The old sage (Saba)

14. Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yosi met one night in a tower in Tyre and lodged there. They rejoiced in each other. Rabbi Yosi said, how glad I am to have seen the face of the Shechinah, for the whole way I was annoyed by a certain old merchant, who questioned me throughout the voyage.

15. HE ASKED ME who is the serpent that soared in the air and goes on in separation so that in the meantime there is rest to a certain ant that lies in its jaws. It starts connected and ends up divided. And what is an eagle that nests in a tree that does not exist; its stolen young are not creatures, because there were created where they were not created. When they go up they go down and when they go down they go up; two that are one and one that is three. What is a beautiful eyeless maiden, whose body is hidden yet revealed, who goes out during the morning and covers herself during the day, and adorns herself with nonexistent adornment.

16. He asks me all that along the way and I was annoyed. Now I have rest. Had we been together, we would have delved into the words of the Torah, instead of my dealing with other vain things. Rabbi Chiya said, do you know that old merchant? He said to him, I know that his words are senseless, for had he known he would have expounded with the Torah and the way would not have been spent aimlessly. Rabbi Chiya said, the merchant is here. Sometimes one may find golden bells, THAT IS, GOLDEN TONGUES in vain people. He said to him, he is here and gives his donkey fodder.

17. They called for him and he came before them. He said to them, now two are three, BECAUSE AFTER JOINING THEM THERE ARE THREE; and three are as one, AS THEY JOINED TOGETHER. Rabbi Yosi said, did I not tell you that his words are senseless and empty? He sat before them.

18. He said to them, gentlemen, I have become a merchant but a while ago. At first I was not a merchant but I had a young child, whom I placed in school and wanted him to study Torah. THEREFORE I BECAME A MERCHANT SO I COULD SUPPORT HIM. When I find one of the sages traveling, I lead my donkeys after him. Today I have thought I would hear new expositions of the Torah, but have heard nothing.

19. Rabbi Yosi said, in all your words, I wondered about one only. Either you spoke in jest or these words are worthless. The old man asked, what is that? RABBI YOSI SAID, a beautiful eyeless maiden, etc.

20. The old man opened with, "Hashem is on my side, I will not fear, what can a man do to me? Hashem takes my part with those who help me...It is better to take refuge in Hashem..." (Tehilim 118:6-8). How goodly, pleasant, precious and lofty are the words of Torah. And I, how could I say before these sages that I have heard from them not even one word until now? Yet I should speak up, because I am not ashamed to speak words of Torah in public.

21. That old man wrapped himself, and spoke, "And if a priest's daughter be married to a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things" (Vayikra 22:12). This verse is followed by another, "But if a priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and has returned to her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's bread, but no stranger shall eat of it" (Ibid. 13). These verses may be understood literally, yet the words of the Torah are undisclosed, AS THERE ARE SECRETS IN EACH AND EVERY MATTER.

22. And many are the matters of wisdom hidden in each and every subject in the Torah, which are known to the wise who know the ways of the Torah. For the Torah is not the context of dreams handed to those who interpret them, or follow the mouth of the interpreter, yet they have to be interpreted according to their ways. And if dream matters need interpreting according to their ways, how much more so the words of the Torah, the delights of the Holy King, needs to be followed in the true path, as written, "for the ways of Hashem are right..." (Hoshea 14:10).

23. Now we should say, "A priest's daughter" is the supernal Neshamah, the daughter of the patriarch Abraham, the first of converts, WHO IS CHESED. He attracts this Neshamah from a supernal place, THAT IS BINAH. HE ASKS, What is the difference between the verses, "And the daughter of any priest" (Vayikra 21:9), and "And if a priest's daughter?" HE ANSWERS, Some priests are called 'any priest' but not a real priest. In the same way, there is a priest, an aid and a high priest, and a priest that is not high. A mere priest is higher than any priest. THEREFORE THERE ARE GRADES TO THE SOUL, there are Neshamah, Ruach and Nefesh. THE HIGH PRIEST IS THE NESHAMAH, A PRIEST IS RUACH AND ANY PRIEST IS NEFESH.

24. "And if a priest's daughter be married to a stranger:" this is the holy Neshamah that is drawn from a lofty place, WHICH IS BINAH, and enters into the closure of the Tree of Life, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. And when the Ruach (or 'wind') of the high priest, WHICH IS CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN, blows and bestows souls, THAT IS, CLOTHES THE SOULS WITH CHESED AND PUTS THEM in that tree, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, the souls soar from them and enter a treasury, WHICH IS MALCHUT.

25. Woe to the world, for people do not know how to be careful when attracting A SOUL INTO A BODY DURING INTERCOURSE by means of the Evil Inclination, which is a stranger. And that priest's daughter, WHICH IS THE SOUL, flies down and finds an edifice, NAMELY A BODY, in a strange man. Since this is the will of its Master, it goes in there to be subdued and has no power, and is not perfected in this world upon its leaving it. It "may not eat of an offering of the holy things," like the other souls that reached perfection in this world.

26. There is something else to this verse, "And if a priest's daughter be married to a stranger." The holy soul is ashamed to be married to a stranger, that is, it is drawn upon a converted proselyte and flies to it from the Garden of Eden in a hidden way, to the edifice, NAMELY THE BODY, that is built of the impure foreskin, SINCE ITS FATHERS WERE NOT CIRCUMCISED. This is the meaning of "a stranger."

27. This is the loftiest secret. On a pillar set for weighing, in the midst of the blowing air, there are scales on the one side, THE RIGHT, and other scales on the other, THE LEFT; true scales on this RIGHT side, and false scales on that LEFT side. These scales are never quiet. The souls go up and down, come and return BY MEANS OF THESE SCALES. Some souls are wronged, when the man OF THE OTHER SIDE has power over the man OF HOLINESS, as written, "a time when one man rules over another to his own hurt" (Kohelet 8:9), assuredly to his own hurt.

28. But the soul that was married to the Other Side CALLED a stranger and was wronged by it, it is "to his own hurt," that of the stranger. And it, "may not eat of an offering of the holy things," AS THE OTHER SOULS, until the Holy One, blessed be He, does with it that which is to be done, THAT IS, HE CORRECTS IT, AS SHALL BE EXPLAINED. CONCERNING THIS the verse says, "And if a priest's daughter be married to a stranger," it shall be so, THAT IT "MAY NOT EAT OF AN OFFERING OF THE HOLY THINGS."

29. There is a secret here about the way souls are wronged. For everything in this world is guided by the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, WHICH IS MALCHUT. When people in the world conduct themselves according to the good side, RECONCILED BY THE CENTRAL COLUMN, the scales are balanced and are tipped to the good side. When they conduct themselves according to the Evil Side, the scales tip to that side, THE OTHER SIDE, which takes all the souls that were on the scales at that time and wrongs them.

30. But it is "to his own hurt," THE OTHER SIDE'S, because those souls subdue all they find of the Evil Side and consume it. And indicative for that is the Holy Ark, which was violated by the Philistines who had power over it to their own hurt, SINCE THEY AND THEIR DEITIES WERE PLAGUED BY IT. Here too, the souls wronged by the Other Side, it is to its own hurt.

31. We have seen in ancient books what had come of these wronged souls. Some of them were righteous of the nations. These are bastard scholars, and bastard scholars are better than ignorant high priests, and are more valuable in the world, even though THE HIGH PRIEST enters the innermost HOLY OF HOLIES. The old man wept for a moment. The friends were amazed and said nothing.

32. The old man opened with, "If she please not her master, who has designated her for himself, then shall he let her be redeemed, to sell her to a strange nation..." (Shemot 21:8). This passage was said in relation to this hidden matter OF WRONGED SOULS, "And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do. If she pleases not..." (Ibid. 7). Master of the Universe, who will not fear You, who governs all the kings in the world, as written, "Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For to You it is fitting..." (Yirmeyah 10:7).

33. How many people in the world read wrong and err in this verse. They all recite it, yet they do not rightly explain the verse. Is the Holy One, blessed be He, called the King of the nations? Yet He is the King of Yisrael. And He is also named in the verse, "When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance" (Devarim 32:8), and, "For Hashem's portion is His people" (Ibid. 9). So He is called the King of Yisrael. If you argue that He is called the King of the nations, it is to their advantage that the Holy One, blessed be He, reigns over them instead, as it is said, that they were given to His ministers and appointed officers.

34. Moreover, the end of the passage states, "For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You..." (Yirmeyah 10:7). All this praise is directed to the other nations. It is wonder that they are not raised in this verse to the highest heaven. AS THE VERSE GIVES THEIR SAGES AND KINGDOMS SOME RELATION TO THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO SAY THAT HE IS GREATER THAN THEY. But the Holy One, blessed be He, blinds their eyes so they do not know Him at all, which is what we say that they are all nothing, less than nothing and vanity, as written, "All nations before Him are as nothing; and they are counted to Him less than nothing, and vanity" (Yeshayah 40:7). Yet the verse gives them great and precious importance IN SAYING THAT AMONG ALL THE SAGES OF THE NATIONS AND THROUGHOUT THEIR KINGDOM THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU.

35. Rabbi Chiya said to him, yet it is written, "Elohim reigns over the nations..." (Tehilim 47:9). He told him, I see that you were behind their wall, and came out with this verse to support them. I should have answered first to all that I said, but since I have found you on the way, I will remove you from there and thence I will move everything.

36. Come and see, all these names and appellations to the names of the Holy One, blessed be He, expand to their paths, and are clothed in each other, and separate into specific ways and paths except for one name, that is more refined than any other name, which He bequeathed to the unique people, the most purified of the other nations. It is Yud Vav Dalet, Hei Aleph, Vav Aleph Vav, Hei Aleph, as written, "For Hashem's portion is His people," and "But you that did cleave of Hashem" (Devarim 4:4), CLEAVING to this very name more than to any other name.

37. There is one name, of all His names, that extends into several ways and paths, called Elohim. He bequeathed this name, and it was divided among the lower beings in this world. This name was divided among the ministers and the appointed officers that lead the other nations, as written, "And Elohim came to Bilaam at night" (Bemidbar 22:20), and "But Elohim came to Abimelech in a dream by night" (Beresheet 20:3). Also every minister that the Holy One, blessed be He, had designated to the other nations, are part of this name. Even idolatry is called by this name. And this name reigned over the nations, and not the name that reigned over Yisrael, WHICH IS THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI, which is unique to the unique nations, the people of Yisrael, the holy nation.

38. But if you argue that we can explain the verse, "Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?" that the name that is king of the nations is Elohim, as fear pertains to it, and Judgment abides in it, this is not so. It was not said in this context, for otherwise even idolatry would be included in that, IN "WHO WOULD NOT FEAR YOU," AS EVEN IDOLATRY IS CALLED ELOHIM.

39. But once the wall behind which you were leaning is torn down, the verse prevails after some observation. "Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?" If you would say it refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, as the King of the nations, it is not so. But THE EXPLANATION IS, What king of the nations would not fear You, nor be in awe of You or tremble before You? IT IS AS IF IT WERE WRITTEN, 'What king of the nations would not fear You?' Similarly, "Haleluyah! Give praise, O servants of Hashem, praise the name of Hashem" (Tehilim 113:1). Whoever hears it does not know what it means. After saying Haleluyah, IT SAYS also, "Give praise, O (or, 'to') servants of Hashem." It should have been written, 'Servants of Hashem, praise the name of Hashem.' BUT YET IT IS NECESSARY, FOR THOUGH IT FIRST SAYS HALELUYAH, THE SUBJECT IS THE SERVANTS OF HASHEM. Here too, THOUGH IT SAYS FIRST "WHO WOULD NOT FEAR YOU," THE SUBJECT IS 'THE KING OF THE NATIONS.' IT IS AS IF it were written, 'Who among the kings of the nations would not fear You.' It was all said properly.

40. "For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You..." means, what is the phrase spread among them in their wisdom? It is "there is none like You," and they all acknowledge that. When they see in their wisdom Your deeds and mighty actions, this phrase spreads among them and they say, "There is none like You." THE LESSON OF THE VERSE IS THAT among all the sages of the nations and throughout their kingdoms, they say, "There is none like You," and it is known among them. The friends rejoiced and wept, but said nothing. He too wept again.

41. He opened with, "So she said to Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son..." (Beresheet 21:10). The friends have remarked that Sarah wanted to remove idolatry from the house. Therefore it is written, "All that Sarah has said to you, hearken to her voice" (Ibid. 12), AS THE BONDWOMAN IS CONSIDERED IDOLATRY. Here it is written, "And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant" (Shemot 21:7), namely, the soul that incarnates for evil deeds in the world. "To be a maidservant" refers to that other side of the evil incarnation of the scales that reverted INTO FALSE SCALES AS MENTIONED, and it is wronged BY THE OTHER SIDE. In taking it out of there, it "shall not go out as the menservants do" (Ibid. 8), which are the wronged souls, BUT IT RECEIVES A CROWN ON ITS HEAD, AS WILL BE SAID.

42. HE ASKS, Who are THE SOULS mentioned here, AND ANSWERS, This is a secret. These are the souls of young children, who suckle on their mothers' strength. The Holy One, blessed be He, sees that if they will live in the world they will be bad smelling and turn sour like vinegar. THEREFORE He gathers them when they are still young and emit good fragrance.

43. What does THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, do He allows them to be wronged by the hands of the bondwoman, who is Lilit. Once they are placed under her power, she rejoices in that child and oppresses him. She takes him away from the world while he is still suckling on his mother's strength.

44. If you argue that these souls will do good in the world, it is not so, as written, "If she please not her master" (Shemot 21:8), as that man will turn sour by it after some time, if he will go on living. This soul is oppressed, while another is not. Of these it is written, "and considered all the oppressions" (Kohelet 4:1). That is the meaning of, "If she please not her master."

45. "Who has designated her for himself (Heb. lo)" (Shemot 21:8). The word 'lo' is spelled with Aleph to mean not. If you say the Holy One, blessed be He, gave it to the Other Side from the first day of its existence, it is not so. For now with the turnings of the scales, He "has designated her for himself," 'lo' being pronounced as with Vav to mean for himself, which it was not before.

46. "Then shall he let her be redeemed" (Ibid.). What is the meaning of that? HE ANSWERS, The Holy One, blessed be He, redeems it now, WHILE it still emits GOOD fragrance, before it turns sour. He raises it to the highest skies to His Yeshivah. If you say that since it was wronged by the Other Side, He hands it, as was said, to scholarly bastards and to the righteous of the nations, the verse proves that, "to sell her to a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he has dealt deceitfully with her" (Ibid.), as He oppressed it with the turning of the scales. But assuredly He will give it to Yisrael and to no other. When it emerges from the scales, it "shall not go out as the menservants do," but is given a crown high on its head.

47. If you say that that side comes in the child, WHICH MEANS IT HAS POWER OVER HIS SOUL, it is not so. But it takes the soul and rejoices in it. He flies out of its hands and enters that place OF THE OTHER SIDE, where it visits that child. It is delighted with it and mocks it, lusting after that flesh, so that the Holy One, blessed be He, takes its soul while it TAKES its body. After that everything is under the control of the Holy One, blessed be He.

