בעז״ה

1With G‑d’s help.

2“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. My teaching shall drop like the rain; my word shall flow like the dew.” Now, the Torah is likened to rain and to dew, as it is written,

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,” etc., “so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth,” etc.

And likewise it is likened to dew, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Dew is Torah”; and our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “‘Of the dew of heaven’: this is Scripture,” etc. (in Midrash Rabbah, Parshas Toldos, chapter 66).

Now, rain is from below upward, as it is written, “And a mist would rise from the earth and water,” etc.; and dew is from above downward. And the meaning of “Give ear, O heavens … and let the earth hear” is

that there are two kinds of souls. The first are those who are masters of Torah, whose Torah is their occupation. And the second are men of business, who occupy themselves with mitzvos and acts of kindness (gemilus chassadim).

For “on three things the world stands: on the Torah, on the service, and on acts of kindness.” Now, the service, which is the mitzvah of the sacrifices, we have not had since the Holy Temple was destroyed,

and nothing is left to us but Torah and acts of kindness. And the masters of Torah are called “heavens” on account of the Torah, for the Torah is from heaven; and the earth is the level of the masters of mitzvos, who occupy themselves with fulfilling the practical mitzvos in actual deed.

(And see what is written in the discourse beginning “The heavens are My throne and the earth is My footstool”; and see what is written on the subject of the two levels of souls on the verse “If only you were as a brother to me,” etc., “I would find you outside,” etc.)

And just as, with the physical heavens and earth, it is written, “In the beginning G‑d created the heavens and the earth”: the heavens preceded the earth; and it is written, “On the day that Havayah Elokim made earth and heavens”: the earth preceded, etc.;

so too with Torah and mitzvos, we have found and seen that at times [the Sages] said, “And the study of Torah is equal to them all,” etc.; and likewise they said on the verse “All desirable things cannot compare to her”: “All the mitzvos of the Torah are not worth one law of the Torah.”

3And at times they said, “The purpose of wisdom is teshuvah and good deeds”; and likewise our Sages, of blessed memory, said that “study is great” specifically in that “it leads to deed.”

And both are true: for there is a quality and a surpassing advantage in Torah that is not in the mitzvos, and nevertheless there is also a surpassing advantage in the mitzvos that is not in Torah, as is known and explained elsewhere.

4Now, concerning the level of the Torah of the two kinds of souls mentioned above, which are called “heavens” and “earth,” he says, “My teaching shall drop like the rain,” etc.

The explanation: just as the nature of rain and its effect is that it comes down and moistens the earth and prepares it so that it can bring forth its growth, as it is written, “and waters the earth and makes it give birth

and sprout”; and the main part of the growing comes from the power of growth that is in the earth, which can make all its growth sprout; and through the kernel that is sown, it is aroused to make [something] like it sprout, with a new, added increase;

only it is impossible to arouse it so that it is revealed and does its work except through plowing first, which loosens the soil; and afterward rain is needed to moisten the earth, and then it “makes it give birth and sprout.”

5And this whole analogy exists also in the soul of man. The level of occupation with Torah is the level of the rain, which must come after the level of the plowing; and then it acts

to make salvations sprout from within the soul. And this is [the meaning of] what is written, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth: it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall do that which I desire,” etc., “and gives seed to the sower,” etc.

The explanation: each and every one of Israel says, “The soul that You have placed in me is pure; You created it,” etc., “and You preserve it within me,” etc.

Now, who is it that says “in me” and “within me”? It cannot be said of the body, for there is in it no speech and no words. Rather, this is the vital and intellectual soul, the one that speaks, etc.,

and it says, “The soul that You have placed in me,” referring to the level of the G‑dly soul, which is “a part of G‑d above,” and “it is pure”; and afterward “You created it,” as something from nothing, etc.,

until “You breathed it into me,” so that it is actually clothed within the intellectual soul. And this is like the level of a seed sown in physical earth, for specifically then does it bring forth its growth,

because it is specifically in the earth that there is the power of growth to make [things] sprout with an added excellence. So too is the level of the descent of the G‑dly soul, “light sown,” to be clothed within the animal soul, even though it is physical;

for it is in it that there is the power of growth to make salvations sprout, with a great addition beyond the seed sown in it. And this is [the meaning of] what is written, “And I will sow the house of Israel,” etc., “And I will sow her for Me in the earth,” etc.:

specifically [in the earth], that is, in the animal soul, of which it is said, “And the spirit of the animal that goes downward into the earth” (in Koheles, end of chapter 3). (And see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “There are sixty queens,” on the meaning of “Light is sown for the righteous,” and on the meaning of “my perfect one.”)

And therefore all the mitzvos too were lowered below and given for the sake of the animal soul specifically, for they are all practical; only a few of them,

such as faith and knowledge of the Creator, are for the G‑dly soul alone; and even these touch the animal soul as well.

For the language of command and warning does not apply to the G‑dly soul, since while it was in Gan Eden it believed and knew as a matter of course. And why then did it descend into a body to know and to believe, if not for the sake of the animal soul,

that is, so that it should fulfill them while clothed in the animal soul? And specifically then are they called mitzvos (commandments), and “greater is one who is commanded and does,” etc. And all the more so, a fortiori, all the other mitzvos, none of which pertain at all to the G‑dly soul while it is above,

but only when it is clothed in the body and the animal soul, specifically, for it is the animal soul that fulfills them: such as sacrifices, the corners (pe’os) and first fruits, terumos and tithes, etc., and likewise the breastplate and the ephod, and the like.

And also the mitzvah of Torah study, whose main [fulfillment] is in the speech of the mouth, and “the movement of the lips is an act,” etc. And even love and awe, where the matter depends on intention and not on deed:

love is in the heart, where the element of fire is, and the thirst of love; and it is born of the blood in the heart, which comes into being from the refined portion of physical foods specifically, which are refined in the stomach and turned into blood in the liver;

and it sends the blood to the heart, and in it is the main dwelling of the animal soul. And the fear of G‑d too is mainly in the heart, even though “awe rests in the brain”:

there is awe and there is awe, etc., and the beginning of awe is in the brain and it ends in the heart, etc. Thus nearly all the 613 mitzvos were given and lowered into the animal soul specifically. And the reason is that

the mitzvos are also called by the name “seed,” as it is written, “He sows righteous deeds,” and it is written, “Happy are you who sow beside all waters.” And sowing is specifically in the ground, for there is the power of growth; and this is the level of the animal soul, for in it is the power to make salvations sprout.

[And see what is written in the discourse beginning “In days to come Yaakov shall take root,” for there it is explained that the Congregation of Israel (Knesses Yisrael) is called “a land of desire,” and that the mitzvos were sown in this land specifically; see there at length. And this does not contradict what is written [here], for nevertheless this sowing is specifically when the G‑dly soul is clothed in the animal soul.

6And see what is written in the discourse beginning “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh let [the people] go,” etc., see there; and in the discourse beginning “Remember the Shabbos day to keep it holy,” etc., [on] “‘Remember’ and ‘Keep’ in one utterance,” etc.;

see there on these subjects.] And the reason is that the animal soul, in its root and source, is more exalted than the G‑dly soul; and therefore it is that it has this power to make [things] sprout, etc.

For the animal soul was taken from the level of the dregs of the Ofanim (the “wheels”) of the Chariot; for of the Ofanim it is also said, “And behold, one ofan [wheel] upon the earth,” as [explained] below.

Now, just as among the Seraphim there is the face of a lion and the face of an ox, so too of the Ofanim it is written, “upon their four sides,” and it is written, “And each one had four faces: the face of the first was the face of the cherub,” etc.; and this is the face of the ox, as it is stated in the Gemara. And it is from it that the animal soul in Israel is drawn.

