358. Rabbi Shimon said: The world was created and is sustained by the covenant, as it is written, "If My covenant be not day and night, it were as if I had not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth" (Yirmeyah 33:25). HE ASKS: Who is the covenant, AND ANSWERS: It is the Righteous, an everlasting (lit. 'of the world') foundation, the secret of 'Remember'. Therefore, the world, WHICH IS THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, is established on the covenant THAT UNITES day and night, WHICH ARE MALE AND FEMALE, as one. It is written: "If My covenant be not day and night, it were as if I had not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;" and "the ordinances of heaven" ALLUDES TO THE MOCHIN, which flow from the upper Eden.

359. RABBI SHIMON began THE DISCOURSE ON THE VERSE: "Louder than the voice of the archers; in the places of drawing water, there let them recite the righteous acts of Hashem..." (Shoftim 5:11). He said, "The voice of archers" is the voice of Jacob, because "archers" means as it is written: "And there went out a champion..." (I Shmuel 17:4). "In the place of drawing water" means that Jacob, TIFERET, dwells among those who draw water on high. He, REFERRING TO ZEIR ANPIN, travels along the two sides, RIGHT AND LEFT, AND combines them within himself, THEREBY REVEALING THEIR PERFECTION.

360. In the verse: "There let them recite the righteous acts of Hashem," "there" is the place of Faith, WHICH IS THE QUEEN - NAMELY THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE ABOVE THE CHEST OF ZEIR ANPIN - to cleave to. "There let them recite the righteous acts of Hashem MEANS THAT they absorb the righteous acts of Hashem from there. THE PHRASE: "The righteous acts towards the inhabitants of his villages," WHICH IS THE CONTINUATION OF THE VERSE, "LOUDER THAN THE VOICE OF THE ARCHERS," alludes to the Righteous of the world, NAMELY YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, who is the covenant and is holy. He draws and takes everything and discharges into the great sea, NAMELY THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, these supernal waters, NAMELY HIS MOCHIN THAT ARE DRAWN FROM IMA, THE SUPERNAL WATERS. THE PHRASE "in Yisrael," WHICH ENDS THE VERSE, MEANS that Yisrael shall inherit this covenant and the Holy One, blessed be He, gave this to them as an everlasting inheritance.

361. The children of Yisrael abandoned THE COVENANT when they performed circumcision but neglected the uncovering of the corona. Therefore, it is written OF THEM: "When the people of Hashem went down to the gates" (Shoftim 5:11), MEANING WENT DOWN to the gates of righteousness, as they sat at the gates but did not pass through them. It is written of that time: "And they forsook Hashem" (Shoftim 2:12). Deborah then came and donated this to them. SHE DREW DOWN AND REVEALED THE SUPERNAL MOCHIN TO THEM, as it is written: "In time of tumultuous strife (Heb. pera'ot) in Yisrael" (Shoftim 5:2). PERA'OT MEANS REVEALING, AS IN "AND LOOSEN (HEB. PARA) THE HAIR OF THE WOMAN'S HEAD" (BEMIDBAR 5:18), WHICH IS AN ALLUSION TO THE REVELATION OF THE MOCHIN THAT DEBORAH RETURNED TO YISRAEL.

362. Thus, it is written OF YISRAEL: "The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Yisrael" (Ibid. 7). This refers to the inhabitants of his villages, as has already been explained, AS THE ABUNDANCE OF MOCHIN OF GREATNESS FROM YESOD TO THE GREAT SEA. SINCE THEY LEFT THE COVENANT, THE MOCHIN CEASED TO FLOW UPON THEM. "The inhabitants of the villages" - MOCHIN - "ceased" from the holy covenant because they circumcised but did not uncover the corona. Thus, it is written: "Until Deborah arose, I arose a mother in Yisrael." HE ASKS: Why DOES SHE CALL HERSELF "a mother?" SHE SAID TO THEM, Because I have drawn down supernal waters from above, REFERRING TO THE MOCHIN OF THE UPPER THREE SFIROT THAT COME FROM IMA, to sustain the worlds. AND SHE CALLED HERSELF A MOTHER BECAUSE SHE REVEALED THE MOCHIN FROM IMA. "In Yisrael" is a general term INDICATING THAT SHE HAS BECOME A MOTHER TO BOTH YISRAEL above, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, and TO YISRAEL below, WHICH SIGNIFIES THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL. IN OTHER WORDS, SHE DREW DOWN THE MOCHIN TO BOTH ZEIR ANPIN AND YISRAEL to show that the world exists only by this covenant. And the secret of all this is found in the phrase: "But the righteous one is an everlasting foundation (or: foundation of the world)" (Mishlei 10:25), WHO IS THE FOUNDATION (YESOD) UPON WHICH THE WORLD IS ESTABLISHED.

363. Three emerge from one; one exists within three. It enters between the two, the two feed the one and the one feeds many aspects. Then they all become one, as it is written: "And there was evening and there was morning, one day" (Beresheet 1:5), as the evening and the morning were united as one. This is the secret of THE VERSE, "if My covenant be not day and night," because within it, YESOD - ZEIR ANPIN - AND HIS FEMALE PRINCIPLE, are one, WHICH ARE DAY AND NIGHT. THE COVENANT, WHICH IS YESOD, UNITES DAY AND NIGHT INTO ONE.

364. Tosefta (addendum): We have learned that he who performs circumcision, but does not uncover the corona by splitting the skin, acts as if he does not perform circumcision at all. Why? Because circumcision and the uncovering of the corona are two different grades that correspond to 'Remember' and 'Keep,' the Righteous and righteousness, male and female. CIRCUMCISION IS the sign of the covenant corresponding to Joseph, NAMELY YESOD, AND THE SPLITTING OF THE SKIN IS the covenant that corresponds to Rachel, NAMELY THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE OF ZEIR ANPIN. They should be united together, YESOD AND THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. When does one unite them? When he circumcises THE FORESKIN and uncovers the corona. He who circumcises without uncovering the corona acts as if he has created a separation BETWEEN ZEIR ANPIN AND HIS FEMALE PRINCIPLE. (End of Tosefta)