313. Again, he opened the discussion saying, "When you shall besiege a city many days, in making war against it to take it..." (Devarim 20:19). How wonderful are the ways and paths of the Torah, since in every single word there is much advice and so many benefits to people, so many gems that sparkle in every direction. There is no detail in the Torah that does not contain many candles giving light to all directions. This scriptural verse is in accord with its literal meaning. It contains much in accordance with discourses and it has higher wisdom to admonish whoever requires it. Happy is the lot of he who regularly strives in the Torah.
313. תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר, כִּי תָצוּר אֶל עִיר יָמִים רַבִּים לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ לְתָפְשָׂה וְגוֹ,' כַּמָה טָבִין אִינּוּן אָרְחִין וּשְׁבִילִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּהָא בְּכָל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה, אִית כַּמָּה עֵיטִין, כַּמָה טָבִין לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא, כַּמָה מַרְגְּלָאן דְּקָא מְנַהֲרָן לְכָל סְטָר, וְלֵית לָךְ מִלָּה בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּלֵית בָּהּ כַּמָה בּוּצִינִין מְנַהֲרָן לְכָל סְטָר. הַאי קְרָא אִיהוּ כְּפוּם פְּשָׁטֵיהּ. וְאִית בֵּיהּ כְּפוּם מִדְרָשֵׁיהּ. וְאִית בֵּיהּ חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה, לְאִזְדַּהֲרָא לְמַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא תָּדִיר.
314. It is written about whoever strives in the Torah: "But his delight is in the Torah of Hashem; and in His Torah he meditates day and night. And he shall be like a tree" (Tehilim 1:2). HE INQUIRES: Why is: "AND HE SHALL BE LIKE A TREE" adjoining this? It is because whoever toils in the Torah day and night will not be like dry wood, but rather "he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water" (Ibid.). Just like a tree has roots, has bark, has a marrow and branches and leaves, grows flowers and produces fruit, these seven types amount to seven TIMES ten, TOTALING seventy. THAT IS THE SECRET OF THE SEVEN SFIROT, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT, OF WHICH EACH ONE IS COMPRISED OF TEN. Torah words include also the literal meaning of the text, homiletic discourses, hints that allude to wisdom, numerical values, hidden secrets and concealed secrets, one on top of the other, faulty and approved, unclean and clean and forbidden and permissible. From here on, the branches extend to every direction. "And he shall be like a tree" assuredly, but if not, IF HE DOES NOT POSSESS ALL THESE BRANCHES, he is not a man of wisdom.
314. מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַל בָּהּ, מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, כִּי אִם בְּתוֹרַת יְיָ' חֶפְצוֹ וּבְתוֹרָתוֹ יֶהְגֶּה יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה, וְהָיָה כְּעֵץ. אֲמַאי דָּא סָמִיךְ לְדָא. אֶלָּא מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה, לָא לִיהֱוֵי כְּאָעָא יְבֵישָׁא, אֶלָּא כְּעֵץ שָׁתוּל עַל פַּלְגֵי מָיִם. מַה אִילָן אִית בֵּיהּ שָׁרָשִׁין, וְאִית בֵּיהּ קְלִיפִּין, וְאִית בֵּיהּ מוֹחָא, וְאִית בֵּיהּ עַנְפִין, וְאִית בֵּיהּ טַרְפִּין, וְאִית בֵּיהּ פַּרְחִין, וְאִית בֵּיהּ אִיבָּא. שִׁבְעַת זִינִין אִלֵּין, סַלְּקִין לְשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר, לְשַׁבְעִין. אוֹף מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִית בְּהוּ פְּשָׁטָא דִּקְרָא. דְּרָשָׁא. רֶמֶז, דְּקָא רָמִיז חָכְמְתָא. גִימַטְרִיָיאוֹת. רָזִין טְמִירִין. רָזִין סְתִימִין אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין. פָּסוּל וְכָשֵׁר. טָמֵא וְטָהוֹר. אִיסוּר וְהֶיתֵּר. מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה, מִתְפַּשְּׁטָאָן עַנְפִין לְכָל סְטָר. וְהָיָה כְּעֵץ וַדַּאי, וְאִי לָאו, לָאו אִיהוּ חָכָם בְּחָכְמְתָא.
