The Zohar, translated by Harry Sperling and Maurice Simon

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Ex. X, 1-XIII, 17

AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, GO IN UNTO PHARAOH, FOR I HAVE HARDENED HIS HEART. R. Judah opened here with the verse: Blessed is the people that knows the joyful sound; O Lord, they shall walk in the light of thy countenance (Ps. LXXXIX, 16). He exclaimed: 'How important it is for man to walk in the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and keep the commandments of the Torah, that so he may be worthy of the world to come and triumph over all accusations, both on earth and in heaven! For as there are accusers of man here below, so there are also accusers above. But those who keep the commandments of the Torah and walk in righteousness, in fear of their Lord, will never lack intercessors in heaven, for is it not written: "If there be with him an angel-intercessor, one among a thousand ... then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom" (Job XXXIII, 23-24)?' Said R. Hiya to him: 'Why should man need an angel to intercede for him? Is it not written: "The Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being taken" (Prov. Ill, 26); "The Lord shall keep thee from all evil" (Ps. CXXI, 7)? Yea, verily, the Holy One Himself beholdeth all that man does, whether it be good or evil, as it is written: "Can a man hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?" (Jer. XXIII, 24).' R. Judah replied: 'Indeed, thou speakest truth! But it is also written that Satan said: "But put forth thine hand and touch his bone and his flesh", and that the Holy One Himself said to Satan, "And thou movest me against him" (Job II, 3-4); which proves that permission was given to the powers of the "other side" that they might so rise up against man on account of the deeds he had done in this world. And in all this the ways of the Holy One are hidden, and it is beyond me to follow them, for these are the statutes of the Holy One, which men must not examine too closely, save those who walk in the way of wisdom and so are in truth worthy to penetrate into the veiled paths of the Torah, and to comprehend the hidden truths contained therein.'

R. Eleazar then discoursed on the verse: And there was a day when the sons of God came to stand before the Lord, and Satan came also among them (Job I, 6). 'This "day"', said he, 'was New Year's Day, on which the Holy One sits in judgement on the world. "The sons of God" are the supernal beings who are appointed to watch the actions of mankind. The expression "to stand before the Lord" is parallel to the verse, "All the hosts of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left" (I Kings XXII, 19). But in this verse it has a more special significance, viz. to make manifest the love of the Holy One for Israel. For these messengers who are appointed to watch over the works of men roam hither and thither throughout the world, gathering up the deeds of all creatures so that on New Year's Day, the day of judgement, they may stand before the Lord with their burden of accusations. Yet of all the peoples of the earth, it is only one -- Israel -- whose works are examined by them carefully and in detail, for the Israelites are the Holy One's children in a particular sense, and when their works are not according to the Divine purpose, they actually weaken the power of the Holy One Himself, but when they do His will they, as it were, increase His power and might -- "give strength to God" (Ps. LXVIII, 35). Thus "the sons of God", the supernal messengers, when they "stand" with their accusations against Israel, stand also "against ('al) God". "And Satan came also among them." "Also" signifies that [33a] he came with the set purpose of displaying his superior power as the greatest of all the celestial accusers and so making it difficult for Israel to obtain forgiveness. When the Holy One saw that they all came thus to accuse, "He said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? And Satan replied, From going to and fro in the land." Now we know that the control of all lands is entrusted to the supernal Chieftains, save that of the Land of Israel alone. Hence, when the Satan said "the land", God knew that he intended to accuse Israel, and therefore straightway asked him: "Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth?", in order to divert him to another subject and make him leave Israel alone -- like a shepherd who throws a lamb to a wolf in order to save the rest of the flock. Thereupon Satan left Israel and turned his attention to Job, saying: "Doth Job fear God for naught?", as if to say, "No wonder the servant fears the Master who gives him all that his heart desires! Remove thy providential care from him and then see what his fear and reverence will be worth!" Mark this! When in the hour of need something is thrown as a sop to the "other side" -- like the lamb thrown to the wolf -- the representative of the "other side" soon ceases to attack its original victim. This is the reason for the offering of a goat at the New Moon and on the Day of Atonement; for Satan occupies himself with these and leaves Israel in peace. Now the time had come for the "other side" to have its due from the whole seed of Abraham. For Satan had a case against Abraham for having brought as a sacrifice an animal instead of Isaac -- an unlawful transaction, since it says, "he shall not alter it (an animal destined for sacrifice) nor change it" (Lev. XXVII, 10). His claim, therefore, was quite reasonable. Thus, from the time when Isaac was saved and an animal substituted for him as a sacrifice, the Holy One, blessed be He, apportioned unto Satan another branch of Abraham's family that he might accuse it, namely the (heathen) descendants of his brother Nahor, the family of Uz (and Job was from the land of Uz). Now Job was one of the closest counsellors of Pharaoh, and when the latter formed the intention of exterminating the children of Israel, Job advised him: "Do not kill them, but take their possessions from them and subject their bodies to severe toil." Then said the Holy One: "As thou livest, thou shalt be judged according to thine own judgements!" Therefore, when Satan said, "But put forth thine hand now and touch all that he has and touch his bone and his flesh" (v. 11), the Lord placed in his power all Job's possessions and his flesh, only bidding him to "save his soul" (v. 12) -- that is, his life. It is true, the text says, "And thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause" (Job. 11, 3), which would seem to show that Job's sufferings were undeserved. We should, however, translate not "against him" (bo), but "in him", i.e. in his opinion, this being only Job's own idea, not the real fact.' [33b] R. Abba here interposed, saying: 'All that is correct to a point, but we have been taught that Satan, the "old but foolish king" (Eccl. IV, 13), has the right to accuse only individuals, not humanity as a whole; for the judgement of the world is executed by the Holy One Himself, as it says concerning those who built the Tower of Babel: "And the Lord came down to see" (Gen. XI, 5); also in connection with Sodom and Gomorra: "I will go down now and see" (Ibid. XVIII, 21); for the Holy One would not rest satisfied to condemn the world to perdition merely on the strength of the word of Satan, who is the great accuser and whose only desire is to destroy the world. The truth is, however, that on New Year's Day two "sides" stand before the Holy One, blessed be He, for the reception of mankind. Those men of whom good deeds and repentance can be recorded are privileged to be inscribed in the roll of that side which is life and which brings forth life, and whoever is on its side is inscribed for life; but those whose works are evil are assigned to the other side, which is death. Sometimes, however, it happens that the world is, as it were, exactly balanced between the two. Then if there is but one righteous person to turn the scale, the world is saved; but if one wicked, then the whole world is condemned to death. And in just such a condition were the affairs of men in the time of Job, when the Accuser "stood before the Lord", eager to denounce the world. Straightway the Holy One asked him: "Hast thou considered my servant Job?" And as soon as Satan heard this name, he concentrated all his attention upon him. For this reason we are taught that it is wrong to isolate oneself and be separated from the corporate community, since one is then liable to be singled out and accused in the upper realm. Therefore the Shunammite woman said, "I dwell among my people" (2 Kings IV, 13), meaning that she had no desire to separate herself from the majority, having dwelt hitherto among her people and being known above merely as one with them. Job, however, was known apart from his people: he was singled out; and this was Satan's opportunity.

It is ironic that Israel, the country in the modern world singled out more than any other by Project Democracy as a model of the triumph of democratic values, should turn out to be a corporate state with marked similarities to Mussolini's Italy....A review of the institutions of the corporate state as exemplified by D'Annunzio, Mussolini, and Bukharin is an excellent preparation for recognizing the corporate state in present-day Israel, and for discerning the outlines of the ongoing Trilateral-Project Democracy fascist transformation of the United States....

The institutions through which totalitarian control of economic life is mediated merit special attention. In Eastern totalitarianism, this is accomplished by making each branch of the state-owned industries subject to the Council of Ministers and the state planning authority, and thus to the party. At the same time, the trade unions are the passive "transmission belt," in Lenin's phrase, for party control. In totalitarian regimes in the Western world, masses of labor have often been simply dragooned through institutions such as Dr. Ley's Nazi Labor Front. But the characteristic institutions of fascism in the West are those of the so-called corporate state. In the fascist regime of Italy, Vichy France, and many others, it was the corporations which were to bring together ownership and employees, management and labor under the direct control of the one-party state for the purpose of extending totalitarian domination into the nooks and crannies of everyday economic life while at the same time fragmenting potentially rebellious workers along the lines of branches of industry.

The corporatist principle

This corporatist principle in fascism is so neglected and misunderstood that it merits our special attention, especially because the form of fascist totalitarianism which Project Democracy aims at is of a corporatist variety. The word corporation here has nothing to do with its usual English meaning of a joint-stock company. "Corporation" here means, approximately, a guild. For present purposes it is enough to recall that corporatism emerged as an irrational, solidarist opposition to capitalism and the United States Constitution during the period of the reactionary Holy Alliance after the end of the Napoleonic wars. Corporatism asserted that the way to overcome the tensions between labor and capital was not through the broad national community of interest prescribed by Alexander Hamilton's American System of dirigist political economy, but rather through the artificial creation of medieval guild organizations, based on the pretense that capitalists were masters, and workers were journeymen and apprentices, all functioning together in "organic" unity.

Thus, Mussolini advertised his fascist regime as the stato corporativo or corporate state, proclaiming that Oil fascismo sara corporativo o non sara (fascism is corporative or it is nothing). In German, the equivalent for stato corporativo is Standestaat, wherein Stand has the meaning of social position in the sense of aristocracy, clergy, and bourgeoisie, the three "estates" of pre-evolutionary France. Hitler's National Socialist German Workers Party was corporatist from the very beginning: point 25 of the "unalterable" program of the Nazis as adopted on Feb. 25, 1920 included the "creation of corporative and professional chambers" (Odie Bildung von Stande--und Berufskammern zur Durchfuhrung der vom Reiche erlassenen Rahmengesetze in den einzelnen Bundesstaaten.) For a certain period after Hitler's seizure of power in 1933, his regime referred to itself prominently as a Standestaat, or corporate state. When Marshal Petain and Pierre Laval created their Nazi puppet-state in Vichy, Petain announced that one of the principal goals of his "national regeneration movement" was the creation of an ordre corporatif. Other fascist regimes, especially the many that were directly modeled on the Italian one, also stressed corporatism, so that corporatism emerges as the characteristic institutional structure of fascism.

-- Project Democracy's Program -- The Fascist Corporate State, by Webster Griffin Tarpley

Said he: "Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast not thou made an hedge about him and about his house? ... " (Job I, 9-10), meaning, "Take away all the good things with which thou hast endowed him, and he will curse thee to thy face (v. 11): he will leave thee and become attached to the 'other side'. At present he eats thy bread; take that away and we shall soon see of what stuff he is made and to whom he will cleave!" Whereupon "the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy hand" (v. 12). Thus permission was given to the Satan to persecute Job and to show that his motives were not really pure; for as soon as he was tried he left the right way and did not remain steadfast: "He did not sin with his lips" (II, 10), but he did sin in his mind, and later, also in his speech. He did not, however, go so far as to attach himself to the "other side", as Satan had predicted. His trials lasted twelve months, for this is the space of time allotted to the "other side", as, according to tradition, sinners are judged in Gehenna for twelve months. And because Job did not attach himself to the "other side", "the Lord blessed the [34a] latter end of Job more than his beginning" (XLII, 12).

R. Simeon said: 'The Holy One, blessed be He, did not tempt Job in the same way as He tempted other righteous men; it does not say concerning him, as it says concerning Abraham (Gen. XXII, 1), that God tempted him. Abraham led with his own hands his only begotten son to be sacrificed to the Holy One, but Job gave nothing to Him. Indeed, he was not bidden to do anything of the kind, as God knew that he would not be equal to the trial. He was merely delivered to the Accuser, and the Holy One spurred Satan, through the medium of the attribute of Justice, to test him, as it says: "Hast thou considered my servant Job? " ...'

Said R. Simeon: 'It is written concerning Cain that he brought a sacrifice "at the end of days" (Gen. IV, 8), and we have laid down that this expression indicates the "other side" (v. Zohar, Gen. 62b). And of Abel it says that "he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof" (Ibid. 4).The expression "he also" (gam hu) suggests that, unlike Cain, he brought his offering primarily to the Holy One, and spared only "the fat thereof" to the "other side"; whereas Cain offered primarily to the "other side", and gave only a part to the Holy One, and therefore his sacrifice was not accepted. Now we read in regard to Job that "his sons went and feasted ... and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them" (Job I, 4.).While they thus feasted and made merry the Accuser was daily present in their midst, but he could not prevail against them, as it is written: "Hast not thou made an hedge about him and about his house?" And when Job made sacrifices, he did not give Satan any part whatsoever, for it says, "He offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all" (Ibid. 5), this being an offering which ascends ('olah) entirely on high, so that he gave no portion to the "other side". Had he done so, the Accuser would not have been able to prevail against him. Hence in the end he only took what was his due. As to the question which might be asked, why then did God allow Job to suffer thus, the answer would be that, had he given Satan his due, the "unholy side" would have separated itself from the holy, and so allowed the latter to ascend undisturbed into the highest spheres; but since he did not do so, the Holy One let justice be executed on him. Mark this! As Job kept evil separate from good and failed to fuse them, he was judged accordingly: first he experienced good, then what was evil, then again good. For man should be cognizant of both good and evil, and turn evil itself into good. This is a deep tenet of faith.'

"GOD IS THE RECONCILIATION OF OPPOSITES"
SAYS THE SUFI KARRAS.

-- Toward the One, by Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan

The fundamental principle, is the reconciliation of the opposites. We cannot choose one opposite over another. We must experience the relationship between the two and reconcile them into a higher synthesis. This does not mean to be in the middle. For instance, the proper balance between wealth and poverty is not the mathematical average between $1,000,000 and $1, i.e. $500,000. There are people who are poor at $1,000,000, others who are rich at $1. Reconciling the opposites is not that simple. It would be a great help if someone who has gone before us would describe the experience. What would he say of himself if he had reconciled the opposites? I AM the bread of life (John 6:35); I AM the light of the world (John 8:12); I AM the door of the sheepfold (John 10:7); I AM the good shepherd (John 10:11); I AM the resurrection and the life (John 11:25); I AM the way the truth and the life (John 14:6); I AM the true vine (John 15:1). "I AM" is the most powerful statement any person can make.

-- Reconciliation, Orientation and Unity, by Jack Courtis, Kabala Series, Rosicrucian Archive

If all knowledge were within a man, and ignorance were wholly absent, that man would be consumed and cease to be. So ignorance is desirable, inasmuch as by that means he continues to exist; and knowledge also is desirable, in that it is a means to the spiritual knowledge of God. So each is an ally of the other, and both at the same time are opposites. Though night is the opposite of day, yet it is the ally of day and both do the same work. If night lasted forever, no work would ever be produced and result; while if day lasted forever, eye and head and brain would remain dazzled and would go mad and cease to function. Therefore men rest and sleep in the night, and all the implements -- brain, thought, hand and foot, hearing and sight -- all gather strength; and by day they expend those powers. So all things, though appearing opposite in relation to their opposites, in relation to the wise man are all performing the same work and are not opposed. Show me the evil thing in this world wherein no good is contained and the good thing wherein no evil is contained! For instance, a man was intent on murder, then busied himself with fornication, so that he shed no blood. Inasmuch as it is fornication, it is evil; but inasmuch as it prevented murder, it is good. So evil and good are one and indivisible. That is the substance of our quarrel with the Magians. They say there are two Gods, one the creator of good and one the creator of evil. Now show me good without evil, that I may acknowledge that there is a God of evil and a God of good! This is impossible, for good does not exist apart from evil. Since good and evil are not two and there is no separation between them, therefore it is impossible that there should be two creators. Do we not confute you? By all means, be sure that it is so.

-- Discourses of Rumi, translated by A. J. Arberry

But after all we do have some knowledge of Marxism and have learned how and when opposites can and must be combined; and what is most important is that in the three and a half years of our revolution we have actually combined opposites again and again." Nonetheless we have studied Marxism a bit, we have studied how and when opposites can and must be combined. The main thing is: in our revolution… we have in practice repeatedly combined opposites.”

-- The Trade Unions, the Present Situation and Trotsky's Mistakes, by V.I. Lenin

In Qabala, the world is reduced to nothing or, better NO-thing at the highest level, that is, the apparent Opposites are resolved; anything is true only insofar as the reverse is true also -- false, only insofar as the reverse also is equally false.

-- Secret Rituals of the Men in Black, by Allen Greenfield

HIPPIES CREATE POLICE POLICE CREATE HIPPIES
IF YOU'RE
IN POLARITY YOU'RE CREATING
POLAR OPPOSITES
YOU
CAN ONLY
PROTEST
EFFECTIVELY
WHEN
YOU LOVE
THE
PERSON
WHOSE IDEAS YOU ARE
PROTESTING AGAINST
AS MUCH AS
YOU LOVE
YOURSELF ...
& THE FINAL THING YOU SEE
IN THE WORLD OF FORM
BEFORE YOU GO INTO THE FORMLESS
& INTO TOTAL UNITY
YOU SEE THE WORLD OF
YIN &
YANG
AND THE WORLD OF YIN & YANG
IS ANOTHER ASTRAL PLANE
& IT'S ONE OF THE HIGHEST PLANES
IN THE WORLD OF FORM
BUT IT'S STILL DUALITY
IT IS STILL POLARIZATION
THERE IS GOD THERE IS MAN
THERE IS GOOD THERE IS EVIL
YES NO
PLEASURE PAIN
LOSS GAIN
THE WORLD MOST EVERYBODY IS LIVING IN
MOST OF THE TIME
THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THAT IS TO TAKE
THE POLES OF EVERY SET OF OPPOSITES
AND SEE THE WAY IN WHICH
THEY ARE ONE
AND: IF YOU CAN GET INTO THAT PLACE
WHERE YOU SEE THE INTERRELATEDNESS OF
EVERYTHING
AND: YOU SEE THE ONENESS IN IT ALL
THEN: NO LONGER ARE YOU ATTACHED
TO YOUR POLARIZED POSITION

-- Be Here Now, by Ram Dass

En-Sof in Hebrew literally means "there is no end...the very absolute as such, or positive nothing ...the principle of unconditional unity or 'unityness' as such, the principle of freedom from all forms, from all manifestations, and, consequently, from all being)... eternally finds its opposite in itself, so that only through a relationship to this opposite can it assert itself, so that it is perfectly reciprocal."

-- Vladimir Solov'ev on Spiritual Nationhood, Russia and the Jews, by Judith Deutsch Kornblatt

The animal face which I felt mine transformed into was the famous [Deus] Leontocephalus of the Mithraic mysteries, the figure which is represented with a snake coiled around the man, the snake's head resting on the man's head, and the face of the man that of a lion ... In this deification mystery you make yourself into the vessel, and are a vessel of creation in which the opposites reconcile."

***

Serpent: "I am only my own half; I'm not one, but two; I'm the one and the other. I am here only as the serpentlike, the magical. But magic is useless here. I wound myself idly around this branch to await further developments. You can use me in life, but not in hanging. In the worst case, I'm ready to lead you to Hades. I know the way there."

A black form condenses before me out of the air, Satan, with a scornful laugh. He calls to me: "See what comes from the reconciliation of opposites! Recant, and in a flash you'll be down on the greening earth."

I: "I won't recant, I'm not stupid. If such is the outcome of all this, let it be the end." ...

Satan: "Reconciliation of the opposites! Equal rights for all! Follies!"

***

"The daimons become reconciled in the one who has found himself, who is the source of all four streams, of the source-bearing earth. From his summit waters flow in all four directions. He is the sea that bears the sun; he is the mountain that carries the sun; he is the father of all four great streams; he is the cross that binds the four great daimons. He is the incorruptible seed of nothingness, which falls accidentally through space. This seed is the beginning, younger than all other beginnings, older than all endings."

-- The Red Book: Liber Novus, by C.G. Jung

This peculiar linking-together of opposites -- knowledge with ignorance, cynicism with fanaticism -- is one of the chief distinguishing marks of Oceanic society. The official ideology abounds with contradictions even when there is no practical reason for them. Thus, the Party rejects and vilifies every principle for which the Socialist movement originally stood, and it chooses to do this in the name of Socialism. It preaches a contempt for the working class unexampled for centuries past, and it dresses its members in a uniform which was at one time peculiar to manual workers and was adopted for that reason. It systematically undermines the solidarity of the family, and it calls its leader by a name which is a direct appeal to the sentiment of family loyalty. Even the names of the four Ministries by which we are governed exhibit a sort of impudence in their deliberate reversal of the facts. The Ministry of Peace concerns itself with war, the Ministry of Truth with lies, the Ministry of Love with torture and the Ministry of Plenty with starvation. These contradictions are not accidental, nor do they result from ordinary hypocrisy; they are deliberate exercises in doublethink. For it is only by reconciling contradictions that power can be retained indefinitely. In no other way could the ancient cycle be broken. If human equality is to be for ever averted -- if the High, as we have called them, are to keep their places permanently -- then the prevailing mental condition must be controlled insanity.

-- Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984), by George Orwell

THERE WAS ONLY ONE CATCH ... AND THAT WAS CATCH-22.

-- Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

R. Simeon continued: 'It is now fitting to reveal mysteries connected with that which is above and that which is below. Why is it written here, "Come (bo) unto Pharaoh"? Ought it not rather to have said "go" (lekh)? It is to indicate that the Holy One, blessed be He, guided Moses through a labyrinth right into the abode of a certain supernal mighty dragon -- that is to say, Egypt's celestial representative -- from whom many lesser dragons emanate. Moses was afraid to approach him, because his roots are in supernal regions, and he only approached his subsidiary streams. When the Holy One saw that Moses feared the dragon, and that none of the supernal messengers was able to overcome him, He proclaimed: "Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon (tanim) that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said: My river is my own, and I have made it for myself" (Ezek. XXIX, 3). Yea, truly, the Lord Himself had to war against this dragon, and no lesser being. This is the mystery of the "great dragon" for those who are familiar with the esoteric lore.' Said R. Simeon further: 'It is written: "And God created the great dragons (taninim) and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind" (Gen. I, 21). This verse', he said, 'we have already discussed, but the words "He created the great dragons" contain a yet more special and particular mystery: they refer [34b] to the Leviathan and his mate, which last was slain and is preserved by the Holy One for the regaling of the righteous (in the days of the Messiah). The great dragon reposes between nine rivers, the waters of which are turbulent; and there is a tenth river whose waters are calm, and into the depth of which the blessings of the waters of Paradise descend three times a year. Into this river the dragon enters, making there his habitation; and thence he sallies forth and swims down to the sea, and devours there fish of all kinds, and then returns again to the river. The nine swift rivers are banked by trees and fringed with flowers. The parent river issued from the Left Side and from it three drops fell into a certain channel, and each of the three was divided again into three, and every drop became a river. These are the nine rivers which flow through all the firmaments. And from the final moisture that remained when all the drops had issued forth yet another drop was formed, which issued gently, and of this drop was formed that tenth river, which flows calmly. Into this river also flows a drop from the blessings poured forth from the Right side by the "perennially flowing stream", and it is greater than all the rest. When the four rivers which flow out of the Garden of Eden divide, the one called Pison flows into and is fused with the calm tenth river of which we have spoken. Out of the calm river, thus augmented, are fed and filled all the other rivers; in each of which a dragon dwells, so that the number of the dragons is nine. And each of these nine has a hole in his head, and the great dragon as well, because each of them emits breath upwards and not downwards. It is written: "In the beginning God created ..." and also "And God created the great dragons". This indicates that all the ten acts of Creation had their counterpart in these ten rivers, on each of which one of the dragons breathes heavily. Now, that great dragon, when he raises his fins, heaves up the waters around him, and all the earth is shaken and all the lesser dragons, and this takes place every seventy years.' Said R. Simeon: 'Verily, though the members of the Fellowship are students of the story of Creation, having knowledge of its wonders and perception of the paths of the Holy One, blessed be He, yet even among them there are few who know how to interpret it in connection with the mystery of the great dragon.' [1] [35b]

***

FOR THE LORD WILL PASS THROUGH .... R. Jose commented on the expression, "The Lord shall see the blood ... and pass over". 'Does God then', he said, 'require a sign? Are not all secrets revealed to Him? The explanation, however, is that only when a thought -- be it good or evil -- is translated into action, does it bring about its due result above, whether for reward or punishment, saving only the intention of idolatry, of which it says, "Take heed to yourselves that your heart be not deceived" (Deut. XI, 16).' As to the significance of the hyssop, R. Jose explained that all the streets and market-places of the Egyptians were filled with idols, and all their houses with implements of magic to link them with lower "crowns", and therefore it was necessary to purge the doors with the hyssop, in order that these powers might be exorcised; and this was done in three places, namely upon the lintel and the two side-posts. THEREFORE THE LORD WILL PASS OVER THE DOOR AND WILL NOT SUFFER THE DESTROYER TO COME IN UNTO YOUR HOUSES, because he will see the design of His Holy Name upon the door. Said R. Judah: 'But if so, why was blood only required, seeing that, as we have been taught, the divine attributes are symbolized by three colours, white, red, and a colour which is between the two and combines both?' R. Jose replied: 'The blood was of two kinds, that of circumcision and that of the Passover lamb, the former symbolizing mercy and the latter justice.' 'Not so,' rejoined R. Judah. 'It is even as we have been taught, that the Holy One made the blood a symbol of mercy, as if there were white in it, and therefore it says: "And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee: In thy blood live" (Ezek. XVI, 6). To this end was the door smeared with blood in three places, viz. on two sides and in the middle.' R. Hezekiah, however, held that two kinds of blood appeared on the doors to represent the two "crowns" which were manifested at that moment in the regions above. R. Jose maintained that it was one crown consisting of two sides blended, [36a] viz. mercy and justice. Said R. Abba: 'In how many ways does the Holy One show His loving-kindness to His people! A man builds a house; says the Holy One to him: "Write My Name and put it upon thy door (mezuzah), and thou wilt sit inside thy house and I will sit outside thy door and protect thee!" And here, in connection with the Passover, He says: "You inscribe on your doors the sign of the mystery of My Faith and I shall protect you from the outside!" They inscribed the likeness of the Holy Name in the form of the letter He. As the Holy Name was then turned from Mercy to Judgement, chastisement came into (God's) view at that time. Everything was turned into red, as a symbol of vengeance on Israel's enemy. Esoterically speaking, it is fitting to show below the colour corresponding to the state above, whether mercy or judgement. And as it was then even so shall it be in the future, as it says: "Who is this that cometh from Edom (= Rome), with dyed garments from Bozra?" (Isa. LXIII, 1); for He will clothe Himself entirely in judgement to avenge His people.'

***

AND NONE OF YOU SHALL GO OUT AT THE DOOR. The reason is found in the dictum of R. Isaac, that, when punishment impends over a place a man should not go out into the open, since, once the Destroyer is given leave, he does harm indiscriminately, and makes no distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous; therefore the people of God should hide themselves lest they be consumed in that vengeance which is the due of the Destroyer. R. Jose said that the same power which exercised judgement on the Egyptians was the agent of mercy to Israel, as it is written: "When I see the blood I will pass over you" (v. 13). For, as we have been taught, all the holy crowns above contain at one and the same time both judgement and mercy. R. Hezekiah drew the same inference from the verse, "And the Lord shall smite Egypt, smiting and healing" (Isa. XIX, 22), i.e. smiting the Egyptians and healing Israel, to wit, from the wound of circumcision, the phrase "the Lord will pass over the door" suggesting the "door" of the body, which is the place of circumcision.

Fascist ideology, whatever its specific predicates, repudiates human reason and exalts irrationalism and irrationalist violence, often in the form of wanton military aggression and imperialism. A fascist mass movement is the most aggressive form of militant irrationalism. From Mussolini's Romanita through Hitler's Herrenvolk to the Great Russian master race conception of "Moscow the Third Rome," fascist ideology is based on notions of racial superiority and race hatred, extreme chauvinism, and blood and soil mysticism. Fascism is neo-pagan.

-- Project Democracy's Program -- The Fascist Corporate State, by Webster Griffin Tarpley

R. Simeon interpreted it in a similar way: at the moment when the night was divided and the Holy Crown (the Sefirah Kether) was moved to unite with the masculine principle which is the supernal Grace -- for they never manifest themselves one without the other -- one smote and the other healed. Also, "the Lord passed over the door": that door which is the opening of spirit and body. That circumcision is of such significance can be seen from Abraham: before he was circumcised he was, as it were, a closed vessel, impervious on all sides, but when he was circumcised, and the sign of the letter yod of the Holy Name was manifested in him, he became open to supernal influences, this being the inner meaning of the words, "he sat at the door of the tent in the heat of the day" (Gen. XVIII, 1), i.e. of the supernal holy Tent. R. Eleazar said that when the yod was manifested he received the glad tidings that Grace was confirmed with Righteousness. R. Abba said it refers to the tenth crown (that of Grace), with which he was then endowed, as indicated by the words "in the heat of the day", namely at the time when Grace predominates. According to another explanation, [36b] the word "pass" here signifies that God passed over the pleadings of the lower crowns, which were connected with certain celestial crowns, and loosened them from their foundations, and did constraint to Himself in order to execute judgement on them and to guard Israel. And so whenever the word "pass" is used of the Almighty, it means "constraining or forcing Himself", whether to exercise mercy or severity. [2]

***

3. From here to the end of the section (p. 43b) is from the Ray'a Mehemna.[/b]

[admin]

Part 2 of 2

AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT AT MIDNIGHT THE LORD SMOTE ALL THE FIRSTBORN IN THE LAND OF EGYPT. R. Hiya and R. Jose were once journeying from Usha to Lydda, the former mounted on an ass. Said R. Jose: 'Let us pause awhile and pray, for the time of the afternoon prayer is at hand and we have been taught particularly never to neglect this prayer. Why so? Because severity is then dominant, and therefore a man should pay special heed to this prayer.' R. Hiya descended and they recited their prayers, after which they continued on their way. As they journeyed, evening drew on, and they saw that the sun was setting. Said R. Hiya: 'Why art thou silent?' R. Jose replied: 'I was reflecting that the condition of mankind depends entirely on their leaders: when these are worthy, the world and all in it prosper, but when they are unworthy, woe to the world and woe to the people!' Said R. Hiya: 'Indeed thou speakest the truth, for it is written, "I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills as sheep that have not a shepherd, and the Lord said, These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace" (I Kings XXII, 17). Instead of "let them return to" (yashubu) we should expect the text to say "let them stay in" (yeshbu be-) their houses, since they had as yet not left them! The explanation is that, as we have been taught, when the head (in this case, the king of Israel) is unworthy, the people are punished for his guilt, as David expressed it: "Lo, I have sinned ... but these sheep what have they done?" (2 Sam. XXIV, 17); but as "these have no master (because Ahab was punished for his disobedience and killed in the battle) let them return ... in peace". Thus, when the head of the people is punished, the people escape punishment, for then the attribute of Justice can claim no power over them (having already been appeased). And Jehoshaphat also would have been punished for joining Ahab had he not "cried out" (I Kings XXII, 32).'

As they thus proceeded on their journey, night came on. They said: 'What shall we do? Should we go on we shall be lost in the darkness, and to stay here may be dangerous.' So they turned off the road a little way, and sat down under a tree, keeping themselves awake by conversing on Scriptural subjects. At midnight they heard a sound, and lo, a hind passed by, crying loudly. R. Hiya and R. Jose started up, trembling. Then they heard a voice, proclaiming in a loud tone: 'Ye who are awake, arise! Ye who are sleeping, wake! Ye worlds prepare to meet your Lord.' Said R. Hiya: 'It must now be just midnight, and this is the voice that "maketh the hinds to travail" (Ibid.). The esoteric significance of it is as follows. At the hour when the Lord thus shows Himself in the Garden, all the Garden assembles and keeps close to Eden, from whence the stream of life flows forth into numerous channels. The Garden is called "the Bundle of Life", and in it the pious are beatified with the light of the world to come. And at the hour when the Holy One, blessed be He, reveals Himself to these saints, a voice is heard, crying: "Awake, O north wind, come, O thou south, blow upon my garden, may its spices flow out. Let my beloved into his garden come, his pleasant fruit to eat" (S.S. IV, 16). The "pleasant fruit" signifies the sacrifices which are offered to the Holy One out of the soul-essence of the righteous. These offerings take place at midnight.'

After R. Hiya had spoken thus, he and R. Jose sat down. Said R. Jose: 'It has often seemed strange to me that the smiting of the Egyptian firstborn took place at midnight instead of by day, when its wonder would have been manifest to all; also that the firstborn of the "captives in the dungeon and the firstborn of the cattle" (Ex. XII, 29) died, and not the kings, princes, and warriors, as in the case of Sanherib, of whom it is written, "And the angel of the Lord slew in the camp of Assyria, etc." (2 Kings XIX, 35). On that occasion, tradition tells us, the whole camp consisted of kings, princes, and mighty men of war, so that one angel there must have shown [37a] more power than was shown here by God Himself.' Said R. Hiya: 'This is a good question, which I am unable to answer. However, I have heard that R. Simeon ben Yochai is at present "purifying the streets of Tiberias" (cf. Midrash, Gen. R. 170a), therefore let us go to him.' They remained beneath the tree until the morning, and then set forth. When they reached the place where R. Simeon was, they found him sitting deep in study, with an Haggadic book in his hand. He was commenting on the verse: "All nations are before Him as nothing and they are counted to him as less than nothing" (Isa. XL, 17). 'The word "nothing",' he said, 'describes the religion of the pagans, who do not bring the heavenly and the earthly into union and adopt a faith of folly; and they are "counted less than nothing", like chaff blown about by the wind.' He also interpreted the verse: "God created the (eth) heavens and the (eth) earth" (Gen. I, 1), referring the first eth to the Right Hand and the second to the Left Hand; and these two "stand together" (Isa. XLVIII, 13) through the agency of the Crown which is called zoth and which comprises both Mercy and Judgement. Thereupon R. Hiya said: 'Will our master allow us to explain why we have come? It is written: "and it came to pass that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt", and from what we have just heard we gather that this verse contains the same idea which you have been expressing, so that we have just come at the right time to consult you.' R. Simeon prefaced his answer with a reference to the verse: "Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high, and yet humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth?" (Ps. CXIII, 5), which he expounded thus: '"Who is like unto the Lord our God", who ascends to the highest spheres in order to be crowned with the supernal holy crown, the splendour of which is more resplendent than the glories of all lesser crowns; "and yet he humbleth himself" to descend from crown to crown, that is, from one sphere to another, from one abode of light to another, and each one lower than the last, and all this in order to exercise His providential care for the higher and lower worlds?' He then proceeded: 'Instead of "at midnight" in this passage we should have expected "about (ka-hazi) midnight", which was the phrase actually used by Moses when he predicted the event. Our colleagues, we know, explain that Moses used the word "about", so that, were the event not to occur at the exact second of midnight, the Egyptian astrologers should have no chance of calling him a liar. But this hardly solves the difficulty, for in that case he should not have put the expression in the mouth of the Lord (Ex. XI, 4). Another difficulty is that Moses, when speaking of the death of the firstborn, referred to the "firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill" (v. 5), yet in our verse we read of the "firstborn of the captive that was in the house of the pit". And on top of all comes your question, which is the last straw that breaks the camel's back. The whole subject, however, is explained esoterically among "the reapers of the field", for it contains a supreme mystery, having been proclaimed by the faithful prophet, even Moses, of whom it is written, "Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into thy lips; therefore God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness [37b] above thy fellows" (Ps. XLV, 3, 8). "Thou art fairer than the children of men" refers to Seth and Enoch; "grace is put into thy lips" means that Moses was greater than Noah and his sons; "therefore God hath blessed thee" signifies that he was above Abraham and Isaac; "oil of gladness" suggests that Moses was greater than Jacob; and "above thy fellows" that he was above all other prophets. Could a man so great, who ascended to degrees not attained by any other, have spoken with such a lack of precision? The truth, however, is as follows. It is written: "Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke?" (S.S. III, 6). This smoke symbolizes the Crown which is called Zoth (lit. this, i.e. the Sefirah Malkuth -- Kingdom) and "Woman"; as it is written, "This (le-zoth) shall be called woman" (Gen. II, 23). This Crown which is called zoth rules over the middle of the night, so that it is able to be at one and the same moment white to Israel and black to the heathens; and so long as the night is not divided it cannot perform this function, as we learn from the case of Abraham, for whom, as we are told, "the night divided against them" (Gen. XIV, 15). So here, Moses used the expression ka-hazoth, meaning thereby "when the night is divided", knowing that it would not perform its function till then; but the latter expression "in the middle" (lit. half) means "in the second half", which is always the period when this zoth executes judgements. As to the references to the "firstborn behind the mill", and to the "firstborn of the captive and of the cattle", they relate to the three grades of impurity, with all their spirits and powers, higher and lower, with whom Pharaoh, being himself the wiliest of all his magicians, endeavoured to entangle the Israelites so subtly and so inextricably that they should never again be free. Here it was that the power of the Holy One, blessed be He, was revealed: [38a] for He loosened all the bonds of impurity and broke all those "crowns" of magic, that His children might be liberated. Therefore it is written: "Who would not fear thee, O king of nations ... forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like unto thee" (Jer. X, 7).'

Having spoken these things, R. Simeon wept, meditating on the greatness of the Lord; then he lifted up his voice, and said: "And so you thought this passage a bundle of contradictions! But verily, the significance of the Exodus is great indeed! For this reason the Holy One, blessed be He, frequently reminds Israel of her deliverance, as when He says: "Who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt." (Ex. XX, 2). Now, as there are ten crowns above, so likewise there are ten such below; and all are concealed in the three grades, symbolized by "the firstborn of Pharaoh", "the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill", and "the firstborn of the cattle", by means of which Pharaoh sought to keep the Israelites captive for ever. Blessed indeed are ye, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for whose sake the knots of magic were loosed, because the Holy One, blessed be He, recollected in His mercy and lovingkindness the indissoluble bonds of your faithfulness, as it says: "And the Lord remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob" (Ibid. II, 24.). Festivals, Sabbaths, and all days of moment in Israel have this "remembrance" for their object and basis, therefore the deliverance from Egypt is mentioned in connection with such days. Truly, this "remembrance" is the foundation and root of the whole Torah, the basis of all the commandments and of the real faith of Israel. Now, as to your question why the last act did not take place by day, the fact is that in this connection there is an apparent contradiction, since on the one hand we read, "to-day come ye out" (Ex. XII, 4), and on the other, "The Lord thy God brought thee out of Egypt at night" (Deut. XVI, I). However, it is true that Israel's essential redemption took place at night, because only at night does the Holy One exercise judgement, therefore it was night when the knots of sorcery were loosened and the bonds of darkness rent in twain; yet were they led out by day, before the eyes of the world, that all men might marvel at the works of the Lord; therefore they were freed "with a high hand, in front of all the Egyptians" (Num. XXXIII, 3).'

R. Simeon then ceased, and R. Hiya and R. Jose prostrated themselves before him and kissed his hand, saying, with tears in their eyes: 'Surely not only earthly creatures, but also celestial beings, look out from their abode to catch a sight of thee! The Holy One, blessed be He, built Jerusalem below as a counterpart of the Jerusalem above. He made the walls of the city and the gates thereof holy. None may enter the city unless the gates be opened for him, nor ascend unless the steps of the walls are firm. Who is able to open the gates of the city, who can fix the steps of the walls but R. Simeon ben Yochai? For it is he who opens the gates of the mysteries of wisdom, and fixes the ladder to the higher spheres! It is written, "Three times in the year all thy males shall be seen before the face of the Lord" (Ex. XXII, 17). Who then is this "face of the Lord"? None other than R. Simeon ben Yochai! And as to the reference to the "males" appearing before him, indeed only "the males of the males" (the truly manly, i.e. students of the esoteric lore) may draw near to him.'

[Narrator] Far back in the mists of ancient time, in the great and glorious days of the former Galactic Empire, life was wild, rich and, on the whole, tax-free. Mighty starships plied their way between exotic suns, seeking adventure and reward amongst the furthest reaches of Galactic space.

In those days, spirits were brave, stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri.

All dared to brave unknown terrors, to do mighty deeds, to boldly split infinitives that no man had split before. And thus was the Empire forged.

-- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, directed by Douglas Adams

R. Simeon continued: 'I have not yet finished answering your questions. You ask why the smiting of the firstborn took place at night. It was because then they were all at home, and not abroad in the fields. Further, tradition tells us that night was as bright as a day in Tamuz, therefore the whole Egyptian people could witness the mighty hand of the Holy One: "the night shined as the day; the darkness was as light" [38b] (Ps. CXXXIX, 13). Nothing so miraculous was witnessed since the creation of the world. 'Come and see,' he said, 'it is written: "It is a night (leyl) of observations unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt; this is that night (ha-layla) of the Lord, observations to all the children of Israel" (Ex. XII, 42). Now, why "observations" in plural, and "night" first in the masculine gender (layil), and then in the feminine (layla)? To indicate the union which took place on that night between the Masculine and Feminine aspects in the Divine attributes, and also the same union which will take place in the future Redemption: "As in the days of thy coming out of Egypt will I show unto him marvellous things" (Micah VII, 15).'

R. Hiya and R. Jose sat down and R. Simeon taught them the mysteries connected with the book of Leviticus, and they used to come every day and study with him. One day R. Simeon went out for a walk, and they, following, came upon him in a wood. They all sat down, and R. Simeon began to speak thus: 'It is written: "All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in wickedness" (Eccl. VII, 15). How could Solomon, the wisest among men, have spoken thus? He must have intended some inner meaning, for we see for ourselves that the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, are not thus, for He "giveth every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his works" (Jer. XVII, 10). But Solomon hinted here at two things. When the "eyes" of the Holy One "run to and fro through the whole earth" (Zech. IV, 10), and the world is full of sinners, their guilt is visited upon the one righteous of his generation, whereas God is patient with the wicked and waits for their repentance. If they do not repent, they are left without an intercessor, for "the righteous perisheth", i.e. he has been taken away from the world. It is on this account that the Rabbis have warned us to live only in a place which is the abode of men of pious deeds, and woe betide him who fixes his dwelling among the wicked! He will surely be "seized" for their sins! Conversely, when one lives among pious people one shares the reward of their goodness. Rab Hisda may serve as an example. Originally he lived among the Cappadocians, and suffered great poverty (cf. T. B. Shab. 140b) and many grievous ills; but when, after some time, he left those parts and removed to Sepphoris, all went well with him: he benefited both materially and spiritually, and he remarked, "all these blessings have come upon me because I have made my abode among people on whom the Holy One bestows His loving-kindness". There is, however, another explanation of the passage, arising out of another difficulty in the text. How could Solomon say, "All things have I seen in the days of my vanity (hebli)"? Did not Solomon attain to wisdom beyond all his contemporaries (I Kings V, 10, 11)? And did not his seven names -- Solomon, Jedidiah, Agur, Jakeh, Ithiel, Lemuel, Koheleth (cf. Midrash Rabbah, Eccl. I, 2) -- correspond to the [39a] seven supernal grades, the greatest of which is Koheleth, the essence of them all, signifying the supernal Holy Assembly of ten (Sephiroth)? Could he whose names thus symbolize grades of wisdom, and whose three books contain the whole essence of it -- the Song of Songs representing Grace; Koleleth, Judgement; and Proverbs, Mercy -- could such a one as he have said: "In the days of my vanity", and "vanity of vanities"? However, hebel is here to be understood in the literal sense, namely "breath", and conveys a very precious lesson. From the "breath" which issues out of the mouth the voice is formed, and according to the well-known dictum the world is upheld only by the merit of the "breath" of little school children who have not yet tasted sin. Breath is itself a mixture, being composed of air and moisture, and through it the world is carried on. Esoterically speaking, the breath of the little ones becomes "voice", and spreads throughout the whole universe, so that they become the guardians of the world. Solomon inherited this "breath" from his father, and through it he saw with clear vision. Hence he said, "I have seen all things in the days of my breath (hebel)". And what did he see? "The righteous perishing in his righteousness." That is to say, if this breath emanates from the sphere of Judgement, then "a righteous man perisheth in his righteousness"; but when the breath derives from the attribute of Mercy, then it may happen that "there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life". Therefore it says "in the days", and not "in the day", as it all depends on the "when" and the "whence" the "breath" emanates.'

As they thus sat listening to the master's expositions, they suddenly beheld smoke ascending and descending at a little distance, where there was a clearing in the wood. Said R. Simeon: 'The ground has been heated by the light from above, and now this field emits an aroma of all spices, passing sweet. Let us remain here, for the Shekinah is present with us. It is "the smell of the field which the Lord hath blessed" (Gen. XXVII, 27).' Presently he began to comment on this verse and referred to the tradition (cf. Midrash, Rab., Gen., LXV, 18; Zohar, Gen, 142b) that the "precious garments" which emitted a sweet odour when Jacob appeared before Isaac originally belonged to Adam, and in time came into the hands of Nimrod, "the mighty hunter", and finally to Esau, who was also a hunter. 'It has been remarked', he said, 'that these garments were made by the Holy One Himself (Gen. III, 21), by the agency of both Divine Names, YHVH and Elohim, which is more than can be said for heaven and earth, which were created only by Elohim (Gen. I, 1). It is rather difficult to understand how they came to Esau. For in the first place we are told that God made garments for Eye also (Ibid.), and what became of these? And surely Adam and Eve would have been [39b] buried in them and not abandoned such a precious gift. The truth is, however, that no other human being ever wore those garments, which placed Adam and Eve on a par with supernal beings. And as for the "goodly raiment" which Rebekah put upon Jacob (Gen. XXVII, 15), this was royal apparel of silk and gold, which it is usual to keep in perfumes, and this is what Isaac smelt, and he said, "See the smell of my son" (Ibid. 27), because he knew that the smell was so sweet on account of him. How, it may be asked, did Isaac know of "the smell of the field which the Lord hath blessed" (Ibid.)? From two sources, which are essentially the same. It says, "and Isaac went out to meditate in the field" (Gen. XXIV, 63). Why in the field? Did he not have a house or any other place in which to pray? The truth is that that field was actually the very one which Abraham bought from the sons of Heth, that field which was near the cave of Machpelah; and when Isaac passed it the Shekinah was present there and the field emitted holy heavenly aromas, and Isaac, recognizing the Presence, made it a regular place for his prayer. The second fact was that Isaac smelled the myrrh ascending from Mount Moriah. Thus, when Jacob approached him, the Paradisiacal savours brought back to him the recollection of the sweet odour he smelled in that field.

***

ON THE TENTH DAY OF THIS MONTH THEY SHALL TAKE TO THEM A LAMB. According to R. Abba, the tenth day was chosen because on this day the Jubilee illumines the Moon (i.e. Binah communicates light to Malkuth); for of the Jubilee it is written: "On the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement" (Lev. XXIII, 27). "They shall take a lamb." Why a lamb? Because it symbolized the power of the lowest "crown", which the Holy One broke, the "crown" to which all the other inferior "crowns" cling, forming the unholy triad signified by the phrase, "lambs, menservants, and womenservants", sent by Jacob to Esau, as a sop, as it were, to the evil powers which the latter represented. The Holy One said: "Do ye perform this act of slaughtering the Passover lamb, and I myself will nullify its power above. Do ye let it pass through fire (v. 8) here below, and I shall lead the impure principality which it represents through the fiery Stream." And why was the lamb to be tied up on the tenth day and slaughtered on the fourteenth? Because, according to R. Abba, the four days corresponded to the four hundred years that Israel was subjected to the power of Egypt. And why was the slaughter performed in the evening? Because that is the time when judgement predominates above and below, and also because it was at this time ("between the evenings") that Israel's exiles were foretold [40a] to Abraham, as it is written: "And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abraham, and lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him" (Gen. XV, 12). "Horror" signifies one supernal "crown" which represents Egypt; "darkness" is a second such, representing Babylon; and "great" refers to the Edomite (Roman) exile, which was to be the hardest of all. Thus it is seen that the Israelites did not go out of Egypt until all the supernal powers and principalities which were Israel's enemies had been brought to nought; but when these things had come to pass the people were freed from their domination and brought under the holy and heavenly sway of the Holy One, blessed be He, and were joined to Him and to Him alone, as it is written: "For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt" (Lev. XXV, 55). Similarly, R. Simeon interpreted the verse: "Even the first day ye shall put away leaven (hamez) out of your houses, for whosoever eateth leavened bread (mahmezeth), etc." (Ex. XII, 15). Said he: 'Seor, hamez, and mahzmezeth all mean one and the same thing, and are symbols of the same supernal grade, namely the powers appointed to represent all the other nations, which are pagan and enemies of Israel, and are termed variously "evil imagination", "foreign domination", "strange god", and "other gods".' Said God to Israel: 'All these years ye have been subject to an alien power, but now you are free men, you shall put away leaven, etc.' Said R. Judah: 'If so, why is leaven prohibited on these seven days only?' R. Simeon answered: 'This ceremony is only necessary when the Israelite requires to demonstrate the fact of his freedom. If a king raises a man to a high office, the latter will celebrate his elevation by rejoicing and donning costly festive garments for a few days; but subsequently he merely celebrates the anniversary as it comes round. The same is true of Israel: they, too, have each year their season of joy and gladness when they celebrate the high honour which the Holy One, blessed be He, showed them when He brought them out of the power of impurity into the invincible power of His holiness. Therefore it is written, "seven days ye shall eat mazoth (unleavened bread)".' Said R. Simeon further: 'The unleavened bread is called "the bread of poverty" (Deut. XVI, 3), because at that time the moon was not at full strength, the reason being that, although the Israelites were circumcised, the rite had not been completed by "peri' ah", and therefore the seal of the covenant was not revealed in its complete form. But later, when this completion had been achieved -- namely at Marah, where Moses "made for them a statute and an ordinance" (Ex. XV, 25) -- the Holy One spake unto them, saying: "Until now ye have eaten the 'bread of poverty', but from now on your bread shall emanate from a far other region: 'I will rain bread from heaven for you' " (Ibid. XVI, 4). This phrase means literally "from heaven", that is, from the very centre of Grace, and not, as previously, from the blemished "Moon". Therefore the holy Israelites observe as a memorial the anniversary of the days when they came under the wings of the Shekinah, and eat the bread which emanates from Her. And why was the rite not brought to its completion in Egypt? Because the Exodus would then have been delayed until those who had undergone this operation had recovered. [40b] Observe that when the Israelites were about to enter the Holy Land, Moses described it as "a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness" (Deut. VIII, 9), in contrast to the "bread of misery, of poverty", which was their food in Egypt, when the moon did not derive blessing and light from the sun, when she was not illumined by the Jubilee. And because they did not carry out the peri'ah in Egypt, the unification and harmonization of the Divine attributes was not manifested in its fulness. Why they continued to eat the "bread of poverty" in the land of Israel was in remembrance of Egypt.' R. Simeon also connected the words, "Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement" (Lev. XXIII, 27), with the words, "In the tenth day of this month" (Ex. XII, 3), used in regard to the Passover lamb; for the one "tenth day" is dependent on the other.

***

[3] AND THE PEOPLE TOOK THEIR DOUGH BEFORE IT WAS LEAVENED. On the strength of this is founded the precept that the leaven should be burned on the Passover Eve. "Leaven" and "unleaven" symbolize the evil and the good inclinations in man.

It is obligatory for every Israelite to relate the story of the Exodus on the Passover night. He who does so fervently and joyously, telling the tale with a high heart, shall be found worthy to rejoice in the Shekinah in the world to come, for rejoicing brings forth rejoicing; and the joy of Israel causes the Holy One Himself to be glad, so that He calls together all the Family above and says unto them: "Come ye and hearken unto the praises which My children bring unto Me! Behold how they rejoice in My Redemption!" Then all the angels and supernal beings gather round and observe Israel, how she sings and rejoices because of her Lord's own Redemption -- and seeing the rejoicings below, the supernal beings also break into jubilation for that the Holy One possesses on earth a people so holy, whose joy in the Redemption of their Lord is so great and so powerful. For all that terrestrial rejoicing increases the power of the Lord and His hosts in the regions above, just as an earthly king gains strength from the praises of his subjects, the fame of his glory being thus spread throughout the world. [41a] And similarly a man should acknowledge and proclaim any wonder that God has wrought for him. This should he do, not in order that the Omniscient should become aware of all His wonderful acts, since to Him all things of the past, as well as of the future, are already known, but rather in order that the praises may ascend even unto the highest spheres and awaken among the supernal beings a responsive outburst of praise and worshipful delight in the faithfulness of His people and in the invincible greatness of His glory, who is Himself rejoiced at the rejoicings of His people and His heavenly hosts. Conversely, with the confession of sin: the Holy One is aware of all man's sins and needs no reminder thereof; yet, since Satan, the supernal adversary and accuser, continually lies in wait, ever ready to bring man's sins before the Holy One, it is but a natural precaution to hasten on in advance of him, making full confession of one's sins, so that the Accuser, when he comes, may find himself anticipated and left without ground for his denunciations, and so be discouraged and leave his intended victim alone. Then, should the sinner carry out his repentance fully, he will be fully exonerated, and all will be well; and if not, Satan will thus obtain a just opportunity to rise up against the impious one, saying: "Here is a man who has had the audacity to appear before Thee, and yet has rebelled against his Lord!" Therefore man should at all times beware lest he falter in his fealty, and strive ever to be found a faithful servant before the Holy One, blessed be He.

Then follows the command that we should eat unleavened bread during Passover, it being a memorial, throughout the generations, of the true secret of Faith. For, as already stated elsewhere, Israel at that time emerged from the association with idolatry and entered into the mystery of Faith.

***

THIS IS THE ORDINANCE OF THE PASSOVER: THERE SHALL NO STRANGER EAT THEREOF. This commandment is a memorial of the Passover of Egypt. The lamb had to be kept from the tenth day of the month, because on that date the moon begins to increase her light until the fifteenth day, when she is in her full strength. The lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth, "between the evenings", namely at an hour when judgement hangs over the world. It signified the removal of the impurity from the holy sign (of the circumcision). Therefore "no uncircumcised person should eat thereof" (v. 48); for this sacrifice was brought by sons of the covenant, in order to break down the power of the "other side", to remove the "foreskin" from the sign of the holy covenant. When the Holy One came to Egypt He saw the blood of the Passover lamb smeared on the door, as well as the blood of the covenant, and the doors purged with hyssop, in order, as has already been explained, that the powers of impurity might be exorcised at the time of the supreme redemption of Israel. This memorial of the past redemption is, however, at the same time a sign and a token of the future Redemption, when the Holy One will "slaughter" the evil inclination once and for all. [41b] And because He killed all the firstborn of the "other side", He ordered that the firstborn of Israel should be redeemed, so that nothing of that "side" should cleave to them. In all things He watched over Israel like a father over his children.

***

WITH BITTER HERBS THEY SHALL EAT IT ... NEITHER SHALL YE BREAK A BONE THEREOF. The bitter herbs signify the Shekinah's exile with Israel in all their bitter afflictions in Egypt. Why were the bones of the Passover lamb not allowed to be broken? So that the dogs might drag them about and the Egyptians be thus made to realize the nothingness of that which they worshipped, and so be put to shame, and the Holy One be glorified.

***

SANCTIFY UNTO ME ALL THE FIRSTBORN. The 'am haarez (ordinary man) requires redemption from the power of the evil impulse, which is his lord and master, as Jacob averred when he said: "Let my lord (Esau = evil) pass over before his servant" (Gen. XXXIll, 14). In this world the "evil impulse" is indeed the lord, because of the multitude of sins and evils which attack the body of man; as it has been truly said: "The righteous is judged by the good impulse, the sinner by the evil impulse, and the intermediate, he who is between these two extremes, is judged by both". Thus, he who is of the intermediate sort is a "brother" to the good as well as to the evil impulse, as Esau, the evil one, said to Jacob: "My brother, keep that thou hast unto thyself" (Gen. XXXIII, 9). When, however, there is a preponderance of meritorious works, the spirit breaks down the two "nightwatches of asses and dogs" and he ascends to the morning watch wherein resides man, and becomes master of his animal nature. As for the intermediate person, a war is continually being waged between the principalities of justification and of condemnation to gain control of him; and when the side of condemnation sees that it cannot prevail against him, it tries to make him forget all his Torah, by transferring him into one of the seven regions of forgetfulness. For when a man is about to be born into the world the angel Gabriel wrestles with the dust of which man is formed, and inculcates into the potential man seventy languages, which, however, he retains not when he enters into this world, since the evil impulse wipes them out from his mind, so that the battle between the conflicting principles begins even before the man is born. Before all this, there are four angels which descend with him if he comes of pious stock. One of the four angels will be Michael, in remembrance of Abraham; one Gabriel, in remembrance of Isaac; one Nuriel, in remembrance of Jacob; and one Raphael, in remembrance of Adam; and the good impulse hovers over him. But if he himself is unworthy and possesses no heritage of righteousness to assist him, four powers of evil shall be his companions when he enters into this world, namely, Anger, Destruction, Depravity, and Wrath; and the evil impulse hovers over him to become his judge in the world to come. This explains the aforesaid saying, that, "the wicked is judged by the evil inclination, the righteous by the good, and the intermediate by good and evil mingled". In the case of the last-mentioned, Gabriel, who represents the good impulse, [42a] and Samael, who represents the evil, become his judges. For every man who is compounded of the four elements is accompanied by four angels on his right hand and four on his left, those already named; and from the side of his body Metatron presses close to him at the right and Samael at the left. Now all men are formed of the four elements, but on the order in which these elements are found -- that is, the order of the planets with which each man is connected -- depends the order of the angels who accompany him, and also the potential characteristics of the man. Thus, if his ruling planet be the Lion, Michael will lead, and be followed by Gabriel, and after him Raphael, and lastly Nuriel. If, however, his planet is the Ox, first comes Gabriel, then Michael, then Nuriel, then Raphael. If the Eagle be the planet by which he is influenced, Nuriel will be first, then Michael, followed first by Gabriel and then by Raphael. And should his planet be Man, then will Raphael lead, with Michael, Gabriel and Nuriel coming after in the order named. Now all aspects of Michael are of the attribute of mercy. A man whose leading angel is Michael will be benevolent, he will be pious and wise; but all this applies only if he is a student of the Torah, for if he is not so he will be the very reverse of all this, since he will be formed after the evil inclination; he will be stupid and unfeeling, without benevolence or worth -- for no ignorant man can be truly pious. Should a man be from the side of Gabriel, his attributes will all partake chiefly of the quality of justice: he will stand up courageously against the wicked; he will prevail over his own evil inclinations, will abhor sin and cleave unto all things righteous, and he will become a judge by profession; but again, all this will only come to pass if he study the Torah with diligence and attain proficiency; should he neglect this, he will be as strong in iniquity as otherwise in holiness; he will rejoice in the tribulations of the righteous; he will be hard in his condemnations, bold in evildoing, with no fear of sin; he will have a red face, and will be of the type of Esau -- a blood-shedder. He whose planet is the Eagle possesses neither the attribute of mercy nor that of justice in a marked degree, but is either moderately good or moderately bad, as his good or evil inclination obtains influence over him, as his countenance reveals, red and white being blended therein. He who is under the guidance of the planet Man combines in himself -- in so far as he derives his characteristics from the good side -- all the good qualities: he is wise and pious, strong in intellectual apprehension, sin-fearing, full of excellent virtues; and the colour of his countenance is dark. But if he is governed by the principle of evil, he will be full of bad qualities. Now if a man's evil actions predominate, all the (angelic) hosts of the good prompting will leave him and those of the evil prompting obtain control, and Samael will become completely master of him and ruler over all the members of his body -- Samael and his whole band. On the other hand, should his good actions be plentiful, all his evil concomitants will be removed, and his good inclinations permeate his whole being, so that the powers of holiness may obtain entire sway over him and the holy name YHVH will rule over him. Should he by nature belong to the class of intermediaries, the heavenly hosts will be ranged at his right hand and on his left, the one side accusing and the other defending, and his ultimate salvation or destruction will depend on the relative strength of these conflicting celestial hosts, for whichever wins will claim him, be it for justice or for mercy. Therefore it has been said that man should always imagine that the fate of the whole world depends upon him. Now he who emanates from the side of Michael is called "firstborn". Michael's grade is white silver, and therefore the redemption of the firstborn is silver: five sel 'as, according to the numerical value of the letter he in Abraham. Should such a man be successful in the study of the Torah, then a letter yod is added to him, which symbolizes holiness: for with the numerical value of yod -- namely ten -- the firstborn of cattle had to be redeemed. And when a man shall have reached this degree of holiness, then the words "Israel is holy to the Lord" (Jer. II, 3) can indeed be applied to him. Now all the supernal holy beings (hayoth) are called according to the letters of the Holy Name, as it is written, "Every one that is called by my name, I have created him for my glory, I have formed him, yea, I have made him" (Isa. XLIII, 7). And not only these celestial creatures themselves, but also all lesser creatures created through the instrumentality of these holy beings are stamped with this name in order that it may proclaim Him who created it. The Yod is the symbol of the head of all creatures; the two He's represent the five fingers of the right hand and the left; the Vau is the symbol of the body. Yet God says, "to whom then will ye liken me that I should be equal to him?" (Ibid. XL, 25), which means, "among all created things there is none that could be likened to Me even among the number of those whom I have created in the likeness of the signs of My Name; for I can efface the form and then create newly again and yet again, but there is no god above Me who could efface [42b] My likeness". Should one ask: "Is it not written, Ye saw no manner of similitude?" the answer would be: "Truly we did behold him under a certain similitude, for is it not written, 'and the similitude of the Lord should he (Moses) behold' (Num. XII, 8)?" But only in the similitude which Moses beheld was the Lord revealed, not in any other similitude of any creature formed by His signs. Hence it is written: "To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him ?" (Isa. XL, 18). Even that "similitude" was a likeness of the Holy One, blessed be He, not in His own place, for that cannot be penetrated, but in the aspect of the King when He shows forth His power to rule over the whole of His creation, appearing, therefore, to each of His creatures according to the capacity of each to comprehend Him, as it is written: "And through the prophets I am represented in similitudes" (Hos. XII, 11). And therefore He says: "Although I represent Myself to you in your own likeness, to whom will ye liken Me that I should be equal to him?" For in the beginning, before shape and form had been created, He was without form and similitude. Therefore it is forbidden to one who apprehends Him as He is before creation to picture Him under any form or shape whatsoever, not even by His letters He and Vau, nor by the whole of His Holy Name, nor by any letter or sign soever. The words, "For ye saw no manner of similitude" thus mean, "Ye saw nothing which could be represented by any form or shape, nothing which ye could present or simulate by any finite conception". But when He had created the form of supernal Man it was to Him as a chariot, and He descended on it, to be known according to the style "YHVH", in order that He might be known by His attributes and perceived in each attribute separately. For this reason He let Himself be called "El, Elohim, Shaddai, Zebaoth, and YHVH", each being a symbol to men of His various Divine attributes, that it may be made manifest that the world is sustained by mercy and by justice, according to the works of men. Had the brightness of the glory of the Holy One, blessed be His Name, not been shed over the whole of His creation, how could He have been perceived even by the wise? He would have remained unapprehendable, and the words "The whole earth is full of his glory" (Isa. VI, 3) could never be spoken with truth. But woe unto the man who should presume to compare the Lord with any attribute, even one which is His own, much less any human created form, "whose foundation is in the dust" (Job IV, 19), and whose products are frail creatures, soon vanishing, soon forgotten. The only conception of the Holy One, blessed be He, which man dare frame is of His sovereignty over some particular attribute or over creation as a whole. And if we perceive Him not under those manifestations, there is left neither attribute, nor similitude, nor form in Him; even as the sea, whose waters have neither form nor tangibility in themselves, but only when they are spread over a certain vessel which is the earth. On the basis of this fact we can calculate thus: The source of the sea is one. A current issues from it with a revolution which is Yod. The source is one and the current makes two. Next it makes a great basin, like a channel dug in the earth, which is filled by the waters which emanate from the source. It is this basin which we know as "Sea": this is the third factor involved. This large basin is split up into seven channels, which are like so many long tubes. Thus the waters are conveyed from the sea into these seven channels. The source, the current, the sea, and the seven channels form together the number ten. Should the master who constructed these tubes come to break them up, then the waters return to their source, and there remains nought but broken vessels, dry, without water. It is thus that the Cause of causes has brought forth the ten Sephiroth, and called the Crown the "Source", an inexhaustible fount of light, wherefore He designates Himself "En-sof", Limitless. He has neither shape nor form, and there is no vessel that could contain Him, no means to comprehend Him. It is in this sense that it has been said, "Search not the things that are too hard for thee, and seek not the thing which is hidden from thee" (Ben Sira, 320-324). Then He formed a vessel, small as the letter Yod, which is filled from Him, and He called it "Wisdom-gushing Fountain", and Himself in virtue of it "wise". Afterwards He made a large vessel and called it "Sea", and designated it "Understanding" (Binah) and Himself in virtue of it "understanding". He is both "wise" and "understanding" in His own essence: for Wisdom does not merit the title by itself, but only through Him who is wise and who has filled it from His "fountain"; and Understanding does not merit the title by itself, but only through Him who filled it from His own essence: if He were to depart from it it would be turned into aridity. In regard to this it is written, "As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up" (Job XIV, 11). Finally, "He smites (the sea) into seven streams" (Isa. XI, 15), i.e. He diverts it into seven precious vessels, and calls them "Greatness", "Strength", "Beauty", "Victory", "Majesty", "Foundation", "Sovereignty"; and Himself He calls "great" in the "Greatness", "strong" in the "Strength", "beauteous" in "Beauty", "victorious" in "Victory"; in "Majesty" He calls His Name "the beauty of our Fashioner" and in "Foundation" "righteous" (cf. Prov. X, 25). In "Foundation" He sustains all things: all vessels and all worlds. [43a] Finally, in "Sovereignty" He calls Himself "King", whose is "the greatness, the strength, the beauty, the victory, the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine. Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all" (I Chr. XXIX, 11). All things are in His power, whether He wills to lessen the number of vessels or to increase the light which springs from them, or whether He wills the contrary. Above Him, however, there is no god who could increase or lessen. Then He created ministering beings to those vessels: one throne supported on four columns and six steps to the throne: ten altogether. And the whole throne is like the chalice of benediction, in regard to which ten things are formulated, in harmony with the Torah which was given in Ten Words (Decalogue), and with the Ten Words by which the world was created. Then He prepared for the throne angelic hierarchies to serve Him: malachim (angels), erelim, seraphim, hayoth (living beings), ophanim, hamshalim, elim, elohim, bene (sons of) elohim, ishim (supernal "men"). To these He appointed as ministers Samael and all his groups -- these are like clouds to ride upon when He descends to earth: they are like horses. That the clouds are called "chariots" is expressed in the words, "Behold the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt" (Isa. XIX, 1). Thus the Egyptians saw their Chieftain like a horse bearing the chariot of the Holy One, and straightway "the idols of Egypt were moved at His presence, and the heart of Egypt melted in the midst of it" (Ibid.), i.e. they were "moved" from their "faith" in their own Chieftain.

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AND EVERY FIRSTLING OF AN ASS THOU SHALT REDEEM WITH A LAMB, AND IF THOU WILT NOT REDEEM IT ... THOU SHALT BREAK HIS NECK. The ass and the lamb symbolize the evil and the good inclinations. The very evil can be turned into good by repentance: the "ass" must be redeemed by a "lamb". In other words, even if a man is an "ass", a spiritual ignoramus, he can be redeemed from the exile of darkness and be included in the redemption of Israel, "the scattered sheep" (Jer. L, 17). But if he does not repent, "thou shalt break his neck", meaning, he belongs to the stiffnecked ones who will be blotted out from the Book of Life, for concerning such unrepentant sinners it is written: "Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book" (Ex. XXII, 33).

***

AND IT SHALL BE FOR A TOKEN UPON THINE HAND AND FOR FRONTLETS BETWEEN THINE EYES. This commandment has also another significance besides being a Divine ordinance, for the phylacteries are signs and means of sanctification, symbols of the beauty of the supernal colours. It is written: "And thou shalt do that what is right and good." "Right" here indicates the phylactery of the hand, which has to be supplemented by and joined with the phylactery of the forehead. The four Biblical sections (Ex. XIII, 1-10, 11-16; Deut. VI, 4-9, XI, 13-21) are in the head-phylactery in four compartments, but in the hand-phylactery in one, for the latter has nothing of itself but what it receives from above (the head). This mystery is expressed in the words, "all rivers run into the sea" (Eccl. I, 7). And because it draws the influx of Divine light from that which is above, it is called tephillah (entreaty, prayer, the traditional name for phylactery); and because it derives holiness, it is called kedushah, and it also symbolizes "Sovereignty", "Kingdom", the Kingdom of God in its completeness. The symbolism of the four sections has been explained in various places. The first of them (Ex. XIII, 1-10) [43b] is of supreme significance, containing all the four divisions of the supernal light which emanates from Ain (lit. "nothing", the hidden, unapproachable, transcendent). Each word in the verse, "sanctify unto Me all the firstborn" stands for something connected with the Divine attributes: "sanctify" is related to the hidden region of supernal Holiness, the mystery of the Wisdom which comes from above; "unto Me" refers to Binah -- Understanding, the Mystery of the supernal world, the inner Hall -- as it is written, "unto Me are the children of Israel slaves"; "unto Me belongs every firstborn"; "ye shall be unto Me a precious people" -- all these are connected with Binah. "All" signifies Grace: grace above and grace below; "firstborn" has a symbolic reference to "Israel my firstborn" (Ex. IV, 22), who represents all the sides and all the colours. These four words, esoterically considered, contain all the truths which are given in greater detail in the four Scripture sections written on the parchment scrolls of the phylacteries. Thus the first section is a summary of all the four. The second section (Ex. XIII, 11-16), referring, as it does, to the Exodus from Egypt, symbolizes the freedom of the "Jubilee", and represents Dinah. The third section, the Shema, contains the mystery of the right side, called "The Supernal Grace", for it effects the union of all things extending unto the four quarters of the universe; and the Holy One, blessed be He, through the medium of this attribute, brings forth order and harmony in the whole universe, a harmony which extends even to the lowest depths. By this attribute of Grace the Holy One created the world, when He wrapped Himself in the garment of light. This Supernal Grace is the Unifier. For this reason the section of the Shema is joined to that of "And it shall be"; for the act which makes each day a unity and likewise forms the whole sum of separate days into the perfect whole, is the fact of following the Divine Will in knowledge and action; and through this act alone (of concentration on the union during prayer and the recitation of the Shema) can that union of which we have frequently spoken be attained: that is, the union of each day, the union which is expressed in the sentence: "Hear, O Israel, YHVH Elohenu YHVH is one". These three are one. How can the three Names be one? Only through the perception of Faith: in the vision of the Holy Spirit, in the beholding of the hidden eyes alone. The mystery of the audible voice is similar to this, for though it is one yet it consists of three elements -- fire, air, and water, which have, however, become one in the mystery of the voice. Even so it is with the mystery of the threefold Divine manifestations designated by YHVH Elohenu YHVH -- three modes which yet form one unity. This is the significance of the voice which man produces in the act of unification, when his intent is to unify all from the En-sof to the end of creation. This is the daily unification, the secret of which has been revealed in the holy spirit. There are many kinds of unification, and all are appropriate, one involving the other, but the one which is effected on earth by the symbolism of the voice is the most appropriate.

The fourth section (Deut. XI, 13-21) contains the mystery of rigorous Judgement: "Take heed to yourselves that your heart be not deceived" (V. 16). We have already dealt with the symbolism of the relationship of the two phylacteries to one another. The strap that is passed through the head-phylactery ends at the back of the head in a knot representing the letter Daleth (D. in Shaddai), and concerning it it is written: "And thou shalt see My hinder-parts", for all is tied up there in one knot. The strap that is passed through the hand-phylactery is fastened in a knot in the shape of the letter Yod, the sign of the mystery of the holy covenant, to which we have frequently referred. It is all a part of one mystery. Blessed are the Israelites for being made aware of this mystery. It is essential that every man should put on the phylacteries daily, in order that he may achieve the likeness of the supernal Prototype, and then "all the people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of thee" (Deut. XXVIII, 10).

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Notes:

1. Here follows, in the original, an elaboration of the same theme belonging to a later section ("The Book of Concealed Mystery").

2. This explanation is based on the use in Talmudic Hebrew of the expression "'aba,'ar middothav" (lit. passed beyond his usual qualities), to mean "forcing or constraining oneself".

3. From here to the end of the section (p. 43b) is from the Ray'a Mehemna.

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Part 1 of 4

BESHALAH

Ex. XIII, 17-XVII, 16

AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN PHARAOH SENT AWAY THE PEOPLE, ETC. R. Simeon discoursed here on the verse: "A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon shigionoth" (Hab. III, 1). 'Why', he said, 'is this vision of Habakkuk designated "prayer", a title unique in the prophetic writings? Why do we find only a prayer of Habakkuk and not of Isaiah or Jeremiah? To explain this we must go back to the tradition which says that he was the son of the Shunammite woman who befriended Elisha, and that his name contains an allusion to Elisha's words, [44b] "about this set time, according to the time of life, thou wilt embrace (hobeketh) a son" (2 Kings IV, 16). The promise was fulfilled, but the child subsequently died. Why? Because it was given to her and not to her husband; it came from the "feminine" region alone, and everything emanating from the feminine principle ends in death. Elisha, seeing that the child was dead, realized the reason; and therefore, "he lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and he stretched himself upon the child, and the flesh of the child waxed warm" (Ibid. 34); that is to say, he connected him with another supernal region where there is an abundance of life, not uprooting the child from the former region, but awakening a new spirit from above and restoring his soul to him. "And the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes" (v. 35). Now this child became the prophet Habakkuk. The duplicate form of his name (Habakkuk instead of Habuk = embraced) suggests that he owed his life to two "embracings": one of [45a] his mother (cf. v. 16), and one of Elisha, one coming from the sphere to which he was attached at first, and the other from the higher supernal grade. Hence his prophetic utterance took the form of a prayer, as issuing from the place to which he was first attached; and it was "upon shigionoth" (lit. errors), because the day on which his birth was announced was New Year's day, when the "errors" of mankind are judged by the Almighty. Hence, whenever the spirit of prophecy was stirred in him, he trembled, saying: "O Lord, I have the report of thee, and I am afraid" (Hab. III, 2). Therefore he prayed: "O Lord, revive thy work (i.e. himself) in the midst of the years ... in wrath remember mercy" (Ibid.). Moreover, the fact that it does not say shegioth (errors), but shigionoth, shows that the reference is to the musical instruments, like "shigayon of David" (Ps. VII, 1), which were used by all the prophets (except Moses, who was independent of external aids to prophecy), in order to enter into an ecstatic mood before receiving the spirit of prophecy (cf. 1 Sam. X, 5; 2 Kings III, 15), and Habakkuk needed the calming influence of music more than anybody.'

R. Simeon continued: 'When the children of Israel went out of Egypt their spirits were broken because of their past sufferings, and there was no energy left in them and no will to participate in the joy, singing and exultation of Moses and Miriam (Ex. XV, 1-21). But when all those celestial hosts and chariots who accompanied the Shekinah on the way from Egypt began to sing and to praise the Lord for His glorious deeds, the Holy One awakened the spirits of the Israelites, putting new life into them, and they who had tasted death were healed by His touch, as it is written: "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light" (Ex. XIII, 21). All the ways emitted healing savours which entered into their bodies, and the singing of the celestial hosts entered into their souls, filling their spirits with joy and gladness. Pharaoh, however, and his hosts, and all the celestial principalities of Egypt and the other heathen nations, followed them from behind, until they reached Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.'

***

AND IT CAME TO PASS ... THAT GOD LED THEM NOT THROUGH THE WAY OF THE LAND OF THE PHILISTINES, FOR IT WAS NEAR. That is to say, they were in near danger of breaking the oath which had been administered to Abraham by Abimelech king of Gerar in the land of the Philistines, that he should deal with his people "according to the kindness that I have done unto thee" (Gen. XXI, 23, 24).

Mark the wondrous punishment that overtook the enemies of Israel. On the night of the Exodus there were three slayings in Egypt. First, the firstborn killed whomsoever they could lay hands on; then, the Holy One executed His judgement at midnight; and, lastly, Pharaoh, on seeing the havoc wrought upon his own household, himself arose and with bitterness and fury smote those princes and nobles who had advised him to persecute Israel. He rose up at midnight; yea, even at the hour and moment when the Holy One Himself began His judgement (Ex. XII, 30), did Pharaoh likewise rise up in wrath, and kill his officers and nobles, [45b] just as a dog, if hit with a stone, goes and bites another dog. Having done this, Pharaoh roamed through the market-places crying, "Rise up and get you forth from among my people" (Ibid. v, 31); and in fear he added, "and bless me also" (v. 32), as if to say, "let me live". Then, so eager was he to be rid of them that he himself accompanied them, as it says, "he sent the people away" (beshallach, lit. escorted).

***

AND GOD LED THE PEOPLE ABOUT THROUGH THE WAY OF THE WILDERNESS OF THE RED SEA. This was to pave the way for the manifestation of the Divine power at the Red Sea. R. Judah asked: 'Why was it that when the children of Israel were still in Egypt, and were not yet circumcised, nor in full communion with the Holy One, He yet spoke of them as "my people" (Ex. v, 1), and "my firstborn Israel" (Ibid. IV, 22), whereas now that they were circumcised, and had duly sacrificed the Passover lamb, and were fully joined to the Holy One, they are referred to merely as "the people"? The answer is that they were spoken of -- not only here, but in many other places (e.g. Ex. XXXII, I, 35) -- as "the people" because of the "mixed multitude" which went out with them.'

R. Isaac and R. Judah were once journeying from Usha to Lud, and with them was a certain Jose driving a train of laden camels. On the way this Jose turned aside and misconducted himself with a heathen woman who was gathering herbs in a field nearby. R. Isaac and R. Judah were greatly shocked, and the latter exclaimed: 'Let us abandon this journey, since God has given us a sign that we should not associate with this wicked man or have any further intercourse with him'. So they changed their course. On making inquiries they found that his mother was a heathen woman and that his father had been born in illegitimacy, and they blessed God for saving them from him. R. Isaac was reminded of the verse: "Fret not thyself because of the evildoers" (Ps. XXXVII, 1). 'The evildoers,' he said, 'as opposed to "sinners" or "wicked men", are those who defile themselves and all who come into contact with them.' Said R. Judah: 'One must indeed beware of making friends (re'im) with the evildoers (mere'im), lest one should suffer for their deeds and be included in their judgement. Mark this. Were it not for that "mixed multitude", which joined and mingled with the Israelites, the sin of the "golden calf" would never have been perpetrated, and the children of Israel would not have had to suffer for it as they did. Nay, but for that sin Israel would have been, then and forever, that which the Holy One had ordained them to be; namely, pure as the angels and free from all evil: free from death and free from the dominion of earthly powers. But that sin brought upon them death and subjection, and through it the tablets were broken and many thousands were slain. All this came from their association with the "mixed multitude"; and it was on their account that they are called here not "children of Israel", nor "Israel", nor "my people", but simply "the people". As for the expression in the same verse, "And the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt", this refers to the period before the "mixed multitude" joined them.' R. Jose objected that at the Red Sea Moses said to the Israelites, "the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day ye shall see them again no more" (Ex. XIV, 13), and yet according to R. Isaac's interpretation they saw the "mixed multitude" every day. To this R. Judah answered that the "mixed multitude" were not Egyptians, but members of other peoples living in Egypt. Moreover, they had all been circumcised, and therefore would not in any case be called Egyptians. They were accepted as proselytes on the authority of Moses; for which reason [46a] it says in a later passage, "Go, get thee down, for thy people which thou hast brought out of Egypt have corrupted themselves" (Ex. XXXII, 7).'

***

AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WENT UP ARMED (hamushim). This signifies that the "mixed multitude" numbered one in every five (hamishah). According to R. Jose, for every five pure Israelites there was one who belonged to the mixed multitude. R. Judah said one in fifty (hamishim). R. Simeon saw in the word hamushim an allusion to the "Jubilee" which led them out of Egypt. For the same reason, fifty days had to pass before the Israelites received the Torah on Mount Sinai, since the Torah also emanated from that same region of the "Jubilee".

***

AND MOSES TOOK THE BONES OF JOSEPH WITH HIM. Why did Moses do this rather than anyone else? Because Joseph was the leader in the descent into exile. Moreover, this was a sign of redemption to him, for Joseph "had strictly sworn the children of Israel" concerning it, the meaning of which has already been explained in another connection. Blessed be Moses, who, when the children of Israel were busy borrowing jewels from the Egyptians, saw to the fulfilment of the pledge given to Joseph! Some say that Joseph's coffin had been in the river Nile and Moses removed it from there by the power of the Holy Name; and that he also said: "Joseph, arise! The time of the redemption of Israel has arrived!" Some say that his body was buried among the kings of Egypt, and had to be removed from there. Others, again, hold that his body was put into the Nile in order that the Egyptians should not worship him as a god, and that Serah, the daughter of Asher, showed Moses the exact spot where it lay. [1]

***

AND THE LORD WENT BEFORE THEM BY DAY. R. Jose discoursed upon the verse: To the chief musician, upon the hind of the morning (Ps. XXII, 1). 'Great', he said, 'is the love which the Holy One, blessed be He, has lavished upon the Torah, in that all those who devote themselves to her are blessed for her sake. He who studies her diligently shall find favour in the upper and lower spheres, and the Holy One shall hearken to the words of such a one, and never leave him in this world or the world to come. The Torah must, however, be studied by day and by night, as Moses said to Joshua: "Thou shalt meditate therein day and night" (Joshua I, 8), and as it also says, "My covenant (shall be with thee) night and day" (Jer. XXXIII, 20). The night must be added to the day in order that the Holy Name may be with him in harmony and perfection. And as the day is not complete without the night, so the study of the Torah is not complete unless it is carried on by night as well as by day. The word "night" is commonly taken to include those evening hours which fall before midnight; but the real night only begins with the actual stroke of midnight, for at that moment the Holy One, blessed be He, enters the Garden of Eden in order to have joyous communion with the righteous. For this reason it behoves the pious man to rise also at that time, for then the Holy One and all the righteous in the Garden listen to his voice, as it is written, "Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice" (S.S. VIII, 3), and we refer this to the Community of Israel when she extols the Holy One by studying the Torah at night. Happy he who joins her in this praise! When morning dawns the Community of Israel still rejoices in her Lord, and He extends the sceptre of His grace over her and over every individual who participates in her rejoicings and communion with Him. It is on this account that the Community of Israel is known as "the hind of the morning".' Said R. Simeon: 'When the dawn is about to break the sky darkens: at that moment the Spouse enters her husband's chamber. On the other hand, when the sun is about to set, it grows light for an instant, and then night comes, and the light is removed, and all the gates are closed; asses begin to bray, and dogs bark. But with the midnight the King arises, and the Matrona sings, and the King draws nigh to the gate of the Palace, and knocks thereon, crying, "Open unto me, my sister, my love!" (S.S. V, 2), and He enters in, and has joyous communion with the souls of the righteous. Then is he indeed blessed who at that moment shall arise to study the Torah. For all those who dwell in the palace of the Matrona arise at that time to sing praises to the King, but the praise which ascends from this far-away world is the most pleasing of all to the Holy One. When the night passes and the dawn breaks, at that moment when the sky is darkened, the King and the Shekinah unite in joy, and He reveals celestial and hidden beauties to Her and all Her train, and presents them all with gifts. Blessed indeed is he who is numbered among them!'

***

AND THE LORD WALKED BEFORE THEM BY DAY. The expression "and the Lord" means the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Council. [46b] 'This illustrates what we have been taught,' said R. Isaac, 'namely, that the Patriarchs were the Shekinah's chariot. Abraham is indicated by the words "walked before them by day"; Isaac by "in a pillar of cloud"; Jacob by "to lead them the way"; and David by the words "by night in a pillar of fire"; and all these four formed a supernal holy Chariot, for the assistance and guardianship of Israel, to the end that she might walk in harmony, completeness and peace, and that the Fathers might behold the redemption of their children.

***

TO GO BY DAY AND BY NIGHT. Why had the children of Israel thus to go by night as well as by day like a pack of runaways? Had they not the Holy One Himself to protect and to lead them? The reason, however, was in order that the harmony of the whole (i.e. of the divine attributes of Mercy and Justice, symbolized by day and night) might be manifested in them. As for the "pillar of fire", it rose up at night to give light on either side, and it was as a beacon unto the Egyptians, luring them on to pursue, in order that the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, might be glorified in their overthrow. Also, it was to mislead the Egyptians into thinking that it was all a mere accident. Therefore it was that they went day and night.' Said R. Abba: 'Blessed are the Israelites for that the Holy One brought them out from Egypt in order that they might be His portion and possession! Observe that Israel gained freedom from the side of the "Jubilee"; since it shall be thus once again in the future time, as it is written, "And it shall come to pass in that day that the great trumpet shall be blown" (Isa. XXVII, 13). Moreover, on account of that supernal "Jubilee" they waited fifty days before receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai. And as they walked by day so they also walked by night, so that the days should be perfect; and still they went in ease and comfort. When they received the Law fifty days had passed, each consisting of day and night, and each being but the half of one whole. Thus, after they had journeyed for fifty complete days, the light of the fifty days of the Jubilee shone upon them.'

***

AND IT WAS TOLD THE KING OF EGYPT.... By whom was it told? According to R. Isaac, the magicians, who were Pharaoh's ministers, discovered by their dark arts that the Israelites walked both by day and by night, and concluded that they were running away, the more so as they also observed that they did not take the direct route, but went by a devious way, as it says, "And they returned and encamped before Pi-Hahiroth".

***

AND HE TOOK SIX HUNDRED CHOSEN CHARIOTS. R. Jose said that this number corresponded to the number of the Israelites who went on foot -- six hundred thousand footmen (Ex. XII, 37). The "chosen chariots" were meant as a counterpart to the fighting men, who formed the flower of Israel, while "all the chariots of Egypt" corresponded to the "little ones" of the Israelites. Pharaoh acted entirely on the advice of his sorcerers and magicians. The word "warriors" (shalishim, from shelishi, third) signifies that every chariot contained three warriors, and this was planned with a deep purpose, that they might correspond to the Supernal grades (Sephiroth), which also go in threes (viz. right, left, and intermediary). According to R. Isaac, however, shalishim means simply "supervisors", as in the Aramaic translation (Targum). R. Hiya illustrated from the verse, "The Lord shall punish the host of the high ones on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth" (Isa. XXIV, 21). 'When the Holy One', he said, 'shows favour unto the celestial representatives of a nation, granting them dominion and power, He deals similarly with the earthly nation which they represent; and when He lessens His favour and diminishes their power above, He does likewise below.' [47a]

***

AND PHARAOH DREW NEAR. Said R. Jose: 'It has been pointed out that the word hikrib (drew near, lit. brought near) is in the causative form, signifying that he brought the Israelites near to God by repentance. So the Scripture says elsewhere, "O Lord, they have visited thee in trouble, they have poured out prayer when thy chastisement was upon them" (Isa. XXVI, 16), i.e. Israel do not turn to the Almighty when they are at ease, but only when they are "in trouble"; when He chastises them, then "they pour out prayer". They are like the dove in the story which took refuge from a hawk in the cleft of a rock and found a serpent there. They drew nigh unto the sea; but when they beheld how stormy it was, and how its waves roared and broke, fear overtook them. Then they looked back, and lo! there was Pharaoh with all his hosts and their manifold weapons! Their fear increased at this sight, and their terror knew no bounds. Then "they cried". Thus they came near to their heavenly Father, whose aid they invoked; and of this Pharaoh was indirectly the cause.'

***

AND MOSES SAID UNTO THE PEOPLE, FEAR YE NOT, STAND STILL AND SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD. Said R. Simeon: 'Blessed were the Israelites to have a shepherd like Moses! It is written: "Then he remembered the days of old, Moses his people" (Isa. LXIII, 11). This indicates that Moses was counted as of equal importance before the Lord with the whole people, and that the people's shepherd does not merely represent them, but actually is himself the people. If he is worthy, then is the whole people likewise worthy; and if he be not so, then is the whole people punished for his guilt, as we have shown on another occasion. "Stand still and see", i.e. "you have no occasion to fight, the Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace". On that night the Holy One gathered together His whole celestial Family to judge Israel, and had it not been for the merit and intercession of their ancestors they would not have been left unscathed.' R. Judah said: 'The merit of Jacob protected them from punishment, as it says, "If it were not for the Lord who was on our side, may Israel say" (Ps. CXXIV, 2), where the reference is to the patriarch Israel.'

***

THE LORD SHALL FIGHT FOR YOU AND YE SHALL HOLD YOUR PEACE. R. Abba discoursed here on the verse: If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day" (Isa. LVIII, 13). He said: 'Blessed are the Israelites that of all nations the Holy One singled them out for fellowship with Him and gave them, out of love, the Torah and the Sabbath! The Sabbath, the holiest of days, the most restful, the most joyous! The Sabbath, which is equal in significance to the whole Torah, so that he who keeps the Sabbath keeps, as it were, the whole Torah. "And call the Sabbath a delight" (Ibid.): a delight for the soul, and a delight for the body; a delight for those who are above, and a delight for those that are below. "And call the Sabbath." Call it, invite it, as one invites an honoured guest and prepares everything bounteously and concentrates one's attention on him, [47b] "not doing one's own ways, nor finding one's own pleasure, nor speaking (profane) words" (Ibid.). For every word that man speaks, whether it be good or bad, causes a vibration in the higher spheres, and he who disturbs the Sabbath joy by uttering profane words causes a blemish in the holy day. When one has been invited to the king's banquet he would commit a great offence against the king if he were to neglect him in order to converse with some other person: the Sabbath is such a banquet. The week days must be devoted to all needful occupations, with their corresponding vibrations above; on the Sabbath, however, the vibration must be caused entirely by religious acts and words, by the sanctification of the day. Here, however, when Pharaoh was about to start the battle against Israel, the Holy One did not wish His people to start any movement from below, because the awakening was to come from above, namely, from their ancestors, the Patriarchs, whose meritorious intercessions stood before the Holy One. Hence Moses said: "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace", which means, "ye need not utter a word to cause a vibration above: the initiative has already come from there." It may be noted that the initials of the words Yhvh yilahem lakem -- "the Lord shall fight for you" -- make a part of the Holy Name (of the seventy-two letters), as the members of the Fellowship have pointed out.'

R. Jose and R. Judah were once walking together. Said R. Jose: 'We have been taught that the Name YHVH in every connection signifies mercy; even when it is related to war and judgement, the judgement is executed in mercy; but here we read, "YHVH shall fight for you", and yet the attribute of mercy was not manifested at all in the Egyptians' defeat, for "there remained not so much as one of them" (v. 28).' R. Judah replied by quoting a remark of R. Simeon on this subject, showing that here also mercy and kindness was manifested (in the execution of judgement). For when the Egyptians were drowned, the sea spat them out, while the earth refused to take in the bodies, until the Holy One, in order not to deprive them of the last honour, stretched out to the earth His right hand and commanded her to receive them, as is indicated by the words, "Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them" (XV, 12). Therefore the Israelites had to be silent, for had they caused an awakening from below, it was not the attribute of Mercy that they would have awakened, and so judgement would have been executed on the Egyptians without mercy, and the heavenly design would have been frustrated.' Said R. Jose: 'What of the verse: "And YHVH will come out and fight against those nations" (Zech. XIV, 3)?' R. Judah replied: 'There also mercy will be shown in that God will allow them to die without suffering. In fact, this Name always signifies judgement in mercy, except in one connection, namely the war of the future, of which it says: "The Lord shall go forth as a giant ... like a man of war" (Isa. XLII, 13). But even here all that is meant is that the judgement will be exceptionally severe, and mercy will still be fused with it: the particle "ke" (like) has a qualifying effect, showing that the Lord is only compared to a "giant" and to a "man of war"; and although He will exercise judgement, He will have mercy on those whom He created.'

***

AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, WHEREFORE CRIEST THOU UNTO ME? The significance of this question has been dealt with in the Book of Concealed Mystery, and the esoteric interpretation thereof belongs there. R. Judah connected this verse with the story of Jonah. 'We read there', he said, 'that "the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah" (Jonah III, 1). Now the word minah (prepared) means strictly "to allot as a portion", as, for instance, when it says, "the king allotted them a daily provision" (Dan. I, 5); therefore in this case it would seem more appropriate [48a] to have said "and the Lord apportioned Jonah to the fish" than that the fish was prepared for Jonah. However, the fact is that the fish was a great boon to Jonah; for, once inside it, he was guarded from all the other fishes. Further, he beheld wondrous things there. He saw in the fish's belly an open space like unto the halls of a palace, and the two eyes of the fish shining like the sun at noon. Inside was a precious stone which illumined all around, and made visible to him all the wonders of the deep. If this was so, it may be asked, why does it say that he "called out of his affliction" (Ibid. II, 2), seeing that he was so well situated? The answer is, as R. Eleazar has told us, that when God saw Jonah enjoying himself with the sight, He said, "Was it for this that I brought thee in here", and straightway killed the fish. Then all the other fishes came round it and gnawed at its carcase from all sides so that Jonah found himself in dire straits, and it was then that he prayed "from out of the belly of sheol", to wit, of the dead fish. And the Holy One hearkened unto his prayer and brought the fish to life again, and lo! it arose from the sea and came up on to the land before the eyes of all, and it vomited out Jonah, and all saw the power of the Almighty. Now it is written, "And Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly"; i.e. to the grade of the Deity to which he was attached. Similarly here: "And the Lord said unto Moses: Why criest thou unto me?" (as much as to say, it is time to address a higher grade, viz. the Ancient of Days). And this is the significance of the words, "Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward", i.e. from the grade they are at present addressing to a higher one.'

***

BUT LIFT THOU UP THY ROD, AND STRETCH OUT THINE HAND OVER THE SEA, AND DIVIDE IT. This signifies: "Lift up thy rod, on which is engraved the Holy Name; stretch out thine hand with the side bearing this Holy Name, so that the waters, beholding it, may flee before the power that is in its letters. The other side of the rod will be used for other ends." Said R. Eleazar: 'How is it that the rod is termed sometimes "the rod of God" and sometimes "the rod of Moses"?' R. Simeon replied: 'In the book of R. Hamnuna the ancient it is rightly remarked that the two names are equivalent, the purpose of the rod in either case being to stir up the powers of Geburah (Might, or Judgement). "Thine hand" indicates the Left Hand, which is that connected with Geburah. Woe', R. Simeon continued, 'unto those who are deaf to the lessons of the Torah, which it proclaims to them every day. Water originates from the side of Geburah and issues thence. Now, therefore, that God desired to dry up the water, why did He bid Moses use his left hand? The answer is that Moses was bidden to "lift up his staff" to dry the waters, and to "stretch forth his hand" to bring them back on the Egyptians, through the agency of Geburah -- the two operations being distinct. What is called here "sea" is later called "deeps" (Ex. XV, 8). This shows that God performed one miracle within another: causing the deeps to congeal in the heart of the sea, so that "the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea" (XV 8, 19).' [48b]

***

AND HE TOOK OFF THEIR CHARIOT WHEELS THAT THEY DRAVE THEM HEAVILY. R. Simeon discoursed on the verse: Now I beheld the living creatures (Hayoth), and behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces (Ezek. I, 15). 'This verse', he said, 'we can explain as follows. The Holy One reveals His dominion and power in all things, a power which shall never be shaken. He manifested His power in the Patriarchs, and particularly in Jacob. Now Jacob is united with the Tree of Life, over which death has no dominion, since in it all life is contained, emanating from it unto all those who are in perfect union with it. For this reason Jacob did not really die. He died in a physical sense when "he gathered up his feet into the bed" (Gen. XLIX, 33), which bed is mysteriously called "the bed of Solomon" (S.S. III, 7), the bed of the "strange woman" whose "feet go down to death" (Prov. V, 5).

'But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden,' God has commanded, 'We should not eat.' 'The fruit of the tree' denotes the woman. Thou shalt not eat thereof, because as scripture states, 'Her feet go down to death and her steps lead into Hades' (Prov. v. 5).

-- The Sepher Ha-Zohar, by Nurho de Manhar, edited by H.W. Percival, further edited by J.B. Hare

But of all the Fathers the Holy One chose Jacob to be the centre of perfection and fulfilment, as it is written: "Jacob whom I have chosen" (Isa. XLI, 8). Mark also this! All the supernal hosts with their cohorts and lightful chariots of celestial speed are joined one to another, grade to grade, the lower to the higher, each to its counterpart; and above them all a holy "Living being" (Hayah) (cf. Ezek. I) is set, and all those myriads of armies move and rest according to its will and direction. This is that Living Creature to which all Hayoth are linked, as each is also to each, all moving and swimming in the sea, concerning which it is written: "This is the great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts" (Ps. CIV, 25). Now, when the wheels of the sea arise all the boats which sail thereon do heave and toss, and air and waters are mightily stirred so that a great storm arises; and the fishes that dwell in the depths of the sea are whirled about by the violence of the tempest, and are buffeted towards the four corners of the earth, some to the east, and some to the west, some to the north, and some to the south; and there they are caught by the nets of fishermen, as they reach the ocean's shallower depths, where the sands of the shore slope down to meet the breakers of that sea. At that time the boats steer no course, either certain or uncharted, but only toss and heave in one place. At last a swift but subtle current arises amid the tumult of the stormy waters, and gradually their strife is stilled and peace descends upon the waves; then the boats steer a straight course for their bourne, and swerve not nor falter; concerning which it is written: "There go the ships; there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein" (Ibid. v, 26).

Names of gigantic beasts or monsters described in Job xl. The former is from a root denoting "coil," "twist"; the latter is the plural form of "behemah"="beast."

—Biblical Data: Ever since Bochart ("Hierozoicon," iii. 705), "behemoth" has been taken to denote the hippopotamus; and Jablonski, to make it correspond exactly with that animal, compared an Egyptian form, "p-ehe-mu" (= "water-ox"), which, however, does not exist. The Biblical description contains mythical elements, and the conclusion is justified that these monsters were not real, though the hippopotamus may have furnished in the main the data for the description. Only of a unique being, and not of a common hippopotamus, could the words of Job xl. 19 have been used: "He is the first [A. V. "chief"] of the ways of God [comp. Prov. viii. 22]; he that made him maketh sport with him" (as the Septuagint reads, πεποιημένον ἐγκαταπαιζέσΘαι; A. V. "He that made him can make his sword to approach unto him"; comp. Ps. civ. 26); or "The mountains bring him forth food; where all the beasts of the field do play" (Job xl. 20). Obviously behemoth is represented as the primeval beast, the king of all the animals of the dry land, while leviathan is the king of all those of the water, both alike unconquerable by man (ib. xl. 14, xli. 17-26). Gunkel ("Schöpfung und Chaos," p. 62) suggests that behemoth and leviathan were the two primeval monsters corresponding to Tiamat (= "the abyss"; comp. Hebr. "tehom") and Kingu (= Aramaic "'akna" = serpent") of Babylonian mythology. Some commentators find also in Isa. xxx. 6 ("bahamot negeb" = "beasts of the south") a reference to the hippopotamus; others again, in Ps. lxxiii. 22 ("I am as behemoth [="beasts"; A. V. "a beast"] before thee"); but neither interpretation has a substantial foundation. It is likely that the leviathan and the behemoth were originally referred to in Hab. ii. 15: "the destruction of the behemoth [A. V. "beasts"] shall make them afraid" (comp. LXX., "thee" instead of "them").

—In Rabbinical Literature: According to a midrash, the leviathan was created on the fifth day (Yalḳ., Gen. 12). Originally God produced a male and a female leviathan, but lest in multiplying the species should destroy the world, He slew the female, reserving her flesh for the banquet that will be given to the righteous on the advent of the Messiah (B. B. 74a). The enormous size of the leviathan is thus illustrated by R. Johanan, from whom proceeded nearly all the haggadot concerning this monster: "Once we went in a ship and saw a fish which put his head out of the water. He had horns upon which was written: 'I am one of the meanest creatures that inhabit the sea. I am three hundred miles in length, and enter this day into the jaws of the leviathan'" (B. B. l.c.). When the leviathan is hungry, reports R. Dimi in the name of R. Johanan, he sends forth from his mouth a heat so great as to make all the waters of the deep boil, and if he would put his head into paradise no living creature could endure the odor of him (ib.). His abode is the Mediterranean Sea; and the waters of the Jordan fall into his mouth (Bek. 55b; B. B. l.c.).

The body of the leviathan, especially his eyes, possesses great illuminating power. This was the opinion of R. Eliezer, who, in the course of a voyage in company with R. Joshua, explained to the latter, when frightened by the sudden appearance of a brilliant light, that it probably proceeded from the eyes of the leviathan. He referred his companion to the words of Job xli. 18: "By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning" (B. B. l.c.). However, in spite of his supernatural strength, the leviathan is afraid of a small worm called "kilbit" (), which clings to the gills of large fishes and kills them (Shab. 77b).

—In the Messianic Times: The leviathan is prominent in the haggadic literature in connection with the advent of the Messiah. Referring to Job xl. 30 (Hebr.), "and the pious ones [] shall make a banquet of it," R. Johanan says that at the time of the resurrection a banquet will be given by God to the righteous, at which the flesh of the leviathan will be served (B. B. l.c.). Even the hunting of the leviathan will be a source of great enjoyment to the righteous. Those, says R. Judan bar Simon, who have not taken part in pagan sports will be allowed to participate in the hunting of the leviathan and of the behemoth (Lev. R. xiii. 3). Gabriel will be charged with the killing of the monster; but he will not be able to accomplish his task without the help of God, who will divide the monster with His sword. According to another haggadah, when Gabriel fails, God will order the leviathan to engage in a battle with the ox of the mountain ("shor habar"), which will result in death to both of them (B. B. 75a; Pesiḳ. p. 188b). Not only will the flesh of the leviathan furnish food for the table of the righteous, but there will be a great supply of it in the markets of Jerusalem (B. B. l.c.). From the hide of the leviathan God will make tents for the pious of the first rank, girdles for those of the second, chains for those of the third, and necklaces for those of the fourth. The remainder of the hide will be spread on the walls of Jerusalem; and the whole world will be illuminated by its brightness (ib.).

—Symbolical Interpretation: These haggadot concerning the leviathan are interpreted as allegories by all the commentators with the exception of some ultraconservatives like Baḥya ben Asher ("Shulḥan Arba'," ch. iv., p. 9, col. 3). According to Maimonides, the banquet is an allusion to the spiritual enjoyment of the intellect (commentary on Sanh. i.). The name, he says, is derived from (" to join," "to unite"), and designates an imaginary monster in which are combined the most various animals ("Moreh," iii., ch. xxiii.). In the cabalistic literature the "piercing leviathan" and the "crooked leviathan" (Isa. xxvii. 1), upon which the haggadah concerning the hunting of the animal is based, are interpreted as referring to Satan-Samael and his spouse Lilith ("'Emeḳ ha-Melek," p. 130a), while Ḳimḥi, Abravanel, and others consider the expressions to be allusions to the destruction of the powers which are hostile to the Jews (comp. Manasseh ben Israel, "Nishmat Ḥayyim," p. 48; see also Kohut, "Aruch Completum," s. v. "Leviathan," for other references, and his essay in "Z. D. M. G." vol. xxi., p. 590, for the parallels in Persian literature). The haggadic sayings obtained a hold on the imagination of thepoets, who introduced allusions to the banquet of the leviathan into the liturgy.

—In Apocryphal Literature: Both leviathan and behemoth are prominent in Jewish eschatology. In the Book of Enoch (lx. 7-9), Enoch says:

(Charles, "Book of Enoch," p. 155; comp. "the secret chambers of leviathan" which Elihu b. Berakel the Buzite will disclose, Cant. R. i. 4).
"On that day [the day of judgment] two monsters will be produced: a female monster, named 'Leviathan,' to dwell in the depths of the ocean over the fountains of the waters; but the male is called 'Behemoth,' who occupies with his breast a waste wilderness named 'Dendain' [read "the land of Naid" after LXX., ἐν γη Ναίδ = , Gen. iv. 16], on the east of the garden, where the elect and the righteous dwell. And I besought that other angel that he should show me the might of these monsters; how they were produced on one day, the one being placed in the depth of the sea and the other in the main land of the wilderness. And he spake to me: 'Thou son of man, dost seek here to know what is hidden?'"

According to II Esdras vi. 49-53, God created on the fifth day the two great monsters, leviathan and behemoth, and He separated them because the seventh part of the world which was assigned to the water could not hold them together, and He gave to the behemoth that part which was dried up on the third day and had the thousand mountains which, according to Ps. i. 10, as understood by the haggadists ("the behemoth [A. V. "cattle"] upon a thousand hills"; comp. Lev. R. xxii.; Num. R. xxi.; and Job xl. 20), furnish behemoth with the necessary food. To the leviathan God gave the seventh part of the earth filled with water; and He reserved it for the future to reveal by whom and at what time the leviathan and the behemoth should be eaten.

In the Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch, xxix. 4, also, the time is predicted when the behemoth will come forth from his seclusion on land and the leviathan out of the sea, and the two gigantic monsters, created on the fifth day, will serve as food for the elect who will survive in the days of the Messiah.

—Among the Gnostics: Behemoth and leviathan form in the Gnostic system of the Ophites and others two of the seven circles or stations which the soul has to pass in order to be purged and to attain bliss (Hippolytus, "Adversus Omnes Hæreses," v. 21; Origen, "Contra Celsum," vi. 25). As if the meat of the "wild ox" behemoth and the fish leviathan were not deemed sufficient for the great banquet of the righteous in the future, a fowl was added, i.e., the "ziz" (A. V. "the wild beasts" of the field), mentioned in Ps. 1. 11 after the account of the behemoth in verse 10, and understood by the Rabbis to signify a gigantic bird (B. B. 73b). Thus the Apocalypse of Simeon b. Yoḥai (Jellinek, "B. H." iii. 76) has the three animals, the monster ox behemoth, the fish leviathan, and the gigantic bird ziz, prepared for the great banquet. This tradition, however, indicates Persian influence, for it is of the Parsee cosmology that the existence of such primeval representatives of the classes of animals is a part. There are four such species mentioned in "Bundahis," xviii.-xix.: (1) "the serpent-like Kar fish, the Arizh of the water, the greatest of the creatures of Ahuramazda," corresponding to the leviathan; (2) the three-legged ass Khara, standing in the midst of the ocean ("Yasna," xli. 28); it is mentioned in the Talmud as the "unicorn ḳeresh," "ṭigras" (i.e., "thrigaṭ" = "three-legged"), the gazel of the heights (Ḥul. 59b), and forms, under the name "Ḥarish," in Mohammedan eschatology a substitute for behemoth and leviathan (see Wolff, " Muhammedanische Eschatologie," 1872, pp. 174, 181); (3) the ox Hadhayosh, from which the food of immortality is prepared, and which forms the parallel of behemoth; and (4) the bird Chamrosh, the chief of the birds, which lives on the summit of Mount Alburz (comp. "Bundahis," xix. 15); compare also Simurgh (Avesta "Saena Meregha," eagle-bird, griffin, Hebraized "Bar Yokneh"), the fabulous giant-bird, which the Rabbis identified with ziz (see Windischman, "Zoroastrische Studien," pp. 91-93; West, "Pahlavi Texts," in Max Müller, "S. B. E." v. 65-71).

Bibliography:
The commentaries of Dillmann, Delitzsch, and others on Job;
Gunkel, Schöpfung und Chaos, Göttingen, 1895;
Eisenmenger, Entdecktes Judenthum, ii. 296 et seq., 873 et seq.;
Weber, System der Altsynagogalen Theologie, 1880, p. 195;
Hastings, Dict. Bible;
Cheyne and Black, Encyc. Bibl.

-- 'LEVIATHAN AND BEHEMOTH, by E. G. H. K., JewishEncyclopedia.com

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Part 2 of 4

And all the fishes of the sea gather to their places, and all the creatures rejoice over it and the Hayoth of the supernal fields, as it is written: "And all the beasts of the field play there" (Job XL, 20). Come and see! The likeness of that which is above is that which is below, and what is below is also in the sea, and the likeness of that which is above is that which is in the supernal sea, and what is below is also in the lower sea. As the higher sea has length and width and head and arms and hair and a body, so also the lower sea.' Said R. Simeon: 'How many chariots there are whose wheels run speedily, carrying the framework upon them without delay! Yet here "God made him drive heavily". We interpret these words of the heavenly chariot, which was the guardian angel of Egypt, and which then was rendered imperfect. There were many others dependent on this one, and when it lost its power the lower chariots lost their power, as it is written: "Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh and all them that trust [49a] in him" (Jer. XLVI, 25). At that time Egypt's Principality was superior to that of all other nations, but as soon as its power was broken, the power of all the other nations was also broken, as it is written: "Then the dukes of Edom were amazed, the mighty men of Moab, trembling took hold upon them ..." (Ex. XV, 15). For they were all in Egypt's vassalage, and were linked with Egypt and were dependent on her for their existence, and therefore when they heard the mighty works of the Holy One in Egypt, they lost courage, and fear and trembling fell upon them. Verily, as soon as Egypt's power was broken above, the power of all those who were joined to her was also broken. Therefore it says: "and removed the wheel (ofan) of his chariots, not "wheels", signifying that when this was removed all the chariots dependent on it were unable to proceed. Happy are the Israelites who are linked to the Holy One who chose them to be His portion: "Ye who cleave to the Lord your God, ye are all alive to-day" (Deut. IV, 4). He brought them forth from the holy seed in order that they might be His portion, and therefore He gave them His Torah, the holy one, the supernal one, which was hidden for two thousand years before the creation of the world. He gave it to them out of love, so that they may cleave to it. Now all the supernal hosts and chariots are linked to one another, grades to grades, lower to higher, wheels within wheels: and a holy Hayah is over them all, and all the multitudinous hosts and powers are under her direction and control; when she moves they move, when she rests they rest. Therefore when the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to bring the hosts of Pharaoh down even unto the depths, He first removed that supernal influence which led and directed all the other powers and principalities. When that guardian was removed the others could not continue on their way, and as soon as their power was removed the guardian of Egypt lost his power as well, and had to pass through the Fiery Stream, and thus the dominion of Egypt came to nought. Therefore the Egyptians said: "Let us flee from the face of Israel" (v. 25).'

Said Rabbi Hiya: "The waters above sent forth the living creatures. What is the meaning of these 'living creatures?' It was the soul of the first human being as it is written, 34a 'And man became a living soul.' It is also added, 'and fowl shall fly above the earth,' denoting the angelic messengers who appear to man in dreams, as also those who manifest themselves in various forms and different aspects. Of these latter it is that Scripture refers to, 'And a river went out of Eden, and from thence it was parted and became into four heads' (Gen. ii, 10). 'And God created great whales (fishes), meaning Leviathan and its female.' 'And every living creature that moveth' in all parts of the earth. What is this nephesh hayah (living creature)? It was Lilith, the mother of the elementaries, which the waters brought forth abundantly and ministered to their growth and increase. As when the south wind begins to blow, the frosts disappear, streams become swollen and rivers flow in all directions into the seas, so was it with these creatures, as it is said: 'There go the ships,34a-34b there is also that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein' (Ps. civ. 26). The words, 'And every winged fowl after his kind,' signify those creatures of whom it is written; 'For a bird of the air shall carry thy voice and those that have wings shall tell the matter'" (Eccles. x. 26).

-- The Sepher Ha-Zohar, by Nurho de Manhar, edited by H.W. Percival, further edited by J.B. Hare

Said R. Isaac: 'In that hour when the Israelites drew near to the sea, the Holy One summoned unto Him the great angel appointed over the sea, and said: "When I created this My world I appointed thee over the sea, making at the same time a pact with the waters that they should divide for My children in their time of need. Now their hour of trial is come, and they must cross the sea." Hence it says, "and the sea returned to his strength", the word "leethano" (his strength) suggesting "lithnao" (his compact). And when the Israelites reached the shore and there beheld the waves of the sea heaving and tossing, and lifting up their eyes beheld so close behind them Pharaoh and all his hosts, they were grievously affrighted, therefore crying out unto the Lord. "Also the sea saw and fled" (Ps. CXIV, 3). What saw it, and why did it flee? It saw the coffin of Joseph, the man who "fled and went outside" (Gen. XXXIX, 12). We likewise read that the Egyptians said "Let us flee". Why said they so? Because they suddenly perceived the land of Egypt as it were on fire.'

R. Hiya and R. Jose were once walking in the desert. Said R. Hiya to R. Jose: 'Let me tell you something. When the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to remove a certain nation from its dominion on earth, He first removes or casts down its celestial representative; but not before another such is appointed in the first one's stead, in order that there should be no break in their service in heaven, [49b] as it is written: "He giveth it (the kingdom) to whomsoever he will" (Dan. IV, 14).' 'Quite so!' rejoined R. Jose. Then he took up the thread of their discourse thus: "It is written: O Lord our God, how glorious is thy name over all the earth, who hast set (asher tenah) thy glory above the heavens (Ps. VIII, 2). The words "asher tenah" (lit. which set) in the second half of the sentence are peculiar; we should expect either asher natata (which Thou hast set), or simply tenah (imperative, set) without the "asher" (which, who). In reality, however, this passage contains the mystery of the deepest "river" which flows out of Paradise; and the "asher" is a reference to "Ehye asher ehye" -- " I shall be that which I shall be"; and of this river David prayed that it should manifest itself above the heavens, in order that all the worlds might be united in one perfection and harmony of joy, and the Matrona (the Shekinah) be crowned by the King, and all the strength of the heathen nations be made as nought, and their dominion be ended, and their greatness be cast down, and all their power and glory vanish, that every one who cleaves unto the Shekinah should lift up his head, perceiving the glory of the Lord and dwelling in the peace of His Kingdom.'

Whilst the two were thus conversing, they saw a man approaching, who carried a bundle on his shoulders. On perceiving him R. Hiya exclaimed: 'Let us hurry on, since this man may be a heathen, or an ignoramus, and it would be wrong for us to travel in his company.' R. Jose, however, said: 'Nay, rather let us sit down here and wait till he comes up with us, since he may be a great and wise man.' So they waited by the roadside. After some time the stranger drew near: when he reached them he paused and addressed them, saying: 'The way by which you are going is dangerous, except for a large company together. I know of a different way which would be better for you, and I feel it incumbent on me to tell you so as not to transgress the commandment: "Thou shalt not put a stumbling block before the blind" (Lev. XIX, 14), for you are, as it were, indeed blind in regard to this road and its danger, and may risk your lives.' Said R. Jose: 'Blessed be the Merciful One for causing us to wait here till thou earnest by!' So they joined him, and he told them not to speak till they should have left the spot. He then led them by a different road. When they were at a safe distance from the place where they had halted he said: 'Once on a time two priests, one a scholar and the other an ignoramus, passed along that road; and the latter rose against the former and killed him. Since that time anyone who passes the spot where the crime was committed is in danger of his life, for all the brigands and felons that dwell among the mountains do congregate there, and lie in wait for passers by, and fall upon all that venture by that way, and rob and kill them: and the Holy One requires the blood of that priest every day.'

The stranger then began to expound the verse: As yet shall he (Sanherib) remain in Nob that day, he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion (Isa. X, 32). He said: 'This passage has already been interpreted by the masters of the academy, but I shall give you an esoteric interpretation which I have learnt. "That day." Which day? Now it is written: "And Aaron took Elisheba the daughter of Aminadab to wife" (Ex. VI, 23). This, allegorically interpreted, refers to the Community of Israel, in which Aaron is the "friend of the Bride", to prepare the house, to serve her, to lead her to the King, in order that she may unite herself with him. From that time every priest who ministered in the Sanctuary had the same office as Aaron (to unite Israel with God). Achimelech was a great high priest, and all the priests who ministered under him were "friends of the Matrona", and when they were killed by king Saul the Matrona remained alone without her friend, and there was none to minister to her, to prepare her "house", and to lead her to the union with the King. Hence, from that day she passed to the "Left Side", and it has ever been lying in wait to fall upon the world. It killed Saul and his sons, and the kingship passed from his line, and thousands and myriads of Israelites perished. And the guilt of that act hung over Israel until Sennacherib came and stirred it up again at Nob, the city of priests, the city of Achimelech. This is "the day -- in Nob", the fateful day, when the Community of Israel lost her bridal "friend", when she remained without the "Right Hand" to join with the "Left", for the priest belongs to the Right Hand. "Gibea of Saul is fled" (Ibid.): Saul is mentioned because he killed the priests and was the cause of the Right Hand being uprooted from the world. So also here: since that priest was killed, no one dares pass this spot, lest he endanger his life.' Said R. Jose to R. Hiya: 'Did I not say, perhaps he is a great man?' Then he applied to him the words, "Blessed be the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding" (Prov. III, 13), saying: 'Such are [50a] we who found thee and acquired from thee a word of wisdom and were inspired with understanding to wait for thee! We are of those for whom the Holy One prepares a present when they are journeying, to wit, the manifestation of the Shekinah, as it says: "The path of the righteous is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day" (Ibid. IV, 18).'

So they walked on. Then the man began to give an exposition of the verse: "A psalm of David. The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof; the world and they that dwell there" (Ps. XXIV, I, 2). 'Sometimes', he said, 'the title is "of David a psalm", and sometimes "a psalm of David". What is the difference? "Of David a psalm" signifies, as here, that David sang concerning the Community of Israel; but "a psalm of David" signifies that he sang concerning himself. "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof" refers to the Community of Israel and all the multitudes who are attached to her and are called "fulness". "The world and they that dwell therein" refers to the lower world called tebel, which is under the aegis of Judgement, as it is written: "He will judge the world (tebel) in righteousness" (Ibid. IX, 9). Whether as individuals, or nations, or the whole world, they are all linked to this sphere of judgement. Behold, Pharaoh imbibed from that source, so that he and his whole people perished. As soon as this judgement was awakened against him his celestial guardian was removed from his dominion, shaken in his power, and all whom he represented on earth fell with him. This is the significance of the words, "and he took off their chariots' wheel", to wit, He annulled the power of their supernal guardian, and the result was that all the Egyptians died in the sea. Why in the sea? Because the supernal "sea" was roused against them and they were delivered into its hands.' Said R. Hiya: 'Quite so. And therefore it says: "His chosen captains also were drowned in the sea of Suph" (the Red Sea), for "Suph" suggests "soph", an end, namely the end of the grades of the supernal powers.' Said R. Hiya: 'The expression "that they drave them heavily" (bi-kebeduth), in this verse, is a proof that man receives measure for measure. Pharaoh made his heart "heavy" (kabed), and the Holy One drave him "heavily".'

***

AND THE EGYPTIANS (Mizraim) SAID, LET US FLEE FROM THE FACE OF ISRAEL. Mizraim here signifies the celestial chief who was in charge of Egypt. Said R. Jose: 'This presents a difficulty. For inasmuch as he was already removed from his dominion, how could he pursue the Israelites? But the truth is that in this sentence Mizraim signifies the Egyptians of this world, but in the second half of the verse, "for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians", the term Mizraim refers to their chieftain on high. The verse thus amounts to saying that as their power was broken on high, so was their power broken below, and when the Egyptians perceived the overthrow of their celestial might and power, they said: "Let us flee from the face of Israel". Observe that when the Community of Israel bestirs itself, there is a stirring among all the legions attached to it, both on high and below, Israel rising above them all. For Israel derive their force from the body of the Tree of Life, and it is for this reason that Israel are attached to that Tree more closely than the idolatrous nations. And when they bestir themselves the power of all those who have sway over them is shattered. The celestial chieftain of Egypt oppressed Israel with all manner of hardship, but after he was crushed the lower kings were crushed with him. Hence the words of Scripture, "for the Lord fighteth them in Egypt", alluding to the celestial chieftains.' [50b]

R. Hiya applied to the Community of Israel the verse: "She is like the merchant's ship; she bringeth her food from afar" (Prov. XXXI, 14). 'The Community of Israel', he said, 'indeed brings her salvation from afar, to wit, from a certain grade that rests upon her, through which are transmitted all the streams that flow into the sea. To this grade they return, to be emptied into the sea once more, so that there should be a perpetual flow, as it says, "to the place whence the rivers go, there they return to go" (Eccl. 1, 7), once more to the sea. The name of this grade is Zaddik.' R. Isaac said: 'There is still a higher sphere in which is contained and consummated the love-union of the Divine aspects which are never thereafter separated.' R. Judah asked: 'Who is worthy to know of it?' R. Isaac replied: 'He who has a portion in the world to come.'

Said R. Abba: 'How many thousands, how many myriads, of celestial cohorts surround the Holy One and follow in His train! Princes of supernal countenances are there, and beings full of eyes; lords of the sharp weapons, lords of the piercing cry, lords of the heralding trumpet, lords of mercy, lords of judgement; and above them the Lord has appointed the Matrona to minister before Him in the Palace. She for her own bodyguard has armed hosts of sixty different degrees. Holding their swords, they stand around Her. They come and go, entering and departing again on the errands of their Master. Each with his six wings outspread they circle the world in swift and silent flight. Before each of them coals of fire burn. Their garments are woven of flames from a bright and burning fire. A sharp flaming sword also is at the shoulder of each to guard [51a] Her. Concerning these swords it is written: "The flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life" (Gen. III, 23). Now, what is "the way of the Tree of Life"? This is the great Matrona who is the way to the great and mighty Tree of Life. Concerning this it is written: "Behold the bed which is Solomon's; the three score valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel" (S.S. III, 7), namely, the Supernal Israel. "They all hold swords" (Ibid. 8), and when the Matrona moves they all move with her, as it is written: "and the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them" (Ex. XIV, (9). Is, then, the Shekinah called "the angel of the Lord"? Assuredly! For thus said R. Simeon: "The Holy One prepared for Himself a holy Palace, a supernal Palace, a holy City, a supernal City, which is called 'Jerusalem, the holy city'. He who wishes to see the King, must enter through this holy City and thence take his way to the King: 'this is the gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter' (Ps. CXVIII, 20)." Every message which the King wishes to send out is sent through the Matrona, and, conversely, every message sent from the lower spheres to the King must first reach the Matrona, and from her it goes to the King. Thus the Matrona is the messenger between the upper regions and the lower. For this reason she is called "the angel (messenger) of God". It may be asked, is it consonant with the dignity of the King that the Matrona should declare war for him and receive petitions to him? The following parable may explain. A king married a noble lady, whose worth he esteemed so highly that in comparison with her he regarded all other women as a mere vulgar herd. "What shall I do to honour her?" he thought. "I will give her full control over the palace and over my whole household!" So he made a proclamation that all the king's business should pass through the hands of the queen. He also handed over to her all the weapons of war, all his military advisers and generals, all his regalia, and indeed all his treasures of every sort, and said: "From now anyone who wishes to speak to me must first make known his suit unto the queen." Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, out of His great love for the Community of Israel (represented by the Shekinah) has entrusted everything to her (i.e. the Shekinah), proclaiming all the other nations to be of no account in comparison with her. "There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number; but my dove, my undefiled is but one" (S.S. VI, 8, 9). He resolved that His whole household be given into her keeping, and delivered to her all his armoury, all the lances, all the swords, all the bows, all the arrows, all the spears, all the catapults, all the citadels, and all weapons of warfare, the "sixty valiant men, the valiant of Israel". He said: "From now let My warfare be entrusted to Thee; My weapons, My fighters! From now Thou must guard them all. From now, he who wishes to speak to Me must first make known his concerns to Thee! " Hence "the angel of God went behind them." Why behind them? In order to face all the grades of fighting principalities and powers, all the hosts of celestial representatives of the enemy who had come to fight against Israel. For, as we have learnt, at that hour the greatest prince appointed to represent Egypt in the supernal spheres arrived and with him six hundred chariots; directed by six hundred angelic adversaries of Israel. That prince was Samael. [51b] When did the Holy One requite him? In the battle of Sisera, when He rooted out all those chariots and delivered them unto the Matrona, as it is written, in the Song of Deborah: "The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon" (Jud. v, 21). And in the future all of them shall be delivered up, as it says: "Who is this that cometh from Edom ...?" (Isa. LXIII, 1). And this indeed is the significance of the words: "And he went behind them" -- that the Shekinah will uproot them all at the end of days.'

***

AND THE PILLAR OF THE CLOUD REMOVED FROM BEFORE THEM AND STOOD BEHIND THEM. What was this pillar of cloud? R. Jose said that it was the cloud which is always seen with the Shekinah, the cloud into which Moses entered (Ex. XXIV, 18). R. Abba said that it was that which supports the Zaddik, coming from the side of Grace (Hesed), wherefore it went by day, while there was another cloud which went by night and was called "pillar of fire".' R. Simeon said that the pillar of cloud by day represented Abraham (Mercy), and the pillar of fire by night, Isaac (Severity), both attributes being united in the Shekinah, through the agency of the grade mentioned by R. Abba. 'The word "removed", in this sentence', he said, 'implies that there was a movement from Grace to Severity, for the time had arrived for the Holy One to clothe Himself with judgement.' R. Simeon further said that the "Moon" -- the Shekinah -- was then in her fulness and perfection, manifesting both attributes and representing in herself seventy-two holy Names according to the threefold order. [2] In virtue of the first order of letters, she clothed herself with the garment of Grace, shining with the resplendence of the light which the Supernal Father caused to shine for her; in virtue of the second she adorned herself with the implements of war, expressing Severity, and sixty "whips" of fire, emanating from the Supernal Mother. The third order of the letters represents Her in garments of purple, the adornment of the Holy Supernal Father, designated "Beauty" (Tiphereth), which is communicated to the Holy Son (i.e. the letter Vau in the Tetragrammaton) in seventy crowns from the side of the Father (Yod) and of the Mother (He). We have been taught that from the side of Grace there are seventy-two witnesses; from the side of Severity, seventy-two scribes; from the side of Beauty, seventy-two colours of glory. In the transcendent sphere they are all linked one to the other, forming the Holy Name, the mystery of the Divine Chariot. Here (in the three verses, Ex. XIV, 19-21) are inscribed the patriarchs in unison, forming the Holy Name of seventy-two letters [3] of the three verses. And this is the order of their combination: the first verse (19) is to be written straight, for all its initial letters are found in Hesed; the second verse (20) is to be written backward, for all its second letters are found in Geburah; in this way Judgement may be roused, with all those powers that emanate from the left side. The letters of the third verse when written out show forth the colours which crown the Holy King; and all these letters are united in Him, and He is crowned with His diadems in the proper manner, like a king fully crowned. Here is the Holy Name engraved in seventy-two letters, which are crowned with the Fathers who are the supernal Holy Chariot. Should the question arise, why the third group is not to be written partly straightforward and partly backwards, so as to be in touch with both sides (as Tifereth is in touch with both Hesed and Geburah), we must picture a king who combines in himself the balance and harmony of all attributes, and therefore his countenance always shines like the sun, and he is serene because of his wholeness and perfection; but when he judges, he can condemn as well as acquit. A fool, seeing that the king's countenance is bright, thinks that there is nothing to be afraid of; but a wise man says to himself, "although the king's countenance shines, it is because he is perfect and combines benevolence with justice, and in that brightness judgement [52a] is hidden, and therefore I must be careful". The Holy One is such a king. R. Judah found this idea expressed in the words: "I, the Lord, have not changed" (Mal. III, 6), meaning, "in Me all the attributes are harmoniously combined, the two aspects of mercy and severity are one in Me."

With the Kennedy brothers, it was no longer purely a matter of national security. It was personal. Castro had not only survived the Bay of Pigs but been emboldened by it, openly mocking the United States' effete and quixotic attempts to bring him down. A smoldering President Kennedy demanded action. Sam Halpern, a veteran Agency officer, recalls Richard Bissell summoning him into his office. "He told us he had been chewed out in the cabinet room of the White House by the president and attorney general for sitting on his ass and not doing anything about Castro and the Castro regime." Bissell related the president's order: "Get rid of Castro."

Halpern wanted clarification. "What do the words 'get rid of' mean?" he asked Bissell.

"Use your imagination," Bissell responded. "No holds barred."

In the year ahead the Agency did indeed use its imagination. There was even a short-lived plan to convince the Cuban people of Christ's Second Coming, complete with aerial starbursts. "Elimination by illumination," the scheme was dubbed by one senior officer. But such silliness gave way to more deadly plans, including a contract on Castro's life offered to the Mafia.

-- The Book of Honor -- The Secret Lives and Deaths of CIA Operatives, by Ted Gup

Said R. Simeon: 'Eleazar my son, observe this. When the Holy Ancient illumines the King, He crowns Him with supernal holy crowns. When these reach Him the Fathers are crowned, and there is completeness. Then the Matrona, participating in this celestial procession, is crowned by them all and is endowed with the power issuing from all of them.'

Said R. Isaac: 'When the Israelites encamped by the sea they saw many hosts, [52b] many armies, many camps, above and below, all united against Israel, and in their distress they prayed unto the Lord. The sea was stormy, its waves roared, behind them were all those hosts, all those armies of the Egyptians, and above them were all those celestial foes; and they began to cry to God. Then "the Lord said unto Moses: Why criest thou unto me?" Then the Most Holy Ancient One appeared, and Mercy was manifested in all the upper worlds and all the lights were lit.' R. Isaac said: 'When the lights were lit the Sea began to exercise supreme judgements, and the upper and lower beings and powers were delivered unto its hands: hence the expression, "as difficult as the dividing of the Red Sea", because this depended on the Holy Ancient One.' Said R. Simeon: 'There is a certain hind on earth for which the Holy One, blessed be He, does many things: when she cries He hearkens to her afflictions and delivers her. When the world is in need of mercy, of water, she cries aloud and the Holy One answers her prayer. This is signified by the verse: "As the hind panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God" (Ps. XLII, 2). When she is about to bear a child and is in difficulty, she puts her head between her knees, and cries bitterly, and the Holy One sends a serpent which stings the place, and straightway deliverance comes to her.' R. Simeon, however, added: 'In this matter, "thou must not ask nor tempt the Lord".'

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THUS THE LORD SAVED ISRAEL ... AND ISRAEL SAW THE EGYPTIAN(S) DEAD. God showed them Egypt's celestial chieftain passing through the fiery stream, which was at the shore of the Ocean. "Dead" means that he was deprived of his power.

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AND ISRAEL SAW THE GREAT HAND.... R. Hiya said: 'Here was the Supernal Hand completed with all its fingers, and the Left Hand was included -- as in its perfect manifestation it must ever be -- in the five fingers of the Right Hand. For we have been taught that all is included in this Right Hand and all depends upon it, as it is written, "Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power; thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy" (Ibid. XV, 6).' R. Isaac said: 'No one ever hardened his heart against the Lord to the same degree as Pharaoh.' Said R. Jose: 'What of Sihon and Og? Were they not equally hardened?' R. Isaac answered, that whereas they hardened their hearts against Israel, Pharaoh turned against the Lord Himself, although every day he witnessed His wonderful works. R. Judah said in the name of R. Isaac that Pharaoh was himself far wiser than all his sorcerers, yet by all the craft of his magic he could not divine there was a possibility of redemption for Israel: for he had knowledge of all the supernal sources inimical to the Israelites, but knew not that there was still another bond, the bond of Faith, which dominates all, and therefore he hardened his heart. According to R. Abba, it was the Holy Name which hardened Pharaoh's heart, for when Moses said to him: "Thus said YHVH" this very Name hardened his heart: "And YHVH hardened the heart of Pharaoh", for with all his wisdom he was not aware that this Name has power on earth, and said: "Who is YHVH?" R. Jose remarked that later he did say: "I have sinned to YHVH, YHVH is the righteous" (Ex. IX, 27). R. Hiya said: 'Job was thinking of Pharaoh when he said, "It is all one thing, therefore I said: He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked" (Job IX, 22). The words "it is all one thing" have an esoteric meaning. They refer to a certain Crown also referred to in the verse, "My love, my undefiled is but one" (VI, 9), and when God judges by means of this Crown, then "He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked", [53a] for the righteous are then punished for the guilt of the wicked, as it is written: "He said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough" (2 Sam. XXIV, 16). Job, when he said these words, was thinking of his own fate in being made to suffer with the Egyptians, but he did not finish his observation.' Said R. Hiya: 'When Job saw how he suffered, he said: "If this is so, then God makes no distinction between wicked and righteous. Pharaoh hardened his heart, and said, 'Who is YHVH, whose voice I should hear?', and he deserved punishment; but I have not done anything of the kind, why should I have such a fate?" For it was of him that it is written, "He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh ..." (Ex. IX, 22).'

***

AND ISRAEL SAW THE GREAT HAND... AND THE PEOPLE FEARED THE LORD AND BELIEVED IN THE LORD AND MOSES HIS SERVANT. First they are called "Israel" and then "people"; why? R. Judah said: 'Israel here refers to the patriarch Jacob, who, having come with his children to Egypt, and having suffered the bitterness of exile with them, now actually saw, although he was dead, the vengeance wrought by the Holy One, blessed be He. The Lord said unto him: "Arise and behold what I am doing for thy children's sake, how I am bringing them out of the clutches of a mighty people." This tallies with what R. Jesse said, that when the Israelites went into exile to Egypt, fear and trembling came over Jacob, so that God had to say to him: "Fear not to go down to Egypt" (Gen. XLVI, 3). Even then he was still afraid lest they might be exterminated there, so God reassured him by telling him that He Himself would go down with him to Egypt. Then he expressed his fear that he would not be buried with his fathers, nor witness the redemption of his children and the mighty works of the Lord. Then it was that the Holy One promised him "I will also surely bring thee up again", the emphatic expression indicating that he would be first brought up to be buried with his fathers and then again to witness Israel's redemption. R. Isaac found an added indication of this in the words: "Because he loved thy fathers ... he brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt" (Deut. IV, 37); "in his sight" referring to Jacob. According to R. Hezekiah, however, "in his sight" (lit. countenance) refers to Abraham, of whom it says that he fell "on his countenance" when the Lord announced to him the birth of a son (Gen. XVII, 17), because it was hard for him to believe that a man of his age could be father to a newborn son, and the Holy One had to reassure him, revealing to him that he was destined to be the father of a great nation; and therefore, when the children of Israel went out from Egypt in their myriads, He let Abraham view their progress. R. Abba said that all the patriarchs were witnesses of the redemption. R. Eleazar finds this indicated in the above verse: "in his sight" referring to Jacob; "with his power" to Isaac; and "great" indicating Abraham. R. Simeon added that it is always for the sake of the patriarchs that the Lord redeems Israel, as it is written: "And I shall remember my covenant with Jacob, also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham, and the land I shall remember" (Lev. XXVI, 42); the "land" representing King David, who completes a Chariot with the Patriarchs. [53b]

***

AND ISRAEL SAW THE GREAT HAND WHICH THE LORD DID UPON THE EGYPTIANS. They had seen how God had smitten the Egyptians even before this; but only now did they behold the Hand of full five fingers, which hand is called "great" because it includes other "five fingers", namely those of the Left Hand, as we have already made clear, and every "finger" symbolizes many Divine powers and signs, by means of which all the grades of inimical celestial powers were brought to nought; and it is of this that the Israelites had a revelation at that moment by the sea shore.

***

AND THEY BELIEVED IN THE LORD. Was it only then that they believed? Do we not read that "the people believed" as soon as it was proclaimed to them that the Lord intended to bring them out from Egypt (Ex. IV, 31)? Had they not seen before many mighty works of the Holy One in Egypt itself? Yes, but this statement concerning their belief refers particularly to what Moses told them: "Fear not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord" (v. 13). 'How is it', asked R. Jesse, 'that after Moses had said to the people, "for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever" (Ibid.), we are now told that "Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore" (v. 30)?' R. Jose, in answer, pointed out that after all they did not see them alive. This reply did not satisfy R. Jesse, nor R. Abba, who explained the verse thus: 'There is, according to our teaching, a world ('olam) above [4] and a world below. [5] Now from the world above begins the kindling of lights which is afterwards completed in the world below, this world subsuming in itself all (the emanations). From this lower world issue punishments to mankind, and through it also God did wonders and miracles for Israel. And when this world was aroused to perform wonders, the Egyptians were through it cast into the sea at the same time that deliverance was wrought for Israel. Hence the words, "ye shall see them again no more for ever" ('ad 'olam, lit. until a world), meaning, "ye shall not see them until that world ('olam) will be roused, and they will be delivered to judgement"; and as soon as that took place "Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore ... and they believed in the Lord and Moses His servant".'

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Part 3 of 4

THEN SANG MOSES.... R. Judah applied to Moses the words: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations" (Jer. I, 5). 'Happy is the lot of Israel,' he said, 'that the Holy One, blessed be He, loved them more than any other nation, and out of the abundance of His love appointed to them a prophet of truth and a faithful shepherd, within whom He awakened the holy spirit more than in any other faithful prophet, communicating to him a part of His very self. Jacob dedicated the tribe of Levi to the Holy One, blessed be He, and as Levi was His in a special sense, He took him and crowned him with many crowns, and anointed him with the oil of the holy spirit from above, so that the holy spirit should issue forth to the world through him as from the representative of the holy faith. When the hour arrived at which Moses the faithful shepherd and prophet was to descend into this world, God brought forth a holy spirit from the depths of a sapphire stone in which it was hidden, and crowned it with crowns, and illumined it with two hundred and forty-eight lights, and stationed it before Him and gave over unto its charge the whole of His own Household, with the one hundred and seventy-three keys. Then He crowned it yet again with five diadems, each of which ascended and illumined a thousand worlds of lights and lamps stored in the secret treasures of the holy and highest King. Then the Holy One led it through all the lightful splendour of the Garden of Eden, and brought it to His Palace through all the ranks of the celestial legions. These were greatly amazed, and cried aloud: "Turn aside! For the Holy One has roused a Spirit to rule and to shake the worlds." One voice murmured: "Who is he, this stranger, in whose hands are all the keys?" [54a] But another rebuked the first, and proclaimed: "Receive him in your midst! For on a day, and that right soon, he will descend to dwell among men, and the Torah, the most hidden treasure, shall be delivered into his hands to shake worlds both above and below." Then all trembled and followed Moses, saying: "Thou hast caused a man to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water" (Ps. LXVI, 12). The letter Mim of the name of MoSHE drew nigh and crowned itself with its crown, and then crowned Moses with three hundred and twenty-five crowns, delivering also its keys into his hand. The letter Shin of the three Patriarchs crowned him with three holy crowns, and delivered into his keeping all the keys of the King and appointed him the faithful steward of the Household. The letter He drew nigh and crowned him with its crown. Then the spirit descended in one of the boats that sail on the great Sea, and received him in order to train him for sovereignty, and gave him, Moses, weapons with which to vanquish and punish Pharaoh and his whole land. And when he came down to earth in the seed of Levi, four hundred and twenty-five lights glittered before the face of the King, and four hundred and twenty-five esoteric formations of letters, expressing Divine mysteries, accompanied the spirit to its place. When he came forth into the world, the letter He of the Holy Name shone from his face, and the house wherein he dwelt was filled with his radiance. At that hour the Holy One proclaimed: "Before I had formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou earnest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I made thee a prophet unto the nations."'

Said R. Isaac: 'At the moment when the Holy One slew the great chieftain of the Egyptians, and Moses and the children of Israel saw him, they began to sing.'

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THEN SANG MOSES AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL THIS SONG UNTO THE LORD. Said R. Abba: 'I have examined all the songs which Israel sang unto the Holy One, and I find that all of them began with "then" (az) (Cf. Jos. X, 12; 1 Kings VIII, 12; Num. XXI, 17.) The reason for this is that all the wonders, and all the mighty deeds which were done to Israel when the light of the Holy Ancient One shone in His crowns, are engraved in the letters Aleph and Zain [6]. Then there is song, the song of all sides. "Yashir" (lit. will sing): the tense suggests that this song fitted that occasion and will also fit the future Redemption, when it will again be sung by Israel. The expression "Moses and Israel" proves that the righteous of the past ages, although they have entered into the highest regions and are united with the "Bundle of life", will all rise again in bodily form and behold the signs and mighty works which the Holy One shall show to Israel, and sing this hymn.' R. Simeon established this fact by the following verse: "And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the rest of his people" (Isa. XI, 11). '"The rest" " he said, 'are "the remnant", the righteous, like Eldad and Medad, who "remained" in the camp (Num. XI, 26), the righteous of whom it has been said that the world is sustained by them, who make themselves mere "remainders", as it were. It is they who will be brought to life again at the future Redemption. And why? Are they not already bound up with the "Bundle of life"? Why bring them down to earth again? Let the experience of the past give the answer. It has pleased the Holy One, in former time, to send down to earth those spirits and souls who belonged to the highest supernal grade. Should He not, then, let the spirits of the righteous men come down again in the future when He will make the crooked straight (i.e. redeem the world)? For, indeed, "there is not a righteous man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not" (Eccl. VII, 20). And even the sinless ones who only died because of the "counsel of the Serpent" [7] will arise and be counsellors to the Messiah. "Moses and the children of Israel will sing this song." The same is implied in the words: "As in the days of thy going out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvellous things" (Micah VII, 15), where the "him" refers to Moses. Also: "I will show him the salvation of God" (Ps. L, 24); "I will show him my salvation" (Ibid. XCI, 16). [54b] Moses and the children of Israel will then sing "this song unto the Lord": the song of the Matrona to the Holy One, blessed be He. We have been taught that every one who sings this hymn daily with true devotion will be worthy to sing it at the Redemption that is to be, for it refers both to the past world and to the future world; it contains confirmations of faith and mysteries relating to the days of the Messiah. The Shekinah will sing this song to the Lord, because the King will receive Her with a radiant countenance. R. Jose said that the Shekinah will praise the Lord for all the concentration of light and holiness which the Holy King shall direct towards her. Said R. Judah: 'If this is the song of the Shekinah, why does it say that Moses and the children of Israel sang it? Blessed were they that they knew how to praise Him for all the power and might which the Shekinah receives and shall receive from Him, the Holy King!' According to R. Abba, the singing is to be directed, not to any of the emanations of the Deity, but to the Holy King in His very essence, as it says, concerning the song of Moses and the children of Israel, that they sang "to the Lord". R. Jose said that the words "this song to the Lord" refer to the "river that issues forth from Eden" (Gen. II, 10), from which all the abundance of oil issues to kindle the lights; whereas the words "I will sing unto the Lord" (Ibid.) refer to the Supernal Holy King.

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AND SPAKE, SAYING: this repetition denotes that it is to be sung in all generations, in order that it should never be forgotten, for he who is worthy to sing this song in this world shall be worthy to sing it in the world to come, and to declare praises with it in the days of the Messiah, when the Community of Israel will rejoice in the Holy One. "Saying" means saying at the time of the Exodus, saying when Israel was in the Holy Land, saying in exile, saying when Israel will be redeemed, saying in the world to come.

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I WILL SING UNTO THE LORD. As stated above, they spoke in the name of the Shekinah, hence the singular. "To the Lord" -- to the Holy King. For highly exalted is He (gaoh gaah): He ascends to be crowned with His crowns in order to dispense blessings, and perform wonderful works, and to be exalted in and through all; exalted in this world, exalted likewise in the world to come; exalted in order that He may crown Himself with His crowns and be glorified in perfect joy. THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER HATH HE THROWN INTO THE SEA. The dominion below and the dominion above, which are bound up the one with the other, have been delivered to that great "Sea" and that great sovereignty for punishment, as we have been taught that the Holy One does not exercise judgement below until He has done so above on the celestial representative of the particular nation, as it says: "The Lord shall punish the host of the high ones in the height (heaven) and the kings of the earth upon the earth" (Isa. XXIV, 21). R. Judah said: 'On that night extreme severity was roused, for the Matrona asked that all the hosts below and all the powers above should be delivered unto Her. And so they were.'

R. Hiya discoursed on the verse: Thou hast beset me behind and before, and hast laid thine hand upon me (Ps. CXXXIX, 5). He said: 'How greatly is it incumbent on the children of men to glorify the Holy One, blessed be He! For when He created the world [55a] He looked on man and designed to make him to rule over all earthly things. He was of dual form and resembled both celestial and earthly beings. The Lord sent him down in splendour, so that when the lesser creatures beheld the glory of his state they fell down before him in awe, as it says: "And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every fowl of the earth" (Gen. IX, 2). The Holy One brought him into the garden of His own planting, so that he might guard it and have endless joy and delight therein. A canopy of precious stones the Holy One also devised and fashioned to enfold man with glory: and the supernal angels rejoiced in his presence. Then the Lord gave him the commandment concerning the one tree: and, alas! man failed in his obedience and was not steadfast in the commandment of his Master. We find in the book of Enoch that after the Holy One, blessed be He, had transported Enoch to the supernal regions and shown him all the treasures of the King, both the celestial and the terrestrial, He permitted him to behold the Tree of Life and that Tree of which Adam was warned, and showed him the place where Adam had dwelt in the Garden of Eden, and Enoch perceived that if Adam had been obedient he would have so dwelt for ever, having eternal life and perpetual joy in the glory of the Garden. But because he broke the commandment of his Lord, he was punished.' R. Isaac said: 'Adam was created as a double personality (male and female), as previously explained. "And he took one of his ribs ... " (Gen. II, 21): He sawed him in two, and thus two persons were formed, one from the east and one from the west, as it says: "Thou hast beset me behind and before", i.e. from the west and from the east.' Said R. Hiya: 'What did the Holy One do? He formed the female, perfected her beauty exceedingly, and brought her to Adam, as it is written: "And the Lord God formed the side (zela" cf. Ex. XXVI, 20) which he had taken from man into a woman" (Ibid. 22).' R. Judah said: 'The Holy One gave to Adam a supernal soul and endowed it with wisdom and understanding that he might know all things. From which place did He take the soul?' 'From the place whence the other holy souls emanate.' Thus R. Isaac. Said R. Judah: 'We learn this from the verse: "Let the earth bring forth the living soul after its kind" (Gen. II, 24.). "The earth" signifies the place where the Sanctuary stood, and "living soul" refers to the soul of the first man.' R. Hiya said: 'Adam knew more of the supernal wisdom than the angels above; he was able to penetrate into all things and to be in closer union with his Master than any of the other beings in the universe. But when he sinned, all the springs of wisdom were closed to him: "And the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground" (Ibid. III, 24).' Said R. Abba: 'The first man consisted of male and female, for it says: "Let us make man in our image after our likeness" (Ibid. I, 26), which indicates that male and female were originally created as one and separated afterwards. When it says, "the ground from whence he was taken" (Ibid.), the "ground" represents the feminine principle, and the Holy One associated with this to create man.'

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MY STRENGTH AND SONG IS JAH. R. Jose said: 'The Yod and the He in the Divine Name are mingled, and one is contained in the other and they are never separated, being for ever united in love, being the source whence emanate all those streams and springs of blessing and satisfaction to the universe. The waters of these springs never "deceive" (Isa. LVIII, 11). Hence: "and He became my salvation", since for this purpose and unto this end the Holy King reveals His power below, and the Right Hand is moved to perform marvellous deeds.'

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THIS IS MY GOD AND I WILL MAKE HIM A HABITATION; THE GOD OF MY FATHER, AND I WILL EXALT HIM. "This is my God" refers to the Zaddik, from whom blessings emanate on the married state; "and I will make him a habitation" in the place where love is found, namely in the Sanctuary. "The God of my father, and I will exalt him" was said by Moses (the Levite) in regard to the supernal sphere whence the Levites derive, so that in this way there should be symmetry and perfection in that place. R. Isaac said that "and he became my salvation" refers to the Holy King, as in Isa. XII, 2. [55b]

R. Hezekiah interpreted the verse: "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (Prov. XVII,17), as follows. '''A friend" is the Holy One, of whom it is written, "Thine own friend and thy father's friend, forsake not" (Ibid. XXVII, 10). The Israelites are "brethren and friends" of the Holy One, and therefore when their enemies afflict them, God says, "For my brethren and friends' sake I will say, Peace be within thee" (Ps. CXXII, 9). He is a brother to meet the "adversity that is born".' Rabbi Judah refers the word "born" to the Holy One, for when one of His friends suffers tribulation through his enemies, the Holy King is roused in His strength to avenge him: His power is "born", that is, manifested. R. Jose said: 'How great should be man's love for the Holy One! Verily, love is the only true worship, and he who worships God in love is called "beloved" by Him.' There is an apparent contradiction in the two verses: "Thine own friend and thy father's friend forsake not", and "Withdraw thy foot from thy friend's house" (Ibid. XXV, 17). The members of the Fellowship have, however, explained it by applying the verses to different kinds of sacrifice. One should be diligent in sacrificing burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, but in regard to sin-offerings it is better to sin not, and so "withdraw thy foot from thy Friend's house", the Temple. Indeed, "thou must not forsake thy Friend", thou must worship Him, cleave to Him, keep His commandments, but "withdraw thy foot from thy evil impulse that he should not become thy master, withdraw it from thy house, namely from the holy soul which thy Friend has put into thee". The true worship of the Holy One, blessed be He, consists in loving Him above all and in all, as it is written: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God" (Deut. VI, 5).

All the Israelites beheld at the sea what even the prophet Ezekiel was not privileged to see, and even the embryos in their mothers' wombs beheld the wonderful works of the Holy One, and sang praises to Him, saying: "This is my God and I extol Him; the God of my father and I exalt Him", namely the God of father Abraham. Said R. Jose: 'Does the God of Abraham need our exaltation? Is He not already exalted high above our comprehension?' R. Jesse replied: 'Yet man can and must exalt Him in the sense of uniting in his mind all the attributes in the Holy Name, for this is the supremest expression of worship.'

R. Judah sat one day at the feet of R. Simeon, and he began to expound the following verse: The voice of thy watchmen, they lifted up their voices, they shall sing altogether ... when the Lord shall return to Zion (Isa. LII, 8). 'These "watchmen" " he said, 'are those who "watch" for the time when the Holy One will build His House once again. The use of the past tense "lifted", where we should rather have expected the future "shall lift", conveys the lesson that he who has lifted up his voice in weeping and lamentation over the destruction of the Temple shall be worthy to be numbered among those of whom it says "they shall sing altogether", and to enjoy the privilege of beholding the Holy One when He shall inhabit His House once more. The words "when the Lord returns (to) Zion" are to be understood as meaning "when the Lord brings back Zion". For when the earthly Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Community of Israel was scattered over the face of the earth, the Holy King drew Zion [8] up to Himself and stretched it out before Him, because the Community of Israel was banished. When, however, the Community of Israel shall be restored, the Holy King will restore Zion to its place, to unite itself with her in perfect bliss; and the children of Israel will sing: "He is my God, and I have prepared for Him an habitation." Concerning this it is written: "This is the Lord, we have waited for him, let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation" (Isa. XXV, 9) -- meaning, literally, "in His own salvation".

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THE LORD IS A MAN OF WAR, THE LORD IS HIS NAME. R. Abba referred in connection with this verse to the words: "Therefore it is said in the book of the wars of YHVH: 'Vaheb in Supha, and in the brooks of Arnon'" (Num. XXI, 14). He said: 'How assiduously should one ponder on each word of the Torah, for there is not a single word in it which does not contain allusions to the Supernal Holy Name, not a word which does not contain many mysteries, many aspects, many roots, many branches. [56a] Where now is this "book of the wars of the Lord"? What is meant is, of course, the Torah, for, as the members of the Fellowship have pointed out, he who is engaged in the battle of the Torah, struggling to penetrate into her mysteries, will wrest from his struggles an abundance of peace. All other wars involve strife and destruction, but the war of the Torah is one of peace and love: "Vaheb in Supha" may be read "ahabah be-sophah", "love is in her end", for there is no love nor peace like this. The word "book" is used, and not "torah" as we might expect, for an esoteric reason, viz. that there is a divine sphere called "Book", as it says: "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read" (Isa. XXXIV, 16), on which all the mighty works of the Lord depend and from which they emanate. With this, God made war against a certain sphere at the end (soph) of the grades called Yaheb. God also fought against the "brooks", the subsidiary principalities attached to it. He waged war from the region called "Amon", which is the sphere of the supernal marital union [9] which is never dissolved. Therein it is rooted and spreads its branches to make war on every side and to manifest great and glorious power. When the mighty works of the Lord are roused and His battles begin to be waged, how many celestial warriors are stirred up to do martial deeds on every side! Then swords and spears are whetted, and mighty deeds begin. The sea grows stormy and the waves thereof rise mightily, and the boats toss on the heaving waters. Then the fray commences with catapults, spears, swords, and arrows, and the Lord takes command of His hosts to conduct the battle. Woe unto those against whom the Holy One declares war! "The Lord is a man of war." From the letters of this phrase lines of battle are formed against the wicked, the enemies of the Lord. These letters are known to the initiated, as has been explained elsewhere. In time to come the Holy One, blessed be He, will conduct a stupendous warfare against the heathen nations, to the glory of His Name: "Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations" (Zech. XIV, 3); "Thus will I magnify myself and I will be known in the eyes of many nations" (Ezek. XXVIII, 23).'

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PHARAOH'S CHARIOTS AND HIS MIGHT HE CAST INTO THE SEA AND THE CHOSEN ONES OF HIS KNIGHTS WERE DROWNED IN THE RED SEA. R. Judah said: 'When the Israelites were about to cross the sea, the Holy One said to the angel who is appointed over the sea: "Divide thy waters!" "Why?" said the angel. "So that My children may pass through." "Do they really deserve this redemption?" said the angel. "Wherein lies the difference between them and the Egyptians?" Said the Holy One: "I made this condition with the sea when I created the world!" Thereupon He exerted His power and the waters were piled up, wherefore it is written: "The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee, they were afraid; the depths also were troubled" (Ps. LXXVII, 17). Then He said to the angel: "Exterminate all those hosts", and it then covered them, as it says, "the chariots of Pharaoh and his host he cast into the sea".'

Said R. Eleazar: 'Behold, how many chariots, how many hosts, the Holy One has formed above! How many camps, how many divisions! And all of them are [56b] linked to one another, all are chariots one to another, manifold grades, diverse and yet united! From the left side the chariots of the unholy principalities rise up. They also are linked one with the other, grade to grade, the greatest of them being, as we have already pointed out, "the firstborn of Pharaoh", whom the Holy One killed. All of these unholy powers are delivered unto the judgement of the Kingdom, the which is called "the great sea", in order that they may be uprooted each in his own grade, and be utterly cast down, and when they are broken above, all their counterparts below are also broken and lost in the "lower sea". As to the "captains" (shalishim) who were drowned in the Red Sea, it has already been made clear that all these grades consist of three (shalosh) attributes each (two and one, the triad, corresponding to the holy triad above). They were all delivered unto Her (the Shekinah's) hand, that their power might be broken. All the ten punishments which the Holy One brought on Egypt were achieved by the power of one "hand", for the "left hand" is included in the right, the ten fingers forming one entity in correspondence to the Ten expressions by which the Holy One is designated. Then came a punishment which was equal to all the rest, that of the sea: "The last one was the hardest" (Isa. VIII, 23). And in the future the Holy One will deal similarly with all the hosts, princes and chieftains of Edom (Rome), as it is written: "Who is he who cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save" (Isa. LXIII, 1).'

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PHARAOH'S CHARIOTS AND MIGHT HE CAST INTO THE SEA. R. Isaac referred to the verse: "When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens" (Jer. X, 13), and said: 'According to tradition, the Holy One created seven heavens, and in each heaven stars and planets are fixed. Arabot is above them all. The length of each heaven is such that it would take two hundred years to traverse, and the distance between each heaven and the next would take five hundred years to traverse. As for Arabot, one would need one thousand five hundred years to cover its whole length, and the selfsame number for traversing its breadth. All the heavens are lighted from the radiance of Arabot. Above Arabot is the heaven of the Hayoth, and above this latter sphere another heaven, brighter than all, as it is written: "And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the Hayoth" (Ezek. I, 22). And below there are many chariots at the right hand and at the left, of many grades, each with its own name. And beneath them are others, smaller and yet more varied, which are the smallest ranks of this celestial but unholy order; as it is written: "The sea is great ... small beasts and great are there" (Ps. CIV, 25), as we have affirmed, that on the left side below there is a ruler, the "other side", attached to those above, but they are crushed by the great holy power, according to our interpretation of the words, "Pharaoh's chariots and his might he cast into the sea".'

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THY RIGHT HAND, O LORD, GLORIFIED IN POWER. R. Simeon said: 'In the hour when the morning breaks, the Hind (Shekinah) rises and starts from her place in order to enter the two hundred palaces of the King. When a man studies [57a] the Torah in solitude at midnight, at the hour when the north wind springs up and the Hind desires to be astir, he is taken with her into supernal realms, to appear before the King. When dawn brightens and he recites his prayers, and unifies the Holy Name in manner due, he is encircled with a thread of grace; he looks into the firmament, and a light of holy knowledge rests upon him. As the man is thus adorned and shrouded with light all things tremble before him, for he is called the son of the Holy One, the son of the King's Palace. Concerning him it is written, "The Lord is nigh to all who call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth" (Ps. CXLV, 18). The words "in truth" have the same significance as in the verse, "Thou wilt give truth to Jacob" (Micah VII, 20), "truth" here meaning the full knowledge which enables the worshipper perfectly to unite the letters of the Holy Name in prayer, which is indeed the true service of the Holy Name. He who knows how to unify thus the Holy Name establishes the one, the peculiar people in the world, as it is written: "And who is like thy people Israel, one people on earth?" (2 Sam. VIII, 23). Therefore it has been taught that a priest who knows not how to unify thus the Holy Name cannot perform proper service, for on the achievement of that unity hangs both celestial and terrestrial worship. The priest must, therefore, strive to concentrate heart and mind on the attainment of this unification, so that those above and those below may be blessed. And if a man comes to unify the Holy Name, but without proper concentration of mind and devotion of heart, to the end that the supernal and terrestrial hosts should be blessed thereby, then his prayer is rejected and all beings denounce him, and he is numbered with those of whom the Holy One said, "When ye come to see (reading lir'oth instead of leraoth) my countenance (panim lit. countenances), who hath required this from your hand, to tread my courts?" All the "countenances" of the King are hidden in the depths of darkness, but for those who know how perfectly to unite the Holy Name, all the walls of darkness are burst asunder, and the diverse "countenances" of the King are made manifest, and shine upon all, bringing blessing to heavenly and earthly beings. He who comes to unify the Holy Name must do so from the side of zoth (lit. "this", a name for the Shekinah), as it is written, "with this (be-zoth) shall Aaron come into the sanctuary" (Lev. XVI, 3), in order that the Zaddik and Righteousness may be perfectly united, and through this union all things may be blessed. But if he attempts to unify the Holy Name without bringing himself into the fitting frame of mind, if he come not in fear and love, then God says unto him: "Who hath required this (zoth) of your hand to tread my courts?" (Ibid.). No blessing appertains to such prayer; nay, rather, he who prays in such a fashion merely invokes upon himself and upon all things the attribute of Judgement. Now all light, all blessing, all joy, emanates from the "Right Hand" of the Holy One, blessed be He. Yet at the same time the "Left Hand" participates in the activities of the Right, just as in a human being, for though the right is the leader, yet when it is active the left becomes active likewise. When a man raises up his hand in prayer, his purpose is to bless God. But with God it is the reverse: when He raises up His right hand, then woe unto those below, yea, woe and tribulation; for then all blessing and support is removed from them. We learn this from the verse: "Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them" (Ex. XV, 12), meaning, that so soon as God raised His right hand they perished. (The Targum also renders, "Thou liftedst up Thy right hand".) When the Right Hand is in its place, the Left Hand is under its dominance, therefore stern justice can have no power among men. But if the Right Hand is lifted up, the Left remains alone, and stirs up mighty judgement in the world.' Each time that R. Simeon came to the words, "He hath drawn back his right hand" (Lam. II, 3), he used to weep, interpreting them to mean that the Lord permitted the Left Hand to be powerful and to have sole dominion over the worlds, while the Right Hand remained in another place, far off. R. Simeon interpreted [57b] the words "hazaddik abad" (lit. "the righteous comes to grief", is lost, perishes (Isa. LVII, 1), in the sense that when the Temple was destroyed, of all the aspects of the King it was the one that is known as "Righteous" (Zaddik) that "lost", in a twofold sense. He lost because blessings no longer abode with Him as before; and He also lost because His spouse, the Community of Israel, was parted from Him. Thus the Righteous "lost" more than all. Moreover, concerning the time to be, which is the time of the Messiah, it is written: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jerusalem, behold thy king cometh unto thee, he is righteous and saving himself (nosha')" (Zech. IX, 9). It does not say "moshia"' -- "saving" or "a saviour", but "nosha"' -- "being saved", literally.

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THY RIGHT HAND, O LORD, GLORIFIED IN POWER, THY RIGHT HAND DASHES IN PIECES THE ENEMY. The form "ne'ddari" (glorified) instead of "ne'ddar" suggests a plural, referring as it does to the joining of the Left Hand with the Right. Said R. Simeon: 'It is as we have explained. Just as man was divided physically, in order that he should receive a wife and both together form one body, so the Right Hand was divided, as it were, in order that it might take unto itself the Left and both become one, and therefore it is that God smites and heals with one and the same Hand. Note that this whole song has a reference both to the time of its composition and to the future; hence it does not say "hath dashed", but "dashes" (tir'az, lit. will dash), i.e. when the Messiah shall arise. The same applies to the following verse: "In the fulness of thy majesty thou wilt overthrow (taharos) thine opponents; thou wilt send forth (teshalah) thy wrath; it will devour them like stubble." Thus the words, "Thy right hand, O Lord, glorified in power", refers to this time, to this world; the words "Thy right hand will dash the enemy" to the time of the Messiah; "In the fulness of thy majesty thou wilt overthrow thine opponents" to the time of Gog and Magog; "Thou wilt send forth thy wrath, it will devour them like stubble" to the time of the resurrection, of which it says, "and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Dan. XII, 2). Blessed are those who will be left in the world at that time! And who will they be? None will remain, except the circumcised who have accepted upon themselves the sign of the holy covenant and have entered into this holy covenant in its two parts, [10] as we have pointed out, and have guarded the covenant against contact with an alien sphere. These will remain and their names will be written "to life eternal", as it says: "And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called 'holy', even everyone that is written to life in Jerusalem" (Isa. IV, 3). "Zion" and "Jerusalem" symbolize the two grades (Foundation and Kingdom) into which he who will be circumcised shall enter. Such shall remain at that time, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will renew the world with them and rejoice together with them. Concerning that time it is written: "May the glory of the Lord remain for ever; may the Lord rejoice in his works" (Ps. CIV, 31).'

R. Hiya once went to visit R. Eleazar, whom he found with R. Jose, the son of R. Simeon ben Lekunya, his father-in-law. As R. Eleazar raised his head he noticed R. Hiya. Said the latter: 'What is the meaning of the words, "Her ways are ways of pleasantness" (Prov. III, 17)?' He replied: 'How foolish are the sons of men that they neither know nor heed the words of the Torah! These words are the "ways" by which one merits that "pleasantness of the Lord" of which the Psalmist speaks (Ps. XXVII, 5). As we have pointed out on another occasion, the Torah and her ways emanate from this "pleasantness".' Said R. Hiya: 'We have a tradition that when the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the Torah to Israel a light shone forth from that sphere which is called "Pleasantness", a light wherewith the Holy One crowned Himself, and from which were irradiated all worlds, [58a] all firmaments, and all crowns, and concerning which it is written: "Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart" (S.S. III, 11). When the building of the Temple was completed, the Holy One, blessed be He, crowned Himself with this crown and seated Himself on His Throne. But since the destruction of the Temple He has not donned this crown, and the "Pleasantness" is concealed and hidden.' Said R. Eleazar: 'When Moses entered the cloud (Ex. XXIV, 18), like a man traversing the region of the Spirit, a certain great angel, whose name, according to tradition, is Kemuel, and who is appointed guardian and chief over twelve thousand messengers, sought to attack him. Thereupon Moses opened his mouth and uttered the twelve letters of the Holy Name which the Holy One had taught him at the bush, and the angel departed from him to a distance of twelve thousand parasangs. And Moses walked in the midst of the cloud, his eyes flaming like coals of fire. Then another angel met him, greater and more eminent than the first. His name, according to tradition, is Hadraniel, and he is set above all the other angels and celestial cohorts, yea, is even removed from them by a distance of one thousand and sixty myriads of parasangs, and his voice, when he proclaims the will of the Lord, penetrates through two hundred thousand firmaments which are surrounded by a white fire. On seeing him, Moses was struck dumb with awe, and would have thrown himself down from the cloud, but the Holy One, blessed be He, admonished him, saying: "Moses, thou didst speak much with Me at the bush and didst desire that I should reveal to thee the Holy Name, and wast not afraid, and art thou now affrighted before one of My servants!" When Moses heard these words from the voice of his Master, he took courage; opening his mouth, he uttered the Supreme Name of seventy-two letters. At this, Hadraniel trembled, and drew near to Moses and cried: "Happy indeed is thy lot, O Moses, for that thou hast been vouchsafed knowledge such as is denied even to the supernal angels!" He then went along with Moses until they came to a mighty fire belonging to an angel whose name is Sandalphon, and who, as tradition tells us, is removed from his fellow angels through the magnitude of his splendour by a distance of five hundred years, and who stands behind the "curtain" of his Master, and out of the prayers of Israel weaves crowns for his Lord, and when such a crown is placed on the head of the Holy King, He receives Israel's supplications, and all the heavenly hosts begin to tremble in awe, and to shout: "Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place" (Ezek. III, 12). Said Hadraniel to Moses: "Moses, I can no longer be with thee, lest the powerful fire of Sandalphon burn me". At that moment Moses began to quake with mighty dread, but the Holy One took hold of him and made him sit before Him and taught him the Torah, and spread over him the radiance of that "pleasantness", so that his countenance shone in all those firmaments and all the hosts of heaven trembled before him when he descended with the Torah. When the Israelites committed the sin of the Golden Calf below, the Holy One took away from Moses one thousand parts of that splendour, and the supernal angels and all those hosts came to burn him. When the Holy One said to him: "Go, get thee down, for thy people ... have corrupted themselves" (Ex. XXXII, 7), Moses trembled and could not utter a word. Then he began to pray and intercede for Israel. Said the Holy One to him: "Moses lay hold of My Throne and gain courage therefrom!" And the Holy One rebuked all those hosts, and Moses took hold of the two tablets of stone and brought them down. Concerning this event it is written: "A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and bringeth down the strength of the confidence thereof" (Prov. XXI, 22). And from the remnants of that brightness Moses's countenance shone. Now, if merely because of this remnant of brightness the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, how glorious must the splendour have been in its original state!' Said R. Hiya: 'The words, "Thy right hand, O Lord, glorified in power", refer to the Torah. This "right hand" does "dash in pieces the enemy"; for there is nothing which can break the power of the heathen nations save the power of the Torah, in the study of which Israel is absorbed. For as long as they are faithful students of the Torah the "Right Hand" is powerful and breaks down the domination of the heathen, and therefore the Torah is called "Strength", as it says, "The Lord will give strength to his people" (Ps. XXIX, 11). Contrariwise, when Israel neglects the Torah, the "Left Hand" predominates, and with it the power of heathendom and the nations rule over Israel and issue tyrannous decrees against them, and Israel is scattered among the nations, as it is written: [58b] "Why doeth the land perish and is burned up like a wilderness? ... Because they have forsaken my Torah" (Jer. IX, 11-12).' Said R. Eleazar: 'It is indeed so. As long as the voices of the Israelites are heard in the synagogues and in the houses of study they are powerful: "the voice is the voice of Jacob"; but if not, then "the hand are the hands of Esau" (Gen. XXVII, 22), as has been explained on another occasion.'

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IN THE GREATNESS OF THINE EXCELLENCY (lit. uplifting) THOU OVERTHROWEST THEM THAT RISE UP AGAINST THEE. R. Hezekiah found here the same idea as in the verse: "Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest thou thyself in time of trouble?" (Ps. X, 1). 'The sins of mankind,' he said, 'cause the Holy One to ascend higher and higher, and then men cry bitterly but without avail, because the Holy One has departed from the world, and they are unable to return to Him.' R. Isaac, however, applied these words to the time when the Holy One will adorn Himself with majesty in face of the nations who will gather against Him, of whom it says: "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed" (Ps. II, 2). We are told that the seventy guardians of the nations will at that time gather from all sides with the armies of the whole world and start war against Jerusalem the holy city, and take counsel together against the Holy One. They will say: "Let us rise first against the Patron, and then against His people and against His sanctuary!" Then "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision" (v. 4). He will put on His majesty and shall dash them in pieces.' R. Abba said, in the name of R. Jesse the Elder -- and R. Simeon made the same remark -- that the Holy One will bring to life again all those kings who afflicted Israel and Jerusalem: Hadrian, Lupinus, Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, and all the other kings of the nations who have destroyed His house, and set them up again as rulers, and they shall gather many nations, and then He will do vengeance and justice upon them near Jerusalem, as it is written: "And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem" (Zech. XIV, 12). On the other hand, here it says: "In the greatness of thy excellency Thou wilt overthrow thine opponents", which refers to the Messianic times; and so this song has an eternal significance.

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THE ENEMY SAID: I WILL PURSUE, I WILL OVERTAKE. "The enemy" is the celestial guardian of the Egyptians. When power was given to him over Israel, he desired to make an end of them, but the Holy One remembered the "Mountains of the world" (the Patriarchs), and these shielded them. And this applies to all the supernal guardians of the nations: they all have the same desire to do away with Israel, but the Holy One remembers the merit of the "Mountains of the world" and protects them. When Moses realized this, he sang praises to the Holy One, blessed be He, saying: WHO IS LIKE UNTO THEE AMONG THE GODS, O LORD? Said R. Simeon: 'There is a mighty and wondrous tree in the celestial sphere which supplies nourishment to beings above and below. It has twelve boundaries and stretches along the four sides of the world which encompass it. Seventy branches ascend from it and imbibe nourishment from its roots. Each branch, as the time arrives for it to be dominant, endeavours to drain the whole life of the tree, which is the essence of all the branches, and without which they would not exist. Israel clings to the main body of the tree, and when its time comes to be dominant [59a] it endeavours to protect the branches and to give peace to all. This is also symbolized by the seventy oxen offered on the feast of Tabernacles. Therefore it says: "Who is like unto thee among the gods (elim), O Lord?"; elim in the sense of "trees", as in the passage, "for ye shall be ashamed of the elim (terebinths) which ye desired" (Isa. I, 29). "Who among these is like unto Thee, Who hast pity on all? Among the surroundings of the tree is any like unto Thee, eager to be the guardian of all, even when it dominates them", not wishing to destroy them? "Who is like unto Thee, glorified in holiness?" Namely, in that supreme power called "Holiness", "power of the Lord", "pleasantness of the Lord", as already stated.'

"Who is like unto Thee?" R. Jose discoursed on the verse: "I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and, behold, all is vanity and breaking of spirit" (Eccl. I, 14). 'How could Solomon,' he said, 'the wisest of men, say that all human actions are vanity? Can this be said of acts of righteousness and lovingkindness, of which it is written, "and the work of righteousness shall be peace" (Isa. XXXII, 17)? However, as has been pointed out, "all is vanity" refers to "works that are done under the sun," whilst "the work of righteousness" is above the sun. So far so good. But what, then, is the meaning of "all is breath (hebel) and breaking of spirit" in regard to the "works that are done under the sun"? Have we not been taught that "hebel" (breath) is the basis of the world above and the world below? It has been explained in the following way, and it is truly so. Every action done here below, if it is done with the intention of serving the Holy King, produces a "breath" in the world above, and there is no breath which has no voice; and this voice ascends and crowns itself in the supernal world and becomes an intercessor before the Holy One, blessed be He. Contrariwise, every action which is not done with this purpose becomes a "breath" which floats about in the world, and when the soul of the doer leaves his body, this "breath" rolls about like a stone in a sling, and it "breaks the spirit". The act done and the word spoken in the service of the Holy One, however, ascend high above the sun and become a holy breath, which is the seed sowed by man in that world, and is called zedakah (righteousness, lovingkindness), as it is written: "Sow for yourselves according to righteousness" (Hos. X, 12). This "breath" guides the departed soul and brings it into the region of the supernal glory, so that it is "bound with the bundle of life with the Lord" (I Sam. XXV, 29). It is concerning this that it is written: "Thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall gather thee up" (Isa. LVIII, 8). That which is called "the glory of the Lord" gathers up the souls of that holy breath, and this is indeed ease and comfort for them; but the other is called " breaking of spirit". Blessed are the righteous whose works are "above the sun" and who sow a seed of righteousness which makes them worthy to enter the world to come, and concerning whom it is written: "Unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings" (Mal. III, 20).' R. Simeon said: 'When the Temple was built below, it was built under the aegis of severity and wrath, as it is written: "For this city hath been to me as a provocation of my anger and of my fury from the day that they built it" (Jer. XXXII, 31); but in the time to come the Holy One will build it and restore it on another noble basis, called "Righteousness", as it is written: "In righteousness shalt thou be established" (Isa. LIV, 14), and therefore it will endure. [59b]

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THOU STRETCHEDST OUT THY HAND, THE EARTH SWALLOWED THEM. Said R. Isaac: 'The members of the Fellowship have remarked that when the Holy One brought the Egyptians dead out of the sea, He bade the earth "take them in", but she refused, until He stretched out His right hand and adjured her, and then she swallowed them.' R. Eleazar said that the "stretching out" of the "right hand" was to separate it from the "left" so that judgement might be executed.

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THOU LEADEST THROUGH THY MERCY THE PEOPLE WHOM THOU REDEEMEST; THOU GUIDEST THEM THROUGH THY MIGHT TO THY HOLY HABITATION. The divine attributes are indicated here in the same way as in the verse, "Thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hast thy delight in them" (Ps. XLIV, 4). "Thy right hand" corresponds to "thy mercy" and symbolizes Gedulah (Greatness); "thine arm", corresponding to "Thou guidest them through Thy might", stands for Geburah (Might); and "the light of Thy countenance", corresponding to "Thy holy habitation", indicates the Zaddik (Righteous One).

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FEAR AND DREAD FALL UPON THEM. R. Simeon interpreted the word aymathah (dread, instead of the usual aymah) as aymath he, "the fear of He" (i.e. the Shekinah), since there is no letter or word in the Torah that does not contain profound allusions.

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Part 4 of 4

THOU WILT BRING AND PLANT THEM IN THE MOUNTAIN OF THINE INHERITANCE. The superfluous vau in tebiemo and wetitaemo ("Thou wilt bring and plant them") is an indication, given by the holy spirit, that these words refer to a later generation of Israelites who were circumcised by Joshua, and in whom the holy sign of the Divine Name was imprinted. They were qualified to inherit the land; for he who is circumcised and in whom the holy sign is revealed, and who guards it from profanation, is called "righteous", and "the righteous will inherit the land" (Isa. LX, 21). Truly, there is not a word or even a small letter in the Torah which does not contain profound allusions and holy indications. Happy is the lot of those who apprehend them!

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THE PLACE WHICH THOU HAST MADE FOR THY DWELLING-PLACE, LORD, FOR THE SANCTUARY, LORD, WHICH THY HANDS PREPARED. [11] This implies the necessity of building a sanctuary below, corresponding to the sanctuary above, wherein the Holy One is daily served and worshipped. Now prayer itself has the character of service, and is called so. A synagogue should be a handsome structure, beautifully decorated, for it is an earthly copy of a heavenly prototype. The Temple below had its counterpart in the Temple above, and everything there, holy vessels and holy ministers, corresponded to something above. The same was true of the Tabernacle which Moses erected in the desert. And a synagogue must have the same object: it must be a true house of prayer. A sanctuary must have windows, as Daniel had in his upper chamber where he prayed (Dan. VI, 11), corresponding to the "windows" in heaven, as it is written: "My beloved ... he looketh forth at the windows, showing himself through the lattice" (8.8. II, 9). We might think that it is more proper to pray in the open air in order to allow the spirit a free ascent. This, however, is not so! There must be a house to correspond to the "House" above. Besides, prayer and the spirit must issue forth from a narrow, limited space, in a straight line towards Jerusalem, [60a] without deviating right or left. This is symbolized by the sound of the Shophar, which is thrust forth in a straight line from a narrow opening and breaks through the firmaments in order to stir up the Spirit above. It is true, we are told, that "Isaac did meditate in the field" (Gen. XXIV, 63); but there are special reasons for this; and besides, the field where he prayed was not an ordinary field.

Said R. Abba: 'Happy indeed are those who are worthy to sing this song in this world! They will be found worthy to sing it again in the world to come. This hymn is built up out of twenty-two engraved letters and of ten Words of Creation, [12] and all are inscribed in the Holy Name, and are the completion and harmony of that Name. This, however, has already been explained.' Said R. Simeon: 'When the Israelites stood at the Red Sea and sang, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to them with all His hosts and chariots, in order that they should know their King who had wrought all those signs and mighty works for them, and that each one of them should perceive of the Divine more than was vouchsafed to any prophet. Should anyone say that they did not know and did not cleave to the Supernal Wisdom, this song that they sang in perfect unison is a proof to the contrary; for how could they, without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, have all sung together as if through one mouth? Yea, even the embryos in their mothers' wombs sang it in unison and beheld things that the prophet Ezekiel could not see. They all beheld the Divine glory eye to eye, and when their singing was ended their souls were so filled with joy and ecstasy that they refused to continue on their journey, desiring yet more perfect revelations of that glorious mystery. Then Moses said to the Holy One: "Thy children are loth to depart from the sea, because of their eagerness to behold Thee." What did the Holy One do? He hid His glory and transferred it from there to the wilderness, half disclosing it to them there. Moses bade them many times to proceed, but they refused, until he took hold of them and showed them the light of the glory of the Holy One in the wilderness. Concerning this it is written: "They went out into the wilderness of Shur" (v. 22), which, being interpreted, means that they went into the wilderness of "Beholding" (shur = to look round).'

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AND THEY WENT THREE DAYS IN THE WILDERNESS AND FOUND NO WATER. In Scripture "water" stands as a symbol for the Torah: "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters" (Isa. LV, 1). 'But', remarked R. Jesse, 'the time for the giving of the Torah was not yet, and how could they expect to find this "water" there?' Said R. Eleazar: 'They went out into the wilderness to see the glory of the Holy One, but could not, for He removed it from there. We learn from this that "water" is the symbol of the Torah, and the Holy One and the Torah are one.' Said R. Simeon: 'There in the wilderness a strange power, representing the nations of the world, the ruling spirit of the desert, appeared to them, but they soon discovered that it was not the radiance of their King's glory. Hence it says: AND WHEN THEY CAME TO MARAH THEY COULD NOT DRINK OF THE WATERS OF MARAH, FOR THEY WERE BITTER, and they did not feel the same "sweetness" in their souls as before. Moreover, this power came to act as an accuser against them. Then HE (Moses) CRIED UNTO THE LORD, AND THE LORD SHOWED HIM A TREE, [60b] WHICH, WHEN HE CAST IT INTO THE WATERS, THE WATERS WERE MADE SWEET. The "tree" is a symbol of the Torah, which is "a tree of life to those who lay hold upon her" (Prov. III, 18), and the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are one.' R. Abba said: 'The "Tree" is a direct symbol of the Holy One, for it says: "The tree of the field is (the supernal) Adam" (Deut. XX, 19). The "field" is the "Field of the holy apples". Thus, when the light of their King's glory manifested itself to them, "the waters were made sweet", and the accuser became an intercessor.'

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THERE HE MADE FOR THEM A STATUTE AND ORDINANCE. Said R. Abba: 'At first, when the Israelites entered into the Covenant of the Holy One, there was something lacking in them, namely the final act of circumcision, the "peri'a", so that the holy sign was not manifested in them, but as soon as they arrived at this place they entered into both aspects of the holy sign, through the laying bare of its impress. These two aspects are symbolized by the two terms "statute" and "ordinance". AND THERE HE PROVED THEM: by this holy sign. In the book of R. Jesse the Elder there is a recondite interpretation of this tree (which God showed Moses).

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AND SAID: IF THOU WILT DILIGENTLY HEARKEN TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD THY GOD. "And said." Who said? As it is not directly stated, it refers to the Holy One, blessed be He. R. Hezekiah pointed to a similar expression in the passage: "And to Moses he said, Go up unto the Lord" (Ex. XXIV, 1). R. Jose said that from the context it is clear to whom the "he said" refers. Why, however, does the text continue, "if thou wilt hear the voice of the Lord thy God", instead of "My voice"? To indicate that voice to communion with which they had attained. R. Abba said: 'When the holy sign was manifested in them they entered into a dual holy state, as has been pointed out above; and having entered into these two holy conditions, they thereby entered into communion with two other holy conditions, so that they should not be deprived of any blessings from above, blessings emanating from the Holy King Himself. All this is indicated in the above verse: "and he said", namely the Holy King; "the voice of the Lord thy God" refers to the Shekinah as representing the Community of Israel; "wilt do what is right in His sight" refers to the Zaddik; "and will give ear to His commandment" refers to Nezah. (Victory), while Hod (Majesty) is indicated in the words: "and keep all His statutes". Further, the words "I am the Lord that healeth thee" refer to the Holy King. From this we learn that he who guards the sign of the covenant rises eventually to the perception of the Holy King. R. Isaac said: 'He who is worthy of the perception of Zaddik is also worthy to perceive Nezah and Hod, the triad by which the Community of Israel is blessed; and he who is worthy of these reaches the perception of the Holy King, and so has communion with all four. In correspondence with these four grades the holy impress (of circumcision) has to be guarded from four things (intercourse with a menstruous woman, a bondwoman, a heathen woman, and a harlot). Once a man cleaves truly to the Holy King, then "I will put none of these diseases upon thee which I have brought against the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee". Observe with what tenderness and loving speeches the Holy One drew Israel to His Torah! He was indeed like unto a father tenderly leading his son to school, promising him good things.' [61a]

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AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, BEHOLD I WILL RAIN BREAD FROM HEAVEN FOR YOU. R. Judah quoted here the verse: Blessed is he who considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble (Ps. XLI, 2). 'These words', he said, 'have been applied to a man who is lying dangerously ill. Such a one is a prisoner of the King -- his neck yoked and his feet in chains. On either side warders keep guard over him. His limbs war with one another, and he is unable to eat. But in his helplessness a guardian angel is appointed to watch over him and to intercede on his behalf before the King, recalling all his virtues and any good deed that he may have done. Happy is then the counsellor who teaches the afflicted one the way of life so that he may be delivered from judgement and be brought back to his Lord; he becomes an intercessor for him above. And what will be his reward? "The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble".'

R. Hiya said: 'I have often wondered at the words, "For the Lord heareth the poor" (Ps. LXIX, 34). Does He then hear only the poor?' R. Simeon replied: 'These words signify that the poor are indeed nearer to the King than all others, for it is written, "a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" (Ps. LI, 18) and no one in the world is so broken in heart as the poor man. Mark this! Most human beings appear before the Holy One in body and in soul, but the poor man presents himself before the Throne of the Most High in soul only, and the Holy One is nearer to the soul than to the body.'

At one time there lived in the neighbourhood of R. Jesse a poor man of whom no one took any notice; and to beg he was ashamed. [61b] One day he fell ill, and R. Jesse went to visit him. And as he sat by the sick man's bedside the Rabbi heard a voice saying: "Wheel, [13] wheel, a soul is flying to me before its rightful time has come! Woe unto his fellow townsmen that none were found among them to sustain him, that he might live!" R. Jesse, having heard these words, stood up and put into the mouth of the sick man the water of a certain herb, bidding him drink; and this made him so to sweat that the illness left him and he recovered. When R. Jesse came again to the house of that poor man the latter said: "By thy life, Rabbi! My soul had actually left my body and was conducted to the Palace of the King and brought before His Throne; and it would fain have remained there for ever, only God desired to give thee the merit of restoring me to life. I heard them proclaim in the highest courts of Heaven: "R. Jesse's spirit shall have its abode in a holy chamber which the members of the Fellowship will occupy at their awakening", and three thrones were prepared for thee and for thy friends.' From that time the neighbours of the poor man looked after him. A similar tale is told of R. Isaac. One day he was walking along the highway when a poor man passed him, having in his hand half a mea (small coin) in silver. He said to R. Isaac: 'Save, I pray thee, my life and the life of my sons and daughters.' Said R. Isaac: 'How can I do this, seeing that I possess no more than half a mea?' 'Nevertheless,' the poor man replied, 'two half meas are better than one.' So R. Isaac took out his coin and gave it to the man. Later, R. Isaac dreamt that he was walking by the sea in a strange place, and some persons wanted to throw him into it, and then he saw R. Simeon stretching out his hand to him, and the poor man whom he had assisted came up and pulled him out, and brought him safe and sound to R. Simeon. When he awoke, the verse: "Blessed is he who considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble" came automatically to his lips.

Every day dew from the Holy Ancient One drops into the "Lesser Countenance" and all the holy apple-fields are blessed. It also descends to those below, and it provides spiritual food for the holy angels, to each rank according to its capacity of perception. It was this food of which the Israelites partook in the wilderness: "each of them ate the food of celestial princes" (abirim) (Ps. LVIII, 26). Said R. Simeon: 'Even at this time there are those who partake of similar food, and that in a double measure. And who are they? Fellows of the mystic lore, who study the Torah day and night. See now, when the Israelites went out of Egypt into the desert, uniting themselves with the Holy King, when the sign of the Covenant was manifested in them in its fulness, they were granted a more spiritual, more supernal food than the "unleavened bread" which they ate immediately after they left Egypt; for of the manna it says: "I will rain bread from heaven for you." It was indeed heavenly food, emanating from the sphere called "heaven". But the sons of Wisdom, namely, the students of the Torah, derive their nourishment from a still higher region, the sphere of Wisdom, as it is written: "Wisdom keeps alive her owners" (Eccl. VII, 12).' 'If that is so,' asked R. Eleazar, 'why are they more frail than ordinary men?' R. Simeon replied: 'That is a good question, and the answer is as follows. Ordinary food, by which the majority of people are nourished, is constituted of the elements of heaven and earth, and is therefore of a gross, material quality; the unleavened bread, which was eaten by the Israelites when they left Egypt, emanated from the sphere of "Judgement" and was somewhat subtler in quality; the manna was a still finer food, emanating from the sphere of "Heaven", and was assimilated by the soul more than by the body -- "angels' bread"; but the food of those absorbed in the Torah nourishes only the soul and the spirit, but not the body, coming as it does from the sphere of "Wisdom", from the highest and most glorious supernal region. Hence it is hardly to be wondered at that Wisdom's children are more frail than other men, for they do not eat the food of the body at all. [62a] Truly, "Wisdom keeps alive her owners"! Blessed is that body which can derive benefit from the food of the soul!' R. Eleazar thereupon remarked: 'It is indeed so, but where do we find these foods in our days?' R. Simeon replied: 'This is also a good question, and the real answer is this. First, there is the food for the whole of humanity, natural food for ordinary men. Then there is the food which emanates from the sphere of "righteousness" (zedek), the food of the poor, which is turned into "beneficence" (zedakah), both to him who gives and to him who receives: "righteousness" is turned into "mercy" (hesed), and "a man of mercy does good to his own soul" (Prov. XI, 17). A more supernal food is the one by which sick people are nourished, the food of the Holy One, as it says: "The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing" (Ps. XLI, 4) -- as it were sacrificial food, concerning which it says, "To sacrifice unto me fat and blood" (Ezek. XLIV, 15). Then there is the food of spirits and souls, a supernal, holy, and precious food, emanating from the "Pleasantness of the Lord". The subtlest and most precious food, however, is, as I have said, that by which the students devoted to the Torah are sustained; for the Torah emanates from the sphere of the Supernal Wisdom, and those whose minds are centred in her enter into the very essence of Wisdom, and their nourishment is derived from that holy source.' Then came R. Eleazar and kissed R. Simeon's hand, and said: 'I am truly blessed to hear such words! Blessed are the righteous who meditate on the Torah day and night! Blessed are they in this world, and blessed are they in the world to come! Truly, "He is thy life and the length of thy days" (Deut. XXX, 20).'

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BEHOLD, I WILL RAIN BREAD FROM HEAVEN FOR YOU. R. Jose meditated here on the verse: "Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest every living thing according to thy will" (Ps. CXLV, 16). 'In the preceding verse,' he said, 'it is written: "The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season". All living beings wait upon, and lift up their eyes to the Holy One for food, but the "sons of Faith" must not merely wait, but also pray for their daily bread. Such prayer has the power of bringing blessing every day upon the Tree whence all nourishment for body and soul emanates. Thus even when he has a sufficiency of food, a man of faith ought to pray for "daily bread" in order that through him there may be each day an increase of blessing in heaven, and this is the meaning of the words, "Blessed be the Lord by day". For this reason it is not right to cook food on one day for the next, so that one day should not interfere with another in regard to blessings above. Therefore it says concerning the manna: "The people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day" (Ex. XVI, 4); except on the sixth day, when they prepared for the Sabbath (Ibid. 5). Prayer for daily bread secures the favour of the Holy Ancient One, so that food is distributed to all, and the one who prays thus is indeed a "faithful son", a son through whose cooperation blessings are found in heaven. R. Abba dwelt on the verse: "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that wait for his mercy" (Ps. CXLVII, 11). 'How much should one endeavour to walk in the way of the Holy King and in the ways of the Torah, in order to become the medium of blessing to all, to those above and to those below! [62b] For the Lord dispenses favour (rozeh eth) to them that fear Him, and those who fear Him are those "that wait for His mercy", that is, who are entirely dependent on Him for their daily bread.' R. Jesse the Elder never used to prepare his meal before praying for it. He was wont to say: 'Let us ask the King first!' Then he would wait for some time and say: 'The time has arrived for the King to give us food; prepare the meal!' This is the way of those who fear the Lord and are afraid of sin. As for the ungodly, it is not so with them, for their ways are crooked: "Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink" (Isa. V, 11). But "The Lord taketh pleasure ... in those that wait for His mercy"; and herein are the sons of faith different from others. Hence it is written: "The people shall gather a certain rate every day in his day, that I may prove them whether they will walk in my Torah or not." The peculiar expression "in his day" indicates that the sons of faith are known by their "daily" walking in the straight way of the Torah. R. Isaac found the same truth in the following verse: "The righteous eateth to the satisfaction of his soul" (Prov. XIII, 25), which he interpreted to mean: "The righteous has his meal only after he has satisfied his soul with prayer and study." Said R. Simeon: 'Observe that before the Holy One gave Israel the Torah He tried them to see who would be a son of faith and who would not be. How did He try them? By the manna. All those who were found to be sons of faith were signed with the sign of the crown of Grace by the Holy One Himself; and from those who were not found to be thus, this supernal crown was withheld.

'It has been said at that hour Israel was perfected below according to her prototype above, for it is written, "and they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water and threescore and ten palm trees" (Ex. XV, 27). Now the Holy Tree [14] spreads to twelve boundaries on the four quarters of the earth, and to seventy branches closely intertwined, so that what was above should have here its counterpart below. At that hour holy dew dropped down from the Hidden Most Ancient One and filled the head of the Lesser Countenance, the place which is called "Heaven". From this dew of the supernal holy light the manna descended, and in so doing dispersed itself into flakes and became solidified "as thin as the hoar frost on the ground" (Ex. XVI, 14). And all the sons of the Faith went out, gathered it, and praised the Holy Name for it. The manna diffused the scents of all the spices of the Garden of Eden, through which it had passed in descending. Each one found in the manna the taste he most desired; and as he ate he blessed the Supernal Holy King for His goodness, and was himself blessed with understanding of the Supernal Wisdom. Therefore that generation was called "the generation of knowledge". These were the sons of Faith, and to them was given the privilege of contemplating and comprehending the holy Torah. But of those who were not truly faithful it is written, "and the people roamed about (shatu) and gathered (the manna)" (Num. XI, 8). The word "shatu" (roamed about) indicates that these people allowed "stupidity" (shatuta) to enter into them, because they were not sons of Faith. And what do we read of them? "And they ground it in mills or beat it in a mortar" (Ibid.). Why should they have gone to all this trouble? [63a] Merely because they were not sons of Faith. They are the prototypes of all those who have no faith in the Holy One, blessed be He, and have no desire to meditate on His ways: they likewise labour day and night for food, in fear that they may be short of bread -- all because they are not of the faithful. Thus "the people roamed about and gathered" and "ground it", making diverse foolish efforts and labouring greatly. And what did all their trouble avail them? Only this: "and the taste of it was the taste of fresh oil" (Ibid.). No other flavour rewarded them. Why? Because they were not sons of Faith. As to the actual taste of the manna, some say it was of paste mixed with oil; some, that it was only like paste in that it could be variously moulded and pounded; R. Judah said that it was indeed only the flavour of fresh oil.'

R. Isaac said: 'It is written: GATHER OF IT EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS EATING (okhlo). Did, then, the one who ate little gather little, and the one who ate much gather much? Is it not written, "he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack" (Ex. XXVI, 18)? The term "okhlo", however, signifies that they gathered according to the number of the consumers. It was in this way. Two men would dispute concerning a servant, each one saying that she or he was his, and they would take their controversy to Moses that he might decide it. He would say to each: "How many persons have you in your family?" and having ascertained this, he commanded: "To-morrow let everyone gather the manna according to the number of his people, and bring it all to me." Next morning they would come to Moses, and he counted for every person of each house an omer; having done which he found that one of the disputants had yet another omer over and above those which were the portion of the number of his household, which proved that the servant was his. Hence it says: "An omer for every man, according to the number of your persons" (v. 12).'

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AT EVEN THEN YE SHALL KNOW .... Said R. Jose: 'How were they to know? We may explain as follows. It has been taught that every day the judgements of the Holy One, blessed be He, are manifested, and in the morning Grace predominates in the world, but at the time called "evening" Justice rules in the world, and for this reason, as we have learnt, Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer. Therefore it says: "In the evening ye shall know"; that is, when Judgement is awakened in the world you shall know that by the power of that Judgement God has brought you out from the land of Egypt; whereas "in the morning ye shall perceive the glory of the Lord", for all that time Grace is awakened in the world, and shall indeed bring down food for you, and "ye shall be given food to eat".' Said R. Hiya: 'Not so! The true meaning of the passage is the opposite, viz. that when the children of Israel said, "when we sat by the flesh pots, etc." (Ex. XVI, 3), then was awakened the attribute of Justice, symbolized by the "evening"; but nevertheless Grace also awakened with it, as it says, "ye shall know that the Lord brought you out of the land of Egypt", i.e. you shall know the Grace He showed you in the hour of judgement by bringing you out of Egypt. "In the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord"; and we know what is meant by "Glory". And why all this? For that He heareth your murmurings against the Lord.' Said R. Jose: 'The Holy One does not alter His judgements; it is the wicked in the world who turn Mercy to Judgement, as we have already made clear.' R. Eleazar taught that in the coming age the righteous shall eat of this manna, but of a much higher quality, a quality which was never seen in this world, as it is written: "To behold the beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple" (Ps. XXVII, 4); "Eye hath not seen ... what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him" (Isa. LXIV, 4).

R. Hezekiah discoursed on the verse: "A song of degrees. Out of the depth have I cried unto thee" (Ps. CXXX, 1, 2). 'This Psalm', he said, 'is anonymous, because [63b] all men can apply it to themselves in all generations. Whoever prays before the Holy King must do so from the depths of his soul so that his heart may be wholly turned to God and his whole mind be concentrated upon his prayer. David had already said "I seek thee with my whole heart" (Ps. CXIX, 10). Why, then, should he now go further and say "out of the depths"? The reason is that when a man prays before the King he should concentrate mind and heart on the source of all sources, in order to draw blessings from the depth of the "Cistern", from the source of all life, from the "stream coming out of Eden" (Gen. 11, 19), which "maketh glad the city of God" (Ps. XLVI, 5). Prayer is the drawing of this blessing from above to below; for when the Ancient One, the All-hidden, wishes to bless the universe, He lets His gifts of Grace congregate in that supernal depth, from where they are to be drawn, through human prayer, into the "Cistern", so that all the streams and brooks may be filled therefrom.'

***

AND MOSES SAID UNTO THEM, LET NO MAN LEAVE OF IT UNTIL THE MORNING. R. Judah said: 'Every day the world is blessed through that superior day, the Seventh. For the six Days receive blessing from the seventh, and each dispenses the blessing so received on its own day, but not on the next. Hence the Israelites were commanded not to leave of the manna till the morning. The sixth day has more blessing than the rest, for on this day, as R. Eleazar has said, the Shekinah prepares the table for the King. Hence the sixth day has two portions, one for itself and one in preparation for the joy of the union of the King with the Shekinah, which takes place on Sabbath night, and from which all the six days of the week derive their blessing. For that reason the table has to be prepared on the Sabbath night, so that when the blessings descend from above they may find something on which to rest, as it were, for "no blessing rests on an empty table". Those who are aware of this mystery of the union of the Holy One with the Shekinah on Sabbath night consider, therefore, this time the most appropriate one for their own marital union.'

***

SEE FOR THAT THE LORD HATH GIVEN YOU THE SABBATH. What is the meaning of the word "Sabbath"? The day in which all the other days rest, the day which comprises the other days, and from which they derive blessing. R. Jose said: 'The Community of Israel is also called "Sabbath", for she is God's spouse. That is why the Sabbath is called "Bride", and it is written, "Ye shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy unto you" (Ex. XXXI, 13): it is holy to you, but not to other nations; "it is a sign between me and the children of Israel" (ibid. V, 17): it is Israel's eternal heritage.'

***

ABIDE YE EVERY MAN IN HIS PLACE, LET NO MAN GO OUT OF HIS PLACE ON THE SEVENTH DAY. This "place" is the "Place" where it is right to walk. The inner meaning of the word is as in the verse: "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground" (Ex. III, 5): the noted Place (i.e. stage of contemplation) where one is aware of the Supernal Glory. Therefore when man adorns himself with the supernal holy Crown (i.e. celebrates the Sabbath), he must take great care not to utter any word which might [64a] profane the Sabbath, and similarly to guard his hands and also his feet, so as not to walk beyond the permissible limit of the two thousand cubits. Again, the "place" here refers to the glorious Place of Holiness, outside of which are "strange gods". "Blessed be the glory of the Lord" is the Supernal Glory; "from His place" is the terrestrial Glory. This is the secret of the Sabbatic Crown. Therefore: "let no man go out of his place on the seventh day". Blessed is the lot of him who is worthy of the glory of the Sabbath: blessed in this world and blessed in the world to come.

***

AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, GO ON BEFORE THE PEOPLE AND TAKE WITH THEE, ETC. R. Hiya began his interpretation by quoting the following verse: "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them" (Ps. XXXIV, 8). He said: 'Blessed are the righteous, in that the Holy One is more concerned for their honour than for His own! See how He ignores those who scorn and blaspheme the Supernal! Sanherib, for instance, said: "Who are they among the gods of the countries ... that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?" (2 Kings XVIII, 35), and yet the Holy One exacted no requital from him; but as soon as he stretched out his hand against Hezekiah "the angel of the Lord smote in the camp of the Assyrians" (Ibid. V, 19). Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, worshipped heathen gods, brought incense and sacrificed to them, and yet God did not requite him for his sin; but when Iddo the prophet came to warn him, and Jeroboam stretched out his hand against him, then "his hand which he put up against him dried up and he could not pull it in again to him" (I Kings XIII, 4), Pharaoh scorned and blasphemed, and said: "Who is the Lord?" (Ex. V, 2), but the Holy One did not punish him until he refused to let Israel go, as it is written: "As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people ... Behold to-morrow at this time I will cause it, etc. (Ex. IX, 17). And so it is always the case that the Holy One avenges the insult done to the righteous more than one offered to Himself. Here, however, when Moses said "They be almost ready to stone me" (Ex. XVII, 4), God said to him: "Moses, now is not the time to exact reparation for the insult done to thee. However, go before the people, and I shall see who will stretch out his hand against thee! Art thou in their power or in mine?"

***

AND THE ROD WHEREWITH THOU SMOTEST THE RIVER TAKE IN THINE HAND. The rod was to be taken because it was inscribed with miracles, and the Holy Name was impressed on it.

***

BEHOLD, I WILL STAND BEFORE THEE THERE UPON THE ROCK. This "rock" is the same as the one mentioned in the verse: "The rock, perfect is his work" (Deut. XXXII, 4); and, as the rod had formerly been a serpent, Moses here knew "the way of a serpent upon a rock" (Prov. XXX, 19). Said R. Judah: 'If that is so, what are we to make of the next words: "and thou shalt smite the rock and there shall come water out of it" (Ibid.)?' R. Hiya replied: 'Certainly it is so. Of all the names of the Holy One, blessed be He, there is not one which does not effect signs and wonders, producing all that the world needs.' 'But does it not say,' objected R. Judah, '"Behold, he smote the rock, and the waters gushed out" (Ps. CV, 41)?' R. Hiya replied: 'A strong hammer is known by the sparks it produces (i.e. a sharp mind is recognized by the problems it raises), and dost thou ask such a question? Listen. Everywhere "rock" symbolizes "Geburah" (Force), and when the Holy One wishes to wound and to smite, this "Geburah" is awakened and it is this that executes the act. Hence, we read: "The Rock smote, and the waters gushed out." Without this the waters would not have gushed out.' 'But,' said R. Judah, 'is it not written, "The Rock that begat thee thou hast neglected", or, as we interpret, "weakened" (Deut. XXXII, 18)?' R. Hiya replied: 'Surely! For if sinners knew that this Rock was going to be awakened and punish them, they would not sin; it is, however, weak in their estimation because they do not contemplate it nor observe its ways.'

R. Abba said: 'There are two Rocks: from the Supernal Rock emanates a lower Rock. That is to say, from the side of the "Mother" comes "Strength" (Geburah), as R. Eleazar has said, that, although the Supernal Mother does not in Herself signify Judgement, yet judgement issues from Her side, since [64b] Geburah emanates from her. Therefore She is called "Supernal Rock". And in the same verse the words, "And hast forgotten God that formed thee" refer to the brightness of the Father, viz. the Supernal Grace.'

R. Abba further said: 'We know that "water" everywhere symbolizes God's kindness, "Grace", and yet the Holy One, blessed be He, on this occasion caused water to come from the "Rock" (the symbol of Judgement), though it ought to be connected with "Greatness" (= Grace). In this, however, consisted the "sign" and wonder of the Holy One: "Who turned the Rock into a pool" (Ps. CXIV, 8). "Turned" suggests that it is not the usual function of the rock to produce water. Therefore He caused water to come from the place below by means of the Supernal Rock. And what is the name of the place below? "Sela"', for it is written: "And thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock (sela')" (Num. XX, 8). And wherewith did this sela' bring forth water? By the power of the Supernal Rock.'

R. Simeon said: 'Moses in his Song. first said "The rock, perfect is his work" (Deut. XXXII, 4), referring to the occasion when water issued from the rock, doing the work of him who was called "perfect", namely Abraham (Gen. XVII, 1), who symbolizes Grace. But on the second occasion, when Moses tried to bring forth water from that rock (Num. XX), it did not turn to "perfection", because of Israel's sins; and in reference to this Moses said: "The Rock that begat thee thou hast weakened" (Deut. XXXII, 15), meaning, "thou hast weakened it from what it was to thee before; it does not now represent 'perfection' but 'judgement'; it is not now what it was when thou wast begotten as a people".'

Said R. Abba:' What did the Israelites mean when they said: IS THE LORD AMONG US OR NOT (ain, lit. nothing)? Were they so blind as not to know that He was in their midst? Did not the Shekinah encompass them and the clouds of glory surround them? Had they not seen the radiance of their King's glorious majesty at the sea? It is, however, as R. Simeon explained, that they desired to know whether the Divine manifestation which they had experienced was that of the Ancient One, the All-hidden One, the Transcendent, whose designation is Ayin (Nought), because He is above comprehension, or of the "Small Countenance", the Immanent designated YHVH. Hence the word "ayin" (nothing) is used here instead of "lo" (not). If so, it may be asked, why were they punished? Because they differentiated between these two aspects in God and "tempted the Lord"; for they said to themselves: "If it is the One, we shall pray in one way, and if it is the Other, we shall pray in another way".'

***

THEN CAME AMALEK AND FOUGHT WITH ISRAEL IN REPHIDIM. R. Jose quoted in connection with this the following verse: Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass (Isa. XXXII, 20). 'Water', he said, 'has many symbolic meanings: there are many kinds of water. Blessed are the Israelites who "sow beside the water" -- the water which is under the branches of the Holy One's Tree, a Tree great and mighty, containing food for the whole universe. This Tree is encompassed by twelve frontiers and adjoins all four sides of the world, and has seventy branches, and Israel is in the "body" of the Tree, and the seventy branches encompass her. This is symbolized by the "twelve wells of water and the threescore and ten palm trees", as we have often explained. But what do the words "and they encamped there by the water" signify? This. At that time the Israelites had control over the waters which are under the branches of that Tree, those which are called "the insolent waters" (Ps. CXXIV, 5). And this is the meaning of the words, "blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass", namely, the two "Crowns of the Left", to which are attached the pagan nations who are called "ox and ass". When the Israelites are worthy, then they dismiss these evil powers, and they have no dominion over them.' Said R. Abba: 'When the two (i.e. the ox and the ass) are united, the inhabitants of the world cannot stand up against them. For this reason [65a] it is prohibited to "plough with an ox and an ass together" (Deut. XXII, 10). From them, when united, emanates the power, called "dog", which is more insolent than all of them. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: "Ye said, 'is the Lord in our midst or not?' Behold, I will deliver you to the dog!", and straightway came Amalek.'

R. Judah said: 'It is written, "Amalek is the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever" (Num. XXIV, 20). Was, then, Amalek the first of the nations? Were there not many tribes, nations, and peoples in the world before Amalek came? But the meaning is that Amalek was the first nation who feared not to proclaim war against Israel, as it says, "and he feared not God" (Deut. XXIV, 18); whilst the other nations were filled with fear and trembling before Israel at the time of the Exodus; as it says: "The peoples heard and were afraid; trembling took hold of the inhabitants of Pelesheth" (Ex. XV, 14); in fact, apart from Amalek there was no nation that was not awestruck before the mighty works of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore "his latter end shall be that he perish for ever".'

Said R. Eleazar: 'Observe that although the "Rock" (i.e. Geburah, Severity) dealt graciously with them in supplying them with water, yet it did not cease to perform its natural function, so that "Amalek came".'

R. Abba discoursed on the verse: There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt" (Eccl. V, 13). '"There is a sore evil." Are there then two kinds of evil, one that is sore, and another that is not sore? Yes, indeed! There is a particularly sore evil, for we have a tradition that from the Side of the Left emanate many emissaries of punishment who go down to the hollow of the great Sea, and then emerge in a body and, cleaving the air, advance upon the sons of men. Each one of them is called "evil", and it is to this that the words "there shall no evil befall thee" (Ps. XC, 10) refer. When a certain one of these "evils" befalls a man, it makes him miserly with his money, so that when a collector for charity or a poor man comes to him it strikes his hand saying, "do not impoverish yourself". It will not even let him buy food for himself. In fact, from the moment that that "evil" comes upon the man, he is "sore" like a sick man who can neither eat nor drink. King Solomon proclaimed in his wisdom: "There is an evil which I have seen under the sun ... A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him no power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it" (Eccl. VI, 1-2). On the surface, the end of this verse would appear to contradict the beginning: if God has given him riches, etc., how can we say that he has no power over it? The meaning, however, is that he has no power over that "evil" to which he clings and entrusts himself, and therefore he is like a sick man who does not eat, nor drink, and he keeps his money tight until he leaves this world and another man comes and takes possession of it, and becomes its master.' We may also explain the verse as follows. When a young man who lives at ease in his father's house begins to make [65b] all sorts of complaints and demands, saying, "I want this, and I do not want that", he attaches himself to that "sore evil", and he will be punished both in this world and in the world to come. Concerning such a case, King Solomon said: "There is a sore evil ... riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt." Such was the case of the Israelites: the Holy One, blessed be He, carried them on eagles' wings, encircled them with the clouds of glory, made the Shekinah go before them, gave them manna to eat, and sweet water to drink, and yet they complained! Hence, "and Amalek came".

R. Simeon said: 'There is a deep allusion in the name "Rephidim". This war emanated from the attribute of Severe Judgement and it was a war above and a war below. The Holy One, as it were, said: "when Israel is worthy below My power prevails in the universe; but when Israel is found to be unworthy she weakens My power above, and the power of severe judgement predominates in the world.' So here, "Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim", because the Israelites were "weak" (raphe) in the study of the Torah, as we have explained on another occasion.'

***

AND MOSES SAID UNTO JOSHUA, CHOOSE US OUT MEN, AND GO OUT, FIGHT WITH AMALEK. Why did Moses abstain from fighting the first battle which God Himself commanded? Because he was able to divine the true meaning of his Master's command. Hence he said: "I will prepare myself for the war above, and thou, Joshua, prepare thyself for the war below." This is the meaning of the words: "When Moses lifted up his hand, Israel prevailed" (Ibid. V, 1), namely Israel above. Therefore Moses did not participate in the war on earth, so that he might throw himself with greater zeal into the war in Heaven, and thus promote victory on earth. Said R. Simeon: 'Let us not think lightly of this war with Amalek. Verily, from the creation of the world until then, and since then till the coming of the Messiah, there has been and will be no war like that, nor can even the war of Gog and Magog be compared with it; and this not because of the mighty armies taking part in it, but because it was launched against all the attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He.'

***

AND MOSES SAID TO JOSHUA. Why to him, who was then but a "youth" (Ex. XXXIII, 11)? Were there in Israel no greater warriors than Joshua? The reason was that Moses in his wisdom was aware that it was not going to be merely a battle against flesh and blood, but against Samael, who was coming down to assist Amalek. Now Joshua, "the youth", had reached at that time a high degree of spiritual perception, not, indeed, as high as Moses, who was united with the Shekinah, but his soul was, in fact, attached to the supernal region called "Youth" (= Metatron). [66a] Now when Moses perceived that Samael was going to fight for Amalek, he thought: "this young man, Joshua, will surely stand against him and prevail", and therefore he said unto him: "go and fight against Amalek! It is thy battle, the battle here below, and I will prepare myself for the battle above. Choose worthy men, righteous and the sons of the righteous, to accompany thee".' Said R. Simeon: 'At the moment when Joshua, the "young man", started out to fight Amalek, the "Young Man" above was stirred, and was equipped with weapons prepared by his "Mother" (the Shekinah) for the battle, in order to "avenge the covenant" (cf. Lev. XXVI, 25) with the "sword" (Ex. XVII, 13). Moses equipped himself for the war above. "His hands were heavy" (Ibid. V, 12), that is to say, "weighty, honourable, holy hands", that had never been defiled, hands worthy to wage the war above. AND THEY TOOK A STONE AND PUT IT UNDER HIM AND HE SAT THEREON: to participate in the distress of Israel. AND AARON AND HUR STAYED UP HIS HANDS, THE ONE ON THE ONE SIDE, AND THE OTHER ON THE OTHER SIDE: AND HIS HANDS WERE STEADY (emunah, lit. faith). This cannot be taken in the literal sense; what it means is that Aaron represented his "side" (the attribute of Grace), Hur his "side" (the attribute of Strength), and Moses' hands between the two represented Faith.

***

AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT WHEN MOSES HELD UP HIS HAND, ISRAEL PREVAILED, AND WHEN HE LET DOWN HIS HAND, AMALEK PREVAILED. "Hand" here refers to the right hand, which he held up above the left, and so long as he did so, Israel, i.e. the Supernal Israel, prevailed; but when Israel below ceased praying Moses could not keep his hand up and "Amalek prevailed". From which we derive the lesson that, although the priest spreads out his hands at the sacrifice to make his mediation complete, yet Israel must co-operate with him in prayer.

***

AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, WRITE THIS FOR A MEMORIAL IN THE BOOK, ETC. Note that in the previous verse it says, "And Joshua disabled (vayahlosh) Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." Why is the word "disabled" used here instead of "slew"? Because the word halash has also another meaning, namely, "to cast lots" (cf. Isa. XIV, 2). Joshua did indeed first cast lots, [15] and then the sword, executing the vengeance of the covenant, slew them. WRITE THIS FOR A MEMORIAL: "this" in the first place, AND REHEARSE IT IN THE EARS OF JOSHUA, namely, that he is destined to slay other kings.

***

FOR I WILL UTTERLY BLOT OUT (lit. for blotting out I will blot out); that is, both their celestial forces and their power here below: similarly THE REMEMBRANCE of them on high as well as below. Said R. Isaac: 'Here it is written: "For I will utterly blot out", whereas in another passage it says, "Thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek" (Deut. XXV, 19). The Holy One, blessed be He, said in effect: "Ye shall blot out his remembrance on earth, and I will blot out his remembrance on high".' R. Jose said: 'Amalek brought with him other peoples, but all the rest were afraid to commence war against Israel. Hence Joshua cast lots which of them to slay.'

***

AND MOSES BUILT AN ALTAR AND CALLED THE NAME OF IT YHVH NISSI (the Lord is my sign). He built an altar below to correspond to the Altar above. [66b] R. Jose said: 'The altar was intended to bring atonement and forgiveness to them. "He called the name", namely the name of the altar, "YHVH NISSI", just as Jacob called the altar which he built El Elohe Yisroel, "the God, the God of Israel" (Gen. XXXIII, 20).' He meant to indicate that the miracle was wrought for them because they had been properly circumcised, so that the sign of the Covenant was visibly imprinted upon them. Hence we learn that when a father performs the act of circumcision on his son, revealing the impress of the sign of the holy Covenant, the sacrificial act is, as it were, an altar of propitiation.

R. Jose said: 'How are we to understand the words, "and they saw the God of Israel" (Ex. XXIV, 10)? Who can see the Holy One? Is it not written: "No man can see Me and live"? It means that a rainbow appeared above them in radiant colours resplendent with the beauty of His grace. Therefore the saying that he who gazes at a rainbow gazes, as it were, at the Shekinah. For the same reason it is not right to look at the fingers of the priests when they spread out their hands to bless the people (the Shekinah "showing Herself through the lattice", i.e. through the priests' fingers).' R. Jose further said: 'They saw the light of the Shekinah, namely him who is called "the Youth" (Metratron-Henoch), and who ministers to the Shekinah in the heavenly Sanctuary. As for the "paved work of a sapphire brick" mentioned in the same verse, this was an impression of one of the bricks with which the Egyptians "embittered" the lives of the children of Israel (Ex. I, 14). There is a story concerning a Hebrew woman in Egypt who, when a child was born to her, being in fear of Pharaoh's decree, hid him under a brick. Then a hand was stretched out, took hold of the brick, and placed it under the "feet" of the Shekinah. There it remained until the earthly Temple was burned down. It is concerning this that it is written in the book of Lamentations (II, 1): "He remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger." Said R. Hiya: 'The radiance of the Sapphire extended towards seventy-two sides' (in accordance with the seventy-two Divine Names). [67a]

***

THE LORD WILL HAVE WAR WITH AMALEK FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. R. Judah said: 'There never was a generation of men, nor ever will be, in this world without this evil seed, and the Holy One, blessed be He, carries on His war against it. Of such it is written: "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Hallelujah!" (Ps. CIV, 35).'

_______________

Notes:

1. Cf. Midrash, Deut. Rabbah XI.

2. Of the letters of the three verses, Ex. XIV, 19-21, containing the mysterious Divine Name of seventy-two letters, and producing, when combined according to certain rules, no less than seventy-two other distinct names.

3. Each of these verses in the original contains seventy-two letters -- a fact to which the Cabbalists attached a mystic significance.

4. Binah.

5. Malkuth.

6. Aleph symbolizes the first Sephirah, and Zain the seventh (after the first three), and when the light of the Crown -- the first Sephirah -- illumines the seventh, namely Malkuth-Kingdom, the power of God is manifested.

7. T. B., Sabb. 55b, Benjamin, Amram, Jishai, and Kaleb, David's son, were sinless and died not for their own sins, but because of the "serpent's counsel", i.e. of "original sin".

8. According to the commentators, in this place Zion = Yesod.

9. Hokmah and Binah.

10. i.e. the actual circumcision and the peri'ah, or folding back of the flesh.

11. This passage, down to "ordinary field" (p. 87), is from the Ray'a Mehemna.

12. i.e. the thirty-two paths of wisdom.

13. i.e. the wheel of destiny.

14. Tifereth.

15. i.e. as to which of the multitude of nations that Amalek brought with him (vide infra) should first be put to the sword.

[admin]

Part 1 of 4

JETHRO

Ex. XVIII, 1-XX, 26

Now JETHRO, THE PRIEST OF MIDIAN, MOSES' FATHER-IN- LAW, HEARD OF ALL THAT GOD HAD DONE FOR MOSES AND FOR ISRAEL. R. Hezekiah opened here with a discourse on the verse: And Aaron lifted up his hand [1] toward the people and blessed them (Lev. IX, 22). 'The use of the word "hand" here', he said, 'in the singular indicates that he meant to lift up his right hand above his left; and this for a certain esoteric reason. We find, namely, in the book of King Solomon, that he who lifts up his hand towards heaven without any devotional intention to utter prayer or blessing will be cursed by ten celestial powers, the "ten potentates which are found in the city" (Eccl. VII, 19), namely, the ten supernal beings who are appointed over the "spreading of hands", to receive the blessings or prayers offered therewith, and to endow them with a power through which the holy name [2] is glorified and blessed from below. And when, through the "spreading of hands", the name is blessed from below, it receives blessings from above also, and is thus glorified from all sides. And these "ten potentates" will then take of the blessings above, and pour them down upon him who is below. Therefore when man lifts up his hand to heaven, he must be careful that his intention should be to pray or bless or supplicate, for if he lifts them idly, [3] those powers that brood over the "spreading of hands" will curse him with two hundred and forty-eight curses. Of such a one it is written: "As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him" (Ps. CIX, 17). Moreover, the spirit of impurity rests on such hands, for it is wont to hover over an empty spot, and blessing does not rest there. Thus the hand must be lifted up to heaven only as an expression of prayer or of blessing. Indeed, this "spreading of hands" has a profound symbolical significance. When a man spreads out his hands and lifts them up in prayer and supplication, he may be said to glorify the Holy One in various ways. He symbolically [4] unites the ten Words (Sefiroth), thereby unifying the whole and duly blessing the Holy Name. He also, as it were, unites the inner Chariots and the outer Chariots, so that the Holy Name may be blessed from all sides, and all become one, both that which is above and that which is below. The ten powers of which we spake are the lower ten Words (Sefiroth), symbolized by the inscribed letters corresponding to those above, and they have charge, in the first instance, of the raising of the [67b] fingers in prayer. And when the whole side of holiness is united above, the "other sides" are subdued, and they also confess and praise the Holy King.

'Observe this. In the mystic doctrine of the Holy Name we speak of King and Priest, both above and below. The King above is the mystic Holy of Holies, [5] and under him there is a Priest, the mystic Primeval Light, who ministers before him; he is the priest who is called "great" and is stationed at the right hand. There is a King below, in the likeness of the King above, who is king over all that is below; and under him there is a Priest who ministers to him: this is he whom we call Michael, the High Priest, who is at the right hand. All this constitutes the true object of faith, that of the side of holiness. On the "other side", the side which is not holy, there is also a king, the one who is called "an old king and a fool" (Eccl. IV, 13), and the priest, who is under him and ministers to him, is On (= aven, nothingness, idolatry); he is alluded to in the verse: "And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out power", namely, the celestial unholy power which presided over the act of idolatry committed by Jeroboam (1 Kings XII, 28), without which he would not have been able to succeed. Now, when this king and this priest of the "other side" are subdued, and their power broken, all the "other sides" follow suit, and are also subdued and broken, and acknowledge the sovereignty of the Holy One, and in this way He alone rules above and below, as it is written: "And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day" (Isa. II, 11). In just the same way God broke here on earth the power of an "old and foolish king", namely Pharaoh, who, when Moses said to him, "The God of the Hebrews hath met with us", replied, "I know not the Lord," but when the Holy One, desiring that His Name should be glorified on earth as it is in heaven, punished him and his people, he came and acknowledged the Holy One. Subsequently his priest also, namely Jethro, the priest of On, i.e. idolatry, was also humbled, so that he came and acknowledged the Holy One, saying: "Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you.... Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods ... " (Ex. XVIII, 10, 11). So when that king and that priest acknowledged the Holy One, blessed be He, and were humbled before Him, He was exalted above and below, and then, and then only, did He give forth the Torah, as undisputed sovereign over all.'

R. Eleazar meditated on the words of the Psalm: "God be merciful unto us" (Ps. LXVII). Said he: [6] 'King David rose and praised and thanked the Holy King. He was studying the Torah at the moment when the north wind rose and touched the strings of his harp, so that it made music. Now, what was the song of the harp? See now. When the Holy One moves towards the chariots and the hosts to give nourishment to all those supernal beings -- as it is written, "She (the Shekinah) riseth while it is yet night and giveth food to her household and a portion to her maidens" (Prov. XXXI, 15) -- all are filled with joy and song. They begin their hymning with the words: "God be merciful unto us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us"; and the north wind, when it awakens and breathes upon the world, sings: "That thy way may be known upon earth, thy salvation among all nations"; and the harp, when it is played upon by that wind, sings: "Let all peoples praise Thee, O God; let all the peoples praise Thee." As for David, when he was awakened and the Holy Spirit moved him, he sang: "Then shall the earth yield her increase, and God, even our God, shall bless us; God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear him." This he sang so as to draw down the goodness of the Holy One from above to the earth below. Later David arranged all these songs into one psalm. The song of the harp ("Let all peoples praise thee") signifies that when the heathen nations acknowledge the Holy One, His glory is consummated above and below. [68a] When Pharaoh acknowledged Him by saying: "The Lord is the righteous" (Ex. IX, 27), all other kings had to follow suit: "Then the dukes of Edom were terrified" (Ibid. XVI, 15); for Pharaoh was then the overlord of the whole world. Then came Jethro, that great and supreme priest of the whole pagan world, and confessed his faith in the Holy One, saying, "Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods"; then the Holy One was exalted in His glory above and below, and then it was that he gave the Torah in the completeness of his dominion.'

Said R. Simeon to R. Eleazar, his son: 'Concerning this, it is written: "Let all peoples praise thee, O Lord; let all peoples praise thee." Then R. Eleazar came and kissed his hand. But R. Abba wept and said: 'A father pitieth his children. Who will pity R. Eleazar and bring his words to completion except he have the Master's pity? How happy can we consider ourselves that we were privileged to hear these words so that we shall not be ashamed of our ignorance in the world to come!'

R. Abba continued: 'It does not say that Jethro was a priest of On, but of Midian.' R. Simeon replied: 'It is all one; at first the father-in-law of Joseph was called a "priest of On", and then "the father-in-law of Moses" was called a "priest of Midian", and both have the same symbolism, for both Moses and Joseph were in that grade symbolized by the two Vau's that are one.' Then R. Abba put his hands on his head, wept again, and said: 'The light of the Torah now reaches the highest throne in heaven. But who will light the lamp of the Torah when the Master shall have passed away? Woe to the world which will be orphaned without thee. However, the words of the Master will shine in the world until King Messiah appears, when "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Isa. XI, 9).'

***

NOW JETHRO HEARD OF ALL THAT GOD (Elohim) HAD DONE FOR MOSES AND FOR ISRAEL, HIS PEOPLE, AND THAT THE LORD (YHVH) HAD BROUGHT ISRAEL OUT OF EGYPT. Said R. Hiya: 'We note that there is a transition in this verse from the name Elohim to the name YHVH. There is an inner reason for this. The first name indicates the Shekinah who protected Israel in exile, always being present with them and with Moses; and the second name signifies the supreme emanation which brought them out from Egypt, and is symbolically known as "Jubilee". According to another interpretation, "What God had done for Moses" refers to the time when he was thrown into the Nile and when he was saved from Pharaoh's sword, and "for Israel his people" to the time when "He heard the groaning".' R. Jose here quoted the verse: "He sent redemption unto his people; he hath commanded his covenant for ever; holy and awful is his name" (Ps. CXI, 9). He pointed out that this and the following verse ("The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do his commandments; his praise endureth for ever") each consists of three parts, the first letters of which are in alphabetical order, whilst the rest of the Psalm has but two such parts in each verse. And his explanation was that the last two verses between them complete the alphabet on six sides. The first corresponds to the three redemptions of Israel, apart from the Egyptian (i.e. Babylonian, Syrian, and the future one); the second to the three divisions of Scripture: Torah, Prophets and Sacred Writings. "He sent redemption unto His people", namely, when He redeemed Israel from the Egyptian exile; "He hath commanded His covenant for ever", that is, when Jethro came and the Holy One received him into His Covenant and brought him near to Himself that he might worship Him. Since then all proselytes have been brought to rest under the wings of the Shekinah, and hereby "holy and awful is His Name", for the Holy Name is hallowed when the "other side" is subdued and broken, as in the case of Jethro.'

***

Now JETHRO ... HEARD. Was Jethro the only one who heard of all that God had done? Does it not say, "Peoples heard, they were afraid" (Ex. XV, 14)? Indeed, the whole world did hear, yet Jethro alone [68b] renounced idolatry and accepted the Holy One to worship Him.

Said R. Abba: 'We have frequently affirmed that whatever the Holy One has made, whether it be above or below, has a purpose: He is truth and His work is truth, and therefore no phenomenon in the world is to be spurned as of no account, since everything is formed according to a divine pattern, and therefore is of some necessity. Once, for example, R. Eleazar was walking along accompanied by R. Hezekiah, when they came across a snake. R. Hezekiah was about to kill it, but R. Eleazar said: 'Nay, leave it alone, do not kill it!' Said R. Hezekiah to him: 'But is it not a noxious creature which kills people?' To which R. Eleazar replied: 'It is written: "Doth the serpent bite without enchantment? (lit. whispering)" (Eccl. X, 11). The serpent does not bite unless it be whispered to from above and commanded to kill some one, so as to prevent that person from committing some evil; thus the very poison is used by the Holy One in order to perform some miracle. It is, in truth, all in His hands; it is all according to His plan, and if it had no purpose He would not have created it. And if it is wrong to despise anything in this world, how much more sinful must it be to think lightly of any word or act of the Holy One, blessed be He. It is written: "And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good" (Gen. I, 31). The "living God" (Elohim Hayyim,) purposed to give us light and to care for us in His Providence; and in His creation all are united, above and below, the "Right Side" and the "Left Side", the angel of life and the angel of death: all are part of His plan, and it is "very good"; it is all part of the same mystic doctrine, apprehended by those who contemplate the mystery of wisdom.

'It was Jethro who gave Moses sound advice concerning the administration of justice. And in this is contained an allusion to his confessing the Holy One, namely, in his awareness that "judgement is God's" (Deut. I, 17), and belongs not to the "other side", and that law and right were given to Israel and not to any of the heathen nations, as it is written: "He showeth his words unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgements unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation; and as for his judgements, they have not known them" (Ps. CXLVII, 19, 20). So one must beware of despising anyone, since the words of an ordinary person may be of great consequence, [69a] as it says of Moses that he "hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said" (Ex. XVIII, 24).'

R. Eleazar continued: 'It is written, "Therefore I shall praise thee, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises unto thy name" (Ps. XVIII, 50). David said this under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, when he saw that the glory of the Holy One is not exalted and honoured in the world as it should be, unless other nations also contribute. It is true that the Holy One is glorified for Israel's sake alone; but while Israel are the foundation of the divine light from out of which issues forth light for the whole world, yet when heathen nations come to accept the glory of the Holy One and to worship Him, then the foundation of the light is strengthened, and all its rays are unified, and then the Holy One reigns above and below. This is exactly what happened when Jethro, the high priest of paganism, was converted to the worship of the true God of Israel: the whole world, hearing of the mighty works of the Holy One, and seeing that the great sage, Jethro, had been drawn to worship the God of Israel, gave up their idols, realizing their impotence, and in this way the glory of the Holy Name of God was exalted on all sides. For this reason the narrative concerning Jethro has been preserved in the Torah, with Jethro's name at the head.

'Pharaoh had as his counsellors three sages: Jethro, Balaam, and Job. Jethro, as already set forth, was the minister of worship, and there was no celestial Chieftain or star of which he did not know the appropriate cult. Balaam was an arch-sorcerer, in word and act. Job displayed pre-eminently the sense of religious awe and fear; for in the sphere of supramundane relationships, whether in the region of holiness or of unholiness ("the other side"), man cannot draw down the spirit from above and unite himself with it without a sense of fear and awe, the concentration of heart and mind, and self-effacement. Without this fear the worshipper, even if he be an idolater, cannot properly link his will to the power above; he will only be able to attain to some small sparks of that power and even these require concentration of will and a sense of fear. Jethro's religious activity had to be continuous, and independent of the needs of the worshippers; for, in order that he might be able to use the power when he needed to do so, he had always to be connected with it. Balaam clung to his mediums of sorcery, as we have stated, and Job, because of that overpowering sense of awe which was in him, when he saw the mighty works of the God of Israel in Egypt, turned to worship Him with the same amount of fear and awe. But Jethro was not converted until later. Only when the Israelites had actually left Egypt, when he realized that all the bonds by which the Egyptian magicians had attempted to retain Israel in their power were futile, and when he saw that the Egyptians themselves had all perished in the Red Sea, only then did he turn to worship the Holy One, blessed be He. Balaam, again, was not converted at all, for the impurity of the "other side" clung to him. Yet even he saw something of the Divine and the Holy, although from a distance, through the mist of his impurity and attachment to the "other side". For in the "other side" there is an admixture or outer ring of light which surrounds the darkness, as it is written: "A whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud ... and a brightness was about it" (Ezek. I, 4). And he saw this brightness from a distance, but, as it were, through a partition; therefore, although he prophesied, he knew not what he prophesied: he looked at the light with a "closed eye" (Num. XXIV, 4), for there is no sphere of the "other side" that entirely lacks [69b] some streak of light from the side of holiness, as even in a field of straw there are some grains of wheat, save only certain minor powers of special shamelessness and uncleanness. And it is this little spot of light which Balaam saw. Blessed is Moses who moved in all the supernal holy regions, and who beheld that which it is not given to any other human being to behold. Moreover, as Balaam saw from a distance a small light from within the "other side", as it were through a partition, so Moses saw through the great light, as through a wall, a streak of darkness at its edge; but even he did not see it always, just as Balaam did not always see the streak of light. Happy was the lot of the faithful prophet Moses, for what is it that we read concerning him? "And an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush" (Ex. III, 2). The bush was indeed in that region of holiness and clave to it, for all things cleave to one another, the pure and the impure, there is no purity except through impurity; a mystery which is expressed in the words: "a clean thing out of an unclean" (Job XIV, 4). The brain is contained in a shell, a shell which will not be broken until that time when the dead shall rise again. Then will the shell be broken and the light shine out into the world from the brain, without any covering on it. Blessed are the righteous in this world and in the world to come.'

THE LANGLEY BIN LADEN FAN CLUB

The most comprehensive document of Bin Ladenolatry so far produced comes from the bowels of the CIA, the work place of Anonymous, the author of Imperial Hubris. This book can only be interpreted as a semi-official compendium of CIA doctrine on today's world. Anonymous is sure that Bin Laden will be able to strike the U.S. again, and this time most likely with a weapon of mass destruction, but he still offers the erratic millionaire praise without stint:

Viewed from any angle, Osama Bin Laden is a great man, one who smashed the expected unfolding of universal post-Cold War peace. The New York and Washington attacks, Andrew Bacevich and Sebastian Mallaby wrote in the Wilson Quarterly, "revealed that the pilgrimage to perfection was far from over," though "not for a moment did they cause American political leaders to question the project's feasibility." Post-11 September, Dr. Bruce Hoffman also offered an acute judgment of Bin Laden's impact. "Whatever else," Hoffman wrote, "Bin Laden is one of the few persons who can argue that they changed the course of history." ... All told, Bin Laden in certainly the most popular anti-American leader in the world today. His name is legend from Houston to Zanzibar to Jakarta, and his face and sayings are emblazoned on T-shirts, CDs, audio and videotapes, posters, photographs, cigarette lighters, and stationery across the earth. "Afghanistan's children," Daniel Bergener wrote in the New York Times Magazine in July 2003, "suck on Bin Laden candies, sugary balls in wrappers showing the leader's face, his pointed finger and the tip of a rocket." So too with his name: "one of the most common names for newborn males is Osama," James Kitfield reported in the National Journal in November 2002. "Even among those who publicly denounce his terrorist methods, the namings indicate the nearly mythical status the Islamic world has bestowed on Osama Bin Laden." (Anonymous 104-105)

Our anonymous CIA agent waxes positively indignant about those in Saudi Arabia and around the world who impugn Bin Laden's world-historical genius. He is especially upset about certain Saudis who have worked closely with Bin Laden in the past, and who find it impossible to believe that he is now functioning as the evil demiurge of the twenty-first century. Anonymous detects a "theme of Bin Laden's limited mental and leadership abilities" which has been spread by "a number of Saudi officials and writers. Their intent seems simple enough: to prove that Bin Laden is intellectually incapable of managing al Qaeda and designing its operations." (Anonymous 107) As an example of this line, Anonymous quotes an account given by Saudi Prince Mahmoud bin Abdel Aziz to the U.S. press. The Prince recalled

that night a decade ago when Osama Bin Laden attended an evening salon to describe his exploits fighting in Afghanistan. ...[The prince] remembers young Osama floundering when guests questioned him about the interpretation of religious texts. "Finally, I had to signal with my hands for them to stop it," said the prince. "He really is quite a simple man." (Anonymous 108)

Here we have a rich misfit and fanatic who cannot hold his own in theological debates, which should supposedly be his strongest suit. In Anonymous' view, "the most common form of the Saudis' defamation of Bin Laden is done by having his friends in the kingdom describe him as a gentle, amiable, and relatively unintelligent man." (Anonymous 108) But the yelping detractors of Bin Laden do not stop here. According to Anonymous: "A final side to the effort in the Moslem and Western worlds to denigrate Bin Laden's brains and talents lies in the studied attempt to depict Bin Laden as a simpleton who is directed by that evil terrorist genius Ayman al-Zawahiri, former chief of Egyptian Islamic Jihad and now Bin Laden's deputy in al Qaeda. 'My knowledge of Bin Laden makes me unable to conceive what is happening now,' said Dr. Abdullah al Muayyad, a former director general of the Saudi finance ministry who worked with Bin Laden during the Afghan jihad." (Anonymous 107) Like a good CIA agent, Anonymous tries to make his readers think that the Saudis are passing the buck to the nefarious Egyptians, but this is hogwash. Zawahiri, once again, was a key part of the Sadat assassination, and afterwards was protected by London. The world needs to remember Sadat's widow, Jehan Sadat, recalling in a television interview after 9/11 that Zawahiri, a murderer of her husband, had lived in London for years after that crime, while extradition to Egypt was always refused by the UK. The guess here would be that Zawahiri is a double agent working for MI-6, while Bin Laden is indeed a fanatical, deluded patsy and dupe; at any rate, if this is Bin Laden's mentality, it would make him the ideal type for the role he is presently carrying out.

Anonymous devotes a lyrically fulsome passage to evoking Bin Laden's status as a beloved figure among the Moslems; the Moslem love for Osama, he argues, is

love not so much for Osama Bin Laden the person -- although there is much of that -- but love for his defense of the faith, the life he lives, the heroic example he sets, and the similarity of that example to other heroes in the pantheon of Islamic history. (Anonymous 124)

Anonymous concludes this paean to his hero Bin Laden by favorably comparing the psychotic sheikh to Abraham Lincoln. This is all coming, we recall, from a high-level CIA officer, one of the founding members of the "Manson family," as the original CIA Bin Laden station called itself. If Arabs and Moslems can be convinced that Bin Laden is really their leader, and not a creature of the CIA, then they will never accomplish the modernizing reforms which the progressive nationalists promised. They will spend their time fighting among themselves in the name of re-creating the caliphate. They will be unable to make alliances against the Anglo-Americans with Europe, with the Orthodox, the Hindus, the Buddhists, the Confucians, the atheists, or anybody else; they will self-isolate themselves in endless backwardness. Bin Laden's mass line is, after, all, that it is the duty of every Moslem to kill infidels wherever they are found. If applied literally, this would even cut off all scientific and commercial exchanges in a kind of murderous self-embargo. All these factors will make the Moslem ummah ever so much easier to divide and defeat. No wonder the CIA is so proud of having made Bin Laden a folk hero of the Moslem world, with the help of the 9/11 attacks which the unstable dreamer could never have carried out by himself: literally billions of dollars of publicity for the Saudi misfit have paid off in one of the greatest psychological warfare operations of all time. Any cause that chooses Bin Laden or some similar figure as its leader, we may be certain, is damning itself to a lonely and ignominious defeat at the hands of the laughing CIA kuffar.

Even more notable are the support service which the CIA and it minions continue to provide Bin Laden. Here the evidence is fragmentary but persistent and finally overwhelming. According to CBS News, "the night before the September 11 terrorist attack, Osama bin Laden was in Pakistan. He was getting medical treatment with the support of the very military that days later pledged its backing for the U.S. war on terror in Afghanistan ... Bin Laden was spirited into a military hospital in Rawalpindi for kidney dialysis treatment. (Barry Peterson, "Hospital Worker: I Saw Osama," CBS News, January 29, 2002: www.cbsnews.com ) Before we criticize Pakistan, though, we should realize that the ISI in this case was probably acting on U.S. instructions, as it generally does.

-- 9/11 Synthetic Terrorism Made in USA, by Webster Griffin Tarpley

***

AND JETHRO TOOK ZIPPORAH AND HER TWO SONS. Why are they called "her two sons" and not "sons of Moses"? R. Hiya said because she had brought them up. R. Eleazar, however, explained it differently, saying that because Moses had united himself with a supernal sphere of holiness (the Shekinah), it would have been irreverent to call them "his sons", although they were in fact his sons, and later, when he had separated himself for the time being from the Shekinah, and went out to meet his father-in-law, we read: "And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons" (v. 5). Said R. Simeon: 'Eleazar, Eleazar! I see that the beginning of thy interpretation is quite right, but not the end. Certainly, because of the honour of the Shekinah, who was united with him at the time, it is written, "her sons", but when it says afterwards "his sons" it refers not to Moses but to Jethro, who begat sons after Moses had come to him, like Laban, who had no sons before Jacob came and dwelt in his house. For Moses' sake, and through his merit, did Jethro beget sons, whom he then brought with him to Moses, so that they might all enter together under the wings of the Shekinah. Therefore it says also in the following verse (6): "I, thy father-in-law, Jethro, am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her." And that Jethro did have sons is definitely stated: "And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law ... " (Judges I, 16), and he left his sons to be with Moses.'

Then R. Simeon went on to expound in connection with this theme the words of the prophet Isaiah (II, 3): "And many people shall go, and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob." 'A time will come', he said, 'when the heathen nations will wear their feet out to go and be brought under the wings of the Shekinah. "Let us go up", they will say -- since all paganism is a descent, but cleaving to the Holy One is an ascent --" to the mountain of the Lord", i.e. the God of Abraham, who said: "In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen" (Gen. XXII, 14); for as the mountain is free to all to ascend, so is this holy place open to receive all comers. The verse continues: "to the house of the God of Jacob", because Jacob called the same place "a house of God" (Ibid. XXVIII, 17). Or, rather, it is called "mount" and is also called "house", although it is the same sphere of the Divine, [70a] since it is a "mount" for the nations of the world, who have to ascend it if they desire to enter under the wings of the Shekinah, but a "house" to Israel, to whom the Shekinah stands in the relationship of a wife to a husband, united in love and joy, hovering over Israel like a mother over her children. Of Jethro we read: "And Jethro ... came with his sons ... to Moses into the desert." When it says "to Moses", why add "to the desert"? Because herein lay the whole significance of his coming; the "desert" symbolized the "mountain of the Lord", the place for the reception of proselytes; in other words, Jethro came to Moses with the intention of becoming a proselyte and entering under the wings of the Shekinah. Everyone who comes to this region called "Mountain" becomes a participant in this mystery, and is called "a proselyte of righteousness". However, although he is joined to this holy supernal sphere, yet is he called "Ger" (proselyte, lit. sojourner), a person living out of his own country, because he has left his own people and kin and taken up his abode in a new place.

***

MOREOVER, THOU SHALT LOOK ABOUT AND CHOOSE OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE, ABLE MEN. R. Isaac and R. Jose were one day studying the Torah in Tiberias. R. Simeon passed by and asked them what they were engaged upon. They answered him: 'The words which we have learned from thee, Master,' 'Which?' said he. They replied: 'It arises out of the verse: "This is the book of the generations of man; in the day when God created man, in the likeness of God made he him" (Gen. V, 1). We were taught,' they said, 'that this verse indicates that the Holy One showed to the first man all the future generations of mankind: all the leaders, all the sages of each period. We were further taught concerning the mystery contained in the words "this is the book" that there are two books, an upper and a lower book. The lower book is the "book of remembrance", and the upper one is called " this". And in order to show that the two are not separated, but form one, it is written "this is the book". There are two grades, male and female. For all the souls and spirits that enter human beings are alluded to in the words "generations of man (Adam)", for they all issue from the "Righteous One", and this is the "watering of the river that went out of Eden to water the garden" (Gen. II, 10). There is also another, a lower "Adam", alluded to in the words, "on the day that God created man (Adam)", in the same verse. [70b] In regard to the upper Adam, the union of male and female is at first only distantly alluded to in the words "this is the book", but after they produced offspring they are called openly "Adam". Then it is said that God made man in the "likeness" of God. By the word "likeness" we are to understand a kind of mirror in which images appear momentarily and then pass away. According to another explanation, the word "likeness" refers to the union of male and female organs: and so the Master affirmed. Furthermore: "This is the book of the generations of Man", viz. the book which reveals the inner meaning of the features of man, so as to teach the knowledge of human nature. The character of man is revealed in the hair, the forehead, the eyes, the lips, the features of the face, the lines of the hands, and even the ears. By these seven can the different types of men be recognized.

'The Hair. A man with coarse, upstanding, wavy hair, is of a truculent disposition. His heart is as stiff as a die. His works are not upright. Have no fellowship with him. A man with very smooth, sleek and heavy-hanging hair, is a good companion, and one benefits from association with him. When left to himself he is not quite reliable. He cannot keep secrets [71a] unless they are of great importance. His actions are sometimes good and sometimes the reverse.

'A man whose hair lies flat, yet is not sleek, is fearless and insolent. He has a strong desire to do good, for he perceives the beauty of goodness, but alas! his good intentions are never realized. In his old age he becomes God-fearing and pious. Great secrets are not to be entrusted to him, but he is safe enough with small ones. He can make much out of little and his words are listened to with respect. He is under the esoteric sign of the letter Zain, according to the scheme which our Master has taught us.

'A man whose hair is black and extremely glossy will succeed in all his doings, particularly in secular matters such as commerce, for instance. He is generous. But he prospers only as an individual; anyone associating himself with him will also have success, but not for long. He is also under the letter Zain.

'One whose hair is black but not glossy is not always successful in mundane affairs. It is good to associate oneself with him for a while in business matters. Should he be a student of the Torah he will succeed in his studies, and others who will join him will likewise succeed. He is a man who can keep a secret, but not for long. He is of a despondent nature, but will prevail against his enemies. He is under the sign of the letter Yod when it is not included in the letter Zain, but is numbered independently among the small letters.

'A man who is bald is successful in business, but is not straightforward. There is always a scarcity of food in his house. He is hypocritical; that is, when his baldness begins in youth. If he becomes bald in his old age he changes and becomes the opposite of what he was before, for good or for ill. This, however, only refers to the baldness which occurs on the forehead, at the spot where the phylactery is put on. Otherwise, it is not so. He is not [71b] deceitful, but is given to backbiting and insinuation. He is occasionally sin-fearing. He is under the sign of the letter Zain when it includes the letter Yod. So much for the mysteries revealed by the different kinds of hair, mysteries revealed and entrusted only to those well versed in holy lore, those who comprehend the ways and mysteries of the Torah, by which they may find out the hidden propensities of men.

Grand Commander — A holder of this degree of High Honor belongs to the circle of close and trusted allies of the GM. Any initiate named to this grade must have at least the 12°, an R+C grade, and at least one High Degree. Also, the initiate must have at least ten years' membership in the Brotherhood. This degree is especially reserved for state-level masters. They are appointed by the GM, with the advice of the other holders of High Honor degrees. Areas of knowledge especially cultivated in this degree are: physiognomy, graphology, and all methods of reading a person's character. Other conditions include one example of original character analysis according to some esoteric school, and two essays from areas studied in the 1°—27°.

-- Fire & Ice: The History, Structure, and Rituals of Germany's Most Influential Modern Magical Order: The Brotherhood of Saturn, by Stephen E. Flowers, Ph.D.

'The forehead. The secret of the forehead belongs under the sign of the letter Nun, which forms the completion of the letter Zain; sometimes this is included in the symbolism of Zain and sometimes it stands separately.

'A forehead which rises sharply upward from the nose, being straight and flat without any outward curve or rounding, indicates that its owner is somewhat thoughtless. Such a man will consider himself wise, though in reality he knows little. His temper will be quick, and his tongue like a serpent's. If his forehead has large uneven furrows when he speaks, but other lines on his forehead lie even, he is not a person to associate with save for a brief period. Whatever he plans or does is only for his own advantage; he cares for no one but himself. He is incapable of keeping any secret entrusted to him, and the saying, "A tale-bearer revealeth secrets" (Prov. XI, 13) is true of him; indeed, he cares not what he says. This type of person belongs to the mystery of the letter Nun when it is contained in the letter Zaino Such a one may be thought of as anything but reliable.

'A fine and rounded forehead indicates a man of great penetration, but whose judgement is sometimes clouded. He loves cheerfulness, and is kindhearted to all. He has high intellectual interests. Should he study the Torah he will become very proficient. When he speaks three large wrinkles appear on his forehead and three smaller ones above each eye. If when he is angry he weeps, he is better than he appears to be. In word and deed he is forthright and cares nothing for anyone. He will study the Torah with profit. Anyone [72a] who allies himself with him will derive benefit from the association and will profit even in secular matters. He is not consistently pious. In legal affairs he will always be unlucky, and should therefore avoid such embroilments as far as possible. This type stands in the symbolism of the letter Nun alone when it is not included in the Zain. It is for this reason that he must shun legal matters, since he does not belong to the region of justice, but to that of love and mercy.

'A person whose forehead is large and yet unrounded -- the kind of man who always bends his head, whether he stand or move -- this type can be divided into two classes, both witless. The madness of the one is evident, apparent to all; such a person is an acknowledged idiot. On his forehead are four large wrinkles, which usually appear when he speaks. Sometimes, however, the skin of his forehead is stretched and the wrinkles are not evident, but other larger ones appear close to his eyes. He laughs for no reason, and at nothing. His mouth is large and loose. Such a man is of no worth or use. The other kind of madness included in this type is less apparent, and is unnoticeable in common intercourse. Such a man may pursue study with success, even the study of the Torah, though he will not take it up for its own sake, but only to make a show. He makes a great parade of his religion, to give the impression that he is deeply pious, but in reality he has no thought of God, but only of man. The one object of all his thoughts and behaviour is to draw attention to himself. This type, with its two distinct variants, also stands under the sign of the Nun when it is contained in the Zain.

'A large rounded forehead indicates one who is open-minded and generally gifted. He can acquire any kind of knowledge, even without a teacher. His undertakings are uniformly successful, except when they are concerned with money matters, in which he sometimes comes to grief. He can infer great things from small; hence he is rightly called discerning. He is detached from the things of this world, and even when he knows that he will suffer [72b] by not considering earthly matters he pays them no heed. He is tenderhearted. His forehead is deeply furrowed by two wrinkles, set high upon his brow, one over each eye. His forehead also has three long lines, and between his eyes is the double vertical furrow which signifies deep thought. He is always concerned with realities and not with appearances, because he does not care what men say about him. He is never afraid for long. He is very conciliatory. To outsiders his acts appear sometimes childish and sometimes wise. This type also stands in the sign of the Nun when it is separated and not included in the Zain. So much for the mystery connected with the study of the forehead.

'The eyes. The eyes are connected with the symbolism of the letter Samech. There are varieties of colour and of form. In the substances which go to compose the visible discernible eye are contained four colours. There is the white of the ball, which is common to all sorts of eyes. Enclosed within this white is the darker hue of the iris -- thus white and dark are united. Included in this dark there is yet another shade, a bluish tinge; and the inmost circle of colour is black, this being the pupil.

'A man whose eyes are evenly set is straightforward and free from guile. A person with such eyes is always merry and full of jokes. He has good intentions, but seldom carries them out because of his fickleness. His mind is chiefly occupied with worldly things, but he has the capacity for spiritual matters if he should turn his thoughts towards them; therefore he should be encouraged in this direction. His eyebrows are long, slanting downward. In the midst of these several colours of the eye are sundry fine red veins, which are called the "small letters" of the eyes, because, when the colours shine, [73a] their light causes the letters to be revealed in those veins to the initiated, these veins being formed in the shape of the letter Samech when it contains the letter He.

'A man who has blue eyes set in white will be of a kindly disposition, but at the same time selfish. If the black is not noticeable in his eyes he will have strong desires, but not for evil, though he will not resist evil when it approaches. He can be trusted when he speaks of matters within his own knowledge, but not otherwise. He can keep a secret so long as it is a secret, but once it has leaked out he tells everything, since he does nothing perfectly. The colours of such an eye and the type to which its possessor conforms are contained in the mystery of the letter He when contained in the letters Zain and Samech.

'He whose eyes are of a yellowish-blue colour has madness in his veins; he therefore suffers from megalomania and is grandiloquent in his manner and speech. In discussion he is easily defeated. He is not worthy to be instructed in the mystical meanings of the Torah, as he does not accept them meekly but becomes puffed up with his knowledge. This type belongs to the mystery of the letter He, which is included in the letter Zain only, being far removed from the letter Samech on account of his conceit. When such a man speaks, many wrinkles appear on his forehead.

'One whose eyes are pale with a certain admixture of a greenish hue is of an irascible disposition, but is also often kind-hearted enough. When angered, however, he becomes cruel. He cannot be entrusted with a secret. He belongs to the sign of the letter He when it is included in the letter Samech.

'The man whose eyes are white and blue, with only a spot of black in them, can be trusted with secrets and makes good use of them. If he makes a good beginning in anything [73b] he goes on prospering. His enemies cannot prevail against him, they can do him no evil, and eventually they are entirely subdued by him. He is under the sign of the letter Kaph when it is included in the letter Samech.

'So much for the mysteries concerning the eyes, which are revealed unto the wise.

For the research of the races of mankind according to their physical appearance, for the identification of different human races in a certain geographical area where various race mixtures are found (tribes, nations, national groups), anthropology avails itself of specific procedures of the measurement and description of physical features which cannot be indicated here in detail....

The Nordic race is tall, long-legged, slim, with an average height, among males, of above 1.74 meters. The limbs, the neck, the shape of the hands and feet are vigorous and slender in appearance. The Nordic race is long-legged and narrow-faced, with a cephalic index of around 75 and a facial index above 90. As in all races, at least in the medium- and long-headed ones, the female head, in comparison with that of the male, appears to have a higher cephalic index and a lower facial index. The back of the Nordic head characteristically projects far beyond the nape of the neck. The projecting part of the back of the head, however, is comparatively low, so that in Nordic people the head springs backward, as it were, over the part of the neck visible above the collar. The face is narrow, with a rather narrow forehead, a narrow, high-built nose, and a narrow lower jaw and prominent chin.

The cut of the face of the Nordic race -- at least in the male -- creates the effect of a unique boldness through three striking traits in the lines of the profile: first in the flat, backward-tilting forehead, then in the straight or outwardly curved nose springing from high nasal roots, finally in the prominent chin. The smooth parts of the face support the expression of clean-cut physiognomy. In the female the chin is mostly arched rather than tilted backward; the nose is less sharply delineated, and the chin less prominent.

The skin of the Nordic race is roseate-bright and the blood shines through, so that it looks especially enlivened, and at the same time mostly somewhat cool or fresh. The facial complexion, at least among the youth and among the females, often looks like "milk and blood" even in middle age. The hair is smooth-straight or wavy; in childhood also curly. The individual hairs are soft and thin. The hair color is blond; among most of the existing types it can extend from a pink undertone of light blond to golden blond up to dark blond. Nordic children are often white-blond. People who were light blond during their youth will later become dark blond, dark-haired, a phenomenon which is called "darkening" and which is viewed as a sign of Nordic (or also Phalian or East Baltic) strain also among non-Nordic peoples....

If an illustrator, painter, or sculptor wants to represent the image of a bold, goal-determined, resolute person, or of a noble, superior, and heroic human being, man or woman, he will in most cases create an image which more or less approximates the image of the Nordic race. He will also create a man who will be regarded as a typical representative of the upper social strata. For example, the artists for the humorous journals will endow their creations with the features of the Nordic race rather than the features of the non-Nordic races of Europe.

Actually, one could conceivably designate will power, a definite faculty of judgment rooted in a coolly deliberating sense of reality, the impulse to truthfulness, an inclination to knightly justice, as the repeatedly striking psychical features of Nordic men. Such features can be intensified in individuals within the Nordic race to a pronouncedly heroic disposition, to a transcendent leadership in statesmanship or creativity in technology, science, and art. The relatively great number of Nordic people among the famous and outstanding men and women of all Western countries is striking, as also is the relatively low number of famous men and women without noticeable Nordic strain.

-- Nazi Culture: Intellectual, Cultural and Social Life in the Third Reich, by George L. Mosse

'The lineaments of the countenance. For the masters of the inner wisdom the features of the face are not those which appear outwardly, but those within formed by internal forces; for the features of the face are moulded by the impress of the inner face which is concealed in the spirit residing within. This spirit produces outward traits which are recognizable to the wise, the true features being discernible from the spirit. Man has a spirit on which the letters of the alphabet are in a way designed. All these letters are enclosed in that spirit, and for a time the designs of those letters enter into the face; and as they enter, the face appears with the design of these letters upon it. But this semblance lasts for a short time only, save upon the faces of adepts in wisdom, on whom it is always visible.

[admin]

Part 2 of 4

'There is a place which is called "the world to come", from whence issues the mystery of the Torah with its alphabet of twenty-two letters, which is the essence of all things. Now that "river which goes out of Eden" carries all this along with it, so that when the spirits and the souls emerge therefrom they are all stamped with the imprint of those letters; the which, when the spirit of a man be thus stamped by it, makes also a certain impression on the face.' Said R. Simeon to them: 'If so, the likeness of the Mother is not impressed upon the form of that spirit.'

They replied: 'This, Master, is the teaching which we have heard from thine own lips: The design of the letters proceeds from the side which is above, and the image of the Mother is impressed upon the spirit, while below the form of the letter is hidden in the spirit. The design of the Mother which is outwardly discernible follows the four prototypes -- Man, Lion, Bull, and Eagle, in the Supernal Chariot, and the spirit projects the image of them all for a time, because whatsoever belongs to the domain of [74a] the spirit thrusts itself forward and is both visible and invisible. All these forms are designed in the shape of the letters, and although they are hidden they are discerned for a short space by those who have eyes to see, by the wise who can comprehend the mystery of wisdom, to contemplate therein. Now, these are the four designs, their manifestations and significance:

'1. When a man walks in the way of truth, those who know the mysteries of the inner wisdom can recognize him, because the inner spirit is duly prepared in him, and projects the full design of itself from within to without, from invisible to visible. And that design it is which becomes the outer form of a man. That is the design which is more perfect than any other. This design is the one which is made visible for a little unto the eyes of Wisdom and the children thereof. When one looks on the face of such a man one is moved to love him. On it is traced the design of four letters by means of a fine vein which is projected from the right side, and another vein, itself containing two more, which is projected from the left. These four signs severally form the four letters which make up the word edut (testimony). The sign of the first letter is represented by the vein which is on the right side, and each of the other three letters by one of the other three veins. This we find expressed in the words: "A testimony (edut) in Joseph" (Ps. LXXXI, 6), for everyone who looked upon him loved him, and he was perfected in love. In the seed of David the colours are reversed, and this it was that misled Samuel (I Sam. XVI, 7). Such a face contains all forms. Such a man is even-tempered, self-controlled, even when he is angered, and quickly appeased. [74b]

'2. When a man, not entirely bad, changes his ways and turns to the Lord, a good spirit begins to rest upon him, so that he is enabled to prevail against the evil that was in him, and for a time this new spirit thrusts itself forward into the expression of his face in the form of a lion. At a first casual examination his face would not inspire love, but gradually it becomes better comprehended and so better loved. When people look at him a sense of shame for his past misdeeds comes over him, for he feels that everyone knows his former evil ways, and the blood rushes to his face, and then again he turns pale. On his face are three veins, one on the right, one going up to the bridge of the nose, and a third which is joined thereto and branches downward from them. These veins form the shapes of the letters which are traced upon his face. They usually stand out prominently and quiver, but when he is penitent and gradually becomes accustomed to walking in the way of truth they subside. The mystery of these letters is contained in the word Karib (Koph, Resh, Yod, Beth, "near"), signifying that he had been far from holiness. [75a] Although there are also other veins in his face, these do not protrude, except when he treads the paths of crookedness and iniquity. Here again the seed of David are the reverse of other men, first appearing in the form of Man and then in that of Lion, finally separating and taking the form of the "other side".

'3. When a man deserts the ways of the Torah and follows ways of iniquity, the holy spirit, which formerly dwelt in his inner self, removes its influence from him and another spirit takes up its abode there, with another form which impresses itself on the outer lineaments and is there manifested to the vision of the wise in the form of an Ox. When they gaze at the person thus possessed, they mentally behold this form, and they observe in him two red, berry-like veins on the right side of the face, and three on the left. These are the symbolic letters of his type which shape themselves thus visibly in his face: one spherical and thin, the two others, also round, above it. The eyes of such a man are sunk deep in his head. The symbolic expression of these letters is as follows: The first vein is in the form of the letter Kaph, and the other two severally in that of Resh and Tau (Karet = to be cut off). The same letters are denoted by the veins on the left side of the face. Their significance is indicated by the words: "The shew (ha-Karath) of their countenance doth witness against them" (Isa. III, 9). These veins swell in the face more than all the others; but when the sinner repents and turns from the way of the left side back to the right hand of mercy and righteousness, that spirit whose form is the ox is subdued, and the spirit of holiness prevails; these thin veins then protrude no more, but recede into the inner reaches of the flesh and are lost sight of, and those which are the symbol of the good spirit become evident in their stead. With the seed of David the reverse was the case: first the lion held sway, and afterwards the ox. Two dark veins were made visible in his face, one on the right side of it and one on the left, which formed the two letters, Daleth and Ain; this being quite the reverse of other men.

'4. This is the sign of a man who is perpetually in the state of making reparation for past misdeeds, making good the defects of his former life on earth. He is symbolized by the form of an eagle. His spirit is weak. No protuberant veins with a symbolic significance can be discerned in the lineaments of his countenance, since these were lost during the period of his former life. But this is the sign by which he can be recognized. His eyes do not sparkle even when he is joyful, because his spirit does not shine in the letters, and the spark of light which was in him in his former state has been extinguished. He does not belong to the grade of those whose character can be read in their faces. To him can be applied the words: "Wherefore I praise the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive" (Eccl. IV, 2). The seed of David, however, is indicated in the words: "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, to show them His covenant."

'Thus in the spirit of man, as we have shown, are inscribed letters which press through into visibility. To penetrate through these reflections to the inner symbols and to decipher those symbols aright is the privilege of the wise alone, that they may finally attain to knowledge of the spirit of which the symbols are the manifestation, through the esoteric significance of the words "This is the book" (Gen. V, 1). Through this all is revealed to them save that countenance which is to be judged by a different rule, according to the domination [75b] of the spirit or the Lord of the spirit. Happy and blessed indeed are they to whom is entrusted knowledge of all these things! So much for the mystery of the countenance.

'The lips. The mystery of the lips belongs to the letter Pe when it is included in the letter Samech. A man whose lips are big and thick is a tale-bearer, without shame or fear, a man of strife and mischief. He cannot keep a secret, but when he happens to be a student of the Torah he can for a time cover and keep hidden secret matters. His sign is the letter Pe when it is included in the letter Resh, but not in Samech. He makes a show of being pious, but is not; one should not have any dealings with him, because all his words proceed out of his mouth alone, but not from his heart.

'Thick dry lips indicate a man of quick temper and insolence, intolerant, speaking evil of his fellows, without any sense of shame. He likes to mock and jeer at others. One should avoid a man of this kind. And when his whole face becomes hairy his evil tongue witnesses clearly against him. He is totally shameless, loving strife. In worldly matters he is apt to be successful. He is of a vengeful spirit, and relentless towards his enemies. Concerning him it is said: "A wicked man hardeneth his face" (Prov. XXI, 29). He stands under the sign of the letter Pe alone when it is not included in the Samech, though it may sometimes be included in the letter Resh.

'The ears. Excessively large ears are a sign of stupidity in the heart and madness in the mind. Small shapely ears denote wisdom and sensibility, and their owner likes to try everything. His type is under the sign of the letter Yod when it is included in all the other letters.

'So much for the mysteries of the human physiognomy. Now we turn to other mysteries contained in the letters, but not set forth upon the countenance, being concerned with the apprehension of times and seasons: mysteries of which we are unworthy.'

R. Simeon said: 'Ye are worthy in this world and ye are worthy in the world to come. Blessed are my eyes that will be worthy to see it all when I enter the world to come. For my soul calls to the Ancient of Days: "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over" (Ps. XXIII, 5). And the Holy One, blessed be He, calls concerning us: "Open ye the gates, that the righteous people which keepeth truth may enter in" (Isa. XXVI, 2).'

Then they began to discourse on the verse: "And they (the Hayoth) had the hands of a man, under their wings, on their four sides" (Ezek. I, 8). 'This', said they, 'has been explained by the Fellowship as referring to the hands stretched out to receive penitents who return to God. But the expression "the hands of a man" also signifies all those forms and supernal mysteries which the Holy One has stamped upon man and ordered in his fingers outwardly and inwardly and in the "palm" (Kaph). When the Holy One created man He set in him all the images of the supernal mysteries of the world above, and all the images of the lower mysteries of the world below, and all are designed in man, who stands in the image of God, because he is called "the creation of the palm", and this is the mystery of the letter Kaph. Supernal mysteries and symbols are contained in this; the Ten Words, five belonging to the right side and five to the left, are all united in it as one mystery. Therefore it says: "I will also smite my one palm (kaph) upon the other" (Ezek. XXI, 17), meaning that the Lord will cause the two hands to be divided, so that blessing will depart from the world and the glory of Israel shall be given over to the nations. But when they are united as one, it is as it says: "One vessel (kaph, lit. palm) of ten shekels of gold" (Num. VII, 14). When they were united "God created Man in His own image." Man was in the Divine mind, in the inner mystery. God created him, male and female in one, "in the image of God", symbolized by the palm. For when man was created, what is it that is written concerning him? "Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews" (Job X, 11). [76a]

'What, then, is man? Does he consist solely of skin, flesh, bones and sinews? Nay, the essence of man is his soul; the skin, flesh, bones and sinews are but an outward covering, the mere garments, but they are not the man. When man departs (from this world) he divests himself of all these garments. The skin with which he covers himself, and all these bones and sinews, all have a symbolism in the mystery of the Supernal Wisdom, corresponding to that which is above. The symbolism of the skin is as the Master has taught us in connection with the words: "Who stretchest out the heaven like a curtain" (Ps. CIV, 2); and again: "Rams' skins, dyed red, and badgers' skins" (Ex. XXV, 5, in connection with the tabernacle). These skins are a garment which protects a garment, viz. the extension of the heavens, which is the outer garment (of the Divine). The curtains (of the Tabernacle) are the inner garments; corresponding to the skin upon the flesh. The bones and the sinews symbolize the Chariots and the celestial Hosts, which are inward. All these are garments upon that which is inward; which also is the mystery of the Supernal Man, who is the innermost. The same is found here below. Man is something inward, and his garments correspond to that which is above. The bones and sinews, as we have said, correspond to the Chariots and Hosts. The flesh is a covering to those hosts and chariots, and manifests itself outwardly, and is symbolically connected with the "other side" (the purely sensuous element). The skin, covering all, corresponds to the firmaments which cover all things. And all these are merely garments to clothe himself withal, for within is the essential man. Everything below corresponds to that which is above. This is the significance of the words: "And God created man in His own image; in the image of God created He him." Esoterically, the man below corresponds entirely to the Man above. Just as in the firmament, which covers the whole universe, we behold different shapes formed by the conjunction of stars and planets to make us aware of hidden things and deep mysteries; so upon the skin which covers our body and which is, as it were, the body's firmament, covering all, there are shapes and designs -- the stars and planets of the body's firmament, the skin through which the wise of heart may behold the hidden things and the deep mysteries indicated by these shapes and expressed in the human form. Concerning this it is written: "The viewers of the heavens, the stargazers" (Is. XLVII, 13). But all this can only be discerned, in the case of the stars, in a clear sky, and, in man, when the face shines and is not clouded with anger, for then another rule applies. But when the faces of men are serene, and they are in their normal state, their shapes and lineaments reveal to the wise the inner thoughts and propensities of the mind. So by the lines of the hands and of the fingers it is possible to discern hidden facts of a man's personality. They are the shining stars which reveal the varieties of human types and their relationships to the upper treasures.' [7] [78a]

More striking and more decisive for my theory is the relationship of Celt and Teuton in the deeper mental qualities. History gives us ample proof of this, of the relationship of those finer features that make up individuality. Are we to believe -- to dive deeply into the subject -- that it is an accident that St. Paul's epistle on redemption by faith, on the gospel of freedom (in contrast to the "slavish yoke" of the Church law), on the importance of religion as not consisting in works but in regeneration "to a new creature" -- was addressed to the Galatians, those "Gallic Greeks" of Asia Minor who had remained almost pure Celts -- an epistle in which we seem to hear a Martin Luther speaking to Germans credulous indeed but yet incomparably gifted for understanding the deepest mysteries? I for my part do not believe that there is any room for chance in such matters; I believe it all the less in this case, because I notice in what a different way the same man speaks, what endless roundabout paths he chooses when teaching the same truths to a community of Jews and the children of the chaos of peoples, as in the Epistle to the Romans. But our judgment does not rest merely on such a hypothetical basis, nor does it rest solely upon the relationship between old Celtic and old Germanic mythical religion, but upon observation of the relationship between the mental qualities generally, to which the whole cultured history of Europe up to the present day testifies -- wherever the Celt has kept his blood pure. Thus, for example, we find in the genuinely Celtic parts of Ireland in former times -- taking the five hundred years from the Celt Scotus Erigena to the Celt Duns Scotus -- splendid theologians with high philosophical gifts, whose independence of thought and keen desire to investigate brought upon them the persecution of the Roman Church; in the heart of Bretagne was born that intellectual pioneer Peter Abelard, and let it be carefully noted that what distinguishes him, like those others, is not merely independent thought and striving after freedom, but above all the holy earnestness of his life, a thoroughly "Germanic quality." These Celtic minds of former centuries, teeming with strength, are not merely free, and not merely pious, any more than the Breton seaman of to-day, but they are both free and pious, and it is this very combination that expresses what is specifically "Germanic," as we observe it from Charlemagne and King Alfred to Cromwell and Queen Louise, from the daring anti-Roman troubadours and the Minnesingers so politically independent, to Schiller and Richard Wagner. And when we see, for example, Abelard contending from profound religious conviction against the sale of indulgences (Theologia Christiana), and at the same time putting the Hellenes in every respect far above the Jews, declaring the morals of their philosophers to be superior to the Jewish sanctity of law, Plato's view of life more sublime than that of Moses -- yes, when we actually find him in his Dialogus inter philosophum, Judceum et Christianum, making the recognition of the transcendental ideality of the conception of space the basis of religious thought, so that man stands directly before God's countenance not by entering into an empirical heaven but solely by an inner conversion of mind: are we not forced to recognise that this mind is characteristically Indo-European in contrast to the Semitic and the late Roman, and that, moreover, an individuality here reveals itself, which in every single one of those plis de la pensee (of which I spoke in the previous chapter) betrays the specifically Germanic character?....

But here again our best help will lie in searching the depths of the soul....The heroic cycle which celebrates the great battle of Kossovopolje (1383), but which beyond doubt goes further back in its poetical motives, reminds one of Celtic and Germanic lyric and epic poetry by the sentiments to which it gives utterance -- loyalty unto death, heroic courage, heroic women, as well as the high respect which these enjoy, the contempt for all possessions in comparison with personal honour. I read in histories of literature that such poems, and heroic figures like Marco Kraljevich are common to all popular poetry; but this is not true, and can only appear so to one whose excess of learning has blinded him to the fine features of individuality. Rama is an essentially different hero from Achilles, and he, again, quite different from Siegfried; while on the other hand the Celtic Tristan betrays in many features direct relationship to the German Siegfried, and that not merely in the external ornaments of the knightly romance (fights with dragons, &c.), which may to some extent be a later addition, but rather in those old, popular creations where Tristan is still a shepherd and Siegfried not yet a hero at the Burgundian Court. It is here that we see clearly that, apart from extraordinary strength and the magic charm of invincibility and more such general attributes of heroes, definite ideals form the basis of the poems; and it is in these, not in the former, that the character of a people is reflected. So it is in the case of Tristan and Siegfried: loyalty as the basis of the idea of honour, the significance of maidenhood, victory in downfall (in other words, the true heroism centred in the inner motive, not in the outward success). Such features distinguish a Siegfried, a Tristan, a Parzival not only from a Semitic Samson whose heroism lies in his hair, but equally from the more closely related Achilles.....

I must, however, mention the second manifestation of the soul-life by which the Germanic element in the Slav clearly reveals itself -- Religion. In whatever direction we glance, we behold the Slav, especially in early times, distinguished by earnestness and independence in religious matters. And one of the principal features of this religiosity is the fact that it is saturated with patriotic feelings....With Michael of Bulgaria it was no question of divergences of faith; he was a Christian, and ready to believe everything that the priests proclaimed as Christian truth. In his case it was solely a question of constitution; he wanted to see his Bulgarian Church managed by a Bulgarian Patriarch with complete independence; no Prince of the Church in Rome or Byzantium should interfere. This may seem to many to be merely an administrative question, but in reality it is the rising of the Germanic spirit of free individuality against the last incorporation of the imperium which was born of the chaos, and represented the anti-national, anti-individual and levelling principle....Very characteristic is the attitude here also of those genuine, still almost pure Slavs in Bosnia and Herzogovina. At an earlier period the influential part of the nation adopted the doctrines of Bogumil (allied to those of the Catharists or Patarenes); that is, they rejected everything Jewish in Christianity and retained besides the New Testament only the Prophets and the Psalms, they recognised no sacraments and above all no priesthood....

LIMITATIONS OF THE NOTION

I think I have now shown what is to be understood by the necessary extension of the idea; but in what does the limitation which I described as equally necessary consist? Here, too, the answer will be twofold, referring to physical qualities on the one hand, to intellectual on the other; but fundamentally these two things are really manifestations of the same thing.

The physical consideration must not be undervalued; indeed it would perhaps be difficult to over-estimate it. I have tried to show the reason, in the discussion of the race question in the previous chapter but one; besides this fact is one of those which mere instinct -- that thin silken thread of connection with the tissue of nature -- lets us directly feel, without learned proof. For just as the dissimilarity of human individuals can be read in their physiognomy, so the dissimilarity of human races can be read in the structure of their bones, the colour of their skin, their muscular system and the formation of their skull; there is perhaps not a single anatomical fact upon which race has not impressed its special distinguishing stamp. As is well known, even our nose, this organ of ours which has grown rigid and frostily motionless and which, according to certain followers of Darwin, is on the way to even greater monumentalisation by complete ossification -- even our nose, which in city life to-day is a dispenser of discomforts rather than of joys, a mere burdensome appendage, stands from the cradle to the grave in the centre of our countenance as a witness to our race! We must therefore, in the first place, strongly emphasise the fact that these North Europeans -- the Celts, Teutons and Slavs -- were physically different from the other Indo-Europeans, distinguished from the Southern Europeans in stature, "and like to themselves only," but we must at once make the first limitation here, namely, that whoever does not possess these physical characteristics, no matter though he were born in the very heart of Germania speaking a Germanic tongue from childhood, cannot be regarded as genuinely Germanic. The importance of this physical motive power is easier to prove in the case of great national phenomena than in individuals, for it may happen that an especially gifted individual assimilates an alien culture and then, just because of his different nature, achieves something new and profitable; on the other hand, the particular value of race becomes clear as soon as it is a question of collective achievements, as I can impress at once upon the German reader when I tell him in the words of a recognised authority that "the privileged great statesmen and military leaders of the time of the founding of the new empire are mostly of the purest Germanic descent," like the "storm-tried seamen of the North Sea coast and the keen chamois-hunters of the Alps." These are facts which should be pondered long and carefully. In their presence the senselessness of the well-known phrases of natural scientists, Parliamentarians, &c., concerning the equality of the human races becomes so plain that one is almost ashamed of having listened to them even with one ear. They let us also see in what definitely conditional sense the well-known remark of that thorough Teuton, Paul de Lagarde, may claim validity, namely, that "Germanism does not lie in the blood, but in the mind." In the case of the individual, the mind may indeed rule the blood, and the idea conquer, but it is not so with the great mass. And in order to measure the importance of the physical element, as well as its limitation, one should remember further that that which may be called the Germanic idea is a very delicately constructed, many-jointed organism. One requires only to look at the Jewish idea by way of comparison, this infancy of art, the whole cunning of which lies in binding the human soul as tightly as Chinese ladies do their feet, the only difference being that these ladies can no longer move about, whereas a half-throttled soul is easier to carry and causes the busied body less trouble than a fully developed one, laden with its dreams. In consequence of this it is comparatively easy "to become a Jew," difficult, on the contrary, almost to the verge of impossibility "to become Germanic"; here as everywhere the power of the idea is supreme; but one should guard against following a true principle so far as to overlook the connection of natural phenomena. The richer the mind, the more closely and manifoldly is it connected with the substructure of a definitely formed blood. It is self-evident that in the unfolding of human qualities, the further their development has advanced, the higher must the differentiation in the physical substratum of our mental life have become, and the more and more delicate its tissues. Thus we saw in the former chapter how the noble Amorite disappeared from the world: by fusion with unrelated races his physiognomy was, as it were, wiped away, his gigantic form shrunk together, his spirit fled: the simple homo syriacus is, on the other hand, the same to-day as he was a thousand years ago and the mongrel Semite has to his perpetual contentment come out of the mixture in the crystallised form of the "Jew." The same has happened everywhere. What a magnificent people the Spaniards were! For centuries the West Goths were strictly forbidden to marry "Romans" (as the rest of the inhabitants were called), whereby a feeling of race nobility was developed, which long prevented mixing even at a time when such a fusion of the population was desired and enforced by the authorities; but gradually ever deeper and deeper breaches were made in the dam, and after mingling with Iberians, with the numerous remnants of the Roman chaos of peoples, with Africans of the most various origin, with Arabs and Jews, they lost all that the Germanic people had brought with them: their military superiority, their unconditional loyalty (see Calderon!), their high religious ideal, their capacity for organising, their rich artistic creative power; we see to-day what remained over, when the Germanic "blood," as the physical substratum, was destroyed. Let us therefore not be in too great a hurry to assert that Germanicism does not lie in blood; it does lie in it; not in the sense that this blood guarantees Germanic sentiment and capacity, but that it makes these possible.....

FREEDOM AND LOYALTY

Let us attempt a glance into the depths of the soul. What are the specific intellectual and moral characteristics of this Germanic race? Certain anthropologists would fain teach us that all races are equally gifted; we point to history and answer: that is a lie! The races of mankind are markedly different in the nature and also in the extent of their gifts, and the Germanic races belong to the most highly gifted group, the group usually termed Aryan. Is this human family united and uniform by bonds of blood? Do these stems really all spring from the same root? I do not know and I do not much care; no affinity binds more closely than elective affinity, and in this sense the Indo-European Aryans certainly form a family. In his Politics Aristotle writes (i. 5): "If there were men who in physical stature alone were so pre-eminent as the representatives of the Gods, then everyone would admit that other men by right must be subject unto them. If this, however, is true in reference to the body, then there is still greater justification for distinguishing between pre-eminent and commonplace souls." Physically and mentally the Aryans are pre-eminent among all peoples; for that reason they are by right, as the Stagirite expresses it, the lords of the world. Aristotle puts the matter still more concisely when he says, "Some men are by nature free, others slaves"; this perfectly expresses the moral aspect. For freedom is by no means an abstract thing, to which every human being has fundamentally a claim; a right to freedom must evidently depend upon capacity for it, and this again presupposes physical and intellectual power. One may make the assertion, that even the mere conception of freedom is quite unknown to most men. Do we not see the homo syriacus develop just as well and as happily in the position of slave as of master? Do the Chinese not show us another example of the same nature? Do not all historians tell us that the Semites and half-semites, in spite of their great intelligence, never succeeded in founding a State that lasted, and that because everyone always endeavoured to grasp all power for himself, thus showing that their capabilities were limited to despotism and anarchy, the two opposites of freedom? And here we see at once what great gifts a man must have in order that one may say of him, he is "by nature free," for the first condition of this is the power of creating. Only a State-building race can be free; the gifts which make the individual an artist and philosopher are essentially the same as those which, spread through the whole mass as instinct, found States and give to the individual that which hitherto had remained unknown to all nature: the idea of freedom. As soon as we understand this, the near affinity of the Germanic peoples to the Greeks and Romans strikes us, and at the same time we recognise what separates them. In the case of the Greeks the individualistic creative character predominates, even in the forming of constitutions; in the case of the Romans it is communistic legislation and military authority that predominate; the Germanic races, on the other hand, have individually and collectively perhaps less creative power, but they possess a harmony of qualities, maintaining the balance between the instinct of individual freedom, which finds its highest expression in creative art, and the instinct of public freedom which creates the State; and in this way they prove themselves to be the equals of their great predecessors. Art more perfect in its creations, so far as form is concerned, there may have been, but no art has ever been more powerful in its creations than that which includes the whole range of things human between the winged pen of Shakespeare and the etching-tool of Albrecht Durer, and which in its own special language -- music -- penetrates deeper into the heart than any previous attempt to create immortality out of that which is mortal -- to transform matter into spirit. And in the meantime the European States, founded by Germanic peoples, in spite of their, so to speak, improvised, always provisional and changeable character -- or rather perhaps thanks to this character -- proved themselves to be the most enduring as well as the most powerful in the world. In spite of all storms of war, in spite of the deceptions of that ancestral enemy, the chaos of peoples, which carried its poison into the very heart of our nation, Freedom and its correlative, the State, remained, through all the ages the creating and saving ideal, even though the balance between the two often seemed to be upset: we recognise that more clearly to-day than ever.

In order that this might be so, that fundamental and common" Aryan" capacity of free creative power had to be supplemented by another quality, the incomparable and altogether peculiar Germanic loyalty (Treue). If that intellectual and physical development which leads to the idea of freedom and which produces on the one hand art, philosophy, science, on the other constitutions (as well as all the phenomena of culture which this word implies), is common to the Hellenes and Romans as well as to the Germanic peoples, so also is the extravagant conception of loyalty a specific characteristic of the Teuton. As the venerable Johann Fischart sings:

Standhaft und treu, und treu und standhaft.
Die machen ein recht teutsch Verwandtschaft!
[Google translate: Steadfast and loyal, and true and faithful.
They make a pretty teutsch relationship!]

Julius Caesar at once recognised not only the military prowess but also the unexampled loyalty of the Teutons and hired from among them as many cavalrymen as he could possibly get. In the battle of Pharsalus, which was so decisive for the history of the world, they fought for him; the Romanised Gauls had abandoned their commander in the hour of need, the Germanic troops proved themselves as faithful as they were brave. This loyalty to a master chosen of their own free will is the most prominent feature in the Germanic character; from it we can tell whether pure Germanic blood flows in the veins or not. The German mercenary troops have often been made the object of ridicule, but it is in them that the genuine costly metal of this race reveals itself. The very first autocratic Emperor, Augustus, formed his personal bodyguard of Teutons; where else could he have found unconditional loyalty? During the whole time that the Roman Empire in the east and the west lasted, this same post of honour was filled by the same people, but they were always brought from farther and farther north, because with the so-called" Latin culture .. the plague of disloyalty had crept more deeply into the country; finally, a thousand years after Augustus, we find Anglo-Saxons and Normans in this post, standing on guard around the throne of Byzantium. Hapless Germanic Lifeguardsman! Of the political principles, which forcibly held together the chaotic world in a semblance of order, he understood just as little as he did of the quarrels concerning the nature of the Trinity, which cost him many a drop of blood: but one thing he understood: to be loyal to the master he had himself chosen. When in the time of Nero the Frisian delegates left the back seats which had been assigned to them in the Circus and proudly sat down on the front benches of the senators among the richly adorned foreign delegates, what was it that gave these poor men, who came to Rome to beg for land to cultivate, such a bold spirit of independence? Of what alone could they boast? "That no one in the world surpassed the Teuton in loyalty." Karl Lamprecht has written so beautifully about this great fundamental characteristic of loyalty in its historical significance that I should reproach myself if I did not quote him here. He has just spoken of the "retainers" who in the old German State pledge themselves to their chief to be true unto death and prove so, and then he adds: "In the formation of this body of retainers we see one of the most magnificent features of the specifically Germanic view of life, the feature of loyalty. Not understood by the Roman but indispensable to the Teuton, the need of loyalty existed even at that time, that ever-recurring German need of closest personal attachment, of complete devotion to each other, perfect community of hopes, efforts and destinies. Loyalty never was to our ancestors a special virtue, it was the breath of life of everything good and great; upon it rested the feudal State of the Early and the co- operative system of the Later Middle Ages, and who could conceive the military monarchy of the present day without loyalty? ... Not only were songs sung about loyalty, men lived in it. The retinue of the King of the Franks, the courtiers of the great Karolingians, the civil and military ministers of our mediaeval Emperors, the officials of the centres of administration under our Princes since the fourteenth and the fifteenth centuries are merely new forms of the old Germanic conception. For the wonderful vitality of such institutions consisted in this, that they were not rooted in changing political or even moral conditions, but in the primary source of Germanicism itself, the need of loyalty."

However true and beautiful every word that Lamprecht has here written, I do not think that he has made quite clear the "primary source." Loyalty, though distinguishing the Teutons from mongrel races, is not altogether a specific Germanic trait. One finds it in almost all purely bred. races, nowhere more than among the negroes, for example, and -- I would ask -- what man could be more faithful than the noble dog? No, in order to reveal that "primary source of Germanicism," we must show what is the nature of this Germanic loyalty, and we can only succeed in doing so if we have grasped the fact that freedom is the intellectual basis of the whole Germanic nature. For the characteristic feature of this loyalty is its free self-determination. The human character resembles the nature of God as the theologians represent it: complex and yet indiscernible, an inseparable unity. This loyalty and this freedom do not grow the one out of the other, they are two manifestations of the same character which reveals itself to us on one occasion more from the intellectual on another more from the moral side. The negro and the dog serve their masters, whoever they may be: that is the morality of the weak, or, as Aristotle says, of the man who is born to be a slave; the Teuton chooses his master, and his loyalty is therefore loyalty to himself: that is the morality of the man who is born free. But loyalty as displayed by the Teuton was unexampled. The disloyalty of the extravagantly gifted proclaimer of poetical and political freedom, i.e., of the Hellene, was proverbial from time immemorial; the Roman was loyal only in the defence of his own, German loyalty remained, Lamprecht says, "incomprehensible to him"; here, as everywhere in the sphere of morals, we see an affinity with the Indo-Aryans; but these latter people so markedly lacked the artistic sense which urges men on to adventure and to the establishment of a free life, that their loyalty never reached that creative importance in the world's history which the same quality attained under the influence of the Germanic races. Here again, as before, in the consideration of the feeling of freedom, we find a higher harmony of character in the Teuton; hence we may say that no one in the world, not even the greatest, has surpassed him. One thing is certain: if we wish to sum up in a single word the historic greatness of the Teuton -- always a perilous undertaking, since everything living is of Protean nature -- we must name his loyalty. That is the central point from which we can survey his whole character, or better, his personality. But we must remember that this loyalty is not the primary source, as Lamprecht thinks, not the root but the blossom -- the fruit by which we recognise the tree. Hence it is that this loyalty is the finest touchstone for distinguishing between genuine and false Germanicism; for it is not by the roots but by the fruit that we distinguish the species; we should not forget that with unfavourable weather many a tree has no blossoms or only poor ones, and this often happens in the case of hard-pressed Teutons. The root of their particular character is beyond all doubt that power of imagination which is common to all Aryans and peculiar to them alone and which appeared in greatest luxuriance among the Hellenes. I spoke of this in the beginning of the chapter on Hellenic art and philosophy (see p. 14 f.); from that root everything springs, art, philosophy, politics, science; hence, too, comes the peculiar sap which tinges the flower of loyalty. The stem then is formed by the positive strength -- the physical and the intellectual, which can never be separated; in the case of the Romans, to whom we owe the firm bases of family and State, this stem was powerfully developed. But the real blossoms of such a tree are those which mind and sentiment bring to maturity. Freedom is an expansive power which scatters men, Germanic loyalty is the bond which by its inner power binds men more closely than the fear of the tyrant's sword: freedom signifies thirst after direct self-discovered truth, loyalty the reverence for that which has appeared to our ancestors to be true; freedom decides its own destiny and loyalty holds that decision unswervingly and for ever. Loyalty to the loved one, to friend, parents, and fatherland we find in many places; but here, in the case of the Teuton, something is added, which makes the great instinct become a profoundly deep spiritual power, a principle of life. Shakespeare represents the father giving his son as the best advice for his path through life, as the one admonition which includes all others, these words:

This above all: to thine own self be true!

The principle of Germanic loyalty is evidently not the necessity of attachment, as Lamprecht thinks, but on the contrary the necessity of constancy within a man's own autonomous circle; self-determination testifies to it; in it freedom proves itself; by it the vassal, the member of the guild, the official, the officer asserts his independence. For the free man, to serve means to command himself. "It was the Germanic races who first introduced into the world the idea of personal freedom," says Goethe. What in the case of the Hindoos was metaphysics and in so far necessarily negative, seclusive, has been here transferred to life as an ideal of mind, it is the" breath of life of everything great and good," a star in the night, to the weary a spur, to the storm-tossed an anchor of safety. In the construction of the Germanic character loyalty is the necessary perfection of the personality, which without it falls to pieces. Immanuel Kant has given a daring, genuinely Germanic definition of personality: it is, he says, "freedom and independence of the mechanism of all nature"; and what it achieves he has summed up as follows: "That which elevates man above himself (as part of the world of sense), attaches him to an order of things which only the understanding can conceive, and which has the whole world of sense subject to it, is Personality." But without loyalty this elevation would be fatal: thanks to it alone the impulse of freedom can develop and bring blessing instead of a curse. Loyalty in this Germanic sense cannot originate without freedom, but it is impossible to see how an unlimited, creative impulse to freedom could exist without loyalty. Childish attachment to nature is a proof of loyalty: it enables man to raise himself above nature, without falling shattered to the ground, like the Hellenic Phaethon. Therefore it is that Goethe writes: "Loyalty preserves personality!" Germanic loyalty is the girdle that gives immortal beauty to the ephemeral individual, it is the sun without which no knowledge can ripen to wisdom, the charm which alone bestows upon the free individual's passionate action the blessing of permanent achievement.

-- The Foundations of the Nineteenth Century, by Houston Stewart Chamberlain

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MOREOVER THOU SHALT PROVIDE (lit. behold) OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE, ETC. Said R. Simeon: 'It does not say "thou shalt choose", but "thou shalt behold", namely, by means of the gift of inner sight of those characteristics which we have mentioned. All are indicated in this verse: "thou shalt look" refers to the hair; "of all the people" to the forehead; "for able men" to the face; "God-fearing" to the eyes; "men of truth" to the lips; and "hating covetousness" to the hands. All these are the signs by which to recognize men: signs, that is, to those on whom the spirit of wisdom rests. And yet Moses had no need of these signs, for we read: "And Moses chose able men out of all Israel" (v. 25); he chose them by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, for we read: "When they have a matter, he cometh unto me" (v. 16); this "he" in the singular instead of "they" in the plural indicates that it refers to the Holy Spirit. So there was no necessity for him to use the gift of inner sight in order to find out who were the right persons: he knew at once whom to choose through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. Similarly Solomon, in all the legal cases brought before him, could give his decisions without the aid of any witnesses, because the Holy Spirit was present at his throne, and everyone coming near to it was overcome with fear and trembling. There was an invisible figure hidden in the throne, and when anyone uttered a false plea it made a sound by which Solomon knew at once that the person was not telling the truth. But the Messiah will discern persons by their odour, for of him it says: "His scent will be in the fear of the Lord, and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears" (Isa. XI, 3). These three judged without witnesses and without warning; all others must judge according to the law, and must decide by the word of witnesses. The wise who are adepts in physiognomical lore must warn men and provide healing for their souls. Blessed are they in this world, and blessed in the world to come.'

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[admin]

Part 3 of 4

IN THE THIRD MONTH, WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE GONE FORTH OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT .... The third month is the one in which the celestial chief Uriel has sway. He has three hundred and sixty-five myriads of camps with him, corresponding to all the days of the year. All have three hundred and sixty-five keys of light issuing from the inner supernal sphere called "Hashmal" (v. Ezek. I, 4), which is hidden and veiled, in which the mysteries of the holy celestial letters of the Holy Name [78b] are suspended. This "hashmal" receives the most supernal and recondite lights, and passes them on, so that all the camps receive those keys of the light [8] which issues forth from that sphere. And that light is contained in two lights, which yet are one. The first light [9] is white, too bright for the eye to behold. It is the light which is hidden away for the righteous in the world to come, as it is written: "Light is sown for the righteous" (Ps. XCVII, ii). The second light [10] is one which gleams and sparkles redly. The two are united and become one. Uriel, the head of the angels, and all those hosts, partake of this light. As it is contained in two lights, it is called the "Twins". Therefore, in that month in which the Torah was given (Sivan), the constellation of the "Twins" rules, and from them issue lights of various grades below to illumine the world. Among all the other signs of the Zodiac there is not one possessing mouth or tongue, but this one has both, and the two are one. Therefore it is written in regard to the Torah: "And thou shalt meditate therein day and night" (Jos. I, 8), "day" corresponding to the tongue, and "night" corresponding to the mouth. And both these are one. Therefore the word teomim (twins), in connection with Jacob and Esau (Gen. XXV, 24), is written in a defective form, in order to indicate that Jacob alone is under the sign of this constellation. For Jacob had two months, Nisan and Iyar, as his, and is therefore within the symbolism of the "twins"; while Esau's months are Tamuz and Ab, and only nine days in Ab, so it can be seen that he is not included in the Twins. He separated himself and turned towards impurity, in chaos and desolation. And because Jacob is in the sign of the Twins the Torah was given to his children in the months of the Twins, being itself "twin", viz. written and oral; it was given in the third month (Sivan), symbolizing the treble Torah (Law, Prophets, Writings).

R. Hiya said: 'At the time when the Israelites approached Mount Sinai, the Holy One gathered their families to Him and examined them as to their lineage, and He found them all of a holy seed, of genuine birth. So he said to Moses: "Now do I wish to give the Torah unto Israel. Draw them to Me by telling them of My love to their fathers and to themselves, and also concerning all the signs and wonders that I have manifested unto them. And thou shalt be My messenger."'

***

AND MOSES WENT UP UNTO GOD, AND THE LORD CALLED UNTO HIM OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN. He went to the region where the wings of the Shekinah are outspread, concerning which it is said: "He bowed the heavens and came down" (Ps. XVIII, 10). Said R. Judah: 'As long as the tracings of the Supernal King [11] adhere to their proper places all worlds are impregnated with joy and all creation is upright and stable. Concerning this it is written: "And all the people among whom thou art shall see the work of the Lord that it will be terrible" (Ex. XXXIV, 10).' What is the meaning of "terrible"? Said R. Eleazar: 'It signifies the highest perfection of all, as in the expression: "A great, mighty, terrible God" (Deut. X, 17). [79a] We have a boraitha to the same effect.' R. Jose once said: 'One day I stood before R. Judah the ancient. I asked him to explain to me the meaning of the words: "And he (Jacob) was afraid, and said, How terrible is this place!" What did he see there to call it terrible? His answer was: "Jacob saw manifested in that region the consummation of the holy faith, which corresponded to the reality above. And any place where such a consummation is revealed is called 'terrible'." I then asked him: "If that is so, why then does the Targum translate the word 'nora' (terrible) with 'fear' (d'hilu), and not with 'complete' (sh'lim)?" His answer was that there is no true fear and awe except in a place where there is completeness, as it is written "O fear the Lord, ye his saints, for there is no deficiency (mahsor) to them that fear him" (Ps. XXXIV, 10), and in the sphere where there is no deficiency, there is completeness.'

A boraitha also tells us that R. Jose once expounded the verse: Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? (Prov. XXX, 4). 'It is Moses who ascended up to heaven, as it says: "And Moses went up unto God." It is Aaron who gathered the wind in his fists, as it says: "His fist full of sweet incense" (Lev. XVI, 12). It is Elijah who "hath bound the waters in a garment", for he said: "There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word" (I Kings XVII, 1). And it is Abraham who "hath established all the ends of the earth", for it says concerning him: "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created (behibar'am)" (Gen. II, 4), the last word having the same letters as Abraham.' This was R. Jose's first interpretation. He then gave a different one, saying: '"Who hath ascended up into heaven?" The Holy One, of whom it says: "God hath ascended with a shout" (Ps. XLVII, 6). "Who hath gathered the wind in his fists?" The Holy One, "in whose hand is the soul of every living thing" (Job XII, 10). "Who hath bound the waters in a garment?" The Holy One, who "bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds" (Ibid. XXVI, 8). "Who hath established all the ends of the earth?" The Holy One, of whom it says: "in the day when the Lord God made heaven and earth" (Gen. II, 4).' Finally, he affirmed that the words indicate the four knots (elements) of the universe: fire, air, water, earth. Said R. Jesse: 'It is evident that R. Jose's various applications of this verse are incompatible one with the other!' But when these interpretations came to the ears of R. Simeon, he put his hands on R. Jose's head and blessed him, saying: 'That which thou hast said is quite right. It is perfectly true, but whence hast thou these interpretations?' 'From my father, who heard it from R. Hamnuna the ancient,' replied R. Jose.

One day R. Simeon sat at the gate of Sepphoris, when R. Jesse said to him: 'R. Jose applied the verse, "Who hath ascended, etc.", first to Moses, then to the Holy One, and finally to the four elements, and I saw that thou, Master, didst bless him!' Said R. Simeon: 'What he said was perfectly true. All the applications signify one and the same thing, since they all have their root and fulfilment in the Holy One, and they are all practically equivalent.' R. Jesse was deeply impressed by these words and said: 'Now I see that this is indeed so. And I have also heard it on another occasion from the mouth of the Master. But what is the meaning of the words, "And what is his son's name?"' R. Simeon replied: 'The inner meaning of this I myself have taught my son, R. Eleazar.' 'I pray thee, tell it to me, for I did ask thee concerning it in a dream, but when I awoke I had forgotten thine answer.' 'And now, when I tell thee, wilt thou remember it?' 'I surely will,' replied R. Jesse, 'I always remember what my Master tells me.' Said R. Simeon: 'The words must be understood in the light of the expression, "My first-born son Israel" (Ex. IV, 22), and "Israel, in whom I am glorified" (Isa. XLIX, 3). "Israel" here refers to the supernal world, and it is this which is called "son". Whereupon R. Jesse replied: 'With all due respect to the Master, this is a secret which I already know.' But yet again he forgot it. He was much perturbed. But when he went into his house and lay down to sleep, he saw in his dream an haggadic book, wherein it was written: "Wisdom (Hokmah) and glory (Tifereth) in His sanctuary." When he awoke, he straightway went to R. Simeon, kissed his hand, and said: 'This night I saw in my dream an [79b] haggadic book wherein were written the words: "Wisdom and glory in His sanctuary", "Wisdom" above, "Glory" below, and "in His sanctuary" at the side. This I saw in a dream, and I found it on my lips when I awoke.' Said R. Simeon to him: 'Until this time thou wast too young to join the company of the "reapers of the field", but now everything has been shown unto thee! Thus the meaning is: Wisdom (Hokmah) is His Name and Glory (Tifereth) the name of His son.'

***

AND MOSES WENT UP UNTO GOD. Blessed indeed was Moses to have been worthy of this honour, to which the Torah herself testifies. Said R. Judah: 'See what a difference there is between Moses and other men: "Going up" in regard to ordinary men means "getting rich", "getting on", in honours, in office, in rank, etc. But Moses "went up unto God". Truly, he was blessed.' R. Jose remarked that this is one of the passages from which the members of the Fellowship derive the lesson that "he who comes to be purified is assisted from above": because Moses "went up unto God", therefore "the Lord called unto him out of the mountain".

***

AND THE LORD CALLED UNTO HIM OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN, SAYING, THUS SHALT THOU SAY TO THE HOUSE OF JACOB, AND TELL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. R. Isaac referred in this connection to the verse: "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts" (Ps. LXV, 5). 'Blessed is the man', he said, 'whom the Holy One befriends and brings near to him to dwell in the holy Palace! He who is united with Him in worship has on him a sign inscribed from above to make it known that he is one who has been chosen by the Holy King to dwell in His courts. A man who has upon him such a sign can pass through all the supernal gates without let or hindrance.' R. Judah said: 'Blessed was Moses, concerning whom that verse was written! Of him we read: "And Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was" (Ex. XX, 21); and also, "Moses alone came nigh to the Lord, but they did not" (Ibid. XXIV, 2).'

***

THUS SHALT THOU SAY TO THE HOUSE OF JACOB: this refers to the females; AND TELL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: this means the males. R. Simeon connected the "thus" (Koh) in this verse with the "thus" in the ordinance of the priestly benediction: "Thus (Koh) shall ye bless" (Num. VI, 23); also with, "Thy saints bless Thee" (yebarakukah), which last word can be separated into two words: yebaraku Koh, "they bless with Koh" (i.e. the Sephirah Malkuth); "Saying" indicates the side of Justice (Severity), while "telling" indicates the side of Mercy, as in the verse: "And he declared (wa-yagged) unto you his covenant (mercy)" (Deut. IV, 13), and also in the declaration made by the Israelite on bringing the basket of firstfruits to the priest: "I proclaim (higgadti) this day unto the Lord thy God" (Ibid. XXVI, 3). Said R. Jose: 'As we have mentioned this verse, I should like to ask why it says "to the Lord thy God" instead of "the Lord our God"?' R. Simeon replied: 'This is not the only case where "thy" is used instead of "our". For instance: "the Lord thy God will bring thee into a good land" (Ibid. VIII, 7); "for the Lord thy God is a consuming fire" (Ibid. IV, 23). Moses himself, who used this expression, could not say "our" God, because, according to our dictum, "he who lives outside the Land of Israel is, as it were, without God." So he said to the children of Israel, who were going to settle in the Holy Land and to receive the Shekinah there, "thy God", but he could not well say "our God", since he was not to enter himself into the Holy Land.' 'But', retorted R. Jose, 'why did the Israelites have to say "thy God", seeing that they were already in the land?' R. Simeon's reply was that they had to proclaim that it was due to the Supernal Grace that they were so favoured by God and blessed with so many good things. All this they said to the priest who, as such, is connected with the attribute of Grace (forgiveness of sin and mediatorship). "Say to the house of Jacob" is the form fitting for them, "and tell the children of Israel" is the more perfect form fitting for them. For Jacob and Israel represent two grades (Malkuth and Tifereth), and though they unite into one, yet the complete product is termed Israel. [80a] Hence "thou shalt tell the children of Israel", to reveal to them wisdom, and to tell them in the spirit of wisdom the grace and the truth which the Holy One, blessed be He, has shown to them.

R. Jose once told the following story: 'It chanced one day when I was out walking, accompanied by my son, R. Hiya, that we came upon a man collecting medicinal herbs. As we drew near to him I asked: "Tell us what these bundles of herbs are for?" He gave no reply, and did not even raise his head. Said I to R. Hiya, my son: "Certainly this man is either deaf or mad, or very wise." So we sat down near to him. When he had collected all the herbs and made them into bundles and covered each bundle with vine leaves, even to the last bundle of all, he turned to us, and said: "I see that ye are Jews, and it is said that the Jews are clever people. Yet, if I did not have pity on you, you would from henceforth have to shun the company of your fellows, for you become as lepers; because, as I perceive, the odour of one of these herbs has entered into your body, and it will cause you to be outcasts for three days. But now eat this garlic and you will be healed." We did as we were bid, and fell into a deep sleep. I awakened to find myself bathed in perspiration. Then the man said: "Now your God is with you indeed, for He has ordered it that you should find me and that the cure of your bodies should be accomplished through me." As we went along he said to us: "Every person must converse with his fellows according to the sex and class to which they belong." I was struck by this remark, and said to R. Hiya, my son: "This accords with the Scriptural verse: 'Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel.'" Then the man said: "You probably wondered why I did not speak to you or pay you any apparent heed when you addressed me first. The reason is that my father was the greatest expert in herbs and their properties, and from him I learnt the powers and uses of every plant with healing properties, and I spend the whole year among them. Now with regard to the herb which ye saw me bind into bundles and cover with vine leaves. In a northern corner of my dwelling there is a place in which stands a millstone, from the hole of which a man emerges from time to time, and this man has two heads and carries a sharp sword in his hand. He strikes terror into the hearts of all who behold him, and, indeed, is the bane of our lives. On account of him I gathered this herb. Now follow me, and you shall see what virtue there is in it, and what the supreme God has revealed in the world, and how even the wise cannot surmise or fathom all His mysteries." So we followed him. On the way to his house we passed a hole in the ground in which the man deposited some of the herb. When he had done so, a serpent with an enormous head issued from the hole. The man took from his girdle a piece of cloth and bound the serpent as though it were a little lamb. We were much afraid, but the man said: "Follow me until we come to his abode"; and we followed him. Presently we reached his house, and there we saw the place of which he had spoken: in the dark, behind a wall. He took a candle and kindled a fire around the place where the millstone was set; then he said to us: "Do not be frightened at what ye see, and keep silence." As he said this he loosened the serpent's bonds and set him free, then ground some of the herb to powder and sprinkled this upon the serpent's head. Immediately the serpent descended into the opening of the millstone, and we suddenly heard a voice which made the whole place shake. We wanted to run away, being sore afraid, but the man took hold of our hands, saying: "Fear not, come close to me." Presently the serpent reappeared and we saw that it was dripping blood. Again it entered the opening of the millstone. After a short time a man with two heads issued from the opening, with the serpent wound about his neck. Three times he entered the opening of the millstone and emerged again, saying: "Chameleon, chameleon, woe to his mother who brought him there!" Then the millstone was torn from its place and man and serpent together were hurled out at our feet, where they fell down and died. We were terrified, but the man who had brought us there said: "Thus is manifested the power of the herb which I collected in your presence! This was the reason why I did not look up at you or speak even a word. If [80b] men but knew the wisdom of all that the Holy One, blessed be He, has planted in the earth, and the power of all that is to be found in the world, they would proclaim the power of their Lord in His great wisdom. But the Holy One has purposely hidden this wisdom from men, in order that they should not turn from His way by trusting in that wisdom alone, forgetting Him."

'When I afterwards recounted the happenings of that day to R. Simeon, he said: "Surely, that was a wise man! For it is indeed as he said. Mark this! There is no grass or herb that grows in which God's wisdom is not greatly manifested and which cannot exert great influence in heaven. We may see this from the hyssop. Whenever the Holy One desires that men should purify themselves from defilement, he orders that hyssop be used as a means of purification. Now why is this? In order that the power above which is represented by that herb should be roused to exterminate the spirit of impurity, that the defiled one may be cleansed. And as to thee, I say: Blessed be the Merciful One who delivered thee."'

***

YE HAVE SEEN WHAT I DID UNTO THE EGYPTIANS. AND HOW I BARE YOU ON EAGLES' WINGS. What do "eagles' wings" denote? According to R. Judah, the "eagles" are a symbol of mercy, as it says: "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings, so the Lord ... " (Deut. XXXII, 11). As the eagle watches lovingly over its own young, but is cruel towards others, so does the Holy One manifest His loving mercy to Israel and His severe judgement to the heathen nations. R Simeon found the same indication in the verse: "The way of an eagle in the heavens" (Prov. XXX,19)' R. Eleazar once went from Cappadocia to Lydda, accompanied by R. Jose and R. Hiya. They had risen at sunrise, and as the light appeared, R. Hiya said: 'I see before me the vision of the prophet, "As for the likeness of their (the Hayoth) faces, they four had the face of a man and the face of a lion, on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle" (Ezek. I, 10). Thus the lion is on the right hand, the ox on the left; but what about the eagle?' R Eleazar replied: 'It belongs to the sphere of the "child" (i.e. Mercy), for the eagle combines mercy and cruelty; and so God led Israel with love and dealt sternly with others, and the expression, "the way of an eagle in the heavens" is thus to be taken literally, for love (mercy) is, as it were, in the centre of heaven. Hence the lion is at the right, the ox at the left, and the eagle between, uniting them. As for "man", he comprises all, as it is written: "And upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it" (Ezek. I, 26).'

***

AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE THIRD DAY. R Abba connected this with the following verse: "We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts; what shall we do to our sister in the day when she will be spoken for?" (S.S. VIII, 8). 'The "little sister" is the Community of Israel, who is called the Holy One's sister; "she hath no breasts", i.e. when they approached Mount Sinai she had no merits, no good works to protect her; "what shall we do to our sister?", when the Holy One shall reveal Himself on Mount Sinai to proclaim the words of the Torah, and her soul will fly away (out of fear).' Said R Jose: 'When the Israelites approached Mount Sinai, on that night which followed the three days during which the people abstained from conjugal intercourse, the heavenly angels came and received them with brotherly affection. For as they are angels above, so are the Israelites angels below; as they sanctify the Supreme Name above, so do the Israelites sanctify it below. And the Israelites were crowned with seventy crowns on that night. Then it was that the angels said: "We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts. What shall we do to our sister? How should we honour her on the day when the Holy One will reveal Himself to give her the Torah?"'

R. Simeon said that when the Holy One came to reveal Himself [81a] on Mount Sinai, He called together His whole celestial Family and said to them: "At present the Israelites are like children, they will not know how to deport themselves in My Presence. If I should reveal Myself to them in the attribute of Power (Geburah) they will not be able to bear it, but when I manifest Myself to them in love (Rahamim) they will accept My Law." Therefore the manifestation on Mount Sinai took place on the third day, which is the Day of love (Rahamim). In this manner did He reveal Himself first in Love; and then gave them the Torah from the side of Power; and that on the third day, for it is because of the "Three" that they are called Israel; and in the morning, in "a morning without clouds" (2 Sam. XXIII, 4), since had it been a cloudy morning darkness would have been found in it, and Grace would not have been revealed. And when does Grace reveal itself? In the morning: "The morning is light"; for as soon as the day breaks Grace is manifested and Judgement passes away, but when the light of morning does not enter the judgements do not vanish away, as it is written: "When the morning stars sing together, and all the sons of God shout for joy" (Job XXXVIII, 7; i.e. the angels of judgement shout for joy as long as night continues); but as soon as those stars set and the sun shines, behold there is "a morning without clouds", and Grace is awakened in the lower world.' R. Jose said: 'The Holy One began to reveal Himself on Mount Sinai "in the morning", and we have been taught that it took place when the merit of Abraham, who "rose up early in the morning" (to sacrifice Isaac, Gen. XXII, 3), was aroused. '

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AND THERE WERE THUNDERINGS (voices) AND LIGHTNINGS AND A THICK CLOUD UPON THE MOUNT, AND THE VOICE OF THE TRUMPET EXCEEDING LOUD. Said, R. Abba: 'As koloth (voices) is written in a defective form, it indicates that there were two voices united as one, the one emanating from the other: air [12] from water [13] and water from air, two that were one and one that was two.' R. Jose, however, was of the opinion that the defective form of the word, suggesting the singular, indicates that it is identical with the "great voice that did not cease" (Deut. V, 19), for all other Divine voices do break off sometimes, for, as we have been taught, four times a year the "Voice" ceases, and chastisement is sent into the world, but this great and mighty Voice [14] never stops and never abates of its full force. We have been taught also that this Voice is "the voice of voices", the voice which contains all other voices. R. Judah said: 'The "Voice" unites air, fire, and water, and one voice makes another; hence the plural "voices".' "And lightnings." Said R. Jose: 'Therefore it says: "He maketh lightnings for the rain" (Ps. CXXXV, 7), flame being combined with moisture in a supernatural union of love and affection.'

R. Judah said that the Torah was given from the side of Power. Said R. Jose: 'In that case, it must have been given from the left side.' 'No,' replied R. Judah: 'the left was turned for the time into the right, for it is written: "From his right hand a fiery law to them" (Deut. XXXIII, 2). Contrariwise we read concerning Egypt's judgement: "Thy right hand, O Lord, glorified in power" (Ex. XV, 6); where the right hand has turned into the left (judgement).' "And a thick cloud upon the mount", that is, a mighty cloud which stayed in one spot without moving. "And the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud": this voice issued from the midst of the heavy cloud, as it is written, "When ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness" (Deut. V, 24). According to R. Judah, there were three grades of darkness: darkness, cloud, and thick clouds (araphel), and the voice came forth from out of their innermost depths. R. Jose said that the innermost was the one referred to in the words "with a great and ceaseless voice" (Deut. V, 19).

Said R .Abba: 'It is written: "And all the people saw the thunderings" (Ex. XX, 18). Surely it ought to be heard the thunderings? We have, however, been taught that the "voices" were delineated, carved out, as it were, upon the threefold darkness, so that they could be apprehended as something visible, and they saw and heard all those wonderful things out of that darkness, cloud and cloudy darkness; and because they saw that sight they were irradiated with a supernal light, and perceived things beyond the ken of all succeeding generations, and saw face to face (Deut. V, 4).' And whence did they derive the power so to see? According to R. Jose, from the light of those voices, for there was not one of them but emitted light which made perceptible all things hidden and veiled, and even all the generations of men up to the days of King Messiah. Therefore it says: "And all the people saw the [81b] voices"; they did actually see them. The word koloth here is preceded by the particle eth, which, as usual, indicates that we are to understand another object in addition to the one mentioned: in this case another voice from below, which gathered into itself all the light [15] emanating from the other voices in which they saw, in sublime wisdom, all the celestial treasures and all the hidden mysteries which were never revealed to succeeding generations and will not be revealed until King Messiah comes, when "they shall see eye to eye" (Isa. LII, 8). In this latter passage (Ex. XX, 18) also we find "fire torches" mentioned instead of the "lightnings" of the former. Both, however, mean one and the same thing; when the lightnings are quite formed and ready to appear they are called "fire-torches" (lapidim). The "voice of the trumpet" mentioned in the same verse is, according to R. Judah, that voice which is itself called "trumpet" in reference to the Day of Atonement (Lev. XXV, 9). According to R. Simeon, the "voice of the trumpet" is the "word which proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord" (Deut. VIII, 3), by which "man lives". It is greater and stronger than all lower voices. On it depends all; it is called "great voice", and also a "still thin voice" (I Kings XIX, 12), i.e. a clear though tiny light which illumines all things, but a "still voice" also because men must be filled with awe and silence to hear it, as it is written: "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a bridle" (Ps. XXXIX, 2).

The text proceeds: "And when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off" (Ex. XX, 18). The same word (wa-yanu'u, they shook) is used here of the people as is used of the "posts of the door" in the Temple which moved when Isaiah saw his vision (Isa. VI, 4). And what do we read of Ezekiel when he saw the Presence? "And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber (hashmal), out of the midst of the fire" (Ezek. I, 4). The whirlwind, according to R. Jose, was symbolic of the breaking of the power of the four kingdoms. R. Judah added that according to tradition the strong wind which was stirred from the side of celestial Power (Geburah) came from the north, the special region hidden above, out of which justice emanates, as it does not say from "north", but from "the north". "The great cloud and a fire infolding itself" are the elements which awaken judgements three times a day from the region of Power. And what renders it endurable in spite of its severity? "The brightness" that surrounds it, the light which encircles it, so that the judgement is not too hard for men to bear. [82a]

R. Jose, the son of R. Judah, said that the Israelites at Mount Sinai saw more of the Divine than the prophet Ezekiel, and were all united with the supernal Wisdom. They saw five different grades of voices, by which five the Torah was given -- the fifth being the "voice of the trumpet" -- but Ezekiel saw but five lower degrees: whirlwind, great cloud, fire, the brightness, and the colour of amber. Said R. Eleazar: 'Of the Israelites it says: "Face to face hath the Lord spoken to you" (Deut. V, 4), but Ezekiel saw only a "likeness" (Ezek. I, 5), like one who looks through a partition.' Said R. Eleazar further; 'If the Israelites saw what no prophet ever saw, how much more true is this of Moses! How happy a lot was his, who "was there with the Lord" (Ex. XXXIV, 28), and with whom He spake "in sight but not in riddles" (Num. XII, 8)!' R. Jose drew attention to the expression used of Ezekiel, "The word of the Lord came (hayo haya) unto Ezekiel" (I, 3), indicating that his vision lasted but for a short space of time. R. Eleazar remarked that the expression hayo haya suggests that he both saw and did not see, heard and did not hear (i.e. his vision and hearing were imperfect): as he says, he saw something like hashmal, but not actually hashmal itself; but of the Israelites it is said: "They saw the voices": every one according to his grade actually saw; for there is a tradition that they stood in groups and divisions, and each one saw as befitted it. According to R. Simeon, the chiefs of the tribes stood by themselves, the women by themselves, and the leaders of the people by themselves, five grades at the right and five at the left, as it is written: "Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel" -- these were five grades at the right; "your little ones, your wives, the stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water" (Deut. XXIX, 9) -- these were the five grades who stood at the left. All these grades corresponded to the ten celestial grades, and to the Ten Words (Decalogue), which are Israel's eternal possession, the essence of all the commandments, the good portion of Israel.

We have been taught that when the Holy One revealed Himself on Mount Sinai all the Israelites saw the Divine manifestation as one sees a light streaming through the glass of a lamp, and by means of that light each one of them saw more than did the prophet Ezekiel, since those celestial voices were all revealed together, whilst to Ezekiel only the Shekinah was revealed in Her Chariot, and he but caught glimpses of it as though through many barriers. Said R. Judah: 'Blessed was Moses, concerning whom it says: "And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai ... and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount", and blessed was that generation concerning whom it says: "And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai before the eyes of the whole people." As the Torah, however, was given from the Right Hand ("from his right hand went a fiery law for them", Deut. XXXIII, 2), what essential difference was there between the manifestation to the people and the manifestation to Ezekiel?' R. Jose replied: 'On Sinai the "Head" and the "Body" of the King were revealed, as it is written: "He bowed the heavens and came down" (2 Sam. XXII, 10); but to Ezekiel it was, as it were, only the "Hand" which was shown: "And the hand of the Lord was there upon him" (Ezek. 1, 3), And even the "Hand" has two aspects, a higher and a lower. Observe that he says: "The heavens were opened and I saw visions (maroth) of God" (Ezek. I, 1). "Maroth" is written in a defective form, to indicate that he merely had a vision of the Shekinah.' Said R. Jesse: 'But is the Shekinah not a representation of the whole of the Deity?' R. Jose replied: 'The "Head" of the King is not to be compared to His "Feet", although both are in the "Body" of the King.' Observe that Isaiah said "I saw (eth) the Lord" (Isa. VI, 1), but Ezekiel said "I saw visions of God".' They meant, however, the same thing, and both belonged to the same grade (of spiritual perception). [82b] Why, then, did Isaiah not give a detailed account of his visions, like Ezekiel? According to R. Jose, it was necessary that Ezekiel should speak in a detailed manner in order to impress the people in exile with the fact that the Holy One loved them, and that the Shekinah and Her Chariots had gone down into exile also, to be present with them.

R. Hiya asked, why did the Shekinah reveal Herself in "the land of the Chaldeans" (Ezek. I, 3), of which it says: "Behold the land of the Chaldeans, a people which is not" (Isa. XXIII, 13, i.e. degraded)? If it was for Israel's sake, surely She could have been present among them without manifesting Herself in that inauspicious place? However, had She not revealed Herself the people would not have known that She was with them. Besides, the revelation took place "by the river Chebar" (Ezek. I, 3), by undefiled waters where impurity has no abode, that river being one of the four which issued from the Garden of Eden. [16] It was there, and nowhere else, then, that "the hand of the Lord was upon him", as is directly stated.

R. Hiya also expounded, in accordance with the esoteric teaching, Ezekiel's vision: "Out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures (Hayoth), and this was their appearance, they had the likeness of a man" (Ibid. V, 5), saying that there is a sacred Hall in which dwell four living Creatures, which are the most ancient celestial beings ministering to the Holy Ancient, and which constitute the essence of the Supernal Name; and that Ezekiel saw only the likeness of the supernal Chariots, because his beholding was from a region which was not very bright. He furthermore said that there are lower beings corresponding to these upper ones, and so throughout, and they are all linked one with another. Our teachers have laid down that Moses derived his prophetic vision from a bright mirror (cf. Midr. Lev. R., p. 145d), whereas the other prophets derived their vision from a dull mirror. So it is written concerning Ezekiel: "I saw visions of God", whereas in connection with the difference between Moses and all other prophets it says: "If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord will make Myself known to him in a vision .... My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all my house: and with him I will speak mouth to mouth" (Num. XII, 7-8). R. Jose remarked that all the prophets are in comparison with Moses like females in comparison with males. The Lord did not speak to him in "riddles" (Ibid.), but showed him everything clearly. Blessed, indeed, was the generation in whose midst this prophet lived!

Said R. Jose the son of R. Judah: 'The Israelites saw the splendour of the glory of their Lord face to face; and, moreover, there were neither blind, nor lame, nor deaf, among them: they all saw (Ex. XX, 18); they all stood (Ibid. XIX, 17); they all heard (Ibid. XIX, 8). And of the Messianic Age it says: "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped, then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing" (Isa. XXXV, 5-6).'

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AND GOD SPAKE ALL THESE WORDS SAYING. R. Judah reflected here on the verse: "Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can show forth all his praise?" (Ps. CVI, 2). Said he: 'In how many ways does the Torah testify to the glory of God and admonish man not to sin! How many are the forms in which it counsels him not to turn from the way, either to the right or to the left! And how numerous the signs which it scatters in his way to lead him back into the true path so that he may return to the Lord and receive forgiveness! We have been taught that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave six hundred and thirteen counsels unto man, in order that he might be perfect in attachment to his Lord, for the Holy King desires only his good, both in this world and in the world to come; but more especially in the world to come, since whatever good the Holy One bestows upon man in this world is taken from the sum of good which he is entitled to receive in the world to come. Why is this? Because, as we have been taught, the world to come is, as it were, God's own possession. This is not to say, of course, that this present world is not His also, but, as it has been said, it is like unto an antechamber in comparison with the hall itself; [17] and the reward of a truly worthy man is taken from that which is God's very own, as it says of the tribe of Levi: "He shall have no possession among his brethren, for the Lord is his possession" (Deut. XVIII, 2). How happy is the lot of one who is accounted worthy of such a supernal heritage! He is indeed blessed in this world and in the "house" of this world, as well as in the world to come and in the heavenly holy House of that world, as it is written: "Even unto them I will give in my house and within my walls a place and a name ... "(Isa. LVI, 5). [83a] Blessed is he who is worthy to dwell with the King in His own House.' Said R. Simeon: 'Blessed is he who is worthy of that most inestimable privilege which is foretold in the words: "Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord" (Ibid. LVIII, 14). It does not say, "with the Lord", but "in the Lord", namely in the place from whence the upper and the lower worlds alike derive being, and to which they return, that sphere of which it is written: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help" (Ps. CXXI, 2), and again: "and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him" (Dan. VII, 13). The longing and delight of the righteous is to contemplate that splendour from whence all lights emanate, and all celestial crowns are illumined.' R. Simeon continued: 'We have expounded the closing words of this verse, "I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth", to mean the supramundane world, called "heaven", and God is above this.' R. Abba said that "the Lord" here means Heaven, and the high places of the earth the "Land of the Living", consisting of Zion and Jerusalem which are above, the supernal heaven and the supernal earth. This, however, is quite in harmony with R. Simeon's interpretation, as it is all one celestial sphere. Then he said to R. Simeon: 'Would it please the Master to deign to interpret the whole verse, including the last words, "and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father"?' R. Simeon then repeated what he had said before, and added that the last words are a reference to Isaac's blessing, "And God give thee of the dew of heaven" (Gen. XXVII, 28), this being "the heritage of Jacob". Now this blessing wherewith Isaac blessed Jacob was made in regard to that "heaven" of which we have spoken, and in these words he indicated that Jacob's children will rise again from the dead at the time of the Resurrection, by means of that heavenly dew, at the time when it shall issue forth from the Ancient of Days to the "Small of Countenance". R. Abba thought for a while, and said: 'Now everything is clear, and I see that there is even more significance in Isaac's blessing than I had thought.'

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AND GOD SPAKE ALL THESE WORDS. According to R. Simeon, the word "spake" denotes a proclamation. When the Holy One revealed Himself and began to speak, the celestial and the terrestrial beings began to tremble mightily, and the souls of the Israelites left their bodies because of their mighty dread. Then the Divine word descended from heaven, being on its way engraved upon the four winds of the universe; and then rose once more and again descended. When it rose up it drew from the mountains pure balsam [83b] and was watered with the heavenly dew, and when it reached this earth it encompassed the Israelites and brought them back their souls. Then it encircled them again and impressed itself upon the tablets of stone, until the whole Ten Words were designed thereon. R. Simeon said further that every word contained all manner of legal implications and derivations, as well as all mysteries and hidden aspects; for each word was indeed like unto a treasure-house, full of all precious things. And though when one Word was uttered it sounded but as itself, yet when it was stamped upon the stone seventy different aspects were revealed in it, fifty crowns less one on the one side and fifty less one upon the other, [18] "like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces" (Jer. XXIII, 29), and all Israel saw eye to eye and rejoiced exceedingly; and the souls of all the children of Israel, past and present and to be, born and unborn, were present there, that all might accept the Torah given on Mount Sinai, as it is written: "Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath, but with him that standeth here ... and also with him that is not with us here this day" (Deut. XXIX, 13, 14). And every one according to his grade saw and received the Words.

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AND GOD SPAKE. The word "God" (Elohim) here indicates that the proclamation emanated from the region of Power (Geburah); the next word, eth, that Geburah was joined with the Right Hand; the word kol (all), that the other Crowns were also associated; the word hadebarim (words), that the words issued continuously; the word haeleh (these), that they included all secret meanings, reasons, and penalties; and the word lemor (saying), that it was a heritage of all.

Said R. Isaac: 'Why was the Torah given in fire and darkness? In order to show that he who is constantly and diligently occupied with the study of it will be saved from the fire of hell (Gehenna) and from the darkness of exile in heathen lands. It was the merit of Abraham which saved Israel from hell fire, as, according to tradition, the Holy One said to Abraham: "As long as thy children shall be absorbed in the ways of the Torah they will be saved from punishment, but should they turn from her and forget her paths the fire of hell will have dominion over them and they will be subjected by the nations of the earth." And Abraham pleaded: "Two punishments are surely too much; if it be Thy will, let them escape hell fire and rather go into exile." The Holy One replied: "So be it then." And so it was. For this reason it says: "Their rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up" (Deut. XXXII, 30), meaning that Abraham, their "rock", was the cause of their going into exile; "and the Lord had shut them up" because He accepted Abraham's petition and abode by his choice.'

R. Judah said: 'Fifty days elapsed between the Exodus and the giving of the Law. Why was this? In order that the number of days should correspond to the number of years of the Jubilee, as it is written: "And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty ..." (Lev. XXV, 10): R. Simeon remarked that it was the Jubilee which led Israel out from Egypt; that is to say the divine liberation emanated from the side of Jubilee, and from the same side was judgement stirred up against the Egyptians. For this reason the deliverance from Egypt is mentioned fifty times in the Pentateuch in such expressions as "I have brought thee out [84a] of the land of Egypt", "I have brought thee out with a strong hand", etc. R. Simeon further said: 'When the Israelites received the Torah the Jubilee crowned the Holy One, blessed be He, even as a king is crowned in the midst of his host, as it says, "Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals" (S.S. III, 11). Who is His "mother"? The Jubilee. And the Jubilee crowned itself with perfect joy, as it is written: "The mother of the children rejoiced" (Ps. CXIII).' R. Judah said: 'Concerning this it is written: "Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bore thee shall rejoice" (Prov. XXIII, 25).'

Said R. Isaac: 'In the hour when the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself on Mount Sinai, that mountain began mightily to shake and all the other hills and high places of the earth trembled in accord with it, so that they heaved and quaked until the Holy One stretched out His hand and calmed them, and a voice was heard: "What aileth thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest, and thou Jordan that thou wast driven back? Ye mountains that ye skipped like rams, and ye hills like young sheep?" And the answer was: "Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob" (Ps. CXIV, 5-7). Now, "the Lord" in this verse refers to the "Mother" (Binah); "earth", to the "Mother" below (Malkuth); "the God of Jacob", to the Father (Hokmah), whose "firstborn son is Israel" (Ex. IV, 23), whom "his mother crowned in the day of his espousals": she crowned him with the symbolic colours, white, red, and green, in which all other colours are included, and in him they were all united.' According to R. Judah, the "crown" symbolizes Israel, who is God's glory, as it is written:" Israel, in whom I am glorified" (Isa. XLIX, 3); "and I will glorify the house of my glory" (Ibid. LX, 7).

Said R. Isaac: 'The Torah was manifested in a black fire which was superimposed upon a white fire, signifying that by means of the Torah the "Right Hand" clasped the "Left Hand" that the two might be fused, as it is written: "from his right hand a fiery law to them" (Deut. XXXIII, 2).' Said R. Abba: 'When the smoke came out of Mount Sinai a fire ascended enveloped therein, so that its flames were of a blue colour. They flared high and dwindled again, and the smoke emitted all the aromas of Paradise, displaying itself in the colours of white, red, and black, as it says, "perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant" (S.S. III, 6). It was the Shekinah who manifested Herself thus at the giving of the Law in the wilderness on Mount Sinai, as it says, "Who is this (zoth) that cometh up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke?" (Ibid.)' Said R. Judah: 'But surely it is not necessary to go so far afield to discover this. Have we not the direct statement that "Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire, and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace" (Ex. XIX, 18)? Blessed were the people who beheld this wondrous thing and apprehended the mystery thereof!'

Said R. Hiya: 'When the letters were engraved upon the two tablets of stone they were visible on both sides of the tablets. The tablets were of sapphire [19] stone, and the letters were formed of white fire and covered again with black fire, and were engraved upon both sides.' According to R. Abba, the tablets were not engraved, but the letters fluttered on to them, being visible in two colours of fire, white and black, in order to demonstrate the union of Right and Left, as it is written, "length of days is in her right hand and in her left hand is riches and honour" (Prov. III, 16). But are we not told that "from his right hand (came) a fiery law to them" (Deut. XXXIII, 2)? The truth is that although the Torah emanated from the side of Power -- that is the Left -- the Left Side was included in the Right, and thus Justice was tempered by Mercy, which was symbolized by the two fires: white for Mercy, black for Power and Severity.

It is written: "And the tablets were the work of God" (Ex. XXXII, 18). They were indeed so, for, as R. Judah said: 'The word ha-luhoth (the tablets) being written in a defective form, indicates that although they were two they appeared like one, and the Ten Words were engraved upon them, one section of five being included in, or superimposed on, the other five, so that they should be included in the emanations of the Right Side, that is, of Mercy; and in this way they were indeed the very "work of God".' [84b] R. Isaac said: 'They were originally two sapphire stones which were rough-hewn, but the Holy One caused a wind to blow upon them, which smoothed them and transformed them into two tablets.'

To this R. Judah demurred, maintaining that they only looked like sapphire, being in reality a new creation. 'This', he said, 'must be so, since it says that they were "the work of God".' To which R. Isaac retorted: 'But is not the sapphire, the most precious of all stones, itself a "work of God"?' Said R. Judah: 'Why then does it say that these specially were a "work of God"? ' R. Isaac replied: 'It does not say that the stones were a special work of God, but the tablets; and the spelling of the word luhoth (without vau) suggests that the miraculousness was not so much in the stones themselves as in their formation as tablets, and in the writing.' Said R. Simeon: 'Both interpretations are correct. These two tablets existed from before Creation, but were perfected on the sixth day of Creation specially for this purpose; thus they were a special creation of the Holy One.' Of what were they formed? Of the supernal dew which issues from the Holy Ancient One, of which, when it was descending on the "Field of the Holy Apples", the Holy One took two drops, causing them to solidify and turn into two precious stones. Then He blew on them and they became flat like tablets. Thus both the stones and the writing were "a work of God", "written with the finger of God" (Deut. IX, 10). That "Finger" has the same symbolic significance as the "Finger of God" of which the Egyptian magicians spoke (Ex. VIII, 19), each "finger" expanding into ten until it becomes the complete hand, such as Israel saw at the sea.'

Said R. Judah: 'When it says that the "writing was ... graven upon the tablets" (Ex. XXXII, 16), it means that the tablets were pierced, so that the writing could be seen from either side; the writing formed an engraving within an engraving.' According to R. Abba, it was possible from one side to see the other side, and read the writing thereon. Said R. Eleazar: 'They were written miraculously in order that every man might discern that it was "God's writing", being unable to find any other explanation of this double appearance. Besides, if the tablets were pierced, as has been suggested, why does it not say that the writing was graven "in the tablets" instead of "upon the tablets"? The fact, however, is, as we have been taught, that five Words were written on the right and five on the left, and those of the left were included in those of the right, and from (within) the right one could see those of the left, so that all was on the right, and all were fused one with the other. He who stood at one side could see (therein) what was on the other side and read it, for we have been taught that the Left was turned into the Right. Thus it was, indeed, "the writing of God". What happened was this: he who stood on one side read, 'I am the Lord thy God", and out of these letters he could see the words, "Thou shalt not murder." Then he read, "Thou shalt not have (other gods)", and at the same time could see the words "Thou shalt not commit adultery". Then he went on reading, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain", and saw from the other side the words, "Thou shalt not steal", and so on. And conversely, if he looked at the other side.'

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AND MOSES WENT DOWN UNTO THE PEOPLE AND SAID UNTO THEM. R. Jose asked: 'What is the point of this remark, seeing that we are not told what he said?' R. Isaac replied: 'It is well known that when a person is expecting some great good fortune or misfortune to befall him, before the event happens he is in a state of great nervous tension and can hardly control himself; but once the best or the worst is known, he regains his equanimity. Now in this case Moses actually prepared the Israelites for the great event which was about to take place, and yet when it came it almost overwhelmed them, so we may imagine what would have happened if he had not prepared them. And this is the meaning of "he said": he told them what was going to happen so as to fortify them beforehand. And with all this, as has been already mentioned, they could not endure the revelation when it came, for, as R. Judah said in the name of R. Hiya, in the name of R. Jose: "When the Israelites heard the words of the Holy One, their souls flew from them and ascended up to the Throne of Glory in order to cleave to it. Said the Torah to the Holy One: 'Was it then for nothing and to no purpose that I was fashioned two thousand years before the creation of the world? Is it all in vain that in me is inscribed "Every man [85a] of the children of Israel", "speak to the children of Israel", "the children of Israel are servants unto Me", "These are the children of Israel", and diverse other words of a like character? Where, then, are these children of Israel? At that hour the children of Israel received again the souls which had fled in the wake of the Divine splendour, for the Torah returned them every one to its own place; yea, she took hold of them and gave them back to their owners, each to the body which was its proper dwelling. This is the significance of the words: "The Torah of the Lord is perfect, returning (meshibath) the soul" (Ps. XIX, 7): "returning" in the literal sense.'

There is a tradition concerning King Solomon, that when he first sat on his throne the Moon was in her fulness, as he was the fifteenth in descent from Abraham, the pedigree being Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez, Hezron, Ram (Ruth IV, 19), Aminadab, Nahshon, Shalmon, Boaz, abed, Jesse, David, Solomon. Therefore it is written: "Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord" (I Chr. XXIX, 23), and also "six ascents had the throne", thus being a replica of the Supernal Throne. In the days of Zedekiah, the Moon was in her wane, and the face of Israel was darkened. He was the fifteenth from Solomon, his pedigree being Rehoboam, Abiah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Zedekiah. When Zedekiah came the Moon waned and remained thus, for it is written: "He (the king of Babylon) blinded the eyes of Zedekiah" (Jer. LII, 11). Then "He cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel" (Lam. II, 1). The earth was removed far from the heaven and became dark.

When the Israelites stood by Mount Sinai the Moon began to shine forth, as it is written: "He bowed the heavens and came down" (2 Sam. XXII, 10), meaning that the Sun approached the Moon, and the Moon began to shine, this being expressed in the words: "And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies" (Num. II, 3). On Mount Sinai was Judah appointed chief in the kingdom. R. Isaac found this expressed in the words: "But Judah still ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints" (Hos. XII, 1), which means, that when God was ruling in His Kingdom on Mount Sinai, Judah was ruling in his; when the Holy One said to Israel: "And ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation", Judah was found faithful and worthy to receive the kingdom, and therefore the Moon began to shine.

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Part 4 of 4

I AM THE LORD THY GOD WHO BROUGHT THEE OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT. R. Eleazar referred to the verse: "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the Torah of thy mother" (Prov. I, 18). "'The instruction of thy father",' he said, 'refers to the Holy One; "the Torah of thy mother" to the Community of Israel.' According to R. Judah, "father" represents Wisdom (Hokhmah) and "mother" Understanding (Binah). Said R. Judah: 'Both interpretations mean one and the same thing, for we have been taught that the Torah emanated from the Supernal Wisdom.' R. Jose said that the Torah emanated from Understanding, for it says: "to perceive the words of understanding" and "forsake not the Torah of thy mother". Said R Judah: 'The Torah is an emanation of both Wisdom and Understanding, and combines the influence of both, for it says: "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the Torah of thy mother".' R. Abba said: 'It contains the influence of all the emanations, in virtue of containing those two: grace, judgement, and mercy, and every one required for perfection. When the King and the Matrona are in harmonious union all attributes are harmoniously united, and wherever these are found all the others are found as well.'

R. Jose said: 'The "I" in the first commandment represents the Shekinah, as in "I will go down with thee to Egypt" (Gen. XLVI, 4).' R. Isaac said that after "I" there is a pause, and the next words, "the Lord is thy God", refer to the Holy One, blessed be He, identical with the "Heavens", as it is written: "Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice" (Deut. IV, 36), and again, "Ye have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven" (Ex. xx, 22). The "who" (asher) which follows designates the sphere which all consider blessed (ashar) [85b]. The "bringing out of Egypt" designates the "Jubilee", as we have been taught that the "Jubilee" was the immediate cause of Israel's exodus from Egypt; for which reason this event is mentioned fifty times in the Torah. Fifty days passed from the Exodus to the Revelation on Sinai, and fifty years had to pass for the liberation of slaves. "From the house of slaves": as it is written: "The Lord smote all the firstborn of the land of Egypt" (Ex. XII, 29), which, as we have been taught, signifies the lower "crown" which the Egyptians worshipped. For, indeed, as there is a "House" above, so also there is a "house" below; a holy "house" above -- "with wisdom is a house builded" (Prov. XXIV, 3) -- and an unholy "house" below, a "house of slaves".

We have been taught that when the "I" was proclaimed, all those commandments of the Torah which are united in the "Body" of the Supernal Holy King were comprised in it; for, indeed, all the commandments have their unifying centre in the "Body" of the King; some in the "Head", some in the "Trunk", some in the "Hands", and some in the "Feet", and none of them ever step out and become separate from the "Body" of the King or lose connection with it. He, therefore, who transgresses against even one of the commandments of the Torah is as though he transgressed against the "Body" of the King, as it is written: "And they shall go forth and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me" (Isa. LXVI, 24) -- as it were, "against My very Self." Woe unto the sinners who break the words of the Torah -- they know not what they do! And thus said R. Simeon: 'The Place against which a sin is committed itself reveals the sin. When a sin has been committed against the Holy One, it is He Himself who reveals it, as it is written: "The heaven shall reveal his iniquity and the earth shall rise up against him" (Job. XX, 27). "The heaven" signifies the Holy One; "the earth" the Community of Israel. We have also been taught that "heaven" reveals man's guilt and "earth" executes judgement on the sinners, as it is written: "The earth shall rise up against him."'

Said R. Jose: 'We have been taught in the name of R. Simeon that in the hour when the Torah was given to Israel Mother and children were together in perfect harmony, as it is written, "the mother of the children rejoiced" (Ps. XCIII, 9).' Thus "I" in this verse refers to the Shekinah, called "daughter" in the dictum "Abraham had a daughter, the Shekinah". "The Lord thy God" has the same reference as in the verse, "My firstborn son Israel" (Ex. IV, 22) (i.e. Tifereth); while the words "who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt" refer to the mystery of "Jubilee" (the Mother). Thus the Mother was there and the Children were there, all in joy and completeness; so that we apply the verse "the Mother of the children rejoices". Hence we have learnt that a man should be careful not to sin lest he cause the Mother to depart from the Children.' R. Isaac said: 'All these expressions refer to the Holy One, blessed be He, and this is a thing disclosed to the "reapers of the field".'

R. Eleazar said: 'From the fact that in one place it says: "In the beginning God created heaven and earth", and in another, "On the day when the Lord God made earth and heaven" (Gen. 11, 4), it has been concluded that both heaven and earth were created as one; the Holy One stretched out His right hand and created the heaven, and then He stretched out His left hand and created the earth. Also, when it says: "And it shall come to pass on that day that I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth" (Hos. II, 21), it refers to the supernal heavens and to the supernal earth, the earth which is called "My footstool" (Isa. LXVI, 1). The significance whereof is that the heaven longed for the earth, that it might unite itself with her in the sphere called "Righteous", as it is written: "The righteous is the foundation of the world" (Prov. X, 25). From the head of the King to the place where this Righteous One commences flows a holy river [86a], the oil of anointment, which pours itself out in fulness of desire upon this earth; and the earth having received it therefrom nourishes all both above and below.'

Said R. Isaac: 'We read: "And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai" (Ex. XIX, 20); "He bowed the heavens and came down" (2 Sam. XXII, 10). Whither came He down? For the text tells us that He descended upon (lit. above) Mount Sinai and not on to Sinai.' R. Jose replied: 'He came down from grade to grade, from crown to crown, until He reached this "earth", and then the Moon shone and was revealed in completeness in the heavens. Hence it says, "He descended above Mount Sinai." What stands above Mount Sinai? Surely, the Shekinah.'

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THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME (lit. before My Face). Said R. Isaac: 'This prohibition of "other gods" does not include the Shekinah; "before My Face" does not include the "Faces of the King" (the Sephiroth), in which the Holy King manifests Himself, and which are His Name and identical with Him. That they are His name is shown by the verse: "I am YHVH, that is My Name" (Isa. XLII, 8). Thus He and His Name are one. Blessed be His Name for ever and ever.'

R. Simeon taught: 'Blessed are the Israelites, for that the Holy One calls them "Men" (Adam), as it is written, "Ye are my sheep; the sheep of my flock; ye are men" (Ezek. XXXIV, 31). Why are they called "men", in contradistinction to the heathen nations? Because they "cleave to the Lord their God" (Deut. IV, 4.).When a Jewish child is circumcised he enters at once into the Abrahamitic covenant; and when he commences to keep the precepts of the Torah he enters into the grade of "man" and becomes attached to the "Body of the King" and so obtains the title of "man". Contrariwise Ishmael was a "wild man" (Gen. XVI, 12); he was only partly a "man": there were the beginnings of "manhood" in him, because he was circumcised, but this "manhood" did not come to fruition in him, because he did not receive the commandments of the Torah. But the seed of Israel, who were perfected in all things, they are "men" in the full sense: "For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance" (Deut. XXXII, 9).' Said R. Jose: 'Therefore the graving and painting of all forms is permitted, except the human figure.' Said R. Isaac: 'The reason is, because when a human figure is represented in sculpture or painting, it is not only the body which is fashioned in the image of the person, but as it were the wholeness of the man is being reproduced, his inner form, namely his spirit, as well as his outer bodily form': Said R. Judah 'This accords with the popular saying: "As the breath of the craftsman, so the shape of the vessel."'

R. Judah went once from Cappadocia to Lydda to see R. Simeon, who was sojourning there at that time, and R. Hezekiah accompanied him. Said R. Judah to R. Hezekiah: 'What R. Simeon taught us concerning the meaning of the term "wild man" [86b] applied to Ishmael is perfectly true and quite clear, but what is the meaning of the second half of the verse: "and he shall dwell in the presence (lit. faces) of all his brethren"?' R. Hezekiah replied: 'I have heard no interpretation and I shall not give any, for it is written: "And this is the Torah which Moses set before the children of Israel" (Deut. IV, 44). What was set by Moses we can enunciate; what he did not set we cannot enunciate.' Then said R. Judah: 'It is written: " For he is thy life and the length of thy days" (Deut. XXX, 20). He who is worthy of the Torah and separates not himself from her is worthy of two lives: life in this world and life in the world to come. But he who separates himself from her separates himself from life. And he who separates himself from R. Simeon separates himself from all things. Here is a verse to which he has already opened a door, and yet we cannot enter it nor penetrate further without his aid; how much more difficult then will it be for us to enter into the more recondite words of the Torah! Woe to the generation from which R. Simeon will be removed! As long as we are in his presence the springs of the heart are open on every hand to the apprehension of truth, and everything is unfolded, but as soon as we separate ourselves from him we know nothing and all the springs are closed.' Said R. Hezekiah: 'It is written: "And he took of the spirit that was upon him (Moses) and gave it unto the seventy elders" (Num. XI, 25). It was like a light from which many lights are kindled, and which yet retains its brightness. R. Simeon is such a light; he illumines everyone and yet his light is not diminished, but remains steadfast in its full splendour.'

They walked on until they reached the place where he was dwelling at the time. They found him absorbed in the study of the Torah. He was meditating aloud upon the verse: "A prayer of the afflicted (poor) when he is wrapped in darkness (languishing), and poureth out his complaint before the Lord" (Ps. CII, 1). He said: 'All prayers of Israel are effective, but the prayer of the poor man more so than all others. Why? Because it reaches the Crown of the King's Glory and becomes, as it were, a garland for His Head, and the Holy One clothes Himself with this prayer as with a garment. "When he is wrapped .... " He is not wrapped in garments, for he has none, being needy, but the word ya'atof has the same significance here as in the words, "the life of the young children that faint ('atuphim) for hunger" (Lam. II, 19). He "poureth out his complaint before the Lord". This is pleasing to the Lord, for the world is sustained by such. Woe unto him against whom a poor man complains to his Master! For the poor are nearest to the King. Concerning him the Lord says: "When he crieth unto me I will hear, for I am gracious" (Ex. XXII, 26), which signifies that the prayers of others are sometimes accepted and sometimes rejected, but the poor man's prayer is always answered. And why? Because the King dwells in broken vessels: "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit" (Isa. LXVI, 2). "The Lord is near to those who are of a broken heart" (Ps. XXXIV, 19): "A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" (Ibid. LI, 19). Hence we have learnt that whosoever wrongs a poor man wrongs the Shekinah. "For the Lord will plead their cause" (Prov. XXII, 23): their Protector is omnipotent; he needs no witnesses, no other judge, no pledge does he accept, except that of the soul: "and spoil the soul of those who spoil them (the poor)" (Ibid.).' He went on: '"A prayer of the poor... ." Wherever the word "prayer" (tephillah) is mentioned, it signifies something precious, something which ascends to a supernal sphere -- to the phylactery of the head worn by the King.'

At this point R. Simeon turned his head and saw R. Judah and R. Hezekiah approaching him. When he had finished his reflections he looked at them, and said: 'You look as if you had lost something valuable.' 'Yes,' they replied, 'for the Master opened a precious door and yet we cannot enter into it.' 'And what is it?' said he. Said they: 'We refer to the verse concerning Ishmael: what is the meaning of the last words: "and he shall dwell upon the faces of all his brethren"? The beginning of the verse is clear to us, but what of this? We know not what the significance of these words is. The end does not seem to suit the beginning.'

'By your life!' replied R. Simeon, "both parts of the verse have one significance and point to the same truth. We know that the Holy One has many aspects (faces) in His manifestations to men: He manifests to some a beaming face, to others a gloomy one; to some a distant face, [87a] to others one that is very near; to some an external, to others an inner, hidden aspect; to some from the right side, to others from the left. Blessed are the Israelites, for they are united with the uppermost "face" of the King, with the face wherein He and His Name are one. Contrariwise, the heathen nations are joined to the most distant "face", to the "lower face", and therefore they are at a great distance from the "Body" of the King. For we see that all those nations, like the Egyptians, for instance, who are related to Ishmael -- for he had many brothers and relatives -- were connected with the "lower", the "distant" faces of the Divine. Ishmael, however, when he was circumcised, had the privilege, for Abraham's sake, of having his dwelling-place and his portion in the sphere which dominated all those distant and lower faces, the faces of the Divine which are turned towards the other nations. Therefore it says of him: "His hand will be in all (kol [20]) ... and he shall dwell upon the faces of all his brethren", namely, he will be in a superior sphere to any of the other heathen nations; he will rule over all the "faces" that are below.'

Then R. Judah and R. Hezekiah approached him and kissed his hands. Said R. Judah: 'This is an illustration of the proverb: "Wine settled on its lees and a bubbling spring are a wonderful combination." [21] Woe to the world when the Master will be removed from it! Blessed the generation that is privileged to hearken to his words! Blessed the generation in which he lives!'

Said R. Hezekiah: 'But have we not been taught that a proselyte when circumcised is merely called a "proselyte of righteousness" and nothing more? Yet according to thy interpretation of this verse, Master, "his hand will be in all (kol)"?' R. Simeon replied: 'Quite so! Ishmael was not merely a "proselyte", he was a son of Abraham, a son of the holy man, to whom the Lord gave the promise: "As concerning Ishmael, behold ... I have blessed him" (Gen. XVII, 20); which "blessing" has a reference to the statement, "And the Lord blessed Abraham in all things (kol)"; which again is connected with the promise to Ishmael that "his hand will be in all (kol) .... " This indicates that proselytes from among other nations, Ishmael's kin, would be called "proselytes of righteousness", but the nation whom he himself represents should be above them, "he shall dwell above the faces of his brethren".' Said R. Judah: 'Hence the commandment to Israel: "Thou shalt have no other gods upon My face", meaning "Thou shalt even avoid conceiving Me in those aspects (faces) which form Ishmael's religion".' [22]

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THOU SHALT NOT MAKE UNTO THEE ANY GRAVEN IMAGE, OR ANY LIKENESS OF ANYTHING THAT IS IN HEAVEN ABOVE OR THAT IS IN THE EARTH BENEATH. We have already mentioned, in reference to this prohibition, the remark of R. Jose that 'all pictorial presentations are permitted, except that of a human countenance, because this countenance has dominion over all things'. R. Isaac applied to this commandment the maxim: "Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin" (Eccl. V, 5). 'How careful', he said, 'must one be not to err in regard to the meaning of the words of the Torah, and not to derive any doctrine from them which he has not learnt [from books] or heard from his teachers. He who gives his own interpretations of Scripture, not derived from these sources, transgresses against the commandment: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image ...." The Holy One will punish him in the world to come, when his soul shall desire to enter into her place. She will then be thrust away, and she will be cut off from that region which is "bound up with the bundle of life" wherein are the other souls. Concerning such a man it is written: "Wherefore should God be angry at thy voice?" (Ibid.), "voice" symbolizing the soul.' Said R. Hiya: 'It is for this reason that to this prohibition are added the words, "for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God". God is "jealous" above all for His Name, either because of the pictorial presentations wherewith His Name (character) is misrepresented, or because of the Torah when she is misinterpreted. For the Torah, as we have been taught, consists entirely of His Holy Name; in fact, every word written therein consists of and contains that Holy Name. Therefore one must beware of erring in regard to this Name and misrepresenting it. He who is false to the Supernal King will not be allowed to enter the King's Palace and will be driven away from the world to come.' R. Abba derived the same lesson from the words from this commandment: "Thou shalt not make ... any graven image (pesel)", which he connected with the verse, [87b] "Hew (pesal) thee two tables of stone" (Ex. XXXIV, 1), interpreting thus: "Thou shalt not 'hew' unto thee another Torah, which thou neither knowest [from books]. nor hast learnt from thy master; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God and shall punish thee in the world to come when thy soul shall long to enter into the spheres of glory and stand before My Presence." How many emissaries will then be ready to frustrate its desire and thrust it into Gehenna! [23] According to yet another interpretation, this commandment includes the prohibition against the profanation of the sign of the Abrahamitic covenant, which sign is a symbol of the Holy Name. By means of this sign Israel entered into the first Covenant and union with the Shekinah, and he who brings it into a foreign domain is false to the Holy One Himself.

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THOU SHALT NOT BOW DOWN TO THEM NOR WORSHIP THEM. As R. Eleazar was once walking in company with R. Hiya, the latter said: 'It is written: "When thou goest out to war against thine enemies . . . and seest among the captives a beautiful woman ... thou shalt bring her home to thine house" (Deut. XXI, 10, 11). How can this be? Is not intermarriage with heathens prohibited?' R. Eleazar replied: 'This only applied to the seven nations [24] when they were independent in their own land. But mark this. There is no woman among the heathen nations who is free from taint. Therefore the section concerning the captive woman is immediately followed by that of the rebellious son, to indicate that children born of such a union are far from good, the impurity of idolatry inherited by the mother being difficult to remove; all the more so if she has been already married, as the taint of her husband cleaves to her. Hence the command of Moses to exterminate the Midianite women who were the cause of Israel's downfall in the wilderness (Num. XXV, 1-9); XXXI, 15-19). Blessed is the man who keeps in purity this heritage (the Covenant), for in this holy possession he unites himself with the Holy One, blessed be He, especially if he keeps the commandments of the Torah! The Holy One then stretches out His Right Hand to receive him, and he cleaves to the Holy Body. Concerning this it says of Israel: "And ye who cleave to the Lord your God" (Deut. IV, 4); "Sons are ye to the Lord your God" (Ibid. XIV, 1): literally "sons", as it is also written: "My firstborn son Israel" (Ex. IV, 22); "Israel, in whom I am glorified" (Isa. XLIX, 3).'

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THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN. R. Simeon spoke in connection with this on the passage: "And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house?" (2 Kings IV, 2). 'What Elisha meant', said he, 'was: "Hast thou nothing upon which the Divine blessing could rest?" For there is a dictum that it is prohibited to say grace after meals over an empty table, because the supernal blessing cannot rest on an empty place. It is therefore necessary to put a loaf or two on the table before saying grace, or at least the remnants of the former meal, in order that the blessing should not, as it were, be uttered "in emptiness". But when the woman said: "Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil" (Ibid.), the prophet replied: "Verily, this is fitted to receive a perfect blessing, as it is written: 'The good name (of God) can issue forth from good oil' " (Eccl. VII, 1). For the Holy Name comes forth from "oil", to bless and to kindle new lights. What is this "oil"?' Said R. Isaac: 'It represents the same "good oil upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard" (Ps. CXXXIII, 2, the symbol of blessing, the instrument of which was the high priest).' R. Eleazar held that it represents the supernal mountains of pure balsam. R. Simeon interpreted the verse of Ecclesiastes thus: 'How good is the celestial name of the supernal holy lights, when they all radiate from the "good oil" we have mentioned! It is a sin to mention the Name of the Holy One in vain, in emptiness. A man who does that were better not to have been born.' According to R. Eleazar, this also means that one should not utter the Holy Name by itself, but only after a preceding word, [88a] as in the Torah it only occurs for the first time after two words: Bereshit barah Elohim (In the beginning God created). Said R. Simeon: 'In the Torah the Holy Name is mentioned only in connection with a completed world: "On the day when YHVH Elohim made the heavens and the earth" (Gen. II, 4).' From all this it follows that one should not mention the Holy Name in vain, that is, in "emptiness". One should utter the Holy Name only within a blessing or a prayer. But he who takes the Name in vain, neither in a benediction nor in a prayer, will be punished when his soul will be leaving him: "for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His Name in vain". R. Jose further remarks in our Mishnah: 'What is the nature of blessing? It is the presence of the Holy Name in the blessing which makes it so significant, for this Name is the source of blessing to the whole universe. Therefore: "Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain."'

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REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY, TO SANCTIFY IT. Said R. Isaac: 'It is written, "And God blessed the seventh day" (Gen. II, 3); and yet we read of the manna, "Six days ye shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, in it there shall be none" (Ex. XVI, 26). If there was no food on that day what blessing is attached to it? Yet we have been taught that all blessings from above and from below depend upon the seventh day. Why, then, was there no manna just on this day? The explanation is that all the six days of the transcendent world derive their blessings from it, and each supernal day sends forth nourishment to the world below from what it received from the seventh day. [25] Therefore he who has attained to the grade of Faith must needs prepare a table and a meal on the Sabbath eve (Friday) so that his table may be blessed all through the other six days of the week. For, indeed, at the time of the Sabbath preparation there is also prepared the blessing for all the six days that shall follow, for no blessing is found at an empty table. Thus one should make ready the table on Sabbath night with bread and other food.' R. Isaac added: 'Also on the Sabbath day.' Said R. Judah: 'One must regale oneself on this day with three meals, in order that this day may be one of satisfaction and refreshment.' Said R. Abba: 'One must do so in order that blessing may spread to those supernal days which receive their blessing from the seventh.' On this day the head of the "Little Face" is filled with the dew which descends from the Holy Ancient One, the Most Hidden One; He causes it to descend into the holy "Field of Apples" three times after the entrance of the Sabbath, in order that all unitedly may enjoy the blessing. Therefore it is necessary, not only for ourselves that we should have these three repasts during the day, but for all creation, for therein is consummated the true faith in the Holy Ancient One, the "Little Face", and the "Field of Apples", and we should rejoice and delight in all three. But he who lessens the number of the meals, as it were brings imperfection and blemish into the regions above, and great will his punishment be.' Said R. Simeon: 'When a man has completed the three meals on the Sabbath a voice proclaims concerning him: "Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord." This is in reference to one meal, in honour of the Ancient, the All Holy. Then it proclaims, "and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth" -- this in reference to a second meal, in honour of the holy "Field of Apples"; then, "and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father" (Isa. LVIII, 14) -- completing the triad with a reference to the "Little Face". Correspondingly man should complete the number of three meals, and find joy and refreshment in all three and in each one of them separately, because this is a manifestation of perfected faith. Therefore the Sabbath is more precious than all other times and seasons and festivals, because it contains and unites all in itself, whereas no other festival or holy day does so.'

Said R. Hiya: 'Because all things are found in the Sabbath it is mentioned three times in the story of Creation: "And on the seventh day God ended his work"; "and he rested on the seventh day"; "and God blessed the seventh day" (Gen. II, 2, 3).' R. Hamnuna the ancient, [26] when he sat at his Sabbath meals, used to find joy in each one. Over one he would exclaim: 'This is the holy meal of the Holy Ancient One, the All-hidden.' Over another he would say: 'This is the meal of the Holy One, blessed be He.' And when he [88b] came to the last one he would say: 'Complete the meals of the Faith.' R. Simeon used always to say when the time of the Sabbath meal arrived: 'Prepare ye the meal of the supernal Faith! Make ready the meal of the King!' Then he would sit with a glad heart. And as soon as he had finished the third meal it was proclaimed concerning him: 'Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father.'

R. Eleazar asked his father, R. Simeon, in what order the three meals corresponded to the three divine grades. R. Simeon replied: 'Concerning the meal of Sabbath night (i.e. Friday night) it is written: "I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth." In this night the Holy Matrona (Shekinah) is greatly blessed, and the whole" Field of Apples" also, and the man's table is blessed who partakes of his meal duly and with joy, and a new soul is added unto him. This night signifies the rejoicing of the Shekinah. Man therefore has to participate in Her joy and partake of Her meal. Concerning the second meal on the Sabbath day, it is written: "Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord" -- that is, in the very Lord (YHVH); for at that hour the Holy Ancient One reveals Himself and all the worlds are irradiated with joy, and we, in participating in this meal, contribute to that joy. Concerning the third meal it is written: "And feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father." This is the meal of the "Little Face" who is then complete in harmonious perfection, from which perfection all the six days that are to come will receive blessing. Therefore one must wholeheartedly rejoice in these meals, and complete their number, for they are meals of the perfect Faith, the Faith of the holy seed of Israel, their supernal Faith, which is not that of the heathen nations: "A sign between me and the children of Israel" (Ex. XXXI, 17). And mark this. By these meals the children of Israel are distinguished as the King's sons, as belonging to the Palace, as sons of Faith; and he who abstains from one of these meals causes an incompleteness in the regions above; thus such a man testifies of himself that he is not one of the King's sons, not of the Palace, not of the holiness of Israel's seed, and he will be made to bear the burden of a threefold punishment in Gehenna.

'Also mark this. On all festivals and holy days a man must both rejoice himself and give joy to the poor. Should he regale himself only and not give a share to the poor, his punishment will be great. Concerning such a one it is written: "Behold, I will reprove your seed and spread dung upon your face, the dung of your solemn feasts" (Mal. II, 3). This particular verse, however, applies only to festivals, not to the Sabbath. Similarly, the words, "Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth" (Isa. I, 14), do not include the Sabbath. The unique character of the Sabbath is expressed in the words: "Between Me and the children of Israel." And because the Faith is centred in the Sabbath, man is given on this day an additional, a supernal soul, a soul in which is all perfection, according to the pattern of the world to come. What does the word "Sabbath" mean? The Name of the Holy One, the Name which is in perfect harmony at all sides.' [27] Said R. Jose: 'It is indeed so. Woe to him who does not help to complete the joy of the Holy King! And what is His joy? Those three meals of the Faith, the meals wherein Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob participate, and which express joy upon joy, the perfect Faith from all sides. On this day -- so we have been taught -- the Fathers crown themselves and all the Children imbibe power and light and joy, such as is unknown even on other festive days. On this day sinners find rest in Gehenna. On this day punishment is held back from the world. On this day the Torah crowns herself in perfect crowns. On this day joy and gladness resound throughout two hundred and fifty worlds. Mark also this. On all the six days of the week, when the hour of the afternoon prayer arrives, the attribute of Justice is in the ascendant, and punishment is at hand. But not so on the Sabbath. When the time of the Sabbath afternoon prayer arrives benign influences reign, the lovingkindness of the Holy Ancient One is manifested, all chastisements are kept in leash, and all is satisfaction and joy. In this time of satisfaction and goodwill Moses, the holy, faithful prophet, passed away from this world, in order that it should be known that he was not taken away through judgement, but that in the hour [89a] of grace of the Holy Ancient One his soul ascended, to be hidden in Him. Therefore "no man knows of his sepulchre unto this day" (Deut. XXXIV, 6). As the Holy Ancient One is the All-hidden One, whom neither those above nor those below can comprehend, so was this soul of Moses hidden in the epiphany of God's good will at the hour of the Sabbath afternoon prayer. This soul is the most hidden of all hidden things in the world, and judgement has no dominion over it. Blessed is the lot of Moses.

'On this day the Torah crowns herself with all beauty, with all those commandments, with all those decrees and punishments for transgressions -- in seventy branches of light which radiate on every hand. What it is to behold the little twigs which constantly emanate from each branch -- five of which stand in the Tree itself, all the branches being comprised in it! What it is to behold the gates which open at all sides, and through which bursts forth in splendour and beauty the streaming, inexhaustible light! A voice is heard: "Awake, ye supernal saints! Awake, holy people, chosen from above and from below! Awake in joy to meet your Lord, awake in perfect joy! Prepare yourselves in the threefold joy of the three Patriarchs! Prepare yourselves for the Faith, the joy of joys! Happy are ye, O Israelites, holy in this world and holy in the world to come! This is your heritage over and above that of all heathen nations -- "a sign between Me and you!"' Said R. Judah: 'It is indeed thus. Hence: "Remember the sabbath day to sanctify it"; "Be ye holy, for I the Lord am holy" (Lev. XIX, 2); "Call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable" (Isa. LVIII, 13).'

All the souls of the righteous -- so we have been taught -- on this day are feasted on the delights of the Holy Ancient One, the All-hidden. A breath of this rapture is extended through all the worlds; it ascends and descends, and spreads abroad to all the children of the holy, to all the guardians of the Torah, so that they enjoy perfect rest, forgetting all cares, all penalties, all toil and drudgery. It is the day on which "the Lord giveth thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve" (Isa. XIV, 3). Therefore the Sabbath is equal in importance to the whole Torah, and whosoever observes the Sabbath fulfils the whole Torah: "Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it: that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil" (Ibid. LVI, 2).'

R. Judai one day met R. Simeon on the road, and he asked him to explain the words of the prophet: "For thus says the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; even unto them will I give in my house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off" (Ibid. 4, 5). Said R. Simeon: 'Cappadocian! [28] Get down from thy donkey and fasten it to a tree, or let him go behind, and do thou follow me! Holy Writ requires quiet and solemn contemplation.' He replied: 'It is for the Master's sake that I have undertaken this journey, and in following him I shall behold the Shekinah.' Then R. Simeon said: 'This subject has already been considered by the members of the Fellowship, but they have not explained it sufficiently. The "eunuchs" are, in fact, students of the Torah, who make themselves "eunuchs" during the six days of the week for the Torah's sake, and on Sabbath nights have their conjugal union, because they apprehend the supernal mystery of the right moment when the Matrona (Shekinah) is united with the King. Such adepts of the mystic lore concentrate their hearts on the Divine union, on the Faith of their Lord, and are blessed in their own union. Therefore it says: "that keep My Sabbaths", meaning "they keep them in their hearts", as in the expression: "But his (Joseph's) father kept the matter" (Gen. XXXVI, 11). They are "eunuchs" because they wait for the Sabbath, in order "to choose what pleaseth Me", namely His union with the Shekinah. Blessed is the man who is sanctified in this holiness, and comprehends this mystery. Mark this. It is written: "Six days shalt thou labour and do all [89b] thy work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God." "All thy work": during the six days of the week man has to work, and therefore those who are absorbed in the study of the Torah have their conjugal union at a time when they do not work, but when the Holy One works. And what is His work then? The union with the Shekinah, in order to bring forth holy souls into the world. For this reason the mystics sanctify themselves on this night in the holiness of their Lord with deep contemplation and concentration, and bring good and holy children into the world: children who turn neither to the right nor to the left, children of the King and the Queen: "Children are ye to the Lord your God" (Deut. XIV, 1) -- His children in the most real sense. The world is sustained by the merit of these children of God, and when the world is placed on its trial the Holy One looks on these His children and exercises His pity and mercy. They are "altogether a seed of truth" (Jer. 11, 21): a holy, perfect seed, according to the promise, "Thou shalt give truth to Jacob" (Micah VII, 20), and "truth" being the Holy One Himself, it means that He enters into their very self.' Said R. Judai: 'Blessed be the Merciful One who sent me here! Blessed be He for that He has permitted me to hear thy words!' And he burst out weeping. 'Why dost thou weep?' R. Simeon asked. 'I weep', he said, "because I think : Woe to the children of the world whose ways are the ways of beasts, without knowledge and understanding! It would have been better for them not to have been created. Woe to the world when thou, Master, wilt be removed from it! For who will then unfold the mysteries of the Torah? Who will then comprehend and grasp her ways? ' Said R. Simeon: 'By thy life! The world belongs only to those who occupy themselves with the Torah and know its mysteries. The Rabbis were right in their hard judgement on those who are ignorant of the Torah and corrupt their ways, not knowing their right hand from their left; for they are indeed like cattle, and it is fitting to chastise them even on the Day of Atonement. Concerning their children it is written: "They are the children of whoredoms" (Hos. II, 6).' Said R. Judai: 'Master, there is a certain peculiarity in the words of this verse. It is written: "even unto them will I give in my house and within my walls a place and a name better than sons and daughters", and then "I will give him an everlasting name, etc." Why first "them" and then "him"?' R. Simeon replied: '''House'' here is the celestial region of which it says concerning Moses: "He is faithful in all my house"; the "walls" are those of which it says: "Upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen" (Isa. LXII, 6); "a place and a name" signify that they will draw holy souls from this celestial sphere which, in its harmonious perfection, is "better than sons and daughters"; and "to him", namely to this portion, God will give an "everlasting name". According to another explanation, "I will give him" -- namely to him who comprehends this mystery, and knows how to concentrate on it with the right intention -- "an everlasting name that shall not be cut off".'

R. Simeon also explained on that occasion the reason why it is written: "Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day" (Ex. XXV, 3)' 'It is', he said, 'because fire symbolizes judgement. As to the fire of the sacrifices on the Sabbath day, it rises to hold in check judgement; for, as we have learnt, "there is a fire which consumes a fire": the fire of the altar consumes the fire of judgement. Therefore the Holy Ancient One reveals Himself on this day (Sabbath) more than on any other day, and when He reveals Himself judgement is not in evidence at all, and all the upper and lower celestial beings are in perfect joy, and judgement has no dominion.

'It is written: "For six days the Lord made heaven and earth" (Ex. XXXI, 17); it does not say "in six days", which indicates that the days themselves were a special creation. They are holy, supernal days, days in which the Holy Name is contained. Blessed are the Israelites more than all the heathen nations: of them it is written, "And ye who cleave to the Lord your God, ye are all alive today".' [90a]

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HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER. R. Hiya connected this command with the words: "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden" (Gen. II, 10). 'The "river" he said, is the issue of the fountain which flows perennially and from whence the whole Garden of Eden is watered, and this issue [29] of the holy fountain is called Ab -- "Father".' R. Abba said that Eden itself [30] is called Father -- itself originating from the place called Ain (nought) -- as we have laid down, that the place from which the Whole begins to take its being is designated both "Thou" and "Father", as it says: "For thou art our father" (Isa. LXIII, 16).' R. Eleazar applied the words "honour thy father" to the Holy One; "thy mother" to the Community of Israel; and the article eth to the Shekinah. R. Judah, however, held that, as "Father" and "Mother" in this commandment are not particularised, they include all aspects of the Divine, and the article eth between indicates all that is above and all that is below. R. Jose referred to R. Abba's remark that the sphere whence the "river" issues forth is called "Thou", and confirmed it by reference to the dictum: "What is hidden and has no beginning is designated 'He'; but the point where it begins to manifest itself is called 'Thou' and 'Father', and all are one." Blessed be His name for ever and ever. Amen. Said R. Hezekiah: 'Verily, they are all one: "honour thy father", namely the Holy One, blessed be He; "and thy mother", the Community of Israel. Thus the commandment includes all, both that which is above and that which is below.' According to R. Isaac, it also includes teachers of the Torah, for they are the means of leading men to eternal life. R. Judah, however, held this to be included in the command to honour the Holy One, blessed be He.

We have a dictum that the first five commandments include by implication the other five as well: in other words, in the first five the second five are engraved, five within five. How? Take the first commandment: "I am the Lord thy God." Does it not include the first of the second five? Indeed it does, for the murderer diminishes the likeness and image of his Master, man having been created "in the image of God", and it is also written: "And upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man upon it" (Ezek. I, 26). Said R. Hiya: 'It is written: "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made he man" (Gen. IX, 6). He who sheds the blood of a fellow-man is thus considered as diminishing the Divine archetype of man as well. Thus the first commandment, "I am the Lord thy God", contains the motive for the sixth, "Thou shalt not murder." The second commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods", contains the motive for the seventh, "Thou shalt not commit adultery"; for the adulterer perfidiously lies against the Name of the Holy One which is impressed upon man, a sin comprising many other sins and entailing corresponding punishments. He who is unfaithful in this is unfaithful towards the King, as it is written: "They have dealt treacherously against the Lord, for they have begotten strange children" (Hos. V, 7). One is the result of the other. The third commandment, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain", corresponds to the eighth commandment, "Thou shalt not steal." For a thief is certainly inclined to swear falsely, as it is written: "Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul, he heareth cursing and tells it not" (Prov. XXIX, 24). The fourth commandment, "Remember the sabbath day", corresponds to the ninth, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour"; for, as R. Jose said, the Sabbath is called a witness to God's creative activity, and man is required to testify to the fact that "in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, etc." Hence R. Jose said: 'God has "given truth to Jacob" (Micah VII, 20) in requiring Israel to keep the Sabbath; and he who bears false witness against his neighbour lies against the Sabbath -- the witness of truth; and he who lies against the Sabbath lies against the whole Torah. The fifth commandment, "Honour thy father and thy mother", implies also the tenth, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife"; for whosoever has a son born in adultery is "honoured" by him [90b] on false pretences. Further, it is written in the fifth commandment "that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee", as much as to say, "what He gives thee is thine -- but covet not what is not thine". Thus the first five commandments imply the second five. Therefore: "From his right hand went a fiery law to them" (Deut. XXXIII, 2); for all was included in the five fingers of the Right Hand. Therefore also was the Torah proclaimed in five voices, corresponding to the five Books of the Torah.' R. Eleazar taught that in the Ten Words (Decalogue) all the other commandments were engraved, with all decrees and punishments, all laws concerning purity and impurity, all the branches and roots, all the trees and plants, heaven and earth, seas and oceans -- in fact, all things. For the Torah is the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He. As the Name of the Holy One is engraved in the Ten Words (creative utterances) of Creation, so is the whole Torah engraved in the Ten Words (Decalogue), and these Ten Words are the Name of the Holy One, and the whole Torah is thus one Name, the Holy Name of God Himself. Blessed is he who is worthy of her, the Torah, for he will be worthy of the Holy Name. Said R. Jose: 'This means that he will be worthy of the Holy One Himself, as He and His Name are one. Blessed be His Name for ever and ever. Amen.'

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YE SHALL NOT MAKE WITH ME (iti) GODS OF SILVER, NEITHER SHALL YE MAKE UNTO YOU GODS OF GOLD. R. Jose read iti (with me) as oti (me), and interpreted thus: 'Although "mine is the silver and mine the gold" (Hag. II, 8), ye shall not represent Me (oti) in silver and gold.' R. Isaac connected the words, "Mine is the silver and mine the gold", with the verse: "For as much as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great and thy name is great in power" (Jer. X, 7). "Thou art great" corresponds, according to him, to "Mine is the silver"; "and Thy Name is great" to "Mine the gold". These represent the two colours which are only visible in their full beauty when they are engraved in a certain place, namely Israel: "Israel, in whom I am glorified" (Isa. XLIX, 4). R. Judah illustrated from the verse: "I greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul is joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels" (Ibid. LXI, 10). He said: 'Blessed are the Israelites above all heathen nations, for that they have their joy in the Lord (YHVH, signifying Mercy) and their gladness in their God (Elohim, signifying Judgement). Thus does Israel say: "Whether He deals with us in Mercy or in Judgement we rejoice and are glad in Him." For these two attributes belong to His essential Being, as indicated by the words, "He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation (yesha)", namely with the garments consisting of colours in which one can have a perception, a beholding, of Him (shaah = to look). He says: "He who would behold Me must behold My colours (the attributes of Mercy and Justice)." And these two colours are indicated by the words, "as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels". When these two colours are united their glory is such that all are aflame to behold their beauty.' R. Jose said that two kinds of joy are referred to in the words, "I greatly rejoice in the Lord", and one in the words, "my soul is joyful in my God". Said R. Judah: 'In each there is joy upon joy, but the joy which the Holy One shall vouchsafe unto Israel in the future will excel them all: "And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness" (Isa. XXXV, 10). "They shall return"; "they shall come with songs"; "everlasting joy upon their heads"; "they shall obtain joy and gladness" -- the fourfold glad tidings corresponding to the four exiles of Israel among the nations (Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Roman). Therefore: "Ye shall say in that day, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the peoples" (Isa. XII, 4.).' [93b]. [31]

The Ten Words contain the essence of all the commandments, the essence of all celestial and terrestrial mysteries, the essence of the Ten Words of Creation. They were engraved on tables of stone, and all the hidden things were seen by the eyes and perceived by the minds of all Israel, everything being made clear to them. At that hour. all the mysteries of the Torah, all the hidden things of heaven and earth, were unfolded before them and revealed to their eyes, for they [94a] saw eye to eye the splendour of the glory of their Lord. Never before, since the Holy One created the world, had such a revelation of the Divine Glory taken place. Even the crossing of the Red Sea, where, as has been said, even a simple maid-servant saw more of the Divine than the prophet Ezekiel, was not so wonderful as this. For on this day all the earthly dross was removed from them and purged away, and their bodies became as lucent as the angels above when they are clothed in radiant garments for the accomplishment of their Master's errands; in which garments they penetrate fire without fear, as we read concerning the angel who appeared to Manoah (Jud. XIII, 20). And when all the fleshly impurity was removed from the Israelites their bodies became, as we have said, lucent as stars and their souls were as resplendent as the firmament, to receive the light. Such was the state of the Israelites when they beheld the glory of their Lord. It was not thus at the Red Sea, when the filth had not as yet been removed from them. There, at Mount Sinai, even the embryos in their mothers' wombs had some perception of their Lord's glory, and everyone received according to his grade of perception. On that day the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoiced more than on any previous day since He had created the world, for Creation had no proper basis before Israel received the Torah, as is implied in the words: "But for my covenant with day and night, I had not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth" (Jer. XXXIII, 25). But when once Israel had received the Torah on Mount Sinai the world was duly and completely established, and heaven and earth received a proper foundation, and the glory of the Holy One was made known both above and below, and He was exalted over all. Concerning that day it is written: "The Lord is King, he hath put on glorious apparel; he hath put on his apparel, and girded himself with strength' (Ps. XCIII, 1). "Strength" signifies the Torah, as it is written: "The Lord giveth strength to his people; he blesseth his people with peace" (Ibid. XIX, 11). Blessed be the Lord for ever. Amen and Amen.

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Notes:

1. So the k'tib.

2. Adonai.

3. i.e. for cursing.

4. Because the pair of hands contain ten fingers.

5. Binah.

6. There appears to be a lacuna here in the text.

7. Here follows in the original a discourse on palmistry.

8. Tifereth.

9. Hesed.

10. Geburah.

11.The emanations of the Godhead.

12. Tifereth.

13. Hesed.

14. Binah.

15. Shekinah.

16. v. Zohar, Genesis, 85a.

17. Pirke Aboth, IV, 21.

18. i.e. the so-called "forty-nine aspects of clean and forty-nine of unclean", v. Midrash Rabba, Shir Ha-shirim, 11, 4.

19. Heb. sanpirinon, prob. lapis-lazuli, v. Jastrow, S.V.

20. One of the lower grades of the Divine.

21. i.e. R. Simeon combines deliberate judgement with a perennial flow of learning.

22. i.e. Mohammedanism.

23. Al. "To hiss at it and to gaze at it in Gehenna."

24. v. Deut. VII, 7.

25. Here apparently = Binah.

26. Al. R. Abba.

27. 'This idea is based upon the mystic significance of the three letters of the word Sabbath, shin, beth, tau.

28. i.e. "rude fellow".

29. Tifereth.

30. Hokhmah.

31. 91a-93b belong to the Sitre Torah and the Ray'a Mehemna, and are too allusive to be made readily intelligible in a translation.