48. Come and see, "she shall not go out as the menservants do." HE ASKS, What is the meaning of, "GO OUT AS THE MENSERVANTS," AND ANSWERS, When it leaves the scales and that side with joy, the Holy One, blessed be He marks it and seals it with a certain ring, spreads on it His precious garment, which is the Holy Name Eloha. That is the meaning of, "he has dealt deceitfully with her (also: 'his garment is with her')," that is, while the precious garment of the King is on it. Since His garment is upon it, it is written, "to sell her to a strange nation he shall have no power."

49. This is the meaning of, "as in the days when Eloha preserved me" (Iyov 29:2), WHICH REFERS TO THE PRECIOUS GARMENT CALLED ELOHA, AS MENTIONED. It is in reference to this secret that it is written here, "to sell her to a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing that his garment is with her." It is because the precious garment of the King is upon it, since "His garment is with her" then "to sell her to a strange nation he shall have no power."

50. HE ASKS, What of the dominion that side has over that soul? FOR HE SAID THAT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, GIVES PERMISSION TO THE OTHER SIDE TO WRONG THAT SOUL. HE ANSWERS, Come and see, the people in the world are all under the dominion of the holy King; they all have time TO LIVE in this world until He wishes to raise them from the world. THE OTHER SIDE IS NOT ALLOWED TO HARM THEM BEFORE THAT TIME. Yet as for it, it has not SET time TO LIVE. THEREFORE it mocks and delights in that soul AND TAKES IT AWAY FROM THIS WORLD. THUS, SINCE IT WAS NOT ALLOTTED TIME, THE OTHER SIDE IS GIVEN PERMISSION TO OPPRESS IT.

51. Moreover, these verses contain admonitions to people, and much good lofty advice is present in all the words of the Torah, which are all true and of a true way. They are known to the wise, who know and walk the path of truth. When the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to create the world, He so desired it and fashioned all the souls that will be placed in people afterwards. And they were all fashioned before Him in the very shape they will have later in people, and He saw each and every one.

52. Some of them will befoul their ways in the world. When their time comes TO DESCEND INTO THE WORLD, the Holy One, blessed be He, summons that soul and says to it, go, enter a certain place, a certain body. It replies to Him, Master of the Universe, I am satisfied with the world I dwell in and shall not go into another world, where I shall be enslaved and soiled in their midst. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to it, ever since you were created, this is the reason why you were created, to be in that world IN A BODY. When the soul sees that, it descends despite itself and there enters A BODY.

53. The Torah that gives advice to all who realize that, admonishes the people in the world, saying, See how much the Holy One, blessed be He, has compassion for you. He sold for free the good gem He had, NAMELY THE SOUL, so that you will cultivate it in this world.

54. "And if a man sell," the Holy One, blessed be He, "his daughter," the holy soul; "to be a maidservant," to be an enslaved maidservant among you in this world. I pray you, when its time comes to depart from this world, that "she shall not go out as the menservants do," not soiled with iniquities, but free, refined and cleansed, so that its Master will be happy with it, praise Himself with it and give it good reward in the brightness of the Garden of Eden. This is the meaning of, "and satisfy your soul in drought (also: 'brightness')" (Yeshayah 58:11). THIS IS surely when the soul emerges properly clear and clean.

55. But "If she please not her master," emerging soiled with the filth of transgressions, and it not presentable before Him as it should, woe to that body that was lost to the soul forever. For when the souls ascend clear and come out cleansed from this world, each soul enters the book in the King's bag. They are all RECORDED with names, which says that the soul of so and so is designated to the body it left. Then it is written, "who has designated her for himself."

56. But when it comes out not pleasing its Master, soiled in the iniquities and filth of sins, then, "who has designated her for himself (Heb. lo, Lamed Vav)" is pronounced as "not (Heb. lo, Lamed Aleph) designated her," and the body is lost to it and it is not designated for it. The exception is the soul, which Master desires, as the body repented. Then it is written, "redeemed," as in, "Thus he will redeem his soul from going into the pit" (Iyov 33:28). "Redeemed" refers to man, whose advice is to redeem it and repent. And to both sides THE VERSE SAYS, "THEN SHALL HE LET HER BE REDEEMED." THE FIRST IS the Holy One, blessed be He, "THEN SHALL HE LET HER BE REDEEMED" FROM GEHENOM. THE SECOND CONCERNS MAN, who shall "let her be redeemed" by repentance, for after he repents, the Holy One, blessed be He, redeems them from the way to Gehenom.

57. "To sell her to a strange nation he shall have no power." HE ASKS, What is the strange nation, AND ANSWERS, The soul is ashamed when it departs from the world, if the man deviated from the way together with it. It seeks to rise up to the holy camps, for holy camps are situated on the way to the Garden of Eden and strange camps, THAT IS, DEMONS, stand on the way to Gehenom.

58. If that soul is worthy and the precious garment is spread on it, NAMELY THE NAME ELOHA, many holy camps meet it to join it and bring it to the Garden of Eden. If it is not worthy, many strange camps meet it to bring it to Gehenom. The camps of demons will wreak vengeance on it. For that the verse instructs, "To sell her to a strange nation he shall have no power," to the demons, "seeing that his garment is on her," which is the protective GARMENT, as the Holy One, blessed be He, protects it so that a strange nation will not rule over it through that protection spread over it, WHICH IS THE NAME ELOHA.

59. "And if he designated her for his son" (Shemot 21:9): come and see how much a man should beware of not turning aside from his ways in this world. For if a man gains merit in this world and properly guards his soul, such is a man whom the Holy One, blessed be He, desires and is praised with every day before His retinue, saying, see the holy child I have in that world. He did such and such, these deeds of his are well done.

60. When this soul emerges from this world pure, clean and refined, the Holy One, blessed be He, shines upon it many lights and announces daily of it, 'this is the soul of so and so my child, a keeping shall be provided for the body it left.'

61. This is the meaning of, "And if he designated her for his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters." What is "the manner of daughters?" Here is a secret to the wise. Within the strong rock, WHICH IS THE WORLD OF BRIYAH, in the hidden firmament, ABOVE EVERY OTHER FIRMAMENT THERE, there is a certain chamber called the chamber of love, WHICH IS SITUATED UNDERNEATH THE HOLY OF HOLIES OF BRIYAH. There are hidden treasures there, and all the kisses of the King's love are there. All the souls beloved of the King enter there.

62. When the King enters that King's chamber, it is written of that, "And Jacob kissed Rachel" (Beresheet 29:11), AS THE UNION OF KISSES LIES THERE. The Holy One, blessed be He, finds that holy soul there, and immediately hastens to kiss and embrace it, and raises it with Him to be delighted with it.

63. This is the meaning of, "he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters," like a father would do to his favorite daughter, kissing her, embracing her and giving her gifts. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, does to the worthy soul every day, as written, "he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters."

64. Hence it is written, "should do such a thing for him that waits for Him" (Yeshayah 64:3). Just as the daughter, NAMELY THE SOUL, finished its doing in this world, so the Holy One, blessed be He, finishes a different kind of action in the World to Come, as written, "neither has the eye seen, that an Elohim, beside You should do such a thing for him that waits for Him," while here it is written, "he shall deal (do) with her." THERE IS AN ANALOGY BETWEEN THE WORDS 'DO' IN THE VERSES. THE EYE CANNOT SEE THE DOING IN THE SECOND VERSE AS WELL. So far. ?? The old man prostrated himself ON THE GROUND and prayed. He wept again.

65. He said, "If he take another" (Shemot 21:10). HE ASKS, What does that mean, did the Holy One, blessed be He, prepare another soul to return to the righteous in this world? Is it not the same soul who filled to completion in this world the wishes of its Master? In that case there is no surety to the righteous at all. What is the meaning of, "If he takes another?"

66. The old man opened with, "and the dust returns to the earth as it was; and the spirit returns to Elohim who gave it" (Kohelet 12:7). The friends ascribed this verse to the destruction of the Temple. "And the dust returns to the earth as it was" here accords with the verse, "And the Canaani was then in the land" (Beresheet 12:6). FOR AFTER THE DESTRUCTION THE LAND RETURNED TO BE UNDER THE RULE OF THE KLIPAH OF CANAAN AS BEFORE. "And the spirit returns to Elohim who gave it." What does it mean, "The spirit returns?" This is the Shechinah, which is the Holy Spirit. When the Shechinah saw in the ten journeys She took that The children of Yisrael do not want to repent before the Holy One, blessed be He, and that the Other Side rules over the Holy Land, THE SHECHINAH DEPARTED AND RETURNED TO ELOHIM. The friends have explained it.

67. Come and see, the spirit of a righteous man is crowned with an image in the lower Garden of Eden. On every Shabbat, holiday and first day of the month, the spirits are crowned and take off THEIR IMAGE OF THE LOWER GARDEN OF EDEN, and rise up TO THE UPPER GARDEN OF EDEN. Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, does to the holy soul above, so He does with this spirit below in the lower Garden of Eden that rose before Him. He says, This is the spirit of the body of so and so. Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He crowns that spirit with many crowns and delights in it.

68. If you wonder if the Holy One, blessed be He, leaves His dealings with the soul for that spirit it is not so, but, "her food, her clothing, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish" (Shemot 21:10). These are the three lofty names, as "neither has the eye seen, that an Elohim, beside You," WHICH IS THE SECRET OF BINAH.

69. They all abide in the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH, and flow from there. One of them is "her food," which is a flowing of radiance and light, WHICH ARE RETURNING LIGHT AND STRAIGHT LIGHT that shines in an obscure way. It is sustenance that nourishes everything and is called Yud Hei Vav Hei with the vowels of Elohim, WHICH IS THE NAME OF BINAH. She'erah (Eng. 'her food'), with the letters in a different order, becomes 'Asher Hei.' ASHER IS BINAH, WHICH IS THE FIRST HEI OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. This is the meaning of, "Out of Asher his bread shall be fat" (Beresheet 49:20), FOR FOOD FLOWS FROM IT. This is the meaning of, "her food."

70. "Her clothing" is the covering the King SPREADS OVER IT, NAMELY THE PRECIOUS GARMENT OF THE NAME ELOHA. This is another shining flow, which always protects THE SOUL. It is the covering of the garment of the King that Eloha spreads over it. This is the meaning of, "he has dealt deceitfully with her (also: 'his garment is with her')" (Shemot 21:8) always, never absent from it. This is the meaning of, "her clothing."

71. What is "her duty of marriage?" It is a flow from the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH that contains everything. It is Yud Hei Vav Hei Tzva'ot THAT IS THE NAME IN NETZACH AND HOD IN BINAH. It shines with all the high hidden lights of the Tree of Life, where the duty of marriage is hidden and whence it comes out with the pleasure and yearning of the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH.

72. These three must He not diminish, when it is properly worthy. If it is not as it should be, these three are taken from it, as not even one becomes a crown for it. Come and see, it is written, "And if he do not these three to her" (Ibid. 11), that is, it is not worthy of them, "then shall she go out free without money" (Ibid.), go out from Him. It is pushed out. It is "without money," without yearning, OR LONGING, and derives no pleasure at all.

73. Up to here the Torah admonishes, from which come every kind of advice, and gives good advice to people. Meaning? From now on, let us return to the first subject of the lofty protection the Holy One, blessed be He, spreads over it, THE SOUL, so it shall not be to a strange nation, because "his garment is with her," and always protects it.

74. "And if he designated her for his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters." The old man said, friends, when you go to that rock that supports the world, THAT IS, RABBI SHIMON, tell him to remember the snowy day when beans were sown in 52 ways. Then shall you recite this verse and he will tell you ITS MEANING.

75. The said to him, if you please, whoever opened the discussion, let him tell it. He said to them, assuredly I knew that you were righteous, and that you are to be intimated to as the sages are. As for my words TO YOU, when you mention this sign TO RABBI SHIMON, he will finish it, THAT IS, FINISH MY WORDS. Now let us say who he is that is called the son of the Holy One, blessed be He.

76. Come and see, whoever reached thirteen years and on is considered a son to the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT. Whoever is twenty years old or older and gains merit in them, is considered a son of the Holy One, blessed be He, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, as written, "You are the children of Hashem your Elohim" (Devarim 14:1).

77. When David was thirteen years old and gained merit on the day he entered his fourteenth year, he wrote, "Hashem has said to me, You are my son; this day have I begotten you" (Tehilim 2:7). What is the reason for it? Before that, he was not His son, as the supernal soul did not dwell on him, since he lived during the Orlah years. Therefore it is written, "this day have I begotten you." Assuredly I have begotten you, I and not the Other Side, as it was until now. BUT NOW it is I alone. Upon his reaching his twentieth year, it is written of Solomon, "For I was my father's son" (Mishlei 4:3), my own father's NAMELY THE SON OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. FOR AT THE AGE OF TWENTY HE MERITED THE MOCHIN OF CHAYAH, WHICH MADE HIM A SON OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, NAMELY TO ZEIR ANPIN.

78. "And if he designated her for his son," that is, since he is thirteen years old or more, when he is no longer under the dominion of the Other Side that comes his way. Then it is written, "He shall deal with her after the manner of daughters." What is the manner of daughters? HE ANSWERS, We learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, sees daily that child under the rule of the Orlah. When he comes out of it and goes to school to break it, goes to the synagogue to break it, the Holy One, blessed be He, takes that soul into His room where He gives it many gifts and offerings and adorns it with supernal adornments until the time comes when He brings it under the canopy into that son, NAMELY HE CLOTHES IT WITH HIM, after his thirteenth year.

79. "If he take another:" WHAT IS ANOTHER? Here there are secret mysteries given to the sages. First I have to inform you of something. Come and see, on Shabbat, when the day is sanctified, souls emerge from the Tree of Life, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. These souls blow on the lower beings, who rest for it throughout the Shabbat day. THEY ARE THE SECRET OF THE ADDITIONAL SOUL THAT THE RIGHTEOUS ATTAIN ON SHABBAT DAY. At the end of Shabbat, all the souls go up AGAIN to be crowned with holy crowns above. HERE too the Holy One, blessed be He, summons for that man ON THE DAY OF SHABBAT AN ADDITIONAL SOUL. This is the other soul, OF WHICH THE VERSE SAYS, "IF HE TAKE ANOTHER." And though this soul came to him, as for the soul he had before, the food of the first one, "her clothing, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish," THE MEANING OF WHICH IS according to the explanation given.

80. The old man wept again and said to himself, old, old man, how much have you toiled to attain these holy matters, and now you say them in an instance. If you contemplate sparing these matters and not disclosing them, yet it says, "Withhold not good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it" (Mishlei 3:27).

81. What is THE MEANING OF, "Withhold not good from those to whom it is due?" HE SAYS, The Holy One, blessed be He, and the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, are here. For wherever words of the Torah are spoken, the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Congregation of Yisrael are present, and hearken to them. Then, when THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, AND THE CONGREGATION OF YISRAEL go away from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, WHICH IS MALCHUT, to listen to words of Torah, its good side is elevated and rises high, and the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Congregation of Yisrael are crowned with that goodness. They are those to whom it is due. THEREFORE "WITHHOLD NOT GOOD FROM THOSE TO WHOM IT IS DUE" REFERS TO THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, AND THE CONGREGATION OF YISRAEL.

