“Tehillah l’David (A psalm of David): I will exalt You, my Lord, the King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever.” (Psalms 145:1)
This that we see that, generally, the learned oppose the tzaddikim and “speak arrogant words, proudly and contemptuously, against the righteous” (cf. Psalms 31:19) —this is precisely the way God intends it.
For there are the aspects of Yaakov and Lavan. Yaakov is the tzaddik who originates Torah insights and studies Torah lishmah (purely for its own sake). The good which is his is stored, guarded and hidden away for the Future, as our Sages taught: … tomorrow, to receive their reward (Eruvin 22a). It is because his reward comes at the end that he is called yaAKoV, which connotes AKeV (heel) and end. His reward comes at the end.
But Lavan is a scholar-demon. He studies Torah in order to show off and criticize. And such a Torah scholar, “a carcass is better than he” (Vayikra Rabbah 1:15).
It is common knowledge that a person is only called a scholar [when versed] in the Oral Law. Someone who knows how to study the Five Books of the Torah is not called a scholar; only one who is knowledgeable in the Talmud and Codifiers. When such a person studies Torah without daat, <i.e., not lishmah,> he is called Lavan—because of the cunning which he acquires. He despises and persecutes the tzaddikim: the upper tzaddik and the lower tzaddik. As is written in the Zohar (I, 153b): The Divine Presence resides between two tzaddikim, as in (Psalms 37:29), “Tzaddikim will inherit the earth”—[the plural,] tzaddikim, indicating two. These are the two tzaddikim: the tzaddik who originated this teaching of Oral Law is the upper tzaddik, and the lower tzaddik is the one who studies these original insights.
And Oral Law is the Divine Presence. As <Eliyahu taught>: Malkhut (Kingship) is peh (mouth)—she is called Torah shebe’ al peh (Oral Law) (Tikkuney Zohar, Introduction). When the Divine Presence, which is known as the Oral Law, comes into the scholar-demon, it is referred to as the Divine Presence in exile. <From this> [the scholar] has the mouth to “speak arrogant words, proudly and contemptuously, against the tzaddik.”
But when, with holiness and purity, a person studies some law or legal decision which a Tanna or some other tzaddik originated, this brings about the aspect of neshikin (kisses). Neshikin is the binding of spirit with spirit. For this legal decision was spoken by the Tanna, and speech is the life-force, as is written (Genesis 2:7), “[Man] became a living soul,” which Onkelos renders: “a speaking spirit.”
Now, the “speaking spirit”—the “living soul”—comes from the Oral Law, as is written (Genesis 1:24), “Let the earth bring forth a living soul.” Consequently, when the Tanna originates some insight and verbalizes this insight, the speaking itself is an aspect of Oral Law which he originated. For that is where he drew it from, as in, “Let the earth bring forth a living soul.” So that now, when one studies this insight and brings the learning and insight into his mouth, the result is that the spirit of the tzaddik who originated this insight binds itself with the “speaking spirit”—with the words of the one who is now studying the insight. This binding of spirit with spirit is called neshikin.
We find then that when a person studies < lishmah> a law which the Tannaim instituted, through this the spirit of the Tanna binds itself with the spirit of the one studying. It is as if he exchanges kisses with the Tanna. However, of the scholar-demon who studies the Talmud or a legal decision it is written (Proverbs 27:6), “The kisses of an enemy are profuse.” This is because the Tanna cannot tolerate the spirit of a scholar-demon. For who could stomach exchanging kisses with a carcass, especially when “a carcass is better than he”?
And even tzaddikim who have already passed away, by studying their teachings, their spirit becomes bound with ours <in the aspect of neshikin>. As our Sages taught: [When a person quotes the sages in this world,] their lips move in the grave (Yevamot 97a). This is a result of the aspect of neshikin.
