38. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). "But he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife" (Vayikra 21:14). The Faithful Shepherd opened and said, this commands the High Priest to marry a virgin, as said, "A widow, or a divorced woman, or a profaned, or a harlot, these shall he not take; but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife." HE ASKS, why is it necessary for him to marry only an unblemished virgin, AND HE ANSWERS, a woman is a cup of blessing, WHICH IF tasted is blemished, THAT IS, IT ALLUDES TO MALCHUT CALLED A CUP OF BLESSING. A priest who offers a sacrifice before Hashem must be whole and unblemished, whole and unblemished in limbs, because blemishes make priests unfit. He should be wholesome in body, whole in his wife, so as to fulfill in him the verse, "You are all fair, my love; there is no blemish in you" (Shir Hashirim 4:7).

39. For the sacrifice is a gift. Yisrael need to send their gift to the King by a wholesome man, as they are the opposite of the Other Side, to which they would send a gift by an appointed man who is blemished, as it is written, "one lot for Hashem, and the other lot for Azazel" (Vayikra 16:8). For other Elohim are all blemished on the northern side, ACCORDING TO THE MEANING OF, "OUT OF THE NORTH THE EVIL SHALL BREAK FORTH" (YIRMEYAH 1:14). In this way most heathen households are defective in respect to their wife, WHO IS a ruin, Lilit, blemished, etc.

40. The Faithful Shepherd is Vav filled WITH YUD HEI, NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECRET OF VAV OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, FULL OF THE BOUNTY OF YUD HEI OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH ARE CHOCHMAH AND BINAH in the following order: Yud Hei Vav. FOR THIS REASON IT INCLUDES ALL THREE LETTERS, YUD HEI VAV. The last Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is a cup filled with the blessing of Hashem from the right side, NAMELY THE CUP OF BLESSING MENTIONED BEFORE. From the side of Gvurah, which is Judgment, the Shechinah is called Hei Vav Yud Hei, SINCE IN THIS COMBINATION, HEI, WHICH IS JUDGMENT, RULES OVER VAV, WHICH IS MERCY, WHILE YUD AND HEI, THE MOCHIN, ARE AT THE END OF THE PERMUTATION, WHICH INDICATES JUDGMENT. This is the meaning of, "behold, the hand of Hashem is (Heb. hoyah, Hei Vav Yud Hei) upon your cattle which is in the field" (Shemot 9:3), WHERE MALCHUT, CALLED THE HAND OF HASHEM, IS PERMUTATED INTO HEI VAV YUD HEI IN ORDER TO EXACT PUNISHMENT OVER THE CATTLE IN EGYPT. The Faithful Shepherd rose and prostrated before him, saying, Happy is my lot, that my Master and the Queen are among my helpers. End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).