“V’eileh HaMishpatim (And these are the laws) that you must place before them.” (Exodus 21:1)
Our Sages taught: [The words “before them” indicate that in regard to all Torah laws,] woman is equated with man (Kiddushin 35a). The Mekhilta (21:1) comments: It might be that the students study but fail to comprehend. [Scripture] therefore states: “that you must place before them”—spread it out before them as a fully set table.
Know! the essential reason for exile is nothing other than a lack of ÆMuNaH (faith), as is written (Song of Songs 4:8), “Come, gaze from the peak of AMaNaH.” And emunah is synonymous with prayer, as in (Exodus 17:12), “his hands were emunah,” which Onkelos renders: “[his hands] were spread out in prayer.”
And [prayer] corresponds to miracles, the supernatural. For prayer transcends nature; the natural course dictates a certain thing, but prayer changes nature’s course. This is a miracle. And for this, one needs faith. A person has to believe that there is a M’chadesh (an Originator) with the power to originate as He sees fit.
Now, the quintessence of faith, and thus prayer and miracles, is only in the Land of Israel, as is written (Psalms 37:3), “Dwell in the Land and cultivate emunah.” The principal elevation of the prayers is there, as in (Genesis 28:17), “This is the gate of heaven.”
Because of this, when Avraham erred in saying (Genesis 15:8), “How shall I know [that I will inherit it]?”—thus blemishing his inheritance of the Land, which corresponds to faith/prayer—<he brought on> the exile in Egypt. And it was specifically “Yaakov and his [twelve] sons who descended into Egypt” (Joshua 24:4; see Genesis 46), for they correspond to the “twelve versions of prayer” (Zohar III, 170a).
And, [God] exiled them <to Egypt, because> the Land of Egypt is the antithesis of [the Land of Israel, the place of] NiSiM (miracles), as is written (Exodus 14:27), “And the Egyptians NaSiM (were fleeing) against it.” For [Egypt] is not the place of miracles. It is also not the place of prayer, as in (Exodus 9:29), “When I go outside the city I will spread out my hands [in prayer].”
[Our Sages taught:] All exiles are known as MiTZRayIM (Egypt), because they MeTZeiRIM (cause anguish and suffering) to the Jewish people (Bereishit Rabbah 16:4). Thus, when a person blemishes faith/<miracles>/prayer/the Land of Israel, he descends into <the depths of> exile.
This is the meaning of what our Sages taught: The Mashiach son of David will not come until the [last] penny is gone from the pocket (Sanhedrin 97a) —i.e., gone are the atheists who have no faith in miracles and explain away all miracles as natural phenomena. And the quintessence of miracles is in the Land of Israel, for the Land of Israel drinks first (Taanit 10a). Its drink is from the t’home (depths), which connotes [the miraculous and amazing, as in] (Ruth 1:19), “the entire city TeiHoMe (was amazed).” Something that is miraculous amazes everyone.
And this is (Psalms 42:8), “Deep calls to deep.” There are “upper miracles,” which correspond to the upper t’home, and there are “lower miracles,” which correspond to the lower t’home (Shemot Rabbah 5:9).
{I saw the Angel of Rain. It had the appearance of an egla (ox) and prita sifevatei (its lips were split open). It was standing between t’home (the deep) and t’home (Taanit 25b).} Encompassing all miracles, both t’home, is an angel that has “the appearance of an EGLa (ox).” This corresponds to EeGuLim (circles), which is an aspect of faith, as is written (Psalms 89:9), “Your faith encircles you.” “And its lips were split open” alludes to prayer, as in (Psalms 51:17), “Lord, open my lips.” Thus, [the angel] encompasses all miracles.
This is the meaning of, “until TiKhLeH PRuTaH min haKiS (the [last] penny is gone from the pocket).” For there are people who conceal all miracles, which are encompassed in the angel whose “lips were PRiTaH.” They m’KhaSim (conceal) [all miracles] with natural explanations. When this is TiKhLeH (gone), and there is abundant faith in the world, then Mashiach will come. For the redemption essentially depends upon this [abundant faith], as is written, “Come, gaze from the peak of Amanah.”
