READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNINGHT AND DAWN THURSDAY

Zohar for All. Introduction of The Book of Zohar. On the Night of the Bride

LESSON MATERIAL

Laila de Kalah [The Night of the Bride]

125) Rabbi Shimon was sitting and studying the Torah on the night when the bride, Malchut, unites with her husband. On that night, after which—on the day of Shavuot—the bride is to be with her husband under the Huppah [wedding canopy], all the friends, who are the members of the bridal chamber, must be with her and rejoice with her in the corrections that she is corrected, meaning to engage in Torah, from Torah to Prophets, from Prophets to Writings, the interpretations of the texts, and the secrets of the wisdom, for these are her corrections and adornments. The Bride and her maidens come and stand on their heads, and she is corrected in them and rejoices in them all through that night.

The next day, the day of Shavuot, she comes to the Huppah only with them. And these friends, who engage in the Torah all night long, are called “members of the Huppah.” And when she comes to the Huppah, the Creator asks about them, blesses them, and crowns them with the crowns of the bride. Happy are they.

Explanation: There are two meanings to it, which coincide.

1) The days of the exile are called “night,” since this is the time of the concealment of His face from the children of Israel. At that time, all the powers of separation of the servants of the Creator dominate, and yet, precisely at that time, the bride bonds with her husband—through Torah and Mitzvot of the righteous, who at that time, are regarded as those who hold the Torah. All the sublime degrees called “secrets of the Torah,” are revealed by them, since this is why they are called “those who make them,” for they seemingly make the Torah. It follows that the days of the exile are called “night,” in which the bride bonds with her husband, and all the friends, who are the members of the bridal chamber, are those who hold the Torah.

After the end of correction and the complete redemption, it is written, “For there shall be one day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, when in the evening time there will be light.” This is why it is written that on the next day, the bride is to be with her husband under the Huppah, for then BON will return to being SAG, MA will be AB, and AB is regarded as the next day and a new Huppah.

At that time, the righteous are called “members of the Huppah,” who engage in Torah, in whom there is no action, for then it is written, “And the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.” And since those righteous—through their good deeds—raise BON to being SAG by their extension of the fear from the past, they are regarded as making this new Huppah, and this is why they are called “members of the Huppah.”

2) The night of Shavuot is called “the night in which the bride bonds with her husband.” This is so because on the next day, she is destined to be with her husband under the Huppah, on the day of Shavuot, the day of the reception of the Torah. However, it is the same matter as the first explanation because on the day of the reception of the Torah, it was already the end of correction, as it is written, “He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces.” It is as it is written, “Harut [carved] on the tablets”; do not pronounce it Harut, but Herut [freedom], since freedom from the angel of death has come.

However, because of the sin of the calf, they corrupted the correction once again. Thus, the day of the reception of the Torah is the same matter as the end of correction. It follows that on the night prior to the reception of the Torah, all the couplings of the days of concealment in her ended, and this is why that night is regarded as the night in which the bride bonds with her husband, after which she is destined to be with her husband under the Huppah. This is the holiday of Shavuot, in which there is the end of correction in freedom from the angel of death, which is the time when the righteous—through their good deeds—make a new Huppah for the bride. It is easier for me to continue the explanation in the first form of explanation, and one who scrutinizes will be able to copy the words to the day of Shavuot, since they are the same issue.

All the friends who hold the Torah are called “members of the bridal chamber.” They need to adhere to the holy Shechina, who is called “bride,” through the whole of the night of the exile. This is so because then, during the days of the exile, she is corrected through those who hold the Torah with all those good deeds and Torah and Mitzvot that they do, until she is purified from good and evil. And she is available for those who engage in Torah, in whom there is nothing in the form of Assiya, but she is entirely good without evil.

Hence, those who hold the Torah—the members of the bridal chamber—must rejoice with her over this great correction that was done in the bride through them, and rejoice with her in the corrections that she is corrected, to engage in Torah, meaning in the corrections that come before us: from Torah to Prophets, from Prophets to Writings, the interpretations of the texts, and the secrets of the wisdom, which must be done with gladness.

It follows that all the degrees and disclosure of the secrets of Torah, which are the construction of the Shechina for the end of her correction, are done only by those who hold the Torah during the exile. Therefore, all those degrees and levels that come out during the exile are called “the corrections of the bride and her decorations.” These are the ones that it details from Torah to Prophets, from Prophets to Writings, the interpretations of the texts, and in the secrets of the wisdom. HGT is Torah; NH is Prophets; Malchut is Writings; Mochin of VAK that are extended to her are the interpretations of the texts, and Mochin of GAR that are extended to her are the secrets of the wisdom. This is so because all those corrections must be extended to the bride on that night, in which the bride is completed for the end of correction, which is the day of the Huppah.

“The Bride and her maidens come and stand on their heads, and she is corrected in them and rejoices in them all through that night.” The angels that clothe the posterior vessels of Malchut of the first state are called “maidens that serve the Shechina.” The Shechina stands on their heads—of those who hold the Torah—as it is said, “And on my head is the Shechina of God.” Along with her are the maidens that serve her, and she rejoices with them when she is corrected by them.

“[She] rejoices in them all through that night,” meaning that the entire period of corrections is called “night.” “On the next day, the day of Shavuot, she comes to the Huppah only with them,” meaning that on the day of the end of correction, the day of the Huppah, she will be able to enter the Huppah only with those who support the Torah, who built and established her as much as was needed—from Torah to Prophets, from Prophets to Writings, in the interpretations of the texts, and in the secrets of the wisdom. And this is why they are called “members of the Huppah.”

It is known that the end of correction will not bring anything new with it. Instead, through the upper light of Atik Yomin, all the MAN and MAD, all the couplings and the degrees that came out one at a time during the 6,000 years will gather into one coupling and one great and precious level. By this, everything will be corrected, and at that time, the bride will enter the Huppah.

And the Creator asks about them, about anyone who ever raised MAN for a high coupling, since he is seemingly sitting and waiting for all of them to assemble. Thus, He asks and waits for everyone. And once they gather, the coupling of Rav Pe’alim uMekabtze’el is done, and He blesses them and crowns them, meaning they are all blessed and crowned at once. And then, at the end of correction, they are called “the crowns of the bride.”

126) Rabbi Shimon and all the friends were singing in the song of the Torah. Each of them was making innovations in the Torah, and Rabbi Shimon was happy, and so were the rest of the friends. Rabbi Shimon told them, “My sons, happy are you, since tomorrow the bride will come to the Huppah only with you, since all those who are making the corrections of the bride on that night and rejoice in her will all be registered and written in the book of remembrance, and the Creator will bless them with seventy blessings and crowns from the upper world.”

Explanation: It is written, “It is in vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept His charge? Not only are the doers of wickedness built up, but they also test God and escape. Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, the Lord listened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. ‘They will be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘on the day that I do remedy.’” We should understand these words. When they said to each other and spoke such contemptible words among themselves, “It is in vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept His charge,” the prophet says about them, “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,” and moreover, they are written in the book of remembrance before Him.

In the end, when the great coupling of Atik Yomin, Rav Pe’alim uMekabtze’el, appears, a great light will appear in all the worlds. By that, every flesh shall completely repent out of love, and it is known that one who is rewarded with repentance from love, his sins become as merits.

This is why the prophet says about those wicked who said curses and swears among themselves, saying, “It is in vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept His charge.” On the great day of the end of correction, when the light of repentance from love appears, even the worst sins will become merits, and those who speak will be regarded as those who fear the Creator.

At the end of correction, as the prophet said, “‘They will be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘on the day that I do remedy,’” meaning on the day of the end of correction. For this reason, there is necessarily a book of remembrance before Him, in regard to the sins and transgressions that are done in the world, for He needs them for the day when He does remedy, for then they will become merits and will join and complete the level of light of the end of correction.

This is the meaning of what is written, “And a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name.” “‘They will be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘on the day that I do remedy, for I need them, to complete the level.’” This is why the prophet ends, “And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him, for then they will be precious to Me and dear to Me as though they were from among those who serve Me.”

“They will all be registered and written in the book of remembrance” comes to include, for even the sins that they committed will then be registered and written in the book of remembrance. And the Creator will write them as though they were merits, and as though they were serving Him in them, as the prophet wrote.

The number seventy implies to Mochin of Hochma and GAR, which are called “crowns.” A blessing is for light of Hassadim. The world was created in Bet, in Beracha [blessing], as it is written, “A world of Hesed [grace] will be built,” in VAK. It also says that at the end of correction, the light of Hassadim, too, will be in seventy crowns, like the Hochma, since MA and BON will rise to AB SAG, and this is the meaning of the Creator blessing them in seventy blessings and crowns from the upper world of AB SAG. Hence, at that time, the blessings, too, are regarded as the number seventy.

