Chapter Ninety-Nine (פֶּרֶק תִּשְׁעִים וְתִשְׁעָה)

We return to what we said (נַחֲזוֹר לְמַה שֶּׁאָמַרְנוּ), that the Dinim [Judgments] draw nourishment from the head of the Nukvah (שֶׁהַדִּינִים יוֹנְקִים מֵרֹאשׁ נוּקְבֵיהּ), but she protects him (אֲבָל הִיא מְגֶנֶת), so that the Chitzonim [External Forces] do not take hold of him (שֶׁלֹּא יֹאחֲזוּ הַחִיצוֹנִים בּוֹ), but rather of her (אֶלָּא בָּהּ). And with this (וְעִם זֶה), the secret of the distinction between a Neder [Vow] and a Shevu’ah [Oath] will be understood (יוּבַן סוֹד הַחִלּוּק שֶׁבֵּין נֶדֶר לִשְׁבוּעָה), and why the punishment of one who swears falsely is more severe than that of one who vows falsely (וְלָמָּה עוֹנֶשׁ הַנִּשְׁבָּע לַשֶּׁקֶר חָמוּר מֵהַנּוֹדֵר), for the opposite would seem logical (וַהֲלֹא אִיפְּכָא מִסְתַּבְּרָא), because oaths are in Malkhut (כִּי הַשְּׁבוּעוֹת הֵם בְּמַלְכוּת), in the King Himself who is below (בַּמֶּלֶךְ עַצְמוֹ שֶׁהוּא לְמַטָּה), while vows are above in Binah (וְהַנְּדָרִים הֵם לְמַעְלָה בְּבִינָה), in the Life of the King (בְּחַיֵּי הַמֶּלֶךְ), and their number is (וְהוּא מִסְפָּר): two Ehyeh in Binah and one Havayah (שְׁנֵי אֶהְיֶ״ה שֶׁבְּבִינָה וַהֲוָיָ״ה אַחַת), which equal the numerical value of Chaim [Life] (שֶׁעוֹלִים כְּמִנְיַן חַיִּים) ([ב״ם וְכ״ו]), and they are the Life of the King and His sustenance that comes from Binah (וְהֵם חַיֵּי הַמֶּלֶךְ וּפַרְנָסָתוֹ הַבָּאָה מֵהַבִּינָה), in the secret of the four sections (בְּסוֹד ד' פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת), which are the four letters of Havayah (שֶׁהֵם ד' אוֹתִיּוֹת הֲוָיָ״ה). And the four compartments (וְד' בָּתִּים), are the four letters of the Name Ehyeh (הֵם ד' אוֹתִיּוֹת שֵׁם אֶהְיֶ״ה), and the twenty-one mentions of the Divine Name in these sections (וְכ״א אַזְכָּרוֹת בַּפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה), are the number of the Name Ehyeh (הֵם מִסְפַּר שֵׁם אֶהְיֶ״ה), as will be explained in the secret of Tefillin (כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסוֹד הַתְּפִלִּין), with the help of Kudsha Berikh Hu and Shekhinteh (בְּעֶזְרַת קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ). If so (אִם כֵּן), since the Neder [Vow] is in Binah above (שֶׁהַנֶּדֶר הוּא בְּבִינָה לְמַעְלָה), and the Shevu’ah [Oath] is below in Malkhut (וְהַשְּׁבוּעָה הִיא לְמַטָּה בְּמַלְכוּת), why is the punishment of one who swears falsely more severe than that of one who vows falsely (לָמָּה חָמוּר עוֹנֶשׁ הַנִּשְׁבָּע מֵהַנּוֹדֵר לַשָּׁוְא), but through what we have said (אֲבָל בְּמַה שֶּׁאָמַרְנוּ), it is understood (הוּא מוּבָן), that the Klipot and the Chitzonim [External Forces] are around Malkhut (שֶׁהַקְּלִיפּוֹת וְהַחִיצוֹנִים סְבִיב הַמַּלְכוּת הֵם), as it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר), “The wicked walk on every side” (סָבִיב רְשָׁעִים יִתְהַלָּכוּן) (Psalms 12:9), and when one swears falsely (וּכְשֶׁנִּשְׁבָּע לַשֶּׁקֶר), he gives strength to the Klipot (נוֹתֵן כֹּחַ לַקְּלִיפּוֹת), enabling them to have a grasp in Malkhut (לִהְיוֹת