Kabbalah - Rabbi Aryeh Rotenberg

260812.Shoftim v011
Shoftim: Verse 11
"One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity...at the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall the matter be established" (Devarim 19:15). It is a precept to testify at court so his neighbor shall not lose money, because HE DOES NOT TESTIFY if he knows of a testimony in his favor. A testimony requires no less than two witnesses. That is the meaning of: "at the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall the matter be established," but not at the mouth of one witness. That is why the sages of Mishnah have explained, who bears testimony on a person - the walls of his house do. Moreover, the members of his household testify about him. What are the walls of his house? They are the walls of his heart, AS IT IS WRITTEN: "Then Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall" (Yeshayah 38:2). The sages of the Mishnah have explained this to teach us that Hezekiah was praying from the walls of his heart.
Shoftim: Verse 12
The members of his household are his 248 body parts, SINCE THE BODY IS CALLED HOUSE. This is how the sages of the Mishnah have explained that a wicked person's sins are engraved on his bones. Similarly, the merits of a righteous man are engraved on his bones. Therefore, David said: "all my bones shall say" (Tehilim 35:10). That is why we were taught: who testifies on a person - the beams of his house... THE BEAMS OF HIS HOUSE are the bones OF THE SKULL that are constructed over the brain that is water. About this, it is written: "Who lays the beams of His chambers in the waters" (Tehilim 104:3).
Shoftim: Verse 13
Why are THE INIQUITIES ENGRAVED in the bones rather than in the flesh, the tendons and the skin? That is because the bones are white, and a black script is not recognizable except over white. This is similar to the Torah, which is white on the inside, THAT IS, THE PARCHMENT, and black on the outside, MEANING THE INK. Black and white are darkness and light. There is darkness that is blue, WHICH IS MALCHUT, about which it is written: "even the darkness is not dark for You" (Tehilim 139:12). Blue is black and is a female to the white, THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN, SINCE MALCHUT HAS NO LIGHT OF HER OWN EXCEPT WHAT SHE RECEIVES FROM ZEIR ANPIN. Furthermore, the body will be reinstated with its bones. Therefore, the merits and demerits are engraved on its bones and, if it is deserving, the body will be reinstated with its bones. If it is not DESERVING, it will not be reinstated and will not have a resurrection from the dead.
Shoftim: Verse 14
Furthermore, there are two witnesses regarding the person: a seeing eye and a hearing ear. The court counts and judges his iniquities. Furthermore, even the sun and moon testify about the person, as we explained: "Blow a Shofar at the new moon, at the full moon (lit. 'on the covering') on our feast day" (Tehilim 81:4). What is the meaning of "covering"? That is the day when the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is covered. Why is it covered? That is because when Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) arrives, Samael will approach to demand punishment against her children, MEANING YISRAEL, WHO ARE THE CHILDREN OF MALCHUT, before the Holy One, blessed be He. And He will tell him to bring forth the witnesses, so he will bring with him the sun. As he is about to bring the moon, she is covered. At which place is she covered? HE RESPONDS: She goes up to that place regarding which it is said: 'Do not investigate into what is hidden from you,' in order to reconcile the Holy One, blessed be He, with her children.

260811.principles of wisdom learning v61

260810.Vaetchanan v026
Vaetchanan: Verse 26
ר' אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח וְאָמַר, קְרַב אַתָּה וּשֲׁמָע וְגוֹ.' ת"ח, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְיְיהִיבַת אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, כֻּלְּהוֹן קוֹלוֹת אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָתִיב עַל כּוּרְסְיָּיא, וְדָא מִגּוֹ דְּדָא אִתְחֲזֵי, וּמִלּוּלָא דְּדָא נָפִיק מִגּוֹ עִלָּאָה דְּעָלֵיהּ, וְדָא הוּא רָזָא דִּכְתִּיב, פָּנִים בְּפָנִים דִּבֶּר יְיָ' עִמָּכֶם בָּהָר מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ, דְּמִלּוּלָא נָפְקָא, וּמַלִּיל מִגּוֹ אֶשָּׁא וְשַׁלְהוֹבָא, דְּדָחֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר, בִּדְפִיקוּ דְּרוּחָא וּמַיָּיא, דְּיָהֲבִין חֵילָא. דְּאֶשָּׁא וְרוּחָא וּמַיָּיא, מִגּוֹ שׁוֹפָר, דְּאִיהוּ כָּלִיל לְכֻלְּהוּ נָפִיק. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְרַחִיקוּ מִדְּחִילוּ דָּא.
