"and found mandrakes in the field"

190. "And Reuben went in the days of the wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field" (Beresheet 30:14). Rabbi Yitzchak opened the discussion with the verse, "How manifold are Your works, Hashem, in wisdom have You made them all: the earth is full of Your creatures" (Tehilim 104:24). This verse has already been explained in several places. Yet who can count the works of the Holy One, blessed be He? For there are many different armies and legions OF GRADES AND ANGELS. They are countless, AS IS INDICATED IN THE VERSE, "HOW MANIFOLD ARE YOUR WORKS." THIS SHOWS THAT THEY ARE WITHOUT NUMBER, WHICH IS AN ALLUSION TO MOCHIN OF CHASSADIM. THE PHRASE, "IN WISDOM HAVE YOU MADE THEM ALL," REFERS TO MOCHIN OF NUMBER, CHOCHMAH. HE SAYS THAT ALTHOUGH THEY DIFFER FROM ONE ANOTHER, they were created together. Just as a hammer striking a stone or a red hot iron produces sparks on all sides simultaneously, the Holy One, blessed be He, brought forth countless, different kinds of legions all at once.

191. Come and behold. The world was formed by word and spirit together, MALE AND FEMALE, as it is written, "By the word of Hashem were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath (spirit) of His mouth" (Tehilim 33:6). Thus, "the word of Hashem" is speech, THE NUKVA, WHICH SHINES WITH CHOCHMAH, and "the breath of His mouth" is the spirit, ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH SHINES WITH CHASSADIM. The one cannot exist without the other, and so they are included within each other, and several armies upon armies, legions upon legions were issued all at once, DIFFERING FROM EACH OTHER IN THEIR ILLUMINATION, THE ONE WITH CHOCHMAH AND THE OTHER WITH CHASSADIM.

192. Come and behold, when the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to create the worlds, He produced one closed Light, THE LIGHT OF BINAH, BY INSERTING THE LETTER YUD WITHIN THE LIGHT (HEB. OR, ALEPH, VAV, RESH) AND PRODUCING AIR (HEB. AVIR, ALEPH, VAV, YUD, RESH). From that light, all the revealed lights radiated, THAT IS, BY TAKING OUT THE YUD FROM AVIR, THE AIR BECAME LIGHT AGAIN. From that light, all other lights radiated. This is the supernal world, BINAH.

193. That Supernal Light, BINAH, spread further, and from it the artist, THE EMANATOR, created a light that does not illuminate. Thus, He made the lower world, THE NUKVA. Because this light does not shine, it needs to be attached above and below. Through the attachment below, it is connected so as to illuminate through the connection above.

194. This light that does not shine, NAMELY, THE LEFT COLUMN of the connection OF THE THREE COLUMNS above IN BINAH produces all the different armies and legions - THOSE IN CHOCHMAH AND THOSE IN CHASSADIM. This is the meaning of, "how manifold are Your works, Hashem in wisdom have You made them all."

195. Whatever exists down on earth also exists above. There is nothing in this world, IN THE NUKVA, be it ever so small, which does not depend on something appointed over it above, IN BINAH. WHAT EXISTS IN THE NUKVA IS WHAT SHE RECEIVES FROM BINAH. THEREFORE, THERE IS NOTHING IN THE NUKVA THAT DOES NOT HAVE ITS ROOT IN BINAH. Thus, when something is aroused below IN THE NUKVA, ITS ORIGIN, appointed over it from above IN BINAH, is aroused because everything is united.

196. Come and behold, "Give me, I pray you, of your son's mandrakes" (Beresheet 30:14). This does not mean THAT the mandrakes caused Rachel to bear children, BUT RATHER that the Holy One, blessed be He, arranged for the birth of Issachar, who was destined to observe the Torah more than the other tribes, just as Rachel held fast to Jacob and did not let him go to Leah. This is the meaning of the verse, "Is it a small matter that you have taken my husband? ...Therefore he shall lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes."

197. The mandrakes caused Issachar to come into the world so that the fragrance of the Torah ascended before the Holy One, blessed be He. Thus scripture reads, "The mandrakes give a fragrance" (Shir Hashirim 7:14), BECAUSE ISSACHAR HELD FAST TO THE TORAH MORE THAN THE OTHER TRIBES. It is written, "And he lay with her that night (lit. 'that night he')" (Beresheet 30:16). Assuredly, it is "he," AND NOT 'THAT HE.' It has already been explained that the supernal world is called "he," because it is neither disclosed nor revealed. Because the Torah came out from the supernal world, WHICH IS UNDISCLOSED AND NOT REVEALED, THE UNION THAT RESULTED IN ISSACHAR WAS ALLUDED TO IN THE WORDS, "AND HE LAY WITH HER THAT NIGHT HE" - BECAUSE ISSACHAR IS A CHARIOT TO THE TORAH, AS HAS BEEN SAID.

198. The supernal world is uniformly called "he" because it is undisclosed, as it is written, "But the Levite shall serve he" (Bemidbar 18:23), WHICH MEANS THAT HE SERVES THE SUPERNAL WORLD CALLED "HE," in order to draw from there blessings on all the worlds. And Issachar held TO THE SUPERNAL WORLD. Therefore, we call ZEIR ANPIN the Tree of Life, as it is a tree THAT COMES from the supernal life OF THE SUPERNAL HIDDEN WORLD, called "he," and not 'you,' AS THE PRONOUN 'YOU' INDICATES THE KNOWN, AND THE PRONOUN "HE," THE HIDDEN.

199. It may be said that the mandrakes opened Rachel's womb. This is not so, as it is written, "and Elohim hearkened to her and opened her womb" (Beresheet 30:22). Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, OPENED HER WOMB, and nothing else. As for the mandrakes, although they have the power of action above, it is not in their power to give children, because children depend upon Mazal, and nothing else.

200. It may be said that the mandrakes were created for nothing, NAMELY, THAT THEY HAVE NO POWER TO ACT. This is not so. THEY HAVE A SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITY even concerning this BEARING OF CHILDREN. They help those who are slow to give birth but are not barren, although it was decreed that they give birth through Mazal. THIS MEANS THAT IF THIS WAS DECREED IN THE SECRET OF MAZAL, BUT THEY ARE DETAINED FOR SOME REASON, THE MANDRAKES HELP.

201. Sitrei Torah (Secrets of the Torah). "And Reuben went in the days of the wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field." We have learned that the cup of blessings - THE SECRET OF THE NUKVA IN HER ASPECT OF ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH THAT SHINES IN THE SECRET OF, "WINE THAT CAUSES TO REJOICE ELOHIM AND MEN" (TEHILIM 104:15) - is blessed only on the right side, CHASSADIM, AS CHOCHMAH WITHOUT CHASSADIM IS DARKNESS. Therefore, while the right awakens TO POUR to the cup of blessing, THE NUKVA, the left, is unsupported because within the cup the right found a cause for its arousal toward the supernal world, WHICH IS CHASSADIM COVERED BY CHOCHMAH.

202. This is the secret of: "And Reuben went." Reuben is the south side, NAMELY, THE RIGHT COLUMN, CHASSADIM. Because of this, his standard faces south, which is the head and beginning of the twelve borders. THE SECRET OF THE TWELVE BORDERS IS THE SECRET OF THE FOUR DIRECTIONS, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT. EACH HAS THREE COLUMNS, SO CHESED IS THE BEGINNING OF THE TWELVE BORDERS. The desire of the south side is to find a reason for and to give a present to the Matron, NAMELY, THE NUKVA, so as to bless her.

