Chapter One Hundred Seven (פֶּרֶק מֵאָה וְשִׁבְעָה)

And through this you will understand (וּבָזֶה תָּבִין), a wondrous secret (סוֹד נִפְלָא), that the Ra‘aya Meheimna says (שֶׁאוֹמֵר הָרַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא): “Certainly you received the Erev Rav and converted them” (וַדַּאי אַנְתְּ קַבֵּלְתְּ לְעֵרֶב רַב וְגַיַּירְתְּ לוֹן), “and accepted them before their time” (וְקַבִּילְתְּ לוֹן קֹדֶם זִמְנַיְיהוּ), “to cover the nakedness of your father” (לְאַכְסָיָא עַל עֶרְיַית אַבּוּךְ), “and they caused Israel to sin” (וְאִינוּן הֶחֱטִיאוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל) (Zohar, Devarim, Ra‘aya Meheimna 276b). And incidentally (וְאַגַּב אוֹרְחָא), you will understand the secret of a wondrous verse (תָּבִין סוֹד פָּסוּק נִפְלָא), that Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, said in Parashat Shelach Lekha (שֶׁאָמַר מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה בְּפָרָשַׁת שְׁלַח לְךָ): “And if this is how You do to me, kill me, I pray, kill me...” (וְאִם כָּכָה אַתְּ עֹשֶׂה לִּי הָרְגֵנִי נָא הָרֹג) (Numbers 11:15), “and let me not see my evil” (וְאַל אֶרְאֶה בְּרָעָתִי) (Numbers 11:15). And the Sages of blessed memory raise a difficulty on this (וַחֲכָמִים ז״ל מַקְשִׁים עַל זֶה): “it should have said ‘their evil’” (בְּרָעָתָם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ) (Megillah 25a; Sifrei, Beha‘alotekha, ch. 94). And they answer it according to the plain meaning (וְהֵם מְתָרְצִים עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט), one master according to his view and another master according to his view (מַר כְּדְאִית לֵיהּ וּמַר כְּדְאִית לֵיהּ). And you, my brother, open your eyes and see (וְאַתָּה אָחִי פְּקַח עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה), according to the way of the secret of truth (עַל דֶּרֶךְ סוֹד הָאֱמֶת), the words of the living God (דִּבְרֵי אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים), and the intention is (וְהַכַּוָּנָה), that you must know (שֶׁצָּרִיךְ שֶׁתֵּדַע), that Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, was a reincarnation of Hevel [Abel] (שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה הָיָה גִּלְגּוּל הֶבֶל), and your sign is (וְסִימָנָךְ), Moshe is an acronym for: “Moshe [Moses], Shet [Seth], Hevel [Abel]” (מֹשֶׁה נוֹטָרִיקוֹן: מ׳שֶׁה שָׁת ה׳בֶל).

It follows (נִמְצָא), that if you examine carefully (אִם תְּדַקְדֵּק), you will find (תִּמְצָא), that the Bet-Lamed of Hevel [Abel] (בֵּי״ת לָמֶ״ד שֶׁל הֶבֶל), are themselves the Lamed-Bet of Bilam (הֵם בְּעַצְמָם ה׳לָמֶ״ד בֵּי״ת׳ שֶׁל בִּלְעָ״ם), and the Hei of Moshe (וְהֵ״א שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה), is the Hei of Hevel [Abel] (הִיא הֵ״א שֶׁל הֶבֶל). For Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, and Bilam (כִּי מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה וּבִלְעָם), were both from one substance and one root (הָיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם מֵחוֹמֶר וְגֶזַע אֶחָד), except that you must know (אֶלָּא שֶׁצָּרִיךְ שֶׁתֵּדַע), that when the serpent cast contamination into Chavah [Eve] (שֶׁכְּשֶׁהִטִּיל הַנָּחָשׁ הַזּוֹהֲמָא בְּחַוָּה), and Chavah was “the mother of all living” (וְחַוָּה הָיְתָה 'אֵם כָּל חָי') (Genesis 3:20), therefore from that time onward (לָכֵן מֵאָז וָהָלְאָה), all those born who come into this world (כָּל הַנּוֹלָדִים הַבָּאִים לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה), were composed of good and evil (הָיוּ מוּרְכָּבִים מִטּוֹב וָרָע), and Moshe was from the side of the good of Hevel (וּמֹשֶׁה הָיָה מִצַּד הַטּוֹב שֶׁל הֶבֶל), and Bilam was from the side of the evil of Hevel (וּבִלְעָם הָיָה מִצַּד הָרַע שֶׁל הֶבֶל).

