וידבר אלקים את כל הדברים האלה לאמר אנכי כו׳

1“And G‑d spoke all these words, saying: ‘I am,’” etc. [We need] to understand: what is [the meaning of] “all these words”? It should have said, “And G‑d spoke: ‘I am,’” etc. But the explanation of the word “these” (ha’eleh) is that it indicates a thing that is seen and revealed, openly (be’isgalya).

2Therefore Mishneh Torah [the Book of Deuteronomy] begins, “These are the words,” for they are “the words that Moshe spoke to all Israel,” openly;

whereas in the first books it is said, “And Havayah spoke to Moshe,” and it is written of Moshe, “And he heard the voice speaking to him”: Moshe alone heard, and all Israel did not hear.

3And therefore it is called Mishneh Torah, from the expression “second (mishneh) to the king”: for it is not at the level of the Torah itself, of which it is said, “And Havayah spoke to Moshe,” in a state of concealment; rather, it is the revelation of the Torah, which Moshe spoke to all Israel.

And so too the Oral Torah is the level of the revealed (isgalya), for it is the revelation of the Written Torah: the Oral Torah is by way of the interpretation and explanation of the mitzvos, which are concealed in the Written Torah.

And concerning all of them it says, “all these words.” That is, every level of the revealed, both the Oral Torah and Mishneh Torah, is all included in the Ten Commandments

(see the Gemara, the first chapter of Chagigah, page 3b, concerning “they were given from one Shepherd,” for it is written, “And G‑d spoke all the words”; and so it is also in Midrash Rabbah, Naso, chapter 14; and see further [something] like this in Midrash Rabbah, Ki Sisa, at the beginning of chapter 47; Yisro, at the end of chapter 28;

Zohar, Part II, Terumah, end of 135a. And see further on the subject of “And [He] spoke” in Midrash Rabbah, Behar, at the end of chapter 33; Naso, chapter 11, at the beginning of the chapter and at its end; [and] in Koheles Rabbah, on the verse “To everything there is a season”). And all of them [are in] “And Elokim spoke” at Sinai: that the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, contracted itself into the level of Elokim, the attribute of tzimtzum (contraction), in all these words;

for “from the mouth of the Power (haGevurah) we heard them” (see the Zohar, Part II, 86a, 25b; Part III, 133a; Part II, end of 206a).

Now, the giving of the Torah to Israel as a whole was with quaking, with thunder and with lightning; yet seemingly the Ten Commandments are simple things: “You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery,” etc. But the matter is

that the purpose of the giving of the Torah is in order that there be a revelation of the actual Infinite Light, blessed be He, who is as His name: He has no end, etc., which is enclothed in the Torah, which is His wisdom, may He be blessed; and He and His wisdom are one,

for “He is the knowledge and He is the knower,” etc.; [and that] this revelation be below, specifically in physical things. And this is [the meaning of] “And Elokim spoke all these words”:

in order “to say: ‘I am Havayah your G‑d’”; that is, that “I” (Anochi), which is His very being and essence, may He be blessed, be in a state of revelation, until He is called “your G‑d.” (And see on the subject of “And [He] spoke… saying” in Midrash Rabbah, Ki Sisa, at the beginning of chapter 40.)

But in order to reach this height and level, there must first be the Counting of the Omer: “Seven weeks you shall count for yourself; from when the sickle is first [put] to the standing grain.”

And the matter is that “the standing grain” refers to the natural emotive attributes (middos) of the animal soul, which are at the level of a separate existence (yesh), like standing grain that stands in its place and in its existence, and is planted in a stance of endurance and strength.

4And so the natural emotive attributes are strong in the body, by their nature and from their birth; and one must subdue them and humble them, in the manner of subjugation and transformation (iskafya and is’hapcha), and lift a sickle over them, to cut them off, to consume them and actually to turn them into nothing, they being the seven natural emotive attributes of the animal soul.

