1. "And Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to Aaron, and say to him: When you kindle the lamps...'" (Bemidbar 8:1-2). Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion saying, "which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber..." (Tehilim 19:6). Praised is the lot of Yisrael that the Holy One, blessed be He, favored them and granted them the Torah of Truth, a Tree of Life by which a person inherits life for this world and life for the World to Come. Whoever tries to learn Torah and holds to her has life. Whoever leaves the words of the Torah and separates from the Torah is as if he took leave of life, since she is life and all her words are life, as it is written, "for they are life..." (Mishlei 4:22), and, "I shall be health to your navel..." (Ibid. 3:8).
2. Come and behold: the Tree of Life, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, is attached from above downwards. The light of this sun, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, that shines upon all, begins from the top, THAT IS, CHOCHMAH, BINAH AND DA'AT, and spreads to the trunk of the tree, WHICH IS TIFERET, in a straight path. Two sides are attached to it, one to the north and one to the south, one right, WHICH IS CHESED, and one left, WHICH IS GVURAH. When the sun illuminates from the trunk of the tree, as we have learned, it FIRST strengthens the right arm, WHICH IS CHESED, and shines with force. From that force OF THE RIGHT, the left illuminates, WHICH IS GVURAH, and is included in its light.
3. "Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber." HE ASKS: What is his chamber? HE RESPONDS: That is "the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding" (Shir Hashirim 3:11). THESE ARE THE MOCHIN - CHOCHMAH, BINAH AND DA'AT - THAT HE RECEIVED FROM HIS MOTHER, WHO IS BINAH. "...Coming out of his chamber..." that is the top of all the light, MEANING CHOCHMAH, BINAH AND DA'AT, as you say in the following scripture: "His going forth is from the end of the heaven" (Tehilim 19:7). This is the beginning of everything that is referred to as 'the end of the heaven,' MEANING BINAH, FROM WHICH EMERGES AND BEGINS ZEIR ANPIN, REFERRED TO AS 'HEAVENS.' Then he emerges. Like a real bridegroom when he goes out to meet his soul beloved bride, he stretches out his arms, WHICH ARE CHESED AND GVURAH, and receives her.
4. Similar is the verse, "which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber." The sun, ZEIR ANPIN, continues to spread to the west, WHICH IS MALCHUT. As soon as the west gets nearer, the north side is the first to be aroused toward it, THAT IS GVURAH, and approaches to the west. It joins it at that place. As we have learned, THE BEGINNING OF ZEIR ANPIN COUPLING IS ON THE LEFT, WHICH IS GVURAH. THAT IS THE SECRET OF RECONCILIATION AND GETTING PERMISSION, as it is written: "His left hand is under my head" (Shir Hashirim 2:6). Following that is the south side, which is right, MEANING CHESED, as it is written: "And His right hand embraces me" (Ibid.). Then it "rejoices like a strong man to run a race" (Tehilim 19:6), to illuminate the moon FROM THE CENTRAL COLUMN, THAT IS YESOD. And this has been explained. Come and behold: "when you kindle the lamps;" these are the loftiest candles, WHICH ARE THE SFIROT OF MALCHUT, which all shine brightly in unison from the sun, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN.
5. Rabbi Aba opened the discussion saying, "Happy are the people that know the joyful note: they shall walk, O Hashem, in the light of Your countenance" (Tehilim 89:16). This verse has been explained. However, come and behold: praised are Yisrael, to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, gave the holy Torah and taught His ways, to adhere to Him and keep the commandments of the Torah in order to achieve merit through them in the World to Come. And He drew them near when they came out from Egypt, since He withdrew them from another dominion and raised them to unite with His name. Only then Yisrael were called 'free men' in every respect, in that they no longer sojourned under someone else's authority. He raised them to unite with His Name, which is loftier above all and has dominion over the highest and the lowest.
6. In His love for them, He called them: "Yisrael is My son, My firstborn" (Shemot 4:22), similar to the above, LIKE ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED 'FIRSTBORN.' He killed all the firstborn above and below, FROM THE OTHER SIDE, and He loosened and untied the knots and shackles, WHICH THE EGYPTIANS TIED SO THAT YISRAEL WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LEAVE EGYPT, in order to take them out. He made them free of everything. Thus, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not wish TO TAKE THEM OUT THROUGH an angel through a seraph, but only through He Himself. Moreover, only He could distinguish BETWEEN A FIRSTBORN AND A NON-FIRSTBORN, and know everything and release the bond. It is not within the authority of any other emissary, but rather in His hand.
7. Come and behold: on the night that the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to slaughter all these firstborn, as we have learned, the singers came to sing for Him when night fell. THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, told them that the time was not opportune TO SING ANY SONG, since the inhabitants of the earth were singing another song. At midnight, the north wind was stirring and the Holy One, blessed be He, was wreaking vengeance FOR YISRAEL. Yisrael were singing their song with loud voices and, at that moment, He made them free from everyone. The supernal angels and all the HIGHEST camps together were listening to the voices of Yisrael after they were circumcised, and marked their houses with that blood and the blood of the Paschal lamb with three marks, "upon the lintel, and on the two side posts" (Shemot 12:23).