Shemot: Chapter 12

"...That let the feet of the ox and the donkey..."

Synopsis

Rabbi Aba opens a discussion of the meaning of, That let the feet of the ox and the donkey..." He explains that the children of Israel are worthy in the sight of God because they "sow beside all waters," that is, according to Righteousness. Reference is then made to the book of Rabbi Yeba Saba. It describes the Chamber of Guilt, which is of the side of Mercy, and the Chamber of Merit, which is of the Other Side. Children, longevity, and sustenance, we learn, do not depend on either Chamber, but rather on mazal. The children of Israel cleave to the side of Holiness, thereby banishing the evil symbolized by the union of the ox and the donkey.

Relevance

The Light of Binah, the spiritual dimension that resides above the world known as Zeir Anpin, illumines your very being. This awesome Light is also known as the World to Come, which is defined as a reality where death, turmoil, and pain have no existence. Binah is the essence of perfection, bliss, and never-ending days. It is made ours in this splendid passage, where the lower world is raised into the Upper Heavens.

The Zohar gently pours sweet and clear waters over the world, dissolving and washing away all judgments decreed upon humanity. The wells, springs, and fountains of bitter water that we have created through our negative deeds and actions evaporate as these verses summon forth the warming Light of the Creator and the glowing Light of the righteous souls.

Evil forces and plagues are banished from our reality through the power of Jacob, who embodies all humanity.

Donkeys Jacob Ox Waters

67. "Now there arose a new king" (Shemot 1:8). Rabbi Aba commenced, "Blessed are you that sow beside all waters, that let the feet of the ox and the donkey range freely" (Yeshayah 32:20). Fortunate are Yisrael, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, favored more than all the nations and, and whom He brought close to Him, as it is written, "Hashem has chosen you to be a special possession to Himself..." (Devarim 14:2), and, "For Hashem's portion is His people, Jacob is the lot of His inheritance" (Devarim 32:9). And Yisrael cleave to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, "But you that did cleave to Hashem your Elohim are alive every one of you this day..." (Devarim 4:4).

67. וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ. ר' אַבָּא פָּתַח אַשְׁרֵיכֶם זוֹרְעֵי עַל כָּל מָיִם מְשַׁלְּחֵי רֶגֶל הַשּׁוֹר וְהַחֲמוֹר, זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בְּהוּ מִכָּל שְׁאַר עַמִּין, וְקָרִיב לוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב, וּבָךְ בָּחַר יְיָ' לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגוּלָה וְגוֹ,' וּכְתִיב כִּי חֵלֶק יְיָ' עַמּוֹ יַעֲקֹב חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ, יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְדַּבְּקִין בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כּוּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם.

Heavens Mochin Righteous Water Waters World to Come, The Zeir Anpin

68. And they are therefore righteous before Him, because they sow beside all waters. AND HE ASKS, What is "beside all waters?" AND HE SAYS, They sow for righteousness (Heb. Tz'dakah) - MEANING THEY ELEVATE MAYIM NUKVIN ('FEMALE WATERS') TO DRAW MOCHIN INTO MALCHUT, SO SHE WILL BE CALLED 'TZ'DAKAH.' FOR WITHOUT MOCHIN, IT IS CALLED TZEDEK (JUSTICE) WITHOUT HEI. And of one who sows for righteousness, it is written, "For your kindness is great above (Heb. me'al) the heavens (Heb. shamayim)..." (Tehilim 108:5). Me'al shamayim also means beside all waters (Heb. al kol mayim). And what is, "above the heavens?" It is the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH THAT IS ABOVE ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS CALLED "HEAVENS." And the children of Yisrael sow seeds, MEANING THEY ELEVATE MAYIM NUKVIN ('FEMALE WATERS') beside (lit. 'above') above all waters, WHICH IS BINAH, IN ORDER TO DRAW MOCHIN TO MALCHUT, SO THAT SHE SHOULD BE CALLED 'TZ'DAKAH.'

68. וע"ד זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן קָמֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן זַרְעִין עַל כָּל מָיִם. מַאי עַל כָּל מָיִם. דְּזַרְעִין לִצְדָקָה. וּמַאן דְּזָרַע לִצְדָקָה, כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ כִּי גָּדוֹל מֵעַל שָׁמַיִם חַסְדֶּךָ. מֵעַל שָׁמַיִם: עַל כָּל מַיִם אִיהוּ הֲוֵי, וּמַאן אִיהוּ מֵעַל שָׁמַיִם. דָּא עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל זַרְעֵי זַרְעָא עַל כָּל מַיִם.

Chambers Daniel Judges Merit Seventy-Two

69. In the book of Rav Yeba Saba, it says as follows, It is written, "This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the words of the holy ones" (Daniel 4:14). For all the verdicts in this world and all the decrees and all the questions are all in one chamber, where 72 judges deliberate the sentences of the world. And that chamber is called the 'Chamber of Merit,' because when a person is judged, his merit is presented first.

69. בְּסִפְרָא דְּרַב יֵיבָא סָבָא הָכִי אָמַר, כְּתִּיב בְּגִזְרַת עִירִין פִּתְגָּמָא וּמֵאמַר קַדִּישִׁין שְׁאֵלְתָּא, כָּל דִּינִין דְהַאי עָלְמָא, וְכָל גִּזְרִין, וְכָל שְׁאֵלְתִּין, כֻּלְּהוּ קַיְימֵי בְּחַד הֵיכָלָא, דְּתַמָּן ע"ב סַנְהֶדְרִין מְעַיְּינִין בְּדִינִין דְּעָלְמָא. וְהַהוּא הֵיכָלָא אִקְרֵי הֵיכָל זְכוּתָא, בְּגִין, דְּכַד דַּיְינִין דִּינָא, מְהַפְּכִין בִּזְכוּתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ בְּקַדְמֵיתָא.

Grades Other Side Serpent

70. This is not so in the level of the Other Side, where there is a place called 'Guilt,' because all the actions in that place are of the Serpent, the Wife of Harlotry, and their only purpose is to condemn the person and to slander the servant before his Master!

70. מַה דְּלָאו הָכִי, בְּדַרְגָּא דְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, דְּתַמָּן אִיהוּ אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי חוב"ה, בְּגִין דְּכָל עוֹבָדוֹי דְּהַהוּא אֲתָר, דְּנָחָשׁ אֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים, לָא אִיהוּ אֶלָּא לִמְהַפְּכָא בְּחוֹבָה דב"נ, וּלְמִלְשָׁן עַבְדָּא לְמָארֵיהּ.

Chambers Curse Guilt Merit Water Waters

71. Those that are in the Chamber of Merit are called 'sweet waters,' 'clear waters.' Those that are in the Chamber of Guilt are called the 'bitter water' - "The bitter water that causes the curse" (Bemidbar 5:18). In that Chamber of Merit these three are not found, children, longevity, and sustenance; nor are these found in that place of Guilt; nor in the 'sweet and clear waters;' nor in the 'bitter' and 'curse-causing waters'!

71. אִינּוּן דְּהֵיכְלָא דְּזְכוּתָא, אִקְרוּן מַיִם מְתוּקִים, מַיִם צְלוּלִין. אִינּוּן דְּהֵיכָלָא דְּחוֹבָה, אִקְרוּן מַיִין מְרִירִין, מֵי הַמָּרִים הַמְאָרֲרִים. בְּהַהוּא הֵיכָלָא דִּזְכוּתָא, לָא קַיְימֵי אִלֵּין תְּלַת: בְּנֵי, חַיֵּי, וּמְזוֹנֵי. וְלָאו בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּחוֹבָה, לָא בְּמַיִם מְתִיקָן וּצְלִילָן, וְלָאו בְּמַיִם מְרִירִין מְלַטְּטִין.

Beard Chambers Mazal Merit Waters

72. Therefore, Yisrael sow beside all the waters a holy seed - MEANING THEY ELEVATE MAYIN NUKVIN ('FEMALE WATERS') TO SUPERNAL BINAH, WHICH IS CALLED 'ABOVE ALL WATERS' - and they beget above all waters, they whose seed is not appropriate except for above IN BINAH. Therefore, the masters of the Mishnah explain that children, longevity and sustenance are not dependent on THE CHAMBER OF Merit, but rather are dependent upon the Holy Mazal, WHICH IS THE HOLY BEARD OF ARICH ANPIN, WHICH IS ITS ASPECT OF BINAH WHICH HAS EMERGED. This place is "above all waters."