“Seven weeks you shall count for yourself (lecha)”: that they should be nullified and included in the supernal attributes, “Yours (lecha), Havayah, is the greatness and the might,” etc., which are nullified in the actual Infinite Light, as it is written, “Yours, Havayah,” etc.

And this is [the meaning of] what is written, “And every stature (komah) shall bow down before You”: that is, “stature,” the level of the standing grain (kamah), “shall bow down before You,” actually. And see Zohar, Part II, Tetzaveh, 183a.

52. The explanation of the matter: it is known from the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, that “they took a vote and concluded that study is greater than deed”; and they said on [the verse] “And all desirable things cannot compare to it” (in Proverbs 8:11): “even the desires of Heaven.”

And in the Jerusalem Talmud (the first chapter of Peah) there is one who says that even to one word of the Torah, all the mitzvos are not equal in worth, etc.;

and close to this is in Midrash Rabbah, Noach, at the end of chapter 35; and see at the end of Koheles Rabbah, on the verse “And besides that Koheles was wise.”

But in the Gemara (the first chapter of Moed Katan, page 9b) they set the verses against each other: it is written, “And all desirable things cannot compare to it,” even

the desires of Heaven; and it is written, “And all your desires cannot compare to it,” which implies “your desires” and not the desires of Heaven. And it answers: here, with a mitzvah that can be done by others, and here, with a mitzvah that cannot, etc.

At any rate, a mitzvah that can be done by others is set aside because of Torah study; and even all the mitzvos are not equal in worth even to one word of the words of Torah, as is stated in the Jerusalem Talmud.

6Now seemingly this is not understood: is not Torah study occupation with the interpretation and explanation of the mitzvah, how it is to be performed? Why, then, should the power and merit of one who occupies himself with the interpretation

and explanation of the mitzvah be greater than the performance of the mitzvah itself, so that one sets aside a mitzvah that can be done by others, such as, by way of example, the separation of terumah, which can [be done] through an agent, for the sake of occupation with the Torah: so that he may have leisure to occupy himself with the laws of terumah, and he himself be occupied with the interpretation

and explanation of the mitzvah, while the mitzvah is done by others? But the matter is as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “If there is no wisdom, there is no awe; if there is no awe, there is no wisdom.”

7And we need to understand how to begin. This matter will be understood by first explaining that, as is known, in the life-force and the Infinite Light that gives life to and brings into being all the worlds, from the head of all levels, etc.,

there are two levels. The first is the level of the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin): that the life-force be actually enclothed and filled within the worlds, through many [stages of] the chain of descent (hishtalshelus), by way of cause and effect, and many contractions, and the descent of the levels from level to level.

8And “from my flesh I see”: as with the enclothing of the intellect in the emotive attributes (middos), and of the emotive attributes in thought, and of thought in speech, which descends and comes down in a chain, level after level, until it becomes thought, speech and action, and the four senses, sight, hearing, etc.

And the life-force that rests in the brain and the heart, and from the heart spreads out to all the limbs, which receive according to their makeup and their nature, so that this one is a head and that one a foot, etc.

9And all this is the way and the order of the chain of descent (hishtalshelus): that the power of the soul and its life-force spread out and fill the whole body, so that the limbs of the body are filled with the power and life-force drawn to them, each one receiving according to its makeup and its nature. And this is not

except at the level of the extension of the soul’s powers; for the soul itself has no division into several particular powers; rather, all the powers are included and united [in it], and do not come under the name of a particular power at all.

Yet nevertheless, those powers, and the first of them, the power of Chochmah (wisdom) and intellect that spreads out from the soul, are drawn from the very essence of the soul itself. Therefore it is called “the intellective soul” (nefesh hamaskeles), on account of the power of intellect that spreads out from it, which is the head and the principal of all the powers.

For although there is no revelation in the soul of a particular power of intellect, distinct by itself, nevertheless, since the extension of the power of intellect that spreads out from the soul was, even before its extension, included in the soul, only that it was in the soul in concealment,

10and the extension is its coming out from concealment into revelation, it is thus from the essence of the soul. Therefore, even after the extension, at the level of the revelation of a particular power of intellect by itself, it is actually united with the soul, so much so that the soul is called by its name, “the intellective soul.”

11And just so, entirely like this analogy, is the matter of the chain of descent of the life-force from the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, to give life to all the worlds: the level of the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin).

For it is written, “You are He, Havayah, alone; You have made the heavens, the heavens of the heavens.” The meaning of “alone”

is that He, may He be blessed, is alone, single and unique: “not that You have a known righteousness,” etc., and He is not of any of those attributes at all. Yet nevertheless, “You have made the heavens,” etc.

That is, the extension of the greatness of the Infinite One, blessed be He, upward without end and downward without limit. For this is not

except at the level of an extension alone, at the level of a radiance and a glow; for “Your kingship is the kingship of all worlds,” and this is only at the level of a name,

as it is said, “and we will mention Your name”: that is, like the name of a person, by which they call him, and he answers and turns to the one who calls him.

12And so it is written, “And Havayah turned to Hevel and to his offering”: that He turns, and life-force is drawn from Him to the creatures. And He is “Single, the Life of the worlds, King”: that is, He Himself, may He be blessed, is single and unique, alone; only “the Life of the worlds,”

that is, the life-force and the existence of the worlds, is from the level of “King,” etc. Now, this drawing-down and extension follows the order of the levels, from level to level.

For in the World of Atzilus (Emanation), “He and His life-forces are one”: the Infinite Light, blessed be He, is united there in a complete unity, like, by way of analogy, the union of the intellective soul with the power of intellect that spreads out from it, as mentioned above

(for Atzilus is the level of Chochmah, of which it is said, “You have made them all with wisdom (Chochmah),” and as is written in Etz Chaim, Sha’ar 47, chapter 3). And of this it is said, “Great is Havayah and highly praised, and His greatness is unsearchable,” “and His understanding is without number.” And afterwards, in the world of the Seraphim, “a thousand thousands, and myriads of myriads,” etc.;

and nevertheless, “Is there any number to His troops?” etc. And from there it divides further, so that “He counts the number of the stars,” and it is written, “He who brings out their host by number.”

“He who brings out” (hamotzi) is the expression used of one who carries out from the private domain to the public domain: for the private domain is the World of Atzilus, [where] “He and His life-forces are one,” and from there it divides, through the great multiplication of the levels from world to world, to become the level of the public domain, “the mountains of separation.” And nevertheless, “by the greatness of His might, and because He is strong in power, each one

is not missing”: that is, it is not missing the level of self-nullification (bittul); for this is a rule throughout the side of holiness, and even in the lower levels the nullification of the yesh (self-existence) is drawn down, in each world according to its level. And all this is the first level, the level of the light that fills all worlds, in the order of the chain of descending levels.

133. But the second level is the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin): that is, that it encircles and surrounds all the worlds equally, as one, “equal, and making equal,” etc.

And this drawing-down is only in the manner of something encompassing (makif) and concealed, and it does not come to an inner revelation in a person’s mind and heart, for “no thought can grasp Him at all”;

for this drawing-down is from the essence of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, which is above the bounds of worlds; and “I, Havayah, have not changed,” and “there is no comparison to You,” and like a drop of water [to] the ocean, etc.

14And no created being, which is brought into being anew from nothing to something, has the power to contain the revelation of this light without being actually nullified out of existence.

Yet nevertheless, our Sages, of blessed memory, said that “although he does not see, his mazal sees,” concerning Daniel and the men who were with him,

as it is written, “And I alone saw the vision, and the men who were with me did not see, but a great trembling fell upon them.”

15And they said in the Gemara: “Since they did not see, why were they frightened? Because their mazal saw.” The meaning of “their mazal” (mazlayhu) is from the expression “Water shall flow (yizal) from his buckets,” which is an expression of drawing down; and the mazal is that which brings about and draws down that flow.

And this is the soul above, which is not enclothed in the body; for not all of the soul is enclothed, only a radiance and extension from it, while the whole essence of the soul hovers over him from above,

and it is called by the name mazal, for from it influence flows (nizal) to the extension of the soul that is enclothed in the body. And through the level of “their mazal” that saw, “a great trembling fell upon them.”

For Daniel, who saw the vision, which was grasped by his power of comprehension, was not seized by dread and fear; but the men who were with him, since it was not within their power of comprehension to contain the vision

except at the level of their mazal, which is above comprehension (for comprehension comes from the level of the soul’s extension in a person’s body, as it is enclothed in his brain, and the brain of their intellect was too small to contain the vision), therefore a great trembling fell upon them.

16And so it is with the revelation of the Infinite Light at the level of the mazal, which is the soul that is above enclothement in the body: since this revelation does not come to be enclothed, so as to be grasped and absorbed in the brain of one’s intellect, therefore dread and fear and great trembling will fall upon him.

(And see what is written elsewhere, on the verse “Give ear” (Ha’azinu), on the matter of “his mazal,” that it is the level of ayin (nothingness), which is above Chochmah; and now it is well understood that the level of sovev can be revealed to the level of mazal.)

And about such a great awe, which is above comprehension in the brain of one’s intellect, [being] only at the level of “their mazal,” they said: “If there is no wisdom, there is no awe.”

And as it is written, “And Havayah commanded us to do all these statutes, to be in awe,” etc.: that for this revelation to be at the level of “their mazal,” until dread and fear fall upon him, is through occupation with the Torah; for “the Torah comes forth from Chochmah,” and “Havayah, with wisdom (Chochmah),” etc.;

for the Infinite Light, blessed be He, rests and is revealed in Chochmah, koach mah (“the power of ‘what’”), the level of self-nullification (bittul); for the Infinite Light, blessed be He, rests and is revealed only in that which is nullified, etc. (And see what is written on this in Parshas Va’eschanan, in the discourse beginning “And you shall love…”; see there.)

And this is the Torah, which is actually His wisdom, may He be blessed; and He and His wisdom are one, for “He is the knowledge and He is the knower,” etc.

And the main [place] of this revelation above, in the source of the Torah, which is the level of the supernal Chochmah (Chochmah Ila’ah), is at the level of mazal, which makes the influence of this revelation flow and draws it down to the extension of the Torah before us, which is enclothed in physicality.

Now, “three bonds are bound one to another: Israel to the Torah,” etc.; and Israel are called “the hosts of the Torah” in the Zohar (at the beginning of Parshas Bamidbar, 117b), on the verse “Lift up the head of the children of Israel,” etc.;

for the six hundred thousand letters of the Torah are the root and source of the six hundred thousand souls of Israel, each letter the root and source of one soul, etc.

And through occupation with the Torah below, he will arouse the root of his soul above, the level of mazal, to draw down the revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, which is enclothed in the supernal Chochmah, the source of the Torah, where the soul’s “foundation is on the holy mountains”;

so that this revelation be drawn down at the level of the mazal, the root of the soul above, and dread and fear and great trembling fall upon him because of the revelation of the very light of G‑d, the Infinite One, blessed be He, at the level of “their mazal saw.”

(And see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “And this is the commandment which [Havayah] commanded,” and in the discourse beginning “When you go out.” And one may further explain this matter according to what is written in Parshas Beshalach on the verse “And the people stood in awe of Havayah, and they believed in Havayah”: that there are two Names in the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, and a pause in the cantillation separates them; and the level of

the Name Havayah that brings into being the chain of the worlds: from it awe is drawn down, for awe comes through revelation, as in “and the awesome” (vehanora), with the added vav; whereas of the level of the Name Havayah that is above the chain of descent, sovev kol almin, it says only “and they believed,” but not that the level of awe be drawn down from there.

And this was before the Giving of the Torah; but the Giving of the Torah is “And He commanded us,” etc., “to be in awe”: that is, that through this the revelation of the Name Havayah of sovev kol almin will also be drawn down, so that from it there will actually be the level of awe.

