General and particular

Synopsis

Rabbi Yosi opens with: "And I shall take you to me as a people and I will be to you as an Elohim and you will know that I am Hashem your Elohim." Rabbi Shimon tells us that the first and most important precept is to know God in the general sense - to know that there is a supernal ruler who is the master of the world and who created all the worlds, heaven and earth, and all their beings. Just as this is the beginning of the precepts, the end of them is to know Him particularly -- General and Particular are Beginning and End. They are also the secret of male and female as in Zeir Anpin and Nukva. At the end of 40 years of wandering following the exodus from Egypt, Moses told the children of Yisrael: "Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart that Yud Hei Vav Hei is the Elohim." This then is the particular. Rabbi Shimon says that the fear of Hashem is the beginning of knowing Him in particular. We are told next that a person should perfect the 248 limbs of the soul of man - the 248 positive precepts. After he has been perfected in general, he will know in particular. Rabbi Shimon turns to a discussion of the limbs, the days of the year, the Sfirot and their cures. Blessings, life and cures come down to a person only after he completes all 248 precepts. The first word of the Torah when it was given on Mount Sinai was "Anochi (I am)," which is the secret of the first precept of knowing Him in general. "For Hashem your Elohim is a consuming fire" is an allusion to the particular.

Relevance

In order to know God we must start by acknowledging that He exists and that He created all the worlds, heaven and earth, and all their inhabitants. If we find it difficult to 'know' God, to encounter Him in a particular and personal way, we can start encountering Him in a general way. We may quietly remember what we know of the world and its people, and what we imagine of heaven and the angels, and then recall that God made them all. This understanding will lead us to the wisdom that enables us to encounter God in the particular. The Light contained in this passage encourages us in our endeavors.

Creation Earth Heaven Hosts Precepts

55. Ra'aya Meheimna (The Faithful Shepherd). "And I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you as an Elohim; and you shall know that I am Hashem your Elohim..." (Shemot 6:7). This commandment is the first of all the precepts BECAUSE the very beginning of all the precepts IS to know the Holy One, blessed be He, in the general ASPECT. HE ASKS, What is meant by general? HE ANSWERS, IT IS to know that there is a Supernal Ruler, who is the Master of the world, and who created all the worlds, heaven and earth, and all their hosts. This is in general. And everything ends in the particular, NAMELY to know Him in the details.

55. (רעיא מהימנא) וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְגוֹ' פִּקּוּדָא דָּא קַדְמָאָה דְּכָל פִּקּוּדִין. רֵאשִׁיתָא קַדְמָאָה דְּכָל פִּקּוּדִין, לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּכְלָלָא. מַאי בִּכְלָלָא. לְמִנְדַּע דְּאִית שַׁלִּיטָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ רִבּוֹן עָלְמָא, וּבָרָא עָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ, שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא וְכָל חֵילֵיהוֹן. וְדָא אִיהוּ בִּכְלָלָא. וְסוֹפָא דְּכֹלָּא בִּפְרָט, לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ בִּפְרָט.

Creation Female Male Nukva Precepts Zeir Anpin

56. General and particular is beginning and end. THEY ARE the secret of male and female as one BECAUSE ZEIR ANPIN IS CALLED GENERAL AND THE NUKVA IS CALLED PARTICULAR. Thus man in this world WHO IS OCCUPIED WITH PRECEPTS is occupied with the general and particular, WHICH ARE THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF THE PRECEPTS. AND WE FIND man in this world to be general and particular MEANING THAT HE HAS TO BE PERFECTED BY BOTH. And the perfection of this world is general and particular, SO THE GENERAL, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, WOULD BE UNITED WITH THE NUKVA, WHICH IS PARTICULAR. Therefore, it is first of all necessary to know that there is a ruler and judge in the world, who is the master of all the worlds, who created man from dust and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. This is general.

