"Wine makes glad the heart of man...the cypress trees are her house"

68. "Wine makes glad the heart of man" (Tehilim 104:15). This is the wine of the Torah, for the numerical value of the word yayin (Eng. 'wine') is the same as the letters of sod (Eng. 'secret'). Just as wine has to be kept sealed so that it should not be used in a libation for idol worship, so also must the secret of the Torah be closed up and sealed, and none of its secrets be disclosed other than to those who fear Him. And it is not for nothing that several commandments are performed with wine, and blessings to the Holy One, blessed be He, are said. Wine comes in two colors: white and red, which are Judgment and Mercy. And this is why we have the added Bet (= 2) in be'yayin ('with wine'). THIS BET HINTS AT JUDGMENT AND MERCY. It is like the rose which has in it both white and red - white from the right side WHICH IS CHESED, and red from the left side WHICH IS GVURAH.

69. HE ASKS, What is "the heart (Heb. levav) of man?" It should have used "lev (Eng. 'heart')." HE ANSWERS, There is a heart (Heb. lev) gives to the heart (Heb. lev). They are THE FIRST Lamed Bet (= 32) times Elohim in the works of Creation, AND THIS LEV IS THE SECRET OF BINAH. THE SECOND LEV (LAMED-BET) IS the Bet of Beresheet ("In the beginning"), and the Lamed of "in the eyes of (Heb. le'einei) all Yisrael" (Devarim 34:12). AND THESE TWO LETTERS, THE BET AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TORAH AND THE LAMED WITH WHICH IT ENDS, ALSO FORM THE WORD LEV, NAMELY THE HEART OF MALCHUT. THIS IS WHY IT IS WRITTEN LEVAV. FOR THE WINE, WHICH IS THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, IS REVEALED IN AND GLADDENS THE HEART (HEB. LEV) OF BINAH AND THE HEART (HEB. LEV) OF MALCHUT, FROM WHERE MAN RECEIVES IT. THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF twice lev is 64, which is eight less than 72; and 72 IS THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF vaychulu ("And...were finished") (Beresheet 2:1). BUT IS THE NAME OF AYIN BET (72), ALLUDED TO IN VAYCHULU, THE SECRET OF THE NAME OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, THAT IT SHOULD BE ALLUDED TO IN THOSE LEV LEV? HE ANSWERS, these are the seven days of Creation THEMSELVES, IN WHICH LEV OR 32 ELOHIM SHINE. THEY ARE JOINED TO THE NUMBER 64. BUT 64 AND 7 IS ONLY 71, AND WE ARE STILL ONE SHORT. HE ASKS, What of the eighth, TO COMPLETE IT TO 72? HE ANSWERS, IT IS the seven days of Creation together with "This is the book of the generations of Adam" (Beresheet 5:1), WHICH IS ALSO CONSIDERED TO BE A DAY OF CREATION. It is 72, like the numerical value of the letters of beyayin ('with wine'), WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, AS DISCUSSED ABOVE.

70. HE ASKS, What is the meaning of "oil to brighten his face" (Tehilim 104:15)? AND HE ANSWERS, These are the twelve faces: four of the lion, four of the ox, and four of the eagle. There is Michael the lion, WHO IS THE SECRET OF CHESED. His four faces are THE FOUR LETTERS Yud Hei Vav Hei, WHERE THE YUD AND THE VAV HAVE THE VOWEL SEGOL ("E"). The four faces of the ox, which is Gabriel, NAMELY GVURAH, are FOUR LETTERS Yud Hei Vav Hei, WHICH YUD AND VAV HAVE THE VOWAL PATACH ("A"). The four faces of the eagle, which is Nuriel, are THE FOUR LETTERS Yud Hei Vav Hei, WHEN THE YUD HAS THE VOWAL CHIRIK ("I"), AND THE VAV HAS SH'VA (SEMI-VOWEL). They are appointed under THE THREE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN - Chesed, Fear and Truth, WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. These are the grades of the three patriarchs, ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB. The sages have taught: 'the patriarchs are the Chariot.' The lights OF THE TWELVE COUNTENANCES add up to Yud Bet Kof, which are 'reigns,' 'reigned' and 'will reign.' They are the secret of Yud Hei Vav He, Eheyeh and Adonai, for the total NUMERICAL VALUE OF THESE THREE NAMES is Yud Bet Kof, WHICH IS 112.

71. Rabbi Shimon was sitting and engaging in the study of this portion, when his son, Rabbi Elazar, came to him and asked: How did it come about that Nadab and Abihu were ABLE TO INCARNATE in Pinchas? Had Pinchas not been in the world when they died, and had only come into the world later, AND THEY WERE INCARNATED IN HIM, and he had perfected their souls, it would have been fine. But Pinchas was alive AT THE TIME WHEN NADAB AND ABIHU DIED, and his soul already existed in him, SO HOW COULD THEY HAVE INCARNATED IN HIM?

