Musar sobre Proverbios 5:5

ואם ככה את עושה לי, הרגני נא הרוג . Concerning this request of Moses in 11,15, the Zohar comments that the reason Moses addressed G–d using the feminine term for את, "You," is because at that time the power of the attribute of Justice was in the ascendancy, and, as we know, the emanation גבורה, or "Justice," is to the left of the emanation of חסד. Death had begun to rule the universe, concerning which it says in Proverbs 5,5: "her feet go down to death, her steps support she'ol."This is why Moses said: "kill me." G–d immediately said to Moses: "gather for Me seventy men, etc." (11,16). G–d continued to upbraid Moses for always asking to die, and as a result He decided to give some of Moses' spirit to these seventy men, thus partially fulfilling Moses' request. It was then that Moses realized he was going to die before he would see the Holy Land. He realized that what Eldad and Meidad had prophesied was indeed true.

Let us now look at the legislation of the levirate marriage or its alternative חליצה, removal of the sandal from the foot of the potential second husband by the widow qualifying for such a levirate marriage. I have explained earlier that the Torah's statement that man was created in the image and form of G–d means that there is a comparison between man and G–d in seven separate areas. We explained that man, i.e. the male, possesses six of these aspects, the seventh being his wife. It is required of man that he "build" a replica or replacement of himself by employing his G–d-given assets and thus preserve the דמות of G–d granted him; should he fail to create all the conditions that facilitate procreation he would thereby become guilty of diminishing G–d's דמות. [the word must be understood as portraying that man's physical faculties represent all the physical forces G–d created in the macrocosm. (cf. Kuzari 4,25) Ed.] דמות is the "final" attribute (emanation). [In Pardes Rimonim described as דמות אדם=מלכות. Ed] It is known as תמונה, "picture," because its numerical value equals the numerical value פרצוף אדם, =501. [The word פרצוף in Kabbalistic terms generally refers to the manifestation of abstract concepts. Ed.] The "feet" of this attribute descend to the domain of death, i.e. anything which is lower than this attribute is part of the domain of death. Above that domain is Mattatron, another name for the emanation מלכות. This domain may be understood as having a lower and a higher section. The lower section is below one's loins, a part connected with death, whereas what is above the loins is connected, i.e. cleaves to the objective "good." Concerning the area above the loins we are told in Proverbs 18,22: מצא אשה מצא טוב, "he who found a (suitable) wife has found (objective) good." Anything below this dividing line of מתניו, his loins, is the domain of death.

To come back to יקח נא מעט מים ורחצו רגליכם; Kabbalists know that the angels מטטרון and סנדלפון are known as מנעל and סנדל, shoe and sandal with which the "feet" of the emanation מלכות are covered, and concerning which we read in Proverbs 5,5: רגליה יורדות מות, "Her feet descend towards death" (the reference is to an immoral woman). These shoes and sandals are a hyperbole for the קליפות around which the wicked people walk. The "tree" mentioned by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the Zohar without further identification, is the tree of knowledge. All that is below the emanation מלכות, is somehow associated with that emanation. The angels themselves adhere to the essence of the tree of knowledge of good and evil in its designation as "good." The fact that that tree is also associated with "evil," is something peripheral, i.e. when wicked people try to use that tree they fail to penetrate to its essence due to their קליפות, which preclude their getting to the essence which is” good." [The last few lines are my substitution of the author who quotes on the subject from Pardes Rimonim Shaar Heychal Hatemurot chapter 7. Ed.] When Abraham invited the angels to rest under the tree, he referred to the essence of the tree of knowledge and when he said וסעדו לבכם, "refresh your heart," instead of לבבכם, "refresh your hearts," he indicated that he was aware that they were angels and therefore had only one heart, seeing angels have no evil urge.