Lech Lecha: Chapter 16

"And Hashem plagued Pharaoh"

Synopsis

As the Zohar recounts the story of the King of Egypt's abduction and attempted violation of Sarah, we learn that the angels protected her from his amoral advances. Moreover, it is revealed that the Torah story of Abraham's journey into the land of Egypt is a metaphor for battling the highest degrees of negativity and the strongest selfish desires inherent in our nature. Unlike Adam and Noah, who were enticed by the serpent and succumbed to temptation, Abraham faced and overcame the greatest tests of human nature.

Relevance

Abraham's positive action and spiritual strength opened a cosmic window for all mankind. These words open that window in our own lives, allowing Abraham's power and energy to enter.

Angels Egypt House Pharaoh, The Plagues Sarah

136. Come and behold, throughout the night that Sarah was with Pharaoh, the supernal angels came to chant songs and praises before the Holy One, blessed be He. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, Go all of you and inflict great plagues upon Egypt, so that these plagues will be a sign and an omen of what I will do in the future. As it is written, "And Hashem plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues" (Beresheet 12:17).

136. תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל הַהוּא לֵילְיָא, דְּשָׂרָה הֲוַת לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּפַרְעֹה, אָתוּ מַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי, לְזַמְרָא לֵיהּ לְקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּשִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן, אָמַר לוֹ קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כֻּלְּכוֹ זִילוּ וַעֲבִידוּ מַכְתְּשִׁין רַבְרְבִין בְּמִצְרַיִם, רְשִׁימוּ לְמַאן דַּאֲנָא זַמִּין לְמֶעְבַּד לְבָתַר. מַה כְּתִיב וַיְנַגַּע ה' אֶת פַּרְעֹה נְגָעִים גְּדוֹלִים וגו'.

Abimelech Abram Pharaoh, The Prophets Sarah

137. Come and behold, it is written, "And Pharaoh called Abraham" (Beresheet 12:18). HE ASKS, How did he know THAT SARAH IS ABRAHAM'S WIFE; it is not written here as it is about Abimelech, "Now therefore restore the man's wife, for he is a prophet" (Beresheet 20:7). Here, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, said nothing to Pharaoh!

137. תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב, וַיִּקְרָא פַּרְעֹה לְאַבְרָם וגו'. מְנָא הֲוָה יָדַע, דְּהָא לָא כְתִיב הָכָא, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר בַּאֲבִימֶלֶךְ, דִּכְתִיב, וְעַתָּה הָשֵׁב אֵשֶׁת הָאִישׁ כִּי נָבִיא הוּא וגו', וְהָכָא לָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִדֵּי.

Abimelech Abraham Abram Angels Pharaoh, The Plagues Sarah

138. Rabbi Yitzchak said, But it is written, "Because of Sarah, Abraham's wife." For so THE ANGELS said 'because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.' Because THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, did not speak with him as he did with Abimelech. So only these words were said and no more, This plague is "because of Sarah, Abraham's wife." And even this was not said by THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, BUT BY THE ANGELS WHO SMOTE HIM. And then he knew that she was Abraham's wife, so it is written, "And Pharaoh called Abraham."

138. אֲמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק, הָא כְתִיב עַל דְּבַר שָׂרַי אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם. דְּהָכֵי הֲווֹ אָמְרֵי לֵיהּ, עַל דְּבַר שָׂרַי אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם. דְּהָא לָא הֲוָה מְמַלֵּיל עִמֵּיהּ, כְּמָה דִּמְמַלֵּיל בַּאֲבִימֶלֶךְ, אֶלָּא בְּמִלָּה דָא אִתְּמָר, וְלָא יַתִּיר, מַכְתְּשָׁא דָא, עַל דְּבַר שָׂרַי אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם אִיהִי, וְלָא הֲוָה מַלֵּיל עִמֵּיהּ, כְּדֵין יָדַע דְּהָא אִתְּתֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם אִיהִי, מִיָּד וַיִּקְרָא פַּרְעֹה לְאַבְרָם וַיֹּאמֶר וגו'.

Egypt Pharaoh, The

139. "And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him." HE ASKS, Why did he do so? AND HE SAYS, So that nobody would come near them and harm them. "And they sent him away" means that they prepared an escort to accompany him through Egypt. The Holy One, blessed be He, said TO PHARAOH, This is what you shall do in the future to his children; you shall escort them out of your land. As it is written, "And it came to pass, when Pharaoh let the people go" (Shemot 13:17) - meaning that he escorted them throughout his entire country."

139. וַיְצַו עָלָיו פַּרְעֹה אֲנָשִׁים. לָמָּה, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִקְרַב בַּר נַשׁ בְּהוֹ, לְאַבְאָשָׁא לוֹן. וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ אוֹתוֹ. לְוָיָיה עֲבָדוּ לֵיהּ, בְּכָל אַרְעָא דְמִצְרַיִם. אָמַר לוֹ קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הָכֵי אַנְתְּ זַמִּין לְמֶעְבַּד לִבְנוֹי, אַתְּ תּוֹזִיף לוֹן מֵאַרְעָךְ, דִּכְתִיב וַיְהִי בְּשַׁלַּח פַּרְעֹה אֶת הָעָם. דְּאוֹזִיף לוֹן מִכָּל אַרְעֵיהּ.