And how is this? It is through “their mazal sees,” in the root of the Torah, which is also from the level of the supernal mazal (mazala ila’ah), as is written in the Idra of Naso, 134a, explaining “Everything depends on mazal, even a Torah scroll in the ark,” etc.,

and as mentioned above: that is, that it makes the influence flow and draws it down to the Torah before us, etc. It follows that there are two levels of awe: the first, the lower awe (yirah tata’ah); the second, the higher awe (yirah ila’ah), in the manner of “their mazal saw.”

Therefore Torah study is not set aside for a mitzvah that can be done by others; for since the purpose of the Torah is “And He commanded us,” etc., “to be in awe,” etc., and the main revelation of the higher awe is through the Torah, for “if there is no wisdom, there is no awe.”)

(And see further what is written on the subject of occupation with the Torah in the discourse beginning “For on this day He shall atone,” in Parshas Acharei, in the explanation of “And these words which I command you this day shall be,” etc.; see there.)

However, for a mitzvah that cannot be done by others, Torah study is set aside; for otherwise, if there is no lower awe, there is no wisdom, etc.; and when he neglects the positive commandment, he casts off awe, etc.

And the essence of this higher awe is found in the Ramaz, at the beginning of Parshas Vayeshev and in Parshas Acharei: that it is drawn from the Gevurah of Atik (yirah, “awe,” is numerically equal to gevurah), which is what is enclothed in the Mocha Stima’ah (the hidden brain), from which the level of the mazal is drawn down, which is the source that flows to the Torah before us, which “comes forth from Chochmah.”

17And see in Iggeres HaKodesh: “When a person occupies himself with the Torah, his image (deyokno) occupies itself above with the Torah”: that is, the bond of the soul’s mazal with the source of the Torah; and through this the higher awe mentioned above is drawn down.

This matter can be explained further in a somewhat different way, according to what is written on the subject of the root of [divine] service and the mitzvah of Torah study: that the soul itself is above Chochmah, so that Chochmah, and all the more so the other levels of the soul, Binah and Daas and the seven emotive attributes (middos), are

only at the level of vessels for the essence of the soul, which is above intellect. And in the same way, and infinitely more so, the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, is far, far above Chochmah;

but nevertheless it rests in Chochmah and is united with it, and “the Torah comes forth from Chochmah”; thus the Infinite Light, blessed be He, which is above Chochmah, rests in it. And through the bond of a person’s intellect with the wisdom (Chochmah) that is in the Torah, through this there will also be a revelation of the Infinite Light that is above Chochmah,

which rests in the wisdom of the Torah: there will be a revelation from it to the level of the soul that is above Chochmah, etc.; for Chochmah is united with the soul, even though the soul itself is above Chochmah, as mentioned above.

18Therefore, through occupation with the Torah, which is the bond of a person’s intellect with the wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He, through this even the essence of the soul, which is above Chochmah and intellect,

will actually be included in the essence of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, which is above even the supernal Chochmah, etc.; as is explained on this at length in the explanation of the verse “And you shall not omit the salt.”

And this is “If there is no wisdom, there is no awe”: for there cannot be this revelation in “their mazal” and in the essence of the soul, from which the higher awe mentioned above is drawn, except through the bond of a person’s intellect with the wisdom of the Torah; because “Havayah [is] with wisdom (Chochmah),” and as mentioned above from the analogy of the soul’s being called by the name “the intellective soul.”

194. But in order to reach this height and level, to draw down the level of the supernal Chochmah, the source of the Torah, in which is enclothed the Infinite Light, blessed be He,

itself, and which is united with Him in a complete unity, so that this revelation be below, in occupation with the Torah before us, which is enclothed in physicality, at the level of awe and great trembling: about this they said, “If there is no awe, there is no wisdom.”

20And this is the level of the lower awe, in the actual fulfillment, in deed, of the practical mitzvos. For the mitzvos are the commands of the King, and by fulfilling them one fulfills “You shall surely

set a king over yourself.” And this awe is a preparation, through which to draw down the revelation of the very Infinite Light that is enclothed in the supernal Chochmah, which [comes] through occupation with the Torah.

21And this is [the meaning of] “Sanctify us with Your commandments” first, and afterwards “and grant our portion in Your Torah.” The explanation is that “sanctify us” (kadsheinu) is an expression of kiddushin and betrothal, as it is written, “And I will betroth you to Me forever”; and that is through the mitzvos.

For just as kiddushin is through his placing the ring on the bride’s finger, which is only an outer matter (chitzoniyus), and through this she is consecrated to him and is acquired by him in union, which is an inner drawing-down;

so too the mitzvos: although they are an outer matter and garments for the soul, nevertheless in them and through them the level of kiddushin comes about, so that there is “You shall surely set a king over yourself” in an outer manner, and “you shall be holy to your G‑d”;

and with this, “and grant our portion in Your Torah”: “in Your Torah” specifically, so that the drawing-down of the supernal Chochmah may rest and be revealed in an inner manner (pnimiyus), as an actual union and oneness.

22And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said on the verse “and on the day of his wedding”: “this is the Giving of the Torah,” which is actually the level of His wedding. And therefore our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Whoever says, ‘I have nothing

but Torah,’ does not have even Torah”; for it is impossible to draw down the Torah in its source and root, which is the supernal Chochmah, in an inner manner, without the mitzvos coming first, at the level of the lower awe, the outer level.

And this is [the meaning of] what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: that after he has accepted upon himself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, he should accept upon himself the yoke of the mitzvos. For there cannot be a true fulfillment of the acceptance of the yoke (kabbalas ol) of the Kingdom of Heaven in the first section [of the Shema], so that through it [there be] “and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house,” etc., except through the yoke of the King’s commands, which are the level of kiddushin, as mentioned above.

23Now, all this is the way and the order of [divine] service: to begin with the lower awe, in the fulfillment of the mitzvos, first: “if there is no awe, there is no wisdom.”

And afterwards, “if there is no wisdom, there is no awe”: that is, the drawing-down of the supernal Chochmah through occupation with the Torah, in which the Infinite Light, blessed be He, is enclothed and united in unity, until dread and fear fall upon him at the level of “their mazal.”

24And this order of service applies after the Torah and the mitzvos had already been given to Israel. But at the time of the Giving of the Torah, when Israel had not yet been commanded concerning the mitzvos, from where did the drawing-down of the Torah, the supernal Chochmah, with the revelation of the very Infinite One, blessed be He, come?

But of this it is said, “And Havayah descended upon Mount Sinai”: it was an arousal from above (isarusa dil’eila), by His will, may He be blessed, of His own accord, and for the need of the hour.

Yet nevertheless, Israel understood of themselves that this could not become fixed for the generations except through the fulfillment of the mitzvos. And therefore

they put “we will do” before “we will hear”: for there cannot be “we will hear,” which is the drawing-down of the Torah in an inner manner, except through “we will do,” the doing of the mitzvos, so that they be vessels and a dwelling for this indwelling and drawing-down.

25And this is [the meaning of] what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Who revealed this secret,” etc. For it was truly a secret, that is, something concealed, since the revelation came in the drawing-down of the Torah without the mitzvos coming first; but Israel understood the secret that was concealed.

265. But the power of this revelation at the Giving of the Torah, that there be a revelation of the supernal will, blessed be He, enclothed in the supernal Chochmah, above the order of the chain of descent (hishtalshelus) and the fixed order of service, is through the Counting of the Omer: “Seven weeks you shall count for yourself; from when [the sickle] is first,” etc.

And the explanation: the meaning of the matter of the Counting (sefirah) of the Omer is that the word sefirah is an expression of illumination.

27That is, illuminations and drawings-down to the Omer, which is of barley, the food of an animal: that is, the life-force of the animal soul, in the seven natural emotive attributes (middos) that spread out from it.

And one must illuminate them and refine them, so that they be included in the attributes of holiness, “Yours, Havayah, is the greatness,” etc., in the manner of subjugation and transformation (iskafya and is’hapcha).

And this is through the drawing-down of [the count] “Today is day…,” which is drawings-down of the supernal Chochmah, blessed be He, which is light, and a sown seed, which transform, etc.; and “a little light dispels much darkness,” etc.

And this is “from when the sickle is first [put] to the standing grain.” Chermesh, “sickle,” is from the expression “you shall utterly destroy them” (hacharem tacharimem). The “standing grain” is the emotive attributes, which stand up and are also planted in their place, in a stance of endurance and strength, in their force, by their nature, as they were born; one must lift a sickle over them, the level of “you shall utterly destroy them,” to cut them off and subdue them beneath holiness.

28Now, all the seven weeks are in the manner of a war of the G‑dly soul against the evil inclination and the animal soul, to bring about subjugation and transformation; and this is from the level of the chain of descent (hishtalshelus), from Chochmah downward, for “through Chochmah they are refined.”

But after the end of the war, when one has finished and defeated all the enemies, namely the seven natural attributes, conquering and subduing them, then of itself and as a matter of course the supernal will (ratzon), blessed be He, is revealed, which is far, far above the bounds of the chain of descent, which is the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin); and it is “equal, and making equal,” etc.

29And at this level no war at all applies, for everything becomes one, and from the public domain it becomes a private domain for His unity, may He be blessed; as in the analogy of the limbs of the body,

which are divided into particular limbs according to their makeup and nature, the power of sight in the eye, etc., and this one a head and that one a foot, etc.; nevertheless they are united and “become one,” and all of them obey his will.

So too, by way of analogy, with the revelation of the supernal will, blessed be He, all of them enter under the hand of holiness in a complete unity, without any separation, G‑d forbid.

30And this is [the meaning of] what is written, “And you shall make the Festival of Shavuos to Havayah your G‑d, according to the measure of the freewill offering of your hand that you shall give,” etc. It does not say “the freewill offering of your heart,” for the generosity of the heart is felt in the heart’s feeling, and there is one who loves, etc.; and this is not yet the level of actual self-nullification (bittul).

31But with the revelation of the supernal will, blessed be He, on the Festival of Shavuos, the will that is above the heart is revealed, for the heart is not a vessel able to receive the supernal will, so that it be grasped and felt within it;

and then it is called “the freewill offering of the hand that you shall give,” of itself and on its own. “As Havayah your G‑d shall bless you”: that is, as it is drawn down from above.

32And therefore it is written of the two loaves that were offered on Shavuos, “they shall be baked chametz.” For chametz is an expression of self-elevation; and on Pesach chametz is forbidden, for this gives nurture to the kelipos and the sitra achra (the other side): haughtiness and coarseness of spirit, etc.

Whereas on Shavuos, when the natural emotive attributes have been refined and rise to be included in holiness, the elevation is only at the level of holiness; for this elevation is as it is written, “Yours, Havayah, is the greatness,” etc.,

and there is no nurture there for kelipah and the sitra achra at all, because of the revelation of the supernal will, blessed be He, which is far, far above the bounds of the chain of descent.

And this is the purpose of the giving of the Torah to Israel: that this revelation, which is far, far above the chain of descent, be below, within the level and the order of the chain of descent, in occupation with the Torah.

33And this is “And Elokim spoke all these words,” in order “to say: ‘I am Havayah your G‑d’”: for the revelation of Anochi (“I”), which is His being

and essence, far, far above the bounds of the chain of descent, so that it be at the level of “Havayah your G‑d” in actuality, is through the Torah; and as it is written in the Shema, “And these words which I (anochi) command you this day shall be upon your heart,” etc.

But this revelation is at the level of “their mazal sees,” and the yoke of the mitzvos must come first. And to this the second section alludes: “And it shall be, if you will diligently listen to My commandments,” etc.;

for without the mitzvos the drawing-down of the Torah has no endurance, as mentioned above. (And see what is written in the discourse beginning “When you listen to the voice,” concerning “to keep all His commandments.”)