65. "Let the children of Yisrael also keep the Pesach at its appointed season" (Bemidbar 9:2). HE ASKS: What is "keep?" IT SHOULD HAVE SAID, 'EAT.' Rabbi Yosi said: Have we not learned that whoever shows a proper worthy action below is as if he made that above? Due to him, this matter is roused ABOVE, and it is as if he actually made it, as we have already learned.
66. "If any man (lit. 'man man') of you or your posterity shall be unclean..." (Ibid. 10). HE ASKS: Why does it say "man" twice? HE ANSWERS: THE EXPLANATION IS that it is a man who is a man and is worthy to receive the lofty soul, yet he flawed himself so the supernal Shechinah does not reside with him. What is the reason? He brought it about by defiling himself. Therefore, IT IS WRITTEN 'man man,' WHICH MEANS that he is worthy to be a man, but he caused himself to be defiled so Holiness from above should not be with him.
67. "...Or be on a journey afar off" (Ibid.). This is one of the ten PLACES that have dots in the Torah. They all come to demonstrate something. What is "afar off?" THERE IS A POINT ABOVE THE HEI OF 'AFAR' (HEB. RECHOKAH). It is because a person that defiles himself is made unclean above. As soon as he is made unclean above, he is afar off, far from the place and the road to which the offspring of Yisrael are attached. He is attached to a journey afar off; he removed himself from getting close to you, Yisrael, and to connect with you as you connect. THAT IS WHY IT SAYS, "ON A JOURNEY AFAR OFF," WITH A DOT ON THE HEI OF 'AFAR,' TO INDICATE THAT THE INTENTION IS ON THE OTHER SIDE THAT IS FAR FROM HOLINESS.
68. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Why is it written, "Shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be on a journey afar off?" That seems to indicate that there are two things here, which is understood from the word "or." AND HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT THEY ARE ONE THING, THAT THE UNCLEANNESS CAUSED HIM TO BE AFAR OFF? Rabbi Yosi said: Here, WHEN IT SAYS "UNCLEAN BY REASON OF A DEAD BODY," IT MEANS prior to having been made unclean FROM ABOVE. Here, WHEN IT SAYS, "ON A JOURNEY AFAR OFF," THE MEANING IS after he was made unclean FROM ABOVE AND HE STUMBLED TO THAT JOURNEY AFAR OFF, WHICH IS THE OTHER SIDE. It seems that neither the one nor the other will have Holiness from above reside with them, and they will not observe the Pesach at the same time that Yisrael observe it.
69. If you wonder whether he observes THE PESACH on the following month, even if he does not correct himself, it is not so. It is only after he has purified and corrected himself, that he has another month to keep the Paschal lamb. From here, we take it that every person that purifies himself is also purified FROM ABOVE.
70. If you will venture to say that he will find himself on a higher level that second month, it is not so. This is because Yisrael, the holy offspring that prepare the Paschal lamb at its appointed time, receive the moon and the sun, THAT ARE MALCHUT AND ZEIR ANPIN, together as one. Whoever receives first the foundation receives the building upon it. What is the foundation? Do not say that it is the loftiest foundation of the everlasting Righteous, THAT IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, but rather the foundation of a precious stone, MALCHUT, as it is written: "the stone which the builders have rejected has become the head stone of the corner" (Tehilim 118:22). For this is a stone upon which something lies, THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN.
71. Rabbi Yehuda said: Certainly he receives everything, even on the second month. THAT IS, ONE CAN ACQUIRE EVEN IN THE SECOND MONTH MALCHUT AND ZEIR ANPIN TOGETHER, AT ONCE, JUST LIKE IN THE FIRST PASCHAL PREPARATIONS OF THE LAMB. HOWEVER, it is not quite the same as if someone partakes of the Paschal lamb on the designated period. What is the reason? It is because the one who partakes of the Paschal lamb at its appointed time receives from below upward and does not regress, since we may promote to a higher grade of sanctity but not degrade. The one who partakes of the Paschal lamb past the designated time descends from higher to lower. Therefore, even if it is the same in everything, it is not equal, since the one rises to a higher degree does descend, and the other descends and does not rise. Therefore, whoever brings the Paschal lamb at its appointed season is more worthy. Praised are Yisrael who are meritorious in every way. They are worthy of the Torah, and whoever is worthy of the Torah merits the Holy Name. Praised are they in this world and the World to Come.
72. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). It is a commandment to make a second Pesach for those that were unable TO DO THE PASCHAL OFFERING ON ITS DESIGNATED DATE, BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO FAR AWAY or were defiled by any other uncleanness. HE ASKS: If the secret of Pesach, which is the secret of the Faith into which Yisrael entered, dominates in the month of Nissan and then it is the time for rejoicing, how could those who were unable to prepare it on time, or were defiled, make up for it in the second month, seeing that its time had already passed?
73. HE REPLIES: Once the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is adorned with its crowns, MEANING THE MOCHIN OF THE FIRST THREE SFIROT, in the month of Nissan, she does not remove these crowns and adornments from herself for thirty days. The Matron sits in her adornments all these thirty days, beginning with the day of the exodus of Yisrael on Pesach and all her legions are in a state of happiness. Whoever wishes to see the Matron may look. And the proclamation calls: Whoever did not get a chance to see the Matron should come and look before the gates are locked. When is this proclamation proclaimed? It is on the fourteenth day of the second month, since the gates remain open from then on for seven days following. Following that, they lock the gates. Therefore, THEY BRING a second Pesach.
74. This commandment entails the slaughter of the Paschal lamb at its appointed time. The following one concerns the first Paschal lamb date and the second Paschal lamb, and cautions us to consume them in accordance with their laws. The unclean should be delayed to the second Paschal lamb date. That is a third commandment. Tannaim and Amoraim: some people are like pure, mundane objects from the aspect of Michael, and some are like mundane objects that pertain to holiness, for example holy meat, from the aspect of Gabriel, SINCE MICHAEL AND GABRIEL ARE the priest and the Levite, THAT IS, CHESED AND GVURAH. And some people are like holidays and they are the Holy of Holies.