The holiday of Pesach

703. "And on... the first month" (Bemidbar 28:16). HE ASKS: What is meant here by the first month? AND ANSWERS: It is Nissan, which is when that animal gave birth TO THE LIGHTS OF THE REDEMPTION, in accord with the teaching of the sages of Mishnah: In the month of Nissan they were redeemed, and in the month of Nissan they will be redeemed. And this is with His hand (Heb. yad = 14), ON HIS FOURTEENTH, ACCORDING TO THE SECRET OF THE VERSE: "for he said, because Yah has sworn (lit. 'put a hand') by His throne" (Shemot 17:16), when He swore to remove the seed of Esau, the Amalek, from the world. At that time: "Draw out and take lambs according to your families, and kill the passover" (Shemot 12:21), WHERE THE MEANING OF "draw out" (Heb. mishchu) is as in the verse: "he stretched out (Heb. mashach) his hand with scorners" (Hoshea 7:5).

704. At that time, thus said Hashem: to the rulers who transgressed against Me: "neither shall they enter into the land of Yisrael" (Yechezkel 13:9), and this refers to the shepherds of the flock, the supporters of the generation. Wherefore it is said about them: "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness" (Hoshea 2:16). "and there will remonstrate with you... As I remonstrated with your fathers" (Yechezkel 20:35-36), NAMELY, whom He killed in the plague of darkness. End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).

705. "And on...the first month" (Bemidbar 28:16). HE ASKS: What is meant by the first month? AND ANSWERS: This is the month in which that animal, NAMELY, MALCHUT, is revealed in and strengthened by and goes forth into the world, NAMELY, EMERGES FROM HER CLOSURE, IN THE SECRET OF THE VERSE: "AND STRIP THE FORESTS BARE" (TEHILIM 29:9) on the fourteenth day. The fourteen days refer to the remaining animals, NAMELY, CHESED AND GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT OF ZEIR ANPIN, THAT ILLUMINATE WITHIN MALCHUT, for they are ten in each direction, SINCE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, ARE THE FOUR DIRECTIONS at the four corners of the world, NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AND WEST, EACH ONE OF WHICH IS COMPOSED OF TEN SFIROT. And in the early writing IT IS STATED that she, MALCHUT, is ten, and that one SFIRAH OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, is in each of the four directions OF THE WORLD, making fourteen. And since these four, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, join in and are established with the ten THAT ARE IN MALCHUT from the right-hand side, this makes the fourteenth day OF THE MONTH for the fixing of this animal, WHICH IS MALCHUT, with all her establishment, with rejoicing.

706. Rabbi Elazar said: "Of course, that is how it is, but come and see, It is written: "Draw out and take lambs..." What is the meaning of "Draw out"? AND REPLIES: IT IS TO BE UNDERSTOOD as one who draws something from another place to this place, namely, draw out the upper days, WHICH ARE THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN, to the lower days, TO THE SFIROT of MALCHUT. The upper days OF ZEIR ANPIN number 366, as in the numerical value of "Draw out" (Heb. mishchu), NAMELY, THE NUMBER OF DAYS IN A SOLAR YEAR, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. The lower days OF MALCHUT are usually 355 days in a year, (Heb. shanah = 355). But when the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, shines at its fullest, the number of its days rises to be 365 days, AS THE SOLAR YEAR, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, namely, as the numerical value of "mishchu," less one.

707. Draw the upper days OF ZEIR ANPIN to the lower days OF MALCHUT, so that they will be one, all joined together. And who draws them? These are, the ten OF MALCHUT when she is on the right side, THAT IS CHESED. For it is written: "on the tenth day (Heb. be'asor)" (Shemot 12:3), NAMELY, MALCHUT WHEN SHE IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. HE ASKS, IT IS WRITTEN AS "be'asor," when the verse should have used the more common be'asarah (lit. 'the tenth day'); what is be'asor? HE ANSWERS, there are nine in each direction with one point that goes in the middle, thus: , and this point completes the ten SFIROT. This is why it is written "be'asor," just as it is written: "Remember (Heb. zachor)" (Shemot 20:8) and "Keep (Heb. shamor)" (Devarim 5:12), NAMELY, THE FORM OF THE INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE OF THE VERB, THE MEANING OF BE'ASOR THUS BEING to use the ten IN SUCH A WAY that these nine days WILL USE that point. "of this month" (Shemot 12:3), WHICH IS NISSAN, ALLUDES TO CHESED, TO SHOW THAT THESE days THAT ARE DRAWN DOWN will be on the right side, WHICH IS CHESED in order to combine zot (lit. 'this', feminine), WHICH IS MALCHUT, with zeh (lit. 'this', masculine), WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, for it all to be one.

