The water libation

886. Rabbi Shimon said, Elazar, come and see: From the second day, the waters began to appear, NAMELY, THE LIBATION OF WATER ON THE ALTAR BEGAN. FOR ITS PURPOSE WAS ALSO TO DRAW DOWN LIVELIHOOD AND SUBSISTENCE FOR THE OTHER SIDE. "AND IF HE BE THIRSTY, GIVE HIM WATER TO DRINK" (MISHLEI 25:21): THIS WATER IS THE WATER THAT IS MENTIONED HERE FOR LIBATION ON THE DAYS OF SUKKOT. And after the water had begun, AND THE OTHER SIDE AND THE SEVENTY NATIONS HAD RECEIVED PLENTY, THEY THEN GREW IN STRENGTH, AND from the third day MALCHUT rested on them. And the Babylonians did not know why these waters are mentioned here IN CONNECTION WITH SUKKOT, THAT IS TO SAY THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW THAT THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO PROVIDE SUBSISTENCE TO THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD, for the goodness of Yisrael does not lie where there is contraction, NAMELY, IN THE BULLOCKS OF SUKKOT THAT ARE REDUCED IN NUMBER, but in a place of expansion. And since these waters that are mentioned here decrease, TOGETHER WITH THE BULLOCKS OF SUKKOT, Scripture comes to inform us that it is written: "And the waters..." (Beresheet 8:5). That is, the waters that are known from the days of Sukkot are the ones that are mentioned among the sacrifices. FOR ON THE SECOND DAY IT IS SAID THAT ABOUT THE SACRIFICES IS "THEIR DRINK OFFERINGS (HEB. VENISKEIHEM)" (BEMIDBAR 29:18), THE LAST LETTER OF WHICH IS MEM. AND ON THE SIXTH DAY, IT IS SAID, "AND ITS DRINK OFFERINGS" (HEB. UNSACHEIHAH)" (IBID. 31), WITH YUD. AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY "AFTER THE ORDINANCE (Heb. KEMISHPATAM)" (IBID. 33), THE LAST LETTER OF WHICH IS MEM. AND THESE THREE LETTERS TOGETHER SPELL MAYIM (ENG. 'WATERS' - MEM YUD MEM), FROM WHICH IT FOLLOWS THAT THERE IS AN ALLUSION TO THE WATER LIBATION IN THE TORAH. For they, THE SACRIFICES, are mountains of curses that continually decrease, and their goodness, and the emanation that is drawn down on them "decreased continually" (Beresheet 8:5). And because these waters belong to them, TO THE NATIONS AND TO THE OTHER SIDE, the letters MEM YUD MEM were not joined together AND THE WORD DID NOT APPEAR EXPLICITLY WRITTEN IN THE TORAH. BUT THE LETTERS ARE SCATTERED, WITH MEM BEING IN "AND THEIR DRINK-OFFERINGS'" THE YUD IN "AND ITS DRINK- OFFERINGS," AND THE FINAL MEM IN "AFTER THE ORDINANCE," AS ABOVE. And the purpose of this is so that their goodness should not be joined, but BE little by little.

887. But regarding Yisrael, who are from the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, what is written? "but they who seek Hashem shall not want any good thing" (Tehilim 34:11). The first half of this verse is: "The young lions lack, and suffer hunger" (Ibid.). The young lions are the appointees of the other nations. They that seek Hashem are Yisrael, who will not lack all good things because they continually ascend higher and higher, FOR ONE MAY PROMOTE TO A HIGHER DEGREE OF SANCTITY BUT NOT DEMOTE. For this reason, their good, THAT OF THE NATIONS AND OF THE OTHER SIDE, which are waters, "decreased continually until the tenth month" (Beresheet 8:5), which is the month of Tevet, for then are the days of evil, FOR THE MONTHS OF TEVET AND SHEVAT ARE THE PERIOD OF JUDGMENT AND ARE CALLED 'THE DAYS OF EVIL'. And this evil awakens and grows stronger, and the holy bride, WHICH IS MALCHUT, does not illuminate from the midst of the sun, NAMELY, IS SEPARATED FROM THE SUN, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. And then the tops of these mountains became visible, THAT IS THE JUDGMENTS OF THE LEFT SIDE THAT ARE DRAWN DOWN WITH THE BULLOCKS OF SUKKOT, namely, those mountains of darkness and mountains of curses that appear and grow stronger and do evil things in the world.

888. About these days OF THE HOLIDAY OF SUKKOT IT IS WRITTEN: "a sacrifice made by fire" (Bemidbar 29:13) regarding THEIR burnt offering, NAMELY THE WORDS, "AND YOU SHALL OFFER A BURNT OFFERING FOR A SACRIFICE MADE BY FIRE" (IBID.). For then these offerings made by fire, devour their portions, namely, those seventy bullocks corresponding to the seventy appointees who rule over the seventy nations. AND THEIR NUMBER is greatest on the first day and decreases with each passing day. And they are called 'goring bullocks' on their days. Fourteen rams. (THE TEXT HERE IS MISSING, BUT SHOULD READ AS FOLLOWS: "TWO RAMS, AND FOURTEEN LAMBS OF THE FIRST YEAR" (BEMIDBAR 29:13).) The two RAMS on each day are fourteen Yud Hei Vav Hei, AS SEVEN TIMES TWO IS FOURTEEN. And this refers to the hand (Heb. yad = 14) that controls them continually, every day. And the total number of the lambs of the first year is 98, FOR SEVEN TIMES FOURTEEN EQUALS 98.

889. And you might ask: If so, IF WE OFFER FOURTEEN RAMS SO THAT THE HAND (HEB. YAD = FOURTEEN) OF YUD HEI VAV HEI WILL RULE; AND IF WE OFFER 98 LAMBS, WHICH IS A BAD OMEN, FOR IT CORRESPONDS TO THE 98 CURSES IN THE ADMONITION AND ALSO IT IS SAID THAT 'TILL A DART (HEB. CHETZ = 98) STRIKE THROUGH HIS LIVER' then are we not being evil-eyed towards them, FOR HE SAYS TO HIM: 'EAT AND DRINK, SAYS HE TO HIM; BUT HIS HEART IS NOT WITH HIM'? HE ANSWERS: Yes, for it is written: "IF YOUR ENEMY BE HUNGRY, GIVE HIM BREAD TO EAT, AND IF HE BE THIRSTY, GIVE HIM WATER TO DRINK: for you shall heap coals of fire upon his head" (Mishlei 25:21-22). But we give only out of rejoicing, for throughout the whole year, there is no rejoicing like that on these days OF SUKKOT. And since we give out of the goodness of our hearts, in rejoicing and willingly, OUR GIFTS to them turn into coals of fire on their head, burning coals, for our rejoicing affects them badly, namely, the fourteen RAMS, seventy BULLOCKS, and 98 LAMBS, which is their sum total OF SACRIFICES, WHERE THE FOURTEEN RAMS INDICATE THE HAND OF YUD HEI VAV HEI THAT CONTROLS THEM, AND THE SEVENTY BULLOCKS IN THEIR DECREASING PROGRESSION TEACH THAT THEIR GOODNESS WILL CONTINUALLY DECREASE, WHILE THE 98 LAMBS TEACH ABOUT THE 98 CURSES THAT REST ON THEM; OR IN OTHER WORDS: 'A DART STRIKE THROUGH THEIR LIVER'.

890. And regarding all this, but you might ask: Who asked us to sacrifice for them, FOR THE APPOINTEES OF THE SEVENTY NATIONS? Perhaps they are not interested in our doing so? But all of these appointees have no such rejoicing as at that time which they have with all these bullocks and rams and lambs that Yisrael offer to them at these banquets. Nevertheless, nothing is offered except to the Holy One, blessed be He alone, while they, THE APPOINTEES, come close and the Holy One, blessed be He, distributes to them. And about this it is written: "If your enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat," where bread refers to the festival offerings; and in "and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink," water refers to that water that is marked TO BE POURED OUT IN A LIBATION on the days of Sukkot, on the second, sixth, and seventh days. And this is derived from, "it would be utterly scorned (Heb. boz, Bet Vav Zayin)" (Shir Hashirim, 8:7), WHERE THE NUMERICAL VALUES OF THE LETTERS BET, VAV, AND ZAYIN ARE TWO, SIX AND SEVEN, RESPECTIVELY.

891. "Many waters cannot quench love" (Ibid.) this refers to the waters that Yisrael pour out in libation out of rejoicing and love for the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: "Therefore with joy shall you draw water" (Yeshayah 12:3). "nor can the floods drown it" (Shir Hashirim 8:7). These are the floods of the pure balsam, NAMELY, THE EIGHTEEN RIVERS OF PLENTY THAT ARE DRAWN DOWN FROM YESOD OF BINAH. For all of them cleave to, and form a bond with, this love. "if a man would give all the substance of his house, it would be utterly scorned " (Ibid.). This refers to Samael; and he gives "for love" (Ibid.) of Yisrael, namely, so that he should have a portion with them in these waters about which it is written in this section: "if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned (Heb. boz)," which is a mnemonic for these waters THAT ARE POURED OUT ON THE SECOND (BET), SIXTH (VAV), AND SEVENTH (ZAYIN) DAYS. It would certainly be scorned, for all the substance OF SAMAEL is considered for us as a broken potsherd that can never be repaired.

892. HE EXPLAINS HIS WORDS: The water OF SAMAEL, THE OTHER SIDE AND THE NATIONS, is distributed on the days of boz (Bet Vav Zayin). This leaves the other days, namely, the fifth, fourth, and third days of Sukkot, ON WHICH THERE IS NO WATER LIBATION. The mnemonic for this: He ploughed (Heb. charash - Chet Resh Shin) the furrows of the land, WHERE THE LETTERS OF CHARASH STAND FOR CHAMISHI (LIT. 'FIFTH'), REVI'I (LIT. 'FOURTH') AND SHLISHI (LIT. 'THIRD'), ON WHICH DAYS THERE IS NO LIBATION OF WATER, and they have no correction through us, nor indeed forever. FOR JUST AS THEY HAVE NO CORRECTION ON THE FIFTH, FOURTH, AND THIRD DAYS, SO THEY NEVER WILL HAVE ANY CORRECTION. And should you wish to point that it is written "it would be utterly scorned," WHEREAS, ACCORDING TO THE ABOVE, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN 'IT WOULD NOT BE UTTERLY SCORNED', NAMELY, THAT THEY DO NOT WANT THE SCORN (SECOND, SIXTH, AND SEVENTH), WHICH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF SAMAEL, HE THEN RESPONDS: Elsewhere IT IS WRITTEN: "For He has not despised (scorned) nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted" (Tehilim 22:25).

893. HE ASKS: What about the first day OF SUKKOT?, HE THINKS THE SECOND, SIXTH, AND SEVENTH (HEB. BOZ) DAYS ARE CONSIDERED THOSE OF THE WATER LIBATION, AND THE FIFTH, FOURTH AND THIRD (HEB. CHARASH) DAYS ARE FREE OF THE LIBATION OF WATER, BUT HE DOES NOT MENTION THE FIRST DAY OF THE FESTIVAL AT ALL. HE ANSWERS, THE FIRST DAY is not called either 'first' nor 'one', but IS CALLED simply "the fifteenth day" (Bemidbar 29:12). No special mention is made of it BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT IT TO MENTION, but the water libation is first mentioned on the second day, and this is how it should be. BECAUSE ON THIS DAY A PORTION IS GIVEN TO THE OTHER SIDE, IT IS FITTING THAT THIS SHOULD BE ON THE SECOND DAY, for about the second day IT WAS not SAID: 'THAT IT WAS good'. This is why he does not mention the first or one day at all, but just simply IS THE FIFTEENTH DAY, and the first mention of the days, and the renewal of the days, begins on the second day. And the water is distributed on the second, sixth and seventh days, and there is no libation of water on the fifth, fourth or third days, as we have learned - and it all falls into place.

894. Happy is the portion of Yisrael, who know how to enter the kernel of the nut; NAMELY, HOLINESS IS LIKE THE KERNEL OF A NUT THAT IS SURROUNDED BY SHELLS, and in order to get into the kernel, they break off these shells THAT SURROUND IT, and enter. What is written subsequently? "On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly" (Bemidbar 29:35). For after they break through all these Klipot and break down a number of forces and kill a number of serpents and a number of scorpions, which were there in wait for them in those mountains of darkness, until they managed to find the place of settlement and a holy city WHICH IS THE HOLY MALCHUT, surrounded by walls on all sides, they then entered it ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF ASSEMBLY (HEB. SHMINI ATZERET) to give it satisfaction there, and rejoice in it. And we already explained the matter.

895. And this is "a solemn assembly," THE MEANING OF WHICH IS a gathering, NAMELY MALCHUT, for she is a place where everything gathers, FOR SHE IS A RECEPTACLE FOR ALL THE HIGHER LUMINARIES. "you shall have," namely you and nobody else shall have, FOR THE OTHER SIDE HAVE NO PART OF IT, but it is you who rejoice with your Master, and He with you. And on this it is written: "Be glad in Hashem and rejoice, O you righteous: and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart" (Tehilim 32:11).