72. Now, the Ofanim rise up with a great noise facing the Seraphim. For the Seraphim say, “Holy, holy, holy is Havayah Tzevaos (of hosts),” etc.

The meaning of Tzevaos is “He is a sign (os) in His host (tzava)”: that is, all the hosts upon hosts below, “a thousand thousands to one troop, and to His troops there is no number,” etc.,

all of them come into being and receive life-force only from one letter, as it is written, behibar’am, “when they were created”: “with the hei He created them.” And the hei is “a light letter, in which there is no substance,” as explained in the Akdamus. And the meaning of “a light letter” is that the breath of the heart that is clothed in it is less than in all the [other] letters. For

there are five places of articulation in the mouth: alef-ches-hei-ayin from the throat, beis-vav-mem-pei from the lips, gimmel-yud-kaf-kuf from the palate, etc. And the letters alef-ches-hei-ayin are lighter than all the letters; that is, the breath in them is less than in the other letters,

for example, gimmel-yud-kaf-kuf from the palate have more of the breath in them, etc. And the letter hei is one whose breath is less even than the letters alef-ches-ayin;

therefore it is called “a light letter”: that is, it is light to pronounce, because “there is no substance in it,” since the breath in it is very slight.

And by way of this analogy it will be understood above, that there is a level of breath that is clothed in the letters, as is written in the Zohar HaRakia, Parshas Tazria (page 47b);

and the letter hei is called “a light letter,” and from this level comes the coming-into-being of all the supernal hosts upon hosts. And this is “He is a sign in His host.”

But His essence, may He be blessed, is holy and separate, etc. And the three times “holy, holy” correspond to the first three letters of the Name Havayah,

which are contraction (tzimtzum) and expansion, until afterward there is the drawing down into the level of the lower hei, so that there be “with the hei He created them,” etc. [And see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “Sing and rejoice, O daughter.”]

And this is what is said afterward, “The whole earth is full of His glory.” The meaning: because He is holy and entirely separate, beyond comparison, then heavens and earth, which are spirituality and physicality, are equal before Him. And as is known, He, may He be blessed, is infinite in the three dimensions of world, year and soul. In the dimension of world:

that is, the extension of the attribute of His Malchus (sovereignty), may He be blessed, into myriads of myriads of worlds, upward without end and downward without limit. And in the dimension of year, that is, the dimension of time: “You are He before the world was created, and since it was created, and in the World to Come,” etc.,

without limit. And in the dimension of soul, that is, the dimension of the comprehensions with which the souls comprehend His G‑dliness, may He be blessed: for there are many kinds of comprehension, one higher than the other, in ascent after ascent without end, as is known. [And see what is written on this in the second discourse beginning “I am black and comely.”]

And therefore He fills this whole lower, physical earth just as [He fills] the higher worlds, as it is written, “The heavens and

the earth do I fill”: “I,” My very self, specifically; for before Him, may He be blessed, all is considered as actually nothing, heavens and earth equally, since nevertheless “there is no place empty of Him.”

8Now, the Seraphim “stand above” and comprehend this, for they have great comprehension and knowledge, since they are in the World of Beriah (Creation), where the Chochmah, Binah and Daas of Atzilus are clothed.

But the Ofanim, when they hear “Holy, holy, holy” issuing from the Seraphim, make a commotion with a sound of thunder and a great noise, because their comprehension cannot contain this, for they are in [the World of] Asiyah, as it is written, “one ofan upon the earth.”

And therefore the emotive attributes are very intense in them; and this is what is written in Yechezkel, “a sound of tumult, like the sound of a camp.” And this is what is said, “they rise up facing the Seraphim”: that they rise up above the Seraphim,

for the arousal of the emotive attributes in them is greater than in the Seraphim, as mentioned above. And this is in truth because their root is from a place more exalted than the level of the Seraphim; and as is also known, the root of the emotive attributes is above the intellect, etc. [As is written on this in the discourse beginning

“To understand the explanation of the matter that the Patriarchs are the Chariot,” and in the explanation on the verse “Set me as a seal.”] And this is the level of “And these are the kings who reigned before a king reigned over the children of Israel,” which are the level of the seven primordial kings,

which are the seven supernal emotive attributes that are before the level of the intellect (mochin), which is called Yisrael, [the letters of] li rosh, “a head for Me,” as is known to those who know the hidden wisdom. And through this noise they carry the Throne, and the “likeness as the appearance of a man” upon the Throne is also included. For

the World of Beriah, which is the world of the Seraphim, is called the world of the Throne [see Etz Chaim, the Gate of the Throne of Glory; and see what is written in the discourse beginning “Remember” of Amalek, on the subject of the Throne]: that is, kes alef, “the cover of the alef,”

meaning that it is the level of a covering with respect to the Master (Aluf) of the world, which hides and conceals Him; and it is the level of the lower unity (yichuda tata’ah),

which is at the level of Beriah, where “the host of heaven bows to You.” Thus, even though they are in a state of self-nullification (bittul) and bowing, nevertheless, at any rate, there is someone who is nullified, etc.

For the angels and all the host on high are clothed in bodies; for example, the great angel Sandalphon, [whose size is] five hundred years; and there are angels that are a third of the world,

that is, a third of five hundred, etc.; and as it is written of them, “And his body was like tarshish.” And if so, there is here the level of an essence and existence separate from His G‑dliness, may He be blessed;

and even though it is nullified and bows, nevertheless its essence and being is a level of covering and concealment for the Master of the world, that is, for His G‑dliness, may He be blessed, as it is [in truth]: “there is nothing else besides Him,” literally, at the level of the higher unity (yichuda ila’ah).

9And therefore the level of “and what (mah) are we” is the Name Mah (45), in the spelling-out with alefs. And through the great noise of the Ofanim, who rise up very high, above even the Seraphim, they carry

and also lift up the Throne that is at the level of Beriah, so that it rise higher, until the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, shines in them in revelation, as He is at the level of the higher unity, and not to be at the level of covering and the hiding of the Face.

10And also “the likeness as the appearance of a man” upon the Throne, which is the level of the Torah, which is called “man,” as it is written, “And this is the Torah of man,” and it is written, “This is the Torah: a man.” For the 248 positive commandments in the Torah are the level of the 248 limbs of the King: just as the limb

is a vessel for drawing the life-force from the soul, so the mitzvos are the level of the supernal will, which is drawn down and clothed in every act of the mitzvos, etc.

And the 365 prohibitions are the 365 sinews, like the sinews in which the blood, the main life-force of the soul, is drawn and spreads. For the 365 prohibitions are higher and more exalted than the level of the positive commandments, as is known on what is written, “This is My Name

and this is My remembrance”: that the prohibitive commandments are at the level of shemi (“My Name”) together with the level of yud-hei. The meaning of shemi with yud-hei: shemi is the level of which our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Before the world was created there was He and His Name,” etc.,

and it is drawn down and revealed in the level of yud-hei. And see in Parshas Terumah (165b) on the verse “Extol Him who rides upon the heavens, by Yah His Name,” etc.

But the positive commandments are at the level of zichri (“My remembrance”) together with vav-hei, which are only the level of a remembrance and a mere glimmer, and not His Name itself. And see what is written on this on the verse “These are the accounts of the Mishkan.” And for the Infinite One (Ein Sof),

blessed be He, who “is not any of these attributes at all,” to be actually clothed in the level of the Torah, which is the level of “man” with 248 limbs, etc., this too is through the great noise of the Ofanim;

for “spirit brings spirit and draws down spirit.” (And see what is written on this in Parshas Yisro, in the discourse beginning “The matter that the Patriarchs are the Chariot,” and in the discourse beginning “Remember the Shabbos day to keep it holy,” mentioned above.)

