A candlestick, shekels, the month

573. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). All gather, Tanaim and Amoraim, because the time has come to perfect the vessels of the King, and to illuminate so that they should be perfected before Him, for they are the Tabernacle, the candlestick, table, basin, and its stand, Ark, cover, and the Cherubs. It is all PERFECTED with a shekel, AS SHALL BE WRITTEN BEFORE US. Therefore, He commanded Yisrael: "This they shall give" (Shemot 30:13).

574. One Tana arose and said, Faithful Shepherd, certainly it is so. You were commanded to make everything, as it is written, "And you shall make a candlestick" (Shemot 25:31), "You shall make a table" (Ibid. 23) and so in everything, you should observe and make. Of all of them, you had difficulty in making only three things that are marked in the letters of your Name, which are the candlestick (Menorah), Shekels and this (Hei) month. Why did you find it difficult?

575. He said to him, Old man, you learn this difficulty that I had from the verse, "Of beaten work (or derived from, difficult) shall the candlestick be made" (Ibid.), BECAUSE "SHALL THE CANDLESTICK BE MADE" PURPORTS THAT IT SHOULD BE MADE BY ITSELF, THAT MOSES WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT. Certainly, the vessel of the Holy One, blessed be He, is the Shechinah, which is a vessel to serve her husband, ZEIR ANPIN. She is his candlestick, as it is written, "Seven times a day I praise You" (Tehilim 119:164). They are "the greatness, and the power (Heb. Gvurah), and the glory (Heb. Tiferet), and the victory (Heb. Netzach), and the majesty (Heb. Hod)" (I Divrei Hayamim 29:11), Yesod and Malchut, which comprises seven.

576. From these seven grades IS THE CANDLESTICK COMPOSED. "Three branches of the candlestick out of one side" (Shemot 25:32) ARE the body, NAMELY TIFERET, and the two arms of the King, WHICH ARE CHESED AND GVURAH. She is MALCHUT. SHE IS the candle for a precept with which to illuminate upon them, BEING THEIR FOURTH. "And three branches of the candlestick out of the second side" are two thighs, WHICH ARE NETZACH AND HOD, the Covenant, WHICH IS YESOD, and She, MALCHUT, is the western candle to illuminate them. The king's candlestick is called 'MALCHUT,' being a candle that lights the candle with which one fulfills a precept, BEING A FOURTH TO THE ABOVE MENTIONED CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, WHENCE SHE RECEIVES CHOCHMAH, as it is written, "The commandment of Hashem is pure, enlightening the eyes" (Tehilim 19:9).

577. What is the head (or top) of the candlestick? It is Binah, the supernal Hei, NAMELY THE FIRST THREE SFIROT OF BINAH, THE SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA, who has IN HER SEVEN LOWER SFIROT, WHICH ARE YISRAEL- SABA AND TEVUNAH, three branches in this shape of Hei, which is composed of three Vav's that are the three Patriarchs, CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. The second Hei HAS a second set of three branches in the shape of Hei, which are Netzach, Hod, and Yesod. Vav is the center of the candlestick, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, which is the son of Yud and Hei, BECAUSE ZEIR ANPIN IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT MEDIATES BETWEEN THE TWO COLUMNS OF BINAH. Binah is so called after him, BECAUSE BINAH IS MADE UP OF THE LETTERS BEN (ENG. 'THE SON OF') YUD-HEI. ZEIR ANPIN includes six branches below, IN HIS PLACE, which amounts to Vav (= 6) in his six branches.

578. Yud is "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband" (Mishlei 12:4), the crown of the Torah scroll, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, in the shape of a Zayin, WHICH IS A YUD ON TOP OF A VAV, NAMELY A CROWN OVER VAV, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, from the aspect of the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH; MALCHUT is not a vessel to it, and now serves him only as a crown on his head. In this world, BEING MALCHUT FROM HER OWN ASPECT, She is like this Hei-Vav-Hei-Yud, WHICH PERMUTATION SHOWS that She is a vessel under him AND serves him in every Sfirah of his, in his every limb, and in his every attribute. MEANING THAT MALCHUT SERVES ZEIR ANPIN IN ORDER TO REVEAL ALL THE ASPECTS OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT ARE CALLED SFIRAH, LIMB AND ATTRIBUTE.

579. Therefore this Yud, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is sometimes under ZEIR ANPIN and sometimes on top and sometimes in the center. HE EXPLAINS, On top IS THE SECRET OF THE YUD of Yud Hei Vav Hei, IN THE SECRET OF THE VERSE, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the head stone of the corner" (Tehilim 118:22). This is "to cause the lamps to burn continually" (Vayikra 24:2), which is Yud on Hei-Vav-Hei from the side of the candlestick. In the center OF ZEIR ANPIN, it is half a shekel, MEANING THAT SHE IS AS LARGE AS HIM AND THEY ARE BOTH TWO HALVES OF THE BODY. FOR ZEIR ANPIN IS THE ASPECT OF THE RIGHT HALF OF BINAH AND MALCHUT IS THE ASPECT OF THE LEFT PART OF BINAH. Then it is CALLED 'HALF A SHEKEL,' as it is written, "This they shall give... HALF A SHEKEL AFTER THE SHEKEL OF THE SANCTUARY" (Shemot 30:13), thus Hei-Vav-Yud-Hei. In the end OF ZEIR ANPIN, in the tabernacle, she Hei-Vav-Hei-Yud. AND THIS IS THE SECRET OF "five cubits long" (Shemot 27:1) from the first Hei, and "five cubits broad" from the lower Hei. 'Cubit' is the secret of Vav, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, and half of cubit is Yud, WHICH IS MALCHUT THAT STANDS AT THE END. Everything is alluded to in the letter Vav, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, OR HIS CROWN, OR IN HIS CENTER OR AT HIS END.

580. This is the secret of, "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside Me there is no Elohim" (Yeshayah 44:6), "I AM THE FIRST" IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT WHEN IT IS A CROWN ON THE HEAD OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHILE "AND I AM THE LAST" IS WHEN SHE IS A POINT AT THE END OF ZEIR ANPIN. "AND BESIDE ME THERE IS NO ELOHIM" IS WHEN SHE IS IN THE CENTER OF ZEIR ANPIN, MEANING FOURTH TO THE PATRIARCHS AFTER CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. She is alluded to in this Name, Yud-Vav -Dalet, Hei-Yud, Vav-Yud-Vav, Hei-Yud, WHERE YUD IS AT THE BEGINNING AND YUD IN THE CENTER OF THE VAV - AND YUD AT THE END OF THE HEI - every Name in which Hei dominates Yud is a female from the left. And even though Yud at the beginning of the Name IS MALE, STILL-IN-ALL, SINCE after the two Hei's of the Name, it is at the end, such as Hei-Yud, Hei-Yud, it is judged according to the majority, as a female. The Yud that is upon Hei is a crown, under Hei a vessel, and all the more so under Vav.

581. I do not make any division or separation in the Supernal Unity, THAT IS IN BINAH, and it is all one union. THEREFORE, it was difficult for me to produce THE THREE THINGS, THE CANDLESTICK, THE SHEKELS, AND THE NEW MOON, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF MALCHUT. FOR IN THE CANDLESTICK, THERE IS THE ASPECT OF THE CROWN OF ZEIR ANPIN AND IN THE SHEKELS AND NEW MOON IT IS CONSIDERED TO BE IN HIS CENTER. The Holy One, blessed be He, who knows all thoughts, said, 'His intention was good not to make division and separation.' THEREFORE, let the candlestick be made by itself, just like the Shechinah is made from the self of the Holy One, blessed be He, without division. Of the other vessels of the Tabernacle, by which the Shechinah is at the service, NAMELY AT THE END OF ZEIR ANPIN, IT IS SAID, "And Betzalel made" (Shemot 37:1). AND IT WAS NOT NECESSARY THAT IT BE MADE BY ITSELF.

582. Wherever the lower Shechinah is a crown in the central pillar, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, THAT IS when she is taken from Binah, which is the World to Come, it is certain THAT THEN man has no knowledge of the Holy One, blessed be He, and all his attributes. BINAH HAS THEN BEEN REDUCED TO THE SIX ENDS until he enters that gate, about which is said, "This is the gate of Hashem" (Tehilim 118:20) MEANING through the letter Lamed, WHICH ALLUDES TO A TOWER THAT FLIES IN THE AIR.

583. FROM THE ASPECT OF HER BEING IN THE CENTER OF ZEIR ANPIN, she is combined from all the Sfirot and all the letters of the expressed and hidden Names, FOR SHE RECEIVES FROM THEM ALL AND THEY ARE INCLUDED IN HER. AND FROM THE ASPECT OF WHICH SHE IS AT THE END OF ZEIR ANPIN, she is a dot under every single letter, because she serves under her husband, ZEIR ANPIN, FOR FROM THERE IS SHE BUILT-UP TO UNITE WITH ZEIR ANPIN. AND FROM THE ASPECT OF her being a crown on the head OF ZEIR ANPIN, she is from the side of the musical tones THAT ARE MARKED ABOVE THE LETTERS. HE EXPLAINS, She is a dot like the dot of Segol that is below the knees of the King, MEANING BELOW NETZACH HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT ARE CALLED 'KNEES,' as it is written, "and the earth is My footstool" (Yeshayah 66:1), MEANING MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'EARTH.' She is in the center WITH ZEIR ANPIN, for then she is called 'half-a-shekel,' HALF A BODY AS EXPLAINED EARLIER, and this is in the point of the Shuruk, which is in the center of the Vav. She is a crown on his head from the side OF THE MUSICAL NOTE THAT IS CALLED 'segulta,' WHICH IS ABOVE THE LETTERS.

584. Zarka, Makaf, Shofar, Holech, Segulta: When we cast and bring close MALCHUT TO BINAH THAT IS CALLED 'SHOFAR,' SHE TURNS INTO THE SEGULTA OF THE MUSICAL TONES. Then she is a crown on the head of the King, ZEIR ANPIN, AS MENTIONED ABOVE, FOR THIS IS THE MEANING OF, 'A crown is given to you, Hashem our Elohim.' She is known then by what is said of her, 'Search not into that which is concealed from you, and inquire not into that which is hidden from you.' We know that it is 'first' above in Keter, which is Segulta, WHICH IS ABOVE THE LETTERS. It is the 'last' in the Segol, WHICH IS BELOW THE LETTERS, 'and beside him there is no Elohim' in the Shuruk, WHICH IS IN THE CENTER OF THE LETTERS, FOR THEN SHE ILLUMINATES WITH THE BRILLIANCE OF CHOCHMAH. Everything is known through her.

585. Whoever cleaves UNTO MALCHUT from below THE LETTERS, she raises him above, FOR SHE IS BUILT FROM THERE TO UNITE FACE-TO-FACE WITH ZEIR ANPIN. Yet she lowers below her he who desires to ascend above her to understand her from above THE LETTERS, and he has no part in her, BECAUSE WHEN SHE IS ABOVE IN SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA, SHE CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD. Because Jacob received knowledge through her, MEANING FROM THE ASPECT OF BELOW THE LETTERS, he taught her to his children, and commanded them not to ascend to a level that is above her. She is everything, FOR SHE IS COMBINED OF THEM ALL, from above and from below and in the middle. It is written, "And this is that which their father spoke to them" (Beresheet 44:28), NAMELY MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'THIS.' FOR HE TOLD TO THEM NOT TO RISE ABOVE HER.

586. The prophet who recognized her cried and said to the Torah scholars and the Sages of the Torah: Those who are wealthy with it, MEANING that they are happy with their portion, FOR ONE WHO IS HAPPY WITH HIS PORTION IS WEALTHY. He cried toward them and said, "Thus says Hashem, 'Let not the wise man glory... but let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me'" (Yirmeyah 9:22-23), MEANING MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'THIS' AND NOT ABOVE HER. David, who knew her, said "Though a host should camp against me... even then I will be confident (lit. 'in this')" (Tehilim 27:3). Jeremiah saw the length of the exile, as well as Samael and the Serpent and all the princes of the seventy nations that were swooping down upon Yisrael by tens of thousands, and he saw the verse that the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "And yet for all that (lit. 'this'), when they are in the land of their enemies... " (Vayikra 26:44). The prophet said, "This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope" (Eichah 3:21), FOR MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'THIS' IS WITH THEM IN EXILE; THEREFORE, HE AWAITS SALVATION. Of him who "neither did he set his heart even to this" (Shemot :23), it is written, "Nor does a fool understand this" (Tehilim 92:7) and also, "And this is the blessing of Judah. And he said, 'Hear Hashem, the voice of Judah'" (Devarim 33:7). Judah observed what his father commanded him, AS MENTIONED EARLIER; THEREFORE, he merited kingship. David rose because of it to kingship, for he endeavored all his days to PERFECT it.

587. Said the holy luminary, RABBI SHIMON, TO THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERD, It is said, "And this is the Torah which Moses set... " (Devarim 4:44). You admonished Yisrael with it at the time of your death and you did bless every single tribe of Yisrael with it, as it is written, "And this is the blessing which Moses... blessed" (Devarim 33:1). Therefore, the scholars, the masters of the Mishnah, explained it in relation to the verse, "This is the Torah, when a man dies in a tent" (Bemidbar 19:14). Pertaining to this, they said, What is the meaning of "dies in a tent?" The Torah is maintained only in one who kills himself for its sake. Death means poverty, for a poor man is considered as dead.

588. MALCHUT is like a sacrifice of higher and lesser value. From the side of the wealthy one, it is certainly of higher value for it goes high above him, because all the good that the wealthy people do is all to their merit in the World to Come. There it is a crown on their heads, AND THIS IS FROM THE ASPECT OF IT BEING A CROWN OVER ZEIR ANPIN. The average man, who serves in order to merit two worlds, MEANING ALSO THIS WORLD, it is with him half a shekel in the World to Come, like Matzah that is broken in two, half under the napkin for Afikomen and half TO EAT to fulfill a commandment before the meal. From this side, it is said, "What is your petition? And it shall be granted you: and what is your request? Even to half the kingdom it shall be performed" (Ester 5:6), AND THIS FROM THE ASPECT THAT SHE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF ZEIR ANPIN.

589. But for one who is a poor, who endangers his life for its (her) sake, as is your quality, Faithful Shepherd, she, MALCHUT, is a sacrifice of lower value (lit. 'descending') under you, FOR SHE BECOMES A POINT UNDER YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS THE ASPECT OF FAITHFUL SHEPHERD. Why is it so? Because one who humbles himself for the sake of the Shechinah, the Holy One, blessed be He, descends to him. This is what David meant by, "Though Hashem be high, yet He takes note of the lowly" (Tehilim 138:6), and the prophet said, "For thus says the high and lofty one, that inhabits eternity, whose Name is holy... yet with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit" (Yeshayah 57:15). Even though 'I dwell on high and in a holy place,' yet due to him who makes himself a contrite and humble spirit for the Shechinah's sake, in order to elevate Her from Her humbleness AND TO MAKE HER a crown for his head, I descend to dwell with him. After the husband of the Shechinah, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, descends upon the man, She lowers Herself from his head, allows the space of the head to her husband, ZEIR ANPIN, and descends to the legs of the King, NAMELY UNDER HIS NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD THAT ARE CALLED 'LEGS.' The secret of the matter is, "The heaven is My throne, and the earth is my footstool" (Yeshayah 66:1); NAMELY, MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'EARTH.'

590. From the day that the person inherits the soul, which comprises the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah, he is called 'a son.' One Tana said, Is it so that from the day that the person inherits a soul that comprises of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah, he is called 'a son?' From where do we know this? It is from this verse that David said in the book of Tehilim, "I will tell of the decree, Hashem has said to me, 'You are My son; this day have I begotten you'" (Tehilim 2:7), FOR THIS OCCURS BY EVERY PERSON AT THE MOMENT THAT HE ATTAINS THE SOUL.

591. The holy luminary, RABBI SHIMON said to him, Faithful Shepherd, what is the meaning of "this day have I begotten you?" IT WOULD HAVE SUFFICED TO SAY "YOU ARE MY SON" TO CONVEY THAT I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU. But because of you did David say with the Holy Spirit "this day have I begotten you." FOR "I" REFERS TO THE SHECHINAH AND "THIS DAY" REFERS TO THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERD WHICH IS TIFERET, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "It is yet high day" (Beresheet 29:7), for him, of whom it is said, "And there arose not a prophet in Yisrael like Moses" (Devarim 34:10). THEREFORE, HE IS CALLED 'HIGH DAY.' You lived in the Shechinah, "and you shall love Hashem your Elohim with all your heart" (Devarim 6:5), namely the body "and with all your soul (Heb. Nefesh)" namely the soul. For it has five names, Neshamah, Ruach, Nefesh, Chayah, Yechidah. "And with all your might," namely with all your money. The Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah do not budge from you in all of these things.

592. You thought that even if all the worlds would be under your jurisdiction, you would give them in order to raise the Shechinah to the Holy One, blessed be He, to crown Him with His Shechinah over all the Princes of the nations of the world, and afterwards to elevate Him and His Shechinah. Your form is comprised of all good traits, throughout the worlds and the companies of the supernal angels, and the lower beings, and all Yisrael.

593. The Holy One, blessed be He, attaches a good thought to action. Since you are His son, everything that you thought of for the sake of your Master, He fulfills through you. You will not stir from Him forever, but will remain in His image in everything. You are concealed from humans during the time of exile. But I, from this world, am a messenger from the Holy One, blessed be He, to say these words before you, and I am commanded by Him not to stir from you at anytime that you desire. I and all the Tanaim and Amorain of our Yeshivah REQUEST OF YOU to arise and complete the commandments of your Master.