출애굽기 3:14의 Musar

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).

It is a cornerstone of the system of Kabbalah that the letters of the Torah are the "bricks" with which the universe was constructed. They can therefore be considered the יסוד, foundation. From this foundation all else developed. The name א-ה-י-ה is that foundation since it alludes to a new existence. The development of that existence is represented by the name א-ל-ה-י-ם. This is why you find the letters א-ה-י which are the three letters that appear in the word א-ה-י-ה in the name א-ל-ה-י-ם.

The subject matter this Midrash concentrated on is the קליפה, peel, that was created by Adam's sin, which caused the brilliant light prevailing at the time of Creation to be withdrawn, and which can only be regained through efforts to refine oneself and to repair the damage done by Adam. The means to achieve such refinement is the series of exiles. Once having lived through these exiles, Israel's sins will be expiated, the Messiah will arrive and the world will once again be bathed in the brilliant light that prevailed when Adam and Eve wore clothes woven of light. The experience of the Jewish people in Egypt was of a similar nature. Israel, which still suffered from a degree of pollutants absorbed through the serpent, was cleansed and left Egypt with its head held high. All the judgments visited upon the Egyptians were in the nature of what our sages call חידוש העולם, a renewal of universal dimensions. The phenomena displayed testified to the fact that it was G–d who had created the universe and who could work His will upon it. We have explained all this in its appropriate place. G–d had already alluded to the other exiles at the time he concluded the original covenant with Abraham reported in לך לך chapter 15. The operative words at the time were: אימה, חשיכה גדולה נופלת עליו.