Chapter Ten (פֶּרֶק עֲשִׂירִי)

The sins of the Berit Kodesh [Holy Covenant] are many in number (הַחֲטָאִים שֶׁל בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ הֵם רַבּוּ מִסְפָּר). The first is the wasting of seed in vain without a female (הָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא בְּהַשְׁחָתַת זֶרַע לְבַטָּלָה בְּלֹא נְקֵבָה). And there are different forms of Teshuvah [Repentance] for this (וְיֵשׁ חִלּוּקֵי תְּשׁוּבָה בָּזֶה), according to what he contemplated in order to fulfill his desire (כִּי כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁהִרְהֵר לְמַלּוֹת תַּאֲוָתוֹ). For example, if he contemplated a woman married to a husband (כְּגוֹן אִם הִרְהֵר בְּאִשָּׁה בְּעוּלַת בַּעַל), or an unmarried woman (אוֹ בִּפְנוּיָה), or lying with a male (אוֹ בְּמִשְׁכַּב זָכוּר), and he emitted semen in this desire in vain (וְהוֹצִיא שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע בְּתַאֲוָה זוֹ לְבַטָּלָה). For everything follows the thought, whether in the emission of semen in vain or in the thought of the Zivug [Union] (וְהַכֹּל הוֹלֵךְ אַחַר הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה הֵן בְּהוֹצָאַת שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע לְבַטָּלָה הֵן בְּמַחֲשֶׁבֶת הַזִּוּוּג). And there is nothing that causes blemish and corruption Above like an evil thought of the Zivug [Union] (וְאֵין לְךָ דָבָר הַגּוֹרֵם פֶּגַם וּקְלָקוּל לְמַעְלָה כְּמוֹ מַחֲשָׁבָה רָעָה שֶׁל הַזִּוּוּג), overturning all the worlds from evil to good or from good to evil (הַמַּהֲפֵךְ כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת מֵרָעָה לְטוֹבָה אוֹ מִטּוֹבָה לְרָעָה), for it is this that brings forth Neshamot [Souls] to descend from Above to below (כִּי הוּא הַמּוֹצִיא נְשָׁמוֹת לֵירֵד מִלְמַעְלָה לְמַטָּה).

And behold, the blemish is in the Klipat Nogah (וְהִנֵּה הַפֶּגַם הוּא בִּקְלִיפַּת נוֹגַהּ), which is called Takla [The Balance] (הַנִּקְרֵאת טַקְלָא), and it is the flaming sword that turns about through the blemish of thought (וְהִיא לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת בְּפֶגַם הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה). And the Zohar says in Parashat Vayetze (וְאוֹמֵר הַזֹּהַר בְּפָרָשַׁת וַיֵּצֵא): Because Ya'akov Avinu, peace be upon him (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיַּעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ ע״ה), all his thought was on the first night upon Rachel when he lay with Leah (כָּל מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ הָיְתָה בַּלַּיְלָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה עַל רָחֵל כְּשֶׁשָׁכַב עִם לֵאָה), therefore the birthright of Reuven was given to Yosef (וּבְכוֹרָתוֹ שֶׁל רְאוּבֵן נִתְּנָה לְיוֹסֵף). And this caused the desecration of his father's bed (וְזֶה גָּרַם חִלּוּל יְצוּעֵי אָבִיו). And this is what is said (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר): “If a man hides himself in secret places, shall I not see him? says Hashem” (אִם יִסָּתֵר אִישׁ בַּמִּסְתָּרִים וַאֲנִי לֹא אֶרְאֶנּוּ נְאֻם ה׳) (Jeremiah 23). And behold, the evil thought causes the oppression of the children (וְהִנֵּה הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה רָעָה גּוֹרֶמֶת עֲשִׁיקַת הַיְלָדִים), as it is said concerning them (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עֲלֵיהֶם): “The tears of the oppressed, and they have no comforter” (דִּמְעַת הָעֲשׁוּקִים וְאֵין לָהֶם מְנַחֵם) (Ecclesiastes 4). And therefore the Tzaddikim [Righteous Ones], who are the Torah scholars (וְלָכֵן הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהֵם הַתַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים), unite themselves from the eve of Shabbat to the eve of Shabbat (מְזוּוּגִים עַצְמָם מֵעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת לְעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת). And on Shabbat no Nefesh [Soul] is oppressed because of an evil thought (וּבְשַׁבָּת אֵין שׁוּם נֶפֶשׁ נַעֲשֶׁקֶת בִּשְׁבִיל מַחֲשָׁבָה רָעָה). And behold, the sin and blemish of the Berit Kodesh [Holy Covenant] is the cause of all four exiles (וְהִנֵּה חֵטְא וּפְגַם הַבְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ הוּא סִבַּת כָּל הָאַרְבַּע גָּלוּיוֹת), and behold, the first exile was because they sold the sign of the Berit Kodesh [Holy Covenant], namely Yosef the Tzaddik [Righteous One], to the Klipah (וְהִנֵּה הַגָּלוּת הָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמָּכְרוּ לְאוֹת בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ הוּא יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק לַקְּלִיפָּה), and they caused the corruption: “A maidservant when she inherits her mistress” (וְגָרְמוּ קִלְקוּל ״שִׁפְחָה כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִרְתָּהּ״) (Proverbs 30). And behold, Yosef the Tzaddik [Righteous One] emitted semen in vain (וְהִנֵּה יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק הוֹצִיא שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע לְבַטָּלָה), and ten sparks came forth by way of a nocturnal emission, not by means of a female (וְיָצְאוּ י׳ נִיצוֹצִין בְּדֶרֶךְ קֶרִי שֶׁלֹּא עַל יְדֵי נְקֵיבָה), and the external forces received them (וְקִבְּלוּם הַחִיצוֹנִים), and they were rectified through the Ten Martyrs (וְנִתְקְּנוּ עַל יְדֵי עֲשֶׂרֶת הֲרוּגֵי מְלוּכָה), and the sin of the selling of Yosef caused the arousal of the corruption of Adam haRishon (וַעֲוֹן מְכִירַת יוֹסֵף גָּרְמָה לְהִתְעוֹרֵר קִלְקוּל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן). As our Sages of blessed memory said (שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲז״ל): “Adam haRishon would draw his foreskin” (אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן מוֹשֵׁךְ בְּעָרְלָתוֹ הָיָה) (Sanhedrin 38b), and he was enticed so much that he lay with Lilith, and she with Samael (וְנִתְפָּתָה כָּל כָּךְ עַד שֶׁשָׁכַב עִם לִילִית וְהִיא עִם סַמָּאֵל), as it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר): “The serpent deceived me” (הַנָּחָשׁ הִשִּׁיאַנִי) (Genesis 3), an expression of marriage (לָשׁוֹן נִשּׂוּאִין), and for the one who understands, enough (וְלַמֵּבִין דַּי). And behold, Brit Menuchah says (וְהִנֵּה אוֹמֵר ה״בְּרִית מְנוּחָה״), that King Shlomo, peace be upon him, was worthy to be Mashiach (כִּי שְׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ ע״ה הָיָה רָאוּי לִהְיוֹת מָשִׁיחַ), except that the sin of foreign women caused it (אֶלָּא שֶׁגָּרַם הַחֵטְא שֶׁל נָשִׁים נָכְרִיּוֹת), and also our Sages of blessed memory said (וְגַם אָמְרוּ חֲז״ל): The second entry to Eretz Yisrael was worthy to be with miracles by the hand of Ezra (רְאוּיָה הָיְתָה בִּיאָה שְׁנִיָּה לְא״י לִהְיוֹת בְּנִסִּים עַל יְדֵי עֶזְרָא) (Sanhedrin 98b), as the first entry was (כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה בַּבִּיאָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה), except that the sin of foreign women caused it in the days of Ezra (אֶלָּא שֶׁגָּרַם הַחֵטְא שֶׁל נָשִׁים נָכְרִיּוֹת בִּימֵי עֶזְרָא), who is the Gilgul [Reincarnation] of Aharon the Kohen (הוּא גִּלְגּוּל אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן), the brother of Moshe Rabbenu, who brought Yisrael out of Egypt with miracles (אָחִיו שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ שֶׁהוֹצִיא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּנִסִּים) (Berakhot 4a). And still the inclination of harlotry dances among us (וְעֲדַיִן יִצְרָא דְזְנוּת מְרַקֵּד בֵּינֵינוּ), and they cause that the Berit Kodesh [Holy Covenant] mates with the maidservant who inherits her mistress (וְגוֹרְמִים שֶׁהַבְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ מִזְדַּוֵּג עִם הַשִּׁפְחָה אֲשֶׁר תִּירַשׁ גְּבִרְתָּהּ), and as long as Yisrael do not perform Teshuvah [Repentance] over the Berit Kodesh [Holy Covenant], they will not be redeemed (וְכָל זְמַן שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשׂוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּשׁוּבָה עַל הַבְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ לֹא יִגָּאֲלוּ). And I have seen this scandal in all the dispersions of Yisrael (וְרָאִיתִי שַׁעֲרוּרִיָּה זֹאת בְּכָל תְּפוּצוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל), and no man lays it to heart (וְאֵין אִישׁ שָׂם עַל לֵב), therefore every God-fearing person should see to rectify himself and all Yisrael (לָכֵן כָּל יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים יִרְאֶה לְתַקֵּן עַצְמוֹ וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל), that they not stretch forth their hands in harlotry (שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ פּוֹשְׁטִים יְדֵיהֶם בִּזְנוּת), and that they perform complete Teshuvah [Repentance] over this (וְיַעֲשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה עַל זֶה). And the Shekhinah laments (וְהַשְּׁכִינָה מְקוֹנֶנֶת): “Rejoice not against me, my enemy, for though I have fallen, I have arisen” (אַל תִּשְׂמְחִי אֹיַבְתִּי לִי כִּי נָפַלְתִּי קַמְתִּי) (Micah 7), and it is said (וְנֶאֱמַר): “On that day I will raise up the fallen Sukkah of David” (בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אָקִים אֶת סֻכַּת דָּוִיד הַנֹּפֶלֶת) (Amos 9), amen and Selah, so may it be His will (אָמֵן וְסֶלָה כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן).