"Therefore fear you not, O My servant Jacob"

268. He opened the discussion with the verse: "'Therefore fear you not, O My servant Jacob,' says Hashem; 'neither be dismayed, O Yisrael... For I am with you'" (Yirmeyah 30:10-11). We have learned this verse and it has been discussed. However, we could now discuss it more thoroughly. What is "you?" It is the secret of the Ark of the Covenant, WHICH IS MALCHUT, that is the level that goes into exile with her children, the Master of the Universe. At the time Moses asked mercy for Yisrael, it is written there: "And if You deal thus with me, kill me, I pray You, out of hand" (Bemidbar 11:15), as it was already explained.

269. However, this is what Moses said, One level that You granted me was called 'You,' THAT IS MALCHUT, since she is not separated from You. Her Hei, MEANING THE HEI of atah (Eng. 'you'), was attached to Yisrael. If You destroy them, then the Hei of this name ATAH, which is connected to YISRAEL, will be removed FROM THE NAME ATAH AND AT WILL BE LEFT. THAT IS THE MEANING OF WHAT IS WRITTEN: "If You (Heb. at) deal thus with me," MEANING IF YOU DESTROY YISRAEL, the Hei that is the basis of this name, ATAH, is uprooted AND ONLY AT IS LEFT FROM ATAH. THE RESULT IS THAT YOU WILL MAKE ME AN AT FROM ATAH, AND THAT IS WHAT HE SAID, "YOU (AT) DEAL THUS."

270. Therefore, Joshua later said, "And what will You do for Your great name" (Yehoshua 7:9), MEANING TO THE NAME ATAH, since this name is most definitely the basis and foundation of everything, AS IT IS WRITTEN: "You are Hashem." Even though the Holy One, blessed be He, did not tell Moses THAT THE HEI WILL BE REDUCED FROM THE NAME ATAH, he understood that one depends on the other, THAT THE HEI OF ATAH DEPENDS ON YISRAEL, and the sin causes THE HEI TO GET UPROOTED FROM ATAH. HE RETURNS TO THE VERSE THAT HE STARTED WITH: "Therefore fear you not, O My servant Jacob" (Yeshayah 46:28). JACOB AND YISRAEL are all one. "For I am with you" (Ibid.) was already defined. It does not say, 'For you are with Me,' but rather "For I am with you," INDICATING THAT THE NAME ATAH IS CONNECTED TO YISRAEL, AS MENTIONED ABOVE. THEREFORE, "for I will make a full end of all the nations" (Ibid.). Among all the nations I will create destruction, "YET WILL I NOT MAKE A FULL END OF YOU" (IBID.). THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE HEI OF ATAH, WHICH IS TIED TO YISRAEL AS MENTIONED.

271. The First Rav Hamnuna said, The pressure and distress to Yisrael caused them a great many benefits and advantages. The laxity of the other nations, MEANING THAT THEY HAVE NO PRESSURE AND PAIN IN THIS WORLD, caused them many evils. HE EXPLAINS: The pressure and distress that was upon Yisrael caused them advantages and benefits. What do they consist of: kalah (lit. 'destruction'), as everything is strained, MEANING TO SAY THAT ALL THE LETTERS THAT ARE SOUNDED IN IT ARE STRESSED WITH A DAGESH, INDICATING THAT THROUGH STRESS THEY SUCCEED IN GAINING THE HIGHER KALAH (ENG. 'BRIDE'), WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH. The laxness of the nations, WHO HAVE NO DISTRESS OR DIFFICULTIES, yielded them slackness and evil. That is kalah (lit. 'destruction') WITHOUT DAGESH STRESS, and that is proper for them, because all the easiness without any difficulties that they had in this world caused them slackness without any pressure afterwards. That is kalah (lit. 'destruction') WITH UNSTRESSED KAF AND LAMED, AS IT IS WRITTEN: "For I have heard from Adonai Elohim Tzva'ot that destruction (Heb. kalah) is decreed" (Yeshayah 28:22). "For I will make a full end (Heb. kalah)" without a stress, KAF AND LAMED BEING UNSTRESSED. However, for Yisrael, who passed through strain and pressure, they will get the benefit of the bride, WITH KAF AND LAMED STRESSED WITH DAGESH, as it says, "And as a bride (Heb. kalah) adorns herself with her jewels" (Ibid. 61:10), KALAH BEING THE SHECHINAH.

