Êxodo 34:27 Cabalá: Reshit Chokhmah & Sha'arei Orah

If one makes an effort to know the six orders of the Mishnah by heart, how great and how pleasant is his portion, since the main study of the Mishnah is to know it by heart, as it says “for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel” (Exodus 34:27), and teachings that are Oral are not permitted to be said in writing, and they only wrote down [the Mishnah] because ‘the time has come to do for the Creator’ (meaning in those times they had to write them down or else it would have been forgotten). Those who know it by heart (orally) is meritorious, as Rabbi Shimon said in the Zohar in Beresheet B that in the Chamber of Etzem Hashamayim there are Serafim with six wings, and this is what it says: 77. From the totality of those lights, THROUGH THEIR JOINING, the Seraphim were created. Each has six wings, as is written: “Above it stood the Seraphim, each one had six wings” (Yeshayah 6:2). They all have six WINGS, because they originated from THIS CHAMBER CALLED etzem hashamayim. These Seraphim burn (Heb. sorphim) all those who do not revere their Master’s glory, THAT IS, THOSE WHO DEAL WITH THE THREE TOP SFIROT, and it is said that he who exploits the crown of Torah shall fade away, BECAUSE THE SERAPHIM BURN HIM. And whoever reads and learns the Six Orders of the Mishnah knows how to arrange and connect with his Master’s unity, as is fitting. It is he who knows how to sanctify his Master’s Holy Name each day always.

Now, in the Torah, HaShem’s-יהו"ה quality as the Living God-El Chai-א"ל חי is sometimes called Covenant-Brit-ברית. Know and understand that every term of covenant-ברית in Torah divides into three kinds of matters that are all connected as one. The three matters divide into these three names; Lord-Adona”y-אדנ"י, the Living God-El Chai-א"ל חי and Understanding-Binah-בינה. The covenant of Understanding-Binah-בינה is the covenant of the mouth, the covenant of the tongue and the covenant of the lips, as it states,¹³¹Exodus 34:27 “upon the mouth-Al Pee-על פי of these things I have made a covenant with you.”¹³²The words “Al Pee-על פי-upon the mouth,” is how “according to” is said in the Hebrew language. Thus, the usual translation of this verse is, “According to these things I have made a covenant with you.” The covenant of the Living God-El Chai-א"ל חי is called the covenant of Peace-Shalom-שלום, as stated,¹³³Numbers 25:13 “Behold, I give him My covenant of Peace-Breetee Shalom-בריתי שלום,” which includes the covenant of Shabbat and the covenant of the rainbow. Moreover, HaShem-יהו"ה, blessed is He, gave us the covenant of circumcision-Brit Milah-ברית מילה so that we can merit His quality as the Living God-El Chai-א"ל חי. The covenant of HaShem’s-יהו"ה quality of Lordship-Adona”y-אדנ"י corresponds to the covenant of the Torah, which is bound between the covenant of the Living God-El Chai-א"ל חי and the covenant of the Lord-Adona”y-אדנ"י. When HaShem’s-יהו"ה quality of Lordship-Adona”y-אדנ"י is bound to His quality as the Living God-El Chai-א"ל חי and to His quality of Understanding-Binah-בינה, then it too is called by the term covenant-Brit-ברית, in accordance to both. This is the matter of the covenant of the tongue and the covenant of the skin (circumcision).

We thus learn that there are three kinds of covenants-Brit-ברית. The first is the covenant of the tongue-Brit HaLashon-ברית הלשון, which is the covenant of the mouth-Brit HaPeh-ברית הפה, which is the covenant of the Torah-Brit HaTorah-ברית התורה, which is the eternal covenant-Brit Olam-ברית עולם, which is the covenant of Understanding-Brit HaBinah-ברית הבינה. The second is the covenant of circumcision-Brit Milah-ברית מילה, which is the covenant of the flesh-Brit Bassar-ברית בשר, which is the covenant of the rainbow-Brit HaKeshet-ברית הקשת, which is the covenant of Shabbat-שבת. Now, within these two covenants is the covenant of Lordship-Adona”y-אדנ"י, which is the covenant of the Oral Torah-Brit Torah Shebe’Al Peh-ברית תורה שבעל פה, which is the covenant of Pri’ah-פריעה. About this it says,¹⁴¹Exodus 34:27 “By the mouth of these things I have made a covenant with you,” referring to the covenant of the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. Of these three covenants, the first is Understanding-Binah (the name HaShem-יהו"ה vowelized as God-Eloh”im-אלהי"ם). The last covenant is Kingship-Malchut-מלכות (Lord-Adona”y-אדנ"י). The middle covenant is Shabbat (The Living God-El Chai-א"ל חי). We thus find that the covenant of Shabbat is the bond between HaShem-יהו"ה and His Lordship-Adona”y-אדנ"י and that if not for the covenant of circumcision-Brit Milah-ברית מילה, which is the covenant of Shabbat, we would not have merited receiving either the Written Torah or the Oral Torah, which are the matter of HaShem the Lord-יהו"ה אדנ"י [pronounced Elohi”m Adona”y-אלהי"ם אדנ"י]. Know that the title the Living God-El Chai-א"ל חי, which is called covenant-Brit-ברית, is the gateway to enter the quality of Splendor-Tiferet-תפארת, which is the matter of the Written Torah that emanates from Understanding-Binah-בינה in the matter of fifty days, as explained above. If a person does not enter this gateway, which is the covenant-Brit-ברית, how then can he grasp Torah, which is inner and above.