36a (ל״ו:א׳)

And when men of understanding shall behold the work of Hashem, for it is awesome (וְכַאֲשֶׁר הַבַּעֲלֵי שֶׂכֶל יִרְאוּ אֶת מַעֲשֵׂה ה׳ כִּי נוֹרָא הוּא), they will marvel and be astounded and praise the Master of all, blessed is He (יִתְמְהוּ וְיִשְׁתָּאוּ וִישַׁבְּחוּ לַאֲדוֹן הַכֹּל בָּרוּךְ הוּא), the One who gives speech to the mute (הַמְּשַׁיחַ אִלְּמִים), and who unveils what is hidden (וְהַמְפַעְנֵחַ נֶעְלָמִים), and who grants wisdom to fools such as myself today (וְהַמַּחֲכִים פְּתָאיִים כָּמוֹנִי הַיּוֹם), and has taught me the secrets of wisdom (וְלִמְּדַנִי תַּעֲלוּמוֹת חָכְמָה), and there He placed concealment (וְשָׁם חֲבִיוֹן).

And since among the matters I have explained (וּלְפִי שֶׁבֵּין הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי), there are things in which people might stumble (יֵשׁ דְּבָרִים שֶׁבְּנֵי אָדָם אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּכָּשְׁלוּ בָהֶם), and they will not understand them due to the limitation of their comprehension (וְלֹא יְבִינֻם לְקֹצֶר הַשַּׂגָּתָם), or out of love for argument, they will distort the intent (אוֹ לְאַהֲבָתָם הַנִּצָּחוֹן יַחֲלִיפוּ הַכַּוָּנָה), and they will exchange good for evil (וִימִירוּ טוֹב בְּרָע), as I have seen (כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי) that they have turned the bowl upon its face (שֶׁהָפְכוּ הַקַּעֲרָה עַל פִּיָּה), and interpreted my words the opposite of their true intention (וּפֵרְשׁוּ דְבָרַי הֶפֶךְ הַכַּוָּנָה הָאֲמִתִּית), and to remove from myself the perversity of mouth (וּלְהָסִיר מִמֶּנִּי עִקְּשׁוּת פֶּה), I said I will explain them clearly and well (אָמַרְתִּי לְבָאֵרָם בְּאֵר הֵיטֵב), so that the reader may run through it in righteousness (לְמַעַן יָרוּץ בּוֹ הַקּוֹרֵא בַּצֶּדֶק), one who loves righteousness (צִדְקוֹת אָהֵב).

And this is one of them (וְזֶה אֶחָד מֵהֶם): “And when the prophets receive their prophecy (וּכְשֶׁהַנְּבִיאִים מַשִּׂיגִים נְבוּאָתָם), they do not see the matter in its clearest form (אֵינָם רוֹאִים הַדָּבָר עַל בּוּרְיוֹ), because there is a veil that separates between them and the Shekhinah (לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ מָסָךְ מַבְדִּיל בֵּינֵיהֶם וּבֵין הַשְּׁכִינָה). And even Moshe Rabbeinu was uncertain (וַאֲפִלּוּ מֹרֶה רַבֵּנוּ נִסְתַּפֵּק), for he did not behold that same glory concerning which he said, ‘Show me, please, Your glory’” (שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאָה אֵלָיו אוֹתוֹ הַכָּבוֹד אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו אָמַר ״הַרְאֵנִי נָא אֶת כְּבוֹדֶךָ) etc (וְגוֹ).

The intention is that there was a great difference between their prophecy, when they said “Thus said Hashem” (הַכַּוָּנָה הִיא, שֶׁהָיָה הֶבְדֵּל גָּדוֹל בֵּין נְבוּאָתָם בְּאָמְרָם "כֹּה אָמַר ה׳), and the prophecy of Moshe, who prophesied with “This” (לְנְבוּאַת מֹשֶׁה שֶׁנִּתְנַבֵּא בְּ״זֶה), for the word “Thus” means “Like this” (שֶׁמִּלַּת ״כֹּה״ רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר: ״כָּזֶה), but Moshe Rabbeinu said “This” (וּמְרַעֶ״ה אָמַר "זֶה).

And that which I wrote-that the prophets do not see the matter with perfect clarity (וּמַה שֶּׁכָּתַבְתִּי שֶׁהַנְּבִיאִים אֵינָם רוֹאִים הַדָּבָר עַל בּוּרְיוֹ), it means that there was a great difference between their prophecy and that of Moshe Rabbeinu (רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר שֶׁהָיָה הֶבְדֵּל גָּדוֹל בֵּין נְבוּאָתָם לְנְבוּאַת מְרַעֶ״ה), like the difference between “Thus” and “This” (כְּהֶבְדֵּל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בֵּין ״כֹּה״ לְ״זֶה).

But Heaven forbid to say they had doubt whether the prophecy was from the Holy One Blessed Be He (אֲבָל חַס וְשָׁלוֹם שֶׁיְּהֵא לָהֶם סָפֵק אִם הַנְּבוּאָה מֵהקב״ה). And that which I said, that even Moshe Rabbeinu was in doubt (וּמַה שֶּׁאָמַרְתִּי שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ מְרַעֶ״ה נִסְתַּפֵּק), the intention is not, Heaven forbid, that he was in doubt like the other prophets (אֵין הַכַּוָּנָה לוֹמַר חַס וְשָׁלוֹם שֶׁנִּסְתַּפֵּק כְּמוֹ שְׁאָר הַנְּבִיאִים), for he prophesied with “This” (לְפִי שֶׁהוּא הָיָה מִתְנַבֵּא בְּ״זֶה).

Rather, just as the other prophets did not attain the level to say “This is the matter” in their prophecy because of the serpent (אֶלָּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁשְּׁאָר הַנְּבִיאִים לֹא הִשִּׂיגוּ מַדְרֵגָה שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לוֹמַר ״זֶה״ בְּנְבוּאָתָם בִּסְבִיבַת הַנָּחָשׁ), so too Moshe Rabbeinu lacked the power to attain the glory of the Omnipresent in such a way that all fifty gates of Binah would be revealed to him (כֵּן מְרַעֶ״ה לֹא עָצַר כֹּחַ לְהַשִּׂיג כְּבוֹדוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם לִהְיוֹת נִגְלִים אֵלָיו נ׳ שַׁעֲרֵי בִּינָה כֻּלָּם), for one was hidden from him (שֶׁנֶּעֶלְמָה מִמֶּנּוּ אַחַת), and that one equal all the other forty-nine (שֶׁשְּׁקוּלָה כְּנֶגֶד כָּל שְׁאָר מ"ט).

It follows then, that just as the other prophets did not attain to say “This is the word” as Moshe said (נִמְצָא, כִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁשְּׁאָר הַנְּבִיאִים לֹא הִשִּׂיגוּ לוֹמַר ״זֶה הַדָּבָר״ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר מְרַעֶ״ה), so too Moshe Rabbeinu did not attain to have the fiftieth gate revealed to him, as the other forty-nine were (כָּךְ מְרַעֶ״ה לֹא הִשִּׂיג שֶׁיְּגֻלֶּה לוֹ הַשַּׁעַר הַחֲמִשִּׁים כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּגְלוּ לוֹ מ״ט שַׁעֲרֵי בִּינָה), for in that one, the level of comprehension was greater than in the other forty-nine (שֶׁבָּזֶה הָיְתָה מַעֲלַת הַהַשָּׂגָה גְּדוֹלָה יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁאָר מ״ט שְׁעָרִים). But Heaven forbid to say that the prophets or Moshe Rabbeinu, master of the prophets, had any doubt whether their prophecy came from Him, may He be blessed, or not (אֲבָל חַס וְשָׁלוֹם שֶׁיִּסְתַּפְּקוּ הַנְּבִיאִים אוֹ מְרַעֶ״ה אֲדוֹן הַנְּבִיאִים בְּנְבוּאָתָם אִם נִמְשְׁכָה מֵאִתּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ אם לֹא).

And in another treatise which I am currently composing (וּבְקֻנְטְרֵס אַחֵר אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה עַכְשָׁיו), at the time this one is being printed (בִּזְמַן שֶׁמַּדְפִּיסִים זֶה), in order that I not be idle from words of Torah (כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא אֶהְיֶה בָּטֵל מִדִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה), the matters of this treatise will be further clarified p1-13(יִתְבָּאֲרוּ יוֹתֵר עִנְיְנֵי הַקֻּנְטְרֵס הַזֶּה). Therefore, whoever receives this (לָכֵן מִי שֶׁיָּבוֹא לְיָדוֹ זֶה), should also review the other (יַחְזֹר עַל הָאַחֵר), for “the last is beloved” (כִּי אַחֲרוֹן אַחֲרוֹן חָבִיב), and in it

I reveal secrets and explanations of verses and sayings of our Sages (וּבוֹ אֲנִי מְגַלֶּה סוֹדוֹת וּפֵירוּשֵׁי פְּסוּקִים וּמַאֲמָרֵי רַזַ״ל), to enlighten the eyes of those who fear Hashem and think upon His Name (לְהָאִיר עֵינֵי יִרְאֵי ה׳ וְחֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ), and it shall be fulfilled in them: “A wise man will hear and increase learning” (Proverbs 1:5) ("יִשְׁמַע חָכָם וְיוֹסֶף לֶקַח).

And I am prayerful to the Living God (וַאֲנִי תְּפִלָּה לְאֵל חָי), may He hasten and speed the time of our redemption (יִמְהַר יַחִישָׁה זְמַן פִּדְיוֹנֵנוּ), as it says: “And the redeemed of Hashem shall return and come to Tzion with song, and everlasting joy upon their heads; gladness and joy shall overtake them, and sorrow and sighing shall flee” (Isaiah 35:10) ("וּפְדוּיֵי ה׳ יְשׁוּבוּן וּבָאוּ צִיּוֹן בְּרִנָּה וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם עַל רֹאשָׁם שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּן וְנָסוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה). And then the knowledge of Hashem will increase in the land (וְאָז תִּרְבֶּה דַּעַת ה׳ בָּאָרֶץ), as it says: “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of Hashem as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9) ("וּמָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ דֵּעָה אֶת ה׳ כַּמַּיִם לַיָּם מְכַסִּים), and it is written: “And all your children shall be taught of Hashem, and great shall be the peace of your children” (Isaiah 54:13) ("וְכָל בָּנַיִךְ לִמּוּדֵי ה׳ וְרַב שְׁלוֹם בָּנָיִךְ). Amen, may it be His will (אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן).

Blessed is Hashem forever, amen and amen בָּרוּךְ ה׳ לְעוֹלָם, אָמֵן וְאָמֵן