38. We have learned that AFTER THE DEATHS OF THE SONS OF AARON, Moses was seeking from the Holy One, blessed be He, this matter, WHICH IS CHESED. MOSES said to Him: If people return in repentance to You, by whom will they be blessed? The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: 'You are speaking to Me? "Speak to Aaron your brother," for in his hands are given the blessings for above and below,' FOR HE IS THE CHARIOT FOR CHESED, AS MENTIONED ABOVE.

39. "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 Aba said: There are times before the Holy One, blessed be He, when His goodwill is found, blessings are available and one may ask petitions. There are other times when His graciousness is unavailable, blessings are not forthcoming and harsh decrees are aroused in the world. There are times when Judgment is impending. There are times during the year when graciousness is present and there are times during the year when decrees are present. There are other times when Judgment is present but is impending, MEANING TO SAY THE JUDGMENT IS HELD IN ABEYANCE TO FRIGHTEN THE WORLD, BUT IT IS NOT YET IN EFFECT. There are also times during the month when graciousness is to be found and times when Judgments are present and impending over everything.

40. There are times during the week when graciousness abounds and there are times during the week when decrees are in the world. There are times during the day when graciousness prevails and the world is pampered. There are times during the day when the Judgments are impending and are present. Even during the hour, THERE ARE VARIOUS TIMES. Consequently, it is written, "And a time for every purpose" (Kohelet 3:1). It is also written, "But as for me, let my prayer be to You, Hashem, in an acceptable time" (Tehilim 69:14) and "Seek Hashem while He may be found" (Yeshayah 55:6). Another verse reads, "Why stand You afar off, Hashem? Why hide You Yourself in times of trouble?" (Tehilim 10:1) and another verse reads, "From afar Hashem appeared to me" (Yirmeyah 31:2). At other times, He is close as it is written, "Hashem is near to all those who call upon Him" (Tehilim 145:18). Due to this, it is written, "that he will not come at all times into the holy place..."

41. Rabbi Shimon said: We have ascertained that something in its due season IS EXCELLENT. This is sure. At this point, the Holy One, blessed be He, came to warn Aaron not to err with the same sin with which his sons erred. This due season is well known TO BE MALCHUT. For this reason, he must not err by joining a different time to the King. This is the meaning of the verse, "That he come not at all times into the holy place." Even when he will see that the time is given over to another, NAMELY THE OTHER SIDE, to run the world, IT SHOULD BE given over to its hands in order to enjoin and bring the world near to holiness, as I and My Name are one, SINCE EVEN THE OTHER SIDE SERVES ONLY ME. For this reason, "that he come not at all times (or: 'with every time') into the holy place." If he wishes to know with what he should approach, the answer is with zot (Eng. 'this' fem.), WHICH IS MALCHUT OF HOLINESS, "With this (Heb. zot fem.) shall Aaron come into the holy place" (Vayikra 16:3). This zot is the time that holds to My name through Yud, WHICH IS YESOD, that is imprinted in My name AND WITH IT he may come into the holy place, not at all times, but "he comes not at all times."

42. Rabbi Yosi said that it is written, "He has made every thing beautiful in its time" (Kohelet 3:11). This matter was explained by the holy luminary, and it is so that we learned that "He has made every thing beautiful in its time." Assuredly everything, WHICH IS YESOD NAMED ALL, He did in its time REFERS TO MALCHUT CALLED TIME, one with another, and no other thing may come between them. It is literally "in its time," MEANING MALCHUT and not in another. For this reason, it is a warning to Aaron "that he come not at all times into the holy place." With what may he enter? With Zot, MEANING MALCHUT CALLED ZOT, as we established from the verse, "Thus (with zot) shall Aaron come into the holy place" (Vayikra 16:3).

43. Rabbi Elazar was sitting before his father. He said to him that it is written about the congregation of Korah, "And they perished from among the congregation" (Bemidbar 16:33). What is meant by "and they perished?" It is similar to that which is written, "The same person will I destroy from among his people" (Vayikra 23:30). Rabbi Shimon said that the sons of Aaron are different THAN THE CONGREGATION OF KORAH, because 'perish' is not written about them, as it does about the congregation of Korah, where it is written, "And they perished from among the congregation." It is also written, "Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish" (Bemidbar 17:27), which included the 250 people who offered the incense. THEY surely perished; however, THE SONS OF AARON did not perish.

44. He replies that it is written, "That he come not at all times into the holy place." Another verse reads, "Thus (Heb. with zot) shall Aaron come into the holy place." HE QUESTIONS: If the verse stated "that he will not come at all times," why doesn't it write at what time he may come? IT SHOULD READ THAT ON THE TENTH OF THE MONTH, HE SHALL COME INTO THE HOLY PLACE, BUT INSTEAD IT SAYS, "THUS SHALL AARON COME INTO THE HOLY PLACE," YET GIVES NO EXPLICIT TIME. He said to him: Elazar, we learned that it is the same word and same time, FOR TIME AND ZOT ARE THE SAME WORD, NAMELY BOTH ARE NAMES OF MALCHUT, which the priests knew. But in relation to his sons sinning, the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to admonish here, NAMELY, THAT HE SHOULD NOT DAMAGE THIS TIME WHICH IS MALCHUT AS HIS SONS DID. We have already learned this. He replied: I also thought so, but I wanted TO HEAR THIS FROM YOU in order to reconcile this matter.

45. He said to him: Elazar, my son, come and see that all sacrifices and burnt offerings bring gratification to the Holy One, blessed be He. But there is no truer gratification BEFORE HIM than the incense, for the incense is the most praiseworthy. This is the reason that it is offered in the innermost chambers, NAMELY THE HOLY OF HOLIES, silently. We have learned that. For this reason people were not punished for other kinds of sacrifices and burnt offerings as for incense, because in the whole of the service of the Holy One, blessed be He, this is the most joined and connected. That is why it is called incense, BECAUSE INCENSE IN ARAMAIC MEANS CONNECTING, so it says, "Ointment and incense rejoice the heart" (Mishlei 27:9).