127) Rabbi Shimon opened and said, “The heavens tell the glory of God.” The bride awakens to enter the Huppah, for tomorrow; she is corrected and shines in her decorations with the friends, who rejoiced with her all through that night, and she is happy with them.

128) On the next day, several multitudes, armies, and camps gather to her, and she and all of them, all those armies and camps, wait for each of those who corrected her in the engagement in Torah on that night. When ZA and Malchut join together and Malchut sees her husband, ZA, it is written, “The heavens tell the glory of God.” “Heaven” is the bridegroom who enters the Huppah, ZA, who is called “heaven,” and “tell” means that they shine as the brightness of the sapphire, which shines and glows from the end of the world to the end of the world.

Explanation: The day of the end of correction is called “tomorrow,” as it is written, “To do them today and to receive the reward for them tomorrow.” The multitudes are the nations of the land that do not serve the Creator. The armies are the servants of the Creator, and the camps point to the upper camps, which are the angels that accompany the souls, as it is written, “For He will give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” And she and everyone wait for each one, for as the Creator asks about each one, so the Shechina waits for each one. Since ZA and Malchut joined together, Malchut sees her husband, since she cannot see her husband before they all gather and are dependent on each other.

Heaven is the groom who enters the Huppah [wedding canopy]. The Zohar explains that about the end of correction, of which it was written, “And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun.” It says that heaven is the groom who enters the Huppah because the Creator is called “heaven,” and at the time of the end of correction, He is called “a groom,” as it is written, “And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, your God will rejoice over you.”

Wherever it writes, “And the Lord came down,” it is a matter of judgment or of Gevura because it indicates to a descent from His greatness and sublimity, for “Strength and gladness are in His place.” However, at the end of correction—when all the flaws and sins are turned into merits, it will be made clear that all the descents were but ascents—the Creator will be called “a bridegroom,” and the holy Shechina will be called “a bride.”

Kalah [bride] comes from the word Kilui [end] of correction, as in “Now on the day that Moses had finished [Hebrew: Kalot] setting up the tabernacle,” meaning when he completed the work of the tabernacle, erecting it. The word Hatan [bridegroom] also indicates descent, as we learn, “Come down from your degree and marry a woman.” However, this descent is greater than all the prior ascents, for it is toward the bride—the Shechina at the end of correction.

A Huppah is a gathering and assembling of all the reflected light that came out over the MAN that the righteous raised in all those couplings of the Creator and His Shechina, which appeared one after the other during all days and times of the 6,000 years. Now they have all become a great, single light of reflected light that rises and hovers over the Creator and His Shechina, who are now called “groom and bride.” The reflected light hovers over them like a canopy [Huppah].

For this reason, at that time, the righteous are called “members of the Huppah,” for each one has a part in this Huppah, to the extent of the MAN that he raised to the screen in Malchut for raising reflected light. When it says, “heaven,” it is the bridegroom entering the Huppah. This refers to the time of the end of correction, at which time the Creator is called bridegroom who then enters his Huppah.

It says, “tell,” that they shine as the brightness of the sapphire, which shines and glows from the end of the world to the end of the world. “Tell” means the great coupling that will be in the future, from the words “A woman tells with her husband.” Sapphire is the name of the Shechina, from the words “And under His feet was as a pavement of sapphire.”

The brightness of the sapphire means the reflected light that she raises from below upwards. “Illuminating” refers to the direct light. “Shining” means reflected light, and through this great coupling that is done at the end of correction, which is a gathering from all the couplings, the direct light and reflected light in this coupling shine and glow from the end of the world to its end, as it is written, “The heavens tell.”

129) “The glory of God” is the glory of the bride, Malchut, who is called El [God]. It is written, “God is enraged every day.” On all days of the year, she is called “God,” and now on the festival of Shavuot, when she has already entered the Huppah, she is called “glory” and she is called “God,” which indicates glory over glory, light over light, and governance over governance.

The name “God” is the name of the great Hesed. It is written, “God is enraged every day.” This seems to be the opposite of Hesed. The thing is that it is as it is written, “And there was evening and there was morning, one day.” The holy Shechina is the small light for the governance of the night, and it is called “fear of heaven,” since the righteous must raise MAN by their awakening from below and correct her with the screen that raises reflected light. Then the abundance is drawn from above downwards and not otherwise.

It is written, “God has done so as to fear Him.” It is so because there cannot be awakening from below and raising of MAN without fear. This is why it is considered that she governs the night, since through the deficiency of the light, which is the night—which includes all the judgments and torments, which are opposite to the quality of day, Hesed—there is fear of Him. Were it not for the fear, the measure of day and morning would not appear.

It is written, “And there was evening and there was morning one day.” The night, too, enters in the morning, for were it not for the night, there would be no morning; it is impossible without it. It is written, “God is enraged every day” because the quality of Hesed, called “God” appears only through the night, considered enraged. And this is why anger is considered Hesed, too, for Hesed cannot appear any other way. In that sense, the holy Shechina is called “God,” as well.

The words “Glory of God” refer to the glory of the bride, who is called “God.” And “God is enraged every day” because it is impossible to have a day without the anger of the night. On all days of the year, she is called “God,” for so it is on the six days of action: in each of them it is written, “And there was evening and there was morning one day” or “A second day,” etc. It follows that the night falls under the name of the day; hence, on the six days of action, as well as during the 6,000 years, it is called “God,” which is the name of Hesed.

And now on the festival of Shavuot, when she has already entered the Huppah, she is called “glory” and she is called “God” because at the great coupling of the end of correction, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, as it is written, “When in the evening time there will be light.” Thus, her degrees are doubled, since during the 6,000 years in the state of the moon she was as it is written, “and there was evening and there was morning.” And now, when she herself has become as great as the sun, who is ZA, called “glory,” she has glory over glory, for she has now become the essence of glory because she grew like ZA.

It is the same with “light over light,” since during the 6,000 years, too, she was included in the morning light, as it is written, “And there was evening and there was morning one day.” But now that she has grown like the sun, she becomes the essence of the light, and it follows that she has her own light over the light, in the incorporation she had before.

It is the same with “governance over governance” because during the 6,000 years she had governance, which was governance with only the small light, for the governance of the night, but now she was given the governance of the day, as well, since she has grown like the light of the sun, which is for the governance of the day.

By this, it tells us that we must not be mistaken to say that when she has grown to be as the light of the sun, her own degrees—which she had during the 6,000 years—are canceled‎. This is not so. Instead, there is only an addition here to her own degrees, in a way that she has glory over glory.

130) Then, at that time, when the heaven, ZA, enters the Huppah and comes and shines for her, all those friends who established her in the engagement in Torah during the night become known there by their names, as it is written, “The heavens tell the work of His hands.” “The work of His hands” are those with the token of the covenant, as it is written, “And establish for us the work of our hands,” which is a token of the covenant, imprinted in man’s flesh.

Explanation: Friends are those who hold the Torah, in which there is Assiya [also “doing”], which is good and evil. And even those parts whose evil is still without correction are known by their names of holiness, as it is written, “The heavens tell the work of His hands,” since the heaven is the book of remembrance, the light of the great coupling, which yields repentance from love, when sins become as merits for them. And even those who slandered, it will be said about them, “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another.”

It follows that this Assiya [or doing], which holds the Torah, in which there is good and evil, where there is good for one who is rewarded and bad for one who is not rewarded, now the whole of Assiya has risen into being holiness and has became the work of the hands of the Creator. This is because the heavens tell, “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,” even about those who were not rewarded. It follows that all the friends were doing only holy work, for they were establishing her for the Huppah, and they are all known by their names.

“And establish for us the work of our hands.” It seems that the evidence is contradictory, for the writing says, “The work of our hands,” not “The work of His hands.” However, he does not bring evidence from the text, but only that the token of the covenant is called “The work of our hands.” “Establish for us” is the foundation, which establishes and founds the entire structure, and the correction of the foundation [Yesod] is the circumcision. Thus, the token of the covenant is called “The work of our hands,” since we remove the foreskin from the Yesod [foundation], and this is the work of our hands. However, this is only prior to the end of correction.

But at the end of correction, everything will be revealed as the work of the hands of the Creator, and He Himself will be the one removing the foreskin. It is said, “The work of His hands.” These are the ones with the token of the covenant, since then the Creator Himself will remove the foreskin, as it is written, “The heavens tell the work of His hands.” And he brings evidence to the correction of the covenant, which is now called “The work of our hands,” from the words “And establish for us the work of our hands.”