56. וּכְלָל וּפְרָט אִיהוּ רֵישָׁא וְסוֹפָא רָזָא דְּכָר וְנוּקְבָּא כַּחֲדָא, וְאִשְׁתְּכַח בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, דְּאִתְעַסָּק בִּכְלָל וּפְרָט, בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא אִיהוּ כְּלָל וּפְרָט. תִּקּוּנָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, אִיהוּ כְּלָל וּפְרָט. בג"כ, רֵאשִׁיתָא דְּכֹלָּא, לְמִנְדַּע דְּאִית שַׁלִּיט וְדַיָּין עַל עָלְמָא, וְאִיהוּ רִבּוֹן כָּל עָלְמִין. וּבָרָא לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ מֵעַפְרָא, וְנָפַח בְּאַפּוֹי נִשְׁמְתָא דְּחַיֵּי, וְדָא אִיהוּ בְּאוֹרַח כְּלָל.

Egypt Miracle Moses Precepts

57. When Yisrael left Egypt, they did not know the Holy One, blessed be He. When Moses came to them, he taught them this first precept, as it is written, "And you shall know that I am Hashem your Elohim, who brings you out..." Were it not for this commandment, Yisrael would not be faithful TO HASHEM, EVEN AFTER all these miracles and mighty acts that THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, performed for them in Egypt. After they knew this commandment in general, miracles and mighty deeds were performed for them, FOR THEY WERE ALREADY CERTAIN THAT THEY WOULD BELIEVE IN HASHEM THROUGH THEM, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "AND YISRAEL SAW...AND BELIEVED IN HASHEM, AND IN MOSES HIS SERVANT" (SHEMOT 14:31).

57. כַּד נָפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם, לָא הֲווֹ יַדְעֵי לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא מֹשֶׁה לְגַבַּיְיהוּ, פִּקּוּדָא קַדְמָאָה דָּא אוֹלִיף לוֹן, דִּכְתִּיב, וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם וְגוֹ.' וְאִלְמָלֵא פִּקּוּדָא דָּא, לָא הֲווֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵהֵימְנִין, בְּכָל אִינּוּן נִיסִּין וּגְבוּרָן דְּעָבֵד לוֹן בְּמִצְרַיִם. כֵּיוָן דְּיָדְעוּ פִּקּוּדָא דָּא בְּאוֹרַח כְּלָל, אִתְעָבֵידוּ לְהוֹן נִסִּין וּגְבוּרָן.

Holy Land Moses Precepts Torah Year Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

58. At the end of forty years, they endeavored in all the precepts of the Torah that Moses taught them, both those that apply in the Holy Land and those that are also applicable outside the Holy Land. Then he taught them the particular, as it is written, "Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart:" "this day" is precise, that which they had no permission TO KNOW beforehand-"that Hashem is the Elohim" (Devarim 4:39). This is KNOWING by the way of particulars. In this word, PARTICULAR, there are many secrets and mysteries. This PASSAGE, "HASHEM IS THE ELOHIM" and the previous PASSAGE, "AND YOU SHALL KNOW THAT I AM HASHEM YOUR ELOHIM" all pertain to the same thing, only one is in general and the other is in particular.

58. וּלְסוֹף מ' שְׁנִין, דְּקָא אִשְׁתְּדָלוּ בְּכָל אִינּוּן פִּקּוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאוֹלִיף לוֹן מֹשֶׁה, בֵּין אִינּוּן דְּמִתְנָהֲגֵי בְּאַרְעָא בֵּין אִינּוּן דְּמִתְנָהֲגֵי לְבַר מֵאַרְעָא כְּדֵין, אוֹלִיף לוֹן בְּאוֹרַח פְּרָט, הה"ד וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וְהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ, הַיּוֹם דַּיְיקָא, מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה רְשׁוּ מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא. כִּי יְיָ' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים, דָּא בְּאוֹרַח פְּרָט, בְּמִלָּה דָּא, כַּמָּה רָזִין וְסִתְרִין אִית בָּהּ. וְדָא, וְהַהוּא דְּקַדְמֵיתָא, כֹּלָּא מִלָּה חֲדָא, דָּא בִּכְלָל, וְדָא בִּפְרָט.