272. HE INQUIRES: Who are her jewels, AS IT SAYS, "AND AS A BRIDE (HEB. KALAH) ADORNS HERSELF WITH HER JEWELS?" HE RESPONDS: These refer to Yisrael, who are the adornments of this bride, THE SHECHINAH. Yisrael, who went through this distress and pressure, MERIT THE VERSE: "I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen" (Amos 9:11). That is the tabernacle of peace, MEANING THE SHECHINAH. And the rest of the nations, who had respite from trouble and anguish, later deserve destruction through laxity, WITH KAF AND LAMED NOT STRESSED WITH DAGESH, as they previously enjoyed RESPITE FROM TROUBLE. The result is: "For I will make a full end of all the nations...yet will I not make a full end of you," since you do not deserve it. You already were many times earlier in distress and under the constant pressure of the exile. Therefore, you will have a bride; THAT IS, THE SHECHINAH.

273. He asks, "But I will correct you in due measure (lit. 'for justice)" (Yirmeyah 30:11). This verse should read: "But I will correct you in justice," since when does one have torment? When he is sentenced on trial. So, what is the meaning of: "But I will correct you for justice?" HE ANSWERS, It is only because it is written: "Hashem will come with trial with the elders of His nation" (Yeshayah 3:14). On that day, the Holy One, blessed be He, introduce a remedy for Yisrael before they are put on trial, in order that they would be able to withstand it. What is that remedy? At every moment, the Holy One, blessed be He, provides them with a slight amount of suffering at each and every time and in each generation, in order that when they rise to the day of the great trial, AT THE TIME when the dead will be resurrected, judgment will not affect them.

274. "And will not leave you altogether unpunished (lit. 'cleansing I will not cleanse you')" (Yirmeyah 30:11). HE ASKS: What is it? HE RESPONDS: It is that when the children of Yisrael are by themselves and do not go to trail with the other nations, MEANING BEFORE THE END OF CORRECTION. The Holy One, blessed be He, does not apply the strict law to them and forgives them. When they do go to trail together with the other nations, AT THE END OF CORRECTION, AS MENTIONED ABOVE, what does He do? The Holy One, blessed be He, knows that Samael, who is the patron of Esau, will come to remind Him of the sins of Yisrael, and will have accumulated all THEIR INIQUITIES to himself for the day of judgment. And the Holy One, blessed be He, will give them a remedy beforehand, so that for each and every iniquity, He smote and cleansed them with sufferings, little by little. That is the meaning of "cleansing" BEFOREHAND, through sufferings. Thus, at the true trial IN THE FUTURE, "I will not cleanse you" from the world through judgment, since you have already suffered affliction AT EACH GIVEN TIME, little by little.

275. "I will not cleanse you" MEANS that even though you are My children, I will not discard your wrongdoings, but rather I will make you pay Me little by little, so that you will be free of guilt at the day of the great judgment. When they come for trial, Samael will come with many writs of accusation about them. And TO COUNTER THEM the Holy One, blessed be He, will provide many writs of sufferings that Yisrael endured for each and every iniquity. All the sins were erased, and He is not being charitable at all, BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THEIR PUNISHMENT. Then the power and strength of Samael is weakened, and he is powerless against them. AND THEN he will vanish from the world, he and all of his aspects and all his nations. That is what it says: "Therefore fear you not, O My servant Jacob." Hence, "but I will correct you for judgment, and will not leave you altogether unpunished."