Chapter Thirty-Four (פֶּרֶק שְׁלוֹשִׁים וְאַרְבָּעָה)

And Adam haRishon included within himself all the twenty-six generations that were destined to be created (אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן הָיָה כּוֹלֵל כָּל כ״ו דּוֹרוֹת הָרְאוּיִם לְהִבָּרֵאוֹת), generation after generation, all at once and in one time (דּוֹר אַחַר דּוֹר בִּזְמַן אֶחָד וּבְפַעַם אַחַת). And the Generation of the Dispersion and the Generation of the Flood were rectified in Egypt (וְדוֹר הַפַּלָּגָה וְדוֹר הַמַּבּוּל נִתְקְּנוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם), and in their standing at Mount Sinai (וְעַמִּידָתָם עַל הַר סִינַי). And because they sinned afterwards and fell in the wilderness (וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁחָטְאוּ אַחַר כָּךְ וְנָפְלוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר), they are destined to return into this world once again with their shepherd (עֲתִידִים לָבוֹא לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה פַּעַם שֵׁנִית עִם הָרוֹעֶה שֶׁלָּהֶם), in order to attain their perfection (עַל מְנַת לְהַשִּׂיג שְׁלֵימוּתָם).

In the wilderness, forty days will correspond to the time of the birth pangs of Mashiach (בַּמִּדְבָּר מ׳ יוֹם בִּזְמַן חֶבְלֵי מָשִׁיחַ), a day for a year, until they rectify those forty years of the wilderness in which they sinned (יוֹם לְשָׁנָה עַד שֶׁיִּתְקְּנוּ אוֹתָן הַמ׳ שָׁנָה שֶׁל מִדְבָּר שֶׁחָטְאוּ). And the rectification will be like the blemish (וְיִהְיֶה הַתִּקּוּן כַּמוֹ הַפְּגָם), for the forty days of the spies also counted for them as a day for a year (שֶׁגַּם הַמ׳ יוֹם שֶׁל הַמְּרַגְּלִים עָלְתָה לָהֶם יוֹם לְשָׁנָה). And through them will be rectified the Hevel and the air of the wilderness (וְעַל יְדֵיהֶם יִתְקַּן הֶבֶל וַאֲוִיר הַמִּדְבָּר), together with the air of the circuit of the earth (עִם אֲוִיר חוּג הָאָרֶץ). And all the Klipot will be destroyed from the earth (וְכָל הַקְּלִיפּוֹת יֵאָבְדוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ), and they shall be bound and slaughtered like kids and lambs of Yom haKippurim (וִיהְיוּ נֶעֱקָדִים וְנִשְׁחָטִים כִּגְדָיִים וְכְכִבְשִׂים שֶׁל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים). And in that time, wickedness shall no longer be seen nor found (וּבְאוֹתוֹ הַפַּעַם יִהְיוּ בַּל יֵרָאֶה וּבַל יִמָּצֵא). And let us return to our subject (וְנָחוּז לְעִנְיָנֵנוּ). The twenty-six generations were from the body of Adam haRishon (הַכ״ו דּוֹרוֹת הָיוּ מִגּוּף שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן), but not in complete perfection (אֲבָל לֹא בְּשְׁלֵימוּת), for they lacked from him the sparks of the 974 generations (כִּי הָיוּ חֲסֵרִים מִמֶּנּוּ נִיצוֹצוֹת תִּקְע״ד דּוֹרוֹת), even before he sinned (אֲפִלּוּ קוֹדֶם שֶׁחָטָא). Therefore, through the Patriarchs, who took upon themselves the reward of all of them (לָכֵן עַל יְדֵי הָאָבוֹת שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם שְׂכַר כֻּלָּם), both groups were rectified-the twenty-six and the 974 (נִתְקְּנוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם כ״ו וְתִּתְקַע״ד), and they clarify the nourishment from within the refuse (וּמְבָרְרִים אוֹכֶל מִתּוֹךְ הַפְּסוֹלֶת) until the coming of our Mashiach, through the ascent of the pure sparks (עַד בִּיאַת מְשִׁיחֵנוּ בַּעֲלִיַּת נִיצוֹצוֹת טָהֳרָה). And this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said in Pirkei Avot: “Until Abraham our father came and received the reward of all of them” (וְזֶהוּ אָמְרָם ז״ל בְּפִרְקֵי אָבוֹת: עַד שֶׁבָּא אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה וְקִבֵּל עָלָיו שְׂכַר כֻּלָּם), and it is like the one who comes first to the synagogue, who receives reward corresponding to all of them p2-6(וְהוּא כְּמוֹ אֵצֶל הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁבָּא לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת מְקַבֵּל שָׂכָר כְּנֶגֶד כֻּלָּם). This means that he-Abraham-is the source of the flow (רָצָה לוֹמַר שֶׁהוּא [אַבְרָהָם] מָקוֹר הַשֶּׁפַע), and he is the faithful lover of the Shekhinah (וְהוּא אוֹהֵב נֶאֱמָן לַשְּׁכִינָה), and he became a Merkavah for Her (וְנַעֲשָׂה מֶרְכָּבָה אֵלֶיהָ), standing immediately beneath Her (בְּעָמְדוֹ תֵּכֶף תַּחְתֶּיהָ). And the others stand beneath him (וְהָאֲחֵרִים עוֹמְדִים תַּחְתָּיו); thus, they are compelled to receive through him (נִמְצָא שֶׁהֵם מֻכְרָחִים לְקַבֵּל עַל יָדוֹ), and the spiritual light of abundance is not diminished at all, for him or for them (וְאוֹר שֶׁפַע רוּחָנִי אֵינוֹ חָסֵר כְּלוּם לוֹ וְלָהֶם). And this is the secret of what our Sages said: “If he has merited, he takes his portion and the portion of his companion in Gan Eden” (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד אָמְרָם ז״ל: זָכָה נוֹטֵל חֶלְקוֹ וְחֵלֶק חֲבֵרוֹ בְּגַן עֵדֶן), for he becomes the source of the flow that reaches his companion (כִּי הוּא נַעֲשֶׂה מָקוֹר הַשֶּׁפַע הַמַּגִּיעַ לַחֲבֵרוֹ). This one enjoys, and that one is not lacking (זֶה נֶהֱנֶה וְזֶה לֹא חָסֵר). And he has merited to the body of the Neshama, which is the head and the essence (וְזָכָה אֶל גּוּף הַנְּשָׁמָה שֶׁהוּא רֹאשׁ וְעִיקָּר), while the branches unite and spread out to receive from the body (אֶל הָעֲנָפִים הַמִּתְיַחֲדִים וּמִסְתַּעֲפִים לְקַבֵּל מִהַגּוּף).

And thus I explained, I, Naftali, the author (וְכֵן פֵּירַשְׁתִּי אֲנִי נַפְתָּלִי הַמְחַבֵּר), in my book that I composed on the Aggadot of the Talmud (בְּסִפְרִי שֶׁחִבַּרְתִּי עַל אַגָּדוֹת הַתַּלְמוּד), which I called Apiryon Shelomo (שֶׁקְּרָאתִיו אֲפִרְיוֹן שְׁלֹמֹה). And these twenty-six generations are the body of Adam haRishon (וְאֵלּוּ הַכ״ו דּוֹרוֹת הֵם הַגּוּף שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן), and the head of Adam haRishon (וְהָרֹאשׁ שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן), and they are from the thousand pure generations (וְהֵם מֵאֶלֶף דּוֹר שֶׁל טְהוֹרִים), from the sparks of the angels (מִנִּצּוֹצוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל הַמַּלְאָכִים) that I explained to you in the previous chapters (שֶׁבֵּאַרְתִּי לְךָ בַּפְּרָקִים הַקּוֹדְמִים). Through the Ibbur, Yanika, and Mochin - “three times with a man” (עַל־יְדֵי הָעִבּוּר וְהַיְּנִיקָה וְהַמּוֹחִין ‘פְּעָמַיִם שָׁלוֹשׁ עִם גָּבֶר’) - they were rectified from spark to Partzuf (נִתְקְּנוּ מִנִּיצוֹץ לְפַרְצוּף), and they became great, shining, and radiant (וְנַעֲשׂוּ גְדוֹלִים זְהִירִים וּבְהִירִים) as the light of the sun in its strength (כְּאוֹר הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בִּגְבוּרָתוֹ), for the purpose of the rectification of the generation (לְצוֹרֶךְ תִּקּוּן הַדּוֹר). And they are the leaders of the generation (וְהֵם רָאשֵׁי הַדּוֹר), and if Adam haRishon had not sinned, they would not have received impurity (וְאִם לֹא הָיָה חוֹטֵא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן לֹא קִבְּלוּ זוֹהֲמָא). And in the secret of breaking the power of the Yetzer HaRa through the Torah and Mitzvot (וּבְסוֹד שְׁבִירַת כֹּחַ הַיֵּצֶר הָרָע בַּתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת), which is the secret of the writing of the Torah upon the tablets of stone (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד כְּתִיבַת הַתּוֹרָה עַל לוּחוֹת הָאֶבֶן), as it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר): ‘With all your heart’ (בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ), the verse speaks of your two inclinations (בִּשְׁנֵי יְצָרֶיךָ הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר). And from the evil, good is made (וּמֵהָרָע נַעֲשֶׂה טוֹב), as it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר): ‘He shall not exchange good for bad’ (וְלֹא יָמִיר טוֹב בְּרָע), as Adam haRishon did (כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשָׂה אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן), ‘And if he shall surely exchange’ (וְאִם הָמֵר יָמִיר) in the continuation of the Tikkun (בְּהֶמְשֵׁךְ הַתִּקּוּן), ‘then it and its exchange shall be holy’ (Leviticus 27) (וְהָיָה הוּא וּתְמוּרָתוֹ יִהְיֶה קֹדֶשׁ). And concerning him it is said (וְעָלָיו נֶאֱמַר): “For Tofet is ordered of old (עָרוּךְ מֵאֶתְמוֹל תֹּפְתֶּה) yea, it is prepared for the king” (Isaiah 30) (גַּם הִיא לַמֶּלֶךְ הוּכָן). And the Mashiach will shoot the moon into completeness (וּמָשִׁיחַ יָרִית סִיהֲרָא בְּאַשְׁלְמוּתָא), that all of it will be good (שֶׁכֻּלָּהּ יִהְיֶה טוֹב), that even the Nukvot of the Klipot will be rectified (שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ הַנְּקֵיבוֹת שֶׁל הַקְּלִיפּוֹת יְתֻקְּנוּ), and all the more so the males (וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן הַזְּכָרִים), two men, spies (שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים מְרַגְּלִים). And this is what is said (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר): ‘Then there came two women that were harlots’ (I Kings 3) (אָז תָּבוֹאֶינָה שְׁתַּיִם נָשִׁים זוֹנוֹת), and not before that (וְלֹא מִקּוֹדֶם לָכֵן), as is said in the Sifra D'Tzniuta (כָּאָמוּר בְּסִפְרָא דִּצְנִיעוּתָא). But the souls of Sodom and Gomorrah (אֲבָל נִשְׁמוֹת סְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה) will be rectified in the generation of the Mashiach (הֵם יְתֻקְּנוּ בְּדוֹרוֹ שֶׁל מָשִׁיחַ), as is said in the Zohar (כָּאָמוּר בַּזֹּהַר): ‘And they brought him out from the masters of the Flood (וַיּוֹצִיאוּהוּ מִמָּארֵי דְטוֹפְנָא), and they placed him outside the city (וַיַּנִּיחוּהוּ מִחוּץ לָעִיר) from the masters of Sodom and Gomorrah (מִמָּארֵי דִסְדוֹם וַעֲמוֹרָה), by the compassion of Hashem upon him (בְּחֶמְלַת יְי עָלָיו) together with the Erev Rav who will be rectified in the future’ (עִם הָעֵרֶב רַב שֶׁיְּתֻקְּנוּ לֶעָתִיד). But only Amalek (אַךְ וְרַק עֲמָלֵק) who is the hardest filth of the Erev Rav (שֶׁהוּא הַיּוֹתֵר זוּהֲמָא קָשָׁה שֶׁבְּעֵרֶב רַב) will never be rectified (לֹא יְתֻקַּן לְעוֹלָם), but the impression will remain above the nose (אֶלָּא הָרֹשֶׁם יִשָּׁאֵר לְמַעְלָה מֵהַחוֹטֶם), for there was his foothold (שֶׁשָּׁם הָיְתָה אֲחִיזָתוֹ), where the converts who came from him arrive (שֶׁשָּׁם מַגִּיעִים הַגֵּרִים שֶׁבָּאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ), such as Rabbi Shmuel bar Shilat and those like him (כְּגוֹן רַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר שִׁילָת וְכַדּוֹמֶה לוֹ).