Megalleh Amukkot om parashat VaEtchanan

Ofan 1

“And I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying” (Deuteronomy 3:23). Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, expounded the word לֵאמֹר (leʾmor, “saying”) in several ways in Midrash Rabbah, and they also disagreed as to the time at which the prayer was offered. According to the plain sense, it was in the same episode in which the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Ascend this Mount Abarim” (Numbers 27:12). Immediately thereafter, in that same episode, it is written, “Moses spoke to the LORD, saying” (Numbers 27:15). That passage differs from all the passages in the Torah in which it is said, “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying”; here, conversely, Moses spoke to the LORD, “saying.” The verse therefore appears to mean this: “I pleaded with the LORD” at the very time when I said the word לֵאמֹר to the Holy One, blessed be He. At that time he prayed concerning entry into the Land, when he said in Parashat Pineḥas, “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits . . . appoint a man over the congregation . . .” (Numbers 27:16).

There one must ask how Moses could have imagined that his sons would inherit his crown. Had not the Holy One, blessed be He, given Moses many intimations that Joshua would eat its fruit because “he who guards a fig tree shall eat its fruit” (Proverbs 27:18; see Tanḥuma, Pineḥas §11)? Indeed, it is an explicit mishnah: “One life is not set aside on account of another life” (Oholot 7:6), as cited in Midrash Rabbah, Parashat Metzora (Leviticus Rabbah 19:6).

The matter, however, is as follows. Moses asked there that there be two human leaders. For in a permutation of the word בְּרֵאשִׁית (bereshit) there is already [uncertain: בשת״י א״ר] [TN-001-01], in the mystery of “two by two they came to . . .” (Genesis 7:9). Thus it is written, “For all her household are clothed in scarlet [שָׁנִים, shanim]” (Proverbs 31:21): do not read שָׁנִים (shanim, “scarlet”), but שְׁנַיִם (shenayim, “two”) (Zohar I, 238b). So too it was at Creation, as stated in Midrash Rabbah on this parashah (Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:31): “The Rabbis said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, ‘My children, everything I created, I created in pairs: heaven and earth are a pair; sun and moon are a pair; Adam and Eve are a pair; this world and the world to come are a pair,’” and so forth. Likewise, the Written Torah was given through “your two breasts” (Song of Songs 4:5), namely Moses and Aaron (Song of Songs Rabbah 4:12).

We similarly find pairs in the generations of the Tannaim: Shemaiah and Avtalion; Hillel and Shammai. Rabbi Judah the Patriarch and Rabbi Nathan arranged the Mishnah and stood at the end of the Tannaitic era; Rav Ashi and Ravina stood at the end of the Talmudic era (as stated in chapter 7 of Bava Metzia 86a). So too Rav and Samuel: the halakhah follows Rav in matters of prohibition, because he was expert in practical rulings—as stated in the first chapter of Keritot 13b, “Wherever Rav sat, he could not dispense with issuing a ruling”—whereas Samuel was expert in civil law. In the Talmud he is consequently designated “Shapur the King,” as in Pesaḥim 54a and in many other places; Shapur the King was expert in laws, as Rashi (s.v. qameih) and Tosafot at the end of Bava Metzia (119a, s.v. Shapur) state. [TN-001-02]

Moses therefore prayed: אִי סַיְפָא לָאו סַפְרָא (i sayfa, lav safra), “If [one is] a sword, [one is] not a book” (as stated in Avodah Zarah 17b). Moses intended that there be two: one man over the congregation “who will go out before them” in war and “who will come in before them” in war; and one man “who will bring them out” through Torah, so that they sit in tents to study, and “who will bring them in” through his merits, by teaching Torah publicly, as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said concerning Jabez in Temurah 16a.

Accordingly, here too he first said, “I commanded Joshua at that time” (Deuteronomy 3:21): I admonished him concerning the wars Israel would have. The source says [uncertain: חיותו מספר של אדם הראשון] [TN-001-03]; in context, Moses knew this from the book of Adam the first man, for the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses every generation and its interpreters, as far as the generation of Rabbi Akiva and to the end of the world, as stated in Sanhedrin 38b, Avodah Zarah 5a, and Midrash Rabbah, Parashat Ki Tissa (Exodus Rabbah 40:2). When He said to him, “I shall be gracious to whom I shall be gracious” (Exodus 33:19), the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him all the treasuries of reward prepared for the righteous, and so forth, as stated in Tanḥuma, Parashat Ki Tissa §27. There is no doubt that immediately after the generation of Moses, who received the Torah from Sinai, it was written there that they would transmit it to Joshua.

This matter is intimated in the word וָאֶתְחַנַּן (va-etḥannan, “and I pleaded”), which derives from וְחַנֹּתִי אֶת־אֲשֶׁר אָחֹן (ve-ḥannoti et asher aḥon, “I shall be gracious to whom I shall be gracious”), as Rashi, of blessed memory, states (s.v. va-etḥannan). Moses also undoubtedly knew that Joshua would be the leader after him. So it was written in the book of the generations of Adam the first man, which derives from the attribute expressed by “I shall be gracious to whom I shall be gracious”—“who calls the generations from the beginning” (Isaiah 41:4). His supplication, however, came at the time when Moses said לֵאמֹר to the Holy One, blessed be He, asking that he himself go with Israel.

This is the meaning of “You have begun to show Your servant . . . Let me cross over, I pray, and see the Land” (Deuteronomy 3:24–25). “Let me cross over” means only an ordinary crossing: my request is not to be Israel’s head and leader; my sole intention is “that I may see the Land.” That is, he sought the distinctive benefit of the Land of Israel, in accordance with the saying of our Rabbis, of blessed memory, in Bava Batra 158b, “The air of the Land of Israel makes one wise,” and Midrash Rabbah, Parashat Bereshit 16 (Genesis Rabbah 16:4), “There is no Torah like the Torah of the Land of Israel.” Thus it is written, “The gold of that land is good” (Genesis 2:12), and likewise, “that good Land” (Deuteronomy 3:25).

It is possible that these two leaders are intimated by the opening phrase, “You have begun to show,” which is redundant. Just as the commentators raise a difficulty concerning “And you shall command” (Exodus 27:20), so here the word “You” in “You have begun” is superfluous. It alludes, however, to the governance of the Holy One, blessed be He, who governs the world through the two attributes intimated in the verse בִּדְבַר יְהוָה שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂו (bi-devar YHWH shamayim naʿasu), “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made” (Psalms 33:6). The consonants בדב״ר form a notarikon for בְּמִדַּת דִּין בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמִים (be-middat din, be-middat raḥamim), “through the attribute of judgment, through the attribute of mercy.” He therefore opened with the textual sequence YHWH Elohim: mercy within judgment, as Rashi explains.

He meant: just as You govern the world through these two attributes—as is made explicit by “Your greatness,” meaning the attribute of Ḥesed and mercy, according to our Rabbis, of blessed memory, in Sifrei §24, cited by Rashi: “‘Your greatness’ means the attribute of Your goodness,” and so forth, while “Your mighty hand” means the attribute of judgment—so, Moses said, let this world be governed by two leaders. This is the meaning of “Let me cross over, I pray”: I too shall be in the Land of Israel to teach, with “a Torah of Ḥesed upon his tongue” (Proverbs 31:26), while the other leader will govern through judgment.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you; do not continue to speak to Me further” (Deuteronomy 3:26). That is: Have I not already answered you, “Take for yourself Joshua” (Numbers 27:18)? לְךָ (lekha, “for yourself”) is precise. When you said, “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits, appoint,” you were asking for two leaders. Therefore, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh, “it is enough for you”) lies in the answer I gave with the word לְךָ: “Do not continue to speak to Me further”—that is, do not ask that there be another leader over Israel. Two kings cannot use one crown, as stated in the first chapter of Shevuot 9a and in Ḥullin 60b concerning the moon’s complaint; there must be one leader for a generation, not two leaders, as stated in Sanhedrin 8a.

This is also intimated by the word בַּדָּבָר (ba-davar, “concerning the matter”) in the phrase בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה (ba-davar ha-zeh, “concerning this matter”), referring, as explained, to Moses’ request for two leaders: בדב״ר is a notarikon for בְּמִדַּת דִּין בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמִים, “through the attribute of judgment, through the attribute of mercy.” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered that one person would lead them. He then explained anew: “Command Joshua” (Deuteronomy 3:28), so that he be king, head of Israel’s court, and their sage in Torah. This is the import of the two expressions: “strengthen him” in Torah, “and fortify him” in war and in proper conduct. Concerning this He said, “For he shall cross over before them” in war, “and he shall cause them to inherit” through Torah, as it is written, “The wise shall inherit honor” (Proverbs 3:35).

Ofan 2

One must resolve a perplexing matter: how could Moses have imagined that the vow had been released for him? “The LORD of hosts has purposed, and who shall annul it?” (Isaiah 14:27). The matter, however, is that we hold that a vow part of which has been released is released in its entirety, as stated in Nedarim 25b. Since the Holy One, blessed be He, swore, “Therefore you shall not bring this congregation [into the Land]” (Numbers 20:12), the decree arose against Moses and Aaron together. He therefore said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time”: at the time Aaron died, he prayed, “Let me cross over, I pray.” Since Aaron had already died, I supposed that the vow had been released, for the decree arose against the two of us together; “you shall not bring” signifies together.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh, “it is enough for you”): your sin at the waters of Meribah is greater than the sin of your brother Aaron, for Aaron did not sin in that episode. Thus Midrash Rabbah, Parashat Ḥukkat (Numbers Rabbah 19:9), gives the parable of a creditor who went to measure his threshing floor, and so forth.

Accordingly, in the Masorah we find the word הֲמִן (ha-min) three times: הֲמִן־הַסֶּלַע הַזֶּה, “Shall [we bring water] from this rock?” (Numbers 20:10); הֲמִן־הָעֵץ, “Have you [eaten] from the tree?” (Genesis 3:11); and הֲמִן־הַגֹּרֶן, “from the threshing floor?” (II Kings 6:27). Death was decreed upon Moses. It is stated in Shabbat 55b that the ministering angels said before the Holy One, blessed be He: “Master of the Universe, why did You impose death upon Adam the first man?” and so forth. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered the ministering angels, “There is one event for the righteous and for the wicked” (Ecclesiastes 9:2), the wicked one being the serpent.

This is what Scripture means by הֲמִן־הָעֵץ, “from the tree”: [uncertain: כתנא דמלאכי שרת] [TN-002-03]. The surrounding argument treats this as the view of the ministering angels, namely that Moses died on account of the serpent’s sin, concerning which הֲמִן־הָעֵץ is said. To this the first verse answers that he did not die on account of the serpent’s sin, but in accordance with Rabbi Shimon ben Eleazar, who held that he died on account of his own sin. This is what is meant by הֲמִן־הַסֶּלַע הַזֶּה, “from this rock,” and so forth: Moses died because of the sin associated with “from this rock.” [TN-002-01]

And if one would say [uncertain: ואם לחשוך לומר] [TN-002-02], “But Aaron did not sin in that episode; why, then, did he die?”—to this הֲמִן־הַגֹּרֶן, “from the threshing floor,” refers to the aforementioned parable of the creditor who went to measure his threshing floor. Concerning this the Holy One, blessed be He, answered Moses: your sin is greater than Aaron’s sin. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me further”; the line of justice does not allow Aaron to be seized on your behalf while you enter the Land.

Ofan 3

He said, “at that time”—at the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, disclosed to Moses the passage concerning vows, נְדָרִים (nedarim), which contains the mystery of נ׳ דָּרִים (nun darim), “fifty dwellings.” For the release of vows “flies in the air,” as stated in the mishnah in the first chapter of Ḥagigah 10a. This means the mystery of “a tower flying in the air,” mentioned in the mishnah in chapter 4 of Oholot (4:1) and cited in the Gemara in Ḥagigah 15b and Sanhedrin 106b. Its meaning is the mystery of בִּינָה (Binah, “Understanding”), which is “a tower of strength”; therefore vows are released on the Day of Atonement, as stated in Nedarim, chapter 3, 23b. The release of vows is there, in the mystery of Binah.

It therefore says, “When a man vows a vow to the LORD” (Numbers 30:3), with the letter ל (lamed), which is the mystery of “a tower flying in the air,” in accordance with the explanation of the Arukh and Rashi, who cite commentators on the exposition of the letter lamed. In that same episode, when the Holy One, blessed be He, disclosed to Moses, “Her husband may uphold it, and her husband may annul it” (Numbers 30:14), Moses offered his prayer. He had heard the laws of vows, and Moses is called “the man of God” (Deuteronomy 33:1), the husband of the Matronita (Zohar I, 236b).

The Psalmist intimated this through the word תְּפִלָּה (tefillah, “prayer”), whose numerical value is that of וָאֶתְחַנַּן (va-etḥannan), namely 515. This alludes to the numerical value of יְשָׁרָה (yesharah, “straight”) in “a straight foot” (Ezekiel 1:7). The inner meaning is fifteen times five hundred: between the earth and the Throne of Glory there are fifteen distances of five hundred. This is the mystery of Abraham being seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran (Genesis 12:4), for fifteen times five hundred is seventy-five hundreds of years. Therefore, in Psalm 75, which is expounded concerning Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, all the reasons why Moses had to be buried on the far side of the Jordan are explained. See Parashat Mattot, where this is explained at length. [TN-003-01]

Thus it was “at that time,” when the Holy One, blessed be He, disclosed the mystery of vows to Moses. This is the meaning of “at that time, saying”: it refers to the passage that differs from every other passage in the Torah. Elsewhere it is said, “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,” whereas in the passage of vows the order changes, beginning, “Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes, saying” (Numbers 30:2). The word לֵאמֹר (“saying”) here alludes to that passage concerning vows, which differs from all other passages.

The verse then asks: who is the one, and which one is he, who will release the Holy One, blessed be He, from His vow? Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, answered this with אֲשֶׁר מִי־אֵל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ (asher mi El ba-shamayim u-va-aretz), “for what god is there in heaven or on earth?” (Deuteronomy 3:24). That is, it is stated in the Midrash that there is one angel between heaven and earth whose name is מִי (Mi, “Who”), and he annuls the vow of the Holy One, blessed be He. For although “the LORD of hosts has purposed” (Isaiah 14:27), one angel whose name is Mi annuls it.

By Way of Derash

The righteous person is called מִי (Mi, “Who”), as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said in Taʿanit 23a, Moʿed Katan 16b, and Midrash Rabbah, Parashat Haʾazinu (Deuteronomy Rabbah 10:3): “The righteous one rules through the fear of God” (II Samuel 23:3)—“Who rules over Me? The righteous one.” That is, the righteous person, who is called Mi, rules over Me.

The reason a righteous person is called Mi is that he proceeds from one degree to another. An angel is called “one who stands,” whereas a righteous person is called “one who walks,” as it is written, “I shall give you walkers among these who stand” (Zechariah 3:7). Since he proceeds from one degree to another, they ask of him, “Who is this?” because they do not recognize him.

There is, however, a hidden mystery: the attribute of Binah is called מִי (Mi), for there are the fifty gates of Binah, which are the mystery of נְדָרִים (nedarim, “vows”) as נ׳ דָּרִים (nun darim, “fifty dwellings”). Moses therefore spoke well: I supposed that perhaps the vow had been released. If you ask, “Who releases it?” he said אֲשֶׁר מִי־אֵל, asher Mi-El—that is, the attribute Mi, which is the fifty gates of Binah and which rules in heaven and on earth. “Where the word of a king is, there is authority; and who [מִי, mi] may say to him, ‘What are you doing?’” (Ecclesiastes 8:4). That is, the attribute Mi. “Who [מִי, mi] can stand before His indignation, and who [מִי, mi] can endure the heat of His anger?” (Nahum 1:6).

It likewise says, “Who spreads out the earth by Myself [מֵאִתִּי, me-itti]” (Isaiah 44:24): it is written מֵאִתִּי (me-itti), but we read it as מִי אִתִּי (Mi itti), “Mi is with Me,” namely the attribute Mi. It likewise says, “Who [מִי, mi] is he who spoke and it came to pass, when the LORD had not commanded it?” (Lamentations 3:37).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): you wish to have the legal standing of a rav who, when he is a sole recognized expert, releases the vow.

Ofan 4

One may answer the questions of Rabbi Simlai in tractate Sotah 14a: Why did Moses yearn to enter the Land of Israel? Did he need to eat of its fruit? I say that Moses saw through the holy spirit what is stated in tractate Arakhin 32b: the Holy One, blessed be He, was angry with Joshua because he did not pray concerning the evil inclination toward idolatry, as Ezra and the Men of the Great Assembly did in the Second Temple period, when they cried in a loud voice, בַּיָּא (bayya, “Woe!”), and so forth (as stated in Yoma 69b and Sanhedrin 64a).

Therefore it is written in Ezra—that is, in Nehemiah 8:17—“The Israelites had not dwelt in booths since the days of Joshua son of Nun.” The word סֻכּוֹת (sukkot, “booths”) refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, who spreads over them a sukkah of peace. The Holy One, blessed be He, was angry with Joshua because he had not removed the evil inclination from the world. He therefore removed one letter from Joshua’s name, namely the ה (he), and it is written יֵשׁוּעַ בִּן־נוּן (Yeshua bin Nun) rather than יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshua). [TN-004-01]

The Gemara asks there why He was not angry with Moses for failing to remove idolatry from the world. It answers that Moses did not possess the merit of the Land of Israel with which to remove it from the world. Joshua, however, possessed the merit of the Land of Israel and could have removed the evil inclination toward idolatry; therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, was angry with him.

I therefore say that Moses saw this through the holy spirit: one who possesses the merit of the Land of Israel can remove the evil inclination toward idolatry from the world. For this reason Moses yearned to enter the Land of Israel. Immediately before this passage it is therefore written, “I commanded Joshua son of Nun at that time” (Deuteronomy 3:21), with the word יְהוֹשׁוּעַ (Yehoshuʿa) written plene with a ו (vav). This alludes to the matter written there in Ezra: מִימֵי יְהוֹשׁוּעַ בִּן־נוּן (mi-yemei Yehoshuʿa bin Nun, “since the days of Joshua son of Nun”), with יְהוֹשׁוּעַ written plene with a vav after the ש (shin).

For this reason he said here, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time.” It alludes to that time at which the ה (he) was taken from Joshua’s name; “saying” means saying to the generations that the prayer was intended to repair the generations by removing idolatry. He therefore opened with the textual sequence YHWH God: for the sake of His Name, he wished to enter the Land of Israel.

Concerning this he said, “You have begun to show Your servant”: You showed me the book of Adam the first man, in which all the generations are written, as stated above (Sanhedrin 38b). When he reached the generation of Ezra, who removed idolatry from the world, he said: “Master of the Universe, let me cross over, I pray. I wish to remove the evil inclination toward idolatry now; therefore I require the merit of the Land of Israel, and consequently, ‘let me see the Land.’”

The matter of idolatry is also intimated in the word נָא (na, “I pray”). Maimonides, of blessed memory, wrote in his Sefer ha-Yad (Laws of Idolatry) that the Torah contains נ״א—that is, fifty-one—prohibitions concerning matters associated with idolatry. This is intimated in his statement אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא (eʿberah na, “let me cross over, I pray”): I wish to cause the fifty-one prohibitions associated with the laws of idolatry to pass away. The numerical value of אֶעְבְּרָה (eʿberah, 278) is the same as that of עֶזְרָא (Ezra, 278). That is: what Ezra will do, I shall do when I enter the Land of Israel.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh). That is, you must be buried on the far side of the Jordan in order to subdue the רַב הַחוֹבֵל (rav ha-ḥovel, “chief helmsman” or “chief destroyer”) within the kelippah, who is buried opposite Moses’ grave. He is חֲרוֹן אַף (ḥaron af, “fierce anger”), standing opposite מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh): the numerical value of the one is equal to that of the other, 345. When Israel sins, he opens his mouth wide to swallow them; when he sees Moses’ grave, he draws back, as stated in Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, chapter 45.

This is the meaning of “We remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor” (Deuteronomy 3:29), and “He buried him in the valley” (Deuteronomy 34:6): opposite Peor, who opens his mouth wide to swallow Israel. For this reason Moses had to be buried on the far side of the Jordan.

Concerning the removal of idolatry, He said, “Command Joshua” (Deuteronomy 3:28). צַו (tzav, “command”) means none other than idolatry, as it is written, “because he was content to follow צָו (tzav)” (Hosea 5:11; Sanhedrin 56b). The Holy One, blessed be He, was therefore angry with Joshua for not removing the evil inclination toward idolatry as Ezra did. Since this is so, He said, “Strengthen him and fortify him” in every matter of perfection. [TN-004-02]

Ofan 5

Moses thought that his sin lay in his saying, “Hear now, you rebels” (Numbers 20:10). Moses therefore said: “The LORD God, You have begun”—for You Yourself had first called Israel rebels: “It shall be a sign for the children of rebellion” (Numbers 17:25).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: You think that your sin lay in calling Israel “rebels,” but this is not so. Your sin lay in ascribing greatness to yourself when you said, הֲמִן־הַסֶּלַע הַזֶּה נוֹצִיא (ha-min ha-sela ha-zeh notzi), “Shall we bring [water] out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:10), using the letter נ (nun), thereby including yourself, and not ascribing the greatness to the Holy One, blessed be He, alone. You should have said יוֹצִיא (yotzi, “shall He bring out”). Concerning this He said, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): you took greatness for yourself, as Maimonides, of blessed memory, wrote in The Guide of the Perplexed, and as Naḥmanides likewise wrote in his commentary on the Torah.

By this, Moses contradicted and demolished the edifice of what he had said concerning the Holy One, blessed be He: “There is none else” (Deuteronomy 4:35), even in the empty space of the world. Through that declaration he had sanctified HaShem more than Jethro, Naaman, and Rahab did, as stated in Midrash Rabbah on this parashah (Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:28) and Midrash Samuel, chapter 9. Accordingly, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “There arose no prophet in Israel עוֹד (ʿod, ‘again’ or ‘further’) like Moses” (Deuteronomy 34:10).

Thus Moses had sanctified HaShem through the word עוֹד in “there is none else [אֵין עוֹד, ein ʿod].” Here, however, He said, “Do not continue to speak to Me עוֹד (ʿod, ‘further’) concerning this matter”—the word עוֹד is precise. That is: there you sanctified HaShem by saying אֵין עוֹד, “there is none else,” whereas here you did the opposite. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me further concerning this matter.”

Ofan 6

It is stated in Midrash Rabbah, Parashat Ḥukkat—cited here as Tanḥuma, Va-etḥannan §6—that Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He: “I committed only one sin, whereas Israel sinned many times, and You heeded my prayer when I prayed on their behalf.” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: “The prayer of an individual is not like the prayer of a community.” [TN-006-01]

It is difficult to see where these matters are intimated in the verse—in Moses’ prayer and in the answer of the Holy One, blessed be He, to Moses. One may say that the verse is to be explained as follows. Moses said: “Master of the Universe, You have begun to show Your servant”—You heeded my prayer when I petitioned on Israel’s behalf in four places: at the calf, at the spies, at the complainers, and at the assembly of Korah. Corresponding to these, he used four expressions.

Corresponding to the calf, concerning which Moses said, “Oh, this people has sinned a great sin” (Exodus 32:31), he said “Your greatness.” Corresponding to the complainers, where the Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “Is the hand of the LORD shortened?” (Numbers 11:23), he said “Your mighty hand.” Corresponding to the spies, concerning whom the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “How long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst?” (Numbers 14:11)—“I have performed” is precise—he said, “who can perform deeds like Yours.”

Corresponding to the assembly of Korah, Moses said, “If the LORD creates a creation” (Numbers 16:30). The Holy One, blessed be He, altered the work of Creation and displayed His mighty deeds: even a borrowed needle that was in another person’s possession rolled downward and descended into the cavity of the great abyss (Yalkut Shimoni, allusion 752). The Holy One, blessed be He, displayed His mighty deeds—“Your judgments are a great abyss” (Psalms 36:7)—and concerning this Moses said, “like Your mighty deeds.” [TN-006-02]

Thus on four occasions “You have begun to show Your servant,” and You forgave them. I, however, committed only one transgression, when I said, “Hear now, you rebels” (Numbers 20:10); my sin lay in the word נָא (na, “now”). אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא (eʿberah na): I want You to let me be and cause this transgression that I committed with the word נָא to pass away for me, for this is the attribute of the Holy One, blessed be He: “forgiving iniquity and passing over transgression” (Micah 7:18).

He therefore opened with the word וָאֶתְחַנַּן (va-etḥannan, “and I pleaded”), deriving it from “I shall be gracious to whom I shall be gracious” (Exodus 33:19). “At that time,” when Moses sinned through “Hear now, you rebels,” he invoked the attribute of וְחַנֹּתִי (ve-ḥannoti, “I shall be gracious”), one of the Thirteen Attributes, because there it is explicitly explained as causing a single occurrence to pass away. [TN-006-03]

He therefore said אֶעְבְּרָה (eʿberah, “let me cross over”), whose letters, when reversed, form אַרְבָּעָה (arbaʿah, “four”). That is: they sinned four times and You forgave them; how much more should You forgive me for one occasion. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): you petitioned on behalf of רַבִּים (rabbim, “many”), and therefore they were forgiven; but this does not apply to you, for you are an individual. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me concerning this matter.”

Ofan 7

It is stated in the Midrash that when Moses said, “I committed only one sin; why will You not forgive me?” the Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: “You committed six sins.” Tanḥuma (Va-etḥannan §6) enumerates them:

1. “Send, I pray, by the hand of whomever You will send” (Exodus 4:13).
2. “Why have You done evil [to this people]?” (Exodus 5:22).
3. “If flocks and herds were slaughtered for them [would it suffice for them]?” (Numbers 11:22).
4. “If the LORD creates a creation” (Numbers 16:30).
5. “Hear now, you rebels” (Numbers 20:10).
6. “And behold, you have risen in place of your fathers, a brood of sinful men” (Numbers 32:14).

This is difficult, for these are nothing but words of prophecy: where did the Holy One, blessed be He, intimate in His answer that Moses had committed six transgressions?

It appears, however, that since Moses mentioned the word וָאֶתְחַנַּן (va-etḥannan, “and I pleaded”) in his prayer, thereby alluding to the attribute “I shall be gracious to whom I shall be gracious” (Exodus 33:19), at which time He showed him the Thirteen Attributes (see Rosh Hashanah 17b), Moses said, “You have begun to show.” That is, You began to show me “Your greatness [גָּדְלְךָ, godlekha], Your hand [יָדְךָ, yadekha].” Their initials, ג״י, have the numerical value thirteen, written here as י״ג, as stated in the Tikkunim concerning the verse “We remained in the valley” (Deuteronomy 3:29): this is the mystery of the thirteen measures of mercy. [TN-007-01]

Through this You Yourself intimated to me Your mode of governance, by which You govern the upper and lower realms: the Thirteen Attributes. According to the Zohar (III, 131b), the first of the Thirteen Attributes opens with the word אֵל (El). This is intimated by Moses’ saying אֲשֶׁר מִי־אֵל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ (asher mi-El ba-shamayim u-va-aretz), “for what god is there in heaven or on earth?” (Deuteronomy 3:24): the first attribute through which He governs heaven and earth among the Thirteen Attributes is the mystery of אֵל (El).

He therefore said, אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא (eʿberah na, “let me cross over, I pray”): I wish to cause the one sin of “Hear now [נָא, na], you rebels” to pass away. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): but you committed many transgressions—six sins—and impaired your own attribute of Tiferet, which is the mystery of the ו (vav) of the name YHWH.

Moses therefore opened his prayer with the ו (vav) of וָאֶתְחַנַּן, which is the mystery of the letter vav. The word וָאֶתְחַנַּן contains six letters; this is the mystery of the chariot of letters. The first verse contains six words; this is the mystery of the chariot of words. All of these allude to Moses’ degree, which was composed of the three vavs of the three Patriarchs in the three verses “And [the angel] journeyed” (וַיִּסַּע, va-yissa; Exodus 14:19), “And [it] came” (וַיָּבֹא, va-yavo; Exodus 14:20), and “And [Moses] stretched out” (וַיֵּט, va-yet; Exodus 14:21).

Moses alluded to them as follows: “Your greatness” corresponds to Abraham and to the vav of וַיִּסַּע; “Your mighty hand” corresponds to Isaac and to the vav of וַיָּבֹא; אֲשֶׁר מִי־אֵל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ, “for what god is there in heaven or on earth,” corresponds to the vav of וַיֵּט, which corresponds to Jacob. Moses comprised all three in the mystery of the ש (shin) of מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh).

The prayer therefore consists of eighteen blessings: “The Patriarchs instituted the prayers” (Berakhot 26b), and the Patriarchs are the three vavs. The first three blessings and the last three blessings total six; the twelve intermediate blessings then constitute two vavs. All of them are degrees of Moses, which are the degrees of the Torah, given with ו׳—on the sixth—of Sivan.

Concerning this He said, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): you impaired your own degree, for you committed six sins. This is also the meaning of the impairment caused by Israel when they said to Moses, אַתְּ תְּדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ (at tedabber ʿimmanu), read as “You [feminine] speak with us” (Deuteronomy 5:24). As stated in this parashah, the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke the commandments through Moses’ degree: “God answered him by a voice” (Exodus 19:19), which our Rabbis, of blessed memory, expounded in Berakhot 45a as “with Moses’ voice.” This is the mystery of the seven voices in the psalm “Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty” (Psalms 29:1): Moses’ voice is the mystery of the six extremities, while Malkhut is the seventh.

Israel said, “If we continue to hear . . .” (Deuteronomy 5:22). They did not wish to hear Moses’ voice, which is the mystery of the male aspect (see Leviticus Rabbah 31:5); they wished to hear only from the Shekhinah, the female aspect. This is the meaning of Israel’s words דַּבֵּר אַתְּ עִמָּנוּ (dabber at ʿimmanu), “You [feminine] speak with us.” Through this, Moses’ strength weakened like that of a woman (see Berakhot 32a). Had they heard the voice of the speech of the Holy One, blessed be He, the tablets would not have been broken.

This is the mystery of “All the people saw the voices” (Exodus 20:18), where הַקֹּלֹת (ha-qolot, “the voices”) is written defectively, lacking a ו (vav): they diminished Moses’ degree. Likewise, when the tablets were made, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, פְּסָל־לְךָ (pesol lekha), “Hew for yourself” (Exodus 34:1), intimating that the tablets were to be six handbreadths long by six handbreadths wide (Nedarim 38a). This is intimated in the word לְךָ (lekha, “for yourself”): hew the degree that is yours, namely the letter ו (vav).

He similarly said, “Write for yourself [כְּתָב־לְךָ, ketav lekha] these words” (Exodus 34:27)—“for yourself” is precise. This is the mystery of וָוֵי הָעַמּוּדִים (vavei ha-ʿammudim), “the hooks/vavs of the columns,” which scribes employ in a Torah scroll (Tziyyoni, Parashat Terumah; see Yoreh Deʿah 273:6); it is Moses’ degree.

Ofan 8

In the first chapter of tractate Avodah Zarah (Avodah Zarah 7b), our Rabbis learned from here: “A person should always arrange the praise of the Omnipresent and afterward pray.” From where do we know this? From Moses, and so forth. Concerning this Moses said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying” (Deuteronomy 3:23)—to state for all generations what the order of prayer should be.

Moses began to arrange the praise of the Omnipresent. He first said, “Your greatness,” corresponding to “the Great”; “Your mighty hand,” corresponding to “the Mighty”; and “for what god is there in heaven or on earth,” corresponding to “the Awesome.” This is like the man who descended before Rabbi Ḥanina to lead the prayer and wished to multiply the titles of the Holy One, blessed be He; Moses likewise wished to multiply expressions of the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh), “It is enough for you”: these three titles of the Holy One, blessed be He, suffice. He governs His world through three lines—Ḥesed, Din, and Raḥamim (Lovingkindness, Judgment, and Mercy). Rabbi Ḥanina similarly answered, “Have you finished all the praises of your Master?” (Berakhot 33b).

It is possible that the expression רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh) alludes to Rabbi Ḥanina, while וָאֶתְחַנַּן (va-etḥannan, “I pleaded”) is itself cognate with the name Ḥanina. Thus He said, “Rav lakh”: that is, within the language of your prayer, He said “rav lakh,” indicating that in the days of the Amoraim there would be a rav who would regulate prayer so that divine titles would not be multiplied. This is why He said, “Do not continue to speak to Me anymore” (Deuteronomy 3:26). The word אֵלַי (elai, “to Me”) is superfluous; through it He intimated that one should not multiply the praises of the Holy One, blessed be He, excessively, but should remain with these three lines, which are encoded in אֵלַי (אל״י) as a notarikon: אָדֹם (adom, “red”), לָבָן (lavan, “white”), יָרוֹק (yaroq, “green”). These are Judgment, Lovingkindness, and Mercy, respectively. [TN-008-01]

Ofan 9

Here Scripture disclosed to us the exalted qualities of the holy Torah, “longer than the earth is its measure” (Job 11:9). Who was greater for us than Moses? At the end of his life he stood at the highest degree in the world, one that the human intellect is constitutionally incapable of attaining. Even so, he said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time” (Deuteronomy 3:23)—that is, shortly before his death, when he was called “the man of God” (Deuteronomy 33:1). This had not been so throughout his life, for of him it is written, “Moses ascended to God” (Exodus 19:3). Now, however, he had ascended to a great degree and was called “a righteous one who rules in the fear of God” (2 Samuel 23:3); hence he was called “the man of God.” Even so, he said, “You have begun to show Your servant” (Deuteronomy 3:24). In his own eyes, he had only begun to attain knowledge of God; it appeared to him that he had attained nothing at all in the wisdom of Torah.

He therefore said, “Please let me cross over” (Deuteronomy 3:25). His intention was not to eat of the land’s fruit, but solely to attain the speculative and intellectual apprehensions within Torah. Concerning this he said, “and let me see the good land” (Deuteronomy 3:25), in accordance with what the Sages said: “The air of the Land of Israel makes one wise” (Bava Batra 158b). There he would come to attain the Torah’s secrets.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: You think that you have not yet attained anything in Torah and possess only a beginning. It is not so. רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): many attainments are yours. You have attained many perfections of the intellect within Torah, and you must not continue to attain further, for you have attained everything that the human intellect can possibly attain.

For this reason, in a Torah scroll, the words “Moses diligently inquired” (וְהִנֵּה דָרֹשׁ דָּרַשׁ מֹשֶׁה; Leviticus 10:16) are written so that one דָּרַשׁ (darash, “inquired/expounded”) must be at the end of a line and the second דָּרַשׁ at the beginning of the following line. This teaches a person that there is no end and no searching out the Torah’s expositions and secrets. When a person has completed an exposition and thinks that he has already completed his attainment and reached the end of its full measure, he returns and begins at the beginning. The second word דָּרַשׁ is therefore at the beginning of the next line, to teach that he is beginning again from the head.

We can learn this from Moses. As stated above, “at that time,” when Moses was at the end of his life, he said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “You have begun to show me”: he stood at the beginning, as though he had never learned anything in all his days. The reason is contained in the word שר״ף (Sh-R-P): שר״ף signifies שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא פַּרְצוּפִים (shishim ribbo partsufim), “sixty myriads [600,000] of configurations.” [TN-009-01] There are 600,000 configurations in the world, corresponding to the 600,000 letters of the Torah; and every letter in the Torah likewise has 600,000 configurations—600,000 plain-sense interpretations.

For this reason, we rule in accordance with Rav Ashi in the chapter Ha-Qometz of tractate Menaḥot (Menaḥot 30a): the words “before the eyes of all Israel” (Deuteronomy 34:12) must be written in a Torah scroll precisely in the middle of the line. This teaches that the Torah’s end cannot be searched out. It stands in the middle of the line to instruct us that one has not reached the Torah’s ultimate limit and end.

Ofan 10

Moses came to teach for all generations a principle of prayer concerning what the Holy One, blessed be He, does for a human being: a person cannot repay the Holy One, blessed be He, for what He has already given him. Thus it is stated in the Midrash (Leviticus Rabbah 27:2), concerning “Who has preceded Me, that I should repay him?” (Job 41:3): does a person perform the commandment of tzitzit before the Holy One, blessed be He, has given him a garment? Does he affix a mezuzah before the Holy One, blessed be He, has given him a house? And so forth.

Concerning this Moses said, “You have begun to show” (Deuteronomy 3:24): for this reason I ask for a gratuitous gift, not on account of my own good deeds, because You began first to confer benefits upon a person, before that person performed the commandment. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): you possess many commandments and good deeds; and even so, “Do not continue to speak to Me.”

Alternatively, the expression רַב־לָךְ may intimate what is stated in the Midrash on Ecclesiastes, page 82 (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 1:3), concerning the verse, “What profit has a person from all his labor at which he labors under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3). Even if a person performs all the commandments in the world, he cannot repay the Holy One, blessed be He, for causing the sun to shine. The sun is called רַב (rav, “great”), in the mystery of “How abundant [רַב] is Your goodness” (Psalms 31:20), which is stored away for the righteous. The Sages said that this is the great primordial light hidden away for the righteous (Zohar II, 220a). The expression also intimates that “the face of Moses was like the face of the sun” (Bava Batra 75a), and he illuminates the entire world. [TN-010-01]

Ofan 11

Moses came and prayed after he saw, “Behold, God performs all these things” (Job 33:29). This is the mystery of גִּלְגּוּל (gilgul, transmigration), which is numerically equivalent to חֶסֶד (Ḥesed, Lovingkindness), as in “the lovingkindness of God [חֶסֶד אֵל]” (Psalms 52:3). [TN-011-01] Moses knew that he belonged to the mystery of הֶבֶל (Hevel, Abel), for the name מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh, Moses) is a notarikon of מֹשֶׁה שֵׁת הֶבֶל (Mosheh, Shet, Hevel—Moses, Seth, Abel). The initial letters of בָּעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר (ba-et ha-hi leʾmor, “at that time, saying”) are also treated as הבל (Hevel). [TN-011-02]

Moses knew that he had been a shepherd in the days of Abel and that at that time he had impaired the א״י (alef-yod) of the name אֶהְיֶה (Ehyeh), as intimated in the verse, אֵי הֶבֶל אָחִיךָ (ei Hevel aḥikha), “Where is Abel your brother?” (Genesis 4:9). Through this he caused the two letters ה (heh) of אֶהְיֶה to go into exile, in the mystery of “and the two of them went” (Ruth 1:19)—the two hehs, as stated in the Tikkunim (Tikkunei Zohar 19, 42a): the two hehs went together, while the letter א (alef) flew away from them. This is intimated in the word הַהִיא (ha-hi, “that”), whose letters contain the displaced letters of אֶהְיֶה. [TN-011-03]

Moses therefore now opened his rectification of these two hehs by saying אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה (Adonai YHWH; Deuteronomy 3:24). Adonai is the mystery of the lower ה (heh); YHWH vocalized with the vowel points of Elohim is the upper ה (heh). He said, “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness.” This refers to the first gilgul, on the side of Abraham in the days of Abel, concerning whom Cain said after killing Abel, “My iniquity is greater [גָּדוֹל] than I can bear” (Genesis 4:13). “And Your mighty hand” refers to the gilgul of Seth, which, as the second gilgul, comes from the side of Judgment, Isaac. He intimated the gilgul of Seth, concerning whom it is said, “God [אֱלֹהִים] has appointed for me another offspring” (Genesis 4:25)—specifically Elohim, which is the attribute of Isaac. Concerning the third gilgul, Moses himself, he now said, “for what god is there in heaven or on earth,” corresponding to Jacob, because Jacob is the middle bar extending from one end to the other, joined in heaven and on earth.

Moses then prayed, “Please let me cross over” (אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא, eʿberah na; Deuteronomy 3:25), construing אֶעְבְּרָה in relation to אִשָּׁה עֻבָּרָה (ishah ubbarah, “a pregnant woman”). He wished to issue forth in yet another gilgul, to undergo ibbur, and to enter this world a fourth time. Moses knew that his days would be 120 years, as it is written in Genesis: “בְּשַׁגָּם (be-shaggam) he is flesh, and his days shall be 120 years” (Genesis 6:3)—בְּשַׁגָּם is Moses (Ḥullin 139b). Concerning this he said, “Adonai YHWH, I know that the appointed end of my lifetime in this world has already been completed.” Thus he said, “at that time, saying,” when he was 120 years old. He knew that the span which the Holy One, blessed be He, had allotted him in this world was now completed, for the Holy One, blessed be He, had already disclosed to Moses at the vision of the bush that his days would equal הַסְּנֶה (ha-seneh, “the bush”), whose numerical value is 120. Moses therefore knew that he was now compelled to die.

He consequently said, “You have begun to show Your servant”: You have already revealed to me the number of the days of my life. My prayer, however, concerns the mystery of gilgul, which is Ḥesed-El, for חֶסֶד and גִּלְגּוּל have the same numerical value. He therefore said, “What god [אֵל, El] is there in heaven or on earth?” I pray to Him for yet another time. Hence he said, “Please let me cross over”: this time I shall come by way of ibbur and gilgul.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): your gilgul has already been completed. It is written, “Behold, God performs all these things, twice and three times with a man [גָּבֶר, gaver]” (Job 33:29). The word גבר (G-B-R) intimates the three gilgulim that Moses mentioned. The first gilgul, “Your greatness,” comes from the side of Abraham, who bestows lovingkindness (גּוֹמֵל חֲסָדִים, gomel ḥasadim): this is the ג (gimel) of גבר. “And Your mighty hand” is Isaac, the second gilgul: this is the ב (bet) of גבר, for the bashful (בַּיְשָׁנִים, bayshanim). “For what god is there” is the third gilgul, Jacob: this is the ר (resh) of גבר, for the merciful (רַחֲמָנִים, raḥamanim). You have thus completed the three gilgulim of the three Patriarchs. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me anymore”—asking to be reincarnated a fourth time. [TN-011-04]

Ofan 12

Moses wished to attain in this world the mystery of the divine name יָהּ (YH), which is the mystery of Ḥokhmah and Binah (Wisdom and Understanding). This is the intent of the Midrash (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:8), which relates that when Moses heard of his death, which Metatron had revealed to him, he said, “I shall not die, but live, and recount the deeds of YH” (Psalms 118:17). Thus Moses wished to arrive at the full nature of the name יָהּ. When he said, “YH has severely chastened me,” his intent accorded with the Midrash (Tanḥuma, Va-etḥannan §6), which relates that Moses asked the Holy One, blessed be He, to decree suffering upon him for the sin he had committed. In my opinion, this is what he intimated by saying, “YH has severely chastened me, but He did not give me over to death” (Psalms 118:18).

Moses therefore opened here with וָאֶתְחַנַּן (va-etḥannan, “I pleaded”), cognate with “I shall be gracious [וְחַנֹּתִי] to whom I shall be gracious” (Exodus 33:19), for at that time the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the gates of the Garden of Eden. He accordingly began with אֲדֹנָי (Adonai), followed by YHWH vocalized with the vowel points of Elohim. Combine the three—אדנ״י הוי״ה אלהי״ם (Adonai, YHWH, Elohim)—and their numerical value equals גַּן עֵדֶן (Gan Eden, “Garden of Eden”). [TN-012-01] This is why the next verse says, “Open for me the gates of righteousness” (Psalms 118:19): שַׁעֲרֵי צֶדֶק (shaʿarei tzedeq, “the gates of righteousness”) has the numerical value of עֵדֶן (Eden) when the letter ן (final nun) is assigned its enlarged value in the אי״ק בכ״ר (AIQ BKR) system. [TN-012-02] His entire intention was expressed in “I shall enter through them; I shall praise YH” (Psalms 118:19): he wished to arrive at the full nature of the name יָהּ, which is Ḥokhmah and Binah.

Concerning this he said, “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness”—from the attribute of Ḥesed to the end of the structure (the seven sefirot). He now prayed, “Please let me cross over,” so that the Holy One, blessed be He, would reveal to him the fifty gates of Binah and the א (alef), which is Ḥokhmah, as it is written, “I shall teach you [וַאֲאַלֶּפְךָ] wisdom” (Job 33:33). The form of א is the mystery of the thirty-two paths of Ḥokhmah, for the form of א consists of י״ו (yod-vav) above and י״ו below. [TN-012-03] This is the meaning of “this good mountain and Lebanon” (Deuteronomy 3:25): the word לְבָנוֹן (Levanon, “Lebanon”) intimates ל״ב (thirty-two) paths of Ḥokhmah and נ (fifty) gates of Binah.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): the attainment in which the Holy One, blessed be He, disclosed the fiftieth gate to you before your death is enough for you. Thus the Zohar states concerning “and He showed him all the land” (Deuteronomy 34:1) that the word כֹּל (kol, “all”), whose numerical value is fifty, alluded to “for all [כֹּל] that is in heaven and on earth is Yours” (1 Chronicles 29:11) (Zohar III, 157a). That is, in this world He also revealed to him the fiftieth gate, which is the mystery of “Who [מִי, Mi] is a god in heaven or on earth?”

After his death, however, “You gather in their spirit, they expire” (תֹּסֵף רוּחָם יִגְוָעוּן; Psalms 104:29). [TN-012-09] The Holy One, blessed be He, then also disclosed to Moses the thirty-two paths of Ḥokhmah, as it is written, “He saw the first portion [רֵאשִׁית] for himself” (Deuteronomy 33:21), which is the mystery of רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה (“the beginning of wisdom”). When did He disclose the thirty-two paths of Ḥokhmah to him? Scripture answers: “for there the portion of the lawgiver is concealed” (Deuteronomy 33:21)—that is, when he died, for “the righteous are greater in their death than in their life” (Ḥullin 7b). At that time He disclosed to him the thirty-two paths of Ḥokhmah.

In this world, however, רַב־לָךְ: the fifty gates of Binah intimated in לָךְ (lakh, “for you”) are enough for you, because “Imma extends as far as Hod” (Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction, 2b). These are five sefirot: Gedullah, Gevurah, and Tiferet, each comprising ten, together form the thirty signified by ל (lamed) of לך; and then Netzah and Hod form the twenty signified by כ (kaf) of לך. Therefore, for now, רַב־לָךְ, “it is enough for you”; “do not continue.”

This is the meaning of “and we dwelt in the valley” (וַנֵּשֶׁב בַּגָּיְא, va-neshev ba-gai; Deuteronomy 3:29): ונש״ב (V-N-Sh-B) is a notarikon for נ׳ שַׁעֲרֵי בִינָה (fifty gates of Binah). [TN-012-04] During Moses’ lifetime the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Ascend to the top of Pisgah” (Deuteronomy 3:27). This is the fiftieth gate, which he had lacked until that time: only forty-nine gates of Binah had been disclosed to him, and one gate was lacking. Concerning that closed, inner gate, He now said, “Ascend to the top of Pisgah.”

In the word פִּסְגָּה (Pisgah), the Holy One, blessed be He, fulfilled Moses’ wish to enter the inner Eden, as it is written, “Open for me the gates of righteousness,” which is the mystery of Eden as stated above. The word פִּסְגָּה likewise intimates בְּעֵדֶן (be-Eden, “in Eden”), for the letters immediately preceding the letters פסגה are the letters of בעדן by permutation. [TN-012-05] This is intimated by “the top [רֹאשׁ] of Pisgah”: that is, when you ascend to the “first” letters that stand before the letters of פסגה.

He then said, “Command Joshua” (Deuteronomy 3:28). The Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Moses to disclose to Joshua that inner, closed gate—the fiftieth gate. “And strengthen him” refers to that gate which the Holy One, blessed be He, disclosed to Moses. Joshua is consequently called יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן (Yehoshua bin Nun): that is, the Holy One, blessed be He, disclosed to him the fifty gates of Binah, thereby fulfilling the verse, “As I was with Moses, I shall be [אֶהְיֶה, Ehyeh] with you” (Joshua 1:5).

Through the word אֶהְיֶה He intimated to Joshua the mystery of the seventy faces of Torah, which are encoded in “You made him lack but little from God” (וַתְּחַסְּרֵהוּ מְעַט מֵאֱלֹהִים; Psalms 8:6): suspend the ע (ayin) in מְעַט (meʿat, “little”) and read the remaining letters as מ״ט, forty-nine. [TN-012-06] Throughout Moses’ life, the Holy One, blessed be He, disclosed to him only forty-nine of the seventy faces of Torah (Numbers Rabbah 2:3). The mystery of אֶהְיֶה, whose numerical value is twenty-one, remained to complete the count of seventy faces. Thus the name אֶהְיֶה is the mystery of the closed inner gate, which the Holy One, blessed be He, disclosed to Moses before his death.

The verse beginning אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה אַתָּה הַחִלּוֹתָ (Adonai YHWH, “You have begun”; Deuteronomy 3:24) consequently contains twenty-one words, the mystery of אֶהְיֶה, in the mystery of “I was [וָאֶהְיֶה, va-ehyeh] beside Him, a confidant” (Proverbs 8:30). That is, the name אֶהְיֶה remained beside the Holy One, blessed be He—entrusted, hidden, and covered.

It is possible that this is why the Holy One, blessed be He, answered Moses as He did. During his lifetime Moses sought to attain the mystery of א (alef), which is the thirty-two paths of Ḥokhmah. He answered him, רַב ל״ךְ: for now, the fifty gates of Binah, which equal לך, are enough for you, and no more. For you must command Joshua: whatever you attain, Joshua must likewise know and attain, since the Holy One, blessed be He, promised him, “As I was with Moses, I shall be [אֶהְיֶה] with you.” Therefore, because of “Command Joshua and strengthen him,” רַב־לָךְ—it is impossible for you to attain more at present. Joshua is called only בִּן נוּן (bin Nun), with a ḥiriq under the bet, in the sense of “you shall surely discern [בֵּין תָּבִין] what is before you” (Proverbs 23:1): the fifty gates of Binah, and no more. [TN-012-07]

This is what the Sages said concerning רַב־לָךְ: “You have a rav; and who is it? Joshua” (Sotah 13b). Because Joshua could not attain more, you too will not attain more, for in this respect he is your rav. This also explains the statement in the chapter Ha-Boneh (Shabbat 104a): “Schoolchildren came to the study house and said something the like of which had not been said even in the days of Joshua bin Nun.” Why did they specifically say “Joshua bin Nun”? The intention is that the children said, א״ב—אַלֵּף בִּינָה (alef-bet—allef binah, “learn understanding”). They intended the mystery of the one gate that had been lacking from Binah: the fiftieth gate, which Joshua attained and on account of which he is called bin Nun. Joshua is therefore mentioned by name, because this is the gate of which the children now speak. [TN-012-08]

Ofan 13

It is stated in the Midrash Rabbah on the portion Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy Rabbah 7:10) that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: “I have sworn two oaths—concerning סְלַח נָא (selaḥ na, ‘Please forgive’; Numbers 14:19) and אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא (eʿberah na, ‘Please let me cross over’; Deuteronomy 3:25). It is impossible to annul both. If you wish to annul the oath concerning אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא, you cannot annul the oath concerning סְלַח נָא.”

The matter is as follows. The Holy One, blessed be He, had sworn to destroy Israel, but Moses pleaded, “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants” (Exodus 32:13). Thus it was impossible for You to annul the oath You had sworn to the Patriarchs. Moses thereby disclosed that, in his view, a sage cannot release his own vow. Thus Tosafot write in the chapter Ha-Mokher et ha-Sefinah (Bava Batra 74a), concerning the incident involving Rabbah bar bar Ḥanah, in which the heavenly voice said, “Woe is me that I swore! And now that I have sworn, who will release me?” Tosafot ask (s.v. “ve-akhshav”): Can a sage not release his own vow? See there, for the halakhic authorities dispute this question.

Moses thus disclosed that he held that a sage [cannot] release his own vow. [TN-013-01] He therefore “entreated [וַיְחַל, va-yeḥal]” (Exodus 32:11), which the Sages interpreted to mean that he released the Holy One, blessed be He, from the vow (Berakhot 32a). [TN-013-02]

Afterward, however, when Moses said, “Listen, please, you rebels” (Numbers 20:10), the Holy One, blessed be He, swore, “Therefore you shall not bring this assembly,” and so forth (Numbers 20:12). Moses now sought to argue in accordance with the authority who says that a sage can release his own vow. He asked the Holy One, blessed be He, to release His own vow, as discussed in the chapter Ein Dorshin (Ḥagigah 10a). Concerning this Moses said, אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה אַתָּה בְּעַצְמְךָ הַחִלּוֹתָ (Adonai YHWH, “You Yourself have begun”); the wording intimates the release of an oath. Thus [now] he sought to have His vow annulled. [TN-013-03]

This is why he said, “For what god is there in heaven or on earth?” Who is able, and who can protest, apart from You? “Since a king’s word is sovereign, who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’” (Ecclesiastes 8:4). Therefore, “Please let me cross over.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, then answered him: It is impossible to annul both. If you wish to uphold סְלַח נָא: the Holy One, blessed be He, had sworn to destroy Israel, and Moses annulled that oath on account of the first oath He had sworn to the Patriarchs. Yet this argument would not be an argument if a sage could release his own vow. Rather, Moses must certainly have held as law that a sage has no power to release his own vow. If so, it is impossible to uphold אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא, for who is there to release the Holy One, blessed be He, from His vow? The two rulings contradict one another.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): at the time the calf was made, you yourself held that a sage cannot release his own vow, but requires another rav to release it for him. Thus it is written, “He shall not profane his word” (Numbers 30:3): he may not dissolve it himself, but others may dissolve it for him (Berakhot 32a). You yourself therefore hold that another rav is needed to release the vow and that one cannot release it for oneself. How, then, do you now wish Me to release My own vow? This contradicts the first halakhic ruling that you rendered. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me again of this matter”—on this occasion, concerning this matter, do not contradict the law as determined at the outset.

Ofan 14

In this world Moses stood at the degree of Metatron, which is the mystery of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the world of Yetzirah (Formation). Moses wished to attain and ascend into the world of Beriah (Creation), where Akatriel is found. He therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel, which is called “the land of the living” (Isaiah 38:11), and there he would attain the degree of the Tree of Life, the mystery of the world of Beriah.

Concerning this he said, אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה (Adonai YHWH), and so forth: behold, outside the Land You have shown me that I stand at the degree of the faithful servant, Metatron, who comprises both good and evil. He is called מְטַטְרוֹן (Metatron), which is the mystery of מַטֶּה (matteh, “staff”): the letter ט (tet) in מטטרון indicates טוֹב (tov, “good”), while ר (resh) indicates רַע (ra, “evil”). [TN-014-01] When Israel is worthy, Moses’ staff turns toward Ḥesed; when they are not worthy, Moses’ staff turns into a serpent, and he takes hold of evil.

Thus Moses said, “You have begun to show Your servant”—Metatron, who, from the side of good, is Your servant—“Your greatness,” from the aspect of the staff inclined toward Ḥesed; and from the side of evil, “Your mighty hand.” Moses wished to attain the degree of the third of the three Princes of the Presence, whose name is Akatriel and ends with the name אֵל (El). [uncertain: והוא מקנין אותם בכורסייהו] [TN-014-02] There the Supernal Mother is called מִי (Mi, “Who”). This is why he said, “For what [מִי, Mi] god [אֵל, El] is there in heaven or on earth who can do according to Your deeds and according to Your mighty acts?” (Deuteronomy 3:24), “for who [מִי, Mi] can utter” (Psalms 106:2). That is, the attribute of מִי is Binah, where mighty acts are wrought and from which judgments awaken.

Therefore Moses said, “Please let me cross over [נ״א], and let me see [וְאֶרְאֶה] [א״ת] the good land” (Deuteronomy 3:25). The marked Hebrew expression נ״א ואראה א״ת has, the text states, the numerical value of the Prince of Beriah, including the kolel. [TN-014-03] “The good” is precise, because the world of Beriah is called the world that is entirely good. Moses therefore longed for the Land of Israel, which is the land of the living, and intended to rectify the good and cause the evil to pass away.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): Metatron is called the רַבָּן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל (rabban shel Yisrael, “Master of Israel”), and he is לָךְ—your own degree. Thus it is written in Raʿaya Mehemna (Zohar III, 219a) that Moses is so named on account of the notarikon formed by the words מְטַטְרוֹן שַׂר הַפָּנִים (Metatron Sar ha-Panim, “Metatron, Prince of the Presence”), whose initials spell משה (Mosheh, Moses). This shows that Moses’ degree ascends only to the upper limit of Metatron, Prince of the Presence—the degree intimated in his name—and no further. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me anymore” about ascending further into the world that is entirely good.

It is possible that this is why Moses said, “You have begun”: when Moses first came into the world, it was written of him, “She saw that he was good” (Exodus 2:2). Moses therefore said, “Your greatness,” which Rashi explains as “this is the attribute of Your goodness.” Moses wished to cause evil to pass out of the world. He consequently said, “this good mountain” (Deuteronomy 3:25), for he sought to make the portion of good prevail in the world. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, רַב־לָךְ: you have already greatly increased (הִרְבֵּיתָ) the power of goodness.

Ofan 15

Moses came to invoke what the Holy One, blessed be He, had done in his case at the incident of the Calf. The Holy One, blessed be He, had sworn to annihilate Israel, as it is written, “He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses, His chosen one” (Psalms 106:23). Moses prayed on their behalf and said, “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore” (Exodus 32:13), and by this he annulled the oath of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore, now too Moses came, by means of the three Patriarchs, to annul the oath of the Holy One, blessed be He, who had sworn, “Therefore you shall not bring…” (Numbers 20:12).

This is the meaning of “You began” (אַתָּה הַחִלּוֹת): at the outset, at the time the Calf was made, [You began] “to show Your servant” that Your oath could be released through the invocation of the three Patriarchs. “Your greatness” is Abraham; “Your mighty hand” is Isaac; “what god” (אֲשֶׁר מִי אֵל) is Jacob, as it is written, “And he called it El” (Genesis 33:20)—for the Holy One, blessed be He, called Jacob “El” (Megillah 18a). Thus, through these three Patriarchs, “You began” (הַחִלּוֹת), construed from the language of ḥullin (חוּלִּין, “that which is non-sacred”), for through them He released the vow. And now, likewise, “let me cross over” (אֶעְבְּרָה), since I wish to cause Your vow to pass away through the invocation of these three Patriarchs. [TN-015-01]

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you” (רַב לָךְ). The release of the first oath that I swore—to annihilate Israel—is not comparable. At that time you advanced a powerful claim: it was impossible for Me to release the earlier oath that I had sworn to the patriarchs of the world. They were three—Abraham, Isaac, and Israel—and the oath had been made to all three. This is the meaning of “to whom I swore”: “them” denotes three. We hold as settled law that “one who vows on the understanding of the many has no release” (Gittin 36a), and “the many” are no fewer than three (Ketubot 75a).

This is intimated by the words “It is enough for you” (רַב לָךְ): your claim was based on the fact that I had vowed “on the understanding of the many” (עַל דַּעַת רַבִּים). Now, however, when I have sworn to you alone, it is an individual vow; you therefore do not possess this claim by which to release it through the three Patriarchs. Hence, “Do not continue to speak to Me any more,” since this is not a vow undertaken on the understanding of the many.

Ofan 16

It is stated in the Midrash Rabbah on this parashah (Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:8) that Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Joseph merited that his bones be buried in the Land of Israel; why, then, am I not to enter the Land of Israel—not even my bones? The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: Joseph acknowledged his land, for he said, “I was indeed stolen from the land of the Hebrews” (Genesis 40:15). But when they said of you, “An Egyptian man rescued us” (Exodus 2:19), you did not acknowledge your land; therefore you will not be buried there.

Joseph is intimated in Moses’ prayer by the words “You began to show Your servant,” an allusion to Joseph, who is called a servant of the Holy One, blessed be He. Joseph merited that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him greatness, as Pharaoh said, “Only with respect to the throne shall I be greater than you” (Genesis 41:40). This was intimated to Joseph in his dream (Genesis 37:7): “And behold, my sheaf arose,” corresponding to “Your greatness”; “and it also stood upright,” corresponding to “Your mighty hand.” Afterward, in the second dream, the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the sun and the moon bowing down to him (Genesis 37:9); these are the mystery of heaven and earth.

Behold, You did four things for Joseph, and he merited entering the Land of Israel. Let me too “cross over, please,” as he did. For Joseph attained two degrees, and his tribes were divided in two: “the tens of thousands of Ephraim” (Deuteronomy 33:17), corresponding to which it says, “my sheaf arose”; and “the thousands of Manasseh,” corresponding to which it says, “and it also stood upright.” Correspondingly, Moses said that “You began to show Your servant”—Joseph—that he would possess two degrees: corresponding to the tens of thousands of Ephraim, “Your greatness”; corresponding to the thousands of Manasseh, “Your mighty hand.” But You granted no portion of this honor to my seed, to my two sons. Moses therefore said, “Let me cross over, please”: act for me in this matter so that I myself may see the Land, if my sons are not to merit taking my crown. [TN-016-01]

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you” (רַב לָךְ): Joseph is greater than you, and Joseph is called rav, as it is written, “Enough (רַב)! Joseph my son is still alive” (Genesis 45:28). Moreover, you attained Joseph’s degree during your lifetime, as it is written, “Moses took Joseph’s bones with him” (Exodus 13:19)—“with him” precisely. Just as Joseph is in the mystery of the Youth, Metatron, so too did Moses attain his degree. But as for what you desire—to enter the Land of Israel as Joseph did—“Do not continue (אַל תּוֹסֶף) to speak to Me any more.” The reason that you must not continue speaking to Me any more about this matter is that you sinned in that very matter: you did not personally acknowledge the Land of Israel and thereby blemished it. It is therefore impossible for you to enter the Land of Israel.

This is the meaning of what Moses says afterward: “I am to die; I am not crossing the Jordan” (Deuteronomy 4:22). Rashi explains (s.v. ki, citing Sifrei, Phinehas 23) that even his bones would not cross. From the outset, Moses had asked that what was done for Joseph—whose bones entered the Land of Israel—also be done for him. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you” (רַב לָךְ), the word “for you” (לָךְ) being exact: that is, you yourself will not come. And should you say that your bones will enter the Land, He therefore said, “Do not continue any more”—“any more” precisely—for even your bones will not enter the Land of Israel.

Ofan 17

According to the Zohar (I 21b), there are three: Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. Jacob merited that his body and his bones be buried in the Land of Israel. Joseph merited that his bones, but not his body, be buried there. Moses did not merit that even his bones should enter the Land of Israel.

Moses therefore arranged his prayer so that he might be equal to those two. First he mentioned Joseph. As stated above, Moses attained the degree of Joseph in the mystery of “And this shall be the sign for you that I have sent you” (Exodus 3:12). He also attained the degree of Jacob, which is Tiferet, as the Sages expounded: “and the Tiferet” (1 Chronicles 29:11)—“this is the giving of the Torah” (Berakhot 58a); “You placed a crown of Tiferet upon his head.”

Accordingly, Moses advanced the following claim: Since I attained the degree of Joseph, “You began” at the beginning of my mission, when You gave me Joseph’s degree. Likewise, at the very beginning of Moses’ formation, when he came into the world, it was said concerning him, “She saw that he was good” (Exodus 2:2). He attained Joseph’s degree, as in “Say of the righteous one that he is good” (Isaiah 3:10); “the house was filled with light” (Sotah 12a); “Light is sown for the righteous” (Psalms 97:11).

It is therefore stated there, “This is one of the children of the Hebrews” (Exodus 2:6). It does not say “of a child” (מִיֶּלֶד), but “of the children” (מִיַּלְדֵי); this teaches that Joseph’s likeness was with him—Joseph being called “this” (זֶה). Hence it says, “Moses took Joseph’s bones” (Exodus 13:19): he took Joseph’s essence and degree with him. “With him” precisely—that is, from the moment he was created and came into this world. [TN-017-01]

Afterward, at the giving of the Torah, Moses attained the degree of Jacob, for then “God thunders wondrously with His voice” (Job 37:5). Jacob is the mystery of the voice. Moses attained Jacob’s degree, for the Holy One, blessed be He, called Jacob “El” (Genesis 33:20; Megillah 18a). Moses’ voice then spread forth, as it is written, “God answered him in a voice” (Exodus 19:19)—that is, in Moses’ voice, through seventy sparks (Berakhot 45a). This is the mystery of Jacob, whose household was divided into seventy souls.

This is the mystery of “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob” (Exodus 19:3): [uncertain: שמות יט ג, ר״ל] (the source punctuation does not securely mark the clause boundary); that is, “Thus” shall your utterance be. Just as the voice spreads to the house of Jacob, who numbered seventy souls, so too, at the assembly at Mount Sinai, Moses’ voice would spread through seventy sparks to the seventy nations. [TN-017-02]

Moses therefore arranged his argument here as follows: Since I attained Joseph’s degree, through which You showed me “Your greatness” and “Your mighty hand”—for Joseph’s degree is the mystery of the two Names, YHWH and Adonai—and afterward, at the assembly at Mount Sinai, I attained the degree of Jacob, who is called “El,” this is the meaning of “what god is there in heaven or on earth.” Thus, since I attained these two degrees, those of Jacob and Joseph, both of whom merited entering the Land of Israel—Jacob with his body and bones, and Joseph with his bones alone—“let me cross over, please,” I too, like one of them.

In relation to Jacob, the Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you” (רַב לָךְ)—with regard to your coming in your own person and body and likening yourself to Jacob. In relation to Joseph, He said, “Do not continue (אַל תּוֹסֶף) to speak to Me any more”: an expression playing upon another expression. The word “continue” (תּוֹסֶף, tosif) intimates that Moses was not to liken himself to Joseph (יוֹסֵף, Yosef).

According to the [uncertain: תי׳] (apparently “explanation”) of the Zohar on Parashat Vayeḥi (I 222b), which the kabbalist Rabbi Menachem Recanati also cites there, there is a further allusion in the words “It is enough for you.” Moses attained during his lifetime the great degree that Jacob attained only after his death. Since Moses’ degree is exceedingly high, he had no need whatsoever for the Land of Israel. “Moses and his six hundred thousand are from the World to Come” (משה וס׳ רבוא דיליה מעלמא דאתא אינון), and they did not require burial in the Land of Israel. As it is written in Parashat Shelah Lekha, “In this wilderness they shall come to their end” (Numbers 14:35): that is, the generation of the wilderness came from the World to Come, from the side of Binah, and they did not require burial in the Land of Israel. [TN-017-03]

This is the meaning of “It is enough for you”: you do not require burial in the Land of Israel, for your degree is higher, in the mystery of Daʿat—“Jacob from without and Moses from within” (Tikkunei Zohar 13, 29a). Jacob testified concerning himself, “Surely the LORD is in this place” (Genesis 28:16), which is the mystery of Tiferet from without; “and I did not know”—I am not in the mystery of Daʿat as Moses is, but only from without. He therefore required burial in the Land of Israel.

Moses, however, merited even outside the Land of Israel to ascend “to the summit of Pisgah” (רֹאשׁ הַפִּסְגָּה), which is in the mystery of Daʿat and comprises the entire Chariot. It is therefore stated in Parashat Shemot, “God knew” (Exodus 2:25), immediately followed by “Moses was shepherding” (Exodus 3:1). That is, because Moses was shepherding, “God knew”: the Holy One, blessed be He, was aroused in the mystery of Daʿat, which is Moses’ degree. Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer therefore says (chapter 40), as also cited in the Yalkut (Exodus, remez 171): “The supernal beings saw that the Holy One, blessed be He, had entrusted the Explicit Name, that they said, etc.” The angels recited the benediction Honen ha-Daʿat (“Who graciously bestows knowledge”). [TN-017-04]

Ofan 18

It is stated in the Midrash (Qohelet Rabbah 9:11) that Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, said: Surely nothing separates me from the Land of Israel except a tract of fifty cubits—the Jordan. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “You shall not cross this Jordan.” A difficulty arises: where in Moses’ prayer is this matter intimated—namely, that Moses mentioned a tract of fifty cubits?

It may be explained as follows. “At that time”—when he had conquered Sihon and Og and was standing on the bank of the Jordan. The Jordan is in the mystery of Binah, from which judgment descends to the world, “for from it judgments are aroused in the world” (דְּמִנַּהּ מִתְעָרִין דִּין לְעָלְמָא). [TN-018-01]

Concerning this, Moses said, “Adonai YHWH” [source form: ה׳ אלהים]. The Name Adonai is in the wilderness, for there applies dina de-malkhuta dina (דינא דמלכות דינא), “the law—or judgment—of kingship is law”; [uncertain: הוי״ה בנקודת אלהים] (the syntactic boundary before this phrase is unclear). YHWH vocalized with the pointing of Elohim is the mystery of Binah, to which the Jordan alludes. [TN-018-02]

Concerning this Moses said, “You began to show Your servant,” corresponding to Adonai, which is the Shekhinah and comprises twenty-eight “times”: fourteen times for good—“Your greatness,” which is the right hand—and “Your mighty hand,” fourteen times for evil. Afterward comes the correspondence to YHWH vocalized with the pointing of Elohim, which is Binah. The Jordan alludes to it, for the Jordan measured fifty cubits, in the mystery of MI (מִי), whose numerical value is fifty.

He therefore said, “Let me cross over, please” (אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא). The word NA (נָּא) intimates that I have only fifty cubits (נ׳ אַמָּה) of the Jordan to cross—a tract of fifty cubits. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “You shall not cross the Jordan,” which is called Yarden (יַרְדֵּן / ירדן) on account of the expression yarad nun (יָרַד נ׳), “nun / fifty descended.” [TN-018-03]

Ofan 19

It is taught in Tanḥuma (Va’etchanan §6) that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: “I have sworn two oaths. If you wish to cross the Jordan, Israel will perish,” and so forth. Moses replied: “You come against me with a pretext! Let Moses and a thousand like him perish, but let not a single Israelite perish.” It is possible that concerning this matter Scripture says, “He made His ways known to Moses, His pretexts to the children of Israel” (Psalms 103:7). That is, the Holy One, blessed be He, informed Moses that he would die. This is intimated in the word “His ways” (derakhav), as it is written, “Behold, I am going the way of all the earth” (Joshua 23:14). He could not take leave of Moses until He came against him with the pretext that Israel would perish if Moses crossed the Jordan; this is the meaning of “His pretexts” (alilotav).

This matter is intimated in the verse through His saying, “It is enough for you; do not continue to speak to Me עוד (od, ‘again/another’)” (Deuteronomy 3:26), for the word עוד is superfluous. What would the verse have lacked had it said only, “Do not continue to speak to Me”? Rather, the intention is that He said to him: If you desire your own greatness—namely, that you cross the Jordan—then “do not continue to speak to Me of עוד”: that is, do not ask Me for the other matter that is bound to this one, each depending upon the other, namely, that Israel will perish. Thus He had to say עוד in order to make known that there are two oaths: “one—and another,” as it were [TN-019-01].

One must, however, explain why He made one depend upon the other, so that if Moses crossed the Jordan, Israel would perish. By way of derash, this may be explained in accordance with the Midrash (Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:9) on the verse, “For there the portion of the lawgiver is concealed; and he came at the head of the people” (Deuteronomy 33:21). A maidservant went to draw water, and an earthenware pitcher fell from her hand. She began to weep. Afterward, a king’s daughter came and dropped a golden pitcher into the same water. The maidservant began to laugh, for whoever would bring up the golden pitcher would also bring up the earthenware one. So too with Moses: had Moses not been buried in the wilderness, the generation of the wilderness would have remained lost there. Now, however, Moses’ merit will bring them into the Land of Israel: whoever brings Moses into the Land of Israel will bring them in as well. Concerning this He said, “You shall not cross the Jordan,” so that Israel will not be lost.

This is the intention of the verse, “For there the portion of the lawgiver is concealed” (Deuteronomy 33:21): Moses was buried in the wilderness for the sake of “he came at the head of the people,” so that in the time to come he would be their leader, just as he had been at first. Concerning this it says, “He performed the righteousness of the LORD” (ibid.) at first, in this world; therefore, His judgment was that Moses should be buried with Israel. For this reason He said, “It is enough for you”: you must be buried on the other side of the Jordan so that you may be a rav over Israel in the World to Come and their leader, as you were at first. Therefore, “do not continue to speak to Me again.”

Ofan 20

A second reason why Moses had to be buried on the other side of the Jordan may be explained according to the Gemara (Sotah 9a, as cited in the source). Rava expounded: What is meant by the verse, “Praise is fitting (na’vah) for the upright” (Psalms 33:1)? Do not read נאוה (na’vah, “fitting”), but נוה (naveh, “dwelling”). This refers to Moses and David, whose enemies did not gain control over the works of their hands. It follows that if Moses had entered the Land of Israel and the Temple had been built through him, the enemies would not have been able to gain control over the work of his hands. He would then have been compelled to pour out His wrath upon Israel rather than upon wood and stones (Lamentations Rabbah 4:14). This is what the Sages said (Tanḥuma, Va’etchanan §6): “If you cross the Jordan, Israel will perish.”

Concerning this Moses said, “The LORD God, You have begun to show”: the initials of אתה החלות להראות (attah ha-hillota le-har’ot, “You have begun to show”) spell אהל (ohel, “tent”). Moses had made the Tent of Meeting in the wilderness. It is called אהל (ohel), whose letters, when reversed, form לאה (Leah); for the Tabernacle was in the mystery of Leah, whereas the Temple was in the mystery of Rachel, as stated in the book Kanfei Yonah [TN-020-01]. Therefore Moses said when the Tabernacle was erected, “A prayer of Moses, the man of God” (Psalms 90:1): the initials of למשה איש האלהים (le-Moshe ish ha-Elohim) spell לאה (Leah). Likewise, “on the day that Moses finished להקים את המשכן (le-haqim et ha-mishkan, ‘erecting the Tabernacle’)” (Numbers 7:1), whose initials spell לאה (Leah). So too it says, “These are the accounts” (אלה פקודי; Exodus 38:21), whose letters, reversed, form לאה (Leah) [TN-020-02].

Moses wished the Temple to be built through him. This pertains to the mystery of the Name יה (YH), just as his rescuer, בתיה (Bityah), alludes to Moses’ deriving nurture from the mystery of Abba and Imma, which is the Name יה (YH)—the mysteries of Ḥokhmah and Binah. For this is intimated in the word לבנון (Levanon, “Lebanon”): לב (thirty-two), the thirty-two paths of Ḥokhmah; and נ (fifty), the fifty gates of Binah [TN-020-03]. Thus his entire intention in entering the Land of Israel was that the Temple might be built through him and would not be a Temple in the mystery of Rachel, but in the mystery of Abba and Imma.

To this the Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” Your degree is exceedingly high, and it is impossible for the enemies to gain control over the work of your hands. When Israel sins, they themselves would therefore perish, and He would not pour out His wrath upon wood and stones. Hence you cannot cross the Jordan, lest Israel perish. Although it would indeed have been fitting for the Temple to be built through you so that it would pertain to the mystery of Abba and Imma, nevertheless, for Israel’s sake, “do not continue to speak to Me again.”

Ofan 21

A third reason why Moses had to be buried on the other side of the Jordan is that he had removed nine kelippot, as is explained in connection with the verse, “Atarot and Dibon” (Numbers 32:3), when the children of Gad came to Moses to take their portion on the other side of the Jordan. The tenth kelippah, which is Ḥaron Af (“Fierce Anger”), Moses could not subdue in his lifetime, but only after his death, for “the righteous are greater in their death than in their lifetime” (Ḥullin 7b).

This, then, was Moses’ prayer when he said ואתחנן (va-etḥannan, “I pleaded”): he wished to remove the kelippah called חנם (hinnam, “without cost/gratuitously”), as in the verse, “which we ate in Egypt חנם (hinnam, ‘for nothing’)” (Numbers 11:5), and likewise, “He multiplies my wounds חנם (hinnam, ‘without cause’)” (Job 9:17)—this is the kelippah. It is therefore called גיהנם (Gehinnom), for people arrive there on account of matters of חנם (hinnam); that is, they occupy themselves with the kelippah. This is intimated in the word ואתחנן, which points to חנם. Moses made this request “at that time,” when he had killed Sihon and Og, who belonged to the very root of the kelippah. Concerning this he pleaded: “You have begun to show”—I have begun to subdue the power of the kelippot in the world. Therefore, “let me cross, please”; when I am in the Land of Israel, I shall remove the remaining powers of the kelippot from the world [TN-021-01].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: It is precisely for this reason—that you wish to enter the Land of Israel in order to remove the power of the kelippah—that “it is enough for you.” The רב החובל (rav ha-hovel, “chief captain”), who is the head of the ten kelippot, is buried opposite Baal Peor. You must therefore be buried here in order to subdue the chief captain. Thus, “do not continue to speak to Me,” for here you must ascend and subdue “the top of Pisgah” (rosh ha-pisgah), whose gematria is מחיצה של ברזל (meḥitzah shel barzel, “a barrier of iron”), which separates us from our God (Berakhot 32b) [TN-021-02].

He then returns to explain, “We dwelt in the valley” (Deuteronomy 3:29): Moses had to be buried in the valley, as it is written, “He buried him in the valley, opposite Beth Peor” (Deuteronomy 34:6; Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 45). Peor opens (po’er) its mouth and seeks to consume Israel; when it sees Moses’ grave, it recoils. Concerning this He said, “If you cross the Jordan, Israel will perish” (Tanḥuma, Va’etchanan §6), for they would have no one to shield them from Ḥaron Af, which opens its mouth to consume Israel when they sin.

Ofan 22

A fourth reason why Moses had to be buried on the other side of the Jordan is as stated in “the portion of Mattot” (Numbers 27:12), according to the source’s wording [TN-022-01]. We hold that “you shall not muzzle an ox while it is threshing” (Deuteronomy 25:4); and when the destroyer is given permission to destroy, his portion must be given to him. This is illustrated by the episode of Rabbi Cruspedai in Midrash Zohar Ruth and in Midrash ha-Ne‘elam on the portion of Balak, and as stated in the book Recanati on the portion of Vayera in the name of Tanna de-Vei Eliyahu and in Otiyyot de-Rabbi Akiva.

For this reason, it is taught in the Zohar on the portion of Bo (II 33a) that, at the binding of Isaac, when a ram was offered in his place, the great Accuser prosecuted for 383 years. Satan wanted Isaac to be given to him, since Isaac had already fallen to his portion, until the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Job in Isaac’s place.

Likewise, when Phinehas came and turned back the fury—which had been flying over the heads of Israel, the מ (mem) of מות (mavet, “death”), the sign of death—Satan sought to take what was his, in fulfillment of “you shall not muzzle an ox while it is threshing.” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered: “Avenge the vengeance of the children of Israel” (Numbers 31:2). That is: permission had been given to the destroyer to destroy the children of Israel, and Satan wished them to be handed over to him for destruction; therefore, exact that vengeance from the Midianites. In other words, the Midianites shall be killed in place of Israel, fulfilling the verse, “I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead” (Isaiah 43:3).

The objection is raised: surely Satan is not appeased even by a thousand idolaters in exchange for a single Jew. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “Afterward you shall be gathered to your people” (Numbers 31:2). That is: you are Israel’s ransom, for you are equal in weight to six hundred thousand. Accordingly, it was concerning this that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “If you cross the Jordan, Israel will perish” (Tanḥuma, Va’etchanan §6), for Satan would not be appeased by anything short of the death of the Israelites who had already been delivered into his hand.

Concerning this, Moses pleaded, “You have begun to show.” He had begun to execute Israel’s vengeance, and “one who begins a commandment is told: Finish it” (Tanḥuma, Ekev §6). I wish to remove all thirty-one kings. Moses therefore said, “Who is a God in heaven and on earth?” thereby intimating that he wished to remove the thirty-one kings, which are the mystery of אל אחר (el aher, “another god”), and to make known אל אלהי ישראל (El, the God of Israel), who is in heaven and on earth (Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:28) [TN-022-02].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you,” as it is written, “and many (rav) of them shall fall” (Exodus 19:21)—take the greatest (rav) among them. Since Moses is the master (rabban) of Israel, he must be the ransom of all Israel. Therefore, “do not continue to speak to Me.” This is the meaning of Moses’ statement, “We dwelt in the valley” (Deuteronomy 3:29): he had to remain in the valley and be buried there, opposite Beth Peor, in order to remove and annihilate Baal Peor, because it had been given permission to destroy. Moses therefore had to be their ransom. This is what he said: “The LORD became enraged with me for your sake” (Deuteronomy 3:26)—because you sinned with Baal Peor. It grieved Moses that he had to be Israel’s ransom in order to fill the mouth of Satan, who had been given permission to consume Israel.

Ofan 23

A fifth reason why Moses had to be buried on Mount Nebo is that Moses is the face of the sun (Bava Batra 75a), and all the prophets draw their nurture from him. For this reason, the children of Gad also came to Moses before their brothers, the children of Reuben, asking that their portion be given to them beyond the Jordan, for Moses is buried in Gad’s portion (Sotah 13b). Moses’ grave had been prepared from the six days of Creation, among the ten things created at twilight (Avot 5:6). This is the meaning of “for our inheritance has come to us” (Numbers 32:19): it had already “come” from the six days of Creation, when Moses’ grave was created. Moses had to be buried in the wilderness, “eastward, toward the sunrise” (Deuteronomy 4:41), so that he would shine upon all the prophets of all future generations.

Moses therefore opened with ואתחנן (va-etḥannan, “I pleaded”), which points to “I shall be gracious (ve-ḥannoti) to whom I shall be gracious (aḥon)” (Exodus 33:19). Moses saw all future generations. He saw that he was the face of the sun, whereas the later generations would eat “from the produce of the land” (me-avur ha-aretz; Joshua 5:11)—specifically of the earth—in contrast to Moses’ generation, who ate “bread from heaven” (Exodus 16:4), the luminous speculum. Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel so that the sun’s light would shine within the Land of Israel and future generations would not be guided by the light of the moon, but by the light of the sun, which is the Name YHWH. Accordingly, in the verse והלאה כי באה נחלתינו (“and beyond, for our inheritance has come”; Numbers 32:19), the final letters spell the Name YHWH, as the source reads them [TN-023-01]. Moses is the mystery of the Name YHWH, and it is there that he is buried.

This is the meaning of “I pleaded to the LORD at that time.” There is authority both in the consonantal text and in the reading tradition: it is written ההוא (ha-hu, masculine, “that”) but read ההיא (ha-hi, feminine, “that”), and both are present. Moses saw that in his days the light of the sun shone—the mystery of the masculine, the Name YHWH—whereas the generation after him would be governed by the mystery of the feminine, the light of the moon. Woe for such shame! He therefore said “saying”—for the generations: his prayer concerned the future generations, namely, that he, the face of the sun, should bring them into the Land of Israel.

For this reason he began with the two Names, “YHWH Elohim.” Moses attained the mystery of Binah, which is YHWH vocalized with the pointing of Elohim—the mystery of Binah. Moses was equal in weight to six hundred thousand (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:9), which is the mystery of Binah, comprising the six hundred thousand souls of Israel, in the mystery of the closed מ (mem) in לםרבה המשרה (le-marbeh ha-misrah), as cited in the source as Isaiah 8:15 [TN-023-02]. As stated in the Zohar on the portion of Terumah, [uncertain: כד מדיד משחת׳], this is the mystery of the measuring line, the letter ו (vav) from the closed מ (mem); the ב (bet) of בראשית (Bereshit) then remains, which is Binah [TN-023-03]. This is Moses’ degree. He began here with the letter ו (vav), with the six letters of ואתחנן, and with the six words in the verse beginning ואתחנן; by all these Moses alluded to his degree.

This is what he said: “You have begun to show”—the luminous speculum comes to him from Binah. Thus he said, “Who (מי, Mi) is a God?”: the degree of מי (Mi) is the degree of אשר (Asher), which Moses attained; his degree is “bread from heaven.” This is the meaning of “in heaven and on earth.” Through the Holy Spirit he saw that those after him would eat only from the produce of the earth, not from heaven. He therefore prayed, “Let me cross, please, and I shall see the land”—specifically “I shall see,” ואראה (ve-er’eh), with a ו (vav). The seeing of the land, whose degree is the letter ה (he), would proceed from Moses’ degree, the letter ו. He therefore used the additional ו: he could have said, “Let me cross, please; I shall see (אראה) the land,” but instead said, “and I shall see (ואראה),” with a ו. His request was that when he saw the land and entered it, the letter ו—the sunlight—would be present in the Land of Israel, which is the letter ה [TN-023-04].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” The greatness that is the luminous speculum—the great luminary, which is called rav—is yours alone, while you wish all generations to possess this degree and gaze into the great luminary. “Do not continue to speak to Me עוד (od).” The word עוד is precise, for the Holy One, blessed be He, said of Moses, “No prophet has arisen עוד (od, ‘again’) in Israel like Moses” (Deuteronomy 34:10): none possessed so great and abundant an עודיות (odiyyut, “excess/advantage”) over other human beings as Moses, who possesses the עוד. And what is Moses’ additional advantage? The letter ו. This is the meaning of “whom the LORD knew face to face” (ibid.): the luminous speculum, the face of the sun. That עוד belongs specifically to Moses and not to others, for all the prophets prophesied with כה (koh, “thus”), whereas he prophesied with זה (zeh, “this”) (Sifrei, Mattot §2) [TN-023-05].

He therefore said, “Do not continue to speak to Me עוד”: do not ask that this addition and עוד also be granted to future generations. This cannot be; it is “enough for you” specifically, for you are the sun and Joshua is the moon. This is the meaning of “Command Joshua,” who is the face of the moon. The moon cannot shine unless it stands opposite the sun; you must therefore be buried toward sunrise in order to illuminate the moon. This is the intention of the Gemara—which the source introduces as Sanhedrin but cites as Sotah 13b—when it explains “It is enough for you”: “You have a master (rav), and who is it? Joshua” [TN-023-06]. It does not mean that Joshua would be Moses’ master. Rather, it means: for Joshua’s sake, since he is the face of the moon, and the moon can shine only from the sun, for this reason “you have rav”; that is, it is enough for you, as though you yourself were there. Therefore, “do not continue.”

Ofan 24

Moses wished to repair the Chariot that Israel had damaged by making the calf, for the sole of the angels’ feet is like the sole of a calf’s foot. For this reason, “with two he covers his feet” (Isaiah 6:2), so as not to recall the sin of the calf (Leviticus Rabbah 27:3). There is no visitation of punishment in which the Holy One, blessed be He, does not exact one twenty-fourth of a litra from the calf’s debt (Sanhedrin 102a).

When the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the Book of Adam the First, Moses saw that the prophet Ezekiel had changed the face of the ox on the left and had set the face of a cherub in its place (as taught in Ḥagigah, chapter 2, 13b). Moses longed to possess the merit of the Land of Israel so that he might change the face of the ox into a cherub.

This is intimated in the initials of ואתחנן אל י״י בעת ההיא (va-etḥannan el YHWH ba-et ha-hi, “I pleaded to YHWH at that time”), which spell ואיבה (ve-eyvah, “and enmity”). These are the twenty-four species of impurity that Israel aroused at the time of the calf. “And I shall place enmity (ve-eyvah) between you” (Genesis 3:15): this, too, was the sin of the calf—the form of an ox belonging to Adam the First, who ate grass, for he was not permitted to eat meat, but only green herbage (Sanhedrin 57a) [TN-024-01]. This is the meaning of “saying”: Moses prayed on behalf of future generations—“to say” to the generations—that they would no longer have the serpent’s sin, which is expressed in the word ואיבה.

Concerning this he said, “You have begun to show Your servant”: the Holy One, blessed be He, had begun to forgo punishment for the sin of the calf on his behalf. This is expressed in the initials of אתה החלות להראות (attah ha-hillota le-har’ot, “You have begun to show”), which spell אהל (ohel, “tent”). “Moses would take the tent” (Exodus 33:7): Moses acquired all the lights that were taken away from all Israel (Shabbat 88a). Just as You began to show me Your attribute of goodness by forgiving the sin of the calf, so what You intend to do through Ezekiel—to change the ox in the Chariot and place a cherub in its stead—“let me cross, please”: I wish now to remove the face of the ox.

The word נא (na, “please/now”) intimates, by notarikon, that there would be a נער אדם (naʿar adam, “human youth”) in the Chariot, for the Sages asked, “What is a כרוב (keruv, ‘cherub’)?” and answered, “Like a child (ke-ravya), for it is a youth” (Ḥagigah 13b) [TN-024-02]. The word אעברה (eʿberah, “let me cross/remove”) intimates that he wished to remove the cherubim, for the gematria of אעברה is the same as כרובים (keruvim, “cherubim”): 278. The mystery of how Ezekiel could make a cherub from an ox is this: when the numerical value of כרובים, 278, is subtracted from שור (shor, “ox”), the remainder is כרוב (keruv, “cherub”): 228. Moses therefore prayed אעברה: I wish to remove the number of אעברה, namely 278. Through this the כרובים, which are the wings of the living creatures, were diminished at the time of the destruction, as taught there in the Gemara; and when the value of אעברה is removed from שור, only כרוב remains [TN-024-03].

Moses therefore mentioned the Name אל (El), saying, “Who is El?” This alludes to what Ezekiel wished to do, which I wish to do now. Thus he said אעברה נא: נא means nothing other than “now.” Should you ask why he did not request this in the wilderness, to this he said, “and I shall see the land”: for this I require the merit of the Land of Israel. In the wilderness, the place of the serpent, it is impossible to nullify the evil powers; this can be done only in the good land.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you (rav lakh).” That is, the ערב רב (erev rav, “mixed multitude”) who made the calf is yours, for “your people has acted corruptly” (Exodus 32:7); you are the cause (see Exodus Rabbah 42:6). A prosecutor cannot become a defender. Therefore, “do not continue to speak to Me.” But “command (tzav) Joshua”: צו (tzav) denotes nothing other than idolatry (Sanhedrin 56b), for Joshua commanded Israel after him concerning idolatry. This is the meaning of “strengthen him”: what Ezekiel would do and what he would request concerning the face of the ox, Joshua would do. Therefore, in the days of Ezra, the Holy One, blessed be He, was angry with Joshua because he had not prayed and repaired the Chariot in relation to idolatry as he had (Arakhin 32b), as explained above in Ofan Four [TN-024-04].

Ofan 25

Moses made a request of the Holy One, blessed be He, when he saw that Phinehas had merited to subdue Af and Hemah (“Wrath” and “Fury”) at Shittim and thereby merited that the two souls of Nadab and Abihu came to him. Concerning this he said, “I pleaded to the LORD at that time.” That is, at the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses himself to take that covenantal sign which the Holy One, blessed be He, had given him, as it is written, “and this shall be the sign for you” (Exodus 3:12). It speaks of the sign of the covenant, for Moses had attained the degree of Tzaddik. At that juncture the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Moses; He therefore said: You yourself, with your own mouth, say, “Behold, I give him My covenant of peace” (Numbers 25:12). This follows the words of Rabbi Phinehas ben Yair (Zohar III 238b): Moses said this because that covenant belonged to him.

Through those two souls, Phinehas merited to become an angel of HaShem, as it is written, “An angel of the LORD went up” (Judges 2:1). This is Phinehas, who ascended from degree to degree: “from Gilgal”—that is, by virtue of the gilgul (reincarnation) of the two souls—“to Bochim,” the World of the Ofanim, where they say, “Blessed is the glory of the LORD from His place” [TN-025-01]. Concerning this Moses pleaded “at that time,” when Moses gave Phinehas his own degree. He asked of the Holy One, blessed be He: “You have begun to show me.” Moses comprised the holy Patriarchs, as it is written, “Moses ascended to God” (Exodus 19:3)—the degree of Isaac; “the LORD called to him”—the degree of Jacob; “from the mountain”—the degree of Abraham.

Phinehas likewise became comprised in Isaac when the letter י (yod) was given to him, for his numerical value is 208, equal to יצחק (Yitzhak, “Isaac”). When he seized the letter מ (mem) from מות (mavet, “death”), he became comprised in Abraham, whose numerical value is 248, equal to אברהם (Avraham, “Abraham”). When he also seized the letter ו (vav) from מות, it became רומח (romah, “spear”), with a ו, whose letters reversed form רחום (rahum, “merciful”); he became comprised in Jacob, as taught in the Zohar, p. 437 (Zohar III 236b) [TN-025-02]. These three are counted here: since “You have begun” to grant me these three degrees, which are the mystery of the ש (shin) of משה (Moshe)—three faces, the three Patriarchs (Zohar I 266b)—“Your greatness” is Abraham; “Your mighty hand” is Isaac; and “who is El in heaven and on earth?” is Jacob.

I therefore ask, אעברה נא (eʿberah na, “let me cross, please”), that my ibbur be through the soul of נ״א (N-A), namely נדב אביהו (Nadav Avihu), who are “the two fawns of the doe” [TN-025-03]. Moses sought to attain the degree of Elijah, of whom it is said, “Let there be נא (na), a double portion of your spirit upon me” (II Kings 2:9)—a reference to the souls of נדב אביהו. On their account Elijah merited to ascend through the gate of heaven. Moses therefore said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth?” alluding to Elijah, who flies through the air in the mystery of “the spirit of the LORD will carry you” (I Kings 18:12), as taught in the Zohar on the portion of Vayaqhel (Zohar II 197a). Thus he said “in heaven and on earth,” for this is HaShem by which Elijah flies through the air and did not taste death.

Moses also asked to become Metatron, who had likewise been a human being and whom “God took” while he was still alive (Genesis 5:24). It is possible that this is why Moses arranged the prayer in [uncertain: ב׳ רתיבין]—that is, two verses [TN-025-04]. In the first verse he mentioned Metatron, who is called the faithful servant of the Holy One, blessed be He, as in the verse, “Now, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant” (Daniel 9:17), which is said concerning Metatron. He mentioned him in the first verse: “You have begun to show Your servant”—this is Metatron, to whom You gave “all his master’s goods in his hand,” for He delivered all His keys into his hand. Concerning this he said, “Your greatness; Your mighty hand,” comprising two sides. This is what caused Aher to err when he saw Metatron and reckoned—God forbid—that there were two authorities (Ḥagigah 15a). Concerning this he said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth?” Although his name is like his Master’s Name and all his master’s goods are in his hand, as it says, “Your mighty hand,” nevertheless it is written, “there is no other besides Him” (Deuteronomy 4:35): You alone are El in heaven and on earth. Thus, in the first verse Moses desired the degree of Metatron.

In the second verse he mentioned Elijah, who is in the World of Asiyah. This is what he said: אעברה נ״א—that he might attain Elijah’s degree, for Elijah was impregnated with the souls of נדב אביהו and also merited to ascend alive into the firmament. Let me become like one of them, “and I shall see the land,” for when I am in the Land of Israel I too shall attain this, so that there will be no death in me. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you”: your degree is higher than that of Metatron and Elijah, who did not taste death, as stated in Pardes (p. 207a).

Ofan 26

It is taught in Midrash Rabbah (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:10) that Moses requested permission to enter the Land of Israel with Joshua as the master and himself as the disciple. See the extended account in Yalkut, p. 263b, followed in the source by the damaged reference [uncertain: וג׳ ילקו״ש רמז ורמז תתכ״א] [TN-026-01]. Moses afterward asked of his own accord to die.

According to this Midrash, the meaning of the verse is that Moses asked, “Let me myself cross, please.” I seek no greatness at all; I ask only that “I shall see the land,” while Joshua will be the master. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “You have a master (rav), and who is it? Joshua” (see Sotah 13b). I know that you yourself will not desire this arrangement, but will instead ask for death. This is the meaning of “do not continue to speak to Me again”—to ask for life. “Command Joshua”: the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded that Joshua should expound while Moses was still alive. As taught in Tanḥuma on this portion (Tanḥuma, Va’etchanan §6), Moses did not understand what Joshua expounded. Concerning this he said, “A hundred deaths, but not one jealousy.” Thus Moses himself did not ask to live any longer.

Ofan 27

Moses saw that in the days of Ezra Israel was worthy for the Holy One, blessed be He, to perform a miracle for them at the second entry, as in the days of Joshua. This accords with the Sages’ interpretation in the first chapter of Berakhot (4a) of the verse, “Until Your people pass over, O LORD, until they pass over” (Exodus 15:16). Since the Land of Israel was sanctified with ten degrees of sanctity, as taught in the first chapter of Kelim (1:6), the Sages likewise said in the chapter Merubbah of Bava Qamma (81a) that Joshua stipulated ten conditions with Israel. Because ten degrees of sanctity depend upon the Land of Israel, he stipulated precisely ten conditions. Ezra likewise established ten ordinances at the second entry, as taught there in the Gemara.

In the words עד יעבור עמך ה׳ עד יעבור (“until Your people pass over, O LORD, until they pass over”), the letter-pair ע״י occurs three times, forming notarikons for עזרא יהושע (Ezra, Joshua), עשייה יצירה (Asiyah, Yetzirah), and עשו ישמעאל (Esau, Ishmael), according to the source’s analysis [TN-027-01]. That is, Ezra and Joshua are likenesses of Sandalfon and Metatron: Ezra corresponds to Sandalfon in Asiyah, and Joshua to Metatron in Yetzirah. “Train a youth” (חנוך לנער; Proverbs 22:6), with חנוך also read as Enoch, and “his attendant Joshua, a youth” (Exodus 33:11). They eradicate these two kelippot, namely Esau and Ishmael.

Concerning this Moses pleaded, “I pleaded to the LORD at that time.” ע״ת is a notarikon for עשר תקנות תיקן עזרא (“Ezra established ten ordinances”). ע״ת ההי״א is a notarikon for עשרה תנאים התנה הוא יהושע אליעזר (“ten conditions he stipulated—Joshua—Eliezer”), as the source reads the expansion [TN-027-02]. He then said “saying”—to the generations—for Moses wished to sanctify the Land of Israel with ten degrees of sanctity. He said, “You have begun to show Your servant,” for Moses began with the Ten Commandments at the revelation at Mount Sinai. “Your servant” is precise, for through Moses’ stature and height the Holy One, blessed be He, displayed His greatness, which is the mystery of Atzilut: Moses’ stature was ten cubits (Berakhot 54b).

This is the meaning of “Your mighty hand (yadekha)”: a mighty יוד (yod). Read it as “Your mighty yod (yodekha),” as the Zohar says (Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction, 7b) concerning the verse, “You open Your hand (yadekha)” (Psalms 145:16) [TN-027-03]. Since the Holy One, blessed be He, began to show Moses the ten sefirot, which are the ten degrees of sanctity, then “let me cross, please,” for “one who begins a commandment is told: Finish it” (Tanḥuma, Ekev §6). “And I shall see the land,” which contains ten degrees of sanctity. Moses wished now to stipulate Joshua’s ten conditions and also to establish the ten ordinances that Ezra would institute at the second passage. אעברה (eʿberah, “let me cross”)—I shall establish them now. The word אעברה also intimates Ezra, for its gematria equals עזרא (Ezra): 278.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you”: have I not given you abundant greatness—the Ten Commandments, which I gave through you? In the Ten Commandments lies the “abundant good” stored away for the righteous in the World to Come, for the Commandments contain 620 letters, the mystery of כתר (Keter), whose gematria is 620. This is the mystery of “to endow those who love me with substance (יש, yesh)” (Proverbs 8:21), for every person has two times יש (yesh, 310), equal to כתר (Keter, 620) [TN-027-04]. This is the mystery of “I am your shield; your reward is exceedingly great” (Genesis 15:1). That is, in the Commandments, which begin אנכי (Anokhi, “I am”; Exodus 20:2), He is “your shield”; there the reward of the righteous is explained.

Therefore, “do not continue to speak to Me again,” for Joshua too must be granted a share in the ten degrees of sanctity. Moses therefore added the letter י (yod) to Joshua. Concerning this He said, “Strengthen him and embolden him”: “strengthen him” because He gave him the letter י; “embolden him” because He gave him the letter ו (vav) here. He therefore used two expressions: “he shall cause [Israel] to inherit,” and “he shall pass over,” in every place “which you shall see”—specifically in the Land of Israel (Deuteronomy 3:28). Moses is the mystery of ו, and he attained the letter י, which is Ḥokhmah. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so shall I be with you” (Joshua 1:5). Joshua likewise merited the addition of these two letters in his name, namely י״ו (yod-vav), the mystery of Arikh and Zeʿir, which is Moses’ portion.

For all of Moses’ [uncertain: פרגטוטין] were entirely in א״ז (AZ; see Exodus Rabbah 23:3) [TN-027-05]. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore said to Joshua, “For then (אז, az) you shall prosper, and then (אז) you shall act wisely” (Joshua 1:8). That is, when you contemplate the letters א״ז, which are the mysteries of אריך זעיר (Arikh, Zeʿir), אהבה זכות (love, merit), א׳ זעירא (the small alef), and אלף זיוון (a thousand splendors). He will subdue אל זר (el zar, “a strange god”), אשת זנונים (eshet zenunim, “a woman of harlotries”), and אויבים זדים (oyevim zedim, “presumptuous enemies”) [TN-027-06].

Ofan 28

A major difficulty must be resolved: why did Aaron not plead to enter the Land of Israel? It was because Aaron saw that his soul would be reincarnated in Ezra, in the mystery of “this Ezra went up from Babylon” (Ezra 7:6), which refers back to what precedes it (Ezra 7:5), “Aaron.” Aaron is Ezra—join the texts and teach them together [TN-028-01]. This is the mystery of what the Gemara says in Sanhedrin (21b): “Ezra was worthy for the Torah to be given through him, as it was through Moses.” In truth, Ezra is Moses’ brother by reincarnation. Although the Torah was not given through him, the script was changed through him.

This mystery is intimated in Ezra’s name, for twenty-two was added to the name אהרן (Aharon, “Aaron”): אהרן has the numerical value 256, while עזרא (Ezra) has the numerical value 278. Add twenty-two to אהרן and the result is עזרא. Ezra was also the twenty-second generation from Aaron.

Moses saw through the Holy Spirit that Aaron would enter the Land of Israel at the second entry. The verse “I pleaded to the LORD at that time” may therefore be interpreted as follows: at the time when his brother Aaron died, while Aaron would enter the Land of Israel through reincarnation, Moses likewise asked to be reincarnated a fourth time so that he too might enter the Land of Israel like his brother Aaron, thereby fulfilling the verse, “The fourth generation shall return here” (Genesis 15:16).

He counts his three reincarnations, as stated above: “Your greatness” in the reincarnation of Abel; “Your mighty hand” in the reincarnation of Seth; “who is El in heaven?” now, in the reincarnation as Moses—“You yourselves have seen that I spoke with you from heaven” (Exodus 20:22). In his days Israel ate bread from heaven. “Who ascended to heaven?” (Proverbs 30:4)—this is Moses (Yalkut Shimoni on Proverbs, remez 962).

If so, “let me cross, please”: let me enter the mystery of ibbur and reincarnation in the Land of Israel, “and I shall see the land.” Just as my brother is impregnated at the time of the second passage, so may I be impregnated at the first passage. The word אעברה (eʿberah) likewise intimates the ibbur of his brother Aaron, for its gematria is עזרא (Ezra), 278. Let the one whose brother will be impregnated in the days of Ezra be impregnated now [TN-028-02].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied that you need not liken yourself, in the mystery of ibbur, to your brother Aaron, for “it is enough for you”: your reincarnations have already occurred three times, whereas Aaron has not yet been reincarnated. This is why He said “for you” specifically—your reincarnations are complete. Therefore, “do not continue to speak to Me.”

Alternatively, it may be explained according to Midrash Rabbah on the portion of Ve-Zot Ha-Berakhah (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:10), which says that Moses wished to fly like a bird and enter the Land of Israel. Its meaning is that Moses asked for his ibbur to occur in an animal, a fish, or a bird. This is intimated in the word אעברה: that he be impregnated now upon entering. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you”: you have spoken an extraordinary thing—that a man such as you should reincarnate in a wild animal or bird. This is the meaning of “do not continue to speak to Me עוד (od, ‘again’)”: the word עוד is a notarikon for עוף ובהמה דג (of, u-vehemah, dag: “bird, beast, fish”) [TN-028-03].

Ofan 29

It is known that there are fifty gates of Binah in Malkhut, the final ה of the Name, just
as there are fifty gates of Binah in the first ה of the Name, in Binah itself. Now, at the
exodus from Egypt Moses attained only the fifty gates of Binah that are in Malkhut. This is the
mystery of Moses beginning ואתחנן (va-etḥannan, “and I pleaded”) with two nuns: a bent
נ corresponding to Malkhut, and an extended ן corresponding to Binah. Moses saw that in the
wilderness he had attained only the fifty gates of Binah in Malkhut, and he wished to enter the
Land of Israel, where he would also attain the fifty gates of Binah in Binah. Therefore, “at
that time” is written בעת ההוא, with ו in הוא (hu, “he”), but is read ההיא,
with י in היא (hi, “she”). Moses’s prayer arose because he had attained only Malkhut,
which is called היא, “she,” and he wished also to attain Binah, which is called הוא,
“he”; for the concealed world is called הוא, as it is written, “And the Levite, he
shall perform [the service]” (Numbers 18:23).

He therefore began, “Adonai YHWH”: Adonai is in Malkhut, while YHWH, pointed with the
vocalization of Elohim, is in Binah. This is the meaning of “You have begun to show me”
the fifty gates of Binah. “The strong hand” is Malkhut, while “who is a God [מי אל]”
alludes to the attribute of Binah. He prayed, “Let me cross over now,” with the additional ה,
referring to the first ה of the Name, “and let me see the land.” When I come to the Land
of Israel, I shall attain “the good mountain”: ה״ר is a notarikon of ה׳ ראשונה
(heh rishonah, “the first ה”), which is the world that is wholly good; and this is the
mystery of “Lebanon.” Moses calculated that when he came to the Land of Israel, where the
kelippot have no evil power but only good, he would attain the fifty gates of Binah there.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you [רב לך].” The word
לך, whose numerical value is fifty, alludes to the fifty gates in Malkhut. The reason is:
“Command Joshua,” who is called bin Nun, “son of Nun”—and Nun is fifty. Since he has
the capacity to understand only the fifty of Malkhut, you too cannot understand more. “For he
shall cause [Israel] to inherit, and he shall cross over,” in every place “that you shall
see”—precisely what you shall see. That is to say, nothing that you see and understand in
this world may you withhold from him; you must teach it to Joshua. For “whoever tends a fig
tree shall eat its fruit” (Proverbs 27:18), and therefore “he who guards his master shall be
honored.” That is, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the honor to Joshua (see Numbers Rabbah
12:9), because everything his master Moses knew, he taught in full to Joshua.

This is what the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: “Take Joshua for yourself [קח
לך]”—לך precisely, the rung that is yours. Even during his lifetime, Moses attained
only the fifty gates in Adonai, which is Joshua’s rung: “he would not depart from within
the Tent” (Exodus 33:11), the mystery of Malkhut. Therefore, concerning Moses too it is
written, “Moses would take the Tent” (Exodus 33:7). This is hinted in the initial letters
of אתה החלות להראות (“You have begun to show”), which spell אהל (ohel,
“tent”). In truth, however, after his death Moses also attained understanding of the fifty
gates in Binah. This is hinted in the expression נש״ב בג״י [uncertain: נש"ב בג"י],
a notarikon of נון שערי בינה (Nun shaʿarei Binah, “fifty gates of Binah”),
within the thirteen attributes of mercy, as stated in the Zohar Hadash; this is the mystery of
the thirteen attributes of mercy. [TN-029-01]

Ofan 30

It is stated in the Zohar (Zohar III, 3a) that during his lifetime Moses attained only the
mystery of אתוון זעירין (atvan zeʿirin, “small letters”). This is the mystery
of the small א in ויקרא (va-yiqra, “and He called”; Leviticus 1:1). In the days of
Solomon, who possessed one spark of Moses, as stated in the Tikkunim (Tikkunei Zohar 13, 28a),
the letters of שלמה (Shelomoh, Solomon) were transformed into משה (Moshe, Moses) when
he built the Temple. Then “the house, when it was being built, was built of finished stone
[אבן שלמה] from the quarry” (1 Kings 6:7)—that is, this is the mystery of אתוון
רברבין (atvan ravrevin, “large letters”). Therefore, “neither hammer nor axe nor
any iron tool was heard in the house while it was being built,” for these are the mystery of
the kelippot, which were nullified when the Temple was built.

Concerning this Moses said, “You have begun to show Your servant”—את (“the”)
precisely, referring to the letters of the Torah from א (alef) to ת (tav). The letters are
divided into two parts: eleven of them belong to judgment and eleven to ḥesed. Thus, “Your
greatness [את גדלך]” signifies the eleven letters of ḥesed, while “Your strong hand
[את ידך החזקה]” signifies the eleven letters of judgment. These twenty-two letters in
Malkhut are the small letters. “Who is a God [מי אל]” alludes to the attribute of Binah,
for there are the large letters, in the mystery of “there are creeping things innumerable,
living creatures both small and great” (Psalms 104:25).

He therefore prayed, “Let me cross over,” with an additional ה, alluding to the first ה
of the Name, “and let me see the land.” He then gave the reason he asked to see the land:
he wished to see the Temple being built—“this good mountain and Lebanon”—for then the
large letters were revealed in the world in the days of Solomon: “it was built of finished
stone [אבן שלמה] from the quarry.” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is
enough for you [רב לך].” You wish to attain the large letters that will be present when
the Temple is built and will be revealed through Solomon, who is also on the rung of Moses. This
is the mystery of רב לך: the “large [רברבין] letters” revealed in Solomon’s
days also belong to your rung, since Solomon is on Moses’s rung and is his spark. But now,
“Do not continue to speak to Me any more,” because of “Command Joshua,” for the reason
we explained above—את precisely.

Ofan 31

Moses’s intention was that he wished to enter the Land of Israel. Through the Holy Spirit he
saw that in the future a cup of blessing would be given to someone to recite the blessing, as
stated at the end of the chapter ‘Arvei Pesaḥim (Pesaḥim 119b): the cup of blessing was given
to Moses, but he was unable to bless over it. Moses replied, “I do not possess the merit of
the Land of Israel.” We may consequently establish that, had Moses been in the Land of Israel,
he would have blessed over the cup of blessing in the future.

It is stated in Kanfei Yonah, part 3, section 138, that the cup used for Grace after Meals
is called the “cup of salvations,” a rose among five strong leaves (see Zohar I, 1a),
and these are its gates. In the mystery of כוס (kos, “cup”), it is the mystery of ו,
because וי״ו and its filling—namely וי״ו יו״ד וי״ו—have the numerical value
of כוס. [TN-031-01] It is known that Moses’s rung is the letter ו. Moses therefore prayed
to enter the Land of Israel so that he would be the one to recite the blessing in the future.

For this reason he began the first verse with the letter ו: ואתחנן contains six
letters, and the first verse contains six words. He asked, “You have begun to show Your
servant”—I attained the letter ו of משה. “Your greatness” is the mystery of
“the cup of salvations.” The cup of blessing is held in the right hand (Berakhot 51a),
and salvation comes from the right side. “And Your strong hand” signifies the rose’s
five strong leaves, for one must receive the cup of blessing in both hands (Berakhot 51a). For
this reason he said, “Let me cross over,” with an additional ה, so that he might attain
the “cup of salvations,” which is in the right hand, with the five fingers of the right
hand. I therefore wish to see the land, so that the cup of blessing will be given to me.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered Moses, “It is enough for you.” That is, the mystery of
the cup of blessing belongs to the kingship of the House of David. As David says there in the
Gemara, “It is fitting for me to bless”—“for me” precisely, because his attribute is
Malkhut and he is the fourth leg of the Chariot. For this reason the cup of blessing requires
three (Zohar III, 246a), corresponding to the three patriarchs. Concerning them Moses said:
“Your greatness” is Abraham; “Your strong hand” is Isaac; and “who is a God” is
Jacob. Your own rung, however, is in the mystery of Daʿat, which is above the three rungs of
the patriarchs (Tikkunei Zohar 13, 29a). Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me any more.”

Thus David said, “My foot stands on level ground” (Psalms 26:12). That is, Malkhut is called
“level ground,” as it is written, “You shall judge the peoples with equity [מישור]”
(Psalms 67:5). Therefore, “in the congregations I shall bless the LORD” (Psalms 26:12)
in the future.

Moses also said, “I pleaded with the LORD,” which is the mystery of “a cup full of the
blessing of the LORD.” That is, when you spell out the letters of כוס in full—כ״ף
ו״ו סמ״ך—they have the numerical value of ע״ב, ס״ג, מ״ה, ב״ן, the four
fillings of YHWH. This is “the blessing of the LORD” upon these four fillings. One must
direct one’s intention toward this when taking the cup for Grace after Meals, in the mystery
of “I shall raise the cup of salvations” (Psalms 116:13). The expression אשא (“I shall
raise”) refers to the cup: when I raise the letters כוס and bear their Names upon my lips,
“I shall call upon the Name of the LORD,” for the four Names that are fillings of the Name
YHWH are hinted in it.

By this, a person unifies judgment with mercy. כוס has the numerical value of אלהים
(Elohim), while its full spelling has the numerical value of the four fillings of YHWH, which
is mercy, in the mystery of “the LORD, He is God.” This is likewise hinted in the statement,
“YHWH Elohim, You have begun to show Your greatness and Your strong hand.” That is, within
“the strong hand,” which is כוס in its full spelling, His attributes of goodness—which
are mercy—are hinted. This is what the Holy One, blessed be He, said: “Do not continue
this matter [דב״ר] to Me.” דב״ר is an acronym for דוד ברגל רביעי (David
be-regel reviʿi, “David is the fourth leg”). This is also the meaning of “You anoint
my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Psalms 23:5), whose initial letters spell דב״ר.

Ofan 32

Moses sinned through the word נא at the beginning of his mission, when he said, “Send, נא,
by the hand of whomever You will send” (Exodus 4:13). At the end of his mission he likewise
sinned through נא, saying, “Hear, נא, you rebels” (Numbers 20:10). Corresponding to these,
Moses also said נא twice to his merit. At the episode of the calf he surrendered himself to
death and said, “Erase me, נא” (Exodus 32:32); and at the episode of the spies he likewise
said, “Forgive, נא, the iniquity of this people” (Numbers 14:19).

Concerning this Moses began and said, “YHWH Elohim”—mercy within judgment. If I sinned at
the beginning of my mission by saying “Send, נא,” then corresponding to it, “You began to
show Your greatness” at the episode of the calf, when I said, “Please [אנא], this people
has committed a great sin” (Exodus 32:31), and at that time I also said, “Erase me, נא”
(Exodus 32:32). Thus, let this come and atone for that. If, later, at the end of his mission,
Moses sinned through “the strong hand,” when he struck the rock and said, “Hear, נא,”
he also said, corresponding to it, “Forgive, נא.” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered,
“I have forgiven according to your word” (Numbers 14:20), “but as surely as I live, etc.”
(Numbers 14:21), and “I raised My hand”: the Holy One, blessed be He, swore by His strong hand
to be slow to anger toward Israel and to cause them to wander in the wilderness for forty years.

Corresponding to these two expressions, he said, “like Your deeds”—this is the deed
of the calf—“and like Your mighty acts,” at the episode of the spies, when they said,
“For it is stronger than we [ממנו]” (Numbers 13:31). The Sages expounded: Do not read
ממנו as “than we,” but as “than Him,” as stated in Arakhin 15a and Menaḥot 53b;
they thereby denied the power of the Holy One, blessed be He.

Concerning this Moses said, “Let me cross over, נא.” I wish to cause the sin of נא
to pass away: I shall remove the two instances of נא through which I sinned, and the two
meritorious instances of נא shall come and atone for them. Then “I shall see the land,”
and You will not reckon it to me as an iniquity. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It
is too much for you [רב לך].” You cannot offset two with two, for you sinned yet a third
time as well, when you said, “Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them? … Kill me,
נא, at once” (Numbers 11:22, 15). [TN-032-01] Thus it is “too much for you”: the sins
are more numerous than your merits.

Ofan 33

It is stated in Midrash Rabbah on the portion Shemot (Exodus Rabbah 3:14) and in Shoḥer Tov
(Psalm 18) that Moses refused his mission seven times. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him,
“I shall bind this in the corner of your garment.” Two amoraim disagree over when the Holy
One, blessed be He, exacted payment from him (Leviticus Rabbah 11:6). One says that it was
during the seven days of consecration, when Moses served in the priesthood for seven days in
a white garment. Moses thought he would be the priest forever, but the Holy One, blessed be
He, answered him: “On the eighth day, he called Aaron” (Leviticus 9:11, as cited in the
source). [TN-033-01] The other says that the Holy One, blessed be He, exacted payment on the
seventh of Adar, when Moses petitioned for seven days to enter the Land of Israel and the Holy
One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.”

Now, according to the one who says that the Holy One, blessed be He, had already exacted payment
during the seven days of consecration, Moses said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time”—that
is, when the seventh of Adar arrived. It is written ההיא (“that,” feminine), meaning:
at the very time when Moses transgressed by refusing his mission seven times, at that same time
Moses petitioned and said: Master of all worlds, You have already exacted payment from me for
that iniquity at the beginning of my mission, when “You began to show Your servant,” and I
sinned against You by refusing seven times. If so, did You not already exact payment from me for
that iniquity when “You began to show me Your greatness”—namely, when I was High Priest,
serving in a white garment seven successive days? Immediately after those seven days You decreed
that I would not be High Priest on the right side. Initially, “He caused Moses’s right hand
to go” (Isaiah 63:12): Moses was fit to be the priest and Aaron was fit to be the Levite. Yet
on the eighth day You decreed concerning me that I would be the Levite. Since You have already
paid me for that iniquity, “let me cross over, נא.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.” Is this measure for
measure, as you said, “Who is a God … who can do like Your deeds”—that is, He “repays
a man according to his deed” (Psalms 62:13)? Through this it is known that “ḥesed is Yours,
O LORD.” During those seven days when you served in a white garment, greatness was yours for
seven successive days. Because you sinned seven times by refusing the mission, should you therefore
receive greatness and priesthood for seven days? That sin had not yet been paid. Now, however,
the sin is being exacted, and it is truly measure for measure: you refused for seven days and
did not wish to perform My will; I too allowed you the duration of your refusal, during which you
petitioned Me for seven days. “Do not continue any more,” for now the debt is being exacted.

“It is enough for you” also supplies an answer as to why He gave the priesthood to Aaron:
because your brother is the elder. Concerning this He said, “It is enough for you”—surely
Aaron your brother is the master, for he is older than you; the priesthood properly belongs to
him. As for the words, “Is there not Aaron your brother, the Levite?” (Exodus 4:14), He alluded
to a supernal mystery: Aaron would later be reincarnated and become a Levite, namely Samuel. This
was Korah’s error, for he saw Samuel descending from him, who was literally Aaron. This is
the meaning of “Will you put out the eyes of those men?” (Numbers 16:14), which the Sages
expounded: “His eye misled him” (Tanḥuma, Korah 5), because he saw Samuel descending from
him, who was literally Aaron. This is hinted in the words, “and give Your maidservant male
offspring [זרע אנשים]” (1 Samuel 1:11), alluding to the two reincarnations after him,
Samuel and Ezra. This is the meaning of “Will you put out the eyes of those men?” (Numbers
16:14). [TN-033-02]

According to the one who says that only now, on the seventh of Adar, was the debt exacted,
the matter is to be understood literally. Moses said on the seventh of Adar: “Let me cross
over, נא.” This very day, the seventh of Adar, is fitting for You to cause that iniquity
I committed in refusing my mission to pass away, when “You began to show” Yourself in
the vision of the bush. This is made clear by the expression “Your greatness,” as it says
there, “I shall turn aside and see this great sight” (Exodus 3:3). “And Your strong hand
[חזק״ה]” has the numerical value of הסנ״ה (“the bush”). He said “Your hand”
because הסנה is written five times, corresponding to the five fingers of the hand.

It is already known that You repay measure for measure: “Who is a God … who can do like
Your deeds,” repaying a man according to his deed. Here, then, is measure for measure: seven
times I refused and did not wish to perform Your mission. Now, too, I have petitioned for seven
days and You have not heeded my prayer. But now, on the seventh of Adar, “let me cross over,
נא”—נא means none other than “now”—“and let me see the land.” This will be
measure for measure in the fullest sense: just as after seven days I performed Your will and
went, so after these seven days may You perform my will, “and let me see the land.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you,” so that people would
not say, “How severe is the master, and how obstinate is the disciple.” That is, you are
treating Heaven as a colleague, for you wish to compare your refusal of the mission with My
refusal: I am the master and you are the disciple. He then became still more exacting: “Is
He also a colleague?” as we say in Yevamot, chapter Ha-Ishah Rabbah (Yevamot 96b), in the
account of Rabbi Yohanan, who took offense at a comparable expression. [TN-033-03] This is the
meaning of “Do not continue to speak to Me any more”—“to Me” precisely. See Rashi’s
commentary there in Yevamot (s.v. ve-khen), for this was, as it were, the very cause of the
displeasure of the Holy One, blessed be He.

Ofan 34

It is stated in the Zohar on the Song of Songs (11a) that in Moses’s days the world was
governed from the aspect of “backs,” but in Solomon’s days, when the Temple was built,
the world was governed face to face. This is the meaning of “You shall see My back” (Exodus
33:23): the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses that in his days governance proceeded through
the aspect of backs, “but My face shall not be seen”—not until Solomon built the Temple
and “Solomon’s wisdom increased” (1 Kings 5:10), when governance was face to face. Moses
therefore yearned to enter the Land of Israel, because he saw that “a wise man calms it from
behind [באחור]” (Proverbs 29:11).

For this purpose he cast down his supplication “at that time”: it is read ההיא (hi,
feminine, “she”) but written ההוא (hu, masculine, “he”), for his intention concerned
male and female, that they should be in the mystery of “uprightly do they love you” (Song
of Songs 1:4). It is stated in the Zohar on Leviticus, portion Aharei Mot, p. 105 (Zohar III,
59b), that when the cherubim are face to face, then “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brothers to dwell together in unity” (Psalms 133:1). The word גם (“also”) comes to
include face to face: “the cherubim shall face one another” (Exodus 25:20).

Concerning this Moses said, “You have begun to show me Your strong hand,” which is
the mystery of the aspect of backs. I wish to magnify the attribute of the ḥesed of El,
so that the cherubim may be face to face. Therefore, “Let me cross over and see the good
land”—הטובה (“the good,” feminine) precisely, from the aspect of the female;
“the good mountain,” from the aspect of the male; “and Lebanon,” for the Holy One,
blessed be He, will whiten the iniquities of Israel. לבנון (Lebanon) also derives from
לבלוב (libluv, “blossoming”), for they will produce fruit: “The righteous shall
flourish like the palm tree” (Psalms 92:13). לבנון also signifies לב (“heart”),
for they shall be of one heart, as you say, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for
brothers to dwell together in unity.” גם also comes to include their being of one heart,
[uncertain: כמער איש ולויות] (“as … a man and wreaths/companions”). [TN-034-01]

What Moses requested concerning the cherubim is hinted in the word אעברה, for אעברה
has the same numerical value as כרובים (“cherubim”). “God has spoken one thing;
two things have I heard” (Psalms 62:12): within the single word אעברה Moses made two
requests—that he cross into the Land of Israel and that he repair the cherubim so their faces
would be turned one toward the other.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” It is impossible for you to
repair the cherubim, because this must occur at the building of the Temple. And it is impossible
that you should build the Temple, because your degree is exceedingly great and the enemies would
have no power over the work of your hands. If so, Heaven forbid, Israel would be destroyed,
as we explained above.

Ofan 35

Moses saw through the Holy Spirit that the blessings with which Balaam had blessed Israel were
transformed into a curse, as stated in the chapter Heleq (Sanhedrin 105b). Moses wished to
cause the evil of Balaam son of Beor to pass away. Accordingly, “at that time” means the
time when Phinehas brought Balaam before Moses and they judged him in the Sanhedrin by the four
modes of execution imposed by the court.

The reason they needed to judge him in the Sanhedrin was that, at the end, Balaam became a
penitent: he invoked the Explicit Name, prostrated himself before the Throne of Glory, and made
his two arms like the two stone tablets. Phinehas was uncertain whether to kill him, because
“nothing can stand before a penitent” (Jerusalem Talmud, Peah 1:1). A ruling then issued
from Moses and his court that Balaam was to be judged by the four modes of execution, because
he had caused twenty-four thousand Israelites to die, and “his wrath is kept forever,” for
he had caused all Israel’s troubles.

Concerning this Moses began with ואתחנן, whose numerical value is 515, the same as
תפלה (tefillah, “prayer”). It is stated in Midrash Rabbah on the portion Ve-Zot
Ha-Berakhah (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:10) that Moses prayed 515 prayers, the numerical value of
ואתחנן. The reason for this number is that at that time Balaam had prostrated himself
beneath the feet of the Throne of Glory, whose mystery is 515. That is, there are fifteen
times five hundred from the earth to the place of the Throne of Glory (as stated in Ḥagigah,
chapter 2, Ḥagigah 13a). “Their feet were a straight foot [רגל ישרה]” (Ezekiel 1:7):
ישר״ה has the numerical value of ת״ק י״ה, namely fifteen times five hundred, as the
liturgical poet set forth in the Rosh Hashanah Musaf prayer. [TN-035-01]

Balaam drew his sustenance from two courts of judgment, the severe and the mild. For the full
spelling of בלעם—בי״ת למ״ד עי״ן מ״ם—has the numerical value 696, said
here to equal קש״ה ורפ״ה (“severe and mild”). [TN-035-02] He is the mystery of
the letters קו״ף רי״ש in the Zohar on Tetzaveh (Zohar II), from which Balaam draws
sustenance. They have no legs, for “falsehood has no legs” (see Shabbat 104a); hence,
“it crushed Balaam’s foot” (Numbers 22:25). This is the mystery of “God happened upon
[ויקר] Balaam” (Numbers 23:4): the letters ק״ר are letters of the kelippah, and they
are the mystery of the attributes of severe and mild judgment.

“He struck the donkey with a staff [במקל]”—in the Zohar, p. 104 (Zohar III, 209b), this
is “with severe judgment,” because במקל has the value of twice אלהים (Elohim). For
“there are Gods who judge on earth” (Psalms 58:12); they are the mystery of Isaac and
Rebecca: Isaac is severe, Rebecca is mild. יצח״ק רבק״ה has the numerical value of
515. To nullify these two courts of judgment, which Balaam had aroused against Israel, Moses
had to nullify them correspondingly; he prayed 515 prayers, the numerical value of תפל״ה.

This is the meaning of “at that time [בעת ההיא]”: בע״ת has the numerical value
of בלעם בן בעור (“Balaam son of Beor”). He wished “to cut apart the thick cord
[עב״ת] of the wicked” that this wicked man had enlarged. Therefore he said, “Your
greatness and Your strong hand”—the mystery of the two tablets (Exodus Rabbah 46:3). At
that same time it is stated in the Midrash on the portion Mattot (Numbers Rabbah 22:5) that
Phinehas invoked the Explicit Name, flew after Balaam, and likewise made his two arms like two
stone tablets. He therefore mentioned here, “Who is a God in heaven and on earth,” because
the two tablets correspond to heaven and earth.

Moses now asked to enter the Land of Israel and thereby cause all the troubles and all the
judgments that Balaam had bound through his sorceries and divinations—on the sides of severe
judgment and mild judgment—to pass away. This is hinted by what he said: “Let me cross over
[אעברה], נא.” I wish to cause the evil of בעו״ר (Beor), whose numerical value
equals אעבר״ה, to pass away.

All Balaam’s sustenance came from the “thin radiance,” the Aramaean kelippah of Nogah,
as it is written, “From Aram Balak leads me” (Numbers 23:7). This is the mystery of
Nogah, which is called Aram, and the mystery of “An Aramaean sought to destroy my father”
(Deuteronomy 26:5). Laban the Aramaean was the reincarnation of Balaam son of Beor, as stated
in Targum Jonathan on the portion Balak (Numbers 22:5); in his first transmigration, his entire
affair proceeded by way of the kelippah of Nogah.

Concerning this Moses said, “Let me cross over, נ״א.” I wish to cause the evil of
בעו״ר, numerically equal to אעבר״ה, to pass away. All his sustenance came from
נ״א, a notarikon of נוגה ארמית (Nogah Aramit, “Aramaean Nogah”), for he drew
his sustenance from the left hand in the Chariot. This is the mystery of יגר שהדותא
(Yegar Sahaduta), which Laban said to Jacob (Genesis 31:47). These are the fourteen letters
written on the mezuzah—כוז״ו במוכס״ז כוז״ו—and their numerical value is
יג״ר. This is the mystery of “Moab was afraid [ויגר]” (Numbers 22:3).

This is also the mystery of ואראה, whose numerical value is יג״ר. “The land [א״ת
הארץ]” is the mystery of all Balaam’s powers, which number 696; with him riding upon
them, the total is 697. [TN-035-03] Therefore Moses said at the time of his death and prayed
before HaShem, “in the lands [בארצות] of the living” (Psalms 116:9; Deuteronomy Rabbah
11:5). Likewise Jacob said, “To the LORD in my distress [בצרתה לי]” (Psalms 120:1),
which has the numerical value 697.

Ofan 36

Because Moses is “the face of the sun” (Bava Batra 75a), and it is stated in the book Sodei
Razei composed by the author of the Rokeah that the three letters of HaShem, יה״ו, are
upon the heart of the sun—and because Moses is the face of the sun and in his heart are the
three letters that constitute HaShem, in the mystery of the letter ש within his name משה
(Zohar II, 119b)—Moses prayed concerning this and wished to enter the Land of Israel. The
Land of Israel is the mystery of the moon.

He therefore set out the three patriarchs one after another, corresponding to the three letters of
HaShem: “You have begun to show Your servant,” who is the mystery of the face of the sun;
“Your greatness” is י of HaShem; “Your strong hand” is ה of HaShem; and “El
in heaven and on earth” is ו of HaShem. “Let me cross over [אעבר״ה],” with an
additional ה: I wish to complete HaShem, namely, that the sun should shine in the moon. This
is what he said: “and let me see the land,” which is the mystery of the moon. HaShem
would thereby be complete, as he said at the beginning, “I pleaded with the LORD”—that
HaShem should be complete, namely the sun within the moon.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.” You are the sun, while
Joshua is the face of the moon. This is the meaning of “strengthen him [וחזקהו]”:
it alludes to the fact that he will complete the ה of HaShem.

Ofan 37

Moses wished to repair the Name Adonai, in accordance with what Rabbi Isaac Luria, of blessed
memory, wrote in manuscript concerning the verse, “Send, נ״א, by the hand [בי״ד]
of whomever You will send” (Exodus 4:13). That is, the letters נ״א of אדנ״י will be
clothed in the letters י״ד of אדנ״י, and the Name Adonai will be complete.

Concerning this Moses said, “You have begun to show me,” at the beginning of my mission,
the Name Adonai, as it is written, “This is My Name and this is My memorial” (Exodus
3:15). This is the meaning of “Your strong hand [ידך]”: it refers to the letters י״ד
from אדנ״י, which were separated from the letters נ״א in exile. Therefore, “Let me
cross over, נ״א”: I wish to convey the letters נ״א into the letters י״ד. This must
occur specifically in the Land of Israel, as it is written, “Great is the LORD and exceedingly
praised” (Psalms 48:2). When is He exceedingly praised? “In the city of our God”; there
is “His holy mountain” (see Yalkut Shimoni on Psalms, remez 755). As it is written, “But
the LORD is in His holy Temple [היכ״ל]” (Habakkuk 2:20), and היכ״ל has the numerical
value of אדני. [TN-037-01]

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” The Name YHWH, which is greater
[רב] than the Name Adonai, has already been completed by you, and it is higher. Therefore,
“Do not continue.” But “command [צ״ו] Joshua,” for Joshua is on the rung of Adonai,
since צ״ו has the numerical value of א״ל אדנ״י.

Ofan 38

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel to repair the tribes in the mystery of “the tribes
of Yah [שבטי י״ה]” (Psalms 122:4; see Pesiqta de-Rav Kahana 11). It is impossible
for the Name י״ה to serve as testimony for Israel except in the Land of Israel, as it is
written, “For Your Name is called upon Your city and upon Your people” (Daniel 9:19). That
is, when is Your Name called upon Your people, so that the Name י״ה testifies concerning
Israel? “Upon Your city”—when they are in the Land of Israel. Thus Scripture says,
“for there the tribes went up, the tribes of Yah” (cited in the source as Psalms 124),
“there” precisely: there they are called “the tribes of Yah.” [TN-038-01]

This is the mystery of Jacob’s saying to Laban, “Give me my wife [הב״ה לי אשת״י]”
(Genesis 29:21), which has the numerical value of אר״ץ הקדוש״ה (“the Holy Land”),
“that I may come to her [ואבואה אלי״ה].” Read אלי״ה as א״ל י״ה (El
Yah), for Rachel is the mystery of the Land of Israel, which is Jerusalem, and the Name י״ה
testifies concerning Jerusalem. Likewise, the Temple is called “Mount Moriah” (Genesis
Rabbah 55:7), meaning “that which teaches י״ה” (המורה י״ה).

Concerning this Moses prayed, “You have begun to show Your servant.” At the moment he
came into this world it was said of him, “She saw him, the child, weeping [ותראהו את
הילד בוכה]” (Exodus 2:6). The Gemara asks (Sotah 12b): It should have said ותרא
(“she saw”); this teaches that she saw the Shekhinah with him. Thus, from the very moment
he entered the world, these two letters of HaShem, ה״ו, were with him. Corresponding to
ו he said, “Your greatness,” and corresponding to ה, “Your strong hand.” He then
explains that these two letters are the mystery of heaven and earth: this is the meaning
of “Who is a God in heaven and on earth who can do like Your deeds”—“Your deeds”
corresponds to ו of HaShem, as it is written, “The deed of the LORD, for it is awesome”
(Exodus 34:10). Corresponding to ה of the Name, which is from the side of Gevurah, he said,
“like Your mighty acts.”

Just as “You began to show me” these two letters ה״ו from HaShem, so “let me cross
over, נא,” and I shall enter the land of Moriah [המורי״ה]. There I shall merit to
repair “the tribes of י״ה,” and then HaShem will be complete over a complete world.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.” Let these two letters
suffice for you, for they are hinted in “this matter [בדב״ר הזה].” Malkhut is called
דב״ר (“matter/word”), and it is ה of HaShem; ו is hinted in the word הז״ה
(“this”), as He said, “And this [וז״ה] shall be the sign [האו״ת] for you”
(Exodus 3:12). This refers to the letter ו, which is the rung of Joseph, concerning whom it is
stated, “Moses took Joseph’s bones [עצמות]” (Exodus 13:19), for Joseph’s essence
[עצמות] and degree are called זה (“this”).

Concerning this He said, “Command Joshua,” and he will inherit your rung. “Strengthen him
[וחזקה״ו]”—ה״ו precisely, referring to ה״ו of HaShem. “For he shall cause
them to inherit, and he shall cross over the land that you shall see”—“that you shall
see” precisely: what you see through these two letters ה״ו, impart it as strength to Joshua.

Ofan 39

Moses saw that the prophet Samuel would come and establish twenty-four watches of the priesthood,
twenty-four watches of Levites, and twenty-four divisions of lay Israelites (Taʿanit 27a). Moses
wished to enter the Land of Israel and establish them himself. This is hinted in the initial
letters of the first verse, ואתחנן אל ה׳ בעת ההיא (“I pleaded with the LORD
at that time”), which form ואיב״ה, from “I shall place enmity [ואיבה] between
you and the woman” (Genesis 3:15). These are the twenty-four judgments of impurity that the
serpent introduced when it corrupted Adam’s soul through eating from the Tree of Knowledge.

They returned and were reawakened among Israel at the episode of the calf, and also at the
episode of the spies, as is hinted in the verse ופגריכם אתם יפלו במדבר הזה
(“But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness”; Numbers 14:32), and in
וישלח ה׳ בעם את הנחשים (“The LORD sent the serpents among the people”;
Numbers 21:6). Likewise, in the sin at Shittim, the wicked Balaam caused twenty-four thousand
Israelites to fall (Numbers 25:9). There is no visitation of punishment that does not contain
one twenty-fourth of a litra from the calf, as stated in the chapter Heleq (Sanhedrin 102a).

Samuel therefore came and, corresponding to it, established twenty-four watches, in order to
repair the twenty-four species of impurity. [uncertain: ובא שמה עתה להתפלל]
(“and he came there now to pray”), and he began with the Name Adonai, which is the mystery
of the twenty-four permutations of אדני, in order to repair it through the twenty-four
watches of priesthood, Levites, and Israelites. [TN-039-01]

Concerning this Moses said: Since “You have begun to show me” these three rungs, according
to which Israel is divided into three parts, and which are three camps—“Your greatness”
signifies the priests, as it is said, “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6);
“Your strong hand” corresponds to the Levites, as it says there, “and a holy nation”
(ibid.), concerning whom it is stated, “and you shall sanctify the Levites” (Numbers, as
cited in the source); “who is a God in heaven and on earth” is the rung of the Israelites,
who are comprised of both sides, as it is said, “These are the words that you shall speak to
the children of Israel” (Exodus 19:6)—“Israel” precisely. Thus, “You have begun to
show me” these three rungs.

Therefore, “Let me cross over, נ״א.” נ״א is a notarikon of נר אלהים נשמת
אדם (“The lamp of God is the soul of man”; Proverbs 20:27). [TN-039-02] He wished to
cause the letters נ״א—namely נפש אדם (nefesh adam, “the human soul”)—which had
been damaged in three bonds, to pass over and be repaired. This would occur when he entered the
Land of Israel, which likewise divides into three parts: “and let me see the good land” is
the Land of Israel as a whole, corresponding to nefesh; “this good mountain” is Jerusalem,
as it is said, “Jerusalem—mountains surround it” (Psalms 125:2); and then “Lebanon”
is the Temple, which is the repair of neshamah. If so, these three parts correspond to priest,
Levite, and Israelite.

I shall repair twenty-four by twenty-four, in the mystery of “I shall make your windows of
kadkhod [כדכ״ד]” (Isaiah 54:12). For this reason there are twenty-four words in the
blessing Ve-li-Yrushalayim (“And to Jerusalem”) in the Eighteen Benedictions. In Psalm
24 David said, “Lift up your heads, O gates,” corresponding to the twenty-four gates in
Jerusalem. Solomon uttered twenty-four songs of supplication when the Ark entered, as stated in
Shabbat 30a. These are the twenty-four verses in Solomon’s prayer, each verse corresponding to
one gate above. At the conclusion is “For the sake of David Your servant” (Psalms 132:10),
which is the mystery of אדנ״י, possessing twenty-four permutations.

The three sets of twenty-four are the mystery of “the ḥesed of El” (Psalms 52:3), as Moses
said, “Who is a God [מי אל],” thereby alluding to “the ḥesed of El.” That is, when
he repairs twenty-four watches of priests, twenty-four of Levites, and twenty-four divisions of
Israelites, he thereby repairs the rung of א״ל, which is the mystery of the ḥesed of El. By
killing thirty-one kings he would attain the ḥesed of א״ל.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is much for you [רב לך]”: you have
effected many repairs even without this. The words רב לך also hint that this matter is
prepared for a man who is greater than you, namely Samuel, who is equal in weight to Moses and
Aaron (Tanḥuma, Korah 5). The two of them were priests, yet they did not merit to repair the
priesthood and the twenty-four adornments of the Bride; only “Samuel among those who call
upon His Name” (Psalms 99:6) did so. That is, what Samuel would repair is hinted in his name,
for שמואל indicates שמ״ו א״ל (“His Name is El”). He would repair the ḥesed of
El, namely the three sets of twenty-four that Samuel established, which are in the mystery of
ḥesed, to which Moses alluded with “Who is a God.” Moses now wished to perform what Samuel,
whose name shares the Name א״ל, would perform.

The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore said to him: Since Samuel is equal in weight to Moses
and Aaron, as stated in Shoḥer Tov (Psalm 1), he is consequently “greater than you [רב
לך].” Therefore, “Do not continue.” “Command Joshua,” who will kill thirty-one kings,
and strengthen him to repair the Name א״ל. Nevertheless, “he shall cause them to inherit,
and he shall cross over”—only that “which you shall see,” and no more.

Ofan 40

Moses wished, upon entering the land, to cause the kelippot of Esau and Ishmael to pass
away. Concerning this he said, “You have begun to show” how to subdue the two kelippot. The
kelippah of Ishmael draws its sustenance from the holy right side, from Abraham. This is what he
said: “את Your greatness”—את precisely. The Sages similarly said concerning “You
shall treat its fruit as uncircumcised [וערלתם את פריו]” (Leviticus 19:23):
את signifies that which is secondary to its fruit (Berakhot 36b). Here too, he said “את
Your greatness”: You gave him power and ḥesed within holiness in order that I might subdue
it. As for the kelippah of Esau on the left, You likewise gave me power and Gevurah. This is
the meaning of “Your strong hand.”

Since I have begun to subdue Sihon and Og, who correspond to these two sides, when I enter the
Land of Israel I shall possess the power to subdue these two sides completely. נ״א has the
numerical value of אדו״ם (Edom), while אעבר״ה has the numerical value of עור״ב
(‘orev, “raven”), which is the mystery of Esau. This is explained in the Zohar (I)
concerning Noah’s dispatching the raven from the ark (Genesis 8:7). By this he showed that
Esau is “a king who reigned before any king reigned over the children of Israel” (Genesis
36:31), as Jacob said, “Let my lord, נא, pass before his servant” (Genesis 33:14):
he takes the kingship first. The dove was sent afterward; it is the Congregation of Israel,
which is compared to a dove (Berakhot 53b). Thus Esau is the raven.

Ishmael’s prince is called zarzir (“starling”). This is what was said: “Not for nothing did
the starling go to the raven, but because it is of its kind” (Bava Qamma 92b), for Ishmael’s
prince is called רה״ב (Rahab), whose numerical value is ז״ר (“foreign”). Thus עור״ב
is hinted in the word אעבר״ה; it is the prince of אדו״ם, whose numerical value is
נ״א. ואר״א has the numerical value of רה״ב when the ו is removed from ואראה;
this is the mystery of אל זר (“a foreign god”).

It follows that when Moses comes “to the good land,” evil will pass entirely from the world
on both sides. Corresponding to the female side, he said “the good land”; corresponding to
the male side, “this good mountain.” He would thereby cause Samael and the serpent to pass
from the world.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered: In this world it is not possible to nullify the kelippah;
only in the future will the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself cause the spirit of impurity
to pass from the earth. This is what Moses said: “Let me cross over, נא”—נא means
only “now.” That is, I wish to cause the spirit of impurity to pass from the earth in the
present age. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is for your Master [רב לך].”
That is, your Master, the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself will cause impurity to pass from
the earth. Thus, what the Master wishes to do Himself in the future, you, the disciple, wish
to do at this time. “Do not continue, etc.” [TN-040-01]

Ofan 41

Moses wished to nullify the twenty-eight ranks that Balak sent to Balaam, as stated in the Zohar,
p. 354 (Zohar III, 192a), concerning the verse, “Balak sent to Balaam” (Numbers 22:5):
he literally sent angels to him. The twenty-eight words in this verse are the twenty-eight
diviners he sent to him. Balak therefore said, “Come, נא, curse for me” (Numbers 22:6),
in order to nullify the moon’s twenty-eight times, which are the twenty-eight camps of the
Shekhinah. They are hinted in the word אר״ה (“curse”), a notarikon of [uncertain: ארבע ראשי
השבועה] (“four heads of the oath”), because four times seven, which are
four weeks, constitute the moon’s twenty-eight days. [TN-041-01]

Concerning this Moses said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time”—at the very time when
the wicked wished to nullify the times. It is therefore written ההוא (“he”) but read
ההיא (“she”). One [reading; uncertain: ואחד קאי] refers to the Shekhinah, who is
called “time [ע״ת] to act for the LORD” (Psalms 119:126), whom the wicked Balaam wished
to nullify. ההוא is written with reference to the wicked man, while ההיא is read with
reference to the Shekhinah. [TN-041-02]

Concerning this Moses said, “You have begun to show א״ת Your servant”—א״ת precisely:
these are the twenty-eight angels. It is stated in the Tikkunim (55, 89a) that they are appointed
over the points of the Torah, in which there are twenty-eight letters. Likewise, the four-letter
Name is the mystery of י״ד (fourteen): its four simple letters together with its filling. This
corresponds to the private domain, whose height is ten and width four—fourteen. The right hand
[י״ד ימין] is the mystery of the fourteen letters of ה׳ אלהינו ה׳, and it is
called the right hand. The second letters on the outside of the mezuzah are likewise fourteen
letters, and they are called the strong hand.

Concerning the right hand he said, “Your greatness.” Moses prayed concerning this: “Let me
cross over, נא.” I wish to nullify the left hand of יג״ר שהדותא (Yegar Sahaduta;
Genesis 31:47), which has the same numerical value as וארא״ה. This parallels the fact
that “You have begun to show me” that I conquered Sihon and Og, for סיחו״ן עו״ג
likewise have the numerical value of יג״ר. By this “You began to show me” that I subdued
יג״ר, which is the left hand.

Concerning this he said, “Let me cross over, נא.” I now wish to cause what בעו״ר
(Beor), whose numerical value is אעבר״ה, had done to pass away. Concerning him it is
stated, “Moab was afraid [ויג״ר]” (Numbers 22:3). I wish to do so just as I did in
the war against סיחו״ן and עו״ג, who possessed the power of the left hand hinted in
the word וארא״ה, whose numerical value is יג״ר, like that of סיחו״ן עו״ג.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.” Let this strong hand by
which you conquered סי״חון and ע״וג, whose numerical reckoning is יג״ר—י״ד,
suffice for you. These are the letters of the left hand written on the mezuzah. “Command
Joshua,” for he shall cause them to inherit and shall pass through fourteen years, since
Joshua sustained Israel for fourteen years (Seder Olam 12).

According to the words of Baʿal Ha-Turim in the portion Pineḥas, the passage “Take Joshua for
yourself” (Numbers 27:18) contains twenty-eight words, corresponding to the twenty-eight years
during which Joshua sustained Israel. Through them he repaired and removed the twenty-eight
enchantments from Israel. The seven years during which they conquered and the seven during
which they apportioned make fourteen, the right hand. Afterward came another fourteen years:
“Joshua made war many days” (Joshua 11:18). [TN-041-03] This is what He said: “Command
Joshua and strengthen him” for the fourteen years during which he conquered and apportioned;
“and embolden him” for the fourteen years during which he sustained Israel. Concerning them
He said, “for he shall cause them to inherit,” referring to the right hand, “and he shall
cross over,” referring to the left hand.

Ofan 42

According to the words of Kanfei Yonah, Joshua’s age at the time of the war against Amalek
had the numerical value of [uncertain: א״ל ידו״ה] (apparently intended as
a Divine Name), namely fifty-seven years. [TN-042-01] Later, when he entered the land, he
was ninety-six years old, the numerical value of א״ל אדנ״י. According to this view,
Joshua sustained Israel for only fourteen years: seven in which they conquered and seven in
which they apportioned. Concerning those seven years in which they apportioned, it is said,
“Joshua made war many days” (Joshua 11:18).

Concerning this Moses said, “the LORD God, You have begun to show Your servant.” That is, at
the time of the war against Amalek, Moses began to fight the first war. The Holy One, blessed be
He, then told Moses to speak to Joshua: “Go out and fight against Amalek” (Exodus 17:9). Just
as at the time of the war against Amalek the Holy One, blessed be He, began by arranging that
the war should be fought through both of them—through Moses and through Joshua—two persons
were required. Moses had to fight Amalek’s prince above, while Joshua weakened Amalek below.

This is what Moses said to Joshua: “Tomorrow I shall stand at the top of the hill” (Exodus
17:9), namely at the head of the kelippot, the prince of Amalek, who came with 130 camps of
Samael. For עמלק (Amalek) comprises the words ע״ם ק״ל (“a people of 130”), and
“a voice [ק״ל] fell from heaven” (Daniel 4:28). Likewise, in the war against Midian,
Moses had to exact “the vengeance of the LORD against Midian” (Numbers 31:3) from the prince
of Midian, while Moses sent Phinehas to take vengeance against the Midianites below.

Moses therefore also prayed now, “at that time”—that is, at the time when he exacted
vengeance from Midian. He said: Since “You have begun to show” Israel’s vengeance by means
of two persons—this is the meaning of “Your servant [את עבדך],” namely “with
Your servant [עם עבדך]”: each time I had one companion with me so that the war could
be fought above and below. “Your greatness” alludes to the war against Amalek, for at that
time Joshua was fifty-seven years old, the numerical value of גדל״ך. “And Your strong
hand” alludes to the wars against the kings of Midian, and this is hinted in the word ידך
(“Your hand”), for the five kings of Midian resembled the five fingers of the hand.

Just as there were two there—one to “visit the host of the high ones on high,” namely
Moses, who fought in heaven, while Joshua fought on earth—he therefore said, “Who is a God
in heaven and on earth.” In every war one must fulfill the verse, “The LORD shall visit
the host of the high ones on high,” and afterward “the kings of the earth upon the earth”
(Isaiah 24:21). The need for two is hinted in the word מ״י (“who”), a notarikon of משה
יהושע (Moses, Joshua): Moses to fight in heaven, Joshua to fight on earth. Therefore,
“Let me cross over, נא”: I wish to cause the Other Side above to pass away.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is for your Master [רב לך].” What
you wish to do—fight in heaven—your Master, the Holy One, blessed be He, will do; He
will fight from heaven. “Command Joshua,” who will fight on earth. “Strengthen him
[וחזקה״ו]”—ה״ו precisely, alluding to ה״ו of HaShem, which will be with him
when He fights his war from heaven. Thus it is written concerning Joshua, “The LORD was with
Joshua, and his fame went throughout all the land” (Joshua, as cited without chapter and
verse). [TN-042-02] That is, Joshua fights his war throughout the land, but in heaven the Holy
One, blessed be He, fights, as is written, “The LORD was with Joshua”: He was his partner.

This is hinted in the words, “Command [צ״ו] Joshua.” That is, א״ל אדנ״י has the
numerical value of צ״ו; Joshua was ninety-six years old at that time, and the Name א״ל
אדנ״י fought in his war. Moses therefore said, “Let the LORD appoint a man over the
congregation” (Numbers 27:16), and used two formulations, because he wished there to be two
men: one “who will go out before them” against the prince above, and one “who will bring
them out” against the nation below.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “Take Joshua for yourself [קח לך]” (Numbers
27:18)—לך precisely. When you take Joshua, you are taking what is yours, for he is on your
rung. Concerning this He likewise said, “It is enough for you [רב לך]”—that is, your
greatness. Therefore He said, “Command Joshua”: when you command Joshua, the greatness will
be yours, because he is on your rung. “He is a man in whom there is spirit, and you shall
lay your hand upon him.” Through this he possessed power during all fourteen years in which
he conquered and apportioned the land.

Ofan 43

Moses wished to abolish the Nehushtan (הנחוש״ת), concerning which Israel had erred and which Hezekiah abolished (Berakhot 10b). This is alluded to in the verse, “And I pleaded with the LORD at that time” [ו״אתחנן א״ל י״דוד ב״עת ה״היא], whose initial letters form ואיב״ה (ve-eivah, “and enmity”). Israel erred and also brought about that same ואיב״ה when the serpents were sent among them by the Holy One, blessed be He. This is likewise set forth there in the verse, “And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people” [ו״ישלח י״דוד ב״עם א״ת ה״נחשים] (Numbers 21:6), which the source says has ואיב״ה as its initial letters. [TN-043-01] The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore sent the serpent among them in the mystery of “And I will put enmity [ואיבה]” (Genesis 3:15). Through their evil speech they brought about the twenty-four kinds of impurity [כ״ד זיני דמסאבותא] that they had aroused against themselves at the time of Joseph’s sale: “And Joseph said to them on the third day” [ו״יאמר א״ליהם י״וסף ב״יום ה״שלישי] (Genesis 42:18).

It was concerning this that Joseph said, “You are spies” (Genesis 42:9), for they also brought about the seeing of the nakedness of the land. Concerning the spies it is stated, “And your carcasses—you—shall fall in this wilderness” [ו״פגריכם א״תם י״פלו ב״מדבר ה״זה] (Numbers 14:32). This caused the exile in Egypt: “This day you are going out, in the month of Aviv” [ה״יום א״תם י״וצאים ב״חדש ה״אביב] (Exodus 13:4). This is the known האיב״ה (ha-eivah, “the enmity”), which also brought about, “And everything that the impure person touches shall be impure” [ו״כל א״שר י״גע ב״ו ה״טמא] (Numbers 19:22). Concerning the destruction of the Temple it is stated, “How does the city sit solitary, she who was great with people” [א״יכה י״שבה ב״דד ה״עיר ר״בתי ע״ם ה״יתה] (Lamentations 1:1), as Rabbi Levitas expounded in Zohar Eikhah (54a). Likewise, at the building of the Temple: “And he built the House of the Forest of Lebanon” [ו״יבן א״ת בי״ת יע״ר ה״לבנון] (1 Kings 7:2). [TN-043-02] At the beginning of David’s anointing it is also stated concerning him, “How long will you mourn . . . ? I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite” [א״ל י״שי ב״ית ה״לחמי] (1 Samuel 16:1). So too concerning His anointed, David, and his seed: “Then they shall say among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things’” [א״ז י״אמרו ב״גוים ה״גדיל] (Psalms 126:2).

Now, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not command Moses to make a Nehushtan. Why, then, did Moses make a copper serpent [נחש נחושת] (Numbers 21:9)? The Sages, of blessed memory, said that it is “one expression falling upon another”—a play of one like-sounding word upon another (Genesis Rabbah 31:8). The mystery of the matter, however, is that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Make for yourself a fiery serpent” (Numbers 21:8). “For yourself” [לך] precisely: make it from your own rung. Moses’s rung is copper [נחושת], for Moses is Tiferet, which is the mystery of copper. Abraham is the mystery of silver, Isaac of gold, and Jacob of copper, as stated in Midrash Rabbah, Vayakhel, section 49 (Exodus Rabbah 49:2).

This is what Laban said: “I have divined [נחשתי], and the LORD has blessed me because of you” (Genesis 30:27)—“because of you” precisely, for on his own rung the copper [נחושת] of Laban’s kelippah was rectified. It is known (Tikkunei Zohar 13, 29a) that Moses and Jacob are on one rung: Moses within and Jacob without. Accordingly, the Holy One, blessed be He, disclosed to Moses that the serpent was to be made from copper, for He said, “Make for yourself [לך]” precisely. It is likewise written “copper” (Exodus 27:19), followed by “And you shall command” (Exodus 27:20). Bind the two verses together and teach: “You are the copper.”

Moses therefore said here: Since “You have begun to show me” the rung of the three patriarchs—“Your greatness” is Abraham, who is silver; “Your strong hand” is Isaac, who is gold; and “who is a God” is Jacob, who is copper—I must therefore remove that copper serpent from the world. What Hezekiah will do later, I wish to do now: remove the idols from the land.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you”—this is your own rung. “Command [צו] Joshua”: צו signifies nothing other than idolatry, as in “he walked after צו” (Hosea 5:11; Sanhedrin 56b), and so it is stated in Genesis Rabbah, section 16 (Genesis Rabbah 16:6). “And strengthen him” [וחזקהו]: what Hezekiah [חזקיהו] would do in his generation, Joshua was to do. Consequently, when Joshua did not eradicate idolatry, Scripture expressed indignation against him in the days of Ezra (Arakhin 32b), for [the source reads הב״ה, evidently] the Holy One, blessed be He, had commanded him to eradicate idolatry. [TN-043-03]

This also resolves the question posed by Tosafot in tractate Shabbat (56b): “Is it possible that Asa came and did not eradicate them?” and so forth; rather, Scripture juxtaposes the earlier kings with the later ones. Tosafot asks there (s.v. mah): Here it is not appropriate to say that “his ancestors left him room in which to distinguish himself,” as we say in the first chapter of Ḥullin (7a) concerning Hezekiah’s Nehushtan. Tosafot answers that in that case the ancestors did not eradicate it because it had been made by the word of God, but here, why did they not eradicate them? According to my approach, however, the matter is clear. The Holy One, blessed be He, disclosed to Moses through “and strengthen him” [וחזקהו] that Hezekiah would do this and that it was his allotted portion. It is therefore entirely precise to say concerning Hezekiah that his ancestors left him room in which to distinguish himself, since his name is written in the Torah—but not to say this concerning Joshua.

Ofan 44

It is stated in the book Sodei Raza, composed by the author of the Rokeah, of blessed memory, that the angel appointed over Rosh Ḥodesh Adar is named Avrakhiel [אברכיא״ל]. Under him are twenty-five angels, all of whose names are alike in goodness. Concerning this Moses said, “And I pleaded with the LORD at that time”—that is, in the month of Adar, over which twenty-six angels are appointed, corresponding numerically to YHWH. “Saying” means: for all generations, an Israelite who has a lawsuit should defer it until Adar, as stated in Taʿanit (29b) and in the Tur, Orah Hayyim 551, because the appointees over that month are beneficent toward Israel. [TN-044-01]

Because the name of the angel Avrakhiel is derived from berakhah (“blessing”), Moses therefore “blessed the children of Israel with this blessing” (Deuteronomy 33:1) in the month of Adar, before his death; for then the angel appointed over that month indicates blessing. The verse consequently calls Moses “the man of God.” That is, the angel who is called Elohim also assisted from above in overseeing Israel’s blessing. Since the angel אב״רכיא״ל has the same numerical value as ירד״ן (Yarden, “Jordan”), Moses asked, “Let me cross over now”: he wished to cross the Jordan with the assistance of the powers of the angel appointed over that time. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “You shall not cross this Jordan.”

Moses saw through the Holy Spirit that Mordecai was on Moses’s own rung, as the Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Where is Mordecai indicated in the Torah? ‘Take for yourself the chief spices [קח לך בשמים ראש]’” (Ḥullin 139b; Exodus 30:23). [TN-044-02] “For yourself [לך]” precisely, for this is your own rung. So it is stated in Midrash Shoḥer Tov on Psalm 22 and in the midrash on Esther (Esther Rabbah 6:2) concerning the verse “There was a Jewish man” (Esther 2:5): Mordecai was equal in weight to Moses.

Accordingly, in this prayer Moses wished to nullify and remove the design of the wicked Haman, who is the mystery of Samael. Everything Haman did he had learned from the wicked Balaam, who was of one counsel against Israel, like Samael and his retinue in the firmament. Concerning this Moses said, “Let me cross over now”: I now wish to remove the evil of Haman and of his wife Zeresh, the mystery of Samael and the wicked Lilith. He said, “And let me see the good land,” in order to nullify Samael’s female consort; and “the good mountain,” in order to nullify the evil of Haman, who was clothed in his ten sons, the mystery of Samael clothed in his ten crowns.

Concerning this he said, “You have begun to show me Your greatness,” in order to nullify the great accuser in the firmament through the side of Gedullah that Moses possessed; and “Your strong hand,” from the side of Gevurah, in order to nullify his ten crowns. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you”: you possess abundant greatness for this time. “Ascend to the top of Pisgah”—these are the eleven levels that were on Mount Nebo, all of which Moses traversed in a single stride, corresponding to the eleven crowns of Haman and his ten sons: Samael and his ten crowns.

He also said, “It is enough for you [רב לך]”: precisely concerning that master [רב] who would arise for Israel, your own rung would be his. This is the meaning of “Command Joshua,” as it is said, “Place it in Joshua’s ears” (Exodus 17:14), so that vengeance would be executed “from generation to generation” (Exodus 17:16)—from Saul’s generation to Mordecai’s generation (Rashi on Isaiah 34:10, s.v. mi-dor). Thus, “and strengthen him” refers to Saul’s generation, while “and fortify him” refers to Mordecai’s generation.

Ofan 45

It is stated in the book Sodei Raza, composed by the Rokeah, that the verse “And you—take the staff and strike all the waters of Egypt” (Exodus 7:19) contains twenty-two mems [כ״ב ממי״ן]. [TN-045-01] The intention is as follows. In the account of creation the word מים (“water”) is written eleven times; in the account of Noah the word מים is likewise written eleven times; in the section of Be-Shallah concerning the sea, מי הים (“the waters of the sea”) occurs eleven times; in the account of the Jordan in Joshua the word מים likewise occurs eleven times; and so too in the section concerning the sotah.

The intention is that at the beginning of creation the Holy One, blessed be He, made a stipulation, and He brought the Flood upon the world in the eleventh generation, which is Noah. [TN-045-02] The reason was that they had sinned with married women, for which the mode of execution is strangulation (Kiddushin 14a). The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore judged the generation of the Flood through the waters of the sotah, which is the judgment applied to a married woman. In the same manner, the Egyptians did not wish to release Israel, who are the spouse of the Holy One, blessed be He, and therefore their judgment also came through water.

The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses two sets of eleven mems—that is, the twenty-two mems in the verse “Take the staff.” Moses therefore began to pray, “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness.” This alludes to the plague of blood with which He struck Egypt; there He indicated to Moses twenty-two, corresponding to the twenty-two letters of the Torah, as alluded to by the word א״ת, from א (alef) through ת (tav). “And Your strong hand” refers to the sea, where He said, “Stretch out your hand” (Exodus 14:26).

Moses therefore argued: Since You began at the sea by splitting eleven mems, “Let me cross over now.” I too wish to cross the fifty-cubit span [חבל של נ׳ אמה] of the Jordan, for there I must complete the remaining eleven mems: eleven at the sea and eleven at the Jordan. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you”: you have already completed eleven at the sea. As for the other eleven, “Command Joshua and strengthen him [וחזקהו]”—specifically the letters ה״ו, whose numerical value is eleven. Through those two letters he will possess the merit to split the eleven occurrences of מים in Joshua’s account of the splitting of the Jordan. “For he shall cause [Israel] to inherit that which you shall see”: just as you had eleven at the splitting of the sea, “and as I was with you, I will be with him,” in the source’s adaptation of Joshua 1:5. [TN-045-03] This is the meaning of “which you shall see”: as you see, he too must see.

Ofan 46

It is stated in the midrash on this Torah portion (Tanḥuma, Va-Etchanan 4) and in Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer that Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He: “You called Leviathan a servant. It offered supplications, and You heard it; yet You did not hear me.” We must explain where the subject of Leviathan is alluded to in the verse, for we have reviewed all these verses and found no allusion to fish in them.

We may, however, say that Moses said “And I pleaded” using the term תחנוני״ם (“supplications”), “at that time [בעת ההיא]” precisely—namely, the month of Adar, whose zodiacal sign is Pisces, the Fish. It is therefore written ההוא (ha-hu, masculine, “that”), but read ההיא (ha-hi, feminine, “that”). The reading points to “that time,” whose sign is the Fish, while the written form points to the well-known fish, Leviathan. This is the meaning of “saying”: in the future, when that time arrives concerning which it is stated, “And it shall be on that day [ביום ההוא]” (Isaiah 27:1).

His prayer was: “You have begun to show” Leviathan, which is called “servant”; and You also called me “servant.” Concerning Leviathan he said, “Who is a God . . . who can do according to Your works?”—referring to the works of the LORD, namely “the great sea creatures” (Genesis 1:21), in which the might of the LORD is seen, as is stated in Job concerning Leviathan. He therefore said, “Let me cross over now”: let it also pass for me, and hear my supplications now; “and let me see the land,” just as You heard Leviathan’s supplications, which are the mystery of “Your works and Your might.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.” You wish to compare yourself to that creature from which, in the future, “the abundant good” hidden away for the righteous will come (cf. Psalms 31:20). But “Command Joshua,” who bears some likeness to the fish of the sea, concerning whom it is stated, “And let them multiply like fish into abundance [וידגו לרב]” (Genesis 48:16). The word לרב is written without a vav; he is therefore suited to that רב (“abundance”), as the verse continues, “in the midst of the land.” Concerning this He said, “It is enough for you”: Is the verse “And let them multiply like fish into abundance in the midst of the land” written about you? It is not written in connection with you. Rather, “Joshua son of Nun” is written—Nun precisely, for נון (nun) means “fish.” He is the one whose supplications are to be heard “in the midst of the land.”

Ofan 47

Moses wished to remove the impure Chariot. It is stated in Kanfei Yonah that at the southeastern corner, corresponding to the World of Yetzirah, there is something like a square section; see the extended discussion there. This is the mystery of “He went to the land of the people of the east” [וילך ארצו בני קד״ם] (Genesis 29:1): קד״ם is a notarikon of ק״רן ד״רומית מ״זרחית (keren deromit mizrahit, “southeastern corner”). [TN-047-01] There is the form of a serpent and a human being, from which the wicked Esau draws sustenance. He is called an evil man and is also called a serpent, as we translate “a man of the field” (Genesis 25:27) by נחשירכן (nahshirkan); on his thigh [ירך] is the likeness of a serpent [נחש]. [TN-047-02] Balaam likewise draws his sustenance from “the mountains of the east”; he is called an evil man of Belial, and it is said of him, “He did not go, as at other times, toward serpents” (Numbers 24:1).

Jacob alluded to this when he said, “Deliver me, please [נא]” (Genesis 32:12)—נא precisely, a notarikon of נ״חש א״דם (nahash adam, “serpent, man”). Balak likewise said, “Come, please [נא], curse for me” (Numbers 22:6), and likewise, “My people, remember, please [נא], what [Balak] counseled against you” (Micah 6:5). So too the great adversary Haman struck the people with his tongue like a serpent [שף עמא כנחש]. They expounded concerning him, “When a man rose up against us” (Psalms 124:2)—a man, and not a king (Megillah 11a). Therefore it is stated concerning him, “Let Israel now [נא] say” (Psalms 124:1)—Israel precisely—for this is the source from which Aza and Azael draw sustenance: “the land of the people of the east,” קד״ם, the southeastern corner. [TN-047-03]

Concerning this Moses prayed: Since “You have begun to show me” the holy Chariot, “Let me cross over, please [נא]”—I wish to remove “the afflictions of human beings” [נגע״י בני אדם], which are the mystery of נ״ופל ג״לוי ע״ינים (nofel gelui einayim, “fallen, yet with uncovered eyes”; Numbers 24:4). [TN-047-04] They are the mystery of קד״ם and of the form נא: נ״חש א״דם (“serpent, man”) and נ״געי א״דם (“afflictions of man”). The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you”: the holiness of your own Chariot is sufficient for you. The time to nullify the kelippot will not come until the future. “Do not continue to speak any more to Me of this matter [הזה]”: ז״ה is a notarikon of ז״רש ה״מן (Zeresh, Haman), the mystery of Samael and his female consort.