72. וְעַל דָּא, יִשְׂרָאֵל זַרְעֵי עַל כָּל מַיִם, זַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּאוֹלִידוּ עַל כָּל מַיִם, אִיהוּ, דְּהָא לָאו נָכוֹן זַרְעָא דִּילְהוֹן אֶלָּא לְעֵילָּא. וע"ד אוּקְמוּהָ מ"מ, בְּנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי, לָאו בִּזְכוּתָא תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא, אֶלָּא בְּמַזָּלָא קַדִּישָׁא תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא, וַאֲתָר דָּא עַל כָּל מַיָּא אִיהוּ.

Evil Holiness (Kedushah) Judgment Kedushah (Holiness) Klipot (Shells – Negativity) Other Side Ox Plagues Shells (Klipot)

73. "...That let the feet of the ox and the donkey range freely..." They do not contain anything in that side OF THE KLIPOT OF THE OX AND THE DONKEY; for they have banished all the evil parts and cleave to the good side of all supernal holy beings. When the ox and donkey join together, they become two evil plagues of the world. The ox is the side of Severe Judgment and originates in the cleaving of the side of Holiness. When the donkey joins with it from the Other Side OF THE KLIPOT, they become two evil plagues of the world.

73. מְשַׁלְּחֵי רֶגֶל הַשּׁוֹר וְהַחֲמוֹר, דְּלָא אִית לוֹן בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא בִּישָׁא כְּלוּם, וּמְשַׁדְּרָן מִנַּיְיהוּ כָּל חוּלָקִין בִּישִׁין, וּמִתְדַּבְּקִין בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא טָבָא, דְּכָל קְדוּשִׁין עִלָּאִין, שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר כַּד מִזְדַּוְּוגָן כַּחֲדָא, תְּרֵין פִּגְעִין בִּישִׁין אִינּוּן לְעָלְמָא. שׁוֹר: סִטְרָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא אִיהוּ, וְאִתְדַּבְּקוּתָא דִּסְטָר קַדִּישָׁא אִיהוּ. חֲמוֹר: כַּד אִזְדְּוַוג בַּהֲדֵיהּ, דְּאִיהוּ מִסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא, תְּרֵין פִּגְעִין בִּישִׁין אִינּוּן לְעָלְמָא.

Esau Fear Holiness (Kedushah) Jacob Judgment Kedushah (Holiness) Ox Strength

74. Hence, Simeon had in him the strength of Severe Judgment, AS HE HAD IN HIMSELF THE ASPECT OF THE OX. And when they combine, the world cannot tolerate it. Therefore, "You shall not plow with an ox and an donkey together" (Devarim 22:10). Therefore, Jacob sent this to Esau: "I have oxen and asses" (Beresheet 32:6), MEANING THAT HE SUBJUGATED THEM TO HOLINESS. And had Jacob not humbled himself, a great fear would have fallen on Esau, BECAUSE HE HAD THE POWER TO OVERPOWER THESE TWO FORCES.

74. וְעַל דָּא, שִׁמְעוֹן תּוּקְפָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא הֲוָה בֵּיהּ, וְכַד מִזְדַּוְּוגָן כַּחֲדָא, לָא יָכִיל עָלְמָא לְמִסְבַּל, וּבְגִין כָּךְ, לֹא תַחֲרוֹשׁ בְּשׁוֹר וּבַחֲמוֹר יַחְדָּו. וְעַל דָּא, שָׁדַר יַעֲקֹב לְעֵשָׂו מִלָּה דָּא, דִּכְתִּיב, וַיְהִי לִי שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר. וְאִי לָאו דְּמָאִיךְ יַעֲקֹב גַּרְמֵיהּ, דְּחִילוּ סַגְיָא נָפַל בֵּיהּ בְּעֵשָׂו.

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