ת״ר מצות נר חנוכה כו׳

1The Rabbis taught: “The mitzvah of the Chanukah lamp, etc.” Beis Shammai say: on the first day one lights eight; from then on one goes on decreasing (like the bullocks of the Festival). And Beis Hillel say: on the first day one lights one; from then on one goes on increasing (“we ascend in holiness,” etc.).

To understand what the Chanukah lamp has to do with the bullocks of the Festival, let us first preface what is written, “For a mitzvah is a lamp and the Torah is light”: the mitzvos are called a lamp. And it is also written, “The soul of man is the lamp of G‑d”: the soul is called a lamp.

And in the Zohar it is explained that the mitzvos are called garments, in which the soul clothes itself in Gan Eden; and the soul must fulfill the 613 mitzvos so that the garment will be complete.

And if one of the mitzvos is lacking, its garment is lacking. Therefore it must come [down] again to fulfill that mitzvah which was lacking, in order to complete the garment.

2And to explain the matter of the soul’s garment in Gan Eden: Now, in Gan Eden the souls take pleasure in the radiance of the Shechinah, and the radiance is a glow from the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof).

And the souls delight in Gan Eden in that they apprehend some glow of the radiance; and the radiance is a glow from the Infinite One (Ein Sof), without limit. Therefore, although in general there are only two levels, the Higher Gan Eden in Beriah and the Lower Gan Eden in Yetzirah,

in detail there are apprehensions without limit: the righteous “go from strength to strength,” for their souls ascend from one elevation to another, since there is no number to the apprehensions of the light and radiance, which is a glow from the Infinite Light, blessed be He.

And whenever the soul must ascend from one Gan Eden to the next, there must first be the level of the River of Fire (nehar di nur), so that all its previous apprehensions are nullified (see the discourse beginning “Vayehi Mikeitz”).

For the previous apprehension, compared to the apprehension above it, bears no comparison at all and is entirely nullified before it. Since these apprehensions are the apprehending of a glow from the Infinite Light, blessed be He, it follows that before every further apprehension one attains of the light, the apprehension below it is nullified.

3For this reason “every tzaddik is burned by the canopy of his fellow,” that is, by the level of apprehension that hovers over his fellow; since their apprehension is not one, and each has a different apprehension, in which he enjoys the radiance of the Shechinah that shines upon him.

And this is [the meaning of] “And holy ones every day praise You, selah.” “Holy ones” are the souls in Gan Eden, who are called holy; “praise You, selah”: wherever “selah” is said, it denotes the level of without limit, for their apprehension is constantly renewed from the Infinite Light, which is without limit.

4Therefore our Sages said, “Better that he be judged and come to the World to Come,” for all the judgments are not worth [considering] compared to the delight of his apprehension described above. Even in the Lower Gan Eden there is no comparison at all, etc.

And likewise the Lower Gan Eden compared to the Higher Gan Eden, up to the highest heights, for the delights drawn from the Infinite Light, the source of all delights, are without limit.

5As we see with our own senses that even what fell in the shattering of the vessels, physical delights, is also without measure, for there are many kinds of delights, as is known, without number. If so, all the more is their root and source, spiritual delight, even of the Lower Gan Eden, without limit, from the Infinite One.

6For this reason the soul, which is a limited being, cannot apprehend the revelation of the radiance, which is the very essence of G‑dliness, except through a garment, which is the level of a screen (masach);

and through that garment and screen it is able to receive the light and the radiance, as is explained in Etz Chaim that there is the level of a screen and a curtain (pargod).

7As, for example, a great light which one cannot look at because of its great brightness; but when there is a separating screen, then one can receive the light, once the illumination has been somewhat concealed by the screen.

And likewise a matter of wisdom and great intellect cannot be explained to one who is small in wisdom except through a garment and a parable; then he understands the matter. So too the mitzvos are called garments, for they too are the level of a parable.

8As it is written, “the parable of the Ancient One”: that is, that there should be a revelation of the very essence of the will of the Infinite Light; this cannot come to be revealed to any created being except through the clothing of His will, may He be blessed, in physical action, the deed of the mitzvah.

Therefore the mitzvos are called garments. And the root of the mitzvos is very high, for their root is from the level of the Supernal Keser, the 620 pillars of light.

9And they descended in a chain by way of the “hairs,” etc., until they descended below into physical Asiyah, tzitzis and sukkah, and in them specifically His will, may He be blessed, is revealed. “The end of action is first in thought,” “their beginning is embedded in their end.” For in one place it says, “In the beginning [G‑d] created, etc., the heavens and the earth”: heavens first.

