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.