14. "And these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt with Jacob; every man came with his household" (Shemot 1:1). Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion saying: "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, with me from Lebanon, look from the top of Amanah, from the top of Senir and Chermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards" (Shir Hashirim 4:8). This verse refers to the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT. At the time that Yisrael left Egypt and approached Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to her, "with me from Lebanon," MEANING that she comes from the supernal Eden, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH THAT IS CALLED 'LEBANON.' Bride MEANS 'whole,' like the moon that is made whole by the sun with all the light and sparkle, WHICH ARE OR YASHAR ('DIRECT LIGHT') AND OR CHOZER ('RETURNING LIGHT'). "Come with me from Lebanon," in order that your children shall receive the Torah. UNTIL MALCHUT CAN RECEIVE CHOCHMAH, WHICH IS CALLED 'LEBANON,' YISRAEL CANNOT RECEIVE THE TORAH BECAUSE THEY LACK THE FIRST THREE SFIROT.

15. "Look (Heb. tashuri) from the top of Amanah." "Tashuri" has the same meaning as in "There is not a present (Heb. teshurah) to bring" (I Shmuel 9:7). LIKEWISE, "TASHURI" MEANS accept a present for your children; "from the top of Amanah" - meaning when they came in the beginning with supernal Faith (Heb. emunah) and said, "All that Hashem has spoken we will do and obey" (Shemot 24:7). And they were equal to supernal angels, as is written about them, "Bless Hashem, you angels of His, you mighty ones who perform His bidding, hearkening to the voice of His word" (Tehilim 103:20). Then the Congregation of Yisrael received a present WHICH IS REFERRED TO IN, "TASHURI FROM THE TOP OF AMANAH," WHICH MEANS ADDITIONAL MOCHIN.

16. "From the top of Senir and Chermon" (Shir Hashirim 4:8). This was Mount Sinai that they approached and gathered under, as is written, "And they stood at the foot of the mountain" (Shemot 19:17). The lions' dens" (Shir Hashirim 4:8), are the children of Seir that the Holy One, blessed be He, invited to receive the Torah, but they did not want to accept it. "From the mountains of leopards" (Ibid.), are the children of Ishmael, as it is written, "Hashem came from Sinai, and rose from Seir to them; He shone forth from mount Paran, and He came from holy multitudes" (Devarim 33:2). PARAN IS THE CHILDREN OF ISHMAEL.

17. What is the meaning of, "And he came from holy multitudes" (Ibid.)? We learned that when the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to give the Torah to Yisrael, camps of supernal angels came and said, "Hashem our ruler, how majestic is Your name in all the earth; who have set Your glory above the heavens" (Tehilim 8:2). Then they asked that the Torah be given to them AND NOT TO YISRAEL.

18. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, 'Are you mortal, as written, "When a man shall die in a tent" (Bemidbar 19:14), "And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death" (Devarim 21:22)? Do you have sins that you need laws? Is there robbery or stealing among you, as written, "You shall not steal" (Shemot 20:13)? Have you women, as written, "You shall not commit adultery" (Ibid.)? Do you have falsehood that it says, "Do not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Ibid. 14)? Do you have coveting that it is written, "You shall not covet" (Ibid. 13)? Why are you requesting the Torah?' Immediately they said, "Hashem our ruler, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth." But, "who have set Your glory above the heavens" is not written. Therefore it says, "And He came from holy multitudes" (Devarim 33:2), MEANING THAT HE CAME FROM NEGOTIATING WITH THE ANGELS. Then it says, "From His right hand went a fiery law for them" (Ibid.), WHICH IS THE TORAH WHICH IS LIKENED TO FIRE BECAUSE OF THE JUDGMENT THAT IS IN IT. THUS, SEIR AND ISHMAEL DID NOT WANT TO ACCEPT IT UPON THEMSELVES, AND THE ANGELS COULD NOT ACCEPT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE THE QUALITY OF JUDGMENT.

19. Rabbi Yosi explains this verse as referring to when the Shechinah descended into exile in Egypt BECAUSE OF THE QUESTION OF RABBI ABA, WHO ASKS, DID SHE COME FROM LEBANON? INDEED, SHE ASCENDS TO LEBANON. IT SHOULD HAVE SAID, 'ASCEND WITH ME TO LEBANON!' HE EXPLAINS THAT IT IS AT THE TIME THE SHECHINAH DESCENDED FROM THE PLACE LEBANON INTO EXILE IN EGYPT. THEREFORE IT SAYS, "COME WITH ME FROM LEBANON." And IN ORDER TO ANSWER THE PREVIOUS QUESTION OF WHY IT DOES NOT SAY 'ASCEND WITH ME TO LEBANON,' Rabbi Shimon said, This verse is based upon the secret of the union of Faith, WHICH IS MALCHUT. It says, "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride" (Shir Hashirim 4:8). 'Voice,' WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, said to 'Speech,' WHICH IS MALCHUT, "with me," because voice comes to speech and leads it, so as to be one, without any separation, for the voice is general. BEING THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM, WHICH IS PRESENT IN ALL THE GRADES, speech is particular - BEING THE LIGHT OF CHOCHMAH, WHICH IS IN THE LEFT COLUMN OF BINAH, AND WHICH IS PRESENT ONLY IN MALCHUT. Therefore, the general needs the particular, AS ZEIR ANPIN DOES NOT HAVE THE THREE FIRST SFIROT, EXCEPT FOR THE LIGHT OF CHOCHMAH IN MALCHUT. And the particular needs the general, FOR THE LIGHT OF CHOCHMAH THAT IS IN MALCHUT ILLUMINATES ONLY WHEN IT IS CLOTHED IN THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM THAT IT RECEIVES FROM ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS GENERAL. Voice is not COMPLETE without speech and speech is not COMPLETE without voice. Therefore, it is written, "With me from Lebanon, my bride," because the essence of both comes from Lebanon, WHICH IS BINAH.

20. "Look from the top of Amanah," which is the throat, WHICH IS BINAH, WHICH RECEIVES FROM THE PALATE, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH, from which breath emanates, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, to complete everything from the secret of concealed and hidden Lebanon - THAT ZEIR ANPIN OPENS WITH THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN. "From the top of Senir and Chermon," is the top and the middle of the tongue, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF TIFERET, AND ITS TIP IS THE SECRET OF DA'AT that articulates speech. "From the dens of lions," thereto are the teeth, WHICH ARE NETZACH AND HOD. "From the mountains of the leopards," refers to the lips, WHICH IS MALCHUT. AND ALL THESE SFIROT, WHICH ARE OF ZEIR ANPIN, ARE the completion through which speech is completed, WHICH IS MALCHUT, THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN.