Pesach, Chametz and Matzah

Synopsis

We read of the importance of keeping the precepts about food and drink, including most importantly the restriction on leaven during Pesach. The conclusion is that any misdeed below causes damage above.

Body Death Death and the Afterlife Evil Evil Inclination Food Foreigner Leaven Shechinah Shepherd Soul, The Vessels

134. Faithful Shepherd, when the night of watchfulness, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, has power over the vessels of Pesach, everybody should be guarded, kept from Chametz and any kind of leaven. Every food and drink SHOULD BE watched, and whoever keeps them from Chametz and leaven, his body is kept from the Evil Inclination below, and his soul IS KEPT from above, and it says of it, "nor shall evil dwell with you" (Tehilim 5:5), for his body becomes holy and his soul the holy of holies. And it says of the Evil Inclination, "No stranger shall eat of the holy thing" (Vayikra 22:10), "and the stranger that comes near shall be put to death" (Bemidbar 1:51).

134. רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא, מָאנֵי דְּפִסְחָא, בְּזִמְנָא דְּשָׁלִיט עָלַיְיהוּ לֵיל שִׁמּוּרִים, כֻּלְּהוּ צְרִיכִים לְמֶהֱוֵי שִׁמוּרִים, וּנְטוּרִים מֵחָמֵץ וּשְׂאוֹר בְּכָל שֶׁהוּא, וְכָל מַאֲכָלִים וּמַשְׁקִים כֻּלְּהוּ נְטוּרִין. וּמַאן דְּנָטִיר לוֹן מֵחָמֵץ וּשְׂאוֹר, גּוּפֵיהּ, אִיהוּ נָטִיר מיצה"ר לְתַתָּא, וְנִשְׁמָתֵא לְעֵילָּא. וְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ, לֹא יְגוּרְךָ רָע. בְּגִין דְּהָא אִתְעָבֵיד גּוּפֵיהּ קֺדֶשׁ, וְנִשְׁמָתֵיהּ קֺדֶשׁ קֳדָשִׁים. וְאִתְּמַר בְּיֵצֶר הָרָע וְכָל זָר לֹא יֺאכַל קֺדֶשׁ, וְהַזָּר הַקָּרֵב יוּמָת.

Abraham Deeds Leaven Semen Silver

135. Pesach is the right arm, which is Abraham, NAMELY CHESED, refined silver. Whoever mixes lead in it is false to it. Similarly, for anyone who mixes Chametz or leaven at all in the Matzah it is as if he is false to the King's coin, WHICH IS MALCHUT CALLED MATZAH. So is whoever mingles any admixture into his drop of semen BY FORBIDDEN INTERCOURSE OR BY THINKING OF SOMEONE ELSE, as if he is false to the King's seal, WHICH IS YESOD. For they are interdependent - THE DEED BELOW CAUSES DAMAGE ABOVE.

135. פֶּסַח, דְּרוֹעָא יְמִינָא דְּאַבְרָהָם, כֶּסֶף מְזוּקָּק, מַאן דְּעָרַב בֵּיהּ עוֹפֶרֶת, מְשַׁקֵּר לֵיהּ. הָכִי מַאן דְּעָרַב חָמֵץ אוֹ שְׂאוֹר כָּל שֶׁהוּא בְּמַּצָּה, כְּאִלּוּ מְשַׁקֵּר בְּמוֹנִיטָה דְּמַלְכָּא. וְהָכִי מַאן דְּעָרַב בְּטִפָּה דִּילֵיהּ שׁוּם תַּעֲרוֹבֶת, כְּאִילּוּ מְשַׁקֵּר חוֹתָמָא דְּמַלְכָּא, דָּא בְּדָא תַּלְיָיא.