384. "And this is the offering, which you shall take of them" (Shemot 25:3). Rabbi Elazar said, We have established this passage and we have already learned its secrets, THAT OFFERING IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT, AS MENTIONED. But the secret OF, "AND THIS IS THE OFFERING" I have learned this way and the passages are difficult. If they are interpreted according to the secret of below, MEANING ACCORDING TO THE LITERAL MEANING, they are conflicting, but if according to the secret of above, THAT OFFERING MEANS THE SHECHINAH, they are not clear. BECAUSE IT IS WRITTEN, "Speak to the children of Yisrael that they bring Me an offering" (Shemot 25:2) and this is understood, FOR THE PURPOSE IS THAT IT IS NOT BY THEM, BUT THEY HAVE TO BRING IT. AFTERWARDS IT IS SAID, "OF EVERY MAN WHOSE HEART PROMPTS HIM TO GIVE you shall take My offering" is difficult, FOR HERE IT SEEMS THAT THE OFFERING IS ALREADY IN THEIR POSSESSION AND OTHERS HAVE TO TAKE IT FROM THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL. AND SO ALSO THE PASSAGE, "And this is the offering which you shall take of them" is difficult, FOR IT ALSO MEANS THAT THE OFFERING IS ALREADY IN THEIR POSSESSION. Everything is DIFFICULT for certain, both above and below, NAMELY, BOTH ACCORDING TO THE LITERAL MEANING AND THE HIDDEN. EVEN ACCORDING TO THE LITERAL MEANING IT IS DIFFICULT, FOR FIRST IT SAYS THAT THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL SHOULD BRING, AND AFTERWARDS IT SAYS THAT YOU SHALL TAKE OF THEM.

385. HE ANSWERS, This is the explanation of, "That they bring Me an offering." Who? The children of Yisrael. "Of every man:" These are the supernal angels above, for MALCHUT is an offering (Heb. trumah) to them, MEANING A RAISING (HEB. HARAMAH), for they are constantly raising it before the supernal King, ZEIR ANPIN. They raise it to be united with the supernal King, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE FOUR LIVING CREATURES THAT CARRY THE THRONE, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE FOUR ANGELS, MICHAEL, GABRIEL, URIEL AND RAPHAEL. When the children of Yisrael are righteous, they take THE SHECHINAH from above THE ANGELS, and bring Her down. This is the meaning of, "Of every man whose heart prompts him to give." Who are they? They are these four, NAMELY MICHAEL, GABRIEL, URIEL, AND RAPHAEL, who raised Her above. "WHOSE HEART PROMPTS HIM TO GIVE" MEANS that that heart, WHICH IS MALCHUT, favors them and that offering, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, is carried by them.

386. Even though THE SHECHINAH stands over them and dwells upon them, ON THE ANGELS, "you shall take" Her from them to lower Her down. And how? In this time, WE LOWER HER with good deeds, with prayers and beseeching, and by fulfilling the commandments of the Torah. At that time, WHEN THE TABERNACLE WAS BEING BUILT, it was through the colors, GOLD, SILVER... that appear below similar to above, MEANING LIKE THE SUPERNAL SFIROT, and other services. These colors draw below that offering, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, and the colors of below triumph over the colors of above, WHICH ARE THE SFIROT. The colors OF BELOW drew the colors OF ABOVE and they entered, these into those, and those OF BELOW became the body for those OF ABOVE. Referring to this, it is written, "You shall take of them."

387. Gold that is comprised in Gabriel is gold above, MEANING THE SFIRAH GVURAH, and Gabriel takes it below. This gold is divided below into seven types of gold, WHICH ARE GREENISH GOLD, THE GOLD OF OPHIR, SHEBA GOLD, PRECIOUS GOLD, PURE GOLD, BERYL GOLD. Silver is above, MEANING THE SFIRAH OF CHESED, and is comprised in Michael below and they dwell upon each other. Brass is above, NAMELY THE SFIRAH TIFERET, and it emerges from gold, FOR TIFERET EMERGES FROM GVURAH. Gold and fire pertains to the same mystery, AS BOTH ARE GVURAH, and the fire produced brass, and because of this power and strength, fiery serpents were spread that emerged from fire. Therefore, brass is red like fire, is comprised in Uriel and becomes a body for him.

