"Therefore do the virgins love you"

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon tells how the fragrance of the incense rises and joins with the flow of the holy ointment (the Sfirah of Zeir Anpin); they waken each other and are then good for illumination. The oil is then poured down from level to level to Malchut and thence to all the worlds. The Congregation of Yisrael is like the incense and Zeir Anpin is like the ointment.

Anointment Fragrance Incense Love Oil Streams Zeir Anpin

46. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion saying, "Your ointments are fragrant..." (Shir Hashirim 1:3). I have closely studied this verse and this is the explanation: What is meant by "fragrant?" IT MEANS THAT the fragrance of the incense is subtle and finer, more interior than anything else. When this fragrance rises to join with the anointing oil of the fountain streams, WHICH ARE THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN, they wake one another and connect together. Then these ointments are good for illumination, as the verse says, "Your ointments are fragrant (lit. 'good for fragrance)."

46. פָּתַח ר' שִׁמְעוֹן וְדָרַשׁ, לְרֵיחַ שְׁמָנֶיךָ טוֹבִים וְגוֹ.' הַאי קְרָא אִסְתַּכַּלְנָא בֵּיהּ, וְהָכִי הוּא. לְרֵיחַ, מַאי רֵיחַ. רֵיחַ דִּקְטֺרֶת דְּאִיהוּ דְּקִיקָא וּמָעַלְיָא וּפְנִימָאָה מִכֺּלָּא, וְכַד סָלִיק הַהוּא רֵיחַ לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא, בְּהַהוּא מְשַׁח רְבוּת דְּנַחֲלֵי מַבּוּעָא, אִתְּעֲרוּ דָּא בְּדָא וְאִתְקְטָרוּ כַּחֲדָא. וּכְדֵין אִינּוּן מִשְׁחָן טָבָאן לְאַנְהָרָא. כד"א, לְרֵיחַ שְׁמָנֶיךָ טוֹבִים.

Chassadim Flow Grades Holy Name Love Oil Singing

47. The oil was then poured from level to level among the levels that are called the Holy Name, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and the verse then reads, "For your flowing oil you are renowned: therefore do the virgins love you" (Ibid.). What is meant by "virgins" (Heb. alamot)? It is worlds (Heb. olamot), as we mentioned, actual worlds. INASMUCH AS THE OIL POURS TO MALCHUT CALLED NAME, ALL WORLDS RECEIVE FROM HER. Another explanation for alamot is as it is written, "A song to Alamot" (Tehilim 46:1), MEANING GRADES REPRESENTING ASPECTS OF CHASSADIM THAT IS REFERRED TO AS ALOMOT, DERIVED FROM THE WORD HE'ALEM (LIT. 'HIDDEN'). It all comes to the same thing. THE WORD OLAMOT (LIT. 'WORLDS') ALSO COMES FROM THEIR BEING CONCEALED.

47. וּכְדֵין אִתְרַק מִשְׁחָא מִדַּרְגָּא לְדַרְגָּא, בְּאִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין דְּאִקְרוּן שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, הה"ד, שֶׁמֶן תּוּרַק שְׁמֶךָ עַל כֵּן עֲלָמוֹת אֲהֵבוּךָ. מַאי עֲלָמוֹת. כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא עוֹלָמוֹת, עוֹלָמוֹת מַמָּשׁ, ד"א עַל כֵּן עֲלָמוֹת אֲהֵבוּךָ. כד"א, עַל עֲלָמוֹת שִׁיר. וְכֺלָּא חַד.

Blessing Briyah Chambers Food Love Maidens Seven Worlds

48. In the book of Rabbi Hamnuna Saba, it is written: what is the meaning of 'worlds (Heb. olamot)?' It is according to the verse, "She rises also while it is yet night, and gives food to her household, and a portion to her maidens" (Mishlei 31:15). THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE SEVEN CHAMBERS OF BRIYAH, WHICH SERVICE MALCHUT AND ARE REFERRED TO AS MAIDENS. These maidens ARE "the virgins (Heb. alamot) love you," to bless Your name and to sing praises before You. From there, there are blessings among all the lower beings, and the upper and lower beings are blessed.

48. וּבְסִפְרָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סַבָא כְּתִיב, מַאי עוֹלָמוֹת. כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ וְחֺק לְנַעֲרוֹתֶיהָ. נַעֲרוֹתֶיהָ הָנֵי עֲלָמוֹת, אֲהֵבוּךָ, לְבָרְכָא שְׁמָךְ, וּלְזַמְּרָא קַמָּךְ, וּמִתַּמָּן אִשְׁתַּכְּחָן בִּרְכָאן בְּכֻלְּהוּ תַּתָּאֵי, וּמִתְבָּרְכִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין.

Chassadim Congregation Death Death and the Afterlife Grades Hebrew Letters Incense Love Oil Prosecution Sacrifice Zeir Anpin

49. Another explanation for "the virgins (Heb. alamot) love you:" It is fine to read this verse as: 'over death (Heb. al mavet) they love you,' for with this, NAMELY OIL WHICH DENOTES CHASSADIM, the harsh prosecutors embalm themselves, AS 'ALAMOT' IS SPELLED WITH THE SAME LETTERS AS 'AL MAVET.' For incense, SIGNIFYING THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, joins with the higher level ointment, WHICH IS CHASSADIM, and is held in high esteem before the Holy One, blessed be He, more than all sacrifices and burnt offerings. The Congregation of Yisrael said: I am like the incense, DENOTING MALCHUT, AS MALCHUT IS THE SECRET MEANING OF LOWER CHOCHMAH, and You, DENOTING ZEIR ANPIN, are like ointment, DENOTING CHASSADIM. THEREFORE, "Draw me, we will run after you" (Shir Hashirim 1:4). "We will run" IS A PLURAL EXPRESSION, as in, "therefore do the virgins love you," THAT IS, I and all my troops, who all hold onto me. Hence, "draw me," as they are all dependent on me.

49. ד"א ע"כ עֲלָמוֹת אֲהֵבוּךָ. שַׁפִּיר הוּא מַאן דְּאָמַר. עַל מָוֶת אֲהֵבוּךָ, דְּהָא בְּמִלָּה דָּא מָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינִין אִתְבַּסְּמָן, וּבְגִין דְּהַאי קְטֺרֶת, אִתְקְטַר בְּמִשְׁחָא דִּלְעֵילָּא יַתִּיר, אִתְחֲשָׁב קָמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מִכָּל קָרְבְּנִין וְעִלָּוָון. אָמְרָה כ"י, אֲנָא כִּקְטֺרֶת, וְאַנְתְּ כְּמִשְׁחָא, מָשְׁכֵנִי אַחֲרֶיךָ נָרוּצָה וְגוֹ.' נָרוּצָה: כד"א, עַל כֵּן עֲלָמוֹת אֲהֵבוּךָ. אֲנָא וְכָל אוּכְלוּסִין, דְּהָא כֻּלְּהוּ בִּי אֲחִידָן, וְעַל דָּא מָשְׁכֵנִי, דְּהָא בִּי תַּלְיָין.

Chambers Earth Heavens

50. הֱבִיאַנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ חֲדָרָיו. אִם יֵיעוּל לִי מַלְכָּא בְּאִדָרוֹי, נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בָּךְ, אֲנָא וְכֻלְּהוּ אוּכְלוּסִין. תָּאנָא. כֻּלְּהוּ אוּכְלוּסִין, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל חַדָּאת וּמִתְבָּרְכָא, כֻּלְּהוּ חַדָּאן, וְדִינָא לָא שַׁרְיָא כְּדֵין בְּעָלְמָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, יִשְׂמְחוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְתָגֵל הָאָרֶץ.