"And they brought him hastily out of the dungeon"

32. "Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon." Rabbi Aba opened the discussion with the verse, "Hashem takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope for His mercy" (Tehilim 147:11). How much the Holy One, blessed be He, delights in the righteous, for they make peace above IN ABA AND IMA, they make peace below IN ZEIR ANPIN AND NUKVA, and they bring the bride to her husband. The Holy One, blessed be He, is therefore pleased with those who fear Him and abide by His wish.

33. "Those who hope for His mercy." HE ASKS, Who are "those who hope for His mercy?" HE ANSWERS, They are the ones who study the Torah at night and join the Shechinah. When morning comes, they hope for His mercy. It has already been explained that when a man studies the Torah at night, a thread of grace is drawn upon him during the day, as it is written, "Yet Hashem will command His grace in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me" (Tehilim 42:9). Why is it said that "Hashem will command His grace in the daytime?" Because "in the night His song shall be with me." Hence the verse, "Hashem takes pleasure (in) those who fear Him," uses the particle Et instead of "in," BECAUSE HE IS NOT ONLY PLEASED WITH THEM, BUT ACT as one who pleases another and wishes to be at peace with him. It is therefore written, "Hashem takes pleasure (in) those who fear him" - WHICH MEANS THAT HE PLEASES AND APPEASES THEM, rather than "Hashem takes pleasure in those who fear Him," WHICH WOULD ONLY MEAN HE IS PLEASED WITH THEM.

34. Similarly, Joseph was sad in mind and spirit, BECAUSE he was imprisoned. Once Pharaoh had sent for him, it is written, "And they brought him hastily," which means that he appeased him and addressed him with joyful words that gladden the heart. Why? Because he was dejected FROM SITTING in the dungeon (lit. 'pit'). Come and behold, First he fell into a pit, and from the pit he later rose to greatness.

35. Rabbi Shimon said, Before the incident happened, Joseph was not called righteous. After he guarded the Holy Covenant BY NOT SINNING WITH POTIFAR'S WIFE, he was called Righteous and the grade of the Holy Covenant, YESOD, decorated him. He who was first in the dungeon, THE KLIPAH, rose from it. It is written, "And they brought him hastily out of the dungeon," for he had ascended from THE KLIPAH and was adorned with a well of living water, THE SHECHINAH.

36. "Then Pharaoh sent for and called Joseph." HE SAID, It should have been written "to call Joseph" INSTEAD OF "AND CALLED," WHICH INTERRUPTS THE PHRASE. HE ANSWERS, It was the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO CALLED TO BRING HIM FROM THE PIT, as it is written, "until the time that His word came to pass, the word of Hashem had tested him" (Tehilim 105:19). The verse, "until the time that His word came to pass" is similar to the phrase, "and called Joseph," FOR IT WAS THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WHO CALLED HIM. It is written here "and called Joseph" and elsewhere "And He called to Moses" (Vayikra 1:1). IN BOTH PASSAGES, IT WAS THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WHO CALLED HIM. "And he shaved himself, and changed his garments" out of respect for the king, AS HE HAD TO STAND BEFORE PHARAOH.

37. Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion with the verse, "So Yisrael came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham" (Vayikra 1:23). Come and behold, The Holy One, blessed be He, directs events and fulfills vows and oaths in order to fulfill the vow and edict He decreed.

38. We have learned that were it not for the fondness and affection the Holy One, blessed be He, bore for the Patriarchs, Jacob would have had to go down to Egypt in iron chains. In His love for them, He made Joseph, His son, ruler and governor over the whole land. The tribes then went to Egypt honored, and Jacob was as a king.

39. Come and behold, it is written, "So Yisrael came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham." HE ASKS, Because it is written, "So Yisrael came into Egypt," it is understood that Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. Why should he have added that? HE REPLIES, "So Yisrael came into Egypt" refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN CALLED YISRAEL, AND "and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham" refers to Jacob, because it was for the sake of Jacob, and his sons that the Shechinah came down to Egypt. The Holy One, blessed be He, planned events so that Joseph was brought down first; for, as a result of his merit, the Covenant dwelt with him and made him ruler over the whole land.

40. It is written, "The king sent and let him loose: and the ruler of the people let him go free" (Tehilim 105:20). Rabbi Shimon said, It is written, "Hashem lets loose the prisoners" (Tehilim 146:7), and "The king sent and let him loose." Why DID HE REPEAT THE THOUGHT BY SAYING, "and the ruler of the people let him go free?" HE ANSWERS, "The king" is the Holy One, blessed be He, and the "ruler of the people" is the Holy One, blessed be He. THE MEANING OF THE VERSE IS, "The king" refers to the supernal king, ZEIR ANPIN, who "sent and let him loose." Whom did he send? The redeeming angel, THE NUKVA, who is "ruler of the people" and rules below IN THE LOWER WORLD. All comes from the Holy One, blessed be He.

41. The word, vayritzuhu ("and they brought him hastily") is spelled without the letter Vav TO INDICATE THAT IT IS SINGULAR INSTEAD OF PLURAL. Who BROUGHT HIM HASTILY FROM THE DUNGEON? The Holy One, blessed be He, for there is no one else who imprisons and frees people from prison, as it is written, "He shuts up a man, and there can be no opening" (Iyov 12:14) and "When He gives quietness, who then can condemn? and when He hides His face, who then can behold Him? Whether against a nation, or against a man alike" (Iyov 34:29). For everything depends upon Him, as it is written, "and He does according to His will in the host of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say to Him, What do you?" (Daniel 4:32). Hence it is written, "And they (he) brought him hastily out of the dungeon," THAT IS, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, BROUGHT HIM HASTILY OUT OF THE DUNGEON.

42. HE ASKS, What is the meaning of "and he brought him hastily (Heb. vayritzuhu)?" HE REPLIES, As "he shall pray to Eloha, and He will be favorable to him (Heb. vayretzehu)" (Iyov 33:26) MEANS THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WAS FAVORABLE TO HIM, so the verse "and he brought him hastily out of the dungeon" MEANS THAT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WAS FAVORABLE TO HIM. Then he was brought before Pharaoh. Another explanation is that vayritzuhu IS DERIVED FROM WILL (HEB. RATZON) AND GRACE, for He drew upon him a thread of grace so he will find grace before Pharaoh. HE ADDRESSED HIM WITH, "Elohim shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace" to hasten to greet him and open HIS SPEECH with THE WORD "peace."

43. Rabbi Aba said, Come and behold the wicked Pharaoh, who said, "I know not Hashem (Yud Hei Vav Hei)" (Shemot 5:2). As he was wiser than all his magicians, HOW COULD HE HAVE NOT KNOWN YUD HEI VAV HEI? HE ANSWERS, Assuredly he knew the name of Elohim, as it is written, "Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom is the spirit of Elohim" (Beresheet 41:38). However, because Moses came before him with the name of Hashem only, it was hard for him to understand anything more, for he knew that ELOHIM was ruler over the land, but he did not know the name Hashem. Therefore he found this name difficult to grasp.

44. This is why it is written, "And Hashem hardened the heart of Pharaoh." It was the word YUD HEI VAV HEI that hardened his heart and made him headstrong. Moses, therefore, spoke to him only by the name Yud Hei Vav Hei, as has already been explained.

45. He opened the discussion with the verse, "Who is like Hashem our Elohim, who is enthroned on high, who looks far down to behold" (Tehilim 113:5-6): "Who is like Hashem our Elohim, who is enthroned on high" MEANS THAT He rises above His Throne of Glory not to be revealed below. For when there are no righteous ones to be found in the world, He is gone from them and does not reveal Himself to them. The phrase, "who looks far down to behold" REFERS TO the time when the righteous are found in the world, and the Holy One, blessed be He, descends to the lower beings to take care of the world and do good by them.

46. For when there are no righteous men in the world, He is gone, and hides His face from them, and does not pay attention to them. This is because the righteous are the foundation and existence of the world, as it is written, "and the righteous are an everlasting foundation (or: the foundation of the world)" (Mishlei 10:25).

47. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore revealed His Holy Name to Yisrael alone, who are His portion, lot and inheritance. The Holy One, blessed be He, divided the world among the mighty chieftains, THE SEVENTY MINISTERS. This we have learned from the verse, "He set the borders of the people... For Hashem's portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance" (Devarim 32: 8-9).

48. Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yosi were walking together. Rabbi Yosi said, I wonder about the words of King Solomon, for all his speeches are obscure, and the words of Kohelet are vague.

49. He began with the verse, "All things are full of weariness; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing" (Kohelet 1:8): HE ASKS, If "all things are full of weariness," are they all too weary to speak? SOME THINGS CLEARLY ARE NOT. He also quoted the verse, "man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing." Why did precisely these occur to him? HE ANSWERS, Two of them - eyes and ears - are not under a man's control; the mouth, however, is under his control. THUS, HE TEACHES US THAT ALTHOUGH THESE ORGANS COMPRISE ALL THE FACULTIES OF MAN, the tree AND SIMILAR ONES cannot comprehend and conceive everything. THE QUESTION IS THEREFORE SETTLED, FOR "ALL THINGS ARE FULL OF WEARINESS" MEANS THAT THE EYES, EARS, AND MOUTH CANNOT COMPREHEND EVERYTHING.

50. Rabbi Chiya said, It is so. A man's speech cannot utter, nor the eyes see and the ears hear "and there is nothing new under the sun" (Kohelet 1:9). Come and behold, Even the ghosts and spirits that the Holy One, blessed be He, formed under the sun cannot say all that there is in the world, nor can the eye see or the ear hear. Solomon, who knew everything, therefore said this.

51. Come and behold, All actions in the world depend on many chieftains, FOR THERE IS NOT ONE HERB BELOW THAT HAS NOT A CHIEF OVER IT, WHO STRIKES IT AND COMMANDS, "GROW." Yet all the people in the world do not know or care about THEIR ROOTS OR why they are in the world. For even King Solomon, who was wiser than any other man, could not grasp them.

