Musar sur L’Exode 3:14

This is the meaning of "These are the names of the sons of Levi." This verse teaches us to always share in the troubles of the community even if one has been spared such trouble personally. This is the message G–d conveyed here to Moses. אהיה אשר אהיה . When G–d had said this originally, the meaning was that He would be with us in our troubles, every time.

When the source of the oil is the emanation יסוד, it is called שמן כתית. This is the domain in which the olives are "pounded" into fragments from which the oil is extracted and in turn is channelled to the emanation מלכות. Two different stages of "pounding," i.e. כתת and כתש are required to produce the required type of oil for the מנורה. When human beings mate the process is one of כתישה, as is well known. This process eventually results in the formation of a new life, a baby. When the parallel process occurs in the Celestial Regions the result is the שפע we enjoy at the hands of G–d. When the oil is the product of the emanation יסוד, i.e. שמן זית זך כתית, this is equivalent to שמן רענן (cf. Psalms 92,11) because the emanation יסוד is also known as the region of רענן. The שפע by itself is known as זית אחת, a single olive. שמן without any adjectives describing it is an allusion to the שפע which is provided by the emanation בינה, having originated in the emanation חכמה which is part of the "right" side of the scheme of emanations, the side from which G–d's goodness is revealed. The emanation בינה is also known as the seat of G–d's name א-ה-י-ה. We find this word repeated in Exodus 3,14, where G–d refers to the abundance He will supply. When the three basic letters י-ה-ו are used it does not matter in which order they are spelled. The letters י-ה-ו are also alluded to in the word בינה, because the word בינה is a combination of בן and י-ה. The letter ו alludes to "combination," i.e. when you place it together with the letters י-ה, you have י-ה-ו. When you apply the system of exchanging letters in the alphabet known as א-ת, ב-ש, the result is ב-י-ט as the alternative spelling of the שמן. This word ביט is a sacred name of G–d and in numerical value equals the holy Name א-ה-י-ה or י-ה-ו. This is what I have heard." Thus far the quotation from the Pardes Rimonim.

The soul is created from the place of the Holy Spirit, as it is said, "And breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" (Gen. 2:7). And it is hewn out from a place of purity, and it is created from the supernal radiance, from the Throne of Glory. And in the realm above, in the place of the Holy of Holies, there is no falsehood. There everything is truth, as it is said, "But the Lord God is the true God" (Jer. 10:10). I have found written, "I am that I am" ^** Hebrew: Eheyeh asher Eheyeh. (Ex. 3:14). And it is also written, "And the Lord God is the true ^**** Hebrew: emet. God, He is the living God and everlasting king" (Jer. 10:10).