"And it came to pass, when Abraham came to Egypt"

114. "And it came to pass, when Abraham came to Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair" (Beresheet 12:14). Rabbi Yehuda said, He brought her to Egypt in a closed carriage. And the Egyptians opened the carriage to collect taxes from it. But as the carriage was opened, there was light resembling the light of the sun. THIS MEANS THAT THE LIGHT OF SARAH, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE MOON, WAS AS STRONG AS THE LIGHT OF THE SUN, ACCORDING TO THE SECRET OF THE "TWO GREAT LIGHTS!" And this is why it is written, "she was very fair."

115. AND HE ASKS, What DOES THE VERSE ALLUDE TO BY USING THE WORD 'very?' AND HE REPLIES THAT THE EGYPTIANS saw in the carriage a different light. They took her out OF THE CARRIAGE, and they saw that she remained as fair as before, AS FAIR AS SHE WAS IN THE CARRIAGE. THIS MEANS THAT THE ACTION OF THE EGYPTIANS DID NOT DO HER ANY DAMAGE. HER BEAUTY WAS NOT CORRUPTED; IT REMAINED AS BEFORE, AS WHEN SHE WAS IN THE CARRIAGE. Therefore it is written, "The ministers of Pharaoh saw her." AND SO HE ASKS, Since it is written that 'the Egyptians beheld the woman,' why do I read, 'The ministers of Pharaoh saw her,' AS THEY TOO WERE EGYPTIANS? AND HE REPLIES, Because they took her out OF THE CARRIAGE; and saw that she remained AS FAIR as before - THAT IS, AS SHE WAS IN THE CARRIAGE. And then they "commended her before Pharaoh, and the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house."

116. Rabbi Yitzchak said, Woe to those wicked people of the world, as they do not know and do not observe IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND that everything that exists in the world comes from the Holy One, blessed be He. THIS MEANS THAT HE ALONE HAS DONE, CONTINUES DOING, AND SHALL DO ALL THE ACTIONS IN THE WORLD. And that He knew from the beginning what the end shall be, as it is written, "Declaring the end from the beginning..." (Yeshayah 46:10). And He watches and performs the actions from the beginning, so that they can later be repeated TO COMPLETION.

117. Come and behold, had Sarah not been taken to Pharaoh, he would not have been plagued. And the result of Pharaoh's plague was another plague, so the Egyptians suffered great plagues AS YISRAEL LEFT EGYPT. It is written, "great plagues," in this passage, and, AS YISRAEL LEFT EGYPT, it is written, "And Hashem showed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt" (Devarim 6:22). HE MAKES AN ANALOGY BETWEEN THE TWO TIMES WHEN THE WORD "GREAT" IS USED. Because there were ten plagues, PHARAOH ALSO SUFFERED ten plagues here. And just as the Holy One, blessed be He, performed miracles and showed His great might during the night, so here as well, the Holy One, blessed be He, performed miracles and mighty deeds at night. SO, AS HE WAS INFLICTING THE PLAGUES UPON PHARAOH, FOR THE SAKE OF SARAH, HE WAS WATCHING AND OBSERVING THE WAY HE WAS GOING TO REPEAT THEM TO PERFECTION DURING THE EXODUS OF YISRAEL FROM EGYPT.

118. Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion by saying, "But you, Hashem, are a shield for me; my glory, and the one who lifts up my head" (Tehilim 3:4). David said, Even if all the people of the world come and make war with me, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OVERCOME ME, BECAUSE "You, Hashem, are a shield for me." Come and behold, it is written, "a shield for me." David said to the Holy One, blessed be He, Master of the Universe, why is there no blessing that ends with my name, as there is for Abraham, of whom it is written, "I am your shield" (Beresheet 15:1) and therefore it is said, 'the shield of Abraham.' SO WHY DO THEY NOT CONCLUDE A BLESSING WITH MY NAME, 'THE PROTECTOR OF DAVID?'

119. So the Holy One, blessed be He, answered David, "As for Abraham, I have already tried and tested him, and he resisted THE TEST and was found before me to be wholly steadfast." David said to Him, "Examine me, Hashem, and prove me, purify my kidneys and my heart!" (Tehilim 26:2) But when he became involved in the matter of Bathsheba, David remembered what he had said to the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, "You have proved my heart, You have visited it in the night. You have tried me, but You did find nothing; Let no presumptuous thought pass my lips" (Tehilim 17:3).

