The crocodiles

36. Rabbi Shimon said, Now it is proper to reveal secrets that are attached above and below. It is written, "Come to Pharaoh," but it should have said 'Go to Pharaoh.' What is the meaning of "Come?" HE ANSWERS, He brought MOSES in to the innermost rooms, to a very powerful crocodile, from which many levels evolve and come down. And what was it? It was the secret of the great serpent.

37. Moses was afraid and approached only the rivers that were at his grade. But he feared THE SERPENT itself, and did not approach because he saw that it was rooted in high sources.

38. When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that Moses was afraid and that other appointed messengers above could not approach him, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the great crocodile that couches in the midst of his streams" (Yechezkel 29:3). The Holy One, blessed be He, had to wage war with him and no other. He said, "I am Hashem." WE INTERPRET THIS TO MEAN I AND NOT A MESSENGER. They explained the secret of the wisdom of, "the great crocodile that couches in the midst of his streams," to those scholars of jurisprudence, who recognize the secret of their Master.

39. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion, saying: "And Elohim created the great crocodiles (Heb. taninim), and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind" (Beresheet 1:21). This passage was explained. Yet "And Elohim created the crocodiles," is a secret. It is the Leviathan and his spouse. "Taninim" is spelled without the Yud because the Holy One, blessed be He, killed the female and brought her up for the Righteous, as it was explained. THEREFORE, ONLY THE ONE GREAT CROCODILE (TANIN) REMAINED. AND KNOW THAT THE LEVIATHAN IS A KOSHER FISH, AS OUR SAGES SAY.

40. The great crocodile IS THE MALE LEVIATHAN THAT REMAINED ALIVE. IT IS SAID ABOUT HIM, "THAT COUCHES IN THE MIDST OF HIS STREAMS." There are nine rivers that he lies in, CORRESPONDING TO NINE SFIROT: CHOCHMAH, BINAH, DA'AT, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. And there is one river whose waters are quiet. THIS IS KETER. The blessings of the waters of the Garden, WHICH IS MALCHUT OF ATZILUT, pour into it three times a year. THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE THREE COLUMNS - RIGHT, LEFT AND CENTRAL, OF WHICH IT IS SAID, "THREE TIMES A YEAR SHALL ALL YOUR MALES APPEAR" (DEVARIM 16:16). If they pour in twice, MEANING ONLY TWO COLUMNS, RIGHT AND LEFT, the river is blessed, but not as much BECAUSE THE CENTRAL COLUMN IS MISSING. If only one pours in, MEANING EITHER ONLY THE RIGHT OR ONLY THE LEFT, it is not BLESSED BY IT. THE NINE RIVERS, THE LOWER NINE SFIROT, RECEIVE FROM THE RIVER, WHICH IS KETER.

41. This crocodile comes into that river, WHICH IS KETER OF THE RIVERS, becomes strengthened by it, continues to swim and enters into the sea, WHICH IS MALCHUT OF ATZILUT, where it swallows many kinds of fish and rules. THESE ARE LEVELS IN THE SEA THAT ARE INFERIOR TO HIM; HE SWALLOWS THEM AND THEY BECOME PERFECTED IN HIM. He returns to that QUIET river, and these nine rivers continue to rise TO HIM, MEANING TO RECEIVE THEIR SUSTENANCE, BECAUSE THEY RECEIVE THEIR SUSTENANCE FROM THE QUIET RIVER, WHICH IS THEIR KETER. There are various kinds of trees and vegetation around THE RIVER. It is the first river AMONG THE RIVERS, NAMELY KETER.

42. AND NOW HE EXPLAINS THE SYSTEM OF THE EMERGENCE OF THE TEN RIVERS. Three drops emerge from the left side, from one conduit that is drawn and emerges, THAT IS, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. THEY ARE FROM THE THREE COLUMNS - RIGHT, LEFT, AND CENTRAL-INCLUDED IN THE LEFT COLUMN. Every drop spreads into three drops AND THEY BECOME NINE DROPS. One river is formed from each separate drop. These are the nine rivers that grow strong and continue to flow and encircle all the firmaments.

43. After these drops finish coming out, of those that remain, NAMELY ALL THE ASPECTS OF KETER AND CHOCHMAH THAT ARE ABOVE BINAH THAT ARE NOT DRAWN THROUGH THE THREE COLUMNS, THERE remains one drop. It emerges silently and falls AMONG THE RIVERS. And from it, one river is formed. This is the river that we said flows silently, NAMELY THE QUIET RIVER MENTIONED ABOVE.

44. The stream that comes out and flows, YESOD IN ZEIR ANPIN, pours out other drops of blessings from the right side, THAT IS, WHEN IT BESTOWS UPON MALCHUT FROM THE THREE COLUMNS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE RIGHT COLUMN. FROM WHATEVER WAS LEFT OF THESE DROPS AND DID NOT EMERGE WITH THEM AT THE TIME, NAMELY THOSE SFIROT ABOVE BINAH THAT ARE NOT DRAWN WITH THE THREE COLUMNS AS MENTIONED, there remains one drop from these blessings that EMERGES SILENTLY AND falls into that quiet river. THUS THE QUIET RIVER ALSO HAS THE ILLUMINATION OF THE RIGHT. This is the best river.

45. When these four rivers that emerge from the Garden of Eden separate, that river called Pishon falls into the QUIET river and merges with it. Therefore, the Kingdom of Babylon is associated with this RIVER, for Pishon is the Kingdom of Babylon. BECAUSE PISHON IS THE FIRST STREAM OF THE FOUR RIVERS AND BABYLON IS THE FIRST OF THE FOUR EMPIRES, OF WHICH IT IS SAID, "YOU ARE THE HEAD OF GOLD" (DANIEL 2:38), AND THEREFORE PISHON IS BABYLON. From this QUIET river, all the other rivers are sustained and filled.

46. In each river, one crocodile swims. Thus there are nine crocodiles. Each has a hole punctured in his head, as it is written, "You broke the heads of the sea monsters (See earlier comment) in the water" (Tehilim 74:13). And even this great sea monster is so, because they all blow air upwards and not downwards.

47. It is written, "In the beginning Elohim created" (Beresheet 1:1), and also: "And Elohim created the great crocodiles" (Ibid. 21). IN BOTH CASES IT IS WRITTEN, "CREATED." THIS TEACH US that for every action of the ten sayings IN THE WORKS OF CREATION, there are ten rivers, and one crocodile blows wind against each of them. THIS MEANS THAT ONE CROCODILE FOR EACH OF THE TEN RIVERS BLOWS WIND AGAINST THE ACT CORRESPONDING TO HIM OF THE TEN SAYINGS OF CREATION.

48. Therefore, the world shakes once in seventy years, since everything in the river shakes WHEN this great crocodile raises his fins and shakes. The whole world shudders and the earth trembles, for they are all included in this great crocodile.

49. "And the earth was without form" (Ibid. 2). Rabbi Shimon said, The friends are familiar and are occupied with the works of Creation. But few know the works of Creation as alluding to the great crocodile. We learned that the whole world evolves AND COMES from the fin (See earlier comment)OF THE GREAT CROCODILE. THEREFORE, WE MUST UNDERSTAND HOW HE IS ALLUDED TO THROUGHTOUT THE WORKS OF CREATION.

50. Come and behold, IT IS WRITTEN, "And the earth was without form and void..." We learned that it "was" EARLIER; NAMELY, IT WAS FORMLESS BEFORE THE CORRECTION BEGAN, and it has been explained. When the great crocodile enters that first river, NAMELY THE QUIET RIVER, it becomes full. It swims and extinguishes the sparks that were gathered in from the worlds that were destroyed earlier.

51. Those other crocodiles that we mentioned were and were not, FOR THEIR ILLUMINATION WAS NOT REVEALED IN THEM, SO IT IS AS THOUGH THEY DID NOT EXIST. THIS IS SO, because their strength was weakened so they would not destroy the world, except once every seventy years, when they grow strong with the power of that great crocodile, which alone grows strong. If his female had been alive with him, the world would not have survived them.

52. Until the Holy One, blessed be He, killed the female OF THE LEVIATHAN, the earth was without form. It was formless and THE EARTH was void after He slew her, WHICH MEANS THE EARTH started to be sustained, "And darkness was ON THE FACE OF THE DEEP" (Beresheet 1:2). It still had not illuminated DUE TO THE ACTION THAT HE PERFORMED.

53. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He crushed the head of the male OF THE GREAT CROCODILES. AND THE CROCODILE was subdued because the deep below did not illuminate. HE ASKS, What is the reason that it did not illuminate? HE ANSWERS, Because this great crocodile blew wind over the deep, darkened it, and it did not hover below.

