Musar do Wyjścia 3:23

Exodus 3,15: "This is My name and My appellation for all eternity." We find the following quote at the end of the third chapter in tractate פסחים referring to the verse in Zachariah 14,9: "On that day there shall be one Lord with one name." The Talmud asks whether prior to that day G–d was not unique? Rabbi Nachman son of Yitzchak says that the present world cannot be compared to the world of the future. In our world, G–d's name is written with the letter י and ה, but pronounced as if written with the letters א and ד. In the world after the arrival of the Messiah, His name will be read in the same way as it is spelled, i.e. with י-ה.

The commandments mentioned in this portion may be divided into three categories. They correspond to the three "pillars" that support the universe, i.e. תורה-עבודה-גמילות חסדים, Torah, service of the Lord and the dispensation of kind deeds. Torah is represented by commandments such as not to add or to deduct from them. In other words, we are ordered to preserve the שלימות, perfection, wholeness of the Torah. Philosophers have already said that it is part of the definition of perfection that one cannot add to it or detract from it. Perfection is indivisible. Torah is totally bound up with the great and Holy Name of G–d i.e. תורת ה' תמימה. I have elaborated on this in my treatise מסכת שבועות, section תורה אור. The Zohar, commenting on Exodus 3,15: זה שמי … זה זכרי, points out that the numerical value of י-ה+שמי=365, whereas the numerical value of ו-י+זכרי=248, together 613, i.e. the number of commandments in the Torah. G–d also describes Himself as אני ראשון ואני אחרון, "I am first and I am last," indicating total perfection.

[And in this manner I have explained the verse in Psalms 81:10: "There shall not be in you a strange god and you shall not bow down to a foreign god. (11) I am the L-rd your G-d who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." Now, ostensibly, it should first have been written "I am the L-rd your G-d, etc." and only then "There shall not be in you a strange god," as it is written in the Torah. Why is the order reversed? But, Chazal have told us (Shabbath 105b): "Which is the strange god in the body of a man? The yetzer hara." (In the beginning it incites him to commit transgressions which are not so severe; but, in the end, "transgression breeds transgression," and it permits him even to bow down to idols.) And the intent of the verse [in Psalms]: "I am the L-rd your G-d, etc." is: Have I not brought you up from the land of Egypt so that you receive the Torah, as it is written (Shemoth 3:12): "And this is the sign for you [Moses] that I have sent you. When you take out the people from Egypt, you will serve G-d on this mountain." For this [the receiving of the Torah] is the purpose of the exodus, as Rashi explains. Therefore, "open wide your mouth and I will fill it." This is like a rabbi's telling his disciple: "Open up your mouth and let your words shine forth." For the Holy One Blessed be He wishes to give each Jew a great share in the Torah. However, in truth, everything is dependent upon the power of the recipient, wherefore He says: "Open wide your mouth." That is, ready yourself to receive much, and I will fill it according to your widening. But this is prefaced by: When will this be fulfilled in you? When "there will not be in you a strange god," when the yetzer hara will not be a guest in your body. Then you will be able to open wide your mouth to Torah, and I will fill it. For it is to this end that I brought you up from the land of Egypt (As it is written (Ibid. 13:9): "And it shall be a sign upon your hand… so that the Torah of the L-rd shall be in your mouth.") But if there is a strange god in your body— that is, if it is full of lewd thoughts, G-d forbid, I will not be able to fulfill your wish to widen your mouth with Torah.

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.

G–d had planned for the Exodus to become mankind's renewal, and this was the revelation to Moses when He taught him that He had not truly revealed His name i.e. the four-lettered name (Exodus 6,3). All this had been in answer to Moses' question "when they say to me what is His name, what shall I tell them?" (Exodus 3,13). At that time G–d had revealed to Moses the concept of חידוש העולם as I have explained at length in my commentary on the Haggadah Shel Pessach.

We find the Torah described as G–d's, i.e. תורת ה'; we also find it described as Moses' Torah, i.e. תורת משה. I have dealt with this apparent anomaly in the introduction to my treatise called תולדות אדם as well as in my treatise מסכת שבועות. G–d gave Moses a number of general rules when He gave him the Torah. This is alluded to in Exodus 31,18: ויתן אל משה ככלתו לדבר אתו הר סיני, "G–d gave to Moses when He finished speaking with him at Mount Sinai, etc." Our sages in Shemot Rabbah 41,6 comment that this gift refers to the principles of Torah exegesis that G–d gave to Moses at that time. Moses realized then that there is an oral Torah also. G–d confirmed to Moses that this was indeed so. This is why the oral Torah is called תורת משה, i.e. Moses' bride. Once Moses had formed this relationship with his spiritual bride he gave up his physical bride, i.e. he no longer lived with his wife as man and wife. This is why the Zohar describes Moses' title as איש האלוקים with the words בעלה דמטרניתא, "husband of this spiritual 'matron'" (who has her root in the emanation תפארת and whose mystical dimension דעת was previously refined by passing through the emanations חכמה and בינה). We find a further allusion to this concept in Job 28,12: והחכמה מאין תמצא ואיזה מקום בינה, "But where can wisdom be found; where is the source of understanding?" The Tziyoni writes that the word מאין is the mystical dimension of the letters in the name משה. The numerical value of the word זנגזגאל, Moses' teacher, is the same as that of the word מאין, i.e. 101. [the angel that called to Moses from the burning bush, cf. Targum Yonathan ben Uzziel Exodus 3,2. Ed.] This number 101 is reminiscent of the statement of our sages that in order to ensure that one understands what one has learned one has to study it 101 times (Chagigah 9b). While it is true that the title איש אלוקים has been accorded by the Bible not only to Moses but to a total of ten personalities namely Elkanah, Samuel, David, Shayah, Iddo, Elijah, Elisha, Michah and Amotz, yet there is a difference between the other nine men and Moses. Whenever Moses is described by this title he is referred to as איש אלוקים. This means that he was the "husband" of the Divine i.e. the emanation מלכות, much as Elimelech is described as the husband of Naomi, i.e. איש נעמי in Ruth 1,3. The same term with the other prophets means "a man of G–d," i.e. someone who has displayed close affinity with G–d. Another difference which marks the description of Moses as איש אלוקים is that whenever Moses' name is mentioned in such a connection Moses' own personal name always precedes his description as איש האלוקים, such as in our portion in 33,1. The same does not hold true with the other men who have been accorded the title איש אלוקים. When our Rabbis stated: אין בעל מת אלא לאשתו, "a husband's death affects primarily his wife" (Sanhedrin 22a), they may well have alluded to the "marriage" between Moses and Matronita. When the period of mourning observed by Israel after Moses' death is described in the Torah (34,8) we find the expression: ויתמו ימי בכל אבל משה, "The days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end." Note that the numerical value of the word בכי, weeping is 32, and the word אבל is 33. Adding these two words you arrive at the numerical value of the current name of G–d א-ד-נ-י=65. Allegorically speaking, this means that Moses was mourned by his "wife" i.e. the (junior) attribute of G–d Matronita with whom he shared the last 40 years of his life on earth.

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.

Exodus 3,5, tells Moses to remove both his sandals, whereas in Joshua 5,15, we find the latter commanded to remove only one of his sandals. Why? There are three differences in the two stories. A) Moses is asked to remove "your sandals," i.e. plural. B) Here we read that the earth Moses stands on is holy, i.e. אדמת קודש. In the book of Joshua the word "soil," אדמה is missing. C) In the book of Joshua, it is reported that Joshua complied, i.e. ויעש כן, he did so. This comment is missing in the case of Moses.

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.

We also see that Moses was very humble, saying "who am I that I should go to Pharaoh." He had preferred that this privilege be accorded to his older brother Aaron (Exodus 3,11). How much humility must the likes of us practice when even a great man such as Moses wanted to defer to his brother!

Let us now explain some of the aspects of קדושה, holiness or sanctity. There are three different kinds of holiness, five if we include sub-categories. The three basic categories are: 1) The sanctity of the body as discussed in the earlier portions of the Book of Leviticus concerning which the Torah said – והתקדשתם: 2. The sanctity of space as mentioned in the Torah in Exodus 3,5: כי המקום … קדש הוא (this has to do with התבודדות, physical separation from others; 3) The sanctity of time, such as when the Sabbath is called מקרא קודש, "a holy convocation."

