ויקח קרח בן יצהר בן קהת בן לוי וגו׳

1“Korach, son of Yitzhar, son of Kehas, son of Levi, took,” etc. [We need] to understand the matter of the dispute of Korach and his company against Moshe and Aharon.

In [Midrash] Rabbah on this parshah: Rabbi Levi said, Why did Korach dispute with Moshe? He said, “I am the son of oil, the son of Yitzhar,” as it is said, “your wine and your oil (yitzharecha),” etc.,

“which He swore to your fathers to give you,” at the beginning of Parshas Eikev. “Tirosh is wine, and yitzharecha is oil. And among all liquids, when you put oil [into them], it

is found on top,” etc. “Now if these, who were anointed with oil alone, took the priesthood and the kingship, should I, who am the son of oil, not be anointed and become a kohen and a king?” At once he disputed with Moshe. End of quote; and see there at length.

2[We need] to understand this, and also the connection to the dispute: that he who disputed the priesthood of Aharon also disputed the mitzvah of tzitzis,

as Rashi explains: [Korach asked,] “Is a tallis that is entirely techeiles obligated in tzitzis, or exempt?” He said to them, “It is obligated.” They began to laugh at him, etc. And this is explained in [Midrash] Rabbah on this parshah and in the Tanchuma.

3It is also stated in [Midrash] Rabbah that he became jealous because regarding the Levites it is said, “And they shall pass a razor,” etc., while his brother Aharon he [Moshe] adorned, etc.; that is, what is written, “Like the good oil,” etc., “running down upon the beard, the beard of Aharon,” etc.

To understand all this, we must first [explain], very briefly, the matter of the mitzvah of making tzitzis, as it is written, “And they shall make for themselves tzitzis,” etc., “a thread of techeiles,” etc., “and you shall remember,” etc., “and you shall not stray,” etc.

4The explanation is this. It is written, “The whole earth is full of His glory”; “His glory” means the radiance of His glory (ziv yekarei). And it is written, “The heavens and the earth I fill”: “I,” literally.

And it is known that this is the matter of the two levels, the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin) and the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), as is explained in the discourse beginning “I am my Beloved’s,” in the discourse beginning “And this is the commandment,” and in other places.

And this is also the matter of Torah and mitzvos. For it is written, “His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool.” That is,

the level of the light that encompasses all worlds is called “His garment,” as it is written, “Havayah reigns; He has garbed Himself in majesty” (and as was explained in the discourse beginning “Let them bring royal apparel”);

and this is the root of the mitzvos, which are called garments. And the level of “the hair of His head” is what shines in an inner way, to be the light that fills all worlds; and it is the root of the Torah.

Now, the mitzvah of tzitzis contains these two levels in their general expression, as was explained above in the discourse beginning “I,” etc., “who brought out,” etc.

For the tallis is the level of “His garment,” and therefore its mitzvah is chiefly [fulfilled with] a white tallis of sheep’s wool, which is like “His garment white as snow”: the level of sovev kol almin.

5And see what is written in Parshas Emor on the matter of “And Yaakov separated the lambs.” And the tzitzis too are of the same kind as the corner (min kanaf); that is, the level of “and the hair of His head like pure wool,”

and the thirty-two threads are the level of the thirty-two paths of Chochmah (wisdom): what is drawn down to shine as inner light (or pnimi). For Chochmah is called the beginning of revelation, and “Chochmah is found from ayin (nothing).”

6And this is the matter of “There is no glory but Torah”: that is, the supernal glory, the thirty-two paths of Chochmah (wisdom). “Blessed be the glory of Havayah from His place.”

As is explained in the discourse beginning “For over all the glory shall be a canopy” and in the discourse beginning “To My mare.” And see what is written in the discourse beginning “And G‑d spoke,” etc., “I am Havayah your G‑d,” regarding “If there is no wisdom there is no fear.”

7To explain these matters, we must first [explain] the matter of inner light (or pnimi) and encompassing light (or makif), and the levels of the circles (igulim) and the straight line (yosher). The explanation: inner light is what enters and settles within the vessel in the manner of the straight line, in gradation from above to below: Chochmah, Binah and Daas; Chesed, Gevurah and Tiferes; Netzach, Hod and Yesod.

And the level of encompassing light is what could not enter the vessel at all because of the greatness of its light, and it remained above the vessel, as an encompassing [light];

and it is also in the manner of a circle, for it encompasses the head and the foot alike (that is, the level of the encompassing light of the straight line, which never entered the vessel).

Now, the matter of the kav (line of light) and thread drawn from the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, is known from Etz Chaim: it is so that [the light] be drawn down and shine as inner light, the beginning of revelation being in Chochmah, etc.; and it is called the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin), for it shines in each world according to its measure, etc.

The level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), however, is the Infinite Light that encompasses all the worlds equally, from the head of Adam Kadmon to the feet of Asiyah,

and it also encompasses the kav, etc. (and see what is written on this in the explanation on “Let them bring royal apparel,” in the discourse beginning “To understand the difference”). Now, the root of the encompassing lights is drawn from the level of the circles.

And although they are drawn from the level of the kav and thread, from which the encompassing lights in all the worlds are drawn as well, nevertheless the root of the encompassing lights is drawn from the level of the great circle that encompasses the kav and thread

(and this is like Malchus: although it is drawn from Z’eir Anpin, in that the Tiferes of Z’eir Anpin becomes the Keser of Nukva, this is only that the flow passes by way of it.

But in its root it is taken from a higher root of its own, as is known from the matter of “With wisdom [He] founded the earth; He established the heavens with understanding.” Therefore there is a time when its ascent goes higher than [Z’eir Anpin], as at the prayer of Ne’ilah,

and it is then called “the crown of her husband.” And in the same way also the emotive attributes (middos) in relation to the intellect: although the middos are born from the intellect, this is only that the intellect causes the birth and coming into being of the middos; but the essence of the middos, in their root, is taken from a place higher than the intellect.

And “the power of the son is greater than the power of the father,” as is explained elsewhere regarding “The Patriarchs are the Chariot” and regarding the straps of the head-tefillin, in the explanation on “Set me as a seal”; see there. And in the same way it is to be understood here regarding the encompassing lights: although they are drawn from the kav, nevertheless their root is from a level above the kav.

And see what is written along these lines in the discourse beginning “And Israel saw the hand,” on the matter of the hidden world (alma de’iskasya), the level of the sea, which is the level of sovev kol almin, etc.: that is, because it is the hidden world, which is the level of encompassing [light], its root is therefore from the level of sovev kol almin; and see there, in the discourse beginning “Then [Moshe] sang.”) And as is explained on this also in the explanation on “You shall keep My Sabbaths.”

But the inner light is drawn from the level of the straight line, etc. With this introduction the matter of the ascents of the worlds through fifty thousand jubilees will be understood: it is all within the inner light, that higher lights will be revealed in the vessels through the ascents and refinement of the vessels.

For example, the lower Gan Eden is a vessel for the revelation of light and radiance from the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, and the higher Gan Eden is a vessel for the revelation of a light and delight greater and loftier beyond measure than the light in the lower Gan Eden.

8Now, it is written of Adam, the first man, “And He placed him in Gan Eden, to work it and to guard it.” The meaning: Gan Eden, which for us now is the receiving of reward for the mitzvos, was then, for Adam, a place of service,

as this world is for us now; and the receiving of reward was above Gan Eden. Gan Eden was not considered for him [a place of] receiving reward; rather, it was for him a dwelling place,

as this world is for us now. And see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “Behold, man has become like one of us,” and at the end of the discourse beginning “Binding his foal to the vine.” And this is [the meaning of] what is written, “And Havayah Elokim planted a garden,” etc.:

“planted” is the level of Asiyah (action), etc. For then, before the sin, even the World of Asiyah as a whole was at a level far, far higher than it is now.

From this the matter of the ascents of the worlds will be understood: higher lights will be revealed in the vessels, until what is now the level of Atzilus will be, in the Time to Come, the level of Asiyah;

that is, the World of Asiyah of the Time to Come will have in it the revelation that is now in Atzilus (and see what is written elsewhere on “And the light of the moon shall be,” etc.), and the Atzilus of the Time to Come will be infinitely higher, because greater lights will be revealed in the vessels

(and see what is written on “For as the new heavens”; and see Sefer HaGilgulim, chapter 17 and chapter 19; and see what is written in the explanation on “These are the journeys,” regarding “The Land of Israel is destined to spread out,” etc.). All this is the revelation of inner lights in the vessels, revealed more and more without end, fifty thousand jubilees.

But with regard to the encompassing light that is above the kav, which encompasses equally from the head of Adam Kadmon to the feet of Asiyah, there is no change there at all, for it encompasses Atzilus and Asiyah in one equal way.

Therefore our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Better is one hour of teshuvah and good deeds in this world than all the life (chayei) of the World to Come”: [chayei is] plural, that is, even than all the fifty thousand jubilees,

which are only from the revelation of the inner light, which is the level of a radiance and an illumination: “With the yud the World to Come was created,” the yud being a great contraction, etc.;

but “no thought can grasp Him” at all, in His Being and Essence. Through teshuvah and good deeds in this world, however, one draws down the level of encompassing light, sovev kol almin, His Being and Essence.

(And see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “And when she came before the king,” in the discourse beginning “For the fragrance of your oils,” and in the discourse beginning “To understand the verse ‘Who is a G‑d like You.’” And see what is written on “And of all that You give me, I will surely tithe to You.”)

And this is the matter of the two verses: it is written, “The heavens and the earth I fill,” “I,” literally; and it is written, “The whole earth is full of His glory,” and “His glory” is only the level of radiance, not “I,” literally.

The explanation: what is written, “I fill,” is the level of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, which surrounds and encompasses the kav and all the worlds equally.

For “surrounding and encompassing” does not mean that it encompasses from above; on the contrary, “there is no place devoid of Him,” literally; and this is “I fill.”

9And also [it fills] “the heavens and the earth” equally; it is called “surrounding” (sovev) only because it is not grasped in any world and is not enclothed in comprehension. And “The whole earth is full of His glory”: “His glory” is the level of radiance, as mentioned above.

That is, the inner light, which is drawn down and enclothed within the worlds and is revealed in them through the ascents of the worlds in fifty thousand jubilees, in which the lights are revealed more in the vessels, as mentioned above.

10As for the fifty thousand jubilees, it may be said that this is what is written, “And his brother’s name was Yuval”; and therefore “he was the father of all who handle the harp,” etc.,

for all the ascents are through song, etc. And it has already been explained that all the ascents of the fifty thousand jubilees are still within the inner light;

and this is the matter of Yuval (jubilee), and this is the matter of the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, “Yuval is its name” (in Bechoros 55b). But of the revelation of the level of the encompassing [light] it is said, “Yaval: he was the father of those who dwell in tents,” etc.

And the inner light is called the “brother” of the encompassing light, for the inner light is drawn from the great encompassing [light], and they cleave to each other; and [“brother”] is an expression of brotherhood and joining (and this is also the matter of “the corner”: “of the same kind as the corner”).

Now, the analogy for encompassing light and inner light will be understood by way of an example in man. Thought acts immediately in all the limbs, as is seen plainly: when it arises in his thought and will to make some movement with his hand, or to walk with his feet,

then immediately, literally, the foot or the hand moves to do what arose in his thought, without any delay at all. If so, we are compelled to say

that this is because the thought does not need to be drawn from the brain to the foot in the order of the levels; for if so, the movement would be delayed some moment from the arising of the thought until it was brought from the brain to the foot in order, from level to level.

Rather, the thought certainly encompasses all the limbs, and therefore it acts in the foot too at the very moment that it arises in his thought to move his foot.

Nevertheless, the main dwelling place of thought and its revelation is certainly in the brain, where it is enclothed as inner light; but it also encompasses all the limbs as an encompassing [light]

(and see Etz Chaim, Sha’ar Seder Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah, end of chapter 13: “For thought, with the action,” etc. And from this will be understood what is written in Etz Chaim regarding Shabbos, that the encompassing lights enter as inner lights and higher encompassing lights are drawn down: that is, like the thought, which in the foot is an encompassing [light] and in the brain enters as an inner [light], as mentioned above).

From this analogy the matter of inner light and encompassing light will be understood a little: how, in truth, the encompassing [light] acts, brings into being and gives life, although it is not grasped at all in the worlds;

just as, in the analogy, the thought acts in the foot immediately because it encompasses all the limbs, although the foot does not grasp the thought at all, as mentioned above. And see what is written in the explanation on “My dove,” regarding “For My thoughts are not your thoughts.”

11Summary. The matter of the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin) and the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin): the level of “The whole earth is full of His glory” and the level of “I fill.” The inner light is rooted in the kav; and the encompassing lights, although they too were drawn from the kav, nevertheless have their root in the level of sovev kol almin.

The ascents of the worlds in Sabbatical cycles and jubilees are all within the level of memalei kol almin, inner light; but the level of sovev kol almin is “equal and equalizing,” etc. Therefore, “Better is one hour of teshuvah,” etc.

122. Now, as for what is written, “The whole earth is full of His glory,” specifically “the earth”: this is because “there is no glory but Torah”; kavod (glory) has the numerical value of thirty-two, which are the thirty-two paths of Chochmah (wisdom) and the thirty-two threads of the tzitzis.

And this is “His splendor is upon the earth and the heavens”: the earth precedes the heavens in the revelation of His splendor and radiance, may He be blessed, through the Torah; as is written in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, at the end of [the section on] “Shlomo had a vineyard.”

13The explanation is as mentioned above: the main revelation of G‑dliness in the vessels will be through the ascents of the worlds, fifty thousand jubilees, one elevation after another, until the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, is revealed.

Now, at the time of the Giving of the Torah, Israel drew down [the light] so that the Infinite Light, blessed be He, would be revealed now, to this world: [a revelation] for which there is needed a gradation and ascents, one elevation after another, fifty thousand jubilees, until they reach this revelation.

And through the Torah this revelation was revealed in this world, for “the Torah comes forth from Chochmah (wisdom),” and the Infinite Light, blessed be He, is enclothed specifically in Chochmah (and see what is written above regarding the festival of Shavuos, on “And G‑d spoke”).

Therefore, among the worlds as a whole, Atzilus is called Chochmah, because in it shines the level of the Chochmah of Adam Kadmon, which is enclothed in Atzilus through the Malchus of Adam Kadmon;

and therefore in Atzilus there is a revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, which shines in the manner of Chochmah, etc. In Beriah, by contrast, the level of Chochmah shines only through complete enclothement in Binah;

and this is the matter of the screen (masach), etc. And in Yetzirah it shines only through a further enclothement in the Z’eir Anpin of Beriah, etc.; as all this is written in Etz Chaim, Sha’ar Seder Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah, chapter 3.

14Now, at the time of the Giving of the Torah there was below, in this world, a revelation of the supernal Chochmah (Chochmah Ila’ah) that shines in Atzilus, of which [it is said], “He is wise, but not with a knowable wisdom”: in that Chochmah the Infinite Light, blessed be He, is actually enclothed and shines. This very revelation was at Mount Sinai.

And this is “The voice of my Beloved,” etc., “leaping,” etc.: according to the order of the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus), this revelation would have required fifty thousand jubilees, but the revelation came by a leap, not according to the order of hishtalshelus.

(It is also understood that the relation of Asiyah to Atzilus is like that of the inanimate to the speaking [being]; therefore “Malchus nests in Asiyah, and Chochmah in Atzilus.” And see what is written above, in Parshas Bereishis, on the verse “And He formed,” etc. And when the supernal Chochmah that shines in Atzilus is drawn down and revealed in Asiyah, this is a great and tremendous leap, etc.)

And this is “The whole earth is full of His glory,” specifically “the earth”: at the Giving of the Torah there was revealed in this world the level of the supernal Chochmah itself, far, far higher than in the higher worlds, etc., as mentioned above.

Therefore, for this revelation, which is by way of a leap, to come about, this is the matter of the thirty-two paths of Chochmah, and this is the matter of the thirty-two threads of the tzitzis.

For tzitzis is from the expression “And he took me by a lock (tzitzis) of my head,” which is the drawing down of the level of hairs to shine to the Congregation of Israel (Knesses Yisrael). And see what is written above in the discourse beginning “And it shall be for you as tzitzis.”