And this power in them is for the reason explained above: that in their root they are above the level of “man”; and this is the level of “And these are the kings” who [reigned] before a king reigned, etc.,

which is above the level of “man” mentioned above; only, below they are in a state of lowliness, far lower than the level of “man,” like the analogy of a stone falling from the top of the wall, which falls further down, etc.

But when they rise and lift themselves up with a great noise, they arouse [a response] above, in their very lofty root; for “spirit brings spirit and draws down spirit” like it. And therefore they carry and lift up the Throne and “the likeness as the appearance of a man” upon it, as mentioned above.

113. Now, the Ofanim say, “Blessed be the glory of Havayah from His place.” “Blessed” (baruch) means a drawing down from concealment to revelation, etc.

“The glory (kavod) of Havayah” is the level of the thirty-two paths of Chochmah, numerically equal to kavod. And of this he said “blessed”: that the level of kavod, the thirty-two paths of Chochmah, be drawn down from its supernal place, to be revealed in the lower wisdom.

For the level of the lower wisdom is also called kavod, for kavod is a term for a garment, as in “Rabbi Yochanan called his clothes ‘my honorers.’” And the level of the lower wisdom is a level of a garment and a covering that conceals His G‑dliness, may He be blessed.

As we see with our senses: an animal, because it has no wisdom and intellect, is in a state of greater self-nullification, so that even a small child can rule over it; whereas a man, even a small child, has in him the nature of self-exaltation, to dominate and rule, because he possesses intellect.

For it is the intellect that makes him into the level of a being and a thing (yesh), because it is a covering, a garment, that hides and conceals the level of the Nothing (ayin), through which there would be self-nullification.

For this wisdom is from the level of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, as it is written, “And your eyes will be opened, and you will be,” etc., “knowing good and evil” (and as the Rambam wrote on this in the book Moreh Nevuchim, Part I, chapter 2).

And for this they ask that the glory of Havayah, the thirty-two paths of Chochmah, be “blessed” and drawn down “from its supernal place,” which is the level of the higher Chochmah (Chochmah Ila’ah), which too is a level of Chochmah and is called kavod, a term for a garment;

for it too is a level of garment for the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, who in it and through it is clothed in the worlds. (And see what the Ramaz wrote in Parshas Bamidbar, page 118, on the subject of “the King of glory,” and on the meaning of “Show me, I pray, Your glory,” etc.)

And see what is written in the discourse beginning “For over all the glory shall be a canopy.” And as it is written, “With Chochmah He founded the earth”: “Abba founded the daughter”; and it is written, “How manifold are Your works, Havayah,” because “in Chochmah You made them all,” specifically.

But it is not a level of a concealing garment, G‑d forbid; on the contrary, the Infinite One, blessed be He, actually shines within it, as it is written, “He wraps Himself in light as with a garment”: this garment shines like light. And as it is written, “And Chochmah is found from ayin (nothing)”:

it is always in a state of self-nullification to the level of the ayin from which it is found, and does not conceal, G‑d forbid, like the lower wisdom. And of this it is said, “Who is wise? One who sees what is born,” from nothing to something, etc.

And this is their request: that the glory of Havayah, which is this level of the higher Chochmah and this self-nullification, be “blessed” and drawn down, to be revealed also below, in the lower wisdom, until it too will not conceal, etc.,

and it will be plainly visible even to our eyes of flesh how “all before Him is considered as nothing,” as it is before Him, may He be blessed, at the level of the higher Chochmah, ko’ach mah (“the potential of what”), where there is no hiding of the Face; and so too below, it will not hide and will not conceal, etc.,

just as it was before the sin of the Tree of Knowledge. And therefore it is specifically the Ofanim who say “Blessed,” etc.; but the Seraphim say “The whole earth is full of His glory,” because they are in Beriah, and “Imma (Binah) nests in the Throne.”

12And there, there is a revelation of His G‑dliness, may He be blessed, and they comprehend well how “the whole earth is full of His glory” and “the heavens and the earth do I fill.”

But the Ofanim, who are in Asiyah, which is darkness, hiddenness and concealment, etc., therefore need this request: that the glory of Havayah be “blessed” and drawn down.

For the lower wisdom conceals, as mentioned above; and even though before Him, may He be blessed, all is as nothing, etc., yet in relation to the created beings the world appears as something (yesh), etc.

But this is the request: that there be drawn down the glory of Havayah, the level of the higher Chochmah and the level of self-nullification, etc. And this drawing down is from the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, itself; and this is “Blessed be the glory of Havayah from His place.”

For the meaning of “His place” is in the manner of “Where is the place of His glory?”: that is to say, “His place” is the root of the level of His glory, which is the level of “Where?”, which is not comprehended at all.

For “His glory” is the attribute of His Malchus, may He be blessed, in the lower Chochmah (Chochmah Tata’ah), and its root is in the higher Chochmah and also above Chochmah. And this is the meaning of “the holy King” that we say during the Ten Days of Teshuvah: it is the level of the supreme Keser (Keser Elyon), which is the crown of Malchus, etc.

13And the Ofanim, through the great noise, say, “Blessed be the glory of Havayah from His place”: they draw down from the level of “Where is the place of His glory?”, that which is not comprehended, that it be in a state of “blessed” and drawn down, so that there be a revelation of the higher Chochmah actually below. And this is the meaning of “And a spring shall go forth from the House of Havayah and shall water,” etc.,

[explained] in the discourse beginning “There are sixty queens.” And in order to draw down the revelation of the level of this spring, which is the higher Chochmah, below, the drawing down must be from higher even than the higher Chochmah, as is written in the discourse beginning “When you kindle,” on the subject of “Wisdoms cry aloud outside,” etc.; see there.

14And the power they have to draw down this revelation is because of their great noise, in that they rise up higher and higher, to the loftiest heights, as mentioned above. And this is because their root is very exalted, only they fell, etc.

And of this it is said, “But much produce comes through the strength of the ox”: from the level of the face of the ox in the Ofanim of the Chariot is drawn “much produce,” that is, an abundance and increase of radiance from the very highest, from the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, Himself.

154. Now, along the lines of this advantage of power that the level of the Ofanim has over the level of the Seraphim, even though the Seraphim are in Beriah and the Ofanim are in Asiyah, so along these lines will be understood the matter of the animal soul in relation to the G‑dly soul.

For the vital, animal soul in man was taken from the face of the ox in the Ofanim, as mentioned above. And therefore its power is great and mighty, and it has in potential the level of a great noise, more than the G‑dly soul, because in its root it is higher, from the level of “before a king reigned over the children of Israel,” etc.

(And see what is written in the discourse beginning “When Pharaoh let go,” concerning “her great son,” that the World of Tohu came first, etc. And because the Ofanim are from what was refined from the World of Tohu, therefore [their sound] is called “a great noise.”)

But nevertheless, because it was lowered very far down, this level in it cannot be revealed except through its utter self-nullification before the G‑dly soul, so that [the G‑dly soul] rules over it, to lead it and to turn it.

And this is the purpose of the soul’s descent, as is written in the Zohar: “to bring the righteous to teshuvah.” For the souls, while they were above, were all at the level of the righteous (tzaddikim), whose nature is to rise up to G‑d, etc.;

and their descent into bodies is in order to be baalei teshuvah, “who draw Him down with greater strength,” for they are at the level of “their heart cried out to G‑d,” with a great noise, because of the turnabout, as is known. And so must actually be the measure of every person, even one who has no sins, G‑d forbid [that he have any];

for of all of them they said, “all his days in teshuvah,” as written above on the subject of “And the spirit will return,” etc. And the noise comes from this very thing: “from it and with it, to strike at it,”

when he contemplates the immensity of his soul’s descent, so very far down, and [how] it has become distant from its Emanator, who, may He be blessed, is holy and separate, and before whom all is considered as actually nothing; from this he will come to a great noise.

And this is because of the great power of the animal soul, whose root is very high above and which was lowered below; therefore it has the power to be at the level of a great noise, more than the G‑dly soul in itself, as mentioned above.

16And through this, afterward, there must be a hundred blessings every day, to bring about a drawing down of G‑dliness, in the manner mentioned above with the Ofanim, who, after they rise up with a noise, say “Blessed,” etc.

And therefore they are a hundred blessings specifically, to draw down from the source of all, that is, from the level of “And Chochmah is found from ayin (nothing).” And the meaning of the blessings, “Blessed are You, Havayah, our G‑d, King of the world, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us,” [is]

that the level of “You” be “blessed” and drawn down, so that Havayah be “our G‑d”: a revelation of G‑dliness in the souls of Israel, who are the level of the inner dimension (pnimiyus) of the worlds, so that there be “and besides You I desire nothing,”

for they will be filled with the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, from their very innermost core. And afterward, “King of the world”: that is, the revelation of G‑dliness also in the outer dimension (chitzoniyus) of the worlds, so that they will not conceal and appear as a being and a thing (yesh); for even the physicality of the earth is in truth an extension of His G‑dliness, may He be blessed, and it is the level of the Malchus of Asiyah.

17Now, this drawing down is through speech, the hundred blessings, etc.; but the main revelation is through deed, which is the fulfillment of the mitzvos in actual practice.

For the 248 positive commandments are the 248 limbs of the King: like the analogy of the limb, in which and through which life-force is drawn from the soul and is revealed and clothed in its very core; so the mitzvos are drawings-down of the supernal will, etc., as is known.

But the mitzvos in themselves are physical acts; and if a man who is not of the children of Israel does them, it is not a mitzvah at all;

rather, only when Israel are the ones who fulfill it, for then it is a mitzvah, and through it they draw down the revelation of the Infinite One, blessed be He, so that there be 248 limbs, etc.

18And this is through the level of the desire of the heart (re’usa d’liba), which is the level of the great noise, “their heart cried out to G‑d,” that is in them; through this, afterward, they bring about the drawing down from above to below through the fulfillment of the practical mitzvos, as mentioned above.

And see what is written on this also in the discourse beginning “I am Havayah your G‑d, who brought [you] out,” etc.: that from the level of noise are born and drawn down the drawings-down of the level of “and the hair (se’ar) of His head,” etc.,

[and] “This is the gate (sha’ar) to Havayah.” And see what is written below concerning “like showers (se’irim) … like raindrops (revivim).” And therefore the mitzvos are called sowing, “He sows righteous deeds,” as mentioned above, for they are

like a sown kernel, which as yet has no taste or fragrance; only when it is sown in the earth, which has the power of growth, does fruit come from it. And so are the mitzvos: when Israel specifically fulfill them,

the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, is drawn down through this; whereas if they remain as they are, such as the tefillin and the tzitzis, if a man of Israel does not put them on and wrap himself in them, nothing at all will be drawn down through them. And this is exactly like the analogy of the seed with the ground, as mentioned above.

But the main power of growth is specifically in the level of the animal soul in Israel, for it is the one that was taken from the level of the face of the ox in the Ofanim, as mentioned above, whose root is very exalted; and through this it has in potential to be an actual noise, like the analogy of the ground, which in itself is physical, and in it

specifically is the power of growth clothed, as mentioned above. For likewise it was taken from the face of the ox in the Ofanim, as mentioned above, who in their own essence and being are lower in rank than the Seraphim and the Chayos; and nevertheless it is specifically in them that the root of the power to be in a great noise is found, for their root is very exalted, as mentioned above.

19And so it is exactly with the animal soul: [the ability] to be at the level of a great noise and “their heart cried out,” etc., through which all the drawings-down are drawn, even those that are through the mitzvos, as mentioned above, is specifically from the side of the animal soul, for it is in it that there is this power to be in a great noise, etc.

Only, just as the ground, even though it has the power of growth, makes nothing sprout of itself but only through the seed sown in it, so too the animal soul in itself would not give birth to the level of the great noise mentioned above,

for “the spirit of the animal goes downward,” and it would remain so; but through the level of the G‑dly soul that is clothed in it, which contemplates the greatness of G‑d and His exaltedness without end, through this the great noise mentioned above is born.

And this is “And I will sow her for Me in the earth,” etc., “Light is sown for the righteous,” etc.: that through Israel’s fulfilling the mitzvos, they make salvations sprout, so that there be drawings-down and revelation of the very essence of the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He;

for the 248 positive commandments are the 248 limbs of the King, and a limb is a drawing-down from the essence of the soul; and [this is] as the Ofanim carry and lift up the level of “as the appearance of a man” upon the Throne, which is the level of the Torah, as mentioned above.

20And this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Better is one hour of teshuvah and good deeds in this world than all the life of the World to Come.” For the World to Come is only a radiance and a glow, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “With the yud the World to Come was created.”

But the level of teshuvah, which is the level of the great noise of the animal soul, and good deeds, from the level of the doing of the mitzvos, draw down the revelation of His very essence and being, may He be blessed. And of this it is said, “But much produce comes through the strength of the ox”:

that is, the level of the animal soul, which is drawn from the face of the ox in the Ofanim, as mentioned above, to draw down a great revelation from His very essence and being, may He be blessed.

And therefore it is written, “Because you did not serve Havayah,” etc., “more than the abundance of all (kol)”: above the level of the World to Come, which is called kol (“all”), which is only a glow, etc.

21And this is the meaning of “My teaching (likchi) shall drop like the rain”: likchi means that you take (lokchim) Me, My very self, as it were; for the drawing down of G‑dliness that Israel draw down through the great noise and the fulfillment of the mitzvos is from His very essence, may He be blessed.

And so is the saying “And You, Havayah our G‑d, have given us,” etc.: it means, as it were, that He gave Himself to us, so that we can draw down His very essence, may He be blessed. And this is [the meaning of] what is said, “You have chosen us,” etc., “and have taken pleasure in us”; and through this, “And He has raised up the horn of His people,” etc., in the manner mentioned above.

225. But first there must be “[My teaching] shall drop like the rain,” etc. For it was explained above, in the analogy of the revelation of the power of growth in the earth to bring forth growth, that it must come first through plowing, to soften the hardness of the soil, and afterward through rain, which comes down and moistens the earth; and then it is that it brings forth its growth.

23And so it is exactly with the animal soul: in order that the power hidden in it be revealed, to make the revelation of the great noise sprout from the seed sown in it, etc., there must first be the level of plowing, “which loosens the soil,”

that is, the level of “a broken and crushed heart”; for hard earth that is not plowed yields no fruit at all, as is known. And afterward it needs rain to moisten the earth,

and this is the level of the study of Torah, which is likened to water. For just as water moistens the ground until it becomes moist enough to be fit to bring forth its growth, so the Torah draws down the level of self-nullification into the soul after the plowing, when there is truly a broken heart, etc.,

so that then, afterward, it can make salvations sprout. And in Bereishis Rabbah, chapter 13: “‘Shall drop (ya’arof) like the rain’: [when] people broke their necks (orfan), at once rain falls.”

24And this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, alluded to when they said, “If this repulsive one meets you, drag him to the house of study; if he is a stone, he melts.” For the Torah is to the soul like water, which can wear away even stone; so, even if his soul is dulled and hard as this stone,

the Torah can dissolve it. For it draws down the level of the supernal waters, and is called “the rain of your land,” etc. [And see what is written in the discourse beginning “If you walk in My statutes,” on the subject of “And I will give your rains in their season.”] For the Torah is the level of the higher Chochmah, the level of “the glory of Havayah from His place,” itself.

25And it is the opposite of the level of human intellect, which is from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, which conceals and hides; whereas the Torah, which is the higher Chochmah, is luminous and bright, so that one can see in it what is above it, which is the level of His G‑dliness, may He be blessed, which is called ayin (Nothing), from which Chochmah is found.

26And therefore it is in truth in a state of genuine self-nullification before its source, which brings it into being, the opposite of the lower wisdom, which is the level of yesh (a being), as mentioned above in the matter of “Blessed be the glory of Havayah,” etc.

And therefore, for one who reads in the Torah, this wisdom and this self-nullification shine upon the person’s soul, so that the wisdom and the self-nullification enter the very inner dimension of the soul. And this is [the meaning of] what is written,

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and water the earth,” etc.: the rains come down from above and are absorbed in the earth, and through this they moisten it; “so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth,”

which is the level of “‘the word of Havayah’: this is halachah”; “it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall do that which I desire,”

to bring the self-nullification into the souls of Israel, as mentioned above; and then the soul can make salvations sprout, which are the level of the desire of the heart and the revelation of G‑dliness in the mitzvos, as mentioned above. But in truth, in the Torah itself there are also two levels.

27That is, there is found another level in the Torah, higher in rank than the level called rain, and it is the one called dew; and of this it is said, “My word shall flow like the dew.”

The explanation: rain is drawn from below, for “a mist would rise from the earth,” as mentioned above; and it is the level of the Torah that is from below upward,

that is, when a person studies the Torah in the manner of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “A person should always occupy himself with Torah and mitzvos not for its own sake,” meaning, not for the sake of the Torah itself; but rather, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “At first,

when a person acts, he acts with his own mind in view”; that is, in the manner of the purpose of wisdom, to comprehend it: he occupies himself with the Torah in order to grasp its laws and rulings, through which he binds his soul to His wisdom and will, may He be blessed. And this level is likened to rain,

for this Torah was taken from below, from the man, as mentioned above, like rain, which is from vapor that rises from the earth, as mentioned above. But that which afterward, “from [study] not for its own sake, he comes to [study] for its own sake,” is the level called dew.

For dew is that which comes down from above. And so our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Whoever sits and occupies himself with Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, reads and studies opposite him.” That is, there is revealed in his soul the level of the word of G‑d and this halachah as it is above, exactly as it was at the time they were given at Sinai.

For even what a seasoned student will in the future innovate was said to Moshe at Sinai; that is, the level of the revelation of that word of Torah within that innovation, as it is in the Torah above.

28Now, “His words are living and enduring.” For even though this was at a time three thousand years before, and also only on Mount Sinai alone,

above there is no time at all, G‑d forbid; and if so, His words that He spoke then endure now as well. And also there is no confinement to place at all, G‑d forbid.

And therefore, in every place where one sits and occupies himself with Torah, and even what a seasoned student innovates, etc., which are the very words that were said to Moshe at Sinai, as mentioned above,

they then shine and are revealed now in his soul; and even though “he does not see, his mazal sees.” And this is the meaning of occupying oneself with Torah lishmah, “for its sake”: for the sake of the Torah itself, to draw down a revelation of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, into the Torah, etc.

(And see what is written below in the discourse beginning “To understand what is written, ‘On the eighth day, an atzeres,’” concerning “My tongue shall respond with Your word.” Also, the matter of these two levels can be explained along the lines of what is written in the discourse beginning “Who is enthroned on high,” that there are two levels: the level of a servant, who studies in order to know, etc.; see there.) And this is “Give ear, O heavens … and let the earth hear,” etc.

The meaning: Moshe spoke all this to all Israel, and said “Give ear, O heavens … and let the earth hear” to the two kinds of souls in Israel: that both of you can make salvations sprout and draw down a revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, through Torah and mitzvos. And of this he said to them, “My teaching shall drop like the rain”:

this is the level of the Torah that is from below upward, the level of “he acts with his own mind in view”; and also “My word shall flow like the dew,” the drawing down of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, from above to below, in that “the Holy One, blessed be He, reads and studies opposite him.” [And see in the Zohar, Vaeschanan (page 263a), that “Give ear, O heavens” is like “Hear, O Israel,” etc., in the first verse of the Shema.

And if so, the discerning will understand that the level of “shall drop like the rain” and “shall flow like the dew,” etc., is itself along the lines of the drawings-down spoken of in “Havayah is our G‑d, Havayah is One.” And as is written on this above.

29And see what is written in the discourse beginning “For on this day He shall atone,” in Parshas Acharei, on the meaning of “And these words shall be,” etc., “and you shall speak of them”:

that this is written of words of Torah; and they are themselves “these words” stated in the first verse of the Shema, “Havayah is our G‑d, Havayah is One”; see there at length.] And all this is within the power of the two kinds of souls mentioned above.

For one whose Torah is his occupation accomplishes this, that there be a revelation of the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, through occupation with Torah, as mentioned above, through the level of the desire of the heart (re’usa d’liba), at the level of “And you shall love with all your heart (levavcha),” with both chambers of the heart.

30And of this he said, “Give ear, O heavens”: these are the souls that are from the level of heaven, which is the level of Torah; and therefore their Torah is their occupation, etc.

And also one who is among the men of business can nevertheless draw down the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, through occupation with Torah lishmah, in setting times for Torah, etc.,

through the level of charity (tzedakah). And this is [the meaning of] what is written, “I speak in righteousness (tzedakah)”: that is, so that it be “I speak”: that when he says Tehillim and the like, it will be the level of “I,” Myself, speaking, in the manner of what is written, “And My words that I have put in your mouth,”

which is the level of the drawings-down and revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, that is in the Torah; [this] is through charity. [And see what is written in the discourse beginning “And the number of the children of Israel shall be,” concerning “You have remembered the earth and watered it,” etc., “full of water,” etc.; see there. And from this will be understood the matter of “My teaching shall drop like the rain,” which is drawn down through the mitzvos, etc.]

And of this it is said, “and let the earth hear”: these are the souls that are drawn from the level of earth. And the meaning of “let it hear” is like “Let your ears hear what you (atah) bring forth from your mouth”: that is, the level of Atah (“You”) that goes forth from your mouth; for “‘the word of Havayah’: this is halachah,” and this is what goes forth from your mouth. And this suffices for one who understands.

316. Now, even though all this is a person’s service each and every day, in a general way it is in the month of Tishrei, which is called the head of the year (Rosh HaShanah), for it includes the life-force of the whole year

in its entirety, and of all the festivals, all of which are drawn down in one inclusion on Rosh HaShanah. And in it there are, in a general way, all the rectifications mentioned above that the soul needs until it brings forth its growth, as was all mentioned in detail above. For

the matter of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah, “a day of teruah,” etc., is “groaning” and “wailing,” which is the matter of a broken and crushed heart, the level of shevarim (the broken notes), until through this he comes to weeping and wailing, etc. And this is the matter of the plowing that must be in the animal soul,

which is the first of all the labors that it needs, as mentioned above; for even rain, when it falls on the earth without plowing, will not through this make its growth sprout, etc.

32And so it is with the soul: it will not bring forth its growth, to be stirred by its contemplation of the greatness of G‑d; and even if he has studied Torah, which is likened to rain that moistens, as mentioned above, it will not help unless it was first plowed,

that is, that he first have a broken heart, etc. For nevertheless, because of the greatness of the physicality, while he is whole and a being unto himself, the contemplation has no effect on him at all.

For even though he contemplates how He, may He be blessed, is holy and separate, and only “His splendor” and radiance are “over earth and heaven,” etc., nevertheless the matter does not touch him; for even though he believes and knows that this is the truth,

that “the heavens are the heavens of Havayah,” etc., he is nevertheless a person unto himself, as though the matter does not touch him at all.

33And this is in the manner of what is written, “For all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart,” and as it is said, “You grew fat, you grew thick, you became covered.” For because of the intensity of his immersion in the desires and longings of this world, and he does not feel pain so that his heart be broken,

then “you grew thick, you became covered”: there forms something like a covering over the heart, and it is called the foreskin of the heart, which covers it, until because of this the influence does not enter it at all, for him to be stirred by the contemplation of the intellect, etc.

And this is because of “you grew fat, you grew thick,” in his immersion in the matters of this world, to eat and to drink, etc.; and so his blood becomes thick and his heart uncircumcised.

34And there must be “And you shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart,” etc., to cut it off from his heart; and this is through a broken and crushed heart, which is the level of the shevarim and teruah of Rosh HaShanah, “groaning,” to crumble it into many crumbs.

And so are all the Ten Days of Teshuvah; and that is why it is a mitzvah to fast on them, even if one does not complete [the fast], for the main intent is only to afflict the soul in order to crumble it and break it, etc.

And through this, afterward, there is drawn down the level of “And I will sprinkle pure water upon you,” etc., through “And a mist would rise from the earth,” etc.; and as it is written, “For as the rain and the snow come down,” etc.: the level of “they shall become white as snow.”

35“And it gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater”: this is the level of Sukkos. [And see what is written on this below in the discourse beginning “And you shall draw water with joy,” how the plowing is in the Ten Days of Teshuvah, “His left hand is under my head,” and the sprouting is on Sukkos, “and His right hand embraces me”; see there at length.] For

our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Israel sustain their Father in heaven.” The meaning: just as, by way of analogy, sustenance for a physical person is what brings about the spreading of the soul in the body (for if he does not eat for several days the soul will depart and separate from the body), and through bread the soul is joined [to it], to shine and spread in the body;

so too will be understood the matter of sustenance above: that through it there be the spreading of the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, within the Sefiros, for He, may He be blessed, is to them as a soul to a body, as is written in the Tikkunei Zohar: “Chesed is the right arm, Gevurah the left arm, Tiferes the body,” etc.

And the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), which gives them life, is what is clothed in them, as a soul in a body. And for there to be this drawing down and clothing (for the Infinite Light, blessed be He, in itself “is not any of these attributes at all”), it is through an arousal from below.

And this is called by the name sustenance: Israel sustain their Father in heaven, so that there be the joining and clothing of the Infinite One, blessed be He, in the ten Sefiros, which are called by the name “body,” as mentioned above. And as is written on this on the verse “And Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes,” etc.,

in the explanation of the matter of “Come, eat of My bread”; see there. And this is “For I said, ‘The world is built (yibaneh) with kindness (chesed)’”: that through My saying in the world, which is the level of the Torah that was given to Israel,

then chesed yibaneh, “Chesed is built”: the Chesed is built. For the drawing down and clothing of the Infinite One, blessed be He, in the attribute of Chesed is through an arousal from below, in occupation with Torah, by which Israel sustain, etc.,

as mentioned above (and see what is written on this in Shir HaShirim, on the verse “To my mare”). And this is the level of Sukkos, in the manner of what is written, “And a sukkah shall be for a shade by day (yomam).”

For the emotive attributes are called “days,” as is known; and yomam (“by day”) is the level of Chesed, as is written in the Zohar, Parshas Emor (page 103b), for it is written, “By day (yomam) Havayah commands His kindness.”

And it is the level of “the day that goes with all the days,” for Chesed is the first of the emotive attributes, and it includes them all and gives power to all of them, as is written

in the commentary of the Ramaz there. And see Pardes, in Erchei HaKinuyim, the entry yomam. And elsewhere it is explained that yomam is the Chesed of Abba; and so it is implied somewhat from what is written in Parshas Balak (page 191b): “The supernal elder,” etc.,

“and who is it? Avraham, as it is written, ‘By day He commands.’” And the Ramaz, Parshas Tetzaveh (page 189b), on “This is Avraham, the elder,” explained that the intent is to Chochmah, for there is the place

of old age; see there. And see what is written further on the subject of yomam in the Siddur, the Gate of Rosh HaShanah, in the discourse beginning “Ado-nai, open my lips.” And the meaning of “for a shade by day” is the level of a surrounding [light] (makif) and a shade over the level of yomam, which is Chesed.

The explanation: for there to be the drawing down and clothing of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, in the emotive attributes, and in general, that is, in the level of Chesed, to give it life like a soul that spreads in a body,

it is impossible for this drawing down to be in an inner manner except by its first being drawn down in a surrounding manner (makif); and afterward it is drawn down and clothed in an inner manner (pnimi).

(And see what is written on this in the explanation on the verse “Command the children of Israel,” etc., “My offering, My bread,” etc., in Parshas Pinchas.) And all this is the level of Sukkos, for at first it is drawn down in a surrounding manner;

and this is the matter of the mitzvah of the sukkah, which surrounds from above. And of this it is said, “And a sukkah shall be for a shade by day”: the sukkah is a shade and a surrounding over the level of yomam, etc. [And see further on this in the Ra’aya Mehemna, Parshas Pinchas, pages 255b and 256a.] And afterward, on Shemini Atzeres, the radiance enters and is grasped within their inner dimension.

And therefore it is called Atzeres, a term for absorption, entering and gathering, for the drawing down enters in an inner manner. (And along these lines will be understood the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, in chapter 9 of Berachos (page 55), concerning Betzalel: “You were in the shadow of Kel (betzel Kel), and you knew.”)

For Betzalel’s saying to make the Mishkan first and afterward the Ark and the vessels is also along these lines: every drawing down from above to below must be [such that] the light is drawn down first in a surrounding manner, and specifically afterward is it drawn down in an inner manner.

And this is why one must first make the Mishkan, which is the level of the surrounding [light], and afterward the vessels, which are the level of the inner light (or pnimi), etc.

And therefore Moshe said of him, “You were in the shadow of Kel.” For Kel is the level of Chesed, as it is written, “The kindness of Kel is all day long.”

36And it was explained above that in order for there to be “Chesed is built,” the drawing down must first be in a surrounding manner, as in “for a shade by day,” etc.; and this is the level of “You were in the shadow of Kel,”

that is, the surrounding light of the level of Chesed; and then, afterward, it is drawn down in an inner manner as well. And see the Zohar, Terumah (end of 152a), and Parshas Pekudei (pages 223b and 222a), and Parshas Shelach (page 162b).

That is, Betzalel himself is the one who connects and draws down the drawing down in an inner manner, for he is the level of “the righteous one is the foundation of the world,” as is written in the Zohar, Parshas Vayakhel (end of page 214b), and in Parshas Pekudei (end of page 224a);

only, “you were in the shadow of Kel,” for his root is from the level of the surrounding [lights], since in order for the drawing down to be drawn in an inner manner, it must first be in a surrounding manner. And see Pri Etz Chaim, the Gate of the Amidah, chapter 14, concerning “the supreme Kel,” etc.,

“who possesses all,” etc. And see the like in the Zohar, Bereishis (end of page 6a), on the verse “And Benayahu son of Yehoyada,” etc.: “From what place does he come forth?” etc. “The verse answered and said: from Kabtze’el,

a supernal, hidden level, of which ‘no eye has seen,’” etc. And in the commentary of the Ramaz there: mi-Kabtze’el means the gathering and collecting of the Name Kel, etc.

And “son of Yeho-yada”: this is like what they said, “You were in the shadow of Kel, and you knew (yada’ta),” for knowledge (daas) is a connection, so that it be drawn down afterward in an inner manner.

And this is also the matter of the Ohel Mo’ed (Tent of Meeting): mo’ed is from the term “And I will meet (veno’adti) with you,” the same letters as “and I will be known (venoda’ti),” which is a term for bonding and connection, etc.,

that is, the drawing down of the union of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, into the soul of man; and this is through the level of the tent, which is the level of “And in the shadow of My hand I have covered you.” And as is written on this on the verse “In the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting,” etc.;

see there. And see the Zohar, Part I, Vayera (pages 98a–b, and end of 97b), on the subject of “And he was sitting at the entrance of the tent,” etc.,

and in Parshas Bo (end of page 36a), and in the commentary of the Ramaz (in both places), and in Parshas Vayikra (page 14a), and in Parshas Acharei (end of page 71b). And see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “The voice of my beloved,” etc., on the subject of “And Havayah will pass over the entrance,” etc.

And see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “To understand the meaning of the verse ‘Who is a G‑d like You,’” etc.; and see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “And Moshe assembled”: “Whoever recites the Shema without tefillin,” etc.; see there.

Now, just as the matter of “And a sukkah shall be for a shade by day” is a drawing down above, in the supernal ten Sefiros, [first] surrounding and afterward inner, so it is also in the soul.

For through the sprouting of the love and the great noise mentioned above, through this “it gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater”: a drawing down and revelation of G‑dliness in the soul from above to below, also in a surrounding and an inner manner.

For Israel sustain, etc., and through this they too are sustained, etc. (See what is written on this in the discourse beginning “My dove,” etc.) And the drawing down is on Sukkos;

and therefore it is “the time of our rejoicing,” through the revelation of the Infinite One, blessed be He, in one’s soul, etc. But this joy is still in a surrounding manner;

only afterward, the level of Shemini Atzeres is the absorption, in which it is absorbed into one’s very inner being. And this is [the meaning of] what is written, “It shall be an atzeres for you,” specifically, and as its Targum [renders it], “gathering,” etc. And as is written on this below, on the verse “Havayah is for me among my helpers,” etc.;

see there. And this is “And He has raised up the horn of His people”: that there is drawn down a revelation of the Infinite One, blessed be He, that is above the level of the World to Come, which was created with the yud alone, the radiance of the Shechinah, etc.; and as it is written, “more than the abundance of all.”

377. “Like showers (se’irim) upon the tender grass (deshe), and like raindrops (revivim) upon the herbage (esev).” Now, the difference between deshe and esev is that deshe is what the herbage is called at the beginning of its growth, when it has begun to sprout and appear above the ground;

and after it has grown it is called esev. So it is explained in the Likkutei Torah of the Arizal, and so it is in the Shorashim, and as it is written, “Let the earth sprout deshe.” And se’irim is the very fine rain, like hairs (se’aros), etc., from which the deshe grows.

But the esev, which is already grown, grows from the revivim, which are the coarse drops of rain. And so there are these two levels in the level of the Torah, which is called rain:

38that is, Mishnah and Talmud. That is, the Mishnayos are called se’irim, from the term se’aros (hairs), for the Torah is likened to hairs, as it is written, “His locks are curled (taltalim),” etc.: “heaps upon heaps (tilei tilim) of laws.” And likewise it is said, “And the hair of His head was like clean wool.”

For just as the hair is drawn from the brain, so are the particulars of the laws in the Torah, which are many drawings-down, drawn from the level of the higher Chochmah, “wise, but not with a known wisdom.”

39And this is the level of the Mishnayos, which are decided laws, which are only likened to hairs, which are also drawings-down, as mentioned above. And occupation with Talmud is called revivim, which are also drops of rain,

only they are large. And so is the level of Talmud, which is the analysis of the law with much dialectic and with depth of intellect, more than in the Mishnah. And just as the rain called revivim makes esev sprout,

which is a greater growth than the level of deshe, so through occupation with Talmud one works salvations in the soul, so that there be a revelation of love and awe at the level of greater love and awe, etc.

For the emotive attributes are called the level of the vegetative, and they have smallness and greatness, as is known. [And see on the subject of deshe and esev in the Zohar, Part I, Bereishis (page 18b),

that they are two levels of angels: “who forms ministers,” who every day are “new every morning,” and “whose ministers” stand “in the heights of the world” since the six days of creation, etc.;

and that this is also the matter of “grass for the cattle, and herbage for the service of man”; and see there also (page 19a). And see on the subject of grass and herbage also in the Zohar, Parshas Pinchas (page 217a).

And along these lines it will be understood in the soul: the level of esev is the level of “the service of man,” which is above the level of an animal. And see what is written on the subject of esev on the verse “And these are the ordinances”; and see further in the Zohar, Terumah (end of page 171a),

and in Parshas Vayikra, page 12a.] And the essence of the matter is that there are two kinds of growth that sprout from the earth through sowing. The first: the growth is, in its nature and essence, like the sown kernel,

such as the seeds of produce, grain and wheat, etc.: the wheat that sprouts is like the wheat that was sown, only the effect of sowing in the earth is that the growth comes with a very, very great increase, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Does a person sow a kav

except to bring forth many kor?” And the second is like the growth of the fruits of a tree through the kernel planted in the earth, where the planted kernel bears no comparison at all to the fruits that grow from it.

And it is an actual renewal. (And see what is written elsewhere on the Zohar, Part I, at the beginning of Parshas Noach, concerning “and it makes fruits and increases seeds,” and the Ramaz there explained that they are the fruit of the tree and the fruit of the ground, souls and angels.) And so too above. For

through an arousal from below [there is] an arousal from above, and this is like the analogy of sowing and growing. And in it there is a growth, an arousal from above of the same kind as the arousal from below, only it is with a very, very great increase.

And the second: when the arousal from above is from a very lofty level, such that the arousal from below is not of this nature and value at all; only, nevertheless, through sowing in the supernal earth, which has in it the power of growth

that is from a very high level, for “their beginning is wedged in their end,” there sprouts in this way a very, very lofty growth. (And it can be said in this that [these are] a drawing down in the manner of the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus) and a drawing down that is above the order of hishtalshelus.

And see what is written in Iggeres HaKodesh, the section beginning “He sows righteous deeds,” concerning “but seemingly this is not in proportion,” etc., “but the explanation is,” etc., “and through this the power of growth brings its power into actuality,” etc.; see there. And [see] at the end of the section beginning “He and His life-forces.”)

And this is the matter of “like showers,” etc.: the growth that comes from the level of se’irim, which is the fine rain, is only like the sown seed, except that it is with a great increase;

and this is the level of the study of the Mishnayos, which is “upon the deshe”; for deshe is not like esev, of which it is said, “esev yielding seed,” which is not so of deshe, as is written in the Zohar, Bereishis (page 19a).

That is, from the study and recitation of the Mishnayos no new birth comes about, only what is explained in the Mishnayos. But “like raindrops upon the esev”: that is, the growth that comes from the level of revivim, which is the masters of Talmud,

is the level of “esev yielding seed, fruit tree,” etc.: they bring forth from their dialectic a new ruling, as in “a matter came out from between them,” for through analysis they give birth to a new ruling, something that was in concealment before this analysis.

(And it is like the analogy of the growth of something new, like the fruit from the sown kernel, etc., which had in it the power of the fruit in deep concealment. And see Iggeres HaKodesh, at the end of the section beginning “And the wise shall shine,” that this is the revelation of “the hidden things of wisdom.” And elsewhere it is explained that this is like one who digs in the depth of the earth and through this brings forth spring water,

which is a new welling-up from the source; whereas one who studies only what is written, this is like the water that is not in the depth of the earth but on the surface of the earth. And it is known that the spring is a very lofty level, for it is from the level of Chochmah, which is above Binah, etc.