Fear

59. And if you ask, Is it not written, "The fear of Hashem is the beginning of knowledge" (Mishlei 1:7) AND MALCHUT, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF PARTICULAR, IS CALLED THE FEAR OF HASHEM, AND IS REFERRED TO AS "THE BEGINNING." SO WE SEE THAT THE PARTICULAR IS THE BEGINNING AND NOT THE GENERAL. The explanation is that we are here discussing the particular itself, MEANING THE BEGINNING OF THE PARTICULAR IS THAT IT IS NECESSARY to know FIRST what the fear of Hashem is. BUT THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING IS THE GENERAL AND NOT THE PARTICULAR. And one should fear Him, before knowing AND COCEIVING THE FEAR OF HASHEM, SO WHY IS IT WRITTEN, "THE FEAR OF HASHEM IS THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE" WHICH SEEMS TO MEAN IT IS FIRST NECESSARY TO KNOW HIM? HE ANSWERS, Yet here it is written, "the beginning of knowledge," MEANING THAT FIRST IT IS NECESSARY TO FEAR HIM AND THROUGH FEAR WE COME TO THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE AND TO KNOW HIM, SINCE THE FEAR OF HASHEM IS the beginning of knowing Him in particular, AS MENTIONED.

59. וְאִי תֵּימָא, הָא כְּתִיב, יִרְאַת יְיָ' רֵאשִׁית דָּעַת. תִּירוּצָא, דָּא בְּאוֹרַח פְּרָט, לְמִנְדַּע מַאן אִיהוּ יִרְאַת יְיָ.' ואע"ג דְּאִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְדַחֲלָא מִנֵּיהּ, עַד לָא יִנְדַּע, אֲבָל הָכָא כְּתִיב רֵאשִׁית דַּעַת, לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ דְּהָא אִיהוּ רֵאשִׁיתָא, לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ בְּאוֹרַח פְּרָט.

Egypt Precepts Soul, The Year

60. Therefore, the first commandment is to know the Holy One, blessed be He, in general and in particular, in the beginning and in the end, AS IT IS WRITTEN IN EGYPT: "AND YOU SHALL KNOW THAT I AM HASHEM YOUR ELOHIM...", WHICH IS IN THE FUTURE TENSE THAT CULMINATES AT THE END OF FORTY YEARS IN PARTICULAR. And this is the secret meaning of, "I am first and I am last" (Yeshayah 44:6). "I am first" in general, "and I am last" in particular. It is all spoken with the same principle and secret meaning. After knowing this in general, one should perfect all his limbs. And what are THE LIMBS? THEY ARE the 248 positive precepts, which are the 248 limbs of THE SOUL OF man. BECAUSE EVERY POSITIVE PRECEPT PERFECTS A LIMB WHICH CORRESPONDS TO IT IN THE SOUL OF THE PERSON. After being perfected in them in general, one should know in particular, because this, MEANING PARTICULAR, is healing for everything, and one will know how all the days of the year, MEANING ALL THE SFIROT OF MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED YEAR, join to give healing to all the limbs THAT ARE THE PRECEPTS, THAT IS, THEY MAKE THEM WHOLE.

60. בְּגִין כַּךְ, פִּקּוּדָא קַדְמָאָה לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּכְלָל וּפְרָט, בְּרֵישָׁא וּבְסוֹפָא. וְרָזָא דָּא אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן וַאֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן. אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן בִּכְלָל, וַאֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן בִּפְרָט. וְכֹלָּא בִּכְלָלָא חֲדָא, וְרָזָא חֲדָא. כֵּיוָן דְּיִנְדַּע דָּא בִּכְלָל, יַשְׁלִים כָּל שַׁיְיפוֹי. וּמַאן אִינּוּן. רמ"ח פִּקּוּדִין, דְּאִינּוּן רמ"ח שַׁיְיפִין דְּבַר נָשׁ. כֵּיוָן דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים בְּהוּ עַל הַאי בִּכְלָל, כְּדֵין יִנְדַּע בְּאוֹרַח פְּרָט, דְּדָא אִיהוּ אַסְוָותָא לְכֻלְּהוּ, וְיִנְדַּע כָּל יוֹמֵי שַׁתָּא, דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן לְמֵיהַב אַסְוָותָא לְכָל שַׁיְיפִין.