לָהֶם אֲחִיזָה בְּמַלְכוּת), and therefore his punishment is great (וְלָכֵן עָנְשׁוֹ גָּדוֹל). But one who makes a Neder [Vow] (אֲבָל הַנּוֹדֵר), even though it is above in Binah (אַף שֶׁהוּא לְמַעְלָה בְּבִינָה), in the Life of the King (בְּחַיֵּי הַמֶּלֶךְ), the Chitzonim [External Forces] have no grasp there (אֵין לָהֶם אֲחִיזָה שָׁם). And even though we said (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), that the punishment of one who swears falsely is more severe than that of one who vows falsely (שֶׁחָמוּר עוֹנֶשׁ הַנִּשְׁבָּע מֵהַנּוֹדֵר לַשָּׁוְא), nevertheless (עִם כָּל זֶה), there is also an oath (יֵשׁ נָמֵי שְׁבוּעָה), whose punishment is not greater than the punishment of a false vow (שֶׁאֵין עָנְשָׁהּ מְרֻבֶּה מֵעוֹנֶשׁ הַנֶּדֶר לַשָּׁוְא), and this is an oath concerning the future (וְזֹאת הִיא הַשְּׁבוּעָה לְהַבָּא) ([וְחָיָא]), like a Neder [Vow] (כְּמוֹ הַנֶּדֶר), for there is no Neder [Vow] concerning the past at all (שֶׁאֵין נֶדֶר לְשֶׁעָבַר כְּלָל).

It follows according to this (נִמְצָא לְפִי זֶה), that neither the Neder [Vow] nor the oath concerning the future (שֶׁאֵין הַנֶּדֶר וְלֹא הַשְּׁבוּעָה לְהַבָּא), ever emerge from his mouth as a falsehood (יוֹצְאִים לְעוֹלָם מִפִּיו לַשֶּׁקֶר), and even though afterward he can blemish both of them through his actions (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיָּכוֹל לִפְגֹם אַחַר כָּךְ בִּשְׁנֵיהֶם בְּמַעֲשָׂיו), there is not so much disgrace in this (אֵין בָּהּ כָּל כָּךְ מִן הַגְּנַאי), as in that oath (כְּמוֹ אוֹתָהּ הַשְּׁבוּעָה), which itself is falsehood (שֶׁהִיא עַצְמָהּ שֶׁקֶר), at the very moment it emerges from his mouth (בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיּוֹצֵאת מִפִּיו). And the reason that the Torah imposed greater severity regarding an oath (וְהַטַּעַם שֶׁהֶחְמִירָה הַתּוֹרָה בִּשְׁבוּעָה), and warned concerning it even regarding the past (וְהִזְהִירָה עָלֶיהָ אֲפִלּוּ לְשֶׁעָבַר), will be understood (יוּבַן), with what we said above (עִם מַה שֶּׁאָמַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה), that the Klipot and the Chitzonim [External Forces] are around Malkhut (שֶׁהַקְּלִיפּוֹת וְהַחִיצוֹנִים הֵם סְבִיב לַמַּלְכוּת), as it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר), “The wicked walk on every side” (סָבִיב רְשָׁעִים יִתְהַלָּכוּן) (Psalms 12:9), [as explained above] ([כַּדִּלְעֵיל]), and when one swears falsely (וּכְשֶׁנִּשְׁבָּע לַשֶּׁקֶר), he gives strength to the Klipot (נוֹתֵן כֹּחַ לַקְּלִיפּוֹת), enabling them to have a grasp in Malkhut (לִהְיוֹת לָהֶם אֲחִיזָה בְּמַלְכוּת), and therefore his punishment is great (וְלָכֵן עָנְשׁוֹ גָּדוֹל). But one who makes a Neder [Vow] (אֲבָל הַנּוֹדֵר), even though he is above in Binah (אַף כִּי הוּא לְמַעְלָה בְּבִינָה), in the Life of the King (בְּחַיֵּי הַמֶּלֶךְ), they have no grasp there (אֵין לָהֶם אֲחִיזָה), except through an action (אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי מַעֲשֶׂה), whereby they remove the Life of the King (שֶׁמְּסַלְּקִים חַיֵּי הַמֶּלֶךְ), so that