203. It is written, "and found mandrakes in the field." He searched the treasures OF THE NUKVA and found the mandrakes in the field, WHICH IS THE NUKVA. The scripture reads, "The mandrakes give a fragrance" (Shir Hashirim 7:14). These are the two Cherubs, the emendation OF THE NUKVA, who are awakened by the arousal above TOWARD BINAH. Because of all the amendments in that field, only the Cherubs aroused BINAH. (I don't understand what is trying to be said with the highlighted words)

204. When is the south side, CHESED, aroused toward her? When does it find a reason to bless her, THAT IS, TO DRAW CHASSADIM UPON HER? In the days of the wheat harvest, MEANING the spoils are divided among her armies [THAT IS, THE ANGELS -- ACCORDING TO THE MYSTERY IN THE VERSE, "SHE RISES ALSO WHILE IT IS YET NIGHT, AND GIVES FOOD TO HER HOUSEHOLD" (MISHLEI 31:15)] and given to all the reapers of the field, THAT IS, THE SOULS WHO MERIT TO RECEIVE THE FRUITS OF THE NUKVA CALLED 'FIELD.' He immediately "brought them to his mother Leah," WHICH MEANS THAT he elevated their fragrance and desire to the covered supernal world, CALLED 'LEAH,' to bring blessings on the lower world, RACHEL.

205. When the mandrakes are blessed, THAT IS, CLOTHED IN CHASSADIM, they receive and give to all the worlds, as it is written, "And the mandrakes give a fragrance..." When they give a fragrance, NAMELY, WHEN THEY SHINE UPWARD WITH CHOCHMAH FROM BELOW, WHICH IS CONSIDERED FRAGRANCE, that fragrance receives the south side, CHESED, and uses it to raise it towards the supernal world, THAT IS, TO ILLUMINATE UPWARD FROM BELOW. Immediately, it is written, "And at our gates are all manner of choice fruits" (Shir Hashirim 7:14), and no goodness is absent from the world.

206. The lower world is not awakened toward the supernal world, TO RECEIVE MOCHIN FROM IT, except when the mandrakes give a fragrance to the right. Once they do this, and the right is aroused toward the supernal world, the lower world is immediately aroused to ask for whatever it needs. Thus, it is written, "Then Rachel said to Leah, 'Give me, I pray you, of your son's mandrakes,'" WHICH MEANS, give me blessings from the arousal of the mandrakes, which were aroused in order to be included within the right side, THAT IS, TO BE CLOTHED IN CHASSADIM OF THE RIGHT.

207. Then the supernal world answers pleasantly and joyfully, saying, "Is it a small matter that you have taken my husband?" - as a mother who is DELIGHTED WITH her daughter, AND IS NOT REPRIMANDING HER. HE ASKS, If this is so, then IT SOUNDS AS IF the husband of the upper world, BINAH, is Jacob, AS SHE SAID CONCERNING JACOB, "IS IT A SMALL MATTER THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN MY HUSBAND?" YET CHOCHMAH IS THE HUSBAND OF BINAH. HE ANSWERS, This is not so. The love of the father, CHOCHMAH, is always toward the daughter, THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, because he loves his daughter always, for she is an only daughter among the six sons, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. To all six sons he gave portions, delights, and presents, but to her he dealt nothing, and she inherits nothing BECAUSE THE NUKVA HAS NOTHING FROM HERSELF EXCEPT WHAT HER HUSBAND ZEIR ANPIN - THE SECRET OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, THE SIX SONS - GIVES HER. Therefore, he regards her with more love and friendship than all of them.

208. In his love he called her 'daughter.' As this did not suffice, he called her 'sister.' As this did not suffice, he called her 'mother,' after his own mother. As this did not suffice, he called her by his name, as it is written, "But where shall wisdom be found" (Iyov 28:12), and thus he did surely call her Chochmah. Thus the upper world, BINAH, IMA ('MOTHER'), said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken my husband?" - CHOCHMAH, NAMELY, ABA ('FATHER'), for all his love is drawn toward you. Thus, the mother talked to the daughter fondly, with love.