2. Yet it is impossible to come to faith except through truth. As is brought in the Zohar (III, 198b): “And justice will be a belt for his hips, and faith a band for his loins” (Isaiah 11:5). What then is the difference between justice and faith? The answer given there is: [justice] is called faith when it is bound with truth.
3. {“Behold, You want truth in the inner parts; in the innermost places teach me wisdom” (Psalms 51:8).} Yet is impossible to achieve truth except through attachment to the tzaddikim and by following their advice. The person who accepts their advice has the truth etched inside him. As is written, “Behold, You want truth”—when truth is what you desire—“in the inner parts, in the innermost places, teach me wisdom.” For the advice received from [the tzaddikim] is an aspect of marriage and union <of holinesss>.
But when one accepts advice from the wicked, this corresponds to a marriage <and union of> the kelipah (husks). [As Chavah said] (Genesis 3:13), “The Serpent advised me”—this being a euphemism for marriage. Her acceptance of the Serpent’s advice is likened to a marriage. Through <this> marriage, the Serpent polluted her [and all her descendants]. However, with the revelation at Mount Sinai, this pollution ceased (Shabbat 146a). For it was there that they received the six hundred thirteen counsels of holiness (Zohar II, 82b) —<a wedding of holiness>.
And why is advice called marriage? This is because the kidneys advise (Berakhot 61a), and the kidneys are reproductive organs, producers of sperm (Zohar III, 235a). We can therefore conclude that by accepting advice from a person, it is as if we are receiving seed from him. And [the nature of union] depends entirely upon the nature of person <giving the advice>: whether wicked or righteous.
This is the reason the Torah is maTiSh (saps) one’s strength (Sanhedrin 26b). It is also called TuShiyah (insight), for there are six hundred thirteen counsels, as in (Proverbs 8:14), “Mine is counsel and insight.” Advice is therefore likened to marriage, an aspect of matrimonial union, which also saps one’s strength.
{“I have planted for you a sorek (a vine), an entirely true seed” (Jeremiah 2:21).} The tzaddik’s advice is “entirely true seed.” This is the meaning of, “I have planted for you a SoReK”—this alludes to the redemption, as is written (Zakhariah 10:8), “eShR’Kah (I will whistle) to them and gather them in.” How will this be achieved? [They will be gathered in] through “entirely true seed”—the advice of the tzaddikim brings to truth. For through this [advice, justice] becomes faith, because it is bound up with truth. And this brings the redemption, for he receives the drops of the tzaddik’s intellect through the advice which he accepts from him.
This is the meaning of, “Behold, You want truth, [then] in the inner parts”—the kidneys—“… teach me wisdom.” Let me merit receiving the drops of the mind, the drops of the intellect [of the tzaddikim], through the advice I will accept from them. Then I will merit the truth, for the drops of the intellect are called “entirely true seed.”
4. {“Shem and Yafet took the garment and put it on both their shoulders. Walking backwards, they then covered their father’s nakedness. They faced away from him and did not see their father naked” (Genesis 9:23).} Know! through [keeping] the mitzvah of tzitzit, a person is protected from the Serpent’s advice, from a “marriage of wickedness,” from immorality. Tzitzit protects against immorality, as is brought in the Tikkuney Zohar (#18): “Shem and Yafet took the garment and put it on both their shoulders”—this is a reference to tzitzit ; “and did not see their father naked”—for tzitzit covers over nakedness. But ChaM—the personification of the evil inclination, for he is m’ChaMeim (heats) a person’s body to sin—is cursed. As is written (Genesis 9:25), “Cursed is Kanaan”; and, as in (Genesis 3:14), “Cursed are you [the Serpent] more than all the animals.” Thus “the garment,” the tzitzit, is a protection against the Serpent’s advice, the Serpent’s pollution.
This corresponds to (Genesis 49:22): “Ben porat aley ayin (A fruitful bough by a well).” It was because of the TZITZit, similar to (Song of Songs 2:9), “meiTZITZ (he looks) through the cracks,” that [Yosef] merited being a fruitful bough. For he was protected from the Serpent’s marriage, from a union <of wickedness>, and merited [instead] to a union of holiness.
And this is “PoRat”—it connotes union, similar to (Genesis 1:28), “P ’ru u’Revu (be fruitful and multiply).” [And “aley AYiN,”] because immorality stems primarily from the AYNayim (eyes), as our Sages taught: Shimshon strayed after his eyes (Sotah 9b). It is also written (Numbers 15:39), “You will not stray after your heart or after your eyes.”
Thus, the tzitzit —the eyes <of holiness>—is a protection against the Serpent’s advice. A person is then able to receive advice from the tzaddik, which is “entirely true seed.”
5. This is the explanation (Bava Batra 74a).
Rabbah bar bar Chanah recounted: This merchant said to me, “Come, I will show you Mount Sinai.” We went and saw that it was encircled by scorpions as tall as chamrei chivarta (white mules). I heard a Heavenly voice saying, “Woe to Me that I took an oath! But now that I have taken an oath, who can nullify it for Me?”
Come, I will show you Mount Sinai — This is an allusion to advice, for [at Mount Sinai] the Jews received the six hundred thirteen counsels.
we saw that it was encircled by scorpions — In other words, there is the advice of the Serpent, the counsel of the wicked, which makes it impossible to receive the advice, the “true seed,” of the tzaddikim.
as tall as chamrei chivarta (white mules) — This alludes to the tzitzit, which protects against the Serpent’s advice, against immorality.
{Rabbi Meir said: Not having the white threads on the tzitzit deserves greater punishment than not having the t’kheilet (sky-blue threads). Liken this to a king who issued instructions to two of his servants: one was told to bring him a seal made of clay, the other was told to bring him a seal made of gold. Each transgressed the king’s order and failed to bring the seal. Whose crime was the greater? Say, then, that the servant who failed to bring the seal of clay deserves the greater punishment, for clay is more readily available (Menachot 43b; Rashi, loc. cit.).} As our Sages taught: Which deserves greater punishment, the white or the blue? They explained: Liken it to someone who commanded that he be brought a gold seal—i.e., the blue threads—and a clay seal—i.e., the white threads. [Interpret this] as follows: ChaMRei refers to ChoMeR v’tit (clay and lime); chivarta is white, since nowadays this is the principal [requirement of the] tzitzit.
I heard a Heavenly voice saying, Woe to Me that I took an oath! — Rashbam explains this [as God’s oath] concerning the exile. For through the tzitzit one can come to the advice of the tzaddikim, to truth. And with truth a person can achieve faith. And faith, brings the redemption, as explained. This is why [Rabbah bar bar Chanah] heard God regretting the exile: The tzitzit —the chamrei chivarta —caused all this.
6. This is the explanation [of the opening verse]: {“V’eileh (And these) are the laws that you must place before them.”}
V’eileh — Wherever the term v’eileh (and these) is used, it comes to add. This alludes to: Yosef, guarding the Covenant, and the tzitzit .
are the laws — This corresponds to “entirely true seed,” as in (Psalms 19:9), “God’s laws are truth.” One merits receiving the counsel of the tzaddikim—the aspect of truth.
that you shall place before them — That is, when [justice] is bound with truth.
And this is: woman is equated with man. For <the aspect of> “man” and “woman” allude to the joining of truth and faith, and it is on this that the redemption depends.
And this is: It might be that the students study but fail to comprehend. [Scripture] therefore states: “that you must place before them”—spread it out before them as a fully set table — This is a reference to the redemption. For in the future, all wisdoms will be revealed as a fully set table, as in (Isaiah 11:9), “And the earth shall be filled with knowledge….”
7. (Excerpts belonging to this lesson.)
Prayer is synonymous with faith, which in turn is synonymous with miracles. This is because a miracle is supernatural, it is something for which one needs to have faith. {See [section 1] above.}
Because of this, prayer is beneficial for memory; for, as mentioned, prayer corresponds to faith. But forgetfulness entails having had something in mind, its lapsing from memory and being no longer a part of us. {This can be likened to [seeing as pre-determined] the movements of the constellations, which follow a prescribed pattern day after day. And this is the very opposite of faith. Whereas, if a person believes that there is One who daily renews everything in accordance with His will, who perpetually sustains and supports everything, and who is above [the limitations of] time, then forgetfulness has no place.}
See, now, the wonders in the words of our Sages: The [letters] mem and samakh which were on the Tablets were held in place through a miracle (Shabbat 104a). Mem-samakh corresponds to forgetfulness. Concerning this our Sages taught: Someone who reviews his lesson one hundred times cannot be compared to someone who reviews one hundred and one times (Chagigah 9b). For mem -samakh has a numerical value of one hundred, [alluding to the fact that] for the first one hundred times the Angel of Forgetfulness reigns. This is what our Sages brought out so artfully: “The [letters] mem and samakh”—the one hundred of forgetfulness—“were held in place through a miracle”; miracles being the very opposite of forgetfulness. For, as mentioned above, miracles are synonymous with prayer and faith, [faith] being the very opposite of forgetfulness.
Know!… tzitzit protects against immorality… on both their SheKheM (shoulders)… a reference to tzitzit . [See section 4, above.] This is (Genesis 37:13), “Your brothers are shepherding in SheKheM”—an allusion to the tzitzit, which protects against immorality. [The tzitzit] corresponds to guarding the Covenant, which in turn applies to Yosef. Yaakov therefore said to Yosef, “Your brothers are shepherding in Shekhem”—which is your aspect. “Come, let me send you to them.”
This is the meaning of: “I have planted you a sorek, an entirely true seed”… for then, one receives the drops of the tzaddik’s intellect through the advice which he accepts from him. This “SoReK” alludes to the ShuRuK, which the Zohar (Tikkuney Zohar #56) calls “three drops.” Conceptually, this is the same as the three mochin (brains). For the drop emanates from the brain and descends to the kidneys, the organ in the reproductive system which prepares the seed. Similarly, the intellect is also formed in the mind and descends to the kidneys, which advise.
And the three mochin correspond to (Isaiah 6:10), “Make the heart of this people gross, its ears heavy, and cover over its eyes; lest it see with its eyes, hear with its ears, understand with its heart and repent and be healed.” [The prophet] says this of one who refuses to attach himself to the tzaddikim, ‘lest he see… and repent.’
But when a person attaches himself to the tzaddikim and accepts their advice, this is the concept of “the kidneys advise,” for they are reproductive organs. He receives the drop/brain that separates into three drops—three brains. And then, ‘He will see with his eyes, hear with his ears, understand with his heart’—these corresponding to the three brains—‘and repent and be healed.’ This is: “I have planted you a sorek, an entirely true seed.” Understand this.
This is the explanation of Rabbah bar bar Chanah recounted etc. [The connection to prayer] is also alluded to in Rabbah bar bar Chanah’s opening words, “This merchant said to me.” Rashbam explains that this is always an allusion to socher Yishmael (an Ishmaelite trader). For yiShMAel connotes prayer, as is written (Genesis 16:11), “[You shall name him Yishmael] for God has SheMA (heard) your affliction,” which Onkelos renders: “for God has accepted your prayers.”
[Prayer] is also synonymous with faith. This is [alluded to by the word] SoCheR, which connotes S’ChoR s’chor (round and round) {corresponding to the concept of makifin. } And this corresponds to faith, as in, “Your faith encircles You.”
This is also the meaning of (Ruth 3:9), “Spread, therefore, K’NaFekha (your garment) over your maidservant.” For the holy tzitzit —the KaNFey (garment corners of) mitzvah—corresponds to guarding the Covenant and to a union of holiness.
And this is the explanation of what the prophet Hagai asked (2:12), “If one carried consecrated meat in the K’NaF of his garment, and [this meat in] the corner came in contact with bread….” For desecrating the Covenant diminishes one’s bread, as is written (Proverbs 6:26), “For a harlot, a man is brought to [go searching for] a loaf of bread.” Understand this.
“His bow held firm… from there the Shepherd, the evan (Rock) of Israel” (Genesis 49:24). [Onkelos renders “ÆVaN” as a composite word,] AVhan u’VeNin (father and sons), corresponding to prayer—Yaakov and his sons.
8. It is a segulah (special remedy) for someone who is ill to gaze at the tzitzit. This is the hidden meaning of the verse (Genesis 48:2), “Behold, your son Yosef is coming to you.” For these words hint to the tzitzit: to the amount of strings, loops and knots, {as explained in the Pri Etz Chaim }. This is: “Behold, your son Yosef is coming to you”—corresponding to the tzitzit, as a result of which, “Yisrael was strengthened.”