"Who is this"

Synopsis

During the night, as we sleep, negative forces attach themselves to our hands. Like magnets, it is our hands that attract these forces because they carry out negative actions during our waking hours. They manifest the negative thoughts that reside in our hearts and minds. For this reason, one must never recite prayers or blessings without first washing the hands. This section arouses positive, purifying energy, and enables us to use our hands for genuine sharing and other worthy deeds.

Bride Canopy Wedding (Chupah) Chupah (Wedding Canopy) Holiness (Kedushah) Holy of Holies Kedushah (Holiness) Smoke

169. Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion by quoting, "Who is this coming up out of the wilderness?" (Shir Hashirim 3:6). "Who is this" is the joining of two kinds of holiness, of two worlds OF BINAH AND MALCHUT, into one firm bond. "Coming up (Heb. olah)," means that it actually comes up to become the Holy of Holies. Because "Who," WHICH IS BINAH, is the Holy of Holies and has joined "this," WHICH IS MALCHUT, so that she, THE MALCHUT, will be a burnt offering (Heb. olah) which is the highest class of sacrifices (lit. "Holy of Holies'). "Out of the wilderness," means that THIS inherits it from the wilderness in order to become a bride and enter the bridal canopy.

169. פְּתַח רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וַאֲמַר מִי זֹאת עוֹלָה מִן הַמִּדְבָּר וגוֹמֵר, מִי זֹאת כְּלָלָא דִּתְרֵין קִדּוּשִׁין, דִּתְרֵין עָלְמִין בְּחִבּוּרָא חֲדָא וְקִשּׁוּרָא חֲדָא, עוֹלָה, מַמָּשׁ לְמֶהֱוֵי קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁין, דְּהָא קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁין מִ"י, וְאִתְחַבְּרָא בְּזֹא"ת, בְּגִין לְמֶהֱוֵי עוֹלָה דְּאִיהִי קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים. "מִן הַמִּדְבָּר", דְּהָא מִן הַמִּדְבָּר יָרְתָא לְמֶהֱוֵי כַלָּה וּלְמֵיעַל לְחוּפָּה.

Deities Egyptians Head Lips Plagues Samuel

170. Furthermore she came out of the wilderness (Heb. midbar) as it is written, "And your speech (Heb. midbarech) is comely" (Shir Hashirim 4:3), meaning that she is "coming up" with the speech in a whisper. And we have learned why it is written in scripture, "these mighty Elohim. These is Elohim that smote Egypt with all the plagues in the wilderness" (I Shmuel 4:8). But is it possible that all the Holy One, blessed be He, brought about occurred only in the wilderness? Was it not in the place of habitation? But the phrase "in the wilderness" (Heb. bamidbar) IS TO BE INTERPRETED by speech (Heb. bedibur). As it is written, "and your speech is comely," and, "from the desert (Heb. midbar) peaks" (Tehilim 75:7). Similarly "coming up out of the wilderness" (Shir Hashirim 3:6) means by the word that is uttered by the mouth, she, MALCHUT, is "coming up" and enters between the wings of the Mother, she, BINAH. Afterwards, through speech, she, MALCHUT, descends and rests upon the leaders of the holy nation.

170. תּוּ, מִן הַמִּדְבָּר אִיהִי עוֹלָה, כד"א וּמִדְבָּרֵךְ נָאוֶה. בְּהַהוּא מִדְבָּר דִּלְחִישׁוּ בְּשִׁפְוָון, אִיהִי עוֹלָה. וְתָנִינָן, מַאי דִכְתִיב הָאֱלֹהִים הָאַדִּירִים הָאֵלֶּה, אֵלֶּה הֵם הָאֱלֹהִים הַמַּכִּים אֶת מִצְרַיִם, בְּכָל מַכָּה בַּמִּדְבָּר וְכִי כָּל דַּעֲבַד לוֹן קָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בַּמִּדְבָּר הֲוָה, וְהָא בְּיִשּׁוּבָא הֲוָה, אֶלָּא בַּמִּדְבָּר, בְּדִבּוּרָא, כד"א וּמִדְבָּרֵךְ נָאוֶה וּכְתִיב מִמִּדְבַּר הָרִים, אוֹף הָכֵי עוֹלָה מִן הַמִּדְבָּר, מִן הַמִּדְבָּר וַדַּאי, בְּהַהִיא מִלָּה דְּפוּמָא אִיהִי סַלְקָא, וְעָאלַת בֵּין גַּדְפֵי דְּאִמָּא, וּלְבָתַר בְּדִבּוּרָא, נַחְתָא וְשַׁרְיָא עַל רֵישַׁיְיהוּ דְּעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא.

Blessing Eyes Garden of Eden Hands Midnight Morning Praise Righteous Rooster Torah Vessels Washing Water

171. HE ASKS: How does she, MALCHUT, rise up through speech? AND HE REPLIES: Because when a person awakens in the morning - at the time that he opens his eyes - he should at first bless his Master. How is he to make the blessing? This is what the pious ones did: They prepared beside them a vessel of water, and when they awoke at night, they washed their hands, rose up, and studied the Torah. And they blessed on their Torah recitation as well! WHEN the cock crows and it is exactly midnight, then the Holy One, blessed be He, joins the Righteous in the Garden of Eden. It is forbidden to utter any blessing IN THE MORNING with unclean hands, as it is at any time of the day.

171. הֵיךְ סַלְקָא בְּדִבּוּרָא, דְּהָא בְּשֵׁירוּתָא, כַּד ב"נ קָאֵים בְּצַפְרָא, אִית לֵיהּ לְבָרְכָא לְמָארֵיהּ, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּפָקַח עֵינוֹי, הֵיךְ מְבָרֵךְ, הָכֵי הֲווֹ עַבְדֵי חֲסִידֵי קַדְמָאֵי, נַטְלָא דְמַיָיא הֲווֹ יַהֲבֵי קָמַייְהוּ, וּבְזִמְנָא דְּאִתְעָרוּ בְּלֵילְיָא, אַסְחָן יְדַיְיהוּ, וְקָיְימֵי וְלָעָאן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּמְבָרְכֵי עַל קְרִיאָתָהּ. תַּרְנְגוֹלָא קָרֵי, וּכְדֵין פַּלְגוּת לֵילְיָא מַמָּשׁ, וּכְדֵין קָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אִשְׁתַּכַּח עִם צַדִּיקַיָיא בְּגִנְתָא דְעֵדֶן, וְאַסִּיר לְבָרְכָא בִּידַיִן מְסוֹאָבוֹת וּמְזוּהֲמוֹת וְכֵן כָּל שַׁעֲתָא.

Blessing Hands Torah Washing

172. Because when a person falls asleep, his spirit departs from him. And when the spirit departs from him, the spirit of impurity comes forth, settles on his hands, and defiles them. So it is forbidden to utter any blessing without first washing ONE'S HANDS. And if you might say, If it is so, then on a day when a person does not go to sleep and his spirit does not depart from him, the spirit of impurity does not defile his hands; NEVERTHELESS, when he enters the lavatory, he should not utter any blessing nor read the Torah - not even one word - until he washes his hands. And although you might say that it is because they are sullied, this is not so! Because how did they become soiled?

172. בְּגִין דִּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ נָאֵים, רוּחֵיהּ פָּרְחָא מִנֵּיהּ, וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּרוּחֵיהּ פָּרְחָא מִנֵּיהּ, רוּחָא מְסָאָבָא זַמִּין, וְשָׁרְיָא עַל יְדוֹי, וּמְסָאַב לוֹן, וְאַסִּיר לְבָרְכָא בְּהוֹ בְּלָא נְטִילָה. וְאִי תֵימָא אִי הָכֵי, הָא בִּימָמָא דְּלָא נָאֵים וְלָא פָּרַח רוּחֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ, וְלָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלֵיהּ רוּחָא מְסָאֲבָא, וְכַד עָאל לְבֵית הַכִּסֵּא, לָא יְבָרֵךְ וְלָא יִקְרָא בַּתּוֹרָה אֲפִילּוּ מִלָּה חָדָא, עַד דְּיִסְחֵי יְדוֹי. וְאִי תֵימָא, בְּגִין דִּמְלוּכְלָכִים אִינוּן, לָאו הָכֵי הוּא, בַּמֶּה אִתְלַכְלְכוּ.

Fingers Hands

173. אֶלָּא וַוי לִבְנֵי עָלְמָא, דְּלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין וְלָא יַדְעִין בְּיִקְרָא דְמָארֵיהוֹן, וְלָא יָדְעֵי עַל מַה קָּיְימָא עָלְמָא. רוּחָא חֲדָא אִית בְּכָל בֵּית הַכִּסֵּא דְּעָלְמָא, דְּשַׁרְיָא תַּמָּן, וְאִתְהַנֵּי מֵהַהוּא לִכְלוּכָא וְטִנּוּפָא, וּמִיָּד שָׁרֵי עַל אִינוּן אֶצְבְּעָן דִּידוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ.