24a (כ״ד:א׳)

And this level Yisrael attained through receiving the Torah (וזאת הַמַּעֲלָה הִשִּׂיגוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּקְבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה), for this was the intention behind Hashem, may He be blessed, bringing them out from under the stars and constellations (שֶׁלְּזוֹא הַכַּוָּנָה הוֹצִיאָם ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ מִתַּחַת הַכּוֹכָבִים וְהַמַּזָּלוֹת), to give them the Torah and that the blessing should come to them from the place of Torah (כְּדֵי לָתֵת לָהֶם הַתּוֹרָה וְשֶׁתָּבוֹא לָהֶם הַבְּרָכָה מִמְּקוֹם הַתּוֹרָה), as we have said (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ). And it is said of Kenesset Yisrael: “Upon one stone, seven eyes” (וְנֶאֱמַר עַל כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל ״עַל אֶבֶן אַחַת שִׁבְעָה עֵינַיִם״) (Zechariah 3); for Kenesset Yisrael is called “stone” as in: “And he took the stone which he had put at his head” (שֶׁכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל נִקְרֵאת אֶבֶן עַל שֵׁם ״וַיִּקַּח אֶת הָאֶבֶן אֲשֶׁר שָׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו״) (Bereshit 28), and in that very place the Temple was built (וּבַזֶּה הַמָּקוֹם נִבְנָה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ), as it is said: “And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be a house for Elohim” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱלֹקִים״) (Bereshit 28), and it is aligned with the Temple above (וְהוּא מְכֻוָּן כְּנֶגֶד בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה), as I have said (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי).

And what it says: “And this is the gate of the heavens” (וּמַה שֶּׁאָמַר ״וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמַיִם״) (Bereshit 28), alludes to the middah of Malkhut - where Kenesset Yisrael resides (רָמַז לָנוּ מִדַּת מַלְכוּת שֶׁשָּׁם כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), which is the gateway to the other sefirot (שֶׁהִיא פֶּתַח לִשְׁאָר הַסְּפִירוֹת). And when blessing comes from those three upper sefirot, of which it is said “the threefold in the Torah” (וּכְשֶׁהַבְּרָכָה בָּאָה מֵאֵלוּ הַשָּׁלוֹשׁ סְפִירוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶן נֶאֱמַר ״הַמְשֻׁלֶּשֶׁת בַּתּוֹרָה״), they influence the seven (הֵן מַשְׁפִּיעוֹת עַל הַשֶּׁבַע), and all seven influence Kenesset Yisrael (וְהַשֶּׁבַע כֻּלָּם מַשְׁפִּיעִין עַל כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), and that is what the verse means: “Upon one stone, seven eyes” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״עַל אֶבֶן אַחַת שִׁבְעָה עֵינַיִם״). And this level Yisrael attained in the merit of the Patriarchs, who are the foundation of the world - Avraham, Yitzchak, Ya'akov (וְזֹאת הַמַּעֲלָה הִשִּׂיגוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּזְכוּת הָאָבוֹת שֶׁהֵם יְסוֹד הָעוֹלָם - אַבְרָהָם, יִצְחָק, יַעֲקֹב). You will find that their names contain thirteen letters (תִּמְצָא בִּשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם י״ג אוֹתִיּוֹת), corresponding to the thirteen attributes of mercy (כְּנֶגֶד י״ג מִדּוֹת שֶׁל רַחֲמִים) by which The Holy One Blessed Be He has mercy on His creatures (שֶׁבָּהֶם מְרַחֵם הקב״ה עַל בְּרוּיוֹתָיו).

Likewise, you will find: “Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, Leah” - thirteen letters (גַּם כֵּן תִּמְצָא ״שָׂרָה רִבְקָה רָחֵל לֵאָה״ - י״ג אוֹתִיּוֹת), to allude to what we have said (לְרַמֵּז מַה שֶּׁאָמַרְנוּ). And when you combine them, they total twenty-six (וּכְשֶׁתְּצָרְפֵם - עוֹלִים לְחֶשְׁבּוֹן כ״ו), like the numerical value of the glorious Name (YHVH) (כְּמִסְפַּר הַשֵּׁם הַנִּכְבָּד-יהוה]). And when Adam HaRishon sinned and all creatures remained under the attribute of judgment (וּכְשֶׁחָטָא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְהַבְּרִיּוֹת כֻּלָּם נִשְׁאֲרוּ תַּחַת מִדַּת הַדִּין), the world could not endure until the generation of Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him (לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל הָעוֹלָם לְהִתְקַיֵּם עַד שֶׁהִגִּיעַ דּוֹרוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם), for through his merit mercy came into the world (שֶׁבְּזְכוּתוֹ בָּאוּ רַחֲמִים לָעוֹלָם), and The Holy One Blessed Be He desired to judge the world with the attribute of mercy (וְרָצָה הקב״ה לָדוּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמִים), as it is said: “And Hashem smelled the pleasing aroma, and Hashem said in His heart: I will not again curse the ground…” (כְּנֶאֱמַר ״וַיָּרַח ה׳ אֶת רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ, וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל לִבּוֹ: לֹא אֹסִף לְקַלֵּל עוֹד אֶת הָאֲדָמָה״) (Bereshit 8).

And if you say: all this occurred in the days of Noach, and from Noach to Avraham are ten generations (וְאִם תֹּאמַר: שֶׁכָּל זֶה הָיָה בִּימֵי נֹחַ, וּמִנֹּחַ עַד אַבְרָהָם עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת), the answer is: Avraham is already hinted at here in what it says: “Only Noach remained” (הַתְּשׁוּבָה: כְּבָר נִרְמַז כָּאן אַבְרָהָם בְּמַה שֶּׁאָמַר ״וַיִּשָּׁאֵר אַךְ נֹחַ״) (Bereshit 7). For it would have sufficed to say: “And Noach remained” (שֶׁהָיָה דַּי שֶׁיֹּאמַר ״וַיִּשָּׁאֵר נֹחַ״), but in the word ach [but], the Avot [Patriarchs] are alluded to (אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּ״אַךְ״ נִרְמְזוּ הָאָבוֹת): the Alef is Avraham (שֶׁהָאַלֶ״ף הִיא אַבְרָהָם), and the Kaf is two Yuds - one for Yitzchak and one for Ya'akov (וְהַכ״ף - שְׁנֵי יו״דִין: יו״ד אֶחָד לְרַמֵּז יִצְחָק, וּיו״ד שֵׁנִי לְיַעֲקֹב), for these are the initials of the Avot [Patriarchs] (שֶׁהֵם רָאשֵׁי שֵׁמוֹת הָאָבוֹת). And all three together total twenty-one (וּשְׁלָשְׁתָּן עוֹלוֹת לְחֶשְׁבּוֹן כ״א), a hint to the name Ehyeh (רֶמֶז לְשֵׁם אֶהְיֶה), from which extend simple mercy (שֶׁמִּשָּׁם נִמְשָׁכִים הָרַחֲמִים הַפְּשׁוּטִים), to inform us that The Holy One Blessed Be He had mercy on Noach in the merit of the Avot [Patriarchs], not for his own sake (לְהוֹדִיעֵנוּ שֶׁרִיחֵם הקב״ה עַל נֹחַ בִּזְכוּת הָאָבוֹת וְלֹא בִּזְכוּתוֹ). And for this reason it says of him: “A righteous man, perfect in his generations” (וְלָזֶה נֶאֱמַר עָלָיו ״צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו״) (Bereshit 6), to hint that relative to his generation he was righteous (לְרַמֵּז שֶׁלְּפִי דֹרוֹ הָיָה צַדִּיק), as our Sages said (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַז״ל).

If so, the Avot [Patriarchs] and Imahot [Matriarchs] are the cause of the world’s endurance (אִם כֵּן, הָאָבוֹת וְהָאִמָּהוֹת הֵם סִבַּת קִיּוּם הָעוֹלָם), and the cause of abundance and greatness for Yisrael is when they grasp the craft of their forefathers (וְסִבַּת שֶׁיֵּשׁ שֶׁפַע וּמַעֲלָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הִיא כְּשֶׁהֵם תּוֹפְסִים אֻמְנוּת אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם בְּיָדֵיהֶם), as it says of Yosef: “From there is the shepherd, the stone of Yisrael” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר בְּיוֹסֵף: ״מִשָּׁם רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל״) (Bereshit 49) meaning, that in the merit of Yosef HaTzaddik (רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר: שֶׁבִּזְכוּת יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק), the abundance of the seven sefirot, which are the seven eyes, was drawn upon Kenesset Yisrael, which is the stone (נִשְׁפַּע שֶׁפַע הַז׳ סְפִירוֹת שֶׁהֵם הַשִּׁבְעָה עֵינַיִם עַל כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהִיא הָאֶבֶן). And just as the Tzaddikim have the power to draw down this abundance upon Kenesset Yisrael (וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהַצַּדִּיקִים יֵשׁ לָהֶם יְכֹלֶת לְהַמְשִׁיךְ זֶה הַשֶּׁפַע עַל כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), so too do the wicked cause that the abundance be withheld from there (כָּךְ הָרְשָׁעִים עוֹשִׂים שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נֶעְדָּר אוֹתוֹ הַשֶּׁפַע מִשָּׁם). And The Holy One Blessed Be He does not reclaim this abundance to Himself (וְהקב״ה אֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר לְקַבֵּל זֶה הַשֶּׁפַע), for His quality is to always bestow (כִּי מִדָּתוֹ לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ תָּמִיד), but what does He do? He causes it to be poured out upon the seven stars (אֶלָּא מַה הוּא עוֹשֶׂה מַשְׁפִּיעַ אוֹתוֹ עַל הַשִּׁבְעָה כּוֹכָבִים), that they should bestow it upon the nations who worship stars and constellations (לְשֶׁיַּשְׁפִּיעוּ אוֹתוֹ עַל הָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁהֵם עוֹבְדִים לַכּוֹכָבִים וְלַמַּזָּלוֹת). And this is what King David, peace be upon him, hinted at when he said: “To Hashem is the earth and its fullness” (וְזֶה מַה שֶּׁרָמַז דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם בְּאָמְרוֹ ״לַה׳ הָאָרֶץ וּמְלוֹאָהּ״) (Psalms 24). For this middah is also called “earth,” as we have said (כִּי זֹאת הַמִּדָּה גַּם כֵּן נִקְרֵאת ״אֶרֶץ״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ). And what he said: “and its fullness” (וּמַה שֶּׁאָמַר ״וּמְלוֹאָהּ״) - for in it all others are gathered (לְפִי שֶׁבָּהּ מִתְכַּנְּסוֹת כָּל הָאֲחֵרוֹת), and once she is filled with influence, she governs the world and its inhabitants (וְאַחַר שֶׁהִיא מְלֵאָה מֵהַשְּׁפָעָה, מְנַהֶגֶת הָעוֹלָם וְיוֹשְׁבָיו), and this is what he said: “Tevel [the inhabited world] and those who dwell therein” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר ״תֵּבֵל וְיֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ״) (Psalms 24).