Shemot: Chapter 20

"And she hid him three months"

Synopsis

In his discussion of "And she hid him three months," Rabbi Yehuda explains the significance of "three months" and reveals that the "ark of papyrus" is an allusion to the Ark of the Covenant, while the "child" signifies Yisrael. Another explanation of the verse, "A man of the House of Levi" interprets this as a reference to God, Who went from the place where Aba and Ima (the supernal Mother and Father) unite as the Foundation.

Relevance

This passage draws down the original primordial Light that illuminated Mount Sinai. This Light was so effulgent, it banished all darkness from the universe, including disease, discontent, and death itself. Our meditation serves to complete our keeping of the 613 precepts - the transformation of our Desire to Receive into the Desire to Receive for the Sake of Sharing.

We connect to the realm known as Yesod, which is alluded to by the creature known as Leviathan or whale, which represents immeasurable joy in our life and in our world. This joy is the Shechinah, the Divine Presence, which means we are now, in this moment, united with the Shechinah forevermore.

The three Hebrew months known as Tammuz, Av, and Tevet are windows through which severe judgment flow into our world. These windows are now permanently shut. Judgment can no longer affect us personally, or any part of humanity. The colors of Light that shimmer in our reading banish demons and all evil forces from this world.

The Zohar teaches us that our physical dimension corresponds to the Hebrew letter Hei ה and the supernal world above is denoted by the letter Vav ו. The letter Hei ה spelled out alphabetically is Hei-Aleph הא. Vav ו spelled out alphabetically is Vav-Aleph-Vav ואו. The letters Vav-Aleph-Vav ואו and Hei-Aleph הא appear in this passage to ignite and seal our unification with the Upper World. Moreover, these letters ensure that we are redeemed in a process that embodies compassion and sweetness.

Eyes Moses Shechinah Torah

188. "And she hid him three months" (Shemot 2:2). HE ASKS, What is the significance of three months? Rabbi Yehuda said, It is an allusion to THE VIRTUE OF Moses not being recognized by the supernal radiance for three months, as is written, "In the third month" (Shemot 19:1). For then the Torah was given through him, and the Shechinah was revealed and dwelt upon him before everyone's eyes, as is written, "And Moses went up to the Elohim, and the Hashem called to him" (Ibid. 3). THIS IS WHAT IS WRITTEN, "And when she could no longer hide him" (Shemot 2:3). For until that time, his communication with the Holy One, blessed be He, was not known. And then it is written, "Moses speaks, and the Elohim answers him by a voice" (Shemot 19:19).

188. וַתִּצְפְּנֵהוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה יְרָחִים, ג' יְרָחִים מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי. אָמַר ר' יְהוּדָה, רֶמֶז הוּא דְּקָא רָמַז, דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדָע מֹשֶׁה בְּזִהֲרָא עִלָּאָה, עַד ג' יְרָחִים. דִּכְתִּיב בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְׁלִישִׁי, דְּהָא כְּדֵין אִתְיְהִיבַת תּוֹרָה עַל יְדוֹי, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִתְגַּלְיָא, וְשַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי לְעֵינֵיהוֹן דְּכֹלָּא, דִּכְתִּיב וּמֹשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו יְיָ,' וְלֹא יָכְלָה עוֹד הַצְּפִינוֹ, דְּעַד הַהוּא שַׁעְתָא, לָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע מִלּוּלֵיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא ב"ה, וּכְתִיב מֹשֶׁה יְדַבֵּר וְהָאֱלֹהִים יַעֲנֶנוּ בְּקוֹל.

Ark Brit (Covenant) Covenant (Brit) Tablets Torah

189. "She took for him a box (lit. 'ark') made of papyrus" (Shemot 2:3). This is an allusion to the ark in which the tablets of the Covenant came. "An ark made of papyrus" is the Ark of the Covenant. "And daubed it with slime clay and with pitch," because the ark was overlaid inside and out. Rabbi Yehuda said, This is the Torah that the Holy One, blessed be He, inscribed with positive commandments and negative commandments.

189. וַתִּקַּח לוֹ תֵּבַת גּוֹמֶא, רֶמֶז עַל הָאָרוֹן, דְּלוּחוֹת קַיָּימָא עָאלִין בְּגַוֵּיהּ, תֵּיבַת גּוֹמֶא, אֲרוֹן הַבְּרִית אִיהוּ. וַתַּחְמְרָה בַחֵמָר וּבַזָּפֶת דְּהָא הָאָרוֹן הֲוָה מְחוּפֶּה מִלְּגָו וּמִלְּבַר. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, דָּא הִיא אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּהֶחֱמִירָה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּמִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה וּבְמִצְוֹת לֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה.

Children Rivers Torah Year

190. "...and put the child in it..." (Ibid. 3). These are Yisrael, as is said, "When Yisrael was still a youth, I loved him" (Hoshea 11:1). "And she laid it in the rushes (Heb. suf)" (Ibid.), so there was no obligation to perform the commandments of the Torah until the end (Heb. sof), when Yisrael came to the land at the end of forty years. "...by the river's brink (Heb. safah)..." meaning according to the speech of those who teach Torah and laws to Yisrael. BECAUSE THE WORD "SAFAH" IS LIKE THE WORD 'LANGUAGE' (HEB. SAFAH) AND SPEECH, AND THE WORD "YEOR" ('RIVER') HAS THE MEANING OF MOREH ('TEACHER').

190. וַתָּשֶׂם בָּהּ אֶת הַיֶּלֶד, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, כד"א כִּי נַעַר יִשְׂרָאֵל וָאֹהֲבֵהוּ. וַתָּשֶׂם בַּסּוּף דְּלָא הֲווֹ פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא חוּמְרָא לְמֶעְבַּד, עַד סוֹף, דְּעָאלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאַרְעָא, לְסוֹף אַרְבְּעִין שְׁנִין. עַל שְׂפַת הַיְאוֹר: עַל מֵימְרָא דְּאִינּוּן דְּמוֹרִים אוֹרַיְיתָא וְחוּקָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל.

Aba and Ima Astrology Creation Daughter Light Moon Rivers Shechinah War Whale Wisdom

191. Another explanation, "A man," refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, as is written, "Hashem is a Man of war" (Shemot 15:3). "Of the house of Levi," refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO WENT FROM the place where the supernal Chochmah, THIS BEING SUPERNAL ABA, and that river, WHICH IS SUPERNAL IMA, join together and never separate. HE WENT FROM THE PLACE OF THE YESOD OF SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA. "Of the house of Levi" IS DERIVED FROM THE WORD LEVIATHAN, MEANING YESOD; He caused the Leviathan (lit. 'whale') to dwell in this world to bring joy into the world, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH. It is written, "There is the Leviathan, whom You have made to play therein" (Tehilim 104:26). "And took to wife a daughter of Levi." This is the Holy One, blessed be He, MEANING the place where the light of the moon illuminates, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH.

191. ד"א וַיֵּלֶךְ אִישׁ, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב יְיָ' אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה. מִבֵּית לֵוִי, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אֲתָר דְּחָכְמָה עִלָּאָה, וְהַהוּא נָהָר, מִתְחַבְּרָן כַּחֲדָא, וְלָא מִתְפָּרְשִׁין לְעָלְמִין. מִבֵּית לֵוִי דְּאַשְׁרֵי לִוְיָתָן לְחִידוּ בְּעָלְמָא, הה"ד, לִוְיָתָן זֶה יָצַרְתָּ לְשַׂחֶק בּוֹ. וַיִּקַּח אֶת בַּת לֵוִי, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אֲתָר דִּנְהִירוּ דְּסִיהֲרָא נָהִיר.

Aba and Ima Bride Daughter Grades Nukva Shechinah Women

192. "And the woman conceived, and bore a son." The woman, MEANING THE SHECHINAH IS most certainly CALLED A 'WOMAN,' as is written, "She shall be called woman" (Beresheet 2:23), AND "THIS" IS THE NAME OF THE SHECHINAH. Originally she was a daughter of Levi, WHICH IS YESOD OF ABA AND IMA THAT IS CALLED 'LEVIATHAN,' AS MENTIONED EARLIER, and it is certainly so, AS ABA AND IMA BUILT THE NUKVA. THEREFORE, HE ASKS, Originally she was a daughter of Levi and now she is a woman? AND HE ANSWERS, It is certainly so, as we have learned, that a woman is called the daughter of so and so before she marries, MEANING BY THE NAME OF HER FATHER AND MOTHER. After she marries, she is called a woman BY HER OWN NAME and here, daughter, woman and bride, are all one level, MEANING THE SHECHINAH.

192. וַתַּהַר הָאִשָּׁה וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן. הָאִשָּׁה וַדַּאי, כד"א לְזֹאת יִקָּרֵא אִשָּׁה. בְּקַדְמֵיתָא בַּת לֵוִי, וְהָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, וְכִי בַּת לֵוִי בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וְהַשְׁתָּא אִשָׁה. אֶלָּא הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, וְהָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, אִתְּתָא עַד לָא אִזְדַּוְּוגַת, אִתְקְרִיאַת בַּת פְּלוֹנִי, בָּתַר דְּאִזְדַּוְּוגַת אִתְקְרִיאַת אִשָּׁה. וְהָכָא, בַּת, וְאִשָּׁה, וְכַלָּה, חַד דַּרְגָּא אִיהוּ.

Av (Month) Eden Judgment Moses Righteous Shechinah

193. "She hid him three months" (Shemot 2:2). These are the three months in which Severe Judgment is prevalent in the world. And which are they? THEY ARE Tamuz, Av, and Tevet IN WHICH THERE IS NO REVELATION OF THE SHECHINAH BECAUSE OF THE JUDGMENTS IN THE WORLD. HE ASKS, What is he trying to tell us? AND HE ANSWERS THAT HE IS TELLING US THAT before Moses descended to this world, he was above WITH THE SHECHINAH. Therefore, the Shechinah joined with him from the day he was born. From this Rabbi Shimon derived that the spirits of the righteous were above IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN before they descended into this world.

193. וַתִּצְפְּנֵהוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה יְרָחִים. אִלֵּין תְּלַת יַרְחִין, דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא שַׁרְיָא בְּעָלְמָא וּמָאי נִינְהוּ. תַּמּוּז, אָב, טֵבֵת, מַאי מַשְׁמַע. דְּעַד לָא נָחַת מֹשֶׁה לְעָלְמָא, שְׁכִיחַ הֲוָה אִיהוּ לְעֵילָּא, וְעַל דָּא אִזְדַּוְּוגַת בֵּיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא, מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְיְלִיד. מִכָּאן אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, רוּחֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא, שְׁכִיחִין אִינּוּן לְעֵילָּא, עַד לָא יֶחֱתוּן לְעָלְמָא.

Colors Converts Demons Judgment Moses Red Seas Torah White

194. "And when she could no longer hide him..." (Ibid. 3). HE ASKS, What is the meaning of, "She took for him a box made of papyrus?" HE ANSWERS, She covered him with signs, so that he should be protected from the fish that swam in the Great Sea, MEANING KLIPOT AND DEMONS, as is written, "Where there are creeping things innumerable" (Tehilim 104:25). She covered him, to be guarded against them, with a precious cover of two colors, white and black. THE SLIME IS WHITE, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE RIGHT COLUMN, AND THE PITCH IS BLACK, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE LEFT COLUMN THAT IS MIXED WITH MALCHUT OF THE ATTRIBUTE OF JUDGMENT. THEN THE RED IN IT CONVERTS TO BLACK, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF OUR SAGES - THAT BLACK IS REALLY RED THAT HAS BEEN AFFECTED. And she placed Moses, WHO IS THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, among them so that he should be recognized with them AS THE SECRET OF DA'AT WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, because he was going to ascend among them at a different time, to receive the Torah.

194. וְלֹא יָכְלָה עוֹד הַצְּפִינוֹ וְגוֹ.' מַאי וַתִּקַּח לוֹ תֵּבַת גּוֹמֶא. דְּחָפַת לֵיהּ בְּסִימָנָהָא, לְמֶהֱוֵי נָטִיר מֵאִינוּן נוּנֵי יַמָּא, דְּשָׁאטִין בְּיַמָּא רַבָּא, דִּכְתִּיב שָׁם רֶמֶשֹ וְאֵין מִסְפָּר. וְהִיא חָפַת לֵיהּ, לְמֶהֱוֵי נָטִיר מִנַּיְיהוּ, בְּחָפוּ יַקִּירָא, דִּתְרֵין גַּוְונִין חִוָּור וְאוּכָם, וְאָנַח לֵיהּ לְמֹשֶׁה בֵּינַיְיהוּ, דְּיִשְׁתְּמוֹדָע עִמְּהוֹן, בְּגִין דְּזָמִין לְסַלְּקָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ זִמְנָא אַחֲרָא, לְקַבְּלָא אוֹרַיְיתָא.

Daughter Egyptians Holiness (Kedushah) Idolatry Judgment Kedushah (Holiness) Pharaoh, The Rivers Seas

195. "And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river" (Shemot 2:5). This DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH came from the left side of the Strict Judgment as is written, "To wash herself at the river" - in the river and not in the sea. THE SEA ALLUDES TO MALCHUT OF HOLINESS, BUT THE RIVER IS THE ATTRIBUTE OF STRICT JUDGMENT OF THE LEFT SIDE. AND THE EGYPTIANS MADE IT THEIR IDOL, AND SINCE THE DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH BATHED THERE, SHE WAS ALSO OF STRICT JUDGMENT.

195. וַתֵּרֶד בַּת פַּרְעֹה לִרְחוֹץ עַל הַיְאוֹר. דָּא אִיהִי דְּאַתְיָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר, לִרְחוֹץ עַל הַיְאוֹר, עַל הַיְאוֹר דַּיְיקָא, וְלֹא עַל הַיָּם.

Aaron Moses Rivers Seas Staff

196. And you may ask why, then, it is written, "And your rod, with which you smote the river" (Shemot 17:5). Moses smote only the sea, which THE VERSE also calls a 'river.' SO THE TERM 'RIVER' IS NOT PRECISE. AND HE ANSWERS, Aaron smote the river through Moses, and the verse considers it as though he himself did it.

196. וְאִי תֵּימָא, וְהָא כְּתִיב, וּמַטְּךָ אֲשֶׁר הִכִּיתָ בּוֹ אֶת הַיְאוֹר, וּמֹשֶׁה לָא מָחָא אֶלָּא יַמָּא, וְקַרְיֵיהּ יְאוֹר. אֶלָּא יְאוֹר הֲוָה דְּמָחָא אַהֲרֹן ע"י דְּמֹשֶׁה, וְשַׁוְיֵיהּ קְרָא דְּאִיהוּ עָבֵיד.

Aaron Maidens Moses Rivers Seven Torah

197. Similarly, it is written, "And seven days were completed, after Hashem had smitten the river" (Shemot 7:25), even though Aaron smote it. But since it came from the Holy One, blessed be He, the Torah refers to it as, "after Hashem smote." Thus, afterwards it is called in the name of Moses, BECAUSE AARON DID IT AT HIS INSTRUCTION. "And her maidens walked along by the river's side" (Shemot 2:5), are the other companies who came from that side OF THE RIVER.

197. כה"ג, וְיִמָּלֵא שִׁבְעַת יָמִים אַחֲרֵי הַכּוֹת ה' אֶת הַיְאוֹר. וְאַהֲרֹן הִכָּהוּ. אֶלָּא עַל דְּאָתָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, קַרְיֵיהּ קְרָא אַחֲרֵי הַכּוֹת ה,' לְבָתַר קַרְיֵיהּ בִּשְׁמָא דְּמֹשֶׁה. וְנַעֲרוֹתֶיהָ הוֹלְכוֹת עַל יַד הַיְאוֹר, אִלֵּין שְׁאַר מַשִּׁרְיָין דְּאַתְיָין מִסִּטְרָא דָּא.

Children Torah

198. "And when she had opened it, she saw (him,) the child" (Ibid. 6). HE ASKS, It is written, "She saw him," but it should say 'she saw.' Why, then, does it state, "She saw him?" Rabbi Shimon said, There is nothing in the Torah that does not have supernal and precious secrets. For this is what we learned, that the mark of the King and Queen, MEANING TIFERET AND MALCHUT, are found in him. It is the mark of Vav- Hei; FOR VAV IS TIFERET AND HEI IS MALCHUT. THEREFORE IT SAYS, "SHE SAW HIM (HEB. TIR'EHU);" WHICH IS SPELLED WITH AN EXTRA VAV AND HEI. Immediately, WHEN SHE SAW THIS, "she had compassion on him" (Ibid.). Until this point, the Torah talks about THE SUPERNAL WORLDS above. From here and further, it talks about THE WORLDS below, except for this verse, "AND HIS SISTER STOOD ..." (Ibid. 4).

198. וַתִּפְתַּח וַתִּרְאֵהוּ אֶת הַיֶּלֶד. וַתִּרְאֵהוּ וַתֵּרֶא מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. מַאי וַתִּרְאֵהוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, לֵית לָךְ מִלָּה בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּלֵית בָּהּ רָזִין עִלָּאִין וְיַקִּירִין. אֶלָּא הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, רְשִׁימָא דְּמַלְכָּא וּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ, וְאִיהוּ רְשִׁימָא דְּוָא"ו הֵ"א. וּמִיַּד וַתַּחְמוֹל עָלָיו וְגוֹ.' עַד כָּאן לְעֵילָּא, מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה לְתַתָּא, בַּר מֵהַאי קְרָא.

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