Trumah: Chapter 42

There is a place in civilization where people do not die

Synopsis

The rabbis here wonder why the destroying angel has no dominion over people while they are in the Temple. They ask Rabbi Shimon, who explains that God created the entire world with the secret of the letters and the engravings of the Holy Name. The letter Tet remained suspended over the place where the Temple would later be. God first threw a stone engraved with its secret of 72 letters into the water; the stone and the water sank under the altar and remained there, maintaining the world. Inside the Temple, we learn, all the letters dwell, and therefore the temple is equal to the whole world. It exists to atone for sins. The destroying angel was never given permission to enter there because he flees from the letter Tet, which supplies the first three Sfirot to the world. Wherever the letter Tet is, we learn, the letter Kof cannot settle, nor can the Other Side dominate. But when a person goes outside the temple, however, the Other Side has permission to dominate him. In Gehenom, we're told finally, the letter Kof dominates.

Relevance

Only dimly do we perceive the power of letters and words, so how can we imagine that the destroying angel could be kept from his task by the presence of a single letter? Yet in English, it is only a single letter that separates us from God, that keeps us trapped in ourselves, the letter 'I.'

A lone letter can be likened to a single microscopic atom that is capable of releasing unimaginable forces of energy. Here we receive the Light of the letter Tet ט, and the power of the Temple, which brings us complete protection from pain, refuge from the Angel of Death, and liberation from the bondage of the Other Side. Our darkest, most unwanted traits flee us by virtue of this single letter and the death of Death unfolds before our very eyes.

467. There is a place in civilization where that destroyer has no dominion and is not permitted to enter, and those who live there do not die until they go out of the city. There is not one there who does not die. They all die like other people, but not in the city. What is the reason? They cannot remain constantly in the city, but they rather go in and out, and therefore they all die.

467. אֲתָר אִית בְּיִשּׁוּבָא, דְּלָא שַׁלְטָא בֵּיהּ הַהוּא מְחַבְּלָא, וְלָא אִתְיְיהִיב לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְאַעֲלָא תַּמָּן, וְכָל אִינּוּן דְּדַיְירֵי תַּמָּן, לָא מֵתִין, עַד דְּנָפְקִין לְבַר מִקַּרְתָּא. וְלֵית לָךְ בַּר נָשׁ מִכָּל דְּדַיְירִין תַּמָּן, דְּלָא מֵתִין, וְכֻלְּהוּ מֵתִין כִּשְׁאַר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, אֲבָל לָאו בְּמָתָא. מ"ט. בְּגִין דְּלָא יַכְלִין לְמֵיתַב תָּדִיר בְּמָתָא, אֶלָּא אִלֵּין נָפְקִין, וְאִלֵּין עָאלִין, וְע"ד כֻּלְּהוּ מֵתִין.

Angels Holiness (Kedushah) Holy Land Kedushah (Holiness) Land of Yisrael Merit

468. What is the reason that the destroying angel does not dominate there? If you say that this is not in his domain, behold the Holy Land that is not located under another domain but people still die. So what is the reason people do not die in this place? And if you say, because of the holiness OF THE PLACE, you do not have a place in the entire civilization that is holy like the Land of Yisrael, and if you say it is because of the merit of the man who built the city, there were many people who merited more than him. Rabbi Yitzchak said, I did not hear anything and I cannot comment.

468. מ"ט לָא שַׁלְטָא תַּמָּן הַהוּא מַלְאָךְ מְחַבְּלָא. אִי תֵּימָא דְּלָא קַיְּימָא בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ, הָא אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּלָא קַיְּימָא בִּרְשׁוּ אַחֲרָא, וּמֵתִין, בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר אֲמַאי לָא מֵתִין. אִי תֵּימָא בְּגִין קְדוּשָּׁא, לֵית אֲתָר בִּקְדוּשָׁה בְּכָל יִשׁוּבָא כְּגַוְונָא דְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאִי תֵּימָא, בְּגִין הַהוּא גַּבְרָא דְּבָנֵי לָהּ. כַּמָה בְּנֵי נָשָׁא הֲווֹ דִּזְכוּתֵיהוֹן יַתִּיר מִדִילֵיהּ. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק, אֲנָא לָא שְׁמַעְנָא וְלָא אֵימָא.

Angel of Death Angels Creation Wisdom

469. They came and asked Rabbi Shimon. He said to them, Certainly the Angel of Death has no dominion over that place, and the Holy One, blessed be He, does not want any person to ever die there. If you say people did die in that place originally before it was built, it is not so. From the day that man was created, that place was established for existence, and the secret of secrets is here for those who view the secret of Wisdom.