120. I said, "Examine me, Hashem, and prove me," and 'You have examined my heart' BY BATHSHEBA; I said, 'purify my kidneys' and "You have tried me, but You did find nothing." "Let no presumptuous thought pass my lips;" How I wish that the thoughts of my mind would not have been uttered with my mouth AND I WOULD NOT HAVE PROCLAIMED, "EXAMINE ME, HASHEM, AND PROVE ME."

121. But nevertheless, there is a blessing that concludes with the words, "the Shield of David." For this reason, David said, "But you, Hashem, are a shield for me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head." THIS MEANS THAT HE SAID, "This grade OF 'SHIELD' is certainly 'my glory' by which I am crowned."

122. "And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away..." (Beresheet 21:20). Come and behold, The Holy One, blessed be He, is the protector of the righteous, who shields them from being ruled by other people. So the Holy One, blessed be He, protected Abraham, so no one could harm him or his wife.

123. Come and behold, the Shechinah did not leave Sarah at all during that night. When Pharaoh approached her, an angel came and hit him. And whenever Sarah said, "Hit," he hit. All the while Abraham was begging his Master through his prayers, not to allow anyone to harm her. Therefore, it is written, "But the righteous are bold (trusting) as a lion" (Mishlei 28:1). Here was a trial by which Hashem tested Abraham, but Abraham had no doubts about the Holy One, blessed be He.

124. Rabbi Yitzchak said, Come and behold, it is because of this that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not command him to go to Egypt. But he went on his own initiative, so that the people of the world would have no reason to say that THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, told him to go down to Egypt, and so caused him pain over his wife.

125. Rabbi Yitzchak opened the discussion by saying, "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, and he shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon" (Tehilim 92:13). AND HE ASKS, Why are the righteous compared to a palm tree? AND HE ANSWERS, Just as a palm tree, if it is cut down, needs a long time to grow again So if the world loses a righteous man, it will take a very long time until another takes his place -AS LONG AS SEVENTY YEARS. THESE SEVENTY YEARS ARE THE SECRET OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT, EACH OF WHICH EQUALS TEN.

126. The words "shall flourish like the palm tree" TEACH US THAT just as a palm tree does not grow except as male and female, neither does the righteous person. He does not flourish except as male and female. The male is righteous and the female is righteous, just as Abraham and Sarah were. THEREFORE, HE IS COMPLETED AND REACHES PERFECTION ONLY AFTER SEVENTY YEARS HAVE ELAPSED.

127. " ...He shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon" means that just as a cedar rises high above all the other trees, so the righteous man is above all others, who are situated under him - IN OTHER WORDS, THEY EXIST BECAUSE OF HIM. And the world, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE NUKVA, is supported by one righteous man, as it is written, "the righteous man is the foundation of the world" (Mishlei 10:25). So the world, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, rests and is supported by him and is planted on him; BECAUSE OF HIM IT IS WELL SUPPORTED. THIS MEANS THAT HE BESTOWS HIS THREE COLUMNS UPON IT. 'RESTS' IS THE SECRET OF THE RIGHT COLUMN; 'SUPPORTED' IS THE SECRET OF THE LEFT COLUMN; AND 'PLANTED' IS THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN.

128. Rabbi Yehuda said, But we have already learned that the world stands upon seven pillars; WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD, AND MALCHUT, AND NOT UPON ONE RIGHTEOUS MAN ALONE, AS RABBI YITZCHAK HAS STATED. As it is written, "She has hewn out her seven pillars" (Mishlei 9:1). Rabbi Yosi told him, It is certainly so! But all the other pillars stand erect because of the seventh pillar, which supports the whole world, and he is CALLED 'the righteous,' NAMELY YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. And he refreshes and replenishes the world, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, and nourishes all THE WORLDS. And he is described by the verse, "Say you to the righteous, that it shall be well (also: 'that he is good') with him, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings" (Yeshayah 3:10). Moreover, it is also written, "Hashem is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his works" (Tehilim 145:9).

129. Rabbi Yitzchak said, But it is written, "and a river went out of Eden to water the garden," (Beresheet 2:10) WHICH REFERS TO YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH COMES FORTH FROM BINAH THAT RETURNED TO CHOCHMAH, WHICH IS CALLED EDEN. And this is the pillar upon which the world rests; it is the one that waters the garden, WHICH IS THE NUKVA. And the garden is irrigated by it and bears fruits, WHICH ARE THE SOULS OF HUMAN BEINGS. And all the fruits blossom in this world, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, and they maintain of (what does this mean?) the world and maintain the Torah. AND HE ASKS, Who are THESE FRUITS? AND HE SAYS, They are the souls of the righteous, who are the fruit of the handiwork of the Holy One, blessed be He.