708. And when these four DAYS THAT FOLLOW THE TENTH OF THE MONTH join up with the four directions, SOUTH, NORTH, EAST AND WEST, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF CHESED AND GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, and combine with them, WITH THE TEN DAYS, then that animal, WHICH IS MALCHUT, gives birth to THE LIGHTS OF THE REDEMPTION, and the Serpent departs. And at that time that animal is sanctified on high, and is called "Glory," and then the festival is sanctified. This had not been the case previously, but now, IN THE FESTIVAL, she is called "glory," as it is written: "and in His temple everyone speaks of His glory."

709. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). The Faithful Shepherd said: These matters THAT ARE STATED ABOVE, IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH, are insufficiently clear and they have to be explained for the friends, for whoever hides the secrets of the Torah from them, saddens them, for the lights of the secrets are darkness for the wicked. And it is like silver that is hidden away. If one digs until he discovers it, but it is not his, it becomes like darkness and gloom in his mind, while for one to whom it belongs, it illuminates on him. This is the reason why a person should reveal the hidden secrets of the Torah TO THE FRIENDS.

710. "on the tenth day" (Shemot 12:3) means that the nine Sfirot are in all directions, paralleling the nine months of a pregnant woman's period of gestation, which is the same as the numerical value of Aleph Chet of one (Heb. Echad -Aleph Chet Dalet). Who is the woman with child? She is the Dalet of echad. Aleph Chet (= 9) are the nine SFIROT in the four directions of the letter Dalet (= 4), and they are forty. Aleph Chet CORRESPOND TO "Remember," WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, while Dalet CORRESPONDS TO "Keep," WHICH IS MALCHUT, AND TOGETHER WITH THEM, they are 42.

711. This leaves us with "glory," as it is said: "Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever." And this is glory (Heb. kavod = 32) and heart (Heb. lev = 32), THE SUM OF WHICH IS 64. And there are four directions to this letter Dalet, 64 to the four sides, which comes to 256. And it has been taught: Glory above and heart below, and for this reason, the recital of the unity is said twice daily, in which we say 'glory' twice, which amounts to 64. Add to this the two Dalet's of echad, and we have 72. And so the Dalet of echad completes the 42-letter Names and also completes the 72-letter Names. And this is why it is said in 'A Psalm of David': "Who is this King of glory? Hashem strong and mighty" (Tehilim 24:8), and again: "Who is this King of glory? Hashem of hosts, He is the King of glory" (Ibid.10). End of Ra'aya Meheimna.

712. IT IS WRITTEN: "AND IN HIS TEMPLE EVERYONE SPEAK OF HIS GLORY" (TEHILIM 29:9). HE ASKS: What is meant by "His temple?" AND HE ANSWERS: This refers to the inner upper temple, where everything, NAMELY, BINAH, is sanctified. There whoever is fitting for sanctification is sanctified. How is that temple sanctified? HE ANSWERS THAT initially the gates are opened BY DA'AT. HE EXPLAINS HIS WORDS: One concealed key, NAMELY, DA'AT, fixed and opened one gate on the south side, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE RIGHT COLUMN. Then the High Priest, WHICH IS CHESED, enters into that opening and hurries with his girdle, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT, and his implements, NAMELY, THE FOUR GARMENTS OF AN ORDINARY PRIEST, NAMELY, MITRE, TUNIC, GIRDLE, AND BREECHES, WHICH CORRESPOND TO THE FOUR LETTERS OF ADONAI, WHICH IS MALCHUT. SUBSEQUENTLY, he is adorned with a diadem of holiness, and puts on a breastplate and efod and a robe of seventy bells and pomegranates, which are "a golden bell and pomegranate" (Shemot 28:34). And the plate of the holy crown on his forehead is called 'the plate of the holy crown', NAMELY, THE YUD OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. And he was embellished with the four garments of gold and with the four garments of white, WHICH CORRESPOND TO THE EIGHT LETTERS IN THE NAMES OF YUD HEI VAV HEI AND ADONAI, and on that plate 42 letters sparkle, NAMELY, THE 42-LETTER NAME, and the whole of that temple shines with upper lights.

713. And that key, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF DA'AT, AS ABOVE, turned and opened another side OF BINAH, to the north. Then Levi, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF GVURAH AND THE LEFT COLUMN, entered, and he is the tithe of Jacob, whom he set aside OUT OF HIS SONS for the Holy One, blessed be He, and with him the ten-stringed lyre, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE TEN SFIROT OF THE LEFT COLUMN. And he is crowned with diadems, NAMELY, THE MOCHIN OF THE UPPER THREE SFIROT WHICH ARE CALLED 'DIADEMS'. And then the key turned yet again and opened a gate in that temple, that gate that stands in the center, namely, the pillar that is on the eastern side, WHICH IS TIFERET, THE CENTRAL COLUMN. It, NAMELY, TIFERET enters, and is adorned IN THAT GATE with seventy diadems, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF THE 72 NAMES. And it is adorned with four letters, which are twelve, NAMELY, WITH THE TWELVE PERMUTATIONS OF THE FOUR LETTERS OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. AND THESE ARE THE SECRET OF CHESED AND GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, IN EACH ARE THREE COLUMNS. And it is adorned with engravings of two hundred and seventy thousand worlds. And it is crowned with diadems THAT SHINE from one end of the world to the other, NAMELY, IN MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'WORLD', and in a number of valuable garments and a number of holy diadems.

714. That key, WHICH is DA'AT, AS ABOVE, turned once again and opened all the concealed gates and all the hidden holy gates, and ZEIR ANPIN is sanctified in them, and stands there as King. THAT IS, FROM THE ASPECT OF MALCHUT, WHICH IS IN THE CENTRAL COLUMN OF BINAH, He is there blessed with a number of blessings and crowned with a number of diadems. Then all of them issue forth FROM BINAH TO THEIR PLACE IN ZEIR ANPIN. AND ALL OF THEM ISSUE FORTH, joined together, and are crowned with their diadems as is fitting. Once they have left BINAH FOR THE PLACE OF ZEIR ANPIN, they awaken ZEIR ANPIN SO THAT HE WILL PUT on His adornments.

715. And this animal, NAMELY, MALCHUT, awakens and contracts herself out of love of the song. And how does she diminish herself? Out of love of the song she contracts herself bit by bit until it becomes just a point. And since she has contracted herself, it is then written: "And there went a man of the house of Levi" (Shemot 2:1), WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE: "and took to wife a daughter of Levi" (Ibid.), WHICH IS MALCHUT. She is certainly CALLED "a daughter of Levi," because she is from the left side. How does he hold her? He puts his left hand under her head, out of love, NAMELY, THE LEFT SIDE OF ZEIR ANPIN BECOMES THE UPPER THREE SFIROT OF MALCHUT, AND ARE REFERRED TO AS HEAD, THIS BEING IN THE SECRET OF THE VERSE: "HIS LEFT HAND IS UNDER MY HEAD" (SHIR HASHIRIM 8:3).

716. And you might well ask that, since she is NOW a small point, how could ZEIR ANPIN unite with a small point? AND HE ANSWERS THAT as mentioned above, the smaller a thing is the more praiseworthy it is, and this is a virtue, and she is really supremely large, FOR, WHEN SHE IS SMALL, the High Priest immediately awakens for her, WHICH IS CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN who holds and embraces her. Had she been large, Zeir ANPIN AND MALCHUT would not have been able to unite at all, but, since she contracted herself and is a small point, THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN can hold her, and raise her up on high, BETWEEN THE TWO ARMS OF ZEIR ANPIN, NAMELY, CHESED AND GVURAH. And after they have raised her up, she sits between these two sides, NAMELY CHESED AND GVURAH, and then the pillar that stands in the center, NAMELY TIFERET, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, joins with her in a love of kisses, a love of perfect union. And then: "And Jacob," THAT IS, ZEIR ANPIN, "kissed Rachel," WHO IS MALCHUT (Beresheet 29:11), for with the love of kisses, they cleave to each other without separation, until she receives a Soul of delights as is fitting.

717. When she receives a Soul of delights, as is fitting, and she wants to visit her hosts, they all gather together and call her: Glory, glory, glory from the holy temple OF ABA AND IMA. And in the holy temple itself, Aba and Ima, NAMELY, CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, open by saying: Sanctified, sanctified! IN OTHER WORDS THEY EMANATE TO MALCHUT FROM THEIR LIGHTS WHICH ARE CALLED 'HOLINESS'. Then the month, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is sanctified properly. And it is then written: "And on...the first month" (Bemidbar 28:16), for it is certainly the first. And it is therefore THEN WRITTEN ABOUT HER: "AND ON...THE FIRST MONTH." And therefore, SCRIPTURE SAYS: "Draw out and take you lambs..." (Shemot 12:21), THE MEANING OF WHICH IS: DRAW DOWN THE UPPER DAYS OF ZEIR ANPIN TO MALCHUT, and it is therefore WRITTEN: "On the tenth day of this month" (Ibid. 3), THE MEANING OF WHICH IS THAT the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, has become joined to the sun, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, NAMELY, THAT THE NINE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN WILL USE AND ILLUMINATE IN MALCHUT. And whereas she was a single point AFTER THE CONTRACTION, when she descended, she now expands bit by bit and fills out and becomes the FINAL Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, which is full OF EMANATION from all FOUR directions and is properly sanctified.

718. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). (THE BEGINNING OF THE ARTICLE IS MISSING). That temple turned and opened another gate on the south side, NAMELY, IN THE RIGHT COLUMN, with 72 diadems, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE NAME OF 72 THAT ILLUMINATES IN THE RIGHT COLUMN. Later it opens a third gate on the eastern side, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, with fifty lights of the fifty gates of Binah. Next it opens another gate on the western side, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT in the 72 diadems OF THE NAME OF 72, and all the 248 CHASSADIM, being the number of words in the sections of the reading of Sh'ma. And whereas this animal, WHICH IS MALCHUT, was initially small, at that time, HAVING RECEIVED 72 DIADEMS AND 248 CHASSADIM, she grows, which is as is written: "the whole earth is full of His glory" (Yeshayah 6:3), which is the upper glory and the lower glory, ALL OF WHICH MALCHUT RECEIVES WITH THE DECLARATION OF THE UNITY IN THE READING OF SH'MA.

719. When one reaches the eighteen (Heb. chai = living) worlds, in which are the eighteen blessings of the prayer, NAMELY, IN THE AMIDAH PRAYER, which one starts with "Adonai, open my lips; and my mouth shall rehearse Your praise" (Tehilim 51:17), then the Central Column, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, joins with her with affectionate kisses of the lips, WHICH ARE NETZACH AND HOD; with the tongue, which is the Righteous, THAT IS YESOD, between them IN THE SECRET OF the tongue of the learned. At that time "And Jacob kissed Rachel" (Beresheet 29:11), WHERE JACOB IS ZEIR ANPIN AND RACHEL IS MALCHUT, and then that animal, MALCHUT, is called 'Glory, glory'; and Aba and Ima say 'Sanctified, sanctified'. THAT IS, ABA AND IMA EMANATE TO HER THEIR LIGHTS THAT ARE CALLED 'HOLINESS', and then the month, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is properly sanctified. And she is then CALLED "And on...the first month" (Bemidbar 28:16), first without a doubt.