And see what is written below in the discourse beginning “And you shall draw water with joy from the springs of salvation”: from the level of a spring, specifically; see there. And therefore through this there is also drawn down from above an arousal from above from the level of “the hidden things of wisdom.” And this is what is written in the Zohar, Part I, Parshas Chayei Sarah)

(page 130b), on the verse “No eye has seen, O G‑d, besides You, what He will do for one who waits (limechakeh) for Him”: “What is ‘for one who waits for Him’? As it says, ‘He waited (chikah) for Iyov with words.’

And these are those who press upon a matter of wisdom, and examine it closely, and wait upon it, to know the clarification of the matter and to come to know their Master,” etc.; see there. Thus through this there is drawn down from the level of “No eye has seen,” etc.,

“He will do,” etc. And see on this explanation in the Zohar (Vaeschanan, page 267b), on the matter of “‘He will do’: it should have said ‘You will do,’” etc. And this is the matter of “like showers” and “raindrops”: for se’irim is the level of the hairs themselves, by way of analogy;

but through analysis, it is written, “Exalt her (salseleha), and she will raise you up,” to the level that is above the hairs; and this is the level of revivim, in the manner of what is written, “And He came from the myriads (rivevos) of holiness,” “How great (rav) is Your goodness,” etc. And this is the level of the inner dimension that is clothed within the hairs, which are the outer dimension.

And this is what is written (in Michah, chapter 5), “And the remnant of Yaakov shall be,” etc., “like dew from Havayah, like raindrops upon the herbage,” etc. Thus revivim belong to the level of dew, etc.

And see what is written in the discourse beginning “The Torah he commanded,” on the subject of the two levels in the Torah, betrothal and marriage; and along these lines will also be understood the matter of “like showers” and “raindrops,”

for when through analysis a new ruling is born, this is like the level of giving birth, which is from the level of marriage, etc.

Now, in the Sifra deTzniusa in the Zohar, at the end of Parshas Terumah (page 177a), it is stated: “‘And G‑d said, Let the earth sprout deshe, esev yielding seed’: this is what is written, ‘And you shall afflict your souls on the ninth of the month in the evening.’

At this time: ‘Ado-nai Havayah, You have begun,’” etc. And if so, it is understood that the level of “showers upon the deshe” and “raindrops upon the esev” also pertains to the level of this sowing and growing of the Ten Days of Teshuvah and Yom Kippur.

The explanation is as written above on the verse “For as the earth brings forth its growth,” etc.: that is, the growth and the arousal from above that is drawn down throughout the year through the sowing of the mitzvos, “He sows righteous deeds,” etc.;

“so will Ado-nai Havayah make righteousness and praise sprout,” on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur; and this is through teshuvah, as explained above, that the level of shevarim is the level of plowing, etc. And this growth is from a higher level. And this is what is written, “At this time: ‘Ado-nai Havayah, You have begun,’” etc.

40Now, this growth too is through “And I will sprinkle pure water upon you,” which are the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. And it is known that there are several levels, one above the other, in the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy: the beginning is on Rosh HaShanah, through the shofar, and the main revelation is on Yom Kippur, and especially at Ne’ilah of Yom Kippur.

And this is the matter of “like showers,” etc., “and like raindrops,” etc. And see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “And it shall come to pass on that day that a great shofar will be sounded,” etc.; and see what is written further on the subject of “Exalt her, and she will raise you up” in the explanation on the verse “For on this day He shall atone,” in Parshas Acharei.

418. Now, “one ofan upon the earth”: Targum Yonasan renders it “below (milra), [reaching] to the height of heaven.” And likewise “beneath the firmament” is translated milra. The explanation is as is written in the name of the Maggid: in Parshas Bereishis it is written, “all that He had made,

and behold, it was very good.” If so, from where did evil come into being? For it is said, “See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil.”

But the explanation is that evil in its root is not evil at all; on the contrary, its root and source, which gives it life, is good, in the manner of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “The Satan and Peninah intended it for the sake of heaven.”

And it is like the parable of the harlot with the king’s son, explained in the Zohar, Part II (Parshas Terumah, page 163a), whose whole will and desire is that the son not listen to her, etc. And this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said on the verse: “‘Good’: this is the good inclination; ‘very’: this is the evil inclination.”

But when it descends below through the chain of descent (hishtalshelus), it becomes, below, utter evil. And this is like the analogy of the broom with which the house is swept:

it is good, for through it the chips and the refuse are cleared from the house; but when a stick is taken from it to strike a child with, it becomes bad, etc. And this is [the meaning of] the terms mil’eil and milra,

which are the Targum of “above” and “below”: what is at the level of “below” is called milra, not that it is evil (ra), G‑d forbid, but that it is the root and source from which, through many stages of descent, the level of evil will come into being, etc.;

whereas at the level that is mil’eil, there is no root at all there for evil to come into being. And along these lines, “Seraphim stand above Him” in the World of Beriah, where “Binah nests”; there is no root for evil there at all.

But the Ofanim are in Asiyah, of which it is said, “even (af) I have made it”: that is, in Asiyah there is nurture for the level of af (anger), in the manner of “three opened with af,” etc.

Therefore, even though the Ofanim are complete holiness, and “one ofan upon the earth,” which is Sandalphon, who is the Keser of Asiyah, is called milra: that is, they stand in a world that is the source and root for the branching out of actual evil below.

And from this, on the contrary, their noise grows greater than that of the Seraphim, for they are in a great noise over there being a root for the coming-into-being of evil and concealment, etc.;

like the matter of the level of teshuvah, which is above the righteous; for teshuvah too is not necessarily over actual sins, for our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “all his days in teshuvah”;

rather, the teshuvah is over the spark of G‑dliness in his soul, which descended wondrously far down from the light of His countenance, may He be blessed, of whom “no thought can grasp Him,” etc. And as is written at the end of the discourse beginning

“For the mountains shall depart.” And therefore they are called “the holy Ofanim” (ofanei hakodesh), for through their noise they reach the level of the supernal kodesh, which is above the level of kadosh with a vav that the Seraphim say, until through this they draw down “the glory of Havayah from His place,” a drawing down from the level of the higher Chochmah itself.

And with this the [passage of the] Talmud in Chullin (chapter Gid HaNasheh, end of page 91b) is resolved, from which it is implied that the Ofanim are of a higher rank than the Seraphim; and this is difficult in light of what is written, “one ofan upon the earth,” etc.,

and as the Arizal wrote, that the Ofanim are in Asiyah, etc. But both are true: although they are in Asiyah, nevertheless through their great noise they reach above the Seraphim;

that is, the Seraphim comprehend the level of kadosh with a vav, and the Ofanim are called ofanei hakodesh, etc. And this is because “Malchus nests in Asiyah,”

and through this descent she becomes “the crown of her husband,” and she rises higher and higher, as is written elsewhere, at the end of the discourse beginning “Sing and rejoice, O daughter,” etc., “and I will dwell in your midst,” specifically. And see the Zohar, Part I, Vayetzei (page 158b).

And this is because “the advantage of light” is drawn specifically from darkness. And this is “And it shall come to pass on that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem,”

which is the level of Malchus that nests in Asiyah, “half of them to the eastern sea,” the level of Binah that nests in Beriah, as is written in the Zohar, Part III (Parshas Shelach, page 171).

And as is written elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “Who can count,” etc., “the fourth part of Israel,” on the meaning of “even (af) I have made it”: that af is an inclusive term (ribbui), which includes a fourth level that is above the three levels “I created it, I formed it, I made it,” etc.; see there.