Yitro's words "עתה ידעתי" "now I know," (Exodus 18,11) reflect this new-found knowledge of Yitro (Cain). Cain had murdered because he did not believe that G–d is a judge, that there is justice in the world, and that there is life after death. The Targum Yonathan says that the word "עתה" represents Yitro's new found insight, and that this is the reason that this portion about the installing of a broadly based system of judges was added at Exodus 18,21. (I have not been able to find this in the Targum Yonathan. Ed) The reason Yitro had entrusted (given) his flock to Moses (Exodus 3,1) was that it was symbolic of the sheep he had stolen from his brother Abel in his previous incarnation, the latter having been a shepherd (Genesis 4,2). Moses had not wanted to accept this flock, believing it to be rightfully Yitro's. The Rabbis do not like someone tending the property of an idol worshipper, since the chances are that such property may have been acquired as payment for services rendered to idols. The Torah therefore stresses צאן יתרו, that the flock was not derived from such sources.

Remember that Torah is the imprint of G–d; the universe, which is none other than אדם, i.e. Israel (which is the only nation called אדם), is the imprint of Torah. Torah and Israel then are strongly attached to one another. Just as physical man is composed of 248 limbs and 365 tendons, so the soul contains a similar number of hidden spiritual "limbs" and "tendons. These latter are the 613 commandments, 248 of which are positive commandments requiring us to do certain things, whereas the remaining 365 are negative commandments enjoining us not to do certain things. The negative commandments are perceived as emanating from G–d's attribute of Justice, and are "red" (description of tendons), whereas the positive commandments which emanate from G–d's attribute of Mercy are "white," i.e. the limbs, bones. Red is a symbol of דין, judgment, whereas white is a symbol of mercy. Both are branches of the hidden אדם עליון, a hidden mystical name, who sits on the throne in the Celestial Regions whose mystique is alluded to in Exodus 3,15 when G–d said to Moses: זה שמי לעולם וזה זכרי לדור דור. "This is My Name forever, and this is My Appellation for eternity." The Zohar points out that when you combine the numerical value; of the first half of Ineffable Name י-ה with the numerical value of the word שמי, the result is 365, whereas when you combine the numerical value of the second half of the Ineffable Name ו-ה with the numerical value of the word זכרי, the result is 248. Man was created in order to fulfil these 613 commandments which are "branches" of a higher world. The thought processes underlying the creation of spiritual forces in the "higher" world were all designed to eventually result in physical man fulfilling the 613 commandments on this earth and involving his נשמה, soul, in doing so. Although it can be argued that one cannot carry out the 365 negative commandments, seeing that observing them does not involve the performance of a deed but abstention from such performance, we shall explain later that there is no contradiction here. By fulfilling these commandments, our soul "garbs" itself in prestigious garments, a necessary prelude for its return to בית אביה, "her father's house," i.e. to the Heavenly Regions it originated from.

First of all let me explain that there is a difference between the meaning of the word טוב when it is spelled with the vowel חולם and when it is spelled with the vowel שורוק. The former spelling is employed when the visible "good" i.e. the נגלה, only is revealed. When the word is spelled with the vowel שורוק, however, the good that is meant is also the intrinsic good, that which is not visible. We observe this principle when checking the spellings of these three "gifts." When referring to Torah, Psalms 119,72, we have טוב לי תורת פיך מאלפי זהב וכסף, "The Torah of Your mouth I prefer to thousands of pieces of gold and silver." The word טוב in this case is spelled with the vowel חולם. On the other hand, six verses earlier in Psalms 119,66, we find טוב טעם ודעת למדני, "teach me good sense and knowledge," and the word טוב is spelled with the vowel שורוק. Similarly we find ארץ ישראל described as ארץ טובה, with the vowel חולם, on occasion (Exodus 3,8), whereas in Isaiah 1,19, we read "אם תאבו ושמעתם, טוב הארץ תאכלו," "if you agree and listen, you will eat of the good of the land." In this case the word טוב is again spelled with the vowel שורוק. Concerning this verse our sages have said that Isaiah speaks of "the world which is totally good," since they could not understand what other justification there could be for the different spellings. They concluded that in that distant future there will no longer be a difference between the hidden aspects of טוב, and the part which is visible to all. At that time, a blessing will no longer contain also those elements that are not good. A reference to something intrinsic is appropriate only if the same gift described contains both external and internal features. This is why they described that future as one that is כלו טוב, i.e. "totally good."

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).

Israel are so beloved of G–d and vice versa that just because there is no intermediary between us and G–d, once we have sinned we are no longer called עם ה'. This theme is elaborated on in the Yalkut item 391 where Rabbi Berechyah is quoted as saying in the name of Rabbi Levi that we must understand this relationship by means of a parable. A king who owned a vineyard entrusted the vineyard to a leaseholder. As long as the leaseholder produced good wine the owner described the wine as his. When the leaseholder produced inferior wine, the owner referred to the inferior wine as that of the leaseholder. When the leaseholder became aware of this, he said to the king: "My lord king, why is the wine yours when it is is good, whereas when it is inferior it is mine? After all, it is yours regardless of whether it is good or inferior?" Something similar describes the relationship between the Jewish people and G–d and Moses their leader. When G–d first appointed Moses as the leader of the Jewish people (Exodus 3,10) He said to him: "Come, I shall send you to Pharaoh to free MY people the Children of Israel from Egypt." After the Jewish people made the golden calf, G–d said to Moses: "Go and descend, for YOUR people whom you have brought out of Egypt have become corrupted." Thereupon Moses said to G–d: "When they are sinful they are MY people, and when they are meritorious they are YOUR people? They are Your people and Your inheritance regardless of whether they are sinful or whether they are full of merits. Do not let Your anger blaze forth against them, etc,” Rabbi Symon added that Moses refused to budge until G–d had again called them "MY people." We know this from Exodus 32,14: "G–d renounced the punishment He had planned to bring upon HIS people."

I have already alluded to the Midrash which describes Moses as a טירון, private, in G–d's army of prophets at the beginning of his career when he experienced his first vision of G–d at the Burning Bush. G–d had said to Himself at that time: "If I appear to him with a thunderous voice, I will frighten him. If I approach him in a low voice, he will treat prophecy with scorn. So what did G–d do? He addressed him using the voice of Moses' father Amram. When thus approached, Moses responded by saying: הנני, "I am ready" (what does my father wish of me?) (Exodus 3,5). G–d then told Moses that He was not his father but the G–d of his father, that He had called him in a seductive manner so as not to frighten him. He explained that He was also the G–d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Thereupon Moses was very happy to hear that his own father was included in the list of patriarchs, and had even been mentioned ahead of the patriarchs. At this point, Moses hid his face, saying that he must surely hide his face in the presence of the G–d of his father.

I have already alluded to the Midrash which describes Moses as a טירון, private, in G–d's army of prophets at the beginning of his career when he experienced his first vision of G–d at the Burning Bush. G–d had said to Himself at that time: "If I appear to him with a thunderous voice, I will frighten him. If I approach him in a low voice, he will treat prophecy with scorn. So what did G–d do? He addressed him using the voice of Moses' father Amram. When thus approached, Moses responded by saying: הנני, "I am ready" (what does my father wish of me?) (Exodus 3,5). G–d then told Moses that He was not his father but the G–d of his father, that He had called him in a seductive manner so as not to frighten him. He explained that He was also the G–d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Thereupon Moses was very happy to hear that his own father was included in the list of patriarchs, and had even been mentioned ahead of the patriarchs. At this point, Moses hid his face, saying that he must surely hide his face in the presence of the G–d of his father.

You should not think that Pharaoh's increasing of the Jewish people's workload (Exodus 5,6-9), was merely his own idea. On the contrary, it represented the will of G–d. He had sent Moses to Pharaoh in order to produce this result. This is why two expressions are used when G–d enlists Moses' services. A) לכה, B) ואשלחך (Exodus 3,10). The first expression usually refers to an undertaking due to one's own initiative, whereas the second word אשלחך refers to the carrying out of a mission at someone else's bidding. The Ari zal states that G–d sent two missions. One mission had as its purpose the redemption of Israel, i.e. ואשלחך. The other had as its objective the increased burdens imposed by Pharaoh on the Jewish people, i.e. something apparently painful for the Jewish people. Since G–d never describes a mission undertaken at His behest as לרעה, meant to have negative effects, it was couched in language that normally describes one's own initiative, i.e. לכה-לך נא (go please).

