שניך כעדר הרחלים שעלו מן הרחצה שכולם מתאימות

1“Your teeth are like a flock of ewes that have come up from the washing, all of them twinned.” Now, the meaning of “like a flock of ewes” is along the lines of what is explained elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “These are the ordinances,” on the meaning of what is written, “And I will sow the children of Israel [with] the seed of man and the seed of beast.”

That is, the souls of the World of Atzilus (Emanation) are called “man,” and the souls of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah are called “beast”; and so too the angels are called “beast”: “the face of a lion,” “the face of an ox,” etc. And of this it is said, “And I will give grass in your field for your beast,” which is the drawing down of Daas (knowledge);

and this is through Moshe, the faithful shepherd (Ra’aya Mehemna). And this is the matter of [saying] “Holy” three times, that Israel and the angels “sanctify Him above and below as one,” for through this Daas is drawn down, etc., as is written in Pri Etz Chaim, the tenth Sha’ar, chapter 4, and the end of chapter 3; and see there, Sha’ar (Gate) 7, chapter 2.

And of this it is said, “like a flock of ewes that have come up from the washing,” as in the analogy of the shepherd who washes his sheep; see there, regarding “Six years he shall serve,” etc.

2To understand what is [meant by] “that have come up from the washing” and what is [meant by] “all of them twinned,” we must first introduce the matter of the threefold “Holy.” For behold, the very Essence of the Emanator, may He be blessed, is high and exalted, and the entire order of the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus) of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah is accounted as nothing before Him,

like the analogy of the nullification of a single drop in the ocean, and even more than that, for there is no comparison at all to Him, may He be blessed.

And this is [the meaning of] “I, Havayah, have not changed”; “You are He before the world was created; You are He since the world was created.” The worlds, in being created, do not effect any change in Him, G‑d forbid, since they are accounted as actually nothing.

Therefore the flow of influence drawn down from Him, may He be blessed, to give life to the Ten Sefiros and all the worlds is termed “hairs,” as is written in the Idra Rabba (end of 128b): “Four hundred and ten strands of hair, according to the number of kadosh (holy).”

For the meaning of kadosh (holy) is a term of separation: that He, may He be blessed, is exalted alone, and is not grasped and enclothed in the worlds; rather, He encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin) equally: “He is equal and makes small and great equal.”

And what is drawn from Him into the worlds is only like the analogy of a radiance that issues through the openings and the hollow of the hairs, which does not touch the essence at all.

Therefore “holiness depends on the hair”; for precisely from the level of the light that encompasses all worlds, which is holy and separate, from there it is impossible for the flow of influence to be drawn down except in the manner of hairs.

This is not so below, in the chain of descent of cause and effect, etc. And this is [the meaning of] what is written of the Nazirite, “He shall be holy; he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long”: for the Nazirite ascends to a lofty place, resembling the Supernal One.

3Therefore [the Nazirite] draws down the flow from the hairs of Arich Anpin [the “Long Countenance,” the configuration of Keser], which is the level of “Holy,” from which “Chochmah (wisdom) is found from ayin (nothing)”—that is, from the level of the hairs mentioned above; and this is called “Abba draws nourishment from the mazal [a flowing tuft of Arich Anpin’s beard],” etc.

And see what is written about this in the discourse beginning “And I shall be sanctified among the children of Israel.” And this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said regarding the Nazirite vow: “Behold, I will curl [my hair]”—meaning that he curls and draws down from the level of the hairs of Arich Anpin, so that from this Chochmah of Atzilus comes into being, etc.

And this is the meaning of kadosh: kodesh [holiness, and the letter] vav; for the vav indicates the drawing down of the flow from the level of the supernal Kodesh by way of the hairs, which are like the level of vavs.

And the explanation of the matter of the flow of influence being termed “hairs” (is explained in the discourse beginning “And [He] would not” and on the verse “And you shall make holy garments,” regarding the beard of Aharon, etc.) is that the hairs are hollow and draw nourishment from the brain in the head, and nevertheless they have no comparison or relation at all with the brain, etc.

And so too is the level of the letters, the words of the teacher, through which the influence of the intellect passes, etc.; see there.

However, in truth this analogy too does not resemble the thing it illustrates; for in the thing illustrated, behold, the main point and root of the coming into being of Chochmah is through the flow of influence drawn down from the level of the hairs mentioned above, which are the level of the letters.

Whereas in the analogy of the teacher’s words to the student, the student has the power of intellect in him beforehand, only that he understands the teacher’s intellect through its passing through the letters, etc.

Therefore the student’s comprehension bears some comparison to the teacher’s comprehension, for it was not from the teacher’s letters that the essence of his intellect came into being, but rather from his own intellective soul.

And were it not for this, he would not understand anything through the teacher’s words. And even so, “a person does not attain his teacher’s mind until forty years,” since the insight passed through the combinations of the letters of speech, etc.

But above, in the thing illustrated, where the coming into being of the very essence of Chochmah of Atzilus from the Emanator, may He be blessed, is only through the flow of influence that passes through letters, which are called “hairs”—therefore Chochmah has no comparison at all to what is above Chochmah, etc.

42. Now, the drawing down of the flow from the mazalos of Arich Anpin to Chochmah and Binah is through the raising of mayin nukvin (feminine waters) from the refinements (beirurim) of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah; for through an arousal from below (isarusa dilesata) one awakens an arousal from above (isarusa dile’eila): the drawing down of mayin duchrin (masculine waters) from the eighth mazal, [called] “Notzer Chesed.”

And this is the matter of the angels and Israel saying “Holy”: to raise mayin nukvin in order to draw down mayin duchrin, etc. Now, by way of analogy, when a gift is brought before the king, the main thing is to bring something new, like a talking bird, so that through this one will draw down and arouse “the heart of kings,” which “is unsearchable,” to turn to the request of the commoner.

And this is the matter of raising mayin nukvin from the refinements of the 288 [sparks]: that there be the nullification of the yesh (one’s sense of existence), etc. Therefore the main raising of mayin nukvin depends on the arousal from below of the souls of Israel, who are enclothed in a body. And this is [what is stated] in the Zohar, Balak (190b): “Once Israel came, etc., they took the ‘doing’ from the ministering angels,” etc.

For although nullification of the yesh applies also to the angels, since an angel too has a body,

and therefore it is also said of them, “who do His word”—“who do” (osei) being an expression of tikkun (making ready), that is, through the nullification of the yesh, etc., in saying “Holy” and “Blessed”;

yet because their body is spiritual, and also, “Is there then an evil inclination among them?” etc., therefore the nullification of the yesh of man below, where the body and the animal soul conceal, etc., draws down a greater light. And this is [the meaning of] “they took the ‘doing’ from them.”

This does not mean that they are not in the state of ‘doing’ and tikkun of “who do His word” at all, for they say “Holy” and “Blessed” even now, etc.; rather, the point is that the ‘doing’ and the drawing down of the angels is nullified relative to the ‘doing’ and the drawing down of Israel.

[This is] like the nullification and inclusion of speech in thought, or of the emotive attributes (middos) in the intellect; that is to say, they are nullified like a candle beside a torch, etc. Therefore the angels do not say “Holy” until Israel say [it], as is written there in the Zohar.

Nevertheless, the angels too say “Holy,” for this is their service, etc. And see what is written about this in the explanation on the verse “For as the new heavens.”

5Now, the raising of mayin nukvin of the souls of Israel is through subjugation (iskafya) and transformation (is’hapcha) of darkness into light and of bitterness into sweetness, by breaking the body’s desires and through the practical mitzvos.

And this is [the meaning of] what is written in the verse after “Your teeth,” etc.: “Like a slice of pomegranate,” etc.: Israel are full like a pomegranate.

For as soon as one is born he fulfills a first mitzvah, in that he is circumcised on the eighth day and the blood of the covenant of circumcision is let from him, which is an affliction of the body, to subdue, etc. Afterwards, when he grows a little, he goes to school, and they teach him Torah and train him in the mitzvos; and when he does not want to learn, they strike him with a strap, along the lines of what is written in the Laws of Torah Study.

It follows that in all this he transforms darkness into light and subdues the sitra achra (the other side). And so in all the mitzvos, every one of them, there is an affliction of the body, to humble the evil inclination and compel it against its will to fulfill the positive commandments and the prohibitions and [the ordinances] of the Rabbis, and to sanctify oneself in what is permitted to him.

For through this he refines the refinements of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, and from them is made a raising of mayin nukvin above, in order to draw down through this mayin duchrin from the level of the mazalos of Arich Anpin.

Now, all this is the level and rank of the raising of mayin nukvin that is in the aspect of the outer dimension (chitzoniyus): that is, from the performance of the mitzvos and their actual fulfillment in deed, and the affliction of the body and the humbling of the evil inclination in action; and as mentioned above, this level applies even to an infant, and this is the mitzvah of circumcision, as mentioned above.

But there is yet a second rank, and that is the raising of mayin nukvin in the aspect of the inner dimension (pnimiyus): that is, to be stirred and aflame with the fiery flashes of love for Him, may He be blessed, and so too with awe and the fear of G‑d; this is the raising of mayin nukvin in the aspect of the inner dimension.

And in the same way is the raising of mayin nukvin of the angels who say “Holy,” for they burn with love and an intense flame, and their souls pine away toward Him, may He be blessed.

6Now, in truth there is an advantage in the raising of mayin nukvin of the outer dimension (chitzoniyus) that is not found in the raising of mayin nukvin of the inner dimension (pnimiyus), and there is an advantage in the raising of mayin nukvin of the inner dimension that is not in the raising of mayin nukvin of the outer dimension.

The advantage in the raising of mayin nukvin of the outer dimension, which is the level of action, is that through it the mayin duchrin are drawn from a lofty place, that is, from the level of the makifim (encompassing lights), because the level of the outer dimension has its root in the level of the makifim;

that is, one draws down the flow of mayin duchrin from the mazalos of Arich [Anpin], which are the level of makifim (and see Pri Etz Chaim, Sha’ar (Gate) 12, chapter 5); whereas the raising of mayin nukvin of the inner dimension draws mayin duchrin from the level of the inner light (or pnimi), which is lower in rank than the level of the makifim.

And the advantage found in the raising of mayin nukvin of the inner dimension is that the mayin duchrin are drawn from the level of the inner dimension, and through this they are enclothed within the vessel itself and are revealed in it in a manner of revelation.

Whereas in the raising of mayin nukvin of the outer dimension, although the mayin duchrin are drawn from a higher place, from the level of makifim, they are not revealed in a manner of revelation in the vessel, but only in the manner of a makif,

which is as it is written, “As with a shield, [with] favor (ratzon) You encircle him”: just as this shield protects a person, so the supernal will (ratzon), drawn down through the performance of the mitzvos, “encircles” the person in the manner of an encompassing light (or makif); and as it is written, “For You, Havayah, are my refuge; you have made the Most High your dwelling,” etc.

73. And now we come to the matter of what is said in the Zohar, that Israel and the angels “sanctify Him above and below, all as one.”

For behold, in general, the raising of mayin nukvin of the souls of Israel, as they are below, enclothed in a body, is called a raising of mayin nukvin in the aspect of the outer dimension (chitzoniyus), relative to the raising of mayin nukvin of the angels, who are not in physical bodies, and therefore they are aflame with the fiery flashes of love inwardly, and so too with awe, “quaking with dread of the Throne.”

8Therefore the raising of mayin nukvin of the angels is called the raising of mayin nukvin of the inner dimension (pnimiyus). And this is the distinction between the Kedushah [the sanctification, “Holy, holy, holy”] that Israel sanctify below and the raising of mayin nukvin of the Kedushah of the angels. And there is yet a third rank in the raising of mayin nukvin, and that is the raising of mayin nukvin of the makifim themselves:

that is, the souls as they are above, not enclothed in a body. For this is the raising of mayin nukvin from the level of the makifim themselves.

For the soul, as it is above, has no body and no limiting vessel at all; whereas the angels have bodies, which are winds and blazing fire.

As is written about this elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “A psalm, a song of the dedication of the House.” And therefore the raising of mayin nukvin of the souls that are without bodies is called the raising of mayin nukvin of the makifim, relative to the raising of mayin nukvin of the angels.

It follows that there are three ranks in the raising of mayin nukvin, namely, the levels of the makifim, the inner and the outer; and in general, these are the three worlds Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah, for “[He] forms (yotzer) light and creates (borei) darkness”: Yetzirah is called inner light, and Beriah is called “darkness,” meaning the level of makif, which is not grasped in Yetzirah.

And such is the order of the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus): from the makif a radiance is afterwards drawn to be in the manner of inner light, while the essence of the light remains in the manner of a makif.