209. HE INSISTED, IF THE MOTHER DID NOT SPEAK HARSHLY WHEN SHE SAID, "IS IT A SMALL MATTER THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN MY HUSBAND?" Why then did RACHEL respond, "Therefore he shall lie with you tonight?" HE ANSWERS, Wherever the word "therefore" is used, it is an oath. HE ASKS, In the verse, "he shall lay..." what is the meaning of the word "lay?" HE ANSWERS, Any mention of the word "lay" refers to the amendment of the Nukva by the male, who will insert into her the shapes of all the letters. Yishcav (lit. 'he shall lay') contains Yesh ('there is,') Caf Bet (= 22). Yesh is the upper world, BINAH, THAT CAME TO BE CHOCHMAH AGAIN; Caf Bet is the secret of the Torah, ZEIR ANPIN, a hidden point, where the twenty-two letters are aroused. This is the meaning of Yesh Caf Bet ('there are twenty-two'). Thus, Yesh is the World to Come, as it is written, "That I may cause those who love me to inherit substance (yesh)" (Mishlei 8:21). (Yesh) Caf Bet is the supernal point that brings forth all the twenty-two letters, the secret of the whole Torah.

210. This is the meaning of, "he shall lay." It is PLAINLY written, "he shall lay with you," instead of, "Jacob shall lay with you." This ALLUDES TO the hidden one, NAMELY, THE SUPERNAL ABA, who is worthy of joining you.

211. "And Jacob came out of the field in the evening." "And Jacob came," refers to the holy Tiferet, ZEIR ANPIN, who came from the field that embraces all the blessings, of which the scripture reads, "Which Hashem has blessed" (Beresheet 27:27), THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN. Why is is written, "In the evening?" HE ANSWERS, It is as it is written, "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening time" (Beresheet 24:63); THAT IS, WHEN THE NUKVA RECEIVES THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LEFT WITHOUT THE RIGHT, THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH WITHOUT CHASSADIM, IT IS DARKENED AND CALLED 'EVENING.' This is when Isaac, his father, used to be aroused toward this field and hold it, for Isaac is not aroused toward this field, SINCE IT BELONGS TO JACOB, THE SECRET OF ZEIR ANPIN. Only in the evening after Jacob had gone, BECAUSE THE DAY DECLINED, THE SECRET OF CHASSADIM, AND IT BECAME DARK, he left the field to Isaac his father, THE SECRET OF THE LEFT SIDE. Jacob then ascended TO BINAH.

212. It is written, "and Leah went out to meet him" (Beresheet 30:16), that is, the supernal mother, BINAH, went out to meet her only son, ZEIR ANPIN. "...And said, 'You must come in to me,'" which means, under my wings, so I can bless and satiate you with pleasures and supernal joys. Now is a time of goodwill and delight, a time to give you much satisfaction, for that field, THE NUKVA, before it is burned because of the Judgment of Isaac, THE LEFT COLUMN, WHICH ILLUMINATES WITHOUT CHASSADIM OF THE RIGHT, AND IS THEN CONSIDERED TO BE A BURNING FIRE.

213. Because she receives Jacob under her wings, "he lay with her that night (lit. 'that night he')." "IT IS NOT WRITTEN "THAT ONE" BUT RATHER HE" THAT REFERS TO THE HIDDEN, the most undisclosed "he;" "he" from which all blessings and sanctities derive. THIS IS THE SUPERNAL ABA. It is not written, 'and Jacob lay,' but rather, "and he lay," which refers to he who is worthy of being united with her, THAT IS, THE SUPERNAL ABA, WHO GIVES PLENTY TO BINAH.

214. Before JACOB, who receives the sanctities and blessings, came under its wings OF BINAH, the supernal world was not filled with blessings and sanctities from the undisclosed point. Therefore mandrakes rouse everything, and everything is in the likeness of the supernal secret, WHICH MEANS THAT ALL THIS REFERS TO THE SEPERNAL SECRET. What is Reuben? THAT IS, WHO NAMED HIM SO AND SAID OF HIM, 'REU-BEN' (LIT. SEE, A SON)? HE ANSWERS, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave names (Heb. shemot) in the land, THAT IS, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, CALLED HIM REUBEN, as it is written, "Come, behold the works of Hashem, who has made desolations (Heb. shamot) in the earth" (Tehilim 46:9). End of Sitrei Torah (Secrets of the Torah).

