The smoke from the wood on the altar

52. The smoke coming up from the mouths OF THE SAGES OF THE TORAH with words of the Torah is like the smoke of the wood set on the altar, THE SECRET OF MALCHUT, CALLED A SET, SINCE She is set for Her husband, ZEIR ANPIN. This is so in the verse: "When you light (lit. 'raise') the candles," (Bemidbar 8:2) WHICH SPEAKS OF RAISING MALCHUT, THE SECRET OF THE CANDLES, TO ZEIR ANPIN, as it says of them: "To cause (lit. 'raise') the candle to burn always" (Shemot 27:20), NAMELY MALCHUT, CALLED 'CANDLE.' THIS IS AFFECTED BY THE SMOKE OF THE WOOD SET ON THE EXTERNAL ALTAR, AS SMOKE IS CONSIDERED TO BE MALCHUT. By the smoke from the wood and the cloud of incense IN THE INTERNAL ALTAR, of which the Torah, ZEIR ANPIN, is the smoke, ZEIR ANPIN will awaken in the heart, BINAH, AND RISE to Chochmah that resembles the brain. FOR THE HEART AND THE BRAIN ARE CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, AND THE SMOKE FROM THE WOOD ON THE INNER ALTAR, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, RISES TO THEM BY MEANS OF MAYIN NUKVIN TO UNITE CHOCHMAH AND BINAH. It is like a cloud since a cloud stirs in the heart, as written: "But there went up a mist from the earth" (Beresheet 2:6); NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN, CALLED 'MIST,' WHICH IS SMOKE, WILL RISE FROM BINAH, THE SECRET OF THE SUPERNAL LAND, "and water the whole face of the ground" (Ibid.). FOR AFTER ZEIR ANPIN HAS RISEN BY MEANS OF MAYIN NUKVIN AND RECEIVED PLENTY FROM CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, HE WATERS THE WHOLE FACE OF THE GROUND, WHICH IS MALCHUT.

53. AND HE EXPLAINS HIS WORDS: Thus, the smoke arises from Binah, which is in the heart, considered to be an understanding heart. It rises to Chochmah, which is like the brain. What is the smoke? It is the Central Column, ZEIR ANPIN, THAT RISES AND UNITES CHOCHMAH AND BINAH AND BECOMES DA'AT TO THEM, THE SECRET OF a heart that understands knowledge (Heb. da'at). FROM THE HEART, BINAH, DA'AT RISES, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT UNITES CHOCHMAH AND BINAH.

54. HE EXPLAINS HIS WORDS: The smoke, ZEIR ANPIN, AND DA'AT descends from Chochmah to Binah, of which one is to the left and the other to the right, BINAH BEING TO THE LEFT OF ZEIR ANPIN AND CHOCHMAH TO ITS RIGHT. After it words descends full with ABUNDANCE OF Aba and Ima, CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, full with ABUNDANCE OF Yud-Hei to burn the woods, the Torah scholars, who are from the side of the Tree of Life, ZEIR ANPIN. THEY ARE THEREFORE CALLED 'WOODS' (LIT. 'TREES'), who are the limbs of the body, where Hei (lit. 'the') of the trees lies. THEY ARE THE BODY PARTS OF MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED BODY AND CALLED HEI, AS THE SOULS OF THE TORAH SCHOLARS ARE THE OFFSPRING OF ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. Most certainly, THE INTENTION IS to burn them with the flame of the Torah, as it is written: "'Is not my word like a fire?' says Hashem" (Yirmeyah 23:29), by the flame of the candle we are commanded to light, with love - NAMELY, BY THE FLAMES OF FIRE OF LOVE FOR PRECEPTS.

55. It is commanded to offer daily offerings every day and then kindle a fire, as it is written: "A fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out" (Vayikra 6:6). And then to remove the ashes from the altar, and to bring a sacrifice for a vow or a voluntary sacrifice. Tannaim and Amoraim, all these daily offerings are the attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He, NAMELY THE SFIROT, which should have rest. All the Sfirot are one, yet each and every Sfirah is appointed over specific Shabbat periods and holidays; NAMELY, ON EVERY SHABBAT AND FEAST, A DIFFERENT SFIRAH REIGNS. The reigning attribute at that time includes all the Sfirot, SINCE EACH SFIRAH INCLUDES ALL TEN SFIROT, and they are all named after the reigning Sfirah. If it is Chesed, then Chassadim, and if Gvurah, then Gvurot. IF THE RULING SFIRAH AT A SPECIFIC SHABBAT TIME PERIOD IS CHESED, THEN ALL TEN SFIROT THAT ARE INCLUDED IN IT ARE CALLED 'CHASSADIM.' IF THE RULING SFIRAH AT A SPECIFIC SHABBAT TIME PERIOD IS GVURAH, THEN ALL TEN SFIROT INCLUDED IN IT ARE CALLED 'GVUROT.' Thus, it is with all these RULING attributes!