Musar zu Mischlej 8:38

And it is written (Mishlei 4:2): "For a good taking have I given you; My Torah shall you not forsake." The intent of "good," "My Torah," is as follows: It is known that something that is so significant to a poor man that he calls it "good" may not be significant to one who is not poor; and that something which is significant to him may not be significant to one who is very wealthy; and that something which is significant to him, may not be significant to a king; and that something which is significant to him, (like the conquering of a country) may not be significant to an angel [(It is known that the size of some angels is several thousand parasangs, as stated in Chullin 91b)]. Therefore, the verse comes to say: "For a good taking, etc." That is, see and reflect upon the greatness of its [Torah's] good, to the point that it is called "good" by Me, who have created all of the worlds, all of which are insignificant to Me — notwithstanding which I have called Torah "good." And it is the secreted treasure with which the Holy One Blessed be He disports Himself at all times, as it is written (Mishlei 8:30): "and I [Torah] was His plaything every day." And it is "My Torah." Therefore, "do not forsake it."

Now that it has been made clear that our intent is to further the service of the Creator, blessed be He, for because of that the world was created, we say that the service of God is an obligation upon us to fulfill, both from Scripture and from reason. From Scripture, we learn that the Creator, blessed be He, created the world for no other reason than for the Torah, as it is said (Jeremiah 33:25), “If My covenant be not with day and night, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth.” And it says further (Proverbs 3:19), “The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens.” And it says further (Proverbs 8:22), “The Lord made me the beginning of His way, the first of His works of old.” We can say that the service of God is an obligation upon us, for the Creator gave the Torah to Israel at Mount Sinai, only as the means to serve Him, as it is said (Exodus 20:17), “God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before you, that ye sin not.” And it is written (ibid., 3:12), “When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.” And it is said (Deuteronomy 6:13), “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; and Him shalt thou serve.” Scripture placed “fear” before “service” to teach that if there is no fear there can be no serving of God. Thus it is said (ibid., 10:12), “And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God… .” Now that we know that the world was created only for the sake of the Torah, we also know that the world was created for no other purpose than the service of God. As long as service to God and righteousness stand, the world will stand upon them. As it is said (Proverbs 10:25), “But the righteous is an everlasting foundation.” Since it has been explained that the service of God is what we are obligated to do according to Scripture, we will now explain how it is derived by way of reason. We will say that it is well known that with regard to a mortal king, his kingdom is not firmly established except by the faithful service of his servants. If his servants do not serve him or fear him, then he has no sway over them, and there is no way in which his authority over them can be known. We see that such a king rewards his servants according to their service and their fear of him. If a king of flesh and blood must show his dominion and authority over his servants who are creatures such as he, and who may even be better than he, how much more is it fitting that the dominion of the Creator, blessed be He, should be apparent from our fear of Him. In what way can it be known that He is our Creator and we His servants, and that He endures forever, while we are transitory? How can we make all of this known except by doing His will and by our fear of Him? In this way, we will know what we are and what our lives are.

We must appreciate that the reign and authority G–d has granted the Jewish people is quite different from that which He granted to the Gentile nations. The Gentile nations exercise rule and authority because they confer honour upon themselves; their entire concept of authority is a secular one. Using these terms in connection with the Jewish people, however, we deal with the spiritual aspect of rule and authority. Authority by Jewish rulers is a means to ensure that the people obey G–d's laws, comply with His wishes. In this connection the Torah says: ואתם תהיו לי ממלכת כהנים, "You shall be for Me a kingdom of priests." G–d's emphasis is on the word לי, "for Me". The authority granted to you shall be employed for the honour of "My Name." We have another verse expressing a similar thought in Proverbs 8,15: בי מלכים ימלכו, "Kings reign through Me." The Torah has said that "the royal authority which you exercise shall be through Me," i.e. in order to look after My needs. This is alluded to in Chronicles I 29,23: וישב שלמה על כסא ה', "Solomon sat on the throne of G–d"

And now let us see: Is not a meth-mitzvah mere matter, without life, spirit, or soul, in spite of which, because this matter was once the receptacle of a living Jew, the Torah was so concerned about its shame and permitted [its burial] even to the high-priest or to a Nazirite, and [permitted one] not to slaughter the Pesach offering or to circumcise his son, to render himself unclean for it [the dead body] and to see to its needs — a fortiori, with the holy Torah, which is more precious than pearls, and which is the "plaything" of the Holy One Blessed be He, as it is written (Mishlei 8:30): "And I [Torah] was His plaything every day" — if one of its mitzvoth, G-d forbid, lies in shame, how much more so are we obligated to strengthen ourselves in it, so that it not cry out against us in Heaven!

