"And Hashem appeared to him"

1. Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion, IT IS WRITTEN, "The flowers appeared on the earth, the time of the singing of the birds has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land" (Shir Hashirim 2:12). "The flowers appeared on the earth" MEANS THAT when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He endowed the earth with appropriate powers, so that everything was in the earth BUT it did not produce any fruit until Adam was created. As soon as Adam was created, everything in the earth became visible, that is, the earth began to reveal the powers and products that were implanted within it. AND THEN IT WAS SAID, "THE FLOWERS APPEAR ON THE EARTH."

2. Similarly, the heavens did not give any powers to the earth until humankind appeared, as it is written, "And no plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet grown, for Hashem Elohim had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground" (Beresheet 2:5). All the offspring and products were concealed in the earth. They did not appear, and the heavens were prevented from pouring rain on the earth because humankind did not yet exist. Because it had not yet been created, the revelation of all things was delayed. As soon as humankind appeared, however, "The flowers appeared on the earth," and all the hidden and concealed powers were now revealed.

3. "...the time of the singing of the birds has come" MEANS THAT a recital was composed of songs and praises to the Holy One, blessed be He. This was not done before humankind was created, "...and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land." This is the word of the Holy One, blessed be He, which did not exist in the world before humankind was created. But as soon as humankind appeared, everything appeared!

4. After Adam sinned, everything disappeared from the world, and the earth was cursed, as it is written, "cursed is the earth for your sake" (Beresheet 3:17), "When you till the ground, it shall not henceforth give its strength to you..." (Beresheet 4:12) and "thorns also and thistles it shall bring forth to you" (Beresheet 3:18).

5. When Noah appeared in the world, he prepared spades and hoes, WHICH MEANS THAT HE PREPARED TOOLS TO TILL THE GROUND. THUS, IT IS WRITTEN OF HIM, "THIS ONE SHALL COMFORT US FROM OUR WORK AND THE TOIL OF OUR HANDS..." (BERESHEET 5:29). HE SHALL GIVE US TOOLS, SO THAT WE MAY BE FREED FROM PRODUCTION USING OUR BARE HANDS, FOR WHICH WE HAD BEEN DESTINED UNTIL NOW! Afterwards, however, "he drank of the wine, and was drunk; and he was uncovered within his tent" (Beresheet 9:21). And later, the people of the world sinned before the Holy One, blessed be He. And the powers of the earth disappeared again. THUS, ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS OF NOAH WERE LOST. And so it remained until Abraham appeared.

6. As soon as Abraham appeared, "the flowers appeared on the earth." THIS MEANS THAT the powers of the earth were amended and revealed. "The time of the singing of the birds (also: 'pruning') has come," REFERRING TO THE TIME when the Holy One, blessed be He, told him to circumcise himself. THE TERM 'PRUNING' ALLUDES TO THE REMOVAL OF THE FORESKIN. Thus, the time was ripe for the covenant to appear in Abraham, MEANING when he was circumcised. Only then was the verse, "THE FLOWERS APPEARED..." fulfilled through him, and the word of the Holy One, blessed be He, was revealed openly to him. As it is written, "And Hashem appeared to him," AFTER HE WAS CIRCUMCISED.

7. Rabbi Elazar began TO EXPLAIN THAT this verse refers to events after the circumcision of Abraham. Before the circumcision, the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke to him only through the lower grade - SPOKE THROUGH "A VISION," WHICH REFERS TO THE NUKVA WHILE IT IS STILL AT THE STAGE OF THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LEFT SIDE. AS IT IS WRITTEN, "AFTER THESE THINGS THE WORD OF HASHEM CAME TO ABRAHAM IN A VISION..." The upper grades were not attached to this grade, WHICH MEANS THAT THE UPPER GRADES OF ZEIR ANPIN WERE NOT ATTACHED TO THE NUKVA. As soon as Abraham was circumcised, "the flowers appeared on the earth." These are the lower grades, brought forth and established by the lower grade THAT IS CALLED "A VISION," SO THAT THEY MAY BE UNITED WITH ALL THE UPPER GRADES.

8. "The time of the singing of the birds (also: 'pruning') has come..." ALLUDES TO THE TIME OF PRUNING AND CUTTING OF THE BAD BRANCHES, WHICH ARE the branches of the foreskin, BECAUSE THIS KLIPAH WAS IN CHARGE BEFORE HE WAS CIRCUMCISED. THIS IS ACCORDING TO THE SECRET OF THE VERSE, "A WHISPERER SEPARATES CLOSE FRIENDS" (MISHLEI 16:28). "...And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land --" this is the voice that comes from the innermost aspect of all. THE VOICE ALLUDES TO ZEIR ANPIN, AND THE INNTERMOST ASPECT OF ALL IS IMA, FROM WHOM ZEIR ANPIN EMANATES AND COMES FORTH. So that voice, ZEIR ANPIN, is heard IN OUR LAND, WHICH IS THE NUKVA - MEANING THAT ZEIR ANPIN MATED WITH THE NUKVA BY THE MAYIN NUKVIN (FEMALE WATERS) THAT WERE ELEVATED THROUGH THE PRECEPT OF CIRCUMCISION. And this is the voice that cuts the word into an utterance. THIS MEANS THAT IT HAS THE ABILITY TO ARTICULATE (LIT. 'CUT THE SPEECH), thereby achieving its perfection.

9. Come and behold, as long as Abraham was not circumcised, only that grade dwelt upon him, as we explained - THAT IS, THE GRADE OF NUKVA WHILE SHE WAS CALLED "A VISION." But after he was circumcised, it is written, "And Hashem appeared to him!" But it is not mentioned to whom, because it is not written, 'And Hashem appeared to AbrahamAbraham!' AND HE ANSWERS, IF IT WERE WRITTEN, 'to Abraham,' then what greater sort of praise would there be than that which existed before he was circumcised? Because even then it was written, "And Hashem appeared to Abraham" (Beresheet 12:7).

10. The words, "And Hashem appeared to him" contain a secret. THIS MEANS THAT HE APPEARED TO that grade that spoke to him. IN OTHER WORDS, ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS YUD HEI VAV HEI, APPEARED TO HIM, NAMELY TO THE NUKVA. This had not happened before he was circumcised, WHEN THE NUKVA WAS STILL SEPARATED FROM ZEIR ANPIN. And now the voice THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN was revealed and was associated with speech, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, when He spoke with him. THUS, ABRAHAM BENEFITED FROM THE MATING OF MALE AND FEMALE, AND BECAME A CHARIOT FOR BOTH OF THEM. THEREFORE IT IS WRITTEN, "AND HASHEM APPEARED TO HIM," WHICH ALLUDES TO THE MATING OF MALE AND FEMALE.

11. The verse, "and he sat in the tent door" (Beresheet 18:1) says "and he," but does not identify "him." AND HE REPLIES, the verse reveals the wisdom that INDICATES THAT all the grades rested upon that lower grade after Abraham was circumcised. SO THE PHRASE TEACHES US THAT "AND HE," REFERRING TO THE NUKVA, "SAT IN THE TENT DOOR," AS SHE BECAME THE GATEWAY FOR ALL THE GRADES. Come and behold, "And Hashem appeared to him." This is the secret of the voice, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, that is heard and attached to the utterance (speech), NAMELY MALCHUT, and revealed through it.

12. In the verse, "and he sat in the tent door," THE WORDS, "AND HE" allude to the upper world, NAMELY IMA, that stands over him, REFERRING TO THE NUKVA, to shine upon him. THE NUKVA IS DESCRIBED AS "THE TENT DOOR," BECAUSE SHE HAS BECOME THE GATEWAY FOR THE LIGHTS. THE WORDS, "in the heat of the day," MEAN THAT the right side, WHICH IS CHESED, shone. This is the grade to which Abraham cleaved. Another explanation of "in the heat of the day" IS THAT IT REFERS TO the time when one grade approached another with great passion, AS ZEIR ANPIN APPROACHED THE NUKVA. THEN THEY WERE DESCRIBED BY THE WORDS, "IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY."

