"And happy are those who hold her fast"

Synopsis

From Rabbi Yehuda we learn that the Torah is a "Tree of Life;" Torah means 'showing' - it reveals all that is hidden and unknown. Those people who help support students of the Torah with their money are blessed. Those who hold onto the Torah are worthy of having prophets as their descendants.

Fasting Prayer Torah Tree Tree of Life

20. Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yitzchak were once on their way together. They stopped at a certain field to pray and then continued along. Rabbi Yehuda commenced a discourse on the Torah and said: "She is a Tree of Life to those who lay hold on her and happy are those who hold her fast" (Mishlei 3:18). "A Tree of Life" is the Torah, which is a great and mighty tree. It is called Torah (lit. 'showing'), for it shows and reveals all that was hidden and unknown. IT IS CALLED 'Life,' for all life above is contained in it and issues from it. "Those who lay hold on her" are those who are attached to her above and below. "Happy are those who hold her fast," are those who throw their fill, THEIR PROFIT OF MERCHANDISE, into the purses of students of the Torah, AND THEY BECOME WORTHY OF A PART IN THEIR PROFIT, as explained.

20. ר' יְהוּדָה וְר' יִצְחָק הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא. יָתְבוּ בְּהַהוּא בֵּי חַקְלָא וְצַלּוּ. בָּתַר דְּסִיְימוּ צְלוֹתָא קָמוּ וְאַזְלוּ. פָּתַח ר' יְהוּדָה בְּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וְאָמַר, עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ וְתוֹמְכֶיהָ מְאוּשָּׁר. עֵץ חַיִים, דָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִיהִי אִילָנָא עִלָּאָה רַבָּא וְתַקִּיף. תּוֹרָה, אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי תּוֹרָה. בְּגִין דְּאוֹרֵי וְגַלֵּי בְּמָה דַּהֲוָה סָתִים דְּלָא אִתְיְדַע. חַיִים, דְּכָל חַיִּים דִּלְעֵילָּא בָּהּ אִתְכְּלִילוּ, וּמִנָהּ נָפְקִין. לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ, לְאִינּוּן דְּאַחְדִּין בָּהּ, דְּמַאן דְּאָחִיד בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אָחִיד בְּכֺלָּא, אָחִיד לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא. וְתוֹמְכֶיהָ מְאוּשָּׁר, מַאן תּוֹמְכֶיהָ. אִלֵּין אִינּוּן דְּמַטִילִין מְלָאי, לְכִיסָן שֶׁל ת"ח, כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ.

Body Faith Fasting Head Hebrew Letters Pillar Prophets Torah Zeir Anpin

21. "Those who hold her fast," MEANS that they become worthy of producing CHILDREN WORTHY OF BEING faithful prophets, FOR THE TORAH ALLUDES TO TIFERET, WHICH IS THE BODY OF ZEIR ANPIN. NETZACH AND HOD, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF THE PROPHETS, ARE LIKE THE LEGS WHO HOLD THE TIFERET, THE TORAH, AS THE LEGS HOLD THE BODY. THEREFORE, THOSE WHO HOLD THE TORAH ARE WORTHY OF HAVING PROPHETS AS DESCENDANTS. "Happy (Heb. me'ushar)" should be pronounced merosho, meaning literally 'from his head,' HAVING THE SAME LETTERS AS MEUSHAR - FOR NETZACH AND HOD support the Torah, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, from the top all the way down LIKE THE LEGS SUPPORT THE BODY FROM THE TOP ALL THE WAY DOWN. The meaning of 'from his head' is the head of all, called 'head,' as it is written: "I was set up from everlasting from the beginning (Heb. merosh)" (Mishlei 8:23). This beginning (lit. 'head') is Chochmah, for it is the head of the whole body, WHICH IS TIFERET, and the body spreads in it to the end of the six directions - WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. Those "who hold her fast" ARE as it is written: "His legs are pillars of marble" (Shir Hashirim 5:15), WHICH ARE NETZACH AND HOD. Those who put their sales profits into the pockets of students of the Torah become pillars of the Torah from its head to the body's end, WHICH IS YESOD. All the Faith, WHICH IS MALCHUT, depends on THE BODY, WHICH IS THE TORAH, and it is supported and merits sons who are fit to be faithful prophets.

21. וְתוֹמְכֶיהָ, זָכֵי לִנְבִיאֵי מְהֵימְנֵי דְּיִפְּקוּן מִנֵּיהּ. מְאוּשָּׁר, אַל תִּקְרֵי מְאוּשָּׁר, אֶלָּא מֵרֺאשׁוֹ, אִינּוּן תַּמְכִין לְאוֹרַיְיתָא, מֵרֺאשׁוֹ וְעַד סוֹפוֹ. מֵרֺאשׁוֹ, דָּא רֵישָׁא דְּכֺלָּא דְּאִקְרֵי רֺאשׁ, דִּכְתִּיב, מֵעוֹלָם נִסַּכְתִּי מֵרֺאשׁ. וְרֺאשׁ דָּא חָכְמָה, דְּאִיהִי רֵישָׁא לְכָל גּוּפָא, וְגוּפָא אִתְפְּשָׁט בֵּיהּ עַד סִיּוּמָא דְּשִׁית סִטְרִין, וְתוֹמְכֶיהָ, כד"א, שׁוֹקָיו עַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ. דְּאִינּוּן דְּמַטִילִין מְלָאי לְכִיסָן שֶׁל ת"ח אִינּוּן תַּמְכִין לְאוֹרַיְיתָא מֵרֵישָׁא עַד סִיּוּמָא דְּגוּפָא, וְכָל מְהֵימְנוּתָא, בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָא, וְאִתְּמָךְ. וְזָכֵי לִבְנִין דְּיִתְחֲזוּן לִנְבִיאֵי מְהֵימְנֵי.