This is described in verse 14 where the prophet says: כאשר שממו עליך רבים כן משחת מאיש מראהו ותוארו מבני אדם. "Just as the many were appalled at him, so marred was his appearance, unlike that of man, his form beyond human semblance." The מראהו מאיש the appearance unlike man that the prophet speaks of refers to Moses. The תוארו, "semblance" refers to Moses after his forehead radiated light. Alas, during the many generations which form the subject of the verse described by the prophet he was אחד מן העם, just like one of the common people. The whole of chapter 53 in Isaiah commencing with מי האמין refers to Moses and graphically describes his experiences; he even shared a grave outside the Holy Land as did the wicked people of the generation of the Exodus. When verse 12 speaks of: לכן אחלק לו ברבים this is an allusion to Moses' being involved in the סוד העיבור "the secret of possible existence" [my translation. Ed.] of all these generations who were "wicked people" compared to him. Moses will receive some reward in respect of each of these generations because of his share in whatever merits any generation accumulated. This is how we must understand the Mechilta Beshalach 15,1: that Moses was "equal" to all of the people of Israel. He provided spiritual input into every generation following him because G–d involved him in the סוד העיבור. When Isaiah 53,12 speaks about: ואת עצומים יחלק שלל, "He shall receive the powerful ones as his spoils," the meaning is none other than that G–d directly will give Moses his reward, whereas the other righteous people will receive it by way of Moses. The prophet goes on to say: תחת אשר הערה למות נפשו, "because he exposed himself to death," i.e. in each and every one of the generations since he died until the advent of the Messiah. Perhaps the fact that G–d repeated his name during their first encounter at the burning bush (Exodus 3,4) [unlike when the angel called to Abraham in Genesis 22,11, where the Torah has a line separating the two names i.e. אברהם৷ אברהם. Ed.] maybe an indication that there will be a "Moses" in every generation. When Isaiah continues: ואת פשעים נמנה, והוא חטא רבים נשא ולפשעים יפגיע, "and he was numbered among the sinners, whereas he bore the guilt of many and made intercession for sinners," this means that the final forgiveness of these sinners will be achieved through Moses' intercession. Thus far the comments in the writings of Rabbi Chayim.

In commenting on Ruth 4,7: "Now this was formerly done in Israel in cases of redemption or exchange, to validate any transaction, one man would take off his sandal and hand it to the other," the Zohar on פרשת חוקת enlarges on the theme of נעל. I will content myself with copying a synopsis of his comments. [actually the author copied the entire passage of the Zohar. Ed.] "In Exodus 3,5 at the Burning Bush, G–d tells Moses: אל תקרב הלום, של נעלך מעל רגליך, "Do not come close, remove your shoes from your feet." What was the point in involving Moses' shoes in this revelation? The shoes G–d referred to represent Moses' wife. G–d suggested to Moses that in order to qualify for what He had in mind for him, he should divorce his wife and marry another. This alternate "marriage" was to be to a source of greater light, i.e. the שכינה. The true "wife" for Moses would be found in a higher world. The נעל, shoe, Moses removed from his foot – and which is described in Ruth 4,7 as a time-honored medium (symbol) for effecting transfer of ownership of something between two people – is the medium of effecting transfer from one world to another, i.e. death in this world and transfer to the Hereafter. This is why the sages have a tradition that a dream that one is given something by a person who has died is a good sign, whereas a dream that a dead person takes something away from one such as a shoe, is a bad sign (Berachot 57). The taking of one's shoe symbolizes that one will shortly be transferred to another world, i.e. one will die. We have an allusion to this in Song of Songs 7,2: מה יפו פעמיך בנעלים בת נדיב, "How lovely are your feet in sandals, O daughter of nobles!" (The mystical dimension of this allusion is jealously guarded by the initiated). What we have stated above is true when it is the departed person who takes the shoe. This is a symbol of transferring something to the world of the dead. If a living person takes a shoe in order to confirm an acquisition he does so at the behest of Heaven, i.e. to carry out G–d's decree to transfer a certain possession to another. The shoe used in performing the rite of חליצה has a different significance; all has a common mystical denominator. Consider that the husband in question who has died without having children is not welcomed by the בת נדיב (the emanation מלכות) in her world. The spirit is therefore moving about aimlessly, with no place to rest. G–d has taken pity on this spirit and commanded the brother of the departed person to release him from his misery. He is to do this by enabling the spirit to enter another "dust" i.e. body in accordance with Job 34,15: "and mankind would return to dust." If this redeemer is not willing to "revive" his departed brother [through the vicarious means of the levirate marriage and the siring of a male heir. Ed.] the latter has to receive an alternate נעל. This is the נעל which the widow removes from the foot of her brother-in-law to receive it on behalf of her late husband; her receipt of the shoe indicates that her late husband has returned to the world of the living. What happens in this procedure is the exact opposite of what occurs when a person dreams that a departed person has taken his shoe away from him. In the case of חליצה the living is perceived as taking from the dead. This is why the dead is able to return to be among the living by means of this sandal. The widow is seen as the crown of her late husband. The "wife" is understood as a metaphor for the שכינה which now accepts the spirit of the departed in its domain. This sandal has to be thrown to the ground to demonstrate that the widow wishes this body to be revived. G–d will take pity on this spirit either immediately or after a suitable interval and accept it in His domain. Throwing the sandal down on the earth also symbolizes that this departed person will be reconstituted from another source of dust. In the meantime the departed first returns to the earth he originally came from, thus releasing his widow to remarry anyone else suitable for her. Thus far the quote from the Zohar.

In Exodus 3,5 where G–d told Moses to remove his shoes, this was a euphemism for divorcing his wife. When the Torah cites as the reason that Moses had to remove his shoes the fact that he was standing on holy ground, this was a reference to the superior marriage partner G–d had assigned to him.

"He was afraid and distressed;" the former was due to Jacob's fear that the accuser in the Celestial Regions might have come across sins committed by Jacob that he had not been aware of. He was also afraid that Esau's merit in having performed the commandment of honouring father and mother during all the years Jacob had not performed it might now support him. We find that Moses too was afraid before engaging Og, King of Bashan, in battle, fearing that the merit of Abraham might assist Og, as explained by Rashi on Numbers 21,34. [The merit of Og referred to must be that he became instrumental in Abraham saving Lot, by having told him that the latter had been taken prisoner, even though that had hardly been Og's motive, as Rashi himself explains on Genesis 14, 13. Ed.] Bereshit Rabbah 76, 1, quoting Rabbi Pinchas, understands our verse in a similar vein. "There were two people who had received specific assurances from G–d, and still they were reported as being afraid. One is the choicest of the patriarchs, Jacob, to whom G–d had said: "I shall be with you;" in the end we nonetheless find him afraid of his upcoming encounter with Esau, seeing the Torah says: ויירא יעקב. The other person was the choicest of the prophets, Moses. G–d had told him "for I shall be with you" (Exodus 3,12). Still, we find G–d had to tell him in Numbers 21: "Do not be afraid of him (Og)." G–d certainly would not have bothered to reassure Moses had he not been afraid, (though the Torah did not report this as a fact). Thus far the Midrash.

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.

Aaron also thought that the elevation of Moses to a position of redeemer was not necessary, but only an act of kindness on the part of G–d who imparts some of His own honour to those who fear and revere Him. He did not think that there was any practical significance in this, seeing redemption would be brought about by G–d Himself. Moses himself had thought along similar lines when he declined the mission to become the official leader of the Jewish people. His query: מי אנכי אשר אלך, "Who am I that I should go,” reflected his thinking (Exodus 3,11). The Midrash already re-phrases Moses' question as מי אני, "who am I, seeing that the one called אנכי is going to redeem the Jewish people!" Whereas Moses was correct in his basic assumption, G–d wanted to lend glamour to Moses, as He said later: ראה נתתיך אלהים לפרעה, "See here, I have made you a deity as far as Pharaoh is concerned." The greatness of Moses' honour can be measured by the fact that it was he who was chosen by G–d to hand the Torah to the Jewish people; he was told at the time that his mission would be considered a success when the Jewish people would accept the Torah at Mount Sinai (Chorev) (cf. Exodus 3,12). Aaron was unaware of these details at the time; this is why he thought that he had behaved in an exemplary fashion by not begrudging Moses his new status. The Midrash then was quite correct when it said that had Aaron been aware that he was to receive credit for his attitude, and that it was only Moses who could be the intermediary in accelerating redemption, he would have gone to meet his brother with drums and dances of joy just as we found Miriam doing after the miraculous rescue of the Jewish people (Exodus 15, 20).

