81. Here, it is hinted that "the waters were made sweet." This is what is written: "and Hashem showed him a tree...the waters were made sweet" (Shemot 15:25). It is apparent from here that for whoever strives in the Torah, which is the Tree of Life, it is said about his sins: "and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage" (Shemot 1-14). The Holy One, blessed be He, forgives them and they BECOME sweet again, MEANING THAT THE INIQUITIES TURN TO BECOME LIKE MERITS.

82. Days will come of which will be fulfilled, like in the time of the exodus from Egypt, what is written there: "and Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation" (Ibid. 6). In the last exile, death is nothing but poverty, since a poor person is regarded as dead. The verse will be fulfilled of them: "and I will leave in the midst of you a poor and lowly people, and they shall trust in the Name of Hashem" (Tzefanyah 3:12). It will also be fulfilled in relation to them: "and the afflicted people You will save" (II Shmuel 22:28). Those rich that will survive among them, this will be fulfilled about them: "you are idle, you are idle" (Shemot 5:17). They are slack in learning Torah, slow to do kindness toward Torah people, and people of virtue that wander from city to city are not received graciously.

83. They are idle under the heavy burden. You may say that it is because THEY ARE heavily burdened that they do not do kindness. Therefore, "let more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor in it" (Ibid. 9), and cause that their burden will actually be REAL. "And let them not regard vain words" (Ibid.), that they lie and say that the burden is heavy on them, and therefore they refrain from kindness. They TOO are lying by saying that due to the burden that is heavily upon them, "there is no straw given." That is the lie of money, by which they have erred before the Holy One, blessed be He, by paying no attention to Him nor trusting in the Name of Hashem. STRAW, WHICH IS MONEY, is not "given to your servants," AND NOT BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY BURDEN.

84. Those that have straw, hide and store their money in it, which is inside (Heb. tochen), like inside the storage or inside the safety-box. It is applicable to them, "yet shall you deliver the quantity (Heb. tochen) of bricks" (Ibid. 18) which refers to sums of money that are bricks that will exist during that generation.

85. During that period, "there He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested him" (Shemot 15:25), referring to the scholars of the Mishnah. They too, "came to Mara (Eng. 'bitter')" (Ibid. 23). The Oral Law will again be bitter to them with great stress and poverty, and it will be fulfilled for them: "and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage" (Shemot 1:14), which refers to hard questions. "...In mortar (Heb. chomer) ..." refers to inference from minor to major (Heb. chomer). ."..And in brick (Heb. levenah)" (Ibid.), refers to explaining (Heb. libun) law. "...And in all manner of bondage in the field..." (Ibid.), refers to the Baraita, SINCE BARAITA MEANS FIELD. "All their bondage, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor" (Ibid.); that is, the unanswered problems and questions.

86. And you, Faithful Shepherd, it will come true there for you: "there He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested him." With this Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil - that is, prohibition and permission - and through these secrets that will be revealed through you, "the waters were made sweet." Like salt that sweetens the meat, so will they be sweetened through you by the secrets that will be revealed through you. All these difficulties and disagreements of the bitter waters in the Oral Torah will return to be sweet waters of the Torah. These sufferings that you have will again be sweet to you through the secrets that will be revealed through you, and all your pains will seem to you like passing dreams THAT ARE NO MORE. Dream (Heb. chalom, Chet-Lamed-Mem) is like salt (Heb. melach, Mem Lamed Chet), AND LIKE SALT that sweetens the meat, so too are sufferings, as we have explained.

87. The suffering will again be like salt of Sodom that blinds the eyes to the wicked, to have the verse come true upon them: "but the eyes of the wicked shall fail" (Iyov 11:20). These are the wicked mixed multitudes, upon whom will come true: "many shall purify themselves, and refine themselves, and be tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly" (Daniel 12:10). "...refine themselves..." refers to the students of the Mishnah; "and be refined" (Ibid.), refers to the holy offspring of the rest of the nation, as it says: "and will refine them as the silver is refined" (Zecharyah 13:9). "But the wicked shall do wickedly," refers to the mixed multitudes.