23b (כ״ג:ב׳)

And beneath it is Netzach, and with it the sphere of the Sun (וּלְמַטָּה מִמֶּנָּה נֵצַח, וְעִמָּהּ גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה), the progeny of Emunah, Boaz (תּוֹלְדוֹת אֱמוּנָה, בּוֹעַז). And in Boaz two matters are alluded to (וּבְבוֹעַז רְמוּזִים שְׁנֵי דְבָרִים). First, that he is one of the two pillars of the Temple (הָאֶחָד - שֶׁהוּא אֶחָד מִשְּׁנֵי עַמּוּדֵי בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ), as it says in Melakhim: “And he set up the left pillar and called its name Boaz” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּמְּלָכִים ״וַיָּקֶם אֶת הָעַמּוּד הַשְּׂמָאלִי וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ בֹּעַז״) (I Kings 7).

And first it says: “And he set up the right pillar and called its name Yachin” (וּבַתְּחִלָּה אָמַר ״וַיָּקֶם אֶת הָעַמּוּד הַיְּמָנִי וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ יָכִין״), which we will explain afterward (שֶׁאַחַר כָּךְ נְפָרְשֵׁהוּ). And the second, that from him came the seed of David (וְהַשֵּׁנִי - שֶׁמִּשָּׁם יָצָא זֶרַע דָּוִד), whose kingship shall be established for all eternity (שֶׁמַלְכוּתוֹ תִּהְיֶה נָכוֹן לְנֵצַח נְצָחִים). And regarding David it says: “Your right hand supports me” (וּבְדָוִד נֶאֱמַר ״וִימִינְךָ תִּסְעָדֵנִי״) (Psalms 18). And since this is so, we must ask: why was Boaz - who is David - called “left,” while Yachin was called “right”? (וְכֵיוָן שֶׁכֵּן הוּא, יֵשׁ לְהַקְשׁוֹת, מַה הָיְתָה הַסִּיבָּה שֶׁבְּבוֹעַז שֶׁהוּא דָּוִד - נֶאֱמַר ״שְׂמֹאל״, וּבְיָכִין נֶאֱמַר ״יָמִין״).

And when we explain this (וּכְשֶׁנְּפָרֵשׁ זֶה), you will understand a great secret (תָּבִין סוֹד גָּדוֹל) concerning the matter upon which Edom bases its faith (עַל הָעִנְיָן שֶׁאֱדוֹם מְיַסְּדִים אֱמוּנָתָם עָלָיו)—and it is this psalm (וְהוּא זֶה הַמִּזְמוֹר): “Hashem said to my lord: ‘Sit at My right hand’” (״נְאֻם ה׳ לַאדֹנִי שֵׁב לִימִינִי״) (Psalms 110:1). p1-8

The intent of this verse, in which David says, “Hashem said to my lord” (שֶׁהַכַּוָּנָה בַּזֶּה הַפָּסוּק שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד ״נְאֻם ה׳ לַאדֹנִי״), is that it refers to Shaul (שֶׁהוּא שָׁאוּל): “Sit at My right hand” (״שֵׁב לִימִינִי״). And when Hashem, may He be blessed, told Shaul, “Sit at My right hand” (וּבִזְמַן שֶׁאָמַר ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ לְשָׁאוּל שֵׁב לִימִינִי), David could call Shaul “my lord” (דָּוִד הָיָה יָכוֹל לִקְרֹא לְשָׁאוּל ״אֲדֹנִי״), as we find that he said (כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁאָמַר): “My voice, my lord the king,” “Why does my lord pursue his servant?” and “Now let my lord the king please hear” (״קוֹלִי אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ״, ״וְלָמָּה זֶה אֲדֹנִי רֹדֵף אַחֲרֵי עַבְדּוֹ״, ״וְעַתָּה יִשְׁמַע נָא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ״) (I Samuel 24). Since the kingship was then established in Shaul’s hand (וּמִצַּד שֶׁהַמְּלוּכָה הָיְתָה אָז נְכוֹנָה בְּיַד שָׁאוּל), and he sat at the right by command of the Holy One, blessed be He, who commanded that he be anointed king (וְהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב לִצַּד יָמִין עַל פִּי הקב״ה שֶׁצִּוָּה לִמְשֹׁחוֹ לְמֶלֶךְ), David said: “Hashem said to my lord: ‘Sit at My right hand’” (אָמַר דָּוִד ״נְאֻם ה׳ לַאדֹנִי, שֵׁב לִימִינִי״).

And Shaul, after he knew that the right side belonged to David (וְשָׁאוּל אַחַר שֶׁיָּדַע שֶׁצַּד יָמִין הָיָה שֶׁל דָּוִד), became jealous of him (נָטַל קִנְאָה מִמֶּנּוּ), and resolved in his heart to kill him (וְהִסְכִּים בְּלִבּוֹ לַהֲרָגוֹ). And he turned against him as an enemy, and against his offspring (וְנֶהְפַּךְ עָלָיו לְאוֹיֵב וְעַל זַרְעוֹ), because the kingship of Yehudah would be “for David and for his seed forever” (לְפִי שֶׁמַלְכוּת יְהוּדָה תִּהְיֶה ״לְדָוִד וּלְזַרְעוֹ עַד עוֹלָם״) (I Kings 11). And Hashem, may He be blessed, said concerning Shaul (וְאָמַר הקב״ה עַל שָׁאוּל): although you now sit at the right (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב עַתָּה בַּיָּמִין), the right is not yours (אֵין הַיָּמִין שֶׁלְּךָ), and it shall not be firm and enduring for you (וְלֹא יִהְיֶה נָכוֹן וְקַיָּם לְךָ), except until “I make your enemy”—namely David and his offspring—“a footstool for your feet” (אֶלָּא עַד שֶׁ״אָשִׁית אוֹיְבְךָ״ - שֶׁהוּא דָּוִד וְזַרְעוֹ - ״הֲדֹם לְרַגְלֶיךָ״), meaning the seat of kingship (שֶׁהוּא מוֹשַׁב הַמְּלוּכָה), as Scripture says: “The heavens are My throne, and the earth is My footstool” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ״הַשָּׁמַיִם כִּסְאִי וְהָאָרֶץ הֲדֹם רַגְלַי״) (Isaiah 66). It is as though He said, “in your footstool”—that is, in the seat of your kingship (וּכְאִלּוּ אָמַר ״בְּהֲדֹם רַגְלֶיךָ״ - רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר: בְּמוֹשַׁב מַלְכוּתְךָ), as I have said (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי).

From this verse it appears that Shaul would sit at the right until the kingship of the house of David was established (נִרְאֶה מִזֶּה הַפָּסוּק, שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב שָׁאוּל לִימִין עַד שֶׁתִּכּוֹן מַלְכוּת בֵּית דָּוִד), so that there would not be two kingdoms in Yisrael from two tribes (כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ שְׁתֵּי מַמְלָכוֹת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִשְּׁנֵי שְׁבָטִים), but one—for David and for his seed (אֶלָּא אֶחָד - לְדָוִד וּלְזַרְעוֹ). Then Yachin and Boaz will be joined (וְאָז יִהְיֶה מְחֻבָּר יָכִין וּבוֹעַז); that is, the kingship of the house of David shall be established through my strength and my might (יִרְצֶה: שֶׁמַלְכוּת בֵּית דָּוִד תִּכּוֹן בּוֹ עָזִי וְחָזְקִי), to endure forever (לִהְיוֹת נִצְחִי לְעוֹלָם), and the house that shall be built in his days shall likewise endure forever (וְהַבַּיִת שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בְּיָמָיו גַּם כֵּן יִהְיֶה קַיָּם לְעוֹלָם).

