Shmini
Judgment Silver Throne Vessels Wicked Wickedness

95. It is written: "Take away dross from the silver and a vessel emerges for the refiner. Take away the wicked from before the King and His throne shall be established in Righteousness" (Mishlei 25:4). Come and behold: when the wicked become numerous in the world, the throne of the Holy King, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is established in Judgment and is drawn by Judgment. Its flames burn the world, but when the wicked are removed from the world, then "His throne shall be established in righteousness (lit. 'Chesed')," and not in Judgment. HE ASKS: What does this mean, "IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND NOT IN JUDGMENT?"

95. כְּתִיב הָגוֹ סִיגִים מִכָּסֶף וַיֵּצֵא לַצּוֹרֵף כֶּלִי הָגוֹ רָשָׁע לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ וְיִכּוֹן בַּחֶסֶד כִּסְאוֹ. ת"ח, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַסְגִּיאוּ חַיָּיבִין בְּעָלְמָא, כּוּרְסְיָיא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִישָׁא אִתְתַּקְּנַת בְּדִינָא, וְאִשְׁתְּאָבַת בְּדִינָא, וְשַׁלְהוֹבוֹי אוֹקְדִין עָלְמָא. וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְעֲבָרוּ חַיָּיבַיָא מֵעָלְמָא, כְּדֵין וְיִכּוֹן בַּחֶסֶד כִּסְאוֹ. בַּחֶסֶד, וְלָא בְּדִינָא מַאי מַשְׁמַע.

Judgment Mercy Priests Temple, The Throne Water Wine Zeir Anpin

96. HE ANSWERS: The meaning is that the lower world, WHICH IS MALCHUT, depends on the Upper World, WHICH IS THE ZEIR ANPIN, and the supernal world TRANSFERS TO THE LOWER WORLD according to the ways of the lower world. THEREFORE, "His throne shall be established in Righteousness (Heb. chesed)" (Mishlei 25:4), for he who desires to bless it and to establish His throne, WHICH IS THE LOWER WORLD, SHALL ESTABLISH IT with chesed and not with Judgment. HE ASKS AGAIN: What is the meaning OF ESTABLISHING IT IN CHESED? HE ANSWERS: When the priest enters into the Temple, WHICH IS MALCHUT, he should enter with Mercy, which is water, and not with the wine he drank, for that is Gvurah. He is to enter with water, and not to enter with wine.

96. מַשְׁמַע דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה תַּלְיָא בְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, וְעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה לְפוּם אָרְחֵי דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה. וְיִכּוֹן בַּחֶסֶד כִּסְאוֹ. מַאן דְּבָעֵי לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ, וּלְאַתְקְנָא כּוּרְסְיֵיהּ, בְּחֶסֶד וְלָא בְּדִינָא. מַאי מַשְׁמַע. דְּכַד עָיֵיל כַּהֲנָא לְבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא, דְּיֵעוּל בְּחֶסֶד דְּאִיהוּ מַיָּא, וְלָא יֵיעוּל בְּיַיִן דְּשָׁתֵי דְּאִיהוּ גְּבוּרָה. יֵיעוּל בְּמַיָּא, וְלָא יֵיעוּל בְּחַמְרָא.

Directions Head Jeremiah Rocks

97. Then Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yitzchak came and kissed the boy on his head. From that day on, he never left Rabbi Yehuda; and when he entered the house of study, Rabbi Yehuda would rise before him saying: I have learned something from him, and it is fitting that I should show him respect. Afterwards, he became one of the Friends and they used to call him 'Rabbi Yesa,' the hammer-head that breaks rocks and makes sparks fly in all directions. Rabbi Elazar would apply to him the verse: "Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you" (Yirmeyah 1:4).

97. אָתוּ רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְר' יִצְחָק, וְנַשְּׁקוּ רֵישֵׁיהּ, וּמֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא לָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִבֵּי ר' יְהוּדָה, וְכַד הֲוָה עָיֵיל לְבֵי מִדְרָשָׁא, הֲוָה קָם ר' יְהוּדָה קַמֵּיהּ, אָמַר מִלָּה אוֹלִיפְנָא מִנֵּיהּ, וְיָאוּת לְאַנְהָגָא בֵּיהּ יְקָר. לְבָתַר אִסְתְּלַּק בֵּין חַבְרַיָּיא, וַהֲווֹ קָארָן לֵיהּ ר' יֵיסָא, רֵישָׁא דְּפַטִּישָׁא דְּמַתְבָּר טִנָרִין, וְאַפִּיק שַׁלְהוֹבִין לְכָל סְטָר. וַהֲוָה קָרֵי עָלֵיהּ ר' אֶלְעָזָר, בְּטֶרֶם אֶצָּרְךָ בַּבֶּטֶן יְדַעְתִּיךָ.