Beha'alot'cha: Chapter 12

The Pesach at its appointed season and second Pesach

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon explains why God spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai about Pesach since He had already told them about it in Egypt. He says that if the Torah had come simply to relate simple tales we could produce a better Torah today; it is obvious that everything in the Torah contains higher secrets. The stories told therein are merely its garment or dress, the same as the body is the garment for the person who comes to earth. He says that the soul that is the splendor of Yisrael that is Zeir Anpin is the actual soul of the Torah at which the sages look.

Egypt Moses Sinai Thought Year

56. "And Hashem spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai..." (Bemidbar 9:1). Rabbi Aba said: What is the reason that He exhorted them here about the Pesach? It was already told to them in Egypt. HE RESPONDS: This is because it was the second year and Yisrael thought that it only applied in Egypt. Since they had already performed it in Egypt once, they assumed that it was no longer necessary. The Holy One, blessed be He, came and cautioned them about this, so that they should not think that its time had passed in Egypt and that it was not needed ANY LONGER. Therefore, HE EXHORTED THEM about it "in the wilderness of Sinai...in...the second year," to institute PESACH for the generations to come.

56. וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי וְגוֹ.' א"ר אַבָּא, מ"ט אַזְהַר לְהוֹן הָכָא עַל פִּסְחָא, וְהָא אִתְּמַר לְהוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם. אֶלָּא בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית הֲוָה, דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל חָשִׁיבוּ דְּהָא פֶּסַח לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְכֵיוָן דְּעָבְדוּ לֵיהּ זִמְנָא חֲדָא בְּמִצְרַיִם, חֲשִׁיבוּ דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ יַתִיר. אָתָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאַזְהַר לוֹן עָלֵיהּ, דְּלָא יַחְשְׁבוּן דְּהָא קָא עָבַר זִמְנֵיהּ בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְאֶל יִצְטְרִיךְ. בְּגִין כַּךְ בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית, לְאַתְקְנָא לְהוּ לְדָרֵי דָּרִין.

Astrology Egypt Moon Sinai Sun Torah Year Zeir Anpin

57. ANOTHER EXPLANATION. Although He exhorted them about that in Egypt, He commanded them a second time in the place where all the commandments and laws of the Torah were given. Therefore, "in...the second year..." HE ASKS: What is the meaning of: "in the first month of the second year?" NAMELY, WHAT DOES THIS ALLUDE TO? HE REPLIES: This is a lofty secret. THERE IS that which is referred to as a year, AND THERE IS that which is referred to as a month. What is the difference between them? Month is the moon, MEANING MALCHUT, while a year is the sun, ZEIR ANPIN, which illuminates the moon. "IN THE FIRST MONTH OF THE SECOND YEAR," POINTS TO THE UNION OF ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, WHICH ARE CALLED 'YEAR' AND 'MONTH,' IN THE PLACE OF THE SINAI DESERT. THAT IS THE SECOND UNION AFTER THE EXODUS OF EGYPT. This was during the time that all the commandments of the Torah were passed on to them, SINCE THROUGH THE UNION OF MALE AND FEMALE IN THE DESERT OF SINAI, ALL THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE TORAH WERE GIVEN.

57. ואע"ג דְּהָא אַזְהַר לְהוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם, הַשְׁתָּא פָּקִיד לוֹן זִמְנָא אַחֲרָא, בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּכָל פִּקוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בֵּיהּ אִתְיְהִיבוּ. וע"ד בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית. מַאי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן. אֶלָּא רָזָא עִלָּאָה הִיא, חַד שָׁנָה. וְחַד חֹדֶשׁ. מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי. חֹדֶשׁ: דָּא סִיהֲרָא. שָׁנָה: דָּא שִׁמְשָׁא, דְּנָהִיר לְסִיהֲרָא. וּכְדֵין הֲוָה בְּזִמְנָא דְּכָל פִּקוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְמְסָרוּ בֵּיהּ.

Esau Laban Torah

58. Rabbi Shimon says: Woe to the man who says that the Torah came to relate stories, simply and plainly, and simpleton tales ABOUT ESAU AND LABAN AND THE LIKE. If it was so, even at the present day we could produce a Torah from simplistic matters, and perhaps even nicer ones than those. If THE TORAH CAME to exemplify worldly matters, even the rulers of the world have among them things that are superior. If so, let us follow them and produce from them a Torah in the same manner. It must be that all items in the Torah are of a superior nature and are uppermost secrets.

58. ר"ש אָמַר, וַוי לְהַהוּא ב"נ דְּאָמַר, דְּהָא אוֹרַיְיתָא אָתָא לְאַחֲזָאָה סִפּוּרִין בְּעָלְמָא, וּמִלִּין דְּהֶדְיוֹטֵי. דְּאִי הָכִי, אֲפִילּוּ בְּזִמְנָא דָּא, אֲנָן יַכְלִין לְמֶעְבַּד אוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּמִלִּין דְּהֶדְיוֹטֵי, וּבִשְׁבָחָא יַתִיר מִכֻּלְּהוּ. אִי לְאַחֲזָאָה מִלָּה דְּעָלְמָא, אֲפִילּוּ אִינּוּן קַפְסִירֵי דְּעָלְמָא, אִית בֵּינַיְיהוּ מִלִּין עִלָּאִין יַתִיר. אִי הָכִי נֵזִיל אֲבַּתְרַיְיהוּ, וְנַעְבֵּיד מִנַּיְיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא, כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא. אֶלָּא כָּל מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, מִלִּין עִלָּאִין אִינּוּן, וְרָזִין עִלָּאִין.

Angels Creation Garments Torah Wind

59. Come and behold: the world above and the world below are measured with one scale. Yisrael below CORRESPOND TO the lofty angels above. It is written about the lofty angels: "Who makes the winds His messengers" (Tehilim 104:4). When they go down, they don with the vestments of this world. If they had not acquired the dress for this world, they would not be able to exist in this world, and the world would not be able to stand them. And if this is so for the angels, how much more so is it for the Torah that created these MESSENGERS and all the worlds, that exist due to it. Once it came down to this world, if it had not donned all these garments of this world, WHICH ARE THE STORIES AND SIMPLISTIC TALES, the world would not have been able to tolerate it.

59. ת"ח, עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה וְעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה בְּחַד מַתְקְלָא אִתְקָלוּ. יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא, מַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי לְעֵילָּא. מַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי כְּתִיב בְּהוּ, עוֹשֶׂה מַלְאָכָיו רוּחוֹת. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנַחְתִּין לְתַתָּא, מִתְלַבְּשֵׁי בִּלְבוּשָׁא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא. וְאִי לָאו מִתְלַבְּשֵׁי בִּלְבוּשָׁא כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, לָא יַכְלִין לְמֵיקָם בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְלָא סָבִיל לוֹן עָלְמָא. וְאִי בְּמַלְאָכֵי כַּךְ, אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּבָרָא לְהוּ, וּבָרָא עָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ, וְקַיְימִין בְּגִינָהּ, עאכ"ו כֵּיוָן דְּנַחְתַּת לְהַאי עָלְמָא, אִי לָאו דְּמִתְלַבְּשָׁא בְּהָנֵי לְבוּשִׁין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, לָא יָכִיל עָלְמָא לְמִסְבַּל.

David Eyes Garments Torah World to Come, The

60. Therefore, this story of the Torah is the mantle of the Torah. He who thinks that this mantle is the actual essence of the Torah and that nothing else is in there, let him breathe his last and let him have no portion in the World to Come. Therefore, David said, "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Torah" (Tehilim 119:18); THAT IS, LOOK what lies under that garment of the Torah.

60. וע"ד הַאי סִפּוּר דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְבוּשָׁא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. אִיהוּ. מַאן דְּחָשִׁיב דְּהַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא אִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא מַמָּשׁ, וְלָא מִלָּה אַחֲרָא, תִּיפַּח רוּחֵיהּ, וְלָא יְהֵא לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. בְּגִין כַּךְ אָמַר דָּוִד, גַּל עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ. מַה דִּתְחוֹת לְבוּשָׁא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.

Body Soul, The

61. Come and behold: There is a dress that is visible to everyone. The fools, when they see a person dressed beautifully, WHO APPEARS TO THEM DISTINGUISHED BY HIS CLOTHING, do not observe any further. THEY JUDGE HIM ACCORDING TO HIS DISTINGUISHED APPAREL and consider the dress as the body OF MAN, and the body OF THE PERSON LIKE his soul.

61. ת"ח, אִית לְבוּשָׁא דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לְכֹלָּא, וְאִינּוּן טִפְּשִׁין כַּד חָמָאן לְבַר נָשׁ בִּלְבוּשָׁא דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לוֹן שַׁפִּירָא, לָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין יַתִּיר. חֲשִׁיבוּ דְּהַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא, גּוּפָא, וַחֲשִׁבוּ דְּגוּפָא, נִשְׁמְתָא.

Body Garments Mount Sinai Soul, The Torah

62. Similar to this is the Torah. It has a body, which is composed of the commandments of the Torah that are called the 'body of the Torah.' This body is clothed with garments, which are stories of this world. The ignorant look only at that dress, which is the story in the Torah, and are not aware of anything more. They do not look at what lies beneath that dress. Those who know more do not look at the dress, but rather at the body beneath that dress. The wise, the sages, the servants of the Loftiest King, those that stood at Mount Sinai, look only at the soul OF THE TORAH, which is the essence of everything, the real Torah. In the time to come, they will look at the soul, the soul of the Torah.

62. כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא אוֹרַיְיתָא, אִית לָהּ גּוּפָא, וְאִינּוּן פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִקְרוּן גּוּפֵי תּוֹרָה. הַאי גּוּפָא מִתְלַבְּשָׁא בִּלְבוּשִׁין, דְּאִינּוּן סִפּוּרִין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא. טִפְּשִׁין דְּעָלְמָא, לָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי אֶלָּא בְּהַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא, דְּאִיהוּ סִפּוּר דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא יַדְעֵי יַתִּיר, וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי בְּמָה דְּאִיהוּ תְּחוֹת הַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא. אִינּוּן דְּיַדְעִין יַתִּיר, לָא מִסְתַּכְּלָן בִּלְבוּשָׁא, אֶלָּא בְּגוּפָא, דְּאִיהוּ תְּחוֹת הַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא. חַכִּימִין עַבְדֵי דְּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, אִינּוּן דְּקַיְימוּ בְּטוּרָא דְּסִינַי, לָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי אֶלָּא בְּנִשְׁמְתָא, דְּאִיהִי עִקָּרָא דְּכֹלָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא מַמָּשׁ. וּלְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי, זְמִינִין לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּנִשְׁמְתָא דְּנִשְׁמְתָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.

Asiyah Atika Kadisha Body Briyah Congregation Heavens Soul, The Torah Worlds Yetzirah Zeir Anpin

63. Come and behold: it is also like that above. There exists an apparel, a body, a soul, and a soul of the soul. The heavens and their legions are the apparel, and the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is the body that receives the soul, which is the splendor of Yisrael, MEANING ZEIR ANPIN. Therefore, MALCHUT is a body for the soul, SINCE ZEIR ANPIN IS DONNED WITH HER, LIKE THE SOUL IN A BODY. The soul that we mentioned, which is the splendor of Yisrael, is the actual Torah, MEANING THE SOUL OF THE TORAH AT WHICH THE SAGES LOOK. It is the soul of the soul that is Atika Kadisha, ON WHOM THEY WILL LOOK IN THE FUTURE TO COME, AS MENTIONED. Everything is interconnected. ATIKA KADISHA IS CLOTHED WITH ZEIR ANPIN, ZEIR ANPIN IS CLOTHED WITH MALCHUT, AND MALCHUT IS CLOTHED WITH THE WORLDS BRIYAH, YETZIRAH, ASIYAH AND ALL THEIR LEGIONS.

63. ת"ח, הָכִי נָמֵי לְעֵילָּא, אִית לְבוּשָׁא, וְגוּפָא, וְנִשְׁמְתָא, וְנִשְׁמְתָא לְנִשְׁמְתָא. שְׁמַיָּא וְחֵילֵיהוֹן. אִלֵּין אִינּוּן לְבוּשָׁא. וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דָּא גּוּפָא, דִּמְקַבְּלָא לְנִשְׁמְתָא, דְּאִיהִי תִּפְאֶרֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וע"ד אִיהוּ גּוּפָא לְנִשְׁמְתָא. נִשְׁמְתָא דְּאַמָרָן דָּא תִּפְאֶרֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִיהִי אוֹרַיְיתָא מַמָּשׁ. וְנִשְׁמְתָא לְנִשְׁמְתָא, דָּא אִיהוּ עֲתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא. וְכֹלָּא אָחִיד דָּא בְּדָא.

Garments Righteous Torah Wicked Wickedness Wine

64. Woe to the wicked who say that the Torah is merely a story and nothing more, for they look at the dress and no further. Praised are the righteous, who look properly at the Torah. Wine lasts only if it is in a jug. Similarly, the Torah does not endure, except in this mantle. Therefore, there is no need to look except at what is beneath the mantle. That is why all these matters and all these stories are garments.

64. וַוי לְאִינּוּן חַיָּיבַיָּא, דְּאָמְרֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לָאו אִיהִי אֶלָּא סִפּוּרָא בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִינּוּן מִסְתַּכְּלֵי בִּלְבוּשָׁא דָּא וְלָא יַתִּיר. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא, דְּמִסְתַּכְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כַּדְּקָא יֵאוּת. חַמְרָא לָא יָתִיב אֶלָּא בְּקַנְקָן. כַּךְ אוֹרַיְיתָא לָא יְתִיב אֶלָּא בִּלְבוּשָׁא דָּא. וע"ד לָא בָּעֵי לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, אֶלָּא בְּמָה דְּאִית תְּחוֹת לְבוּשָׁא. וע"ד כָּל אִינּוּן מִלִּין, וְכָל אִינּוּן סִפּוּרִין, לְבוּשִׁין אִינּוּן.

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