663. Rabbi Yehuda said, Zebulun and Issachar made an agreement between them that one will sit and study the Torah, ISSACHAR, and the other will be a merchant, ZEBULUN, and support Issachar, as it is written, "And happy are those who hold (also: 'support') her" (Mishlei 3:18). He used to traverse the seas with merchandise. It fell in his portion since his inheritance was by the sea.

664. He is therefore called "leg (Heb. yerech)," AS IT SAYS, "AND HIS BORDER (HEB. YARCHATO) SHALL BE AT TZIDON" (Beresheet 49:13), for it is the function of the leg to go to and fro. Hence it is written, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out; and Issachar in your tents" (Devarim 33:18). "Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the seas" (Beresheet 49:13) among the seamen for the purposes of commerce. "The shore of the seas," though his inheritance was by one sea, THE GREAT SEA, YET "SEAS" IS IN THE PLURAL, since it dwelt between two seas, THE GREAT SEA AND THE SEA OF GALILEE, THOUGH ITS INHERITANCE DID NOT REACH THE SEA OF GALILEE.

665. Rabbi Yosi said, All the merchants of the other seas were interested in the merchandise of his own sea. HENCE IT SAYS "THE SHORE OF THE SEAS" IN THE PLURAL. "And he shall be a haven for ships," NAMELY, where all ships would assemble to trade. "And his border:" THIS IS DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN, FOR THE BORDER OF TZIDON IS FAR FROM ZEBULUN. Rabbi Chizkiyah said to him: His leg reaches the border of Tzidon, A THIN STRIP OF LAND, RESEMBLING A LEG, STRETCHED FROM ZEBULUN TO TZIDON. THROUGH THIS MEANS, Zebulun's border reached THE BORDER OF TZIDON, WHICH WAS a place of commerce, where all the tradesmen would come and go there with their merchandise.

666. Rabbi Acha said, It is written, "Nor shall you suffer the salt of the Covenant of your Elohim to be lacking from your meal offering, with all your offerings you shall offer salt" (Vayikra 2:13). Why is salt SO IMPORTANT? Because it washes away and perfumes the bitterness to give it taste. Without salt, the world would not endure the bitterness. Hence it says, "For when Your judgments are on the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness" (Yeshayah 26:9). It is also written, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne" (Tehilim 89:15), FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS PERFECTED BY JUSTICE, THE SECRET OF SALT.

667. Salt is the Covenant, YESOD, which supports the world, THE NUKVA, as it is written, "Thus says Hashem; If My Covenant be not day and night, it were as if I had not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth" (Yirmeyah 33:25). Hence, THE CENTRAL COLUMN, YESOD, COMES ABOVE IT, SALT is called the Covenant of your Elohim, YESOD BEING CALLED COVENANT, and the Salt Sea. The sea, WHICH IS THE NUKVA is called after THE SALT WHICH SWEETENS IT.

668. Rabbi Chiya said, It is written, "For Hashem is righteous, He loves righteousness" (Tehilim 11:7). This is the salt, YESOD, of the sea, MALCHUT, RIGHTEOUS BEING YESOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS BEING MALCHUT. Whoever divides between them brings death upon himself. Therefore, it is written, "Nor shall you suffer the salt...TO BE LACKING FROM YOUR MEAL OFFERING" THUS SEPARATING YESOD, WHICH IS SALT, FROM THE MEAL OFFERING, WHICH IS THE NUKVA. They are inseparable.

669. Rabbi Acha said, The sea is one, but is called 'seas,' IN THE VERSE, "ZEBULUN SHALL DWELL AT THE SHORE OF THE SEAS," as the water is clear in some places, in some place water is sweet, in another it is bitter. Hence, SINCE THERE ARE DIFFERENT PLACES, it is called seas. Thus it says, "At the shore of the seas." Rabbi Aba said, Each tribe corresponds to one of the joints connected to the body, THE NUKVA. SINCE THERE ARE DIFFERENT PLACES WITHIN THE NUKVA CALLED SEA, ACCORDING TO THE PARTICULAR TRIBE, SHE IS THEREFORE CALLED SEAS IN THE PLURAL.

670. Rabbi Aba rose one night to study the Torah. While he was sitting, Rabbi Yosi knocked on the door. He said, In the prince's chest there are jewels, MEANING, HE WANTED TO HEAR PEARLS OF WISDOM OF THE TORAH FROM HIM.

671. They sat, occupied with the Torah. The son of the innkeeper rose and sat before them. He asked, What is the meaning of the verse, "And that you will save alive my father, and my mother" (Yehoshua 2:13) and before that "and give me a true token" (Ibid. 12). What did she ask of them? Rabbi Aba said, You have asked a good question, but tell me son, if you have heard something. He said, I HAVE another question, They did not give her what she asked for, but "you shall bind this cord of scarlet thread in the window" (Ibid. 18), WHICH ALLUDES TO MALCHUT, THE SECRET OF THE VERSE, "YOUR LIPS ARE LIKE A THREAD OF SCARLET" (SHIR HASHIRIM 4:3), WHEN SHE ASKED FOR A TOKEN OF TRUTH, WHICH ALLUDES TO TIFERET, AS WAS SAID BEFORE.

672. HE ANSWERS, I have learned that she asked for a token of life, as it is written, "And that you will save alive my father, and my mother." She also said that the token of life rests only upon the letter of Truth, which is Vav OF THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI, TIFERET, where there is life, BEING THE TREE OF LIFE. I have learned that she asked for the token of Moses, THE SECRET OF TIFERET. Why did they give her the cord of scarlet thread, WHICH IS A TOKEN OF JOSHUA, THE SECRET OF MALCHUT?