720. And then: "Draw out" THE UPPER DAYS OF ZEIR ANPIN TO MALCHUT, which is why IT IS WRITTEN: "On the tenth day of this month" (Shemot 12:3), THE MEANING OF WHICH IS THAT THE NINE DAYS OF ZEIR ANPIN SHINE TOWARDS MALCHUT, NAMELY, that the holy moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is joined to the sun, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, about which it is said: "For Hashem Elohim is a sun and a shield" (Tehilim 84:12). And whereas MALCHUT was a small point, she filled out as the FULL moon, and then the month is full, NAMELY, the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is full, and she is: "the whole earth is full of His glory." Initially she was lacking, but now she is complete, FULL. End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).

721. Rabbi Chiya opened by quoting: "And on the fourteenth day of the first month is the Pesach (Passover)" (Bemidbar 28:16). HE ASKS: Why is the paschal sacrifice a lamb? HE ANSWERS, the Egyptians worshipped the lamb, which was one of their deities, for they worshipped the constellation Aries. Come and see: It is written: "for we shall sacrifice the abomination of Egypt" (Shemot 8:22). What is meant by "the abomination of Egypt?" Could it be that because it is hateful to them it is called "the abomination of Egypt?" On the contrary, it is called "the abomination of Egypt" because it is the Egyptians' idol and their deity. It is similarly written: "the abominations of those nations" (Devarim 18:9), THE MEANING OF WHICH IS the idol of these nations.

722. Come and see the wisdom of Joseph, as is written: "And he took some of his brothers, five men" (Beresheet 47:2), and he taught them to say "Your servants are shepherds" (Ibid. 3). And would a king who was ruler over the country and who was like a father to the king have done such a thing to his brothers to make THE EGYPTIANS hate them and not show them consideration? - IF YOU HOLD THE VIEW THAT THE ABOMINATION OF THE EGYPTIANS IS EVERY SHEPHERD, WHICH MEANS HATED BY THE EGYPTIANS. But in reality the abomination of the Egyptians is what their idol and their deity was called. Therefore is it written: "For we shall sacrifice the abomination of Egypt" (Shemot 8:22) MEANING THEIR DEITY.

723. Joseph said, All the best of Egypt is the land of Rameses, and this part of the country they set aside for their idol, NAMELY, THE FLOCKS, for them to be pastured and go THERE to their hearts' delight. And all the Egyptians considered those who tended their idols as themselves idols. HE SAID: I shall arrange it so that my brothers inherit that country, and the Egyptians shall bow down to them, and will accord them proper treatment, and this is what is written: "for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians" (Beresheet 47:34). Which is FOR THIS REASON, they should treat them as their deity.

724. Rabbi Yosi said: Haven't we learned, just as the Holy One, blessed be He, punishes idolaters, so will He punish idolatry itself? If this is so, why did Joseph make his brothers into idols, THAT THE EGYPTIANS SHOULD BOW DOWN TO THEM AS THOUGH THEY WERE DEITIES? He replied to him: Joseph did not make his brothers into idols but into rulers over the idolatry of the Egyptians, subdue their idolatry under the hand OF HIS BROTHERS, and smite it with the rod. Joseph said: If my brothers control their idolatry, how much more will they rule over them themselves, which is why he settled them in the best of the country and made them rulers over all the land.

725. And so, why is the paschal sacrifice a lamb? THE ANSWER IS because a lamb was the idol and deity of the Egyptians. The Holy One, blessed be He: 'From the tenth of the month, take the fear of the Egyptians, capture and bind it and let it be imprisoned and hold it in your keeping one day, and two, and three days, and on the fourth day carry out its sentence, and assemble over it'.

726. And when the Egyptians heard the voice of their idol which was being held by Yisrael, and they were unable to rescue it, they cried and it was as difficult for them as though they themselves had been tied up for the kill. The Holy One, blessed be He said: 'Let it be in your possession day after day for four days, so that THE EGYPTIANS may see it bound and imprisoned, and on the fourth day, bring it out to be killed and let the Egyptians see how you enact judgment on it.' And this, NAMELY, THESE JUDGMENTS THAT THEY PERFORMED ON THEIR IDOL, was harder for them to bear than all the plagues that the Holy One, blessed be He, brought on them.