10And it is written, “On the day that the L‑rd G‑d made earth and heavens”: earth first. Here it refers to action, and there to thought. And in general, heavens are the level of spirituality,

and earth the level of physicality. In action, heavens came first, for in the order of the chain of descent the spiritual gives life to and brings into being the physical; but in thought, the physical came first, “the end of action is first in thought,” for the revelation of the light is from the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin).

11And the revelation of the will, the 620 pillars of light, comes through fulfilling His will in truly physical things, whose root is from the World of Tohu; and in them specifically the Supernal will is clothed.

Therefore the mitzvos are garments through which the soul is able to apprehend and enjoy the delight and the radiance in Gan Eden.

12For this reason the mitzvos are like a garment, for the nature of a garment is that it does not enter into a person to be his inner life-force,

as food does, which becomes truly one with the person and gives him life; and nevertheless one must say that garments have a superior quality, for their root is from the level of the encompassing [lights] (makifim).

13For this reason it encompasses a person, protects him and guards him. So too the deed of the mitzvos, whose root is from the level of the encompassing [lights], the Supernal Keser;

therefore their revelation does not come below as an inner light, but only in actual physical action; and, as is known, what is higher in its root falls lower.

Indeed, through the deed of the mitzvos an encompassing [light] and a screen come about, so that through the mitzvos [the soul] is able to delight in the delight of the Infinite Light. And this is the purpose of the soul’s descent: a descent for the sake of an ascent.

Through doing the mitzvah it is able to receive the light and the delight through the screen mentioned above, for the soul clothes itself in Gan Eden in the garments of the mitzvos; and because the root of the mitzvos is from the Gulgalta and the Supernal Keser,

therefore, through fulfilling the mitzvos, His will, may He be blessed (“today to do them, and tomorrow to receive their reward” in Gan Eden, where their light will be revealed), then, when the soul clothes itself in the garment of the mitzvos, the soul will delight in the delight of the Infinite Light, which is without limit, through the screen and garment of the mitzvos, as explained above.

For they are intermediaries, whose root is exalted, from the Supernal Keser, and they descended in a chain below into physical things (and see what is written above on the verse “And Avraham was old, advanced in days”).

14And this is the meaning of “the mirrors of the women who assembled”: for a mirror (mar’ah) is a glass in which one sees. Yet it says “mirrors” in the plural,

because there are two [kinds of] mirrors. [One is] the luminous speculum (aspaklaria hame’irah), that is, clear glass through which one can see from afar by direct light.

15And this is the difference between Moshe our teacher, peace be upon him, and all the prophets: of Moshe it says, “u-mar’eh, and not in riddles,” and mar’eh is written with a segol, which is a masculine form; it is the luminous speculum, through which even a thing far from a person is seen by direct light.

So too the deed of the mitzvah, in whose garment the soul is clothed in Gan Eden: through that garment, through the deed of these mitzvos, the soul is able to enjoy the radiance of the Shechinah in Gan Eden

16and to enjoy His light, may He be blessed, as through the luminous speculum, by direct light, in which the Infinite Light is drawn down and revealed from above to below in Gan Eden. And Moshe our teacher too did not see without this speculum.

As it is written, “u-mar’eh, and not in riddles,” that is, through the luminous speculum, for without a speculum he could not have apprehended the level of the Infinite Light. But the other prophets saw through a mar’ah with a kamatz, the speculum that does not shine, [as it says,] “and through the prophets I am imaged.”

17And the speculum that does not shine is what is called a spiegel [mirror]: that is, there is a screen and covering on the glass; but the screen is not something thick that conceals and covers the light entirely, only something thin and fine, namely the well-known silver coating.

18And then, when one looks into this speculum, reflected light is drawn back from it, but one cannot see through the glass by direct light.

And therefore one does not see the essence and very being of the thing seen, as through the luminous speculum; only an image is seen through the speculum that does not shine.

However, the speculum that does not shine has one quality that is higher in rank: one can see oneself and also see what is behind one, as is known, which cannot be seen through the luminous speculum. And this is [the meaning of] “earth came first”; consider this carefully.

And in this way they answered in the Gemara in Yevamos (end of chapter 4) that Yeshayahu, who said, “And I saw G‑d,” [saw] through the speculum that does not shine, in which he could see G‑d,

whereas of the luminous speculum it is written, “For no man shall see Me, etc.” And the speculum that does not shine is the level of “with all your might,” that is, the descent of the soul into the body, a descent for the sake of an ascent, to transform the animal soul;

and through subduing and transforming [it], “with all your might,” without limit, beyond the vessel, then there is drawn from above as well, not in order and not by way of the chain of descent, the shining of the Supernal Light.

19And this is the speculum that does not shine: that is, through something that screens and separates, so that the light does not shine directly; that is, the animal soul covers and conceals the light.

Yet the separating thing is not a thick screen that conceals entirely; rather, it can be subdued and transformed, and then reflected light comes about from it,

as with glass, where through the concealing screen a new reflected light is added that did not exist before the screen was there, and one can then see a new light, that is, one can see also what is behind one.

So too, after the animal soul has been transformed, then through “with all your might” a light is added that shines more than before the soul was in the body, a descent for the sake of an ascent; for when the sitra achra is subdued, there ascends

the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, higher and higher, and it shines not according to the order of the chain of descent; and this is called the speculum that does not shine (and see what is written above on “I will make him a helper opposite him”). And this revelation may be understood in the way explained elsewhere on the meaning of “My holiness is above your holiness”: what does it teach us? It is obvious!

Rather, it means that the mitzvos are from the level of Keser, as explained above, and this is “your holiness”: “Who has sanctified us, etc.” And it is known that Keser comprises two partzufim: the level of Atik, which is the lowest level within the Emanator, and the level of Arich Anpin, which is the root of the emanated.

20And of this it says, “Could it be like Me?”, that is, the lowest level within the Emanator, which is Atik. The verse teaches, “For I am holy”: My holiness is above your holiness, for the mitzvos draw down from the level of Arich Anpin,

whereas Atik is called Atik Yomin (the Ancient of Days) because it is removed and separate from the level of the “days,” which are the garments made from the mitzvos, of which it is said, “Who is the man, etc.,

who desires life, who loves days to see good?” [and then,] “Turn from evil and do good.” And that is in the level of Arich Anpin; whereas the level of Atik Yomin is the level of “My holiness is above, etc.”

But through the refinement of the animal soul “with all your might,” a revelation is drawn from this level, etc. For this is the meaning of “In the place where baalei teshuvah stand, etc.,” with greater strength, the level of “with all your might,” etc.

21And for a further explanation of the soul’s garments in Gan Eden, it can be understood from what is explained in the holy Zohar at the end of Parshas Toldos: that the angels, when they descend to this world, clothe themselves in a garment; for since they are spiritual, in order for them to be drawn into the lowly world it must be through a garment, etc.

And so it can be understood in reverse: in order for the soul to apprehend and enjoy the radiance of the Shechinah, it too must be through a spiritual garment, as explained above.

But at first glance the analogy is not alike, for the soul is a spiritual entity; if so, why does it need a garment in order to apprehend the radiance, etc.?

But the explanation is that spirituality and physicality are both created and brought into being from nothing to something, whereas the radiance of the Shechinah is a revelation of actual G‑dliness, as [explained] in Parshas Chayei Sarah on the verse “And Avraham was old.”

And G‑dliness is above spirituality just as it is above physicality, for created beings bear no comparison to the Creator.

22And this is [the meaning of] “Who is enthroned on high, etc., Who looks down low, etc.” Therefore, for [the soul] to apprehend this very revelation, it is possible only through a garment from the deed of the mitzvos, etc.

Now our Sages said, “The righteous sit with their crowns on their heads and enjoy the radiance.” “Enjoy the radiance” means a revelation of the very essence of the radiance; and this is like seeing through the luminous speculum, which is the apprehension of the very essence, through the garments from the mitzvos.

But “their crowns” is the level of the encompassing [light], and it is a level that is above the radiance and the illumination they apprehend; therefore it is not drawn in a revealed way, but only

in the manner of seeing through the speculum that does not shine, in which the essence of what is seen is not apprehended, but only in the manner of “and through the prophets I am imaged, etc.”

And therefore it is called a crown. (And see what is written below on the verse “Go out and see, etc., with the crown, etc.” And this is drawn through “with all your might,” as explained above.)

23And this is the meaning of “a mitzvah is a lamp” and of “The soul of man is the lamp of G‑d”: they are two kinds of lamp. One is the luminous speculum, and the second the speculum that does not shine.

And the explanation is that in a lamp there are oil and a wick, and two hues of light: the dark light upon the wick, and the white light.

24Now the light, which is the essence of the lamp, takes hold specifically on the wick. But the light cannot take hold of the oil itself except through the wick; and nevertheless it is the oil that is consumed in the light, and through one wick much oil is consumed, etc.

25And so too, the deed of the mitzvos in this world is the level of the oil, as stated in the Zohar in [the section of] the Yanuka in Balak; that is, the oil of holy anointing, whose root is in Supernal Chochmah and the Supernal will.

But since they descended in a chain and came down into physicality in this world, the Infinite Light, blessed be He, has no way to take hold of them except through the wick, which is the G‑dly soul that fulfills the mitzvos; and then it is [the soul] that draws into them the revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He.

As it is written, “which man shall do them,” for man is the one who makes them into mitzvos, drawing into them the Infinite Light, blessed be He; which is not so with “the kindness of the nations.”

26And this is [the meaning of] “and He set a Torah in Israel”: that is, because there is in the soul the quality of self-sacrifice (mesirus nefesh) in [saying] “One” in the Shema, which is the level of self-nullification (bittul) to the Infinite Light, blessed be He. And this is like the analogy of the wick on which the light takes hold.

That is, through this self-nullification, etc.; which is not so with the oil, for the soul is spiritual and has this self-nullification,

whereas of the deed of the mitzvos themselves one cannot say so; and therefore the light takes hold specifically on the wick, except that in it

and through it the revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, is drawn into the deed of the mitzvos, which are of physical things; and this is like the analogy of the oil that is consumed in the light.

And through one wick much oil is consumed: that is, one soul fulfills and does countless mitzvos in the years of its life.

27Now from the oil is drawn the white light, which is like the level of the luminous speculum, that is, the level of direct light; and it is the level of the 620 pillars of light, as explained above. And the dark light is drawn from the wick, for the dark light is the level of the speculum that does not shine.

28And it is the love “with all your might,” which is drawn from the transformation of the animal soul. For the wick is the G‑dly soul clothed in the animal soul.

For the soul is called a wick specifically when it is clothed in the body; then it is called a wick in relation to the mitzvos, which are called oil, meaning that the light takes hold specifically on the wick; for then, in their descent below, the soul is spiritual and the mitzvos are physical.

But when they ascend above to Gan Eden, on the contrary, the Infinite Light is revealed to the soul by means of the garments made from the deed of the mitzvos; if so, then the mitzvos are

like the wick, and the soul is the oil that is consumed in the Infinite Light, blessed be He, by means of the wick, which is the garments from the mitzvos, etc. But in this world it is the reverse: the soul is called the wick.

29And since this is so, that [the soul] is called a wick only when clothed in the animal soul, therefore the dark light is drawn from it, which is the level of “with all your might,” etc.,

the level of reflected light; and from the deed of the mitzvos is drawn the white light, which is the level of the joy of a mitzvah. And both alike are good, for there is a superior quality in this, etc.,

and there is, etc., as explained above regarding the luminous speculum and the one that does not shine. And this is why the soul is called a lamp and the mitzvos too are called a lamp.

That is, the soul is the level of the wick (when clothed in the animal soul) and the mitzvos are the level of the oil, and through this two kinds of light are drawn, as it is written, “ve’ahavta” (“and you shall love”), whose numerical value is twice “or” (light).

This is the level of “with all your might” and the joy of a mitzvah. And just as when a lamp is lit, first the light around the wick, which is the dark light, is drawn and rises,

and afterwards the white light is drawn and revealed; so first there must be the ascent in the level of “with all your might,” and then “spirit brings forth spirit and draws down spirit”: the revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, through the deed of the mitzvos.

30Now the matter of kindling the lamps that were in the Sanctuary, seven lamps, corresponds to seven levels that exist among those who serve G‑d as a whole.

There is one whose service is in the mode of love, and there is one whose main service is in the mode of awe, etc. And they are drawn from the level of the seven shepherds who sustain the whole of the souls of Israel

(for although each one receives from all seven shepherds, nevertheless there is one in whom this quality predominates more, etc., as stated in the Zohar, “the children of Avraham, etc., the children of Yitzchak, etc.”).

And the eight lamps of Chanukah correspond to the eight princes of men, as it is written in Michah (chapter 5): “When Assyria comes into our land, etc.,

we will raise up against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men.” And in the Gemara in Sukkah (52b) it explains: the seven shepherds are Avraham, Yaakov, Moshe, etc.,

and the eight princes of men are Yishai and Shaul, etc., and Mashiach and Eliyahu. And to understand this, that the Chanukah lamps correspond to the eight princes of men:

The explanation is that “shepherd” has two meanings. The first is in the sense of sustaining others, as in “re’enu, zunenu” (tend us, nourish us).

31And the second, that he shepherds himself, that is, he is sustained, as in “and the she-donkeys were grazing beside them,” and likewise in the Gemara, “grazing in the fields,” and the like.