{“Yaakov kissed Rachel and he wept aloud. Yaakov told Rachel that he was her father’s relative, that he was Rivkah ’s son. She ran and told her father. When Lavan heard the name of Yaakov, his sister’s son, he ran to greet him. He embraced and kissed him, and brought him into his home. And yesaper ([Yaakov] told) Lavan all that had happened. Lavan said to him, ‘Yes, indeed, you are my own flesh and blood.’ And he yeshev (dwelled) with him for chodesh yamim (a month’s time). Lavan then said to Yaakov, ‘You are my brother…’” (Genesis 29:11-15).} This corresponds to, “Yaakov kissed Rachel and wept aloud.” Rashi explains: “he foresaw with the holy spirit that she would not be buried with him.” “Rachel” alludes to the Oral Law, <for she corresponds to speech, to the Divine Presence>. She is “as a rachel (lamb) before her shearers” (Isaiah 53:7). Everyone shears and extract laws from her (Tikkuney Zohar #21, p.46b). [The laws] become garments, as is written (Proverbs 27:26), “Sheep shall provide your garments,” and as in (Isaiah 3:6), “You have garments, you will be our leader.” When a virtuous individual studies the Tanna’s teaching, the Tanna kisses him. And he kisses the Tanna and brings the Tanna great delight, as in, “his lips move in the grave.”
This is the meaning of “Yaakov kissed”—he is the Tanna ; “Rachel”—she is the Oral Law which he originated. He kissed and bound his spirit with the holy spirit in the Divine Presence. “And he wept”—He foresaw with his holy spirit, which he took from his mouth and put into the Oral Law, and saw that in this exile the learned are generally unworthy people. Consequently, the studying in which they engage causes the holy spirit of Rachel/Oral Law not to enter the grave. For [the Tanna’s] lips do not move in the grave from the wicked man’s studying. And because of this, “he wept” over his exile.
Furthermore, there are even times when the learned individual will teach an original insight in his own name instead of crediting the Tanna. As a result, he does not enter the grave with the Tanna. For he does not say it in the name of the one who [first] said it.
2. Should you wonder: Why isn’t it that as soon as the learned individual studies the tzaddik’s insight, he repents? And how is it that the Oral Law allows the learned individual to continue with his wickedness? The answer is: “He told her that he was her father’s relative, that he was Rivkah’s son.” This means that when the tzaddik said the Oral Law, he said it in the aspect of (Hosea 14:10), “Tzaddikim will walk in them, but sinners will stumble in them.”
And this is, “that he was her father’s relative”—in deceit. This is the aspect of “but sinners will stumble in them.” “That he was Rivkah’s son”—the virtuous one. This is the aspect of “Tzaddikim will walk in them.”
Not only this, but, “She ran and told her father.” In other words, this aspect of “but sinners will stumble in them” comes to him more easily. As our Sages taught (Proverbs 8:12), “I, wisdom, dwell with cunning”—<once a> person studies Torah, he acquires cunning (Sotah 21b). And this is, “She ran”—it is like a person who runs swiftly and easily; “and told her father”—for the Torah teaches cunning to the learned. And so, “She ran and told her father”—cunning comes more easily and swiftly to a person. This is because holiness requires [waiting for] assistance from Above, as our Sages taught: Someone who comes to purify himself, he receives assistance (Shabbat 104a). But cunning is made open—it has many openings (ibid., Tosafot s. v. iss d’garsy) —and comes to him easily.
3. And should you wonder: If the Tanna was a perfect tzaddik, how is it possible that he teaches Torah capable of carrying a double entendre—a positive connotation, that the “tzaddikim will walk in them,” and an opposite connotation, that “sinners will stumble in them”?
But know! the Tanna was a perfect tzaddik. His Torah was pure, without deficiency. That it appears to have in it this sense of cunning, this is [only] because all people receive <livelihood from the left side>. As it is written (Proverbs 3:16), “[Length of days in her right hand,] and in her left hand are riches and glory.” This is why the Tanna lapsed into some minute and miniscule oversight—corresponding to the left—while relating his teaching; so that <he would be able to bring down blessing> for the world and draw riches and glory to them. As is written, from “her left hand are riches and glory.” However, from the Tanna’s side, there is no crookedness and perversion <whatsoever>.
And in this regard, prior to his studying the learned individual must know that when he sits down to study, the tzaddik, who is in the Garden of Eden, pays heed to his voice. As it is written (Song of Songs 8:13), “You who dwell in the gardens, companions hearken to your voice.”
This is, “When Lavan heard the name of Yaakov, his sister’s son….” In other words, this is when the learned individual knows of Yaakov’s name—that Yaakov is “his sister’s son,” the aspect of virtuousness—because he <studies> this teaching with virtue and for its own sake. Thus Yaakov—i.e., the Tanna —pays heed to his voice.
And “he ran to greet him,” embracing and kissing him. That is, through his <proper> studying, the spirit of the Tanna becomes bound with his spirit. This is the aspect of neshikin. “And brought him into his home”—he brings the spirit of the Tanna into the Torah he is now studying. For that is where his home is, as in, “Let the earth bring forth a living soul.”
