The tribes

153. Come and behold, the world perseveres for Jacob's sake. It may be said that it does so for Abraham's sake, as it is written, "THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF THE HEAVEN AND OF THE EARTH when they were created (Heb. behibar'am)" (Beresheet 2:4); the Hebrew word contains the letters of the name of Abraham. THIS MEANS THAT THE GENERATIONS OF THE HEAVEN AND OF THE EARTH EXISTED DUE TO ABRAHAM. HE ANSWERS, Yet Abraham existed for the sake of Jacob, as it is written, "Thus says Hashem, concerning the house of Jacob, who redeemed Abraham" (Yeshayah 29:22). Before that, the Holy One, blessed be He, used to build and destroy worlds. After Jacob came, the worlds were constructed from him and were not destroyed as before. This is the meaning of the verse, "Thus says Hashem that created you, Jacob, and He that formed you, Yisrael..." (Yeshayah 43:1)

154. Come and behold. It is written, "Yisrael is My son, My firstborn...Let My son go, that he may serve me" (Shemot 4:22-23). For Yisrael is called 'a son to the Holy One, blessed be He,' because he cleaved to him, as it is written, "and what is his son's name, if you can tell" (Mishlei 30:4).

155. When Leah bore Reuben, it is written, "and she called his name Reuben" (Beresheet 29:32), simply Reuben (lit. 'see, a son'), WITHOUT THE FURTHER EXPLANATION SHE GAVE FOR SIMEON AND HER OTHER SONS, SAYING "BECAUSE HASHEM HAS HEARD..." BECAUSE HE IS OF THE ASPECT OF CHESED, WHY DID SHE NOT CALL HIM BENJAMIN (LIT. 'SON OF THE RIGHT')? HE ANSWERS, This is because he was included within the three Columns which join to become one, THAT IS, WITH Simeon and Levi, THE LEFT AND THE CENTRAL COLUMNS. Why then DID SHE CALL THE THIRD SON Levi? The name Levi means accompaniment, which indicates the joining of all the aspects.

156. Rabbi Yehuda said that from this it is understood THAT HE COMPRISES THE THREE COLUMNS, as it is written, "the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power" (Beresheet 49:3). The translation into Aramaic is as follows, Birthright, THE CENTRAL COLUMN; Priesthood, THE RIGHT COLUMN; AND Kingdom, THE LEFT COLUMN," because Malchut is on the side of Gvurah. Therefore she simply called him Reuben, 'see, a son,' TO SHOW THAT HE COMPRISES THE THREE COLUMNS.

157. Rabbi Aba said THAT SHE simply SAID, "See, a son," AND NOT, 'SON OF THE RIGHT,' because he was included with Simeon and Levi. Thus, Leah reasoned, INCLUDING HIM WITHIN THE TWO OTHER SONS, as it is written, "Now this time will my husband be joined to me, because I have born him three sons" (Beresheet 29:34), which indicates that there are three united as one, SO THAT EACH INCLUDES ALL THREE. SHE COULD THEREFORE NOT CALL HIM BENJAMIN ('SON OF THE RIGHT'), BECAUSE HE ALSO INCLUDED THE LEFT.

158. Come and behold, this is so, because the supernal Chariot comprises the fathers, ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB, and King David, who joined them. And all these four supernal Chariots are the secret of the Holy Name, YUD HEI VAV HEI. THE YUD-HEI-VAV ARE THE FATHERS, NAMELY THE THREE COLUMNS, AND THE LAST HEI IS THE SECRET OF KING DAVID, NAMELY, THE NUKVA. According TO THE SAME SECRET, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi ARE THE THREE COLUMNS, YUD-HEI-VAV, and Judah, who inherited the kingdom (Malchut,) IS THE SECRET OF THE LAST HEI OF THE NAME OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. Therefore, they are all in this place, THAT IS, IN THE MYSTERY OF THE CHARIOT. AS EACH OF THE THREE COLUMNS IS INCLUDED WITHIN THE CHARIOT, SO EACH OF THE TRIBES INCLUDES THE THREE COLUMNS.

159. It is written, "Now will I praise Hashem...and she left off (lit. 'stood from') bearing." This is because in here, JUDAH, were completed the four legs OF THE THRONE, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT. REUBEN IS THE SECRET OF CHESED; SIMEON OF GVURAH; LEVI OF TIFERET; AND JUDAH OF MALCHUT. HE ASKS, IN THE VERSE, "Now will I praise Hashem," why did she say OF THIS SON, "Now will I praise Hashem," why she did not say it OF THE REST OF THE SONS? HE ANSWERS, It is understood that as long as the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY, MALCHUT, was in exile, the Holy Name was not complete. Come and behold, although she had three sons before she bore Judah, WHO ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, the throne was not perfected. ONLY WITH JUDAH'S BIRTH, MALCHUT, WAS THE THRONE PERFECTED. She therefore said, "Now will I praise Hashem," ONLY IN REGARD TO JUDAH and not in regard to all of them. Therefore, "she stood off bearing." What is the meaning of this verse? It is that the chair stood on its legs, FOR WITH JUDAH, THE FOUR LEGS OF THE THRONE, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT WERE COMPLETED.

