"Even the sparrow has found a home"

Synopsis

Rabbi Elazar continues the theme of Binah, the fiftieth day, and the creation of the Torah. The sparrows alluded to in the title verse are the birds of the sky, the ultimate meaning of which is 'freedom'. 'Freedom' alludes to Binah and 'sparrow' to Malchut. Since freedom emerges from the fiftieth year, Binah, the Torah that emerges from Binah is called 'freedom'. We are told that Upper freedom is Binah or Jubilee, and Lower freedom is Malchut or the Sabbatical Year - but both are as one.

Altar Aramaic Birds Dwellings Fear Fifty Freedom House Nest

70. Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion, saying: "Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow (Heb. dror) a nest for herself, where she may lay her young. Your altars..." (Tehilim 84:4). "Even the sparrow has found a home": these are the birds of the sky. Some of them nest outside and some of them nest in an abode, THE DWELLING PLACE OF A MAN, like the swallow (Heb. dror) that is a bird that places its nest in the home of any man and has no fear. Why? Because everyone calls it 'dror'. What is dror? It is freedom, as it is written: "And proclaim liberty (Heb. dror)" (Vayikra 25:10) in its Aramaic translation, freedom. Such is the swallow, from the day it nests in the house and has young, it lives (Heb. dar) in the house fifty days, and then they separate from each other. This is the bird that is called 'dror', WHICH MEANS freedom, WHICH ALLUDES TO BINAH AND MALCHUT IS CALLED SPARROW.

70. ר' אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח וְאָמַר, גַּם צִפּוֹר מָצְאָה בַיִת וּדְרוֹר קֵן לָהּ אֲשֶׁר שָׁתָה אֶפְרוֹחֶיהָ אֶת מִזְבְּחוֹתֶיךָ וְגוֹ'. גַּם צִפּוֹר מָצְאָה בַיִת, אִלֵּין צִפֳּרֵי שְׁמַיָא, דְּמִנְּהוֹן שַׁוְיָין מָדוֹרֵיהוֹן לְבַר, וּמִנְּהוֹן שַׁוְיָין מָדוֹרֵיהוֹן בְּבֵיתָא, כְּגוֹן דְּרוֹר, דְּאִיהוּ עוֹפָא דְּשַׁוֵּי דִּיוּרֵיהּ בְּבֵיתָא דְּכָל בַּר נָשׁ, וְלָא דָּחִיל. אֲמַאי. בְּגִין דְּכֹלָּא קָרָאן לֵיהּ דְּרוֹר. מַאי דְּרוֹר. חִירוּ, כד"א, וּקְרָאתֶם דְּרוֹר, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ חִירוּ. וְדָא אִיהוּ צִפּוֹר דְּרוֹר. דְּהָא מִיּוֹמָא דְּעָבֵיד קִנָּא בְּבֵיתָא אַפִּיק בְּנִין, מָדוֹרֵיהּ בְּבֵיתָא חַמְשִׁין יוֹמִין, וּלְבָתַר מִתְפָּרְשָׁן אִלֵּין מֵאִלֵּין, וְדָא הוּא עוֹפָא דְּאִקְרֵי דְּרוֹר: חִירוּ.

Freedom Jubilee Sabbatical Year Tablets Torah Year

71. Come and behold: it is written, "And you shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land" (Vayikra 25:10). THE FIFTIETH YEAR IS BINAH, for from here freedom emerges to everyone. Because freedom emerges from it, the Torah that emerges FROM BINAH is called 'freedom' (Heb. cherut). Therefore, it is written: "engraved (Heb. charut) on the tablets" (Shemot 32:16). Do not pronounce it 'charut', but rather "cherut," for this is the Torah that is called 'freedom', because whatever this supernal day, WHICH IS BINAH, brings forth is called 'freedom' and it is freedom for all. That day is supernal freedom, because there is upper freedom and lower freedom, MEANING upper Hei, WHICH IS BINAH, and lower Hei, WHICH IS MALCHUT. Upper freedom and lower freedom, which are Sabbatical year, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and Jubilee, WHICH IS BINAH, are as one, MEANING THAT THEY CLOTHE EACH OTHER. AND THEN BINAH IS CALLED 'UPPER FREEDOM' AND MALCHUT 'LOWER FREEDOM'.

71. תָּא חֲזֵי מַה כְּתִיב, וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּם אֵת שְׁנַת הַחֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה וּקְרָאתֶם דְּרוֹר בָּאָרֶץ. מֵהָכָא נָפְקָא חִירוּ לְכֹלָּא, וּבְגִין דְּנָפְקָא מִנֵּיהּ חִירוּ, אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּנַפְקַת מִנֵּיהּ אִקְרֵי חִירוּ. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת, אַל תִּקְרֵי חָרוּת, אֶלָּא חֵירוּת, וְדָא אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּאִתְקְרֵי חֵירוּת דְּהָא מָה דְּאַפִּיק יוֹמָא דָּא עִלָּאָה, אִקְרֵי חִירוּ, וְאִיהוּ חִירוּ דְּכֹלָּא. וְהַאי יוֹמָא אִיהוּ חִירוּ עִלָּאָה, בְּגִין דְּאִית חִירוּ תַּתָּאָה, וְחִירוּ עִלָּאָה. הֵ"א עִלָּאָה, הֵ"א תַּתָּאָה. חִירוּ עִלָּאָה. חִירוּ תַּתָּאָה שְׁמִטָּה וְיוֹבֵל כַּחֲדָא אִינּוּן.