Kabbalah sa Mga Kawikaan 14:30: Sha'arei Kedusha & Sha'arei Orah

Our sages, of blessed memory, stated,⁴⁰⁶Talmud Bavli, Rosh HaShanah 17a ibid. “Rav Huna, the son of Rav Yehoshua, became sick etc. Upon his recovery they asked him, ‘What did you see when you were hovering between life and death?’ He replied, ‘I was indeed close to death, but the Holy One, blessed is He, said: Since he does not insist on his rights, do not be exacting with him, as written,⁴⁰⁷Micah 7:18 ‘He pardons iniquity and overlooks transgression.’’” Our sages, of blessed memory, related⁴⁰⁸Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 152a that there were diggers who were digging on Rav Nachman’s land and came upon the grave of Rav Achai bar Yoshiya, who was fully preserved, and he rebuked them. When Rav Nachman came and asked him how it was that he was preserved, he answered that it was because in all his days he did not stand on his rights against those who trespassed against him, and he never was begrudging or envious of his fellows, as the verse states,⁴⁰⁹Proverbs 14:30 “Envy causes the rotting of bones.”

The bones of whoever possesses envy shall rot.⁴⁵⁶Proverbs 14:30; Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 152b It therefore is appropriate for a person to be happy with his lot,⁴⁵⁷Mishnah Avot 4:1 even if it is small. For, he is certainly no better than Hillel the Elder, Rabbi Chaninah ben Dosa, Rabbi Yehuda bar Ila’i, Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat, and others like them.⁴⁵⁸All of whom were materially poor. (See Yoma 35b; Brachot 17b; Nedarim 49b; Taanit 25a, and elsewhere.)

Know now, that the matter of bowing is related to the matter of the bones-Atzamot-עצמות. This is why it was necessary for our sages, of blessed memory, to hint to this by stating,¹²⁵Talmud Bavli, Brachot 28b “One must bow until all the vertebrae in the spine protrude,” in that during the recitation of “We submit-Modim-מודים,” a person must bow.¹²⁶In the Amidah prayer. You already know that the recitation, “we submit-Modim-מודים,” relates to victory-Netzach and majesty-Hod, since vengeance-Kin’ah-קינאה comes from the Strength of the Heavens-Etzem HaShamayim-עצם השמים. Every place in Torah where vengeance-Kin’ah-קנאה is mentioned, it hints to this place, as it states,¹²⁷Deuteronomy 6:15 “For HaShem-יהו״ה your God, is a jealous God-E”l Kana-א"ל קנא within you.” This is the matter of the verse,¹²⁸Isaiah 37:32 “The vengeance-Kin’at-קנאת of HaShem of Hosts-יהו״ה צבאו״ת shall do this-Zot-זאת!” It therefore states,¹²⁹Proverbs 14:30 “Jealousy-Kin’ah-קנאה rots the bones-Atzamot-עצמות.” Because Jealousy-Kin’ah-קנאה is tied to this place, it therefore states about the meal-offering of a woman who is a Sotah,¹³⁰Numbers 5:15. A Sotah is a woman whose husband suspects her of having committed adultery. “It is a meal-offering of jealousies-Kena’ot-קנאת, a meal-offering of remembrance-Zikharon-זכרון, a reminder of iniquity.” Those who know the secret of jealousy-Kin’ah-קנאה and the secret of remembrance-Zikharon-זכרון, know that jealousy-Kin’ah-קנאה and remembrance-Zikharon-זכרון are always juxtaposed to each other.