10. Rabbi Elazar was traveling along a road, where he met Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair and his whinnying donkey. Rabbi Pinchas said to him: From the note of gladness in the donkey's voice, I see that surely I shall meet someone here. When he emerged from under the brow of the hill, he saw Rabbi Elazar coming towards him and said: Assuredly, the omen of the DONKEY'S rejoicing has been fulfilled. Rabbi Elazar then came up to him and kissed him. He said to him: If you would like TO JOIN ME and go the same way, let us go together and if not, go your way. He replied: Indeed, I was going towards you and since I have found you, I will follow you and we can go together.

11. Rabbi Pinchas opened the discussion with the verse: "Hashem shall bless you out of Zion and you shall see the good of Jerusalem" (Tehilim 128:5). AND HE ASKS: Why "out of Zion?" HE ANSWERS: Because FROM ZION, WHICH IS THE YESOD OF MALCHUT, all blessings come out to all, as it is written: "For there Hashem has commanded the blessings, even eternal life" (Tehilim 133:3). Hence, "Hashem shall bless you out of Zion," since from there blessings emanate to everything. "And you shall see the good of Jerusalem." For the sake of Zion, Jerusalem - WHICH IS MALCHUT - is blessed, BECAUSE ZION IS THE YESOD OF MALCHUT and Mercy rests there. When Jerusalem is blessed, all the people are blessed.

12. "All the days of your life" (Ibid.), MEANS that the rainbow shall not be seen in your days any more than it was in the days of your father, RABBI SHIMON BEN YOCHAI, IN WHOSE DAYS NO RAINBOW WAS SEEN, FOR THE RAINBOW ALLUDES TO JUDGMENT. Of that, IT IS WRITTEN: "And you shall see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life," MEANING THAT ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE, YOU SHALL SEE THE GOOD OF MALCHUT NO JUDGMENTS WILL APPEAR IN HER. "And you shall see your children's children" (Tehilim 128:6), WHO WILL BE God-fearing, saintly and holy, and then, "peace upon Yisrael." "Peace upon Yisrael," is like saying, 'Peace be upon the head of the King, that he may lack nothing!' Thus there is peace upon Yisrael, NAMELY, UPON THE HEAD OF ZEIR ANPIN - WHICH IS CALLED 'YISRAEL' WHEN HE HAS THE THREE FIRST SFIROT, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF 'HEAD.' FOR THE NAME "YISRAEL" HAS THE LETTERS OF THE WORDS "LI- ROSH" (LIT. 'I HAVE A HEAD'). As long as there are righteous in the world, THERE IS PEACE UPON THE HEAD OF ZEIR ANPIN.

13. Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion with the verse: "Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their fathers" (Mishlei 17:6). We have already explained that the word "children" MEANS CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH ARE 'CHILDREN' TO CHOCHMAH AND BINAH. "Children's children" are the other Sfirot of the King, NAMELY NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, as it is written: "And all your children shall be taught of Hashem" (Yeshayah 54:13), WHICH ALLUDES TO NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. It is also written: "The precious sons of Zion" (Eichah 4:2), THAT IS, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH COMBINE WITH ZION - NAMELY, YESOD OF MALCHUT. This is like the words, "And the glory of children is their fathers," WHICH MEANS THAT the children, CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, are only crowned through their fathers, WHO ARE CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, THE PARENTS OF CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. From that verse, we have learned that the children - CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET - are only crowned and revived by the running stream, WHICH IS BINAH, when the fathers, CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, are crowned and blessed BY THE KETER, as is written: "And the glory of children is their fathers."

14. As they were going along, the time of prayer arrived, so they dismounted and said their prayers. While they were praying, a serpent wound itself ROUND the legs of the donkey of Rabbi Pinchas, which was frightened and thereupon uttered two cries. After they had finished praying, Rabbi Pinchas said: Assuredly, my animal is in pain, for IT IS BEING PUNISHED - BECAUSE earlier in the day, while MY LIPS were uttering words of Torah, THE DONKEY took me through a place where there was dung. THAT IS WHY it is now in pain. As they stood up, they saw the serpent coiled round the donkey's legs, and Rabbi Pinchas said: Snake, snake, go and wind yourself round YOUR OWN nest. At this, the snake detached himself FROM THE ANIMAL'S LEG, and fell into pieces.