703. "And on... the first month" (Bemidbar 28:16). HE ASKS: What is meant here by the first month? AND ANSWERS: It is Nissan, which is when that animal gave birth TO THE LIGHTS OF THE REDEMPTION, in accord with the teaching of the sages of Mishnah: In the month of Nissan they were redeemed, and in the month of Nissan they will be redeemed. And this is with His hand (Heb. yad = 14), ON HIS FOURTEENTH, ACCORDING TO THE SECRET OF THE VERSE: "for he said, because Yah has sworn (lit. 'put a hand') by His throne" (Shemot 17:16), when He swore to remove the seed of Esau, the Amalek, from the world. At that time: "Draw out and take lambs according to your families, and kill the passover" (Shemot 12:21), WHERE THE MEANING OF "draw out" (Heb. mishchu) is as in the verse: "he stretched out (Heb. mashach) his hand with scorners" (Hoshea 7:5).

704. At that time, thus said Hashem: to the rulers who transgressed against Me: "neither shall they enter into the land of Yisrael" (Yechezkel 13:9), and this refers to the shepherds of the flock, the supporters of the generation. Wherefore it is said about them: "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness" (Hoshea 2:16). "and there will remonstrate with you... As I remonstrated with your fathers" (Yechezkel 20:35-36), NAMELY, whom He killed in the plague of darkness. End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).

705. "And on...the first month" (Bemidbar 28:16). HE ASKS: What is meant by the first month? AND ANSWERS: This is the month in which that animal, NAMELY, MALCHUT, is revealed in and strengthened by and goes forth into the world, NAMELY, EMERGES FROM HER CLOSURE, IN THE SECRET OF THE VERSE: "AND STRIP THE FORESTS BARE" (TEHILIM 29:9) on the fourteenth day. The fourteen days refer to the remaining animals, NAMELY, CHESED AND GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT OF ZEIR ANPIN, THAT ILLUMINATE WITHIN MALCHUT, for they are ten in each direction, SINCE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, ARE THE FOUR DIRECTIONS at the four corners of the world, NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AND WEST, EACH ONE OF WHICH IS COMPOSED OF TEN SFIROT. And in the early writing IT IS STATED that she, MALCHUT, is ten, and that one SFIRAH OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, is in each of the four directions OF THE WORLD, making fourteen. And since these four, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, join in and are established with the ten THAT ARE IN MALCHUT from the right-hand side, this makes the fourteenth day OF THE MONTH for the fixing of this animal, WHICH IS MALCHUT, with all her establishment, with rejoicing.

706. Rabbi Elazar said: "Of course, that is how it is, but come and see, It is written: "Draw out and take lambs..." What is the meaning of "Draw out"? AND REPLIES: IT IS TO BE UNDERSTOOD as one who draws something from another place to this place, namely, draw out the upper days, WHICH ARE THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN, to the lower days, TO THE SFIROT of MALCHUT. The upper days OF ZEIR ANPIN number 366, as in the numerical value of "Draw out" (Heb. mishchu), NAMELY, THE NUMBER OF DAYS IN A SOLAR YEAR, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. The lower days OF MALCHUT are usually 355 days in a year, (Heb. shanah = 355). But when the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, shines at its fullest, the number of its days rises to be 365 days, AS THE SOLAR YEAR, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, namely, as the numerical value of "mishchu," less one.

707. Draw the upper days OF ZEIR ANPIN to the lower days OF MALCHUT, so that they will be one, all joined together. And who draws them? These are, the ten OF MALCHUT when she is on the right side, THAT IS CHESED. For it is written: "on the tenth day (Heb. be'asor)" (Shemot 12:3), NAMELY, MALCHUT WHEN SHE IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. HE ASKS, IT IS WRITTEN AS "be'asor," when the verse should have used the more common be'asarah (lit. 'the tenth day'); what is be'asor? HE ANSWERS, there are nine in each direction with one point that goes in the middle, thus: , and this point completes the ten SFIROT. This is why it is written "be'asor," just as it is written: "Remember (Heb. zachor)" (Shemot 20:8) and "Keep (Heb. shamor)" (Devarim 5:12), NAMELY, THE FORM OF THE INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE OF THE VERB, THE MEANING OF BE'ASOR THUS BEING to use the ten IN SUCH A WAY that these nine days WILL USE that point. "of this month" (Shemot 12:3), WHICH IS NISSAN, ALLUDES TO CHESED, TO SHOW THAT THESE days THAT ARE DRAWN DOWN will be on the right side, WHICH IS CHESED in order to combine zot (lit. 'this', feminine), WHICH IS MALCHUT, with zeh (lit. 'this', masculine), WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, for it all to be one.

708. And when these four DAYS THAT FOLLOW THE TENTH OF THE MONTH join up with the four directions, SOUTH, NORTH, EAST AND WEST, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF CHESED AND GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, and combine with them, WITH THE TEN DAYS, then that animal, WHICH IS MALCHUT, gives birth to THE LIGHTS OF THE REDEMPTION, and the Serpent departs. And at that time that animal is sanctified on high, and is called "Glory," and then the festival is sanctified. This had not been the case previously, but now, IN THE FESTIVAL, she is called "glory," as it is written: "and in His temple everyone speaks of His glory."

709. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). The Faithful Shepherd said: These matters THAT ARE STATED ABOVE, IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH, are insufficiently clear and they have to be explained for the friends, for whoever hides the secrets of the Torah from them, saddens them, for the lights of the secrets are darkness for the wicked. And it is like silver that is hidden away. If one digs until he discovers it, but it is not his, it becomes like darkness and gloom in his mind, while for one to whom it belongs, it illuminates on him. This is the reason why a person should reveal the hidden secrets of the Torah TO THE FRIENDS.

710. "on the tenth day" (Shemot 12:3) means that the nine Sfirot are in all directions, paralleling the nine months of a pregnant woman's period of gestation, which is the same as the numerical value of Aleph Chet of one (Heb. Echad -Aleph Chet Dalet). Who is the woman with child? She is the Dalet of echad. Aleph Chet (= 9) are the nine SFIROT in the four directions of the letter Dalet (= 4), and they are forty. Aleph Chet CORRESPOND TO "Remember," WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, while Dalet CORRESPONDS TO "Keep," WHICH IS MALCHUT, AND TOGETHER WITH THEM, they are 42.

711. This leaves us with "glory," as it is said: "Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever." And this is glory (Heb. kavod = 32) and heart (Heb. lev = 32), THE SUM OF WHICH IS 64. And there are four directions to this letter Dalet, 64 to the four sides, which comes to 256. And it has been taught: Glory above and heart below, and for this reason, the recital of the unity is said twice daily, in which we say 'glory' twice, which amounts to 64. Add to this the two Dalet's of echad, and we have 72. And so the Dalet of echad completes the 42-letter Names and also completes the 72-letter Names. And this is why it is said in 'A Psalm of David': "Who is this King of glory? Hashem strong and mighty" (Tehilim 24:8), and again: "Who is this King of glory? Hashem of hosts, He is the King of glory" (Ibid.10). End of Ra'aya Meheimna.

712. IT IS WRITTEN: "AND IN HIS TEMPLE EVERYONE SPEAK OF HIS GLORY" (TEHILIM 29:9). HE ASKS: What is meant by "His temple?" AND HE ANSWERS: This refers to the inner upper temple, where everything, NAMELY, BINAH, is sanctified. There whoever is fitting for sanctification is sanctified. How is that temple sanctified? HE ANSWERS THAT initially the gates are opened BY DA'AT. HE EXPLAINS HIS WORDS: One concealed key, NAMELY, DA'AT, fixed and opened one gate on the south side, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE RIGHT COLUMN. Then the High Priest, WHICH IS CHESED, enters into that opening and hurries with his girdle, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT, and his implements, NAMELY, THE FOUR GARMENTS OF AN ORDINARY PRIEST, NAMELY, MITRE, TUNIC, GIRDLE, AND BREECHES, WHICH CORRESPOND TO THE FOUR LETTERS OF ADONAI, WHICH IS MALCHUT. SUBSEQUENTLY, he is adorned with a diadem of holiness, and puts on a breastplate and efod and a robe of seventy bells and pomegranates, which are "a golden bell and pomegranate" (Shemot 28:34). And the plate of the holy crown on his forehead is called 'the plate of the holy crown', NAMELY, THE YUD OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. And he was embellished with the four garments of gold and with the four garments of white, WHICH CORRESPOND TO THE EIGHT LETTERS IN THE NAMES OF YUD HEI VAV HEI AND ADONAI, and on that plate 42 letters sparkle, NAMELY, THE 42-LETTER NAME, and the whole of that temple shines with upper lights.