And a Torah scholar that does not act modestly is liable, because he distances the Torah from the love of the creatures. And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 114a), “About this is it stated (Proverbs 8:36), ‘all who hate me love death.’” The explanation of haters is, those that cause hate - as they cause the creatures to hate the Torah. And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Yoma 86a), “[When a man] reads [Torah], studies [Mishnah, ...]; and he speaks pleasantly with other people, is pleasant with [them] in his business transactions in the marketplace and gives and takes faithfully - what do people say about him? Fortunate is his father [and his mother] who taught him Torah, [...], woe to the people who have not studied Torah. So-and-so who was taught Torah - see how [beautiful] are his ways, how proper are his deeds. About him does the verse state (Isaiah 49:3), ‘You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’ [But when a man] reads [Torah], studies [Mishnah, ...]; but he does not speak pleasantly with other people, is not pleasant with [them] in his business transactions in the marketplace and does not give and take faithfully - what do people say about him? Woe to so-and-so who studied Torah, woe to his teacher and to his father who taught him Torah. So-and-so who studied Torah - see how [ugly] are his deeds, and how [corrupted] are his ways. About him, the verse states (Ezekiel 36:20), ‘they caused My holy name to be profaned, in that it was said of them, “These are the people of the Lord, yet they had to leave His land.”’”

There is a hatred that is a mitzvah: for example, a wicked man who will not accept correction — it is a command of the Torah to hate him, as it is said: "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil" (Prov. 8:13). And it says: "Lo, I hate them O Lord that hate Thee and I strive with those that rise up against Thee, I hate them with the utmost hatred; they are my enemies" (Ps. 139:21-22).And a man should hate lies and falsehood. The end of the matter is this — that a man should hate everything which separates him and holds him back from loving the Creator of All, as it is said: "I hate every false way" (Ibid. 119:128). And this is a great general rule, that a man should hate every false thing, and every act which will increase hatred for false ways will increase love for Torah" (Ibid 163). And let each person love truth and peace as it is written: "Therefore, love ye truth and peace" (Zech. 8:19).

We find many references along these lines in Tanna d'bei Eliyahu, some in Chapter 19:1, which awaken much merit for Israel, viz.: "L-rd of the world, behold our affliction, fight out battles and let our shame rise before You, what is done to us at every moment. And remember how many householders there are in Israel who have no livelihood, but toil in Torah every day, always. And remember how many paupers there are in Israel whose flesh the idolators draw from them (with taxes), but who toil in Torah every day, always. Remember how many youth there are in Israel, who do not know [the difference between] their right and their left hands, but who toil in Torah all the day, always. Remember how many old men and women there are in Israel, who go early and late to houses of prayer and houses of study, and who long and lust and look for Your salvation every day, always. Remember Your covenant which You made with our fathers, with the three tzaddikim, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And You also wrote for us in Your Torah (Vayikra 25:35): 'And if your brother grows poor and his hand falls with you, then you shall uphold him.' (You, too, uphold us.) My Father in heaven, remember how many cripples and how many blind ones we have in Israel, who have no food, and, even so, give wages to teachers to teach their children Torah. My Father in heaven, remember Israel, Your eternal acquisitions, as it is written (Devarim 32:6): 'Is He not your Father, your Acquirer?' And (Mishlei 8:22): 'The L-rd acquired me [in] the beginning of His way,' My Father in heaven, remember how many widows and orphans there are in Israel, who toil in Torah and in mitzvoth every day, always, etc."

Every person who wishes to enter into the very essence of piety and into the profundity of contemplating the Unity of God in order to know the Lord, may He be Blessed, cannot do so unless he is wise and understanding and has a gracious soul, free from anger. It is written "Now therefore, ye children, hearken unto me; For happy are they that keep my ways" (Prov. 8:32). The Creator, Blessed be He, said to Israel "I want nothing else from you but that you should listen willingly and if you do listen to me, I will fulfill what the prophets prophesied "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land" (Is. 1:19). And it is written, "Happy is the man that hearkeneth to me" (Prov. 8:34).

