"Remember the Shabbat day, to keep it holy"

444. "Remember the Shabbat day to keep it holy" (Shemot 20:8). Rabbi Yitzchak cited the verse, "And Elohim blessed the seventh day" (Beresheet 2:3). Of the manna, it is written, "Six days you shall gather it but on the seventh day, which is Shabbat, on it there shall be none" (Shemot 16:26). HE ASKS, If there was no food on that day, what blessing is attached to it?

445. We have learned that all blessing from above and from below depend upon the seventh day, and we have also learned that there was no manna on the seventh day because all the six supernal days - WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD - derive their blessing from it, and each of them sends forth nourishment to the world below from the blessing it received from the seventh day.

446. Therefore, he who has attained the grade of Faith must prepare a table and a meal on Shabbat eve so that his table may be blessed all through the other six days. For at that time, blessing is prevalent for all the six week days, for no blessing is found at an empty table. Therefore, one should make ready the table on Shabbat eve with bread and other foods, IN ORDER TO DERIVE BLESSINGS FOR ALL THE SIX DAYS.

447. Rabbi Yitzchak said, Also on Shabbat day ONE SHOULD PREPARE THE TABLE WITH MEALS AND DRAW BLESSING FOR THE OTHER SIX DAYS. Rabbi Yehuda added, One must enjoy himself on this day with three meals, in order that there will be satisfaction and pleasure in the world on that day.

448. Rabbi Aba explained that THE REASON FOR PREPARING THREE MEALS FOR SHABBAT IS in order that blessings may spread to the supernal days - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD - which receive their blessing from that day, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, THE SEVENTH ATTRIBUTE. On this day the head of Zeir Anpin, MEANING THE THREE FIRST SFIROT, is filled with the dew, MEANING PLENTY, which descends from the most hidden Atika Kadisha (the Holy Ancient One). He causes it to descend into the field of holy apple trees, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, three times after the entrance of the Shabbat, in order that all may enjoy the blessing.

449. Therefore, a man should enjoy these three times, for therein depends the true Faith, in Atika Kadisha, in Zeir Anpin and the field of holy apple trees, MEANING THAT ZEIR ANPIN RECEIVES FROM ATIKA AND TRANSFERS IT TO MALCHUT, AS IS MENTIONED ABOVE. He who lessens the number of the meals exposes a blemish into the regions above, and his punishment will be great.

450. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare the table with three meals after the entrance of the Shabbat, and his table must not be empty. Thus, blessing will rest upon it during all the other week days, for therein depends the true Faith above.

451. Rabbi Shimon said, When a man has completed the three meals on Shabbat, a voice comes forth and proclaims of him, "Then shall you delight yourself in Hashem" (Yeshayah 58:14). This is in reference to one meal, which corresponds to the most Holy Ancient One among the holy. "And I will cause you to ride upon the high places of the earth" (Ibid.), is the second meal, which corresponds to the field of holy apple trees, WHICH IS MALCHUT. "And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father" (Ibid.), is the perfection it reaches in Zeir Anpin, IN THE THIRD MEAL.

452. Corresponding to this, one should complete the meals and find joy in each and all of them because this is a manifestation of perfected Faith. Therefore, Shabbat is more precious than all other times and holidays because it contains all in itself, whereas no other times or holidays do so. Rabbi Chiya said, Because all things are in it, it is mentioned three times, "And by the seventh day Elohim ended His work which He had done... And He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done... And Elohim blessed the seventh day and sanctified it" (Beresheet 2:2-3).

453. When Rabbi Aba sat at his Shabbat meals, he used to rejoice in each one of them and he would say: This is the holy meal of the Holy Ancient, hidden to all. Over another he would say: This is the meal of the Holy One, blessed be He, NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN, and so in each and every meal. And when he came to the last one, he would say: The meals of the Faith are completed.

454. When Rabbi Shimon sat at his meals, he would say: Prepare the meal of the supernal Faith! Prepare the meal of the King! And then he would sit and rejoice. When the third meal was completed, it was proclaimed of him, "Then shall you delight yourself in Hashem and I will cause you to ride upon the high places of the earth and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father."

455. Rabbi Elazar said to his father, How are those three meals prepared? Rabbi Shimon replied, At Shabbat eve, as it is written, "And I will cause you to ride upon the high places of the earth." In this night the Matron is blessed and the whole field of apples, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is also blessed, and the man's table is blessed and a soul is added TO A MAN. This night signifies the rejoicing of the Matron, and therefore a man should rejoice and partake in the meal of the Matron, WHICH IS MALCHUT.

456. Concerning the second meal of Shabbat day, it is written, "Then shall you delight yourself in (lit. 'above') Hashem." Most assuredly "above Hashem," WHICH MEANS ABOVE ZEIR ANPIN, for at that hour the Holy Ancient One reveals Himself and all the worlds are in joy. And we, in participating in this meal, contribute to that joy and completeness of Atika (the Ancient One) for, assuredly, this is His meal.

457. Concerning the third meal of Shabbat, it is written, "And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father." This is the meal of Zeir Anpin, who is then in perfection, from which all the six days receive their blessing. Therefore, a man must rejoice in these meals and complete his meals, for they are meals of the perfect Faith of the holy seed of Yisrael, the supernal Faith, which is theirs and not that of the heathen nations. Hence, it is written, "It is a sign between Me and the children of Yisrael" (Shemot 31:17).

458. Come and behold, by these meals Yisrael are distinguished as the King's children, belonging to the palace of the King as people of Faith. And he who blemishes one of these meals shows an incompleteness above, and he testifies of himself that he is not one of the King's sons, not part of the palace of the King, and not of the holy seed of Yisrael. He will be made to bear the burden of three things, the punishment in Gehenom, THE WAR OF GOG AND MAGOG (ARMAGEDDON) AND PRE-MESSIANIC TRIBULATIONS.

459. Come and behold, on all festivals and holidays a man must both rejoice himself and give joy to the poor. If he rejoices alone and does not share with the poor his punishment will be great, for he rejoices himself and does not make others happy. Of him it is written, "And spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your feasts" (Malachi 2:3) but he is not punished if he rejoices on Shabbat and does not give a share to another. For it is written, "the dung of your feasts" and not 'the dung of your Shabbat,' and it is also written, "Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates" (Yeshayah 1:14), but Shabbat is not mentioned.

460. Therefore it is written, "Between Me and the children of Yisrael," and because all the Faith is centered in Shabbat, man is given an additional soul on this day, a supernal soul, a soul in which all perfection exists, resembling that of the World to Come. Therefore, this day is called Shabbat. What does the word Shabbat mean? This is the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, WHICH IS MALCHUT, the Name which is perfect on all sides ON SHABBAT DAY.

461. Rabbi Yosi said, It is indeed so. Woe to a man who does not complete the joy of the Holy King. And what is His joy? Those three meals of the Faith, the meals wherein Abraham, Isaac and Jacob participate and express joy upon joy, and the Faith, MALCHUT, is perfect on all sides.

462. We have learned that on this day the Fathers, WHO ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, are crowned, FOR THEY BECOME THE FIRST THREE SFIROT, and all the children, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, suckle from them differently than on other festive and holy days. On this day all Judgments are held back and are not aroused, BUT THEY BECOME THE FIRST THREE SFIROT. On this day, the sinners rest in Gehenom. On this day the Torah, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, is crowned with perfect crowns, MEANING THE SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA. On this day joy and gladness resound throughout two hundred and fifty worlds.

463. Come and behold, on all six days of the week, when the hour of Minchah (the Afternoon Prayer) arrives, Stern Judgment rules and all the chastisements are aroused. But on Shabbat, at the time of Minchah, the will of all wills is present, and Atika Kadisha (the Holy Ancient One) shows goodwill, and all the Judgments rest, and gladness and joy are everywhere.

464. In this time of goodwill, Moses, the holy faithful prophet, passed away from this world, in order that it should be known that he was not taken away in time of Judgment. At that hour his soul departed by the will of the Holy Ancient One, and was treasured in Him. Therefore, it is written, "No man knows his grave" (Devarim 34:6). As the Holy Ancient One is the most hidden of all, whom neither those above nor those below can comprehend, so this soul was hidden by the will OF THE HOLY ANCIENT ONE at the hour of Shabbat Afternoon Prayer. This soul of which it is written, "No man knows his grave," is the most hidden of all hidden things in the world, and Judgment does not rule over it. Happy is the portion of Moses.

465. We have learned that on this SHABBAT day with which the Torah crowned itself, it crowns itself with everything: with all those commandments, with all those decrees and punishments, and with seventy branches of light which illuminate all sides - FOR THE SEVEN SFIROT ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT, AND EACH ONE OF THEM INCLUDES TEN SFIROT, AND ALL OF THEM TOGETHER ARE SEVENTY. Who saw the twigs which emanate from each branch OF THE SEVENTY BRANCHES, five of which are within the tree itself - MEANING THE FIVE SFIROT: CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, CALLED A 'TREE,' WHICH RECEIVES THEM FROM BINAH. All the aspects are attached to them. Who saw all those gates which open to each and every side OF THEM, AS EACH ONE INCLUDES TEN, SO THAT TOGETHER THEY ARE FIFTY GATES. They all shine and glow by that never-ending stream of light.

466. A voice proclaims, Awake supernal saints! Awake holy people chosen from above and from below! Raise joy before your Master! Awake in perfect joy! Prepare yourselves in the threefold joy of the three Fathers, MEANING THE THREE MEALS OF SHABBAT! Prepare yourselves for the Faith, the joy of all joys. Happy is your portion, holy Yisrael, in this world and in the World to Come. This is your heritage OVER AND ABOVE that of all heathen nations. Hence, it is written, "Between Me and the children of Yisrael."

467. Rabbi Yehuda said, It is indeed so, and therefore it is written, "Remember the Shabbat day to keep it holy" (Shemot 20:8), and, "You shall be holy, for I Hashem your Elohim am holy" (Vayikra 19:2), and, "And call the Shabbat a delight, the holy day of Hashem."

468. We have learned that on this SHABBAT day all the souls of the righteous feast on the delights of Atika Kadisha (the Holy Ancient One), the most hidden of all, KETER. One spirit of this delight of Atika Kadisha, is extended through all the worlds. It ascends and descends and spreads abroad to all the holy children, to all the guardians of the Torah, so that they enjoy perfect rest, forgetting all cares, all penalties and all hard work, as it is written, "And it shall come to pass on the day that Hashem shall give you rest from your sorrow and from your fear, and from the hard bondage in which you were made to serve" (Yeshayah 14:3).

469. Therefore the Shabbat is equal in importance to the Torah, and he who keeps the Shabbat is regarded as one who fulfills the whole Torah. It is written, "Happy is the man that does this, and the son of man that lays hold on it, that keeps the Shabbat and does not profane it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil" (Yeshayah 56:2). From this we understand that he who keeps the Shabbat is as if he kept the whole Torah.

470. One day Rabbi Yudai met Rabbi Shimon on the road and asked him to explain a verse concerning the weekly portion, wherein Isaiah says, "For thus says Hashem, 'To the eunuchs that keep My Shabbatot and choose the things that please Me, and take hold of My Covenant. To them will I give, in My house and within My walls..." (Ibid. 4-5). What does this mean?

471. Rabbi Shimon said, Cappadocia! - NAMING HIM AFTER THE NAME OF THE CITY HE LIVED IN - Fasten your donkey to a fence and alight, for words of Torah require attentiveness. Turn around and follow me, and pay attention. He replied, It is for the master's sake that I have come all this long way, and in following him I shall behold the Shechinah.

472. He said to him, Come and behold. This verse has already been considered by the friends but they have not explained it sufficiently. "For thus says Hashem, To the eunuchs." Who are these "eunuchs?" These are students of the Torah who study Torah and make themselves "eunuchs" during the six days of the week. And on Shabbat night they hasten to have their conjugal union, for they know the supernal secret of the right time when the Matron is united with the King.

473. Those students who know this secret concentrate their hearts on the Faith of their Master and are blessed with offspring on that night. Therefore, it is written, "That keep My Shabbatot," as it is said in the verse, "But his father kept the matter in mind" (Beresheet 37:11).

474. They are called "eunuchs" because they wait for the Shabbat in order to please their Master, as it is written, "And choose the things that please Me," meaning His union with the Matron; "and take hold of My Covenant" amounts to the same, AS IT ALSO MEANS A UNION. "My Covenant" without attribute IS THE SUPERNAL YESOD WHO IS UNITED WITH THE MATRON. Happy is the man who is sanctified in this Holiness and knows this secret.

475. Come and behold, in the verse, "Six days shall you labour, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Shabbat to Hashem your Elohim" (Shemot 20:9), the words "all your work" indicate that in those six days man must work, and therefore those who study the Torah have their conjugal union only at a time when they do not work, but when the Holy One, blessed be He, works - MEANING, IN SHABBAT, WHEN MAN'S WORK IS FORBIDDEN. Then His work is the union with the Matron, MALCHUT, in order to bring forth holy souls into the world.

476. Therefore, the companions sanctify themselves on this night in the Holiness of their Master and concentrate their hearts, and begot good and holy children who turn neither to the right nor to the left, children of the King and the Matron. Of them it is written, "You are the children of Hashem your Elohim" (Devarim 14:1). Assuredly, of "Hashem your Elohim," for they are called "His children," the children of the King and the Matron.

477. Those who study the Torah know this secret and cling to it, therefore they are called 'the children of the Holy One, blessed be He,' and the world is sustained by their merit. And when the world is placed on trial, the Holy One, blessed be He, looks on His children and has mercy on the world. Therefore, it is written, "an entirely right seed" (Yirmeyah 2:21). It is a "right (lit. 'true') seed," indeed. And what does "true" mean? This is the perfect and holy circle. This is expressed in the verse, "You will show truth to Jacob" (Michah 7:20); JACOB IS THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, and all these verses refer to the same thing. Hence, it is assuredly a true seed.

478. Rabbi Yudai said to him, Blessed be the Merciful One who sent me here! Blessed be the Merciful One for allowing me to come and hear your words! Rabbi Yudai wept. Rabbi Shimon asked, Why do you weep? He answered, I weep because of those people whose ways are the ways of beasts, without knowledge and observation. It would have been better for them not to have been created. Woe to the world when you, master, will depart from it, for who will then reveal the secrets and who will then comprehend the ways of the Torah?

479. He said to him, Upon your life, the world is created only for those who are occupied in Torah and know its secrets. Assuredly, the sages have decreed that the ignorant corrupt their ways, not knowing their right hand from their left, and are like cattle. And so it is fitting to punish them even on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Of their children, it is written, "For they are the children of harlotry" (Hoshea 2:6), actual children of harlotry.

480. He said to him, Rabbi, this verse should have been explained further by more explanation, for it is written, "And to them will I give in My house and within My walls, a memorial better than sons and daughters. I will give him an everlasting name." HE ASKS, Why is it written, "I will give him an everlasting name" (Yeshayah 56:5)? It should have been written, 'I will give them,' NAMELY, TO THE EUNUCHS.

481. He said to him, Come and behold. It is written, "And to them will I give in My house." What does "my house" signify? It signifies the same meaning as in the verse, "For he is trusted one in all My house" (Bemidbar 12:7), MEANING THE SHECHINAH, WHICH IS CALLED 'A HOUSE.' "...And within My walls..." is as it is written, "I have set watchmen upon your walls, O Jerusalem" (Yeshayah 62:6), MEANING THE EXTERNAL ASPECT OF THE SHECHINAH. "A memorial" (lit. 'a hand and a name') means that they would draw holy souls from this place, THE SHECHINAH, and that 'hand' MEANS a portion of perfection. The word "better" MEANS abundant with sons and daughters. "I will give him an everlasting name," meaning to this part of perfection WHICH IS CALLED 'A HAND.' "That shall not be cut off" (Ibid. 5) for all generations. Another explanation is that "I will give him," MEANS to him who knows this secret "OF THE EUNUCHS WHO KEEP MY SHABBATOT," with appropriate intention.

482. Rabbi Shimon continued by citing the verse, "You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the Shabbat day" (Shemot 35:3), and he explained that the reason for it is that there is no Judgment on that day, AND HE WHO KINDLES A FIRE AROUSES JUDGMENT. You may protest that it rises high, REFERRING TO THE FIRE ON THE ALTAR WHICH BURNS ON SHABBAT AS WELL. HE ANSWERS, It is written "throughout your habitations," and not, 'high above,' for that FIRE which ascends high, rises to subdue another Judgment. For as we have learned, there is a fire which consumes a fire, and the fire of the altar consumes the other fire, NAMELY, IT SUBDUES THE OTHER JUDGMENT SO IT WILL NOT RULE ON THE DAYS OF THE WEEK.

483. Therefore, Atika Kadisha reveals Himself on that day MORE than on any other day. And when He reveals Himself, Judgment is not in evidence at all, and all the upper and lower beings are in perfect joy, and Judgment has no dominion.

484. We have learned from the verse, "For (in) six days Hashem made heavens and earth" (Shemot 31:17), that it was assuredly "six days," WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, FROM WHICH THE HEAVENS AND EARTH, BEING MALE AND FEMALE, WERE CREATED. Therefore, it is not written, 'within six days.' Those supernal holy days are called days in which the Holy Name, MALCHUT, WHICH IS CALLED 'EARTH,' is included. And they are contained in it. Happy is the portion of Yisrael above all the heathen nations; of them it is written, "But you that did cleave to Hashem your Elohim are alive every one of you this day" (Devarim 4:4).