Pinchas: Chapter 115

Yisrael know how to hunt good game

Synopsis

Rabbi Hamnuna Saba continues the analogy and tells how Malchut, as though a chick, is coaxed out from under the Mother, Binah, with soft little prayers. Then Malchut stays with Yisrael, and the other Sfirot, like more small birds, fly out to Yisrael as well. We learn that one cannot pursue the Mother, Binah, for she is inconceivable.

Birds Grades Prayer Seven Thought Torah Zeir Anpin

780. Rav Hamnuna Saba said: On that day Yisrael takes only five sons, which are the five books of the Torah, NAMELY, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH ARE THE FIVE PARTS OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHO IS CALLED 'TORAH'. And should you object, saying that the Sfirot are six in number, FOR THERE IS ALSO YESOD, HE ANSWERS, the truth really is that there are seven, together with a certain bird, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and they are thus between the wings of mother, WHICH IS BINAH. AND THE REASON WHY HE THOUGHT INITIALLY THAT THERE WERE ONLY FIVE GRADES, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD, IS THAT THERE ARE IN ESSENCE ONLY FIVE GRADES WITH YESOD AND MALCHUT THAT ARE INCLUSIVE OF THOSE FIVE GRADES, AND CONTAINING NOTHING NEW. And Yisrael know how to hunt for good and valuable game. What do they do? They draw out that bird, WHICH IS MALCHUT, from under the wings of mother with soft little sounds from the mouth that they whisper to her, one after the other, NAMELY, WITH MANY PRAYERS.

780. רַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא אָמַר, בְּהַאי יוֹמָא, לָא נַטְלִין יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלָּא חָמֵשׁ בְּנִין, וְאִינּוּן חֲמִשָּׁה חוּמָשֵׁי תּוֹרָה. וְאִי תֵּימָא שִׁית אִינּוּן. אֶלָּא שְׁבַע אִינּוּן, בְּחַד צְפַר דְּאִשְׁכְּחַת בֵּין גַּדְפָהָא דְּאִימָּא. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל, יַדְעֵי לְמֵיצָד צֵידָא טָבָא, רַבָּא וְיַקִּירָא. מֶה עָבְדֵי. מַפְּקֵי מִתְּחוֹת גַּדְפָהָא דְּאִמָּהָא, הַהוּא צִפּוֹרָא, בִּלְחִישׁוּ דְּפוּמָא מְלַחֲשׁוּ לְגַבָּהּ, לְחִישׁוּ בָּתַר לְחִישׁוּ.

Birds Breath Head

781. And that bird, sensing those whispers and the sounds that they voice to her under their breath, even though she is under the wings of mother, she raises her head and looks out at the whispering voices and flies out to them, emerging from under the wings of mother. So Yisrael takes her and holds her, whispering to her and tying her with a knot so that she will not fly off and leave. Yisrael immediately catch her in this knot, and the bird wants to fly off and leave them but is unable to do so.

781. וְהַהוּא צִפּוֹרָא דְּחָיִישׁ לְאִינּוּן לְחִישִׁין, וּלְאִינּוּן קָלִין, דְּקָא מְלַחֲשֵׁי לְגַבָּהּ. ואע"ג דְּאִיהִי תְּחוֹת גַּדְפֵּי אִמָּהָא, זָקִיף רֵישָׁא וְאִסְתַּכְּלַת לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא לְחִישׁוּ דְּקָלָא, וּפַרְחַת לְגַבַּיְיהוּ, וְנַפְקַת מִתְּחוֹת גַּדְפָהָא דְּאִימָּא. כֵּיוָן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל נַטְלֵי לָהּ, אַתְקִיפוּ בָּהּ, וְלַחֲשִׁין לָהּ, וְקַשְׁרִין לָהּ בְּקִשּׁוּרָא דְּלָא תִּפְרַח וְתֵזִיל. מִיַּד נַטְלֵי לָהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַהוּא קִשּׁוּרָא, וְאִיהִי בָּעָאת לְמִפְרַח וּלְמֵיזַל, וְלָא יָכִילַת לְמֵיזָל לָהּ.

Birds Hands Zeir Anpin

782. And while she is still bound in the hands OF YISRAEL, they whisper their sounds, and she chirps with them, and flies up and down. And all those sons who are under the wings of their mother, NAMELY, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, when they hear that chirping of their sister, MALCHUT, and the whisper of that sound FROM YISRAEL, they immediately emerge from under the wings of their mother and fly towards that bird, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and Yisrael take them and unite with them. And had it not been for that bird, with which they were attached initially, they, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, would never have flown to them, and they would not have been able to unite with them.

782. וּבְעוֹד דְּהִיא קְשִׁירָא בִּידַיְיהוּ, אִינּוּן מְלַחֲשֵׁי בְּקַלֵיהוֹן, וְאִיהִי מְצַפְצְפָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ, וּפַרְחַת לְעֵילָּא, וְנַחְתַּת. וְכָל אִינּוּן בְּנִין דִּתְחוֹת גַּדְפֵּי אִמְּהוֹן, כֵּיוָן דְּשַׁמְעֵי הַהוּא צִפְצֻפָא דְּאַחֲתְהוֹן, וּלְחִישׁוּ דְּהַהוּא קָלָא, מִיַּד נַפְקֵי מִתְּחוֹת גַּדְפָהָא דְּאִמְּהוֹן, וּפַרְחֵי לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא צִפּוֹרָא, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל נַטְלֵי לוֹן, וְאַחְדֵּי בְּהוּ. וְאִלְמָלֵא הַהוּא צִפּוֹרָא דְּקָא אַחְדֵּי בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, אִינּוּן לָא פַּרְחֵי לְגַבַּיְיהוּ לְעָלְמִין, וְלָא יַכְלִין לְאַחֲדָא בְּהוּ.

Birds Food Head Prayer Table Zeir Anpin

783. How does one catch this holy bird? This is done by preparing before her valuable food with rejoicing, and all sorts of delights, and attending the synagogue and the school-house, and chirping at her in a whispering voice, as is fitting. And she, THE BIRD, who is hiding under the wings of Mother, raises her head and looks at the prepared tables, with the chirping which is for her sake, NAMELY, THE PRAYERS, as is fitting, and she emerges FROM UNDER THE WINGS OF MOTHER, and flies to them, as we have learned, and all those sons, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, hold on to her.

783. הֵיךְ צָדִין צֵידָה דְּהַאי צִפָּרָא קַדִּישָׁא. מְתַקְּנִין לְקָמָא מֵיכְלָא יַקִּירָא בְּחֶדְוָוה, וְכָל עִנּוּגִין, וְעָאלִין לְבֵי כְּנִשְׁתָּא וּלְבֵי מִדְרָשָׁא, וּמְצַפְצְפָן לְגַבָּהּ בְּקַל לְחִישׁוּ כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת. וְאִיהִי דִּמְטַמְּרָא תְּחוֹת גַּדְפָהָא דְּאִימָּא, זַקְפָת רֵישָׁא, וְחָמָאת פָּתוֹרִין מְתֻקְּנָן, וְצִפְצוּפִין לְגַבָּהּ כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת. נַפְקַת וּפַרְחַת לְגַבַּיְיהוּ כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר, וּבָה אֲחָדִין כָּל אִינּוּן בְּנִין.

Heaven

784. And they send the one who is sitting over them, NAMELY, MOTHER, WHICH IS BINAH, WHICH IS SITTING OVER CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT, and she goes off. Because from the seventh heaven, WHICH IS CHESED, and above, NAMELY, THE UPPER THREE SFIROT, do not expound what is hidden from you. THEREFORE, send her away, THAT IS, THE MOTHER, WHICH IS BINAH, WHICH IS ONE OF THE UPPER THREE SFIROT, for you will not be able to catch her. About this, Scripture says: "You shall surely let the mother go, and take the young to you" (Devarim 22:7), THE MEANING OF WHICH IS THAT YOU SHOULD NOT TRY TO PURSUE BINAH, FOR SHE IS NOT CONCEIVABLE. BUT THE YOUNG, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT, WHICH ARE CONCEIVABLE, YOU MAY TAKE TO YOU.

784. וּמְשַׁלְּחִין לְהַהוּא דִּרְבִיעָא עָלַיְיהוּ וְאַזְלַת. בְּגִין דְּהָא מִן רְקִיעָא שְׁבִיעָאָה וּלְעֵילָּא, בַּמְכוּסֶּה מִמָּךְ אַל תִּדְרוֹשׁ. שָׁלַח לֵיהּ, דְּלָא תִּיכוֹל לְאַדְבְּקָה וע"ד כְּתִיב, שַׁלֵּח תְּשַׁלַּח וְגוֹ'.

Birds Prayer

785. "you shall have a holy gathering (lit. 'calling')" (Bemidbar 28:26). This is the calling and chirping, NAMELY, THE PRAYERS, that we utter for that holy bird, WHICH IS MALCHUT, at the beginning. SUBSEQUENTLY, since the remaining days CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, hold on to her, they are called 'holy callings' IN THE PLURAL. FOR this bird is called 'holy', as it is written: "for it (she) is holy to you" (Shemot 31:14), WHICH IS SAID ABOUT MALCHUT. And because she is holy, she calls to all of them, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, and they come to her, which is why they are called 'holy callings'.

785. מִקְרָא קֺדֶשׁ, דָּא קְרִיאָה וְצִפְצוּפָא, דְּעַבְדִּין לְהַהוּא צִפָּרָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא. וְכֵיוָן דְּאַחְדִּין בָּהּ שְׁאַר יוֹמִין, אִקְרוּן מִקְרָאֵי קֺדֶּשׁ. הַאי צִפָּרָא אִקְרֵי קֺדֶשׁ, דִּכְתִּיב, כִּי קֺדֶשׁ הִיא לָכֶם. וּבְגִין דְּאִיהִי קֺדֶשׁ, אִיהִי קָרְאָה לְכוּלְהוּ וְאַתְיָין לְגַבָּהּ. וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִקְרוּן מִקְרָאֵי קֺדֶשׁ.

Birds Shepherd

786. AND SHE CALLS TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, and Yisrael chirp along with her, and they, too, call, and they therefore come to them and unite with them. This is why IT IS WRITTEN: "These are the feasts of Hashem, holy gatherings (callings), which you shall proclaim (call)" (Vayikra 23:4). AND THEY ARE CALLED 'holy callings' AFTER their chirping, AND AFTER that holy bird, WHICH IS holy, that calls them.

786. אִיהִי קָרְאָה, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מְצַפְצְפָן בַּהֲדָהּ, וּקְרָאָן אוֹף הָכִי. וְעַל דָּא אִינּוּן אַתְיָין לְגַבַּיְיהוּ, וְאַחְדֵּי בְּהוּ. בְּגִין כַּךְ אֵלֶּה מוֹעֲדֵי יְיָ' מִקְרָאֵי קֺדֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר תִּקְרְאוּ אוֹתָם. מִקְרָאֵי קֺדֶשׁ, בְּצִפְצוּפָא דִּלְּהוֹן, וּבְהַהוּא צִפָּרָא קַדִּישָׁא קֺדֶשׁ, דְּקָרָא לוֹן.

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