Every person who wishes to enter into the very essence of piety and into the profundity of contemplating the Unity of God in order to know the Lord, may He be Blessed, cannot do so unless he is wise and understanding and has a gracious soul, free from anger. It is written "Now therefore, ye children, hearken unto me; For happy are they that keep my ways" (Prov. 8:32). The Creator, Blessed be He, said to Israel "I want nothing else from you but that you should listen willingly and if you do listen to me, I will fulfill what the prophets prophesied "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land" (Is. 1:19). And it is written, "Happy is the man that hearkeneth to me" (Prov. 8:34).

I once read an explanation of this: When a man commits adultery a malignant spirit is created in the form of the woman with whom he strayed. Then, when his time comes to leave this world, she wraps herself around him and drags him down to Gehinnom. It seems to me that this is what the Sages were alluding to when they said (Sanhedrin 100a), “In the future the Holy One Blessed is He will bestow upon every righteous person three hundred and ten worlds. As it is written, ‘To cause those who love Me to inherit substance (yeish, the numerical value of which is 310)’ (Mishlei 8:21).” I have heard this passage explained as follows: As we have already mentioned, when a man does a single mitzvah a single angel is created. The Sages tell us (Chullin 91b) that each angel is two thousand parsaos across (1 parsah = 2.80 miles.), as it is written, “And its body was like [the Sea of] Tarsus” (Daniel 10:6). According to tradition this sea was two thousand parsaos wide. Now altogether there are 613 Torah precepts and seven rabbinical enactments, totaling 620, the numerical value of the word keser — “crown.” Therefore, when the Jewish people keep the entire Torah, including the rabbinical injunctions, they acquire 620 angels.

This is what is meant by the verse, “Surely the righteous will acknowledge Your Name; the upright will dwell in Your Presence” (Tehillim 140:14). When will the righteous give thanks to Your Name? When the upright dwell in Your Presence. That is, when they sit before You in Gan Eden at midnight. Afterwards the three bands of ministering angels that are appointed over the watches of the night sing songs of praise until dawn. Then at dawn it is Israel’s duty to rise and with strength offer songs and praises before the King of the Universe. Why is this? Because they must take over serving after the ministering angels have finished. Moreover, at that time the Holy One Blessed is He is found nearer to earth. This is the meaning of the verse, “And those who seek Me will find Me” (Mishlei 8:17). (The word for “those who seek Me” — meshacharai — contains the word for “dawn” — shachar.) Rabbi Yehudah added: Provided that they do not leave off until it is time to pray as the sun rises.

And there are nine categories in the matter of falsehood. The first is he who denies his friend's assertion that he gave him a pledge or a loan, or he who testifies falsely, and there are many instances of these. And for this type of falsehood there are two punishments. The first, because of the lie, for falsehood, even if it causes no damage, is an abomination to the Lord, as it is said, "There are six things which the Lord hateth … Haughty eyes, a lying tongue … a false witness that breatheth out lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren" (Prov. 6:16—19). And it is said, "And the froward mouth, do I hate" (Prov. 8:13). The second punishment is given because he has injured his companion.

This is a further reason why we have a statement that every righteous person will inherit 310 worlds in the future (Proverbs 8,21 — להנחיל לאוהבי יש as interpreted in the introduction to Tractate Avot). The worlds referred to are the worlds of Atzilut, Briyah, Yetzirah and Assiyah. There is no need for an allusion to the עולם האצילות seeing it has infinite dimensions which are impossible to symbolize by numbers. In that world there is something much closer to absolute unity than in any of the "worlds" which form part of the process of development. Since, however, even that world of emanations divides into ten parts, it is alluded to by the number 10 rather than 100.

The very concept of a king, מלך, is rooted in the emanation מלכות. We have already shown that the Talmudic dictum of דינא דמלכותא דינא, is based on the word דינא being the name of G–d א-ד-נ-י, the same letters as the words דינא. The mystical dimension of the directive that the king has to write a ספר תורה for himself is that the emanation מלכות "receives" the written Torah, whereas the emanation itself is perceived of as being the "oral Torah." The Torah alludes to this attribute when writing והיתה עמו, "it shall be constantly with him" (17,19). The word והיתה is feminine, whereas the instruction immediately following is masculine, i.e. וקרא בו, "he shall read in it." This results in a union between the concepts represented by the respective emanations תפארת ומלכות. When David (Psalms 119,56) said: זאת היתה לי, this was because he knew that the attribute מלכות is called זאת. It was because David was aware of this that he could say (Psalms 27,3): אם תחנה עלי מחנה לא יירא לבי, אם תקום עלי מלחמה בזאת אני בוטח, "Should an army besiege me, my heart would have no fear; should war beset me, I would still be confident in זאת." In view of such considerations we can understand why the king was commanded not to amass too many horses; after all, we have a principle (Psalm 33,17) that שקר הסוס לתשועה, that "horses are a false hope for deliverance." The king must demonstrate that he relies on זאת, the merit acquired through his Torah writing and Torah study instead. The prohibition to amass too much silver and gold is due to similar considerations. A very wealthy king would tend to hire mercenary soldiers to fight his battles instead of relying on G–d's help. G–d's ability to help in war does not depend on the number of the king's soldiers but on their spiritual preparation. We know this from Judges 7,6 where Gideon sent home all but three hundred of his volunteers. He had first tested their degree of religious observance by the way they scooped drinking water from a pool without going down on their knees (a sign of having once worshipped idols). In 17,16 the Torah links a return to Egypt to the king's possession of an inordinately great number of horses. Amassing horses is an outward sign of lack of reliance on the merit of זאת. Such lack of confidence in G–d will ultimately result in a moral backsliding of the people, an immersion in the moral morass of the Egyptians which originates in the impurity of the menstruant woman. The mystical dimension of the Egyptian philosophy is called מצולת ים, [a term used in the Zohar for Samael and the forces associated with him. The idea is that Samael's domain is beneath the מים העליונים. Ed.] The morally best of Egypt i.e. the attribute of שפחה, is but a maid-servant of ארץ ישראל. The relationship of Hagar (the best of Egypt, spiritually speaking), to Sarah is seen as symbolising this relationship.

If a man revealed your sin, do not say, "Just as he revealed my sin, I will now reveal his sin," As it is said, "Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge" (Lev. 19:18). Neither may you boast and say, "Even though he has revealed my sin, I will not reveal his," for by so speaking you have already revealed the half of it. And this matter is a very great principle in the whole concept of reverence of God. But if the one who sins does not fear God then he is as one who throws off the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven from upon him, and if he does not guard himself against a single transgression which all the people of the city know to be a sin, then one does well to speak evil of him and to reveal his sins and to cause the sinner, to be odious in the eyes of the people, in order that the people may hear and despise him and set themselves apart from transgressions, as it is said, "An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous" (Prov. 29:27). And it is said, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil" (Prov. 8:13). And they said, a wicked man who is the son of a righteous man may be called "a wicked man, son of the wicked," while a righteous man who is the son of a wicked man may be called "a righteous man, son of the righteous" — and precisely in this way is it permitted to shame him for the sake of Heaven. But a man who quarrels with another and intends to shame him for his own satisfaction and not for the sake of Heaven, may not reveal his sin (Sanh. 52a). And similarly if the one who reveals the transgression of his companion is himself a sinner, he should not reveal the wrong of another sinner, for he certainly is not revealing the secrets of the sinner for a good purpose. "But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury" (Prov. 14:23).

"With three crowns was Israel crowned : the crown of the Torah, the crown of the Priesthood and the crown of Kingdom" (Aboth 4:17, Yoma 72b, Eccl. Rabbah 7:1). Aaron merited the crown of the Priesthood, as it is said, "And it shall be unto him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood" (Num. 25:13). David merited the crown of Kingdom, as it is said, "His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before Me" (Ps. 89:37). As for the crown of the Torah — it lies there waiting for all Israel, as it is said, "Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob" (Deut. 33:4) : anyone who wants the crown of Torah can come and take it. And should you say that the other crowns are greater than the crown of Torah, then behold he says, "By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth" (Prov. 8:15—16). From this you learn that the crown of the Torah is greater than the crown of Priesthood, and greater than the crown of Sovereignty. And the Sages said, "A bastard who is a scholar takes precedence over a High Priest who is ignorant" (Horayoth 13a). As it is said, "She (wisdom) is more precious than rubies" (Prov. 3:15). The Hebrew word "peninah" means both "ruby" and "inside", and the verse can therefore be interpreted as meaning : More precious is the Torah and he who studies it than the High Priest who enters the very inside of the Temple — into the Holy of Holies.

To come back to the words: ראה נתתיך in 7,1, which we questioned on page 413. We must compare it to Deut. 2,24: ראה נתתי בידך את סיחון מלך חשבון האמורי, "See I have given into your hand Sichon the king of Cheshbon the Emorite." G–d humbled the spiritual שר of that king before the feet of Moses. The adversaries of the Jewish people are first defeated in the Celestial Regions, before the Israelites on earth execute a similar judgment on their proteges on earth. The words: ראה נתתיך, refer to what had transpired already in the Celestial Regions. The Zohar (Sullam edition Shemot page 26), commenting on Exodus 1,8: ויקם מלךם חדש על מצרים, "A new king ascended the throne in Egypt," explains that Egypt's predominance in the world only began after the Jewish people had been exiled there. In fact, the stability of any kingdom on earth is only due to Israel. This is why Moses ascended to G–d in order to humble that nation. Simultaneously, the people of Israel ascended to a loftier position to become the "armies" of G–d and to receive the Torah. Bereshit Rabbah 1,1 explains that the universe was only created for the sake of Israel and the Torah, and that the Torah is called ראשית דרכו, based on Proverbs 8,22: השם קנני ראשית דרכו, "The Lord created me at the beginning of His way." Israel is called ראשית תבואה, "first harvest," based on Proverbs 8,19. The Midrash there also mentions that Moses is called ראשית, based on Deut. 33,21.

To come back to the words: ראה נתתיך in 7,1, which we questioned on page 413. We must compare it to Deut. 2,24: ראה נתתי בידך את סיחון מלך חשבון האמורי, "See I have given into your hand Sichon the king of Cheshbon the Emorite." G–d humbled the spiritual שר of that king before the feet of Moses. The adversaries of the Jewish people are first defeated in the Celestial Regions, before the Israelites on earth execute a similar judgment on their proteges on earth. The words: ראה נתתיך, refer to what had transpired already in the Celestial Regions. The Zohar (Sullam edition Shemot page 26), commenting on Exodus 1,8: ויקם מלךם חדש על מצרים, "A new king ascended the throne in Egypt," explains that Egypt's predominance in the world only began after the Jewish people had been exiled there. In fact, the stability of any kingdom on earth is only due to Israel. This is why Moses ascended to G–d in order to humble that nation. Simultaneously, the people of Israel ascended to a loftier position to become the "armies" of G–d and to receive the Torah. Bereshit Rabbah 1,1 explains that the universe was only created for the sake of Israel and the Torah, and that the Torah is called ראשית דרכו, based on Proverbs 8,22: השם קנני ראשית דרכו, "The Lord created me at the beginning of His way." Israel is called ראשית תבואה, "first harvest," based on Proverbs 8,19. The Midrash there also mentions that Moses is called ראשית, based on Deut. 33,21.

Let us now explore the mystical dimension of the name יעקב. In Genesis 27,35 Isaac says to Esau: בא אחיך במרמה, "Your brother came with wisdom to take the blessings." This means that Jacob came to outwit Esau. Isaac referred to Jacob having outwitted what Esau stands for, i.e. Satan, the pollutant of the original serpent, seeing Esau is also Edom, the classic symbol of all that is polluted and cursed. This original serpent had been described in the Torah as ערום, sly (Genesis 3,1). This being so, Jacob had to resort to a wily strategy to outwit such an opponent. He had to counter with ערמה, slyness, in order to defeat the serpent or its representative at its own game. We find something similar when Rashi explains (Numbers 31,8) that the reason the Torah stresses that Bileam was killed by the sword was because the sword was his stock-in-trade. He should have stuck to his trade. Isaac had told Esau that he would live by his sword (27,40), whereas the traditional weapon of Israel is the mouth, i.e. prayer. Since Bileam perverted his function by using Israel's weapon, the mouth, Israel used his own traditional weapon against him. In order to best him absolutely, he had to be killed by the weapon that he had once considered himself a champion of. The Zohar goes as far as to say that the only way it was possible to kill Bileam was by the sword. Onkelos explains the meaning of יודע ציד in 25,27 as being "Esau was shrewd." The Tziyoni derives from that word נחשירכן (the word Onkelos uses to explain יודע ציד), that the mystical dimension of the serpent is contained in the ירך, reproductive organ, thigh, and that Esau had the likeness of a serpent tatooed on his thigh. This was the reason that Samael, or the spiritual representative of Esau, tried to injure that organ of Jacob's during the nocturnal confrontation. The reason he did not succeed was that Jacob did not contain any residual pollution of the serpent. Bileam alluded to this when he said in Numbers 23,23: כי לא נחש ביעקב, that Jacob was not infected by the serpent. Esau is rooted in the cursed serpent. Jacob and his descendants ירך יעקב, are of blessed origin. Jacob had to come with עקבה, trickery, the craft of the serpent, and he wrested the blessing from the clutches of the unworthy. We know from Proverbs 8,12 that חכמה and ערמה are used interchangeably, i.e. אני חכמה, שכנתי ערמה, "I, wisdom, am neighbor to ערמה.” Later on, when he had established a hold in the Celestial Regions, the source of all blessings, he is referred to as ישראל, since he had ascended to these "higher" regions. The level of ישראל in those regions is very high, seeing that Israel surpassed the level of the angels during his ascent. He occupies a position there that is not even accessible to the angels. He proceeds to rise higher and higher until he even surpasses the region of the ministering angels, the most highly placed angels. It is this that Onkelos referred to when he described Israel as "you are a great lion before G–d and men."

It is also written in Sifra DiShelomo HaMelech (Zohar, ibid.) that a certain demon rests beside the entrance of one’s home, waiting to cause harm to whoever enters. But when this demon sees the name “A-lmighty” inscribed upon the mezuzuah he is prevented from causing harm. It follows that one should not pour out foul water near the mezuzah for two reasons: First, in order not to show contempt for the holy name of the Master of the Universe. And second, lest the demon that is there be allowed to cause harm, Heaven forbid. But if the environment of the mezuzah is clean and the person shows his affection towards it by kissing it as he goes in and out, the demon is compelled to bless him, saying, “This is the gate of Hashem, let the righteous enter it” (Tehillim 118:20). On the other hand, if a person does not have a mezuzah at the entrance to his home at all, then the demon has permission to cause harm. Woe to the owner of the house for showing concern over the small sum that it would cost to purchase a mezuzah but not for his own welfare! Children, in particular, die of a disease called rablis if there is not a proper mezuzah in every room of the house. For this reason these two verses are adjacent to one another in the Torah: “And you shall write them upon the doorposts [mezuzos] of your house and upon your gates” (Devarim 11:20), and, “In order that your days and the days of your children shall be increased” (ibid. 21). Similarly, in Maseches Shabbos (32b) the Sages of blessed memory proclaim that children die young on account of the neglect of the mitzvos of mezuzah and tzitzis. Supervision of this matter is the duty of the rabbis and the heads of the community. Whoever is meticulous about it will merit the fulfillment of the verse, “Fortunate is the man who listens to Me…to guard the doorposts of My entrances, for whoever finds Me finds life” (Mishlei 8:34-35). And may that life be long, Amein.

Considering the above, we see that both statements in the Talmud are quite true. The level of those people who have access to the תורה הקדומה is superior to the level of the Torah that has been revealed, since they are the people whom G–d had in mind way before He created the universe. Kohelet 1,4 alludes to this when he says והארץ לעולם עומדת. The Midrash on that verse says that Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai quoted Isaiah 65,22: כי כימי העץ ימי עמי, "For the days of My people shall be as long as the days of the tree." We know that "the tree " refers to Torah from עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בו, "For she is a tree of life to all who grasp her" (Proverbs 3,18) [The subject matter in that chapter is wisdom=Torah Ed.]. Who was created for whose sake? Was the Torah created for the sake of Israel, or was Israel created for the sake of the Torah? Torah was created for the sake of Israel. If Torah, which was created for Israel's sake endures forever, how much more so must Israel live forever?" We find a similar statement in Bereshit Rabbah 1,4 where Rabbi Abba bar Kahane is quoted as saying that Torah preceded the throne of G–d. He supports this statement with the scriptural quotation ה' קנני ראשית דרכו, "G–d has acquired me at the beginning of His way" (Proverbs 8,22). Also, Rabbis Hunna and Yirmiyahu say in the name of Rabbi Shmueli bar Yitzchak that Israel was the original concept that G–d entertained in His mind. They explain this by a parable: A king was married to an aristocratic lady who bore him no children. When the king once strolled in the market-place, he instructed his servants to purchase reeds and ink for his son. People who saw this were heard to comment that this was strange seeing the king did not have a son. Upon reflection they concluded that the king must be a great astrologer seeing that the purchase reflected his certainty that he would have a son from his present wife otherwise he would not have given such instructions. The same is true of G–d. He was aware that after twenty-six generations Israel would accept the Torah at Mount Sinai, otherwise how could G–d have written in the Torah such lines as: "Speak to the Israelites," "command the Israelites, etc?" This concludes our second premise that Torah is the soul of Israel.

All the descendants of Jacob will have a share in the world to come. The words (28,11) וישכב במקום ההוא which introduces Jacob's dream, contain most of these allusions. The word וישכב must be divided into two words, i.e. ויש, and כ"ב. The word ויש alludes to the world of the future, as we know from Proverbs 8,21: להנחיל אוהב יש, "in order to make those who love Me inherit something of substance." Our tradition interprets this statement to mean that every צדיק in the future will inherit 310=שי worlds (Uktzin 3,12). This corresponds to the nation ישראל, which is alluded to in the letters כ"ב, (metaphor for the alphabet which makes up the Torah).

Another allusion to this triple concept of G–d-Torah-Israel is found at the very beginning of Bereshit Rabbah, where Rabbi Aushiyah deals with Proverbs 8,30: ואהיה אצלו אמון, ואהיה שעשועים, יום משחקת לפני בכל עת, "Then I was with Him as an artisan; I was His delight daily, always rejoicing before Him." Rabbi Oshiyah says that the word אמון in that verse means both פדגוג, "a male nurse or tutor," a term used by Moses when he complained to G–d how he was expected to play nursemaid to the Jewish people (Numbers 11,12). He also understands the same word to mean something מוצנע, hidden, based on Esther 2,7 describing Mordechai as "hiding" Esther so that she would not have to participate in the Royal beauty contest. Rabbi Aushiyah adds that some understand the word אמון to mean "big." This is based on Nachum 3,8: התיטבי מנא אמון, "Were you any better than No Amon?" which the Targum renders as: הא את מבא מאלכסנדריא רבתא דיתבא בין נהרותא "are you better than the important city Alexandria which is situated between two rivers?"

Adam and Eve, who were the cause of the drop of semen becoming smelly, were also instrumental in Adam ejaculating semen for one hundred and thirty years without that semen impregnating his wife. Instead, that semen turned into a variety of evil spirits, thus necessitating additional refinement צירוף, and תקונים. The exile in Egypt was the first step designed to remove impurity from the holy seed of the descendants of Jacob who resembled the spiritual beauty of Adam before he had sinned. Jacob's first drop of semen was intended to impregnate Rachel, whom he thought he had married under the wedding canopy. It was Joseph who kept alive the covenant with G–d, and therefore the descent to Egypt of Jacob's entire family was orchestrated through Joseph. The area in which this refinement was to take place was one called ערות הארץ, a part of the earth in which shame resides. The earth is perceived as being similar to a human being in that it has a head, eyes, arms, legs, as well as parts corresponding to the private parts of a human being, מקום ערוה. Our sages deduce this from such verses as Proverbs 8, 26: ראש עפרות תבל, "the head of the clumps of dust in the world;" earth is also described as רחבת ידים "possessed of generous hands" (Genesis 34,21). Scripture speaks of the earth's טבור, "navel." There are many similar metaphors which describe parts of the earth. This means that though earth is one continuous mass, entity, it possesses many parts just as a human being, who is a unit, has many parts. Just as various organs in the human body perform different functions and possess different degrees of importance, so earth has many parts, each of which performs a different function.

When we explained earlier that G–d's "day" comprises the equivalent of one thousand years in our world, and that Torah was created two thousand "years" prior to the universe, this means that two important concepts had to precede the creation of the physical universe.

Let me try and explain part of the mystique of the story of Creation, and in the process reveal part of the mystery of two of G–d's names, namely the ineffable four-lettered name [the author uses the letter ד in his spelling instead of the letter ה] i.e. א-ד-י-ד and the same name i.e. אדי"ד, with the letter ו added. Rabbi Aushiyah had quoted Proverbs 8,30 at the beginning of Bereshit Rabbah in which this name occurs twice: ואהיה אצלו אמון ואהיה שעשועים, יום יום משחקת לפניו בכל עת. Although the acts of creation described in Proverbs in that chapter clearly refer to the creation of the physical universe, the language implies allusions to the spiritual universe. If the Mishnah in Avot 5,1 tells us that the physical universe was created by ten מאמרות, directives issued by G–d, the same applies to the creation of the Spiritual Universe. Already Nachmanides and Ibn Ezra comment on the Torah's description of גן עדן and the four rivers issuing forth from it which preceded it, that the language of the text also implies what went on in the heavenly regions.

The meaning of the name "Israel" in the future envisioned would not only denote the fact that he had prevailed in a struggle between the forces of evil and of good. At that time, Israel would not compete with evil but with the most highly placed angels. The position of Israel then would be so exalted that angels would address halachic enquiries to Israel. Rashi has mentioned this in connection with Numbers 23,23: כעת יאמר ליעקב ולישראל מה פעל השם, "At such a time Jacob and Israel will be spoken to about what G–d's works are." [my translation reflects the commentary mentioned. Ed.] The name "Israel" also denotes something of eternal value. We have already explained that the first two letters 310-יש, refer to the 310 worlds that every צדיק and צדקת will inherit in the Hereafter, [based on להנחיל אוהבי יש, Proverbs 8,21 Ed.] The remaining letters רלא, are an allusion to the superiority of Israel over the angels, seeing that Israel possesses the merit of having observed the Torah which is based on 22 letters, (alphabet) These 22 letters are 231 gateways, i.e. the permutations constructed from the alphabet as explained in the Sefer Yetzirah. [The second Mishnah in the fifth chapter of the book explains how these permutations are worked; you combine the first letter א, for instance, with all the other 21 letters. The second letter ב, is combined with the remaining 20 letters. The third letter ג, is combined with the remaining 19 letters, etc. By continuing in this fashion you will arrive at a total of 231. Ed.] The name ישראל is a composite of יש+ראל. Jacob had seen an allusion to this already in his dream of the ladder, during the course of which he glimpsed the highest domain of holiness, a dimension of the World to Come. When he lay down, i.e. וישכב, the letters in that word are a composite of יש+כ"ב, the 22 letters of the Aleph Bet. We have elaborated on that theme in its place. When Samael named Jacob ישראל, however, that was not what he had in mind, and that is why Jacob had still suffered from the "touch" (ויגע) during the struggle with Samael even after he had obtained his blessing. This effect also expressed itself in the word וישכב, with which Shechem's rape of Dinah is introduced in 34,2 [It would have been sufficient to merely mention ויענה, "he violated her against her will," the word following וישכב. Ed.]. The same word וישכב is repeated in the Torah's description of Reuben's relations with Bilhah, his father's concubine, in 35,22. Subsequently, however, there was no longer any Nachash (in the sense of serpent) attached to Jacob [play on words of Numbers 23,23 כי לא נחש ביעקב where Bileam describes the virtues of the Jewish people], seeing the name Jacob referred to the World to Come ever since Jacob's spirit was resurrected. This in turn represented an additional spiritual level over and above the one where G–d called Jacob "El," in 33,20. When G–d called Jacob "Isra-el," we must view the "Isra" as an additional dimension to the title "El" that He had already bestowed on him. The numerical value of the word א-ל, is 10% (מעשר) of the numerical value of the word 310) יש).

You do not find the number represented by the 4-lettered name, (26), in this Aleph Bet sequence of the letters of the מרכבה. In order to arrive at the number 26 in that constellation, you have to start with the sequences הו-זח (i.e. 26). This is an allusion to the total apartness of the four-lettered Ineffable Name.

Since the word ו-א-ה-י-ה, that we have quoted from Proverbs 8,30 totals 27, i.e. one beyond the 26 of the Ineffable Name, this suggests that all development or ראשית דרכו, as Solomon describes G–d's activity in Proverbs 8,22, commences after the name of י-ה-ו-ה (which totals 26) by resorting to the Aleph Bet as G–d's tool.

Since the word ו-א-ה-י-ה, that we have quoted from Proverbs 8,30 totals 27, i.e. one beyond the 26 of the Ineffable Name, this suggests that all development or ראשית דרכו, as Solomon describes G–d's activity in Proverbs 8,22, commences after the name of י-ה-ו-ה (which totals 26) by resorting to the Aleph Bet as G–d's tool.