131) Old Rav Hamnuna said, “Do not let your mouth make your flesh sin.” One must not let one’s mouth cause the arrival of an evil thought, and cause the holy flesh—in which the holy covenant is imprinted—to sin. If he does so, he is pulled into hell. The one appointed over hell, whose name is Dumah, several tens of thousands of sabotaging angels are with him. He stands over the door to hell, and he has no permission to draw near to all those who kept the holy covenant in this world.

To come into a bad thought is a caution that each person should watch his mouth—which is the raising of MAN through Torah and prayer—so it is in complete purity. This is so because should the Sitra Achra have any grip on it, the Sitra Achra will receive his MAN, and will thus bring him to question the Creator, meaning alien thoughts. Then, this will cause the holy flesh—in which the holy covenant is imprinted—to sin.

Through the thoughts, he pulls the foreskin over the holy covenant and the holy soul falls captive in the hands of the Sitra Achra, and then the Sitra Achra pulls his soul to hell. It is as Rabbi Elazar said, that from this thing, which he does not know for certain, that vain firmament called Tohu is made, and he falls into the hands of Lilith. Here, however, he is speaking of a flaw in the holy covenant specifically.

“And cause the holy flesh—in which the holy covenant is imprinted—to sin,” refers to the holy soul, which is tied and kept by the holy covenant, as it is written, “Out of my flesh shall I see God.” Literally, out of my flesh, since any time one is written in this holy inscription of that token, he sees the Creator from within him, literally from within him, and the holy soul clings to him by the token of the covenant. And if he is not rewarded, he did not keep this token, it is written about him, “By the breath of God they perish.”

“This will cause the holy flesh to sin,” where by the thoughts, the foreskin—Sitra Achra—touches the holy covenant once more. By that, the soul of God immediately departs from him. This is why it is said in The Zohar that the tree yelled, “Wicked! Do not touch me!” since the tree is Yesod, Ateret Yesod, the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

That appointee over hell, his name is Dumah. Dumah comes from the word Demamah [silence], since he takes the soul of life from him and leaves him in silence, which is death. We can also interpret that it is because he is the angel that brings the thoughts to the sinner and makes the thoughts of the Creator similar to the thoughts of a woman-born man.

As long as one understands that His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor His ways our ways, that a thought cannot grasp Him whatsoever—neither His thoughts nor His governance—he will not even conceive that it is possible to question Him. But because of the sin, Angel Dumah lusts after him and brings a spirit of folly into him, saying that a woman-born man is similar to the Creator in mind and reason. And then he is capable of all sorts of thoughts, and he pulls him into hell.

Thus, his whole power is in the name Dumah, as we bless, “Who is like You, master of mighty deeds, and who like [in Hebrew: domeh] You, a king who puts to death and brings to life,” meaning that in failure, in “like You,” there is death, and in understanding that there is nothing like Him, there is life.

It was said, “And several tens of thousands of sabotaging angels are with him. And he stands over the door to hell.” This is so because the thoughts that he brings to a person are tens of thousands, countless, and they are all on the door to hell. That is, this is the door by which one is pulled into hell, though it is not hell itself.

“And he has no permission to draw near to all those who kept the holy covenant in this world.” This means that although they are not completely clean, and there is still doing of good and evil in them, nevertheless, if they keep the holy covenant in a way that he will never come to question, Angel Dumah has no permission to pull him into hell.

132) King David was afraid when that thing happened to him. At that time, Dumah came up before the Creator and told Him, “Lord of the world, it is written in the Torah, ‘A man who commits adultery with another man’s wife … shall surely be put to death.’ And it is written, ‘You shall not have intercourse with your neighbor’s wife.’ David, who desecrated his covenant with lewdness, what is he?”

The Creator told him, “David is righteous, and the holy covenant stands firm, for it is evident to me that Bat Sheba was made for him since the day the world was created.”

Explanation: Even though he did not sin, as we learn, “Anyone who says, ‘David sinned,’ is mistaken,” he was still afraid as though he had actually sinned, due to Dumah’s slander. “It is written in the Torah, ‘A man who commits adultery with another man’s wife … shall surely be put to death.’ And it is written, ‘You shall not have intercourse with your neighbor’s wife.’” The Zohar brings two verses, one for punishment and one for caution.

And the Creator replied to him that David did not have a wrongful thought because Bat Sheba had been his mate since the creation of the world, thus he never corrupted his covenant and the holy covenant stands firm. When he lusted, he lusted after his own. The reason why Uriah took her before David is that Uriah took her with mercy although she was not his.

We should understand this. Male and female are two halves of a body. Thus, if she is half of King David’s body, how did Uriah—who had no relation to her—take her?

The thing is that Bat Sheba is truly David’s Nukva since the day the world was created, for David is the male in Malchut, and Bat Sheba is the female in Malchut. However, as there was an ascent of Malchut to Bina at the time of Malchut’s correction for the emanation of the worlds—where there was an ascent of Malchut to Bina—to sweeten her with the quality of mercy—Bat Sheba needed that sweetening in GAR, as well. Without that sweetening, she would be utterly unfit to beget the soul of King Solomon.

Uriah the Hittite was a very high soul, for he was entirely GAR, as his name proves, Ohr Yod-Hey [Light of Yod-Hey], for there was nothing from the phase of VAK in him, which is Vav-Hey. Hence, to sweeten Bat Sheba with the quality of mercy, Uriah—GAR—took her, and she was sweetened by him. Afterwards, she was fit for the kingship over Israel. This is why it was said that Uriah took her with mercy, to sweeten her with mercy, in the name Yod-Hey in Uriah. This is why he took her although she was not his.

133) Dumah said to him, “If it is revealed before You, it is not revealed before him.” The Creator told him, “Moreover, everything that happened was with permission, since all who go to war, none of them goes out before he gives his wife a divorce.” Dumah told Him, “Thus, he should have waited three months, but he did not wait.” He said to him, “What does it concern? It is only in a place where we fear that perhaps she has conceived. But it is revealed to Me that Uriah never drew close to her, for My name is signed in him as a testimony, for it is written ‘Uriah,’ with the letters Ohr [light] Koh [Yod-Hey]. It is written ‘Uriahu,’ with the letters Ohr Yod-Hey-Vav. My name is sealed in him as a testimony that he never made intercourse with her.”

Explanation: How does the name Yod-Hey in Uriah testify that he never touched Bat Sheba? In the allegory of Prophet Nathan, he compares David to a rich man, and Uriah to a poor man, Bat Sheba to the poor man’s lamb, and the Sitra Achra to a wanderer. It is written that the poor man has nothing but one little lamb, since Uriah was of GAR without VAK. It is written, “Uriah,” and it is written, “Uriahu,” since it is written in this name Uriahu—with Yod-Hey-Vav—Yod-Hey is GAR, Vav is VAK.

But here it writes only Uriah, without the Vav, indicating that there was nothing of the VAK in him, but Hochma without Hassadim. This is why he is considered poor, without anything, since the light of Hassadim is implied in “everything.”

It is written, “Nothing except one little ewe lamb which he bought and nourished.” This is Bat Sheba, which he bought. This indicates that she is not part of his soul, but he only bought her to sustain her and to correct her with mercy. This is the meaning of “Which he bought and nourished.”

It is also written, “And she grew up together with him and his children.” This indicates that he imparted his Gadlut upon him, as to his sons, in a way that “She would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom.” And yet, we should not be mistaken to think that he approached her, too. This is why the text ends, “And was like a daughter to him,” not as a woman.

Thus, the text testifies that Uriah did not draw close to her. But The Zohar explains why he did not draw close to her, and therefore says, “It is written as Uriah and it is written as Uriahu,” in whom My name is signed, as testimony that he never had intercourse with her, meaning the name Yod-Hey without Vav, which indicates absence of Hassadim, Vav. This is the reason why he could not approach her, for there is no coupling without light of Hassadim. It follows that the name Yod-Hey that is signed in his name testifies that he was unfit to make a coupling with her at all.

134) Dumah said to him, “Lord of the world, this is what I said: ‘If it is revealed to You that Uriah did not lay with her, is it revealed to him? He should have waited three months. Moreover, if You say that David knew that he had never laid with her, why did David send him away and commanded him to have intercourse with his wife, as it is written, ‘Go down to your house, and wash your feet?’’”

