295. "And Lot went up out of Tzoar, and dwelt in the mountain and his two daughters with him..." (Beresheet 19:30). HE ASKS, Why DID HE GO UP OUT OF TZOAR? AND HE REPLIES, Because he noticed that Tzoar was close to Sodom. That is why he left there.
296. Rabbi Yitzchak then began the discussion by quoting, "And it is turned around and about by His counsels, (I don't know if this supposed to be "council" - I'm only putting "counsel" because it appears elsewhere in the text) that they may do whatsoever He commands them..." (Iyov 37:12). THIS MEANS THAT the Holy One, blessed be He, arranges events in the world and creates destructive lights to accomplish His actions. And afterward, He turns them around again and again in different ways.
297. HE ASKS, And with what DOES HE TURN THEM AROUND? AND HE REPLIES, THIS IS DONE by His counsels, THAT IS, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, plans schemes and invents reasons to turn things around, so that they are completely changed and are not similar to what they seemed to be previously. "...that they may do..." refers to the doings of people and the ways in which they accomplish their deeds. This is how He turns things around AND CHANGES THE ACTIVITIES OF THE DESTRUCTIVE LIGHTS. And "whatsoever He commands them upon the face of the world in the earth" MEANS THAT events change because the activities of people change, thereby turning around those same activities that THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, commands them to accomplish upon earth. AND THEY ARE CHANGED INTO MANY DIFFERENT FORMS IN THE WORLD, ALL ACCORDING TO THE QUALITY OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE PEOPLE. WITH THESE WORDS, RABBI YITZCHAK BEGAN THE DISCUSSION TO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE OF AMON AND MOAB, AND HOW THEY WERE FORMED AS A RESULT OF A CORRUPT ACTION, AND HOW ALL THE KINGS OF JUDAH ISSUED FROM THEM, EVEN KING MESSIAH.
298. Rabbi Elazar said, "And it is turned around and about by His schemes..." This means that the Holy One, blessed be He, guides the course of events and causes certain actions to be performed in the world. As soon as the people are convinced that events are stable, the Holy One, blessed be He, turns them "around and about" and completely changes them again. HERE, RABBI ELAZAR DISAGREES WITH RABBI YITZCHAK'S EXPLANATION THAT IN THE BEGINNING THE ACTIVITIES WERE DISRUPTED BY DESTRUCTIVE LIGHTS, BUT LATER WERE TURNED "AROUND AND ABOUT" AND AMENDED BY THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. RABBI ELAZAR EXPLAINS THAT IN THE BEGINNING THEY WERE GOOD AND WORTHY OF EXISTING IN THE WORLD, BUT WERE EVENTUALLY CORRUPTED BY THE DOINGS OF THE PEOPLE. AS A RESULT, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, TURNED THEM "AROUND AND ABOUT" FOR THE BETTER, IF THE PEOPLE REPENT AND ATONE FOR THEIR MISDOINGS.
299. The word, "by His counsels" is spelled without a Yud, WHICH INDICATES THE SINGULAR FORM, and could be compared to a potter who shapes vessels from clay. As long as the stone wheel is still revolving, he can fashion the pot according to his taste and even change its shape. This is possible only while the pots are still turning.
300. Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, turns His actions "around and about by His counsel(s)," minus the Yud, WHICH IS THE SINGULAR FORM. But what is "HIS COUNSEL?" His counsel is the lower court of Judgment, THAT IS, THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, which corresponds to the pots of clay turning in front of the potter. And he changes them from one vessels to another.
301. And all is done to reflect people's actions. THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, CHANGES THE FORM OF THE VESSELS in accordance with the actions of people. If the people perform good deeds, the clay pots revolve to the right, WHICH IS CHESED. If their actions benefit humanity, CHASSADIM AND ALL GOODNESS WILL BE DRAWN DOWN INTO THE WORLD. As long as the stone wheel turns to the right, events will be positive. The world will revolve with it AND RECEIVE THE DOINGS AND ACTIONS FROM THE RIGHT COLUMN, WHICH IS CHESED.
302. But, if people intend to sin, then the Holy One, blessed be He will direct "His counsel," WHICH IS THE NUKVA that constantly moves and which was revolving to the right, to turn around and revolve to the left. And He turn the objects and the vessels, which were to the right, to the left.
303. As a result, the stone wheels change direction and become actions that will hurt humankind. And these stone wheels keep turning in that direction - TO THE LEFT - until people perform good deeds again. So the direction in which the stone wheels turn depends on the actions of humankind. THEREFORE, IT IS WRITTEN, "AND IT IS TURNED AROUND AND ABOUT BY HIS COUNSELS THAT THEY MAY DO WHATSOEVER HE COMMANDS THEM," because the "counsel," WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE STONE WHEELS, depends upon the actions OF HUMANKIND. And it never stands still; IT CONSTANTLY REVOLVES EITHER TO THE RIGHT OR TO THE LEFT.
304. Come and behold, the Holy One, blessed be He, has created all the events and actions necessary to accomplish everything properly. And everything comes down AND IS DRAWN INTO THE WORLD from the main source and root above. THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, brought Abraham to be close to Him. He then begot Ishmael, who was born before Abraham was circumcised. Thus, Ishmael was born down below and was not perfected by the sign of the Covenant.