Yisrael and the Nations of the World

יִשְׂרָאֵל וּאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם

And in truth, the nations of the world are called a tree whose branches are many and its roots are few (וּבֶאֱמֶת אוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם נִקְרָאִים אִילָן שֶׁעֲנָפָיו מְרֻבִּים וְשָׁרָשָׁיו מְעַטִּים), for they emerge only from the lowest level within Holiness (כִּי אֵינָם יוֹצְאִים אֶלָּא מִבְּחִינָה הַיּוֹתֵר תַּחְתּוֹנָה שֶׁבַּקְּדוּשָּׁה), and this is the small root that they possess (וְהִיא הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ הַמְעַט אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם). And below in the world, they expand in great number among many nations (וּלְמַטָּה בָּעוֹלָם מִתְפַּשְׁטִים בְּרִבּוּי בִּכְמָה אוּמוֹת), but when the ruach comes from above to cast them down (וּבְבֹא הָרוּחַ מִלְּמַעְלָה לִדְחוֹתָם), they are cast away immediately, for they have no standing (הִנֵּה הֵם נִדְחִים מִיָּד כִּי אֵין לָהֶם הֶעֱמָדָה). But Yisrael is a tree whose roots are many (אֲבָל יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם אִילָן שֶׁשָּׁרָשָׁיו מְרֻבִּים), for Yisrael is rooted in all the lights (שֶׁהֲרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נִשְׁרָשִׁים בְּכָל הָאוֹרוֹת כֻּלָּם). Therefore, the Sitra Achra cannot uproot them (וְלָכֵן אֵין הַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא יְכוֹלָה לַעֲקוֹר אוֹתָם), for if there is accusation in one place, they are strengthened in another (כִּי אִם הַקִּטְרוּג בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד, יִתְחַזְּקוּ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר).

And in the end, their root is in a place to which the Sitra Achra has no access at all (וְסוֹף סוֹף שָׁרְשָׁם בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין הַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא מַגַּעַת שָׁם כְּלָל). And Yisrael is called (Psalms 80:11) “Cedars of El” (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל נִקְרָאִים: "אֲרָזֵי אֵל), because of the great height of their grasp (מִפְּנֵי רֹב גֹּבַהּ אֲחִיזָתָם). But the Sitra Achra is in truth nothing but low grass (אֲבָל הַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא אֵינָהּ בֶּאֱמֶת אֶלָּא כַּחָצִיר הַשָּׁפָל), that stands only on the earth, which is the secret of Malchut (הָעוֹמֵד רַק עַל הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁהוּא סוֹד מַלְכוּת), for only this aspect is the root for the Sitra achra (כִּי רַק בְּחִינָה זוֹ הִיא הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ לַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא).

And even though they appear high due to their expansion (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּרְאִים גְּבוֹהִים מִפְּנֵי הִתְפַּשְׁטוּתָם), behold, this is only superficial (הִנֵּה אֵין זֶה אֶלָּא לְפָנִים). And when they return to their root, they are grass (וּבְחָזְרָם לְשָׁרְשָׁם הֵם חָצִיר), and then they are trampled underfoot—these being the two Mashiachsp1-88 (וְאָז נִרְמָסִים בְּרַגְלַיִם, שֶׁהֵם בִּשְׁנֵי מְשִׁיחִים); for the highest of the nations is lower than all of Yisrael (כִּי הַיּוֹתֵר גָּבוֹהַּ שֶׁבְּאוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם הוּא תַּחְתּוֹן מִכָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל). Therefore it is said (Isaiah 51:12) “And the son of man is given as grass” (וְעַל כֵּן נֶאֱמַר: "וּמִבֶּן אָדָם חָצִיר יִנָּתֵן).

For behold, the sins of Yisrael caused the Sitra achra to be present in the aspect of “son of man,” which was not fitting for them (כִּי הִנֵּה חַטְּאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל גָּרְמוּ לַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא לְהִמָּצֵא בְּבְחִינַת בֶּן אָדָם שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה רָאוּי לָהֶם), and the Shekhinah being among them in exile is nothing but an operation to return them from “son of man” to grass (וְהִיוֹת הַשְּׁכִינָה בְּתוֹכָם בַּגָּלוּת – אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא פְּעוּלָה לְהַחֲזִירָה מִבֶּן אָדָם לְחָצִיר). And therefore (ibid. vv. 12–13) “And the son of man is given as grass, and you forgot Hashem your Maker…” (וְעַל כֵּן: "וּמִבֶּן אָדָם חָצִיר יִנָּתֵן וַתִּשְׁכַּח ה׳ עוֹשֶׂיךָ), meaning: and did you (forget) [forgot] Hashem your Maker? (פֵּרוּשׁ – וְכִי אַתְּ (שָׁכְחַתְּ) [שָׁכַחְתְּ] ה׳ עוֹשֶׂיךָ).

And this is the meaning of (Isaiah 54:5) “Your Maker is your husband” (וְהוּא עִנְיָן: "בּוֹעֲלַיִךְ עוֹשֶׂיִךְ), for Malchut is nothing but the end of Tiferet (כִּי הַמַלְכוּת אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא סוֹף הַתִּפְאֶרֶת), and separation does not apply, only concealment of the light to cut off the Sitra achra—“and you did not know” (וְאֵין שַׁיָּיךְ פֵּרוּד, אֶלָּא הֶעְלֵם אוֹר לְהַכְרִית הַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא – "וְלֹא תֵדָע). But you must know that all of this is in Malchut (אֲבָל צָרִיךְ שֶׁתֵּדַע כִּי כָל זֶה הוּא בַּמַלְכוּת), that the corruption is only apparent and superficial (שֶׁהַקִּלְקוּל הוּא לְכָאוֹרָה וּלְפָנִים), but not so in essence (אֲבָל לֹא שֶׁיְּהֵא כָּךְ בְּעֶצֶם). But in Mashiach, it is truly so (אֲבָל בַּמָּשִׁיחַ הוּא בֶּעֶצֶם כָּךְ).

And it is found that even over the Shekhinah, the Sitra Achra makes sport (וְנִמְצָא שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ עַל הַשְּׁכִינָה הַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא מְשַׂחֶקֶת), but in truth, it is not as it appears to the Sitra achra, for she errs in the matter (אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת אֵינוֹ כְּמַרְאֵה לַסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא כִּי הִיא טוֹעָה בַּדָּבָר). But in Mashiach, this is truly the case (אֲבָל בַּמָּשִׁיחַ כָּךְ הוּא מַמָּשׁ), for thus it must be: that he suffer afflictions to repair the blemishes of Yisrael (כִּי כֵן צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹתוֹ מְקַבֵּל יִסּוּרִין לְתַקֵּן פְּגָמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל).

Therefore (Isaiah 52:14) “So marred was his appearance more than a man” (וְעַל כֵּן: "כֵּן מְשֻׁחַת מֵאִישׁ מַרְאֵהוּ), for the astonishment is not for nothing but for a matter of truth (כִּי הַתְּמִיָּה אֵינָהּ עַל חִנָּם אֶלָּא עַל דְּבַר אֱמֶת), for so marred he truly was (כִּי כֵן מְשֻׁחַת וָדַאי). And behold, in the time of Tikkun, it is said (ibid. v. 15) “For what had not been told them, they saw…” (וְהִנֵּה בִּזְמַן הַתִּקּוּן נֶאֱמַר: "כִּי אֲשֶׁר לֹא סֻפַּר לָהֶם רָאוּ" וְגוֹ׳).

And the secret of the matter is that what they thought was to empower them was to subjugate themp1-89 (וְסוֹד הָעִנְיָן – כִּי מַה שֶּׁהָיוּ חוֹשְׁבִים שֶׁהוּא לְהַשְׁלִיטָם, הָיָה לְהַכְנִיעָם), and this is “what had not been told them, they saw” (וְזֶהוּ: "לֹא סֻפַּר לָהֶם רָאוּ), for in truth this matter was hidden from them (כִּי בֶאֱמֶת בְּהֶעְלֵם הָיָה מֵהֶם הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה). And thus it had not been heard (וְאָז לֹא נִשְׁמַע הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה), for it was under concealment (כִּי בְּכִסּוּי הָיָה). And in the end (ibid): “That which they had not heard, they contemplated” (וְסוֹף: "אֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁמְעוּ הִתְבּוֹנָנוּ), for they contemplate retroactively from what they now see—that which they had not heard before (כִּי הֵם מִתְבּוֹנְנִים לְמִפְרֵעַ מִמַּה שֶּׁרוֹאִים עַתָּה אֶת אֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁמְעוּ בְּהִמָּצְאוֹ). And it says (Isaiah 53:1) “Who has believed our report…” (וְאָמַר: "מִי הֶאֱמִין לִשְׁמֻעָתֵנוּ" וְגוֹ׳).

In the manuscript, the continuation is missing. Woe for those who are lost and not found.

בְּכְתָב יָד חָסֵר הַהֶמְשֵׁךְ, חֲבַ֥ל עַל דְּאָבְדִין וְלָא מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part One 3

Chapter 1 The Intention of Creation and Its Order 18

The Definition of the Wisdom of Truth 19

Creation Is Arranged in the Form of Adam 21

Adam Kadmon 26

The Order of Creation 28

Man’s Service and the Reward 30

The Matter of the Sefirot 32

The Matter of Our Service 35

The Matter of Mentioning His Blessed Attributes in Our Prayer 36

The Essence of the Sefirot 38

The Correspondence Between the Actions of the Emanator and the Names of the Limbs of Adam 41

The Shekhinah - Providence and Connection with the Lower Worlds 45

Chesed, judgment, mercy - The Ways of Conduct 47

The Governance of Conduct Determines the Intensity of Conduct 50

The transition from governance to providence 52

The Ten Sefirot According to the Above Division 54

From the Details of the Sefirot Is Composed the Form of Man with 613 Parts 59

The Operation of the Ten Sefirot in the Aspect of Partzufim 61

The Six Lower Sefirot Constitute One Partzuf; Each of the Remaining Sefirot Is a Partzuf on Its Own 64

Division into Five Partzufim 67

The Six Sefirot Are Sometimes Completed into Ten Sefirot 68

Between the Sefirot There Is a Relationship of Emitter and Receiver 70

The Sefirot Are the Root of the Soul and the Body 73

All His Blessed Actions Are Composed of Emanation and Limitation – Aspects of Chesed and judgment 74

Part Two 78

The Mashiach and Meshichut 78

Noach’s Ark and the Rainbow 83

The Enclothing of Souls Within the Klipot 89

The Deed of Esther Was Under Duress 95

The Matter of Yael 98

A Transgression for the Sake of Heaven 98

The Transformation of the Staff into a Serpent and the Serpent into a Staff 106

The Mashiach Sits at the Gates of Rome 108

The Leprosy of Pharaoh and of Moshe 113

The Subjugation of Evil Beneath Holiness 117

“And He Was Wounded Because of Our Transgressions” 122

The Tikkun of the Internalities and Externalities 125

Yosef and the Wife of Potiphar 129

The Ten Martyrs of the Kingdom 132

Yerov‘am Was Destined to Be Mashiach ben Yosef 135

In the Future, the Holy One Blessed Be He Will Appoint for Them Another David 143

The Matter of Amalek 146

The Matter of the Spies 157

“I Shall Surely Blot Out” and the Commandment “You Shall Blot Out” 160

The Matter of Esav 164

Sun, Moon, and Stars 167

Keter and Chokhmah 185

Two Aspects of the Moon 191

Two Aspects of the Shekhinah 198

The Matter of the Keruvim 215

The Burial of Moshe Outside the Land 224

Two Beginnings to Creation – Keter and Chokhmah 232

Sin Grants Possibility for the Expansion of the Sitra achra 235

The Enclothing of Souls and Their Roots in the Klipot 240

The Ruin Through the Sin of Adam HaRishon and the Rectification Through the Torah and the Beit HaMikdash 243

The Sufferings of the Mashiach 247

Permutations of The Letters 254

Intellect and Folly 261

Right-Sided Shin and Left-Sided Shin 263

The Shekhinah – Her Exile and Her Redemption 273

Yisrael and the Nations of the World 283