3b (ג׳:ב׳)

And he said: “that encircles the whole land of Cush” (וְאָמַר ״הַסּוֹבֵב אֶת כָּל אֶרֶץ כּוּשׁ) these are people who are blackened by sin (אֵלּוּ בְנֵי אָדָם שֶׁהֵם שְׁחוֹרִים מֵעֲוֺנוֹת), in the manner of “Do not look upon me because I am blackened” (עַל דֶּרֶךְ ״אַל תִּרְאוּנִי שֶׁאֲנִי שְׁחַרְחֹרֶת) (Song of Songs 1:6). And this attribute, Tiferet (וְהַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת תִּפְאֶרֶת), gives a hand and a place for transgressors to return in repentance (נוֹתֶנֶת יָד וּמָקוֹם לַפּוֹשְׁעִים לַחֲזוֹר בִּתְשׁוּבָה). As the verse says: “Good and upright is Hashem; therefore He instructs sinners in the way” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״טוֹב וְיָשָׁר ה׳ עַל כֵּן יוֹרֶה חַטָּאִים בַּדָּרֶךְ) (Psalms 25:8), when they incline even a hairsbreadth toward the good path (כְּשֶׁהֵם נוֹטִים כְּחוּט הַשַּׂעֲרָה לְדֶרֶךְ טוֹבָה), she girds and strengthens their hands in Tiferet (אוֹזֶר וּמַחֲזִיק יְדֵיהֶם בִּתְפְאֶרֶת) to purify and whiten them from the blackness of their sins (לְטַהֲרָם וּלְלַבְּנָם מִשְּׁחֹרוּת עֲוֺנוֹתֵיהֶם), and she prevents that the attribute of judgment, which is outstretched over them for the multitude of their sins, should strike them (וּמוֹנַעַת שֶׁלֹּא תִּפְגַּע בָּהֶם מִדַּת הַדִּין אֲשֶׁר הִיא מְתוּחָה עֲלֵיהֶם עַל רֹב עֲוֺנָם).

And she dwells among the rest of the attributes that require punishments upon men for the abundance of their iniquities (וְהִיא יוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּתוֹךְ שְׁאָר הַמִּדּוֹת הַמְחַיֵּבוֹת עֲנָשִׁים עַל בְּנֵי אָדָם עַל רֹב עֲוֺנָם), and she removes the wrath of the Holy One Blessed Be He, which they deserve should come upon them (וּמְסַלֶּקֶת חֲמָתוֹ שֶׁל הקב״ה אֲשֶׁר הֵם חַיָּבִים שֶׁתָּבוֹא עֲלֵיהֶם), and this, when they open with repentance even as a hairsbreadth (וְזֶה, כְּשֶׁהֵם פּוֹתְחִים בִּתְשׁוּבָה כְּחוּט הַשַּׂעֲרָה), as our sages of blessed memory said: “One who comes to purify, they assist him” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: ״בָּא לִטָּהֵר מְסַיְּעִין אוֹתוֹ) (Yoma 38b). And then they are blessed with the blessing that is Malkhut (וְאָז הֵם מְבֹרָכִים בִּבְרָכָה שֶׁהִיא מַלְכוּת), upon which everything depends, as we have said (שֶׁהַכֹּל תָּלוּי בָּהּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), for thus the Name Adonai (שֵׁם אֲדנ״י) equals “blessing” (עוֹלֶה אֲדנ״י בְּרָכָה) and “blow” (וּמַכָּה)-a blessing to those who return (בְּרָכָה לַשָּׁבִים), and a blow to those who do not return (וּמַכָּה לְשֶׁאֵינָם שָׁבִים).

