176. Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Chiya were traveling on the road. Rabbi Chiya said, When they are on the road, the friends have to travel with one heart. And if it happens that either wicked of the world or people who are not of the King's palace should walk among them, they must separate from them. Whence do we know this? From Kalev, for it is written, "but My servant Kalev, because he had another spirit with him, and followed Me fully" (Bemidbar 14:24). What is "another spirit"? It is that he separated from the spies as it is written, "And they ascended to the Negev and he came to Hebron" (Bemidbar 13:22). IT SHOULD HAVE SAID, 'AND THEY CAME' IN THE PLURAL, but he separated from the spies and he alone came to Hebron to prostrate himself on the graves of the Patriarchs. THEREFORE IT IS SAID ABOUT HIM, "AND HE CAME TO HEBRON" IN THE SINGULAR.
177. Hebron was given to him as a portion and inheritance to strengthen himself with, as it is written, "And to him shall I give the land that he has trodden upon" (Devarim 1:36). HE ASKS, Why was Hebron given to him? If it is because he prostrated himself there on the graves of the Patriarchs to be delivered from the plans OF THE SPIES and he was delivered, it is not so.
178. HE ANSWERS, I heard the secret meaning of this matter IS similar to the words, "David inquired of Hashem saying, 'Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?' And Hashem said to him, 'Go up.' And David said, 'Where shall I go up?' And He said, 'To Hebron'" (II Shmuel 2:1). Here we have to reflect. Since Saul was already dead and David was anointed to receive the kingship even during the days of Saul, IF SO, why was David not made king if Saul had died? And why did not he receive the reign over all the children of Yisrael, BUT came to Hebron and received the reign over Judah alone for seven years, and he tarried there all those seven years. Only after the death of Ish Boshet did he receive the reign over Yisrael in Jerusalem.
179. HE ANSWERS, But it is all a secret before the Holy One, blessed be He. Come and see, The Holy Malchut OF ABOVE did not receive THE LIGHT OF Malchut completely until she joined with the Patriarchs, WHO ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET THAT ARE FROM THE CHEST UP OF ZEIR ANPIN. When she joined with them, she was built a complete edifice from the higher world, WHICH IS BINAH. And the upper world is called seven years, because all THE SEVEN SFIROT -- CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT -- are INCLUDED in it.
180. This is understood from, "And he built it seven years" (I Melachim 6:38). This is the upper world, and THEREFORE it is not written, 'In seven years' BECAUSE IT REFERS TO THE UPPER WORLD WHICH IS CALLED SEVEN YEARS, as it is written, "For six days Hashem made the heavens and the earth" (Shemot 31:17). Who are the six days - namely Abraham, as it is written, "These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth (Heb. behibar'am) when they were created" (Beresheet 2:4) WHICH IS SPELLED WITH THE SAME LETTERS AS 'beAbraham' (with Abraham). Abraham is called six days, FOR HE IS CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH INCLUDES CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. The world was built with him, because he is six days. Similarly, "he built it seven years", WHICH ENCOMPASSES THE UPPER WORLD, WHICH IS BINAH, CALLED SEVEN YEARS.
181. Come and see, David wished to be built in the complete lower Malchut (kingdom), in the likeness of the upper MALCHUT. Yet he was not built until he came to join with the Patriarchs IN HEBRON. He stayed there seven years to be built among them. After seven years, he was built in everything NECESSARY and his reign was formed so that it would never be removed from him. Were he not made ready in Hebron to join his place WITH THE PATRIARCHS, his reign would not have been constructed ENABLING IT to persevere properly. Similarly, Kalev, within whom the spirit of Chochmah shone, came to Hebron to join with the Patriarchs, and to his own place did he go, BECAUSE THE ASPECT OF THE SPIRIT OF CHOCHMAH IS ACQUIRED ONLY THROUGH LINKING WITH THE PATRIARCHS, AS ALL THIS SAID. Afterwards it became his place, SINCE IT WAS GIVEN TO HIM, AS MENTIONED, and he inherited it.