88. "But the wise shall understand" (Daniel 12:10). These are the scholars of Kabbalah. It says about them: "and they who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmaments" (Ibid. 3). This refers to those that place their effort in the splendor called 'The Zohar,' that is like Noah's ark, to which are gathered two from a city, seven from a kingdom and, occasionally, one from a city and two from a family, by whom comes true, "Every son that is born you shall cast into the river" (Shemot 1:22). THE SECRET OF THE TORAH IS CALLED "SON;" "THAT IS BORN," MEANS COMPREHENDED; "THE RIVER," IS THE LIGHT OF THE TORAH. "THROW HIM (HEB. TASHLICHUHU)," IS LIKE 'TEACH HIM (HEB. TASKILUHU)' - EVERY INDIVIDUAL SECRET THAT IS BORN TO YOU, TEACH IT THE LIGHT OF THE TORAH AND ITS SOUL. Teach how to be RECEPTIVE TO THE LIGHT OF THE TORAH AND TO ITS SOUL. This is the light of this book OF ZOHAR, and all is due to you.
89. Who caused all this? The raven, since at that time you will be like a dove. THIS ALLUDES TO THE RAVEN AND THE DOVE THAT NOAH SENT FROM THE ARK AFTER COMPARING THE ZOHAR TO NOAH'S ARK. There was another messenger named after you, like the raven that was originally sent FROM THE ARK but did not return from his mission and made his effort with forbidden abominations, about which it is said that the ignorant are abominable. AND HE SPENT HIS EFFORTS ON THEM, because of their money, and did not strive in his mission to cause the righteous to repent. It is as if he has not fulfilled the mission of his Master. RABBI MOSES KORDOVERO OF BLESSED MEMORY WROTE THAT IT REFERS TO JEROBOAM, THE SON OF NEBAT, WHO WAS WORTHY TO BE THE REDEEMER OF YISRAEL. HE FALTERED WITH THE GOLDEN CALVES, SINNED, AND CAUSED MANY OTHERS TO SIN. HE IS COMPARED TO THE RAVEN THAT BETRAYED HIS MISSION.
90. The secret of the dove that entered the depths of the sea shall come true with you, and likewise you will enter the deep chasms of the Torah. This is what is written by the prophet Jonah: "for You did cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas" (Yonah 2:4), MEANING IN THE SEA OF THE TORAH. THEN there will be Chochmah, Chesed and Netzach to the right. Of those, David said: "the right hand of Hashem does valiantly. The right hand of Hashem is exalted. The right hand of Hashem does valiantly" (Tehilim 118:15-16). The three LEVELS of the left become connected together - which are Binah, Gvurah and Hod - and the three levels in the center - which are Keter, Tiferet and Yesod - are attached to right and left, SINCE THE CENTRAL COLUMN IS ATTACHED TO RIGHT AND LEFT. IN THIS WAY, THE TEN SFIROT ARE PERFECTED, INCLUDING THE FIRST THREE SFIROT.
91. Since the prophet saw you become connected to these three levels - KETER, TIFERET AND YESOD - in the center, he pronounced upon you this verse: "behold, My servant shall prosper," THE SECRET OF YESOD; "he shall be exalted and extolled," THE SECRET OF TIFERET; "and be very high" (Yeshayah 52:13), THE SECRET OF KETER. You will be connected and attached to the two Messiahs. David spoke of the three to the right - of CHOCHMAH, CHESED AND NETZACH - of Messiah, the son of David, and, "the right of Hashem," three times, AS MENTIONED NEARBY. In relation to the three left ones - BINAH, GVURAH AND HOD - to which Messiah, son of Ephraim, is attached, he said of the one aspect of the left, Gvurah, "I shall not die," AND FURTHER SAID, "but live" (Tehilim 118:17), from the SECOND aspect of the left, which is your Hod. About this, it is said that He gave Hod to Moses, MEANING AS IT SAYS: "AND YOU SHALL PUT SOME OF YOUR HONOR (HEB. HOD) UPON HIM" (BEMIDBAR 27:20), MEANING THAT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, GAVE HIM HOD TO BE HIS OWN. It is given to you from the side of Binah, SINCE THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH OF THE LEFT OF BINAH IS REVEALED IN HOD.
92. Thus, IN GVURAH, you would have been arid and dry in every respect, due to Messiah, the son of Ephraim; DRY in your Torah and your prophecy and in your body, in which you have suffered too many agonies, so that he should not die, MESSIAH, THE SON OF EPHRAIM, and you pleaded for mercy on his behalf. THEREFORE, it says about him, "but live," from the side of Binah, and therefore, "I shall not die," from the side of Gvurah, FROM WHICH COMES IT HARSH JUDGMENT, AS MENTIONED ABOVE. "...but live..." is from the side of Binah, MEANING AFTER MOCHIN WERE REVEALED FROM IT, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF the Tree of Life, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN that overpowers THE LEFT COLUMN, GVURAH, THROUGH the reading of Sh'ma of Shacharit (the morning prayer), WHICH IS THE SECRET OF CHESED. It is connected to it through the knot of the Tefilin to the right of Abraham, which is Shacharit (the morning prayers), NAMELY CHESED.
93. "...And declare the works of Yah..." (Tehilim 118:17) from the side of Hod, SINCE THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH THAT IS REVEALED FROM BINAH IS REVEALED ONLY FROM THE CHEST DOWNWARD THAT IS IN HOD. "Yah has chastised me severely" (Ibid. 18), MEANING WITH Chochmah and Binah, WHICH ARE from right and left, SINCE CHOCHMAH COMPRISES three right ones - CHOCHMAH, CHESED AND NETZACH - AND BINAH COMPRISES three left ones - BINAH, GVURAH AND HOD. PRIOR TO THE INTERVENTION OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT ARE IN CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER AND JUDGMENTS FLOW FROM THEM. THEREFORE, IT SAYS: "YAH HAS CHASTISED ME SEVERELY." "But He has not given me up to death" (Ibid. 18). This is the Central Column that comprises the three CENTRAL ONES: Keter, the Righteous, NAMELY YESOD, and ITSELF, NAMELY TIFERET, that is the son of Yah (Yud-Hei). Immediately, the Vav will then raise Hei to Yud-Hei, AND THE NAME OF YUD HEI VAV HEI WILL BE PERFECTED in the right and the left with mercy and beseeching with many entreaties to MALCHUT and her descendants. This is what is written: "on that day I will raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen" (Amos 9:11); THAT IS, MALCHUT. Therefore, the prophet said, "they shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them" (Yirmeyah 31:8).
94. The Faithful Shepherd rose, kissed him, and blessed him. He said: You are most likely the messenger of your Master to us. The Tannaim and Amoraim opened the discussion saying: Faithful Shepherd, you knew all this and through you it was revealed. But in your humility, as was said about you, "now the man Moses was very meek" (Bemidbar 12:3); in these areas that you are shy to take credit for yourself, the Holy One, blessed be He, has nominated us to the holy luminary, MEANING RABBI SHIMON BAR YOCHAI, to act as your hand and your mouthpiece in these areas. End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).