15Now, this needs to be understood. For the main [order] of the chain of descent (hishtalshelus) is that the Netzach, Hod and Yesod of Imma become the intellect (mochin) of Z’eir Anpin, and the Netzach, Hod and Yesod of Z’eir Anpin become the mochin of Nukva.

If so, Malchus receives from the level of the Netzach, Hod and Yesod of Z’eir Anpin, which are its very being; what, then, is this illumination of the tzitzis, which is only the level of hairs, when hairs are not the essence and being of a person at all, as is seen below in man?

But the explanation is that, on the contrary, this drawing down through the hairs, which are the tzitzis, is what is drawn from above the order of the chain of cause and effect; and therefore it cannot be drawn down except through the level of hairs.

16That is, the drawing down that comes through the tzitzis into Malchus is from the mochin of Abba and Imma themselves; whereas the order of the chain of descent is that the Netzach, Hod and Yesod of Tevunah are enclothed in Z’eir Anpin, and then from the Netzach, Hod and Yesod of Z’eir Anpin [the light] is drawn down and enclothed in Nukva.

And this is because the illumination is small, being only the level of the Netzach, Hod and Yesod of Z’eir Anpin; therefore they can be enclothed in their very essence and being, to become mochin for Nukva.

But when it is necessary to draw down into Malchus from the mochin of Abba and Imma themselves, not through actual enclothement in Z’eir Anpin in the way and order of the chain of descent,

then, because their light is great, it cannot be drawn down to the mochin of Nukva except by way of the level of hairs alone.

Therefore, regarding a nazirite it is said, “He shall be holy; he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long”; and [this is] like the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, which are drawn from the level of hairs, etc.,

as is explained elsewhere. And it is like the analogy of the hairs, which are not united with the person as the limbs are, for one can cut a hair and it does not hurt him, which is not so with a limb, etc.;

yet nevertheless they are joined at their root to the brain, and from there they draw their nourishment, and they have been contracted so much that they have become like a separate thing, etc.

So too, for there to be a drawing down and revelation from above the order of the chain of descent, it is impossible through the enclothement of the level of Netzach, Hod and Yesod, which are the level of limbs, that they become mochin; it is only through hairs, etc.

17And this is like what was explained in the discourse beginning “And now, I pray, let [the power] be great,” in explaining “as You have spoken, saying”: that from the level of speech in the World of Atzilus come [what serve] as Chochmah, Binah and Daas, the source of intellect, for the World of Beriah, etc. And the letters of speech are also called hairs, as is explained in the discourse beginning “And you shall make holy garments.”

18And this too is a drawing down from above the chain of cause and effect. Therefore, although it is drawn down only in the manner of hairs, it is infinitely higher than the drawing down that comes by way of the chain of descent, even though that is from the level of essence, in that the Netzach, Hod and Yesod of the higher [level] actually become the mochin of the lower.

19And this is [the meaning of] what is written of the Giving of the Torah, “Havayah, when You went forth from Se’ir,” etc.: the revelation was through the level of hairs (se’aros). For since the drawing down was not in the way of the chain of descent, as mentioned above, what requires

fifty thousand jubilees until the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, is revealed was revealed in this world at the time of the Giving of the Torah. And this was through the thirty-two paths, which are the thirty-two threads of the tzitzis, which are the level of hairs;

that is, just as in the hair there is nourishment from the brain itself, only it has become coarse and enclothed in the form of a hair, so too is the matter of “The Torah is the nobelos (fallen fruit) of the wisdom above”: [the Torah,] which is His wisdom, may He be blessed, [of whom it is said,] “wise

but not with a knowable wisdom,” only that it has been enclothed in physical matters. This is like the drawing down through the level of hairs: the being of this wisdom bears no comparison at all to the being of the supernal Chochmah

as it is above; and nevertheless, within it there is actually [something] of the being of the supernal Chochmah that is above the chain of descent, just as within the hair there is nourishment from the brain itself.

20And this is the matter of the thirty-two paths (nesivos) of Chochmah (wisdom): a path is narrow, and it extends very far, to a distant place, as one walks on it from city to city. So is the matter of “The whole earth is full of His glory,” and “there is no glory

but Torah,” the thirty-two paths of Chochmah (and see what is written on the matter of paths on “And all your borders of precious stones”). And this is the matter of the tzitzis,

as it is written, “And the hair of His head like pure wool”: this is the drawing down of the chasadim (kindnesses), white hairs drawn from above to below in the thirty-two paths of Chochmah.

For there are also hairs of Z’eir Anpin, which are judgments (dinim), as is written in the Zohar, Parshas Tazria (page 48b), on the matter of “And if a man’s head becomes bald,” etc.;

but these hairs of the tzitzis are chasadim, because the source of the drawing down is from the hairs of Arich Anpin. See Pri Etz Chaim, Sha’ar HaTzitzis, chapter 5, in the discourse of the Companions; and see there, and in chapter 3:

“and also because there,” etc., “and they whiten the hairs,” etc. And see Emek HaMelech, Sha’ar 14, chapter 40, and Sha’ar 10, chapter 9, on the matter of the tzitzis.

And this is close to what is written in Etz Chaim, Sha’ar Abba and Imma, chapter 3, in a gloss from the first recension (mahadura kamma) that begins “We have already explained,” etc. And see the Zohar, Part III

(Nasso, page 140a): “And at the time that the white hairs are drawn down,” etc., “it is written, ‘Wisdoms cry aloud in the street,’” etc. And this is the matter of “the corner”: “of the same kind as the corner.”

For the tallis is the level of the encompassing [light] that is above the chain of descent, the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin); and the tzitzis, which are the thirty-two paths of Chochmah, although they are what is drawn down to shine as inner light, the level of the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin), which is only a radiance and illumination,

are nevertheless truly “of the same kind as the corner,” for this drawing down too is by way of a leap, not in the order of the chain of descent of the worlds, which are drawn from the level of memalei kol almin, as mentioned above;

rather, it is a revelation of the supernal Chochmah itself; and “Chochmah is found from ayin,” and Chochmah itself is also called ayin (nothing) in relation to Binah, which is called yesh (something),

for in it the Infinite Light, blessed be He, actually rests, as was explained above at length in the discourse beginning “And [G‑d] spoke,” etc., “I,” etc. Thus the revelation of the supernal Chochmah is drawn down to become “The whole earth is full of His glory,” “His splendor is upon the earth,” etc.

21And this is “the corner”: “of the same kind as the corner,” the level of “and the hair of His head like pure wool,” which is drawn from the level of the whiteness of the skull (chivra degulgalta). And elsewhere it was explained in another way, for

“the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, is the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), etc., and He cannot be enclothed in any vessel as inner light, etc.,

except in the level of Chochmah (wisdom) alone, etc.” End of quote. From this it is implied that in Chochmah there shines, as inner light, what is the level of sovev kol almin and encompassing light.

And so it is implied from the discourse on “Take the census of the sons of Gershon,” regarding the sons of Kehas, who carried the Ark: [the Ark,] since “the Torah comes forth from Chochmah,” is higher than the level of the curtains that the sons of Gershon carried, even though the curtains allude to the level of the encompassing [light] and sovev kol almin, as it is written, “He stretches out the heavens like a curtain.”

Rather, it is because in Chochmah the Infinite Light shines as inner light, and it is the central point around which the circle revolves, etc.;

see there. And so it is implied in the discourse beginning “For Avraham does not know us,” in what is written: “And the supernal Chochmah of Atzilus is an intermediate level, and it comprises the level of the Emanator, the Infinite One, blessed be He,” etc., “the level of sovev kol almin,” etc.

And so it is implied in Biurei HaZohar, at the beginning of Parshas Vayetzei. According to this, what is written in [Midrash] Rabbah, Bereishis, section 4, fits well: “A Samaritan asked Rabbi Meir: Is it possible that He of whom it is written, ‘Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’

would speak with Moshe from between the two poles of the Ark? He said to him: Bring me large mirrors. He said to him: Look at your reflection in them.

He saw it large. He said to him: Bring small mirrors. He brought him small mirrors. He said to him: Look at your reflection in them.

He saw it small. He said to him: If you, who are flesh and blood, change yourself in whatever way you wish,

He who spoke and the world came into being, blessed be He, how much more so! Thus, when He wishes, ‘Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’

22and when He wishes, He would speak with Moshe from between the two poles of the Ark.” End of quote. From this it is understood how

the very same level of which it is said, “The heavens and the earth I fill,” which is the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), as mentioned above, this very level shines

and is revealed from between the two poles of the Ark. As is also understood from the analogy of the mirrors: even in the small mirror, where the person’s reflection appears small, nevertheless it is all the very being of one person.

So too above there are Z’eir Anpin and Arich Anpin, and it is explained elsewhere that in the inner dimension of Z’eir Anpin the level of Arich Anpin is actually enclothed (and see the Zohar, Part III, Acharei 66b; Nasso, page 130a).

That is, in the way mentioned above: in Chochmah (wisdom) the Infinite Light itself is enclothed as inner light, and this level shines in the chamber of the Holy of Holies, between the two poles of the Ark.

According to this, the matter of “the corner”: “truly of the same kind as the corner” fits very well. For in the level of “and the hair of His head like pure wool,” which is an influence from the level of Chochmah, there actually shines [light] from the level of sovev kol almin,

only it has been contracted to shine as inner light, like the analogy of the small mirrors. As is also written in Biurei HaZohar, Parshas Acharei, on the passage there

(page 79b), “Bring an atonement for Me,” on the matter of the yud of the Name Havayah: although it is the level of contraction (tzimtzum), it is not complete concealment,

but rather in the manner of “A person should always teach his student in a concise way.” And as was mentioned on this above, in the explanation on “Thus shall you bless,” regarding “and the measure of an olive’s bulk.”

23And it also corresponds to the analogy mentioned in the Midrash, of the small mirrors, which is also like “A person should teach his student in a concise way.” And in the same way is the matter that the Kohen Gadol would pray a short prayer on Yom Kippur, which is “a little that holds much.”

And the root of this level is from the level of Akudim mentioned in Etz Chaim, “bound together (akudim) in one vessel,” which is also the beginning of revelation as inner light out of the concealment of Adam Kadmon.

24And this is “Like the good oil upon the head, running down upon the beard,” etc. The level of “the good oil” is the hidden Chochmah (Chochmah Stima’ah) of Atika Kadisha, or the Chochmah of Akudim, which is drawn down upon the skull (Gulgalta) and afterwards runs down and is drawn upon the beard,

that is, to shine as inner light through the laws of the Torah, as mentioned above. And this is the matter of “the beard of Aharon, that runs down over the collar of his garments (middosav)”: that is, through this, great love (ahavah rabbah) is bestowed and drawn into the Congregation of Israel (Knesses Yisrael), etc.

(And see what is written above on “When you kindle” and on “And you shall make holy garments.”) And this is the matter of the white in the tzitzis, for the color white is from the level of “and abundant in kindness,” so as to be the influence of Chochmah and the influence of great love.

25Summary of the above. Now, the matter of “The whole earth is full of His glory,” “there is no glory but Torah”: what, through fifty thousand jubilees, will be a revelation of the Chochmah of Adam Kadmon, which shines only in Atzilus, and not so in Beriah, etc.,

was revealed in this world at the time of the Giving of the Torah; and this is a tremendous leap, like a revelation of the speaking in the inanimate. And this is the matter of the tzitzis, which are the level of hairs: it is when [the light] is drawn to Nukva from Chochmah and Binah themselves, etc.;

and so the revelation of the supernal Chochmah in this world, in the laws of the Torah, is like the drawing of the brain into the hair, etc. And this is the matter of the white in the tzitzis, whose root is from the level of “and the hair of His head like pure wool.”

26And this is also the matter of the beard of Aharon, to be the influence of great love. At any rate, the threads and the hairs are the drawing down of the inner light; however, it is also above the order of the chain of descent (hishtalshelus),

that is, the revelation is drawn down below from the level of the supernal Chochmah itself, in which the Infinite Light, sovev kol almin, rests: the union and bond of the inner light with the encompassing light. And this is “the corner”: “of the same kind as the corner,” etc.

273. Now we will explain the matter of the threads of techeiles in the tzitzis. Techeiles is from the expression kalah (destruction): that is, that one destroy and eradicate the evil from within himself, as it is written, “And you shall eradicate the evil from your midst,” and as it is written, “And you shall not stray after your heart and after your eyes, after which you go astray (zonim).”

28Now, the expression zonah (harlot) is like the harlot who receives from another giver and is unfaithful. So it is [here]: for the Congregation of Israel (Knesses Yisrael) are called recipients from the Holy One, blessed be He,

and He is their giver; as is written in [Midrash] Rabbah, Bamidbar, at the beginning of section 3, on “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree”: “Just as this palm tree has a longing, so the righteous have a longing. What is their longing? The Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, ‘My soul, I have longed for You in the night.’”

29And this is “And you shall not stray,” etc., “after which you go astray (zonim)”: for when you stray after your heart and receive from another giver, then there will be the quality of harlotry, like a harlot.

And this is why it is first written, “And you shall see it, and remember, and do them,” and [then] “and you shall not stray”: it is like a harlot, who at first had one giver and afterwards receives from another giver.

Whereas if she had no giver at first, that is, she is unmarried and receives from another giver, this is not the zonah spoken of in the Torah with regard to the prohibition to [marry] a kohen (as stated in the Gemara, chapter 6 of Yevamos).

So too, by way of analogy, above: to one who has never in his life seen light, even darkness seems like light. But when one has first received from the Holy One, blessed be He, and has recognized Him, as it is written, “Know this day and take it to [your heart],” etc.,

and has distanced the evil, as it is written, “and do them,” then [applies] “and you shall not stray after,” etc., “after which you go astray,” etc.: he is like a harlot who is forbidden to her husband, and so he cannot receive within himself a revelation of G‑dliness except through teshuvah,

as stated in Yoma (page 86b): “Rabbi Yochanan said: Great is teshuvah,” etc., “‘and you have played the harlot,’” etc., “‘and return to Me,’” etc.; see there.

But people who have not walked after the fear of G‑d are not the level of a harlot; [they are like] one who has not seen light, etc.

But in truth, it is said, “And your people are all righteous,” and of all of them it is said, “My soul, I have longed for You,” etc. Nevertheless, the practical difference is

that there is an inner dimension (pnimiyus) and an outer dimension (chitzoniyus); and the more closeness to G‑d anyone has absorbed in his inner being, the more he must not be

like a harlot even in subtle matters, such as permitted desires. And this is the matter of techeiles, which “consumes and destroys” the evil of the animal soul, which is from kelipas nogah. That is, in order for there to be “and you shall eradicate the evil”

and “you shall not stray,” this is through the threads of techeiles; for techeiles is called “the Throne of Judgment, on which capital cases are judged” (in the Zohar, Part II, Terumah, page 139a, and at the end of Parshas Sh’lach, page 175a).

From this awe will be drawn forth, to be fear of sin, as is written there in Parshas Korach (178b): “Were it not for judgment, there would not be found in the world,” etc.; see there; and it is explained elsewhere.

In truth, the main meaning of fear of sin is to be afraid of the sin [itself], for evil is more bitter than death, as it is written, “death and evil.”

That is, just as through the fulfillment of the mitzvos his soul is greatly elevated, so, correspondingly, through evil it is said, “And the soul of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the hollow of a sling,”

that is, being slung to a place very, very far from the light of G‑d’s countenance; so much so that the judgment and sentence that is drawn upon the sinner from the Throne of Judgment is

like a remedy for him, as the saying goes, “Better that he be judged and come to the World to Come,” for all the sufferings of Gehinnom are worthwhile, etc. Therefore the purpose of the judgment mentioned above is kindness,

and not vengeance, G‑d forbid; as is explained on this in the discourse beginning “Arm men from among you.” And from this a person will draw great awe into his soul, to be very afraid of sin,

since even the Throne of Judgment above, on which capital cases are judged, is a tremendous good, and “better that he be judged,” while the sin is worse. Therefore from the level of techeiles will be drawn [the power] for “and you shall not stray,” etc.

30Now, our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Techeiles resembles the sea”: this is the level of the Malchus (sovereignty) of Atzilus, which is called “sea.” “And the sea resembles the sky (rakia)”: this is the level of an encompassing [light], as is written in the Zohar at the beginning of Parshas Chayei Sarah. For regarding the sea it is also written, “and the sea stood upon them, above,” as is explained elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “Who has counted.”

31Now, it is written, “When the camp journeys,” etc., “and they shall spread over it a cloth entirely of techeiles, above”: that is, when the Mishkan journeyed in the desert, which is the dwelling place of the external forces (chitzonim), they would cover the vessels of the Mishkan with cloths of techeiles, which is the level of the encompassing [light] of Malchus; and it is the severe encompassing [light], which blinds the eyes of the external forces.

32The explanation is, as was explained above regarding the encompassing [light]: it is what is not drawn down and enclothed in the vessel, because its light is so great that the vessel cannot contain it at all;

and therefore it encompasses head and foot alike. It was also explained above that the root of all the encompassing lights is from the great encompassing [light] that encompasses all the worlds equally, etc.;

and therefore the encompassing [light] repels and blinds the eyes of the external forces. For the nurture of the external forces comes specifically by way of the chain of descent (hishtalshelus) in vessels, from various vessels, through which even that which is yesh (separate existence) can receive nurture; whereas through the encompassing light they are repelled before it.

But the last encompassing [light], that of Malchus (sovereignty), is the level of techeiles, which is the severest of them all. For since Malchus descends into Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, where the external forces draw their nurture, they could have gained control over the flow; therefore in Malchus specifically there must be the encompassing [light] of techeiles, which is severe and blinds the eyes of the external forces most of all.

And this is techeiles, which “consumes and destroys”: “A king, through justice, establishes the land.” And this is what is said in the Zohar, Parshas Korach (page 177b): “And most of the covering of the vessels of the Sanctuary was techeiles, because techeiles, as has been established,” etc.; and see there, in Parshas Sh’lach (page 163b).

However, the threads of techeiles in the tzitzis are drawings-down, in an inner way, from the level of techeiles mentioned above; and this is the drawing down of the level of awe.

For the tallis is “the King’s spread” (perisu demalka), accepting the yoke (kabbalas ol) of the Kingdom of Heaven, “You shall surely set a king over yourself”; and the threads of techeiles in the tzitzis are the drawing down of the level of awe, drawn into the soul, which comes through the level of hairs.

(Elsewhere it is explained that techeiles is from the gevuros of Abba, and white is from the level of Imma. It is also explained that techeiles and white are a revelation from the encompassing lights of Abba and Imma.

The explanation, as is known: there are four levels, dechilu u’rechimu (awe and love) and afterwards rechimu u’dechilu (love and awe). Thus the level of great love (ahavah rabbah) is in the level of Binah, and this is the matter of the white threads.

But the higher awe is techeiles, the level of the Gevurah of Abba, which is above even great love; and it is also called a revelation of the encompassing lights of Abba. For this higher awe is like “but a great trembling fell upon them,” because “their mazal saw,” etc.

Nevertheless, the techeiles is in Malchus, which is the lower awe; for so it is: the lower awe has its root in Chochmah and in the higher awe: “their end is wedged in their beginning.” And see what is written in the discourse beginning “And this is the commandment,” on the matter of “And now, Israel, what,” etc.,

“but to fear Havayah your G‑d.” And see further on the matter of techeiles in the Zohar, Part I, Bereishis, page 51a; Terumah, 135a.)

And this is the matter of the mitzvah of four tzitzis, so that one is surrounded by mitzvos: two tzitzis in front of him and two tzitzis behind him. Of the two behind him, one corresponds to the level of “His left hand is under my head,” and the second to “and His right hand embraces me,”

that is, corresponding to the two levels of techeiles and white. The techeiles is from the level of Gevurah and is called “His left hand,” and it is called “the left hand that pushes away,” in the manner of “And his sister stood from afar”; and it is not a true pushing away, as is explained on the verse “And let Your dread not terrify me,” etc.,

and as it is written, “From afar Havayah appeared to me,” for the level of Chochmah is the level of “afar.” But from it there is also drawn an actual pushing away of the sitra achra (the other side), for the encompassing [light] of techeiles repels and blinds the eyes of the external forces;

and this is what is written, “And you shall not stray,” etc., “after which you go astray”: not to be in the state of a harlot, G‑d forbid; and that is through drawing down awe and the dread of G‑d.

And the level of “and His right hand embraces me” is the level of love. And the two tzitzis in front of him are opposite the heart, to draw higher lights into the heart, etc.

(The meaning, as is explained elsewhere: there are two kinds of love. There is the love that comes from comprehension, from contemplating the greatness of G‑d; and there is a love that is a burning enthusiasm beyond one’s comprehension. Now, the love that follows comprehension is called “face to face,”

for in the face there is everything: intellect, sight and hearing. Whereas love that does not follow comprehension is called “back,” etc.; as in the back there are only bones and the nape of the neck; and as when someone pushes a person at the nape, and he does not know where this came to him from, etc.

Now, to come to a greater comprehension, which is “face to face,” there must first be “back to back”: that is, his heart must burn with enthusiasm beyond the measure of his comprehension, etc. In this way one can explain the matter of the two tzitzis behind him; and this is the level of “the tips of the hairs,” which strikes from behind, etc.:

love and awe beyond his comprehension; and from this he will come to a greater comprehension, and that love and awe are the two tzitzis in front of him, etc. One may further say that the levels of “back” and “face” are called iskafya (subduing) and is’hapcha (transforming), as is explained in the discourse beginning “Remember [what] Amalek [did]”; and so from the level of the two tzitzis behind him will be drawn the power

to come to the level of iskafya, the level of “making it into love”; and through this he will afterwards come to the level of “love in delights,” and this is the matter of the two tzitzis in front of him. And see what is written in the discourse beginning “And I was beside Him as a nursling,” on the matter of “Back and front You formed me,” and in the discourse beginning “On the eighth day he sent.”)

Now, the superiority of the love and awe drawn down through the tzitzis is this: there is love and awe that follow the chain of descent, in which the emotive attributes (middos) are drawn from the intellect;

but there is love and awe that are above the order of the chain of descent, from the level of “and abundant in kindness,” etc., and the higher awe; and this is drawn down through the tzitzis.

Therefore they are the level of threads, which are called hairs; as was explained above, for there to be a revelation in an inner way from above the order of the chain of descent is specifically through the level of hairs.

And this is the matter of the threads of the tzitzis, as mentioned above. And see what is written on the verse “And you shall make a tzitz,” etc. (Summary. The matter of techeiles: an expression of kalah, for it destroys and eradicates the evil of the animal soul, to fulfill what is written, “And you shall not stray.”

And not to be in the state of “you go astray,” even in subtle matters and permitted desires; for from contemplating the matter of the Throne of Judgment, fear of sin will be drawn forth. And techeiles resembles the sea, the Malchus of Atzilus, and the sea resembles the sky, an encompassing [light]; and techeiles is the encompassing [light] of Malchus, which repels and blinds the eyes of the external forces.

Therefore, regarding the journeying of the vessels of the Mishkan, it is written, “And they shall spread a cloth,” etc., “of techeiles,” etc. And the threads of techeiles in the tzitzis are the drawing down of awe. And the matter of the two tzitzis behind him is “His left hand is under my head, and His right hand embraces me”; and the two tzitzis in front of him, etc.

And in general, the love and awe drawn down through the tzitzis are from the level of the higher love and awe, which are above the order of the chain of descent; therefore they are drawn specifically through the threads of the tzitzis, and “the hair of His head like pure wool.”

And in [Midrash] Rabbah, Nasso, section 14, it is stated: “Because techeiles resembles grasses, and grasses resemble the sea,” etc.; and see there many more levels, up to “glory.” And one may say that the meaning of “resembles grasses” is along the lines of what is written in the discourse beginning “And these are the ordinances,” in explaining the matter of “And I will give grass,” etc.; see there.)

334. Now the matter of Korach’s dispute and his error will be understood. Korach said, “A tallis that is entirely techeiles,” etc.; and in the writings of the Arizal it is explained that Korach was jealous of Aharon’s beard, etc. And it is all one matter, for

the Kohen Gadol is called “the groomsman of the Matronita (the Queen),” for he raises the souls of Israel to their source in the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He; and that is by drawing down great love (ahavah rabbah) to them.

And this is the matter of “the beard of the Kohen Gadol,” as it is written, “Like the good oil,” etc., “the beard of Aharon, that runs down over the collar of his garments (middosav)”:

that is, through him there is drawn and comes down, from the level of the middos (attributes) of the Holy One, blessed be He, great love, from the level of “and abundant in kindness.” Therefore it is drawn specifically through Aharon’s beard, the level of hairs; for since it is

from above the order of the chain of descent (hishtalshelus), therefore it cannot be drawn down except through the level of hairs specifically, so to speak; unlike the love that is born and drawn only from the intellect, which is in the manner of the chain of descent. And this is along the lines of what was explained above.

And this is the matter of “the beard of Aharon, that runs down over the collar of his garments (middosav),” etc., meaning the middos that are above comprehension, etc. And this is also the matter of the threads of the tzitzis, techeiles and white: the higher awe and love (dechilu u’rechimu ila’in), etc.

(And in the two tzitzis in front of him, the love and awe are drawn down by way of the level of “face,” which is the level of comprehension; that is, it is drawn from above Chochmah into Chochmah and Binah, etc.)

But of the Levites it is said, “And they shall pass a razor,” because the Levites are from the left side, from the level of gevuros; therefore, on the contrary, the drawing down must not issue from them further in the form of hairs and contractions

(for if so, this would be a multiplication of the forces of judgment; and therefore of this it is said, “And if a man’s head becomes bald, he is bald (kere’ach); he is pure,” as is written in the Zohar, Part III, Tazria)

(page 48b and page 49a); and on account of this he was called Korach, because the Levites must be so. Only in the kohanim, whose root is from the level of “and abundant in kindness,” are the hairs a drawing down of what is supernal.

On the contrary, only through the level of hairs alone can there be the revelation and drawing down from this level, for otherwise they could not contain it.

Whereas the Levites need not have hairs, etc. And something like this was explained above, in Parshas Emor, on “And I shall be sanctified among,” etc., regarding what is written of the nazirite, “He shall be holy; he shall let grow the locks,” etc.; see there.

34And although techeiles too is Gevurah, and yet, on the contrary, the threads of techeiles in the tzitzis are a drawing down of supernal holiness, [the cases] are not comparable.

For “techeiles is wool,” white wool, which is from the level of “the hair of His head like pure wool,” which, on the contrary, is the very truth of kindness (Chesed), only that it has been dyed the color of techeiles.

35And this is also the gevuros of Abba, which are sweetened gevuros: “The fear of Havayah [leads] to life.” And also, the light of Abba repels the external forces, as is written in Etz Chaim, in the discourse on the plagues (nega’im).

Whereas the Levites are, in essence, the level of Gevurah; and that is also the gevuros of Imma, for “from Binah judgments are aroused.” And although they too are supernal gevuros of holiness, to arouse the song and the yearning, etc.,

nevertheless, since from there judgments are aroused, there must be “and they shall pass a razor,” etc. And see what is written above in the discourse beginning “When you kindle the lamps,” on the matter of the offerings of the princes and Aharon’s kindling of the lamps, of which our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Yours is greater than theirs,” etc.; see there.

36And this was his jealousy of Aharon, who is the level of the groomsman of the Matronita: that from the level of Aharon’s beard and the hairs of the kohanim supernal holiness is drawn down, the drawing down of love and awe to the souls of Israel; whereas regarding the Levites, on the contrary, “And they shall pass a razor,” etc.,

for from them there is no drawing down of this level. And because he did not have this level of drawing down, he therefore disputed with him over this.

37And he said that there is no need at all for the level of hairs and the threads of the tzitzis, for the hairs and threads are the drawing down in the manner of contraction (tzimtzum). Therefore he asked, “A tallis that is entirely techeiles,” etc.

That is, he said that the main thing is the techeiles, for techeiles too is the level of gevuros, as mentioned above, “consumes and destroys,” etc.; and he said that the main thing is the tallis that is entirely techeiles,

that is, the encompassing [light], which blinds the eyes of the external forces, as mentioned above, and that it is exempt from the tzitzis, which are the threads and hairs that draw down the lights in an inner way. And he said that there is no need at all for this drawing down,

for the encompassing [light] itself is higher than the threads and the inner light drawn from it (and also, as was explained above, the root of all the encompassing lights is from the level of the great encompassing [light] that is above the kav and thread, etc.);

and how can it be that the mitzvah is not in the tallis, the encompassing [light] itself, but only when threads are drawn from it, which are only a contracted drawing down compared with the encompassing [light] itself, etc.?

And his intent was that by this he would also dispute the priesthood of Aharon: for if there is no need for the threads of the tzitzis, so too there is no need for the level of the drawing down that comes specifically through the hairs;

and therefore he too could be Kohen Gadol, even though among the Levites there cannot be a drawing down of supernal holiness from the level of hairs, for the reason mentioned above; for he said that a tallis entirely of techeiles needs no threads at all.

(And in Maggid Meisharim, Parshas Korach, this is also stated. And the root of the matter in Korach’s dispute, it may be said, is this: in the Time to Come the Levites will be kohanim, as is written in the Arizal’s Likkutei Torah on Yechezkel, for then the level of the gevuros will be elevated.

Therefore our Sages, of blessed memory, said in chapter 9 of Shabbos that in the Time to Come they will say to Yitzchak, “For you are our father”; and the Arizal’s Likkutei HaShas explains there that the gevuros will be primary, through the refinement of the World of Tohu, and the chasadim will be secondary to them; as the Ramaz writes in Parshas Eikev) (on page 271, end of side a).

In the same way the Arizal explained the Mishnah in chapter 5 of Avos: “Every dispute that is for the sake of Heaven will in the end endure,” etc., “this is the dispute of Shammai and Hillel.”

And they asked on this: how is it fitting to say of a dispute that it will endure, when only one of the views can endure, and the word “dispute” includes both sides? And they answered: because “these and these

are the words of the living G‑d,” and the words of Beis Shammai too have a root above, in Atzilus, only the halachah is not so; as is written in Midrash Shmuel on Avos there. But this is not a sufficient answer for the expression “will in the end endure.”

But the Arizal explained that in the Time to Come, in the days of Mashiach, the halachah will follow Beis Shammai, as the Mikdash Melech writes (Parshas Bereishis, page 17b); and this is “will in the end endure,” literally.

Therefore Korach wanted to make the gevuros primary even now. And this is the matter of “a tallis that is entirely techeiles” needing no threads, which are drawings-down, which is from the level of Chesed (kindness); and even the threads of techeiles are like the light of Chesed in the vessel of Gevurah (restraint),

for the thread is the drawing down, etc. And see what is written elsewhere on the matter of the second paragraph of the Shema, which is the level of Gevurah and nevertheless contains the Name Av (72), which is the level of Chesed.

But in truth “he erred in vision”: for this mode of conduct cannot be except after the completion of the refinements from the World of Tohu, which is the level of Gevurah, when the dross will be entirely refined away; and then even the evil inclination, which is from the level of Gevurah, will be transformed to be “very good.”

Whereas now, [in the time of] “today, to do them,” from the gevuros there is nurture for the external forces, and this is the matter of the evil inclination, etc. Therefore the chasadim are primary, and the gevuros, even those of holiness, must be secondary to the chasadim.

Therefore the halachah follows Beis Hillel specifically; although Shammai’s dispute was for the sake of Heaven, nevertheless “[the view of] Beis Shammai where it conflicts with Beis Hillel is not [considered] a Mishnah.”

38And this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said in the first chapter of Shabbos, page 17: “And that day Hillel was bowed,” etc., “and it was as hard for Israel as the day,” etc.

For at first glance the comparison is puzzling; but it is for the reason mentioned above: only in the Time to Come will the gevuros be elevated, and that only after they have been subdued to the chasadim.

And this is the matter of Beis Shammai; and see Yevamos (page 14a). Whereas Korach did not submit; therefore he had a downfall, etc. And see the Zohar, Part I, Bereishis, page 17, and Parshas Vayechi, page 250a.

39Summary. (The matter of the Kohen Gadol, Aharon’s beard, drawing down great love (ahavah rabbah), is close to the matter of the drawing down through the threads of the tzitzis. And because regarding the Levites it is said, “And they shall pass a razor,” he therefore disputed this and said that a tallis entirely of techeiles has no need at all for the threads of the tzitzis, which are the level of hairs, etc., so that through this he would be of account (yesh vedavar), even though he did not have the level mentioned above.)

405. And Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, answered him that even a tallis that is entirely techeiles needs, and is obligated, specifically to have threads made, because

the main foundation of Torah and mitzvos is to draw the revelation of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, below; as the saying goes, “If your heart runs, return to the One.” The level of running (ratzo) alone, which is the level of the Levites, etc., is not enough.

And for the drawing down and revelation below to be as inner light from above the chain of descent (hishtalshelus), it is specifically through the threads, which are the drawing of lights into the heart in an inner way. And although the threads are the level of contractions,

this is the rule: a supernal drawing down from above the order of the chain of descent, in an inner way, is impossible except through hairs and threads, etc.; and otherwise it would not be drawn at all as a drawing down and revelation below

(and the purpose of creation is “He formed it to be inhabited,” to be a dwelling place among the lower realms, that the revelation be from above to below; and see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “In the section of the libations it is written”),

and it would remain concealed and encompassing only. But the main thing is that it be drawn down as revelation, and that is specifically through the threads of the tzitzis.

Therefore the tallis has no holiness at all, and it is permitted to use it for mundane things, which is not so with the tzitzis; even though the tallis alludes to the encompassing [light], whose stature is very, very much greater than the holiness of the tzitzis, which are strands and inner light

drawn from it, as explained above. Nevertheless, that is the very reason: because of its great stature, being a light truly infinitely great, this drawing down cannot be revealed below at all, to be enclothed in the physical tallis.

But the tzitzis, since they are from the level of strands and inner light drawn from it through contraction (tzimtzum), in the form of hairs, can therefore be actually enclothed in the physical tzitzis.

41Therefore, even a tallis that is entirely techeiles — and techeiles resembles the sea, the sea of Chochmah, and the sea resembles the sky, the level of an encompassing [light] — is nevertheless obligated in threads of tzitzis of techeiles, which are strands and inner light drawn from there, to shine into the heart in an inner way.

For “one who says, ‘I have only Torah,’ does not have even Torah”; and one must draw down awe and love from above through the tzitzis, which are the hairs, etc.

(And this is “Korach, son of Yitzhar, took”: he took as his claim his being the son of Yitzhar, which is oil. The explanation: it was explained above what is meant by “Like the good oil upon the head,” etc., “the beard of Aharon,” etc.; and it is the mochin of Abba)

(in Parshas Vayikra, page 7b), and its root is from the flow drawn from the Yesod of Atika Kadisha upon the skull (Gulgalta) of Arich Anpin; see Parshas Emor, page 88, end of side b, and the Ramaz’s commentary there. Therefore it is above all the liquids. For wine is the mochin of Imma, the concealment that relates to revelation;

but the mochin of Abba are what is above the order of the chain of descent, for its root is from Atika Kadisha, which is “One, and not in the count” of the Ten Sefiros, etc.; as is explained elsewhere on the meaning of “G‑d Most High,” the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin).

42Now, this level of oil is what is drawn down through the performance of the mitzvos, which are called “For a mitzvah is a lamp,” as is explained in Torah Ohr, Parshas Mikeitz, in the discourse beginning “The matter of Chanukah” and in the discourse beginning “I saw, and behold, a menorah all of gold.”

But through the mitzvos it is still in the state of encompassing [light]; for it to come to revelation is through Chochmah (wisdom), the level of “and the Torah is light,” which is the revelation of the reasons of the mitzvos; for the light shines only through the oil in the lamp.

43And the oil itself does not shine, for it is the level of “He made darkness His hiding place,” which is the level of Keser (the Crown) and the supernal will, which is above comprehension.

Rather, it shines to revelation through the light of Chochmah (wisdom). And this is “And you shall gather your grain, your wine and your oil”: “your grain” is the revealed parts of the Torah, which are called wheat: “Come, eat of my bread.”

“Your wine” is the level of “wine enters, the secret comes out,” which is the secrets of the Torah. And this is like the body of the Torah and the soul, mentioned in Parshas Beha’aloscha (page 152a);

and “your oil” is the secret of secrets, the level of “the soul of the soul,” and like “the most hidden of all hidden,” for it is concealed even from the level of concealment, like “For He is exalted, exalted.”

As is explained in the explanation on “When you kindle,” on the meaning of “holy anointing oil”: the level of the supernal “holy” is the supernal Chochmah, and the oil anoints the “holy,” for it is the hidden brain (Mocha Stima’ah) of Atika.

For Abba draws from the eighth mazal, in which an illumination from the level of the oil of Mocha Stima’ah is drawn. And this is the matter of “Like the good oil,” etc., “the beard of Aharon.”

Therefore he is the son of Amram, which Rabbi Chaim Vital explained, as brought in the Mikdash Melech, Parshas Shemos (page 11b), as related to amar neka, “pure wool,” for he is Abba, who draws from the eighth mazal; see there.

And Korach held that his father is oil, and if so, he is Mocha Stima’ah, which is above the level of Aharon, who was anointed only with an illumination from it, drawn through hairs, etc.

44And although he is from Gevurah (restraint), in Mocha Stima’ah the Gevurah of Atik is enclothed, and from this Gevurah is the main root of the union, which is the flow of the oil, etc.

And see the Ramaz on Parshas Emor there: “The holy anointing oil is from the left side, of which it is said, ‘And you shall sanctify the Levites’”: that is, the Gevurah of Atik Yomin that is in Mocha Stima’ah. If so, he is higher than Moshe and Aharon, who are in the Chochmah and Binah of Atzilus, which receive only from the mazalos of Mocha Stima’ah.

45And it is like the hair, which bears no comparison to the essence of the brain. And see the Raaya Mehemna at the beginning of Parshas Ki Sisa, regarding “By what is it sanctified? By the court,” and the Ramaz’s commentary there.

And this is “Korach, son of Yitzhar, took”: he took as his claim his being the son of Yitzhar. That is to say: even granting that in Atzilus the chasadim are higher than the gevuros,

nevertheless, as to his being the son of Yitzhar, the level of the oil of Mocha Stima’ah, there the gevuros are higher, in the manner of “they will say to Yitzchak, ‘For you are our father’”: the inner dimension of Abba. And of Moshe it is said, “But My face shall not be seen.” And this is “to make the face shine with oil.”

46Therefore he thought that he, with his Gevurah (restraint), would reach higher than Moshe and Aharon, etc. But in truth he erred in this: the oil itself cannot be reached at all,

for it is “He made darkness His hiding place,” and there can be no revelation from it at all except after it is drawn down through the hairs specifically, the level of amar neka (pure wool), which is the level of Amram, as mentioned above.

47And this is the matter of Aharon: the level of nir’ah or (“light is seen”), [nir’ah having] the letters of Aharon; for in him and through him specifically light is seen. And it is drawn from the level of “oil for the luminary,” the source of the light.

But nevertheless, the oil itself gives no light at all, except through the light, which is the level of Chochmah (wisdom), which draws through the hairs of “pure wool” mentioned above.

Whereas Korach, the level of baldness (karchah), in whom there is no level of hairs, cannot draw down anything from the level of the good oil.

48Therefore, on the contrary, it is the very opposite: Moshe and Aharon specifically are called “the two sons of oil (yitzhar),” as is written in [Midrash] Rabbah, Bo, at the beginning of section 15; for in them

and through them specifically the level of “Like the good oil,” etc., is drawn down; as it is written, “How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity: like the good oil,” etc.,

which refers to Moshe and Aharon, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (in Horayos, chapter 3, page 12a, and in [Midrash] Rabbah, Parshas Korach, and in Parshas Vayikra, end of section 3. That is because they are from the level of the two mazalos, notzer and venakeh, in which

and through which specifically the level of the good oil is drawn down. Also, at the beginning of the emanation of the worlds there was a contraction (tzimtzum), and the light was drawn down specifically in the form of a kav (line of light) and thread, so that through this there could be a drawing down of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, as revelation, in an inner way, etc.;

whereas if it had not been drawn down as a kav, there could not have been any revelation below. And also, all the circles and encompassing lights are drawn from the Infinite Light only through the kav and thread, which is inner light and is drawn through contraction and an empty space beforehand, etc.;

and afterwards the level of the kav is drawn down, and then from it specifically the circles and the encompassing lights take their circular form, etc.; and otherwise there could not have been any drawing down at all. And see what is written elsewhere on the matter of “He who grazes among the roses”: do not read shoshanim (roses) but sheshonim (who study), etc.

So too in the threads of the tzitzis themselves, whose root is from the level of “the hair of His head like pure wool”: for it is stated in Etz Chaim, Sha’ar Arich Anpin, chapter 5, “And there is a level of hairs superior to the whiteness,” etc.; and so it is in Mevo She’arim, Sha’ar 3, Part 2, end of chapter 9, because the hairs are vavs and are drawn from the Tiferes of Atik, etc.

And also, it was explained above that the threads of the tzitzis are one matter with Aharon’s beard, which is why Korach, who disputed Aharon’s priesthood, also disputed the mitzvah of tzitzis.

And Aharon’s beard is the level of the thirteen tikkunim of the beard, where the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are. It is explained elsewhere that in the thirteen tikkunim of the beard there shines and is drawn an illumination far, far above the chain of descent (hishtalshelus): for the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are the level of “bearing iniquity,” to atone for the blemish and lack in the drawing down of the encompassing lights that are drawn through the mitzvos, etc.; so we are compelled to say that there shines in them an illumination that is above the encompassing [light].

And so it is in Mevo She’arim, Sha’ar 3, Part 2, end of chapter 5, on the matter of the second head of Arich [Anpin], which is enclothed in the thirteen tikkunim of the beard and not in the limbs, because of its great concealment, etc. And see what is written on this in the explanation on “I will greatly rejoice,” and at the end of the discourse beginning “For the mountains may depart,” on the matter of “What is the fruit of the mitzvos?”

And see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “You shall keep My Sabbaths,” on the meaning of “I am Havayah”: “I” is His Essence, may He be blessed, together with the Name Havayah, which is what shines through contraction, the level of the yud, etc.,

all truly one; as was written above in the name of Bereishis Rabbah, section 4: “Thus, when He wishes, ‘Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’ and when He wishes, He would speak with Moshe from between the two poles of the Ark”; and see there.

And this is what they said: “He contracted His Shechinah (Divine Presence) between the two poles of the Ark.” Thus this is called a contraction relative to the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He; and through it comes the main revelation, so much so that the vessel for the revelation of this very level is called the Holy of Holies; and nevertheless the revelation comes specifically through contraction.

And see what is written on the matter of the yud of the Name in the discourse beginning “Sarai your wife,” and elsewhere, on the saying of the Zohar) (Part III, Parshas Acharei, page 79), “Bring an atonement for Me,” etc.

And further, as is written in Parshas Vayishlach, in the discourse beginning “And he took from what came into his hand a gift”: Yaakov is yud-akev, etc.; although the yud is a contracted illumination, etc.,

see there, that it must be this level specifically. And along these lines it was explained on “It is better to take refuge,” etc., that the main thing is that Havayah be “for me,” etc.; see there.

49Now, through the revelation being drawn down now in the manner of a kav (line of light), through Torah and mitzvos, there will afterwards be, in the Time to Come, a revelation of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), which is above the kav, etc.: the encompassing [light] will be revealed as inner [light].

And that is specifically through the revelation of inner light first being drawn down from the level of the kav; only then can there also be, in the Time to Come, the revelation of the encompassing [light]; whereas if this revelation had not first been drawn down, etc. And this is “And it shall be said on that day,

‘Behold, this is our G‑d; we hoped (kivinu) for Him’”: through our having drawn Him down in the manner of lines (kavin), through the drawings-down that come through Torah and mitzvos,

which are three lines: Torah, service (avodah) and acts of kindness; through this the encompassing light itself, which is above the kav, will afterwards be revealed; as is explained elsewhere, in Parshas Vayikra, regarding the matter of service and the mitzvah of Torah study.

And this is the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, in Shir HaShirim Rabbah on “I am asleep”: “Open for Me one opening of teshuvah like the eye of a needle, and I will open for you openings that will be,” etc.; and see there in the Yalkut, and in the Zohar, Part III, Parshas Emor (page 95a):

“and I will open for you supernal gates”; and elsewhere they said, “and I will open for you [an opening] like the opening of the Hall (ulam).” The meaning: all the arousal from below (isarusa dilesata) in the world is called only an opening like the eye of a needle compared with the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, sovev kol almin, which bears no comparison to it, etc.;

for through this opening there can be drawn only from the level of the kav and thread that is drawn from the Infinite Light, blessed be He; and this is the meaning of “like the eye of a needle”: by way of analogy, it is that through which the thread is drawn.

50And this is the matter of “Yosef is a fruitful son (ben poras)”: poras has the letters of tofer (sews), that is, he joins the level of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah to Atzilus, so that the revelation below be as above; as is explained elsewhere on the verse “to do what is right,” etc.

And this is the matter of drawing the kav and thread from the Infinite Light down below as well. And this is through the opening of teshuvah and good deeds.

51Now, although it is only the level of “like the eye of a needle” and the drawing down of the kav, etc., yet through this specifically [comes] “I will open for you [an opening] like the opening of the Hall,”

which is the revelation of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), itself. From all this will be understood the matter of what Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, answered him: that the main thing is the drawing down of the threads of the tzitzis specifically.

For this is the purpose, and what is possible to draw down now; and through this, as a matter of course, in the Time to Come, “and I will open for you,” etc. And see [Midrash] Rabbah, Lech Lecha, end of section 43, regarding “from a thread to a shoelace,” etc.:

“How beautiful are your steps in sandals.” And see the Zohar, Part I, Vayigash (page 207b), on the matter of “a thread of kindness,” and the Ramaz’s commentary there.

(Part II, Terumah 149a; Part III, Vayikra 23b, and 25, end of side a and side b) and in Parshas Acharei (page 64, end of side b), and the Mikdash Melech there. And see Parshas Nasso (134a): “This precious, holy thread,” etc.

And in the Mishnah at the end of the first chapter of Kiddushin, of this it is said, “and the threefold cord,” etc. And see what is written elsewhere on the saying of the Zohar, Part I, Parshas Vayishlach (page 175b), on the matter of “For the ways of Havayah are straight.”

And see in Torah Ohr, at the end of the discourse beginning “And it was at the end,” what is written in explaining the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory (chapter 2 of Chagigah, 12b), “A thread of kindness is drawn over him by day.” And from this one may note what is written, “In the morning Havayah will make known”:

“morning” specifically. And see on the matter of “In the morning [Havayah] will make known” in the Midrash, and in the Zohar, Part III, Parshas Korach (176b), and Parshas Balak (page 204b), on the verse “In the morning I will set [my prayer] before You and wait.”

And it may be said that this is why, regarding the threads of tzitzis, we also hold that a night garment is exempt from tzitzis: for the main drawing down of the thread of kindness is from the level of the attribute of day, etc.

52Summary. In order for the revelation to be drawn down in an inner way, it must be through contraction (tzimtzum) and the drawing down of a kav; therefore it is forbidden to make use of the threads of the tzitzis, which is not so with the tallis.

And in the same way our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Whoever says, ‘I have only Torah,’” etc. And this is “Open for Me an opening of teshuvah like the eye of a needle,” and “Yosef is a fruitful son.”

53And the matter of “son of Yitzhar”: oil, the source of the intellect (mochin) of Abba; and the matter of “your grain, your wine and your oil.” And Aharon is drawn from the level of the illumination of Mocha Stima’ah that is in the mazalos notzer and venakeh. And Korach claimed that he was the son of the oil itself.

But in truth the oil itself is “He made darkness His hiding place,” and it cannot be drawn down except by its running down upon the head, the level of “and the hair of His head like pure wool,”

and likewise upon the beard; and this is specifically through Moshe and Aharon, as it is written, “How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity: like the good oil,” etc.