Blessing Female Flow Male Mochin Precepts Year Zeir Anpin

61. You may ask, How do all the days of the year cure all the limbs, SEEING THAT MALCHUT, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE YEAR, HAS NOTHING OF HER OWN? ON THE CONTRARY, THE LIMBS, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF THE GENERAL, NAMELY THE 248 CHANNELS OF ABUNDANCE OF ZEIR ANPIN, ARE THOSE THAT POUR EVERYTHING TO MALCHUT. HE ANSWERS, Certainly it is so above and below, NAMELY IN MALE AND FEMALE AND IN LOWER MAN, that the year and its days, THAT ARE ITS SFIROT, supply cure for all the limbs above IN ZEIR ANPIN, and below IN MAN. The limbs supply a flow of blessings for the days of the year, WHICH ARE THE SFIROT OF MALCHUT, WHICH IS THE PARTICULAR. FOR BY THE POSITIVE PRECEPTS A PERSON PERFORMS, HE DRAWS A FLOW OF BLESSINGS FROM A LIMB, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF ONE CHANNEL OF ZEIR ANPIN, TO ONE OF THE DAYS OF THE YEAR, WHICH IS THE MEANING OF PARTICULAR. Then, healing and life are suspended over us from above UNTIL THE LIMBS become filled with all PERFECTION, AND SUPPLY THEM TO THE PARTICULAR, WHICH IS THE YEAR. THEN THE MOCHIN OF THE PARTICULAR ARE REVEALED. Who caused THE LIMBS TO BE FILLED WITH ALL PERFECTION? THE days of the year ARE THOSE THAT CAUSED THIS BECAUSE THE LIMBS WERE TO PERFECT IT. AND IF THE YEAR DID NOT NEED IMPROVEMENT, THE LIMBS, WHICH ARE THE CHANNELS OF THE FLOW FROM ZEIR ANPIN, WOULD NOT BECOME FILLED WITH ABUNDANCE. THEREFORE, IT IS CONSIDERED AS THOUGH THE DAYS OF THE YEAR GAVE HEALING AND LIFE TO THE LIMBS.

61. וְאִי תֵּימָא, כָּל יוֹמֵי שַׁתָּא, הֵיךְ יַהֲבִין אַסְוָותָא לְכָל שַׁיְיפִין. וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, שַׁתָּא וְיוֹמֵי דִּילֵיהּ, יַהֲבִין אַסְוָותָא לְכָל שַׁיְיפִין עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, דְּשַׁיְיפִין אֲרִיקוּ בִּרְכָּאן לְיוֹמֵי שַׁתָּא כְּדֵין אַסְוָותָא וְחַיִּין תַּלְיָין עֲלָן מִלְּעֵילָּא, וְאִתְמַלְיָין מִכֹּלָּא. מַאן גָּרִים לוֹן. יוֹמֵי שַׁתָּא.

Precepts Torah Year Zeir Anpin

62. And so it is below. When a person perfects himself with these 248 POSITIVE precepts in the Torah, there is no day that will not be blessed by him, BY THAT MAN, and when they are blessed from him, life and healing are suspended over him from above. THIS MEANS THAT THEY ARE NOT DRAWN TO MALCHUT BEFORE MAN COMPLETES ALL THE 248 POSITIVE PRECEPTS IN THEIR ENTIRETY, AND THEY ARE SUSPENDED OVER HIM FROM ABOVE UNTIL THEN. What caused THE SUPERNAL CHANNELS TO BE FILLED WITH HEALING AND LIFE? THE days of the year, AS MENTIONED BEFORE. THEREFORE, IT IS CONSIDERED AS THOUGH THE DAYS OF THE YEAR GAVE THEM HEALING AND LIFE, AS MENTIONED. Just as the days of the year are blessed from above from the secret of man, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, they are also blessed below from the secret of THE LOWER man, THROUGH THE PRECEPTS THAT HE FULFILLS.