And “yeSaPeR (he told) Lavan.” This is similar to SaPiR (shining) and light. The spirit of the Tanna shines to the learned individual and enlightens him on “all that had happened.” Rashi explains that [Yaakov told Lavan that] he had not come [bearing gifts] but after having been robbed by his brother who had taken away his money. The meaning is: The Tanna’s spirit informs the learned individual that the Tanna comes to this aspect whereby his teaching carries a sense of cunning only after having been robbed by his brother who has taken his money. This is so that “in her left hand are riches and glory”—in order to draw upon them material blessing.
When the learned individual knows all this, [then] Lavan says, “Yes, indeed, you are my own flesh and blood”—i.e., so that the learned individual should bind himself to the Tanna with a very strong attachment.
“And he yeSheV (dwelled) with him for a ChoDeSh YaMim (month’s time).” He yityaSheV (dwelled) on the matter with the spirit of the Tanna, [to determine] how to repent <and> ChaDeSh YaMav (renew his days) spent in darkness. This corresponds to (Psalms 103:5), “Your youth is renewed like that of the eagle.”
But the scholar-demon does not see all this and does not hear of the name of “his sister’s son.”
He said to him, “You are my brother.” Lavan thinks and says that the Tanna also only delivers his teaching with craftiness, and that it hasn’t any virtuous aspect. He thinks that [the Tanna] is “his brother” in deceit; that everything is deception, God forbid. He does not want to repent and “speaks arrogant words, proudly and contemptuously, against the tzaddik.”
4. And know! this is precisely as God intends it. The Holy One causes some great tzaddik to fall into the mouth of the learned individual—i.e., the learned individual speaks wickedly of the tzaddik. This is so that the tzaddik can then free the Oral Law, the Divine Presence, from being exiled in the mouth of the learned. He then elevates her to her Source, from level to level: first to the aspect of chibuk (embracing), afterwards to aspect of neshuk (kissing), and finally to the aspect of zivvug (intimacy).
As it is written (Song of Songs 2:1), “I am the rose of Sharon”—at first she is green like a rose (Zohar I, 221a). As [our Sages] taught: Esther was of a greenish complexion (Megillah 13a).
And this is the aspect of chibuk: “His right hand embraces me” (Song of Songs 2:6).
For joy comes from the heart, as is written (Psalms 4:8), “You put joy in my heart.” And the heart is Binah (understanding) (Tikkuney Zohar, Introduction). There, [one finds] the wine of joy (Zohar III, 127a) —the hidden world—corresponding to (Psalms 104:15), “Wine that makes the heart rejoice.”
Now, this tzaddik, [although] he has fallen into the mouth of the learned individual who speaks arrogantly against him, he understands that the things which the learned individual says of him are really permutations of the letters of the Oral Law. He also understands from which particular laws these words originate. He accepts [the scholar-demons arrogant words] joyously and with love, as our Sages taught: Those who are insulted… rejoice in their suffering and act out of love (Shabbat 88b).
And <this> love, that the tzaddik accepts humiliation with love, is the aspect of chibuk: “His right hand embraces me.” By means of the joy that results from his rejoicing in the suffering, he elevates [the Divine Presence], the aspect of “I am the rose of Sharon,” to the aspect of heart, as in, “You put joy in my heart.” Then he is in the aspect of “rock of my heart” (Psalms 73:26), corresponding to the Oral Law, which is called a rock. As is brought in the Tikkuney Zohar (#21, p.43a): Had Moshe Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, not hit the rock, we would not have to labor so hard in the Oral Law.
This also corresponds to (Genesis 14:14), “And [Avraham] yarek (called out) et chanikhav (his trained servants).” Avraham is the aspect of right, corresponding to chibuk. The word “YaReK” alludes to the line of YaRoK (green) which is drawn from Binah and encircles the entire world (cf. Chagigah 12a). “ChaNiKhav” alludes to benevolences, as the Midrash comments: It is similar to ChaNiKhato (his surname) in that all of them were named Avraham after him (Bereishit Rabbah 43:2). In other words, this green line, which corresponds to “the rose of Sharon”/“Esther was of a greenish complexion,” is the elevation which the Divine Presence has through chibuk from the right.
{“In any case, she really is my sister; the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. She [later] became my wife” (Genesis 20:12).} Now, [the Divine Presence] is essentially built up through Chokhmah (Wisdom). Then she is suitable for zivvug, as is written, “In any case, she really is my sister; the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother.” And then, “she became my wife”—for then [the Divine Presence] is suitable for intimacy. {As is brought in the Zohar (III, 100b): Rabbi Abba sent to Rabbi Shimon, saying, “When is the zivvug of Knesset Yisrael with the Holy King?” His reply was, “In any case, she really is ….” See there.}
We also find in a commentary to Sifra De’Tzniuta that neshikin is the result of Chokhmah. When the upper lips, which are the upper Netzach (Victory) and Hod (Splendor), are roused to the aspect of zivvug —to the binding of spirit with spirit—then the lower Netzach and Hod are roused to zivvug —to binding body with body.
Consequently, when the tzaddik applies his wisdom and determines from which sets of letters of the Oral Law these <words> which the learned individual speaks against him originate, and the tzaddik studies these letter permutations and makes of them the letter permutations of law which they had been <previously, before> they were corrupted; then, when [the tzaddik] has this wisdom, this wisdom causes the Divine Presence to be in the aspect of “the rose of the valleys” (Song of Songs 2:1). This is the aspect of neshikin, as in (Songs 5:13), “his lips like roses.” It is the binding of spirit with spirit, which then gives rise to a zivvug of body with body.
For “the Divine Presence resides between two tzaddikim”: between the upper tzaddik—the Tanna who originated this teaching and now [continues to] fill it with an influx, and the lower tzaddik—who studies this teaching and raises <[the Divine Presence] in order to bring> feminine waters so that she will bind herself [with the Holy King].
And this is the meaning of “his lips like roses”—through the aspect of neshikin ; “they drip flowing myrrh” (Song of Songs 5:13) —[flowing] from side to side. In other words, a pleasant fragrance drips on the Divine Presence from both sides, from the upper tzaddik and from the lower tzaddik. And thus, “the DuDa’im (mandrakes) gave fragrance” (Songs 7:14). The two DoDim (beloveds), i.e., the two tzaddikim, “gave fragrance” [to the Divine Presence].
5. This is what Rabbah bar bar Chanah recounted: I myself saw Hurmiz the son of Lilit. He was running along the top of the wall of Machoza. A parasha (cavalryman) moving swiftly on a horse down below could not overtake him. Once, two mules were saddled for him. They stood on two bridges of the Donag. He leaped back and forth from one to the other, holding two cups of wine in his hands. And he morek (poured) from one cup to the other, without dripping any of it on the ground, though it was a day of “rising up to the sky and going down to the deeps.” The malkhut (government) heard about this and put him to death (Bava Batra 73a).
I myself saw Hurmiz — Rashbam explains that this is a demon.
the son of Lilit — A reference to the scholar-demon. This is the meaning of the son of Lilit. As the Midrash comments: When Moshe was in heaven, how did he differentiate between day and night? <The answer is> that when he was taught the Oral Law, he knew it was LayLah (night) (Shochar Tov 19). Hence he is the son of LiLit. For, essentially, a person is called a scholar due to [his knowledge of] the Oral Law.
He was running along the top of the wall — This alludes to the tzaddik of the generation. The scholar-demon persecutes the tzaddik of the generation, who is likened to a wall, as our Sages taught: A [true] Torah scholar needs no protection (Bava Batra 7b). See there.
A parasha (cavalryman) moving swiftly — Rashbam explains that he did so unintentionally. This PaRaSha is the Tanna who originated the teaching and PeRShah (explained) it <with his lips>. He clarified its obscurities. He, too, is persecuted, though unintentionally. For the scholar-demon does not intend to run after the Tanna. This persecution happens automatically.
mounted on a horse down below — By studying of the Tanna’s teaching, the learned individual causes the Tanna’s soul to return to his body. This return of soul to body is similar to one’s being mounted on a horse: the horse is secondary to <the rider>. And this is the aspect of down below. Through their studying, those from below cause the Tanna’s soul to mounted upon his horse—his body, as in, “His lips move in the grave.” But:
could not overtake him — For the Tanna cannot take his kisses, because “A carcass is better than he,” and, “The kisses of an enemy are profuse.” Thus the Tanna runs away from him. And should you wonder: How is it that the Tanna ’s teaching not only fails to bring the learned individual to repent, but on the contrary, he becomes even more haughty? And how does it happen that from the holy teaching of the Tanna, the learned individual is able to stumble? The answer is:
Once, two mules were saddled for him — There are times when the Tanna lapses into some extremely minute oversight so that through it he can draw a twofold life-force to the world.
For there are two types of life-force: spiritual life-force, which is “Length of days in her right hand”; and material life-force, which is “in her left hand are riches and glory.” The Tanna, because of his resolute cleaving to the spiritual life-force, does not, God forbid, detach himself from the spiritual vitality. But, as a result of his lapsing into <an aspect of oversight> for material life-force:
They stood on two bridges of the Donag (wax). He leaped back and forth from one to the other — He is like a man standing on a bridge made of wax. It is impossible for him to remain there. He leaps over to the second bridge. But, because the second bridge is also made of wax, he has to leap to the first one—leaping back and forth. So, too, the Tanna. Primarily, his study is always for its own sake. However, because it is up to him to draw material life-force to the world, he is made to lapse into study that is not purely for its own sake. The aspect of lishmah is <taken> from him, and he leaps from purely- to not-purely-for-its-own-sake. Yet, due to his holiness, <he cannot bear the non- lishmah and so again> jumps to lishmah . This is because, for him, the aspect [not-purely-for-its-own-sake] is like the bridge of donag, which cannot be stood upon. So he leaps into purely-for-its-own-sake, <but> because there is a need to benefit the world he leaps from this bridge, which for him—at that particular moment—is like a bridge of wax. And he leaped back and forth from one to the other. As a result, his teachings have the aspect of “but the sinners will stumble in them.” [This leaping back and forth is thus] the rectification for all the above.
holding two cups of wine in his hands — There are two aspects of wine: the aspect of Oral Law, which is “wine of Malkhut in abundance” (Esther 1:7) ; and the aspect of Binah /heart, the joy of the heart—“wine that makes the heart rejoice.”
And he moReK (poured) from one cup to the other — He should draw out the line of YaRoK from <the aspect of Binah>…, as in, “And he YaReK his trained servants.” This is chibuk —accepting the persecution with love and rejoicing in the suffering. As a result, the Divine Presence/the Oral Law is in the aspect of chibuk, corresponding to, “I am the rose”—“YaRuKah (green) like a rose.” The chibuk is thus complete. And this is:
without dripping any of it on the ground, though it was a day of rising up to the sky and going down to the deeps — This alludes to the Divine Presence residing between the two tzaddikim. The upper tzaddik corresponds to rising up to the sky ; <the lower tzaddik corresponds to going down to the deeps>. This is the aspect of neshikin, corresponding to, “they drip flowing myrrh.” How is neshikin /“they drip flowing myrrh” achieved? Through Chokhmah, as mentioned above. And thus:
The malkhut (government) heard about this and put him to death — In other words, he will comprehend and hear the Oral Law—known as “Malkhut peh”—acquiring wisdom from the letter permutations coming from the scholar-demon. <That is, he will make permutations out of the abuse and insults, and turn them back into the permutations of law which they had previously been.> As a result:
put him to death — For the main life-force of the evil forces and demons comes only from the sparks of the Divine Presence. As long as she is incomplete and has some lack, then they have life-force. <But,> when she is elevated to the aspect of Chokhmah —which is primarily where she is built up—and she is built up completely, through this the scholar-demon is put to death .
6. And this is the explanation [of the opening verse]: “Tehillah l’David (A psalm of David): [I will exalt You, ELohai (my Lord), haMelekh (the King); and I will bless Your name forever and ever].”
TeHiLlaH — This connotes confusion and mixture, as in (Job 4:18), “And in His angels He places T’HoLlaH (confusion).”
David — <He> corresponds to the Oral Law, <to “Malkhut peh”>. In other words, when the Oral Law falls and becomes confused and mixed into other letter-permutations….
I will exalt You, ELohai, haMelekh — [The Oral Law/ Malkhut] is exalted through ELohai, as in (Psalms 52:3), “The lovingkindness of EL (the Omnipotent One) is always.”
haMelekh — [She is exalted and elevated] to Binah /heart, for “the heart in the soul is like a melekh (king) engaged in battle” (Sefer Yetzirah, Chap. 6).
and I will bless Your name — That is, afterwards, he elevates the Oral Law to the aspect of Chokhmah (Wisdom), which is called “blessed” due to its abundance of blessings. For Chokhmah is the source of blessing.