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364) When a person lies on a sick-bed, he is caught by the King’s rulers—his head in a chain, his legs in cuffs, several soldiers keeping him from this side and from that side so he will not escape, his organs are all in a strait, fighting each other, and eating is removed from him.
365) At that time, he is visited by an advocate, to speak in his favor before the King, as it is written, “If there is an angel as an advocate for him, one out of a thousand.” At that time, happy is a man for he enters him and teaches him a way to save him from the Din [judgment], as it is written, “Happy is he who teaches the poor.”
366) And how can he save the sick? By teaching him the way of life, to repent before his Master. Then he becomes his advocate above, and he is saved. What is his reward? It is written, “The Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble.” Another meaning is as it is written, “Happy is he who teaches the poor” because the reward of one who helps the poor before the Creator is great indeed.
367) It is written, “For the Lord hears the poor.” Why does He hear the poor and not others? It is because they are closer to the King, as it is written, “A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise,” and no heart in the world is broken as that of the poor. All the people in the world are seen before the Creator in body and in soul. But the poor appears before the Creator only in a soul, for his body is broken, and the Creator is nearer to the soul than to the body.
372) Each day, dew of holy Atik drips unto ZA, and the whole of the field of holy apples—meaning Malchut—is blessed, and that dew extends to those below. Holy angels feed on it, each according to what he eats, and it is written, “Man did eat the bread of the mighty,” meaning the dew is the bread of angels. And from that food, which is the manna, the children of Israel ate in the desert.
373) How many people feed on it at that time, and who are they? They are the friends who engage in Torah days and nights. And would you even consider that Israel ate of that very food in the desert? No, but it was like that very food, for it is worth twice as much as the manna that Israel ate in the desert.
374) When Israel came and clung to the holy King, for the disclosure of the holy impression, of the circumcision, they were rewarded with eating another bread, higher than what it was at first. In the beginning, when Israel came out of Egypt, they came with a bread called Matza, which is Malchut. And now they were rewarded and entered to eat another bread, higher, from a high place, as it is written, “Behold, I shower you with bread from the heaven,” which is ZA.
At that time, it will be found for Israel from that place. The friends that engage in Torah are nourished from another place, higher, as it is written, “Wisdom revives its owner,” which is a higher place than ZA.
375) Hence, why did the soul of those who engage in Torah weaken more than the rest of the people in the world? After all, the rest of the people seem to be stronger and more powerful than those who engage in Torah.
376) All the food of the people in the world comes from above. That food comes from the heaven, and the earth is the food of the rest of the world, and it is food for all. This is crude and thick food. And that food, which comes from a higher place, is finer food. It comes from a place where Din is present, from Malchut, and this is the food that Israel ate upon their departure from Egypt, the Matza. The food that Israel had at that time in the desert, from a high place, is called “heaven.” This is ZA, the finer food, which enters the soul more than any other food, and more separated from the body. And it is called “The bread of the mighty,” MAN [manna].
377) The highest food of all is the food of the friends who engage in Torah, who eat the food of the Ruach [spirit] and the Neshama [soul], and do not eat the food of the Guf [body] whatsoever, from the highest, most precious place, called Hochma [wisdom]. For this reason, the body of the friends is weaker than that of the rest of the people in the world, since they do not eat the food of the body whatsoever, but eat only nourishments of the spirit and the soul, from the highest, most remote place, which is Hochma, who is far, as it is written, “I said, ‘I will be wise,’ but it was far.” For this reason, that food is the finest of the finest, happy are they. It is written, “Wisdom revives its owner.” Happy is the part of a body that can nourish on the food of the soul.
378) But at that time, how are these foods present? The first food is the food of the whole world, that one which comes from heaven and earth. This is the food of the body.
379) A higher and finer food than that comes from the place where Din is present, which is called Tzedek [justice], meaning Malchut, the food of the poor, a Matza, which is called “bread of affliction.”
One who complements the poor, complements a single letter for Tzedek for him and becomes Tzedakah. This is rewarding his soul, a man of Hesed [grace]. Charity indicates that he is in Din and complements it with Hesed, and then he is Rachamim [mercy].
380) Higher food is higher and more precious food from heaven, ZA, the manna that Israel ate in the desert. It is finer than all, and it is the food of the sick because those sick are nourished only by that very food of the Creator, ZA.
381) Higher, holy and precious food is the food of spirits and souls, the food of the high and remote place, Bina that returned to being Hochma. It was said about her, “I said, ‘I will be wise,’ but it was far from me,” from that place that is called “the pleasantness of the Creator.”
382) The most precious of all is the food that the friends who engage in Torah eat, food that comes from high Hochma, actual Hochma. This is because the Torah comes out of the upper Hochma, and those who engage in the Torah enter the essence of the roots, hence their food comes from the high and holy place.
383) Happy are the righteous who engage in Torah day and night, for it cleanses them in this world and in the next, as it is written, “For it is your life and the length of your days.”
384) It is written, “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing,” and it is written, “The eyes of all look to You.” All the people in the world look for and raise their eyes to the Creator. For this reason, each day, all those with faith must ask their food from the Creator and pray their payer over Him.
385) What is the reason? It is that anyone who prays his prayer for food to the Creator causes that each day, that tree in which there is the food for all, will be blessed by Him. And even if he has food, he must ask for it from the Creator and pray his prayer for food each day so that through him there will be blessings above, each and every day. This is the meaning of “Bless the Lord each and every day.”
386) For this reason, one need not cook one’s food from one day to another, so as not to delay from one day to another day, as it is written, “And the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day.” Every day is accurate, except from the eve of Sabbath to Sabbath. And then the Creator is full of blessings each day. Then it is written, “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” What is “desire”? It is that desire that is found in holy Atik, which is Keter. A desire comes out of Him—that there will be food for all. And anyone who asks for food each day is called “a loyal son,” a son for whom there are blessings above.
387) “The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who await His grace [Hesed].” People should walk in the ways of the holy King and walk in the ways of Torah so there will be blessings for all—for the upper ones and for the lower ones.
388) It is written, “Israel, in whom I will be glorified,” since the Creator above is glorified because of Israel below, who raise MAN. What is His glory? That he puts on Tefillin. In other words, through the MAN that Israel raise, Mochin come out to ZA, who are called Tefillin, and the colors to be glorified connect to them. This is so because the four portions are three colors—white, red, and green—that connect to the three lines to illuminate in all the perfection.
389) “The Lord favors those who fear Him.” Should it not have written, “The Lord has favor for those who fear Him” [in Hebrew the two phrases differ, using “of” or “in”]? “The Lord favors those who fear Him” means that He took out that desire and in it, He desired those who fear Him. And who are those who fear, for whom He took out that desire? It is those “Who await His grace,” those who expect and wait each day to ask for their food from the Creator. This is the meaning of what is written, “Who await His grace.”
390) One should not set up one’s meal before one prays his prayer for food before the Creator. The meal is not set up until it is given from the King’s house. After he prays his prayer before the Creator, he should wait one hour and say, “It is now time for it to be given from the King’s house.” Henceforth, he will set up the meal. This is the way of those who fear the Creator, who fear sin.
391) It is written about those wicked ones who walk in the ways of Torah in twisted roads, “Woe to those who rise early in the morning to pursue strong drink.” It is written about that, “The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who await His grace.” This is what distinguishes those with faith each day, as it is written, “And the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day.” It writes, “Every day,” and not “Every day for another day.”
392) Why is this so? “That I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My law.” Those with faith are recognized by eating. Each day, they walk in the Torah in a straight path. Thus, a righteous eats to satiate his soul. Once he has satiated his soul in prayer and in reading the Torah, he eats.
393) As long as the Creator did not give the Torah to Israel, He distinguished between those with faith and the wicked ones, who did not have faith and had no wish for the Torah. And how did He distinguish them? With MAN, as it is written, “That I may test them.” The Creator inscribed all those who were present, who had faith, in the impression of the Sefira Hesed, as it is written, “Those who await His grace [Hesed].” Hence, “That I may test them.” Also, He removed this high Sefira from all those without faith, and Hamman declared and said, “But the stomach of the wicked shall go wanting.” And yet, “He did not favor the one who did much or deny those who did little.”
394) At that time, Israel below were complemented as above, as it is written, “And they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms.” Meaning, the holy tree, ZA, grew stronger in twelve boundaries on the two sides of the world, HG TM, in three lines on each of the four sides of the world, HG TM. These are the twelve boundaries, which are twelve springs of water. And he grew stronger in seventy branches, which are seventy ministers, seventy date palms, and all is as it is above.
395) At that time, the holy dew drips—meaning abundance, which is called “dew” —from the concealed Atik, which is Keter, and fills the Rosh of ZA, the place called “heaven.” Of that dew, of the holy, upper light, the manna would be drawn out and come down. When it came down, it scattered like crusts over crusts and congealed below, as it is written, “As thin as frost on the earth.”
396) All those with faith would go outside and gather and bless the holy Name for it. And that manna would emit the fragrances of all the perfumes in the Garden of Eden, since it was anointed with it and came down. When one placed it before him, he would taste it as any flavor that he wished to taste, and he would bless the high, holy King.
397) Then the manna would be blessed in his intestines and he would look and know above, and would observe with the upper Hochma [wisdom]. For this reason, they are called “the generation of knowledge.” Those were the ones with faith, and they were given the Torah, to observe it and to know its ways.
398) And those who were not with faith, it is written about them, “The people became foolish and gathered.” What is “Became foolish”? They would take foolishness for themselves because they did not have faith. It is written about them, “And grinded it between two millstones or beat it in the mortar.” Who made them trouble themselves so hard? It is because they did not have faith.
399) Similarly, those who do not believe in the Creator, do not wish to look in His ways. They wish to trouble themselves after food each day, day and night, fearing that perhaps they will have no bread. Who caused them that? It is because they have no faith.
400) Here, too, “The people became foolish and gathered” means that they were made foolish by their own folly, and wished to trouble themselves for it, as it is written, “And grinded it between two millstones.” And after all this trouble, they did not succeed. Rather, it is written, “Its taste was as the taste of kneading with oil,” and nothing more. Who caused them that? It is because they had no faith.
401) What is “Kneading with oil”? Some say that it was kneaded in oil, and some say that as the breast [Shad (breast) is part of the word Loshad (kneading)] changes in several ways, the manna changes into several flavors. They tasted each flavor that they wished to taste in it. The “Kneading with oil” means suckling of oil.
402) “Every man gathered as much as he should eat.” Did one who eats little gather little and those that more gathered more? It is written, “He did not favor the one who did much or deny those who did little.” Indeed, they gathered according to what they ate. This is the meaning of the words “should eat,” meaning those who eat it. This is why it did not say, “Each according to his eating.”
403) Did each one take according to those who ate? If he had a slave or a maidservant and said that they were his, and his friend came and said, “He is mine,” they approached Moses to sentence. He told them, “How many people are in your house?” and “How many people are in this one’s house?” He said this and that. Then Moses told them, “Gather tomorrow and let each one come to me. The next day, they went out, gathered, and came to Moses. They placed the vessel before him and he measured it. If that slave belonged to one, the gathering for the slave was in that vessel, for one would collect for each person in his home. He measured for the other one and the food for the slave was missing in the other one’s vessel, and he would collect one for each person in his home. Than he said, “This slave belongs to this one,” as it is written, “Every man gathered as much as he should eat,” and it is written, “gathering according to the number of persons.”
404) It is written, “In the evening, you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord.” “In the evening, you will know.” How did they know? Each day, the conducts of the Creator would come out. In the morning, the Hesed awakened in the world. And at that time, which is called “evening,” Din hangs in the world. So we asserted it: Isaac established the noon-prayer, and Isaac is Gevura. Hence, “In the evening, you will know.” When Din awakens in the world, you will know that with this Din, the Lord brought you out of Egypt. “And in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord,” since at that time the Hesed awakened in the world and will give you food.
405) On the contrary, it is written, “Would it be that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat … for you have brought us out into this desert to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” At that time, the evening awakened, the Din. And at the time when the Din awakened, Hesed awakened in the world, as well, as it is written, “You will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt.” Know this grace that He had done with you at the time of judgment, and brought you out of the land of Egypt. “And in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord,” which is the Malchut. Why is it so? “When the Lord hears your complaints.”
406) The Creator did not change His ways, making Hesed illuminate in the evening. Rather, those wicked in the world change it, reversing mercy into judgment.
407) From that manna, the righteous are destined to eat in the next world. But is it in the way that Israel ate in the desert? No, but more than them, for it was never in that perfection. What is “that”? It is as it is written, “To behold the pleasantness of the Lord and to visit in His palace.” And it is written, “Neither has the eye seen a God besides You.”
408) “A song of ascents. Out of the depths I have called You, O Lord.” Why does it say, “A song of ascents,” without saying who said it? A song of ascents means that all the people of the world are destined to say it because this song is destined to be said for all eternity.
409) “Out of the depths I have called You.” Anyone who prays his prayer before the holy King must ask his pleas and pray from the bottom of the heart so that his heart will be wholly with the Creator, and he will aim his heart and will, as it is written, “Out of the depths I have called You.” But it is written, “With all my heart I have sought You.” This verse is sufficient, to pray with all of one’s heart, so why the need for “From the bottom”?
410) Every person who asks his request of the King must aim his mind and will to the Root of Roots, to extend blessings from the depth of the pit, so that blessings will pour from the fountain of all. The place from which that river comes out is the concealed Hochma, as it is written, “And a river comes out of Eden. “Eden” is Hochma; “river” is Bina that went out of Rosh AA, which is the concealed Hochma. It is written, “There is a river whose streams make the city of God glad.” This is called “Out of the depths,” the depth of everything, the depth of the pit from which streams come out and extend from it to bless all. This is the beginning, to extend blessings from above downwards.
411) When Atik, who is more concealed than all that are concealed, wished to summon blessings for the world, He instilled everything and included everything in that high depth, which is the concealed Hochma de AA in relation to Bina coming out of it. From here, a river, which is Bina, draws and continues. Rivers and streams, which are the Mochin, come out of it and water everything from it, meaning that all the Mochin of ZON and BYA extend from there. And one who prays his prayer should aim one’s heart and will to extend blessings from the depth of this everything, so his prayer will be accepted and his wish will be done.
412) Each day, the world is blessed from that upper day, since every six days are blessed by the seventh day, and each day gives of those blessings which he received on that day of his.
413) This is why Moses said, “Let no man leave any of it until morning,” since he does not give and does not lend this day to another, but each and everyone rules that day of his by himself, for a day does not rule over another day.
414) For this reason, all those five days govern their days and what is present in them is what they received, and the sixth day is more present in it. The sixth day is with a Hey, which is not written in the rest of the days. It indicates that the queen, who is called Hey, has bonded with it. And she is called Malchut [kingship], to set up a table for the King. This is why there are two parts in it: from itself and from the correction of the King’s joy with the queen.
415) On that night is the joy of the queen with the queen and their Zivug, and all six days of each by himself are blessed. For this reason, one must set up one’s table on the eve of the Sabbath, since there are blessings on it from above, and there is no blessing over an empty table. For this reason, the Zivug of wise disciples who know that secret is from the eve of the Sabbath to the eve of the Sabbath.
416) “See, the Lord has given you the Sabbath.” Sabbath is a day on which the rest of the days rest, and it is the inclusion of all those six other days, and they are blessed by it. Also, the assembly of Israel is called “Sabbath,” and she is the mate of the Sabbath. This is a bride, as it is written, “Therefore keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you.” “To you,” and not to the rest of the peoples,” as it is written, “Between Me and between the children of Israel.” This is the everlasting inheritance for Israel, and this is why it is written, “If you turn your foot from the Sabbath.”
417) “Let no man move out from his place,” a place that is worthy of going to, outside the whole of the city. It is written, “Blessed is the glory of the Lord from His place,” which is the Malchut. This is a place, as it is written, “For the place in which you stand is holy ground.” This is a known place, called “a place,” for it is known in the upper glory, Malchut.
418) For this reason, it is a warning to a man who is crowned with the holy crown above on the Sabbath, to not let any every-day words out of his mouth, since if he lets an every-day word out of his mouth, he is desecrating the Sabbath. The desecration of the Sabbath in his hands is in the doing of labor. In his legs is in walking beyond the two thousand Ammas [cubits].
419) “Let no man move out from his place” is the honorable place of holiness. This is so because outside of it are other gods. “Blessed is the glory of the Lord” is the glory above, Malchut from the Chazeh and above. “From His place” is the glory below, Malchut from the Chazeh and below, the crown of the Sabbath, which is called “a place.” “Let no man move out from his place,” since outside of it, it is other gods. Happy is one who was rewarded with honoring the Sabbath in this world and in the next.
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