And likewise with the seven shepherds there are these two aspects. For they are the ones who sustain the Community of Israel: Avraham with love, as it is written, “Avraham who loved Me,” whose root is from the Supernal Chesed, which is the level of love, and he bestows from this level upon the Community of Israel; and Moshe our teacher, peace be upon him, bestows the level of Daas, etc.

32And he is called the Faithful Shepherd, for he sustains faith by drawing down the knowledge of G‑d. And Yaakov bestows compassion. And indeed,

through their sustaining the Community of Israel they too are sustained. For it is known that the Infinite One, blessed be He, is exalted and uplifted without end above the level of Chochmah and the emotive attributes, as the saying goes, “He is not any of these attributes at all.”

33And for the revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, to be drawn into the Supernal attributes, it is according to the deeds of human beings: through an arousal from below in love,

then, “as water [reflects] face to face,” there is also drawn above a revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, in the attribute of love and kindness, so that it is “I have loved you, etc.”

Thus, through the seven shepherds bestowing love and awe upon the souls of Israel, through the love and awe aroused in the souls of Israel, an additional light and revelation from the Infinite One, blessed be He, is drawn into the Supernal attributes,

which are the root of the level of the shepherds; and so they are sustained through this, etc. And this is [the meaning of] “Eat, friends (re’im)”: they are the shepherds (ro’im), who are friends of the Omnipresent.

34Now likewise there is [such sustenance] above as well, as the saying goes, “Israel sustains their Father in Heaven, etc.” This sustenance is that the Infinite Light be drawn to be in the level of “like the appearance of a man,” and that is through the Torah,

as it is written, “Come, eat of My bread,” for the Torah too is the level of “My bread,” as it were. For just as through bread a person lives and his soul is joined with his body, so is the drawing down of the Infinite Light through the Torah, which is the level of Supernal Chochmah, in which the Infinite Light, blessed be He, rests; and in it

and through it [the light] is drawn and clothed in the attributes, Chesed being the right arm, etc. And from this, too, nourishment is drawn for the soul, as it is written, “and Your Torah is within my innards.”

35Now this level of the shepherds is a drawing-down in an inward way; this is the meaning of “and Your Torah is within my innards,” as with the comprehension of Torah, that a ruling of law be grasped and held by one’s intellect,

and likewise in contemplation, that the greatness of the Creator, blessed be He, be grasped, as it is written, “Know this day, etc.,” “Know the G‑d of your father, etc.”; and as the intellect is, so will the love be, etc.

36And this is like the analogy of the shepherd who feeds and waters the sheep, which is the bestowal of life-force inwardly. And so in every generation there are the heads of the thousands of Israel who teach them Torah.

And as in the saying “Moshe, you have spoken well,” in which Rava is called Moshe because he taught Torah, etc. And likewise, what the shepherds are sustained by through this is also an inward apprehension, in the manner of “and from my students more than from all.”

37And likewise, far above, it is the revelation of the Infinite Light in Supernal Chochmah; this is the meaning of “Eat, friends, etc.” But the matter of the princes of men

is that they are not in the category of shepherds and teachers of Israel like Moshe and the Patriarchs; rather, they are perfectly righteous, like Yishai, who died only because of the counsel of the serpent.

38And we do not find this even in Moshe, the Faithful Shepherd. And yet Moshe is “our teacher,” and it is written, “Remember the Torah of Moshe.”

Which is not so with Yishai, who was not a shepherd in the manner of Moshe, etc.; and nevertheless there is found in him a superior quality, that he was perfect, to the point that he died only because of the counsel of the serpent, etc.

And from them too strength is drawn to the souls of Israel in [divine] service, in the manner of an encompassing [light]; whereas from the shepherds it is drawn inwardly, and is called food, as explained above.

But from the princes it is drawn only in the manner of an encompassing [light]. Like a prince, which is a matter of kingship, which is the level of an encompassing [light], for his name is called upon the people of his country, etc.,

and it is not an actually inward bestowal (but it is, for example, like one who is moved by the prayer of a righteous man who prays with love and awe and self-sacrifice, so that through this he too is moved.

And this is an illumination from the level of the encompassing [light], for he has not received from him inwardly understanding and wisdom through speech, which is an inward bestowal; rather, he was moved by his righteousness, and his righteousness and his love and awe are at a distance from him, the level of an encompassing [light].)

But it is known that the encompassing is from a higher level than the inward, for the encompassing [lights] are rooted in the light that encompasses all worlds, and the inward ones in the level of the light that fills all worlds.

And in a similar way our Sages said, “Greater is attending [upon the Torah’s scholars] than studying it.” Although study is an inward bestowal and attendance is external, nevertheless through it one receives more fear of Heaven, etc.

And it is like a drawing-down in the manner of an encompassing [light] (for what can be drawn into the student’s intellect inwardly is only a glimmer of the teacher’s intellect; and therefore “a person does not grasp his teacher’s mind, etc.”).

And therefore it says, “When Assyria comes, etc., we will raise up against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men”: for through the eight princes of men the evil will be repelled, in one respect, more than through the shepherds; for the shepherds, which are a drawing-down in an inward way,

through the many levels of the chain of descent, nurture can be drawn from it to the external forces, as, for example, from the fingernails; not like Avraham, from whom came, etc.

39And likewise in the comprehension of Torah our Sages said, “For those who go to its left, etc.,” and “Whoever says, ‘I have only Torah,’ etc.” And there must also be a drawing-down from the eight princes of men, the level of encompassing [lights], for the encompassing [light] blinds the eyes of the external forces, etc. And this is the matter of Torah and acts of kindness: through the Torah the level of food is drawn.

40And this is the level of the shepherds. And through acts of kindness the level of a garment and an encompassing [light] is drawn, and this is the level of the drawing-down through the princes of men: “Greater is attending, etc.”

And the difference between the shepherds and the princes of men will be understood further in the manner of what we find with Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, who was a prince

of the Torah, who taught Torah to Israel; and nevertheless he said to Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, “Ask for mercy for me,” for his prayer was much greater than his own, to the point that “had Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai pressed [his head between his knees], etc.”

And of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa we do not find that he taught Torah in the manner of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, and no laws in his name are found in the Mishnah.

41And this is like the difference between the shepherds and the princes of men, etc.; for Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai was a shepherd and sustainer of Israel, like Moshe our teacher, peace be upon him.

And Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa did not have this quality, but he was perfectly righteous without any blemish, to the point that our Sages said that the World to Come was created

only for his sake; and the souls of Israel received from him the ways of divine service and piety, in the manner of “Greater is attending it, etc.”; and his prayer was heard more than [that of] Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai.

And so it says, “we will raise up against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men,” for the level of the princes of men is more effective against the level of Assyria

“when it comes, etc.,” because they draw down from the level of the light that encompasses all worlds; like the prayer of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa to overturn nature, etc., which is through a drawing-down from the level of the light that encompasses all worlds, which is above the order and gradation of the chain of descent, etc.

42And this is the matter of the Chanukah lamps. For they defiled all the oils in the Sanctuary through the strength of the wisdom of kelipah; therefore “they sought to make them forget Your Torah, etc.”

And therefore it was necessary to draw down from the level that is above the Chochmah of holiness, which is from the level of the supernal encompassing [lights]. And this is the cruse of oil that was sealed with the seal of the High Priest, which is the level of “and abundant in kindness,” etc.

(And because it is from the level of an encompassing [light], it is drawn and lowered below as well, to be lit even now in our generations when the Holy Temple does not stand; whereas in the Holy Temple there were seven lamps, from the level of the seven shepherds, except that the revelation was actual, in an inward way, as the saying goes, “It is a testimony to all who come into the world, etc.”

And see what is written below on “For You are my lamp, Havayah, and Havayah illuminates my darkness.” The first Name Havayah is in the level of the chain of descent, and from it is drawn the level of “You are my lamp”;

that is, the lamps of the Sanctuary, etc. And the second Name Havayah is from the level of the light that encompasses all worlds, which is above the chain of descent, and from it is drawn the level of “illuminates my darkness”; and these are the Chanukah lamps.

And in this way is the difference between the level of the seven shepherds and the level of the eight princes of men: for through the seven shepherds is drawn the drawing-down of food to the Community of Israel, the level of “and Your Torah is within my innards,” which is what can be drawn inwardly; this is from the level of the Name Havayah that is drawn into the worlds of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah.

But through the princes of men encompassing [lights] are drawn, and it is from the level of the Name Havayah that is above the bounds of being clothed in the worlds, but shines as an encompassing [light], like the prayer of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa to overturn nature, etc.,

as explained above. And it is what is drawn through the deed of the mitzvos, which are drawings-down of the level of encompassing [lights], for the mitzvos are called “the King’s commands.” And see the discourse beginning “A Psalm, a song for the dedication of the House,” on the matter of food and garment, etc.

And therefore the level of Mashiach too is from the princes of men, for of Mashiach it is said, “And he shall be imbued [with the scent],” [meaning] “he smells and judges”; and smell is the level of an encompassing [light], “the scent of their garments,” whereas the shepherds are the level of food, etc. And below it will be explained that in Mashiach there are both levels.)

43And through this the Gemara will be understood: Beis Shammai say, on the first day one lights eight; from then on one goes on decreasing. And the reason of Beis Shammai is that they derive it from the bullocks of the Festival, where on the first day one offers thirteen, and from then on one goes on decreasing, etc.

And Beis Hillel say, on the first day one lights one; from then on one goes on increasing, etc. For the bullocks of the Festival, too, are the drawing down of supernal encompassing [lights], for Sukkos is the revelation of the encompassing [lights], as it is written, “For His kindness has prevailed over us.”

44And through this drawing-down the seventy princes are also refined and transformed, to become nullified in this light. And this is [the meaning of] “Praise G‑d, all nations, etc., for His kindness has prevailed over us.”

And therefore it begins with thirteen bullocks, corresponding to the thirteen attributes of mercy, which are encompassing [lights], as is known. And afterwards they go on diminishing, for since several levels have already been refined through the drawing-down of the first day, there is no longer need for so great an illumination as on the first day, etc.

45Now on Chanukah too these encompassing [lights] are drawn down, so that through them the kelipos will be repelled. But on Chanukah it is in the mode of war,

as it is written, “They surrounded me, etc.; in the name of G‑d I will cut them down, etc.”; and that too is specifically through the encompassing [lights]. And this is [the meaning of] “It is better to take refuge in Havayah than to trust, etc.,” as explained elsewhere.

46And on Sukkos, since it is from the Torah, it is not through war; rather they become subdued of themselves through this revelation, etc. And since both matters are the drawing down of encompassing [lights], Beis Shammai therefore derive the Chanukah lamps from the bullocks of the Festival: at first there must be a greater revelation,

47and afterwards it goes on diminishing, for the reason explained above regarding the bullocks of the Festival. And Beis Hillel hold, “we ascend in holiness, etc.” Meaning: it is not comparable, to learn this from the bullocks of the Festival,

for the festival of Sukkos is from the Torah, and the Torah comes forth from Supernal Chochmah, from above to below. If so, the revelation comes and is drawn of itself, from above to below.

48Therefore even the highest illumination can come and be drawn at the very beginning, for who can hold back and who can prevent G‑d, may His Name be blessed? “Is the hand of G‑d too short?”

Which is not so with Chanukah, which is rabbinic: it was they who drew down this revelation. If so, since it is drawn from below, it is impossible to reach and draw down the great revelation at the start, but only little by little: at first one draws down one lamp,

and afterwards “we ascend in holiness, etc.,” and the light goes on increasing, etc. (And an example of the matter is Pesach and the Counting of the Omer: for on Pesach the revelation was an arousal from above, of itself, “the King of kings revealed Himself to them, etc.”

And afterwards there must be “And you shall count for yourselves,” to transform the emotive attributes, by drawing “today is one day of the Omer” into the animal soul, etc. And tomorrow, “today is two days”; and one does not say “the second day,” but “two days.”

That is to say, today a higher level is drawn that includes two days, and afterwards the light goes on increasing, etc. Thus in the Counting of the Omer, which is an arousal from above through an arousal from below, one draws down little by little, and it goes on growing brighter, etc.: two days, three days, etc.

And this is like Chanukah: first one lamp, and afterwards it goes on increasing, etc. But on Pesach, when the revelation was of itself, the whole of the light that is drawn afterwards through all the days of the Omer, this entire revelation itself was there at the beginning, etc., for the reason explained above.

And from this, too, will be understood what is written in Pri Etz Chaim on the Counting of the Omer: that we draw down the encompassing [lights] of Imma, but the inner ones we do not have the power to draw down, except in the time of the Holy Temple.

And this is as explained regarding the seven shepherds, that they are the level of the inner [lights], and this was in the Menorah in the Holy Temple, seven branches; whereas now we draw down from the level of the encompassing [lights], which are the eight princes of men.)

And through all the above, the matter of accepting the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven, which precedes the yoke of the mitzvos, will be understood: it is the level of “with all your might,” the refinement of the animal soul, “the soul of man is the lamp of G‑d.”

And although this is the level of the speculum that does not shine, it precedes the yoke of the mitzvos, even though “a mitzvah is a lamp” is the level of the luminous speculum.

But [it precedes] because through it there is a revelation of a higher level, as explained above. And further, because it is like the wick and the oil: there is no way for the light to hang on the oil, which is “a mitzvah is a lamp,”

except by first taking hold on the wick, which is the level of “the lamp of Havayah is the soul of man,” as explained above. (And see what is written on “I saw, and behold, a menorah of gold, etc.”)

And therefore too the Counting of the Omer, which is the refinement of the animal soul, the speculum that does not shine, precedes the Giving of the Torah on Shavuos, which is “a mitzvah is a lamp.” And this is “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath.”

For the Sabbath is the level of “a mitzvah is a lamp”; but the level of “My holiness is above your holiness” is called “the day after the Sabbath,” that is, above the level of the Sabbath.

And this is the matter of accepting the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven, the utterances “I am” and “You shall have no [other gods],” which come before the mitzvah of Shabbos. And it is the matter of “And you shall count for yourselves,” the Counting of the Omer, the refinement of the soul, as is known, and the rectification of the emotive attributes, to turn darkness into light.

49And to understand the explanation of the above regarding the eight princes of men: certainly the shepherds are loftier than they, in that they bestow from the level of the inner dimension,

which is not so with the princes of men. That is because the souls of the shepherds are from the level of the inner dimension, and the princes from the level of the outer dimension (and therefore Moshe is among the shepherds and Eliyahu among the princes; and it is known that Moshe is from the level of the inner dimension and Eliyahu from the level of the outer dimension).

However, in this lies the superiority of the princes of men: their souls are from the level of a higher world than the souls of the shepherds, except that they are from the outer dimension of the higher, and the shepherds are from the inner dimension of the lower.

And it is, for example, like the leaves of very prized and precious kinds of fruit, which have a superiority over other fruits.

Although the leaves are external and have no taste, not even as much as the simple kinds of fruit, nevertheless they are of another kind and category, far more prized than the kind of inferior fruits.

And against this, the fruits have a superiority over the leaves, in that they are nevertheless a kind of fruit and have taste, which is not so with the leaves, etc.

50Now in this way there are two kinds of souls. There are souls of the G‑d-fearing and the whole, like “a perfect burnt-offering,” and nevertheless they cannot teach others the Torah of G‑d; and there are souls of masters of Torah, who are not so utterly whole, without any blemish, as the souls mentioned above.

51That is, the souls of the G‑d-fearing and the perfect are taken from the hidden world, and therefore they are not the providers of the generation, since they are from the hidden world, in a state of hiddenness and concealment; and it is “that which is guarded from contact,” etc. And nevertheless they are not such masters of Torah, since they are only the level of the outer dimension of the higher.

52And the masters of Torah are from the level of the inner dimension, except that they are from the level of the inner dimension of the lower, the revealed world; therefore they are in a revealed state, to teach, etc.

And in this way is the matter of the eight princes of men, whose root is from the first eight of the thirteen tikkunim of the beard of Arich Anpin, which are the level of encompassing [lights].

For the tikkun “to the thousands” (la’alafim) is the level of inner light, for “la’alafim” is [as in] “I will teach you (a’alefcha) Chochmah, I will teach you Binah”; for Abba and Imma draw nurture from two mazalos of Arich Anpin, and this nurture is the level of inner light,

and it is like the level of the shepherds, “Israel sustain, etc.,” “Eat, friends,” Abba and Imma, etc. And this is [the meaning of] “He preserves kindness for thousands (la’alafim).”

53And therefore the form of the Alef is a Yud above, a Yud below and a Vav in the middle, for the drawing-down inwardly must come through contraction (tzimtzum), etc.

But the first eight mazalos, which precede the level of “to the thousands,” are the level of encompassing [lights], and from there is the root of the eight princes of men; and so they are higher than the source of the level of the shepherds, whose root is from the level of Chochmah and Binah,

which are the level of “to the thousands” mentioned above. But nevertheless the shepherds are from the level of the inner dimension and the princes of men from the level of the outer dimension, except that they are the outer dimension of the higher, etc.

54And on Chanukah, when they defiled all the oils in the Sanctuary, which is the level of the blemish that reaches Chochmah and Binah, they therefore needed to rectify it specifically through encompassing [lights], which are above the root of Chochmah.

And on Sukkos the thirteen tikkunim of the beard are also drawn down, and this is the matter of the thirteen bullocks, etc. Only, on Sukkos the seventy princes become subdued of themselves through this, etc., which is not so on Chanukah, etc., as explained above.

55And on this Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel disagree regarding the lighting of the Chanukah lamp, as explained above. There is a further explanation of the seven shepherds and eight princes of men: for in the seven lower [Sefiros] there was the shattering, and Binah, the eighth firmament, is called the world of freedom, the “wine preserved [in its grapes].”

Now the seven shepherds are drawn from the seven lower [Sefiros], and the eight princes of men from the level of the eighth firmament; therefore they are more effective in repelling the level of Assyria. And see what is written on “For the conductor, on the sheminis, etc.”