"Half of them towards the eastern sea..."

252. Around the pillars, there exist network carpets of embroidery. IT IS KNITTED from red fire, WHICH IS THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LEFT, and from white fire, WHICH IS THE ILLUMINATION OF THE RIGHT, and gold strands, WHICH IS THE LEFT ILLUMINATION IN BINAH CALLED GOLD. It is encircled from all directions by a spring of water, as it says, "And on that day, living water shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them towards the eastern (also: 'primordial') sea, and half toward the western (last) sea" (Zecharyah 14:8).

253. The head of the Yeshivah explained this verse inside and his voice was heard on the outside. When he finished explaining this verse, a child's voice was raised outside. THAT WAS the child that left his teaching and learned in the presence of a pillar of the world, the son of Rabbi Yehuda from Ravit Ant, WHICH IS A NAME OF A PLACE. He was being held BY PROSECUTING ANGELS to be judged and his voice was raised on the outside. WHEN HE HEARD of this verse FROM THE MOUTH OF THE HEAD OF THE YESHIVAH, he said, How could waters that are below IN JERUSALEM rise to a place that is higher from it by several steps, MEANING TO THE PRIMORDIAL SEA, WHICH IS BINAH? FURTHERMORE, what need is there for those waters above, IN BINAH? AND FURTHERMORE, how could a place that all the water springs and rivers leave from, and where there is no discontinuation to THOSE springs and rivers THAT EXIT FROM THERE WHICH IS THE PRIMORDIAL SEA, THAT IS BINAH, be irrigated from a dry place, WHICH IS JERUSALEM? Whoever saw a hole that has been dug giving water to a flowing water spring? Could Jerusalem give water to the primordial sea, which is a location from where all the waters come and flow? Oh, holy pious one, HE SAID TO RABBI SHIMON, to this voice everyone who was there from the members of the Yeshivah became quiet and listened. Therefore, the prosecutors could not approach him TO JUDGE HIM.

254. Rabbi Shimon cried. He said to him, Do not cry, Holy Luminary. Praised is your lot that even children quote of you, THAT IS BECAUSE OF YOUR MERIT, in concealed secrets in the Torah. Come and I will tell you what the Yeshivah members did for the sake of that child's voice. When the voice of the child entered inside piercing like an arrow, everyone paid attention. At that time, the head of the Yeshivah was startled, as were all those that were in his presence, so he said, Who are those that do not allow this one, a son of a living Elohim, to enter? Three pillars, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF ILLUMINATION IN THE THREE COLUMNS, that were standing in front of the head of the Yeshivah rose and held on to him, and he entered. All the members of the Yeshivah gathered around him. The head of the Yeshivah said, Speak your verse, holy son.

255. THE CHILD said, Until now I was afraid, since I was from a different Yeshivah. That is what they told me when those prosecutors held on to me. He said to him, Do not fear, holy son. Here you will stay with us seven days and you will wash yourself with the holy dew every day. Then, they will take you up to that Yeshivah of the rest of the children here.

256. The child opened the discussion saying, "And it shall come to pass, on that day" (Zecharyah 14:9). HE ASKS: "That:'' It is not known which it is. HE REPLIES: But wherever "that day" is mentioned, it is the last of days. Why is it called "that (Heb. hahu) day?'' It is only because it is a day in which the end is connected to the beginning, WHICH IS BINAH. Its beginning is referred to as "he (Heb. hu)," as it says: "But the Levites shall do the service (lit. 'serve him')" (Bemidbar 18:23), since the performance of the Levite is for the level that is called "he" that is concealed and hidden. BECAUSE IT IS HIDDEN, IT IS THEREFORE CALLED "HE" IN THE THIRD PERSON. When it is read 'Hahu' WITH THE DEFINITE ARTICLE HEI, WHICH IS MALCHUT, it comes to indicate that the end of all the levels, THAT IS MALCHUT, is the beginning OF THE STEPS, WHICH IS BINAH, since all is one. Since THE WORD HAHU is the end, MEANING MALCHUT, Hei was added to it, MEANING THE HEI THAT IS MALCHUT WAS ADDED TO THE WORD HU, WHICH IS BINAH, WHICH IS ENVELOPED WITHIN MALCHUT WITH THE RESULT THAT THE WORD 'HAHU' IS MALCHUT, BUT ONLY WHEN BINAH IS ENVELOPED WITHIN HER.

257. Jerusalem is destined to produce water and to become a flowing spring. Here it would be possible to say that the end of all steps, REFERRED TO BY HAHU, is not Jerusalem. However, Jerusalem and "that day" are most certainly all one, SINCE BOTH ARE MALCHUT. What is the difference between them? It is only that when Jerusalem is surrounded by all her holy steps it is called Jerusalem. That is the way they appear. There are steps that surround, called the Temple courts. These are inner and some SURROUND IT from outside. There are steps FURTHER WITHIN, which when they surround, are called chambers. There are steps which when they surround, are called the temple and the sanctuary. At the innermost of all these steps, there is one point: "The king's daughter is all glorious within" (Tehilim 45:14). That point is called "that day." This is derived from "which (Heb. hahu) was called the land" (Devarim 3:13). THAT IS, MALCHUT IS CALLED LAND, BUT JUST HER HIDDEN POINT.

258. When "that day" will be established, AT THE END OF CORRECTION, from the networks in the court, WHICH ARE THE SECRETS OF THE ILLUMINATION OF BINAH THAT IS ENVELOPED IN MALCHUT, a spring of water will rise. That spring will come from the primordial sea THAT IS BINAH, FROM WHICH IT CONTINUES TO MALCHUT, AND IS LIKE a mother that has her son between her arms. Due to the great amount of milk that he suckles, his mouth is filled up and overflowing, UNTIL he returns the milk to his mother's mouth. That is meant by "half of them towards the primordial sea" (Zecharyah 14:8)

259. The head of the Yeshivah took him and kissed him. He said to him, On your life! That is the way they explained it in the heavenly Yeshivah. And that certainly is so. "The last sea" MEANS her last steps. Oh, holy pious one, SAID THE SOUL TO RABBI SHIMON, how much gladness upon happiness was added by that child between the members of the Yeshivah. The child said 27 explanations in the Torah, and seventy crowns were adorned to his father on that day. Praised is the lot of whoever deserved to teach his son. Rabbi Shimon inquired, Did not his father deserve to teach him? He replied that his father died.

260. A hidden secret was with that child, why he departed from the world and why they wished to have him judged, and he was saved from it. That is because he openly embarrassed his teacher in front of everybody with the argumentative questions and difficulties that he posed to him, FOR HE WAS UNABLE TO SETTLE THEM IN RESPONSE. He was not afraid to go to another TEACHER to improve his studies and thereby his teacher was disconcerted. Consequently, they wished to judge him harshly. Therefore, even though he was saved from the court officials, he was not saved here, as seven days passed by before his image was perfected. When he washed, it was with great pain in front of everyone all these seven days, until his image was completed. Do not ask why he departed from the world. Oh, Rabbi, oh Rabbi. Praised is your lot.

261. HE NOW RETURNS TO EXPLAIN IN ANOTHER MANNER AND IN OTHER WORDS, THE WORDS IN THE VERSE: "HALF OF THEM TOWARDS THE PRIMORDIAL SEA." Come and see, Under the ring of those networks that exist there. In these waters of the flowing spring THAT EXIST THERE, there is one distinct spring that expands and flows out and enters the great sea. It delineates in it a path to the heart of the sea. From it, the Leviathan drinks until he is happily satiated, and grows and enlarges greatly. THAT IS THE SECRET OF "HALF OF THEM TOWARDS THE PRIMORDIAL SEA," MEANING TO THE HEART OF THE SEA. When another spring flows out, that spring continues to expand secretly under the depths, into the last sea, THAT IS MALCHUT THAT IS HIDDEN. All these harsh and maligning waters it pushes and forces down, so they would not be able to harm the inhabitants of the world. This is derived from the verse: "Who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters" (Yeshayah 43:16), NAMELY IN THE LAST SEA.

262. In the center of that court exist two Cherubs, a product of craftsmanship by the Holy King. The higher and lower beings are unable to stand on top of them. SINCE THEIR FIRST THREE SFIROT ARE COVERED WITH WINGS. But underneath them, THAT IS, IN THE ASPECT OF SIX EXTREMITIES OF THE FIRST THREE, all Yisrael are destined to stand, MEANING TO RECEIVE THEIR ILLUMINATION, PROVIDED that they will not leave to go out from under their wings, MEANING THAT THEY WON'T PEEK AT THE FIRST THREE SFIROT THAT ARE COVERED BY THE WINGS. All those that enter under the wings OF THE CHERUBS will be happy, since thirteen thousand towers of the sun, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, MEANING TWELVE PERMUTATIONS OF YUD HEI VAV HEI AND THAT WHICH CONTAINS THEM, THAT IS THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, WHICH IS IN EACH OF THE THREE COLUMNS, illuminate upon the figures as required, MEANING THE CHERUBS. The head of the Yeshivah gained through this, BY ENTERING UNDER THE WINGS OF THE CHERUBS, to have all that glory.