150. He opened the discussion saying, "That they bring Me an offering" (Shemot 25:2). Here is the unification of above, ZEIR ANPIN, and of below, MALCHUT, under one principle. BECAUSE 'ME' IS ZEIR ANPIN AND 'AN OFFERING' IS MALCHUT. It is not written, 'that they bring an offering,' but rather "that they bring Me an offering," FOR THIS SHOWS above and below in one principle without any separation at all.
151. "Of every man whose heart prompts him to give you shall take My offering" (Ibid.): HE QUESTIONS, This passage should have said, 'Every man whose heart prompts him,' wherefore "of every man?" HE ANSWERS, Here is the secret for those who understand measurements. Happy are those righteous ones who know how to place the desire of their heart before the supernal Holy King. The entire desire of their heart is not for this world and its vain desire, but rather they know and endeavor to place their desire and to cleave unto above, in order to draw to them the desire of their Master from above to below.
152. From which place do they take that desire of their Master to draw to them? They take from one place that is holy and lofty, where all the holy desires are. And who is it? IT IS 'every man,' which refers to the Righteous, NAMELY YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, who is called 'every,' as it is written, "Moreover, land has an advantage for everyone" (Kohelet 5:8). "Therefore I esteem all your precepts" (Tehilim 119:128). 'Man' is as it is written, "a just man" (Beresheet 6:9). This is the Righteous, the Master of the house, NAMELY YESOD, WHO IS THE MASTER OF MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'HOUSE.' His desire is always for the Matron, WHICH IS MALCHUT, like a husband who loves his wife always. "Whose heart prompts him," MEANING that he loves her and his heart, namely his Matron, MEANING MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'HEART,' shall prompt him to cleave unto her.
153. Even though THEY HAVE great love between them, and they never separate, STILL IN ALL, from 'every man' THAT IS YESOD, the Master of the house, THAT IS the husband of the Queen, you "shall take My offering" WHICH IS MALCHUT. The way of the world is that if someone wants to take the wife away from a man, he is indignant and does not leave her. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is not so, for it is written, "And this is the offering" (Shemot 25:3), which is the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY MALCHUT, even though all her love is to Him and all His love is to her. They take her from Him to cause her to dwell among them from that lofty place where all the love of a wife and her husband dwell, NAMELY YESOD. From there, you "shall take My offering." Happy is the portion of Yisrael, and happy are they all that merited this.
154. "And this is the offering which you shall take of them:" If you ask, '... Wwhich you shall take of him' should have been said, MEANING FROM YESOD AS MENTIONED ABOVE -- what is the meaning of "of them?" HE ANSWERS, From these two names, WHICH ARE YESOD AND MALCHUT TOGETHER, MEANING THAT HE SHOULD NOT TAKE HER OF HER OWN, BUT RATHER THE ASPECT OF THEM BOTH TOGETHER. IT IS THEREFORE WRITTEN "OF THEM."
155. Rav Yeba Saba (the elder) said "of them" MEANS from final Mem, which is the secret of the Supernal World, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT OF BINAH. THE YESOD OF BINAH CALLED 'YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH,' the dwelling place of that righteous who is adorned with Samech, WHICH IS THE SECRET SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA, WHICH ARE CHOCHMAH, BINAH, DA'AT, CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF BINAH. For he receives life from them to feed all the worlds. AND FROM THIS YESOD OF BINAH WILL THEY RECEIVE THE OFFERING WHICH IS MALCHUT. It is all one thing. The secret is given to the wise and happy is their portion.
156. Even though they take Her, MALCHUT, they can do so only with the permission of her husband, ZEIR ANPIN, and with His approval. It is necessary to perform a service of love toward Him, and then with His love, "take My offering," WHICH IS MALCHUT. We do all this during the service of prayer, and the improvements that the children of Yisrael perform daily. Another explanation, "Of them" means from the principle of the six supernal extremities OF ZEIR ANPIN. THEREFORE, IT IS WRITTEN "OF THEM" IN THE PLURAL.
157. "Of them:" Of these holidays and Shabbatot SHALL YOU TAKE THEM, and it is all one secret. THEY ARE THE SECRET OF "gold, and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet... " (Shemot 25:3). Gold is in the secret of the day of Rosh Hashanah (the New Year), which is the day of gold, NAMELY the Day of Judgment. That side OF LEFT dominates, as it is written, "Gold comes out of the north" (Iyov 37:22) AND NORTH IS LEFT. Silver refers to Yom Kippur, when the sins of Yisrael become white like snow, as it is written, "Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Yeshayah 1:18). AND SILVER IS ALSO COLORED WHITE. It is also written "For on that day will He forgive you, to cleanse you" (Vayikra 16:30).
158. "And brass" refers to the offerings on Sukkot (holiday of booths), which are the Chariots of the heathen peoples, FOR WE OFFER SEVENTY BULLOCKS FOR THEM and they are called 'the secret of the brass mountains.' Therefore, THE BULLOCKS ON SUKKOT progressively lessen every day. "And blue" is Pesach (Passover), for the dominion of the secret of Faith, NAMELY MALCHUT, is the secret of the color blue. It is blue THAT HINTS TO JUDGMENTS, BECAUSE BLUE (HEB. TECHELET) IS THE DERIVATIVE OF KLAYAH (ENG. 'DESTRUCTION'). It did not dominate until it killed and destroyed all the first-born of Egypt, as it is written, "And Hashem will pass through to smite Egypt" (Shemot 12:23). Therefore, all the colors are good in a dream except blue.
159. "And purple" is Shavuot (holiday of the Weeks), which is the secret of purple, because the Written Torah, which was given through it, is combined of two sides, right and left, as it is written, "From His right hand went a fiery law for them" (Devarim 33:2). This is purple, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF MANY COLORS. "And scarlet" is the fifteenth day of Av, when the daughters of Yisrael used to go out in garments of scarlet, as it is written, "That were brought up in scarlet" (Eichah 4:5).