3a (ג׳:א׳)

And it is written: “there is the gold” (וְכָתוּב ״שָׁם הַזָּהָב), to hint to you (לְרַמֵּז לְךָ), just as gold is superior and precious above all other metals (כְּמוֹ שֶׁהַזָּהָב מְעוּלֶה וְיָקָר עַל שְׁאָר הַמַּתְּכוֹת), and it endures for a long time (וְהוּא עוֹמֵד זְמַן הַרְבֵּה), and is not damaged even by fire, water, or earth (וְאֵינוֹ מְקַבֵּל נֵזֶק אֲפִלּוּ בָּאֵשׁ וּבַמַּיִם וּבָעָפָר), and it remains in its quantity without decrease (וְעוֹמֵד בְּכַמּוּתוֹ בְּלִי חִסָּרוֹן), more than all other metals (יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁאָר מַתְּכוֹת), and even with a small amount of it, a person becomes wealthier (וְגַם הוּא, בְּמְעַט מִמֶּנּוּ יִהְיֶה אָדָם עָשִׁיר), more than with a large quantity of other metals (יוֹתֵר מִכַּמּוּת הַרְבֵּה מִשְּׁאָר מַתְּכוֹת), and our sages exalted its virtue by saying (וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ הִגְדִּילוּ מַעֲלָתוֹ בְּאָמְרָם): mankind was not worthy to use gold p1-1(לֹא הָיוּ בְנֵי אָדָם רְאוּיִים לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בַּזָּהָב), except because the Holy Ark was destined to be made from it (אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה עָתִיד אֲרוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ לְהֵעָשׂוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ), and also it is needed for the building of the Beit haMikdash (וְגַם צְרִיכִין אוֹתוֹ לִבְנִיַן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ), so too from the Sefirah that is called “gold” (כָּךְ מִן הַסְּפִירָה הַזֹּאת הַמְּכוּנָה בְּזָהָב), flow great goodness and salvations and comforts to all inhabitants of the world (נִמְשָׁכוֹת טוֹבוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת וִישׁוּעוֹת וְנֶחָמוֹת לְכָל בָּאֵי עוֹלָם), for it alludes to the attribute of pure mercy without any admixture of judgment (שֶׁהִיא רוֹמֶזֶת לְמִדַּת רַחֲמִים פְּשׁוּטִים בְּלִי שׁוּם שִׁתּוּף דִּין), and for that reason it is written: “and the gold of that land is good” (וְלָכֵךְ כָּתוּב: ״וּזְהַב הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא טוֹב) (Bereshit 2:12).

This is what the verse says: “Hashem is good to all, and His mercy is upon all His works” (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ״טוֹב ה׳ לַכֹּל וְרַחֲמָיו עַל כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו) (Psalms 145:9). And it is written: “there is the bdellium and the onyx stone” (וְכָתוּב ״שָׁם הַבְּדֹלַח וְאֶבֶן הַשֹּׁהַם) to say: just as bdellium is bright in the heavens (לוֹמַר: כְּמוֹ שֶׁהַבְּדֹלַח הוּא בָּהִיר בַּשָּׁחָקִים), so too are these mercies radiant and illuminating to the earth and to those who dwell upon it (כָּךְ הָרַחֲמִים הָאֵלֶּה הֵם מֵאִירִים וּמְבַהֲרִים לָאָרֶץ וְלַדָּרִים עָלֶיהָ). And he said: “and the onyx stone” (וְאָמַר "וְאֶבֶן הַשֹּׁהַם), to say: do not err by saying (לוֹמַר: שֶׁלֹּא תִּטְעֶה לוֹמַר): behold, the attribute of pure mercy is designated in white (וַהֲרֵי מִדַּת רַחֲמִים פְּשׁוּטִים מְכוּנִים בְּלָבָן), if so, how can gold, which is red, symbolize the attribute of mercy (אִם כֵּן הַזָּהָב, אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיְּרַמֵּז לְמִדַּת רַחֲמִים, וַהֲרֵי הוּא אָדוֹם), for red is a symbol of the attribute of judgment (שֶׁהוּא רֶמֶז לְמִדַּת הַדִּין)? Therefore it says: “and the onyx stone,” which is white (לְכָךְ אָמַר: ״וְאֶבֶן הַשֹּׁהַם״, שֶׁהִיא לְבָנָה), a hint to the attribute of mercy (רֶמֶז לְמִדַּת רַחֲמִים).

And for this reason it says: “there is the gold” (וּלְפִיכָךְ אָמַר: ״שָׁם הַזָּהָב), for it called this attribute by the name “gold” (כִּינָּה זֹאת הַמִּדָּה בְּכִינוּי הַזָּהָב), because of its superiority over all the others (וּלְמַעֲלָתָהּ עַל כָּל הָאֲחֵרוֹת), and afterward it explained to you that it is the attribute of pure mercy by saying (וְאַחַר כֵּן פֵּרֵשׁ לְךָ שֶׁהִיא מִדַּת רַחֲמִים פְּשׁוּטִים בְּאָמְרוֹ): “there is the bdellium and the onyx stone” (שָׁם הַבְּדֹלַח וְאֶבֶן הַשֹּׁהַם), and bdellium is bright (וּבְדֹלַח בָּהִיר), and the onyx is white (וְהַשֹּׁהַם לָבָן). “And the name of the second river is Gichon” (וְשֵׁם הַנָּהָר הַשֵּׁנִי גִּיחוֹן). This attribute is Tiferet (הַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת הִיא תִּפְאֶרֶת), from which influence flows to the rest of the attributes (שֶׁמִּמֶּנָּה נִמְשֶׁכֶת הַהַשְׁפָּעָה לִשְׁאָר הַמִּדּוֹת), and it is a spring, a well of living waters (וְהִיא מַעְיָן בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים), “for from that well the flocks are watered” (כִּי מִן הַבְּאֵר הַהִיא יַשְׁקוּ הָעֲדָרִים) (Bereshit 29:10). And it is called Gichon in the manner of “for You are He who bursts forth from the womb” (וְנִקְרֵאת בְּשֵׁם גִּיחוֹן עַל דֶּרֶךְ ״כִּי אַתָּה גֹחִי מִבֶּטֶן) (Psalms 22:10), and it is the secret of the heart (וְהוּא סוֹד הַלֵּב).

Just as the heart contemplates a matter (כְּמוֹ שֶׁהַלֵּב מַהַרְהֵר בְּאֵי זֶה דָּבָר), yet it has no ability or permission to bring it to actuality except with the permission of the intellect in the head (וְאֵין לוֹ יְכוֹלֶת וְרְשׁוּת לְהוֹצִיאוֹ לְפוֹעַל כִּי אִם בִּרְשׁוּת הַשֵּׂכֶל שֶׁבָּרֹאשׁ), so too this attribute, although it has great influence (כָּךְ הַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ רִיבּוּי הַשְׁפָּעָה), it has no permission to give and to bestow except with the permission of the supernal Keter, which is the head (אֵין לָהּ רְשׁוּת לָתֵת וּלְהַשְׁפִּיעַ כִּי אִם בִּרְשׁוּת כֶּתֶר עֶלְיוֹן שֶׁהוּא הָרֹאשׁ). And also regarding this attribute it is said “surrounds” (וְגַם בְּזֹאת הַמִּדָּה נֶאֱמַר ״סוֹבֵב), as with the one above (כְּמוֹ בָּעֶלְיוֹנָה), for it is the attribute of pure mercy (לְפִי שֶׁהִיא מִדַּת רַחֲמִים פְּשׁוּטִים). And regarding these two rivers it is written “surrounds” (וּבִשְׁנֵי הַנְּהָרוֹת הָאֵלּוּ כָּתוּב "סוֹבֵב), to hint that in these two attributes nearly all the rest of the attributes are included (לְרַמֵּז שֶׁבְּאֵלּוּ שְׁתֵּי מִדּוֹת כִּמְעַט נִכְלְלוּ כָּל שְׁאָר הַמִּדּוֹת). Even though each of the other Sefirot has its own hint and power (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבְּכָל אֶחָד מִשְּׁאָר הַסְּפִירוֹת יֵשׁ רֶמֶז וִיכֹלֶת בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ), nevertheless, by way of analogy: just as the intellect and the heart are rulers and governors within the human body (אֶלָּא דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהַשֵּׂכֶל וְהַלֵּב הֵם שָׂרִים וּשְׁלִיטוֹנִיִּים בְּגוּף הָאָדָם), so too these two Sefirot have rulership and authority over the rest of the attributes (כֵּן אֵלּוּ שְׁתֵּי הַסְּפִירוֹת יֵשׁ לָהֶן שִׁלְטוֹן וְשָׂרָרָה עַל שְׁאָר הַמִּדּוֹת).

And this hints to the superiority of these two Sefirot over the others (וְרֶמֶז לְמַעֲלַת אֵלּוּ הַב׳ סְפִירוֹת עַל הָאֲחֵרוֹת), for “Pishon, Gichon” consists of ten letters (כִּי פִּישׁוֹן גִּיחוֹן עוֹלֶה לְמִנְיָן עֲשָׂרָה בָּאוֹתִיּוֹת), and moreover their vowel-points amount to Mem [40] (וְעוֹד נְקֻדָּתָם עוֹלָה מ׳), and they are two words (וּשְׁתֵּי תֵּבוֹת). Behold, the ten Sefirot and His great Name of forty-two are hinted in them (הֲרֵי לְךָ רָמוּז בָּהֶם עֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת וּשְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁל מ״ב).

And know that, just as a person’s action is completed through the heart and intellect (וְדַע, כִּי כְּשֵׁם שֶׁפְּעוּלַת הָאָדָם נִשְׁלֶמֶת עִם הַלֵּב וְהַשֵּׂכֶל), so the action of the Holy One, blessed be He, is completed through these two Sefirot, in which His great Name is hinted (כֵּן פְּעוּלָתוֹ שֶׁל הקב״ה נִשְׁלֶמֶת עִם שְׁתֵּי הַסְּפִירוֹת הָאֵלֶּה שֶׁרָמוּז בָּהֶם שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל). And just as there are other principal organs in the human body (וּכְמוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ שְׁאָר אֵבָרִים רָאשִׁיִּים בְּגוּף הָאָדָם), yet they are not comparable to the intellect and the heart (אֲבָל אֵינָם בְּעֵרֶךְ הַשֵּׂכֶל וְהַלֵּב), so these two Sefirot possess strength and superiority over the other Sefirot (כָּךְ שְׁתֵּי הַסְּפִירוֹת הָאֵלֶּה יֵשׁ לָהֶן כֹּחַ וּמַעֲלָה עַל הַסְּפִירוֹת), although all of them are important, exalted, and valued (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכֻּלָּן חֲשׁוּבוֹת וּמְעוּלוֹת וּנְעָרוֹכוֹת). And know that all ten Sefirot are one single essence (וְדַע, שֶׁכָּל עֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת הֵן עֶצֶם אֶחָד), operating in ten modes (פּוֹעֵל בַּעֲשָׂרָה דְּרָכִים).