82. AGAIN HE SAID TO HIMSELF, old, old man, you have spoken these words, yet you did not know whether the Holy One, blessed be He, is here, and whether those present here are worthy of these words. Do not fear, old man, for you have participated in several wars with mighty men yet you had no fear, yet now you fear. Speak up, for assuredly the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Congregation of Yisrael are here, and those present are righteous. Otherwise, I would not have met them, or began with these words. Speak up, old man, speak without fear.

83. He opened up with the words, "Hashem my Elohim You are very great, You are clothed with glory and majesty" (Tehilim 104:1). "Hashem my Elohim" is the beginning of Faith: the rising of thought, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, and the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH, ARE PART OF the same secret, without separation. FOR ABA AND IMA, WHICH ARE CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, ARE TWO FRIENDS THAT NEVER SEPARATE. "You are very great" is the beginning OF THE SEVEN LOWER SFIROT, the first day, WHICH IS THE FIRST SFIRAH, CHESED. They are ancient days, NAMELY, IT RECEIVES FROM THE SFIROT OF ATIK, and is the right side. "Very" is the left side, NAMELY GVURAH.

84. "You are clothed with glory and majesty:" these are the two branches of willow, WHICH ARE NETZACH AND HOD. IT SPOKE until here; once it reached the Tree of Life, WHICH IS TIFERET, it hid and could not be counted, because of "very." What is "very?" It is the left, as all the lower branches, among which is one bitter branch, WHICH IS SAMAEL, ARE INCLUDED IN THE LEFT. Therefore the Tree of Life hid, and did not wish to be part of the count, until it again praised in a different manner.

85. It says, "Who covers Himself with light as with a garment" (Ibid. 2): this is the beginning of the first day, NAMELY THE FIRST SFIRAH, CHESED. "Who stretches out the heavens" (Ibid.) IS TIFERET THAT IS CALLED HEAVENS. Here the left side, WHICH IS GVURAH, is included, yet it does not say 'very,' for the left is included in the right so it illumines throughout the heaven, THAT IS TIFERET. "Who lays the beams of His chambers in the waters" (Ibid. 3). Here the Tree of Life gladly emerged, which is the tree that went out of Eden, NAMELY TIFERET. The two branches of willow, WHICH ARE NETZACH AND HOD, were rooted in its waters, where they grow. This is the meaning of, "Who lays the beams of His chambers in the waters." What are His chambers? They are the two branches of willow, NETZACH AND HOD.

86. This is the meaning of, "and that spreads out its roots by the river" (Yirmeyah 17:8). This is a secret mentioned in, "There is a river, whose streams make glad the city of Elohim" (Tehilim 46:5). Who are the streams? They are His roots, NAMELY NETZACH AND HOD. They are so called, His beams, roots and streams. They all grew roots in the water of the river, WHICH IS TIFERET.

87. "Who makes the clouds His chariots" (Tehilim 104:3): these are Michael and Gabriel, who are clouds. "Who walks upon the wings of the wind" (Ibid.) to give healing to the world. This is Raphael. From now on, He "makes the winds His messengers..." (Ibid. 4). Old, old man, since you know these matters, speak and do not be afraid, speak up and let the words of your mouth shine forth. The friends rejoiced and were listening with joy to his holy words. THE OLD MAN said TO HIMSELF, Oh old man, what have you got yourself into? You have come into the great sea, and now you should swim to get out of there.

88. "If he take another" (Shemot 21:10). How many ancient incarnations are here that were not yet revealed, which are all properly true, for one should not turn from the true path even a hairbreadth. First it should be commented that all the souls of the converts soar from the Garden of Eden by a hidden path TO BE CLOTHED IN CONVERTS. HE ASKS, Once they depart from this world, to where do the souls the converts merited return? THAT IS, WHO RAISES THEM BACK TO THE PLACE FROM WHENCE THEY CAME, NAMELY THE GARDEN OF EDEN?

89. But we learned that whoever seizes and takes first the possessions of a convert WHO HAS NO HEIRS gets them. Here too, all these holy supernal souls that the Holy One, blessed be He, summons to come down as we said, emerge in specific times, NAMELY ON SHABBAT, HOLIDAYS AND THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH, to enjoy in the Garden of Eden where they meet the souls of the converts. Whichever of the souls they take, they merit and clothe themselves with it and rise. They all remain in that garment and descend into the Garden of Eden in that garment, since all those who stay there do so only in a garment. THUS, THOSE SOULS RAISE THE SOULS OF THE CONVERTS BACK TO THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

90. If you say that for that garment OF THE CONVERTS' SOULS, their former delight is diminished, it is written of it, "If he takes another wife, her food, her clothing, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish." They remain in the Garden of Eden in that garment that they were the first to take and get, NAMELY THE GARMENT MADE OF CONVERTS' SOULS. When they rise, they strip themselves from it, because there, ABOVE, they are not clothed.

91. The old man cried as before, and said to himself, Old, old man, most certainly, you have reason to cry! Surely you have justification to shed tears for each and every word. Yet it is revealed to the Holy One, blessed be He, and His sacred Shechinah, that it is willingly and for their worship that I speak, since they are the owners of every word, and are adorned with them.

92. All those sacred souls, when they have descended to this world, come with a view to finding their proper resting place within the human being. They all come clothed with these souls OF CONVERTS, as we have stated, and in this manner pass into the holy seed. And with this raiment they are ready to be provided for in this world, WITH THE PRECEPTS AND GOOD DEEDS; and when these vestments have been satiated with the things of this world, NAMELY, THE PRECEPTS, then these sacred souls take pleasure in the fragrances that exude from their attire.

93. All the esoteric functions that the Holy One, Blessed be He, performs are committed to the sacred Torah, and all are found therein. All concealed matters are revealed by the Torah, and immediately thereafter are clothed with another vestment, to be secreted therein and never to be revealed. Yet the sagacious scholars, whose eyes are filled, even though a matter is concealed in its vestment, can see it inside its garment. And when the matter is revealed, before it again is concealed in its vestment, they behold it fully; and even though it immediately passes from sight, it is never lost to their eyes.

94. In many places, the Holy One, blessed be He, cautioned the holy seed, NAMELY YISRAEL, to beware of the convert, since afterwards the hidden thing came out of its case, NAMELY ITS COVERING. Immediately after being revealed, it returned to its sheath to be covered there.

95. Since He cautioned in relation to the convert so many times, the matter came out of its sheath, was revealed and said, "for you know the heart of the stranger (also: 'convert')" (Shemot 23:9), THAT IS, BY MEANS OF THE SOULS CLOTHED IN HIM AS MENTIONED. Immediately it is inserted in its sheath, dons its garment and hides, as written, "seeing you were strangers in the land of Egypt" (Ibid.), WHICH IS A SECONDARY EXPLANATION. The verse reckons that since it is immediately clothed, none would notice it. Through the Nefesh of the convert, the Neshamah is made aware of worldly matters and enjoys them, BEING AN INTERMEDIARY BETWEEN THE SOUL AND THE BODY. HENCE IT SAYS, "FOR YOU KNOW..."

96. The old man opened with the verse, "And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and went up into the mountain..." (Shemot 24:18). HE ASKS, What is this cloud, AND ANSWERS, It accords with the verse, "I have set my bow in the cloud" (Beresheet 9:13). We have learned that this rainbow, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT WHEN RECEIVING THE THREE COLORS, WHITE, RED AND GREEN, FROM THE THREE COLUMNS OF ZEIR ANPIN, stripped of her clothes, THE THREE COLORS, WHITE, RED AND GREEN, and gave them to Moses. In that garment Moses ascended to the mountain, and from within it he saw all that he saw and took delight in all. WHEN THE OLD MAN reached this place, the friends came to him, NAMELY RABBI CHIYA AND RABBI YOSI, and prostrated before him. They said, had we come into the world only to listen to these words out of your mouth, it would have sufficed us.

97. The old man said, friends, I have not started speaking for that alone, for an old man like me does not make ado for one thing and does not cry out TO MAKE HIMSELF KNOWN. THAT IS, UNLIKE THE NATURE OF AN IGNORANT PERSON, WHO, WHEN HE KNOWS SOMETHING, CREATES A COMMOTION AND MAKES A NAME FOR HIMSELF, ACCORDING TO THE PROVERB, 'AN EMPTY VESSEL RATTLES THE MOST.' How confused are the people in the world, and do not regard the Torah in the true way. The Torah calls to them daily with love, but they do not care to turn their heads TO LISTEN TO IT.

98. And though I said that in the Torah the matter comes out of its sheath to be seen little by little, and immediately hides, it is certainly so that when it does come out of its sheath to hide forthwith, THE TORAH does it but to those who have knowledge of it and become knowledgeable in it.

99. This is likened to a beautiful and good-looking beloved, who hides in the secret of her chamber. She has a lover unknown to men, who is in hiding. That lover, for the love he bears her, passes always around the gate to her house and looks everywhere. She knows that her lover always goes around her house's gate so she opens a small aperture in that hidden chamber when she stays, and reveals her face to her lover. Then immediately she is concealed again. None of those who were with the lover looked or observed, save the lover alone, whose entrails, heart and soul go out to her. And he knows that for the love she has for him, she is revealed to him for a moment to arouse the love of him. It is so with the Torah that is revealed only to its lover. The Torah knows that the wise-hearted paces around its gate every day, so it reveals its face to him from within the chamber and immediately return to its place to be hidden again. None of those with him knew or beheld it but he himself, and his entrails, heart and soul go after it. Hence the Torah is revealed and concealed and lovingly goes to its lover to arouse love with him.

100. Come and see, such is the way of the Torah. At first, when it begins to be revealed to man, it gives him a slight hint. If he recognizes it, well, but if he does not, it sends for him and calls him a fool. The Torah says to whoever it sends for, 'Tell that fool to come here so I can talk to him.' This is the meaning of, "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here, and as for him that lacks understanding..." (Mishlei 9:16). THAT MAN approaches, and it begins by speaking to him from behind the veil that it spreads before him, of matters according to his understanding, until little by little he will pay attention. This is homiletic interpretation.

101. Afterwards it speaks with him in riddles from behind a thin sheet. This is Hagadah. When he frequents it, it is revealed to him face to face, and tells him all the obscure secrets and obscure ways that were hidden in its heart since primordial days. Then that man is a ruler, man of the Torah, the master of the house, since it revealed to him all its secrets and has not kept or concealed from him anything.

102. THE TORAH said to him, have you seen the allusion I gave you in the beginning? It contained such and such secrets, this is the way it is. He then sees that one must not add or diminish from the words in the Torah. Then the literal meaning is as it is, so that not even one letter must be added or taken away. Therefore the people in the world must take heed to chase after the Torah and love it, as we learned.

103. Come and see, "If he take another" (Shemot 21:10). The incarnations in this verse are great and lofty, as all souls incarnate. Yet people do not know the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and how the scales are placed and men judged every day at every season, and how souls are sentenced before they come into this world and sentenced after leaving this world.

104. How many incarnations and obscure deeds does the Holy One, blessed be He, bestow upon naked Neshamot WITHOUT A GARMENT OF THE TORAH AND THE PRECEPTS. And how many naked Ruchot walk about that world, not entering the presence of the King, and how many worlds are turned for their sakes, THAT IS, THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE GRADES, CALLED WORLDS, IS CHANGED FOR THEM. AND THE WORLD is turned around in many obscure wondrous ways. Yet people do not know nor observe. And how do souls roll (incarnate) as a stone in a sling, as written, "and the souls of your enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the hollow of a sling" (I Shmuel 25:29)!

105. Now is the time to reveal that all the Neshamot emerge from the great strong tree, which is the river that comes out of Eden, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, and all the Ruchot emerge from another, small tree, WHICH IS MALCHUT. A Neshamah emerges from above and a Ruach from below, and they join together as male and female. When they unite they shine forth a lofty light. The joining of the two is called a candle (Heb. ner), WHICH IS MADE OF THE INITIALS OF NESHAMAH RUACH, AS WRITTEN, "The soul of man is the candle of Hashem" (Mishlei 20:27). What is the candle? Neshamah Ruach. The joining of the two together is called a candle, as written OF THEM, "The soul of man is the candle of Hashem."

106. The Neshamah and Ruach are male and female that shines together. They do not shine without each other, and when they join, the whole is called a candle. Then the Neshamah is enveloped in a Ruach in order to be there above IN THE SUPERNAL GARDEN OF EDEN in the hidden chamber, as written, "but the spirit...should faint (or, 'envelop') before Me" (Yeshayah 57:16). It is not written, 'be enveloped' but "envelop," WHICH MEANS IT ENVELOPS OTHERS. The reason is that the Neshamah that I have made there, in the UPPER Garden OF EDEN, in the hidden chamber, is enveloped and clothed in the Ruach, as it should be.

107. Since this chamber has, and employs, only the Neshamah and Ruach, the Nefesh does not come there. Only THE NESHAMAH is clothed in the Ruach there. When it descends to the lower Garden of Eden, it is clothed in another spirit that emerges from there that dwelt there, THAT IS, THE SOULS OF THE CONVERTS. THE NESHAMAH dwells in this world in them all and is clothed in them, THAT IS, BOTH IN ITS OWN RUACH AND THE SOULS OF THE CONVERTS.

108. That Ruach that comes out of this world, having neither grown nor expanded in this world, THAT IS, HAD NO CHILDREN, incarnates and finds no rest. It incarnates in this world as a stone in a sling, until he finds a redeemer to redeem him, THAT IS A KINSMAN TO MARRY HIS WIFE, and places him in the very vessel he employed and cleft to in Ruach and Nefesh, and which used to be his spouse, spirit to spirit, NAMELY HIS WIFE. That redeemer establishes him as before, THAT IS, BRINGS HIM INTO THE SON BORN FROM HIS WIDOW, SO HE COMES BACK TO LIFE IN THIS WORLD AS BEFORE.

109. The spirit he left WITH HER IN HIS PRIOR LIFE, AS SHALL BE SAID THAT THE HUSBAND LEAVES IN HIS WIFE A SPIRIT IN HIS PRIOR LIFE, that cleaves to that vessel, NAMELY HIS WIFE, AS IT IS NEVER ABSENT FROM HER EVEN AFTER HIS DEMISE, is not lost. For there is nothing in the world, be it ever so small, that has no place or stand to hide in and go there, and it is never lost. The spirit he left in that vessel is therefore there, and it surely follows its root and foundation whence it came, NAMELY, THE HUSBAND WHO DIED CHILDLESS. It brings him and establishes him in his place, that is, the place of the spirit, which is his spouse that went out with him, THAT IS, HIS WIFE. There he is newly built, and is now a new creature in the world, a new spirit and a new body.

110. You may argue that the spirit IN THE BORN BABY is what it used to be, NAMELY, THE MAN HIMSELF AND NOT THE SPIRIT HE LEFT WITH HER WHEN HE INCARNATED BEFORE, WHICH IS BUT A PART OF HIM. HE ANSWERS, It is so, but he is established IN THE BORN SON only by means of the other spirit he left in that vessel, HIS WIFE. Here is the most secret of mysteries, in the book of Enoch. The edifice BUILT IN THE SON BORN TO THE LEVIRATE MARRIAGE is built only by means of the other spirit he left in that vessel, NAMELY HIS WIFE IN THE PRIOR LIFE. When it begins to be built, THE SPIRIT attracts the naked CHILDLESS spirit and draws it to itself. So two spirits are made there into one. Afterwards the one becomes a Ruach and the other Neshamah, both being one.

111. If he merits to be properly purified, the two become one, so that another, supernal Neshamah will be clothed in them. Just as other people in the world have a spirit that the Neshamot that come first hold on to, THAT IS, TO THE SOULS OF THE CONVERTS, and another spirit above, and the holy Neshamah above is clothed in both, so he too has two spirits, HIS OWN AND THE SPIRIT HE LEFT IN HIS WIFE IN A FORMER LIFETIME, so that the supernal Neshamah will be clothed in them.

112. HE ASKS, NOW THAT he has a body newly built BY LEVIRATE MARRIAGE, what is made of the first body he left? Either the one or the other is in vain. According to human understanding it seems that the earlier body that was not completed first is lost, because it did not acquire merit. If so, in vain was it occupied in the precepts of the Torah, even if it dealt with but one of them. Yet we know that even the most ignorant people of Yisrael are full to the brim with precepts. So this one, though it was not made whole in procreating and meriting and growing in the world, yet kept other precepts of the Torah, and did not lose them, was it for nothing?

113. Friends, friends, open up your eyes, for I know that you think and know that all those bodies are noted FOR DISTINCTION in vain, that they have no everlasting existence. This is not so, we must not look into these matters.

114. The old man opened with, "Who can utter the mighty acts of Hashem? Who can declare all His praise" (Tehilim 106:2). Who in the world can speak of the mighty acts the Holy One, blessed be He, constantly performs in the world? The first body he left is not lost. It will exist in the future to come, for it already received punishment in several manners. And the Holy One, blessed be He, does not withhold the reward of any creature He created, except those who came away from the faith in Him, and never had anything good in them, and those who did not bow at 'Modim' IN THE AMIDAH PRAYER. From these, the Holy One, blessed be He, makes other creatures, as that body will not be built in a human form and will never resurrect. But it is not so for those WHO DIED CHILDLESS.

115. If the spirit attained improvement in this world in that other body, what did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? The spirit of the redeemer who redeemed him, NAMELY, HIS BROTHER, that he put in there and mixed with the spirit that was in that vessel, WHICH HIS BROTHER LEFT IN HIS FORMER LIFE, is surely not lost. What is to become of it, seeing there are three spirits there - the first is THE SPIRIT that was in the vessel and remained there, THAT IS, THAT HIS DEAD BROTHER LEFT BEHIND IN HIS LAST LIFE. Another IS THE SPIRIT OF THE DEAD BROTHER ITSELF that is drawn there, which was naked, CHILDLESS. Yet another is the spirit that the redeemer put in, NAMELY THE KINSMAN, and mixed with them. For three spirits to be there is impossible, what is to be done?

116. These are the lofty mighty acts the Holy One, blessed be He, performs. The Soul is clothed with the spirit the redeemer put in there, instead of the garment of converts' souls. The DEAD MAN'S spirit, naked AND CHILDLESS, that returned there to be built ANEW, will serve as a garment to the supernal Soul. The spirit that was there before, which remained in that vessel, NAMELY THE SPIRIT HER DEAD HUSBAND LEFT IN HER FROM HIS PRIOR LIFE, flies away from there, and the Holy One, blessed be He, arranges a place within the secret of the window in the rock behind the back of the Garden of Eden where it hides. It rises to the former body that HE WHO DIED CHILDLESS had before. With that spirit, that body will rise AT THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. This is the one that is two, which I mentioned.

117. But the punishment of that body, until it rises AND RESURRECTS, is great, since it did not merit growth BY CHILDREN, so it is brought down into Adamah, close to Arka. FOR THERE ARE SEVEN LANDS, ERETZ (LAND), ADAMAH (GROUND), GAI (VALLEY), NESHIYAH (FORGETFULNESS), TZIYAH (WILDERNESS), TEVEL (WORLD). There he is punished. Then it is brought up to Tevel, WHERE WE ARE, and it descends BACK TO ADAMAH. Now it rises and now it descends. It has no rest, save on Shabbatot, holidays, and the first days of months.

118. These are those that sleep in the dust of the ground. Ground IS SO CALLED since it is from Adamah, dust IS SO CALLED since it is from Tevel. Of those it is written, "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth (Heb. adamah) shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2). If the naked spirit, NAMELY THE SPIRIT OF HE WHO DIED CHILDLESS, was worthy of coming back into the world as before IN THE CHILD BORN TO THE LEVIRATE MARRIAGE to perfect itself, it is meritorious. For the spirit HE LEFT IN HIS WIFE IN THE FORMER LIFE, of which we said it was hid in the rock, will be corrected in the former body THAT THE CHILDLESS DECEASED LEFT BEHIND. Of these it is written, "Some to everlasting life, and some to shame...," NAMELY, all those who did not attain perfection.

119. These are the lofty mighty acts of the holy supernal King, that nothing is lost. Even a breath has a place and rank, and the Holy One, blessed be He, does something from it. Even a man's word, even a voice is not in vain. Everything has place and station.

120. He who was just built, NAMELY THE CHILDLESS DEAD MAN, WHO INCARNATED IN THE CHILD BORN TO THE LEVIRATE MARRIAGE, and came into the world a new creature, has no soulmate. This is why HIS SOULMATE is not announced BEFORE HE IS BORN, because he lost his soulmate, who became his mother, while his brother became his father.

121. He said to himself, old, old man, what have you done? Silence would have been good for you. Old, old man, I have told you that you entered the great sea without ropes or a flag. What shall you do? If you mean to rise up, you cannot. If you intend to descend, behold the depth of the great abyss. What shall you do? Woe, old man, woe, it is not for you to turn back. In such times you were not wont to weaken in strength, for you knew that no other man in the generation would enter in a ship to the depth where you are.

122. The son of Yochai, NAMELY RABBI SHIMON, knows how to guard his paths. Had he entered the deep sea, he would pay attention, before entering, how he is to pass in a certain time and then roam in the sea. Yet you, old man, have not looked first. Now, old man, since you are there, do not weaken in strength, nor leave your path to roam right or left, to the length of width, to the depth or height. Do not fear, old man, strengthen yourself in your power. How many mighty men of strength have you broken, in how many wars have you conquered.

123. He wept, then and opened with the verse, "Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, and on the day of the gladness of his heart" (Shir Hashirim 3:11). This verse has been expounded and it is so, yet go forth and behold - who could behold King Solomon (Heb. Shlomo), that is, the King that peace (Heb. shalom) is His, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. For He is concealed from all the celestial high armies that are in that place that, "neither has the eye see, (that) an Elohim, beside you" (Yeshayah 64: 3), WHICH IS BINAH. Yet you say, "Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon." Moreover, as His glory, all the celestial angels ask, saying, 'where is the place of His glory,' WHICH IS THE CONCEALMENT, SO WHAT IS THE GOOD OF "GO FORTH...?"

124. HE ANSWERS, Yet in the words, "Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon," it is written, "with the crown," instead of 'and the crown.' For whoever sees that crown, WHICH IS MALCHUT, sees the pleasantness of the King that the peace is His. "With which his mother crowned him," REFERS TO MALCHUT THAT SURROUNDS ZEIR ANPIN, for we have learned that he calls her daughter, sister and mother. She is all that and everything is in her. Whoever looks to know it, MALCHUT, will have knowledge of precious wisdom.

125. THE OLD MAN SAID TO HIMSELF, What shall I do now, if I say, yet this obscure secret must not be revealed. If I do not speak, these righteous men will remain bereaved of this secret. The old man fell on his face and said, "Into Your hand I commit my spirit: You have redeemed me, Hashem El of truth" (Tehilim 31:6). The vessel below, NAMELY THE WIDOW WHO USED TO BE THE DEAD CHILDLESS MAN'S WIFE, AND WAS UNDER HIM, how could it be above, AND BECOME HIS MOTHER? Her husband, NAMELY HE WHO DIED CHILDLESS, who was above her, how could he turn to be under, BECOMING HER SON? His spouse turns into his mother. Wonder upon wonder, his brother is his father. If the father of the former, HIS WIFE, would have redeemed him, AND MARRY HIS WIFE, it would have been well. But that his brother would be his father, is not it a wonder? Assuredly it is a world turned upside down, the upper below and the lower above.

126. But, "Blessed be the name of Elohim forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His, and He changes the times and the seasons... He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him" (Daniel 2:20-22). Come and see, whoever is in a lighted place, cannot look to see what is in the darkness. But it is not so with the Holy One, blessed be He. He knows what is in the darkness, even though light dwells with Him, and from within the light regards the darkness and knows all that exists there.

127. Here we should first introduce something the ancient people said in regard to visions at night. We learned that whoever comes into his mother (Heb. em) in a dream should expect Binah, as written, "If (Heb. im) you cry after wisdom (Binah)" (Mishlei 2:3). We should check this. If the reason for this is that it is a mother THAT HE SHOULD EXPECT BINAH, it is well. BUT it should have said that he who sees his mother in a dream should attain Binah, but not he who comes into his mother. Wherefore IS THAT?

128. HE ANSWERS, This is a high mystery. For he turned and rose from below upwards. At first he was a son, NAMELY BELOW HER; once he rose up AND CAME IN TO HER, the tree turned over so he became part of the supernal world and ruler over her, and attained Binah.

129. HE EXPLAINS HIS WORDS, at first, when a man reaches his thirteenth year, it is written, "Hashem has said to me, You are my son; this day have I begotten you" (Tehilim 2:7), FOR HE BECAME A SON OF MALCHUT, AND MALCHUT HIS MOTHER. Then he is under her. Once he came over her AND BECAME HER HUSBAND, he is of the supernal world, ZEIR ANPIN, because he rose to the grade of Joseph, WHO IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. Assuredly he merits Binah, LIKE ZEIR ANPIN THAT HAS MOCHIN OF BINAH.

130. It the same with the vessel, THE WIDOW. At first he, HER DEAD HUSBAND, was of the grade of Joseph, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, THAT IS, the husband of the lower tree, MALCHUT. She obeys his wishes and he rules over her, because every woman is fashioned in the shape of the Nukva, WHICH IS the lower tree, MALCHUT. Since he did not wish to abide in the grade of Joseph, and did not live to use it and multiply in the world and beget offspring, BUT DIED CHILDLESS, he went down, AND INCARNATED IN THE CHILD BORN TO THE LEVIRATE MARRIAGE, while she, HIS WIFE, becomes his mother. The redeemer, HIS BROTHER, received the inheritance of Joseph that he, HIS BROTHER, had before, while he descended AND INCARNATED IN THE BORN CHILD.

131. Since he descended, it was fulfilled in him, "Hashem has said to me, You are my son; this day have I begotten you," FOR HE BECAME HER SON. The tree turned over, whatever was below that he had power over AS A HUSBAND OVER HIS WIFE, now that he descended TO INCARNATE IN THE CHILD BORN TO THE LEVIRATE MARRIAGE, he, who inherited the place of Joseph, NAMELY HIS BROTHER THE REDEEMER, is called is father, and is his father. Everything is now in place, as it should be.

132. Before he was of the world of the male, THE ASPECT OF JOSEPH. But he was uprooted there and is now of the world of the female, WHICH IS MALCHUT. He used to rule her but now she rules him and he is back in the world of the female. Therefore he has no spouse at all, and no proclamation regarding spouse is made on his behalf, AS IS DONE FOR ANY MAN BEFORE HE IS BORN, 'THE DAUGHTER OF SO AND SO TO SO AND SO.' For he was returned to the world of the female.

133. If people would know the grief of the first body, which he WHO DIED CHILDLESS left, when it is uprooted from the world of the male and returned to the world of the female, they would know that no grief equals that grief. He has no spouse since he is not in the place of the male. No wife is proclaimed for him, because he is of the world of the female. If he does have a wife, it is with mercy THROUGH PRAYER that he meets a woman, who until now had no husband. In relation to that we learned that 'maybe another will precede him through mercy,' the meaning of another IS THAT HE WHO DIED CHILDLESS IS CALLED OTHER. And everything is in order.

134. Regarding this it is written, "But if a priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and has returned to her father's house, as in her youth" (Vayikra 22:13). We have explained the phrase 'a priest's daughter' AS THE SOUL. It is a widow from the former body OF THE CHILDLESS DEAD MAN, 'divorced' because it does not enter the King's curtain, because all those not of the world of the male have no share in it. He has gone and uprooted himself from the world of the male, so he has no share IN THE KING, ZEIR ANPIN. Hence it is divorced; "and have no child," for had it had a child, it would not be uprooted FROM THE WORLD OF THE MALE, nor had it descended to the world of the female.

135. "And has returned to her father's house:" what is her father's house? HE ANSWERS, It is the world of the female, as that world is called her father's house. The vessel, HIS WIFE that was prepared for his use, turned; he came down while the vessel rose up, AS MENTIONED. "as in her youth," as in the time of which it is written, "this day have I begotten you" (Tehilim 2:7), AS HE BECAME THE SON OF THE FEMALE, WHICH IS MALCHUT. Assuredly "have I begotten you" and "he shall return to the days of his youth" (Iyov 33:25), as he used to be from his thirteenth year on.

136. If it merited perfecting itself, once it "has returned to her father's house...she shall eat of her father's bread," and partake of the delight of the world of the female where one eats of the bread of the noble that descends from above, FROM ZEIR ANPIN. But it cannot behold and enjoy what the rest of the righteous enjoy, because it is a stranger there, AS WRITTEN OF IT, "NO STRANGER SHALL EAT OF THE HOLY THING" (VAYIKRA 22:10), SINCE THE HOLY THINGS ARE IN THE WORLD OF THE MALE. But it does eat of the heave-offering, because it dwells in the world of the female.

137. Since it is of the world of the female, it eats it only at night, WHEN THE NUKVA, MALCHUT, REIGNS, as written, "And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterwards eat of the holy things; because it is his food" (Ibid. 7). For the holy things that are from the world of the male are eaten only by day, THE TIME OF THE REIGN OF THE MALE, ZEIR ANPIN. Hence IT IS WRITTEN, "Yisrael is holy to Hashem, the first fruits of His increase" (Yirmeyah 2:3). IT IS CALLED FIRST, because the highest beginning of the whole world of the male is holy, NAMELY SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA THAT ARE THE MOCHIN OF ZEIR ANPIN. Whatever came out of holiness is Yisrael, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, and hence, "Yisrael is holy to Hashem, the first fruits of His increase."

138. When spirits visit the cemetery at appointed times, NAMELY FROM NIGHTFALL UNTIL MIDNIGHT, they do not visit those WHO DIED WITHOUT CHILDREN, since they do not attain the world of holiness, as written, "No stranger shall eat of the holy thing," AND THEIR SPIRITS HAVE NO ABUNDANCE TO BESTOW UPON THE BODY IN THE CEMETERY. And if the spirit did not attain proper correction, once it reincarnates, even in that place OF THE WORLD OF THE FEMALE, it does not eat of the heave-offering and is considered a stranger even to the lower world, THE FEMALE WORLD, and does not eat in it. Up to here concerning the secret OF LEVIRATE MARRIAGE.

