The Seventh Tikkun (תִּקּוּנָא שְׁבִיעָאָה)

Daf 146b (דַּף קמ״ו ע״ב)

This is “Bereshit bara Elohim” (דָּא אִיהוּ בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אלהי״ם), “Bereshit” - Abba and Imma (בְּרֵאשִׁית אַבָּא וְאִימָּא), Hashem Eloheinu (יהו״ה אלהינ״ו), created Hashem (בָּרָא יהו״ה), the son of Abba and Imma (בְּרָא דְאַבָּא וְאִימָּא), Elohim the daughter (אלהי״ם בְּרַתָּא). And about them it is said (וַעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר) (Leviticus 19:3): “A man-his mother and his father you shall fear” (אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ), (Exodus 20:12): “Honor your father and your mother” (כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אִמֶּךָ). “Your father” - this is Kudsha Berikh Hu (אָבִיךָ דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), “your mother” - this is Shekhinta (אִמֶּךָ דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא). Her fear is in the prohibitive commandments (דְחִילוּ דִילָהּ בְּפִקּוּדִין דְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה), her honor is in the positive commandments (אוֹקִירוּ דִילָהּ בְּפִקּוּדִין דַּעֲשֵׂה). And all those who fulfill the positive commandments, about them it is said (וְכָל אִינוּן דִּמְקַיְּימֵי פִקּוּדֵי דַעֲשֵׂה עֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר) (I Samuel 2:30): “For those who honor Me I will honor” (כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד); and those who transgress the prohibitions, about them it is said (וְאִינוּן דְּעָבְרִין עַל לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה עֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר) “and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed” (וּבֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ). The Holy Luminary said: “My master, my master” (אָמַר בּוֹצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא רַבִּי רַבִּי), and what is the honor and disgrace to Kudsha Berikh Hu in the positive and prohibitive commandments (וּמָה הוּא אוֹקִירוּ וּבִזָּיוֹן לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְפִקּוּדִין דַּעֲשֵׂה וְלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה)? Rather, surely, when the Shekhinta is in exile (אֶלָּא בְּוַדַּאי כַּד שְׁכִינְתָּא אִיהִי בְּגָלוּתָא), whoever performs a mitzvah to raise her from exile (כָל מָאן דְּעָבִיד מִצְוָה לְאַקָּמָא לָהּ מִן גָּלוּתָא), it is as if he honored Kudsha Berikh Hu (כְּאִלּוּ אוֹקִיר לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

For a king who had a quarrel with the Matronita (לְמַלְכָּא דַהֲוָה לֵיהּ קְטָטָה עִם מַטְרוֹנִיתָא), and he banished her from his palace (וְאָרְמָא לָהּ מִן הֵיכָלֵיהּ), and she went to her neighbor (וְאִיהִי אָזְלַת לְגַבֵּי שְׁכִינָהָא), and behold, whoever receives her in his house and honors her - surely he honored the king (וַהֲלָא כָּל מָאן דִּמְקַבֵּל לָהּ בְּבֵיתֵיהּ וְאוֹקִיר לָהּ (ודאי אוקיר למלכא)), and brings peace between her and her Husband (וְעַאִיל שְׁלָם בֵּינָהָא וּבֵין בַּעִלָהּ), behold, whatever honor he does to her, he does to the king (הֲלָא כָּל יְקָרָא דְעָבִיד לָהּ לְמַלְכָּא עָבִיד). For if the king was angry at her one time or two (דְּאִם מַלְכָּא כָּעַס עֲלָהּ זִמְנָא חֲדָא אוֹ תְּרֵין), he will have peace with her and return her to her house (יְהֵא לֵיהּ שְׁלָם עִמָּהּ וְיַחֲזִיר לָהּ לְבֵיתֵיהּ), and he will ask her: “Who honored you, or who degraded you? Or if you desire another kingdom?” (וְאִיהוּ שָׁאִיל לָהּ מָאן אוֹקִיר לָךְ אוֹ מָאן זִלְזֵל בָּךְ, אוֹ אִם תָּרִיךְ לָהּ לְמַלְכוּתָא אַחֲרָא).

In this likeness, Kudsha Berikh Hu became angry with the Shekhinta (כְּגַוְונָא דָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא תָּרִיךְ לָהּ לִשְׁכִינְתָּא), and cast her out from His house (וְאַרְמֵי לָהּ מִבֵּיתֵיהּ); this is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב) (Isaiah 50:1): “And for your transgressions your mother was sent away” (וּבְפִשְׁעִיכֶם שֻׁלְּחָה אִמְּכֶם). And behold, whoever honors her in the exile, Kudsha Berikh Hu he honors (וַהֲלָא כָּל מָאן דְּאוֹקִיר לָהּ בְּגָלוּתָא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוֹקִיר), and whoever degrades her, Kudsha Berikh Hu he degrades (אוֹ מָאן דִּמְזַלְזֵל בָּהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְזַלְזֵל). And because of this: “For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed” (וּבְגִין דָּא כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד וּבוֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ). For even though Kudsha Berikh Hu “sold” her for the debts of her children in the fourth exile (דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא זַבִּין לָהּ בְּחוֹבִין דִּבְנָהָא בְּגָלוּתָא רְבִיעָאָה), He guards her and He will redeem her (אִיהוּ נָטִיר לָהּ וְאִיהוּ יִפְרוֹק לָהּ). And the secret of the matter is (וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה) (Exodus 21:7): “And if a man sells his daughter as a handmaid, she shall not go out as the slaves go out” (וְכִי יִמְכּוֹר אִישׁ אֶת בִּתּוֹ לְאָמָה לֹא תֵצֵא כְּצֵאת הָעֲבָדִים); rather, she shall go out a free daughter (אֶלָּא תִּפּוֹק בַּת חוֹרִין). Because in the first exile, when she did not have her Husband - which is the Orayta - her freedom (בְּגִין דִּבְגָלוּתָא קַדְמָאָה דְלָא הֲוַת לָהּ בַּעִלָהּ דְּאִיהִי אוֹרַיְיתָא חֵירוּ דִילָהּ), she did not go out as a free daughter (לָא נָפְקַת לָהּ בַּת חוֹרִין), but went out in haste like a slave who flees from his master, and she had no writ of freedom (וְנָפְקַת בְּחִפָּזוֹן כְּעַבְדָּא דְבָרַח מֵרִבּוֹנֵיהּ וְלָא אִית לָהּ שְׁטַר חֵירוּ). But in the latter redemption, when she has her Husband, who is a free man (אֲבָל בְּפוּרְקָנָא בַתְרַיְיתָא דְאִית לָהּ בַּעִלָהּ דְּאִיהוּ בֶן חוֹרִין), she shall not go out in haste and shall not go out like slaves - of whom it is said: “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt” (לֹא תֵצֵא בְּחִפָּזוֹן וְלֹא תֵצֵא כְעַבְדִין, דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם) - rather, she shall go out a free daughter (אֶלָּא תִּפּוֹק בַּת חוֹרִין). And because of this: “If a man sells his daughter as a handmaid, she shall not go out as the slaves go out” (וּבְגִין דָּא כִי יִמְכּוֹר אִישׁ אֶת בִּתּוֹ לְאָמָה לֹא תֵצֵא כְּצֵאת הָעֲבָדִים).

And from where do we learn that the Orayta is freedom (וּמְנָלָן דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִיהוּ חֵירוּת)? This is what is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב) (Exodus 32:16): “And the writing was the writing of Elohim, engraved upon the Tablets” (וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אלהי''ם הוּא חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת). And it shall be for her in the latter redemption freedom from the Angel of Death (וְאִיהוּ יְהֵא לָהּ בְּפוּרְקָנָא בַּתְרַיְיתָא חֵרוּת מִמַּלְאַךְ הַמָּוְת), that Mashiach ben Ephraim shall not die (דְּלָא יָמוּת מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן אֶפְרַיִם). Freedom from subjugation to the kingdoms, that they shall never enslave her and her children again (חֵרוּת מִשִּׁעִבּוּד מַלְכִיּוֹת דְּלָא יִשְׁתַּעִבְּדוּן בָּהּ וּבִבְנָהָא לְעָלַם). And she shall have freedom, she and her children, from all the evil shepherds of the world, who are the Erev rav (וִיהֵא לָהּ חֵירוּ וְלִבְנָהָא מִכָּל מַרְעִין בִּישִׁין דְּעָלְמָא דְּאִינוּן עִרֶב רַב). And Yisrael, who are from the side of that Youth, or from the Holy Throne (וְיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִינוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְהַהוּא נַעַר אוֹ מִכָּרְסַיָּיא קַדִּישָׁא), even though they were liable in many debts (אַף עַל גַּב דַּהֲווֹ מְחוּיָיבִין בְּכַמָּה חוֹבִין) - as they say: “The son of David will not come until a generation is entirely meritorious or entirely guilty” (כְּמָה דְאָמְרִין אֵין בֶּן דָּוִד בָּא עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה דוֹר שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ זַכַּאי אוֹ כֻּלּוֹ חַיָּיב). Of them it is said (אִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן) (Exodus 21:8): “If she be displeasing in the eyes of her master, who has not designated her” (אִם רָעָה בְּעִינֵי אֲדוֹנֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְעָדָהּ). Nevertheless, He redeemed her in the exile (עִם כָּל דָּא וְהֶפְדָּהּ בְּגָלוּתָא), and he shall not rule to sell her in exile (וְלֹא יִמְשׁוֹל לְמוֹכְרָהּ בְּגָלוּתָא), in his treachery against her (בְּבִגְדוֹ בָהּ), because they betrayed through idolatry (בְּגִין דְּבָגְדוּ בַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה).

And furthermore, “If a man sells his daughter as a handmaid” (וְעוֹד כִי יִמְכּוֹר אִישׁ אֶת בִּתּוֹ לְאָמָה) - this is the holy Neshama (דָא נִשְׁמָתָא קַדִּישָׁא), which he sold into the body, which is her handmaid (דְמָכַר לָהּ בְּגוּפָא דְאִיהוּ אָמָה דִילָהּ). And it is said (וְאִתְּמַר) (Proverbs 30:23): “And a maidservant when she inherits her mistress” (וְשִׁפְחָה כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּהּ). When she goes out from the body, she shall not go out as the slaves go out (כַד תִּפּוֹק מִגּוּפָא לֹא תֵצֵא כְּצֵאת הָעֲבָדִים), who are the souls that are partnered with the lower body (דְּאִינוּן נְפָשׁוֹת דְּאִינוּן מְשׁוּתָּפִין עִם גּוּפָא תַּתָּאָה). Their benefit is not for the World to Come, to labor in the Orayta, which is freedom from the Angel of Death (דַהֲנָאָה דִלְהוֹן לַאו אִיהִי לְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי, לְאִשְׁתַּדְלָא בְאוֹרַיְיתָא דְאִיהוּ חֵירוּ מִמַּלְאַךְ הַמָּוְת), but to inherit this world (אֶלָּא לְיָרְתָא לְעָלְמָא דֵין). And because of this, the Neshama, which labors in the Orayta (וּבְגִין דָּא נִשְׁמָתָא דְאִיהִי אִשְׁתַּדְלָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), shall not go out as the slaves go out from the body in distress (לֹא תֵצֵא כְּצֵאת הָעֲבָדִים מִגּוּפָא בְּדוֹחֲקָא), like the Neshama of the ignorant person, which is a slave (כְּנִשְׁמָתָא דְעַם הָאָרֶץ דְּאִיהִי עֶבֶד), but shall go out a free one from the Angel of Death (אֶלָּא תִּיפּוֹק בַּר חוֹרִין מִמַּלְאַךְ הַמָּוְת).