388. Blue dwells in both brass and gold, WHICH INCLUDES THE JUDGMENTS IN TIFERET WHICH IS BRASS AND IN GVURAH WHICH IS GOLD. It prevails on two sides; THEREFORE, blue is severe IN JUDGMENTS, and none can rule to transform it into life. IF HE SEES THE COLOR BLUE IN HIS DREAM, it is the seat of Judgment where severe Judgment dwells. It is THE ANGEL Boel, as it is written, "And an El who has indignation every day" (Tehilim 7:12). When people repent in complete repentance, his name returns to Raphael, because remedy is prepared for them from that severe Judgment.

389. Purple is gold and silver, WHICH ARE GVURAH AND CHESED, that returned to be combined together, WHICH ARE Michael and Gabriel that are combined and fitted together. It is written, "He makes peace in His high places" (Iyov 25:2). Because they are fitted together, they become one body, WHICH IS PURPLE. AND IT CORRESPONDS TO THE SFIRAH NETZACH, BECAUSE IN NETZACH, GVURAH AND CHESED RULE TOGETHER.

390. Scarlet is above IN THE SFIRAH HOD and comprised BELOW in Uriel, as we said earlier, THAT THE ONE BECOMES A BODY FOR THE OTHER so as to be attached to blue and purple, WHICH ARE MALCHUT AND NETZACH. Linen is above IN THE SFIRAH OF YESOD and is comprised, AS WE SAID, in the secret of Raphael. AND THE ONE BECOMES A BODY FOR THE OTHER, so as to be attached to silver and gold, WHICH ARE CHESED AND GVURAH.

391. Until here is the secret of the seven pillars of above, WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, within seven pillars of below, WHICH ARE GOLD AND SILVER AND BRASS, ETC. shell within shell, MEANING THAT THEY ARE COVERED BY EACH OTHER AND THOSE OF BELOW BECOME A COVERING OVER THESE OF ABOVE as a protection. We have established that these seven PILLARS are inner side of the inner, MEANING THAT THEY ARE ALL INTERNAL, and goats' hair is a cover to the inner, MEANING THAT IT IS EXTERNAL.

392. "And rams' skins dyed red" (Shemot 25:5): These are the protecting angels, WHO PROTECT AGAINST THE OTHER SIDE and have eyes that blaze flames of fire, as it is written, "And his eyes like torches of fire" (Daniel 10:6). They are called 'firmaments' and are outside, within the covering (Heb. Klipah). "And badgers' skins" (Shemot 25:5): These are inside in the holy side and they are joined in Holiness, yet are not attached as we said.

393. "And acacia wood" (Ibid.): We have established that they are attending Serafim, as it is written, "Serafim stood above him" (Yeshayah 6:2), FOR THEY ARE IN THE WORLD BRIYAH. HE QUESTIONS, What is the meaning of, "above him?" HE ANSWERS, It is above that covering, MEANING THAT NO KLIPAH DOMINATES THEM BY BEING ABOVE THEM, AND THE JUDGMENTS DO NOT BLEMISH ABOVE THE PLACE OF THEIR EXISTENCE, SO THEY ARE IN THE SECRET OF ACACIA WOOD. If you ask whether this passage refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, and THAT "ABOVE HIM" MEANS ABOVE THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, IT IS NOT SO. For we have learned, "I saw Hashem" (Ibid. 1). The particle 'Et (Eng. 'the')' is exact, WHICH MEANS THAT HE SAW MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'ET.' Similar to this, it is written in this passage, "And His train filled the temple" (Ibid.). 'Et (the)' is exact, in that it came to include that Klipah, MEANING THAT HIS TRAIN FILLS AND ANNULS THAT KLIPAH THAT CORRESPONDS TO MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'ET.' Since it said AND MENTIONED the secret of that Klipah, it wrote, "Serafim stood above him" MEANING above that Klipah.