139. HE SAID TO HIMSELF, Old, old man, once you started to sail in the wide sea, go as you wish in every direction in the sea. It is now the time to reveal, for I have said that the redeemer, NAMELY THE KINSMAN, when he comes and enters the vessel I mentioned, NAMELY THE WIDOW, brings his spirit there and causes it to cleave to that vessel. Thus nothing is lost, not even a breath. It is well and it is so. Old man, if you talk and reveal, speak without fear.

140. As for other people who depart from the world, we know that the spirit one left in the wife he had, the spirit he placed there IN FORMER LIFE, what has become of that spirit? And if the wife remarries, what becomes of the spirit her first husband left in her, seeing that another man came in to her?

141. For a spirit to coexist with a spirit is impossible. For the one who just came in to her inserted a spirit in her, and also the first one who is gone placed a spirit in her. The first who is gone had children, so the current man is not a redeemer. Hence, the spirit the first husband left in the vessel and the spirit the other who came and brought in to her ALSO, surely cannot coexist in the body of that woman. If you say it is lost, this is impossible, AS NOTHING IS LOST. SO what has become of it?

142. Also, if she does not remarry, what becomes of the spirit her husband left in her? If you argue it is lost, it is not so. All this has to be revealed now. HE SAID TO HIMSELF, old, old man, see what you have done, what you have got yourself into. Arise, old man, raise your banner. Rise, old man and humble yourself before your Master.

143. The old man began with the verse, "Hashem, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty..." (Tehilim 131:1). King David said that, because he was a high king, ruler over all high kings and rulers from east to west, THAT IS, THEY WERE AFRAID OF HIS POWER. Yet it did not enter his mind to deviate from the way, and he always humbled his heart before his Master. When he was occupied with the Torah, he became strong as a lion, and his eyes were always cast to the ground for fear of his Master. When he walked among the people, he had no arrogance at all.

144. Therefore it is written, "Hashem, my heart is not haughty..." My heart is not haughty though I am a king and ruler over all the other kings in the world. "Nor my eyes lofty" when I am before You, delving in the Torah. "Nor do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me" (Ibid.), when I walk among the people. If King David said so, how much more so the rest of the people in the world! And I, how humble of heart I am and lowering my eyes before the holy King. Far be it for me to be proud in the holy matters of the Torah! He wept and his tears fell on his beard.

145. He said TO HIMSELF, old man, weary and powerless, how becoming are the tears on your beard, the good old man as becoming as the precious ointment running down on the beard of Aaron. Speak up, old man, for the holy King is here. Other people, when they depart from the world, leaving a spirit in the vessel they used, NAMELY THEIR WIVES, what happens to the first spirit, if she remarries and another comes and puts another spirit in that vessel, as I mentioned?

146. Come and see how lofty the mighty acts the holy King performs are. Who could tell them? When the second husband comes and inserts a spirit in that vessel, IN THE WIFE, the first spirit OF THE FIRST HUSBAND denounces the coming spirit, and they do not get along together.

147. For that reason the woman does not get along well with the second husband, since the spirit of the first is tapping inside her. She then remembers him always, weeps for him or sighs for him, since his spirit taps in her innards like a snake, and speaks ill of the other spirit that came from the second husband. They assail each other a long time.

148. If the one coming FROM THE SECOND HUSBAND removes the former spirit OF THE FIRST HUSBAND, it leaves and goes away. At times the first pushes away the second and attacks it, until it takes it out of the world. In relation to this we learned that from two or more, THAT IS, AFTER HER TWO HUSBANDS DIED, a man should not marry this woman, because the Angel of Death is strong in her. But people do not know that once the spirit OF THE FIRST HUSBAND prevailed and overcame the other, second spirit, AND PUSHED IT OUT OF THE WORLD, from now on no one should mix with her.

149. Friends, I do know that now you should raise a question and say that in this case, the second husband died unlawfully and was not judged from above, BUT WAS REJECTED BY THE SPIRIT OF THE FIRST HUSBAND. Come and see, everything is according to law, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN DECREED ABOVE that either one would overcome one, or that one would not attack one. He who marries a widow is like he who enters the sea with strong winds BLOWING, without ropes, and does not know whether he will pass in peace or drown in the deep.

150. If the second spirit that JUST entered prevails and overcomes the first SPIRIT, the first goes away from there and goes its way. HE ASKS, Whither does it go, and what becomes OF IT? HE SAID TO HIMSELF, old, old man, what have you done? You thought you would speak a little and come away, but you have entered a place where no one else has entered since the day Do'eg and Achitofel formed these questions of the four hundred questions they were asking about the tower soaring in the air. None had answered them until King Solomon came, who properly clarified each one. Old, old man, you have come to reveal a concealed lofty secret, what have you done?

151. Old, old man, you should have guarded your path in the beginning and observed when you started, but now is not the time to hide. Old man, answer with your might. Whither does the spirit go, which left? He wept and said, friends, all these tears I wept were not for your sakes, but I feared the Master of the UniverseMaster of the Universe, for revealing hidden ways without permission. But it is known before the Holy One, blessed be He, that is not for my own glory or the glory of my father, but my wish is to serve Him. And I have seen the preciousness of one of you in that world, and I know it is the same with the other, though it has not been disclosed to me. But now I see.

152. We have learned that a man is pushed aside for another, and they are rejected in many hidden ways. The first spirit that was pushed aside before the second, where does it go? HE ANSWERS, The spirit leaves and goes to roam the world unbeknownst, and goes to the grave of that man, from whence it goes about the world, to be seen to people in dreams. They see in a dream the image of that man, who informs them of things according to the way of the first spirit that came out of him. As things are in that world, it goes about and informs so in this world.

153. In this manner it goes about the world, always visiting that grave, when spirits visit the graves of the bodies. THEN THE SPIRIT ITSELF OF THE FIRST HUSBAND GOES TO THE GRAVE TO VISIT ITS BODY. Then this spirit, WHICH IS JUST A PART OF THE MAIN SPIRIT, joins its MAIN spirit, which is clothed in it and goes its way. And when THE SPIRIT enters its place, it is divested of it. And it has place in the chambers in the Garden of Eden, or outside, according to the way of each individual. There it hides.

154. And when the spirits visit this world, the dead are engaged with the living only by means of the attraction of that spirit, NAMELY THE SPIRIT THE HUSBAND LEAVES IN HIS WIFE IN THE PREVIOUS LIFE, in which the other, MAIN spirit is clothed. If it is said that it is for the good of the spirit, and the woman does good in every way, BECAUSE BY MEANS OF THE SPIRIT HER HUSBAND LEFT IN HER - THE SPIRIT IS ATTACHED TO THE LIVING, it is not so. For had she not married another, and had the first spirit not been rejected before the other man, THE SECOND HUSBAND, he would have derived benefit in another way, and not TOIL in that world as he does, nor be attached to the living in this world, roaming to and fro.

155. HE ASKS, If so, the second marriage of the woman is not decreed from above, because you said one man is rejected before another. HE ANSWERS, Yet I say that the second husband who married this woman, she is his very soulmate, while the first is not her real soulmate. Therefore she is of the second, and when his time comes AND HE MARRIES HER, the first is pushed aside from before him. Assuredly it is so, because the spirit of the first that was in that woman is rejected only because the second is her soulmate. THUS THE SECOND MARRIAGE IS FROM HEAVEN.

156. All those second HUSBANDS rejected before the first HUSBANDS, the first ones were their soulmates while the latter were not. This is why they do not live with them, and the second spirit is pushed from before the first spirit. Hence one says of he who marries a widow, "and knows not that it is for his life" (Mishlei 7:23), "for no heed is taken of the net" (Mishlei 1:17), since it is not known if she is his real soulmate or not.

157. An unmarried widow, who does not wish to marry even if her soulmate comes, the Holy One, blessed be He, does not force her to by law. And the Holy One, blessed be He, arranges that man another wife, and THE WIDOW is not judged for this in that world, even if she does not have a child, since a woman is not commanded to be fruitful and multiply, as we explained.

158. What becomes of the spirit in this woman, who does not remarry, whose husband left in her IN HIS LAST LIFE? HE ANSWERS, It remains there, IN THE WIFE, twelve months, and every night it comes out, visits the Nefesh and returns to its place. After twelve months, the sentence is alleviated from that man, NAMELY HER HUSBAND, for during the twelve months the spirit is downcast with sadness the whole day. After twelve months it goes away from there, FROM THE WIFE, and goes to stand at the gate of the Garden of Eden, and visits in this world that vessel, THE WOMAN, which it left. When the woman leaves the world, that spirit comes out and is clothed in her spirit, OF THE WIFE, and she gains it by her husband, and they both illuminate worthily, united into one.

159. Having come to this place, it is now proper to reveal the hidden ways of the Master of the UniverseMaster of the Universe, which people do not know of. They all follow the true path, as written, "for the ways of Hashem are right, and the just do walk in them, but the transgressors shall stumble in them" (Hoshea 14:10). But people do not know nor care how lofty the deeds of the Holy One, blessed be He, are and how diverse, yet the people in the world do not know it. They are all in the path of truth, not turning right or left.

160. As for those incarnated, who were driven out (divorced) of that world and have no spouse, HE ASKS, The spouses they marry in this world, who are the women whom they marry in this world? For any man has a spouse except him WHO INCARNATES.

161. See now how great and lofty His mighty acts are. We learned that whoever divorces his first wife, the altar sheds tears for him. HE ASKS, Why the altar, AND ANSWERS, I say that all the women in the world are fashioned in the shape of the altar, WHICH IS MALCHUT, AS EVERY WOMAN'S ROOT IS IN MALCHUT. They therefore inherit seven blessings, all from the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT. And if he divorces her, HIS FIRST WIFE, the stone OF THE SUPERNAL ALTAR, NAMELY, THE ROOT OF THAT WOMAN, WHICH IS IN MALCHUT, reverts to a state of deficiency and lack. What is the reason for this? IT IS because the two divorcees are united. JUST AS SHE WAS DIVORCED FROM HER HUSBAND, IT IS DIVORCED FROM ITS ROOT IN MALCHUT.

162. This is the secret of the words, "then let him write her a bill of divorce, and give it in her hand...And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife" (Devarim 24:1). HE ASKS, Seeing that "she may go and be another man's wife," do I not know he is not the one who divorced her? Why DOES IT SAY "another?" HE ANSWERS, It is as we learned it, we learned of the other, and it is written of "another," and he is called another, as written, "and out of the earth shall others spring" (Iyov 8:19). HENCE THE INCARNATED IS CALLED 'ANOTHER.' And the divorcees are joined together, he who is divorced from that world, NAMELY THE INCARNATED MAN WHO HAS NO SPOUSE, WHO IS DRIVEN AWAY FROM THAT WORLD INTO THIS WORLD, WHO MARRIED THE DIVORCED WOMAN, and the divorced WOMAN in this world FROM HER HUSBAND, as this woman who had the supernal shape OF MALCHUT, is now enslaved to the lower shape, NAMELY TO THE INCARNATED MAN WITHOUT A SPOUSE, WHO MARRIED HER, who is called another, AS MENTIONED BEFORE. FOR HE CLEAVED TO ANOTHER EL, FOR WHICH REASON HE AGAIN INCARNATED IN THIS WORLD.

163. And he is called 'last.' Whence do we know he is called latter? From the words, "and that he who outlives all things (lit. 'latter'), will rise" (Iyov 19:25). SO THE INCARNATED MAN IS CALLED LATTER. And here it is written, "And if the latter husband hate her" (Devarim 24:3), or, "or if the latter...should die" (Ibid.). HE ASKS, It says latter, while it should have said 'second.' If you say THE PURPOSE OF THE VERSE IS TO FORBID that she would marry the one after the other, it is not so. For she would marry this husband and no other, WHEREFORE SHOULD SHE BE FORBIDDEN TO ANOTHER? Why is he then called 'last?'

164. HE ANSWERS, This is the last we mentioned. He is another and is last. For now the stone turns in the sling, WHICH MEANS THAT IN RELATION TO THE FIRST BODY THAT DIED, THE INCARNATED IN THE SLING, WHO CAME AGAIN INTO THE WORLD IS CALLED BY THE NAME 'ANOTHER' AND 'LATTER (LAST).' SINCE HE HAS NO SPOUSE HE MARRIES THE DIVORCEE AND HENCE THE VERSE CALLS HIM 'ANOTHER' AND 'LAST.' HE ASKS, Why is he called another IN RELATION TO THE FIRST BODY THAT DIED, seeing that the whole edifice, NAMELY THE FIRST BODY, collapsed and returned to the dust AND IS AS IF IT NEVER EXISTED, and that THE INCARNATED is what THE FIRST BODY was and not another. Why then is he called another, and also why latter? If he is the latter because he straightens his ways AND IMPROVES, it is well, BECAUSE HE IS LAST AND INCARNATES NO LONGER. But if not, he incarnates again to be planted as before. Why then is he called last?

165. Yet come and see, it is written, "And Elohim saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good" (Beresheet 1:31). What is 'good?' It is the Angel of Good; 'very' is the Angel of Death. The Holy One, blessed be He, summons ways of correcting for everyone, SO THAT EVEN THE ANGEL OF DEATH REVERTS TO BEING VERY GOOD.

166. Come and see, "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden" (Beresheet 2:10), WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN THAT WATERS MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED GARDEN. This river never ceases from multiplying, increasing and producing fruit, while another El is sterile and never has any desire, does not fertilize or produce fruit. For had it produced fruit, it would have troubled the world.

167. This is why the man who caused that side to increase in the world is called evil and never beholds the face of the Shechinah, as written, "nor shall evil dwell with You" (Tehilim 5:5). An incarnated man, who transgresses and cleaves to another El, which does not produce fruit nor multiplies in the world, is therefore called another. The name OF THE OTHER SIDE brought it upon him that even if he, THE DEAD MAN, is THE INCARNATED ONE, he is called another LIKE THE OTHER SIDE, another surely.

168. "Latter:" he is called latter since from the first time onward one is always called latter, and named latter IN THE TORAH. Be he second, he is called latter forthwith, and the Holy One, blessed be He, calls him thus, latter, so that he will be perfected IN THIS INCARNATION and be last and come back no longer TO INCARNATE AGAIN. The third too IS CALLED LATTER, and so each time HE INCARNATES after the first time, he is called latter. And he should be called latter, for were he called second, an excuse WOULD BE GIVEN for him TO INCARNATE again, and for the current edifice to collapse.

169. Whence do we know that? From the second Temple that is called latter, as written, "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former (first)" (Chagai 2:9). For from the first onward it is called latter, so there will be no excuse that the edifice will collapse and will BE BUILT again as before.

