"For with You is the fountain of life"

165. "Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments" (Vayikra 8:2). Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion, saying: "For with You is the fountain of life: in Your light we see light" (Tehilim 36:9). "For with You is the fountain of life." This is the supernal oil that is drawn and never ceases, which dwells inside Chochmah that is superior to all. Hence, "for with You," since it dwells "with You," in sublime love, and never separates from You, "the fountain of life," BINAH, FOR CHOCHMAH AND BINAH CLEAVE TOGETHER IN AN EVERLASTING MATING. BINAH IS CALLED 'THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE,' since She is the source and spring of life, WHICH IS THE ABUNDANCE OF CHOCHMAH, CALLED 'LIFE.' She issues life OUT OF CHOCHMAH for the supernal tree, ZEIR ANPIN, and for the kindling of the candles OF MALCHUT. That tree, ZEIR ANPIN, is therefore called 'the Tree of Life.' It is the tree planted and rooted at the source of life, BINAH.

166. Therefore, "in Your light we see light." Your light is the light treasured for the Righteous for the World to Come, as written: "And Elohim saw the light, that it was good" (Beresheet 1:4). By that light, of Yisrael will shine upon the World to Come.

167. Another interpretation of: "For with You is the fountain of life..." (Tehilim 36:9). This is the Holy One, blessed be He, the supernal tree, ZEIR ANPIN, in the middle of the Garden of Eden, MALCHUT, that comprises all the sides, INCLUDING RIGHT AND LEFT. Why is it so? Because the source of life, BINAH, is attached to it and adorns it with supernal diadems around the Garden, SINCE THE GARDEN, MALCHUT, ENCOMPASSES AND SURROUNDS ZEIR ANPIN. THEN ZEIR ANPIN RECEIVES MOCHIN OF THE FIRST THREE SFIROT, THE SECRET OF DIADEMS, FROM BINAH, WHICH IS like a mother crowning her son over all. Hence, it says: "Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the diadem with which his mother crowned him" (Shir Hashirim 3:11). Of this, it says: "For with You is the fountain of life...in Your light we see light."

168. Rabbi Yitzchak said: "For with You is the fountain of life," refers to the High Priest above, CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN. Correspondingly, there is the High priest below, IN THIS WORLD. The priest, CHESED, therefore draws the Holy supernal anointing oil, CHOCHMAH, downward TO MALCHUT, and kindles the supernal candles, THE SEVEN SFIROT - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT. The High priest, CHESED, is filled with the wholeness of the seven supernal days - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT - and is adorned with all THE SFIROT, SINCE CHESED INCLUDES ALL THE SEVEN SFIROT IN IT.

169. There are seven days of consecration of the priest below IN THIS WORLD to correspond to THAT WHICH IS ABOVE, so that everything will resemble that which is above. They are called 'days of consecration,' WHICH MEANS days of completeness, to perfect the priest, WHO IS CORRESPONDS TO CHESED, with the other days OF THE SEVEN SFIROT, so that the seven SFIROT are completed together. They are therefore called 'days of consecration,' literally 'filling,' since the other SFIROT are united in him. HE ASKS: What does this mean? HE ANSWERS: THE MEANING IS that if the priest is aroused TO GIVE ABUNDANCE, the other SFIROT are aroused with him to give abundance, SINCE THEY ARE UNITED WITH HIM.

170. It is therefore written: "And you shall not go out of the door of the Tent of Meeting...until the days of your consecration" (Vayikra 8:33), seven days, surely, IN ORDER TO COMPLETE SEVEN SFIROT. The priest below is then adorned entirely in the likeness of above, so that when the priest below is roused, everything will be roused by him above, ALL THE SEVEN SFIROT, and blessings will abide above and below.

171. Rabbi Aba said: Why is it different that Moses, TIFERET, anointed Aaron, CHESED, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN TIFERET? HE ANSWERS: Because he is a son to that place which is the source of life, BINAH. It is also written: "That caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses" (Yeshayah 63:12). Moses also attended upon these seven days of consecration, so that they would all rest upon Aaron.

172. Rabbi Chizkiyah sat before Rabbi Elazar. He said to him: How many lights were created before the world was created? He said to him: Seven. They are the light of the Torah, the light of Gehenom, the light of the Garden of Eden, the light of the Throne of Glory, the light of the Temple, the light of repentance and the light of The Messiah, THE SECRET OF THE SEVEN SFIROT OF BRIYAH, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT. They were created before the world was created. Seven lights and candles, NAMELY SEVEN SFIROT, were united with Aaron, who kindled the candles AND DREW FROM THE SEVEN CANDLES above TO THE SEVEN CANDLES below.