Beshalach: Chapter 12

"She is like the merchant ships"

Synopsis

Rabbi Chiya opens with the verse, "She is like the merchant ships; she brings her food from afar," and "from afar she brings her food." He says that the merchant ships are the Congregation of Yisrael, and that "brings her food" means by a level that dwells on her, that is the central column. He speaks about "all the rivers flow into the sea," telling of the movement and flow through that level, Yesod, down to the sea, Malchut, and from Binah to Yesod, back and forth. Rabbi Yitzchak says that those who merit the World to Come will merit the pairing of supernal Aba and Ima, which never separate.

Bread Congregation Flow Food Grades Rivers Seas Ships Zeir Anpin

141. Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion with the verse, "She is like the merchant ships; she brings her food from afar" (Mishlei 31:14). "She is like the merchant ships," refers to the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY MALCHUT. "She brings her food from afar," as it is written, "Behold the Name of Hashem comes from afar" (Yeshayah 30:27). "She brings her food," meaning by one level that dwells upon her, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. All the rivers and springs that run into the sea flow through it, as it is written, "All the rivers run into the sea" (Kohelet 1:7).

141. רִבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח, הָיְתָה כָּאֳנִיּוֹת סוֹחֵר מִמֶּרְחָק תָּבִיא לַחְמָהּ. הָיְתָה כָּאֳנִיּוֹת סוֹחֵר, דָּא כנ"י. מִמֶּרְחָק תָּבִיא לַחְמָהּ, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, הִנֵּה שֵׁם יְיָ' בָּא מִמֶּרְחָק. תָּבִיא לַחְמָהּ, בְּחַד דַּרְגָּא דְּשָׁארִי עָלָהּ, וּבֵיהּ אִתְמְשָׁכוּ כָּל אִלֵּין נְחָלִין וּמַבּוּעִין דְּאַזְלִין בְּיַמָּא, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, כָּל הַנְּחָלִים הוֹלְכִים אֶל הַיָּם וְגוֹ.'

Flow Grades Righteous Rivers Seas Zeir Anpin

142. "To the place that the rivers flow" (Ibid.). Although all the rivers flow through that level, WHICH IS YESOD, and that level lowers them down to the sea, WHICH IS MALCHUT, do not think that it poured those rivers INTO THE SEA, so that others do not dwell in it and do not flow through it as before. THEREFORE, it says again, "To the place that the rivers flow, thither they return" (Kohelet 1:7). THEY RETURN to the place of that level that the rivers went out from once - "Thither they return to go." There, they return from that high supernal place, NAMELY, FROM BINAH THEY RETURN AGAIN TO YESOD, FOR THE FLOW never halts from there and they all gather in that place IN YESOD. And why, "to go?" To go to that place of the sea, WHICH IS MALCHUT, as we have learned. And what is the name of that level? It is called 'Righteous,' NAMELY YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN.

142. אֶל מָקוֹם שֶׁהַנְּחָלִים הוֹלְכִים, אע"ג דְּכֻלְּהוּ נְחָלִין אִתְמַשְּׂכָן בְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא, וְהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא נָחִית לוֹן לְהַהוּא יַמָּא, לָא תֵּימָא. דְּהָא אָרִיק לוֹן, וְהָא לָא שַׁרְיָין בֵּיהּ אַחֲרָנִין, וְלָא נַגְדִּין בֵּיהּ כְּמִלְקַדְּמִין, אַהְדָּר וְאָמַר אֶל מָקוֹם שֶׁהַנְּחָלִים הוֹלְכִים שָׁם הֵם שָׁבִים, אֶל מָקוֹם דְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּנַחֲלִין אַזְלִין זִמְנָא חֲדָא, שָׁם הֵם שָׁבִים לָלָכֶת, תַּמָּן אִינּוּן תַּיְיבִין מֵהַהוּא אֲתָר עִלָּאָה, וְלָא פַּסְקִין לְעָלְמִין, וּמִתְכַּנְּשֵׁי כֻּלְּהוּ בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר. וְלָמָּה. לָלָכֶת. לְמֵהַךְ לְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּיַמָּא, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר, מַה שְׁמֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא. צַדִּיק אִקְרֵי.

Grades Leviathan Seas Ships Zeir Anpin

143. Rabbi Yehuda said, It is written, "There go the ships, there is the Leviathan, whom You have made to play therein" (Tehilim 104:26). "There go the ships" MEANS THAT in this sea traverse and go THE SHIPS until they approach to join at that level, WHICH IS YESOD. Then it is written, "There is the Leviathan, whom You have made to play therein," BECAUSE LEVIATHAN IS YESOD IN ZEIR ANPIN.

143. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, כְּתִיב שָׁם אֳנִיּוֹת יְהַלֵּכוּן לִוְיָתָן זֶה יָצַרְתָּ לְשַׂחֶק בּוֹ. שָׁם אֳנִיּוֹת יְהַלֵּכוּן, בְּהַהוּא יַמָּא דְּאַזְלִין וְשָׁאטִין, עַד דְּאַתְיָין לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא, כְּדֵין כְּתִיב לִוְיָתָן זֶה יָצַרְתָּ לְשַׂחֶק בּוֹ.

Aba and Ima Ima Merit World to Come, The

144. Rabbi Yitzchak said, there is one union that is kept in friendship very high, and they never separate - WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE UNION OF SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA, WHICH ARE THE FIRST THREE SFIROT OF BINAH. Rabbi Yehuda said, Who merits that union? He said to him, One who has a share in the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH. And it is specifically "the World to Come," FOR ONE WHO DID NOT MERIT THE WORLD TO COME, WHICH IS BINAH, WILL NOT MERIT THAT UNION.

144. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא יַתִּיר, אִית זִוּוּגָא אַחֲרָא, דְּשָׁארִי בַּחֲבִיבוּתָא, וְלָא מִתְפְּרַשׁ לְעָלְמִין. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, מַאן זָכֵי לְהַהוּא זִוּוּגָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, מַאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי דַּיְקָא.

Leviathan Merit Righteous Zeh (This, Masc.) Zot (This, Fem.)

145. RABBI YEHUDA said to him, Behold, from here we learned what is written, "There is the Leviathan, whom (Heb. zeh) You have made to play therein." So it seems, "zeh," is mentioned WHICH IS YESOD, and Zeh ('this,' masc.) and Zot ('this,' fem.) are known TO BE YESOD AND MALCHUT. SO WE SEE THAT EVEN IF HE DOES NOT MERIT BINAH, HE MERITS TO RECEIVE FROM THE SUPERNAL UNION. Rabbi Aba said, You both speak well and these words of Rabbi Yehuda are beautifully exact. And the Holy One, blessed be He, has prepared everything to delight the Righteous with them. This is what is written, "Then shall you delight yourself in Hashem" (Yeshayah 58:14).

145. אָמַר לֵיהּ, וְהָא מֵהָכָא אוֹלִיפְנָא, דִּכְתִּיב לִוְיָתָן זֶה יָצַרְתָּ לְשַׂחֶק בּוֹ, מַשְׁמַע דְּקָאָמַר זֶה, וְזֶה וְזֹאת יְדִיעָן אִינּוּן. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, תַּרְוַויְיכוּ שַׁפִּיר קָאָמְרִיתּוּ, וְהָא דְּרִבִּי יְהוּדָה שַׁפִּיר דַּיְקָא, וְכֹלָּא זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְעַנְגָּא בְּהוּ לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא, הה"ד אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל יְיָ.'

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