170. In this case too, the incarnated man also is called last, LIKE THE SECOND TEMPLE. Hence it is written, "her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife" (Devarim 24:4). HE ASKS, Why "may not?" It should have been 'will not take her.' HE ANSWERS, Once the woman cleaved to another and went down to be enslaved to the lower grade OF THE OTHER SIDE, the Holy One, blessed be He, does not wish the former to descend from his grade and produce fruit and cleave to a grade that is not his.

171. And come and see, if that woman does not marry, even if she whores with all the men in the world, if her husband wishes to, he may return to her. But if she cleaved in marriage to another, she cannot return to the former grade she had. HENCE IT IS WRITTEN, "MAY NOT;" assuredly he may never return to that grade.

172. "After she is defiled" (Ibid.). We learned that she is defiled in his heart. HE ASKS, If this is so, even if she goes out to whore without marriage SHE SHOULD BE FORBIDDEN. HE ANSWERS, Once she cleaves to the other, she accepts upon her the portion of that EVIL side. Her first husband is of the other, good side, BUT she shall never have a portion of that good, and he must not increase that place at all. Hence, if the latter man sends her out or "if the latter husband...should die" (Ibid. 3), she is forbidden to the first one. But she is permitted to other men; perhaps she will find a place again and a latter one to come and marry her.

173. Whoever has children from the first wife, yet brings this WOMAN into his house, cleaves that day to the relentless revolving sword for two reasons. The first is that she has already rejected two men, and he is the third. Another is that how could he put his spirit in a vessel that another had joined, to join her and cleave to her, not because she is forbidden but it is a bad alliance for himself.

174. Rabbi Levitas, the leader of Kfar Ono, used to laugh and joke about such a woman, when he saw someone marrying her. He would say, it is written, "and she laughs at the time to come" (Mishlei 31:25); if she marries a latter man, he later becomes a laughing stock.

175. Let us come back and contemplate a certain great and lofty place that was in the world, a true stock and root. It is Oved, the father of Jesse, father of David. We learned that THE INCARNATED is the latter, AND OVED WAS AN INCARNATION OF MACHLON, WHO DIED CHILDLESS. How could a true root come from such a place?

176. HE ANSWERS, But Oved was improved by lofty correction, and the root of the inverted tree, WHERE THE WIFE BECOMES THE MOTHER, was set aright again. And he rose in it and was duly perfected. Hence he is called Oved, DERIVED FROM WORK, something that none of the people in the world merited.

177. OVED came, cultivated (Heb. avad) and hoed the trunk and root of the tree, came out of the bitter face and again improved the branches of the tree, MALCHUT. Jesse his son came, strengthened and fixed it, and held to the boughs of another, higher tree, ZEIR ANPIN. He joined one tree to another and they intertwined. When David came, he found the trees, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, intertwined and bound to each other. He then inherited dominion in the land. All this Oved brought about.

178. The old man wept and said TO HIMSELF, Woe old man, have not I told you that you entered the great sea. Now you are in the great deeps. Prepare to rise. Old, old man, you have brought all this about. Had you been quiet before, it would have become you, but now you cannot, and there is none to hold your hand save you alone. Arise old man, and rise up.

179. Oved was corrected and came out of the evil field of evil cisterns. His son Yishai came and fixed and hoed the tree. Nevertheless, this is the most secret of mysteries, and I do not know whether I should tell it or not. Speak up, old man, assuredly I say that in this way are recognized all the incarnated. Though Oved fixed the tree, when King David came, he remained in the lower tree of the female, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and had to receive life from another, for of himself he had no life. And if this is so for he, who was perfected and perfected everything, this is much more so for other people, who cannot be thus perfected.

180. In every respect this turns to incarnation. Peretz was so, AN INCARNATION OF ER; Boaz was so, AN INCARNATION OF JUDAH; Oved was so, AN INCARNATION OF MACHLON. In them all, the tree came out of the evil side and then cleaved to the good. At first, "And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Hashem" (Beresheet 38:7). Machlon was also evil, though not as much. But in these, evil was consumed, and good then emerged, THAT IS, him of whom it is written, "good looking" (I Shmuel 16:12), AND "Hashem was with him" (Ibid. 18). Here the lower tree, MALCHUT, reached completion, and "Elohim reigns over the nations" (Tehilim 47:9).

181. In the very beginning, the grades, Reuben, Shimon, Levi and Judah struck root in the supernal essence and foundation. THEY ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT. It is written of him, "Now I will praise Hashem...and she left off bearing" (Beresheet 29:35). This is the meaning of, "Sing, O barren one, you that did not bear" (Yeshayah 54:1), since when Judah was born, the Nukva, MALCHUT, came out attached to the Male, ZEIR ANPIN, but they were not well set face to face, and MALCHUT was not capable of bearing. When the Holy One, blessed be He, sawed her, THAT IS, DETACHED HER FROM THE BACK OF THE MALE, and fixed her, she became capable of conceiving and bearing, AS WILL BE EXPLAINED.

182. In the book of Enoch it is written that, "she left off bearing" does not refer to Leah, WHO IS THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN ABOVE THE CHEST, but to Rachel, who is "weeping for her children" (Yirmeyah 31:14). It is she, THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN BELOW THE CHEST, who struck root in Judah, who is composed of the letters Yud-Hei-Vav and Dalet-Hei. "And she left off bearing," because she is not yet corrected.

183. At first, everything had the upper form, AND EVEN RACHEL ASCENDED ABOVE THE CHEST. Reuben is composed of the segments Or (Eng. 'light') Ben (Eng. 'son'), which is the secret of, "And Elohim said, Let there be light" (Beresheet 1:3), which is right, NAMELY CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN. Shimon is the left, and is light together with the oars of gold, because Shimon is composed of the segments Shem Avon (Eng. 'name of iniquity'), WHICH IS THE LEFT, GVURAH OF ZEIR ANPIN. Levi is overall unity, the joining of the two aspects, BEING THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT UNITES THE RIGHT WITH THE LEFT. HE IS TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN. AFTER THE EMERGENCE OF CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET ABOVE THE CHEST, THE NUKVA CALLED RACHEL CAME OUT. That is Judah, WHO IS THE NUKVA. The Female cleaves to the Male, WHO IS CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN; Yud Hei Vav is the Male, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET; Dalet and Hei are the Nukva, RACHEL who was with him, WITH THE MALE.

184. HE ASKS, THE NUKVA IS ALLUDED TO IN THE LETTERS Dalet Hei. Why Dalet Hei? HE ANSWERS, THE NUKVA IS CALLED Dalet while evil cleaves to her, NAMELY WHEN SHE IS OF THE QUALITY OF THE LEFT ONLY, AND IS ATTACHED TO THE BACK OF THE MALE. She is Dalet, which means she is poor (Heb. dalah), and needs to reincarnate, REFERRING TO THE INCARNATIONS FROM JUDAH TO KING DAVID, to destroy that evil, wither in the dust and grow again on the good side, NAMELY BY BUILDING ABA AND IMA ANEW, ACCORDING TO THE SECRET OF THE VERSE, "AND OF THE SIDE, WHICH HASHEM ELOHIM HAD TAKEN FROM THE MAN, HE MADE A WOMAN" (BERESHEET 2:22), to emerge from poverty to wealth. She is then called Hei, and hence JUDAH IS COMPOSED OF THE LETTERS Yud-Hei-Vav and Dalet-Hei, YUD-HEI-VAV BEING CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET OF THE MALE, AND DALET AND HEI ARE THE NUKVA IN HER TWO STATES MENTIONED BEFORE THAT UNITES WITH THE MALE.

185. HE SAID TO HIMSELF, Come, old man, out of the depth, have no fear. How many ships are waiting for you when you sail in the sea, to rest in. He wept again and said, Master of the Universe, lest the celestial camps shall say that I am old and cry like a child, it is known before You that for Your glory I do that, and not for my own glory. For at first I should have kept from entering the great sea, yet now that I am in it, it behooves me to sail in every direction and come out.

186. "Judah you are he whom your brethren shall praise" (Beresheet 49:8), that is, when we say, 'blessed are you,' he is blessed, WHEN YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN POURS CHASSADIM UPON MALCHUT, IT IS CALLED 'BLESSED' and she 'you.' MALCHUT IS CALLED 'YOU,' SINCE THE NAME 'YOU' ALLUDES TO CHASSADIM, AS IN, "YOU SHALL BE A PRIEST" (TEHILIM 110:4), AS SHALL BE SAID. Jacob mentioned 'you' in relation to none of his sons, except the needed place. FOR MALCHUT IS DRAWN FROM THE LEFT SIDE, WHERE CHOCHMAH ILLUMINES WITHOUT CHASSADIM. SHE NEEDS THE NAME 'YOU,' WHICH IS CHASSADIM, WITH WHICH TO CLOTHE CHOCHMAH. FOR WITHOUT CHASSADIM, CHOCHMAH DOES NOT SHINE, AND IS IN THE SECRET OF DARKNESS. This is WHY HE SAID TO JUDAH 'you.'

187. "He whom your brethren shall praise," they shall all praise you for that name; assuredly, "you are he whom your brethren shall praise," for it is due to that name that the other side was gone and subdued. This is because when THE NAME JUDAH is called and mentioned, the Other Side comes out with it, NAMELY, IN THE DALET OF JUDAH, THAT ALLUDES TO ITS FIRST STATE, WHEN SHE IS DRAWN FROM THE LEFT ALONE, WHERE THE OTHER SIDE FEEDS, DUE TO THE LACK OF CHASSADIM IN THE RIGHT. Once 'you' is uttered, WHICH IS THE DRAWING CHASSADIM FROM THE RIGHT, she has power and greatness and the Other Side is subdued and not seen there. Assuredly it is by means of this name that she is marked and extracted from the Other Side, BECAUSE WHEN SHE IS CLOTHED WITH CHASSADIM, THE OTHER SIDE IS DISTANCED FROM HER. This is the elevation and power OF MALCHUT and breaking and evil to the Other Side. Once "your brethren shall praise" you for the name 'you,' then "your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies" (Ibid.); immediately THE OTHER SIDE is subdued before you, which is brought about by that name.

188. I know, friends, I do know that you ascribe the name 'you' to another, higher place, as written, "You shall be a priest forever" (Tehilim 110:4), which is at the supernal right, NAMELY CHOCHMAH. It is well because since the high and low praise Rabbi Shimon, and he attained everything, everything he said is so, and is well.

189. But when you arrive at his place, tell and remind him of the snowy day, when we planted fifty-two kinds of beans. For "you shall be a priest" MEANS THAT here the cup of blessing, WHICH IS MALCHUT CALLED YOU, is attached to the right, WHICH IS CHESED CALLED PRIEST, without any separation. Hence, "you shall be a priest forever," for here the cup, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is properly attached, AND SO ENDURES FOREVER.

190. In regard to this, the verse says, "Judah you," and to 'you' "your brethren shall praise." For it is not written just, 'Judah is he whom your brethren shall praise,' but the name 'you' HIS BRETHREN WILL PRAISE. This place, MALCHUT, needs the name 'you' and none other.

191. Judah is the father first OF ER AND ONAN, and father a second time TO PERETZ AND ZERACH, WHO ARE THE INCARNATIONS OF ER AND ONAN. He was never exchanged, AS THE GRADE NEVER CHANGED BY THE BROTHER BECOMING THE FATHER. FOR THE CHILDLESS DEAD INCARNATES IN THE SON BORN TO HIS BROTHER, WHO BECOMES HIS FATHER, WHICH IS CONSIDERED A DESCENT IN GRADES AND A BLEMISH. BUT THERE WAS NO CHANGE AND DESCENT OF GRADE IN JUDAH, BECAUSE HE WAS ALSO THE FIRST FATHER OF ER AND ONAN, WHO INCARNATED IN PERETZ AND ZERACH. This is why Peretz was very forceful, AS WRITTEN OF HIM, "WHY HAVE YOU MADE SUCH A BREACH FOR YOURSELF" (BERESHEET 38:29). THIS IS BECAUSE HIS GRADE DID NOT DESCEND, which is not the case for any other man in the world WHO INCARNATES, WHO DESCENDS, AS THE BROTHER BECOMES HIS FATHER. Therefore the establishment of David begins to be counted with Peretz and not with Boaz, who suffered a change, NOT BEING THE FIRST FATHER OF THE INCARNATED MAN, WHO IS MACHLON. Friends, if you observe my words, such words are not spoken vaguely WITHOUT POSSIBILITY OF UNDERSTANDING THEM, though they are vague.

192. Hence Judah achieved the name called 'you.' He was properly established the first time WITH ER AND ONAN and the second time WITH PERETZ AND ZERACH and never changed. His children and descendants praise and say, "You are our father" (Yeshayah 63:16), SINCE THEY DID NOT SUFFER A DESCENT, WHEN THE BROTHER BECOMES THE FATHER. This is not so with other incarnated in the world. Other people who incarnate, two fathers and two mothers have a party in their edifice. FOR IN ADDITION TO HIS FIRST FATHER, HIS BROTHER BECOMES HIS FATHER, SO HE HAS TWO FATHERS, AND ALSO TWO MOTHERS, AS IN ADDITION TO HIS FIRST MOTHER, HIS WIFE BECOMES HIS MOTHER. These mysteries are in the depths of the sea, in the middle of the abyss. Who could take them out of there? Arise, old man, grow strong with your might, and draw pearls out of the depths.

193. Boaz seems to have changed when he begot Oved, since Oved is changed, FOR HE IS HIS SECOND FATHER. HE SAYS, It is not so, Ivtzan is Boaz. WHY IS HE CALLED BOAZ? BECAUSE he is the first father to bring no change, NAMELY, JUDAH, WHO IS THE FIRST FATHER, INCARNATED IN HIM. You may argue that it was he himself, AND NO INCARNATION OF JUDAH, YET surely when he was roused to perform the act OF LEVIRATE MARRIAGE, he who was fierce as a lion and a lion's whelp, THAT IS, JUDAH was present in him. HENCE HE WAS CALLED BOAZ, DERIVED FROM BO AZ (ENG. 'FIERCENESS IS IN HIM'), WHO REFERS TO JUDAH. THIS WAS so that there will be no change in David. AND SINCE JUDAH INCARNATED IN HIM, the matter reverted to the former root, so that all will originate in one father and lineage. It is all the same, and there was no change in the incarnation of David's seed. Thus you, from beginning to end, are entirely without change.

194. Now, old man, you have come out of the depths of the sea. Judah is 'you' surely, from beginning to end. It is not worthy to name none of the sons 'you' except him alone. Happy is the portion of David, who was so extracted and rose above other roots of people in the land.

195. "Your brethren shall praise." HE ASKS, It should have said, 'all the people in the world should praise.' Why DOES IT SAY, "Your brethren?" HE ANSWERS, It is not the custom in the world to perform levirate marriage for the sake of incarnation OF THE CHILDLESS DEAD, except for kinsmen. The brother would perform levirate marriage, and you yourself performed levirate marriage. Here all your brethren praise you, that the lineage of kingship did not come from them, from none of them, but from you alone. It is you, who performed it from beginning to end, and from you the whole lineage and race of the lion emerged.

