"To confirm all manner of transactions; a man pulled off his shoe"

99. Of Binah, the son of Yud Hei, it says, "Now this was the custom in former times in Yisrael concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all manner of transactions; a man pulled off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor" (Rut 4:7). This alludes to changing name, which is Mem Tzadi Pe Tzadi here. Eheyeh - 'where (Heb. ayeh)' is the place of His glory to adore Him - Yud Hei Vav is Eheyeh, which is a change of place. A change in action: in Adonai Aleph OF ADONAI is Eheyeh, Yud OF ADONAI is Yud Hei Vav Hei, and both change in Adonai.

100. "And this was the manner of attesting in Yisrael" (Rut 4:7). The attestation is supernal Ima, WHO IS BINAH, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "Bind up the testimony, seal the Torah among My disciples" (Yeshayah 8:16). BINDING IS BINAH, AND SINCE IT IS WRITTEN, "BIND UP THE TESTIMONY" WE DERIVE THAT TESTIMONY OR ATTESTATION IS BINAH, which is the seal of the world, namely the seal of heaven and earth, WHICH ARE ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. Exchanging refers to the lower Shechinah, NAMELY MALCHUT. Where did MALCHUT hide HERSELF? In her lad, THE ANGEL Metatron, and he changed her. There MALCHUT is CALLED Mishnah. And of man, of whom it says, "according to the beauty of a man; that it (he) may remain in the house" (Yeshayah 44:13), IT SAYS, "You change (Heb. meshaneh) his countenance, and send him away" (Iyov 14:20).

101. This is why the sages of the Mishnah have explained that 'the way I am spelled is not the way I am pronounced in this world; but spelled Yud Hei Vav Hei and pronounced Adonai.' HE ASKS, Yet it is written, "I am Hashem, I do not change" (Malachi 3:6), AND HE ANSWERS, it is not changed in spelling but is changed in pronunciation since writing INDICATES it does not change in its place, but in reading, WHICH IS THE GRADE OF MALCHUT CALLED SPEECH, when it is outside its place, it does change AND IS PRONOUNCED ADONAI. "Take heed of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not...for My name is in him" (Shemot 23:21), since His handmaid's name is Adonai like the Queen's name. And the Holy One, blessed be He, is changed in him, IN METATRON, because he is a lad. In him is the mystery of, "he shall return to the days of his youth" (Iyov 33:25).

102. But the Shechinah, when with the Holy One, blessed be He, does not change, nor does the Holy One, blessed be He, change when with Her. This is the meaning of, "I am Hashem, I do not change." "I" is the Shechinah; Yud Hei Vav Hei is the Central Pillar, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN; "a man pulled off his shoe" refers to Sandalphon, who is a sandal by the Holy One, blessed be He, and a shoe by the Shechinah. But Tiferet that includes six Sfirot is a body to the Name Yud Hei Vav Hei, and Malchut is a body to the Shechinah that is Adonai.

103. "Then shall his brother's wife approach him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face..." (Devarim 25:9). It is a precept to perform Chalitzah. It is the loosening (Heb. Chalitzah) of the spirit from that body to which he needs to connect as a brother AND MARRY HIS WIFE; he releases him from the brother's tie, AND THE WIDOW NEEDS HIM NO LONGER. That spirit OF THE DEAD THAT IS SEPARATED FROM HIS BROTHER THROUGH THE CHALITZAH goes away and wanders until it is redeemed. This is what is meant by, "either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is near of kin to him..." (Vayikra 25:49). But if he finds not, "his means suffice, he may redeem himself" (Ibid.), AND HE NEEDS TO WAIT UNTIL HE ACQUIRES ENOUGH FOR HIS OWN REDEMPTION. AND THE SPIRIT OF THE DEAD is like a guest going from place to place or like a servant walking with a chain around his neck until he achieves redemption from his Master from his iniquities, NAMELY BY MEANS OF REINCARNATION. Woe to him who did not leave a son who will redeem him.