"Simeon and Levi are brothers"

552. "Simeon and Levi are brothers" (Beresheet 49:5). Rabbi Yitzchak said, Here he attached them to the left side of the Shechinah, for he saw they have acted with strict judgment, which the world cannot endure. Rabbi Yosi asked, Where is their blessing? Rabbi Yitzchak said, Simeon was not worthy of it, for he saw in him many evil deeds. Levi came from the side of strict judgment, from which blessing does not stem. Even Moses did not attach his blessing to him, as said, "Bless, Hashem, his substance, and accept the work of his hands" (Devarim 33:11), so that his blessing came from the Holy One, blessed be He.

553. Come and see, it is written, "So is the great and wide sea, wherein are creeping things innumerable, both small and great beasts" (Tehilim 104:25). The great sea is the Shechinah, which stood over Jacob when he wished to depart from the world. It is wide, for all the world is filled and made whole, and contracted within THE SHECHINAH, SINCE SHE WAS FILLED AND MADE WHOLE BY THE SOUTH AND CONTRACTED BY THE NORTH. "Wherein are creeping things innumerable," since there are many supernal and holy angels there. The "small and great beasts" are the twelve tribes, Jacob's sons, who are found there in wholeness. There is a hind, NAFTALI; a wolf, BENJAMIN; a lion, JUDAH; and a lamb, JOSEPH, AS SAID "THAT LEADS JOSEPH LIKE A FLOCK" (TEHILIM 80:2). Rabbi Yitzchak said, A lion and a lamb, a wolf and a kid (Heb. gedi), NAMELY GAD, and so on, there are small beasts with great ones.

554. Rabbi Yehuda said, It was well said about all THE TRIBES, THAT THERE ARE GREAT AND SMALL BEASTS, but Judah is a lion and Simeon an ox, AS SIMEON IS OF GVURAH, WHICH IS THE FACE OF AN OX. The friends have explained that they were facing each other, JUDAH on the right and SIMEON on the left. THIS IS LIKE A MAN WHO HAD a vicious ox. He said, I shall paint the figure of a lion in his stall, and it will see it and fear it. Thus Simeon is an ox and Judah a lion, AS SIMEON THE OX, NAMELY GVURAH, IS SUBDUED THROUGH LOOKING AT JUDAH THE LION, WHICH IS CHESED.

555. Simeon did not receive any blessing FROM JACOB, but Moses attached him to Judah, as it is written, "Hear (Heb. Sh'ma), Hashem, the voice of Judah" (Devarim 33:7) and elsewhere "because Hashem has heard (Heb. shama) that I was hated" (Beresheet 29:33). THEREFORE, SHE NAMED HIM SIMEON. THERE IS AN ANALOGY BETWEEN THE VERSES. AS THERE IS HEARING IN THE NAME OF SIMEON, SO THE HEARING IN RELATION TO JUDAH INCLUDES SIMEON. Rabbi Yehuda said, Simeon and Levi WERE NOT BLESSED BY their father SINCE HE brought them to Moses TO BLESS THEM. Rabbi Yosi said to him: Wherefore DID their father NOT BLESS THEM BUT delivered them to Moses? Rabbi Yehuda said to him: We too shall bring THE QUESTION before the Holy Luminary, RABBI SHIMON.

556. They came and asked Rabbi Shimon. He said, How sweet are the words. He clapped his hands and wept. He said, Who will uncover you, holy faithful, NAMELY MOSES. In your lifetime you were raised above men, and in your death you were elevated and your image covered. The keys of your Master were always delivered to your hands.

557. Come and see, Jacob had four wives. He begot children by them all, and was perfected through his wives. When Jacob wished to depart FROM THE WORLD, the Shechinah stood over him. He wanted to bless SIMEON AND LEVI but could not, since he feared the Shechinah. He said to himself, How can I do this, seeing that both of them come from the side of strict judgment, AND TO BLESS THEM WILL RENDER THE SHECHINAH DEFECTIVE. I cannot force the Shechinah, since I had four wives WHO WERE DRAWN FROM THE FOUR ASPECTS, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT OF THE SHECHINAH, AND I WAS PERFECTED THROUGH THEM, SINCE THEY BORE ME TWELVE TRIBES, THE SECRET OF ALL PERFECTION. SINCE I RECEIVED MY PERFECTION FROM THE SHECHINAH, HOW CAN I BLESS SIMEON AND LEVI AGAINST HER WISH? I shall deliver them to the landlord of the house, MOSES, THE HUSBAND OF THE MATRON, who is the owner, and he shall do as he pleases.

558. Jacob said, I have received my portion of wives and children in this world FROM THE SHECHINAH, and become perfected. How can I force the Matron, THE SHECHINAH? I shall deliver the matter to the master of the Matron, MOSES, who will do as he pleases without fear.

559. Come and see, it is written, "And this is the blessing, with which Moses the man of the Elohim blessed" (Devarim 33:1), which means master of the house, master of the Matron, SINCE MAN MEANS MASTER, as it is written, "Her husband (man) may let it stand, or her husband may make it void" (Bemidbar 30:14) and "Moses had finished (Heb. kalot)" (Bemidbar 7:1), FOR THE SHECHINAH IS CALLED 'MOSES' BRIDE (HEB. KALAT).' Therefore, Moses may bless whomever he pleases, without fear OF DAMAGING THE SHECHINAH, SINCE HE CAN FIX HER ACCORDING TO HIS WISHES, as has been explained. Therefore Jacob said, I see that these sons of mine are from the side of strict judgment, let the master of the house come and bless them.

560. Assuredly Moses was a man of Elohim, and did as he pleased in his house, as it says, "Her husband may let it stand" BY GIVING HER MOCHIN OF CHOCHMAH CALLED RISING UP, in accordance with the verse, "Moses said, Rise up, Hashem, and let Your enemies be scattered" (Bemidbar 10:35). BECAUSE ON THE WAY, THERE IS FOOTHOLD TO THE KLIPOT AND THE MOCHIN OF CHOCHMAH SCATTER THE KLIPOT. "Or her husband may make it void," which agrees with the words "And when it rested, he said, 'Return, Hashem'" (Ibid. 35), FOR WHEN THE SHECHINAH IS AT REST, THE KLIPOT CANNOT HOLD HER AND THERE IS NO FEAR. THEREFORE, "HER HUSBAND MAY MAKE IT VOID." BY STRENGTH OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, HE MAKES VOID THE FIRST THREE SFIROT OF CHOCHMAH IN ORDER TO CLOTHE HER WITH CHASSADIM, THE SECRET OF THE VERSE "AND WHEN IT RESTED, HE SAID, 'RETURN, HASHEM.'" Assuredly the master of the house does as he pleases and no one may protest, as a man who has decided for his wife and she does his bidding. Therefore, Jacob, though he was attached to the Tree of Life, ZEIR ANPIN, was not the master of the house LIKE MOSES for he was attached below and Moses above. Jacob therefore delivered them to the landlord TO BE BLESSED BY HIM.

561. "Let my soul not come into their council" (Beresheet 49:6). Rabbi Aba opened the discussion saying, "The counsel of Hashem is for them that fear Him" (Tehilim 25:14). It is the supernal mystery of the Torah that the Holy One, blessed be He, gives only to those who fear sin. Whoever fears sin, the supernal secret of the Torah is revealed to him, the sign of the Holy Covenant called the secret of Hashem.

562. Simeon and Levi took pains on account of that secret OF THE HOLY COVENANT, that the people of Shchem will circumcise themselves and accept that secret upon them; MEANING, TO PRESERVE THE SIGN OF THE HOLY COVENANT. But the scripture bears testimony that it was done with guile. Also Zimri, son of Salu, WHO WAS A CHIEF OF A FAMILY OF THE TRIBE OF SIMEON, defiled that secret WITH KOZBI, THE DAUGHTER OF TZUR. IN RELATION TO THIS, Jacob said, "Let my soul not come into their council (lit. 'secret')" (Beresheet 49:6). What soul is this? The soul which rises up to be united with the supernal Covenant above, NAMELY MALCHUT WHICH IS UNITED WITH THE SUPERNAL COVENANT, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, called the soul of the bundle of life.

563. "To their assembly let my honor not be united" (Ibid.). This has been explained to refer to the words, "And Korah gathered all the congregation" (Bemidbar 16:19), FOR JACOB'S NAME IS NOT MENTIONED, ONLY "KORAH, THE SON OF IZHAR, THE SON OF KOHATH THE SON OF LEVI," AND NOT "THE SON OF JACOB." "Let my honor not be united," the honor of Yisrael in general. Therefore, DUE TO THESE DEEDS, their father did not bless them but delivered them to Moses. Rabbi Chiya said, From these verses, we understand that they were not joined together, BUT SCATTERED, AS IT SAYS "I WILL DIVIDE THEM IN JACOB, AND SCATTER THEM IN YISRAEL" (BERESHEET 49:7), as should be, FOR THEY NEED SCATTERING DUE TO THEIR BEING OF STRICT JUDGMENT. Therefore there is everything in it, SINCE THEIR STRICT JUDGMENT PERVADES THROUGHOUT YISRAEL, FOR BY SCATTERING THEM IN YISRAEL, YISRAEL RECEIVED FROM THEIR STRICT JUDGMENT. There is no generation in the world, upon which their Judgment has not descended to bring accusation on the world, which causes beggars to multiply. Thus, all OF YISRAEL WERE HURT BY THEIR JUDGMENT.