135. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). It is one of the precepts to burn sacrifices by fire. Then "but that which remains of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire" (Vayikra 7:17). Tannaim and Amoraim, you shall find holiness, sacrifices (lit. 'Holies') and the Holy (lit. 'Holiness') of Holies among the secrets of the Torah. HE ASKS: What pleasure does the Holy One, blessed be He, derive from burnt sacrifices? It is done on account of Isaac, for when Yisrael are in trouble, the ashes of Isaac rise before Him, FOR WHICH REASON THE SACRIFICE OUGHT TO BE BURNT TO ASHES, AS A REMINDER OF HIS MERIT. If they are punishable by fire, they will be saved for his sake. This is only a homiletic interpretation. You may also say it was for the sons of Aaron that were like the burning of Holies, of whom it is written: "And a fire went out from before Hashem and devoured them, and they died" (Vayikra 10:2). Their deaths atone for Yisrael, like the burning of Holies. This is also a homiletic interpretation.

136. HE ANSWERS: There are three fires to the candle, a white fire, a black fire and a blue fire, conforming to the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings, which correspond to the priests, Levites, and Yisrael. Blue corresponds to the Shechinah, which is near us, AS SHE DWELLS AMONG THE LOWER BEINGS. She holds on to those wicks, the wings of a precept, of which it says: "That they shall make them Tzitzit" (Bemidbar 15:38). The blue is the Shechinah, the Judgment that eats sacrifices and burnt offerings.

137. If She, MALCHUT, THE SECRET OF BLUE, finds men to be as dry wood, like dry wicks without oil, which is the Torah and Mercy, MALCHUT is a fire to them and burns them. For the ignorant are cattle, an abomination according to our explanation, and the blue, THE NAME Adonai, NAMELY MALCHUT, burns them, since they approach Her holding a worm, which is the Evil Inclination and also a stranger. Hence, it is written: "And the stranger that comes near shall be put to death" (Bemidbar 3:10).

138. They should repent before they die, when the angel Michael, who is the High priest, ritually slaughters them, who is the lion that devours the offerings - descends to sacrifice them as an offering-up before Hashem.

139. Before expiring it behooves you to make several confessions, so that when it comes time for your soul to leave you may concentrate on completing the name - SPECIFICALLY, PERFECTING THE UNION OF MALCHUT, CALLED 'NAME,' WITH THE UNION, "Hear, O Yisrael" THE UNION OF ZEIR ANPIN - and 'Blessed be the Name' - THE UNION OF MALCHUT - thus bringing your soul as a sacrifice to the name Eheyeh. One should then confess before the Holy One, blessed be He, so that He will accept and bring the burning and consuming Hei, MALCHUT, near to His Name, YUD HEI VAV HEI, and cause THE Hei to repent before Yud-Hei-Vav Eheyeh, which has a numerical value of 42. THAT IS, TO RETURN THE HEI BACK TO YUD-HEI-VAV SO AS TO AFFECT THE SUPERNAL UNION WITHIN BINAH OF YUD HEI VAV HEI EHEYEH, YUD HEI VAV HEI BEING CHOCHMAH AND EHEYEH BINAH. BEFORE THE UNION IS COMPLETED, MALCHUT is called 'Adonai' (Aleph-Dalet -Nun-Yud), containing the LETTERS OF DIN (JUDGMENT), AN INDICATION FOR THE MEANING OF 'the law (Aramaic Dina, Dalet Yud Nun Aleph) of the kingdom is the Law.' THUS THE UNION OF YUD HEI VAV HEI EHEYEH IS INCOMPLETE.

140. One should concentrate upon the Name pronounced in full, which is Yud-Vav-Dalet, Hei-Aleph, Vav-Aleph-Vav, Hei-Aleph, NAMELY YUD-HEI -VAV-HEI FULLY SPELLED WITH ALEPHS, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, SO AS TO DECLARE THE UNITY with a whole heart, MALCHUT, CALLED 'HEART.' One should concentrate on it while giving up his Ruach, and with his Nefesh be willing to accept death and suffering. With his Neshamah, it behooves him to confess several times and repent.

141. HE EXPLAINS HIS WORDS: With his Nefesh, he takes upon himself death, slaughtering and burning. If he is punishable by the four forms of capital punishment, which are stoning, burning, slaying, and strangulation, he should take them upon his Nefesh from Adonai. With his Neshamah, he should make several confessions and repent before the name Eheyeh, WHICH IS BINAH, which is attached to the two names Yud Hei Vav Hei Yud Hei Vav Hei.

142. One should concentrate his thoughts upon uttering a confession WITH HIS MOUTH and undertake death with a whole heart. THAT IS, ONE SHOULD UNITE MALCHUT, CALLED 'HEART,' BY MEANS OF THE UNITY OF "HASHEM IS ONE," which is the Name pronounced in full as Yud Vav Dalet, Hei Aleph, Vav Aleph Vav, Hei Aleph. THIS IS YUD HEI VAV HEI, FULLY SPELLED WITH ALEPHS, THE SECRET OF ZEIR ANPIN, upon which the priests would kneel, bow and prostrate upon their faces and say: 'Blessed be the Name of the Glory of His kingdom forever and ever.' The term "Glory (Heb. kavod)" (Caf-Bet-Vav-Dalet) in numerical value is Lamed-Bet (Lev; lit. 'heart') (= 32), WHICH IS MALCHUT, CALLED 'HEART.' With it did he concentrate upon perfecting the Name, NAMELY CONCLUDING THE UNION OF MALCHUT WITH YUD HEI VAV HEI.

143. Tannaim and Amoraim, how can the ignorant know ALL THESE MEDITATIONS? HE ANSWERS: Assuredly, the ignorant are like an ox, a lamb, a goat, a turtledove or a pigeon THAT ARE SACRIFICED ON THE ALTAR. The ignorant are like the cattle who do not know the Torah, which is the Name Yud Hei Vav Hei. Only Michael the High Priest - who brings the Name as a burnt offering, sacrificing it before Hashem - concentrates upon the Name that is pronounced in full when his Ruach ascends. So, WITH ALL THESE INTENTIONS, it will finally go out of this life with one heart in just the same manner as a man's Ruach rises every night.

144. The sages therefore taught: "Return a day before you die," for a man should daily return in repentance and deliver his Ruach to Him, so it will leave with 'One.' Hence, it says: "Into Your hand I commit my spirit" (Tehilim 31:6).