Chapter Forty-Eight (פֶּרֶק אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁמוֹנָה)

And because the twenty-six generations that existed from the creation of the world until the giving of the Torah (וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַכ״ו דּוֹרוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ מִבְּרִיאַת הָעוֹלָם וְעַד מַתַּן תּוֹרָה), were from the World of Tohu (הָיוּ מֵעוֹלָם הַתֹּהוּ), and there was within them a very great amount of dross (וְהָיָה בָהֶם פְּסוֹלֶת הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד), therefore they were unable to be rectified before the giving of the Torah (לָכֵן לֹא יָכְלוּ לְהִתְתַּקֵּן קֹדֶם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה). And this is what the Tanna of the School of Eliyahu said (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַתַּנָּא דְבֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ), two thousand years of Tohu (שְׁנֵי אֲלָפִים תֹּהוּ), which reach until the giving of the Torah (הַמַּגִּיעִים עַד מַתַּן תּוֹרָה), and because this statement together with its calculation requires a broad explanation sufficient to its need (וּלְהִיוֹת שֶׁהַמַּאֲמָר הַזֶּה עִם חֶשְׁבּוֹנוֹ צָרִיךְ בֵּאוּר רָחָב דֵּי צׇרְכּוֹ), therefore I shall not explain it here (לָכֵן לֹא אֲבָאֲרֶנּוּ כָּאן), and I shall place it in its proper location (וְאַצִּיג אוֹתוֹ בִּמְקוֹמוֹ הָרָאוּי לוֹ). And the reason they were called Tohu, those generations that existed before the giving of the Torah (וְהָעִנְיָן שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ הַדּוֹרוֹת הָהֵם שֶׁהָיוּ קֹדֶם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה תֹּהוּ), is because (לְפִי), the Holy One, blessed be He, created all those generations (שֶׁהַקב״ה בָּרָא כָּל אוֹתָם הַדּוֹרוֹת), and labored and toiled with them for Tohu (וְטָרַח וְיָגַע בָּהֶם לְתֹהוּ), meaning (רָצָה לוֹמַר), to cause them to die (לְהָמִית אוֹתָם), and they did not complete their souls through the rectification of the Torah and its commandments (וְלֹא הִשְׁלִימוּ נַפְשָׁם בְּתִיקּוּן הַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹתֶיהָ), therefore Rashbi, peace be upon him, said in the Zohar haGadol, Parashat Lech Lecha, daf 62 (לָכֵן אָמַר הרשב״י ע״ה זֹהַר גָּדוֹל פָּרָשַׁת לֶךְ לְךָ דַּף ס״ב), that before the giving of the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, created worlds and destroyed them (שֶׁהַקב״ה קֹדֶם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה בָּרָא עוֹלָמוֹת וְהֶחֱרִיבָן). For every human being is called a small world (כִּי כָל בֶּן אָדָם נִקְרָא עוֹלָם קָטָן), as is known in the Zohar, Parashat Bereshit, page 39 (כַּנּוֹדָע בַּזֹּהַר פָּרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית דַּף ל״ט) (Tikkunei Zohar 101a; Ta’anit 25a), and this is its language (וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ): and Ben Pedat, whose hour was constrained (וְהָא בֶּן פְּדָת דְּדָחִיקָא לֵיהּ שַׁעְתָּא), the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ קב״ה), is it pleasing before you that I destroy the world (נִיחָא קָמָךְ דַּאֲחָרִיב עָלְמָא), and perhaps you will be born at a time of sustenance (וְאֶפְשָׁר דְּנָפַלְתְּ בְּשַׁעְתָּא דִמְזוֹנֵי).

