"Go up this way by the south"

Synopsis

We learn that God tells people to strive in the Torah and they will then recognize that it is available to support them, and they will be able to see if the just that live in the Garden of Eden got there by having overpowered their inclinations with strong effort, or if they studied the Torah day and night. They will be able to see what type of world it is and whether the Tree of Life is present forever. We hear warnings against those who think they can achieve the Garden of Eden with a lazy attitude and meaningless effort.

Garden of Eden Grades South Torah

56. It is written THAT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, TELLS THEM: '"Go up this way by the south" (Bemidbar 13:17), MEANING strive in the Torah and you will then recognize that it stands in good stead for you. Through it, you will know that WORLD "and see the country, what it is..." (Ibid. 18), MEANING you will recognize through it that world, which is an inheritance and a legacy, to which I bring you.' "And the people who dwell in it" (Ibid.): these are the righteous in the Garden of Eden, who stand row by row in the highest glory on the highest grades.

56. מַה כְּתִיב. עָלוּ זֶה בַנֶּגֶב, אִשְׁתְּדָּלוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְתֶחֱמוּן דְּהָא הִיא קַיְּימָא קַמַיְּיכוּ, וּמִנָהּ תִּנְדְּעוּן לֵיהּ. וּרְאִיתֶם אֶת הָאָרֶץ מַה הִיא וְגוֹ.' תֶּחֱמוּן מִנָּהּ הַהוּא עָלְמָא, דְּהָא יְרוּתָא דְּאַחֲסָנָא, דַּאֲנָא עָיֵיל לְכוּ בָּה. וְאֶת הָעָם הַיּוֹשֵׁב עָלֶיהָ, אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא דִּבְגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, דְּקַיְימָן שׁוּרִין שׁוּרִין בִּיקָרָא עִלָּאָה, בְּדַרְגִּין עִלָּאִין.

Hands Merit Strength Torah

57. "Whether they are strong or weak..." (Ibid.) MEANING you will see in her if they gained all these due to having overpowered their inclination WITH STRONG EFFORT and broken it, or whether they did it WEAKLY WITHOUT ANY EFFORT. Or see if they enhanced their strength in Torah by studying it day and night or if they have loosened their hands of it, AND YET IN SPITE OF THAT they merited all these. "Are they few or are they many" (Ibid.): Are there many who are involved in My service and getting stronger by the Torah, so that they therefore merit all these, or not?

57. הֶחָזָק הוּא הֲרָפֶה, בָּהּ תֶּחֱמוּ אִי זָכוּ לְכָל הַאי כַּד אַתְּקָפוּ עַל יִצְרֵיהוֹן, וְתַבְרוּ לֵיהּ, אִי לָא. אוֹ כַּד אַתְּקָפוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְמִלְעֵי בָּהּ יְמָמָא וְלֵילְיָא. אוֹ אִי אַרְפּוּ יְדַיְיהוּ מִנָּהּ. וְזָכוּ לְכָל הַאי. הַמְעַט הוּא אִם רָב, אִי סַגִּיאִין אִינּוּן דְּאִשְׁתָּדָּלוּ בְּפוּלְחָנִי, וְאַתְּקִיפוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּגִין דְּזָכוּ לְכָל הַאי אִי לָא.

Torah Tree Tree of Life Zeir Anpin

58. וּמָה הָאָרֶץ הַשְּׁמֵנָה הִוא אִם רָזָא. מִדְּאוֹרַיְיתָא תִּנְדְּעוּן מַה הָאָרֶץ. מַה הַהוּא עָלְמָא אִי אַסְגֵּי טִיבוּ עִלָּאָה לְיָתְבָהָא, אוֹ אִי אַזְעִיר מִנֵּהּ כְּלוּם. הֲיֵשׁ בָּהּ עֵץ אִם אַיִן, הֲאִית בָּהּ אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי, לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמִין, אוֹ אִי צְרוֹרָא דְּחַיֵּי אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּגַוָּוהּ, אִם לָא.

Aramaic Face Ground Heart Hebron Negev Torah

59. "And they ascended into the Negev, and (he) came to Hebron" (Ibid. 22). "And they ascended into the Negev" MEANS that people elevate themselves within her, THE TORAH, and "into the Negev" means with a lazy heart, as one whose effort is dry and meaningless, because he believes that there is no recompense in that. He sees that he has lost the world's riches due to her and thinks that everything is LOST. "Into the Negev" is as it is written: "The face of the ground was dry" (Beresheet 8:13), "dry" being translated into Aramaic as negivu.

59. וַיַּעֲלוּ בַנֶּגֶב וַיָּבֹא עַד חֶבְרוֹן. וַיַּעֲלוּ בַנֶּגֶב, בְּנֵי נָשָׁא סַלְּקִין בְּגַוָּוהּ בַנֶּגֶב, בְּלִבָּא עַצְלָא, כְּמַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַל בְּמַגָּנָא, בִּנְגִּיבוּ, דְּחָשִׁיב דְּלֵית בָּהּ אֲגָר, חָמֵי דְּהָא עוּתְרָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא אָבִיד בְּגִינָהּ, חָשִׁיב דְּכֹלָּא הוּא. בַנֶּגֶב: כד"א חָרְבוּ הַמַּיִם, וּמְתַּרְגְמִינָן נְגִיבוּ.

Ahiman Hebron Sheshai Talmai Torah

60. לְבָתַר וַיָּבֹא עַד חֶבְרוֹן, עַד דְּאָתֵי לְאִתְחַבְּרָא בָּהּ, קָארֵי וְשָׁאנֵי בָּה. וְשָׁם אֲחִימָן שֵׁשַׁי וְתַלְמַי, תַּמָּן חָמֵי פְּלִיגָּן סַגִּיאִין, טָמֵא וְטָהוֹר, אָסוּר וּמוּתָּר, עוֹנָשִׁין וְאַגָּרִין. אִלֵּין אִינּוּן אָרְחֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דִּקְדוּקֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא. יְלִידֵי הָעֲנָק, דְּאִתְיְלִידוּ מִסִּטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָה.