1. "And Hashem spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting..." (Bemidbar 1:1). Rabbi Aba opened the discussion with, "So Elohim created man in His own image..." (Beresheet 1:27). We have learned this verse. Come and behold: at the time the Holy One, blessed be He, created the man, He made him in the image of the upper beings and lower beings, and he was the combination of all. His light illuminated from one end of the world to the other end of the world, and everyone feared him.
2. And though it was settled, we must look into this verse: "So Elohim created man in His own image, in the image of Elohim He created him." Since it already said, "His image," why REPEAT AGAIN, "in the image of Elohim He created him?" HE ANSWERS: There were two levels IN MAN, SINCE he was composed of male and female. THEREFORE, there is one for the male, THAT IS, "SO ELOHIM CREATED..." and one for the female, THAT IS, "IN THE IMAGE..."
3. And as a result of this, there were assuredly two faces, MALE AND FEMALE, and the end of the verse proves it, since it is written, "male and female He created them" (Ibid.). And he was composed of both aspects. Although the female was attached to his side, she ON HER OWN was also composed of two sides, WHICH ARE CHESED AND JUDGMENT, to be complete in all.
4. And he used to observe with wisdom up and down. Because he sinned, these faces diminished, the wisdom disappeared from him, and he was only concerned with his own bodily matters. And afterwards he begot sons from above and below - THAT IS, ABEL WAS FROM THE UPPER ASPECTS AND CAIN FROM THE LOWER - and neither of them inhabited the earth, SINCE NONE OF THEM LEFT ANY DESCENDANTS IN THE WORLD. Then he fathered a son, NAMELY SETH, and from him the world was planted. This has been explained.
5. In spite of all this, the world below was not finished and complete and was not sustained on its own until Abraham came along. The world was sustained but not completed until Abraham was present in the world and held onto THE WORLD with his right hand, THAT IS CHESED, as one who holds and assists the right hand of someone who fell. Isaac came along and held the world's hand with the left hand, THAT IS GVURAH, and THE WORLD was sustained even more. When Jacob came along, he held on to the center, with the body, THAT IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, and became included in both sides, THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT. And the world stood firm and did not collapse.
6. And with all this, THE WORLD was not properly planted with its roots until JACOB begot twelve tribes and seventy persons, and the world was planted. Even so, it was not completed until the time Yisrael received the Torah and the Tabernacle was erected. At that time, the worlds could exist and were completed, and the higher and lower beings were scented.
7. Since the Torah and the Tabernacle were erected, NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to count the troops of the Torah. How many legions are there in the Torah, IN ZEIR ANPIN? How many hosts are in the Tabernacle, WHICH IS MALCHUT? (THIS MEANS THAT HE WANTED TO COUNT YISRAEL, WHO ARE THE LEGIONS OF ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT.) Come and behold: every item that needs to be settled in its place, THAT IS, TO LINK PROPERLY THE BRANCH BELOW TO ITS ROOT ON TOP, does not settle until it is uttered by mouth and is counted. Here, also, the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to count the soldiers of the Torah and the soldiers of the Tabernacle, IN ORDER TO TIE YISRAEL TO THEIR ROOTS ABOVE, WHICH ARE ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, CALLED 'TORAH' AND 'TABERNACLE.' And they are all united and are inseparable from each other. Everything is in a likeness of above, since THEIR ROOTS, the Torah and Tabernacle, are JOINED AND inseparable from each other, and are in unison.
8. Therefore, YISRAEL, WHO ARE the legions OF ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, are counted so that they are known, in addition to the others who have no number, NAMELY THE WOMEN AND THOSE YOUNGER THAN TWENTY YEARS. Therefore, it is written: "And Hashem spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting." If it is in the Tent of Meeting why IS IT REQUIRED TO MENTION that it was in the wilderness of Sinai, SINCE IT IS KNOWN THAT THE TENT OF MEETING WAS IN NO OTHER PLACE EXCEPT IN THE WILDERNESS OF SINAI? HE REPLIES: Once is for the Torah, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, and once is for the Tabernacle, THAT IS, MALCHUT.
9. And both TORAH AND TABERNACLE were, "on the first day of the second month, in the second year" (Ibid.). THAT IS THE SECRET OF GVURAH AND THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH OF THE LEFT, SINCE THE MONTH OF NISSAN IS THE RIGHT COLUMN AND CHESED AND IYAR IS THE LEFT COLUMN AND GVURAH. And all is one - THAT IS, THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT WERE JOINED IN HARMONY AS ONE. This month is also called "the month Ziv (lit. 'brightness')" (I Melachim 6:1), alluding to the month and year that is luminous to the moon, THAT IS, MALCHUT, SINCE THE MAIN PERFECTION OF MALCHUT IS FROM THE LEFT COLUMN - THE SECRET OF THE SECOND MONTH AND SECOND YEAR. At that time, all the worlds are whole, LIKE MALCHUT THAT IS THEIR ROOT. "...After they were come out of the land of Egypt..." (Ibid.). THE SCRIPTURE informs us here that when Yisrael left Egypt, it was the first month, THAT IS TO SAY, THEY WENT OUT FROM THE ASPECT OF THE FIRST MONTH, WHICH IS CHESED AND THE RIGHT COLUMN. AND THEN THEY WERE PERFECTED ALSO FROM THE ASPECT OF THE SECOND MONTH, WHICH IS GVURAH AND THE LEFT COLUMN.
10. Rabbi Yitzchak began the discussion with: "Hashem has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house..." (Tehilim 115:12). "Hashem has been mindful of us; He will bless us," refers to the men who were included in the count of the desert, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, blesses and to whom He adds more each time.