The reading of Sh'ma, Tzitzit (fringes), Tefilin and the straps

285. The sages taught: 'Anyone reading the reading of Sh'ma Yisrael morning and evening is as though he had observed the saying that "but you shall meditate therein day and night" (Yehoshua 1:8).' THIS IS BECAUSE THE READING OF SH'MA YISRAEL ENCOMPASSES RIGHT AND LEFT, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF DAY AND NIGHT. HE EXPLAINS, for a Talit (prayer-shawl) is white, THAT IS TO SAY, THE ASPECT OF THE WHITE THAT IS IN THE FRINGES OF THE TALIT AND NOT THE BLUE THAT IS IN IT, is to the right from the aspect of Chesed; and it is said about it: 'Almighty King, who sits on the throne of mercy, governs with kindness (Heb. chasidut),' and also: "And in mercy (Heb. chesed) a throne is established" (Yeshayah 16:5). The numerical value of Chesed is 72, which hints at the 72 links and knots of the Talit, NAMELY FOUR TIMES EIGHTEEN.

286. And there is a Talit from the aspect of Metatron, which is the Tet Tet OF METATRON, which includes the eighteen links and knots on each corner OF THE TALIT, NAMELY five knots paralleling the five books of the Torah, and thirteen links, NAMELY THE THIRTEEN LOOPS THAT ARE WOUND AROUND THE TZIZIT, which parallel the thirteen attributes of Mercy mentioned in the Torah, about which it is said: There are thirteen attributes by which the Torah is expounded, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE THIRTEEN ATTRIBUTES OF MERCY THAT ARE DRAWN DOWN FROM THE THIRTEEN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BEARD OF ARICH ANPIN.

287. About MALCHUT it is said: "as the appearance of a man above upon it" (Yechezkel 1:26), NAMELY THAT MALCHUT has the form of Tiferet, which is Tiferet of man upon him from above, and is called by the name OF TIFERET, WHICH IS Yud-Vav-Dalet, Hei-Aleph, Vav-Aleph-Vav, Hei- Aleph. THIS IS THE INNER MEANING OF THE VERSE: "every one that is called by My name: for I have created him for My glory; I have formed him; yea, I have made him" (Yeshayah 43:7). THEREFORE, "as the appearance of a man from above" is the Shechinah, which has the form of the Central Column, WHICH IS TIFERET, with four countenances and ten Sfirot, that are man. THAT IS, THE TEN LETTERS YUD-VAV-DALET, HEI-ALEPH, VAV- ALEPH-VAV, HEI ALEPH HAVE THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF ADAM (LIT. 'MAN'). And the four faces of man are the four SIMPLE letters OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, which TOGETHER make Yud-Dalet (= 14) letters, about which IT IS SAID: "and used similes by the hand (Heb. yad - Yud-Dalet) of the prophets" (Hoshea 12:11).

288. Again, THE TZITZIT is called 'living' (Heb. Chai = 18), NAMELY THE THIRTEEN LINKS AND FIVE KNOTS, from the aspect of the Righteous, WHICH IS YESOD, in whom, NAMELY BY MEANS OF WHOSE UNIFICATION, the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah are called by the name 'man.' THAT IS, YUD HEI VAV HEI, SPELLED OUT IN FULL WITH ALEPHS, HAS THE SAME NUMERICAL VALUE AS MAN where He, the Central Column THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN, is YUD-VAV-DALET, HEI-ALEPH, VAV-ALEPH- VAV, AND HAS THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF dew (Heb. tal = 39), while His Shechinah is Hei-Aleph. And with Hei, the name of man IS COMPLETED. This is because dew is in numerical value equal to Yud Vav Dalet, Hei Aleph, Vav-Aleph-Vav. And this, THE RIGHTEOUS CALLED 'LIVING,' 'causes the dew to fall,' WHICH IS YUD-VAV-DALET, HEI -ALEPH, VAV-ALEPH -VAV onto the Hei-Aleph, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, FOR YESOD is the knot of the Talit, which is eighteen worlds ON EACH SIDE, NAMELY FIVE KNOTS AND THIRTEEN LINKS that binds together AND UNITE the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah on all sides, with the four corners of the Talit, WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT.