72. He replied, My son, there is a divine secret here: When NADAB AND ABIHU left the world, they did not take shelter under the wings of the Holy Rock, WHICH IS MALCHUT. The reason for this is found in the verse: "And Nadab and Abihu...had no children" (Bemidbar 3:4). That is, they decreased the King's image, FOR THEY DID NOT PERFORM THE PRECEPT OF BEING FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLYING, PRODUCING CHILDREN IN THE IMAGE OF ELOHIM. For this reason they were not fitted to serve in the high priesthood.

73. When Pinchas was zealous for the Holy Covenant and went in amongst the crowds and held up the adulterers on spear-point in the sight of all Yisrael, he saw the tribe of Shimon coming at him in large numbers, and Pinchas' soul fled out of him DUE TO FEAR. THEN the two souls that were naked, NAMELY THE UNAMENDED SOULS OF NADAB AND ABIHU, approached the soul of Pinchas and were joined together with it, and his soul THEN returned to him, including spirit, which comprehends two spirits, and they supported him. He then earned the right to priesthood in their place OF NADAB AND ABIHU, for which he had not previously been fit.

74. And about this it is written: "Recall, now, who that was innocent ever perished?" (Iyov 4:7). THIS WAS SAID ABOUT PINCHAS, who did not perish at that moment, and did not lose his spirit when it fled from him. The same verse continues: "or where were the upright cut off?" This refers to the sons of Aaron, NADAB AND ABIHU, who returned to the world BY REINCARNATING IN PINCHAS AND that which they had lost in their lifetime WAS CORRECTED, NAMELY THE PERFACTING OF THE COVENANT. This is why the word son is used twice regarding Pinchas: "Pinchas the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron" (Bemidbar 25:11), TEACHING US ABOUT THE TWO SOULS THAT HAD INCARNATED IN HIM, NAMELY THE SONS OF AARON. THUS THE SON OF ELAZAR REFERS TO PINCHAS, AND THE SON OF AARON REFERS TO NADAB AND ABIHU.

75. What does scripture say just before this chapter? - "And Hashem said to Moses: Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up before Hashem against the sun" (Bemidbar 25:4). HE ASKS: What about when they are killed at night or on a cloudy day? Scripture WARNS THAT THEY MUST BE KILLED against the sun. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF "AGAINST THE SUN." Rabbi Yehuda said: "AGAINST THE SUN" MEANS THAT just as their sin was in public so must their death be in public.

76. Rabbi Shimon said: This was not the reason why it said "AGAINST THE SUN," but from this we learn that at whatever level a man sins before the Holy One, blessed be He, he must make amends in his soul at that same level. They sinned in the Holy Covenant, which is called 'sun,' and this is why their correction is against the sun, THE SECRET OF THE COVENANT, and not elsewhere. It follows that a man requires to remedy the misdeeds he has committed only in the place where he sinned, and that if he attempts to remedy them elsewhere BUT NOT WHERE HE SINNED he will never make it right properly.

77. Rabbi Chiya began: "The trees of Hashem have their fill; the cedars of Lebanon which He has planted" (Tehilim 104:16), and before it, "Wine makes glad the heart of man, oil to brighten his face" (Ibid. 15). HE ASKS, What is the connection between these two matters? AND ANSWERS, We have learned as follows: "He causes the grass to spring up for the cattle..." (Ibid. 14). And did David really come with the Holy Spirit to speak the praises of cattle that has grass? HE ANSWERS, No, but "He causes the grass to spring up" refers to the sixty thousand times ten thousands of angels, messengers, who were created on the second day of Creation. All of them are of burning fire. It is they who are meant by grass. Why are they grass? It is because they grow in the world as does grass: one day it is cut short, but then it again grows as previously.

78. And this is why the verse says: "He causes the grass to spring up for the cattle." THIS IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT IN THE ASPECT OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, FULLY SPELLED WITH THE LETTER HEI'S, THAT HAS THE SAME NUMERICAL VALUE, 52, AS THE WORD BEHEMAH (ENG. 'CATTLE'), as it is written: "A Righteous man (YESOD) regards the life of his beast (MALCHUT)" (Mishlei 12:10). And we have learned that a thousand mountains rise up TO MALCHUT each day and each one of the mountains is sixty times ten thousands OF ANGELS WHO ARE CALLED 'GRASS,' AS MENTIONED ABOVE, and MALCHUT devours them.

79. "And plants for the service of (lit. 'the') man" (Tehilim 104:14). These are the souls of the righteous, for that man, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, who is riding on and controlling the beast, NAMELY MALCHUT, devours them and takes them into himself. THAT IS TO SAY, THE SOULS OF THE RIGHTEOUS RISE UP AND ARE INCORPORATED INTO ZEIR ANPIN IN THE SECRET OF MAYIN NUKVIN (lit. 'FEMALE WATERS'), IN ORDER TO UNITE ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. And it is to their credit that the whole world is fed from that man, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, FOR THEY CAUSE HIS UNION WITH MALCHUT, AND THE FOOD IS BESTOWED UPON MALCHUT, AND MALCHUT DISTRIBUTES IT TO THE WHOLE WORLD, as it is written: "and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it..." (Yechezkel 1:26). That is why it says "for the service of the man," WITH THE DEFINITE ARTICLE - THAT IS, THAT SPECIFIC MAN, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. And this is in order to "bring forth food out of the earth" (Tehilim 104:14), NAMELY to bring forth provisions for the world from the holy earth, WHICH IS MALCHUT.

80. "And wine" is old wine drawn from above, NAMELY THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, WHICH IS DRAWN FROM BINAH. "Makes glad the heart of man (Heb. enosh)." Enosh here refers to the secret of that youth who attained old age, and later returns TO BE A YOUTH as formerly. THIS IS METATRON, PRINCE OF THE WORLD, WHO SAYS: "I HAVE BEEN YOUNG, AND NOW AM OLD" (TEHILIM 37:25), WHICH IS IN THE SECRET OF "RAN AND RETURNED" (YECHEZKEL 1:14). WHEN HE "RAN" TO RECEIVE CHOCHMAH, HE IS OLD, AND WHEN HE IS IN THE SECRET OF "RETURNED," HE IS YOUNG. Scripture therefore says ABOUT HIM: "As for man (Heb. enosh), his days are like grass" (Tehilim 103:15), FOR HE IS LIKE GRASS WHICH IS CUT AND GROWS AGAIN. WHEN HE RETURNS TO YOUTH, HIS FIRST THREE UPPER SFIROT ARE CUT, BUT LATER HE AGAIN REACHES OLD AGE, NAMELY GROWS AGAIN, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

81. "To brighten his face" (Tehilim 104:15): these are the faces that are called 'large countenances' and 'small countenances.' THE COMPLETED FIRST THREE SFIROT OF MALE AND FEMALE ARE THE LARGE COUNTENANCES, AND THE FIRST THREE SFIROT OF THE SIX ENDS OF MALE AND FEMALE ARE THE SMALL COUNTENANCES. "(lit. 'from') oil" (Ibid.), means from the flowing of the World to Come, NAMELY OF BINAH, WHENCE oil derives, as well as supernal, holy greatness. "And bread which sustains the heart of man" (Ibid.), that is that bread upon which the skies, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF NETZACH AND HOD, bestow and mill the manna for the food of the righteous in general, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF YESOD AND MALCHUT, WHO ARE CALLED 'RIGHTEOUS' AND 'RIGHTEOUSNESS,' AND WHO ACCEPT THE MAYIN NUKVIN THAT NETZACH AND HOD GRIND FOR THEM. FROM THERE it is drawn out to a number of hosts who are called "the heart of man." And everything comes from the supernal flow, FROM BINAH.

82. "The trees of Hashem have their fill" (Ibid. 16): these are the supernal trees, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. "The cedars of Lebanon which He has planted" (Ibid.): They are ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, who are uprooted FROM THEIR PLACE. The Holy One, blessed be He, WHO IS THE EMANATOR, planted them IN PLACE OF BINAH. What is the connection between the trees of Hashem and the cedars of Lebanon? THE TREES OF HASHEM refer to the Tree of Life, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, WHICH IS MALCHUT. The cedars of Lebanon are the fifty gates OF BINAH which He planted IN MALE AND FEMALE, which are called 'five hundred years,' FOR THEY ARE THE SECRET OF BINAH, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD, MALE AND FEMALE RISE UP TO AND COAT. IN TERMS OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHOSE SFIROT ARE IN TENS, THEY ARE FIFTY, WHILE IN TERMS OF BINAH, WHOSE SFIROT ARE COUNTED IN HUNDREDS, THEY ARE FIVE HUNDRED.

83. "Which He has planted, where the birds make their nests" (Tehilim 104:16-17). In the shadow OF ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT the souls of the righteous make their nests, and all the holy hosts are fed from there. The stork (Heb. chasidah) IS MALCHUT, that is the daughter of the Patriarch Abraham, who is called 'pious' (Heb. chasid), and who performed deeds of kindness (Heb. Chesed) for all people. This is why MALCHUT is called 'a stork.' "The cypress trees are her house" (Ibid. 17): this means that she is situated between the arms of the world, WHICH ARE CHESED AND GVURAH OF ZEIR ANPIN. THESE BECOME FOR HER CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, WHICH ARE HEADS (HEB. RASHIM), WHICH IS WHY HE SAYS, "THE CYPRESS TREES (HEB. BEROSHIM) ARE HER HOUSE" THAT IS TO SAY: HER HOUSE IS AT THE HEADS (HEB. BERASHIM). End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).