62. אוּף הָכִי נָמֵי לְתַתָּא, כַּד בַּר נָשׁ יַשְׁלִים גּוּפֵיהּ בְּאִינּוּן פִּקּוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לֵית לָךְ כָּל יוֹמָא דְּלָא אַתְיָיא לְאִתְבָּרְכָא מִנֵּיהּ, וְכַד אִינּוּן אִתְבָּרְכָאן מִנֵּיהּ, כְּדֵין חַיִּין וְאַסְוָותָא תַּלְיָין עָלֵיהּ מִלְּעֵילָּא. מַאן גָּרִים לֵיהּ. אִינּוּן יוֹמֵי שַׁתָּא. יוֹמֵי שַׁתָּא, כְּמָה דְּאִתְבָּרְכָאן מִלְּעֵילָּא מֵרָזָא דְּאָדָם. הָכִי נָמֵי אִתְבָּרְכָאן מִתַּתָּא מֵרָזָא דְּאָדָם.

Body Idolatry Precepts Torah

63. Fortunate are the children of Yisrael in this world with those precepts THAT THEY OBSERVE, for they are called men BECAUSE OF THIS, as it is written, "are men" (Yechezkel 34:31). THIS MEANS you are called men and idol worshippers are not called men. Since Yisrael are called men, they should strive in the precepts of the Torah, WHICH ARE 613 CORRESPONDING TO THE 248 LIMBS AND 365 SINEWS THAT ARE IN THE HUMAN BODY, so they would all form one body in accordance with the secret meaning of man.

63. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, בְּאִלֵּין פִּקּוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִקְרוּן אָדָם, דִּכְתִּיב. אָדָם אַתֶּם. אַתֶּם קְרוּיִים אָדָם, ועכו"ם לָא אִקְרוּן אָדָם. וּבְגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִקְרֵי אָדָם, אִית לוֹן לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאִינּוּן פִּקּוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְמֶהֱוֵי כֹּלָּא חַד, בְּרָזָא דְּאָדָם.

Fire Mount Sinai Precepts Torah Zeir Anpin

64. When the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the Torah to Yisrael on Mount Sinai, the first word was, "I (Heb. anochi)." 'I' contains many secrets, and here is the secret of the first precept of knowing Him in general. For it is written, "I", which alludes to the existence of an Elohim, a Supernal Ruler over the world, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS GENERAL, as it is written, "For Hashem your Elohim is a consuming fire" (Devarim 4:24), WHICH IS THE SECRET OF ZEIR ANPIN and is the first precept of the aspect of general. SO THERE IS HERE AN ALLUSION to the particular, for it is written, "Hashem your Elohim" which is a particular. And this general and particular is the first precept of the need to know in the beginning and in the end as we explained. End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).

64. כַּד יָהַב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַל טוּרָא דְּסִינַי, מִלָּה קַדְמָאָה אִיהוּ אָנֹכִי, אָנֹכִי סַלְּקָא לְרָזִין סַגִּיאִין. וְהָכָא אִיהוּ רָזָא דְּפִקּוּדָא קַדְמָאָה, לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ בִּכְלָלָא. בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב אָנֹכִי, הָא קָא רָמִיז, דְּאִית אֱלָהָא שַׁלִּיטָא עִלָּאָה עַל עָלְמָא, כד"א כִּי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵשׁ אוֹכְלָה הוּא, פִּקּוּדָא קַדְמָאָה בִּכְלָל. בִּפְרָט: בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב, ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ דָּא פְּרָט, וְדָא כְּלָל וּפְרָט, פִּקּוּדָא קַדְמָאָה, דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִנְדַּע בְּרֵישָׁא וּבְסוֹפָא, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא. (ע"כ רעיא מהימנא)