108. "And of the one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their capitals" (Shemot 38:28). Come and see: We learned that Moses forgot these shekels and knew not what became of them, until a voice resounded, saying, "And of the one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars."
109. Rabbi Chizkiyah opened the discussion with the verse: "While the king was reclining at his board, my nard sent forth its fragrance" (Shir Hashirim 1:12). This was already explained. Yet, "While the King was reclining at His board" refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, BINAH, when He gave the Torah to Yisrael and came to Sinai. Many Chariots were with Him, all of them sacred, THE SECRET OF THE LEFT COLUMN, and all the high sanctifications, from the sanctification of the Torah, THE SECRET OF THE RIGHT COLUMN. All were there. The Torah, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, was given with flaming fire, and all was of the side of fire, written by white fire, OF THE SIDE OF CHESED, upon black fire, OF THE SIDE OF GVURAH. FOR THE CENTRAL COLUMN IS COMPRISED OF CHESED AND GVURAH, RIGHT AND LEFT. And the letters were soaring and rising up in the air. IN THE MYSTERY OF THE AIR, THE LOWER GRADES SOARED AND ROSE TO THE HIGHER ONES.
110. And the first letter of the Torah was divided into 775 on each side, and all were seen in the air of the firmament by the letter Vav, Vav on each and every side.
111. These hooks (Heb. vavim) were standing on pillars, WHICH ARE NETZACH AND HOD OF ZEIR ANPIN FROM THE CHEST DOWN. And these pillars are suspended by means of a miracle, NAMELY, THEY WERE SHINING TO MALCHUT CALLED 'BANNER', and all the hooks are upon them, ALL ARE SHINING UPON MALCHUT. AND HE EXPLAINS: Since the secret of the Torah abides by the Vav, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, THEREFORE, THE ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE LIGHTS COMPRISED IN IT ARE CALLED 'VAV'S'. These Vav's (Heb. vavim), which are the mystery of the Faith in the Torah, all stand upon these pillars, the secret from which the prophets come, NAMELY, NETZACH AND HOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHENCE THE PROPHETS ARE INSPIRED. And their secret is on every side, NAMELY, THEY ILLUMINATE THE FOUR DIRECTIONS CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET AND MALCHUT. On these pillars the hooks stand.
112. The high Vav is the secret of a resounding voice, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. Upon this secret the Torah is established, since the Torah, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, comes out of that inner voice, WITHIN BINAH, called 'A great voice'. And a great voice IN BINAH is the secret of the Torah, THAT ISSUES FROM IT. Therefore, it is written, "a great voice which was not heard again" (Devarim 5:19), FOR THE TORAH ISSUED FROM IT.
113. Come and see: This great voice is the main part and the secret of the Holy Name, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF DA'AT OF BINAH. For that reason we established that a man must not greet his friend before praying. This secret was explained from the verse, "whoever greets his friend in a great voice early in the morning, it is considered as a curse upon him" (Mishlei 27:14). This is not forbidden as long as greeting is not said with a great voice, which is the main part of the Holy Name, FOR EXAMPLE, IF HE SAID TO HIM 'MAY HASHEM BLESS YOU.' BUT WHEN THE HOLY NAME IS NOT MENTIONED, IT IS NOT FORBIDDEN.
114. Therefore, the secret of the Torah emerges from that great voice, INSIDE BINAH, and this is the King, NAMELY WHAT WAS SAID, "While the king was reclining at His board," that alludes to the revelation of Sinai. "My nard sent forth its fragrance," this is the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT. And all this came about because the children of Yisrael said: "Everything that Hashem spoke, will we do and obey" (Shemot 24:7) BY WHICH THEY MERITED ALL THIS REVELATION. And the King is the High King, NAMELY, BINAH, as was explained.
115. Come and see: When the Holy One, blessed be He brought a flood upon the world to destroy everything, He told Noah, 'you should be careful not to show yourself to the Destroyer, THE ANGEL OF DEATH, so he would not have power over you'. THE REASON IS THAT there was no one to protect him. And when the sacrifice was offered by Noah, the world became perfumed. But it was not perfumed so much until Yisrael stood on Mount Sinai. And when Yisrael stood on Mount Sinai, the world was perfumed and the Destroyer was no longer present in the world.
116. The Holy One, blessed be He wanted at that time to remove the Destroyer from the world, THAT DEATH WILL BE SWALLOWED FOREVER, but after a few days Yisrael sinned and made the calf. Then, it is written, "the children of Yisrael stripped themselves of their ornaments (Heb. edyam) from Mount Horeb" (Shemot 33:6). Edyam is the secret of the Holy Name that the Holy One, blessed be He adorned them with AT THE GIVING OF THE LAW, then was taken from them. Then the Destroyer ruled the world, as before, when he was ruling the world and judging PEOPLE.
117. Rabbi Yosi said: At the time of the flood, who put the Destroyer there? For the water went up, AND WIPED OFF ALL THE WORLD. WHY DID NOAH HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF THE DESTROYER? HE REPLIES: Come and see, there is no Judgment in the world, or a world smitten with Judgment, where there will not be that Destroyer, to walk among the Judgments in the world. Here also, there was a flood and the Destroyer walked in its midst and was named 'FLOOD' after it. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He told Noah to hide himself and not be seen in the world. And this was already explained. Come and see: Rabbi Yosi said, The word was not yet in order again, and the earth not over the filth of the snake.