160. "Speak to all the Congregation of Yisrael, saying, On the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb..." (Shemot 12:3). HE ASKS, Why on the tenth of the month? Rabbi Aba said, It is the time that the Jubilee, WHICH IS BINAH, shines on the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT. As it is written in regard to the Jubilee, "On the tenth day of this seventh month shall be Yom Kippur" (Vayikra 23:27). AND YOM KIPPUR IS THE ILLUMINATION OF BINAH, FOR WE SEE THE ILLUMINATION OF BINAH IN MALCHUT IS ON THE TENTH DAY OF THE MONTH.
161. "They shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers." Why? Because they had to draw it at that time, for we learned that the lower crown, to which all the other lower crowns OF THE KLIPAH are attached, is broken by this TAKING OF THE LAMB. Therefore, Moses was specific in his words, "Draw out and take you lambs" (Shemot 12:21), WHICH IS according to the verse, "Flocks, and menservants and womenservants" (Beresheet 32:6), WHICH ARE LOWER CROWNS OF THE KLIPOT, AND THE TERM FLOCK INCLUDES THEM ALL. AND THE EGYPTIANS MADE THEM INTO DEITIES.
162. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Perform an action below BY DRAWING AND TAKEING SHEEP, and I will break their power above. As you prepare them by burning them by fire, as it is written, "but roast with fire" (Shemot 12:9) I, also, ABOVE, will pass him through fire, through the Dinur River (the River of Fire)."
163. HE ASKS, Why was it drawn on the tenth day OF THE MONTH and slaughtered on the fourteenth? Rabbi Aba said, through THE LAMB, WHICH IS THE ELOHIM OF EGYPT, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, Yisrael were bound by slavery 400 years. Even though they were not enslaved 400 years, they were designated to be bound to them for 400 years. HAD NOT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, HASTENED THE END, it would have been as if they were enslaved all 400 years. Therefore, they detained the lamb four days, tied in the property of Yisrael, and afterwards, "and the whole assembly of the Congregation of Yisrael shall kill it towards evening" (Shemot 12:6).
164. HE ASKS, Why WAS IT SLAUGHTERED at twilight? HE ANSWERS, That is when Judgment is impending, and the time when this decree OF THE EXILE IN EGYPT was given through Abraham, as it is written, "And when the sun was going down, a sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him" (Beresheet 15:12). "Horror" is one crown OF THE KLIPAH, "darkness" is another crown and "great" is greater than all THE CROWNS. Even though we explained this passage as referring to other kinds of bondage of Yisrael - THAT HORROR REFERS TO BABYLON, DARKNESS IS MEDIA, GREAT IS GREECE, it refers to everything. THEY ALLUDE TO THE THREE CROWNS OF THE KLIPAH AND ALSO THE EXILES. In the same way WE SPOKE OF THE LAMB, OF WHICH THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, SAID, 'YOU PERFORM AN ACTION BELOW AND I WILL BREAK THEIR POWER ABOVE,' SO, "I will utterly blot out" (Shemot 17:14). You ACT below and I WILL ACT above.
165. We learned that Yisrael did not leave Egypt until the dominion of all their ministers above was broken. They left their domain, came under the authority of the Holiness above of the Holy One, blessed be He, and were bound to Him. This is the meaning of, "For to Me the children of Yisrael are servants; they are My servants" (Vayikra 25:55). What is the reason "they are My servants?" For "whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt" (Ibid.). I took them out of another domain and brought them unto My authority.