The counting of the Omer and the holiday of Shavuot

174. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). "And you shall count for yourselves from the morrow after the Shabbat..." (Vayikra 23:15). We are commanded to perform the counting of the Omer, which we already explained. This is a secret, for Yisrael, even though they were purified so as to perform the Pascal sacrifice and came out of their defilement, were not yet properly whole and pure. Hence the Hallel is not recited in full as in the days of Pesach, since they are not yet properly complete.

175. THIS IS LIKE a woman who comes out of her uncleanness. From the time she comes out, "then she shall number to herself SEVEN DAYS" (Vayikra 15:28). Here too, when Yisrael came out of Egypt, they came out of impurity, and performed the Pesach, eating at their Father's table, NAMELY MALCHUT CALLED TABLE. From that time on, let them do the reckoning to draw a wife near her husband so she would join him. These are the fifty days of purification, the purpose of which is to enter the secret of the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH THAT HAS FIFTY GATES, to receive the Torah and to draw a wife near her husband, NAMELY TO UNITE MALCHUT WITH ZEIR ANPIN.

176. Since these days are the days of the male world OF ZEIR ANPIN, only men are commanded to count. Hence the counting is done standing up. BUT that which pertains to the lower world, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is done sitting, not standing. This is the secret of the prayer recited standing up, THE AMIDAH PRAYER, and the prayer recited sitting down, FROM 'WHO FORMS THE LIGHT' TO THE AMIDAH PRAYER.

177. As for those fifty DAYS, 49 DAYS are all the aspects of the Torah, SINCE THERE ARE 49 PURE ASPECTS IN THE TORAH, while the fiftieth day is the secret of the Torah itself. There are a Sabbatical year and a Jubilee during those fifty days, SEVEN SABBATICAL YEARS AND ONE JUBILEE. You may ask how there are fifty, IF THERE ARE ONLY 49, AS WE DO NOT COUNT THE FIFTIETH. HE ANSWERS, One is hidden, and the world is supported by it. On the fiftieth day, SHAVUOT, the hidden is revealed and concealed in it, as a king coming to his friend's house to stay there. Here too, such is the fiftieth day, which secret we already explained.

178. The following precept is to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot, as it is written, "And you shall keep the feast of weeks to Hashem your Elohim" (Devarim 16:10). IT IS CALLED Shavuot (lit. 'weeks'), since Yisrael have entered the secret of the fiftieth day, which is seven weeks. THAT MEANS THE FIFTIETH DAY ALONE INCLUDES SEVEN WEEKS, BEING THE FIFTIETH GATE. Through the offering of the Omer, THE BARLEY OFFERING, the Evil Inclination, WHICH IS THE WIFE OF HARLOTRY, is voided, fleeing the woman of valor. AND WHEN THE WIFE OF HARLOTRY does not approach THE WOMAN OF VALOR, Yisrael cleave to the Holy One, blessed be He IN THE SECRET OF THE SEVEN WEEKS, and THE EVIL INCLINATION is voided from above and from below, NOT HAVING A GRASP ON ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT.

179. This is why it is named Atzeret (Eng. 'assembly'), for voiding the Evil Inclination. For that reason, no sin offering is mentioned in relation to it, as during other festivals, where sin offering is mentioned. All the lights then gather to the woman of valor - THE LIGHTS OF THE SEVEN WEEKS GATHER TO MALCHUT. For that reason it is called an assembly.

180. IT IS WRITTEN Shavuot (Eng. 'weeks'), but not how many WEEKS there are. AND HE ANSWERS, Wherever it plainly says WEEKS, the name implies there are seven WEEKS, as it is written, "Seven weeks shall you number to you" (Devarim 16:9). Why does it say only, "weeks" WHEN THERE ARE SEVEN? So it should be WRITTEN plainly "weeks," FOR THE PURPOSE OF including THE SEVEN WEEKS above and THE SEVEN WEEKS below, WHICH ARE ALL INCLUDED IN THE FIFTIETH DAY. For whenever these, THE SEVEN WEEKS ABOVE, stir, these, THE SEVEN WEEKS BELOW, stir as well. Until Solomon came AND ATTAINED THE FIFTIETH GATE, AND THE MOON WAS FULL, they were not revealed. Once Solomon came, he individualized them, as it is written, "seven days, and seven days" (I Melachim 8:65). This is individualization, THAT IS, THE FOURTEEN DAYS REVEALED BY THE FIFTIETH GATE WERE DETAILED.

181. During other times, BESIDES THE DAYS OF SOLOMON, THERE ARE NO INDIVIDUAL FOURTEEN DAYS, BUT only included in weeks in general, for no one else may individualize them except Solomon. For the seven days below did not shine wholly FROM THE SEVEN DAYS ABOVE, until Solomon arrived and the moon remained full during these seven days. But here, it is plainly "feast of weeks," NOT MENTIONED IN DETAIL, because the lower SEVEN DAYS were included in the upper SEVEN DAYS and do not shine THERE as during the days of Solomon.

182. The following commandment is to offer the two loaves, as we explained that the two loaves are the secret of the two Shechinahs, the upper, BINAH, and the lower, MALCHUT, that join together, AND THE LOWER BEINGS RECEIVE FROM MALCHUT JUST AS THEY RECEIVE FROM BINAH, SINCE THEY ARE JOINED. There are two corresponding loaves of bread on Shabbat, THE DOUBLE BREAD, which is double provision from above and from below, FROM BINAH AND FROM MALCHUT. Therefore it is written, "two Omers for one man" (Shemot 16:22), WHICH ALSO ALLUDES TO BINAH AND MALCHUT. Surely they are "for one," because they come together in one place, NAMELY in that which is called one. What is it? It is, "The voice is Jacob's voice" (Beresheet 27:22), NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, that receives from above and from below, FROM BINAH AND MALCHUT, THAT IS, two loaves together. This is because Shabbat is a secret above and below TOGETHER, and everything TOGETHER is called Shabbat, NAMELY the two loaves. End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).

183. The following precept is to arrange the bread and the frankincense and to offer the Omer, as it is written, "And you shall offer that day when you wave the Omer a lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering TO HASHEM. AND THE MEAL OFFERING THEREOF SHALL BE TWO TENTH MEASURES OF FINE FLOUR MINGLED..." (Vayikra 23:12-13), also to sacrifice on Shavuot the two loaves, and on all holidays to sacrifice an additional sacrifice. For surely on every day during the festivals, its sacrifice should be offered, NAMELY THE DAILY SACRIFICE JUST LIKE DURING WEEKDAYS and also sacrifice the addition, NAMELY THE SECRET OF THE ADDITIONAL LIGHT ON THAT HOLIDAY. This is like an addition on the Ketubah and gifts the groom gives the bride. Also Queen Shabbat, MALCHUT, is a bride during Shabbatot and all holidays, and is in need of an addition, which are the additional sacrifices and the offerings, which are the offering from the priesthood.

184. On Shavuot, the giving of the Torah, the two tablets of the Torah were given, BINAH AND MALCHUT, from the aspect of the Tree of Life, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. It behooves us to sacrifice to them the two loaves of bread, the secret of Hei and Hei, NAMELY BINAH AND MALCHUT, THE TWO HEI'S OF THE YUD HEI VAV HEI. For they are the bread of the Torah, ZEIR ANPIN, of which it says, "Come, eat of my bread" (Mishlei 9:5). THEY ARE Hei and Hei of, 'Hamotzi... Ha'aretz (Eng. 'who brings forth bread from the earth').' THE EARTH IS THE LOWER HEI, MALCHUT. THE HEI OF HAMOTZI IS THE FIRST HEI, BINAH.

185. This, THE TWO LOAVES, is food for man, who is Yud-Vav-Dalet, Hei -Aleph, Vav-Aleph-Vav, Hei-Aleph, WHICH HAS THE SAME NUMERICAL VALUE AS ADAM (ENG. 'MAN'), NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN THAT INCLUDES THE TWO HEI'S. THIS IS THE MEANING OF, "This is the Torah: (when) a man" (Bemidbar 19:14). IT INDICATES THAT THE TORAH, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF ZEIR ANPIN, IS THE SECRET OF YUD HEI VAV HEI OF THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF 45, THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF WHICH IS THAT OF MAN. "If any man of you bring an offering to Hashem" (Vayikra 1:2) IS THE SECRET OF FOOD FOR MAN. BUT the Omer of barley is food for animals, which are the holy living creatures, of which one should offer. This is the secret of, "of the cattle" (Ibid.), THE SECRET OF the rams that lock horns AGAINST EACH OTHER in the Mishnah and the literal explanation of the Torah. THESE ARE THE SAGES THAT FIGHT EACH OTHER WHEN EXPLAINING THE MISHNAH. "Of the herd" (Ibid.) REFERS TO bullocks that gore each other more forcefully in the Mishnah. "And of the flock" (Ibid.) refers to the rest of the people, whose sacrifice is prayer, of whom it says, "But you My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men" (Yechezkel 34:31). "THE FLOCK OF MY PASTURE" ARE THOSE WHO STUDY THE LITERAL MEANING OF THE TORAH ONLY. "MEN" ARE THE SAGES WHO STUDY KABBALAH, WHO CLEAVE TO ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECRET OF YUD HEI VAV HEI FULLY SPELLED TO THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF 45, ADAM.

186. The Kabbalah masters and men of qualities, WHO ARE DEVOTED TO THE QUALITIES OF ZEIR ANPIN, derive from the aspect of the Tree of Life, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, CALLED MAN. The rest of the people are from the side of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which are the permissible and the forbidden. THIS IS THE ANGEL METATRON, WHO IS SO CALLED. HE IS A CHARIOT TO MALCHUT CALLED SECOND, AND INCLUDES THE FOUR HOLY LIVING CREATURES. Therefore, those "of the cattle" eat an Omer of barley bread, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her" (Rut 3:15). THIS IS THE SECRET OF the Oral Torah of the six Orders of the Mishnah. But those from the Tree of Life, THE KABBALAH MASTERS, are men, whose Torah is the bread of the Holy One, blessed be He, NAMELY THE FOOD OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED MAN. This is the meaning of, "Come, eat of my bread," namely the two loaves of bread. All the Tannaim and Amoraim rejoiced and said, who can stand before Sinai, NAMELY, BEFORE RA'AYA MEHEIMNA, WHO IS CALLED SINAI.