Chapter Thirty-Six (פֶּרֶק שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה)

Let us return to what we began, to the secret of the Meritah [Plucking Out] that we mentioned (הַדְרָן לְמַה שֶׁהִתְחַלְנוּ אֶל סוֹד הַמְּרִיטָה שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), in the secret of the vision that Eliyahu HaNavi, remembered for good, showed to Rabbi Yehudah (בְּסוֹד הַדִּמְיוֹן שֶׁהֶרְאָה אֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא זָכוּר לַטּוֹב לְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה), the disciple of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, of blessed memory (תַּלְמִידוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחַאי זלה״ה), when he said (בְּאוֹמְרוֹ): “Before this one plucked the head of his Master, and before he stripped away the head of the Matronita” (עַד לָא מָרִיט דָּא רֵישָׁא דְּמָארֵיהּ, וְעַד לָא גָּלִישׁ רֵישָׁא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא), whose secret we explained in the previous chapters (שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ סוֹדוֹ בַּפְּרָקִים הַקּוֹדְמִים). And we said (וְאָמַרְנוּ), that Meritah [Plucking Out] means (כִּי הַמְּרִיטָה הִיא), that even the root does not remain there (שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ לֹא נִשְׁאַר שָׁם), whereas Gelisha [Stripping Away] is like: “and he shall shave” (וְהַגְּלִישָׁא הוּא כְּמוֹ וְגִלַּח), whose meaning is that he cuts the hair of his head with scissors (שֶׁפֵּרוּשׁוֹ שֶׁמְּסַפֵּר רֹאשׁוֹ בְּמִסְפָּרַיִם), and the root of the hairs remains there (וְנִשְׁאַר שָׁם הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ שֶׁל הַשְּׂעָרוֹת). But Meritah [Plucking Out] is done with a razor (אֲבָל הַמְּרִיטָה הִיא בְּתַעַר), so that no root remains there (שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁאַר שָׁם שֹׁרֶשׁ), and this is what The Holy One Blessed Be He commanded the Levites (וְהוּא אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה הקב״ה לַלְוִיִּם), to pass a razor over all their flesh (לְהַעֲבִיר תַּעַר עַל כָּל בְּשָׂרָם). And through this you will understand the secret of Milah [Circumcision] and Periah [Uncovering] (וּכְזֶה תָּבִין סוֹד הַמִּילָה וְהַפְּרִיעָה), for the Milah [Circumcision] is the harsh Klipah (כִּי הַמִּילָה הִיא הַקְּלִיפָּה הַקָּשָׁה), and the Periah [Uncovering] is the secret of a flaming fire (וְהַפְּרִיעָה הִיא סוֹד אֵשׁ מִתְלַקַּחַת), and it is another Klipah (וְהִיא קְלִיפָּה אַחֶרֶת), and the Metzitzah [Suction] (וְהַמְּצִיצָה) is the distant Klipah (הִיא הַקְּלִיפָּה הָרְחוֹקָה), like Meritah [Plucking Out] (כְּמוֹ הַמְּרִיטָה). And therefore, if there were two Mohalim [Circumcisers] (וְלָכֵן אִם הָיוּ שְׁנֵי מוֹהֲלִים), one who performs Metzitzah [Suction] (אֶחָד מוֹצֵץ), and one who does not know how to perform Metzitzah [Suction] (וְאֶחָד שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִמְצוֹץ), they take the Mohel [Circumciser] who knows how to perform Metzitzah [Suction], that he should circumcise (לוֹקְחִים הַמּוֹהֵל הַיּוֹדֵעַ לִמּוֹץ שֶׁיָּמוּל), and not one who does not know how to perform Metzitzah [Suction] (וְלֹא מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִמּוֹץ). And the reason is (וְהַטַּעַם), because he removes the Klipah that is from afar (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמּוֹצִיא הַקְּלִיפָּה אֲשֶׁר מֵרָחוֹק). And through this you will understand the secret of the verse (וּבָזֶה תָּבִין סוֹד הַפָּסוּק): “For behold, the winter has passed” (כִּי הִנֵּה הַסְּתָיו עָבָר) (Song of Songs 2:11), for its meaning is (כִּי פֵּרוּשׁוֹ), that there are two Klipot (שֶׁיֵּשׁ שְׁתֵּי קְלִיפּוֹת), one is exceedingly harsh (הָאַחַת הִיא קָשָׁה עַד מְאֹד), and the second is lighter and is not so harsh (וְהַשֵּׁנִית הִיא יוֹתֵר קַלָּה וְאֵינָהּ קָשָׁה כָּל כָּךְ), and the harsh Klipah is called Setav [Winter] (וְהַקְּלִיפָּה הַקָּשָׁה נִקְרֵאת סְתָיו), and its meaning is like the winter season (וּפֵרוּשׁוֹ כְּמוֹ הַסְּתָיו), which is harsh like a stormy day and a driving drip (אֲשֶׁר הוּא קָשֶׁה כְּיוֹם סַגְרִיר וְדֶלֶף טוֹרֵד), so too this Klipah is exceedingly harsh (כֵּן הִיא זֹאת הַקְּלִיפָּה קָשָׁה עַד מְאֹוד). And there is another Klipah that is lighter (וְיֵשׁ קְלִיפָּה אַחֶרֶת שֶׁהִיא יוֹתֵר קַלָּה), and it is like the rain (וְהִיא כְּמוֹ הַגֶּשֶׁם), which is lighter than the winter (שֶׁהוּא יוֹתֵר קַל מֵהַסְּתָיו), so too this Klipah (כֵּן הִיא זֹאת הַקְּלִיפָּה), is lighter than the other (הִיא יוֹתֵר קַלָּה מֵהָאַחֶרֶת), therefore he now says (לָכֵן אָמַר עַתָּה), the harsh Klipah called Setav [Winter] has passed away completely (הַקְּלִיפָּה הַקָּשָׁה הַנִּקְרֵאת סְתָיו עָבַר לְגַמְרֵי), as it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר): “For behold, the winter has passed” (כִּי הִנֵּה הַסְּתָיו עָבָר) (Song of Songs 2), and the Klipah that is lighter, called Geshem [Rain] (וְהַקְּלִיפָּה שֶׁהִיא יוֹתֵר קַלָּה הַנִּקְרֵאת גֶּשֶׁם), “has passed away and gone” (חָלַף הָלַךְ לוֹ) (Song of Songs 2).

Its meaning is (פֵּרוּשׁ), it returned to Him in sweetening (חָזְרָה אֵלָיו בְּמִתּוּק), in the secret of the verse that says (בְּסוֹד הַפָּסוּק הָאוֹמֵר): “And Hashem smelled the pleasing aroma” (וַיָּרַח י״י אֶת רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ) (Genesis 8). Its meaning is (פֵּרוּשׁוֹ), like a man who smells with his nostrils (כְּמוֹ הָאָדָם הַמֵּרִיחַ בְּחוֹטְמוֹ), he draws the fragrance to himself and it enters into his body (הוּא שׁוֹאֵב אֵלָיו הָרֵיחַ וְנִכְנָס בְּגוּפוֹ), so too this Klipah was sweetened and returned to Him (כֵּן זֹאת הַקְּלִיפָּה נִמְתְּקָה וְחָזְרָה אֵלָיו). Behold before you the secret of the Klipot (הִנֵּה לְפָנֶיךָ סוֹד הַקְּלִיפּוֹת), for there are Klipot that are sweetened completely (כִּי יֵשׁ קְלִיפּוֹת שֶׁנִּמְתֶּקֶת לְגַמְרֵי), such as Klipat Nogah and its companions (כְּגוֹן קְלִיפַּת נֹגַהּ וַחֲבִירֶיהָ), just as the Klipah of the reed is very good (כְּמוֹ קְלִיפַּת הַקָּנֶה הִיא טוֹבָה מְאֹוד), with all this it is a Klipah (עִם כָּל זֹאת הִיא קְלִיפָּה), and it attained sweetening (וְהִשִּׂיגָה מִתּוּק), its explanation will come in its place (יָבוֹא בֵּיאוּרוֹ בִּמְקוֹמוֹ), in the secret of the Tikkun of Klipot Nogah (בְּסוֹד תִּקּוּן קְלִיפּוֹת נֹגַהּ), with the help of The Holy One Blessed Be He and His Shekhinah (בְּעֶזְרַת הקב״ה וּשְׁכִינָתֵיהּ), “Yaakov shall rejoice, Yisrael shall be glad” (יָגִיל יַעֲקֹב יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל) (Psalms 14), “the wise shall hear and increase learning” (יִשְׁמַע חָכָם וְיוֹסֶף לֶקַח) (Proverbs 1). Blessed is Hashem forever (יִתְבָּרַךְ י״י לְעוֹלָם), Amen and Amen (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן).