26. Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion with the verse: "And it came to pass on the eighth day" (Vayikra 9:1). HE ASKS: Why does the scripture mention the eighth day? For it has a reference to the verse: "And you shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting for seven days...for seven days shall He consecrate you" (Vayikra 8:33). HE CONTINUES, ASKING: Why is it written "seven days" and not "in seven days?"

27. Happy are the priests who are crowned with the crowns of the Holy King, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, HIS CROWNS ARE THE LIGHTS OF BINAH and are anointed with the holy anointing oil. Thereby, the supernal oil - WHICH IS THE ABUNDANCE OF CHOCHMAH, WHICH IS IN BINAH - is activated, and it moistens all the seven SFIROT (CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT), which are anointed with that holy oil OF BINAH. All those seven lamps - NAMELY THE SEVEN SFIROT - are lit from her and that holy oil, WHICH IS BINAH, which comprised all the seven. THEREFORE, IT IS SAID OF THEM: "FOR SEVEN DAYS SHALL HE CONSECRATE YOU," MEANING THAT SEVEN DAYS ARE THE SEVEN SFIROT, WHICH ARE INCLUDED WITHIN BINAH. THEY WILL CONSECRATE YOUR HANDS WITH THE HOLY OIL, AND BY THAT THEY PASS THE ABUNDANCE INTO THE SEVEN SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN - for all THOSE SEVEN SFIROT are included IN BINAH.

28. We have learned that there are only six days - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD - and they are included IN BINAH, who encompasses all of them. THEREFORE, SHE IS CONSIDERED AS ONE DAY HERSELF and, therefore, IT IS WRITTEN: "For seven days shall He consecrate you," WHICH DAYS ARE THE SEVEN SFIROT - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, TOGETHER WITH BINAH. They depend upon Her - CHESED, GVURAH TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN DEPEND UPON BINAH - AND HENCE, SHE IS COUNTED AMONG THEM. Therefore, the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is called 'Bathsheba' (lit. 'daughter of seven'), for she is the consummation of six other SFIROT. IF IT IS SO, SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED 'DAUGHTER OF SIX,' BUT TOGETHER WITH HER OWN ASPECT SHE IS SEVEN. IN THIS CASE ALSO, BINAH INCLUDES ALL THE OTHER SIX, AND SHE HERSELF IS CONSIDERED AS ONE DAY TO BE COUNTED. THEREFORE, THERE ARE SEVEN DAYS.

29. Those seven, WHICH ARE BINAH WITH THE SIX DAYS INCLUDED WITHIN, AS IT IS MENTIONED ABOVE, were perfected and adorned and anointed by the priests in everything. When they reached the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, being the eighth DAY, WHICH COMES AFTER THE SEVEN DAYS - BINAH, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD - Aaron was ordered to offer a calf - which is the son of a cow, WHICH ALLUDES TO MALCHUT. This was to atone for the sin of that other 'calf' whom Aaron created, thereby sinning against the "cow" - WHICH IS MALCHUT, and which is the eighth DAY OF THOSE SEVEN DAYS MENTIONED ABOVE, FOR SHE IS CALLED 'the peaceable and faithful in Yisrael.' THEN, the priest is considered complete in all, in the eight different vestments of glory, complete in all the Sfirot above and below.

30. On all occasions above, some kind of act must be manifested BELOW. Therefore, a ceremony was performed with Aaron below, MEANING THAT HE DID NOT LEAVE THE TABERNACLE FOR SEVEN DAYS AND HE OFFERED THE SACRIFICE ON THE EIGHTH DAY. By that act, he elicited a reaction above and, in this way, all becomes one and all the worlds are blessed through the priest. By this act, the priest was made complete, with all PERFECTION, as he should be.

31. Why a calf? It is written: "Take you a young calf for a sin offering" (Vayikra 9:2), MEANING that he had to bring a sin offering on account of THE SIN OF THE CALF he had previously committed, and also a "ram for a burnt offering." HE ASKS: Why DID HE OFFER a ram? HE ANSWERS: Because of the ram of Isaac, NAMELY THE RAM THAT ABRAHAM OFFERED INSTEAD OF ISAAC, FOR THAT WAS THE SECRET OF THE SWEETENING OF ISAAC. It was a perfect burnt offering, and THIS RAM also was brought to make the sacrifice complete, MEANING TO SWEETEN THE LEFT AND COMPLETE IT. This place, WHICH IS MALCHUT, draws from the side of Isaac, SINCE MALCHUT IS BUILT FROM THE LEFT SIDE, WHICH IS ISAAC. THEREFORE, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED FROM THAT SIDE. This ram was brought as a burnt offering (due to Isaac's ram,) for it ascends aloft TO BINAH, to crown MALCHUT with perfection. A calf and a ram. The calf was for Her - TO CORRECT THE DEFECT AARON HAD MADE IN MALCHUT BY MAKING THE GOLDEN CALF - and a ram to complete Her properly with the perfection of Isaac. FOR ISAAC HIMSELF IS THE SECRET OF THE LEFT, THE OX, WHOSE SECRET OF PERFECTION AND SWEETNESS IS THE RAM.

32. And Yisrael SHARED THE sin of the priest, THE SIN OF THE GOLDEN CALF, and had to bring a similar offering, as it is written: "Also a bullock and a ram for peace offerings to sacrifice before Hashem" (Vayikra 9:4). An ox is for their sin, which they had BY MAKING THE GOLDEN CALF - MEANING TO CORRECT THAT SIN. A ram is to complete this place, WHICH IS MALCHUT, with the perfection of Isaac, AS EXPLAINED ABOVE.

33. HE ASKS : Why is the term, "a young calf for sin offering," used in connection with the priest, while for Yisrael it does not say 'an ox for a sin offering?' HE ANSWERS: Because Yisrael were already punished in many places, MEANING IN SEVERAL WAYS BY THE SONS OF LEVI AND THE WATERING. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not wish to mention their sin as before. Hence, it is not written here 'sin offering,' but "for a peace offering," as a sign of peace and to show that the Holy One, blessed be He, has reconciled with the children of Yisrael in respect to this.

34. Aaron, however, was not punished FOR THE SIN OF THE GOLDEN CALF, BECAUSE OF the prayer of Moses, as is written: "And Hashem was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him" (Devarim 9:20). It is also written: "And I prayed for Aaron also at the same time" (Ibid.). His guilt still hung over him, so it is written: "a young calf for a sin offering." It is assuredly a sin offering, for he had to be atoned and purified to reach perfection completely.

35. On that day, the upper and lower beings reached their perfection and there was peace everywhere, a joy above and below. If not for the event of the sons of Aaron on that day, there would have been no such joy above and below from the day that Yisrael came up from the sea. On that day, the sin OF THE GOLDEN CALF was wiped out from the world and the priests and the children of Yisrael were cleansed of it. On that day, all the Accusers above departed, they circled around Yisrael, and found nothing they could accuse them for.