The four kinds

412. Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion with the verse: "The fruit of the citrus tree, branches of palm trees" (Vayikra 23:40). What is the fruit of the citrus tree? It is the Etrog. HE ASKS, Does the Etrog grow on a citrus tree? There are many thorns to the tree of the Etrog around it in every direction, and you say, "the fruit of the citrus tree." HE ANSWERS, The secret of these words is that it is written, "And of the side, which Hashem Elohim had taken from the man, He made a woman, and brought her to the man" (Beresheet 2:22). It is also written, "Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" (Ibid. 23). This refers to the fruit of the citrus tree. Whence do we know this? Because man is called a tree, as written, "For is the tree of the field a man" (Devarim 20:19).

413. "Branches of palm trees:" The palm tree grows for seventy years, AN ALLUSION TO YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, in which are constructed the seventy supernal years, THE SECRET OF THE SEVEN SFIROT - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT - EACH INCLUDING TEN, ALTOGETHER SEVENTY. It is tied (Heb. nichpat), namely attached above TO ZEIR ANPIN and below TO MALCHUT. It is therefore called branches (Heb. kapot), WHICH MEANS BOUND, SINCE YESOD rises to this place and that, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. Hence, the words: "For all that is in heaven and on earth" (I Divrei Hayamim 29:11) are accurate, MEANING THAT YESOD CALLED "ALL" IS ATTACHED TO HEAVEN, ZEIR ANPIN, AND EARTH, MALCHUT.

414. Rabbi Yosi said, The fruit of the citrus tree is an altar, MALCHUT, which produces fruit and buds in every direction. Why IS IT CALLED THE FRUIT OF A CITRUS TREE? Because all of the seventy years, THE SEVEN SFIROT - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT OF ZEIR ANPIN, EACH INCLUDING TEN, WHICH MAKES THEM SEVENTY - give MALCHUT a portion and she is blessed by them all AND ZEIR ANPIN IS CALLED A CITRUS TREE. What does that teach us? That whoever sins and renders the altar defective, MALCHUT, sins against and renders all THE SEVEN SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN defective, for MALCHUT is attached to that which is bound AND CONNECTED above, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. They are therefore mutually attached, MALCHUT AND THE SEVEN SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN, and it is written, "The fruit of the citrus tree, branches (Heb. kapot) of palm trees," TO SHOW THAT THEY ARE TIED (HEB. KEFUTIM) TO EACH OTHER, instead of 'and (Vav) branches,' IN WHICH THE VAV WOULD HAVE INTERRUPTED BETWEEN THE FRUIT OF THE CITRUS TREE, MALCHUT, AND THE DATES, WHICH ARE YESOD. RABBI YOSI AND RABBI YEHUDA ARE NOT IN DISAGREEMENT EXCEPT FOR THE ORDER OF THE VERSES.

415. It is written, "This (Heb. zot) is the portion of the anointing of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons" (Vayikra 7:35). What does this teach us? That Zot is the altar, MALCHUT, anointed by Aaron, WHO IS CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN, as written, "And you shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all its vessels" (Shemot 40:10). "And of the anointing of his sons:" THESE ARE THE REST OF THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN WHICH COME DOWN FROM CHESED, since THE ALTAR, MALCHUT, is anointed by all of them, magnified, blessed and purified.

416. Come and see that the altar is circled once every day and seven times in the end on the holiday OF SUKKOT. What does that teach us? A king invited guests and was occupied with them. The king had an only daughter. She said to him: My Master the king, you do not care for me because of the guests. He said to her: Upon your life daughter, each day I will give you a gift that is worth the like of them all.

417. Similarly did Yisrael bring an offering every day during the holiday for the nations of the world, SEVENTY BULLS CORRESPONDING TO THE SEVENTY NATIONS. The altar, MALCHUT, said to the Holy King, ZEIR ANPIN, Wherefore is everyone given parts and portions, NAMELY FOR THE NATIONS, and to me what do You give? He said to it: You shall be circled every day by the seven supernal days, THE SECRET OF THE SEVEN SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN AS EACH INCLUDES ALL OF THEM, in order to bless you. They shall give you seventy parts daily, AS EACH INCLUDES TEN, against the seventy bulls offered during the holiday FOR THE SEVENTY NATIONS. THUS, EVERY DAY YISRAEL BRING OFFERINGS FOR THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD.

418. Rabbi Yehuda said, There are seven PARTS every day AND, THOUGH THERE IS ONLY ONE CIRCLING, this is because MALCHUT is DAILY blessed by them all, AS THE SEVEN SFIROT ARE INCLUDED WITHIN EACH OTHER. THE PARTICULAR SFIRAH OF EACH DAY INCLUDES THE WHOLE SEVEN, BUT THEY ARE NOT SEVENTY PARTS CORRESPONDING TO THE SEVENTY NATIONS. By the end of the seven days, NAMELY ON HOSHANA RABA, MALCHUT is blessed by the place whence the anointing oil comes, NAMELY FROM BINAH, WHERE ABUNDANCE OF CHOCHMAH LIES, CALLED OIL. IT IS THEREFORE CIRCLED seven times in correspondence with these seven days, THE SEVEN SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN, in order to DRAW AND supply it with blessings from the source of the spring, BINAH, which always flows and never stops. Thus, it is daily blessed ON THE SEVEN DAYS OF THE FEAST OF SUKKOT until the seventh day, from the source of the river, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. IT DOES NOT ALWAYS FLOW, BUT STOPS, FOR IT WHOLLY ILLUMINATES ONLY DURING PRAYER, AND ON SHABBATOT (HEB. PLURAL) AND HOLIDAYS. And also one other time ON HOSHANA RABA, WHEN THE ALTAR IS CIRCLED SEVEN TIMES, IT IS BLESSED seven times together and all the blessings are then established in it from the supernal place, where the source comes and never stops, WHICH IS BINAH, as we have said.

419. On every day OF THE HOLIDAY, a proclamation sounds regarding it (she), saying, "While the barren has born seven; and she that has many children has become wretched" (I Shmuel 2:5). "While the barren has born seven:" This is the Congregation of Yisrael, which is daily blessed BY THE SEVEN SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN and EVENTUALLY rises to be part of the supernal count, NAMELY BINAH, AS WAS EXPLAINED BEFORE. "And she that has many children has become wretched:" These are the heathen nations that receive a big number on the first day, NAMELY THIRTEEN BULLOCKS, which gradually diminishes every day UNTL THEY ARE ONLY SEVEN BULLOCKS. The altar therefore atones for the sins of Yisrael, purifies them and causes blessings to flow on them from above downward.

420. "And the boughs of a thick leaved tree" (Vayikra 23:40). This is the Holy King, TIFERET, attached to both sides, CHESED AND GVURAH, AS TIFERET IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN INCLUDING IN IT THE TWO COLUMNS. Of the myrtle, therefore, three BRANCHES ARE TAKEN. "A thick leaved tree" MEANS a bough that would become a bough of a thick leaved tree, that will be attached on every side TO THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT. "And willows of the brook" (Ibid.) are two pillars, NAMELY NETZACH AND HOD, from whence abundance flows on the palm fronds, NAMELY YESOD. The palm trees are attached above TO ZEIR ANPIN and below TO MALCHUT, as we have already said. The Etrog, MALCHUT, comes from the tree thorns, NAMELY THE JUDGMENTS CALLED THORNS OF ZEIR ANPIN CALLED TREE, FOR SHE IS BUILT FROM THE JUDGMENTS OF ZEIR ANPIN. Similarly, the fronds of the palm trees, WHICH ARE YESOD, are always attached TO THE THORNS OF THE TREE, THE JUDGMENTS OF ZEIR ANPIN, SINCE YESOD TENDS TOWARDS THE LEFT OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHERE JUDGMENTS LIE. Surely whatever emanates into the world comes from here, and from here they arrive, NAMELY FROM THE FOUR KINDS.