289. Tefilin are THE ASPECT of the Left COLUMN, as it is said: "Hashem has sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength" (Yeshayah 62:8), where "His right hand" refers to the Torah and "the arm of His strength" refers to Tefilin. The four passages IN THE TEFILIN are THE FOUR LETTERS Yud Hei Vav Hei. Adonai is a temple for the four letters, WHICH ARE THE FOUR PASSAGES in the four receptacles of the Tefilin. The knot of the hand Tefilin is the Righteous, who lives forever, WHICH IS YESOD, and is the bond between the two of them, BETWEEN THE YUD HEI VAV HEI AND 'ADONAI,' on the left arm. The knot of the head TEFILIN is the Central Column, NAMELY TIFERET, by which are united together on high Yud Hei Vav Hei and Eheyeh which are Chochmah and Binah, FOR ZEIR ANPIN ASCENDS AND UNITES CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, WHICH ARE CALLED THE YUD HEI VAV HEI AND 'EHEYEH,' WHERE DA'AT IS FORMED.

290. The reading of the Sh'ma is the unification that is at the center, NAMELY THE UNIFICATION IN CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, and it is held between the Tzitzit and the Tefilin, FOR THE FRINGES, THAT ARE OF THE ASPECT OF THE WHITE THAT IS IN THEM, ARE TO ITS RIGHT, AND THE TEFILIN TO ITS LEFT. For all of the passages of the Tzitzit and Tefilin are included in the unification of the reading of the Sh'ma. And from the side of the Central Column, namely Talit and Tefilin, it is said: "And it shall be for a sign upon your hand and for frontlets between your eyes" (Shemot 13:16), AND IT IS ALSO SAID: "that they make them fringes" (Bemidbar 15:38).

291. The letter Shin of the Tefilin is a tradition Moses received on Mount Sinai, AS IT IS WRITTEN: "And all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of Hashem; and they shall be afraid of you" (Devarim 28:10). And it has been taught: What is the Yud Hei Vav Hei? It is the head Tefilin, specifically the Shin Shin of the Tefilin, THAT ARE VISIBLE ON THEM FROM THE TWO EXTERNAL SIDES. The two Shins have the numerical value of six hundred. Shin Shin are the six (Heb. shesh) stages CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD THAT ARE IN ZEIR ANPIN, WHERE THE RIGHT SHIN IS CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, AND THE LEFT SHIN IS NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. The two Shins have seven branches, AS THE RIGHT SHIN HAS THREE HEADS, AND THE LEFT FOUR HEADS. TOGETHER THERE ARE SEVEN HEADS, OR SEVEN BRANCHES. This adds up to thirteen, and together they are 613, BECAUSE SEVEN BRANCHES AND SIX GRADES AMOUNT TO THIRTEEN, AND THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF THE TWO SHINS IS SIX HUNDRED. And there is no precept that is not equivalent to the whole of the Torah, IT BEING, THEREFORE, SAID ABOUT IT: "AND ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH SHALL SEE THAT YOU ARE CALLED BY THE NAME OF HASHEM..."

292. Likewise, JUST AS 613 ARE IMPLIED IN THE TEFILIN, so each precept is the Yud Hei Vav Hei, AS FOLLOWS: Yud Hei IN IT, together with 'My name' (Heb. shmi) have the numerical value of the 365 NEGATIVE PRECEPTS IN THE TORAH. Vav Hei IN IT, together with 'My memorial' (Heb. zichri) have the numerical value of the 248, POSITIVE PRECEPTS IN THE TORAH. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PRECEPTS IS 613. This is why each precept is equivalent to the 613. And the sages have taught that the reading of the Sh'ma Yisrael, INCORPORATING TEFILIN AND THE TZITZIT contains 613 of the Tzitzit, AS TZITZIT IN NUMERICAL VALUE IS SIX HUNDRED, WHICH TOGETHER WITH THE 13 LINKS THEREOF MAKES 613. And there is also 613 from the aspect of Tefilin, LIKE THE NUMERICAL EQUIVALENT OF THE TWO SHINS ON THEM AND SO it is throughout.

