The Holy One, blessed be He, the Torah and Yisrael

Synopsis

Rabbi Aba says that because of the Holy Covenant, Yisrael are fortunate that God has given them truthful statutes and planted them with the Tree of Life and placed the Shechinah among them. Rabbi Shimon says there are three levels intertwined with each other, meaning God, the Torah and Yisrael; each of them has a hidden level and a revealed level. All who are circumcised are given the revealed words of the Torah and are given the strict commandments, and only those who are of higher levels are given the supernal meanings of the Torah.

Flesh Judgment Love Shechinah Temple, The Torah Tree Tree of Life Zeir Anpin

295. "You shall do My Judgments, and keep My ordinances, to walk in them..." (Vayikra 18:4). Rabbi Aba said: Fortunate is the lot of Yisrael that the Holy One, blessed be He, desires them above all the idolatrous nations. As a result of His love for them, He gave them truthful statutes, planted with them the Tree of Life, ZEIR ANPIN, and caused the Shechinah to dwell in their midst. What is the reason? It is because Yisrael are marked with the holy impression in their flesh and so are recognized as His and members of His temple.

295. אֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי תַּעֲשׂוּ וְאֶת חֻקֺּתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ לָלֶכֶת בָּהֶם וְגוֹ,' רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בְּהוּ מִכָּל עַמִּין עע"ז, וּבְגִין רְחִימוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ עָלַיְיהוּ, יָהִיב לוֹן נִימוּסִין דִּקְשׁוֹט, נָטַע בְּהוּ אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי, אַשְׁרֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ. מ"ט. בְּגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל רְשִׁימִין בִּרְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא בִּבְשָׂרֵיהוֹן. וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן דְּאִינְהוּ דִּילֵיהּ, מִבְּנֵי הֵיכָלֵיהּ.

Circumcision Directions Flesh Holy Name Torah

296. Because of this, all those that are not marked in their flesh with the holy impression, MEANING THEY ARE NOT CIRCUMCISED, are not His people. They are not OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. It is apparent that they stem from the direction of impurity and it is prohibited to fraternize with them and speak with them regarding matters of the Holy One, blessed be He. It is prohibited to relate words of Torah to them, as the entire Torah is the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. Every letter of the Torah is connected with the Holy Name; THEREFORE, ANYONE whose flesh is not marked with the holy impression must not be informed of Torah words, and one must not study with him.

296. וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ, כָּל אִינּוּן דְּלָא רְשִׁימִין בִּרְשִׁימוּ קַדִּישָׁא בִּבְשָׂרֵיהוֹן לָאו אִינּוּן דִּילֵיהּ, וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן דְּכֻלְּהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא אַתְיָין, וְאָסִיר לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בְּהוּ, וּלְאִשְׁתָּעֵי בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ, בְּמִלּוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאָסִיר לְאוֹדָעָא לְהוּ מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּגִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כֻּלָּא שְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְכָל אָת דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, מִתְקַשְּׁרָא בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. וְכָל מַאן דְּלָא אִתְרְשִׁים בִּרְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא בִּבְשָׂרֵיהּ, אָסִיר לְאוֹדָעָא לֵיהּ מִלָּה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וכ"ש לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בֵּיהּ.

Circumcision Door Holy of Holies Lambs Passover Torah

297. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion saying, "This is the ordinance of the Pesach: no stranger shall eat of it" (Shemot 12:43). It is also written, "But every man's servant..." (Ibid. 44) and "a foreign and a hired servant shall not eat of it" (Ibid. 45). If something like eating the pascal lamb is forbidden to the uncircumcised just because it hints at a holy matter - MEANING BECAUSE "HASHEM WILL PASS OVER THE DOOR..." (IBID. 23) - then how much more should the Torah, which is the Holy of Holies, the sublime name of the Holy One, blessed be He, be forbidden to them.

297. ר"ש פָּתַח, זֺאת חֻקַּת הַפָּסַח כָּל בֶּן נֵכָר לֹא יֺאכַל בּוֹ, וּכְתִיב וְכָל עֶבֶד אִישׁ וְגוֹ.' וּכְתִיב תּוֹשָׁב וְשָׂכִיר לֹא יֺאכַל בּוֹ. וּמַה פִּסְחָא דְּאִיהוּ בִּשְׂרָא לְמֵיכְלָא, עַל דְּאִתְרְמִיז בְּמִלָּה קַדִּישָׁא, אָסִיר לְכָל הָנֵי לְמֵיכַל בֵּיהּ, וּלְמֵיהַב לְהוּ לְמֵיכַל, עַד דְּאִתְגְּזָרוּ. אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּהִיא קֺדֶשׁ קֳדָשִׁים שְׁמָא עִלָּאָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עאכ"ו.

Idolatry Jacob Judgment Torah

298. Rabbi Elazar asked of Rabbi Shimon his father: We learned that it is prohibited to teach Torah to idolaters and very beautifully did the Babylonian scholars explain that which is written, "He has not dealt so with any other nation" (Tehilim 147:20). But ONE COULD ASK since it is written, "He declares His word to Jacob" (Ibid. 19), so why write again, "His statutes and His Judgments (lit. 'justices') to Yisrael?" IT IS A REDUNDANT EXPRESSION. He replied: Elazar. Come and see how fortunate are Yisrael within whom this supernal portion was planted by the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, "For I give you a good doctrine" (Mishlei 4:2) - to you and not to the idolatrous nations.

298. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר שָׁאִיל לְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוּהִי, אָ"ל, הָא תָּנֵינָן אָסוּר לְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעכו"ם, וְשַׁפִּיר אַתְּעֲרוּ חַבְרַיָּיא דְּבָבֶל, דִּכְתִּיב לֹא עָשָׂה כֵן לְכָל גּוֹי, אֲבָל כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר מַגִּיד דְּבָרָיו לְיַעֲקֺב, אֲמַאי חֻקָּיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. אָ"ל, אֶלְעָזָר ת"ח, זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּחוּלָקָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא דָּא נָטַע בְּהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב כִּי לֶקַח טוֹב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם, לָכֶם, וְלָא לְעַמִּין עע"ז.

Grades Jacob Judgment Torah

299. Because she is supernal, precious and hidden, His very name in the entire Torah is both concealed and revealed, AS IT CONTAINS THE ESOTERIC AND LITERAL MEANING in the secret of His name. Hence, Yisrael find themselves on two levels, MEANING concealed and revealed, as we learned there are three levels intertwined with each other, MEANING the Holy One, blessed be He, the Torah and Yisrael. Each OF THEM has one level above another, MEANING a hidden and a revealed one. As the Holy One, blessed be He, is a level upon level, concealed and revealed, the Torah is also concealed and revealing. Yisrael too is a level upon a level. This is what is written, "He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His Judgments (lit. 'justices') to Yisrael." Here are two levels, Jacob and Yisrael, one revealing, THE LEVEL OF JACOB, and one concealed, THE LEVEL OF YISRAEL.

299. וּבְגִין דְּאִיהִי גְּנִיזָא עִלָּאָה יַקִּירָא, שְׁמֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ, אוֹרַיְיתָא כֺּלָּא סָתִים וְגַלְיָא, בְּרָזָא דִּשְׁמֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא, יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּתְרֵין דַּרְגִּין אִינּוּן, סָתִים וְגַלְיָא, דְּתָנֵינָן תְּלַת דַּרְגִּין אִינּוּן מִתְקַשְּׁרָן דָּא בְּדָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכָל חַד, דַּרְגָּא עַל דַּרְגָּא, סָתִים וְגַלְיָא. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דַּרְגָּא עַל דַּרְגָּא, סָתִים וְגַלְיָא. אוֹרַיְיתָא הָכִי נָמֵי סָתִים וְגַלְיָא. יִשְׂרָאֵל הָכִי נָמֵי דַּרְגָּא עַל דַּרְגָּא, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, מַגִּיד דְּבָרָיו לְיַעֲקֺב חֻקָּיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. תְּרֵי דַּרְגִּין אִינּוּן, יַעֲקֺב וְיִשְׂרָאֵל, חַד גַּלְיָא, וְחַד סָתִים.

Circumcision Grades Holy Name Jacob Judgment Torah

300. HE QUESTIONS: What does the verse mean IN THE WORDS, "HIS STATUTES AND HIS JUDGMENTS (LIT. 'JUSTICES') TO YISRAEL?" HE ANSWERED: everyone who is circumcised and marked with the Holy Name is passed on with the revealed words of the Torah. He is informed generally of basic matters in brief, and has placed upon him the very strict CARE of the commandments of the Torah, and not more until he is elevated to another level. This is what the verse says, "He declares His word to Jacob," but "His statutes and His Judgments (lit. 'justices') to Yisrael" is a higher level, as it is written, "Your name shall not be called any more Jacob..." (Beresheet 35:10). THUS, ISRAEL IS MORE ESTEEMED THAN JACOB. THEREFORE, it is written, "His statutes and His Judgments (lit. 'justices') to Israel." These are the secrets of the Torah, the statutes of the Torah and the hidden parts of the Torah, which are not revealed except to one who finds himself to be on a more lofty level, as is proper.

300. מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי. אֶלָא כָּל מָאן דְּאִתְגְּזַר וְאִתְרְשִׁים בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, יָהֲבִין לֵיהּ בְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּאִתְגַּלְּיָין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, כְּלוֹמַר, מוֹדִיעִין לֵיהּ בְּרֵישֵׁי אַתְוָון, בְּרֵישֵׁי פִּרְקִין, יָהֲבִין עָלֵיהּ חוּמְרָא דְּפִקוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא יַתִּיר, עַד דְּיִסְתָּלַק בְּדַרְגָּא אָחֳרָא, הה"ד מַגִּיד דְּבָרָיו לְיַעֲקֺב. אֲבָל חֻקָּיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִיהוּ בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה יַתִּיר. וּכְתִיב לֹא יִקָּרֵא שִׁמְךָ עוֹד יַעֲקֺב וְגוֹ.' חֻקָּיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אִלֵּין רָזֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא וְנִמּוּסֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְסִתְרֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּלָא יִצְטָרְכוּן לְגַלָּאָה אֶלָּא לְמַאן דְּאִיהוּ בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה יַתִּיר כַּדְקָא חֲזֵי.