Redeeming a Hebrew servant

391. The precept that follows is to redeem the Hebrew servant and the Hebrew maidservant, to marry off the Hebrew maidservant, and to contemplate the method of acquisition of the Hebrew slave, "you shall furnish him liberally" (Devarim 15:14). As the verse reads, "when you acquire a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve" (Shemot 21:2). HE ASKS, What is meant by, "six years he shall serve," and how is he to be purchased? HE ANSWERS, With the secrets of Torah. The ANGEL Metatron IS the servant of Hashem, incorporating the six ends, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD, with the same number of the six letters, BEING THE SECRET OF the six orders of the Mishnah. With them one should strive to serve his Master to become His servant. Money represents the right and Abraham, whose level is Chesed, and Torah was given from them.

392. One who toils IN TORAH in order to merit the world to come is called 'an acquisition;' his money refers to the world of pleasure, the buying is derived from to "the most high El, the possessor of heaven and earth" (Beresheet 14:22); "Get wisdom, get understanding" (Mishlei 4:5).

393. After he acquires him, redemption will come to him. There are those bought forever, and others bought for six years. Of those bought forever, the verse writes, "His master will bore his ear with an awl and work for him forever" - forever, meaning Jubilee DENOTING BINAH REFERRED TO AS JUBILEE which amounts to fifty. This alludes to the reading of Sh'ma, which contains 25 and 25 letters, of the morning and evening services, which are the fifty gates of Binah.

394. After man joins the Holy One, blessed be He, through their means, becoming His servant through the yoke of Tefilin on his head, and his ear pierced, MEANING open to hear Kriat Sh'ma - as the word Sh'ma means in any language that you hear - HEAR means 'meaning' (Heb. mashmaut) AS ONE MUST UNDERSTAND THE READING OF SH'MA SINCE IT IS THE SECRET OF THE UNITY.

395. For that person whose redemption is dependent on the reading of Sh'ma, which is the secret of fifty, ALLUDING TO BINAH, there can be no redemption through the intervention of someone else, as he is pierced only for his Master. In this verse, we do not find mentioned "one of his brethren may redeem him" (Vayikra 25:49). In regard to man's prayer, he can be like a slave, as it is written, "six years shall he toil." Here, toil means prayer. "Six years shall he toil" POINTS TO the first three and last three blessings OF THE AMIDAH, with which the cantor can fulfill man's obligation for one who is not capable of praying. IN THIS CASE, THERE IS REDEMPTION THROUGH SOMEONE ELSE INASMUCH AS THE CANTOR REDEEMS HIM, as the Righteous who lives forever - DENOTING YESOD, REFERRING TO THE CANTOR - is then called by the names of Boaz: Righteous, Kinsman, Near Kinsman, Faithful. THE MESSAGE FROM THOSE NAMES ILLUSTRATES THAT THEY REDEEM ONE WHO CANNOT HELP HIMSELF, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE LAW OF THE LEVIRATE MARRIAGE AND INCARNATION.

396. "Hashem is near to all those who call upon Him" (Tehilim 145:18). It is better for man to be "a neighbor that is near than a brother far off" (Mishlei 27:10), meaning the middle pillar, DENOTING TIFERET - AS YESOD IS CALLED 'A CLOSE NEIGHBOR' AND TIFERET IS CALLED 'A DISTANT BROTHER' that is considered as the son of Yud-Hei that ascended above to Binah. This world is the world of Jubilee consisting of the fifty letters of the unity OF SH'MA READING, BEING THE FIFTY GATES OF BINAH, AS EXPLAINED ABOVE. In this world, NAMELY MALCHUT, man can redeem himself through the righteous, DENOTING YESOD, BEING six years that incorporates the three initial and three concluding blessings OF THE AMIDAH PRAYER; THIS IS THE SECRET OF the small Vav, DENOTING YESOD. This is the meaning of, "six years he shall toil."

397. However, in the world to come, the world of Jubilee DENOTING BINAH, where there is present the fifty letters of the Sh'ma reading, the cantor cannot exempt another from his duty, as there is no redemption through others, so hear (Heb. sh'ma) in whatever language you understand, BUT IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU READ IT YOURSELF. Present here is the hint, "If I am not for myself, who is for me." "I" DENOTES MALCHUT; "who" (Heb. mi) refers to the world of Jubilee DENOTING BINAH. THIS INSINUATES ABOUT SH'MA WHERE "I" DOES NOT APPLY, BUT "MI" DOES.