Counting and Numbers

83. Come and see: Moses ordered and Betzalel executed, so that all may be in the secret of the body: THE SECRET OF MOSES, WHO IS TIFERET, and the final part of the body, the holy covenant, WHICH IS BETZALEL, so as to increase the love and bond of the unison in the Tabernacle, WHICH IS MALCHUT. All was done in the secret of the right, and therefore, wherever the right side is present, the evil eye has no sway. That is why IT IS WRITTEN, "and the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation" (Shemot 38:25), FOR IT WAS NUMBERED AND COUNTED, IN THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, AND IT WAS NOT WRITTEN, 'WAVE SILVER,' because this silver comes of the right side, CHESED, and therefore everything was numbered. THIS IS THE MYSTERY OF COMPRISING THE LEFT COLUMN, AND THE REASON IT IS POURED FROM ABOVE DOWNWARD.

84. Rabbi Yitzchak asked Rabbi Shimon: We established that blessing does not dwell on anything that was measured or counted. If so, in relation to the Tabernacle, why was everything counted? He said to him: Indeed we learned this already. But any place, upon which there dwells the side of holiness, NAMELY, THAT IT IS DRAWN FROM THE CENTRAL COLUMN COMBINING RIGHT AND LEFT, if the counting is from the holy side, blessing will be upon it always, never to pass away. We know it from the tithe, because since the purpose of the counting is to sanctify, there is blessing in it. All the more so the Tabernacle, which is holy and pertains to the side of holiness.

85. But the rest of worldly matters, not coming from the side of holiness, no blessing dwells upon them when counted. For the Other Side, which is evil eyed, can have power over it, and since it can have power over it, there is no blessing therein, in order that no blessings will reach that evil eyed.

86. Blessings are always added to measurement of holiness and counting of holiness, and therefore it is written, "And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation," MEANING THAT IT WAS COUNTED by them that were numbered of the congregation in truth, and there should be no fear of the evil eye for that reckoning since blessings hover over all from above.

87. Come and see: The evil eye has no power over the seed of Joseph, since it comes of the right side. Therefore the Tabernacle was constructed by Betzalel, who dwelt in the mystery of Joseph, being the secret of the Holy Covenant, NAMELY, HE WAS OF YESOD, AND YESOD IS CALLED 'JOSEPH'. Therefore Moses orders and Betzalel executes, so all may be in the secret of the body: MOSES, NAMELY TIFERET, and the final part of the body; BETZALEL, WHO IS YESOD, the sign of the Holy Covenant, so as to increase love and the bond of union in the Tabernacle, MALCHUT. And all was done according to the secret of the right, and that is why IT IS WRITTEN, "And the silver...numbered of the congregation," because that reckoning is the reckoning of the great grades in charge, NAMELY THE FIRST THREE SFIROT, combined on the right side. Therefore it is written, "a hundred talents..." (Ibid.) TO INDICATE THE TEN SFIROT, EACH INCLUDING TEN, TOGETHER WITH THE FIRST THREE.

88. Rabbi Aba and Rabbi Acha and Rabbi Yosi were walking from Tiberias to Tzipori. As they were walking, they saw Rabbi Elazar coming together with Rabbi Chiya. Rabbi Aba said: Surely we shall be joined with the Shechinah. They waited for them, and when they arrived, Rabbi Elazar said: It is written, "The eyes of Hashem are towards the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry" (Tehilim 34:16). This verse is hard to explain; what is the meaning of "The eyes of Hashem are towards the righteous"? If it means that the Holy One, blessed be He, takes care of them to help them in this world, yet we see so many righteous in this world, who cannot get as much food as the crows in the field. What is the meaning, then, of "The eyes of Hashem are towards the righteous"?

89. HE ANSWERS: This is a secret. Come and see: All the creatures in the world are known above, either as of this side OF HOLINESS, or of that OTHER Side. Those who are known by the holy side, are always under its protection. And those that are known by the side of defilement, are always under its control. And where the holy side has sway, the Other Side has not, and may never approach, nor thrust him from his place or occupation by any means. About this IT IS WRITTEN, "The eyes of Hashem are towards the righteous," for which reason the Other Side cannot rule over them. And there is help from heaven and good providence from above. And the Other Side and all that is evil may not rule over you.

