וידבר ה׳ כו׳ נשא את ראש בני גרשון…

1“And Havayah spoke, etc.: Lift up the head of the sons of Gershon, they too, by their fathers’ house, by their families, etc.” “And they shall carry the curtains of the Mishkan and the Tent of Meeting, etc.”

Now, the Levites carried the Mishkan in the wilderness [through] forty-two journeys: in the place where they encamped they set up the Mishkan, and when they journeyed they took it down (and in this way they journeyed forty-two journeys, etc.).

And this must be [explained], for the Torah is eternal; and now too there is in the Community of Israel (Knesses Yisrael) the level of a Mishkan and of Levites who carry it.

As it is written in Parshas Bechukosai, “And I will set My Mishkan in your midst,” and it is written in Parshas Terumah, “And I will dwell within them”; and our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “It does not say ‘within it,’ but ‘within them.’” That is, there is now too in the Community of Israel the level of a Mishkan and of Levites, etc.

And to understand all this well, we need to understand what is written, “The heavens and the earth I fill, etc.,” and it is written, “The whole earth is full of His glory”; for these two verses seem to contradict each other, etc.

(And see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “I am my beloved’s,” and in the discourse beginning “So that you shall remember,” on the matter of the tallis and the threads of the tzitzis, whose root is from the two levels mentioned above; and as is written in the discourse beginning “And Korach took, etc.,” and in the discourse beginning “The difference between the Yom Tov and miracle of Pesach and Chanukah.”)

But the explanation is: “From my flesh I behold G‑d.” And the meaning: in the life-force (chayus) of the soul that gives life to the body there are two levels and grades.

The first level is that the soul fills the whole body in a manner of division: the life-force of the soul divides according to the constitution of the vessels, the limbs of the body.

For in the head is the dwelling place (mishkan) of the intellect, because the vessel of the head is a vessel fit to receive the light of the intellect; and in the heart dwell the emotive attributes (middos), etc. (for it is a vessel fit to receive the emotive attributes);

and in the feet is enclothed the power of walking, for they are vessels fit to receive only the power of walking alone. For the life-force of the soul divides according to the constitution of the vessels of the body; and the division is, in general, into three levels, which are the power of the intellect in the head, and the emotive attributes in the heart,

and the power of walking in the feet, etc. For just as the vessels of the body divide, in general, into three levels, which are the head, and the middle of the body, which is the belly, etc., where the intestines are, etc.,

and the feet, so too the life-force of the soul divides into three levels, as mentioned above. Now, in the middle of the body there is the diaphragm (chatzar hakaved), which is the partition (parsa) that separates between the inner organs and the outer ones,

so that through this the waste will be pushed away and go outside (and see what is written on this in Torah Ohr, Parshas Lech Lecha, in the discourse beginning “And the curtain shall separate,” and below, in Parshas Shelach, at the end of the discourse beginning “And if it is eaten at all”).

And so it is above too (as will be explained below): it is the level of “the left pushes away,” etc. And in exactly the same way there is above the level of the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin).

That is, the life-force of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, which fills within all worlds to give them life, divides into parts according to the constitution of the vessels.

And in general it divides into three parts, which are the three worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah (Creation, Formation and Action), as it is written, “And for My glory I created him, I formed him, indeed I made him”; these are the division into three grades, which are the three worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah.

This is the level of the higher Gan Eden, the lower Gan Eden, and this world. And the three worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah mentioned above are the level of thought, speech and action, as is written in the discourse beginning “And I shall be sanctified among the children of Israel.” And above too there is the level of a partition that separates, etc.,

so that the outer forces will not take hold, etc. (And it may be said that this is the meaning of “indeed (af) I made him”: [the word] “indeed” interrupts the matter, like the level of a partition that divides between Yetzirah, which is like the body — for Chesed, Gevurah and Tiferes nest in Yetzirah — and Asiyah, the level of the feet.)