13. In explaining the words, "appeared to him," Rabbi Aba said that before Abraham was circumcised, he was blocked FROM RECEIVING THE SUPERNAL LIGHTS. As soon as he was circumcised, everything appeared, INCLUDING ALL THE LIGHTS, AS HIS COVER WAS REMOVED. And the Shechinah rested upon him in full perfection, as should properly be. Come and behold. IT IS WRITTEN, "And he sat in the tent door." "He" refers to the upper world, TO BINAH, that rests upon the lower world, WHICH IS THE NUKVA. HE ASKS, When DOES BINAH REST UPON THE NUKVA? AND HE REPLIES, THIS IS WHY THE VERSE CONCLUDES WITH "in the heat of the day" - when the passion of a certain righteous, WHO IS THE YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, is aroused to rest IN THE LOWER WORLD, WHICH IS THE NUKVA. THAT IS, WHEN THERE IS A MATING BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE, THEN THE MOCHIN OF BINAH DWELL WITHIN THE NUKVA.

14. Immediately AFTER THE MATING OF MALE AND FEMALE WAS COMPLETED, IT IS WRITTEN, "And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him..." (Beresheet 18: 2) AND HE ASKS, Who are these three men? AND HE SAYS, They are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - OR CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT ARE NAMED ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB. AND HE SAW THEM standing over that grade, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, and from them the Nukva draws sustenance and nourishment.

15. And then, "when he saw them, he ran to meet them," because the passionate desire of the lower grade, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, is to cleave to CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET. And Her joy is to be drawn toward them. SO, ACCORDINGLY, "HE RAN TO MEET THEM" IS SAID ABOUT THE NUKVA THAT WANTED TO CLING TO THEM. THE VERSE CONTINUES, "and bowed himself toward the ground," to become and be formed into a throne for them - SO THAT THE NUKVA BECOMES A THRONE FOR CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN, SO THAT THEY MAY REST UPON HER, AS A PERSON SITS ON A CHAIR.

16. Come and behold, The Holy One, blessed be He, made King David, WHO IS THE SECRET OF THE NUKVA, one of the legs of the supernal throne, like the patriarchs. AND HE ASKS, Even though She is a throne for THE PATRIARCHS, HOW CAN IT BE SAID THAT SHE WAS SET AT THE SAME LEVEL WITH THE PATRIARCHS TO COMPLETE THE FOURTH LEG OF THE THRONE? AND HE ANSWERS, This is so only when She is united with them for the purpose of being a leg of the supernal throne. King David received the kingdom of Yisrael in Hebron for seven years for this reason - to be united with CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET. This has already been explained.

17. Tosefta (addendum). Of the verse, "And Hashem appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre" (Beresheet 18:1), HE ASKS, Why by the terebinths of Mamre and not in any other place? AND HE REPLIES, Because Mamre gave him good advice about being circumcised. When the Holy One, blessed be He, told Abraham to circumcise himself, Abraham consulted his friends. Aner told him, You are more than ninety years old, and you shall pain yourself.

18. Mamre, HOWEVER, said to him, Do not forget the day when the Chaldeans threw you into the furnace of fire and famine took over the world, as it is written, "And there was a famine in the land, and Abraham went down into Egypt" (Beresheet 12: 10). And you smote all those kings that YOUR MEN pursued. And the Holy One, blessed be He, saved you from them all, so that nobody could do you any harm. So rise and fulfill the precept of your Master. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to MAMRE, You advised him to perform the circumcision. By your life! I shall reveal Myself to him only in your chamber. This is why it is written, "by the terebinths of Mamre."