Yisrael are brothers to the Holy One, blessed be He

Synopsis

Rabbi Yehuda says that the children of Yisrael are brothers to God because His love for them has never been interrupted. Rabbi Yitzchak talks about "the tribes of Yah" and the twelve boundaries that spread from Zeir Anpin, the Tree. Rabbi Chizkiyah concludes that all their discussion shows that anyone who causes a defect below causes one above, although the explanation given to most people of the scripture "you shall not uncover the nakedness..." is the obvious one, that one should not lay with those who are related to them. Because of this sin, the Shechinah leaves them.

Grades Jerusalem Love Righteous Zeir Anpin

381. Rabbi Yehuda continued: Yisrael are called brothers to the Holy One, blessed be He, as His love for them has never been interrupted. Jerusalem below is called "your mother's sister" (Vayikra 18:13), as it is written, "Jerusalem, built as a city that is compact together..." (Tehilim 122:3), MEANING THAT JERUSALEM BELOW IS LIKE THE CITY THAT IS COMPACT TOGETHER, MALCHUT. What is meant by "compact together?" It means that the King joined, in the six ends, ZEIR ANPIN, with all aspects of the King, with the grade of the Righteous, YESOD, in which all Sfirot of the King are included. This is the meaning of, "that is compact together," MEANING TOGETHER WITH ALL SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN.

381. וְעַ"ד א"ר יְהוּדָה, יִשְׂרָאֵל אָחִין אִקְרוּן לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּלָא אַעְדֵּי רְחִימוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן לְעָלְמִין. יְרוּשְׁלֵם דִּלְתַתָּא אָחוֹת אִמְּךָ אִתְקְרֵי, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב יְרוּשָׁלַםִ הַבְּנוּיָה כְּעִיר שֶׁחוּבְּרָה לָהּ יַחְדָּיו וְגוֹ.' מַאי שֶׁחוּבְּרָה לָהּ יַחְדָּיו. בְּגִין דְּאִזְדְּוַּוג בָּהּ מַלְכָּא מִשִּׁית סִטְרִין, בְּכָל סִטְרֵי מַלְכָּא, בְּדַרְגָּא דְּצַדִּיק, וְכָל כִּתְרֵי מַלְכָּא כְּלִילָן בֵּיהּ. וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁחוּבְּרָה לָהּ יַחְדָּיו.

Aba and Ima David Eden Flow Judgment Praise Rivers Testimony Tree Tribes Twelve Twelve Tribes of Israel Zeir Anpin

382. Rabbi Yitzchak said, "There the tribes used to go, the tribes of Yah" (Ibid. 4). Who are the tribes? HE ANSWERS: These are the twelve boundaries that spread from that large and strong tree, BEING ZEIR ANPIN, BEING THE SECRET OF FOUR SFIROT - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT. EACH HAS THREE COLUMNS WHICH ARE TWELVE BOUNDARIES. FROM ZEIR ANPIN, THEY ARE DRAWN TO MALCHUT, WHERE THEY ARE CALLED BY THE NAME OF TWELVE TRIBES that HE inherited from Aba and Ima. This is what is written, "The tribes of Yah," MEANING from the good testimony that the holy son gives, as it is written, "The tribes of Yah, an appointed practice (lit. 'testimony') for Yisrael," AS THE TWELVE BOUNDARIES ARE THE SECRET OF THE TESTIMONY, MEANING THE ILLUMINATION OF EDEN (CHOCHMAH). These are the deep rivers flowing from Yah (Yud Hei), WHICH ARE ABA AND IMA. It is all for the purpose "to give thanks to the name of Hashem" (Ibid. 4). THEREFORE, "for there are set thrones of Judgment, the thrones of the house of David" (Ibid. 5), in order to bequeath the Holy Kingdom to him and his sons for generations. This is the poem recited by David concerning the holy, supernal kingdom.

382. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, שֶׁשָּׁם עָלוּ שְׁבָטִים שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ. מַאן שְׁבָטִים. אִלֵּין תְּרֵיסָר תְּחוּמִין, דְּמִתְפָּרְשָׁן מֵהַהוּא אִילָנָא רַבָּא וְתַקִּיף, דְּאַחֲסִין לוֹן מִסִּטְרָא דְּאַבָּא וְאִימָּא. הה"ד שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ, מִשְׁפַר סַהֲדוּתָא, דְּאַסְהִיד בְּרָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּכְתִּיב שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִינּוּן נַהֲרִין עֲמִיקִין, דְּנַגְדִּין וְאִתְמַשְּׁכָן מִן יָהּ. וְכָל כַּךְ לָמָּה. לְהוֹדוֹת לְשֵׁם יְיָ.' כִּי שָׁמָּה יָשְׁבוּ כִסְאוֹת לְמִשְׁפָּט כִּסְאוֹת לְבֵית דָּוִד, לְאַחְסְנָא מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא הוּא וּבְנוֹי לְדָרֵי דָּרִין, וְדָא הִיא שִׁירָתָא דְּאָמַר דָּוִד עַל מָלְכוּ עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא.

Bride Daughter Nakedness Shechinah Sin Torah

383. Rabbi Chizkiyah said: All is according to the supernal secret to show that one who causes a defect below causes a defect above. "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter in law" (Vayikra 18:15): We have learned that the marital visits of the scholars are on Shabbatot, as they know the secret of the matter. They will meditate with their hearts with a complete wish, and the offspring they produce are called children of the King. If these cause a flaw down below, it is as if they cause harm to the bride on high, NAMELY MALCHUT. Then we find written, "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter in law (Heb. kalah, also: 'bride')." This EXPLANATION is for those who comprehend Torah ways. For the rest of the people, THE EXPLANATION IS the revealed one, MEANING literally your actual daughter-in-law, THE WIFE OF HIS SON. Because of this sin, the Shechinah departs from them, NAMELY, HE ALSO HINTS THAT THE BRIDE ON HIGH DEPARTS BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT BELOW.

383. רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה אָמַר, כֺּלָּא בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה הוּא, לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּמַאן דְּפָגִים לְתַתָּא, פָּגִים לְעֵילָּא. עֶרְוַת כַּלָּתְךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה, דְּתָנֵינָן עוֹנָתָן שֶׁל ת"ח מִשַּׁבָּת לְשַׁבָּת. בְּגִין דְּיַדְעִין רָזָא דְּמִלָּה, וִיכַוְּונוּן לִבָּא, וְיִשְׁתְּכַּח רְעוּתְהוֹן שְׁלִים. וּבְנִין דְּאוֹלִידוּ אִקְרוּן בְּנִין דְּמַלְכָּא. וְאִי אִלֵּין פְּגִימוּ מִלָּה לְתַתָּא, כִּבְיָכוֹל פַּגְמִין אִינּוּן בְּכַלָּה דִּלְעֵילָּא, כְּדֵין כְּתִיב עֶרְוַת כַּלָּתְךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה. דָּא בְּגִין אִינּוּן דְּיַדְעִין אוֹרְחִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. שְׁאָר עַמָּא הַהוּא דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא, כַּלָּתְךָ מַמָּשׁ, וּבְחוֹבָא דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא אִסְתְּלָקַת מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ.