"Behold, how good and how pleasant"

58. We have learned that Rabbi Yosi said, Once the world needed rain. Rabbi Yesa, Rabbi Chizkiyah and other friends came before Rabbi Shimon. They found him and his son going to see Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair. When he saw them, he said, "A poem of ascent of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity" (Tehilim 133:1). HE QUESTIONS: What is meant by "brothers to dwell together in unity?"

59. HE ANSWERS: THIS IS as is said, "And their faces shall look one to another (lit. 'man to his brother')" (Shemot 25:20), BROTHERS MEANING MALE AND FEMALE, for the time that ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT faced each other, it is written, "How good and how pleasant." However, when the male turns his face away from the female, woe is to the world. Then it is written, "But sometimes ruin comes for want of justice" (Mishlei 13:23) and assuredly without justice, MEANING WITHOUT ZEIR ANPIN CALLED JUSTICE, WHO DOES NOT LOOK OR GIVE ABUNDANCE TO THE FEMALE CALLED RIGHTEOUSNESS. The verse, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne" (Tehilim 89:15) means that one does not go without the other. When justice, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, moves afar from righteousness, WHICH IS MALCHUT, woe is to the world.

60. I see that you have come now because the Male does not reside within the Female AND, AS A RESULT, THERE IS NO RAIN IN THE WORLD. He said, If you have come to me for this reason, then go back, as this day I have seen that everything will return to be face to face AND THERE WILL BE NO LACK OF ABUNDANCE OF RAIN IN THE WORLD. However, if you have come here to study Torah, then stay with me. They replied to him: We came to our master for both of them, FOR RAINFALL AND FOR STUDY OF TORAH. Allow one of us to report to our brethren ABOUT THE SALVATION OF RAIN, while we, and the other friends with us, will remain with our master.

61. As they were walking, he said, "I am black, but comely, O daughters of Jerusalem..." (Shir Hashirim 1:5). The Congregation of Yisrael said before the Holy One, blessed be He: I may be black in exile but I am comely with the commandments of the Torah. Even though Yisrael are in exile, they do not forsake THE PRECEPTS. "Like the tents of Kedar" (Ibid.), MEANING EVEN THOUGH I AM like the children of Keturah, whose faces are always black, still I am like "the curtains of Solomon" (Ibid.), MEANING like the view of heaven for purity, as it is written, "Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain" (Tehilim 104:2). SOLOMON (HEB. SHLOMO) IS THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, THE KING OF PEACE (HEB. SHALOM).

62. "Do not look upon me, because I am black" (Shir Hashirim 1:6), MEANING what is the reason you should not look upon me? Because I am black AND THEREFORE YOU CANNOT SEE ME. "Because the sun has scorched me" (Ibid.), MEANING the sun did not look at me, REFERRING TO ZEIR ANPIN, to properly shed light upon me. What do Yisrael say to this? "My mother's children were angry with me" (Ibid.). Who are the children of my mother? These are appointed ministers who protect the other nations.

63. Another explanation is that THE SHECHINAH SPOKE literally OF "my mother's children," REFERRING TO THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN, THE CHILDREN OF BINAH WHO IS THE MOTHER OF THE SHECHINAH, as the verse says, "And cast down from heaven (to) earth..." (Eichah 2:1). So when ZEIR ANPIN threw from heaven the earth, MEANING THE SHECHINAH, "they made me the keeper of the vineyards" (Shir Hashirim 1:6), REFERRING TO THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD. SHE HAS TO POUR ABUNDANCE TO THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD SO THAT YISRAEL WILL DRAW SUSTENANCE FROM THEM. What is the reason? BECAUSE "my own vineyard," NAMELY YISRAEL, "I have not kept" (Ibid.), BECAUSE THEY SINNED. We thus learn that "the children of my mother," NAMELY THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN, agreed against me, TO DISTANCE ME, meaning the earth was removed with this, REFERRING TO MALCHUT, from heaven, DENOTING ZEIR ANPIN. We established that it is written, "And his sister stood afar off" (Shemot 2:4). THE SHECHINAH, CALLED THE SISTER OF ZEIR ANPIN, STOOD FROM A DISTANCE, MEANING ZEIR ANPIN HAD CAUSED HER TO STAND AT A DISTANCE.

64. IN CONTRAST TO WHAT IS WRITTEN, "AND HIS SISTER STOOD AFAR OFF," it is surely said, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together (Heb. gam) in unity" WHEN MALCHUT, WHICH IS THE SISTER OF ZEIR ANPIN, STANDS NOT AT A DISTANCE BUT TOGETHER. Regarding them, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, we have explained "also together" the same way as "And yet (Heb. gam) for all that (Heb. zot fem.)" (Vayikra 26:44), GAM BEING THE SECRET OF MALCHUT CALLED ZOT. SIMILARLY, "GAM IN UNITY" REFERS TO MALCHUT. IN TRUTH, it would have been included in the brothers sitting together AND THERE WOULD BE NO NEED TO INSCRIBE THE WORD GAM. Since "Gam (Eng. 'also')" is written it is meant to include all of those higher above ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT; THAT IS, THEY ARE YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH. For the whole reign is now in that place - YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH.

65. Another explanation for, "Behold, how good and how pleasant..." These are the friends, when they sit together and don't sit apart from one another. At first they appear as people at war with each other, wanting to kill one another. Afterwards, they return to each other in brotherly love. What does the Holy One, blessed be He, say ABOUT THEM? "Behold how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together (Heb. gam, Eng. 'also') in unity." The word gam comes to include the Shechinah. Moreover, the Holy One, blessed be He, pays attention to what they say, and has enjoyment and rejoices with them. This is the essence of the verse, "Then they who feared Hashem spoke to one another: and Hashem hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was it is written before Him..." (Malachi 3:16).

66. My friends, just as you have had affection for each other until now, do not part from one another from now on until the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoices with you. He will call peace upon you and, for your merits, peace will prevail in the world. This is the meaning of the verse, "For my brethren and friends' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within you" (Tehilim 122:8).

67. They went. As they were going, they reached the home of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair. Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair came out, kissed RABBI SHIMON, and said: I have earned the right to kiss the Shechinah. How fortunate is my lot. He set up for them expensive bed sheets. Rabbi Shimon said: The Torah does not require this. He removed THE SPREADS and they sat down. Rabbi Pinchas said: Before we eat, we will hear a discourse from the master of Torah, as all the words of Rabbi Shimon are open as a revelation. He is a man who need not be afraid from above or below of preaching them. He fears not what is above, as the Holy One, blessed be He, agrees with him. He is also not fearful of those below, just as a lion fears not the flock of sheep. Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Elazar, his son: Elazar, stand where you are and recite a novel Torah interpretation before Rabbi Pinchas and the other friends.