196. Your descendants are lion cubs, who have not turned into your brothers, nor changed into a lamb, an ox, or a kid. FOR THERE ARE TWELVE SHAPES IN THE TWELVE CONSTELLATIONS, WHICH CORRESPOND TO THE TWELVE TRIBES. THE CHILDREN OF JUDAH HAD ALL THE IMAGE OF A LION, NOT THE IMAGE OF OTHER TRIBES. A lion began to establish and a lion concluded the edifice. Your whole lineage is of lion cubs, for had anyone on the side of your brothers incarnated INTO YOUR CHILDREN, the images would have changed and mixed with each other. For that "your brethren shall praise," that none of them incarnated into your descendants' ancestry. Raise your hand for none of them was mingled.

197. This is the meaning of, "from the prey, my son, you are gone up" (Beresheet 49:9), for there is no prey OR FOOD for another on your table. "He stooped down" when Er died, "he couched" when Onan died. He then got stronger "as a lion" to sire Peretz, "and as a lioness" to raise up Zerach. "Who shall rouse him up?" (Ibid.), as written, "And he knew her again no more" (Beresheet 38:26), which is translated into Aramaic as, "and he stopped not." This is the meaning of, "Who shall rouse him up?" Who can say this woman is forbidden, who can say that once she completed her practices, you need her no longer, that once the widow has finished her practices, she is of no more use to you, and you are beholden to withdraw from her. But, "Who shall rouse him up?" From now on she is his, because she bore him, who was moving about in her belly, NAMELY THE SPIRIT OF HER FIRST HUSBAND, WHICH HE LEFT IN HER IN HIS FORMER LIFE. IT WAS MOVING IN HER BELLY, AND NOW SHE BORE IT.

198. There is a hidden mystery here. Why SHOULD a man's brother MARRY HIS WIDOW, and moreover, why SHOULD Judah his father MARRY HIS WIDOW, INSTEAD OF A STRANGER WHO IS NOT A KINSMAN? HE ANSWERS, Because he who moves about in the belly OF THE WIDOW, NAMELY, THE SPIRIT HER DEAD HUSBAND LEFT IN HER, sees him who keeps him, THAT IS, HIS KINSMAN, and charges against him in every manner. HAD HE BEEN A STRANGE MAN, HE WOULD HAVE REJECTED HIM, BUT HE DOES NOT WISH TO PUSH AWAY HIS KINSMAN. Hence he wishes to go away FROM THERE. Once he leaves, he summons the other, NAMELY the other, MAIN spirit OF THE DEAD, and the TWO enter THE WOMAN'S BELLY again, until he is newly established, NAMELY, INCARNATES IN THE SEMEN OF THE KINSMAN. THIS CAME ABOUT by means of the fierce denouncement against his brother, FOR WHICH REASON HE DECIDED TO GO AWAY FROM HER. From now on the woman is permitted to him, SINCE THE DENOUNCING SPIRIT HAS ALREADY LEFT HER. THIS IS WHY THE KINSMAN SHOULD MARRY HER, BECAUSE A STRANGE MAN, WHO IS NOT A RELATIVE, WOULD HAVE BEEN REJECTED BY THE SPIRIT.

199. Happy is the portion of Judah. At first he was a whelp, then a lion, as he grew greater and stronger as a lion. He finished as a lioness. It is not so with other people in the world. Hence 'Judah YOU,' as we said.

200. Reuben, Shimon and Levi are a threesome, as we said THAT THEY ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. Judah, WHO IS MALCHUT, joined them, SO EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE. Issachar and Zebulun are the two thighs, NETZACH AND HOD, whence the true prophets are sustained. Issachar is the right thigh, WHICH IS NETZACH. It is written, "And of the children of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times" (I Divrei Hayamim 12:33), WHICH MEANS THAT NETZACH DRAWS THE LIGHT OF BINAH TO MALCHUT CALLED 'TIMES.' And it is written, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out" (Devarim 33:18), WHICH MEANS THAT HOD IS THE LAST OF THE FIVE SFIROT, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD, WHICH IS THE MEASURE OF THE EXPANDING OF THE LIGHT OF BINAH. FROM IT DOWN IT IS CONSIDERED GOING OUT OF THE GRADES. In the greater reckoning, THERE ARE SEVEN SFIROT, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT. THEN it is written, "Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; and he shall be a haven for ships" (Beresheet 49:13), NAMELY, DOWN TO MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED BOTH A SEA AND A SHIP. What is the reason HE DWELLS ALL THE WAY TO MALCHUT - IT IS because "his border (or thigh) shall be at Tzidon" (Ibid.), as the measure of his thigh, HOD, EXPANDS to MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED Tzidon.

201. Benjamin remained above, between the thighs, BEING YESOD. AND THOUGH JOSEPH IS YESOD, Joseph was its image on earth, WHICH IS MALCHUT, for use in this world, WHICH IS MALCHUT. Moses used him, as written, "And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him" (Shemot 13:19). Benjamin rose up TO YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, and Benjamin is the Righteous one of the world, BEING YESOD.

202. Below the knees THERE ARE TWO MORE PARTS. They are Dan and Naftali, Gad and Asher. In the left leg, Dan reaches the joint of the foot, NAMELY THE MIDDLE PART, Naftali is the foot segment, NAMELY, THE LOWER SECTION. Hence, "Naftali is a hind let lose" (Beresheet 49:21), being light footed. In the right leg is Gad, who "shall overcome at last" (Ibid. 19), that is, down to the heel joint, WHICH IS THE MIDDLE PART; Asher is in the section of the right heel, NAMELY THE LOWER PART. Hence, "let him dip his foot in oil. Your shoes shall be iron and brass" (Devarim 33:24). THUS, IN THE THREE SEGMENTS OF THE RIGHT LEG ARE ISSACHAR IN THE UPPER, GAD IN THE MIDDLE AND ASHER IN THE LOWER PART. IN THE THREE PARTS OF THE LEFT LEG ARE ZEBULUN IN THE UPPER, DAN IN THE MIDDLE AND NAFTALI IN THE LOWER PART. All these TWELVE TRIBES are celestial shapes after the supernal shape. Since they were real people in this world, the Shechinah was perfected by them, through the twelve parts, which are the twelve flows that were drawn from Yisrael himself, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, as written, "All these (Heb. eleh) are the twelve tribes of Yisrael" (Beresheet 49:28). The flows from Yisrael are called 'Eleh' FROM WHICH the name 'mi' spreads out, to make the building fit, so that Yisrael will be included in the name Elohim (ALEPH LAMED HEI YUD MEM). Eleh (ALEPH LAMED HEI) is Yisrael in general and Mi (MEM YUD) unites Eleh with it, to make the building duly whole, into one real name.

203. This is what the minister of Esau said to Jacob, as written, "for you have contended with Elohim" (Beresheet 32:29), THAT IS, above, SINCE HE ROSE WITH THE LETTERS OF ELEH OF MALE AND FEMALE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE NAME ELOHIM, WHICH WAS THERE JOINED AND MADE WHOLE through the first correction in the first establishment. "All these (Heb. eleh) ARE THE TWELVE TRIBES OF YISRAEL." Surely this is the first edifice, WHERE THE JOINING OF MI WITH ELEH IS EFFECTED.

204. Therefore Yisrael will never ever perish. Had they perished, heaven forbid, the name Elohim would not have existed. This is the meaning of, "and cut off our name from the earth: and what will You do for Your great name?" (Yehoshua 7:9), NAMELY this great name, the first establishment, the first name Elohim. Now that Yisrael is in exile it is as if the whole establishment collapsed. In the future to come, when the Holy One, blessed be He, will redeem His children from exile, Mi and Eleh that were apart in exile will join and the name Elohim will be duly whole and the world would be scented. This is the meaning of, "Who (Heb. mi) are these (Heb. eleh) that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?" (Yeshayah 60:8).

205. Since the name is one whole, it is not written, 'Mi and Eleh THAT FLY AS A CLOUD,' but 'Mi eleh' as an indivisible name. This is the name Elohim. For now in exile Mi has gone up so to speak INTO MALCHUT, and the mother, NAMELY MALCHUT, is gone from the children, YISRAEL. The children fell and the name ELOHIM, which used to be whole, being the first great name, collapsed.

206. For this we pray and sanctify in synagogues the name ELOHIM, so it would be established like it used to, and we recited the KADISH - 'May His great name grow exalted and sanctified... Amen. May His great name be blessed forever and ever.' What is His great name - it is the first one, NAMELY THE NAME ELOHIM THAT WAS COMPLETED IN THE FIRST ESTABLISHMENT. For it is established only in us, as Mi will be only built with the letters of Eleh. Therefore at that time, "Mi Eleh that fly as a cloud," and the whole world will see that the celestial name is well composed.

207. And if His great name Elohim is corrected and well built, Yisrael rules over everything, and all the other names reach perfection. And Yisrael has power over everything, since they all depend on His great name, the first of all establishments.

208. The secret behind it is that when the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO IS BINAH, created the worlds, MALE AND FEMALE, this name was built as the first establishment, as written, "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who (Heb. mi) has created these (Heb. eleh)" (Yeshayah 40:26), has created His name ELOHIM well formed. When He created Eleh, He created it with all the powers proper to it, to be His name suitably formed, as written, "that brings out their host by number" (Ibid.).

209. HE ASKS, What is "by number," IN "THAT BRINGS OUT THEIR HOST BY NUMBER," AND ANSWERS, The Holy, One, blessed be He, has a son that shines from one end of the world to the other. He is a great and strong tree, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. His top reaches the height of heaven, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED HEAVEN, and at his ending his roots spread and strike root in the holy earth, WHICH IS MALCHUT, ACCORDING TO THE VERSE, "FOR ALL THAT IS IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH" (I DIVREI HAYAMIM 29:11). His name is number. He originates in the upper heaven, THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN, and five firmaments hang IN HEAVEN, WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD down to this number, WHICH IS THE SIXTH FIRMAMENT, NAMELY YESOD. All the FIRMAMENTS receive the name 'NUMBER (HEB. MISPAR)' for YESOD, as written, "The heavens declare (Heb. MESAPRIM)" (Tehilim 19:2). Due to that number, the whole heaven, THE FIVE FIRMAMENTS, attain this name for its sake. Hence, "that brings out their host by number," for were it not for that number, there would never be hosts and generations, SINCE YESOD PRODUCES OFFSPRING.

210. In relation to this it is written, "Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Yisrael" (Bemidbar 23:10). There were two who counted the flock that was numbered by them, because the evil eye had no power over them. "Who can count the dust of Jacob" refers to one who counts. "The number of the fourth part of Yisrael" is the second enumerator.

211. Over these two the evil eye has no power, for "Who can count the dust of Jacob" refers to the holy stones, strong stones, from which water sprouts into the world. Of this it is written, "and your seed shall be as the dust of the earth" (Beresheet 28:14). As the dust of the world is blessed for his sake, so, "and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Beresheet 22:18), like the very dust of the earth. 'Number' is the second enumerator, who counted so as to cause all those females, the celestial pearls, to rest on the bed on which Jacob was lying, WHICH IS MALCHUT.

212. From then onward, it counts everything, because it, YESOD, has a good eye. Hence it is written, "He counts the number of the stars" (Tehilim 147:4), WHICH MEANS that they are all reckoned by it. In the future to come it is written, "shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that counts them" (Yirmeyah 33:13), yet we do not know who that is, WHETHER THE FIRST OR SECOND ONE. But since at that time everything will be together indivisible, all will be conducted by one enumerator.

213. HE SAID TO HIMSELF, rise, old man, wake up and grow strong to sail in the sea. He opened with the verse, "Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Yisrael." When the Holy One, blessed be He, will awaken to raise the dead, those who were incarnated, who are two bodies with one spirit, NAMELY THE BODY OF THE DEAD MAN AND THE BODY OF THE INCARNATED, WHO BOTH HAVE BUT ONE SPIRIT. They have two fathers, THE FATHER OF THE DEAD AND THAT OF THE INCARNATED BODY, and also two mothers. How many incarnations do they undergo for that UNTIL ONE IS CORRECTED. For though we learned THIS and it is so, yet "Who can count the dust of Jacob," WHICH IS THE FIRST ONE TO COUNT that will amend everything, ALL THE INCARNATED BODIES, and nothing will be lost, so everything will rise TO RESURRECT.

214. We have studied, "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake" (Daniel 12:2). The dust of the earth IS as was said in the book of Enoch that the friends looked at the letters floating in the air, which are Aleph Ayin Dalet Pei Mem Tav Resh, WHICH FORM 'dust of the earth.'

215. Hence, "So I praised the dead that are already dead" (Kohelet 4:2), which are the letters of 'dust of the earth,' THAT IS, BOTH THE DEAD OF THE ASPECT OF DUST AND THE DEAD OF THE ASPECT OF EARTH. A voice is roused to inform, saying so during the second edifice, WHICH IS THE BODY OF THE INCARNATED, WHICH CORRECTS BOTH THE BODY OF THE DEAD OF THE ASPECT OF DUST, AND THE BODY ITSELF, WHICH IS THE ASPECT OF EARTH. IT IS IT THAT SAYS, "SO I PRAISED THE DEAD," THAT IS, FIXES THEM. The dust is the first dust, WHICH IS THE BODY OF THE DEAD MAN, the earth is the second, corrected one, THE BODY OF THE INCARNATED MAN, TO WHICH the sterile, first one is refuse. FOR THE BODY OF THE CHILDLESS DEAD MAN, WHICH IS STERILE, IS AS REFUSE IN RELATION TO THE INCARNATED BODY, WHICH CORRECTS IT. HENCE IT SAYS, "SO I PRAISED THE DEAD," THAT IS, FIXES THEM.

216. Those sleeping in the dust of the earth shall all wake up. Those that were corrected are destined to live forever (lit. 'for the world'). Which world is that? It is the lower world, NAMELY MALCHUT, for they did not merit being in the upper world BUT DESCENDED TO THE FEMALE WORLD. Those who did not merit CORRECTING will be "to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2). HE ASKS, What is contempt, AND SAYS that the other side will be removed from the world, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will leave those who flowed from that side for people to wonder about. THIS IS THE MEANING OF, "TO SHAME AND EVERLASTING CONTEMPT."

217. Who brought all this about? THE MAN who did not want to be fruitful and to procreate in the world or to uphold the Holy Covenant. He thus brought about all that, and all the incarnations I mentioned until now. HE SAID TO HIMSELF, Up to here, old man. He was silent for a moment. The friends were stupefied and did not know whether it was day or night, or whether they were THERE or not.

218. The old man started with, "If you buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve, and in the seventh..." (Shemot 21:2). This verse proves all that we have said. Come and see, every male is in the image of the male world, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, and every female is in the image of the female world, WHICH IS MALCHUT. When one is the servant of the Holy One, blessed be He, he cleaves to the six primordial years, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. But if he tears himself away from WORSHIPPING Him, the Holy One, blessed be He, tears him from the six years of the male world, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, and he is given to the man of six extremities, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, whom he serves for six years, torn away from the supernal six years OF ZEIR ANPIN.

219. After that, he descends from there and is given to the female world. He who did not want to dwell in the male, goes down to dwell in the female, WHICH IS MALCHUT. The Nukva comes, which is the seventh SFIRAH, and takes him. OF HER IT IS SAID, "AND IN THE SEVENTH HE SHALL GO OUT FREE" (IBID.). From now on he is of the female world.