293. "And they shall be as frontlets (Heb. totafot)." Totefet CAN BE SPLIT INTO TET TET AND PE TAV. THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF Tet Tet is 'living' (Heb. chai = 18) worlds, the Righteous, NAMELY YESOD, parallel to which is Metatron, FOR YESOD IS ATTIRED WITH METATRON. Pe Tav are Tiferet, WHOSE LETTERS MAY BE REARRANGED AS TAV-ALEPH-RESH, PE TAV (NAMELY A DESCRIPTION OF PE TAV). And Metatron is Tiferet's horse; THAT IS TO SAY TIFERET RIDES UPON HIM, for all the Sfirot dress up WITH METATRON. AT ONE TIME IT MIGHT BE TIFERET THAT WEARS HIM, AT ANOTHER YESOD AND AT ANOTHER MALCHUT, WHILE AT OTHER TIMES ALL THREE MIGHT BE ATTIRED WITH HIM. And so he is to them is as body to soul, and when the Holy One, blessed be He, removes Himself from him, METATRON is left dumb, having neither voice nor speech. For the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah are voice and speech of every angel, and THEY ARE in every voice and speech of Torah, and in every voice of prayer, and in each single precept, and in every place of His rule, among the upper and lower beings. He is the life of everything. He carries everything.

294. Just as there is no speech without voice and no voice without speech, so is there no Adonai without the Yud Hei Vav Hei. And this is true for the world of Atzilut, WHERE THERE IS NO SEPARATION EXISTS BETWEEN ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, WHO ARE VOICE AND SPEECH. But in the world of separation, NAMELY IN THE THREE WORLDS OF BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH, there is voice without speech. YET IN ATZILUT THEY ARE UNITED, and the knot of the Tefilin, which is Shadai, WHICH IS YESOD, is held by them from above and from below, and this is the Righteous, the life of the worlds, who is held between voice and speech AND UNITES THEM.

295. At this point, the Faithful Shepherd come to the old man, and said: Old old man, the Tefilin and the Tzitzit and the section on the Mezuzah are three precepts that are incorporated in the reading of Sh'ma Yisrael, and the reading of Sh'ma is the fourth precept. AND THE FOUR CORRESPOND TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, WHERE THE TZITZIT AND TEFILIN ARE CHESED AND GVURAH, THE READING OF SH'MA IS TIFERET THAT UNITES THEM, AND THE MEZUZAH IS MALCHUT. The Tzitzit is mentioned three times, PARALLELING THE THREE COLUMNS, and regarding Tefilin the word 'sign,' WHICH IS YESOD, is mentioned twice, ONCE FOR THE KNOT OF THE HEAD TEFILIN AND ONCE FOR THE KNOT OF THE HAND TEFILIN. In respect to the Tzitzit, the letter Zayin of the word "tiz'keru (Eng. 'that you remember')" (Bemidbar 15:40), has to be well stressed, FOR THIS LETTER ZAYIN (= 7) IMPLIES MALCHUT, WHICH IS THE SEVENTH SFIRAH, AND IS THE SECRET OF THE BLUE THAT IS IN THE TZITZIT, ON WHICH THE REMEMBERING DEPENDS. And on the Mezuzah, WHICH IS MALCHUT, the name Shadai is on the outside, while Yud Hei Vav Hei is on the inside. THIS IS BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO UNIONS, THE EXTERNAL UNION WITH YESOD, AND THE INTERNAL UNION WITH TIFERET. THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERD CLARIFIED ALL THIS TO THE OLD MAN FOR HIM TO UNDERSTAND ON HIS OWN.

296. THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERD ANSWERS THE VARIOUS QUESTIONS THAT FACE US. Why are there open and closed sections? WHY DOES the fringe have a fixed length and width, for the length of each fringe was determined as the size of twelve thumbs? WHY was the precept of the blue fixed at one-third twisted threads and two-thirds branched untwisted threads? WHY between each pair of knots IN THE FRINGES does there have to be A SPACE OF a full thumb's breadth? AND WHY SHOULD each link be triple, NAMELY THREE LOOPS? Also, why are Tefilin on the brain and against the heart? And why is the length of the straps to the heart on the left and to the navel on the right? And why does the strap of the hand Tefilin have to be wound three times round the middle finger?

297. HE ANSWERS: But the garment is certainly not important unless IT HAS three on three for each side OF THE FOUR SIDES, making twelve. And they represent the four white garments THAT PARALLEL ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE FOUR LETTERS OF THE YUD HEI VAV HEI, and the four gold garments THAT PARALLEL MALCHUT, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE FOUR LETTERS OF ADONAI, and the four garments of the ordinary priest, WHO IS THE SECRET OF METATRON. In terms of the blessing of an ordinary priest, it is implied 'Let not the blessing of an ordinary man be considered lightly in your eyes.' AND, THEREFORE, the blue is one-third twisted thread, NAMELY BRAIDED, AS THIRTEEN LINKS ARE WOUND AROUND THE FRINGES, FOR IT IS PARALLEL TO THE FOUR GARMENTS OF WHITE, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHO IS THE ROOT. And two-thirds are branched untwisted thread, WHICH SHOULD HANG LOOSE, LIKE THE BRANCHES ON A TREE.

298. And every link MUST BE triple, MADE UP OF THREE, NAMELY OF THREE LOOPS. AND THE REASON IS THAT each tripling is from the side of holiness, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE THREE COLUMNS, as it is written: 'They proclaim You holy three times.' And Yisrael is made up of three parts, NAMELY PRIEST, LEVITES AND YISRAEL in order to SUBJUGATE THE CAPTAINS (HEB. SHALISHIM - FROM SHALOSH (THREE)) OF THE OTHER SIDE, AS IT IS WRITTEN: "And captains over every one of them" (Shemot 14:7). For the fringe is from the side of the Central Column, WHICH IS TIFERET, which is the third of the patriarchs, FOR THE PATRIARCHS ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. And everything that comes in threes HAS ITS ROOT IN THE 72 WORDS THAT STARTS WITH Vav-Hei-Vav, Yud -Lamed-Yud, IN WHICH every word consists of three LETTERS. From its side, every link is composed of three triple loops, AND THE LINK is the Shechinah, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF 'They proclaim You holy three times,' and is tripled in the Central Column, FOR IT RECEIVES FROM THE CENTRAL COLUMN THE THREE COLUMNS THAT ARE IN IT. THUS is it made up of the three branches of the patriarchs, NAMELY OF NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, WHICH ARE THE BRANCHES OF CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, WHICH ARE CALLED 'PATRIARCHS.' And they are the letter Shin from the word 'Shabbat,' WHICH HAS THREE HEADS, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. THE 'BAT' FROM THE WORD SHABBAT ALLUDES TO the Shechinah, who is an only daughter (Heb. bat), WHICH IS THE SECRET OF the link, AND THE SECRET OF the blue in the Tzitzit.

299. Happy is the body that is thus marked with the Shechinah and the Holy One, blessed be He, through the wings of a precept, NAMELY WITH THE THIRTEEN LINKS IN THE PRECEPT OF THE TZITZIT, and marked with the strap of the hand Tefilin on the middle finger with three loops, which is like a link, wound around with three loops round the finger. THIS ALSO CORRESPONDS TO THE THREE COLUMNS, JUST LIKE THE LINK OF THE FRINGE, AND THERE ARE FOURTEEN LINKS. And it is marked with the knot of the Tefilin that consists of two knots, THE ONE ON THE HEAD AND THE OTHER ON THE ARM, FOR THEY ALSO ARE TRIPLE. And altogether there are fifteen triplets, FOR two knots in one knot IS ALSO CONSIDERED A TRIPLE, MAKING, THEREFORE, FIFTEEN TRIPLES.

