Olive-size and egg-size

603. And according to the esoteric meaning: Aleph Chet (= 9) OF THE WORD 'ONE' (HEB. ECHAD - ALEPH CHET DALET) make nine crumbs, three in each direction. And with the three of the Dalet (= 4) OF ECHAD, we have a total of twelve CRUMBS. Again, the fourth OF THE DALET OF ECHAD completes to ten. And this completes the four, which are THE FOUR LETTERS of Yud Hei Vav Hei. What are the ten? They are THE TEN LETTERS IN Yud-Vav-Dalet, Hei-Aleph, Vav-Aleph-Vav, Hei-Aleph. Now the tip of the letter Dalet of Echad is the size of an olive-size. The Yud of Yud Hei Vav Hei is the measure of an egg-size.

604. This fourth LIVING CREATURE THAT IS THE SECRET OF "THE FACE OF A MAN" (YECHEZKEL 1:10), which is the completion of the Chariot of Man, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED 'MAN', IN THE SECRET OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, FULLY SPELLED WITH ALEPHS, WHOSE NUMERICAL SUM IS THE SAME AS THAT OF MAN (HEB. ADAM). And it is also the completion of the four faces that are in the face of a man, FOR THE FACE OF A MAN IS MALCHUT, WHICH ITSELF HAS FOUR FACES: LION, OX, EAGLE, AND MAN, AND IS THE FOURTH FACE WHICH IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT THAT IS IN MALCHUT. For this reason, IT IS WRITTEN: "Hashem lift up His countenance to you" (Bemidbar 6:26). And the sages of the Mishnah taught: Is it not written: "who favors no person" (lit. 'Who does not lift up countenance') (Devarim 10:17)? But the Holy One, blessed be He, said: 'Did I not command them: "And you shall eat and be satisfied AND BLESS HASHEM YOUR ELOHIM" (Devarim 8:10)? And they are very particular about SAYING THE BLESSING AFTER THE MEAL even if the quantity is but that of an olive-size or an egg-size. How then should I not lift up My countenance to them?' And not only that but the sages of the Mishnah and the Amoraim arranged their whole study according to the secrets of the Torah.

605. The Faithful Shepherd rose, spread out his hands before the Holy One, blessed be He and His Shechinah, and spoke thus: O Holy One, blessed be You, may it be Your will to give us perfect food for correction to You and to the heavenly Queen, that is the World to Come, NAMELY BINAH, about which it is said: "For the kingdom is Hashem's: and He is ruler over the nations" (Tehilim 22:29), and regarding the second Queen, WHICH IS MALCHUT, it is said a second time: "and the kingdom shall be Hashem's" (Ovadyah 1:21), and a whole table is set with all delicacies and dishes.

606. And I invite with You, all the sages of the Mishnah, the scholars of the Bible and the sages of the Talmud, and especially the masters of the secrets of Your Torah, and Your bride, WHO IS Your Holy Queen, both the upper one, WHICH IS BINAH, and the lower one, WHICH IS MALCHUT, everything being with the permission of the Cause who is above all supernal beings, the Lord of all lords, King over all the kings who are above or who are below, for He is unique without a second, no letter nor vowel sign that will join with Him, and no variations as is customary with man, for He is the Master of all the keys to all the secrets of Yud Hei Vav Hei's and names and appellations and all the hidden secrets of wisdom, so that You open them all for us, for the sake of Your glory, O Cause over all causes. I beseech You to open for us Your glory, for Your glory is of my Father and my Mother of the heavens, NAMELY CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, WHICH ARE FATHER AND MOTHER OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHO IS CALLED 'HEAVENS'. And the Father of all of Yisrael IS ZEIR ANPIN, and their Mother IS MALCHUT, about which it is said: "and do not forsake the Torah of your mother" (Mishlei 1:8), and with Yourself no connection exists with any mother in the world.

