"Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart"

Synopsis

Rabbi Elazar opens the discussion, saying: " Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart (Heb. levavecha) that Hashem He is Elohim." Rabbi Shimon says if you really want to understand this and know that Hashem is Elohim, you need to know that the good and evil inclinations dwell in the heart together, and that you must love Him with both. One should convert the evil attributes so that, instead of sinning, they serve Hashem. Then the evil inclination and the good inclination will be one, and you will find that Hashem is Elohim. In this way, judgment and mercy are included together.

We are told that the wicked prevent the blessings above from being drawn down to them, as in, "And He will hold up the heaven so that there shall be no rain." This is because they separate the evil inclination from the good one, using the evil one. Rabbi Shimon speaks about the left and right, and how they relate to Judgment. He next returns to a discussion in the previous section, reiterating that the element of air combined with that of water in Moses and Aaron - thus combining Tiferet with Chesed. He also repeats the admonition to unify the Holy Name properly by worshipping with one's whole heart and with one's whole soul.

Torah

89. One night, Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Aba were in their lodgings in Lod. They awoke to study Torah. Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion saying, "Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart (Heb. levavecha), that Hashem He is Elohim" (Devarim 4:39). HE ASKS, This passage should have said, 'Know therefore this day, that Hashem He is Elohim' AND AT THE END, 'and consider it in your heart.' BECAUSE THE KNOWLEDGE THAT HASHEM IS ELOHIM PREPARES ONE TO CONSIDER IT IN THE HEART SO, AND IF HE HAS ALREADY CONSIDERED IT IN HIS HEART ONE MOST CERTAINLY HAS THE KNOWLEDGE. Also, it should have said 'libecha (heart, with one Bet)' NOT "LEVAVECHA (WITH TWO BET'S)."

89. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא, הֲווֹ שְׁכִיחֵי לֵילְיָא חַד בְּבֵי אוֹשְׁפִּיזַיְיהוּ בְּלוּד, קָמוּ לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר, וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וְהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ כִּי ה' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים. הַאי קְרָא הָכִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם כִּי ה' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים וְהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ. תּוּ, וְהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לִבֶּךָ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ.

Converts Evil Evil Inclination Good Inclination Judgment Love Mercy Moses Sin Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

90. HE ANSWERS, But Moses said, If you really want to understand this and know that Hashem is Elohim, then "consider it in your heart (Heb. levavcha)," and thus know it. For "levavcha" MEANS the Good Inclination and the Evil Inclination THAT DWELL IN THE HEART are included within one another and are one. "AND YOU SHALL LOVE HASHEM YOUR ELOHIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART (HEB. LEVAVCHA)" (DEVARIM 6:5), MEANING WITH BOTH YOUR INCLINATIONS, THE GOOD INCLINATION AND THE EVIL INCLINATION. THUS HE SHOULD CONVERT THE EVIL ATTRIBUTES OF THE EVIL INCLINATION TO BE GOOD, NAMELY TO SERVE HASHEM WITH THEM AND NOT SIN THROUGH THEM. THEN, CERTAINLY THERE IS NO MORE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GOOD INCLINATION AND THE EVIL INCLINATION, AND THEY ARE ONE. Then you will find that Hashem is Elohim. THE ATTRIBUTE OF JUDGMENT, WHICH IS CALLED ELOHIM, IS INCLUDED IN YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH IS THE ATTRIBUTE OF MERCY because they are included the one within the other, AS THE EVIL INCLINATION AND THE GOOD INCLINATION ARE COMBINED IN THE HEART, and they are one. SO IT CAN NOT BE KNOWN THAT HASHEM IS ELOHIM EXCEPT THROUGH CONSIDERING IT IN THE HEART. Therefore, THE PASSAGE MENTIONED FIRST, "and consider it in your heart" to know THROUGH IT that HASHEM HE IS ELOHIM.

90. אֶלָּא, אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, אִי אַתְּ בָּעֵי לְמֵיקָם עַל דָּא, וּלְמִנְדַּע כִּי ה' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים, וְהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ וּכְדֵין תִּנְדַּע לֵיהּ. לְבָבֶךָ: יֵצֶר טוֹב וְיֵצֶר רָע, דְּאִתְכְּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא, וְאִיהוּ חַד, כְּדֵין תִּשְׁכַּח כִּי ה' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים, דְּהָא אִתְכְּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא, וְאִיהוּ חַד. וְעַל דָּא וְהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ, לְמִנְדַּע מִלָּה.

Blessing Evil Evil Inclination Good Inclination Heaven Judgment Rain Sin Wicked Wickedness

91. Rabbi Elazar also said, The wicked cause a blemish above WITH THEIR EVIL ACTIONS. What is the blemish? IT IS that the left is not included within the right ABOVE, IT RATHER DOMINATES BY MEANS OF JUDGMENT BY ITSELF. THIS IS BECAUSE the Evil Inclination BELOW is not included in the Good Inclination, TO WORK WITH IT TO DRAW GOOD AS MENTIONED because of the sins of people WHO SIN, THROUGH THE EVIL INCLINATION, AND ATTRACT BY IT THE DOMINATION OF JUDGMENT. And they do not cause a blemish ABOVE, but actually to themselves. This is the meaning of, "Not His the corruption, but the blemish of His sons (or, His (Heb. lo, with Vav) the corruption, not (Heb. lo, with Aleph) the blemish...)" (Devarim 32:5). FIRST IT IS SAID "HIS THE CORRUPTION", SEEMINGLY INDICATING THAT THEY BLEMISH ABOVE AND THEN, "NOT THE BLEMISH OF HIS SONS" SEEMINGLY, THAT THEY DO NOT CAUSE BLEMISH ABOVE. It is as if they cause A BLEMISH yet do not cause A BLEMISH. They cause, THAT IS, THEY BRING ABOUT that blessings from above do not flow to them, as it is written, "And shut up the heavens, that there be no rain" (Devarim 11:17). THEY DAMAGE THE CHANNELS OF SUSTENANCE ABOVE yet they do not cause, because the heavens, NAMELY THE CHANNELS OF ABOVE, receive for themselves as much blessings AND SUSTENANCE as they need, but they do not receive SUSTENANCE to pour downward. Certainly THIS IS NOT A BLEMISH AND FLAW OF THE ABOVE, BUT RATHER, it is the blemish of these wicked, AND IT IS UPON THEM THAT THIS FLAW RESTS AND NOT ABOVE.

91. תּוּ אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, חַיָּיבִין עַבְדִּין פְּגִימוּתָא לְעֵילָּא, מַאי פְּגִימוּתָא. דִּשְׂמָאלָא לָא אִתְכְּלִיל בִּימִינָא. דְּיֵצֶר רָע לָא אִתְכְּלִיל בְּיֵצֶר טוֹב, בְּגִין חוֹבַיְיהוּ דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא. וּפְגִימוּ לָא עַבְדֵי, אֶלָּא לוֹן מַמָּשׁ, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, שִׁחֵת לוֹ לֹא בָּנָיו מוּמָם. כִּבְיָכוֹל עַבְדֵי וְלָא עַבְדֵי. עַבְדֵי: דְּלָא יִתְמָשֵּׁךְ עָלַיְיהוּ בִּרְכָּאן דִּלְעֵילָּא, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר וְעָצַר אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְלֹא יִהְיֶה מָטָר. וְלָא עַבְדֵי: דְּהָא שְׁמַיָּא נַטְלֵי לוֹן לְגַרְמַיְיהוּ בִּרְכָּאן מַאי דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ. וְלָא נַטְלֵי לְאַמְשָׁכָא לְתַתָּא וַדַּאי מוּמָם דְּאִינּוּן חַיָּיבִין אִיהוּ.

Blessing Evil Evil Inclination Good Inclination Wicked Wickedness

92. תּוּ, לוֹ בְּו,' דְּלָא אִתְכְּלִיל יְמִינָא בִּשְׂמָאלָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְמַשְּׁכוּן בִּרְכָּאן לְתַתָּא. לֹא בְּאָלֶ"ף, דְּהָא לָא נַטְלֵי לְאִתְמַשְּׁכָא לְתַתָּאֵי. מַאן גָּרִים דָּא. בְּגִין דְּחַיָּיבִין מַפְרִישִׁין יֵצֶר רָע מִיֵּצֶר טוֹב, וּמִתְדַּבְּקִין בְּיֵצֶר רָע.

