Vayishlach: Chapter 24

"And these are the kings"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yesa begins a discussion of the verse, "Behold, I will make you small among nations ..." After God created the world, he placed seventy ministers over the seventy nations. These ministers are best described as intelligent supernal influences; they are angelic forces that rule and direct the affairs of the nations on a spiritual level. Of all the ministers, Esau is the most despised before God, as he represents the Side of Defilement. The lower grades, we learn, form a hierarchy and are linked and interlocked by a bond that holds them to their proper side. The Unclean Side diverges into numerous paths and distributes power to the multitudes in the Lower World. The quotation, "These are the kings," refers to the grades of Esau which reigned before there was any king over Yisrael, before the higher grades were perfected and the kingdom of Heaven was established in its own place, never to be removed.

Relevance

A reading of this section arouses the Light of protection against the powers of darkness. Though invisible, these negative entities are as real as atoms or the force of gravity.

Adam Creation Earth Edom Obadiah Seven Seventy Ten

236. "And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Yisrael" (Beresheet 36:31). Rabbi Yesa began the discussion with the verse, "Behold, I will make you small among the nations, you are greatly despised" (Ovadyah 1:2). Come and behold, when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He divided the earth into seven regions that correspond to the seventy ministers APPOINTED OVER THE NATIONS. THESE ARE THE SECRET OF THE EXTERIOR - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT - EACH CONSISTING OF TEN AND THEREBY TOTALING SEVENTY. The Holy One, blessed be He, appointed THE SEVENTY MINISTERS over the seventy nations, each according to its worth, as it is written, "When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Yisrael " (Devarim 32:8).

236. וְאֵלֶּה הַמְּלָכִים אֲשֶׁר מָלְכוּ בְּאֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם לִפְנֵי מְלָךְ מֶלֶךְ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. רַבִּי יֵיסָא פְּתַח וַאֲמַר, הִנֵּה קָטָן נְתַתִּיךָ בַּגּוֹיִם בָּזוּי אַתָּה מְאֹד. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד עֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַלְמָא, וּפָלַג אַרְעָא, לְשִׁבְעָה תְּחוּמֵי, פְּלִיגִין לָקֳבֵיל שִׁבְעִין רַבְרְבִין מְמַנָּן, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא פָּלֵיג לוֹן לְשִׁבְעִין עַמִין, כָּל חַד וְחַד כִּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ, כד"א בְּהַנְחֵל עֶלְיוֹן גּוֹיִם בְּהַפְרִידוֹ בְּנֵי אָדָם יַצֵב גְּבוּלוֹת עַמִים.

Beasts Dust Esau Field Grades Red

237. Among all the ministers appointed over the nations, no one is as despised before THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, as Esau's minister, because Esau represents the Side of Defilement, which is despicable before the Holy One, blessed be He. ESAU'S MINISTER was issued from the small grades behind the millstones. From the emptiness of the red sides came THE MINISTER OF ESAU. Therefore it is written, "Behold, I will make you small among the nations, you are greatly despised," which has the same meaning as "upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life" (Beresheet 3:14), 'greatly' resembles the words, "You are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field" (Ibid.).

237. וּמִכֻּלְּהוּ רַבְרְבָן מְמַנָּן, דְּאִתְמַסְרוּ לִשְׁאָר עַמִין, לָא אִית בְּהוֹ בָּזוּי קַמֵּיהּ, כִּמְמַנָּא דְעֵשָׂו. מ"ט, בְּגִין דְּסִטְרָא דְעֵשָׂו, סִטְרָא מְסָאֲבָא אִיהוּ, וְסִטְרָא דִמְסָאֲבָא אִיהוּ קְלָנָא קַמֵּיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מֵאִינוּן דַּרְגִּין זְעִירִין, דְּבָתַר רֵיחַיָא, סְרִיקְתָּא דְּקוֹסְטְרֵי סוּמְקֵי קָא אַתְיָא, וְעַל דָּא, הִנֵּה קָטָן נְתַתִּיךָ בַּגּוֹיִם בָּזוּי אַתָּה מְאֹד. דִּכְתִיב עַל גְּחוֹנְךָ תֵּלֵךְ וְעָפָר תֹּאכַל כָּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ. מְאֹד: כד"א אָרוּר אַתָּה מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה וּמִכָּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה.

Grades

238. Come and behold, within the lower grades, there are grades upon grades that are all different than each other. Yet, they are both detached from and attached to each other IN SUCH A WAY THAT Malchut OF EACH OF THE GRADES is separated, yet each Malchut is interconnected to Malchut. THE REASON IS THAT as one enters, another ascends and thus, they are united by a bond.

238. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּדַרְגִּין תַּתָּאִין, אִית דַּרְגִּין עַל דַּרְגִּין, כֻּלְּהוּ מְשַׁנְיָין דָּא מִן דָּא, וְכֻלְּהוּ דַרְגִּין, קַפְטִירִין אִלֵּין, וּקְשִׁירִין אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין, וּמַלְכוּ אִתְפָּרַשׁ דָּא מִן דָּא, וּמַלְכוּ אִתְקַשַּׁר בְּמַלְכוּ. דָּא עַיֵּיל, וְדָא סָלֵיק, אֲחִידָן בְּקִשְׁרָא חָדָא.

Crowns Grades

239. This bond has one level OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN. Each level contains three bonds; AS THE CENTRAL COLUMN CONTAINS ALL THREE COLUMNS; each bond contains one crown, NAMELY, THE CROWN REFERRED TO IN THE VERSE, "THE CROWN WITH WHICH HIS MOTHER CROWNED HIM" (SHIR HASHIRIM 3:11). And in every crown there is a singular force of command.

239. הַהוּא קִשְׁרָא, מִשְׁחָתָא חָדָא לֵיהּ, וּתְלַת קִשְׁרִין לְהַהִיא מִשְׁחָתָא, בְּכָל קִשְׁרָא וְקִשְׁרָא, חַד עִטְּרָא, וּבְכָל עִטְּרָא וְעִטְּרָא, חַד קַפְסוֹרָא.

Astrology Constellation Crowns Grades Stars

240. THE FORCE OF COMMAND was assigned by being crowned from above, and assigned to descend until the stars and constellations are attached to it. Every FORCE OF COMMAND IN EACH OF THE THREE CROWNS contains one star and one constellation. Because all the stars are connected to the upper grades, AND THE CONSTELLATIONS TO THE LOWER GRADES, each grade is crowned in certain places, according to its INDIVIDUAL worth.

240. וְאִתְמַנָּא בְּעִטּוּרָא דִלְעֵילָא, וְאִתְמַנָּא וְנָחֵית לְתַתָּא, עַד דְּאִתְקַשְּׁרוּ בֵּיהּ, כֹּכְבַיָא וּמַזָּלֵי, כָּל חַד וְחַד אִתְפְּרַשׁ בֵּיהּ, חַד כֹּכָבָא, וְחַד מַזָּלָא, וְכָל כֹּכְבַיָא זְמִינִין אִינוּן, בְּאִינוּן דַּרְגִּין דִּלְעֵילָא. וְעַל דָּא, כָּל דַּרְגָּא וְדַרְגָּא, אִתְעַטַּר בְּאַתְרִין יְדִיעָן כִּדְקָא חָזֵי.

Form Grades Myriads Red

241. When the grades diverge, they form a disrupting link, until it is connected to its worthy place, and the aspects of the defiled grades of the left side all diverge into several ways and paths of the aspects of the red Gvurot THAT RUN FROM BINAH, THE SECRET OF RED, and because lower Gvurot are counted below by the myriads, then "Behold, I will make you small among the nations, you are greatly despised."

241. וְכַד מִתְפָּרְשָׁן דַּרְגִּין, אִשְׁתַּכַּח קִטּוּרָא דְּפוּסְתָּקָא, עַד דְּאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּסִטְרָא דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לוֹן, וְסִטְרֵי דְדַרְגֵי מְסָאֲבֵי, דְּאִינוּן בִּסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא, כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְפָּרְשָׁן, לְכַמָּה אָרְחִין וּשְׁבִילִין, מִסִּטְרֵי גְּבוּרָן סוּמְקָן. וּבג"כ, תַּלְיָין גְּבוּרָן לְתַתָּא, לְאֶלֶף אַלְפִין, וְרִבּוֹ רִבְבָן, וְעַל דָּא הִנֵּה קָטָן נְתַתִּיךָ בַּגּוֹיִם בָּזוּי אַתָּה מְאֹד, כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן.

Correction Edom Esau Gates Grades Hands Heaven Jacob Prayer

242. Come and behold, "And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom." " ...The land ..." is the side of Esau's grade, as it is written, "Esau, who is Edom." All THESE KINGS came from the side of the unclean spirit. " ...before there reigned any king over the children of Yisrael" refers to these grades OF ESAU, which stand at the lower gates and are the first TO BE PERFECTED. The reason Jacob said, "Let my lord, I pray you, pass over before his servant" (Beresheet 33:14), is that Esau's grades are the first to enter AND BE PERFECTED, FOR THE LOWER GRADES ARE CORRECTED FIRST AND THE HIGHER GRADES LATER. They were, therefore, "before there reigned any king over the children of Yisrael," for the time had not come for the Kingdom of Heaven to rule and join hands with the children of Yisrael. He therefore said, "Let my lord, I pray you, pass over before his servant."

242. תָּא חֲזֵי, וְאֵלֶּה הַמְּלָכִים אֲשֶׁר מָלְכוּ בְּאֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם, בְּאֶרֶץ: בְּסִטְרָא דְדַרְגָּא דִּילֵיהּ, דְּאִיהוּ דַּרְגָּא דְעֵשָׂו, דִּכְתִיב עֵשָׂו הוּא אֱדוֹם, וְכֻלְּהוּ קָאָתוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְרוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא. לִפְנֵי מְלָךְ מֶלֶךְ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן דַּרְגִּין דְּקַיָּימִין בֵּי תַּרְעֵי לְתַתָּא קַדְמָאי, וּבְגִין כָּך אֲמַר יַעֲקֹב, יַעֲבָר נָא אֲדֹנִי לִפְנֵי עַבְדּוֹ, בְּגִין דַּרְגִּין דִּילֵיהּ, קַדְמָאִין אִינוּן לְאָעֳלָא, וּבְגִין כָךְ, לִפְנֵי מְלָךְ מֶלֶךְ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּעַד כְּעָן לָא מָטָא זִמְנָא דְּמַלְכוּ שְׁמַיָא לְשַׁלְטָאָה, וּלְאִתְאַחֲדָא בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אֲמַר, יַעֲבָר נָא אֲדֹנִי לִפְנֵי עַבְדּוֹ.

Benjamin David Grades Heaven Saul Tribes

243. After these grades are perfected, the Kingdom of Heaven will be aroused to rule over the lower beings. Its rulership shall start with Benjamin, the youngest of the tribes, NAMELY, WITH SAUL WHO IS OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN. This is the meaning of the verse, "There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them" (Tehilim 68: 28). The Kingdom began to take root in him, later coming into its own place, TO KING DAVID, to be established and never to depart.

243. וְכַד שְׁלִימוּ אִלֵּין דַּרְגִּין בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, לְבָתַר אִתְעַר מַלְכוּ שְׁמַיָא, לְשַׁלְטָאָה עַל תַּתָּאֵי. וְכַד שָׁרָא, שָׁרָא בִּזְעִירָא דְּכָל שִׁבְטִין, דְּאִיהוּ בִּנְיָמִין, כד"א שָׁם בִּנְיָמִין צָעִיר רוֹדֵם וגו.' וּבֵיהּ שָׁארֵי לְאַתְעָרָא מַלְכוּתָא, לְבָתַר אָתָא מַלְכוּתָא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ וְאִתְקַיַּים בַּהֲדֵיהּ, דְּלָא תַעֲדֵי לְעָלְמִין.

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