"This is the Torah of the burnt offering"

349. He opened the discussion with the verse: "This is the Torah of the burnt offering; it is the burnt offering" (Vayikra 6:2). Rabbi Shimon said: It is written, "Hashem, You preserve man and beast" (Tehilim 36:7). A burnt offering (lit. 'ascension') is the ascension of and the bond between the Congregation of Yisrael, MALCHUT, AND ZEIR ANPIN above. It is its unity with the World to Come, BINAH, so that everything becomes one. The burnt offering considered the highest class of sacrifices (lit. 'Holy of Holies'), BECAUSE OF ITS CONNECTION TO BINAH. MALCHUT is therefore called 'burnt offering' (lit. 'ascension') for it ascends and adorns itself WITH ZEIR ANPIN AND BINAH, so all may be in one knot in joy.

350. Since it goes up and up, TO ZEIR ANPIN AND BINAH, it is written, "This is the Torah of the burnt offering," the secret of unity between male and female. FOR 'THIS' IS THE NUKVA CALLED 'THIS', 'TORAH' IS ZEIR ANPIN CALLED 'TORAH', NAMELY the Written Law, ZEIR ANPIN, and the Oral Law, MALCHUT. "The ascension" for it ascends to the World to Come, BINAH, to be connected to it, for BINAH is called 'the Holy of Holies', and ascension is also Holy of Holies.

351. For that reason it is slaughtered on the north side, which is the left side, because the Oral Law, NAMELY MALCHUT, does not mount in love, unless the north side is awakened, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE LEFT SIDE, FROM WHERE IT IS BUILT, as it is written, "His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me" (Shir Hashirim 2:6). Then it ascends in love, and is adorned with the right, THE LIGHT OF CHESED, and joins the Central Column, THAT COMBINES RIGHT AND LEFT, and shines upon everything from the secret of the Holy of Holies, WHICH IS BINAH, influenced by the mystery of man, the service of the priests, THE SECRET OF THE RIGHT COLUMN, the singing of the Levites, THE SECRET OF THE LEFT COLUMN, and the prayer of Yisrael, THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN.

352. We explained that the burnt offering is of the highest class of sacrifices, in the secret of the Supernal Spirit TO WHICH IT IS A GARMENT, for three spirits are connected together to THE BURNT OFFERING; THE FIRST IS a lower spirit called 'the Holy Spirit', NAMELY MALCHUT; THE SECOND IS the spirit in the middle, called 'the spirit of Chochmah and Binah', WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, BETWEEN CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, also called 'the lower spirit', IN COMPARISON WITH BINAH THAT IS SUPERIOR TO IT - but ZEIR ANPIN is called a spirit coming out of the Shofar comprising of fire and water; THE THIRD IS the upper spirit secretly concealed, WHICH IS BINAH, where all the Holy Spirits are and all faces shine. That is why the burnt offering returns to be the actual UPPER spirit.

353. Afterwards, from the secret of the beast OFFERED, THE EXTERNAL FORCES are sustained and nourished, so as to connect AND LET OUT THROUGH IT another spirit within defilement so it MAY BE LET OUT, NAMELY SO HOLY SPARKS MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE OTHER SIDE, by OFFERING fat and marrow, as we learned. The burnt offering is the highest class of sacrifices MEANT WHOLLY FOR THAT WHICH IS HIGH, AND THERE IS NO FOOD IN IT FOR THE EXTERNAL FORCES. But the rest of the offerings bring peace to the whole world, from the aspects of the forces of Judgment IN THE WORLD, by removing them, and shining in trying to mitigate them BY THE OFFERINGS. They are called 'lesser holy offerings,' because they are not adorned above in the Holy of Holies, BINAH. Therefore, they are 'lesser holy offerings' and may be slaughtered any place, as we explained. But the burnt offering, which is the secret of the highest class of sacrifices, is not like the rest of the offerings, for all of it is holy.

354. Come and see: It is written, "and the priest shall put on his linen garment" (Vayikra 6:3). This is a garment for holiness alone. 'Linen' (Heb. bad, Bet-Dalet) MEANS alone (Heb. levad, Lamed-Bet-Dalet), namely, it is for holiness alone. It is also written, "these are holy garments; therefore, shall he bathe his flesh in water, and so put them on" (Vayikra 16:4). Why DO WE NEED ALL THESE? The secret meaning of this is as we said, that THE BURNT OFFERING is of the highest class of sacrifices, since it ascends entirely and is bedecked in the Holy of Holies, WHICH IS BINAH, into one bond. Then the spirit of defilement that defiles everything, passes away and does not rule, nor approaches the Temples, and it is removed from all the sides of holiness, and all that is holy remains in holiness alone.

355. Rabbi Shimon said: We studied the verse, "Hashem, You preserve man and beast" (Tehilim 36:7). The offering of man assuredly comes from the side of man, NAMELY, STUDYING TORAH AND PRAYER, and the beast comes from the side of the beast, NAMELY, OFFERING UPON THE ALTAR. It is therefore written, "If any man of you bring an offering" (Vayikra 1:2); assuredly this refers to a man, whose offering it is OF TORAH AND PRAYER, so it may tie above the knot in the secret of man, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, IN THE SECRET OF YUD HEI VAV HEI OF 45 IN NUMERICAL VALUE, THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF MAN (ADAM), and afterwards TO BE OFFERED ON THE ALTAR THEN ASCENDS TO MALCHUT, THE SECRET OF YUD HEI VAV HEI OF 52, IN NUMERICAL VALUE THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF BEAST (HEB. BEHEMAH). "Of the cattle" (Ibid.). All is in the secret of man and beast, as we said, this is the secret reason an offering of both man and beast is needed. Come and see: When the Holy One, blessed be He created the world, He made them so, man and beast.

356. You may say, it is written, "and let birds fly above the earth" (Beresheet 1:20), from which sacrifices are offered, and even burnt offerings, as it is written, "and if his offering be a burnt offering of fowls" (Vayikra 1:14); Come and see: Of the fowls only the turtledove and young pigeons are offered, and what qualifies the one, disqualifies the other, RED QUALIFIES THE TURTLEDOVE AND DISQUALIFIES THE YOUNG PIGEON, BECAUSE the latter is of the right, AND THUS RED DISQUALIFIES IT, and the former, TURTLEDOVE, is of the left, AND THAT IS WHY RED, THE COLOR OF THE LEFT, QUALIFIES IT.

357. But we stated that, "And let birds fly above the earth" refers to the secret of the Chariot, NAMELY, THE ANGEL MICHAEL...UPON WHOM RIDES MALCHUT, AND THEY ARE CALLED 'BIRDS'. By them the Holy Spirit, MALCHUT, is raised up TO ZEIR ANPIN. They are two, one to the right and one to the left; "birds" to the right, referring to Michael and "fly" to the left, referring to Gabriel. Therefore, these two birds are offered: A TURTLEDOVE AND A YOUNG PIGEON, to raise the Holy Spirit, MALCHUT. The left OF ZEIR ANPIN crowns and arms the left side below OF MALCHUT. And the same happens with the right, and the wife, MALCHUT, is united with her husband, ZEIR ANPIN, to become one. And all is connected together above and below, and the Holy One, blessed be He alone is elevated and strengthened.

358. In ancient books IT IS SAID THAT the poor man, WHO SACRIFICES TURTLEDOVES AND YOUNG PIGEONS, does not give a portion TO SUSTAIN THE WORLDS, but only to the upper union. But everything above and below, is joined each to its side as deserved. And we already explained.

359. Rabbi Elazar asked Rabbi Shimon: The burnt offering is bound to the Holy of Holies, BINAH, so it may shine. The devotion of the service of the priests, Levites, and Yisrael rises above, BY OFFERING SACRIFICE; how far does it go?

360. He told him: We stated that THEIR DEVOTION reaches the Endless World. The object of bond, unison, and completeness is to hide well that which cannot be perceived or known, where abides the will of all wills, NAMELY, THE ENDLESS WORLD. It is endless and not subject to knowledge, nor did it create an end or beginning, UNLIKE the first nought (Heb. ayin), WHICH IS KETER, that produced a beginning and an end. The beginning is the supernal point, the beginning of all that is concealed, existing within thought, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, FOR CHOCHMAH ISSUED FROM KETER. IT IS THE SECRET MEANING OF THE VERSE, "BUT WHERE (HEB. AYIN) SHALL WISDOM BE FOUND?" (IYOV 28:12). It also produced an end, called "the end of the matter" (Kohelet 12:13), NAMELY, MALCHUT, THE END OF ALL THE LIGHTS. But there, IN THE ENDLESS WORLD there is no end.

361. There are no desires, no lights and no candles, NAMELY, THE LIGHTS OF GVURAH, within that Endless World. All the candles and lights IN ATZILUT, are dependent upon THE ENDLESS WORLD for their existence. But it, in itself, is not subject to comprehension. That which is known but not known, NAMELY, THAT KNOWLEDGE PERTAINS TO IT BUT IT IS NOT KNOWN, is but the high desire most concealed of all, CALLED 'Ayin', THE SFIRAH OF KETER. BUT THERE IS NO WORD TO DESCRIBE THE ENDLESS WORLD BECAUSE THERE IS NO PERCEIVING IT.

362. When the supernal point, CHOCHMAH, and the World to Come, BINAH, mount BY THEIR ILLUMINATION, the odor alone is known, THE SECRET OF THE SIX ENDS OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH CALLED 'ODOR', BUT NOT THE FIRST THREE SFIROT, AS KNOWN. It is as if they perfume themselves by that smell. This is not CONSIDERED the satisfaction (Heb. nachat) CALLED 'odor' (Heb. nichoach), as it is written, "and I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors" (Vayikra 26:31). FOR SMELL AND ODOR ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. The smell of odor refers to the smell of desire, NAMELY, of all the desires, prayers, and songs, and the service of the priest, all in the mystery of man. They then all become one desire, AND THAT DESIRE is called 'odor', WHICH MEANS 'desire', according to the Aramaic translation. Then all is bound together and illuminates properly, as we learned.

363. By that the Other Side is handed to the priest, as it is written, "command Aaron and his sons, saying" (Vayikra 6:2). There is a mystery here, for we explained that "command" refers to idolatry, NAMELY, TO THE OTHER SIDE. Here it was handed to him so he could burn that wicked thought, and remove it from holiness, by that will rising upward, the smoke and the burning marrow, so they will pass away from holiness. That command is in their hands, to separate from holiness by sacrifice. And if you say, in the verse, "command the children of Yisrael" (Bemidbar 28:2), HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THE WORD "COMMAND" SO IT WOULD REFER TO THE OTHER SIDE? HE ANSWERS: When the children of Yisrael do the bidding of their Master, the Other Side cannot rule them.

364. The whole verse shows the secret meaning of the matter: to adorn the Holy Spirit, MALCHUT, high above and to separate the spirit of defilement and bring it down below. YISRAEL does this by their desire and prayer, THE PRIESTS by offering sacrifices, each one as befits him.

365. This verse proves it. It is written, "command Aaron and his sons, saying." "Command" refers to idolatry, the spirit of defilement. "Saying" is a woman called, "who fears Hashem" (Mishlei 31:30), THAT IS, MALCHUT. It written here "saying" and it is written there "saying, if a man put away his wife" (Yirmeyah 3:1). IN BOTH CASES THERE IS REFERENCE TO WOMEN. And we already explained, that all was said, TO ADORN MALCHUT AND LOWER THE OTHER SIDE. It is for the priest to fix everything in the secret of man and beast. Happy is the portion of the righteous in this world and in the World to Come, for they know the ways of the Torah, and walk in it in the way of truth. Of them it is written, "Hashem, with these things men live" (Yeshayah 38:18). What are "these things"? They are the ways of the Torah. "Men live," namely, in this world and the World to Come.

366. Come and see: It is written, "This is the Torah of the burnt offering" (Vayikra 6:2). Rabbi Chiya said, I explained this verse in this manner: "this is the Torah" refers to the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY, MALCHUT. It is a "burnt offering" (lit. 'ascension'), for it ascends and adorns itself up high, to be bound properly to the place called 'Holy of Holies', BINAH.

367. Another explanation: "This is the Torah" refers to the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT. "The burnt offering" is an evil thought, taking over the desire of man to lead him astray from the way of truth. "The burnt offering" rises and denounces man. It should be burnt by fire, so it will not increase.

368. It shall therefore, "be burning upon the altar all night" (Vayikra 6:2). The "night" is the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY, MALCHUT, that purifies man from that desire. It is "Upon the altar," because the river of fire is where those should be burnt who are not well established, ALL WHO ARE MADE DEFECTIVE BY THE OTHER SIDE. They are put in the burning fire, and their power is broken. It must be put "upon the altar all night" to subdue it, for then it is subdued and loses its power.

369. Hence, when THE OTHER SIDE is subdued, the Congregation of Yisrael, which is the Holy Spirit, NAMELY MALCHUT, ascends to be adorned up high, because it ascends whenever the other force is subjugated and separated from it. Therefore, we need, by the secret of the offering, to separate that side from the Holy Spirit, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and give it a portion, so the Holy Spirit may rise above.