315. Come and see how beloved are those who study the Torah before the Holy One, blessed be He. Even when Judgment impends upon the world and permission is given to the destroyer to destroy, the Holy One, blessed be He, commands THE DESTROYER concerning those occupied with Torah. Thus speaks the Holy One, blessed be He, TO THE DESTROYER, '"When you shall besiege a city" (Devarim 20:19), because of their many sins and iniquities to Me, and because they were found guilty in judgment.' "Many days:" What is many? It is three consecutive days when the plague is known throughout the city. How do we know that "many days" are three days? Because it is written: "And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days" (Vayikra 15:25). Are they, then, many? Only IF SHE SEES BLOOD three days in a row is it called "many days." Here too, "when you shall besiege a city many days" means three consecutive days, by which the plague is established to exist in the city. THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, SAYS TO THE DESTROYER, 'Come and I will give instructions regarding the members of My household. "You shall not destroy its tree"' (Devarim 20:19): that is the Torah student that resides in the city, who is the Tree of Life, a tree that gives fruit.
315. ת"ח, כַּמָה חֲבִיבִין אִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דַּאֲפִילּוּ בְּזִמְנָא דְּדִינָא תַּלְיָא בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִתְיְיהִיב רְשׁוּ לִמְחַבְּלָא לְחַבְּלָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא פָּקִיד לֵיהּ עִלָוַויְיהוּ, עַל אִינּוּן דְּקָא מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וְהָכִי אָ"ל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כִּי תָצוּר אֶל עִיר, בְּגִין חוֹבֵיהוֹן סַגִּיאִין דְּחָטָּאן לְקַמָּאי, וְאִתְחַיְּיבוּ בְּדִינָא. יָמִים רַבִּים, מַאי רַבִּים. תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין, דָּא בָּתַר דָּא, דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא דֶבֶר בְּמָתָא. מְנָלָן דְּיָמִים רַבִּים תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין אִינּוּן, דִּכְתִּיב וְאִשָּׁה כִּי יָזוּב זוֹב דָּמָהּ יָמִים רַבִּים. וְכִי יָמִים רַבִּים אִינּוּן. אֶלָּא תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין דָּא בָּתַר דָּא, אִקְרֵי יָמִים רַבִּים. אוֹף הָכִי כִּי תָצוּר אֶל עִיר יָמִים רַבִּים, תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין דָּא בָּתַר דָּא, דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא דֶּבֶר בְּמָתָא. תָּא וְאַפְקִיד לָךְ עַל בְּנֵי בֵּיתִי. לֹא תַּשְׁחִית אֶת עֵצָהּ, דָּא ת"ח דְּאִיהוּ בְּמָתָא, דְּאִיהוּ אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי, אִילָנָא דְּיָהִיב אִיבִין.
316. Another explanation: "Its tree" is the one who gives counsel (Heb. etzah) to the inhabitants of the city on how to avoid the judgment, and teaches them the way to follow. Hence, "you shall not destroy its tree (Heb. etzah) by forcing an ax against it" (Ibid.), meaning to force sentence upon him and not to draw upon him the fiery sword, a sharp sword, that kills the rest of the people "for you may eat of it" (Ibid.). HE ASKS: Does the destroyer then eat FROM THE TORAH SCHOLAR? HE RESPONDS: No, but rather "for you may eat of it" MEANS that hard rock, the one from where all the holy, strong and mighty spirits emerge. SHE, MALCHUT, WILL EAT OF HIM, because the Holy Spirit THAT IS MALCHUT has no other pleasure or desire in this world, except for the Torah words of the righteous who sustain her, so to speak, and provide her food in this world more than all the offerings in the world.