607. He rose a second time and said: O sages of the Mishnah, your Neshamah and Ruach and Nefesh wake up now in all of you, and remove the sleep from yourself, for this certainly is Mishnah, the literal explanations of this world. But I woke you only with heavenly secrets of the World to Come, for you are involved with them, and in this respect it is said there: "Behold, He who keeps Yisrael shall neither slumber nor sleep" (Tehilim 121:4).

608. He opened with the words, The sages of the Mishnah taught: The host breaks bread and the guest says the Blessing after the meal. And they also taught: one must pronounce clearly the Hei of Hamotzi. And the two Heis OF YUD HEI VAV HEI WHICH ARE BINAH AND MALCHUT, stand for the two loaves of bread, the two Challot of the Shabbat. The Yud OF YUD HEI VAV HEI is A SLICE OF BREAD equal in measure to the size of an egg THAT IS GIVEN to each one. And who is the host that breaks bread? This is the Vav OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, AND SO ALL THE FOUR LETTERS OF IT ARE HERE ALLUDED TO.

609. While they were still having this discourse, behold, a very old sage, WHICH IS SUPERNAL CHOCHMAH, descended to him and said: Faithful Shepherd, take back what you have just said, for bread is the Vav. Its two loaves of bread are, as you have said, Hei Hei. AND HE EXPLAINS, Vav is surely parallel to Jacob, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, while the two Heis parallel Leah and Rachel. AND THEREFORE BREAD IS IN GENERAL THE SECRET OF VAV, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, THAT HAS TWO MATES. ONE MATING IS WITH LEAH, WHO IS HIS FEMALE FROM THE CHEST AND UP, WHILE THE SECOND MATING IS WITH RACHEL, WHO IS HIS FEMALE FROM THE CHEST AND DOWN, AND THIS IS WHY THE BREAD IS DIVIDED INTO TWO LOAVES. The Yud OF YUD HEI VAV HEI IS THE SECRET OF THE SLICE THAT IS GIVEN TO EACH ONE, as the size of an egg for each, FOR EGG IS THE SECRET OF YUD OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, WHICH IS THE PLENTY THAT IS DRAWN DOWN BY THE VAV AND THE TWO HEIS OF YUD HEI VAV HEI.

610. He said to him: old, old sage, in how many places is it taught that Jacob is the host, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, and Joseph is a guest whose level is Yesod, the life (Heb. chai = eighteen) of the worlds, which incorporates the eighteen blessings of the Amidah prayer, for which reason it was taught about it: "Blessings are upon the head of the righteous" (Mishlei 10:6). THEREFORE THEY SAID THAT THE HOST, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, BREAKS THE BREAD, WHILE THE GUEST, WHICH IS YESOD, RECITES THE BLESSING AFTER THE MEAL, BUT NOW YOU SAY THAT ZEIR ANPIN IS THE SECRET, NOT OF THE HOST, BUT OF THE BREAD. THE OLD SAGE replied to him: That is how it is, and everything is true. Each secret has its rightful place, BOTH what I said and what you said. And now, ACCORDING TO MY OPINION THAT ZEIR ANPIN IS THE BREAD, who is THEN the one WHO BREAKS the bread and distributes it?

611. THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERD said to him: Old sage, you have his likeness; NAMELY THE OLD SAGE HIMSELF, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH, IS IN THE FORM OF THE HOST WHO BREAKS THE BREAD, which is Yud-Vav-Dalet, Hei-Aleph, Vav-Aleph-Vav, Hei-Aleph, WHOSE NUMERICAL SUM IS 45, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH (CHET CAF MEM HEI), WHOSE LETTERS SPELL OUT, KOACH (ENG. STRENGTH - CAF CHET) OF MEM HEI, which is man, WHICH IS MEM HEI IN NUMERICAL VALUE. HE IS of the upper Chariot, the face of which, NAMELY CHOCHMAH, is the Yud Hei Vav Hei SPELLED OUT FULLY WITH ALEPHS, THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF WHICH IS MEM HEI. And for this reason, Vav is bread, which consists of TWO LOAVES, two Heis, and the amount OF PLENTY, as taught, is the size of an olive and the size of an egg. And we have already learned in which name it is measured as an olive, NAMELY IN THE YUD, but the sages have taught: One does not make precepts into bundles, BUT EACH PRECEPT MUST STAND ON ITS OWN. Here also, we do not ascribe two quantities to the letter Yud, that BOTH an olive-size nad an egg-size SHOULD BE YUD, but there are two alphabets, WHERE THE LARGE ALPHABET IS IN BINAH AND THE SMALL ALPHABET IS IN MALCHUT. THEREFORE, there is an upper Yud and a smaller Yud. The Yud WHICH IS THE YUD of Yud Hei Vav Hei is the upper YUD WHICH IS THE SECRET OF SUPERNAL CHOCHMAH, while the Yud of Adonai is a small YUD, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH OF THE LEFT. And of these two YUDS, one is an olive-size, NAMELY THE SMALL YUD OF ADONAI, and the other is an egg-size, NAMELY THE UPPER YUD OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. And they are in the secret of Yud-Aleph-Hei-Dalet-Vav-Nun-Hei-Yud, NAMELY THE COMBINATION OF YUD HEI VAV HEI AND ADONAI, WHERE THE INITIAL YUD IS THE SECRET OF AN EGG-SIZE, AND THE FINAL YUD IS THE SECRET OF AN OLIVE-SIZE. The old sage came and kissed him.

612. While they were still considering this, the Holy Luminary, THAT IS RABBI SHIMON, arose, and opened by saying: "what (Heb. Mah - Mem Hei) is His name and what (Mem Hei) is His son's name" (Mishlei 30:4) come together, FOR CHOCHMAH IS THE SECRET OF YUD HEI VAV HEI FULLY SPELLED WITH ALEPHS, WHOSE NUMERICAL VALUE IS MEM HEI. AND THE SON OF CHOCHMAH, WHICH IS TIFERET, IS ALSO YUD HEI VAV HEI FILLED IN WITH MEM HEI. AND IT FOLLOWS THAT MAH IS THE NAME OF CHOCHMAH AND MAH IS THE NAME OF ITS SON, WHICH IS TIFERET. AND THE OLD SAGE, WHO IS CHOCHMAH, JOINED WITH THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERD, WHO IS TIFERET. The friends rejoiced and said: Happy is the one who was privileged to eat of this bread, WHICH IS VAV OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, about which it is said: "Come, eat of my bread" (Mishlei 9:5). And happy is the Soul of whom it is said: "she shall eat of her father's bread: but no stranger shall eat of it" (Vayikra 22:13), for about the Holy One, blessed be He, it is said: "Have we not all one father?" (Malachi 2:10), and the soul that occupied itself with the Torah "shall eat of her father's bread."

613. And who is the cause FOR THE SOUL to eat of her father's bread? This is because she returned in repentance and united WITH THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, as in her youth, as it is written: " and has returned to her father's house, as in her youth" (Vayikra 22:13). AND THE MEANING OF THIS IS THE SAME as: "he shall return to the days of his youth" (Iyov 33:25), just like a tree that has been cut down and has grown again from its roots. And this is a secret for one who dies childless, THAT BY LEVIRATE MARRIAGE HE REINCARNATES AND IS RENEWED.

614. And there is a further secret, FOR A MAN WHO DIES CHILDLESS will later reincarnate and be renewed again, as it is written: "...be a widow or divorced" (Ibid.), as HIS SOUL is driven out of the Garden of Eden. Hence it is called 'divorced' (Heb. grushah) as in: "So He drove (Heb. vayegaresh) out the man..." (Beresheet 3:24). And what was the reason for this? It was because "she had no child" (Vayikra 22:13), for he died childless. "and has returned to her father's house, as in her youth," that is, returns to this world, AND INCARNATES in the son of the levirate marriage. This is the meaning of "and has returned to her father's house, as in her youth." And after it has been privileged to have offspring, "she shall eat of her father's bread: but no stranger shall eat of it." THIS IS WHAT IS WRITTEN: "the wife of the dead man shall not be married abroad to a stranger" (Devarim 25:5). FOR IF SHE DOES NOT MARRY THE KINSMAN, SHE WILL FALL INTO THE HANDS OF A STRANGER, NAMELY THE OTHER SIDE.

615. The Faithful Shepherd said, Hillel and Shammai: That is, you two, one of whom is of the side of Mercy, NAMELY HILLEL, while the other is of the side of Judgment, NAMELY SHAMMAI, are Chesed and Gvurah, the levels of Abraham and Isaac, and you are of their stock: gather round here, you and the eighty pupils that Hillel had, as well as the pupils of the House of Shammai, gather around for the banquet of the King.

616. You have taught, you and those with you who give legal and ethical instructions, you have taught: He who breaks bread may not eat until the diners have answered 'amen,' and: The guests may not eat anything until the one who breaks the bread has eaten. Obviously, when the host breaks the bread and gives it to the guests, he does not measure out the same amount for each person, for those who break bread do not usually break it into equal parts, and he could give to one an egg-size and to another an olive-size. And when they respond 'amen' over this breaking of the bread, before the host eats, they join together the two quantities, the egg size and the olive size, WHERE THE EGG SIZE QUANTITY IS DRAWN DOWN FROM THE YUD OF YUD HEI VAV HEI AND THE OLIVE SIZE QUANTITY IS FROM THE YUD OF ADONAI, AS ABOVE, AND THUS THE JOINING OF THE EGG-SIZE AND THE OLIVE-SIZE IS THE SECRET OF THE COMBINATION OF Yud-Aleph-Hei Dalet-Vav-Nun-Hei-Yud, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF 'amen'. And this UNIFICATION is not over the eating but over the breaking of the bread. AND THEREFORE, after these quantities, THE EGG SIZED AND THE OLIVE SIZED, have joined together IN THE UNIFICATION OF YUD-ALEPH-HEI DALET-VAV-NUN-HEI-YUD, by SAYING 'amen,' then the host may eat. And this is: "I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk," after which comes: "Eat, O dear ones, and drink, drink deep, O loving companions" (Shir Hashirim 5:1). "Eat, O dear ones" refers to the guests, so that the children, who are the guests, should be as their father, WHO IS THE HOST WHO BREAKS THE BREAD, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF SUPERNAL CHOCHMAH, THAT IS CALLED 'FATHER'.

617. And here we have bread in two loaves, WHERE BREAD IS VAV, AND EACH OF THE LOAVES IS HEI, and the amount OF THE EATING IS an olive-size and an egg-size, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE UNIFICATION YUD-ALEPH-HEI-DALET-VAV-NUN-HEI-YUD, AS ABOVE. HE ASKS: What is the shewbread that is on the King's table, NAMELY THE TWELVE CHALLOT THAT WERE ARRANGED ON THE TEMPLE TABLE? HE ANSWERS: Have we not already learned that THE BREAD, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, has twelve countenances? And what are they? They are the four faces of a lion, the four faces of an ox, the four faces of an eagle, FOR THE LION, OX, AND EAGLE ARE THE SECRET OF THE THREE COLUMNS, IN EACH ONE OF WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT AND FOUR TIMES THREE COMES TO TWELVE, AND THEY ARE THE SECRET OF THE THREE YUD HEI VAV HEI'S, namely: "Hashem bless you... Hashem make His face shine... Hashem lift up..." (Bemidbar 6:24 26), WHERE EACH YUD HEI VAV HEI HAS FOUR LETTERS, AND THREE TIMES FOUR MAKES TWELVE LETTERS.