52. He opened the discussion by quoting: "He has made every thing beautiful in its time, and also He has set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work which the Elohim has made" (Kohelet 3:11). Come and behold, Happy are those who study the Torah and know how to observe with the spirit of wisdom. "He has made every thing beautiful in its time" REFERS TO all the works that the Holy One, blessed be He, performed in the world. Over every action in the world there is a grade in charge, either for good or for evil. THESE ARE THE 28 TIMES MENTIONED BY KOHELET, FOURTEEN FOR GOOD ON THE RIGHT IN THE SECRET OF THE SHECHINAH, AND FOURTEEN FOR EVIL ON THE LEFT, IN THE SECRET OF THE OTHER SIDE THAT PUNISHES MEN. From them, some grades go to the right and some to the left. When a man goes to the right, the deed he performs, the grade appointed over that RIGHT side, gives him help and he has many helpers. If a man goes to the left and performs a certain deed, the chief of the LEFT side denounces him for that deed, conducts him to that side and leads him astray. Therefore when a man acts worthily, the chief of the right side helps him. The "in its time" referred to in the phrase, "beautiful in its time" tells us that the deed was properly connected to "its time," TO THE NUKVA CALLED TIME. THE SECRET OF THE FOURTEEN TIMES FOR GOOD IS THEIR BEING ON THE RIGHT. THROUGH THE PUNISHMENTS OF THE FOURTEEN TIMES FOR EVIL, A MAN CHOOSES THE FOURTEEN TIMES ON THE RIGHT AND CLEAVES TO THE SHECHINAH. IT IS FOUND THEN, THAT HE HAS MADE EVERY THING BEAUTIFUL IN ITS TIME."

53. "...Also He has set the world in their heart." This means that the world and all its actions are not bound to holiness except through the heart's desire when desire rises in man, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE VERSE, "KNOW THEREFORE THIS DAY, AND CONSIDER IT IN YOUR HEART" (DEVARIM 4:39). Happy are the righteous who draw BY THEIR HEART'S DESIRE good deeds that benefit them and the whole world, and who know how to be attached to the "time of peace" (Kohelet 3:8), THAT IS, TO THE TIME OF HIGH UNION CALLED PEACE. By the strength of charity that they give below, they cause the grade called all (lit. 'everything'), YESOD, to illuminate "in its time," THE NUKVA.

54. Woe to the wicked who do not know the time(NAMELY THE TIME OF PEACE) for the action and do not pay attention, so that they perform their actions for the sake of needed improvement in the world and correct the deed in its appropriate grade. THIS MEANS THAT THEY DO NOT ELEVATE MAYIN NUKVIN (FEMALE WATERS) BY THEIR WORKS TO SUPERNAL UNION, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF "TIME OF PEACE." They do not do so, because they do not know this.

55. Therefore everything is given to man's desire, as it is written, "So that no man can find out the work which the Elohim has made from the beginning to the end" (Kohelet 3:11). Because these deeds were not performed with the intention of correcting them according to their appropriate grades, that is, to include the deeds in their CORRESPONDING grade, they are accomplished according to man's desire, IN STUBBORNNESS. Of this, it is written, "I know that there is nothing good in them, but to rejoice, and to do good in his life" (Ibid. 12). "I know there is nothing good in them" - in the deeds that are not properly performed WITH THE PURPOSE OF CORRECTING - "but to rejoice" at whatever comes upon him, EITHER GOOD OR BAD, to thank the Holy One, blessed be He, "and to do good in his life." HE ASKS, WHY SHOULD HE REJOICE AT EVIL? HE ANSWERS, If the deed brought evil consequences because of the grade appointed over it ON THE LEFT SIDE, he should rejoice and be thankful FOR THE EVIL HE DESERVED, for he himself caused all this by going without knowledge as a bird falling into a snare. NOW THAT HE OBTAINED KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE OF THE PUNISHMENT, HE WOULD KNOW "TO DO GOOD IN HIS LIFE." ONE SHOULD, THEREFORE, REJOICE AND BE THANKFUL FOR PUNISHMENT.

56. HE ASKS, How do we know THAT A MAN IS WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE? HE ANSWERS, From the verse, "For man also knows not his time, like the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and like the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them" (Kohelet 9:12). HE ASKS, What is the time in "For man also knows not his time?" HE REPLIES, "his time" of the deed he has done, as it is written, "He has made every thing beautiful in its time." He is therefore "like the birds that are caught in the snare." Happy then are those who are occupied in the study of the Torah, who know the ways and roads of the Torah of the most High King, because they can walk in it on the path of truth.

57. Come and behold, A man should never open his mouth to speak evil, for he knows not who receives his word, and when a man does not know, he may stumble. When the righteous open their mouths, they do so peacefully. When Joseph addressed Pharaoh, he first said, "Elohim shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace." Rabbi Yehuda said, We have learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, cares for the peace of the kingdom, as it is written, "and He gave them a charge to the children of Yisrael, and to Pharaoh the king of Egypt" (Shemot 6:13). And they explained it, MEANING TO GIVE HONOR TO PHARAOH.