54. Then another wind from above crossed, blew and struck that wind and placated it, FOR IT NEUTRALIZED IT. That is what is written, "And a wind from Elohim moved over the surface of the water" (Beresheet 1:2). So we learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, struck one wind with another and created the world.

55. "And Elohim said, 'Let there be light.' And there was light" (Ibid. 3), because the Supernal Light illuminated and struck on the blowing wind and it was removed from over the deep and did not cover it. As soon as the deep was lit up and the wind left, it became light, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "AND THERE WAS LIGHT."

56. This light shone over the head OF THE GREAT CROCODILE. Water flowed from its nostrils TO SUSTAIN THE OTHER LEVELS, and wind blew up. AND HE EXPLAINS WHY THE WATER FLOWED OUT, AND WIND BLEW ABOVE, SAYING THAT THIS IS BECAUSE BEFOREHAND, this COMPLETE luminary illuminated until the light descended FROM BINAH and sparkled to the 72 lights of the Sun, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. Since these lights were impressed in the sun below, wicked people in the world knew of them and worshipped the sun, MEANING THEY WORSHIPPED TO DRAW THE LIGHT FROM ABOVE DOWNWARDS. When the Holy One, blessed be He, observed that these wicked WANTED TO DRAW THE LIGHT FROM ABOVE DOWNWARDS, He raised the Light and concealed it. Why did He conceal it BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF THE WICKED? For this crocodile was ascending and descending, AND ALSO DREW THE LIGHT FROM ABOVE DOWNWARDS BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF THE WICKED, and struck these rivers, until He hid the Light and it was no longer visible.

57. And He sowed that seed through one Righteous, WHICH IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, who is the Gardener of the Garden. The seed sown in the Garden, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is the storing and concealing of this Light - MEANING THAT CONCEALMENT DOES NOT CONNOTE ABSENCE, BUT RATHER THE OPPOSITE. IT IS THE ASPECT OF THE SEED PLANTED FOR THE UPCOMING BLESSING, AS THE CONCEALMENT ITSELF WILL BECOME LIGHT AGAIN, LIKE A PLANT THAT COMES FORTH FROM A SEED.

58. When this great crocodile saw that the seed of this Light grew in the garden, WHICH IS MALCHUT, he awakened to provide for the second side, the SECOND river OF THE FOUR RIVERS called Gichon. And then the waters of the River Gichon were divided BY one path OF THE CROCODILE, FOR THE REASON THAT WILL BE EXPLAINED FURTHER AHEAD. THE CROCODILE goes to the seed that has sprouted AND HAS BECOME LIGHT in the Garden, WHICH IS MALCHUT, AND RECEIVES IT and illuminates upon THE RIVER with THE LIGHT OF the greatness of this seed, and it is called 'Gichon.'

59. And from that greatness of this seed, King Solomon rose to greatness when he rose to kingship, as it is written, "And bring him down to Gichon...anoint him there" (I Melachim 1:33-34). Bring him "there" and not to a different place, because King David knew that other waters rise to a different kingdom, and THIS MALCHUT FROM GICHON is a stronger kingdom.

60. This great crocodile became aroused toward it, THE RIVER GICHON, TO SUSTAIN IT. The fins of this crocodile, WHICH ARE HIS MALCHUT, were elevated in that river, GICHON, and grew stronger in it. And all the other rivers ascended and descended by means of the great crocodile. AFTER SHINING ON THE RIVER GICHON, he again entered that quiet river and became quiet in it.

61. When that Light was concealed above the Gardener, the original darkness, FROM BEFORE THE LIGHT EMERGED, came out and hit the head of the crocodile on the hole that was made there. A thread was spread between that illumination THAT REMAINED from this Light that was concealed and the dimness of this darkness, as it is written, "And Elohim divided the Light from the Darkness" (Beresheet 1:4).

62. This crocodile, through the division the thread made, again divided ALSO in these rivers above the darkness. The fish separated from each other according to their kinds by that division THAT WAS MADE IN THE RIVERS.

63. When the holy supernal waters were divided, all the rivers were divided and rose into the quiet river, which is the clearest. They go in and out of it three times daily.

64. And all these fish, WHICH ARE GRADES AND SOULS that grow in these rivers, were separated one from another, and are called 'nights,' BECAUSE THE GRADES OF THE LEFT ARE CALLED 'NIGHT.' The ones were chief to all the others that emerged outside, and the others INSIDE ruled over everything. These were called 'the Firstborn of Egypt,' which have spread from here outside of the firstborn. All these were sustained from the watering of these rivers, and this great crocodile rules all of them.

