594. He opened the discussion with the verse, "And they shall make an Ark of Acacia wood" (Shemot 25:10). The Book of Torah is the Central Pillar, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. Its Ark is the Shechinah and "inside and outside shall he overlay it" (Ibid. 11); namely the Holy One, blessed be He, with His Shechinah THAT COVERS HIM from "outside and inside." THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, AND HIS SHECHINAH are all one. This is not so with the Ark in this world, for the Torah which is inside is one kind and the Ark is another kind. The one is written with ink and the other is wood overlaid with gold. Certainly the Torah is more beloved than everything, as it is written, "Gold and glass cannot equal it" (Iyov 28:17).

595. From a different view even, THE TORAH AND THE ARK THAT ARE in this world show that it is all one, ink and wood, LIKE THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, AND HIS SHECHINAH, because ink is made of apples, which are of wood, NAMELY OF GALLNUTS. SO WE FIND THAT A TORAH SCROLL THAT IS WRITTEN WITH INK IS ONE KIND WITH THE ARK THAT IS MADE OF WOOD, FOR THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, AND HIS SHECHINAH. Moreover, ink, NAMELY THE LETTERS, is black on the outside and white on the inside, as are the Torah scholars and sages black in this world, which is outside. They are beautiful in the World to Come, which is in the inside. Therefore, ink (Heb. dyo) is the same expression as 'Dayo (Eng. 'sufficient') for a servant to be like his master.' Dyo CONTAINS THE LETTERS IN YUD OR THE LETTERS OF 'yado' (Eng. 'his hand') THAT ALLUDE TO Chochmah, Binah and Da'at, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF YUD, for a man writes with his hand. End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).