220. If he did not want to be maintained by her or her redemption, SAYING, "I LOVE MY MASTER...I WILL NOT GO OUT FREE" (IBID. 5), he goes down to cleave below, attaching himself to the Other Side. From now on he is torn from the world of the male and the world of the female, because he has joined the servants of the Other Side.

221. Now that it is so, AND HE IS ATTACHED TO THE OTHER SIDE, he needs a blemish, to be branded with a mark of blemish, NAMELY, "AND HIS MASTER SHALL BORE HIS EAR THROUGH WITH AN AWL" (IBID. 6), since every blemish pertains to the Other Side. THEN, "HE SHALL SERVE HIM FOREVER (LIT. 'TO THE WORLD')" (IBID.), THAT IS, UNTIL JUBILEE CALLED WORLD. From the Jubilee on, he incarnates again and goes back into the world as before, cleaving no further than the female world. If he attains merit, he begets offspring in the world of the female, WHICH IS MALCHUT, which are all described in the verse, "the virgins, her companions that follow her, shall be brought to you" (Tehilim 45:15). He is worthy, when he perfects himself to attain that.

222. If he has no merit, even when he incarnates at the Jubilee he is as if he never was, for HE INCARNATED again, yet did not perfect his life by marrying in the world and siring offspring. It is then written, "If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself" (Shemot 21:3). If he entered the world alone, without children, and did not care to strive after that but left the world alone without children, he moves like a stone in a sling up to that place in the strong rock BEHIND THE GARDEN OF EDEN. There he enters, but the lone spirit blows at once that left his wife AND CAME THERE. THIS IS THE SPIRIT THAT REMAINED IN THE WIFE BY HER FIRST HUSBAND, which goes solitary like a snake that does not keep company on the road. FOR IT IS SEPARATED FROM THE TWO SPIRITS IN THE WOMAN AND GOES ALONE. It blows on him, ON THE SPIRIT OF THE CHILDLESS DEAD MAN THAT JUST CAME THERE, THAT IS, PUSHES IT AWAY FROM THERE, SO IT WILL INCARNATE AND PERFECT ITSELF.

223. Whereupon he leaves that place of the strong rock, alone WITHOUT A WIFE, and roams in the world until he finds a redeemer TO BRING HIM BACK TO THIS WORLD for his improvement. That is, "If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself" WITHOUT A WIFE, he who did not wish to marry and have children. SINCE HE HAS NO SPOUSE HE HAS TO MARRY A DIVORCED WOMAN.

224. But, "if he is married" (Ibid.); he who did marry and tried with her but could not BEGET CHILDREN, such a man is not driven away like the other, nor comes out alone. But, "if he is married," the Holy One, blessed be He, does not withhold reward from anyone. Even though he did not have children, it is written, "then his wife shall go out with him" (Ibid.). The two incarnate, and are able to unite again. He does not marry a divorced woman, like the other who has no spouse, but marries the same woman with whom he tried before yet they had no children. Now they shall attain it together, if they act well. Hence it is written, "then his wife shall go out with him."

225. "If his master has given him a wife" (Ibid. 4): the verse returns to another subject, to him who went out alone, without any wife. The place called seventh, NAMELY MALCHUT, shall redeem him, and that seventh is considered his master; it is the master of the whole earth. If his master has compassion for him and brings him back to the world solitary as he was and gives him a woman, for whom the altar sheds tears, NAMELY A DIVORCED WOMAN, they marry and she bears him boys or girls, "the wife and her children shall be her master's" (Ibid.), OF HOLY MALCHUT, as we learned.

226. For if he repented and corrected the place he blemished during his life, he is accepted before the Holy King, who receives him and then sets him aright. He is considered a penitent, since he inherited a dwelling in that place of the flowing river, NAMELY MALCHUT. FOR THE RIVER THAT COMES OUT AND FLOWS IS YESOD, ITS BED IS MALCHUT. He improves his former state. Once he is corrected and has repented, he achieves perfection, for there is nothing in the world, no key in the world that the penitent cannot break.

227. HE ASKS, What is the meaning of, "he shall go out by himself (Heb. gapo)?" HE ANSWERS, We have already studied it, yet it contains another hidden meaning. "He shall go out by himself (Heb. gapo)" is the same as in, "the highest (Heb. gapei) places of the city" (Mishlei 9:3). As in the latter, GAPEI IS AN EXPRESSION OF exaltation and praise, here too GAPO HAS THE MEANING OF exaltation and praise. In the place to which the penitent rise, even the most accomplished righteous cannot dwell. Therefore, once he repented, the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts him.

228. We have learned that nothing in the world withstands repentance, and the Holy One, blessed be He, surely accepts everyone. If one repents, the way of life is prepared for him. Even though he made any blemish, everything is mended and becomes corrected. For even having uttered an oath, the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts him, as written, "As I live, says Hashem, though Konyahu..." (Yirmeyah 22:24), and "Write this man childless" (Ibid. 30). But after he repented, it is written, "And the sons of Yechonyah: Assir..." (I Divrei Hayamim 3:17). From here we conclude that repentance breaks many sentences and verdicts and many iron chains, and that nothing withstands repentance.

229. In relation to that it is written, "And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that rebel against Me" (Yeshayah 66:24). It does not say, 'that rebelled against Me,' but "rebel against Me," NAMELY THOSE who did not want to repent and regret what they have done. But if they regretted AND REPENTED, the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts them.

230. Therefore such a man, even though he rebelled against Him, and blemished where he must not have blemished, but repented before Him, He accepts him and has pity on him. For the Holy One, blessed be He, is full of compassion, and is filled with compassion for all His works, as written, "and His tender mercies are over all His works" (Tehilim 145:9). His mercy reaches even beasts and fowls. So if His mercy reaches them, all the more so people who recognize and know how to praise their Master, when His mercy reaches them and dwells on them. Regarding this David said, "Great are Your compassions, Hashem, give me life as is Your wont" (Tehilim 119:156).

231. And if His mercy reaches the wicked, the righteous all the more. But who needs healing? Those who suffer pains. Who suffer pain? The wicked, who need healing and mercy, for the Holy One, blessed be He, takes pity on them so they will not be forsaken by Him, and He does not go away from them so they will return IN REPENTANCE before Him. When the Holy One, blessed be He, beckons, He does so with the right, and when He repels, He does so with the left. When He repels, the right beckons; He repels with one side and beckons with the other. The Holy One, blessed be He does not withdraw His mercy from them.

232. Come and see, "but he went perversely in the way of his heart," followed by, "I have seen his ways, and will heal him, I will lead him also, and bestow comforts on him and on his mourners" (Yeshayah 457:17-18). HE EXPLAINS, "but he went perversely" MEANS though the wicked do what they do willfully and follow the way of their heart, and others admonish them but they care not to listen to them, NEVERTHELESS, when they repent and take the good path of repentance, remedy awaits them.

233. We should observe now whether the verse refers to the living or the dead, for the beginning of the verse is not as its ending, nor the ending the beginning. The first part of the verse points at the living, SAYING, "BUT HE WENT PERVERSELY...," yet the latter part points to the dead, SAYING, "AND BESTOW COMFORTS ON HIM AND ON HIS MOURNERS." HE ANSWERS, The verse speaks of living man, and it is thus, "he went perversely in the way of his heart," because the Evil Inclination within him is strong and gains power. Hence "he went perversely" and does not care to repent.

234. The Holy One, blessed be He, sees his ways, that he walks in evil to no use. He says, I need to hold his hand, as written, "I have seen his ways" walking in the darkness; I wish to give him healing, as written, "and will heal him." The Holy One, blessed be He, brings into his heart the path of repentance and healing for his soul. "I will lead him also" - what does this mean? It resembles the words, "go, lead the people" (Shemot 32:34), and the Holy One, blessed be He, leads him in the true path as one holding someone's hand, leading him out of darkness.

235. "And bestow comforts on him and on his mourners:" HE ASKS, It seems as if he is dead, NOT AS IN THE FIRST PART OF THE VERSE. HE ANSWERS, assuredly he is dead; even though he is alive, since he is wicked, he is considered dead. What is the meaning of, "and bestow comforts on him and on his mourners?" HE SAYS, The Holy One, blessed be He, acts kindly with people. Ever since one's thirteenth birthday, He gives two guardian angels to be with him, and they guard him, one to his right and one to his left.

236. When man walks the right path they rejoice in him and uphold him with joy, announcing before him saying, Give honor to the image of the King. But when he treads the crooked path, they mourn for him and leave him. When the Holy One, blessed be He, holds him and leads him in the right way, it is written, "And bestow comforts on him and on his mourners." First I will "bestow comforts on him," for he regrets all that he did formerly and what he has done now and repents. Then, "on his mourners," who are the angels that mourned him when they departed from him. Now that they have returned there are consolations (Heb. nichumim) in every aspect, HE BOTH REGRETS (HEB. MITNACHEM) HIS DEEDS AND TAKES COMFORT (HEB. MITNACHEM) FOR HIS TROUBLES AND MOURNING.

237. Now he is surely alive, he is living in every respect, holding to the Tree of Life. Since he is attached to the Tree of Life, he is called a penitent, for the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is also called penitence. FOR REPENTANCE (HEB. TESHUVAH) IS COMPOSED OF THE SEGMENTS, LET VAV RETURN (HEB. TASHUV) TO HEI. THE VAV IS THE TREE OF LIFE, ZEIR ANPIN, AND HEI IS MALCHUT. HENCE MALCHUT IS CALLED REPENTANCE. And he is called a repentant, and the ancient sages called him man of repentance literally, NAMELY, THE HUSBAND OF MALCHUT CALLED REPENTANCE, WHICH MEANS HE BESTOWS PLENTY ON HER. Therefore, even the wholly righteous cannot dwell where the penitents do.

238. King David said, "Against You, You alone, have I sinned and done that which is evil in Your sight" (Tehilim 51:6). What is the meaning of, "You alone?" HE ANSWERS, There are sins man commits against the Holy One, blessed be He, and against people, sins against people but not the Holy One, blessed be He, and sins against the Holy One, blessed be He, but not against people. King David sinned against the Holy One, blessed be He, alone, but not against people. HENCE HE SAID, "AGAINST YOU, YOU ALONE, HAVE I SINNED."

239. HE ASKS, Yet if you argue that he did commit that sin by Bathsheba, we learned that whoever commits a sexual transgression with a man's wife, renders her forbidden to her husband, and THUS sins against his neighbor and against the Holy One, blessed be He. HE ANSWERS, This is not so. The sin you mentioned was permitted and David took that which was his, for she had a letter of divorce from her husband before he went to war. It was then the custom that men in Yisrael, who went to war, gave their wives a letter of divorce applicable after a certain time. Uriah did the same with Bathsheba. After the time had elapsed she was permitted to any man, and David married her. Whatever he did was permitted.

240. For had not it been so, but prohibited, the Holy One, blessed be He, would not have let her stay with him. Thus it is written as testimony, "And David comforted Bathsheba his wife" (II Shmuel 12:24). This is the testimony that she was his wife. Assuredly she was his wife and soulmate, ready for him from the day the world was created. This testifies that David did not commit sin by Bathsheba, as we said.

241. What was the sin he committed against the Holy One, blessed be He, and not against another? It is that he slew Uriah with the sword of the children of Amon, instead of killing him when he said to him, "and my lord Joab" (II Shmuel 11:11), seeing that he himself was his master. This the verse proves in the words, "These are the names of David's warriors" (II Shmuel 23:8), and not 'Joab's warriors.' THUS HE IS A REBEL AGAINST THE KINGDOM, WHICH IS PUNISHABLE BY DEATH. Yet he did not slay him at that time, but rather by the sword of Amon.

242. The text says that there was no fault found in him, "save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite" (I Melachim 15:5). "Save only" indicates exclusion, that HE SINNED in the matter of Uriah, and not SINNED by Uriah HIMSELF. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "and have slain him with the sword of the children of Amon" (I Shmuel 12:9). On each of the swords of the children of Amon, a crooked serpent was engraved, an image of a dragon, which is their idol. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, you have empowered that abomination. For when the children of Amon killed Uriah together with many of the children of Yisrael, the sword of the children of Amon grew strong at that time, and much strength was added to that idol and abomination.

243. You may say that Uriah was no righteous man, since it is written of him that he is Uriah the Hittite. But it is not so, he was righteous, only he was Hittite after his place, just like, "Yiftach the Gil'adite" (Shoftim 11:1), was so named after his place. THE SAME APPLIES TO URIAH THE HITTITE.

244. Hence it is written, "in the matter of Uriah the Hittite," AND NOT AGAINST URIAH HIMSELF, FOR HE WAS ALREADY LIABLE TO THE DEATH PENALTY FOR REBELLING AGAINST THE KINGDOM, AS MENTIONED. THIS IS BECAUSE HE CAUSED the abomination of the children of Amon to prevail against the camp of Elohim of David's army, who had the very shape of above, OF THE HOSTS OF SUPERNAL MALCHUT. When David caused a defect in his camp, he caused a defect above in another camp. David therefore said, "Against You, You alone, have I sinned;" against "You alone" and none other was the sin he committed. Hence THE VERSE SAYS, "In the matter of Uriah the Hittite," and hence, "with the sword of the children of Amon," WHICH MEANS THAT THE SIN WAS NOT AGAINST URIAH HIMSELF BUT IN THE MATTER OF URIAH, BY GIVING POWER TO THE SWORD OF THE CHILDREN OF AMON.

245. It is written, "For the eyes of Hashem run to and fro throughout the whole earth" (II Divrei Hayamim 16:9), which are female, AS 'RUN' HAS A FEMININE SUFFIX. And it is written, "the eyes of Hashem, they rove to and fro through the whole earth" (Zecharyah 4:10), which are male, AS 'ROVE' IS MASCULINE. So they are distinct, SOME OF THEM ARE CONSIDERED MALE AND SOME FEMALE. David said, "and done that which is evil in Your sight (eyes)" (Tehilim 51:6). HE ASKS, It says, "in Your eyes," while it should have been 'before Your eyes.' HE ANSWERS, Yet THE REASON FOR SAYING "in Your eyes" IS THAT David said, the place against which I have sinned was in Your eyes, because I knew your eyes were ready and set before me, yet I was not mindful of them. Thus the sin I committed was against Your eyes.

246. "So that You are justified in Your sentence, and clear in Your judgment" (Ibid.), and he will have no excuse to say before You, "EXAMINE ME, HASHEM, AND PROVE ME" (TEHILIM 26:2). Come and see, every artist speaks of his craft. David was the King's jester, and even though he was grieved, when he was before the King, he employed his jests as before, to amuse the King.

247. He said, Master of the Universe, I said, "Examine me, Hashem, and prove me," and you said I cannot withstand the test. Here I have sinned "so that You are justified in Your sentence," and your words prove right. For had I not sinned, my word would be true and Yours vain. Now that I have sinned, I did it so that Your sentence will be true. I have allowed place to justify Your sentence, which I did, "so that You are justified in Your sentence, and clear in Your judgment." For David reverted to his craft, and said in his grief words of jest to the King.