293. "And the sons of Noah that went forth from the ark..." (Beresheet 9:18). Rabbi Elazar said: It is written, "The sons of Noah that went forth from the ark." Could it be that there were others who did not emerge from the ark?

294. Rabbi Aba answered: Yes, his sons bore other children afterward, as it is written: "These are the generations of Shem..." (Beresheet 11:10). They did not go forth from the ark, and it is therefore written: "that went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth."

295. Rabbi Shimon said: Had I been alive, when the Holy One, blessed be He, gave people the Books of Enoch and Adam, I would have tried my best to prevent them from circulating among people. For at that time, wise men were not afraid to look into them. THEY twisted the books' ideas and took them from the supernal dominion of holiness to another dominion, WHICH IS NOT HOLY. Now, however, the wise of the world know things but conceal them, THAT IS, THEY DO NOT REVEAL THE SECRETS and they strengthen themselves in serving their Master. THAT IS WHY NOW IT IS ALLOWED TO DELVE INTO THE SECRETS OF THE TORAH.

296. I found this passage ABOUT THE SONS OF NOAH WHO WENT FORTH FROM THE ARK hidden among the secrets of the secrets. When the hidden and unknown bliss that is above all bliss, WHICH IS BINAH WHEN IT ASCENDED TO THE HEAD OF ARICH ANPIN, is aroused, the cause of all causes, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN, produces from within Himself a thin light. THIS MEANS THAT, using the supernal anointing oil, THE ILLUMINATION OF CHASSADIM, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF CHOLAM, the bliss above all bliss shines its light on the Right COLUMN. And it shines its light on the Left COLUMN with the gaiety of good wine, THAT IS, ILLUMINATIONS OF CHOCHMAH, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF SHURUK. And it shines its light on the Central COLUMN with the gaiety of both THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT Columns, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF CHIRIK. For the spirit, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, has been aroused AND HAS JOINED THE CENTRAL COLUMN OF BINAH, WHILE THE SPIRIT OF THE LEFT COLUMN HAS ASCENDED and been placed in the spirit OF THE RIGHT COLUMN. THEN ALL THREE COLUMNS OF BINAH ARE JOINED TOGETHER AND INCLUDED IN EACH OTHER.

297. They cling to each other. ZEIR ANPIN CLINGS TO BINAH, and then all three enter into the other three - THE THREE COLUMNS OF BINAH ENTER AND BECOME THE THREE COLUMNS OF ZEIR ANPIN. From the three COLUMNS OF ZEIR ANPIN, one goes forth. THIS ONE IS the covenant, YESOD, and THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE is attached to the covenant. AFTERWARD, the rising spirit, WHICH IS THE SPIRIT OF THE LEFT COLUMN, leaves Him and THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE is impregnated by him. THIS MEANS THAT THE LEFT COLUMN LEAVES ZEIR ANPIN AND IS PASSED ONTO THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. Afterward, when THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE receives the two Columns OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHEN SHE RECEIVES THE CHASSADIM OF THE RIGHT and SHE AND ZEIR ANPIN are attached spirit to spirit, THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE becomes pregnant with three sons. Then from Noah and the ark, three SONS emerged. These sons who emerged from the ark, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, were similar to the supernal three COLUMNS. Shem was the Right one, Ham the Left one, and Japheth THE CENTRAL ONE - whose color is purple and which includes the other two.

298. "And Ham is the father of Canaan" (Beresheet 3:18). CANAAN is the filth under the refuse of gold, NAMELY THAT WHICH SETTLES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POT DURING THE MELTING OF GOLD. And he is also the arousal of the ancient serpent's spirit of impurity. HAM IS THE LEFT COLUMN, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF GOLD, AND CANAAN, WHO REPRESENTS THE ANCIENT SERPENT, IS HIS REFUSE. This is why the verse specifically reads, "And Ham is the father of Canaan," THE SAME CANAAN who brought curses on the world, the same Canaan who was himself cursed and who darkened the faces of the creatures. IN OTHER WORDS, HE IS THE SERPENT WHO SEDUCED EVE AND BROUGHT CURSES ON THE WORLD, AND WHO WAS CURSED HIMSELF AND DARKENED THE FACES OF CREATURES BY BRINGING DEATH UPON THEM.

299. Only Ham was separated from the rest, because, as is written: "And Ham is the father of Canaan." THIS REFERS TO the one who brought darkness upon the world: THE POWER OF THE SERPENT. Nobody else is described in this fashion. It does not say, 'Shem is the father of so and so', or 'Japheth is the father of so and so'. The Scriptures say immediately, "And Ham is the father of Canaan."

300. Hence, what does it say about Abraham? It says, "And Abram passed through the land... And the Canaanite was then in the land" (Beresheet 12:6). The Patriarchies, THE MOCHIN THAT WERE DRAWN DOWN FOR THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, CALLED 'THE LAND,' were not yet established, and the seed of Yisrael had not yet appeared in the world. The name OF CANAAN therefore could not yet be removed FROM THE LAND and replaced with the sacred supernal name OF YISRAEL. But when Yisrael were righteous AND DREW DOWN THE THREE COLUMNS OF ZEIR ANPIN, CALLED 'YISRAEL,' TO MATE WITH THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, the land came to be called by the name, 'land of Yisrael.' IT WAS NAMED AFTER YISRAEL BELOW, WHO PERFECTED THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, AND AFTER HER HUSBAND, ZEIR ANPIN. But when they were not worthy AND THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE REMAINED WITH THE LEFT COLUMN, WITH THE GOLD'S DROSS, CALLED 'CANAAN,' it was called by a different name, 'the land of Canaan.'

301. Therefore, it is written: "And he said: Cursed be Canaan, a slave of slaves he shall be to his brothers" (Beresheet 9:25), for he brought curses upon the world, and HE REPRESENTS THE ANCIENT SERPENT. And what is said of the serpent? "You are cursed above all cattle" (Beresheet 3:14). HE WAS CURSED AS WELL IN THE PASSAGE, "CURSED BE CANAAN...a slave of slaves SHALL HE BE TO HIS BROTHERS." BECAUSE CATTLE ARE SLAVES TO PEOPLE AND BECAUSE HE IS WORSE THAN THE CATTLE AND MORE CURSED, HE IS THE SLAVE OF SLAVES. This is why it is written that Shem, Ham, and Japheth are the three sons of Noah who emerged from the ark, as has previously been explained. THEY ARE THE SECRET OF THE THREE COLUMNS: THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, THAT IS CALLED 'THE ARK,' RECEIVED THEM FROM ZEIR ANPIN, BECAME PREGNANT WITH THEM, AND BROUGHT THEM FORTH INTO THE WORLD.