the Mochin [Supernal Intellects] should not descend, Heaven forbid (שֶׁלֹּא יֵרְדוּ הַמּוֹחִין חַס וְשָׁלוֹם), and the same law applies to an oath concerning the future (וְהוּא הַדִּין בִּשְׁבוּעָה לְהַבָּא), as we have explained (כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ). And the Shevu’ah [Oath] is the secret of Malkhut (וְהַשְּׁבוּעָה הִיא סוֹד הַמַּלְכוּת), which is called Be’er Sheva [Well of Seven] (הַנִּקְרֵאת בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע), for she is the seventh Sefirah relative to Ze’ir Anpin (כִּי הִיא הַסְּפִירָה שְּׁבִיעִית לִזְעֵיר), the seventh night of Shabbat (לֵיל שְׁבִיעִי שֶׁל שַׁבָּת), and there is no day without night (וְאֵין יוֹם בְּלֹא לַיְלָה), and she also has seven wells (וְגַם יֵשׁ לָהּ ז' בְּאֵרוֹת), according to the calculation of the Names that equal Be’er [Well] (בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן שֵׁמוֹת הָעוֹלִים בְּאֵר), all of which depart, Heaven forbid, through the punishment of a false oath (שֶׁכֻּלָּם מִסְתַּלְּקִים חַס וְשָׁלוֹם בְּעוֹנֶשׁ הַשְּׁבוּעָה), and this is what the verse says (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַפָּסוּק): “And he called its name Be’er-Sheva, because there the two of them swore” (וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמָהּ בְּאֵר־שֶׁבַע כִּי שָׁם נִשְׁבְּעוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם) (Genesis 21:31). And through this (וּבָזֶה), it will be understood (יוּבַן), why Nedarim [Vows] take effect upon a matter of Mitzvah [Commandment] (לָמָּה הַנְּדָרִים חָלִים עַל דְּבַר מִצְוָה), but not a Shevu’ah [Oath] (וְלֹא הַשְּׁבוּעָה), because Nedarim [Vows] are in the Life of the King, in Binah (לְפִי שֶׁהַנְּדָרִים הֵם בְּחַיֵּי הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּבִינָה), and they are greater than the Mitzvah [Commandment] (הֵם גְּדוֹלִים מֵהַמִּצְוָה), which is in Malkhut from her navel and below (שֶׁהִיא בְּמַלְכוּת מִטַּבּוּרוֹ וּלְמַטָּה), and therefore they take effect upon the Mitzvah [Commandment] (וְלָכֵן חָלִים עַל הַמִּצְוָה), because the Nedarim [Vows] are above it (שֶׁהַנְּדָרִים לְמַעְלָה מִמֶּנָּה). And therefore (וְלָכֵן), we annul Nedarim [Vows] on Yom HaKippurim (אָנוּ מַתִּירִין הַנְּדָרִים בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים), because then we receive influence from Binah in her place (כִּי אָז אָנוּ מֻשְׁפָּעִים מִבִּינָה בִּמְקוֹמָהּ), and therefore we annul the Nedarim [Vows] on that day (וְלָכֵן אָנוּ מַתִּירִין הַנְּדָרִים בְּאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם), for the intention of its holiness is there above in Binah (שֶׁכַּוָּנַת קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ שָׁם לְמַעְלָה בְּבִינָה), whereas the Shevu’ah [Oath], because it is in the place of the Mitzvah [Commandment] (וְהַשְּׁבוּעָה לִהְיוֹתָהּ בִּמְקוֹם מִצְוָה), does not take effect upon the Mitzvah [Commandment] (לֹא חָלָה עַל הַמִּצְוָה), for they are equal in Malkhut (שֶׁהֲרֵי הֵם שָׁווֹת בְּמַלְכוּת), as we have explained (כִּדְפֵירַשְׁנוּ).