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.