193. "And it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished (Heb. kalot)..." (Bemidbar 7:1). Rabbi Yosi learned THAT IT MEANS the day that the bride (Heb. kalah) entered under the bridal canopy, WHO IS THE SHECHINAH. HE ASKS: IF SO, how will we explain "the day that Moses had finished?" IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT TO SAY, 'THE DAY (HE) FINISHED.' HE REPLIES: It is only to teach us that she entered through Moses. Rabbi Yehuda said: Is it that until now THE SHECHINAH was detained and did not take her place? Why is it written: "And Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting..." (Shemot 40:35)? IT INDICATES THAT THE SHECHINAH WAS ALREADY IN THE TENT OF MEETING PRIOR TO THAT DAY. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Time sequence is not always kept in the Torah, SINCE THE VERSE OF: "AND MOSES WAS NOT ABLE..." WAS ACTUALLY LATER THAN THIS PRESENT VERSE.

194. "And it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished (Heb. kalot)...," MEANING THE SHECHINAH REFERRED TO AS THE BRIDE (HEB. KALAH) OF MOSES, who is definitely the bride of Moses. We have learned that Rabbi Shimon said it is written: "You have ascended on high, you have led captivity captive..." (Tehilim 68:19). When the Holy One, blessed be He, told him, "Remove your shoes from your feet" (Shemot 3:5), the mountain was shaken. Michael, THE ANGEL, said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, do you wish to dismantle THE MAKE OF man? Behold, it says: "Male and female he created them; and blessed them" (Beresheet 5:2). A blessing only applies to whoever is of male and female yet you have instructed MOSES to separate from his wife SINCE "REMOVE YOUR SHOES FROM OFF YOUR FEET" MEANS THAT HE SHOULD SEPARATE FROM HIS WIFE, AS THE SCRIPTURE USES A SUBTLE LANGUAGE.

195. THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, told him, 'Moses has already met his requirement of being fruitful and multiplying. Now I wish that he should marry the Shechinah, and the Shechinah will descend to reside with him.' This is what is meant by: "You have ascended on high, you have led (into) captivity captive." What is captive? It means the Shechinah that was married to you. "You have received gifts from men (lit. 'the man')" (Tehilim 69:19). It is not written here: 'from man,' but rather "the man," WHICH INDICATES that particular man above, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, AND THE GIFT IS THE SHECHINAH THAT ZEIR ANPIN GAVE HIM. The day that the Shechinah came down is the day that She was married to Moses. This is what is meant by: "Moses had finished," speaking about the very bride of Moses.

196. About Joshua, whose face was like the face of the moon, it is written: "Put off your shoes" (Yehoshua 5:15), since he did not separate FROM HIS WIFE except for certain times, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROPHECY. The Shechinah was not married to him too much and he was not worthy of Her, as it is written: "And Joshua fell on his face to the earth" (Ibid. 14). But here, She was certainly the bride of Moses. In "Gifts (Heb. matanot) from men," Matanot IS SPELLED WITHOUT THE VAV OF THE PLURAL FORM, SINCE IT IS REFERRING TO THE SHECHINAH WHICH IS SINGULAR. Praised is the lot of Moses, whose Master wished his glory for other people.