And this is the secret of “May Hashem bless you and guard you; May Hashem shine His face upon you and be gracious to you; May Hashem lift His face to you and place upon you peace” (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד ״יְבָרֶכְךָ ה׳ וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ, יָאֵר ה׳ פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָ, יִשָּׂא ה׳ פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם, וְשָׂמוּ אֶת שְׁמִי עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַאֲנִי אֲבָרְכֵם) (Numbers 6:24–27). These phrases are twenty-three words (שֶׁאֵלּוּ הַתֵּבוֹת – כ״ג תֵּבוֹת), corresponding to Ehyeh, which is Keter (כְּנֶגֶד אֶהְיֶה שֶׁהוּא כֶּתֶר), and corresponding to Adonai, which is Malkhut (וּכְנֶגֶד אֲדנ״י שֶׁהוּא מַלְכוּת), together, in Mispar katan [reduced numerical value], they equal twenty-three (שֶׁבְּמִסְפָּר קָטָן עוֹלִין כ״ג), and so too Gichon, which is Tiferet, equals twenty-three in Mispar katan [reduced numerical value] (וְכֵן גִּיחוֹן שֶׁהוּא תִּפְאֶרֶת עוֹלֶה בְּמִסְפָּר קָטָן כ״ג).

For it is the one that encircles in Tiferet those who return, who are blackened like Cushites (כִּי הִיא הַסּוֹבֶבֶת בִּתְפָאֶרֶת לַשָּׁבִים שֶׁהֵם שְׁחוֹרִים כְּכוּשִׁיִּים), to fulfill upon them the blessing of “May He bless you… may He shine… may He lift… and they shall place…” etc (לְקַיֵּם בָּהֶם הַבְּרָכָה שֶׁל ״יְבָרֶכְךָ… יָאֵר… יִשָּׂא… וְשָׂמוּ״ וְגוֹ). And in that moment (וּבְאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה), the Name of Hashem (שֵׁם ה׳) enwraps itself in a mantle of mercy (מִתְעַטֵּף מְעִיל בְּרַחֲמִים), like this: MTZPTZ (כָּזֶה: מַצְפ״ץ) and both of them equal in number Cush (וּשְׁנֵיהֶם עוֹלִים מִסְפָּר כּוּ״שׁ), to whiten those blackened by sin when they repent (לְהַלְבִּין הַשְּׁחֹרִים מֵעֲוֺנָם כְּשֶׁשָּׁבִים), and to make them pure and radiant like bdellium (וּלְהִהְיוֹתָם טְהוֹרִים וּבָהִירִים כִּבְדֹלַח), and to whiten them like the onyx stone in the river Pishon (וּלְלַבְּנָם כְּאֶבֶן הַשֹּׁהַם שֶׁבְּנָהָר פִּישׁוֹן), which also equals in Mispar katan [reduced numerical value] twenty-three (שֶׁהוּא עוֹלֶה בְּמִסְפָּר קָטָן גַּם כֵּן כ״ג).

Pishon and Gichon—their letters total ten (פִּישׁוֹן גִּיחוֹן אוֹתִיּוֹתֵיהֶן עֲשָׂרָה), a hint to the ten Sefirot (רֶמֶז לַעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת). Their vowel-points amount to Mem [forty] (וְנְקֻדּוֹתֵיהֶן עוֹלוֹת מ״ם), and they are two words (וּב׳ תֵּבוֹת); altogether, they come to forty-two (הַכֹּל עוֹלֶה מ״ב), a hint to the Name of forty-two (רֶמֶז לְשֵׁם מ״ב). The sign for the matter alluded to in these Names is: “To Hashem our God belong mercies and forgivenesses” (וְסִימָן לַדָּבָר הָרָמוּז בָּאֵלּוּ הַשֵּׁמוֹת: לַה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ הָרַחֲמִים וְהַסְּלִיחוֹת) (Daniel 9:9)

“And the name of the third river is Chiddekel” (וְשֵׁם הַנָּהָר הַשְּׁלִישִׁי חִדֶּקֶל)—it is the attribute of Yesod [Foundation] (הוּא מִדַּת יְסוֹד), the attribute of the Tzaddikim [righteous ones] (מִדַּת הַצַּדִּיקִים), as it is said: “And the Tzaddik is the foundation of the world” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם) (Proverbs 10:25)

Chiddekel is a date-palm called dekel [date-palm] (חִדֶּקֶל הוּא תָּמָר הַנִּקְרָא דֶּקֶל). “It goes eastward toward Ashur” (הוּא הַהֹלֵךְ קֶדְמַת אַשּׁוּר). This hints that the Tzaddikim walk and occupy themselves with Torah and mitzvot in this world (רֶמֶז בָּזֶה שֶׁהַצַּדִּיקִים הוֹלְכִים וּמִתְעַסְּקִים בַּתּוֹרָה וּבַמִּצְוֺת בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה), which is the path to attain delight in the radiance of the Shekhinah (שֶׁהוּא דֶּרֶךְ לְהַשִּׂיג לִהְיוֹת נֶהֱנִים מִזִּיו הַשְּׁכִינָה), Who is Kadmono shel Olam [the Primordial One of the world] (שֶׁהוּא קַדְמוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם). As we said above: “And Hashem God planted a garden in Eden, eastward; and He placed there the man whom He had formed” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ לְעֵיל: גַּן בְּעֵדֶן מִקֶּדֶם וַיָּשֶׂם שָׁם אֶת הָאָדָם אֲשֶׁר יָצָר) (Bereshit 2:8)

Explanation: the man who was placed there is fortunate (פֵּירוּשׁ: הָאָדָם שֶׁהוּשַׂם שָׁם הוּא מְאוּשָּׁר), and this informs us that he is a handiwork of the Holy One Blessed Be He (וּמוֹדִיעַ שֶׁהוּא יְצִיר יָדָיו שֶׁל הקב״ה), and this is what the verse says: “whom He had formed” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״אֲשֶׁר יָצָר), for the expression Yetzirah is one of elevation (כִּי לָשׁוֹן יְצִירָה הִיא מַעֲלָה), as we wrote above (כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ לְעֵיל). And in the future Yisrael are destined to merit that they will have a portion and inheritance in this attribute which is Yesod (וְעָתִידִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לִזְכּוֹת שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָהֶם חֵלֶק וִירוּשָּׁה בַּמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת שֶׁהִיא יְסוֹד), the Sefirah of the Tzaddikim (סְפִירַת הַצַּדִּיקִים), as it is said: “And your people are all righteous, forever they shall inherit the land” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ) (Isaiah 60:21). This is what Bilaam said: “I shall see him, but not now” (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר בִּלְעָם: ״אֲרֶאֶנּוּ וְלֹא עַתָּה) (Numbers 24:17), explanation: I see Yisrael lowly (פֵּירוּשׁ: אֲנִי רוֹאֶה אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁפֵלִים), such that the nations mock and ridicule them (עַד שֶׁמְּבַזִּים וּמַלְעִיגִים בָּהֶם הָעַמִּים), as in the manner of “for they looked into the Ark of Hashem” (עַל דֶּרֶךְ: ״כִּי רָאוּ בַּאֲרוֹן ה׳) (I Samuel 6:19). But this shall not be now (אֲבָל זֶה לֹא יִהְיֶה עַתָּה), for they shall conquer the land (כִּי הֵם יִכְבְּשׁוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ), but after some time, when they sin before the Holy One Blessed Be He (אֶלָּא לְאַחַר זְמַן כְּשֶׁיֶּחֶטְאוּ לִפְנֵי הקב״ה).

And afterward they will return in repentance and be fortunate (וְאַחַר כָּךְ יַחְזְרוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה וִיהְיוּ מְאוּשָּׁרִים), as it is said: “And all the nations shall call you happy” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר: ״וְאַשְּׁרוּ אֶתְכֶם כָּל הַגּוֹיִם) (Malachi 3:12). This is what he said: “I shall behold him, but not nigh” (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר: ״אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְלֹא קָרוֹב), but only after a long time from their exile (אֶלָּא לְאַחַר זְמַן רַב מִגָּלוּתָם), and adjacent to it is written: “A star shall go forth from Ya'akov” etc (וְסָמִיךְ לֵיהּ: ״דָּרַךְ כּוֹכָב מִיַּעֲקֹב״ כו׳) (Numbers 24:17). This is what it says: “the one who walks before Ashur” (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר: ״הַהֹלֵךְ קֶדְמַת אַשּׁוּר)-one who has fear of Heaven and walks in the ways of Hashem shall be fortunate (מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם וְהוֹלֵךְ בְּדַרְכֵי ה׳ יִהְיֶה מְאוּשָּׁר). This is what the verse says: “Happy are the pure of way, who walk in the Torah of Hashem” (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ״אַשְׁרֵי תְמִימֵי דָרֶךְ הַהֹלְכִים בְּתוֹרַת ה׳) (Psalms 119:1).