Therefore Scripture says: “Your right hand, Hashem, is glorious in power” (וְלָכֵן אָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ״יְמִינְךָ ה׳ נֶאְדָּרִי בַּכֹּחַ״) (Exodus 15). And right and left shall be given to David (וְתִנָּתֵן לְדָוִד יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל): the left, alluded to in Boaz, from whom he descended (הַשְּׂמֹאל שֶׁרְמוּזָה לוֹ בְּבוֹעַז שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ הוּא נִמְשָׁךְ); and the right, which belonged to Shaul and was given to David (וְהַיָּמִין שֶׁהָיְתָה לְשָׁאוּל וְנִתְּנָה לְדָוִד), as he said: “Hashem has torn the kingdom of Yisrael…” and so forth (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר ״קָרַע ה׳ אֶת מַמְלְכוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל״ וְגוֹ׳) (I Samuel 15). If so, it appears that kingship and dominion were given to David forever and ever (אִם כֵּן, נִרְאֶה שֶׁנִּתְּנָה מַלְכוּת וּמֶמְשָׁלָה לְדָוִד לְנֵצַח נְצָחִים), to shine within him like the sun among the other stars (לְהָאִיר בּוֹ כַּשֶּׁמֶשׁ בֵּין שְׁאָר הַכּוֹכָבִים). For this reason the sphere of the sun was placed with the middah of Netzach (וּבִשְׁבִיל זֶה הֻשַּׂם גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה עִם מִדַּת נֵצַח), concerning which it is said: “Moreover, the Netzach of Yisrael will neither lie nor change His mind” (וְעָלֶיהָ נֶאֱמַר ״וְגַם נֵצַח יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יְשַׁקֵּר וְלֹא יִנָּחֵם״) (I Samuel 15).

And beneath it is the sphere of Kokhav (Mercury) (וּלְמַטָּה מִמֶּנּוּ גַּלְגַּל כּוֹכָב), and in it was said: Elohim Tzeva’ot, Yachin (וּבָהּ נֶאֱמַר אֱלֹקִים צְבָאוֹת, יָכִין). And beneath it is Yesod, the sphere of Nogah (Venus) (וּלְמַטָּה מִמֶּנָּה יְסוֹד, גַּלְגַּל נוֹגַהּ), The offspring of the Righteous [Tzadik], the Good [Tov], the Life of the Worlds [Chai HaOlamim], Charity [Tzedakah] (תּוֹלְדוֹת צַדִּיק, טוֹב, חַי הָעוֹלָמִים, צְדָקָה). And beneath it is Malkhut, and with it the sphere of the Moon (וּלְמַטָּה מִמֶּנָּה מַלְכוּת, וְעִמָּהּ גַּלְגַּל לְבָנָה), Kenesset Yisrael (כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל).

If so, it appears that from these seven sefirot the seven wandering stars receive their influence - they who govern the lower world (אִם כֵּן, נִרְאֶה שֶׁמֵּאֵלּוּ הַשִּׁבְעָה סְפִירוֹת מֻשְׁפָּעוֹת אֵלּוּ הַשִּׁבְעָה כּוֹכְבֵי לֶכֶת שֶׁהֵם מַנְהִיגֵי הָעוֹלָם הַשָּׁפָל). But it is not Hashem’s, may He be blessed, intention that Yisrael’s blessing should come from those places (וְאֵין כַּוָּנַת ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שֶׁבִּרְכַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל תָּבוֹא מֵאֵלּוּ הַמְּקוֹמוֹת), meaning: by means of the stars we mentioned (יִרְצֶה - בְּאֶמְצָעוּת הַכּוֹכָבִים שֶׁהִזְכַּרְנוּ), but rather from the sefirot themselves, without their first bestowing upon anything else (אֶלָּא מִן הַסְּפִירוֹת עַצְמָן מִבְּלִי שֶׁיַּשְׁפִּיעוּ תְּחִלָּה עַל דָּבָר אַחֵר).