"And the son of an Yisraeli woman..."

306. "And the son of an Yisraeli woman, whose father was an Egyptian man, went out..." (Vayikra 24:10). Rabbi Yehuda said he went out from the portion of Yisrael, went out from being a part of anything, went out from the whole of Faith. "Strove together in the camp" (Ibid.): from this we learned that whoever came from polluted seed will eventually expose it before everyone. What brought it upon him? The pollution of the evil part in him, for he has no part among the whole of Yisrael.

307. Rabbi Chiya opened with, "It is the glory of Elohim to conceal a thing; but the honor of kings is to search out a matter" (Mishlei 25:2). THIS MEANS a man has no permission to reveal concealed matters that were not disclosed for revelation, things hidden by Atik Yomin, (NAMELY, THAT PERTAIN TO THE FIRST THREE SFIROT), as it is written, "to eat sufficiently, and for stately clothing (or: 'concealing Atik')" (Yeshayah 23:18), IN OTHER WORDS, one has permission TO REVEAL up to that place(FROM THE ASPECT OF THE SIX EXTREMITIES), but no more. Hence "concealing Atik" surely, NOT REVEALING WHAT ONE HAS NO PERMISSION TO, NAMELY THE FIRST THREE SFIROT.

308. Another explanation for, "to eat sufficiently" REFERS TO the friends who know the routes and paths to properly walk the way of Faith, such as the generation when Rabbi Shimon lived. "And concealing Atik" REFERS TO other generations, none of which are worthy of eating to satiation or of having matters revealed among them, but to conceal Atik, as it is written, "Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin" (Kohelet 5:5).

309. During Rabbi Shimon's life, a man would say to his neighbor, Open your mouth and let your words shine forth. After he died, they used to say, "Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin." During his life, "to eat sufficiently," but after his demise, "concealing Atik." The friends would stammer and not understand matters. According to another explanation, "to eat sufficiently," REFERS TO disclosed things, NAMELY EXOTERICA, while, "concealing Atik" REFERS TO undisclosed things, NAMELY, THE SECRET OF THE TORAH.

310. "And the Yisraeli woman's son blasphemed the name" (Vayikra 24:11). HE ASKS what is meant by "blasphemed (or: 'bored'). Rabbi Aba said, He surely blasphemed, as in the verse, "and bored a hole in the lid of it" (II Melachim 12:10), piercing that which was covered, WHICH IS NOW AS IF PIERCED. "And his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri" (Vayikra 24:11): up to this point the verse does not disclose his mother's name. Once it says, "blasphemed," he blasphemed his mother's name.

311. Rabbi Aba said, Had not the holy luminary, RABBI SHIMON, been living in the world, I would not have permission to reveal this. For permission was given to reveal this matter only to the friends among the reapers of the field, THAT IS, THOSE WHO ALREADY ENTERED THE CONCEALED WISDOM AND CAME OUT IN PEACE. May those who wish to reveal to those who do not know breathe their last.

312. Come and see, it is written, "and this son of the Yisraeli woman and a man of Yisrael strove together in the camp." We already explained this verse. Yet THIS MAN OF YISRAEL is the son of his father, Shelomith's husband, from a different wife. When the Egyptian man came in to her, TO SHELOMITH, at midnight, her husband returned home and realized this. He separated from her and no longer came in to her. He married another woman and begot this man, who is called the man of Yisrael. The other man FROM THE EGYPTIAN is called the Yisraeli woman's son. HE ASKS, If they strove here together, why mention the Holy Name here, and why did he curse the Holy Name?

313. HE ANSWERS, The man of Yisrael said words during the fight about the mother OF THE SON OF THE YISRAELI WOMAN, NAMELY, HE SAID SHE WAS A WHORE. Immediately "the Yisraeli woman's son blasphemed (Heb. vayikov) the name," as in "and bored (Heb. vayikov) a hole in the lid of it." The meaning behind it is that he took the LAST Hei of the Holy Name, YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and cursed in order to defend his mother. This is the hole he pierced and mentioned the Holy Name explicitly. This was told to the reapers of the field. The secret of it is, "Likewise the way of an adulterous woman..." (Mishlei 30:20). Happy is the lot of the righteous, who know this matter yet keep it hidden. Therefore it is said, "Debate your cause with your neighbor, and do not reveal the secret of another" (Mishlei 25:9). THIS SECRET IS TOO DEEP AND CANNOT BE REVEALED.

314. The last Hei OF THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI was the Nukva nourishing from two sides, MERCY AND JUDGMENT. For that reason, it took the King's weapons and executed its vengeance, as it is written, "Bring forth him that has cursed" (Vayikra 24:14). For that reason it is written, "You shall fear every man his mother, and his father" (Vayikra 19:3), the fear of one's mother preceding the father's. Happy are Yisrael in this world and in the World to Come.

315. "And you shall speak to the children of Yisrael, saying, Whoever curses his Elohim shall bear his sin" (Vayikra 24:15). Rabbi Yehuda said, This was already explained, yet, "Whoever curses his Elohim" is general. Since it says, "his Elohim" in general, he "shall bear his sin," AND WILL NOT BE PUNISHED, because we do not know who his Elohim is, what he reveres, whether he is one of the appointed angels or one of the stars or one of the leaders of the world.

316. Rabbi Yosi said, If he were wholly righteous, he would not have awakened their powers BY CURSING THEM. Since he did so, we fear he is touched by heresy. NONETHELESS he will not die for it, because it is a general word, NOT EXPLAINING WHO HIS ELOHIM IS.

317. Rabbi Yehuda said, He is judged favorably that way. Had he said, 'my Elohim' AND CURSED HIM he can argue, This is my Elohim I had until now, after which I was drawn, yet now I return IN REPENTANCE to receive the supernal Faith. But had he said 'Hashem Elohim' or Yud Hei Vav Hei, mentioning it by name, he has no case, for this is everybody's Faith, and each letter of the Holy Name amounts to the whole Name.

318. According to another explanation for, "and the Yisraeli woman's son blasphemed the name, and cursed," Rabbi Yitzchak said, Why "the Yisraeli woman's son blasphemed?" This is as we explained it. The man of Yisrael was Shelomith's husband. Rabbi Yehuda said, He was Shelomith's husband's son from another woman. Rabbi Yitzchak said they fought together, and he said about his mother THAT SHE WAS A WHORE and that his EGYPTIAN father was killed by means of the Holy Name BY MOSES as we explained the verse, "do you intend (lit. 'speak') to kill me" (Shemot 2:14). He therefore extended this speech to him, THAT IS, LET HIM KNOW WHILE THEY WERE FIGHTING.

319. This is the meaning of, "and the Yisraelite woman's son blasphemed the name, and cursed. And they brought him to Moses." The reason is that he came to Moses COMPLAINING that he killed his father by means of the Holy Name. For that reason, "they brought him to Moses." When Moses saw that, immediately, "they put him in custody" (Vayikra 24:12). Both father and son fell into Moses' hands.