98. "And Hashem spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, 'These are the animals that you shall eat'" (Vayikra 1:2). HE ASKS: Why the change, so that Aaron IS MENTIONED here TOGETHER WITH MOSES? HE ANSWERS: It is because his function is to separate the unclean from the clean, as it is written: "To make a distinction between the unclean and the clean" (Vayikra 11:47).

99. Rabbi Aba opened the discussion, saying: "Who is the man that desires life and loves many days... Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking guile" (Tehilim 34:13-14). It is also written: "He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles" (Mishlei 21:23). "Who is the man that desires life." What life? It refers to the life which is called 'the World to Come,' WHICH IS BINAH, where life rests. Therefore, we have learned that the Tree of Life is a tree - WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN - issuing from this life, WHICH IS THE LIGHT OF BINAH; MEANING THAT this tree was planted in that life of which it is written: "Who is the man that desires life."

100. "and loves many days, that he may see good." HE ASKS: What does "days" signify here? HE ANSWERS that it signifies the Name of the Holy King, NAMELY MALCHUT CALLED 'NAME' when She is attached to the supernal days WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN AND RECEIVES THEM. OF THEM, IT IS SAID, "LOVES MANY DAYS," for they are called 'the days of heaven over earth.' Assuredly, 'the days of heaven,' WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN CALLED 'HEAVEN,' and 'over earth,' AS THEY ARE RECEIVED BY MALCHUT WHICH IS CALLED 'EARTH.' He who desires to have a portion in the higher life above - WHICH IS THE LIGHT OF BINAH THAT WIELDS INFLUENCE WITH THE TREE OF LIFE, ZEIR ANPIN - and he who desires to have a portion in the supernal days - WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH WIELD INFLUENCE WITH MALCHUT - should cleave to them and love them. He "should guard his mouth and tongue" from all THINGS, from any kind of food or drink that defiles the soul, and takes a man far from the life OF BINAH-OF-ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED "TONGUE," and from those days OF ZEIR ANPIN OF MALCHUT, WHICH IS CALLED "MOUTH." He should also keep his tongue from words of evil, so as not to be defiled by them, and he should draw himself away from them, so as not to have part in them.

101. Come and behold: "mouth" and "tongue" are the names given to a supernal place, FOR MALCHUT IS CALLED 'MOUTH' AND ZEIR ANPIN IS CALLED 'TONGUE.' Therefore, a man should not bring a stain on his mouth and tongue, BECAUSE BY SO DOING HE BRINGS STAINS ON THE SUPERNAL MOUTH AND TONGUE, and on his WHOLE body and soul, for he is defiled in the other world above, as we have already explained.

102. "These are the animals from among all the beasts that are on earth that you shall eat" (Vayikra 11:2). HE ASKS: In this verse, the end does not suit the beginning, nor the beginning the end. Why does it say first, "animals," and then, "living creatures?" HE ANSWERS that the Holy One, blessed be He, said: 'As long as Yisrael keep their body and soul from impurity, "these are the animals...that you shall eat."' NAMELY, they will be in supernal Holiness and will cleave to My Name, WHICH IS MALCHUT AND IS CALLED 'ZOT (LIT. 'THESE')' AND 'ANIMAL.' By choosing the beast "that you shall eat," chosen by Me, you will not be defiled by it, and you will cleave to My Name, WHICH IS MALCHUT. THE MEANING OF THE VERSE, "THESE ARE THE ANIMALS (LIT. 'IN THE SINGULAR')..." IS THAT YOU WILL CLEAVE TO MALCHUT, CALLED "THIS IS THE ANIMAL...THAT YOU SHALL EAT," "FROM AMONG ALL THE LIVING CREATURES," WHEN YOU EAT A PURE BEAST, WHICH I HAVE CHOSEN FOR YOU.

103. When they do not keep themselves from unclean food and drink, they shall cleave to another, unclean place and be defiled by it. Therefore, it is written: "These are the animals...from among (lit. 'from all') that you shall eat." Assuredly, 'from all,' for this is the secret of cleaving to the Holy Name. FOR 'ALL' ALLUDES TO THE YESOD, WHICH IS CALLED 'ALL,' THE SECRET OF CLEAVING TO HIS NAME, WHENCE IS DERIVED THE SECRET OF THE VERSE: "FOR ALL THAT IS IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH" (I DIVREI HAYAMIM 29:11). THE YESOD UNITES ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, WHICH ARE CALLED 'HEAVEN' AND 'EARTH.' "...from among all the beasts that are on earth," MEANING that the eating of the animal should be clean and not defile you, and THEN you will have a share in My Name, WHICH IS CALLED 'all,' and you will cleave to it.

104. There is further explanation of the words: "These (Heb. zot) are the animals...that you shall eat." It is written of Pharaoh: "In this (Heb. zot) you shall know that I am Hashem" (Shemot 7:17), MEANING that "zot," WHICH IS MALCHUT, is to take revenge on you. Here also, "These (Heb. zot) are the animals which you shall eat among the living creatures," means that "zot" is before you to take revenge on you, if you defile your Nefesh. The reason is THAT MALCHUT ESPECIALLY SHALL PUNISH THEM, for the Nefesh OF MEN issues from Her - THE NEFESH ISSUES FROM MALCHUT, AND THE RUACH FROM THE ZEIR ANPIN, AS IS KNOWN. If you defile your NEFESH, which belongs to Malchut, then zot, MALCHUT, shall be against you. If She stands to do good, YOU WILL CLEAVE TO HER AND YOU WILL HAVE ALL THE GOODNESS - but if She stands against you, YOU WILL BE PUNISHED BY HER.

105. Rabbi Elazar said: "These are the animals from among all the living creatures... that you shall eat," MEANS that you are allowed to eat from all of those that belong to the side OF PURITY, but you are not allowed to eat those which do not belong to this side. There are beasts which come from the side OF PURITY and others from the other, unclean side. This is derived from the verse: "Whatever cleaves the hoof and is clovenfooted" (Vayikra 11:3). We have learned that they are all marked and the scripture specifies them all. Therefore, he who eats from those which come from the unclean side defiles himself and defiles his soul, which issues from the clean side.

106. Rabbi Shimon said that this includes everything, for as there are ten Sfirot of Faith above, so are there ten Sfirot of unclean sorcery below. All things on earth are attached either to one side or to the other, AND THE SCRIPTURE PERMITS US THOSE ANIMALS WHICH COME FROM THE SIDE OF THE TEN HOLY SFIROT, AND FORBIDS US ALL THOSE ANIMALS WHICH COME FROM THE SIDE OF THE TEN UNCLEAN SFIROT.

107. You may ask about the goat in which an unclean spirit dwells, SAYING IT IS PERMITTED TO BE EATEN. BUT THE ANSWER IS THAT this is not so, for if an unclean spirit dwelt in it, we would not have been permitted to eat it. UNCLEAN SPIRITS pass through animals and appear to harm them; BUT SUCH SPIRITS do not dwell in them, for when they COME to dwell in them another spirit FROM THE SIDE OF PURITY passes by AND THE DEFILED SPIRITS depart from the animals. THEY ONLY manifest inside them in order to prosecute MEN from within them, but they do not take possession of them. Therefore, such an animal is allowed to us as food.