469. אָתוּ שָׁאִילּוּ לֵיהּ לְר"ש, אָמַר לוֹן, וַדַּאי הַהוּא אֲתָר לָא שַׁלְטָא עָלֵיהּ מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא בָּעֵי דִּבְהַהוּא אֲתָר יְמוּת בַּר נָשׁ לְעָלְמִין, וְאִי תֵּימָא, דְּקֹדֶם לָכֵן בְּהַהוּא דּוּכְתָּא, עַד לָא אִתְבְּנֵי, מִיתוּ בֵּיהּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, לָאו הָכִי. אֶלָּא מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא, אִתְתָּקַּן הַהוּא אֲתָר, לְקִיּוּמָא, וְרָזָא דְּרָזִין הָכָא, לְאִינּוּן דְּמִסְתַּכְּלֵי בְּרָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא.

Air Creation Death Death and the Afterlife Dreams Hebrew Letters Holy Name

470. When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He created it with the secret of the letters. The letters rolled and He created the world with the engravings of the Holy Name, and the letters rolled and surrounded the world with engravings. When the world became manifest, expanded and was created, and the letters were circling to create, the Holy One, blessed be He, said that the world should be concluded with Yud. The letter Tet remained in that place suspended in the air. Tet is the letter that illuminates with life; therefore, it is a good sign for one who sees the letter Tet in his dream, as life is prepared for him. Therefore, since Tet is suspended over that place, death has no dominion there.

470. כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא, בָּרָא לֵיהּ בְּרָזָא דְּאַתְוָון, וְאִתְגַּלְגְּלוּ אַתְוָון, וּבָרָא עָלְמָא, בְּגִלּוּפֵי דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. אִתְגַּלְגְּלוּ אַתְוָון, וְאַסְחֲרוּ עָלְמָא בְּגִלּוּפֵי וְכַד אִתְגְּלֵי וְאִתְפָּשַּׁט עָלְמָא וְאִתְבְּרֵי, וַהֲווֹ אַתְוָון סָחֲרָן לְמִבְרֵי, אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּיִסְתַּיֵּים בְּיוֹ"ד, אִשְׁתְּאָרַת אָת ט' בְּהַהוּא דּוּכְתָּא, תַּלְיָא בַּאֲוֵירָא, טֵי"ת, אִיהוּ אָת, דִּנְהִירוּ חַיִּין, בְּגִין כַּךְ, מַאן דְּחָמֵי טֵי"ת בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ, סִימָנָא טָבָא הוּא לֵיהּ, וְחַיִּין אִתְתָּקָנוּ לֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא בְּגִין דַּהֲוָה ט' תַּלְיָא עַל גַּבֵּי הַהוּא אֲתָר, לָא שַׁלְטָא בֵּיהּ מוֹתָא.

Altar Hebrew Letters Land of Yisrael Seventy-Two Stone Water

471. When the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, wanted to maintain the world, MEANING TO DRAW THE FIRST THREE SFIROT INTO THE WORLD THAT ARE CALLED 'EXISTENCE,' He threw a stone into the water. HE ENGRAVED by the secret of 72 letters and from there, FROM BINAH this stone started to go, BUT could not find a place to exist except in the Land of Yisrael. Water, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE SIX EXTREMITIES OF BINAH, was following THE STONE until that stone reached under the altar. There it sank, and the whole world was maintained from this.

471. כַּד בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְקַיְּימָא עָלְמָא, זָרִיק חַד צְרוֹרָא גּוֹ מַיָּא, גָּלִיף בְּרָזָא דְּע"ב אַתְוָון, וּמִתַּמָּן שָׁאֲרִי לְמֵיהַךְ הַהוּא צְרוֹרָא, וְלָא אַשְׁכַּח אֲתָר לְאִתְקַיְּימָא בֵּיהּ, בַּר אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, וּמַיָּא הֲווֹ אַזְלִין אֲבַתְרֵיהּ, עַד דְּמָטָא הַהוּא צְרוֹרָא תְּחוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וְתַמָּן אִשְׁתְּקַע, וְאִתְקָיָּים כָּל עָלְמָא.

Creation Hebrew Letters (Holy) Temple Temple, The

472. If it is so that life dwells in that place, why wasn't the Temple built there to give life to the people who live there? HE ANSWERS, Here in this place, it exists because of one letter that dwells upon it, WHICH IS THE TET but in the Temple, all the letters dwell, and THE TEMPLE was created through them alone, equal to the whole world. JUST AS THE WHOLE WORLD WAS CREATED WITH ALL THE LETTERS, WITH EVERY LETTER HAVING A PARTICULAR PLACE, SO WAS THE TEMPLE INDIVIDUALLY CREATED WITH ALL THE LETTERS BY ITSELF.

472. וְאִי תֵּימָא, אִי הָכִי דִּבְהַהוּא אֲתָר שַׁרְיָין חַיִּים, אֲמַאי לָא אִתְבְּנֵי תַּמָּן בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, לְמֵיהַב חַיִּין לְיַתְבָהָא. אֶלָּא הָכָא בְּהַאי אֲתָר אִתְקָיָּים בְּגִין אָת חַד דְּשַׁרְיָא עָלֵיהּ. בְּבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא כָּל אַתְוָון כֻּלְּהוּ שָׁרָאן בֵּיהּ, וּבְהוּ אִתְבְּרֵי אִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, כְּגַוְונָא דְּכָל עָלְמָא.

Atonement Holy Land (Holy) Temple Merit Sin Temple, The World to Come, The

473. Also, the Holy Land gives life and atonement to its inhabitants in that world, but that place is not so, for it gives life to that place only in this world and not in the World to Come. The Temple is the opposite of that place, because the children of Yisrael have a portion in that world but not in this world. Therefore, the Temple exists to atone for sins and to merit Yisrael for the World to Come.

473. וְתוּ, דְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא יָהִיב חַיִּין וְכַפָּרָה לְיָתְבָהָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, וַאֲתָר דָּא לָאו הָכִי, יָהִיב חַיִּין לְהַהוּא אֲתָר בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְלָא בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. וּבֵי מַקְדְּשָׁא בְּהִפּוּכָא מִתַּמָּן, בְּגִין דְּאִית חוּלָקָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, וְלָא בְּעָלְמָא דָּא. וְעַל דָּא קַיְּימָא בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא לְכַפָּרָא חוֹבִין, וּלְמִזְכֵּי לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.

Angels Light Zohar

474. Come and see, The letter Tet is universally the illumination of life, FOR IT IS YESOD OF BINAH. Therefore, the passage opens, "That it was good (Heb. tov, with Tet)," as it is written, "And Elohim saw the light, that it was good" (Beresheet 1:4). The Destroying Angel flees from this letter AND THE ZOHAR REPEATS AND SAYS, Do not say that he flees, but rather he was not given permission to enter there.

474. ת"ח, טֵי"ת נְהִירוּ דְּחַיִּין בְּכָל אֲתָר, וְעַל דָּא פָּתַח בָּהּ קְרָא כִּי טוֹב. דִּכְתִּיב וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב. מֵהַאי אָת, עָרִיק מַלְאָכָא מְחַבְּלָא. לָא תֵּימָא עָרִיק, אֶלָּא דְּלָא אִתְיְיהִיב לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְאַעֲלָא תַּמָּן.

Angel of Death Angels Earth Gehenom (Hell) Hell (Gehenom) (Holy) Temple Other Side

475. This letter is different from the letter Kof. The letter Kof does not settle at all in any place in the world. You may derive it from, "Let not a slanderous man be established in the earth" (Tehilim 140:12). The letter Tet can settle everywhere and is able to settle properly. Wherever the letter Tet is, there is no place for the letter Kof to settle there. Therefore the Other Side does not dominate at all in this place, FOR HE IS THE ANGEL OF DEATH, and the Tet gives life of this world to those who dwell under this letter and do not go outside. Once he goes outside, the Other Side has permission to have power over him, and as this letter dominates in this place TO GIVE LIFE THERE, so does a different letter dominate in the place of Gehenom. Which one is it? It is the letter Kof.

475. אָת דָּא מְשַׁנְיָא מֵאָת ק,' ק' לָא מִתְיַישְּׁבָא כְּלַל בְּדוּכְתָּא בְּעָלְמָא, וְסִימָנִךְ אִישׁ לָשׁוֹן בַּל יִכּוֹן בָּאָרֶץ אָת טֵי"ת אִתְיַישְׁבָא בְּכָל דּוּכְתָּא, וְאִתְתַּקָּנַת לְאִתְיַישְּׁבָא כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, וּבג"כ בְּכָל דּוּכְתָּא דְּאָת ט' תַּמָּן, לֵית יִשׁוּבָא לְאָת ק' תַּמָּן לְאִתְיַישְּׁבָא בֵּיהּ. וְעַל דָּא אֲתָר דָּא לָא שַׁלְטָא בֵּיהּ כְּלַל סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְיָהִיב חַיִּים דְּהַאי עָלְמָא לְיַתְבֵי תְּחוֹתֵיהּ דְּאָת דָּא, וְלָא יִפּוּק לְבַר, וְכַד נָפִיק לְבַר, אִית רְשׁוּ לְסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בֵּיהּ. כְּמָה דְּאָת דָּא שַׁלְטָא בְּאֲתָר דָּא, הָכִי נָמֵי שַׁלְטָא אָת אַחֲרָא בְּאֲתָר דְּגֵיהִנָּם, וּמַאן אִיהִי, אָת ק.'

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