727. Subsequently, they cast it into the fire, as it is written: "and burn their carved idols with fire" of their deities (Devarim 7:5). The Holy One, blessed be He said: "Eat not of it raw" (Shemot 12:9) so that THE EGYPTIANS will not say: They were so desirous of, and had such a longing for our idol that they ate it INSUFFICIENTLY ROASTED. But it was decreed that it should be eaten roasted and not boiled, for had it been boiled it would have been covered UNDER THE WATER IN THE PAN, and they would not have seen it, but the way to deal with it is that they should see it thus being burnt in the fire, since its odor then spreads FAR AND WIDE.

728. Moreover, its head bent to its legs so that they should not say that it was some animal or other thing, but that they should recognize it as their idol. Moreover, it was not to be eaten out of lust, but on a full stomach by way of disgrace and contempt. Moreover, "neither shall you break a bone of it" (Ibid. 46), but they should see its bones cast into the marketplace and be unable to rescue it. For this reason it is written: "Upon their Elohim also Hashem executed judgments" (Bemidbar 33:4), that is, many judgments. Moreover, "and your staff in your hand" (Shemot 12:11), but not a sword, spear, nor any other instrument of war, IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU ARE NOT AFRAID OF THEM.

729. Rabbi Yehuda said: We have already learned that the Egyptians worshipped the constellation of Aries, which is why they worshipped the lamb. Rabbi Yosi said: If that is so, they should have worshipped a ram, A BABY RAM, rather than a lamb. He answered him: They worshipped them all. But the constellation of Aries ascends and descends, SOMETIMES APPEARING as a ram and AT OTHERS like a LARGE lamb, for which reason they worshipped them all. He said to him: What I have heard is that every large animal was an idol for them, which is why the Holy One, blessed be He, killed all the firstborn of the cattle. And we have already learned that these were the grades on high: NAMELY, UPPER SPIRITUAL FORCES OF IMPURITY, which are so called 'FIRSTBORN OF CATTLE', AND THAT WAS WHY THEY WORSHIPPED THEM.

730. Rabbi Elazar said: It is written: "You shall eat nothing leavened" (Heb. machmetzet) (Shemot 12:20), and: "no leavened bread shall be eaten" (Heb. chametz) (Shemot 13:3). WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 'MACHMETZET' AND 'CHAMETZ'? The latter is masculine, while the former is feminine. Rabbi Shimon said: Elazar, my son, in the former case it is written, "You shall eat nothing" while in the latter case it is written, "no... shall be eaten." Why in the latter case, does it not say: "You shall eat no LEAVENED BREAD"? HE ANSWERS THAT with the female, who MUCH MORE corrupts her ways, THE STATEMENT is by way of warning: "YOU SHALL EAT NOTHING." BUT IN THE CASE OF the male OF THE KLIPOT, who is more inclined to grasp a thread of purity THAN THE FEMALE, THE STATEMENT IS by way of request: "NO...SHALL BE EATEN," WHICH IS NOT THE LANGUAGE OF WARNING OR COMMAND. This is why it is written IN THE ONE CASE "no...shall be eaten," AND IN THE OTHER CASE "You shall eat nothing."

731. He said to him: But father, it is also written: "You shall eat no leavened bread with it" (Devarim 16:3), NAMELY, THE LANGUAGE OF WARNING IS ALSO USED FOR CHAMETZ, WHICH IS THE MALE OF THE KLIPAH. He replied: In honor of the sacrifice, Scripture uses many extra words, AND THEREFORE SAYS: "YOU SHALL EAT NO LEAVENED BREAD WITH IT." But initially IT WAS SAID ABOUT CHAMETZ, "no leavened bread shall be eaten," WHICH is THE LANGUAGE of request. But subsequently, ABOUT MACHMETZET, a warning IS USED: "You shall eat nothing," for THE FEMALE OF THE KLIPOT is the most hardened of the two of them, OF THE MALE AND FEMALE OF THE KLIPAH. What is the reason for machmetzet BEING SO CALLED? It is because there is a smell of death there. Chametz ALLUDES TO the male AND HAS THEREFORE NO ALLUSION TO DEATH, but machmetzet is female. AND IT IS WRITTEN: "Her feet go down to death" (Mishlei 5:5). THUS, the first and last letters of the word MACHMETZET ARE MEM AND TAV THAT spell DEAD (HEB. MET - MEM TAV). Thus she, THE FEMALE, greets anyone who eats leavened bread on Pesach with death, and it should be known that he dies in this world and in the World to Come, as it is written: "even that soul shall be cut off" (Shemot 12:19).

