"And if a man shall take his sister"

Synopsis

From the book of Rabbi Yeba Saba (the elder), we learn that when the Congregation of Yisrael is in unity, they rejoice in God and He in them. The word "one" indicates complete union, whereby Yisrael are united with God. Rabbi Shimon had also said that "one" means the union of male and female, but now, at the time of this exile, God is not called "one," because the union of Zeir Anpin and Malchut is undone. We then hear about the oil of the holy ointment that is drawn from Atika Kadisha; as the ointment flows down it must be met by the incense rising from below.

Congregation Deeds Echad (One) Face One (Echad) Righteous Unity

100. The Holy Luminary said, "How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity..." (Tehilim 133:1) resembles the words: "And if a man shall take his sister" (Vayikra 20:17). HE EXPLAINS HIS WORDS. Rabbi Yeba Saba (the elder) said in his book: "A man" is the Holy One, blessed be He, and "shall take his sister" refers to the Congregation of Yisrael. Why is it so? "It is a disgraceful deed (Heb. chesed)" (Ibid.). Indeed it is Chesed, as we already explained. Therefore, "how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together (lit. 'also') in unity;" NAMELY, the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Congregation of Yisrael. The word "also" adds Yisrael below, because when the Congregation of Yisrael is in unity - NAMELY, JOINED FACE TO FACE WITH THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE- Yisrael below also rejoice in the Holy One, blessed be He. It is therefore written, "also together." Rav Hamnuna Saba says in his book that "also together" includes the Righteous, YESOD, in the Congregation of Yisrael, who are united as one. HENCE, IT SAYS "TOGETHER (HEB. YACHAD)," AS YACHAD IS DERIVED FROM ECHAD (LIT. 'ONE'), THUS COMBINING BOTH EXPLANATIONS to mean one thing.

100. וּבוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא הָכִי אָמַר, הִנֵּה מַה טוֹב וּמַה נָעִים וְגוֹ,' כד"א וְאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִקַּח אֶת אֲחוֹתוֹ. וּבְסִפְרָא דְּרַב יֵיבָא סָבָא, וְאִישׁ: דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. אֲשֶׁר יִקַּח אֶת אֲחוֹתוֹ: דָּא כנ"י. וְכָל כַּךְ לָמָּה. חֶסֶד הוּא, חֶסֶד הוּא וַדַּאי, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ. וְעַל דָּא הִנֵּה מַה טּוֹב וּמַה נָעִים שֶׁבֶת אַחִים גַּם יָחַד, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. גַּם, לְרַבּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל דִּלְתַתָּא. כִּדְאָמְרִינָן, דְּהָא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאַחֲדוּתָא בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, יִשְׂרָאֵל דִּלְתַתָּא שַׁרְיָין בְּחֶדְוָותָא גַּם אִינּוּן בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. ובג"כ גַּם יָחַד כְּתִיב. וּבְסִפְרָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, גַּם יָחַד, לְרַבּוֹת צַדִּיק. בָּהּ, בִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִינּוּן זִוּוּגָא חַד, וְכֹלָּא מִלָּה חַד.

Body Congregation Female Male Zeir Anpin

101. HE EXPLAINS WHY THE WORD ONE INDICATES COMPLETE UNION, SAYING, we learned the portion of "Hear, O Yisrael, Hashem our Elohim; Hashem is one" (Devarim 6:4). What is "one?" It is the Congregation of Yisrael united with the Holy One, blessed be He, ZEIR ANPIN. As Rabbi Shimon said, the union of male and female is called one. The place where the Female rests is called One. What is the reason thereof? A male without a female is considered half a body and half is not one. When two halves of a body become one body, then they are called one.

101. וְתָנֵינָן בְּפַרְשְׁתָּא דִּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְיָ' אֶחָד, מַהוּ אֶחָד. דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאָחִיד בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. דְּאָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, זִוּוּגָא דִּדְכַר וְנוּקְבָּא אִקְרֵי אֶחָד. בַּאֲתַר דְּנוּקְבָּא שַׁרְיָא, אֶחָד אִקְרֵי. מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין דִּדְכַר בְּלָא נוּקְבָּא פְּלַג גּוּפָא אִקְרֵי, וּפְלַּג לָאו הוּא חַד. וְכַד מִתְחַבְּרָן כַּחֲדָא תְּרֵי פַּלְגֵּי גּוּפָא, אִתְעָבֵידוּ חַד גּוּפָא, וּכְדֵין אִקְרֵי אֶחָד.

Congregation Exile Holy Name Unity Zeir Anpin

102. Now, IN EXILE, the Holy One, blessed be He, is not called one. The secret meaning of this is that the Congregation of Yisrael, MALCHUT, is in exile and the Holy One, blessed be He, ZEIR ANPIN, rises high above. The union OF ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT is undone and the Holy Name is not wholly one nor is it called one. When is it called one? When the Queen is with the King and they are joined together. Hence, it is written, "And the kingdom (Heb. meluchah) shall be Hashem's" (Ovadyah 1:21). What is the "kingdom (Heb. meluchah)? It is the Congregation of Yisrael when Malchut is attached to her, and "on that day Hashem shall be one, and His name One" (Zecharyah 14:9). Therefore, SCRIPTURE SAYS, "How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity."

102. וְהַשְׁתָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא אִקְרֵי אֶחָד. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה, כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא סָלִיק לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא, וְזִוּוּגָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ, וּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח שְׁלִים, וְאֶחָד לָא אִקְרֵי. וְאֵימָתַי יִתְקְרֵי אֶחָד, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא תִּשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ בְּמַלְכָּא, וְיִזְדַּוְּוגוּן כַּחֲדָא. הה"ד, וְהָיְתָה לַיְיָ' הַמְּלוּכָה. מַאן מְלוּכָה. דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּמַלְכוּ בָּהּ אִתְקְשַׁר, כְּדֵין בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה יְיָ' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד. וְעַל דָּא, הִנֵּה מַה טוֹב וּמַה נָעִים שֶׁבֶת אַחִים גַּם יָחַד.

Atika Kadisha Beard Crowns Flow Garments Head Holy Name Keter Lights Oil Rivers Zeir Anpin

103. "It is like the precious ointment on the head" (Tehilim 133:2). HE ASKS, What is the precious ointment? HE ANSWERS, It is the oil of the holy ointment that is drawn and flows from Holy Ancient One (Atika Kadisha,) WHICH IS KETER, FOR THIS OIL IS THE LIGHTS OF ATIKA found in the supernal river, BINAH, that suckles the children, MALE AND FEMALE. Thus, the candles - NAMELY, THE SFIROT OF MALE AND FEMALE - are lit and oil, AS THE MALE AND FEMALE SUCKLE FROM BINAH, flows on the King's head and from His head to His precious beard. From thence, it flows on all the raiments of glory the King dons, NAMELY ALL THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN. Hence, it is written, "Running down over the hems (or: attributes) of his garments" (Ibid.), the hems being the King's crowns, NAMELY THE SFIROT CALLED ATTRIBUTES, whose Holy Name is in them.

103. כַּשֶּׁמֶן הַטּוֹב עַל הָרֹאשׁ. מַאן שֶׁמֶן הַטּוֹב. דָּא מְשַׁח רְבוּת קוּדְשָׁא, דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק מֵעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח בְּהַהוּא נָהָר עִלָּאָה, דְּיָנְקָא לִבְנִין, לְאַדְלְקָא בּוּצִינִין, וְהַהוּא מְשַׁח נָגִיד בְּרֵישָׁא דְּמַלְכָּא, וּמֵרֵישֵׁיהּ לִיקִירוּ דְּדִיקְנָא קַדִּישָׁא, וּמִתַּמָּן נָגִיד לְכָל אִינּוּן לְבוּשֵׁי יְקָר דְּמַלְכָּא אִתְלָבַּשׁ בְּהוּ. הה"ד שֶׁיּוֹרֵד עַל פִּי מִדּוֹתָיו. עַל פִּי מִדּוֹתָיו מַמָּשׁ, וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן כִּתְרֵי מַלְכָּא דִּשְׁמֵיהּ קַדִּישָׁא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּהוּ.

Aaron Blessing Crowns Flow Garments Incense Tetragrammaton Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH) Zeir Anpin

104. Come and see: Each flow and every joy in the worlds descends to bless THE WORLD only by the holy crowns, NAMELY THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN, which are the Name of the Holy King; NAMELY, YUD HEI VAV HEI, THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT. Thus, scripture says, "running down (Heb. al pi) over the hems of his garments." Surely, it is running down over the hems, as it says, "By the order (Heb. al pi) of Aaron and his sons" (Bemidbar 4:27). Plenty flows by its hems, descending to all the worlds, so that there will be blessings for all. Come and see, this precious ointment is not present until the service below rises and they meet each other, as is written, "Ointment and perfume (or: incense) rejoice the heart" (Mishlei 27:9). The ointment is THE PLENTY above and incense is THE SERVICE below, WHICH ENCOUNTER EACH OTHER to everybody's joy. Rabbi Acha and Rabbi Yehuda raised their hands and thanked Rabbi Aba.

104. תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל נְגִידוּ, וְכָל חֵידוּ דְּעָלְמִין, לָא נָחִית לְבָרְכָא, אֶלָּא עַל יְדָא דְּאִלֵּין כִּתְרִין קַדִּישִׁין, דְּאִינּוּן שְׁמָא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, ובג"כ שֶׁיּוֹרֵד עַל פִּי מִדּוֹתָיו. עַל פִּי מִדּוֹתָיו וַדַּאי כד"א עַל פִּי אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו תִּהְיֶה. כַּךְ עַל פִּי מִדּוֹתָיו, נָחִית וְנָגִיד לְכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין, לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא בִּרְכָאן לְכֹלָּא. וְתָא חֲזֵי, הַאי שֶׁמֶן טוֹב לָא זַמִּין, עַד הַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּפוּלְחָנָא דִּלְתַתָּא הֲוָה סָלִיק, וְאִתְעַרְעָן דָּא בְּדָא, הה"ד שֶׁמֶן וּקְטֹרֶת יְשַׂמַּח לֵב. שֶׁמֶן לְעֵילָּא, וּקְטֹרֶת לְתַתָּא, כְּדֵין הוּא חֶדְוָותָא דְּכֹלָּא. רִבִּי אֲחָא וְר' יְהוּדָה זְקִיפוּ יְדִין, וְאוֹדוּ לְרִבִּי אַבָּא.