"Wisdom strengthens the wise"

Synopsis

The mule-driver of previous sections here says that, "Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers who are in the city," refers to Moses. When Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, the firmaments and the supernal camps of the angels rose against him because he was going to lower the Torah to the earth and take their goodness and joy from them. But Moses strengthened himself. The Torah shields those who study it with the courage and strength derived from "ten rulers", which are the Ten Utterances. The ten rules are, we learn, the ten kinds of wisdom found in the Torah, which is the secret of the ten Sfirot in ten engraved Names. In one Name of 22 engraved letters, we are told, the secrets of the world to come are combined and cannot be understood, and yet, nonetheless, the Holy One bequeathed to the righteous a longing for that time.

Relevance

A deep longing for eternal world peace stirs within our hearts, and the effect is a miraculous positive change in human civilization. We are strengthened with goodness and compassion, for these are the traits of the Torah and the power of the Zohar. We secure a swift and sweet redemption of man, bringing the world to come into the here and now.

Angels Camp Fire Firmaments Moses Mount Sinai Ten Torah Wisdom

553. Again he opened the discussion saying, "Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers who are in the city" (Kohelet 7:19). "Wisdom strengthens the wise" refers to Moses. When he ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, all the firmaments and all the supernal camps OF ANGELS trembled. They said before Him, Master of the world, behold all our goodness and joy is only in the Torah, and you want to lower it to earth. They gathered against Moses to burn him with fire. Moses strengthened himself, as the friends have established that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, etc.

553. תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר. הַחָכְמָה תָּעוֹז לֶחָכָם מֵעֲשָׂרָה שַׁלִּיטִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ בָּעִיר. הַחָכְמָה תָּעוֹז לֶחָכָם, דָּא מֹשֶׁה, כַּד סָלִיק לְטוּרָא דְּסִינַי לְקַבְּלָא אוֹרַיְיתָא, אִזְדַּעֲזָעוּ כָּל אִינּוּן רְקִיעִין, וְכָל אִינּוּן מַשִּׁרְיָין עִלָּאִין, וְאָמְרוּ קָמֵיהּ, מָארֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא, וּמַה כָּל טוּבָא, וְכָל חֶדְוָה דִּילָן, לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאַת בָּעֵי לְנַחְתָּא לָהּ בְּאַרְעָא. אִתְכְּנִישׁוּ עַל מֹשֶׁה לְאוֹקְדֵיהּ בְּנוּרָא, אִתְתָּקַּף מֹשֶׁה וְכוּ,' כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר לֵיהּ לְמֹשֶׁה וְכוּלֵי.

Shields Strength Ten Ten Commandments Torah Wisdom World to Come, The

554. "Wisdom strengthens the wise" means that everyone who is occupied with Torah and endeavors in it for its own sake, receives strength from the Torah that protects him, when he needs courage and strength. From which place does he receive that courage and strength to strengthen himself? THE VERSE repeats, saying, from "ten rulers," those are the Ten Utterances that are written in the Torah which are supernal Rules that the person strengthen himself with them in this world and in the World to Come. All the secrets of the world and all the commandments and all the Wisdom of above and below depend upon them and everything is included in them and everything is in the Torah. Happy is the portion of he who is occupied with Torah, so as to become strengthened with courage in the World to Come.

554. אֲבָל הַחָכְמָה תָּעוֹז לֶחָכָם, כָּל מַאן דְּאִתְעַסָּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאִשְׁתָּדַּל בָּהּ לִשְׁמָהּ, אִתְתָּקַּף בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֶהֱוֵי לֵיהּ תֻּקְפָּא וְחֵילָא, לְאַגָּנָא עָלֵיהּ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ. וְהַהוּא תֻּקְפָּא וְחֵילָא מֵאָן אֲתָר אִתְתָּקַּף. הָדָר וְאָמַר, מֵעֲשָׂרָה שַׁלִּיטִים. אִינּוּן עֶשֶׂר אֲמִירָן דִּכְתִּיבִין בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִינּוּן שַׁלִּיטִין עִלָּאִין, דְּב"נ אִתְתָּקַּף בְּהוּא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי כָּל רָזִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְכָל פִּקּוּדִין, וְכָל חָכְמְתָא דְּעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, בְּהוּ תַּלְיָא, וּבְהוּ אִתְכְּלִיל כֹּלָּא, וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. זַכָּאָה חוּלְקֵיהּ מַאן דְּאִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְמֶהֱוֵי מִתְתָּקַף בְּתֻּקְפָּא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.

Blessing Eheyeh Eyes Hebrew Letters Lights Priests Righteous Ten Torah Wisdom World to Come, The

555. The ten rules are the ten kinds of Wisdom that are in the Torah, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE TEN SFIROT, in ten engraved names; NAMELY, THE TEN NAMES THAT ALLUDE TO THE TEN SFIROT OF EHEYEH. In one Name of 22 engraved letters, THE NAME ALEPH-NUN-KOF-TAV-FINAL MEM OF THE BLESSING OF THE PRIESTS, the secrets of the World to Come are combined, in these lights that the eye cannot see, NOR even with understanding know and behold that delight, or the longing that the Holy One, blessed be He, bequeathed to the righteous for the World to Come, as it is written, "Neither has the eye seen, that an Elohim beside You, should do such a thing for him that waits for him" (Yeshayah 64:3).

555. עֲשָׂרָה שַׁלִּיטִין, עֶשֶׂר זִינֵי חָכְמְתָא אִינּוּן בָּהּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּעֶשֶׂר שְׁמָהָן גְּלִיפָן, וְאִתְכְּלִילוּ בִּשְׁמָא חַד, דְּעֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין אַתְוָון גְּלִיפִין, רָזִין דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, בְּאִינּוּן זִיהֲרִין, דְּלָא שַׁלְטָא עֵינָא לְמֵחֱמֵי, וַאֲפִילּוּ בְּסָכְלְתָנוּ לְמִנְדַּע, וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהַהוּא עִדּוּנָא, וְכִסּוּפָא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא ב"ה אַחֲסִין לוֹן לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. כד"א עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ יַעֲשֶׂה לִמְחַכֵּה לוֹ.