732. Why is unleavened bread called 'matzah'? It is as we have learned, Shadai, WHICH IS INTERPRETED as MEANING, May He who (Heb. she) said to His world Enough (Heb. dai), say to our troubles Enough, NAMELY, MAY HE CHASE AWAY FROM US JUDGMENTS AND TROUBLES. Matzah is likewise, for it subdues and subjugates; namely, it chases away the evil ones of all sides and makes a quarrel with them, just as the name Shadai of the mezuzah chases away the evil spirits and demons that are at the gate. So, too, MATZAH chases them away from all the dwellings of holiness, and makes a quarrel (Heb. merivah) and a fight with them, as it is written: "Masah and Merivah" (Shemot 17:7), and therefore the name is written as matzah. HE ASKS, but masah is spelled with a Samech, AND NOT WITH A TZADI? HE ANSWERS THAT the Aramaic translation of Masah is matzuta. HENCE MATZAH IS SPELLED WITH TZADI.

733. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). The Faithful Shepherd said: Just as the tongue is a rod over all members of the household, FOR HE CHASTISES THEM WITH HIS TONGUE, WHICH IS THE SAME FOR THEM AS THOUGH HE HAS CHASTISED THEM WITH A ROD; and as the tongue is the secret of the letter Vav, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED YUD HEI VAV HEI, and is a rod in which are ten letters; FOR YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHEN SPELLED OUT FULLY WITH ALEPHS, HAS TEN LETTERS YUD-VAV-DALET, HEI-ALEPH, VAV-ALEPH -VAV, HEI-ALEPH and with it the Holy One, blessed be He, smote them with ten plagues through it; and since all the plagues were from the side of the two Hei's OF THE YUD HEI VAV HEI, THEREFORE Rabbi Akiva says: How do we know that each plague that the Holy One, blessed be He, brought down on the Egyptians in Egypt consisted of five plagues? We should deduce from this that... And the letter Hei (whose numerical value is five) times the letter Yud (whose numerical value is ten) gives fifty plagues, and Hei times fifty is 250, which is why at the sea they were smitten with 250 plagues.

734. Joseph said, the best of the land of Egypt, which is Rameses - and this is the land that they set aside for their idol to pasture in to its heart's content. And all the Egyptians considered those who tend their idols as themselves idols. And this is why Joseph requested from Pharaoh THE LAND OF RAMESES TO TEND THEIR FLOCKS, in order to place his brothers in control over the deities of Egypt, so that they should be subjugated under them as slaves under their king, and that all of them should be subjugated under the Name of Yud Hei Vav Hei on their part, and that none should rule in the world excepting the Name of Yud Hei Vav Hei, and that all the appointed chieftains should also be subjugated to Him.

735. And to show them that He will in the future punish them, as it is written: "and against all the Elohim of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am Hashem" (Shemot 12:12), because they mislead mankind and make themselves divine; and since the appointee of the ram is greater than the appointees of the other Elohim, the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Yisrael: "They shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a house" (Ibid. 3); and He gave them control over it, and they took hold of it as they did for one day, and for two and three days, and subsequently they brought it out for judgments before the eyes of all Egypt, to demonstrate that their deity is at Yisrael's disposal to punish it.

736. Therefore it is written: "Eat not of it raw, nor boiled at all in water, but roast with fire; its head with its legs, and with its entrails" (Shemot 12:9), so that it should be punished in the roasting fire. And He commanded that its bones be cast with contempt into the marketplace, wherefore it is written: "Neither shall you break a bone of it" (Ibid. 46). And He commanded that on the fourth day, after it had been bound for three days, judgment be enacted upon it. And this was harder for them than all the plagues with which the Holy One, blessed be He, smote them through the Faithful Shepherd. Furthermore, He commanded that it not be eaten with appetite, BUT WITH A FULL STOMACH. And immediately on their seeing its bones in the marketplace and being unable to rescue it, this was the most difficult thing for them. Furthermore, it is said about them: "and your staff in your hand" (Ibid. 11), to subdue all the idols of Egypt under their hands. And since their Elohim are the firstborn of the chieftains, it is written: "Hashem smote all the firstborn" (Ibid. 29).

737. And after all this, it is written: "no leavened bread (Heb. chametz) shall be eaten" (Shemot 13:3), "seven days you shall you eat unleavened bread (Heb. matzot) with it, the bread of affliction" (Devarim 16:3). And it is written: "You shall eat nothing leavened (Heb. machmetzet)" (Shemot 12:20). The Faithful Shepherd said: Why did He command not to eat leavened bread for seven days, but to eat on them unleavened bread (Heb. matzah)? And why IN ONE CASE is it written: "no...shall be eaten," while in THE OTHER CASE it is written: "You shall eat nothing"? AND HE ANSWERS, there are seven planets, namely Saturn (Heb. Shabtai), Jupiter (Heb. Tzedek), Mars (Heb. Ma'adim), Sun (Heb. Shemesh), Venus (Heb. Nogah), Mercury (Heb. Kochav), and Moon (Heb. Yareach). And they are from the side of good and evil, for the light that is within is matzah, while the Klipah that is on the outside is chametz. And the chametz is masculine, while machmetzet is feminine, AND THEY ARE MALE AND FEMALE OF THAT SAME KLIPAH THAT IS ON THE OUTSIDE. AND ABOUT THE MALE OF THE KLIPAH, WHICH IS NOT THAT GRAVE, IT IS SAID: "NO...SHALL BE EATEN," BUT ABOUT THE FEMALE OF THE KLIPAH, WHICH IS A SERIOUS MATTER, IT IS SAID: "YOU SHALL EAT NOTHING."

738. The matzah that is within THE SEVEN ABOVE-MENTIONED PLANETS is guarded FROM THE KLIPOT, which are "and the seven maidens who were chosen to be given her, out of the king's house" (Ester 2:9). And about them it is said: "And you shall observe (guard) the (commandment of) unleavened bread" (Shemot 12:17). Matzah is guarded FROM THE KLIPOT, for her husband, who is Vav, NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE VAV OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. And MATZAH (MEM TZADI HEI), with it, THE VAV, becomes mitzvah (Eng. 'a precept' - Mem Tzadi Vav Hei).

739. And he who guards it for Yud-Hei, that are hidden in the Mem Tzadi of matzah, FOR, ACCORDING TO THE ATBASH CIPHER, WHERE THE FINAL LETTER, TAV, IS SUBSTITUTED FOR THE FIRST LETTER, ALEPH, AND THE PENULTIMATE LETTER, SHIN, FOR THE SECOND LETTER, BET, Yud is Mem, Hei is Tzadi, AS THE MEM OF MATZAH IS REPLACED BY YUD, AND THE TZADI OF MATZAH IS REPLACED BY HEI, THIS THEREFORE BEING THE SECRET OF YUD-HEI, HIDDEN IN MEM TZADI OF MATZAH. And the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded that MALCHUT be blessed with seven blessings on the Eve of Pesach, namely, her seven maidens, WHICH ARE CALLED 'Saturn' (Heb. Shabtai), 'Jupiter' (Heb. Tzedek), 'Mars' (Heb. Ma'adim), 'Sun' (Heb. Shemesh), 'Venus' (Heb. Nogah), 'Mercury' (Heb. Kochav), and 'Moon' (Heb. Yareach). And He commanded that THE KLIPOT, WHICH ARE chametz (lit. 'leavened bread') and machmetzet (lit. 'anything leavened') be removed from them, for they are dark clouds that cover the lights of the seven planets, about which it was said: "and when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill-favored," namely, darkness, "as at the beginning." (Beresheet 41:21). For the darkness of their clouds is so STRONG that the lights THAT ARE IN THE SEVEN PLANETS are unable to illuminate to them, and for this reason: "it could not be known that they had eaten them." End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).