215. "...And Leah went out to meet him, and said, 'You must come in to me...'" HE WONDERED IF the phrase, "YOU MUST COME IN TO ME," is impertinent. HE ANSWERS, No. Rather, THE OPPOSITE, for here we learn of Leah's modesty. She did not say it in the presence of her sister, but hastened to the road, and whispered to him to let him know that she had obtained Rachel's permission, as it is written, "For indeed I have hired you" (Beresheet 30:16). From Rachel, I obtained permission. In order that Rachel should not be displeased by it, she said it to him outside and not at home.

216. Moreover, Leah's tent faced the road, and she let Jacob in through the outside entrance before he entered Rachel's tent. Why? So that she would not have to say anything in the presence of Rachel and sound bold. Also, Leah said, If Jacob enters Rachel's tent, it is not right to make him leave it. Therefore, she hastened to meet him outside.

217. HE ASKS, What is the purpose of all this? HE ANSWERS, The Holy Spirit stirred within Leah, and she knew that all the Supernal Holy Tribes would come from her. She hastened to do it for love of the Holy One, blessed be He. For that reason, THAT SHE MERITED THE HOLY SPIRIT; she KNEW HOW TO name them according to the secret of wisdom.

218. While walking together, Rabbi Yosi said to Rabbi Chiya: Each time we discuss the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, performs miracles before us. The way before us is long. Therefore, let us study the Torah, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will join us.

219. Rabbi Chiya began the discussion with the verses, "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, shall you eat unleavened bread" (Shemot 12:18), and "seven days shall you eat unleavened bread with it, the bread of affliction (lit. 'of poverty')" (Devarim 16:3). Note that "bread of poverty (Heb. oni)" is spelled WITHOUT THE LETTER VAV. The friends were already engaged on this account. But come and behold, when Yisrael were in Egypt, they were under an alien power. When the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to bring them near to Him, He gave them the grade of the bread of poverty. HE ASKS, Who is the poor referred to in, "bread of poverty?" HE ANSWERS, He is King David, of whom it is written, "For I am poor and needy" (Tehilim 86:1).

220. This bread of poverty is called Matzah, WITHOUT THE LETTER VAV, ZEIR ANPIN, because the female without the male is poor. First, YISRAEL approached the ASPECT OF Matzah, BEING THE FIRST GRADE. Afterward, the Holy One, blessed be He, raised them to higher grades and the male joined the female, THAT IS, SHE WAS UNITED WITH ZEIR ANPIN, AND RECEIVED CHASSADIM FROM HIM. Then, when Matzah was united with the male, it was called 'precept' (mitzvah), with the letter Vav, FOR IT ALLUDES TO ZEIR ANPIN. This is the meaning of the verse, "For this commandment" (Devarim 30:11). Therefore, in its first GRADE, it is called Matzah; later, IN HIGHER GRADES, it becomes a precept.

221. While they were walking, they heard a voice say: A group of murderers lurks in wait for you on the way. Therefore, turn upward and do not descend through the unroofed castle below. Rabbi Yosi said, One may derive from this that the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to guard our way. They ascended a mountain located between strong rocks. They said, Since the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes us to take this path, we should expect to behold something noteworthy, perhaps a miracle.

222. They sat down by a cleft in a rock and were surprised when a man appeared before them. Rabbi Yosi asked, Who are you? The man replied, I am from the people of Arka. When asked, Are there people there? He said, Yes, and they sew and reap. Some are of a strange shape that is different from my own; THEY HAVE TWO HEADS. I came up to you to learn the name of the land in which you dwell.

223. He said, It is called the 'earth' (Heb. eretz), because it is the land of the living, as it is written, "As for earth (eretz), out of it comes bread" (Iyov 28:5). Bread comes from this earth. Other lands do not have bread or, if they do, it is not of the seven kinds. He returned to his place. They wondered and said, Assuredly, the Holy One, blessed be He, desires to awaken us by this.