160. "And she stood" NEEDS FURTHER EXPLANATION. Until now, MEANING UNTIL JUDAH, WHO IS MALCHUT, she stood united. From here and down, NAMELY, BELOW MALCHUT OF ATZILUT, the World of Separation, IN THE THREE WORLDS, BRIYAH, YETZIRAH, AND ASIYAH OF SEPARATION. THIS SENTENCE DOESN'T HAVE A VERB IN IT - WHAT DOES IT MEAN? It may be said that the two sons she bore after JUDAH, ISSACHAR AND ZEBULUN, are of this aspect, NAMELY, OF SEPARATION, BECAUSE THEY WERE BORN AFTER MALCHUT, JUDAH. HE ANSWERS, No. These two sons, ISSACHAR AND ZEBULUN, were joined TO REUBEN, SIMEON, AND LEVI, because the six directions of the worlds are as one.

161. Come and behold, all twelve tribes are the essential parts of the Congregation of Yisrael in this world. They properly strengthen the supernal black light. FOR THIS IS THE PERFECTION OF THE LEFT, BECAUSE CHOCHMAH WITHOUT CHASSADIM IS A BLACK LIGHT, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF the DARKNESS OF IMA. They also restore the foundation to its place, FOR THE SECRET OF CORRECTING THE RIGHT IS TO ALLOW CHASSADIM TO RULE. CHASSADIM ARE THE FOUNDATION; WITHOUT THEM, THERE IS NO ILLUMINATION THROUGHOUT THE WORLDS, BECAUSE EVEN THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LEFT IS BLACK AND DARK WITHOUT IT. All the worlds are identical; WHATEVER IS IN THE UPPER WORLD IS ALSO IN THE LOWER. Through this - NAMELY, THE TWELVE - the lower world, THE NUKVA, was constructed according to the supernal world, BINAH.

162. Issachar and Zebulun ARE NETZACH AND HOD. Now there are six sons who represent the six directions of the world. REUBEN, SIMEON, LEVI AND JUDAH ARE CHESED, GEVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT; ISSACHAR AND ZEBULUN ARE NETZACH AND HOD. THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE PERFECTION OF THE RIGHT, THE SIX EXTREMITIES OF CHASSADIM. Similarly, there are the four sons of the handmaids, who are joined WITH THE SIX EXTREMITIES. The four sons are the four joints that are attached to them, THE TWO JOINTS OF CHESED AND GVURAH AND THE TWO JOINTS OF NETZACH AND HOD. THEY ARE THE PERFECTION OF THE LEFT. BECAUSE THEY WERE CONNECTED TO THE RIGHT, it is written, "and their hinder parts inward" (I Melachim 7:25), SO THAT THE HINDER PARTS CAME TO BE INNER PARTS. Though they are the sons of the handmaids, OF THE ASPECT OF DARKNESS AND HINDER PARTS, YET they are inward.

163. Rabbi Chizkiyah said, If this be so, we have learned that whatever the lower world (THE NUKVA AT THE END OF ATZILUT) begets is separated, as it is written, "and from thence it was parted" (Beresheet 2:10). What would you say, then, about Joseph and Benjamin? If you say that they are of one world, OF THE ASPECT OF UNION OF THE WORLD OF ATZILUT, this is not so, for they did not come from the upper world. So it is found that whatever the lower world begets, it begets below, MEANING THAT ITS GENERATIONS ARE BENEATH THE BOTTOM OF ATZILUT, and not above. If it is so, they are separated - THAT IS, THEY ARE OF THE WORLD OF BRIYAH OF SEPARATION.

164. Rabbi Aba went to him and kissed him. He said, This matter is difficult because the upper world is perfected by the twelve that are its own. Yet come and behold, the Righteous one constantly leaves and enters the lower world. He is therefore built in this place. Thus, he is of importance both above and below, but constantly in the lower world, as it is written, "And it came to pass, as her soul was departing, for she died" (Beresheet 35:18).

165. Come and behold, the Righteous one both enter and leave the lower world, THE NUKVA. When he enters, he is in the secret of Joseph the Righteous, and when he leaves, he is in the secret of Benjamin THE RIGHTEOUS. This is the meaning of the verse, "And it came to pass, as her soul (Nefesh) was departing, for she died." HE ASKS, What is her Nefesh? HE ANSWERS, This is the Righteous one, who came out from it.

166. Therefore, Benjamin was called "the son of my sorrow" (Beresheet 25:18), because she thought she bore him beneath ATZILUT, in the World of Separation, so that there remained eleven within the supernal TRIBES, NAMELY, IN ATZILUT. Yet it is written, "But his father called him Benjamin," WHICH MEANS 'Son of the Right,' because he had gone up to the supernal world; for when Joseph was lost, Benjamin took his place. Therefore, the righteous enters and leaves the lower world. And so Joseph and Benjamin, and all the twelve tribes, are in the image of the supernal TWELVE united together. THE SIX SONS OF LEAH ARE THE SECRET OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD; THE FOUR SONS OF THE HANDMAIDS ARE THE SECRET OF THE FOUR JOINTS; THE TWO SONS OF RACHEL ARE THE SECRET OF THE TWO RIGHTEOUS ONES.