Judah Judgment

93. תָּא חֲזֵי יְהוּדָה אָתֵי מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא, וְאִתְדְּבַק בִּימִינָא, בְּגִין לְנַצְּחָא עַמִין, וּלְתַבְרָא חֵילֵיהוֹן. דְּאִי לָא אִתְדְּבָק בִּימִינָא, לָא יִתְבַּר חֵילֵיהוֹן. וְאִי תֵּימָא אַמַאי בִּימִינָא. וְהָא שְׂמָאלָא אִתְעַר דִּינִין בְּעָלְמָא.

Converts Holiness (Kedushah) Judges Kedushah (Holiness) Righteous

94. HE ANSWERS, But this is a secret. When the Holy One, blessed be He, judges Yisrael, He judges them only from the left side, in order to reject them with the left and beckon them with the right. But with the other nations, He fends them off with the right, and draws them with the left. And this may be deduced from the proselyte by conviction, NAMELY BECAUSE WHEN ONE OF THEM BECOMES ATTRACTED TO HOLINESS AND HE CONVERTS, HE IS CALLED A PROSELYTE BY CONVICTION (LIT. 'A CONVERT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS'). RIGHTEOUSNESS IS THE NAME OF THE LEFT ASPECT OF MALCHUT. SO WE SEE THAT HE ATTRACTS THEM WITH THE LEFT. AND HE EXPLAINS, He fends them off with the right, as it is written, "Your right hand, Hashem, is glorious in power; Your right hand, Hashem, has dashed the enemy in pieces" (Shemot 15:6). He attracts them with the left, as we already said, THAT THE ONE FROM AMONG THEM, WHO HAS COME CLOSER TO JUDAISM IS CALLED A CONVERT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH IS LEFT.

94. אֶלָּא רָזָא דָּא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דָּן לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, לָא דָּן לְהוּ אֶלָּא מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא, בְּגִין דִּיְהֵא דָּחֵי לוֹן בִּשְׂמָאלָא, וּמְקָרֵב בִּימִינָא. אֲבָל לִשְׁאַר עַמִּין, דָּחֵי לוֹן בִּימִינָא, וּמְקָרֵב לוֹן בִּשְׂמָאלָא. וְסִימָנִיךְ גֵּר צֶדֶק, דָּחֵי לוֹן בִּימִינָא, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, יְמִינְךָ ה' נֶאְדָּרִי בַּכֹּחַ יְמִינְךָ ה' תִּרְעַץ אוֹיֵב. מְקָרֵב לוֹן בִּשְׂמָאלָא כְּמָה דְּאַמָרָן.

Body Judah North Thigh Torah Tribes Water Zebulun

95. Therefore, Judah, who is from the left side, combined with the right IN ORDER TO SUBDUE THE NATIONS, and his journeys were to the right OF THE STANDARDS. Those TRIBES that were with him all joined to the right. Yisaschar toiled in Torah, which is right, as it is written, "From His right hand a fiery law unto them" (Devarim 33:2). And so Zebulun who supported the Torah which is right. It is written, "the right thigh" (Vayikra 7:32) BECAUSE THE RIGHT LEG SUPPORTS THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BODY. Therefore, Judah was attached to this side and that side, NAMELY TO THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT, north, which is left, to water, which is right.

95. בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ, יְהוּדָה דְּאִיהוּ מִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא, אִתְדָּבַּק בִּימִינָא, וּמְטַלְנוֹי לִימִינָא. וְאִינּוּן דְּעִמֵּיהּ אִתְחַבְּרוּ כֻּלְּהוּ לִימִינָא. יִשָּׂשׂכָר דְּלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִיהִי יְמִינָא, דִּכְתִּיב, מִימִינוֹ אֵשׁ דָּת לָמוֹ. זְבוּלוּן דְּאִיהוּ תָּמִיךְ אוֹרַיְיתָא יְמִינָא, כד"א שׁוֹק הַיָּמִין. וע"ד יְהוּדָה אִתְקְשָׁר מִסִּטְרָא דָּא וְדָא. צָפוֹן בַּמַּיִם, שְׂמָאלָא בִּימִינָא.

Animals Face Fire Gad Ox Sin South Thigh

96. Reuben, who sinned against his father, dwelt in the right, WHICH IS CHESED. BECAUSE OF THE SIN, he connected with the left and clove to it. Therefore those who are with him IN HIS STANDARD are left. Shimon is left because OF THE LIVING CREATURE THAT HAS THE FACE of the ox, WHICH IS GVURAH, as it is written, "The face of an ox on the left side" (Yechezkel 1:10). Gad is the left leg, NAMELY HOD, as it is written, "Gad, raiders shall maraud him, but he shall overcome at last (lit. 'heel')" (Beresheet 49:19). OVERCOMING IS THE ACTION OF THE LEFT, AND HEEL IS THE LEG. Thus, south clove to fire, right with the left.

96. רְאוּבֵן דְּחָטָא לְגַבֵּי אֲבוֹי, שָׁרָא בִּימִינָא, וְאִתְקַשַּׁר בִּשְׂמָאלָא, וְאִתְדָבַּק בֵּיהּ. וע"ד, אִינּוּן דְּאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ עִמֵּיהּ, אִינּוּן שְׂמָאלָא. שִׁמְעוֹן דְּאִיהוּ שְׂמָאלָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּשׁוֹר, דִּכְתִּיב, וּפְנֵי שׁוֹר מֵהַשְּׂמֹאל. גָּד שׁוֹקָא שְׂמָאלָא, כְּתִיב גָּד גְּדוּד יְגוּדֶנּוּ וְהוּא יָגוּד עָקֵב. הָכָא, אִתְדַּבַּק דָּרוֹם בְּאֶשָּׁא, יְמִינָא בִּשְׂמָאלָא.

Aaron Air Moses Water

97. And similarly the purpose of what we said, "And consider it in your heart (Heb. levavecha, spelled with two Bet's)" is to include them together, the left and the right, and then you will know that "Hashem He is Elohim." Rabbi Aba said, Definitely it is so. And now it is understandable, WHAT IS SAID, "He is Aaron and Moses" (Shemot 6:26), "he is Moses and Aaron" (Ibid. 27). IT IS TO TEACH THAT air, WHICH IS TIFERET, COMBINED with water, WHICH IS CHESED, and water, WHICH IS CHESED, COMBINED with air, WHICH IS TIFERET, to be one. Therefore, it is written "he."

97. וע"ד הָא דְּאַמָרָן וְהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ, לְאַכְלְלָא לוֹן כַּחֲדָא, שְׂמָאלָא בִּימִינָא. כְּדֵין תֵּדַע כִּי ה' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים. א"ר אַבָּא וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא, וְהַשְׁתָּא יְדִיעָא, הוּא אַהֲרֹן וּמֹשֶׁה, הוּא מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, רוּחָא בְּמַיָּא, וּמַיָּא בְּרוּחָא, לְמֶהֱוֵי חַד. וע"ד כְּתִיב הוּא.

David Evil Evil Inclination Good Inclination Holy Name Love Soul, The

98. Rabbi Aba opened the discussion saying, "And you shall love Hashem your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might" (Devarim 6:5). Similarly, WHAT WE SAID ABOUT THE UNIFICATION OF RIGHT AND LEFT, the holy unification is also alluded to here, and it serves as an admonition to man to profess the unity of the Holy Name properly with supernal love. "With all your heart": NAMELY WITH BOTH YOUR INCLINATIONS, WHICH ARE right and left and are called Good Inclination and Evil Inclination. "And with all your soul": This is the soul of David that is placed between them, "and with all your might" MEANING to join them, THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT, above in the place where there is no limit.

98. ר' אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, וְאָהַבְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ. כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא הָכָא אִתְרְמִיז יִחוּדָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאַזְהָרָה הוּא לְבַר נָשׁ, לְיַחֲדָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, בִּרְחִימוּ עִלָּאָה. בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ: דָּא יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא דְּאִקְרֵי יֵצֶר טוֹב וְיֵצֶר רָע. וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ: דָּא נֶפֶשׁ דָּוִד, דְּאִתְיְהִיבַת בֵּינַיְיהוּ. וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ לְאַכְלְלָא לוֹן לְעֵילָּא בַּאֲתָר דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ שִׁעוּרָא. הָכָא הוּא יִחוּדָא שְׁלִים לְמִרְחַם לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת.

Aaron Jacob Moses Unity Zeir Anpin