135) He told him, “He certainly did not know, but he waited more than three months, since it was four months. We learned that on the fifteenth of Nissan, David sent a proclamation through all of Israel to go to war. They were with Yoav on the seventh of Sivan, and went and destroyed the land of the people of Amon. They were detained there through Sivan, Tamuz, Av, and Elul, and what happened with Bat Sheba was on the 24^th of Elul. And on Yom Kippur [Day of Atonement], the Creator forgave his iniquity.”

And some say that he sent the proclamation on the 7^th of Adar and that they gathered on the fifteenth of Iyar, and what happened with Bat Sheba happened on the fifteenth of Elul. And on Yom Kippur, he was told, as it is written, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die,” that is, you shall not die by the hand of Dumah.

Dumah is appointed over incest, and this sin was atoned for him on Yom Kippur. It follows that he would not die by the hand of Dumah. However, his death was because of the sin with Uriah, which he killed with the sword of the people of Amon, as it is written, “David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and did not deviate from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.”

136) Dumah said, “Lord of the world, I have one thing in regard to him: He opened his mouth and said, ‘As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die.’ Thus, he sentenced himself to death, which is why I have power over him to put him to death.” The Creator told him, “You have no permission to put him to death, for he confessed before Me and said, ‘I have sinned before the Lord,’ even though he did not sin. But for his sin with the killing of Uriah, I have written a punishment for him and he received it.” Promptly, Dumah returned to his place disappointed.

Explanation: The commandment of circumcision is connected to the token of the covenant, the name Elohah [God]. There are two points in the letter Hey in the name Elohah, Malchut: judgment and mercy. The whole correction of the covenant is in the power of the judgment being hidden and concealed, and the mercy being open. Then the name Elohah is upon him. This is so because although Malchut is there, as well, on which there was the first restriction, the judgment, from which all the external ones suckle, still, because she is hidden and concealed, and only the quality of mercy from Bina is revealed, the external ones do not have the power to cling to her, and he has no permission to approach all those who kept the holy covenant in this world.

However, one who corrupts the covenant discloses the judgment in Malchut, in the letter Hey of Elohah, and all the external ones immediately approach her to suckle from her, since she is their lot and all their vitality. Hence, the holy soul, meaning the name Elohah, immediately departs.

David was from the Malchut that was sweetened with the quality of mercy. Hence, he needed extra care so the judgment in Malchut would not be revealed in him. Thus, by saying, “As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die,” sentencing that one who corrupts the covenant of giving the poor man’s lamb before the wanderer, who is the Sitra Achra, his sentence is death, the judgment before the Sitra Achra appeared in him, himself, meaning Angel Dumah. This is why he wished to grip the soul of David, since by these words the power of judgment that is hidden and concealed in him appeared.

This is the meaning of what Angel Dumah said, “I have one thing in regard to him: He opened his mouth and said, ‘As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die.’ He sentenced himself to death by the words, that he sentenced one who corrupts the covenant to death. It follows that he sentenced himself to death because by that, the judgment that was hidden in his soul appeared and hence, I have power over him, I have dominion over him, to suckle from his soul.”

By the words that he said, he sentenced himself to death, revealing the judgment before the Sitra Achra, as one who blemishes his covenant. And Angel Dumah wished to grip his soul and pull it to hell. But the Creator said that he had already confessed and repented for incest, although he committed no sin in it at all. This is why the repentance of sentencing himself to death helps him, and hence you have no permission to draw near him.

“But for his sin with the killing of Uriah, I have written a punishment for him and he received it.” In other words, for the sin of killing Uriah by the sword of the children of Amon, he had already received his punishment from Me, and this is no concern of yours, for you are appointed only over incest. Promptly, Dumah returned disappointed to his place, the door to hell.

137) David said about that, “If the Lord had not been my help, my soul had almost dwelt with Dumah.” “If the Lord had not been my help,” meaning had He not become my keeper and watchman, in regard to Angel Dumah, “Had almost,” as the measure of a fine thread between me and the other side, it was as that measure from having my soul dwell with Dumah, with Angel Dumah in hell.

Explanation: David is Malchut, of whom it is written, “Her legs go down to death,” because she is the Sium [end] of Kedusha [holiness], from which the Sitra Achra and the shells are sustained, as it is written, “His kingdom rules over all.” However, when Malchut is corrected with the quality of mercy, she is regarded as two points: The point of judgment from herself, and the point of mercy, which she received from Bina. Also, the judgment in her is hidden and concealed, and only the mercy in her are apparent.

Through this correction, the Sitra Achra has only a very thin light from the illumination of Malchut. This is regarded as a root, and it is sufficient for the sustenance of the shells, but they have no power to expand at all. This root is also called “a very thin thread,” meaning a thin root for the sins. It is as we learn, “At first, it is like spider-web, and later it becomes as cart-ropes.” It is called “thin” because it is judgment that is hidden and concealed at the point of mercy.

However, one who blemishes one’s covenant causes the point of judgment in Malchut to appear, and then the shells approach her and suckle great abundance from her, receiving strength for great expansion. And one who does it loses his soul in the hands. And when he is rewarded and repents, he corrects the Malchut in the correction of the quality of judgment once again, and this is why it is called Teshuva [“repentance,” as well as “return”]. It has the letters of Tashuv Hey [let Hey return], which brings her back to her place, to the quality of mercy, and the power of judgment is hidden inside of her once more, with only a very thin light.

“If the Lord had not been my help,” becoming a keeper and watchman over me, meaning that He accepted my repentance and repelled Angel Dumah to his place. He brought Malchut back to her place, to the quality of mercy, and left only a very thin light from the quality of judgment, as a measure of fine thread that there is between him and the Sitra Achra.

In other words, it is only as that tiny amount that must remain between the Malchut to the Sitra Achra, to give her sustenance in diminished illumination, called “a fine thread.” It was that measure: “My soul had almost dwelt with Dumah.” And this measure saved me from falling in the hands of Angel Dumah. Had the power of judgment in Malchut not returned to being as a fine thread, I would have already been in the hands of Dumah.

138) For this reason, one must keep from saying things as did David because he cannot say to Angel Dumah that it was a mistake, as it was with David when the Creator defeated him in the sentence, as it is written, “Why should God be angry at your voice,” meaning that voice which said, “And destroyed the work of your hands”—meaning the holy flesh, the holy covenant that he blemished and was pulled into hell by Dumah.

Explanation: There are two phases in repentance:

1. Repentance from fear, when sins become as mistakes to him,

2. Repentance from love, when sins become as merits to him.

The clarification is that prior to the end of correction, as long as the force of judgment is required in the world, as it is written, “And God made it so as to fear Him,” Malchut must keep the Sitra Achra at least in the measure of a very thin light, so the shells and the Sitra Achra will not be canceled‎. Hence, the whole correction of Malchut is in two points—mercy and judgment. However, the judgment is concealed and hidden, and the mercy are revealed, since by that, there is fear in it, as with the tree of knowledge of good and evil: If one is rewarded, it is good. If he is not rewarded, it is bad.

It follows that the repentance we do during the 6,000 years is only repentance from fear, where sins become as mistakes for him. This is so because through the repentance, we bring Malchut back to the quality of mercy, and the judgment in her is concealed to a measure of a very thin light and a very thin thread, since Malchut must still remain in the quality of fear. This is why it is called “repentance from fear.”

This fine thread that must remain is called mistakes, since for one who errs, it is not a sin in and of itself, but the mistakes bring one to sin deliberately. This is so because one does not sin deliberately before he fails in some mistake, and here it is this fine thread that remains in Malchut, since although it remains, it is not a sin. However, because of this hidden judgment we come to sin. This is why it was said, “It begins as a hair’s breadth,” a fine thread, and if the covenant is not properly kept, it becomes “As cart ropes,” since the quality of judgment appears in Malchut.

This is why it is said that Dumah is sitting at the gate to hell. It is a force that is a fine thread, only an opening. It is said about it that in the beginning it is as a hair’s breadth. For this reason, our repentance is considered as though our iniquities have been atoned for and become mistakes, since the fine thread remains and can bring us to a deliberate act. And the meaning of the second form of repentance, which is from love, is that sins become as merits.

For this reason, one must keep from saying things like David, meaning to avoid saying something that could cause the appearance of the quality of judgment in Malchut, as did David, since he cannot tell Angel Dumah that it is a mistake, that he is not sure that he will be able to repent immediately, that the iniquity will be atoned into a mistake for him, as was with David, whom the Creator defeated in the judgment.

David did that which was right in the eyes of the Creator all of his life. He committed no sin during his life, except in regard to Uriah. This is why the Creator became his guardian and keeper, and immediately assisted him in repenting, and the iniquity became as a mistake to him, as it is written, “If the Lord had not been my help, my soul had almost dwelt with Dumah.” But the rest of the people should fear that they will not be able to say before the angel that it was a mistake and will fall into the hands of Dumah, to hell.

It is written, “Why should God be angry at your voice,” at the voice that said, “And destroy the work of your hands,” meaning a holy flesh, the holy covenant that he blemished, and he was pulled into hell by Dumah, since the correction of the holy covenant is called “The work of our hands.” It is written about it, “Establish the work of our hands.” And the holy soul is called “holy flesh,” as it is written, “Out of my flesh shall I see God,” where by the disclosure of the judgment in Malchut, the correction of the covenant is corrupted and the soul is pulled into hell by Dumah.

For this reason, “The heavens tell the work of His hands,” and for this reason they revolve around the whole article of Rav Hamnuna Saba, which he presented to us. After that correction of the covenant, in its reward and in its punishment, it is clarified in it—and for which it is called “the correction of the covenant,” “The work of our hands,”—the end of correction clarifies regarding that day, that the heavens is the groom who enters his Huppah with the bride.

Thus, at the end of correction, “The heavens tell the work of His hands,” for then it will become known that all those corrections are not the work of our hands but the work of His hands. This is what the heavens tell, and on that was the great coupling of Rav Pe’alim uMekabtze’el done. Also, “Tell” means the disclosure of the extension of the abundance.

Know that this is the whole difference between this world, prior to the correction, and the end of correction. Prior to the end of correction, Malchut is called “the tree of knowledge of good and evil,” since the Malchut is the guidance of the Creator in this world. As long as the receivers have not been completed so they can receive His whole benevolence, which He had contemplated in our favor in the thought of creation, the guidance must be in the form of good and bad, reward and punishment. It is so because our vessels of reception are still tainted with self-reception, which is very limited in its measure, as well as separates us from the Creator.

The complete benefit, in the great measure that He had contemplated for us, is only in bestowal, which is pleasure without any boundary and limitation. But reception for oneself is limited and highly restricted because the satiation promptly puts out the pleasure. It is written, “The Lord has made everything for His own purpose,” meaning that everything that occurs in the world was created from its inception only to bestow contentment upon Him. Thus, people engage in worldly affairs in complete contrast to how they were initially created, since the Creator is saying, “The whole world was created for Me,” as it is written, “The Lord has made everything for His own purpose,” and “Everyone who is called by My name, I have created for My glory.”

And we say the complete opposite because we are saying, “The whole world was created only for us.” We want to devour all the abundance of the world into our bellies, for our own delights, and for our own glory. Thus, it is no wonder that we are still unworthy of receiving His complete benefit. For this reason, His guidance of good and evil has been prescribed for us, with guidance of reward and punishment, for they are interdependent because reward and punishment result from good and evil. When we use the vessels of reception contrary to how they were created, we necessarily feel that the actions of Providence are against us.

It is a law that the creature cannot receive disclosed evil from the Creator, for it is a flaw in the glory of the Creator for the creature to perceive Him as an evildoer, for this is unbecoming of the complete Operator. Hence, when one feels bad, denial of the Creator’s guidance lies upon him and the superior Operator is concealed from him to that same extent. This is the greatest punishment in the world.

Thus, the sensation of good and evil in relation to His guidance brings with it the sensation of reward and punishment, for one who exerts to not part from faith in the Creator is rewarded even when he tastes a bad taste in Providence. And if he does not exert, he will have a punishment because he is separated from faith in the Creator. It follows that although the Creator does, is doing, and will do all the deeds, it still remains hidden from those who sense good and evil, since at the time of evil, the Sitra Achra is given the strength to conceal His guidance and faith. Thus, one comes to the great punishment of separation and becomes filled with heretical thoughts. And upon repentance, one receives the corresponding reward and can adhere to the Creator once again.

However, by the guidance of reward and punishment itself, the Creator has prepared it so that ultimately, we will be rewarded with the end of correction through it, that all the people will obtain the corrected vessels of reception in order to bestow contentment upon their Maker, as it is written, “The Lord has made everything for His own purpose,” as they were initially created. At that time, the great coupling of Atik Yomin will appear, we will come to repentance from love, all the sins will be turned into merits, and all the bad into great good.

At that time, His private Providence will be revealed throughout the world, for all to see that He alone did, does, and will do all those deeds and actions from before. This is because now, once the evil and the punishments have become benefits and merits, it will be possible to attain the one who does them, for they have now become fitting for the work of His hands. Now they will praise and bless Him for those imaginary evils and punishments at the time.

This is the main point of the essay, for thus far the corrections, too, were regarded as the work of our hands because we received rewards or punishments for them. However, at the great coupling of the end of correction, it will be revealed that both corrections and punishments were all the work of His hands, as it is written, “The heavens tell the work of His hands.” This is so because the great coupling of the firmament will say that everything is the work of His hands, and He alone did, does, and will do all the deeds.

139) For this reason, “The heavens tell the work of His hands” are the friends who bonded with the bride, Malchut, by engagement in Torah on the night of Shavuot, and those of hers who have the token of the covenant, who are called “The work of His hands.” He mentions and registers each one. Who is the firmament? It is the firmament in which are the sun, the moon, the stars, and the signs. And this is called “the book of remembrance,” which mentions and registers them, and writes them, so they will be the members of His palace, and so He will always do their will.

Explanation: Yesod of ZA, in which the coupling for disclosing all the upper places and degrees was done—which are the sun, the moon, the stars, and the signs—is called “firmament.” It is written about it, “And God placed them in the firmament of the heavens.” And when they all stand in it, they rejoice with each other. Then the moon diminished herself before the sun, and since then, everything that the sun takes is only so as to illuminate to the Nukva, and not to himself, as it is written, “To give light upon the earth.”

Commentary: All the upper lights were placed in the firmament of the heaven, in Yesod of ZA. They all stand in it, and he happily makes a coupling with the Nukva, who is called “earth,” and he gives her all those lights, as it is written, “To give light upon the earth.” At that time, it is considered that the Malchut is smaller than the sun, ZA. However, at the end of correction, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of the seven days. At that time, Malchut will not be smaller than ZA but will grow to be as ZA during the six days of creation, and ZA himself will rise sevenfold than the six days of creation.

This will be at a time when it is written, “Will swallow up death forever.” And then it is written, “On that day, the Lord will be one and His name One,” for the firmament, ZA, HaVaYaH, who is called “sun.” “His name” is the Nukva, who receives from Him, the moon. During the 6,000 years, which receive from the six days of creation, it is not disclosed to them that He is one and His name One, since the moon is smaller than the sun, ZA, HaVaYaH. The Katnut of Malchut is corrected in Assiya because there is good and evil in it, reward and punishment. Also, there is a big difference between “He” and “His name.” In “His name,” Malchut, the couplings come one at a time, at times bonded and at times separated.

But at the end of correction, when death is swallowed up forever, it will be “The Lord [HaVaYaH] is one and His name One,” since “His name,” the Nukva, will once more be precisely like the light of ZA: all good without any bad at all. Also, private Providence will appear in her, as it is written, “The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun.”

Hence, at that time, the Nukva will be called “a book of remembrance,” since Malchut is called “a book,” for the deeds of all the people in the world are inscribed in her, and Yesod of ZA is called “remembrance” because it remembers the deeds of the world and studies all the ancient creatures, for they are all imparted upon by him.

During the 6,000 years prior to the end of correction, the book is alone and the remembrance is alone, at times bonded and at times separated. But at the end of correction, both these degrees will become one, as it is written, “The Lord is one and His name One.” And then Malchut herself will be called “a book of remembrance,” for they are literally one because the light of the moon has become as the light of the sun.

In the firmament, there are the sun, the moon, the stars, and the signs, meaning the Yesod of ZA, in which all the lights in the world come out, and in which they exist. He gives them to Malchut while she is smaller than him, and while she is still not considered “The Lord is one and His name One.” He is called “a book of remembrance,” and he himself will also be the Malchut of the end of correction, who will therefore be called “a book of remembrance,” for then Malchut will receive the full essence of ZA. And this firmament, who is called “remembrance,” will then be called “a book of remembrance,” Malchut herself, who is called “a book.” And the remembrance, which is the firmament, will literally be one with her, as it is written, “On that day the Lord will be one and His name One.”

140) “Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” This means a holy day, from among those upper days of the King, from the Sefirot of ZA, which are called “days,” praising the friends who engaged in Torah on the night of Shavuot, and each tells his friend that thing which he said. This is, “Day to day pours forth that speech” and praises him. And “Night to night” means that each degree that governs in the night, the Sefirot of Malchut praises the other, and that knowledge is that each receives from his friend. And for all the wholeness, they have become friends and lovers.

Explanation: Once he explains that “The heavens tell the work of His hands” is the book of remembrance, the writing explains “You have said, ‘It is in vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of hosts?’ … Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. ‘They will be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘on the day that I perform My Segula [remedy/merit], and I will have compassion over them as a man has compassion for his own son who serves him.’”

You find that they tell each other that same thing that He said, “It is in vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge … and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name.” This is because the Creator will have compassion over them as one has compassion for his son who serves him, meaning only on the day when I perform Segula—the day of the end of correction.

This is so because prior to the end of correction, before we qualified our vessels of reception to receive only in order to give contentment to our Maker and not to our own benefit, Malchut is called “the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” This is so because Malchut is the guidance of the world by people’s actions. And since we are unfit to receive all the delight and pleasure that the Creator had contemplated in our favor in the thought of creation, we must receive the guidance of good and evil from the Malchut. This guidance qualifies us to ultimately correct our vessels of reception in order to bestow and to be rewarded with the delight and pleasure He had contemplated in our favor.

Our sensation of good and evil causes reward and punishment, too, since the sensation of evil causes separation from faith in the Creator. It follows that if one exerts, during one’s bad feeling, not to blemish his faith because of that, and to keep the Torah and Mitzvot in wholeness, he is rewarded. And if he does not succeed in the test and receives separation, he is filled with evil thoughts.

It is known that we learn about such thoughts that the Creator punishes for them as for an act. It is written about it, “To grip the house of Israel by their hearts.” It is also known that the righteousness of the righteous will not save him on the day of his transgression. However, this concerns only those who ponder the beginning.

Yet, sometimes the thoughts prevail over a person until he wonders about all the good deeds he has done and says, “What profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of hosts?” At that time, he becomes a complete wicked because he ponders the beginning and loses all the good deeds he had done by this bad thought, as it is written, “The righteousness of the righteous will not save him on the day of his transgression.” This is why repentance is helpful, although this is already regarded as beginning to serve the Creator anew, as a newly born infant, whose righteousness from the past has completely vanished.

Often, the guidance of good and evil causes us ascents and descents, each according to what he is. You should know that for this reason, each ascent is regarded as a separate day because due to the great descent that he had, doubting the beginning, during the ascent he is as a newly born child. Thus, in each ascent, it is as though he begins to serve the Creator anew. This is why each ascent is considered a specific day, and similarly, each descent is considered a specific night.

It is written, “Day to day pours forth speech,” a holy day, from among those upper days of the King. In other words, on each ascent that a person had, when he clung to the upper days of the Creator, the friends are praised and each tells his friend that thing that he said. This is so because through the great coupling at the end of correction, they will be rewarded with repentance from love, for they will complete the correction of all the vessels of reception, so they will be only in order to bestow contentment upon the Creator. In that coupling, all of the great delight and pleasure of the thought of creation will appear to us.

At that time, we will evidently see that all those punishments from the time of descents, which brought us into doubting the beginning, were the things that purified us and were the direct causes of all the happiness and goodness that have come to us at the time of the end of correction. This is so because were it not for those terrible punishments, we would never have come to this delight and pleasure. Then these sins will be inverted into actual merits.

“Day to day pours forth speech” means that each ascent prior to the end of correction is one of those upper days of the King, which praise the friends. Thus, now it reappears in all the magnificence of its wholeness, which belongs to that day, and praises the friends who keep the Torah with that thing which each said to the friends, which is “It is in vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge,” which at the time inflicted great punishments.

This is because now they have been turned into merits, since the entire wholeness and happiness of that day would not be able to appear now, in that grandeur and magnificence, were it not for those punishments. This is why those who speak those words are regarded as “Those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name,” as actual good deeds. This is why it was said about them, too, “I will have compassion over them as a man has compassion for his own son who serves him.”

It is said, “Day to day pours forth that speech” and praises it. This is so because all those nights are the descents, the suffering, and the punishments that arrested the adhesion with the Creator until they became many days one after the other. Now, once the night and darkness have become merits and good deeds, as well, the night shines like the day and darkness like light, there are no more arrests, and all 6,000 years unite into a single great day.

Thus, all the couplings that came out one at a time and disclosed ascents and descents that were separate from one another have now assembled into a level of one sublime and transcendent level of coupling, which shines from the end of the world through its end. It is written, “Day to day pours forth that speech” because the word that separated between one day and the next has now become a great praise and praises it, for it has become a merit. Thus, they all became one day for the Lord.

When it is said, “And night to night,” it refers to all the degrees that govern at night, praising each other, to that knowledge that each receives from his friend. This is because all those words and sufferings that are called “nights,” for which the degrees became discrete, one at a time, now they, too, shine like the day, since they have all gathered and become a single receptacle for the great knowledge that fills the whole earth with the knowledge of the Lord.

It follows that each night for itself would remain in the dark, had it not come into a gathering with all the nights, since each night receives its share in the knowledge only out of the bonding with the rest of the nights, hence each night is regarded as revealing knowledge to the other, for it would be fit to know only in combination with another.

And each degree that governs at night, meaning each night, which has now been completed into being a receptacle for the knowledge of the Creator, praises one another. It follows that each one praises his friend because of that knowledge that he received from his friend, since the part of the knowledge that each received is from his friend, through the bonding with his friend, the night. He would not receive unless by bonding with his friend, since only all of them together, assembled, became worthy of receiving that great knowledge. This is why it was said, “And for all the wholeness, they have become friends and lovers,” for in the great wholeness that they received together, all the nights become loving friends to one another.

141) “There is neither speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” It is written, “There is neither speech, nor are there words,” meaning utterances and words from other worldly matters, which are not heard before the holy King, and He does not want to hear them. But those matters, “Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” Those matters make a line from the dwellers of above and from the dwellers of below. From these things, the firmaments are made, and from those things, from that praise, the earth is made. And should you say that those things roam one place in the world, the writing says, “And their utterances to the end of the world.”

Explanation: Thus far, we spoke of the worst punishments and sufferings, which are separation from faith in the Creator. The Zohar says that punishments and sufferings from other things in the world, from personal transgressions, and from torments of hell, and bodily torments, etc., which fill the whole of this world, gather and are included in this great coupling, as well. It is written about it, “It shall come to pass that as the Lord delighted over you to prosper you and multiply you, so the Lord will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you.”

This is so because they all gather and become a great light, turning into merriment and great joy. It is said, “There is neither speech, nor are there words,” from the rest of the mundane matters, which are all the sufferings of this world. They are not heard before the holy King, as they turn into merriment and joy. He does not wish to hear them so he will not lust after hearing them, since out of their inversion into merriment and joy, the holy King will lust after them and will crave to hear them.

In other words, the memory of any sorrow and pain from past times will now, at the end of correction, cause great joy and pleasure. It is written about it, “‘In those days and at that time,’ declares the Lord, ‘search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none.’” This is so because when they turn into merits, they will cause such contentment that the iniquities from past times will be sought so as to joke about them, but they will not be found. That is, it will seem to us that they no longer exist in their real form, as they were in the past. And it is said, “He does not wish to hear them,” meaning that there is no utterance and no speech, that it will not return to them with a desire and a craving to hear them, since now they have all become holy and faithful lights.

This great level that rises in the great coupling from all the souls and all the deeds at the end of correction—good or bad—is regarded as a line and a pillar of light that shines from the end of the world to its end. This is the great unification, as it is written, “The Lord will be one and His name One.” And it was said, “But those matters, their line has gone out through all the earth,” since the level that comes out on those matters, which are every kind of suffering and punishment, illuminates from the end of the world to its end, meaning throughout the land.

It was said, “From the dwellers of above and from the dwellers of below.” This matter is sublime indeed, and I will exert to clarify it as best as I can. We should know that in eternity, the order of time is not as it is in this world. It follows that when the Creator contemplated creating the world, all the souls with all their conducts were already created in Him—through the end, in the complete wholeness that is required of them, to receive all the pleasure and delight that He had contemplated to delight them. In Him, the future is like the present, and future and past do not apply to Him.

Now you will understand the words “The Creator showed Adam HaRishon each generation and its teachers,” as well as to Moses. This seems perplexing. Since they have not been created yet, how did He show them? However, it is written that all the souls and all their conducts through the end of correction have already come out before Him in reality. They are all present in the upper Garden of Eden, and from there they come down, clothing bodies in this world, each in its time. The Creator showed them to Adam HaRishon from there, as well as to Moses, and to all who were worthy of it. This is an extensive matter and not every mind can bear it.

This is why it is said in The Zohar that as they unite in one above, she unites in one below, since the level of the great coupling of the end of correction—as it is written, “The Lord will be one and His name One”—this level has already come out above—all the souls and all the deeds in the world, which will be created through the end of correction, in relation to His eternity, for the future is as the present to Him. It follows that this pillar of light—which shines from the end of the world through its end, which will shine at the end of correction—is already standing in the upper Garden of Eden and shines before Him as it will appear to us at the end of correction.

This is why it says, “One opposite one,” since the Creator is one. In the end of correction, the two levels will shine one opposite the other, and then “The Lord will be one and His name One.” And it was written, “Those words make a line from the dwellers of above and from the dwellers of below,” a line that shines from the dwellers of above and from the dwellers of below, one opposite the other.

This is so because that level shines from the dwellers of above—which are the souls who are all in the upper Garden of Eden—and shines from the dwellers of below—which are all the souls once they have actually been dressed in a body in this world and arrived at the end of correction. In other words, those two levels shine at the end of correction together, and then His oneness is revealed, as it is written, “The Lord is one and His name One.”

It tells us so we will not err in thinking that this pillar of light that shines in the upper Garden of Eden extends and illuminates at the end of correction in this world. To that, it tells us that it is not so. Rather, the firmaments are made from those things because this level comes out on Yesod of ZA, who is called “a firmament.”

For this reason, there is still this distinction in all the couplings, where the level first comes out from the firmament and above, and then illuminates to the receivers from the firmament and below. The level that comes out from the firmament and above is called “heaven,” and the level that is received from the firmament and below is called “earth.”

When the line of light unites the dwellers of above and the dwellers of below, there still remains the distinction between the upper Garden of Eden and the dwellers of this world. This is so because only the dwellers of the upper Garden of Eden receive the level of the coupling that comes out from the firmament and above, for the firmaments are made of these things, meaning a new heaven for the dwellers of above. Only the brightness that extends from the firmament and below is received by the dwellers of below, and it is called “a new land.” This is what concludes that praise, meaning that the dwellers of below obtain only the praise and the brightness that extend from heaven to earth.

And should you say that those matters are in one place, since it was explained that the coupling was done like all the couplings, where from the firmament and above it extends to from the firmament and below, it is therefore possible to err and say that it is only a thin line, which rises in one place. It is written about it in the act of creation, “Let the waters … be gathered into one place,” meaning only to the internality of the worlds, which reaches only Israel, and not to the externality of the worlds.

But he says that it is not so, but they rather they wander in the world, that the light wanders and fills the world from the end of the world to its end. It is written about it, “And their utterances to the end of the world,” meaning even to the externality of the worlds, that it reaches the nations of the world, as well, as it is written, “And the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.”

142) And since firmaments were made of them, who is in them? He repeated and said, “In them He has placed a tent for the sun.” That holy sun, ZA, there is his chamber and his dwelling place is in them, and he is crowned in them.

Since he says that the pillar of light comes out of the firmament and above, and only a praise of them extends from the firmament and below, we should ask, “Who is using that pillar of light? Who is in them?” He replies that ZA, the sun, crowns and places his abode in this pillar of light, for he crowns in this pillar as though under a Huppah [which also means canopy], since a tent means that there is a canopy above it, as it is written, “In them He has placed a tent for the sun.”

143) Since ZA is present in those firmaments and is crowned in them, he is as a groom coming out of his Huppah, delighted and running through those firmaments, going out of them and coming in, running into another tower in another place. It emerges from the end of the heaven, coming out from the upper world and arriving at the edge of the heaven above, Bina. Its time is the end of the heaven below, Malchut, the time of year that surrounds all the endings and was tied from the heaven to this firmament.

Commentary: Here it implies a great and terrible secret—the emergence of the sun from its sheath, from its Huppah. Once the great coupling was done in those firmaments, in a Huppah, he comes out of those firmaments into another tower in another place, in Malchut, who is called “The name of the Lord is a strong tower,” since then the Malchut rises and unites with Him as one.

The end of the Malchut is called “the time of the year.” Prior to the correction, the shells called “the end of days” would grip there, but now, after the end of correction there is still the need to correct that specific phase. This is done by the emergence of the sun from its sheath, as it is written, “A groom coming out of his Huppah,” illuminating and comes in another tower, the Malchut.

And then it is written, “It rejoices as a strong man to run his course,” for it runs in that same tower, “and its time to the other end of them,” for it shines from the edge of the heaven above, through all the ends in Malchut, to correct this time of the year of the end of the heaven below.

“Its time” is the edge of the heaven below, Malchut, the time of the year that surrounds all the endings, since this correction completes the correction of all the endings in Malchut. By this she was tied from the heaven through this firmament, meaning that Malchut receives the illumination of the end of the heaven from above through this firmament of ZA.

144) “And there is nothing hidden from its heat,” from that time of the year and from the time of the sun, which circles on each side. “And there is nothing hidden” means that there is no one, from among all the upper degrees, who will hide from it; they would all turn and come to it, and each one, there was no one to be hidden from it. “From its heat” means that it heats up and returns to the friends while they are in complete repentance. All this praise and all this merit is because of their engagement in the Torah, as it is written, “The Torah [law] of the Lord is whole.”

This is so because after the great coupling, hiding and concealment occurred in all the upper lights. Hence, this new coupling is necessary in another tower, as it is written, “And its time to the other end of them,” meaning it reopens all the upper lights that were hidden due to the canceling of the BON, prior to its ascent to SAG.

“And there is nothing hidden from its heat,” from that time and from the time of the sun, which surrounds on all sides, since this coupling of the time of the sun with the time of the year corrects the endings of Malchut on all sides, in every aspect until it is sufficient for the complete correction, when BON rises and becomes SAG again, which is a complete correction in every aspect.

After that, “There is nothing hidden,” none of the upper degrees are hidden from it, since all the degrees and the upper lights that would turn and come to it become revealed in complete disclosure once again; they would all turn and come to it. And each one, there is no one to hide from it, since all the degrees and upper lights return and come to it slowly until nothing is hidden from it.

It is said, “From its heat” since it heats up and returns to them while they are in complete repentance. This means that the above disclosure does not happen in a minute, since the time of the sun gradually shines until it is heated up sufficiently for complete repentance, when the wicked are sentenced in it and the righteous are healed by it. And then he is rewarded with the above-mentioned great revelation.

145) HaVaYaH is written six times here. They are six verses, from the verse “The heavens tell” to “The law of the Lord is whole.” This is why it writes Beresheet [In the beginning], in which are six letters [in Hebrew]. “God created the heaven and the earth” are six words [in Hebrew]. The other verses, from the verse “The law of the Lord is whole” to “Who are nicer than gold” are only opposite the six times HaVaYaH that is written in them. However, the six verses themselves are not explained.

The six verses from the verse “The heavens tell” to “The law of the Lord is whole” are because of the six letters in the word Beresheet. The six names are because of the six words that are here, which are “God created the heaven and the earth.”

Explanation: Every degree that appears in the worlds first comes in letters, at which time it is still unknown. Afterwards it comes in combinations of words, and then what is in the degree becomes known in 216 letters and seventy-two words. The six letters in the word Beresheet already include the entire existence of heaven and earth in their six letters. However, they are still unknown because they are only implied in the letters, without any combinations of words.

Afterwards there are six words [in Hebrew]: “God, created, the, heaven, and the, earth.” And here what is contained in the word Beresheet becomes revealed, for they are the heaven and the earth and what fills them.

Similarly, we must understand the six verses from the verse “The heavens tell” to “The law of the Lord is whole,” where it is still the beginning of the disclosure of the end of correction, when it is still in letters, as in the six letters in the word Beresheet. The complete disclosure of the end of correction begins from “The law of the Lord is whole” onward, where there are six names and each name indicates an attainment, to show that only after the complete repentance, as it is written, “And there is nothing hidden from its heat,” all the combination of words that were in the great coupling of the end of correction are revealed in six names.

It is about that that it writes Beresheet [In the beginning], in which there are six letters. “God created the heaven and the earth” are six words. About the six verses and six names, the six letters in Beresheet are written in the Torah, where heaven and earth disappear. And in six words they are disclosed: “God, created, the heaven, and, the earth.” So are the six verses from “The heavens tell” to “The law of the Lord is whole,” the great coupling of the end of correction has not been completely disclosed. Only after the words “And there is nothing hidden from its heat” did the six names become revealed. In those six names comes the whole of the great disclosure of the end of correction to its fullest and in whole.

The other verses correspond only to the six times the name HaVaYaH, since the verses that are written after “And there is nothing hidden from its heat” through the end of the psalm, imply the six names that are written in them. It follows that the six verses are because of the six letters that are here, and the six names are because of the six words here.

This means that six verses from the verse “The heavens tell” to “The law of the Lord is whole” are as the six letters of Beresheet, which are not completely disclosed. And the six names in the words from “The law of the Lord is whole” to the end are as the six words “God, created, the heaven, and, the earth,” which have reached their completion here. It comes to tell us that in the six verses, their degree is still not revealed, and they are like the six letters of Beresheet. But after the six other verses, in which there are six names, they arrive at the desired disclosure.

146) While they were seated, Rabbi Elazar, his son, and Rabbi Abba came in. He told them, “Indeed, the face of the Shechina has come; this is why I called you Peni’el, which has the letters of Pnei El [the face of God], for you saw the face of the Shechina face-to-face. And now that you know, and He has revealed to you the verse of Benayah son of Yehoyada, it must be a word of the holy Atik, Keter.” And also the following text “And he struck the Egyptian man.” And that one, which is the most hidden, they said that he is the holy Atik.

Commentary: This refers to the matter of the donkey driver, who revealed the soul of Benayah son of Yehoyada, for which Rabbi Shimon called them Peni’el. The soul of Benayah son of Yehoyada is a level that is destined to appear at the end of correction. This is why they, too, experienced the covering and concealment of all the upper lights, as is written here in the coupling of the time of the sun in the time of the year, for then they were rewarded with all the lights once more.

This is what Rabbi Shimon revealed to them, the verse of Benayah son of Yehoyada. He hinted to them that they have already been rewarded with the six verses of “The heavens tell,” and they are already in the six names in the other verses. This is so because while they attained the soul of Benayah son of Yehoyada through that donkey driver, their attainment was still not revealed, since at that time, they were in the six verses, and this is why they had undergone that path of miracles and tokens.

But now the soul of Benayah is known and revealed to them. It was said, “And now that you know,” and he revealed to them the verse of Benayah son of Yehoyada, it is certainly a matter of the holy Atik. And the following text, as well, since the soul of Benayah son of Yehoyada is the word of Atik, meaning the great coupling of Atik Yomin, which they knew then, as well. But you also know the following verse—that “He struck the two Ariels of Moab,” and he struck the Egyptian man. All those verses are a word of Atik, too, and that one which is the most hidden, they said, meaning Atik Yomin, is the most concealed.

147) This verse, “And he struck the Egyptian man,” is explained elsewhere, on another degree. “And he struck the Egyptian man, a man of great stature five cubits tall.” It is all one matter. That Egyptian is that famous one of whom it is written, “Very great in the land of Egypt in the eyes of the servants of Pharaoh and in the eyes of the people,” for he was great and honorable, as that old man revealed.

Commentary: That verse, which Rav Hamnuna Saba explained, “He struck an Egyptian man, a man of vision,” is explained at another degree, according to the words in Chronicles, “And he struck the Egyptian man,” and it is all one matter. The two verses are one matter, for it is written, “He struck an Egyptian man, a man of vision,” and it is written, “And he struck the Egyptian man, a man of great stature five cubits tall.” Both are one matter, and it refers to Moses in different wording.

148) This verse is clarified in the upper seminary. A man of virtue [also measure]; it is all one. A man of vision and a man of measure are all one, since he is the Sabbath and the Sabbath zone, as it is written, “You shall also measure outside the city.” It is also written, “You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement.” Hence, he is a man of measure. And he is truly a man of virtue: his length is from the end of the world to the end of the world. So was Adam HaRishon. And if you say, “But it is written, ‘Five cubits tall,’” these five cubits were from the end of the world to the end of the world.

Commentary: It is the seminary of the Creator. Rabbi Shimon said about this seminary, “I saw noble men, and they are few.” There is a seminary below, which is the seminary of Matat. He says that this verse, which the Saba clarified, is clarified in the upper seminary. A man of vision refers to the degree of Moses, of whom it was said, “There has never been another prophet such as Moses,” as it is written, “In vision, and not in riddles.” A man of measure is also named after the vision, but a measure of that vision, since the measure of that vision is from the end of the world to its end.

Vision and measure are akin to the Sabbath and the Sabbath zone: the Sabbath zone is the end of the measure of the Sabbath. However, during the 6,000 years, the measure of the Sabbath zone is restricted to 2,000 cubits. After the end of correction, the Sabbath zone will be from the end of the world to its end, as it is written, “And the Lord will be king over all the earth.”

A man of vision and a man of measure are all one, since it is the Sabbath and the Sabbath zone. It is written, “You shall also measure outside the city,” and it is written, “You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement.” Thus, the matter of measure is the end of the boundary of the matter. Similarly, a man of measure indicates the end of the boundary of the Sabbath after the end of correction—from the end of the world to its end.

“And he is truly a man of measure.” A man of measure means the owner of that very quality [in Hebrew, Midah means “quality” as well as “measure”], that the quality does not control him, but rather he controls the quality and executes it according to his will and desire.

This was Adam HaRishon prior to his sin with the tree of knowledge—his length was from the end of the world to its end. He shone from the end of the world to its end, as the measure of the Sabbath zone after the end of correction.

These five cubits were from the end of the world to the end of the world, since those five cubits are ten Sefirot, which are essentially only KHB TM, which will expand from the end of the world to its end after the end of correction.

149) “And in the hand of the Egyptian was a spear,” as it is written, “As a weaver’s beam,” which is the staff of God that was in his hand, etched in the engraved and explicit name in illumination of letter-combinations, which Bezalel and his seminary—which is called “weaver”—engraved. It is written, “He has filled them with wisdom of the heart to do every work of an engraver and a thinker … in fine linen, and a weaver.” And in that staff, the name that was engraved on all sides was shining in illumination of the wise, who engraved the explicit Name in forty-two Behinot [discernments/manners]. And henceforth, the verse is as the old man explained above, happy is he.

Commentary: The letter-combinations for the holy names are called “weaving.” Like a weaver who weaves the threads into a garment, the letters join and combine into words of the holy names, which mean holy attainments. It says that with the staff of God that was in Moses’ hand, those letter-combinations of the explicit Name were engraved, which Bezalel and his seminary engraved in the work of the tabernacle. This is why the staff of God is called “a beaver’s beam,” after Bezalel, who was called “a weaver.”

A “beam” is like light, and the weaver is Bezalel, implying that the light of the letter-combinations of the explicit Name was as the light of the explicit name which Bezalel engraved. This is why it was said, “in illumination of letter-combinations, which Bezalel engraved.”

Before the end of correction, the staff did not shine on all sides, since there was a difference in it between the staff of God and the staff of Moses. It is written about Moses’ staff, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail … and it became a staff in his hand.” Thus, it did not shine on all sides. However, after the end of correction it shines on all sides.

It was said that in that staff, the engraved name was shining on all sides with illumination of the wise, who would engrave the explicit name in forty-two Behinot, since the explicit name that was engraved in the staff illuminated on all sides, as in “Death shall be swallowed up forever.” Hence, it illuminated equally on all sides, and the light of the name that was engraved on the staff was illumination of Hochma of the name Mem-Bet.

150) Sit, O dear ones, sit, and we will renew the correction of the bride on this night. Anyone who bonds with her on that night will be kept all through that year, above and below, and will complete his year in peace. It is written about them, “The angel of God camps around those who fear Him and will rescue them. Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

There are two interpretations to that, and both are true:

1. Because the day of the giving of the Torah is the illumination of the end of correction, when death is swallowed up forever and there is freedom from the angel of death, it is fitting to exert in drawing this light in its time, on the day of Shavuot. This is so because it is the nature of the lights that they are renewed in their season, and even now he will be assured that he will complete his year in peace and will have freedom from the angel of death.

2. This refers to the actual time of the end of correction. Here, the meaning of the words “Will complete his year in peace” is that Malchut is called “year,” and out of the renewal of the lights of those who keep the Torah after the end of correction, he will be guaranteed to correct the year, Malchut, in full. This is so because the renewal of the lights of those who keep the Torah is called “the night correction of the bride,” who is Malchut, called “a year.” By that he will complete his year in peace, complete the year in peace, in the full perfection.