Aaron also thought that the elevation of Moses to a position of redeemer was not necessary, but only an act of kindness on the part of G–d who imparts some of His own honour to those who fear and revere Him. He did not think that there was any practical significance in this, seeing redemption would be brought about by G–d Himself. Moses himself had thought along similar lines when he declined the mission to become the official leader of the Jewish people. His query: מי אנכי אשר אלך, "Who am I that I should go,” reflected his thinking (Exodus 3,11). The Midrash already re-phrases Moses' question as מי אני, "who am I, seeing that the one called אנכי is going to redeem the Jewish people!" Whereas Moses was correct in his basic assumption, G–d wanted to lend glamour to Moses, as He said later: ראה נתתיך אלהים לפרעה, "See here, I have made you a deity as far as Pharaoh is concerned." The greatness of Moses' honour can be measured by the fact that it was he who was chosen by G–d to hand the Torah to the Jewish people; he was told at the time that his mission would be considered a success when the Jewish people would accept the Torah at Mount Sinai (Chorev) (cf. Exodus 3,12). Aaron was unaware of these details at the time; this is why he thought that he had behaved in an exemplary fashion by not begrudging Moses his new status. The Midrash then was quite correct when it said that had Aaron been aware that he was to receive credit for his attitude, and that it was only Moses who could be the intermediary in accelerating redemption, he would have gone to meet his brother with drums and dances of joy just as we found Miriam doing after the miraculous rescue of the Jewish people (Exodus 15, 20).

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.

From all that I have written the significance of Yehudah, Joseph and Benjamin is quite apparent. The Temple, which was built on tribal property belonging to Benjamin, was the site on which the feet of the שכינה rested, as we know from Isaiah 60,13: "To adorn the site of My Sanctuary, to glorify the place where My feet rest." We also have Exodus 3,5 in which Moses is told at the burning bush: "Take off your sandals from your feet for the ground you are standing on is holy ground. It is also significant that the price received by the brothers for the sale of Joseph is described by the prophet Amos 2,6 as the price of a pair of sandals, whereas in 8,6 the prophet described that G–d will not forgive those who buy the needy for the price of a pair of sandals. [In all these examples the sandals symbolize the foundation, basis. Ed.]

We find a clear allusion to the fact that we will be spared that ultimate degradation in Leviticus 26,44 where the Torah discusses all the punishments that will be inflicted on the Jewish nation for rebellion against the laws of the Torah: "Yet, even then when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or spurn them so as to destroy them, annulling My covenant with them; for I the Lord am their G–d." The destruction G–d speaks of is the descent into the pit called "Gehinom." David refers to it by saying חייתני מיורדי בור, "You have preserved me from going down into the Pit" (verse 4). There is a further allusion here to Lamentations 3,53: צמתו בבור חיי, "They have ended my life in a pit." When David continues in verse 5: זמרו לה' חסידיו, "O you faithful sing to Him," he refers to the Ineffable Name by means of which many miracles have been performed, a "hidden" name, as G–d already told Moses when He said to him in Exodus 3,15: זה שמי לעלם וזה זכרי לדור דור, "This is My Name, the hidden one, (forever) and My appellation for all eternity." The reason that the word לעולם is spelled defective there is to alert us to the hidden aspects of G–d's name. The two references to זה, are: one to the Ineffable four-lettered Name, the other to the name א-ד-נ-י, which equals the numerical value of the word היכל, Sanctuary, i.e. 65. The mystique of G–d's name is its association with the Sanctuary.