And you already know (וּכְבָר יָדַעְתָּ), the statement of Rashbi, peace be upon him (מַאֲמַר הָרַשְׁבִּ"י ע״ה), who said (שֶׁאָמַר), that the leaders of the Erev Rav were the sons of Bilam the wicked (שֶׁרָאשֵׁי הָעֵרֶב רַב הָיוּ בְּנֵי בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע), Yunos and Yambres (יוֹנוֹס וְיִמְבְּרוּם). And Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him (וּמֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה), was also from the reincarnation of the good of Hevel (הָיָה גַּם הוּא מִגִּלְגּוּל הַטּוֹב שֶׁל הֶבֶל), and Bilam and his sons together with the Erev Rav (וּבִלְעָם וּבָנָיו עִם הָעֵרֶב רַב), were from the side of the evil of Hevel (הָיוּ מִצַּד הָרַע שֶׁל הֶבֶל). Therefore Moshe Rabbeinu (לָכֵן מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ), would exert himself on their behalf in his prayer many times (הָיָה מִשְׁתַּדֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים), for “whoever says Israel sinned is nothing but mistaken” (כִּי כָּל הָאוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל חָטְאוּ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא טוֹעֶה) (Sanhedrin 44a). For every place where “the people” is stated (כִּי כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר 'הָעָם'), and Israel is not stated (וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר יִשְׂרָאֵל), its intention is the Erev Rav (כַּוָּנָתוֹ עַל עֵרֶב רַב) (Baal HaTurim on Exodus 13:17), and you will see (וְתִרְאֶה), that in every sin it is written “the people” (בְּכָל חֵטְא כָּתוּב 'הָעָם'). But the Zohar says (אֲבָל אוֹמֵר הַזֹּהַר), that many from Israel would join themselves with the Erev Rav in their hearts (שֶׁרַבִּים מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ מִשְׁתַּתְּפִין עִם הָעֵרֶב רַב בְּלִבַּיְיהוּ), and therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him concerning the sin of the Calf (וְלָכֵן אָמַר לוֹ הקב"ה בַּעֲוֹן הָעֵגֶל): “Go, descend, for your people have corrupted themselves” (לֶךְ רֵד כִּי שִׁחֵת עַמְּךָ) (Exodus 32:7), because he accepted them not with the knowledge of the Holy One, blessed be He (שֶׁהוּא קִבְּלָם שֶׁלֹּא מִדַּעַת הקב"ה) (Zohar, Devarim, Ra‘aya Meheimna 276b), for he should not have accepted them (שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה לוֹ לְקַבְּלָם), until they would die a second death (עַד יָמוּתוּ מִיתָה תַּנְיָינָא), and then Hashem rooted them in Israel (וְאָז הִשְׁרִישָׁם ה׳ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). And Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him (וְהָיָה חוֹזֵר מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה), would again pray for them (וּמִתְפַּלֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם), “Why, Hashem, should Your anger burn against Your people?” (לָמָה יי' יֶחֱרֶה אַפְּךָ בְּעַמֶּךָ) (Exodus 32:11), and all of this was concerning the Erev Rav (וְהַכֹּל הָיָה עַל הָעֵרֶב רַב), for he exerted himself on their behalf (שֶׁהָיָה מִשְׁתַּדֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם), because they were from his portion (עַל הֱיוֹתָם מֵחֶלְקוֹ), and the intention was (וְהַכַּוָּנָה), to distance the evil from Hevel (לְהַרְחִיק הָרַע מֵהֶבֶל), and to make him entirely good (וְלַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ כֻּלּוֹ טוֹב). And Moshe said (וְאָמַר מֹשֶׁה), when he saw that “and the mixed multitude that was among them lusted a lust” (כְּשֶׁרָאָה שֶׁ'וְהָאסַפְסֻף אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבּוֹ הִתְאַוּוּ תַּאֲוָה') (Numbers 11:4), Moshe said (אָמַר מֹשֶׁה), if Israel sins and You do not forgive their sin (אִם יִשְׂרָאֵל חוֹטְאִים וְלֹא תִשָּׂא חַטָּאתָם), it is better that You kill me (יוֹתֵר טוֹב שֶׁתַּהַרְגֵנִי), because the Erev Rav will become dominant (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָעֵרֶב רַב יִגְבְּרוּ), and through the domination of the Erev Rav (וּבְהִתְגַּבְּרוּת הָעֵרֶב רַב), it follows that the evil side of Hevel becomes dominant (נִמְצָא אֲשֶׁר גּוֹבְרוֹת צַד הָרַע שֶׁל הֶבֶל), and the good side is pushed away from it (וְצַד הַטּוֹב יִדָּחֶה מִמֶּנּוּ). And this is the meaning of (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאוֹמֵר), “If thus You do to me” (אִם כָּכָה אַתְּ עֹשֶׂה לִּי) (Numbers 11:15), that You will not forgive Israel (שֶׁלֹּא תִמְחוֹל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), but rather the Erev Rav will become dominant (אֶלָּא שֶׁיַגְבִּירוּ הָעֵרֶב רַב), it is better that You kill me (יוֹתֵר טוֹב שֶׁתַּהֲרוֹג אוֹתִי), “and let me not see my evil” (וְאַל אֶרְאֶה בְּרָעָתִי) (Numbers 11:15), meaning (פֵּירוּשׁ), that the evil side within me should become dominant over me (שֶׁיִּגְבּוֹר עָלַי צַד הָרַע בְּצִדִּי), meaning (פֵּירוּשׁ), the evil of Hevel (הָרַע שֶׁל הֶבֶל). And this is the secret of (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד): “He will swallow up death forever” (בִּלַּע הַמָּוֶת לָנֶצַח) (Isaiah 25:8), whose initials spell Hevel (רָאשֵׁי תֵבוֹת: הֶבֶל), meaning (פֵּירוּשׁ), when death is swallowed up (כְּשֶׁיִּבָּלַע הַמָּוֶת), which is the evil side of Hevel (שֶׁהוּא צַד הָרַע שֶׁל הֶבֶל), then “and Hashem God will wipe away tears from every face” (אָז 'וּמָחָה יי' אֱלֹהִים דִּמְעָה מֵעַל כָּל פָּנִים') (Isaiah 25:8), כביכול from the supernal faces, Chokhmah and Binah (כִּבְיָכוֹל מֵהַפָּנִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים חָכְמָה וּבִינָה), and also from “Rachel weeping for her children” (וְגַם מֵ'רָחֵל מְבַכָּה עַל בָּנֶיהָ') (Jeremiah 31:14). And through this you know (וּבָזֶה יָדַעְתָּ), that Moshe and Bilam were from one root (שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה וּבִלְעָם הָיוּ מִשּׁוֹרֶשׁ אֶחָד), and through this you will understand (בָּזֶה תָּבִין), what we said (מַה שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ): “In Israel there did not arise, but among the nations of the world there did arise, and who was it? Bilam” (בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא קָם, אֲבָל בְּאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם קָם, וּמַנּוּ בִּלְעָם) (Zohar, Shemot 21b), because they were both from one root and one substance (עַל הֱיוֹתָם שְׁנֵיהֶם מִגֶּזַע אֶחָד וְחוֹמֶר אֶחָד), he merited prophecy (זָכָה לִנְבוּאָה), just as Moshe in his side of Kedushah (כְּמֹשֶׁה בְּסִטְרָא דִּילֵיהּ דִּקְדוּשָׁה), so too he in impurity (כָּךְ הוּא בְּטֻמְאָה), to distinguish between the impure and the pure (לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין טָמֵא לְטָהוֹר), and between the holy and the profane (וּבֵין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל).