"And Jacob went out," part three

Synopsis

Rabbi Yitzchak discusses the meaning of "And Jacob went out..." This text refers to the exile of the Jews, the children of Jacob, and their need to accommodate themselves to the customs of the lands of exile - just as the Creator adjusts Himself to changes taking place in the Eternal Female, the feminine principle or Malchut. Israel must accomplish this adjustment in order to spread the message of Torah, and to nourish the world with spiritual Light. It was for this task that Israel was chosen, and for nothing else.

Relevance

The Hebrew term for 'Chosen People' is Am Segulah, which is derived from the Hebrew word Segol. Segol is the name of a particular Hebrew vowel whose shape illuminates the hidden significance of "Chosen People."

The vowel Segol includes three dots, as follows ֶ . These three dots signify the Right, Left and Central Column forces. The three Columns correlate to the positive and negative poles in a light bulb, and to the resisting function of the filament. A bulb without a filament immediately short circuits, producing momentary sparks followed by sudden darkness. "Chosen People" refers to the spiritual concept of Restriction or Resistance as it applies to human behavior. The children of Israel throughout all generations represent the filament; they are therefore responsible for bringing Light to the peoples of the world. This is achieved when we, as individuals, begin to resist our self-serving aspirations. Living life in a reactive manner causes a spiritual short-circuit, leaving the rest of world empty and dark - which, according to Zoharic wisdom, is the root of anti-Semitism. A truly spiritual person seeks to exemplify the sharing principle, resisting social pressures and subjugating the ego.This passage imbues us with the fortitude to apply Resistance to rash and intolerant behavior, so that we become beacons of Light to everyone we meet.

Body David Face Throne Vessels

40. David said, "For Your servant David's sake do not turn away the face of Your anointed" (Tehilim 132:10). The way I ordered things may not be changed back, THAT IS, REPEALED. The Holy One, blessed be He, responded, David, upon your life, I shall not even use My own vessels; I shall use yours. And the Holy one, blessed be He, was not gone before He lavished gifts and presents on him, as it is written, "Hashem has sworn in truth to David; He will not turn from it; One of the sons of your body will I set upon your throne" (Tehilim 132:11). Rabbi Yitzchak kissed him and said, Had I come this all way only to learn this, it is enough.

40. אֲמַר דָּוִד, בַּעֲבוּר דָּוִד עַבְדֶּךָ אַל תָּשֵׁב פְּנֵי מְשִׁיחֶךָ סִדּוּרָא דְּקָא סַדַּרְנָא, לָא יְתוּב לַאֲחוֹרָא. אָמַר לוֹ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דָּוִד, חַיֶּיךָ, אֲפִלּוּ בְּמָאנִין דִילִי לָא אֶשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ, אֶלָּא בְּמָאנִין דִּילָךְ. וְלָא זָז קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִתַּמָּן, עַד דְּיָהֵיב לֵיהּ נְבַזְבְּזָן וּמַתְּנָן, דִּכְתִיב נִשְׁבַּע יי' לְדָוִד אֱמֶת לֹא יָשׁוּב מִמֶּנָּהּ מִפְּרִי בִטְנְךָ אָשִׁית לְכִסֵּא לָךְ. אֲתָא רִבִּי יִצְחָק וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ, אֲמַר אִי לָא אֲתֵינָא לְהַאי אָרְחָא, אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמַע דָּא דַּיַּי.

Daughter Exile Haran Jacob Judah Temple, The Zion

41. One son OF THIS MAN opened the discussion with the verse, "And Jacob went out from Beer-Sheva, and went toward Charan." This resembles the verse, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and cleave to his wife" (Beresheet 2:24). FOR JACOB WENT OUT FROM BEER-SHEVA, LEAVING HIS FATHER AND MOTHER BEHIND, TO GO TO CHARAN AND TAKE A WIFE. Another explanation of: "And Jacob went..." is that it alludes to the children of Yisrael who left the Temple and were exiled among the nations, as it is written, "And from the daughter of Zion all her splendor is departed" (Eichah 1:6), and "Judah is gone into exile because of affliction..." (Ibid. 3).

41. פְּתַח חַד בְּרֵיהּ וַאֲמַר, וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע וַיֵּלֶךְ חָרָנָה, הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב עַל כֵּן יַעֲזָב אִישׁ אֶת אָבִיו וְאֶת אִמּוֹ וְדָבַק בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ. דָבָר אֲחֵר וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע וַיֵּלֶךְ חָרָנָה, רָמַז כַּד נְפָקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִבֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, וְאִתְגָּלוּ בֵּינֵי עַמְמַיָא, כד"א וַיֵּצֵא מִן בַּת צִיּוֹן כָּל הֲדָרָהּ, וּכְתִיב גָּלְתָה יְהוּדָה מֵעוֹנִי וגו.'

Gold Ground Head House Jacob Nukva Rocks Stones

42. The other, younger son began with the verse, "And he lighted upon the place and tarried there" (Beresheet 28:11). HE ASKS, What is the meaning of the phrase, "And he lighted upon the place?" IT IS SIMILAR to the king who goes to the house of the consort. He needs to gain her favor and please her with substantial things so as to treat her with respect. Even if the king has His own gold bed with artistically embroided covers and bedding, if she prepares him a bed of rocks on the ground in a room of fodder, he will neglect his own place and sleep in hers to please her, to harmonize their desires without coercion. As we have learned, as soon as JACOB went to her, it is written, "And he took of the stones of that place, and put them under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep," THE SECRET OF THE NUKVA, to give her pleasure, so that even stones for construction were pleasant to tarry on.

42. פְּתַח אָחֳרָא זְעֵירָא וַאֲמַר, וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וגו,' מַאי וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם, לְמַלְכָּא דְּאָזֵיל לְבֵי מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, בָּעֵי לְמִפְגַע לָהּ וּלְבַסְּמָא לָהּ בְּמִלִּין, בְּגִין דְּלָא תִשְׁתַּכַּח גַּבֵּיהּ כְּהֶפְקֵירָא. וְלָא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דַּאֲפִילּוּ אִית לֵיהּ עַרְסָא דְדַהֲבָא, וּכְסוּתוּתֵי מְרַקְמָאן בְּאַפְלַטְיָיא, לְמֵיבַת בְּהוֹ, וְאִיהִי מְתַקְּנָא עַרְסֵיהּ בְּאַבְנִין, בְּאַרְעָא, וּבְקִיסְטְרָא דְּתִיבְנָא, יִשְׁבּוֹק דִּידֵיהּ, וִיבֵית בְּהוֹ, לְמֵיהַב לָהּ נַיְיחָא, וּבְגִין דִּיהֵא רְעוּתָא דִלְהוֹן כַּחֲדָא, בִּדְלָא אֲנִיסוּ. כְּמָה דְאוֹלִיפְנָא הָכָא, דְּכֵיוָן דַּאֲזַל לְגַבָּהּ מַה כְּתִיב, וַיִּקַּח מֵאַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם וַיָּשֶׂם מֵרַאֲשׁוֹתָיו וַיִּשְׁכַּב בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא, בְּגִין לְמֵיהַב לָהּ נַיְיחָא, דַּאֲפִילּוּ אַבְנֵי בֵיתָא, רְחִימִין קַמֵּיהּ, לְמֵיבַת בְּהוֹ.

Hands Jacob Jerusalem Marriage Pearls Torah Tzadok Year

43. Rabbi Yitzchak wept and rejoiced. He said, These pearls are in your hands. How can I not follow you? They replied, You shall go your own way, and we shall enter the city to attend the marriage feast of my son. Rabbi Yitzchak said, Now I must go my way - FOR HE SAW THAT THEY DID NOT WANT HIM TO WALK FURTHER WITH THEM. He set their words before Rabbi Shimon, who said, Assuredly they have spoken well. And everything THAT WAS SAID OF JACOB was spoken of the Holy One, blessed be He. RABBI SHIMON said, These words are from the descendants of Rabbi Tzadok, the invalid. Why was he called an invalid? Because he fasted for forty years for Jerusalem, so that it would not be destroyed during his life. He used to find supernal secrets in every word of the Torah, and he paved in them a path on which the children of the world may live according to its teachings.

43. בָּכָה רִבִּי יִצְחָק, וְחָדֵי, אֲמַר מַרְגְּלָאן אִלֵּין, תְּחוֹת יְדַיְיכוּ, וְלָא אֵזֵיל בַּתְרַיְיכוּ. אֲמָרוּ לֵיהּ אַתְּ תֵּזֵיל לְאוֹרְחָךְ, וַאֲנַן נֵיעוֹל לְמָתָא, לְהִלּוּלָא דְהַאי בְּרִי. אֲמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, הַשְׁתָּא אִית לִי לְמֵהַךְ לְאָרְחִי. אָזֵיל לֵיהּ, וְסַדַּר מִלִּין קַמֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. אֲמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וַדַּאי שַׁפִּיר קָאֲמָרוּ, וְכֹלָּא בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְּמָר. אֲמַר, מִלִּין אִלֵּין, מִבְּנֵי בְּנוֹי דְּרִבִּי צָדוֹק חֲלָשָׁא נִינְהוּ. מַאי טַעְמָא אִקְּרֵי חֲלָשָׁא, בְּגִין דְּאַרְבָּעִין שְׁנִין אִתְעַנֵּי עַל יְרוּשְׁלֵם, דְּלָא יִתְחְרַב בְּיוֹמוֹי, וַהֲוָה פָּרֵישׁ עַל כָּל מִלָּה וּמִלָּה דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, רָזִי עִלָּאִין, וִיהֵיב בְּהוֹ אָרְחָא לִבְנֵי עָלְמָא, לְאִתְנַהֲגָא בְּהוֹ.

Bride Dreams Marriage Prophecy Table Thirteen Thought Torah Tzadok

44. Rabbi Yitzchak said, Not many days passed before I met that man and his younger son. I asked - where is your other son? He replied, I wed him, and now he stays with his wife. He recognized me and therefore said, Truly, I did not invite you to the marriage celebration of my son for three reasons. One is that I neither knew nor recognized you, and a man is invited according to his honor. I thought that perhaps you were a dignified man, and I might slight your honor. Another is that you may have been hurrying on your way, and I did not wish to inconvenience you. And the last was so that you would not be put to shame by the members of the party, for it is our custom that all who eat at the table of a bride and groom, lavish gifts and presents on them. I responded, May the Holy One, blessed be He, judge you kindly. I asked, What is your name? He said, Tzadok the Little. At that time, I learned thirteen supernal secrets of the Torah from him. And from his son I learned three secrets, one pertaining to prophecy and one to dreams - WHICH MEANS HE LEARNED FROM HIM THREE SECRETS ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROPHECY AND DREAM.

44. אֲמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, לָא הֲווֹ יוֹמִין זְעִירִין, עַד דְּאָעַרְעָנָא בְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, וּבְרֵיהּ זְעֵירָא עִמֵּיהּ. אֲמִינָא לֵיהּ, אָן הוּא בְּרָךְ אָחֳרָא. אָמַר לוֹ, עֲבִידְנָא לֵיהּ הִלּוּלָא, וְאִשְׁתָּאַר בִּדְבִיתְהוּ. כֵּיוָן דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע בִּי, אָמַר לוֹ חַיֶּיךָ, דְּלָא זְמִינְנָא לָךְ, לְהִלּוּלָא דִבְרִי, בְּגִין תְּלַת מִלִּין: חַד, דְּלָא יְדַעְנָא בָּךְ, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדָעְנָא לָךְ, דְּהָכֵי מְזַמְּנִין לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ, כְּפוּם יְקָרֵיהּ, וְדִילְמָא אַנְתְּ גַּבְרָא רַבָּא, וְאַפְגֵים יְקָרָךְ. וְחַד, דִּילְמָא אַנְתְּ אָזֵיל בְּאָרְחָךְ בִּבְהִילוּ, וְלָא אַטְרַח עֲלָךְ. וְחַד, דְּלָא תַכְסִיף קַמֵּי אֱנָשֵׁי דַּחֲבוּרָא, דְּאוֹרְחָא דִילָן, דְּכָל אִינוּן דְּאָכְלֵי לִפְתוֹרָא דְחָתָן וְכַלָּה, כֻּלְּהוּ יַהֲבֵי נְבַזְבְּזָן וּמַתְּנָן לוֹן. אֲמִינָא לֵיהּ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָדִין לָךְ לְטַב. אֲמִינָא לֵיהּ, מַה שְּׁמָךְ, אָמַר לוֹ צָדוֹק זוּטָא. בְּהַהוּא שַׁעְתָּא, אוֹלִיפְנָא מִנֵּיהּ, תְּלֵיסַר רָזִין עִלָּאִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּמִן בְּרֵיהּ תְּלַת, חַד בִּנְבוּאָה, וְחַד בְּחֶלְמָא.