The Holy Luminary said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא), why all of this (אַמַּאי כּוּלֵּיהּ הָאֵי), he said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ), this is a great secret (דָּא רָזָא רַבְרְבָא), and thus I have heard (וְהָכִי שְׁמַעְנָא), that a person who comes in reincarnation and becomes liable before his Master (דְּבַר נָשָׁא דְּאָתֵי בְגִלְגּוּלָא וְאִתְחַיֵּיב לְמָארֵיהּ), even though he performs many merits (אַף עַל גַב דְּיַעֲבִיד כַּמָּה זַכְוָון), the matter does not depend upon merit (לָאו בִּזְכוּתָא תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא), for his birth constellation caused it (דְּהָא מוֹלֵיהּ גָּרִים לֵיהּ), from what he sinned previously before he came in reincarnation (מִמַּה שֶׁחָטָא קֹדֶם שֶׁבָּא בְּגִלְגּוּל). And that which it says (וּמַה דְּאָמַר), if you wish that I destroy the world (אִי בָּעֵית דַּאֲחָרִיבֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא), thus I have heard (הָכִי שְׁמַעְנָא), that every righteous person has a world unto himself (דְּכָל צַדִּיקָא וְצַדִּיקָא אִית לֵיהּ עוֹלָם בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ), and this very body of a person is called a small world (וְדָא גּוּפָא דְבַר נָשָׁא דְאִקְרֵי עוֹלָם קָטָן), and because of this (וּבְגִין דָּא), He said (אָמַר), if you wish that I destroy the world and bring him in another body (אִי בָּעֵית דַּאֲחָרִיבֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא וְאַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ בְּגוּפָא אָחֳרָא), and perhaps you will be born at a time of sustenance (וְאֶפְשָׁר דְּנָפַלְתְּ בְּשַׁעְתָּא דִמְזוֹנֵי). And therefore I brought you this passage (וְלָכֵן הֵבֵאתִי לְךָ הַמַּאֲמָר הַזֶּה), so that you should not think (כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תַּחְשׁוֹב), that the matter of a small world, namely the body of a person (שֶׁעִנְיַן עוֹלָם קָטָן דְּגוּפוֹ דְבַר נָשׁ), is an exposition of the author (הוּא דְּרוּשׁ הַמְחַבֵּר), rather it is literally the mysteries of the Orayta (אֶלָּא מַמָּשׁ רָזִין דְאוֹרַיְתָא), as you will see when you examine the words of the passage that I brought (כַּאֲשֶׁר תַּעֲיֵן בְּדִבְרֵי הַמַּאֲמָר שֶׁהֵבֵאתִי), and in the explanation of this passage according to the way of the secret (וּבְבֵאוּר זֶה הַמַּאֲמָר עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַסּוֹד). And therefore our Rabbis of blessed memory said (וְלָכֵן אָמְרוּ רז״ל), whoever sustains one soul of Yisrael, it is as though he sustained an entire world (כָּל הַמְקַיֵּם נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל כְּאִלּוּ קִיֵּם עוֹלָם מָלֵא) (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5). And in this manner (וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה), He built worlds and destroyed them (בָּנָה עוֹלָמוֹת וְהֶחֱרִיבָן), and because of this they were called Tohu (וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה נִקְרְאוּ תֹהוּ), until they reincarnated in the very generation of the Giving of the Torah (עַד שֶׁנִּתְגַּלְגְּלוּ בְּדוֹר מַתַּן תּוֹרָה עַצְמוֹ), and then they were rectified (וְאָז נִתְתַּקְּנוּ), had they not sinned in the sin of the calf (אִם לֹא חָטְאוּ בַּעֲוֹן הָעֵגֶל), and they were called the Generation of Knowledge (וְנִקְרְאוּ דּוֹר דֵּעָה), for they merited to see the Holy One, blessed be He, face to face (שֶׁזָּכוּ לִרְאוֹת הקב״ה פָּנִים בְּפָנִים). And this is exactly the intention of the Zohar in Parashat Lech Lecha that we mentioned above (וְזֶהוּ מַמָּשׁ כַּוָּנַת הַזֹּהַר פָּרָשַׁת לֶךְ לְךָ שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה), and this is its language (וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ): Rabbi Elazar said (אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר), when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world (כַּד בָּרָא הקב״ה עָלְמָא), it was upon a condition (עַל תְּנַאי הֲוָה), that when Yisrael would come (דְּכַד יֵיתוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל), if they would accept the Orayta, good (אִי יְקַבְּלוּן אוֹרַיְתָא יָאוֹת), and if not (וְאִי לָאו), I will return you to Tohu vaVohu (אֲנָא אַהֲדַר לְכוֹ לְתֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ), and the world did not endure (וְעָלְמָא לָא אִתְקַיָּים), until Yisrael stood at Mount Sinai and accepted the Orayta (עַד דְּקַיְימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל טוּרָא דְסִינַי וְקַבִּילוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא), then the world endured (כַּדִּין אִתְקַיָּים עָלְמָא). And from that day onward (וּמֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא וָהָלְאָה), the Holy One, blessed be He, creates worlds (קב״ה בָּרֵי עָלְמִין), and who are they (וּמַאן אִינוּן), the unions of human beings (זִוּוּגִין דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא), for from that time He matches unions (דְּהָא מֵהַהוּא זִמְנָא מְזַוֵּוג זִוּוּגִין), and says (וְאָמַר), the daughter of so-and-so to so-and-so (בַּת פְּלוֹנִי לִפְלוֹנִי), these are the worlds that He creates (אִלֵּין אִינוּן עָלְמִין דְּהוּא בָּרֵי), male and female He created them, and He called their name Adam (זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בְּרָאָם וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמָם אָדָם) (Genesis 5:2), and they are the small world mentioned above (וְהֵם עוֹלָם קָטָן הַנִּזְכָּר).

And the Holy One, blessed be He, said (וְקב״ה אָמַר), if you accept My Torah, good (אִם תְּקַבְּלוּ תּוֹרָתִי מוּטָב), and you shall live and not die a second death or a third (וְתִחְיוּ וְלֹא תָמוּתוּ מוֹתָא תִנְיָינָא אוֹ תְלִיתָאָה), and if not (וְאִם לָאו), I will return you, namely your worlds, to Tohu vaVohu p2-0(אַהֲדַר אֶתְכֶם דְּהַיְינוּ עוֹלָמֵיכֶם לְתֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ) that you shall die your own death two or three times (שֶׁתָּמוּתוּ מִיתַת עַצְמְכֶם פַּעֲמַיִם אוֹ שָׁלוֹשׁ), as is known (כַּנּוֹדָע). For the generation of the wilderness was the generation of the Flood and the generation of the Dispersion (שֶׁדּוֹר הַמִּדְבָּר הָיָה דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל וְדוֹר הַפַּלָּגָה), and they received the Tablets of the Netzach and Hod of Abba and Imma (וְקִבְּלוּ הַלּוּחוֹת שֶׁל נֵצַח וְהוֹד דְּאַבָּא וְאִמָּא), for the droppings of the supernal Chokhmah are Torah (כִּי נוֹבְלוֹת חָכְמָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה תּוֹרָה). And in Netzach there is the Name Havayah (וְיֵשׁ בְּנֵצַח שֵׁם יהו״ה), as follows (כָּזֶה): Yud Heh Vav Heh (יו״ד ה״א ו״ו ה״א), which equals tablet (עוֹלֶה לוּחַ), and in Hod there is the Name Ehyeh in its squaring (וְיֵשׁ בְּהוֹד שֵׁם אֶהְיֶה בְּרִבּוּעוֹ), which equals the second tablet (הָעוֹלֶה לוּחַ שֵׁנִי), as follows (כָּזֶה): Aleph, Aleph-Heh, Aleph-Heh-Yud, Ehyeh (א׳ א״ה אה״י אהי״ה). And they illuminated the freedom of the Jubilee for Yisrael (וְהֵם הָיוּ מְאִירִים חֵרוּת הַיּוֹבֵל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), as it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר), engraved upon the tablets (חָרוּת עַל הַלּוּחוֹת) (Exodus 32:16), do not read engraved but freedom (אַל תִּקְרֵי חָרוּת אֶלָּא חֵרוּת) (Avot 6:2), freedom from the subjugation of kingdoms (חֵרוּת מִשִּׁעְבּוּד מַלְכֻיּוֹת), freedom from the Angel of Death (חֵרוּת מִמַּלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת), freedom from labors and hard work (חֵרוּת מִמְּלָאכוֹת וַעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה) (Shemot Rabbah 32), concerning which it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עָלֶיהָ), by the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread (בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּיךָ תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם) (Genesis 3:19), and every single one of Yisrael possessed the five Partzufim of the soul (וְהָיוּ לָהֶם לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל חֲמִשָּׁה פַּרְצוּפֵי הַנְּשָׁמָה), which are Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chayah, Yechidah (שֶׁהֵם נרנח״י), in completeness (בִּשְׁלֵמוּת).