9And afterwards, from the inner light (or pnimi) a makif is made below, in a lower world, such that the lower encompassing light is considered the level of the outer dimension (chitzoniyus) relative to the inner light that is above it, etc.

And this is the level of Asiyah. [Nevertheless, Asiyah has its root above, as mentioned above, that the outer dimension has its root higher than the inner light, etc.;

And this is the matter of the three flocks that Yaakov sent as a gift to Eisav his brother, which is the raising of mayin nukvin to the World of Tohu [Chaos], from which the vessels fell and were shattered, and from this Eisav came into being.

As is written in the discourse beginning “And he took from what came into his hand.” And the three worlds Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah are what came into being from the shattering of the vessels (sheviras hakeilim); therefore he raised mayin nukvin [in] three flocks, which are the three levels mentioned above: makifim, inner and outer.

10And each one is called a flock by itself, for it is a level and rank different and separate from the other: like the distinction between the souls that are in bodies and the angels; and likewise the distinction of the rank of the angels, who are in spiritual bodies, relative to the souls, which are without any body at all.

11And this is [the meaning of] what is written, “each flock by itself,” etc., “And he commanded the first,” etc., “And he commanded also the second, also the third,” etc. Thus he divided them into four actual ranks.

Although in particular, in each rank of these three ranks as well, there are many myriads of myriads of levels and ranks differing from one another, nevertheless they are all of a single kind; for example, the raising of mayin nukvin of the outer dimension (chitzoniyus) is called, in general, the raising of mayin nukvin of Asiyah.

And this is like the analogy of one flock: although in this flock there are also many ranks—there are those whose main service is in charity and acts of kindness (gemilus chassadim), and there are those whose main service is in occupation with Torah, and there are those whose main service is in prayer, and there are [those] in fasting, and the like—nevertheless their general and collective expression (klalus) is a single stature.

And just as, by way of analogy, in one flock there are many differences among the sheep—this one’s appearance, height and quality are thus, and that one’s thus—nevertheless all is one flock.

And the raising of mayin nukvin of the inner dimension (pnimiyus) is another level and kind, etc., and therefore it is called a flock by itself, etc. And Yaakov raised mayin nukvin from all three of these levels, in order to draw down through this mayin duchrin from their root and source in the World of Tohu.

124. Now, of this it is said, “like a flock of ewes that have come up from the washing.” For the raising of mayin nukvin mentioned above requires whitening and washing, like the matter of “the whitening (libbun) of the halachah.”

That is to say, all the halachos, which are the six orders of the Mishnah, require whitening and washing, and so too in the performance of the mitzvos, etc.; and all is through Moshe, the faithful shepherd.

13And this is because of Moshe it is written, “For I drew him out of the water,” that is, from the level of the sea of the supernal Chochmah (wisdom); and the whole Torah is but a jug from the sea: “and she filled her jug,” etc.

This level is also called “beyond the river” (be’ever hanahar), above the level of the river. Nahar (river) is an expression of drawing forth, which is drawn by way of the chain of descent from cause to cause, according to proportion, as it is written, “And a river goes out from Eden…, and from there it divides,” etc. And “beyond the river” is above the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus).

And from there is drawn the drawing down of mayin duchrin (masculine waters), which washes and whitens the mayin nukvin, etc. (And see what is written on the verse “And these are the names” about the matter of the whitening of the halachah; and in the discourse beginning “Binding to the vine,” on the matter of “he washes his garment in wine”; and in the discourse beginning “There shall not be,” etc., “the number of your days I will fill.”

Now, through their having come up from the washing, the three flocks mentioned above all become a single flock; and this is [the meaning of] “like a flock of ewes”: like one flock.

For when they are in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah they are the level of three flocks, divided into three levels as mentioned above; but when they have come up from the washing, then they are called one flock.

And this is because they receive the mayin duchrin from the supernal waters that are above the chain of descent, where it is above the bounds of division—“He is equal and makes small and great equal”—which is what is called the supernal Kodesh, which is above the level of kadosh with a vav

And it is called “the washing,” for there every transgression and sin is washed away, because there the blemish takes up no place; and this is [the meaning of] “And I will sprinkle pure water upon you, and you shall be pure,” etc.

Now, kadosh is said three times, which is three drawings-down to the three worlds Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah; whereas kodesh without the vav is said only once and not three times, because it is above the bounds of division.

14Therefore the angels and souls too, when they have come up from the washing—that is, they are elevated to receive from the level of the supernal waters that are beyond the river, which is the level of the supernal Kodesh—then they too are all included in a true inter-inclusion and become one flock.

And this is [the meaning of] “all of them twinned”: like twins born actually at once.

So the three flocks, when they are elevated to wash in the supernal waters of the level of the supernal Kodesh, are twinned like actual twins, in a true inter-inclusion without any division at all; and therefore it is then called “a flock of ewes,” for they are included as one in a single flock.

15And this is [the meaning of] what is said in the Zohar, that “they sanctify Him all as one”: that is, the raising of mayin nukvin of the “Holy” of the angels and of Israel below.

Although below they are divided, in a state of division—“each flock by itself”—because the raising of mayin nukvin of Asiyah does not resemble at all the raising of mayin nukvin of Yetzirah, etc., for this one is from the level of the outer dimension (chitzoniyus) and that one is from the level of the inner dimension (pnimiyus), nevertheless this division is only from the side of the raising of mayin nukvin.

And therefore they say “Holy” three times, corresponding to the three kinds of raising mayin nukvin mentioned above.

But through having come up from the washing, which is the level of their receiving the mayin duchrin that are from the level of the supernal Kodesh, which is above the level of division, they too then become like one flock, and twinned.

And therefore “they sanctify Him all as one.” And this is [the meaning of] what is written in the Idra (136b) on the verse “washed in milk”: “in the supernal whiteness,” etc., which is from the level of Atik Yomin [the “Ancient of Days,” the inner level of Keser], etc.; see there.

And the matter is as was explained above, in the explanation on the verse “And these are the ordinances”: that in the level of yosher (linearity) division into head and feet applies, which is not so in the iggulim (circles), the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), in which there is no above and below, etc.

And from there comes the drawing down through Moshe, the supernal Daas (knowledge), etc. For that reason it is possible for the soul of Moshe to draw down Daas even into the level of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, the level of “beast,” when one contemplates and deepens one’s thought in the greatness of G‑d,

because he draws down from the level of the light that encompasses all worlds, where above and below, head and foot, do not apply, and “man and beast You save, Havayah,” for both are equal.

16Now, the fact that Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah are divided into three levels of flocks is also from the level of yosher (linearity), in which there is head, body and foot—Chochmah (wisdom), Binah (understanding) and Daas (knowledge); Chesed (kindness), Gevurah (restraint) and Tiferes (beauty); Netzach (victory), Hod (splendor) and Yesod (foundation)—where Chochmah, Binah and Daas are revealed in Beriah, and there is the level of the Seraphim; and Chesed, Gevurah and Tiferes in Yetzirah, and this is the level of the Chayos [the “living creatures”]; and Netzach, Hod and Yesod in Asiyah, and this is the level of the Ofanim [the “wheels”].

But through the drawing down from the level of the iggulim (circles), the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), in which there is no above and below, behold, even man and beast are equal before Him; all the more so Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah themselves.

And therefore, through having come up from the washing, which is the level of the drawing down of Moshe—“I drew him out of the water,” etc.—through this they are called one flock.

17And similarly it was explained on the verse “My Shabbosos you shall keep,” on the matter of the Sabbatical year, of which it is said, “for you and for your servant,” etc., “and for your beast and for the wild animal,” etc.: that Scripture made man depend on the wild animal—“as long as the wild animal eats from the field,” etc.

And this is because in the Sabbatical year there are ascents of the worlds to the level of the makif and sovev, [of which it is said,] “man and beast You save,” etc.; as above. In Sha’ar HaYichudim, near its end, he wrote that “she’alu min harachtzah” (“that have come up from the washing”) is the initials [shin, mem, hei] of Moshe; and see there.

18And see what is written elsewhere, in the explanation on the verse “Many waters,” on the matter of a rivkah (team) of three cattle, etc.: the level of the supernal Daas (knowledge), which draws down the emotive attributes (middos) from Keser (the Crown), and there no division applies at all, etc.

One may further say, on the meaning and the matter of their receiving from the level of the supernal Kodesh: that is, in the manner of the ascents of the worlds on Shabbos, when the three worlds Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah ascend into Atzilus, as is written in Mishnas Chassidim regarding the Minchah of Shabbos; and Malchus of Atzilus, the source of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, is in the place of Abba; and this is [what is meant by] their receiving from the level of actual Kodesh.

And therefore they are then one flock, for in Atzilus “He and His vessels are one” (ihu vegarmohi); and see what the Ramaz [R. Moshe Zacuto] wrote on Parshas Shelach (on page 159, end of side a): “In Atzilus they are in an intense unity,” etc.

And see what is written similarly in the discourse beginning “As an eagle stirs up,” that in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah there is the division of the emotive attributes—“the face of a lion to the right, and the face of an ox,” etc.—which is not so in Atzilus.

And therefore at the Giving of the Torah “they saw what is heard,” because there was a revelation of G‑dliness without any division, etc., and there is no separation at all, G‑d forbid, between sight and hearing. And the meaning of “Your teeth” (shinayich) is as is written in the Pardes [Rimonim of R. Moshe Cordovero], Sha’ar HaOtiyos, on the letter shin, that it is from the expression “Your teeth are like a flock,” etc.

Now, in the Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 51, it is stated: “Shin comprises three flocks of sheep, etc., three Patriarchs, etc.; and because of this, ‘and every shrub (siach),’” etc.; see there.

19And this is what we say in the Kedushah, “like the pleasantness of the utterance (siach)”; and as is written in Mishnas Chassidim, that siach [shin, yud, ches] is the letters of chai [ches, yud] [and] shin; that is, the shin is three vavs.

And this is the matter of the three vavs of the three times “Holy,” for kadosh is kodesh [with a] vav; and these are the three levels of “Holy” of the three flocks of sheep.

20And this is the praise “Your teeth”: that is, the three levels of raising mayin nukvin of the souls of Israel—of the outer dimension (chitzoniyus), the inner dimension (pnimiyus) and the makifim—which are three flocks of sheep included in the letter shin, are in utter perfection.

And also “Your teeth” in its plain sense is as is written elsewhere on the verse “and teeth white with milk”: that it is to scrutinize one’s deeds and refine them, like the teeth, which grind, etc.

And this is the raising of mayin nukvin of action, which is the beginning and the foundation, etc.

And also for one whose intellect does not reach, etc., this shall be his service, in the level of raising mayin nukvin of action; and along the lines of what has been explained at the end of the discourse beginning “After Havayah your G‑d shall you walk,” on the meaning of “and to Him shall you cleave”; see there.

21And through this they are “like a flock of ewes that have come up from the washing,” which is the drawing down of mayin nukvin from the level of the supernal Kodesh, and they have become like one flock.

And it can also be said, on the meaning of “Your teeth are like a flock,” that through this, that they “have come up from the washing,” the shin is from a higher level, along the lines of what is written in Parshas Emor, in the discourse beginning “And the kohen shall wave them upon the bread of the first fruits,” on the matter of the shin of kesavim (sheep) [as against kevasim], where the shin precedes the beis, which is the matter of the emotive attributes (middos) that are above Chochmah (wisdom), and they are those drawn from the supernal Daas (knowledge), etc.

And this is the matter of “that have come up from the washing”: through Moshe, the faithful shepherd, the supernal Daas, etc. And see in the Ra’aya Mehemna, Parshas Mishpatim (120a): the shin of Moshe, “holiness to You they repeat threefold,” etc.

And see in the Tikkunei Zohar there, that there is an upper shin [and] a lower shin; and in Kisei Melech there; and in Likkutei Torah [of the Arizal], at the beginning of Parshas Noach; and in the Zohar, at the beginning of Parshas Bereishis, regarding “the shin entered,” etc.;

and in Zohar HaRakia there; and in the book Eshel Avraham there, he wrote that the shin alludes to Keser, Chochmah and Binah, and alludes to Chesed, Gevurah and Tiferes, and alludes to Netzach, Hod and Yesod.

And he cited from the Ra’aya Mehemna, Parshas Pinchas (257a), which says: “The Shechinah is called Shabbos from the side of the three upper levels, which are shin, the three crowns Keser, Chochmah and Binah; and She is bas (a daughter), a fourth to them”—that is, on Shabbos She ascends there. And this is “Your teeth,” etc., “that have come up from the washing,” as mentioned above.

225. And see in the Zohar, at the end of Parshas Haazinu (beginning of 297): “When all the holinesses join together as one, they are called Kodesh;

and they all ascend and gather into that supernal place that is called Kodesh; and therefore, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’; ‘Israel is kodesh’ from them,” etc.; see there. And see about this also in the Zohar, Mishpatim (121b).

And the meaning of “when they join together,” specifically, is the joining and inter-inclusion of the three kinds of raisings of mayin nukvin—of the outer dimension (chitzoniyus), the inner dimension (pnimiyus) and the makifim—which is the matter of saying “Holy, Holy, Holy” three times, as mentioned above.

When they all join together as one, then through this joining and inter-inclusion they are elevated to the level of the supernal Kodesh, which no level of raising mayin nukvin, on its own, could reach,

for it is above even the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin) and the encompassing light (or makif), and there is the level of “If you are righteous, what do you give Him?” etc.; and as is written in the discourse beginning “Go forth and see,” in Parshas Kedoshim.

23Nevertheless, through the inter-inclusion of the three levels of raising mayin nukvin of the saying of “Holy” three times, which are included together, through this they are elevated to the level of the supernal Kodesh.

And this is, by way of analogy, from the combination of the letters together; for it is known that the letters are the level of vessels for supernal drawings-down.

As is written in Sefer Shel Beinonim [the Tanya], Part II, chapter 12, that each letter is a drawing down of a particular, distinct life-force and power. And see what is written about this in the discourse beginning “I am asleep,” on the matter of “The letters, ask Me,” etc.; see there.

24Now, through the combination of several letters to form a word, then, besides the many kinds of powers and life-forces that are drawn down according to the number of letters in this word,

there is yet this, which surpasses them all: the drawing down of a supernal power and a general life-force that is above all the kinds of particular powers and life-forces of the letters, etc., as is written in Sefer Shel Beinonim there.

25And as, by way of analogy, below, in the letters of speech in man—for example, the three letters alef, mem, tav: when each letter is by itself, no idea at all is enclothed in them, apart from its being the letter alef or mem, etc.

But when they have been combined together and the word emes (truth) is made from them, a great idea is enclothed in them, which is the concept of truth.

26And it is written, “And Havayah, G‑d, is truth.” Thus, through the combination and inter-inclusion, there is drawn into them a power and life-force that is above the measure of the power and life-force of each letter by itself. And so it is in the thing illustrated, above: for behold, the three letters alef, mem, tav are head, middle and end.

27And this is the matter of the three worlds mentioned in the Zohar, Parshas Shelach, corresponding to which is the threefold “Holy.” And it can also be said that the three letters mentioned above are the source of the three worlds Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, which are also the level of head, middle and end: encompassing light (or makif), inner light (or pnimi) and outer dimension (chitzoniyus), as mentioned above.

Nevertheless, the level of actual Kodesh is above this level, as mentioned above, and it is not drawn down and does not shine except through their being enclothed together, specifically: “And one called to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’”—through this, specifically, the level of Kodesh shines, which is the level of actual truth

(and see what is written on the matter of “And one called to another” in the discourse beginning “And He called to Moshe”); and as is known, the level of truth is a very high rank, and it is the seal of the Holy One, blessed be He; and as is written elsewhere on the verse “And Moshe wrote their goings forth,” etc.: that which is far, far above each letter by itself.

And along these lines also in every person, for man is composed of the three worlds Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah mentioned above;

and this is the matter of service, Torah and acts of kindness (gemilus chassadim). And see what is written about this in the discourse beginning “For on this day He shall atone,” on the meaning of “For My glory I have created him, I have formed him,” etc.; see there at length.

28And through each raising of mayin nukvin by itself, one draws down an arousal from above (isarusa dile’eila) from the level of kadosh; and of this it is said, “For you are a holy (kadosh) people,” etc.

But through the inter-inclusion of the three levels together—of this it is said, “Lift up your hands [in] kodesh,” etc., “Israel is kodesh,” etc.

And along these lines, the three words Chochmah (wisdom), Binah (understanding) and Daas (knowledge) are numerically equal [620] to Keser (the Crown); and this is “Bless us, our Father, all of us as one.” And see what is written on the matter of the superiority of inter-inclusion in the discourse beginning “Behold, one people”: “and if for those who transgress His will,” etc.

And see what is written in the discourse beginning “I have seen, and behold, a menorah of gold,” and in the discourse beginning “You are standing today, all of you.”