"When you light the lamps"

20. They went along all that day and, when nightfall came, they went up to a place and found a cave. Rabbi Elazar said: Let one enter into the cave, for perhaps he will find there a place that is better suited. Rabbi Yosi entered and saw another cave within it and the light of a candle shining in it. He heard a voice that said: "When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light towards the body of the candlestick" (Bemidbar 8:2). Here, the Congregation of Yisrael, THAT IS MALCHUT, received light, as supernal Ima, THAT IS BINAH, is adorned, and all the candles, THAT ARE THE SFIROT OF MALCHUT, illuminate within and from her. THEY SAID ABOUT THEMSELVES: Two refined souls soar from her; THAT IS, THEY UPLIFT MAYIN NUKVIN (ENG. 'FEMALE WATERS') WITH THEIR TORAH STUDY. All the best men - MEANING ALL WHO UPLIFT FEMALE WATERS THROUGH THEIR TORAH THAT ARE REFERRED TO AS 'GROOMSMEN' - connect MALCHUT to the upper one, WHICH IS BINAH. From there, THEY DRAW HER LIGHT downwards.

21. Rabbi Yosi heard this and was glad. He came to Rabbi Elazar. Rabbi Elazar said to him: Let us enter, since the Holy One, blessed be He, hastened before us on this day to produce miracles for us. They entered. As soon as they entered, they noticed two people who were involved in Torah study. Rabbi Elazar said: "How excellent is Your love, Elohim! Therefore the children of men shelter under the shadow of Your wings" (Tehilim 36:8). They stood up. Then they all sat down and were merry. Rabbi Elazar said: "How excellent is Your love, Elohim!" How excellent that I have found You. The Holy One, blessed be He, has done us grace in this place. Now light the candles - MEANING THAT THEY SHOULD CONVERSE IN MATTERS OF TORAH TO RAISE FEMALE WATERS TO KINDLE THE SFIROT OF MALCHUT FROM IMA, AS WAS SAID ABOVE.

22. Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion saying, "When you kindle the lamps," MEANING when you actually light, that is, while kindling, because two services were done by the priest which are the same connection, and they are oil and incense, THAT IS THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, as it is written: "ointment and perfume (lit. 'incense') rejoice the heart" (Mishlei 27:9), and: "And Aaron shall burn upon it sweet incense... And when Aaron lights the lamps at evenings, he shall burn incense upon it" (Shemot 7-8). HE ASKS: What is the difference, that here it says, "When he dresses," and there it says, "lights?" Rabbi Yehuda says: DRESSING AND LIGHTING amount to the same thing, SINCE DRESSING IS LIKE LIGHTING.

23. Rabbi Yosi said: "When he readies (lit. 'betters')," is as it is written, "for your love is better than wine" (Shir Hashirim 1:2), since those that are saturated with wine are better, or good, as it is written, "for then we had plenty of bread, and were well (also: 'better') off" (Yirmeyah 44:17). THIS MEANS TO SAY THAT WHOEVER IS SATISFIED WITH WINE OR BREAD, THE SECRET OF THE LIGHTS IN THE FIRST THREE SFIROT, THAT ARE CONSIDERED 'GOOD.' CONSEQUENTLY, "WHEN HE READIES THE LAMPS," MEANS THAT HE WILL DRAW ABUNDANTLY THE LIGHTS THAT ARE REFERRED TO AS 'WINE' AND 'BREAD,' WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH AND CHASSADIM. Rabbi Yehuda says: it is a real improvement. HE DISPUTES WHAT RABBI YOSI SAID, THAT THE BETTERING IS A RESULT OF THE ABUNDANT LIGHTS. RATHER, THE LIGHTS OF THE FEAST, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, ARE THEMSELVES CONSIDERED BETTERING, as it is written: "but he that is of a merry (lit. 'good') heart has a continual feast" (Mishlei 15:15). "When...lights," MEANS during the time THAT THE SFIROT ARE filled and saturated from the water of the stream, SINCE THE STREAM IS BINAH AND ITS WATER IS FROM CHOCHMAH. The upper grades are then uplifted and blessings prevail in all, and all are glad. CONSEQUENTLY, MAKING GOOD THE LAMPS IS THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH THAT FLOWS FROM BINAH, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF WINE, AND THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES IS THE SECRET OF DRAWING OUT THE ABUNDANCE OF CHASSADIM THAT NEVER CEASES FROM THAT CHOCHMAH. Therefore, it is written: "when he kindles."

24. Rabbi Acha said: During the time when the most profound of all - THAT IS, SUPERNAL ABA - shines, it shines upon the stream, THE SUPERNAL IMA ABOVE. The stream flows in a straight way, MEANING THROUGH THE CENTRAL COLUMN, THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN, to irrigate all, MEANING ALL THE GRADES OF MALCHUT. Then it is written: "when lights (lit. 'raises')," since everything exudes from the deepest. "When...raises," MEANS that it comes from the deepest side that is referred to as 'thought,' WHICH IS ABA. And all means the same, MEANING THAT IT IS THE SAME AS WHAT RABBI YOSI AND RABBI YEHUDA SAID. Then the Congregation of Yisrael is blessed, and blessings prevail throughout the worlds.