Ofan 48

Moses wished to remove the four kingdoms from Israel. This is alluded to by what is written, “at that time,” which points to the month of Adar, whose zodiacal sign is the Fish. Israel are likened to fish caught in an evil net—[uncertain: מעשה אד״ם] “like the fish of the sea” (Habakkuk 1:14). [TN-048-01] Likewise, דגי״ם (dagim, “fish”) is said to be a notarikon of ד׳ ג׳ליות י״שראל (“the four exiles of Israel”); “you are called adam” (Yevamot 61a). [TN-048-02]

It is stated in the Zohar Hadash: Israel were scattered toward the four directions corresponding to the four exiles, one letter [of the Divine Name] going into exile with them. In Babylon went the letter י; in Media, ה; in Greece, ו; and in Edom, the final ה. Moses therefore began to pray: Since in my lifetime I have merited to attain the four holy letters—“Your greatness” is י; “Your hand” is ה; “according to Your works” is ו; and “according to Your might” is ה—I have accordingly come to plead with יי׳ precisely.

“Let me cross over now”: I wish to nullify all four exiles, which are alluded to by the word נ״א. It signifies נ״בוכדנצר א״חשורוש (Nebuchadnezzar, Ahasuerus): “Your servant struck both the lion and the bear” (1 Samuel 17:36), alluding to Nebuchadnezzar, who is called a lion and represents the Babylonian exile, and to Ahasuerus, who is called a bear and represents the Median exile. נ״א likewise alludes to the commander of Nebuchadnezzar’s army, נ״בוזר א״דן (Nebuzaradan). Thereafter, the Greek exile is also alluded to by נ״א: נ״יקנור א״נטיוכס (Nicanor, Antiochus), the Greek princes. The exile of Edom is likewise alluded to by נ״א: נ״ירון קיסר א״ספייאנוס קיסר (Nero Caesar, Aspasyanus Caesar [Vespasian]). Thus all four exiles are alluded to by נ״א.

Concerning this the patriarchs of the world entreated, “Deliver me, please [נא], from the hand of my brother” (Genesis 32:12), for all four exiles are alluded to by נ״א. Abraham likewise said, “Separate yourself, please [נא], from me” (Genesis 13:9), and “Let a little water, please [נא], be brought” (Genesis 18:4). The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you [רב לך].” In the word ר״ב He indicated the two destructions wrought by ר״ום ב״בל (Rome, Babylon): ב״בל (Babylon) destroyed the First [ר״אשון] Temple, and ר״ום (Rome) destroyed the Second Temple.

Ofan 49

It is known that there are 120 permutations of Elohim, and Moses was able to sweeten only 119 permutations, the numerical value of מע״ט (me‘at, “a little”), as it is written, “You made him lack a little [מעט] from Elohim” (Psalms 8:6). This is the meaning of the verse “The LORD called to Moses . . . from the Tent of Meeting [מאהל מוע״ד]” (Leviticus 1:1). מוע״ד has the numerical value 120, and this was the one that Moses lacked. Thus it says “from [מ־] מוע״ד,” and not all of מוע״ד. This is also the small א of ויקרא (“He called”): one was lacking from the permutations.

Concerning this Moses said, “And I pleaded with the LORD,” for he wished to awaken mercy in the world. Throughout his life he had occupied himself with sweetening judgments, as it is written, “And Moses ascended to Elohim” (Exodus 19:3)—that is, to sweeten the permutations of Elohim. Therefore, “at that time,” when he was 120 years old, corresponding to the 120 permutations of Elohim, he made his request. Since “You have begun to show me Your greatness”—the attribute of His goodness, whereby he had begun to sweeten the powers of the permutations of Elohim, as alluded to by “Your strong hand [ידך החז״קה],” for חזק״ה has the numerical value 120—Moses consequently said א״ת, a term related to אות (“letter”), alluding to the letters of the permutations of Elohim.

He prayed, “Let me cross over, נ״א.” The source unfolds נ״א through two paired expressions: נ״תיב א׳ (“one path”) and נ׳ א״ותיות (“fifty letters”). [TN-049-01] That is, the Name Elohim is comprised tenfold. This is the mystery of Moses, as the Gemara says: “Where is Moses indicated in the Torah?” (Ḥullin 139b). He would sweeten all the powers of judgment except one, as it says, “You made him lack a little [מעט] from Elohim.” Ten times אלהים has the numerical value 860, but Moses sweetened only 859. The answer to “Where is Moses indicated?” is “for he too is flesh [בשג״ם הו״א בשר]” (Genesis 6:3): בשג״ם has the same numerical value as מש״ה (Moses), while בשג״ם הו״א בש״ר has the numerical value 859. Ten times אלהים is 860. Thus Moses lacked one in order to sweeten all the powers of judgment contained in the ten occurrences of Elohim, which together comprise fifty letters.

Concerning these he requested, “Let me cross over, נ״א.” That is, I wish to cross the Jordan, which is so named because judgment [דין] descends [יורד] from there into the world. Its letters may likewise be read ירד נון (yered nun, “nun descends”), referring to the fifty [נון] letters of Elohim. This is the mystery of a fifty-cubit span, corresponding to the fifty letters in the tenfold Name Elohim. Moses had already attained this measure of stature, for he was ten cubits tall. Since “You have begun to show me Your greatness,” the mystery of Moses’s ten-cubit measure of stature, then, when I cross the Jordan, I shall have the power to cause all fifty letters to cross over. They are the mystery of “His locks are curled [קווצותיו תלתלים]” (Song of Songs 5:11). Kanfei Yonah states that all the powers of Elohim are alluded to in the word תלתלים: ת״ל ת״ל, twice 430, has the numerical value of ten times Elohim. These are the fifty letters of Elohim.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” In this world you sweetened all the powers except one. But “Ascend to the top of Pisgah”: when you ascend Mount Abarim (Numbers 27:12), you will also have the power to rectify that final permutation. Thus the verse says, “Moses, the man of Elohim, [blessed the children of Israel] before his death” (Deuteronomy 33:1). Since this took place before his death, he then ascended to the top of Pisgah—the completion of the permutations. He is therefore called “the man of Elohim” specifically when standing immediately before his death, something that had not been the case throughout his life.

Ofan 50

The Sages, of blessed memory, said that forty-nine gates of Binah were transmitted to Moses (Nedarim 38a). Concerning these he said, “You have begun to show,” using א״ת twice, alluding to אותיו״ת התור״ה (“the letters of the Torah”), for א״ת is a notarikon of א״ותיות ת״ורה. These letters are divided into two divisions. The first comprises the twenty-two letters of the Torah, from א through ת. Corresponding to them are twenty-two conduits in the world, each letter being one conduit through which influx descends into the world. This is the mystery of “By you [בך] shall Israel bless” (Genesis 48:20): that is, the Torah’s כ״ב (twenty-two) letters are twenty-two conduits descending into the world, as explained in Pardes, Gate of the Conduits.

There are also twenty-seven letters when the final forms מנצפ״ך are included. These five letters are five Gevurot, and corresponding to them are twenty-seven conduits in the world. Likewise, there are twenty-seven fillings of HaShem, the Name YHWH, thirteen revealed and fourteen concealed. Their mnemonic is “My mouth shall declare [יגי״ד] Your praise” (Psalms 51:17): יגיד divides into two units, י״ג and י״ד (thirteen and fourteen). This is the mystery of the forty-nine gates, which divide into twenty-two and twenty-seven.

Moses therefore said: Since “You have begun to show me” the forty-nine gates, which are divided into the Torah’s twenty-two letters on the right side—“Your greatness,” the attribute of Your goodness, corresponding to which are the twenty-two conduits—and afterward the Torah’s twenty-seven letters, “Your strong hand [א״ת ידך החזקה],” meaning the letters of the Torah from א through ת together with the five letters מנצפ״ך. These letters מנצפ״ך indicate redemption, as stated in Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 48, cited in Yalkut Shimoni on Lekh Lekha (remez 64), and also in Numbers Rabbah 18:21 and Tanḥuma, Korah 12. They are “Your strong hand,” the five Gevurot. [TN-050-01]

He then said, “Who is a God who can do according to Your works?” corresponding to the twenty-two conduits, through which “the chariots of God are myriads” (Psalms 68:18). They constitute the Work of the Chariot of the Holy One, blessed be He, for the Shekhinah rests among twenty-two thousand (Yevamot 64a), corresponding to the Torah’s twenty-two letters. “And according to Your might” corresponds to the twenty-seven conduits, which include the five Gevurot.

He therefore said, “Let me cross over, נ״א,” since I still lack the notarikon of נ״א: נ״תיב א״חד (netiv eḥad, “one path”). Read in reverse as א״נ, it yields א״ותו נ״תיב נקרא איתן (“that path is called Eitan”). Thus it is written in Sava de-Mishpatim (Zohar II, 110b), “That path no bird of prey knows” (Job 28:7)—the path Moses did not attain—and it is called Eitan. This is the meaning of “The sea returned to its strength [לאיתנו]” (Exodus 14:27). The Torah is “longer than the earth in measure” (Job 11:9), for in this world Moses attained only forty-nine gates, the numerical value of מד״ה (“measure”). In truth, however, he did not attain one path, the fiftieth gate. Concerning this Scripture says, “broader than the sea [ים]”: that fiftieth path completes the numerical value of י״ם, fifty.

Thus, how does “the sea return,” full to all its banks? לאיתנו—through the gate called Eitan, which was concealed from Moses. It is the upper gate, and “the wilderness has closed upon them” (Exodus 14:3): no human being attained it. Moses therefore began ואתחנ״ן with an extended final nun [ן ארוכה], for he now wished to attain the fiftieth gate. For this purpose Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel, because there he wished to attain נ״א: נ״תיב א״חד; א״ותו נ״תיב נקרא איתן (“one path; that path is called Eitan”).

This is alluded to by “the good land [הארץ הטוב״ה],” for הטוב״ה has the numerical value twenty-seven, and “the good mountain [ההר הטו״ב],” for הטו״ב has the numerical value twenty-two. He thereby alluded to the two divisions of letters whose total constitutes the gates: twenty-seven and twenty-two, together forty-nine gates. Now he wished to attain “Lebanon,” which is the “path no bird of prey knows,” called Lebanon. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.” You do not need to enter the Land of Israel for this, but you will attain the fiftieth gate here as well. “Ascend here to the top of Pisgah,” which alludes to the Eitan gate, the head of the fifty gates.

Ofan 51

It is stated in the book Sodei Raza, composed by the author of the Rokeah, that the sun has four faces toward the four directions, corresponding to the four seasons [tekufot]. At the Tishri season its face is cold and moist; at Tevet, cold and dry; at Nisan, hot and moist; and at Tammuz, hot and dry. An angel is appointed over the sun whose name is Galgaliel [גלג״ליא״ל], while the angel appointed over the moon is named Ofaniel [אופניא״ל].

This is why Balak initially said to Balaam, “Curse [ארה] for me” (Numbers 22:6). He saw that Israel are the lesser luminary and that “Joshua’s face is like the face of the moon,” as the Sages, of blessed memory, said (Bava Batra 75a). He therefore used the expression ארה, for אר״ה is a notarikon of א״ופניאל ר״אש ה״ירח (Ofaniel, rosh ha-yareah, “Ofaniel, head of the moon”). Moreover, אר״ה has the numerical value of כ״ח (“twenty-eight”) plus אופני״אל, for the moon has twenty-eight appointed times.

Concerning Joshua Balak said, “[lest he consume] as the ox licks up” (Numbers 22:4), for Joshua is “the firstborn ox.” Balaam, however, said that Moses himself should be cursed, for Moses is the face of the sun. It was Moses whom Balak feared when he said, “for it is mighty [רב]” (Numbers 22:3), referring to the greater luminary, the face of the sun. He therefore wished to curse only Joshua, who descended from Joseph, called an ox, and concerning him he said אר״ה. This is the meaning of “Perhaps I shall be able to strike [נכה] it” (Numbers 22:6), comparable to the usage in Bava Kamma 115a, where monetary sums are “deducted” [מנכין]. But Balak feared the sun, which is a king amid a troop.

Balaam, who was haughty of spirit and hated Israel even more than Balak did, wished to lay a hand upon the sun itself. He therefore said קבה (“curse”), in which is alluded the angel appointed over the sun, Galgaliel, who comprises 107 powers, the numerical value of קב״ה. Balak thought that Balaam had not come because he had asked him for a minor thing, and therefore afterward he sent the request קב״ה. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “You shall not curse [לא תאור] the people” (Numbers 22:12), who are the face of the moon; while “for he is blessed [כי ברוך הוא]” refers to Moses our teacher, who is the face of the sun, as the Sages stated in Bava Batra 75a.

Balaam therefore said, “Balak sent to me, ‘Come, curse for me [לכה ארה ל״י]’” (Numbers 23:7). The word ל״י alludes to ל״בנה י״רח (levanah, yareah, “moon, lunar orb”). But I said that the sun itself should also be cursed, and I used קבה in order to curse Moses as well. “How can I curse . . . ?” (Numbers 23:8). This is the meaning of “For from the top of the rocks I see him” (Numbers 23:9): I see Moses’s merit, for whose sake the world was created—בראשית, “at the beginning,” by the merit of Moses (see Genesis Rabbah 1:4). Concerning Moses the verse says, “From the top of the rocks I see him,” for Moses is the head of all created beings and is the face of the sun.

This is the mystery of the veil [מסוה] that Moses merited (Exodus 34:33), whose mystery is מ״ה (Mah). In the Zohar on Yitro (Zohar II, 79a; see also Zohar II, 197a), Moses is called מ״ה. He merited the face of the sun, the mystery of the angel appointed over the sun, Galgaliel. This is the meaning of גלגליא״ל: “the wheel [גלגל] turns in the world.” That is, Moses comprises the world, as it says, “Then His people remembered the days of old—Moses” (Isaiah 63:11). Moses is also the mystery of מ״טטרון ש״ר ה״פנים (Metatron, sar ha-panim, “Metatron, Prince of the Presence”), whose initials spell משה. When גלגל (“wheel”) is written in full—גימ״ל למ״ד גימ״ל למ״ד—its numerical value equals that of מטטרון (Metatron).

גלגל is also the mystery of מסו״ה (“veil”): the letters ס״ו, whose numerical value is that of גלגל, enter into the name מ״ה, which is Moses, producing מסו״ה. Thus the mystery of גלג״ל “turns in the world.” By this the Sages alluded to the statement, “The face of Moses was like the face of the sun”: “the face of the sun” is the angel appointed over the sun, called Galgal, which Moses merited in the mystery of מסו״ה.

Moses therefore began: Since “You have begun to show Your servant”—at first I merited sixty-six lights, the mystery of גלגל within מסוה; concerning this he said, “Your greatness.” Afterward Moses merited that the Holy One, blessed be He, called him “servant,” as it says, “Not so My servant Moses” (Numbers 12:7). Through the word עב״ד (“servant”) he then merited ten further powers of Galgaliel, for עב״ד has the numerical value seventy-six. Concerning this he said, “Your strong hand”: when You began to show Your servant and [the source’s grammar appears to mean, “You”] called me “servant,” I thereby merited ten further powers of the angel appointed over the sun. [TN-051-01]

He still lacked thirty-one powers of that angel. He therefore said, “Who is an א״ל in heaven and on earth?” alluding to those thirty-one powers that belong to the angel Galgaliel but that Moses had not attained. Moses consequently wished to enter the Land of Israel and kill thirty-one kings; he would thereby be complete in all 107 powers of Galgaliel.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.” That is, the mystery of גלגל that you possess within the mystery of מסו״ה is sufficient for you. “Do not continue to speak to Me [אלי]”—that is, the source transmits the adjacent readings (א״ל) [אל״י], precisely. [TN-051-02] You seek to complete the letters ל״א within גלגליא״ל; “this is אל״י, that it should be אל״י” [וזהו אל״י שיהיה אל״י]. Specifically concerning the three letters remaining from the angel Galgaliel, “Command Joshua and strengthen him” with these thirty-one powers, so that he will kill the thirty-one kings. [TN-051-03]

Ofan 52

Our Sages, of blessed memory, said in the Zohar on the portion Terumah, p. 278 (Zohar II, 156a),
that Moses died on the Sabbath. The expression “at that time” refers to him: it was the
time of favor at the Sabbath afternoon service, when the Holy Forehead is revealed. On every
weekday, by contrast, the attribute of judgment prevails at that hour, for then “Isaac went
out to meditate in the field” (Genesis 24:63), and Isaac is the attribute of judgment.

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel and repair the condition in which “El is indignant
[זועם] every day” (Psalms 7:12). Since the three Sabbath meals correspond to the three
patriarchs (see Shabbat 118a), he mentioned the three patriarchs in the first verse. They
correspond to the three meals, and there is nothing higher than ענ״ג (‘oneg, “delight”;
*Sefer Yetzirah*). ענ״ג is the mystery of עדן נהר גן (Eden, River, Garden), whose
final letters hint at נשמה רוח נפש (neshamah, ruaḥ, nefesh).

Moses therefore said: Since, from the hour of his creation, You had already begun to show
that Moses came into the world from the water—“for I drew him from the water” (Exodus
2:10)—indicating that he would repair Ḥesed in the world, this is the meaning of “Your
greatness.” “You began to show me” the attribute of Ḥesed, which is water, immediately
upon my coming into the world, so that I might repair “Your strong hand,” which is
judgment. “Who is El” alludes to “El is indignant every day.” Therefore, “Let me
cross over, נא.” When I am in the Land of Israel, where “the Ḥesed of El is all day”
(Psalms 52:3), [uncertain: וכ״א] (perhaps “and there”) in the Land of Israel I shall repair my
garment, which is my *pargautin* (Exodus Rabbah 23:3). [TN-052-01] [TN-052-02] This is hinted
in the word א״ז: אל זר (“a foreign
god”) and אל זועם (“El is indignant”) have the initial letters א״ז; but in the
Land of Israel it will signify אהבה זכות (“love, merit”).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you” to nullify the powers
of judgment now; “ascend to the top of the summit.” Here it is hinted that Moses died at
the Sabbath afternoon service. This is stated in the Zohar on the portion Terumah, p. 278;
the Tosafists likewise wrote it in Menaḥot 30a (s.v. mi-kan), as did Responsa of Maharam,
section 11, *Sefer Hasidim*, section 357, and Tur, Orah Hayyim, section 292. At that time the
Holy Forehead is revealed. This is hinted in “the top of the summit”: the forehead is the
head of a person, at the height of his nose.

At the Sabbath afternoon service there is “the ever-open eye, which has no brows.” This
is the mystery of the fish that one should eat at the three Sabbath meals, for the souls of the
righteous are reincarnated there. It is written, “Could all the fish of the sea be gathered
for them?” (Numbers 11:22), and it is stated in the Zohar at the end of Shemini (Zohar III,
locator not supplied) that “gathering” is written concerning Torah scholars.

It is possible that this is the mystery of “at that time” to which Moses alluded: the Sabbath
afternoon service, which is the mystery of the ever-open eye. Moses therefore said that the
Holy One, blessed be He, had heard the prayer of Leviathan, the fish, but “You do not hear
me” (Yalkut Shimoni, remez 814). This is hinted in that time, the Sabbath afternoon service,
which is the mystery of the fish and the ever-open eye. Therefore, at that hour the Holy One,
blessed be He, said, “See with your eyes”: Moses attained the ever-open eye and saw from
one end of the world to the other.

Since Moses is “the face of the sun” (Bava Batra 75a), as stated above, and the sun has four
faces corresponding to the four directions, the Holy One, blessed be He, therefore mentioned the
four directions here. Through them He alluded twice to the Name YHWH: ימ״ה וצפונ״ה
(“westward and northward”) constitutes one occurrence, and then תימנ״ה ומזרח״ה
(“southward and eastward”) constitutes a second occurrence of the Name YHWH.

Ofan 53

Moses attained understanding of the mysteries of the letters of the Torah, but he could not
fully apprehend the nature of the vowel points, which are hinted in the supernal Ḥokhmah. He
therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel, which is “a land that the LORD your God seeks
continually, from the beginning [מראשית] of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:12). ראשי״ת
(“beginning”) precisely, for this is the mystery of “the beginning of wisdom [ראשית
חכמה]” (Psalms 111:10). Since the vowel points of the letters contain twenty-eight letters,
the word ראשית occurs twenty-eight times in the Torah. [TN-053-01]

Concerning this Moses petitioned: Since “You have begun to show Your greatness”—this refers
to the letters of the Torah, hinted in the word א״ת. Regarding the large letters, from the
side of Ḥesed, he said “Your greatness”; regarding the small letters, from the side of the
female and judgment, he said “Your strong hand.” These two alphabets are the mystery of heaven
and earth. Thus, in “In the beginning God created [בראשית ברא אלהים את]”
(Genesis 1:1), the beginnings of the letters hint at two bets and two alefs, as stated in the
Zohar, p. 19 (Zohar I, 3b). [TN-053-02] “The heavens [את השמים]”: the heavens were
created through the letters of the Torah from א to ת, an allusion to Tiferet. “The earth
[את הארץ]” is the mystery of Malkhut, where the small letters are found.

Moses therefore said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth,” referring to these two chariots,
“great creatures with small.” He prayed: Since I have attained the letters of the Torah,
“let me cross over, נא.” When I cross into the Land of Israel, may I also attain the mystery
of the vowel points of the Torah, hinted in נ״א as a notarikon of נקודות אותיות
(nequdot otiyyot, “vowel points of the letters”). For this I must see “the good land,”
because “the air of the Land of Israel makes one wise” (Bava Batra 158b). That is, there I
shall attain the mystery of Ḥokhmah, where the vowel points of the Torah are found; the letters,
however, are Binah.

Concerning this he said, “this good mountain and Lebanon.” There I shall attain vowel points
and letters. They are hinted in the word לבנו״ן (Lebanon): ל״ב is the thirty-two paths
of Ḥokhmah, where the points are found; נ is the fifty gates of Binah, which are the letters.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: You can attain more than this here. These are
the mystery of cantillation marks, vowel points, and letters, whose notarikon is טנ״א:
טעמים נקודות אותיות (teʿamim, nequdot, otiyyot). In Keter, Moses also attained
the cantillation marks. Concerning this He said, “It is much for you”: the abundant good
stored away for you is the mystery of Keter. Greater still than this is “ascend to the top
of the summit”: these are the crowns in the Torah, which stand upon the heads of the letters,
and they are the mystery of “the top of the summit,” higher than the cantillation marks.

Ofan 54

Moses wished to ascend to the world of Beriah, where the Name El Shaddai governs; in the world
of Yetzirah, El YHWH; and in Asiyah, El Adonai. At the beginning of his mission, the Holy One,
blessed be He, told Moses, “Remove your shoes” (Exodus 3:5). They are the mystery of the two
cherubim in Asiyah and Yetzirah. מ״ס on the tablets signifies מטטרון סנדלפון
(Metatron, Sandalfon), and the same initials form מנעל סנדל (shoe, sandal). The author
of *Asarah Ma’amarot* wrote in *Ma’amar Hiqqur Din* that Metatron stitches shoes.

Corresponding to this it says, “Your two breasts are like two fawns” (Song of Songs
7:4). Consider the expression “your two breasts”: the Sages expounded in Midrash Hazit
that they are the two tablets, corresponding to heaven and earth. “Your two breasts” has
the numerical value of מ״ס, מטטרון סנדלפון. [TN-054-01]

Concerning this Moses said: “You have begun to show me” the world of Asiyah, where
Sandalfon is found and which is governed by El Adonai, numerically equal to עבד״ך
(“Your servant”). Then comes the world of Yetzirah, where Metatron is found and which is
governed by the Name א״ל יהו״ד [El YHWH], numerically equal to גדל״ך (“Your
greatness”). [TN-054-02] These are the two tablets. He therefore said החלות (“You
began”), whose letters reversed form הלחות (“the tablets”). This is the meaning of
“Your strong hand,” which is stated concerning the tablets (Exodus Rabbah 46:3): “and
all the strong hand” (Deuteronomy 34:12). Likewise, the word “tablets” occurs fourteen
times in the Torah.

Moses petitioned for the world that is wholly good, in which there is no kelippah. Therefore,
“Let me cross over, נא, to the Land of Israel”—“the good land, the good mountain”—and
I shall attain the world that is wholly good.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “Abundant good is stored away for you” here, and
for this you need not come to the Land of Israel. “Command [צ״ו] Joshua” is the mystery
of צ״ו, whose numerical value equals El Adonai in the world of Asiyah. “Strengthen him”
to ascend from the world of Asiyah to Yetzirah, and “embolden him” as well through the two
cherubim. “For he shall cross over and he shall cause them to inherit”: he will attain the
two cherubim that you see.

Ofan 55

Moses attained the four worlds, in each of which there is a form of the Name YHWH: ע״ב,
ס״ג, מ״ה, and ב״ן. The Name ע״ב contains four letters in its simple form, ten in
its filling, and twenty-eight in the filling of its filling, making forty-two. The same is
true of ס״ג, and likewise of מ״ה. Thus three times forty-two equals 126. Moses merited
to ascend to heaven on three occasions of forty days, making 120; together with the six days
at the beginning of the month of Sivan, when he ascended and descended each day, the total is 126.

Concerning this he said, “You have begun to show Your greatness”—that is, the letters of
the Name YHWH. He had first said, “I pleaded with YHWH” [source spelling יהו״ד], referring
to the Name YHWH. [TN-055-03] When
the letters of YHWH are expanded, they constitute the mystery of the 126 days that Moses was
on the mountain to receive the tablets, until he brought down the second tablets on the Day of
Atonement. This is the meaning of “Your strong hand,” referring to the second tablets he
brought on the Day of Atonement, which is the rung of מ״י (Exodus Rabbah 46:3). [TN-055-01]

This is what he said: “Who [מ״י] is El in heaven and on earth?” On that day, “the
Ḥesed of El is all day,” a time of favor. Through this he attained the 126 letters of the
three Names, which are in the mystery of the three letters of HaShem: י, where the Name
ע״ב is found—“Your greatness”; ה, where ס״ג is found—“Your strong hand”;
and ו of מ״ה, where “El in heaven and on earth” is found.

Therefore, “Let me cross over, נא, [and see] the land,” where the Name מ״ב is found
within the filling of ב״ן, and in its filling are thirty-three letters: “Uncover [ג״ל]
my eyes, that I may behold [ואביטה]” (Psalms 119:18). This is the meaning of “and
let me see the land”: there I shall behold the letters of “the land,” the mystery of the
Name ב״ן, which is in Malkhut. [TN-055-02] Therefore, from ואתחנן (“I pleaded”)
through והלבנון (“and Lebanon”) there are forty words, alluding to the forty days
during which he ascended the mountain.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “You have abundant attainment [רב לך] here in all
four Names.” In the Zohar on the portion Va-Yetze, p. 318 (Zohar I, 267a), Moses is called בר
(bar, “son”), the reverse of ר״ב. Concerning this He said, “רב is yours”: HaShem,
the Name which is ב״ן (“son”), is also yours. “Ascend to the top of the summit and see with your
eyes westward, northward, southward, and eastward.” There the Name YHWH is hinted twice; this
is the mystery of the Name ב״ן, “its inside like its outside,” both of which Moses attained.

Ofan 56

In the expression “Your strong hand [ידך החזקה],” Moses alluded to all the fillings
of the letters of ע״ב, ס״ג, מ״ה, and ב״ן. That is, three times forty-two makes 126
letters, while the filling of the filling of the Name ב״ן contains thirty-three letters. Add
126 and thirty-three, and the result is 159, the numerical value of יד״ך החזק״ה.

Concerning this he said, “I pleaded with YHWH,” referring to the fillings of the Name
YHWH. Since “You have begun to show me א״ת”—that is, the letters of the Names YHWH hinted
in the word גדל״ך. They are “stones of setting and shoham stones [אבני מלאים
ואבני שהם]” (cf. Exodus 25:7), and שהם is an anagram of משה. [TN-056-01]
What are the fillings? They are letters numbering 159, the value of יד״ך החזק״ה. I
therefore petition to attain still more.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is much for you.” “Your reward shall be
exceedingly great [שכרך הרבה מאד]” (Genesis 15:1) forms the notarikon שה״ם,
an anagram of משה. That is, within your own letters there is a notarikon alluding to Moses:
שכרך הרבה מאד (“your reward shall be exceedingly great”). Through this you see
the abundant good stored away.

Concerning this it says, “How abundant is Your goodness that You have stored away for those who
fear You” (Psalms 31:20). Moses is called מ״ה (Zohar II, 197a), as it is written, “What
[מה] is his son’s name?” (Proverbs 30:4). In the name of Moses is hinted the abundant
good stored away. This is the meaning of “for those who fear You”: within the name of the
one who fears You, Moses, is hinted מ״ה ששכרו הרבה מאד (“how exceedingly great
is his reward”), whose marked initial letters form שה״ם.

Ofan 57

It is stated in the Midrash on the portion Ve-Zot Ha-Berakhah (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:10) that two
ministering angels, Michael and Gabriel, came to Moses. Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel
and complete all four legs of the merkavah, which is the mystery of “its chariot of purple
[מרכבו ארגמ״ן]” (Song of Songs 3:10). Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, said to
Abraham, “I am a shield [מג״ן] for you” (Genesis 15:1), corresponding to “three men
stood over him” (Genesis 18:2), the three colors of the eye: Michael is the white color,
Gabriel the red, and Uriel-Nuriel the green. When Ḥesed prevails he is called Uriel; when
judgment prevails he is called Nuriel.

Concerning this Moses said, “You have begun to show [להראו״ת],” whose numerical value
equals מרכב״ה שלימ״ה (“a complete merkavah”). [TN-057-09] At the revelation at Mount Sinai
it is stated, “Moses approached [נג״ש] the thick darkness” (Exodus 20:21). It does
not say גש but נג״ש; this teaches that Michael and Gabriel brought Moses near to the
thick darkness, as stated in the Midrash Rabbah reference given as *Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer*
41. [TN-057-01] The intention is that the word נג״ש hints at Michael and Gabriel, “the
numerical value of this equals the numerical value of that”; and הערפל (“the thick
darkness”) has the numerical value of שכינה (Shekhinah). [TN-057-02] Thus only two angels
of the merkavah of ארגמ״ן were mentioned.

Likewise, concerning the revelation at Mount Sinai, it is stated in Exodus Rabbah 33:4 regarding
“the angelic hosts [מלאכי צבאות]” (Psalms 68:13): Do not read מלאכי (“angels
of”) but מלכי (“kings of”) the hosts. This teaches that Michael and Gabriel, who are
the kings among the angels, “move about, move about [ידודון ידודון].” Thus,
here too, only Michael and Gabriel were mentioned.

Moses now prayed: Since “You have begun to show me” a complete merkavah—he then explains it
again—“Your greatness” on the right is Michael, while “Your strong hand” on the left
is Gabriel. Within the verse itself he further explains who they are. Corresponding to “Your
greatness,” he said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth?” This is Michael [מיכא״ל],
who is so called because he testifies concerning the Holy One, blessed be He: at the sea he said,
“Who [מ״י] is like You among the mighty?” (Exodus 15:11), and at the end he said, “There
is none like El [אין כא״ל]” (Deuteronomy 33:26). Together these form מיכא״ל. “Who
can do like Your deeds and like Your mighty acts [כגבורת״ך]” signifies Gabriel.

Moses now prayed that he might enter the Land of Israel: “Let me cross over, נ״א.” I wish
to remove the נ of נוריא״ל (Nuriel), for it indicates the might of judgment—“a river
of fire streams forth and issues from before Him” (Daniel 7:10)—and to place the א of אוריא״ל
(Uriel) in place of Nuriel. [TN-057-03] This is what he said: “and let me see [ואראה]
the land,” alluding to the אור (light) of the Land of Israel.

Alternatively, his intention was that at first he had reckoned only Michael and Gabriel. If I
cross into the Land of Israel, I shall complete the merkavah of ארגמ״ן. That is, נ״א
signifies נוריא״ל אור פניאל (Nuriel, Or-Peniel), as stated in the Tikkunim
(Tikkunei Zohar 70, 127a): the א of ארגמ״ן signifies Or-Peniel. “And let me see the
land [האר״ץ]” signifies Raphael, the angel of the Shekhinah in the west; Raphael occupies
the west of the merkavah. [TN-057-04]

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “Your master [רב] is with you”: your master
Zagnazgael will come to you. Thus Targum Jonathan writes on the portion Shemot, concerning
the verse, “The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire” (Exodus 3:2), that
Zagnazgael was Moses’s master. Likewise, at the end of Deuteronomy Rabbah on Ve-Zot Ha-Berakhah,
when Moses’s time to die arrived, three angels came: Michael on his right, Gabriel on his left,
and Zagnazgael before him. Their mnemonic is “let not the mixture [המז״ג] be lacking”
(Song of Songs 7:3): מיכאל, זגנזגאל, גבריאל. Since your master is with you,
“Do not continue, etc.”

Alternatively, there are four princes of the Torah, whose mnemonic is “the blossoms have
appeared in the land” (Song of Songs 2:12): they are the princes of Torah. “The time of song
[עת הזמיר] has arrived”: זמי״ר is a notarikon of זגנזגא״ל מיכא״ל
יופיא״ל רזיא״ל (Zagnazgael, Michael, Yofiel, Raziel). These four are hinted here
in “ר״ב is with you”: מיכא״ל and זגנזגא״ל together have the numerical
value ר״ב, for each has the value 101.

Thus the Sages said—printed as “[in Eruvin 54 (Ḥagigah 9b)]”—that one who reviews
his chapter one hundred times cannot be compared to one who reviews it one hundred and one
times. [TN-057-05] This is the meaning of “the matter He commanded [צוה] for a thousand
generations” (cited in the source as Psalms 95:8): when one studies according to the numerical
value of צו״ה, it will endure for a thousand generations. [TN-057-06] This is the meaning
of “The heart of the wise makes his mouth [פיה״ו] insightful” (Proverbs 16:23),
for פיה״ו has the value 101. This is also the meaning of “Moses commanded [צו״ה]
us the Torah” (Deuteronomy 33:4).

The reason for 101 is that these two princes of the Torah have 101 forces. It is also the
“hidden part” of the name Moses: מ׳ י״ן א׳ has the value 101. [TN-057-07] Thus
wisdom, which is Moses, “from where [מאי״ן] shall it be found?” (Job 28:12). That is,
the hidden letters of משה form מאי״ן. This is the meaning of “From where [מאי״ן]
shall my help come?” (Psalms 121:1): it refers to the help of Torah, as it is said, “To
one who despairs, kindness is due from his friend, etc.” (Job 6:14), and “Is there not
[אי״ן] help within me, and has sound wisdom been driven from me?” (Job 6:13).

This too is hinted in “Your master [רב] is with you.” That is, within your own name you
find your master, whose value is 101—the numerical value of his master. Michael is likewise
hinted in the hidden portion of Moses. That is, as long as Moses lived, Michael could not lead
Israel. Moses said, “If Your Presence does not go, do not bring us up from here” (Exodus
33:15), in response to the Holy One, blessed be He, saying, “Behold, I send an angel before
you” (Exodus 23:20). This angel is Michael, as explained in Exodus Rabbah 45:3 on the portion
Ki Tissa. But when Moses was hidden, Michael came.

Likewise, the portion Tetzaveh, in which Moses’s name is hidden, contains 101 verses, the
numerical value of Michael: when Moses is hidden, Michael comes. This too is hinted in “Your
master [רב] is with you.” משה is a notarikon of מיכאל שר הגדול (Michael,
the great prince). Concerning him it is said, “Your master is with you,” for he is “the
great prince,” as stated in Daniel: “Michael, the great prince, etc.” (Daniel 12:1). He
is the great prince among the angels.

Moses had displaced the great angel in heaven. Accordingly, “Your master is with you” means:
the governance that would have belonged to the great prince Michael, who is called your master,
belonged instead to you. But “command Joshua,” for in Joshua’s days Michael said, “Now
I have come” (Joshua 5:14; see Genesis Rabbah 97:3): “Your master Moses displaced me.”

According to what I have said, the four princes of the Presence are hinted in the word
זמי״ר. These four are also hinted here: זגנזגא״ל and מיכא״ל are hinted
in ר״ב, while יהושע has the same numerical value as יופיא״ל and רזיא״ל
together. [TN-057-08] Corresponding to these four angels He said, “See with your eyes westward,
northward, southward, and eastward,” the four directions of the world. Likewise, concerning
the order of repetition in the Mishnah, we say in Eruvin 54b that each person reviewed his
lesson four times, corresponding to these four princes of the Presence.

Because the merkavah is hinted in the colors of the eye, Moses said, “and let me see the
land.” That is, in the Land of Israel I shall possess the four colors of the eye, completing
the merkavah. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him that here too the colors of the eye
would be complete: “See with your eyes” the four directions, corresponding to the four
letters of YHWH. This is as it says, “I pleaded with YHWH,” for we pray with the Name YHWH:
“At my right Michael,” corresponding to י; “at my left Gabriel,” corresponding to ה;
“before me Uriel,” corresponding to ו; and “behind me Raphael,” corresponding to ה.

Ofan 58

It is stated in *Kanfei Yonah* (part 3, section 56) that the 288 sparks are fragments of the
vessels that fell into the great abyss. The allusion is “the spirit of God hovered [מרחפ״ת]
over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2), for the presumptuous waters are the kelippot. The
mnemonic is מרחפ״ת = רפ״ח מת (“288 died”), because their breaking is their death.

When Israel was in Egypt, Moses raised 202 of these sparks. But Moses was unable to extract from
the iron furnace the remaining eighty-six needed to complete the 288. This is the meaning of
“A mixed multitude [ערב ר״ב] also went up with them” (Exodus 12:38): precisely ר״ב
(202), and no more. These are the mixed letters. But “Moses ascended to God [האלהי״ם]”
(Exodus 19:3), which is the mystery of the eighty-six sparks that remained.

This is what Scripture says: the final letters of וחוש״ך ע״ל פנ״י תהו״ם
(“and darkness over the face of the deep”) spell כלי״ם (“vessels”). They are the
288, from which Israel could not raise eighty-six, the value of Elohim. This is what Scripture
says: “and the spirit of God hovered.” That is, the numerical value of אלהים remained
from רפ״ח מת (“288 dead”).

Then came Moses, who is called “water.” This is the meaning of “over the face of the
waters,” referring to Moses, of whom it is written, “for I drew him from the water”
(Exodus 2:10). He “ascended to God” to receive the Torah. This is the meaning of “God
said, ‘Let there be light’” (Genesis 1:3), referring to the reception of the Torah. Then
“God saw the light [את האור]” (Genesis 1:4): את האור has the numerical value
of משה רבינו (“Moses our teacher”), who comprises the 613 commandments, for משה
in full spelling—מ״ם שי״ן ה״ה—has the value 613. [TN-058-01]

Concerning him it is written, “She saw that he was good” (Exodus 2:2). “God divided”:
He wished to separate the sparks whose number is Elohim, but Moses lacked the power to do
so—“You made him slightly less than God [מאלהים]” (Psalms 8:6).

The matter of the 288 is four times seventy-two. For this reason Moses wished to enter the Land
of Israel so that he might bring forth פר״ח, as it is said, “Israel shall blossom and bud
[יציץ ופרח]” (Isaiah 27:6). He wished to repair the days of the solar year, which
total 288 when the days on which an additional offering is sacrificed are removed. [TN-058-02]
Thus he said in “A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day”—a psalm that the soul recites on the
day it departs from the body, as stated in *Sefer Ha-Temunah*—“The righteous shall flourish
like the palm tree [צדיק כתמר יפרח]” (Psalms 92:13). Moses’s request to enter
the Land of Israel had as its intention that he should “flourish like the palm tree,” that
is, raise the 288 sparks.

It is stated in *Kanfei Yonah* (part 4, section 15) that when Moses said, “Forgive, נא,
the iniquity of this people” (Numbers 14:19), he intended to pray for these 288 sparks,
for לעו״ן הע״ם הז״ה (“the iniquity of this people”) has the numerical value
288. He said סל״ח (“forgive”), whose numerical value is חסד (72) plus כ״ו (26),
the Name YHWH.

Here too he mentioned these two Names: “I pleaded with YHWH”—that is YHWH; “Who
is El”—that is “the Ḥesed of El.” For “El is the LORD, and He has given us light”
(Psalms 118:27): these Names bring to light the sparks and lights that fell into the depths of
the kelippot.

Concerning them he said here: Since “You have begun to show Your greatness”—these are
letters from the 288, which amount to four times Ḥesed, as hinted in the word גדל״ך. The
word גדל״ך also has the numerical value of א״ל ידו״ד [El YHWH]. [TN-058-03] “And
Your strong hand” refers to the letters that remain in the depths of the kelippah, held there
by a strong hand. “Let me cross over, נא”: I now wish to cause to cross over and repair
that for which I prayed when I said, “Forgive, נא, the iniquity of this people,” namely
the 288 sparks. I have now come to pray for them again. For this I require the merit of the
Land of Israel; therefore, “let me see the land.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered: You say “You have begun,” as though you had only
begun to repair them. But “much is yours [רב לך]”: have you not already raised 202
[ר״ב] sparks from the 288? “Do not continue to speak to Me עו״ד בדב״ר,” whose
numerical value is 288. “The city of the great [ר״ב] King” is written (Psalms 48:3). For
now, let the raising of 202 sparks suffice for you.

This is the meaning of “Do not continue the matter [דבר].” Moses also intended to repair
those of the 288 that have no repair through an additional offering [מוסף]. This is the
meaning of “Do not add [תוסף] … עו״ד בדב״ר”: it refers precisely to those
days that have no additional offering.

Ofan 59

Moses saw the excellence of the three pilgrimage festivals. The angel of the LORD who stood
in Balaam’s way as an adversary said, “Why have you struck [your donkey] these three times
[רגלים]?” (Numbers 22:28)—you wish to uproot a nation that celebrates three pilgrimage
festivals [שלשה רגלים] (Tanḥuma, Balak 9). Through this Moses saw that there is no
commandment higher than this one.

He therefore said, “at that time.” It is read ההיא (“she”): at the time when He showed
this to Balaam son of Beor, as hinted in the word בע״ת, whose numerical value is indeed the
same. Concerning this he said, “the LORD God,” because the appointed times belong to Binah,
which is called Imma. Thus *Kanfei Yonah* explains the verse “These are the appointed times
of the LORD [אלה מועדי ה׳]” (Leviticus 23:4): its initial letters spell אמ״י
(“my mother”).

For this reason he said: “Your greatness” is Passover, from the side of Abraham; “Your
strong hand” is Shavuot, for “we heard the Torah from the mouth of Gevurah” (Shabbat 88b);
“Who is El” is Jacob, for “Jacob journeyed to Sukkot” (Genesis 33:17). He therefore prayed,
“Let me cross over, נא, and let me see the land.” There I shall fulfill the commandment,
“Three times in the year every male shall appear [יראה]” (Exodus 23:17). This is hinted
in the words “and let me see the land [ואראה את הארץ]”—[uncertain: כמו עם הארץ]
(perhaps “as in the expression ‘the people of the land’”): when I am in the land, I shall fulfill
the commandment of appearing. [TN-059-04]

Concerning this Moses said at the time of his death, “I shall walk before the LORD in the lands
of the living” (Psalms 116:9). It is stated in Deuteronomy Rabbah on Ve-Zot Ha-Berakhah (11:5):
Rabbi Isaac said that Moses was conversing with his soul, etc., and the soul said, “I shall
walk.” See there. [TN-059-05] First Moses said to his soul, “Return, my soul, to your rest” (Psalms
116:7). Then he came to explain why he had refused so persistently to die and wished to enter
the Land of Israel during his lifetime. Did he need to eat its fruit? (Sotah 14a). He answered,
“I shall walk before the LORD.” My wish to go to the Land of Israel was “in the lands
of the living”: בארצות has the numerical value of three times רג״ל (“pilgrimage
festival/foot”), 699, the value of בארצו״ת. My intention was to go “before the LORD,”
to see the face of the Shekhinah, for the appointed times are in the mystery of the letters of
YHWH. Thus it says, “These are the appointed times of the LORD”—the LORD precisely.

Here too he said וארא״ה א״ת האר״ץ (“and let me see the land”), which
likewise has the numerical value of three times רג״ל when the two words את הארץ are
included. [TN-059-01] Through this he also hinted that he wished to nullify the design of Balak
and Balaam, who said, “Come, curse [ארה] for me” (Numbers 23:7). This is the meaning
of “Let me cross over, נא”: I wish to cause the design of the wicked, who draw the bow
against Israel’s three pilgrimage festivals, to pass away. The word אעבר״ה has the
numerical value of בעו״ר (Beor).

This is likewise hinted concerning Balak, who said אר״ה לי (“curse for me”). The
letters ע״ב remain, which are the mystery of Ḥesed. Moses wished to strengthen seventy-two
bridges through the attribute of חסד אל (Ḥesed of El), and to nullify the power of ארה
when he came to the Land of Israel. Alternatively, this ע״ב hints at Balak’s two serpents:
one “the twisting serpent” and the other “the fleeing serpent” (Isaiah 27:1). Thus,
in the words “Let me cross over [אעברה], נא,” when Moses wished to cause the rung of
Balak, ארה, to pass away, the letters ע״ב remained, a notarikon of עקלתון בריח
(‘aqallaton, bariah; “twisting, fleeing”).

This is the mystery of what is stated in the book of Rabbi Eleazar of Worms: the angel of
the month of Tammuz is called תענב״ן. In my view, read backward, this is a notarikon
of נחש בריח נחש עקלתון תנין (“fleeing serpent, twisting serpent, sea
monster”). [TN-059-02] Concerning this he said “and Lebanon [והלבנון],” for in
the word לבנ״ן he alluded to Balak, whose numerical value equals לבנ״ן.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.” וחזקה״ו (“and
strengthen him”) has the numerical value of בלק (Balak), while אמצה״ו in ואמצהו
(“and embolden him”) has the numerical value of בלעם (Balaam). [TN-059-03] Joshua will
repair them.

Ofan 60

It is stated in the Midrash on the portion Ve-Zot Ha-Berakhah (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:10)
that the Holy One, blessed be He, asked Moses why he sought so insistently to enter the Land
of Israel. Moses answered that he feared the Angel of Death. According to this, Moses’s
intention was to repair the sin of Adam the first man. Had Adam not sinned, there would have
been no death in the world. Through this Moses wished to nullify Samael and the serpent.

This is hinted in “at that time”: it is written ההוא (“he”) but read ההיא
(“she”), alluding to them both, to the time of the Other Side. It is “a time of trouble”:
he is the adversary [צר], and she is trouble [צרה]. Both are present. Samael is called
ההוא, while the serpent, the wife of harlotry, is called ההיא. Likewise, בע״ת
ההו״א has the numerical value of סמא״ל נח״ש (Samael, serpent).

Moses prayed concerning this: Since “You have begun to show” that Moses would be the repair
of Adam, as it says, “You took gifts in Adam [באדם]” (Psalms 68:19), he now petitioned,
“Let me cross over, נא.” I wish to repair נ״א, a notarikon of נפש אדם (nefesh
Adam, “the soul of Adam”), so that there will be no death at all in the world. “And let me
see the land”: I can accomplish this in the Land of Israel, for the Land of Israel is called
“the land of the living” (Isaiah 38:11). Therefore the Sages said (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:5)
that Moses said, “I shall walk before the LORD in the lands of the living” (Psalms 116:9).

Likewise, אעבר״ה נ״א וארא״ה (“let me cross over, נא, and let me see”) has the
numerical value of מלא״ך המו״ת (“Angel of Death”). He also alluded to causing the
“enmity” in the first verse of Va-Etchanan to pass away. This is hinted in אעברה נא:
when the letters ר״ע (“evil”) are removed from אעברה, the letters אב״ה remain. Do
not wonder that אבה is defective, for the Zohar (I, 124a), on the verse “They passed like
ships of Ebeh [אניות אב״ה]” (Job 9:26), interprets it through “I shall place enmity
[ואיבה]” (Genesis 3:15): the serpent introduced twenty-four species of impurity.

Thus, here too, אעברה contains אב״ה and ר״ע. These are the four kelippot Ezekiel saw,
hinted in the verse “Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, נא” (Psalms 7:10). נ״א
ר״ע is a notarikon of נוגה אש רוח ענן (Nogah, fire, wind, cloud; Ezekiel
1:4). These are the four kelippot also explained here through אעברה נא. Rearrange the
letters of אעברה נא, which I wish to cause to pass away, and you find אבה רע נא:
the serpent that introduced enmity “goes upon its belly” and “goes upon four” (Leviticus
11:42). These are the four kelippot hinted in ר״ע נ״א.

רו״ח ענ״ן (“wind, cloud”) has the numerical value of סטר״א מסאב״א (“the
impure side”), while נג״ה א״ש (“Nogah, fire”) has the numerical value of שט״ן
(Satan). [TN-060-01] Elijah likewise wished to cause Satan to pass entirely from the world. As stated
in the Zohar on Ruth (27a), Satan wished to wrestle with Elijah the prophet. The Holy One,
blessed be He, told Satan, “You cannot prevail against him.” Satan importuned the Holy One,
blessed be He, until He commanded him to go. Elijah then went and subdued Satan beneath his feet;
he wished to remove him entirely from the world, until a heavenly voice went forth saying that
he was still needed.

Moses alluded here that he now wished to perform what Elijah would perform later, as hinted in
נ״א: נדב אביהו (Nadab, Abihu), from whom Elijah was reincarnated. נ״א with the
*kollel* likewise equals אליה״ו (Elijah). For this I require the merit of the land.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “You have a master [רב לך]”—and who is
it? Adam the first man. Because of him you are compelled to die. “Do not continue, etc.”

Ofan 61

It is known that the Torah has twenty-two letters, and every letter among the letters of the Torah
is comprised of one letter of the Name YHWH. Accordingly, since the world was created through the
letters of the Torah, the letters of the Torah are twenty-two, and each is comprised within the
four letters of YHWH, four times twenty-two has the numerical value פ״ח (eighty-eight). This
is the mystery of the two tablets [ב׳ לוחות]: that is, twice לוח (“tablet”)
equals eighty-eight. There are eighty-eight letters upon which all created beings depend and
stand. For this reason Rabbi Isaiah, the disciple of Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa, fasted eighty-eight
fasts (Yalkut Shimoni, remez 187).

Concerning this Moses said, “I pleaded with the LORD.” In the word ואתחנן, read וא״ת
חנן (“and he supplicated for א״ת”): his supplication was to attain the letters of
the Torah from א (alef) through ת (tav). The ו in ואתחנן alludes to the tablets, which
measured six by six (Nedarim 38a). Moses attained the rays of splendor, which are the mystery
of the veil [מסוה] (Exodus 34:33). I have stated many mighty mysteries concerning the veil,
but I require one of them here: the letters of the Torah are threefold, as stated in Genesis
Rabbah 99:2, and the worlds were created through three alphabets.

This is hinted in the word מסוה. Moses’s Name is called מ״ה (Zohar II, 197a): “What
[מה] is his son’s name?” (Proverbs 30:4). ס״ו is the mystery of three alphabets,
for three times twenty-two equals sixty-six. The letters ס״ו enter into מ״ה of Moses,
and through this Moses attained the rays of splendor.

“The wheel [גלגל] revolves in the world” (Shabbat 151b). That is, the three alphabets,
whose numerical value is גלג״ל, revolve in the world, for through them the worlds were
created. Therefore, in the verse beginning “the LORD God,” he said א״ת three times,
alluding to the three alphabets. Moses said, “You have begun to show me” the mystery of
מסוה, which is the mystery of three times twenty-two. He therefore said “Your servant
[את עבדך]” first; “Your greatness [את גדלך]” second; and “Your strong hand
[ואת ידך החזקה]” third.

Through this the Holy One, blessed be He, began to show him the tablets, which are called “the
strong hand” (Deuteronomy 34:12; Exodus Rabbah 46:3). Moses wished further to enter the Land
of Israel and attain the fourth set of twenty-two letters. This is what he said the fourth time:
“the land [את הארץ].” Therefore, “Let me cross over, נא,” so that I may attain
the remaining twenty-two letters needed to complete the eighty-eight, corresponding to the four
letters of HaShem, each one comprising twenty-two.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you [רב לך]”—precisely
because you attained מסוה, in which three alphabets are hinted, threefold over its entirety
[uncertain: שלשים על כולו]. [TN-061-01]

Ofan 62

It is stated in the book of Rabbi Eliezer of Worms that the sun has thirteen names upon
its heart. Therefore, “light” occurs thirteen times in the Account of Creation. It has
eight angels who guide it: five angels guide it by day, and three by night. Hence “light”
occurs five times on the first day, corresponding to the five angels who guide it by day,
and eight times on the fourth day, corresponding to the eight angels who guide it by day
and by night. Accordingly, in *El Adon over All Deeds* in the Sabbath morning service,
each of the first two stanzas contains five words, while each of the last two stanzas
contains six words. Together they have the numerical value twenty-two, for שמ״ש
(*shemesh*, “sun”) in the אלב״ם (ALBaM) substitution has the numerical value
twenty-two.

Now, in the word חמה (*hammah*, “sun”), in my opinion, there is a notarikon:
ח׳ מלאכים המנהיגים, “eight angels who guide [it]”; and, read backward,
ה׳ מלאכים חשובים, “five important angels.” That is to say, the five angels
corresponding to the five occurrences of “light” intimated on the first day are more
important than the three that guide it at night. Since Moses is the face of the sun
(Bava Batra 75a), he therefore said, “You have begun to show.” The initial letters of
אתה החלות להראות spell אה״ל (*ohel*, “tent”), which is the mystery of
“He placed a tent for the sun בהם [*bahem*, ‘in them’]” (Psalms 19:5). The difficulty
is: to what does the word בהם refer? The mystery of the matter, however, is that there
are two alphabets through which all the worlds were created, and they are the foundation
of the 231 gates. אתב״ש (ATBaSH) is the mystery of ascending and descending;
אלב״ם is the mystery of ascending and not descending, and it is the totality and
foundation of the garment.

This is the meaning of “Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us?”
(Malachi 2:10): א״ב alludes to the alphabet in its plain order, while “one God
[אל אחד]” alludes to אלב״ם. The verse thus alludes, by means of these two
alphabets, to the sun’s having a tent. The mystery of the matter is that under אלב״ם,
שמש becomes יב״י, whose numerical value is twenty-two; and under אתב״ש,
שמ״ש becomes בי״ב. This is a great Name upon which one must intend at the end of
*Ahavah Rabbah* in the morning prayer, when saying הבוחר בעמו ישראל באהבה,
“who chooses His people Israel in love”: its marked initial letters spell בי״ב. At that
time the face of the lion is revealed in the firmament, [uncertain: ב״וחן חשבון
ארי״ה]. [TN-062-01] When בי״ב, whose numerical value is fourteen, is joined to
the twenty-two represented by the letters אלב״ם, twenty-two and fourteen total
אה״ל, thirty-six. This is the meaning of “and it shall be sanctified by My glory
[בכבדי]” (Exodus 29:43), for בכבד״י also has the value thirty-six.

This, then, is the mystery of “He placed a tent for the sun.” By what did He place a tent
for the sun? The verse therefore says בהם: in those letters of the Torah of which it
subsequently says, “The Torah of the LORD is perfect” (Psalms 19:8). The Torah is woven
upon אתב״ש and אלב״ם, which are the foundations of the 231 gates—the 231
alphabets mentioned in *Sefer Yetzirah*. In them you will find the mystery of the tent
possessed by the sun, for in that alphabet the numerical value of שמ״ש is אה״ל.
Likewise, Scripture says, “The sun shone for him [לו]” (Genesis 32:32)—לו,
thirty-six, precisely. For this reason, each day in summer is lengthened by thirty-six
parts in the morning and thirty-six in the evening.

This is what Moses intimated here: since “You have begun to show” that I am the face of
the sun, as it is written, “Moses would take the tent” (Exodus 33:7), he explains how a
tent can be made from שמש. First are the letters אלב״ם, letters that ascend and do
not descend. This is intimated in “Your greatness,” for there is the greatness of the
Holy One, blessed be He. [TN-062-06] Under the letters אלב״ם, the numerical value of שמש is
twenty-two, corresponding to the letters of the Torah from א to ת. This is intimated
in א״ת גדלך (“Your greatness”), for the letters אלב״ם are on the side of
ḥesed, whereas the letters אתב״ש are on the side of judgment; under אתב״ש,
שמש has the value fourteen. This is the meaning of “Your י״ד [fourteen; ‘hand’]
that is strong.” When twenty-two is joined with fourteen, the result is the sun’s tent,
אהל.

Moses, peace be upon him, therefore sought to attain the luminous speculum: “Let me cross
over, please, and let me see.” In the word אעברה (*eʿberah*, “let me cross over”)
are intimated the two princes of the sun and moon: the prince of the sun is גלגליא״ל
(Galgaliel), and that of the moon is אפניא״ל (Ofaniel); together, with the
*kolel*, their numerical value is אעב״רה. When the letters נ״א are written out
in full, the mystery of אריה (*aryeh*, “lion”) is intimated in them, as it is
written, “And now, please [נא], let [Your power] be great” (Numbers 14:17). That is,
enlarge the letters נ״א, and you will find in them the “power of Adonai,” which is the
mystery of 216, and likewise of גבורה (*Gevurah*). [TN-062-02] Join the one
additional א beyond the word נא to גלגליאל and אופניאל. Galgaliel belongs
to the side of the sun, concerning which Moses said, “You have begun to show Your
greatness”—the side of ḥesed and greatness, the luminous speculum. Corresponding to the
moon and its angel Ofaniel, he said, “Your strong hand,” which belongs to the side of
Gevurah and likewise has the value 216, like ארי״ה.

Concerning these two he said, “Who is a God in heaven and on earth?” “Heaven” is the
mystery of the sun, and “earth” the mystery of the moon. Corresponding to the sun he said,
“according to Your deeds,” for “Great are the deeds of the LORD” (Psalms 111:2); and
corresponding to the moon he said, “according to Your mighty acts.” He therefore said,
“and let me see the land.” In the word האר״ץ (*ha-aretz*, “the land”) are
intimated the chariot-hosts of the angel Galgaliel. Rabbi Eliezer of Worms wrote that he
has 296 troops, corresponding to the numerical value of האר״ץ; Moses would then have
been able to attain the whole of it. Balaam said concerning him, “From the top of the
rocks [צורים] I see him” (Numbers 23:9). Galgaliel is the head of all the צורים,
which are the chariot-hosts numbering 296, as stated above.

Moses likewise said, “The Rock [הצור], His work is perfect” (Deuteronomy 32:4),
and the reason is “a faithful God [אל].” That is, the combination אל rises to the
value of צו״ר when squared in this manner: א״לף א״לף ל״מד. [TN-062-03]
For this reason Balaam said, “How shall I curse, when God [אל] has not cursed?”
(Numbers 23:8), with reference to the Name אל that, in the case of Moses, is the face
of the sun. Since the angels of the sun number 296, he said, “From the top of the rocks
[צורים] I see him.” This refers to the Name אל and to Moses, who is the face of
the sun. For the same reason Moses said: since You have begun to show me the mystery of the
face of the sun, “who is אל in heaven”—he mentioned the Name אל—from that Name
אל extend 296 troops, thousands and myriads, that guide the sun.

This is intimated in אעב״רה, whose numerical value is רבו״ע (*ribbuʿa*,
“square”): when I see the squaring of the letters אל, from it extend the 296 troops
alluded to by “the land [הא״רץ].” That is, these are letters of Names from which extend
troops numbering 296, the numerical value of האר״ץ.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered that Moses had already completed his garment in the
mystery of אלוה (*Eloah*), which is the “rabbinical robe” (*haluqa de-rabbanan*),
as stated in the Zohar’s *Sava*, p. 174 (Zohar II, 97b), concerning the verse “in his
dealing treacherously with her [בבגדו בה]” (Exodus 21:8): the garment of the soul
is אלוה. This is the mystery of “Every word of Eloah is refined” (Proverbs 30:5).
The “purple robe of the soul” (*porpira de-nishmeta*)—associated with the wording
“He has carried out His word [אמרתו]” (Lamentations 2:17)—is אלוה, and it consists
of the permutations of the Torah’s letters.

It is possible that this is why Moses said, “Who is אל in heaven and on earth?” For the
Name אלוה, the Zohar states, is composed of א״ל from the side of Ḥesed,
ו from the side of Tiferet, “heaven,” and ה from the side of Malkhut, “earth.”
[TN-062-04] He therefore wished to enter the Land so that he would merit the garment of
אלוה. This accords with what the Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Whoever dwells
outside the Land is like one who has no God [אלוה], and whoever dwells in the Land of
Israel is like one who has a God [אלוה]” (Ketubot 110b).

The mystery of the matter is that the reward of the righteous is י״ש (*yesh*,
“substance”), as it is written, “to cause those who love Me to inherit substance [יש]”
(Proverbs 8:21). The soul’s garment through which it merits the reward of the World to
Come is אלוה, as it is written, “Every word of Eloah is refined” (Proverbs 30:5):
this is the garment of the soul, and through it the soul merits the reward of the World to
Come. Thus it says, “He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him” (ibid.)—“He,”
precisely: that garment of אלוה through which one merits the shield, namely, the reward
of the World to Come. So it is written, “I am a shield for you; your reward is exceedingly
great” (Genesis 15:1). This is intimated by the saying that one who dwells in the Land of
Israel has אלוה: יש is the reward of the World to Come, while אלוה is the
garment the soul possesses for the Garden of Eden. Moses therefore longed to enter the Land
of Israel and clothe himself in the garment of אלוה, the rabbinical robe.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you [רב לך]”: “How
abundant [רב] is Your goodness” (Psalms 31:20)—your reward is abundant. “Command
Joshua and strengthen him [וחזקהו]”: the word is stated with the addition ה״ו,
so that Joshua too would complete the Name אלוה when he killed thirty-one angels; he
would then merit the garment of אל. [TN-062-05] “You shall give it to him, and lay your
hand upon him” (cf. Numbers 27:18): Moses laid both hands upon him, which are the mystery
of “strengthen him and fortify him,” and added to him what was needed to complete the
rabbinical robe.

Ofan 63

It is stated in the book *Kavvanot ha-Ari* that the name ירדן (*Yarden*, Jordan)
is the mystery of ten times YHWH together with the four letters of YHWH. Concerning this
Moses said, “I pleaded with YHWH,” alluding through the Name of the LORD to its being
comprised tenfold, “at that time”—in the month of Adar, whose angel is אברכיא״ל
(Avarkhiel). This name likewise has the numerical value of ten times YHWH plus its four
letters.

Moses therefore pleaded: since “You have begun to show”—at the beginning of my mission
at the bush it was said, “The LORD saw that he turned aside [סר] to see” (Exodus 3:4).
That is, Moses merited to understand ten times YHWH, whose numerical value is ס״ר,
260. Afterward, when he received the tablets, he attained the mystery of direct light and
reflected light. That is, ten times YHWH in direct order, which is Ḥesed, totals 260;
concerning it he said, “Your greatness.” He attained this at the vision of the bush, when
he said, “Let me turn aside, please, and see this great sight” (Exodus 3:3). Afterward,
when he received the tablets, he also attained ten times YHWH in the mystery of reflected
light. Concerning this he said, “Your strong hand,” referring to the tablets—as in “all
the strong hand” (Deuteronomy 34:12; see Exodus Rabbah 46:3).

At that time Moses became a סר״סר (*sarsor*, “intermediary”) between the Omnipresent
and Israel. This mystery is intimated in the word סר״סר: tenfold YHWH in direct light
has the value ס״ר, and in reflected light it is likewise ס״ר, together yielding
סר״סר. For this reason the Sages, of blessed memory, said in the midrash on *Ki Tissa*
(Exodus Rabbah 46:2) and in Nedarim 38a that Moses merited wealth from the chips of the
tablets, as it is written, “Carve [פסל] for yourself” (Exodus 34:1). For we have a
received rule, “If the barrel broke, it broke for the intermediary,” in Bava Batra 87a
and Deuteronomy Rabbah 3:12. [TN-063-01]

He therefore said here, “Who is a God in heaven and on earth?” Moses was an intermediary
who brought the Shekhinah down from heaven to earth. Since You have begun to show me the
mystery of the ten permutations of YHWH, together with its four letters—the mystery of
י״ד, fourteen—he said, “Your י״דך [‘hand’] that is strong.” Therefore,
“Let me cross over נ״א”: נ׳ אמה, “fifty cubits,” of the Jordan. For the Jordan
likewise intimates the ten permutations of YHWH. Moreover, נ״א וארא״ה (“please,
and let me see”) has the numerical value ירד״ן and the numerical value אברכיא״ל,
the angel appointed over that month. All this was so that Moses might attain the mystery
of the Name of the LORD whose permutation is ירדן, as stated above, in a tenfold
inclusion. The Land of Israel is sanctified with ten degrees of sanctity (Kelim 1:6);
therefore, “let me see the land,” and there I shall be able to attain the mystery of the
Divine Stature (*Shiʿur Qomah*).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” In the word לך
(“for you”) He alluded to the breaking of the barrels that broke for the intermediary,
as it is written, “Carve for yourself”—the chips shall be yours, and from them Moses
became wealthy. Thus he attained the mystery of direct and reflected light. This is the
meaning of “Ascend to the top of the summit”: not only did you merit the attainment from
below to above in the mystery of direct light, but also ten others, which are from below to
above in the mystery of reflected light. [TN-063-02] This is intimated in “It is enough
for you”: you merited more than this—namely, to ascend from below to the top of the summit
in the mystery of reflected light.

Moses began with ואתחנ״ן, whose numerical value is ישר״ה, because he also
sought the direct light [אור יש״ר], which is a Name of the LORD. He therefore used
two expressions: since you also ascend to the top of the summit, which is from below to
above, “command Joshua and strengthen him” is the mystery of direct light, while “fortify
him” is the mystery of reflected light.

Ofan 64

The kabbalists wrote that we are now in the cosmic sabbatical cycle of the Fear of Isaac,
whereas Moses had already existed in the world during the cosmic sabbatical cycle of
Abraham. This is the mystery of “for I drew him out of the water” (Exodus 2:10): that
sabbatical cycle belonged to the side of Ḥesed. This is also the mystery of “Moses היה
[‘was’] tending [the flock]” (Exodus 3:1)—היה, “was,” precisely, in Abraham’s
sabbatical cycle.

This is the mystery of the verse “For You are our father” (Isaiah 63:16), referring to
Isaac, who governs the present sabbatical cycle. “Abraham does not know us” now, because
his cycle has already existed in the world; “Israel does not recognize us,” because we do
not know his cycle, which has not yet existed.

Concerning this Moses said, “I pleaded with YHWH.” Moses intended that when he entered
the Land of Israel, the Name אלהים (*Elohim*), which is judgment, would be transformed
there into mercy. This is what he meant by “at that time.” That is, he wished to repair
the attribute of judgment intimated by the feminine word ההיא (“she”), and to make it
the written form ההוא (“he”), which is mercy. He therefore pleaded: since I existed in
the preceding sabbatical cycle, “You have begun to show Your servant,” in the mystery of
“Moses היה tending,” in the preceding cycle. That cycle is the mystery of water, as in
“and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). Now I am in
the cosmic sabbatical cycle of the Fear of Isaac, which is “Your strong hand,” and Moses
wished to repair matters so that this world would be Ḥesed.

He therefore said, “Who is אל”—the attribute of Ḥesed, אל—“at this time, who
can do according to Your deeds,” like the sabbatical cycle of Ḥesed that had existed,
“and according to Your mighty acts,” like the present sabbatical cycle of Fear. Therefore,
“Let me cross over, please”: when I am in the Land of Israel, I shall repair everything
so that there will be good in the world. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is
enough for you; do not speak to Me again about this matter [בדבר הזה]”—בדב״ר,
“in this matter,” precisely, which the source states has the numerical value of יצח״ק
(Isaac). [TN-064-01]

Ofan 65

The kabbalists wrote concerning the verse “Your kingship is a kingship of כל
[all] worlds” (Psalms 145:13) that כ״ל has the numerical value fifty. These are fifty
thousand, the mystery of the Great Jubilee. As stated in the Sanhedrin tractate (97a):
just as the sabbatical year releases after seven years, so the world releases after seven
sabbatical cycles. This is the mystery of the Great Jubilee, as explained by Recanati on
*Behar*. Seven cosmic sabbatical cycles will occur in the world, followed by the Great
Jubilee, the mystery of fifty thousand generations.

Moses comprises the totality of fifty thousand generations, as it is written, “the word
He commanded for a thousand generations [לאלף דר]” (Psalms 105:8). Written defectively,
without the ו of דור, the phrase לאלף דר has the numerical value משה, “Moses.”
Concerning him it was said, “One man out of a thousand have I found” (Ecclesiastes 7:28),
namely Moses (Leviticus Rabbah 2:1). He therefore said ואתחנן with a final ן,
concerning the long ן, which is the mystery of the Great Jubilee; Moses wished to repair
all the generations.

Concerning this he said: since You have begun to show me the mystery of the Divine Stature
(*Shiʿur Qomah*), namely the six hundred thousand channels that exist in the world—he
therefore said, “Your greatness,” for Moses comprised six hundred thousand. “Your
greatness,” precisely, is the mystery of the Divine Stature. The Torah was therefore given
through him, for it contains six hundred thousand letters. This is the meaning of “Your
strong hand,” namely the Torah.

Since I comprise all the generations, which number fifty thousand, as stated in the Zohar
on Genesis, p. 173 (Zohar I, 25a), concerning “A generation goes”—this is Moses—“and
a generation comes”—this is Moses (Ecclesiastes 1:4), and no generation contains fewer
than six hundred thousand, as stated in Ecclesiastes Rabbah 1:4, the initial letters of
מ״ה ש״היה ה״וא (“what was is what will be”) spell מש״ה. Moses was, is,
and will be in every generation. If so, “Let me cross over, please”: when I cross into
the Land of Israel, my *ibbur*—my impregnation in this generation, through which I am
reincarnated and impregnated in every one of the fifty thousand generations—will cross
over. This is the notarikon נ״א: נ׳ אלף, “fifty thousand.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you”: you must be the master
[רבן] of all Israel in each and every generation. This is why Moses said, “The LORD was
angered [ויתעבר] with me for your sakes” (Deuteronomy 3:26): the initial letters spell
יוב״ל (*yovel*, “jubilee”). Moses’s *ibbur* continues until the Great Jubilee, all
of it “for your sakes,” for the soul of Moses scintillates in every generation. This is
the mystery of ממכון שבתו השגיח, “From His dwelling place He looked” (Psalms 33:14),
whose initial letters spell מש״ה; and עם קדוש אתה, “You are a holy people”
(Deuteronomy 14:2), whose final letters spell מש״ה. In *Raʿaya Mehemna* on
*Va-Yetze* (Zohar I, 267a), the providence that comes into the world is in the image of
Moses in each and every generation.

Concerning this He said, “Command [צו] Joshua.” צו is none other than the Shekhinah,
as Rabbi Eliezer of Worms wrote concerning “He commanded the skies [שחקים] above”
(Psalms 78:23): 1,018 camps in the third firmament, which is called Shehaqim, stand before
the Shekhinah. He derived this from the written form ויצו שחקי״ם. The number of the
camps equals שחקי״ם when the final מ is counted by the large values of אי״ק;
each one of the 1,018 princes has 1,018 troops, as well as thousands and myriads who say
“Holy” by day and “Blessed” by night. In my opinion, this number is the mystery of the
fifty openings and the joining of the letters נ״ח ש״ם ח״ם י״פת.
[TN-065-01]

There in Shehaqim are His majesty, His might, His Shekhinah, the Temple, Jerusalem, and
His Torah. Thus far is from Rabbi Eliezer of Worms. The mnemonic for these six things is
בי״ת גע״ש. Because the manna is in Shehaqim, where manna is ground for the righteous,
as stated in Yoma 76a and Ḥagigah 12b, and because עוזו (“His might”) has, according
to the source, the numerical value of המן (“manna”), and manna is the rung of Moses,
it follows that Moses attained the firmament of Shehaqim. [TN-065-02]

He therefore began with ו, referring to those six things in Shehaqim, and said ן,
referring to the mystery of the fifty openings, which are the mystery of 1,018, the
numerical value of שחקי״ם. Moses prayed to come to the Land of Israel because he saw
by the Holy Spirit that the manna would cease when Israel entered the Land, as it is
written, “They ate of the produce of the land” (Joshua 5:11). In the days of Moses,
however, He rained bread from heaven—the mystery of Shehaqim, where manna is ground.
Moses therefore pleaded: since You have begun to show “Your greatness,” the mystery of
Shehaqim from which the manna, bread from heaven, came; and therefore, “who is a God in
heaven and on earth?” The bread came from heaven, whereas the well came from the earth,
contrary to the natural order, “from the rain of heaven it drinks water” (Deuteronomy
11:11). In Moses’s days everything was reversed.

This is the meaning of “who can do according to Your deeds and according to Your mighty
acts”: in the wilderness He reversed nature, and the water came from the earth while the
bread came from heaven. Moses therefore prayed, “and let me see the land.” If I cross
there, the manna—the rung of Moses—will also be present in the Land of Israel. In this
way His majesty and His might in Shehaqim will rest upon Israel; and they will also join
lower Jerusalem, which is aligned with upper Jerusalem, likewise in Shehaqim—“a city
joined together” (Psalms 122:3). ואתחנ״ן has the numerical value חבר״ה
(“joined”): Moses prayed 515 prayers in order to align lower Jerusalem with upper
Jerusalem.

Concerning this he said, “this good mountain,” namely Jerusalem. Since the upper Temple
is also in Shehaqim, he said, “and Lebanon.” Since the Torah is also in Shehaqim, he said,
“the good,” which is the Torah. Since the Shekhinah too is in Shehaqim, he said, “the good
land,” which is the Shekhinah. Since His might too is in Shehaqim, he therefore said
נ״א: נורא אלהים ממקדשיך, “Awesome is God from Your sanctuaries” (Psalms
68:36)—in the Land of Israel, where the site of the Temple is, “the God of Israel gives
might.”

Moses thus prayed to enter the Land of Israel on account of these six things in Shehaqim,
so that “the place for Your dwelling” below would be aligned with the upper Temple. The
Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “Command Joshua”: צו is none other than the
Shekhinah, concerning which it is said, “He commanded the skies above.” Joshua would
merit the Shekhinah in the Land of Israel. “Strengthen him” now, in this generation, and
afterward he will transmit it to the generations to come. Concerning this He said, “and
fortify him,” so that he would have the power to transmit the Torah to the elders, and
from the elders to the prophets, and so forth (Avot 1:1).

This is the meaning of “for he shall cross over” his own generation, “and he shall cause
to inherit” the generation after him, “in all that you shall see.” Just as the Holy One,
blessed be He, showed Moses all the way to the end of all the generations—“this is the
generation of those who seek Him”—so He also showed Joshua. Therefore He said, “Do not
speak to Me again about this matter [הזה]”—ז״ה, twelve, precisely. It means,
“This [זה] is the book of the generations of Adam” (Genesis 5:1). Moses wished
everything that would be in the generations to come to be present in his own generation.
Likewise Scripture says, “This [זה] is the generation of those who seek Him”
(Psalms 24:6), concerning which the Sages, of blessed memory, expounded in Avodah Zarah
5a that He showed him all the generations. For the Book of Adam contains twelve words,
corresponding to ז״ה. Therefore, “Do not speak to Me again about this matter
[הזה]”—ז״ה, precisely.

Ofan 66

Moses saw what would occur in the days of the Hasmoneans, when they would repair the
kelippah of Nogah, in the mystery of “King, Helper, Savior, and Shield” discussed in the
book *Hathalat ha-Ḥokhmah*. They therefore instituted הודו (*Hodu*, “Give thanks”),
for at that time הוד (*Hod*)—the attribute of Hod, Jacob’s thigh—was repaired by a
flask of oil. These are the mystery of Jacob’s “small vessels” (Ḥullin 91a). The miracle
occurred over eight days, in the mystery of “For the leader, upon the eighth” (Psalms
12:1). This is also the mystery of Psalm 75: “We give thanks [הודינו] to You, O God;
we give thanks” (Psalms 75:2). The priests of the Hasmonean house repaired “Your Name is
near” when the attribute of Hod was repaired. I have expounded sublime mysteries upon this.
It is also the mystery of Netzah and Hod, for Hod is the eighth attribute.

This is the mystery of יג״ר שהדותא (*Yegar sahaduta*, “the heap of witness”;
Genesis 31:47), which Laban said to Jacob in Aramaic. He revealed to him the matter of the
Second Temple: when it was 213 years old, Antiochus came and slaughtered a pig upon the
altar. This was the year יג״ר, 213, from the construction of the Second Temple, when
the kelippah of the pig became dominant. ח׳זי״ר (*hazir*, “pig”) has the numerical
value קלי׳פ״ה (*kelippah*). Jacob, however, called it Gilead, thereby showing him
the repair of the Temple, which is called Gilead. Thus the Yalkut Midrash on this portion
(Yalkut Shimoni, remez 964) says that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the matter
of the Temple, as it is written, “He showed him Gilead” (Deuteronomy 34:1): Gilead means
none other than the Temple, as it is written, “You are Gilead to Me, the summit of Lebanon”
(Jeremiah 22:6).

Since Moses saw the repair of Nogah in the days of Mattathias, he prayed ואתחנן with
a final ן concerning the kelippah of Nogah. He therefore said, “at that time”: what the
Hasmoneans would repair at that time, during the Second Temple, he wished to repair now.
Accordingly, the masculine form ההוא is written, referring to Moses. He said, “You have
begun to show Your greatness,” for Moses merited rays of הוד (“splendor”). Regarding
the repair of Netzah on the right he said, “Your greatness,” and regarding the repair of
Hod on the left, “Your strong hand.”

Since I have begun to repair the kelippah of Nogah, “Let me cross over נ״א”: what will
take place in the days of נ׳יקנור א׳נטיוכס (Nicanor and Antiochus), in the days
of Greece, I wish to repair now. נ״א is a notarikon of נ׳גה א׳רמית, “Aramaean
Nogah.” The word א״עברה has the numerical value ב״עור (Beor): what Balaam son
of Beor—Laban the Aramaean in his reincarnation—did, I wish to remove now. וארא״ה
(“and let me see”) has the numerical value יג״ר: what Laban showed Jacob through
יגר שהדותא—that in the 213th year from the construction of the Second Temple the
kelippah would become dominant—I wish now to repair and to see “this good mountain and
Lebanon.” This is the mystery of Gilead, which Jacob called “Gilead,” “the summit” that
is “Mine.”

Jacob also showed him what is written in the *Scroll of Antiochus*: the sons of the
Hasmonean went to Mount Gilead and prayed there, “May He who answered Samuel upon Mount
Gilead answer us.” The difficulty is: what connection does Samuel have here? The sublime
mystery, however, is that Samuel began to repair Jacob’s thigh. Jacob had forgotten the
small vessels, and Samuel repaired the thigh with the flask of oil in his hand. This is the
mystery of “Moreover, the Netzah of Israel will not lie” (1 Samuel 15:29). The repair of
the thigh was completed in the days of the Hasmoneans at “Lebanon,” which is the Temple.
“The good mountain” alludes to Binah in holiness, from which the kelippah of Nogah derives
its sustenance in impurity.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you [רב לך]”—ל״ך,
“for you,” precisely. The Holy One, blessed be He, had already given Moses the veil
[מסוה] (Exodus 34:33). The letters ס״ו in מסו״ה signify the wheel that turns
in the world, for ס״ו has the numerical value גלג״ל (“wheel”), and it is the
mystery of יו״ן (“Greece”). You have already repaired what it was fitting for you to
repair in the days of Greece.

Concerning those two attributes, נ׳צח ה׳וד, Moses said, “Behold [הן], to the
LORD your God belong the heavens” (Deuteronomy 10:14). He praised the Holy One, blessed
be He, through ה״ן, a notarikon of ה׳וד נ׳צח, the “two thighs of truth.” The two
thighs were damaged through the sale of Joseph. This is the mystery of “Behold [הן], He
tears down and it cannot be rebuilt” (Job 12:14), which Genesis Rabbah 91:1 expounded
concerning the sale of Joseph.

In the mystery of the mishnah “One may rescue the case of a scroll together with the
scroll” (Shabbat, chapter 16; 116b), Moses is the totality of the Torah scroll—the
mystery of Tiferet—and together with him one rescues the תי״ק, “case,” of the
scroll, a notarikon of ת׳רין י׳רכי ק׳שוטא, “the two thighs of truth.” Concerning
them the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Command Joshua,” to urge him on and bless him
with both hands: “You shall place some of your splendor [מהודך] upon him” (Numbers
27:20), which is the attribute of Hod. He said, “Strengthen him,” corresponding to the
attribute of Hod, and “fortify him,” corresponding to Netzah, for ואמצהו has the
numerical value נצח.

Ofan 67

It is stated in the midrash on *Ve-Zot ha-Berakhah* (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:10) that when
Moses pressed intensely to enter the Land, the Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: if
Moses were in the Land of Israel, he would be buried like other human beings; but on the
other side of the Jordan, I Myself shall attend to you, as it is written, “He buried him
in the valley” (Deuteronomy 34:6).

Accordingly, the interpretation of “at that time” is: when Aaron died and Moses saw that
he died by the divine kiss. The Yalkut Midrash states (Yalkut Shimoni, remez 787) that
Aaron’s death was divided into three stages. First the cloud came as far as Aaron’s ankles.
Moses said, “Do you see?” Aaron replied, “It is nothing.” Afterward it reached his
thighs, and afterward his neck (see the Yalkut on *Massei*). The meaning of these three
stages is the three worlds—Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. At his ankles it corresponded to
the world of Asiyah; as far as his thighs, the world of Yetzirah; and as far as his neck,
the world of Beriah.

Moses longed for Aaron’s manner of death. He therefore said ואתחנן with a נ,
which is the Shekhinah, as stated in the Zohar on *Behaʿalotekha*, p. 100 (Zohar III,
155a): the נו״ן of “When the Ark journeyed” (Numbers 10:35) is the mystery of the
Shekhinah. This is why there is no נ in *Ashrei*. Moses wished his soul to depart through
the Shekhinah, “by the mouth of the LORD.” He therefore said, “I pleaded with YHWH at
that time”: he began to plead at the time when Aaron died by the mouth of the LORD.

He mentioned three rungs. “You have begun to show me,” through the death of my brother
Aaron, three rungs. “Your greatness” is Abraham, whose mystery is “the souls they had made
in Haran” (Genesis 12:5), in Asiyah; therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him
the cloud as far as his ankles, corresponding to Asiyah. “Your strong hand” is Isaac;
there, in Yetzirah, is *ruaḥ*. For there are seventy princes of Metatron, divided among
five hands—that is, five times י״ד, fourteen: fourteen princes in the east, fourteen
in the west, fourteen in the north, fourteen in the south, and fourteen above, totaling
seventy princes. He therefore said, “Your י״ד [fourteen; ‘hand’] that is strong,”
which in Yetzirah has the pattern of fourteen.

“Who is a God [אשר מי אל]” corresponds to the world of Beriah. There is Jacob, who
is called אל (Megillah 18a), and his likeness is engraved upon the Throne of Glory,
which is in Binah (Numbers Rabbah 4:1), called אשר מ״י אל. Moses therefore sought
to enter the Land of Israel so that his death would be through the cherubim [כרובים],
whose numerical value is אעבר״ה. He wished to be in the Land, because in the Land of
Israel “the earth is the LORD’s, and all it contains” (Psalms 24:1). That is, the filling
of “the Land of Israel”—even its empty space—belongs to the LORD; no kelippah or Angel
of Death rules in the Land of Israel. As stated above, אעבר״ה נ״א וארא״ה
(“Let me cross over, please, and let me see”) has the numerical value מלאך המות
(“the Angel of Death”). That is, Moses wished to remove the possibility that his death
would come through the Angel of Death.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered: on the contrary, here, on the other side of the
Jordan, “It is enough for you [רב לך]”—the Master Himself, the Holy One, blessed be
He, will attend to you, as stated in the midrash on this portion. In the Land of Israel
your burial would be performed by human beings, but here, [uncertain: וישב בגיא כמאן דאמר ויקבור אותו בגיא]
(“and he dwelt in the valley, as one who says, ‘He buried him in the valley’”). [TN-067-01]
The Holy One, blessed be He, attends to him: “Moses died
lying in the wings of the Shekhinah” (Sotah 13b).

Ofan 68

It is stated in the book of Rabbi Eliezer of Worms that there are two nuns in the alphabet:
“the faithful one standing” and “the faithful one sitting.” The meaning is that the Holy
One, blessed be He, sits upon His throne in the form of the bent נ, while the angels on
high stand above Him like the straight ן, which is upright. Moses therefore began by
saying ואתחנן with two nuns, for he wished to repair the chariot with all its hosts.
Since Jerusalem is called “the throne of the LORD,” and “there thrones for judgment were
set” (Psalms 122:5), Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel and repair the Shekhinah
with all her hosts—“a throne shall be established in ḥesed” (Isaiah 16:5).

This is the meaning of “at that time”: the Shekhinah is called “a time to act for the LORD”
(Psalms 119:126), while the masculine form ההוא is written. During the exile the Holy
One, blessed be He, showed Moses “for a hand is upon the throne of Yah [כס יה]”
(Exodus 17:16): the א is absent from כס״א (“throne”), and the letters ו״ה
are absent from HaShem (Tanḥuma, *Titze*, §11). Together these are the letters הו״א.
The written form ההו״א therefore alludes to his wish to repair the letters הו״א—
HaShem and the throne, which are deficient during the four exiles.

According to the source, ע״ת ההי״א has the numerical value of בב״ל אדו״ם
פר״ס יו״ן (Babylon, Edom, Persia, Greece). [TN-068-01] Likewise, בע״ת
ההי״א has the numerical value of סמא״ל נח״ש (Samael and serpent): “the
awarenesses of impurity are two” (Shevuot 2a). [TN-068-02] They are four, namely the four
kingdoms below.

Moses therefore pleaded: “You have begun to show” at the beginning of the war with Amalek
“Your greatness,” when “Moses raised his hand, Israel prevailed” (Exodus 17:11). This is
the meaning of “Your strong hand,” for there the Holy One, blessed be He, swore by His
strong hand, “a hand is upon the throne of Yah.” This is the meaning of “who is a God in
heaven and on earth?”—“The heavens are My throne and the earth is My footstool”
(Isaiah 66:1).

Moses therefore pleaded, “Let me cross over, please”: I wish to remove foreign rule from
the Land. In this way I shall repair the throne so that it is complete with א, and
HaShem so that it is complete with ו״ה. This is intimated in נ״א: the נ, which
signifies the form of the throne, will be joined with the א of נ״א. The word וארא״ה
(“and let me see”) adds ו״ה, alluding to the ו״ה of HaShem becoming complete
when I see the Land, which is the place of the throne. “This good mountain” is Jerusalem,
the throne of the LORD. “And Lebanon” is the Temple, the place where HaShem is complete,
as it is written, “For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired [או״ה] it for His
dwelling” (Psalms 132:13). These three letters—א, ו, and ה—are thereby completed.

Ofan 69

Moses saw that all the worlds were created through the twenty-two letters of the Torah.
Thus the Zohar on *Terumah*, p. 68 (Zohar II, 151b), states concerning Luz, over which
the Angel of Death has no dominion, that this is because it was created through the letter
ט. The Zohar asks: if so, why was the Temple not created there? It gives two answers. The
first is that all twenty-two letters of the Torah scintillate at the site of the Temple.
The second is that the Temple’s reward belongs to the World to Come, whereas in Luz there
is the life of this world.

On this basis I explained the verse “The LORD loves the gates of Zion” (Psalms 87:2) in
accordance with two reasons. First, “glorious things are spoken of you [בך]” (Psalms
87:3)—ב״ך, twenty-two, precisely: the Temple site was created through the twenty-two
letters of the Torah. The second reason that it is better than Luz is that “it is the city
of God, Selah” (ibid.); wherever Scripture says “eternity,” “forever,” “Netzah,” or
“Selah,” it signifies perpetual existence, as stated in Pesaḥim (parenthetical locator:
Eruvin 54a). [TN-069-01]

Moses therefore longed for it and said, “You have begun to show Your servant.” א״ת
indicates the letters of the Torah from א to ת. Moses was complete in all twenty-two
letters and lacked not a single letter, like the incident concerning Rabbi Yose in the
Zohar on *Va-Yaqhel*, p. 389 (Zohar II, 217b), where Rabbi Simeon said, “Yose, you lack
one letter in your configuration.” Moses was complete in the supernal chariot, for the
human being was created through twenty-two letters. These are the mystery of “The chariots
of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands [שנאן]” (Psalms 68:18), corresponding
to the twenty-two letters of the Torah. This is the meaning of “Your strong hand,” namely
the Torah, which consists of twenty-two letters.

Since Moses saw that heaven and earth were both created through the twenty-two letters of
the Torah, he therefore said, “Who is a God in heaven and on earth who can do according to
Your deeds?” All of them were created through the letters of the Torah. Accordingly, there
are twenty-two channels in the world through which “Your mighty acts” can be seen. I
therefore ask to enter the Land of Israel “and let me see the land,” for there its place
will be amid all twenty-two channels in the world. This is the meaning of “and let me see
א״ת the land”: the twenty-two channels corresponding to the Torah’s letters from א
to ת. For “glorious things are spoken of you [בך]”; the city of Zion is “the
perfection of beauty” (Psalms 50:2), because from there the twenty-two channels in the
world ascend.

The word נ״א is a notarikon of נ׳תיבות א׳ותיות, “paths of letters,” for these
are the paths of the world, all of which proceed from the Land of Israel. Under אתב״ש,
נ״א becomes ט״ת. This alludes to the letter ט in the city of Luz, which possesses
the advantage that the Angel of Death does not rule there; this is likewise stated in
Genesis Rabbah 69:8. For אעבר״ה נ״א וארא״ה has the numerical value מלא״ך
המו״ת (“the Angel of Death”). Moses wished to see the Land for this reason: if Luz,
which possesses only one of the twenty-two letters—the letter ט—is not ruled by the
Angel of Death, then how much more so if I merit seeing the Land, where all twenty-two
letters are found.

Thus he said, “this good [הטוב] mountain”: הטו״ב has the numerical value twenty-two.
This is the Zohar’s first answer—that the superiority of the Temple lies in all twenty-two
letters of the Torah being present there. It also conveys the Zohar’s second answer: the
superiority of the Temple concerns the good of the World to Come, a world that is wholly
good, whereas the letter ט of Luz signifies the good of life in this world. This too is
intimated by the word הטוב, with the definite ה, which signifies the World to Come.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you”: “How abundant is Your
goodness”—you comprise all twenty-two letters. ל״ך, “for you,” precisely; you do not
need the Land of Israel for this.

Ofan 70

Moses saw what Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai would repair. Rabbi Simeon was a spark of Moses from
the second time that Moses ascended the mountain. Therefore, just as Moses established five
books, Rabbi Simeon composed the five chapters of *Sifra de-Tzeniʿuta*. This is the
mystery of the verse “You ascended on high; You took captive שבי” (Psalms 68:19):
שב״י is a notarikon of ש׳מעון ב׳ן י׳וחאי (Simeon bar Yohai), and this
belongs to the second time Moses ascended the mountain. On the first occasion, however,
“You took gifts among man” (ibid.): Moses merited to gaze upon the radiance of the
supernal Wisdom attained by Adam before he sinned. No human being other than Moses attained
this rung.

Moses therefore said ואתחנן, for the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him all the
generations, as stated in the first Ofan and in *Shoḥer Tov* on Psalm 139 concerning “I
shall be gracious to whom I shall be gracious” (Exodus 33:19). He saw that in the days of
Rabbi Simeon the world would stand upon one pillar. Likewise *Shoḥer Tov* on Psalm 136
states in the name of Rabbi Eliezer ben Shammua: the world stands upon one pillar, whose
name is “Righteous,” as it is written, “The righteous is the foundation of the world”
(Proverbs 10:25; see *Idra Rabba*, Zohar III, 143a).

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel in order to repair two pillars, so that the world
would stand upon two pillars—Netzah and Hod. In the days of Rabbi Simeon, however, the
world would stand upon only one pillar, Hod, and the world would totter in the mystery of
“all day she is languishing [דוה]” (Lamentations 1:13). דוה is the reverse of
הו״ד, in the mystery of “my splendor [והודי] was turned in me to destruction”
(Daniel 10:8). Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel now, so that the world
would stand upon the two cherubim: the two pillars Boaz and Jachin, which are Netzah and
Hod.

Concerning this he said, “at that time”: he wished now to repair what would occur in later
generations. He therefore said ואתחנן with a נ, which signifies Netzah, for he also
wished to repair the right leg, Netzah. This is the meaning of “You have begun to show Your
servant,” referring to his spark, bar Yohai, who would repair the two pillars. “Your
greatness” is Netzah, the attribute of His goodness on the right; “Your strong hand” is
Hod on the left.

Moses also alluded to his two ascents of the mountain. Concerning the first ascent, when
he received the first tablets and attained the great rung of Adam’s supernal radiance of
Wisdom, he said, “Your greatness”; no other human being attained that rung. Concerning the
second occasion, when he received the final tablets, he said, “Your strong hand.” Rabbi
Simeon bar Yohai attained this rung and therefore composed the five chapters of *Sifra
de-Tzeniʿuta*, corresponding to the strong hand, for the tablets were given as five
opposite five.

He therefore pleaded, “Let me cross over, please.” I wish to enter the Land of Israel,
and thereby repair the כרובי״ם (*keruvim*, cherubim) intimated by אעבר״ה.
The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you”: the greatness is yours, for
Rabbi Simeon is your spark. As for your wish to repair the world so that it stands upon two
pillars, Netzah and Hod, “Command Joshua, and place some of your splendor [מהודך] upon
him” (Numbers 27:20). This is the meaning of “strengthen him,” corresponding to Hod;
and corresponding to Netzah He said, “fortify him [ואמצהו],” whose numerical value
is נצ״ח.

Ofan 71

Moses wished to remove the *susfita de-nahasha*, the dross of the serpent. This is the
mystery of the long ן, which is the mystery of the serpent. He therefore said ואתחנן
with a straight final ן, which likewise signifies the serpent.

It is known what the Sages said in Sanhedrin 59b: “Alas for the great attendant that has
been lost from the world! Had the serpent not been cursed, the Holy One, blessed be He,
would have provided each person with two serpents. He would have sent one to the north and
one to the south, and it would have brought him precious stones and סנדלפונים
[*sandalfonim*]; with its tail it would have brought forth manure for his garden and his
ruin.” [TN-071-01] One may ask: the saying begins with one serpent but concludes with
serpents.

The mystery of the matter, however, is intimated in נחש (*nahash*, “serpent”), which
comes from the *susfita de-nahash*. Two sides are embedded in נח״ש: on the right is
the donkey, the ח of נחש; on the left is the ox, the ש of נחש, as stated in the
Zohar on *Balaq*, p. 377 (Zohar III, 207a). This is the meaning of “Had the serpent not
been cursed”: these sides embedded within it—which are the two serpents—would all have
served the human being for good and not for evil. He would have sent one to the north:
this is the ox on the left, which is north. He would have sent one to the south: this is
the donkey on the right.

It would have brought *sandalfonim*. The mystery of the matter is that the one who rules
in the world of Asiyah is Sandalfon, and there the kelippot became dominant. Had Adam not
sinned, all the forces of impurity would have aided the human being and served those who
do His will. The great prince Sandalfon binds crowns for his Master from the prayers of
Israel, as stated in Exodus Rabbah 21:4. The saying therefore states that with its tail it
would have spread manure upon his garden and his ruin, for it would have been permitted to
plow with an ox and a donkey together. After Adam sinned, however, the Holy One, blessed
be He, commanded that the forces of impurity not be intermingled, thereby augmenting their
power, and commanded, “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together”
(Deuteronomy 22:10).

Because “the ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib” (Isaiah 1:3), when He
flogs sinners, He flogs them by means of the ox and the donkey. It is therefore fitting
that the straps used in flogging be composed of ox and donkey. Moses accordingly wished
to remove these two sides, ox and donkey. This is intimated in the statement בע״ת
ההי״א לאמ״ר (“at that time, saying”), whose numerical value is שו״ר חמו״ר
(“ox, donkey”). Concerning this he said, “Let me cross over, please”: since “You have
begun to show Your greatness,” the attribute on the right, so as to remove the donkey.
This was the mystery present at the beginning of his mission to Egypt: “He mounted them
upon the donkey” (Exodus 4:20). This was Abraham’s donkey, the kelippah of Ishmael.
“Your strong hand” is on the left, the face of the ox.

At the vision of the bush Moses our teacher saw these two sides, as it is written, “The
LORD saw that he turned aside [ס״ר] to see” (Exodus 3:4): ס״ר is a notarikon
of ס׳מאל ר׳הב (Samael and Rahab). This is the meaning of “You have begun to show
Your greatness” at the bush, in “this great sight,” and “Your strong hand” when the Holy
One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “What is that in your hand?” (Exodus 4:2), and the
staff was transformed into a serpent. When Israel does not perform the will of the
Omnipresent, the staff [מטה] inclines [מטה] toward guilt. Moses’s hand became leprous
in the second sign that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him (Exodus 4:6). These two signs
depend upon one another, for חמו״ר שו״ר (“donkey, ox”), which are embedded in the
serpent, have the numerical value צרע״ת (*tzara‘at*, “leprosy”). This is the mystery
of “An evil wife is צרע״ת to her husband” (Yevamot 63b). Therefore, when the
serpent came upon Eve, it was afflicted with leprosy (Exodus Rabbah 3:13).

Accordingly, through the making of the calf the ox and donkey returned and were awakened,
for the calf that was made was half ox and half donkey. Scripture therefore says, “They
have turned aside [סר״ו] quickly from the way” (Exodus 32:8): the word סר״ו
intimates Samael and Rahab. They brought forth male and female, as stated in the Zohar on
*Pequdei* (Zohar II, 192b) concerning “These are your gods, O Israel” (Exodus 32:4):
it was male and female.

Moses intimated this when he said, ו׳עתה אם ת׳שא חטאתם, “And now, if You will
forgive their sin” (Exodus 32:32). The word ועת״ה intimates the hosts of Lilith,
which, the source states, number 481, the numerical value of ועת״ה. The word תש״א,
according to the source, has the numerical value סמא״ל הרש״ע (“the wicked
Samael”); reversed, it is אש״ת (“wife”), the harlot wife. [TN-071-02] Therefore it
was said, “They exchanged their glory for the likeness [בתבני״ת] of an ox”
(Psalms 106:20): the word בתבנית has the numerical value אש״ת זנונים (“harlot
wife”).

Thus it was said, “Joshua heard the people in its evil [ברעה]” (Exodus 32:17): it is
written ברעה, in the feminine. This is Lilith, the “evil woman” who is leprosy to her
husband. [TN-071-03] At that time Israel returned to the serpent’s filth and became
leprous, as it is written, “Moses saw that the people were exposed” (Exodus 32:25), as
stated in the Zohar (III, 206a). They therefore had to give shekels, which are a remedy
against her hosts, whose number equals שקלים, for שקלים has the numerical value
לילי״ת. The portion concerning the shekels therefore begins with כי תש״א (“when
you take”; Exodus 30:12), which intimates male and female through the reverse letters
אש״ת, as stated above.

This is why Scripture says, “his male servant, his female servant, his ox, or his donkey”
(Exodus 20:17). This is why Jacob said, “I have ox and donkey” (Genesis 32:6), and why in
the future it says, “who send forth the feet of the ox and the donkey” (Isaiah 32:20).
Accordingly, “one who emancipates [המשחרר] his servant” (Berakhot 47b) transgresses
the positive commandment “You shall work them forever” (Leviticus 25:46). He is therefore
called an emancipated servant [עבד משוח״רר], whose letters, reversed, signify
ש׳ור ח׳מור (“ox, donkey”), for he brings and couples the ox and donkey together, and
so forth.

On the basis of these matters, we heard from our father, our master, our teacher, our
genius, of blessed memory, a wondrous mystery concerning what is stated in the Zohar on
*Be-Shallah*, p. 114 (Zohar II, 65a), on the verse “You shall not plow with an ox and a
donkey together”: “From between their sides, from their force, there issues that which is
called ‘dog,’ and this one is the most brazen of them all,” and so forth. The intent
concerns the numerical value of the middle letters: the ו in שו״ר and the מ and ו
in חמו״ר total fifty-two, the numerical value of כל״ב (*kelev*, “dog”). This is
why the Zohar writes, “There issues from their force that which is called כל״ב,” and
it is a pleasant mystery. [TN-071-04]

“Converts are as difficult as a scab” (Yevamot 47b) for the same reason: they are the
צרעת that proceeds from the two sides, ש׳ור ו׳חמור, which have the numerical
value צ״רעת. Moses therefore said, “You have begun to show Your servant”—“Your
servant,” precisely, in opposition to the two evil sides called “an emancipated servant,”
which draws sustenance from ox and donkey, and from there comes leprosy. To me, however,
You have begun to show the side of holiness: “Your greatness” on the right, and “the strong
hand” on the left.

This is the mystery of לב״ת אש (“a flame of fire”; Exodus 3:2). At the beginning of
his mission, at the bush, He showed Moses fire—harsh judgment. לב״ת is a notarikon of
ל׳עולם ב׳הם ת׳עבודו, “You shall work them forever,” referring to the two evil
sides intimated in ס״ר לראות (“turned aside to see”): Samael is the ox, and Rahab
is the donkey, the prince of Egypt—“their flesh is the flesh of donkeys” (Ezekiel 23:20).

The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore said to Moses at the vision of the bush, “Remove
your shoes” (Exodus 3:5), referring to his body, [uncertain: ממשיכא דחיויא דנגעה בו בת פרעה]
(“from the skin/extension of the serpent that Pharaoh’s daughter touched”).
From this he became leprous, as stated in the *Tikkunim* (Tikkunei Zohar 21, 48b).
[TN-071-05] Concerning this He said, “Return your hand into your bosom” (Exodus 4:7).
Afterward, concerning his holy body, He said, “The place upon which you stand is holy
ground” (Exodus 3:5), and “behold, it returned like his flesh” (Exodus 4:7).

This is the mystery of the staff’s transformation into a serpent. When Israel is not
meritorious, the staff inclines toward guilt; when they are meritorious, the staff inclines
toward ḥesed. This staff in Moses’s hand is the mystery of מטטרו״ן (Metatron).
Concerning it he said, “You have begun to show Your servant”—this is Metatron. When Israel
is meritorious, “Your greatness”: the letters in מטה (“staff”) are inclined toward
Ḥesed. When they are not meritorious, the letters are reversed toward judgment, to the
scale of guilt. This is the meaning of “Your strong hand”—א״ת, precisely: the letters
that were in the staff “will come backward and tell” (an exegetical reading of Isaiah
41:23). Then the serpent prevails, and the staff is transformed into a serpent.

Concerning this Moses said, “Let me cross over נ״א”: I wish to remove the letters
נ״א, נ׳חש א׳דם (“serpent, Adam”). That is, Adam the first man brought the serpent
into the world. Read backward, נ״א is א׳ות נ׳, “the letter nun,” which is the
*susfita* of the serpent, and from there all evil comes into the world. The letters of
אעברה, reversed, spell ר״ע הב״א (“the evil that comes”): all evil that comes
into the world proceeds from the two evil sides, donkey and ox, embedded in the serpent.
Everything depends on the letter נ of נחש.

I therefore wish to cross נ״א, a notarikon of נ׳ א׳מה, “fifty cubits.” The
Jordan is called ירד״ן, the letters ירד נ׳, “the nun descends”; the Gemara states
in Berakhot 54a that judgment descends from there. [TN-071-06] Therefore, “and let me see
the good land,” where the portion of good will prevail so as to remove evil from the world.

Ofan 72

Moses our teacher saw that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him Rabbi Akiva, who is the
mystery of the Oral Torah, as stated in the Gemara, Menaḥot, “page 43” (parenthetical
locator: Menaḥot 29b). [TN-072-01] Likewise, when Moses ascended on high, the Holy One,
blessed be He, expounded the halakhah in Rabbi Akiva’s name, as its tradent, and Moses said,
“May it be His will that this one issue from my loins” (Numbers Rabbah 19:7).

Concerning them he said, “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness,” on the
right side. This is Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, who is so named from the side of אל,
which is Ḥesed. Concerning him Moses said, “Who is a God [אל] who can do according to
Your deeds?” For in the incident of the Oven of Akhnai, a heavenly voice issued from heaven,
and great miracles occurred that day, as stated in Bava Metzia 59b.

“Your strong hand” corresponds to Rabbi Akiva, who belonged to the left side. As explained
in *Kanfei Yonah*, this is the mystery of two times אלהי״ם (*Elohim*), which
equals עק״ב, the עקב of the name Rabbi Akiva. Concerning him Moses said, “according
to Your mighty acts,” for Moses was grieved at Rabbi Akiva’s death. Thus it is written,
“How weighty are Your companions to me, O God [אל]” (Psalms 139:17), as stated under
the locator “Menaḥot, page 43” (parenthetical locator: Sanhedrin 38b). [TN-072-02]
Therefore he also said, “Who is אל,” precisely.

This is intimated in the word אעברה (“let me cross over”): I wish to remove the
attribute of judgment that will prevail in the days of Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Akiva.
Look within the word אעבר״ה, and you will find ר׳בי אל׳יעזר ב׳ן ה׳ורקנוס
ע׳קיבה (“Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Akiva”), which the source calls the initial
letters of אעבר״ה. [TN-072-03] נ״א is a notarikon of א׳ל נ׳קמות
ה׳ופיע, “God of vengeance, shine forth” (Psalms 94:1), ב׳הריגת ר׳ ע׳קיבה,
“at the killing of Rabbi Akiva.” [TN-072-04] Moses wished to avenge Rabbi Akiva, whose
soul departed with the word אחד (“One”), as stated in Berakhot 61b.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.” This parallels the
answer the Holy One, blessed be He, gave to the angels and to Moses: “Be silent; thus it
arose in thought before Me,” as stated under the locator “Menaḥot, page 43” (Menaḥot 29b).
This is the meaning of “Do not speak again”: through this killing Rabbi Akiva would merit
the mystery of Thought. This is the meaning of “Ascend to the top of the summit.”

Moreover, Moses’s mind was first set at ease after he had listened from the end of eighteen
rows and could not understand them, until the students said, “Thus we heard: it is a
halakhah given to Moses at Sinai.” Concerning this He likewise said, “It is enough for
you”: are you not the master in whose name this halakhah is taught?

Moses intimated the reason for these eighteen rows when he said, “Who is a God in heaven
and on earth?” Genesis Rabbah on *Va-Yetze* (Genesis Rabbah 69:7) comments on “and this
is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17): between the Temple below and the Temple above there
are only eighteen miles, corresponding to the numerical value of ו״זה (“and this”),
which is eighteen.

Accordingly, when the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses Rabbi Akiva, who expounded
heaps upon heaps of laws from every thorn of the letters, and Moses rejoiced in his Torah,
as stated in Menaḥot there, he said, “You have begun to show Your greatness.” א״ת,
precisely: Rabbi Akiva expounded all the letters of the Torah from א to ת, and Moses
rejoiced in his Torah. Afterward He showed him Rabbi Akiva’s death, and Moses said, “Your
strong hand.” When the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses Rabbi Akiva at the end of
eighteen rows, Moses was distressed because he did not understand them.

He therefore longed to enter the Land of Israel, the location of the Temple aligned below:
“This is none other than the House of God” below, corresponding to “and this is the gate
of heaven” above (Genesis 28:17). ו״זה has the numerical value eighteen. If so,
then without doubt among those eighteen “mountains of pure balsam” by which the souls of
the righteous ascend, he would understand and attain every attainment. This is the mystery
of the eighteen journeys that souls travel from their departure from this world until they
reach the place from which they were hewn.

In my opinion, this is the mystery of “A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day” (Psalms 92:1),
which the soul recites when it departs the body. That psalm concludes, “The righteous shall
flourish like a palm tree [צדיק כתמר]” (Psalms 92:13), precisely corresponding to the
eighteen movements of the lulav. “The living, the living [ח״י ח״י]—he shall praise
You as I do this day” (Isaiah 38:19). “As its giving, so is its taking” (Ketubot 17a):
just as the soul descended into this world by way of eighteen rungs, so it ascends above
by way of eighteen mountains of balsam. Therefore, after the eighteen blessings of the
prayer, one must surrender oneself to death at the time of the falling upon one’s face.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you”: is it not all yours—“a
halakhah given to Moses at Sinai”?

Ofan 73

The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the small א, which is the mystery of Rabbi
Akiva. For א׳ זעיר״א (“small alef”), the source states, has the numerical value
ר׳ עקיב׳ (“Rabbi Akiva”). [TN-073-01] After the א is removed, the letters that
remain of ויקרא (“and He called”; Leviticus 1:1) are ויקר (“and precious”). The
Sages, of blessed memory, expounded these letters in Avodah Zarah 5a concerning the verse
“How precious are Your companions to me, O God” (Psalms 139:17), referring to Rabbi
Akiva.

The word רעי״ך (“Your companions”) contains the mystery of “Thus it arose in thought”
(Menaḥot 29b). The Ari, of blessed memory, wrote that there are two unifications. One is
the bent כ, the mystery of the lower unification of ברוך שם כבוד, “Blessed be the
name of the glory”; the straight ך is the upper unification, שמע ישראל, “Hear, O
Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:4). When Rabbi Akiva’s soul departed with the word אח״ד
(“One”; Berakhot 61b), he attained these two Names: he entered in peace and departed in
peace.

This is the mystery of Rabbi Akiva’s name sometimes ending with א and sometimes with ה.
When his soul departed with אחד, he attained the letter א, which is the mystery of the
tip of the י. This is intimated in the word רי״עך, a notarikon of ר׳בי ע׳קיבא
י׳חודו כ׳ רבתי, “Rabbi Akiva’s unification, the great כ.” This is why the verse
says אל, which is the mystery of “God [אל], slow to anger” (Exodus 34:6). The Sages
expounded “How precious are [Your companions] to me” as referring to Rabbi Akiva, who
attained the mystery of the ש of the tefillin, which is called יקר (“precious”). As
the Sages, of blessed memory, said in Megillah 16b, ויקר (“and precious”; Esther
8:16) refers to tefillin.

Scripture therefore says וי״קרא. When Rabbi Akiva attained the letter א, he also
attained יקר, the mystery of the ש of the tefillin. Moses, however, attained only
“You shall see My back” (Exodus 33:23), which our Rabbis, of blessed memory, expounded in
Berakhot 7a as the knot of the tefillin, the letter ד. According to Targum Jonathan ben
Uzziel, he attained the י of the hand-tefillin, the knot of the hand. According to both
masters, however, “My face shall not be seen”: Moses did not attain the ש of the
tefillin. Rabbi Akiva, by contrast, “entered in peace” (Ḥagigah 15b) and also attained
the ש of שד״י (*Shaddai*).

It was therefore said concerning him, “He split channels through the rocks; his eye saw
every precious thing” (Job 28:10). That is, when Rabbi Akiva attained the letter א,
which is the mystery of ה״ן—for in Greek the word for one is *hen* (Tanḥuma on
*Ve-Zot ha-Berakhah*; Shabbat 31b)—then “his eye saw every precious thing”: he saw all
the letters of יקר, namely the tefillin. This is what the midrash on *Huqqat* says
concerning this verse (Numbers Rabbah 19:6): Rabbi Akiva’s eyes saw more than Moses our
teacher saw. Moses our teacher attained only two letters of שדי, whereas Rabbi Akiva
also attained the ש of the tefillin.

Now, when Moses forgot the hooks of the pillars and could not make the calculation accord,
the soul of Rabbi Akiva came to him. He then said, “And from the thousand [האלף] ...
he made hooks for the pillars” (Exodus 38:28). Concerning this mystery, when Moses said
ואתחנן he began with ו, which is the mystery of Rabbi Akiva’s soul: “From six
matters Rabbi Akiva became wealthy,” as stated under the locator “Nedarim, page 20”
(parenthetical locator: Nedarim 50a). [TN-073-02] This is the mystery of the six orders,
for Rabbi Akiva’s soul derives from the Oral Torah. Rabbi Akiva therefore expounded ו
throughout the Torah, as Tosafot write in Sanhedrin 50b (s.v. תלמוד לומר): Rabbi
Akiva expounded the letter vavs.

This is the mystery of Rabbi Akiva’s statement in the chapter “The Four Death Penalties”
(Sanhedrin 51b): “Ishmael, my brother, בת ובת אני דורש [‘I expound daughter and
daughter’]”—אנ״י, precisely. He said “Ishmael, my brother” according to the mystery
of reincarnation: Rabbi Ishmael was the reincarnation of Joseph the righteous, while Rabbi
Akiva was the reincarnation of Simeon. At first “they did not recognize him” (Genesis
42:8), but in the end he came to repair matters and recognize the brotherhood, which is
from the mystery of the letter ו.

The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the treasury of souls, as stated in Tanḥuma on
*Ki Tissa* (§27), concerning the verse “and I shall be gracious” (Exodus 33:19). At that
time Moses saw Rabbi Akiva, who derives from the mystery of the letter ו. This is intimated
in the word ואתחנן: the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Moses grace [חן], and he saw
the treasury of souls, as intimated by the straight final ן of ואתחנן. After חנן
is removed, the letters ו׳ א׳ ת׳ remain from ואתחנן; read them אות ו׳,
“the letter vav.” Moses saw that Rabbi Akiva’s soul derives from the letter ו.

Alternatively, this indicates Rabbi Akiva, who expounded the inclusive force of every
את in the Torah. Thus the Sages, of blessed memory, said (Pesaḥim 22b; Bava Kamma 41b;
Bekhorot 6b): “Until Rabbi Akiva came and expounded, ‘You shall fear את the LORD your
God’” (Deuteronomy 10:20). It follows that Rabbi Akiva’s expositions are intimated in the
word ואתחנן, for he expounded ו and את, which indicate inclusions.

At the time when Moses saw Rabbi Akiva’s expositions during the erection of the Tabernacle,
he saw that Rabbi Akiva expounded by inclusion and exclusion, as stated in Bava Kamma and
Shevuot 27b, whereas Rabbi Ishmael expounded by generalization and specification. This is
the mystery of “He brought את Simeon out to them” (Genesis 43:23). The mystery of the
matter is that from this same matter the affair was reincarnated in the generations of the
Tannaim: Simeon ha-Amsuni expounded every את in the Torah, until Rabbi Akiva came and
also expounded the instances of את, deriving this from Simeon. This is the mystery of
“They went to pasture את their father’s flock” (Genesis 37:12): dots are placed over
את, alluding to this mystery.

This is intimated in א׳תה ה׳חלות ל׳הראות (“You have begun to show”), whose
initial letters spell אה״ל (*ohel*, “tent”). At that time, when the Tent of Meeting
was erected, You began to show me the soul of Rabbi Akiva. This is the meaning of “א״ת
Your greatness”: he expounded every את in the Torah.

Now, to Moses our teacher the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed only “א״ת י״דך
that is strong”: these are the two letters י״ד of the tefillin. This is the mystery of
“the strong י״ד [‘hand’]” and “You shall see My back”; but the face attained by Rabbi
Akiva “shall not be seen.” “Who is a God [אשר מי אל],” precisely, is Arikh Anpin,
the mystery of the ש of the tefillin. This is the mystery of ג״ט ק״רע פ״ח,
the seven tikkunim of Arikh Anpin, corresponding to the seven heads of the two ש letters
of the tefillin. [TN-073-03]

This is intimated in the word א״שר: Rabbi Akiva attained the א of the tefillin, upon
which seven heads depend. אש״ר is a notarikon of א׳ ש׳בע ר׳אשים, “one,
seven heads.” He therefore pleaded, “Let me cross over, please”: when I am in the Land of
Israel, which is encircled by seven seas (Bava Batra 74b), I shall attain נ״א, a
notarikon of נ׳תיב א׳לף, “the path of alef.”

In the word אעב״רה are intimated Rabbi Akiva together with the letters א and ה,
as in ר׳בי ע׳קיב׳ ב׳הריגה ה׳ א׳, “Rabbi Akiva, through the killing, ה,
א.” [TN-073-04] That is, through his killing Rabbi Akiva merited to ascend from the
attainment of ה, which is the lower unification, to the attainment of the letter א,
which is the upper unification.

Because, when his soul departed with the word אחד, Rabbi Akiva merited the Palace of
Love, as stated in the Zohar on Exodus, p. 457 (Zohar II, 254b)—he departed with the
word ואהבת (“and you shall love”; Deuteronomy 6:5)—this is likewise intimated in
the word אעבר״ה, with its additional ה: ב׳הריגת ר׳בי ע׳קיב׳ ה׳יכל
א׳הבה, “At the killing of Rabbi Akiva, the Palace of Love,” which the source calls the
initial letters of אעבר״ה. [TN-073-05] Moses also wished to ascend to the Palace of
Love. The Zohar states that in the Palace of Love is the planet Nogah. This is intimated
in the word נ״א: he would merit to ascend to the Palace of א׳הבה (“Love”), called
נ׳וגה (Nogah)—נ״א, נ׳וגה א׳הבה.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you”: your rung is higher than
the Palace of Love. It is the Palace of Will, where Moses ascended. “This good mountain
[הה״ר]”: ה״ר is a notarikon of ה׳יכל ר׳צון, “Palace of Will.” You do not
need the Land of Israel for this. Thus it is stated in the Zohar there, p. 456 (Zohar II,
253b), that Moses departed “by the mouth of the LORD.” This is the mystery of “that which
issues from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3), which is why it is called the Palace
of Will.

Ofan 74

Moses our teacher foresaw the dispute of Hillel and Shammai—the great dispute concerning the eighteen matters decreed on that day. That day was as grievous as the day on which Israel made the calf, as stated in Shabbat 17a. Now, when Moses ascended on high, he found the Holy One, blessed be He, tying crowns onto the letters. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “You should have helped Me” (היה לך לעזרני; Shabbat 89a). The Ari, of blessed memory, wrote that the marked initials ה״ל״ל spell הלל (HLL, “Hillel” without a yod), for Hillel lived 120 years, the number of Moses’ years. Moses petitioned concerning הלל, whose numerical value is the mystery of אדני (Adonai), asking that the Holy One, blessed be He, bestow the letter י (yod) upon him. He said, “And now, I pray, let the power of Adonai be great” (Numbers 14:17), with an enlarged י in יגדל (“be great”), so that הלל would become הילל, Hillel with a yod. [TN-074-01]

Hillel came from the body of Moses; therefore, in his days there were six hundred orders of Mishnah. Since that day was as grievous as the day on which they made the calf, Moses had to pray concerning him. He opened with אדני, the mystery of Hillel without the yod, and concerning him he petitioned: since “You have begun to show me Your greatness,” in the mystery of “And now, I pray, let the power of אדני be great.” Thus, “and Your hand” is the mystery of the י of יגדל, while “mighty” is indicated by the word חזקה, whose numerical value is 120 years, for Hillel lived as long as Moses, as stated in Sifrei on Ve-Zot Ha-Berakhah.

At the beginning of creation He said, “Let us make man in our image” (נעשה אדם בצלמינו; Genesis 1:26). נעש״ה is a notarikon for נמלך עם שמאי הלל, “He took counsel with Shammai and Hillel,” who comprise all the souls of the righteous. Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai therefore called them, in their dispute, “the fathers of the world,” in Genesis Rabbah 1:15 and Ḥagigah 12a, for they are quite literally the fathers of the world: Shammai is on the left of the merkavah, and Hillel on its right. “Moses received Torah from Sinai” (Mishnah Avot 1:1): מש״ה (Mosheh) is a notarikon both for מחלוקת שמאי הלל, “the dispute of Shammai and Hillel,” and for הכל שמעו מסיני, “all heard it from Sinai.” “Your greatness” is Hillel, from the right side; “Your mighty hand” is from the left side. The fathers of the world, Shammai and Hillel, disputed over the creation of heaven and earth. This is the meaning of “For what god is there in heaven and on earth?”

Accordingly, Moses desired that the ḥesed of El—the quality of Hillel—should prevail, and that Hillel should not be subordinated to Shammai, who is Judgment. He therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel and rectify the eighteen matters, for in the Land of Israel is “and this (וזה) is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17): the numerical value of וזה is eighteen, corresponding to the eighteen “mountains of balsam.” He therefore said אעברה (“let me cross”) with an extra ה, alluding to Hillel.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is much for you” (רב לך): Hillel’s greatness is yours. Yet the calf, which came from the mixed multitude, is still dancing in that generation; “do not continue to speak.” Hillel therefore had eighty disciples, just as Moses was eighty years old when he stood before Pharaoh (Exodus 7:7). The letter פ, whose value is eighty, signifies “The opening of Your words gives light” (פתח דברך יאיר; Psalms 119:130). In the eightfold alphabetic psalm David mentioned “light” only under the letter פ. Likewise, from the beginning of Genesis to the word אור (“light”) there are eighty letters. This is the mystery of the Oral Torah. The Holy One, blessed be He, alluded to Moses, “He shall be your mouth” (הוא יהיה לך לפה; Exodus 4:16), whose marked initials spell הילל with a yod. So too “Moses before the eyes of all Israel” (משה לעיני כל ישראל; Deuteronomy 34:12), and “toward the face of the lampstand” (אל מול פני המנורה; Numbers 8:2): the marked final letters spell הילל with a yod. This is the mystery of the Oral Torah, from which all Israel’s rulings spread forth.

Had Moses entered the Land of Israel, there would have been no dispute in the world. But when Moses struck the rock, disputes multiplied in Israel. This is the mystery of “the rock of dispute”: that is, dispute came into Israel from the rock. This is the mystery of “These are the waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel contended” (Numbers 20:13): by striking the rock, Moses caused Torah to descend drop by drop, and dispute arose. This is also the mystery of the verse, “Is not My word like fire, says the LORD, and like a hammer that shatters rock?” (Jeremiah 23:29). What caused the sparks to divide into so many colors? This came to us from “a hammer that shatters rock.” The hammer with which Moses struck the rock caused the sparks to scatter and disputes to multiply in Israel. פטיש (“hammer”) has the same numerical value as מטה משה (“the staff of Moses”); the striking with the staff caused this. [TN-074-02]

Concerning this Moses said that at first He “stood upon the rock,” and “waters flowed” (cf. Exodus 17:6; Psalms 105:41). This is “Your greatness,” which “You began to show me” when I was at Massah. “Your servant” is Metatron, for Moses’ staff is Metatron. Concerning the first occasion he said, “Your greatness”; concerning the second occasion, when he struck with his hand, he said, “Your mighty hand,” in the mystery of “A servant will not be corrected by words” (Proverbs 29:19), which is the mystery of Moses’ staff.

Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel so that the dispute of Shammai and Hillel would not exist in the world, the disciples would serve their teachers as much as they required, and there would be “one Torah and one ordinance for all Israel” (cf. Numbers 15:16). Concerning this he said, “For what god is there in heaven and on earth?” “Did not one God create us?”—so too there would be “one father” (Malachi 2:10). Were Moses in the Land of Israel, the verse “All were given by one shepherd” (Ecclesiastes 12:11) would be fulfilled. The source prints מרע״ה (“shepherd”) as a notarikon for מטטרון ראש עולם היצירה, “Metatron, head of the World of Formation”; and “the staff of Moses” (מטה משה) is likewise a notarikon for משה רבינו עליו השלום, “Moses our teacher, peace be upon him.” Ecclesiastes Rabbah 12:11 similarly expounds “one shepherd” as Moses. [TN-074-03]

Moses therefore wished to be in the Land of Israel, so that “one ordinance shall be ours” and the verse “Who is like Your people Israel, one nation in the land?” (2 Samuel 7:23) would be fulfilled precisely “in the land,” for one father would belong to all of us. This is indicated by אעברה, whose letters may be reversed to form אב רעה, “one father for us all, one shepherd for us all.” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: you are the cause of disputes multiplying in Israel, because you struck the rock, whereas I told you to teach one passage or one halakhah over it (Yalkut Shimoni, remez 764). This is the mystery of “Do not continue to speak to Me further of this matter,” for you blemished “this matter” (בדבר הזה)—that is, this speech—through the speech you impaired by not speaking to the rock.

Ofan 75

We say in the chapter “Three Who Ate,” Berakhot 48b, that Moses instituted the blessing “Who feeds” when manna was given to Israel; Joshua instituted the blessing of the land when they entered the land; and David and Solomon instituted the blessing beginning “Have mercy.” David instituted “upon Jerusalem Your city” and “upon the kingdom of the house of David, Your anointed,” while Solomon instituted “the great and holy House.” A mnemonic for these four is “blessings of breasts and womb” (שדים ורחם; Genesis 49:25): שדי״ם is a notarikon for שלמה דוד יהושע משה, Solomon, David, Joshua, Moses. [TN-075-01]

It is known that blessings as a whole are rabbinic, one of the seven rabbinic commandments. Their mnemonic is נ״ע בש״מחה: נטילת ידים (washing the hands), עירובין (eruvin), ברכות (blessings), נר שבת (the Sabbath lamp), מגילה (the Megillah), חנוכה (Hanukkah), and הלל (Hallel). The Grace after Meals, however, is from the Torah, as it is written: “You shall eat and be satisfied, and thereafter you shall bless” (Deuteronomy 8:10).

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel and institute these three blessings of the Grace after Meals. He therefore opened with ואתחנן, which has two letters נ, because he wished to institute one hundred blessings. He consequently said precisely “at that time,” for he saw that David would later come and institute one hundred blessings, and so Moses wished to institute now what would later be prescribed “for saying” in all generations.

“At that time” also alludes to that time being the month of Adar. Moses saw that, of all the angels appointed over the twelve months of the year, none alludes to blessings except the angel of Adar, whose name is אברכיאל (Abrakhiel), signifying the blessings of the Holy One, blessed be He. Thus one may read “at that time, saying” in reference to what the angel appointed over that time, called Abrakhiel, boasts of himself: אברך אל, “I shall bless God.” Moses therefore came and prayed at that time, so as to prescribe below the order of blessings.

He opened with אדני, for Moses had already begun to institute one hundred blessings for Israel when he provided the Tabernacle with one hundred sockets, corresponding to the one hundred blessings. Thus it says, “A faithful man abounds in blessings” (Proverbs 28:20). This is Moses our teacher, of whom it says, “He is faithful throughout My house” (Numbers 12:7), as stated in Exodus Rabbah 51:1: he is “abundant in blessings”; he is Israel’s master, who instituted the blessings for us.

Our masters say in Moʿed Katan 16b and Menaḥot 43b that David saw through the Holy Spirit that one hundred persons of Israel were dying, whereupon he arose and instituted one hundred blessings: “the word of the man raised on high” (הוקם על; 2 Samuel 23:1), where על has the numerical value one hundred (see Tanḥuma, Korah 12). If so, David apparently instituted them. Yet one must know that “These are the commandments”—a prophet is not authorized to introduce anything new from that point onward, as stated in Shabbat 104a. Moses had already said, “And now, Israel, what (מה) does the LORD your God ask of you?” (Deuteronomy 10:12). Do not read מה (“what”), but מאה (“one hundred”), as stated in Menaḥot 43b. Thus Moses instituted the one hundred blessings.

The answer lies beside the question. David said, “the word of the man raised on high” (הוקם על), referring to what Moses had instituted on the day of which it is written, “the Tabernacle was raised” (הוקם המשכן; Exodus 40:17). Moses then said, “Arise, O LORD” (Numbers 10:35), the mystery of the supernal Shiʿur Qomah. As it is written, “and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle” (מלא את המשכן; Exodus 40:35), whose marked initials spell מאה (“one hundred”). A tzeruf of the Four-Letter Name likewise amounts to one hundred: ה״ן ה״ם totals מאה, while יוד״ו totals twenty-six, as Rabbi Hertz wrote in his prayer book. [TN-075-02]

Moses therefore began, “You have begun to show” (אתה החלות להראות), whose initials spell אהל (“tent”), “at that time,” when the Tent of Meeting was erected. “Your greatness” is the mystery of Shiʿur Qomah; read קומה (“stature”) as קו מה, “the line of מה.” Do not read מה but מאה. Similarly, משכן העדות (“the Tabernacle of Testimony”) has the initials מ״ה. This is the mystery of “What is His name, and what is His son’s name?” (Proverbs 30:4): “What is His name?” refers to the Holy One, blessed be He; “and what is His son’s name?” refers to Moses, as stated in the Zohar, printed here as p. 170 and identified parenthetically as Zohar II, 197a. [TN-075-03]

It follows that “You have begun to show me Your greatness” is exact, for it is the mystery of מה, as in “What is His name?” and “What shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13). Just as the Four-Letter Name amounts to one hundred in the manner stated, so too the Name אלהים (Elohim) is the mystery of one hundred: יד אלהים (“the hand of God”) totals one hundred. Thus he said, “Your mighty hand.” On the day the Tabernacle was erected they said, “The LORD, He is God” (see Pesiqta Rabbati 4). Just as the Name of YHWH is the mystery of one hundred—the mystery of Shiʿur Qomah—so too is the Name Elohim. On that day they therefore said, “We give thanks to You, God, we give thanks” (Psalms 75:2), which is the mystery of “The LORD, He is God” and of מודים (“we give thanks”), whose numerical value is one hundred.

This is “For what god is there in heaven”: when the letters מי are spelled in full as מ״ם יו״ד, they total one hundred. “Who can act according to Your deeds?” refers to the Name YHWH, which amounts to one hundred, and “according to Your mighty acts” refers to the Name Elohim, which amounts to one hundred. This is also the meaning of the verse, “Isaac sowed in that land” (Genesis 26:12), referring to the attribute of Judgment, the Name Elohim; “and found one hundred gates, and the LORD blessed him,” referring to the Name YHWH, which is likewise the mystery of one hundred.

Moses therefore prayed: since I have begun to institute the mystery of Shiʿur Qomah, “let me cross, please” (אעברה נא). נא means “now”: in this month he wished to institute and complete the blessings, for the angel of this month is named אברכיאל. Likewise, נ״א וארא״ה has the numerical value of אברכיאל.

According to what I have said—that Moses began to institute the Grace after Meals, which is from the Torah—this is alluded to in “You have begun to show Your greatness” (גדלך). גדלך has the numerical value זן (“feeds”), for Moses instituted the blessing “Who feeds,” and now he wished to complete the other two blessings: “Let me cross” and institute the blessing of the land when “I see the land”; and also the blessing “Have mercy,” which David later instituted concerning “Jerusalem Your city,” hence “this good mountain,” meaning Jerusalem. Solomon subsequently instituted “the great and holy House”; hence Moses said “and Lebanon,” meaning the Temple. The word נ״א is also a notarikon for נוסח ארץ, “the formula of the land,” for he wished to institute the formula of the blessing of the land.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: the essential blessing in the Grace after Meals is “Who feeds,” and that is yours, as stated in Berakhot 40b in the incident of Benjamin the shepherd, who ate bread. But as for the blessing of the land, “command Joshua”: Joshua will institute it. We hold (Berakhot 48b) that a person must mention two things in the blessing of the land—covenant and Torah—and whoever does not mention them has not fulfilled his obligation; moreover, covenant must precede Torah. He therefore used two expressions: “strengthen him,” corresponding to covenant, and “make him resolute,” corresponding to Torah.

Ofan 76

In tractate Sotah 14a, Rabbi Simlai said that Moses said: “Many commandments depend upon the land; I desire that they be fulfilled through me.” Rabbi Simlai’s intent may be explained in light of Yalkut Shimoni on Parashat Re’eh (remez 885), on the verses “You shall possess it and dwell in it” (Deuteronomy 11:31) and “You shall take care to perform all the statutes” (Deuteronomy 11:32). It brings several accounts of our masters who were outside the Land and tore their garments. From the sequence “You shall possess it and dwell in it” and “You shall take care to perform,” they learned that dwelling in the Land of Israel is equivalent to all the commandments. Hence Moses said: “I desire that they be fulfilled through me.”

Moses therefore prayed: since “You have begun to show me Your greatness”—the right side, the 248 positive commandments from the side of אברהם (Abraham), whose numerical value is 248—and “Your mighty hand”—the negative commandments from the side of Isaac. One consequently receives lashes for as many Torah prohibitions as the numerical value of יצחק (Isaac). Although Maimonides gave the mnemonic ילקו זרים and Shaʿarei Orah wrote that one receives lashes for the number represented by מכה רבה (“a great beating”; Deuteronomy 25:3), namely 207 prohibitions, it follows that Isaac comprises all the prohibitions for which one is lashed, which are powers of Judgment. [TN-076-01]

Moses therefore prayed, “Let me cross, please,” and now fulfill the commandment of dwelling in the Land of Israel, which is equivalent to all the commandments. The word אעברה alludes to the side of Abraham, of whom it is said, “Abram passed through the land” (ויעבור אברם בארץ; Genesis 12:6). The word ואראה (“and I shall see”) alludes to the negative commandments for which one receives lashes, whose number is that of אראה, namely 207 prohibitions.

The word אעברה also alludes to what is written in Sefer Ha-Hinnukh: the commandments practiced in every place and at every time number רע״ז, 277. Their mnemonic is “I sleep, but my heart is awake (ער)” (Song of Songs 5:2). When we are in exile the commandments are asleep and number ע״ר, 270; together with the seven rabbinic commandments they number רע״ז, 277. This is indicated in “Let me cross now” (אעברה נא): that is, now, while I am outside the Land, I possess commandments only to the number of עברה, 277. But when I see the land, I shall fulfill all the commandments, which divide into eighteen sections. Their mnemonic is “which a person shall perform and live (וחי) by them” (Leviticus 18:5). Hence “this good mountain and Lebanon,” the Temple, and “this (וזה) is the gate of heaven”: the numerical value of וזה is eighteen, corresponding to the eighteen divisions of the Torah.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: I account it to you as though you had fulfilled them all. He answered Moses’ thought that only now had he begun, as Moses had said, “You have begun,” and that when he said אעברה he meant: “At present, outside the Land, I possess commandments only to the number of עברה, which is also זער (‘few’).” This is the intent of the verse, “precept upon precept, line upon line, a little there, a little there” (צו לצו קו לקו זער שם זער שם; Isaiah 28:10). The prophet rebukes Israel that the measure of the Holy One, blessed be He, is measure for measure. “Precept upon precept” refers to commandments: as they transgress the King’s commandments which He commands them, so the Holy One, blessed be He, commands punishments upon them. “Line upon line” means measure for measure. “A little there” means that the reason Israel are diminished and lowly in exile is that “few are there”: Israel possess only זע״ר commandments in exile and do not fulfill them, and therefore they are זע״ר, diminished, in exile.

Since Moses said that outside the Land he fulfilled only the number עברה, which is זע״ר, the Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you,” and it is not [uncertain: הו׳] as you said, that [uncertain: הו׳] is “few.” [TN-076-02]

Ofan 77

It is stated in Midrash Tanḥuma, Re’eh 14, on the verse “The land is polluted beneath its inhabitants” (Isaiah 24:5): it produces standing grain but does not produce a stack; it produces a stack but does not produce a heap. “They transgressed teachings”: the Written and Oral Torah. “They violated a statute”: they did not observe the priestly offerings and tithes. “They broke the everlasting covenant”: this is the covenant of the patriarchs.

You find that the patriarchs gave priestly offerings and tithes. It says, “I have raised my hand” (Genesis 14:22), indicating that Abraham gave a priestly offering. Isaac gave tithes, as it says, “Isaac sowed in that land,” and so forth (Genesis 26:12). Yet is blessing not absent from anything measured? Rather, this was an estimate for tithes, as Genesis Rabbah 64:6 explains.

One may explain that the verse itself raises this difficulty: how did he measure “one hundred gates,” when blessing is not found in something measured, as stated in Taʿanit 8b? The verse itself answers, “and the LORD blessed him.” He measured precisely so that HaShem would bless him, for we hold that it is forbidden to test the Holy One, blessed be He, except with respect to the tithe, as taught in the first chapter of Taʿanit 9a: “Test Me, please, in this … and I shall pour out a blessing for you,” and so forth (Malachi 3:10). Thus the word “blessed him” indicates to us that this was an estimate for tithes.

Jacob gave the first tithe: “Whatever You give me, I shall surely tithe to You” (Genesis 28:22). Since the three patriarchs are the three grades of priest, Levite, and Israelite, Moses began by arranging the three patriarchs. He wished to enter the Land of Israel to rectify these three grades of the three patriarchs. Thus he said: “Your greatness” is Abraham, who was a priest and gave a priestly offering; it is the mystery of terumah. “Your mighty hand” is Isaac; it is the mystery of tithes, the grade of the Levite. “For what god” is Jacob, who comprised both of them, “dwelling in tents” and completing the tent of Abraham, who was a priest, and that of Isaac, who was on the grade of the Levite. Jacob therefore said, “All (כל) that You give me, I shall surely tithe,” and so forth (Genesis 28:22). כל is exact, for its initials signify כהן לוי, “priest, Levite.”

Thus, “Let me cross, please, and see the Land of Israel,” which is divided into these three parts: “the land” is called the Land of Israel, corresponding to the grade of the Israelite; “this good mountain” corresponds to the grade of the Levite, for ירושלים (Jerusalem) incorporates the Name אלהים (Elohim), whose value is eighty-six; the square of Elohim amounts to two hundred; and Elohim spelled in full with yods amounts to three hundred. Thus ירושלים has the numerical value 586, the “force of Judgment.” “And Lebanon” is the priest, the grade of the priest. [TN-077-01]

Moses intended these three grades when seeking to enter the Land of Israel. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: you comprise all three, for the ש of משה indicates these three grades, the three patriarchs (Zohar I, 266b). [TN-077-02]

Ofan 78

Moses intended to rectify “Let there be light, and there was light” in the account of creation (Genesis 1:3), which is the mystery of ten times YHWH and ten times אהיה (Ehyeh). This is indicated by what he said, “at that time”: ע״ת is exact, for it is the numerical value of ten YHWHs and ten Ehyehs. When he said “to YHWH,” it was exact. The letters of ההיא in בעת ההיא can be rearranged as אהי״ה. Concerning this he said, “You have begun to show Your greatness”: this is the Name YHWH, which is on the side of the ḥasadim; “Your mighty hand” is on the side of the gevurot, Ehyeh.

The coupling of the two Names together is the seal by which heaven and earth were created, in the mystery of את השמים ואת הארץ (“the heavens and the earth”; Genesis 1:1), whose initials spell אהו״ה (AHVH). Therefore may the spirit expire of those people who swear by the Name אהו״ה, for it is the mystery of “It is the finger (אצבע) of God” (Exodus 8:15): אל״ף ה״י וי״ו ה״י, the full spelling of אהו״ה, has the numerical value אצב״ע (“finger”). [TN-078-01]

Moses intended this when he said, “For what god is there in heaven and on earth?”—the joining of these two Names, the seal of heaven and earth. Therefore ההוא (“that,” masculine) is written but ההיא (“that,” feminine) is read, for its letters may be rearranged as אהו״ה. Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel because there he wished to couple and join all the sanctities together: the Land of Israel is sanctified by ten degrees of sanctity (Mishnah Kelim 1:6). Thus there would be “one God” and “Israel, one nation in the land” (2 Samuel 7:23), unifying one unification: the Name Elohim below corresponding to the gate of heaven above.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: the greatness of joining these two Names—the five ḥasadim and five gevurot from which the Name אהו״ה comes into being—is yours. This mystery belongs to Daʿat: YHWH from the side of Ḥokhmah, Ehyeh from the side of Binah, and, in the mystery of Daʿat, אהו״ה. This is Moses’ grade. At the vision of the bush the angels said, “Blessed are You, LORD, who graciously bestows knowledge,” as stated in Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 40 and cited in Yalkut Shimoni on Exodus, remez 171. Thus “throughout My house” (בכל ביתי; Numbers 12:7) has the numerical value דע״ת (Daʿat).

Because Moses sinned through the mixed multitude whom he took with him, they blemished his attribute, for ערב רב (“mixed multitude”) has the numerical value דע״ת. The calf was made through Balaam son of Beor, who boasted and said, “and knows the knowledge of the Most High” (Numbers 24:16). He said “and knows” with a ו, vaunting that he corresponded to Moses’ grade, Daʿat, for the ו is Daʿat. In truth, however, נופל גלוי עינים (“fallen, with uncovered eyes”) has the initials נג״ע (“plague”); these are Shemhazai and Azael, who likewise constitute the numerical value דע״ת on the side of impurity. Concerning him Aaron said, “You know the people, that they are set on evil” (ברע; Exodus 32:22). ברע is a permutation of בער (“brutish”), of which Moses said, “A brutish man does not know” (איש בער לא ידע; Psalms 92:7).

Moses intended this in “You have begun to show”: this was the beginning of my mission at the bush, when the angels said “who graciously bestows knowledge,” which is the joining of the two sides together. This is indicated by “Your greatness,” the right side, the Name YHWH, and “Your mighty hand,” the left side of Gevurah, Ehyeh. The two together You began to show me at the bush, which is indicated by חזקה (“mighty”), whose numerical value is הסנה (“the bush”).

The Holy One, blessed be He, also alluded to him, “It is much for you”: more than you sought to understand—the ten Names of Ehyeh—I have already revealed to you the twelve permutations of Ehyeh when He said, “This is My name and this is My memorial” (Exodus 3:15). “This is My name” refers to the twelve permutations of the Name Ehyeh; “this is My memorial,” to the twelve permutations of the Name YHWH. He showed Moses all this on the tablets: “On this side and on that side they were written” (מזה ומזה הם כתובים; Exodus 32:15)—מזה for the twelve permutations of Ehyeh and מזה for the twelve permutations of YHWH. Likewise, לחת (“tablets”), written defectively, has the numerical value of twelve times Ehyeh. He accordingly used two expressions: “Command Joshua and strengthen him” through the permutations of YHWH, “and make him resolute” through the permutations of Ehyeh. [TN-078-02]

Ofan 79

The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses הסנה (“the bush”) five times. This alludes to five persons who would draw sustenance from Moses, as stated in the Ari’s Book of Intentions, p. 12b. Each would live 120 years, the number of Moses’ years, as stated in Bava Batra and at the end of Genesis Rabbah on Vayeḥi (100:10). Four times הסנה is written, corresponding to Moses, Hillel, Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai. The fifth time, however, והסנה (“and the bush”; Exodus 3:2) is written, corresponding to Joshua, who likewise ought to have lived 120 years like Moses. This is stated in Numbers Rabbah 22:6 on the verse “As I was with Moses, so shall I be with you” (Joshua 1:5). The source presents the adjacent readings “Masei” and “Mattot” for the parashah title. Because “Joshua made war for many days” (Joshua 11:18), however, he sinned in this respect and ten years were taken from him. [TN-079-01]

Three of these persons were tannaim who were like Moses, and all three drew sustenance from Moses. Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai drew from Moses’ right; he is therefore called “ben Zakkai,” literally “son of merit,” because he is from the side of merit. Rabbi Akiva drew from Moses’ left; Rabbi Akiva is consequently the foundation of the Oral Torah, which is from the left. Hillel drew from his body.

Concerning these three Moses said, “I pleaded with the LORD,” at the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the treasury of gratuitous grace in which are all the souls until the end of all generations (Tanḥuma, Tissa 27). The word א״ת in ואתחנן is a notarikon for אמוראים תנאים, “amoraim, tannaim.” Moses then began to petition “at that time” for what would exist in the age of the tannaim. Moses desired that at that very time there should be [uncertain: תיבה אחת מטושטש], his three qualities. [TN-079-02]

This is “since You have begun to show me א״ת Your greatness.” א״ת is exact: אמוראים תנאים, “amoraim, tannaim.” “Your greatness” concerns Rabban Yohanan, the priestly grade of Abraham, on Moses’ right. “Your hand” concerns Rabbi Akiva, Judgment, on Moses’ left hand; he too lived the number indicated by חזקה, namely 120 years. “For what god” is Jacob’s grade, the mystery of the body, for Hillel came from Moses’ body.

He therefore said אעברה in the sense of “impregnation” (עיבור): those soul-impregnations through which the souls of the tannaim would be implanted at the end of many generations—I desire their impregnation now, in this generation. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: until today you were the master, but now Joshua’s time has arrived.

Because the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw from the beginning what would happen at the end—that חזקה, 120, would not be fulfilled for Joshua—He commanded Moses, “Strengthen him” (וחזקהו). You are to strengthen him so that he too may possess י״ד חזקה, “a hand of strength,” with י״ד also signifying fourteen: seven years in which he conquered and seven years in which he divided the land, making the number fourteen, after which he would live “many days,” to the number חזקה, 120.

He further said “and make him resolute” (ואמצהו): Moses was to add the letter ו to him, so that by the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, he would have the power to achieve valor, fulfilling “As I was with Moses, so shall I be with you,” and live 120 years. Thus ואמצהו has the numerical value of כח ק״ך, “the strength of 120”: he would have “power and the might of hand” to live 120 years. This is “for he shall cross over, and he shall cause [them] to inherit” (הוא ינחיל), whose numerical value is 120, “all that you see”: that is, just as you were in this world for 120 years, he too shall cause them to inherit and shall live 120 years.

Moses indeed added his own letter ו to Joshua. Throughout the Torah יהשע is written without ו, whereas here יהושע is written plene, and so forth. On the fifth occurrence in the vision of the bush it therefore says, “and the bush (והסנה) was not consumed” (Exodus 3:2), adding the letter ו corresponding to Joshua. The Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Moses to add a ו to him so that he would merit living 120 years.

When four instances of הסנה and the fifth instance והסנה are combined, their value is 606, the “filling” of אדני (the inner, added letters of its spelled-out form). This is indicated by “all that you shall see” (תראה), whose numerical value is likewise 606. In the vision of הסנה the Holy One, blessed be He, had already shown Moses this: five persons would live 120 years, the numerical value of הסנה. The first four all draw sustenance from Moses; the fifth is his disciple Joshua, to whom Moses had to give the letter ו so that he might merit living 120 years. This is the mystery of מועד in אהל מועד (“Tent of Meeting”), for מועד has the numerical value 120: “Moses would take the tent,” and “his attendant Joshua … would not depart from within the tent” (Exodus 33:7, 11). Therefore, “He who tends a fig tree shall eat its fruit” (Proverbs 27:18). [TN-079-03]

Ofan 80

It is stated in the Zohar, Balak, p. 368 (Zohar III, 199b), on the verse “For behold, the wicked bend the bow” (Psalms 11:2): the joining of Balak and Balaam is the joining of Samael and his company in the firmament, in a single counsel against Israel. This is indicated in the first verse, “And I pleaded / to / YHWH / at / that [time]” (ואתחנן אל י״י בעת ההיא): its initials spell ואיבה (“and enmity”; Genesis 3:15). This is the mystery of enmity, for Samael rides upon the serpent.

That very joining existed in ע״ת, whose numerical value is said here to be that of בלעם בן בעור, Balaam son of Beor. “Time” (עת) is the serpent; “that” (ההוא) is Samael. Inspect the numerical value of עת ההיא and there you will find Samael and Lilith. עת ההיא totals 491: the 480 camps of Lilith, equal to לילית, with eleven beyond that total, are the camps of Samael. These correspond to the eleven spices of the incense, the eleven days between the days of menstruation and the next days of menstruation, and the eleven ascents at Mount Abarim opposite Beth-peor, which Moses traversed in a single stride (Sotah 13b). Corresponding to them, he recited eleven psalms in the Book of Psalms. פעור (Peor) exceeds משה (Moses) by eleven; those eleven are the eleven kelippot. Balaam similarly clothed himself in the 131 camps of Samael together with his eleven grades, yielding the numerical value of בלעם (Balaam). [TN-080-01]

Thus, in עת ההיא one finds Lilith and her forces, numbering 480, together with eleven; for the letters יו״ד אל״ף spelled in full have the numerical value of סמא״ל (Samael), and these are his powers. Likewise, בעת ההיא has the numerical value of “Samael, serpent,” and בעת ההיא לאמר has the numerical value of “ox and donkey together” (שור וחמור יחדיו; Deuteronomy 22:10). All this is the coupling constituted by the joining of Balaam and Balak, who resemble fierce dogs. It is the mystery of the ox and the donkey, from the middle letters of whose words the evil dog emerges, as the Zohar states in Parashat Beshalah, p. 114 (Zohar II, 65a), and as I wrote above in Ofan 71. [TN-080-02]

Moses therefore sought to enter the Land of Israel so as likewise to establish a sacred coupling in the Land of Israel and nullify the joining of Balak and Balaam. Corresponding to Balaam, who is on the right, he said “Your greatness”; corresponding to Balak, who is on the left, he said “Your mighty hand,” for ידך החזקה has the numerical value of כח סמא״ל, “the power of Samael.” Just as there are two on the side of the sitra aḥra, Balak and Balaam, Moses wished to enter the land so that he and Joshua might nullify these two evil sides.

He therefore said “Who (מי) is God in heaven?” using מי in accordance with the midrash on Parashat Emor (Leviticus Rabbah 26:7), concerning the necromancer’s words to Saul, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” (1 Samuel 28:11): that is, “From whom do you seek—someone from Israel, who said, ‘Who is like You among the mighty?’ (Exodus 15:11), or someone from the nations, who said, ‘Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice?’ (Exodus 5:2)?” The source preserves an adjacent rejected reading, “to Samuel,” beside “to Saul.” [TN-080-03]

Just as the wicked Balaam’s power came from מ״י—his two sons, ממרא יוחנא (Mamre and Yohanna)—so Moses desired that there likewise be two cherubim below in the Land of Israel, corresponding to those two attendants of Balaam. This is indicated by מ״י as a notarikon for משה יהושע, “Moses, Joshua.” Through this they would subdue the two evil sides, נחש ועקרב (“serpent and scorpion”), said here to have the same numerical value as משה יהושע.

Concerning this he said, “Let me cross, please” (אעברה נא): when I am in the Land of Israel with Joshua, I shall be able to nullify the powers of בעור (Beor), whose numerical value is אעברה. What was his power? The two sons Yohanna and Mamre, who on the side of impurity corresponded to Nadab and Abihu on the side of holiness. For this reason, when Aaron took from ינס and ימברוס (Jannes and Jambres; Tanḥuma, Tissa 19), the decree was issued that Nadab and Abihu should die: “He shall pay two to his fellow” (Exodus 22:3). [TN-080-04]

This is indicated by נ״א, a notarikon for נדב אביהוא, “Nadab, Abihu.” The intention behind entering the land was: “Let me cross”—I shall remove the powers of Beor, which correspond to Nadab and Abihu. The word אעברה likewise has the numerical value כרובים (“cherubim”): Moses and Joshua would be the two cherubim below, nullifying the counsel of “his two attendants with him” (Numbers 22:22), who accompanied Balaam.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: you wish to nullify the evil of the mixed multitude. Aaron said, “You know the people, that they are set on evil” (אתה ידעת את העם כי ברע הוא; Exodus 32:22). It does not say כי רע הוא (“for it is evil”), but כי ברע הוא (“for it is in evil”). Also, why does it say the doubled expression אתה ידעת, “you—you know”? It alludes precisely to you: you caused the making of the calf by taking the mixed multitude. This is indicated by בר״ע, whose letters may be reversed as ערב, alluding to the ערב רב (“mixed multitude”), and may likewise be reversed as בער, Beor, which must be written defectively without ו, as the Ari explained on the verse “A brutish man (איש בער) does not know” (Psalms 92:7)—the reverse of his boast, “and knows the knowledge of the Most High,” and so forth (Numbers 24:16). The sons of Beor, Jannes and Jambres, made the calf.

Here too the Holy One, blessed be He, answered: you complain about Balaam and his joining, “his two attendants with him,” whose powers you took into the wilderness through the sons of Beor. רב (“much,” or “master”) is yours: you caused it through the mixed multitude and the sons of Beor (see Exodus Rabbah 42:6). Therefore, “do not continue.”

As for your claim that two cherubim are needed to nullify the two evil sides of Balak and Balaam, who strengthened the power of idolatry in the world: “Command Joshua,” for צו signifies idolatry (Sanhedrin 56b). וחזקהו (“and strengthen him”) has the numerical value of Balak, and אמצהו (“make him resolute”) that of Balaam. “For he shall cross over”—he shall cause the power of idolatry to pass away. When will he be able to nullify the powers of idolatry? If הוא ינחיל (“he shall cause [them] to inherit”)—whose numerical value is 120—applies “throughout all that you see”; that is, if he lives 120 years as you did, then he will ascend through all 120 permutations of Elohim and subdue them. [TN-080-05]

But because Joshua sinned, the Holy One, blessed be He, took ten years from his life. Scripture in Ezra therefore found fault with Joshua for not nullifying idolatry as Ezra did (Nehemiah 8:17; Arakhin 32b). Ezra removed the evil of Beor, and thus עזרא (Ezra) has the numerical value בעור. In a gilgul of Aaron he had to rectify the idolatry that he had impaired when he made the calf. The “owner of the ox” came—Aaron himself, namely Ezra, who “went up from Babylon,” bound together with the teaching that traces his lineage to Aaron, for Aaron and Ezra are one and the same. Since he made the calf, he later had to rectify the matter in his generation and eradicate the inclination to idolatry from the world entirely; the matter depended upon him.

Because Aaron had brought down the ox-face from the left when making the calf, as stated in Exodus Rabbah 42:5, in Ezra’s days they brought down from heaven the inclination to idolatry in the form of a lion (Yoma 69b). At first it was an ox-face from the left; now “You change his countenance and send him away” (Job 14:20), and they gave him the lion from the right on the side of the sitra aḥra. In the days of Rabbi Ḥiyya, however, it had the form of a bear, as stated in Bava Metzia 85b.

Ofan 81

Our masters say in the midrash on Ve-Zot Ha-Berakhah (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:10) that Moses prayed 515 prayers, the numerical value of ואתחנן, in order to enter the Land of Israel. One should explain why he prayed precisely 515 times, neither less nor more.

The matter is that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the 120 prophets who arose for Israel and instituted the Eighteen Benedictions in their proper order for the world (Megillah 17b). Moses wished to institute the prayer; he therefore prayed to the numerical value of ואתחנן, which is the same as תפילה (“prayer”). Concerning this he said, “at that time,” because the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses 120 prophets, while Moses himself was 120 years old at that time.

Moses petitioned concerning this: “You have begun to show me” the mystery that the patriarchs instituted the prayers (Berakhot 26b). “Your greatness” is Abraham, who instituted the morning prayer; “Your mighty hand” is Isaac, who instituted the afternoon prayer; “For what god” is Jacob, who instituted the evening prayer. The word גדלך (“Your greatness”) indicates the three prayers recited every day: three times nineteen equals גדלך, whose value is fifty-seven. Their mnemonic is “Evening, morning, and noon, I speak and moan” (ואהמה; Psalms 55:18), for ואהמה has the numerical value fifty-seven.

The Holy One, blessed be He, also showed him the blessing against the sectarians, which they instituted at Yavneh when the sectarians multiplied (Berakhot 28b). This is indicated by “Your mighty hand”: the left hand grew powerful in the world, and at that time they had to rectify the crown of the Nukva, because the wicked had grown powerful. They are the mystery of the 620 sparks of darkness, the numerical value of רשעים (“wicked”): “The wicked shall be silenced in darkness” (רשעים בחשך ידמו; 1 Samuel 2:9). Then follows [uncertain: בא״ת ב״ש מקי״ף שהם בגימטריא סמא״ל ונח״ש שט״ן עם הג׳ מלות]—an opaque ATBaSH and numerical construction involving מקי״ף, Samael, the serpent, Satan, and the three words. [TN-081-01]

When the sectarians grew powerful at that time, it became necessary likewise to rectify the crown of Malkhut. The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses fifty-seven blessings each day, the numerical value of גדלך. When the “hand” of the sectarians grew powerful—the mystery of “Your mighty hand,” the force of Judgment—there was pestilence in the world. Moses then prayed that he might enter the Land of Israel and that there might be seventeen blessings, as stated in Numbers Rabbah 18:21 on the verse “Take good (טוב)” (Hosea 14:3): טוב has the numerical value seventeen, corresponding to the seventeen blessings, for the blessing “Cause the sprout of David to flourish” was instituted later.

Concerning it he said, “Let me cross, please” (אעברה נא): when I cross into the Land of Israel and institute seventeen blessings three times each day, they will total נ״א, fifty-one. He then gave the reason why the blessings would number fifty-one. Are there not nineteen blessings, whose daily total is גדלך—printed here as נ״ו, fifty-six, although the earlier calculation gives fifty-seven? Thus he said, “and I shall see the land”: since I shall see the land, I shall remove the sectarians and the spirit of impurity from the world, so there will be no need to institute the blessing against the sectarians. Consequently, every prayer will have only the number טוב, seventeen.

Should you say that there are nonetheless eighteen, concerning this he said “and Lebanon”: the eighteenth blessing, “Cause the sprout of David to flourish,” was instituted by David when he laid the foundation of the Temple. [TN-081-02]

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: are you not the master of Israel with respect to the eighteen blessings? As it is written, “A faithful man abounds in blessings” (Proverbs 28:20), which Exodus Rabbah 51:1 identifies with Moses. He is Israel’s master with respect to blessings. Thus משה איש האלהים (“Moses, the man of God”; Deuteronomy 33:1) has initials that spell מא״ה, “one hundred.” At the making of the Tabernacle Moses likewise recorded the phrase “as the LORD commanded Moses” eighteen times, corresponding to the eighteen blessings.

Moses indicated this in the initials of אתה החלות להראות (“You have begun to show”), which spell אה״ל (“tent”). At the erection of the Tabernacle Moses recorded “as the LORD commanded” eighteen times on every page, corresponding to the eighteen blessings. Correspondingly, “Aaron, Moses” occurs eighteen times in the Torah; there are eighteen mentions of the Divine Name in the recitation of the Shema, eighteen mentions in the psalm “Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty” (Psalm 29), and eighteen occurrences of “patriarchs” in the Torah.

Regarding Moses’ wish to remove the spirit of impurity from the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Command (צו) Joshua.” The text construes צו through צא, “go forth,” in connection with the spirit of impurity: “Go forth, say to him that it is boiling excrement in which he is judged—‘there his judgment was, and there his deed’”—as stated in Gittin 57a. It therefore says צ״ו concerning Joshua: צ״ו has the numerical value צא״ה (“excrement”). צו also signifies idolatry (Sanhedrin 56b), because he made himself into an object of idolatry. [TN-081-03]

“Strengthen him and make him resolute” (וחזקהו ואמצהו) has the numerical value רוח הטומאה (“the spirit of impurity”). The Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Moses that Joshua would remove the spirit of impurity from the land, and “the idols shall be utterly cut off.” כרת (“cut off”) is exact, for its letters form כתר (“crown”): at that time the wicked grew powerful, and it became necessary “to rectify the world under the kingship of Shaddai,” the mystery of the blessing against the sectarians. The crown of the Nukva was rectified through “when the wicked are cut off, you shall see”: that is, the numerical value of this is the same as the numerical value of that.

Ofan 82

Moses saw that after forty generations from Sinai, Rabbenu Ha-Kadosh would come and arrange the Mishnayot, which are the Oral Torah. Concerning this he said ואתחנן, beginning with the letter ו: since the five books of the Torah had been given through him, he wished to petition that the six orders of Mishnah should likewise come through him.

Concerning this he said “at that time” (בעת ההיא), referring to the mystery of the Oral Torah, which is expressed in the feminine; ההוא, the masculine form, is written, referring to the Written Torah, which is male. “Saying” (לאמר): Moses wished that what would be said to later generations should exist in his own generation. לאמ״ר is a notarikon for לימות אנטונינוס מלך רומי, “in the days of Antoninus, king of Rome,” and לתקן אסיפת משניות רבי, “Rabbi was to arrange the collection of Mishnayot.”

He prayed concerning this and opened with אדני, corresponding to the Oral Torah: “You have begun to show” all the generations and what would occur in later generations; “Your greatness” is the Written Torah on the right, and “Your mighty hand” is the Oral Torah on the left.

Since I am the one who began with the Written Torah, and since the two letters of the unification must be coupled—“in heaven” is the letter ו of HaShem, while “on earth” is the final ה of the Name—the Written Torah, which belongs to the mystery of the letter ו, had to contain five books of Torah, so as to include the ה, which is the Shekhinah, within the ו, which is the Holy One, blessed be He. The Oral Torah belongs to the mystery of the final ה of the Name, which is female; it must have six orders, so as to unify the ו with the ה.

Moses therefore wished to join the tent so that it would be one: that is, he wished to be the one who united the five books of the Torah with the six orders of Mishnah. He gave the Written Torah, the mystery of heaven and the letter ו of the Name. “Let me cross, please”—נא means “now”—“and see the land,” meaning the Oral Torah, the mystery of the earth, so as to unify and make known: “For what god is there in heaven and on earth?” “One God gave them, and one father belongs to us all” (cf. Malachi 2:10); “all were given by one shepherd” (Ecclesiastes 12:11; Ḥagigah 3b).

This is indicated by אעברה: אנטונינוס עשה ברית רבינו הקדוש, “Antoninus made a covenant with Rabbenu Ha-Kadosh” (see Tosafot to Avodah Zarah 10b, s.v. amar). From the covenant he made with him, Rabbi compiled the Mishnayot. I wish נא to be now: אעברה may be joined as אב רעה, “one father, one shepherd,” while נ״א is formed from נתנה אחד, “given by One”; all were given by one shepherd. The source’s spelling of “Antoninus” inside the notarikon is visibly irregular. [TN-082-01]

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: what you gave—the Written Torah—is yours, and all the fine grammatical and interpretive details are yours. Likewise, in “This is the book of the generations of Adam” (זה ספר תולדות אדם; Genesis 5:1), I showed you all the generations to come. “Do not continue to speak to Me further of this matter” (בדבר הזה): הזה, “this,” is exact, referring to that book of Adam, whose mystery is זה. As stated in Avodah Zarah 5a, He showed him every generation and its interpreters, every generation and its sages, every generation and its scribes.

“Do not add a word” to the matters of the Oral Torah, which you are not permitted to state in writing, as stated in Gittin 60b. Rabbi had to write them in a book because “It is time to act for the LORD” (Psalms 119:126; Gittin 60a), so that they would not make void Your Torah.

Moses alluded to this at the beginning of his prayer, “at that time, saying.” ב״עת, “at a time,” is exact: Moses wished to do at that earlier time what Rabbi later had to do under “It is time to act for the LORD,” so that they would not make void Your Torah. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you”: that is, you are not permitted to state matters of the Oral Torah in writing.

In that book of Adam, where He “calls the generations from the beginning,” it is written that Joshua will follow Moses. Therefore “Do not continue to speak further of this matter” (בדבר הז״ה), meaning the book of Adam, and “command Joshua, strengthen him and make him resolute” (וחזקהו ואמצהו) in the Oral and Written Torah. The ending ה״ו was added once to the Written Torah and once to the Oral Torah. As they said, the Written Torah has five books and is on the grade of ו; the Oral Torah has six orders of Mishnah and is on the grade of ה. This unifies the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Shekhinah, in the mystery of “Know Him in all your ways” (Proverbs 3:6), the unification of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Shekhinah. [TN-082-02]

Ofan 83

Moses prayed concerning the generation of Rabbenu Ha-Kadosh. A persecution was decreed in that generation, including a decree that they not circumcise their sons. Rabbi was born at that time and was circumcised. The emperor decreed that the circumcised child be brought before him. A miracle occurred: the mother of Antoninus placed her own son, who had been born at the same time as Rabbi, in the lap of Rabbi’s mother. The emperor found him uncircumcised and dismissed them in peace, as stated in Tosafot to Avodah Zarah 10b, s.v. amar.

This is indicated by אעברה, a notarikon for אנטונינוס ערל ברית רבינו הקדוש, “Antoninus; uncircumcised; the covenant of Rabbenu Ha-Kadosh.” He was therefore called “Rabbi, our holy teacher.” Shabbat 118b gives another reason that supports this one.

Antoninus is a gilgul of Esau, while Rabbi is a gilgul of Jacob, who instituted the blessing “You are holy.” Rabbi is thus also called “Rabbi, our holy teacher” because he is a gilgul of Jacob. Moses prayed “at that time,” concerning the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, would grant Rabbi favor in the eyes of Antoninus.

The combined phrase אעברה נא forms a notarikon for אנטונינוס עשו בימי רבינו הקדוש ניצוץ אחד, “Antoninus, Esau, in the days of Rabbenu Ha-Kadosh—one spark.” For we hold (Niddah 27a) that twins come from one drop which divides into two. Jacob and Esau, who were twins, were consequently one spark and later divided into two.

Our masters already said (Berakhot 57b) that the Holy One, blessed be He, answered Rebecca’s “Two גיים are in your womb” (Genesis 25:23) by reference to Antoninus and Rabbi; Jacob and Esau were then rectified. גיים is therefore written with two letters י, because one drop divided into two sparks. [TN-083-01]

Moses began with ואתחנן because he petitioned for favor (חן) for Rabbi “at that time,” the hour of persecution, which would be “a time of trouble for Jacob” (Jeremiah 30:7)—literally for Jacob, meaning Rabbi, who was Jacob’s spark. Rabbi is therefore called רבי יהודה נשיא (Rabbi Judah the Prince): נשי״א is a notarikon for ניצוצו של יעקב אבינו, “the spark of our father Jacob.”

Rabbi had to clothe himself in the soul of our father Jacob, which is the attribute of Tiferet and the Written Torah, because the mystery of Mishnah is the Oral Torah. When Moses first gave the Written Torah, it was said concerning him, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob” (Exodus 19:3)—Jacob precisely. “He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and ordinances to Israel” (Psalms 147:19): the Ten Commandments contained עק״ב, 172, words. This is the portion of Tiferet, as our masters said in the chapter Ha-Ro’eh (Berakhot 58a): “and the Tiferet” (1 Chronicles 29:11) means the giving of the Torah. Thus Torah is the mystery of Jacob’s garment.

This is the meaning of the Sabbath morning prayer: “Moses rejoiced in the gift of his portion; You called him a faithful servant.” At the giving of the Torah he was called a servant; then “You placed a crown of Tiferet upon his head,” for Moses clothed himself in Jacob’s garment. It is stated in the midrash (Tanḥuma, Ekev 10) that the Torah was given for Jacob’s sake.

The Torah was given “from the mouth of the Gevurah” (Shabbat 88b), which is Isaac’s attribute. The ministering angels sought to strike Moses, until the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Moses the countenance that resembled Abraham’s countenance, as stated in Exodus Rabbah 28:1 on Parashat Yitro.

Moses merited clothing himself in these three colors when he received the Written Torah, and all three are indicated in the verse “Moses ascended to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain” (Exodus 19:3): “Moses ascended to God” is Isaac’s grade; “the LORD called to him” is Jacob’s grade, which is merciful; “from the mountain” is Abraham, who called it a mountain.

Moses therefore opened here with the Name אדני and concluded with YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim. These are the two letters ה, corresponding to the Ten Commandments, which were received five opposite five on the two tablets. Then “You began to show me” three colors: “Your greatness” is Abraham’s countenance, “the Torah of kindness is upon his tongue”; “Your mighty hand” is Isaac, “from the mouth of the Gevurah”; “For what god” is Jacob’s grade. [TN-083-02]

The Torah was given with seven voices: “God thunders wondrously with His voice” (Job 37:5), as stated in that midrash. Each of those seven voices spread into ten sparks, making seventy voices corresponding to the seventy nations. Concerning this it says, “God thunders wondrously with His voice.” He therefore said precisely, “For what god,” and “who can act according to Your mighty deeds?”—“The thunder of His mighty deeds, who can understand?” (Job 26:14).

Concerning this the Gemara says, “From the days of Moses until Rabbi, we did not find Torah and greatness in one place” (Gittin 59a). The reason Moses had to receive Torah, the mystery of Tiferet, through Abraham’s attribute, which is Greatness, was so that “the Torah of kindness” would be on his tongue, fulfilling “All the paths of the LORD are kindness and truth” (Psalms 25:10). Likewise Rabbi, because he compiled the Oral Torah, had to possess Torah and greatness in one place.

Because Rabbi clothed himself in Jacob’s spark, which is Tiferet, Rabbi began the second chapter of Pirkei Avot (Mishnah Avot 2:1): “Rabbi says: What is the straight path that a person should choose? Whatever is Tiferet for the one who does it.” He spoke concerning himself, for he had clothed himself in the garment of Tiferet.

The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore said to Moses, “It is much for you”: the same greatness and Torah that you possess will likewise belong to Rabbi in that age. As it is written, from Moses’ days onward Torah and greatness were not found in one place until Rabbi. The garment of Tiferet that was yours was likewise Rabbi’s garment in that generation. This is precisely רב לך: “it is yours.”

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Moses prayed concerning the generation of Jeremiah. Our masters expounded “A prophet from among you, like me” (Deuteronomy 18:15) as referring to Jeremiah, as stated in Pesiqta de-Rav Kahana 13 and cited in Yalkut Shimoni, remez 919: Jeremiah’s entire course resembled that of Moses our teacher. Moses reproved Israel for forty years, and Jeremiah likewise reproved them for forty years. Moses composed the five books of the Torah, and Jeremiah composed the five books of Lamentations, with many other such parallels.

In truth, “like me” is exact, for Moses’ spark was in Jeremiah. This is the meaning of “at that time”: “It is a time of trouble for Jacob” (Jeremiah 30:7), and ההוא, the masculine form, is written, alluding to Moses himself, whose spark was present at that time. [TN-084-01]

He therefore spoke and opened with אדני, for there is דינא (“judgment”). The verse “the two of them went” (Ruth 1:19) was fulfilled: the two letters ה went into exile, as stated in Tikkunei Zohar 19, 42a. He therefore said YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim. This is the mystery of Naomi, the first ה in the Name, while אדני is the mystery of Ruth, the final ה. The letters ו״י remained. [TN-084-02]

Concerning that time Moses now prayed for himself. At first he had been the bridegroom’s attendant who saw the Matronita in her tranquility; later, in Jeremiah’s days, he himself saw the Matronita in her degradation. This is what he said: “You have begun to show Your servant” the Matronita in her tranquility, and he therefore said “Your greatness”; afterward You showed me her degradation, and this is “Your mighty hand.”

Jeremiah said, “Surely against me He repeatedly turns His hand” (Lamentations 3:3). “Against me” (בי) is exact, as he said, “I am the man” who himself “has seen affliction” (Lamentations 3:1): he saw the Matronita in her degradation “under the rod of His wrath.” In Moses’ days five destroying angels came, and Moses drove them away with the staff of God in his hand. Now, however, “He repeatedly turns His hand all day long.”

The lightest of the five destroying angels—fierce anger, wrath, indignation, trouble, and a band of evil messengers—is עברה (“wrath”), because the word can denote mere passing. Yet the lightest of them all became severe in Jeremiah’s days. This is “under the rod of His wrath,” referring precisely to Jeremiah.

Moses prayed here concerning him and desired that the Holy One, blessed be He, not destroy the Temple. He said, “Let me cross, please” (אעברה נא), concerning that עברה, wrath, which would exist in those days, “at that time,” as “the rod of His wrath.” When I cross into the Land of Israel and see the land, the destruction will not occur at all.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is much for you” (רב לך): the decree has already been issued that there will be two destructions, indicated by ר״ב. One will be wrought by רום, Rome, and the other by בבל, Babylon, as it is written, “By the rivers of Babylon,” and so forth, and “Remember, O LORD, against the children of Edom” (Psalms 137:1, 7). Therefore, “do not continue to speak” asking that destruction not exist in the world.

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It is stated in the midrash on Lamentations (Proem 24) that the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Jeremiah to go to the graves of the patriarchs and afterward to Moses’ grave. Moses arose and said to Jeremiah, “I shall go and save Israel.” When Israel saw him, they said, “Behold, the son of Amram will save us,” as stated in the midrash on Lamentations.

All the concealed matters that the Holy One, blessed be He, performs He inserts into the holy Torah. Where, then, is this matter set forth in the Torah? We may say that it is alluded to here.

Moses therefore began with ואתחנן, for he petitioned that Jeremiah and all Israel should find favor: “May El Shaddai grant them mercy before all who take them captive” (cf. Genesis 43:14), “at that time”—that time of trouble for Jacob at the destruction. ההוא, the masculine form, is written, because Moses had to rise from his grave and petition the Holy One, blessed be He, that he himself might come from his grave; “saying,” so that he would awaken a lament.

The word ההי״א indicates three things that befell Israel at the destruction: the Land of Israel and Jerusalem were ruined, and the Temple was burned, as stated in the verse. The word’s letters are the initials of הר הבית לבמות יער, “the Temple Mount shall become forested heights”; ירושלים לעיים תהיה, “Jerusalem shall become ruins”; and ארץ ישראל, “the Land of Israel” (cf. Jeremiah 26:18). [TN-085-01]

It is known that the two destructions correspond to the two letters ה: the Second Temple is the final ה of the Name, concerning which he said אדני; the First Temple is the first ה of the Name, concerning which he said YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim. The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the destruction of the First Temple, and concerning this he said “Your greatness.”

Regarding the Second Temple, five things were absent, as stated in Yoma 21b on the verse “and I shall be glorified” (ואכבד; Haggai 1:8), written without the letter ה. Concerning this he said, “Your mighty hand,” referring to the Second Temple, from which five things were absent, corresponding to the number of fingers on a hand. [TN-085-02]

Moses therefore prayed concerning that time: “Let me cross, please.” I wish to rise from my grave and save Israel, as stated in the midrash, “and I shall see who can protest against me.” He used three expressions. “I shall see the land”: he wished to save the whole Land of Israel, meaning the exile of the ten tribes. Then, concerning the exile of Judah and Benjamin, which is Jerusalem, he said “this good mountain.” Finally, concerning the Temple upon the Temple Mount, he said “and Lebanon.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: the decree concerning the two destructions has already gone forth; “it is much for you.” “Do not continue to speak to Me further,” for they cannot be reversed. The word נ״א likewise alludes to the favor Jeremiah would find in the eyes of נבוזראדן (Nebuzaradan).

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Along the same path, Moses prayed “at that time,” which would be a time of trouble, the time of the destruction. ע״ת (“time”) alludes to the twenty-eight times of the moon to which Israel are compared, as stated in Exodus Rabbah 15:26 on the verse “This month shall be for you” (Exodus 12:2). The moon’s twenty-eight times correspond to Israel: from Abraham to Solomon there were fourteen times for good, and from Solomon to Jeremiah there were fourteen times for evil.

This is why Moses said ההיא, while ההוא is written: it alludes to the fact that that very time which was a time of trouble—the fourteen times for evil—had itself been fourteen times for good. It was the same person, for Jeremiah is a gilgul of Solomon, as it is written, “I am the man” (Lamentations 3:1), who had seen the moon at its fullness.

It is known from Tikkunei Zohar 13, 28a, concerning the mystery of “There are sixty queens” (Song of Songs 6:8), that in Moses’ days there were sixty mighty males, while in Solomon’s days there were females, for שלמה (Solomon) reverses to למשה (“to Moses”). This is indicated, the text says, by the initials of ששים המה מלכות (“there are sixty queens”), yielding משה in reverse. Solomon consequently merited Moses’ spark at the time the Temple was built. [TN-086-01]

Concerning this Moses said of himself, “You have begun to show Your servant” (אתה החלות להראות), whose initials spell אה״ל (“tent”). At the building of the Temple in Solomon’s days, as stated in that midrash, the moon—the Name אדני, with which Moses began—was at its fullness. Concerning this he said “Your greatness,” as it is written, “Solomon’s wisdom increased” (1 Kings 5:10 in the source’s numbering).

Later, in Jeremiah’s days, the wheel reversed, and the verse “He repeatedly turns His hand (ידו) all day long” (Lamentations 3:3) was fulfilled. There were י״ד, fourteen, times for evil; concerning these he said “Your mighty hand.”

It is stated in the Zohar (II, 240b) that the foundations of Zion and Jerusalem were hidden away. Concerning this it says, “Say to God: How awesome are Your deeds” (Psalms 66:3). In truth, the hands of the nations did not rule over the Temple. Solomon said, “This House shall be exalted” (1 Kings 9:8): that is, the sanctuary was raised above. To satisfy the eyes of the wicked below, the kings of the nations brought angels with earth and stones; the enemies below destroyed that house. But the Temple in its true existence—the foundations of Zion and Jerusalem—was hidden above. [TN-086-02]

This follows a fortiori from the boards of the Tabernacle, the six covered wagons, and all their appurtenances, which were hidden 480 years after they were made. Yalkut Shimoni on Parashat Va-Etḥannan (remez 824) states that the covered wagons still existed until 480 years after the exodus from Egypt. One authority says they were hidden at Gilgal, as it is written, “At Gilgal they sacrificed oxen” (Hosea 12:12).

Moses alluded to this with the initials אה״ל, אתה החלות להראות (“You have begun to show”): just as You began to show me the Tabernacle—and in this I see “Your greatness,” for its parts were hidden and the hands of enemies did not rule over them—all the more so regarding the Temple, which is “Your mighty hand.” When the House was built, “no iron tool was heard” (1 Kings 6:7), for all the kelippot departed from the world.

Who among the kelippot was greater than Hiram, king of Tyre? Solomon commanded a demon, who took Hiram from his bed and brought him down through the seven compartments of Gehinnom. They afterward reported to Solomon, “There was peace between Solomon and Hiram” (1 Kings 5:26). And who was greater than Ashmedai, king of the demons? Solomon subdued him at the building of the Temple, as stated in Gittin 68a. So too with the king—or queen—of Sheba, as stated in the Second Targum to Esther. There is no “mighty hand” greater than this.

It follows that the Temple was not destroyed at all by the nations. Rather, “the Holy One, blessed be He, bent His bow like an enemy” (Lamentations 2:4): He bent the bow and destroyed the Temple. “He stood with His right hand as an adversary”—that is, He drew His right hand backward, so that the world would say that the adversary did it and destroyed the House. In truth this was not so: He was the enemy; He merely drew His right hand backward so that it would appear that the enemy did it.

Concerning this Moses said, “For what god is there in heaven and on earth?” In truth You did everything and took the sanctuary above. This is “who can act according to Your deeds”—“they are the work of God” (Exodus 32:16)—“and according to Your mighty acts”: You gave might to the nations of the world so that they would say they had done it. In truth this is not so; “they ground already-ground flour,” as stated in Lamentations Rabbah 1:1.

These three descriptions also invoke the three colors of the bow, for it says, “He bent His bow like an enemy.” Thus “You have begun” is exact: You Yourself acted to bend the bow. Moses enumerates the bow’s three colors: “Your greatness” is Abraham’s grade, which is white; “Your mighty hand” is Isaac, who is red; “For what god is there in heaven and on earth?” is Jacob’s grade, which is green (Zohar III, 215a).

Corresponding to these three colors, three evil גולירין (golirin, hostile legions) came below: Destroyer, Anger, and Wrath. Concerning them it says, “A sound of tumult from the city, a sound of the LORD from His holy Temple, the sound of the LORD rendering recompense to His enemies” (Isaiah 66:6), as stated in the Zohar on Ruth. They are the three watches of the night corresponding to the three watches of the day. Concerning them it says, “From on high He sent fire into my bones” (Lamentations 1:13), for four destroyers came and set fire to the Temple’s four corners. [TN-086-03]

Moses therefore said, “Let me cross, please,” so that the Temple might be built through me and these destroyers would have no permission to set fire to the Temple I would build. This is “this good mountain and Lebanon,” meaning the Temple.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you”: your greatness is exceedingly high, and the destroyers would have no permission to set it on fire. What a person would see with his eyes would merely satisfy their eyes, so that the enemies would think they had destroyed the House and would judge by the sight of their eyes. If you entered the Land of Israel and the Temple were built through you, however, there would be no permission at all to touch it (Sotah 9a), for “it is much for you”: your grade is exceedingly high. Israel would then perish, God forbid, when they sinned (Lamentations Rabbah 4:14). Therefore, “do not continue.”

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Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said in the chapter Arvei Pesaḥim (Pesaḥim 118b), concerning “The truth of the LORD endures forever” (Psalms 117:2), that the fish in the sea recited this verse when the Holy One, blessed be He, repaid the prince of the sea for what the sea had suffered from Pharaoh’s chariots and army. Those had numbered six hundred chariots; afterward, in the days of Sisera, He gave the prince of the sea nine hundred iron chariots (Judges 4:13). He added one third calculated externally, and the River Kishon had stood surety. This matter is explicit in the ensuing verse, “and captains over all of it [וְשָׁלִשִׁם עַל כֻּלּוֹ, ve-shalishim al kullo]” (Exodus 14:7): that is, the Holy One, blessed be He, paid the sea an additional third calculated externally.

The reason payment was exacted in that generation is a supernal mystery, the mystery of gilgul: the wheel was reversed, in the mystery of “He removed the wheel of their chariots” (Exodus 14:25). The counselor became king, and the king became commander of the army; in that generation the dictum אֵשֶׁת חָבֵר כְּחָבֵר (eshet ḥaver ke-ḥaver), “the wife of an associate is like the associate,” was fulfilled (Shevuot 30b). This is the meaning of “Jael, the wife of Heber [אֵשֶׁת חֶבֶר], took” (Judges 4:21).

This mystery is disclosed by the words “She covered him with a blanket [בַּשְּׂמִיכָה, ba-semikhah]” (Judges 4:18). We searched the whole Torah and found the word שְׂמִיכָה (semikhah, “blanket”) nowhere else (Yalkut Shimoni, Judges, allusion 44). The mystery of the matter, however, is “a faithful spirit conceals a matter” (Proverbs 11:13). The word שמי״כה has the numerical value of צפר״ה (Tzipporah written defectively, without vav), who was given to מש״ה (Mosheh) (Exodus 2:21), and it is also the mystery of שָׁעָה (shaʿah) in “but to Abel and his offering He did not turn [שָׁעָה]” (Genesis 4:5): each form has the value 375. [TN-087-01] After her sending away there were many sendings. This is the mystery of “Nevertheless, there will be no glory for you on the path” (Judges 4:9), for “the wife of an associate is like the associate.”

One who understands this mystery will understand why Jethro is called Heber the Kenite, separated from Cain. He therefore said, “Why did you leave the man?” (Exodus 2:20): he accepted the judgment of Heaven upon himself for having sinned in an earlier gilgul, when he killed Abel on account of the additional twin sister (Genesis Rabbah 22:7), who was now his daughter, and transgressed the law concerning another man’s wife. For this reason the shepherds cast his daughter into the water (Exodus Rabbah 1:32). The shepherds thought that Tzipporah ought not to belong to Abel’s portion, but to Cain’s portion; they therefore cast her into the water, for she had incurred strangulation, the penalty applicable to a married woman (Kiddushin 14a). The One who turns all causes about, however, brought it about at that very time that the owner of the lost object himself arrived and rescued his lost object.

This is what Scripture means by “He arose and saved them” (Exodus 2:17), while elsewhere it is written, “He found her in the field, and there was no one to save her” (Deuteronomy 22:27). Of Cain it is said, “When they were in the field, Cain arose and killed him” (Genesis 4:8). Scripture therefore says, “Call him, that he may eat bread” (Exodus 2:20), so as to give him back the lost object that Cain had taken from him at first: “He gave him Tzipporah [צפו״רה] his daughter to Moses [למש״ה]” (Exodus 2:21). “His daughter” is precise, for she had now been transformed into his daughter.

One who understands this matter will justify the judgment of Heaven and agree with the fish in the sea, after Israel had made the sea “like depths in which there are no fish” (Berakhot 9b). “All the nations shall praise Him,” and with their own eyes they shall see that “His lovingkindness has prevailed over us” (Psalms 117:1–2). In the word גָּבַר (gavar, “prevailed”) are the three gilgulim that come from the three Patriarchs of the world, as stated above. They will then say, “The truth of the LORD endures forever.”

Concerning this Moses said, “I pleaded with the LORD,” for he saw through the holy spirit that in the days of Sisera HaShem would repay His enemies. This is the meaning of “at that time, saying,” which alludes to the verse “She judged Israel at that time” (Judges 4:4). The source notes the spelling הַהוּא (ha-hu, “that”), for she was one of the seven prophetesses who arose for Israel (Megillah 14a), corresponding to the seven degrees of holiness. Deborah corresponds to Moses’ degree, Tiferet; she therefore said, “Nevertheless, there will be no Tiferet—glory—for you on the path” (Judges 4:9). This is why הַהוּא is written: she corresponded to Moses’ degree.

Moses prayed concerning this in order to hasten and see vengeance upon his enemies. He said: Since “You have begun to show” at the splitting of the Reed Sea “Your greatness,” as it is written, “Israel saw the great hand” (Exodus 14:31), “and Your mighty hand,” as it is written, “Your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy” (Exodus 15:6), “for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do according to Your deeds?” In a single moment the souls of all of them departed, as it is said, “You blew with Your wind” (Exodus 15:10): through one force that issued from His mouth, all their souls departed. So too would it be with Sennacherib, and so too in the future with Gog and Magog. “According to Your deeds” alludes to the days of Sennacherib, and “according to Your mighty acts” to the days of Gog and Magog; therefore Moses used the future form “who will do.”

Moses asked: Since You began to show me vengeance upon Pharaoh and his army but have not yet completed payment, “let me cross over [אֶעְבְּרָה, eʿberah], I pray.” The letters of אעבר״ה, reversed, intimate the matter of עַרְבוּת (ʿarvut, “surety”): the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the ancient river, the River Kishon, as surety in the matter. Moses wished to validate the surety and give the prince of the sea what was owed him. Reverse אעבר״ה and you find עָרֵב (ʿarev, “surety”) there. “Let me cross over, I pray”: I wish to pay the surety now, so that the payment guaranteed by the surety will be fulfilled through me, since “You have begun to show me.”

The word לְהַרְאוֹת (le-harʾot, “to show”) has the numerical value 642, the mystery of מֶרְכָּבָה שְׁלֵמָה (merkavah shelemah, “a complete chariot”), likewise 642. Since You began to show me the complete chariot, concerning which it is said, “He removed the wheel [אוֹפַן, ofan] of their chariots” (Exodus 14:25)—it does not say “the wheels of their chariots” in the plural, but “the wheel” in the singular, because all the chariots depend upon that one wheel—תרמ״ב (642) is the value of the complete chariot of the sitra aḥra. The letters תרמ״ב are a notarikon for תֵּשַׁע מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב בָּחוּר (tesha meʾot rekhev baḥur), “nine hundred chosen chariots,” from which payment was exacted in the days of Sisera. [TN-087-02]

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): that spark of Barak is yours. He is therefore called “son of Abinoam,” for Moses was humble among the prophets of Israel, established “May the pleasantness [נֹעַם, noʿam]” for Israel (Psalms 90:17; see Bava Batra 14b), and caused us “to behold the pleasantness [נֹעַם] of the LORD” (Psalms 27:4). Therefore, “Do not continue to speak.”

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Since we have begun the matter, let me speak. Moses saw that the spark of Rabbi Akiva came into the world in that episode. Thus our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said, “Among the descendants of Sisera were those who taught Torah publicly; and who was this? Rabbi Akiva” (Sanhedrin 96b). It is likewise stated in Horayot 10b that “a transgression performed for its own sake is great.” Of the seven acts of intercourse that the wicked man committed, Rabbi Akiva’s spark came from the third, concerning which the euphemistic word שָׁכַב (shakhav, “he lay”) is used (Judges 5:27).

This is the mystery of “Sisera fled on foot [בְּרַגְלָיו, be-raglav]” (Judges 4:15): because “he bowed, he lay between her feet [רַגְלֶיהָ, ragleha]” (Judges 5:27), the spark fled there. “Jael went out to meet him” (Judges 4:18) in the mystery of Wisdom, just as “Leah went out to meet Jacob” (Genesis 30:16), whereupon Issachar issued from her (Genesis 30:18). So too, from this going out by which Jael went to meet Sisera, Rabbi Akiva issued forth; he was of “the descendants of Issachar, who knew understanding of the times” (I Chronicles 12:32).

Rabbi Akiva therefore said, “When I was an ignoramus, I used to say, ‘Who will give me a Torah scholar, that I may bite him like a donkey?’” (Pesaḥim 49b), in the mystery of “Issachar is a strong-boned donkey” (Genesis 49:14), in accordance with the words of Recanati on Parashat Vayeḥi.

At the end of the song concerning Sisera, Deborah said, “So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD” (Judges 5:31). Concerning Rabbi Akiva she said, “but those who love Him shall be as the sun going forth in its might.” She thereby alluded to Moses our teacher, of whom it is said, “Moses would take the tent,” and “when Moses went out from the camp” (Exodus 33:7). Moses is the mystery of the Written Torah, whereas Rabbi Akiva is the mystery of the Oral Torah. “In its might [בִּגְבֻרָתוֹ, bi-gevurato]” is precise, for he came from the side of Gevurah.

This is the mystery of “she covered him with a blanket [בַּשְּׂמִיכָה]” (Judges 4:18). Rabbi Judah said, “We searched all the passages and did not find the word שְׂמִיכָה anywhere else.” The Holy One, blessed be He, however, said, “My Name is כֹּה [שְׁמִי כֹּה, shemi koh],” testifying concerning her that her intention was for the sake of Heaven, as stated in Yalkut Shimoni, page 80 (Judges, allusion 44). The mystery of the matter concerns Rabbi Akiva, whose soul departed through the twenty-five letters of the proclamation of Divine unity. It therefore says, “Not even one [אֶחָד, eḥad] remained” (Judges 4:16), alluding to Rabbi Akiva, whose soul departed with the word “One [אֶחָד]” (Berakhot 61b).

It is consequently said, כִּי צָמֵתִי (ki tzameti, “for I thirst”; Judges 4:19), written defectively without an א (alef): in order that Rabbi Akiva’s soul might depart with א, in אֶחָד, Sisera had to drink that drink. [TN-088-01] When he asked, “Is there a man here [יֵשׁ פֹּה אִישׁ, yesh poh ish]?” (Judges 4:20), י״ש פ״ה has the numerical value of רב״י עקיב״א (Rabbi Akiva). She answered אֵין (ein). She did not use לֹא (lo, “no”), but a word with two possible senses: in the holy tongue אֵין means “no,” whereas in Aramaic אִין means “yes.” Both interpretations are true: this spark is not here now, but it will be after a time. [TN-088-02]

She also intimated that he would rectify Aramaic. Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, interpreted “How precious are Your companions to me, O God” (Psalms 139:17) as referring to Rabbi Akiva (Avodah Zarah 5a). When Adam the first man saw his book, this verse showed him the generation of Rabbi Akiva. Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said that Adam the first man spoke in Aramaic (Sanhedrin 38b), for the reverse initials of מַה יָּקְרוּ רֵעֶיךָ אֵל (mah yaqru reʿekha El) form ארמ״י (Arami, “Aramaic”).

Likewise, when Joseph was shown Rabbi Akiva’s spark, מִידֵי אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב (mi-yedei avir Yaʿaqov, “from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob”; Genesis 49:24) was permuted into רב״י עקיב״א (Rabbi Akiva). There He showed him “the arms of his hands”: the ten sparks. The initials of מִשָּׁם רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל (mi-sham roʿeh even Yisrael, “from there, the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel”) are likewise treated as ארמ״י. The displayed initials do not stand in that order and require permutation. [TN-088-03]

Rabbi Akiva came from kelippat nogah and possessed no ancestral merit, for he was the son of converts. He rectified the Aramaic kelippah of Nogah, concerning which Laban said יְגַר שָׂהֲדוּתָא (Yegar Sahaduta; Genesis 31:47). This mystery is explicit: all converts come from the kelippot of Nogah. Concerning Abraham it is said, אַב הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם נְתַתִּיךָ (av hamon goyim netattikha, “I have made you the father of a multitude of nations”; Genesis 17:5), whose reverse initials form נג״ה (Nogah).

Because Sisera’s chariot delayed on account of that spark which was to come only in the distant future, “the mother of Sisera wailed” (Judges 5:28). Concerning this matter Moses likewise came to petition, “I pleaded with the LORD.” He had been shown the soul of Rabbi Akiva, of whom “those who knew understanding of the times” was said; he therefore said “at that time.” He prayed that the “time” which lay in the distant future would be brought near, expressed by the masculine spelling בָּעֵת הַהוּא (ba-et ha-hu, “at that time”).

Because Rabbi Akiva is the mystery of the Oral Torah and came from Moses’ left hand, as stated in the teachings of the Ari, the masculine הַהוּא is likewise precise. Moses had given the Written Torah and wished also to attain the Oral Torah. Concerning Rabbi Akiva he said, “You have begun to show [לְהַרְאוֹת, le-harʾot],” for the mystery of תרמ״ב (642) is intimated in it: תֵּשַׁע מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב בַּרְזֶל (tesha meʾot rekhev barzel), “nine hundred iron chariots,” which existed in the days of Sisera (Judges 4:3).

Concerning him Moses said, “Let me cross over, I pray”: let that ibbur, which would otherwise come only in the distant future, be brought near. The word וְאֶרְאֶה (ve-erʾeh, “and let me see”) has the numerical value of יְגַר (Yegar), 213. נ״א is a notarikon for נֹגַהּ אֲרָמִית (Nogah Aramit, “Aramaic Nogah”): let that ibbur, destined to come in the distant future, arrive to rectify the left hand of Laban’s יְגַר שָׂהֲדוּתָא. Laban is Beor, as stated above, and בעו״ר has the same numerical value as אעב״רה, 278. Concerning him our Rabbis said in Sanhedrin 105a: “A tanna taught: He is Beor, he is Cushan-rishathaim, and he is Laban the Aramean.” See there. Their mnemonic is “Against any of the children of Israel not a dog [כל״ב, kelev] shall sharpen its tongue” (Exodus 11:7): כל״ב carries the initials of כּוּשַׁן, לָבָן, בְּעוֹר (Cushan, Laban, Beor).

Through this the kelippah of Nogah would be rectified. Had Moses entered the Land, he would have rectified the evil immediately. This is the meaning of “this good mountain.” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): the rectification of the transgression that Beor—Laban—committed against you has not yet been completed. “Rav lakh” means that he committed a great transgression against you. According to the teachings of the Ari, Rabbi Akiva came from the tribe of Simeon; twenty-four thousand Israelites died on his account, corresponding to the twenty-four thousand whom Simeon killed at Shechem. This is the mystery of “Let my soul not enter their council” (Genesis 49:6), concerning the mystery of the ibbur by which Simeon impaired Joseph, who is Yesod. Simeon consequently later caused an impairment in the covenant as well. They were afterward rectified through the twenty-four thousand students of Rabbi Akiva (Yevamot 62b). Therefore, “Do not continue.” [TN-088-04]

Ofan 89

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel in order to regulate intercalations, for we hold that the year may not be intercalated outside the Land of Israel (tractate Rosh Hashanah; Berakhot 63a). In the days of Rabbi Judah the Patriarch, who regulated Israel’s intercalations, it was taught in Raʿaya Mehemna, Parashat Mishpatim (Zohar II, 157b), that Moses found difficulty in three matters, and they are inscribed in the name מש״ה (M-Sh-H): מְנוֹרָה (menorah), שְׁקָלִים (sheqalim), and הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם (ha-ḥodesh ha-zeh lakhem), “this month shall be for you” (Exodus 12:2). The Holy One, blessed be He, had to show each to him with His finger.

Moses’ first difficulty concerned sanctification of the new moon, which is the mystery of intercalation. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “See it thus and sanctify it” (Mekhilta, Bo). Moses therefore prayed, “You Yourself have begun to show,” concerning the mystery of sighting the moon. “Your servant” is precise, for these three acts of showing are intimated in my name.

Corresponding to the מ (mem) of משה, which signifies מְנוֹרָה, he said, “Your greatness.” This is the mystery of the measure of the Divine stature and the mystery of the menorah with its seven lamps—“seven, with seven pipes” (Zechariah 4:2). Corresponding to the shekels, concerning which He showed him the half-shekel in His hand—as it is written, “This they shall give” (Exodus 30:13), for He showed him a kind of coin—this being the ש (shin) of משה, he said, “Your mighty hand.” Corresponding to intercalation of the month, which is the ה (he) of משה, and intercalation of the year, by which heaven and earth, the sun and moon, are coupled together, he said, “for what god is there in heaven or on earth?”

Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel and regulate both the sighting for sanctification of the month and intercalation of the year, the mystery of heaven and earth rectified together. Concerning this he said, “Let me cross over [אֶעְבְּרָה], I pray”: I wish to rectify heaven—the mystery of the sun—in the Land of Israel; אֶעְבְּרָה signifies intercalation of the year. Concerning sanctification of the month, the rectification of the moon, he said, “and let me see [וְאֶרְאֶה],” for by this I shall rectify the sighting of the moon.

Within the word אעבר״ה you will find a notarikon identifying the one who would regulate the intercalation: אֲתַקֵּן עִבּוּר בִּימֵי רַבֵּנוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ (ataqqen ibbur bi-yemei Rabbenu ha-Qadosh), “I shall regulate intercalation in the days of our holy Rabbi.” What would take place in the days of Rabbi Judah the Patriarch, Moses wished to regulate now. [TN-089-01]

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you have ascended to a greatness more eminent than the sighting of the month. לָךְ (lakh, “for you”) is precise: inspect your own name, in which the three matters that Moses found difficult are intimated. They are the mystery of three unions of the Shekhinah, in accordance with the Ari’s mnemonic for these three unions. In my opinion, these three unions are the peg upon which everything depends: rectification of the month is the union of the Shekhinah with Yesod; the shekels are the union with Tiferet; and the menorah is the union with Daʿat.

Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me anymore concerning this thing [זֶה, zeh].” זֶה is precise, referring to these three matters that Moses found difficult and concerning which the Holy One, blessed be He, had to say, “This month [הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה] shall be for you.” “Command Joshua and strengthen him” concerning intercalation of the year, “and fortify him” concerning sanctification of the month. “For he shall cross over [יַעֲבֹר]” is construed in the sense of intercalation [עִבּוּר], “and he shall cause them to inherit” refers to sanctification of the month, which is “the inheritance of the LORD”; “in all that you see” refers to the sighting of the moon—“See it thus and sanctify it.”

Ofan 90

It is stated in the Zohar, Parashat Pineḥas, page 428 (Zohar III, 234a): “One does not begin on the second or fourth day. On the second day the great death was created; on the fourth day the lesser death was created.” This is the mystery of אַסְכָּרָה (askara), on account of which people would fast on Wednesdays for the sake of children (Taʿanit 27b). It is a spirit concerning which the Zohar speaks at length in Parashat Pequdei, page 446 (Zohar II, 248b), which stands over their killing until thirteen years of age. From thirteen to twenty there is another spirit, whose name is אגריסיו״ן (Agrisyon). [TN-090-01]

This is the mystery of what happened when the Tabernacle was erected and Nadab and Abihu died. They had not yet passed out of their father’s authority, for they were under twenty, as Scripture calls them “the two sons of Aaron” (Leviticus 16:1): they had not yet departed from the father’s authority, as stated in the Zohar there, page 100 (Zohar III, 56b).

This is the mystery I discussed at length in connection with Psalm 75 in Parashat Shemini, concerning the verse “I said to the boastful, ‘Do not boast’” (Psalms 75:5). The powers of the sitra aḥra thought that they would rule over Nadab and Abihu—namely, those two powers appointed over persons who die before fifty years of age, as the source reads. [TN-090-02] Corresponding to Agrisyon, he said, “and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn [קֶרֶן, qeren]’”; קֶרֶן has the numerical value of אגריסיו״ן. “Do not lift your horns on high [לַמָּרוֹם, la-marom]” (Psalms 75:5–6): מרו״ם represents the powers of Askara and Agrisyon. The two together are the mystery of מְאֹרֹת (meʾorot, “luminaries”) written defectively as מאר״ת in the account of their creation on the fourth day (Genesis 1:14).

Moses recited that psalm when the Tent of Meeting was erected, as it is written, “When I take the appointed time [מוֹעֵד, moʿed]” (Psalms 75:3). On that day he subdued the powers of the lesser death, as stated above, and also the powers of the great death, as the Zohar explains concerning “He erected the Tabernacle” (Exodus 40:18); see Parashat Pequdei (Zohar II, 245b).

Concerning this Moses said, “I pleaded . . . at that time [בָּעֵת הַהִיא, ba-et ha-hi],” which is the mystery of “an evil time,” as the Ari states. ליל״ת (Lilit), lacking the final yod, has the numerical value of ע״ת (et, “time”), 470. Both powers are intimated in the verse. According to the principle that the vocalized reading is authoritative, הַהִיא alludes to the lesser death created on the fourth day; according to the principle that the consonantal tradition is authoritative, it alludes to the great death. Moses intended to remove both from the world. Their nourishment comes from the harsh and the soft attributes of judgment, which are the mystery of יצח״ק רבק״ה (Yitzḥaq Rivqah, Isaac and Rebekah).

Moses therefore offered 515 prayers, the numerical value of וָאֶתְחַנַּן (va-etḥannan), as stated in Midrash Rabbah (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:10). The reason for 515 is the mystery of יצח״ק רבק״ה: Isaac is the power from which Esau, the great death, draws nourishment; Rebekah is the mystery of the lesser death. Their names together have the value 515.

He therefore said, “You have begun to show” at the erection of the Tabernacle. The initials of אַתָּה הַחִלּוֹתָ לְהַרְאוֹת (attah haḥillota le-harʾot) form אה״ל (ohel, “tent”), for the אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד (Ohel Moʿed, Tent of Meeting) was erected then. לְהַרְאוֹת has the numerical value of אגריסיו״ן and אסכר״ה together. [TN-090-03] Concerning the great power—the male aspect standing on the right side of the kelippah—he said, “Your greatness,” for in this he began to subdue it. Concerning the female aspect on the left, he said, “Your mighty hand.”

Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel. אעבר״ה נ״א וארא״ה (eʿberah na ve-erʾeh) was intended to abolish the Angel of Death completely so that it would no longer rule. The word אעבר״ה has the numerical value of זעיר״א (zeʿira, “lesser”), 278. נ״א is a notarikon for נָדָב אֲבִיהוּ (Nadab, Abihu). That is: just as the lesser death was nullified through the death of Nadab and Abihu, and it became known to all that fire went out from before the LORD and they died by a Divine kiss (Leviticus 10:2), rather than through wicked Lilith and her powers, called שְׁבָא (Sheba), so Moses wished to abolish the great death as well.

Lilith as Sheba is intimated by the initials of שְׁנֵי בְנֵי אַהֲרֹן (shenei benei Aharon, “the two sons of Aaron”), which form שב״א, in the mystery of “Sheba fell upon them and took them” (Job 1:15), rendered in the Targum as “wicked Lilith.” Yet that was not what occurred: the Torah testifies, “when they drew near before the LORD, and died” (Leviticus 16:1). They died by a Divine kiss and not through Sheba. Just as the matter was clarified through Nadab and Abihu, who nullified the lesser death, so I wish to enter the Land of Israel and nullify the great death.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): you wish to abolish the chief destroyer [רַב הַחוֹבֵל, rav ha-ḥovel] as well, namely the great death. You need not enter the Land of Israel for this. Therefore, “Do not continue”; “command Joshua.” “Command” means none other than idolatry (Sanhedrin 56b): Joshua will nullify the “foreign god.” He is “foreign” [זָר, zar], and she is the “strange woman” [זָרָה, zarah]. By killing the thirty-one kings—ל״א—he would have the power of אֵל (El, 31) in his hand to abolish the foreign god. For this reason the Holy One, blessed be He, objected in the days of the Men of the Great Assembly that Joshua should have abolished idolatry, the “strange woman” (Arakhin 32b).

Corresponding to the foreign god, He said וְחַזְּקֵהוּ (ve-ḥazzeqehu, “and strengthen him”), which has the numerical value of סמ״אל (Samael) with the kolel; he is called עו״ן (avon, “iniquity”), the male aspect. וְחַזְּקֵהוּ likewise has the value of עו״ן. Corresponding to the strange woman, Lilith, He said וְאַמְּצֵהוּ (ve-ammetzehu, “and fortify him”), which is the mystery of the monument [הַמַּצֵּבָה, ha-matzevah] concerning which Jacob said, “This monument shall be a witness” (Genesis 31:52). Balaam’s nourishment was of this kind. “And this mound,” by contrast, corresponds to the mound of bones, the mystery of the male aspect. “For he shall cross over” corresponds to the foreign god, “and he shall cause them to inherit—in all that you see” is precise.

Ofan 91

At the beginning of Moses’ mission it is said, “in a flame of fire [בְּלַבַּת אֵשׁ, be-labbat esh]” (Exodus 3:2). At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the large א (alef) of Chronicles—“Adam, Seth, Enosh” (I Chronicles 1:1)—and therefore the alef of לַבַּת אֵשׁ was large. Afterward, following the sin of the calf, even after the Tabernacle was erected and “Moses would take the tent” (Exodus 33:7), he attained only the small alef of וַיִּקְרָא (va-yiqra; Leviticus 1:1).

Moses therefore prayed to enter the Land of Israel and regain the large alef that he had possessed at first. He said, “You have begun to show Your greatness,” alluding to the large letter א. This was at the beginning of his mission, when Moses himself said, “Let me turn aside, I pray, and see this great sight” (Exodus 3:3). He did not use the feminine form “great,” but the masculine הַגָּדוֹל (ha-gadol), on account of this mystery, which is male. This is the mystery of א״ר, a notarikon for אָלֶף רַבָּתִי (alef rabbati, “large alef”). [TN-091-01]

Thus Moses said here: Since, at the beginning of my mission, You began to show me “Your greatness,” the large alef, whereas afterward, when Israel sinned through the calf, “You shall see My back” (Exodus 33:23) was fulfilled through the mystery of the small alef, “Your mighty hand [אֶת יָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה, et yadekha ha-ḥazaqah]” has the numerical value of קט״ן (qatan, “small”) and alludes to the small alef.

He therefore said, “Let me cross over, I pray.” I wish to enter the Land of Israel and attain what I meant when I said, “Let me turn aside, I pray, and see [אָסֻרָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה, asurah na ve-erʾeh].” Just as I said there “Let me turn aside, I pray, and see,” I now wish to attain that same apprehension. אעבר״ה has the numerical value of זעיר״א (zeʿira, “small”), while the large alef is intimated in וארא״ה.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you will not depart from the world before attaining the large alef. Thus Moses said, “Happy are you, O Israel [אַשְׁרֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל]” (Deuteronomy 33:29), where the א of אַשְׁרֶיךָ is large. He therefore attained this apprehension before his death. This is the mystery of “Ascend to the top of Pisgah”: the alef is the head of all the letters.

Ofan 92

It is stated in Sodei Raza, composed by Rabbi Eleazar of Worms, under the letter ל (lamed) of Eliezer, that the chariot seen in the days of Ezekiel is the mystery of Jacob and is one of the twenty-two chariots Moses saw. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “You shall see My back” (Exodus 33:23), He referred to the human face of Jacob, for the phrase has the numerical value of “the likeness of Jacob engraved upon the Throne” (Numbers Rabbah 4:1). See there.

The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore says, “I shall remember My covenant with Jacob” first (Leviticus 26:42), for the human face is from the outset the king over all the creatures. The final letters of דְּמוּת פְּנֵיהֶם כִּפְנֵי אָדָם (demut peneihem ki-fenei adam, “the likeness of their faces was the face of a man”; Ezekiel 1:10) form תמי״ם (tamim, “whole”), alluding to “Jacob, a whole-hearted man [אִישׁ תָּם, ish tam].” The author adduces proofs at length. This is called the lesser faces [אַנְפֵּי זוּטְרָא, anpei zutra]; concerning the greater faces [אַנְפֵּי רַבְרְבֵי, anpei ravrevei] it is said, “but My face shall not be seen” (Exodus 33:23).

Moses’ prayer “I pleaded” concerned this matter. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I shall be gracious [וְחַנֹּתִי, ve-ḥannoti]” (Exodus 33:19), Moses began to pray: Since “You have begun to show” the mystery of the cherubim—this is the meaning of “Your greatness.” The word אֶת (et) alludes to the twenty-two chariots of Ezekiel, which extend from א to ת, the twenty-two letters: “The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands” (Psalms 68:18).

I attained only the lesser faces, the mystery of א״ז in Moses, for all his proclamations were made with אָז (az, “then”), as stated in Midrash Rabbah (Exodus Rabbah 23:3): אַנְפֵּי זוּטְרָא (anpei zutra). This is the meaning of “and Your mighty hand [יָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה],” which has the numerical value of קט״ן (qatan, “small”), Jacob’s designation in “Who will raise Jacob, for he is small?” (Amos 7:5). Moses had not yet attained the greater faces among the cherubim, the mystery of Israel.

He therefore prayed אֶעְבְּרָה (eʿberah), whose numerical value equals כְּרוּבִים (keruvim, “cherubim”), 278. “And let me see [וְאֶרְאֶה]”: let me attain the greater faces in the Land of Israel. They are intimated in וארא״ה as a notarikon for אַנְפֵּי רַבְרְבֵי, upon which two engraved letters from the name אֶהְיֶה (Ehyeh) are sealed. This is intimated by וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה (ve-erʾeh et ha-aretz ha-tovah, “and let me see the good Land”), which has the numerical value of יַעֲקֹב יִשְׂרָאֵל (Jacob, Israel) with the kolel. [TN-092-01]

Until now Moses had attained only Jacob and Rachel. וְרָאִיתָ אֶת אֲחֹרָי (ve-raʾita et aḥorai, “you shall see My back”) has the value 1,237. It is already known that in a revolving numerical cycle one thousand is counted as one; the resulting value is that of רָחֵל (Rachel), 238. Moses had therefore attained only the cherubim Jacob and Rachel, the mystery of “you shall see My back.” “But My face shall not be seen [וּפָנַי לֹא יֵרָאוּ]”: the initials of לֹא יֵרָאוּ are ל״י, alluding to the cherubim לֵאָה יִשְׂרָאֵל (Leah, Israel), which Moses had not attained. He now asked to attain Israel and Leah as well, the greater cherubim; both Jacob and Israel are intimated together in “the good Land.”

When the two cherubim face one another, there will be peace and tranquility in the world, for שָׁלוֹם וְשַׁלְוָה (shalom ve-shalvah, “peace and tranquility”) likewise has the numerical value of יַעֲקֹב וְיִשְׂרָאֵל (Jacob and Israel). Concerning this it is said, “May there be peace within your walls” (Psalms 122:7), referring to the lower cherubim, “and tranquility within your palaces,” referring to the upper cherubim, the greater faces. “For the sake of my brothers and companions” (Psalms 122:8) refers to the cherubim, “brothers dwelling together”; then “I shall speak peace concerning you.”

This was Moses’ intention in wishing to see “this good mountain and Lebanon”: “For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I shall seek your good” (Psalms 122:9). “How good” (Psalms 133:1) is said of the lower cherubim, and “how pleasant” of the upper cherubim. “It is better to dwell as two [טַן דּוּ, tan du]” (Kiddushin 41a) alludes to seven configurations of cherubim. In ט״ן, ט stands for טוֹב (tov, “good”) and נ for נָעִים (naʿim, “pleasant”). This is the mystery of the ATBaSH series ח״ס ט״ן י״ם כ״ל. When the Holy One, blessed be He, has compassion [חָס, ḥas] upon the world, the cherubim are טַן דּוּ, paired together. י״ם intimates יְסוֹד מַלְכוּת (Yesod, Malkhut); יָם (yam, “sea”) is Malkhut, while כֹּל (kol, “all”) is Yesod. [TN-092-02]

Moses alluded to them when he said, “You have begun to show Your servant [עַבְדְּךָ, avdekha].” When the final kaf is assigned its large value of 500 in the AIQ BKR system, עבדך has the value 576, the same as יְסוֹד מַלְכוּת (Yesod, Malkhut). This is the mystery of “Righteousness and peace kissed” (Psalms 85:11). As stated in Zohar, Parashat Vayiqra (Zohar III, 7b), “brothers dwelling” refers to the mystery of the cherubim, and “together” to Yesod and Malkhut.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: You do not need the Land of Israel for this. רַב־לָךְ: from here you will attain the greater faces. “Rav lakh” is therefore followed by “Ascend to the top of Pisgah,” the mystery of Israel, so called on account of “head.” “Command Joshua and strengthen him” in the lesser faces, “and fortify him” in the greater faces. On the far side of the Jordan, Moses attained righteousness and peace, the mystery of 576. Each Israelite accepted 576 covenants upon himself in receiving the Torah, as Tosafot state in the chapter Elu Neʾemarin (Sotah 37b, s.v. Rabbi), in the name of the Jerusalem Talmud (Sotah 7:4). This is the mystery of the union of the cherubim, Yesod and Malkhut.

Ofan 93

It is stated in the book Sodei Razi that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not disclose the mystery of the cherubim to Adam the first man, nor to Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, but only to Moses; the source then speaks of eight cherubim. End of quotation. [TN-093-01] In my view, this is because “the face of Moses was like the face of the sun” (Bava Batra 75a), and the sun has eight angels that guide it, five by day and three by night. This is the mystery of the eight verses in the Torah that Joshua wrote—or Moses wrote in tears—as stated in Bava Batra 15a. The Torah was likewise given in eight degrees: impure, pure, exempt, permitted, liable, innocent, valid, and invalid. These are the eight words of the verse “And this is the Torah” (Deuteronomy 4:44).

It is stated there that four princes preside over the four creatures of the merkavah. The prince over the human face has the mystery-name הוא״ליה (Hoʾeliyah), which the source relates by reversed letters to [uncertain: אל יהוד ויאר לנו], evidently invoking “The LORD is God and has given us light” (Psalms 118:27). The prince over the lion’s face is called מפפי״ה (Mefafiyah); over the ox’s face, אמצי״ה (Amtziyah); and over the eagle’s face, עפפימי״האל (Afafimiyah-El). When Ezekiel later came and changed the ox’s face into a cherub (Ḥagigah 13b), the prince of the cherub was designated by the four opaque forms נהי״ה, פסי״ה, עמנ״ו, הוא״ליה (Nehiyah, Pesiyah, Immanu, Hoʾeliyah). Their stated numerical value is חמ״ת (ḥemat, “wrath”). [TN-093-02]

A mnemonic is “The wrath [חֵמַת] of man shall acknowledge You; the remainder of wrath You shall gird” (Psalms 76:11). That is: through the alteration of the merkavah by the Holy One, blessed be He, when the ox became a cherub, like the form of a child—a human form—“the wrath of man shall acknowledge You.” We must thank You for this, for the Holy One, blessed be He, no longer recalls the sin of the calf against us. Through this, “the remainder of wrath You shall gird,” and through this, “in death there is no remembrance of You” (Psalms 6:6). The initials of these four princes are stated to be הענ״ף (H-A-N-P), for through this He left us a branch and a root.

Abraham saw “three men standing over him” (Genesis 18:2). The initials of שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים (sheloshah anashim nitzavim) encode שׁוֹר אַרְיֵה נֶשֶׁר (shor, aryeh, nesher: ox, lion, eagle). He afterward said, “and he stood over them” (Genesis 18:8), whose final letters spell אד״ם (Adam, “man”), for the human face is principal in the merkavah, as it is written, “The likeness of the four was the face of a man” (Ezekiel 1:10). The word עָלָיו (alav, “over him”) has the value 116, the value also assigned to the initials of the four princes of the creatures, המע״א. Thus the initial letters of the four holy creatures are intimated in this verse.

Abraham, however, foresaw through the holy spirit the matter of the calf. Thus it is written, “at the terebinths of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1), amid the force of the judgment executed by the son of Balaam, who was called Mamre. Abraham therefore sat “at the entrance of the tent,” to rectify “the heat of the day,” which would be severe for Israel on the day of the calf (Shabbat 17a). For this reason the four angels are intimated by initials in the episode of the calf: עַמְּךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם (ammekha asher hotzeta me-eretz Mitzrayim), “your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 32:7). He wished to rectify the merkavah.

This is the mystery of “He gave it to the lad [הַנַּעַר, ha-naʿar] to prepare” (Genesis 18:7): Abraham wished to rectify the merkavah by turning the ox’s face into the face of a cherub, a “lad.” This is likewise the mystery of “Abraham ran to the herd,” the ox’s face in the merkavah—“a calf, son of the herd.” He wished to rectify it and put the “lad,” the cherub’s face, in its place. Through this, the harsh attribute of judgment would become soft and good.

This is also the mystery of Abraham pursuing with 318 men (Genesis 14:14), which our Rabbis said was Eliezer, whose name has that numerical value (Nedarim 32a). It is difficult: why did the matter require the numerical value 318 to be computed through Eliezer’s name? The mystery is that Abraham said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Dammesek Eliezer” (Genesis 15:2). אֱלִיעֶזֶר עֶבֶד אַבְרָהָם (Eliezer eved Avraham, “Eliezer, servant of Abraham”) has the numerical value of מֶרְכָּבָה שְׁלֵמָה (merkavah shelemah, “a complete chariot”).

The name אֱלִיעֶזֶר by itself likewise has the value of נֶשֶׁר שׁוֹר אַרְיֵה אָדָם (nesher, shor, aryeh, adam: eagle, ox, lion, man), totaling 1,317 when its initial א is counted as one thousand. The remaining letters ליעזר total 317; the complete merkavah is thus intimated in the numerical form of Eliezer. Abraham pursued after the angels. This is the mystery of דַּמֶּשֶׂק אֱלִיעֶזֶר (Dammesek Eliezer): דמש״ק is a notarikon for ד׳ מַחֲנֵה שְׁכִינָה קְדוֹשִׁים (four; camp of the Shekhinah; holy), which the text identifies with the number of Eliezer. [TN-093-03]

When Abraham sought to transform the ox’s face—the herd after which he ran—“he gave it to the lad to prepare”: he wished to place the cherub’s face in its stead. The merkavah was then changed, and the four faces of the merkavah—אַרְיֵה, הַכְּרוּב, נֶשֶׁר, אָדָם (aryeh, ha-keruv, nesher, adam: lion, cherub, eagle, man)—total 1,044, the value of אד״ם when the alef is the large alef of I Chronicles 1:1, “Adam, Seth, Enosh.” This is intimated by the final letters of וְהוּא עֹמֵד עֲלֵיהֶם (ve-hu omed aleihem, “and he stood over them”), which spell אד״ם. All Abraham’s activity in that episode was directed toward establishing the four faces of the holy creatures so that their total would equal אד״ם. In my view, this is the mystery of “and the likeness of Adam belonged to all four”: the number of all four creatures equals אד״ם.

Concerning this Moses said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time,” when the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the mystery of the cherubim, the mystery of the two nuns in וָאֶתְחַנַּן. Read it also as בָּעֵת הַהִיא (ba-et ha-hi): the four creatures occupy the four directions of the world, while one creature is above, toward the Throne; the merkavah is therefore divided into five. Hence “King of glory” occurs five times in Psalm 24, נֹגַהּ (nogah, “radiance”) five times in Ezekiel, and אוֹר (or, “light”) five times on the first day of Genesis.

Moses therefore said: Since “You have begun to show Your servant [עַבְדְּךָ, avdekha]”—“Your servant” is precise, for Sodei Razi states that no person ever attained the cherubim except Moses. The number of אֱלִיעֶזֶר עֶבֶד אַבְרָהָם (Eliezer, servant of Abraham), equal to a complete merkavah, is intimated in לְהַרְאוֹת (le-harʾot, “to show”), 642.

Since the human face goes first, as is indicated by “standing over him,” the prince appointed over the human face has the numerical value of אֵל יְהוָה (El YHWH), which equals גָּדְלְךָ (godlekha, “Your greatness”), 57. Moses therefore began with it: “You have begun to show me Your greatness,” the human face. Thus it is written, “You took gifts through Adam [בָּאָדָם, ba-adam]” (Psalms 68:19)—Adam is precise, for it is the human face. The final letters of כִּסֵּא כָבוֹד יַנְחִלֵם (kisse khavod yanḥilem, “a throne of glory He shall cause them to inherit”; I Samuel 2:8) spell אד״ם. The source joins this to “a throne of glory, exalted from the beginning” (Jeremiah 17:12), “the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house” (Isaiah 44:13), and the liturgical phrase “Moses, with the crown of Tiferet upon his head,” all concerning the human face. Its parenthetical punctuation is unbalanced at this point. [TN-093-04]

Since the merkavah is divided into five—four toward the four directions of the world and one above—it resembles a hand with five fingers. Moses therefore said, “and Your mighty hand.” Concerning this he asked, “Let me cross over, I pray, and see.” Sodei Razi, under the letter ע (ayin) of Eliezer, speaks at length of the mystery of a person’s eyes, which resemble the supernal cherubim: one cherub at one end, the right eye, and one cherub at the other end, the left eye. Moses did not know how to attain the mystery of this matter and therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel.

This is intimated by אעבר״ה, the numerical value of כְּרוּבִים (keruvim, “cherubim”). “And let me see”: when I am in the Land of Israel, I shall be able to attain that a person’s eyes are the mystery of the supernal cherubim; in the Land of Israel “the glory of the LORD shall be seen.” Moses said אֶעְבְּרָה also to intimate that he wished to turn the ox’s face into a cherub, for the letters of the merkavah were thereby changed.

The initials of the names of the four princes attached to the cherubim are הענ״ף, whose numerical value is ר״ה, 205. The reason for this number is the mystery of “and the shadows shall flee” (Song of Songs 2:17). Midrash Tanḥuma (Vayera §3), cited in Yalkut Shimoni (Song of Songs, allusion 986), says that these are the princes of the nations. The four kingdoms—Babylon, Media, Greece, and Edom—likewise total 205, the value of וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים (ve-nasu ha-tzelalim, “and the shadows shall flee”). When Israel descended into the four exiles, the cherub and the captains of its hosts had to protect them through this number.

This is intimated in אֶעְבְּרָה: when the value of כְּרוּבִים (keruvim, 278) is removed from שׁוֹר (shor, “ox,” 506), כְּרוּב (keruv, “cherub,” 228) remains in the merkavah. The princes who serve the cherub’s face are associated with the initials invoked through אֶעְבְּרָה; as stated, their initials הענ״ף have the value 205.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you wish to add to the merkavah. When the merkavah has an ox’s face, the total of all its princes equals מִדְיָן (Midian) with a large final nun in the AIQ BKR system, namely 754. If you remove the ox’s face, you must also remove its prince, Amtziyah, and bring in its place the princes whose mnemonic is הענ״ף. The text then states that the total of all the princes of the four creatures of the merkavah is the value called כֹּהֵן אוֹן (kohen On, “priest of On”), explained as 1,056.

This is the mystery of Joseph, who rectified the kelippah of On, while Moses rectified the kelippah of Midian. Thus the Zohar, Parashat Yitro, page 119 (Zohar II, 68a), says, “Moses and Joseph proceed in one degree.” Joseph therefore took the daughter of the priest of On (Genesis 41:45), while Moses took a woman who was the daughter of the priest of Midian (Exodus 2:21).

In my view, however, this is a supernal mystery, a mystery of Wisdom, contained in “Moses took Joseph’s bones with him [עִמּוֹ, immo]” (Exodus 13:19)—“with him” is precise. It refers to the holy merkavah. The mystery of On is that Joseph is in the mystery of the lad [נַעַר, naʿar] (Genesis 37:2), of whom it is said, “His firstborn ox, majesty is his [לוֹ, lo]” (Deuteronomy 33:17). “His” is precise: fair and majestic, so as to rectify the ox’s face and turn it into a cherub, for בְּכוֹר (bekhor, “firstborn”) is a permutation of כְּרוּב (keruv, “cherub”). When the cherub comes in place of the ox, the mystery-number of the merkavah is On.

The merkavah which the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses, however, had the ox’s face on the left. Its four princes therefore totaled only מִדְיָן with a large final nun in the AIQ BKR system, namely 754. Moses now petitioned: Since “You have begun to show Your servant”—Joseph, the faithful servant; or Moses himself, for when Moses came into this world Joseph’s likeness was with him—let me likewise turn the merkavah into a cherub, so that the sin of the calf will no longer be remembered against Israel.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you wish to multiply the powers of the princes of the merkavah when the face is changed into a cherub. “Do not continue to speak to Me anymore concerning this matter”: you wish to add the number עוֹד בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה (od ba-davar ha-zeh, “anymore concerning this matter”) to the merkavah. Ezekiel had to add the numerical value of רַחֲמִים (raḥamim, “mercy”) to the princes. The text first gives the total as 754, the value of Midian with large nun; it then uses 757 in the addition, adds רַחֲמִים, 298, and states that the result is או״ן, 1,056. These printed values do not reconcile under ordinary addition. [TN-093-05]

At first the princes numbered four; after the ox’s face was changed into a cherub, the princes would number seven. The text further says that עוֹד בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה has the numerical form ש״ה רצ״ח, and relates this computation to 757 and to seven over seven princes that replaced the first four. The exact arithmetic remains unresolved. [TN-093-06]

This is intimated by the initials of אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה (eʿberah na ve-erʾeh, “let me cross over, I pray, and see”), which form אנ״ו (anu). Moses prayed to accomplish what Ezekiel would accomplish at the First Destruction, concerning which it is said, “Her gates lamented and mourned [וְאָנוּ וְאָבְלוּ, ve-anu ve-avlu]” (Isaiah 3:26). Our Rabbis expounded in the proem to Lamentations Rabbah §7: אָנוּ at the First Destruction; אָבְלוּ at the Second Destruction. Thus in Ezekiel’s days, at the First Destruction, when he changed the ox’s face to a cherub, the princes of the merkavah had the value אנ״ו, 1,056. Moses wished to accomplish this.

The word נָא alludes to what was encoded by the large nun of Midian: at first Moses wished to rise to the large alef of On. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: “Command Joshua,” for he will rectify the merkavah. “Command” means none other than idolatry (Sanhedrin 56b), so as to cover the sin of the calf. “Strengthen him” in what Ezekiel would do, “and fortify him [וְאַמְּצֵהוּ, ve-ammetzehu]”—that is, let him remove the prince of the ox’s face, who is called Amtziyah [אמצי״ה]. “For he shall cross over”: this rectification was incumbent upon Joshua, as stated above.

Ofan 94

Moses saw the mystery of “A praise of David [תְּהִלָּה לְדָוִד, tehillah le-David]” (Psalms 145:1): whoever recites it three times every day is assured that he is a son of the World to Come. The letter נ (nun) is not said in Ashrei, as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, stated in the first chapter of Berakhot (4b). The Zohar (III, 6b), writing about the mystery of the Shekhinah as “the fallen booth of David,” uses the present tense because she falls every day; and there is no day whose curses are not more numerous than those of the day before it (Sotah 49a). She therefore requires support and sustenance.

Moses accordingly began וָאֶתְחַנַּן (va-etḥannan, “and I pleaded”) with a nun, alluding to the mystery of the fall of the Shekhinah in exile. This is intimated by “at that time,” for the Shekhinah is called עֵת (et, “time”), and she is the final ה (he) of the Name. There is a principle that the reading has maternal authority: Moses wished to provide support and sustenance for the Shekhinah.

He therefore first mentioned, “Since You have begun to show Your greatness”: this is Abraham, the lion’s face. “And Your mighty hand”: this is Isaac, the ox’s face. “For what god is there”: this is Jacob, the eagle’s face—“the way of an eagle in heaven” (Proverbs 30:19), and thus, “what god is there in heaven.” These three—ox, eagle, and lion—are stated to total 1,282. [TN-094-01]

This was Moses’ intention with the ה of אֶעְבְּרָה (eʿberah, “let me cross over”). The word אעברה intimates the three preceding faces of the creatures. They are the mystery of שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים (sheloshah anashim nitzavim, “three men standing”; Genesis 18:2), whose initials ש״א״נ correspond to שׁוֹר אַרְיֵה נֶשֶׁר (shor, aryeh, nesher: ox, lion, eagle). All three should pour their influence into the final ה of the Name, the mystery of the human face. That is, the three lines—חֶסֶד דִּין רַחֲמִים (Ḥesed, Din, Raḥamim: lovingkindness, judgment, mercy)—should pour their influence into Malkhut, the final ה of the Name.

This is the mystery of “Dammesek Eliezer” (Genesis 15:2). דמש״ק is a notarikon for ד׳ מִן שְׁלֹשָׁה קַוִּין (the fourth from three lines): the fourth letter of HaShem—that is, the final ה—is the mystery of the large ד in אֶחָד (eḥad, “one”; Deuteronomy 6:4). It should receive nourishment from the three lines, the mystery of אֱלִיעֶזֶר (Eliezer), whose numerical value is three times קַו (qav, “line”). Abraham therefore took 318 men (Genesis 14:14), the mystery of שי״ח, 318.

Moses said, “Let me cross over, I pray [נָא, na]”: I wish to rectify the notarikon of נ״א, נוּן אַשְׁרֵי (nun Ashrei), the letter nun missing from Ashrei, which is the mystery of the fall of the Shekhinah that he wished to rectify. For this reason one recites “A praise of David” three times each day: to draw down the three lines, חֶסֶד דִּין רַחֲמִים, which the source equates numerically with תְּהִלָּה לְדָוִד. For this same reason Jacob is called אִישׁ תָּם (ish tam, “a whole man”; Genesis 25:27): he comprises Ḥesed, Din, and Raḥamim, which the source equates numerically with ת״ם, the Shekhinah, called the kingdom of the house of David. Whoever recites תְּהִלָּה [לְ]דָוִד every day, drawing these three lines intimated in תְּהִלָּה to the Shekhinah, is without doubt a son of the World to Come, for he unifies the letters of the holy Name. [TN-094-02]

Moses therefore began with the Name אֲדֹנָי (Adonai), the mystery of the Shekhinah. He then stated the three lines: “Your greatness,” the line of Ḥesed; “Your mighty hand,” the line of Din; and “for what god is there,” and so forth, the line of Raḥamim. By entering the Land of Israel, he would join these three lines to the Land, which is the Shekhinah, the Name Adonai. This is the mystery of “I shall raise the cup of salvations” (Psalms 116:13), for it requires three (Zohar III, 246a), “and I shall call upon the name of the LORD,” thereby providing support and sustenance for the final ה of the Name.

The word אעבר״ה contains the letters ה׳ ארב״ע (he, arba: “the ה, four”): to unify the final ה of the Name so that Sarah might be in Kiryat Arba. שר״ה is a notarikon for שְׁלֹשָׁה רַגְלֵי הַמֶּרְכָּבָה (sheloshah raglei ha-merkavah), “the three legs of the chariot,” coupling them so that they would be in Kiryat Arba and [uncertain: ולסמו']. The word שָׂרָה (Sarah) also intimates Adonai, Ḥesed, Din, and Raḥamim, which the source equates numerically with Sarah; likewise דִּין אֱמֶת (Din Emet, “true judgment”) equals Sarah. [TN-094-03]

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): you have already effected unifications for the Shekhinah in exile.

Ofan 95

It is known that the four full spellings of HaShem in the four worlds—Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah—are ע״ב, ס״ג, מ״ה, and ב״ן (AB, SaG, MaH, and BaN: 72, 63, 45, and 52). Together with the three full spellings of אֶהְיֶה (Ehyeh), קס״א, קמ״ג, and קנ״א (161, 143, and 151), they contain sixty-nine letters. The source adds that “there are two instances of 161, but they are equal, and we count for them only seven מִלּוּאֵי הַמַּרְגְּלָא (milluʾei ha-margela, ‘fillings of the pearl’),” as the Ari explained at length concerning sackcloth and ashes. The seven spellings have the numerical value תרפ״ז, 687. [TN-095-01] The same value is found in “It shall be healing to your navel [רְפאוּת תְּהִי לְשָׁרֶּךָ]” (Proverbs 3:8), “You have been my help [עֶזְרָתִי הָיִיתָ]” (Psalms 27:9), and “heaven and earth [שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ].”

The Shekhinah is therefore called Bat-Sheva (Zohar III, 108b), for she comprises these seven full spellings. On this matter the Ari, of blessed memory, wrote in Tikkunei Teshuvah that Jacob said to his sons, “Take from the choice produce of the Land in your vessels” (Genesis 43:11). For this reason Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel and attain the mysteries of these stones of filling [אַבְנֵי מִלּוּאִים, avnei milluʾim]. In my opinion this mystery is intimated by the word מִלּוּאִים (milluʾim, “fillings”): when its א is treated as a large alef in the AIQ BKR system, its numerical value is תרפ״ז, 687.

The Land of Israel is the land of seven nations, and seven seas surround it; it is therefore called Bat-Sheva (Bava Batra 74b). Moses consequently prayed: Since “You have begun to show Your servant”—the mystery of עֶבֶד (eved, “servant”) is these Names of the margela, which have sixty-nine letters and five words. This is the mystery of the seven clouds of glory that surrounded Israel in the wilderness: add seven to sixty-nine, and the result is עבד, 76.

This is the mystery of the Torah, which was given with seven voices (Exodus Rabbah 28:6); Moses is therefore called “faithful servant” in that episode. All agree that the Torah was given on the Sabbath (Shabbat 86b). This is the mystery of שַׁעֲרֵי צֶדֶק (shaʿarei tzedek, “gates of righteousness”; Psalms 118:19), whose numerical value is בַּת שֶׁבַע (Bat-Sheva), for these seven Names shine on the Sabbath.

Thus, since “You have begun to show me” the mystery of “Your servant,” Moses proceeds to explain it. Corresponding to the full spellings of YHWH, which are the Ḥasadim, he said, “Your greatness”; corresponding to the full spellings of Ehyeh, which are the Gevurot, he said, “Your mighty hand.” He then explains, “for what god is there in heaven or on earth?” These are the seven full spellings whose numerical value is that of שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ (shamayim va-aretz, “heaven and earth”), 687. This is the mystery of מַעֲשֵׂה הַמֶּרְכָּבָה (maʿaseh ha-merkavah, “the Work of the Chariot”), likewise 687. Of this he said, “who can do according to Your deeds,” alluding to the Work of the Chariot; “and according to Your mighty acts” alludes to the Work of Creation—“the thunder of His mighty acts, who can understand?” (Job 26:14).

Therefore, “Let me cross over [אֶעְבְּרָה], I pray”: through a reversal and expansion of letters it alludes to רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל (roʿeh even Yisrael, “the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel”; Genesis 49:24). That is, in the Land of Israel he would understand and discern the mystery of the full spellings, and “the glory of the LORD filled the Land.” “And let me see the Land”: it is encircled by seven circuits. This is the mystery of אֵל (El) mentioned by Moses, for El written in full, אל״ף למ״ד, has the numerical value of הֶקֵּף (heqef, “circuit”), 185. [TN-095-02]

Jericho therefore had to be encircled for seven days with seven shofars. Its seven walls had been made and built upon the mystery of the kelippot: the seven compartments of Gehinnom (Eruvin 19a), the seven names of the evil inclination (Sukkah 52a), the seven halls of substitutions, and the seven primordial kings who died in the land of Edom. Israel therefore had to make seven circuits through the priests, who embody the attribute of Ḥesed, El—the mystery of “El is the LORD, and He has given us light” (Psalms 118:27). That is, over the seven days of the week they encircled Jericho seven times: seven circuits, seven instances of El, whose numerical value is וַיָּאֶר (va-yaʾer, “and He gave light”), 217.

Concerning this Moses said, “Let me cross over, I pray [נָא]”—in the mystery of “And now, I pray, let the power of Adonai be great” (Numbers 14:17). “Be great” is the mystery of Ḥesed: the power of Adonai must be increased and sweetened by expanding the letters נ״א as נו״ן אל״ף (nun alef), whose numerical value is seven times El, 217. Thus Scripture says, “Let me cross over נ״א”: I must pass through the city of Jericho, the mystery of the Shekhinah, with the letters נ״א written in full as נו״ן אל״ף. They are seven times El, the mystery of the seven circuits; and thereby, “let me see the Land.”

For this reason the Temple is called בִּירָה (birah, “citadel”), as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said, “Let the citadel prove it,” with the printed references Bava Qamma 59 and Yoma 9b. The Holy One, blessed be He, likewise said to Abraham, “I am the Master of the citadel” (Genesis Rabbah 39:1). The Land of Israel is called בִּירָה, the mystery of seven times El, 217. This is the meaning of “the horns of the altar” there, which indicate the circuits of the altar. Their mystery is אֵל יהוה (El YHWH), whose value is “Your greatness”; by the Name El YHWH, the mystery of “Your greatness,” they sweeten “the mighty hand,” as it is written, “El is the LORD, and He has given us light.” [TN-095-03]

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: “Command Joshua,” for he will perform the circuits. “Strengthen him” corresponds to the Ḥesed aspect of the full spellings of YHWH; “and fortify him” corresponds to the Gevurah aspect of the full spellings of Ehyeh. He will merit the seven circuits and conquer Jericho, which was “closed and enclosed” within the seven halls of substitutions and the seven evil compartments. “For he shall cross over” and nullify seven kelippot, “through all that you see”: the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the seven seas surrounding the Land of Israel.

Ofan 96

Moses prayed 515 prayers, in the mystery of Jacob’s words, “Give me my wife” (Genesis 29:21), alluding to the holy Land, “for my days are fulfilled.” At that time Jacob was eighty-four years old, expressed by the source as פ״א דל״ת—the full names of the letters פ״ד (“eighty-four”)—whose numerical value is 515. [TN-096-01] חָתָן כַּלָּה (ḥatan, kallah: bridegroom, bride), with the two words counted, has the numerical value 515, as does חֶסֶד אֱמֶת (Ḥesed, Emet: lovingkindness, truth), with the two words counted.

To enter the Land, Moses therefore had to pray 515 prayers, the numerical value of וָאֶתְחַנַּן (va-etḥannan, “and I pleaded”), so as to couple the attribute of Ḥesed with Emet, and likewise the bridegroom with the bride. This is the mystery of the bent נ and the straight final ן. Thus וָאֶתְחַנַּן has two nuns: “at that time [בָּעֵת הַהִיא]” corresponds to the bride, while the written form הַהוּא corresponds to the bridegroom.

It is known that the Land of Israel is called a bride. The word כַּלָּה (kallah, “bride”) therefore occurs ten times in the Song of Songs, as stated in Deuteronomy Rabbah, Parashat Va-Etḥannan (2:37), corresponding to the Land of Israel, which is sanctified with ten degrees of sanctity. Moses is the mystery of the bridegroom because he is the mystery of the sun: “the face of Moses was like the face of the sun” (Bava Batra 75a), and the sun has five beings that guide it.

Accordingly, in the psalm of the Giving of the Torah—which was said concerning Moses on the day of Shavuot, when he received the Torah, and for which reason one must recite the hillula de-Oraita every night of Shavuot, as stated in the Zohar, Parashat Terumah (Zohar II, 137a)—Scripture gives five descriptions of the Torah. “He is like a bridegroom going forth from his canopy” (Psalms 19:6) is the first; “he rejoices like a mighty man” is the second; “from the end of the heavens” (Psalms 19:7) is the third; “and its circuit” is the fourth; and “nothing is hidden” is the fifth. These correspond to the five angels that guide the sun.

Thus Moses is called a bridegroom. He wished to couple bridegroom and bride by entering the Land of Israel; he therefore had to pray the numerical value of חָתָן and כַּלָּה, and likewise the numerical value of חֶסֶד and אֱמֶת. Concerning this he said, אַתָּה הַחִלּוֹתָ לְהַרְאוֹת (attah haḥillota le-harʾot, “You have begun to show”), whose initials form אה״ל (ohel, “tent”). This is the mystery of the bride: “Moses would take the tent [הָאֹהֶל]” (Exodus 33:7), and “It came to pass on the day that Moses completed [כַּלּוֹת]” (Numbers 7:1). On the day when the bride entered the canopy with the bridegroom, the Tabernacle “was erected [הוּקַם]”; הוּקַם is a reversal of קוֹמָה (qomah, “stature”).

Sodei Razi states that the height of the Glory who sits upon the throne is a measure of 118,000 myriads of parasangs. In my opinion this is a supernal mystery: כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד (kisse ha-kavod, “the throne of glory”) has the numerical value 118. This is the mystery of “But You, O LORD, sit forever; Your throne [כִּסְאֲךָ] from generation to generation” (Lamentations 5:19)—“Your throne” is precise. This is also the mystery of “Moses would take [יִקַּח, yiqqaḥ],” which alludes to the measure of the stature of the throne of glory; and חָנֵּנִי אֱלֹהִים (ḥonneni Elohim, “Be gracious to me, O God”; Psalms 57:2) likewise has this value. Thus וָאֶתְחַנַּן intimates the throne of glory.

Corresponding to Ḥesed, Moses said, “Your greatness”; corresponding to Emet, he said, “and Your hand,” for וְאֶת יָדְךָ (ve-et yadekha, “and Your hand”) has the numerical value of אֱמֶת (Emet), 441. Since “lovingkindness and truth have met” (Psalms 85:11)—“met” is precise—and since he had prayed as many prayers as the numerical value of Ḥesed and Emet, he also sought to couple the other two letters of the holy Name, the mystery of the bridegroom and bride, ו״ה. This is the meaning of “in heaven and on earth,” and he likewise said it concerning ו״ה, to complete the merkavah of Ḥesed and Emet, which had met over the first two letters, י״ה.

Emet is the attribute of Din, with which the Holy One, blessed be He, created judgment. He therefore immediately stamped the seal of Emet upon the first verse of Genesis: the final letters of בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת (bara Elohim et, “God created”) spell אמ״ת (Emet). This is the meaning of “The beginning of Your word is truth” (Psalms 119:160). The reason it concludes with Emet is that it is Din; hence the verse continues, “and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”

Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said—under the source’s compressed and conflicting references “Sanhedrin and Shabbat 120 (Bava Metzia 30b)”—that the Land of Israel was destroyed only because they adjudicated there according to true judgment. [TN-096-02] For this reason Baḥya wrote that Moses did not mention the attribute of Emet in the episode of the spies, because it is Din.

We have thus established that Ḥesed and Emet are the first two letters, while Tzedek and Shalom—righteousness and peace—are the final two letters. They are the mystery of bridegroom and bride. Since Moses is the bridegroom, when he gave the Torah to Israel the verse “The LORD will give strength to His people” (Psalms 29:11)—that is, the Torah—was fulfilled; then “He blessed His people with peace” (Zevahim 116a). Thus Moses, the man of peace, wished to enter the Land of Israel, called Tzedek, as it is written, “Righteousness lodged in her” (Isaiah 1:21). The four attributes—Ḥesed, Emet, Tzedek, and Shalom—would then be together.

This is intimated by אעב״רה, which when its letters are reversed yields ארב״עה (arbaʿah, “four”): these four should be together, namely Ḥesed and Emet, and bridegroom and bride, who are Tzedek and Shalom. The source equates צֶדֶק וְשָׁלוֹם (Tzedek ve-Shalom) numerically with יְסוֹד מַלְכוּת (Yesod Malkhut). Corresponding to these, Israel had to accept 576 covenants for each and every commandment. This is stated to be the combination of YHWH and Elohim, with the numerical value 576, calculated as follows: י times הו״ה is 160; י״ה times ו״ה is 165; יה״ו times ה is 105; and the source calls the resulting sum תמי״ם. This is the mystery of “The Rock, His work is perfect [תָּמִים]” (Deuteronomy 32:4), immediately preceded by “When I call the name of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 32:3). The source further equates תָּמִים תִּהְיֶה עִם (tamim tihyeh im, “you shall be wholehearted with”; Deuteronomy 18:13) with גּוּף וּנְשָׁמָה ד׳ יְסוֹדוֹת (guf u-neshamah, dalet yesodot: “body and soul, four elements”). Add the Name Elohim to תמי״ם, and the result is said to be 576. The printed arithmetic does not reconcile under ordinary gematria. [TN-096-03]

Every Israelite therefore had to accept 576 covenants, according to the Jerusalem Talmud, tractate Sotah (7:4). This is the numerical value of עַבְדְּךָ (avdekha, “Your servant”) when its final ך is treated as a large kaf. Moses likewise alluded to it by “Since You have begun to show Your servant,” with a large kaf: 576, the mystery of Tzedek and Shalom. In “Your greatness and Your mighty hand” he alluded to Ḥesed and Emet; therefore, “let me cross over.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: Torah and greatness have already been given to you in one place, the mystery of Ḥesed and Emet. Moses could not receive the Torah of truth until he was given the countenance of Abraham, as stated in Midrash Rabbah (Exodus Rabbah 28:1); this is the mystery of greatness. Torah and greatness were therefore in one place: “lovingkindness and truth have met.” At that episode, moreover, “he is like a bridegroom going forth”; then “righteousness and peace kissed.”

This is the meaning of “Command [צַו אֶת, tzav et] Joshua”: צ״ו is a notarikon for צֶדֶק וְשָׁלוֹם (Tzedek ve-Shalom). “Strengthen him” in the attribute of Ḥesed, which begins with ח; “and fortify him” in the attribute of Emet, which begins with א. “For he shall cross over” and bring peace to Israel; “and he shall cause [Israel] to inherit” the Land of Israel, concerning which “righteousness lodged in her.”

Ofan 97

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel because the Foundation Stone is there, from which the world was founded. Through the holy spirit he saw that David would establish the subterranean drains (as stated in Sukkah 53a), which had been created during the six days of Creation. As stated in Sukkah 49a, “The drains were created during the six days of Creation,” for בְּרֵאשִׁית (bereshit) may be read בָּרָא שִׁית (bara shit), “He created the drains.” This is the mystery of “Your judgments are the great deep” (Psalms 36:7).

Upon the stone that David found was engraved the forty-two-letter Name, which issues from בְּרֵאשִׁית through the ב of וָבֹהוּ. The letters ה״ו of בֹהוּ, under the ATBaSH substitution, become צ״ף (tzaf, “floated”); at that time the deep was floating. [TN-097-01] This is the meaning of “He stretches the north over chaos; He suspends the earth upon nothingness [בְּלִימָה, belimah]” (Job 26:7). בְּלִי (beli, “without”) has the numerical value forty-two, and the source says that all the letters are present in it except מ״ה (mah, “what”): this is the mystery of בְּלִי מָה (beli mah, “without what”). [TN-097-02]

There is an appointed guardian over the deep, into which Israel used to pour the water libation, in the mystery of Ridya, who resembles a calf (as stated in Taʿanit 25b). Because Moses had brought damage through the making of the calf, which came about through his causation, he wished to rectify that calf in the deep by entering the Land.

He therefore said, “You have begun to show [לְהַרְאֹת, le-harʾot],” written defectively without ו. Its numerical value is twelve times אֶבֶן (even, “stone”): these are the twelve stones that Jacob took from the stones of the place and placed at his head when he lay down at the site of the Temple. From those twelve stones one stone was made (Ḥullin 91b), the mystery of the Foundation Stone, and he sealed the Name י״ה (YH) upon it.

Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Since the beginning of Creation is בְּרֵאשִׁית, which points to Moses, for whose sake the world was created, as stated there in Midrash Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah 1:4), and he began to establish the stones—that is, the twelve tribes of YH—and this is the mystery of the supernal measure of the stature, therefore he said, “Your greatness.” Israel were divided according to the permutations of HaShem.

Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, governs His world through six attributes of Ḥesed—“El, merciful and gracious, abundant in lovingkindness and truth” (Exodus 34:6), “preserving lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity” (Exodus 34:7), making six attributes of Ḥesed—so too Sodei Razi counts six Names of Din, “a jealous El,” and so forth; see there. Likewise, six of Israel’s names were engraved upon one stone and six names upon the second stone (Exodus 28:10). This is the mystery of the six steps to the throne (II Chronicles 9:18), and it is intimated by בְּרֵאשִׁית as בָּרָא שִׁית, “He created six.”

At the end of the Torah, its end is implanted in its beginning: “and in all the mighty hand that Moses wrought” (Deuteronomy 34:12). What is “the mighty hand”? בְּרֵאשִׁית, read בָּרָא שִׁית, “He created six.” Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, governs His world through six attributes of Ḥesed corresponding to six attributes of Din, so too Moses’ “mighty hand”—the tablets (Exodus Rabbah 46:3)—measured six by six handbreadths (Nedarim 38a), in the mystery of ז״ה (zeh, “this,” twelve). Likewise, “before the eyes of all Israel”: they too are divided six opposite six.

Moses therefore began וָאֶתְחַנַּן with ו, alluding to these six steps of the throne. Concerning them he said, “You have begun to show [לְהַרְאֹת],” written defectively without ו, whose numerical value is twelve times אֶבֶן, corresponding to the stones bearing the names of the children of Israel (Exodus 28:11). He said, “Your greatness,” corresponding to the six attributes through which the Holy One, blessed be He, governs His world with Ḥesed; and “Your mighty hand,” corresponding to the six attributes through which the Holy One, blessed be He, governs His world with Din.

Moses’ face is therefore the sun (Bava Batra 75a), for שמ״ש (shemesh, “sun”) is a notarikon for שִׁשָּׁה מוּל שִׁשָּׁה (shishah mul shishah), “six opposite six.” This is why he said, “for what El”—El is precise. The six attributes of Ḥesed begin with “El, merciful and gracious,” and the six attributes of Din likewise begin with “a jealous and avenging El.”

He therefore said, “Let me cross over, I pray [אֶעְבְּרָה נָא].” Through a reversal and expansion of letters, אֶעְבְּרָה alludes to רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל (roʿeh even Yisrael, “the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel”; Genesis 49:24). He wished to come to the Land of Israel, where the Foundation Stone is, sealed with the Name YH, and where “the tribes of YH ascend, to give thanks to the name of the LORD” (Psalms 122:4), and to rectify the drains and praise “Your judgments are the great deep.” [TN-097-03]

This is intimated by אֶעְבְּרָה: within it is ע״א רַבָּה (ayin-alef rabbah), “the great seventy-one,” namely, the great court of seventy-one that is appointed over “Your judgments, the great deep.” Moses wished to disclose “Your righteousness, like the mighty mountains [כְּהַרְרֵי אֵל]” (Psalms 36:7), and therefore said, “this good mountain,” the mystery of “the mighty mountains.” This is also why he said, “for what El.” Reverse אעבר״ה and there is ע״א רַבָּה: that is, the Sanhedrin numbers seventy-one, with Moses above them, to reverse the judgment of the great deep and remove הַמָּוֶת (ha-mavet, “death”), whose letters reversed yield תְּהוֹם (tehom, “deep”).

With what would he remove death? הַרְרֵי אֵל (harerei El, “mountains of El”) and הַמָּוֶת have the same numerical value. This is why Moses, written in full מ״ם שי״ן ה״א, has the numerical value of מָוֶת (mavet, “death”): he rises to nullify death. Likewise, אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה (eʿberah na ve-erʾeh, “let me cross over, I pray, and see”) has the numerical value of מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת (malʾakh ha-mavet, “the Angel of Death”), while וְאֶת יָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה (ve-et yadekha ha-ḥazaqah, “and Your mighty hand”) has the numerical value of צַלְמָוֶת (tzalmavet, “shadow of death”). This accords with what was said to Job: “Have the gates of death been revealed to you?” (Job 38:17). They are the six gates of the shadow of death; they too are six, within the mystery of the twelve gates of the sitra aḥra.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: since the mixed multitude is yours and you caused the calf (see Exodus Rabbah 42:6), you have no power to nullify the judgment of the great deep, where the appointed prince who resembles a calf is present; an accuser cannot become a defender. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak.” Rather, “Command Joshua,” who erected the stones at Gilgal (Joshua 4:20): six tribes turned their faces toward Mount Gerizim, eastward—“and strengthen him”—and six turned toward Mount Ebal (see Sifrei Deuteronomy 11:29).

Ofan 98

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel so that the flow of nurture would come from the three upper attributes. Moses had received the Torah only through seven voices, which are the mystery of the seven constructive sefirot, for the world begins with the attribute of Ḥesed. In the Land of Israel, however, where the source of holiness is located, he would merit governance by Arikh Anpin.

This mystery is made explicit in what he wrote: “I pleaded to YHWH.” The word ואתחנן (va-etḥannan, “I pleaded”) begins with ו (vav) and contains six letters, because governance at present is through Zeʿir, who is the mystery of the ו of the Name. He therefore said “to YHWH,” alluding to the ו of the Name, the attribute of Zeʿir. The phrase בעת ההוא לאמר (ba-et ha-hu leʾmor, “at that time, saying”) has the gematria of כתר חכמה בינה (Keter, Ḥokhmah, Binah), for Moses wished the world to be governed through these three attributes. He therefore said, “Hear, O Israel: you are crossing the Jordan” (Deuteronomy 9:1). שמע (shema, “hear”) is a notarikon for the three upper attributes: שלשה מדות עליונות (sheloshah middot elyonot) [TN-098-01].

He therefore said, “You have begun to show את (et),” specifically. The Holy One, blessed be He, established Moses in this world in the likeness of Zeʿir. He merited to receive the Torah only from “the arms of the world.” This is the meaning of “Your greatness,” the attribute of Ḥesed; “Your mighty hand,” the attribute of Gevurah; and “who is El?” the attribute of Tiferet. Thus, in this world Moses pertains to the mystery of Zeʿir. The source’s isolation of `את` in the phrase `להראות את דייקא` is clear, although the precise exegetical force of the object marker is compressed [TN-098-02].

Therefore he said, “Let me cross, please.” The word אעברה (eʿberah, “let me cross”) has the same gematria as זערא (zeʿira, “the Small One,” Zeʿir), concerning whom Job—whose book Moses wrote—said, “Bear with me a little” (כתר לי זעיר; Job 36:2). That is: כתר (Keter) is the mystery of Arikh Anpin, but זעיר לי (zeʿir li)—Zeʿir is mine, for I merited to receive the Torah only from the side of Zeʿir. This is the meaning of “and I shall see”: “Moses would speak, and God would answer him with a voice” (Exodus 19:19)—with Moses’ own voice (Berakhot 45a), which is the mystery of Tiferet. As the Sages said, “Tiferet” (I Chronicles 29:11)—“this is the giving of the Torah” (Berakhot 58a). But when I see the Land, I shall attain the letters נ״א (N-A), a notarikon for נתיב אריך (netiv Arikh, “the path of Arikh”) [TN-098-03].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” You do not require the Land of Israel for this purpose. “Ascend Mount Abarim,” which is the mystery of “the top of Pisgah”: the three upper attributes are called the “head,” above the arms. This is the meaning of “It is enough for you,” which is the mystery of “El, slow to anger” (אל ארך אפים). “Do not continue to speak אֵלַי (elai, ‘to Me’)”—specifically אֵלַי, for the three upper attributes are intimated in אלי: א (alef) is Keter, ל (lamed) is in the mystery of Binah, and י (yod) is in the mystery of Ḥokhmah.

This is a permutation of the “river Chebar” (נהר כבר; Ezekiel 1:3), for כב״ר is a notarikon for כתר בינה ראשית חכמה (Keter, Binah, the beginning of Ḥokhmah), which Ezekiel attained in the vision of the merkavah [TN-098-04]. This is the meaning of “command Joshua”: reveal to him as well the mystery of the three upper attributes. “Strengthen him” (וחזקהו) alludes to the prophet Ezekiel (יחזקאל): what Ezekiel merited to see by the river Chebar, reveal now to Joshua—everything that you see.

Ofan 99

The Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai the mystery of Shehakim. There, as we have learned among the mysteries of *Sodei Razayya*, in those heavens He was revealed to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses; and there at Sinai He was revealed “to Your people in the cloud of Your glory.” This is the mystery of the manna that descended from Shehakim in the wilderness. It is also the mystery of “You shall see My back” (Exodus 33:23): וראית את (ve-ra’ita et, “you shall see”) has the gematria of שחקים (Shehakim), with a large final מ. “But My face shall not be seen” alludes to Maʿon, the fifth firmament (Ḥagigah 12b). He therefore said, “The God of old is a dwelling” (מעונה אלהי קדם; Deuteronomy 33:27), with an added ה [TN-099-01].

Concerning this he said, “at that time, saying.” Read it as בעת ההיא (ba-et ha-hi), for Moses wished to attain the mystery of Maʿon and Makhon. He therefore opened with ו, and said ההוא (ha-hu) with ו. He wished to enter the Land of Israel because there “O LORD, I love the habitation (מעון) of Your house” (Psalms 26:8), and “the place (מכון) for Your dwelling that You made, O LORD” (Exodus 15:17). In the Land of Israel the verse “Lift up your heads, O gates” (Psalms 24:7) would be fulfilled. The Zohar on Vayikra (Zohar III 8b) asks: What are these “gates”? Maʿon and Makhon, Ḥesed and Fear.

On this basis Moses pleaded, “You have begun to show me,” for Moses said, “Adonai, You have been our dwelling (מעון)” (Psalms 90:1). He said the Name Adonai there, and therefore opened here with “Adonai YHWH.” He said “Your greatness” corresponding to Maʿon, which is Ḥesed, and “Your mighty hand” corresponding to Makhon, which is Fear. Since he said there, “from world to world You are El” (Psalms 90:2), he said here, “who is El?”

Here in the wilderness Moses attained only Shehakim, for את גדלך (et godlekha, “Your greatness”) has the gematria of שחקים (Shehakim). Moses is therefore called a bridegroom (חתן, hatan), “like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber” (Psalms 19:6), which is said concerning Moses. For it is taught in *Otiyyot de-Rabbi Akiva* that in Shehakim there are 458 camps of thousands of myriads who praise the Holy One, blessed be He, and are appointed over the bridegroom’s joy. תנ״ח (458), חת״ן (“bridegroom”), and שחקי״ם (Shehakim) have the same numerical value [TN-099-02].

Moses therefore said אעברה (eʿberah, “let me cross”) with an additional ה, alluding to the firmament Maʿon, which is the fifth firmament. According to *Sodei Razayya*, there are seven altars in Maʿon, corresponding to which the three Patriarchs built the seven supernal altars. Balaam had these in mind when he told Balak, “I have arranged the seven altars” (Numbers 23:4), with the definite ה (Tanḥuma, Tzav §1). He saw Israel’s exalted degree in the fifth firmament, Maʿon, where the matter of Israel’s greatness is explained at length in *Sodei Razayya*.

Balak therefore said, “Come, please, curse them for me” (לכה נא ארה לי; Numbers 22:6), with an additional ה. He saw Israel’s greatness in the firmament Maʿon and wished [uncertain: לנקות אותן] in that fifth firmament; by means of the additional ה, he showed this to Balaam [TN-099-03]. Since Balak showed Balaam Israel’s degree in the firmament Maʿon, Balaam had to build seven altars corresponding to it, in order to nullify Israel’s seven altars in the firmament Maʿon, which the three Patriarchs of the world had built. He therefore said “the seven altars,” with an additional ה, referring to those seven altars in the fifth firmament.

This is the mystery of “An Aramean sought to destroy my father” (Deuteronomy 26:5): Laban the Aramean, who is Balaam son of Beor, wished to destroy Israel, who possess three Patriarchs who built seven altars. This is expressed in the word אב״ד: these are the seven altars of the three Patriarchs, as Rashi states on the portion of Balak (Numbers 23:4, s.v. et) [TN-099-04]. Moses alluded to this with “at that time, saying”: בע״ת has the gematria of בלעם בן בעור (Balaam son of Beor), who sought to nullify Israel’s greatness in the fifth firmament, Maʿon. The form ההוא with ו alludes also to Makhon. These correspond to Abraham and Isaac—Ḥesed and Fear—which are the supernal gates, as taught in the Zohar (Vayikra, p. 11).

Moses therefore said in his prayer, “You have begun to show,” and so forth—specifically, “Your greatness,” for Israel’s greatness is seen above in the firmament Maʿon. He used three expressions—“Your greatness,” “Your mighty hand,” and “who is El in heaven and on earth?”—corresponding to the three Patriarchs, thereby alluding to Balaam’s wish to nullify the seven altars that the three Patriarchs had built.

Moses also alluded to the matter in the word אעברה, whose gematria equals בעור (Beor). Balaam son of Beor wished to bring down Israel’s greatness in the firmament Maʿon, the fifth firmament. Therefore, the five kings of Midian fell among their slain together with Balaam (Numbers 31:8). Moses asked to see Maʿon and “Makhon for Your dwelling that You made, O LORD.” This is the meaning of “this good mountain and Lebanon,” for there the gate of heaven is aligned with Maʿon and Makhon above.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” Not only were Maʿon and Makhon, the fifth and sixth firmaments, shown to Moses; he also attained the seventh firmament. ר״ב is a notarikon for רוכב בערבות (rokhev ba-Aravot, “He who rides through Aravot”), for the mystery of Aravot was also shown to him. This is the meaning of “for you shall not cross” (לא תעבור): the letters of תעבור can be reversed to form ערבות (Aravot). “Ascend to the top of Pisgah,” the mystery of the seventh firmament, where the Name YH is present, as it is written, “Extol Him who rides through Aravot; YH is His Name” (Psalms 68:5) [TN-099-05].

“Command Joshua”: Michael, the prince of Israel, came to him (Daniel 12:1). He is “commander of the host of the LORD” (Joshua 5:14; see Genesis Rabbah 97:3)—that is, of Israel, who are called a host. “Strengthen him” refers to the prince Michael, while “embolden him” refers to Michael’s forces in the sphere of Aravot. Thus it is taught in Midrash Abkir (p. 80) concerning “Jacob was left alone” (Genesis 32:25): at that time the angels in the sphere of Aravot sought to strike Jacob (Ḥullin 91b). Thus, Michael’s forces are in the sphere of Aravot.

Ofan 100

One may ask: did not the Holy One, blessed be He, show Moses from the beginning of his mission at the bush that הסנה (ha-seneh, “the bush”) has the numerical value 120, indicating that Moses would live 120 years? Although it is a decree that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not inform a person of his end, as taught in Shabbat 30a, He nevertheless revealed to Moses that his days would be 120 years. How, then, could Moses have entertained the thought that he would live longer?

From the beginning of the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed that Moses’ days would be 120 years. Concerning this the Sages said (Ḥullin 139b): Where is Moses indicated in the Torah? The answer is בשגם (be-shaggam), which is Moses, in “his days shall be 120 years” (Genesis 6:3). The Holy One, blessed be He, allotted him 120 years. Concerning this Moses said, “Erase me, please, from Your book” (Exodus 32:32): he meant the Book of Genesis [TN-100-01].

Some say that Moses asked only to enter the Land of Israel, see it, and die immediately, as indicated by “let me cross, please, and I shall see,” and as taught in Midrash Rabbah on this portion. I say, however, that a supernal mystery is present here. It is taught in *Sefer ha-Peliah*, as cited by the author of *Sodei Razayya*, that there are four seasons in the year and 183 windows in half a year. At the Nisan season, when the day of the equinox arrives, the sun passes through the window Taʿalumah. This is the mystery of “He brings hidden things (תעלומה) forth to light” (Job 28:11). At the Tammuz season it is called the window Naʿaman; at the Tishrei season, the window Nogah; and at the Tevet season, the window Bilgah [TN-100-02].

Concerning this, my young son Solomon, may he live, said with regard to the Hanukkah episode in the time of the Greeks—whose miracle occurred at the beginning of the Tevet season—that the Sages said in tractate Sukkah (56b) of Miriam daughter of Bilgah: she apostatized and married a Greek officer. She struck the altar and said, “Lukos, Lukos,” and so forth. The Sages therefore sealed her window. The Sages revealed the mystery of that window Bilgah, which is in the firmament and belongs to the Tevet season. They had that supernal window in mind. Otherwise, they would have had no need to inform us in the Gemara of her father’s name.

The Raʿaya Mehemna on the portion of Phinehas (Zohar III 244b) has already said: “The Tannaim and Amoraim—all their words are in the mystery of wisdom.” The Holy One, blessed be He, had already revealed to Moses the permutation בראשית (Bereshit) as תא״ר שב״י (T-A-R, shevi). That is, “You ascended on high; you took captive (שבי)” (Psalms 68:19)—the lights of all the souls intimated in the word תא״ר [TN-100-03].

The same letters are alluded to in the final letters of בע׳ת ההי׳א לאמ׳ר (“at that time, saying”), which spell תא״ר. This is a notarikon for תנאים אמוראים רבנים סבראי (Tannaim, Amoraim, Rabbis, Savoraim). It is the mystery of the vine with three branches (Genesis 40:10). The Name Adonai is called a vine (גפן, gefen), for the Name Adonai occurs 133 times in the Torah, equal to the numerical value of גפן. Although the Masorah records 134 occurrences, in the passage concerning Manoah, אדוני (Adonai) is written plene with ו (Judges 13:8). These three branches are the three generations designated by תא״ר, and they are also the three flocks of sheep lying beside the Torah, which is the well (Genesis 29:2). The source lists four groups in the expansion after calling them three generations; that numerical tension is retained rather than harmonized [TN-100-04].

Here too, then, we must say that the Sages intended to inform us that her father was named Bilgah after that supernal power. They therefore sealed its window through their prayer. According to the plain sense, there were ninety-six windows in the Temple.

It is possible that Moses intended this when he said, “You have begun to show Your servant”—specifically עבדך (avdekha, “Your servant”), whose numerical value is 96. These correspond to אל אדני (El Adonai), which is in the World of Asiyah. In my opinion, these ninety-six priestly windows were established corresponding to the ninety-six forces—thousands upon thousands, myriads upon myriads—of El Adonai in the World of Asiyah. Concerning this Moses said, “Who is El, who can act (יעשה)?”—specifically כמעשיך (“like Your deeds”), thereby alluding to the World of Asiyah. He wished to descend to the furthest constitution of these ninety-six forces. He therefore opened with Adonai and concluded with El. Upon entering the Land of Israel, he would see “the good mountain and Lebanon,” the Temple below, which had ninety-six windows corresponding to the supernal forces [TN-100-05].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” You can attain something greater than this—specifically ל״ך (L-K), which is the mystery of אל שדי (El Shaddai), whose gematria equals משה (Moses). These are the windows of the World of Beriah, where El Shaddai governs and “a thousand thousands serve Him” (Daniel 7:10). Rabbi Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, wrote that the mystery of those thousand worlds in Beriah derives from El Shaddai. When its names are filled out—אל״ף למ״ד שי״ן דל״ת יו״ד—the total is one thousand less one. This is the mystery of מטטרו״ן ש״ר הפני״ם, “Metatron, Prince of the Presence,” the prince of the hosts [TN-100-06].

This is intimated in “It is enough for you”—specifically “for you,” for the notarikon of משה is intimated in your name when your name is filled. “Command Joshua”: that is, the windows you wished to apprehend pertain to the Name Adonai in the World of Asiyah, corresponding to which ninety-six windows were established in the Temple below. Make those ninety-six windows known to Joshua.

Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, command Moses to reveal only the ninety-six forces of El Adonai, which governs the World of Asiyah, and not the fifty-seven forces in the World of Yetzirah, where El YHWH governs? Corresponding to this Moses said, “You have begun to show Your servant,” which is the mystery of the World of Yetzirah, where Metatron is called “Your servant,” as it is written, “Now, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant” (Daniel 9:17). This is said of Metatron, who prays for Israel every Monday and Thursday. In the World of Yetzirah, El YHWH governs. Concerning it he said, “Your greatness” (גדלך), whose gematria equals אל הוי״ה (El YHWH), namely 57 [TN-100-07]. If so, why did He disclose to Joshua only the ninety-six, El Adonai?

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered this with “It is enough for you.” That is, Metatron, Prince of the Presence, who is the master of Israel, is imprinted in no human being except Moses. Thus it is taught in Raʿaya Mehemna on the portion of Phinehas, p. 401 (Zohar III 219a): “You, Moses, make use of Metatron, Prince of the Presence, for he is imprinted in your name” (אנת משה נשתמש במטטרון שר הפנים דאיהו אתרשים בשמך). This is the meaning of “It is enough for you”: you can make use of the master of Israel, the staff of Moses, which is Metatron. Concerning him Moses said, “Your mighty hand,” for he belongs “to you,” being imprinted in your name.

Joshua’s degree, however, is below yours: his is the degree of Sandalfon in the World of Asiyah. Therefore, “command Joshua”: reveal to him the mystery of צ״ו (96), which is אל אדני (El Adonai). Concerning Sandalfon He said, “Strengthen him and embolden him” (וחזקהו ואמצהו), whose gematria equals סנדלפון (Sandalfon), for Joshua’s is the degree of Sandalfon in the World of Asiyah [TN-100-08].

Ofan 101

Moses wished to live for only six more months, and during those six months to merit all the commandments practiced in the Land of Israel. This is intimated in the word ואתחנן (va-etḥannan, “I pleaded”): his prayer was that he might merit to live in the Land of Israel and to know the mystery of these windows in the three seasons intimated by ואתחנן. During those six months, beginning with the Nisan season, he would merit to see Taʿalumah. When the Tammuz season arrived, he would merit to see the window Naʿaman; and when the Tishrei season came, he would merit to see the window Nogah. The verse “The path of the righteous is like the light of Nogah” (Proverbs 4:18) would then be fulfilled in him. Thus, all three pilgrimage festivals would occur within those six months.

This is intimated in ואתחנן: his plea was “to the LORD at that time.” That is, ההיא (ha-hi, “that”) refers to the word ואתחנן. At this point the supplied text preserves adjacent editorial readings, `(האותן)[באותן]`, before “the times intimated in the word ואתחנן”; the first form is anomalous, while the bracketed form means “in those” [TN-101-01]. The consonantal text reads ההוא (ha-hu). Moses asks the Holy One, blessed be He, to merit living through the times intimated in ואתחנן, where its components are read as ו; אור תעלומה; חלון נעמן; נגה (six; light of Taʿalumah; window of Naʿaman; Nogah) [TN-101-02].

Moses came to pray to HaShem concerning the period expressed in the word ואתחנן. That is: I ask to live no longer than six months, during which there will be 183 windows in the firmament, beginning when the sun arrives at the commencement of the Nisan season. I shall then merit seeing the light of Taʿalumah, which is the א״ת of ואתחנן, fulfilling the verse “He brings hidden things (תעלומה) forth to light (אור)” (Job 28:11). After three months, at the Tammuz season, I shall merit seeing חלון נעמן (halon Naʿaman, “the window of Naʿaman”), the ח״נ of ואתחנן. Then, at the beginning of the Tishrei season, at the end of six months, I shall merit apprehending the window Nogah, represented by the final נ of ואתחנן. This is the mystery of the long nun, which alludes to the mystery of the neshamah that comes from Binah, the mystery of “the breath (נשמת) of Shaddai gives them understanding” (Job 32:8).

Concerning this he said ההיא, while the consonantal text reads ההוא, at the end of six months. He began to arrange his prayer: I know that You have already allotted me a lifespan of 120 years, when “You began to show me Your greatness”—that is, at the vision of the bush. At that time You also began to show me “Your servant,” who is Metatron, when You gave him a sign and the staff was transformed into a serpent (Exodus 7:10) and the serpent into a staff (Exodus 7:12), for the staff in Moses’ hand is the mystery of Metatron.

At that time He showed him “Your mighty hand.” That is, in the vision of the bush He showed Moses that he would live for the numerical value of הסנה (ha-seneh, “the bush”), which equals the value of חזקה (hazakah, “mighty”), namely 120. The reason the Holy One, blessed be He, fixed his lifespan at 120 years was to sweeten the 120 “houses” of Elohim. Concerning this it is said, “Moses ascended to God” (Exodus 19:3): Moses, whose years numbered 120, ascended on high for 120 days—three periods of forty equal 120—“to Elohim,” in order to sweeten the 120 permutations of Elohim. Then “the LORD called to him,” which is mercy [TN-101-03].

This is the meaning of “who can act according to Your deeds and Your mighty acts?”—referring to the powers of judgment, which number 120, equal to Moses’ years. Thus his years were already complete. Yet I ask only to depart in the light of Nogah, as it is written, “The path of the righteous is like the light of Nogah” (Proverbs 4:18), and to fulfill the verse, “You shall decree a thing, and it shall be established for you, and light shall shine upon your paths” (Job 22:28).

This is intimated in “let me cross, please.” I wish to pass from this world through the notarikon נ״א, נגה אור (Nogah or, “Nogah-light”), the mystery of the window Nogah at the end of six months. This is why he said “and I shall see the land,” with an additional ו: during those six months I shall also merit seeing through the window Nogah, at the beginning of the Tishrei season. When I have been there for six months, I shall also fulfill “three times in the year shall [all your males] appear” (Exodus 23:17). This is the meaning of “and I shall see”: I shall fulfill the commandment of appearing three times a year, for the three pilgrimage festivals, upon which the world stands, are the purpose of the whole world [TN-101-04].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” You wish the verse “light shall shine upon your paths” to be fulfilled in you. The source adds parenthetically: “Many times this verse, ‘You shall decree a thing, and it shall be established for you,’ has been fulfilled. This is the meaning of ‘It is enough for you’—specifically ל״ך (lakh, ‘for you’), referring to the word ‘for you’ in ‘it shall be established for you.’ What you seek now is to fulfill the end of the verse, ‘light shall shine upon your path.’”

“Ascend to the top of Pisgah.” The initials of על דרכיך נגה (‘upon your paths, Nogah’) spell עד״ן (Eden). You wish the conclusion of the verse, in which Eden is intimated, to be fulfilled. This is the mystery of “No eye has seen, O God, besides You” (Isaiah 64:3; see Berakhot 34b). He therefore said, “Ascend to the top of Pisgah”: ascend through the letters that precede פסג״ה at their heads, which, according to the source’s alphabetic operation, are בעד״ן in the sequence of the alphabet, as explained above in Ofan 12 [TN-101-05].

This is the meaning of “see it with your eyes”: see there what no eye has permission to see—“no eye has seen, O God, besides You”—namely Eden, which “He will make for one who waits for Him.” The word “make” is precise. Moses had this in mind when he said, “who can act according to Your deeds?” No eye has seen it; only “who is El?”—He “will make for one who waits for Him,” according to Your deeds and mighty acts. Concerning this He also said, “It is enough for you”—specifically “for you”: I shall make it for you and not for another.

Ofan 102

Moses’ entire concern was that, during those six months in which, as we have said, he would be in the Land of Israel, he should merit seeing all fifty days that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave us. This is the mystery of “I acquired her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver” (Hosea 3:2), the mystery of Sukkot, which begins on the fifteenth day. “A homer of barley” represents the thirty days of Elul; “and a letekh of barley” represents the period from Tishrei until “the first day for the reckoning of sins” (Leviticus 23:40; Tanḥuma, Emor §22), namely fifteen days. Then there are additionally “many days you shall remain” (the source cites Joshua 3:3): “days” means two, and “many” means three. Altogether these are the fifty days of repentance until the completion of the sealing on Hoshana Rabbah [TN-102-01].

This is intimated in the ordinary final נ of ואתחנן and in “at that time.” בע״ת is a notarikon for בימי עשרת תשובה (bi-yemei aseret teshuvah, “in the days of the Ten [Days of] Repentance”). In ההי״א, the ה is precise: י, repentance, takes the form of ה, in relation to “Seek the LORD while He may be found” (Isaiah 55:6), as we say in Menaḥot 29b [TN-102-02]. It is a time set apart even for an individual (Yevamot 49b). The consonantal text therefore reads ההוא: that particular time is set apart even for the individual, and prayer is heard in it.

Concerning this David said, “But as for me, may my prayer be to You, O LORD, at a time of favor; O God, in the abundance of Your mercy” (Psalms 69:14). When I myself pray as an individual—“my prayer”—“to You, O LORD,” I must wait for the Name YHWH, that is, for the Ten Days of Repentance, “a time of favor.” When a multitude prays, however, it need not wait for that time. Even when Elohim governs the world, it is “in the abundance (ברוב) of Your mercy”: because the many (רבים) are praying, they bring Ḥesed into the world, although the Name Elohim, the attribute of judgment, holds sway [TN-102-03].

It is possible that Moses intended this when he said, “I pleaded to the LORD.” When I pray, I must wait “for HaShem”—that is, until “that time” becomes a time of favor. But since “You have begun to show me” that I comprise all three Patriarchs, as indicated by the ש of משה (Moshe), in accordance with the Zohar (Zohar I 266b)—“Moses was comprised of the three Patriarchs; this is the mystery of the ש of משה, whose three faces are the three Patriarchs”—then I am called “many.” He therefore arranged the three Patriarchs: “Your greatness” is Abraham, “Your mighty hand” is Isaac, and “who is El?” is Jacob.

If so, “let me cross, please”: I can cause the attribute of judgment to pass away even though the present is not a season of repentance, for נא means nothing other than “now.” The source adds parenthetically: “He therefore said, ‘YHWH Elohim’—merciful amid judgment. That is, because I am ‘many,’ I can pray even at a time of Elohim and transform Elohim into YHWH.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” It is true that you are not an individual but “many,” and “the many” are no fewer than three (Ketubot 75a), the mystery of the three Patriarchs. Although you are “many” (Taʿanit 9a), it is written, “Behold, El is mighty; He does not despise” (Job 36:5). Moses therefore intended to mention the Name El—“who is El in heaven and on earth?” Specifically El: I am like the many, who constitute a congregation, and “El is mighty; He does not despise” (Berakhot 8a). Nevertheless, the decree against you, which is accompanied by an oath, has already been sealed (see Rosh Hashanah 18a). Therefore, “do not continue to speak.”

Ofan 103

Concerning the fifty days during which, as we have said, Moses wished to be in the Land of Israel, there are three seasons of repentance that the three Patriarchs of the world established for us: Rosh Hashanah, the fast of Yom Kippur, and Hoshana Rabbah. Rosh Hashanah corresponds to Isaac, for “on that day Isaac is crowned as head of the Patriarchs,” as taught in the Zohar on Vayikra, p. 52 (Zohar III 32a). Yom Kippur corresponds to Jacob: “the great and awesome day of the LORD,” for Jacob said, “How awesome is this place!” (Genesis 28:17). Hoshana Rabbah corresponds to Abraham, who lived in the twenty-first generation, as taught in Midrash Rabbah; likewise, Hoshana Rabbah is the twenty-first day of the month.

Moses therefore asked to merit entering the Land of Israel and living for those six months, which comprise the seasons of repentance intimated by the נ of ואתחנן. They are also intimated in the word ההי״א, whose letters reversed form אהי״ה (Ehyeh), the Name present through the day of Hoshana Rabbah. On Yom Kippur the Name is YHWH vocalized with the pointing of Elohim, the mystery of Binah. On Rosh Hashanah, the “days of judgment,” דינ״א (dina, “judgment”) reverses to form אדני (Adonai). Moses arranged these three houses of judgment in parallel when he said: “Your greatness” is Abraham; “Your mighty hand” is Isaac; “who is El?” is Jacob. They are the mystery of these three seasons [TN-103-01].

This is why he alluded specifically through “who (מ״י) is El?” The mystery of repentance is intimated in מ״י: there are מ (forty) days until Yom Kippur and י (ten) days from Yom Kippur until the completion of the sealing. Then Abraham comes, whose mystery is El-Ḥesed—“the Ḥesed of El all day” (Psalms 52:3). This is the mystery of the windows of the firmament being opened in “Entreat, please, the face of El” (חלו נא פני אל; Malachi 1:9). נא is precise. Concerning it Jacob said, “Let my lord, please, pass before his servant” (Genesis 33:14)—again, נא specifically [TN-103-02].

Jacob disclosed to Esau that he should go on his way “toward Seir” (שעירה), which is the goat sent away on Yom Kippur, the goat for Azazel (Leviticus 16:10). Then, at that time, “Jacob journeyed to Sukkot” (Genesis 33:17), where he dwells beneath the “shade of faith,” and this is the completion of the sealing. “Jacob came whole” (Genesis 33:18). That is, “His pavilion was in Salem” (Psalms 76:3): when he completed his sukkah, on Hoshana Rabbah, then “Your judgments are a great deep” (Psalms 36:7).

On that day they beat the willow, a custom from the Prophets: “Beat, beat, but do not recite a blessing,” as taught in Sukkah 44b. The word חבי״ט (habit, “beat”) is a notarikon for חנוך בן ירד טוב (Hanokh ben Yered, tov: “Enoch, son of Jared, good”), and evil is removed from the world [TN-103-03].

This is intimated in “let me cross, please.” That is: I wish to see the Land of Israel and to walk before HaShem for only twenty-one days. The letters of אעבר״ה can be reversed to form ר״ע הב״א (ra ha-ba, “the evil that comes”), since at that time the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat (Genesis 8:4), where evil is found, as taught in the Zohar on Bemidbar, p. 421 (Zohar III 258b). The mystery of ערב״ה (aravah, “willow”), which is beaten on the Great Day, is also intimated in אעברה [TN-103-04].

The seventy princes of the seventy nations are removed as the festival bulls diminish, until one bull remains on the day of Atzeret corresponding to Israel (Zohar III 24b). You will find all this in the word אעברה: Israel’s one bull, פר אחד, is the א of אעברה; the seventy nations that are rejected are the ע of אעברה. The letters רב״ה then remain, for at that time “Your judgments are a great (רבה) deep.”

At that point the mystery of בו״ז (BUZ) is completed, for water is poured as a libation during the festival. On the Day of the Willow, the mnemonic בו״ז is completed, as taught in Shabbat 103b. Then “He pours contempt (בוז) upon nobles” (Psalms 107:40). This is the mystery of “Let lying lips be silenced” (Psalms 31:19), which is the mystery of the willow (see Tanḥuma, Emor §19), opposed to “lying lips that speak insolently against the righteous, with pride and contempt (בוז).” Moses therefore prayed for that time, to remove the lying lips on the twenty-first day, Hoshana Rabbah [TN-103-05].

Concerning this he said, “and I shall see the land”: I wish to live until that time for six more months. The additional ו in ואראה indicates the six months, while ארא״ה has the gematria of רב״ה. He therefore said הה״ר (ha-har, “the mountain”), a notarikon for הושענה רבה (Hoshana Rabbah). At that time, “on the mountain of the LORD it shall be seen” (בהר ה׳ יראה; Genesis 22:14). The letters can be reversed to form ארי״ה (aryeh, “lion”) from the right, corresponding to Abraham’s degree [TN-103-06]. This is why he said “this good mountain”: to repair the Tree of Knowledge, the mystery of Metatron, so that good would prevail and the “evil that comes” (ר״ע הב״א), expressed by the reversed letters of אעבר״ה, would be removed.

The phrase “beat, beat” occurs twice corresponding to the two willow branches; and חבי״ט is the notarikon stated above, חנוך בן ירד טוב (“Enoch, son of Jared, good”). The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you”—specifically, “How abundant is Your goodness” (מה רב טוב). You have already caused the attribute of good to prevail over Israel in the world. The word ל״ך (50) in “It is enough for you” also alludes to the seasons of repentance, which comprise fifty days. Therefore, “do not continue,” and so forth.

Ofan 104

Moses wished to live during the period when Israel dwells beneath “the shade of faith,” the mystery of Sukkot, as taught in the Zohar (III 103a). It is in the mystery of Binah, which spreads over us the sukkah of peace. He therefore said ואתחנן with an upright final נ. “At that time” is ההיא, whose letters reversed form אהיה (Ehyeh), the mystery of the sukkah through the Name Ehyeh. This is the mystery of the first ה of the Name—specifically “at that time.” He therefore invoked YHWH vocalized with the pointing of Elohim.

“You have begun to show” refers to the seven clouds of glory with which the Holy One, blessed be He, surrounded Israel; these are the mystery of the seven days of Sukkot. The initials of אתה החלות להראות (attah ha-hillota le-har’ot, “You have begun to show”) therefore spell אה״ל (ohel, “tent”). The Holy One, blessed be He, spread it immediately when Israel left Egypt: “They journeyed from Sukkot” (Exodus 13:20). At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, surrounded them with the three colors of the Patriarchs, the mystery of the three verses “the angel journeyed” (ויסע; Exodus 14:19), “it came” (ויבא; Exodus 14:20), and “Moses stretched out” (ויט; Exodus 14:21), corresponding to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob [TN-104-01].

Our sukkah rite includes four species, which are the mystery of the four legs of the merkavah. The lulav is taken in the right hand; this is the meaning of “Your greatness.” The etrog is held in the left; this is the meaning of “Your mighty hand,” the left hand. Rabbi Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, has explained at length that the four species of the lulav are the mystery of 1,024, for that is their combined numerical value.

This is the mystery of the verse “You return man to crushing (דכא), and say, ‘Return, children of man’” (Psalms 90:3). Moses recited that psalm on Yom Kippur, when Israel was forgiven for that sin and He said, “I have forgiven according to your word” (Numbers 14:20). Moses then said, “May the pleasantness [of the LORD our God be upon us]” (Psalms 90:17), for then there is “the pleasantness of the LORD our God,” “to behold the pleasantness of the LORD” (Psalms 27:4), and “He will conceal me in His sukkah” (Psalms 27:5). At that time, “You return man”: the attribute of repentance remains עד דכ״א—until Sukkot, when they take the four species in their hands, whose mystery is דכ״א, namely 1,024 [TN-104-02].

This is the mystery of the Gemara in the chapter *Lulav ve-Aravah* (Sukkah 45a): Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer, “Whoever fulfills the commandment of the lulav in its binding and the myrtle in its plaiting is regarded by Scripture as though he had built an altar and offered a sacrifice,” as it is said, “Bind the festival offering with cords,” and so forth (Psalms 118:27).

The altar measured thirty-two by thirty-two cubits (Yoma 16a), which in [uncertain: בתבריתא] is 1,024 [TN-104-03]. Likewise, אתרוג לולב הדס ערבה (etrog, lulav, myrtle, willow) has the gematria 1,024. For this reason, when one fulfills the commandment of the four species, intimated in the word עבותים (“cords/thick branches”), then ח״ג is also a notarikon for חותם גדול (hotam gadol, “great seal”). The lulav is the great key of the Written Torah, whose value is 1,024. It is equivalent to the dimensions of the altar, which likewise yield 1,024. The five words את גדלך ואת ידך החזקה (“Your greatness and Your mighty hand”) also have the gematria 1,024. These five words pertain to the mystery of the sukkah, the first ה of the Name [TN-104-04].

Moses therefore said, “who is א״ל (E-L) in heaven?” Specifically א״ל, the initials of אתרוג לולב (etrog, lulav). With it one waves upward and downward, outward and inward, toward Him to whom heaven and earth belong (Sukkah 37b). Moses therefore asked אעברה (eʿberah), whose letters reversed form ארבעה (arbaʿah, “four”), referring to these four species, the mystery of the holy unification. He also prayed אעברה with an additional ה, alluding to the commandment of sukkah, the first ה of the Name.

The phrase אעברה נא is a notarikon for אור עמך באורך רבון העולמים נראה אור (“Light is with You; in Your light, Master of the worlds, we shall see light”). “For with You is the source of life; in Your light we shall see light” (Psalms 36:10). I wish to dwell beneath the shade of faith, fulfilling “I delighted in his shade and sat there” (Song of Songs 2:3), the shade of the sukkah. “His fruit was sweet to my palate” corresponds to the four species (Zohar III 103a). Therefore I shall see the Land at that time [TN-104-05].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” Those clouds of glory were already present in the wilderness on your account. “The archers bitterly assailed him and shot at him” (Genesis 49:23): these were the Egyptians, who increased their shooting and loosed arrows at Israel, while the cloud received them like stones discharged from ballistae (Mekhilta 19:4). The word רב is expounded through רובה קשת (“an archer”; Genesis 21:20). This was on your account, and you have already merited the seven clouds of glory; you do not require the Land of Israel for this further purpose.

Likewise, the initials of ה׳חלות ל׳הראת א׳ת ע׳בדך (“You began to show Your servant”) spell אעל״ה (e‘eleh, “I shall ascend”). This is the mystery of the four species in the Zohar on the portion of Ki Tetze (Zohar III 283a), concerning the verse “I said, ‘I shall ascend the palm tree’” (Song of Songs 7:9). אעל״ה is a notarikon for אתרוג ערבה לולב הדס (etrog, willow, lulav, myrtle) [TN-104-06].

Moreover, when נ״א is filled out as נו״ן אל״ף, its gematria equals ה׳ ענני כבוד (“five clouds of glory”). There were four clouds on the four sides of the world and one above, in the likeness of the supernal merkavah, which has four living creatures corresponding to the four sides of the world and one above. We likewise find in the words of the Maggid of the *Beit Yosef* that he promised him that five clouds of glory would accompany him wherever he went. See the extended account there: on one occasion they withdrew from him because of a certain sin that befell him.

Moses therefore prayed אעברה נא with ה: that five clouds of glory would always surround him and never withdraw. They are intimated in נ״א, for the filled letters נו״ן אל״ף have the gematria of ה׳ ענני כבוד. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you”—more than five clouds of glory. “Do not continue to speak to Me again of this matter”—specifically ז״ה (“this,” seven-five): seven clouds of glory surround you in place of the five that you requested [TN-104-07].

Ofan 105

It is known from what is stated in the Tikkunim (Tikkunei Zohar 21, 59a) that the Name Adonai has four letters, corresponding to the four seasons of the year, and each letter contains three letters, corresponding to the three months of each season, as explained at length in *Pardes*. Accordingly, the letter א is appointed over the Nisan season; the letter ד over the three months of the Tammuz season; the נ of Adonai over the three months of the Tishrei season; and the י over the three months of the Tevet season.

Since Moses’ entire purpose in asking to enter the Land of Israel was to fulfill the many commandments dependent upon the Land (Sotah 14a), he asked only for the six months discussed above, from the Nisan season through the end of Tishrei. Without doubt, all commandments practiced in the Land depend upon these months: they include the three pilgrimage festivals and are the months of grain harvest, grape harvest, plowing, sowing, and reaping, upon which all those commandments depend.

He therefore began his prayer with the Name Adonai. Its four simple letters correspond to the four seasons of the year, while its twelve letters when filled correspond to the twelve months. Concerning this he said, “Adonai, You have begun”—specifically את״ה (A-T-H), a notarikon for ארבע תקופות השנה (arba tekufot ha-shanah, “the four seasons of the year”), which depend upon the Name Adonai [TN-105-01].

“You have begun to show Your servant”: at the beginning of the mission on which He sent Moses, He revealed to him, “This is My Name, and this is My memorial” (Exodus 3:15), concerning the Name Adonai—“I am not read as I am written,” as taught in Pesaḥim 50a. At the sea, which was split for Moses into twelve divisions, they were in the mystery of the twelve letters of Adonai, as taught in the Tikkunim (Tikkunei Zohar 21, 59a).

This is the mystery of the statement that a person’s sustenance is as difficult as the splitting of the Red Sea (Pesaḥim 118a). Just as the Red Sea was divided into twelve divisions through the Name Adonai, corresponding to Adonai’s twelve letters, so the twelve tribes walked through them: each tribe had one path of its own from the Name Adonai, one letter for each tribe. This is the mystery of “Your path was through mighty waters” (Psalms 77:20), and “who divided the Red Sea into divisions” (Psalms 136:13), for it was divided into twelve divisions, as taught in Midrash Rabbah (Exodus Rabbah 24:1) [TN-105-02].

Concerning this Moses said, “Your mighty hand; who is El?” At the sea Israel said, “Who is like You among the mighty?” (Exodus 15:11). Since You have already disclosed to me the mystery of the Name Adonai, I ask to live no longer than אעברה נ״א (“let me cross, please”)—that is, through these two seasons among the four seasons of the year: Nisan and Tishrei. The letter א of Adonai governs Nisan, while נ governs Tishrei. I require only those two seasons, which comprise all commandments practiced in the Land.

נ״א is a notarikon for ניסן איתן (Nisan, Eitan). That is, “the month of the Eitanim” is Tishrei; in the holy tongue it is called not Tishrei but Eitan. Under the ATBaSH substitution, נ״א becomes ט״ת, a notarikon for טבת תמוז (Tevet, Tammuz). Thus, when the word אעברה—whose letters reversed form ארבעה (“four”)—is joined to the four seasons of the year intimated in נ״א and its ATBaSH counterpart ט״ת, all four annual seasons governed by the four letters of Adonai are represented. Moses asked to see only two of them [TN-105-03].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” You have already apprehended all the letters of the Name Adonai in the twelve divisions at the sea, which are the twelve filled letters of Adonai. The four standards of Israel, each standard containing three tribes, likewise belong to the mystery of the Name Adonai: it has four letters, corresponding to “the fourth part of Israel” (Numbers 23:10), and each letter contains three letters, corresponding to the three letters of each letter when filled. Therefore, “do not continue again concerning this matter.”

“Command Joshua”: what you intend to accomplish through the commandments dependent upon the Land, command Joshua to do. He will perform the commandments practiced at those times. He said וחז״קהו (“strengthen him”), a notarikon for חרישה זריעה קצירה (harishah, zeri‘ah, ketzirah: “plowing, sowing, reaping”): let everything be for the sake of heaven, which is ה״ו of HaShem. Thus it is written, “In all your ways know Him” (דעהו; Proverbs 3:6), the “small passage” upon which all the principles of Torah depend (Berakhot 63a): in all your ways, act for the sake of heaven [TN-105-04].

This is the meaning of דעה״ו: דע ה״ו (“know H-V”). The ה is called “Name,” and the ו is called “heaven.” He therefore said here, “strengthen him”: all the acts performed in those seasons—plowing, sowing, and reaping—shall be for the sake of heaven. These concern the commandments practiced in the Land. Concerning the remaining commandments, which are obligations of the body rather than obligations of the soil, He said “embolden him,” which indicates strengthening the heart, as it is written, “You shall not harden your heart” (Deuteronomy 15:7). He said “for he shall cross” in relation to commandments that are obligations of the body, and “he shall cause [Israel] to inherit” in relation to commandments dependent upon the Land.

Ofan 106

It is known that two months of the year stand opposite one another. This is the dispute between Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Eliezer (Rosh Hashanah 11a): one says that the world was created in Nisan, and the other that it was created in Tishrei. It is taught in the Zohar on the portion of Balak (Zohar III 195b) that in the month of Nisan the time comes to search for leaven in the body, while in Tishrei one searches for the leaven of the soul, in order to remove the evil inclination and the transgressions committed throughout the year.

The Zohar there explains at length that, just as the rule concerning removal of leaven from the body is that one does not search for leaven in upper or lower holes that are beyond a person’s control, as taught in Pesaḥim 8a, so too a person is not punished for transgressions that he does not remember having committed in his youth.

These two months contain a great mystery, for they pertain to permutations of the four-letter Name. The month of Tishrei, whose zodiacal sign is Libra, is the mystery of the combination י״ה multiplied by י״ה: its numerical value equals מזל מאזנים (mazzal Moznayim, “the sign Libra”), namely 225. Its mnemonic is “of the sons of Ethan: Azariah” (I Chronicles 2:8): the month of Eitan, Tishrei, is built from the Name י״ה. The combination ו״ה multiplied by ו״ה has the numerical value of מזל טלה (mazzal Taleh, “the sign Aries”), namely 121. It is taught in the Tikkunim that this is the mystery of “the LORD is His Name” (Exodus 15:3). The two products, רכ״ה (225) and קכ״א (121), together equal שמ״ו (346); together the two combinations form the structure expressed by “the LORD is His Name” [TN-106-01].

We therefore find in the Zohar on Balak (Zohar III 196b) that in the days of Nisan and Tishrei the souls go forth, in the mystery of “Even the bird has found a house, and the sparrow a nest for herself” (Psalms 84:4). In those days the souls travel around the Garden of Eden; see there. This is also the mystery of the instruction in our Gemara to remain fifty cubits away from an innocuous ox during the days of Nisan (Pesaḥim 112b); the Zohar on Balak adds Tishrei as well.

The mystery is this. Israel has fifty days from Passover to Shavuot. The Sages interpreted the verse “I acquired her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver” (Hosea 3:2) in Ḥullin 92a, as Rashi explains there (s.v. va-ekereha), with reference to the fifty days until Shavuot. Correspondingly, we have fifty days from Rosh Ḥodesh Elul until the completion of the sealing. This is the mystery of “Isaac sowed in that land” (Genesis 26:12). Isaac governs “that” sabbatical cycle, and “he found a hundred gates”: these are the hundred days, fifty for the season of grain harvest and fifty for the season of grape harvest.

Moses had these two nuns in mind in the word ואתחנן. He wished to live six months so that he might see “the month of the Eitanim, foundations of the earth”—the months of Tishrei and Nisan, when the curtain of the souls is opened. Concerning this David said, “How lovely are Your dwelling places” (Psalms 84:2)—specifically מ״ה (mah, “how”). Do not read מ״ה but מאה (me’ah, “one hundred”), as taught in Menaḥot 43b: these are the hundred gates “in that land.” In those days “even the bird has found a house.” As stated in the Zohar there, the souls in those days “enter and go forth” [TN-106-02].

The verse therefore says, “and the sparrow a nest (קן) for herself,” with a large ק, the opposite of “I am disgusted with my life” (קצתי בחיי), said by Rebecca (Genesis 27:46), who is the mystery of the Shekhinah that loves Jacob, where the ק is small. Likewise, the ק of “a derision among those who rise against them” (לשמצה בקמיהם; Exodus 32:28, as printed) [TN-106-12] is small. At the destruction of the Temple the wings of the living creatures were diminished, as taught in Ḥagigah 13b. This is intimated in קצתי, referring to the “end” (קץ) of the Temple’s existence after 410 years. At that time the debt of the calf was collected and the kelippah became strong.

This is the mystery of the one hundred cities that Isaac gave Esau, down to Magdiel, which the supplied text identifies as [uncertain: שהוא יום] (“which is day”) (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 38) [TN-106-03]. Up to one hundred are the powers of the demons, as taught in the chapter *Arvei Pesaḥim* (Pesaḥim 110a). Here, however, David alludes with a large ק to the hundred keys that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Abraham, who is the soul, equal to the numerical value of ל״ך ל״ך (lekh lekha, 50 + 50), as taught in *Sitrei Torah* on Lekh Lekha (Zohar I 76b).

David therefore alluded with “and the sparrow a nest (קן) for herself” to those hundred days of the year, divided into the two groups of fifty represented by the נ of ק״ן. At that time, “where she has placed her young beside Your altars” (Psalms 84:4), for the souls fly during the days of Nisan and Tishrei.

This verse intimates Moses’ longing to enter the Land of Israel. Concerning this he said, “My soul yearns, indeed it pines, for the courts of the house of our God” (Psalms 84:3), namely the Land of Israel. There, “my heart and my flesh sing together to the living El.” This is one reason for dwelling in the Land of Israel: the body and the heart, which is the soul, still remain together in one place, and they ascend immediately to heaven. When the body remains outside the Land, however, the heart must travel alone by way of the inclined ladders of Tyre toward the Land of Israel, fulfilling the verse “they shall pray to the LORD by way of their land” (I Kings 8:48) [TN-106-04].

There is a second reason Moses longed for the Land of Israel: “this is the gate of heaven” in the Land of Israel below, aligned with the merkavah above. The Shekhinah sits upon the throne; the living creatures bear the throne around it; there thrones are set, and the souls enter and go forth from there. This is the meaning of “Even the bird has found a house.” That is, there is an additional reason to see the Land of Israel: the bird, which is the soul, has found the Land of Israel as its house—“this is none other than the house of God” (Genesis 28:17).

The word שמ״ה (shammah, “there”) contains the letters מש״ה (Moshe). This is why Moses longed for the Land of Israel. The word שתה (shatah, “has placed”) likewise alludes to Moses, as taught in the Zohar (Tikkunei Zohar 69, 117b) on the verse “You placed (שתה) all things beneath his feet” (Psalms 8:7). Moses had been a gilgul of Seth (שת), and afterward a gilgul of Shem son of Noah. It was not for nothing that Shem established houses of study, for Moses’ soul was within him. The letter ה of מש״ה was subsequently added to him. The verse therefore says שתה, with ה, “beneath his feet,” alluding to the ה of Moses [TN-106-05].

Thus, in the word שתה Moses is intimated here: because of these two months, when “the bird has found the house,” Moses longed to remain for another six months in the Land of Israel. This matter is encoded in the word ואתחנן as a sequence of initials: ו׳; איתן; תשרי; חדש; ניסן; ן רבתי (“six; Eitan; Tishrei; month; Nisan; large final nun”). That is, Moses wished to live six months in the Land because of “the month of the Eitanim, foundations of the earth,” the month of Tishrei, and also the month of Nisan [TN-106-06].

The reason for these two months is also the upright נ, the mystery of the soul (נשמה). It is so called on account of נ׳ שמ״ה (“the fifty is there”), for it draws its nurture from the fifty gates of Binah, as it is written, “the breath (נשמת) of Shaddai gives them understanding” (Job 32:8). That is, the souls come from the World of the Throne, where El Shaddai governs and supernal Imma nests in the throne. The word תבינם (“gives them understanding”) alludes to Binah.

This is the construction “I pleaded to YHWH.” It refers to these two months, Nisan and Tishrei. Concerning them, the Midrash on Ecclesiastes, p. 103 (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 11:2, on Ecclesiastes 11:2), says: “Give a portion to seven,” alluding to Passover, “and also to eight,” alluding to Sukkot. ת״ן is a notarikon for תשרי ניסן (Tishrei, Nisan), in which the permutation of the Name is found. He therefore said “at that time,” ההיא with י, referring to the Name י״ה, which governs Tishrei; the consonantal form is ההוא with ו, referring to the Name ו״ה, which governs Nisan [TN-106-07].

On this basis Moses said: Since “You have begun to show me” these two months—in Nisan, “Let there be light,” the day of Passover, the mystery of Ḥesed, concerning which he said “Your greatness”; and “Your mighty hand” corresponding to the month of Tishrei, the day of Rosh Hashanah, the “strong month,” which is judgment—therefore, “who is El in heaven and on earth?” This alludes to these two months and to “the shop is open” (חנות פתוחה; Avot 3:16). חנו״ת is a notarikon for חודש ניסן וחודש תשרי (“the month of Nisan and the month of Tishrei”), for in these two months the curtains of the souls are open above. They are the mystery of “the LORD is His Name,” מזל מאזנים (Libra) and מזל טלה (Aries).

It is known that the initials of ישמחו השמים ותגל הארץ (“Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult”; Psalms 96:11) form the Name YHWH: י״ה is in “the heavens,” and ו״ה in “the earth.” As stated above, י״ה multiplied by י״ה equals the value of מזל מאזנים, Tishrei; ו״ה multiplied by ו״ה equals the value of מזל טלה, Nisan. Thus Moses said, “who is El in heaven and on earth?” Tishrei is י״ה in heaven, while Nisan is ו״ה on earth [TN-106-08].

“Who can act according to Your deeds?” refers to the days of Nisan, when the world was created in deed, through Ḥesed, as it is written, “I said: the world shall be built through Ḥesed” (Psalms 89:3). This is בהבראם (“when they were created”; Genesis 2:4), whose letters reversed form באברהם (“through Abraham”), as taught in Genesis Rabbah 12:9 [uncertain: (כדאיתא במדרש רבה (ב״ר פי״ב ט׳)] [TN-106-11]. On Rosh Hashanah, however, the world existed in thought (see Tosafot on Rosh Hashanah 27a, s.v. ke-man), and the thought of the Holy One, blessed be He, arose to create it through judgment (Genesis Rabbah 12:15). Moses therefore said “according to Your mighty acts,” for it is Isaac’s day, on which he is crowned as head of the Patriarchs (see Zohar III 32a).

Moses therefore prayed, “let me cross, please.” נ״א is a notarikon for נתיב איתן (netiv Eitan, “the Eitan path”). The path that is the fiftieth gate is called Eitan in the Zohar Sava (Zohar II 110b). Moses wished to be present in the month of Eitan, Tishrei, at the Eitan gate—the Temple, which is called the “Eitan gate” (Ezekiel 40:15). This is the meaning of “this good mountain and Lebanon”: he set his heart to understand the fiftieth gate at the place of the Eitan gate, the gate of the Temple [TN-106-09].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” It is taught in the *Hekhalot of Rabbi Ishmael*: “Metatron, Prince of the Presence, said to me: The Holy One, blessed be He, took me, appointed me prince over all the princes, and fixed in me forty-nine precious stones; every light was in the sphere of the sun,” and so forth; see there. For this reason, the forty-nine gates of Binah were delivered to Moses (Nedarim 38a). In this world Moses made use of Metatron, Prince of the Presence, who is imprinted in his name. He was the angel of HaShem who appeared to Moses “in a flame of fire” (Exodus 3:2).

Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, entrusted Metatron with forty-nine precious stones corresponding to the forty-nine gates of Binah, and Metatron was Moses’ master, so too forty-nine gates were delivered below to Moses. This is the meaning of “It is enough for you”: what your master, Metatron, knows has been revealed to you. At the beginning of his name מטטרון, מ״ט alludes to the forty-nine pure aspects from the side of good; there are also forty-nine impure aspects from the side of evil (see Numbers Rabbah 2:3). The letters ט״ר from מטטרון are a notarikon for טוב רע (tov, ra: “good, evil”). In truth, however, there are fifty gates; this is the final נ of מטטרון. Therefore, “do not continue to speak” in order that any more be revealed to you. “Command Joshua”: corresponding to the forty-nine pure aspects, “strengthen him”; corresponding to the forty-nine impure aspects, “embolden him” [TN-106-10].

Ofan 107

It is taught in the Zohar on the portion of Yitro (Zohar II 78b) that Esau and Jacob divided the months between them according to law. Since Abraham took the month of Nisan, Isaac took Iyar, and Jacob took Sivan, whose zodiacal sign is Gemini, Esau should likewise have taken three months: Tammuz, Av, and Elul. The mnemonic is “He shone from Seir upon them; He came (את״א) from the myriads of holiness” (Deuteronomy 33:2). These three months are intimated in את״א: א״ב, ת״מוז, א״לול (Av, Tammuz, Elul) [TN-107-01].

The month of Elul was taken entirely from the wicked Esau, in the mystery of “the enemy—his ruins are ended forever” (האויב תמו חרבות לנצח; Psalms 9:7). Tammuz and Av were also taken away from him, as taught there in the Zohar, and only the twenty-one days of *Bein ha-Metzarim* were given to him. In the month of Elul, repentance was given to Israel.

This was the matter of Balak and Balaam: they wished to take from Israel the month of Elul, which had formerly been Esau’s. The wars against Sihon and Og took place at the end of Elul (see Numbers Rabbah 19:32). Balaam heard the rulers in the firmament say, “Come to Heshbon,” that the angels of the Amorites had been destroyed, and that the mighty governors were saying, “Woe to you, Moab!” (Numbers 21:29).

He therefore used the word אר״ה (arah, “curse”; Numbers 22:6), because he feared the notarikon אלול רא״ש (Elul, Rosh [Hashanah]) expressed by אר״ה: immediately after Elul comes Rosh Hashanah, the day of repentance. He therefore said לכה נא with an additional ה, alluding to repentance. He said נכה (“we shall strike”) in the plural, with נ, referring to the fifty days of repentance, which contain 1,200 hours, for twenty-four multiplied by fifty equals 1,200. Thus he said ארה לי: it alludes to the ה of repentance, which extends through one thousand two hundred hours in fifty days; this is intimated in אר״ה [TN-107-02].

Balaam knew that the Holy One, blessed be He, had given us these fifty days for repentance, one of the seven things created before the world (Nedarim 39b). He therefore said only קבה (qovah, “curse”; Numbers 22:11), referring to the twenty-one days of *Bein ha-Metzarim*, during which Ketev Meriri holds sway (Deuteronomy 32:24), as taught in Pesaḥim 111b. This was Balaam’s power. Among the nations “there arose” (ק״ם), as taught in the Midrash on Berakhot (Numbers Rabbah 14:20)—a notarikon for קטב מרירי (Ketev Meriri)—and within these forces are all forms of sorcery in the world. But in Israel “there did not arise” (לא קם; Deuteronomy 34:10): Ketev Meriri is not found in Israel, “for there is no enchantment in Jacob” (Numbers 23:23) [TN-107-03].

It is known from *Sefer ha-Peliah* that there are 2,100 kinds of plants in the world over which angels are appointed. This is the mystery of “Do you know the ordinances of heaven?” (Job 38:33): these are the angels appointed over plants. The Holy One, blessed be He, asked Job whether he knew how many there were—angels who tell the plants “Grow!” and strike them, as we say in the first chapter of Ḥullin, although the source’s parenthetical locator is Genesis Rabbah 10:6 [TN-107-04].

He then said, “Can you set its dominion on the earth?” (ibid.). That is, the word אר״ץ (eretz, “earth”) intimates the zodiacal powers and angels appointed over the plants, whose number equals אר״ץ. The א is one thousand; the ר has its ordinary value, two hundred; and the final ץ, under the AIQ numerical system, has the value nine hundred. Together they total 2,100.

This is intimated in the word קב״ה, by which Balaam sought to curse Israel during those twenty-one days when Ketev Meriri and its forces—sorcery and divination—hold sway. The forces appointed over them number twenty-one hundred, which the source equates with קב״ה: ק has its ordinary value of one hundred, while ב indicates two thousand, as Balak likewise said, “Neither curse (קב) them at all” (Numbers 23:25). The source’s stated arithmetic does not explicitly account for the final ה [TN-107-05].

We have thus arrived at the interpretation that “the LORD your God was unwilling to listen to Balaam” (Deuteronomy 23:6). Scripture uses the word אבה (“was willing”) rather than רצה (“desired”) or מאן (“refused”) to intimate that the Holy One, blessed be He, not only took from “the myriads of holiness”—the princes of the nations—the א of את״א, namely Elul, and gave us the days of repentance intimated in it; He did not even give Esau the entire month of Av. Av is the month of the lion in the kelippah, yet He took part of it away as well and gave Esau only ten days. Thus Rabbi Yohanan said (Taʿanit 29a), “Had I been there, I would have established the fast [also on the tenth].” Correspondingly, He gave us the Ten Days of Repentance.

This is the meaning of “the LORD your God transformed for you” (Deuteronomy 23:6). The word ל״ך alludes to those fifty days: ל, the thirty days of Elul, and ך, the twenty days of Tishrei until the completion of the sealing. He transformed “the curse into a blessing”—specifically א״ת, for “God has made this corresponding to that” (Ecclesiastes 7:14). Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, gave אב תמוז (Av, Tammuz) to Esau, He gave us אלול תשרי (Elul, Tishrei), the corresponding א״ת.

Balak said, “Curse for me א״ת this people”—specifically א״ת, namely אלול תשרי (Elul, Tishrei)—“perhaps I shall be able; we shall strike” with נ, referring to those fifty days. But the Holy One, blessed be He, “transformed for you”—specifically ל״ך—those fifty days from curse to blessing [TN-107-06].

Moses therefore sought to overturn the design of Balaam son of Beor, who had besieged Israel with his sorceries and his degrees. He opened with ואתחנ״ן—specifically א״ת: his supplication concerned the letters א״ת just discussed. “At that time”: בע״ת has the gematria of בלעם בן בעור (Balaam son of Beor), who through his sorcery bound “a time of trouble for Jacob,” namely *Bein ha-Metzarim*.

The word לאמ״ר intimates the four appearances of the plague, which are “two that are four,” as taught in Shevuot 2a [TN-107-15]. This is the mystery of the ḥashmal of the sitra aḥra, a notarikon for חמור שור מחלת לילית (hamor, shor, Mahalat, Lilith: “donkey, ox, Mahalat, Lilith”). The kelippah of Ishmael is the donkey, and his consort is Mahalat daughter of Ishmael. The kelippah of Edom is the ox, and his consort is Lilith. This is intimated in ההיא, the female, and ההוא, the male.

The word לאמ״ר is also a notarikon for לילית אדום מחלת רהב (Lilith, Edom, Mahalat, Rahab). Rahab is the prince of Ishmael. The female stands above the male and is intimated by severe judgment, according to the source’s compressed formulation [TN-107-07]. Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel and pray concerning this; he therefore opened with Adonai, where דינ״א (dina, “judgment”) is found.

He said, “You have begun to show,” which the source relates by initial letters to the verse האויב תמו חרבות לנצח (“the enemy—his ruins are ended forever”; Psalms 9:7) [TN-107-08]. He said א״ת twice, referring to these four months. א״ת in “Your greatness” alludes to אלול תשרי (Elul, Tishrei). א״ת in “Your mighty hand” alludes to אב תמוז (Av, Tammuz). Concerning the latter the source gives the damaged or compressed wording [uncertain: מפני ידך ישבתי יהפוך ידו כל היום] and cites Lamentations 3:3 [TN-107-09]. It is “the mighty hand” from the side of judgment, when enemies ruled over us. In Elul and Tishrei, however, there is “Your greatness,” for people magnify the Holy One, blessed be He, through repentance and commandments.

Concerning the days of *Bein ha-Metzarim*, when the angels appointed over the plants hold sway, he said, “who is El in heaven and on earth?”—“How can I curse? El has not cursed” (Numbers 23:8). These are the angels concerning whom the verse says, “Do you know the ordinances of heaven? Can you set its dominion on the earth?” (Job 38:33). Their number is אר״ץ, namely 2,100, as explained above. “Who can act according to Your deeds?” for it is written, “there is no other besides Him” (Deuteronomy 4:35).

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel and remove the powers of impurity, so that all four months would belong to us and not to Esau. This is intimated in the word אעבר״ה: he wished to remove ר״ע הב״א (“the evil that comes”) during those days, so that all four months would be ours like the נ״א days of repentance. The source here says נ״א, which can be read as fifty-one, although the surrounding count elsewhere is fifty; the numerical tension is not silently harmonized [TN-107-10].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” It is abundant for Israel that I have given them all thirty days of Elul, the standard interval of a court—thirty days before the Day of Judgment, Rosh Hashanah—and another twenty days until the completion of the sealing. This is the mystery of ל and ך, the portions of Elul and Tishrei intimated in ל״ך. “Do not continue to speak to Me again concerning this”—specifically ז״ה, which the source says alludes to the seventeenth day of Tammuz, when the evil days begin. The printed letter-number claim is not transparent [TN-107-11].

He also said, “It is enough for you”: you must remain here to subdue the power of Mahalat daughter of Ishmael, the power of the donkey in the wilderness, and Balaam’s she-ass, which is the mystery of אשל״א רברבא (ashla rabbah, “the great ashla”). Ashla is the mystery of Mahalat daughter of Ishmael. Its gematria is “one thousand three hundred and thirty-one,” equal to אשלא when the final א is counted as one thousand [TN-107-12].

Likewise, concerning the kelippah Rahab, the Zohar on Balak (Zohar III 192b) says, “‘He appeared from Mount Paran’—this is Rahab.” פאר״ן (Paran) has the gematria of אש״ל (eshel), and Rahab too is called “the great eshel.” Corresponding to him, Abraham had to rise early in the morning to saddle the donkey (Genesis 22:3), in the first watch of the night (Berakhot 3a), and had to plant an eshel in Beersheba (Genesis 21:33) against the kelippah of his son Ishmael.

Ishmael’s mother, called Hagar, comprised 208 powers of judgment, equal to the numerical value of יצח״ק (Isaac). “His mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt” (Genesis 21:21), where “their flesh is the flesh of donkeys” (Ezekiel 23:20); and she dwelt in the wilderness of Paran. Corresponding to this Abraham planted an אש״ל in order to uproot “the great eshel”: it is אש״ל and it is אשל״א רברבא.

From this power Balak said אר״ה, a notarikon for אשל״א רברבא. He sent for Balaam at פתור״ה, which is the mystery of רה״ב מחל״ת (Rahab, Mahalat), one calculation equal to the other [TN-107-13]. He therefore said here, “It is enough for you,” concerning the great eshel.

The phrase א״ל תס״ף (“do not continue”) has the gematria 571, the mystery of the distress (עקתא) of the kelippot of Ishmael. Rabbi Isaac Luria wrote that Ishmael possesses 571 powers, equal to א״ל תס״ף. Therefore, “do not continue to speak to Me again”: you must remain here to repair the kelippah of Ishmael. “Command Joshua and strengthen him” corresponding to Rahab, “and embolden him” corresponding to Samael. These are two males corresponding to the two females. Corresponding to Lilith He said, “for he shall cross,” for from him the spirit of impurity comes into the Land; corresponding to Mahalat, whose name is associated with מחול (mahol, “dance”), He said, “and he shall cause [Israel] to inherit” [TN-107-14].

Ofan 108

It is taught in the Hekhalot of Rabbi Ishmael: Rabbi Ishmael said, “Metatron, Prince of the Presence, related to me: When Moses ascended on high, the Holy One, blessed be He, appointed me and gave me from His own Shiʿur Qomah seventy thousand myriads of parasangs by seventy thousand myriads of parasangs. Moses learned the Torah in seventy aspects and in seventy languages, and likewise the Prophets in seventy aspects and in seventy languages, and likewise the Writings. In forty days Moses learned everything, but in one hour he forgot it. The Holy One, blessed be He, sent Yefefiah, prince of the Torah, to him, and he studied it with him until it was given to him as a gift. When Elisha ben Avuyah ascended and erred concerning it (Ḥagigah 15a), the Holy One, blessed be He, sent the prince Anafiel to him, and he struck him with sixty lashes of fire, and so forth—until Moses fasted 121 fasts. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, opened the habitations of Ḥashmal; Moses’ prayer was accepted and He made it into a crown; and at that time 1,800 angels went forth and received his prayer.” See there at length. The printed account moves abruptly, across an “and so forth,” from Elisha ben Avuyah’s punishment to Moses’ 121 fasts; no missing transition has been supplied [TN-108-01].

In my opinion, Moses’ prayer here concerns this. His prayer was accepted at the end of 120 days—that is, on the Day of Atonement, after he had ascended three times for forty days—and he was not answered until the end of the 120 days. This, then, is the prayer here: “I pleaded to the LORD at that time” (Deuteronomy 3:23), meaning at precisely that time when his prayer was accepted at the end of 120 days. Now he had likewise reached 120 years. It is therefore written ההוא (ha-hu, “that,” in the masculine): that is, at the time when he had reached 120 years—“I am 120 years old today” (Deuteronomy 31:2). Just as the days had initially been 120, so now he had reached 120 years.

Accordingly, just as Moses’ life was divided into three periods of forty—he was in Egypt for forty years, reigned in Cush for forty years, and reigned over Israel in the wilderness for forty years (as stated in Yalkut Shimoni, §167)—so too, because his years in Cush were spent in distress and sojourning, the middle forty days during which he was on Mount Sinai were days of wrath. Thus Rashi explains “as on the first days” in “I remained on the mountain as on the first days” (Deuteronomy 10:10): “Just as the first were with favor, so the last were with favor, from the beginning of Elul to the Day of Atonement; this implies that the middle ones were with wrath” (Rashi ad loc., s.v. ka-yamim; Seder Olam, ch. 6). The days correspond to the years of Moses’ life. Those forty years in Cush were spent in distress, and therefore these forty days were likewise spent in distress. The reason for his three ascents is that they correspond to the three Patriarchs; and because Isaac is Judgment, the middle days were spent in distress.

Concerning this Moses said: Since “You have begun to show” me, in the 120 days that I was on the mountain, what corresponds to the three Patriarchs—“Your greatness” is Abraham; “Your hand” is Isaac, corresponding to whom were the middle forty days; and “who is El?” corresponds to Jacob—and there his prayer was heard at the end of 120 days, now too hear my prayer: “Let me cross, please.” Let the habitations of Ḥashmal now be opened for me, and let 1,800 hosts go forth with Metatron to receive the prayer, just as they came forth initially.

This is intimated by what he first said: “You have begun to show Your servant,” namely Metatron, as it is written, “Hear, our God, the prayer of Your servant” (Daniel 9:17). The hosts that went forth at that time—1,800—are intimated in the words את״ה החלו״ת (atah ha-hillota, “You have begun”). Reverse the letters of את״ה החלו״ת and you find החול״ה את״ה (ha-holeh atah, “You are the sick one”). That is, at the time of which it is said, “Moses implored [ויחל]” (Exodus 32:11), which the Sages expounded to mean that Moses made himself sick on Israel’s behalf, for he was made ill through his prayer (Berakhot 32a), 1,800 chariots went forth [TN-108-02].

This is the mystery of “the mighty hand” (יד חזק״ה), which came at the end of 120 days. The reason Moses fasted 121 fasts is that Moses broke the tablets. The letters החלו״ת (ha-hillot) are the letters of הלחות (ha-luḥot, “the tablets”). Because the tablets are ו״ה (vav-heh) of HaShem, in the mystery of “the tablets were the work of God” (והלחו״ת מעשה אלהים המה; Exodus 32:16), and because, corresponding to the two tablets, Midrash Rabbah says that they correspond to heaven and earth (Exodus Rabbah 41:6), he said, “who is El in heaven and on earth?” He thereby mentioned the reason for the fasts he undertook on account of the tablets, which are the mystery of heaven and earth. Since the mystery of לחות (luḥot, “tablets”) is ו״ה, he had to fast 121 fasts, for the product of ו״ה taken in this manner—ו״ה times ו״ה, or eleven times eleven—has the numerical value 121. He therefore had to fast 121 fasts [TN-108-03].

The matter of Moses’ forgetting the Torah is also intimated here. He received it under the zodiacal sign Gemini, until the Holy One, blessed be He, gave it to him “as a gift” (במתנ״ה), as stated in Nedarim 38a. א״ת עבד״ך (et avdekha, “Your servant”) has the gematria of תאומי״ם (Te’omim, “Gemini”), and it also has the gematria of במתנ״ה (be-mattanah, “as a gift”). He forgot what he had received in the month of Sivan, which the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him as a gift. Thus it is written, “You took gifts among man” (לקחת מתנות באד״ם; Psalms 68:19), concerning the month whose sign is a human being, namely Gemini; and also concerning the sign of Elul, Virgo, which likewise has a human form, unlike the signs of all the other months [TN-108-04].

Moses therefore prayed now as well: “Let me cross, please,” in the month of Adar, whose sign is Pisces, and “You make mankind like the fish of the sea” (Habakkuk 1:14). That is: just as You heard my prayer at that time, when “I took gifts among man,” and Metatron went forth with his 1,800 chariots in a month whose sign is a human being, so now, under the sign of Pisces, let there likewise be a time of favor as there was under the sign of a human being.

Therefore, in “A Prayer of Moses” he prayed, “Gladden us according to the days You afflicted us” (Psalms 90:15). At the end of the 120 days his prayer was heard and he went forth in joy, on the Day of Atonement, when a heavenly voice issued: “Go, eat your bread with joy” (Ecclesiastes 9:7), as stated in Midrash Rabbah (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 9:7); this was at the end of the 120 days. So too now, at the end of 120 years—“the years in which we have seen evil”—hear my prayer: “Let Your work appear to Your servants” (Psalms 90:16). That is, “Let me cross, please, and I shall see,” thereby fulfilling “appear” and “I shall see.”

In the initials of שנות ראינו רעה יראה אל (shenot ra’inu ra‘ah, yera’eh el, “the years in which we have seen evil; let [it] appear to”), the great prince Sarari’el is intimated. His mystery is “your navel is a round goblet” (שררך אגן הסהר; Song of Songs 7:3), at the time Moses wished to see the Land of Israel, which is the mystery of סה״ר (sahar, “roundness/moon”) mentioned in *Sodei Razayya* in the name of the Hekhalot literature [TN-108-05].

At the time of Moses our teacher’s death, three angels came to him. They are intimated in the word המז״ג in “Let not המז״ג be lacking” (Song of Songs 7:3): Michael was on the right, Gabriel on the left, and Zagnzagael in the middle. Zagnzagael is Metatron, who has seventy names of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated in the *Pesiqta* (*Otiyyot de-Rabbi Akiva*). His first name is Zagnzagael, because the Holy One, blessed be He, entrusted all the treasuries of stores to him [TN-108-06].

Concerning this the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “It is enough for you” (רב ל״ך)—precisely: the master of all the angels is your master, namely Zagnzagael, who is appointed over the great store of the treasuries. “Command Joshua” means, in the mystery of “For He will command His angels concerning you” (Psalms 91:11), the two angels standing in the chariot: Michael on the right and Gabriel on the left. This is the force of “His angels”—specifically those angels who stand in the chariot. Thus it is written, “Dominion and fear are with Him” (עמו; Job 25:2)—specifically “with Him.” All other angels are “new every morning”: that is, every day the Holy One, blessed be He, creates new angels—“He forms ministers” every day. But “His ministers,” namely Michael and Gabriel, stand forever in the height of the world. Concerning those two angels of whom He said “He will command concerning you,” He said here, “Command Joshua,” so that he would have only these two angels: “strengthen him” through Michael, and “embolden him” through Gabriel, and no more.

Ofan 109

It is known that the Holy One, blessed be He, governs His world through three Names: “El, Elohim, the LORD, has spoken and summoned the earth” (Psalms 50:1). These are the mystery of the three worlds—Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. El is in Beriah, for there is “the kindness of El”; Elohim is in Yetzirah; and YHWH is in Asiyah, where there are evil habitations. Thus Jacob said, “How awesome is this place” (Genesis 28:17), on account of the kelippot, and therefore he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place” (Genesis 28:16). That is, it was necessary to place the Name YHWH there in order to sweeten the kelippah.

Of all the ten names Moses our teacher had, the Holy One, blessed be He, called him only by the name that Bithiah daughter of Pharaoh had given him, as stated in Midrash Rabbah on the portion Vayikra, chapter 1 (Leviticus Rabbah 1:3). The reason is that in the name מש״ה (Mosheh, “Moses”) there is an allusion to “YHWH, He is Elohim.” Thus, when the habitations of Ḥashmal were opened for Moses, when מש״ה went forth with 1,800 thousand chariots—as cited above at the beginning of Ofan 108 in the name of the Hekhalot literature—Metatron made a crown for Moses’ prayer when he said, “Hear, O Israel: the LORD is our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). The angels asked, “Who is this who makes the worlds tremble?” Metatron replied, “This is Moses, the pride of the house of Jacob.”

The mystery of the matter is that the unification of the Shema is intimated in the name Moses. It came to us from “the pride of the house of Jacob,” when Jacob said, “Gather together, sons of Jacob” (Genesis 49:2), and at that time they all opened and said, “Hear, O Israel—our father,” and so forth (as stated in Pesaḥim 56a).

Within the name Moses there is an allusion to the Name YHWH filled with alefs in this manner: יו״ד ה״א וא״ו ה״א, whose gematria is מ״ה (45), the מ״ה in מש״ה. The ש (shin) of מש״ה is Elohim written out in full in this manner: אל״ף למ״ד ה״י יו״ד מ״ם. Thus the ש, with a value of 300, is the mystery of the full spelling of Elohim. It stands in the middle of the Name מ״ה within מש״ה because the Name מ״ה sweetens the powers of judgment belonging to Elohim. Moses thus merited these two Names, YHWH and Elohim, which are in the two worlds Yetzirah and Asiyah [TN-109-01].

Moses asked to enter the Land of Israel and kill the thirty-one kings, who are the mystery of “another el” (א״ל אחר), and to attain the World of Beriah, where there is “the kindness of El” (Psalms 52:3). He therefore said: Since “You have begun to show Your servant”—specifically א״ת (et), alluding to the letters of Moses, in which two Names are intimated—“Your greatness” corresponds to the Name YHWH, while “Your mighty hand” corresponds to the Name Elohim. He had not yet merited the Name El, which is in Beriah.

Moses therefore said, “who is א״ל (El)?”—specifically concerning the attribute of the Name El, which is in Beriah. There the Supernal Mother nests in the World of the Throne. This is the meaning of “who can act like Your deeds,” for it is the mystery of the World of the Throne, where there is the Work of the Chariot; and “like Your mighty acts,” in the mystery of “Who can recount the mighty acts of the LORD?” (Psalms 106:2). That is, the Supernal Mother is called מ״י (Mi, “Who”), and judgments awaken from her. This is the mystery of “Worker of mighty acts,” which we say in the wording of *El Barukh* in the morning service, corresponding to Binah, as stated in the Zohar (III 235b). It is the mystery of “The thunder of His mighty acts—who can understand?” (Job 26:14). He therefore said “Your mighty acts” concerning the World of Beriah, for from there all the powers of Gevurah awaken.

Moses consequently prayed, “Let me cross, please,” into the Land of Israel, in order to attain the Name El; “and I shall see the Land,” thereby fulfilling the verse “El, Elohim, the LORD, has spoken” (Psalms 50:1). When the three Names are together, then “He summoned the earth”; therefore, “I shall see the Land.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you”—specifically ל״ך (“for you”). The mystery of the World of Beriah is likewise intimated in your own name, for there the Name א״ל שד״י (El Shaddai) governs the world, and its gematria is Moses. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, called “Moses, Moses” twice (Exodus 3:4), intimating four Names. YHWH has the value מ״ה, and the full spelling of Elohim has the value ש (300): this is one occurrence of Moses. The second occurrence of Moses signifies the value א״ל שד״י. Twice Moses has the gematria of שר״י פני״ם (sarei panim, “Princes of the Presence”) [TN-109-02].

This is what He said: “It is enough for you.” These two Princes of the Presence are intimated in your name. As for your wish to kill the thirty-one kings, “command Joshua”: he will kill the thirty-one kings, for he must sweeten the Name א״ל written in full. א״ל in full—that is, אל״ף למ״ד—has the gematria of הק״ף (haqqef, “encircle”). He must encircle the wall of Jericho, which has seven walls. These are the mystery of the seven encirclements and the seven days of the week, on each of which he must awaken the attribute El, whose mystery is הק״ף: seven days and seven encirclements.

Concerning this He said, “strengthen him,” to nullify the kelippah in which the thirty-one kings were present, the mystery of א״ל זר (el zar, “a foreign god”); and “embolden him,” to bring holiness there and awaken “the kindness of El” in the Land of Israel. This is the meaning of “for he shall cross” (כי הוא יעבור): the impurity built upon “another el” shall pass away. The source states that יעב״ר (ya‘avor, “he shall cross”) has the gematria of רו״ח הטומא״ה (ruaḥ ha-tum’ah, “the spirit of impurity”) with the two words [TN-109-03]. “And he shall cause [them] to inherit” the holy Land, which is “El, the LORD, and He has shone for us” (Psalms 118:27), the God of Israel.

Ofan 110

It is taught in the Hekhalot literature that the Holy One, blessed be He, took Metatron and made him prince over all the princes. He entrusted all the treasuries of keys to him. Metatron has a crown on his head, upon which the name Israel is engraved; his light travels a distance of 500,000 parasangs. He gave him seventy thousand parasangs from His own Shiʿur Qomah and called him “Youth.” Metatron gives thanks and praise to the Name אה״ה, and so forth; He called him by the Name “the lesser YHWH.” The text there treats at length the greatness of the Youth [TN-110-01].

The reason Metatron merited this, it says there, is that in the generation of the Flood, when the people were immersed in licentiousness, he took himself and settled outside. This is the mystery of “Enoch walked with God” (Genesis 5:24): he had no share with them. Therefore the verse says “and he was no more,” which the Targum renders וליתוהי (ve-leitohi, “and he was not there”).

Because Moses saw the greatness of Metatron, he too wished to enter the Land of Israel and attain Metatron’s degree. He therefore intimated here the initials of את״ה החלו״ת להראו״ת את עבדך (“You have begun to show Your servant”), which spell אה״ל (ohel, “tent”). Metatron is the faithful servant; and Moses likewise took the tent and pitched it outside the camp at the time when Israel sinned (Exodus 33:7). Thus Moses acted like Metatron, who removed his dwelling from among his generation: Enoch went outside and “walked with God.”

Moses said: Since I too acted in this way, and You showed me Your servant, namely Metatron, and gave him from Your Shiʿur Qomah—this is the mystery of א״ת גדלך (“Your greatness”). In the word א״ת is intimated “for My Name is within him” (Exodus 23:21): the letters of HaShem are engraved in his heart. This is the mystery of “in a flame of fire” (לבַּת אש; Exodus 3:2), said of the angel of the LORD, namely Metatron. Thirteen Names are engraved in his heart. When the voice proceeds through these thirteen Names, the Holy One, blessed be He, warns concerning him: “Beware of him”—Metatron, Prince of the Presence—“and obey his voice,” for the voice passes through the holy Names within him; “do not rebel against him”—do not exchange Me for him, as stated in Sanhedrin 38b. Elisha Aher did precisely this: he erred concerning Metatron and thought that there were two powers, as stated in Ḥagigah 15a. These thirteen Names are said to be intimated in the initials of גדלך ידך החזקה (“Your greatness, Your mighty hand”); the extraction is not transparent in the printed text [TN-110-02].

In the phrase ידך החזקה (“Your mighty hand”) there is an allusion to the seventy thousand parasangs given to Metatron from the Shiʿur Qomah. This is the mystery of “Great is our Lord and abundant in power” (גדול אדונינו ור״ב כ״ח; Psalms 147:5), namely 236,000 parasangs. When one takes seventy thousand parasangs from 236, 166 remain for the Holy One, blessed be He; this is the mystery of מעו״ן (Maʿon, “habitation”), whose value is 166 [TN-110-03].

This is the mystery of “Adonai, You have been our habitation” (Psalms 90:1)—specifically “You”: the Prince of the Presence has no power over the portion of the Shiʿur Qomah numbered מעו״ן, namely 166. Concerning these he prayed, “May the pleasantness of the LORD our God be upon us” (Psalms 90:17): that is, may מעו״ן be reversed to form נוע״ם (noʿam, “pleasantness”) of the LORD and be upon us, for עלינ״ו (aleinu, “upon us”) has the gematria of נוע״ם. Through this one “dwells in the shelter of the Most High” (Psalms 91:1). The Holy One, blessed be He, is עליו״ן (Elyon, “Most High”) above all creatures: “I will call to God Most High” (Psalms 57:3), and “For the LORD Most High is awesome” (Psalms 47:3). That is, since He reserved for Himself the number עליו״ן, He is therefore a great King.

This mystery is explained in the verse “Let your eyes look straight ahead” (עיניך לנוכח יביטו; Proverbs 4:25). נוכ״ח (nokhah, “straight ahead”) reverses to form חנו״ך (Hanokh, “Enoch”). Yet the source says here that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him only one thousand parasangs of the Shiʿur Qomah, in tension with the seventy thousand stated above [TN-110-04]. This is intimated in the word עפעפ״ך (afappekha, “your eyelids”) through the sequence ע׳ אלף פרסאות על ע׳ אלף פרסאות (“seventy thousand parasangs by seventy thousand parasangs”); the precise acrostic or letter extraction is not made explicit [TN-110-05].

In “Your mighty hand” there is also an allusion to how He gave Metatron a Shiʿur Qomah of seventy, corresponding to the seventy princes divided throughout the World of Yetzirah: five times י״ד (yad, “hand,” fourteen)—four for the four directions of the world and one above. The source states that יד״ך החזק״ה has the gematria of קט״ן (qatan, “lesser”), for the Holy One, blessed be He, called him by the Name “the lesser YHWH,” in the mystery of “for My Name is within him” (Exodus 23); the asserted equivalence is not exact by ordinary gematria [TN-110-06].

This is the mystery of “a little youth shall lead them” (נע״ר קט״ן נה״ג ב״ם; Isaiah 11:6). The final letters spell רנג״ם, as stated in Raʿaya Mehemna (Zohar III 227a): רפאל נוריאל גבריאל מיכאל (Raphael, Nuriel, Gabriel, Michael). Through them judgment is concluded (נגמ״ר): Metatron judges all the ordinances and all the judgments in the world. Therefore Isaiah says, “but that which he did” (כי אם אשר עשה; Isaiah 55:11), rather than “I did”; “he did” refers to Metatron. The printed wording differs from the ordinary wording and order of Isaiah 55:11 and is retained here [TN-110-07].

Likewise, when Moses said, “Let the LORD go in our midst” (Exodus 34:19, as printed), he did not say “You shall go,” but “he shall go,” referring to Metatron. The source’s verse number appears damaged; the wording corresponds to Exodus 34:9, but the printed locator has not been silently replaced [TN-110-08]. Concerning Metatron Moses said, “who is El in heaven and on earth?” That is: although Metatron makes crowns, which are intimated in the word מ״י (Mi, “who”)—for, as stated in *Sodei Razayya*, those crowns are called מעיל״י ישרא״ל (me‘ilei Yisrael, “the robes of Israel”)—and although he crowns the “robes of Israel,” nevertheless You are El in heaven and on earth. Heaven forbid that one follow Elisha in erring concerning him.

This is the meaning of “who can act like Your deeds”: You apportioned honor from “Your greatness”; “and like Your mighty acts” refers to the “mighty hand” You gave him. This is unlike the attribute of flesh and blood, for a commoner does not make use of the king’s scepter (Sanhedrin 22a).

Moses therefore said, “Let me cross, please,” for he too wished to enter the Land of Israel and attain the degree of the Shiʿur Qomah. The word אעבר״ה (eʿberah, “let me cross”) is a notarikon for אלישע ענה ב׳ רשויות הן (Elisha ‘anah: beit reshuyot hen, “Elisha answered: there are two powers”). Moses thought that when he entered the Land of Israel, he too would attain the degree of the Youth in heaven [TN-110-09].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” You cannot compare yourself to Metatron, who, as Enoch, walked outside the company of his generation. You wished to resemble him because you too removed your tent outside the camp after you saw that Israel had sinned with the calf. For this reason you wished to live and attain the degree of Metatron, whom I took to serve as the Youth above and into whose hand I entrusted all the keys in the world.

But your case is not comparable to his. You were the cause of that sin, on account of the mixed multitude you took with you without My permission. The sin they committed thus came about through you (see Exodus Rabbah 42:6). Metatron, by contrast, distanced his tent from the people of his generation and secluded himself without any sin having come about through him. This is the meaning of “It is enough for you”: the mixed multitude was yours, and because of them you took the tent and secluded yourself; that sin was yours. Therefore, “do not continue to speak.”

Ofan 111

At the beginning of Moses’ mission, the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the greatness of Metatron, prince of the World of Yetzirah, who had initially been Enoch son of Jared. He also showed him the greatness of Sandalfon, prince of the World of Asiyah, who merited the name Elijah—he is Phinehas. The mystery of these two is intimated there, as it is written, “The angel of the LORD appeared to him” (Exodus 3:2). This was Metatron, whom Targum Jonathan renders as Zagnzagael, the first name of Metatron. The word בלב״ת (be-labbat, “in a flame”) has the gematria of מטטרו״ן אלי״הו הנב״יא (Metatron, Elijah the Prophet), for both ascended “in a flame of fire” and with “horses of fire” (II Kings 2:11). This is the meaning of “in a flame of fire” there [TN-111-01].

Likewise, it says, “The LORD saw that he turned aside [ס״ר] to see” (Exodus 3:4). ס״ר is a notarikon for סו״ס רכ״ב (sus, rekhev, “horse, chariot”), and ס״ר has the gematria of אליה״ו פינחס (Elijah, Phinehas). It is concerning him that Moses said, “Send, please [נ״א], by the hand of whomever You will send” (Exodus 4:13), which the Targum renders, “by the hand of Phinehas, who is Elijah.” In the word נ״א (N-A) he also intimated that Phinehas’s soul derived from the souls of נד״ב אביה״ו (Nadab and Abihu). He is “the reader of the letter” (קריינא דאגרתא), as stated in Sanhedrin 82a, so that he might be the envoy in the future [TN-111-02].

The Holy One, blessed be He, took three human beings from this world to testify concerning human deeds. He took Enoch from this world and raised him above all the angels so that he might testify concerning all the souls that ascend above, as stated at the beginning of tractate Derekh Eretz Zuta (1:1). He is therefore called “Prince of the World” (as stated in Yevamot 16b), because he was taken from this world (Genesis 5:24). He also took Korah and brought him down below into Sheol (Numbers 16:33), to testify concerning all the souls that descend below. This is the meaning of “Make the request deep into Sheol or raise it high above” (Isaiah 7:11).

Concerning this Scripture says, “Where shall I go from Your spirit, and where shall I flee from Your presence?” (Psalms 139:7). That is, two roads lie before human beings, as Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai said to his disciples in the chapter *Tefillat ha-Shahar* (Berakhot 28b): “And not only that, but there are two roads before me,” and so forth.

The matter is that there are two roads to the Garden of Eden. One is through Gehinnom, as it is written, “He brings down to Sheol and raises up” (I Samuel 2:6), for from there they ascend to the Garden of Eden. Thus it is written, “There is a way that is straight before a man” (Proverbs 14:12): he is going to the Garden of Eden, “but, but its end is the ways of death,” for he must go by way of Gehinnom. The doubled “but” reproduces the source’s אבל אבל rather than silently treating it as meaningless duplication [TN-111-03]. Concerning this David said, “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; You will not allow Your pious one to see the pit” (Psalms 16:10). His prayer was that he not go by this road. He therefore said immediately afterward, “You will make known to me the path of life” (Psalms 16:11).

There is a second road, by which souls ascend above immediately. Concerning this Solomon said, “Who knows whether the spirit of human beings ascends upward” immediately, “and whether the spirit of the beast descends below” (Ecclesiastes 3:21), by the road of Sheol.

Wherever the soul might go, the Holy One, blessed be He, stationed a human being from this world. Thus, “Where shall I go from Your spirit?” corresponds to Korah and his congregation, he who is appointed over the spirits; while “where shall I flee from Your presence?” is said of the Prince of the Presence above, who had likewise been a human being in this world. The next verse explains: “If I ascend to heaven, You are there” (Psalms 139:8). That is, if the spirit ascends by the upper road, “You are there”: there You stationed a human being from this world, namely Enoch. Thus Job says, “Even now, my witness [עד״י] is in heaven” (Job 16:19), and עד״י has the gematria of חנו״ך (Enoch). “If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there”: when I go by way of Sheol, “behold, You are there,” for there too He stationed a witness, namely Korah, to testify concerning human deeds.

This is the mystery of “By the testimony of two witnesses the dead shall be put to death” (Deuteronomy 17:6), which alludes to these two witnesses, Enoch and Elijah. The verse then says “by the testimony of three” when Sheol below is also counted—that is, Korah, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, likewise took and brought down into Sheol to testify concerning human deeds. The text moves between Enoch–Korah and Enoch–Elijah as the pair of witnesses before counting Korah as a third; this shift is retained without harmonization [TN-111-04].

Concerning these two witnesses Moses said, “You have begun to show Your servant.” This refers to Metatron, the faithful servant, as stated in the Raʿaya Mehemna in the Zohar on the portion Phinehas, p. 394 (Zohar III 215a). “Your greatness” corresponds to Metatron, who is from the side of Ḥesed; “Your mighty hand” corresponds to the attribute of severe Judgment that struck Korah. The purpose of both acts—the Holy One, blessed be He, raising Metatron above heaven and lowering Korah into Sheol—was to bear witness to all who come into the world: “who is El in heaven and on earth?” Metatron bears witness above, where “Your kindness is in heaven”; Korah bears witness below, beneath the earth. “Who can act like Your deeds?” corresponds to Metatron—“the work of the LORD, for it is awesome”; “and like Your mighty acts?” concerns the judgment of Gehinnom below, to which Korah bears witness.

Alternatively, he spoke concerning the two of whom Scripture says, “My witness is in heaven”—this is Metatron—“and my testifier is on high” (Job 16:19)—this is Elijah. Concerning them I said that this is the mystery of the verse, “Remember Your mercies, O LORD, and Your kindnesses, for they are from of old” (Psalms 25:6). I printed this teaching in the penitential poem I composed for the holy Rabbi Anshil, in the year אנש״יל, in the holy community of Krakow [TN-111-05].

The intention is that there are two cherubim in the firmament. They are advocates of righteousness, and in their hands are “the robes of Israel” every day. At this point the source opens a parenthesis for which no closing boundary survives; its scope through the ensuing argument is therefore uncertain [TN-111-06]. These two cherubim are the mystery of “The Name of the LORD is a tower of strength” (מגדל עוז ש״ם ה׳; Proverbs 18:10). The following compressed contrast appears to say that they are רצו״ע on the side of holiness, “to ascend,” whereas הצרו״ע belongs to the sitra aḥra [uncertain: שהם הם רצו״ע בקדושה לאלקא, הצרו״ע סיטרא אחרא]. The latter are Shemhazai and Azael. They are the mystery of נג״ע (nega‘, “affliction”), a notarikon for נופ״ל גלו״י עיני״ם (nofel, gelui einayim, “fallen, with uncovered eyes”; Numbers 24:16). From it comes a “name of impurity” (ש״ם טומא״ה), for the sequence נופ״ל וגלו״י עיני״ם is thus constituted [TN-111-07].

Concerning this Scripture says, “Draw out [משכ״ו] and take for yourselves” (Exodus 12:21). The Sages said in the Mekhilta: משכ״ו—draw yourselves away from idolatry, which is the sitra aḥra. This is the mystery of “For fire went forth from Heshbon,” and so forth (Numbers 21:28), and “You are lost, people of Chemosh” (Numbers 21:29).

Concerning them we pray in the Supplication, “Merciful and gracious, I have sinned before You.” They are Metatron and Sandalfon. Elijah is in the World of Asiyah, and he is the mystery of רחו״ם (rahum, “merciful”). It is already known what the Zohar says (Zohar III 236b) concerning “Phinehas stood and executed judgment” (Psalms 106:30): Phinehas was incorporated into Isaac, and a י was added to his name; he comprised ר״ח (208). Afterward, when “two fawns of a doe” came to him—the two souls of Nadab and Abihu—he merited to bring down ו״ם (V-M) from מו״ת (mavet, “death”), which Balaam son of Beor had caused through his counsel. “The king’s wrath is like messengers of death” (Proverbs 16:14): Balaam had brought the letters מו״ת down into the world.

“But a wise man” is Phinehas, who is called ב״ן חכ״ם (ben hakham, “a wise son”). This has the gematria of אליה״ו הנבי״א (Elijah the Prophet): ב״ן has the gematria of אליה״ו, and חכ״ם has the gematria of הנביא. He “appeases it,” as it is written, “He turned back My wrath” and “made atonement for the children of Israel” (Numbers 25:11, 13). This is the mystery of the spear, רומ״ח (romah), that he took in his hand, as stated in Raʿaya Mehemna there. Thus, when ו״ם, which Phinehas brought down, is joined to his designation ר״ח, the result is רחו״ם (rahum, “merciful”). Corresponding to Enoch we say חנו״ן (hannun, “gracious”) [TN-111-08].

Likewise, in the Additional Service for Rosh Hashanah we petition, “Whether as children or as servants.” From the side of Elijah, whose gematria is ב״ן (ben, “son”), we say “as children”; from the side of Enoch, the faithful servant, we say “as servants.” Likewise, we say, “Our Father, our King, we have sinned before You,” proceeding from below upward. From the side of Elijah, who is a son, we say “our Father”; from the side of Enoch, who is a servant, “our King.” “If as children, have mercy upon us” refers to Elijah; therefore, from his side comes רחו״ם (“merciful”). “If as servants”—from the side of Metatron—“our eyes are suspended toward You until You show us grace,” which is from the side of Enoch.

Concerning this the verse says, “Remember Your mercies, O LORD,” from the side of Elijah; “and Your kindnesses,” from the side of Enoch, for עב״ד אברה״ם (eved Avraham, “servant of Abraham”) has the gematria of מטטרו״ן (Metatron), whose attribute is Ḥesed. “A king’s servant is a king”; therefore the verse says “Your kindnesses” concerning him. It then explains the reason He should remember kindness and mercy for us: “for they are from of old.” These were two human beings, Enoch and Elijah, who lived in this world like other human beings; You took them and entrusted to them two worlds, Asiyah and Yetzirah. The printed gematria עב״ד אברה״ם = מטטרו״ן is not exact under ordinary spelling, and no unmentioned convention has been supplied [TN-111-09].

Moses therefore opened with the word ואתחנן (va-etḥannan, “I pleaded”), from the language of “I will show grace to whomever I show grace” (Exodus 33:19), corresponding to Enoch; “and I will have mercy upon whomever I have mercy,” corresponding to Elijah. Concerning them he said, “You have begun to show.” That is, at the beginning of Moses’ mission, in the vision of the bush, the Holy One, blessed be He, intimated these two cherubim to Moses in the phrase בלבת אש (“in a flame of fire”), for בלב״ת has the gematria of מטטרו״ן אליה״ו הנבי״א (Metatron, Elijah the Prophet).

Corresponding to Metatron he said, “Your greatness,” for Metatron is from the side of Ḥesed; and concerning him it says, “I will show grace to whomever I show grace.” The two names of Metatron are also said to be intimated in the word א״ת, for א״ת has the numerical value of מיטטרו״ן חנ״ך (Metatron, Enoch) with the collective [TN-111-10].

Corresponding to Elijah, who is called “truth,” as it is written, “The word of the LORD in your mouth is truth” (I Kings 17:24), it says “Your mighty hand.” Jonah, who is Messiah son of Joseph, is likewise called “son of Amittai,” as stated in the Zohar on Exodus, p. 345 (Zohar II 197a), for he is the son associated with Elijah, who is called “truth”; Jonah comes from Elijah’s host. Thus וא״ת יד״ך (ve-et yadekha, “and Your hand”) has the gematria of אמ״ת (emet, “truth”), while חזק״ה (hazakah, “mighty”) has the gematria of אליה״ו הנבי״א (Elijah the Prophet).

In the word מ״י (Mi, “who”) Moses intimated the notarikons מליצ״י יוש״ר (melitzei yosher, “advocates of righteousness”) and מעיל״י ישרא״ל (me‘ilei Yisrael, “the robes of Israel”). That is, these are the two advocates of righteousness who make the crowns called “the robes of Israel.” Concerning them he said אעבר״ה (eʿberah, “let me cross”), whose gematria is כרובים (keruvim, “cherubim”) [TN-111-11].

Concerning this my son Solomon, may he live, said that Moses prayed to become one of them. He intimated this in the word נ״א (na, “please”), a notarikon for נע״ר אליה״ו (Naʿar, Eliyahu, “Youth, Elijah”). Moses’ prayer was: When I cross into the Land of Israel, I shall likewise merit the degree of the cherubim above. In Yetzirah, Enoch corresponds to “Train the youth [לנע״ר]” (Proverbs 22:6): the נ of נ״א is נע״ר, the Youth. In Asiyah is Elijah, who is the א of נ״א.

Moreover, when the letters נ״א are filled as נו״ן אל״ף, and the filling is itself filled as נון וי״ו נו״ן אלף למד פא, the result has the numerical value of מטטרו״ן חנו״ך נע״ר (Metatron, Enoch, Youth). נ״א in its simple form, with the collective, has the value of Elijah. Thus these two cherubim are intimated in נ״א. Here ends the teaching of my son [TN-111-12].

For this purpose I must be in the Land of Israel. This is the meaning of “and I shall see the Land”: there I shall merit this degree. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” That is, “By the testimony of two witnesses the dead shall be put to death.” I have already stationed two faithful witnesses and have no need of you as an additional one. “Do not continue,” for the dead is put to death by two.

Since I said that the Holy One, blessed be He, stationed one further witness below in Sheol to testify concerning human deeds—“by the testimony of three witnesses the dead shall be put to death”—these three are explained in the verse we have discussed. The source here prints עבדיך (“Your servants”), although the lemma elsewhere is singular: this is Metatron, the faithful servant [TN-111-13]. גדל״ך (godlekha, “Your greatness”) has the gematria of הב״ן (ha-ben, “the son”): this is Elijah, for Enoch is of the degree of servant, while Elijah is of the degree of son. Corresponding to Korah is “Your mighty hand,” severe Judgment. Concerning this too the Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you”: the verse “by the testimony of three witnesses” has already been fulfilled; “do not continue.”

Hagahah

The young Solomon said: According to this, one may understand what is stated in the Zohar on Phinehas, in Raʿaya Mehemna, p. 394, and in several places: Metatron is called “his servant, the elder of his house” (Genesis 24:2). The Hagahah ends abruptly at this point in the supplied source, without completing the sentence or argument [TN-111-14].

Ofan 112

It is known that Moses comprises all Israel. It is taught in *Sefer ha-Peliah* that the filling of מש״ה (Mosheh, “Moses”)—מ״ם שי״ן ה״ה—has the gematria of ten times אד״ם (adam, “human being”). That is, ten human beings are called a congregation, and the Shekhinah does not rest upon fewer than ten human beings, as it is said, “I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel” (Leviticus 22:32; as stated in Megillah 23b)—specifically “in the midst” [TN-112-01].

Moses is below the degree of Metatron, who is in the World of Yetzirah and is the middle of the three Princes of the Presence, in the mystery of beginning, middle, and end. Metatron is the middle. This is the mystery of “The angel of the LORD appeared to him from the midst of the bush” (Exodus 3:2)—specifically מתו״ך (mi-tokh, “from the midst”), for מתו״ך has the gematria of עו״לַם היציר״ה (Olam ha-Yetzirah, “the World of Yetzirah”). Moses is therefore called מ״ה (Mah, “What”), as stated in the Zohar (II 197a) concerning “What is his son’s name?” (Proverbs 30:4), for the filling of Moses comprises ten times מ״ה.

It is known that the world was created through this Name. Thus it says, “How many are Your works, O LORD; You made them all with wisdom” (Psalms 104:24). The Zohar on Phinehas (Zohar III 235b) reads חכמה (Ḥokhmah, “Wisdom”) as כ״ח מ״ה (koaḥ Mah, “the power of Mah”): that is, the Four-Letter Name filled with alefs in this manner, יו״ד ה״א וא״ו ה״א, whose gematria is מ״ה (45).

These are the twenty-eight letters of the verse “In the beginning” (Genesis 1:1). Concerning them Scripture says, “He declared the power [כ״ח] of His works to His people” (Psalms 111:6). From it came into being the twenty-eight times in the world, from the two hands through which heaven and earth were created: the left hand—“My hand also founded the earth” (Isaiah 48:13)—comprises fourteen feminine letters; “and My right hand spread out the heavens” comprises fourteen masculine letters.

Concerning them Moses said, “I pleaded to YHWH”—the Name YHWH, which is the mystery of the filling מ״ה in the World of Yetzirah. There it nests within the lesser Metatron. It is the Name YHWH as כ״ח מ״ה, and in “at that time” there is an allusion to the twenty-eight times within it. These are the twenty-eight letters of the filling, in the mystery of “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:24). That is, when the Name YHWH is in its full spelling, its mystery is power. Through them, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool” (Isaiah 66:1): by them heaven and earth were created [TN-112-02].

Concerning this Moses said, את״ה החלו״ת (“You have begun”), which, by a reversal of letters, is said to yield הלוח״ת (ha-luḥot, “the tablets”). In my opinion, this is the mystery of Moses receiving the tablets. The filling of Moses—מ״ם שי״ן ה״ה—has the gematria of לוחות (luḥot, “tablets”). Thus, from the Six Days of Creation, Moses had been destined to receive the tablets, for his name bears witness to it. The printed phrase describes the relation between את״ה החלו״ת and הלוח״ת as a simple reversal, although the visible spellings are not exact permutations [TN-112-03].

This is the mystery of “when Moses finished” (כלות משה; Numbers 7:1), concerning which the Sages expounded that it is written ככלתו (“as on his wedding day”): the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the Torah to Moses as a gift (Tanḥuma, Ki Tissa §18). כל״ת (450) is the filling of Moses. What is כלות? It is the mystery of לוחות: the numerical value of the one is the numerical value of the other. The Sages therefore intimated, in their exposition of בראשית (“In the beginning”), “for the sake of Moses, who is called ‘beginning’” (Genesis Rabbah 1:4; Deuteronomy 33:21). The Targum renders בראשית as בחוכמא (“with wisdom”), which is the mystery of כ״ח מ״ה, for Moses comprised ten times מ״ה, as stated above.

Moses therefore said: Since “You have begun to show” me the tablets—specifically “Your servant,” for the tablets are intimated in the name Moses, since his filling has the numerical value of לוחות. “Your servant” also refers to Metatron in Yetzirah, where there is the Name מ״ה, which contains twenty-eight letters: fourteen letters on the right, “Your greatness,” and fourteen letters on the left, “Your mighty hand.” These are the twenty-eight letters of the first verse of Genesis, through which heaven and earth were created.

This is the meaning of “who is El in heaven and on earth?” The fourteen letters of the right correspond to “My right hand spread out the heavens”; the fourteen letters of the left correspond to “My hand also founded the earth.” Specifically “also” (אף), for it is the attribute of Judgment, “with might.” “Who can act like Your deeds?” refers to the right hand of heaven; “and like Your mighty acts?” to the left hand.

In the Land of Israel, at the Temple, Moses wished to attain the Name מ״ה in its full truth. Thus it is written, “You shall see what [מ״ה] the Land is” (Numbers 13:18)—specifically מ״ה. In the Land of Israel one can attain the Name מ״ה. Moses therefore said, “Let me cross, please, and I shall see the Land,” to fulfill “You shall see what [מ״ה] the Land is”; and “Lebanon,” to fulfill “How lovely [מ״ה ידידות] are Your dwelling places” (Psalms 84:2). Moses’ entire intention was to attain the Name מ״ה, as he said, “And what [מ״ה] are we?” (Exodus 16:7).

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” You do not require the Land of Israel in order to attain the Name מ״ה, for “how abundant [מ״ה רב] is Your goodness” (Psalms 31:20) is already yours. It is your stature, for it is the mystery of the veil (מסוה; Exodus 34:33), just as the Sages said that Moses’ height was ten cubits (Berakhot 54b). On this account he received the tablets, of which it is said, “Carve for yourself” (Exodus 34:1). Therefore, “do not continue to speak” of entering the Land of Israel for this purpose [TN-112-04].

Ofan 113

It is known that Moses our teacher comprises the entire Torah. Concerning him the account of Creation says, “God saw the light” (וירא אלהים א״ת האו״ר; Genesis 1:4). א״ת האו״ר has the gematria of מש״ה רבינ״ו (Moses our teacher), for he comprises the 248 positive commandments and the 365 prohibitions: מש״ה רבינ״ו has the gematria of תרי״ג (613) [TN-113-01].

This is the mystery of “The word of the LORD is refined” (אמרת ה׳ צרופה; Psalms 18:31). The expression אמרת is interpreted through “He carried out His word” (בצע אמרתו; Lamentations 2:17), which is rendered, “He tore His royal purple garment” (מבזע פורפירא דיליה). What is His royal purple garment? It is Metatron, who comprises 613 angels when he comes to receive the soul of a righteous person.

It is taught in the Zohar, Raʿaya Mehemna on the portion Phinehas, that at the time of the destruction, “He cast down from heaven to earth the glory of Israel” (Lamentations 2:1). Thus the Midrash says (Lamentations Rabbah 2:2) that the King said: “Is it only on account of the crown you gave Me that you take pride? Behold, I shall cast the crown below,” as it is said, “He cast down from heaven to earth the glory of Israel.” This is one living creature, named Israel, which the Holy One, blessed be He, took and cast down to earth.

The mystery of the matter is taught in the Hekhalot literature (ch. 31): the crowns that the Holy One, blessed be He, placed upon Metatron’s head are called “Israel.” This is the mystery of “Israel, in whom I shall be glorified” (Isaiah 49:3). In my opinion, the measure of the crown’s stature—500,000 parasangs—is intimated in the word אש״ר (asher, “in whom”). That is, the numerical value of אש״ר is said to signify five hundred thousand. Thus the measure of the stature is made explicit within the word ישראל itself. Since אש״ר ordinarily has the value 501, the step by which the source obtains 500 is not stated [TN-113-02].

At the time of the destruction, “The crown of our head has fallen” (נפל״ה עטר״ת ראשינ״ו; Lamentations 5:16); the initials spell נע״ר (Naʿar, “Youth”). That is, the crowns Metatron—who is called Youth—makes from Israel’s prayers are the mystery of “our head.” This is in the mystery of “He shall bruise your head” (Genesis 3:15). When Israel is called by the name Israel, they have a “head” (ראש); when they are called by the name Jacob, then “you shall bruise his heel” (עקב), for the serpent prevails when they are called “heel.”

Thus Metatron is the royal purple garment of the Holy One, blessed be He, comprising the 613 commandments. At the time of the destruction, “He tears His royal purple garment” (מבז״ע פורפירא דיליה). Read backward, מבז״ע is a notarikon for עבד״ו זק״ן בית״ו מטטרון (“his servant, the elder of his house—Metatron”; Genesis 24:2). How do we know that the garment of the Holy One, blessed be He, consists of the 613 commandments? It is said, “The LORD is clothed in strength” (ה׳ עוז התאזר; Psalms 93:1), and התאז״ר has the gematria of תרי״ג (613).

He therefore said, “The word of the LORD is refined”: the garment of the Holy One, blessed be He, consists of the tzerufim of the Torah. אמר״ת (imrat, “the word of”) also has the gematria of כ״ח תרי״ג (the power of 613). It is the following tzeruf of the Name YHWH: יו״ד multiplied by יו״ד yields 400; ה״א multiplied by ה״א yields 36; וא״ו multiplied by וא״ו yields 169; and the final ה״א multiplied by ה״א yields 36. The total is 641, the numerical value of אמר״ת. Thus “the word of the LORD is refined” means that the tzeruf of YHWH has the value of אמר״ת, which has the gematria of כ״ח תרי״ג [TN-113-03].

Through these, “the LORD goes forth like a mighty man; like a man of wars He stirs up zeal” (Isaiah 42:13). “He cries aloud” through the positive commandments; “He shouts” through the prohibitions. “Against His enemies He prevails” (יתגב״ר): its letters reversed form בתרי״ג (“through 613”), which are divided into these two parts, positive and negative commandments.

Moses therefore asked to go to the Land of Israel, in accordance with the words of Rabbi Simlai: “Many commandments are dependent upon the Land” (Sotah 14a). He had thus not yet completed the rabbinic robe. He said, “I pleaded to YHWH,” which is the mystery of 613. Thus the Zohar states in several places: “My Name together with י״ה is 365; My memorial together with ו״ה is 248” [TN-113-04].

This is the meaning of “at that time, saying” (לאמ״ר): it is from the language of אמרת, concerning the garment of the commandments of the Torah. It is therefore written ההוא (ha-hu, masculine), referring to the name מש״ה רבינ״ו, within which the 613 commandments are intimated; while ההיא (ha-hi, feminine) refers to the garment.

He therefore opened, “You have begun to show.” להראו״ת (le-har’ot, “to show”) has the gematria of כ״ח תרי״ג when the collective is included, so that he would comprise the power of 613. When he comprises the power of 613, he becomes a “complete chariot” (מרכב״ה שלימ״ה), for מרכב״ה שלימ״ה has the same value. The several equations here depend upon counting the collective; the source does not state the convention at every occurrence [TN-113-05].

This is the meaning of “Your servant”—specifically עבד״ך. It refers to Moses our teacher, whose gematria is 613, and also to Metatron, the faithful servant, who is wholly the utterance of the Holy One, blessed be He—a garment of 613. The source contracts this clause as שכול׳ אמרתו; the expansion “who is wholly His utterance” is probable but not certain [TN-113-06]. Likewise, at the beginning of Moses’ mission, when He began to show Moses “This is My Name and this is My memorial” (Exodus 3:15), He intended the 613.

Concerning them Moses said, “Your greatness,” corresponding to the 248 positive commandments on the right; “Your mighty hand,” corresponding to the 365 prohibitions on the left; and “who is El in heaven and on earth?” Through these 613 commandments heaven and earth were created. Heaven and earth are therefore divided into 613 portions: through each commandment in the Torah one portion was created.

Thus the Torah says בראשית (be-reshit, “in the beginning”), read בי ראשית (bi reshit, “through me—the beginning”). The Holy One, blessed be He, looked into the Torah and created His world like a craftsman who looks into plans and notebooks, as stated in Midrash Rabbah on the portion Bereshit, chapter 1 (Genesis Rabbah 1:1). Since we see that the Torah is divided into 613, heaven and earth are likewise divided into 613.

This is the meaning of “who can act like Your deeds?”—the positive commandments through which 248 lights were created in the world. “And like Your mighty acts?” refers to the 365 prohibitions corresponding to the 365 sinews. There are likewise 365 sinews in the world, which the Zohar calls 365 nets (Zohar I 51b).

Since one cannot complete all the commandments outside the Land, Moses said, “Let me cross, please, and I shall see the Land”; there the garment would be complete. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” The greatness is yours, for all the worlds were created for your sake, and in your name, by which you are called Moses our teacher, the 613 commandments are complete within you.

He therefore said, “Command Joshua.” Corresponding to the positive commandments, after He said to Moses, “It is enough for you,” He said, “strengthen him.” Corresponding to the prohibitions—after He said to Moses, “Do not continue to speak,” which is itself a negative commandment—He commanded concerning Joshua, “and embolden him,” corresponding to the prohibitions. “In everything you see,” for you have already completed them all as one.

Ofan 114

It is known that the seal of the Holy One, blessed be He, is truth (Shabbat 55a). At the beginning of Creation, the Holy One, blessed be He, had to “cast truth to the earth” (Daniel 8:12) in order to create His world, for Truth said, “Let it not be created, since it is entirely full of falsehood,” as stated in Midrash Rabbah, chapter 8 (Genesis Rabbah 8:5). The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore had to impress the seal of truth six times in the account of Creation.

Moses saw through the Holy Spirit that Solomon would come and build the Temple. Solomon prayed his prayer and said six times, “And You shall hear in heaven” (ואתה תשמע השמים). The author of *Sodei Razayya* wrote that these six occurrences of “heaven” spoken by Solomon correspond to the Six Days of Creation, and he treated at length how each matter corresponds to the day on which it was created in the account of Creation.

Now, on three days in the account of Creation the seal of truth was not inscribed. Their mnemonic is בג״ד (B-G-D): on the second day, the third day, and the fourth day, it is not said, “God created את” (ויבר״א אלהי״ם א״ת), whose final letters spell אמ״ת (emet, “truth”). He, of blessed memory, explained there that the reason is “treacherous dealers dealt treacherously” (בגד בוגדים בגדו; Isaiah 24:16), from the language of betrayal: they betrayed the world, and therefore truth was not inscribed in בג״ד.

I say that the reason is that, under ATBaSH, the letters בג״ד become the letters of שק״ר (sheqer, “falsehood”). The direct ATBaSH sequence is ש־ר־ק, a permutation of שק״ר rather than that exact order; the source does not explain the transposition [TN-114-01]. Thus Jacob, of whom it is said, “You shall give truth to Jacob” (Micah 7:20), said, “and He gives me bread to eat” (Genesis 28:20)—the bread of Torah—“and בג״ד (beged, a garment) to wear.” I shall repair the garment, בג״ד, whose letters are שק״ר, through the bread that is the Torah of truth, for “the Torah of truth was in his mouth” (Malachi 2:6). Jacob’s entire intention was to repair בג״ד through the bread that is the Torah of truth.

For this reason, on the second, third, and fourth occasions Solomon did not say “the foundation of Your dwelling” (מכון שבתך), for truth is the foundation and throne of the Holy One, blessed be He, upon which the world stands. Thus it is said, “A throne shall be established through kindness, and upon it one shall sit in truth” (Isaiah 16:5). Since truth is not stated in the account of Creation on these three days, Solomon likewise did not say “the foundation of Your dwelling.”

Because it is said of the Land of Israel, “Truth will spring from the earth” (Psalms 85:12), Moses opened “I pleaded” with a ו. His prayer concerned that very prayer Solomon would offer “at that time”—specifically the six times Solomon would say “You shall hear in heaven,” so that the world might have endurance throughout the Six Days of Creation. Moses now prayed concerning the foundation of truth. It is therefore written ההוא (ha-hu, masculine), for Moses’ intention was to repair six instances of truth.

Concerning this he said, “You have begun to show.” להראו״ת (le-har’ot, “to show”) has the gematria of א״ר אמ״ת (or emet, “light of truth”), with אור (“light”) written defectively as א״ר. “Your greatness” is Ḥesed: “I said, ‘The world shall be built through kindness’” (Psalms 89:3). וא״ת יד״ך (ve-et yadekha, “and Your hand”) has the gematria of אמ״ת (truth). Through these two attributes, “His kindness has prevailed over us, and the truth of the LORD is forever” (Psalms 117:2). The Holy One, blessed be He, had to cast truth to the earth. This is the meaning of “who is El in heaven and on earth?”—through these two, heaven and earth were created.

Moses therefore said, “Let me cross, please.” What Solomon would pray at the time of the Temple’s construction, I shall pray now: נ״א (N-A) is a notarikon for נתי״ב אמ״ת (netiv emet, “the path of truth”). In “and I shall see” (ואראה), Moses used an additional ו to repair the Six Days of Creation. This could occur specifically through his entry into the Land, for there it is said, “Truth will spring from the earth” (Psalms 85:12). That is, at the time the world was created the Holy One, blessed be He, had to cast truth to the earth; from there, from the Land of Israel, truth springs from the earth. Therefore, “I shall see the Land” and repair it through truth. Likewise concerning Lebanon, it is said, “With me from Lebanon, come” (את״י מלבנו״ן תבוא״י; Song of Songs 4:8); the initials spell אמ״ת.

The source prints the reply of the Holy One, blessed be He, as רב לן (rav lan, “it is enough for us”), rather than the recurring רב לך (“it is enough for you”) [TN-114-02]. The attribute of truth is yours, since the Torah is called by your name, “the Torah of Moses,” and it is a Torah of truth. He also intimated to Moses through “It is enough for you” the congregation of Korah. At that time Moses had said, “It is enough for you” (Numbers 16:7), and then it was verified that they cry out in Gehinnom, “Moses is truth and his Torah is truth” (Bava Batra 74a). Therefore, “do not continue.”

“Command Joshua” concerning these two attributes: “strengthen him” concerning the attribute of Ḥesed, and “embolden him” concerning the attribute of truth. Likewise, when “truth will spring from the earth,” then “righteousness will look down from heaven” (Psalms 85:12). This is what Moses intended by “who is El in heaven and on earth?”—righteousness from heaven and truth from earth.

Moses therefore said, “and I shall see the Land”; then “truth will spring from the earth” (אמ״ת מאר״ץ תצמ״ח), whose initials likewise spell אמ״ת. “This good mountain” is Jerusalem, fulfilling “righteousness will look down from heaven,” for of Jerusalem it is written, “Righteousness lodged in her” (Isaiah 1:21).

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” At the time of Moses’ death the angels had already testified concerning him, “He executed the righteousness of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 33:21; Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:9). Thus righteousness is yours. Corresponding to this He said, “Command Joshua; strengthen him” in the attribute of truth. The three occurrences of חזק (hazaq, “be strong”) that the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke to Joshua after Moses’ death have the numerical value of מש״ה (Moses). This is Moses’ degree, אמ״ת (truth), whose three letters are the beginning, middle, and end of the alphabet. The seal of the Torah is therefore truth.

When Israel entered the Land, their number exceeded 600,000 by 1,730. The source represents this excess through תשל״א and then explains it as אלף תש״ל (“one thousand, seven hundred and thirty”). This is connected to the initial-letter value of שפ״ת אמ״ת תקו״ן לע״ד (“A lip of truth shall be established forever”; Proverbs 12:19, with תקון as printed) [TN-114-03].

The number one thousand belongs to Moses. Concerning him the Sages expounded, “One man among a thousand I found” (Ecclesiastes 7:28)—this is Moses (Leviticus Rabbah 2:1). Therefore, when Moses blessed Israel, “May the LORD add to you a thousand times as many as you are” (Deuteronomy 1:11), the Sages said, “This is from my own” (Sifre Deuteronomy §11). This is truly Moses’ degree: he possessed one thousand radiances, and his nurture came from Ḥokhmah—ten times חכמ״ה (Ḥokhmah, 73), yielding 730. Moses was ten cubits tall (Berakhot 54b): ten times Ḥokhmah yields תש״ל (730). Thus the count of the Israelites who entered the Land derived entirely from Moses [TN-114-04].

Six hundred thousand is Moses, as stated in Deuteronomy Rabbah (11:10). Concerning him the Sages said, “Where is Moses indicated in the Torah? In the verse ‘for he too is flesh’ [בשגם הוא בשר]” (Genesis 6:3; Ḥullin 139b). That is: where is Moses indicated in the Torah as comprising all 600,000 Israelites? The answer is “for he too is flesh”: בשג״ם has the gematria of מש״ה. The source then states parenthetically that בשג״ם הו״א בש״ר has the numerical value of ששי״ם רבו״א (600,000). This parenthesis has no matching opening mark in the source, and the stated equivalence is not recoverable by ordinary gematria [TN-114-05].

Concerning him the Sages also said, “One woman gave birth in Egypt to 600,000 in a single womb” (Song of Songs Rabbah 1:3). Moses possessed the degree of one thousand radiances and comprised the ten wisdoms in the world, which was created through ten utterances (Avot 5:1), while “You made them all with wisdom” (Psalms 104:24)—thus 730.

Concerning him the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “It is enough for you”: this great number of Israel is yours. Thus it is written, “The number of the children of Israel was great” (ומספר בני ישראל היו רב; I Samuel, as printed). The locator appears damaged; the wording most likely points to Hosea 2:1, but the printed attribution has not been replaced [TN-114-06]. This is your degree. The number of the children of Israel is therefore intimated in the verse “A lip of truth shall be established forever” (Proverbs 12:19). “Truth” is Moses, who comprises the Torah of truth as a whole and is the seal of all the 600,000 conduits in the world, corresponding to the 600,000 letters of the Torah. In the initial letters of the verse, whose value is 731, there is an allusion to the number above 600,000—namely 1,730 [TN-114-07].

Corresponding to the attribute of righteousness, He said, “and embolden him in everything you see”—truth and righteousness, as we conclude in the blessing after the prophetic reading, “prophets of truth and righteousness.” The source states that אמ״ת וצד״ק (truth and righteousness) has the gematria of כ״ח מש״ה רבינ״ו (the power of Moses our teacher), namely כ״ח תרי״ג (the power of 613), from which all the prophets through the end of all generations receive their nurture. The values do not agree under ordinary gematria, and no alternative convention is supplied [TN-114-08].

Ofan 115

The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses that He governs the world through Ḥesed and truth. Therefore, at the beginning of Moses’ mission, the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him an angel of the LORD “in a flame” (בלב״ת; Exodus 3:2), for He governs the world through two attributes, Ḥesed and truth. Yet the source immediately says that בלב״ת intimates Ḥesed and Gevurah; both formulations are retained without collapsing truth into Gevurah [TN-115-01]. The world is therefore called תב״ל (tevel), for it comprises Ḥesed, the face of a lion, and Gevurah, the mystery of Judgment.

As Rabbenu Baḥya wrote, for this reason Moses did not mention truth in his prayer. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore said to Moses, “Aaron shall be your prophet” (Exodus 7:1), for Aaron is the mystery of Ḥesed and Moses is the mystery of truth. They consequently had to be two redeemers, “your two breasts are like two fawns” (Song of Songs 4:5), corresponding to these two attributes, Ḥesed and truth. Thus the Sages said concerning “Kindness and truth have met” (Psalms 85:11): these are Moses and Aaron (Yalkut Shimoni on Psalms, §834).

On this basis the verse “I pleaded” may be explained. Moses said “I will show grace to whomever I show grace” (Exodus 33:19), corresponding to Ḥesed, and “I will have mercy,” corresponding to truth, “at that time”—that is, when Aaron died and the right arm of the world, Ḥesed, was broken.

He therefore said “saying.” At that time Moses altered his usual formula: throughout the Torah it is written, “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,” but at that time it says, specifically, “Moses spoke to the LORD, saying” (Numbers 27:15). Moses refers here to that “saying.” At that time he asked to enter the Land, so that Joshua would correspond to Ḥesed and he himself to truth.

He said: Since “You have begun to show”—להראו״ת has the gematria of א״ר אמ״ת (“light of truth”)—“Your greatness” is Aaron, whose attribute is Ḥesed; “Your hand” refers to Moses himself, who was truth, for א״ת יד״ך has the gematria of אמ״ת. Through these two attributes, “through kindness and truth iniquity is atoned” (Proverbs 16:6).

He therefore said, “who is El?” for the attribute of Ḥesed, El, is required. He said “in heaven” corresponding to Ḥesed—“O LORD, Your kindness is in heaven” (Psalms 36:6)—and, corresponding to truth, “Truth will spring from the earth” (Psalms 85:13, as printed). Corresponding to Ḥesed he said that two leaders are likewise required below, on earth: one corresponding to heaven, where Ḥesed is present—“who can act like Your deeds?” Specifically “Your deeds,” as it is written, “Great are the deeds of the LORD” (Psalms 111:2), which are from the side of the attribute Ḥesed, as indicated by “Your greatness.” Corresponding to truth he said, “and like Your mighty acts.”

Moses therefore wished there to be two leaders below as well. Joshua, who belongs to the mystery of “the youth did not depart from within the tent” (Exodus 33:11), would embody the attribute of Ḥesed, as Metatron is from the side of Ḥesed. Enoch is the attribute “gracious,” and Moses is the attribute “merciful”; Moses himself would remain in his own attribute, truth. He therefore said, “Let me cross, נ״א”: I wish, upon crossing, to become נתי״ב אמ״ת (netiv emet, “the path of truth”), a notarikon of נ״א. “And I shall see the Land,” so as to be in the place where “Truth will spring from the earth.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” On this arrangement Joshua would be greater than you, for “Kindness and truth precede Your countenance” (Psalms 89:15): Ḥesed comes first and is great “up to heaven” (Psalms 57:11). The world would therefore be inverted, with Joshua as master and greater than you—literally “great” from the side of Gedullah, Ḥesed. “Do not continue to speak,” and so forth.

“Command Joshua” so that he will comprise both: “a man in whom there is spirit” (Numbers 27:18). In response to Moses’ claim that there must be one leader from the side of Ḥesed, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “He shall stand before Eleazar the priest” (Numbers 27:21), which is a descent of the father’s degree, for Eleazar was High Priest [TN-115-02]. This is the meaning of “It is enough for you”: that greatness expressed through “he shall stand before Eleazar the priest” is yours, for I said, “An inheritance shall not pass from one tribe to another tribe” (Numbers 36:9). Greatness did not depart from your father’s house.

Ofan 116

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel because he saw through the Holy Spirit the mystery of “Moab is my washbasin” (Psalms 60:10). The Zohar writes (Zohar III 198b) that Balak planted sorceries in the female aspect of the Great Abyss that would come to inundate the world in the days of David, as the Zohar treats at length in the portion Balak.

Moses therefore said “at that time,” alluding through “time” to Balaam son of Beor, who caused “Your judgments are a great abyss” (Psalms 36:7). Concerning him Moses said, “You have begun to show Your greatness,” referring to the Name of 72, which is from the side of Ḥesed and with which the Holy One, blessed be He, sealed the abyss, for it possesses the Name of 72. “Your mighty hand” is the mystery of the world in its entirety, which is in the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, like an amulet in the hand of a mighty man, through the Name of 42.

This is the mystery of “He suspends the earth upon nothingness” (תולה ארץ על בלימה; Job 26:7). The kabbalists wrote that the initials of בל״י מ״ה (beli mah, “nothingness”) are the Name of 42—ב (2) and מ (40). This is the mystery of “Your mighty hand.” “Like Your deeds” refers to the Name of 72; “like Your mighty acts” refers to the Name of 42. Upon these the world stands. Both Names are intimated in the word עמ״ד (‘amad, “stood”), whose gematria is ע״ב מ״ב, 72 plus 42 [TN-116-01].

This is the mystery of “Sun, moon, stood in their habitation” (שמש ירח עמד זבולה; Habakkuk 3:11). It does not say “they stood,” in the plural, but “stood,” in the singular: sun is the mystery of 72 and moon of 42; the verse speaks of both together.

It is taught in the Zohar on the portion Yitro (Zohar II 91b) that one appointed being is set over the abyss, and his name is Ya‘azriel. His mystery is “darkness,” in “darkness was over the face of the abyss” (Genesis 1:2). The mystery of the matter is that the forces of the angel appointed over the abyss, where darkness is present, correspond to the numerical value חש״ך (hoshekh, “darkness”); יעזריא״ל (Ya‘azriel) itself has that value.

Because Moses wished to repair “Your judgments are a great abyss”—the source inserts the syntactically detached parenthesis “which is the mystery of לב״ן רמא״ה (Lavan Rama’ah, ‘Laban the Deceiver’)” [TN-116-02]—he said אעבר״ה נ״א (“Let me cross, please”). The source assigns it the gematria שכ״ח (328), equal to the angel יעזריא״ל together with all his forces. The ordinary value of אעבר״ה נ״א is 329, while יעזריא״ל and חש״ך each equal 328; the one-unit discrepancy is not explained [TN-116-03].

The Zohar writes there that this angel holds seventy keys. Join Ya‘azriel, who is the mystery of darkness, to the seventy keys in his hand, and the value is שצ״ח (398), the value of חנו״ך מטטרו״ן (Enoch, Metatron).

For this reason, when one utters an unnecessary blessing, one must afterward say, “Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever” (ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד). The reason is that this angel, with his forces and the keys in his hand, has the value of the initials of ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד, namely 398. He is appointed over anyone who mentions the Name of Heaven in vain.

Thus the Zohar says (p. 163 there) concerning the verse “You shall not take the Name of the LORD your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7): it does not say “you shall not swear,” but “you shall not take,” in the sense of “I will not take their names upon my lips” (Psalms 16:4). When a person mentions a Name, the conduit upon which that Name is engraved is immediately shaken. The appointed being Ya‘azriel, together with his forces and the keys in his hand, has the numerical value of the initials of the “engraved name of the letters” (שמא גליפא דאתוון) in ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד, namely 398 [TN-116-04].

When a person mentions the Name of Heaven in vain, he damages HaShem—the Name formed by those initials. He must therefore repair it immediately, saying, in response to his vain mention of the Name of Heaven, “Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.” In this way he repairs the distortion he made.

We hold that any blessing without the Name and kingship is not a blessing (Berakhot 12a). This person invoked the Name of Heaven in vain and mentioned Name and kingship; he must therefore repair it through this unification. He mentioned HaShem—the Name of Heaven—in vain, and therefore says, “Blessed be the Name”; he mentioned kingship in vain, and therefore says, “Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom.”

Moses desired this unification at the beginning of his prayer. He opened with the six letters of ואתחנן and spoke six words in this verse. In the words “at that time” he intimated the lower unification of the Shekhinah, namely the six words ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד. It is written ההוא (ha-hu, masculine), for this is the unification of Enoch–Metatron, who comprises the six orders: ו׳ סדרים (six orders) has the gematria of נע״ר (Naʿar, “Youth”), the prince of Yetzirah.

Concerning him Moses said, “You have begun to show Your servant,” referring to the unification of Metatron. Likewise, אעברה נא is said to have the gematria of סגרו״ן (Sagron). This is the mystery of what the Sages said in Sanhedrin 44b concerning “the spirit Piskonit.” Rashi there (s.v. amar) explains that it is Gabriel, but the mystery of the matter is that Metatron is called אס״ף (Asaf), because he gathers all the camps. אס״ף is a notarikon for איטמו״ן סגרו״ן פתחו״ן (Itmon, Sagron, Pithon). The printed equation אעברה נא = סגרו״ן does not agree under ordinary gematria [TN-116-05].

Joseph, whose degree is Metatron, is the one of whom Rachel said, “God has gathered away [אס״ף] my reproach” (Genesis 30:23). Moses therefore asked, upon seeing the Land, to repair the abyss, for Moses is the mystery of light and the abyss is the mystery of darkness. He consequently said, “this good mountain,” which is the Temple, “and Lebanon.” There he wished to repair the hidden and stored light, aligned with the Gate of Heaven above.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” “How abundant is Your goodness” (Psalms 31:20)—the abundant goodness stored for the house of Israel—is specifically “for you,” because Moses is the light of the sun (Bava Batra 75a), which will be sevenfold, “like the light of the seven days” (Isaiah 30:26). This will be in the future; but now, “do not continue.”

Ofan 117

It is known that Moses received the Torah and gave it to Israel in three places: at Sinai; it was repeated in the Tent of Meeting; and it was taught a third time in the plains of Moab (as stated in Sotah 37b). There are three rungs for the righteous in this world, and Moses attained them all at Mount Sinai. He attained the rung of servant, as it says in the Sabbath morning prayer: “Moses rejoiced in the gift of his portion, for You called him a faithful servant.”

In the Tent of Meeting he attained the rung of son. Just as a son has permission to search and inspect the king’s treasuries and innermost chambers, so the Holy One, blessed be He, called Moses from the Tent of Meeting (Leviticus 1:1). The verse “The king has brought me into his chambers” (Song of Songs 1:4) was fulfilled, and he attained the rung of son.

Moses prayed concerning this when he said, “You have begun [החלות].” When he received the tablets [הלחות]—the letters of החלות in reverse—“to show Your servant,” I was on the rung of servant, as it is said, “You called him a faithful servant,” etc., and “he brought down two stone tablets in his hand.” Thus, when he received the tablets, he was on the rung of servant. He therefore said, “You have begun to show Your servant”—“Your servant” precisely.

Afterward, at the Tent of Meeting, he said “Your greatness [גדלך],” for he then attained the rung of the son whom the father raises [מגדל]. Likewise, גדל״ך has the numerical value of הב״ן (“the son”). Corresponding to the plains of Moab, he said “Your strong hand,” for then “all the strong hand that Moses performed” was fulfilled (Deuteronomy 34:12). On the eve of the Sabbath before his death he wrote thirteen Torah scrolls, twelve for the twelve tribes and a thirteenth Torah scroll that he placed in the Ark, as Maimonides relates in the introduction to his *Mishneh Torah*.

The third time that Moses received the Torah, in the plains of Moab, he yearned to attain the rung of partner, since he had already attained the two preceding rungs, servant and son. He now prayed to become a partner with the Holy One, blessed be He, in the work of Creation. He reckoned that this would occur upon his entry into the land, when “These were the potters, and those who dwelt among plantations and hedges; there they dwelt with the king in his work” (1 Chronicles 4:23) would be fulfilled.

This is the meaning of “Who is a God in heaven and on earth”: that there should be a partner with You who can do “like Your deeds and like Your mighty acts.” The Sages, of blessed memory, said (Genesis Rabbah 77:1) concerning “There is none like God, O Jeshurun” (Deuteronomy 33:26), that the righteous resemble their Creator: just as the Holy One, blessed be He, revives the dead, etc. Moses therefore said, “Let me see the land,” and I shall attain partnership with the Holy One, blessed be He.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: Do you not possess a degree greater even than being a partner with the Holy One, blessed be He? You are the master, and I am obliged to perform your will, for “You shall decree a matter, and it shall be established for you” (Job 22:28). The Holy One, blessed be He, decrees a decree and you nullify it (Moʿed Qatan 16b), for “a righteous one rules through the fear of God” (2 Samuel 23:3)—Who rules over Me? The righteous one. Moses is called “the man of God” (Deuteronomy 33:1). Therefore, “Do not continue.” “Command Joshua and strengthen him” on the rung of servant; “and embolden him” on the rung of son; “for he shall cross over” on the rung of partner; “and he shall cause them to inherit,” thereby, as it were, nullifying the decree.

Ofan 118

The Gemara states in the first chapter of Bava Batra (14b): “Moses wrote his book, the book of Job, and the section of Balaam.” We have reviewed every passage and found no allusion in the Torah that Moses was the scribe of Job. Yet every concealed matter that the Holy One, blessed be He, has done for us He inserted for us into the holy Torah; where, then, is this matter hinted?

Regarding the section of Balaam, the early authorities wrote that it consists of the eighteen verses in the book of Joshua concerning the wars against Midian and the killing of Balaam. In the Zohar on the portion Ve-Zot Ha-Berakhah (Zohar III, 299b), however, the expression [uncertain: ע״א בספרא דבלעם] appears to imply a “book of Balaam.” [TN-118-01]

In my view, this matter is hinted in the initial letters of ואתחנן אל ה׳ בעת (“I pleaded with YHWH at [that] time”), which the source states form איו״ב (Job). [TN-118-02] “At that time”—at the very time Moses wrote the five books of the Torah. It is written ההוא (“he/that”): at that same time Moses occupied himself with “that” matter, referring to Job. “Saying” means for all generations, until they said in the Gemara (Bava Batra 15a), “Job never existed and was never created; he was only a parable.” The meaning, as written in the *Guide of the Perplexed*, is not that he did not exist and was not created except for the sake of a parable from which human beings might learn: he became a model from whom to learn to accept afflictions with love. This is hinted in the expression “that—saying,” as it says concerning Job, “That man had sheep and cattle” (Job 1:3): “that man” was created only “for saying,” as a parable for the generations.

The word בע״ת (“at the time”) has the numerical value of בלעם בן בעור (“Balaam son of Beor”), referring to the book of Balaam that Moses likewise wrote at that time.

This resolves what is stated in the Midrash (Tanḥuma, Va-Etchanan 6): Moses said before the Holy One, blessed be He, “If I have sinned against You, send afflictions upon me, but let me not die.” This is difficult: from where do we learn to say so, since nowhere in Moses’s prayer do we find him mentioning the acceptance of afflictions? According to my approach, however, the matter is clear. In the opening verse he mentioned Job, when one examines the initial letters. He therefore arranged his prayer by beginning with Adonai, where judgment is found, in the mystery of the afflictions of love that the Holy One, blessed be He, sent upon Job.

Concerning Job he said, “You have begun to show Your servant,” alluding to Job, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, called “servant,” as it is written, “My servant Job” (Job 1:8). “Your greatness”: at first You conducted Yourself toward him through the attribute of Your goodness. Afterward You judged him through afflictions and sent “Your strong hand” upon him, as it is written, “The hand of God has touched me” (Job 19:21).

He mentioned “Who is El,” referring to Abraham’s attribute, which is Ḥesed of El. Satan said concerning Abraham, “I have found none in the whole world like Abraham.” The Midrash says (Numbers Rabbah 17:2; see Bava Batra 15) that all the afflictions that came upon Job had been fit to come upon Abraham. There is a supernal mystery here, the mystery of gilgul: those afflictions were specifically fit to come upon Abraham.

This is the mystery of “The LORD appeared to him by the terebinths [וירא אליו י״י באלני]” (Genesis 18:1), whose marked initial letters are said to form איו״ב; and י״י באלני ממרא has the initial letters יב״ם (yavam, “levir”). [TN-118-03] Job was the son of a yevamah, as stated in the Zohar on Numbers, p. 396 (Zohar III, 216a). He therefore had to undergo gilgul under the law of the son of a yevamah. He was called עו״ץ (Uz), for at first he was עובד צלמים (“an idol worshiper”), and he angered the Holy One, blessed be He, when he was Terah, as stated in the Zohar (III, 111b). [TN-118-04]

This is the mystery of “א״ת Your servant”: א״ת precisely, the initial letters of איוב תרח (Job, Terah). גדל״ך has the numerical value of יבמ״ה (yevamah), for he was the son of a yevamah. He was “a man born of woman,” that is, from the female side, and therefore he had to undergo gilgul. In the words “Your greatness,” He alluded to the fact that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Abraham the gilgul of Job at that time. Concerning that place it is said, “Your humility has made me great” (Psalms 18:36): wherever you find the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, there you find His humility (Megillah 31a). This is the meaning of “Your greatness.”

After the binding of Isaac, Abraham was likewise informed at that time that his father had repented (Genesis Rabbah 30:4), in the mystery of gilgul: “The dust returns to the earth as it was” (Ecclesiastes 12:7), for “man returns to dust” (Job 34:15). Therefore it is stated there, “It was told to Abraham: Behold, Milcah too has borne Uz, his firstborn” (Genesis 22:20–21). This is the meaning of “Your strong hand,” which alludes to the binding of Isaac. He therefore said, “Who is El,” the mystery of “Behold, God performs all these things” (Job 33:29), the mystery of the Ḥesed of El (Psalms 52:3) and the mystery of gilgul.

Accordingly, Moses quite properly said, “Let me cross over, נא”: may the Holy One, blessed be He, do to me as He did to Job and send afflictions upon me. He expounded אעברה from the expression “He passes over transgression” (Micah 7:18): may He pass over my sins and become filled with wrath [עברה] against me, like a pregnant woman [עוברה], striking me with afflictions as He did Job.

This likewise resolves what is stated in the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, remez 814), that Moses said, “You heard Leviathan’s supplications, but You do not hear me.” Since he is now discussing Job, and there the matter of Leviathan’s supplications is recounted, the connection is clear.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is too much for you [רב לך]” to compare yourself to Job. Job had initially committed grave transgressions, for he worshiped idols; he was deserving of that punishment and those afflictions on his own account. He also had a part in the counsel of “Come, let us deal wisely” (Exodus 1:10), as stated in Exodus Rabbah 1:9 and Sotah 11a. Concerning that episode it is written, “Behold, the people of the children of Israel are numerous [רב]” (Exodus 1:9). Job was therefore deserving of abundant [רב] punishment, measure for measure. He advised concerning Israel that their property should be taken while their lives were preserved, and he was judged by precisely the same rule: “Touch all that he has,” but “only preserve his life” (Job 1:11; 2:6). Therefore, “Do not continue.”

Ofan 119

It is stated in Midrash Rabbah on the portion Naso that four people had no master but learned by themselves: Abraham, Job, Hezekiah, and the Messiah. The reason concerning the three among them who belonged to Israel lies in the mystery of gilgul. The mystery of Abraham’s four kings was that Nimrod in the generation of the dispersion was like Sennacherib in his generation and like Gog and Magog in the future. In Abraham’s days there were dispersion and confusion; likewise in Hezekiah’s days, and even more so in the days of the Messiah, for this and that are one. This is the meaning of what is stated in Sanhedrin 94a: the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to make Hezekiah the Messiah and Sennacherib Gog and Magog, etc.

This is the mystery of “From that land Asshur went forth” (Genesis 10:11), stated concerning the generation of the dispersion, which alludes to Sennacherib in his generation. Just as Nimrod was “a mighty hunter before the LORD” (Genesis 10:9), so in the future “the nations rage … against the LORD and against His anointed” (Psalms 2:1–2).

Just as Abraham killed his camp with dust, as it is said, “He gave his sword as dust” (Isaiah 41:2; Taʿanit 21a), so too in Sennacherib’s days the night was divided against them—this is Gabriel. Likewise, in the future Gabriel will conduct a hunt against all the nations (Bava Batra 74b).

For this reason, just as Abraham said, “Even at night my kidneys instruct me” (Psalms 16:7), for his kidneys flowed like two teachers and he learned by himself—printed with the adjacent references “[Bava Batra 16 (Genesis Rabbah 61:1)]” [TN-119-01]—so too Hezekiah learned by himself. Abraham contains eight instances of א״ל in his name, for a precious stone hung from his neck (Bava Batra 16b), and when he died the Holy One, blessed be He, hung it in the sphere of the sun. These are the mystery of the eight angels who conduct the sun. Likewise, Hezekiah had eight names, as the Sages expounded (Sanhedrin 94a) from “and under his fatness [במשמניו] leanness” (Isaiah 10:16), referring to his eight names.

It is fitting that the Messiah and Job should likewise resemble Abraham in this respect. Just as Job’s afflictions had been fit to come upon Abraham, so too that which came to Abraham was fit to come to Job, for the measure of goodness is greater than the measure of punishment (Yoma 76a).

Moses reckons these four in this verse. First he began with Job: “You have begun”—“You” precisely, for Job had no master in the world; rather, “You have begun to show Your servant.” This is Job, who had no master. “Your greatness” is Abraham, who was “a flowing stream, a source of wisdom” (Proverbs 18:4). The attribute of Ḥesed brought this about for him—“Your greatness” precisely—for נח״ל (nahal, “stream”) is a notarikon of נוצר חסד לאלפים (“preserving Ḥesed for thousands”; Exodus 34:7).

“Your strong hand” alludes to Hezekiah, through whom the Holy One, blessed be He, showed His strong hand when the souls of 185,000 went forth at one time (2 Kings 19:35). Concerning the Messiah he then said, “Who is a God in heaven and on earth who can do” in the future “like Your deeds” literally, for “he shall smell through the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:3) and judge the world without witnesses and without prior warning; “and like Your mighty acts”—“Who can express the mighty acts of the LORD?” at that time (Psalms 106:2).

Since You revealed to these four what is above and what is below, what is in heaven and what is on earth, and they attained great attainments, let me too be like one of them. “Let me cross over [אעבר״ה], נא”: אעבר״ה is an anagram of ארבע״ה (“four”), so that I too may be one of those four people whose kidneys are like a flowing spring. For this I must come to the Land of Israel, whose air makes one wise of itself (Bava Batra 158b).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered: You need not compare yourself to these four people, for “your Master needs you [רב לך].” That is, as it were, the Master Himself needs you, for you are the disciple whose master needs him.

Ofan 120

The book *Sodei Razei* asks: According to what the Sages said (Ḥagigah 13b), Ezekiel petitioned to transform the face of the ox into a cherub. Yet in Yoma 19b we say concerning a priest who officiated and burned the incense according to the Sadducean practice that something like the hoof of a calf came and struck him to the ground. But this occurred after the prophet Ezekiel had removed the calf’s foot from the merkavah.

The book gives two answers. First, after Ezekiel, when Israel sinned during the Second Temple period, the ox returned to its place. Second, Ezekiel removed it only from the inside of the merkavah, while it remained on the outside.

Moses’s prayer concerns this matter. The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses all the generations. When he came to Ezekiel’s generation and saw that Ezekiel had removed the ox only temporarily, he said, “I pleaded with YHWH.” This was when the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the treasury of “I shall be gracious to whom I shall be gracious” (Exodus 33:19; Tanḥuma, Ki Tissa 27) and showed him the soul of Ezekiel, who cast his supplication before YHWH precisely. For the four letters of YHWH correspond to the four holy creatures: י is the face of the lion; ה the face of the ox; ו the face of the eagle; and ה the face of the human.

This is the meaning of “at that time”: Ezekiel petitioned only for his own generation and that particular time, but immediately after his generation the face of the ox returned to its place. Moses, however, petitioned to YHWH precisely, referring to these four creatures in the four letters of YHWH. “Saying” means for all generations, to repair every generation.

It is written ההוא (“he”): Ezekiel petitioned only concerning the cherub on the inside, which belongs to the male world. Moses, however, cast his supplication also concerning ההיא (“she”), the cherub on the outside, in the female world. The word ההי״א likewise alludes to changing the ה that is the face of the ox.

He therefore said, “You have begun to show [להראו״ת],” whose numerical value equals מרכב״ה שלמ״ה (“a complete merkavah”). What is a complete merkavah? “Your greatness” is the face of the lion, and “Your strong hand” the face of the ox. He said החזקה, whose numerical value is 125, the mystery of מסכ״ה (“molten image”), which became a memorial of the iniquity: they made it from 125 talents (Exodus Rabbah 42:8).

There are two reasons they made it from 125 talents. First, the face of the ox is in the letter ה of HaShem. Squaring ה in this manner—five times five—makes twenty-five; five times twenty-five makes 125, the value of מסכ״ה. Second, the legs of the creatures span a journey of five hundred years (Ḥagigah 13a), and they removed one of the four legs of the merkavah, namely 125 (Exodus Rabbah 42:5), for four times 125 is five hundred.

Corresponding to the face of the eagle he said, “Who is El in heaven,” because “the way of an eagle is in heaven” (Proverbs 30:19). Corresponding to the face of the human, which is below, he said, “on earth.” “Who can do like Your deeds” is the mystery of the Work of the upper Merkavah, while “like Your mighty acts” refers to the work of the lower cherubim.

He therefore said: I wish to repair more than Ezekiel did. Ezekiel removed them only for his generation, after which the ox returned to its place. When I enter the land, “let me cause it to pass away [אעברה]” entirely. As I wrote above, אעברה has the numerical value of כרובים (“cherubim”). Here this hints that I wish to remove the face of the ox, the mystery of ה of HaShem, which is hinted by the additional ה in אעבר״ה. The face of the ox is in the letter ה of HaShem: I shall cause ה to pass away entirely.

That is, until now the face of the ox has occupied the letter ה both above and below. I now wish to repair the configuration so that cherubim, numerically equal to אעברה, will come in its place. This alludes to a cherub replacing the ox in the lower merkavah as well—not as Ezekiel did, changing only one face to a cherub in the upper merkavah while the face of the ox remained in its place in the lower merkavah. Indeed, it struck the Sadducean priest in the Second Temple period in the form of a calf’s hoof. I, however, wish to remove it above and below and establish cherubim. Therefore, “let me see the land.”

אעבר״ה has the numerical value of רבו״ע (“square”). He wished to remove the sin of the calf; אעבר״ה equals רבו״ע because he wished to remove the square of ה that the mixed multitude had damaged when “they exchanged their glory” for the form of an ox (Psalms 106:20), the mystery of the final ה of the Name.

They said, “Arise, make us a god [אלהים]” (Exodus 32:1). This is difficult: how did the calf emerge, when in their words to Aaron they mentioned no image of an ox, yet “this calf came out”? The mystery is that by saying “Make us אלהים,” they removed one of the four supports above, namely the face of the ox. Through their words “Make us Elohim,” they removed the face of the ox from the merkavah. The face of the ox is on the left, corresponding to “Your strong hand” on the left. Moreover, אלהים has the numerical value of פנ״י שו״ר (“face of an ox”) under the great reckoning of אי״ק. [TN-120-01]

In the word קו״ם (“arise”) they alluded to the prince who governs the face of the ox, whose name is אמצי״ה (Amatziah), numerically equal to קו״ם. Thus, in their words to Aaron they removed the prince of Samael who governs the face of the ox.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered Moses, “It is too much for you [רב לך].” You wish to repair the square of ה that the mixed multitude damaged when they made 125 talents, thereby impairing the square of ה, as explained. You are the one who caused damage to the small ה of Abraham, the mystery of the covenant, by taking in the mixed multitude. They consisted of five nations, whose mnemonic is נ״גע ר״ע: נפילים גבורים ענקים רפאים עמלקים (Nephilim, Gibborim, Anakim, Rephaim, Amalekites). You gave them the covenantal sign of Abraham.

Concerning this the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Go, descend from your greatness” (Exodus 32:7; Berakhot 32a; Tikkunim, locator not supplied), for by this Moses damaged the letter ה. This is the meaning of “It is too much for you”: the mixed multitude [ערב רב] are yours (see Exodus Rabbah 42:6), and this great [רב] sin is yours.

The word ל״ך hints at these five kelippot from the five nations, each of which comprises ten. By this he caused the dross of the serpent, which is the letter נ, to prevail through fifty gates of kelippah in the world, the numerical value of ל״ך. Therefore, “Do not continue,” for a prosecutor cannot become a defender. But “command Joshua”—צו signifies idolatry (Sanhedrin 56b). “Strengthen him” so that he will repair the ox above, for “his firstborn ox” (Deuteronomy 33:17); it therefore returns to him to repair this matter of idolatry. “And embolden him” concerning the ox below.

Ofan 121

Moses saw the mystery of Kesil and Kimah, which contains supernal mysteries, and their role in the days of the Flood, a matter discussed at length in the first chapter of Rosh Hashanah (11b). The Sages also expounded (Berakhot 59a) the verse “Can you guide Ayish with her children?” (Job 38:32). *Sodei Razaya* discusses Kesil and Kimah at length: together they comprise all twelve signs of the zodiac and contain profound mysteries; see there.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job, “Can you bind the chains of Kimah, or loose the cords of Kesil?” (Job 38:31). Kesil has [uncertain: ה׳ קשרים] (“five bonds”), from which its chariots depend, while Kimah has [uncertain: נ׳ קשרים] (“fifty bonds”), from which its chariots depend. All the bonds of the chariots of the zodiacal signs of the twelve months depend on these two. [TN-121-01]

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job: Can you change them, giving Kesil five bonds and Kimah seven? Surely they are the reverse. This is the plain meaning of “Can you bind the chains of Kimah?” Can you make “delicacies [מעדנות]” such that Kimah has five bonds? “Or loose the cords of Kesil?” Can you make the cords of Kesil seven, the numerical value of א״ו? In truth, Kesil has seven bonds and Kimah five. [TN-121-02]

Moses wished to attain the nature of these constellations. Concerning them Jacob said, “How awesome is this place [מה נורא המקום הזה]” (Genesis 28:17)—this place precisely. They are the seven bonds of Kimah and five bonds of Kesil. “This is none other than the house of God” alludes to the fact that these five constellations, hinted in the word ז״ה—ז for Kimah and ה for Kesil—cannot be attained except at “the house of God,” when the Tabernacle was erected in the second month, Iyar (Numbers 1:1). This is the mystery of Kimah as the tail of Aries.

That month is therefore called Ziv, for there the radiance of the Shekhinah appeared in order to repair the face of the ox through which Israel had sinned with the calf. Then the Shekhinah and her hosts came in the arrangement of the banners. This is the mystery of writing the month איי״ר (Iyar) in bills of divorce plene, with two yods, for it is a notarikon of אברהם יצחק יעקב רחל (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rachel). The merkavah is thereby complete.

David hinted at this in Psalm 6, which Ashkenazic communities customarily recite during the falling upon the face: “All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly terrified; they shall turn back and be ashamed in a moment” (Psalms 6:11). The initial letters of אויבי ישובו יבושו רגע spell איי״ר. At that time the nations said, “Return, return, O Shulammite; return, return, that we may gaze upon you” (Song of Songs 7:1). Reverse ישו״בו (“they shall return”), and it becomes יבו״שו (“they shall be ashamed”). This occurred at the time of the banners, when the constellation Kimah, the tail of Aries, rises (see Numbers Rabbah 2:4). This is the mystery of כימ״ה (Kimah), a notarikon of כבוד ה׳ מלא המשכן (“the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle”; Exodus 40:34).

Jacob intended this when he said, “This is none [אין ז״ה].” There can be no understanding of these two constellations, Kesil and Kimah, which possess seven bonds and five bonds, the mystery of the ladder on which the angels of God ascend at the dragon’s head and descend at the dragon’s tail. Concerning it Jacob said, מ״ה נור״א המקו״ם הז״ה (“How awesome is this place”), whose numerical value is תני״ן (“dragon”). [TN-121-03]

In the house of God, the Tabernacle, the glory of the LORD became known; it too is hinted in the word ז״ה. The mystery of the banners belongs to Jacob, as it is written, “Each man by his banner, with signs according to their ancestral houses” (Numbers 2:2). They derive from Jacob, who arranged the merkavah through the carrying of his bier. Jacob is the mystery of seven YHWH-Names, in the mystery of “Jacob departed from Beer-sheba” (Genesis 28:10): seven times the Name YHWH has the numerical value of יעקב (Jacob). סול״ם (“ladder”) has the numerical value of five YHWH-Names.

“This is the gate of heaven”: in the Land of Israel the mysteries of Kesil and Kimah are revealed, because it is aligned with its counterpart. Moses therefore persisted. He opened ואתחנן with six letters and the verse with six words, corresponding to the twelve zodiacal signs, six ascending and six descending. They correspond to the Name YHWH, which has twelve permutations, six revealed and six concealed.

This is the meaning of “at that time”: Moses’s prayer concerned the six times set forth in the portion Noah, upon which time depends. They are hinted in the word ח״ק, a notarikon of חריש קציר, חם קור, חורף קיץ (“sowing and harvest, heat and cold, winter and summer”; Genesis 8:22). [TN-121-04] “At that time, saying”: his entire utterance concerned the twelve months of the year, six male and six female. It is therefore read ההיא (“she”) but written ההוא (“he”).

For this reason, the initial letters of אתה החלות להראות (“You have begun to show”) spell אה״ל (ohel, “tent”). When the Tent of Meeting was erected, the Holy One, blessed be He, began to show Moses the mystery of Kimah. The merkavah was completed at the end of the thirty days of Nisan, which is the tail of Aries. This is hinted in כימה: כבוד ה׳ מלא המשכן (“the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle”).

“Your greatness,” from the right side, signifies the seven bonds of Kimah, hinted in the ג and ד of גדלך, whose values are three and four. “Your strong hand” signifies the five bonds of Kesil, hinted in ידך, in the likeness of a hand with five fingers; so Kesil has five bonds. חזק״ה has the numerical value of כסיל, for Kesil draws its sustenance from the Name Elohim, which has 120 permutations, the numerical value of כסי״ל, and this is “the strong hand.”

Kimah, however, is the right hand from the side of the priest, for כימה has the numerical value of כה״ן (“priest”). Likewise, the Tabernacle remained for seventy-five days, the numerical value of כימ״ה, from the Day of Atonement until the twenty-fifth of Kislev. [TN-121-05]

Concerning this Moses said, “Who [מ״י] is El?” In the letters מ״י he alluded to the forty days through which the generation of the Flood caused a curse in the world. Its trace appeared every year until Solomon came and the world was healed of the curses of the Flood. The corruption entered the world from the constellation Kesil and Kimah, as stated in the first chapter of Rosh Hashanah (11b). Moses therefore said and hinted through מ״י אל, a notarikon of מ״ם יו״ם (“forty days”): “El is indignant every day” (Psalms 7:12) through the curses of the Flood.

“Who can do like Your deeds” refers to Kimah, while “like Your mighty acts” refers to Kesil. Heaven and earth depend on them, for they comprise all the signs and spheres that revolve around the earth. Moses therefore wished to effect the healing now and to enter the land. Concerning this he said, “Let me cross over, נא.” I wish now to cause the curses upon the earth to pass away. “And let me see the land”: when I am in the Land of Israel, I shall come to and attain “this gate of heaven.”

The word וארא״ה has the numerical value of ז״ה כסיל וכימה. That is, it signifies the seven bonds of Kimah and the five bonds of Kesil. From each of them depend six zodiacal signs in the firmament, six ascending and six descending. Therefore he wrote ואראה with ו.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is much for you”: you possess an attainment higher than Kesil and Kimah, for your attainment has reached the dragon itself, and certainly the dragon’s tail. As for your petition to heal the world from the curses of the Flood, you already repaired yourself during the forty days you were on the mountain. This is the meaning of “It is much for you [רב ל״ך]”—ל״ך precisely, for you have already repaired yourself regarding the other matters associated with forty days.

He said “It is much for you”: you have a masterful attainment concerning forty days, since you were in the firmament for three periods of forty days. “Do not continue to speak to Me of this matter,” which concerns the seven bonds of Kimah and the five bonds of Kesil, about which the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke with Job, who is hinted in the first verse of Va-Etchanan.

“Ascend to the top of the summit” means: you have no need of Kesil and Kimah; your ascent reaches the top of the summit, the dragon’s own head. The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses “the great dragon that lies in the midst of the rivers of Egypt” (Ezekiel 29:3). He therefore said, “It is much for you”: the great dragon is yours.

Thus Moses said, “the head of cruel serpents [ראש פתנים אכזר]” (Deuteronomy 32:33). Read backward, אכז״ר is a notarikon of ראש זנב כימה אגמון (“head, tail, Kimah, pool”), a supernal mystery explained in the verse “from the beginning of the leaders of the enemy” (Deuteronomy 32:42). [TN-121-06] It was not for nothing that Pharaoh said concerning himself, “My river is mine.” This is the mystery of the dragons explained in the Zohar on Va-Era, p. 48 (Zohar II, 27a).

“Command Joshua and strengthen him [וחזקה״ו]” concerning the six times on the right side, the summer season, in which [uncertain: חרישה זריעה קצירה] (“plowing, sowing, reaping”) are found and over which the angel Michael rules. “And embolden him” concerning the six times of the winter season, over which Gabriel rules—[uncertain: טלה ברד]. [TN-121-07] This is the mystery of “six months with oil of myrrh” (Esther 2:12), for מו״ר (“myrrh”) has the numerical value of גבריא״ל, who rules over all the winter days, while Michael rules over all the summer days.

Concerning this Moses opened with six words and six letters, corresponding to these two angels who rule over all the days of the year. A common year therefore contains a number of days equal to מיכא״ל and גבריא״ל together. [TN-121-08] “Your greatness” corresponds to Michael, and “Your hand” to Gabriel.

Ofan 122

It is stated in *Pirkei Hekhalot* that Moses forgot everything he learned in the firmament, until the Holy One, blessed be He, sent him the prince Yefifiah. In my view, this is the mystery of “You are fairer [יפיפית] than the sons of man” (Psalms 45:3). That is, the prince of Torah is Yefifiah, whose name signifies doubled beauty. This came to Moses “from the sons of man.”

This mystery was revealed to me in a night vision on the Sabbath of Bereshit in the year 5371 [1610–11]. Moses’s beauty came from the gilgul of two human beings, for Moses our teacher was the gilgul of Seth and Abel (Tikkunei Zohar 69, 102a). Afterward, “grace was poured forth [הוצק ח״ן],” the mystery of “Noah found grace [נח מצא חן]” (Genesis 6:8), and it too “was upon your lips.” [TN-122-01]

Moses attained the rays of splendor from the gilgul of Seth, for יפיפי״ה הש״ר (“the prince Yefifiah”) has the numerical value of ש״ת (Seth). Thus *Pirkei Hekhalot* always mentions him with this wording, calling him יפיפי״ה הש״ר, whose numerical value is Seth; Moses attained this from the gilgul of Seth.

This is the mystery of the rays [קרני] of splendor: two times קר״ן (“ray/horn”) has the numerical value of יפיפי״ה הש״ר. This is the mystery of “Who placed [ש״ת] wisdom in the inward parts?” (Job 38:36)—ש״ת precisely, from whom came Moses’s rays of splendor. The mystery of “the skin of Moses’s face emitted rays [קרן]” (Exodus 34:35) is חנו״ך ב״ן יר״ד (Enoch son of Jared), for חנו״ך ב״ן יר״ד has the numerical value of קר״ן.

During all 120 days that Moses was in the firmament, he could not learn through Metatron, who is Enoch son of Jared, because he learned and forgot. This continued until the Holy One, blessed be He, sent him יפיפי״ה הש״ר, who possessed a double portion of his spirit. Moses then “understood the fear of the LORD and found knowledge of God,” for Yefifiah the prince truly has a double portion of his spirit: חנו״ך ב״ן יר״ד equals one קר״ן, while יפיפי״ה הש״ר equals twice קר״ן.

This is the mystery of “He had rays from His hand, and there was the hiding of His strength” (Habakkuk 3:4). There is a supernal mystery here. In the firmament Moses learned Torah through Metatron, who is Enoch son of Jared, but he learned it and forgot it. It was given to him as a gift, however, through “rays from His hand”—that is, through two rays, Yefifiah the prince, whose value is twice קרן.

What he learned through Enoch son of Jared, however, was “there the hiding of His strength [חביו״ן עזו].” The Torah, which is called “strength” (Zevahim 116a), was concealed and hidden through חנוך בן ירד, as hinted in the word חביו״ן. This is the mystery of “It was concealed from the eyes of every living being” (Job 28:21): the Torah was concealed from Moses our teacher, who comprises “every living being,” all 600,000 partzufim.

“And from the bird of the heavens”: although Moses learned Torah from the “bird of the heavens,” Metatron, who is called עו״ף, the rung of יוס״ף (Joseph), that which he learned from the bird—Metatron—was concealed. Likewise, when the word תורה is spelled out תי״ו וא״ו רי״ש ה״א, the concealed letters of תורה have the numerical value of מטט״רון. Since the Torah was concealed from him through Metatron himself, Metatron is present in the concealed spelling of תורה.

The word השמ״ים has the numerical value of יפיפי״ה, and the Torah was concealed from them both: “from the bird” is Metatron, while “the heavens” is Yefifiah. [TN-122-02] According to my approach, however, the verse means that the Torah was concealed from Moses our teacher, who comprises every living being, until the “bird of the heavens,” Yefifiah, came. מעו״ף has the numerical value of יפיפי״ה when the word itself is counted, and Yefifiah taught Moses the hidden matters of Torah.

Concerning this the Sages said (Exodus Rabbah 47:6): From where did Moses attain the rays of splendor? From the tablets. The intention is that then “He gave to Moses when He had finished [ככלתו]” (Exodus 31:18). ככלתו is written defectively, and this is the mystery of “the bride of Moses [כלת משה]” (Numbers 7:1); these are the mystery of the tablets. From there the rays of splendor came to him.

This is likewise hinted in the verse וקרנ״ים מ״ידו ל״ו ו״שם ח״ביון עזו (“He had rays from His hand, and there was the hiding of His strength”), whose marked initial letters are said to spell מלו״ח (“from a tablet”). [TN-122-03]

Concerning this he said, “And I pleaded,” opening with ו because the tablets were six handbreadths long by six wide (Nedarim 38a). He said, “You have begun [החלות],” the reverse of the letters of הלחו״ת (“the tablets”). The initial letters of אתה החלות להראות spell אה״ל (ohel, “tent”). From there he attained an אהל in the sense of “When His lamp shone over my head [בהילו נרו עלי ראשי]” (Job 29:3), whose marked initial letters are said to spell נע״ר (“youth”). [TN-122-04] This is Enoch, “Train the youth [חנוך לנער]” (Proverbs 22:6), the rung of the tablets, which are ו. It is the mystery of the secondary chariot, the six orders, the prince of Yetzirah: all are one mystery.

Concerning him Moses said, “to show Your servant,” the faithful servant. Moses learned the Torah and forgot it until it was given to him as a gift. א״ת ע״בדך has the numerical value of במתנ״ה (“as a gift”).

Moses was on the mountain three times. Corresponding to the first time he said, “Your greatness”; corresponding to the second, “Your strong hand”; and corresponding to the third, when he descended on the Day of Atonement, “אשר מ״י א״ל.” The Day of Atonement is the rung of מ״י and the rung of אשר.

The initial letters of ל״אל ג״ומר ע״לי (“to God who completes [it] for me”; Psalms 57:3), read in reverse, spell עג״ל (“calf”), while the final letters have the numerical value of ר״ם (“exalted”). [TN-122-05] On that day the Holy One, blessed be He, sits upon “a throne exalted and uplifted” and judges the world: “the LORD of Hosts is exalted through judgment” (Isaiah 5:16). The ten days from Rosh Hashanah through the Day of Atonement contain 240 hours (Berakhot 12b), and “one may acquire one’s world in a single hour” (Avodah Zarah 18a).

Moses began to pray, “Let me cross over, נא”: may the Holy One, blessed be He, now send him into the Land of Israel that angel who possesses a double portion of the spirit, like Metatron, “Your servant.” Elisha said to Elijah when the latter was separated from him, “Let there be, נא, a double portion of your spirit upon me” (2 Kings 2:9). He alluded to Nadab and Abihu, who were reincarnated in Elijah, who is Phinehas. Elijah inherited a double portion from them, as hinted in נ״א, a notarikon of נדב אביהו (Nadab, Abihu).

Moses likewise petitioned concerning his master Metatron, asking the Holy One, blessed be He, to send him Yefifiah as He had sent him at first. Yefifiah the prince possesses a double portion of his spirit, as explained.

This is hinted in אעבר״ה, whose numerical value is כרובים (“cherubim”), referring to these two cherubim in the firmament. Concerning the first he said “Your servant”: this is Metatron, the faithful servant. Concerning the second he said “Your greatness,” which is “the son [הב״ן],” for אליהו has the numerical value of ב״ן.

Since the two cherubim are hinted in אעברה, just as the second cherub, Elijah, taught Elisha through the double portion of his spirit hinted in נ״א—נדב אביהו—so too “one cherub at one end [מקצה]” (Exodus 25:19), which alludes to Metatron, while קצ״ה alludes to יפיפי״ה, should come and teach me, for he too possesses twice the spirit of Enoch.

This is hinted in אראה, whose numerical value equals ז״ה יפיפי״ה (“this is Yefifiah”), the one appointed over the light [או״ר] of Torah. This light is the mystery [ר״ז], as explained in many places in the Tikkunim: אור (“light”) is called רז (“mystery”; Zohar III, 215b). Therefore Moses petitioned to enter the Land of Israel.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “Your master is with you [רב לך]”: this great master has already been with you. “Do not continue to speak any more.”

Hagahah 1

Young Solomon says: The word ע״זו (“His strength”), when the word itself is included, has the numerical value of חנוך (Enoch). חביון ע״זו (“the hiding of His strength”) has the numerical value of קט״ן (“the lesser”), for he is called “the lesser YHWH,” as stated in *Sefer Hekhalot*.

Hagahah 2

Young Solomon says: According to this, we may understand what is stated in the Zohar (Zohar II, 115a): Metatron comprises six orders—the six orders of the Mishnah.

Hagahah 3

Young Solomon says: The word נ״א also alludes to אלף נ׳ (“one thousand and fifty”), for three times קרן equals 1,050, the numerical value of חנוך בן ירד ויפיפיה השר (“Enoch son of Jared and Yefifiah the prince”).

Ofan 123

Rabbi Isaac Luria wrote in *Kanfei Yonah*, part 4, that above there is one conduit at the head of all the conduits that descend into the world from the attribute of Ḥesed. That conduit is the mystery of מיכא״ל (Michael). That is, the attribute of Binah is called מ״י, while the attribute of Ḥesed is called א״ל: “The Ḥesed of El is all day” (Psalms 52:3).

The seven constructive attributes, which are the seven days of Creation, are the source of all the good and evil that enter the world. They are the mystery of a decree of seventy years. שנ״ה (“year”) has the numerical value of ספיר״ה (sefirah); each of the seven is comprised of ten, making seventy years. They are the mystery of the seventy members of the Sanhedrin. The conduit that descends from Binah to Ḥesed has the shape of כ. This is the mystery of מיכאל: מ״י, כ, א״ל.

Concerning this Moses began to pray. He had attained the mystery of שס״ה (365), the final letters of שמ״ש חר״ס חמ״ה (“sun, orb, sun”). It is the mystery of “O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, attend” (Daniel 9:19), a notarikon of שבע ספירות הבנין (“the seven constructive sefirot”). [TN-123-01]

You “have begun to show me” the mystery of the merkavah, the attribute of Ḥesed, which is “Your greatness”—“Your servant” precisely. He prayed concerning this supernal conduit that joins the attribute מ״י and the attribute א״ל, the mystery of כ in מיכא״ל.

He now prayed, “Let me cross over, נא,” because the Land of Israel is called “the lands of the living” (Psalms 116:9), and there in the Land of Israel is “the first of the dust of the world” (Proverbs 8:26); he would attain the head of this conduit.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “Your master [רב] is with you”: Michael is the head of all the princes and is your master. Thus the hidden letters of משה have the numerical value of מיכא״ל, and מ״שה is a notarikon of מ״יכאל ש״ר ה״גדול (Michael, the great prince). You do not require for this purpose the Land of Israel, which is the “first of the dust of the world.” Rather, “ascend here to the top of the summit.”

“Command Joshua and strengthen him” concerning the attribute מ״י, “and embolden him” concerning the attribute א״ל; “for he shall cross over” in heaven, “and he shall cause [Israel] to inherit” on earth. This is the mystery of כ, in the mystery of “a spoon of ten [עשרה הכף]” (Numbers 7:14): י in the mystery of direct light, and י in the mystery of returning light.

Ofan 124

It is stated in *Kanfei Yonah*, part 4, that in the First Temple there was the face of a lion, while in the Second Temple there was the face of a dog (as stated in Yoma 21b). The intention is that during the Second Temple, Israel drew sustenance only from the Name ב״ן in Asiyah. During the First Temple, however, sustenance came from four instances of ב״ן in the four worlds—Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. Thus ארי״ה (“lion”) is four times ב״ן, with the numerical value 208. Four instances of ב״ן contain eight YHWH-Names, said here to make 216, the numerical value of ארי״ה. [TN-124-01]

Moses our teacher’s intention concerned the two Temples that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him at the beginning of his mission, when He appeared “in a flame of fire [בלבת אש]” (Exodus 3:2): “I declare the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10). He showed him the two Temples, hinted in the word בלב״ת through “Ariel, Ariel” (Isaiah 29:1), for something like a lion of fire crouched upon the altar. Thus לב״ת has the value of twice ארי״ה, corresponding to “Ariel, Ariel.”

Concerning this he began: “You have begun to show” me the two Temples at the beginning of my mission. Corresponding to the First Temple, he said “Your greatness,” for he saw there the form of a lion, from the right side: “the face of a lion to the right.” In the Second Temple, he saw that Israel did not merit this and that the form of a dog crouched there. He therefore said “Your strong hand,” which is on the left.

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel and remove the כ״ח (“power”) of Esau, namely כלב חזיר (“dog, swine”). Concerning Esau it is stated, “to hunt game to bring” (Genesis 27:5), which the Targum renders as “dog” (Targum Jonathan there, verse 31; see the commentary on Jonathan): he brought him his power, which is the dog.

David, who drew his sustenance from the Name ב״ן, prayed, “Deliver my soul from the sword,” referring to all the powers of judgment, and especially “my only one from the power of the dog” (Psalms 22:21). It was not for nothing that they said in the Gemara (Bava Qamma 60b): when dogs howl, the Angel of Death is in the city; when dogs laugh, Elijah is in the city.

For “Elijah is in four” (as stated in Berakhot 4b)—that is, in the world of Asiyah, the fourth world in the sequence Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah. There the Name ב״ן has the numerical value of אליה״ו. Corresponding to it is the form of the dog outside, whose gestation lasts fifty-two days, the numerical value of כל״ב (“dog”). From there the kingdom of Media, which lasted fifty-two years, drew its sustenance.

Therefore Esther, when she reached the house of idols, said, “my only one from the power of the dog” (as stated in Megillah 15b), calling Ahasuerus a dog. Dogs see Elijah, who belongs to the mystery of Asiyah, the prince over all ministers who perform His will. They therefore laugh, for from there they are sustained.

Moses therefore said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth who can do like Your deeds,” referring to the Name ב״ן in the world of Asiyah. There all the masters of judgment draw sustenance; this is the meaning of “like Your mighty acts.” He consequently came to pray that the power of the dog be removed from the world.

This is hinted in the words “Let me cross over, נא.” Spell the letters נ״א in full as נו״ן אל״ף, and you find there ארבע״ה ב״ן ארי״ה (“four, Ban, lion”). That is, אעברה is an anagram of ארבעה (“four”): Moses wished the face of a lion to be upon the altar, for it is four times ב״ן, the numerical value of ארי״ה.

Likewise, the numerical value of נ״א together with its full spelling נו״ן אל״ף contains כל״ב ארי״ה (“dog, lion”). Moses’s intention in אעברה was: I wish to cause the dog to pass over into the lion, so that there will be no face of a dog in the world, only four times ב״ן, the numerical value of ארי״ה, as Rabbi Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, wrote that the mystery of ארי״ה is four times ב״ן.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.” You already possessed power, and how abundant was your might against the kelippah of the dog: “No dog sharpened its tongue against any of the children of Israel” when Israel departed from Egypt (Exodus 11:7). Likewise, at Baʿal Zephon there was the form of an evil dog, and the Holy One, blessed be He, broke all the chains of their sorceries.

Esau’s power, as he said, “I have much [רב], my brother” (Genesis 33:9), is yours; you have already subdued it. Therefore, “Do not continue” to subdue the chief destroyer [רב החובל]. [TN-124-02] “Command Joshua”: he began to fight Amalek, whose power is the dog, “and strengthen him,” as Joshua said to Ephraim, “If you are a numerous [רב] people, etc.” (Joshua 17:15). Concerning Joshua, who came from the tribe of Ephraim, it is stated, “Let them multiply like fish into abundance [לרב]” (Genesis 48:16). לרב is written without ו, alluding to bin Nun, so called after the fish. “In the midst of the land” precisely; “for he shall cross over and he shall cause them to inherit,” for he shall cross over the land.

Hagahah

Young Solomon says: In my humble opinion, another interpretation may be given of the statement “Elijah is in four.” Elijah is the mystery of Phinehas. Twelve names were immediately added to him, and he ascended to become 208, the numerical value of יצח״ק (Isaac), as stated in the Zohar on Pineḥas, p. 437 (Zohar III, 236b). Four times אליהו equals יצח״ק.

Ofan 125

The introductory teaching is explained in Kanfei Yonah, part 3: the first tablets that Israel possessed came from Netzah and Hod of Binah, whereas the latter tablets came from Netzah and Hod of Tevunah. This is the mystery of “For they are a nation that has lost counsels [אבד עצות]” (Deuteronomy 32:28). The “counsels from afar,” which are the mystery of the supernal Netzah and Hod, were lost to them. Not only did they lose the radiance of the supernal Wisdom; even the latter tablets, which are from the side of Tevunah, were concealed from them, and “there is no understanding [תבונה] in them”—even Tevunah is not theirs.

With regard to the first tablets, Scripture uses the language of loss, because they were lost to Israel entirely when “they stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb” (Exodus 33:7, as cited). [TN-125-01] With regard to the latter tablets, however, loss is not stated, for they were not lost but only concealed.

In my opinion, the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the mystery of the matter at the beginning of his mission, in “an angel of the LORD in a flame of fire [בלבת אש]” (Exodus 3:2). He thereby alluded to the two occasions on which Moses received the tablets, which were given as black fire upon white fire (Deuteronomy Rabbah 3:12). בלב״ת is a notarikon of ב׳ לוחות בינה תבונה—“two tablets, Binah, Tevunah.”

This is the mystery of the verse, “Counsel in the heart of a man is deep water” (Proverbs 20:5), concerning the first tablets given to Moses, which came from the “counsels from afar.” בלב איש (“in the heart of a man”) has the numerical value of משה (Moses): “Deep, deep—who can find it?” (Ecclesiastes 7:24). Concerning the second tablets Scripture says, “But a man of understanding [איש תבונות] will draw it out” (Proverbs 20:5), for they came from the side of Tevunah.

It is stated in the Zohar, in Idra Zuta (Zohar III, 290b), that the difference between Binah and Tevunah is this: בינה consists of the letters בן י״ה (“son of Yah”), whereas תבונה consists of ב״ן ב״ת ו״ה (“son, daughter, ו״ה”); see there. Thus the first tablets are from the aspect of י״ה in the Name, while the second are from the aspect of ו״ה in HaShem.

Concerning this Moses said, “You have begun [החלות] to show Your servant.” At the beginning of his mission the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the matter of the tablets [הלחות], whose letters are the reverse of החלות. Corresponding to the first tablets, which are from the aspect of י״ה in HaShem, Moses said, “Your greatness.” Corresponding to the second tablets, which are from Tevunah—that is, ו״ה in HaShem—he said, “Your strong hand.”

He therefore said, “For who is El?” Corresponding to the first tablets, which are from the aspect of י״ה, he said, “in heaven,” as it is stated, “Let the heavens rejoice [ישמחו השמים]” (Psalms 96:11), whose initial letters are י״ה. Corresponding to the second tablets, which are from the aspect of ו״ה in Tevunah, he said, “and on earth”: ו׳תגל ה׳ארץ (“and let the earth exult”) has the initial letters ו״ה. Corresponding to the first tablets he said, “like Your deeds,” for “the tablets were the work of God” (Exodus 32:16). Corresponding to the second tablets, which came from the strong hand, he said, “like Your mighty acts.”

With the first tablets Moses merited the radiance of the supernal Wisdom, which comes from the aspect of supernal Ḥesed; the second tablets, however, came from the side of judgment. Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel, for there he would attain the degree he had merited through the first tablets. Through the first tablets Moses merited the degree of a faithful servant.

Rabbi Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, raised a difficulty: before his death Moses is called “Moses, the man of God” (Deuteronomy 33:1), but after his death the Holy One, blessed be He, called him a servant, as it is written, “Moses My servant is dead” (Joshua 1:2). I say that Moses’s degree through the first tablets was the radiance of the supernal Wisdom. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore called him a faithful servant in that episode: when he received the two tablets of stone, he brought them down in his hand. This is the highest possible degree, in the mystery of “He is faithful throughout My house” (Numbers 12:7). That is, when the Holy One, blessed be He, called him “faithful,” his attainment extended “throughout My house.”

Moses therefore said, “Let me cross over, נא.” When I cross over into the Land of Israel, which is the land of seven nations and which seven seas encompass (Bava Batra 74b), I shall thereby attain, in the Land of Israel, the Name א״ל, whose foundation is א״ל מלא רחמים (“El, full of compassion”). That is, אל״ף למ״ד, the full spelling of א״ל, has the numerical value of הק״ף (“encirclement”). The seven seas are thus the mystery of seven encirclements. This is the mystery of “El is the LORD, and He has given us light [אל ה׳ ויאר לנו]” (Psalms 118:27): seven times א״ל has the numerical value of ויא״ר (“and He has given light”). This is the mystery of the faithful servant, for Moses merited seven encirclements when he received the Torah amid seven voices.

It follows that when he came to the Land of Israel, he would attain the degree of עב״ד נאמ״ן (“faithful servant”), as He had called him at first. This is hinted in the word נ״א: when the letters נ״א are filled out as נו״ן אל״ף, their numerical value is עב״ד נאמ״ן. This would occur “when I see the land,” which is praised for seven species (Deuteronomy 8:8).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.” Even though you will not be in the Land of Israel, I give you here the same great attainment that you possessed at first through the first tablets. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Joshua after Moses’s death, “Moses My servant is dead.” Moses likewise attained this degree of a faithful servant, the very degree for which he had prayed at the beginning when he said, “You have begun [החלות],” whose letters reverse those of “the tablets [הלחות].” Through them he had attained the degree of being called a faithful servant by the Holy One, blessed be He—“Your servant” precisely. The Holy One, blessed be He, granted the desire of his heart and called him a servant after his death as well, saying, “Moses My servant is dead,” for “he is faithful throughout My house,” throughout all seven degrees, with the addition of י.

“Command Joshua and strengthen him”: give him the letter י, which Moses had merited, corresponding to the first tablets in the mystery of Binah. “And embolden him” is in the mystery of Tevunah, corresponding to the latter tablets.

Ofan 126

It is stated in Midrash Tanḥuma (Masei 4) and in Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah 23:5), concerning the verse “When you enter the land, the land of Canaan” (Numbers 34:2), that in that episode the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the Garden of Eden and Gehinnom. The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses all the chambers of the Garden of Eden above and below, and likewise all the chambers of Gehinnom.

Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel because there are two roads by which one enters the Garden of Eden. Thus Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai said to his disciples, as stated in tractate Berakhot, p. 28b: “Moreover, there are two roads before me, and I do not know along which road they will lead me.” The Midrash on Parashat Ha’azinu likewise says (Deuteronomy Rabbah 10:4) that for this reason Moses said, “Give ear, O heavens, and I shall speak; and let the earth hear” (Deuteronomy 32:1)—for I do not know where my soul is going.

This is difficult: could Moses have been afraid of Gehinnom? The intention, however, is that there are two roads to the Garden of Eden: one passes through Gehinnom, while the other goes immediately upward by way of the Garden of Eden.

Concerning this Moses said, “You have begun to show Your greatness”—this is the attribute of Your goodness, namely the Garden of Eden—“and Your strong hand,” namely Gehinnom. Corresponding to the supernal Garden of Eden and Gehinnom he said, “in heaven”; corresponding to the lower Garden of Eden and Gehinnom he said, “and on earth.” Corresponding to the Garden of Eden he said, “like Your deeds”; corresponding to Gehinnom he said, “like Your mighty acts.”

He therefore asked to come to the Land of Israel, for there is the gate of heaven, and he would not need to go by way of Gehinnom. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you [רב לך]”—in heaven there is “abundant [רב] reward”: “How abundant is the goodness that is hidden away” for you immediately. You do not need to go by way of Gehinnom; rather, “ascend immediately to the top of the summit,” which is the Garden of Eden above, at the top.

Ofan 127

It is stated in the Zohar on Parashat Noah (Zohar I, 62a) that each day, at the time of prayer, the wicked have rest in Gehinnom for an hour and a half at every prayer; see there in the Tosefta. It follows that at the three daily prayers the wicked have four and a half hours of rest in Gehinnom each day. Over the six weekdays, six times four and a half amounts to twenty-seven hours. The twenty-four hours of the Sabbath make a total of fifty-one hours each week during which the wicked have rest in Gehinnom.

Moses therefore wished to enter and abolish the judgment of Gehinnom. Concerning this he said, “At that time, saying.” That day was the Sabbath, the seventh of Adar, for Moses died on the Sabbath (Zohar II, 156a). His prayer therefore came at a time when, on the seventh day, the wicked are not judged.

He likewise ordered his prayer around the cessation of Gehinnom’s judgment at the three daily prayers: “You have begun to show Your servant.” “Your greatness” corresponds to the morning prayer; “Your strong hand” corresponds to the afternoon prayer; and “Who is El in heaven and on earth?” corresponds to the evening prayer, which Jacob instituted (Berakhot 26b). At these times the wicked are released from the judgment of Gehinnom.

Thus, just as You have begun to abolish the judgment of Gehinnom, “let me cross over”: I too wish to cross over into the Land of Israel and cause the judgment of Gehinnom to pass away. At present, every single week, the wicked are released from Gehinnom’s judgment for נ״א—fifty-one—hours, the numerical value of נ״א. These letters thus allude to the fifty-one hours each week during which the judgment of Gehinnom ceases. Through this, “I wish to see the land.”

In the words “Your greatness [את גדלך]” he alluded to the letters of the Torah from א to ת, which number twenty-seven when the letters מנצפ״ך are included. Concerning these he said, “Your strong hand,” for the five letters מנצפ״ך are the five Gevurot. Thus the twenty-two letters of the Torah, alluded to in “Your greatness [את גדלך]” from א to ת, together with the five letters of the Torah alluded to by “Your strong hand,” amount to twenty-seven letters. By the merit of the Torah’s twenty-seven letters, the wicked merit twenty-seven hours of rest in Gehinnom every week. He therefore said, “and I shall see the good land [הארץ הטוב״ה],” for הטוב״ה has the numerical value twenty-seven.

Moses therefore thought that through the merit of the Torah in which he would engage in the Land of Israel, he would abolish the judgment of Gehinnom to an even greater degree. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you”: this cessation is effected for your sake. “Do not continue to speak to Me further” to abolish the judgment of Gehinnom in this world to an even greater degree.

Ofan 128

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel because our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said (Sanhedrin 20b) that Israel was commanded to perform three commandments upon entering the land: to cut off the seed of Amalek, to appoint a king for themselves, and to build the Temple. It is stated in Midrash Rabbah (Deuteronomy Rabbah 5:10) that the Temple ought to have been built in the days of Saul, but there were informers in his generation, and therefore the Temple was not built in his days.

In my opinion, this is the reason our Rabbis expounded—as printed in “Midrash Rabbah, Parashat Korah (Numbers Rabbah 19:2), and in the Jerusalem Talmud (Berakhot) (Jerusalem Talmud Peah 1:1)” [TN-128-01]—that when David saw that there were slanderers in his generation, he asked that the Shekhinah withdraw to heaven. On this basis they interpreted the verse, “Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be over all the earth” (Psalms 57:12).

That is, David prayed concerning this, that Saul should not build the Temple in his days. Even though it was fitting that Your glory should be upon the earth—namely, through building the Temple, when “all the earth is full of the glory of the LORD”—I nevertheless pray that the Temple not be built. Rather, “Be exalted above the heavens, O God”: let the Holy One, blessed be He, withdraw His Shekhinah to the supernal realms and not establish for Himself an everlasting house below.

Moses prayed concerning this when the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him Saul’s generation: Saul sinned in the war with Amalek and thereby caused HaShem not to be complete (Tanḥuma, Ki Teitzei 11). He also thereby caused the Temple not to be built in his generation.

Moses therefore said, “And I implored [ואתחנן],” invoking the treasury of “I shall be gracious [וחנותי]” (Exodus 33:19); “to YHWH [אל ה׳],” as stated in the Midrash (Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:1). He wished to complete the full Name—a complete Name and a complete throne—ה׳ precisely. “At that time [בעת ההיא]” alluded to the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded that Amalek be cut off. ההוא is written, for in that same episode the Temple also ought to have been built. “Saying [לאמר]” precisely, for the generations: Moses said it there for the generations, as Moses stated, “Write this as a memorial in the book” (Exodus 17:14); this statement was for the generations.

He therefore said אדנ״י, beginning with the Name Adonai, because in the war against Amalek the Holy One, blessed be He, swore with the two letters י״ד from אדנ״י, which are a garment for י״ה. As stated in Kanfei Yonah concerning “For a hand is upon the throne of Yah [כי יד על כס יה]” (Exodus 17:16), the letters י״ד from אדנ״י are the letters that clothe י״ה.

He therefore prayed, “You have begun to show Your servant,” for Moses was the first to begin fighting Amalek. This also alluded to the Holy One, blessed be He, having shown him Saul, who “from his shoulders upward was taller than any of the people” (I Samuel 9:2). The mystery of Saul derives from the supernal Shiʿur Qomah, in the mystery of “Saul of Rehoboth on the River” (Genesis 36:37).

He therefore said concerning him, “Your greatness,” for Saul’s stature derived from the supernal stature. Thus we say in Sotah (10a): five were created after the likeness of the supernal pattern, and all of them were smitten through the very feature in which they excelled; Saul was smitten in his neck.

This mystery is hinted in the words “at that time [בעת ההיא].” At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses “ההי״א is read,” meaning the five human beings who were created after the likeness of the supernal pattern, including Saul. [TN-128-02] Concerning him Moses said “Your greatness” precisely, for his stature derived from the supernal stature. Moreover, גדל״ך has the numerical value of הב״ן, for Saul belonged to the mystery of the Name ב״ן, in the mystery of “Saul was a year old [ב״ן שנה] when he began to reign” (I Samuel 13:1). He was from the tribe of Benjamin, in the mystery of ב״ן ימין (“son of the right”), as his father called him (Genesis 35:18), and he was the first king whom the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses, as stated in Midrash Rabbah on Parashat Emor (Leviticus Rabbah 26:7).

He also showed Moses that Saul would be smitten in his neck, the very place of his great stature, when he was pierced by the sword. Concerning this Moses said, “Your strong hand,” referring to the punishment of being pierced by the sword. He said “Your hand [ידך]” precisely, because Saul sinned in the matter of Amalek, concerning whom the Holy One, blessed be He, swore, “For a hand [יד] is upon the throne of Yah.”

Moses therefore said, “For who is El in heaven and on earth?” Saul had sinned against the Name YHWH: י״ה is in heaven and ו״ה is on earth. “Who can do like Your deeds?” refers to the mystery of the greatness that He apportioned to those who fear Him; “and like Your mighty acts?” refers to the great punishment that the first king of Israel would be pierced by the sword.

He therefore prayed, “Let me cross over, נא”: I wish to repair the commandments immediately now—that is, to repair the letters נ״א so as to combine the Name אדנ״י. [TN-128-03] He said וארא״ה with ו and ה, in order to repair the letters ו״ה and join them with the Name י״ה—namely, to fight Amalek. In this way the Temple would be built immediately. This is why he said, “that good mountain and Lebanon”: he wished to build the Temple immediately.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him concerning the wars with Amalek, “It is enough for you. This does not belong to you, for already at the beginning of your mission I told you, ‘Place it in the ears of Joshua.’ Do not continue to speak”: this matter was not entrusted to you in speech but only in writing, just as I said, “Write this as a memorial in the book” precisely. “Do not continue to speak,” since I told you, “Place it in the ears of Joshua.”

For this reason He said, “Command Joshua.” צו (“command”) means nothing other than “immediately and for the generations” (Kiddushin 29a). As stated in the damaged closing citation block, Joshua too would not do this—that he should wage war with Amalek; rather, “strengthen him” corresponds to the war with Amalek, which he must command the generations after him, while “embolden him” concerns the building of the Temple. But Israel asked improperly when they requested that a king be appointed for them, as stated in the Midrash (Sanhedrin 20b). [TN-128-04]

Ofan 129

Moses foresaw King Solomon, who would ultimately institute eruvin and the washing of hands. Our masters said in Eruvin 21b and in Yevamot that at that time a heavenly voice went forth: “My son, if your heart is wise, My heart too shall rejoice” (Proverbs 23:15).

Moses desired “at that time” to institute immediately upon entering the Land what would exist in Solomon’s generation. ההוא, the masculine form, is therefore written, while Moses prayed with ההיא, the feminine form, read in “at that time,” concerning what was to be said for later generations. Concerning this he said, “You have begun”: in the treasury of souls I saw what would happen in later generations (Tanḥuma, Tissa 27). Behold, Solomon would institute eruvin.

This is “Your greatness,” for the mystery of עירו״ב (eruv) is stated in the Zohar (Tikkunei Zohar 21, 55b) to be the mystery of ע״ב רי״ו, seventy-two and 216: the Name of Ḥesed that issues from the verses ויסע (“and [the angel] moved”; Exodus 14:19), ויבא (“and it came”; Exodus 14:20), and ויט (“and [Moses] stretched out”; Exodus 14:21). They contain seventy-two words and 216 letters, in the mystery of “Abram passed (ויעבור) through the land” (Genesis 12:6). [TN-129-01]

He therefore said “Your greatness,” for the Sabbath limit measures two thousand cubits, and א״ת is a notarikon for אלפים תחום, “two-thousand [cubit] limit.” “And Your mighty hand” refers to the mystery of washing the hands, as written in the Zohar on Yitro, p. 203 (Zohar II, 76a), on Naso, p. 274 (Zohar III, 145a), and likewise on Bereshit (Zohar I, 21a): אצבעין דבר נש גו לגו רזין עילאין, “A person’s fingers contain, inwardly within them, supernal mysteries.”

Concerning these two enactments, on account of which a heavenly voice went forth from heaven and there was joy above, he said, “For what god is there in heaven and on earth?” From heaven You caused Your voice to be heard concerning the affairs of human beings and what they do below. He therefore said, “Let me cross, please”: I wish to institute these things now, immediately when I come and see the land.

He alluded to this in the words בעת ההיא. ע״ת is a notarikon both for עירוב תחומין, “an eruv of Sabbath limits,” and עירוב תבשילין, “an eruv of cooked foods.” If the entire expression is taken as referring to eruvin, the mystery of עירו״ב is Ḥesed and Gevurah: its component ע״ב has the numerical value חס״ד (Ḥesed), while רי״ו has the numerical value גבורה (Gevurah). Concerning the ע״ב within עירוב, which is Ḥesed, he said “Your greatness”; “Your mighty hand” is the attribute of גבורה, whose numerical value is רי״ו within עירוב.

This is the mystery of ויעבור that we recite in the expression בדיל ויעבור. Its letters may be rearranged as ע״ב רי״ו, through which heaven and earth were created. Thus he said, “For what god is there in heaven and on earth?”—“My right hand spread out the heavens; My hand,” which is Gevurah, “founded the earth” (Isaiah 48:13). “Who can act according to Your deeds?” corresponds to the right hand; “and according to Your mighty acts?” corresponds to the left hand. This was the mystery of the eruv instituted by Solomon: to include the right within the left and the left within the right.

Moses alluded to this with the word אעברה, in the mystery of “Abram passed through the land.” אעברה has the same numerical value as ערוב, and its letters may be rearranged as אערבה, “I shall mix.” I wish to institute the eruv as soon as I see the land.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: at the time when Solomon instituted it, Moses’ spark was with him, for שלמה (Solomon) may be rearranged as למשה (“for Moses”), as stated in Tikkunei Zohar 13, 28a. The Sabbath is yours; from what is yours they will give you at that time. “Do not continue to speak” now. “Command Joshua” concerning the Sabbath limits of the Land of Israel; “strengthen him” concerning eruvin of Sabbath limits; “make him resolute” concerning eruvin of courtyards; “for he shall cross over” through partnerships of alleyways.

Hagahah

Young Solomon said: From this one may understand what they said in Rosh Hashanah 21b on the verse “No prophet arose in Israel like Moses” (Deuteronomy 34:10): among prophets none arose, but among kings one did arise. And who was it? Solomon. [TN-129-02]

Ofan 130

There is a well-known principle from what Rashi wrote on Parashat Shoftim, s.v. ve-nahalato, in the name of Rabbi Kalonymus, concerning the verse “He shall have no inheritance” (Deuteronomy 18:2): this means the inheritance of five; “among his brothers” means the inheritance of seven. Moses gave Israel an inheritance of two and a half tribes, and Joshua likewise apportioned two and a half tribes. After Joshua’s death, the tribes took seven portions for themselves (Sifrei Deuteronomy, Shoftim 164).

Moses therefore prayed because he had begun to wage war against Sihon and Og, the mystery of two sides of the sitra aḥra. Sihon belongs to the impure merkavah corresponding to Aaron in holiness, in the mystery of קד״ל (“nape”) opposite Aaron’s nape, while Og is from the nape of Moses. Thus our masters expounded “The fugitive came” (Genesis 14:13) as referring to Og (Niddah 61a), for הפליט (“the fugitive”) has the numerical value קד״ל, which is opposite Moses’ nape.

This is the mystery of Pharaoh’s statement to Moses and Aaron, “See, for evil is before your faces” (Exodus 10:10). He alluded to these two, who are in the mystery of their nape. He therefore said literally “before your faces,” meaning the nape opposite the face. The mystery of פרעה (Pharaoh) is likewise a rearrangement of הערף (“the nape”). Moses struck both of them through חר״ס, for Moses’ face was like the face of the sun (Bava Batra 75a), and one of the names of the sun is חרס (Job 9:7; see Menaḥot 110a). חר״ס has the numerical value of two times קד״ל. [TN-130-01]

Moses therefore opened with אדני, for the Name אדני is the mystery of קל״ד, 134. The Masorah of the Tanakh records אדני 134 times, because this Name—HaShem—is the key—the מפתח and אקלידא—of all created beings, as Pardes, p. 10, writes in the name of the Tikkunim. For this reason אדני occurs 134 times in the Torah. These two kings were the key to all thirty-one kings in the Land of Israel.

Moses therefore said: since “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness” by striking Sihon, king of the Amorites, who corresponds to Aaron, the grade of the right and Aaron’s קד״ל; “Your mighty hand” is Og, who corresponds to Moses’ קד״ל. “For what god is there in heaven and on earth?”—the Holy One, blessed be He, arrested חרס, the sun, in that war. Our masters derive this through a verbal analogy between “I shall begin” (אחל; Deuteronomy 2:25) and “I shall begin” (אחל; Joshua 3:7). The source prints a damaged Taʿanit page locator, `כ״א (כ׳ ע״א)`. [TN-130-02]

Concerning the arresting of the sun he said, “What god is there in heaven who can act according to Your deeds?” He mentioned the Name אל in order to remove an “alien god” (אל זר) from the Land of Israel—namely the thirty-one kings, corresponding to the value of אל. He had begun by striking “the eye of the land” (Numbers 22:5), meaning Sihon and Og (Tanḥuma, Balak 4), who were the key to the thirty-one kings.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: let the two and a half tribes whom you gave as an inheritance suffice for you. “Command Joshua,” for he too shall apportion two and a half tribes, fulfilling “As I was with Moses, so shall I be with you” (Joshua 1:5). “With you” is exact: just as Moses apportioned two and a half tribes, Joshua too shall apportion two and a half tribes, and no more.

Ofan 131

It is known that the twelve tribes possess the twelve permutations of YHWH, each tribe having a permutation of its own. This is the mystery of “the Shekhinah is in the west” (Bava Batra 25b). The Ari, of blessed memory, wrote that it comprises the twelve permutations of YHWH, whose numerical value is מער״ב (“west”), 312.

Moses wished to apportion to Israel at least five tribes, which are the mystery of “a ladder (סלם) set upon the earth” (Genesis 28:12), for סלם has the value of five YHWHs. Therefore, when Jacob saw the ladder, he said, “I lift my eyes to the mountains” (Psalms 121:1), as stated in Genesis Rabbah 68:2. At that time he saw “this good mountain and Lebanon,” and in that psalm he uttered YHWH five times. This is the mystery of the ladder concerning which he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place” (Genesis 28:16). ה׳—“five”—is exact; “in this place” refers to the ladder he saw at that time.

Moses therefore began, “I pleaded with YHWH.” His supplication concerned the permutations of the Name YHWH and the rectification of the tribes, “the tribes of Yah, to give thanks to the Name of YHWH” precisely (Psalms 122:4).

“At that time” refers to the two and a half tribes he had apportioned. Read ההיא as הה׳, “the five,” for he wished to apportion the inheritance of five tribes. ההוא, the masculine form, is written: he wished to apportion all five tribes. He therefore opened with אדני. From the total of the twelve permutations, whose numerical value is שי״ב, 312, the Name אדני falls to the share of two and a half tribes, for אדני is two and a half YHWHs. Of the 312 lights belonging to the twelve permutations of YHWH, Moses merited illuminating Israel and apportioning among them only sixty-five, the numerical value of אדני. [TN-131-01]

He consequently opened with the Name אדני: “You have begun to show Your servant” that I conquered the land of Sihon and Og, the inheritance of two and a half tribes. Thus, of all the שי״ב lights in the twelve permutations, החלות within “You have begun to show” may be rearranged as הלחות (“the tablets”). When Moses received the tablets it was said there, “You captured captivity” (שבית שבי; Psalms 68:19), alluding to the שי״ב lights of the twelve permutations of YHWH. Yet now I have merited apportioning to Israel only the numerical value of the Name אדני.

יד״ך (“Your hand”) has the numerical value of שני״ם וחצ״י (“two and a half”) when the final ך is assigned its large value in the אי״ק system. I merited apportioning only two and a half of the twelve permutations. [TN-131-02]

Moses began to petition concerning the mystery of the ladder. Thus he said, “For what god is there in heaven and on earth?”—the ladder set upon the earth whose top reached heaven. He therefore said אעברה with an extra ה: I wish to apportion five tribes, thereby completing “a ladder set upon the earth.” This is “the land, this good mountain”: “This (זה) is none other than the House of God,” and “Lebanon” is “the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17).

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: let two and a half suffice for you. “Do not continue to speak of this matter” (בדבר הזה)—“this” is exact, as Jacob said, “How awesome is this place.” “Command Joshua,” for he too must apportion two and a half like you, fulfilling “As I was with Moses, so shall I be with you” (Joshua 1:5). Moses and Joshua together therefore gave an inheritance of five, and after Joshua’s death they inherited seven, fulfilling “How awesome is this place.” “Do not continue to speak further of this matter” (בדבר הז״ה): you and Joshua shall apportion five, and after Joshua’s death, seven. [TN-131-03]

Ofan 132

The Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to Moses the mystery of Sifra di-Tzeniʿuta through the verse “two men, spies, secretly” (Joshua 2:1). The Zohar on Parashat Aharei Mot (Zohar III, 60b) explains that in Joshua’s days only the two [uncertain: תרין מאללי ארעא] of the sitra aḥra were subdued, whereas the women were subdued only in Solomon’s days, in the mystery of “Then two women, harlots, came” (1 Kings 3:16): “then they came,” but not previously, and so forth; see there. These are the mystery of the two women. What are “harlot women”? They are those from whom all the harlots in the world draw sustenance. [TN-132-01]

Solomon therefore had to build the Temple “in [the year] four hundred and eighty” (1 Kings 6:1), corresponding to Lilith’s 480 camps. The word `[בשנת]`, “in the year,” is supplied in square brackets in the Hebrew source and is retained as an explicit editorial insertion. [TN-132-02]

Moses prayed concerning these two females and two males. בעת ההיא, with the feminine form read, concerns the females; ההוא, the masculine written form, concerns the males. Within לאמ״ר one finds a notarikon for the two males and two females: לילית אדום מחלת רהב, “Lilith, Edom, Mahalath, Rahab.” What would occur in later generations, in Solomon’s days, when the two females of the sitra aḥra were subdued, Moses prayed concerning now.

He opened with the two letters of the Name that are female: אדני corresponds to the final ה of the Name, while YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim corresponds to the first ה of the Name. “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness” alludes to the vision of the bush, where He began to speak with him, for it says there “this great sight.” הסנה (“the bush”) is stated four times there (Exodus 3:3), corresponding to Lilith’s 480 camps, for הסנה has the numerical value 120.

This is “Your mighty hand”: חזקה (“mighty”) has the numerical value 120. Lilith’s forces divide among the four directions of the world, 120 camps in each direction. Four times 120 makes Lilith’s 480 camps, the numerical value of לילית.

Concerning this Moses prayed, “Let me cross, please”: I wish to remove all the males and females now, at this very time. This will occur when I see the land. When I enter the Land of Israel, all the male and female powers of impurity will go away “both together,” in the mystery of “he pierced both of them” (Numbers 25:8). They are the mystery of “both are an abomination to the LORD” (Proverbs 17:15). What would occur in Solomon’s time—the building of the Temple called Lebanon—I wish to remove now. The letters of אעברה may be rearranged as ארבעה (“four”): these are the powers of the serpent that “goes upon its belly” and “goes upon four” (Leviticus 11:42), which I wish to remove from the land now.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied concerning the two males, “It is much for you”; concerning the two females, “Do not continue to speak to Me further” that this should happen at the present time, for it will occur later in Solomon’s days. Regarding the two males, “command Joshua,” for in his days he subdued the two [uncertain: מאללא ארעא]. “Strengthen him” in his own generation so that he subdues the two males; “make him resolute” so that he commands the later generations after him to subdue the two females. צו (“command”) applies both immediately and for later generations (Kiddushin 29a). “He shall cross over” the males, and “he shall cause [them] to inherit” the females in the generation after his own. [TN-132-03]

Hagahah

Young Solomon said: In my opinion, this is the mystery of what is written in Isaiah: “How has the faithful city become a harlot! She that was full (מלאתי) of justice, righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers” (Isaiah 1:21).

The word “a harlot” is exact, alluding to Lilith, who is called a harlot. At first, when Solomon built the Temple and Jerusalem, the faithful city, stood built, “she was full of justice.” As our masters said (Jerusalem Talmud, Megillah 1:3), there were 481 houses of study there together with the Temple, the numerical value of מלאת״י. The mystery behind their statement was that these were to nullify 481 kelippot: Lilith’s 480 camps, the numerical value of לילית, while she rides upon them, making 481. Then “righteousness lodged in her.”

Now, however, in its destruction, “they are murderers.” That is, these 481 kelippot, the numerical value of ועת״ה (“but now”), have now awakened again and gained power to harm us, as Galante brings on p. 52 concerning the verse “Shall women eat their fruit?” (Lamentations 2:20); see there. [TN-132-04]

Ofan 133

Moses our teacher saw that Jericho was the most difficult city of all the towns and fortified cities in the Land of Israel. As Rashi writes, s.v. u-re’u, on “See the land and Jericho” (Joshua 2:1), Jericho was equivalent to the whole Land of Israel.

The matter is that the Amorites built Jericho upon seven grades of impurity, the seven halls of substitutions. It therefore had to be encircled seven times, with seven shofars. At every circuit they had to invoke over it the Forty-Two-Letter Name, comprising seven Names, each of which has six letters.

Because Moses merited attaining the Forty-Two-Letter Name, he had to travel forty-two journeys in the wilderness in order to attain that Name and sweeten the forty-two rivers of fire in the firmament. Moses therefore said, “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness,” the mystery of the Forty-Two-Letter Name.

He said “Your mighty hand,” whose numerical value, the text states, is three times forty-two with the inclusive unit. The Forty-Two-Letter Name divides into three groups of fourteen, corresponding to three “hands”: the great hand, the mighty hand, and the exalted hand, corresponding to the three patriarchs. “Your greatness” corresponds, as printed, to “the mighty hand,” which is Abraham; “Your mighty hand” corresponds to Isaac; “For what god” corresponds to Jacob. [TN-133-01]

“Who can act according to Your deeds?” refers to the mystery of the work of creation, which was created through the Forty-Two-Letter Name from the side of Gevurah; hence “according to Your mighty acts.” He mentioned heaven and earth because they were created through the Forty-Two-Letter Name, which divides into three groups of יד, fourteen, corresponding to the three patriarchs.

Since You began to show me at the bush, through the forty-two journeys in the wilderness, the Forty-Two-Letter Name, “let me cross, please.” I wish now to remove the powers of impurity. Jericho was “shut up and enclosed” within these seven kelippot, against which I must invoke the seven Names of forty-two through which the seven days of creation were created.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: let your attainment of the Forty-Two-Letter Name through the forty-two journeys suffice for you. You wish to enter the Land of Israel; “do not continue.” “Command Joshua”: he shall circle Jericho in seven circuits with the Forty-Two-Letter Name, which divides into seven Names. Each Name divides into two parts. Corresponding to each part of one Name, He said: “strengthen him” with its first three letters and “make him resolute” with its last three letters.

At that time, when Joshua circled seven times, he instituted עלינו לשבח (Aleinu le-Shabbeaḥ), whose numerical value is the first Name, אב״ג ית״ץ. Joshua is “the firstborn of his ox” (Deuteronomy 33:17), and שור (“ox”) likewise has the numerical value of אב״ג ית״ץ. This is why לתת גדלה (“to ascribe greatness”) is written defectively, without ו, and has the numerical value forty-two—“to the Former of Creation” precisely. This Name issues from the verse from “In the beginning” (Genesis 1:1) through the ב of ובהו (“void”; Genesis 1:2), as is known to those who know.

Joshua signed his name in reverse into the formula of Aleinu: הוא אלהינו (“He is our God”) supplies the ה of הושע; ואנחנו כורעים (“and we bow”) supplies its ו; שלא עשנו (“who has not made us”) supplies the ש of הו״שע; and the ע of עלינו לשבח supplies the ע of הושע. Out of humility he signed it in reverse and did not mention the י. Joshua instituted the text through “there is none else” (אין עוד). [TN-133-02]

Concerning this the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “It is much for you”: you have instituted many matters for Israel in the Aleinu formula that Joshua established concerning the seven Names of the Forty-Two-Letter Name and the seven walls of Jericho, through “there is none else.” “Do not continue to speak to Me further” (עו״ד) is exact, for this formula is intended. Only “command Joshua.”

Afterward the initials of על כן נקוה (“Therefore we hope”) spell עכ״ן (Achan). Achan instituted this when he trespassed against the ban. Concerning the ban it is said, “You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire” (Deuteronomy 7:25), and “You shall utterly abhor it, for it is banned” (Deuteronomy 7:26). He therefore signed his name at the beginning and prayed to remove idols from the land, which are likewise judged by burning: “All idols shall be utterly cut off,” for they too resemble a banned object. [TN-133-03]

Ofan 134

Along this path, the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the seven halls of the Garden of Eden and, corresponding to them, the seven halls of substitutions. Concerning this he said, “You have begun to show” one opposite the other.

That is, as it says concerning Jacob, “Jacob departed from Beersheba” (Genesis 28:10). Jacob departed from the seven holy halls, which are “seven,” in the mystery of the seven classes who sit before the Holy One, blessed be He. Our masters expounded in Leviticus Rabbah 30:2 the phrase “fullness of joys” (שובע שמחות; Psalms 16:11): do not read שובע (“fullness”) but שבע (“seven”), and so forth. “He went toward Haran”: corresponding to this, he likewise went to see the seven halls of the kelippot. This was the mystery of the ladder he saw, one opposite the other (Genesis 28:12), concerning which he said, “How awesome is this place” (המקום הזה; Genesis 28:17).

At that time, Tanḥuma, Masei 4, states concerning “This is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance” (Numbers 34:2) that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses all the chambers. At that time Moses saw זה corresponding to ז״ה.

Regarding the seven halls of holiness he said “Your greatness.” א״ת is exact, for the seven halls are inscribed with the letters of the Torah. As stated in the Zohar on Vayakhel (Zohar II, 202b), all twenty-two letters of the Torah sparkle there, and the firmament above the halls is the mystery of the twenty-two letters of the Torah.

Afterward He showed him, opposite this, “Your mighty hand,” the seven halls of substitutions. They too combine the letters of the kelippot corresponding to “For what god is there in heaven,” meaning the seven firmaments, “and on earth,” meaning the seven earths. “Who can act according to Your deeds?” corresponds to the holy halls; “and according to Your mighty acts?” corresponds to the halls of impurity, whose sustenance comes from the side of Judgment.

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel, which is surrounded by seven peoples and praised through the seven species of the Land of Israel (Deuteronomy 8:8). In the mystery of wisdom, all these correspond to the seven halls.

Concerning this he said, “Let me cross, please,” to attain there the mystery of the seven gates of the righteous. As the Zohar on Shelah Lekha (Zohar III, 159b) explains “See what the land is” (Numbers 13:18): the Land of Israel below is the mystery of the gates of righteousness above, through which to attain the seven halls. Jacob accordingly said, “This is the gate of heaven,” meaning the seven supernal gates. I therefore must see the land.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: you already attained the seven halls when you received the Torah on the seventh day, through seven voices. “Do not continue to speak to Me further of this matter” (הזה). ז״ה is exact, a notarikon for ז׳ היכלות, “seven halls.”

This is “It is much for you,” for the full spelling of משה—שי״ן מ״ם ה״א—has, the source states, the numerical value of seven times היכ״ל (“hall”). Moses therefore opened with אדני, which is the mystery of היכ״ל. He said, “You have begun to show Your servant” (עבדך), concerning the letters of Moses himself: when his name is spelled in full, seven instances of היכל are indicated within it. Moses is also the seventh generation from Abraham. [TN-134-01]

The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore said, “It is much for you”: the greatness of the seven halls is with you, inscribed in your name. Therefore, “do not continue.”

Ofan 135

Moses wished to come and attain the mystery of Kiryat Arba, which is the mystery of חק״ל תפוחי״ן קדישי״ן, “the field of holy apples,” mentioned in many places in the Zohar. These are the four holy Names YHWH, Ehyeh, YHWH, and Adonai, whose combined numerical value is חק״ל. It is also the mystery of לבנו״ן (Lebanon): Abba, Imma, Zeʿir, and Nukva.

He intended these when he said, “I pleaded with YHWH,” which is the Name YHWH; בעת ההי״א, whose letters may be rearranged as אהי״ה; and afterward אדני and YHWH. He said YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim in the mystery of “I shall raise the cup of salvations” (כו״ס ישועות אשא; Psalms 116:13), which Moses said before his death.

He began with the preceding verse, “Return, my soul, to your rest” (Psalms 116:7), as stated in Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:5: Moses said this verse before his death, as well as “I shall walk before the LORD in the lands of the living” (Psalms 116:9), immediately followed by “I shall raise the cup of salvations.” This means YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim, for Elohim is the mystery of כו״ס (“cup”), whereas YHWH is “I shall call upon the Name of the LORD.”

Concerning these four Names he said: corresponding to the two Names of mercy, “Your greatness”; corresponding to Adonai and Ehyeh, which are Judgment, “Your mighty hand”; “according to Your deeds” corresponding to the ḥasadim; “according to Your mighty acts” corresponding to the gevurot.

He wished to attain the mystery of מרכבה שלמה, “the complete merkavah,” as indicated by the numerical value of להראות. Therefore, “Let me cross, please”: in the Land of Israel I shall attain these four Names. The letters of אעברה may be rearranged as ארבעה (“four”); there in the Land of Israel I shall attain these four Names.

The Land of Israel is surrounded by ארבעה נהרות, “four rivers,” which the source makes into a notarikon for נ״א in reversed order. I shall therefore attain from there “this good mountain and Lebanon,” the mystery of לבנו״ן. These four Names are Kiryat Arba, so called on account of חק״ל תפוחין, the field of apples. This is the mystery of “For I have given you good instruction” (כי לקח טוב נתתי לכם; Proverbs 4:2): לק״ח is a rearrangement of חק״ל, and “good” is exact. Thus he said “this good mountain.” [TN-135-01]

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: the Holy One, blessed be He, already revealed to you the mystery of חק״ל in “Moses would speak and God would answer him with a voice” (בקול; Exodus 19:19). בקול is exact, for it has the numerical value of the complete merkavah of חק״ל תפוחין קדישין. At that time Moses merited attaining it in its proper configuration. Therefore, “do not continue to speak.” [TN-135-02]

Ofan 136

It is known that Moses had to rectify his first gilgul, when he was Abel. Abel’s blemish affected the letters א״י of אדני, in the mystery of “Where (אי) is Abel your brother?” (Genesis 4:9), as stated in the Zohar (Tikkunei Zohar 69, 114a).

This is the mystery of “You shall be a wanderer and a fugitive (נע ונד) in the earth” (Genesis 4:12). The letters of נע ונד may be rearranged as עון דן, “the sin of דן.” Abel’s sin consisted in separating the letters א״י from אדני. Those letters are male; the letters ד״ן, which are female, remained.

This is the mystery of “The voice of your brother’s bloods (דמי) cries to Me” (Genesis 4:10), as stated in the Zohar, printed as p. 163 and identified parenthetically as Tikkunei Zohar 69, 114a: דמ״י has the numerical value ד״ן. This caused the mystery of gilgul, whereby all the souls in the world reincarnate in the mystery of “You shall be a wanderer and a fugitive in the earth.” [TN-136-01]

All the souls in the world come from the side of Cain and Abel. The righteous are the children of Abel, while the wicked are the children of Cain (Zohar, printed as p. 300 and identified as Zohar I, 36b). Therefore, when the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses “I shall be gracious” (Exodus 33:19), the treasury of the righteous and the wicked (Tanḥuma, Tissa 27), Moses wished to bring merit to all generations and lead them on the good path, as it is written, “Surely God is good to Israel” (Psalms 73:1).

The source says that the marked words בעת ההיא לאמר form the initials הב״ל (Abel), although their visible initial sequence is ב־ה־ל. [TN-136-02]

Moses therefore opened with אדני, for Abel’s blemish was in the Name אדני. The feminine ההיא is read while the masculine ההוא is written. Abel’s blemish lay precisely in separating the letters א״י, in the mystery of the male, from the letters ד״ן, the mystery of the female. Moses therefore had to unify the Name אדני here.

He said, “You have begun to show,” concerning his first gilgul in Abel’s days. “Your greatness” concerns the letters א״י, which are on the side of Ḥesed; “Your mighty hand” concerns the letters ד״ן, from the side of Gevurah. This caused the souls in this world to divide into two sides. “Your greatness” is the mystery of the souls from Abel’s side, the attribute of good, through which the righteous are judged. “Your mighty hand” is the souls from the left side, the children of Cain, through which the wicked are judged. “For what god is there who can act according to Your deeds?” concerns the good reward of the righteous; “according to Your mighty acts?” concerns the evil punishment of the wicked.

Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel so that all the souls in the world would be impregnated from Moses our teacher, who is the mystery of Abel, in the mystery of “Then it was begun to call upon the Name of the LORD” (Genesis 4:26). As the Zohar says (Tikkunei Zohar 69, 110b), gilgulim then began in the world, like the one of whom it says, “Then Moses sang” (Exodus 15:1). The initials of הוחל לקרא בשם (“it was begun to call upon the Name”) spell הב״ל (Abel).

This was his intent: from now onward let all soul-impregnations come from me, who am the mystery of Abel. “And let me see the good land”: from this side all nefashot will come from the side of good. “This good mountain”: from this side all ruḥot will come from the side of good. “And Lebanon,” the mystery of the gate of heaven and the Temple: the neshamot will come from the side of good. Thus he sought to remove the “nest of impurity” from Cain’s side, the souls from the side of evil.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: the abundant goodness stored away shall belong to you alone, for concerning you it is said, “She saw that he was good” (Exodus 2:2). “He” (הוא) is exact. Let it suffice you at this time to release yourself. “Do not continue to speak to Me further” on behalf of all generations, for this will not occur now, but only in the future to come.

Ofan 137

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel and remove the power of Af (“Anger”) from the world. Exodus Rabbah 44:8 says that five destroying angels joined themselves to Moses after the making of the calf. When Moses mentioned the three patriarchs, three departed, after which Af and Hemah remained, as it is written, “For I feared Af and Hemah” (Deuteronomy 9:19). Moses went and killed Hemah; Af remained. Moses began to say, “Arise, O LORD, in Your anger” (Psalms 7:7).

It follows that outside the Land, with the three patriarchs, Moses had power only to remove four destroying angels. But there remained the great גוליור (goliyar, “champion”), Af, with whom four persons began, as our masters said in Esther Rabbah 9:3: four opened their speech with אף. This is a supernal mystery concerning the four worlds—Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. Jonathan son of Saul, who likewise began with אף, is consequently not counted, nor is the instance in Job. Those four, however, blemished the four letters of YHWH corresponding to the four worlds, Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. This is not the place to explain it.

Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel so that he would have the merit to nullify this great champion by himself, without divine assistance. Concerning this he said, “I pleaded with YHWH,” recalling the past: after the making of the calf he had to plead with YHWH that He Himself should stand against one of them. For even “at that time” was the known time of trouble for Israel, and “saying” refers to later generations, because the sin of the calf is held in reserve for all generations (Sanhedrin 102a).

Read it as [uncertain: בעת הה״], referring to the time when five angels came and joined Moses. ההוא, the masculine form, is written, referring to the Holy One, blessed be He, who Himself had to stand against one of them, Af. ע״ת has, the source says, the numerical value of בלעם בן בעור (Balaam son of Beor), from whose power the calf came, as Aaron said, “for it is set on evil” (ברע; Exodus 32:22), a rearrangement of בער. [TN-137-01]

He therefore arranged his prayer: “You have begun to show Your servant.” “You” is exact: You had to stand against one of them, identified here as Hemah. “Your greatness” is Abraham; “Your mighty hand” is Isaac; “For what god” is Jacob. Yet You Yourself had to stand against the great champion, “who can act according to Your deeds and according to Your mighty acts,” who can stand before this great Af. [TN-137-02]

Therefore, “Let me cross, please.” At first I had no power, even with the patriarchs’ merit, to remove more than four angels, for the letters of אעברה may be rearranged as ארבעה (“four”). I could not nullify Af, whose power is great and is also indicated by the word אעברה. Let me therefore cross into the Land of Israel and “see the land”; through the merit of the Land of Israel, I shall then remove it.

He said אעברה with an extra ה, alluding to the fifth angel, Af, whom Moses could not remove outside the Land. When I see the good land, I shall have the power to remove the fifth angel as well, Af, just as Phinehas possessed the ability. Phinehas was impregnated with the souls of Nadab and Abihu and merited subduing the angel Af through their souls, for נשמת נדב ואביהו (“the soul of Nadab and Abihu”) has the numerical value א״ף. He therefore said, “Let me cross, please” (אעברה נא): when I cross into the Land of Israel, I too shall have the power to subdue א״ף through נדב אביהו, indicated by נ״א.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, ר״ב ל״ך (“It is much for you”), which is said to have the numerical value of ר״ב החוב״ל (“the captain”). The kelippah has one letter א beyond it, in the mystery of “whoever adds, detracts” (Sanhedrin 29a): רב לך totals 252, while רב החובל totals גר״ן, 253, the mystery of גר״ן האט״ד, “the threshing floor of Atad” (Genesis 50:10). Moses is the master of all Israel and is in the mystery of Metatron, concerning whom it is said, “when the morning stars sang together” (ברן יחד ככבי בקר; Job 38:7).

He also alluded through “It is much for you” that you can subdue Ḥaron here as well. Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 45 says that Ḥaron Af is buried opposite Moses’ grave. It opens its mouth to swallow Israel, but “no man”—the wicked Belial—“knows his burial place” (Deuteronomy 34:6), for Moses is buried opposite it. When it sees his grave, it retreats. The reason is that חרון אף is said here to have the numerical value משה. [TN-137-03]

This is precisely ר״ב ל״ך: your name is indicated by the “captain” who stands opposite you. He is greater than Af, for whose sake you wish to enter the Land of Israel. This is indicated in the verse “No one arose in Israel like Moses” (Deuteronomy 34:10): עו״ד ק״ם is said to have the numerical value of אף וחימה, both of whom Moses subdued during his life.

Concerning this He said, “Ascend to the top of the summit,” for it is above and chief over them all. “Command Joshua”—צו signifies idolatry (Sanhedrin 56b), for משה has the numerical value אלהים אחרים (“other gods”). “Strengthen him to nullify Ḥaron” (חזקהו לבטל חרון), “and make him resolute to nullify Af” (ואמצהו לבטל אף): the initials of the one correspond to the initials of the other.

Ofan 138

It is stated in Kanfei Yonah, p. 80, concerning “One thing I have asked of the LORD” (Psalms 27:4): the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Israel three good gifts, all through suffering (Berakhot 5a). They are indicated by the word אח״ת (“one”): ארץ ישראל, “the Land of Israel”; חיי עולם הבא, “life of the World to Come”; תורה, “Torah.” They come from the three patriarchs.

Torah comes from Abraham’s side, for he observed even an eruv of cooked foods (Yoma 28b). The Land of Israel comes from Isaac’s side, for he had to dwell in the Land of Israel because he was an unblemished burnt offering (Genesis Rabbah 64:3). Life of the World to Come comes from Jacob’s side, for his bed was complete (Leviticus Rabbah 36:5) and engraved beneath the Throne of Glory (Numbers Rabbah 4:1).

Moses arranged his prayer here as follows: since “You have begun to show me” the merit of the patriarchs—that is, when the calf was made and Moses mentioned the three patriarchs, the Holy One, blessed be He, agreed with him and said, “I have forgiven according to your word” (Numbers 14:20)—he now likewise began to arrange the three patriarchs. “Your greatness” is Abraham, through whose merit Torah was given, for the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Moses Abraham’s countenance (Exodus Rabbah 28:1). “Your mighty hand” is Isaac, through whose merit the second gift was given. “For what god” is Jacob, through whose merit the third gift was given.

He now came to pray because the Holy One, blessed be He, had begun by giving him Torah as a gift, as it says in the Sabbath morning prayer, “Moses rejoiced in the gift of his portion.” This is “to show א״ת Your servant” (להראות את עבדך), whose numerical value is במתנ״ה (“as a gift”). “Let me cross, please,” and merit all three gifts. “The land” is the gift of the Land of Israel. “This good mountain” is the gift of Torah, as our masters said (Genesis Rabbah 16:4) concerning “The gold of that land is good” (Genesis 2:12): there is no Torah like the Torah of the Land of Israel. I therefore seek to go to the Land. “And Lebanon” corresponds to the World to Come, as it is written, “This is none other than the House of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17), through which one ascends to the World to Come.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: I have already given you the majority of these three gifts that I gave Israel. The smallest majority is two—namely Torah and the World to Come, “the abundant goodness stored away.” But concerning the third gift, the gift of the Land of Israel, “do not continue to speak further.” Instead, “command Joshua,” and he will merit the third gift as well, the Land of Israel.

This resolves what the midrash on this parashah says (Tanḥuma, Va-Etḥannan 6), that Moses asked the Holy One, blessed be He, to send suffering upon him. The difficulty is: suffering—who mentioned its name? According to this explanation it is clear. Moses first arranged the three gifts that came to the world through the three patriarchs, all of which are given through suffering.

He therefore also said אעברה here, in the sense that the Holy One, blessed be He, should become filled with עברה (“wrath”) like a pregnant woman (עוברה; see Berakhot 29b), and judge him through suffering in order to grant the three gifts arranged in his prayer. “The land” is the giving of the Land of Israel, which comes only through suffering; so too “the good mountain,” Torah; and “Lebanon,” the World to Come. All three come specifically through suffering.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied regarding the two, Torah and the World to Come, “It is much for you”: you have already received much suffering in the giving of the Torah, having sat in fasting for 121 days. Thus, regarding these two gifts, Torah and the World to Come, “It is much for you”: we have already had abundant suffering. But concerning the Land of Israel, “do not continue to speak.” [TN-138-01]

This is indicated in the first verse, “at that time”: at the time when Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel, he also petitioned concerning the two remaining gifts indicated by ע״ת—עולם הבא, “the World to Come,” and תורה, “Torah.” He petitioned concerning all three together, for all three are indicated by “One (אח״ת) thing I have asked of the LORD; that shall I seek.”

As the Ari, of blessed memory, wrote, these three are all included within the Shekhinah, which is called אח״ת. They are the mystery of the three lines of the three patriarchs, while the Shekhinah, the cup of blessing, requires three (Zohar III, 246a). This is the mystery of Moses’ opening with the Name אדני, which is the Shekhinah. He then mentioned YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim, the mystery of “I shall raise the cup of salvations” (Psalms 116:13): Elohim is the mystery of the cup, while YHWH is the mystery of the LORD’s salvations—the strong leaves that surround the rose (Zohar I, 1a). [TN-138-02]

Ofan 139

We say in Leviticus Rabbah 35:8 that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave three gifts to the world. Regarding the tablets it is written, “He gave them to Moses” (Exodus 31:18), as a gift. Regarding the luminaries it says, “God placed them in the firmament of heaven” (Genesis 1:17). Regarding the rains it says, “I shall give your rains in their time” (Leviticus 26:4).

Moses merited two gifts. The tablets were given to him as a gift (Tanḥuma, Tissa 18), and, regarding the luminaries, Moses arrested the sun in the wars against Sihon and Og. Since Moses merited these two gifts that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave to the world through him, he wished the Holy One, blessed be He, to give him the third gift as well: “I shall give your rains in their time,” the gift of the Land of Israel. All other lands drink from the residue of the Land of Israel, as it is written, “Who gives rain upon the face of the earth” (Job 5:10), and as stated in Taʿanit. The source prints a damaged sequence of folio references, `ב׳ וט׳ (ט׳ ע״ב, י׳ ע״א)`. [TN-139-01]

Concerning this he said, “I pleaded with YHWH.” His prayer was “at that time,” when the Holy One, blessed be He, arrested the sun for Moses during the wars against Og. At that time two of the gifts that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the world were already in his hands, and so then he also sought the third gift.

ההוא, the masculine form, is written, referring to that unique gift that bestows influence upon all lands. It follows that all lands receive from the Land of Israel and resemble a female receiving from a male. The Land of Israel is accordingly the mystery of the male, which is Ḥesed, in the mystery of “Your name is called upon Your city” (Daniel 9:19).

Concerning this Moses said: since “You have begun to show א״ת Your servant” (את עבדך), whose numerical value is במתנה (“as a gift”); since You began by giving me the luminaries as a gift, he said “Your greatness,” for the Holy One, blessed be He, lengthened the day in Moses’ time. “This day I shall begin to place your greatness” (Deuteronomy 2:25) and “This day I shall begin” (Joshua 3:7) form a verbal analogy (Taʿanit 20a).

“And Your mighty hand”: You gave me the tablets as a gift, of which it is said, “and for all the mighty hand that Moses performed” (Deuteronomy 34:12), meaning the tablets (Exodus Rabbah 46:3).

He then explicated the three gifts the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the world. Corresponding to the rains: “For what god is there in heaven and on earth?” for the rains descend from heaven—“His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its time” (Deuteronomy 28:12). Corresponding to the tablets he said, “who can act according to Your deeds?”—“the tablets were the work of God” (Exodus 32:16). Corresponding to the arresting of the sun he said, “according to Your mighty acts?”—“as the sun goes forth in its might” (Judges 5:31).

Since You gave me two gifts out of these three, “let me cross, please, and see the land,” so as to see the good third gift. There “the LORD will open for you His good treasury” and give “the rain of your land in its time” (Deuteronomy 28:12). Concerning this he said “this good mountain”: the reason I wish to see the land is this good mountain, through which He will open His good treasury.

When will the Holy One, blessed be He, open the treasury of rains? Concerning this he said “and Lebanon,” when the Holy One, blessed be He, whitens Israel’s sins. As our masters said (Taʿanit 7b) concerning the verses “You have favored Your land, O LORD” and “You have borne the guilt of Your people; You have covered all their sin, Selah” (Psalms 85:2–3).

Moses accordingly said: since “You have begun to show Your servant” that You have borne the guilt of their sin through me, for that reason “let me cross”—I wish to cause their sins to pass away. Through what shall I cause their sins to pass away? “Let me see the good land” (ואראה את הארץ הטובה) precisely, for the LORD will open His good treasury from heaven, which is Moses’ grade.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: of the three gifts that I gave the world, the majority—two—belongs to you, namely Torah and the luminaries. But concerning the third gift, “the rain of your land,” “do not continue.” “Command Joshua and strengthen him” through the gift of the tablets that I gave you; “make him resolute” through the gift of the luminaries, for the luminaries will likewise stand still for him at Gibeon (Joshua 10:12); “for he shall cross over” with respect to the third gift.

Ofan 140

The war against Amalek is one of the three commandments that the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Israel upon their entrance into the Land (Sanhedrin 20b). Their mnemonic is in “The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes” (מצות ה׳ ברה מאירת עינים; Psalms 19:9). The initials of ברה מאירת עינים indicate the three commandments Israel was commanded upon entering the Land: the ב of בר״ה is בנין בית המקדש, “building the Temple”; the מ of מאירת is למנות להם מלך, “appointing a king over them”; and the ע of עיני״ם is מלחמת עמלק, “the war against Amalek.”

Their mnemonic is מב״ע, a notarikon for מושל בגבורתו עולם, “who rules the world through His might” (Psalms 66:7). Moses thought that all three would be fulfilled by משה בן עמרם, “Moses son of Amram”; in truth, however, they will not be fulfilled until מנחם בן עמיאל, “Menaḥem son of Ammiel,” comes.

That psalm, “The heavens recount” (Psalms 19:2), was recited by Moses on the great day of praise, the day the Torah was received. The psalm contains 126 words, the mystery of six times אהיה (Ehyeh). The five verses beginning “The Torah of the LORD is perfect” (Psalms 19:8) contain 126 letters. This is the seal of the Torah in the five books, and these are the 126 days Moses spent on the mountain.

It is the mystery of the Explicit Name: the six seals in Sefer Yetzirah with which the Holy One, blessed be He, sealed the six directions. He turned upward and sealed it with יה״ו, and so forth. Six times יה״ו amounts to 126. These are the mystery of the Torah’s seal; thus it is at the end of the five books of the Torah. [TN-140-01]

It is known (Tanḥuma, Ki Tetze 11) that HaShem (the Name) is not complete until the seed of Amalek is erased. Moses therefore desired to enter the Land of Israel and complete HaShem (the Name) and the Throne.

The three commandments Israel received complete the three letters missing from כס יה. Through building the Temple they would complete the letter א of כסא (“throne”), for “there thrones were set for judgment” (Psalms 122:5), and the Temple is the LORD’s throne, as it is written, “A throne of glory, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our Sanctuary” (Jeremiah 17:12). That is, the site of the Temple is the throne of glory. The building of the Temple thus completes the letter א of כסא.

Appointing a king completes the letter ה of HaShem (the Name), for the king had to come from the Davidic kingdom, which is the kingdom of heaven and the final ה of HaShem (the Name). David accordingly said, “For through You (בכה) I run against a troop” (Psalms 18:30), using בכה with an added ה.

Erasing the seed of Amalek completes the ו, for Amalek blemished the letter of the covenant, the mystery of ו; body and covenant are counted as one. These three commandments therefore complete the rectification of HaShem (the Name) and the Throne.

Moses consequently said, “I pleaded with YHWH at that time”: he wished to rectify at that time what the Holy One, blessed be He, had commanded “for saying” to later generations. ההוא, the masculine form, is written: he wished now to rectify the letters missing from HaShem (the Name), ה״ו, and from the Throne, א, together forming הו״א.

The seed of Amalek can be cut off only by one whose sustenance comes from the Name ב״ן (Ban) in the world of Asiyah. Amalek is the mystery of כל״ב (“dog”), and therefore believes in the form of a dog. He is consequently called עמלק (Amalek), as stated in the midrash (Tanḥuma, Ki Tetze 9): עם שלקק ככלב, “a people who lapped like a dog.”

The mystery is that the dog’s sustenance comes from outside, the last grade, drawing from the Name ב״ן; the numerical value of כל״ב is the same as that of ב״ן. This is the mystery of “he attacked your rear, all (ויזנב בך כל) the weaklings behind you” (Deuteronomy 25:18; the source prints the damaged locator “Deuteronomy 35:18”). The source says that the marked final letters of ויזנ״ב ב״ך כ״ל spell כל״ב, although their visible order is ב־ך־ל and requires rearrangement. [TN-140-02]

This is the mystery of the dog that copulated in the ark and was punished through intercourse at the rear (Sanhedrin 108b). This mystery is set forth in the verse ויזנ״ב ב״ך כ״ל הנחשלי״ם אחריך: its final letters spell בכל״ם. “Behind you” is exact, for they draw sustenance from the back sides. His sin was inserting נח״ש (“serpent”) among the letters of מיל״ה (“circumcision”), as indicated by הנחשלי״ם, whose letters may be rearranged as נח״ש מיל״ה.

A great mystery is therefore indicated here, the mystery of the letters בכל״ם. The grammarians designated them “source letters” that may be prefixed, as is known to masters of that wisdom. Because he corrupted the מקור, the “source,” of holiness, his reception is מכלב (“from a dog”), whose letters may be rearranged as בכל״ם. [TN-140-03]

This is Esau’s sustenance. He went “to hunt game to bring it” (Genesis 27:5) and brought his father Isaac delicacies of dog (Targum Jonathan to Genesis 27:31; see the commentary there). Isaac said, “Who, then, hunted game?” (Genesis 27:33). That is: who brought me delicacies from the creature that hunts game, namely one with which people hunt wild animals and birds—with dogs?

This was the sin in the Second Temple, for Romus and Romulus drew nourishment from a female dog, as stated in Esther Rabbah 3:5. They ruled over all Israel in the exile of Edom, their sustenance coming from the power of the dog. Consequently, in that Temple, the Second Temple over which Edom ruled, a form like a dog would appear upon the altar (Yoma 21b). This indicated the dominion of that dog at that time.

Jacob sinned in this regard when he “sent messengers before him” (Genesis 32:4): he was “grasping a dog by its ears,” as stated in Genesis Rabbah 75:3 on Parashat Vayishlaḥ. In this he committed a transgression and “became enraged over a quarrel not his own” (Proverbs 26:17). That is, he did this not only to himself but to his descendants.

What was the sin? He called Esau “lord,” saying “to my lord, to Esau” (Genesis 32:5). His children were therefore stricken in the Second Temple during the exile of Esau, when the form of a dog descended upon the altar. That dog is called Baladan, as stated in the Zohar on Parashat Tzav. In the chapter Helek, Sanhedrin 96a, we say: What is בלאדן (Baladan; Isaiah 39:1)? כלבא, “a dog.” [TN-140-04]

See the wonders of HaShem, who repays according to one’s deed. Jacob called Esau “lord,” but in truth he is בל אדון, “not a lord,” for he is no lord. He also denies the unity of the world and says בלאדון מי אדון, “without a Lord—who is Lord?” That form therefore descended beside the altar.

Because Amalek draws sustenance from the Name ב״ן, the prophet Samuel had to come, for his sustenance likewise came from the Name ב״ן. He was from the feminine side, in the mystery of “You shall give Your maidservant male seed” (1 Samuel 1:11)—“Your maidservant” is exact.

Eli therefore said to Hannah, “May the God of Israel grant your request” (יתן את שלתך; 1 Samuel 1:17), with שלתך written without א. The א is the mystery of the male, whereas Samuel was from the feminine side. He therefore lived only fifty-two years, from the mystery of the Name ב״ן. [TN-140-05]

One whose sustenance comes from the Name ב״ן is fit to go on the Omnipresent’s mission to fight the “foolish son” (ב״ן כסיל), Amalek, whose sustenance is that of the dog, drawing from Asiyah, where the Name ב״ן is found. “Saul was ב״ן years old when he began to reign” (1 Samuel 13:1): ב״ן is exact, for he came from the tribe of Benjamin, fulfilling his father’s words when he called him ב״ן ימין, “son of the right hand” (Genesis 35:18), and also fulfilling Rachel’s designation ב״ן אוני, “son of my sorrow,” by breaking the power of the kelippah called און. As it is written, “Surely I have become rich; I have found און for myself” (Hosea 12:9).

Solomon, who built the House, was likewise fifty-two years old, and his sustenance likewise came from the Name ב״ן. David, who built the Temple’s foundations, was also from the feminine side, as it is written, “I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant” (Psalms 116:16)—“son” is exact. He therefore prayed, “For dogs surround me” (Psalms 22:17), and “Save my unique soul from the hand of the dog” (Psalms 22:21).

David had to rise at midnight to break the power of the second watch, when dogs bark (Berakhot 3a). At the time Israel left Egypt it was written, “But against any of the children of Israel no dog shall sharpen its tongue” (Exodus 11:7).

His son Solomon therefore had to ask the Sanhedrin, in the chapter Bameh Madlikin (Shabbat 30b): “Father has died, and the dogs of Father’s house are hungry.” A great question arises here: how could Solomon disparage the honor of his father David by asking these two questions through one man? Every intelligent person must be astonished. Was Solomon’s power too short to send one of the servants before him, so that he would not come and ask these two questions together and compare his father to a dog? He later even had to disparage his father’s honor and say concerning him, “A living dog is better than a dead lion” (Ecclesiastes 9:4). You, Solomon—where is your wisdom, where your understanding? [TN-140-06]

All the words of King Solomon, however, are entirely within the mystery of supernal wisdom. Throughout David’s life he would rise at midnight, as it is written, “At midnight I rise to give thanks to You,” and as stated in Berakhot 3b. The reason is given immediately beforehand: “The bands of the wicked surrounded me” (Psalms 119:61). Because of the wicked who surrounded him like dogs, he had to rise every midnight against the power of the dogs that bark at that time.

The Gemara says that until midnight he occupied himself with Torah, and from then onward with songs and praises (Berakhot, ad loc.). This alludes to the beginning of the night, when the kelippot come to rule the world, in the mystery of “Then all the beasts of the forest creep forth” (Psalms 104:20).

This is “The bands of the wicked surrounded me” in Psalm 119: when night creeps, “I did not forget Your Torah,” for he occupied himself with Torah. Afterward, from midnight onward, “I rise to give thanks to You” with songs and thanksgivings (Psalms 119:62). He strengthened himself like a lion and a שחל, a fierce lion. The initials of שכחתי חצות לילה—“forgot,” “midnight,” “night”—therefore spell שח״ל.

Through this David overcame two evil sides, the first two watches: the watch of the donkey, which is Rahab, and the second watch, when dogs bark, which is Samael. Together they have the numerical value שח״ל.

David therefore merited being called “son” by the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, “You are My son” (בני אתה; Psalms 2:7). At the time of his death David likewise commanded Solomon to rise every midnight and thereby merit the grade ב״ן. Thus, “David commanded Solomon his son” (בנ״ו; 1 Kings 2:1). Did we not know until now that Solomon was his son? Rather, the intent is that he commanded Solomon to merit the Name ב״ן by rising every midnight.

Solomon likewise lived fifty-two years, the mystery of the Name ב״ן. On his account there was also a destruction of fifty-two years, as our masters wrote in Shabbat 145b on “Both man and beast have wandered away” (Jeremiah 9:9): בהמ״ה (“beast”) has the numerical value fifty-two. [TN-140-07]

Solomon sent this praise to the Sanhedrin when his father died on the Sabbath of Atzeret, as Tosafot to the first chapter of Ḥagigah 17a, s.v. af, write, adducing proof from the Jerusalem Talmud, Ḥagigah 2:3. On that day the Written Torah was given, while David, the mystery of the Oral Torah, departed at the time of favor, during the afternoon service of the Sabbath, when the “open eye” rules the world.

Solomon therefore informed the Sanhedrin: since Father has died—and throughout his life he stood against the dogs, the mystery of midnight—now “the dogs of Father’s house are hungry.” “Who will rise for us against evildoers?” (Psalms 94:16). They are the dogs, as David said, “For dogs surround me; a congregation of evildoers encompasses me” (Psalms 22:17). “Who will stand for me against workers of iniquity,” taking Father’s place and protecting us from the outer dogs, who are hungry and from now onward have opened their mouths against us?

The Sanhedrin’s answer was in the mystery of wisdom: one must silence the accusers and place their portion in their mouths, as stated in the Zohar on Aharei Mot, p. 112 (Zohar III, 63a), and on Pinhas, p. 439 (Zohar III, 238a). This is the mystery of “Cut up a carcass before the dogs.”

Regarding the second question, through which Solomon informed them of David’s absence, they answered that in this world we have no substitute for him to stand against the workers of iniquity. The Holy One, blessed be He, however, established two cherubim, the mystery of Metatron and Sandalfon. They stand at a time when there are no feminine waters below, and the supernal unification is aroused; without this the world could not endure.

This is the mystery of “As for your father, place a loaf (ככר) upon him.” This is Sandalfon, in the mystery of “a talent for each socket” (ככר לאדן; Exodus 38:27), for the Name א״ל אדנ״י is in Asiyah, where Sandalfon is found. In Asiyah there is likewise “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3): calculate sixteen times י״ה, in the mystery of ויה״י, and it equals ככ״ר, 240.

He is chief of all the spices, “flowing myrrh” (מ״ר דרר; Exodus 30:23), for from below upward he is chief, in the mystery of “My beloved is to me a bundle of myrrh” (Song of Songs 1:13). “Myrrh” is Sandalfon, while “between my breasts he lodges” (שד״י ילין) is Metatron, whose numerical value is שד״י. Thus the word ככר is Sandalfon, while “an infant” is the mystery of Metatron, as stated in the Zohar on Leviticus, p. 115 (Zohar III, 64b): an infant nurses from its mother’s שד״י, “breasts,” and he is שד״י. [TN-140-08]

Through this the Sanhedrin pointed with a finger and answered that in this world we have no substitute who could be like “David, King of Israel, lives and endures,” who never tasted the taste of death. Concerning this Solomon said in his honored book, in the mystery of wisdom, “A living dog is better than a dead lion.” That is, it is good for the outer dog, which is now alive. Why is it good for it? Because “the lion is dead”: since my father David, who is a lion, has died.

David is called a lion because his sustenance comes from four Names associated with Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah—from the Name ב״ן in the attribute of Malkhut in each world. Four times ב״ן is the mystery of ר״ח, 208. There are eight YHWHs in four Names ב״ן. Join eight to 208, and the result is ארי״ה (“lion”), 216, as explained above in Ofan 124. For this reason it is good for the living dog.

Moses therefore began here: since “You have begun to show me” how to fight Amalek, when I said, “I stand upon the top of the hill” (Exodus 17:9). This is indicated by גדל״ך in “Your greatness,” whose numerical value is הב״ן. Moses merited the Name ב״ן and was a member of the household of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the mystery of “He is faithful throughout My house” (בכל ביתי; Numbers 12:7).

He was therefore fit to fight Amalek, whose mystery is כל״ב, for בכ״ל may be rearranged as כל״ב. Moses thought he was fit to fight the dog, because the Holy One, blessed be He, had begun to show His greatness at the beginning of their exodus from Egypt. The source’s quotation here reads “against all the children of Israel a dog shall sharpen its tongue” (ולכל בני ישראל יחרץ כלב לשונו; Exodus 11), omitting the biblical negative לא that it had included earlier in the chapter. One who begins a commandment is fit to complete it, as stated in Sotah 13b. [TN-140-09]

“Your mighty hand”: it is fitting that You assist in the commandment concerning which You swore there by Your mighty hand, as it is written, “For a hand is upon the throne of Yah” (Exodus 17:16). There too He showed him His mighty hand: “Whenever Moses raised his hand, Israel prevailed” (Exodus 17:11).

He therefore concluded, “For what god is there in heaven and on earth?” He mentioned heaven and earth in the mystery of “Thus says / YHWH / heaven is My throne / and the earth / is My footstool” (Isaiah 66:1). Look there and you will find the complete Name in the initials, with the Throne in the middle: י״י השמים supplies the initials י״ה, while והארץ הדום supplies the initials ו״ה, and the throne stands between them.

This is likewise the mystery of the merkavah, in the mystery of the Sabbath domains, “two that are four” (Mishnah Shabbat 1:1). Two letters are on one side—the final letters of אד״ם נש״ר, namely מ־ר—and two letters are on the other side—the final letters of כרו״ב ארי״ה, namely ב־ה. The כ of כסא (“throne”) is in the middle. Thus the words designating the creatures of the merkavah contain the complete word מרכבה.

He therefore mentioned “For what god” (מי אל), the mystery of “the Ḥesed of God” (חסד אל; Psalms 52:3), and “A throne shall be established through Ḥesed” (Isaiah 16:5), so that the Throne would be complete in heaven and on earth and HaShem (the Name) would be complete.

Because Amalek draws sustenance from Asiyah, where the Name ב״ן is found, he said “who can act according to Your deeds” (כמעשיך), “deeds” being exact, “and according to Your mighty acts” (כגבורתך), so that the Holy One, blessed be He, would judge them through Gevurah. This is the mystery of four times ב״ן together with the eight YHWHs within them, like the numerical construction of ארי״ה explained above.

Moses petitioned concerning this: “Let me cross, please,” now to fight Amalek through the four Names ב״ן, for the letters of אעברה may be rearranged as ארבעה (“four”). He then explained that this would complete the Throne and HaShem (the Name): “Let me see the land” is the ה of the Name; “the good mountain” is its ו—“good” is exact, the grade of good; and “Lebanon” is the mystery of א. Thus the letters הו״א would be rectified. This is the meaning of “at that [ההוא] time”: to rectify the letters הו״א.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you”: you think you should fight Amalek because its sustenance comes from the Name ב״ן and I called you a member of My household. Your greatness, however, is in the mystery of the Name מ״ה, which is higher than the Name ב״ן, as it is written, “What is His son’s name?” (Proverbs 30:4), referring to Moses (Zohar II, 197a). Therefore, “do not continue to speak.”

Instead, “command Joshua,” for he will complete the wars against Amalek “from generation to generation”: from the generation of Saul, whose sustenance came from the Name ב״ן, to the generation of Mordecai, who likewise came from the tribe of Benjamin (Megillah 12b), where the Name ב״ן is found. Therefore חזקה״ו ואמצה״ו (“strengthen him and make him resolute”) has the numerical value מרדכ״י (Mordecai).

Ofan 141

It is stated in Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:7 that in two places Moses compared himself to
Abraham. The first was when the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared to him at the bush and
said to him, “Moses, Moses,” and he answered, “Here I am” (Exodus 3:4): “Here I am for
the priesthood; here I am for kingship.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Do not
glorify yourself in the presence of a king, and do not stand in the place of the great”
(Proverbs 25:6). The same occurred here, when Moses said, “Adonai YHWH,” and so forth; see
there.

The meaning is that “Do not glorify yourself in the presence of a king” corresponds to
kingship, while “in the place of the great” corresponds to the High Priest, who is the
attribute of Ḥesed. Moses considered the three crowns that the Holy One, blessed be He,
gave Israel—the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship
(Avot 4:13). Since all three had belonged to Abraham, Moses thought that he too would
merit all three. Moses derives sustenance from Abraham in the mystery of “for I drew him
out of the water” (Exodus 2:10), water being the mystery of Abraham’s attribute. Thus it
is written, “He led at the right hand of Moses” (Isaiah 63:12).

Moses therefore began with the Name אדנ״י (*Adonai*), corresponding to Malkhut, so
that the crown of kingship might be given to him. Afterward he said YHWH pointed with the
vowels of Elohim. YHWH is the mystery of the crown of priesthood, as stated in *Sifra
de-Tzeniʿuta*: the High Priest in the world of Atzilut is Zeʿir. The garments of the
High Priest are therefore called “splendor” [תפארת]. Since “You placed a crown of
splendor upon the head of Moses” in the Sabbath morning service, and Moses’s attribute is
Zeʿir, Moses thought he would become High Priest in the mystery of the small א in
ויקרא (“and He called”; Leviticus 1:1). The remaining letters are ויקר אל משה,
“and preciousness to Moses”; these are the priestly garments. Thus the first chapter of
Megillah (12a) expounds “the preciousness of his splendid majesty” (Esther 1:4). The
supernal mystery is that Ahasuerus, in the kelippah, thought himself the counterpart of
Zeʿir.

The vocalization of Elohim indicates the crown of Torah, which was given from the mouth of
Gevurah: “God [אלהים] spoke all these words” (Exodus 20:1)—אלהים, precisely.
From the side of Isaac, Moses received the Torah from the mouth of Gevurah itself. The
Torah was therefore given with fire and with the shofar, which was the ram of Isaac.

Moses consequently began here with these two Names—Adonai and YHWH pointed with the
vowels of Elohim—corresponding to these three crowns, which are the three patriarchs.
Concerning this he said: since “You have begun to show”—החלות, with its letters
reversed, yields הלחות (“the tablets”)—You gave me the crown of Torah through the
tablets. “Your greatness” refers to the crown of priesthood, for Moses served as priest
during all seven days of installation. According to the other opinion, Moses served as
priest together with Aaron throughout all forty years, as it is written, “Moses and Aaron
among His priests” (Psalms 99:6; see Leviticus Rabbah 11:6). “Your strong hand” refers
to the crown of kingship, as it is written, “With a strong hand I shall reign over you”
(Ezekiel 20:33).

He then explained further. “Who is a God [אל]” refers to the crown of priesthood, which
is the Ḥesed of אל: “Your Tummim and Your Urim belong to Your pious man”
(Deuteronomy 33:8). “Who can do according to Your deeds” refers to the crown of kingship,
for a king is mighty. Moses therefore now asked to enter the Land of Israel so that he
would merit all three crowns there. “And let me see the land” corresponds to Torah, for
“the air of the Land of Israel makes one wise” (Bava Batra 158b). “This good mountain”
is Jerusalem, for there was “Melchizedek, king of Salem” (Genesis 14:18), corresponding
to kingship. “Lebanon” is the Temple, corresponding to priesthood. The three crowns would
thus be joined together.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you [רב לך]”: it is enough
for you to possess the crown of Torah alone, for you are the master [רב] of Israel. As
for your wish to compare yourself to Abraham, as you said initially at the bush, “Here I
am for kingship; here I am for priesthood”—“Do not speak to Me again [עו״ד]”:
עו״ד, “again,” precisely. Do not speak and ask again for those two crowns of priesthood
and kingship, as you asked Me at the beginning of your mission at the bush. I answered you
there, “Do not draw near here [הלום]” (Exodus 3:5), which the Sages, of blessed memory,
expounded: הלום means none other than kingship, and הלום means none other than
priesthood (Exodus Rabbah 2:6).

Moses intimated this when he first said, “You [את״ה] have begun.” The word את״ה is
superfluous and is a notarikon of א׳ל ת׳קרב ה׳לום, “Do not draw near here.” Now,
too, “do not speak again,” as you did at first. Rather, “Command Joshua and strengthen
him” with respect to the crown of Torah, “and fortify him” with respect to the crown of
kingship; “for he shall cross over” into kingship, “and he shall cause to inherit” through
Torah, “in all that you shall see”—everything presently in your possession.

Ofan 142

A well-known introduction, of precious worth: the sun and moon have three names deriving
from the three worlds Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. In the world of Beriah they are called
שמש (*shemesh*, sun) and ירח (*yareah*, moon); in the world of Yetzirah they are
called חמה (*hammah*, sun) and לבנה (*levanah*, moon); and in the world of Asiyah
they are called חרס (*heres*, sun) and סהר (*sahar*, moon).

The sun consequently travels through 365 windows in the firmament, corresponding to the
365 days of the solar year. The final letters of its three names, שמ״ש חר״ס חמ״ה,
spell שס״ה, 365. This is intimated in the verse אֲדֹנָי שְׁמָעָה,
אֲדֹנָי סְלָחָה, אֲדֹנָי הַקְשִׁיבָה, “O Lord, hear! O Lord,
forgive! O Lord, attend!” (Daniel 9:19), whose marked words spell שס״ה.

It is known that Moses is the mystery of the face of the sun (Bava Batra 75a). Moses
wished to enter the Land of Israel in order to illuminate Israel with the light of the
three worlds, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. Concerning this he said, “at that time,
saying.” We read ההיא (“she”), but ההוא (“he”) is written. This belongs to the
mystery of “Do not look upon me because I am dark, because the sun has gazed upon me
[ששזפתני השמש]” (Song of Songs 1:6), which is expounded as praise rather than
disparagement.

The word ששזפתני consists of two units, ש״ש זפתנ״י, and is connected with the
language of a loan: דאוזיפת אימא לברתא מנהא, “Mother lent to the daughter from
herself,” as stated in the Zohar, p. 273. That is, Binah gives the six extremities to
Malkhut, and this is literally “the sun.” The Shekhinah therefore says in exile: do not
think that I am dark; that is not so. Rather, Mother gives me a loan. What are the six
extremities? They are the sun. This is the meaning of ששזפתני השמש: it is the sun,
whose rung is six [שש]. Through this, “the sons of my mother,” who lent to me, “were
incensed against me,” in the mystery of “my throat is parched” (Psalms 69:4) and “the
exaltations of God are in their throat” (Psalms 149:6), which is Ḥesed.

Concerning this Moses said, “I pleaded.” My request concerned the Name YHWH, which
is the sun, so that it would illuminate “at that time,” precisely—the Shekhinah. The form
ההוא is written: Binah is called הוא, as in “and the Levite, he [הוא] shall perform
[the service]” (Numbers 18:23). It also alludes through the written ו to the six
extremities that Mother lent to the daughter. Moses therefore began with the Name Adonai,
which is the daughter, and concluded with YHWH pointed with the vowels of Elohim, which is
Mother.

The word להראות (“to show”) contains, by reversal, ת׳לוה א׳ור, “she will borrow
light”; and the Shekhinah will be [uncertain: תא״ר לו״ה] (“the form/designation of a
borrower”), for Mother will lend the light of the six extremities to the daughter.
[TN-142-01]

The word ההו״א likewise intimates the three worlds from below to above, which is the
mystery of הו״א. In Asiyah is the final ה, for the Matron nests in Asiyah. ו is
Yetzirah, for there the King nests in Yetzirah. א is in Beriah, in the Throne, for there
the Supernal Mother nests in His throne. The word הו״א thus intimates the three worlds
from below to above.

Moses then explained the three knots of names the sun possesses in the three worlds. In
correspondence with the world of Beriah, where the name is שמש, he said, “Your
greatness.” The mystery of גד״ל is “to our God,” who is Binah. The filling of the Name
ס״ג, which is in Beriah, has the value גד״ל when the word is written defectively,
without ו: its filling is thirty-seven, the value of גד״ל. This is the mystery of
“Ascribe greatness [גדל] to our God” (Deuteronomy 32:3). Concerning this he said,
“Your greatness.”

“Your strong hand” is in Yetzirah, where the name is חמה. Since חמה has five angels
who guide it by day, חמ״ה is a notarikon of ח׳משה מ׳לאכים ה׳מנהיגים,
“five angels who guide [it].” Because Moses is the mystery of חמה, when Israel sinned
and damaged Moses by saying, “As for this man Moses” (Exodus 32:1), there came
ה׳ מ׳לאכי ח׳בלה, “five angels of destruction,” whose initials spell ה״מ״ח,
the reverse of חמה. Moses therefore
alluded through five words, א׳תה ה׳חלות ל׳הראות א׳ת ע׳בדך (“You have begun
to show Your servant”): their initial letters have the numerical value of גלגליא״ל
(Galgaliel), the prince appointed over חמה. Since the name חמה is in Yetzirah and
has five guides, he said “Your hand [ידך] that is strong,” in the form of a hand with
five fingers.

Corresponding to the world of Asiyah, where the name is חרס, he said, “who is a God
who can do according to Your deeds,” corresponding to the world of Asiyah, where חרס
is found. Moses therefore prayed אעבר״ה (“Let me cross over”), with an additional ה,
for he wished to repair the Shekhinah, who is the final ה. Through what would she be
repaired? “And let me see” by its light: it is the light [או״ר] of the sun, for
ארא״ה has the numerical value או״ר. He used an additional ו with regard to the six
extremities of the sun in the three worlds.

Corresponding to Asiyah he said, “and the good land,” [uncertain: לתקן שם שם של ההר
עם תמונת חרס של משה] (“to repair there the name of the mountain with the configuration
of Moses’s חרס”). [TN-142-02] “This good mountain” corresponds to Yetzirah, where
לבנה is found. This is the mystery of *Barukh She-Amar*, which is in the world of
Yetzirah and contains eighty-seven words, the numerical value of לבנ״ה. “Lebanon”
corresponds to the world of Beriah: there the name יר״ח, whose numerical value is
ברי״אה, is to be repaired together with שמש.

The mystery of these three names—שמש, חמה, and חרס—is “One man out of a thousand
have I found” (Ecclesiastes 7:28), for the numerical values of these three names total
961. This is the mystery of the rule “A complete creature is nullified in 960”
(Jerusalem Talmud, Terumot 10:5; *Yoreh Deʿah* §100). The filling of ברי״ה is
likewise said to have this value: sixteen times sixty. When the forty days Moses spent on
the mountain—where there is the mystery of 960 hours—are added, they total 1,001. This
is the mystery of ישראל קדושי״ם (“Israel are holy”; Shabbat 86a), which likewise
has the value 1,001.

Thus the meaning of the verse is אד״ם, “you are My flock, the flock of My pasture;
you are אדם” (Ezekiel 34:31). Israel are called אדם, as it is written, “You are
called אדם” (Yevamot 61a); the source states that their numerical value is likewise
1,001. So too, “Israel is holy [קד״ש ישרא״ל] to the LORD” (Jeremiah 2:3) is
said to have the value 1,001. [TN-142-03] The holiness of Israel came to them from Moses
our teacher, as it is written, ע״ם קד״ש את״ה, “You are a holy people”
(Deuteronomy 14:2), whose final letters spell מש״ה. Moses derives sustenance from the
filled square of אלהי״ם, as stated in *Kanfei Yonah*, part 4, concerning “You met
the one who rejoices” (Isaiah 64:4); see there.

This is the mystery of “Moses ascended to God [האלהים]” (Exodus 19:3). That is,
Moses derives sustenance as the face of the sun, which has the three names שמש, חמה,
and חרס; together they have the numerical value of the square of אלהים.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” The greatness of Moses is
greater than that of Metatron, Prince of the Presence, whose numerical value is one less
than one thousand. Concerning him Scripture says, “If there is for him an angel, an
interpreter, one among a thousand [אחד מני אלף]” (Job 33:23). This is Metatron,
Prince of the Presence, whose value is “a thousand minus one”—that is, one less than a
thousand. He is ש״ר צבאו״ת, “Prince of Hosts.” Moses, however, through these three
names and the forty days in which he attained Binah, called מ״ם, totals one more than
one thousand. Therefore, “Do not speak again.”

Rather, “Command Joshua,” whose configuration is in the world of Asiyah, where Sandalfon
is found. וחזק״הו ואמצ״הו (“strengthen him and fortify him”) has the numerical
value סנדלפו״ן. Joshua was therefore buried in Timnath-חר״ס, precisely (Judges
2:9), which is the configuration of חרס. It is so named on account of ס׳ ר׳בוא
ח׳לונות, “six hundred thousand windows,” whose initials, read backward, form חר״ס. He said
“strengthen him” corresponding to the name שמש, and “fortify him” corresponding to the
name חמה.

Ofan 143

It is stated in *Kanfei Yonah*, part 4, concerning the verse “If you turn your foot back
from the Sabbath” (Isaiah 58:13), that on weekdays the ש of שבת is adjacent in the
alphabet to the letters ק״ר. Together they form שקר (“falsehood”), and “falsehood
has no legs” (Shabbat 104a). On the Sabbath, however, the ש of שבת is bound to the
attribute of אמת (“truth”). The initial letters of א׳ם ת׳שוב מ׳שבת (“If you
turn back from the Sabbath”) therefore spell אמ״ת.

On weekdays, “her feet descend to death” (Proverbs 5:5), and the serpent prevails, for
the serpent’s legs were cut off and it has no legs (Genesis Rabbah 20:5). On the Sabbath,
however, there is the mystery of “I considered my ways and returned my feet to Your
testimonies” (Psalms 119:59): the feet of the Shekhinah go toward the mystery of “Your
testimonies,” which are Netzah and Hod, the two thighs of truth, the mystery of אמת.

One must therefore stand during the Qiddush passage ויכלו (“and [the heavens and earth]
were completed”), for a witness must stand while giving testimony (Shevuot 30b). Through
this standing of ours, we establish the mystery of “Your testimonies” by elevating the
Shekhinah into Netzah and Hod.

This is the mystery of שבת. The ש of שבת signifies the three branches of the Tree,
which are the three patriarchs who bestow influence upon the “daughter of the eye,” the
Shekhinah. The word שבת thus intimates the chariot in its totality: ש is the three
flocks of sheep lying beside it, while בת is “the great stone upon the mouth of the well”
(Genesis 29:2).

This is the mystery of what is stated in the Gemara (Shabbat 119a): Rabbi Akiva answered,
“We have a seasoning named Sabbath, and its fragrance diffuses from one who observes the
Sabbath,” and so forth. The difficulty is: did Rabbi Akiva dislike using the scriptural
word בשמים (“spices”), so that he instead said תבלין (“seasoning”)? Rather, a
profound allusion is intimated in the word תבלי״ן, whose numerical value is ד׳
מחנ״ה שכינ״ה, “the four camps of the Shekhinah.” This is the meaning of “Sabbath is
its name.” Examine the name שבת closely and you will find within it the actual תבלין
just mentioned—the mystery of the four camps of the Shekhinah intimated in the name שבת:
ש signifies the three patriarchs, and ב״ת the Shekhinah, the daughter of the eye
(Zohar I, 23b).

Moses’s prayer concerned this repair of the Shekhinah: to illuminate the daughter of the
eye with the eye’s three colors, the mystery of the three patriarchs. He therefore began,
“at that time,” for that day was the Sabbath (Zohar II, 156a). Moses began to order his
prayer on account of this. He wished to enter the Land of Israel in order to remove
falsehood, which has no legs, and to repair the serpent’s severing in the mystery of “Our
feet stood within your gates, O Jerusalem” (Psalms 122:2). They truly stood, in contrast
to the severing of the serpent’s legs, through which Jacob “limped upon his thigh”
(Genesis 32:32). Moses wished to repair “the curves of your thighs” (Song of Songs 7:2),
to fulfill the verses “Truth shall spring from the earth” (Psalms 85:12) and “My foot
stands on level ground” (Psalms 26:12).

Concerning this he said, “You have begun to show” at the Sea the three verses וַיִּסַּע
(“and [the angel] journeyed”; Exodus 14:19), וַיָּבֹא (“and it came”; Exodus
14:20), and וַיֵּט (“and [Moses] stretched out”; Exodus 14:21), corresponding to
the world’s three patriarchs. “Your greatness” is Abraham; “Your strong hand” is Isaac;
“who is a God” is Jacob. If so, I wish to cross into the Land of Israel and draw the ש
of שבת down to illuminate the daughter of the eye, the Shekhinah.

Concerning this he said, “Let me cross over, please.” The reason I wish to cross into the
Land of Israel is to illuminate the daughter of the eye, the Shekhinah, with the three
patriarchs, who are the eye’s three colors. The chariot will thereby be complete.
אעבר״ה, with its letters reversed, yields ארבע״ה (“four”), so that the four legs of
the chariot intimated in the name שבת will be without severance and without separation.
נ״א means “now,” precisely, for that day was the Sabbath, as stated by “at that time.”

He then explained what his seeing would be in the three rungs, the eye’s three colors:
[uncertain: מסיטרא דאברהם שהוא גוון לבן, הטובה יצחק שהוא גוון אדום] (“from the side
of Abraham, which is the color white; ‘the good’—Isaac, which is the color red”).
[TN-143-01] “This good mountain [ההר הטוב הזה]” serves to remove from the side of the
serpent the thirty-nine evil lashes in the Land of Israel. Corresponding to them, the
thirty-nine primary labors intimated by הטו״ב הז״ה, whose numerical value is thirty-nine,
are forbidden on the Sabbath. Corresponding to Jacob he said, “and Lebanon,” whose mystery
is “an inheritance without boundaries” (Shabbat 118a).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” That is, the greatness you
wish to effect by joining the four legs of the chariot is already intimated in your name.
The ש of משה is the three colors of the patriarchs (Zohar I, 266b). The remaining
letters are מ״ה, the mystery of the Shekhinah. Thus the Zohar on *Terumah* cites the
source page as סע״ר (parenthetical locator: Zohar II, 127a) concerning “How abundant is
Your goodness” (Psalms 31:20), stating that the Shekhinah is called מ״ה.
[TN-143-02] Concerning her Moses said, “And now, Israel, what [מה] does the LORD your
God ask of you?” (Deuteronomy 10:12). Likewise David said, “What [מה] is the measure
of my days?” (Psalms 39:5), for the Shekhinah was his attribute.

He therefore said, “It is enough for you [רב ל״ך]”—ל״ך, “for you,” precisely:
this matter is intimated in your name. “Do not speak again.” Rather, “Command Joshua and
strengthen him” with respect to the ש of שבת, the three flocks of sheep, “and fortify
him” with respect to the fourth leg of the chariot, the daughter of the eye of שבת. As
for your wish to illuminate the daughter of the eye, “Ascend to the top of the summit and
see” all four legs of the chariot from here.

Therefore the second letters of מ׳שֶׁה עֲבָדִי מֵת, “Moses My servant is dead”
(Joshua 1:2), spell שב״ת. The Holy One, blessed be He, thereby intimated to Joshua
that he should repair the four legs of the chariot and now stand in Moses’s place to repair
them.

Ofan 144

Moses wished to enter the Land in order to attain the mystery of “Wisdoms of women has
built her house” (Proverbs 9:1). This is the mystery of the ב of בראשית
(*Bereshit*), concerning which the Zohar, p. 14 [Zohar I], writes: ב׳ראשית,
דמתרגמינן בחוכמתא—“בראשית, which is translated ‘with wisdom.’” It is known that
“Wisdoms has built her house” means that the ב of בראשית, intimated by the word
ביתה (“her house”), alludes to two wisdoms [ב׳ חכמות]. This is the mystery of
“son of Jesse.” Supernal Wisdom is called the Wisdom of God; lower wisdom is called the
wisdom of Solomon.

Since “the air of the Land of Israel makes one wise” (Bava Batra 158b), the meaning is as
follows. The Land of Israel is called lower wisdom, which is the Shekhinah, while its “air”
means that it derives sustenance from Supernal Wisdom, in the mystery of “The LORD founded
the earth with wisdom” (Proverbs 3:19): “Father founded the daughter” (see Zohar III,
256b). This is the meaning of “the air of the Land of Israel makes one wise.”

Moses derives from the Yesod of Supernal Wisdom, where the Name ע״ב is found, for ע״ב
is in Wisdom. The source also equates ע״ב numerically with חכמ״ה, in connection with
the four yods from which issue four hundred worlds of longing. [TN-144-01] This is in the
mystery of the “four hundred shekels of silver” (Genesis 23:15), as stated in *Idra
Rabba*, p. 243 (Zohar III, 128b). [At this point the Hebrew source opens a round
parenthesis and never closes it; its intended scope is uncertain.] [TN-144-02]

Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel, which is four hundred parasangs by
four hundred parasangs (Megillah 3a). He wished to bring the light of the four hundred
worlds of longing into the Land of Israel, which is four hundred parasangs. Concerning
this he prayed, “You have begun to show Your servant.” The letters of להראות (“to
show”), reversed, form להאו״ר ת׳, “to illuminate four hundred.”

“Your greatness” is the mystery of Supernal Wisdom, in the mystery of “according to the
greatness of Your ḥesed [כגודל חסדך]” (Numbers 14:19). The source states that חס״ד
has the numerical value of חכמ״ה. Moses alluded to the י of the Name,
which is Supernal Wisdom and is called “supernal Ḥesed that shall not be moved”
(Psalms 21:8)—ב״ל, “shall not,” precisely, for there are the ל״ב, thirty-two,
paths of Wisdom.

“Your strong hand” refers to Malkhut, called the strong hand, lower wisdom. Likewise,
ידך החזקה (“Your strong hand”) has the numerical value קט״ן (“small”). From the
side of Gevurah David is called “the youngest” (1 Samuel 17:14); this is the Malkhut of
the House of David, the wisdom of Solomon.

“Who is a God in heaven and on earth?” Moses mentioned heaven and earth here because
heaven and earth were created through these two wisdoms. As it is written, “Wisdoms has
built her house” (Proverbs 9:1): by means of these two wisdoms “she carved out her seven
pillars.” Everything created in בראשית was created through Wisdom: “You made them all
with wisdom” (Psalms 104:24). Concerning this he said, “who can do according to Your
deeds,” corresponding to Supernal Wisdom, where “Great are the deeds of the LORD”
(Psalms 111:2), like “the greatness of Your ḥesed,” as stated above; “and according to
Your mighty acts” corresponds to lower wisdom, for the Shekhinah comes from the side of
Gevurah.

Moses therefore prayed, “Let me cross over, please.” I wish to cross into the Land, and
thereby “let me see the land”—to illuminate lower Wisdom from Supernal Wisdom, from which
Moses came. He is “a father in wisdom” and is therefore called אבי גדור (*Avi-Gedor*;
Leviticus Rabbah 1:3). “The land” is the Shekhinah, lower wisdom.

Reverse the letters of אעבר״ה and you find the combination ארבע״ה (“four”). This
alludes to the four hundred worlds of longing, through which the good land is to be
illuminated: the Land of Israel, four hundred parasangs in extent, from the four yods in
the Name ע״ב, which is in Wisdom. This can occur specifically when Moses is in the Land,
because he derives sustenance from there. He was therefore Israel’s father in Wisdom.
ארא״ה (“let me see”) has the numerical value גד״ר (“fence”): Moses was
אבי-גדו״ר, for he commanded Israel and fenced a fence for them around the prohibitions
punishable by lashes, which number גד״ר.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered: it is not fitting for you to enter the Land of
Israel and join Supernal Wisdom with lower wisdom. Israel has already damaged the two
wisdoms on your own rung. When they made the calf and said, “Rise, make us a god”
(Exodus 32:1), they dislodged the face of the ox from the chariot (Exodus Rabbah 42:5).
The prince who governs the face of the ox is named אמצי״ה (Amatziah), and its powers
number the two wisdoms, in the mystery of “Wisdoms cries aloud outside” (Proverbs 1:20).

This is the mystery of קו״ם עשה לנו אלהים (“Rise, make us a god”; Exodus 32:1).
We have written that the word אלהים is the mystery of the face of the ox when its מ
has the large value. Through the word קו״ם they dislodged its appointee, Amatziah; the
source says that the numerical value of one is the numerical value of the other. In this
way they damaged the two wisdoms, which likewise total קו״ם. [TN-144-03]

This is what the Holy One, blessed be He, promised Abraham. The Sages, of blessed memory,
said in Avodah Zarah 14b that Abraham’s tractate on idolatry contained four hundred
chapters. The meaning is that Abraham’s attribute is “father in Wisdom,” where the Name
ע״ב is found. This is חס״ד, from which issue the four hundred worlds of longing, in
the mystery of the four hundred shekels of silver, cited in the source as “Genesis 24.”
[TN-144-04] The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore promised him that he would join the two
wisdoms, ידו״ד (YHWH).

This is the meaning of “Rise [קו״ם], walk through the Land, its length and its breadth”
(Genesis 13:17), for it is four hundred by four hundred; you will merit this through the
word קו״ם. For this reason the second exile lasted four hundred years. Four hundred
years contain 146,000 days, and the world in its entirety is called “world,” whose course
is 146,000 myriads of cubits, “to repair the world through the kingship of Shaddai.” It
follows that “His glory fills the world,” where twice חכמ״ה, whose numerical value is
קו״ם, is intimated.

Accordingly, in the mystery of the mishnah (Bikkurim 3:2), the appointee said, “Rise and
let us ascend to Zion”—“Zion,” precisely, which the source says comprises two times
חכמה. [TN-144-05] He said קומ״ו (“Rise”) and used no other expression—קומו,
precisely, “and let us ascend to Zion”—because there the two wisdoms were joined, as Moses
said, “and Lebanon,” for there is the gate of heaven to Supernal Wisdom.

Since Israel sinned with the calf through the mixed multitude that Moses had taken with
him, the Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you [רב לך].” Since
the ערב רב (“mixed multitude”) is yours, and you caused them to say, “Rise [קום],
make us a god,” thereby damaging the two wisdoms (see Exodus Rabbah 42:6), it is not fitting
that you should effect the repair. “Do not speak to Me again.” Nevertheless, “It is enough
for you” means: Wisdom, which is “great [רב],” I entrust to you. “Ascend to the top
[ראש] of the summit”—“top,” precisely, for all the kabbalists call Wisdom “the head.”

Since Moses gave the Torah of truth and derived sustenance from Supernal Wisdom, it was
said, “The beginning [ראש] of Your word is truth” (Psalms 119:160)—“beginning,”
precisely. The Holy One, blessed be He, gave him permission to see and attain the mystery
of the four yods in Wisdom. Concerning them Moses had said, “Your hand [ידך] that is
strong,” alluding to the four yods. Thus the Zohar expounds “You open Your hands [ידיך]”
(Psalms 145:16; Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction, 7b), reading ידך as יודך, “your
yods,” an allusion to four yods.

He therefore said, “See with your eyes westward and northward,” for these are the mystery
of the four sides through which the four hundred worlds of longing extend: one hundred
worlds on each side. “Command Joshua and strengthen him” with Supernal Wisdom, “and
fortify him” with lower wisdom. The word אמצהו also alludes to repairing the face of
the ox, in which Israel sinned, for the prince of the face of the ox is called Amatziah.

He therefore said, “Command [צו],” for צו means none other than idolatry (Sanhedrin
56b). Moses was commanded to urge Joshua to warn Israel, as it is written in *Va-Yelekh*,
“You are about to lie with your fathers, and this people will rise [וקם] and stray”
(Deuteronomy 31:16). This is one of five verses whose division is indeterminate. Their
mnemonic is printed as ואשמ״ם in “as your heads [בראשיכם],” written defectively,
without י (Deuteronomy 1:13): ו׳קם (“will rise”; Deuteronomy 31:16), א׳רור
(“cursed”; Genesis 49:7), מ׳שוקדים (“almond-shaped”; Exodus 25:34), ש׳את
(“if you do well / uplift”; Genesis 4:7), and מ׳חר (“tomorrow”; Exodus 17:9).
[TN-144-06] These have no determinate division, as stated in Yoma 52a. A supernal mystery
is present here.

The word וקם, however, intimates what we have said: they damaged the matter of idolatry
in the supernal face of the ox, the mystery of וק״ם. The Holy One, blessed be He,
therefore warned Joshua to abolish idolatry. He did not abolish it; this occurred only
later, in the days of Ezra. Scripture consequently took Joshua to task—“The children of
Israel had not done so since the days of Jeshua” (Nehemiah 8:17)—and omitted a letter
from his name (Arakhin 32b), as stated above in Ofan 4.

Ofan 145

Moses saw the damage to Jacob’s thigh, which remained damaged until Samuel the prophet.
Galante discussed this at length concerning “They hunt our steps” (Lamentations 4:18) and
there treated wondrously the repair of this thigh by Samuel together with Saul. See there,
for his words have already become widely known.

Moses’s prayer “at that time” concerned what would occur in the days of Samuel. Samuel
said, “The word of the LORD was precious [יקר] in those days” (1 Samuel 3:1). This is
the mystery of prophecy, which comes from the two thighs of truth. It is also the mystery
of the saying, “From the day the Temple was destroyed, prophecy was given to young
children” (Bava Batra 12b). The child in the Zohar on *Terumah*, p. 300 (Zohar II,
169b), said, “A verse is written: ‘All your children shall be taught of the LORD’”
(Isaiah 54:13). That is, prophecy comes from Netzah and Hod, which are called “those
taught of the LORD,” and the young, “all your children,” merit it.

Concerning this Jeremiah said by the Holy Spirit, “I do not know how to speak”
(Jeremiah 1:6), for people would say, “I am a youth.” From the day the Temple was
destroyed, prophecy was given to youths. It follows that the word יקר intimates that
prophecy comes from Netzah and Hod.

Moses therefore began, א׳תה ה׳חלות ל׳הראות (“You have begun to show”), whose
initial letters spell אה״ל (*ohel*, “tent”). That is, when the Tent of Meeting was
erected, in the word ויקרא with its small א (Leviticus 1:1), the letters that remained
were ויקר אל משה, “and preciousness to Moses.” Moses attained that יקר of which
it is said, “Adam does not lodge in honor [יקר]” (Psalms 49:13). Adam did not lodge in
that יקר through which one gazed prophetically, whereas Moses rose in that supernal
יקר. He attained a level of prophecy no other prophet attained: gazing through the
luminous speculum (Yevamot 49b).

Concerning this he said: since You have begun to show me “Your greatness,” the luminous
speculum, and “Your strong hand,” the non-luminous speculum; “who is a God in heaven and
on earth who can do according to Your deeds?” corresponds to Netzah, a branch of the
Ḥesed of אל, as it is written, “Pleasures are in Your right hand forever [נצח]”
(Psalms 16:11). “And according to Your mighty acts” refers to the attribute of Hod, a
branch of Gevurah, in the mystery of “my splendor [והודי] was turned in me to
destruction” (Daniel 10:8).

“Let me cross over, please”: I wish now to remove the power of Esau’s prince, who
prevailed over Jacob, leaving him limping upon his thigh and damaging the true prophets.
I wish to repair this now; therefore, “let me see the land.” נ״א is a notarikon of
נ׳ביאי א׳מת, “prophets of truth,” and of נ׳צח א׳דום, “Edom prevailed.” That
is, what Edom’s prince did when he prevailed over Jacob, leaving him limping upon his thigh
(Genesis 32:32), and thereby damaged the true prophets, I wish to repair. נ״א is also
a notarikon of נ׳צח א׳מת, “the victory/endurance of truth.”

The Zohar states that Aaron is in Netzah (Zohar III, 3b). The source likewise calls
נ״א a notarikon of א׳הרן נ׳צח, “Aaron, Netzah,” although the printed initials are
in the reverse order. [TN-145-01] “At that time,” when Aaron died, Moses wished to repair
Netzah together with his own attribute, truth, as Samuel said, “Moreover, the Netzah of
Israel will not lie” (1 Samuel 15:29). Since Moses and his Torah are truth, and he first
said להראו״ת (“to show”), whose numerical value is א״ר אמ״ת, he wished to
effect the repair now.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you” in the attribute of Hod, as
it is written, “You shall place some of your splendor [מהודך] upon him” (Numbers
27:20). Moses possessed rays of splendor (Exodus 34:29). You now wish to repair the
attribute of Netzah—“Do not speak again.” The words “It is enough for you” also allude
to Aaron, who is greater than Moses and whose attribute was Netzah. He said: “It is enough
for you”; do you wish to inherit the attribute of your elder brother and have it given to
you? Do not continue. Let the attribute of Hod that I gave you suffice. “Command Joshua
and strengthen him” with the attribute of Hod, “and fortify him” with the attribute of
Netzah, for ואמצהו has the numerical value נצח.

Ofan 146

It is known (Sanhedrin 56b) that Adam the first man caused damage through three
transgressions: he committed idolatry, forbidden sexual relations, and bloodshed. He
thereby damaged the three worlds Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, in which are *neshamah*,
*ruaḥ*, and *nefesh*, and damaged the Adam of Beriah, the Adam of Yetzirah, and the Adam
of Asiyah. This occurred through his wife Eve—“women’s understanding is light”
(Shabbat 33b). The Ari, of blessed memory, wrote in *Kanfei Yonah* that Adam damaged
three Names מ״ה, totaling קל״ה, 135. The damage was afterward repaired through the
three patriarchs: Abraham repaired idolatry, Isaac bloodshed, and Jacob forbidden sexual
relations.

At the beginning of Moses’s mission, the Holy One, blessed be He, sent him to be the
repair of Adam the first man, saying, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). The difficulty is that only three
are called patriarchs (Berakhot 16b), and the Holy One, blessed be He, did not unite His
Name with any creature other than the three patriarchs.

I have a further question. Amram, Moses’s father, was alive at that time, and the Holy One,
blessed be He, does not unite His Name with the living (Tanḥuma, *Toledot*, §7): “Behold,
He puts no trust in His holy ones” (Job 15:15). How, then, did He say here, “I am the God
of your father”? “Your father” refers instead to Adam the first man, who had already died.
This belongs to the mystery of reincarnation: Moses had initially been his son, and had
been reincarnated in two sons of Adam the first man, Seth and Abel. The Holy One, blessed
be He, had to inform Moses that “the son must repair the father.” He therefore mentioned
to him the three patriarchs, each of whom had begun the repair: Abraham repaired *nefesh*,
Isaac *ruaḥ*, and Jacob *neshamah*.

When Moses asked, “What [מה] is His Name? What [מה] shall I say to them?”
(Exodus 3:13), he said מה twice. The first is the question, and the second is the answer.
When he said, “What is His Name?” I must answer them, “What shall I say to them?” We must
repair the Name מ״ה that Adam the first man damaged.

When Moses received the tablets, it was said concerning him, “You took gifts through Adam”
(Psalms 68:19; Exodus Rabbah 28:1). At that time he repaired the partzuf of Adam. Likewise,
at the Tent of Meeting it was said, “When Adam offers [a sacrifice]” (Leviticus 1:2); at
that time Adam was repaired.

Moses therefore began to pray: since “You have begun to show” the repair of Adam at the
time the tablets were received—in the word החלו״ת, when “You took gifts through
Adam.” Likewise, the initial letters of א׳תה ה׳חלות ל׳הראות (“You have begun to
show”) spell אה״ל, for when the Tent of Meeting was erected, it was said there, “When
Adam offers.” In these two places You began to show me how to repair the repair of Abraham,
*nefesh*—“Your greatness”; Isaac, *ruaḥ*—“Your strong hand”; and Jacob,
*neshamah*—“who is a God,” and so forth.

Moses said אשר יעשה (“who can do”) a second time, and the repair is intimated in the
word אש״ר, for אש״ר has the numerical value פרצ״וף אד״ם (*partzuf Adam*).
Since You began to repair the partzuf of Adam, “according to Your deeds” refers to the time
of the tablets—“they are the work of God” (Exodus 32:16). “According to Your mighty acts”
refers to the erection of the Tabernacle, when Moses’s might was seen. “Many daughters have
done valiantly” (Proverbs 31:29): six hundred thousand could not erect the Tabernacle, but
“they brought the Tabernacle to Moses” (Exodus 39:33), “and you surpassed them all”
(Exodus Rabbah 52:4). This is therefore intimated in the word “Your mighty acts.”

I consequently ask, “Let me cross over, please.” I wish to enter the Land and repair the
Name מ״ה, which is in the world of Yetzirah. As he said at first, “Your servants
[עבדיך],” precisely: this refers to the faithful servant Metatron in the world of
Yetzirah. [TN-146-01] Metatron, with the *kolel*, has the numerical value יציר״ה.
There is the Name מ״ה, which derives sustenance from the ו of the four-letter Name.
When the ו of the Name is joined to מ״ה, the result is נ״א, fifty-one.

This is the meaning of “Let me cross over”: I wish to cross into the Land of Israel and
repair the damage of Adam the first man, who damaged the ו of the Name, in the world of
Yetzirah—the place of “Your servant,” Metatron—where the filling of the Name מ״ה is
found. This yields נ״א. I must therefore see the land, concerning which it is said,
“You shall see the land, what [מ״ה] it is” (Numbers 13:18)—מ״ה, precisely. There
Moses would be able to repair the damage of Adam the first man, who damaged the Name מ״ה.

Likewise Jacob, when the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him upon the ladder the beauty of
Adam the first man (Bava Metzia 84a), said, “How [מה] awesome is this place”
(Genesis 28:17). The Name מ״ה, which was Adam the first man’s sin, must be repaired in
“this place,” the Land of Israel. This is the meaning of “and let me see the land.” Since
Jacob said, “This is none other than [אין זה]”—this repair can occur only at “the House
of God,” concerning which it is said, “How [מ״ה] beloved are Your dwelling places”
(Psalms 84:2)—Moses therefore said, “and Lebanon,” the site of the Temple, in order to
repair the Name מ״ה.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you [רב ל״ך].” Your name,
Moses, already intimates that you repaired the three repairs of the three patriarchs. Each
of the three patriarchs repaired the Name מ״ה: Abraham in relation to idolatry, Isaac in
relation to bloodshed, and Jacob in relation to forbidden sexual relations. This is
signified by the ש of משה, the great ש of the Song of Songs. The Zohar on *Terumah*
(Zohar II, 119b) writes that the three branches of ש are the three patriarchs.

The remaining letters of משה are מ״ה, indicating that He placed in Moses’s heart
everything that the three patriarchs had repaired in the Name מ״ה damaged by Adam the
first man. Moses would repair it all, and his name bears witness to this. This is the
meaning of “מ״ה—how abundant is Your goodness” (Psalms 31:20): the abundant goodness
stored for those who fear Him is Moses, who repaired the Name מ״ה.

This is also the meaning of Moses’s veil, מסו״ה (Exodus 34:33), and “What [מה] is
his son’s name?” (Proverbs 30:4)—this is Moses (Zohar II, 197a). The letters ס״ו
of מסו״ה are the mystery of “all the souls belonging to Jacob who came [to Egypt] were
sixty-six” (Genesis 46:26). Moses comprises all the souls and is therefore called משה,
in the mystery of “What is his son’s name?” Therefore, “Do not speak again.”

Ofan 147

In tractate Shabbat 155b, concerning the verse “The righteous knows the cause of the poor”
(Proverbs 29:7), it is said: “There is none richer than the pig, and none poorer than the
dog.” The meaning is that these two are powers of Esau, who derives sustenance from the
dog, as stated above in Ofan 140, and is also compared to a pig, as it is written, “The
boar from the forest ravages it” (Psalms 80:14).

It is written in *Kanfei Yonah*, part 4, that the mystery of the pig, which parts the hoof
(Leviticus 11:7), is named for a great matter. This is the mystery of Esau being called
“You are exceedingly despised” (Obadiah 1:2), on account of the channel in the pig’s
esophagus. In the kelippah, this is the upper channel corresponding to the upper channel
in holiness, concerning which our prince Michael says, “There is none like God [אין
כאל]” (Deuteronomy 33:26).

In my opinion, this is the mystery of “Esau despised the birthright” (Genesis 25:34),
which the Targum renders with the form ושט, the same letters as “esophagus.” Esau’s
great disgrace is that he is compared to a pig; there, in the esophagus, his upper channel
is the mystery of this great disgrace. We therefore say in Taʿanit, with no folio stated,
that when pigs die, an alarm is sounded on account of plague, because their intestines
resemble human intestines. In truth, he is “an evil, worthless man,” the power of Esau.

Concerning the prince of Esau it was said in Daniel, regarding the fourth beast, “eyes
like human eyes” (Daniel 7:8). Rabbi Yohanan said: this is the wicked empire, which casts
an evil eye upon a person’s property (Genesis Rabbah 76:6), for it is evil-eyed. For this
reason the prince of Esau, who is the Angel of Death, is full of eyes (Avodah Zarah 20b).
Therefore, one who wishes to kill a pig must [uncertain: לכהיין לעיניו] (“strike/dim its
eyes”), for the pig’s life depends upon its eyes. [TN-147-01]

This is the harshest kelippah. Indeed, חזי״ר (*hazir*, “pig”) has the numerical value
קלי״פה (*kelippah*). The ע of “the boar from the forest [חזיר מיע״ר]” is
suspended; likewise, the ע in “The light of the wicked shall be withheld” (Job 38:15)
is suspended. Scripture then explains to whom the suspended ע alludes: to Esau, whose
name begins with ע and upon whom seventy kelippot depend. Thus the midrash (Genesis Rabbah
63:8) says he is called עשו: ע׳ שוא, “seventy/ayin of falsehood”—“Behold, I
created falsehood in My world.” This is the “garments of skin [עור]” with ע after Adam
the first man sinned; originally they were “garments of light [אור]” with א (Zohar I,
36b). The ע of the wicked prevents their אור, light, which is written with א.

The initial letters of ז׳רוע ר׳מה ת׳שבר, “The uplifted arm shall be broken”
(Job 38:15), spell זר״ת (*zeret*, “little finger”). This is Esau, the smallest of
the hand’s fingers. It belongs to the mystery of the hand, for the chariot is compared to
a hand. Israel is the thumb [גודל], which is set apart from the four fingers; similarly,
Israel is separate from the four fingers that are the four kingdoms. The little finger is
the smallest, corresponding to Esau.

This is the mystery of “The LORD your God will set you high [עליון]” (Deuteronomy
28:1). The midrash expounds עליון as the Greek term for the thumb: Israel is the thumb.
When they sin, the hand turns over and Esau, the small finger, rises to the top. Then the
verse is fulfilled, “Surely against me He repeatedly turns His hand all day”
(Lamentations 3:3), and the little finger rises to the top.

The Sages, of blessed memory, therefore expounded concerning the “span” [זרת] that
encircles Mount Seir: [uncertain: זרת שהיתה זרת אדם ארכו] (“a span whose length was a
human span”)—זרת, precisely, for Esau is the little finger (Numbers Rabbah 19:24).
[TN-147-02] In the future, sacrifices will be accepted from all of them except Esau
(Exodus Rabbah 35:5), who is זר״ת, precisely: ז׳בח ר׳שעים ת׳ועבה, “The
sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination” (Proverbs 21:27).

When a soul is not meritorious, it comes among the four forces of impurity: the camel, the
hyrax, the hare, and the pig. The last rung is the pig, Esau’s power. “Give me neither
poverty nor wealth; feed me my allotted bread” (Proverbs 30:8) alludes to these two rungs
of Esau, dog and pig. Concerning them David prayed, “Deliver my soul from the sword, my
only one from the hand of the dog” (Psalms 22:21). Thus he said, “Give me neither poverty
nor wealth.” He prayed concerning both that his soul be delivered from the hand of the dog:
when his soul departed this world, may it be delivered from the sword, so that his death
would not be through the dog, which is poor—“there is none poorer than the dog.” This is
what “poverty” refers to.

Afterward, when his soul had departed, may it not come to be reincarnated among the four
impure animals whose last is the pig. To this he referred by “wealth,” for “there is none
richer than the pig.” He prayed concerning the departure of his soul from this world and
its subsequent ascent. Concerning both he said, “Give me neither poverty nor wealth,” so
that he would not come to these two rungs, the rungs of Esau. By what could he guard
himself against coming to this? He therefore said, “Feed me my allotted bread.”

Moses wished to remove the power of Esau. He therefore began to pray: since “You have
begun to show me Your greatness,” the mystery of the supernal chariot in holiness on the
right side, “and Your strong hand”—the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the chariot
in the form of a hand. Since Israel is the mystery of the thumb [גודל], concerning them
he said, “Your greatness [גדלך],” for they are “a portion of God above”—“Your
גדלך,” precisely. “Forgive, please, the iniquity of this people according to the
greatness [כגודל] of Your ḥesed” (Numbers 14:19): read כגודל as “like a thumb.”

Since the great upper channel in holiness is intimated in the name מיכא״ל (Michael),
which is the mystery of the כ joining the letters מ״י to the letters א״ל, Moses
said, “Who [מ״י] is a God [א״ל] in heaven and on earth?” He thereby alluded to
Michael, the great prince in holiness. “Who can do according to Your deeds” corresponds
to Michael, the great prince on the right, concerning whom he said, “Your greatness.”
“Your strong hand” refers to Samael, Esau’s prince, who stands on the left side of the
chariot and is called “small,” as it is written, “Behold, I have made you small among the
nations” (Obadiah 1:2). The source also states that יד החזקה (“the strong hand”) has
the numerical value קט״ן (“small”). [TN-147-03]

These two sides are the mystery of “two nations [גיים] are in your womb” (Genesis
25:23). At that time Samael came and wished to kill Jacob, as it is written, “In the womb
he took his brother by the heel” (Hosea 12:4), until Michael came and saved Jacob. This is
the mystery of the statement in the midrash on *Re’eh* (Deuteronomy Rabbah 4:2): a sword
and a book descended from heaven intertwined. Michael is the book; Samael is the sword.

Samael, Esau’s prince, has two rungs, whose mnemonic is כ״ח ר״ע, “evil power.” That
is, כ׳לב ח׳זיר ר׳ש ע׳ושר—dog, pig, poverty, wealth. The first two, whose
mnemonic is כ״ח, are dog and pig. Moses prayed concerning both through the word
עבר״ה in “Let me cross over, please,” for עבר״ה has the numerical value כל״ב
חזי״ר (“dog, pig”).

This is the mystery of עברה in our morning prayer: “Do not bring me into the power of
sin.” Samael himself is חטא (“sin”), while his mate is חטאה (“female sin”), as it
is written, “and sin [חטאה] as with a cart rope” (Isaiah 5:18). Concerning them Moses
said, “Please, this people has committed a great sin” (Exodus 32:31): corresponding to
the male he said חטא, and corresponding to the female, חטאה. At the time of the calf,
male and female were awakened at once, in the mystery of “These are your gods, O Israel”
(Exodus 32:4)—“these,” precisely, as stated in the Zohar on *Pequdei* (Zohar II,
192b).

Thus, when we pray, “Do not bring us into the power of sin,” the intent concerns the great
accuser, Samael. “Nor into the power of transgression [עביר״ה]” refers to his two
rungs, for the source states that עביר״ה has the numerical value כל״ב חזי״ר,
his two powers. [TN-147-04] From these two powers comes the soul of Esau, who is called
Edom: “Esau, the father of Edom” (Genesis 36:43).

This is intimated in נ״א, a notarikon of נ׳פש א׳דום, “the soul of Edom.” Through
the words “Let me cross over, please,” Moses intended: I wish to remove the soul of Edom
that proceeds from עבר״ה. This is why “that day” is called “a day of wrath [עברה]”
(Zephaniah 1:15), and the day of death is called עברה, as it is written, “Wealth is
of no avail on the day of wrath” (Proverbs 11:4; see Bava Batra 10a). The word עברה
intimates his two powers, dog and pig, whose numerical value is עברה.

Likewise, the letters of אעבר״ה can be reversed to form ב״א הר״ע, “the evil one
comes.” This is the כ״ח הר״ע, “evil power,” mentioned above—the evil, worthless
man whose powers are poverty and wealth, dog and pig. I can accomplish this when I see the
Land, and from there I shall remove the dominion of malice from “the Land,” precisely.

For “the earth is the LORD’s, and all it contains” (Psalms 24:1). That is, even the
“filling” of the Land of Israel—its empty space and air—also belongs to HaShem. The
lot of the Holy One, blessed be He, fell there: He cast lots with the seventy princes
above, and the lot of the Holy One, blessed be He, fell upon the Land of Israel (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 24).
It is therefore called “the good land,” precisely, for no evil power can enter there. He
therefore said, “this good mountain”; the reason it is good is “Lebanon,” the site of the
upper Temple, the gate of heaven.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” On your account Israel is
called “great [רב],” although Israel is the younger; and Israel’s prince, Michael, is
great over all the princes. As for your wish to remove evil from the world, this is not for
the present. It will occur only in the future, when there will be “the city of the great
King”; then “God is known in her citadels as a stronghold [משג״ב],” cited in the
source as Psalms 46:4. [TN-147-05] משג״ב, with its letters reversed, is בשג״ם
(Genesis 6:3), which is Moses (Ḥullin 139b). Then “How abundant is Your goodness, which
You have stored for those who fear You” (Psalms 31:20) will be fulfilled. This is Moses,
who is prepared and destined in the future to remove evil from the world. The initial
letters of ויתא ר׳אשי ע׳ם, “He came at the head of the people” (Deuteronomy
33:21), spell ר״ע (“evil”). But for the present, “Do not speak again.”

Ofan 148

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel and attain the mystery of “the LORD your God is
a jealous God [אל קנ״א]” (Exodus 20:5). The supernal mystery is that the Holy One,
blessed be He, governs His world through the attribute of harsh judgment, which is Elohim,
and through the attribute of mild judgment, which is the Name Adonai. Together they are
the mystery of אל קנ״א. Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel in order to
sweeten the judgments, harsh and mild.

The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses this mystery when Moses asked, “Please, make
Your ways known to me” (Exodus 33:13). The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “You
shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen” (Exodus 33:23). There are five
“backs,” the mystery explained in *Kanfei Yonah*, part 1, concerning “When you besiege
a city for many days” (Deuteronomy 20:19).

The matter is as follows. The square of the Name YHWH—י׳, י״ה, יה״ו,
יהו״ד (the source’s reverential surrogate spelling of יהו״ה)—is said to total ע״ב,
seventy-two. [TN-148-01] The square of
the Name ע״ב totals קפ״ד, 184; the square of ס״ג totals קס״ו, 166; the
square of מ״ה totals ק״ל, 130; and the square of ב״ן totals קד״ם, 144.
The four squares of the YHWH-fillings ע״ב, ס״ג, מ״ה, and ב״ן total תרכ״ד,
624. When the seventy-two of the square of simple YHWH is added to 624, the result is
תרצ״ו, 696, which the source identifies with the two courts of judgment, harsh and mild:
קש״ה ורפ״ה. [TN-148-02]

Balaam derived sustenance from them, as it is written, “God encountered [ויקר] Balaam”
(Numbers 23:4). He derived sustenance from ק״ר, a notarikon of ק׳שה ר׳פה,
“harsh, mild.” Balaam’s powers likewise number תרצ״ו, for the full spelling of בלעם
as בי״ת למ״ד עי״ן מ״ם has the numerical value 696. From there he drew צרו״ת
(“troubles”) upon Israel. Concerning them Moses said in Psalm 31, when praying regarding
Balaam, “You knew my soul’s troubles [בצרות]” (Psalms 31:8); “You did not deliver me
into the hand of the enemy” (Psalms 31:9), namely Balaam.

He is therefore called ב״ן בעו״ר, whose letters reversed form רבו״ע ב״ן,
“the square of ב״ן.” He was a branch deriving sustenance from the squares of YHWH, the
mystery of the backs.

Since there are five squares of YHWH, as stated above, Moses began to arrange his prayer
and repair the backs, for all judgments come from the side of the backs. Thus Elijah said,
“You have turned their heart backward” (1 Kings 18:37). Likewise Scripture says, “They
have spurned the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 1:4): when they spurn the Holy One, blessed
be He, “they are estranged backward,” for they derive sustenance from the side of the
backs.

Moses therefore said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time”—ה׳, five, precisely,
referring to the five backs from which Balaam בן בעור derived sustenance. The source
states that ב״ן בעו״ר has the numerical value בע״ת. [TN-148-03] He consequently
began with “Adonai YHWH”: these are the two courts of judgment. Adonai is the attribute of
mild judgment; YHWH pointed with the vowels of Elohim corresponds to the attribute of
harsh judgment, Binah, from which judgments awaken in the mystery of “Worker of mighty
acts,” for the harsh gevurot awaken from Binah.

He prayed: since “You have begun to show” in the mystery of “You shall see My back”—the
mystery of the five backs whose nourishment is the harsh and mild attribute of judgment,
from which Beor derives sustenance—I therefore wish to cross into the Land of Israel and
remove the backs. This is intimated in the word אעבר״ה with its additional ה: I shall
cross the five backs. אעבר״ה has the numerical value רבו״ע (“square”), from which
בעו״ר derives sustenance—Balaam son of Beor, who derived sustenance from 696 powers.

He therefore said, אעבר״ה נ״א וארא״ה א״ת האר״ץ (“Let me cross over, please,
and let me see the land”), whose numerical value is 696, in order to fulfill the verse “I
shall walk before the LORD in the lands of the living” (Psalms 116:9)—ה׳, five,
precisely.

At first “You have begun to show Your servant”—this is the attribute of Your goodness,
as it is written, “I shall cause all My goodness to pass before you” (Exodus 33:19). I
attained it only from the side of the backs, as it is written, “You shall see My back”
(ibid.). This is the meaning of “Your strong hand,” which alludes to the backs. “But My
face shall not be seen”; this is the meaning of “who is a God [אל].” The mystery of
אל is the face, for אל written in full, אל״ף למ״ד, has the numerical value
הפני״ם (“the face”). This I did not attain in the wilderness.

Now, when I enter the Land of Israel, “I shall walk before the LORD” (see Deuteronomy
Rabbah 11:5), and my attainment will also attain the face of HaShem. This is intimated
in “the lands of the living [בארצות החיים].” The א of בארצות is the mystery of
the face, as the *Sefer ha-Peliah* discusses at length: the mystery of א is the mystery
of the face. The א in ארצות, which is the mystery of the face, will therefore sweeten
the backs, which total 696. The word ארצו״ת thus intimates the sweetening of the face
over the back, and goodness will thereby spread through the world. This is the meaning of
“this good mountain.” From what will the good come? From the mystery of the five
shining countenances above, which is the mystery of א.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” I have already revealed
to you the mystery of א, which is Keter. For א״ת אחר״י, written defectively without
ו, has the numerical value כת״ר. When the Torah was given, Moses received the crown
of Torah—the 620 letters in the Ten Commandments. It follows that you have already
attained everything a human being can attain. Therefore, “Do not speak again.” “Ascend
to the top of the summit”: here you ascend to “his head, finest gold” (Song of Songs
5:11), which is called “the top of the summit.” “Command Joshua and strengthen him” by
revealing to him the mystery of the backs, “and fortify him” by revealing to him what you
received from the shining face.

Ofan 149

It is known that the Holy One, blessed be He, governs His world through the four worlds
Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. In them are the four Names ע״ב, ס״ג, מ״ה,
and ב״ן. These are the mystery of “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3), and likewise of
“Blessed is the glory of the LORD from His place” (Ezekiel 3:12).

When Adam sinned, Joseph, who is the repair of Adam’s *nefesh*, afterward had to descend
to Egypt. Israel was in Egypt for 232 years from the day Joseph descended until they
departed Egypt. Targum Jonathan likewise writes that the Egyptian exile began on the day
Joseph descended to Egypt: the additional twenty-two years during which Joseph was
separated from his father, together with the 210 years in Egypt, total 232.

The Ari, of blessed memory, wrote concerning “The glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle”
(Exodus 40:35): when the letters of משכן are written in full—מ״ם שי״ן כ״ף
נו״ן—the fillings constitute the mystery of 232 together with the four letters of YHWH,
the root of these four Names.

Moses therefore now came to pray and enter the Land of Israel in order to attain the
mystery of these four fillings of YHWH. For in the Land of Israel “the glory of the LORD
fills” it, and the Name YHWH is specifically in the Land of Israel, as it is
written, “Your Name is called upon Your city and upon Your people” (Daniel 9:19).

This is why he said, “I pleaded with YHWH”—YHWH, precisely—to attain the Name Adonai
“at that time.” It was the New Moon of Adar. The book *Sodei Razayya* states that the
angel appointed over the New Moon of Adar is named Avarkhiel, and with him are twenty-six
ministering angels, corresponding to the numerical value of the Great Name.

Concerning this he said, א׳תה ה׳חלות ל׳הראות (“You have begun to show”), whose
initial letters spell אה״ל (*ohel*, “tent”), referring to the erection of the Tent of
Meeting. Thus the Ari, of blessed memory, wrote concerning “the glory of the LORD filled
the Tabernacle” that at that time Moses began to attain the fillings of the letters of
משכן, which are the mystery of 232.

He therefore began with Adonai, followed by YHWH pointed with the vowels of Elohim. The
Ari, of blessed memory, wrote that YHWH pointed with the vowels of Elohim is the mystery
of “I shall raise the cup of salvations [כוס ישועות]” (Psalms 116:13). In my
opinion, this Name, YHWH pointed with the vowels of Elohim, called כו״ס (“cup”), had
to be mentioned here: כו״ס written in full as כ״ף ו״ו סמ״ך has the numerical
value of ע״ב + ס״ג + מ״ה + ב״ן. It is “full of the blessing of the LORD,”
precisely (Berakhot 51a).

Since Moses’s entire purpose in this supplication was to attain these “stones of filling,”
which are called a full cup, he had to mention this Name. Concerning it he said, “Your
greatness,” precisely, which alludes to the fillings of HaShem (the Name)—“Your greatness” means
that the letters of HaShem (the Name) are enlarged. The two Names on the right are ע״ב and מ״ה;
“Your strong hand” refers to the two Names on the left, ס״ג and ב״ן. All created
beings were created through them, and he therefore mentioned heaven and earth. Because the
Holy One, blessed be He, governs His world through these four Names with Ḥesed, he said,
“according to Your deeds”; and because He governs it with judgment, he said, “according
to Your mighty acts.”

He therefore said, “Let me cross over, please.” The letters of אעברה can be reversed to
form ארבעה (“four”): he wished to cross into the Land of Israel in order to attain the
fillings of these four Names. For there “the Name of the LORD is called upon Your city.”
“This good mountain” is Jerusalem, called the throne of the LORD. The words ההר הטוב
also allude to attaining the fillings of these four Names, for they have the numerical
value of ע״ב + ס״ג + מ״ה + ב״ן. He would thus be able to attain the Name
YHWH. “Lebanon” is the Temple, which is called “the mountain of the LORD,” as it is
written, “Who shall ascend the mountain of the LORD?” (Psalms 24:3), and “The mountain
of the house of the LORD shall be established” (Isaiah 2:2).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” You have already attained
the mystery of these four fillings, the mystery of 232—ל״ך, “for you,” precisely.
For the Holy One, blessed be He, already gave Moses the veil, מסו״ה (Exodus 34:33).
When the letters of מסוה are enlarged and filled as מ״ם סמ״ך ו״ו ה״ה, the
source states that they have the numerical value ע״ב + ס״ג + מ״ה + ב״ן.
[TN-149-01] Moses had prayed concerning them by saying הה״ר הטו״ב, whose numerical
value is ע״ב + ס״ג + מ״ה + ב״ן. You already attained them in the mystery of the
מסו״ה that I gave you.

The mystery of 232 is also intimated in the letters of “It is enough for you [רב לך]”:
the letters רל״ב are present there, leaving an additional large כ. Moses merited the
mystery of Keter, represented by the straight כ, as Rabbi Moses Cordovero wrote in many
places in *Pardes Rimmonim*, and likewise in many places in his *Sefer Gerushin*.

This is the mystery of what the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham: “to the land
that I shall show you [אראך]” (Genesis 12:1). *Sefer ha-Temunah* writes that the large
final ך of אראך indicates the mystery of the sefirah Keter, which the Holy One, blessed
be He, promised Abraham upon his entry into the Land.

Concerning this the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “It is enough for you,” for the words
רב לך likewise intimated the mystery of Keter. Concerning it He said, “Ascend to the
top of the summit,” [the source then prints the damaged form `וקזכר`] and mentioned the
four directions and sealed the Name of four through them, so as to attain the four fillings
of HaShem (the Name), whose mystery is the four letters of HaShem (the Name). [TN-149-02]

From the י of the Name YHWH, in the world of Atzilut, the Name ע״ב extends. From the
ה of YHWH, in Beriah, the Name ס״ג extends. From the ו of YHWH, in Yetzirah,
the Name מ״ה extends. From the final ה of YHWH, in Asiyah, the Name ב״ן extends.
“But you shall not cross there.” “Command Joshua” and reveal to him the mysteries of the
fillings: “strengthen him” with the Name ע״ב; “fortify him” with the Name ס״ג;
“for he shall cross over” with מ״ה; “and he shall cause to inherit” with ב״ן.

Ofan 150

It is known that the Holy One, blessed be He, governs the worlds of Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah through eight holy Names: the four spellings-out of YHWH—`ע״ב`, `ס״ג`, `מ״ה`, and `ב״ן` (72, 63, 45, and 52), as stated—and the four spellings-out of Ehyeh, whose mysteries are `קס״א`, `קס״א`, `קמ״ג`, and `קנ״א` (161, 161, 143, and 151): 161 in Atzilut, 161 in Beriah, 143 in Yetzirah, and 151 in Asiyah [TN-150-01]. This is the mystery of “the departures of Shabbat” (Shabbat 2a), for Shabbat is the mystery of holiness and of the good gift that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Israel from His treasury (Shabbat 10b). They are “two that are four”: the two are the two Names YHWH and Ehyeh, and they are four insofar as each divides into four spellings-out in the four worlds [TN-150-02].

This is also the mystery of `בראשית` (Bereshit, “In the beginning”; Genesis 1:1), one permutation among the 720 permutations with which God has graced me in the word `בראשית`. One of them is `בשתי אור` (bi-shetei or, “with two lights”): the Holy One, blessed be He, created heaven and earth through these two Names, YHWH and Ehyeh [TN-150-03]. Concerning the four spellings-out of YHWH, He said, `יהי אור` (yehi or, “Let there be light”; Genesis 1:3), whose gematria equals `ע״ב ס״ג מ״ה ב״ן`. The phrase `ויהי אור` (va-yehi or, “and there was light”) refers to the Name Ehyeh. Concerning both Names He said, “God saw the light, `כי טוב` (ki tov, ‘that it was good’)” (Genesis 1:4), for `כי טוב` has the gematria of `אהי״ה הוי״ה` (Ehyeh, YHWH).

On this account Moses sought to enter the Land of Israel, so that he might attain the apprehension of these eight Names through which the Holy One, blessed be He, governs the world. The four YHWHs are the mystery of the Ḥasadim, while the four Ehyehs are the mystery of the Gevurot. In the Land of Israel he would apprehend and behold the seal of the Name Ehyeh, the mystery of “I shall be as dew (`אהיה כטל`) to Israel” (Hosea 14:6). Moses therefore opened, “I pleaded to YHWH,” with reference to the Name YHWH; `בעת ההיא` (ba-et ha-hi, “at that time”), when its letters are reversed, yields `אהי״ה` (Ehyeh). He consequently opened with Adonai and concluded with YHWH vocalized with the pointing of Elohim, the mystery of Binah. From Malkhut to Binah there are eight attributes, the mystery of these eight Names.

Since “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness,” the word `את` indicates the letters of the spellings-out of YHWH. “Your greatness” is exact, in keeping with “Great are the works of the LORD” (Psalms 111:2): these are the four spellings-out of YHWH from the side of the Ḥasadim. He then said “Your mighty hand” concerning the four spellings-out of Ehyeh from the side of the Gevurot. The Holy One, blessed be He, began to show this to Moses when the Tabernacle was erected, for the Tabernacle was built through the Names YHWH and Ehyeh. Thus it is written in *Kanfei Yonah*, concerning “They shall make Me a sanctuary” (Exodus 25:8), that this verse has twenty-one letters: Bezalel had to perform the work of the Tabernacle by “devising designs” with the Name Ehyeh. This is the mystery of what the Sages said: “Bezalel knew how to combine the letters through which (`שבהם`) heaven and earth were created” (Berakhot 55a). These are the two Names YHWH and Ehyeh, through which heaven and earth were created. `בהם` is exact, for its value equals YHWH plus Ehyeh, namely 47 [TN-150-04].

Concerning this it says, “The days of our years are `בהם`, seventy years” (Psalms 90:10). This is the mystery of “the middle bar” (Exodus 26:28), which was seventy cubits, in the mystery of Jacob, who comprises seven YHWHs, as in “Jacob departed from Beer-sheba” (Genesis 28:10). Each is comprised of ten, yielding seventy years. If one reckons through the Gevurot, the text alludes to the Name Ehyeh, which is in Binah, the eighth attribute; hence it is eighty years. Their years thus derive from the mystery of YHWH and Ehyeh, whose combined gematria is `בהם`, and whose source is above.

Solomon therefore employed seventy thousand stonecutters and eighty thousand burden-bearers for the building of the Temple (I Kings 5:29). There is another matter here as well. Solomon intimated that the First Temple would stand for 410 years; these correspond to the number of days contained in seventy thousand plus eighty thousand, namely 150,000 days in 410 years. When we also reckon Solomon’s officers, the days correspond to the number of days for which the Second Temple stood [TN-150-05]. The mnemonic for the First Temple is “and the sparrow a nest (`קן`) for herself” (Psalms 84:4). “The bird (`עו״ף`) of heaven shall carry the voice” (Ecclesiastes 10:20): that is, according to the numerical construction of `עוף`, the bird of heaven carried the voice upward for seventy thousand plus eighty thousand days [TN-150-06].

Your mnemonic is “a jealous God (`אל קנא`)” (Exodus 20:5). That is, “the Ḥesed of El is all the day” (Psalms 52:3), and it lasted according to the number `קנ״א` (151), a notarikon of `ק׳ נ׳ א׳לף` (one hundred, fifty, one). “Do not look at the flask (`קנקן`)” (Avot 4:20). As taught in the Tikkunim (Tikkunei Zohar 21, 58b) concerning “He cleanses, yet He does not cleanse (`ונקה לא ינקה`)” (Exodus 34:7), the Name YHWH is there, while the medial letters are `ק״ן ק״ן`. This pertained to the First Temple, where the Shekhinah nested (`מקננא`) there; but at the Second Temple five things were lacking, as taught in Yoma 21b [TN-150-07].

Let us return to our subject. Solomon took seventy thousand corresponding to the Name YHWH, the mystery of the seventy-cubit middle bar, as stated, and eighty thousand burden-bearers corresponding to the Name Ehyeh. Just as the construction of the Tabernacle required intention upon these two Names, so Solomon, in his reckoning, intended these Names through seventy and eighty, whose sum is `ק״ן` (150). Likewise, Solomon’s Sea held 150 ritual-bath measures (Eruvin 14a), for the mystery of the ritual bath (`מקוה`) is the mystery of the *Shiʿur Qomah* through which (`שבהם`) the Tabernacle was erected (`הוקם`).

Concerning this Moses said, “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness.” This is the mystery of the *Shiʿur Qomah* through which the Tabernacle was erected. The initials of `אתה החלות להראות` (“You have begun to show”) therefore form `אה״ל` (ohel, “tent”). Since “You have begun to show me Your greatness” corresponds to the Names YHWH, which are the Ḥasadim, and “Your mighty hand” corresponds to the four spellings-out of Ehyeh from the side of the Gevurot, he then mentioned “who is El in heaven and on earth who can act like Your works”—corresponding to the spellings-out of YHWH, which are “the great works of the LORD”—“and like Your mighty acts,” corresponding to the four Names Ehyeh, which are the Gevurot.

He therefore said `אעברה נא` (“Let me cross, please”), for `אעברה` reversed is `ארבעה` (“four”). Just as You began to show me this when the Tabernacle was completed, concerning which it is said, “and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle” (Exodus 40:35)—and Rabbi Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, wrote that the intention concerns the spelled-out letters of `משכ״ן` (Mishkan), the mystery of the four letters of YHWH and their fillings, which total `רל״ב` (232)—so, at that time, I merited seeing “Your power and Your glory”; likewise, when I enter the Land of Israel, I shall merit attaining the four Names Ehyeh in the four worlds [TN-150-08].

The Holy One, blessed be He, intended this mystery when He said to Moses, “Send men for yourself, and let them spy out (`ויתרו`) the land of Canaan” (Numbers 13:2). He did not say “let them search it out,” though that is the formulation in the portion of Devarim (Deuteronomy 1:22). Nor is `ויתורו` written with the additional ו; rather, the defective spelling alludes to this mystery. When they are in the Land of Israel, they will attain the governance of the Gevurot in the four worlds, which comes from the four Names Ehyeh, whose mystery is `תרי״ו` (616), the value of `יתר״ו`. “The land of Canaan” means that in the land of Canaan they will attain this apprehension [TN-150-09].

For the seal of the Holy One, blessed be He, is Ehyeh. The mystery is “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” (Exodus 3:14) [uncertain: שמות ג (יד] [TN-150-10]. That is, twenty-one times Ehyeh has the gematria of `אמת` (emet, “truth”), as taught in Shabbat 55a. Jerusalem is called “the city of truth”; therefore, in the Land of Israel I shall attain these four Names Ehyeh.

This is intimated in the word `נ״א`, a notarikon for `נתיב אהי״ה` (netiv Ehyeh, “the path of Ehyeh”), the mystery of “a path no bird of prey (`עיט`) knew” (Job 28:7). Abram is called `עיט` even though he merited the Land of Israel and was called Ethan the Ezrahite (Psalms 89:1). It is taught in *Sava* in the Zohar, portion Mishpatim, p. 196 (Zohar II 110b), that this path of Ehyeh—in the mystery of “I was (`ואהיה`) beside Him as a master craftsman” (Proverbs 8:30)—is called Eitan. Thus, although Abraham was called Eitan, he nevertheless did not attain that path. This is the mystery of “a path the `עיט` did not know,” for Abraham is called `עיט`, as Rashi explains on Isaiah 46:11, “calling a bird of prey from the east,” namely Abraham.

Moses intended to understand and attain that path of Ehyeh. This is the meaning of “and I shall see the land.” The word `ואראה` has the additional letters `ו״ה`; `ואראה את`, together with its two words, has the gematria `תרי״ו` (616), the mystery of the four spellings-out of Ehyeh [TN-150-11].

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.” You have already attained the mystery of Ehyeh as well. When Moses asked Him, “What is His Name?” and so forth (Exodus 3:13), the Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh sent me to you.” This is also the mystery of Rahab the harlot, who said to Joshua, “Give me a true token (`אות אמת`)” (Joshua 2:12), while they gave her only “a cord of scarlet thread” (Joshua 2:18). The Zohar on Vayeḥi (Zohar I 241b) writes that she wished to attain the light of Moses’ sun, which is called “a true token” and is the mystery of “the face of the sun” (Bava Batra 75a). They replied to her that Joshua is “the face of the moon,” the mystery of the Shekhinah, which is “a cord of scarlet thread,” in the mystery of “there is hope (`תקוה`) for your latter end” (Jeremiah 31:16).

For this mystery Moses is called “a true token,” because he merited the giving of the Torah, which is a Torah of truth. `אות אמת` has the numerical value of the four spellings-out of YHWH plus the four spellings-out of Ehyeh, for `רל״ב` (232) plus `תרי״ו` (616) equals `אות אמת` (848). Likewise, the *qere* and *ketiv* forms in the Torah number according to `קרי״ן וכתבי״ן`, the mystery of “to whom belong the seal and cord (`למי החתמת`)” (Genesis 38:25) [TN-150-12]. One must have these in mind in *Barukh She-Amar* during the morning prayer when saying “who has compassion (`מרחם`) upon the earth,” with the great מ of the `אי״ק` system: `מרח״ם` has the gematria 848 in the World of Yetzirah. So too in *Ahavah Rabbah*, which is in the World of Beriah: “our Father, compassionate Father, who has compassion (`המרחם`)”; and in Atzilut, in the blessing *Modim*: “who has compassion (`המרחם`), for Your Ḥasadim have not ceased” in the Eighteen Benedictions [TN-150-13].

Moses thus merited attaining the mystery of these eight spellings-out, whose mystery is `אות אמת`. Concerning this He said, “It is enough for you”—`לך` specifically, for a “true token” had already been given to you. “This shall be the sign for you that I have sent you” (Exodus 3:12): He informed him of the mystery of the Name Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, whose mystery is truth, and the Torah of truth was given through Moses. It contains *qere* and *ketiv* forms numbering according to `קרי״ן וכתיב״ן`, which equal `אות אמת`.

Concerning this He said, “Do not continue to speak to Me (`אלי`) any more”—`אלי` specifically. Here is intimated a great mystery concerning the two verses in Ruth where `אלי` occurs twice as *qere* but not as *ketiv* (Ruth 3:5; 3:17), as is discussed at length in *Kanfei Yonah*, part 4. With reference to the mystery explained there, the word `אלי` is written here; it also intimates the mystery of “My God, my God (`אלי אלי`), why have You forsaken me?” (Psalms 22:2) [TN-150-14].

Ofan 151

It is known what is written in *Kanfei Yonah*, part 1, concerning the mystery of Eldad and Medad (Numbers 11:26): the Name Elohim is divided into two parts. `אל` (El) is on the right, whence Ḥesed draws sustenance; `מי` (mi) is on the left, whence judgment draws sustenance. These are the mystery of “your two breasts” (Song of Songs 4:5). The ה of `אלהים`, which stands in the middle, is the mystery of “the understanding heart,” for the heart is in the middle [TN-151-01].

Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel, the land of life, in order to attain the Name “the living God” (`אלהים חיים`). Concerning this he said, “I pleaded to the LORD at that time” (`ואתחנן אל ה׳ בעת ההיא`): the two הs are exact, for from the ה the two sides, right and left, draw sustenance. He therefore said, “You have begun to show Your servant,” in the mystery of “Moses ascended to God” (Exodus 19:3), so as to attain the Name Elohim, which divides into two sides. “Your greatness” is the sustenance of Ḥesed from the right side, while “Your mighty hand” is the sustenance of judgment from the left.

He then explains again how the Name Elohim divides into these two sides: “who is El?”—`מי` from Elohim is on the left side, and `אל` is on the right. “In heaven and on earth” means that heaven and earth were created through the Name Elohim. “Who can act like Your works” corresponds to `אל`, and “like Your mighty acts” corresponds to `מי`, as in “Who (`מי`) can utter the mighty acts?” (Psalms 106:2).

He therefore said `אעברה` with an additional ה: I wish to enter the Land of Israel and understand the mystery of the ה in Elohim, which divides into these two. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you. You have already been called ‘the man of God,’ and you possess an attainment of this Name. Do not continue to speak; ascend to the top of Pisgah,” and so forth. It was then, before his death, that he was called “the man of God,” as it is written, “the man of God, before his death” (Deuteronomy 33:1).

Ofan 152

It is known that the Holy One, blessed be He, governs His world through three Names Elohim. That is, in the three worlds Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, each world has a distinctive spelling-out of Elohim. In Beriah the Name Elohim is spelled with yod—`אל״ף למ״ד ה״י יו״ד מ״ם`—and totals `ש׳` (300). In Yetzirah the Name Elohim is spelled with alef—`אל״ף למ״ד ה״א יו״ד מ״ם`. In Asiyah it is spelled with heh—`אל״ף למ״ד ה״ה יו״ד מ״ם`—and totals `רצ״ה` (295) [TN-152-01]. The mnemonic is “for God has already approved (`רצה`) your deeds” (Ecclesiastes 9:7): in the World of Asiyah, the Name Elohim has the value `רצ״ה`.

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel in the mystery of “surely there is a God who judges on earth (`בארץ`)” (Psalms 58:12)—on earth specifically. In the Land of Israel one can attain these apprehensions through the mystery of the three courts that were in Jerusalem, corresponding to the courts of the night.

Concerning this Moses said, “I pleaded to the LORD,” for the supplication was “at that time.” In the word `ההיא` the three worlds are intimated, for they contain the three spellings-out of Elohim that change from one world to another, and their mystery is `הי״א`: in Asiyah the spelling has ה״ה, in Beriah י, and in Yetzirah א. This is the mystery of “Where (`אי״ה`) is the place of His glory?” The initials of `אופן מלאך כסא` (ofan, angel, throne) intimate the three worlds Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah from below upward [TN-152-02].

Moses therefore began to pray with the Name Adonai, followed by YHWH vocalized with the pointing of Elohim. This is the mystery of “I shall raise the cup of salvations” (`כוס ישועות אשא`; Psalms 116:13), which Moses recited before his death. The cup is the mystery of Elohim, and “a cup of blessing requires three,” as taught in Zohar III 246a. This is the mystery of the three spellings-out of Elohim in the three worlds. `אש״א` is a notarikon for `איה שרה אשתך` (“Where is Sarah your wife?”; Genesis 18:9). The Sages said in the chapter *Ha-Poʿalim* (Bava Metzia 87a) that they asked about her in order to send her the cup of blessing intimated in the word `אי״ה`. These are the mystery of the three spellings-out of Elohim, the “cup” that requires three. They are the mystery of the three men who stood over him (Genesis 18:2), the three legs of the merkavah; `שר״ה` is a notarikon for `שלשה רגלי המרכבה` (sheloshah raglei ha-merkavah, “three legs of the merkavah”) [TN-152-03].

Moses therefore said: Since You have begun to show me the mystery of these three spellings-out of Elohim—“Your greatness” in the World of Beriah, where “the throne shall be established through Ḥesed” (Isaiah 16:5); “Your mighty hand” in Yetzirah; and “who is El, who can act like Your deeds?” in the World of Asiyah—therefore, “let me cross, please.” When I am in the Land of Israel, I shall there attain the power to sweeten “the cup of salvations I shall raise, and upon the Name of the LORD I shall call.”

He divided the land into three parts: “the good land” corresponds to Asiyah; “this good mountain” corresponds to Yetzirah—“this is none other than the house of God” (Genesis 28:17), where the Name Elohim is attained; and “the Lebanon” corresponds to Beriah, where there is “the gate of heaven.” “There thrones for judgment were set” (Psalms 122:5), for three courts sat in the Chamber of Hewn Stone (Sanhedrin 86b) [TN-152-04].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” That is: You have already attained these three worlds through the mystery of the three times Moses ascended the mountain of God, whereby he rose to the apprehension of these three worlds. Each time he ascended for forty days, he rose to the attainment of one world. Thus he had already merited three ascents for these apprehensions. “Do not continue to speak.”

Ofan 153

It is taught in the book *Galei Razayya* concerning “three drops that were cast into the supernal brain,” about which the Zohar on Bereshit, p. 155, and the Tikkunim, Tikkun 66, p. 108 (Tikkunei Zohar 69, 109b), write that primordial Adam sinned through them [TN-153-01]. This is the mystery of the Mishnah: “Three women—one bakes, one arranges, and one [uncertain: מקטפת]” (Pesaḥim 48b) [TN-153-02]. They are the mystery of “Quickly, three seahs of fine flour” (Genesis 18:6). Isaac is the mystery of the one who bakes; Abraham, of the one who arranges; and Sarah, of the one called `מקטפת`, for she is in the mystery of Binah. The three together are the mystery of the 960 log-measures in a ritual bath, since Abraham, Isaac, and Sarah have the combined numerical value 960.

In my opinion, this is why Moses had to remain forty days with HaShem (Exodus 24:18). Forty days contain 960 hours, in order to repair these three drops through which Adam sinned. This is the meaning of “You ascended on high; You took captivity captive; You took gifts through man” (Psalms 66:19, as printed): Moses had to repair what Adam had damaged [TN-153-03].

Concerning this Moses said “at that time,” for at that time he wished to repair what primordial Adam had damaged. The consonantal text reads `ההוא` (ha-hu, “that,” masculine), referring to primordial Adam. He ordered his prayer as follows: Since You have begun to show me the repairs of the three drops, “Your greatness” is Abraham, the mystery of the one who arranges; “Your mighty hand” is the mystery of the one who bakes. Isaac therefore said, “Who, then (`מי אפוא`)?” (Genesis 27:33). “Who is El?” corresponds to Sarah, the mystery of Binah, which is called `אשר מי` (“who”). The word `מ״י` is also a notarikon for `מ׳ יום` (forty days), for forty days contain 960 hours, corresponding to the 960 log-measures in a ritual bath.

He therefore said, “Let me cross, please.” I wish to cross into the Land of Israel in order to repair `נפש אדם` (nefesh Adam, “the soul of Adam”), which is the notarikon of `נ״א`. He said `אעברה` with an additional ה because Adam’s damage was in the letter ה. As taught in the Tikkunim cited above, Adam’s damage was in the letter ה, which had been “guarded matzah” (`מצה שמורה`), but he made it into a broken piece [TN-153-04].

Therefore, “and I shall see the land,” for these three repairs are there, corresponding to the three drops that were cast forth in the mystery of “YHWH founded the earth through wisdom” (Proverbs 3:19). Wisdom is the mystery of the supernal brain, as is known to those who understand. In this verse `אבא יסד ברתא` (Abba yesad barta, “the Father founded the Daughter”) is intimated through the initials; see Zohar III 256b [TN-153-05]. It is intimated in the initials of `אל ידוד בעת`: `אבא יסד ברתא`. In “at that time,” read `ההיא`, which is the mystery of the daughter (`ברתא`), while `ההוא` is written, which is Abba. Thus the initials of `אל ה׳ בעת` intimate `אבא יסד ברתא`; so too, in reverse, do `בחכמה יסד ארץ` [TN-153-06].

He named three degrees corresponding to the three drops: “the good land” corresponds to Abraham; “this good mountain” corresponds to Isaac, concerning whom it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it shall be seen” (Genesis 22:14); and “the Lebanon” corresponds to his mother Sarah, for Sarah was preeminent over Abraham in prophecy, as taught in Exodus Rabbah 1:1: “Whatever Sarah tells you, heed her voice” (Genesis 21:12). Abraham, who is the mystery of Ḥesed, receives from Binah. This is the mystery of “who is El”: `מי` is Binah, and El is the attribute of Ḥesed that receives from her.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied to Moses, “It is enough for you.” The repair of primordial Adam’s three drops is already intimated in your name. Moses is called `מ״ה` (Mah), as taught in Zohar II 197a, in accordance with “What (`מה`) is his son’s name?” (Proverbs 30:4), and `מ״ה` has the numerical value of `אדם` (Adam). By what does he repair them? By the ש of `משה` (Moses), which has three points containing three yods, corresponding to the three drops of supernal Ḥokhmah, as taught in the Tikkunim cited above. It is likewise intimated that Moses is called *reshit* (Genesis Rabbah 1:4), which Targum renders “with wisdom.” Moses had thus already attained Ḥokhmah. “Therefore do not continue to speak to Me.”

Ofan 154

I offer another interpretation concerning the three drops that were cast forth and damaged by primordial Adam, who stood and gazed upon the radiance of supernal wisdom (Tikkunei Zohar 69, 109b). This is the mystery of “This (`זה`) is the book of the generations of Adam” (Genesis 5:1): he was expert in the twelve permutations of YHWH. But “Adam did not abide in honor” (Psalms 49:13); his honor did not remain with him. What was the honor that had been with him? It is intimated in the word `ביק״ר` (biqar, “in honor”), whose gematria is `שי״ב` (312), corresponding to the twelve permutations of YHWH [TN-154-01].

This is the mystery of the three drops, for each `טיפ״ה` (tippah, “drop”) has the gematria of four times YHWH. The three holy Patriarchs had to repair these three drops, in the mystery of what is taught in the Tikkunim (Tikkunei Zohar 69, 102a): “The crucible is for silver” (Proverbs 17:3)—this is Abraham; “the furnace for gold”—this is Isaac; “but the LORD tests hearts”—this is Jacob. Abraham repaired the first drop and was therefore called “father of a multitude” (`אב המון`; Genesis 17:5), since `אב המון` has the gematria of `טיפה`. Corresponding to him, the daily morning offering was brought in the first four hours (Berakhot 26b). Isaac comprises two drops, for `יצחק` has the gematria of eight YHWHs. Jacob comprises seven YHWHs; when he encountered the `סל״ם` (sullam, “ladder”), which is five YHWHs, twelve were completed. He therefore said, “Surely the LORD is in this place (`הזה`)” (Genesis 28:16). Here the twelve permutations of YHWH were completed: the seven YHWHs, together with the five YHWHs comprised in `סלם`, completed twelve YHWHs [TN-154-02].

This is the mystery of “he took from the stones of the place” (Genesis 28:11): there were twelve stones, concerning which he said, “This (`זה`) is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17). The three drops of primordial Adam were then repaired. He had sinned through the three principal transgressions: idolatry, sexual immorality, and bloodshed.

Accordingly, Moses began to arrange his prayer specifically “to YHWH,” the Name in which primordial Adam had caused damage—namely, the twelve permutations of YHWH, which are the three drops cast forth, as stated. Moses was the sixth in the repair of primordial Adam. Rashi, citing Rabbi Moshe ha-Darshan in the portion Naso, on the dedication of the altar (Numbers 7:19, s.v. *hikriv*), writes that the offering was “one silver bowl” (Numbers 7:13), whose gematria is `תתק״ל` (930), corresponding to the years of primordial Adam. He was subsequently repaired through Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Joseph was the fifth, and therefore a ה was added to Joseph, for he was the fifth repair of Adam [TN-154-03]. Moses, however, was the sixth degree, for he was the repair associated with the ו of primordial Adam.

He therefore opened `ואתחנן` with ו, “at that time,” seeking to repair primordial Adam. `ההוא` is written and `ההיא` is read: until now the repair had been the fifth, while Moses was the sixth repair of primordial Adam. He therefore opened with Adonai, which is HaShem—the Name by which primordial Adam called the Holy One, blessed be He.

He opened and said: Since You have begun to show me the repairs of primordial Adam’s three drops, “Your greatness” is the first drop, repaired by Abraham; “Your mighty hand” is the second drop, through Isaac; and “who is El?” is the third drop, through Jacob. Therefore, “let me cross”: I wish to repair the twelve permutations of YHWH, for `אעברה` signifies four, since four letters have twelve permutations. He mentioned three degrees corresponding to the three drops.

This repair will occur in the Land, as it is stated in Tamid 3:2 and at the beginning of the third chapter of Yoma (Yoma 28a): when the time for the daily morning offering arrived, the appointed priest said, “Has the east brightened (`ברקאי`)?” *Kanfei Yonah*, part 4, writes that this concerns the mystery of the twelve permutations of YHWH, which have the gematria `ברק״י` [TN-154-04]. According to his words, I say that the mystery of “Adam did not abide in honor (`ביקר`)” (Psalms 49:13) is contained in the word `ברק״י`. That is: primordial Adam damaged the twelve permutations of YHWH, and the three Patriarchs of the world came and repaired them in the twelve hours of the day, each of the three Patriarchs repairing four hours.

This is the mystery of the rains: there is no drop of rain from above that does not have two drops rising toward it from below (Genesis Rabbah 13:13). The appointed priest therefore said this so as to invoke the merit of those who sleep in Hebron, the three Patriarchs who repaired Adam. The א in `ברקא״י` indicates Adam, in accordance with “one man (`אדם אחד`) in a thousand I have found” (Ecclesiastes 7:28).

For this reason Moses entreated to repair the twelve hours of the day that primordial Adam had damaged. This is intimated in “at that time”: `עת` (et, “time”) specifically, for he came to repair the hours of the day intimated by `עת`, as in “It is time (`עת`) to act for the LORD” (Psalms 119:126). That is, he sought to repair the time comprising the twelve divisions of the day—twelve hours together with the four letters of YHWH, divided among three degrees, which are the three drops [TN-154-05].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you. You have already repaired the twelve permutations when you ascended the mountain,” concerning which it is said, “You ascended on high; You took captivity (`שבי`) captive” (Psalms 68:19). `שב״י` is exact: at that time Moses received `שי״ב` (312) lights, the twelve permutations of YHWH, and “You took gifts through Adam”—primordial Adam. “Do not continue to speak to Me any more concerning this thing (`הזה`)”: `זה` alludes to the twelve permutations of YHWH through its numerical value twelve.

According to *Kanfei Yonah*, the day has twenty-four hours. The twelve hours of night are in the mystery of the twelve permutations in the small ה, and the twelve hours of day are the twelve permutations in the great ה. The appointed priest therefore said `ברקאי` after the twelve hours of night had ended, when the twelve permutations in the small ה came to their conclusion and the twelve permutations in the great ה began, so as to unite the attribute of day with night.

The serpent brought twenty-four species of impurity into the world, according to the numerical value of `ואיב״ה` (“and enmity”; Genesis 3:15), and damaged these twenty-four hours. This is why the initials of `ואתחנן אל ה׳ בעת ההיא` (“I pleaded to YHWH at that time”) form `ואיב״ה`. `ההוא` is written and `ההיא` is read: the former refers to the twelve hours of day, which are in the mystery of the masculine, and the latter to the twelve hours of night, which are in the mystery of the feminine [TN-154-06].

Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel, which is called “the desirable land (`ארץ צבי`)” (Jeremiah 3:19); `צב״י` is a notarikon for `י״ב צירופים` (yod-bet tzerufim, “twelve permutations”). Hence he said “the good land,” corresponding to the twelve hours of the feminine, and “the good mountain,” corresponding to the twelve hours of the masculine. `הה״ר` is a notarikon for `ה״ה רבתי` (heh rabbati, “the great heh”); `אעברה` has the gematria of `זער״א` (zeʿira, “small”). These are the mystery of “twins of a gazelle (`תאומי צביה`)” (Song of Songs 4:5), where `צב״יה` is a notarikon for `י״ב צירופי הוי״ה` (yod-bet tzerufei YHWH, “twelve permutations of YHWH”). “Your two breasts” are the mystery of the two הs, each of which has twelve permutations of YHWH [TN-154-07].

The Holy One, blessed be He, then replied, “It is enough for you. You have already repaired these twenty-four permutations through the tablets,” concerning which it is said, “On this side and on that (`מזה ומזה`) they were written” (Exodus 32:15). For `לחות` (luḥot, “tablets”) has the gematria of twelve permutations. “Therefore do not continue to speak to Me any more concerning this thing (`הזה`)”—`הזה` specifically. Rather, “command Joshua”: strengthen him with the twelve permutations of day, and embolden him with the twelve permutations of night.

Ofan 155

It is taught in the book *Sodei Razayya* that the words `ארון` (aron, “ark”), `כפורת` (kapporet, “ark-cover”), and `כרובים` (keruvim, “cherubim”) contain no final ף. This teaches that the voice of HaShem above the ark, ark-cover, and cherubim ought to have spread from the Temple in every direction for `ת״ת` (800) Sabbath limits, corresponding to the numerical value of final ף [TN-155-01]. But concerning the future it is written, “Broaden the place of your tent” (Isaiah 54:2), and Jerusalem will spread in every direction for 800 Sabbath limits. Then “the glory of the LORD shall fill all the earth” (Numbers 14:21).

On this account Moses sought to enter the Land of Israel, so that the Shekhinah might spread throughout the Land of Israel as it will in the future. He therefore began to arrange his prayer: “You have begun to show.” Its initials form `אה״ל` (ohel, “tent”). That is: At the time the Tabernacle was made, You showed me the contraction of Your Shekhinah. This is the mystery of “according to all that I show you” (Exodus 25:9): when you look into a mirror (`מראה`), you understand the contraction of the Shekhinah, as taught in the Midrash [TN-155-02].

“Your greatness” means that You showed me Your *Shiʿur Qomah* at that time; “Your mighty hand” means that You contracted Your Shekhinah. Thus `ידך החזקה` (“Your mighty hand”) has the gematria of `קטן` (katan, “small”), for the Holy One, blessed be He, contracted Himself. The word `ידך` can also be read `יו״דך` (yod-kha, “Your ten”): He contracted His Shekhinah into the ten cubits of the Tabernacle [TN-155-03].

He then explains what “the mighty hand” means: “Who is El in heaven and on earth who can act,” and so forth. That is, “the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain You” (I Kings 8:27), yet You contracted Your Shekhinah upon the earth between the two poles of the Ark. “Therefore, let me cross, please”: I now wish to accomplish what will be accomplished in the future. “And I shall see the land” means that the light of the revelation of the Shekhinah will spread throughout the Land of Israel. “The good mountain,” Jerusalem, will possess the revelation of the Shekhinah just as “the Lebanon,” the Temple, now does. For it is said, “At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; they shall no longer speak of the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD” (Jeremiah 3:17). The revelation of the Shekhinah will not be confined to the Ark, but will extend throughout Jerusalem.

He then replied to him, “It is enough for you.” It is taught in Midrash Shoḥer Tov on Psalm 14, and cited in the Yalkut on Va-Etchanan: The master said “Who would grant (`מי יתן`),” and the disciple said “Who would grant.” The master said, “Who would grant that this heart of theirs would remain” (Deuteronomy 5:26); Moses said, “Who would grant that all the LORD’s people were prophets” (Numbers 11:29). Asaph then came and uttered a third “Who would grant”: “Who would grant Israel’s salvation from Zion?” (Psalms 14:7). When the master’s “Who would grant that this heart of theirs would remain” is fulfilled, then the disciple’s “Who would grant that all the LORD’s people were prophets” will be fulfilled [TN-155-04].

This is what the Holy One, blessed be He, said: “It is enough for you.” Your own “Who would grant”—that the revelation of the Shekhinah be so great—cannot be fulfilled until the master’s “Who would grant that this heart of theirs would remain” is fulfilled in the future.

Ofan 156

It is taught in the Zohar (III 242b) that “the evening prayer is optional” (Berakhot 4b) means that her husband’s authority (`רשות בעלה`) is upon her. The morning prayer is Abraham, in the mystery of the right; the afternoon prayer is Isaac, in the mystery of the left. Thus she is under her husband’s authority, in the mystery of “His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me” (Song of Songs 2:6). But now they have established it as obligatory, in the language of Alfasi in the chapter *Tefillat ha-Shahar* (Berakhot 27b), because now she is in exile and her husband’s authority is not upon the Congregation of Israel. Accordingly, when Jacob went into exile he instituted the evening prayer (Berakhot 26b), to indicate that the Shekhinah would go into exile [TN-156-01].

It is taught in Berakhot 27b that they seated Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah as Nasi because of the dispute over whether the evening prayer is optional or obligatory. Moses wished to repair the evening prayer so that her husband’s authority would be upon her. He therefore said `ואתחנן`, which is the mystery of the Shekhinah and one of the ten expressions of prayer enumerated in the Midrash Rabbah on this portion (Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:1), for he wished to repair the evening prayer. This is why he added “saying”: for the coming generations.

Accordingly he said: “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness”—this is the morning prayer, from the right side; “and Your mighty hand”—this is the afternoon prayer, from the left side; “who is El?”—this is the evening prayer, from Jacob’s side. He therefore said `אעברה`, alluding to what Rabbi Eleazar would one day repair. `אעברה` is a notarikon for `הוא רבי אליעזר בן עזריה` (hu Rabbi Eliezer ben Azaryah, “he is Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah”) [TN-156-02]. He was the tenth generation from Ezra, and `עזרא` has the same gematria as `אעברה`. He was in the mystery of *Zeʿir-Arikh*, which also has the gematria of `אעברה`, as explained at length in *Kanfei Yonah*. Eighteen rows of white hair appeared upon him there (Berakhot 28a), corresponding to nine tikkunim of Zeʿir and nine tikkunim of Arikh, for he comprised both [TN-156-03].

This is why Moses said `נ״א`, a notarikon for `נוצר ארוך` (notzer arokh, “preserving—long”): `נוצר` (“preserving”; Exodus 34:7) is the ninth tikkun. In ATBaSH, moreover, `נ״א` becomes `ט״ת`, a notarikon for `ט׳ תיקונים` (nine tikkunim). “And I shall see the land,” for in the Land of Israel her husband’s authority will be upon her.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” That is, your degree is great, for you are in the mystery of Daʿat. This union belongs to Jacob, in the mystery of “Jacob served for Rachel” (Genesis 29:20). “Therefore do not continue to speak to Me concerning this matter (`בדבר הזה`)”: `דבר` specifically is Malkhut. “Ascend to the top of Pisgah,” upward into the mystery of Daʿat, for there is your union.

Ofan 157

It is taught in *Sodei Razi* that the altar held 144,000 eggs. The altar was five cubits by five cubits, with a height of three cubits; thus its solid measure was seventy-five cubits, equivalent to twenty-five ritual baths. Each log contains six eggs. The source then assigns one ritual bath `ו׳ אלפים תש״ם` eggs and concludes that the measure of the altar is 144,000 eggs [TN-157-01].

The world likewise spans a journey of 144,000 days. Egypt is a forty-day journey, and Cush is sixty times the size of Egypt (Pesaḥim 94a), yielding 2,400 days. The world is sixty times the size of Cush (ibid.), yielding 144,000 days. This is the mystery of “the God of `קדם` is a dwelling” (Deuteronomy 33:27), for He is the Place of the world.

The hours in the six days of Creation likewise number `קמ״ד` (144) hours. This is the mystery of “the Ḥesed of El is all the day” (Psalms 52:3), for the six days contain `קס״ד` (164) hours, and the nights contain seventy-two hours, as the source prints [TN-157-02]. The reason all these things bear the number 144 is that YHWH has 144 permutations.

It is also taught in the Idra Rabba (Zohar III; no folio is supplied) that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not need to create His world, except on the principle that there is no king without a people. Thus Scripture says, “The LORD established His throne in the heavens” (Psalms 103:19). He did not need to create His world, but did so in order that “His kingship rules over all (`בכל`)”: there is no king without a people. `בכ״ל` has the gematria of `ב״ן`, which is the mystery of Malkhut; the square of the Name `ב״ן` is 144 [TN-157-03].

This is the mystery of “He planted a garden in Eden, from the east (`מקדם`)” (Genesis 2:8), and also “when they journeyed from the east (`מקדם`)” (Genesis 11:2)—that is, “from the Ancient One of the world,” as taught in Genesis Rabbah 38:7. Thus it says, “he went to the land of the children of the east (`קדם`)” (Genesis 29:1): that is, to repair HaShem, the Name `ב״ן`, whose square totals `קד״ם` (144).

This is the meaning of “I pleaded to the LORD at that time, saying.” `ההוא` is written and `ההיא` is read: the latter refers to the times of night, which are from the feminine side, while the former refers to the times of day, which are from the masculine side. “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness (`גדלך`)”: `גדלך` has the gematria of `מזבח` (mizbeah, “altar”), namely `קד״ם` (144). “And Your mighty hand” refers to the six days of Creation, which contain 144 hours and comprise fourteen times for good and fourteen times for evil. “Who is El in heaven?” comprises the entire world, whose journey is 144,000 days.

For “You have begun to show”: Moses’ tunic (`חלוק`) existed “from then” (`מאז`), as taught in the Midrash Rabbah (Exodus Rabbah 23:2). `חלו״ק` has the gematria 144, while `מא״ז` has the gematria 48. The Torah was given three times—at Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, and in the plains of Moab—and each time forty-eight covenants were made concerning it (Sotah 37b). Three times forty-eight is 144. This is the mystery of the 144 permutations of YHWH: “He acquired me as the beginning of His way; before (`קדם`) His works of old” (Proverbs 8:22). The 144 covenants made concerning me existed `מא״ז`, that is, from three instances of `מא״ז`, each worth forty-eight.

If so, You have begun to show me 144. Therefore `אעברה` has the gematria of `רבו״ע` (ribbuʿa, “square”). Until now the 144 hours draw sustenance from the square of the Name `ב״ן`. The Name `ב״ן` has the same gematria as `נ״א` with the inclusive unit. Every square is in the mystery of the “backs,” which is judgment. Therefore only `חס״ד` (Ḥesed, 72) is “all the day,” whereas the other seventy-two hours are in the mystery of judgment [TN-157-04].

But “I shall see the good land”: there all 144 hours will derive from the side of good, from the side of Ḥesed. Their sustenance will no longer come from the side of the backs, but from the 144 permutations of YHWH; all of them will then come from the side of Ḥesed. This is the mystery of “Restore us, O LORD” (Lamentations 5:21), and then “renew our days as of old (`כקדם`).”

The LORD said to me, “It is enough for you.” You have already repaired `קד״ם` through `קד״ם` covenants that derive from the side of the 144 permutations. Your greatness is greater: you are to repair the square of the Name `ב״ן`. YHWH is in the mystery of the Name `ע״ב` (72), whose square totals `ק״ל` (130). This is the mystery of “Behold, the LORD rides upon a swift cloud (`ע״ב ק״ל`)” (Isaiah 19:1), which has the gematria of `ר״ב` (rav, 202). Therefore: “It is enough (`רב`) for you; do not continue to speak.” [TN-157-05]

Ofan 158

When Moses saw all the generations—as is intimated in the word `ואתחנן`, for He showed him the treasury of all the generations (Tanḥuma, Ki Tissa 27)—he saw that Rehoboam and Jeroboam would divide the kingdom. It is taught in the Zohar that the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to put Jeroboam to death in his childhood, but the angels interceded for him because of his Torah. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: You see one vision, whereas I see two visions, for in the end he will worship idols [TN-158-01].

Moses saw all this at that time and said, “You have begun to show Your servant.” “You showed me” is `להראו״ת`, whose gematria equals `רחבע״ם ירבע״ם` (Rehoboam, Jeroboam). “Your greatness” is Rehoboam, who descends from Judah, “a lion’s whelp” (Genesis 49:9), on the right; this is “Your greatness.” “Your mighty hand” is Jeroboam, who descends from Joseph, “the firstborn of his ox” (Deuteronomy 33:17), from the side of the mighty hand, the left. “Who is El, who can act like Your works?”—“Great are the works of the LORD” (Psalms 111:2), from the right side, is Rehoboam; “and like Your mighty acts,” from the left side, is Jeroboam.

In Jeroboam’s time Israel denied three things: HaShem, the monarchy of the house of David, and the Temple, as taught in the Gemara concerning the verse “We have no share in David” (II Samuel 20:1; no tractate is supplied) [TN-158-02]. This is why Moses said, “You have begun `להראו״ת` me Jeroboam.” “Your greatness” refers to what Jeroboam was in his childhood, when he was a Torah scholar. Thus `ידך החזקה` (“Your mighty hand”) has the gematria of `קטן` (katan, “small”). Alternatively, `גדלך` (“Your greatness”) has the gematria of `מזבח` (mizbeah, “altar”), upon which Jeroboam performed idolatrous worship. There You showed me “Your mighty hand,” for Jeroboam’s hand withered (I Kings 13:4) [TN-158-03].

“Therefore, let me cross, please”: let me remove Jeroboam from the world. Do not heed the angels who saw one vision, for I see two visions. I shall extract from him that holy spark, for a spark of holiness is within him and will be repaired in the future, as taught in the Zohar.

This is what Joseph meant by “whom God has given me by this (`בזה`)” (Genesis 48:9). The phrase “by this” is difficult. Jacob saw Jeroboam and said, “Who are these?” (Genesis 48:8), for he was not fit for blessing (Tanḥuma, Vayeḥi 6). Joseph then said, “whom God has given me by this.” That is: within precisely “this” one, whom you said was unfit for blessing, there is also a spark of holiness. This is why he said `בזה`: precisely in this one [TN-158-04].

“Therefore, let me cross, please”: I shall remove that spark from him and remove him from the world. Then the monarchy of the house of David will not be divided, and Israel will not damage the three matters. Thus “I shall see the good land, upon which the eyes of the LORD your God are set” (Deuteronomy 11:12)—that is, “they shall seek the LORD their God”; “the good mountain” is the attribute of the monarchy of the house of David, in accordance with “I did not choose a city, but I chose David” (I Kings 8:16); afterward, “they shall seek David their king” (Hosea 3:5); and “the Lebanon” is the Temple. Then “they shall stream to the LORD and to His goodness” (Jeremiah 31:12) [TN-158-05].

The LORD then said to me, “It is enough for you.” You cannot remove Jeroboam now. Rather, at the time when you shall be “great,” and “he came at the head of the people” (Deuteronomy 33:21) is fulfilled, Jeroboam too will be repaired and will become Messiah son of Joseph. For the initials of `מלך בהתאסף ראשי עם יחד` (“He was King when the heads of the people assembled together”; Deuteronomy 33:5) form `ירבע״ם` (Jeroboam). At that time he will come and the holy spark within him will be repaired. Then “the one who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution (`שלם ישלם המבעיר`)” (Exodus 22:5) will be fulfilled, for the letters of `מבעי״ר` (“the one who kindled”) are `ירבע״ם` [TN-158-06].

Therefore, “Do not continue (`תוסף`) to speak to Me any more concerning this thing”—that is, Joseph (`יוסף`), who said “whom God has given me by this,” thereby alluding to the holy spark that will be repaired in the future. Do not continue by extracting it from him. Rather, “command Joshua”: `צו` means nothing other than idolatry (Sanhedrin 56b), so that he should warn them concerning Jeroboam’s idolatry.

Ofan 159

Moses saw these two Messiahs in the vision of the bush, for `בלב״ת אש` (“in a flame of fire”; Exodus 3:2) has the gematria of `משיח בן דוד` (Messiah son of David). This is why the א of `אש` (esh, “fire”) is large: the letter א is in the mystery of the two Messiahs and Moses. Thus the Zohar teaches (III 278b): the two wings of the dove correspond to the two Messiahs, while the body of the dove corresponds to Moses. This is the form of א: it has a י above and a י below, the mystery of the two Messiahs. The upper י is Messiah son of David; the lower י is Messiah son of Joseph; and the ו in the middle is Moses [TN-159-01].

This is the meaning of the Gemara’s question, “What is ‘after this’?” (I Kings 13:33): after the Holy One, blessed be He, seized Jeroboam by his garment and said to him, “I, you, and the son of Jesse shall stroll in the Garden of Eden,” Jeroboam asked, “Who will be at the head?” He answered, “The son of Jesse.” Jeroboam said, “If so, I do not want it” (Sanhedrin 102a).

The significance of the Holy One, blessed be He, seizing him by his garment is as follows. Concerning Abraham it is said that the Holy One, blessed be He, seized him by his hand and strolled with him, and so forth (Lamentations Rabbah 1:20). Abraham, however, held fast to the attribute of deeds of lovingkindness, and He therefore seized him by the hand. Jeroboam was a great Torah scholar and fashioned a garment—as taught in that same Gemara concerning “he was covered with a new garment” (I Kings 11:29): Jeroboam’s Torah had no defect. He therefore seized him by his garment [TN-159-02].

He said, “I, you, and the son of Jesse shall stroll in the Garden of Eden,” which is the mystery of the letter א. They are its two yods, while the ו is the middle line, namely the Holy One, blessed be He, in the mystery of Moses. Jeroboam asked, “Who will be at the head?”—who will stand at the head of the א, namely as its upper י? The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “The son of Jesse will be at the head (`בראש`)”: he will be the upper י of the א. Jeroboam said, “If so, I do not want it.”

This is why Moses began `ואתחנן` with a ו, for he is the ו of the א. This is also the meaning of “at that time,” written `ההוא` but read `ההיא`. The two Messiahs are the two הs. The א includes the ו—namely, `ההוא`—and also the mystery of י—namely, `ההיא`; these are the two Messiahs [TN-159-03].

Thus Moses said, “You have begun to show”: at the beginning of my mission, in the vision of the bush, You showed me the large א of `אש`, which alludes to me and the two Messiahs. “Your greatness” is Messiah son of David, the upper י; “Your mighty hand” is Messiah son of Joseph, the lower י. “Who is El?” is the mystery of the ו, the middle bar. “Who can act like Your works” refers to the upper י, from the side of Ḥesed, while “like Your mighty acts” refers to the lower י, from the side of Gevurah. Therefore, “let me cross, please, and see the land,” and there I shall bring the two Messiahs near.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you,” for the Messiahs will not come until the sixth millennium, which is in the mystery of ו. Thus the Zohar teaches (III 270a) concerning “Behold, the day is still long” (Genesis 29:7). The ו is in the mystery of Moses. If so, much time yet remains until your own degree, the sixth millennium, which is in the mystery of ו.

Rather, “command Joshua,” for three crowns will issue from Ephraim. This is the mystery of “Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation” (Genesis 50:23): they are Joshua, Jeroboam, and Messiah son of Joseph. Therefore, “command Joshua”: strengthen him through Jeroboam, and embolden him through Messiah son of Joseph [TN-159-04].

Ofan 160

It is known that there is a small alphabet and a large alphabet. At first He showed Moses a large א in `בלב״ת א״ש` (“in a flame of fire”; Exodus 3:2), for from there Moses attained the supernal radiance and the degree of Adam—the large א in “Adam, Seth, Enosh” at the beginning of Chronicles (I Chronicles 1:1). After the sin of the calf, however, that greatness was taken from him, as it is written, “It is enough (`רב`) for you”; but he attained the small א of “He called” (`ויקרא`; Leviticus 1:1) [TN-160-01].

This is why he said, “You have begun (`החלות`) to show”: the letters of `החלות` reversed form `הלוחות` (“the tablets”), for there You showed me a large א. The initials of `אתה החלות להראות` (“You have begun to show”) form `אה״ל` (ohel, “tent”), for there, in the Tent of Meeting, You showed me a small א.

“Your greatness” is the large א, the “great letter”; “Your mighty hand” refers to the erection of the Tabernacle. It was a mighty hand, for Moses erected the Tabernacle when all Israel had been unable to erect it, as taught in Exodus Rabbah 52:4. Thus `ידך החזקה` (“Your mighty hand”) has the gematria of `קטן` (katan, “small”), for there You showed me the small א. Therefore `אעברה` has the gematria of `זערא` (zeʿira, “small”), while `נ״א` is an acronym for `נתיב אלף` (netiv alef, “the path of alef”). That is, I shall cause the small א to pass away; therefore, “I shall see the land,” for there I shall attain the large א [TN-160-02].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough (`רב`) for you,” for even here you will attain the large (`רב`) א. This will occur close to your death: it is the large א of “Happy are you, O Israel” (Deuteronomy 33:29). Thus He said, “Ascend to the top of Pisgah”—close to your death—and there you will attain the large א.

Ofan 161

It is taught in the *Sefer ha-Temunah* that א has two forms. One is `י׳ ו׳ י׳` (yod-vav-yod), and it is in the mystery of Ḥesed. The second form is `י׳ ו׳ ד׳` (yod-vav-dalet), and it is in the mystery of judgment. Their mnemonic is `אח״ד`: `אלף חסד דין` (alef, Ḥesed, din) [TN-161-01]. This is intimated in the mystery of `אל״ף`: `א״ל` is Ḥesed, while final ף is judgment.

For this reason there is no final ף in the Eighteen Benedictions, and in the Grace after Meals they remove final ף, which is associated with `א״ף (שט״ף)[שצ״ף] קצ״ף` (af, “anger”; `(שט״ף)[שצ״ף]`; ketzef, “wrath”), as taught in *Kol Bo*. The supplied source preserves the adjacent readings `(שט״ף)[שצ״ף]`, both of which are retained here [TN-161-02].

This is the meaning of “You have begun to show”: there, in the vision of the bush, You showed me the א. “Your greatness” is its `י׳ ו׳ י׳` form from the side of Ḥesed. “Your mighty hand (`ידך`)”—read this as `יו״דך`, “your yod”—means the second form, `י׳ ו׳ ד׳`. “Who can act like Your works” is from the side of Ḥesed, while “like Your mighty acts” is the second form, from the side of judgment. Therefore, “let me cross, please, and see the land,” and there I shall sweeten the judgments.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” That is: you can sweeten the judgments for yourself, but not sweeten them throughout the entire world. “Therefore do not continue,” and so forth.

Ofan 162

It is known that at the creation of the world, before the sin of primordial Adam, the א had the form `י׳ ו׳ י׳` (yod-vav-yod). The middle ו stood upright like a pillar: the two yods were the two eyes, and the ו was the nose, in the mystery of the human countenance according to the *Shiʿur Qomah*. This is the mystery of `וייצר` (“He formed”; Genesis 2:7), with two yods and a vav [TN-162-01].

After primordial Adam sinned, the ו became bent and the form became `י׳ ו׳ ד׳`: י above, ו in the middle, and ד below. This is the mystery of the initials of `יתום ואלמנה יעודד` (“He sustains the orphan and the widow”; Psalms 146:9). The orphan is Yesod, and the widow is Malkhut. It is also the mystery of `יכין וצדיק ילבש` (“he prepares, but the righteous shall wear”; Job 27:17): “the righteous” is Yesod, and “shall wear” is the mystery of Malkhut. At first the form was `י׳ ו׳ י׳`, but then came `ודרך רשעים יעות` (“but He makes the way of the wicked crooked”; Psalms 146:9). That is, “a whisperer separates the Alef” (by adaptation of Proverbs 16:28), and it became the form `יו״ד` [TN-162-02].

The lower י, which has the form of ד, also has the form of נ, for the reverse of ד is נ. This is the mystery of the statement that all the works of Creation were created “according to their will (`בצביונן`), with their knowledge, and at their full stature” (Ḥullin 60a). This is the mystery of “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness” (Psalms 119:142), for the world was created through `צד״ק`, an acronym for `צביונם דעתם קומתם` (tzivyonam, daʿatam, komatam: “their will, their knowledge, their stature”). These are the mystery of nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshamah: their will is nefesh, their knowledge is ruaḥ, and their stature is neshamah, the mystery of the *Shiʿur Qomah* [TN-162-03].

It is said, “and all their host (`צבאם`)” (Genesis 2:1). Do not read `צבאם` (“their host”), but `צביונם` (“their will”). One might object: is it not written `צבאם`? Rather, the form of א is `י׳ ו׳ נ׳`; it is consequently as though `צביונם` were written [TN-162-04].

This is what Moses said: “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness”—the mystery of the *Shiʿur Qomah*, namely the `יו״י` form of א. “Your mighty hand” is the `יו״ד` form of א, for “a whisperer separates the Alef.” Therefore, “let me cross and see the land,” and there I shall repair the א in its `יו״י` form, in the mystery of the *Shiʿur Qomah*.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you, for you have already repaired the א in the mystery of ‘one man (`אדם אחד`) in a thousand (`מאלף`)’” (Ecclesiastes 7:28), which refers to Moses (Leviticus Rabbah 2:1). “Therefore do not continue to speak,” and so forth.

Ofan 163

It is taught in the *Sefer ha-Temunah* that before this sabbatical cycle, which was the cycle of Ḥesed, an א stood in place of the final ה of the Name. Because of the harshness of the present sabbatical cycle, ה replaced א [TN-163-01].

This is why Moses said, “I pleaded at that time”: that is, the ה which he wished to turn into א. “You have begun to show,” for Moses came from the sabbatical cycle of Ḥesed, in the mystery of “Moses was shepherding” (Exodus 3:1). This is also the mystery of “because I drew him from the water” (Exodus 2:10)—that is, from the sabbatical cycle of Ḥesed.

Thus “Your greatness” refers to the sabbatical cycle of Ḥesed, when HaShem—the Name YHWH—had an א. “Your mighty hand” means that now, in the sabbatical cycle of judgment, ה was produced by the harshness of the cycle. Hence, “Your mighty hand.” “Who is El, who can act like Your works” refers to the sabbatical cycle of Ḥesed; “and like Your mighty acts” refers to the sabbatical cycle of judgment.

Therefore, “let me cross, please”: I shall remove the ה, which is `נ״א`, a notarikon for `נורא אלהים` (nora Elohim, “awesome God”), from the side of judgment. I shall remove that ה, and `נ״א` will become a notarikon for `נתיב אלף` (netiv alef, “the path of alef”). Then “I shall see the good land (`הארץ הטובה`)”: it is now “good” through ה, but “the good mountain (`ההר הטוב`),” without the final ה, will instead possess א. HaShem—the Name YHWH with א—will then have the numerical value of `הטו״ב` (ha-tov, “the good”) [TN-163-02].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” You wish to diminish HaShem (the Name) by making א from ה; on the contrary, “it is much for you”: you must enlarge HaShem (the Name) by making י from ו. This is what will occur in the future, when HaShem (the Name) `הוי״ה` will become `יהי״ה`, as explained in *Kanfei Yonah*. You shall turn ו into י, as in “On that day `יהי״ה` the LORD will be one” (Zechariah 14:9). That is, at that time HaShem (the Name) will be `י״ה י״ה`.

This is the mystery of “the light of the moon (`והיה`) shall be like the light of the sun.” The light of the sun is the half-Name `י״ה`, and the light of the moon is the half-Name `ו״ה`. Thus Scripture says, “The light of the moon shall be like the light of the sun” (Isaiah 30:26). Now HaShem (the Name) is `והי״ה`; in the future, however, `יהי״ה`: the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, for each will be `י״ה`, and HaShem (the Name) will then be `יהי״ה`. This is also the meaning of “the light of the sun `יהי״ה` sevenfold” (ibid.). “Therefore do not continue,” and so forth [TN-163-03].

Ofan 164

It is known that א is the mystery of Ḥokhmah, in accordance with “I shall teach you (`אאלפיך`) wisdom” (Job 33:33). The form of א is like `י״ו` above and `י״ו` below; these are the thirty-two paths of wisdom. The thirty-two paths likewise divide into two parts, sixteen above and sixteen below. They are the mystery of “the headdress and the sash” (Exodus 28:4), for the sash was thirty-two cubits and the headdress sixteen cubits. The thirty-two divide into two parts, each of sixteen [TN-164-01].

This is the mystery of `יוב״ל` (yovel, “jubilee”): the thirty-two divide into `י״ו` (sixteen). It is also the mystery of the heart (`ל״ב`, thirty-two), for wisdom comes from the brain to the heart. From the right it spreads to thirty-two internal limbs: sixteen from the heart upward and sixteen from the heart downward. These are the two hands. The hand (`יד`) is so called on account of the fourteen joints in its five fingers, while the palm has two joints, yielding sixteen joints in each hand.

This is the mystery of the thirty-two teeth, which pertain specifically to Israel: sixteen above and sixteen below. They are therefore called `שיניים` (shinnayim, “teeth”), because they divide into two (`שניים`) parts [TN-164-02].

Moses therefore said, “You have begun to show me the thirty-two paths of wisdom at the beginning of Creation,” for `בראשית` (“In the beginning”; Genesis 1:1) is translated “with wisdom.” “Your greatness” refers to the sixteen upper paths, and “Your mighty hand” to the sixteen lower paths. Therefore, “let me cross, please, and see the land,” and there I shall attain the thirty-two paths. This is the mystery of `לבנו״ן` (Lebanon), which is a notarikon for `ל״ב נתיבות` (thirty-two paths) [TN-164-03].

The Holy One, blessed be He, then replied, “It is enough for you”—`ל״ך` specifically, alluding to the fifty gates of Binah. “Ascend to the top of Pisgah,” and so forth: after your death you will attain the thirty-two paths, in accordance with “He saw the first part for himself (`לו`), for there the portion of the lawgiver is concealed” (Deuteronomy 33:21). When will he attain them? “For there the portion of the lawgiver is concealed”—after your death, you will attain the thirty-two paths intimated in the word `בראשית` [TN-164-04].

Ofan 165

The letter ב indicates the two Torahs—the Written Torah and the Oral Torah—which are the two tablets. This is the mystery of what the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses “in a flame of fire (`בלבת אש`)” (Exodus 3:2), for `בלב״ת` is a notarikon for `ב׳ לוחות ב׳ תורות` (two tablets, two Torahs) [TN-165-01].

Moses therefore said: “You have begun to show me”—during the forty days I spent on the mountain, You showed me the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. Forty days are the mystery of the Written Torah, and forty nights are the mystery of the Oral Torah, as taught in the Midrash Rabbah and cited in Yalkut, remez 406. The source then introduces as “in the Gemara” a teaching cited from Tanḥuma, Ki Tissa 28: when Moses studied the Written Torah, he knew it was day; when he studied the Oral Torah, he knew it was night [TN-165-02]. “Forty days” is therefore stated before “forty nights” (Exodus 24:18), because from above to below the Written Torah precedes the Oral Torah.

This is why he said, “Your greatness”—the Written Torah; “Your mighty hand”—the Oral Torah. This is the mystery of “This day we have seen His glory and His greatness” (Deuteronomy 5:21): this is the Written Torah; “and we have heard His voice from within the fire”: this is the Oral Torah.

Moses therefore said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth?” “In heaven” is the mystery of the Written Torah, and “on earth” is the mystery of the Oral Torah. Therefore, “let me cross, please,” for “there is no Torah like the Torah of the Land of Israel” (Genesis Rabbah 16:4). “I shall see the good land” is the mystery of the Oral Torah, and “the good mountain” is the mystery of the Written Torah. Moses reversed the order, placing the Oral Torah before the Written Torah, because he proceeded from below upward.

This follows the principle of “Mine is the silver and Mine is the gold” (Haggai 2:8), where silver precedes gold, although Scripture elsewhere always places gold before silver, as in “you shall take from them gold and silver” (Exodus 25:3). The matter is this: silver is Ḥesed and gold is judgment. Therefore, from the perspective of HaShem, which reckons from above to below, “Mine is the silver and Mine is the gold, says the LORD of hosts.” From our perspective, however, the order is reversed, from below upward, and gold therefore precedes silver [TN-165-03].

Likewise, from the perspective of the Holy One, blessed be He, the Written Torah precedes the Oral Torah: “who is El in heaven and on earth,” heaven before earth. From my perspective, however, the Oral Torah precedes the Written Torah: “the good land,” followed by “the good mountain.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” Not only will you attain here from below upward, in the mystery of reflected light, but you will attain even direct light, from above downward. This follows the Zohar’s explanation in Devarim, p. 556 (Zohar III 288a), of the verse “Now write this song for yourselves” (Deuteronomy 31:19): it is praise with which the Holy One, blessed be He, praises the Matronita from above downward [TN-165-04]. “Therefore do not continue to speak. Command Joshua”: strengthen him in the Written Torah and embolden him in the Oral Torah.

Ofan 166

It is known—see Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, chapter 3—that ב has three strokes, corresponding to the three partitions of the world, and is open to the north, “for from the north evil shall open” (Jeremiah 1:14). For this reason idolaters are called `אליל״ם`, an acronym for `אין להם יכולת לעשות מחיצה` (ein lahem yekholet la‘asot meḥitzah, “they have no power to make a partition”) [TN-166-01].

In the future the ב will be closed on its northern side, from which evil opens, and will become a closed final ם. This is the mystery of the closed ם in `לםרבה המשרה` (“of the increase of dominion”; Isaiah 9:6) [TN-166-02].

Moses therefore said, “You have begun”: at the beginning of the creation of the world, You showed me the ב of `בראשית`, which has three strokes. “Your greatness” is the upper stroke; “Your mighty hand” is the lower stroke; and “who is El?” is the middle stroke, the middle bar that passes from end to end. This is the meaning of “in heaven and on earth”: the entirety of the world was created through these three partitions. “Who is El in heaven and on earth who can act like Your works?” means: who can close the fourth direction? “And like Your mighty acts,” for evil will open from there.

Therefore `אעב״רה` has the letters of `ארב״עה` (arbaʿah, “four”): all four partitions will exist. Then “I shall see the good land,” where everything will be good and no evil will issue from there; the ם will be closed, as it will be in the future [TN-166-03].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” You wish to annul the ב of `בראשית`, which is “large” (`רב`)—that is, one of the four large letters that stand at the beginnings of books. They form `במש״א`: the ב of `בראשית` (Genesis 1:1), the מ of Proverbs 1:1, the ש of Song of Songs 1:1, and the א of “Adam, Seth, Enosh” in Chronicles (I Chronicles 1:1). These four kelippot stand in `במש״א`, the initials of `בור שור מבעה אש` (“pit, ox, grazing, fire”; Bava Kamma 2a) [TN-166-04].

If so, you wish to annul the ב of `בראשית`; yet this ב is yours. It indicates that the world was created for your sake—because of Moses, who is called *reshit* (Genesis Rabbah 1:4). Nevertheless, since you wish everything to be good, “ascend to the top of Pisgah”: the word `הפסגה`, together with the inclusive unit, has the gematria of `עולם הבא` (the World to Come). There the fourth partition will exist, for it is a world wholly good. Thus `הפסגה` has the gematria of `מחיצה` (meḥitzah, “partition”). “Look westward, northward, southward, and eastward”: there you will possess all four directions, the four partitions [TN-166-05].

This is what is stated in Raʿaya Mehemna on Ekev, p. 521 (Zohar III 273a): “You, Moses, comprise all four partitions in the Garden of Eden.” This is the mystery of “Elijah in four” (Berakhot 4b), for the covenant belonged to Moses and he delivered it to Phinehas, who is Elijah. Thus the Zohar explains on p. 84 (Zohar II 190a) concerning “Behold, I give him My covenant of peace” (Numbers 25:12). Four times `מחיצה` has the gematria of `ברי״ת` (berit, “covenant”), for Moses comprised all four partitions [TN-166-06]. “Therefore do not continue to speak,” and so forth.

Ofan 167

It is stated in the book *Sodei Razia* that the measure of the Divine stature is six hundred myriads and fifty-seven thousand myriads. This is the seal of the Holy One, blessed be He, which is אֱמֶת (Emet, “truth”; Shabbat 55a): the beginning, middle, and end of the letters.

The square of אל״ף (alef) is as follows. One times one is one; thirty times thirty is nine hundred; and final ף times final ף is sixty-four myriads. One times nine hundred is nine hundred, and nine hundred times sixty-four myriads is six hundred myriads and fifty-seven thousand myriads. The square of מ״ם (mem) is as follows. Forty times forty is sixteen hundred; final ם times final ם is thirty-six myriads; and sixteen hundred times thirty-six myriads is six hundred myriads and fifty-seven thousand myriads. The square of תי״ו (tav) is as follows. Four hundred times four hundred is sixteen myriads; ten times ten is one hundred; and six times six is thirty-six. Sixteen myriads times one hundred is sixteen hundred myriads, and sixteen hundred myriads times thirty-six is six hundred myriads and fifty-seven thousand myriads.

The camp of Israel contained the same number of cubits. The camp of Israel measured three parasangs, which are twenty-four thousand cubits; twenty-four thousand times twenty-four thousand is six hundred myriads and fifty-seven thousand myriads. This is the plain meaning of “I shall make your windows כַּדְכֹד [kadkhod]” (Isaiah 54:12), which the author reads as כ״ד כ״ד, “twenty-four by twenty-four.” Jerusalem is destined to measure three parasangs by three parasangs, as the Gemara adduces in Bava Batra 75b concerning the verse “It shall be raised and inhabited in its place” (Zechariah 14:10), “like its place,” and so forth. It will therefore be twenty-four by twenty-four—that is, twenty-four thousand cubits by twenty-four thousand cubits.

The “flying scroll” (Zechariah 5:1) likewise traverses six hundred myriads and fifty-seven thousand myriads of days. The world is a journey of five hundred years, and each year is three hundred and sixty days; three hundred and sixty times five hundred is eighteen myriads. The flying scroll is thirty-two hundred times as great as the world (Eruvin 21a); thirty-two hundred times eighteen myriads is thus six hundred myriads and fifty-seven thousand myriads.

Noah’s ark likewise contained this many quarter-logs. The ark was three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high (Genesis 6:15). Its volume was therefore forty-five myriads of cubic cubits: three hundred times fifty is fifteen thousand, and thirty times fifteen thousand is forty-five myriads. Every cubic cubit contains twelve hundred and eighty quarter-logs, since a space one cubit by one cubit and three cubits high contains forty seah. A cubic cubit therefore contains thirteen and one-third seah. Each seah is twenty-four logs, since a seah is six qav and each qav is four logs. The source then says, inconsistently, that a seah is twenty-three logs, while immediately equating it with ninety-six quarter-logs, which requires twenty-four logs. [TN-167-01] Thirteen and one-third times ninety-six is twelve hundred and eighty. Forty-five myriads times twelve hundred and eighty is consequently six hundred myriads and fifty-seven thousand myriads.

This is the mystery of “El is the LORD, and He has given us light [וַיָּאֶר לָנוּ, va-yaʾer lanu]” (Psalms 118:27). אֵל יהוה (El YHWH) has the numerical value fifty-seven, corresponding to the fifty-seven thousand myriads; “and He has given us light” is precise, corresponding to the six hundred myriads. Israel are six hundred thousand, and each one comprises ten, making six hundred myriads. The source then summarizes the measure of the stature as fifty-seven thousand myriads, omitting the separately stated six hundred myriads from this final formulation. [TN-167-02]

This is why Moses said, “You have begun to show Your servant” in the days of Noah. It is stated in the Tikkunim (Tikkunei Zohar 69, 113a) that the Holy One, blessed be He, planted Moses in the days of Noah, but he did not succeed. At first Noah was therefore called “a righteous man” (Genesis 6:9); afterward, when the soul of Moses departed from him, he was called “a man of the soil” (Genesis 9:20). Moses consequently said, “Blot me out [מְחֵנִי נָא, meḥeni na]” (Exodus 32:32), for in that former episode, in the days of Noah, I did not pray. For this reason the Flood is called “the waters of Noah” (Isaiah 54:9): I did not surrender my life for them, as stated in the Zohar (I, 67b) concerning “Moses entreated” (Exodus 32:11), but now I shall surrender my life for them.

This is the meaning of נָא (na, “I pray”)—נ״א is precise, meaning כְּעַן, “now, at the present time.” The letters of מְחֵנִי (meḥeni, “blot me out”) are those of מֵי נֹחַ (mei Noaḥ, “waters of Noah”). Moses said: “You began,” in the days of Noah, “to show me” in the ark Your measure of the stature, the measure of fifty-seven, for the ark contained that amount as explained above. “Your greatness [גָּדְלְךָ, godlekha]” has the numerical value fifty-seven, while “and Your mighty hand” has the numerical value of אֱמֶת (Emet). Each of the letters of Emet yields the measure of the stature of fifty-seven through the squaring described above. “Your mighty hand” is the Torah, the flying scroll, which likewise has the measure of the stature of fifty-seven as explained above.

Therefore, “Let me cross over, I pray, and see the Land,” for there “truth shall spring from the earth” (Psalms 85:12), and I shall rectify the measure of the stature. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): it is yours in the camp of Israel, for the camp of Israel likewise embodies the measure of the stature of fifty-seven, as stated above.

Alternatively, רַב־לָךְ means: you are destined for something greater than this. The measure of the stature is in the world of Yetzirah, where El YHWH is found, as Rabbi Ishmael said, “Whoever wishes to know the measure of the Creator of the beginning,” and so forth. But the world of Beriah is beyond investigation, and you must ascend to the world of Beriah, above the measure of the stature, where אֵל שַׁדַּי (El Shaddai) has the numerical value of מֹשֶׁה (Moses), 345. This is the meaning of “Ascend to the top of Pisgah”: רא״ש is a notarikon for רי״ש אֵל שַׁדַּי (resh, El Shaddai). That is, in the world of Beriah, where El Shaddai is found, there are four worlds, the two hundred worlds of yearning. Therefore, “It is much for you; do not continue to speak,” and so forth.

Ofan 168

It is stated in the book *Sodei Razi* that the measure of the Divine stature is eighteen myriads of parasangs. The world likewise constitutes a journey of eighteen myriads of days, for it is a journey of five hundred years, and each year is three hundred and sixty days; three hundred and sixty times five hundred is eighteen myriads.

The courtyard of the Tabernacle likewise contained eighteen myriads of square handbreadths. It was one hundred cubits long (Exodus 27:18), which are six hundred handbreadths, and fifty cubits wide, which are three hundred handbreadths; three hundred times six hundred is eighteen myriads. This is the mystery of “He swore by Him who lives forever [בְּחֵי הָעוֹלָמִים, be-ḥei ha-olamim]” (Daniel 12:7), where ח״י also signifies eighteen.

This is why Moses said, “You have begun to show,” whose initials form אה״ל (ohel, “tent”): in the Tabernacle You showed me Your measure of the stature, which is eighteen, as stated above. Likewise, הַחִלּוֹת (haḥillota, “You have begun”) is a permutation of הַלּוּחוֹת (ha-luḥot, “the tablets”), which also embody the measure of eighteen. The tablets were three handbreadths thick and six wide; three times six is eighteen. Their length was six handbreadths (Nedarim 38a), for the Torah is in the mystery of ו, which is Tiferet.

This is the meaning of “Your servant,” for the measure of the stature is in the mystery of Metatron. “Your greatness,” the measure of the stature, You showed me in connection with the tablets; “and Your mighty hand” is the erection of the Tabernacle, where You likewise showed me the measure of the stature of eighteen. “For what god is there in heaven or on earth?” refers to the totality of the world, which likewise embodies the measure of the stature of eighteen, as stated above.

Therefore, “Let me cross over, I pray, and see the Land,” for there is the measure of the stature of eighteen. It is stated in the Midrash, Parashat Vayetze—Genesis Rabbah 69:7—that there are only eighteen miles between the lower Temple and the upper Temple, as it is said, “And this [וְזֶה, ve-zeh] is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17), for the measure of the stature there is the numerical value of וְזֶה, eighteen. The source contains an unmatched opening parenthesis around the Midrash citation. [TN-168-01]

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you are already within this measure of the stature, eighteen. You are ט״ט (T-T) from מטטרו״ן (Metatron), as stated in the Zohar: nine cantillation accents and nine vowel points, for your degree is “the righteous one who lives forever [צַדִּיק חַי עוֹלָמִים].” Therefore, “Ascend to the top of Pisgah and raise your eyes westward, northward, southward, and eastward.” צדי״ק (tzaddik, “righteous”) is an acrostic of the four directions: צָפוֹן דָּרוֹם יָמָּה קֵדְמָה (tzafon, darom, yammah, qedmah: north, south, west, east). He therefore said, “the top of Pisgah [רֹאשׁ הַפִּסְגָּה],” whose numerical value is מְחִיצָה (meḥitzah, “partition”), for you comprise all four partitions, the four directions. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak.”

Ofan 169

It is known that the measure of the Divine stature is 236,000 parasangs, as stated in the Alphabet of Rabbi Akiva, under the letter ח, page 16. This is the meaning of “I pleaded with YHWH,” for the Name YHWH is 236 when a י is made from the two letters ה. י times י is one hundred; another י times י, made from the two letters ה, is one hundred; and ו times ו is thirty-six. Together they are 236.

This is the meaning of “at that time [בָּעֵת הַהִיא]”: its notarikon is ה׳ ה׳ י׳ אֶחָד, “two letters ה are one י.” The initials of אַתָּה הַחִלּוֹתָ לְהַרְאוֹת (attah haḥillota le-harʾot, “You have begun to show”) form אה״ל (ohel, “tent”), for the measure of the stature of 236 is likewise intimated in the Tabernacle. The concealed portions of מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan, “Tabernacle”), when its letters are filled as מ״ם שי״ן כ״ף נו״ן, are ם, י״ן, ף, and ו״ן; their numerical value is 236.

This is the meaning of “and the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle” (Exodus 40:35), for “the glory of the LORD” is the measure of the stature. You find it when you fill the letters of מִשְׁכָּן, which total 236. It is the mystery of the four walls surrounding the Tabernacle: four times חוֹמָה (ḥomah, “wall”) is 236. The laver [כִּיּוֹר, kiyyor] consequently had to stand before the Tabernacle (Exodus 30:18), for the laver indicated the mystery of the Tabernacle and likewise equals 236.

Rabbi Akiva therefore said to his students, “When you reach the stones of pure marble, do not say, ‘Water, water’” (Ḥagigah 14b). He showed them the path: when they go to the supernal Tabernacle, they must first pass through the laver, where there is water, before reaching the supernal Tabernacle. This is why David said, מַה יְדִידוֹת מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶיךָ (mah yedidot mishkenotekha, “How lovely are Your dwelling places”; Psalms 84:2), whose initials form מי״ם (mayim, “water”): one may not enter the two Sanctuaries, above and below, before Aaron and his sons have washed their hands from the well. The source’s parenthesis beginning after “fill the letters of the Tabernacle” extends anomalously through this material before closing here. [TN-169-01]

This is the mystery of “These are the accounts of the Tabernacle” (printed as Exodus 37:21): אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי (elleh pequdei, “these are the accounts”) has the numerical value 236, like the concealed portions of מִשְׁכָּן. [TN-169-02] הַחִלּוֹת (haḥillota) is a permutation of הַלּוּחוֹת (ha-luḥot), which likewise embody 236. Each tablet was six by six handbreadths, an area of thirty-six, and its thickness was three handbreadths (Nedarim 38a); three times thirty-six is 108. The two tablets therefore contained 216 cubic handbreadths. “They were written on both sides” (Exodus 32:15): on each side were ten utterances, twenty utterances in all. Add twenty to 216, and the result is 236.

The Torah therefore praises herself by saying, “The LORD acquired me at the beginning of His way” (Proverbs 8:22): יהוה קָנָנִי (YHWH qanani) equals 236. The end of the verse, “before His works of old,” likewise contains מִפְעָלָיו (mifʿalav, “His works”), which equals 236. This is also the mystery of כִּי עָצוּם (ki atzum, “for mighty”) in “mighty is the one who performs His word” (Joel 2:11), for כִּי עָצוּם equals 236.

“Your greatness” is the measure of the stature, 236, the mystery of “Great is our Lord and abundant in power [וְרַב כֹּחַ, ve-rav koaḥ]” (Psalms 147:5), which You showed me with the tablets. “And Your mighty hand” is the erection of the Tabernacle, where You likewise showed me the measure of the stature of 236, the mystery of “clean hands and a pure heart [בַּר לֵבָב, bar levav]” (Psalms 24:4). “For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do according to Your deeds?” refers to the tablets, which “were the work of God” (Exodus 32:16), while “according to Your mighty acts” refers to the Tabernacle. Therefore, “Let me cross over, I pray, and see the Land”; there the measure of the stature will be complete, and “His glory shall fill the earth.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you have already rectified the measure of the stature of 236, for Moses is called “the man of God” (Deuteronomy 33:1), and the Name Elohim in progressive number has the value 236. א is one; from א through ל is seventy-five; from א through ה is printed as ten; from א through י is forty-five; and from א through מ is one hundred and five. The total of the printed values—1 + 75 + 10 + 45 + 105—is 236. The ordinary cumulative sum from א through ה would be fifteen, not ten; the source’s ten is retained. [TN-169-03]

This is the mystery of “the LORD, He is God [יהוה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים]” (Deuteronomy 4:39): just as the Name YHWH equals 236 by the method above, so the Name Elohim equals 236. This is why Moses said, “YHWH Elohim, You have begun,” and so forth, for these two Names are the mystery of 236.

Alternatively, Moses’ nourishment came from the Name Ehyeh, as the Holy One, blessed be He, told him at the beginning of his mission, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” (Exodus 3:14). *Kanfei Yonah* states that the Name Ehyeh is the mystery of 236: the form of the א is 216; add הי״ה, which is twenty, and the result is 236. Concerning this the Torah said, “Then I was [וָאֶהְיֶה, va-Ehyeh] beside Him, as a nursling” (Proverbs 8:30; see Genesis Rabbah 1:1). The Torah is the mystery of 236, as stated above; it therefore says וָאֶהְיֶה, because Ehyeh is the mystery of 236. Moses prayed concerning this when he said בָּעֵת הַהִיא, whose letters permuted yield אֶהְיֶה, the mystery of 236. The source has an extra closing parenthesis after this calculation. [TN-169-04]

Therefore, רַב־לָךְ: you have already attained the measure of the stature of 236. “Do not continue to speak,” and so forth.

Ofan 170

It is known that the measure of the Divine stature is 248: “a likeness like the appearance of a man” (Ezekiel 1:26), and the human being comprises 248 limbs. Abraham did not possess the measure of the stature of 248 until he was called אַבְרָהָם (Avraham), whose numerical value is 248; previously he had been called Abram. Isaac did not rectify the measure of the stature until he married Rebekah. He was forty years old when he took Rebekah (Genesis 25:20); add forty to יִצְחָק (Yitzḥaq, 208), and the result is 248. Jacob did not rectify the measure of the stature until he descended to Egypt: “All the persons who came with Jacob’s household were sixty-six” (Genesis 46:26); add sixty-six to יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿaqov, 182), and the result is 248.

This is the meaning of “I pleaded with YHWH,” for the Name YHWH is 248 in the following manner. The four filled spellings of YHWH—ע״ב, ס״ג, מ״ה, ב״ן (AB, SaG, MaH, BaN)—have the numerical value 232; with the sixteen letters of the four Names YHWH, the total is 248. This is the meaning of “at that time [בָּעֵת הַהִיא],” written הַהוּא: מַלְכוּת (Malkhut) has the numerical value twice 248, for it comprises the 248 limbs of the Shekhinah, corresponding to the feminine הַהִיא, and the 248 limbs of the Holy One, blessed be He, corresponding to the masculine written form הַהוּא.

The initials of אַתָּה הַחִלּוֹתָ לְהַרְאוֹת form אה״ל (ohel, “tent”), the Tabernacle, for there You showed me the measure of the stature of 248. It contained one hundred loops, one hundred sockets, and forty-eight boards; accordingly, 248 commands are found in the account of the work of the Tabernacle. This is the meaning of “according to all that I show you” (Exodus 25:9): that is, “like you,” for you have 248 limbs, so make the Tabernacle 248 as well. “And so shall you make it” means: you shall perform that many positive commandments, likewise 248. This is also the meaning of “I make Myself known to him in a vision [בַּמַּרְאָה, ba-marʾah]” (Numbers 12:6): בַּמַּרְאָה equals 248; “to him” is precise, for he too comprises 248.

הַחִלּוֹת (haḥillota) is a permutation of הַלֻּחֹת (ha-luḥot, “the tablets”), which likewise embody 248. They comprise 216 cubic handbreadths and include the thirty-two paths of Wisdom, totaling 248. Correspondingly there are 248 words in the recitation of the Shema. When a person articulates its letters precisely, an angel called [uncertain: חלוני׳] opens 248 windows in the firmament. Correspondingly, the Torah scroll is read 248 times in the year. [TN-170-01]

The manna corresponds to the tablets, for the Torah was given only to those who ate manna (Mekhilta, Beshallaḥ). The word מָן (man, “manna”) is therefore mentioned twenty-eight times in the Torah, corresponding to the twenty-eight occurrences of לֻחֹת (luḥot, “tablets”) in the Torah: fourteen in Parashat Ki Tissa and fourteen in Parashat Ekev. The manna was consequently absorbed into all 248 limbs. This is the meaning of “fine, flake-like [דַּק מְחֻסְפָּס, daq meḥuspas]” (Exodus 16:14): דַּק מְחֻסְפָּס has the numerical value 248, as stated in Yoma 75b.

“Your greatness” is from the side of Abraham, who comprised 248; “and Your mighty hand” is from the side of Isaac, likewise in the mystery of 248; and “for what El” is from the side of Jacob—“he called it El, God of Israel” (Genesis 33:20; see Megillah 18a)—who likewise embodies 248. “In heaven and on earth” comprises world, year, and soul: 248 windows in the world, 248 Torah readings in the year, and 248 limbs in the soul. “Who can do according to Your deeds?” refers to the tablets, which “were the work of God” (Exodus 32:16), where You showed me the measure of the stature of 248; “and according to Your mighty acts” refers to the erection of the Tabernacle, where You likewise showed me the measure of the stature of 248.

Therefore, “Let me cross over, I pray, and see the Land,” for the earth likewise has 248 limbs, as stated in Midrash Rabbah, and the Land of Israel comprises them all. This follows the mystery of “and of Zion it shall be said, ‘This man and that man were born in her’” (Psalms 87:5); she is therefore called “the first of the dust of the world” (Proverbs 8:26).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you have already attained the measure of the stature of 248. This is what *Sodei Razia* states: Moses did not ascend above until ninety-seven days—that is, until he rectified the Names MaH and BaN, which Adam and Eve had damaged. Add 248 to ninety-seven and the result is מֹשֶׁה (Moses), 345. Thus the Zohar, Mishpatim, printed page 206 (Zohar II, 116b), explains “I make Myself known to him in a vision”: “like a bride who strips off her garment and unites with her husband in the closeness of flesh, with her 248 limbs.” Therefore, רַב־לָךְ; “do not continue.”

Ofan 171

It is known that Arikh has thirteen rectifications, those Moses mentioned in the episode of the calf, and Zeʿir has nine rectifications, those Moses mentioned in the episode of the spies. They correspond to the twenty-two letters of the Torah, which in turn correspond to the twenty-two channels in the world.

This is why Moses said, “I pleaded with the LORD” with two letters נ in וָאֶתְחַנַּן. The final attribute of the thirteen rectifications of Arikh is נַקֵּה (naqqeh, “clearing”; Exodus 34:7), while the final attribute of the nine rectifications of Zeʿir is נֹצֵר (notzer, “preserving”). This is the meaning of “You have begun to show Your servant אֶת”: אֶת signifies the letters from א through ת. In “Your greatness,” א״ת is a notarikon for תִּקּוּנֵי אֲרִיךְ (tikkunei Arikh, “the rectifications of Arikh”), which are “Your greatness” because they are complete Ḥasadim. “And Your mighty hand [וְאֶת יָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה]”: וְאֶת is read as a notarikon for תִּקּוּנֵי זְעֵיר (tikkunei Zeʿir, “the rectifications of Zeʿir”), which are “Your mighty hand” because judgment is intermixed there. יָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה (yadekha ha-ḥazaqah) has the numerical value of קָטָן (qatan, “small”), namely Zeʿir.

“For what god is there in heaven or on earth?” refers to the twenty-two channels descending into the world, corresponding to the twenty-two lines of a mezuzah. “Who can do according to Your deeds?” alludes to the twenty-two acts of making in the account of Creation. Correspondingly, Jacob was the twenty-second generation from Adam. This is the mystery of “he lay down in that place [וַיִּשְׁכַּב בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא]” (Genesis 28:11): read וַיִּשְׁכַּב as וְיֵשׁ כ״ב, “and there are twenty-two in that place.”

“And according to Your mighty acts,” which You performed at the sea, accords with *Kanfei Yonah*’s explanation of “He led them with heaviness [בִּכְבֵדֻת, bi-khvedut]” (Exodus 14:25): divide it as בְּכ״ב וְדָת, “with twenty-two and the law,” that is, through the law of the Torah, which comprises twenty-two letters. Genesis Rabbah 84:8 similarly explains “a coat of many colors [אֶת פַּסִּים, et passim]” (Genesis 37:3): do not read פַּסִּים but פ״ס יָם (P-S, sea), yielding HaShem—the Name of twenty-two.

Alternatively, “according to Your mighty acts” alludes to the twenty-two generations from Salmon, who was among those entering the Land, through Jehoahaz, who went into exile (II Kings 23:34). Therefore, “Let me cross over, I pray.” אֶעְבְּרָה (eʿberah) has the numerical value of זְעֵירָא (zeʿira, “small”). Under ATBaSH, נ״א becomes ט״ת, for Zeʿir has nine rectifications. אֶעְבְּרָה is a permutation of אַרְבָּעָה (arbaʿah, “four”), for after נֹצֵר there are another four rectifications. נ״א is consequently a notarikon for נֹצֵר אַרְבָּעָה (notzer arbaʿah, “Notzer—four”), and I shall merit as far as נַקֵּה, the rectifications of Arikh; נ״א is also a notarikon for נַקֵּה אֲרִיךְ (naqqeh Arikh).

Thus, “and let me see the Land,” and so forth, “this good mountain and Lebanon”: there I shall possess these two sets of rectifications, Arikh and Zeʿir, the mystery of Notzer and Naqqeh, the two letters נ of לְבָנוֹן (Levanon, “Lebanon”). The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: even here you will merit the thirteen rectifications of Arikh. “Ascend to the top of Pisgah”—“head” is precise, for it is the mystery of Arikh, in the mystery of “If a man’s head loses its hair” (Leviticus 13:40). “Command Joshua and strengthen him” with the nine rectifications of Zeʿir, “and fortify him” with the thirteen rectifications of Arikh.

This is the meaning of the ensuing phrase וַנֵּשֶׁב בַּגָּיְא (va-neshev ba-gai, “and we remained in the valley”): the source isolates בג״י as an allusion to the thirteen measures of mercy. [TN-171-01]

Ofan 172

It is well known and widely accepted that there are three types of tefillin: those of Rashi, those of Rabbenu Tam, and Shimmusha Rabba. Rashi’s tefillin are in the mystery of Imma; Rabbenu Tam’s tefillin are in the mystery of Abba; and the tefillin of Shimmusha Rabba are in the mystery of Arikh.

All three are intimated in a single verse: “Observe the wholehearted man, and behold the upright, for there is a future for a man of peace” (Psalms 37:37). “Observe the wholehearted man [שְׁמָר תָּם, shemor tam]” refers to the tefillin of Rabbenu Tam, which are in the mystery of Abba. “And behold the upright [וּרְאֵה יָשָׁר, u-reʾeh yashar]” refers to Rashi’s tefillin, for the letters of יש״ר are permuted as רש״י; they are in the mystery of Imma. He therefore said “and let me see [וְאֶרְאֶה],” for there is an apprehension there, since Binah is called מִי (Mi, “Who?”), “that which is subject to questioning,” as stated in the Zohar under the source’s bracketed locator “Reshit, page 18” (Zohar I, 4a). [TN-172-01]

“For there is a future for a man of peace” refers to the tefillin of Shimmusha Rabba, associated with Rav Sar Shalom. They are in the mystery of Arikh, who is called אִישׁ (ish, “man”) in the mystery of “If a man’s head loses its hair [יִמָּרֵט, yimmaret]” (Leviticus 13:40), namely Arikh. מר״ט is a notarikon for מָה רַב טוּבְךָ (mah rav tuvkha, “How abundant is Your goodness”; Psalms 31:20), which is in Arikh. He is called “peace” in the mystery of “Abundant peace [שָׁלוֹם רָב, shalom rav] belongs to those who love Your Torah” (Psalms 119:165). That is, when the closed ם is assigned its large value, שָׁלוֹם totals 936, the mystery of thirteen times seventy-two, for there are the thirteen measures of mercy, complete Ḥasadim called supernal Ḥesed.

Genesis Rabbah 92:9 accordingly teaches that when Joseph said, “The man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant, but you—go up in peace” (Genesis 44:17), a heavenly voice issued and proclaimed, “Abundant peace belongs to those who love Your Torah.” “Abundant peace,” 936, is the mystery of גָּבִיעַ (gaviaʿ, “cup”), whose letters the source construes as י״ג פעמים ע״ב, “thirteen times seventy-two.” The displayed letter mechanism requires rearrangement and abbreviation. [TN-172-02]

This is why Moses said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time,” when You said, “You shall see My back” (Exodus 33:23), the mystery of the arm tefillin, “but My face shall not be seen,” the mystery of the head tefillin. He began with Adonai, because the arm tefillin are in the mystery of Adonai. As *Reshit Ḥokhmah* states, the four passages of the arm tefillin are the four letters of Adonai, which are a sheath for the four letters of YHWH. The source adds in square brackets: “For Adonai is the palace of the Name YHWH, in the mystery of ‘the LORD is in His holy palace’” (Habakkuk 2:20). The four passages of the head tefillin are the four letters of YHWH, which are a sheath for the four letters of Ehyeh. The tefillin therefore contain twenty-one mentions of the Divine Name, the numerical value of Ehyeh.

This is the meaning of the dictum “The Holy One, blessed be He, lays tefillin” (Berakhot 6a). That is, the abbreviation הקב״ה has the numerical value יב״ק, 112, which is also the combined value of the three Names Ehyeh, YHWH, and Adonai, as stated in the Zohar, Mishpatim, printed page 206 (Zohar II, 116a), and Pineḥas, printed page 397 (Zohar III, 217a).

“You have begun to show Your greatness” refers to the tefillin that are in the mystery of Abba, the line of Ḥesed; “and Your mighty hand” refers to the tefillin of Imma, the line of Din. Therefore, אֶעְבְּרָה (eʿberah, “let me cross over”) contains the letters אַרְבָּעָה (arbaʿah, “four”): “let me see the Land,” and there I shall merit the four passages of the head tefillin. This must occur specifically in the Land of Israel, for in the tefillin of the Master of the world it is written, “Who is like Your people Israel, one nation in the Land?” (I Chronicles 17:21; Berakhot 6a).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: not only will you merit the tefillin of Abba and Imma; you will even merit the “Rabba,” the tefillin of Shimmusha Rabba, which are in the mystery of “abundant peace” and of Arikh. This is the meaning of “Ascend to the top of Pisgah,” the mystery of Arikh as stated above, for Arikh is called “the white head.” The ensuing phrase וַנֵּשֶׁב בַּגָּיְא likewise alludes to the thirteen measures of mercy, as stated in the Zohar.

Hagahah

Young Solomon said: This is the meaning of “I pleaded with YHWH”: this is the Name YHWH. “At that time [בָּעֵת הַהִיא]” is a permutation of אֶהְיֶה (Ehyeh). He then began with Adonai. These are the three Names of the tefillin, whose combined value is יב״ק, 112. He afterward pronounced הוי״ה בִּנְקֻדַּת אֱלֹהִים (YHWH with the vocalization of Elohim), which likewise equals יב״ק. This is the mystery of the tefillin of Abba and Imma, which are the line of Ḥesed and the line of Din.

Ofan 173

One premise is established: it is known that there are three kinds of light, three degrees one above another—external light, internal light, and surrounding light. This is the mystery of בְּאוֹר פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ חַיִּים (be-or penei melekh ḥayyim, “In the light of the king’s countenance is life”; Proverbs 16:15): the initials of פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ חַיִּים form פ״מ״ח, for פְּנִימִי מַקִּיף חִיצוֹן (penimi, maqqif, ḥitzon: internal, surrounding, external). Concerning them it is said, “God said, ‘Let there be light’” (Genesis 1:3): this is the external light; “and there was light”: this is the internal light; “God saw the light, that it was good” (Genesis 1:4): this is the surrounding light.

It is stated in the Zohar (I, 31b): With the light that the Holy One, blessed be He, created at first, Adam could see from one end of the world to the other. When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that three guilty generations would arise—the generation of Enosh, the generation of the Flood, and the generation of the Division—He concealed it so that the wicked of the world would not use it. The Holy One, blessed be He, gave it to Moses, who used it for three months; after the three months the Holy One, blessed be He, took it from him and set it aside until he stood on Mount Sinai.

This is the mystery of “Do not read מָה [mah, ‘what’] but מֵאָה [meʾah, ‘one hundred’]” (Deuteronomy 10:12; Menaḥot 43b; see Rashi ad loc., s.v. *mah*, and Tanḥuma, Qoraḥ §12). That is, one must rectify these three generations: מַבּוּל אֱנוֹשׁ הַפְלָגָה (mabbul, Enosh, ha-pelagah: Flood, Enosh, Division), which the source says form the initials מא״ה. In the displayed order their initials are מ״א״ה, while the immediately preceding prose lists Enosh before the Flood. [TN-173-01] The principal purpose of Israel’s descent to Egypt was to rectify these three generations.

This is the mystery of Abraham having to be one hundred years old when Isaac was born (Genesis 21:5): he had to rectify these three generations, whose initials form מא״ה. This is also why the Holy One, blessed be He, said, הַמְכַסֶּה אֲנִי מֵאַבְרָהָם (ha-mekhaseh ani me-Avraham, “Shall I conceal from Abraham?”; Genesis 18:17), which the source likewise treats as the initials מא״ה; the displayed initials are ה״א״מ and require reversal.

Moses yearned for that light which had been taken from Adam the first man. He therefore said, “You have begun to show”: הַחִלּוֹת (haḥillota) is a permutation of הַלּוּחוֹת (ha-luḥot, “the tablets”), for at that time on Mount Sinai You showed me the great light, as stated in the Zohar (I, 36b). “Your greatness” is the internal light, from the side of Ḥesed; “and Your mighty hand” is the external light, from the side of Gevurah; “for what El” is the surrounding light, for the Name אֵל (El) written in full as אל״ף למ״ד has the numerical value of הֶקֵּף (heqef, “circuit/surrounding”), 185.

Therefore, “Let me cross over, I pray [נָא]”: that is, let me become impregnated with נ״א, a notarikon for נָדָב אֲבִיהוּ (Nadab, Abihu), whose mystery is surrounding light. “And let me see the good Land” is the external light; “this good mountain” is the internal light; and “Lebanon,” the Temple, is the surrounding light. The Temple is the mystery of the world of Beriah, as in the verse “A throne of glory, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our Sanctuary” (Jeremiah 17:12), and the world of Beriah is the mystery of surrounding light.

In the Land of Israel I shall merit the great light, the surrounding light, for “He has light [אוֹר, or] in Zion” (Isaiah 31:9). The Masoretic word can also mean “fire,” but the author reads it as “light.” [TN-173-02] “The earth is the LORD’s and all its fullness” (Psalms 24:1): even the air of the Land of Israel is included, and there too the kelippah does not rule.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you already used that great light for three months. This is the mystery of “Light is sown for the righteous” (Psalms 97:11). Moses is called righteous, in accordance with the Midrash’s explanation (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:10) of “The wicked watches the righteous” (Psalms 37:32): there is no righteous man in the world like Moses, and so forth. Moses used that light for three months, which are ninety days.

Since your entire purpose in going to the Land of Israel is to attain that light, “Do not continue to speak to Me anymore concerning this matter,” for you will attain that light here as well. “Ascend to the top of Pisgah and lift your eyes,” and so forth. The source opens a parenthesis before its Midrash reference and never closes it. The cited teaching on “the LORD showed him the Land” (Deuteronomy 34:1) says that at that time He showed Moses from one end of the world to the other. [TN-173-03] Therefore, “Do not continue”; rather, “command Joshua and strengthen him” with the external light, “and fortify him” with the internal light, but he will not merit the surrounding light.

Ofan 174

It is stated in the Tikkunim (Tikkunei Zohar 70, 127a) that the א of אַרְגָּמָן (ARGAMAN) alludes to Orpaniel. This is the mystery of the tablets being five opposite five, for the merkavah comprises five: four partitions and the covering above them. Thus אַרְגָּמָן is a merkavah in this manner: רְפָאֵל גַּבְרִיאֵל מִיכָאֵל נוּרִיאֵל (Raphael, Gabriel, Michael, Nuriel) are the four partitions, and Orpaniel is the covering. So too the merkavah of the Shekhinah consists of four creatures, and over their heads is “a firmament like the appearance of the awesome ice” (Ezekiel 1:22), which is the covering.

This is the point disputed by two Amoraim in the Zohar: one said that two angels accompany a person, and the other said three. Rabbi Simeon said, “Let it accord with both of them”—that is, five angels, whose mystery is אַרְגָּמָן. They are the mystery of “By the testimony of two witnesses or by the testimony of three witnesses shall a matter be established” (Deuteronomy 17:6).

This is why Moses said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time [בָּעֵת הַהִיא]”: read it as בָּעֵת הַה׳, “at the time of the five,” when he saw these five angels. “You have begun”: הַחִלּוֹת is a permutation of הַלּוּחוֹת, for they are five opposite five. This is the meaning of “the tablets were the work of God, הֵמָּה [hemah]” (Exodus 32:16): המ״ה is a notarikon for ה׳ מוּל ה׳, “five opposite five,” corresponding to these five angels. The source has an extra closing parenthesis at this point. [TN-174-01]

“Your greatness” is Michael, who is from the side of Ḥesed; “and Your mighty hand” is Gabriel, who is from the side of Din; “for what El,” whose mystery is Jacob, is Nuriel; “who can do according to Your deeds and according to Your mighty acts” is Raphael. The sun is from the side of Raphael, concerning which it is said, “The sun of righteousness, with healing [וּמַרְפֵּא, u-marpe] in its wings” (Malachi 3:20). The sun is from the side of Gevurah, as it is said, “but those who love Him are like the sun going forth in its might” (Judges 5:31).

Therefore, “Let me cross over [אֶעְבְּרָה], I pray,” whose letters reversed yield אַרְבָּעָה (arbaʿah, “four”). At present I possess these four “kings,” as the source calls them—that is, the four angels in context. [TN-174-02] “Let me see the Land,” and there I shall merit the fifth angel, Orpaniel, the covering, for “His pavilion [סֻכּוֹ, sukko] was in Salem” (Psalms 76:3); there the merkavah is completed.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you have already merited Orpaniel, the mystery of חַשְׁמַל (ḥashmal), whose numerical value equals both מַלְבּוּשׁ (malbush, “garment”) and אַבְנֵי יְקָרָה (avnei yeqarah, “precious stones”), each 378, when you were in the wilderness of Sinai. מִדְבַּר סִינַי (midbar Sinai), with its two words counted, likewise has the numerical value of Orpaniel. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me.”

Hagahah

Young Solomon said: This is the mystery of “The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai” (Numbers 1:1). אֵל מֹשֶׁה (El Mosheh), with the two words counted, has the numerical value of אוֹר פְּנִיאֵל (Or Peniel). He merited this when he was in מִדְבַּר סִינַי, which likewise equals Or Peniel when the two words are counted. At that time it was בְּלֵב מֹשֶׁה (be-lev Mosheh, “in the heart of Moses”): לֵב מֹשֶׁה, with the kolel, likewise equals Or Peniel. The last construction does not count the prefixed ב of בְּלֵב. [TN-174-03]

Ofan 175

One premise is explained in *Zivḥei Shelamim* by Rabbi Menaḥem Azariah. The five partzufim of the soul—Nefesh, Ruaḥ, Neshamah, Ḥayyah, and Yeḥidah—correspond to the five partzufim of the Name YHWH, namely its four letters and the tip of the י. They come to a person at the following times. On the intermediate days of a festival and at the Musaf service of Rosh Ḥodesh, Nefesh comes to him; on a festival, Ruaḥ; on Yom Kippur, Neshamah; on the Sabbath, the additional soul that is the mystery of Ḥayyah; and in the World to Come he merits Yeḥidah.

No person in the world merited this part called Yeḥidah except Adam the first man. This is the mystery of “Behold, the man has become like one of Us” (Genesis 3:22)—“one” is precise, for he merited Yeḥidah. No one else merited it except Moses when he stood upon Mount Sinai, of whom it is said, “You took gifts through Adam” (Psalms 68:19), and he gazed into the radiance of supernal Wisdom. Afterward, at the time of the calf, that degree was taken from him, and he merited only Ḥayyah. This is the meaning of וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה (va-yehi ha-adam le-nefesh ḥayyah, “and the man became a living soul”; Genesis 2:7): the final letters of הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה spell מש״ה (Moses).

This is why Moses said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time [בָּעֵת הַהִיא]”—that is, בָּעֵת הַה׳, “at the time of the fifth,” when the fifth partzuf, Yeḥidah, was taken from him. “You have begun”: הַחִלּוֹת is a permutation of הַלּוּחוֹת, for there I merited the light of supernal Wisdom. “Your greatness” is from the side of Abraham, who is Nefesh; “and Your mighty hand” is from the side of Isaac, who is Ruaḥ. “For what [מִי, Mi] El”: Mi is in the mystery of Binah, as it is said, “With whom [מִי] did He consult, and who gave Him understanding?” (Isaiah 40:14), and Binah is the mystery of Neshamah, as it is said, “the breath of Shaddai gives them understanding” (Job 32:8). El is the mystery of Wisdom, as stated in the Zohar (Tikkunei Zohar 69, 100b), and is the mystery of Ḥayyah.

Therefore, the letters of אֶעְבְּרָה (eʿberah) reversed yield אַרְבָּעָה (arbaʿah, “four”), for I now possess these four partzufim. “Let me cross over, I pray, and see the good Land”; there I shall merit the fifth partzuf of the soul. This will occur specifically in the Land of Israel, for “He gives Neshamah to the people upon it” (Isaiah 42:5).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: “How abundant is Your goodness [רַב טוּבְךָ] that is hidden”—Yeḥidah, which a person merits only in the World to Come, the abundant hidden good—is yours. Even here you will merit it. “Ascend to the top of Pisgah,” the mystery of the tip of the י, which is Yeḥidah, for “Behold [הֵן], your days draw near to die” (Deuteronomy 31:14). The הֵן in “Behold, the man has become like one of Us,” which intimated that he possessed Yeḥidah—that same הֵן will be yours: when your days draw near to die, you too will merit Yeḥidah, as stated in “Ascend to the top of Pisgah.” Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me” about entering the Land of Israel.

Ofan 176

It is stated in *Yonat Elem* that the soul has seventeen degrees. It is known that Metatron is called “the lesser Name of YHWH,” as stated in the Alphabet of Rabbi Akiva. The reason is that all the reckonings are made in reduced numerical value. This is the mystery of “and a little lad shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6), for Metatron is called the lad Enoch. HaShem—the Name YHWH—has the reduced numerical value seventeen, corresponding to the seventeen degrees of the soul. This is the mystery of “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good [טוֹב, tov]” (Psalms 118:1), for YHWH has the numerical value of טוֹב, seventeen, in reduced number.

This is why it is said of Eliezer, “and all his master’s goods [טוּב, tuv] were in his hand” (Genesis 24:10), for he is in the mystery of Metatron: עֶבֶד אַבְרָהָם (eved Avraham, “servant of Abraham”) has the numerical value of Metatron. The printed spelling מטטרון ordinarily totals 314, while עבד אברהם totals 324; the equality assumes the alternate spelling מיטטרון with yod. [TN-176-01]

This is the mystery of “Joseph was seventeen years old” (Genesis 37:2). Scripture proceeds to explain why he was seventeen: “and he was a lad.” That is, he is in the mystery of Metatron, who is called נַעַר (naʿar, “lad”). Joseph was named on account of “God has gathered away [אָסַף אֱלֹהִים, asaf Elohim]” (Genesis 30:23). אס״ף is an acrostic of the three names of Metatron: אַטְמוֹן, סַגְרוֹן, פִּסְקִין (Atmon, Sagron, Pisqin). The vocalization of these opaque names is uncertain; their Hebrew forms are retained. [TN-176-02] Joseph was therefore seventeen years old, for Metatron is the lesser Name of YHWH, which equals seventeen.

This is the mystery of “Say of the righteous one that he is good [טוֹב]” (Isaiah 3:10): say of Joseph, who is righteous, “that he is good,” for he is the lesser Name of YHWH, whose value is טוֹב. He had to rectify Adam the first man’s defect. Jacob therefore made him a “coat of many colors [כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים]” (Genesis 37:3), corresponding to the garments of light [כָּתְנוֹת אוֹר] that Adam the first man damaged, making them garments of skin [כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר] (Genesis 3:21; see Zohar I, 36b). When Joseph was lost to him, Jacob thought the defect would not be rectified, and he therefore “put sackcloth on his loins” (Genesis 37:34), corresponding to the garments of skin of Adam the first man.

Joseph therefore said to his brothers, “All the good [טוּב] of the land of Egypt shall be yours” (Genesis 45:20). Under ATBaSH, טו״ב becomes נפ״ש (nefesh, “soul”), for they came down to Egypt to rectify the Nefesh of Adam the first man. They therefore deserved to remain in Egypt for 430 years, the numerical value of נֶפֶשׁ. Accordingly, “Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years” (Genesis 47:28), corresponding to Joseph’s seventeen years, as stated in the Zohar, Vayeḥi (I, 257a), in order to rectify the seventeen degrees of Adam the first man’s soul.

This is why Moses said, “You have begun”: הַחִלּוֹת is a permutation of הַלּוּחוֹת, for at that time Moses merited these seventeen degrees. This is the meaning of “Moses entered into the cloud” (Exodus 24:18). Moses comprised ten, the mystery of Moses’ height being ten cubits (Berakhot 54b); ten times seventeen has the numerical value of עָנָן (anan, “cloud”), 170.

“You have begun to show Your servant” refers to Metatron. “Your greatness” is what You gave him from Your measure of the stature; “and Your mighty hand [יָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה]” has the numerical value of קָטָן (qatan, “small”), for Metatron is called the lesser Name of YHWH. Therefore, “Let me cross over, I pray”: אֶעְבְּרָה has the numerical value of זְעֵירָא (zeʿira, “lesser”), for there I shall attain that lesser Name of YHWH, corresponding to the seventeen degrees of the soul. “And let me see the good Land, this good mountain”—טוֹב (tov, “good”) is precise: it is seventeen, the lesser Name of YHWH. This will occur specifically in the Land of Israel, for “He gives Neshamah to the people upon it” (Isaiah 42:5).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you already possess that degree in the mystery of “She saw him, that he was good [טוֹב]” (Exodus 2:2). This is the mystery of “Behold, a lad was crying” (Exodus 2:6). One cannot say that Moses’ voice was that of a lad, for Heaven forbid that Moses should have had a physical defect, since Levites are disqualified on account of the voice (Ḥullin 24a). Rather, “behold, a lad” is the mystery of Metatron. מֹשֶׁה (Moses) is therefore an acrostic for מְטַטְרוֹן שַׂר הַפָּנִים (Metatron, Sar ha-Panim: “Metatron, Prince of the Presence”). You thus already possess that degree. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me” about entering the Land of Israel for this purpose; “concerning this thing [הַזֶּה, ha-zeh]” is precise, for it is the seventeen degrees of the soul.

Hagahah

Young Solomon said: One who knows this mystery will understand Joseph’s gathering of the silver that he collected in Egypt (Genesis 47:14). It consisted of the sparks that Adam the first man damaged through the Tree of Knowledge, as is known; כֶּסֶף (kesef, “silver”) therefore has the numerical value of עֵץ (etz, “tree”), 160. Through this one will understand the matter of Ahasuerus and Haman in connection with the giving of the silver: “The silver is given to you” (Esther 3:11), and Haman wished to hang Mordecai upon the tree (Esther 5:14). This is what our Rabbis, of blessed memory, wrote: “Where is Haman indicated in the Torah? In the verse, ‘Is it from the tree [הֲמִן הָעֵץ, ha-min ha-etz]?’” (Genesis 3:11; Ḥullin 139b).

Ofan 177

A premise is explained in the book *Sodei Razi*. It asks why fire is sometimes mentioned before hail—“fire and hail and vapor, storm wind,” and so forth (Psalms 148:8)—while at other times hail is mentioned before fire—“hail and coals of fire” (Psalms 18:13)—and there are many similar instances.

It answers that Michael is always mentioned before Gabriel. Sometimes Michael is on the right, as hail and water, and Gabriel is on the left, as fire; at other times Michael is on the left, as fire, and Gabriel is on the right, as hail. The matter is that an angel is named after his partition. Thus, when Michael pleads Israel’s merit, he is on the right and is accordingly called hail. Afterward, when Gabriel performs his beneficent mission below to protect Israel, Michael takes him and sets him on the right while he himself stands on the left; Gabriel is then called hail and Michael fire.

Do not be astonished at this. In the order of teaching the Mishnah, Aaron sat to Moses’ right; afterward Aaron withdrew and sat to Moses’ left, while Eleazar sat to Moses’ right (Eruvin 54b). *Sodei Razi* explains this matter at length.

This resolves the variation in Midrash Rabbah. Whenever it interprets “Dominion and dread,” and so forth, under the source’s printed reference Job 22:5, it speaks of Michael and Gabriel—Michael as hail and Gabriel as fire—yet in one place it presents Gabriel as hail and Michael as fire (Deuteronomy Rabbah 5:12, Parashat Shofetim). The words “Dominion and dread” are actually found at Job 25:2; the printed Job 22:5 is retained as a damaged locator. [TN-177-01]

It is stated in the Midrash (Lamentations Rabbah 1:41) concerning “He said to the man clothed in linen . . . and He said” (Ezekiel 10:2): Why is “He said” written twice? The Holy One, blessed be He, spoke to the angel, and the angel spoke to the cherub, and so forth. The coals remained dimmed in Gabriel’s hand for six years, and so forth. This is stated in Midrash Tanḥuma, Parashat Vayishlaḥ—the source leaves the section number blank: [uncertain: תנחומא וישלח סי׳]—as well as Parashat Tazria §9, Parashat Emor §3, Leviticus Rabbah 26:8, and Midrash Samuel, chapter 24. [TN-177-02]

This is why Moses said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying.” That is: I saw that superfluous “saying,” namely that the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke to the angel and the angel spoke to the cherub, and Moses wished to nullify those coals and extinguish them. “You have begun to show” has the numerical value of גֶּחָלִים עוֹמְמוֹת (geḥalim omemot, “dimmed coals”).

“Your greatness and Your mighty hand” means that “Your greatness,” the angel on the right, is sometimes “Your mighty hand,” on the left, for they change from right to left and from left to right. The proof is “for what god is there in heaven or on earth?” The governance on earth resembles the governance in the firmament. In my order of teaching the Mishnah, Aaron first sat on the right and then withdrew and sat on Moses’ left; so too in heaven Michael withdraws from the right and stands on the left, while Gabriel stands on the right.

Therefore, “Let me cross over, I pray, and see the Land.” There I shall rectify the coals in Gabriel’s hand, when he is on the left, and bring him to the right, so that the coals of fire on the left will be transformed into water from the side of the right.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): for your sake, as it were, the Master [הָרַב, ha-rav] will reverse Himself. As stated in that Midrash, Gabriel delayed six years with the coals, thinking that Israel might repent. When he saw that they had not repented, he wished to cast the coals, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not permit him. Thus, for the sake of your prayer I shall change My word. רַב־לָךְ: your prayer has already been effective in this matter. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me anymore concerning this matter,” and so forth.

Ofan 178

It is known that the Holy One, blessed be He, governs His world through three attributes whose mnemonic is חד״ר: חֶסֶד דִּין רַחֲמִים (Ḥesed, Din, Raḥamim: lovingkindness, judgment, mercy). Three Names extend from them. From the attribute of Ḥesed extends the Name of seventy-two; from Din, the Name of forty-two, the mystery of the forty-two rivers of fire; and from Raḥamim, the Name of twenty-two.

This is the mystery of the ladder [סוּלָּם, sullam] with ו that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Jacob (Genesis 28:12). Both the reading and the consonantal tradition possess authority: in the upper academy it is plene, with ו, while in the lower academy it is defective, without ו. This is stated at the end of the Zohar, Parashat Balaq (Zohar III, 203b), concerning “and from the hills I behold him” (Numbers 23:9). The plene spelling סוּלָּם therefore comprises these three degrees, for סול״ם has the numerical value of ע״ב מ״ב כ״ב, seventy-two, forty-two, and twenty-two.

This is the mystery of “he took from the stones of the place” (Genesis 28:11), and of the statement that Jacob took three stones corresponding to these three degrees (Zohar I, 147b). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (Genesis 28:13), corresponding to the Name of seventy-two, “I am the God of Abraham your father”; corresponding to the Name of forty-two, “and the God of Isaac”; and corresponding to the Name of twenty-two, “Behold, I am with you” (Genesis 28:15). This is also the mystery of “the voice is Jacob’s voice [הַקֹּל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב]” (Genesis 27:22): קוֹל (qol, “voice”) is precise, for its numerical value equals seventy-two, forty-two, and twenty-two.

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel to attain these apprehensions, for the Land of Israel is the ladder for apprehending the holy Names. Scripture accordingly says, “Come, behold the works of God, who has wrought desolations [שַׁמּוֹת, shammot] in the earth” (Psalms 46:9). The author reads שַׁמּוֹת as שֵׁמוֹת (shemot, “Names”), producing “who placed Names in the earth.” [TN-178-01]

It is stated in the Zohar, Parashat Noaḥ (Zohar I, 60a) and Parashat Shemot (Zohar II, 5a): Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, made Names in the firmament, so the Holy One, blessed be He, made Names on earth. “Names in the earth” is precise: in the Land of Israel the Names shone forth. Outside the Land, however, the Sages decreed impurity upon the land of the nations (Shabbat 14b), because the air outside the Land conveys impurity, for it is the dwelling place of the kelippot. In the Land of Israel, by contrast, the kelippot have no dominion, as it is written, “the city upon which Your Name is called” (Daniel 9:18).

The word עָלֶיהָ (aleha, “upon it”) is precise, for “the earth is the LORD’s and all its fullness [וּמְלוֹאָהּ, u-meloʾah]” (Psalms 24:1). That is, even the “filling” [מִלּוּי, millui] of the Land of Israel—its air and space—also belongs to the LORD.

Moses therefore began to arrange his prayer: Since “You have begun to show” Your holy Names—at the sea the Holy One, blessed be He, showed the Name of seventy-two, through which He split the sea, the mystery of the three verses וַיִּסַּע, וַיָּבֹא, וַיֵּט (va-yissa, va-yavo, va-yet; Exodus 14:19–21). The Name of forty-two was inscribed upon Moses’ staff. He likewise showed him the Name of twenty-two at the sea, as *Kanfei Yonah* writes concerning “He drove them with heaviness [בִּכְבֵדֻת]” (Exodus 14:25): at that time the Holy One, blessed be He, had to disclose the Name of twenty-two.

Corresponding to the Name of seventy-two Moses said, “Your greatness.” The Name of seventy-two that was at the sea is also intimated in “Your greatness,” for there it is said, “Israel saw the great hand” (Exodus 14:31). “And Your mighty hand” is the Name of forty-two, from the side of Gevurah. The Name of forty-two is divided into three “hands,” three times י״ד (yad, fourteen), totaling forty-two; “Your hand [יָדְךָ]” is therefore precise. “For what El is there in heaven or on earth?” corresponds to the Name of twenty-two. He mentioned heaven and earth with the Name of twenty-two because there are twenty-two channels in the world, through which heaven and earth were created by the twenty-two letters of the Torah.

Moses consequently prayed, “Let me cross over, I pray.” I wish to enter the Land of Israel and attain there “a ladder set upon the earth,” for there is “the gate of heaven,” through which one attains the three Names intimated in the word סוּלָּם. This is the meaning of “and Lebanon,” the site of the Temple, where these holy Names shone forth.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you wish to attain the mystery of the ladder, as indicated by “for what god is there in heaven or on earth?”—the mystery of “a ladder set upon the earth, whose top reached heaven” (Genesis 28:12). That ladder which Jacob saw is yours; that greatness belongs to you. Genesis Rabbah 68:12 already says that the vision of the ladder refers to Moses. He was a ladder when he received the Torah from Sinai: סֻלָּם (sullam), written defectively, has the numerical value of סִינַי (Sinai), 130. He was “set upon the earth” and received the Torah from heaven; hence “its top reached heaven.”

The angels envied him. This is the meaning of “and angels of God were ascending and descending upon him” (Genesis 28:12)—“God” is precise, for they sought to assail him—until the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Take hold of My throne of glory” (Shabbat 88b). The reverse initials of וְהִנֵּה יהוה נִצָּב עָלָיו (ve-hinneh YHWH nitzav alav, “and behold, the LORD stood over him”; Genesis 28:13) form עני״ו (anav, “humble”), alluding to Moses, who was “very humble, more than any man” (Numbers 12:3). The source calls these “initials” without stating that their order is reversed. [TN-178-02] עָנָיו has the same numerical value as סוּלָּם, 136. Because Moses was exceedingly humble, more than any man, he merited the ladder.

Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me.” By virtue of being exceedingly humble, “ascend to the top of Pisgah”: ascend to the highest degree possible here. You do not need the Land of Israel for this.

Ofan 179

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel in order to fulfill the verse printed as Psalms 37:29: “The humble shall inherit the land; they shall dwell upon it forever.” The source combines the first clause of Psalms 37:11 with the second clause of Psalms 37:29. [TN-179-01] Moses saw that the culmination of all attributes is humility. “What Wisdom made a crown for her head, Humility made a heel for her sole,” as taught in the Jerusalem Talmud, the first chapter of Shabbat (Jerusalem Talmud Shabbat 1:3), and in Tanḥuma, Parashat Ekev; the parenthetical locator, however, reads “Tanḥuma, Bereshit §1.” Both forms are retained. [TN-179-02]

There is proof of this. Who was the greatest of the world’s sages? Solomon. He said, “The end of the matter, when all is heard: fear God” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Thus, of all the commandments and attributes in the world, Solomon in his wisdom found no attribute better than fear of Heaven. He therefore said “the end of the matter”: the culmination of all the attributes is “fear God.” Moses, however, knew the mystery of the Torah and was more humble than any man; he made fear of Heaven the heel of his sole, for he said, “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear?” (Deuteronomy 10:12). He thus regarded fear as a small matter, as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said in Berakhot 33b.

When Moses saw that Israel’s culmination belongs to the humble, he thought that he had still not perfected humility and therefore had not merited dwelling in the Land of Israel. He began to arrange his prayer with “I pleaded with the LORD,” for “wherever you find the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, there you find His humility” (Megillah 31a). There are three explanations of this dictum, and Moses alluded to all three.

The first explanation concerns HaShem—the four-letter Name: within the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, we see His humility. When the letters of HaShem (the four-letter Name) are filled, their numerical values are smaller than those of all other letters of the Torah: יו״ד totals only twenty, ה״י only fifteen, and וי״ו only twenty-two, whereas the other letters of the Torah have larger values. Concerning this Moses said: Since “You have begun to show me” the attribute of humility—this is the meaning of “Your greatness”: in the place where You showed me Your greatness, there You showed me Your humility. This is “Your mighty hand,” which is humility, for יָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה (yadekha ha-ḥazaqah, “Your mighty hand”) has the numerical value of קָטָן (qatan, “small”). This is intimated by גָּדְלְךָ (godlekha, “Your greatness”): when the letters of the Name are “made great,” that is, expanded or filled, one sees there the attribute of smallness, the humility of the Holy One, blessed be He.

The second explanation of “wherever you find His greatness” concerns the Name of seventy-two, the mystery of the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He. The Name of seventy-two contains all twenty-two letters of the Torah except the letter ג, which does not appear anywhere in the three verses וַיִּסַּע (Exodus 14:19), וַיָּבֹא (Exodus 14:20), and וַיֵּט (Exodus 14:21), from which the Name of 216 letters issues.

So too, in the three verses of “right hand” in the Torah—“Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power” (Exodus 15:6), “You stretched out Your right hand” (Exodus 15:12), and “at His right hand was a fiery law for them” (Deuteronomy 33:2)—all the letters of the Torah occur except ג. The ג is likewise absent from “And of Levi he said, ‘Your Tummim and Urim’” (Deuteronomy 33:8); from the passage of the Ark, cover, and cherubim; from the passage of the sotah; from every eightfold unit under the letter ק; and from the eleven supplications Solomon prayed concerning the Temple—five in Kings and six in Chronicles. In all these passages the letter ג is absent.

The intent is that ג indicates גַּאֲוָה and גְּדוּלָּה (gaʾavah, gedullah: pride, greatness). The right hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, is the priest, a man of Ḥesed; therefore the letter ג is likewise absent from the right hand and from the priest, who is the right. All this shows that the locus of His greatness is the locus of His humility.

Moses therefore said, “You have begun to show me Your greatness,” meaning the ordering of the Name of seventy-two. There, in the place of Your greatness, You showed me “Your mighty hand,” humility, for the letter ג is not mentioned there at all. “Your greatness” alludes to the letters of the Torah that occur in the Name of seventy-two, from א through ת except ג; this indicates humility.

The third explanation is that in the place of His greatness, the Name of seventy-two, we see His humility: when one examines the Name of seventy-two, its sixty-third Name [ס״ג] is ענ״ו (A-N-V, “humble”). The letters ס״ג reversed form ג״ס (gas, “arrogant/coarse”). Thus the “greatness” of the Holy One, blessed be He, is ג״ס, yet within HaShem—the Name that is ענ״ו—He displayed it: in the place of His greatness one finds the Name “Humble.” Here ס״ג denotes the sixty-third triplet within the Name of seventy-two, not the filled Divine Name SaG used elsewhere. [TN-179-03]

Because the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, indicates humility, we see His humility in that He does not act like flesh and blood. Among mortals, a commoner does not wear a king’s garment; but the garment of the Holy One, blessed be He, is Tiferet, and He gave that garment to Moses, as stated in the Sabbath morning liturgy: “A crown of Tiferet upon his head You gave him.” Concerning this Moses said הַחִלּוֹת (haḥillota), a permutation of הַלּוּחוֹת (ha-luḥot): then You gave me “Your greatness,” the garment of the Holy One, blessed be He.

A mortal king does not permit a commoner to use the king’s scepter, but the Holy One, blessed be He, gave His scepter to Moses, as it is written, “Take this staff in your hand, with which you shall perform the signs” (Exodus 4:17; Exodus Rabbah 8:1). This is the meaning of “and Your mighty hand.” He therefore said, “who can do according to Your deeds?” corresponding to the garment He gave him; “and according to Your mighty acts,” corresponding to the king’s scepter He gave him.

Behold, You have shown me Your humility. Scripture says, “You gave me the shield of Your salvation” (Psalms 18:36), alluding to the mystery of the three verses וַיִּסַּע, וַיָּבֹא, and וַיֵּט. They correspond to the three Patriarchs, the mystery of מג״ן: וַיִּסַּע corresponds to Abraham, who is Michael; וַיָּבֹא to Isaac, who is Gabriel; and וַיֵּט to Jacob, who is Uriel, which the source nevertheless calls the mystery of מג״ן. Since the third angel’s printed name begins with א rather than נ, the stated mnemonic does not align without an unstated substitution. [TN-179-04]

Scripture then explains the mystery of the shield: “Your right hand supported me.” That is, the Name of seventy-two is from the side of the right; in that Name, the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, we find His humility. This is the meaning of “and Your humility made me great.”

Moses therefore prayed concerning humility: “Let me cross over, I pray,” into the Land of Israel, for there “the humble shall inherit the land” (Psalms 37:11), followed by “and delight themselves in abundant peace.” This is the meaning of “this good mountain,” Jerusalem, so called in connection with the mystery of the Name of seventy-two: יר״ו, “on the mountain the LORD will be seen [בְּהַר יהוה יֵרָאֶה]” (Genesis 22:14), and “peace,” on account of “delight themselves in abundant peace.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you seek humility, but the Torah has already written concerning you, “The man Moses was exceedingly humble,” and so forth (Numbers 12:3). The attribute of humility is thus yours. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak anymore.” To bring Joshua to the culmination of humility, “command Joshua and strengthen him [וְחַזְּקֵהוּ, ve-ḥazzeqehu]” in the attribute of humility. The final letters ה״ו are the mystery of humility. As stated in the Tikkunim, pride [גַּאֲוָה, gaʾavah] impairs the two letters ו״ה of HaShem (the Name): divide גַּאֲוָה as גַּא ו״ה, for it removes the letters ו and ה from HaShem (the Name). Conversely, concerning עֲנָוָה (anavah, “humility”), the source continues with the damaged phrase [uncertain: שמשפיעים בלשון ענוה הארץ], apparently describing an opposite flow of ו״ה toward the earth. [TN-179-05]

He said “and fortify him [וְאַמְּצֵהוּ, ve-ammetzehu].” Maimonides has already written in *Hilkhot Deʿot* that with all the attributes in the world it is not good to follow either of two extremes, but rather the middle way, for acquisition of the mean is perfect. The exception is humility, in which a person must go to the furthest extreme, as the tanna said, “Be exceedingly, exceedingly lowly in spirit” (Avot 4:4). He therefore said here “and fortify him”: Joshua must be urged with particular force and guided in this attribute.

Hagahah

Young Solomon said: One who knows this mystery will understand why this Name issues from front, back, and front. Judgment is in the mystery of the backs. The Name Elohim is also the “back” of the Name twenty-six, which is the “front,” as follows: write כ״ו (kaf-vav), twenty-six, in full as כ״ף ו״ו. The added or “back” letters ף״ו have the numerical value of Elohim, eighty-six, in the mystery of “the LORD, He is God” (Deuteronomy 4:39).

Alternatively, take the “front” of YHWH twice, totaling ב״ן, fifty-two, and also the “back”—the added filling letters—in the alef-filled form יו״ד ה״א וא״ו ה״א, totaling nineteen. The result is seventy-one; count HaShem (the Name) itself, which bears all, as one, and the result is seventy-two. [TN-179-06]

Ofan 180

The Gemara says in the chapter *Heleq* (Sanhedrin 94a), concerning the verse “Of the increase [למרבה] of the government” (Isaiah 9:6), that there is a closed ם in the middle of the word. The reason is that the Holy One, blessed be He, sought to make Hezekiah the Messiah and Sennacherib Gog and Magog. The Attribute of Judgment came before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said: “David recited so many praises, yet You did not make him the Messiah; do You now wish to make Hezekiah the Messiah?” Immediately the Attribute of Judgment was sealed. The earth then came and sought to sing on his behalf, as it is said, “From the wing of the earth we have heard songs: ‘Glory to the righteous’” (Isaiah 24:16)—to carry out the will of the righteous one. The Holy Spirit replied, “The treacherous have dealt treacherously.” The passage counts five acts of treachery corresponding to five kingdoms, as Rashi explains (Sanhedrin 94a, s.v. ve-omer) [TN-180-01].

The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the treasury of “I will show grace to whomever I show grace” (Exodus 33:19), as is intimated in the word ואתחנן (va-etḥannan, “I pleaded”; Tanḥuma, Ki Tissa §27). When Moses reached Hezekiah’s generation and saw this accusation of the Attribute of Judgment, through which the ם of למרבה was closed, he understood why Messiah is intimated by that closed ם. Messiah is intimated in the closed ם of אד״ם (Adam) in Adam’s third gilgul, for אד״ם is a notarikon for אד״ם דו״ד משי״ח (Adam, David, Messiah). Thus Messiah is intimated in the closed ם, and here too the ם was closed so as to allude to Messiah [TN-180-02].

The Sages likewise said that in the book of Nehemiah there is an open מ at the end of a word in “the walls of Jerusalem, which are breached” (חומת ירושלים אשר הם פרוצים; Nehemiah 2:13). The final מ is open, to intimate that so long as the walls of Jerusalem are open, the ם of למרבה המשרה remains closed—that is, Messiah is shut away above in the Bird’s Nest (Zohar on Exodus, p. 11; Zohar II 7b). But if the closed one is opened—if Messiah leaves the Bird’s Nest and the מ of למרבה becomes open—then the מ of the wall of Jerusalem will be closed on every side. The export does not visually preserve the anomalous open final מ described by the exposition; the operative Masoretic contrast is therefore stated explicitly [TN-180-03].

Moses came to petition concerning this. When he heard the voice saying, “My secret is mine, my secret is mine,” and they counted five successive betrayals, the five kingdoms, Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel and nullify the accusation against Hezekiah, so that the Holy One, blessed be He, would heed the voice of the earth that sought to sing on Hezekiah’s behalf.

This is the meaning of “at that time, saying.” Read בעת ההיא (ba-et ha-hi, “at that time”) as בעת הה״א (ba-et ha-he, “at the time of the ה”). When He showed Moses a ה through the five betrayals corresponding to the five kingdoms, Moses wished to repair the ה “at that time.” He therefore opened with Adonai, for Adonai is the mystery of the “wing” of the earth. The foundation of the supernal living earth is the Shekhinah, who is called “earth” and wished to sing on Hezekiah’s behalf.

Hezekiah is called חזקיה (Hizqiyyah) because י״ה strengthened him (חזקו י״ה), as stated there in Sanhedrin 94a. י״ה is Binah. Moses therefore invoked YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim, the mystery of Binah and the source of Hezekiah’s nurture. Fifteen years were consequently added to Hezekiah, the mystery of י״ה from Binah: “Behold, I shall add [יוסף] fifteen years to your days” (Isaiah 38:5). The verse does not say אוסיף (“I shall add” in the first person), but יוסף, pointing to Atika, the mystery of י״ה. At the Song of the Sea Moses merited Atika, as explained in *Kanfei Yonah*, part 4; he therefore said, “My strength and song is י״ה” (Exodus 15:2) [TN-180-04].

The Gemara there (Sanhedrin 94a) says concerning “Behold, the Lord, the LORD of Hosts, shall send leanness among his stout ones” (Isaiah 10:16): the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Let Hezekiah, who has eight names, come and exact payment from Sennacherib, who has eight names.” Moses therefore opened with Adonai and concluded with YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim, which is Binah. From Adonai to Binah there are eight attributes, corresponding to Hezekiah’s eight names. Because Hezekiah’s nurture derives from Binah, he was given eight names corresponding to eight sefirot from above downward.

Moses arranged his prayer on this basis. Since “You have begun to show” me, among the future generations, two chariots—on the side of holiness, “Your greatness,” the face of a lion, namely Hezekiah, who was king of Judah and is the face of a lion; and on the left, from the side of the kelippah, Sennacherib, who likewise had eight names—Hezekiah corresponds to “Your greatness,” while Sennacherib’s nurture came from “the mighty hand,” the left. Sennacherib drew from the left side, from the kelippah of Nogah, which stands opposite Binah in holiness and comprises 320 judgments, for סנחר״ב (Sennacherib) has the value 320.

Hezekiah’s “resting place was glory” (כבו״ד). This is the mystery of the thirty-two paths of Ḥokhmah, which were open in Hezekiah’s generation: they searched from Dan to Beersheba and found schoolchildren expert in the laws of impurity and purity, as stated there in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 94b). The source opens a parenthesis around this citation and does not preserve a secure closing boundary; its scope has not been silently reconstructed [TN-180-05]. The mystery of כבוד (kavod, “glory”) is the thirty-two paths of Ḥokhmah. These are comprised within יו״ד (yod, ten): ten times thirty-two is 320. Hezekiah therefore stood in his generation opposite Sennacherib, who comprised 320 judgments, the numerical value of סנחר״ב.

Concerning Hezekiah it is said, “who is El in heaven and on earth?” For in Hezekiah’s days the Holy One, blessed be He, turned the shadow of the sun’s steps backward in the firmament (Isaiah 38:8). Concerning this Moses said, “who can act like Your deeds?” Concerning Sennacherib’s downfall, when Gabriel burned his army, as stated there in Sanhedrin 94a, Moses said, “and like Your mighty acts.”

Moses therefore prayed, “Let me cross, please.” I wish to enter the Land of Israel and repair “the wing of the earth,” so that it may carry out the will of the righteous and Hezekiah may become Messiah. I wish to repair the closed מ, which is closed on four sides: אעבר״ה (eʿberah, “let me cross”) reverses to form ארבע״ה (arbaʿah, “four”). I wish to make it an open מ by means of “one path” (נתי״ב אח״ד), a notarikon of נ״א (N-A) [TN-180-06].

This is the meaning of “and Lebanon,” as it is written concerning Hezekiah, “Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one” (Isaiah 10:34). I wish to come there and fulfill the verse, “The glory of Lebanon shall come to you” (Isaiah 60:13), so that his resting place will be glory.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” The mystery of כבו״ד is yours. Moses merited the Torah, which begins with ב (Genesis 1:1) and ends with ל (Deuteronomy 34:12), because Moses is the gilgul of Abel. He is called הבל (Hevel, “Abel”) in relation to his third gilgul, in which he received the Five Books of the Torah: the Torah begins with ב and ends with ל, yielding ב״ל, the final two letters of הבל. Abel was killed on the fiftieth day after his birth (Genesis Rabbah 22:4); Moses later came and repaired his first gilgul through the fifty gates of Binah of the Torah.

This is what He said: “It is enough for you”—this greatness of לבנו״ן (Lebanon) is yours, for לבנו״ן is read as ל״ב נתיבות חכמה, נ׳ שערי בינה (thirty-two paths of Ḥokhmah and fifty gates of Binah). “Command Joshua and strengthen him” through the thirty-two paths of Ḥokhmah, “and embolden him” through the fifty gates of Binah [TN-180-07].

Hagahah

The young Solomon said: This is the mystery of what Hezekiah said, “I said: I shall not see י״ה, י״ה, in the land of the living” (Isaiah 38:11). י״ה is Binah, as explained in the entries on Divine appellations in *Pardes Rimmonim* [TN-180-08].

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Alternatively, we may say that Moses wished to pray concerning Sennacherib, who was destined to be Gog and Magog (Sanhedrin 94a), in the following manner. It is known that the generation of the Dispersion later underwent gilgul and became the generations of Sodom; afterward they appeared in Korah’s dispute. This is the mystery of the Gemara in the chapter *Heleq* (Sanhedrin 109a): one third of the tower was burned, one third was swallowed up, and one third remains; from them came apes, lilin, and demons [TN-181-01].

The people of the generation of the Dispersion subsequently underwent gilgul into the people of Sodom. This is the mystery of “the people of the city” (Genesis 19:4)—these are the people of Sodom. That is, the people of Sodom were literally the same as “the people of the city,” those who had built “the tower and a city whose top would be in heaven.” They wished to build below the supernal Shiʿur Qomah, whose mystery is 236. This is the mystery of “and its top in heaven” (Genesis 11:4): just as the supernal Shiʿur Qomah is 236, so they wished to build this Shiʿur Qomah below.

At that time Nimrod was literally “a mighty hunter before the LORD” (Genesis 10:9). That is, just as the supernal Shiʿur Qomah is in the mystery of the Name YHWH and the supernal chariot is the mystery of ארגמ״ן (argaman, “purple”), so נמר״ד (Nimrod) has the gematria of ארגמ״ן. He is the chariot of the sitra aḥra, for “God made this corresponding to that” (Ecclesiastes 7:14) [TN-181-02].

The generation of the Dispersion later underwent gilgul into Sennacherib’s generation, and Sennacherib was literally Nimrod. This is the mystery of “From that land Asshur went forth” (Genesis 10:11): from the generation of the Dispersion, which is the subject there, Sennacherib king of Assyria later emerged; and he himself will be Gog and Magog in the future.

Concerning these three generations Moses said: Since “You have begun to show” me Abraham, who lived in the generation of the Dispersion and struck the four kings (Genesis 14:15), corresponding to the four kingdoms that will exist in the future with Gog and Magog—concerning this he said, “Your greatness,” Abraham’s attribute. Because the generation of the Dispersion reached out toward the supernal Shiʿur Qomah, he said specifically “Your greatness,” concerning the supernal Shiʿur Qomah.

At that time the supernal chariot was divided among seventy princes, as stated in Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer (ch. 24): in the generation of the Dispersion the Holy One, blessed be He, cast a lot. Thus the seventy nations were divided among seventy princes—seventy princes above and seventy princes below.

Concerning Sennacherib’s generation, when the angel Gabriel struck the entire Assyrian camp, Moses said, “Your mighty hand”; this was its second gilgul. Concerning the third gilgul, Gog and Magog in the future, who “will wage war against the LORD and His anointed” (Psalms 2:2), he said, “who is El in heaven and on earth?” In the future they too will extend their hands against heaven and earth. He therefore said, in the damaged printed form, `אשר יעשה במעשי׳`: “who will act through My deeds”—he will act in the future when he comes with the seventy nations [TN-181-03].

Concerning them Moses said, “Let me cross, please.” He wished now to repair matters so that Hezekiah would be Messiah in Abraham’s place, and Sennacherib would stand in place of Gog and Magog. The matter is intimated in אעברה, whose letters reversed form ארבעה (“four”), just as Abraham struck the four kings in the days of Amraphel. This will occur when “I see the Land” and possess the merit of the Land of Israel; then I shall be able to repair and to wage war and battle.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” That is, you have already repaired the generation of the Dispersion, who became Korah’s congregation, concerning whom it was said, “It is enough for you, sons of Levi” (Numbers 16:7). As the Sages said—the source names Ḥullin but gives Sotah 13b as its locator—“With ‘enough’ he announced [his fate], and with ‘enough’ it was announced to him” [TN-181-04].

Korah’s congregation were the people of Sodom, and they had been the generation of the Dispersion, as Rabbenu Baḥya wrote. “Korah took” (ויקח קרח; Numbers 16:1) is translated אתפלג (“he separated”), and therefore they are called “men of name” (Numbers 16:2), for they had built the tower in order to “make a name for ourselves.” Likewise, the verse calls them “these sinners against their own souls” (Numbers 17:3), because their souls had sinned in the generation of the Dispersion. The Midrash on Korah (Numbers Rabbah 18:1) therefore opens with “A brother offended is harder than a strong city” (Proverbs 18:19): his rebellion came from the generation of the Dispersion, which built the tower called “a strong city.”

Korah’s congregation also included Dathan and Abiram together with the 250 men. He therefore said רב ל״ך (“It is enough for you”). The source preserves adjacent readings `(ר״ע)[רנ״ב]`: the first is 270, while the bracketed reading is 252. The latter matches 250 plus Dathan and Abiram [TN-181-05]. That is: it is enough for you that you have already struck all your enemies on the cheek—those 252 men from the generation of the Dispersion, who recur in Sennacherib’s generation and the generation of Gog and Magog.

“Now do not continue to speak to Me.” Since you have already struck them, “distress shall not arise twice” (Nahum 1:9) concerning these two appearances. Just as they all withdrew together when they fought in Sennacherib’s days, were forced backward, and an angel came so that their souls departed all at once (II Kings 19:35), so in the days of Gog and Magog their souls will depart all at once; and so too with Pharaoh and his army at the sea [TN-181-06].

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One established premise is that the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world for the sake of the two Torahs He gave us. Thus the Zohar states (p. 13; Zohar I 29b) that the ב of בראשית (“In the beginning”; Genesis 1:1) is large and bears crowns, intimating that the world was created for the sake of two Torahs. These are the mystery of heaven and earth: heaven is the Written Torah, and earth is the Oral Torah.

The Holy One, blessed be He, showed this to Moses at the beginning of his mission through בלב״ת אש (“in a flame of fire”; Exodus 3:2). בלב״ת is a notarikon for ב׳ לוחו״ת, ב׳ תורו״ת (“two tablets, two Torahs”) [TN-182-01].

The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses all future generations. When Moses reached the generation of King Yannai, who served as High Priest for eighty years and afterward became a Sadducee (Berakhot 29a), he saw that this occurred through the worthless man Eleazar ben Po‘erah. As stated in Kiddushin 66a, Yannai killed all the Sages of Israel.

It is taught in *Sodei Razayya* that in Ezra’s days he established all the accents, vowel points, crowns, and letters on the basis of three Torah scrolls found after the destruction. One was called the Maʿon Scroll, the second the Zaʿatutei Scroll, and the third the Hi Hi Scroll. When these three Torah scrolls differed in letters, vowel points, accents, or crowns, they followed the majority.

Afterward King Yannai killed the Sages, denied the Oral Torah, and wished to believe only in the Written Torah. He erased all the crowns in the Torah scrolls. Were it not for the kindness of the LORD—Yannai’s wife hid her younger brother, named Simeon ben Shetah (Berakhot 48a)—the Oral Torah would, heaven forbid, have been forgotten from Israel [TN-182-02].

This matter too is intimated in the Torah, for “there is no matter that is not intimated in the Torah” (Taʿanit 9a). At the beginning of Moses’ mission, when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “What is that in your hand?” (מה זה בידך; Exodus 4:2), the written form is מזה. This alludes to the Torah not being forgotten, the mystery of Moses’ staff. The Torah is called a staff (מטה), as stated in Raʿaya Mehemna (Tikkunei Zohar 19, 43a): the letters מ״ט begin מטה, for the Torah is expounded in forty-nine aspects (Numbers Rabbah 2:3).

The written contraction מזה omits the ה of מה (“what”). It declares the end from the beginning: even if the staff is transformed into a serpent and the sitra aḥra prevails in the world, three scrolls intimated in מז״ה will remain in the world so that the Torah will not be forgotten. מז״ה is a notarikon for מעו״ן, זאטוט״י, הי״א הי״א (Maʿon, Zaʿatutei, Hi Hi). From these three scrolls Israel will learn all the secrets of the Torah—accents and crowns—and “mounds upon mounds of laws” from every point [TN-182-03].

Moses therefore came to pray and plead concerning the generation of King Yannai, so that a remnant would survive for us in that generation. He wished to enter the Land of Israel and remove from the world the evils of the worthless man Eleazar ben Po‘erah and the evils of Johanan the High Priest, through the merit of the Land of Israel that he would possess upon entering it.

He therefore opened ואתחנן with a final נ and said “at that time.” The word is read with י in ההיא but written with ו in ההוא. Join י״ו (Y-V) to ואתחנן and the result is יוחנ״ן (Yohanan), alluding to Johanan the High Priest. It is taught in the chapter *Keitzad Mevarkhin* (Berakhot 48a): “King Yannai and the queen ate bread together, but they had no man to recite the blessing for them,” and so forth.

The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses through the cup of blessing that King Yannai would regret the evil deed he had committed—killing all the Sages of Israel and laying his hand upon all the Torah scrolls. Moses therefore began to pray concerning that time. For this reason we read ההיא, feminine, but write ההוא, masculine, alluding to King Yannai and the queen in that generation. He began with YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim, the mystery of the cup of blessing, for Moses foresaw that through the cup used for Grace after Meals that wicked man would repent [TN-182-04].

Moses therefore petitioned: Since “You have begun”—the phrase אתה החלות alludes to the beginning of the Torah, where the Holy One, blessed be He, began with the ב of בראשית to teach us that heaven and earth were created for the sake of the two Torahs, Written and Oral. At the beginning of Moses’ mission, the Holy One, blessed be He, immediately showed Moses the same matter in the word בלב״ת: the world was created for the sake of two Torahs.

Corresponding to the ב of בראשית Moses said, “Your greatness.” It alludes to the large letter of בראשית—specifically “Your greatness”—for there it is said, “He does great things beyond searching out” (Job 9:10), at the beginning of the work of Creation. Afterward, when He said, “What is that in your hand?” He likewise showed Moses these two Torahs, as intimated in בלב״ת above; Moses therefore said, “Your mighty hand.”

The phrase “Your greatness” also alludes to the eighty years during which Yannai served as High Priest. Moses was eighty years old when he began to rule over Israel (Exodus 7:7). The letter פ, whose value is eighty, is the mystery of light. David therefore did not mention light in the alphabetic eightfold Psalm until the letter פ, where he said, “The opening of Your words gives light” (Psalms 119:130). Likewise, from בראשית to “God said, ‘Let there be light’” (Genesis 1:3) there are eighty letters. After eighty years King Yannai came and brought darkness into the world [TN-182-05].

Moses said concerning their opposite conditions: “You have begun to show Your servant.” When I was eighty years old, You began to show me and to bring light into the world through the giving of the Written and Oral Torah. Then I saw “Your greatness.” Now I see through the Holy Spirit that after eighty years King Yannai will turn the staff into a serpent and the power of the serpent, the power of darkness, will prevail in the world. This is intimated in להראו״ת (le-har’ot, “to show”), divided into the two expressions א״ר לתה״ו (“light into chaos”): light becomes chaos and darkness in the world. Concerning this Moses said, “Your mighty hand”: I see that the left hand will prevail in the world [TN-182-06].

He therefore petitioned, “Let me cross, please.” I wish to cross over and remove “the soul of Eleazar” (נפ״ש אליעז״ר), a notarikon of נ״א. The source states that וארא״ה (ve-er’eh, “and I shall see”) has the gematria of ינא״י זה״ו יוחנ״ן (“Yannai—this is Johanan”), as stated in Berakhot 29a. It also identifies this value with יג״ר שהדותא (Yegar Sahaduta; Genesis 31:47), which Laban said to Jacob [TN-182-07].

When Laban said, “This mound is a witness” (Genesis 31:52), he alluded to the Written Torah; “and the monument is a witness,” to the Oral Torah. Laban further showed Jacob the matter of King Yannai, who wished to destroy the Oral Torah. At that time the left hand, the mystery of יג״ר, prevailed in the world. The fourteen letters of “the LORD our God, the LORD,” and so forth, inside the mezuzah are the mystery of the right hand; the fourteen letters outside it—כוז״ו במוכס״ז כוז״ו—have the gematria of יג״ר and are the left hand.

This is the mystery of “An Aramean destroys my father” (Deuteronomy 27:5, as printed): אובד is a present participle, for he destroys in every generation. Laban caused our descent into Egypt; he is Balaam, as stated in the Zohar and Targum Jonathan on the portion Mattot. “He sojourned there” (ויגר שם) is the mystery of יג״ר שהדותא: he caused the left hand, the mystery of יג״ר, to prevail in the world. יג״ר likewise has the gematria of ינא״י זה״ו יוחנ״ן, showing Jacob that Yannai—Johanan—would lay his hand upon the Oral Torah. This is intimated here in וארא״ה, which the source equates with יג״ר. The printed equations differ by five under ordinary gematria, and the Deuteronomy locator corresponds to 26:5 rather than 27:5; neither issue has been silently repaired [TN-182-08].

Ezra established the accents, vowel points, letters, and crowns. Johanan the High Priest erased them and wished to remove them from the world. This is why אעבר״ה (eʿberah, “let me cross”) has the gematria of עזר״א (Ezra) and reverses to form ארבע״ה (arbaʿah, “four”): Ezra established four features in the Torah. They are intimated in נ״א as a notarikon for נקודי״ן, אותיו״ת (vowel points, letters). Under ATBaSH, the letters נ״א become ט״ת, a notarikon for טעמי״ן, תגי״ן (accents, crowns). Through the worthless man Eleazar, Yannai wished to corrupt these four things Ezra had established [TN-182-09].

Moses wished to repair this matter. הה״ר (ha-har, “the mountain”) has the gematria of צדוק״י (Tzedoqi, “Sadducee”): he wished to transform Yannai, who had become a Sadducee, into “this good mountain” and not let him exchange good for evil.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” The source states that ינא״י ויוחנ״ן (Yannai and Johanan), with the collective, has the gematria of ר״ב (rav, “master/enough”), although the ordinary values do not agree [TN-182-10]. That is, your prayer benefited that generation: Simeon ben Shetah will come, restore the crown to its former place, and enlighten Israel’s eyes through his Torah. In that generation he will be your spark and your soul, and he will be the master of all Israel. The final letters of שמעו״ן ב״ן שט״ח (Simeon ben Shetah), read in reverse, form חנ״ן (h-n-n), to which Moses alluded in ואתחנן. Therefore, “do not continue to speak to Me,” and so forth.

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Moses came to plead concerning Herod, who killed all the Sages. Only one young girl from the Hasmonean house remained there, and of all the Sages he killed, only Bava ben Buta remained. The world was desolate, as stated in Bava Batra 3b [TN-183-01].

Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel and nullify the evil slave. He said “at that time,” alluding to the young girl who remained; the masculine written form ההוא refers to Bava ben Buta, who remained from among the Sages. Concerning him it is said, “You have begun to show Your servant.” This alludes to the success of the slave whom the Holy One, blessed be He, sent at that time to be a strap with which to flog. The Holy One, blessed be He, likewise called the wicked Nebuchadnezzar “His servant” (Jeremiah 25:9).

“Your greatness” concerns the mystery of Herod’s masters, who were High Priests. He killed them all and became [uncertain: עבדא קלניה] (Bava Batra 4a); the printed Aramaic epithet is not reliably intelligible in this form [TN-183-02]. Moses therefore said “the mighty”: the attribute of Ḥesed, the mystery of the priests, was transformed, and “the mighty hand,” the Attribute of Judgment, prevailed in the world at that time.

Even “the superintendent of a well is appointed from heaven.” The source gives the damaged composite reference `[Berakhot p. 64 (58a)]`; the saying is found at Berakhot 58a [TN-183-03]. Moses therefore said, “who is El in heaven and on earth, who can act like Your deeds?” You brought all this about because of “Your mighty acts,” for the Attribute of Judgment prevailed at that time.

He consequently prayed, “Let me cross, please.” When I enter the Land of Israel, I shall have the power to remove the “evil slave” (עבד הר״ע), for הר״ע has the gematria of הורדס (Hordos, “Herod”). Likewise, the letters of אעברה reversed form ב״א הר״ע (ba ha-ra, “the evil one came”). נ״א is a notarikon for נפ״ש אדני״ו (nefesh adonav, “the soul of his masters”). The full phrase אעב״רה נ״א is expanded as a notarikon for אד״ם עב״ד בליע״ל רצ״ה הורד״ס נפ״ש אדני״ו (“A man, a worthless slave, Herod, desired the soul of his masters”) [TN-183-04].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you,” for your prayer caused Herod to repent. He had extinguished the light of the world, and he built the Temple, which is the light of the world. His building was exceedingly magnificent, as the Sages said in Bava Batra 3a concerning “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former” (Haggai 2:9).

In the Zohar on the portion Phinehas (Zohar III 220b), among the three questions that the old man asked Rabbi Eliezer the Great, there is this question: We look forward and wait for the building of the Third Temple, yet Scripture says concerning the Second Temple, “The glory of this latter house shall be greater,” heaven forbid implying that there will be no Third Temple.

The matter, however, is that according to derash the verse speaks of Herod’s building. The Second Temple comprised two structures: first the house Ezra built through Cyrus, and afterward Herod came to repair it. Thus the word “latter” refers specifically to this Second Temple. “The glory of this house” that Herod built—the latter structure within the Second Temple—“shall be greater than that of the former,” which Cyrus built. The Gemara there says it was greater in both structure and years [TN-183-05].

Concerning this the Holy One, blessed be He, replied to Moses, “It is enough for you.” Your prayer caused Herod to return and build the Temple, and it would be greater than the first Temple in construction and beauty. All this is on your account, because you pray concerning that generation.

Ofan 184

It is taught in the Midrash, and cited in the Yalkut, that Pharaoh had 120,000 troops in every direction: 120,000 in the east, 120,000 in the west, 120,000 in the north, and 120,000 in the south. The mystery is that Pharaoh’s nurture derives from the 480 camps of the wicked Lilith, whose forces are divided into four groups of 120.

The mystery of the matter is “God made this corresponding to that” (Ecclesiastes 7:14). Just as the chariot in holiness rests upon four, so these correspond to the four occurrences of Elohim spoken by the Holy One, blessed be He, in the portion Shemot: “God heard their groaning, and God remembered” (Exodus 2:24); “God saw, and God knew” (Exodus 2:25). Scripture showed us four occurrences of the word Elohim.

As is known, each tzeruf of the five-letter Name Elohim has 120 permutations, since a word of five letters builds 120 houses, as stated in *Sefer Yetzirah*. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore showed Moses הסנ״ה (ha-seneh, “the bush”) four times. הסנ״ה has the gematria 120: four times 120, corresponding to four occurrences of Elohim and to the 120 permutations of Elohim in each of the four sets [TN-184-01].

At the time the calf was made, “her feet descend to death” (Proverbs 5:5)—the 480 camps of Lilith, as stated in the Zohar on the portion Piqqudei (Zohar II, locator incomplete in the source). The source opens a parenthesis around this citation without preserving its closing boundary [TN-184-02]. Israel therefore had to make the Tabernacle in order to repair these 480 camps. There were forty-eight planks in the Tabernacle, each ten cubits long; ten times forty-eight is 480.

All Israel could not erect it until Moses came, for he had attained the mystery of הדע״ת (ha-Daʿat), which is 480 less one. This is the mystery of the small א in “He called” (ויקרא; Leviticus 1:1). That is, Moses was given a precious garment, namely Daʿat, as the Sages said concerning “Lips of knowledge are a precious vessel” (Proverbs 20:15; Leviticus Rabbah 1:6). Moses is the mystery of Daʿat. He therefore merited the “tablets of the testimony” (לחות העד״ת), where העד״ת has the value 480 less one, from the Tent of Meeting, which was likewise the mystery of 480. It is therefore called the “Tabernacle of the testimony” [TN-184-03].

This is the mystery of the teaching in Exodus Rabbah, chapter 52 (Exodus Rabbah 52:4), concerning “Many daughters have done valiantly” (Proverbs 31:29): all Israel were unable to erect it until Moses came. This is the meaning of “but you surpassed them all.” Specifically חי״ל (hayil, “valiantly”), whose value is forty-eight: these are the forty-eight planks, whose total length is 480. “But you surpassed [עלי״ת] them all” is Moses, who attained the mystery of הדע״ת, whose value is 480; the source says specifically עלי״ת, “for thus its calculation rises,” although עלית does not equal 480 by ordinary gematria [TN-184-04]. He could therefore erect it.

This is the mystery of the labor of the Tabernacle being equivalent to the work of heaven and earth (Megillah 10b). Just as the labor of the Tabernacle was the mystery of 480, the creation of heaven and earth was likewise the mystery of 480. There are therefore 480 words in the account of Creation through the words “earth and heaven” (Genesis 2:4). Israel was likewise commanded to build the Temple 480 years after the exodus from Egypt; from the Temple Solomon built to the Second Temple Zerubbabel built there were likewise 480 years.

Correspondingly, Jerusalem contained 480 synagogues and study houses apart from the Temple, the numerical value of מלת״י (Isaiah 1:21; Lamentations Rabbah, proem 12). The word is written מלתי without א but read with א: both forms are operative. She has 480 camps, the value of מלת״י without א, but she rides upon the 480—מלאת״י with א, whose value is 481. Corresponding to this was the Temple, which rode upon the 480 synagogues [TN-184-05].

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel in the mystery of “Moses ascended to God [Elohim]” (Exodus 19:3). He wished to sweeten the four houses of judgment of Elohim from which Lilith, who rides upon her 480 camps, receives nurture. This is the mystery of אר״ץ כנע״ן (Eretz Kena‘an, “the Land of Canaan”), whose value is 481. It had been built upon the foundation of Lilith, who rides upon her 480 camps, the value of לילי״ת.

Moses arranged his prayer to repair the synagogues and study houses in the Land of Israel and to remove the nurture of the 480 camps derived from four Names Elohim, each comprising 120 camps corresponding to the 120 permutations of Elohim. Moses wished to sweeten the four Names Elohim with the four letters of YHWH. He therefore said, “I pleaded with YHWH,” to sweeten through the Name YHWH the four supernal houses of judgment.

“At that time”—specifically: Lilith is called “a time of distress,” and he wished to sweeten her. He said: Since “You have begun to show Your greatness” at the vision of the bush, when Moses said, “Let me turn aside, please, and see this great sight” (Exodus 3:3). There Elohim is stated four times, as explained above, and the bush four times, each with the value 120, corresponding four times to the 120 permutations of Elohim.

Afterward He showed Moses four occurrences of Elohim in the portion Beshalah, concerning Pharaoh at the sea. From the first occurrence through “the angel of God journeyed” (Exodus 14:19), the Name Elohim appears four times, corresponding to these four houses of judgment. This is the meaning of “Your mighty hand,” as it is said at the sea, “Stretch out your hand” (Exodus 14:26). Concerning these two revelations Moses said: regarding the vision of the bush, “like Your deeds”; regarding the sea, “like Your mighty acts.”

Since You have already begun to show me the four houses of judgment of Elohim, therefore אעברה (eʿberah, “let me cross”) reverses to form ארבע״ה (arbaʿah, “four”), and נ״א is a notarikon for נור״א אלהי״ם (nora Elohim, “God is awesome”). Since the Name Elohim is awesome and there are four houses of judgment, let “me see the Land” and fulfill “Surely there is a God who judges on earth” (Psalms 58:12)—specifically “on earth.”

“This good mountain” is Jerusalem. I wish to uproot the powers of the Land of Canaan, which had been built upon the powers of the evil woman, the wicked Lilith. It contained 481 powers of impurity, the value of אר״ץ כנע״ן. Now I wish to repair 481 synagogues, corresponding to מלאת״י in מלאת״י משפ״ט (“full of justice”). Therefore אעבר״ה reverses to form ב״א רע״ה (ba‘ah ra‘ah, “an evil woman came”), and I wish to make “this good mountain,” Jerusalem, in place of the evil that was there at first.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you”—specifically ל״ך (“for you”). It is already intimated in your name that you sweeten the four houses of judgment of Elohim. The value of מש״ה (Moses) is one more than four times Elohim, in the mystery of א״ל שד״י (El Shaddai), which has the gematria of Moses. The א of El Shaddai is one more than four times Elohim. The letter א has the form י–ו–י—thus א—which has the numerical value twenty-six, the value of the Four-Letter Name, which sweetens the four powers of judgment belonging to the four occurrences of Elohim [TN-184-06].

He therefore said, “It is enough for you,” through the sweetening of the Name Elohim said concerning you in “Moses ascended to God [Elohim]” (Exodus 19). “Do not continue to speak to Me. Ascend to the top of Pisgah”: mention the four powers and seal them with the Four-Letter Name, sweetening the four houses of judgment through the four letters of YHWH.

“Command Joshua and strengthen him” corresponds to the Name YHWH; “and embolden him” corresponds to the Name Elohim. He will strengthen the Attribute of Mercy in the Land of Israel and subdue the powers of judgment. “He shall cross”: he will remove the powers of impurity from the Land. “And he shall cause Israel to inherit” in holiness.

Thus Joshua said, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon” (Joshua 10:12), corresponding to Samael, for גבעו״ן (Gibeon) has the gematria of סמא״ל (Samael). Concerning him it is said, “The sun shall be ashamed” (Isaiah 24:23). Concerning Lilith it is said, “and the moon shall be confounded.” Joshua therefore said, “and moon, in the valley of Aijalon,” corresponding to Lilith’s powers [TN-184-07].

Hagahah

The young Solomon said: Israel therefore had to bear “the yoke of Egypt” (ע״ל מצרי״ם), which the source says has the value 480. The mystery of the descent to Egypt was to overcome Lilith and her 480 camps and to inherit אר״ץ כנע״ן (the Land of Canaan), whose mystery is 481, as my master and father, of blessed memory, wrote [TN-184-08].

Through Adam’s sin the kelippot of Lilith prevailed, in the mystery of “but of the fruit of the tree you shall not eat,” and so forth (Genesis 3:3), as stated in the Zohar on Bereshit, p. 29. The expression “Tree of Knowledge” proves the matter concerning her, for הדע״ת, with the collective, has the value 480, as my master and father, of blessed memory, wrote. Israel now had to repair this through the “yoke of Egypt,” which likewise has the value 480.

According to this mystery, the Egyptian exile ought to have lasted 480 years. But “the children of Israel went up armed [וחמשי״ם] from the land of Egypt”: they remained in exile only 430 years, for the Holy One, blessed be He, in His kindness prevented them from sinking into the kelippah, heaven forbid, as stated in the Zohar. The word וחמשי״ם supplies the fifty-year reduction from 480 to 430.

This is the meaning of “I am the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 25:38), which is the mystery of 480, “to give you the Land of Canaan,” which the gloss here calls likewise 480, “to be your God,” which is 480 in holiness, as my master and father, of blessed memory, wrote. This locally conflicts with the value 481 assigned to ארץ כנען both above and at the beginning of the Hagahah [TN-184-09].

This is the mystery of “I appeared to the Patriarchs through El Shaddai” (Exodus 6:3), for the source says א״ל שד״י has the gematria of four times Elohim, namely 480, as my master and father, of blessed memory, wrote. The Patriarchs likewise repaired this sin, as is known. This is the mystery of “I shall take a morsel [פ״ת] of bread” (Genesis 18:5), as stated in the Zohar. Moses was therefore the redeemer, for מש״ה has the gematria of א״ל שד״י, said here to be 480. These printed equations are irreconcilable with ordinary gematria: El Shaddai and Moses each equal 345, while four times Elohim is 344, not 480 [TN-184-10].

This is the mystery of what Jacob said when they descended to Egypt: “May El Shaddai grant you mercy before the man” (לפנ״י האי״ש; Genesis 43:14)—specifically El Shaddai, which is 480. The source says לפנ״י אי״ש likewise totals 481, because the king of Egypt was the mystery of Lilith, who rides upon 480. The ordinary value of the printed phrase does not yield 481. This is the mystery of סו״ס פרע״ה (“Pharaoh’s horse”), which does total 481 and is Lilith.

Therefore, at the exodus from Egypt it is written, “Miriam took the timbrel [הת״ף] in her hand” (Exodus 15:20). ת״ף has the value 480 and is identified here with Lilith, as stated by Galante. This is the mystery of “You shall not round the corner [פא״ת] of your head, and you shall not destroy the corner [פא״ת] of your beard” (Leviticus 19:27), and “You shall not wholly reap the corner [פא״ת] of your field” (Leviticus 19:9). One must give them their portion, as stated in the Zohar on Aharei Mot, p. 112 (Zohar III 63a); this is the mystery of the hair of the phylacteries and the goat sent to Azazel [TN-184-11].

Jacob likewise said, “Take of the choice produce [מזמר״ת] of the land” (Genesis 43:11). מזמר״ת has the value 687. This is the mystery of רה״ב (Rahab), prince of Egypt (Numbers Rabbah 18:22), together with Egypt’s 480, which totals 687. Through the merit of the Torah they were redeemed; the source says it has 687 letters, as my master and father, of blessed memory, wrote in Ofan 187. The next clause is textually or logically incomplete: [uncertain: וך״ב אותיות התורה הם, תצרף יחד עולה תרפ״ז] [TN-184-12].

Therefore Scripture says, “It shall be healing [רפאו״ת] to your navel” (Proverbs 3:8). רפאו״ת has the value 687, the numerical value of שמי״ם ואר״ץ (“heaven and earth,” including the conjunction). This is the mystery of the teaching: “Were it not for the Torah, heaven and earth would not have endured” (Nedarim 32a).

Ofan 185

It is taught in Midrash Tanḥuma on the portion Ki Tavo (§1): Moses foresaw through the Holy Spirit that the Temple would be destroyed and Israel would no longer bring first fruits. He therefore established for Israel that they should pray three times each day—three prayers, evening, morning, and noon. Come and see: the power of prayer is greater than one hundred good deeds. After all the good deeds Moses performed, he came to seek entry into the Land of Israel only through prayer.

We must explain the relation between the three prayers and first fruits. The mystery of the matter is taught in tractate Bikkurim (3:10): Rabbi Simeon says there are three grades in first fruits—first fruits, the adornment of the first fruits, and additions to the first fruits. The anonymous “Rabbi Simeon” is Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai, who speaks words directed toward the supernal side and mysteries of supernal wisdom. These three grades are “the three flocks of sheep lying by the well” (Genesis 29:2). The well is the Shekhinah, and these are called first fruits. They are the mystery of the three Patriarchs, who established the three prayers (Berakhot 26b) [TN-185-01].

Moses foresaw that the bringing of first fruits would cease, together with the three grades stated concerning them, and he saw the eminence of prayer. He therefore said ואתחנן with two נs, alluding to what is said there in Midrash Tanḥuma and in Berakhot 32b: the power of prayer is greater than one hundred good deeds. The two נs have the numerical value one hundred; prayer is greater than they are.

Moses opened ואתחנן with ו, alluding to the Day of First Fruits, which is on the sixth of Sivan. He saw that first fruits were destined to cease, and therefore petitioned “at that time” to enter the Land of Israel and merit offering first fruits. The three grades of first fruits are intimated in בע״ת: it is a notarikon for בכורי״ם, עיטו״ר בכורי״ם, תוספו״ת בכורי״ם (first fruits, adornment of first fruits, additions to first fruits) [TN-185-02].

Corresponding to these, Moses arranged three prayers each day, because he saw that after the Temple’s destruction the first fruits and their three grades would cease. Corresponding to the morning prayer he said, “Your greatness”—“Satisfy us in the morning with Your kindness” (Psalms 90:14)—which is Abraham. “Your mighty hand” is the afternoon prayer, Isaac. “Who is El?” is the evening prayer, Jacob.

Moses therefore asked to enter the Land of Israel so that the Temple would not be destroyed and first fruits would continue to be offered. אעבר״ה (eʿberah, “let me cross”) has the gematria of בכורי״ם (bikkurim, “first fruits”). “And I shall see the Land”: then they will offer first fruits, for the Temple will not be destroyed. This is why he said “and Lebanon,” the Temple.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” In place of first fruits with their three grades, you have already established for Israel three daily prayers. This is intimated in “It is enough for you,” as it is written, “A faithful man abounds in blessings” (Proverbs 28:20). This is Moses, the master of Israel (Exodus Rabbah 51:1), who arranged prayer and the one hundred blessings for them [TN-185-03].

Alternatively, Moses’ prayer was that he might be in the Land of Israel and merit offering first fruits. On this reading he wished to enter the Land only until after Shavuot, so that he could offer first fruits. This is intimated in אעבר״ה: I do not wish to remain a long time; only “let me cross now” and offer first fruits. I ask to remain in this world only through נ״א, a notarikon for ניס״ן איי״ר (Nisan, Iyar). In ואראה (“and I shall see”), the additional ו alludes to Shavuot, the sixth of Sivan, when first fruits were offered; it is called the Day of First Fruits [TN-185-04].

Moses desired that day, the day on which the Torah was given. He wished to depart at the celebration of the Torah, just as David departed on Shavuot when it fell on the Sabbath. Thus it is taught in the Jerusalem Talmud, Ḥagigah 2:3, and cited by Tosafot on Ḥagigah 17a (s.v. af), that the festival of Shavuot that year fell on the Sabbath. Moses likewise desired to die on that day, so that his great celebration would occur on the day of the Torah’s celebration.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” Your great celebration need not resemble David’s need to depart during the Torah’s great celebration. David is the mystery of the Oral Torah; he therefore had to depart on Shavuot, when the Written Torah was given, so as to incorporate the letters of the holy Name: the Oral Torah, the mystery of ה, with the Written Torah, the mystery of ו, which was given on the sixth of Sivan, unifying the Shekhinah with the Holy One, blessed be He. Your degree, however, is already the Written Torah. This is the meaning of “It is enough for you”: your degree is greater than David’s. Therefore, “do not continue” [TN-185-05].

Ofan 186

A great premise is explained in the Zohar Hadash: on the first of Adar, the letters begin to sparkle in the firmament. In my opinion, this is a supernal secret underlying the mysteries of the Mishnah taught in tractate Shekalim (1:1): “On the first of Adar they make announcements concerning the shekels and mixed species.”

The mystery of the matter is that all the acts performed in the Temple are mysteries of wisdom. Everything above has a counterpart below. On the first of Adar the letters above begin to sparkle in the firmament because at that time the soul of Moses began to sparkle. It comprises the 600,000 letters of the Torah. For this reason Moses comprises the 600,000 souls of Israel (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:9). This is the mystery of “the 600,000 footmen among whom I am” (Numbers 11:21). Every Israelite’s soul has one letter among the 600,000 letters of the Torah, as stated in the Zohar on Ruth concerning “Now this was formerly in Israel” (Ruth 4:7). The source has an unmatched closing parenthesis after this citation; no opening scope has been invented [TN-186-01].

This is a great secret, in the mystery of “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter” (כבו״ד אלהים הסת״ר דבר; Proverbs 25:2). That is, there are 600,000 letters in the Torah and sixty-five letters beyond the 600,000. This mystery is explained in the word הסת״ר (hester, “conceal”): ה״ס has the value sixty-five, the sixty-five letters beyond ת״ר, 600,000. This is the Shekhinah, who is called Adonai and is the mystery of Noah’s ark, within which are all 600,000 souls of Israel [TN-186-02].

Likewise, שכינה (Shekhinah) written in full as שי״ן כ״ף יו״ד נו״ן ה״א is said to have the gematria תר״א (601), the mystery of 600,000. The printed full spelling totals 592 under ordinary values, and the missing step is not supplied [TN-186-03].

The Shekhinah was with Moses from the moment he came into the world. It is therefore said of him, “She saw that he was good” (ותרא אותו כי טוב הוא; Exodus 2:2), which Rashi explains: “This teaches that she saw the Shekhinah with him.” Specifically תר״א within ותרא: Moses was the mystery of the Shekhinah being clothed in him. She is the ark in which Moses lay together with all her hosts—that is, the filling of שכינה, the mystery of תר״א. Through this “the whole house was filled with light”; בי״ת (bayit, “house”) reverses to form תיב״ה (tevah, “ark”). This is the mystery of “The voice of הת״ר is heard in our land” (Song of Songs 2:12) [TN-186-04].

Moses was born at that time in Adar and comprises the 600,000 letters. Therefore all 600,000 letters sparkle in the firmament. For this reason the Holy One, blessed be He, likewise commanded that in the Temple below, which is aligned precisely with the Temple above, they should collect and receive 600,000 shekels at that time below.

This is the mystery of “For all is in heaven and on earth” (I Chronicles 29:11): everything in heaven is on earth. Everything they do above, they do below, for so the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded.

This also explains “and concerning mixed species.” It is the mystery of the angels and the requirement that powers not be intermingled. Every plant has an angel in the firmament, as stated in Midrash Rabbah on the portion Bereshit, chapter 10 (Genesis Rabbah 10:6). At that time the 600,000 letters of the Torah sparkle; these are the 600,000 conduits in the world from which all the powers of the angels appointed over all the plants extend. They therefore went out at that time to inspect mixed species as well, for it is the time when the angels above go forth, each to his watch and service, every angel to his plant. They warned at that time not to intermingle the powers, mixing one species with another [TN-186-05].

In my opinion, this is the mystery of what is written in Tanḥuma on the portion Noah (§3): during two months of the year all the Sages of Israel would gather together and words of Torah would be heard. The source then names the chapter *Ha-Ro’eh* in Berakhot but preserves the bracketed editorial reading `[Hayah Qore]` before Berakhot 17b, concerning “Listen to Me, you mighty-hearted” (Isaiah 46:12): “These people of Mehoza are mighty-hearted.” Tosafot there (s.v. terei) cite *Sefer ha-Ittim*: during these two months, Adar and Elul, they would see a pillar of fire from heaven. Berakhot 17b belongs to the chapter *Hayah Qore*; both the printed and bracketed chapter readings are preserved [TN-186-06].

The reason is that these two months are the mystery of “Even the bird has found a home” (Psalms 84:4). The Zohar on the portion Balak (Zohar III 196b) says that concerning the first of Elul it is written, “It came to pass at the turn of the year, at the time when kings go forth” (II Samuel 11:1): it is read “kings” (מלכים), but written “angels” (מלאכים), with an א, according to the source’s orthographic claim.

The intention is that this is the time of the turning of the year, when one must repent before Rosh Hashanah begins. It is the time when the angels and appointed beings above go forth to proclaim matters of repentance. It is therefore also “the time when kings go forth” below—Israel goes forth to hear words of Torah, for “Who are kings? The Rabbis” (Zohar I 9b). Likewise in Adar: because the letters and angels sparkle above, Israel gathers below at that time to hear words of Torah.

When the Temple stood, they had to make the announcement at that time concerning the shekels, which numbered 600,000, for “there is no multitude of fewer than 600,000” (Berakhot 58a), corresponding to the 600,000 letters above.

Moses prayed concerning this, as stated in Tanḥuma on the portion Ki Tissa (§3). Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He: “Tomorrow I shall die; who will weigh Israel’s shekels?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: “Just as you weigh Israel’s shekels now, so shall it be every single year.” From where is this derived? From what we read in the matter: “When you take,” and so forth (Exodus 30:12).

Moses now reached the first of Adar, the time of the shekels, and at that time he made the announcement concerning the shekels. He came to ask for mercy, “to plead with HaShem at that time”—specifically, on the seventh of Adar, for Moses died at that time. It is written ההוא (ha-hu, masculine), because Moses came to remind the Holy One, blessed be He, of what He had promised him in the portion Ki Tissa—specifically the word ההוא: Moses would be the one who weighed Israel’s shekels at that time each year. This is the meaning of “saying”: it applies for generations, for at that time he would establish the commandment of the shekels [TN-186-07].

He therefore began with the Name Adonai. We have already said that the letters of the Torah number 600,000; the remaining letters are the mystery of Adonai, the Shekhinah, from whom the 600,000 souls of Israel extend. These are the mystery of the 600,000 supernal shekels and of “the sacred shekel,” corresponding to one letter of the Torah.

Every letter is called a “stone” in *Sefer Yetzirah*. This is the mystery of “From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel” (Genesis 49:24): every Israelite has one letter in the Torah, the mystery of a stone. Therefore ישרא״ל (Yisrael) is a notarikon for י״ש ששי״ם רבו״א אותיו״ת לתור״ה (“There are 600,000 letters in the Torah”) [TN-186-08].

Moses said: Since “You have begun to show Your servant.” Immediately when Moses came into this world, it was said of him, “She saw that he was good” (Exodus 2:2). The word ותרא alludes to the Shekhinah with him, as explained above; Moses comprised all 600,000 souls.

“Your greatness”—specifically א״ת (et): the letters of the Torah from א to ת. The twenty-two letters, when written in full, comprise sixty letters. These are the mystery of “sixty mighty men surrounding her” (Song of Songs 3:7). From sixty they extend to 600,000, the mystery of the 600,000 conduits in the world.

This is the meaning of “Your greatness”—specifically “greatness”: the mystery of the supernal Shiʿur Qomah, the 600,000 conduits corresponding to the 600,000 letters. Moses also said: Since You have begun to show me, through the announcement on this first of Adar concerning the shekels, the mystery of “Your greatness,” corresponding to the supernal letters of the Torah that sparkle in the firmament at precisely this time.

At this time they also went out to inspect mixed species, corresponding to the powers of the angels above. Concerning them Moses said, “Your mighty hand,” as it is written, “Do you know the ordinances of heaven? Can you establish its dominion on earth?” (Job 38:33). The Sages expounded in Midrash Rabbah on Bereshit, chapter 10: “There is no plant without an angel who tells it, ‘Grow!’”

Concerning this Moses said, “who is El in heaven and on earth?” Everything in heaven is on earth. Thus they make the announcement below concerning the shekels at that time because the holy stones sparkle above. Concerning them he said, “who can act like Your deeds?” above: “Great are the deeds of the LORD” (Psalms 111:2), and “the tablets were the work of God” (Exodus 32:16).

At that time they likewise went out to inspect mixed species below because the angels went forth above, so that one power would not be mixed with another. This is the mystery of “Your mighty acts,” for “Who can recount the mighty acts of the LORD?” (Psalms 106:2), as it is written, “Can you establish its dominion on earth?” (Job 38).

Since You already promised me in the portion Ki Tissa that I would weigh their shekels every year, fulfill Your promise to me: “Let me cross, נ״א.” נ״א is a notarikon for נצוצ״י אותיו״ת (nitzotzei otiyyot, “sparks of letters”). “And I shall see” there in the Land of Israel, for I shall see the sparks of the letters that sparkle until the eighth of Adar. The source states that וארא״ה (ve-er’eh, “and I shall see”) has the gematria of ח׳ אד״ר (“the eighth of Adar”); the ordinary values differ by five [TN-186-09].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” You did not understand the meaning of My promise in the portion Ki Tissa that you would weigh Israel’s shekels every year. I meant that at every new moon of Adar the letters would sparkle above at the Throne of Glory. You comprise all 600,000 letters of the Torah, and because you die on the seventh of Adar, when the seven days of Adar arrive each year the letters will sparkle on your account.

The supernal Temple is the Throne of Glory: “A throne of glory, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary” (Jeremiah 17:12). There the letters sparkle on your account, and the greatness is yours. This is what I meant when I said that you would weigh their shekels each year.

This is the mystery of “It is enough for you”: you are the master of all Israel, the 600,000 comprised in the 600,000 letters and the 600,000 souls of Israel. “Do not continue to speak to Me. But command Joshua”: at this time he will be the prince of the generation, equivalent to the entire generation; and no generation has fewer than 600,000 (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 1:4). “Strengthen him” concerning himself, “and embolden him” concerning the entire generation, for at this time he is “a man in whom there is spirit”—that is, he can stand opposite 600,000.

“He shall cross” below, over the 600,000; “and he shall cause [them] to inherit” the supernal letters, which are the souls of Israel coming from the Throne of Glory. “In everything you see”: Moses, you were a conduit giving influx to the entire generation; Joshua will likewise have the power to give influx to the entire generation [TN-186-10].

Hagahah

The young Solomon said: This is the mystery of the question, “Where is Esther indicated in the Torah?” (Ḥullin 139b). That is: where do we see that Esther had a hold upon one letter of the Torah, as every Israelite has one letter in the Torah? It is said, “I shall surely hide” (אנכי הסתר אסתיר; Deuteronomy 31:18). That is, “I” shall give Esther a hold in the word הסת״ר, which signifies the number of letters in the Torah [TN-186-11].

Alternatively, it is known that Esther is the mystery of the Shekhinah, in the mystery of “Esther clothed herself in royalty” (Esther 5:1). Concerning this the Sages said, “This teaches that she clothed herself in the Holy Spirit” (Megillah 14b). Thus the question means: Where do we see that Esther is the Shekhinah, who comprises all 600,000 Israelites, corresponding to the ת״ר letters of the Torah? It is said, “And I shall hide.” הסת״ר contains the mystery of ה״ס and ת״ר: this is the Shekhinah, who comprises the source’s `תר״א ישראל`. The exact force of תר״א in this clause is compressed, but it continues the preceding 600,000-plus-one/Shekhinah construction [TN-186-12].

The mystery of הסת״ר is Esther, for she is the Shekhinah and the totality of Israel. The redemption therefore came through her, since she is the mystery of the Shekhinah, as is known, and the totality of Israel. This is the meaning of “And I [אנכי] shall hide”—specifically אנכי, the Shekhinah, in the mystery of “I shall descend with you; I shall also surely bring you up” (Genesis 46:4). This is the mystery of “I, I am He who comforts you” (Isaiah 51:12), and “I am with him in distress” (Psalms 91:15). Wherever Israel was exiled, the Shekhinah was with them (Megillah 29a).

“Where is Moses indicated in the Torah?”—where do we see that he comprises the 600,000 letters? It is said, “for he too is flesh” (בשג״ם הוא בשר; Genesis 6:3). My master and father, of blessed memory, wrote in Ofan 114 that בשג״ם הו״א בש״ר has the gematria of ששי״ם רבו״א (“600,000”); the equation does not work by ordinary gematria, as documented there [TN-186-13].

This is the mystery of “Moses commanded us the Torah” (Deuteronomy 33:4): because it is “the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob”—that is, because Moses comprises the 600,000 who possess the 600,000 letters—therefore Moses commanded it to us. This is the meaning of “And this is the Torah” (Deuteronomy 4:44), which is ת״ר, “that Moses set,” for he comprises ת״ר. In אש״ר (asher, “that”) he intimated the notarikon אותיו״ת ששי״ם רבו״א (“600,000 letters”), as my master and father, of blessed memory, wrote; “before the children of Israel,” who likewise are ת״ר.

“Where is Mordecai indicated in the Torah?” It is known that Mordecai is the mystery of Moses, as Midrash Rabbah says concerning “a Jewish man” (Esther 2:5; Esther Rabbah 6:2): Mordecai is equivalent to Moses. Therefore, in Mordecai’s days they fulfilled what they had already accepted (Shabbat 88a).

The question thus means: Where do we see that Mordecai is the mystery of Moses and comprises the 600,000 letters of the Torah? It is said, “Take for yourself [קח ל״ך]”—specifically “for yourself,” for he is your spark—“choice spices [בשמים רא״ש]” (Exodus 30:23). רא״ש is treated as a notarikon for ששי״ם רבו״א אותיו״ת (“600,000 letters”), although the visible initials require rearrangement [TN-186-14].

“Where is Haman indicated in the Torah?”—where is it shown that he wished to uproot their foundation and their hold in the Torah? It is said, “Is it from [המן] the tree concerning which I commanded you [אש״ר צויתיך]?” (Genesis 3:11). אש״ר is a notarikon for אותיו״ת ששי״ם רבו״א (“600,000 letters”).

Ofan 187

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel because he foresaw through the Holy Spirit that at the end of days the verse would be fulfilled: “Then I shall transform all the peoples to a pure language, so that they all call upon the Name of the LORD and serve Him with one accord” (Zephaniah 3:9). For this reason Moses wished to enter the Land, bring those who were far away near, and bring them beneath the wings of the Shekhinah, just as he had begun at the exodus from Egypt by taking the mixed multitude with him (Exodus 12:38), for he wished to bring those who were far away near.

Concerning this he said, “I pleaded with YHWH.” His prayer concerned the Name YHWH, so that all would serve the LORD with one accord. “At that time” refers to what will occur in the future. It is written ההוא (ha-hu, masculine): Moses wished to repair this in the present time.

He therefore opened with Adonai. He wished to bring all the nations under the wings of the Shekhinah and convert them, which is the mystery of Adonai; they are also called righteous converts. He concluded with YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim, the mystery of the final redemption, which will occur through Binah; then a spirit of Binah will be renewed [TN-187-01].

He began to arrange his petition: Since “You have begun to show” me. להראו״ת (le-har’ot, “to show”) has the gematria of מרכב״ה שלמ״ה (merkavah shelemah, “complete chariot”). It is the chariot of Metatron, the mystery of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil.

In the World of Yetzirah, on the right of the chariot, from the side of good, stands Michael the great prince. Concerning him Moses said, “Your greatness”: Michael is the High Priest on the right, from the side of good. On the side of evil there is another chariot, shaped like a quadrangular piece, as treated at length in *Kanfei Yonah*, part 3; see there. Concerning it Moses said, “Your mighty hand,” for that chariot receives nurture from the side of evil, on the left.

He then explained: “who is El?” corresponds to Michael on the right, “who can act like Your deeds?” From the left he said, “and like Your mighty acts.” Each of these two chariots stands upon four legs [TN-187-02].

Moses therefore petitioned, “Let me cross, please.” I wish now to remove the mighty hand from which all the nations of the world receive nurture. I wish to bring those far away near and remove evil. “And I shall see the good Land”—specifically “good”—so that Metatron’s nurture will derive from good and not from evil. This is the meaning of “this good mountain”: specifically good, not evil.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” Through the word ר״ב He alluded to what is written in Midrash Rabbah on the portion Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy Rabbah 7:5), concerning “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out” (Deuteronomy 28:6). This verse speaks of Moses. “Blessed shall you be when you come” into this world, for you brought near one who was far away—Bithiah daughter of Pharaoh, who converted. “Blessed shall you be when you go out” of this world, for you likewise brought near one who had been far away, as Moses said, “Let Reuben live and not die” (Deuteronomy 33:6).

The Holy One, blessed be He, thus replied: As for your wish to enter the Land of Israel in order to bring those far away near, “It is enough for you.” You already brought many near when you came into the world and when you went out of it. This Midrash is intimated in ר״ב, a notarikon for ראוב״ן בתי״ה (Reuben, Bithiah): Reuben at your departure from the world, Bithiah at your arrival in the world [TN-187-03].

The word ר״ב also alludes to the ערב רב (erev rav, “mixed multitude”) whom Moses took with him and wished to bring beneath the wings of the Shekhinah, but he did not succeed. Therefore, “do not continue to speak.” He showed Moses the time at the end of days when this would occur. Concerning this He said, “Ascend to the top of Pisgah,” and showed him Messiah [TN-187-04].

Ofan 188

It is taught in *Sefer ha-Temunah* concerning the verse “to the land that I shall show you” (אל הארץ אשר אראך; Genesis 12:1): the כ of אראך indicates Keter. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, promised Abraham that when he was in the Land of Israel he would merit attaining the mystery of “They shall give You a crown” (כתר יתנו לך), which is recited in the Land of Israel in the Additional Service on the Sabbath [TN-188-01].

Moses therefore desired to enter the Land of Israel and attain the mystery of Keter. Although he received the Ten Commandments at Sinai, the mystery of the ten holy sefirot, the Torah was nevertheless given through only seven voices. These are the mystery of the World of Building, which begins from the side of Ḥesed. To attain the mystery of Keter, however, the Holy One, blessed be He, had to tell Abraham to go “to the Land”; there he would attain the mystery of Keter, as explained by the large כ of אראך.

The tablets contain 620 letters, the numerical value of כת״ר (Keter, “Crown”). The commandments were written in ten rows, with sixty-two letters in each row. These are the mystery of twice א״ל (El): the mystery of “El, merciful and gracious” (Exodus 34:6) and the mystery of “El is indignant every day” (Psalms 7:12). Thus the attribute El contains two sides [TN-188-02].

Concerning this Moses said החלו״ת (“You have begun”), which the source describes as a reversal of הלוחות (“the tablets”). He showed Moses the mystery of Keter in the 620 letters of the tablets. Each of their ten rows had sixty-two letters [TN-188-03].

“Your greatness” alludes to the letters on the tablets—620 letters, the numerical value of Keter. This is the mystery of “El, slow to anger and great in kindness” (Psalms 145:8)—specifically “Your greatness,” in the mystery of Keter, which is called “great in kindness.” The tablets’ 620 letters were divided into ten rows.

Moses therefore said, “Your mighty hand” (ידך), read as יודך (yodkha, “Your yod”), as the Zohar says (Introduction to Tikkunei Zohar 7b) concerning “You open Your hand [ידך]” (Psalms 145:16). These are the ten rows of the tablets [TN-188-04].

As stated above, each row contained sixty-two letters, corresponding to twice El. Moses thereby said that each row comprised two sides together: “Your greatness” is the mystery of “the kindness of El” (Psalms 52:3), on the right; “Your mighty hand” corresponds to “El is indignant,” on the left.

Concerning this Moses said, “who is El in heaven and on earth?”—specifically El. Each of those ten rows comprised right and left: “the kindness of El” on the right, “like Your deeds”; “El is indignant” on the left, “like Your mighty acts.”

Moses therefore said, “Let me cross, please.” I wish to enter the Land of Israel and then attain the mystery of Keter, the path You promised Abraham, of whom it is said, “to the land that I shall show you” (Genesis 12). נ״א is a notarikon for נתי״ב אברה״ם (netiv Avraham, “the path of Abraham”).

Concerning that path Scripture says, “calling a bird of prey from the east” (Isaiah 46:11)—this is Abraham. That is: the Holy One, blessed be He, called Abraham to go from the east to the Land of Israel so that there he might attain “a path the bird of prey did not know” (Job 28:7). When Abraham comes to the Land of Israel from the east, the “bird of prey” will arrive [TN-188-05].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you,” in three approaches.

First, the Holy One, blessed be He, replied: You wish to attain Keter, which is called “great in kindness.” “It is enough for you”: it suffices that you possess “abundant kindness,” the lower attribute of Ḥesed. “Do not continue to speak to Me” in order to attain “great in kindness,” the mystery of Keter and of the tip of י.

Thus it is written, “You shall not round the corner of your head” (Leviticus 19:27). The mystery of the matter is that human intellect cannot encompass the “corner” of the head of HaShem, the mystery of the tip of י.

Second, the Holy One, blessed be He, replied: You wish to attain the mystery of Keter, which is the mystery of the large ב of בראשית (Genesis 1:1), as stated in the Zohar, where it indicates Keter. That large ב is yours. This is the meaning of “It is enough [רב] for you”: the “large” letter—רב—indicated by the ב is your degree. The Holy One, blessed be He, has already testified concerning Moses, “He is faithful in all My house” (בכל ביתי; Numbers 12:7)—specifically בית״י, which refers back to the ב of בראשית. Therefore, “do not continue” [TN-188-06].

Third, the Holy One, blessed be He, replied: You wish to attain the mystery of כת״ר. “It is enough for you”: I have already revealed the mystery of Keter to you by saying, “You shall see א״ת אחר״י,” with אחר״י written defectively without ו (Exodus 33:23). א״ת אחר״י has the gematria of כת״ר (620). This is the Keter of Beriah. But “My face”—the Keter of Atzilut—“shall not be seen.” Therefore, “do not continue to speak anymore”—specifically “anymore,” concerning what I have already given you.

“But now ascend to the top of Pisgah,” and so forth. He enumerated the four letters of the holy Name corresponding to the four directions of the world [TN-188-07].

Ofan 189

Moses wished to repair the generation of Rabban Gamaliel the Elder, in which the sectarians multiplied, so that it became necessary to institute at Yavneh a benediction against the sectarians (Berakhot 28b). It is stated in *Kanfei Yonah* that in that generation the kelippot grew powerful to such a degree that it became necessary to repair the Keter of Malkhut.

Moses therefore came to effect this repair, and he petitioned and ordered his prayer “at that time,” which was “a time of trouble for Jacob” (Jeremiah 30:7), when the kelippah grew powerful. ההוא is written, for it clothed itself in him. He opened by invoking the Name El Adonai, since the Shekhinah required repair even in her Keter.

He therefore said: Since “You have begun to show me” at first, “and you shall see My back [וראית א״ת אחרי]” (Exodus 33:23), which is the mystery of the Keter of the feminine, this is the meaning of “Your greatness,” which is called “great in Ḥesed” (Psalms 145:8, as cited). “Your strong hand” refers to the rest of her crowns. “Who is El?” precisely, for He is one El, whether from the side of Ḥesed—“like Your deeds”—or from the side of Gevurah—“like Your mighty acts.” Over all the deeds, “Has not one El created us? Have we not all one Father?” (Malachi 2:10).

I therefore wish to enter the Land of Israel, remove the sectarians, and repair her Keter. This must occur specifically in the Land of Israel, just as the Holy One, blessed be He, promised Abraham, “the land that I shall show you” (Genesis 12:1), as explained above in the preceding Ofan. The word אעבר״ה has the numerical value of לאברה״ם (“to Abraham”).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.” That is, in the generation of Rabban Gamaliel there will be one man who will institute the benediction against the sectarians: Samuel the Small (Berakhot 29). In that generation he was worthy for the Shekhinah to rest upon him, as in the generation of Hillel (Sanhedrin 11a). He was a spark of Moses.

Thus, since Samuel the Small was in that generation, he possessed a spark from Moses, as it is stated in the Zohar (Zohar I, 25a): “A generation goes” (Ecclesiastes 1:4)—this is Moses; “and a generation comes”—this is Moses. In every single generation, a spark of Moses undergoes gilgul.

Concerning him it is said, “It is much for you [רב לך]”—the word לך precisely. You too will be present in that generation as “a faithful man” to repair “many blessings [רב ברכות]” (Proverbs 28:20). Therefore, “Do not continue to speak.”

“Command Joshua”—`command` refers specifically to idolatry (Sanhedrin 56b)—so that he will pray for that generation. וחזקה״ו ואמצה״ו (“strengthen him and embolden him”) has the numerical value of רו״ח הטומא״ה (“the spirit of impurity”); he was to pray concerning them, to cause them to pass away. He did not pray concerning them. Scripture therefore took Joshua to task (Nehemiah 8:17), calling him יושע son of Nun and removing the letter ה from his name (Arakhin 32b).

The Judge is faithful concerning him; one who knows and understands will understand, vindicate the judgment of Heaven, and acknowledge that the judgment is a judgment of perfect truth, repaying each man according to his deeds. To one who understands, it will be pleasant. This mystery is likewise explained in the word נ״א, although the present passage does not supply its expansion. [TN-189-01]

Ofan 190

One premise is established, and it is of precious worth. It is stated in the Zohar on Parashat Bereshit—printed with the adjacent locators “[p. 174 (Tikkunei Zohar 138b)]” [TN-190-01]—that the earliest generations enjoyed great longevity because their lives derived from Arikh Anpin. After the Flood, the years of the early generations were shortened, for a human being’s days and years then derived from Zeʿir Anpin.

Concerning Moses it is stated, “My spirit shall not contend in man forever” (Genesis 6:3). The Holy One, blessed be He, thereby declared that human beings would no longer live lives deriving from Arikh Anpin. Only בשג״ם, which is Moses, had a lifespan of 120 years; his years came from Arikh Anpin, for Moses’s years were taken from Adam and Noah.

This is the mystery of the verse, “One man among a thousand have I found” (Ecclesiastes 7:28), which our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded (Leviticus Rabbah 2:1): “one man” is Moses, whose years came from Adam the first man. Adam ought to have lived one thousand years, but lived only 930, thereby leaving seventy years for Moses. Noah then came; his life likewise derived from Arikh Anpin. He too ought to have lived one thousand years but lived only 950, leaving fifty years for Moses. These make Moses’s 120 years.

Therefore, at the time of the calf Moses said, “Erase me, נא” (Exodus 32:32)—נ״א precisely, a notarikon of נ״ח א״דם (Noah, Adam), from whom Moses’s years came. The source further says that the final letters of מחנ״י נ״א מספר״ך אש״ר form ארי״ך, and that the final letters of מספר״ך אש״ר כתב״ת form כת״ר. The letters do not occur in either claimed order without rearrangement. [TN-190-02] His life derived from Arikh Anpin, which is Keter.

This is the intention of our Sages in the fourth chapter of Megillah, p. 28a. Rabbi Akiva asked Rabbi Nehunya ben Ha-Qanah, “By what merit have you enjoyed longevity?” His attendants came and began striking him. He climbed up and sat at the top of a palm tree. He said to him, “My teacher, if it says ‘a lamb,’ why does it say ‘one’?” (Numbers 28:4). Rabbi Nehunya said to them, “He is a young scholar; leave him alone.” He answered him, “One—meaning the unique one in its flock,” and so forth.

The world raises a difficulty here: What connection did Rabbi Akiva’s question have with the matter, why did he climb a palm tree, and what difference would it have made had it been a palm tree or some other tree?

The mystery of the matter is that Rabbi Akiva saw that Rabbi Nehunya had attained an exceptional old age. Exceptional longevity comes from Arikh Anpin, in the mystery of “The days of our years in them are seventy years” (Psalms 90:10)—“in them” precisely. That is, human life depends upon the seven constructive sefirot, and therefore amounts to seventy years, each of the seven comprising ten. “Or, if through Gevurot,” meaning from the side of Binah, which is called “the Worker of mighty acts,” from whom judgments awaken, “eighty years.” Binah is the eighth attribute when counted upward from below. Since Rabbi Nehunya had attained an exceptional old age, his days must have derived from Arikh Anpin; Rabbi Akiva therefore asked, “By what merit have you enjoyed longevity?”

They did not understand him, and therefore he climbed a palm tree. The mystery of the palm is “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree” (Psalms 92:13). He thereby hinted that life in this world is only like the palm: just as a palm produces fruit after seventy years, so “the days of our years” derive from Zeʿir Anpin, the mystery of seventy years comprised of the seven lower attributes. Thus one ought to live only seventy years, like the palm.

Rabbi Nehunya understood the matter. He therefore asked him: If Scripture already says “a lamb,” why does it also say “one”? He offered a hint, for קרב״ן (“offering”) has the numerical value of אר״ך אפי״ם (“long-suffering”), so that Rabbi Nehunya would understand that his question concerned longevity deriving from Arikh Anpin. Rabbi Nehunya consequently answered, “One—the unique one in its flock.” That is, there is a person who, through his deeds, merits [sustenance] from Arikh, who is called “one, the unique one in His flock.”

Concerning this Moses began to pray: “You have begun to show Your greatness,” the mystery of Arikh Anpin; “Your strong hand,” the mystery of Zeʿir Anpin. Thus יד״ך החזקה (“Your strong hand”) has the numerical value of קט״ן (“small”), the mystery of Zeʿir.

This is the mystery of the Mishnah—printed “[Berakhot, chapter 1 (11a)]”—“one long and one short.” In a place where they said to make it long, which is the mystery of Arikh Anpin, one is not permitted to make it short, which is Zeʿir Anpin. After the making of the calf Moses prolonged his prayer, in the mystery of Arikh; at the sea he had to shorten it, as he did in his prayer for Miriam, which was in the mystery of Zeʿir (Numbers 12:13).

This is why he said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth?”—El precisely. Corresponding to Arikh, which is the mystery of “El, long-suffering,” he said, “like Your deeds”; corresponding to Zeʿir, which is “El, compassionate and gracious,” he said, “like Your mighty acts.”

Moses came to enter the Land of Israel so that human lives would derive from Arikh Anpin, as they had before the Flood. He wished to pray concerning this for all generations, restoring the crown to its former state. He therefore said אעברה: the א of אעברה indicates Arikh, while the word אעבר״ה has the numerical value of זער״א (Zeʿir). Moses wished to pray that the generations would derive from Arikh.

This is the meaning of נ״א, a notarikon both of נ״חיה א״ריך (“we shall live [from] Arikh”) and of נ״ח א״דם (Noah, Adam). Just as my present life and years came from Noah and Adam, whose lives derived from Arikh, so let all generations be as they were at first. נ״א is also a notarikon of נ״ר אלהי״ם נ״שמת א״דם, “The lamp of God is the soul of man” (Proverbs 20:27). At first “the man was like one of us” (Genesis 3:22); that is, his life came from the “one, unique in His flock,” namely Arikh Anpin. Let all the generations now be likewise.

This would occur specifically “when I see the land,” for I would possess the merit of the Land of Israel and there repair the damage of Adam the first man. This is the meaning of “and Lebanon”: there the sin of Adam the first man would be whitened [ילבין], and souls would bud, blossom, and draw nourishment from Lebanon, the mystery of “He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon” (Psalms 92:13).

When would they attain the mystery of Lebanon? Concerning this he said, “Planted in the house of the LORD” (Psalms 92:14). That is, when they are in the Land of Israel, there is the place of the Temple. “In the courts of our God,” which is “this good mountain,” the Temple Mount, they will blossom and derive sustenance from Arikh Anpin. Human life will then exceed that of the palm, which is seventy years. Scripture first says, “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,” the mystery of seventy years; but “they shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and fresh” (Psalms 92:15), so that human lives will be longer, as they were at first.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” That is, it is enough for you to have removed yourself from the common rule, so that the years of your life are twice those of other human beings. Concerning them it is said, “You shall come in full age [בכל״ח] to the grave” (Job 5:26), which our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded in Moʿed Qatan (28a) as sixty, the numerical value of בכל״ח. Your years, however, are 120, twice sixty. This is the meaning of “It is enough for you”—לך precisely. As for what you wish to request for all generations, “Do not continue to speak.”

“It is enough for you” also alluded to what the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him at first in the vision of the bush: הסנ״ה (“the bush”), whose numerical value is 120, appears five times, corresponding to five people in the world whose lives would equal הסנה, 120. The source names Moses, Hillel, Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai, and Rabbi Akiva, and then says that Joshua too ought to have lived 120 years. [TN-190-03] This is the meaning of “It is enough for you” concerning these five. Your own rung is that of Moses, “the face of the sun” (Bava Batra 75a), and the sun has five guides; five therefore lived 120 years.

Concerning this He said, “Command Joshua and strengthen him” in words of Torah, “and embolden him” in worldly conduct, namely warfare, so that he would hurry and conduct his war swiftly. Had Joshua waged his war with alacrity, he too would have lived 120 years, like Moses our teacher. This is stated in Midrash Rabbah on the portion printed with the adjacent readings “(Masei) [Mattot]” (Numbers Rabbah 22:6). [TN-190-04]

This is the meaning of “for he shall cross over”: if he crossed over immediately and did not delay in his warfare, then “he shall cause [them] to inherit”—that is, he would live 120 years, for הו״א ינח״יל has the numerical value of 120. This would fulfill the verse, “As I was with Moses, I shall be with you” (Joshua 1:5).

Joshua did not act accordingly, however: “He made war for many days” (Joshua 11:18). Ten years were therefore subtracted from his lifespan, and he lived only 110 years, like Joseph the righteous. This is the mystery of the unification of two Names: YHWH in its filling of the world of מ״ה, which is 45, and Adonai, which is 65. Together they make 110. This is the mystery of “[uncertain: בנ״ס היו עומדים]” (Megillah 2b, as printed), referring to the cherubim. [TN-190-05]

Ofan 191

An excellent premise is explained in the words of the kabbalists and cited in *Pardes*: the Name YHWH has seventy-two circles, and every circle has three crowns. These are described as seventy-two ayins and twenty-four zayins. The relation between the three crowns per circle and the stated totals is not explained in this passage. [TN-191-01]

From this mystery there were below a Great Sanhedrin and a Small Sanhedrin. The number of their heads was the seventy-two “eyes,” and therefore the Sanhedrin were called “the eyes of the congregation” (Numbers 15:24), for they derive from the seventy-two ayins in the Name YHWH. The Small Sanhedrin consisted of twenty-three, while the Shekhinah completed the count, in the mystery of “God stands in the congregation of El” (Psalms 82:1)—the word א״ל precisely.

The supernal merkavah corresponds to the count of the seventy members of the Sanhedrin, while the twenty-three members of the Small Sanhedrin are the mystery of מג״ן (“shield”), three times א״ל. Thus Abraham was told, “I am your shield [מג״ן]” (Genesis 15:1), and in that passage ל״א occurs three times, together totaling ninety-three, corresponding to the seventy members of the Great Sanhedrin and the twenty-three members of the Small Sanhedrin.

This is the mystery of “YHWH is in His holy palace” (Habakkuk 2:20). In honor of these holy Names there were ninety-three vessels in the Temple (Tamid 30a), while one sole Lord ruled over them all.

When, however, we count seventy-two members of the Sanhedrin—since two scribes of the judges sat there, one on the right and one on the left (Sanhedrin 34a)—the Sanhedrin comprised seventy-two, corresponding to the seventy-two supernal ayins in the Name YHWH. When the twenty-three members of the Small Sanhedrin are joined to them, this is the mystery of “Behold, you are fair [יפ״ה], my beloved; behold, you are fair [יפ״ה], your eyes are doves” (Song of Songs 1:15). That is, the number of the Great and Small Sanhedrin, who are “the eyes of the congregation,” equals יפ״ה, ninety-five.

This is the intention of our Sages, of blessed memory, in the source printed “[Midrash Rabbah on Parashat Toledot (Genesis Rabbah 63:8)].” Samuel the prophet was alarmed when he saw that David “was ruddy” (I Samuel 16:12), for Samuel thought he derived from the power of Mars, just as it is stated concerning Esau, “and he was ruddy” (Genesis 25:25). The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “with beautiful eyes [יפה עינים]”: David sheds blood only by the judgment of the Sanhedrin, who are called “eyes.” The Sanhedrin are thus hinted in the word יפ״ה, whose numerical value is ninety-five: seventy-two members of the Great Sanhedrin and twenty-three members of the Small Sanhedrin.

“God has also made the one corresponding to the other.” The mystery is that in at-bash the letter pairs ה״ץ and ו״ף adjoin one another. The value of ה״ץ is ninety-five; ו״ף is the mystery of the Name Elohim, whose value is eighty-six. Just as in holiness the Great and Small Sanhedrin number ninety-five, so too on the side of the kelippah their number is ninety-five.

This is the mystery of “I shall surely erase [מח״ה אמחה] the memory of Amalek” (Exodus 17:14). First He said, “For a hand is upon the throne of Yah [כ״ס י״ה]” (Exodus 17:16), whose numerical value is ninety-five, the mystery of the Great and Small Sanhedrin. We therefore hold that כ״ס י״ה must be written on a single line, as stated in the chapter Arvei Pesaḥim (Pesaḥim, p. 114, as printed). On the side of the kelippah, מח״ה is a notarikon of מ״אדים ח״לבנה ה״מן (Mars, galbanum, Haman), each of which has the value ninety-five.

This is the mystery of the statement of our Sages in the chapter Arvei Pesaḥim, p. 100: Rabbi Yose said, “Every single day you prefer my words to the words of Judah our colleague, and now you are concerned for his words? ‘Will he also assault the queen while I am in the house?’” (Esther 7:8).

The mystery of the matter is that Rabbi Yose draws his sustenance from the Name Elohim, whose value equals יוס״י, as stated in Raʿaya Mehemna on Parashat Pineḥas, p. 410 (Zohar III, 223a). Because his sustenance derives from the Name Elohim, he merited that the halakhah should follow him in ninety-five places in the Talmud. When we count all the rulings decided according to Rabbi Yose, “whose reasoning accompanies him,” we find that the halakhah follows him in ninety-five places.

The reason is the mystery of ה״ץ and ו״ף. Since his sustenance comes from the Name Elohim, which equals ו״ף, the halakhah follows him in ninety-five places, the mystery of ה״ץ. Concerning this Rabbi Yose said, “Will he also assault the queen [המלכ״ה] while I am in the house?”—“the queen” precisely, for her mystery is ה״ץ. That is: since the halakhah follows me in ninety-five places, the value of מלכ״ה, and she is “with me in the house,” for I draw sustenance from that Name, perhaps the disciples will see this, establish the halakhah for the generations, and diminish my rabbinic cloak.

We have thus established that ו״ף, which is the Name Elohim, must correspond to the adjacent ה״ץ in at-bash. The latter is the number of the Great and Small Sanhedrin, as explained above.

Since “God stands” together with them—that is, the Shekhinah dwelt among them—their number was ninety-six, in the mystery of א״ל אדנ״י (El Adonai). This equals the seventy-two ayins and twenty-four zayins of the Name YHWH. Since “there thrones for judgment were set” in the Land of Israel (Psalms 122:5), and ninety-six windows would be in the Temple corresponding to this mystery, Moses opened with Adonai and concluded with the Name א״ל, the mystery of El Adonai.

He therefore began, “You have begun to show Your servant”—עבד״ך precisely. Moses was equivalent to the seventy-two of the Great and Small Sanhedrin; together they are the mystery of עבד״ך, parsed as ע״ב עייני״ן, כ״ד זייני״ן (“seventy-two ayins, twenty-four zayins”). He then explained the mystery of “Your servant.”

The Great and Small Sanhedrin are ordered according to the mystery of the twenty-two letters, in the mystery of “The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands” (Psalms 68:18). These are the twenty-two letters of the Torah, each comprised of one thousand. They are the mystery of the twenty-two thousand, for the Shekhinah rests only upon two thousand and two myriads of Israel (Bava Qamma 83a; Yevamot 64a). “Adonai is among them”: the Shekhinah is among them. This is the mystery of the twenty-three members of the Small Sanhedrin.

When the letters of the Torah are filled out together with the letters מנצפ״ך, they contain seventy-three letters. This is the mystery of “How many are Your deeds, O LORD; You have made them all with wisdom [בחכמ״ה]” (Psalms 104:24)—חכמ״ה precisely has the numerical value seventy-three. These are the seventy-two members of the Sanhedrin with the president above them.

Since You have begun to show me that the mystery of “Your servant” is equivalent to the Great and Small Sanhedrin, “Your greatness” corresponds to the Great Sanhedrin, while “Your strong hand” corresponds to the Small Sanhedrin. יד״ך החזק״ה has the numerical value of קט״ן (“small”). “Who is El in heaven and on earth who can do like Your deeds?” refers to the world of Asiyah, where the Name א״ל אדנ״י has the value of the Great and Small Sanhedrin.

Correspondingly, ninety-six covenants were made concerning the Torah: at Sinai, forty-eight concerning the Written Torah; and at the Tent of Meeting, forty-eight concerning the Oral Torah. They were repeated a third time in the plains of Moab. The two together make ninety-six. This is the mystery of “precept upon precept [צ״ו לצ״ו]” (Isaiah 28:10): twice ninety-six is 192 covenants made concerning the Torah, as Tosafot write (Sotah 37b, s.v. “Rabbi”).

This is the mystery of “this great wrath [האף הגדול הזה].” When the letters א״ף are filled out as אל״ף פ״א, their numerical value is 192. Concerning this Moses said, “and like Your mighty acts,” to silence the power of that great א״ף, whose power is 192, the value of צ״ו לצ״ו.

He therefore said, “Let me cross over, נא”: I wish to enter the Land of Israel, where “thrones for judgment were set,” corresponding to the seventy-two members of the Great Sanhedrin. אעבר״ה is a notarikon of א״תקן ע״ב ר״אשי ה״סנהדראות (“I shall repair the seventy-two heads of the Sanhedrin”). נ״א is a notarikon of נ״ורא א״להים (“God is awesome”), for “God is awesome from your sanctuaries [ממקדשיך]” (Psalms 68:36). “Do not read ממקדשיך (‘from Your sanctuaries’) but ממקודשיך (‘from Your sanctified ones’)” (Zevahim 115b): the former is the place of the supernal Temple; the latter are the Sanhedrin below.

They sat in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, aligned with the thrones above. Jerusalem built below is “like a city joined together with itself” above (Psalms 122:3): just as “thrones for judgment were set” in the supernal Jerusalem, so too “thrones for the house of David” were set below in terrestrial Jerusalem.

Moses therefore asked to see “the good mountain,” the Temple Mount, “and Lebanon,” the Temple, where ninety-six windows were in the Temple corresponding to the ninety-six windows above, aligned with the Great and Small Sanhedrin.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you.” It is not merely that you equal the Great and Small Sanhedrin; rather, you equal all Israel, who number 600,000 (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:9). For this reason the name Moses is written in the Torah 592 times, and the name Israel is likewise mentioned in the Torah 592 times. [TN-191-02]

The reason Moses equals all Israel and had to be mentioned 592 times is the mystery of what Moses said at his death, “I shall walk before the LORD in the lands of the living” (Psalms 116:9; Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:5). That is, Moses is mentioned in the Torah as many times as twice האר״ץ; Israel too are called “the desirable land” (Malachi 3:12), and therefore their name is likewise mentioned in the Torah as many times as twice האר״ץ.

This is also the mystery of the full spelling of לבנון: למ״ד בי״ת נו״ן וי״ו נו״ן, which likewise has the numerical value 592. Concerning them Balaam said, “From the tops of rocks I see him [מרא״ש צרים אראנו]” (Numbers 23:9). The word מרא״ש alludes to the name Israel, for their name is mentioned in the Torah as many times as twice צו״ר, likewise 592.

Concerning this He said, “It is much for you”: you already equal all Israel in the Torah, and you do not need to enter the Land of Israel. Rather, “Command [צ״ו] Joshua”—צ״ו precisely, for in his generation he will equal the Great and Small Sanhedrin. He therefore used two expressions: “strengthen him,” corresponding to the Great Sanhedrin, “and embolden him,” corresponding to the Small Sanhedrin.

Hagahah

Young Solomon says: The mystery of א״ף in full spelling is the mystery of ברי״ת (“covenant”). This is the mystery of Samael and Lilith, male and female; when they couple together, they total ברי״ת, 612. Samael equals 131 and rides upon 130 camps, as is known in the mystery of “and the voice [והק״ל] was heard in Pharaoh’s house” (Genesis 45:16). Our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Exodus Rabbah 21:5) that the prince of Nebuchadnezzar was named ק״ל, 130.

This is the mystery of the 130 years during which Adam the first man separated [from Eve] and begot spirits and lilin (Eruvin 18b). Therefore “the voice [הק״ל] is the voice of Jacob,” who possessed the beauty of Adam (Bava Metzia 84a). הקל is written without ו and is taken here as ק״ל, 130. Jacob repaired it through the voice that chirps in synagogues and study houses (Genesis Rabbah 65:20), for harmful beings withdraw from anyone who engages in Torah (Berakhot 5a): “If this repulsive one encounters you, draw him into the study house” (Sukkah 52b). Then “the hands” are not “the hands of Esau.”

This is the mystery of “a ladder [סל״ם] set upon the earth” (Genesis 28:12). It is stated in Midrash Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah 68:12) that סל״ם is Sinai, for both total 130. The ladder He showed him, which equals 130, must be repaired through Sinai, namely the Torah, in the mystery of Israel standing at Mount Sinai, when their pollution ceased (Yevamot 103b). Thus the pollution of סינ״י was nullified.

מצ״ב (“set”) equals 132, rising above the 131 of Samael. Abel’s flaw was in the א and י of אהי״ה, for the full spellings אל״ף יו״ד total 131. Moses therefore did not wish to strike the Nile, because “Do not cast a clod [קל״א] into the well from which you drank water” (Bava Qamma 92b); the source writes the final form as קל״א, 131, to serve the numerical repair of his gilgul. [TN-191-03]

This is the mystery of the evil עי״ן (“eye”): the 130 kelippot equal עי״ן, while the evil inclination, Samael, rides upon 130. They remove a person from the world. Joseph is therefore the adversary of Esau, who is Samael, for “he is a fruitful son above the eye [עלי עין]” (Genesis 49:22). “Do not read עלי עין but עולי עין”—those who rise above the eye (Berakhot 20a). The source opens two citation parentheses in this Hagahah that it does not close; this is the first damaged scope. [TN-191-04] Joseph rises above the 130 and does not fear the evil eye.

This is the mystery of the saying, “Had permission been granted to the eye to see, no creature could stand” (Berakhot 6a); the mystery that “the evil inclination rules only over what its eyes see” (Sotah 8a); the mystery that “the Angel of Death is full of eyes” (Avodah Zarah 20b); and the mystery of “an arrow in the eye of Satan” (Qiddushin 81a). Balaam’s rung was that of “the man with the closed eye” (Numbers 24:15). Therefore, when the Sanhedrin called “the eyes of the congregation” [prevailed], “they gouged out his eyes” (Yoma 69b).

It follows that Samael is the mystery of 131. Lilith is the mystery of 481 and rides upon 480 camps, as I wrote at length in Ofan 184. Join 481 and 131, and the result is ברי״ת, 612.

This is the mystery of “cutting a covenant.” When they couple together in the mystery of ברי״ת, andarlamusia comes to the world, for it is male and female together, Samael and Lilith: אנד״ר is the male and למוסי״א the female, like an androgynos, as my revered father, of blessed memory, wrote. It then kills the good and the wicked alike (Genesis Rabbah 26:5), in the mystery of “a sword avenging the vengeance of the covenant [ברי״ת]” (Leviticus 26:25). As the Zohar states in many places, when they couple as one the world cannot endure. It is therefore necessary to “cut the covenant,” so that they do not couple together.

This is the mystery of circumcision being called ברי״ת (“covenant”; Shabbat 137b). By cutting away the foreskin, which is the kelippah, the 612 [ברי״ת] kelippot are cut away. One who has intercourse with an Aramean woman draws out his foreskin (Eruvin 19a), drawing upon himself the kelippot of ברית; therefore, “zealots strike him” (Sanhedrin 81b).

This is the mystery of the statement that Adam the first man drew out his foreskin (Sanhedrin 38b): through eating [from the tree] he drew the kelippot into the world, when Samael rode upon the serpent, as stated in the Zohar (Zohar I, 263b). Abraham, who repaired Adam—as stated in Midrash Rabbah, Parashah 14 (Genesis Rabbah 14:6)—had to repair ברי״ת. The source’s citation here opens the second parenthetical scope that it does not close. [TN-191-05]

The 613 commandments therefore exist in order to overcome the 612 kelippot, in the mystery of Israel standing at Mount Sinai, when their pollution ceased, as explained above (Yevamot 103b). This is the mystery of “Above every safeguard, guard your heart, for from it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23)—“every [כ״ל]” precisely: all 613 exist to overcome the 612. Abraham therefore observed all the commandments (Yoma 28b).

This is the mystery of the statement, “Great is circumcision, for it is equivalent to all the commandments” (Nedarim 32a). At the time of the destruction, “they transgressed the statute, violated the covenant.” From this one may understand the entire matter of covenant in the Torah, and there is no need to elaborate.

Thus 192 covenants were made concerning the Torah. That is, א״ף in full spelling equals 192. It is the mystery of ברי״ת when Samael and Lilith couple together in the mystery of ברי״ת; then the wrath [א״ף] is full—that is, complete. It was “cut” through the Torah, which comprises 613.

End of Hagahah

Ofan 192

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel in order to cause the powers of Agrat daughter of Mahalat and the eighteen thousand myriads with her to pass away, for she possessed power to harm creatures. This is explained in the Gemara, in the chapter Arvei Pesaḥim, p. 112b, in the episode of Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa. She encountered him at night and wished to harm him. She told him, “Had they not proclaimed in heaven, ‘Take care concerning Rabbi Ḥanina and his Torah,’” and so forth. He said, “I decree concerning you that you shall not be present in an inhabited place,” but left her the nights of Wednesday and the nights of the Sabbath.

It is further stated there in the Gemara that in the days of Abaye, Agrat daughter of Mahalat likewise encountered him, and so forth. Abaye acted toward her just as Rabbi Ḥanina did; see there.

Moses wished to repair this stumbling block, for these harmful beings were common in the world. He wished to enter the Land of Israel, for there the merit of the Land of Israel would enable him to remove this spirit of impurity from the land. Moses wished to repair now that which would occur at the end of days.

This is hinted in the word ואתחנן, which alludes to what Rabbi Ḥanina would do at the end of days, and likewise Abaye, who was called Nahmani. He wished to repair it “at that time.” He said: Since “You have begun to show Your greatness”—that is, to magnify the power of holiness in the world—and also to remove the power of impurity and the sitra aḥra when Moses struck the Egyptian, within whom Agrat daughter of Mahalat and her host were clothed, as stated in Raʿaya Mehemna (Zohar II, 114b).

At that time Moses was only twelve years old (Exodus Rabbah 5:2). The man therefore said to him, “Who made you a man?” (Exodus 2:14)—that is, you are still a minor. Moses killed him through the letters of HaShem, as indicated by the words, “Do you intend [literally, say] to kill me?” Our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded that he killed him with the Explicit Name (Exodus Rabbah 1:30).

Thus, since at that time “You began to show Your greatness” precisely—through the letters of HaShem, magnifying the power of holiness in the world and removing the power of Agrat daughter of Mahalat—“Your strong hand [יד״ך החזק״ה]” has the numerical value of קט״ן (“minor”), for Moses was still a minor when he began to remove Agrat daughter of Mahalat’s dominion from the world.

He therefore requested, “Let me cross over, נא”: I wish now to remove and cause to pass away from the earth what will be removed at the end of days. נ״א is a notarikon of נ״חמני א״יגרת (Nahmani, Agrat). That is, Agrat sought to harm Abaye, who was Nahmani, as it is written, “Had they not proclaimed, ‘Take care concerning Nahmani,’” and so forth. Thus his name is Nahmani. I wish to remove that which Nahmani will remove, namely the camps of Agrat daughter of Mahalat. This victory over the kelippah of her impurity will occur specifically if I enter the Land of Israel, for then the merit of the Land of Israel will aid me.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “Your Rav is for you [רב לך].” This follows the Gemara in Sanhedrin (17b): every one called “Rav” or “Mar” is from Babylonia, while every one called “Rabbi” is from the Land of Israel. Abaye was an Amora and was therefore called Rav. What an Amora is destined to merit at the end, you wish to repair in this generation; but that is impossible for you.

The book of Adam the first man is already prepared for Abaye, with all the generations until the Messiah written in it, generation after generation, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Avodah Zarah 5a). In that book it is written that Abaye will merit removing the impurity and stumbling block of the harmful beings. The reason is that Abaye was an orphan, as we find in many places in the Talmud.

This is hinted in his name: אבי״י is a notarikon of א״שר ב״ך י״רוחם י״תום, “in You the orphan finds compassion” (Hosea 14:4), and of א״ך ב״י י״שוב י״הפוך, “surely against me He repeatedly turns” (Lamentations 3:3), fulfilling the verse, “You have been the helper of the orphan” (Psalms 10:14). It follows that he was prepared for this matter. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me concerning this matter [בדבר הז״ה]”—“this” precisely, for this is “the book of the generations of Adam.” In that episode He commanded him, “Ascend to the top of the summit,” and showed him through the end of all generations.

It is further stated there—printed as Qiddushin 39b, although the episode is associated with Qiddushin 29b [TN-192-01]—that in Abaye’s days a harmful being was present in the study house and could harm even two people together in the daytime. Rav Aha bar Jacob nullified that harmful being, which resembled a dragon with seven heads.

The matter is that the kelippah of Esau comprises seven powers of impurity. Samael, the prince of Esau, has seven names, for Samael is the Angel of Death and the evil inclination, and our Sages, of blessed memory, said that the evil inclination has seven names (Sukkah 52a). Jacob therefore had to bow “seven times, until he approached his brother” (Genesis 33:3), corresponding to these seven heads. Through the recitation of the Shema, Jacob subdued his seven heads. Thus he had said at first, “Thus [כ״ה] shall you say to my lord, to Esau” (Genesis 32:5)—כ״ה precisely, corresponding to the twenty-five letters of the unity declaration שמע ישראל (“Hear, O Israel”; Deuteronomy 6:4).

This is hinted in Esau’s statement, “I have much [רב], my brother” (Genesis 33:9), which alluded to Rav Aha in the Gemara. He is therefore called bar Jacob, for Rav Aha’s power to cast down the seven heads of the dragon came to him from Jacob our father.

Moses likewise intended this power when he said, “Let me cross over, נא.” He wished to cause that serpent from Abaye’s days, which Rav Aha subdued, to pass away. This is hinted in נ״א: נ״חש א״חא (“serpent, Aha”).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “Your Rav is for you”: that which is prepared for an Amora, who is called Rav in Babylonia, you wish to repair. “Do not continue to speak concerning this matter” precisely. In the book of the generations of Adam it is explained that Rav Aha bar Jacob will merit repairing that seven-headed serpent. Esau himself testified to this, prophesying without knowing what he prophesied when he said, “I have much [רב], my brother,” alluding to Rav Aha, who cast down his seven heads. “For a righteous man falls seven times and rises” (Proverbs 24:16): through the seven prostrations with which Rav Aha fell to the ground, he afterward rose, having cast down the seven heads of the sitra aḥra.

Ofan 193

Moses wished to subdue the great prince in the firmament called Amon of No [אמן מנא], the great prince of Egypt. In his right hand he held the goat of Joseph’s sale, and in his left hand the ram of Isaac. He continually accused Israel concerning the sale of Joseph and the binding of Isaac, when they offered up a ram in Isaac’s place (Genesis 22:13). Yet the Torah writes, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it threshes” (Deuteronomy 25:4), for Isaac had already been delivered to him as an offering. The name and its relation to No-Amon are explained through Nahum 3:8 below, but its precise angelological form remains unusual. [TN-193-01]

Moses, who was master of the flock, came when he slaughtered the Passover offering and removed the ram from the prince’s left hand. The goat in his right hand, however—the vengeance for the sale of Joseph—still remained in place. That accusation exacted payment on the day the Temple was destroyed, in the mystery of “On the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the men of valor shall be bent” (Ecclesiastes 12:3, in the source’s wording). These are the ten “pearls” [י׳ מרגילאן] who were delivered to Samael from the day the Temple was destroyed, namely the Ten Martyrs. [TN-193-02]

Our Sages, of blessed memory, hinted at this when they said (Zevahim 115b), concerning “God is awesome from Your sanctified ones [ממקודשיך]” (Psalms 68:36), “Do not read ממקדשיך (‘from Your sanctuary’) but ממקודשיך (‘from Your sanctified ones’).” On the day the Temple was destroyed, there was also dread before God concerning the Ten Martyrs of the kingdom.

Moses alluded to this when he said, “At that time,” referring to the destruction of the Temple, for it was “a time of trouble for Jacob” (Jeremiah 30:7). ההוא is written, alluding to the prince of Edom, to whom ten mighty men from the mighty of Israel were delivered.

By entering the Land of Israel, Moses wished to nullify this destruction and remove from Amon of No’s right hand the goat, just as he had removed the ram from his left hand when he offered the Passover sacrifice.

He therefore said, “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness.” Through this he alluded to “a lamb for each ancestral house” (Exodus 12:3), which was acquired on the tenth day of the month, then the Great Sabbath. There he removed the ram that was in the hand of Amon of No, as the verse is rendered, “Are you better than No-Amon [התטבי מנא אמן]?” (Nahum 3:8). This is the mighty Amon, prince of Alexandria in Egypt, who draws his sustenance from Abraham’s right side.

This is the mystery of “In the first watch, the donkey brays” (Berakhot 3a). Abraham had to counteract his own attribute, which is the side of Ḥesed and is called greatness: “I shall make you a great nation” (Genesis 12:2). This is why we say “the God of Abraham”: to bind his donkey, the donkey that stands on the right side of the merkavah. It is the kelippah of Ishmael, and it was not for nothing that a woman from Egypt was married to him. The prince of Egypt is likewise the donkey, for “their flesh is the flesh of donkeys” (Ezekiel 23:20).

He is therefore hinted in “Your greatness”: that prince draws sustenance from the Ḥesed of holiness. Moses had already removed from his hand the ram on the left, as is hinted by the words “Your strong hand”; but the goat in his right hand still remained in its place.

He therefore said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth?”—“El is indignant every day” (Psalms 7:12) concerning “three transgressions of Israel, and for four I shall not reverse it: because they sold the righteous for silver” (Amos 2:6). The sin of the sale of Joseph had still not been atoned, as stated in Midrash Mishlei, and the accusation remained in place.

Moses therefore said, “Let me cross over, נא.” That is, I wish to cause those four sins to pass away, concerning which He said, “and for four I shall not reverse it.” אעברה is an anagram of ארבע״ה (“four”). The great accuser in the firmament, Amon of No, still stands.

This is hinted in the word נ״א. Read it here as נוֹא, with a holam: I wish to remove the prince of No, namely Egypt, which is called No. This should not seem surprising, for Midrash Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah 93:6), concerning the verse “Let your servant speak a word, נא” (Genesis 44:18), likewise interprets נא as נוֹא with a holam, referring to Egypt, which is called No. Judah said: When I bring one word out of my mouth, Egypt will be filled [with devastation]; see there.

Thus Moses said: I wish to remove that prince called Amon of No. Therefore, “I shall see the land.” The Land of Israel is four hundred parasangs by four hundred parasangs (Megillah 3a), corresponding to Egypt, which is likewise four hundred parasangs by four hundred parasangs (Pesaḥim 94a). In the Land of Israel is the mystery of the “four hundred worlds of yearning”; through them I shall nullify the “four hundred insolent courts,” one corresponding to the other.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you.” This sin concerning Joseph the righteous, who is called “great [רב],” belongs to you; the sin is yours. Moses was from the tribe of Levi, and Levi was the principal cause in the sale of Joseph. Thus our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Yalkut Shimoni, remez 158) concerning “They said, one man to his brother,” and “the one opened his sack” (Genesis 37:19; 42:27), that this one was Levi.

Therefore, “Do not continue [אל תוסף]” precisely, for the sin of Joseph is hinted in it; and “concerning this matter [בדבר הזה]” precisely, for it is stated concerning Joseph, “They have departed from this [מזה]” (Genesis 37:17).

The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Ascend to the top of the summit,” and showed him through the end of all generations that in every generation there are martyrs of the kingdom. He therefore enumerated the four directions, the four kingdoms, among all of which the sparks of these ten slain ones extend until the end of all generations—until Messiah son of Joseph comes. He too will be caught by this evil snare, and everything that happened to them will come upon him.

Ofan 194

We say in the chapter Bameh Behemah (Shabbat 55a): Rav Aha bar Ḥanina said, “Never did a good attribute go forth from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, and then He retract it for evil, except in this matter.” For it is written, “The LORD said to him: Pass through the midst of the city and mark a tav upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed,” and so forth (Ezekiel 9:4).

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Gabriel: Go and mark upon the foreheads of the righteous a tav of ink, so that the destroying angels will not rule over them, and upon the foreheads of the wicked a tav of blood, so that the destroying angels will rule over them. The attribute of Judgment said before the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the Universe, how do these differ from those?” He said to it, “These are completely righteous, while those are completely wicked,” and so forth, until “Begin at My sanctuary [ממקדשי]” (Ezekiel 9:6). “Do not read ממקדשי (‘at My sanctuary’) but ממקודשי (‘at My sanctified ones’)”: these are people who fulfilled the Torah from alef through tav.

Immediately, “Behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand; and one man among them was clothed in linen, with a scribe’s case at his waist. They came and stood beside the bronze altar” (Ezekiel 9:2). Was there then a bronze altar? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Begin at the place where they recite song before Me. Who are these six men, and so forth? Why specifically tav? Tav means “you shall live [תחיה]”; tav means “you shall die [תמות]”; and the seal of the Holy One, blessed be He, is truth [אמת].

A difficulty is raised here. Since the seal of the Holy One, blessed be He, is אמת, why did He take the letter ת? Likewise, in the chapter Ha-Boneh (Shabbat 104a), concerning the schoolchildren who expounded ש as the initial of שקר (“falsehood”) and ת as the final letter of אמת (“truth”), it is difficult: Why is the seal of truth represented by ת and not by א or מ, the other letters of אמת?

There is, however, a supernal mystery here. It is stated in *Sodei Raza* concerning the letter ת, in these words:

“ת is a term of writing, as in ‘and you shall mark a תי״ו.’ This teaches that there is no angel who does not possess a ת, the seal of the one appointed over him, of whom he is afraid. This is ‘for My Name is within him’ (Exodus 23:21); and it is written, ‘YHWH is in them [ה׳ בם]’ (Numbers 12:9, as cited), and ‘the LORD over them’ (Zechariah 9:14). ת is an impressed mark shown to every single one, as stated in *Sefer Hekhalot* and *Sefer Merkavah*. תי״ו is the impressed seal over which are appointed seraphim sanctified by fire, a flaming blaze.

“[uncertain: במימר קדישין שאילתא]. A great prince stands and prepares the throne, clothes it in the robe, and adorns the Ḥashmal. The seraphim say ‘Holy, holy, holy’ in awe at every moment. They sing songs without end, whose refrain is ‘Holy, holy, holy,’ and endlessly many holy companies are with them. They ascend before the Throne of Glory amid mountains and hills. [uncertain: והשרים יש להם שעולים עליהם], and they prostrate themselves before the King of Glory.” [TN-194-01]

Thus far the quotation.

When the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses all the generations and came to Ezekiel’s generation, in which the Holy One, blessed be He, changed His attribute—as Rabbi Ḥanina said, “Never did a good attribute go forth from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, and then He retract it,” and so forth—Moses came to implore concerning that generation. He wished to enter the Land of Israel, nullify the six men, and uphold the verse, “God is not a man that He should lie, nor a human being that He should repent” (Numbers 23:19), rather than withdraw from a good attribute and bring an evil one.

He therefore said, “At that time, saying,” concerning “a time of trouble for Jacob” in the days of Ezekiel. ההוא is written with ו, alluding to the six men who came from the direction of the north. The word ההוא also alludes to the verse “Has He said and shall He not do?” Our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded [in the Midrash printed there (Numbers Rabbah 20:20)] that He may refrain from evil and retract it, but He never retracts from a good attribute to evil—except in that episode, when He retracted a good attribute and brought evil.

Moses therefore ordered his prayer, “You have begun to show.” The source instructs the reader to divide and permute the word through the damaged phrase [uncertain: קרי בה תרין תיבין על אות להר אות], and then combines its letters as להאר ת׳ (“to illuminate a tav”). [TN-194-02] This alludes to the sign, the tav, that the Holy One, blessed be He, caused to shine upon the foreheads of the men. להראות has the numerical value of א״ר אמ״ת.

He said, “א״ת Your servant”—א״ת precisely, referring to those people who fulfilled the Torah from alef to tav. The Holy One, blessed be He, first commanded that they be marked with “tav—you shall live”; afterward He retracted this and commanded that the righteous who fulfilled the Torah from א to ת be marked with “tav—you shall die.”

This is why Moses said, “Your strong hand,” the severe attribute of Judgment. The source states that וא״ת יד״ך החזק״ה has the numerical value of אמ״ת, although the ordinary values do not support the equality. [TN-194-03] The attribute of the Holy One, blessed be He, does not act in this manner, returning for evil, but only for good, for “God is not a man that He should repent.” This is the meaning of “Who is El in heaven and on earth who can do like Your deeds?”—this is a good attribute, concerning which He may retract for good; “and like Your mighty acts?”—concerning which He does not retract for evil.

Moses therefore wished to remove these six men: “Let me cross over, נא.” אעברה is an anagram of ב״א רע״ה (“evil came”), and he wished to nullify that evil.

Since Jerusalem is “the throne of the LORD” (Jeremiah 3:17), and the throne has six steps (II Chronicles 9:18), Moses came to pray that these six steps be repaired. They are six holy rungs that should serve goodness, the opposite of the six men who came from the direction of the north, for “from the north evil shall open” (Jeremiah 1:14). He petitioned concerning the six corresponding rungs in holiness, to nullify the impurity of the land of the nations, which penetrates through six [degrees]: the “father of fathers of impurity,” the “father of impurity,” first, second, third, and fourth, as far as the fourth degree in sacred things.

This is hinted in the word אעברה, an anagram of ארבעה (“four”), alluding to impurity extending through the fourth degree in sacred things. The word נ״א explains the impurity of a corpse, the “father of fathers of impurity,” for נ״א is a notarikon of נ״פש א״דם (“the soul of a person”; Numbers 19:11). Our Sages, of blessed memory, thereby hinted (Ḥullin 72a) that a quarter-log of blood from the soul of a person conveys the “father of fathers of impurity.”

Moses therefore said, “and I shall see the land [ואראה],” with the extra ו, referring to these six impurities from the side of evil. He wished to make “this good mountain” and to repair “the mountain of the LORD,” the site of the Temple, concerning which He said, “Begin at My sanctuary [ממקדשי].” They said, “Do not read ממקדשי but ממקודשי,” yet both are present: the angel came upon those righteous called “My sanctified ones” because of the sin committed in the Temple, as stated there, for “their backs were toward the sanctuary.”

Moses therefore hinted, “You have begun to show [להר״אות].” That is, the sign [אות] the Holy One, blessed be He, placed upon the foreheads of the men was ת. This happened to them because they sinned in the Temple, called “the mountain of the LORD.” He therefore said, “this good mountain,” for he wished to enter the Land of Israel and repair “the mountain of the LORD,” the mountain of Yir’eh, so that it would be the good mountain and evil would not come in that episode.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” It is enough that your spark was present in that episode, the one concerning whom you said, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet from your midst, like me [כמוני]” (Deuteronomy 18:15)—כמוני precisely. This was Jeremiah, as printed in the hybrid locator “[Midrash Rabbah (Pesiqta de-Rav Kahana 13)].” [TN-194-04] Jeremiah was a spark of Moses our teacher, and in that episode he then protected the people of his generation.

Ofan 195

It is explained in *Sefer Ha-Kavvanot* that Moses killed the Egyptian with the eighth Name among the seventy-two Names. This is explained in the verse, “He said to the wicked man, ‘Why do you strike your fellow?’” (Exodus 2:13). This Name is hinted in the word תכ״ה (“you strike”) and derives from the verse “Let every soul praise [כ״ל ה״נשמה ת״הלל]” (Psalms 150:6), whose initial letters are כה״ת. The two forms contain the same three letters but in different orders. [TN-195-01]

In my opinion, Moses had to strike the Egyptian with this Name because Rabbi Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, wrote that at the end of the prayer, before *Aleinu le-Shabbeaḥ*, one should have this intention when saying, “Those who know Your Name will trust in You, for You have not forsaken those who seek You, O LORD” (Psalms 9:11). The source marks the final letters of עזב״ת דורשי״ך ה׳ and calls them כה״ת, although in their printed order they yield תכ״ה if ה׳ is represented by ה. [TN-195-02] One who directs his intention to HaShem in this configuration is saved that day from an evil person.

The Egyptian was clothed in Samael and his female mate, as stated in Raʿaya Mehemna (Zohar II, 114b): all the kelippot were clothed in that Egyptian. Thus, when Moses killed the Egyptian in whom an evil person was clothed, he had to mention HaShem in this configuration, whose power is to save one from an evil person.

Moses therefore now sought to enter the Land of Israel in order to save Israel from the evil, lawless man who stands against us to destroy us in every generation.

In my opinion, this is the mystery of Queen Esther sending Hatach (Esther 4:5). They said in the first chapter of Megillah (15a), “Why was he called Hatach? Because all matters of royalty were decided [נחתכים] by his word.” The mystery is that Esther saw that an “evil, lawless man”—Haman—had risen against us (Psalms 124:2). We must be saved from an evil man through this Name, which is הת״ך as a permutation of the same letters.

Esther is the mystery of Malkhut, which is the Shekhinah, in the mystery of “Esther clothed herself in royalty [מלכות]” (Esther 5:1); Mordecai is the mystery of the Tzaddik. HaShem in this configuration uproots and separates the sitra aḥra that cuts between the two lovers. This is the mystery of “all matters of Malkhut were decided by his word”—Malkhut precisely: to expel the evil person from there. This is the mystery of ערו״ה רע, which interrupts between ו and ה.

Moses saw that the evil man, the Egyptian, had stumbled through sexual transgression and had intercourse with Dathan’s wife (Exodus Rabbah 1:28). He thereby caused רע (“evil”) to enter the mystery of holiness, namely ו״ה. Moses therefore had to kill the Egyptian, the evil man, with HaShem in this three-letter configuration, the permutation הת״ך.

Concerning this Moses began to pray: Since “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness,” which is the mystery of the Name of seventy-two from the side of Gedullah. At the beginning of his mission, when he saw “the great sight,” the vision of the bush, He said there, וז״ה ל״ך האו״ת, “and this shall be the sign for you” (Exodus 3:12). The source states that its final letters yield תכ״ה, but the printed final letters ה–ך–ת require reverse reading to do so. [TN-195-03]

This is HaShem as the eighth Name among the seventy-two Names, for Moses is the mystery of the sun, which has eight guides during the day (Bava Batra 75a), and here again HaShem is the eighth Name among the seventy-two.

He likewise alluded through “Your greatness” to “the great sight” of the bush (Exodus 3:3): then You began to show me the power of HaShem belonging to Your Gedullah, the Name among the seventy-two. He then explained which configuration of HaShem this was, saying א״ת יד״ך החזק״ה (“Your strong hand”), whose final letters are תכ״ה.

The power of HaShem in this configuration is the mystery of El Shaddai, for the source says that the “second letters” of שד״י are תכ״ה. Taking the alphabetic successors of ש–ד–י would ordinarily yield ת–ה–כ, so the transmitted order is not transparent. [TN-195-04] It is known that heaven and earth were created through the Name Shaddai, for אל שדי is a notarikon of “He said to the world, ‘Enough [די]’” (Ḥagigah 12a).

Concerning this Moses said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth who can do like Your deeds?” Heaven and earth were created through the Name Shaddai. This is the meaning of “like Your mighty acts.” Heaven was created through the Name El, as it is said, “and My right hand spread out the heavens” (Isaiah 48:13); the Name El is Ḥesed. The earth was created through the Name Shaddai, as it is stated, “My hand [אף ידי] founded the earth” (ibid.)—that is, through the Name associated with אף, which indicates judgment. HaShem in this configuration drives away all the demons [שדים].

The mezuzah proves the point: the Name Shaddai is written on its exterior, opposite the section “And it shall be, if you listen” on the inside (Deuteronomy 11:13), in the mystery of “Shaddai shall be your treasure [בצריך]” (Job 22:25). It is read here as בצירך, alluding to the hinge [ציר] and door upon which the mezuzah rests.

Since the “second letters” of HaShem in this Shaddai configuration are said to be תכ״ה, which saves one from an evil, lawless man, Moses petitioned, “Let me cross over [אעברה].” He wished to cause the evil, lawless man to pass away. The source calls אעברה a backward notarikon of ה״וא ע״שו א״דם ר״ע ב״ליעל (“he is Esau, an evil, lawless man”), although the marked initials do not transparently reproduce אעברה. [TN-195-05]

Therefore, “I shall see the land,” for the earth was created through the Name Shaddai, within whose “second letters” is hinted this configuration of HaShem that saves a person from the evil, lawless one. This is the mystery of the verse, “All peoples [כ״ל ה״עמים] clap [ת״קעו] a hand; shout to God” (Psalms 47:2), for it is stated there, “He subdues peoples under us” (Psalms 47:4). Therefore, “I shall see the good land.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you”: you have already attained HaShem in this configuration. It is stated in the Zohar on Parashat Be-Shallah (Zohar II) that when the time came for Moses’s soul to issue into this world, 425,000 lights came out from beneath the Throne of Glory; see there at length concerning Moses’s letters. The reason for this number is the mystery of HaShem in this configuration, תכ״ה, whose numerical value is 425. Thus you had already merited the Gedullah of HaShem in this configuration and its lights when you came into this world. Therefore, “Do not continue.”

Rather, “Command Joshua and strengthen him” concerning himself, for he instituted the formulation of *Aleinu le-Shabbeaḥ* (*Seder Ha-Yom*); “and embolden him” concerning the formulation attributed to עכ״ן (Achan), a notarikon of ע״ל כ״ן נ״קוה (“Therefore we hope”). In the words “to see speedily [במהר״ה] the splendor [בתפאר״ת] of Your might [עוז״ך],” the final letters spell הת״ך. This is the mystery of this Name, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “All matters of Malkhut are decided by his word.”

Achan therefore concluded his prayer, “to repair the world under the Malkhut of Shaddai”—Shaddai precisely, for this is the mystery of this Name. “For he shall cross over and he shall cause them to inherit”: let him therefore strengthen himself to pray for Israel with this holy Name.

Ofan 196

It is stated in *Sodei Raza* that prayers ascend through three rungs. First a prayer reaches the Ḥashmal. From the Ḥashmal it comes to the faithful servant, Metatron. Metatron then raises the prayer to the curtain, and from there it ascends to the Throne of Glory. Thus there are these three intermediate rungs, while, counting the place where the prayer arrives and is accepted, there are four rungs.

These three rungs are hinted in the verse, “In the light of the king’s countenance is life [ב״אור פ״ני מ״לך ח״יים]” (Proverbs 16:15). Examine its initial letters, and you will find the reception of prayer from above downward. It comes to the Throne of Glory, the mystery of the world of Beriah, which is hinted by the word באור.

Scripture therefore says, “O LORD, in the light of Your countenance they walk” (Psalms 89:16). באור פניך has the numerical value of עולם הבריאה (“the world of Beriah”), which is the mystery of the throne. Thus כסא (“throne”) in the ALBaM substitution is דל״ת. The source does not state the intermediate substitutions by which this correspondence is obtained. [TN-196-01]

This is the mystery of “a ladder set upon the earth” (Genesis 26:12, as printed; the ladder wording is Genesis 28:12). [TN-196-02] It is written in the Zohar (Zohar I, 266b) that the mystery of the ladder is the mystery of a human being’s prayer. It had four rungs, the mystery of these four degrees, alluding to the four rungs through which prayer ascends until it enters the Throne of Glory.

Moses therefore prayed 515 prayers, the numerical value of ואתחנ״ן. This is “the sole of a straight foot [כף רגל ישר״ה]” (Ezekiel 1:7): 515 is the numerical value of ישר״ה, extending to the throne, for כסא in its plain form together with its ALBaM form has the numerical value of ישר״ה.

It is known that the world was created through [uncertain: כ״ב אלפי״ן ביתי״ן אילין], which may denote these twenty-two alphabets or alphabetic configurations. [TN-196-03] Just as the world was created through the twenty-two letters of the Torah, the plain alef-bet from א to ת, so too the world was created through ALBaM. This is the mystery of “You made them all with wisdom [בחכמה]” (Psalms 104:24), for חכמ״ה has the numerical value of אלב״ם.

In the verse “In the light of the king’s countenance is life,” the four rungs are hinted in its four words. באור corresponds to the world of Beriah; פני begins with פ, corresponding to the pargod; מלך begins with מ, corresponding to Metatron; and חיים begins with ח, corresponding to the Ḥashmal. These are the four ascents of prayer, through which it rises to the Throne of Glory, enumerated here from above downward.

Moses therefore began with the word ואתחנן, so that the prayer would ascend to the place of the throne. He then explained the path by which prayer ascends, in the mystery of the ladder, which is Metatron.

He intended Metatron when he said, “You have begun [החלות] to show.” The word החלות is understood from the expression “Entreat, נא, the face of El [חלו נא פני אל]” (Malachi 1:9), for prayer ascends through Metatron, the faithful servant. Yet it must first pass through the Ḥashmal. Before it comes to Metatron, who is “Your servant,” You began first to show me the mystery of the Ḥashmal, which comprises two sides, fire and hail.

Thus it is written in *Sodei Raza* that “the appearance of the Ḥashmal [כעי״ן החשמ״ל]” (Ezekiel 1:4) has the numerical value of כא״ש ובר״ד (“like fire and hail”). This is the meaning of “Your greatness” from the right side, as it is written, “From His right hand, a fiery law for them” (Deuteronomy 33:2); thus fire is on the right.

For this reason, although Michael belongs to the mystery of water, the Midrash on Parashat Shofetim (Deuteronomy Rabbah 5:12) nevertheless expounds concerning him the verse “Dominion and fear are with Him” (Job 25:2): “Dominion” is Michael, who is entirely fire; “fear” is Gabriel, who is hail. We thus see that it expounds Michael as fire.

The author of *Matenot Kehunah* deletes the reading there and wishes to reverse the text so that Michael is hail, because he did not know this mystery: the angel on the right is always fire, as it is written, “From His right hand, fire,” for “His angels are a flaming fire.” The angel changes according to the mission.

“Your strong hand” is hail from the left side, over which Gabriel is appointed. The Ḥashmal, however, comprises both of them—fire and hail, from the right and left sides. It follows that when You wish to show me “Your servant,” Metatron, I must first go through the Ḥashmal, the two sides of “Your greatness” and “Your strong hand.” Afterward the prayer must pass through the pargod to the throne.

Moses therefore said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth?” “The heavens are My throne” (Isaiah 66:1); “the LORD has established His throne in the heavens” (Psalms 103:19). “And on earth” is the mystery of the curtain of the throne, for באר״ץ has the numerical value of פרגו״ד. It is the footstool of the throne, as it is written, “The earth is My footstool” (Isaiah 66:1).

As stated in the words of Rabbi Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, it is called the parsah between Beriah and Yetzirah, as explained in *Ma’amar Ha-Margela*; see there for supernal mysteries.

Since prayer ascends through the four rungs of the ladder that Jacob saw, Moses said, “Let me cross over, נא,” to be in the Land of Israel, for there “my heart and my flesh sing to the living El” (Psalms 84:3), and prayer will ascend through these four rungs of the ladder.

In the Land of Israel there is no separating screen. As soon as Jacob “departed from Beersheba” (Genesis 28:10), the Land of Israel, the land of seven nations, then immediately “he encountered the place” (Genesis 28:11), and the entire world became like a wall before him (Genesis Rabbah 68:10). Four partitions formed by the four powers of impurity separate between us and our God.

Therefore, אעברה is an anagram of ארבעה (“four”). That is: for this reason I wish to cross into the Land of Israel, so that prayer will ascend through the four rungs of the ladder just described—Ḥashmal, Metatron, pargod, throne. Here, however, four partitions intervene.

He also alluded through the words “and I shall see the land [הארץ]”—א״ת precisely—to the letters embedded in the word ארץ. The full spelling of ארץ is אל״ף רי״ש צדי״ק. The source states that the filling of ארץ has the numerical value of דל״ת, the mystery of the throne in ALBaM, but the ordinary full-spelling calculations do not yield that value without an unstated operation. [TN-196-04] Prayer thus proceeds by four rungs.

Moses therefore asked to see “this good mountain and Lebanon,” so that prayer would proceed directly toward the supernal Temple. The expression “a place for Your dwelling [מכון לשבתך]” occurs three times in Scripture (Exodus 15:17; I Kings 8:13; II Chronicles 6:2), as stated in *Sodei Raza*. Moses likewise ordered three rungs here: corresponding to the Ḥashmal, “the good land”; corresponding to Metatron, “this good mountain”; corresponding to the pargod, “Lebanon.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered Moses, “It is much for you”—לך precisely. You do not need the Land of Israel in order for prayer to go through these four rungs to the world of the throne. How abundant is your power: Moses’s prayer was like a sharp sword, “a likeness of the Explicit Name [מ״עין ש״ם ה״מפורש],” whose initial letters are משה (Moses). The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore had to command the angel Akhzariel to seal all the windows of the firmament, as stated in the Midrash on Ve-Zot Ha-Berakhah (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:10), concerning the death of Moses our teacher.

Therefore, “Do not continue.” Here you ascend to the top of the summit and drive away the four partitions—the four powers of impurity—from the four directions of the world, for your prayer is like the Explicit Name. The Name of Four is therefore explicit in these four directions: ימ״ה (“westward”), צפו״נה (“northward”), תימ״נה (“southward”), and מזר״חה (“eastward”).

Ofan 197

An excellent introduction. Since every individual Israelite has one letter in the Torah, it follows that the soul of every individual Israelite is the mate of one letter of the Torah. For this reason the Torah is set aside on account of the soul of every individual Israelite. We hold that saving a life overrides the Sabbath (Shabbat 132a) for this very reason: the soul of every individual Israelite is analogous to the male, while the Torah is analogous to the female. It is known that the female is subject to the male and obligated to do her husband’s will (see Tanna de-Vei Eliyahu Rabbah 9); so too the Torah is obligated to do the will of the soul of every individual Israelite. Therefore, “These are the commandments that a person shall do and live by them” (Leviticus 18:5)—and not die by them (Yoma 85b). The commandment is thus set aside on account of the soul of an Israelite.

For this same reason, since the souls of Israel resemble the letters of the Torah, our masters of blessed memory said [in the midrash on Parashat Emor (Torat Kohanim 26:10)] that the few who perform a commandment are not comparable to the many who perform a commandment. [TN-197-01] The reason is that, as explained in Sefer Yetzirah, a word of two letters builds two houses; three letters build six houses; four letters build twenty-four houses; and five letters build 120 houses. Thus, as the letters multiply, the permutations multiply beyond number. So too, when the souls of Israel multiply together, the lights multiply beyond number, for the lights of the souls sparkle within one another. Their reward is therefore exceedingly great: when there are many human beings, the lights multiply beyond number according to the number of souls, just like the permutations of letters.

This is the mystery of the verse, “Every saying of God is refined; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him” (Proverbs 30:5). That is, one who understands the letters of the Torah, which are “the saying of God,” and that permutations multiply from every single letter, can thereby also understand the reward for that commandment when many perform it. This is “He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him”: “shield” (מגן) alludes to the mystery of the reward of the righteous who perform the commandment in fellowship. This is indicated by “to all who take refuge in Him”—“all” precisely—for “Who is like the LORD our God whenever we call upon Him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7): “whenever” is exact, in the plural. Then the channels and sparks multiply.

For this reason, “In a multitude of people is the King’s splendor” (Proverbs 14:28). That is, when many human beings are together, there are many lights below. Through the lights of the souls below, the lights and channels above are awakened and sparkle. This is “the King’s splendor”—“splendor” precisely, for it is said, “You are clothed in glory and splendor, wrapping Yourself in light like a garment” (Psalms 104:1–2). Thus the adornment above is the light that shines into the world.

For this reason the tablets contained 620 letters, the numerical value of כת״ר (Keter), which is the mystery of the righteous person’s reward in the World to Come. From the letters of the Torah—the mystery of Keter, the 620 letters of the Decalogue, corresponding to the 613 commandments from the Torah and the seven of rabbinic origin (see Numbers Rabbah 13:15)—we can learn the reward of the righteous in the time to come. Just as the permutations of Torah multiply through a multitude of letters, so too the lights multiply through a multitude of souls. [TN-197-02]

The Holy One, blessed be He, alluded to this when He said to Abraham, “I am your shield” (Genesis 15:1). From “I” (אנכי), which alludes to the Decalogue, you can know “your shield,” namely the reward of the World to Come, concerning which He said, “Your reward is exceedingly great.” Moses therefore arranged his prayer with the word ואתחנן. The midrash says that at that time the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the treasury of the reward of the righteous (Tanḥuma, Tissa 27). Moses said, “You have begun” (החלות), whose letters may be rearranged as הלוחות, “the tablets,” which the Holy One, blessed be He, gave in writing; the tablets “were inscribed on both their sides” (Exodus 32:15).

The intention was that, in the mystery of direct light, Moses saw in this the reward of the righteous: the tablets contained 620 letters in their forward order, corresponding to 620 sparks of light, the reward of the righteous. Every righteous person in the World to Come has two times י״ש, 310: his own portion and his fellow’s portion, as explained by the verse “to endow those who love Me with substance (יש)” (Proverbs 8:21; Uktzin 3:12). It is not enough that he has 310 worlds; rather, “I shall fill their treasuries.” He also takes in the Garden of Eden the treasury that his fellow would have received, namely that person’s portion, as stated in Ḥagigah 15a. Therefore “in their land they shall inherit a double portion” (Isaiah 61:7). He consequently inherits two times י״ש, the numerical value of כת״ר. This is the mystery of “With the very aged (בישישים) is wisdom” (Job 12:12), whose spelling contains two occurrences of יש.

The Ten Commandments were also written in the mystery of returning light, which is the mystery of judgment. In this manner they also alluded to 620 sparks of darkness, the mystery of the punishment of the wicked (רשעים) in Gehinnom. “Darkness over the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2) refers to the deeds of the wicked (Genesis Rabbah 3:8). Thus the midrash says that the wicked are covered in darkness: With what does one cover this vat? With an earthenware vessel of its own kind. “Earthenware vessel” (כלי חרס) is exact, for it has the numerical value of “and darkness” (וחשך). So too, “The wicked shall be silenced in darkness” (1 Samuel 2:9): רשעים has the numerical value 620. This is indicated in the verse “When the wicked are cut off, you shall see” (Psalms 37:34), for the calculation of one is like that of the other: רשעים has the same numerical value as כר״ת, “cutting off,” while סמא״ל (Samael), שט״ן (Satan), and נח״ש (serpent) together have the numerical value כר״ת. [TN-197-03]

Concerning this Moses said: In the matter of the tablets, “You have begun to show” me the letters of the Torah, which resemble the soul of an Israelite. This is indicated by “Your servant, את”—את precisely, pointing to the letters of the Torah, which indicate and resemble the soul of every individual Israelite. The tablets were inscribed “on this side and on that”: the ten in the mystery of direct light correspond to “Your greatness,” for they are from the side of Ḥesed and point to the reward of the righteous, 620 sparks of light. They were also inscribed in reverse, in the mystery of returning light; these are from the side of judgment and point, through “the mighty hand,” to 620 sparks of darkness.

Concerning this he said, “For what [god] is there in heaven and on earth?” The two tablets corresponded to heaven and earth. “According to Your deeds” corresponds to 620 sparks of light, and “according to Your mighty acts” corresponds to 620 sparks of darkness. Since the letters sparkle in the likeness of the souls within every individual Israelite, and a person cannot intellectually picture how the letters can resemble the soul, he said, “Let me cross, please” (אעברה נא). נ״א is a notarikon for נשמות אותיות, “souls, letters.” That is: there in the Land of Israel, since “the air of the Land of Israel makes one wise” (Bava Batra 158b), a person will be able to picture this intellectually and to see the mysteries of the sparkling letters. This is why he said “the land, את”—את precisely, meaning from א to ת.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you.” You have already attained a great attainment in the letters. When Moses ascended on high, he found the Holy One, blessed be He, tying crowns to the letters (Shabbat 89a). This means that for every letter of the Torah, which corresponds to the soul of an Israelite, He ties for that person the reward of the World to Come, the mystery of Keter. Just as the Torah has 600,000 letters, so Israel likewise has 600,000 souls. Thus to every single letter of the Torah corresponds one soul of Israel, and to every letter comes a crown (כתר), the mystery of 620 sparks of light.

He therefore said, “It is much for you” (רב לך)—“for you” precisely: “How abundant is Your goodness, which You have hidden (צפנת) for those who fear You” (Psalms 31:20). צפנ״ת has the numerical value 620: the 620 sparks of light that shall reach every soul of Israel. This is “which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before human beings” (ibid.). Just as human beings comprise 600,000 countenances, and to every countenance comes a Keter, 620 sparks of light, so too the Holy One, blessed be He, tied a Keter to every single letter of the Torah.

The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore said to Moses, “Is there no greeting in your city?” (Shabbat 89a). He came to allude to Moses that he was completed from all 600,000 souls (Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:9). “In your city” is exact: this is Moses’ body, which is called a city, as written, “a small city” (Ecclesiastes 9:14), which our masters interpreted in the midrash as the body (Nedarim 32b). So too in the verse “more than ten rulers who were in the city” (Ecclesiastes 7:19), these are the ten powers in a person’s body.

Moses did not understand this matter and said, “Can a servant give a greeting to his master?” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “You should have assisted Me.” Awakening must begin below: when the soul is aroused below, it adds strength to the power above, which is the mystery of the letters. Moses therefore opened, “And now, please let the power of my Lord be great” (Numbers 14:17). נ״א is a notarikon for נשמה אותיות, “soul, letters”: when the soul is aroused below, its letter is aroused above.

Since Moses is the totality of all the souls, he is consequently the totality of all 600,000 letters of the Torah. The Torah has another sixty-five letters beyond the 600,000; this is the mystery of אדני, namely the Shekhinah, which spreads forth and becomes pregnant from the 600,000. This is the mystery of “the power of my Lord” (כח אדני) precisely, “as You have spoken.” [TN-197-04] The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore said to Moses, “You should have assisted Me”—“you” precisely, for you are the totality of the 600,000 and are included within all the crowns, in the mystery of “Moses would take the Tent” (Exodus 33:7). He therefore said here, “It is much for you”: you are included within all the crowns and letters.

Hagahah

Young Solomon said: This is the mystery of what is stated in Sefer Ha-Temunah concerning the verse “to the land that I shall show you (אראך)” (Genesis 12:1): the final כ of ארא״ך points to Keter. For the mystery of “Go forth from your land” is the departure of the soul from the body, as stated there in the Zohar (Zohar I, 76b), and He then showed him his reward, that he has Keter—620—worlds.

This is what Moses said: “Erase me, please, from Your book (מספרך) that (אשר) You have written (כתבת)” (Exodus 32:32). The final letters of מספר״ך אש״ר כתב״ת spell כת״ר. This is also what our masters of blessed memory said (Eruvin 22a): Scripture says “long-suffering” (ארך אפים; Exodus 34:6), in the plural, and does not write “long of anger” in the singular. He is long-suffering toward the righteous and long-suffering toward the wicked: these are 620 sparks of light and 620 sparks of darkness, for ארך אפים is the mystery of Keter, as is known. [TN-197-05]

Ofan 198

Moses thought that his vow had been released when the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to him the mystery of vows. At that time he received the fiftieth gate, which is the mystery of the “gate of Ethan” mentioned in Ezekiel (40:15). That passage concludes, “Her husband may uphold it, and her husband may annul it” (Numbers 30:14). Moses became “the man of God” (Deuteronomy 33:1), the husband of the Matronita (Zohar I, 236b): “the righteous one rules through the fear of God” (2 Samuel 23:3), and “Who rules Me? The righteous one” (Moʿed Katan 16b). Moses had attained the attribute of מ״י. [TN-198-01]

He therefore said ואתחנן with a ו, and then attained the long final נ, the fiftieth gate of Binah. ההוא, the masculine form, is written: that is, at that time Moses rose from the grade of the female, called ההיא, to the grade of the male, called ההוא. This is the mystery of the verse “A wise man scaled a city of mighty men” (Proverbs 21:22), which the midrash on Parashat Emor applies to Moses (Leviticus Rabbah 31:5). At the giving of the Torah, he rose to the grade of the male angels.

This is the mystery of what the angels said, “What is one born of woman doing among us?” (Shabbat 88b). That is, Moses belonged to the female grade through the mystery of the reincarnation of Abel (הבל), of whom it is said, “And she again bore his brother Abel” (Genesis 4:2); Abel was from the female side. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “He has come to receive the Torah.” By means of the Torah Moses would rise to Yesod of Abba and attain the grade of the male.

This is what Moses meant when he said, “I am afraid lest they burn me with the vapor (בהבל) of their mouths”: the angels were saying that I am the reincarnation of Abel (הבל) and belong to the female grade. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “Take hold of My Throne of Glory.” That is: now that you are receiving the tablets, the word לח״ת, “tablets,” becomes כס״א, “throne,” by ATBaSH. They are hewn from beneath the Throne of Glory, and through this you will rise to the grade of the male. [TN-198-02]

Thus “A wise man scaled a city of mighty men” refers to Moses, who rose to the grade of males when he brought down “the strength in which it trusted” (Proverbs 21:22), namely the tablets. Moses therefore said, “You have begun to show” me, when I received the tablets, “Your greatness” from the male side and “Your mighty hand” from the female side. “For what god (מי אל)” indicates that Moses had now attained the grade of מ״י: he consequently had authority to release the vow of the Holy One, blessed be He.

He therefore petitioned, “Let me cross, please” (אעברה נא): I now wish to set aside and release the “vow of God” (נדר אלהים), for נ״א is its notarikon. This is also the meaning of “You have begun” (אתה החלות), whose numerical value, the text states, is הת״ר הנד״ר, “release the vow.” Thus Moses said: I imagined that perhaps the vow had been released. אעברה נ״א is also a notarikon for אתיר נדר, “I shall release the vow.” [TN-198-03]

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you. I shall not make My Torah a fraud.” The law of Torah says concerning one who brings an evil name upon a virgin of Israel, “She shall be his wife; he may not send her away all his days” (Deuteronomy 22:19). You brought an evil name upon the virgin of Israel. In truth, the mixed multitude made the calf, yet you said, “This people has committed a great sin” (Exodus 32:31). You thereby brought an evil name upon the virgin of Israel. You too must therefore fulfill the verse, “He may not send her away all his days.”

“Do not continue to speak to Me further of this matter” (בדבר הזה)—“of this matter” is exact. Because of the matter in which you said, “This people has committed a great sin”—“this” (הזה) is exact—because of this very word הזה, through which you yourself brought an evil name upon Israel, you must be buried outside the Land. This is the seventh reason Moses had to be buried there.

Ofan 199

Moses wished to know and recognize the mystery of the Throne of Glory, which is “a glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, the place of our Sanctuary” (Jeremiah 17:12). That is, the earthly Temple is aligned with the Throne above (Exodus Rabbah 33:4). Since Jerusalem in the time to come will be called “the Throne of the LORD” (Jeremiah 3:17), Moses now wished to enter the Land of Israel and make Jerusalem the Throne of the LORD.

He therefore opened with ואתחנן. As stated above, the word ואתחנן is the mystery of a throne, in the mystery of ישרה לכסא. He therefore prayed 515 prayers, the numerical value of ישר״ה, “shall dwell,” in that expression. “To YHWH” is exact: at that time he wished to bring about what will exist in the time to come, בעת ההוא. The final redemption will be from the male side, with a “new song” in the masculine form (Song of Songs Rabbah 1), and he now wished to attain the mystery of the Throne of the LORD. [TN-199-01]

Sefer Sodei Raza states that seven rivers surround the Throne and that there are seven thrones for the seven firmaments. In the sphere of Aravot (see Ḥagigah 12b) it is called the Awesome Throne. In my opinion, this is the mystery of Jacob’s departure from Beersheba (Genesis 28:10): he saw seven thrones, one above another, belonging to the seven firmaments. When he reached the firmament Aravot, where it is called the Awesome Throne, he said of this seventh throne in the seventh firmament, “How awesome is this place!” (Genesis 28:17)—“awesome” precisely, for the throne of Aravot is called the Awesome Throne.

In the firmament Makhon it is called the Throne of Kingship. In the firmament Maʿon it is the Throne of Righteousness. In my opinion, this is the mystery of the verse, “You have maintained my just cause; You sat upon the throne as a righteous judge” (Psalms 9:5). Since the greatness of Israel is in the firmament Maʿon, as Sefer Sodei Raza discusses at length, Moses had to say, “Look down from Your holy habitation and bless Your people Israel” (Deuteronomy 26:15). Israel’s praise is in the fifth firmament, and he therefore said השקיפה with an extra ה. Thus, when He maintains “my just cause,” He sits upon the Throne of Righteousness in the firmament Maʿon.

In the firmament Zevul is the Throne of Holiness; in Shehakim, the Throne of Pride; in Raqia, the Throne of Might; and in Shamayim, the Throne of Greatness. This is the mystery of “O LORD, Your lovingkindness is in the heavens” (Psalms 36:6): in the firmament Shamayim is the Throne of Ḥesed.

Moses therefore opened with אדני, followed by the Name YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim. These are the mystery of two thrones. There are six grades corresponding to the six steps of the throne; Ruth therefore said to Naomi six graded declarations, “Your people shall be my people,” and so forth (Ruth 1:16). The mystery of these two thrones corresponds to Ruth and Naomi. אדני is the mystery of Ruth, who is the Shekhinah, for the concealed portion of אדני is רו״ת. The full spelling of אדני is the mystery of תרעא דמלכא, “the gate of the King”: “This is the gate of the LORD” (Psalms 118:20). It is the mystery of אדני as the Tabernacle and the entrance in the mystery of “O Lord, open my lips” (Psalms 51:17), the first palace through which one enters the supernal ascents. Naomi is the mystery of the first ה of the Name, called Binah and also called Leah. This is the mystery of the permutation להראו״ת, whose letters may be rearranged as לא״ה רו״ת, “Leah, Ruth.” [TN-199-02]

Moses alluded to this at the beginning of the prayer in its first five words, אתה החלות להראות את עבדך, “You have begun to show Your servant”: their initials have the numerical value of כסא ה׳, “the Throne of the LORD.” The reason he alluded through five words is what we wrote above: Moses’ grade is “the face of the sun” (Bava Batra 75a), and the sun has five governors by day. The angel appointed over the sun likewise has 107 powers, the numerical value of his name גלגליא״ל (Galgaliel), which has the numerical value of כסא ה׳. Since in the time to come “the light of the moon shall be like the light of the sun” (Isaiah 30:26), Jerusalem, the mystery of the moon’s light—for the Shekhinah is called Jerusalem—will at that time be called כסא ה׳, the Throne of the LORD, which is the mystery of גלגליא״ל, the powers of the sun’s light. [TN-199-03]

Moses therefore petitioned: since “You have begun to show” me the mystery of the thrones, “Your greatness” is the throne in the seventh firmament, which is called Shamayim, for there it is called the Throne of Greatness. “Your mighty hand” alludes to the six thrones in the six firmaments up to the sphere of Aravot. The phrase את ידך החזקה has, the text states, the numerical value of seven times כסא with the inclusive unit.

The phrase את גדלך has, the text states, the numerical value of the initial letters of the seven planets (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 6). This is indicated in the verse “Truth shall spring from the earth” (Psalms 85:12), for תצמ״ח has the numerical value of שצ״ם חנכ״ל, the initials of the seven planets. It is explained in the verse “The mistress of the house divides the spoil” (ונות בית תחלק שלל; Psalms 68:13): נות signifies the four matriarchs and בית the three patriarchs, making seven, corresponding to תחל״ק, which are the initials of the ancestral houses of the seven planets indicated in the word של״ל, the pillars of the kelippah. So too, the three patriarchs and four matriarchs are indicated in the initial letters of גדלך. [TN-199-04]

Since the mystery is that of seven thrones, Moses petitioned, “Let me cross, please.” I wish to be in the Land of Israel, where the Throne of the LORD is, so that the light of the moon will now be like the light of the sun. I will also attain there the mystery of the seven rivers and seven thrones, for there is Lebanon: throne corresponding to throne, Maʿon corresponding to Maʿon, Makhon corresponding to Makhon.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you.” Moses’ soul comes from the mystery of the Throne. Moreover, Moses cannot now reach Jerusalem and have it called the Throne of the LORD, because Moses was profaned in coming into this world: he came from a union that the Torah would forbid, since Amram married his aunt, whom the Torah was destined to forbid. For this reason, although Amram was one of the five human beings who died only through the serpent’s counsel (Shabbat 55b) and was called Amram after “pure wool” (עמר נקי; Daniel 7:9), because he never sinned in all his days, he nevertheless had to be reincarnated afterward and come into the world on account of this. For this reason the Torah also concealed the matter of his taking his wife and Moses’ birth, saying only, “A man from the house of Levi went” (Exodus 2:1). [TN-199-05]

For this same reason the sons of Reuben were profaned and could not enter the Land of Israel. The Zohar (Zohar I, 236a) says concerning the verse “For you ascended your father’s beds” (Genesis 49:4) that Scripture does not say “your father’s bed” in the singular. Jacob had drunk from this cup while his eye was upon another cup; this did not even require two wives, for Jacob was with Leah but thought she was Rachel: “In the morning, behold, it was Leah” (Genesis 29:25), but throughout the night he thought she was Rachel. Reuben was thereby profaned and could not enter the Land of Israel, which is called “your father’s beds,” as stated in the Zohar on Vayeḥi, p. 499, where Jerusalem is so called.

So too Moses, because his birth came through a union that the Torah subsequently prohibited, could not enter the Land of Israel. This is also indicated by the words רב לך: ר״ב, read backward, is a notarikon for בני ראובן, “the sons of Reuben.” Just as the sons of Reuben were profaned, so too were you. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak.”

Ofan 200

We say in the chapter Helek, folio 150 (Pesaḥim 117b), concerning the verse “I shall make you a name like the name of the great ones who are on the earth” (2 Samuel 7:9), that David said before the Holy One, blessed be He: “Master of the Universe, why do they say ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,’ but do not say ‘the God of David’?” and so forth. [TN-200-01]

This was likewise Moses’ concern. He saw the mystery of the supernal merkavah, which divides into four legs corresponding to the four letters of YHWH, and saw that “the patriarchs themselves are the merkavah,” as stated in the midrash on Lekh Lekha (Genesis Rabbah 47:6) and on Vayishlaḥ (Genesis Rabbah 82:6). Thus Scripture says, “Behold, to the LORD your God belong the heavens,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 10:14), followed by “Only your fathers did the LORD desire” (Deuteronomy 10:15). The verse is understood from the expression “and their bands (וחשוקיהם) of silver” (Exodus 27:10): the patriarchs themselves are literally the framework of the merkavah.

Moses then found this difficult: is not the merkavah founded upon the four letters of YHWH? It is written “Behold, to the LORD” (הן לה׳)—“the LORD” precisely, namely the four letters. The reply is “and He chose their seed after them” (Deuteronomy 10:15): that is, David is the fourth leg of the merkavah, as stated in the Zohar on Ekev, p. 523 (Zohar III, 273b).

Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel and to become the fourth leg of the merkavah in David’s place. We may also say that he wished people to say “the God of Moses,” just as they say “the God of Abraham,” and so forth. He consequently opened, “I pleaded with YHWH”—YHWH precisely, for he directed his intention toward the Name YHWH. “At that time”: ההוא is written, for he wished to become the ה of the Name YHWH and complete its fourth letter in the merkavah. This is “saying”: to say it for the generations, so that later generations would say “the God of Moses,” just as they say “the God of the patriarchs.”

He therefore opened with אדני, for he wished to become the fourth leg of the merkavah, which is the Name אדני. This is what he said: “You have begun to show” the mystery of the complete merkavah—“Your greatness,” for they say “the God of Abraham”; “Your mighty hand,” for they say “the God of Isaac”; and “For what god,” for they say “the God of Jacob.” Therefore “let me cross, please.” When I am in the Land of Israel, I shall “cross the ה” and complete the final ה of the Name. אעברה may be rearranged as ארבעה, “four,” so that all four legs of the merkavah will be complete.

This can occur specifically when I am in the land, for the fourth leg is called “the land of life” (Isaiah 38:11). Hence he said, “and I shall see the land” (הארץ)—“the land” precisely, namely the Shekhinah, which is called the land of life. He also mentioned three grades corresponding to the three patriarchs because, like David, he wished to stand in the place of the patriarchs as well.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you. Only three are called patriarchs” (Berakhot 16b). You wish them also to say “the God of Moses,” as it is written, “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” but it is not so. The world is governed only through three lines, whose mystery is חד״ר: חסד, דין, רחמים—Ḥesed, Judgment, Mercy. This is the full spelling of ארץ: אל״ף רי״ש צדי״ק, for its concealed letters yield these three. This is the mystery of the verse “I am the LORD, who practices lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the land” (Jeremiah 33:15 as printed)—“in the land” precisely. Look into the full spelling of אר״ץ, and you will find Ḥesed, Judgment, and Mercy there. [TN-200-02]

He also said, “It is much for you”: your grade is higher than the attribute of “land,” which is the Shekhinah, for “the place on which you stand is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). Moses rose above, to the place of the unification of Ḥokhmah, which is called holiness. Yet you wish to become the fourth leg of the merkavah, which is Malkhut. “Do not continue to speak to Me”—דב״ר is exact, a notarikon for דוד ברגל רביעי, “David is the fourth leg.”

Moses petitioned for what is said in the verse that he recited before his death: “I shall walk before the LORD in the lands of life” (Psalms 116:9; Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:5). The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore replied, “Do not continue to speak to Me” (אלי) precisely: אל״י is a notarikon for אתהלך לפני י״י, “I shall walk before the LORD.” Do not add further words אל״י to “this matter” (בדבר הזה), the Shekhinah called “matter” (דבר), for the kingship of the house of David has already been prepared for this: דוד ברגל רביעי, “David is the fourth leg.”

For the present, however, “ascend the summit,” which is the mystery of Daʿat, “and command Joshua.” According to Sefer Sodei Raza on the verse “He commanded the skies above” (Psalms 78:23), “command” (צו) means the Shekhinah. In this generation Joshua will be the mystery of the moon. “Strengthen him” in his own grade, and “make him resolute” in your grade.

Hagahah

Young Solomon said: Kingship is therefore called “land.” From this mystery comes the teaching that only three are called patriarchs. Although the merkavah has four legs, it nevertheless consists only of three lines, while the fourth is included in the ה. David therefore received his life from the patriarchs (Zohar I, 168a; Asarah Ma’amarot, p. 38), while in his own essence he was fit to be stillborn, in the mystery of “I am a stranger with You, a sojourner like all my fathers” (Psalms 39:13). Thus wrote my lord, my father, of blessed memory.

This is the mystery of the pilgrim festivals, which are three—Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot—and which the Torah calls חג. They are the mystery of the three patriarchs, as stated in the Zohar (Zohar III, 257b). Yet they are four, for Shemini Atzeret is a festival in its own right, corresponding to David (Zohar III, 256b); their name רגלים, “legs,” proves this.

The Grace after Meals is likewise the mystery of the holy merkavah. “Who nourishes” is Abraham, who fed all passersby (Exodus Rabbah 1:15). “For the land” is Isaac: “Isaac sowed in that land” (Genesis 26:12). “Who builds Jerusalem in His mercy” is Jacob. These first three blessings are from the Torah. “Who is good and does good” is David’s attribute, for he is called “of good appearance” (1 Samuel 16:12). They instituted it at Yavneh (Berakhot 48b), for it then became necessary to rectify the fourth leg, which had been blemished in exile.

Concerning this David said, “It is fitting for me to recite the blessing” (Pesaḥim 119b)—“for me” precisely, for he completed the merkavah, which is the mystery of the Grace after Meals. He brought proof from the verse “I shall raise the cup of salvations” (Psalms 116:13), which is the mystery of the Shekhinah; therefore, “I shall call upon the Name of the LORD.” This attribute is consequently called the cup of blessing, which requires three (Zohar III, 246a). Hence he also said, “It is fitting for me to bless (לבר״ך),” for his attribute is the mystery of blessing (ברכה).

This is the mystery of the statement, “Ten things were said concerning the cup, but we possess only four” (Zohar III, 273b). Moses therefore did not wish to recite the blessing because he did not merit entering the Land of Israel (Pesaḥim 119b)—the Land of Israel precisely, which is the mystery of blessing and the fourth leg that Moses did not attain.

This is the mystery of the teaching that Moses sought kingship but it was not given to him, for it is said, “Do not draw near here (הלום)” (Exodus 3:5; Zevahim 102a). This is what the Holy One, blessed be He, meant by “the place on which you stand is holy ground,” alluding to this attribute. Our masters of blessed memory said there that הלום means forever. The reason he did not attain it lay in his very exaltedness and grade. Had he attained it, the Temple would not have been destroyed, because enemies have no power over the work of his hands (Sotah 9a). His leg would have stood forever and never been blemished; the Shekhinah and Israel would never have been exiled from their land, as is known. Israel would consequently never have performed repentance (תשובה), for the mystery of תשוב״ה is תשוב ה׳, “the ה shall return” to its place, whereas then the ה would never have been driven away.

By contrast, when David sinned his leg was blemished, the Shekhinah departed from him, and he became leprous for six months (Sanhedrin 107a). This was measure for measure: he distanced the ה from the ו, and the ה, which is the Shekhinah, therefore departed from him for six months. “Months” (חדשים) is exact, for when counted from below upward the attributes are called months, while from above downward they are called years (Zohar III, 253a).

This resolves the difficulty raised by the author of Asarah Ma’amarot (p. 7): Why does the Jerusalem Talmud say that David was leprous for seven years? Both statements are one in the mystery of direct light and returning light. He became leprous because through his sin the serpent above—the “evil wife,” who is leprosy to her husband (Yevamot 63b)—gained strength. His leg was consequently blemished.

This is the mystery of “David was not fit for that deed,” meaning the deed involving Bathsheba, “except to provide an opening for penitents” (Avodah Zarah 5a). He is therefore “the man raised up on high” (הוקם על; 2 Samuel 23:1)—raised over repentance (Moʿed Katan 16b). This is also the mystery of the teaching that Bathsheba had been destined for David from the six days of creation, but that he “ate an unripe fig” (Sanhedrin 107a): he did not rectify her as required, and her leg was consequently blemished.

David therefore asked that people say “the God of David” (Sanhedrin 107a). Since I am the fourth leg, let me be like one of them. The merkavah will then be complete (מרכב״ה שלמ״ה), whose numerical value, my lord and father of blessed memory wrote, is אברה״ם יצח״ק יעק״ב דו״ד, “Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David.” [TN-200-03]

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: “They were tested by Me, and their legs stand forever.” They are the three things upon which the world stands—Torah, divine service, and deeds of lovingkindness (Avot 1:2). “But you have not been tested by Me. It is revealed and known before Me that you cannot withstand the test, and your leg will then be blemished.” He likewise showed him that when Israel sins—Heaven forfend—his leg will be blemished.

For this reason the Holy One, blessed be He, did not unite His Name with the patriarchs by saying “the God of” while they were alive: “Behold, He does not trust His holy ones” (Job 15:15), lest one of them blemish his leg. Since David is the mystery of Bathsheba, his lifetime was seventy years, for שנה, “year,” has the numerical value ספיר״ה, “sefirah,” and each is included within ten, making seventy. Had he lived one hundred years, the worlds would not have been thrown into confusion; he would have rectified “the lamp with a powerful rectification, which would never be extinguished, and the Temple would not have been destroyed” (Zohar Ruth, p. 14).

Concerning this David said, “I shall dwell in the House of the LORD for length of days” (לאור״ך ימי״ם; Psalms 23:6). לאורך is the mystery of Arikh. When I merit it, my lifetime will equal the numerical value of לאור״ך ימי״ם, namely one hundred; then “only goodness and lovingkindness shall pursue me.” This is the mystery of “length of days forever and ever” (אור״ך ימי״ם עולם ועד; Psalms 21:5), which David requested, and of “Let me know the measure of my days” (Psalms 39:5). [TN-200-04]

End of Hagahah

Ofan 201

It is said concerning Moses at the assembly at Mount Sinai, “Moses ascended to God, and YHWH called to him” (Exodus 19:3). The verse opens with the Name Elohim and concludes with the Name YHWH. Both, however, are present, for Moses’ name contains the mystery of YHWH and the mystery of Elohim.

The calculation of YHWH is as follows. Square the four letters of the Name: י multiplied by י is one hundred; ה multiplied by ה is twenty-five; ו multiplied by ו is thirty-six; and ה multiplied by ה is twenty-five, making 186. The Holy One, blessed be He, is therefore called מקום, “Place,” for He is the place of the world (Genesis Rabbah 68:9). Jacob alluded to this when he said, “Surely YHWH is in this place (במקום)” (Genesis 28:16)—“in this place” precisely: within the word מקו״ם you will find the Name YHWH.

The four filled spellings of YHWH, in the mystery of ע״ב, ס״ג, מ״ה, and ב״ן, are in the four worlds Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. In their fillings of the fillings there are 159 letters. Add 159 to מקו״ם, 186, and the result is מש״ה, Moses, 345. [TN-201-01]

The Name Elohim likewise yields the number of Moses. It is known that the Name Elohim is divided into twelve parts: א״ל is on the right, מ״י on the left, and ה in the middle, as explained at length in Kanfei Yonah, part 1. Calculate Elohim as follows: place the א of אלהים over the מ of אלהים, yielding forty, the מ of משה. Place the ל of אלהים over the י of אלהים: thirty multiplied by ten yields three hundred, the ש of משה. The letter ה remains, yielding משה.

Moses therefore said, “You have begun to show Your servant, א״ת”—את precisely, for my letters point to the mystery of the two Names: “Your greatness” is the Name YHWH, and “Your mighty hand” is the Name Elohim. The phrase ידך החזקה has the numerical value 159, indicating all the letters in the four filled spellings of YHWH. In the word גדלך he alluded to the vision of the bush, where it is said, “the place (המקום) on which you stand” (Exodus 3:5)—“the place” precisely. Add מקו״ם to the letters of יד״ך החזק״ה, and the result is משה.

He then explained the Name Elohim, which likewise comprises Moses, through the words מ״י א״ל, for מש״ה emerges from that multiplication within the Name Elohim. This is indicated by the word אעבר״ה, whose numerical value is רבו״ע, “a square.” Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel to sweeten the judgments that come from the squaring of YHWH and the squaring of Elohim, for it is known that every square is judgment.

This is “and I shall see the land”: there I shall rectify every square. It is indicated by אעברה: in the Land of Israel, “in the light of the King’s face is life” (Proverbs 16:15), and “fullness of joys is in Your presence” (Psalms 16:11); I shall rectify the backs, which are in the mystery of judgment.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you.” According to Raʿaya Mehemna on Vayetze, p. 318 (Zohar I, 267a), Moses is called the רב, “master,” of Israel on the basis of the verse “Behold, YHWH rides upon a swift cloud” (רוכב על עב קל; Isaiah 19:1). That is, the Name YHWH is the mystery of רוכב: it contains כ״ו and ר״ב. ר״ב is the mystery of ע״ב and ק״ל together. Thus within the word רוכ״ב, the mystery of כרו״ב, are YHWH, twenty-six, together with ע״ב and ק״ל, whose sum is ר״ב. Since you have attained here the greatness of ע״ב and ק״ל, you do not need the Land of Israel.

So too אעבר״ה may be combined as א״ר הע״ב. At the giving of the Torah it is written, “Behold, I shall come to you in the thickness of the cloud” (בעב הענן; Exodus 19:9)—בע״ב precisely, which is the mystery of ר״ב, as written, “and many (רב) of them shall fall” (Exodus 19:21). Therefore, “Do not continue.” [TN-201-02]

Ofan 202

It is known that Moses received the Torah three times: at Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, and in the plains of Moab (Sotah 37b). Since the mystery of the Torah is that it has four garments, Moses wished to enter the Land and attain the fourth mode among the Torah’s four rectifications.

Concerning this he said, “I pleaded with אדני.” Since the Name אדני has four letters, while I have received the Torah only three times, I am missing one letter—that is, one garment of the Torah’s four garments. Their mnemonic is פרד״ס (Pardes), and they are the mystery of the four rivers in Eden.

Moses reckoned the fourth river as the river Euphrates (פרת; Genesis 2:14), named for the mysteries of the Torah, which are fruitful and multiply (פרים ורבים; see Berakhot 59b). This is the mystery of Rabbi Hoshaiah Rabbah, who opened: “Then I was beside Him as amon” (אמון; Proverbs 8:30; Genesis Rabbah 1:1). Concerning the Torah’s plain sense, amon means a tutor (אמון פדגוג); concerning derash, “hidden” (אמון מכוסה); concerning remez, “concealed” (אמון מוצנע); and concerning the Torah’s mysteries, “great amon” (אמון רבתי). [TN-202-01]

Corresponding to the Torah’s first three garments, Jacob saw “a well in the field” (Genesis 29:2). It is the Torah, a well of living water. “Three flocks of sheep were lying beside it” are the three garments of the Torah, while “the great stone upon the mouth of the well” corresponds to the Torah’s mysteries, which are “great amon.”

Moses therefore began, “I pleaded with YHWH,” for he wished to reach “great amon” and attain the mysteries of the Torah. Thus he said, “You have begun to show Your greatness” at Sinai. There it is said, “My soul departed when He spoke” (Song of Songs 5:6), for the soul of the Torah came first. “And Your mighty hand” refers to the Tent of Meeting, where they received the Oral Torah.

Then, corresponding to the plains of Moab, he said, “For what god is there in heaven and on earth?” These correspond to the Torah’s allusions. Therefore, “These are the words that Moses spoke” (Deuteronomy 1:1): he reproved them through allusion—through allusion precisely—for here he rose to the grade of the Torah’s allusions. אלה הדברים has the numerical value of רמזים, “allusions.” [TN-202-02]

In his own estimation, however, he had not risen to “great amon.” He therefore said, “Let me cross” (אעבר״ה), whose letters may be reversed to form ארבעה, “four.” When I see the land, I will attain it, for there four rivers surround it, as written, “Upon rivers He establishes it” (Psalms 24:2). The fourth river is Euphrates (Genesis 2), which is the great luminary and the mysteries of the Torah. I consequently wish to enter the Land of Israel.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you.” You have already reached the grade of “great amon,” for you have already attained the mysteries of the Torah. You therefore do not need the Land of Israel for this purpose.

Ofan 203

The mystery of the ladder that Jacob saw is that it had four rungs, corresponding to four grades. Moses ascended the firmament only three times for forty days. It follows that he merited only three grades of the ladder, for every grade is in the mystery of forty.

Sefer Sodei Raza therefore states that the open מ is to the right of the Throne and the closed ם to the left of the Throne, in the mystery of “Your dominion (ממשלתך) is in every generation” (Psalms 145:13)—מ precisely; see there at length. Thus, through Moses’ three ascents on high, each lasting forty days, he merited three grades of the ladder. Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel to attain the fourth grade.

Concerning this he said, “You have begun to show Your greatness”: the first forty days were from the side of Abraham. “Your mighty hand” refers to the middle forty days, from the side of Isaac. The middle days were therefore spent in anger (Seder Olam Rabbah 6), corresponding to Isaac, who is the mystery of anger. “For what god” corresponds to the final forty days, which ended on the Day of Atonement, corresponding to Jacob. This is “the great and awesome day”—Jacob, who said, “How awesome is this place!” (Genesis 28:17). [TN-203-01]

He therefore said, “Let me cross” (אעברה נא), to attain the fourth grade, for אעברה reversed yields ארבע״ה, “four.” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you” (רב לך)—“for you” precisely. Just as Moses’ ascents of the mountain divide into three occasions, corresponding to the three patriarchs, each of forty days, so too Moses’ 120 years divide into three grades.

He spent forty years in Egypt, corresponding to Abraham’s grade, which is Ḥesed. He spent forty years in Cush and reigned there, as explained concerning the verse “because of the Cushite woman whom he had taken” (Numbers 12:1; Yalkut Shimoni, remez 168, in the name of the Chronicle of Moses our Teacher); these correspond to Isaac’s grade. He then reigned over Israel for forty years, corresponding to Jacob’s grade.

Just as the middle days of his ascent of the mountain were spent in anger because they correspond to Isaac, who is the mystery of anger, so too Moses’ middle forty years in Cush were spent in distress and anger (Asarah Ma’amarot, p. 27). Therefore, in the psalm “A prayer of Moses” (Psalms 90:1), which he recited on the Day of Atonement when He told him, “I have forgiven according to your word” (Numbers 14:20), he said, “Make us glad according to the days You afflicted us, the years in which we saw evil” (Psalms 90:15). He alluded both to the middle days on the mountain, which were spent in anger, and to the middle forty years, which were spent in distress in Cush.

This is “the years in which we saw evil.” Just as those middle forty days were spent in evil and distress, so too, corresponding to them, the forty years in Cush were spent in distress. He prayed concerning them, “Make us glad according to the days You afflicted us”: let there be, corresponding to them in every single year, forty days of favor. These are the forty days from the New Moon of Elul until the Day of Atonement.

Concerning them Moses said, “Let Your work appear to Your servants, and Your splendor upon their children” (Psalms 90:16). During those days the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself proclaims repentance, as stated in the Zohar on Terumah (Zohar II, 131a) concerning the verse “The watchman said” (Isaiah 21:12). Metatron proclaims and says each day, “Morning has come.” This is the Holy One, blessed be He, who is called “the dominion of the day” (Genesis 1:16); “and also night” is the Shekhinah, called “the dominion of the night.”

This mystery is indicated by “Let [Your work] appear to Your servants.” From the side of the servant, Metatron, Israel is called servants of the Omnipresent. “And Your splendor upon their children” is in the mystery of the son: from the side of Elijah, whose numerical value is ב״ן, “son,” Israel is called children of the Omnipresent. This is the mystery of “whether as children or as servants,” as stated above in Ofan 111, and the mystery of the two cherubs in the firmament. [TN-203-02]

The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore said to Moses, “Do not continue to speak,” for your years have already been allotted to three grades corresponding to the three patriarchs, just as the days of your three ascents of the mountain were divided into three grades, the numerical value of חזק״ה, 120.

Ofan 204

Moses wished to attain in the Land of Israel the mystery of the Name YHWH in its front and back aspects, in the mystery of “I am first and I am last” (Isaiah 44:6). That is, the front of the Name YHWH is mercy, while the back of YHWH is כוז״ו, which is written on the exterior of a mezuzah because it is from the side of judgment. The inner face, טדה״ד, is from the side of mercy, the mystery of “By you shall Israel bless” (Genesis 48:20). [TN-204-01]

Since the Name אדני sparkles in the Land of Israel, as written, “For Your Name is called upon Your city” (Daniel 9:19)—“Your Name” precisely, namely the Name YHWH—Moses sought to enter the Land of Israel. The front and back aspects together, טדה״ד כוז״ו, have the numerical value of אנ״י, “I.” This is the mystery of “I am the LORD” (אני ה׳): the Name of YHWH is the mystery of אנ״י—“I am first and I am last.”

One must direct intention toward these two names during the period between the straits, in the first three of the eighteen blessings, as written in Kanfei Yonah, part 1. This is the mystery of “For these things I weep” (על אלה אני בוכיה; Lamentations 1:16). That is, Ketev Meriri (קטב מרירי; Deuteronomy 32:24), which is the mystery of אלה and rules during the period between the straits at the time of the destruction: the Name אנ״י did not avail to save her from Ketev Meriri. There remained only “I am the man who has seen affliction” (אני הגבר ראה עני; Lamentations 3:1)—אנ״י precisely.

The mystery of אנ״י avails specifically in the Land of Israel. The word אנ״י is a notarikon for ארץ נתנה יבולה, “the land has yielded its produce” (Psalms 67:7); אמונים נוצר ה׳, “the LORD preserves the faithful” (Psalms 31:24); and אל נקמות ה׳, “God of vengeance, O LORD” (Psalms 94:1).

Concerning this Moses said: “You have begun to show” me the mystery of the Name YHWH. Corresponding to its face he said “Your greatness,” which is the attribute of His goodness. Corresponding to the back of the Name YHWH, כוז״ו, he said “Your mighty hand,” for it is the back aspect. “Who can act according to Your deeds?” corresponds to the face.

For this reason, concerning the six days of creation, Midrash Tadshe counts twenty-two acts that the Holy One, blessed be He, performed in the six days of creation in the making of heaven and earth. In the making of the Tabernacle, by contrast, Parashat Vayakhel counts thirty-nine things that they made in the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was created in the mystery of the back aspect, כוז״ו, whose numerical value is ט״ל, thirty-nine.

It consequently says first, “These are the things that the LORD commanded to do” (Exodus 35:1). From “these are the things” our masters of blessed memory derived the thirty-nine primary labors (Shabbat 70a). It then counts “the Tabernacle, its tent,” and so forth (Exodus 35:11), thirty-nine things. Everything belonging to the Tabernacle is mentioned in connection with the Sabbath through “that the LORD commanded”—the LORD precisely, whose back aspect has the value thirty-nine. [TN-204-02]

Concerning this Moses said “according to Your mighty acts,” for they are from the side of Gevurah. The account of the Tabernacle therefore opens, “And this is the contribution that you shall take from them: gold” (Exodus 25:3), as stated in the Zohar on Terumah (Zohar II, 129b), for the Tabernacle is from the side of judgment.

Moses therefore petitioned, “Let me cross, please,” for he wished to rectify in the Land of Israel the back of the Name YHWH. This is “this good mountain.” הטוב, “the good,” is the face of YHWH and has the numerical value twenty-two, like טדה״ד. הטו״ב הז״ה has, the text states, the numerical value thirty-nine, like כוז״ו, the back of the Name. [TN-204-03]

“And Lebanon”: there in the Temple he will rectify the mystery of “His head is fine gold” (כתם פ״ז; Song of Songs 5:11) and “You set a crown of fine gold upon his head” (עטרת פ״ז; Psalms 21:4). The Name YHWH together with its front and back aspects—אני ה׳—has the numerical value פ״ז, eighty-seven. Of the Temple it is said, “His legs are pillars of marble, founded upon sockets of fine gold” (אדני פ״ז; Song of Songs 5:15).

This is also the mystery of לבנ״ה, “moon,” whose numerical structure is so: the Torah was given through thirty-two paths, fifty gates, and the five books of the Torah, the numerical components of לבנ״ה. This is indicated by הלבנו״ן: ה, the five books of the Torah; ל״ב, the thirty-two paths of Ḥokhmah; and נ, the fifty gates of Binah. This is the mystery of YHWH together with its front and back aspects. [TN-204-04]

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you. You already completed the front and back aspects together when the Tabernacle was erected.” All 600,000 were unable to erect it, and “they brought the Tabernacle to Moses” (Exodus Rabbah 52:4). Moses then recited Psalm 75, in which it is said, “When I take the appointed time” (Psalms 75:3), for Moses himself took the Tent of Meeting; “but you surpassed them all” (Proverbs 31:29).

“I judge uprightly” (אני משרים אשפוט)—אנ״י precisely. Moses then attained the front and back of the Name YHWH, which is אני. “I judge uprightly” means that he made them level and sweetened the judgment.

According to the Zohar on Song of Songs, the mystery of משרים consists of the five letters מנצפ״ך, which are judgments. The verse “I judge uprightly” (Psalms 75) may therefore be explained as follows: the front and back of YHWH, which is אנ״י, and also the five Gevurot מנצפ״ך, which are משרים, both “I judge.” That is, he sweetens over them the line of mercy, which is Moses’ attribute and is called משפט, “justice.” Thus the Zohar on Vayelekh (Zohar III, 283b) explains the verse “There is one who is swept away without justice” (Proverbs 13:23): the line of mercy called משפט departed, and he was therefore swept away.

Since Moses attained there, at the erection of the Tabernacle, the mystery of the front and back of YHWH, which is אני, “do not continue to speak to Me.” Instead, “command Joshua”: “strengthen him” to reveal the face of YHWH, and “make him resolute” to reveal the back of YHWH.

Ofan 205

It is known that the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world with two lights. This is one permutation of בראשית: בשתי א״ר, “with two lights.” Scripture then explains, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) from the side of Abraham, whence come the 248 positive commandments, which are from the side of Ḥesed; and “there was light” from the side of Isaac, which are the prohibitions. For ר״ז commandments, the numerical value of או״ר, are punished by lashes. [TN-205-01]

Concerning this he said, “For with You is the source of life; in Your light we shall see light” (Psalms 36:10). That is, the Torah is “the source of life” from the side of supernal Ḥokhmah, of which it is said, “Wisdom preserves the life of its possessor” (Ecclesiastes 7:12). It divides into two occurrences of אור. So too the numerical value of מקו״ר חיי״ם, the text states, is two times אור. The Torah consequently divides into twenty-four books, which is the mystery of two times light. [TN-205-02]

Moses therefore desired to enter the Land of Israel, of which it is said, “whose fire (אור) is in Zion” (Isaiah 31:9), and “the earth shone with His glory” (Ezekiel 43:2). The Zohar on Ki Tetze, p. 538 (Zohar III, 278b), states: י״ה together with שמ״י makes 365; זכר״י together with ו״ה makes 248 (Exodus 3:15).

Concerning this Moses said: since “You have begun to show Your greatness” from the side of the positive commandments, which is the mystery of “Let there be light,” and “Your mighty hand” from the side of “there was light,” which are the prohibitions; “for what god is there in heaven and on earth,” for heaven and earth were created through these two lights. They are also dependent upon the Name YHWH, in the mystery of “Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult” (ישמחו השמים ותגל הארץ; Psalms 96:11): י״ה is in the heavens, and ו״ה is on earth.

This is “according to Your deeds,” corresponding to the 248 positive commandments, which are “Let there be light,” and “according to Your mighty acts,” corresponding to the prohibitions and “there was light.” Since the Torah was given through these two lights, he said, “Let me cross, please” (אעברה נ״א): נ״א is a notarikon for נראה אור, “we shall see light.” There in the Land of Israel, “in Your light we shall see light.”

He said “the good [land]” in the feminine, corresponding to the prohibitions, which are from the female side; “this good mountain” corresponds to the positive commandments, which are from the male side.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you. You already attained these two lights when you came into the world: ‘She saw that he was good’ (Exodus 2:2), for the whole house was filled with light” (Sotah 12a). This is the mystery of the 613 commandments, which divide between two hands, namely two times אור.

The Torah was given through Moses, as written, “And this is the Torah that Moses set” (Deuteronomy 4:44)—וזא״ת precisely, for וזא״ת likewise has the numerical value of two times אור. The measure of the verse is therefore: “And this is the Torah”—it divides into two times אור, the numerical value of וזאת. What are the two occurrences of אור? Concerning this it says, “that Moses set,” for he is called Moses our Teacher on account of the 613 commandments, which divide into the 365 prohibitions and the 248 positive commandments.

This is the mystery of the attainment of the Name YHWH, a notarikon for ימות השנה ואיברי האדם, “the days of the year and the limbs of the human being.” ימות השנה, whose initials are י״ה, are 365; שמי with י״ה makes 365, corresponding to the 365 days of the solar year. איברי האדם, “the limbs of the human being,” are 248; זכרי with ו״ה makes 248. Here he consequently counts the Name YHWH in four directions. Therefore, “command Joshua”: “strengthen him” in the positive commandments, and “make him resolute” in the prohibitions. [TN-205-03]

Ofan 206

It is known that the Holy One, blessed be He, governs His world through four Names: YHWH, אדני, א״ל, and אלהי״ם. This is the mystery of “El, God, the LORD, has spoken” (אל אלהים ה׳ דבר; Psalms 50:1): these are Ḥesed, Judgment, and Mercy, while “and called the earth” is the mystery of אדני, the attribute of softened judgment.

These four shades and four Names are indicated in the four letters of YHWH. The י of YHWH is the mystery of א״ל, the attribute of Ḥesed, whose shade is white. The first ה of YHWH is the Name אלהים, judgment, whose shade is red. The ו of YHWH is the Name YHWH, mercy, whose shade is green. The final ה of YHWH is the mystery of אדני, the attribute of softened judgment, whose shade is blue.

The mystery of these four shades is איל״ת השחר, “the hind of the dawn” (Psalms 22:1): אדום, ירוק, לבן, תכלת—red, green, white, blue. These are the four legs of the merkavah, which receive their sustenance from Binah, called dawn: “Who is this who looks forth like the dawn?” (Song of Songs 6:10)—מ״י precisely, which is Binah.

Accordingly, there are five shades, in the mystery of the five shades of the eye. Their mnemonic is “One thing I have asked of the LORD” (Psalms 27:4). In the word שאלת״י you will find the five shades of the eye: שחור, אדום, לבן, תכלת, ירוק—black, red, white, blue, green. [TN-206-01]

Moses consequently sought to enter the Land of Israel and attain the mystery of dawn in the mystery of Binah, for there in the Land of Israel it is said, “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn” (Isaiah 58:8). He therefore said, “I pleaded with YHWH at that time.” Read ההיא as הה״א, “the ה,” for the attainment of the five shades that are in the mystery of the holy Name: the four letters are the four shades of “a loving hind” (אילת אהבים; Proverbs 5:19), while the point of the י is the mystery of dawn.

He consequently said: since “You have begun to show me Your greatness,” the white shade from the side of Abraham; “Your mighty hand,” the red shade; “for what god is there in heaven,” the green shade; “and on earth,” the blue shade; “who can act according to Your deeds?” corresponds to white and green, which are Ḥesed and Mercy; “and according to Your mighty acts?” corresponds to red and blue, which are severe and softened judgment.

Thus I attained these four shades when the Tabernacle was erected. The midrash (Numbers Rabbah 12:8) says that when the Tabernacle was made, the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses four fires. Likewise, in the making of the menorah He showed him the menorah four times in Parashat Behaʿalotekha, corresponding to these four appearances.

Moses therefore said, “Let me cross, please” (אעברה נא). אעברה may be reversed to form ארבעה, “four,” for I already attained the four shades of the eye in two places. נ״א is a notarikon for נר אהל מועד, “lamp, Tent of Meeting.” That is, when the menorah was made, He showed him the menorah four times in Parashat Behaʿalotekha, and at the Tent of Meeting He likewise showed him these four shades.

If I have attained the four shades of the eye, “let me see the land,” for there I shall attain the further shade of dawn: “His going forth is established like the dawn” (Hosea 6:3), and there in the Land of Israel, “Have you made the dawn know its place?” (Job 38:12). ידעתה is written with an extra ה, indicating the fifth appearance through the extra ה; this points to the shade of dawn, which is the fifth shade. There my eyes will be “like the eyelids of the dawn.” [TN-206-02]

It is possible that Moses alluded to this with “at that time,” which was the New Moon of Adar, whose zodiacal sign is Pisces. Of Leviathan it is said, “Its eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn” (Job 3:9 as printed; compare Job 41:10). Therefore the midrash says (Yalkut Shimoni, remez 814) that Moses said to Leviathan: “You heard his prayer, for it is said of him, ‘Will he multiply supplications to you?’ (Job 40:27), but You do not hear me.” That is: let me merit eyes like the eyelids of the dawn, for there in the Land of Israel we come to seek Your face at the Temple, which is Lebanon. From there, “those who seek Me early shall find Me” (משחרי ימצאנוני; Proverbs 8:17), with two nuns. He therefore likewise said ואתחנן with two nuns.

He said “this good mountain,” for it is said of the dawn, “spread upon the mountains” (Joel 2:2). He consequently said אעברה with an added ה, for he directed his intention toward the fifth shade.

Jonah is the mystery of Messiah son of Joseph, as stated in the Zohar on Exodus, p. 345 (Zohar II, 197a), and he is destined to apportion Leviathan to the righteous. Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 10 states that of all the prayers Jonah prayed in the fish’s belly, his prayer was not heard except when he said, “That which I have vowed I shall fulfill” (Jonah 2:10), for he vowed concerning Leviathan that he would apportion its flesh to the righteous. His prayer was heard on that account.

Therefore, “The LORD appointed a worm when the dawn arose” (Jonah 4:7). It occurred at the rising of dawn because the Holy One, blessed be He, alluded to him that his prayer was heard through what he vowed concerning Leviathan in the time to come, whose mystery is “its eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.” It is enough for him that he will attain this above in the time to come.

The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore replied to Moses, “It is much for you. You possess attainment of the four shades, and you wish your eyes to be like the eyelids of the dawn. Ascend here to the summit and see with your eyes, and your eyes will be like the eyelids of the dawn.” He then again explained the four shades in the letters of YHWH, alluding to them twice in the four directions. [TN-206-03]

Ofan 207

According to the first approach I wrote above, the world is governed through the four Names I mentioned. They are the mystery of the governance of this sabbatical cycle, which is Isaac’s cycle, for יצח״ק has the numerical value of א״ל אלהי״ם ה׳ אדנ״י. At present the Holy One, blessed be He, governs the world through Isaac, as written, “For You are our Father” (Isaiah 63:16). That is, the governance of this sabbatical cycle is Isaac, whose mystery divides into these four Names, which together have the numerical value of Isaac, as I wrote.

This is the mystery of the statement, “Blessed is He who gave Torah to Israel. The Torah spoke corresponding to four sons” (Passover Haggadah). That is, four times ב״ן, “son,” has the numerical value of יצחק. The Torah comes from Isaac’s side, as it is said, “God spoke all these words” (Exodus 20:1); “We heard the Torah from the mouth of Gevurah” (Shabbat 88b).

Just as Isaac has the value ר״ח, 208, these being 208 powers of judgment, so too we find that the Name YHWH has the mystery of 208. How so? In the four worlds Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah there are four Names, ע״ב, ס״ג, מ״ה, and ב״ן. Their filled spellings and fillings of the fillings contain ק״ד, 104, letters: the Name ע״ב has twenty-eight letters, as do ס״ג and מ״ה, making three times twenty-eight; the Name ב״ן has twenty letters in its filling and filling of the filling, for a total of 104.

In each of the four worlds Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah there is also a simple YHWH, whose value is twenty-six. Four times twenty-six is 104. The two totals together have the numerical value of Isaac. [TN-207-01]

This is also the mystery of “YHWH is God” (Deuteronomy 4:35). That is, just as the Name אלהים is the mystery of Isaac and totals 208 powers of judgment, so too the Name YHWH likewise totals 208, the numerical value of יצח״ק. For the Names (שמו״ת) of YHWH, which are mercy, sweeten the powers of judgment.

Concerning this Abraham said, “Here I am, my son” (Genesis 22:7). That is, I must sweeten Isaac my son, the attribute of judgment, through my own attribute of mercy. Thus it says there from heaven, “I shall surely multiply (הרבה ארבה) your offspring” (Genesis 22:17)—ארב״ה precisely, for thereby the 208 powers of Isaac’s judgments, the numerical value of ארב״ה, are sweetened.

Moses therefore opened here by mentioning these four Names. First he said the Name אדנ״י; afterward YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim; and afterward מ״י א״ל. Thus there are the four Names אדנ״י, YHWH, א״ל, and אלהי״ם, which together have the numerical value of יצח״ק, the governor of this sabbatical cycle, as stated above.

“At that time” alludes to this harsh sabbatical cycle, which is from Isaac’s side, of whom it is said, “For You are our Father” (Isaiah 63). He consequently opened, “You have begun”—“You” precisely, namely Isaac, who governs ההיא. Read it as הה״י: because of the harshness of the sabbatical cycle, the fourth letter of HaShem, which was originally א, changed and ה entered it, as stated in Sefer Ha-Temunah. [TN-207-02]

Concerning this he said, “You have begun to show me Your greatness,” meaning the measure of the stature of the letters of YHWH in the four worlds, which has the numerical value of Isaac. Thus he said “Your greatness, את”—את precisely: these are all the letters that spread forth from the Names YHWH in the four worlds Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, and together they have the value 208, the numerical value of Isaac. “And Your mighty hand” is the mystery of the 208 powers of judgment from the side of Isaac’s attribute of judgment. He therefore concluded “who can act according to Your deeds?” from the side of mercy, “and according to Your mighty acts?” from the side of judgment.

Moses consequently said, “Let me cross, please” (אעברה נא), for אעברה may be reversed to form ארבעה, “four.” Of these four Names it is said, “El, God, the LORD, has spoken and called the earth” (Psalms 50:1), the last being the mystery of אדני. When I come to the Land of Israel, the letters of YHWH, which total 208, will sweeten the powers of judgment, which likewise total 208. The Name will change for good through Lebanon, which is the Temple, for there the judgments are sweetened.

This is “Like a cedar in Lebanon he shall flourish” (Psalms 92:13). That is, יצח״ק, which is the mystery of אר״ז, “cedar,” will be sweetened there in Lebanon, the Temple, and will flourish. “Planted in the House of the LORD” (Psalms 92:14), they will sweeten the judgments. [TN-207-03]

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is much for you.” When the Tabernacle was erected on the first of Nisan (Exodus 40:17), in the month in which Isaac was born, as stated in Tanḥuma (Pekudei 11), the Holy One, blessed be He, had to hold back the work of the Tabernacle until the New Moon of Nisan, in which Isaac was born. Isaac includes the 208 judgments, so that they might be sweetened through the letters of YHWH. Of that time it is said, “The glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle” (Exodus 40:38 as printed). On that day Israel said, “YHWH is God” (see Pesikta Rabbati 4), as explained in the psalm, “We give thanks to You, God, we give thanks” (Psalms 75:1), as I discussed at length in my large book entitled Megalleh Amukkot on Parashat Shemini.

Therefore, “Do not continue.” This is what is meant by “Do not continue to speak to Me further of this matter” (בדבר הזה): בדב״ר precisely, whose numerical value is 208, the value of Isaac.

“And command Joshua”: “strengthen him” corresponding to the filled letters of YHWH, which total 208; “make him resolute” to sweeten the powers of judgment, which likewise total 208. “He shall cross them” to sweeten the power of judgment, and “he shall cause [Israel] to inherit” to sweeten the power of mercy. [TN-207-04]

Ofan 208

Moses wished to sweeten and repair in the Land of Israel the great damage that came from
the sin of Adam, the first human, when the serpent injected into Eve twenty-four kinds of
impurity. Thus it is stated in the Zohar on *Aharei Mot* (Zohar III, 79a), concerning the
verse “I shall place enmity [ואיבה]” (Genesis 3:15): corresponding to the numerical
value of ואיב״ה, the serpent injected defilement. At first the Holy One, blessed be He,
adorned Eve with twenty-four ornaments, the adornments of a bride. Thus those of blessed
memory expounded “and He brought her to the man” (Genesis 2:22): the Holy One, blessed be
He, adorned Eve with twenty-four ornaments (Zohar I, 48b). They derived this from the word
ויבאה, which is written without a י after the ב and has the numerical value twenty-four.
The serpent reversed these letters of ויבאה, in which she possessed twenty-four ornaments,
and made from them איב״ה, “enmity.”

Afterward—the source prints the damaged form ואחך כך for “afterward”—the three
patriarchs of the world came and repaired the three crowns of Adam, while the four
matriarchs repaired [uncertain: עיטה של חוה] (“Eve’s עיטה”). [TN-208-01]
The tribes then damaged matters again at the sale of Joseph. There it is stated,
״ויאמר ״אליהם ״יוסף ״ביום ״השלישי, “Joseph said to them on the third day”
(Genesis 42:18), whose initial letters spell ואיב״ה. This caused their exile in
Egypt. Afterward, when they left Egypt, it is stated there, ״היום ״אתם ״יוצאים
״בחודש ״האביב, “Today you are going out, in the month of Aviv” (Exodus
13:4), whose initial letters spell האי״בה. The time had arrived for the serpent’s
defilement to cease, for it had placed enmity within “a woman who fears the LORD”
(Proverbs 31:30), the mystery of the Shekhinah.

When Israel stood at Mount Sinai, their defilement ceased (Yevamot 103b). The tablets were
therefore “written on this side and on that”: each tablet was six handbreadths long and
six wide (Nedarim 38a), thus twelve handbreadths for each tablet. The two tablets together
accordingly comprised twenty-four handbreadths. This is the mystery of the verse, “On this
side [מז״ה] and on that [ומז״ה] they were written” (Exodus 32:15). Through this they
nullified the twenty-four kinds of impurity.

At the time of the calf, however, when the tablets were broken, the serpent’s defilement
returned to its place—the serpent’s twenty-four kinds. The debt of the calf was therefore
collected at the end of twenty-four generations. Those twenty-four generations correspond
to the twenty-four kinds caused by the serpent. There is no visitation [פקודא] that does
not contain a twenty-fourth part, as weighed by the pound, of the calf (Sanhedrin 102a).
It is also intimated in the account of the spies, as it is written, ״ופגריכם ״אתם
״יפלו ״במדבר ״הזה, “But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this
wilderness” (Numbers 14:32), whose initial letters spell ואיב״ה. Concerning the red
heifer, which is a remedy for the calf, an independent verse states, ״וכל ״אשר ״יגע
״בו ״הטמא, “And whatever the unclean person touches” (Numbers 19:22), whose
initial letters likewise spell ואיבה.

At the time of the Destruction, the debt of the calf was repaid. Rabbi Levi expounded in
the Zohar on *Eikhah* (54a) that the measure of dominion is איב״ה רע״ה, “evil
enmity.” It is inscribed at the beginning of the verse, ״איכה ״ישבה ״בדד ״העיר
״רבתי ״עם ״היתה, “How does the city sit solitary, she who was great with
people” (Lamentations 1:1), whose initial letters spell איב״ה רע״ה, as stated above in
Ofan 39.

Here, too, Moses intimated through the initial letters of ״ואתחנן ״אל ה׳ ״בעת
״ההיא, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time,” that they spell ואיב״ה. He wished
to enter the Land of Israel in order to repair those twenty-four kinds of impurity. He
therefore began with the Name אדנ״י (*Adonai*), for the Name Adonai has twenty-four
permutations. This is the mystery of א״ל ״ישוב ״דך ״נכלם, “Let not the oppressed
return ashamed” (Psalms 74:21), whose initial letters spell אדנ״י. The word ד״ך is
twenty-four; these are the twenty-four permutations of Adonai. They are the mystery of the
eighth prince about whom the kabbalist Rabbi Moses Cordovero wrote: whoever directs his
intention toward it during prayer has his prayer heard.

This is thus intimated in the words אל ישוב דך נכלם. Its mystery issues from the
verse “Then Moses sang” (Exodus 15:1): אז forms one part; from ובנ״י ישראל,
“the children of Israel,” the source takes ו״ב from ובנ״י as a second part; and from
כי גאה, “for He is exalted,” it takes ג and ה from גא״ה. [TN-208-02]

They are also the mystery of the twenty-four chapters of tractate Shabbat, which is
called the Bride. One must divide them among the three Sabbath meals, eight chapters at
each meal. Since Sabbath is the Bride, the twenty-four chapters correspond to the
twenty-four bridal ornaments. This is intimated in the verse ״ושמרו ״בני ״ישראל
״את ״השבת, “The children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath” (Exodus 31:16),
whose initial letters spell ואיב״ה, in order to repair the twenty-four kinds of
impurity. This is the meaning of what is written immediately afterward, “to make the
Sabbath”—specifically “to make”—“throughout their generations.” The word לדרתם is
written defectively, as stated in the Zohar (Tikkunei Zohar 24, 69b) in the name of *Sefer
ha-Bahir* and as Rabbi Menaḥem Recanati cites it in the portion *Shelah Lekha*. Then the
Shekhinah rests in the house, while the kelippah, namely Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant, says,
“I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai” (Genesis 16:8).

Moses therefore sought to repair the twenty-four permutations of Adonai. He said: since
“You have begun to show me”—I began to repair the serpent’s twenty-four kinds. The
letters of החלות (“You have begun”), when reversed, form הלוחות (“the tablets”),
which comprised twenty-four handbreadths, as stated above: מז״ה and מז״ה, together
twenty-four handbreadths.

He also received the twenty-four books of the “threefold Torah” (Shabbat 88a). “Your
greatness” refers to Torah. “Your strong hand” refers to the Prophets, as it is written,
“Through the hand of the prophets I spoke in likenesses” (Hosea 12:11). “Who is a God
in heaven and on earth” refers to the mysteries of the Writings, in the mystery of
“written with the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18) and “When I see Your heavens, the work
of Your fingers” (Psalms 8:4).

The initial letters of ״אתה ״החלות ״להראות, “You have begun to show,” also
spell אה״ל (*ohel*, “tent”). At the making of the Tabernacle, שטים (“acacia”) is
stated there twenty-four times. This is the mystery of Rabbi Akiva’s twenty-four thousand
disciples (Yevamot 62b), for he is the foundation of the Oral Torah, which was repeated in
the Tent of Meeting; they are in the mystery of wisdom. Twenty-four thousand later fell
at Shittim.

Moses alluded to them through “Your greatness” at the making of the Tabernacle. Moses
could not remember the “hooks [ווים] for the pillars” (Exodus 38:28) until Rabbi Akiva’s
soul came to him, in the mystery of “and the thousand,” and so forth; this is not the
place to elaborate. For Rabbi Akiva was the one who expounded the superfluous vavs
[ווי״ן] (Tosafot to Sanhedrin 50b, s.v. *talmud lomar*). Concerning the twenty-four
thousand who fell at Shittim, he said “Your strong hand.”

It is stated in the Zohar on *Pequdei* (Zohar II, 241b) that the supernal merkavah has
twenty-four supports. Concerning this he said, “Who is a God in heaven”: just as there are
twenty-four supports of the merkavah in heaven, so too the supernal Jerusalem has
twenty-four gates. Jerusalem below on earth likewise had to possess twenty-four gates.
The gates would not open and clung to one another until Solomon uttered twenty-four
entreaties (Shabbat 30a; Moʿed Katan 9a). These are the twenty-four verses from “But will
God indeed dwell with man upon the earth?” (2 Chronicles 6:18) through “for the sake of
David Your servant” (2 Chronicles 6:42). Each verse is called one רנן (*rinnan*) in
its own right.

Concerning this our masters, of blessed memory, said in the first chapter of Berakhot
(5a), “Abaye said: a Torah scholar must recite one verse of supplication.” This is the
mystery of what is written, “My heart and my flesh sing [ירננו] to the living God”
(Psalms 84:3). One verse is called a רנן: “Sing [רננו], O righteous, in the LORD”
(Psalms 33:1), and “Come before Him with joyful song [ברננה]” (Psalms 100:2).
Therefore, in Psalm 24 David said, “Lift up your heads, O gates” (Psalms 24:7).

Concerning this he said, “Who can do according to Your deeds,” referring to Solomon’s
miracle with the gates; “and according to Your mighty acts” refers to the Temple’s
destruction at the end of twenty-four generations. Because the merkavah rests upon
twenty-four, the serpent with its twenty-four kinds of impurity is thereby nullified.

Moses therefore said, “Let me cross over, please [נ״א].” I wish to nullify
נ׳חש א׳יבה, “the serpent’s enmity,” whose initial letters spell נ״א; that is,
the enmity injected by the serpent in the mystery of “I shall place enmity [ואיב״ה],”
namely the twenty-four kinds of impurity. He therefore said, “And let me see the land”:
I must enter the Land of Israel for this purpose. There, “this good mountain” is Jerusalem,
which has twenty-four gates. The Jerusalem blessing in the prayer consequently contains
twenty-four words, for Jerusalem below is built corresponding to Jerusalem above (Taʿanit
5a).

The verse “she who was great with people” is therefore expounded in *Eikhah Rabbah*
(1:2) as enumerating many sets of twenty-four that existed in Jerusalem: twenty-four
markets, in every market twenty-four streets, and in every street twenty-four alleyways,
and so forth. “Lebanon” is the Temple, which likewise had twenty-four gates corresponding
to the supernal gates. Thus the verse “I shall make your windows of *kadkhod* [כדכ״ד]”
(Isaiah 54:12) was fulfilled in the Land of Israel: twenty-four corresponding to
twenty-four.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” I have already fulfilled
your wish, for I said, “I have forgiven according to your word” (Numbers 14:20), and I
deferred the calf’s iniquity for twenty-four generations. I gave you the tablets, which
likewise contain the mystery of twenty-four, and also at the making of the calf; likewise,
in the twenty-four books Moses received from Mount Sinai, concerning which it is stated,
“And this is the Torah [וזאת התורה]” (Deuteronomy 4:44). The word וזא״ת has
the numerical value connected with the twenty-four books “which Moses set before the
children of Israel.” Through this he merited מקו״ר חיי״ם, “the fountain of life”
(Psalms 36:10), which has the same numerical value. [TN-208-03] Therefore, “Do not speak
to Me again concerning this matter”—“again [עו״ד],” precisely, for he received the
tablets “on this side and on that.”

Ofan 209

I say that Moses wished to repair in the Land of Israel the permutations of the letters
of Adonai that Israel had damaged through the calf. The twenty-four permutations of
אדנ״י contain ninety-six letters: twenty-four permutations, with four letters in each
permutation; four times twenty-four is thus ninety-six, the numerical value of א״ל אדנ״י
(*El Adonai*).

It is known that the Name Adonai is divided between two sides. The letters א״י of
אדנ״י are from the male side, while ד״ן of אדנ״י are from the female side. This
was Abel’s sin, in the mystery of “Where [א״י] is Abel your brother?” (Genesis 4:9).
Moses therefore began with the Name Adonai. The initial letters of ״אתה ״החלות
״להראות ״את, “You have begun to show,” have the numerical value הב״ל
(*Hevel*, “Abel”): in my first gilgul I damaged the letters of Adonai.

This is the mystery of את עבדך, “Your servant,” which the source says has the
numerical value צ״ו, ninety-six. Only עבדך by itself has that value; the prefixed
accusative particle את would change it. [TN-209-01] These are the ninety-six letters of
the twenty-four permutations of Adonai, divided between two sides. Forty-eight of those
letters are “Your greatness,” the letters of Ḥesed: the masculine letters א״י of
Adonai. Forty-eight are from the side of judgment, and concerning them he said “Your
strong hand”: the letters ד״ן of Adonai, which are from the female.

He also intimated in the word יד״ך within את ידך, “Your hand,” the numerical value
ל״ד, thirty-four. These are the thirty-four letters in the second filling of Adonai.
Moses therefore said, “Who is an El [א״ל]?”—specifically אל. When the Name El is
joined with the Name Adonai at the beginning of the verse, the result is the ninety-six
letters in the twenty-four permutations of Adonai.

“Who can do according to Your deeds” is the mystery of א״ל אדנ״י in the world of
Asiyah. These correspond to the ninety-six thousand myriads enumerated in the *Idra
Rabba* (Zohar III), which are in the world of Asiyah, corresponding to the ninety-six
letters in the twenty-four permutations of Adonai. For the Matronita nests in Asiyah;
there is דינ״א דמלכותא, “the judgment of kingship,” the mystery of Adonai,
which has ninety-six letters and twenty-four permutations. The merkavah in Asiyah
therefore consists of ninety-six thousand myriads of angels and ophanim.

Moses consequently said, “Let me cross over, please [נ״א].” I wish to enter the Land
of Israel and repair נ״א, a notarikon of נ׳תיב א׳ופנים, “the path of the
ophanim.” “And let me see the land”: the Land of Israel is where the Name Adonai is called
“the land of the living” (Isaiah 38:11). “This good mountain” refers to the supernal
Garden of Eden, where the letters of Adonai sparkle from the four directions, as stated in
the Zohar on *Va-Yakhel* and *Pequdei*. “Lebanon” is the Temple, which had ninety-six
windows below, corresponding to the ninety-six letters in the twenty-four permutations of
the letters of Adonai.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” That is: you wish to
repair the ninety-six letters of Adonai, but Moses has already merited to give the Torah
to Israel. Ninety-six covenants were made twice, in the mystery of “precept upon precept
[צ״ו לצ״ו]” (Isaiah 28:10). That is, every Israelite entered twice ninety-six
covenants. These constitute 192 covenants, as we say in Sotah 37b: 192 covenants were
made with respect to every Israelite.

Moses intimated this in the portion *Atem Nitzavim* (Deuteronomy 29:10): נצבי״ם has
the numerical value 192. Thus, “that you may enter into the covenant of the LORD”
(Deuteronomy 29:11): every Israelite had to accept covenants corresponding to the value of
נצבי״ם.

He therefore said, “Do not speak again.” Rather, “Command [צ״ו] Joshua”—צ״ו,
ninety-six, precisely. Joshua will repair what you wished to repair, the ninety-six
letters of Adonai. Joshua will be the one to repair them, for “Joshua is the face of the
moon” (Bava Batra 75a), the mystery of Adonai. Yet he will also fulfill צ״ו לצ״ו,
meaning twice ninety-six: “strengthen him” through the ninety-six covenants pertaining to
study and teaching, and “fortify him” through the ninety-six covenants pertaining to
observing and doing, as stated there in Sotah.

Ofan 210

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel in order to attain another configuration of the
Name YHWH, for the Holy One, blessed be He, governs His world through the twelve
permutations of YHWH. These correspond to the twelve hours of the day and the twelve
months of the year. It is known that one permutation is appointed over each month, and
likewise over each hour of the day. The twelve permutations thus contain forty-eight
letters of YHWH.

Concerning this he said, “I pleaded with YHWH”—that is, concerning the Name YHWH—“at
that time [בע״ת ההיא].” The word בע״ת, “at the time,” is precise. The word
is written ההוא, in the masculine, with respect to the twelve months of the year, for
“month” is masculine and one permutation of YHWH is appointed over each month. It is read
ההיא, in the feminine, with respect to the twelve hours of the day, for in every hour
there is one of the twelve permutations. The word בעת therefore refers both to the
months, which are on the side of the moon, and to the hours of the day, which are on the
side of the sun.

Moses consequently said: since “You have begun to show me” at the making of the
Tabernacle, when the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded that forty-eight boards be taken
for the Tabernacle; these correspond to the forty-eight letters in the twelve permutations
of YHWH. It is known that the Name YHWH is divided between two sides. The letters י״ו of
HaShem are from the side of Ḥesed, while the two hes of HaShem are from the female
side.

Corresponding to the י״ו of HaShem, which comprise twenty-four letters across the
twelve permutations, he said “Your greatness,” for they are from the side of Ḥesed. The
Torah therefore mentions the three patriarchs in direct order twenty-four times—first
Abraham, then Isaac, and then Jacob. “Your strong hand” corresponds to the twenty-four he
letters, which are from the side of judgment. The patriarchs are consequently mentioned
in reverse order twenty-four times. These are the mystery of the twenty-four supernal
gates in the mystery of direct light, and likewise in reverse order in the mystery of
returning light.

“Who is a God in heaven and on earth” corresponds to the forty-eight talismanic forms
that the Guide wrote about in *Guide of the Perplexed*, in its section on astronomy:
forty-eight forms are in the firmament of the spheres. Abraham therefore recognized his
Creator at the age of forty-eight (Genesis Rabbah 30:8), and the Torah consequently warns
concerning the stranger in forty-eight places, for Abraham was the first of the converts.

He also said “Your greatness” corresponding to the Torah, which is acquired through
forty-eight qualities (Avot 6:6), for it is from the side of Ḥesed. “Your strong hand”
refers to the forty-eight cities Moses gave the Levites, who are from the side of judgment
(Numbers 35:7). “Who is a God in heaven and on earth” refers to the forty-eight drops that
descend from the supernal Garden of Eden, which is in heaven, to the earth below. From
those forty-eight drops descended the forty-eight prophets to Israel, as stated in the
Zohar on *Hayyei Sarah*.

“Who can do according to Your deeds” refers to the first and second sets of tablets, of
which it is stated, “they are the work of God” (Exodus 32:16). The first two tablets
comprised twenty-four handbreadths, namely six in length and six in width for each tablet,
as I wrote above (Nedarim 38a). The first and second sets together consequently comprised
forty-eight handbreadths. “And according to Your mighty acts” corresponds to the
forty-eight stones Joshua erected at Gilgal in four places (Jerusalem Talmud, Sotah 7:5).

Correspondingly, each of the four worlds—Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah—contains
the mystery of twelve, though the twelves differ. In Atzilut are the twelve permutations
of YHWH. In Beriah are the twelve tribes, in the mystery of “for there the tribes went up,
the tribes of Yah” (Psalms 122:4), for this is in Beriah. In Yetzirah are the twelve
diagonal boundaries, and in Asiyah are the twelve limits. Joshua therefore erected twelve
stones at each of four places. The source attributes this to the Jerusalem Talmud, after
earlier giving Jerusalem Talmud, Sotah 7:5, but then prints the Bavli-style locator
“chapter *Elu Ne’emarin*, Sotah 37b.” [TN-210-01] This is not the place to elaborate.

Moses consequently said, “Let me cross over, please.” The letters of אעברה reversed
form ארבעה, “four.” I wish to attain the mystery of the Name YHWH, which has twelve
permutations in each of the four worlds, with forty-eight letters within these twelve
permutations. There in the Land of Israel, “I shall walk before the LORD” (Psalms 116:9;
Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:5). There I shall attain the mystery of אדני צבאות (*Adonai
Tzevaot*), which he reads as “His letter [אות] and His host [צבא].”

This applies specifically in Jerusalem, “this good mountain,” for Jerusalem is called
“the throne of the LORD” (Jeremiah 3:17). “Lebanon” is the Temple: “On the mountain
of Adonai it shall be seen [בה״ר אדנ״י יראה]” (Genesis 22:14). There the letters
will be contemplated, as it is written, “How beloved are Your dwelling places” (Psalms
84:2). In the Temple one attains אדני צבאות, meaning the letters of the Name Adonai.

Therefore, when David reached Psalm 48, he said, “Great is Adonai and exceedingly
praised” (Psalms 48:2). “Great” is precise: this concerns the mystery of “Your
greatness,” which Moses stated regarding the letters of the fillings of YHWH. When is He
great—when the greatness of the Name YHWH is attained? “In the city of our God”—this is
Jerusalem; “His holy mountain”—this is the Temple (see Yalkut Shimoni on Psalms, remez
755).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” That is, you already
possess abundance in the mystery of the forty-eight letters of YHWH, which you attained
through the Torah. It was given at Sinai through forty-eight covenants; it was then
repeated in the Tent of Meeting through forty-eight covenants; and it was repeated a third
time in the plains of Moab (Sotah 37b). This is Moses’s portion [חלוק], for the mystery
of חלוק is three times forty-eight, in the mystery of “preceding [קד״ם] His works,
from then [מא״ז]” (Proverbs 8:22). The forty-eight letters of the Name YHWH are
intimated in the word מא״ז, as it is written, “The LORD acquired me as the beginning of
His way” (ibid.).

The source next says that the Name Adonai is divided over the letters מא״ז. [TN-210-02]
In these three places Moses merited his portion, for all of Moses’s פרגטוטין—his
“business” or dealings—were with אז, according to Exodus Rabbah 23:3. [TN-210-03]
Therefore, “Do not speak again.” Rather, “Command Joshua” to fulfill the covenants,
which are twice forty-eight, the numerical value of צ״ו, ninety-six: those pertaining to
study and teaching, as I wrote above.

Ofan 211

It is stated in *Raʿaya Mehemna* (Zohar III, 235b) that the second filling of the Name
YHWH contains twenty-eight letters. This is the mystery of “How [מ״ה] many are Your
works, O LORD; You made them all with wisdom [בחכמ״ה]” (Psalms 104:24): כ״ח מ״ה,
“the power of MAH.” The filling has the value מ״ה, while the letters of the second
filling number כ״ח, twenty-eight. Corresponding to these twenty-eight letters are also
twenty-eight camps of the Shekhinah.

Concerning this Moses said, “I pleaded with YHWH at that time.” In the word ההיא he
alluded to the twenty-eight camps of the Shekhinah and pronounced it in the feminine. It
is written ההוא, in the masculine, with respect to the twenty-eight letters of YHWH,
which he had mentioned first in “with YHWH.” In the word בעת he alluded to the
twenty-eight times in every month.

He therefore said Adonai afterward. First he said YHWH with respect to the twenty-eight
letters corresponding to the twenty-eight times; then he said Adonai corresponding to the
twenty-eight camps of the Shekhinah. He said: since “You have begun to show me Your
greatness” at the sea, where it is stated, “Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in
power [בכ״ח]” (Exodus 15:6), and he said “Your greatness,” as in “Israel saw the
great hand” (Exodus 14:31). “And Your strong hand” refers to the time of receiving the
Torah at Mount Sinai, where it is stated, “The voice of the LORD is in power [בכ״ח]”
(Psalms 29:4), and likewise, “Behold, God is exalted in His power” (Job 36:22). These are
the mystery of the twenty-eight letters in “God spoke all these words” (Exodus 20:1).

He also said “Your strong hand” because he received the tablets. The word לוחת,
“tablets,” occurs fourteen times in the portion *Ki Tissa* and fourteen times in the
portion *Ekev*. This is the meaning of “and for all the strong hand that Moses performed”
(Deuteronomy 34:12), which the Sages, of blessed memory, expounded as referring to the
tablets (Exodus Rabbah 46:3).

Likewise, he said “Your greatness” with respect to the making of the Tabernacle, whose
curtains were twenty-eight cubits long. “Who is a God in heaven and on earth” refers to
heaven and earth being created with the right hand and the left hand, which contain
twenty-eight joints. “Who can do according to Your deeds” is the mystery of the work of
Creation: “He declared the power of His works to His people” (Psalms 111:6). “And
according to Your mighty acts” is the mystery of the exodus from Egypt, of which it is
stated, “With a strong hand he shall send them away, and with a strong hand he shall drive
them out of his land” (Exodus 6:1). These are two hands, corresponding to the
(י״ח)[כ״ח] joints in the two hands—the source’s parenthetical reading is “eighteen,”
while the adjacent bracketed reading is “twenty-eight.” [TN-211-01]

Moses therefore asked, “Let me cross over, please,” for there in the Land of Israel the
sparks of the letters of YHWH would be revealed to him. “The good mountain” accords with
“He made the earth by His power” (Jeremiah 10:12) and “who establishes mountains by His
power” (Psalms 65:7). “Lebanon” is the Temple: “Great is our Lord and abundant in
power” (Psalms 147:5). When is the Holy One, blessed be He, called great? “In the city of
our God, His holy mountain” (Psalms 48:2). There “the weary are at rest” (Job 3:17).

Moses, who is in the mystery of Daʿat, would attain the mystery of the power of YHWH, as
it is written, “A man of knowledge strengthens power” (Proverbs 24:5). That is, Moses,
whose attribute is the mystery of Daʿat, exerted himself to enter the Land of Israel so as
to attain the twenty-eight letters of YHWH: “those who hope in the LORD shall renew their
strength.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” You already attained
this when you said, “And now, please, let the power [כ״ח] of Adonai be great” (Numbers
14:17). The י of יגדל נא is one of the large letters, which indicate the ten letters
of the filling of YHWH; כח אדנ״י, the source then says, indicates the twenty-four
letters of the second filling, although the chapter began by specifying twenty-eight.
[TN-211-02] The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him on that occasion, “I have forgiven
according to your word” (Numbers 14:20). It follows that he merited attainment of the
power of the Name YHWH. Therefore, “Do not speak again,” and so forth.

Ofan 212

It is known that the Name of Twenty-Eight issues from the seven words of the first verse
of Genesis (1:1), which contains seven words and twenty-eight letters. It also issues from
the verse of the giving of the Torah, “God spoke all these words,” and so forth (Exodus
20:1), which likewise contains seven words and twenty-eight letters. It also issues from
אמן יהא שמיה רבה מברך לעלם ולעלמי עלמיא, “Amen. May His great Name be
blessed forever and for all eternity,” which likewise contains seven words and
twenty-eight letters. This is the mystery of one who answers “Amen. May His great Name
be blessed” with all his power [כחו] (Shabbat 119b), as the *Beit Yosef* cites in
*Orah Hayyim*, section 56.

Rabbi Judah the Pious, of blessed memory, therefore wrote in *Sefer Hasidim* that before
one says, “May His great Name be blessed,” one should recall these two verses: “In the
beginning God created,” and so forth, and “God spoke,” and so forth. One should then say,
“Amen. May His great Name be blessed.” From the three of them issues the Name of
Twenty-Eight: אכתריא״ל י״ה אדני שם צבאות יה אדירירון (*Akatriel Yah, Adonai, the
Name Tzevaot, Yah Adiriron*), which likewise contains twenty-eight letters. The count
reaches twenty-eight only when the descriptive word שם (“Name”) is not counted as part
of the formula. [TN-212-01]

The reason for these three is the mystery of beginning, middle, and end. Genesis is the
beginning of Creation; the giving of the Torah is the middle; and “Amen. May His great
Name be blessed” is the end of this world. This is the reason for the number seven: the
world was created in the seven days of Creation. The days are from the side of the sun,
while the twenty-eight letters correspond to the twenty-eight times of the moon, for this
world is governed through these two lights.

This is a permutation of בראשית as the source’s compressed בשת״י א״ר, which it
treats as indicating “with two lights.” [TN-212-02] The days are governed through the
light of the sun, while the months are governed through the light of the moon. In the
future the verse will be fulfilled, “The light of the moon shall be like the light of the
sun . . . sevenfold, like the light of the seven days” (Isaiah 30:26).

Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel translates that in the future the sun will be 343 times as
great as it is now. It calculates “sevenfold” as forty-nine—seven times seven is
forty-nine—and then the verse says “like the light of the seven days”: seven times
forty-nine is 343. This is the mystery of “You poured a rain [גש״ם] of benefactions, O
God” (Psalms 68:10), for in the future “He will come to us like the rain” (Hosea 6:3).

This is the mystery of what the Gemara says: “Where is Moses intimated in the Torah? As
it is said, “inasmuch as he too [בשגם] is flesh” (Genesis 6:3)” (Ḥullin 139b).
בשג״ם has the numerical value מש״ה. The difficulty is why it based Moses upon the
value of בשג״ם. It thereby intimated that “Moses is the face of the sun” (Bava Batra
75a), and that in the future the sun will possess שג״ם, 343, lights.

This is the mystery of the Masorah’s intention in the three occurrences of כצאת, “as
one goes out.” It first says, “Moses would take the Tent,” and so forth (Exodus 33:7), and
“when Moses went out [כצאת] to the Tent” (Exodus 33:8). At the end, when Moses takes
the Tent, “she shall not go out as the servants go out [כצאת העבדים]” (Exodus 21:7).
This refers to the present world, which is governed through the staff of Moses, the
mystery of Metatron, who is called “servant.” The world is governed through Moses, to
whom the five books of the Torah were entrusted through the forty-nine gates of Binah
that Moses received at Sinai, as stated in the first chapter of Rosh Hashanah (21b).

This is the mystery of מטה משה, “the staff of Moses.” Look into the word מטה and
you will find there the five books of the Torah, indicated by ה, through the forty-nine
[מ״ט] gates that Moses attained. Moses’s governance was through Metatron, as *Tziyyuni*
on the portion *Shemot* discusses at length. Scripture therefore says that she will no
longer go out “as the servants go out” and be governed through forty-nine. In the future,
however, “those who love Him shall be as the sun goes forth [כצאת השמש] in its might”
(Judges 5:31), which Jonathan translates there as likewise being 343 times as great.

This is the mystery that Ecclesiastes disclosed: “I said that this too [שג״ם] is vanity
[הב״ל]” (Ecclesiastes 2:15). That is, the word שג״ם indicates that he too—Moses—
is the gilgul of Abel [הבל]. It says שגם rather than בשגם. *Raʿaya Mehemna* on the portion *Pinhas*
(Zohar III, 216b) explains that this is in order to conceal the matter. In my opinion,
however, it also contains a mystery.

In his first gilgul, Moses gazed into the radiance of supernal wisdom and made use of the
light by which he saw from the beginning of his creation: “She saw that he was good”
(Exodus 2:2), for the entire house filled with light (Sotah 12a). The Zohar on *Bereshit*
(Zohar I, 31b) writes that Moses made use of it for three months, in the mystery of “she
hid him for three months.”

Concerning this Ecclesiastes said, “This too [שגם] is Abel [הבל].” That is, Abel made
use of the light of the sun, namely the light of the seven days, whose number is שג״ם,
343. Add the twenty-two letters of the Torah, from which Moses’s soul derives, to 343, and
the result is 365. This is the light of the sun itself, corresponding to the 365 days of
the year. The light of the seven days, 343, together with the twenty-two letters of the
Torah, is thus the light of the sun itself—the 365 windows of the firmament.

In the future, the twenty-eight times of the moon will equal the light of the seven days.
These are the mystery of the seven “vanities” that Ecclesiastes enumerates in his first
verse. The source prints the locator Ecclesiastes 1:1, while the wording is conventionally
numbered 1:2. [TN-212-03] They correspond to the seven days of Creation. Moses therefore
began his prayer with ״בעת ״ההיא ״לאמר, “at that time, saying.” The source
states that its initial letters spell הב״ל, although the printed order of the initials
is ב–ה–ל. [TN-212-04] He was comprised of the seven vanities, which are the seven
days of Creation. The written form ההוא alludes to the light of the sun, the seven days
of Creation; the read form ההיא alludes to the moon’s twenty-eight times, for the moon is
feminine.

Moses wished to repair כח אדנ״י, “the power of Adonai,” as it is written, “And now,
please, let the power of YHWH be great” (Numbers 14:17), referring to the mystery of the
Name of Twenty-Eight. Concerning this he said “Your greatness,” alluding to “the greater
luminary” (Genesis 1:16), the light of the sun. The word את is precise, because when the
twenty-two letters from א to ת are joined to it, the result is the mystery of 365—the
mystery of “the face of Moses is the face of the sun.”

“And Your strong hand” is in the mystery of the light of the moon, namely the moon’s
twenty-eight times. ידך החזקה, “Your strong hand,” has the numerical value קט״ן,
“small,” indicating “the lesser luminary” and the moon’s twenty-eight times. In the
future the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun. Concerning this he said,
“Who is a God in heaven who in the future can do according to Your deeds?”—that is,
“according to Your deeds” as they were in the work of Creation before the moon’s
diminution; “and according to Your mighty acts,” when “those who love Him shall be as the
sun goes forth in its might.”

He therefore asked, “Let me cross over, please.” I wish to effect the repair now, so that
the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun. This repair can take place
specifically in the Land of Israel.

He also alluded to the three matters stated above. Concerning the twenty-eight of the work
of Creation in the verse “In the beginning,” he said “Your greatness,” for it is stated
of the work of Creation, “He does great things beyond investigation” (Job 5:9).
“Your strong hand” refers to the twenty-eight letters in the verse “God spoke all these
words,” and so forth, which likewise contains twenty-eight letters. Concerning them Moses
said “Your strong hand,” which those of blessed memory expounded as referring to the
tablets, for they were given with two hands (Exodus Rabbah 46:3). Twice fourteen is
twenty-eight: “The voice of the LORD is in power” (Psalms 29:4). Israel received the Torah
in the mystery of the Name of Twenty-Eight: “Behold, God is exalted in His power” (Job
36:22).

“Who is a God in heaven and on earth” refers to the mystery of “Amen. May His great
Name be blessed,” which will be at the end. He therefore said “who in the future can do
according to Your deeds” corresponding to יתגדל, “may [His Name] be magnified,” and
“according to Your mighty acts” corresponding to יתקדש, “may [His Name] be
sanctified.” This is in the mystery of “I sanctified the Levites” (Numbers; the source
gives no chapter or verse), for that is from the side of Gevurah. יתגדל, however, is
from the side of Ḥesed, which is the right hand: “Great are the works of Adonai” (Psalms
111:2).

Since the Name of Twenty-Eight issues from these three, as stated, Moses said, “Let me
cross over, please.” He wished to attain כח אדנ״י, which is divided into three grades
in the mystery of “May His great Name be blessed.” He stated three matters: לעלם,
“forever”; ולעלמי, “and for eternities”; and עלמיא, “of eternity.” Corresponding
to לעלם he said, “Let me cross over, please, and let me see the land”; corresponding to
לעלמי, “this good mountain”; and corresponding to עלמיא, “Lebanon.” For there in
the Land of Israel, the light of the moon, with its twenty-eight times, will be like the
light of the sun, which is the light of the seven days.

These are precisely the words and letters of the three grades stated above, the mystery
of beginning, middle, and end. This is the mystery of the seal of אמת (*emet*,
“truth”; Shabbat 55a), intimated by the numerical value of וא״ת יד״ך, “and Your
hand,” which likewise totals 441.

In this world, however, [uncertain: בזה העולם לא זכה משה להשתמש רק במשה שהוא מטטרון]
(“Moses merited to make use only of Moses, who is Metatron”).
[TN-212-05] Thus Moses said concerning him, “You have begun to show Your servant”—
“Your servant,” precisely, namely Metatron.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you.” In this world you will
merit the “abundant goodness stored away,” namely the light of the sun that will exist in
the future, of which Moses made use in his first gilgul, in the mystery of “this too
[שגם] is Abel.” He used it for three months; this is the light that the Holy One, blessed
be He, stored away for the righteous in the future. He therefore said, “Ascend to the top
of the summit and see with your eyes.” As the Zohar writes (Zohar I, 31b), the Holy One,
blessed be He, gave Moses at that time the light of Adam, the first human, through which
he saw from one end of the world to the other. Scripture enumerates the four directions,
which constitute one end of the world to the other. This is the mystery of the light of
the moon becoming like the light of the sun.

Ofan 213

Moses wished to repair his first gilgul and to sweeten the thirty-seven occurrences of
Elohim in the account of Creation. This is the mystery of Abel [הבל] in the account of
Creation. Elohim occurs thirty-two times, in the mystery of “It is the glory [כבוד] of
God to conceal a matter” (Proverbs 25:2). כבו״ד, “glory,” is precise, for it has the
numerical value thirty-two.

Thus Bar Kappara expounded concerning the verse “God saw all that He had made, and behold,
it was very good” (Genesis 1:31): from the beginning of the Torah until this point, “It is
the glory of God to conceal a matter”; from this point onward, however, “the glory of kings
is to investigate a matter” (Genesis Rabbah 9:1). For until “God saw” there are
thirty-two occurrences of Elohim, but together with the section *Va-Yekhullu* there are
thirty-seven. Abel is therefore called הב״ל, in the mystery of the thirty-seven
occurrences of Elohim.

For this reason Isaac had to be thirty-seven years old when he was bound upon the altar by
his father Abraham, a man of Ḥesed, in order to sweeten the thirty-seven occurrences of
Elohim in the account of Creation.

When Moses ascended on high, he said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “I fear lest they
burn me with the breath [הבל] of their mouths” (Shabbat 88b). The mystery of the matter
is that in the world of Beriah is the Name ס״ג in the form יו״ד ה״י ו״ו ה״י. This is the
mystery of the world of the Throne; there, in Beriah, is the Name SAG. The filling of the
Name SAG has the value thirty-seven. Through it the angels in the world of Yetzirah are
governed and derive nourishment.

The Ari, of blessed memory, therefore wrote in *Kanfei Yonah* that one who swears falsely
damages the world of Beriah, where the Name SAG is located, for its filling is thirty-seven,
the numerical value of הב״ל. Through the breath [הבל] of his mouth he damages the Name
in Beriah.

Because the first verse of Ecclesiastes enumerates seven vanities—the source prints
Ecclesiastes 1:1, while the wording is conventionally numbered 1:2 [TN-213-01]—one
psalm says once, “All has turned aside [הכל סג]; together they have become corrupt”
(Psalm 53; the source cites 53:4), while Psalm 14 says, “All has departed [כל סר];
together they have become corrupt” (Psalms 14:3). The printed forms הכל סג and כל סר
differ from the conventional wording of the cited psalms and are retained because סג and
סר carry the argument. [TN-213-02] Since the Name SAG is הבל, and there
are seven vanities, seven times הבל is ס״ר with the *kolel*.

In my opinion, this is why Moses said of the angels, “lest they burn me with the breath
[הבל] of their mouths”—specifically הבל. They derive nourishment from the filling of
SAG in Beriah, which is the breath in their mouths. The Holy One, blessed be He, answered
him, “Grasp the Throne of My Glory”—specifically the Throne of Glory. That is, his soul
was hewn from beneath the Throne of Glory, from the source of HaShem itself.

The righteous are consequently greater than the angels (Sanhedrin 93a), for the angels
are in Yetzirah, whereas the souls of the righteous are beneath the Throne of Glory in the
world of Beriah. Through the filling of the Name SAG, which is thirty-seven, the numerical
value of Abel, Moses can therefore sweeten the thirty-seven occurrences of Elohim in the
account of Creation. It is therefore called the Throne of Glory [כסא הכבוד], for
הכבוד has the numerical value thirty-seven.

Moses therefore began to pray a number of prayers equal to ואתחנן, 515. This is the
mystery of ישרה לכסא, “the One who dwells upon the Throne,” as the liturgical poet
says in the Rosh Hashanah Musaf; ישר״ה likewise has the value 515. We likewise stated
that כסא in its simple form, 81, together with its ALBaM substitution תד״ל, 434,
yields 515. [TN-213-03]

Concerning it he said, ״בעת ״ההיא ״לאמר, “at that time, saying,” whose initial
letters the source reads as הב״ל, although their printed order is ב–ה–ל. [TN-213-04]
This is the filling of YHWH in the world of the Throne. Moses
intimated this when he said ״אתה ״החלות ״להראות ״את עבדך, “You have begun to
show Your servant”: the initial letters have the numerical value thirty-seven. This
alludes to his gilgul as Abel, the mystery of thirty-seven, when he began to sweeten the
thirty-seven occurrences of Elohim in the work of Creation.

This is the mystery of “Ascribe greatness [גדל] to our God” (Deuteronomy 32:3). That
is, גד״ל is the filling of the Name SAG and has the numerical value thirty-seven;
“to our God” is precise. This is the mystery of Binah, for the supernal Mother nests in
the Throne, where the Name SAG is found. The filling of SAG is thus גדל. Concerning it
he said “Your greatness [גדלך]”: I began to sweeten the thirty-seven occurrences of
Elohim in the work of Creation through the filling of the Name SAG, which is “Your
greatness.” “And Your strong hand” refers to the thirty-six occurrences of Elohim, the
power of the judgments; the source shifts here from thirty-seven to thirty-six without
explaining the scope of the count. [TN-213-05]

He therefore mentioned the Name El, for the filling of SAG is the mystery of אל: namely,
three yods and one alef, whose numerical value is אל. This is intimated by the initial
letters of ״ישראל ה׳ ״אלהינו ה׳, “Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD”
(Deuteronomy 6:4): two yods, an alef, and another yod, as discussed at length in the
*Essay on the Fillings*.

Concerning this he said, “Who can do according to Your deeds,” referring to the
thirty-seven occurrences of Elohim in the account of Creation; “and according to Your
mighty acts” refers to the binding of Isaac [יצח״ק], who was bound when he was
thirty-seven years old.

Moses therefore asked to enter the Land of Israel in order to sweeten the mystery of
הבל, “breath” or “vapor.” Even the vapor and empty space of the Land of Israel belong
to the LORD, for no kelippah rules there, not even in the air of the Land of Israel. Thus
it is written, “The earth is the LORD’s, and all it contains” (Psalms 24:1): the
“filling” and vapor of the Land of Israel likewise belong to the LORD.

He therefore said אעברה with an additional ה, for the Land of Israel derives
nourishment from the first ה of HaShem, from which the Name SAG spreads. This is the
mystery of the seven vanities stated by Ecclesiastes, in the mystery of “Jacob departed
from Beer-sheba” (Genesis 28:10). The Zohar on the portion *Va-Yetze* expounds this verse
in relation to these seven vanities.

This is the mystery of “Jacob dwelt” (Genesis 37:1), the mystery of the Throne of Glory,
upon which Jacob’s image is engraved (Numbers Rabbah 4:1). He dwelt “in the land of his
sojournings [מגורי]”—specifically מגורי, which the midrash on the portion
*Va-Yeshev* (Genesis Rabbah 84:5) expounds as having the numerical value 259. The mystery
of the matter is that the seven vanities there spread into seven rivers; this is the
mystery of the seven vanities surrounding the Throne, corresponding to the value of
מגור״י.

He therefore said אעברה with an additional ה, referring to the first ה of the Name,
which is in the world of the Throne. The phrase “the good mountain [ההר]” likewise
contains ה״ר, a notarikon of ה׳ ר׳אשונה, “the first ה.” “Lebanon” is where
he wished to sweeten the thirty-seven occurrences of Elohim, which are in Binah.

The word הלבנון also intimates this. Read it as הל״ב נ׳: Binah is called נ because
the fifty gates of Binah are there, and it is called “the heart,” in the mystery of
“the heart understands,” which is in Binah. [uncertain: ט״ו אוניות יש לריאה]
(“the lung has fifteen אוניות”) that blow upon the heart. [TN-213-06] It is called
“heart” because of the thirty-two paths of Ḥokhmah and because of the thirty-two
occurrences of Elohim stated in the portion *Bereshit*. The five lobes correspond to the
five occurrences of Elohim in the section *Va-Yekhullu*. There the thirty-seven
occurrences of Elohim in *Bereshit* together with *Va-Yekhullu* are sweetened.

The words “Let me cross over, please [אעברה נא]” also allude to the day of the willow,
Hoshana Rabbah, which is day fifty-one from the first day of Elul until the completion of
the sealing. They would circle the altar seven times and say, “Ani va-Hu, save, please”
(Sukkah 45a). The mystery of the Name אני is the thirty-seventh Name of the
Seventy-Two-Letter Name, through which the thirty-seven occurrences of Elohim in Genesis
are sweetened. This is the water libation, which sweetens “Your judgments are the great
deep” (Psalms 36:7).

Thus Moses’s entire concern was to sweeten the thirty-seven of Elohim. The Holy One,
blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” You already repaired the thirty-seven
occurrences of Elohim in this gilgul, thereby repairing the gilgul of Abel, through your
reception of the Torah. Its five books are the ה of הבל; the Torah begins with the ב of
בראשית (Genesis 1:1) and ends with the ל of ישראל (Deuteronomy 34:12), yielding the
ב״ל of הבל. Therefore, “Do not speak again.”

Hagahah

Young Solomon said: Sarah, who is from the female side, which is judgment, therefore died
at that time. Her entire life after Isaac’s birth was only thirty-seven years, as stated
in the Zohar on *Lekh Lekha*, printed as page 298 and also identified parenthetically as
Zohar I, 123a. [TN-213-07] This is the mystery of “Take, please, your son, your only one
[יחידך]” (Genesis 22:2), alluding to הב״ל, which has the same numerical value as
יחיד״ה, “unique soul.” The initial letters of ו׳לך ל׳ך א׳ל, “and go for
yourself to,” and so forth, likewise have the numerical value הב״ל.

Ofan 214

Moses saw the generation of Ahab, who worshiped the Baal. Had Obadiah not feared the LORD
from his youth, Jezebel would have killed all the prophets of the LORD. Elijah afterward
came, prayed on Mount Carmel, and said, “Answer me, O LORD, answer me” (1 Kings 18:36).
The Name of Heaven was sanctified when a serpent came and bit Hiel the Bethelite. For it
is stated in the midrash (Exodus Rabbah 15:15), concerning the source’s damaged wording,
[uncertain: אם יסתר איש בראש הכרמל משם נצרה את הנחש] (“If a man hides at the
top of Carmel, from there . . . the serpent”) (Amos 9:3), and so forth. [TN-214-01]

For this reason they called in a loud voice, so that Hiel would hear and ignite the wood.
Elijah therefore mocked and said, “Call with a loud voice; perhaps he is conversing, or
perhaps he is pursuing” (1 Kings 18:27). He intended Hiel.

Moses came to pray and petition concerning that generation, so that the Name of Heaven
would be sanctified publicly. He therefore began ואתחנן with two nuns, alluding to the
one hundred prophets Obadiah preserved in two caves, fifty prophets in each cave (1 Kings
18:4). He intended “that time” of Elijah, what would occur in the generations to come.

He arranged the prayer as follows. “You have begun to show Your servant” refers to
Obadiah, as it is written, “Your servant has feared the LORD from my youth” (1 Kings
18:12). He is therefore called עובדיה (*Obadiah*), meaning עבד י״ה, “servant of
Yah,” for the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses Obadiah.

“Your greatness” alludes to Elijah, who is the mystery of the Name ב״ן, for גדלך
has the numerical value הבן, “the son.” He sanctified the Name of Heaven when he
said, “How long will you waver between two opinions?” and so forth. At this point the
source opens an outer parenthesis before שם, “ibid.,” and never closes it; the nested
citation itself is 1 Kings 18:21. [TN-214-02] The people then fell upon their faces and
said, “The LORD, He is God” (1 Kings 18:39).

This is intimated by what Moses said: “Your greatness” refers to the Name YHWH, and
“Your strong hand” refers to the Name Elohim, for the Name of Heaven was sanctified.
This is the meaning of “Who is a God in heaven and on earth?” [uncertain: שנדר באותו פרק]
(“that at that time he vowed”) “who can do according to Your deeds,” as Elijah
said, “You have turned their heart backward” (1 Kings 18:37). [TN-214-03] This is what
“according to Your deeds” means—the word כמעשיך, precisely.

Elijah also prayed that there would be neither dew nor rain except according to his word
(1 Kings 17:1). This came about through the deed of Hiel the Bethelite, in whom Joshua’s
curses were fulfilled: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises and builds this city,
Jericho. With his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with his youngest he shall
set up its gates” (Joshua 6:26), as stated at the end of the chapter *Helek* (Sanhedrin
113a).

Moses likewise alluded to this here: with the great one Hiel began, and with the small one
he finished. The intent of Joshua’s specific curse—that all the sons die, from great to
small—is in the mystery of wisdom. Jericho had been built upon the mystery of the
kelippah. When Joshua later came, he removed idols from the earth “to repair the world
under the kingship of Shaddai.” The mystery corresponding to Jericho on the side of
holiness is Malkhut, which is called Jericho. All the sefirot, from Keter to Malkhut, are
included within it: “The great and the small are there” (Job 3:19). Joshua therefore
cursed the sons to die from great to small if they returned and rebuilt that city, in
which the power of impurity had formerly resided but which had now been established in
holiness.

This is intimated by what Moses said. “Your greatness” alludes to the elder son. The
source quotes את יד״ך החזק״ה, “Your strong hand,” and assigns it the numerical
value קטן, “small”; that value is obtained only from ידך החזקה, without the
accusative particle את. [TN-214-04]
For this reason Elijah took the key of rain after reviving Jonah son of Amittai, who was
the son of the woman of Zarephath. He is Messiah son of Joseph, as Tosafot writes in the
chapter *Ha-Meqabbel* (Bava Metzia 114a, s.v. *mahu*). Concerning him Moses says
“according to Your mighty acts.”

He is called Jonah son of Amittai, meaning the son of Elijah, who is called “truthful
[אמיתי]” because of “the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth [אמת]” (1 Kings
17:24). The Zohar citation is printed both as Zohar on *Shemot*, page 345, and as Zohar II,
197a; the two locators are retained as supplied. [TN-214-05]

Moses therefore requested, “Let me cross over, please.” When I cross over in the Land of
Israel, I shall pray there for the sanctification of HaShem and nullify נ״א, a
notarikon of נ׳ביאי א׳חאב, “the prophets of Ahab.” It also alludes to נ׳ א׳נשים
נ׳ביאי א׳מת, “fifty men, prophets of truth,” whom Obadiah concealed in one
cave. This will occur when “I see the land” and possess the merit of the Land of Israel.
There I shall remove the prophets of Baal, the idolaters who will live in Ahab’s
generation.

As stated in Arakhin 32b, this is why the Gemara did not object concerning Moses as it did
concerning Joshua: Moses did not possess the merit of the Land of Israel. Had Moses
entered the Land, he would have been able to nullify it completely.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: you already sanctified HaShem when the
Tabernacle was erected, when fire came forth from heaven, “and they sang and fell upon
their faces” (Leviticus 9:24). On that occasion they likewise said, “The LORD, He is
God,” as explained in Psalm 75: “We thank You, O God, we thank You” (Psalms 75:2),
which is repeated.

The difficulty is that we hold, in Megillah 25a, that anyone who says “We give thanks,
we give thanks” is silenced. The intent, however, is that on that occasion they likewise
said, “The LORD, He is God,” as I discussed at length in my large work *Torat Natan*,
in the portions *Shemini* and *Masei*. There, in that psalm, the mystery of wisdom
concerning the Tabernacle is explained, for Moses recited that psalm when it was erected
(see Pesiqta Rabbati 4).

Therefore, “Do not speak again.” Rather, “Command [צו] Joshua,” for צו refers only to
idolatry (Sanhedrin 56b). “Strengthen him” with respect to his own generation, so that he
will pray that his generation not worship idols; “and fortify him” with respect to Ahab’s
generation, so that he will pray concerning the evil inclination toward idolatry. He did
not do so, and therefore the Gemara objected against him in the days of Ezra.

Ofan 215

Moses saw the generation of Elisha. In his generation lived Naaman, commander of the army
of the king of Aram (2 Kings 5:1). Naaman was one of four people in the world who offered
acknowledgment to the Holy One, blessed be He. The source attributes the teaching to the
midrash on the portion *Yitro*, but prints the locator “Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:28”; it is
also brought in the Yalkut there (Yalkut Shimoni, remez 269). [TN-215-01]

Jethro offered full acknowledgment concerning idolatry, as it is written, “Now I know
that the LORD is greater than all gods” (Exodus 18:11). Naaman acknowledged in part, as
it is written, “Now I know that there is a God in Israel” (2 Kings 5:15). Rahab proclaimed
the Holy One, blessed be He, King in heaven and on earth. Moses proclaimed Him King even
in the empty space of the world, as it is said, “in heaven above and upon the earth below;
there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39).

Concerning Naaman it is therefore written, “When my master enters the house of Rimmon
[רמ״ן]” (2 Kings 5:18). The four people enumerated in the midrash are intimated in
רימ״ן: ר׳חב, י׳תרו, מ׳שה, נ׳עמן—Rahab, Jethro, Moses, Naaman. For this
reason the Passover offering is roasted on a pomegranate [רמון] spit (Pesaḥim 74a),
an allusion to the nullification of idolatry intimated in רימן.

HaShem was sanctified at that time through Elisha, when he commanded Naaman to wash in
the Jordan (2 Kings 5:10). There is nothing in the world that is not intimated in the
Torah. As the author of *Tzeror ha-Mor* wrote, the reason is that Elisha saw that Naaman’s
name begins with נ and ends with ן. There are eleven verses that begin with נ and end with
ן. The angels revealed them to Moses in *Sefer Shimmush Torah* on the portion *Metzora*.
They are efficacious for nullifying sorcery at the time of Havdalah, but they are arranged
there in a different order, not as they are arranged in prayer books among the
*ma‘amadot*.

The Torah contains three of those eleven verses that begin and end with nun. Elisha looked
into them when he saw that Naaman’s name begins and ends with nun. When Naaman was stricken
with leprosy, “When a leprous affliction [נגע צרעת] is upon a person, he shall be
brought to the priest [הכהן]” (Leviticus 13:9). Naaman then came to the prophet to be
healed, thereby fulfilling “A prophet from your midst, like me [נביא מקרבך כמוני]”
(Deuteronomy 18:15), which the source likewise describes as beginning and ending with nun.
The excerpt as printed ends with yod; the full biblical verse ends with תשמעון. [TN-215-02]

Elisha then commanded his cure through the third such verse mentioned in the Torah, in
the portion *Mattot*: “We [נחנו] shall cross over armed . . . beyond the Jordan
[הירדן]” (Numbers 32:32). He therefore commanded Naaman to wash in the Jordan, and
through this he would be healed.

Concerning this Moses began with ואתחנן, which ends with two nuns, for his prayer
concerned Naaman’s generation. He therefore said, “at that time, saying.” It is written
ההוא, for בע״ת ההו״א לאמ״ר has the numerical value צר״עת, “leprosy.” He
thereby alluded to Naaman’s leprosy, through which HaShem was sanctified, for Naaman was
one of the four people mentioned above.

It is stated in *Kanfei Yonah*, part 4, concerning Naaman’s verse, “Are not Amana and
Pharpar . . . better than all the waters of Israel?” (2 Kings 5:12), as follows: אמנה is
the mystery of אל אדני (*El Adonai*), while it is written אבנה, the mystery of
אל הוי״ה (*El YHWH*). פרפ״ר has the numerical value of the judgments doubled,
namely twice מנצפ״ך, and so forth; see there.

In my opinion, these are the mystery of the three worlds Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. In
the world of Asiyah is אל אדני; in Yetzirah is אל הוי״ה; and in Beriah the
supernal Mother nests. Judgments awaken from her—the five gevurot from the first ה of the
Name.

Concerning this Moses said, “You have begun to show Your servant.” The source’s
gematria applies to עבדך, “Your servant,” which has the value of אמנ״ה, namely 96.
[TN-215-03] This is the mystery of א״ל אדנ״י in Asiyah. “Your greatness [גדלך]”
is said to have the numerical value of Naaman’s אבנ״ה, corresponding to אל הוי״ה in
Yetzirah; ordinary gematria gives 57 for גדלך and 58 for אבנה. [TN-215-04]
א״ת י״דך החזק״ה, “Your strong hand,” has the numerical value פרפ״ר and
corresponds to Beriah as stated above, without the conjunctive ו of ואת. These are
precisely the three matters Naaman mentioned.

Concerning this he said, “Who is a God in heaven and on earth?” for it then became known
that there is a God in Israel. He said “according to Your deeds and according to Your
mighty acts,” as it is stated there in the source’s damaged wording, [uncertain: אספרה נא לי שם מן הנוראות]
(“tell me, please, there, of the wonders”) (2 Kings 8:4).
[TN-215-05]

He asked, “Let me cross over, please [נ״א],” a notarikon of נ׳עמן א׳לישע,
“Naaman, Elisha.” Naaman was one of four people who publicly sanctified the Name of
Heaven. The letters of אעברה reversed form ארבעה, “four,” for he was one of the
four. Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel so that HaShem would be sanctified
through him and Naaman would not be needed. “And let me see the land [ארא״ה]”:
ארא״ה is a notarikon of א׳לישע, ר׳בו, א׳ליה, ה׳נביא, “Elisha, his master,
Elijah, the prophet.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” Did you not sanctify
HaShem more than those four? Naaman acknowledged only in part, whereas you spoke even of the
empty space of the world, as I cited in the name of the midrash.

It is possible that all four are intimated here. Jethro corresponds to “Your greatness,”
for Jethro likewise said, “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods.” What report
did he hear that caused him to come? He heard of the splitting of the Red Sea (Zevahim
116a). This is the meaning of “Your strong hand,” which is the splitting of the Red Sea:
“Stretch out your hand over the sea” (Exodus 14:26). Corresponding to Rahab he said,
“Who is a God in heaven and on earth?” for she proclaimed the Holy One, blessed be He,
King in heaven and on earth. Corresponding to Naaman he said, “Let me cross over, please,”
as I wrote above.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you.” You are greater than the
other three, for you proclaimed Me King when you said, “in heaven above and upon the
earth below; there is no other [עוד].” The midrash there derives from the word עוד that
Moses proclaimed Him King even in the empty space of the world. He therefore said, “Do
not speak to Me again [עוד]”—the word עו״ד, precisely. Since you said עוד, you are
greater than they.

Ofan 216

Alternatively, this follows what is stated in *Kanfei Yonah*: the mantle of Elijah the
prophet that he cast to Elisha was in the mystery of surrounding light. The source cites
2 Kings 2:8, although the act of casting the mantle upon Elisha is narrated in 1 Kings
19:19. [TN-216-01] The mantle comprised Nadab and Abihu, concerning whom it is stated,
“Let there be, please [נ״א], a double portion” (2 Kings 2:9). נ״א is the initial
letters of נ׳דב א׳ביהו, “Nadab, Abihu.” Corresponding to the three lights Elisha
possessed—inner light, external light, and surrounding light—he suffered three illnesses
(Sanhedrin 107b). Thus far the citation.

Concerning this Moses said, “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness.” This
refers to Elisha’s revival of the child (2 Kings 4:34), who was Habakkuk, as stated in the
Zohar on the portion *Beshalah*. He revived him through the Name רי״ו, 216, the numerical
value of חבקוק. This is a Name of ע״ב from the side of Ḥesed, and hence “Your
greatness.”

“And Your strong hand” refers to Elisha’s cursing of the forty-two children (2 Kings
2:24) through the Forty-Two-Letter Name, which is from the side of Gevurah. This is
“Your strong hand.” “Who is an El” refers to surrounding light, for אל written in full
as אל״ף למ״ד has the numerical value הק״ף, “surrounding.”

Therefore, “Let me cross over, please [נ״א].” I shall likewise receive soul-impregnation
through נ״א, the initial letters of Nadab and Abihu, and I shall consequently merit
surrounding light as well. “And let me see the land,” for “the earth is the LORD’s, and
all it contains” (Psalms 24:1). Even the air and [uncertain: החליל] (“the hollow/flute”)
of the Land of Israel are there beyond the kelippah’s rule. [TN-216-02] I shall therefore
merit surrounding light there.

“The LORD said to me: It is enough for you,” for here too you will merit surrounding
light. This is the meaning of “Ascend to the top of the summit.”

Ofan 217

Alternatively, it may be explained in the following way. The Sages, of blessed memory,
said in Ḥagigah 15a that four entered the Pardes. One of them was Aher, who departed into
an evil way because of two causes. The first was that he saw Metatron sitting. He said,
“Learn from this that there are two authorities.” At that moment the angel called Anpial
came and struck him—Metatron—with sixty fiery lashes, as stated there in the Gemara.

Jacob alluded to this when he said, “This is a camp of God” (Genesis 32:3). The mystery
of the four rungs in the ladder Jacob saw is the four who entered the Pardes. Thus,
“Jacob said when he saw them [כאשר רא״ם]”: רא״ם has the numerical value
ענפיא״ל (*Anpial*) and is an abbreviation of ר׳ מ׳איר א׳חר, “Rabbi Meir,
Aher.” For Rabbi Meir “found a pomegranate: he ate its interior and discarded its peel”
(Ḥagigah 15b). Elisha ben Avuyah erred by positing two authorities.

Therefore, “Jacob said when he saw them”—that is, when the angels of God encountered
him. Although they were many, he said in the singular, “This is a camp of God.” Although
he named that place Mahanaim because there were two camps, he nevertheless said in the
singular, “This is a camp of God”: there is one authority, not two.

The second error arose because Aher saw the tongue of Rabbi Hutzpit the Interpreter lying
in a refuse heap (Ḥullin 142a). This is intimated in the verse, “They set their mouth
against heaven . . . and their tongue walks through the earth” (Psalms 73:9). “They set
their mouth against heaven” refers to his saying that there are two authorities after he
saw Metatron sitting. “Their tongue walks through the earth” refers to his seeing the
tongue of Rabbi Hutzpit lying in a refuse heap.

It is then intimated in the verse “until I entered [אב״א] the sanctuaries of God”
(Psalms 73:17). אב״א is a notarikon of א׳לישע ב׳ן א׳בויה, “Elisha ben
Avuyah.” Aher’s corruption came from Elisha the prophet, for Elisha rejected Gehazi.
Gehazi was one of the four people who have no share in the World to Come (Sanhedrin 90a),
and afterward he was reincarnated in Aher. Since Elisha caused this by rejecting him,
Aher was called Elisha after his name, for he had acted improperly. Thus the Gemara states
that one of Elisha’s illnesses came because he thrust Gehazi away (Sanhedrin 107b).

The Holy One, blessed be He, showed this to Moses at the beginning of his mission, when
“the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire” (Exodus 3:2). It is stated in
the Targum that this was Metatron. The initial letters of ״אליו ״בלבת ״אש, “to him in
a flame of fire,” therefore spell א׳לישע ב׳ן א׳בויה, “Elisha ben Avuyah.”
Metatron appeared to Moses so that Moses would not err as Elisha Aher erred.

This is the meaning of “Beware of him” (Exodus 23:21): Metatron is the Prince of the
Presence. “Do not rebel [תמר] against him.” The Gemara says, “Do not exchange Him for
him [אל תמירנו בו]” (Sanhedrin 38b), by thinking, Heaven forbid, that there are two
authorities, as Aher thought.

This is also the meaning of “afterward [אחר], caught in the thicket [בסבך]” (Genesis
22:13): Aher was caught in the thicket. Aher erred and became bewildered by סב״ך, which
the source says has the numerical value of חנו״ך (*Enoch*), namely Metatron. Ordinary
gematria gives 82 for סבך and 84 for חנוך. [TN-217-01]

Moses wished to repair Gehazi and Elisha’s corruption. This is the meaning of “You have
begun to show Your servant”—at the beginning of my mission. “Your greatness” is
Metatron, who appeared to him then. “And Your strong hand” refers to Metatron being struck
with sixty fiery lashes. “Who is a God in heaven and on earth,” and so forth, excludes
Aher’s claim that there are two authorities.

Therefore, “Let me cross over, please.” The letters of אעברה form ארבע״ה, “four,”
while נ״א is the initial letters of נ׳ס א׳רמי, “the Aramean miracle.” That is,
I shall repair Gehazi, one of the four lepers who were present at the Aramean miracle in
the camp of Aram (2 Kings 7:3); “and let me see the land.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is enough for you,” for it had already been
decreed: “Return, wayward children—except for Aher” (Ḥagigah 15a).

Ofan 218

It is known that the Prince of the World, namely Metatron, is called both “youth” and
“old man.” Thus the Sages, of blessed memory, expounded in the first chapter of Yevamot
(16b) the verse, “I was a youth, and I have also grown old” (Psalms 37:25). The book
*Kol Bokhim* writes that when Metatron ascends to the world of Beriah he is called “old
man,” whereas when he is in the world of Yetzirah he is called נע״ר, “youth.”

Concerning this Moses said, “You have begun to show Your servant.” This is Metatron, who
is called the faithful servant—Abraham’s servant, of whom it is said, “his servant, the
elder of his house, who ruled over all that he possessed” (Genesis 24:2).

Moses accordingly stated three titles. Corresponding to “his servant,” he said “Your
servant”—Metatron, who is called the faithful servant. Corresponding to “the elder of
his house,” he said “Your greatness.” Corresponding to “who ruled over all that he
possessed,” he said “Your strong hand.” These are the mystery of the three bonds of
faith. The title “ruler” is from the side of Gevurah, as it is written, “He rules the
world through His might” (Psalms 66:7).

This is the mystery of the verse, “The small and the great are there, and the servant is
free from his master” (Job 3:19). That is, the “servant” is Metatron. This is intimated
in the word חפש״י, “free,” whose numerical value equals חנוך מטטרון, “Enoch,
Metatron.” From “his master [מאדניו]” he becomes “free [חפשי]”: when he
receives from the world of Beriah, “Fortunate are you, O land, whose king is a free man
[בן חורין]” (Ecclesiastes 10:17), and he is then called “great.”

When he is in Yetzirah, however, “Woe to you, O land, whose king is a youth”
(Ecclesiastes 10:16), and he is then called “small,” as it is written, “Please cease;
how shall Jacob stand, for he is small?” (Amos 7:5). Then ״נפלה ״עטרת ״ראשינו,
“the crown of our head has fallen,” has the initial letters נע״ר, “youth”; “woe to
us,” and so forth (Lamentations 5:16).

This is the meaning of “the small and the great are there.” Metatron binds crowns for
his Master and makes diadems from the prayers of Israel, as Tosafot states in Ḥagigah 13.
This is the meaning of “Who is a God in heaven and on earth, who can do according to Your
deeds and according to Your mighty acts?” “According to Your deeds” refers to the crowns,
which are from the side of Ḥesed; “and according to Your mighty acts” refers to the
diadems, which are from the side of Gevurah. This is the mystery of “the righteous sit
with their diadems upon their heads,” as stated in Berakhot 17a; those of the World to
Come are from the mystery of the gevurot.

Concerning this Moses said, “Let me cross over, please.” I wish to enter the Land of
Israel, so that the infant will nurse at its mother’s breasts—specifically the word
אמ״ו, “his mother.” This is the mystery of the supernal Mother, who nests in the
Throne. נ״א is a notarikon of נ׳ער א׳כתריאל, “the youth, Akatriel.” That is,
Metatron, who is called “youth,” will ascend into Beriah, where Akatriel is, and Metatron
will attain a great grade.

This occurs specifically in the Land of Israel, as it is written, “Great is the LORD”
(Psalms 48:2). When is He great? “In the city of our God, His holy mountain” (see Yalkut
Shimoni on Psalms, remez 755). There, “a king’s servant is a king.” Likewise, “the
great river, the river Euphrates [נהר גדול נהר פרת]” (Deuteronomy 1:7) has the
numerical value ש״ר פני״ם, “Prince of the Presence.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is enough for you [רב לך].” ר״ב has
the numerical value of קט״ן וגדו״ל, “small and great,” from “the small and the
great are there.” Here, “Ascend to the top of the summit,” which is the mystery of the
world of Beriah; Moses merited that grade.

Ofan 219

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel in order to repair what occurred in the generation of Hezekiah after Sennacherib’s downfall, when the heavenly Name was sanctified and five cities in the land of Egypt converted. Thus it is written, “On that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan; one of them shall be called the City of Destruction” (Isaiah 19:18). Targum Jonathan explains that all those cities converted, except for the monuments of Beth-shemesh: its inhabitants converted and then returned to their corruption. It was therefore called “the City of Destruction,” for it was destroyed and returned to its former course. Concerning this Scripture says, “On that day there shall be an altar to the LORD in the land of Egypt, and a monument beside its border” (Isaiah 19:19), and “He shall break the monuments of Beth-shemesh” (Jeremiah 43:13) [TN-219-01].

Targum Jonathan expounded “the City of Destruction (`עיר ההרס`)” from the language of destruction (`הרס`), as in “who commands the sun (`חרס`) and it does not rise” (Job 9:7), for that place was called Beth-shemesh, “House of the Sun.” Scripture says `הרס` with ה rather than `חרס` with ח, alluding to destruction, because it would ultimately be destroyed (Menaḥot 110a) [TN-219-02].

Moses intended to enter the Land of Israel and repair all five Egyptian cities, whose inhabitants would swear by the Name, as was done in the days of Ezekiel, as the source prints [TN-219-03]. Concerning this he said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time”—that is, concerning what would occur at that time in the days of Hezekiah. `ההוא` is written: he wished to repair “that.” Read it as `ההי״א`, referring to those five cities in the land of Egypt.

He therefore arranged his prayer: “You have begun to show Your servant” the altar that would be in the land of Egypt, as it is written, “On that day there shall be an altar to the LORD” (Isaiah 19). This is the meaning of “Your greatness (`גדלך`),” for `גדלך` has the gematria of `מזבח` (mizbeah, “altar”). He also showed him the destruction of Beth-shemesh, the one of which “the City of Destruction shall be said,” concerning which it is written there, “and a monument beside its border.” Thus he said “Your mighty hand,” alluding to the harsh attribute of judgment through which Beth-shemesh was destroyed.

“Who is El in heaven and on earth?”—`א״ל` (El) specifically, as it is written there, “The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,” and so forth; “Surely God is in you” (Isaiah 45:14). At that time it became known that the Holy One, blessed be He, is El in heaven and on earth. “Who can act like Your works” corresponds to the four cities of Egypt that remained in their faith, while “like Your mighty acts” corresponds to the one of which “the City of Destruction shall be said.”

“Therefore, let me cross, please”: I wish to cross into the Land of Israel and now repair what will occur in Hezekiah’s generation. In the word `אעברה` he intimated that he would now remove idolatry, which would be abolished later in Hezekiah’s days. The word `נ״א` likewise intimates Egypt: read it as `נוֹא` (No), for Egypt is called No. I wish to remove the idolatry of Egypt, which is called `נ״א`, as in “Are you better than No-amon?” (Nahum 3:8) [uncertain: התיטבי מנא אמן]—which the Targum renders “Great Alexandria of Egypt” [TN-219-04].

The word `אעברה` also alludes, by reversal, to `ארבעה` (“four”), indicating what would be repaired. In the end, in Hezekiah’s days, not all five cities would cross over, but only four of the five. If I enter the Land of Israel, however, I shall cause five to cross: all five cities of Egypt, called `נ״א`, will worship the LORD, and it will not be said of one of them “the City of Destruction,” as it will in Hezekiah’s days. For this I need the merit of the Land of Israel, which I cannot obtain here across the Jordan. He therefore said, “and I shall see the land.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you. You have already acted and sanctified HaShem by bringing Israel out of the land of Egypt,” as it is written, “the signs and wonders that Moses performed before Pharaoh,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 34:11). “Therefore do not continue to speak. Rather, command Joshua”—`צו` means nothing other than idolatry (Sanhedrin 56b). Urge him concerning what will occur in Hezekiah’s days, when idolatry will be removed from the world; and embolden him to pray for the abolition of the evil inclination toward idolatry. Joshua did not pray for the coming generations, and Scripture therefore held this against him in the days of Ezra (Arakhin 32b) [TN-219-05].

Ofan 220

It is taught in the Zohar on Aharei Mot (III 72b) that the deity of Egypt is called “maidservant,” while the deity of Canaan is called “captive.” This is the meaning of “from the firstborn of the maidservant to the firstborn of the captive” (Exodus 12:29) [TN-220-01]. Scripture therefore says, “Like the practice of the land of Egypt,” and so forth, and “like the practice of the land of Canaan” (Leviticus 18:3), for the two live together and are brothers on the outside, sons of Ham.

Moses therefore sought to enter the Land of Israel and said: Since You have begun to show “Your greatness”—I subdued Egypt, and “Israel saw the great hand,” and so forth (Exodus 14:31)—and “Your mighty hand,” as it is written, “and all the mighty hand that Moses performed,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 34:12), then just as I subdued Egypt, “let me cross, please,” and I shall likewise subdue its brother Canaan. I shall cross the Jordan and fulfill the matter of “the practice of the land of Canaan,” which is “the firstborn of the captive,” just as I subdued “the firstborn of the maidservant,” the idolatry of Egypt.

This is intimated in the word `אעבר״ה`, which has the gematria of `בכורי״ם` (bekhorim, “firstborns”): he wished to remove these two firstborns, the firstborn of the maidservant and the firstborn of the captive [TN-220-02]. Just as, at the Exodus from Egypt, he began by subduing the firstborn of the maidservant, so now, by entering the Land of Israel, he would subdue the firstborn of the captive. Therefore, “and I shall see the land.”

This is what the verse says: “When you go out to war” (Deuteronomy 21:10), “and you capture its captive (`ושבית שביו`)”—this includes Canaanites who are within it (Sifrei, Deuteronomy 21:2). The Canaanites are intimated in `שביו` because the idolatry of Canaan is called “captive.” The verse uses the singular form “He shall give it,” referring to the supernal prince called “Captive” [TN-220-03].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you. You do not need to enter the Land of Israel in order to nullify the power of the firstborn of the captive of Canaan. You already nullified it during the plague of the firstborn,” concerning which it is said, “There shall be a great cry,” and so forth (Exodus 11:6), “for there was no house in which there was no dead one—from the firstborn of the maidservant to the firstborn of the captive” (Exodus 12). Since you nullified it at that time, “do not continue to speak to Me.”

Ofan 221

This interpretation is close to the preceding one. Ham had four sons: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan (Genesis 10:6), corresponding to four kelippot. It is known that each is comprised of four, as it is written, “whatever goes upon its belly goes upon four” (Leviticus 11:42) [TN-221-01].

During his 120 years Moses subdued three kelippot, corresponding to three sons of Ham. In his first forty years he subdued the first kelippah, the mystery of Egypt, which is called `ב״ן` because it is the uppermost of the four kelippot. Its name testifies that it is “upper Egypt,” in the mystery of “the second chariot” (Genesis 41:43). Concerning Joseph it is said that this is the second chariot, immediately adjacent to holiness. Because the kelippah comprises all four directions and each is comprised of ten, Moses remained in Egypt for forty years, four times ten.

He then ruled for forty years in Cush and subdued the second kelippah, that of Cush. Afterward he spent forty years in the wilderness and subdued the third kelippah, corresponding to Put, where the power of Mars (`מאדים`) resides, for `פו״ט` has the gematria of `מאדי״ם`. It is the power of `המ״ן`, and likewise appears in the incense through `חלבנ״ה` (helbenah, “galbanum”) [TN-221-02].

Since Moses had subdued these three kelippot, the sons of Ham, he wished also to subdue the fourth kelippah, corresponding to Canaan in the land of Canaan. It is the mystery of “the end (`קץ`) of all flesh” (Genesis 6:13), for `כנע״ן` has the gematria of `ק״ץ` (190). It is also the mystery of “the Canaanite, king of Arad” (Numbers 21:1), which is the mystery of the serpent (`נח״ש`) [TN-221-03].

`ארץ כנען` (eretz Kena‘an, “the land of Canaan”) consists of the forces of wicked Lilith, who rides upon 480 camps, corresponding to the numerical value of `לילי״ת`. Together with Lilith herself there are 481 camps, corresponding to the numerical value of `ארץ כנען` [TN-221-04]. Moses therefore said `אעבר״ה`, whose letters reversed form `ארבע״ה` (“four”), while `נ״א` is a notarikon for `נחש ארבעה` (nahash arbaʿah, “the fourth serpent”). He sought to see the land in order to remove the serpent, the “wife of harlotry,” upon entering the land of Canaan.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you. You have already subdued three kelippot, and even the captain himself”—he is `חובל`, and his wife is `חבלא`, the wife of harlotry. “Do not continue to speak to Me any more,” seeking to subdue the powers of Lilith and her forces as well. They are intimated in the words “do not continue (`אל תוסף`)”: `א״ל` is a notarikon for Agrat bat Mahalat and Lilith, the kelippot of Ishmael intimated in the word `עקתא` [TN-221-05].

Rabbi Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, explains this in his commentary on his hymns, in the phrase `צוחין אף עקתין` (“cries and distresses”). Thus `אל תוסף` has the gematria of `עקת״א`, as the source states. Concerning her Esau said, “I have much, my brother” (Genesis 33:9), which likewise has the gematria of `עקתא`. This is the mystery of `קט״ב מריר״י` (Ketev Meriri; Deuteronomy 32:24), the forces of the kelippot of Ishmael. Moses did not possess the power to subdue these kelippot [TN-221-06].

“Command Joshua,” for he will subdue Canaan; “strengthen him,” to subdue the power of “the Canaanite, king of Arad”; “and embolden him,” to subdue Lilith and her forces. Thus it is written, “As I was with Moses, so shall I be with you (`עמך`)” (Joshua 1:5). `עמ״ך` is exact: read backward, it is a notarikon for `כנען מלך ערד` (Kena‘an, melekh, Arad—“Canaanite, king of Arad”). The source further states that `חזקיה״ו ואמצה״ו` has the gematria of `ער״ד`, and that `חזקיהו ואמצה״ו` has the gematria of `מל״ך כנע״ן` [TN-221-07].

Ofan 222

Moses sought to enter the Land of Israel because the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the lower Garden of Eden, which has seven entrances, as taught in Zohar Hadash on Lekh Lekha. The first entrance through which the soul travels when it departs the body is the Cave of Machpelah. There the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, Adam and Eve, were buried in Kiriath-arba (Genesis 35:27); they are four couples (Eruvin 53a). Likewise, when all our prayers ascend, they ascend through the Cave of Machpelah [TN-222-01].

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel to mark the Cave of Machpelah, just as Rabbi Bena‘ah was granted permission to do, as taught in the chapter *Hezkat ha-Batim* (Bava Batra 58a). This is in the mystery of wisdom and the mystery of gilgul, for Rabbi Bena‘ah in an earlier gilgul was Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Solomon’s days. One who knows this mystery must understand the passage of that Arab traveler in the Zohar on Bereshit concerning “You shall keep My Sabbaths” (Exodus 31:13); this is not the place to discuss it [TN-222-02].

This is the mystery of the teaching in Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:10 that, before his death, Moses said, “Open for me the gates of righteousness” (Psalms 118:19). His intention was to enter the Land of Israel, open for himself, and mark the lower gates of righteousness, namely the Cave of Machpelah. It stands precisely opposite the upper gates of righteousness, the upper Garden of Eden. Thus the Gemara cited above relates that a heavenly voice issued and said, “As the measure of the upper one, so is the measure of the lower one.”

This is intimated in “I pleaded with the LORD.” His prayer “at that time” was to repair what Rabbi Bena‘ah would repair in the days of the tannaim. Read `ההיא` as the mystery of the Cave of Machpelah, in the mystery of the filling of the Name `ב״ן` with hehs, for in *Kanfei Yonah*, part 1, the Name `ב״ן` is called “the Cave of Machpelah” [TN-222-03].

The Gemara there says that when Rabbi Bena‘ah entered to mark the cave, Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, was standing at the entrance. Moses therefore likewise began to pray, “You have begun to show Your servant (`עבדך`).” This is the mystery of Metatron, and of `אליעז״ר עב״ד אברהם` (“Eliezer, Abraham’s servant”), which has the gematria of `מטטרו״ן` [TN-222-04].

He then arranged the degrees: “Your greatness” is Abraham; “Your hand” is Isaac; “who is El?” is Jacob. `אש״ר` has the gematria of `פרצו״ף אד״ם` (partzuf Adam, “the countenance of Adam”), as the source states [TN-222-05]. “In heaven and on earth” means: just as there is a Garden of Eden in heaven, the upper gates of righteousness, so there is also a Garden of Eden below on earth, the Cave of Machpelah. Along that route travel all the souls in the world. “Who can act like Your works” refers to the lower Garden of Eden, while “like Your mighty acts” refers to the upper Garden of Eden.

Moses therefore asked, “Let me cross.” He wished to enter the Land of Israel to repair and mark the cave of primordial Adam and the Patriarchs of the world. `נ״א` is a notarikon for `נשמת אדם` (nishmat Adam, “the soul of man”), for all human souls are conducted through the Cave of Machpelah, where the four couples are buried. Likewise, the letters of `אעברה` reversed form `ארבעה` (“four”), and `וארא״ה` is a notarikon for `אדם ראשון אבות העולם` (Adam Rishon, avot ha-olam—“primordial Adam, the Patriarchs of the world”).

He said “the good land” in the feminine and “the good mountain” in the masculine, for females and males are buried there. From the measure of the lower good mountain, the Garden of Eden on earth, he could also mark the upper Garden of Eden, called “Lebanon.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” `ר״ב ל״ך` is a notarikon for `רבי בנאה` (Rabbi Bena‘ah). That which Rabbi Bena‘ah is destined to repair in the generations of the tannaim, you wish to repair. I have already shown you the book of primordial Adam, in which all generations of tannaim and amoraim are written. There you saw that Rabbi Bena‘ah is destined to repair and mark the cave of the Patriarchs. “Therefore do not continue to speak to Me any more,” asking Me to give you Rabbi Bena‘ah’s portion, “concerning this thing (`בדבר הזה`)”—`הזה` specifically, as in “This (`זה`) is the book of the generations of Adam” (Genesis 5:1) [TN-222-06].

Ofan 223

Moses wished to repair what is taught in Zohar Hadash on Lekh Lekha (43b): Rabbi Joshua ben Levi was granted permission to go and measure all the chambers of the Garden of Eden. At the end of *Shibbolei ha-Leket* it is taught that Rabban Gamliel sent Rabbi Joshua ben Levi at that time to measure the entrances and gates of Gehenna as well, but an angel named Komem would not permit him to enter Gehenna; see there [TN-223-01].

Zohar Hadash, however, teaches that he was first shown forty-two chambers in the Garden of Eden. They told him that these chambers belong to those who are exacting in the recitation of the first paragraph of the Shema, which has forty-two words. He was then shown seventy-two dwellings for those who are exacting in the paragraph “It shall be, if you diligently heed” (Deuteronomy 11:13) through “You shall place” (Deuteronomy 11:18), which has seventy-two words.

They then showed him fifty gates for those who are exacting from “You shall place” through “like the days of heaven upon the earth” (Deuteronomy 11:21), a passage of fifty words. Afterward they showed him seventy-two palaces for those who are exacting from “The LORD said” (Numbers 15:37) through “your God” (Numbers 15:41), together with “true” and the repetition by the prayer leader, which likewise totals seventy-two words [TN-223-02].

They subsequently showed him the inverse in Gehenna: chambers of darkness in these same numbers, for those who are not exacting, “this corresponding to that.” The recitation of the Shema is consequently divided into four. Its mnemonic is `חמש״ה`: `חלונות מדורין היכלות שערים` (hallonot, medorin, heikhalot, sheʿarim—“chambers, dwellings, palaces, gates”) [TN-223-03].

For this reason Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel. He opened with `ואתחנן`, for the Holy One, blessed be He, had shown him the reward of the righteous in the Garden of Eden and the punishment of the wicked in Gehenna. He wished to mark and measure all the gates of the Garden of Eden and Gehenna. What Rabbi Joshua ben Levi accomplished in his days, Moses wished to repair now, immediately upon entering.

He therefore said: Since “You have begun to show Your servant”—`עבדך` specifically, as Scripture says, “the Levite shall perform the service” (Numbers 18:23), for Rabbi Joshua ben Levi was of the gatekeepers. “Your greatness” is the measure of the Garden of Eden, the measure of the goodness of the Holy One, blessed be He—“measure” specifically, for he measured the *Shiʿur Qomah* of the Garden of Eden. “Your mighty hand” is the *Shiʿur Qomah* of Gehenna [TN-223-04].

“Who is El in heaven and on earth?” Just as an upper Garden of Eden exists in heaven, so a lower Garden of Eden exists on earth; and Gehenna likewise exists in heaven and on earth. The attribute El alludes to both: the reward in the Garden of Eden through “the Ḥesed of El is all the day” (Psalms 52:3), and the punishment of the wicked in Gehenna through “El is indignant every day” (Psalms 7:12). “Who can act like Your works” corresponds to the reward for the deeds of the righteous in the Garden of Eden, while “like Your mighty acts” corresponds to the punishment of the wicked in Gehenna.

He therefore said `אעברה נא` with an additional ה. The Sages said in Menaḥot 29b that the shape of ה indicates the Garden of Eden and Gehenna. The ה has two openings: through the lower opening the inhabitants of Gehenna descend—there “the workers of iniquity have fallen”—while through the upper opening the righteous ascend [TN-223-05].

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi was shown four divisions corresponding to the four divisions of the Shema, as stated. The letters of `אעברה` therefore reverse to `ארבעה` (“four”). Moses wished to see the Land of Israel and know the *Shiʿur Qomah* of the Garden of Eden and Gehenna. Thus Eruvin 19a teaches that the Garden of Eden has three entrances, one of them in the Land of Israel at Beth-shean; Gehenna likewise has three entrances, one of them in Jerusalem, as it is said, “whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem” (Isaiah 31:9) [TN-223-06].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” That which was decreed for one of the amoraim in later generations, you wish to repair and take as your own portion. Thus it is commonly said that every `Rav` and `Mar` is an amora (Sanhedrin 17b). Rabbi Joshua ben Levi is counted among the first generation of amoraim—the source adds parenthetically, “Rabbi Joshua ben Levi was an amora.” The author of *Halikhot Olam*, citing Maimonides, writes that Rav, Samuel, Rabbi Yohanan, and Rabbi Joshua ben Levi all belonged to the first generation of amoraim [TN-223-07].

Although he is called Rabbi Joshua and not Rav, this is because he lived in the Land of Israel. Every Rav and Mar is from Babylonia, while every Rabbi is from the Land of Israel. Thus Rashi explains in the first chapter of Ḥullin concerning Rav Zeʿira and Rabbi Zeʿira: before he ascended to the Land of Israel he was called Rav Zeʿira, and after ascending he was called Rabbi Zeʿira.

In any case, Rabbi Joshua ben Levi was an amora, and Scripture alludes to him through “It is enough (`רב`) for you”: you wish to take the portion of an amora called `Rav`. “Do not continue to speak concerning this thing (`בדבר הזה`)”—`הזה` alludes to “This (`זה`) is the book of the generations of primordial Adam” (Genesis 5:1). As stated, the Holy One, blessed be He, “calls the generations from the beginning”—that is, from primordial Adam, who is “the first of the dust of the world” (Proverbs 8:26) [TN-223-08].

“Ascend to the top of Pisgah”: the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the upper Garden of Eden and enumerated its four directions, which are its four partitions, as taught in the Zohar on Ekev, Raʿaya Mehemna, p. 521 (Zohar III 273a). `הפסג״ה` has the gematria of `מחיצ״ה` (meḥitzah, “partition”). “See with your eyes”: He showed him all the gates of the upper Garden of Eden. The lower Garden of Eden, however, is not your portion.

Rather, “command Joshua,” alluding to the generation of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi. “Strengthen him” corresponds to the Garden of Eden, and “embolden him” corresponds to Gehenna, for this matter is reserved for Rabbi Joshua to repair. `צו` means urging, immediately and for the generations (Kiddushin 29a). Just as Moses received at Sinai the entire order of transmission through the end of all generations, one generation after another, so Moses transmitted all those generations in sequence to Joshua. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so shall I be with you” (Joshua 1:5). Every apprehension Moses attained, Joshua likewise attained in its entirety [TN-223-09].

Ofan 224

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel and attain the Name `ב״ן`, which is YHWH filled with hehs as `יו״ד ה״ה ו״ו ה״ה`, totaling `ב״ן` (52). The Name Elohim likewise has the mystery of the number `ב״ן`. Thus *Kanfei Yonah*, part 1, explains the mystery of “the sons (`בני`) of God came” (Job 1:6): the Name Elohim has fifty-two letters when expanded through three levels. It has five letters in its simple form, thirteen letters in its filling, and thirty-four letters in the filling of its filling, totaling fifty-two letters [TN-224-01].

The mnemonic is Gedaliah ben Ahikam—`ב״ן` specifically. That is, the expansion of Elohim totals `גדלי״ה`, whose numerical value is `ב״ן` (52): five letters in the simple Elohim, thirteen letters in its filling, and thirty-four letters in its second filling. Consequently, from the day the Temple was burned, the ninth of Av, until the third of Tishrei, the Fast of Gedaliah, when Gedaliah ben Ahikam was killed, there are fifty-two days, corresponding to `גדלי״ה` [TN-224-02].

The Sages alluded to this when they said that the death of the righteous is equivalent to the burning of the house of our God. The source labels the citation “in Sanhedrin” but parenthetically gives Rosh Hashanah 18b [TN-224-03]. Similarly, for fifty-two years after the destruction, beasts and birds wandered from the Land of Israel to Babylonia, as the Sages teach in Shabbat 145b concerning “from man to beast, they have wandered” (Jeremiah 9:9). `בהמ״ה` (behemah, “beast”) has the gematria fifty-two.

The mystery of the destruction was the descent of the worlds, in accordance with “she descended wondrously” (Lamentations 1:9). This is the mystery of the World of Asiyah, where the Name `ב״ן` is present. It is the mystery of “her impurity is in her skirts; she did not remember her end (`אחריתה`)” (ibid.)—“her end” specifically. The exile of fifty-two years is consequently intimated through the Name `ב״ן` [TN-224-04].

Concerning this Moses said, “at that time, saying,” alluding to the Name `ב״ן`, which is filled with hehs. He wished to attain in the Land of Israel the Name `ב״ן`, which branches from the final ה of the four-letter Name. He said: Since “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness (`גדלך`),” whose gematria is `הב״ן` (ha-Ben, “the Son”). This is the Name YHWH whose filling totals `ב״ן`, the attribute of the goodness of the Holy One, blessed be He, from the side of mercy.

Since the Name Elohim likewise has fifty-two letters in its expansions, Moses said, “and Your mighty hand,” the Name Elohim, which also has fifty-two letters. “Who can act like Your works” corresponds to the `ב״ן` filling of YHWH—“Great are the works of the LORD” (Psalms 111:2)—while “like Your mighty acts” corresponds to the fifty-two letters of Elohim.

He therefore said `אעברה` with an additional ה: he wished to establish the essential nature of the Name `ב״ן` in the Land of Israel. In the Land of Israel the son merits eating from the father’s table. In the Land of Israel, Israel are called sons; outside the Land, they are called servants. Thus he first said, “You have begun to show Your servant”—`עבדך` (“Your servant”) specifically, for outside the Land Israel are called servants of the Omnipresent.

It is taught in the Zohar, Raʿaya Mehemna on Behukkotai, p. 221, that a servant has no permission to inquire and search in his master’s treasuries and the storehouses of his chambers, whereas a son has permission to search and investigate all his father’s treasury storehouses. Upon entering the Land, therefore, I shall attain the degree of `ב״ן` (“son”), attain the Name `ב״ן`, and Israel will be children of kings; from the table on high they will merit the table of kings [TN-224-05].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you. You already attained the Name `ב״ן` when the Tabernacle was erected and Israel said, ‘The LORD, He is God’” (see Pesiqta Rabbati 4). Just as the filling of YHWH totals `ב״ן`, so the Name Elohim has fifty-two letters, as stated. There the verse “The King brought me into His chambers” (Song of Songs 1:4) was fulfilled: the Holy One, blessed be He, called Moses and revealed His hidden chambers to him. Thus the Sages teach concerning “the LORD spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying” (Leviticus 1:1); the source calls this “Midrash Rabbah” and then supplies Tanna de-Vei Eliyahu Rabbah 6 [TN-224-06]. “Therefore do not continue,” and so forth.

Concerning the essential nature and attainment of the Name `ב״ן`, He said, “Ascend to the top of Pisgah,” and mentioned the Name YHWH twice across the four directions—west, north, south, and east. These are two instances of YHWH, whose combined gematria equals the Name `ב״ן`.

Ofan 225

It is taught in Genesis Rabbah 6:1 concerning “and let them be for luminaries (`למארת`)” (Genesis 1:15), written defectively: at first only the sphere of the sun was to be created for illumination, and the moon was not to be created. The Holy One, blessed be He, however, foresaw that the wicked would ultimately bow to the sun, and He therefore created the moon [TN-225-01].

On this basis the formulators of the Sabbath *Yotzer* prayer instituted: “He called to the sun, and light shone; He saw and established the form of the moon,” so that people would not worship the sun. Thus it says, “All the host on high give praise to Him (`לו`)”—`לו` specifically, and not to the luminaries—as is written in *Orah Hayyim*, Laws of Shabbat; see there [TN-225-02].

Concerning this Scripture says, “Yours is the day; Yours also is the night” (Psalms 74:16), contrary to the heretics who wrote that the one who created day did not create night. The proof that the Creator of all is one is the continuation, “You established luminary and sun.” The “luminary” is the form of the moon, which has no light of its own but is prepared to receive all its light from the sun. Scripture therefore says “You established a luminary,” not “light,” alluding to the form of the moon that receives illumination from the sun. Through His first establishing the form of the moon, it became known that “Yours is the day; Yours also is the night” [TN-225-03].

For this reason Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel. Moses is the face of the sun, and Joshua the face of the moon (Bava Batra 75a). Just as above the Holy One, blessed be He, had to create two luminaries in order to publicize His divinity, as taught in the Midrash cited above, so Moses wished the sun and moon to be together on earth, in order to publicize His divinity.

He therefore said: Since “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness”—this is “the great luminary” (Genesis 1:16), the attribute of the goodness of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the attribute of day—“and Your mighty hand”—this is “the small luminary,” the moon and the attribute of night. The moon is likewise divided into fourteen times for good and evil in Ecclesiastes. “Who is El in heaven?” Just as two luminaries were required in heaven to publicize His divinity, so two luminaries are also needed on earth, one corresponding to the sun and one to the moon, to publicize the one El in heaven and on earth, “who can act like Your works and like Your mighty acts.”

Therefore, “let me cross, please, and see the land,” so that sun and moon will be on earth just as they are in heaven: Moses is the face of the sun and Joshua is the face of the moon.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “There is abundant light of the sun for you. Therefore do not continue to speak. Command Joshua, for he is the moon, and the moon cannot shine until the sun is gathered in. It is not as you think, that sun and moon can be together, for the moon cannot shine in the place of the sun. Rather, ascend to the top of Pisgah, and from here, across the Jordan, be ‘the sunrise’ (Deuteronomy 4:47), shining before Joshua, who will be in the Land of Israel” [TN-225-04].

Ofan 226

Alternatively, close to the preceding matter: Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel to repair the first damage. Initially there were two great luminaries; afterward the moon was diminished, as Ben Pazzi expounds in the chapter *Elu Terefot* (Ḥullin 60b) and in Shevuot 9a.

It is known that the initials of `מ״ה ש״היה ה״וא שיהיה` (“what has been is what shall be”; Ecclesiastes 1:9) form `מש״ה` (Moses). That is, everything that existed at the beginning of Creation will exist in the future. Ecclesiastes intimated through Moses’ name that Moses wished to repair everything that existed before Adam’s sin, so that “it shall be” in his own time [TN-226-01].

Moses therefore entreated and said that he wished to repair the two luminaries so that they would be as at first, making use of one crown. This is intimated in “at that time,” read in the feminine, alluding to the moon; but `ההוא` is written, alluding to the sun, which is masculine, for the sun bestows upon the moon. Through “saying,” for the future generations, he wished to repair in his own generation what will occur in the future.

He therefore said: Since “You have begun to show”—at first the two luminaries were equal. This is intimated in “Your greatness,” as it is written, “the two great luminaries” (Genesis 1:16). Afterward the Holy One, blessed be He, diminished the moon, became angry with her, and said, “Go and diminish yourself.” For fourteen days the moon proceeds and wanes, until its light is completely dimmed; for twenty-four hours the moon is concealed [TN-226-02].

This is the mystery of `ואיב״ה` (“and enmity”; Genesis 3:15), whose gematria is twenty-four, corresponding to the twenty-four species of the serpent’s impurity. It causes Samael, the prince of Seir—as taught in the Responsa of the Geonim—to act. At the new moon, at the moment of the conjunction, Gabriel comes and presents an offering before the Supreme Will [TN-226-03].

Concerning this Moses said, “Your mighty hand,” which has the gematria of `קטן` (katan, “small”), for the Holy One, blessed be He, diminished the form of the moon, as the source states [TN-226-04]. Since in the future He will restore the world to its repair and original strength, and both luminaries will again be great, Moses said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth?” Everything that will occur in heaven and everything that will occur on earth—the Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future perform all the deeds that existed at first. “And like Your mighty acts”: the two luminaries will issue forth in might and make use of one crown.

This is the meaning of `אעברה נ״א`: `נ״א` is a notarikon for `נתיב אחד` (netiv eḥad, “one path”), so that both luminaries will draw from one path and make use of one crown. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you. Two kings cannot make use of one crown” [TN-226-05].

He also said, “It is enough for you”—`לך` specifically. You will draw from the supernal Keter, the mystery of the Great Amen, but “do not continue” so that Joshua, who is the moon, will also draw from the supernal Keter. “Do not continue to speak,” for “there can be only one leader for a generation” (Sanhedrin 8a), and two kings cannot use one crown.

This is intimated in the word `אלי`, which alludes to the supernal constellation and the three uppermost degrees: א is Keter; ל is Binah, the “tower flying in the air”; and י is Ḥokhmah. Therefore, “ascend to the top of Pisgah”: draw from the three uppermost degrees, the mystery of “head.” Joshua, however, who is the moon (Bava Batra 75a), does not draw from Keter but from you [TN-226-06].

Thus He said, “Command Joshua,” who draws from you, for you are the sun. During the fourteen days in which the moon waxes, “strengthen him (`חזקהו`)”; during the fourteen days in which the moon wanes, “embolden him (`ואמצהו`).” The final ה and ו indicate the final two letters of the Name, from which the moon draws, the last two letters. Moses, however, is the sun and draws from the three upper attributes, the mystery of the Name `י״ה`. Thus Moses said before his death, “I shall not die, but live, and recount the deeds of Yah” (Psalms 118:17; Deuteronomy Rabbah 11:8) [TN-226-07].

Ofan 227

An excellent introduction: make your ears like a funnel. Look to the right and see what is written in the Zohar on Va-Etchanan (III 264b). It is also taught in the portion Terumah (Zohar II 139b) that on the day the Tabernacle was erected, the unification “Blessed be the Name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever” had twenty-five letters, just as the unification of “Hear, O Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:4) does. The verse therefore says, in Leviticus 1:1, `וידבר ה׳ אליו מאהל מועד לאמר` (“the LORD spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying”), which has twenty-five letters [TN-227-01].

This was the ultimate intention of the descent to Egypt: that these two unifications become equal. This is the mystery of `איש וביתו באו` (“each man and his household came”; Exodus 1:1), whose final letters form `שוו` (“they were equal”). They came to Egypt so that “man” and the unification of the Shema would be equal: this is the mystery of the Holy One, blessed be He, who is called “the LORD, a man of war” (Exodus 15:3). “His household” is the unification “Blessed be the Name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever,” the mystery of Adonai [TN-227-02].

Moses therefore opened `ואתחנן` with ו. The word `ואתחנן` likewise contains six letters and ends with נ, alluding to these two unifications: each has six words and twenty-five letters; twice twenty-five is נ (50). This is the meaning of “at that time,” read `ההיא`, for the unification “Blessed be the Name of the glory” is the unification of the Shekhinah, which is to become equal to the unification “Hear, O Israel,” expressed in the masculine as `ההוא`.

Read it as `ההיא`, so that it too will be in the mystery of “five smooth stones from the brook” (I Samuel 17:40). Tikkunei Zohar 21, 62a, expounds this concerning the five words of “Hear, O Israel” through which David struck the Philistine. Just as the unification “Hear, O Israel” has letters of five times five, namely twenty-five, so the unification “Blessed be the Name of the glory” will likewise have five times five [TN-227-03].

Moses therefore opened with two Names corresponding to the two unifications: Adonai corresponds to “Blessed be the Name of the glory of His kingdom forever,” the lower unification; YHWH vocalized with the pointing of Elohim corresponds to the upper unification. The initials of `אתה החלות להראות` (“You have begun to show”) form `אה״ל` (ohel, “tent”): when the Tent of Meeting was erected, the two unifications were equal on that day.

This is intimated in the words “Your hand (`את ידך`)”—`את` specifically. That is, the letter א of the lower unification, which otherwise has twenty-four letters, was magnified. It is intimated through “Your mighty hand,” for the lower unification is in the mystery of judgment [TN-227-04].

“Who is El in heaven and on earth?” The day the Tabernacle’s work was erected was equivalent to the making of heaven and earth, as taught in Tanḥuma, Pekudei 2. Just as the two luminaries were equal at the creation of heaven and earth, so on the day the Tabernacle was erected the moon’s light—in the unification of the twenty-five gates of “Blessed be the Name of the glory”—was like the light of the sun, the unification of `שמ״ע` (Shema). Therefore he said `אעברה נ״א`, where `נ״א` is a notarikon for `נ׳ אותיות` (fifty letters) [TN-227-05].

“And I shall see the land” refers to the lower unification, called earth, while the upper unification is called heaven. This is the mystery of “Give ear, O heavens” (Deuteronomy 32:1), which Moses said concerning the upper unification, as he explains afterward: “When I call the Name of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 32:3). Concerning the unification “Blessed be the Name of the glory,” he said, “and let the earth hear,” as is written concerning it, “ascribe greatness to our God.” Thus the Sages teach in Berakhot 63a—see Rashi there, s.v. *vi-varekhu*—that from here we learn that in the Temple they responded, “Blessed be the Name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever” [TN-227-06].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you. The two luminaries were already equal when Israel departed Egypt on that night. ‘That night shone like the day’” (Zohar II 38a). This is the meaning of “the children of Israel went up `וחמשים` from Egypt” (Exodus 13:18): on the day they went up from Egypt, the two unifications were equal, totaling fifty letters. “Therefore do not continue to speak to Me.” [TN-227-07]

Hagahah

The young Solomon says: This is the mystery of what is stated in Sotah 42a: “He shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel’” (Deuteronomy 20:3)—through the merit of “Hear, O Israel” you are saved. Goliath therefore sought to abolish the recitation of the Shema in the morning and evening [TN-227-08].

Ofan 228

It is taught in *Sodei Raza* that prophecy functioned for 1,345 years, from the day Jacob was born until the end of the prophecy of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The matter is as follows. The likeness of Jacob’s countenance is engraved beneath the Throne of Glory. Thus Numbers Rabbah 4:1 expounds “Since you are precious in My eyes, honored” (Isaiah 43:4): how precious you are in My eyes, for I fixed the radiance of your likeness in the Throne of Glory [TN-228-01].

It is known that prophecy is called “precious,” as it is written, “The word of the LORD was precious in those days” (I Samuel 3:1; Leviticus Rabbah 2:1). Therefore, from the day Jacob’s likeness descended below, prophecy, which is called “precious,” began.

This is intimated in the word `ויקרא` (Leviticus 1:1). Read it, with its small א, as `ויקר` (“and precious”): prophecy lasted one thousand years, intimated by the small א, plus another 345 years intimated in `אל מש״ה`, by the word `משה` [TN-228-02]. If, however, one begins counting from Isaac’s birth—when Abraham was one hundred years old and attained one hundred keys, as taught in Zohar I 76b concerning “Go for yourself (`לך לך`) from your land” (Genesis 12:1)—prophecy functioned for 1,405 years.

Moses sought to enter the Land of Israel so that prophecy would not cease from Israel and would not be annulled in the time of the last prophets. The Holy One, blessed be He, intimated this to Abraham: “The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision (`במחזה`)” (Genesis 15:1). The word `מחז״ה` also intimates “who beholds the vision (`מחזה`) of Shaddai” (Numbers 24:4). That is, prophecy, which comes from the shadow of Shaddai, is intimated in `מחז״ה`, a notarikon for `מלאכי חגי זכריה ה׳` (Malachi, Haggai, Zechariah, heh). The final ה means that prophecy comes through “a speculum that does not shine” [TN-228-03].

Moses therefore opened `ואתחנן` with נ, which indicates prophecy. He said, “You (`אתה`) have begun”; `אתה` appears superfluous, but the word intimates that prophecy functioned for 1,405 years, the number expressed as `אל״ף ת״ה` through `את״ה` [TN-228-04]. This is the meaning of “You have begun to show” prophecy—from the time Abraham became a great nation. “Your greatness” is Abraham’s attribute, the “great” one. When did he become a great nation? “Your mighty hand”—from the birth of Isaac, whose attribute is Gevurah. “Who is El?” corresponds to Jacob, when Jacob’s likeness descended below to earth from where it had first been in heaven, as it is written, “those who seek Your face, Jacob, Selah” (Psalms 24:6).

Concerning this Moses asked, `אעבר״ה נ״א`: `נ״א` is a notarikon for `נביאים אחרונים` (nevi’im aharonim, “the last prophets”). Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel so that prophecy would not cease in the days of the last prophets, and so that there would be “true prophets (`נביאי אמת`)” in the generations after them as well [TN-228-05].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you. Prophecy must function on your account,” for “one man in a thousand I found” (Ecclesiastes 7:28) is expounded concerning Moses (Leviticus Rabbah 2:1), and Moses is the mystery of one thousand. Prophecy from the day Jacob was born corresponds to the “one man” who is Moses and is called “one thousand”: “the word He commanded for a thousand generations” (Psalms 105:8). Thus prophecy belongs to Moses. “It is enough for you”—`לך` specifically.

The phrase `אל תוסף דבר אלי` (“Do not continue to speak to Me”) has the gematria 1,405, from the birth of Isaac, as the source states. “Concerning this thing (`בדבר הזה`)” specifically, for it indicates prophecy; `בדב״ר` has the numerical value of `יצח״ק` [TN-228-06].

“But now, ascend to the top of Pisgah.” Maimonides, of blessed memory, enumerates eleven degrees of prophecy in *The Guide of the Perplexed*. They correspond to the eleven steps Moses took on Mount Nebo, all of which Moses traversed in one step. Although our Gemara in Sotah 13b says that there were twelve steps on Mount Nebo, Shem Tov’s commentary on part 2 of *The Guide of the Perplexed* cites another written midrash stating that there were eleven [TN-228-07].

This is alluded to here through “ascend to the top of Pisgah,” the highest degree of them all. The statement of our Gemara is likewise sound, for the degree of Moses our teacher is higher than all the others. Thus prophecy has twelve degrees: all the other prophets prophesied only with `כ״ה` (“thus”), but Moses prophesied with `ז״ה` (“this”; Sifrei, Bemidbar 2), whose gematria is twelve degrees [TN-228-08]. This is the meaning of “Do not continue to speak to Me any more concerning this thing (`הזה`)”—the word `הז״ה` specifically. Moses therefore lived 120 years (Deuteronomy 34:7), corresponding to twelve degrees, each degree comprised of ten.

Hagahah

The young Solomon says: This is the mystery of “a ladder (`סול״ם`) was set (`מוצ״ב`) upon the earth (`ארצ״ה`)” (Genesis 28:12). HaShem showed Jacob that prophecy would remain below on his account for 1,345 years. `סול״ם` has the numerical value of `קו״ל` (qol, “voice”), the voice of prophecy that comes from between the wings of the living creatures. `נבוא״ה` (nevu’ah, “prophecy”) therefore has the value sixty-four, alluding to prophecy descending among the sixty-four wings of the living creatures [TN-228-09].

He showed him a “ladder,” the voice of prophecy, “set upon the earth”: it would stand on earth for the numerical value of `מוצ״ב ארצ״ה`, namely 1,345. When `מוצ״ב ארצ״ה` is spelled out as `מ״ם וא״ו צד״י בי״ת אל״ף רי״ש צד״י ה״ה`, it totals 1,345 with the inclusive unit [TN-228-10].

The reason prophecy came on Jacob’s account is expressed by “its top reached heaven”: because his countenance is engraved above. Therefore, “behold, angels of God”—the prophets, who are called angels (Leviticus Rabbah 1:1)—“ascending and descending through him (`בו`)”: `בו` specifically, meaning on his account [TN-228-11].

This is the meaning of “Surely the LORD is in this place” (Genesis 28:16), the mystery of prophecy. YHWH in its `ס״ג` filling totals sixty-three, the numerical value of `נביא` (navi, “prophet”); with the inclusive unit it is `נבואה` (nevu’ah, “prophecy”). “But I (`ואנכי`) did not know” that prophecy would come on my account. `אנכ״י` has the gematria of `חי״ה ס״ד`, as the source states, alluding to prophecy descending among the sixty-four wings of the living creature [TN-228-12].

This is the mystery of “the voice (`קו״ל`) is the voice of Jacob” (Genesis 27:22)—“voice” specifically, for it is prophecy. If you calculate from Isaac’s birth, prophecy lasted the numerical span of `את״ה`, namely 1,405. Thus wrote my honored father, of blessed memory. This is the mystery of “For You (`אתה`) are our Father” (Isaiah 63:16)—this is Isaac (Shabbat 89b). `את״ה` yields 1,405, while `אבינו` has the gematria of `הנבואה`. That is, prophecy stood for 1,405 years from Isaac’s birth [TN-228-13].

End of Hagahah

Ofan 229

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel to repair the sin of primordial Adam. At first, before Adam sinned, he was commanded only concerning the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17); he had permission to eat from the Tree of Life, because he was within the four partitions of the Garden of Eden. In any event he would have lived forever, as it is written, “I said: you are gods,” and so forth (Psalms 82:6). After he ate from the Tree of Knowledge, however, eating from the Tree of Life was forbidden him, and the Holy One, blessed be He, stationed “the cherubim and the flame of the sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life” (Genesis 3:24). Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel and remove the cherubim.

This is intimated by the Names Adonai and YHWH vocalized with the pointing of Elohim. Adonai is the mystery of the Tree of Knowledge, while YHWH vocalized with the pointing of Elohim corresponds to the Tree of Life. Concerning this Moses said, “You have begun `להראו״ת א״ת` me”: `להראות את` has the gematria of `עץ החיים` (etz ha-hayyim, “the Tree of Life”) when the צ is given the great value in the `אי״ק בכ״ר` system, namely 900. The Tree of Life then totals 1,043 [TN-229-01].

The same is the numerical value of `מזר״ח מער״ב צפו״ן דרום` (east, west, north, south), and it is likewise the mystery of the seven Names that may not be erased, as taught in Shevuot 35a. These are the mystery of the seven clouds of glory that surrounded Israel in the wilderness [TN-229-02].

He then said “Your greatness” corresponding to the “good” in the Tree of Knowledge of good; “Your mighty hand” corresponds to the “evil.” `יד״ך החזק״ה`, when the ך is assigned the great value in the `אי״ק` system, has the gematria of `עץ הדעת` (etz ha-daʿat, “the Tree of Knowledge”), as the source states [TN-229-03]. This is likewise the mystery in the kelippah of `שאר חמץ`, the two evil straps of judgment with which to lash.

Moses therefore said `אעבר״ה נא`, for `אעברה` has the gematria of `כרובים` (keruvim, “cherubim”). I wish to remove the cherubim that stand before the Garden of Eden. This is intimated in “Your greatness”: when I wish to go to the Garden of Eden, intimated in “Your greatness,” the attribute of the goodness of the Holy One, blessed be He, I must pass through the flame of the sword and the cherubim, which are “Your mighty hand.”

The Shekhinah is therefore called `כל״ה` (kallah, “bride”), in the mystery of “Come with me from Lebanon, O bride” (Song of Songs 4:8). One attains her only by way of the cherubim and the flame of the sword; `כל״ה` is a notarikon for `כרובים להט החרב` (keruvim, lahat ha-herev—“cherubim, flame of the sword”), in the mystery of the rose among thorns [TN-229-04].

It is called “the flame of the ever-turning sword,” for it turns at times into men and at times into women, as it is written, “Women rule over him” (Isaiah 3:12). This is intimated in `אעבר״ה נ״א`: I wish to remove the cherubim that turn at times into `נשים` (nashim, “women”) and at times into `אנשים` (anashim, “men”), the notarikon `נ״א` [TN-229-05]. This will occur when “I shall see the land and the Lebanon,” and “Come with me from Lebanon, O bride” is fulfilled.

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you (`רב לך`).” This is a notarikon for `רצועין בישין לאלקאה כרובים` (retzu‘in bishin le-alqa’ah, keruvim—“evil straps for lashing; cherubim”). We need the cherubim to guard the way to the Tree of Life. “Therefore do not continue to speak.” [TN-229-06]

Ofan 230

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel and attain the 231 gates. This follows an introduction in *Sefer ha-Malbush*, where Rabbi Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, writes that the Torah is woven through 231 gates of the front and 231 gates of the back. This is the mystery of `נתי״ב` (netiv, “path”), as it is said, “Ask and see the paths of the world” (Jeremiah 6:16), for `נתיב` has the gematria of twice 231 [TN-230-01].

This is also intimated in the word `ישרא״ל` (Israel). It contains `י״ש` (yesh, 310), the reward of the World to Come (Sanhedrin 90a), and it contains `רל״א` (231), the mystery of the gates of the Torah. Moses therefore said `ואתחנן` with a long נ, the mystery of “a path (`נתיב`) no bird of prey knew” (Job 28:7) [TN-230-02].

This is the meaning of “at that time”; read it as `ההי״א`, the mystery of the first ה of the Name, which nests in the Throne. Around the Throne of Glory circulate the letters of the Torah, which are woven through 231 alphabets of the front on the right side and 231 alphabets of the back on the left side [TN-230-03].

Concerning this he said, “You have begun (`החלות`)”; its letters reversed form `הלוחות` (“the tablets”). When Moses received the tablets, it was said, “the writing (`מכתב`) was the writing of God” (Exodus 32:16)—`מכתב` specifically, for its gematria is twice 231. Moses then attained the letters of the Torah, woven from 231 gates of the front and 231 of the back [TN-230-04].

This is the mystery of “the tablets were written on both their sides.” Corresponding to the 231 of the front he said, “Your greatness”—`את` specifically, for these are the letters built from the attribute of His goodness, the 231 gates of the front. Corresponding to the 231 gates of the back, he said “Your mighty hand.” These letters belong to the side of judgment—`את` specifically, referring to the letters on the back.

“Who is El in heaven and on earth?” alludes to the two tablets corresponding to heaven and earth. “Who can act like Your works” is from the side of the front, while “like Your mighty acts” is from the side of the back. He therefore said, “Let me cross, please.” `נ״א` is a notarikon for `נתיב אותיות` (netiv otiyyot, “path of letters”): the letters of the Torah divide into two sets of 231, the mystery of `נתיב`.

“And I shall see the land”—`את` specifically. There I shall attain the letters of the Torah from alef to tav, which are in the mystery of the 231 gates. This matter pertains specifically to the Land of Israel, which is called “the mountain of the LORD,” as it is written, “Who shall ascend the mountain of the LORD?” (Psalms 24:3). `הר ה׳` has the gematria 231 [TN-230-05].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you. You already attained the 231 gates when you received the tablets.” The initials of `ר״ב ל״ך א״ל` form `רל״א` (231). “Therefore do not continue.” Concerning the mystery of the path he wished to attain, He said, “Ascend to the top of Pisgah,” which the source identifies with `נתי״ב` [TN-230-06].

Ofan 231

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel in order to attain `בטיהר״ו` (be-tiharu, “in the radiance”). This is the first statement in the Zohar on Bereshit (15a): `בריש הורמנותא דמלכא גליף גליפו בטהירו עילאה`—“At the beginning of the King’s authority, He engraved an engraving in the supernal radiance.” It is the mystery of `רל״ב` (232), which has the gematria of `בטיהר״ו` [TN-231-01].

The supernal mystery follows the words of Rabbi Eliezer the Great (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 3): before the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world, His Name alone existed. One who knows the mystery of the garment understands that from the four letters of HaShem, the Name YHWH, extend the four fillings of HaShem in the four worlds Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah: `ע״ב`, `ס״ג`, `מ״ה`, and `ב״ן` (72, 63, 45, and 52), whose sum is `רל״ב` (232). This is the mystery of `בטיהרו`, concerning which He said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) [TN-231-02].

Concerning these Rabbi Eliezer the Great said: “From what were the heavens created? From the light of the garment of the Holy One, blessed be He.” The Holy One, blessed be He, then took half of the garment, the letters of `מ״ה` and `ב״ן`, and placed them behind `ע״ב` and `ס״ג`. Since the Name `ב״ן` has only nine letters, one yod from the filling `ס״ג` remained without a mate [TN-231-03].

Rabbi Israel Sarug therefore writes in his introduction that when Shabbat said before the Holy One, blessed be He, “To everything You gave a mate, but to me You gave no mate” (Genesis Rabbah 11:8), she was speaking of the letter yod from the filling `ס״ג`. This is intimated in the phrase `בן זוג` (“mate”)—`ב״ן` specifically. The Name `ב״ן` causes the letter yod of `ס״ג` to lack a mate, because the filling of the Name `ב״ן` has only nine letters, while the filling of `ס״ג` has ten. When the letters of `מ״ה` and `ב״ן` were placed behind `ע״ב` and `ס״ג`, one yod of `ס״ג` remained without a mate.

Concerning this it is said, “How many are Your works, O LORD; You made them all through wisdom” (Psalms 104:24). “Wisdom (`חכמה`)” is exact: it is the yod from the filling `ס״ג`. `חכמה` has the gematria seventy-three, the mystery of `יו״ד ס״ג`, namely the yod from `ס״ג` through which the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world [TN-231-04].

Moses therefore said that he wished to attain the supernal radiance: “to YHWH”—the ה is exact, for from it the four Names `ע״ב`, `ס״ג`, `מ״ה`, and `ב״ן` extend. “At that time,” read `ההיא`: the Name `ס״ג` extends from the letter ה of YHWH, while the Name `ב״ן` also comes through a filling with hehs.

He said: Since “You have begun to show me Your greatness,” referring to the letters `ע״ב` and `ס״ג` on the front; “and Your mighty hand,” referring to the letters `מ״ה` and `ב״ן` on the back of the garment. This is likewise intimated in “Your greatness,” as in “How great are Your works, O LORD” (Psalms 94:6, as printed), for all the works of Creation were created through the yod in the Name `ס״ג` [TN-231-05].

“Your mighty hand” alludes to the yod in `ס״ג`. “Who is El (`אשר מי אל`)?” refers to the three yods and the alef in the Name `ס״ג`. “Who can act like Your works” is from the front, the half-garment of `ע״ב` and `ס״ג`; “like Your mighty acts” is the half-garment of `מ״ה` and `ב״ן`, on the back, from the mystery of the Gevurot [TN-231-06].

He therefore said `אעברה`, whose letters reversed form `ארבעה` (“four”), the mystery of the four fillings of the letters of YHWH. `נ״א` is a notarikon for `נשאר אות` (nish’ar ot, “one letter remained”) in this mystery. `הה״ר הטו״ב` (“the good mountain”) has the gematria of `בטיהר״ו`, the mystery of `יה״י או״ר` (“Let there be light”), the four fillings `ע״ב`, `ס״ג`, `מ״ה`, and `ב״ן`.

`הטו״ב הזה` has the gematria thirty-nine, corresponding to the thirty-nine letters of `ע״ב`, `ס״ג`, `מ״ה`, and `ב״ן`. This is the mystery of the dew (`ט״ל`, 39) with which the Holy One, blessed be He, will resurrect the dead (Shabbat 88b). Concerning it Moses said, “May my teaching drip like the dew (`כטל`)” (Deuteronomy 32:2), in the mystery of “my head is filled (`נמלא`) with dew (`טל`)” (Song of Songs 5:2)—“filled” specifically, for the fillings of YHWH contain thirty-nine letters [TN-231-07].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you. You already attained the mystery of the fillings of YHWH when the Tabernacle was made.” At that time the thirty-nine instances of “making” enumerated in the portion Vayakhel were revealed to him, corresponding to the thirty-nine principal labors of the Tabernacle. The four fillings of YHWH were also revealed then, in the mystery of “the glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle” (Exodus 40:35). That is: when the letters of `משכן` are spelled in full as `מ״ם שי״ן כ״ף נו״ן`, their fillings have the gematria of `בטהיר״ו`, as the source states. The glory of the LORD was revealed, and there you attained the garment, the mystery of the undifferentiated radiance [TN-231-08].

“Therefore do not continue.” Yet more than this you attain now, at this time: the supernal radiance. This is the mystery of “ascend to the top of Pisgah,” the mystery of the supernal radiance. It is also the mystery of “the days of mourning for Moses were completed (`ויתמו`)” (Deuteronomy 34:8). `ויתמ״ו` has the gematria of `נתי״ב` (462): at that time the 231 gates of the front and the 231 gates of the back were revealed to Moses, corresponding to `ויתמו`. `אב״ל מש״ה` (“mourning for Moses”) has the gematria of `מלבו״ש` (“garment”). This is the mystery of `חשמ״ל אורפניא״ל` (Ḥashmal, Orpaniel) [TN-231-09].

Ofan 232

It is taught in the compilations of Rabbi Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, that the mystery of the sukkah is in the mystery of Ehyeh. The source discusses at length that the mystery of the sukkah contains three times `תתקי״ד` (914), which it says total `ב׳ אלפים תשמ״ב` (2,782); see there at length [TN-232-01].

This is the number of the Name `ע״ב`. It is written there that the reason the number of the Name `ע״ב` is 2,782 is that it indicates the inclusion of the right in the left and the left in the right. The “two thousands” indicate two instances of the Name `ע״ב`; `ת״ש` indicates the number seventy, comprised of ten, thus `ע״ב`; forty-two remains, so the Name `מ״ב` is likewise intimated in the Name `ע״ב` [TN-232-02].

Moses wished to attain in the Land of Israel the mystery of the sukkah, in which the mystery of the Name `ע״ב` is intimated. He therefore said, “at that time, saying”; read it as `ההיא`, for the mystery of the sukkah is intimated in the letter ה. It is established (Sukkah 4b) that the form of a sukkah is two complete partitions and a third that may be only one handbreadth, which is the form of the letter ה [TN-232-03].

Moses wished to complete in the Land of Israel what existed before the sin of primordial Adam. Thus Midrash Shoḥer Tov on Psalm 76 teaches, concerning “His sukkah was in Salem” (Psalms 76:3), that before primordial Adam sinned, the Holy One, blessed be He, had a sukkah in this world; see there. Because the mystery of the sukkah is in the mystery of Ehyeh, read `ההיא` by reversing its letters as `אהיה`.

According to the teaching of Rabbi Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, the mystery of sukkah is also the mystery of Zeʿir and his Nukva: `כ״ה` is Zeʿir and `ס״ו` is his Nukva. Therefore `ההוא` is written corresponding to Zeʿir, while `ההיא` is read corresponding to his Nukva. The *sekhakh* of the sukkah is in the mystery of the first ה of the Name. Thus all three are intimated in the word `ההיא`, in the mystery of nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshamah [TN-232-04].

Moses therefore said, “You have begun to show,” whose initials form `אה״ל` (ohel, “tent”). When the world was created it was called a tent, as it is written, “He spread them like a tent to dwell in” (Isaiah 40:22). Midrash Konnan teaches that the measure of the world is intimated in `וימתחם` (“He spread them”), for `וימתחם` has the gematria `תק״ד` (504). The Holy One, blessed be He, stretched out the world, which is a tent, according to the value of `וימתחם`, namely 504: the world’s four directions and its span of a five-hundred-year journey [TN-232-05].

`להראו״ת א״ת` (“to show”) has the gematria of `מזר״ח מער״ב צפו״ן דרו״ם` (east, west, north, south), the world’s four directions. At the beginning of Creation, when primordial Adam was within the four partitions of the Garden of Eden and surrounded on all four sides, the Holy One, blessed be He, had a sukkah below on earth. This is the mystery of the Name `ע״ב`, concerning which Moses said “Your greatness”; the Name `מ״ב` corresponds to “Your mighty hand” [TN-232-06].

“Who is El?” Moses said concerning the time before primordial Adam’s sin, “O LORD, You have been our dwelling,” and so forth (Psalms 90:1), and “from world to world You are El” (Psalms 90:2). At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, established a dwelling in a sukkah below. This is the meaning of “in heaven and on earth.” Scripture has already said, “What has been is what shall be” (Ecclesiastes 1:9): what existed before Adam’s sin will likewise exist in the future.

Moses therefore said, “Let me cross.” I wish to enter the Land of Israel now and restore the sukkah that existed at first. He said `אעברה` with an additional ה, the mystery of the sukkah intimated in the letter ה. This will occur when “I shall see the land,” for there it is said, “His sukkah was in Salem, and His dwelling in Zion” (Psalms 76:3).

Moses began with `ואתחנן`, with נ. Why is נ not recited in *Ashrei*? Because it indicates falling (Berakhot 4b), and it is the “falling sukkah of David.” The text says “falling” in the present tense, for it falls every day: since the Temple was destroyed, there is no day whose curse is not greater than that of the preceding day (Sotah 49a) [TN-232-07].

He therefore said “at that time,” read in the feminine, as it is written, “On that day I shall raise the falling sukkah of David” (Amos 9:11). Moses wished to repair `ההוא` and make a support (`סמך`) so that David’s sukkah would no longer fall. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you. How great is your power, for you made support and sustenance for the Shekhinah; yet you wish to repair David’s sukkah so that it will no longer fall. Do not continue to speak to Me any more”—`אלי` specifically [TN-232-08].

Ofan 233

It is taught in Numbers Rabbah 18:21 and Tanḥuma, Korah 12, that the five letters `מנצפ״ך` indicate the redemptions. `כ״ך` pertains to Abraham, concerning whom it is said, “Go for yourself (`לך לך`)” (Genesis 12:1). `מ״ם` pertains to Isaac: “for you have become much mightier than we (`ממנו מאד`)” (Genesis 26:16). `נ״ן` pertains to Jacob, concerning whom it is said, “Deliver me, please (`הצילני נא`)” (Genesis 32:12). `פ״ף` pertains to Moses, concerning whom it is written, “God will surely remember (`פקוד יפקוד`)” (Genesis 50:25), the redemption from Egypt. `צ״ץ` is the Messiah, concerning whom it will be said in the future, “a righteous Branch (`צמח צדיק`)” (Jeremiah 23:5) [TN-233-01].

Moses therefore began to pray concerning the mystery of these five letters of `מנצפ״ך`, which indicate five redemptions. He said “at that time”: he wished to repair the future redemption through the letters `צ״ץ`. Read `ההוא` as `ההיא`, which is the five letters `מנצפ״ך` [TN-233-02].

This is intimated in “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness,” the attribute of His goodness, which is the mystery of redemption. It is also intimated in the letters `מנצפ״ך`, the mystery of “Your mighty hand.” He alluded to the letters of Abraham’s redemption, `כ״ך`, through “Your greatness.” Isaac’s redemption is the letter `מ״ם` of `מנצפ״ך`, and this is the meaning of “Your mighty hand.” Jacob’s redemption is the letter `נ״ן` of `מנצפ״ך`, and for it he said, “who is El?” corresponding to Jacob.

Before mentioning the three letters associated with the Patriarchs, he stated that he himself had also merited one letter of `מנצפ״ך`: the redemption from Egypt through `פ״ף`, as in “God will surely remember (`פקוד יפקוד`).” This is the meaning of “You have begun to show Your servant”—`עבדך` specifically, for he too possesses one letter of `מנצפ״ך` [TN-233-03].

He therefore said, “Let me cross, please.” I wish to complete the five letters of `מנצפ״ך`, for the future redemption will be through the letter tzadi. Now in exile, “because of the evil the righteous is gathered in” (Isaiah 57:1), alluding to the letters `צ״ץ` of `מנצפ״ך`. When I enter the Land of Israel, I shall remove evil from the world and “see the good land and the good mountain.” Then “Say of the righteous that he is good” (Isaiah 3:10), and good will endure forever.

The additional ה in `אעברה` allows its letters to be reversed as `ב״א הר״ע` (ba ha-ra, “evil has come”). Four letters of `מנצפ״ך` have been fulfilled through me, and now `אעבר ה׳`—I shall cause the fifth to cross—when I cross into the Land of Israel. The fifth letter of `מנצפ״ך` will then be completed, and “Say of the righteous that he is good” will be fulfilled: this is the righteous Branch [TN-233-04].

For “truth shall spring from the earth” (Psalms 85:12): this is “Moses is truth and his Torah is truth” (Bava Batra 74a). Then “righteousness shall look down from heaven”—read this as “the righteous (`צדי״ק`) shall look down from heaven.” Then, “the LORD too will give the good” (Psalms 85:13), and He will remove evil from the world [TN-233-05].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you. You already completed it then.” The righteous and abundant good for the house of Israel came on your account: “The fruit of the righteous is a Tree of Life” (Proverbs 11:30). On Moses’ account Israel merited receiving the Torah, which is the Tree of Life. On his account Israel also merited that not one of them had fewer than `צדי״ק` donkeys laden with vessels of silver and gold from the burden of Egypt (Bekhorot 5b), as the source phrases the number [TN-233-06]. “Therefore do not continue to speak to Me any more.”

Ofan 234

It is stated in Genesis Rabbah, Parashat Bereshit (Genesis Rabbah 2:2), concerning the verse “The earth was chaos [תֹהוּ]” (Genesis 1:2): Rabbi Abbahu gave a parable of a king who acquired two slaves, both under one deed and at one price, and so forth. Thus the earth sat in chaos and void. The lower beings said: The upper and lower beings were created at one time, yet the upper beings are nourished solely from the radiance of the Shekhinah, whereas the lower beings do not eat unless they labor. The Midrash also gives a parable of a king who acquired two maidservants, both under one deed and at one price, and so forth. Thus the earth sat in chaos and void; the lower beings said concerning the upper beings, and so forth.

It is difficult: what did the Holy One, blessed be He, answer the earth? The earth’s questions were proper. The answer must address two expressions of astonishment. One must also understand why the Midrash first gives a parable of two male slaves and afterward a parable of two maidservants.

The explanation is that “The LORD has made everything for His own sake” (Proverbs 16:4) refers to the Name YHWH, which has four letters corresponding to the four worlds: Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. They are divided into two chariots. The upper worlds are called male and the lower worlds female; both parables are therefore true. The letters י״ה are divided between Atzilut and Beriah, and the Midrash consequently compares them to male slaves. The lower worlds, Yetzirah and Asiyah, contain the letters ו״ה and are compared to maidservants, for the lower beings are female corresponding to the upper beings.

In the first parable the Midrash therefore says that the upper beings enjoy the radiance of the Shekhinah. This is the radiance of supernal Wisdom: the supernal heavens are the י of HaShem, while the ה is the supernal Shekhinah, the supernal earth. All the deeds of the righteous below occur in the mystery of Zeʿir and his Female, the mystery of the feminine waters from which Imma becomes pregnant. This is the meaning of “if they do not labor, they do not eat,” in the mystery of “From the fruit of a man’s mouth his belly is sated” (Proverbs 18:20). “The fruit of a man” is Zeʿir, and “his belly is sated” is supernal Imma.

In the second parable they are compared to maidservants, for it concerns the mystery of Zeʿir and his Female. It says that the upper beings live: this is the ו of HaShem, the mystery of the Tree of Life. It is called heaven—“and You shall hear in heaven” (I Kings 8:32). The Shekhinah nests in Asiyah, where the final ה of HaShem is called earth. It is the Tree of Death, in the mystery of “her feet descend to death” (Proverbs 5:5); the Midrash therefore says that the lower beings die.

Both teachings are sustained together and explained by Scripture. “The earth was chaos and void”: on what account was it chaos and void? The upper beings possess light and enjoy the radiance of the supernal sun, but the supernal earth has darkness and does not benefit unless she labors. The lower earth likewise is chaos and void: the upper beings possess life, while below, “upon the face of the deep [תְהוֹם, tehom],” whose letters reversed form הַמָּוֶת (ha-mavet, “death”), that death darkens the faces of creatures (Zohar II, 149b).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered both claims by promising that the lower beings too would enjoy the radiance of the Shekhinah. This is the meaning of “and the spirit of God [רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים]” (Genesis 1:2), which our Rabbis, of blessed memory, expounded in Genesis Rabbah 2:4 as the spirit of the Messiah. It is one of the seven things that preceded all the creations of the six days of Creation (Pesaḥim 54a), which are intimated by בְּרֵאשִׁית (bereshit) when combined as בָּרָא שִׁית (bara shit, “He created six”). They are also said to be intimated in the letters of בְּרֵאשִׁית: the Temple; the spirit of God, identified here with the Throne of Glory; the Patriarchs; the name of the Messiah; Israel; and the Torah. The displayed list contains six items although the source introduces seven. [TN-234-01]

Thus “the spirit of God” is the name of the Messiah, who sits beneath the Throne of Glory. At that time, when the Messiah comes, all Israel will enjoy the radiance of the Shekhinah without labor. In answer to the assertion that the lower beings die, Scripture says “hovering over the face of the waters”: the waters are the Torah, and this is the soul of Moses, of whom it is said, “I drew him from the water” (Exodus 2:10). He too is called “the spirit of God.” Since Israel received the Torah in the days of Moses, the lower beings too are alive and not dead, as it is written, “But you who cleave to the LORD your God are alive” (Deuteronomy 4:4).

Scripture proceeds to explain both: “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) refers to the future radiance of the Shekhinah, the light of the Messiah; “and there was light” refers to the light of Moses. This is the meaning of “God saw the light” (Genesis 1:4), whose numerical value is מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ (Mosheh Rabbenu, “Moses our teacher”). “That it was good” means that this light may be used in this world. Concerning the Messiah’s light, however, Scripture says, “God separated,” for the Holy One, blessed be He, concealed it for the righteous in the future (Ḥagigah 12a).

Moses intended through his prayer to enter the Land of Israel and rectify the lower beings, so that they would enjoy the radiance of the Shekhinah without labor like the upper beings. This is why he said, “I pleaded with YHWH”—the four-letter Name is precise, for these two parables concern the mysteries of its four letters. “At that time”: Moses wished to accomplish at that time what will occur in the future, in the days of the Messiah, when they will enjoy the radiance of the Shekhinah without labor; he wished to rectify the light.

Moses therefore began, “You have begun to show Your servant.” These two slaves were under one deed and at one price, yet they were divided into two hands. “Your greatness” is heaven, the right, as it is said, “My right hand spread out the heavens” (Isaiah 48:13). The heavens enjoy the radiance of the Shekhinah without labor, as it is written, “For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens” (Psalms 108:5). Corresponding to earth he said, “and Your mighty hand,” as it is written, “My hand founded the earth” (Isaiah 48:13). The earth benefits only through labor, as indicated by “in all the work of your hands” (Deuteronomy 14:29). Could one sit idle? Scripture therefore says, “that you shall do,” as stated in Avodah Zarah 19a.

He explains, “for what El is there in heaven or on earth?”—heaven and earth are precise. Both were under one deed: יִשְׂמְחוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם (yismeḥu ha-shamayim, “Let the heavens rejoice”; Psalms 96:11) begins with the letters י״ה, which rule in heaven; וְתָגֵל הָאָרֶץ (ve-tagel ha-aretz, “and let the earth be glad”) begins with ו״ה, which rule on earth. The four-letter Name governs both, yet they differ: the upper beings live—this is “who can do according to Your deeds,” for the works of God live and endure forever—while the lower beings die.

Moses therefore said אֶעְבְּרָה (eʿberah), whose letters reversed yield אַרְבָּעָה (arbaʿah, “four”): the four-letter Name should be complete in heaven and on earth, and the two should be equal. “And let me see the Land”: I wish it to enjoy the radiance of the Shekhinah without labor. This is “the good Land,” like the upper realm intimated by “this good mountain,” whose inhabitants enjoy without labor. So will the lower earth be in the days of the Messiah, who is called לְבָנוֹן (Levanon, “Lebanon”), numerically equal to מְנַחֵם (Menaḥem), the Messiah son of Joseph.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ (rav lakh): you have already rectified the lower beings. In the Midrash’s second parable, concerning the two maidservants, the lower beings became alive rather than dead through the Torah you gave. This was accomplished by the Torah of Moses our teacher in this world, concerning whom “God saw the light” has the numerical value of Moses our teacher and concerning whom it says, “that it was good”: it may be used in this world. Of him it is said, “She saw him, that he was good” (Exodus 2:2)—“him” is precise, for he is fit for this world.

The Messiah’s light, however, belongs to the first parable, concerning the two slaves, and of it “God separated”: He concealed it for the righteous in the future. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore said, “Do not continue to speak to Me” on behalf of all Israel, for at present they are unfit to use that robe. It will, however, belong to you alone: “Let them be yours alone, and not for strangers with you” (Proverbs 5:17). This is the meaning of רַב־לָךְ: that “abundant goodness” which is hidden, the light of the Messiah, will be yours alone. “Ascend to the top of Pisgah”; there He showed Moses the light of the Messiah.

Ofan 235

It is stated in Midrash Tanḥuma, Parashat Beshallaḥ—with the parenthetical locator “Tanḥuma, Toledot §9”—and in Shoḥer Tov §45, concerning “Instead of your fathers shall be your sons” (Psalms 45:17), that in the future every individual Israelite will comprise six hundred thousand. The source has an extra closing parenthesis after the Shoḥer Tov locator. [TN-235-01]

For this reason Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel and complete the supernal measure of the stature, so that every Israelite would now comprise six hundred thousand, as will be the case in the future. He therefore said, “at that time,” meaning what will occur in the future, when “instead of your fathers shall be your sons.” Each of the Patriarchs rectified the measure of the stature of Adam the first man, and so will it be in the future. The written masculine form “at that time [הַהוּא]” means: just as Moses at that time comprised six hundred thousand, so he wished to bring completion in every generation.

He said, “You have begun to show Your servant,” referring to himself, for he comprised six hundred thousand. He also comprised the three Patriarchs, who rectified the three bonds of Adam the first man. “Your greatness” is Abraham, who rectified all six hundred thousand souls dependent upon Adam’s Nefesh. “And Your mighty hand” is Isaac, who comprised the six hundred thousand Ruaḥ-spirits included in Adam’s Ruaḥ. “For what El” is Jacob, who comprised the six hundred thousand Neshamah-souls dependent upon the Neshamah of Adam the first man.

For this reason Isaac lived 180 years, three times sixty. Isaac was the gilgul of Adam and Eve together. The source reads: “Adam calculated in thought (לחבבה) [וחוה] in deed.” The parenthetical and bracketed forms are adjacent alternate readings; with וְחַוָּה, the sense is that Adam’s fault was in thought and Eve’s in deed, whereas לחבבה (“to cherish/desire her”) leaves the syntax unresolved. [TN-235-02] Abraham came and rectified Adam’s sin in thought, while Sarah rectified Eve’s deed; in Isaac, Adam and Eve were rectified together in thought. Isaac consequently had to live 180 years, “in whom the dough was taken,” in order to rectify the three bonds of the whole world dependent upon Adam the first man—Nefesh, Ruaḥ, and Neshamah—each comprising six hundred thousand, the numerical form 180.

The astronomers likewise divide the visible world into 180 degrees, the zodiacal sphere above the earth at the horizon. The full measure of the world thus accords with the measure of the stature of the three bonds, three times sixty.

For this reason Isaac was the first to be circumcised at eight days old (Genesis 21:4). We hold that “the zealous hasten to perform commandments” on the morning of the eighth day (Rosh Hashanah 32b), when 180 hours had elapsed. Seven days contain 168 hours; the night of the eighth adds twelve, so that on the morning of the eighth day, when he was circumcised, 180 hours had passed.

For this reason Abraham likewise deserved to live 180 years, but Esau caused “the righteous to be gathered away before the evil” (Isaiah 57:1), and five years were subtracted from his life. It is difficult: Abraham’s father lived 205 years (Genesis 11:32), so perhaps Abraham too deserved to live 205 years like his father. Who told our Rabbis, of blessed memory, that Abraham deserved to live 180 years like his son? We learned in Eduyot 2:9 that a father endows his son with strength, beauty, and years.

The answer is that Abraham was the first rectification of primordial Adam, as stated in Genesis Rabbah 14:6. He is therefore called “the great man among the giants” (Joshua 14:15). Adam damaged the three worlds Atzilut, Beriah, and Yetzirah, whose corresponding Names ע״ב, ס״ג, and מ״ה (AB, SaG, MaH: 72, 63, 45) total 180. Abraham came to rectify them in the mystery of “three men standing over him” (Genesis 18:2)—“over him” is precise—performing three rectifications. The final letters of וְהוּא עֹמֵד עֲלֵיהֶם (ve-hu omed aleihem, “and he stood over them”; Genesis 18:8) spell אד״ם (Adam). Abraham therefore deserved to live 180 years and rectify these three Names.

This is also as we stated concerning the three bonds of Nefesh, Ruaḥ, and Neshamah dependent upon Adam the first man, each comprising six hundred thousand. This is the mystery of Adam the first man’s ephah, upon whom all generations depended (Exodus Rabbah 40:3), and of “Hurry, three seah” (Genesis 18:6). An ephah is three seah, and an ephah contains a number of eggs equal to תֵּבֵל (tevel, “world”). Until Adam the first man, the human form lay as a golem extending from one end of the world to the other—תֵּבֵל. The three seah in an ephah are the three bonds of Adam the first man, Nefesh, Ruaḥ, and Neshamah. Abraham therefore deserved to live three times sixty, 180 years.

Jacob, the third rectification of Adam the first man, was likewise said by our Rabbis, of blessed memory, to have deserved to live 180 years. Because he said, “The one with whom you find your gods shall not live” (Genesis 31:32), however, and “the curse of a sage takes effect even when conditional” (Makkot 11a), he later said, “Rachel died upon me”—on my account (Genesis 48:7). Thirty-three years, the numerical value of יִחְיֶה (yiḥyeh, “shall live”), were therefore subtracted from his life. Thus Jacob too deserved to live 180 years in order to rectify the sin of Adam the first man.

This is why Moses said, “Let me cross over, I pray.” Since I am impregnated with all souls—as stated in Raʿaya Mehemna, Parashat Vayetze (Zohar I, 266b)—the ש of מֹשֶׁה comprises three faces, the three Patriarchs. The letters מ״ה remain from מֹשֶׁה, and their value is אָדָם (Adam), forty-five. Moses inherited all the souls of Adam the first man, as it is written, “You captured a captive” (Psalms 68:19), the mystery of all the sparks in the world; thereby “You took gifts through primordial Adam.”

Therefore, “Let me cross over, I pray”: if I now cross into the Land of Israel, I shall rectify the stature of Adam the first man in his three bonds—“the good Land” corresponding to Nefesh, “the good mountain” to Ruaḥ, and “Lebanon” to Neshamah.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: let the six hundred thousand whom you already comprise be sufficient for you yourself. Yalkut Shimoni, Parashat Vayishlaḥ, teaches concerning “In six troubles He will deliver you” (Job 5:19) and “You shall know that your seed is abundant [רַב, rav]” (Job 5:25) that our father Jacob did not depart until he saw six hundred thousand among his descendants. Thus רַב is expounded as six hundred thousand.

Likewise, Numbers Rabbah 16:25 interprets “The sons of Reḥabiah were exceedingly numerous [רָבוּ]” (I Chronicles 23:17) as more than six hundred thousand. In my opinion, Jacob intended this when, in Laban’s house, he said, “O LORD, how numerous [רַבּוּ] are my adversaries!” (Psalms 3:2), referring to the six hundred thousand dogs in Laban’s household, as stated in Genesis Rabbah 73:11 concerning “Jacob pitched his tent” (Genesis 31:25).

They correspond to the six hundred thousand kelippot which, according to Deuteronomy Rabbah 1:17, came to the Temple at the time of the Destruction. This is the mystery of “a band of wicked men” (Sanhedrin 26a): קש״ר is a notarikon for קְלִיפּוֹת שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא (kelippot, shishim ribbo: “kelippot, six hundred thousand”). Concerning them he said, “How numerous are my adversaries,” for they are six hundred thousand; likewise, “See my enemies, for they are numerous” (Psalms 25:19). Thus six hundred thousand are intimated by the word רַב.

The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore said: It is enough that you comprise six hundred thousand, yet you wish every Israelite to comprise six hundred thousand. “Do not continue to speak to Me anymore.”

Ofan 236

It is known that through the corruption of Adam the first man, four generations became corrupt and damaged the four letters of the Name YHWH: the generation of Enosh, the generation of the Flood, the generation of the Division, and the generation of Sodom. These are the four rungs that Jacob saw in the vision of the ladder. They are intimated by the initials of הִנֵּה סֻלָּם מֻצָּב אַרְצָה (hinneh sullam mutzav artzah, “Behold, a ladder set upon the earth”; Genesis 28:12): inspect the initial letters of הַפְלָגָה סְדוֹם מַבּוּל אֱנוֹשׁ (ha-pelagah, Sedom, mabbul, Enosh: Division, Sodom, Flood, Enosh), which likewise form הסמ״א.

These four generations were reincarnated in Egypt. As stated in *Sefer ha-Pardes*, Shaʿar ha-Sheʿarim, on account of the generation of the Flood it was decreed, “Every son who is born you shall cast into the Nile” (Exodus 1:22). The people of Sodom died in darkness during the three days of thick darkness. Of the generation of the Division it is said, “The people scattered to gather stubble for straw” (Exodus 5:12).

A precious jewel hung from Abraham’s neck, as stated in Bava Batra 16b. At the Covenant between the Pieces, the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him that “a dread, great darkness fell” (Genesis 15:12). “Dread” is the generation of Enosh; “darkness” is the generation of the Flood, when the luminaries did not function; “great” is the generation of the Division, who built a great city (Genesis 11:4); and “fell” is Sodom.

For this reason Abraham had to descend to Egypt, in order to gather all the pure souls from these four generations, and he received the reward of them all. This is the mystery of the four expressions of redemption through which the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses to bring “the precious out of the worthless,” from the depths of the kelippot. They are intimated in the initials of הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלֹת מִצְרַיִם (hotzeti etkhem mi-taḥat sivlot Mitzrayim, “I shall bring you out from beneath the burdens of Egypt”; Exodus 6:6): הַפְלָגָה אֱנוֹשׁ מַבּוּל סְדוֹם (Division, Enosh, Flood, Sodom).

The basket of these creeping things was imposed upon Moses to rectify, and he received the reward of them all. Corresponding to the generation of the Flood, “I drew him from the water” (Exodus 2:10). Corresponding to the generation of Enosh, “then it was begun [אָז הוּחַל] to call” (Genesis 4:26), while “then Moses sang [אָז יָשִׁיר]” (Exodus 15:1). As soon as he was born, his mother saw the Shekhinah with him (Sotah 12b), and he rectified the idolatry of Enosh.

Corresponding to the people of Sodom, who “were wicked” (Genesis 13:13), “she saw him, that he was good”; they were struck with blindness (Genesis 19:11), while in his case the entire house was filled with light (Sotah 12a).

Everything David said was not said for himself but on behalf of all Israel: “Every night I make my bed swim with my tears [בְּדִמְעָתִי עַרְשִׂי אַמְסֶה, be-dimʿati arsi amseh]” (Psalms 6:7), to rectify these four corruptions. אמס״ה is a notarikon for אֱנוֹשׁ מַבּוּל סְדוֹם הַפְלָגָה (Enosh, Flood, Sodom, Division). They are also said to be intimated by the initials of מִכָּל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתֵיכֶם (mi-kol ha-ammim asher sevivotekhem, “from all the peoples around you”; Deuteronomy 13:8), whose displayed forward initials are מהא״ס rather than אמס״ה. [TN-236-01]

Concerning them Moses said, “Remember the days of old [עוֹלָם, olam]” (Deuteronomy 32:7), meaning the corruption of Adam the first man, who was a whole world. In this you will see that his corruption occurred through four generations. Scripture proceeds to explain: “Ask your father, and he will tell you,” referring to our father Jacob, who was the rectification of the generation of the Division. Jacob is also called “father” without qualification, as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said in Genesis Rabbah 78:8: “As a father has compassion for his children” (Psalms 103:13)—this is Jacob.

Jacob was the rectification of the generation of the Division. At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, confounded the seventy languages (Genesis 11:7) and cast lots among the seventy princes above. The lot of the Holy One, blessed be He, then fell upon Jacob, as it is written, “For the LORD’s portion is His people” (Deuteronomy 32:9; Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer §24). For this reason, when Nimrod cast Abraham into the fiery furnace, Abraham was saved only through the merit of Jacob, as stated in Genesis Rabbah 63:2, Parashat Toledot.

“Your elders” refers to Abraham and Isaac. Abraham rectified the generation of Enosh with respect to idolatry and fulfilled through himself “You shall burn the images of their gods with fire” (Deuteronomy 7:25). Isaac rectified the generation of the Flood, who impaired the covenant; of him it is said, “I shall establish My covenant with Isaac” (Genesis 17:21). Of Noah it is said, “I shall establish My covenant with you” (Genesis 6:18): this is Isaac, who is called Covenant.

Therefore, throughout the generation of the Flood only the Name Elohim is stated, while “the LORD sat enthroned at the Flood” (Psalms 29:10) in the sense of “he shall dwell alone” (Leviticus 13:46), and performed no action. It says only, “with God,” and so forth (Genesis 6:9)—Elohim is precise. It is likewise said there, “The end [קֵץ, qetz] of all flesh,” and so forth (Genesis 6:13). קֵץ is יִצְחָק (Yitzḥaq, Isaac), the mystery of ק״ץ ח״י: qetz (190) plus ḥai (18), totaling 208.

Because Isaac rectified the Ruaḥ of Adam the first man, the generation of the Flood contains “God caused a wind [רוּחַ, ruaḥ] to pass, and the waters subsided” (Genesis 8:1). The “spirit of God”—the spirit of Isaac—“hovered over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2) and protected them in the generation of the Flood, because he is the rectification of that generation.

Jacob is said to be the combined rectification of “the Division and Enosh,” yet the proof immediately identifies “the men of the city” with “the men of Sodom”: that is, the people of Sodom were literally the people of the city who built the tower (Genesis 19:4; 11:5). The named pair and the proof do not agree; both are retained. [TN-236-02]

Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel and rectify these four generations, thereby rectifying the four primordial foundations, the four letters of the holy Name. He said, “I pleaded with YHWH,” concerning rectification of the four letters of the Name. “At that time,” written in the masculine form הַהוּא, for he was the rectification of all four; “saying,” for the generations, to rectify these generations.

He said: Since “You have begun to show Your servant” how to rectify these four generations—“Your greatness” is the generation of Enosh, when “it was begun to call upon the name of the LORD” (Genesis 4:26), the right side and the attribute of the goodness of the Holy One, blessed be He. This was the rectification of our father Abraham, as stated above. “And Your mighty hand” is the generation of the Flood, where the Name Elohim appears, as stated above; it is the rectification of Isaac, called the mighty hand. Moses therefore had to be in the water.

“For what El” is the rectification of the generation of the Division, who wished to build a tower with its top in heaven; they are literally the people of Sodom, who were overturned and fell to the earth. Since I began to rectify these four generations, “let me cross over, I pray.” I wish to enter the Land of Israel and rectify these four generations, for the letters of אֶעְבְּרָה reversed yield אַרְבָּעָה, “four.” He said נָא (na, “I pray”), as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, discussed in Shabbat 10b concerning “Let me escape there, I pray [נָא]” (Genesis 19:20). In the Land of Israel I shall rectify מִכָּל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתֵיכֶם, these four generations.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ—“for you” is precise: you already rectified them when you came into this world, and again when Israel departed Egypt. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me anymore.”

Ofan 237

Moses came to pray concerning the Oral Torah. It is explained in Tanḥuma, Parashat Noaḥ §3, with regard to the two academy sessions that the Holy One, blessed be He, established for Israel during two months of the year—the month of Adar and the month of Elul. As that passage explains at length, it was for this reason that the Holy One, blessed be He, had “the craftsman and the smith” exiled (II Kings 24:14), so that the Oral Torah would not cease from Israel. Moses prayed concerning them, that they should not be in exile. This is why “the LORD hastened the evil” (Daniel 9:14): the Holy One, blessed be He, hastened the exile of Jeconiah, consisting of the craftsman and the smith, before the exile of Zedekiah. Even during the other exiles, and also until the days of the Messiah, students of Torah will suffer no distress. All this came to them through Moses’ prayer, for Moses saw by the Holy Spirit the generations that would live at the time of the Destruction.

He therefore said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time,” concerning that time of distress which would befall Jacob. He began to pray that these two months would never cease from Israel. “Your greatness” is the month of Adar, for there the attribute of goodness of the Holy One, blessed be He, is manifest: it is “a favorable time” that was transformed for Israel “into gladness and joy” (Esther 9:22). Of this he said “at that time.” The source then reads [uncertain: שהוא היה ה׳ אדר], perhaps designating “the fifth of Adar”; he prayed concerning precisely that time, “saying” it for the generations. [TN-237-01]

The expression “saying” pertains to the Oral Torah, for the language of “speaking” denotes the Written Torah, whereas the language of “saying” denotes the Oral Torah. As stated in the Zohar (II, 83b), “saying” is the feminine side, as Scripture says, “Saying: If a man sends away his wife” (Jeremiah 3:1). Accordingly, the word “that” is read in the feminine, הַהִיא, although written in the masculine, הַהוּא, because Israel joined the Written Torah to the Oral Torah.

Thus it is written, “Your cheeks are comely with rows [בַּתּוֹרִים, ba-torim], your neck with strings of jewels” (Song of Songs 1:10). תּוֹרִים derives from the expression “when the turn [תּוֹר, tor] arrived” (Esther 2:12), and signifies these two appointed times. “Your neck with strings of jewels” means that they strung together the Torah with the Prophets, the Prophets with the Writings, the Writings with the Mishnah, the Mishnah with the baraita, and the baraita with the Talmud (Song of Songs Rabbah 1:10).

This is the meaning of “We shall make you rows of gold” (Song of Songs 1:11): the rows of gold refer to the Oral Torah, and “points of silver” to the Written Torah. At this point the source prints `שם` and then `שה״ש א יא`, introducing each with an opening parenthesis but supplying only one closing parenthesis; its damaged scope is not silently repaired. [TN-237-02] Alternatively, “rows of gold” refers to the month of Elul, and “points of silver” to the month of Adar.

So too here, “Your greatness” is the month of Adar, while “Your mighty hand” is the month of Elul. Elul belongs to the mystery of וַיְהִי (va-yehi, “and it came to pass”), the side of Esau, as in “and it came to pass at the turn of the year” (printed as I Samuel 11:1). The printed book locator is retained, although the cited wording is conventionally found at II Samuel 11:1. [TN-237-03] It is the season of repentance, the season of the supernal court, lasting thirty days, “at the time when kings go forth”; these are the supernal angels who go forth and issue proclamations during that month, calling people to repentance. It is the time of יַרְחָא תַּקִּיפָא (yarḥa taqqifa, “the mighty month”), the “month of strength.”

Tosafot to the chapter *Hayah Qore* (Berakhot 17b, s.v. *terei*), on the verse “the stouthearted” (Isaiah 46:12), cites the statements “These are the people of Mata Meḥasya” and “the stouthearted are those who do not convert.” Tosafot write that twice each year they saw a pillar of fire.

In my opinion, this is why Tanḥuma expounds, concerning these two months, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:1). Those who engage in Talmud are called “darkness,” as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said in Sanhedrin 24a concerning “He has made me dwell in dark places” (Lamentations 3:6): “This is the Babylonian Talmud.” In my opinion, “have seen a great light” means that the miracle of a pillar of fire was performed for them.

The word “darkness” alludes to the month of Adar, for in that month the miracle of darkness occurred in Egypt, and “He sets an end to darkness” (Job 28:3). Scripture then says, “those who dwell in the shadow of death,” referring to the month of Elul, when life and death are mentioned in anticipation of the judgment of Rosh Hashanah.

Of this Moses said, “for what El is there in heaven or on earth?” In those two months they saw miracles in heaven and on earth. Those who engage in the Written Torah are also called “heaven,” while those who engage in the Oral Torah are called “earth.” This is the meaning of “who can do according to Your deeds and according to Your mighty acts”: these are the miracles, namely the miracle of the pillar of fire.

For this reason Moses prayed, “Let me cross over, I pray.” He wished to enter the Land of Israel and, through his prayer, ensure that Torah would never cease. He therefore said “the Land,” corresponding to the Oral Torah; “the good mountain,” corresponding to the Written Torah; and “Lebanon,” referring to those mighty warriors, the cedars of Lebanon, the mighty scholars of Torah, so that Torah would never cease and they would suffer no exile.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you do not need to enter the Land of Israel for this, for you are the master of all Israel. On your account “the LORD hastened the evil”: He exiled the exile of Jeconiah so that Torah would not be forgotten from Israel. “Therefore, do not continue to speak to Me anymore concerning this thing”—זֶה (zeh, “this”) is precise, for its numerical value is twelve, the number of years by which the exile of Jeconiah preceded the later exile.

For this reason the craftsman and the smith numbered one thousand: this was the merit of Moses, the mystery of אֶלֶף (elef, “one thousand”). Thus Leviticus Rabbah 2:1 states concerning “and one man among a thousand I found” (Ecclesiastes 7:28)—followed in the source by the additional printed locator Job 9:3—“this is Moses.” The second locator does not correspond to the immediately quoted wording, although Job 9:3 also mentions “one of a thousand.” [TN-237-04] “A thousand shields hung upon it, all the armor of the mighty” (Song of Songs 4:4). This is the meaning of “May the LORD, the God of your fathers, add to you a thousand times as many as you are” (Deuteronomy 1:11): “This is from my own blessing” (Sifrei Deuteronomy §11), for Moses merited a thousand.

The source gives adjacent readings, stating that Moses merited “a thousand `(זכוון)[זיוון]`”—either “merits” or “radiances.” Both readings are preserved. [TN-237-05] This is also intimated by the defectively written וְנֵשֵׁב (ve-neshev, “and we dwelt”), which lacks an א: it serves as a notarikon for גָּלוּת יְכָנְיָה (galut Yekhonyah, “the exile of Jeconiah”). [TN-237-06] Moses occupied himself with and prayed for that generation. This is intimated in the answer of the Holy One, blessed be He, רַב־לָךְ: your own rung, which is one thousand, will save them on your account.

Hagahah

The young Solomon says: the mystery of נְקֻדּוֹת (nequddot, “points”) is the mystery of תַּלְמוּד בַּבְלִי (Talmud Bavli, “Babylonian Talmud”), which is the Oral Torah. It contains thirty-six tractates, in which there are halakhot, in the mystery of הֲלִיכוֹת עוֹלָם לוֹ (halikhot olam lo, “the ways of the world are His”; Habakkuk 3:6), read as an allusion to “thirty-six halakhot.” There are 524 chapters in the six orders of the Babylonian Talmud, equal in numerical value to עַל קָדְשֶׁךָ (al qodshekha, “upon Your holiness”). In my opinion, the Sages intended the number 524, which also equals תַּלְמוּד בַּבְלִי. When thirty-six and 524 are joined, the total is 560, the numerical value of נְקֻדּוֹת. [TN-237-07] Here the Hagahah ends.

Ofan 238

Moses saw by the Holy Spirit what would occur in the days of Rabbi Judah the Patriarch. As stated in the chapter *Ha-Sokher et ha-Poʿalim* (Bava Metzia 85b), Rabbi asked Elijah, “Why was the master late?” Elijah answered, “I did not arrive until I had raised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Rabbi asked that he raise them all at once, but Elijah explained that then mercy would become abundant and the Messiah would come before his appointed time. In this world Rabbi Ḥiyya and his sons were raised up in their stead, until Elijah was struck with sixty lashes of fire.

The significance of Rabbi Ḥiyya and his sons is that every generation requires three below. They are the mystery of the “three tendrils” Joseph saw (Genesis 40:10), for in every generation there must be “three proud princes” (Ḥullin 92a). This is also the mystery of the three men Abraham saw standing over him (Genesis 18:2), of the three wells Isaac dug, and of the three flocks of sheep Jacob saw lying beside the well (Genesis 29:2). In the vision of the ladder, Jacob was shown the matter of the flocks; these are Jacob’s three stones (Zohar I, 147b), concerning which he was answered, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father,” and so forth (Genesis 28:13).

Joseph likewise encountered three angels, with “man” stated three times. Of Moses, “shone,” “face,” and “Moses” are each stated three times; this is the mystery of “captains over all of it” (Exodus 14:7).

This is the mystery of what the Sages said in the chapter *Ḥeleq* (Sanhedrin 100a) and in Bava Batra 75a concerning “I shall make your windows of kadkod-stone” (Isaiah 54:12). Two Amoraim on earth, Judah and Hezekiah, disagreed, corresponding to two angels in heaven, Michael and Gabriel. One said שֹׁהַם (shoham), and one said יָשְׁפֵה (yashfeh); the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Like this one and like that one”—כְּדֵין וּכְדֵין (ke-dein u-khe-dein), yielding כַּדְכֹּד (kadkod).

In the days of Rabbi, Judah and Hezekiah were below in the likeness of Michael and Gabriel above in the merkavah. Thus, concerning *kadkod*, Hezekiah said *shoham*, Joseph’s stone, whose angel the source associates with “Michael and Gabriel,” while Judah said *yashfeh*, Benjamin’s stone, whose angel it identifies as Michael. The doubled and internally difficult angelic assignment is preserved as printed. [TN-238-01] The Holy One, blessed be He, mediated between them and said, “Like this one and like that one.” Thus, in Rabbi’s days, the three tendrils were present below in place of the Patriarchs above.

This is the meaning of Esau’s statement, “I have much, my brother” (Genesis 33:9). These four words—יֵשׁ לִי רָב אָחִי (yesh li rav aḥi)—allude to supernal mysteries, as we wrote in Parashat Vayishlaḥ in the tenth composition; see there. This matter is also intimated by רַב אָחִי read as a reverse notarikon: יְהוּדָה חִזְקִיָּה אֵלִיָּהוּ בִּימֵי רַבִּי (Yehudah, Ḥizqiyyah, Eliyyahu, bi-yemei Rabbi: “Judah, Hezekiah, Elijah, in the days of Rabbi”). In יֵשׁ לִי are intimated both *yashfeh* and *shoham*—“like this one and like that one.” [TN-238-02]

When Moses saw that establishing the three Patriarchs together could bring the redemption near, he said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time.” He wished to rectify in his own person what would occur in Rabbi’s days. “Saying” signifies what would occur for later generations.

He said, “You have begun”: from the beginning of Moses’ mission, when God sent him, He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). “Your father” refers to the three gilgulim of his father, primordial Adam, in the mystery of the gilgul of Abel, who was Moses, the son of Adam the first man. God then said “the God of” separately before each Patriarch; He could have said simply, “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” This teaches that each must be raised separately, for had they all been raised together, the Messiah would have come before his appointed time because mercy would have become abundant.

In my opinion, this is the mystery intended by the verse “I shall remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham … and I shall remember the Land” (Leviticus 26:42). When I remember the three covenants together, “I shall remember the Land.”

Moses therefore asked: Since “You have begun to show” me the three Patriarchs individually—“Your greatness” is Abraham, as in “the God of Abraham”; “Your mighty hand” is “the God of Isaac”; and “for what El” is “the God of Jacob”—and You have shown me each of the three Patriarchs separately, “let me cross over, I pray.” I ask to enter the Land of Israel, where the three bonds will be joined together.

“The good Land” corresponds to Abraham, as it is written, “to the land that I shall show you” (Genesis 12:1), for “to him alone the land was given” (Job 15:19). “The good mountain” corresponds to Isaac, who was bound there upon Mount Moriah. “And Lebanon” corresponds to Jacob, the choicest of the Patriarchs, whose inheritance is without bounds (Shabbat 118a); he rises above into the mystery of Lebanon. The three bonds would thus be joined there.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: if you include the three Patriarchs together, mercy will become abundant and the Messiah will come before his appointed time.

This matter is intimated in the word אֶעְבְּרָה (eʿberah, “let me cross over”), a notarikon for אֵלִיָּהוּ עָשָׂה בִּימֵי רַבֵּנוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ (Eliyyahu asah bi-yemei Rabbenu ha-Qadosh, “Elijah did [this] in the days of our holy master”), and also for אָבוֹת עוֹלִים בְּכָל רֹאשׁ הַחֹדֶשׁ (Avot olim be-khol rosh ha-ḥodesh, “the Patriarchs ascend at every New Moon”). נָא (na, “I pray”) can only mean “now”: I wish to act now, rectifying what Elijah would do in the days of Rabbi Judah the Patriarch with respect to Rabbi Ḥiyya and his sons.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you cannot go to the Land of Israel, for you comprise the three Patriarchs together. As stated in Raʿaya Mehemna (Zohar I, 266b), the ש of מֹשֶׁה encompasses all three Patriarchs. Had Moses entered the Land of Israel and prayed there, it would have been as though the three Patriarchs prayed together. The Messiah would consequently have come immediately, before his appointed time, and mercy would have become abundant, just as the Talmud answers there (Bava Metzia 85b). This is the precise meaning of רַב־לָךְ: you comprise all three. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me.”

Alternatively, the Holy One, blessed be He, answered: You have already raised the three Patriarchs together and brought redemption before its appointed time. At your departure from Egypt it was said, “He brought you out in His presence, by His great power” (Deuteronomy 4:37). That is, the reason He brought you out although your appointed time had not yet arrived was that the three Patriarchs came together. As stated in the Zohar (II, 53a), “in His presence” is Jacob, “by His power” is Isaac, and “great” is Abraham.

Thus Scripture says, “Before his fathers He performed a wonder” (Psalms 78:12). The reason He performed a wonder at the Exodus from Egypt was that it took place “before his fathers”: at that very juncture all three Patriarchs stood together. At the sea the Holy One, blessed be He, likewise said, “Why do you cry out to Me?” (Exodus 14:15), because the Patriarchs were praying together for Israel. He therefore said, “You shall be silent” (Exodus 14:14)—“you” is precise, for the Patriarchs were praying.

This is intimated in גָּאֹה גָּאָה (gaʾoh gaʾah, “He has triumphed gloriously”; Exodus 15:1), a notarikon for ג׳ אָבוֹת הָעוֹלָם (the three Patriarchs of the world). They caused the Holy One, blessed be He, to triumph over horse and rider.

This is the meaning of “The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes” (Song of Songs 2:8), although the time of redemption had not yet arrived. The reason redemption came by leaping, before its appointed time, was “over the mountains”—that is, the Patriarchs caused it. Jacob likewise said, “I lift my eyes to the mountains” (Psalms 121:1), meaning the Patriarchs; then, although Israel are unworthy, “my help” will come immediately. See Genesis Rabbah 68:2. Thus it is written, “How comely upon the mountains are the feet of the herald” (Isaiah 52:7).

You have therefore already brought redemption before its appointed time by raising the three shepherds together. “Do not continue to speak to Me anymore”—“anymore” is precise: just as I acted at the beginning, when you departed Egypt, bringing the entire redemption before its appointed time, do not continue, upon your entry into the Land, to bring redemption before its appointed time.

Ofan 239

In this prayer Moses further explained the matter of prayer. This is the intention of our Rabbis, of blessed memory, in the first chapter of Berakhot (8a): one should enter through two entrances into the synagogue. Would it enter your mind that this means two actual entrances? Rather, say: the distance of two entrances. It is already known that both formulations must be reconciled.

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi likewise said, “A person should always be among the first ten,” and so forth, “for he receives the reward of them all.” Would it enter your mind that he literally receives everyone’s reward? Rather, his reward is equivalent to them all (Berakhot 47b). Both meanings are present: first he receives the reward of them all, and afterward he distributes it to each and every one in a measure corresponding to them all. He becomes a conduit through which it is subsequently distributed.

This is explained by the verse “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD” (Psalms 118:26), which speaks in the singular about the one individual who arrives first. He receives his reward and distributes it to every person who comes after him. The verse therefore continues, “we bless you,” in the plural, for they all receive blessing through him.

So too Scripture says, “Open to me the gates of righteousness” (Psalms 118:19), in the plural, and then, “This is the gate” (Psalms 118:20), in the singular. In the first citation the source prints `שם` and then `תהלים קיח יט`, introducing each with an opening parenthesis but supplying only one closing parenthesis; its intended scope cannot be established from the punctuation. [TN-239-01] From one righteous person, who becomes a conduit and a gate to the LORD, the other righteous draw sustenance; “the righteous shall enter through it” to receive bounty from him, and he becomes their conduit.

Likewise, “My beloved descended to his garden” (Song of Songs 6:2) is in the singular: he is a perfectly righteous man who becomes “a bed of spices.” He took the reward of all, and afterward distributes it to others. This is the meaning of “to graze in the gardens and to gather roses” (ibid.): from one righteous person, the others subsequently gather.

Prayer, too, requires two entrances. They are the two gates explained in the Zohar, Parashat Vayiqra (III, 8b), concerning the verse whose source wording reads, “Lift up, O gates, your heads, and let the entrances of the world come” (Psalms 24:7). This printed wording differs from the received biblical wording and is retained rather than silently reconstructed. [TN-239-02] These gates are the Patriarchs of the world: “Whoever enters the synagogue must take counsel with the Patriarchs.”

One must therefore begin by saying, “But as for me, through Your abundant lovingkindness” (Psalms 5:8)—this is Abraham; “I shall bow toward Your holy Temple”—this is Isaac; and afterward, “in fear of You”—this is Jacob, who said, “How awesome is this place!” (Genesis 28:17).

For this reason the order established for the morning prayer begins with the sacrifices, corresponding to “the priests at their service.” From *Barukh She-Amar* through *Yishtabbaḥ* are the *Pesukei de-Zimra*, corresponding to “the Levites in their song and music.” Then come the recitation of the Shema and its blessings, in the mystery of “Hear, O Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:4), corresponding to “Israel at their stations.”

David intimated this matter in “A Psalm for Thanksgiving” (Psalms 100:1). All sacrifices will cease except the thanksgiving offering, as stated in Leviticus Rabbah 9:7, Parashat Tzav, and in Shoḥer Tov on Psalm 9; this offering alludes to prayer. Thus, when David reached Psalm 100, the mystery of the one hundred blessings, he said “A Psalm for Thanksgiving.”

Since the Rabbis said that one begins to pray only from within a matter of halakhah (Berakhot 31a), David alluded to this in the initial letters of הָרִיעוּ לַיהוָה כָּל הָאָרֶץ (hariʿu la-YHWH kol ha-aretz, “Raise a shout to the LORD, all the earth”; Psalms 100:1), which spell הלכ״ה (halakhah). He used four words, in the mystery of the four cubits of halakhah (Berakhot 8a) and of the four letters of the Name; he therefore said “to the LORD” precisely.

David then set out the order of prayer. First one must arrange the sacrifices, corresponding to the priests at their service. This is the meaning of “Serve the LORD with gladness” (Psalms 100:2), concerning the sacrificial service of the priests. Then, corresponding to the section from *Barukh She-Amar* through *Yishtabbaḥ*, he said, “Come before Him with joyous song”: these are the Levites with their song and music, corresponding to the *Pesukei de-Zimra*.

Next come the recitation of the Shema and its blessings, in which one says, “the LORD our God, the LORD is one.” This is the meaning of “Know that the LORD, He is God” (Psalms 100:3), referring to the unification in the first verse of the Shema. He then said, “It is He who made us,” referring to the 248 words of the Shema, which correspond to the 248 limbs of a human being. “You are called *adam*” (Ezekiel 34:31), as stated in Yevamot 61a: Israel encompass 248 limbs, whereas the nations of the world have only 243 limbs (see Nedarim 32b).

Thus the written form וְלֹא אֲנַחְנוּ (ve-lo anaḥnu, “and not we”) is precise, while it is read וְלוֹ (ve-lo, “and His”), with a ו, although written with an א. Whoever omits one word omits one limb of the human being. “It is He who made us” is therefore precise: our 248 limbs correspond to the 248 commandments in the Torah.

David said, “We are His people and the flock of His pasture.” One must prolong the ד of אֶחָד (eḥad, “one”) and surrender oneself to the four forms of death imposed by the court, in the mystery of the four letters of HaShem, thereby fulfilling “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for slaughter” (Psalms 44:23). This is the meaning of “the flock of His pasture.”

After the Shema one must likewise join redemption to prayer. David said, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving” (Psalms 100:4)—this is prayer. One must first arrange the praise of the Omnipresent in the first three blessings (Berakhot 32a), which are the mystery of the supernal gates. “Enter His gates” thus refers to *Avot*, *Gevurot*, and *Qedushot*—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

One then prays, “His courtyards with praise,” referring to the mystery of the thirteen middle blessings. They correspond to the thirteen gates in the Temple. Israel accordingly performed thirteen prostrations, corresponding to the thirteen breaches the Greeks made in the Temple’s courtyard (Middot 2:3). This is “His courtyards with praise”: because they breached the one courtyard and made thirteen breaches, as though making it into many courtyards, the Sages instituted prostrations in response to the thirteen foundations they uprooted.

The final three blessings are “Give thanks to Him; bless His Name.” “Who restores His Shekhinah to Zion” is the mystery of the supernal union of two Names: “give thanks to Him” signifies the Name YHWH, and “bless His Name” the Name Adonai. This is what is meant by the Shekhinah returning at the point of Zion.

“For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness endures forever” (Psalms 100:5) is the blessing “Your Name is Good, and to You it is fitting to give thanks,” the mystery of “the sure lovingkindnesses of David” (Isaiah 55:3). The source opens a parenthesis for its ensuing Raʿaya Mehemna citation but does not close it, so the damaged scope is preserved in the note rather than silently regularized. [TN-239-03] As stated in Raʿaya Mehemna at the beginning of Parashat Vayiqra (Zohar III, 21a), “and His faithfulness from generation to generation” is the conclusion “who blesses His people Israel with peace.” There one must mention the two Names together, in the mystery of “One generation shall praise Your works to another” (Psalms 145:4).

This is the mystery of Israel’s faith, אֱמוּנָה (emunah), which is the mystery of אָמֵן (amen). Amen has the numerical value of the two Names YHWH and Adonai together. They extend from the letters ו״ה of HaShem. This is the mystery of the Hall of the Sapphire Pavement, which comprises the ו״ה of HaShem: Tzaddik and Tzedek joined together.

We therefore learn that in every prayer we must enter by way of the three Patriarchs. The three blessings of Grace after Meals were likewise instituted corresponding to them. The first blessing corresponds to Abraham; it is the blessing “Who feeds,” for by Abraham’s attribute of Ḥesed nourishment descends to the world. Thus it is written, “The young lions roar for prey and seek their food from El” (Psalms 104:21), who is “the lovingkindness of El” (Psalms 52:3). It is also written, “Who gives food to all flesh, for His lovingkindness endures forever” (Psalms 136:25).

The second blessing corresponds to Isaac; it is the blessing of the Land, since Isaac never left the Land of Israel. The blessing *Raḥem* is Jacob’s attribute, for he is the master of mercy, and God “builds Jerusalem in His mercy.” These blessings likewise correspond to the three gates we discussed.

Moses therefore began here by arranging the order of prayer. He opened with וָאֶתְחַנַּן (va-etḥannan, “I pleaded”), whose numerical value is תְּפִלָּה (tefillah, “prayer”). He likewise arranged 515 prayers, the numerical value of תְּפִלָּה. He came to teach us the order of prayer through “at that time, saying,” arranging the prayers for the generations.

One must first arrange “the priests at their service”—the sacrifices through *Barukh She-Amar*. This is “Your greatness.” Then, from *Barukh She-Amar* through *Yotzer Or*, are the *Pesukei de-Zimra*, corresponding to “the Levites in their song and music.” This is “Your mighty hand.” Then comes “Hear, O Israel,” concerning which he said, “for what El is there in heaven or on earth?”

The prayer itself is similarly ordered: “Your greatness” is *Magen Avraham*; “Your mighty hand” is *Meḥayyeh ha-Metim*; and “for what El” is *Atah Qadosh*. He afterward prayed, “Let me cross over, I pray, and let me see.” Then he stated three rungs corresponding to the final three blessings. “The good Land” corresponds to “Who restores His Shekhinah to Zion.” “The good mountain” corresponds to “Your Name is Good, and to You it is fitting to give thanks.” “And Lebanon” is the mystery of “who blesses His people Israel with peace,” as in “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree; he shall grow tall like a cedar in Lebanon” (Psalms 92:13)—“Lebanon” is precise.

In אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא (eʿberah na, “let me cross over, I pray”), the letters נ״א intimate נְפִילַת אַפַּיִם (Nefilat Appayim, “falling upon the face”) and the psalm beginning נַפְשִׁי אֶשָּׂא (nafshi essa, “I lift up my soul”; Psalms 25:1). The source says that Moses uttered אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא with [uncertain: בה״י]. The abbreviation or letter-description is damaged or opaque; the ensuing explanation connects it with the final ה of the Name. [TN-239-04]

The mystery of Nefilat Appayim requires one always to incline upon the left hand, which is the final ה of the Name. For this reason one does not perform Nefilat Appayim at night. Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel in order to rectify the left hand and support it against its fall.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: you already brought about an effect through your Nefilat Appayim among Korah’s congregation, when you said, “You take too much upon yourselves, sons of Levi” (Numbers 16:7). At that time you caused Korah’s congregation to be punished when you surrendered yourself to death, as it is written, “Moses heard and fell upon his face” (Numbers 16:4).

Scripture consequently writes אֱלֹהֵי הָרוּחֹת (Elohei ha-ruḥot, “God of the spirits”) defectively, without a ו. As stated in the Zohar (III, 176b), Moses surrendered himself to the Tree of Death. This is the mystery of the psalm “To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul,” which must be recited during Nefilat Appayim, as stated in the Zohar, Parashat Bemidbar (III, 120b). That psalm contains no ו, the letter that signifies the Tree of Life; see Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 69 (118b).

Moses’ Nefilat Appayim thus caused Korah’s congregation to be punished. They were 250 men, together with Dathan and Abiram, totaling 252, the numerical value of רַב־לָךְ. You caused this in the wilderness; all the more so, were you to enter the Land of Israel and fall upon your face there, no human being could stand before you.

This resembles the incident of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, whose wife would not permit him to fall upon his face while he was in dispute with Rabban Gamliel the Elder. As soon as he fell upon his face, Rabban Gamliel died, as stated in Bava Metzia 59b. Had Moses been in the Land of Israel and fallen upon his face, no human being could have stood. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me anymore” concerning Nefilat Appayim. Moses accordingly began with וָאֶתְחַנַּן, the language of supplication, because it is the language of falling, alluding to falling upon the face.

Ofan 240

Moses saw by the Holy Spirit the beginning of the downfall in the campaign against the thirty-one kings: Achan trespassed against the ban and committed trespass in five bans. The Sages said in Sanhedrin 44a that he denied the five books of the Torah. This caused Israel, at the beginning of their wars, to flee before the enemy.

Concerning this Moses said, “I pleaded with the LORD at that time.” This refers to the preceding verse, “I commanded Joshua at that time” (Deuteronomy 3:21). He said, “You have begun to show”—“begun” is precise—for at Israel’s beginning the Holy One, blessed be He, showed “Your greatness,” as it is written, “This day I shall begin to make you great,” and so forth (Joshua 3:7), and “Your mighty hand,” referring to the battle of Ai, on account of which Israel were punished.

He therefore invoked the Name El in “for what El is there in heaven or on earth?” corresponding to the thirty-one kings whom Joshua was to conquer in the Land of Canaan, for אֵל (El) has the numerical value thirty-one.

Concerning this Moses asked, “Let me cross over, I pray.” This accords with what Rabbi Joshua of Sikhnin said in Leviticus Rabbah 26:7, Parashat Emor. When the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses King Saul, Moses said, “Master of the universe, shall the first king of Israel be pierced by the sword?” (I Samuel 31:4).

So too here Moses prayed concerning Israel’s beginning: “You have begun to show.” Immediately thereafter You show me “the mighty hand,” for Israel will flee before Ai and HaShem will thereby be profaned. Therefore, “let me cross over, I pray.” He said אֶעְבְּרָה with an added ה, alluding to his wish to remove the five bans against which Achan had transgressed and the five books of the Torah he had violated. He likewise said “at that time,” בָּעֵת הַהִיא, which may be read as ה׳, “five”: he had violated five bans. [TN-240-01]

By this Achan caused the two Destructions, because he took “a mantle of spoil” (Joshua 7:21). Tanḥuma, Parashat Vayeshev §2, states that all the kings in the world had houses in Jericho; anyone who did not have a house there was not called a king. The mantle of spoil Achan took had been deposited in the house of the king of Babylonia, and the name of an idol was inscribed upon it.

In my opinion, this contains supernal mysteries. It is written, “the Land and Jericho” (Joshua 2:1), because Jericho comprised the entire Land. The mystery of wisdom is that Jericho had seven walls, corresponding to “the seven abominations of His soul” (Proverbs 6:16). Every abomination comprises ten, as stated in the Midrash: do not read “seven,” but “seventy.” Jericho was consequently surrounded by seven walls, the mystery of seven kelippot, each kelippah comprising ten. These correspond to the seventy princes above; therefore every king also had a house there.

The kelippah of the king of Babylonia is called “a mantle” because he was destined to destroy the Temple, as it is written, “Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one” (Isaiah 10:34), whose word אַדִּיר (addir, “mighty one”) resonates with אַדֶּרֶת (adderet, “mantle”). For the same reason it is said of Esau, “all of him like a hairy mantle” (Genesis 25:25), because Esau too destroyed the Second Temple.

Thus, just as the name of an idol was written upon the mantle Achan took, and that mantle was the kelippah of Babylonia, so it is also the kelippah of Esau. The psalm “By the rivers of Babylon” accordingly also says, “Remember, O LORD, against the children of Edom” (Psalms 137:7). Both draw sustenance from the mantle, and both therefore destroyed “Lebanon,” the Temple, fulfilling “Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.”

Had Moses entered the Land of Israel, Achan would not have stumbled through the ban by taking the mantle and empowering the kelippah of the mantle to destroy the Temple. This is intimated in אֶעְבְּרָה, a notarikon for אַדֶּרֶת עֵשָׂו בָּבֶל רֹאשׁ הַקְּלִיפּוֹת (adderet Esav, Bavel, rosh ha-kelippot: “the mantle of Esau and Babylonia, chief of the kelippot”). Moses said: I see the trespass Achan will commit against the ban. He will take the mantle, the idolatry of Esau and Babylonia, the chief of the kelippot—“You are the head of gold” (Daniel 2:38).

Therefore, “let me cross over, I pray,” so that the Temple will not be destroyed. Corresponding to “Mount Zion, which lies desolate” (Lamentations 5:18), he said, “this good mountain and Lebanon,” so that it would not “fall by a mighty one.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ: You wish to enter so that Achan will not trespass against the ban, yet in Moses’ own days Achan trespassed against three bans. The mnemonic for the bans against which Achan trespassed is אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (elleh masʿei benei Yisrael, “These are the journeys of the children of Israel”; Numbers 33:1): מִדְיָן סִיחוֹן עוֹג יְרִיחוֹ (Midian, Sihon, Og, Jericho). Three of these trespasses occurred in Moses’ days. Thus he sinned more in Moses’ days than in Joshua’s.

The source adds parenthetically that Israel therefore had to be exiled under four empires, likewise intimated by the initial letters of אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: אֱדוֹם מָדַי בָּבֶל יָוָן (Edom, Media, Babylonia, Greece). The cantillation sign on אֵלֶּה is *azla-geresh*, while the signs over מַסְעֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל are *munaḥ reviʿi*; the accent names themselves reinforce the themes of expulsion and the fourth empire.

The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore said רַב־לָךְ: he sinned more in your days than in Joshua’s, so how can you wish to enter the Land of Israel to prevent his trespass there? He has already sinned greatly in your days. “Do not continue to speak to Me.” Instead, “command Joshua and strengthen him” for the war; “and encourage him,” so that he himself will go, for when “he himself shall cross over,” then “he shall cause them to inherit.” At Ai, however, Joshua did not go in person, and Israel therefore fell in battle, as the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Arise for yourself.” The source prints the locator Joshua 2:10, although that wording belongs to Joshua 7:10. [TN-240-02]

The words רַב־לָךְ also intimate the matter: you wish to annul the two Destructions, those of רוֹמִי בָּבֶל (Romi, Bavel: Rome and Babylonia), whose initials are ר״ב. “Do not continue.”

Ofan 241

It is stated in Leviticus Rabbah 26:7, Parashat Emor, that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses every generation together with its leaders, judges, and kings. He showed him Saul falling by the sword (I Samuel 31:4). Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Shall the first king of Israel be pierced by the sword?” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “You ask this of Me? ‘Speak to the priests’” (Leviticus 21:1). In my seventh composition I gave ten interpretations of this Midrash; see there the supernal mysteries.

It is possible that Moses prayed about this before his death, “at that time,” when the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the treasury of “I shall be gracious to whom I shall be gracious” (Exodus 33:19), as is explained through the word וָאֶתְחַנַּן in Tanḥuma, Ki Tissa §27. At that time He also showed Moses the soul of Saul, which came from the side of Binah, in the mystery of “Saul of Rehoboth,” and so forth (Genesis 36:37).

This is the meaning of “From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people” (I Samuel 9:2): he was above the world of construction. This is also the meaning of the statement that Saul’s Torah contained no defect (Yoma 22b), for he belongs to the mystery of the world that is wholly good (Qiddushin 39b), where the kelippot have no dominion. They reach only “as far as the neck” (Isaiah 8:8), and not above it.

This is the meaning of “Five were created in a likeness of that which is above,” for which the source prints only “Sotah 10,” without a side designation. [TN-241-01] It is the mystery of the ephah of Adam the first man before he sinned.

The source therefore reads הַהוּא (ha-hu, masculine “that”), for this is the concealed world, the mystery of Binah, where Saul’s soul was rooted. For this reason, “Saul committed one sin and it counted against him, whereas David committed two and they did not count against him” (Yoma 22b). Saul came from the upper ה of the Name, where it is said, “Evil shall not dwell with You” (Psalms 5:5). Thus הַהוּא can be read as הַהִיא, the feminine form, because his soul came from the upper ה. [TN-241-02]

Moses prayed concerning this just as he had protested there, “Shall the first king of Israel be pierced by the sword?” He therefore said, “You have begun”: the beginning that You showed me in the book of Adam the first man. “You have shown me Your greatness” is Saul, whose great stature resembled that of Adam the first man. “And Your mighty hand” means that Your mighty hand struck him—the harsh attribute of judgment, by which he fell upon the sword. This would profane HaShem before all the nations.

This is the meaning of “for what El is there in heaven,” and so forth: HaShem must be sanctified by displaying His mighty acts before the nations of the world. Moses therefore said, “Let me cross over, I pray,” through [uncertain: בה״י יתירה], which the source appears to connect with an “extra ה.” [TN-241-03] He wished to rectify Saul’s soul so that Saul would not sin through the killing of נוֹב אֲחִימֶלֶךְ (Nov, Aḥimelekh: “Nob, Ahimelech”; I Samuel 22:16), the notarikon of נָא.

That killing later caused the slaughter of nearly the entire royal house of David. Only Joash remained. This was measure for measure: because Saul killed Nob on David’s account, only Abiathar remained (I Samuel 22:20); likewise, only one remained of the Davidic monarchy. Of this Moses said, “who can do according to Your deeds,” for it was measure for measure.

Thus it is written, “For You repay each person according to his deed” (Psalms 62:13). We thereby see that “lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord,” and here too we see the lovingkindness of El: because You act “according to Your deeds,” measure for measure, only one remained on account of this sin.

He said “and according to Your mighty acts” concerning the sin of Nob, whose force stood until Sennacherib came to Jerusalem, as it is written, “Yet this day he shall stand at Nob” (Isaiah 10:32). It stood and accused the Davidic monarchy. Moses therefore said, “and according to Your mighty acts,” for then the might of the LORD was manifest, while the side of Gevurah accused David.

For this reason Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel and rectify the attribute of the monarchy of the house of David, which is called “Land.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, רַב־לָךְ. This resembles the answer the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the angels when they saw the death of Rabbi Akiva: they rejoiced in his Torah and were grieved by his death, saying, “How precious to me are Your companions, O El” (Psalms 139:17). The source prints Sanhedrin 38b for this tradition; the locator is retained, although the familiar Rabbi Akiva dialogue is cited immediately below from Menaḥot 29b. [TN-241-04]

So too here Moses rejoiced in the greatness He showed him, as it is written, “Your greatness,” yet was grieved by Saul’s death when he said, “Your mighty hand,” for Saul fell upon the sword. Concerning Saul too he recited, “How precious are Your companions, O El.” He therefore said, “for what אֵל”—El is precise—“can do according to Your deeds”: the first king of Israel would be judged by the harsh attribute of judgment. This is the meaning of “and according to Your mighty acts.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered Moses, “Be silent; thus it arose in thought before Me,” as stated above (Menaḥot 29b). So too here He answered, רַב־לָךְ: it is enough for you to know this matter. “Do not continue”—“continue” is precise, for in Parashat Emor, “Speak to the priests,” the Holy One, blessed be He, already answered concerning the same matter. Therefore He said here, “anymore concerning this thing”—“this thing” is precise, for it is the book of Adam the first man. “Ascend to the top of Pisgah,” where He showed Moses the hidden light that extends from one end of the world to the other.

Ofan 242

Moses wished to understand the mystery of the World of Points, which is the World of Tohu, and afterward the World of Tikkun, which is the world of the partzuf. This is likewise the intention of the tanna (Avot 5:1): “The world was created through ten utterances”—the mystery of the World of Tikkun—“but could it not have been created through one utterance?” That is, why did the Holy One, blessed be He, not create the world from the points alone, and why were partzufim necessary?

The tanna supplied two reasons. The first is “to exact payment from the wicked,” for in the World of Points there was no judgment at all in the world, as explained at length in *Kanfei Yonah*, part 1. The other reason is “to grant reward to the righteous.” That is, the righteous should possess the power, through their prayers, to raise the Shekhinah and repair her partzuf, in the mystery of “It is a time to act for the LORD” (Psalms 119:126): ע״ת is a notarikon of ע״ולם ת״יקון (“World of Tikkun”). They raise her to the state she possessed at first, before the diminution of the moon, when “two partzufim [ד״ו פרצופין] were created” (Berakhot 61a).

Concerning this Moses said, “And I pleaded with the LORD at that time [בע״ת ההיא].” בע״ת refers to the World of Tohu and the World of Tikkun. בע״ת has the numerical value of ג״ט קר״ע פ״ח. These are the mystery of the seven tikkunim explained in part 1 of *Kanfei Yonah*: ג״ולגלתא (Gulgalta), ט״לא דבדולחא (Tala de-Vedolha), ק״רומא דאוירא (Keruma de-Avira), ר״עוא דרעוין (Ra‘ava de-Ra‘avin), ע״מר נקי (‘Amar Naqi), פ״ומא (Pumma), ח״וטמא (Hotma). Their initials have the numerical value of ע״ת. Thus everything is hinted in the word עת.

At first, when there was the World of Tohu—another notarikon of ע״ת—everything consisted of one utterance and two luminaries. ההוא is written and ההיא is read, for the mystery of two partzufim [ד״ו פרצופין] constituted one utterance.

Before the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world, *Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer* (chapter 3) states that He and His Name alone existed, in the mystery of א. The plantings were “like this locust whose garment is from itself” (Genesis Rabbah 21:5). Afterward ע״ת became a notarikon of ע״ולם ת״יקון (“World of Tikkun”). Read it as ההיא: the four letters of YHWH became five partzufim.

Concerning this Moses posed the tanna’s question: “You have begun to show Your greatness”—this is the mystery of the partzufim—“and Your strong hand,” the mystery of the ten points. Read it as יו״דך החזקה (“Your strong yod”), as stated in the Zohar (Introduction to Tikkunei Zohar, 7b) concerning “You open Your hand [ידך]” (Psalms 145:16). These were broken vessels, in the mystery of the breaking of the vessels, concerning which He said, “These do not please Me” (Genesis Rabbah 3:7).

Moses therefore raised the tanna’s question: “Could the world not have been created through one utterance?” This is the meaning of “Who is El in heaven and on earth who can do like Your deeds?” The world could have been created through one utterance. It was not, however, for two reasons: to grant reward to the righteous—concerning which he said “like Your deeds,” for “Great are the works of the LORD” (Psalms 111:2), the attribute of the goodness of the Holy One, blessed be He—and to exact payment from the wicked, concerning which he said “like Your mighty acts.”

Moses therefore petitioned, “Let me cross over [אעברה], נא.” אעברה is an anagram of ארבעה (“four”). In the Land of Israel I shall discern the four letters of HaShem, which are divided into five partzufim. He therefore used an additional ה: when I cross into the Land of Israel, I shall discern five.

The World of Points is likewise hinted in the word נ״א: נ״קודות א״ותיות (“points, letters”). That is, at first there was the World of Points; afterward, following the tikkun, the points expand and sweetening occurs. HaShem is divided into four letters, within which are five partzufim.

This is why he said ואראה with an additional ה, its letters reversed as א״ר ה״א. It corresponds to the five occurrences of אור (“light”) in the first section of Genesis. This is the meaning of “Raise your eyes on high and see: Who created these [אלה]?” (Isaiah 40:26). The word אל״ה hints at five occurrences of אור, for five times אור equals אֶלֶף ל״ה, one thousand and thirty-five, the numerical value intended by אל״ה. [TN-242-01]

This is the meaning of “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth, when they were created with ה [בה׳ בראם]” (Genesis 2:4). The initial letters of ת״ולדות ה״שמים ו״הארץ spell תה״ו. At first there was the World of Points, the World of Tohu; afterward, “He created them with ה,” forming the five partzufim, the five occurrences of light on the first day, which total the number encoded by אל״ה.

Moses wished to understand and apprehend this matter in the Land of Israel, where “the air of the Land of Israel makes one wise” (Bava Batra 158b).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you.” You already comprehended the mystery of HaShem’s five partzufim when you received the Torah amid five voices, the mystery of the five partzufim. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me further.”

“Ascend to the top of the summit”: He then also showed him the fifth partzuf, the mystery of Arikh, the cusp of the י, supernal Ḥokhmah. This is the mystery of the summit, the first letter of the Four-Letter Name, the letter greatest in numerical value yet smallest in graphic form.

It is possible that Moses alluded to this when he said, “You have begun to show Your greatness,” referring to the letter י of HaShem, which is the greatest in numerical value among the four letters of YHWH. That very letter is יד״ך החזק״ה, whose numerical value is קט״ן (“small”), for graphically it is the smallest of all four letters. It is the partzuf of Ḥokhmah, in the mystery of “Wisdom gives the wise more strength than ten rulers” (Ecclesiastes 7:19), the mystery of י.

It likewise says, “There was a small city” (Ecclesiastes 9:14), referring to the letter י, and concludes, “he saved it through his wisdom” (Ecclesiastes 9:15). Thus י is Ḥokhmah and is the summit. The Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses “the top of the summit,” the cusp of the י. Until that episode Moses had been unable to encompass the encompassing light of the cusp of the י, in the mystery of “You shall not round [לא תקיפו] the corner of your heads” (Leviticus 19:27): there had been no encompassing [הקפה] and understanding of the corner of the head, the cusp of the י. On that day he merited attaining it.

Ofan 243

Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel in order to attain the mystery of the three heads [תלת רישי״ן] explained in *Kanfei Yonah*. Corresponding to them he said: Since “You have begun to show Your greatness,” which is the Head That Is Not Known [רישא דלא אתיידע]; “Your strong hand,” which is the Head of Ayin [ריש״א דעי״ן]; and “Who is El?” which is the Head of Arikh, in the mystery of “El, long-suffering” (Exodus 34:6).

He therefore petitioned, “Let me cross over, נא, and see the land,” for in the Land of Israel “the blossoms have appeared in the land, and the voice of the turtledove [התור] is heard in our land” (Song of Songs 2:12). תור is the mystery of the great scout [תיי״ר] (Numbers Rabbah 19:20).

The word תיי״ר hints at the mystery of the three heads, for the middle letters of the expressions for the three heads are found and inscribed there in this fashion: from רישא דלא את״ידע, take ת and י; from רישא דעי״ן, take the middle י of עי״ן; and from ארי״ך, take the middle ר. Join them together and the result is תיי״ר. [TN-243-01]

The voice of this turtledove is heard specifically “in our land,” for the Land of Israel is divided into three degrees. Moses therefore enumerated three degrees: “the good land” is one degree; “the good mountain” is the second; and “Lebanon” is the third.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you.” You have already attained “Amon covered, Amon concealed, and Amon the great” (see Genesis Rabbah 1:1). “Do not continue.” This is the meaning of “Ascend to the top of the summit,” which is the Head That Is Not Known. You do not need to enter the Land of Israel for this purpose.

Ofan 244

It is stated in *Sodei Razei*: “י״ה ידו״ה—through these six letters the Holy One, blessed be He, created heaven and earth; 196 worlds, the numerical value of עולמי״ם; this world and the World to Come; and all the attributes within them. All are sealed with the signet of ‘Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh’ (Exodus 3:14). He sealed this world with אהי״ה: א״ה below and י״ה above. The Throne of Glory, however, He sealed with the signet י״ה (ידו״ה). This is the Shekhinah; ידו״ה is the Master of the worlds.” Thus far its words. The relation between the parenthetical `ידו״ה` and the preceding `י״ה` is preserved as printed. [TN-244-01]

In this prayer Moses wished to attain the mystery of the six letters with which the Holy One, blessed be He, sealed the Throne of Glory. He therefore opened with the six letters of ואתחנן. The word ואתחנן hints at the mystery of “straight to the throne [ישרה לכסא]” (piyyut for the Rosh Hashanah Musaf), for כס״א in ALBaM is דל״ת. Join דלת with כסא, and the result equals ואתחנן, the numerical value of ישרה.

At the end of *Sodei Razei*, the mystery of the six letters י״ה ידו״ה is explained: י״ה is the Shekhinah, while ידו״ה is the Master of the world. Moses therefore said ההיא corresponding to the Shekhinah, who is י״ה, and ההוא corresponding to the Master of the world, ידו״ה. He then explained: Adonai corresponds to the Shekhinah, while YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim corresponds to the Master of the worlds.

He afterward ordered his petition in detail according to these two Names. The initial letters of א״תה ה״חלות ל״הראות (“You have begun to show”) spell אה״ל (“tent”). When the Tabernacle was erected, the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded fifteen matters in order to attain the Name י״ה. Here the source has the adjacent readings `(למשכה)[למשכן]`, both of which are retained. [TN-244-02]

“Your greatness” corresponds to the letter י of י״ה—א״ת precisely indicates the letter י. “Your strong hand” corresponds to the letter ה of י״ה and to the Shekhinah, who is called י״ה.

Afterward, corresponding to the Name YHWH, Moses said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth?” This is the mystery of י״שמחו ה״שמים ו״תגל ה״ארץ, “Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult” (Psalms 96:11), in which the Name YHWH is inscribed.

Thus Scripture says, “I am the LORD, who makes all” (Isaiah 45:7). In the source, this citation prints ישעיה and then מה ז, each preceded by an opening parenthesis but with only one closing parenthesis; this is the Chapter 244 unmatched opening parenthesis. [TN-244-03] Corresponding to the Name YHWH he said, “who can do like Your deeds”—“Great are the deeds of the LORD” (Psalms 111:2). Corresponding to the Name י״ה he said, “and like Your mighty acts,” in the mystery of “its flashes are flashes of fire, a flame of Yah [שלהבת י״ה]” (Song of Songs 8:6). It likewise says, “Who is like You, mighty Yah?” (Psalms 89:9).

“If You, י״ה ידו״ה, should preserve iniquities, who could stand?” (Psalms 130:3) is the reading in the Zohar on Parashat Balaq (Zohar III, 185b); our version reads Adonai, but this is not the place to discuss it.

According to *Sodei Raza*, there are three rungs, one above another, counted from below upward: י״ה; the final ה in the Name, the Shekhinah; ו in HaShem; מ״י, the first ה in the Name, Binah, in the mystery of “Who [מ״י] can heal you?” (Lamentations 2:13). Moses prayed in order to understand these six letters: “Let me cross over, נא,” so that I may understand these letters sealed upon the throne. They are hinted by the ו of ואראה, corresponding to the six letters of the Name around the throne.

According to *Sodei Raza*, the Holy One, blessed be He, also sealed heaven and earth with the Name Ehyeh: א״ה below and י״ה above. This is hinted in the word ההיא, an anagram of אהי״ה. Moses therefore ordered י״ה above, concerning which he said “Your greatness,” referring to the letters י״ה above; and “Your strong hand,” referring to the letters א״ה below.

He then explained “Your greatness”: “Who is El in heaven and on earth?” Concerning the letters י״ה in heaven he said “in heaven”; concerning the letters א״ה below he said “on earth.” “Like Your deeds” refers to the Name י״ה, and “like Your mighty acts” to the letters א״ה below.

He therefore said, “Let me cross over, נא, and see [ואראה],” an anagram of או״ר א״ה (“light, א״ה”); “the land” refers to the letters below on earth. “This good mountain” refers to the two letters י״ה, in the mystery of Mount Moriah, where the Name י״ה is found. “And Lebanon” refers to ו״ה of the Four-Letter Name.

This is the mystery of the Name of thirty-two that issues from these eight letters. The three Names present there are Ehyeh, YHWH, and י״ה. The source then says, in a compressed and apparently self-referential formulation, “the Name Ehyeh is the beginning from the Name YHWH, and it is the end from the Name Ehyeh.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you.” You already attained the mystery of these three Names when Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “What is His Name? What shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13), as stated in *Tziyyuni* on Parashat Shemot; see there. He then revealed these two Names to him. The shift from “three Names” to “two Names” is present in the source. [TN-244-04] Therefore, “Do not continue.”

Ofan 245

We must explain what I wrote above from *Sodei Raza*: the Holy One, blessed be He, created 196 worlds, as it is stated, “For through Yah, the LORD, is the Rock of worlds [עולמי״ם]” (Isaiah 26:4). Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, create the world in this number of 196 worlds?

The matter is explained through the first verse of Genesis (Genesis 1:1), which contains twenty-eight letters, as it is written, “He declared the power [כ״ח] of His deeds to His people” (Psalms 111:6). These twenty-eight letters indicate that the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world with two hands (Ḥagigah 12a). This is the meaning of “Indeed, My hand founded the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens” (Isaiah 48:13).

Each hand has fourteen joints, and it is therefore called י״ד (“hand”) on account of its fourteen joints. For this reason the Masorah counts twenty-eight occurrences of ראשית, in the mystery of “The beginning [ראשית] of wisdom” (Psalms 111:10). Thus בראשית is translated בחוכמתא (“with wisdom”), and it is an anagram of כ״ח מ״ה, as stated in Raʿaya Mehemna (Zohar III, 235b). In the filling of the Four-Letter Name that equals מ״ה there are twenty-eight lights, through which the Holy One, blessed be He, created the twenty-eight times in every month—the twenty-eight times written in Ecclesiastes 3:2–8.

These are the twenty-eight camps of the Shekhinah, the mystery of two hands, for twice fourteen is twenty-eight. Since it is necessary to include the right within the left and the left within the right, when the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world He struck hand against hand. Fourteen times fourteen equals 196.

This is the interpretation of “Indeed, My hand founded the earth”: the Holy One, blessed be He, created the earth with the left hand. “And My right hand spread out the heavens” refers to the right hand. Afterward He struck fourteen against fourteen in order to include the right within the left and the left within the right.

This is the meaning of “I call to them; they stand together” (Isaiah 48:13). The Holy One, blessed be He, called the right hand to be included in the left hand. Through this “they stand together,” included one within the other: fourteen times fourteen equals 196.

Accordingly, the verse “For through Yah, the LORD, is the Rock of worlds” means that the Holy One, blessed be He, created through these two Names. י״ה is the Shekhinah, for שכינ״ה has the numerical value of י״ד שמא״ל (“left hand”); YHWH is the Master of the world, the right hand, as it is written, “Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power” (Exodus 15:6).

The Holy One, blessed be He, wished to mingle the Name YHWH, which is mercy, with the Name י״ה, which is the Shekhinah. “The Rock of worlds [עולמי״ם]” therefore had to create 196 worlds, the numerical value of עולמי״ם and the result of fourteen times fourteen. Through this heaven and earth were included together: “Ḥesed and truth meet” (Psalms 85:11). Truth is the attribute of Judgment created from the earth, as it is written, “Truth springs from the earth” (Psalms 85:12).

The mnemonic is “Hand to hand [י״ד לי״ד], the wicked shall not go unpunished [לא ינקה]” (Proverbs 11:21). That is, fourteen times fourteen equals 196, and ל״א ינק״ה likewise has the numerical value 196.

We may also explain the number 196 in the following manner. It is known that the Torah is the artisan: the Holy One, blessed be He, looked into it in order to create the four worlds—Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. Here the source opens a parenthesis before the series “Amon the pedagogue, Amon concealed, Amon covered, Amon the great” (see Genesis Rabbah 1:1) and does not close its outer scope. [TN-245-01]

The Torah possesses forty-nine impure faces and forty-nine pure faces (Numbers Rabbah 2:3), making ninety-eight. This is the meaning of the Targum on “My beloved is radiant [צח] and ruddy” (Song of Songs 5:10): these are the Torah’s ninety-eight faces, “measure corresponding to measure [מד״ה כנגד מד״ה],” which likewise totals ninety-eight.

Since “we heard the Torah from the mouth of Gevurah” (Shabbat 88b), from the side of Isaac, the name Isaac occurs ninety-eight times in the Torah, according to the source. [TN-245-02] Scripture, however, says, “He shall satisfy your soul in radiances [בצחצחות]” (Isaiah 58:11), for the Torah contains twice ninety-eight.

The Torah is the ladder—“a ladder set upon the earth” (Genesis 28:12), which is Sinai (Genesis Rabbah 68:12). “Set upon the earth” refers to the revealed Torah, divided into twice forty-nine; “its top reaches heaven” refers to the concealed Torah, likewise divided into twice forty-nine. The angels envied these ninety-eight faces of the concealed Torah and said, “Place Your glory upon the heavens” (Psalms 8:2).

Yet “behold, the LORD stood above it,” and Moses merited receiving the ninety-eight faces of the concealed Torah as well. This is the meaning of “Behold, the LORD stood above him and said: I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father” (Genesis 28:13): He gave Moses the facial likeness of Abraham (Exodus Rabbah 28:1), and through this Moses merited “a Torah of Ḥesed upon his tongue” (Proverbs 31:26).

This is the meaning of “Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea” (Job 11:9). The intention is the Torah. It is “longer than the earth—מד״ה,” for it possesses forty-nine faces, the numerical value of מד״ה. But it is “broader than the sea,” for the Torah possesses four times forty-nine, the numerical value of י״ם סו״ף (“Sea of Reeds”), 196.

This is the meaning of “To Him who divided the Sea of Reeds into divisions [לגזרים]” (Psalms 136:13). The Torah is divided into five divisions, its five books. Five Princes of the Presence are therefore hinted in the word גזרי״ם: ג״ליצור (Galitzur), ז״גנזגאל (Zagnazgael), ר״זיאל (Raziel), י״ופיאל (Yofiel), מ״יכאל (Michael).

The expression י״ם סו״ף hints at four times the Torah’s forty-nine impure and pure, revealed and concealed faces, for its numerical value is 196. Moses could not attain the ninety-eight concealed faces until the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him Abraham’s facial likeness, which is Ḥesed—“for His Ḥesed is eternal.” Through the Ḥesed of Abraham given to him by the Holy One, blessed be He, Moses merited the “Sea of Reeds,” the Torah that is “broader than the sea.”

The following sentence concerning ים, “the path no bird of prey knew,” Moses’s Ḥesed, and the Ark’s place is compressed and cannot be parsed with confidence: [uncertain: וגם במלת ים נרמז בו נתיב לא ידעו עיט, שהוא חסד ממשה שהוא סוד מקום ארון אינו מן המדה דייקא]. [TN-245-03] The operative conclusion is that “the place of the Ark is not included in the measure” (Yoma 21a). Forty-nine gates were delivered to Moses at Sinai (Rosh Hashanah 21b), but the Ark’s place is the mystery of “a path no bird of prey knew” (Job 28:7), outside the measure: the fiftieth gate, the inner gate, “shall be closed; it shall not be opened” (Ezekiel 46:1).

Because Moses is the Yesod of supernal Ḥokhmah, five Princes of the Presence came to him at his death. This is the meaning of “And I pleaded at that time.” Read it as ההיא, for five Princes of the Presence came to him.

Rabbi Shimon likewise says on Parashat Bereshit concerning “Behold, all these things El performs, twice and three times” (Job 33:29): he writes “twice and three times” together, making five. In my opinion, this is the intention of the verse, “By the testimony of two witnesses or by the testimony of three witnesses shall the dead be put to death” (Deuteronomy 17:6). Both together come to a person at death. We therefore find that five angels come and judge a person through the beating of the grave.

Moses, however, is the mystery of the five books of the Torah. The five Princes of the Presence just named therefore came to him “at that time,” at the time of his death. ההוא is written. Since he derives from the Written Torah, which divides into five books, these Princes of the Presence came in that episode to receive his teachings.

Moses consequently set forth his prayer and wished to enter the Land of Israel. The Torah’s “locks are curled [קווצותיו תלתלים]” (Song of Songs 5:11), and upon every קו״ץ (“thorn”) there are “heaps upon heaps of laws” (Eruvin 21b). קו״ץ precisely has the numerical value of four times forty-nine.

He therefore said, “You have begun to show Your greatness,” referring to the forty-nine pure faces on the right side; “Your strong hand,” referring to the forty-nine impure faces on the left. These ninety-eight then divide into two divisions, for just as they exist in the revealed Torah, so they exist in the concealed Torah.

Corresponding to the ninety-eight concealed faces he said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth?” These are the mystery of the “upper springs [גילית עילית],” printed with the adjacent or hybrid locators “(Zechariah) (Joshua 15:19).” [TN-245-04] Concerning them the angels said, “Place Your glory upon the heavens” (Shabbat 89a). Corresponding to the forty-nine pure and forty-nine impure revealed faces, he said “on earth,” the mystery of the “lower springs [גילית תחתית].”

“Who can do like Your deeds?” refers to the upper realms, the “upper springs,” namely the Work of Creation and the Work of the Merkavah, which may not be revealed to those below. Concerning the ninety-eight faces of the “lower springs” revealed to those below, he said, “and like Your mighty acts,” specifically “to make known His mighty acts to the children of man” (Psalms 145:12).

Moses therefore said, “Let me cross over, נא.” I wish to enter the Land of Israel and attain “four”—that is, the four sets of forty-nine in the Torah, the mystery of every “thorn” with its heaps upon heaps of laws.

He used an additional ה: “I shall cross over ה.” When I am in the Land of Israel, I shall possess five Clouds of Glory, five Princes of the Presence, and five books of the Torah. Moses will become an expert tailor, as stated in Raʿaya Mehemna on Parashat Tzav (Zohar III), able to align the divisions of the Torah. At present, “her paths wander; he does not know” (Proverbs 5:6), and he cannot align the divisions of the sea, which is the Torah. In the Land of Israel, however, whose air makes one wise (Bava Batra 158b), “the Torah of the wise will be a source of life, to turn away from the snares of death” (Proverbs 13:14), and the upper and lower springs will be revealed to him.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “Your master is with you [רב לך]”—רב לך precisely. The five princes of Torah had always been with Moses; they are the five Clouds of Glory that surrounded him on every side and are hinted in his name. The full spelling מ״ם שי״ן ה״י has the numerical value of five times מלא״ך (“angel”).

He also said, “It is much for you”: you have already attained the Torah, which is “broader than the sea.” A maidservant at the sea saw more than Ezekiel saw (Mekhilta, Be-Shallah), and the verse “To Him who divided the Sea of Reeds into divisions” (Psalms 136:13) was fulfilled in Moses. He attained the mystery of the 196 worlds created by the Holy One, blessed be He, the four sets of forty-nine. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me further.”

According to the first explanation I gave, the reason for the 196 worlds is that the right hand was included in the left. Moses therefore wished to enter the Land of Israel to attain the mystery of the twenty-eight times, the twenty-eight camps of the Shekhinah, the two hands with fourteen joints in each.

Concerning this he said, “You have begun to show Your greatness,” the right hand, “and Your strong hand,” the left hand. The Holy One, blessed be He, had to mingle the two hands. This is the meaning of “Who is El in heaven and on earth?”—heaven, created with the right hand, and earth, created with the left hand. This is also “who can do like Your deeds and like Your mighty acts”: “Your deeds” corresponds to the right, and “Your mighty acts” to the left. They are the mystery of fourteen times fourteen, 196, the numerical value of עולמי״ם.

For this reason he wished to enter the Land of Israel and attain the mystery of “י״ה, Rock of worlds.” Corresponding to י״ה he said “the good mountain,” Mount Moriah. This is the meaning of “I shall see the good land,” which is Moriah. Abraham said that he desired “the land of Moriah,” the Name י״ה, as it is written, “There the tribes went up, the tribes of Yah” (Psalms 122:4). This is the attribute of Judgment, “to thank the Name YHWH,” mingling it with mercy.

This is the meaning of “the good mountain,” for it is said, “Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?” (Psalms 24:3). The attribute of Judgment, י״ה, and “the good mountain,” YHWH of mercy, must be mingled, so that both become equally good. This is the meaning of “and Lebanon,” that there should be complete mercy.

In the Land of Israel the ע״ץ אר״ז (“cedar tree”), the rung of אר״ז, is judgment, for its numerical value is יצח״ק (Isaac). There He will whiten their sins, and judgment will become mercy. “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree” (Psalms 92:13): just as the palm has only one heart (Sukkah 45b), so it is called Lebanon because in the future there will be one heart, and “the LORD alone shall be exalted on that day” (Isaiah 2:17).

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you.” You already attained these two Names at the sea, as it is written, “My strength and song is Yah” (Exodus 15:2), and afterward, “The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is His Name” (Exodus 15:3). Therefore, “Do not continue,” and so forth.

Ofan 246

It is stated in the Zohar (Zohar I), on the portion “Jacob departed from Beersheba” (Genesis 28:10), that this alludes to mysteries of the Oral Torah, as in the verse, “It came to pass in the fortieth year … that Moses began to explain [באר] this Torah” (Deuteronomy 1:3, 5).

The Zohar’s intention is that the matter of *Mishneh Torah* concerns the mystery of the Oral Torah, which Israel received at the end of forty years, upon their entrance into the land. Its name, *Mishneh Torah*, itself proves this.

In my opinion, this is the mystery of the verse, “Isaac was forty years old when he took [ב״קחתו א״ת ר״בקה] Rebecca” (Genesis 25:20), whose initial letters spell בא״ר (“he explained”). Isaac is the mystery of the Written Torah, for “we heard it from the mouth of Gevurah” (Shabbat 88b): “God spoke all these words,” and so forth (Exodus 20:1)—Elohim precisely, which is Isaac.

This is the meaning of “My beloved is radiant and ruddy [צח ואדום]” (Song of Songs 5:10). The Holy One, blessed be He, gave the Torah with forty-nine pure faces and forty-nine impure faces (Numbers Rabbah 2:3), totaling צ״ח, ninety-eight; “and ruddy” refers to the side of Isaac, whose color is red (Zohar III, 215a).

Rebecca is the mystery of the Oral Torah. Isaac had to wait forty years before taking Rebecca, for Israel likewise waited forty years: they received the Written Torah at the beginning of the forty years, while at the end of the forty years “Moses began to explain [באר],” namely the Oral Torah.

For the same reason there were forty generations from Moses our teacher to Rabbi [Judah the Patriarch], who arranged the Mishnayot. This is also hinted in the word משנה as מ׳ שנה (“forty years”): Israel waited forty years between receiving the Written Torah and the Oral Torah.

The Oral Torah therefore begins with the letter מ in מאימתי (“From when?”; Berakhot 2a) and ends with מ in בשלום (“with peace”; Uqtzin 3:12). At this point the source opens a parenthesis before the first citation and does not close its outer scope, the damaged parenthesis of Chapter 246. [TN-246-01]

For this reason the text says, “Moses received the Torah *from* Sinai” (Avot 1:1), rather than “at Sinai.” It hints at the forty years they waited to receive the Oral Torah, and at the forty generations from Moses until Rabbi, who arranged the Mishnayot.

Moses’s prayer concerned this matter: he wished to arrange the Mishnayot now, accomplishing what Rabbi would do after forty generations. He therefore opened with ואתחנן and prayed according to the intention of its number, 515, the combined value of יצחק רבקה (Isaac, Rebecca), the mysteries of the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, as explained.

ההוא is written, referring to the Written Torah; ההיא is read, referring to the Oral Torah. “At that time” likewise means that Moses wished to repair what our holy Rabbi would arrange in future generations.

He therefore mentioned two Names: Adonai corresponding to the Oral Torah, which is Rebecca; and YHWH vocalized with the vowels of Elohim, which is Isaac, corresponding to the Written Torah. From there come forty-nine pure faces, forty-nine impure faces, and the forty-nine gates of Binah. Thus the ע in “You made him a little [מעט] less than Elohim” (Psalms 8:6) is suspended (Nedarim 38a).

This is hinted in Isaac’s name. They received ten commandments, each comprised of ten. This is the meaning of “Isaac sowed in that land and found one hundred gates” (Genesis 26:12). These are the mystery of the two nuns in the word ואתחנן: fifty gates of Binah on the pure side and fifty gates of Binah on the impure side. Yet “You made him a little less than Elohim”: only forty-nine pure and forty-nine impure were delivered to Moses. This is what the צ״ח, ninety-eight, of Isaac indicates, for Moses received only ninety-eight faces from Sinai.

The initial letters of א״תה ה״חלות ל״הראות spell אה״ל (“tent”). When the Tent of Meeting was erected, the Holy One, blessed be He, began teaching Moses the Oral Torah, as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded in Megillah (19b): He showed Moses all the precise rules of the scribes, and so forth.

Isaac is the Written Torah, while “and like Your mighty acts” refers to the Oral Torah. He therefore said, “Let me cross over [אעב״רה], נא.” אעב״רה is a notarikon of א״תקן ע״תה ב״ימי ר״בינו ה״קדוש (“I shall now repair [what will occur] in the days of our holy Rabbi”). That is, I shall accomplish now what our holy Rabbi will institute and innovate in his days.

נ״א is a notarikon of נ״תן א״בות (“Nathan, Avot”). Rabbi and Rabbi Nathan were the last of the tannaim, as stated in Bava Metzia 86a, while Rabbi Nathan alludes to tractate *Avot de-Rabbi Nathan*.

The word “strong [החזקה]” likewise alludes to the Oral Torah, corresponding to Rabbi. Rabbi was a gilgul of Jacob our father, concerning whom Moses said “Your greatness.” Our Sages, of blessed memory, said—printed in [Avodah Zarah 11a]—that the Holy One, blessed be He, answered Rebecca, “Two nations [גיים] are in your womb” (Genesis 25:23): these are Rabbi and Antoninus.

“The LORD said to her” precisely, for He revealed to Rebecca the Oral Torah that would exist in the days of our holy Rabbi. Through her the Oral Torah was completed. Scripture says “in your womb [בבטנך],” as in “Your belly is a heap of wheat” (Song of Songs 7:3): everyone needs the “master of the wheat,” as our Sages said in Horayot 14a.

The word גיים is therefore written with two yods, alluding to the mystery of the Oral Torah, which was completed through both of them, Rabbi and Antoninus.

The word אעבר״ה likewise hints at this as a notarikon of א״נטונינוס ע״שו ב״ימי ר״בינו ה״קדוש (“Antoninus—Esau—in the days of our holy Rabbi”). That is: what will be repaired through Esau’s gilgul, Antoninus, and Jacob’s gilgul, our holy Rabbi, I wish to repair now. נ״א means “now,” as in “Behold, נא, I know” in Parashat Lekh Lekha (Genesis 12:11).

The Oral Torah, the mystery of the final ה in the Name, would thereby be completed. Moses therefore used אעברה with an additional ה, to accomplish this now; and ואראה with the additional ו, alluding to the six orders of the Mishnah arranged by our holy Rabbi.

The source then assigns “the good land” to the Written Torah and proceeds to “the good mountain,” before saying “and Lebanon” with the added ו״ה, alluding to the two Torahs, which are the mystery of ו״ה in HaShem. Its syntax does not explicitly assign “the good mountain” to one of the two Torahs. [TN-246-02] From ואתחנן through והלבנון there are said to be forty words, alluding to the Oral Torah.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you [רב לך].” That is, in the answer I gave Rebecca—“the elder [רב] shall serve the younger”—you will find the answer to your words: this matter is reserved for the two nations, ultimately in the days of Rabbi and Antoninus.

“It is much for you” also indicates that one must wait a long time [זמן רב] for the giving of the Mishnayot. The word לך precisely refers to the Oral Torah. Just as you had to wait forty days on the mountain to receive the Oral Torah (Deuteronomy 9:9), Israel must wait forty generations until our holy Rabbi. Just as you had to wait from the beginning of the forty years until the end, when “Moses began to explain” the Oral Torah, so the seal of the Oral Torah opens with the מ of מאימתי and concludes with the מ of בשלום.

This is the meaning of “There are sixty queens” (Song of Songs 6:8)—סמ״ך tractates—and “eighty concubines.” The concubines [פלגשים] are the seal, the two mems, which make eighty. The Oral Torah is therefore called “Torah that is upon the mouth [פה],” for its seal has the value eighty, פ.

For this reason *Mishneh Torah* opens, “These are the words [הדברים] that Moses spoke,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 1:1)—“words” precisely, the Oral Torah. Its appointed time was distant [רב], forty generations until Rabbi. Therefore, “Do not continue to speak to Me further.”

Rather, “Command Joshua”—“command” means alacrity (Qiddushin 29a), for greater vigilance is required regarding laws so that they not be forgotten. Concerning them it is stated, “Will you cause your eyes to fly toward it? It is gone” (Proverbs 23:5). Therefore He said, “See with your eyes and command Joshua,” so that he too would see with his own eyes that as soon as “you cause your eyes to fly toward it,” it is gone. “Strengthen him” concerning the Written Torah, “and embolden him” concerning the Oral Torah.

Ofan 247

A well-known premise among the masters of truth concerns the mystery of the tablets, whose weight was forty seah, as stated in *Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer*. This is the measure of a mikveh, which contains 240 kav, 648 handbreadths, and 960 log.

Moses therefore received the Torah over forty days. Just as every seah contains six kav and every kav four log, so the day divides into four periods, each containing six hours. Just as a mikveh contains 960 log, forty days contain 960 hours. Moses thus learned the Oral Torah over 960 hours, the measure of a mikveh.

This is the meaning of the verse, “The Torah of the wise is a source [מקור] of life” (Proverbs 13:14). The formation of the fetus likewise takes 960 hours, for the principal purpose of formation is the Oral Torah. מתניתי״ן (“Mishnah”) therefore has the numerical value 960.

Since “there is no Torah like the Torah of the Land of Israel” (Genesis Rabbah 16:4), the journey across the Land of Israel likewise takes forty days, 960 hours of travel for an average person.

In my opinion, this is the meaning of “The mikveh of Israel is the LORD” (Jeremiah 14:8). That is, within the Name YHWH one finds the seah, kav, and log measures. The graphic form of the Four-Letter Name includes the two hes of HaShem: one has the form ד״ו and one the form ד״י. These are the mystery of the bride’s twenty-four ornaments, as explained in *Kanfei Yonah*.

This is the meaning of “My beloved is mine [דודי לי]” (Song of Songs 2:16). When HaShem has the form דוד״י, its number is said to rise to ל״י. The transition between the graphic form and the value forty is compressed in the source. [TN-247-01] This is what Scripture says, “You shall be a treasure to Me [לי]” (Exodus 19:5).

This is hinted in the verse, “He was there with the LORD forty days” (Exodus 24:18)—“with the LORD” precisely, the Name YHWH precisely, concerning forty. Immediately afterward it says, “Let them take an offering for Me [לי]” (Exodus 25:2): “for Me” means “for My Name.” The graphic form of the Name YHWH has the value ל״י, forty, upon which Israel’s betrothal and union with the Holy One, blessed be He, depend.

This is the meaning of “Let them take an offering [תרומה] for Me.” It is stated in Raʿaya Mehemna (Zohar III, 272a): תורה מ׳ (“Torah, forty”). Thus the graphic form of the Name YHWH indicates the number six in the mystery of forty seah, while the number of the Four-Letter Name hints at the kav.

The Four-Letter Name has the value כ״ו, twenty-six. The source then says: multiply כ, twenty, by ו, six, and the result is ק״ך, 120; then multiply ו by כ, and the result is ר״ס, 260. The second product is arithmetically inconsistent with the same factors, and no alternate operation is stated. [TN-247-02]

This is the meaning of “He beholds the form of the LORD” (Numbers 12:8): Moses contemplated the form of YHWH, which graphically equals forty, for forty days.

When Israel received the Torah, they stood below in the likeness of the creatures of the merkavah, concerning whom it is stated, “The creatures ran and returned [רצוא ושוב]” (Ezekiel 1:14). Israel likewise “ran” when receiving the Torah through Nuriel and “returned” through Metatron. The numerical value of both together equals תורה (“Torah”).

“The angels of hosts hurry to and fro [ידודון]” (Psalms 68:13): Israel recoiled twelve miles at every single commandment (Shabbat 88b). Over ten commandments, ten times twelve makes 120 miles. They first ran and then returned; Scripture again says ידודון, twelve miles, making 120.

Moses son of Amram said that Israel were four times 600,000, the number ר״ם, as stated in the Midrash on Parashat Ki Tissa (Exodus Rabbah). In the present line of interpretation, however, Israel traversed ר״ם kav in the “mikveh” at the giving of the Torah. The movement between ר״ם as 240 and the population units is compressed. [TN-247-03] This fulfilled the verse “The mikveh of Israel is YHWH” (Jeremiah 14:8).

“Are not My words like fire? says the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:29)—precisely. In the number YHWH one finds the 240 kav of Israel’s mikveh.

One likewise finds 960 log in the Name YHWH in this fashion: spell כ״ו fully as כ״ף וי״ו, and multiply the concealed letters one by the other. ו, six, times ף, eighty, is 480; פ, eighty, times ו, six, is 480; together they make 960.

This is the meaning of “The LORD, He is God” (Deuteronomy 4:35). That is, when the number of YHWH, כ״ו, is filled as כ״ף וי״ו, its concealed letters are פ״ו, the numerical value of Elohim, eighty-six.

This is the intention of the verse, “He gave them the lands of nations, and they inherited the labor of peoples, so that they might observe His statutes and guard His Torah” (Psalms 105:44–45). The Holy One, blessed be He, gave Israel the Land of Israel, whose traversal takes forty days, for the sake of the Torah, which was given in forty days.

It likewise says, “He declared the power of His deeds to His people, to give them the inheritance of nations” (Psalms 111:6). All the days Moses spent on the mountain—120 days—served to give them the inheritance of nations, which takes forty days to traverse. This is the meaning of “the work of His hands,” alluding to the tablets, for “the tablets were the work of God” (Exodus 32:16).

Moses therefore began to petition, “And I pleaded with YHWH” precisely, “at that time,” when Moses was 120 years old, corresponding to the 120 days he spent on the mountain, three periods of forty. The Name YHWH hints at forty seah, 240 kav, and 960 log, corresponding to the days and hours Moses spent on the mountain—the mystery of the mikveh, as explained.

The initial letters of א״תה ה״חלות ל״הראות spell אה״ל (“tent”). When the Tent of Meeting was erected, it is stated there, “the Tabernacle was erected [הוקם המשכן]” (Exodus 40:17). הוקם is an anagram of קומה, and also of מקוה (“mikveh”), as written in *Galei Razayya*; see there.

In my opinion, these correspond to Moses’s three periods on the mountain and to the tablets, whose weight was forty seah, likewise the measure of a mikveh. Moses was on the mountain three times, forty days each, corresponding to the three worlds Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah and the three bonds—nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshamah. Each must immerse in the 960 supernal log, in the mystery of “A river of fire streamed and issued forth” (Daniel 7:10).

In forty days an average person can walk four hundred parasangs by four hundred parasangs, as stated in Pesaḥim 94a. This is the meaning of “Its wheels were burning fire [גלגלוהי נו״ר דלי״ק]” (Daniel 7:9), for נו״ר דלי״ק has the numerical value four hundred.

Corresponding to the forty days at Mount Sinai, when the 960 log of nefesh were repaired, Moses said “Your greatness,” as it is written, “Behold, He has shown us His greatness” (Deuteronomy 5:21). At that time, “my soul departed when He spoke” (Song of Songs 5:6), corresponding to nefesh.

Afterward, corresponding to the Tent of Meeting, where he was commanded concerning rulings of the Oral Torah, Moses said “Your strong hand.” It is stated, “They brought the Tabernacle to Moses” (Exodus 39:33): “You surpassed them all” (Proverbs 31:29; Exodus Rabbah 52:4). At that time ruaḥ was repaired through the 960 log in Yetzirah.

When the Tabernacle was erected, as stated in the Midrash (Numbers Rabbah 12:2), the Holy One, blessed be He, signaled Metatron to make a Tabernacle above as well. He erected the Tabernacle in Yetzirah, where “He makes His angels spirits [רוחות]” (Psalms 104:4). Ruaḥ and its 960 log were then repaired, while a forty-day journey measures four hundred parasangs, the value of נור דליק.

Corresponding to the final forty days, the repair of neshamah in Beriah, for which they received the Torah a third time in the plains of Moab, Moses said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth?”

For this reason Israel recoiled 120 miles, likewise forty [in each of three periods], indicating that they had to repair their three bonds—nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshamah—each over forty days, the forty seah that constitute the measure of 960 log.

Since Moses’s three ascents are the mystery of 960, he said, “Let me cross over, נא.” After all, “He gave them the lands of nations so that they might observe His statutes and His Torah.” The purpose of the Land of Israel, whose traversal takes forty days, is thus the Torah, as Scripture says: to observe His statutes and His Torah, which was given in forty days, 960 hours/log.

When I am in the Land of Israel, I shall repair the mikveh, the mystery of the Name YHWH, within which the kav, seah, and log are hinted. The Land of Israel is “a land that the LORD your God continually seeks” (Deuteronomy 11:12). Its traversal therefore takes forty days, the measure of 960 hours. Moses enumerated three degrees corresponding to nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshamah.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you.” Your 120 years have already been divided into three periods of forty, corresponding to the three ascents by which Moses went up the mountain for forty days each.

“Now ascend to the top of the summit.” It is stated in Sotah (13b) that there were twelve steps on Mount Nebo; Moses traversed them all in one stride. Each comprised ten, making 120—three times forty.

“Command Joshua and strengthen him,” for he too ought to have lived 120 years. He therefore said “and embolden him”; only Joshua’s sin caused ten years to be removed from him (Numbers Rabbah 22:6).

There is also another reason for the 120 days Moses spent on the mountain. The first forty days correspond to a male, concerning whom the Torah writes that a woman must wait forty days before her offering (Leviticus 12:4); the days of impurity and purity for a female total eighty days (Leviticus 12:5).

Concerning this Moses said, “At that time [ההוא],” while we read it ההיא, for they are male and female. During the days Moses was on the mountain he had to repair the male and female days. When the 120 days were complete, “Moses assembled [ויקהל]” (Exodus 35:1) the people to give a contribution for the Tabernacle.

The initial letters of “You have begun to show [א״תה ה״חלות ל״הראות]” therefore spell אה״ל, alluding to the Tent of Meeting. “Your greatness” corresponds to the male side, for גדלך has the numerical value of הב״ן (“the son”); “Your strong hand” corresponds to the female side.

When the Tabernacle was erected, it was equivalent to the creation of heaven and earth [Tanḥuma, Pequdei 2], alluding to male and female. Moses therefore said, “Let me cross over, נא.” Corresponding to the female he said “the good land”; corresponding to the male, “the good mountain.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you.” You have already repaired male and female through the events concerning which the Torah records miracles over 120 miles, as stated in the Jerusalem Talmud (Sotah 7:3). Likewise, when Israel traveled from Rameses to Sukkot they went 120,000 cubits; and so too at the giving of the Torah, as explained. At the calf, 120 myriads of destroying angels came (Shabbat 88a). “Moses took the tent” (Exodus 33:7) and merited all of them, as it is written, “It is much for you.”

Ofan 248

It is stated in *Reshit Ha-Ḥokhmah* that the seven primordial kings who died are the mystery of “These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom” (Genesis 36:31), concerning whom the Torah says, “he reigned and he died.” Their breaking was their death. There were 600,000 fragments, and every fragment comprises 600,000 sparks or souls.

In my opinion, this is the mystery of there being 600,000 letters in the Torah, every letter comprising 600,000. It is likewise stated concerning Israel in the Midrash (Shoḥer Tov on Psalm 45), on “Instead of your fathers shall be your sons” (Psalms 45:17), that in the future each individual will comprise 600,000.

This is hinted in the name ישראל. י times ש makes 3,000; ר times 3,000 makes 600,000. The א of ישראל then indicates one further 600,000, making 1,200,000. ל times 1,200,000 makes sixty times 600,000. This is the meaning of “every man of Israel [כל איש ישראל]” (Exodus 1:1, as cited): all the sixty myriads are hinted in the name Israel.

This is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said [in the Mishnah, Sanhedrin 37a]: “Whoever preserves one soul from Israel is considered as though he preserved an entire world.” A “full world” is the mystery of the 600,000 conduits in the world. Thus it is written, “A generation goes” (Ecclesiastes 1:4), referring to 600,000, as they said in the Midrash (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 1:4): no generation has fewer than 600,000.

Concerning this Moses said, “And I pleaded with the LORD at that time.” He wished to repair now what will occur in the future, so that every Israelite would be a “full world,” fulfilling “Instead of your fathers shall be your sons.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, likewise showed the matter of 600,000 in the name Abraham. *Sodei Razei* raises a difficulty: the Holy One, blessed be He, called him אברהם on account of “a father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:5); if so, He ought to have called him אב״הם. It answers that Abraham’s name hints that he is father over 600,000 in this fashion: ר times ה makes 1,000, while a closed מ represents 600 in the אי״ק בכ״ר reckoning; the result is 600,000.

It further writes that the name Abraham hints at twice the number who went out of Egypt: א times ב makes two; ב times ר makes 400; ה times 400 makes 2,000; the closed מ is 600; 600 times 2,000 makes 1,200,000. Thus we find 600,000 in Abraham.

Concerning this Moses said, “You have begun to show Your servant,” referring to the holy patriarchs. “Your greatness” corresponds to Abraham, in whose name 600,000 are hinted, as explained; he was the aggregate of 600,000.

“Your strong hand” is Isaac, for the Shekhinah did not remove her hand from his hand. Thus שכינה in full spelling—שי״ן כ״ף יו״ד נו״ן ה״י—has the numerical value תר״א, 601; the source then treats the א as one thousand in order to reach the 600,000 scale. [TN-248-01] This is the meaning of “Your strong hand,” for he comprises 600,000 spirits.

Corresponding to Jacob he said, “Who is El?” The name Israel hints at 600,000, and concerning Jacob it is stated, “He strove with an angel [וישר אל] and prevailed” (Hosea 12:5). In the combination ישר one finds 600,000 in this manner: י times ש makes 3,000, and then ר times 3,000 makes 600,000.

The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore called Jacob “El” (Genesis 33:20; Megillah 18a). Thus it is written, “Jacob went on his way, and angels of God encountered him” (Genesis 32:2). These are 600,000—“him [בו]” precisely. That is, when the letters of יעקב are filled with ו, as in “Jacob arrived whole” (Genesis 33:18), spell them יו״ד עי״ן קו״ף בי״ת. The concealed letters equal א״ל ישרא״ל when the ו is absent, and the source then gives the form ישר״ן. The exact designation of this last form is compressed, though the hidden-letter calculation is operative. [TN-248-02]

Thus three further names given to Jacob are embedded in the name Jacob: ישרן, ישראל, and אל. They correspond to the four worlds, for Jacob merited all the chariots.

Moses therefore alluded here to “Instead of your fathers”—the three patriarchs, each of whom comprises 600,000—“shall be your sons” in the future; “You shall appoint them as princes [לשרים] throughout the land.” The word שרים hints that each comprises 600,000: ש times י makes 3,000, and ר times 3,000 makes 600,000.

They are the mystery of the closed מ in “of the increase of dominion [לםרבה המשרה]” (Isaiah 9:6), as cited [in the Zohar on Parashat Terumah (Zohar II)]. It is the mystery of Binah comprising 600,000 souls.

Moses therefore said, “Let me cross over, נא.” When I come to the Land of Israel, I wish now to repair the pregnancy of the first ה in the Name, which is Binah, so that every individual of Israel will comprise 600,000 “when I see the land,” as it is written, “You shall appoint them as princes throughout the land” precisely. He enumerated three degrees: “the good land” corresponding to the 600,000 nefashot; “the good mountain” corresponding to the ruḥot; and “Lebanon” corresponding to the neshamot.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “It is much for you.” “The city of the King” (Psalms 48:3), the mystery of Binah, is yours; it is your own rung, for Moses and the 600,000 derive from the World to Come.

He also said, “The large number [מספר רב] of 600,000 is yours,” for משה reaches 600,000 in this fashion: מ times ש makes 12,000; ה times 12,000 makes 60,000. “How tall was Moses? Ten cubits” (Berakhot 54b); ten times 60,000 makes 600,000. Therefore, “Do not continue.”

It is possible that Moses intended this when he said, “You have begun [to show] Your greatness,” the Shiʿur Qomah that is 600,000. א״ת precisely refers to the letters of the Torah, which number 600,000, while I too comprise 600,000—this is “Your strong hand.”

Join the letter י to the staff of God that was in Moses’s hand—the source’s locator is damaged as [uncertain: שמותכ ד]—which is the mystery of Metatron, whose height was ten cubits. [TN-248-03] When the י is joined with the ש of Moses, the result is 600,000. There are likewise 600,000 conduits in the world.

This is the meaning of “Who is El in heaven and on earth?” referring to the 600,000 windows in heaven through which influence comes to earth. Since all influence comes through the Land of Israel, which is aligned with the supernal throne, as it is written, “A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary” (Jeremiah 17:12), Moses said, “Let me cross over, נא.” There the gates of heaven are open, as it is written, “This is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17).

Around the supernal throne are 600,000 wheels that surround the throne. This is the meaning of “and Lebanon,” which is called the Temple: “This is none other than the house of God.” Moses therefore said, “Let me cross over, נא.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you.” The Torah, which contains 600,000 letters, is called by your name, for the name Moses indicates the number 600,000, as I have written.

Ofan 249

It is stated in *Sodei Raza*: Why is ו the third letter in the Name יה״ו? Because the world was created in six days. On the first day there was light (Genesis 1:3), and on the fourth day, the luminaries (Genesis 1:14)—these correspond. On the second day there was a firmament in the midst of the waters (Genesis 1:6), and on the fifth, “Let the waters swarm, and let birds fly upon the face of the firmament” (Genesis 1:20). On the third day, “Let the dry land appear” (Genesis 1:9), and on the sixth, “Let the earth bring forth” (Genesis 1:24). Thus א״ד, ב״ה, and ג״ו correspond.

Everything created has six directions: above, below, and the four directions. These are comprised within three: above and below are one pair, east and west one, and north and south one. There are therefore three pairs. The first and fourth days correspond, the second and fifth correspond, and the third and sixth correspond.

Everything created thus possesses above, below, and four directions. That which lies between the directions is the object itself, corresponding to the seventh day, the Sabbath, for the Sabbath is everything. Whoever rests on the Sabbath acknowledges that He created the world in six days. A gentile who rests on the Sabbath is liable to death (Sanhedrin 58b), for the world was created for Israel (Leviticus Rabbah 36:4). The same applies to a gentile who studies Torah (Sanhedrin 59a), for the world was created through the Torah in which Israel engages.

Everything is therefore comprised in ג״ו: ג״ו within ג״ו, inside ג״ו—everything. The six days comprise three pairs. Thus sowing corresponds to harvest, cold to heat, and summer to winter: ג״ו corresponding to ג״ו. Day and night correspond; the hands and feet correspond; circumcision and the eyes correspond; the ears and speech correspond. Because the voice issues from the lung, its lobes are called אונּות, like ears [אוזנות].

According to this principle, we can resolve what *Kanfei Yonah* writes concerning the statement of our Sages in Gittin 77a: the first, second, and third days of the week are “after the Sabbath,” while the fourth, fifth, and sixth days are “before the Sabbath.” The Sabbath is like a king among his troops. A human being possesses nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshamah: during the three days after the Sabbath they withdraw, and during the three days before it they return and come.

For this reason the Torah is read on Monday and Thursday (Bava Qamma 82a), for those two days correspond to ruaḥ, which comes from Yetzirah, where Zeʿir nests.

In my opinion, the Land of Israel likewise occupies the middle of the seven climates: three climates on the right and three on the left, with the Land of Israel in the middle, as it is written, “Beautiful in elevation, the joy of all the earth” (Psalms 48:3). It resembles the Sabbath among the other days of the week.

There are likewise seven planets in the world (*Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer*, chapter 6), with the sun in the middle. Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars are on one side; Venus, Mercury, and the moon on the other. It follows that the Land of Israel corresponds to the sun.

For this reason our Sages said in Taʿanit (8b), “Sun on the Sabbath is charity for the poor.” Our Sages hinted at this in the final chapter of Ketubot (111a): Why did Jacob command his sons to bury him in the Land of Israel (Genesis 47:30)? Karna said, “There are matters within [דברים בגו]”—בגו precisely, alluding to what *Sodei Raza* says: the Holy One, blessed be He, created ג״ו within ג״ו, inside ג״ו.

Moses therefore opened with ו, alluding to the pairs of the six days of Creation. He said “to YHWH” precisely, as explained above, alluding to ו of the Name YHWH. “At that time” alludes to the obscure phrase [uncertain: ה״ו עתיד]. [TN-249-01] ההוא is therefore written, for everything is comprised “at that time,” the Sabbath day.

The six seasons of the year are likewise hinted in “It is a statute [חק] for Israel” (Psalms 81:5): חק is a time appointed for the world. ח״ק is a repeated notarikon of ח״ריש ק״ציר (“sowing, harvest”), ח״ום ק״ור (“heat, cold”), and ח״ורף ק״יץ (“winter, summer”), each corresponding to its opposite (Genesis 8:22).

Concerning this Moses prayed, “You have begun to show.” Moses is the mystery of the sun, cited in the source as [uncertain: ב״ר ע״ה ע״א], which appears to intend the “face of the sun” tradition associated with Bava Batra 75a. [TN-249-02] The sun resembles the Sabbath among the days, and it too has three pairs.

Corresponding to the world’s six directions, Moses said “Your greatness” for east and west, as it is written, “From the rising of the sun to its setting, My Name is great among the nations” (Malachi 1:11). Corresponding to north and south he said “Your strong hand,” for they resemble the hands. Corresponding to above and below he said, “Who is El in heaven and on earth?”

Since a human being has three pairs, as explained above, Moses said, “Let me cross over, נא, and see the land.” Just as the Sabbath is the object itself between the three pairs, so the Land of Israel is “a desirable land [ארץ חפץ].” Moses likewise is the middle bar, the face of the sun. He therefore petitioned concerning himself, wishing to repair the middle climate, “beautiful in elevation.” Through this Israel would be repaired, as it is written, “You shall be for Me a desirable land” (Malachi 3:12), “the mighty ones, in whom is all My desire” (Psalms 16:3), and “the desire of the LORD shall prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:10).

This would fulfill the verse “Beautiful in elevation, the recesses of the north” (Psalms 48:3), for from there evil comes to the world (Jeremiah 1:14); but you shall be “the joy of all the good land.” Moses enumerated three degrees corresponding to the three pairs: “the good [land]” corresponding to nefesh, “the good [mountain]” to ruaḥ, and “Lebanon” to neshamah.

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered, “It is much for you.” You already fulfilled your own rung, which is ו, when you received the Torah. The tablets were six handbreadths long by six wide (Nedarim 38a), on the sixth of Sivan. All six times and six directions of the world were then repaired.

Thus it is written, “All the people saw the voices [הקולת]” (Exodus 20:18), written defectively without ו. Everyone agrees that the Torah was given on the sixth day, at six hours into the day. When the Holy One, blessed be He, opened with “I am” (Exodus 20:2), Israel responded, “Hear, O Israel … the LORD is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4), enthroning Him in heaven, on earth, and in the four directions (Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:31). Therefore, “Do not continue.”

Hagahah

Young Solomon says: In my humble opinion, “sun on the Sabbath” is the unification of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shekhinah. Therefore it is “charity for the poor,” for abundant influence and blessing then come into the world.

For this mystery Jacob had to be buried in the Land of Israel, in order to unite the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shekhinah, in the mystery of “Jacob journeyed to Sukkot” (Genesis 33:17). The mystery of סוכה is the two Names כ״ו and ה״ס, YHWH (26) and Adonai (65), the unification of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shekhinah in the interlaced form יאהדונה״י. The name “Land of Israel” indicates this, for in their coupling it is called the Land of Israel.

This is the meaning of Karna’s statement, “There are matters within [דברים בגו].” That is, from the very name “Land of Israel” you can understand why Jacob was buried in the Land of Israel.

Therefore, if Israel were to observe two Sabbaths properly, they would immediately be redeemed (Shabbat 118b). When Israel below awakens the joining of the two Sabbaths, the supernal Israel joins with the two supernal Sabbaths, Yesod and Malkhut, each of which is called Sabbath, as stated in *Perush Ma‘arekhet*, p. 70. They are then redeemed; when separated, however, Israel is exiled from its land.

This is the mystery of “Whoever fixes a place for his prayer, his enemies fall beneath him” (Berakhot 7b). “Place” is the mystery of the Holy One, blessed be He, while prayer is the Shekhinah. When they are joined, his enemies fall beneath him precisely. When they are separated, Heaven forbid, the kelippah likewise grows powerful and raises its head: “a maidservant who inherits her mistress” (Proverbs 30:23).

A gentile who rests on the Sabbath is therefore liable to death, for, on the contrary, he draws the Shekhinah downward into the sitra aḥra. Everyone therefore agrees that the Torah was given on the Sabbath (Shabbat 86b), likewise for this reason: to join Tiferet, the giving of the Torah, with His Shekhinah, the Sabbath.

Jacob was therefore buried in the Cave of Machpelah, which is the Shekhinah, as stated in *Or Ne‘erav*. It is therefore stated in the Zohar Hadash that prayer enters above by way of the Cave of Machpelah, for prayer enters through the Shekhinah, in the mystery of “Adonai, open my lips” (Psalms 51:17). “Open for me the gates of righteousness [צד״ק]” (Psalms 118:19)—this is the Shekhinah—“I shall enter through them and thank Yah.”

We therefore pray toward the west of the Land of Israel, where the Shekhinah is found (Bava Batra 25b). This is the meaning of “Like the tower of David,” which is the Shekhinah, “built as a תלפיות” (Song of Songs 4:4)—“the hill [תל] toward which all mouths turn [פיות]” (Berakhot 30a). ת״ל has the numerical value of צדי״ק יסו״ד עול״ם (“the righteous one, foundation of the world”), while פיו״ת has the numerical value of Malkhut.

Since the Shekhinah comprises the four legs of the merkavah, she is called Kiryat Arba (Genesis 35:27), on account of the four couples of the merkavah buried there (Eruvin 53a). Adam the first man is the fourth leg; this is the mystery of David, who is his gilgul.

The Sabbath therefore indicates the merkavah: the ש of שב״ת represents the three patriarchs, while ב״ת is the Shekhinah (Zohar I, 23b).

The merkavah is divided into four, although in truth it consists of only three lines, as I wrote in Ofan 200. The dispute between Rabbi Hidqa and the Rabbis concerning the Sabbath meals (Shabbat 117b) therefore concerns the mystery of the merkavah. The source assigns “four” to the Rabbis, corresponding to the four legs of the merkavah, and “three” to Rabbi Hidqa, corresponding to the three lines, reversing the familiar attribution of the meal counts. [TN-249-03]

Nevertheless, all agree that one must eat a small meal at the conclusion of the Sabbath, the *Melaveh Malkah*, corresponding to “David the small,” as stated in the Zohar.

End of Hagahah

Ofan 250

I must preface this with one premise that I wrote in my large book of one thousand Ofanim, which I composed concerning the small א in ויקרא (Vayiqra, “And He called”; Leviticus 1:1), as I wrote in Ofan 46. There it is treated at length, but here I must be brief.

In my opinion, Moses’ intention in his prayer to enter the Land of Israel arose because he saw his gilgul as King Solomon, peace be upon him, who sat upon the throne (I Kings 2:12)—the very throne of YHWH, aligned with the throne above. It is stated in *Sodei Razayya* that the Holy One, blessed be He, is called מלך (melekh, “King”), whose gematria is ninety, because the Holy One, blessed be He, does not dwell among fewer than ninety thousand myriads of angels. Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: the throne Solomon made contained ninety thousand cathedrae. The seventy members of the Sanhedrin sat there; one throne on the right was for Gad the seer, one on the left for Nathan the prophet, and one throne in front was occupied by his mother Bathsheba [TN-250-01].

This matter is intimated in “The LORD shall be King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9). The Holy One, blessed be He, is not called King with less than the merkavah intimated by the word אר״ץ (eretz, “earth”), which is a notarikon for צ׳ אלפים רבבות (ninety thousand myriads). “O LORD our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth” (Psalms 8:10)—specifically “in all the earth.” [uncertain: כסא שמים הודו, ובכמה משריון מכסא הודו]. Therefore it says, “His praise fills the earth” (Habakkuk 3:3), namely the number אר״ץ, the notarikon צ׳ אלפים רבבות [TN-250-02].

So too we say in *Nishmat*: “the King who sits upon a high and exalted throne.” It then returns to explain the measure of His dwelling upon the throne: “who dwells forever, exalted and holy.” This refers back to “King,” which it stated initially. That is, corresponding to the value ninety of the title מלך, He dwells among no fewer than ninety thousand myriads. It then gives the reason His dwelling is specifically among ninety, returning to say, “Rejoice, righteous ones, in the LORD” (Psalms 33:1), because the Holy One, blessed be He, is “righteous and upright.” For this reason, “Righteous are You, O LORD” (Psalms 119:137): that is, HaShem—YHWH—dwells above among no fewer than ninety thousand myriads. Below, however, no multitude numbers fewer than six hundred thousand (Berakhot 58a).

This is the meaning of “and Your judgments are upright” (Psalms 119:137). The word יש״ר (yashar, “upright”) intimates the count of six hundred thousand in this manner: “ten times three hundred—three thousand; two hundred times thousands—behold, six hundred thousand.” The compressed arithmetic is preserved exactly as the source states it [TN-250-03].

This is also why the Torah is called “the Book of the Upright” (Avodah Zarah 25a): the letters of the Torah number six hundred thousand, and they are intimated by the two words ספ״ר היש״ר (sefer ha-yashar, “the Book of the Upright”). The word ספ״ר is a notarikon for ס׳ רבוא פרצופין (six hundred thousand visages). “This is the book of the generations of Adam” (Genesis 5:1), for Adam originally comprised six hundred thousand visages. David, who was Adam’s gilgul, said, “In the scroll of the book it is written of me” (Psalms 40:8). From this there unfold in the book six hundred thousand plain meanings. The notarikon ספ״ר יש״ר has the number six hundred thousand, because God originally created Adam as comprising six hundred thousand souls, intimated by יש״ר.

This is the meaning of “He is righteous and upright” (Deuteronomy 32:4): “righteous” refers to the count of the host above surrounding the throne, while “upright” refers to the multitude below, which numbers no fewer than six hundred thousand. Likewise, “Rejoice, righteous ones, in the LORD” (Psalms 33:1) corresponds to the source’s count of six thousand myriads above—specifically “in the LORD”—and “for the upright,” to the count of יש״ר below. The change from ninety thousand myriads to six thousand myriads is present in the source and has not been harmonized [TN-250-04].

One must now explain: only seventy members of the Sanhedrin sat upon the throne below, yet Scripture says, “Solomon sat upon the throne of the LORD” (I Chronicles 29:23), as though it precisely corresponded to the throne above. Are they not as distant as east from west? This, however, is a supernal mystery. “The sanctuary for Your dwelling that You made, O LORD” (Exodus 15:17), said by Moses, and “a sanctuary for Your dwelling forever” (I Kings 8:13), said by Solomon, are aligned with the verse, “One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I did not find” (Ecclesiastes 7:28). The seventy members of the Sanhedrin corresponded to seventy thousand, for every one of them comprised a thousand. There were then two thrones for Gad and Nathan, who were prophets. Prophecy is in the mystery of י, and thus each of them comprised a thousand. The numerical compression of this correspondence is stated without an explicit intervening calculation [TN-250-05].

We must introduce a premise from *Yonat Elem*, which is the mystery underlying the created order’s law (Kiddushin 17b): a Hebrew maidservant serves neither the son nor the daughter; a Hebrew male slave serves the son but does not serve the daughter; and a Canaanite slave serves both the son and the daughter.

These three grades are the mystery of the three worlds Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. The Hebrew maidservant is in the mystery of neshamah, which comes from the side of Binah, the first ה of HaShem: “the Supernal Mother nests in the Throne.” She therefore serves neither of the two—not the son, the mystery of the world of Yetzirah, where Zeʿir nests, nor the daughter, the world of Asiyah, where the Shekhinah nests.

The Hebrew male slave, however, derives from the mystery of Metatron, the world of the angels, where ruaḥ is found: “He makes His angels spirits” (Psalms 104:4). He serves the son, the mystery of Zeʿir, but does not serve the daughter, who is below in Asiyah.

The Canaanite slave derives from the mystery of Sandalfon—“one wheel upon the earth” (Ezekiel 1:15)—in the mystery of “Elijah at four.” That is, Elijah is in the fourth world (Berakhot 4b), the world of Asiyah. This is intimated in what our Sages, of blessed memory, say: “Elijah, of blessed memory, remembered for good” (Berakhot 3b). The words זכור לטוב (zakhor la-tov, “remembered for good”) intimate the place to which “the spirit of the LORD will carry Elijah” (II Kings 2:16): the place of Sandalfon, for סנדלפון (Sandalfon) and זכור לטוב have equal numerical value [TN-250-06].

But “Elijah at four” means that when one writes four words, as we say in Grace after Meals—אליהו הנביא זכור לטוב (Eliyahu ha-navi zakhor la-tov, “Elijah the prophet, remembered for good”)—another matter is intimated: Elijah rules “at four,” namely over Esau’s four hundred men (Genesis 32:7). These are the four hundred impudent courts explained in the *Idra Rabba* in the portion Naso (Zohar III). The four words וכי יש לי כל (ve-khi yesh li kol, “for I have everything”; Genesis 33:11) are likewise said to be ת, four hundred, in the mystery of Jacob’s words “God has favored me” and “for I have everything.” More exactly, the three words י״ש ל״י כ״ל (yesh li kol) have that gematria. Scripture said “God” concerning Enoch, who is in the world of Yetzirah, and “for I have everything” concerning Elijah, who is in the world of Asiyah [TN-250-07].

Elijah will come with Messiah son of Joseph, as is explained by the verse, “His firstborn bull has majesty”—this is the son of Joseph—“and his horns are the horns of a wild ox” (Deuteronomy 33:17)—this is Elijah the prophet, remembered for good. This is intimated by the initials of קרני ראם קרניו (qarnei re’em qarnav, “his horns are the horns of a wild ox”), the mystery of קר״ק. On Rosh Hashanah one must direct one’s intention to the order קר״ק—“teqiah, teruah, teqiah,” as the source expands it—toward Elijah the prophet, remembered for good, who ascends to this value and is appointed over it. He is in the third order, the mystery of Asiyah, when the three orders are the three worlds. When the world of Atzilut is counted with them, however, there are four worlds, and “Elijah is at four”: in Asiyah, the fourth world [TN-250-08].

The day is likewise divided among these three grades. The morning service is the mystery of the Hebrew maidservant, for that is the time of neshamah, as on Sabbath morning we say *Nishmat Kol Ḥai*. Minhah is the mystery of the Hebrew male slave. The evening service is the mystery of the Canaanite slave, for then there is an extension of garments of עו״ר (‘or, “skin”) with ע, unlike the morning, which is או״ר (or, “light”) with א, as we say, “who forms light.” The source likewise equates the numerical value of עבד כנעני (eved kena‘ani, “Canaanite slave”) with עו״ר [TN-250-09].

Corresponding to this, “Canaan has deceitful scales in his hand” (Hosea 12:8) is expounded to Sandalfon’s praise: the kelippah called “deceitful scales” is in his hand, and he subdues it. He is therefore called Canaan, כנען, from הכנעה (hakhna‘ah, “subjugation”), because Sandalfon subdues the deceitful scales.

This is the mystery of “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing” (Genesis 27:35)—specifically במרמ״ה (be-mirmah, “deceitfully”). That is, toward evening, when the kelippah called “deceitful scales” rules the world, Jacob came and established the evening prayer; this is intimated by “and took your blessing.” Isaac here intimated to Esau that Jacob established the evening prayer (Berakhot 26b), at the time when deceit rules, in the mystery of “You make darkness, and it is night, wherein every beast of the forest creeps forth” (Psalms 104:20). Because the rule of the Canaanite slave, Sandalfon, is toward evening, he serves both the son and the daughter.

In my opinion, this is the great secret of our practice in the evening prayer: first we say the eighteen verses of “Blessed is the LORD forever, amen and amen,” corresponding to the eighteen blessings, and afterward the eighteen-blessing evening Amidah. The halakhic decisors wrote that the first enactment was not displaced. Their synagogues stood in the fields, where there was danger from harmful beings, so they enacted in abbreviated form the eighteen verses, while each person prayed the eighteen-blessing evening prayer at home. Afterward the first enactment still remained in place. Rabbenu Yonah writes this in the first chapter of Berakhot, as do the other decisors.

Yet I say: “For it is a statute for Israel, a judgment of the God of Jacob” (Psalms 81:5). That is, we think it merely a statute and custom for Israel, but in truth it is a judgment belonging to the God of Jacob: “the law is a true law” before the God of truth. Here too the law is a true law. Because the evening prayer is in the mystery of the Canaanite slave, who serves the son and the daughter, the original enactment of the eighteen verses of “Blessed is the LORD forever, amen” must remain in place corresponding to the son, followed by the eighteen blessings corresponding to the daughter.

This is what our Sages, of blessed memory, meant when they said, “The evening prayer is optional” (תפלת ערבית רשות; Berakhot 27b): רשות can mean that “her husband’s authority is over her,” and it is impossible to mention her without her husband. Another interpretation is “for the beasts to eat” (למיכל לבעירין), as stated in *Raʿaya Mehemna*, portion Vayetze (Zohar III 242b). The source opens a parenthesis before this citation but leaves its scope unclosed; no conjectural closing boundary has been imposed [TN-250-10].

For this reason one must sit nowadays while saying “Blessed is the LORD forever, amen,” in the mystery of “I have come into my garden, my sister, bride” (Song of Songs 5:1), as discussed in Zohar, portion Pinhas (III 242a). Elijah said to Rabbi Phinehas ben Yair regarding the verse, “and Your pious ones shall sing joyfully” (Psalms 132:9): should it not have said, “and Your Levites shall sing joyfully”? Rather, when the bridegroom enters the bride’s house, he must change his own garments and clothe himself in the bride’s garment. Since she is called “the seated prayer,” these verses must therefore be recited while seated [TN-250-11].

For this same reason, when “a woman conceives and gives birth to a male” (Leviticus 12:2), she need remain only thirty-three days in the blood of purification (Leviticus 12:4). This is because the slave in the mystery of the male serves the son, and only the thirty-three sparks upon which the world stands are required. This is the mystery of “a locked garden, a locked גל” (Song of Songs 4:12): the גן (gan, “garden”) is locked so that one may bring forth גל (gal, thirty-three) sparks upon which the world stands, in the mystery of “unto this mound [גל]” (Genesis 31:52). They are the “three branches” Joseph saw (Genesis 40:10), which afterward extend into the thirty righteous persons in every generation [TN-250-12].

But “if she gives birth to a female” (Leviticus 12:5), she must remain for twice as long, to manifest the male power within the female: sixty-six days of purification corresponding to the thirty-three sparks on the left side. Concerning them it said, “unto this mound [גל]”—the גל sparks that issue from his side. So too the vine had שלשה שריגים (sheloshah sarigim, “three branches”), which the exposition reads as שלשה שרי גוים (sheloshah sarei goyim, “three princes of the nations”) in every generation; these extend into the thirty righteous persons of the nations of the world.

Israel were compared to “a mound of pebbles” when they left Egypt, in the mystery of “a locked garden, my sister, bride,” and “like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt” (Genesis 13:10). Israel were in Egypt in order to bring a גל, thirty-three, of pebbles out of the garden—that is, those thirty-three righteous persons from the nations of the world who come into the world three times from the nations called “clods of earth.” This is the mystery of “all the souls who came to Jacob’s household were sixty-six” (Genesis 46:26) [TN-250-13].

This is the mystery of Jacob’s descent to cut cedars in Beersheba (Genesis Rabbah 94:4). The intention concerns the souls issuing from the supernal Beersheba: he intended those “cedars of Lebanon,” namely those sparks, and meant to plant them within Israel so that Israel would comprise them all.

This is what is written: “They despoiled Egypt” (Exodus 12:36). Our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: “They made it like a trap in which there are no fish” (Berakhot 9b). This alludes to the pure sparks embedded there, in the mystery of “If all the fish of the sea were gathered for them” (Numbers 11:22), for gathering is stated there. This is why Jacob said to his sons, “Gather yourselves” (Genesis 49:1): he intended to gather and collect good separated elements and great and beautiful plantings.

This resolves Jacob’s statement concerning his son: “He refused to be comforted,” and said, “I shall descend to my son in mourning, to Sheol” (Genesis 37:35). It is inconceivable that a holy man like him would lie, for the Holy One, blessed be He, had already promised him, “You will give truth to Jacob” (Micah 7:20). Yet here we find an untrue utterance: “I shall descend to my son in mourning, to Sheol.” We have searched every side and place and have not found this statement to be literally true—that Jacob descended to his son in Sheol. How, then, was this utterance fulfilled?

The mystery of the matter is that it was fulfilled when he descended to him in Egypt, which is called Sheol, for “it is deeper than Sheol” (Job 11:8). Jacob descended there to Joseph in order to bring forth thirty-three righteous persons, the gematria of אב״ל (avel, “mourning”). Joseph was in Egypt to “gather all the silver” (Genesis 47:14)—the pure sparks that had been throughout the world and were brought into Egypt. This is the mystery of “unto this mound [גל].” Concerning Joseph, Rachel said when he was born, “God has gathered away my disgrace” (Genesis 30:23). He is “the gatherer of all the camps” (Numbers 10:25) [TN-250-14].

Jacob therefore said specifically, “I shall descend to my son”: מני ומניה יתקלס עילאה, “through me and through him the Most High will be praised,” by bringing forth אב״ל, thirty-three sparks, from Sheol. He consequently said שאולה (she’olah, “to Sheol”) with a ה at the end rather than לשאול (li-she’ol). He intended Joseph’s words ה״א לכם זרע (ha lakhem zera, “here is seed for you”; Genesis 47:23), concerning the five partzufim of the nefesh that had been scattered and that Joseph gathered. Jacob said האספו (he’asefu, “gather yourselves”), not אספו (isfu, “gather”); but he intended the five occurrences of ברכי נפשי (barekhi nafshi, “Bless, O my soul”) recited by David in Psalms [TN-250-15].

Thus with a female the male power must also be manifested. In the same way, the Canaanite slave serves the son and the daughter. This is not so with the Hebrew male slave, who is the male power: there is no need to manifest it there, and he therefore serves only the son, not the daughter.

Consequently, now that we are sunk in this bitter exile, in the time when the nations rule the world, we serve both the son and the daughter. “What service is performed in the heart? You must say: this is prayer” (Taʿanit 2a). The original enactment of the eighteen verses therefore remains in place.

For this secret and this same reason, when Moses first ascended to receive the first tablets, Israel were on the male grade, in the male world. This is the mystery of “A wise man ascended a city of mighty men” (Proverbs 21:22). In the Midrash Rabbah, portion Emor (Leviticus Rabbah 31:5), it says: do not read גבורים (gibborim, “mighty men”), but גברים (gevarim, “males”). Moses ascended on the male grade. Then, “Moses rejoiced in the gift of his portion, for You called him a faithful servant”: he was in the mystery of the Hebrew male slave, who serves the son. They therefore received the tablets after forty days, the mystery of “a woman conceives and gives birth to a male,” for one must wait forty days for a male.

At the end of the forty days, however, Israel descended to make the calf and weakened Moses’ power as though he were female (see Berakhot 32a). When Moses wished to receive the last tablets, he had to wait eighty days. At that time the Canaanite slave, who serves the son and the daughter, ruled the world. Moses therefore had to wait eighty days, until the Day of Atonement, when forgiveness was completed and he could receive the last tablets, which are in the mystery of the female [TN-250-16].

For this reason Moses wished to enter the Land of Israel: to nullify the rule of the Canaanite slave and repair the world so that it would belong to the male world, as at first, when he ascended to receive the first tablets. Concerning this he said, “I pleaded with the LORD.” ההוא (ha-hu, “that”) is written concerning his first ascent of the mountain, while ההיא (ha-hi, the feminine form) is read concerning the second and third ascents, when he was on the female grade [TN-250-17].

“You have begun to show Your servant”—specifically “Your servant.” At first he was on the grade of a Hebrew male slave, the male grade. He said “Your greatness” concerning the receiving of the first tablets. Concerning the receiving of the second tablets, when he was on the grade of the slave that is the female grade, he said “Your mighty hand.” “Who can act like Your deeds” refers to the male world, while “and like Your mighty acts” refers to the female world.

He therefore said, “Let me cross, please,” wishing to transform the attributes: to turn “the good land,” which is the female world, into “the good mountain,” which is the male world. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you”: this greatness is yours alone. Moses and his six hundred thousand belong to the World to Come, which is the male world. In his days Israel ate “bread from heaven” (Exodus 16:4), which belongs to the male world. But “command Joshua,” who belongs to the female world, concerning whom it says, “They ate of the produce of the land” (Joshua 5:11). “Strengthen him and embolden him” is in the mystery of the Canaanite slave, for חזקה״ו ואמצה״ו (hazzeqehu ve-ammetzehu, “strengthen him and embolden him”) is said to have the gematria of סנדלפו״ן (Sandalfon), who is in the mystery of the Canaanite slave [TN-250-18].

The three times that change each day are also intimated by the word ההיא as written ההוא, through the letters הו״א. The ה points to the world of Asiyah, where Matronita nests in Sandalfon, the mystery of the Canaanite slave. The ו of הוא points to the world of Yetzirah, where the Holy One, blessed be He, nests in Metatron, the mystery of the Hebrew male slave. The א of הוא points to the world of Beriah, where the Supernal Mother nests in the Throne. This is the mystery of אל״ף (elef, “one thousand”; Tikkunei Zohar 6, 23a) and of “a thousand thousands served Him” (Daniel 7:10)—the mystery of the world of the Throne, of El Shaddai extending over a thousand worlds, as explained in the *Idra Rabba* (Zohar III). This is the mystery of the Hebrew maidservant in the world of Beriah.

Thus the word הו״א intimates these three grades from below upward: the Canaanite slave, the Hebrew male slave, and the Hebrew maidservant—the mysteries of nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshamah. We have already said that the day is likewise divided into these three parts: morning is the mystery of the Hebrew maidservant; Minhah, the Hebrew male slave; and evening, the Canaanite slave [TN-250-19].

This is the meaning of “at that time” (בעת ההוא): specifically בע״ת, concerning the day divided into three times; through עת three times the three grades intimated in הוא are indicated. The verse then returns to explain what the grades are: “You have begun to show Your servant”—the three grades of servitude.

Corresponding to the Canaanite slave Moses said “Your greatness,” the mystery of nefesh, which comes from Abraham, concerning whom it is said, “The Canaanite was then in the land” (Genesis 12:6). “Your mighty hand” is the grade of the Hebrew male slave, from which comes the repair of ruaḥ, for Isaac is the root of all spirits. “Who is El” is the grade of Beriah: Jacob is called El (Genesis 33:20; Megillah 18a), and he is the root of all souls.

It is known that every human being has three bonds—nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshamah. Every person thus comprises the three holy patriarchs, who are the roots of these three bonds. For this reason a wicked person is called חלל (halal, “void/profaned”), as it is written, חלל רשע (“wicked void”; Ezekiel 21:30): he creates a void and causes the three bonds of the three patriarchs present in every person to depart from him. If you examine the letters חל״ל רש״ע (halal rasha), you will find his sin, for חל״ל רש״ע has the gematria of אברה״ם יצח״ק יעק״ב (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) [TN-250-20].

David therefore said, “My heart is void within me” (Psalms 109:22). After his sin he said this because he feared that his three bonds—the three patriarchs—had departed from him. Concerning them he said, “But You, O LORD, are a shield about me” (Psalms 3:4). Specifically מג״ן (magen, “shield”) is a notarikon: מיכאל (Michael), from Abraham’s side and the root of nefashot; גבריאל (Gabriel), from Isaac’s side and the root of ruḥot; and נוריאל (Nuriel), from Jacob’s side and the root of neshamot.

For this reason “the world stands upon three things” (Avot 1:2). A human being is a microcosm that stands upon these bonds. “Upon Torah” is from Jacob’s side, for he “dwelt in tents” (Genesis 25:27), and from his side one inherits neshamah. As the Zohar, portion Vayiqra (III 24b), says: מאן דירית אורייתא ירית נשמתא, “one who inherits Torah inherits neshamah.” “Upon worship” is from Isaac’s side, from which one inherits ruaḥ: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit” (Psalms 51:19). “Upon acts of lovingkindness” is from Abraham’s side, from which one inherits nefesh: “A pious man deals kindly with his own soul” (Proverbs 11:17) [TN-250-21].

Consequently, none of the prayers are heard until they first travel by way of the Cave of Machpelah, where the three patriarchs are buried. This was the intention of Moses’ request to enter the Land of Israel. Since “You have begun to show me” that prayers ascend by way of the three patriarchs buried in the Cave of Machpelah—as explained by “Your greatness,” Abraham; “Your hand,” Isaac; and “who is El,” Jacob—and since they are the roots of all the nefashot, ruḥot, and neshamot in the world, “let me cross, please,” so that I may repair these three bonds that depend upon servitude.

The word נ״א (na, “please”) is a notarikon for נשמת אמה (nishmat amah, “the soul of a maidservant”): neshamah is compared to a Hebrew maidservant, in the mystery of “If a man sells his daughter as a maidservant” (Exodus 21:7). Moses then enumerated the repair of the three bonds: corresponding to nefesh, the Canaanite slave, “the good land”; corresponding to ruaḥ, the Hebrew male slave, “the good mountain”; and corresponding to neshamah, the Hebrew maidservant, “and Lebanon.” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” You have already reached above these three grades: you are a rav, a master, not a slave [TN-250-22].

Ofan 251

It is stated in Zohar Bereshit (I 25a) that Moses had to die in the wilderness because he caused the small ה of Abraham to fall into exile, since he converted the mixed multitude (Exodus 12:38), who comprise five kinds among the converts. He therefore had to descend from grade to grade in order to raise the letter ה from there: the ו will raise the ה.

For this reason תולדות פרץ (toledot Peretz, “the generations of Perez”; Ruth 4:18) is written with a plene ו. The source continues with the compressed Aramaic-Hebrew clause [uncertain: ו׳ ברכאין יוקים ה׳], followed by “from its exile”; its exact syntax is not securely recoverable, although the argument plainly concerns ו raising ה [TN-251-01]. Joseph was therefore augmented by ה: “These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph” (Genesis 37:2). Joseph is also the mystery of Messiah son of Joseph, and so ה was added to his name and he is called יהוסף (Yehosef; Psalms 81:6), in order to raise the two letters ה״ה [TN-251-02].

It is stated in the Zohar that the fillings of letters are called their “generations.” This is the meaning of “These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph”: the “generations” of יעקב (Yaʿaqov)—that is, its filling letters ו׳ ד׳ י׳ ן׳ ו׳ פ׳ י׳ ת׳—have the value of משיח בן יוסף (Mashiah ben Yosef, “Messiah son of Joseph”). The listed letters are the non-root letters in the full spellings יו״ד, עי״ן, קו״ף, בי״ת, and their value is 566 [TN-251-03].

Moses therefore had to die in the wilderness so that the Shekhinah could unite with her first husband, Jacob. Concerning this Moses sought to unite the letters of the Holy Name and enter the Land of Israel. This is the meaning of “You have begun to show Your greatness”—this is י; “Your mighty hand”—this is ה; “who is El in heaven and on earth”—ו״ה. Therefore, “let me cross, please,” since the unification comprises all four letters: אעבר״ה (eʿberah, “let me cross”) contains the letters of ארבע״ה (arbaʿah, “four”) [TN-251-04].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” That is, since you bear responsibility for that mixed multitude whom you took without permission—specifically ל״ך (lekha, “for you”)—as it is written, “Go, descend, for your people have corrupted themselves” (Exodus 32:7): “your people,” not My people (see Exodus Rabbah 42:6). “Therefore do not continue to speak to Me further about this matter”—that is, on behalf of the Shekhinah, who is called “matter” and who fell among the nations. Moreover, עו״ד בדב״ר הז״ה (ʿod ba-davar ha-zeh, “further about this matter”) has the gematria of הי״א השכינ״ה (hi ha-Shekhinah, “she is the Shekhinah”). On her account you must be buried there [TN-251-05].

Alternatively, according to the Zohar on Song of Songs, a person sometimes undergoes gilgul because of one plain meaning of Torah that he did not wish to learn in this world. “If you do not know, O fairest among women” (Song of Songs 1:8)—if you did not wish to learn it in this world—“go forth in the footsteps of the flock,” to undergo gilgul in this world, “and pasture your kids” (גדיותייך, gediyotayikh); read it as גויותייך (geviyotayikh, “your bodies”).

The source then says, in its compressed form, “in four upon four gilgulim” (`בד׳ על ד׳ גילגולים`) through which a person undergoes gilgul, in the mystery of “and the fourth generation shall return here” (Genesis 15:16). The construction “four upon four” is preserved rather than normalized [TN-251-06]. This is why the Gemara says, “Had I come only to hear this, it would have sufficed me” (Shabbat 41a), for a person comes into the world on account of one matter of Torah.

Concerning this it says, “More than every watch, guard your heart, for from it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23): on account of one watch (משמר אחת), a person undergoes gilgul. This is the meaning of David’s words, “I shall not die, but live, and recount the deeds of YH” (Psalms 118:17): David asked that he not subsequently need to undergo gilgul on account of one matter of Torah.

On this basis Moses petitioned, “Let me cross, please”—let me undergo gilgul a fourth time—“and see the good land,” so that I may see the Torah’s secrets, for “the air of the Land of Israel makes one wise” (Bava Batra 158b), as explained above in Ofan 9. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you; do not continue to speak to Me further about this matter.” You will not need to undergo gilgul even on account of one matter of Torah, for you have already attained more than enough.

Ofan 252

It is known that Moses is Messiah son of David, for עד כי יבא שיל״ה (ʿad ki yavo Shiloh, “until Shiloh comes”; Genesis 49:10) has the gematria of משה (Moses), as stated in the Zohar (I 25b). Moses is also the mystery of Joseph, in the mystery of “Moses took Joseph’s bones” (Exodus 13:19). Thus Moses comprises the two Messiahs, Messiah son of David and Messiah son of Joseph. Moses therefore wished both Messiahs to be present in his time [TN-252-01].

It is known that when Messiah comes there will be a מרכב״ה שלמ״ה (merkavah shelemah, “complete merkavah”), whose gematria is אברה״ם יצח״ק יעק״ב דו״ד (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David). During the exile impurity prevailed as the מרכב״ה טמא״ה (merkavah teme’ah, “impure merkavah”), which is numerically equal to בע״ל צפ״ן (Baʿal Tzefon; Exodus 14:2). Engraved upon it is the form of כל״ב ר״ע (kelev ra, “evil dog”), which likewise has the value of בע״ל צפ״ן, in the mystery of “No dog shall sharpen its tongue” (Exodus 11:7). Then, as it were, the fourth leg of the merkavah—the kingship of the House of David—was impaired [TN-252-02].

This is the matter of Joseph’s sale. The tribes saw that Jeroboam was destined to descend from him and that he would belong to the mystery of the impure merkavah, the evil dog. Jeroboam’s own name proves this, for ירבע״ם (Yarovʿam, “Jeroboam”) has the value of מרכב״ה טמא״ה and כל״ב ר״ע. Our Sages, of blessed memory, therefore said in the Midrash (Genesis Rabbah 84:14) concerning “Behold, this dream-master comes” (Genesis 37:19): “He is destined to induce us to serve the Baals; let us set the dogs upon him”—measure for measure [TN-252-03].

This is what the verse means: “They saw him from afar and conspired against him to kill him” (Genesis 37:18). They saw from afar what would issue from him in the future—that Jeroboam would descend from him. “Now come, and let us kill him” (Genesis 37:20): that is, let us kill him now, before Jeroboam issues from him.

Because Jeroboam descended from Joseph, Antiochus—אנטיוכ״ס, whose gematria is יוסף (Yosef)—was מל״ך יו״ן (melekh Yavan, “king of Greece”), which likewise has the gematria of Joseph. He said, “Write upon the horn of an ox that you have no portion in the God of Israel” (Genesis Rabbah 2:4). At that time the sin of Jeroboam, who descended from Joseph called an ox, was awakened; he had brought a “horn” into the world. This is the mystery of קליפות רביעית נגה (kelippot, fourth, Nogah), whose initials form קר״ן (qeren, “horn”), in the mystery of “As for the wicked, do not raise the horn” (Psalms 75:5) [TN-252-04].

The Hasmoneans therefore repaired Hod, in order to repair the kelippah of Nogah, as explained above in Ofan 66. When the impure merkavah prevailed in the world, the fourth leg of the merkavah was, as it were, deficient. This is what Scripture says: “He spread a net for my feet” (Lamentations 1:13). That is, He spread רש״ת (reshet, “a net”) for “my leg”; רש״ת has the gematria of four times קליפ״ה (kelippah), the impure merkavah. “Awarenesses of impurity are two” (Shabbat 2a)—Samael and the serpent—which are four powers of impurity, corresponding to the four exiles. David likewise said, “Bring me forth from this net [מרשת] that they hid for me” (Psalms 31:4 as printed)—specifically “for me” [TN-252-05].

Because the mystery of the kelippah is the evil dog, Elijah, whose numerical value equals כל״ב (kelev, “dog”), will come in the future to repair the evil dog. Messiah son of Joseph will likewise issue from within Jeroboam as Abijah son of Jeroboam, to repair what Jeroboam corrupted: מניה וביה אבא ליזל ביה נרגא, “from it and within it comes the handle by which the axe goes against it.” Jonah son of Amittai, who is a son of Elijah and belongs to the mystery of כל״ב, is likewise Messiah son of Joseph [TN-252-06].

“He shall surely come with rejoicing” (בא יב״א ברנה; Psalms 126:6): יב״א is a notarikon for יונה בן אמתי (Yonah ben Amittai, “Jonah son of Amittai”) and אביהו בן ירבעם (Aviyahu ben Yarovʿam, “Abijah son of Jeroboam”). “Bearing his sheaves” (נושא אלמותיו) means that he will atone for Jeroboam’s mute idols (אלילים אלמים). Thus Midrash Rabbah (Genesis Rabbah 84:10) explains the verse, “Behold, my sheaf arose” (Genesis 37:7): he said, “You are destined to make mute idols before Jeroboam’s calves.” It is therefore said of Joseph, “His horns are the horns of a wild ox; with them he shall gore peoples” (Deuteronomy 33:17), for then the kelippah of the horn will be repaired [TN-252-07].

Messiah son of David will likewise repair the evil dog. David rose at midnight to repair the second watch, when the dogs bark (Berakhot 3a), as explained above in Ofan 140.

When Pharaoh’s servants saw that Messiah would come to nullify Baʿal Tzefon, the evil dog, and the merkavah would become complete, they said, ע״ד מת״י יהי״ה ז״ה לנ״ו (ʿad matai yihyeh zeh lanu, “How long shall this one be [a snare] to us?”; Exodus 10:7), which has the gematria of מרכב״ה שלמ״ה (complete merkavah). The phrase מת״י יהי״ה ז״ה (matai yihyeh zeh, “when shall this be”) has the gematria of ד׳ מחנו״ת שכינ״ה (four camps of the Shekhinah). This will occur when Messiah comes; hence ע״ד מת״י יהי״ה ז״ה has the gematria of משי״ח ב״ן יוס״ף (Messiah son of Joseph), while ז״ה לנ״ו למוק״ש (zeh lanu le-moqesh, “this one [will be] a snare to us”) has the gematria of יונ״ה ב״ן אמית״י (Jonah son of Amittai) [TN-252-08].

Concerning this Moses prayed, ואתחנן (va-etḥannan, “I pleaded”), which points to Ḥanina, for he petitioned concerning Messiah, who is called Ḥanina. “At that time”—it was the Sabbath day (Zohar II 156a), for the mystery of Sabbath is the mystery of two saviors. Who are these saviors? Elijah and Messiah son of David, whose combined value is מושיעי״ם (moshi‘im, “saviors”). Likewise, the concealed letters of שב״ת (Shabbat), namely י״ן י״ת ו׳, have the value of אליה״ו משי״ח ב״ן דו״ד (Elijah, Messiah son of David). These are the non-root letters in the full spellings שי״ן, בי״ת, ת״ו [TN-252-09].

Moses petitioned with the written form “at that time” (בעת ההוא), concerning what will occur at that future time. “You have begun to show Your servant”—the redemption from Egypt. “To show Your servant” also alludes to Metatron, the faithful servant who is the mystery of Joseph. Moses is in the mystery of Metatron: in “He called to Moses” (ויקרא אל משה; Leviticus 1:1), the small א is Metatron, Prince of the Presence, whose value is one thousand less one. “To Moses” means that Moses merited Metatron. It also intimates that Moses is the mystery of Messiah son of Joseph [TN-252-10].

The phrases מנחם בן עמיאל (Menaḥem ben Ammiel) and משה בן עמרם (Moses ben Amram) therefore share the initials מ״ב״ע. “You have begun to show Your servant” also means: I am the mystery of Messiah son of David, for משה has the value of שיל״ה (see Zohar I 25b). Hence להראות (le-har’ot, “to show”) has the gematria of מרכבה שלמה (complete merkavah), which is אברה״ם יצח״ק יעק״ב דו״ד. This is the meaning of “Your greatness, Your mighty hand, who is El in heaven and on earth”: these correspond to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; “who can act like Your deeds and like Your mighty acts” is David [TN-252-11].

The word להראות also has the numerical value תרמ״ב, 642. This is the mystery of the initials of תשע מאות רכב ברזל (tesha me’ot rekhev barzel, “nine hundred iron chariots”; Judges 4:3), the impure merkavah, whose nurture comes from the evil dog. This is the meaning of “Your גדל״ך (greatness),” for גדל״ך has the gematria of הכל״ב (ha-kelev, “the dog”), which is indicated by “Your mighty hand” [TN-252-12].

Moses said: Since I removed the impure merkavah, the evil dog, at the exodus from Egypt, and at that time the merkavah was complete, “let me cross, please.” Let me now cross the four exiles, for אעבר״ה (eʿberah, “let me cross”) contains the letters of ארבע״ה (arbaʿah, “four”). Let נ״א come—אליהו נביא (Eliyahu navi, “Elijah the prophet”), which the source identifies with the initials נ״א. Moreover, נ״א with the collective has the value of אליהו (Elijah). His soul was in ibbur from the souls of Nadab and Abihu. All this is intimated by נ״א [TN-252-13].

“And I shall see the land” is the mystery of Messiah son of David. That is, when the letters אר״ץ (eretz, “land”) are filled as אלף ריש צדי, their concealed letters ל״ף י״ש ד״י are said to have the value of משי״ח ב״ן דו״ד (Messiah son of David). This is the mystery of “His praise fills the earth [ארץ]” (Habakkuk 3:3), “The kindness of the LORD fills the earth” (Psalms 33:4 as printed), and “the glory of the LORD fills the earth.” When will the glory of the LORD be “full”? When one fills the letters אר״ץ—that is, when Messiah, intimated in the filling of אר״ץ, comes. The ordinary values of the printed hidden letters and of משיח בן דוד differ by ten; the author’s equation is preserved without silent emendation [TN-252-14].

This is the mystery of the three lines, חס״ד די״ן רחמי״ם (Ḥesed, Judgment, Mercy). They are the three colors of the rainbow, concerning which the Tikkunim says (Tikkunei Zohar 18, 36b): when you see the rainbow in its colors, await Messiah. This is the mystery of “My secret is mine, my secret is mine” (רזי לי רזי לי; Isaiah 24:16), whose value is Messiah son of David.

“This good mountain and Lebanon” is Messiah son of Joseph, who is called מנח״ם (Menaḥem), whose gematria is לבנון (Lebanon). Concerning the two Messiahs Jacob said, “Judah is a lion’s cub” (גור אריה יהודה; Genesis 49:9): גור אריה has the gematria of משיח בן דוד. The initials of מטרף בני עלית (mi-teref beni ‘alita, “from the prey, my son, you ascended”) are those of מנחם בן עמיאל (Menaḥem ben Ammiel), Messiah son of Joseph [TN-252-15].

The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, “It is enough for you.” That is, your mixed multitude is yours, and you corrupted the merkavah, for the mixed multitude removed the ox from the merkavah (Exodus Rabbah 42:5). By this you brought the impure merkavah into the world. Therefore, “do not continue to speak to Me further about this matter.”

A great matter was intimated to him in the mystery of “His father kept the matter” (Genesis 37:11). That is, Joseph’s brothers “continued further to hate him because of his dreams” (Genesis 37:8), for they saw that Jeroboam son of Nebat was destined to descend from him and reign over them. “But his father kept the matter”: although Jeroboam would descend from him, a holy spark was nevertheless within him, in the mystery of “whom God has given me בזה (ba-zeh, ‘in this’)” (Genesis 48:9), as explained above.

This is the mystery of “His father kept the matter”—that “matter” of which it is written, “because a good matter was found in him” (I Kings 14:13). This was said concerning Abijah son of Jeroboam, who is Messiah son of Joseph. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, אל תוסף (al tosef, “do not continue”), alluding to יוסף (Yosef, “Joseph”); בדב״ר (ba-davar, “about the matter”), alluding to “because a good matter was found in him”; and הז״ה (ha-zeh, “this”), alluding to the holy spark intimated in the words אלהים בז״ה (Elohim ba-zeh, “God in this”) [TN-252-16].

“Command Joshua,” who descends from Joseph: he will repair Jeroboam’s sin during his life. “For he shall cause [them] to inherit, and he shall pass over”—יעבו״ר (ya‘avor, “he shall pass over”) has the gematria of רו״ח הטומא״ה (ruaḥ ha-tum’ah, “the spirit of impurity”). “But you, ascend to the top of the summit”: when you die, you will remove the impure merkavah, for “the righteous are greater in their death than in their life” (Ḥullin 7b).

Moses was then buried on Mount Abarim, for עברי״ם (ʿavarim) has the gematria of מרכב״ה טמא״ה (impure merkavah). He thereby removed Baal Peor, which is the burning anger. This is the meaning of “We dwelt in the valley” (ונשב בגי״א; Deuteronomy 3:29): בגי״א is a notarikon for בית גאים יסח אדני (beit ge’im yissah Adonai, “the LORD will sweep away the house of the proud”; Proverbs 15:25). That is, because Moses swept away idolatry, he was buried opposite Peor [TN-252-17].

“Command Joshua” also intimates the future: Messiah son of Ephraim will come from Joshua. Redemption depends on the mystery of “the dew of Hermon” (Psalms 133:3), the letters יו״ד ה״א וא״ו (yod, he, vav). These are present in Joseph when he is called יהוסף (Yehosef; Psalms 81:6), and Joshua likewise possesses the three letters יה״ו. The Holy One, blessed be He, sought to make Hezekiah Messiah (Sanhedrin 94a); he too possesses the three letters יה״ו. Only the מ of למרבה המשרה (le-marbeh ha-misrah, “of the increase of the government”; Isaiah 9:6) was closed—the letter of Messiah [TN-252-18].

Concerning this He said, “It is enough for you”: in the future the greatness will be yours, for you will be the master of Israel. The source preserves the adjacent readings `(וירא)[ויתא] ראשי עם`—“(he saw) [he came] with the heads of the people” (Deuteronomy 33:21). When Messiah comes, Moses and Aaron will come with him [TN-252-19].

This is the meaning of “strengthen him,” concerning Messiah son of David, “and embolden him,” concerning Messiah son of Joseph. “For he shall pass over” concerns Messiah son of Joseph, for Messiah son of Joseph will be dead for ט״ל (tal, thirty-nine) days, until he is revived by the dew of lights—the three letters יה״ו: “My head is filled with dew” (Song of Songs 5:2); “I shall be as dew to Israel; he shall blossom as a lily” (Hosea 14:6); then “the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree” (Psalms 94:13 as printed).

Thus “and he shall pass over” intimates the passage of Messiah son of Joseph from `(העולה)[העולם]`, the adjacent source readings “(that which ascends) [the world].” Both readings are retained because the first does not yield a secure clause and the bracketed second cannot be silently substituted [TN-252-20].

Concerning this it is said, “Like the dew of Hermon descending upon the mountains of Zion” (Psalms 133:3). ציו״ן (Tziyyon, “Zion”) is Joseph, for whatever occurred to יוס״ף (Yosef, “Joseph”) occurred to ציו״ן, and the value of one equals the value of the other. This alludes to the dew of lights descending upon Messiah son of Joseph after he has died. This is the meaning of “For there the LORD commanded the blessing—life forevermore” (Psalms 133:3).

“And he shall cause [them] to inherit the land” alludes to Messiah son of David, who equals the concealed filling of אר״ץ, as explained above. “And now, Israel, hear the statutes” (Deuteronomy 4:1), in the sense of “Today, if you will heed His voice” (Psalms 95:7; Sanhedrin 98a). Hear the statutes, and then Messiah will come. May he come now, in our days. Amen, and so may it be His will.

Colophon

Completed and finished. Praise to God, Creator of the world.