Eden Jeremiah Rivers Tree Zeir Anpin

33. It is written, "And a river went out of Eden" (Beresheet 2:10). We have learned the name of this river. We established that its name is Yuval, NAMELY BINAH, as it is written, "And that spreads out its roots by the river (Heb. yuval)" (Yirmeyah 17:8). In the book of Rabbi Hamnuna Saba (the elder), IT SAYS that its name is life, NAMELY BINAH, whence life comes to the world, which is referred to as the life of the King. We established that it is that great and strong tree, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, that feeds all and is called the Tree of Life, MEANING the tree that has planted its roots in that life ABOVE, NAMELY BINAH. And all is appropriate.

33. ת"ח, כְּתִיב, וְנָהָר יוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן. וְתָנֵינָן, מַה שְׁמֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא נָהָר. אוֹקִימְנָא יוּבַל שְׁמֵיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב, וְעַל יוּבַל יְשַׁלַּח שָׁרָשָׁיו. וּבְסִפְרָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, חַיִּים שְׁמֵיהּ, דִּמִתַּמָּן נָפְקִין חַיִּים לְעָלְמָא, וְאִינּוּן אִקְרוּן חַיֵּי מַלְכָּא. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, הַהוּא אִילָנָא רַבָּא וְתַקִּיפָא, דְּמָזוֹן לְכֺלָּא בֵּיהּ. אִקְרֵי עֵץ חַיִּים. אִילָנָא דְּנָטַע שָׁרְשׁוֹי בְּאִינּוּן חַיִּים, וְכֺלָּא הוּא שַׁפִּיר.

Anointment Boaz Flow Garden of Eden Grades Lebanon Oil Pillar Righteous Rivers Seas Streams Water Wisdom Zeir Anpin

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).

34. וְתָאנָא, הַהוּא נָהָר אַפִּיק נַחֲלִין עֲמִיקִין, בִּמְשַׁח רְבוּת, לְאַשְׁקָאָה גִּנְתָּא, וּלְרַוָּואָה אִילָנִין וּנְטִיעִין, דִּכְתִּיב יִשְׂבְּעוּ עֲצֵי יְיָ' אַרְזֵי לְבָנוֹן אֲשֶׁר נָטָע, וְאִינּוּן נַחֲלִין, נַגְדִּין וְאִתְמַשְּׁכָן וּמִתְכַּנְּשִׁין בִּתְרֵין סַמְכִין וְאִינּוּן בִּרְיָיתֵי קָרֵינָן לְהוּ, יָכִי"ן וּבוֹעַ"ז, וְשַׁפִּיר. וּמִתַּמָּן נָפְקִין כָּל אִינּוּן נַחֲלִין, וְשַׁרְיָין לוֹן בְּחַד דַּרְגָּא דְּאִקְרֵי צַדִּיק, דִּכְתִּיב, וְצַדִיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם. וְכֻלְּהוּ אַזְלִין וּמִתְכַּנְּשִׁין לְהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי יָם, וְהוּא יַמָּא דְּחָכְמְתָא, הה"ד, כָּל הַנְּחָלִים הוֹלְכִים אֶל הַיָּם וְגוֹ.'

Blessing Flow Pillar Righteous Rivers Streams Waters

35. You may say that when the streams reach this spot, NAMELY MALCHUT, they stop and don't come back, yet immediately following that, it says, "To the place where the rivers flow, thither they return (lit. 'return to go')" (Ibid.), for the river never stops its waters. "They return:" To where do THEY return? HE ANSWERS: They "return" to the two pillars, Netzach and Hod. They "go" to this Righteous, WHICH IS YESOD, to seek out blessings and joy. This is the secret of what we learned, "This is the Leviathan, whom You have made to play therein" (Tehilim 104:26). It is the righteous.

35. וְאִי תֵּימָא, דְּהָא מָטוּ לַאֲתָר דָּא, וּפַסְקִין, וְלָא תַּיְיבִין, לְבָתַר כְּתִיב, אֶל מְקוֹם שֶׁהַנְּחָלִים הוֹלְכִים שָׁם הֵם שָׁבִים לָלָכֶת, בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא נַהֲרָא לָא פָּסִיק לְעָלְמִין. הֵם שָׁבִים, לְאָן אֲתַר שָׁבִים, לְאִינּוּן תְּרֵין קַיְימִין, נֶצַח וְהוֹד. לָלָכֶת, בְּהַאי צַדִּיק, לְאַשְׁכְּחָא בִּרְכָאָן וְחִידוּ. וְהַיְינוּ רָזָא דְּתָנֵינָן, לִוְיָתָן זֶה יָצַרְתָּ לְשַׂחֶק בּוֹ, דָּא צַדִּיק.

Food Matron Righteous

36. כֻּלָּם אֵלֶיךָ יְשַׂבֵּרוּן לָתֵת אָכְלָם בְּעִתּוֹ. מַאן עִתּוֹ. דָּא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, דְּאִקְרֵי עִתּוֹ דְּצַדִּיק, ובג"כ כֻּלְּהוּ מְחַכָּאן לְהַאי עִתּוֹ, כֻּלְּהוּ דְּאַתְּזְנָן לְתַתָּא, מֵאֲתַר דָּא אַתְּזְנָן, וְרָזָא דָּא אוֹקִימְנָא, עֵינֵי כֺל אֵלֶיךָ יְשַׂבֵּרוּ וְגוֹ' כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא.

Blessing Judgment Matron Peace Priests Streams Wicked Wickedness Zeir Anpin

37. Come and see: When this "all," WHICH IS YESOD, KNOWN AS "KOL (LIT. 'ALL')," perfumes "due season," WHICH IS MALCHUT, which joins with him, all the world rejoices in blessings and peace is found among the upper and lower beings. However, when the wicked cause, that blessings of these streams are not present - NAMELY, CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN, and this season receives nourishment from another side, NAMELY JUDGMENT, then Judgments are awakened in the world and there is no peace. When people want to be blessed, they can do so only through the priest, who could arouse his Sfirah, WHICH IS CHESED. Thus, the Matron, WHO IS MALCHUT, is blessed and the blessings will prevail throughout the worlds.

37. ת"ח, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּהַאי כֺּל, מְבַסֵּם לְעִתּוֹ, וּמִתְחַבְּרָא עִמֵּיהּ, כֻּלְּהוּ עָלְמִין בְּחֵידוּ, כֻּלְּהוּ עָלְמִין בְּבִרְכָּאן, כְּדֵין שְׁלָמָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּעִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי. וְכַד גַּרְמִין חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא, דְּתַמָן לָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ בִּרְכָאן דְּאִינּוּן נַחֲלֵי, וְיַנְקָא, הַאי עֵת, מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא, כְּדֵין דִּינִין מִתְעָרִין בְּעָלְמָא, וּשְׁלָמָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח. וְכַד בָּעָאן בְּנֵי עָלְמָא לְאִתְבָּרְכָא, לָא יַכְלִין אֶלָּא עַל יְדָא דְּכַהֲנָא, בְּגִין דְּיִתְּעַר כִּתְרָא דִּילֵיהּ, וְיִתְבְּרַךְ מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וְיִשְׁתְּכָחוּ בִּרְכָאן בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין.