בהעלותך את הנרות אל מול פני המנורה יאירו שבעת הנרות

1“When you raise up the lamps, toward the face of the Menorah shall the seven lamps give light.” Now, the matter of the Menorah is stated in Zechariah: “I saw, and behold, a menorah of gold,” etc.

And he says, “What are these, my lord?” And he said to me, “This is the word of Havayah to Zerubbabel.”

The meaning is that the matter of the Menorah is the level of “the word of Havayah,” which is the source of the souls of Israel; as it is said, “and You breathed it into me,” and as it is written, “And He breathed into his nostrils the soul of [life],” etc.

(See what is written in the discourse beginning “And the number of the children of Israel shall be.”) And Israel are called by the name Zerubbabel on account of [the verse] “And I will sow her for Me in the land,” and they were then in the exile of Babylon; the prince, too, was called Zerubbabel on this account.

And this is “the word of Havayah to Zerubbabel,” and it is the matter of the Menorah: for the soul is called a lamp, as it is written, “The soul of man is the lamp of Havayah,” and the souls of Israel as a whole are called the Menorah. And it has the aspect of seven lamps, which are seven levels in the service of G‑d: there is one who serves out of a love drawn like water,

and there is [one who serves] out of a love like flashes of fire (see the discourse beginning “When you come, etc. … the land shall rest”; and on the matter of a love drawn like water, the discourse beginning “Then [Israel] sang, etc. … Spring up, O well”);

and there is [service] through the Torah, the middle line (see the discourse beginning “To my mare among the chariots,” and the discourse beginning “Your cheeks are comely,” and the discourse beginning “So that the Torah of [Havayah] may be”);

and there is [service] through victory, to prevail and to overcome in the service of G‑d, in “turning from evil and doing good” (see what is written in the discourse beginning “And Netzach, this is Jerusalem,” and in the discourse beginning “For the conductor, on the Sheminis,” and in the discourse beginning “These are the journeys”); and there is [service] through acknowledgment (see what is written in the discourse beginning “You set all the borders of the earth,” and in the discourse beginning “Yehudah, you”).

And likewise there is service through uplifting oneself, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said in the Mishnah at the end of chapter 14 of Shabbos, “All Israel are children of kings,” and as it is written, “And his heart was lifted up in the ways of Havayah.” And there is [service] through lowliness, etc.

22. Now, Aharon is the one who kindles these lamps, because he is one of the seven shepherds who draw down life-force (chayus) and G‑dliness to the souls of Israel as a whole;

and he draws [this] down so as to raise up an intense love for G‑d, and to enlarge the blaze of the fire of love, like flashes of fire, a blazing flame “within a man, and a deep heart.”

3This will be understood by first [explaining] the difference and the superior virtue of the level of Aharon over the virtue and rank of Avraham our father, peace be upon him, who is called “Avraham, who loves Me.”

For of Avraham our father, peace be upon him, it says, “going on and journeying toward the south (hanegbah).” That is, he went from level to level, from below to above, until he cleaved to the level of “toward the south,” which is the level of love of G‑d: to cleave to Him with attachment, desire and thirst, etc.

4And along these lines [the Sages] instituted that one say Baruch She’amar first, and afterwards Pesukei deZimrah, until afterwards one reaches the level of “And you shall love” in the Shema, etc.

For “And you shall love” is not a command concerning the natural attribute of love in the heart, since this natural attribute of love is certainly hidden in the heart of each and every Jew; rather, “And you shall love” (ve’ahavta) is from the term avah, which means will, because the will is the inner dimension (pnimiyus) of the emotive attributes (middos),

as we see tangibly that the will directs a person’s emotive attributes: for even if there is something before him that holds delight according to the nature of the attributes, if he withdraws his will from it for some reason or consideration, he does not receive satisfaction and delight from it.

And so too the reverse: if there is before him, G‑d forbid, something of pain and suffering, and he sets his will toward it, he does not feel the suffering so much. Thus the attributes depend on the will; that is, it is their inner dimension and their life-force.

(For the will is the level of Keser (the Crown), and there is will and there is will; see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “And Moshe assembled.” At any rate, even the lower will, which derives from the intellect, is above the emotive attributes, which derive from the intellect.

And this is the matter of “the face of the Menorah,” and it is a vessel for the level of the supernal will, which is above intellect; and this is the matter of the raising up of the lamps that is done by Aharon.)

And it is concerning this that the verse commands one to turn his will, his longing and his desire to loving G‑d, so that he will have no other desire or will besides Him; as it is written, “Whom have I in heaven? And with You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart are consumed,” etc.

5And what is to be the way to this love and this will? Scripture placed before it the verse “Hear, O Israel, Havayah is our G‑d,” etc.: to contemplate well and to take to heart how He, may He be blessed, is One in the heavens and on the earth;

that is, even in the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus) of heaven and earth, spiritual and physical, the level of the six extremities (vav ketzavos), separate worlds, they are united in His unity, blessed be He, because they are nullified to Him, blessed be He, for “all before Him is accounted as nothing.”

For above the level of hishtalshelus, the level of heaven and earth, it is not fitting to use the term “One” of Him, blessed be He, as is explained elsewhere on [the verse] “And I appeared to Avraham,” etc.;

and even at the source of hishtalshelus, the level of “Who renews each day, continually, the work of creation,” it is called “Havayah Elokeinu” (Havayah our G‑d), the level of “two companions who never part,” for He continually renews, etc.

And the term “One” applies only within hishtalshelus, the level of heaven and earth, etc., which are the level of the six extremities, spiritual and physical, which are of the world of separation (alma deferuda), etc.

6And He, may He be blessed, is One in them, because they are united in His unity and nullified to Him, for “before Him all is accounted as nothing.” [These are] the six spiritual extremities, as it is written, “Yours, Havayah, is the greatness and the might,” etc.,

and also the six physical extremities, which make up the whole of the dimension of place, as it is written, “Behold, there is a place with Me”: place is nullified to Him, because He, may He be blessed, encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), and before Him, may He be blessed, it is not called by the name “place” at all;

for before Him, may He be blessed, no place or time whatsoever applies, since they themselves are created from nothing into something. And therefore one says afterwards, “Blessed be the Name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.”

The meaning is that from the level of His Malchus (sovereignty) the dimension of place and time is drawn forth, as it is written, “Your kingship is the kingship of all worlds, and Your dominion is in each and every generation”; only that it is from the level of a name alone,

which is nothing but an extension of radiance and illumination, to shine from Him to what is other than He, so that His Name will be called upon it, and that alone. And see on this in Sefer Shel Beinonim (Tanya), Part II, chapter 7. And when one contemplates these matters well, and they become truly fixed in his heart, then he will desire no other desire, nor any will apart from Him, may He be blessed.

7As it is written, “Whom have I in heaven,” which are spiritual delights, “and with You, I desire nothing on earth,” which are physical delights; because all of it is the dimension of place and time.

Even all the perceptions that are attained in this world fall under place and time. And therefore, “my flesh and my heart are consumed,” that there be “the Rock of my heart,” etc.: to be nullified to Him, may He be blessed, to cleave to Him alone, may He be blessed.

(And this is why it was “going on and journeying toward the south”: for Chesed (kindness) is the beginning of the six extremities, and of it is said, “You are a kohen forever”; and it is also the level of “by day” (yomam), which “goes along with all the days.” Therefore the nullification of the six extremities, spiritual and physical, in their source is through the level of Chesed, the level of a kohen, “who serves beneath Him,” in Parshas Yisro, folio 67b;

just as the raising up of the offerings, animals, whose root is from “the face of an ox,” is also specifically through “the lion that consumes the offerings.” Also, “the south” is called the right, and the main strength is in the right, and it is necessary “to include the left in the right.” And see what is written in the discourse beginning “Go forth and gaze” on the matter of “Lift up your hands [in] holiness,” etc.)

83. Now, all this is the virtue and rank of the level of Avraham our father, peace be upon him. This love is called “love of the world” (ahavas olam), because it is taken from the level of the world, place and time:

how they are nullified to Him, may He be blessed. And it is called “from below to above,” because it is the service of man, “the service of love” (pulchana dirchimusa), from level to level, as mentioned above.

But the level of Aharon is a different level: he is “the groomsman of the Queen” (shushvina dematronisa), in the manner of from above to below. That is, all his desire and longing is that the glory of G‑d be revealed to eyes of flesh, that there be a revelation of His G‑dliness, may He be blessed, below as above.

(And this is like the difference between rinah (joyous song) and simchah (joy), which is explained elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “Sing and rejoice.”) (And see Parshas Korach, folio 177b, and Parshas Shemini, folio 38b and folio 39a, and the Likkutei Torah of the Arizal, Parshas Beha’alotcha, at the end of the discourse beginning “The mitzvah of kindling the lamps.”)

And this is [the meaning of] “Who is a chassid? One who acts kindly with his Maker (kono),” with “his nest” (kan dilei), etc., and not in order to cleave to Him, may He be blessed, to quench his own thirst alone, etc.,

as is explained in Sefer Shel Beinonim (Tanya), chapter ten and chapter 41. And see there, in chapter 10, that they are therefore called “people of ascent” (bnei aliyah), because their service is for the sake of the Most High, etc. And according to this, one can explain the meaning of the expression “Beha’alotcha” (“when you raise up”).

9And this love comes through that very same contemplation in the Shema, on “One,” when one brings bitterness into his soul over the darkness that hides His G‑dliness, so that nothing is seen by eyes of flesh but the dimension of place and time; and they are far from the light of His countenance, may He be blessed, for “no thought can grasp Him at all.”

And the dimension of place and time applies only to the level of His Malchus (sovereignty), may He be blessed, for then it is fitting to say “He is King, He was King, He will be King,” etc.;

and as it is written, “Your kingship is the kingship of all worlds, and Your dominion is in each and every generation”: the worlds, which are the dimension of place, [and] “each and every generation,” which is the dimension of time, are drawn from the level of His Malchus and His dominion, may He be blessed.

But from His being and essence, as it were, they are exceedingly and utterly far. And therefore his soul will be very embittered when he takes to heart this descent and this distance:

that his soul has descended very, very low, into the lowest of levels, utterly far from G‑d. And he will cry out to G‑d in his distress, that the light of G‑d shine for him within the darkness and the dividing screen.

(As is explained elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “To understand the meaning of the Thirteen Attributes, ‘Who is a G‑d like You,’” etc., on the meaning and matter of “teshuvah (return) preceded the world.”)

And as it is written, “Whom have I in heaven? And with You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart are consumed; the Rock of my heart and my portion is G‑d forever (le’olam)” (see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “On the eighth day, an assembly”): that is, that there be a revelation of His G‑dliness to the world (le’olam), as mentioned above.

Now, through the arousal from below (isarusa dilesata), in this bitterness and this outcry, he brings about an arousal from above (isarusa dileila), until “a spirit is poured out from on high,” so that “the glory of Havayah is revealed, and all flesh shall see” “eye to eye,” etc.

(As is explained elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “When Israel put ‘we will do’ before ‘we will hear’”; and see the Idra, folio 137a.) Just as from above to below “all before Him is accounted as nothing,” so from below to above it will be seen by the eyes of all flesh as above.

And this is the level of Aharon, [whose name has] the letters of nir’eh, “seen” (as is written in the Zohar, Parshas Emor, folio 103, at the beginning of side a, and in the Mikdash Melech and in the Ramaz there).

And as it is written, “that You, Havayah, are seen eye to eye, and Your cloud stands over them.” The meaning is: eye to eye they will see the revelation of His G‑dliness, that “all before Him is accounted as nothing.”

And the cloud and the darkness that conceals, they will see that it is “Your cloud,” for everything is from You. If so, there is no concealment or hiddenness at all before Him, may He be blessed, G‑d forbid, for before Him “darkness is as light.” And this love, which is in this level of seeing, is called “great love” (ahavah rabbah), which is above the level of “love of the world” (ahavas olam), the level of place and time, etc.

And it is actual nearness to G‑d, to His very being and essence, as it were, and it is called “from above to below,” etc.; and the discerning will understand. (And see what is written in Parshas Tetzaveh on [the verse] “And you shall make holy garments for Aharon,” etc.)

And this shall be a person’s desire and longing. And after this he will draw down [a love] that is “fierce as death,” whose “flashes are flashes of fire, the flame of G‑d,” only for this: that there be a revelation of His G‑dliness, may He be blessed; and when the darkness covers, hides and conceals His holiness, he will be greatly embittered. (And see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “Set me as a seal,” on the matter of “for love is fierce as death.”)

[Addition: And the reason that through the tears and the bitterness one merits an arousal from above, in the manner of “seen eye to eye,” as mentioned above, is as Rabbi Chaim Vital wrote on the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory (chapter 5 of Berachos, folio 32b, and chapter 4 of Bava Metzia, folio 59a): “Even though the gates of prayer have been locked, the gates of tears have not been locked, as it is said, ‘Do not be silent at my tears’” (Psalms, chapter 39, [verse] 13).

And Rabbi Chaim Vital explained: because with a tear one arouses the supernal eyes, which are Netzach and Hod of Chochmah, etc.

And the explanation of these words is as is explained below, in Parshas Re’eh, at the end of the discourse beginning “When you hearken to the voice,” on the matter of “to do what is right in the eyes of Havayah.”

That is, the level of “the eyes of Havayah are toward the righteous”: just as from above to below “all before Him is accounted as nothing,” so from below to above it will be seen by eyes of flesh as above.

And this drawing down comes through the tears that he sheds from his eyes in bitterness over his distance from G‑d, etc. And see in Me’orei Or, the letter dalet (section 17), on the matter of “tear,” and in the Y.N. there, and in the letter mem (section 92).

For through this he arouses, as it were, the level of the supernal eyes, that there be “the eyes of Havayah toward the righteous,” “Open Your eyes and see,” etc.

And see further on the matter of “My tears have been my bread” in the book Asarah Maamaros (Maamar Chakor Din, Part I, at the beginning of chapter 24):

the explanation is that the bread is when he takes to heart that the level of “Where” (ayeh), which is the first three [Sefiros], Keser, Chochmah and Binah, is “your G‑d,” etc.; see there. And see what is written in Parshas Shemos on [the verse] “Where is the scribe,” etc.,

and in the discourse beginning “For over all the glory,” on the matter of “Where is the place of His glory,” etc. And see further on this in the Midrash Rabbah, at the end of Parshas Metzora, section 19, and in Eichah [Rabbah], at the beginning of the section “She weeps bitterly.”]

104. And with this one will understand why they instituted in the prayer of Shemoneh Esreh “Forgive us, for we have sinned” after the Shema, in which one accepts upon himself the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven and the commandment “And you shall love.”

For it is written, “Fools, because of the way of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, afflict themselves.” The meaning is: over their iniquities they afflict themselves and do teshuvah (return).

And as for their transgression, which is greater than their iniquities, for “transgressions (pesha’im) are the rebellions” (and see what is written in the discourse beginning “As an eagle stirs up,” on the matter of “for we have transgressed,” and this is “and they have transgressed against Me.” The meaning of “against Me” (bi) is along the lines of what is written in Parshas Acharei, folio 66b, on the meaning of “By Myself (bi) I have sworn,” and in Parshas Nasso, folio 130a; and even so, “they are fools because of the way of their transgression”): nevertheless they are fools about them, for they do not know the way of their transgression.

And [it says] not “from their transgression” itself, but “from the way of their transgression,”

for the way that causes transgression and rebellion is the casting off of the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven; and this is because He is not seen by eyes of flesh as a king of flesh and blood [is].

And therefore, in the Shema, when one accepts the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven and lingers over “One,” and through this reaches “And you shall love,” to desire the revelation of His G‑dliness, may He be blessed, and that the darkness not darken [it] from him, then he becomes very embittered, and understands that there is sin and transgression through which the darkness darkens, so that he is utterly far from the light of His countenance, may He be blessed; and then he says in the Shemoneh Esreh, “Forgive us,” etc.

(And see what is written in the discourse beginning “How goodly,” concerning “and the third answer.”)

But this bitterness, from the contemplation at the time of the Shema and prayer alone, is not enough; rather, one must set fixed times. And therefore they instituted a fixed time, in Tikkun Chatzos, to fix this bitterness in one’s soul.

And this is “when we remembered Zion,” which is the point of the kingdom of Heaven, as is explained elsewhere; and through the bitterness one merits the level of the revelation of His G‑dliness, may He be blessed, as mentioned above.

And see what is written on the reason for this in the discourse beginning “And behold, a menorah of gold”: that this bitterness comes through the level of “through Chochmah (wisdom) they are refined” (bechochmah isbreru), the opposite of the level of “fools because of the way of their transgression,” etc.; and in Chochmah is the revelation of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof): “Havayah, with Chochmah.”

(And see what is written below, another reason for this, that through the bitterness one merits the revelation of G‑dliness. And see further on this in the discourse beginning “And behold, a menorah of gold.”)

Now, what brings about the reward of a mitzvah is the mitzvah itself, for the Torah and the mitzvos are themselves the drawing down of the revelation of His G‑dliness, may He be blessed, below.

And this is “My tears have been my bread day and night, while they say to me all day, ‘Where is your G‑d?’” That is: through the tears and the bitterness mentioned above, one merits “bread,” which is the Torah, of which it is said, “and you shall meditate in it day and night.”

For the bitterness that a person fixes in his soul at this hour brings about the drawing down of the revelation of His G‑dliness over the whole day.

Whereas if he sets his heart to Him only at the time of prayer alone, then that is the opportune time above, when the mature intellect (mochin degadlus) is aroused above;

but after the prayer, through the whole day, it is only through the Torah. And this is “while they say to me all day, ‘Where is your G‑d?’”: that is to say, “Where, all day, is your G‑d?”

For the time of prayer alone is not enough; rather, there must be “bread day and night,” through the Torah, which is the revelation of His G‑dliness, may He be blessed.

And this revelation comes only after the bitterness in his soul over its distance from G‑d; for otherwise it remains below, etc. And therefore one must first have “my tears” at a fixed hour.

(And see what is written in the discourse beginning “And the land shall rest,” on the matter of “for his compassion was stirred,” etc., “Set out bread,” etc., “and he wept there,” etc.; see there. And this is exactly the matter of “My tears have been my bread.”

Also, [it is] because the thirteen measures (middos) by which the Torah is expounded are drawn from the Thirteen Attributes (middos) of Mercy, as is explained at the end of the discourse beginning “I am my Beloved’s,” concerning “who grazes among the roses” (shoshanim), [those] who study (shonim) the laws; and arousing the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy is through weeping and bitterness.

And the matter of putting the bitterness first, at a fixed hour, can be explained as being along the lines of “the lower waters weep”; see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “In the wilderness of Sinai,” and at the end of the discourse beginning “The matter of the libations.”)

115. Now, along these lines, the matter of “My tears have been my bread,” etc., and the matter of how it is specifically through bitterness that the level of Aharon’s great love (ahavah rabbah) is drawn down, to be “seen eye to eye,” etc.: all this is an introduction, to explain and make understood in exactly this way the matter of kindling the lamps with oil.

For just as the oil is first crushed, “crushed for the light,” and it is also made from olives, and the olives are bitter, so the kindling and drawing forth of the love like flashes of fire, a flame, which comes from the level of seeing mentioned above, to desire the revelation of His G‑dliness, may He be blessed, is through the level of “crushed oil”:

that is, through lowliness, being humble of spirit, as it is said, “and let my soul be as dust to all.”

Namely, through contemplating the lowliness of the soul, how it has descended from its place of honor, and how place and time are far from the light of His countenance, may He be blessed; and also that through this he will be embittered over the opposite, as mentioned above.

And the matter is this: it is written, “Like the good oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, the beard of Aharon, that runs down over the edge of his garments (middosav).”

The meaning: “the beard of Aharon” is “the beard of the High Priest” (dikna dechahana rabba) (and in particular they are the thirteen tikkunim of the beard (tikkunei dikna), the level of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, [and] the thirteen measures by which the Torah is expounded, as mentioned above),

the level of hairs, which are the laws of the Torah, called “His locks are curled” (kevutzosav taltalim), which are the drawing down of the revelation of His G‑dliness from above to below in a multiplicity of divisions without end. And upon this there is the level of “the good oil,” which is the level of supernal Chochmah (wisdom), drawn down over them.

(And the matter, it may be said, is that the hairs are those of Z’eir Anpin (the emotive attributes), “His locks are curled, black as a raven,” and the oil upon them is the supernal Chochmah of Atzilus (Emanation). But it may further be said that the intent is also to the hairs of the thirteen tikkunim of the beard of Arich Anpin; and as it is written, “the beard, the beard of Aharon”: “beard” is mentioned twice.

And the matter is that a hair has a hollow inside, in which some life-force (chayus) from the brain (mochin) is drawn and enclothed. Now, the hairs themselves are from the surplus of the brain, and therefore one can cut the hairs and it does not affect the brain at all.

And the application will be understood in spiritual terms: the level of hairs is called “garments,” like a parable, in which and through which one grasps what it illustrates. The parable is the level of the hair itself, and what it illustrates, enclothed in it, is the life-force enclothed within the hollow of the hair; as all this is explained elsewhere, on the meaning of “the G‑d, the merciful Father, praised by the mouth of His people.”

And in the same way one will understand the matter of the Torah, which is the level of hairs. For the Torah is called “the parable of the Ancient One” (meshal hakadmoni), that is, it is a parable and a garment for the level of the Ancient One of the world: just as through a parable what it illustrates is grasped, so through the Torah there will be a grasp of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, who is the Ancient One of the world, as is explained elsewhere.

And this is [what is meant] that the laws of the Torah are the level of the hairs themselves, that is to say, they are what is called “the parable of the Ancient One”; and upon them there is the level of “like the good oil,” which is the level of the Chochmah of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, itself, from the level of the Ancient One of the world, that is, the Chochmah of Adam Kadmon or the Chochmah of Atik Yomin, which is drawn down and enclothed in them.

And this is the matter of the hairs themselves, and of the level of “like the good oil,” which runs down and is drawn over them. Now, the hairs themselves, called the thirteen tikkunim of the beard of Arich Anpin, are the level of the outer dimension (chitzoniyus) in relation to their inner dimension (pnimiyus), which is the level of “like the good oil”; for the inner dimension is drawn from the level of the inner dimension of Keser (the Crown), which is Atik Yomin.

But it is impossible to draw down the inner dimension except through the outer dimension. And this is also the matter mentioned above, that the oil is drawn from the olives, and the olives are bitter: for the olives are the level of the vegetative (tzome’ach), and this is the matter of the hairs themselves of the thirteen tikkunim of the beard, which are the level of the vegetative.

And therefore the olives are also bitter: for so too the hairs themselves are called severities (dinim) in relation to the inner dimension enclothed in them, like the hairs of the beard, which are strong and hard. And so too in the laws of the Torah there is the level of severities and Gevuros (restraints), as it is written, “His locks are curled, black as a raven,” as is explained elsewhere.

And even though in Arich Anpin the hairs are “white as snow,” nevertheless “they are hard,” etc.

And drawing down this level comes specifically through a person’s tasting bitterness in his soul over the darkness that conceals; and the root of the root of the concealments is drawn from the concealing garments, which are the level of hairs, as mentioned above. And then, through this, he afterwards merits the revelation of the level of the inner dimension, the level of “like the good oil,” supernal Chochmah, and “wisdom gives life,” which is above the level of the vegetative; as is explained elsewhere. And from all this one will understand the matter of what is written on [the verse] “When you hearken to the voice”: in the level of the inner dimension that is enclothed within the voice of the Torah, etc.)

12Summary. (The matter of crushed oil and the bitterness of the olives. “Like the good oil running down.”) 6. Now, this level of oil is called “oil of holy anointing” (shemen mishchas kodesh), the anointing of the supernal kodesh (holy); for there is kodesh without a vav, and there is kadosh with a vav. And see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “Go forth and gaze,” concerning “Lift up your hands [in] holiness (kodesh).”

Now, in the order of the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus), it is entirely impossible for [anything] to be drawn from this level of the very kodesh by way of hishtalshelus; for even all the flows in the higher worlds are from the level of kadosh with a vav, and kadosh too is “separate,” etc.

But through the Torah there is the level of “oil of holy anointing,” the anointing of the supernal kodesh itself; for the Torah is truly the drawing down of “He is wise, but not with a knowable wisdom,” which is the level of kodesh itself.

13And it is this that runs down and is drawn specifically over the level of the hairs, which are the laws of the Torah. And therefore we bless “Who has sanctified us (kideshanu) with His commandments”: He has made us truly holy, to the rank of the supernal kodesh, and “you shall be holy men (anshei kodesh) to Me.”

And therefore, in the future, “kadosh” will be said before the righteous, for kadosh is what is drawn from the level of kodesh, etc. Thus the angels will draw the level of kadosh with a vav from the souls, which are called truly “holy men” (anshei kodesh).

14Now, this drawing down of the level of the very kodesh comes specifically through the laws of the Torah, which are enclothed in actual physicality, which is not so in the higher worlds.

And as is explained elsewhere, an analogy for this: the intellect that shines through speech, which is spiritual, is only a radiance of the intellect; but in the physical drop the very essence of Chochmah (wisdom) is enclothed. And see what is written on this in Iggeres HaKodesh, at the end of the discourse beginning “To understand what is written in Pri Etz Chaim,” concerning “And furthermore, for speech,” etc.; see there.

And in the same way one will understand how, through the laws of the Torah in physicality, the anointing of the supernal kodesh itself is drawn down, that which is above the order of the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus), as mentioned above.

15Now, the end of the verse, “that runs down over the edge of his garments (middosav),” means that the attributes (middos) of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His love, etc., will be revealed from above to below,

and not in the manner of flesh and blood, from below to above, in thirst, etc., as mentioned above; but rather that there be a revelation of G‑dliness below truly as above, through the Torah and mitzvos, which are themselves the drawing down of the attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He, the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, etc.;

and as it is written, “and the oil of his right hand calls out” (in Proverbs, chapter 27, [verse] 16). The meaning is: through the level of oil, the level of the right is drawn down and called forth. This is the level of great love (ahavah rabbah), and “his right hand” is the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His will.

(That is: Abba, which is supernal Chochmah, the level of oil, enclothes the Chesed (kindness) of Arich Anpin, which is the right hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, that is, the level of sovev kol almin (the light that encompasses all worlds), as is explained elsewhere on [the verse] “and My right hand spanned the heavens”;

and therefore “the oil of his right hand calls out.” And although, according to what was explained, the oil is the Chochmah of Ein Sof, which is above the Chesed of Arich Anpin, nevertheless the supernal Chochmah of Atzilus (Emanation) is also called oil, because the root of the mochin (intellect) of Abba is drawn from very high above, etc. And see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “This matzah.”

Now, the Chesed of Z’eir Anpin (the emotive attributes) is called “the kindness of the world” (chesed olam), and from it is the root of the level of “love of the world” (ahavas olam); but the Chesed of Arich Anpin is called “abundant in kindness” (rav chesed), “for He desires kindness,” and from there is drawn the level of great love (ahavah rabbah), etc.;

and it is called chesed dikshot, that is, “kindness of truth” (chesed shel emes), namely that “the truth of Havayah is le’olam (to the world)”; that is, that the revelation be below truly as above. And this is the matter of “the great hand that Havayah performed in Egypt”; see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “The section of the libations.”)

That is, through the Torah and the mitzvos, which are His will and His wisdom, may He be blessed.

But even at this level, one should not desire the attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He, alone, in their outer dimension (chitzoniyus), as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Whoever says, ‘I have nothing but Torah,’ does not have even Torah.” Rather, “he shall set his heart to Him,” and “his spirit and his soul he shall gather to Him,” from “within a man, and a deep heart,” to seek His face: the inner dimension of His will, may He be blessed, the source and life-force of the attributes.

(And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “to Him, and not to His attributes”: that is, the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, which is enclothed in the attributes, and not the attributes themselves. And even in the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, it was already explained that they have an outer dimension and an inner dimension (pnimiyus), as mentioned above.)

And this is “toward the face of the Menorah,” that is, the inner dimension of the supernal will, which is the level of what is opposite the face of the Menorah. That is: “the face of the Menorah” is the will of Knesses Yisrael (the Congregation of Israel), as mentioned above in section 1;

but “opposite the face of the Menorah” is the level of the supernal face, which shines upon this level, “in the light of the King’s face is life,” as is written in the Midrash Rabbah here.

And this is along the lines of “As in water, face [answers] to face,” and it is the matter of “May Havayah make His face shine upon you,” “May Havayah lift up His face toward you”: the revelation of the inner dimension of the supernal will, which is drawn down and shines opposite the face of the Menorah.

And as is explained elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “When you go out,” on the matter of “Of You my heart said, ‘Seek My face’; Your face, Havayah, I will seek.”

And Aharon the High Priest would raise up the lamps, the souls of Israel, so that their heart be directed to the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, Himself,

which is the level of what is opposite the face of the Menorah (and see Chullin, folio 19b, at the end of the side, on the matter of “opposite its nape,” etc.): “shall give light,” the level of “the seven lamps,” which are the seven levels in the souls of those who serve G‑d, as mentioned above.

16Summary. (The oil is called “holy anointing,” which is above the level of kadosh with a vav; and therefore it is drawn down only upon the beard, which is the laws of the Torah. “That runs down over the edge of his garments (middosav).” And nevertheless there must be “if he sets his heart to Him,” “opposite the face of the Menorah.”)