Chasidut sobre Números 4:16
וּפְקֻדַּ֞ת אֶלְעָזָ֣ר ׀ בֶּן־אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֗ן שֶׁ֤מֶן הַמָּאוֹר֙ וּקְטֹ֣רֶת הַסַּמִּ֔ים וּמִנְחַ֥ת הַתָּמִ֖יד וְשֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֑ה פְּקֻדַּ֗ת כָּל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־בּ֔וֹ בְּקֹ֖דֶשׁ וּבְכֵלָֽיו׃ (ס)
Empero al cargo de Eleazar, hijo de Aarón el sacerdote, estará el aceite de la luminaria, y el perfume aromático, y el presente continuo, y el aceite de la unción; el cargo de todo el tabernáculo, y de todo lo que está en él, en el santuario, y en sus vasos.
Kedushat Levi
Deuteronomy 2,1. “it is eleven days (march) from Chorev to Kadesh Barnea.”
In order to understand the relevance of this line, it is helpful to understand a verse in Proverbs 27,9 where Solomon says that שמן וקטורת משמח לב, “oil (for anointing) and incense gladden the heart.”
When dealing with matters involving holiness, the basic number used is the number 10. Already in the most ancient Kabbalistic text, the sefer yetzirah, the number ten is mentioned repeatedly as a contrast to the number eleven. The ten emanations, ספירות, different levels of holiness, are “matched” by ten levels of spiritually negative levels, the difference between the two being that the גורמים, causes, of the ten levels of holiness and the resulting holiness are viewed as part of something integral, whereas a similar “integrity” of cause and effect is not presumed to exist when spiritually negative forces and their causes are concerned. When we read in the sefer yetzirah about “ten levels of emanations and not eleven,” the author wishes to make the point that the causes of the sefirot and the sefirot themselves are not viewed as separate entities. When Moses speaks of a “distance,” of eleven days [in a spiritual sense, as in: ‘49 levels of ritual pollution,’ Ed.], the word חורב, [as distinct from Sinai. Ed.], is to be understood as symbolizing the סטרא אחרא, the ten spiritually negative forces that are the counterweight of the ten spiritually positive forces. The Israelites (priests) used to offer twice daily an incense offering known as קטורת, consisting of 11 different categories of fragrances. When Moses elaborates by saying that the “11 days” he refers to were in the direction of Mount Seir, the region of the Kingdom of Edom, it becomes clear that he referred to something that took the Israelites away from the spiritually lofty atmosphere of Mount Sinai in the direction of the spiritually totally polluted domain of Esau/Seir. This is a fitting introduction to Moses rebuking the Israelites in this Book. In the parlance of our sages, the evil urge is often referred to as הר, mountain, i.e. representing an almost insurmountable obstacle. It is also called שעיר as we know from Sukkah 52. [None of the seven names mentioned in the Talmud there is שעיר, Ed.] The Talmud there does say that the evil urge appears like a tall mountain to the righteous, whereas it appears as insignificant as a thin hair to the wicked.
In order to understand the relevance of this line, it is helpful to understand a verse in Proverbs 27,9 where Solomon says that שמן וקטורת משמח לב, “oil (for anointing) and incense gladden the heart.”
When dealing with matters involving holiness, the basic number used is the number 10. Already in the most ancient Kabbalistic text, the sefer yetzirah, the number ten is mentioned repeatedly as a contrast to the number eleven. The ten emanations, ספירות, different levels of holiness, are “matched” by ten levels of spiritually negative levels, the difference between the two being that the גורמים, causes, of the ten levels of holiness and the resulting holiness are viewed as part of something integral, whereas a similar “integrity” of cause and effect is not presumed to exist when spiritually negative forces and their causes are concerned. When we read in the sefer yetzirah about “ten levels of emanations and not eleven,” the author wishes to make the point that the causes of the sefirot and the sefirot themselves are not viewed as separate entities. When Moses speaks of a “distance,” of eleven days [in a spiritual sense, as in: ‘49 levels of ritual pollution,’ Ed.], the word חורב, [as distinct from Sinai. Ed.], is to be understood as symbolizing the סטרא אחרא, the ten spiritually negative forces that are the counterweight of the ten spiritually positive forces. The Israelites (priests) used to offer twice daily an incense offering known as קטורת, consisting of 11 different categories of fragrances. When Moses elaborates by saying that the “11 days” he refers to were in the direction of Mount Seir, the region of the Kingdom of Edom, it becomes clear that he referred to something that took the Israelites away from the spiritually lofty atmosphere of Mount Sinai in the direction of the spiritually totally polluted domain of Esau/Seir. This is a fitting introduction to Moses rebuking the Israelites in this Book. In the parlance of our sages, the evil urge is often referred to as הר, mountain, i.e. representing an almost insurmountable obstacle. It is also called שעיר as we know from Sukkah 52. [None of the seven names mentioned in the Talmud there is שעיר, Ed.] The Talmud there does say that the evil urge appears like a tall mountain to the righteous, whereas it appears as insignificant as a thin hair to the wicked.
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