Rabbi Elazar opened with, "Go you near, and hear..." (Devarim 5:24). Come and see, when the Torah was given to Yisrael, all voices were present, NAMELY, FROM BINAH, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. BINAH IS CALLED AN INNER VOICE, ZEIR ANPIN AN OUTER VOICE AND MALCHUT THE VOICE OF THE WORDS. The Holy One, blessed be He, sat on the throne, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and one was visible from within another - ZEIR ANPIN WAS SEEN FROM WITHIN MALCHUT. The words of the one, MALCHUT, came from within that which was above it, ZEIR ANPIN. This is the secret of the verse, "Hashem talked with you face to face in the mountain out of the midst of the fire" (Devarim 5:4), AS ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT WERE FACE TO FACE. And speech came out and spoke from within the fire and the flame, WHICH ARE THE LEFT COLUMN that pushed the speech out OF ZEIR ANPIN by striking of wind and water, WHICH ARE the CENTRAL AND RIGHT COLUMNS that empower THE LEFT, SO THAT SPEECH, WHICH IS MALCHUT, COMES OUT FROM ALL THREE COLUMNS OF ZEIR ANPIN. For fire, wind and water, THE THREE COLUMNS OF ZEIR ANPIN, came out of the Shofar, BINAH, as it, BINAH, includes them all. Yisrael kept away from this awe.
Vaetchanan: Verse 27
וּבג"כ, וְאַתְּ תְּדַבֵּר אֵלֵינוּ, לָא בָּעֵינָן בְּתּוּקְפָּא עִלָּאָה דִּלְעֵילָּא, אֶלָּא מֵאֲתָר דְּנוּקְבָּא וְלָא יַתִּיר, וְאַתְּ תְּדַבֵּר אֵלֵינוּ וְגוֹ.' אָמַר מֺשֶׁה וַדַּאי חָלַשְׁתּוּן חֵילָא דִּילִי, חָלַשְׁתּוּן חֵילָא אַחֲרָא, דְּאִלְמָלֵא לָא אִתְרַחֲקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִשְׁמְעוּן כָּל הַהִיא מִלָּה כַּד בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, לָא הֲוָה יָכִיל עָלְמָא לְמֶהֱוֵי חָרִיב לְבָתַר, וְאִינּוּן הֲווֹ קַיְימִין לְדָרֵי דָּרִין.
Because of that, BECAUSE OF THAT AWE, YISRAEL SAID TO MOSES, "And speak to us" (Ibid. 24), SAYING, We do not want this lofty force from above, NAMELY FROM ZEIR ANPIN, but from the place of the Female, MALCHUT, and no further. THIS IS THE MEANING OF, "and speak to us," WITH A FEMININE SUFFIX. Moses said TO THEM, You have surely weakened my power and weakened another power OF MALCHUT, for had not Yisrael distanced themselves, they would have heard all those words FROM ZEIR ANPIN as before, the world would not have been destroyed and Yisrael would have lived for generations.
Vaetchanan: Verse 28
The first time, AFTER HEARING THE FIRST WORDS, they died. The reason is that it had to be so, since the tree of death, MALCHUT, brought it upon them. Later they were resurrected, rose and grew BY RECEIVING MOCHIN OF GREATNESS. The Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to bring them into the Tree of Life, ZEIR ANPIN, that is situated above that tree of death, so they will live forever. But they distanced themselves and refused AS MENTIONED. Then the power of Moses who was above them weakened, and another power OF MALCHUT weakened. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'I desire to uphold you in a supernal place, that you shall cleave to life, yet you wish the place where the Nukva dwells. For that reason, "Go say to them, Return again to your tents" (Ibid. 27), each one will go to his wife and mate with her,' BECAUSE THEY DESCENDED TO THE WORLD OF THE FEMALE.

260806.Vaetchanan v023
Vaetchanan: Verse 23
Rabbi Yosi said, What is meant by, "neither shall you desire"? "Neither shall you covet" should suffice. He said to him, Blessed are the truly righteous. Coveting is one grade, desire another. Coveting MEANS that if he can, he will grab her, for the coveting that took him over will cause him to act. Desire is not so. Even when he will not take to following her, IT IS STILL CONSIDERED DESIRE. This has already been explained.
Vaetchanan: Verse 24
Rabbi Yosi said to him, Why is not it written, 'Neither shall you murder' SPELLED WITH VAV like the others? He said to him, For the level OF MURDER is Judgment and comes from Gvurah THROUGH THE LEFT COLUMN instead of from the place of Mercy, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN CALLED VAV. Hence "You shall not murder" (Ibid. 17) is without Vav. Since five Vavs are needed, CORRESPONDING TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD, Vav was added to "shall you covet," since in "You shall not murder" no Vav should dwell BECAUSE IT IS IN GVURAH. HENCE Vav was added here.
Vaetchanan: Verse 25
Rabbi Pinchas, who sat behind RABBI ELAZAR, heard it. He kissed him, wept and laughed. He said OF RABBI ELAZAR, Who can stand before him and his father in the world! Happy is the lot of the righteous, and happy is my own lot in this world and in the World to Come to have merited it. Of this it is written, "The righteous see it, and are glad" (Iyov 22:19).
Vaetchanan: Verse 26
Rabbi Elazar opened with, "Go you near, and hear..." (Devarim 5:24). Come and see, when the Torah was given to Yisrael, all voices were present, NAMELY, FROM BINAH, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. BINAH IS CALLED AN INNER VOICE, ZEIR ANPIN AN OUTER VOICE AND MALCHUT THE VOICE OF THE WORDS. The Holy One, blessed be He, sat on the throne, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and one was visible from within another - ZEIR ANPIN WAS SEEN FROM WITHIN MALCHUT. The words of the one, MALCHUT, came from within that which was above it, ZEIR ANPIN. This is the secret of the verse, "Hashem talked with you face to face in the mountain out of the midst of the fire" (Devarim 5:4), AS ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT WERE FACE TO FACE. And speech came out and spoke from within the fire and the flame, WHICH ARE THE LEFT COLUMN that pushed the speech out OF ZEIR ANPIN by striking of wind and water, WHICH ARE the CENTRAL AND RIGHT COLUMNS that empower THE LEFT, SO THAT SPEECH, WHICH IS MALCHUT, COMES OUT FROM ALL THREE COLUMNS OF ZEIR ANPIN. For fire, wind and water, THE THREE COLUMNS OF ZEIR ANPIN, came out of the Shofar, BINAH, as it, BINAH, includes them all. Yisrael kept away from this awe.
Vaetchanan: Verse 27
Because of that, BECAUSE OF THAT AWE, YISRAEL SAID TO MOSES, "And speak to us" (Ibid. 24), SAYING, We do not want this lofty force from above, NAMELY FROM ZEIR ANPIN, but from the place of the Female, MALCHUT, and no further. THIS IS THE MEANING OF, "and speak to us," WITH A FEMININE SUFFIX. Moses said TO THEM, You have surely weakened my power and weakened another power OF MALCHUT, for had not Yisrael distanced themselves, they would have heard all those words FROM ZEIR ANPIN as before, the world would not have been destroyed and Yisrael would have lived for generations.

260805.Vaetchanan v021
Vaetchanan: Verse 21
You may argue that another, NAMELY MALCHUT, is also named thus, A FORM. WHY IS IT CALLED A FORM? HE ANSWERS, It is so, for the other one IS ALSO CALLED A FORM, BECAUSE the lower manifestations IN BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH emerge from it. For that reason BINAH AND MALCHUT ARE CALLED supernal Hei and lower Hei BECAUSE THEY ARE EQUAL. The supernal Hei IS THE SECRET OF, "a great voice which was not heard again" (Devarim 5:19), since its founts never stop flowing, BECAUSE IT IS WITH ABA, CHOCHMAH, IN A NEVER-ENDING UNION. All these voices were there when the Torah was given to Yisrael, THE SECRET OF THE SEVEN VOICES OF ZEIR ANPIN. They all came out from the inner voice above all, WHICH IS BINAH, since everything is suspended from it AS THEY EMANATED FROM BINAH.
Vaetchanan: Verse 22
Moses spoke from himself the words of Deuteronomy (lit. 'the second Torah'). This has already been explained. HE ASKS why it is so AND HE ANSWERS, Supernal Chochmah is called the embodiment of the Torah, from which everything comes out into the inner voice, WHICH IS BINAH. Afterwards, everything is settled and becomes attached to the place called the Tree of Life, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN CALLED MOSES. The general and the particular come from it, namely the Written Torah, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN CALLED GENERAL, and the Oral Torah, WHICH IS MALCHUT CALLED PARTICULAR. They are also called the Torah and the second Torah. ZEIR ANPIN IS CALLED TORAH AND MALCHUT IS CALLED THE SECOND TORAH. IT WAS THEREFORE SAID THAT MOSES, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, SPOKE THE SECOND TORAH, WHICH IS MALCHUT, FROM HIMSELF, NAMELY, IT EMANATED FROM MOSES. At first, THE FIRST SET OF TEN COMMANDMENTS CAME OUT from uninterrupted Gvurah, NAMELY FROM BINAH, OF WHICH IT IS SAID, "A GREAT VOICE WHICH WAS NOT HEARD AGAIN." Now, WITH THE SECOND SET OF TEN COMMANDMENTS IN THE SECOND TORAH THEY CAME OUT all together, THAT IS, FROM ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLE THAT MOSES, ZEIR ANPIN, SPOKE THEM FROM HIMSELF. For that reason, all these ten commandments are spelled with Vav, in, "neither (Heb. ve) shall you commit adultery. Neither shall you steal. Neither shall you bear... Neither shall you covet...neither shall you desire" (Ibid. 17-18), AS VAV INDICATES ZEIR ANPIN.
Vaetchanan: Verse 23
Rabbi Yosi said, What is meant by, "neither shall you desire"? "Neither shall you covet" should suffice. He said to him, Blessed are the truly righteous. Coveting is one grade, desire another. Coveting MEANS that if he can, he will grab her, for the coveting that took him over will cause him to act. Desire is not so. Even when he will not take to following her, IT IS STILL CONSIDERED DESIRE. This has already been explained.
Vaetchanan: Verse 24
Rabbi Yosi said to him, Why is not it written, 'Neither shall you murder' SPELLED WITH VAV like the others? He said to him, For the level OF MURDER is Judgment and comes from Gvurah THROUGH THE LEFT COLUMN instead of from the place of Mercy, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN CALLED VAV. Hence "You shall not murder" (Ibid. 17) is without Vav. Since five Vavs are needed, CORRESPONDING TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD, Vav was added to "shall you covet," since in "You shall not murder" no Vav should dwell BECAUSE IT IS IN GVURAH. HENCE Vav was added here.
Vaetchanan: Verse 25
Rabbi Pinchas, who sat behind RABBI ELAZAR, heard it. He kissed him, wept and laughed. He said OF RABBI ELAZAR, Who can stand before him and his father in the world! Happy is the lot of the righteous, and happy is my own lot in this world and in the World to Come to have merited it. Of this it is written, "The righteous see it, and are glad" (Iyov 22:19).