316. ד"א אֶת עֵצָהּ, הַהוּא דְּיָהִיב עֵיטָא לְמָתָא, לְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא מִן דִּינָא, וְאוֹלִיף לוֹן אָרְחָא דְּיָהֲכוּן בָּהּ, וְעַל דָּא לֹא תַשְׁחִית אֶת עֵצָהּ לִנְדּוֹחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן, לְנַדְחָא עָלֵיהּ דִּינָא, וְלָא לְאוֹשָטָא עָלֵיהּ חַרְבָּא מְלָהֲטָא, חַרְבָּא מְשָׁנָּנָא, הַהִיא דְּקָטְלָא לִשְׁאַר אִינְשֵׁי דְּעָלְמָא. כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל. וְכִי הַהוּא מְחַבְּלָא אָכִיל מִנֵּיהּ. לָא. אֶלָּא כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל, הַהִיא טִנְרָא תַּקִּיפָא, הַהִיא דְּכָל רוּחִין תַּקִּיפִין וְקַדִּישִׁין נָפְקִין מִנָּהּ, דְּלֵית הֲנָאָה וְתִיאוּבְתָּא לְרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, אֶלָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּהַהוּא זַכָּאָה, כִּבְיָכוֹל אִיהוּ מְפַרְנֵס לָהּ, וְיָהֵיב לָהּ מְזוֹנָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, יַתִּיר מִכָּל קָרְבְּנִין דְּעָלְמָא.
317. It is written regarding the offering: "I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey... Eat, O dear ones" (Shir Hashirim 5:1). From the day the Temple was destroyed and the sacrifices ceased, the Holy One, blessed be He, has only words of Torah and the Torah new insights from the mouth OF THE TORAH SCHOLAR. Due to this, IT IS WRITTEN: "For you may eat of it," since she has no other sustenance except from his and those like him. Since she will eat from it and he sustains her, THEREFORE, "you shall not cut it down." Be careful that you do not come close to him.
317. בְּקָרְבָּן מַה כְּתִיב. אָכַלְתִּי יַעְרִי עִם דִּבְשִׁי אִכְלוּ רֵעִים. וּמִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְחָרַב בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, וּבָטְלוּ קָרְבְּנִין, לֵית לֵיהּ לקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אֶלָּא אִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּאִתְחַדְּשָׁא בְּפוּמֵיהּ, בְּג"כ כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל, וְלֵית לָהּ מְזוֹנָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, אֶלָּא מִמֶּנּוּ, וּמֵאִינּוּן דִּכְוָותֵיהּ. וְכֵיוָן דְּמִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל, וְאִיהוּ זָן לָהּ, אוֹתוֹ לֹא תִּכְרוֹת, הֲוֵי זָהִיר בֵּיהּ, דְּלָא תִּקְרַב בֵּיהּ.
318. "For is the tree of the field a man" (Devarim 20:19), meaning that the Torah scholar who is famous above and below is called 'man.' "The tree of the field" is a mighty great tree of "a field, which Hashem has blessed" (Beresheet 27:27), WHICH IS MALCHUT THAT IS CONSIDERED A FIELD. It depends on it for support, BECAUSE THE TORAH SCHOLAR SUSTAINS HER, since he is the tree that is constantly known to the field. "That it should be besieged by you" (Devarim 20:19) refers to what is written at the beginning of the verse: "You shall not destroy its tree (Heb. etzah)," meaning the person who gives them advice (Heb. etzah) and improves the city inhabitants, giving them counsel, "that it should be besieged by you," that is, to repair and do repentance, and to prepare for themselves weapons, trumpets and horns. What is the meaning of "that it should (lit. 'come') be beseiged by you?" That is to "come" before and enter; "by you:" with the fear of you. "Besieged" refers to a place where the higher and lower beings are unable to enter. What is it? That is the level into which the ones who repent enter. What is that? That is repentance, WHICH IS BINAH, a besieged place, meaning a fortified area and a strong rock.
318. כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה, דָּא אִקְרֵי אָדָם דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא. עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה, אִילָנָא רַבְרְבָא וְתַקִּיף דְּהַהוּא שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרֲכוֹ יְיָ.' דָּא סָמִךְ עָלֵיהּ, אִילָן דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע לְהַהוּא שָׂדֶה תָּדִיר. לָבֹא מִפָּנֶיךָ בַּמָּצוֹר, מִלָּה דָּא אַהְדָּר לְרֵישָׁא דִּקְרָא, דִּכְתִּיב לֹא תַשְׁחִית אֶת עֵצָהּ, הַהוּא דְּיָהִיב לוֹן עֵיטָא, וְאַתְקִין לְמָתָא, לָבֹא מִפָּנֶיךָ בַּמָּצוֹר, אִיהוּ יָהִיב לוֹן עֵיטָא, לְאִתָּקְנָא וּלְאָהַדְרָא בְּתִיּוּבְתָּא, וְאַתְקִין לֵיהּ מָאנֵי זַיְינִין, בּוּקִינָס וְשׁוֹפָרִין. לָבֹא מִפָּנֶיךָ, מַאי לָבֹא מִפָּנֶיךָ. לָבֹא לְקַמָּאי, וּלְאַעֲלָא מִפָּנֶיךָ. מִקַּמֵּי דְּחִילוּ דִּילָךְ. בַּמָּצוֹר, בַּאֲתָר דְּעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין לָא יַכְלִין לְאַעֲלָא תַּמָּן. וּמַאן אִיהוּ. דַּרְגָּא דְּבַעֲלֵי תְּשׁוּבָה עָאלִין תַּמָּן, וּמַאן אִיהוּ. תְּשׁוּבָה. דָּא אִיהוּ מָצוֹר, אֲתָר תַּקִּיף, וְטִנָּרָא תַּקִּיפָא.
319. 'Because they accept that advice FROM THE SAGE, I forgive their iniquities and they will be received willingly into My presence.' All this the Holy One, blessed be He, instructs for those who strive in Torah and, because of this, happy and praiseworthy are those who study Torah. Those who are occupied in the Torah are great trees in this world.
319. וְכֵיוָן דְּעֵיטָא דָּא נַטְלִין, אֲנָא מְכַפֵּר לְחוֹבַיְיהוּ וְאִתְקַבְּלָן בְּרַעֲוָא לְקַמָּאי. וְכָל דָּא פָּקִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עַל אִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. בְּג"כ זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן דְּקָא מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִינּוּן אִילָנִין רַבְרְבִין בְּהַאי עָלְמָא.
320. Look what the Holy One, blessed be He, accomplished by planting these trees. Praised is this path. One tree would not have been sufficient, but rather three huge trees spreading their branches to every direction is what the Holy One, blessed be He, produced for us. Let it be the will of heaven that these trees, and this fountain, shall never be missing in this area. Until this day, these trees and water fountain are still present there. And the people call them the pillar of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair.
320. חָמוּ, מַה עֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּנָטַע אִילֵּין אִילָנִין, זַכָּאָה אָרְחָא דָּא, וְלָא דַּי אִילָנָא חֲדָא, אֶלָּא תְּלָתָא אִילָנִין רַבְרְבִין, פְּרִיסָן עַנְפִין לְכָל סְטָר, עֲבַד לָן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. יְהֵא רַעֲוָא קַמֵּי שְׁמַיָא, דְּלָא יִתְעֲדוּן לְעָלְמָא אִילָנִין אִלֵּין, וְדָא מַעְיָינָא, מֵאֲתָר דָּא וְעַד יוֹמָא קַיְימִין תַּמָּן, וְהַהוּא מַעַיְינָא דְּמַיָּא. וּקְרָאן לוֹן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, נְצִיבוּ דְּר' פִּנְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר.