"If you walk in My statutes"

Synopsis

We read about the statutes, the laws, and the precepts and decrees of the Oral and the Written Torah. Rabbi Yehuda says that transgressing the words of the Torah is the same as rendering the Holy Name defective. One must not only walk in God's statutes and keep His statutes - one must also perform them even as David did so that the blessings from above will be properly restored.

Precepts Torah Zeir Anpin

16. "If you walk in My statutes" (Vayikra 26:3). "My statutes," is the place upon which the decrees of the Torah depend, NAMELY MALCHUT, as it is written: "and keep My statutes" (Vayikra 18:4). MALCHUT is called 'a statute,' and the decrees of the Torah are comprised in it. "And keep My laws" (Vayikra 25:18). Law is another high place, ZEIR ANPIN, to which the statute, MALCHUT, cleaves, and the upper and lower cleave to each other. All the precepts of the Torah, the decrees of the Torah, and the sanctities of the Torah cleave to ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, since they are the Written Torah, ZEIR ANPIN, and the Oral Torah, MALCHUT.

16. אִם בְּחֻקּוֹתַי תֵּלֵכוּ. אֵם בְּחֻקּוֹתַי, דָּא אֲתַר דִּגְזִירִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא תַּלְיָין בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר, כד"א אֶת חֻקּוֹתַי תִּשְׁמוֹרוּ. חוֹק הוּא דְּאִקְרֵי הָכִי, וּגְזִירִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בָּהּ אִתְכְּלִילָן. וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ. מִשְׁפָּטַי, דָּא הוּא אֲתַר אָחֳרָא עִלָּאָה, דְּהַהִיא חֻקָּה אֲחִידַת בֵּיהּ, וּמִתְחַבְּרָן דָּא בְּדָא דְּעִילָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי. וְכָל פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְכָל גִּזְרֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְכָל קִדּוּשֵׁי אוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּהָנֵי אֲחִידָן. בְּגִין דְּהַאי תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָּב, וְהַאי תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה.

Holy Name Judgment Torah Zeir Anpin

17. Hence, "My statutes," are all those decrees and judgments, punishments, and commandments, which pertain to the place called the Oral Torah; NAMELY MALCHUT CALLED 'statute.' "And keep My laws," NAMELY in the place called the Written Torah, ZEIR ANPIN, as it is written: "a law of the Elohim of Jacob" (Tehilim 81:5), WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN CALLED 'JACOB.' They are attached to each other, and all is one, the whole of the Holy Name, NAMELY THE UNION OF ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. He who transgresses the words of the Torah is as if he renders defective the Holy Name, since a statute and a law is the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore, "If you walk in My statutes," is the Oral Torah; and, "and keep my Laws," is the Written Torah. This is the totality of the Holy Name.

17. וְעַל דָּא אִם בְּחֻקּוֹתַי, כָּל אִינּוּן גְּזִירִין וְדִינִין וְעוֹנָשִׁין וּפִקּוּדִין, דְּאִינּוּן בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה, חֻקָּה. וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי תִּשְׁמוֹרוּ, בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָּב, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר מִשְׁפָּט לֵאלֹֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב. וְדָא אָחִיד בְּדָא וְדָא בְּדָא, וְכֹלָּא חַד. וְדָא הוּא כְּלָלָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא וּמַאן דְּאַעְבַּר עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, כְּאִלּוּ פָּגִים שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּגִין דְּחֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט שְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוֵי. וְעַל דָּא, אִם בְּחֻקּוֹתַי תֵּלֵכוּ: דָּא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה. וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ: דָּא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָּב. וְדָא הוּא כְּלָלָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא.

Holy Name Precepts Torah Zeir Anpin

18. "And do them" (Vayikra 26:3). HE ASKS: What is the meaning of "and do them?" It already says "walk," and, "keep." Why ADD, "and do them?" HE ANSWERS: He who observes the precepts of the Torah and walks in His paths is as if He made Him above. The Holy One, blessed be He, says, 'as if he made Me.' This has been explained. Therefore, "and do them," THE STATUTE AND THE LAW, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. Indeed it says, "and do them," since through being roused by you they join each other, so that the Holy Name will properly prevail. Indeed, you "do them."

18. וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתָם. מַאי וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתָם, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר תֵּלֵכוּ וְתִשְׁמְרוּ, אֲמַאי וַעֲשִׂיתֶם. אֶלָּא, מַאן דְּעָבֵיד פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא וְאָזִיל בְּאוֹרְחוֹי, כִּבְיָכוֹל כְּאִלּוּ עֲבִיד לֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא. אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּאִלּוּ עַשָׂאָנִי, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ. וְעַל דָּא וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתָם. וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אַתֶּם כְּתִיב וַדַּאי, וְהוֹאִיל וּמִתְעָרֵי עָלַיְיכוּ לְאִתְחַבְּרָא דָּא בְּדָא, לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אַתֶּם וַדַּאי.

Blessing David Holy Name Midnight Other Side Praise Throne Torah Women Zeir Anpin

19. Rabbi Shimon discussed in the same manner the verse, "And David got himself a name" (II Shmuel 8:13). Did David do that for himself? HE ANSWERS: Since David walked in the ways of the Torah and observed the commandments of the Torah, and led the kingdom well, it is as if he made the name above. There was no king in the world who merited this like David, who used to rise at midnight and praise the Holy One, blessed be He, until the Holy Name, MALCHUT, came up with its Throne when daylight broke. THEREFORE, it is as if he really made a name. HE RAISED IT TO BE UNITED WITH ZEIR ANPIN. It is said OF THE OTHER SIDE, "and the Yisraeli woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed" (Vayikra 24:11). Hence, "And David got him a name." It therefore says, "and do them;" NAMELY, if you strive to do them, and properly construct the Holy Name, all the blessings from above will be by you properly set.

19. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וַיַּעַשׂ דָּוִד שֵׁם, וְכִי דָּוִד עֲבַד לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּאָזִיל בְּאָרְחֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְעָבֵיד פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאַנְהִיג מַלְכוּתָא כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, כִּבְיָכוֹל, עָשָׂה שֵׁם לְעֵילָּא. וְלָא הֲוָה מַלְכָּא בְּעָלְמָא דְּזָכָה לְהַאי כְּדָוִד, דַּהֲוָה קָם בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא, וַהֲוָה מְשַׁבַּח לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עַד דְּסָלִיק שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּכוּרְסְיָּיא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּסָלִיק נְהוֹרָא דִּימָמָא. כִּבְיָכוֹל הוּא עָבֵד שֵׁם מַמָּשׁ כד"א, וַיִּקּוֹב בֶּן הָאִשָּׁה הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית אֶת הַשֵּׁם וַיְקַלֵּל. ובג"כ וַיַּעַשׂ דָּוִד שֵׁם. וְעַל דָּא וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתָם כְּתִיב, וְאִי אַתּוּן תִּשְׁתַּדְּלוּן לְמֶעְבַּד לוֹן, לְאִתְתַּקְנָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא כַּדְקָא יָאוּת, כָּל אִינּוּן בִּרְכָאן דִּלְעֵילָּא יִשְׁתַּכְּחוּן גַּבַּיְיכוּ בְּתִקּוּנֵיהוֹן כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת.