– SURSĂ DE TEXTE FUNDAMENTALE, CĂRŢI, CURSURI, LECŢII, ÎN LIMBA ROMÂNĂ –
Autor: arhiprofesor
Rene Guenon spunea candva ca numai prostii cred ca se pot initia singuri. Intotdeuna ai nevoie de un maestru. Dar cartea ramane o sursa de imbogatire a cunostintelor noastre fara de care nici maestrii nu-si pot desavarsi lucrarea. Biblioteca de arhitectura este pentru un arhitect tot atat de importanta cat experimentarea in concret a trairii fiecarui spatiu arhitectural.
56) There is remission of work on Sabbath and on good days for each according to its Behina [discernment/essence]—like the ox, on which there is the yoke, and the donkey, on which there is the load—between those who have the burden of the kingdom of heaven, like Tefillin, who are exempted on Sabbath and good days, and the burden of the kingdom of idol worship. All have days of remission of work and rest according to their deeds. One who does not engage in Torah and Mitzvot has the burden of the kingdom of idol worship, and one who engages in Torah and Mitzvot has the burden of the kingdom of heaven, which is the bottom Hey of HaVaYaH, called “the kingdom of heaven.”
57) It is certainly the burden of Mitzvot, since all the creations in the heaven and on earth were created in it, for the whole of reality in the three worlds, BYA, emerged from Malchut. It is written about it, “These are the generations of the heaven and the earth when they were created,” which are the letters of “He created them in Hey” [in Hebrew]. When Sabbath and a good day come, Bina, Yod–Hey–Vav, HBDdeBina, come down over the Hey, the kingdom of heaven, and then she is an added Neshama, Bina, carved on the tablets. The tablets are Malchut, and the instilling of Bina on it makes her free from all the Klipot.
She is the Anochi [Me/I] in the exodus from Egypt, as it is written, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” Bina spread her wings on the daughter, Malchut, and on her camps, and they have rest. At that time, it is said about the camps of SAM and the serpent, “And all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you.” “The name of the Lord” is the letter of the Tefillin. The letter of Tefillin, the letter of the Sabbath, the letter of a good day, and the letter of the covenant are all the same. It is said about all of them, “And all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord.”
58) And there is a letter of the name Shadai—the angel Matat—who is called “a slave.” Several slaves extend from him, which are appointed over those that perform the Mitzvot in order to receive reward. Matat and his camps are appointed over them. It is said about them, “So that your ox and your donkey may rest.”
But those who keep the Mitzvot not in order to receive reward are the children of the King and queen, ZA and Malchut. On regular days, they are Ketarim [plural of Keter] and crowns over the heads of the slaves. It is for them that they said, “One who uses the Keter will die,” meaning one who works with the sons, who are a crown to the slaves, passes away from the world. And the foreigner who approaches the sons will be put to death, for during the regular days, they are called “Sabbaths” with regard to the slaves.
52) The smoke that rises from the mouths of those who study the Torah, with words of Torah, is like the smoke of the altar-wood, Malchut. It is called “altar-wood” because she is arranged and set up for ZA, her husband, as it is written, “When you raise the candles,” said about the elevation of Malchut, the candles, to ZA, of which it was said, “To make a candle burn continually.” Malchut is called “a candle,” and it is in the smoke of the altar-wood of the outer altar, where smoke is considered Malchut.
In the smoke of the altar-wood and the cloud of incense—in the inner altar, where the Torah, ZA, is her smoke—ZA awakens from the heart, Bina, and rises to the Hochma, which is as the brain because the mind and the heart are HB. And the smoke of the altar-wood of the inner altar, ZA, will rise to them for MAN and will connect Hochma and Bina to each other like the cloud, where the awakening of the cloud is from the heart, as it is written, “But a mist used to rise from the earth.” ZA, called “mist,” “smoke,” will rise from the Bina, the upper land. Subsequently, it is written, “And water the whole surface of the ground,” since once ZA rose for MAN and received abundance from Hochma and Bina, he waters the whole surface of the ground, the Malchut.
53) So will the smoke awaken from Bina, which is in the heart, as it is written, “The heart understands,” and rises to the Hochma, the brain. Smoke is the middle line, ZA, which rises, unites Hochma and Bina, and becomes a Daat to them, a heart that understands knowledge [Daat], since Daat—the middle line, uniting HB—rises from the heart, Bina.
54) After the smoke—ZA and Daat—comes down from Hochma to Bina, one to the left and one to the right—Bina on the left, to ZA, and Hochma to his right—he comes down filled with the abundance of AVI, Hochma and Bina, filled with the abundance of Koh, to burn the wood—wise disciples, who are from the side of the tree of life, ZA. This is why they are called “trees,” which are the organs of the body because there is the Hey of the tree, the organs of Malchut, who is called “body.”
She is called Hey since the souls of the wise disciples are the offshoots of ZA and Malchut. The intent is certainly to burn them in the flame of the Torah, of which it was said, “‘Is not My word like fire’ declares the Lord?” and in the flame of the candle of Mitzvot with love, with the sparks of the fire of the love of Mitzva.
55) It is a Mitzva to sacrifice the continuals each day and then to light a fire, as it is written, “A perpetual fire shall burn on the altar; it shall not go out.” Then there is the contribution of the ashes. Subsequently, it is an offering of a vow or a largess. Tanna’im and Amora’im, all those continuals are the qualities of the Creator, the Sefirot, which must have rest.
And although all the Sefirot are one, each Sefira is appointed over Sabbaths and occasions and good days. Each Sabbath and each good day is governed by a different Sefira. That quality governs at that time, and all the Sefirot are included in it because all ten Sefirot are included in each Sefira, and they are all named after the ruling Sefira. In Hesed, it is Hassadim, and in Gevura, it is Gevurot. If the ruling Sefira is Hesed, all ten Sefirot included in it are called Hassadim. And if the ruling Sefira is Gevura, all ten Sefirot in her are Gevurot, and so it is in each quality that governs.
48) “And Isaac spoke unto Abraham his father, and said, ‘My father.’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ And he said, ‘Here is the fire.’” Why was “And he said,” said three times of Isaac, and one “And he said” in Abraham? Isaac’s three “And he said” were corresponding to the three days of the act of creation, and corresponding to the fourth day in the act of creation is Abraham’s one “And he said.” It is written, “Here I am, my son.” And when it is not written, “And Abraham said, ‘Here I am, my son,’” it indicates that he told him, “Here I am” out of pressure. It corresponds to the words, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven.” There, too, “Lights” is written without a Vav [in Hebrew], indicating the complaining of the moon.
49) The words, “And he said,” that are written in this portion are more. Why does he interpret only four “And he said”? The other “And he said” that are written in the portion are concealed in thought; they are from the right, which extends from upper AVI, who are called “thought,” who are blocked, meaning Hassadim that are covered from Hochma. These four “And he said,” however, appear in Hochma out of the darkness, disclosure of Hochma of the left line, which appears only with the darkness and the Dinim that extend from there. “And Isaac spoke unto Abraham” corresponds to the words, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”
“And he said, ‘My father,’” corresponds to the words, “And God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water, and let it separate between water and water.’” “And he said, ‘Here is the fire’” corresponds to the words, “And God said, ‘Let the water be gathered.’” “And he said, ‘Here I am’” corresponds to the words, “And God said, ‘Let there be lights.’”
“And he said” is a phrasing of bestowal. “And Isaac spoke unto Abraham” is inclusion of Isaac—left line—and disclosure of Hochma in Abraham, who is the right line and Hassadim. And this is the meaning of, “And there was light,” on the first day of the act of creation. Of the inclusion of the left, which is the second day, in the first day, the right line, it was said, “Let there be light,” on the first day. Thus, “And Isaac spoke unto Abraham,” who is the inclusion of left in right, is the words, “Let there be light, and there was light,” on the first day in the act of creation.
“And he said, ‘My father,’” is separation, for he knew the right line as his root and as upper water, and he himself was a son and a branch to the right line, the lower water. This is why it corresponds to the words, “And God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate between waters and waters.’”
“And he said, ‘Here is the fire and the wood.’” This is the appearance of the Dinim on the left line, which are called “fire and wood,” which correspond to the words, “And let the dry land appear,” on the third day. This is so because due to the appearance of the Dinim of the left line, Malchut became dry, unable to bear fruit. Thus, “And he said, ‘Here is the fire and the wood’” corresponds to “And let the dry land appear.”
“And he said, ‘Here I am.’” In Abraham, Hesed, it is not mentioned that he had to say, “And Abraham said, ‘Here I am, my son.’” This indicates that at that time the left was ruling without the right, Abraham. This corresponds to the words, “Let there be lights,” without the Vav, Hassadim, since at that time the left was governing without right. This is why the moon, who was without Hassadim that extend only from the right, complained. Thus, “And he said, ‘Here I am, my son’” corresponds to the words, “Let there be lights” on the fourth day.
50) “A perpetual fire shall burn on the altar; it shall not go out.” This is the Torah, which is called “fire.” It was said about it, “‘Is not My word like fire’ declares the Lord?” meaning that it should always shine on the altar, on Malchut. “It will not go out.” Of course the fire of Torah will not go out, since a transgression does not put out the Torah, but a transgression puts out a Mitzva, and one who commits a transgression puts out a Mitzva, which is called “a candle.” Thus, one puts out one’s candle from one’s body, meaning the soul, of which it was said, “Man’s soul is God’s candle.” This is putting out, since the body remains in the dark.
Thus, one whose actions cause the departure of Divinity from her place, causes putting out and darkness to that place. And a transgression is darkness, as it is written, “And a handmaid that is heir to her mistress,” since the transgression, which is the handmaid and the darkness, will inherit the place of the mistress, Divinity, who has departed from her place.
51) And the ascension of a Mitzva from the uneducated, who has no Torah, for him the transgression puts out the Mitzva to keep the words, “But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness” for him. However, among those with Torah, the Mitzva is never put out in them because they illuminate to the Mitzva with several secrets of the Torah. This is so because light is called Raz [secret], for light is 207 in Gematria [same as Raz]. This implies that the secrets of Torah are lights and the Mitzvot of the Torah that the sages keep are regarded by them as the Torah. It is as it is written, “It will not be quenched night or day,” since they keep in it what is written, “You shall meditate on it day and night.”
29) The Mitzva that follows it is to make the sin according to its law. Tanna’im and Amora’im, you who come from the qualities of the Creator, who so exerted to clean up My daughter, which is the law, Malchut, from the Klipot of the mixed multitude, which are the evil questions that cannot be settled or answered, and of whom it is said, “That which is crooked cannot be straightened and that which is lacking cannot be counted,” but were considered undecided in the law, and any indecision in prohibition is resolved toward harshness. It is a Tiko [draw/indecision], lacking Nun, implying that it has no Tikkun. It is lacking the Nun, which is the next world, Bina, who has fifty gates. This is so because Tiko in the next world is Shetika [silence], as in “Shtok [Silence (imperative form)], thus I have conceived.” This means that the correction for it is silence, as the Creator said to Moses, “Silence,” which is a Tiko that in the next world, with a Nun, is a Tikkun.
30) There are questions that are garments of Halachah [code of law], Malchut. It was said of them, “squares of gold,” as it is written, “The King’s daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is interwoven with gold.” This is so because the questions are Dinim, which are regarded as engravings, like the squares, and they became garments for Malchut. Those Dinim cause the disclosure of the Hochma and thus the squares of gold, since gold points to disclosure of Hochma from the left. And you, the Amora’im, determine the garments of the squares in several sentences, and then you correct and settle them in several settlements.
31) And if some chapter is missing from the Mishnah, you correct it. In the places where it says in the Gemarah, “Indeed it is lacking and so he learns,” it is a lack that can be counted. And should some fool come and bring a bad name to that craftsman who cuts the clothes and says, “But is the Torah deficient, saying about the Mishnah that it is indeed lacking? After all, it is written, ‘The law of the Lord is whole,’ complete with all the organs of the body, which are the 248 positive Mitzvot. And it is written, ‘You are all beautiful, my wife, and there is not a flaw in you.’ And she is complete in her garments, so how will it be lacking from the Mishnah?”
32) It replies, “You will tell him, ‘Be precise and find the missing piece. You will find it mingled with the rest of the verses and the paragraphs.’” Such is the way of Torah: it is poor in this place and rich in another place. The way of the craftsman is to cut the clothes into several pieces and the absence in this place fills another place, and a student who is not proficient in tying the laws in these pieces, which are elsewhere, the verses and paragraphs become mixed up for him and he cannot answer them until the craftsman comes and answers all their doubts. At that time, the law, which is the daughter, Malchut, rises before the king complete in everything: in body, in clothes, and in jewelry, and the words, “Then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant,” will come true. And sometimes the craftsman has a well versed erudite disciple, who sends for them to correct them, meaning Elijah.
33) They all rose up and said, “Moses, you must be the craftsman, for it was said of you, ‘Moses received the Torah out of Sinai,’ and henceforth, all are your disciples, from Joshua to the end of all the generations.” This is the meaning of what we learn, “And he handed it to Joshua, and Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, through the last of them.” Who is a well-versed disciple of yours? After all, it was said, “All will be laid down until Elijah comes.” Thus, Elijah is your well-versed disciple.
34) He told them, “Indeed, so it is, for Elijah is a student friend. It is written about him, “Pinehas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest,” as it was said that Pinehas is Elijah. And as it was said of Aaron, “He will be as a mouth for you,” so his son, Elijah, will be as a mouth for me—he will establish the oral Torah. This is so because as I was initially “Slow of speech and slow of tongue,” at the time of the end of correction, the Creator will raise me slow of speech in the oral Torah, and slow of tongue in the written Torah, so those who did not know me will not say it is another. It is written about it, “The dead are destined to rise with their flaws so it will not be said, ‘It is another.’” And Elijah will be as a mouth for me. He will come to mend all those doubts and answer them.
35) At that time, it was said, “This is the law of the burnt offering, meaning the daughter, Malchut, who is called “This” and “Torah,” who was trampled over and lowly in the exile. The burnt offering rises on all the degrees above, as it is written, “Many daughters have done valiantly, but you have excelled them all.” Her ascent will be to Aba, to the right, to Hesed, of whom they said, “He who wishes to grow wise should go south.” Hesed is in the south and Hochma [wisdom] comes from there, since in Gadlut, HGTdeZA became HBD, HeseddeZA became Hochma, Aba, and hence Hochma is from the south, Hesed, from which comes Hochma, which is the letters Koach MA [“power,” MA respectively]. ZA is HaVaYaH of Alephs, which is 45 in Gematria. And Hesed, which became Hochma, is its force.
36) Indeed, for this reason it was said in Moses, “Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right of Moses,” since his bride, called “an arm of magnificence [Tifferet],” will have wholeness only in her. This is so because when he is whole in her, in Malchut, it is said of him, “With him I speak mouth to mouth, in plain view, and not in riddles.” “In plain view” is as a bride undresses from her garments and unites with her husband in proximity of flesh in her 248 organs and does not cover even one of her organs. This is “In plain view,” which amounts to 248.
All the questions, which are the Dinim, are in the clothes of Malchut, which are called “squares of gold.” This is so because when she discloses the Hochma on the left line, from Bina that returned to Hochma, she dresses in those garments so the outer ones will not be able to suckle from her. However, when she unites with the right—with the Hochma on the right line, Hesed that became Hochma, who is Aba, as it is written, “Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right of Moses?”—she undresses from all these garments because the disclosure of light of Hassadim needs no clothing as there is no grip there to the outer ones. Also, the light of Hochma on the right line, which is upper AVI, is the light of Hassadim, called “pure air.”
“She undresses from her garments and unites with her husband” means that when she is to Moses’ right, there is no fear of external ones, and she unites with Moses, ZA—her husband—without any clothes, in proximity of flesh in her 248 organs, meaning with disclosure of her Hassadim, called “248 organs,” corresponding to the 248 positive Mitzvot, which are Hassadim. And the 365 tendons correspond to 365 negative Mitzvot, which are Gevurot from the left line. And when it was said, “In plain view,” which is 248 in Gematria, it is to show that she discloses the sight of Hochma on the right line, as in the 248 organs of Hassadim.
37) First, this sight appeared to Moses, of which it was said, “In plain view,” meaning Malchut, which is to him, the great vision in the bush. The bush is mentioned five times in the Bible, corresponding to the five Behinot [discernments] KHBTM in her garments, which extend from the left, as it is written, “In a blazing fire from the midst of a bush,” etc.. And now this vision appeared to him in the 248 positive Mitzvot, in Hassadim, which are in the Five Books of Moses, in five BehinotKHBTMdeZA, who is called “Torah.”
It is written, “And not in riddles,” which are her garments, extending from the left line, in which all the prophets saw. This is so because it is not the conduct of the bride, Malchut, to be disclosed in proximity of flesh, without the garments that extend from the left, except to her bridegroom, Moses, who was looking at the illuminating mirror, from Hassadim deZA. But the rest of the prophets were looking at a mirror that is not illuminating, in her garments, which are called “riddles,” as well as “squares of gold.” And she was not seen without these garments.
38) At that time, the words, “And they were both naked, the man and his woman,” will come true in them, in ZA, who is called “Moses,” and in Malchut, “And they were not ashamed,” as were Adam and his woman prior to the sin. This is so because the mixture of bad, the mixed multitude, the evil question, meaning evil Dinim, has already been removed from the world.
This is the nakedness of the Creator and His Divinity, the nakedness of Israel. Even more so, it is the nakedness of Moses. They are nakedness from your law, Malchut, for which the secrets of Torah must be covered, as it is written, “The glory of God is to conceal a matter” until He removes it from the world. Also, there are no kings but Israel, as it is written, “All of Israel are the children of kings.” At the time of the end of correction, it is said, “And the glory of kings, which are Israel, is to explore a matter.” The loyal shepherd, Moses, said, “Blessed are you for the AtikYomin [ancient of days], Keter, as from there you are as a branch that spreads from the tree,” and so are the souls branches from Him.
39) Moses, the loyal shepherd, said to the Tana’im and to the Amora’im, “Certainly, the offering, the sin, and the blame are three Mitzvot, three fathers,” meaning HGT. Complete is the queen, Malchut, who is an organ of ZA, his tenth Sefira, completing each organ of ZA, since Malchut was taken from ZA and was built into a complete Partzuf.
It follows that ZA is lacking the Sefira of Malchut, and as it is generally lacking from the Malchut, it is lacking from her in each of his elements, since each particular Sefira consists only of nine Sefirot, and not of ten. Hence, when the Malchut rises and joins ZA, she complements each of his elements into ten Sefirot, complementing each of his organs. It is similar to the first day of a festival, when the offering for seeing is sacrificed, by which the Malchut rises and complements each of the organs of ZA into ten Sefirot.
40) One who did not celebrate the first good day of a festival, who did not bring a vision-offering and a festival-offering to unite the Malchut with ZA, once the festival is over and he did not bring, it is said about him, “That which is crooked cannot be straightened and that which is lacking cannot be counted.” This is a Hatat, a sin that detains the offering, for by not bringing the vision-offering, he detained the ascent of Malchut to ZA, which is the offering [Ola means both “offering” and “rising” in Hebrew].
Het [sin] is male and Hatat [another word for sin] is female, and both have the same meaning. Sometimes the Hatat is perfumed, meaning the sin, and departs from the offering, no longer detaining the Malchut from ascending—through a male goat—as it is said, “And one male goat for a sin offering,” that is, if he brings a sin offering, a sacrifice. Malchut rises to ZA and to Bina through the right line, Hassadim. Hatat means the sins that make the left line prevail over the right. They quench one another and Malchut cannot rise to ZA. Through the sin offering, the left line is corrected into being included in the right, and Malchut can rise to ZA.
41) The iniquity that brings hanging guilt with it grips to both of them, as one who grips to both and hangs between them in the middle, blemishing the middle line, which includes right and left. Everything hangs until Elijah arrives and separates Malchut from the Klipot. This will be at the end of correction.
Thus, the hanging blame grips to both of them, blemishing the right and the left until the Sitra Achra is given his food and bribery with a hanging blame-offering that he sacrifices. At that time, the Sitra Achra will part from there and the organs of the bride, the two lines—right and left—of Malchut will draw near to one another. This is so because such are the blames and the sins, like attachments that cling to the lung—membranes that attach the lobes of the lungs to each other and do not let Malchut fly and rise up to ZA, to blow in the spirit [Ruach] of holiness.
42) A lamb is for an offering, as it is written, “An unblemished male lamb,” meaning whole, for it is an offering, which is on the right. Is a lamb to the right and a male goat to the left, as it is written, “One male goat for a sin-offering,” where Izim [goats] indicate Dinim Azim [fierce Dinim], which are on the left? There is a male goat and there is a male goat. One male goat is for the Lord, and one male goat is for Azazel, as it is written, “And Aaron placed lots on the two male goats, one lot for the Lord and one lot for Azazel.” In the male goat for Azazel, it is said of Esau “A hairy man” [in Hebrew, Seir means both “male-goat” and “hairy”]. It is considered heavy, taking and sucking all the yeast in the blood, which are boils, scabbiness, psoriasis, and every kind of leprosy.
It is written about it, “The male goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a deserted land.” “Their iniquities” has the letters of “Iniquities of a whole one” [in Hebrew], being the heart, which is called “whole.” At that time, he parts from mingling with the heart, which is Malchut, and then he is perfumed. And he, Azazel, is heavy with those iniquities that he carries on him. He is not light, able to rise up to Jacob, who is a whole man, ZA.
43) A male goat for Azazel is on the left. But where does the blame hang?
44) The right and left, HG, grip to the middle pillar, like a body that grip between one’s two arms, or like an eagle that two wings grip to it—by which to fly—since the face of an eagle is the middle line in the four animals, which include right and left. And like a dove, Malchut, that two wings cling to her, where she is compared to the Torah, and her wings to the positive Mitzvot, right and Hassadim, by which she rises and flies upward to ZA, similarly, the negative Mitzvot, which are left and Dinim—her traps—are like birds that cling to a tin, and all her traps that detain her from flying up to ZA and to Bina. These are called “the attachments,” meaning membranes that cling to the lobes of the lungs. These membranes detain the lobes of the lung from breathing [in Hebrew, Kenafaim means both “lobes” and “wings”].
45) Such is the blame. Israel grip to the wings of Divinity, which are the animals that carry the throne, the Hatat that hinders the rising of Malchut in them to the Creator, ZA, through the merits of Israel, whose sins detain her and make the wings heavy. The blame is the mother of the mixed multitude, an attachment that clings to the throne where the queen is, and not only to the wings, like the Hatat. She does not leave her to rise from the exile.
And the merits that Israel perform cling to her to raise her from the exile, hence she remains in the air, like an attachment that is hanging in the air. This air is the middle pillar, and she hangs like an attachment in the middle line, ZA, due to the blame, and she cannot unite with him except through a blame-offering. This is why it is called “a hanging blame,” for it is hanging in the air. Thus, blame depends on the righteous, YesoddeZA, where he blemishes, and where he corrects the guilt-offering. He is gripped between heaven and earth, hanging between ZA and Malchut, hence it is called “a hanging blame.”
The place of the Hatat is on the left. It blemishes the wings of Divinity, the animals that carry the throne, the Malchut, and not the throne itself. But the place of the blame is in the middle line, in Tifferet or in Yesod, and it blemishes the throne itself.
46) Hatat is the surplus of the liver, since it lies heavy on Malchut with sins from the filth of the iniquities of Israel. As the liver lies heavy on the yeast, which is the blood, on the arteries of the heart, those sins lie heavy on the wings of Divinity, which are the positive Mitzvot, which are similar to the wings of a dove. The negative lie heavy on the positive. When the iniquities of Israel are more than the merits, it is said in the Torah, which is a body, ZA, “And it will cast truth to the ground,” and Malchut yells, “The Lord has given me into the hands of those against whom I am unable to stand.” “She has fallen, she will not rise again.”
47) For this reason, the Tanna’im and Amora’im established prayers instead of offerings, to remove the sins and blames from the Malchut. And for this reason, they established the morning prayer, as a morning offering, and the noon prayer as a twilight offering, and the evening prayer as the internal organs and tallow that would be consumed upon the altar all through the night. And the three patriarchs, who established three prayers corresponding to the Merkava [assembly], HGT, to which they are tied, as it is written, “The patriarchs are the Merkava,” which are the face of a lion, to the right, Hesed, the face of an ox, Gevura, and the face of an eagle, Tifferet, corresponding to which there are three prayers.
18) Happy are the righteous in this world and in the next world, who know the ways of Torah, and who follow it on the path of truth. It is written about them, “The Lord, by them they live.” “By them” are the ways of Torah. “Live” means that they will exist in this world and in the next world.
19) It is written, “This is the law of the burnt-offering.” “This is the law” is the assembly of Israel, Malchut. “The burnt-offering” rises and is crowned up above to connect, up to the place called “the holy of holies,” Bina.
20) “This is the law” is the assembly of Israel, Malchut. “The burnt-offering” is an evil thought that comes up in one’s thought to divert him from the way of truth. It is the burnt-offering that rises and slanders a person, and must be burned in fire to not allow it to slander.
21) This is why it is written, “On its firewood upon the altar all night.” “Night” is the assembly of Israel, Malchut, which comes to purify the man from that desire. “On its firewood,” since the river of fire is a place to burn all those who are not present in their existence, the Sitra Achra, for they are taken through the burning fire and their governance is removed from the world. To prevent it from ruling, it must be “On its firewood upon the altar all night,” and then it surrenders and does not rule.
22) Hence, when the Sitra Achra surrenders, the assembly of Israel, Malchut, rises. This is the spirit of holiness, for she rises and crowns above because her ascent is while that other force surrenders and parts from her. This is the reason why an offering is needed, to separate the Sitra Achra from the spirit of holiness, Malchut, and to give her a part, so the spirit of holiness will rise upward.
23) “And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning in it; it shall not go out, and the priest shall kindle wood on it first thing in the morning.” Fire is Din [judgment]. The priest comes from the right side, far from the Din. The priest is never present in Din, and here he must light up the Din in the world, for he must burn the wood, as it is written, “And the priest shall kindle wood on it.”
24) A person who comes to sin before his Master burns himself in the flame of the evil inclination. The evil inclination comes from the side of the spirit of impurity. But the spirit of impurity is in him. Also, it is known that sometimes his offering comes from this side—a goat that must be sacrificed on the altar, which is akin to a sinner. It is not consumed and does not revoke that spirit of impurity, neither from the sinful person nor from that side from which it comes, but only in the fire of the altar. This fire uproots the spirit of impurity and evil kinds from the world, and the priest intends it—to establish the fire to clear out evil kinds from the world. This is why it requires a priest to do it, since he is from the right, and the right clears out the left.
25) Hence, it must never be put out, but an eternal fire must burn in it so that power and might in it will not wane and it will be able to break the power of the other, evil force from the world. This is why it is written, “It shall not go out,” and the priest will set up the fire on it “First thing in the morning,” when his side governs, for in the morning, the right side governs and awakens in the world, to perfume the world by setting up the fire on the altar. Thus, the Dinim [judgments] will surrender and will not awaken in the world.
We learned about it that there is fire that consumes fire. This is because the fire above, of Malchut, consumes another fire. The fire of the altar consumes another fire, that of the other side. For this reason, this fire will never go out and the priest sets it up each day.
26) It is a Mitzva [commandment/good deed] to make the offering according to the rule. It is said about it, “This is the law of the burnt offering.” Five kinds of fire would come down upon the offering:
Fire that eats but does not drink;
Fire that drinks but does not eat;
Fire that eats and drinks;
Fire that eats moist and dry;
Fire that neither eats nor drinks.
Opposite that are:
This is the law of the burnt offering;
That which goes up on its firewood;
Upon the altar;
All night
And by which the fire of the altar burns.
The five Dinim are called “five fires.” Three are in HGT above the Chazeh, extending from the three sowings, called Holam, Shuruk, and Hirik, and two are from the Chazeh down—the first is in NH and Yesod, extending from the Masach at the point of Chazeh, and the second is in Malchut.
The Dinim in the three lines, HGT above the Chazeh, are considered fire that does not burn but only eats, meaning that it extends Hassadim. But the two fires from the Chazeh and below burn the external ones. It is known that extending Hassadim is called “eating,” and extension of the Hochma on the left line is called drinking.
Fire that eats and does not drink is the Dinim on the right line, extending from the point of Holam, which eats, extending the Mochin deHassadim. And does not drink means that it does not extend Hochma.
Fire that drinks and does not eat is the Dinim on the left line, which extend from the point of Shuruk, which drinks, meaning that it extends Mochin deHochma and does not eat, meaning that it does not extend Hassadim because the left is Hochma without Hassadim.
Fire that eats and drinks is the Dinim on the middle line—which extend from the point of Hirik—which eats, meaning extends Hassadim, as well as drinks, meaning extends Hochma, as well, since it consists of both lines—right and left—and has the merit of both of them. Thus far it refers to above the Chazeh.
However, below the Chazeh there is fire that eats moist and dry, meaning the Dinim in NHY, which extend from the Masach in the Chazeh, which eats and burns the Klipot on the right, which are moist, having some moisture of light. It eats and burns the Klipot on the left, which are completely dry. Also, there is fire that neither eats nor drinks. This is the Dinim in Malchut that do not extend any light, neither of Hochma nor of Hassadim, since Malchut itself has no light at all, except that which ZA gives to her.
And opposite that are the five divisions in the verse, “This is the law of the burnt offering”:
“This is the law of the burnt offering” is the right line, Hesed, opposite the first fire.
“It is that which goes up on its firewood” is the left line, Gevura, opposite the second fire. This is why “Its firewood” is mentioned here.
“Upon the altar” is the middle line, Tifferet, since the altar is Malchut, and on the altar is above the altar, Tifferet, corresponding to the third fire.
“All night” is the Masach that governs from the Chazeh down, which belongs to Malchut, who is called “night,” corresponding to the fourth fire.
“And by which the fire of the altar burns” is the Din of Malchut herself, who is called “altar,” corresponding to the fifth fire.
27) An offering rises entirely to the high one. This is Bina, the first Hey of HaVaYaH. She is named so after her five mirrors, the five fires that extend from Bina to ZON. Yod is an only daughter, the pupil of the eye, Malchut, of whom it was said, “The appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire.” However, for itself, Malchut is fire that neither eats nor drinks, but Vav, Tifferet, the middle line, eats and drinks; he is the light of the pupil of the eye.
And when Malchut receives from Vav, she is also fire that drinks all the waters of the Torah and eats all the offerings in the prayer, receiving from the Vav all three fires of HGT that are included in it. She also receives from the fourth fire in NHY, of the Vav from the Chazeh and below. Hence, she eats moist and dry, like the fourth fire. She continues the literals of the Torah, which are as dry wood, and extends the secrets of the Torah, which are as moist wood. By burning the Klipot on the left, which are dry, the literals of the Torah are extended. And by burning the Klipot on the right, which are moist, the secrets of Torah are extended. This is the fire that eats moist and dry.
28) We should interpret “Eats moist” as all the offerings that are offered for the positive Mitzvot [commandments to perform some action], through the prayer, as in, “So will we render for bullocks the offering of our lips.” “Eats dry” refers to all the offerings that were offered during prayer, for the negative Mitzvot [commandments to avoid certain actions], the one for which the punishment is four deaths: stoning, burning, killing, and suffocating.
These are the offerings for the positive Mitzvot and for the negative Mitzvot. These are the offerings of Divinity, which is called “prayer,” coming for the positive and negative Mitzvot. And opposite those five mirrors, which extend from Bina, five prayers have been established on Yom Kippur [Day of Atonement]. Opposite the pupil of the eye, the Malchut, Yod, are the ten penitential days. The first Hey of HaVaYaH is the light of the pupil of the eye, which extend to her from the Vav. The five torments on Yom Kippur, when they do not eat or drink, correspond to the bottom Hey of HaVaYaH, Malchut herself, which neither eats nor drinks.
11) The tie of everything is tied in the holy of holies, in Bina, to illuminate. How high does the Dvekut of the desire of the priests and the Levites and Israel rise?
12) Their Dvekut rises through Ein Sof because any connection and unity and perfection is to conceal in humbleness, which is unattained and unknown, and in which there is the desire of all desires. Ein Sof is not about to become known or to become finite, nor is it to be a beginning. It is not like Ein [naught/nil], Keter, the first, who elicited a Rosh [head/beginning] and a Sof [end]. Rosh is the uppermost point, the hidden Rosh of everything, which stands within the thought, Hochma, who is called Resheet [beginning]. Also, Hochma was emanated from the Keter, who is called Ein, and made Sof, Malchut, who is called “the end of the matter.” But in Ein Sof, there is no Sof [end].
13) There are neither desires nor lights, nor candles in Ein Sof. All those lights and candles in Atzilut depend on Ein Sof. They exist in them but they are not to be attained. Those that are known and unknown, that can be spoken of in terms of knowing are but the high, concealed desire, which is called Ein, Keter, but in Ein Sof, there is no knowing whatsoever.
14) When the uppermost point, Hochma, and the next world, Bina, rise in their illumination, they know only scent, VAKdeHochma, and not GARdeHochma, as one who smells a scent and is perfumed. This is not considered contentment, which is considered fragrances, as it is written, “And I will not smell your sweet odors.” Thus, scent and fragrance are two things. A fragrance means the smell of the desire, meaning all those desires of prayer, the desire for singing, and the will of the priest. All of them are man, and then they all become one will, and that one is called “fragrance,” desire. Then, everything connects and illuminates together as it should.
15) This is the reason why this other side was given to the priest, as it is written, “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the burnt-offering.’” A command is always idolatry, Sitra Achra. And here it was made possible for him to burn that evil thought and remove it from the Kedusha [holiness] by that desire that rises up, with that smoke and with those burning milks, to remove them from the holiness. And that command, the Sitra Achra, stands in their authority to separate him from the holiness through this sacrifice.
However, it is written, “Command the children of Israel.” How can it be interpreted that “command” is the Sitra Achra? The Sitra Achra stood in their authority, for as long as Israel do their Maker’s will, the Sitra Achra cannot govern them.
16) “Command Aaron” comes to crown that spirit of holiness up above, separate the spirit of impurity and lower it down from Israel by desire and prayer, and from the priests in the act of sacrificing the sacrifice, each by what is appropriate for him.
17) This verse proves about them, for it is written, “Command Aaron and his sons, saying.” “Command” is idolatry, the spirit of impurity. “Saying” is a woman who is regarded as fearing the Creator, Malchut. This is why everything was said to crown the Malchut and to lower the Sitra Achra. And the priest is poised to correct everything, as it is written, “Man and beast You deliver, O Lord.”
6) “Man and beast You deliver, O Lord.” Thus, man rises from the side of man through the desire and the prayer. And a beast, from the side of the beast, is sacrificed on the altar. This is why it is written, “If any man of you brings an offering.” Indeed, man’s offering is of the desire and the prayer, to tie a connection above, as man, and then from the beast. It is all in the verse, “Man and beast You deliver, O Lord,” that man’s offering and an offering of a beast are required. This is what the Creator did when He created the world—man and beast.
7) But it is written, “Let birds fly above the earth.” Sacrifices are made of them, and even burnt-offerings, as it is written, “But if his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering from the turtledoves or from young pigeons.” Thus, with birds, it is not quite as you say about the beast. Of all the fowls, only turtledoves and young pigeons are sacrificed. However, what is kosher [qualified/permissible] in one is disqualified in the other. The red is kosher in turtledoves and disqualified in young pigeons. The young pigeons are right [side]; turtledoves are left. Hence red is kosher in it because it implies to the left.
8) “Let birds fly above the earth” are the Merkava [assembly]—angels Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael—who are called “fowl.” The spirit of holiness, Malchut, rises in them, ascending above to ZA for a Zivug. They are two—one to the right and one to the left, “birds” to the right, Michael, and “will fly” to the left, Gabriel.
9) This is why two are sacrificed—turtledoves and young pigeons, Michael and Gabriel—to elevate the spirit of holiness, Malchut, to ZA. And the left of ZA crowns and feeds below, to that left side of Malchut, and the right to the right. And a woman connects to her husband, Malchut in ZA, to become one, and everything rises and connects together above and below, and the Creator rises and is sublime alone.
10) The poor, who sacrificed turtledoves and young pigeons, does not give a share to nourish the worlds, but to unite above. However, everything is above and below, each connecting to his side.
1) “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the burnt-offering.’” This burnt-offering elevates and connects the assembly of Israel above, and its Dvekut [adhesion] with the next world, Bina, thus making everything one, in one connection, in joy. And because it rises up to Bina, it is written, “This is the law,” male and female together, ZA and Malchut, written Torah and oral Torah, rising in love to Bina, since “this” is Malchut, the oral Torah, and “law” is ZA, the written Torah.
2) When the north side awakens, Gevura de [of] ZA, the left line, it is written, “His left is under my head,” meaning that Malchut receives from the left line of ZA. Then the Malchut rises with love and crowns in the right of ZA, Hesed, and connects in the middle line, in the middle line of ZA, Tifferet deZA, and everything shines from within the holy of holies, Bina. This is from within man, by the will of the priests, the right line, and with a prayer of Israel, the middle line, and the song of the Levites, the left line.
3) A burnt-offering is the holy of holies, the upper Ruach, Bina, since three Ruchot [plural of Ruach] are tied together in the offering:
A) The lower Ruach is called “the spirit of holiness,” Malchut.
B) The Ruach in the middle is called “the spirit of Hochma and Bina [wisdom and understanding], ZA, a son to Hochma and Bina. Also, it is called the lower Ruach, since it is lower compared to Bina. However, this Ruach comes out of the Shofar [horn] that consists of fire and water.
C) The upper Ruach is hidden in secret, Bina, and all the holy Ruchot exist in it. Also, all the Panim [faces] shine from it and hence the burnt-offering returns to the actual Ruach.
4) Afterwards, the external ones are satiated and settle for the beast that is offered, to connect another Ruach [spirit/wind] in Kedusha [holiness], which is within them, inside the impurity, through the tallow and the fat that they sacrifice. For this reason, the offering is the holy of holies. The rest of the sacrifices are to make peace in the whole world, from several sides, and to remove the litigants in the world and illuminate out of the desire to be perfumed. They are called “light holies” [as in light-weight] because they are not crowned above in the holy of holies, which is Bina. Hence, they are light holies and their slaughter is in any place. However, an offering that is the holy of holies is not as the rest of the sacrifices, for all its deeds are holiness.
5) “And the priest shall put on his linen garment.” These are special garments for Kedusha [holiness]: Bad [cloth/linen], like Badad [alone/isolated], which is dedicated to Kedusha. It is written, “And he shall bathe his flesh in water and wear them.” Holy is the holy of holies, when everything rises and crowns in the holy of holies, Bina, in one connection. Afterwards, the spirit of impurity, which defiles everything, passes away and does not govern or approach the Temple. It passes from all the sides of Kedusha and everything remains only in holiness.
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448) “My heart is for the governors of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people, bless the Lord.” All the willingness and all the heart that a man needs to extend blessings from above downwards to unite the Holy Name, he needs to extend in a prayer to the Creator, willingly and with the intention of the heart, from a deep stream, Bina. It is written about it, “Out of the depths have I called You, O Lord,” where it is the depth of all in the high valleys, which are the high beginning, where AVI—Hochma and Bina in Bina—mate. Here, too, “My heart is for the governors of Israel” refers to AVI, who are the governors that give Mochin to the holy Israel, ZA, who extends from between them.
449) “That offered themselves willingly among the people” are the patriarchs, HGTdeZA, who are called “princes,” as it is written, “The princes of the peoples are gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham,” meaning the patriarchs that extend from Abraham, HeseddeZA. Then, “Bless the Lord,” extend blessings from Him downwards and there will be blessings in the whole world.
This is so because when there are blessings from above in this world below, everything is in gladness, all is in perfection, since no light is complete unless when it is extended down to this world. Happy are Israel for the Creator imparts upon them blessings and listens to their prayer. It is written about them, “When He has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and has not despised their prayer.”
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444) “Drip down, O heavens, from above.” “Drip down” is like “Let my teaching drop as the rain.” He says it concerning the rain, which is food for all. Hence, all the eyes in the world look to the Creator for nourishment because He gives nourishments to all and feeds all, as it is written, “The eyes of all wait for You.”
445) And should you say that it depends on a place called “heavens,” ZA, we learned that nourishment does not depend on merit. Also, we said that merit is Tzedakah, which is ZA, since the translation of Tzedakah is merit, and merit and heavens are one and the same. Thus, it does not depend on the heavens, ZA. But here it writes, “Drip down, O heavens.” It writes, “From above,” from heaven above. This means that it comes from the holy Atik, who is AA, from which the nourishment extends, and not from the place called “heavens” and called “merit,” but rather precisely from above.
446) This is so because when the heavens, ZA, receive the food from above—from a high place that is on him, meaning AA, from Dikna, which is called “fortune”—then “The skies shall pour down righteousness.” The sky is the place where MAN for the righteous is grinded; it is Netzah and Hod. They grind MAN for the righteous, for that place called Tzadik [righteous], Yesod. This is so because they grind MAN that comes from above, from AA, and all that bounty gathers within them to give to the degree called Tzadik, Yesod, so that Tzedek, Malchut, will be blessed by that dripping of theirs. This is why they grind MAN for the righteous. The righteous are Tzadik and Tzedek, Joseph and Rachel, Yesod and Malchut. When they mate, they are called Tzadikim [plural of Tzadik, righteous].
447) Those Netzah and Hod grind MAN for the righteous, Tzadik and Tzedek, and this is why it writes “The skies,” Netzah and Hod, “Shall pour down Tzedek [righteousness].” Then the earth below shall open, “That they may bring forth salvation,” meaning the people of the world. “And righteousness shall spring up together,” meaning that all the Rachamim and all the goodness in the world will multiply, and nourishment for people will be abundant in the world. Then joy will be added to joy and all the worlds will be blessed.
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