"Binding his foal to the vine," part two

626. The child opened the discussion saying, "Binding his foal to the vine, and his ass's colt to the choice vine" (Beresheet 49:11). This verse contains a high mystery. HE ASKS, Why does it say "osri (Eng. 'binding')" instead of the customary 'oser' and "iroh (Eng. 'ass')" instead of 'ayir?' HE ANSWERS, It is the secret that the schoolchildren should beware of the sharp edge OF THE KLIPAH of the donkey. The Holy Name Yud-Hei is included there in order to subdue it, MEANING, THE YUD OF 'OSRI' TOGETHER WITH THE HEI OF 'IROH.'

627. Just as the Holy Name is hinted here, IT IS HINTED ALSO IN THE WORDS "AND HIS ASS'S COLT TO THE CHOICE VINE." It says "sorekah" (Eng. 'choice vine') instead of 'sorek' and bni (Eng. 'colt') instead of ben, as it is written, "And I have planted you a noble vine (Heb. sorek)" (Yirmeyah 2:21) WITHOUT HEI and "upon a colt (Heb. ben)" (Zecharyah 9:9) WITHOUT YUD. Why then is it written here sorekah and bni?

628. As there is a Holy Name which subdues the KLIPAH foal, so there is a Holy Name to subdue the power of another KLIPAH, the donkey. IT IS THE YUD OF 'BNI' AND THE HEI OF 'SOREKAH.' Were it not for the Holy Name hinted here, THESE TWO KLIPOT would have destroyed the world. Therefore, there is Yud-Hei against this force and Yud-Hei against the other force, which protect the world against them, and preserve man so they would have no mastery over him in the world.

629. "Binding his foal to the vine." What is the vine? It is the Congregation of Yisrael. Wherefore is it called vine? As a vine will receive no graft from another tree, so the Congregation of Yisrael accepts none but the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore, in front of the Congregation of Yisrael all other forces are subdued, THE FOAL AND THE DONKEY, and they cannot harm nor rule the world. Therefore scripture inserts between them the Holy Name YUD-HEI on the side OF THE FOAL and the side OF THE DONKEY. The ass's colt is uprooted due to the choice vine, THE CONGREGATION OF YISRAEL, as said, "And I have planted you a noble vine."

630. "He washed his garments in wine" (Beresheet 49:11). HE ASKS, Why does it say "washed" IN THE PAST TENSE instead of "washes?" HE ANSWERS, He has been washing since the world was created. Who has? King Messiah, THE NUKVA; THEREFORE "WASHED" IS IN THE PAST TENSE. "Wine" is the left side, NAMELY GVURAH OF ZEIR ANPIN; "the blood of grapes" is the left side below, NAMELY THE LEFT SIDE OF THE NUKVA. WITH THE TWO GVUROT, OF ZEIR ANPIN AND OF THE NUKVA HERSELF, SHE WASHES HER GARMENTS. King , THE NUKVA, will rule above over all the other forces of the idolatrous nations, and crush their stronghold above and below.

631. Another explanation for "He washed his garments in wine:" Wine is a sign of joy, AS IN THE VERSE, "MY WINE, WHICH CHEERS ELOHIM AND MAN" (SHOFTIM 9:13), and is all judgment, so King Messiah, WHO IS THE NUKVA, brings joy to the children of Yisrael, WHO DRAW FROM IT IN HOLINESS, but is all judgment to the idolatrous nations, WHO DRAW FROM IT EXCESSIVELY. It is written, "And the spirit of Elohim hovered over the surface of the waters" (Beresheet 1:2). This is the spirit of King Messiah, WHICH HOVERS TO AND FRO BETWEEN JUDGMENT AND MERCY. From the Creation of the world, He washes His garment in the holy wine, AS SAID ABOVE.

632. The following words are, "His eyes are red with wine, and his teeth white with milk" (Beresheet 49:12). "HIS EYES ARE RED WITH WINE" refers to the supernal wine, NAMELY THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LEFT OF BINAH. The Torah, THE NUKVA, when it intoxicates NAMELY TRANSFERS JUDGMENT TO THOSE WHO DRAW IT FROM ABOVE DOWNWARD, drinks it AND THEREFORE BINAH IS CONSIDERED, AS IF JUDGMENT COME FROM HER. "And his teeth white with milk" REFERS TO THE WRITTEN TORAH, ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH ACCEPTS CHASSADIM CALLED MILK, for the Torah is called wine and milk; the Written Torah, ZEIR ANPIN, IS CALLED MILK, and the Oral Law, THE NUKVA IS CALLED WINE. WINE COMES FROM BINAH AND MILK FROM ABA.

633. It is written, "And wine that makes glad the heart of man; oil to brighten the face" (Tehilim 104:15). Indeed it is from the place called oil, WHICH IS ABA. HE EXPLAINS HIS WORDS, Come and behold, wine first makes glad, because it is a place whence all joys come, NAMELY BINAH, and ends in Judgment WHEN IT EXPANDS TOWARDS THE NUKVA. Why? Because its ending is the place of gathering of all THE SFIROT, NAMELY THE NUKVA, WHICH IS THEREFORE CALLED THE CONGREGATION OF YISRAEL, NAMELY THE PLACE OF GATHERING OF ZEIR ANPIN. It is Judgment by which the world is sentenced. Therefore, since wine starts with joy and ends in Judgment, therefore there is "oil to brighten the face," whence all the joys issue.

634. "And bread which sustains the heart of man" (Tehilim 104:15): HE ASKS, What is the bread MENTIONED HERE? HE RESPONDS, It is the bread which sustains the world, THE SECRET OF CHASSADIM DRAWN FROM CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN. You might say that the world depends on it alone. This is not true. IT NEEDS ALSO WINE, THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, AS WAS SAID BEFORE, since night cannot exist without day. BUT THE DAY, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, AND THE NIGHT, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, SHOULD BE JOINED TOGETHER. HENCE WE NEED BREAD FROM ZEIR ANPIN AND WINE FROM THE NUKVA, WHICH BOTH TOGETHER NOURISH THE WORLD. One must not separate them, AND DRAW BREAD ALONE FROM ZEIR ANPIN WITHOUT THE NUKVA. Whoever separates them is separated from life, as it is written, "That He might make you know that man does not live by bread only" (Devarim 8:3). Thus one should not separate them.

635. It may be asked why David said, "And bread which sustains the heart of man," seeing that the world does not depend on it alone for nourishment. HE ANSWERS, The exact meaning of the words IS THAT in "and bread" there is an extra Vav (= and) like "and Hashem," WHICH INCLUDES THE NUKVA, FOR WHEREVER IT SAYS "AND HASHEM," IT INCLUDES HIM AND HIS COURT OF JUSTICE, WHICH IS THE NUKVA. HERE TOO "AND" INCLUDES THE NUKVA, and therefore all is together, NAMELY IN UNION.

636. HE FURTHER EXPLAINS, Come and see, when saying grace after meals, one should not bless over an empty table. There should be bread, THE ABUNDANCE OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS RIGHT, on the table, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE NUKVA, ON THE LEFT SIDE, and a glass of wine, WHICH IS THE ABUNDANCE OF THE NUKVA, on the right side, WHICH ALLUDES TO ZEIR ANPIN. What is the reason for this? It attaches the left to the right AND BINDS THEM. Thus the bread, WHICH IS RIGHT, will be blessed by them, THROUGH THE UNION WITH THE LEFT, and be attached to them, and they will all become one knot for the proper blessing of the Holy Name. For bread, WHICH IS THE RIGHT, FROM ZEIR ANPIN, is connected to wine, WHICH IS LEFT, FROM THE NUKVA, and wine, WHICH IS OF THE LEFT, will be attached to the right. Then blessings rest on the world, and the table, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, is properly perfected.

637. Rabbi Yitzchak said, Had we gone this way only to hear these words, it would have been worth our while. Rabbi Yehuda said, It would have been better for this child not to know so much, and I fear that for this, he might not survive in the world. Why, said Rabbi Yitzchak? He said, Since this boy can look upon a place where a man is not permitted to look, I am afraid for him that he will observe and look there before the time will come for him to marry, BEFORE HE WILL COME OF AGE, and be punished for it.

638. The boy heard and said, I never fear punishment, because when my father passed away, he blessed me and prayed for me, and I know that my father's merit will protect me. They asked him, And who is your father? He said, I am the son of Rav Hamnuna Saba (the elder). They took him on their shoulders for three miles.