Now, just as above there is the level of [the light] that fills within all worlds, which divides into parts according to the constitution of the vessels, as mentioned above, and the life-force goes on diminishing,

as below in man, where in the head is the dwelling place of the intellect, and in the body the life-force diminishes, and in the feet it diminishes more, etc. (for exactly so it is above, in the level of the light that fills all worlds, etc.),

so too it is below, in the service of G‑d: if one serves only in the level of inner light (or pnimi), which is the level of “filling,” etc., which is gradual and ordered, etc.,

which does not overturn his nature (as was explained in the discourse beginning “And now, I pray, let it be great,” on the matter of “with all your soul” and “with all your might”: that the level of the love of “with all your soul” is called the level of “those who stand,” for one stands always on one level; and the level of

“with all your might” is the level of “walkers among those who stand.” And see what is written on this in Torah Ohr, at the end of Parshas Vayeishev, and in the discourse beginning “If you walk in My statutes.” And at any rate, “with all your soul” is what is drawn from the level of the lights that are in the vessels; and this is what is meant by what is written about the love that is gradual and ordered, etc.)

then he goes on diminishing, etc. That is: during prayer he is most closely bound to Him, may He be blessed, for his contemplation is expansive, etc.

And after prayer, when the contemplation becomes shorter, he goes on diminishing, etc. And all this is when his iniquities do not separate, etc. But if his iniquities separate, then he is pushed outside even during prayer

(as mentioned above, that there is the level of a partition that separates, etc., in order to push the waste outside. And this is “your iniquities that separate”: this does not mean a physical iniquity, but along the lines of what is written, “The heart is crooked above all, and it is sick,” as is written in the discourse beginning “Go out and see.” And this is [the meaning of] what is written, “It shall be healing to your navel.”

And we need to understand: why “your navel” specifically? And it must be said that this means: even “from your middle downward,” which is below the partition, even there there should be no blemish at all; that is, that there should not be a blemish of the covenant, etc.

And see what is written on the matter of “from your middle downward” at the end of the discourse beginning “There are sixty queens,” and in the explanation on [the verse] “And the number of the children of Israel shall be,” at its end. And this is through occupying oneself with Torah, of which it is said, “It shall be healing, etc.,” because it is the level of “a voice from above the firmament,” from above the partition.)

And all this is the level of the light that fills all worlds, which fills within all worlds to give them life and divides into parts, as mentioned above; for so too in the soul of man it is the level of the life-force that divides according to the constitution of the vessels of the body, etc., for that life-force is enclothed within the very vessels of the body, in the manner of “filling.”

2Summary. (The matter of the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin) in the analogy of the soul; and in the thing it illustrates, above; and in the service of G‑d, the level of “with all your soul.”)

32. And the second level that there is in the soul that gives life to the body is the level of the soul’s will (ratzon), which does not divide into parts, but rather fills within the whole body —

but only in the manner of encompassing light (or makif), which does not divide, etc. For the will is present within the whole body, since it rules over all the limbs of the body.

For example, if he wishes to put his foot, or the like, into fire, then immediately it will do so, as it arose in his will, etc.

4And although this is against its nature — for according to the natural conduct of the body it would not place the foot in fire, since that is hard for it, etc. —

nevertheless, when he wishes to put it into fire, etc., it will do so immediately. And this is because the will is what rules over all the limbs of the body, and it dwells within them in the manner of encompassing light.

Therefore it can bring about in the body something that is the opposite of its nature, such as putting his foot into fire, or into very cold water, or the like: although this is against nature, nevertheless it will do so immediately when it arises in his will, etc.

5And this is because the will does not divide according to the parts of the vessels of the body, to be enclothed within them in the manner of inner light (or pnimi), exactly according to their constitution, etc.;

rather, it encompasses all of them in the manner of encompassing light, without any division at all. And therefore it rules over them, and it can do something that is the opposite of nature, and [it is] the level that is above knowledge (daas)

(and this is the meaning of “with all your might.” And see what is written on the matter of this will in Torah Ohr, in the discourse beginning “And Moshe assembled,” that “there is will and there is will,” etc.; and at the end of the discourse beginning “And He spoke, etc.: Lift up the head of the whole congregation of the children of Israel, etc., by their skulls (legulgelosam)”; and what is written in the discourse beginning “And these are the ordinances.”

Now, in the discourse beginning “And now, I pray, let it be great,” mentioned above, and in the discourse beginning “Who has counted the dust of Yaakov,” it was explained that for this will to be drawn into the soul, it is drawn through the mitzvos. And this is the meaning of “If you walk in My statutes”: in order that they come to the level of “you walk,” this is through “My statutes,” etc.

And see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “Lift up … by their skulls,” mentioned above: that in order that they come to this level, this too is through the Levites; and this was the meaning of “And when the Mishkan encamps, the Levites shall set it up,” as will be explained.)

And in exactly the same way it is above: the supernal will is called the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), as is written on this in Torah Ohr, in the discourse beginning “Let them bring royal garments, etc.”;

see there. And the meaning of “encompassing all worlds” is that it does not divide into parts, etc., but rather it is the level of encompassing light over all of them equally, without any division at all; and therefore it is called by the name “encompassing” (sovev),

for it is like the analogy of a physical circle, which has no aspect of above and below at all. So too, by way of analogy, it is above: the level of the supernal will, blessed be He, is the level of the light that encompasses all worlds, which encompasses all worlds equally, having no aspect of above and below at all.

6As it is written, “As darkness, so light; even darkness is not dark for You, etc.” — for all are equal, being “as nothing before Him.” And see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “And you shall tell your son on that day, etc.”

And this is the intent of the verse, “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” — equally, without any division of above and below at all: the level of Keser (the Crown),

which is the supernal will, blessed be He, which is called the light that encompasses all worlds, which has no aspect of above and below at all, for it surrounds and encompasses all worlds equally, as mentioned above; and as is written in [Sefer Shel] Beinonim (Tanya), chapter 48; see there.

(And the intent of the verse in which it is written, “The whole earth is full of His glory,” is the level of the light that fills all worlds, which fills within all worlds to give them life, and divides into parts, as mentioned above.) And this is [the meaning of] “Holy” three times, etc.

That is, it is the level of the encompassing light of the three worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah; and as is written on this in the explanation on [the verse] “And now, I pray, let it be great,” mentioned above. And see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “Raise your staff”: that, in general, the two levels mentioned above are called the level of the order of the chain of descending worlds (seder hishtalshelus), and that which is above the order of hishtalshelus.

For the descent of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, one from the other, is the descent of thought, speech and action: the drawing of speech from thought is called hishtalshelus, etc. And so too in [divine] service, thought, speech and action: from contemplation is drawn the speech, that he speaks words of Torah, and the action, in the doing of the mitzvos.

But the level that is above hishtalshelus is the will, “the desire of the heart” (re’usa deliba), etc. (And see what is written on this on [the verse] “Who has counted, etc., and the fourth of Israel, etc.”)

7Summary. (The matter of the light that encompasses all worlds in the soul: the level of the will; the level of the Skull (Gulgalta), “your might.” And so too above: the will, the light that encompasses all worlds.)

83. Now, this is the meaning of the Mishkan, the level of “And I will dwell within them”: for the meaning of the Tent of Meeting (Ohel Moed) is the union and the drawing down of the level of the light that encompasses all worlds into the light that fills all worlds. And this is the meaning of “And I will meet with you there,” an expression of the bond and attachment of the Holy One, blessed be He, with Israel,

from the expression “And the man knew, etc.” (as is written in the discourse beginning “In the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting,” mentioned above, and in the discourse beginning “Naso,” above). And this is the meaning of the walking of the level of “walkers among those who stand,” and as is written

in Me’orei Or, letter hei, at the end of section 10: “‘Walking’ (halichah) is a term for union (zivug): ‘goes on the way’ — the Yesod (foundation) of Nukva (the feminine / Malchus); ‘with a blessed foot,’ which is Yesod.” End of quote.

And this is as is written in the discourse beginning “The eyes of all look hopefully to You,” in the explanation of “Her husband is known in the gates”: “known” (noda) is an expression of union and coupling, as in “And the man knew, etc.” And this is [the meaning of] “And you shall know this day, and take [it] to your heart, etc.”;

see there. And this is [the meaning of] “in the gates”: these are the fifty gates of Binah, which are drawn from the brain of Binah (understanding) to the heart. And this is “the eyes of all (kol),” along the lines of “the heart sees,” etc.; and when it is absorbed into the innermost part of the point of the heart, then it is called kallah (bride).

9And see what is written on this also at the end of the discourse beginning “When you go out, etc.,” [on] “a woman of beautiful form (yefas to’ar), etc.,” on the matter of “and afterwards you may come to her and be her husband”:

that is, the level of self-sacrifice (mesirus nefesh); and this is the matter of “falling on the face” (nefilas apayim) and the level of Ne’ilah, which is the culmination of the ascents. End of quote. And see what is written in Torah Ohr, in the discourse beginning “And Yaakov settled”; and these are its words:

“Now, at the time when the Holy Temple (Beis HaMikdash) stood, this level, ‘the desire of the heart’ (re’usa deliba), was drawn from the revelation of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, in the chamber of the Holy of Holies, etc.,

as is written in Sefer Shel Beinonim (Tanya): that one’s will be nullified to His will, may He be blessed; and as it is written, ‘For you shall be a land of desire (eretz chefetz), etc.’” End of quote.

10That is: for desire (chefetz) is the delight and the inner dimension of the will, that a person should be [in the state of] “My flesh and my heart pine (kalah), etc.” And this, by way of analogy, is the union, the level of “And your longing shall be for your husband,”

and he quenches her thirst, etc. And this is the meaning of “They shall be satisfied and delight in Your goodness, etc.,” [and] “Then you shall delight in Havayah, etc.”

11And this is the matter of the sons of Kehas, who draw down the inner light (or pnimi), the level of delight and desire; and the sons of Gershon draw down the will and the encompassing [light], etc.

Now, our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “We find the Mishkan called Mikdash (Sanctuary).” This implies that they are two levels, except that nevertheless the Mishkan is called Mikdash.

And the matter is as is written in Torah Ohr on [the verse] “And Yehudah approached him”: that the Mishkan was a temporary dwelling of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Mikdash was a permanent dwelling; and this was explained on [the verse] “How goodly are your tents, Yaakov.”

12And the matter is: for behold, it is written, “I remember for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your bridal days, your going after Me in the wilderness.” For as long as they were in the wilderness they were still in the level of back-to-back (achor be’achor), and in the Mikdash they were in the level of face-to-face (panim befanim); and so it is written in Me’orei Or, letter mem, section 57 and section 89. And the level of back-to-back is the level of subduing (iskafya) alone,

but the level of face-to-face is when one comes to the level of transforming darkness into light (is’hapcha chashocha linehora). And this is the meaning of “a land of desire,” as is written in Torah Ohr, Parshas Tetzaveh, in the discourse beginning “Remember,” on Amalek. And therefore it had to be the Levites [who] set up

the Mishkan. And as is written in the discourse beginning “Lift up … by their skulls,” mentioned above, in the explanation of “And when the Mishkan encamps, the Levites shall set it up”: the meaning of “and when the Mishkan encamps” is that when the level of the Mishkan descends from its rank, the setting up will be through the Levites; that is, in the soul of man below, whose radiance has descended and become enclothed in the body and the animal soul,

this is the counsel: to arouse within his soul the level of holy gevuros (forces of restraint); and they divide into three levels, Gershon, Kehas and Merari, as will be explained; and through this they will set it up.

13That is, to raise it from the level of its descent, to be attached to the living G‑d. And this is along the lines of what was explained on [the verse] “These are the accounts of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of the Testimony, etc., the service of the Levites.”

For through the service of the Levites, which is the song — and this is the matter of Pesukei deZimra (the Verses of Praise) — they raise up the level of the Mishkan, which is Malchus (sovereignty), to the level of the “Mishkan of the Testimony,” that is, Abba and Imma (Chochmah and Binah), “two companions,” etc.,

the level of [the Name] Yah. And this is like the matter mentioned in the Zohar, Part I, [Parshas] Vayeishev, folio 183, at the end of side b, on [the verse] “like a city that is joined together, etc.”

And along these lines our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “We find the Mishkan called Mikdash.” That is, it is the level of “He did not cease to cherish her until He called her ‘My mother,’ etc.”

14Summary. The matter of the Mishkan is the matter of the union, which is called walking. “The eyes of all”: kallah (bride). “Her husband is known in the gates.” “A land of desire”: delight; and “your longing shall be for your husband.”

But the Mishkan is a temporary dwelling, the level of subduing (iskafya) and back-to-back: “your going after Me.” And the Mikdash is transformation (is’hapcha), face-to-face. And therefore, “And when the Mishkan encamps, the Levites shall set it up.” “The accounts of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of the Testimony”: through the service of the Levites.

“Like a city that is joined.” 4. Now, the arousal of the supernal will, blessed be He, which is the level of “Holy,” the level of encompassing light (or makif), as mentioned above, so that the “Holy” mentioned above should dwell within one’s innards, etc. —

one arouses it and draws it down through the level of Gershon, who were the ones carrying the curtains of the Mishkan, as it is written, “And they shall carry the curtains of the Mishkan and the Tent of Meeting.”

15And our Sages, of blessed memory, said in the Midrash that just as it is said, “Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,” so is the matter of the curtains of the Mishkan; and this is the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), as is written on [the verse] “like the curtains of Shlomo,” at the end of the discourse beginning “I am black but comely.”

And through this drawing down from the level of the light that encompasses all worlds, one drives out the evil, as it is written, “It is better to take refuge in Havayah, etc.,” [and] “In the Name of Havayah I will cut them down”: for the encompassing [light] blinds the eyes of the outer forces.

And this is the meaning of [the name] Gershon, from the expression “And he drove him out (vayegarshehu), and he went, etc.”: for he drives out the evil within him through the nullification of his will before the supernal will, blessed be He.

As our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Nullify your will before His will, etc.”: that he should nullify his will before the supernal will, both in the level of “turn away from evil,” that he should not want them at all,

and in the level of “do good” (that he should want what he did not want, and what he wanted he should not want); for through the nullification of his will, etc., he overturns his nature, transforming bitterness into sweetness, etc.

As mentioned above, the will rules over all the limbs of the body, etc., and it can overturn nature, as mentioned above; therefore, when he nullifies his will before the supernal will, blessed be He, then he can overturn his very nature.

For the will is above choice and knowledge (daas), as mentioned above: the foot has no choice at all against the will when he wishes to put it into fire, etc., for it immediately does so, without any choice of its own at all.

16And this is because the will is above choice and knowledge. But first [comes] “Make His will as your will”; and this is the lower will, which accords with the intellect, and it is from the level of the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin), “with all your soul,” etc.

And afterwards, “Nullify your will” is the level of self-nullification (bittul) and complete removal, so that the supernal will shines in him. And this is the matter of the curtains of the Mishkan, the level of “Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain”

(and see what is written on the meaning of “The heavens are My throne,” in the discourse beginning “For as the new heavens, etc.” And therefore first there must be the sons of Merari setting up the boards, the level of “acacia wood standing”: this is the matter of “with all your soul,” for this is what is called “standing”: “As Havayah lives, before Whom I stood.”

And afterwards there must be “walkers among those who stand,” and this is the matter of the curtains of the Mishkan. But “walkers” [means] two kinds of walking: this is the matter of Gershon and Kehas, from below to above and from above to below, etc. And this is [the meaning of] “And I will walk among you”: two kinds of walking, etc.)

And in exactly the same way it is above: the supernal will, blessed be He, is loftier than the level of choice and knowledge, etc. And the meaning: choice is in knowledge (daas), etc.,

for with his knowledge he chooses the good, etc., and despises the evil, etc., and this discernment is through knowledge, as mentioned above; as it is written, “And you shall choose life, etc.”

(for the choice by which one chooses life, etc., is through knowledge, which discerns that life is good for him and death is bad for him). And above, the level called choice, which is in knowledge, etc., [is]

the level of the Tree of Knowledge, which is “the tree of good and evil.” And see what is written in the explanation on [the verse] “Who has counted the dust of Yaakov.” But the level of the supernal will, blessed be He, is above the level of choice and knowledge, for it is loftier than the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, etc.

(As mentioned above in the analogy: the will can do the opposite of nature, for one can place the foot in fire if he wishes, and the foot has no choice, as mentioned above.)

And so too it is in [divine] service: the nullification of will, by which one nullifies his will before the supernal will, blessed be He, is entirely above choice and knowledge, etc.

For choice is in knowledge, etc., as it is written, “And you shall choose life, etc.”; and the level of the nullification of will is above knowledge and choice, as mentioned above.

And this is what is written, “Havayah is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth”: this is the level of the nullification of will mentioned above, which is the calling that is in truth.

And this is [the meaning of] “You will give truth to Yaakov.” (And one may further say on the meaning of Gershon that it is along the lines of what is written, “And with the bounty of the moons’ yield (geresh yerachim),” and Rashi explains that the earth drives forth and brings out [produce] from month to month. Thus the growth of the fruits from the earth is called geresh, an expression of driving out (gerushin), because it drives them out from potential into actuality,

and from concealment to come out into revelation. And so the Radak explains in the Michlol [on] geresh yerachim: it is the time when the fruits peep out and blossom by the power of the moon, as if the moon drives them outward.

And so too, in every soul there is a hidden love; and that it should come out from concealment into revelation, this is the matter of “Who (mi) revealed this secret to My children, etc.”: “Who” is the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), like the matter of “Who created these, etc.”

And this is the matter of the sons of Gershon, the bearers of the curtains, the level of the light that encompasses all worlds; and by this power they bring the hidden love out from concealment into revelation. And this is like the matter of “And with the bounty of the moons’ yield (geresh yerachim)”: that it drives out and brings the hidden love out from concealment into revelation; and as is written on [the verse] “Better is open rebuke than hidden love, etc.” And along these lines the Pardes explains)

(Sha’ar 29, chapter 4) the matter of the two gerishin, which are Chesed and Gevurah: for Tiferes drives them from their place, moves them to the middle line, and inclines them toward Chesed.

And so too here it can be said, regarding Gershon, [that it means] these two drivings-out: that he drives out the animal soul and pushes away the evil, and through this the good that is in the animal soul will be driven from its place and will be inclined toward Chesed and love, to come to the level of “with all your heart,” with both your inclinations;

and so too he drives out and brings the concealment of the love that is in the G‑dly soul to come into revelation, etc. And it may be said that the meaning of geresh yerachim is from the term rei’ach (scent), [as in] “And he shall scent (vaharicho) the fear of Havayah,” as is written on the matter of “I have gathered (arisi) my myrrh,” and on the matter of “And Yehoshua sent, etc.,” [and] “and Yericho”; and what is written in the discourse beginning “See, the scent of my son, etc.”

17Summary. The matter of the curtains: “Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain.” “To take refuge, etc.,” “I will cut them down.” “Nullify your will”; and first there must be “Make [His will as] your will,” the lower will.

“Standing”: “acacia wood standing,” Merari. Gershon: “And he drove him out.” Geresh yerachim. “Who revealed this secret,” “Who created these.” “And he shall scent,” “the scent of my son.”

185. Now, all this is the level of the sons of Gershon, who carried the curtains of the Mishkan, etc. That is: the level of Gershon is that he drives out the evil through the level of nullification of will, nullifying it before the supernal will, blessed be He, etc.,

for through this he drives out the evil, etc.; for through this he draws down from the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), which is the level of “Holy,” so that it should dwell within his innards, etc., as mentioned above.

19And therefore the sons of Gershon carried the curtains of the Mishkan, which are the level of surrounding and encompassing, as it is written, “Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, etc.”

But the service of the sons of Kehas was to carry the table, the menorah, the ark and the ark-cover (kapores), etc., “for the service of the holy [things] was upon them; they shall carry on the shoulder, etc.”

And the meaning of Kehas is from the expression “and to him shall be the gathering (yikhas) of peoples,” which is an expression of gathering and joining, etc. For the service of the Kehasite is to carry on the shoulder the service of the holy [things], etc.,

which are the table, the menorah, the ark, etc. And the meaning: these vessels of the Mishkan are from the level of the middle point that is within the circle, for the circle encompasses and surrounds the point, etc.

(for the essence of the intent is the point; and like the matter that the heavens are the level of a curtain and an encompassing [light], and nevertheless, “in thought, the earth came first,” etc. And see what is written on [the verse] “Let not the wise man glory, etc., but in this let him who glories glory, etc.,” [and] “and righteousness in the earth.”

And see what is written on this in the discourse beginning “This month shall be for you,” on the explanation of “Rabbi Yitzchak said: The Torah should have begun only from ‘This month shall be for you,’ etc.”; see there.

And along these lines is the matter of the circles (iggulim) and the line (yosher): the root of the line is higher than the circles, for the circles are the level of nefesh and the line is the level of ruach, etc.; and yet the circles are the level of encompassing [lights] over the line, the level of “Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain.”

Except that nevertheless the level of the line is like the matter of the point around which the whole circle revolves, etc. And see in Reishis Chochmah, Sha’ar HaKedushah, chapter 2, on the matter that Shabbos is the level of a point. And see what is written on the matter of “a point within its palace” in the discourse beginning “See, I [set before you], etc.”;

there too it is understood that the point is higher than the palace that encompasses it: for the point is supernal Chochmah (wisdom), and the palace that enclothes it is Binah (understanding), as is written in the Zohar, Part I)

(folio 15a and folio 20a), and in the Mikdash Melech (there and there): that the level of the circle is the curtains that spread as a tent over the Mishkan, as it is written, “Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,” as mentioned above.

And this was the service of the sons of Gershon, as mentioned above. But the service of the sons of Kehas is to carry the vessels of the Mishkan mentioned above,

which are from the level of the middle point around which the circle revolves, as mentioned above. For the ark, which was in the Holy of Holies, is the level of Torah, for in it the Tablets were placed, etc.

20And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Since the Holy Temple was destroyed, the Holy One, blessed be He, has in His world only the four cubits of halachah alone, etc.” And the level of Torah is from the level of the central point around which the circle revolves,

for “the Torah comes forth from Chochmah,” and in Chochmah the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof) itself dwells in a manner of revelation, as it is written, “Havayah with Chochmah,”

that is, in the level of inner light (or pnimi); whereas the level of the circle is encompassing light (or makif), and still concealment; and the ultimate intent is the inner light and the revelation. And see what is written on this in Parshas Va’eschanan, in the discourse beginning “And you shall love.” And so too the practical mitzvos are also drawn from the central point.

21Now, although the Torah and mitzvos are drawn from the central point, as mentioned above, nevertheless their root is loftier even than the circle that surrounds the point, as mentioned in Sefer Yetzirah: “Their beginning is wedged in their end, and their end in their beginning, etc.”

And the meaning: their beginning is wedged specifically in their end, etc. And therefore the Torah and mitzvos, which were lowered down below, being enclothed in physical matters, etc., their root is very lofty, even above the circle that surrounds the point, etc.

For their end is wedged specifically in their beginning, etc. And the meaning: for the Torah and mitzvos have their root from the central point, etc., and the root of the point, etc.,

is loftier than the circle, etc.; for the essential thing is the point, and the circle exists only to surround and encompass the point.

As it is written, “For He is exalted, exalted, etc.,” as mentioned elsewhere (that before Him all the encompassing [lights] are considered as nothing, equally like the inner [light], etc.; see there).

And this is why we bless before performing every mitzvah, etc., “Who has sanctified us with His commandments, etc.” And the meaning: through occupying oneself with the Torah, which “comes forth from Chochmah,” and through the practical mitzvos,

which are loftier than Torah, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Great is study, for it leads to action, etc.,” one can draw down the level of holiness (kodesh), so that it should dwell within one’s innards, etc.;

that is, in the level of inner light: for the 248 positive commandments are drawn from His will, may He be blessed, and were lowered down below, being enclothed in physical things, such as tzitzis and tefillin, etc. But “the end of the deed” specifically is wedged in the beginning.

22And this is [the meaning of] “Who has sanctified us, etc.”: that through occupying oneself with the Torah and fulfilling the practical mitzvos, one can draw down from the level of holiness (kodesh), so that it should dwell within one’s innards, as mentioned above.

And this is what is written, “Of David, when he changed his taste (ta’amo) before Avimelech.” The meaning: Melech (king) is the level of the attribute of His sovereignty (Malchus), may He be blessed, which gives life to all the worlds,

as it is written, “Your kingship is a kingship over all worlds, etc.” And Avi Melech (“father of the king”) is the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin) (which is the level of His will, may He be blessed, as mentioned above). “When he changed his taste, etc.”: the meaning is that this is the difference between the six workdays and Shabbos.

For in the six workdays the service is only to subdue (le’achfaya) one’s will alone, while on Shabbos it is the level of complete nullification of will, so that one has no other will at all.

And this is [the meaning of] “when he changed his taste”: it is the level of complete nullification of will, that he overturns the will he had, etc., so that it should be for G‑d alone.

And this is the level of Shabbos, when one reaches the level of complete transformation of the will (which is the level of nullification of will). And this is “when he changed his taste”: that he actually changed his taste.

Whereas on the weekdays it is only the level of subduing (iskafya), etc., and not the level of transformation (is’hapcha). (Now, the intent here is that the level of “when he changed his taste” is the level of Kehas, through [the principle that] “through Chochmah they are refined.” However, in Midrash Rabbah)

(Parshas Bamidbar, chapter 3, folio 215b) Gershon is explained as “strong like a tooth (shen),” etc. And this is the matter of “when he changed (beshanoso) his taste … and he drove him out (vayegarshehu), etc.,”

for the level of “when he changed (beshanoso)” is also from the term shen (tooth), as is written on [the verse] “and white of teeth from milk,” which is the refinement of the emotive attributes (middos), etc. And this is “and he drove him out”: to drive out the evil, etc. And the level of Kehas is explained there from the term “If the iron is blunt (kehah),”

and that is as is written there, “and He does not [show] a face, [for they] have spoiled.” And regarding the Levites it is written, “And the Levite, he (hu) shall perform the service”: for he draws the level of “He (hu): this is Atika (the Ancient One)” from concealment into revelation, so that it should be: “May Havayah make His face shine, etc.”

And that is through their carrying the ark face to face, as is written on this in the discourse beginning “And I was beside Him, a nursling (amon).” And therefore, through this they rectify the level of

“and He does not [show] a face,” which is explained in [Midrash] Rabbah on Koheles [as meaning]: when the Holy One, blessed be He, does not show a welcoming face to the generation, because of the corruption of the evil deeds that are in the generation, etc. (see there, on this verse, on folio 111b).

And the counsel for this is “he must exert more strength (vachayalim yegaber),” the level of teshuvah (return), which is the matter of “with greater strength (bechayla yatir).” Now, teshuvah is the restoring of [the] face, face to face; and this is the matter of the sons of Kehas, the bearers of the ark face to face, etc.

And see what is written on the matter of the iron partition in the discourse beginning “And you shall make a forehead-plate (tzitz),” and the matter of breaking the partition through thoughts of teshuvah; and from there the matter mentioned above will be understood.

23And with this will be understood the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, “Make His will as your will, etc.; nullify your will before His will, etc.” The meaning: in the six workdays there is only the level of “Make His will as your will, etc.,”

which is only the level of subduing (iskafya), etc.; and on Shabbos there is the level of “Nullify your will, etc.,” which is the level of transformation (is’hapcha), etc.,

as mentioned above; for this is why we say “Of David, when he changed his taste, etc.” on Shabbos; and as it is written, “Taste (ta’amu) and see that Havayah is good, etc.,” [and] “In Havayah my soul shall glory, etc.”

24And this is what is written, “and feed faith (re’eh emunah)”: as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Israel sustain their Father in heaven, etc.” And all this is drawn entirely to the Community of Israel (Knesses Yisrael) from Aharon, the great priest (Kahana Rabba), who is the level of great love (ahavah rabbah), etc., for he is the one who imparts the level of love into the Community of Israel; and this is the hidden love that is in each and every one of Israel.

25And this is [the meaning of] what is written, “Lift up the head of the sons of Gershon, they too”: for of the sons of Kehas and the sons of Gershon “lifting of the head” is said, but not of the sons of Merari, as is written in the Midrash. For

behold, it is written, “And I will give you walkers among those who stand.” The meaning: “walkers” [means] two kinds of walking. The first is through the desire of the heart (re’usa deliba), from below to above; and this is the matter of the sons of Gershon.

The second is through Torah and mitzvos, from above to below (and as is written in Torah Ohr, Parshas Vayeishev, in the discourse beginning “And I will give you walkers, etc.”);

and this second walking is through the sons of Kehas. Therefore “lifting of the head” is said of both of them, for “lifting of the head”

is the matter of the raising of the horn (romemus keren), the level of “walkers.” And the level of “walkers” must be “among those who stand,” the level of “acacia wood standing,” of the sons of Merari; therefore “lifting of the head” is not said of them, etc.

And this is the level of the forty-two journeys that the Levites journeyed with the Mishkan in the wilderness, etc., which are all the level of ascents, etc.

(for every journey is the level of an ascent): they are forty-two ascents, etc., which is the Name of forty-two [letters] that is in “Ana BeKoach,” etc.

And the meaning: in the place where they encamped they set up the Mishkan, and when they journeyed they took it down and raised it up to a loftier level. And these were the forty-two ascents of the forty-two journeys, etc.

And all the forty-two journeys were entirely in the wilderness, as mentioned above, for even the higher worlds are called the level of a wilderness, which is the level of desolation, the level of the utterly inanimate, compared to the Holy One, blessed be He, etc., as mentioned above.

And these were the forty-two journeys of the Mishkan, which the Levites carried in the wilderness, etc.: they are forty-two ascents, all in the level of a wilderness, as mentioned above, for even the higher worlds are called, in relation to Him, the level of a wilderness; and this suffices for one who understands.

(That is: the level of the six workdays is the level of the journeying of the Mishkan, when they took it down, etc., for they ascend from elevation to elevation, etc.; and Shabbos is the level of the encampment, when they set it up, etc., for they ascended to one lofty level and encamped there, and spread out there the curtains of the Mishkan; and in this way were all the forty-two journeys.)

Now, all this is “in the hand of Isamar, the son of Aharon the priest, etc.” And the meaning: Isamar is the level of the combinations of the letters of the Torah.

For Isamar is from the expression isamar in the Gemara, which is an expression for a thing that is learned of itself, etc. (in Yiddish, “es iz gelernt gevoren,” “it has been learned”; which is the sense of isamar, that it is learned as a matter of course). And this is as it is written, “And I have placed My words in your mouth, etc.,”

[and] “And My words that I have placed in your mouth, etc.”: for it is the word of G‑d enclothed in halachah, which he speaks with his mouth, etc. (and as mentioned elsewhere; see there).

And this is the level of Isamar, for all is “in the hand of Isamar,” as mentioned above. And see on the matter of Isamar in Me’orei Or, letter alef, section 140.