224. Rabbi Chiya said, Assuredly, it happened because of the verse you quoted. I remember learning about a supernal matter concerning Pesach (Passover) from my grandfather. The Holy One, blessed be He, gave Yisrael this bread from the land of the living, NAMELY, THE NUKVA CALLED 'MATZAH.' Later, this bread became bread from the heaven, NAMELY, FROM ZEIR ANPIN CALLED 'HEAVEN.' This has already been explained.

225. He also said that when a man comes into this world, he knows nothing before he tastes bread. After he does, he is motivated to know and perceive. So when Yisrael went out from Egypt, they knew nothing until the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them bread from this land, THE NUKVA, CALLED 'MATZAH,' as it is written, "As for earth, out of it comes bread." Then Yisrael came to know and conceive the Holy One, blessed be He, like a baby who knows or conceives nothing before he tastes the bread of this world.

226. Yisrael had no knowledge or conception of higher matters, UPPER GRADES, until they ate of the supernal bread, WHICH IS DRAWN FROM ZEIR ANPIN CALLED 'HEAVEN.' BEFORE THEY ATE OF THE SUPERNAL BREAD, they knew and conceived only that place, THE NUKVA, AND NO MORE. The Holy One, blessed be He, desired that Yisrael should know more of the place, which is worthy of this land - THAT IS, THE UPPER GRADES THAT SHINE FROM THE PLACE OF ZEIR ANPIN TO THE NUKVA - but they could not until they tasted bread of that SUPERNAL place. What is that? That which is called 'heaven,' NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN, as it is written, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you" (Shemot 16:4). Then did they know and conceive that SUPERNAL place. But before that, they knew nothing and had no conception OF THAT SUPERNAL PLACE, ZEIR ANPIN.

227. Rabbi Yosi came to him and kissed him. He said, Assuredly this is why the Holy One, blessed be He, aroused us TO SPEAK WITH THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE OF ARKA, FOR BECAUSE OF HIM WE CAME TO DISCUSS THIS VERSE. Therefore, the beginning of the knowledge of Yisrael was bread, NAMELY, THE BREAD OF AFFLICTION. They stood to go. While they were walking, they saw two Damascene plum trees, a male and a female. Rabbi Yosi said, There is nothing in the world that is not male and female. Moreover, whatever is on earth, exists also in the sea.

228. Rabbi Yosi began with the verse, "And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him." HE ASKS, How did she know HE WAS COMING? HE ANSWERS, They said his ass was braying, so Leah knew and went toward him. Thus, the donkey caused Issachar to come from Leah. This is the meaning of the verse, "Issachar is a strong (Heb. garem) donkey" (Beresheet 49:14). Do not read garem, but rather garam, meaning 'caused,' BECAUSE the donkey caused him TO BE BORN. Leah said, Surely I know that if Jacob enters Rachel's tent, I cannot make him leave. Therefore, I shall wait for him here, and he shall come into my tent.

229. "...For indeed I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." HE ASKS, Why did she say, "with my son's mandrakes?" WAS NOT IT ENOUGH TO SAY, 'WITH MANDRAKES?' HE ANSWERS, So that Jacob will draw satisfaction from their help in childbirth. Yet Jacob knew that this matter did not depend on the mandrakes, but on above, ON MAZAL.

230. He began by quoting: "He makes the barren woman to keep house, and be a joyful mother of children. Haleluyah" (Tehilim 113:9). Rabbi Chiya said, The Holy Spirit stated, "He makes the barren woman to keep house," refers to Rachel, and "a joyful mother of children," refers to Leah. HE EXPLAINED FURTHER THAT "He makes the barren woman to keep house," refers to the lower world, THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, CALLED 'RACHEL,' AND "a joyful mother of children," refers to the upper world, BINAH, CALLED 'LEAH.' Therefore, Haleluyah CONTAINS THE LETTERS OF HALLELU ('PRAISE'), YUD-HEI, BECAUSE THE UPPER WORLD WAS CREATED BY THE YUD, AND THE LOWER WORLD CREATED BY THE HEI.

231. Rabbi Yehuda said that all the tribes are the result of corrections down below, NAMELY, OF THE NUKVA; they were all amended to resemble above, BINAH. "For I have hired you" to take from him a body. And what is it? It is the Torah. "...For indeed I have hired you..." MEANS you, your own body. "I have hired you" to bear your very shape.

232. From this we understand that whoever studies the Torah inherits the World to Come, THE MOCHIN OF BINAH, and the portion of Jacob, THE MOCHIN OF THE SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA, as it is written, "Issachar" - which contains the letters of Yesh sachar (lit. 'there is a reward'), as in, "for your work shall be rewarded (Heb. sachar)" (Yirmeyah 31:15). THE WORK IS THE STUDY OF THE TORAH, as it is written, "That I may cause those who love me to inherit substance (Heb. yesh); and I will fill their treasures" (Mishlei 8:21).

233. "...Because I have born him six sons..." Rabbi Chizkiyah said, They are above and below, NETZACH AND HOD, and to the four winds of the world, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND YESOD. Whoever prolongs the "one" IN KRIAT SH'MA should claim the sovereignty of the Holy One, blessed be He, above and below, and on the four directions of the world, namely, one.

234. Rabbi Chizkiyah said, It is written, "mountains of separation" (Shir Hashirim 2:17) and, "mountains of spices" (Shir Hashirim 8:14). HE ASKS, What are the mountains of spices? HE ANSWERS, They are the six sons of Leah, who include the other six, JOSEPH, BENJAMIN, AND THE SONS OF THE HANDMAIDS. Together they are twelve and six, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY MAY BE COUNTED AS EITHER TWELVE OR SIX, because they include each other. IF YOU COUNT THE MAIN ONES, THEY ARE SIX, BUT IF YOU ALSO COUNT THOSE INCLUDED WITHIN THEM, THEY ARE TWELVE. And Leah presides over them, to fulfill the verse, "a joyful mother of sons. Haleluyah."

235. It is therefore written, "You shall not take the mother bird together with the young" (Devarim 22:6), because she is of the Hidden World which is not revealed, BECAUSE THE LOWER BEINGS HAVE NO CONCEPTION OF IT. Therefore, "you shall surely let the mother go, and take the young to you" (Ibid. 7), because the dam is of the Hidden World, which is never revealed.

236. "...And take the young to you..." This resembles the verse, "For ask now of the days that are past...and from one side of the heaven to the other" (Devarim 4:32) - FROM CHESED, THE SIDE OF ZEIR ANPIN CALLED 'HEAVEN,' TO YESOD, THE OTHER SIDE OF ZEIR ANPIN, THAT IS, THE SIX EXTREMINTIES CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, CALLED THE 'SIX SONS OF LEAH.' They are all called "the mountains of spices." From there downward, BENEATH MALCHUT OF ATZILUT, they are called "mountains of separation," as it is written, "And from thence it was parted, and branched into four streams" (Beresheet 2:10).

237. Rabbi Yesa said, The sons of the handmaids tied knots, the four knots that need correcting. Rabbi Elazar said, Therefore the knots (joints) protrude from the body. And although they are all one, NAMELY, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE CORRECTED IN THE SECRET OF THE VERSE, "AND ALL THEIR HINDER PARTS WERE INWARD" (I MELACHIM 7:25), THEY NEVERTHELESS PROTRUDE FROM THE BODY, BEING AT FIRST, BEFORE THE UNION, EMPTY WITHOUT LIGHT. THIS MEANS THAT THE OTHER JOINTS are all on one plane, AND DO NOT PROTRUDE OUT OF THE BODY. Therefore, all the tribes ascend as testimony above, as it is written, "There the tribes used to go up, the tribes of Yah, as a testimony to Yisrael, to give thanks to the name of Hashem" (Tehilim 122:4).