166. This is what Rabbi Shimon said, It is written, "But on the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses; for whoever eats leavened bread" (Shemot 12:15). I have explained it thus, leaven and leavened dough are one level, and are all the same. The other dominion is the ministers appointed over the other nations, whom we call Evil Inclination, another dominion, strange El, Other Elohim. Here also, leaven, leavened dough and leavened bread are all the same. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'All these years, you were under the authority of others and served another nation. From now on, you are free men. "But on the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses...you shall eat nothing leavened" (Ibid. 20) and "there shall no leavened bread be seen with you" (Shemot 13:7).
167. Rabbi Yehuda said, If so, WE SHOULD NOT EAT LEAVEN all the days of the year. Why only seven days, as it is written, "Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses," and not more? He said to him, At all times that a person is obliged to show himself free, it is required NOT TO EAT LEAVENED BREAD, but whenever he is not obligated then he does not need TO OBSERVE THE PROHIBITION OF LEAVENED BREAD.
168. This is comparable to a king who appointed a person to be a minister. He rejoiced and wore clothes of glory all those days that he was being elevated to this level, but afterwards he did not need it. The following year, he observed those days that he rose to this honor and wore those clothes, and he did so each and every year. Similarly with Yisrael, it is written, "Seven days shall there be no leaven found," for they are days of rejoicing, the days that they arose to this honor, and went out of another bondage. Every year, they observed those days when they rose to this honor and went out of another authority and came under holy authority. Therefore, it is written, "Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread."
169. Rabbi Shimon said, Matzot (unleavened bread) is spelled WITHOUT VAV, as, "visions (Heb. mar'ot) of Elohim" (Yechezkel 1:1) IS WITHOUT VAV; THEREFORE, IT ALLUDES TO JUDGMENT. Why were they called Matzot-for their being of Judgment, Holy Judgment, Judgment that is attached to the Holy Name, Judgment that was not strong throughout that time among Yisrael, because the moon was flawed. And since the moon was flawed, it is written, "The bread of affliction" (Devarim 16:3).
170. HE ASKS, What is the reason THAT THE MOON, WHICH IS MALCHUT, was in a waning state? HE ANSWERS, Because they were not uncovered and the holy sign was not revealed. The children of Yisrael were circumcised, but did not uncover the corona. When they did, it is written, "There He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested him" (Shemot 15:25). And even though we have explained this passage as referring to something else, it was all in context, and it is well.
171. If you wonder that it seems they had to be uncovered in the days of Joshua, this was not so. Only those about whom it is written, "But all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised" (Yehoshua 5:5). After they were uncovered, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, 'Before, you ate unleavened bread because the moon remained waned, and it was called "the bread of affliction." But from now on, bread will be from a different place,' as it is written, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you" (Shemot 16:4). Not from the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, as at that time BEFORE THEY WERE UNCOVERED, but actually from the heavens, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, as it is written, "Therefore Elohim give you of the dew of heaven" (Beresheet 27:28).
172. And holy Yisrael observe the days when they came under the wings of the Shechinah and kept the bread that came from its side, NAMELY THE MATZOT, as it is written, "And you shall observe the commandment of unleavened bread" (Shemot 12:17). What is the meaning of, "And you shall observe...the unleavened bread?" It is similar to: "And keep My covenant" (Shemot 19:5), WHICH IS THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION. And it all rises and is attached to the same level, AS MENTIONED BEFORE.
173. One may wonder how it could be that Moses did not uncover them BUT LET THEM REMAIN CIRCUMCISED WITHOUT BEING UNCOVERED. HE ANSWERS, In order that Yisrael would not be delayed there until they became healed, HE THEREFORE DID NOT UNCOVER THEM. Pertaining to this, it is written, "Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread with it, the bread of affliction" (Devarim 16:3). Why WAS IT "the bread of affliction?" Because, "for you came forth...in haste" (Ibid.) and SIMILARLY, it is written, "and could not delay" (Shemot 12:39). THEREFORE, THEY WERE NOT UNCOVERED, AND CIRCUMCISION WITHOUT UNCOVERING BRINGS ABOUT THE BREAD OF AFFLICTION.
174. Come and behold, when Yisrael came to the Holy Land, they came circumcised and uncovered, and it is written, "A land in which you shall eat bread without scarceness" (Devarim 8:9). And what is "scarceness?" It is "the bread of affliction." And why is it called "the bread of affliction?" This is because the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is waning and is not blessed from the sun, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, and does not shine from the sun, as it is written, "For all (Heb. kol) that is in heaven and on earth" (I Divrei Hayamim 29:11), MEANING THAT KOL ('ALL'), WHICH IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, IS ATTACHED TO HEAVEN, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, AND TO THE EARTH, WHICH IS MALCHUT, AND RECEIVES FROM THE HEAVENS AND GIVES TO THE EARTH. What is the reason that it did not shine from the Jubilee, WHICH IS BINAH? This is because they did not uncover themselves, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, but now that Yisrael were circumcised and uncovered UPON ARRIVING INTO THE HOLY LAND, it is written, "You shall not lack anything (Heb. kol) in it" (Devarim 8:9), NAMELY, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT ILLUMINATES ON MALCHUT AND IS CALLED 'KOL.' What is the reason for, "In which you will not eat bread without scarceness?" It is because "You shall not lack kol in it," the way they did in Egypt.