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141) “And, behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” It does not say, “You will have a son,” so he will not think that it would be from Hagar, as in the beginning. “A son honors his father, and a servant his master.” “A son honors his father” is Isaac with respect to Abraham.
142) He honored him when he tied him at the altar and wished to offer him as sacrifice. Isaac was thirty-seven years old at the time, and Abraham was old. If he kicked him with one leg, he would not be able to stand against him. But he respected his father, and his father tied him like a sheep while he did not resist him so as to do his father’s will.
143) “And a servant [honors] his master” is Eliezer with respect to Abraham. When he sent Eliezer to Haran and did there all that Abraham wished, he honored him, as it is written, “And the Lord has blessed my master.” And it is written, “And he said: ‘I am Abraham’s servant,’” to honor Abraham.
144) Indeed, a man who brings silver and gold and gems and camels, and who is respectable and handsome, did not say that he was loved by Abraham or that he was his kin. Rather, he said, “I am Abraham’s servant,” to raise Abraham’s merit and honor in their eyes.
145) This is why it is written, “A son honors his father, and a servant his master.” And you, Israel, My sons, it is a disgrace for you to say that I am your father or that you are My servants. “If I am a father, where is My honor?” This is why it is written, “And, behold… a son.” This is certainly a son, and not Ishmael. It is a son who honors his father properly.
146) “And, behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” A son for Sarah, since she died for him because she heard of his tying. And for him, her soul ached until she bore him. “And, behold, Sarah… shall have a son,” meaning to rise for him while the Creator is judging the world. This is because then the Creator visited Sarah, for Isaac was born in the beginning of the year. Thus, He remembered Sarah for Isaac, which is why he is a son for Sarah.
Another interpretation: “And, behold, Sarah… shall have a son” because the female takes the son from the male. It turns out that the son is with the female, which is why he says, “And, behold, Sarah… shall have a son.”
147) “And Sarah heard” means that when he said, “The tent door,” it is the bottom degree, the door of faith, Divinity. It is written, “And he was behind him,” which means that the upper degree, the Creator, thanked him. Since the day Sarah was in the world, she did not hear a thing from the Creator except at that time.
148) Another interpretation: Sarah was sitting at the tent door to hear what was being said, and she heard this news that Abraham was given. This is why it says, “And Sarah heard in the tent door.” “And he was behind him,” meaning that Abraham was sitting behind Divinity.
149) “Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in days.” “Advanced in days” means that at that time, they came to the measure of days to which they were worthy—a hundred years for the one and ninety years for the other. And they were advanced in days, meaning in the measure of days that they should be. “Advanced in days,” meaning the day ended, evening was approaching because it was completed. Here, too, “Advanced in days” means that their days have been completed.
150) And at that time, she saw herself in another pleasure, for the manner of women had returned to her. This is why she said, “And my lord being old,” for he is unfit for begetting because he is old. And she did not say about herself, “For I am old.”
151) “Her husband is known in the gates.” The Creator rose in His honor, since He is hidden and concealed in great transcendence. There is no one, nor was there ever anyone in the world who could perceive His wisdom. Hence, none can perceive His wisdom because he is hidden and concealed and is transcended above and beyond. And all the upper ones and lower ones cannot attain Him until they all say, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord in His place.”
The lower ones say that Divinity is above, as it is written, “His glory is above the heavens.” And the upper ones say that Divinity is below, as it is written, “Your glory is above all the earth.” Until all the upper and lower ones say, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord in His place” because He is unknown and there has never been anyone who could perceive Him. And you will say, “Her husband is known in the gates.”
153) “Her husband is known in the gates” is the Creator, who is known and attained by what each assumes in his heart, to the extent that he can attain by the spirit of the wisdom. Thus, according to that which one assumes in one’s heart, He is known in his heart. This is why it is written, “Known in the gates,” in those measures [the same word as “gates” in Hebrew] that each assumes in his heart. But it should be properly known that there is no one who can attain and know Him.
154) “Her husband is known in the gates.” What are gates? It is written, “Lift up your heads, O gates.” By these gates, which are high degrees, by them is the Creator known. Were it not for these gates, they would not be able to attain in Him.
155) There is no one who can know man’s soul, except by these organs of the body and those degrees of the body that disclose the actions of the soul. For this reason, the soul is known and unknown—known through the organs of the body, and unknown in its own essence. Similarly, the Creator is known and unknown, as He is a soul to a soul, a spirit to spirit, hidden and concealed from all. But one who is rewarded with these gates, the upper degrees that are doors to the soul, to him the Creator is known. Thus, He is known through the upper degrees, which are His actions, and is unknown in His own essence.
156) There is a door to a door and a degree to a degree, and from them is the glory of the Creator known. And the door of the tent is the door of Tzedek [justice], which is Malchut, as it is written, “Open to me the gates of justice.” This is the first door by which to enter in attainment. Through this door, all the other upper doors are seen, and one who is rewarded with this door is rewarded with attaining it and all the other doors with it, since they are all on it.
157) And now that the bottom door, called “The tent door” and the “door of justice,” is unknown because Israel is in exile, all the doors depart it and they cannot know and attain. But when Israel come out of exile, all the upper degrees will be on the door of Tzedek as they should.
158) And then the world will know the sublime and precious wisdom that they have never known before, as it is written, “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of Hochma [wisdom] and Bina [understanding].” They are all destined to be on that bottom door, which is the tent door, Malchut, and they are all destined to be on the Messiah King to sentence the world, as it is written, “But with justice shall he judge the poor.”