65. All this came about by the division of the upper water FROM THE LOWER, as it is written, "And let it divide water from water" (Beresheet 1:6). The holy upper waters were marked and separated to be above, and the lower waters were all separated from those TO BE BELOW. The holy ones WERE DIVIDED from the unholy. Therefore, the upper angels are called 'separate,' because the ones were divided from the others according to their kinds.

66. "And Elohim said, 'Let the earth bring forth grass, herb yielding seed'" (Beresheet 1:11). THE EARTH IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT, AND GRASSES ARE THE LIGHT THAT SPROUTS FROM SOWING OF THE TREASURED LIGHT. This is the secret: when the great crocodile would blow wind through the hole IN HIS HEAD that blew upwards, he would dry all these grasses until another wind would blow against that wind OF THE CROCODILE and would quiet him below. And the grasses grew as before, and ruled and praised and offered thanks before the Holy One, blessed be He.

67. From the left side and from within the quiet river, emerge animals according to their species. They attempt to approach these grasses but cannot. They then return to their place. All these rivers swim with that crocodile, which dominates them, and surround these grasses but cannot BENEFIT FROM THEM, except sometimes, when the supernal wind does not blow and THE CROCODILE exhales wind through that hole IN HIS HEAD. That wind then rules over the grasses THAT IS, IT DRIES THEM.

68. HE HAS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO APPROACH THE GRASSES, WHEN the quiet river returns FROM MALCHUT to its place, rising and falling. Since its waters are quiet, it flows quietly. The great crocodile rises to these rivers AND IS NOT THERE IN THE QUIET RIVER. All the grasses grow around that quiet river, growing on all sides. Then that Crocodile goes up TO THE GRASSES and grows among them, AND AFTERWARDS returns to all these rivers.

69. "And Elohim said, 'Let there be luminaries in the firmament of heaven'" (Beresheet 1:16). This refers to the Piercing Serpent (Heb. bariach). Why IS IT CALLED Bariach (also: 'bolt')? This is because it locks in both sides, WHICH ARE THE TWO COLUMNS, RIGHT AND LEFT, AND DOES NOT ALLOW THE THIRD COLUMN THAT RECONCILES THEM TO EXPAND. It does not go out to HARM the world except once in a Jubilee.

70. In ancient books, THEY SAID ABOUT THE VERSE, "LET THERE BE LUMINARIES," THAT it refers to the Piercing Serpent that always goes crookedly and brought curses on the world, BECAUSE HE ENTICED EVE WITH THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. When this one rose, the strength of the GREAT crocodile was broken so that he could not rise, so much so that he lost his body. Because the Holy One, blessed be He, folds him into the sea when he comes to Him, treading upon the strength of the sea. The strength of the sea is the GREAT crocodile, as it is written, "And He treads upon the waves of the sea" (Iyov 9:8).

71. When this serpent rises it is written, "And He shall slay the crocodile that is in the sea" (Yeshayah 27:1), which is the great crocodile. Therefore, it is written, "Behold I am against you... THE GREAT CROCODILE THAT COUCHES IN THE MIDST OF HIS STREAMS" (Yechezkel 29:3). And this snake is 'luminaries (Heb. me'orot)' WITHOUT VAV, WHICH DENOTES AN EXPRESSION OF CURSE, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "THE CURSE (HEB. ME'ERAT) OF HASHEM IS IN THE HOUSE OF THE WICKED" (MISHLEI 3:33), for he brings curses to everyone. And He overpowers THE CROCODILE with the power of the great river, which is called Chidekel. This has already been explained.

72. That snake is on dry land. When they go to battle each other, the one on dry land always triumphs, because all his ways and his power are on dry land, WHERE MALCHUT IS WHICH CONTAINS ALL THE JUDGMENTS. And he always eats dirt and dust, as it is written, "And dust shall you eat all the days of your life" (Beresheet 3:14). The one grows in the dust and the other grows in water. The snake that grows in the water is not as strong as the one that grows on dry land. Therefore, it is written ABOUT THE SNAKE, me'orot with a defective spelling WITHOUT A VAV, BECAUSE HIS POWER IS STRONG ENOUGH TO KILL EVERYTHING.

73. And this SNAKE comes across that CROCODILE, which is in the water. Although he meets him, he does not fight with him; the Holy One, blessed be He, alone kills him in the sea. As we explained it, because of the haughtiness in him, it is written, "My river is my own, and I have made it for myself" (Yechezkel 29:3).