"And let the skies pour down righteousness"

Synopsis

Rabbi Chiya talks about "Shower, O heavens, from above," which refers to the nourishment from God. We learn that nourishment does not depend on merit. When the heavens receive nourishment from above, the skies pour down righteousness; manna is therefore ground for the righteous. It is to be wished that every kind of mercy and goodness in the world will increase and there will be food for everyone in the world and that every world will be blessed.

Shechinah Torah

443. רִבִּי אֲחָא הֲוָה אָזִיל בְּאוֹרְחָא, וְרִבִּי חִיָּיא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי אַעְרָעוּ כַּחֲדָא. א"ר אֲחָא, וַדַאי אֲנָן תְּלַת, זְמִינִין לְקַבְּלָא אַנְפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא, אִתְחַבָּרוּ כַּחֲדָא וְאָזְלוּ. אָמַר ר' אֲחָא, כָּל חַד וְחַד לֵימָא מִלָּה דִּקְטוּרָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְנֵזִיל.

Eyes Food Heavens Rain Wisdom

444. Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion saying, "Shower, O heavens, from above" (Yeshayah 45:8). This verse is the secret of wisdom, which I learned from the holy luminary. "Shower, O heavens, from above:" What is "Shower?" It is like the words: "My doctrine shall drop as the rain" (Devarim 32:2). It speaks about the rain, which is everybody's food. The eyes of the whole world, therefore, look towards the Holy One, blessed be He, for sustenance, since He gives food for all and feeds everyone, as written, "The eyes of all wait on You..." (Tehilim 145:15).

444. פָּתַח רִבִּי חִיָּיא וְאָמַר, הַרְעִיפוּ שָׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְגוֹ,' הַאי קְרָא רָזָא הוּא דְּחָכְמְתָא, דְּאוֹלִיפְנָא מִבּוּצִינָא קַדִישָׁא. הַרְעִיפוּ שָׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל. מַאי הַרְעִיפוּ. כד"א יַעֲרוֹף כַּמָּטָר לִקְחִי. וְעַל סִטְרָא דְּמִטְרָא דְּהוּא מְזוֹנָא דְּכֹלָּא קָאָמַר. וְעַל דָּא, כָּל עֵינֵי עָלְמָא מְצַפָּן לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לִמְזוֹנֵי, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ יָהִיב מְזוֹנָא לְכֹלָּא, וְזָן כֹּל, כד"א, עֵינֵי כֹל אֵלֶיךָ יְשַׂבֵּרוּ וְגוֹ.'

Aramaic Atika Kadisha Heaven Heavens Merit Zeir Anpin

445. You may say that it depends on the place called heaven, ZEIR ANPIN, yet we learned that NOURISHMENT does not depend on merit. Merit, as we explained, is charity, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, as charity is translated into Aramaic as merit, while charity and heaven are the same thing. IT THUS DOES NOT DEPEND ON HEAVEN, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. It is written here: "Shower, O heavens, from above," NAMELY HEAVEN FROM HIGHER ABOVE; "from above" is surely from Atika Kadisha, ARICH ANPIN, WHENCE NOURISHMENT IS FROM, not from the place called heaven and merit, but precisely from above.

445. וְאִי תֵּימָא דִּבְאֲתַר דָּא דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא. הָא תָּנֵינָן, דְּלָאו בִּזְכוּתָא תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא. וּזְכוּתָא, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ צְדָקָה. וְתַרְגּוּם צְדָקָה, זְכוּתָא. וּזְכוּתָא וְשָׁמַיִם חַד מִלָּה הוּא, וְהָכָא הַרְעִיפוּ שָׁמַיִם. כְּתִיב מִמַּעַל, מִמַּעַל וַדַּאי, מֵעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא קָא אַתְיָא, וְלָא מֵהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמַיִם, וְאִקְרֵי זְכוּתָא, אֶלָּא מִמַּעַל דַּיְיקָא.

Beard Flow Grades Ground Heavens Joseph Manna Rachel Righteous Zeir Anpin

446. "And let the skies pour down righteousness" (Yeshayah 45:8). When the heavens, ZEIR ANPIN, receive nourishment from above, from the supernal place resting on them, ARICH ANPIN, FROM THE SECRET OF THE BEARD (HEB. DIKNA) CALLED MAZALA, then "the skies pour down righteousness." What are the skies? It is a place where manna is ground for the righteous. And what are those? Netzach and Hod, which surely grind manna for the righteous. To whom? To the place called the Righteous, YESOD, since they grind manna that comes from above, FROM ARICH ANPIN. All goodness is gathered within them to be given to the grade CALLED the Righteous, YESOD, so that righteousness, MALCHUT, shall be blessed from their flow. Manna is therefore ground for the righteous. Who are the righteous? Righteous and righteousness, WHICH ARE Joseph and Rachel, YESOD AND MALCHUT, who are called righteous, when joined together.

446. וּשְׁחָקִים יִזְּלוּ צֶדֶק, דְּכַד שָׁמַיִם נָטִיל לֵיהּ מִמַּעַל, מֵהַהוּא אֲתַר עִלָּאָה דְּשָׁארִי עָלוֹי, כְּדֵין שְׁחָקִים יִזְּלוּ צֶדֶק. מַאן שְׁחָקִים. אֲתַר דְּטָחֲנִין מָנָא לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא. וּמַאי נִינְהוּ. נֶצַח וְהוֹד, דְּאִינּוּן וַדַּאי טַחֲנִין מָנָא לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא. לְמַאן. לְהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי צַדִּיק דְּהָא אִינּוּן טַחֲנִין לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא מָנָא דְּאַתְיָא מִלְּעֵילָּא, וְכָל הַהוּא טִיבוּ מִתְכְּנִישׁ בְּגַוַויְיהוּ, לְמֵיהַב לֵיהּ לְדַרְגָּא דְּצַדִּיק, בְּגִין דְּיִתְבָּרְכוּן צֶדֶק מֵהַהוּא נְזִילוּ דִּלְהוֹן, וְעַל דָּא טַחֲנִין מָנָא לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא. מַאן צַדִּיקַיָּיא דָּא צַדִּיק וְצֶדֶק, יוֹסֵף וְרָחֵל, דְּכַד מִזְדַּוְּוגָן כַּחֲדָא צַדִּיקִים אִקְרוּ.

Earth Food Manna Mercy Redemption and Salvation Righteous

447. NETZACH AND HOD indeed grind manna for the righteous, RIGHTEOUS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. THE VERSE therefore SAYS, "Let the skies" (NETZACH AND HOD) "pour down righteousness." Then, "let the earth open" (Ibid.) below "and let them bring forth salvation" (Ibid.), NAMELY, the inhabitants of the world. "And let it cause righteousness (also: 'charity') to spring up also" (Ibid.), so that every kind of mercy and goodness in the world will increase, there will be food for men in the world and there will be joy upon joy and every world will be blessed. Rabbi Acha said, Had I come only to hear this, it would suffice.

447. וְאִלֵּין טַחֲנִין מָנָא לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא וַדַּאי, וְעַל דָּא וּשְׁחָקִים יִזְּלוּ צֶדֶק. כְּדֵין תִּפְתַּח אֶרֶץ לְתַתָּא. וְיִפְרוּ יֶשַׁע, בְּנֵי עָלְמָא. וּצְדָקָה תַצְמִיחַ יַחַד, כָּל רַחֲמֵי, וְכָל טִיבוּ דְּעָלְמָא סַגִיאוּ, וּמְזוֹנַיְיהוּ דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בְּעָלְמָא, כְּדֵין חֶדְוָה עַל חֶדְוָה אִתּוֹסַף, וְכָל עָלְמִין מִתְבָּרְכָאן. אָמַר רִבִּי אֲחָא, אִלְמָלֵא לָא אֲתֵינָא אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמַע דָּא דַּיְיָ.