"Who has ascended up into heaven, and come down"

43. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion with "Who has ascended up into heaven, and come down again? who has gathered the wind in His fists? who has bound the waters in a garment? who has established all the ends of the earth? what is His name, and what is His son's name, if you can tell?" (Mishlei 30:4). We explained this verse, together with its many interpretations. It is all said about the Holy One, blessed be He, which is all! And we learned, "what is His name, and what is His son's name, if you can tell?" This is the Holy One, blessed be He, What is His name? Yud Hei Vav Hei, and the name of His son-Yisrael. As is written: "Yisrael is My son, My firstborn" (Shemot 4:22), and we already talked about it. And we explained that "who has ascended up into heaven" refers to Moses, as is written: "And He said to Moses, Come up to Hashem" (Shemot 24:1).

44. Another explanation for "Who has ascended up into the heaven" (Mishlei 30:4): it speaks about Elijah, of whom it is written: "And Elijah went up by a storm of wind" (II Melachim 2:11). HE ASKS: 'And how could Elijah go up to the sky, for the sky cannot bear a body of this world, even the size of a mustard seed', yet you say "And Elijah went up by a storm of wind."

45. AND HE ANSWERS: 'But this is as you say "And Hashem came down upon Mount Sinai" (Shemot 19:20), and "And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and went up into the mountain." Yet the Holy One, blessed be He, was on mount Sinai, and it is written: "And the sight of the glory of Hashem was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain" (Shemot 24:17). How could Moses climb it? But it is written about Moses: "And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and went up into the mountain" (Ibid. 18), meaning that he entered the cloud as if he were donning a garment. And here, IN THE SCRIPTURE "AND HE SAID TO MOSES, COME UP TO HASHEM" he also donned a cloud and entered it. And in the cloud he approached the fire, and could come nearer. So it was with Elijah, as was written: "And Elijah went up by a storm of wind," meaning that he was clothed with the storm of wind and went up'.

46. And I found a secret in the book of Adam, which talked about the offspring THAT WOULD COME into the world: that there would be a spirit that would go down to the world to earth, and don a body and which name is Elijah. In that body he would quit the world and then remove the body and remain in the storm of wind. And another body of light would present itself before him, that he may go with it among the angels. And when he descends INTO THIS WORLD, he would don that body that was left in the other world, NAMELY IN THE STORM OF WIND. In this body he shall be seen down below, and in that other body OF LIGHT he would be seen above. And this is the secret of "Who has ascended up into heaven, and come down again? (Mishlei 30:4), for there was no man whose spirit would ascend to heaven AFTER THE BODY IS GONE, and come down again later, like Elijah, who went up and came down.

47. Another explanation: "Who ascended up into heaven" refers to Elijah, and "came down" refers to Jonah, whom the fish brought down deep into the ocean. Jonah draws from the strength of Elijah, FOR HE HAD ELIJAH'S SPIRIT, Elijah ascended and Jonah descended. The one wanted to die and the other wanted to die. That is why Jonah is called "son of Amitai " (Yonah 1:1), as says the verse "and that the word of Hashem in your mouth is truth (Heb. emet)" (I Melachim 17:24).

48. "Who has bound the waters" (Mishlei 30:4) alludes to Elijah, who knotted the knot of water in the world, and there was no dew nor rain from the sky. "In a garment" (Mishlei 30:4) also refers to Elijah, who brought his mantle when he committed miracles. FOR HE DIVIDED, TOGETHER WITH ELISHA, THE JORDAN BY USING HIS MANTLE (II MELACHIM 2:7-8). "who has gathered the wind (or: 'spirit') in his fists?" (Mishlei 30:4) refers to Elijah, who brought a spirit of a man back into his body AFTER HE DIED (I MELACHIM 17:22-24).

49. "Who has established all the ends of the earth?" refers to Elijah who after bagging the water in the world, and restrained the rain by oath, prayed again, thus reviving the world, so rain and food would be given to everyone. "What is his name"-Elijah, "and what is his son's name?" also Elijah. AND HE EXPLAINS, what is his name?-when he ascended up-it is Elijah. "And what is his son's name" refers to the time he came down, and became a messenger to perform miracles, and his name is Elijah.

50. Another interpretation: "who (Heb. mi) has ascended up into heaven" refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, as we already learned. The secret of it is that the word "Mi" is used. We already said THAT THIS WORD IS THE NAME OF BINAH. AND THE EXPLANATION IS THAT HEAVEN, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, LIFTS BINAH, WHICH IS CALLED "MI," and this is the secret of the upper Chariot, composed of the four directions of the world, NAMELY, THE FOUR SFIROT CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, FROM THE CHEST UPWARD OF ZEIR ANPIN, THAT FORM A CHARIOT TO BINAH THAT IS CALLED "MI." They are the primordial elements that come all from that place which is called Mi, NAMELY, THEY ARE ITS CHARIOT, as we learned.