90. Rabbi Aba said: But we have learned, that wherever the holy side abides, though there is reckoning, still blessings are not withheld from that place. Rabbi Elazar said: Assuredly this is so. He said to him: Yisrael is holy, and come from the holy side, as it is written, "Yisrael is holy to Hashem" (Yirmeyah 2:3), and "You shall be holy, for I Hashem, your Elohim am holy" (Vayikra 19:2). Why then, when David counted Yisrael, was there death among them, as it is written, "So Hashem sent a pestilence upon Yisrael from the morning even to the time appointed" (II Shmuel 24:15)?

91. He told him: It happened since David did not take shekels from them as ransom, as it is written, "then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul to Hashem when you number them that there be no plague among them when you number them" (Shemot 30:12). For holiness is in need of holy ransom, and that ransom of holiness was not taken from them. Come and see: Yisrael is holiness without numbering, and therefore a ransom should be taken from them. And that ransom is to be counted, while they are not.

92. What is the reason? Holiness is a secret, higher than all the grades, THE MYSTERY OF SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA. As this holiness is superior to all, and outside it there is another holiness beneath it, YISRAEL - SABA AND TEVUNAH COVERING SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA FROM OUTSIDE, subject to numbering and accounting, so is Yisrael holiness, as it is written, "Yisrael is holy to Hashem." And they give another holiness, their ransom, that is subject to numbering. This is a secret: Yisrael is a tree standing inside, OPPOSITE SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA, and the ransom given is another holiness standing outside and counted, CORRESPONDING TO YISRAEL- SABA AND TEVUNAH. The one is shielding the other. They went on.

93. Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion and said: "And the number of the children of Yisrael shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered..." (Hoshea 2:1). HE ASKS: What is the meaning of "the sand of the sea"? AND HE ANSWERS: That there are two meanings. The first is that "the sand of the sea" MEANS when the sea raises its waves wrathfully and the waves rise to flood the world. When they reach and see the sand, they are broken immediately and return quietly, and have no power to have control over and flood the world.

94. In the same manner Yisrael is like the sand of the sea. When the other nations, which are like the furious waves of the sea of severe Judgment, see Yisrael bound to the Holy One, blessed be He, they return BACK and are broken before them, and cannot rule the world. Another meaning is that like the sand of the sea, that cannot be numbered or measured, as it is written, "which cannot be measured or numbered" so is Yisrael, who is not numbered nor subject to reckoning.

95. Come and see: There is a secret and hidden measurement, THE SECRET OF ABA AND IMA. And there is reckoning in a hidden place, concealed and stored, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF YISRAEL - SABA AND TEVUNAH. And it may be measured and numbered. This is the secret of sustenance above and below. For the measurement IN ABA AND IMA, NAMELY, THE AMOUNT OF CHASSADIM IN THEM, the secret of its execution is never known, AND ALSO WE MAY NOT KNOW the basis of the secret of the reckoning IN YISRAEL- SABA AND TEVUNAH. This is the secret of the Faith of all.

96. Yisrael below is not subject to reckoning, but only in a different aspect, NAMELY, COVERED CHASSADIM. The ransom they give, CORRESPONDING TO YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH, is subject to accounting. And for that reason whenever the children of Yisrael are counted, ransom is taken from them, as we said. Therefore, at the time of David, when he counted Yisrael, and did not take ransom, there was wrath and many hosts and legions of Yisrael perished.

97. For that reason it is written concerning the building of the Tabernacle: "And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation...for everyone that went to be numbered" (Shemot 38:25), NAMELY, IN THAT SAID RECKONING. All was consecrated to the construction of the Tabernacle. It was established that the talents, "A HUNDRED TALENTS" (Ibid. 27), belong to one account, and the shekels, "A THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE" (IBID. 28), are another account. For the superior ones are numbered by a supernal account, NAMELY, THE LIGHTS OF YISRAEL - SABA AND TEVUNAH, THE SECRET OF BINAH, THE HIGH RECKONING, ARE THE SECRET OF TALENTS. Others are numbered by a different account, THAT IS, THE ACCOUNTS IN ZEIR ANPIN THAT SHINES UPON MALCHUT, the one above and the other below. That is why it is written, "And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets (Heb. adanim) of the sanctuary..." And these sockets were already explained, TO BE THE SECRET OF THE WHOLE MALCHUT CALLED 'ADONAI', THAT RECEIVES FROM THE HIGH RECKONING, NAMELY, FROM BINAH.