141. It is written: "blessed be the Name of Hashem" (Iyov 1:21). What is meant by "blessed"? There is one secret that one of our friends knew that was shown to him in a dream, and his name is Rabbi Yitzchak Kaftora. HE SAID: What is meant by "blessed (Heb. mevorach)"? IT MEANS that its beginning is hard and its end soft, BECAUSE MEVORACH IS SPELLED WITH THE LETTERS MEM - BET-VAV-RESH-CAF. Mem Bet is hard and is definitely Judgement, like the day of Rosh Hashanah is Mem Bet, because the world was created with Mem Bet (42) letters, NAMELY 32 TIMES ELOHIM AND THE TEN SAYINGS, WHICH EQUAL 42. SIMILARLY, THERE ARE 42 LETTERS FROM THE BET OF BERESHEET (LIT. 'IN THE BEGINNING'), UNTIL THE BET OF THE WORD VOHU (ENG. 'VOID'). Therefore, it was created with Judgment; but afterwards it is Rach (Resh Caf, lit. 'soft'). Therefore, we have learned that all beginnings are hard but their endings are easy, because on the day of Rosh Hashanah, it is Mem Bet with harsh Judgment, and on Shmini Atzeret, it is soft with joy.

142. Come and behold: what is the difference between the Upper Judgment - NAMELY, THE LEFT COLUMN OF BINAH WHICH IS THE SECRET OF ISAAC, THAT IT IS THE MALE LIGHT - and this Judgment OF THE FEMALE? In the supernal Judgment IN THE MALE THAT ILLUMINATES FROM ABOVE DOWNWARDS, both the beginning and the end are hard, and no one can withstand THOSE JUDGMENTS. The more it goes ON, the stronger it grows. Once it begins, it does not leave one until it consumes and destroys everything and nothing is left. But in the other lower Judgment - NAMELY IN MALCHUT, WHICH IS THE LIGHT OF THE FEMALE THAT ILLUMINATES FROM BELOW UPWARDS - the beginning is hard, NAMELY ON ROSH HASHANAH, and as it proceeds AND EXPANDS, it weakens until THE MOCHIN OF the face shines ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF CONVOCATION. This is like the female, whose strength is weak.

143. HE ASKS: When does the Upper Judgment OF THE MALE awaken to dwell on the world? HE ANSWERS: On the day of the flood. Therefore, nothing was left in the world except for Noah's ark, which is similar to the supernal ARK, WHICH IS MALCHUT, which bears that harshness OF JUDGMENT, BEING A FIRE THAT BEARS FIRE. If the Holy One, blessed be He, had not prepared THE ARK FOR HIM, and if there has been no Mercy in the world, the whole world would have been destroyed, as it is written: "Hashem (Yud Hei Vav Hei) sat enthroned at the flood" (Tehilim 29:10). FOR THE NAME OF YUD HEI VAV HEI IS MERCY. Therefore, FROM THEN AND ONWARDS, the Upper Judgment does not dwell upon the world, because the world can not bear it even for one moment.

144. In the meantime, Rabbi Shimon was weeping and rejoicing. They raised their eyes and saw five people of those who retired TO THE WILDERNESS, who went after THE OLD SAGE to seek him TO SPEAK TO THEM OF THE TORAH. They rose. Rabbi Shimon said: From now on, what is your name? He said: Nehorai Saba. Since there is another Nehorai among us THEY CALL ME NEHORAI SABA. They walked with him, Rabbi Shimon and his company, for three miles. Rabbi Shimon said to these OTHER people: Why are you making this trip? They said: We came to seek this sage TO TEACH US TORAH, because we drink his water in the wilderness. THAT IS, THEY ARE HIS STUDENTS IN THE WILDERNESS. Rabbi Shimon approached and kissed THAT SAGE. He said to him: Your name is Nehorai and you are a light, and the light dwells with you, BECAUSE NEHORAI MEANS LIGHT.