"Do not gaze upon me, because I am black"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yehuda compares the title verse to the moon, that cannot be gazed upon because it is in darkness when in exile. When the sun shines it does so with six lights, or Sfirot, and when the sun is gone those six lights are gone. Yisrael was exiled because of punishment for sins, and was sentenced to keep the vineyards of other nations rather than keeping the vineyard of Yisrael itself.

Astrology Darkness Exile Flesh Light Moon Skin Sun

62. "When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a swelling, a scab, or bright spot..." (Vayikra 13:2). Rabbi Yehuda opened by saying, "Do not gaze upon me, because I am black (lit. 'blackish'), because the sun has scorched me" (Shir Hashirim 1:6). We have studied this verse, yet when the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is concealed in exile, she says, "Do not gaze upon me." It is not that she orders not to look on her, but when she sees the yearning of Yisrael towards her, to behold her light, she says, "Do not gaze upon me," WHICH MEANS you cannot see me. "Do not gaze upon me" surely, because I am black, since I am in darkness.

62. אָדָם כִּי יִהְיֶה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ שְׂאֵת אוֹ סַפַּחַת אוֹ בַהֶרֶת וְגוֹ.' רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר, אַל תִּרְאוּנִי שֶׁאֲנִי שְׁחַרְחוֹרֶת שֶׁשְּׁזָפַתְנִי הַשָּׁמֶשׁ, הַאי קְרָא אִתְּמַר, אֲבָל בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּסִיהֲרָא אִתְכַּסְּיָא בְּגָלוּתָא, הִיא אָמְרָה, אַל תִּרְאוּנִי. לָאו דְּאִיהִי פְּקִידַת דְּלָא לְמֵחֱמֵי לָהּ, אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי חָמָת תִּיאוּבְתָּא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְגַבָּהּ, לְמֵחֱמֵי נְהוֹרָהָא, הִיא אַמְרַת אַל תִּרְאוּנִי, לָא תֵּיכְלוּן לְמֵחֱמֵי לִי. אַל תִּרְאוּנִי וַדַּאי. מ"ט. בְּגִין שֶׁאֲנִי שְׁחַרְחוֹרֶת, בְּגִין דַּאֲנָא בְּקַדְרוּתָא.

Darkness Sun Vineyards Zeir Anpin

Exile Hands Judgment Lights Sin Sun Zeir Anpin

64. HE WONDERS WHY IT SAYS, "Because the sun has scorched me (Heb. sheshezaftani)," yet it should have said, 'The sun scorched me (Heb. shezaftani).' HE ANSWERS, There is an allusion to six here, SINCE 'SHESHEZAFTANI' IS COMPOSED OF SHESH (ENG. 'SIX') ZAFTANI. For when the sun, ZEIR ANPIN, shines, it does so with six lights, NAMELY THE SIX SFIROT, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. When it is gone, all these six lights are gone. "My mother's children" are all those coming from the aspect of harsh Judgment TO PUNISH FOR SINS. They "were angry (Heb. nicharu) with me" as in, "my throat is dried (Heb. nichar)" (Tehilim 69:4). This is what is meant by, "We are pursued to our necks" (Eichah 5:5), for when Yisrael reached exile, their hands were tied behind their backs and there was a millstone around their necks, so they could not speak. This is the meaning of, "were angry with me."

64. שֶׁשְּׁזָפַתְנִי, שְׁזָפַתְנִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא רְמָז הוּא דְּקָא רָמִיז, בְּשֵׁשׁ. דְּכַד נַהֲרָא שִׁמְשָׁא בְּשֵׁשׁ נְהוֹרִין נָהִיר, וְכַד אִסְתַּלָּק, כָּל אִינּוּן שִׁית נְהוֹרִין אִסְתְּלָקוּ. בְּנֵי אִמִּי, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן דְּאַתְיָין מִסִּטְרָא דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא. נִחֲרוּ בִי, כד"א נִחַר גְּרוֹנִי, הה"ד עַל צַוָּארֵנוּ נִרְדָּפְנוּ דְּכַד הֲווֹ עַיְילִין יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא, הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי יְדַיְיהוּ מְהַדְּקָן לַאֲחוֹרָא, וְרֵיחַיִין עַל צַוָארֵיהוֹן, וְלָא יָכִילוּ לְאַפְתְּחָא פּוּמָא.

Exile Vineyard Vineyards

65. שָׂמוּנִי נוֹטֵרָה אֶת הַכְּרָמִים, לְמֵהַךְ בְּגָלוּתָא, לְנַטְרָא לִשְׁאַר עַמִּין בְּגִינֵהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. כַּרְמִי שֶׁלִּי לֹא נָטָרְתִּי, דְּהָא לָא יָכִילְנָא לְנַטְרָא לְהוֹן כַּד בְּקַדְמֵיתָא. בְּקַדְמֵיתָא נְטִירְנָא כַּרְמִי שֶׁלִּי, וּמִנֵּיהּ אִתְנְטָרוּ שְׁאָר כַּרְמִין. הַשְׁתָּא נְטִירְנָא שְׁאָר כַּרְמִין בְּגִין כַּרְמִי שֶׁלִּי דְּלִהֱוֵי נָטִיר בֵּינַיְיהוּ.