וארשתיך לי לעולם

1“And I will betroth you to Me forever; and I will betroth you to Me with righteousness,” etc., “and I will betroth you,” etc. (See Midrash Rabbah, Bo, at the end of chapter 18; Terumah, chapter 33, near the end; and in Parshas Eikev, at “Another explanation: ‘And [He] shall keep for you.’”)

Now, the Congregation of Israel (Knesses Yisrael), which is the source of all the souls of Israel, is called a bride (kallah), after the verse “My soul pines (kalsah),” as it is written, “And your desire shall be to your husband.”

For her desire is to cleave to her source and to the Life of all life, blessed be He, with the expiring of the soul (kelos hanefesh); and as it is written, “O G‑d, let there be no silence for You; do not hold Your peace and do not be still, O G‑d”

(see the Zohar, Part I, 178b, 77b, 86b; Part II, 140a, 256b). And so too, in particular, [with] the souls of each and every one of Israel:

it is written, “The soul of man is a lamp of G‑d”; for it is in its nature to rise upward like the light of a lamp, and like a flame that rises of itself, to cleave to Him, blessed be He, with the actual expiring of the soul.

But [it is written,] “and he shall rule over you”: for “against your will you live,” and “the life-force runs and returns” (ratzo vashov), to descend and enclothe itself in the body. Therefore, also below, after its enclothement in the body, this is the essence of man’s service: that his soul should actually yearn, and even pine, for Him, blessed be He.

Now, there are two levels in the matter of the expiring of the soul; and this is the matter of the two levels of bride mentioned in the Gemara (chapter 2 of Kesubos):

one bride is “a beautiful and gracious bride,” and of this it is said, “My soul pines for the courts of Havayah” (Midrash Rabbah, Vayechi, chapter 99, near the beginning; Naso, the beginning of chapter 10, [and] the end of chapter 13, on “On the sixth day,” “a silver bowl”).

And the second is “the bride as she is,” even [if she is] lame or blind; of this it is said, “My heart and my flesh sing out to the living G‑d.”

The explanation of the matter: the letters are called “stones,” and their combinations are called “houses” and “courts,” as it is written in Sefer Yetzirah, “Two stones build two houses,” etc.; for the letters of speech in a person are considered the level of the inanimate (domem) relative to the essence of the intellect.

2Now, the multitude of divisions of the worlds, without number, into so many kinds of myriads of levels distinct from one another, as it is written, “and worlds (alamos) without number,”

and so too angels and the souls of the tzaddikim, whose Chochmah (wisdom), Binah (understanding) and Daas (knowledge) and emotive attributes (middos) are not alike, one to another: all of them are drawn and flow forth from the level of the combinations of the letters of the word of G‑d, which brings them into being from nothing to something; and these are the level of the inanimate relative to the essence of the source from which they are hewn, in the World of Atzilus (Emanation)

(see Iggeres HaKodesh, the passage beginning “And David made a name”; and see what is written in Parshas Bereishis, in the discourse beginning “And to understand,” in the additional explanation of the subject of “And He formed,” etc.; and see what is written above on the verse “And the number of the children of Israel shall be,” on the subject of “the earth that is not satisfied with water”).

Now, even their source and root in the World of Atzilus, where “He and His vessels are one” (ihu vegarmohi chad), which are the level of G‑dliness and the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, abstracted from every kind of boundary, measure and limit: nevertheless, since

they are the source for the worlds that are drawn from them below, there are there, above, in potential, so many powers and flows that from them the division of the worlds will come into being in actual fact

(and in the same way one will understand what is written in Iggeres HaKodesh, the passage beginning “He and His life-forces” (ihu vechayohi): that it is reasonable to say that even the thousands and myriads of worlds that dwell in the Gulgalta (the Skull), etc., are not actual worlds, etc.; that is to say, that they too are the level of letters, from which, when they are drawn down below, so many worlds will come into being in actual fact).

And [it is] like the analogy of the letters of speech while they are still in the potential of his wisdom. And relative to the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, Himself, who encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), they too are called the level of letters, which is the level of the inanimate, like stones, which are on the lowest rung in the World of Asiyah (Action); as it is written, “You have made (asisa) them all with wisdom.”

For even the level and rank of Chochmah is considered physical asiyah (action) before Him, blessed be He (as is explained in Likkutei Amarim). And as for their being called the level of G‑dliness, this means that they are the level of G‑dliness in that they are the level of the Infinite One, blessed be He, which has not been contracted and confined within the level of a vessel.

But they are not comparable to the Infinite One, blessed be He, Himself, in His own glory; they are only a radiance and glow that spreads forth from the Essence of the Infinite One, blessed be He, like the analogy of the glow of the sun that spreads forth from the body of the sun, as is explained elsewhere.

3And as in a person’s speech: although it bears no comparison to the essence of his intellect, nevertheless a radiance of the intellect spreads forth and is revealed in his speech; and it is impossible to impart understanding to another except by way of conveying voice and speech.

And his speech becomes intellect for his fellow. So too, as it were, the radiance of the Essence of the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, is revealed through the level of letters,

which are themselves the sources and roots of the drawing-down of the life-force (chayus) from the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, to be enclothed and to bestow the life-force in the upper and lower worlds. And the level of letters in the higher world,

which is the lowest rung in it, becomes the level of head and intellect for the world below it, as is explained in the discourse beginning “And now, I pray, let [the power] be great,” on [the words] “as You have spoken, saying.”

Therefore the level of the source and root of the drawing-down of the life-force is called by the name “courts,” for it is by way of there that the life-force and the flow that [He] bestows upon the created beings pass. And there are in them two kinds of drawing-down:

one is to the outer dimension (chitzoniyus) of the worlds, and is called “the outer court”; and the second is to the inner dimension (pnimiyus) of the worlds, which are the level of the letters of the Torah and of prayer, and the souls of the tzaddikim, and is called “the inner court, opposite the king’s house.”

42. And this is [the meaning of] “My soul pines for the courts of Havayah.” “My soul” is the source of the souls of Israel, which is Malchus (sovereignty) of Atzilus (Emanation) that is enclothed in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah; and her wish and desire is to be in her source and root

in Atzilus, where there are “the courts of Havayah,” the drawing-down of the life-force (chayus) from the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, which draws down and bestows life-force upon her. And in her descent below, into Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, her soul at once pines to cleave to her source and root and her life-force.

Just as a person craves the life of his soul, as it is written, “My soul, I have desired You,” etc., and as is explained elsewhere (and see the Zohar, Vayechi, 248b).

And so too below: this is in man’s service, to cleave to Him, blessed be He, in the words and thoughts of the letters of the Torah and of prayer, which are themselves “the courts of Havayah” and the drawing-down of G‑dliness from the Infinite Light, blessed be He. Now, there are two levels: the level of a court, and the level of a house.

5And both of them are the level of stones; only, a house is roofed, while a court has no roof. And exactly so there are two levels in the service of G‑d.

There is one who engages in Torah and prayer and directs his heart to their letters alone, for this too is an upright way, as is explained elsewhere.

In them there is enclothed only the power of thought alone, without the power of the intellect; and since his intellect is unoccupied, extraneous thoughts can fall into his intellect, like the analogy of a court that has no roof, into which the rain comes down.

Therefore, one who is a man of intellect, whose thought cannot enclothe his intellect: this is his counsel, to immerse his mind and intellect deeply in the meaning of the words of prayer, as far as his hand reaches, and in the study of his intellect in his occupation with the Torah, in Pardes (peshat, remez, derush and sod).

And this is called the inner dimension (pnimiyus) of the Torah. And this level is called a house, which is inner and is also roofed, for his whole essence, from his head to his feet, is enclothed and wrapped in it (and see the Zohar, Part III, 275a, on “Who roofs (hamekareh) with water,” etc., and in the Ramaz there).

And this is [the meaning of] what is written in the Zohar, that the Torah is “the supernal palace of the Holy One, blessed be He, where the King dwells”: that is, the inner dimension of the Torah, which is the explanations and reasons of the Torah, in which supernal Chochmah (wisdom) is enclothed. But when one understands the plain meanings of the Torah,

and also the meaning of the words of prayer according to its plain sense, [these] are called the houses and palaces of Asiyah (Action). And all this is the level of “a beautiful and gracious bride”:

that is, one whose “delight is in the Torah of Havayah” all his days, who has not turned from it right or left, and whose G‑dly soul is the main thing in him.

63. But one who has strayed from the way, who is the level of “lame or blind,” as it is written, “They have eyes, but they do not see,” whose animal soul is what rules him, and who therefore has no expiring of the soul for the life of his G‑dly soul, since

it is in the prison of the body and of the vitalizing animal soul: this is his counsel, to be, nevertheless, at the level of a bride; and of this they said, “the bride as she is.”

For his being lame or blind on the side of his animal soul does not prevent [him] from being at the level of a bride on the side of his G‑dly soul, through the level of “My heart and my flesh sing out to the living G‑d.”

For the heart and the flesh, since they are physical vessels, cannot have their longing and desire be for the source of their life-force (chayus), for the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, which bestows their life-force,

for the contractions (tzimtzumim) and the screens have prevailed and multiplied greatly, in hiddenness and in concealment upon concealment. Therefore they do not yearn and pine for “the courts of Havayah,” which is the source and the life of the soul, except when they “sing out to the living G‑d.”

And this is when he contemplates the true faith in G‑d: that He is higher and higher above the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), for He is not within the bounds and category of worlds at all. Only, according to our meager intellect, since we do not grasp Him, we say of Him that He fills all worlds (memalei kol almin) and encompasses all worlds.

But in truth He is exalted and lofty and very high, even above the level of sovev kol almin, which pertains to the matter of bestowal upon created beings and the drawing-down of the life-force: [it means] to say that the bestowal is not enclothed and grasped within the worlds, but rather that it is above them and encompasses them.

7Now, the matter of bestowal pertains only to the level of letters mentioned above, and when one needs to bestow understanding upon another, etc. But from the standpoint of His Essence and Being, before He comes to the level of bestowal, the category of worlds does not apply at all: neither the level of memalei

nor the level of sovev. And when he immerses his intellect and understanding deeply in this, a fire will be aroused and blaze in his heart, to burn and flame up, so that the actual physical heart melts and his soul pours itself out in the actual expiring of the soul, to cleave to Him, blessed be He.

8And when he immerses his intellect and understanding deeply in the matter mentioned above, then, because the contemplation mentioned above is from a very high place, that is, the level of His Essence and Being, blessed be He, before whom “darkness is as light,”

therefore the contemplation that comes from this can reach even his physical heart and flesh, so that they too will have their longing and desire to pine for Him, blessed be He, to cleave to Him with the actual expiring of the soul.

And this is [the meaning of] “My heart and my flesh sing out to the living G‑d”: [to Him] Himself, in His own glory, before He comes to the level of One who gives life and bestows upon another. As is known, whatever

is a higher level can descend and spread further below; and through this it comes and reaches the heart, etc.

(And see what is written in Parshas Mishpatim on the verse “None shall miscarry or be barren,” on the subject that when the Congregation of Israel is in the state of a barren woman, who does not give birth to love and awe, the counsel is “And Chanah prayed upon (al) Havayah”: above the level of the Name Havayah, etc.;

see there. And see what is written in Parshas Yisro, in the explanation on the verse “Moshe would speak,” in the name of the Idra Rabba, that the three worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah have their root in the first of the thirteen tikkunim of the beard (tikkunei dikna) of Arich Anpin, “Who is a G‑d (Kel) like You,” etc.; see there. And it may be that this is [the meaning of] “My heart and my flesh sing out to the G‑d (Kel),” etc. And see there, in the discourse beginning “Their appearance and their workings.”)

And this is [the meaning of] “And I will betroth you to Me forever.” For at the time when the Holy Temple is not standing, the Congregation of Israel is called “the falling sukkah of David,” because she has ascents and descents and is always in the state of falling, rising and descending; and also below, in Israel as a whole (klalus), in their service they rise and descend.

But of the Time to Come it is written, “I will raise up the falling sukkah of David”: that she will rise up and also stand firm forever, without interruption, so that she will not be in a state of falling, G‑d forbid.

And this is why we say and request, “Sanctify us (kadsheinu) with Your commandments.” And at times we say, “Who has sanctified us with His commandments,” that He has already sanctified us. This is because now, in this betrothal (kiddushin), there is still an aspect of descent;

therefore we say and request, “Sanctify us with Your commandments”: sanctify us forever, so that there will be no interruption, G‑d forbid (and see the Zohar, Vayikra, 6b, and the Raaya Mehemna, Parshas Teitzei, 277a).

94. Now, the matter of kiddushin (betrothal) and [that of] ma’amar (“saying”) are one matter. The explanation of the matter is along the lines of what is written, “You have declared (he’emarta) Havayah this day.” The meaning of he’emarta is a causative form: that you have brought about the “saying” (amirah) in Him, blessed be He, through occupation with the Torah, as is explained elsewhere.

Now, in this “saying,” which is the level of the letters of the Torah, there is revealed in it a radiance of the Essence of the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, although it is not of His level

and not comparable to Him at all; like the analogy of the physical speech in a person, through which he imparts understanding to another from the level of Chochmah (wisdom) within him. And the level mentioned above is the level of a makif (an encompassing [light]),

but it is not entirely enclothed in it. For while it is still in the potential of his wisdom, there is not yet in it the level of letters, which set limits, to speak about this matter in these letters; and when they go out from potential to actual, from concealment to revelation in the mouth,

the breath of speech separates the voice and divides the letters. Therefore the breath of speech is the level of a makif for the soul; for by way of the breath of speech an essential radiance goes out and is revealed, and the breath becomes a garment

for it, while the source of the breath remains at the level of a makif over it from above. And the root of this breath is from “the breath of His mouth,” blessed be He, the root of all the makifim, from which a radiance is drawn to pass through the breath of his voice

(see Sefer Shel Beinonim, at the end of chapter 5, in the name of Pri Etz Chaim; and see what is written in the book Mevo She’arim, Gate 3, Part 2, chapter 3, according to the Idra of Naso, page 134: “From this supernal mouth a breath blows forth,” etc.; see there.

And see what is written on this on the verse “On the eighth day, an Atzeres,” in the explanation of “And I have put My words in your mouth”; and see Midrash Rabbah, Ki Sisa, chapter 41, on the verse “From His mouth [come] knowledge and understanding.” And on the subject of “you have declared this day,” Midrash Rabbah there, at the beginning of chapter 45;

Naso, chapter 14, on the verse “On the seventh day”; in Midrash Eichah, on the verse “For these I [weep]”; Gittin 56b; Chagigah 3a; Berachos, folio 6).

10And this is the matter of kiddushin, that he gives her a ring, the level of an encompassing light (or makif). So too, “You have declared Havayah this day,” and one draws upon himself an encompassing light from the source and root of all the makifim: he is thereby consecrated to Heaven.

That is, he is prepared and bound to cleave to Him, blessed be He; like a man who betroths a woman, for through this betrothal she is forbidden to the whole world and set apart for her husband alone.

So too, through the Torah, the level of “You have declared Havayah” mentioned above, he is bound and cleaves, through the breath of speech, so as to be “a place for His dwelling.”

This is not so if he does not study so as to draw the power of speech to himself: he is then as if his fellow were speaking before him and he does not hear, for he will not cleave to his fellow’s intellect and thought without hearing the voice.

11And this is [the meaning of] “And I will betroth you to Me,” etc. But he still needs to redeem his G‑dly soul from the prison of the body and of his animal soul, so that it will not be called “lame or blind”; and the redemption is through charity (tzedakah).

And this is [the meaning of] “And I will betroth you to Me with righteousness (tzedek)”: for “great is charity, which brings the redemption near,” etc.; and like Rabbi Eliezer, who would give a perutah to a poor man and then pray.

And as is written in Iggeres HaKodesh, in the passage beginning “Israel will be redeemed only through charity, as it is said, ‘and her returning ones, through charity’”: that through this he redeems his soul, etc., and now it is redeemed, etc.; see there at length (and see what is written in Parshas Ki Sisa, at the end of the discourse beginning “His left hand is under my head”).

“And with justice”: for it is written, “The wicked one surrounds the righteous one,” and of this it is said, “And you shall eradicate the evil from your midst”; therefore there must be justice upon this. “And with kindness and with compassion”: that is, to arouse great compassion upon his soul,

and as it is written, “to Yaakov, who redeemed Avraham,” as is explained elsewhere (and see what is written in Parshas Beshalach on the verse “I will sing,” on the meaning of “Justice and righteousness in Yaakov You have made”; and see Midrash Rabbah, Parshas Eikev, on the subject of “And I will betroth you to Me with righteousness and with justice”).

“And I will betroth you to Me with faithfulness (emunah)”: that is, one who is unable to study, and is also a poor man who cannot give charity,

nevertheless nothing prevents him from being at the level of a bride and betrothed, through faith (emunah), as mentioned above: in contemplation from the depth of the heart of how “all before Him is considered as nothing,” and that He is higher and higher above the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin)

(and see what is written on the verse “For Avraham did not know us,” etc., “For You, Havayah, are our Father,” etc.; and from what is written there the subject of “And I will betroth you to Me with faithfulness” will be understood further).

All this is at the level of a bride and betrothed; but afterwards there must be the level of marriage (nisuin) (as is written in Midrash Rabbah, Bo, at the end of chapter 18). And this is [the meaning of] “and you shall know Havayah,” from the expression “And the man knew Chavah,” which is the level of true connection.

As it is written, “And the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Havayah”: that is, that it be filled entirely for G‑d, so that there be no thought, speech or action at all

except for G‑d alone, and all a person’s thoughts be filled only with the knowledge of G‑d. And this is [the meaning of] “And grant our portion in Your Torah”: that our portion be united, in the ultimate unity, in Your Torah, and they become truly one. And this suffices for one who understands.