300. The thirteen TRIPLE links contain 39 loops, as the numerical value of the word 'dew' (Heb. tal = 39), which, together with the thirteen links THEMSELVES that have the numerical value of the word 'one' (Heb. echad = 13), adds up to 'son' (Heb. ben = 52). And this hints at the son of Yud Hei, which is the Central Column, ZEIR ANPIN.

301. Each knot is in the form of a right palm. Each link is in the form of a finger with three joints, paralleling the three loops, and so it is that all the fingers have three joints except the thumb THAT HAS JUST TWO. And it is the thumb that gives the distance between each pair of knots in the fringe, FOR THERE HAS TO BE A SPACE BETWEEN THEM OF A full thumb-breadth, and this is the same measurement as the nose, the width of the right and left eye, the distance between the eyes, the measurement of the right and left ear, and of each lip, and of the tongue. "And the curtains shall be all of one measure" (Shemot 26:2).

302. Cubit (lit. 'arm') is the measure of the body in four directions and up and down, making six cubits. And each arm has three joints, NAMELY THE ASPECT OF THREE COLUMNS, making eighteen joints in the six cubits, being the secret of the eighteen wavings with WHICH WE WAVE the Lulav in six directions, three in each direction. And about them it is said: "This your stature is like a palm-tree" (Shir Hashirim 7:8). FOR A PALM-TREE GROWS IN SEVENTY YEARS, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE SEVEN LOWER SFIROT THAT ARE IN THE BODY, WHERE CHOCHMAH, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE STATURE, IS REVEALED, AND NOT IN THE HEAD, AS EXPLAINED ABOVE. AND THEREFORE THE STATURE, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE FIRST THREE SFIROT, IS LIKENED TO A PALM-TREE. And this is the height of the stature, THAT IT IS ONLY IN THE BODY, that the gathering (Heb. mikveh) of Yisrael WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN BESTOWS upon the Shechinah, FOR THE LETTERS OF THE WORD MIKVEH, REARRANGED, SPELL 'STATURE' (HEB. KOMAH). THAT IS TO SAY, ZEIR ANPIN EMANATES THIS STATURE OF BODY TO MALCHUT. AND WE WAVE THE LULAV FOUR TIMES WHEN WE RECITE HALEL. This makes four times eighteen, which four times make 72, FOR THE NAME OF 72 IS THE ROOT OF THE THREE COLUMNS, AND IS THE SECRET OF THE THREE VERSES: "AND THE ANGEL OF ELOHIM, WHO WENT BEFORE THE CAMP OF YISRAEL, REMOVED...AND IT CAME... AND MOSES STRETCHED OUT" (SHEMOT 14:19-21).

303. And the secret of the living creatures, their stature IS THE SECRET OF THE VERSE: "As for their backs, they were so high that they were dreadful, and their backs..." (Yechezkel 1:18). "Their backs" refers to the four living creatures of the lower Chariot, WHICH ARE FROM MALCHUT. "They were so high" refers to the four living creatures of the central Chariot, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF ZEIR ANPIN. "And their backs" refers to the four living creatures of the third Chariot, THAT ARE FROM BINAH, all of them together being twelve. And THE FOUR LIVING CREATURES OF THE THIRD CHARIOT are "full of eyes round about them four," NAMELY ROUND ABOUT THE FOUR LIVING CREATURES OF THE THIRD UPPER CHARIOT, which is the secret of Yud Hei Vav Hei, Yud Hei Vav Hei, Yud Hei Vav Hei, THAT IS TO SAY, THE SECRET OF THE THREE YUD HEI VAV HEI IN 'HASHEM REIGNS, HASHEM REIGNED, HASHEM WILL REIGN FOREVER AND EVER;' AND THEY HAVE A TOTAL OF TWELVE LETTERS BETWEEN THEM. 'HASHEM REIGNS,' REFERS TO THE CENTRAL CHARIOT; 'HASHEM REIGNED,' TO THE THIRD UPPER CHARIOT; AND 'HASHEM WILL REIGN' TO THE LOWER CHARIOT.