Abraham Abram Egypt Eyes Grades Negev Sarah

140. Rabbi Aba asked, Why did this happen to Abraham? For what reason did he have to go through it all? AND HE SAID, "So that Abraham and Sarah would achieve great fame in the eyes of the world. So that even in Egypt, which has the greatest magicians from whom nobody can be saved, Abraham was still able to rise high and be elevated. Therefore, it is written, "And Abraham went up out of Egypt" (Beresheet 13:1). Where to? "To the Negev," THAT IS, TO HIS PREVIOUS LEVEL.

140. אָמַר רָבִּי אַבָּא, כָּל כָּךְ לָמָּה אִזְדַּמֵּן לֵיהּ לְאַבְרָהָם, וּלְמַאי אִצְטְרִיךְ. אֶלָּא, בְּגִין לְגַדְּלָא שְׁמֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה בְּעָלְמָא, דַּאֲפִילּוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם, דְּאִינוּן חֳרָשֵׁי עָלְמָא, וְלָא הֲוָה יָכִיל בַּר נָשׁ לְאִשְׁתְּזיב מִנַּיְיהוּ, אִתְגַּדַּל אַבְרָהָם, וְאִסְתַּלֵּיק לְעֵילָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיַּעַל אַבְרָם מִמִּצְרַיִם, לְאָן אֲתַר, הַנֶּגְבָּה.

Abraham Egyptians Grades Wisdom

141. Rabbi Shimon said, Come and behold, Everything is in accordance with the secret of Wisdom. The verse here alludes to Chochmah (Wisdom) and grades below - REFERRING TO THE GRADES OF THE EGYPTIANS, WHO DRAW DOWN CHOCHMAH. And Abraham went down to these great depths and knew them all, but did not attach himself to them. Rather, he returned to his Master.

141. אֲמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, תָּא חֲזֵי, כֹּלָּא רָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא אִיהוּ, וְקָא רָמַז הָכָא בְּחָכְמְתָא, וְדַרְגִּין דִּלְתַתָּא, דְּקָא נָחִית אַבְרָהָם לְעוֹמְקַיָּיא דִלְהוֹן, וְיָדַע לוֹן, וְלָא אִתְדַּבֵּק בְּהוֹ, וְתָב לְקַמֵּי מָרֵיהּ.

Abraham Adam Death Death and the Afterlife Grades Noah Serpent Tents Wine Women

142. And he was not enticed by them, as was Adam, who, when he reached that same level, was enticed by the serpent and brought death upon the whole world. And Abraham was not enticed as was Noah, of whom, when he went down to that grade, it is written, "And he drank of the wine and was drunken, and he was uncovered within his tent (Heb. ohaloh)" (Beresheet 9:21). Ohaloh is spelled with an additional Hei, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF 'A STRANGE WOMAN.'

142. וְלָא אִתְפַּתָּא בְּהוֹ, כְּאָדָם, דְּכַד מָטָא לְהַהוּא דַרְגָא, אִתְפַּתָּא בְּנָחָשׁ, וְגָרִים מוֹתָא לְעָלְמָא. וְלָא אִתְפַּתָּא כְּנֹחַ, דְּכַד נָחַת וּמָטָא לְהַהוּא דַרְגָּא, מַה כְּתִיב, וַיֵּשְׁתְּ מִן הַיַּיִן וַיִּשְׁכָּר וַיִּתְגָּל בְּתוֹךְ אָהֳלֹה. אָהֳלֹה כְּתִיב בְּה"א.

Abraham Abram Egypt Egyptians Grades Negev South Wisdom Zeir Anpin

143. But what is written about Abraham? "And Abraham went up out of Egypt." That he went up - not down - and returned to his place, to the supernal grade to which he was previously attached. This action came to reveal Wisdom; he deserved to reach full perfection because he was not enticed BY THE EGYPTIANS; rather he remained entirely steadfast and returned to his place. "The Negev" means the south, CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN. THIS IS the supernal grade to which he first cleaved. As it is written, "And Abraham journeyed, going on still toward the Negev" (Beresheet 12:9). So here as well, "to the Negev" MEANS to the grade to which he had previously cleaved.

143. אֲבָל בְּאַבְרָהָם מַה כְּתִיב, וַיַּעַל אַבְרָם מִמִּצְרַיִם. דְּסָלֵיק וְלָא נָחֵית, וְתָב לְאַתְרֵיהּ, לְדַרְגָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִתְדְּבַּק בֵּיהּ בְּקַדְמֵיתָא. וְעוֹבָדָא דָא הֲוָה, בְּגִין, לְאַחֲזָאָה חָכְמְתָא, דְּאִתְקַיֵּים בְּקִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים, כִּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ, וְלָא אִתְפַּתָּא, וְקָם בְּקִיּוּמָא וְתָב לְאַתְרֵיהּ. הַנֶּגְבָּה: דָּא דָרוֹם, דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִתְאֲחֵיד בֵּיהּ בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, דִּכְתִיב הָלוֹךְ וְנָסוֹעַ הַנֶּגְבָּה. אוֹף הָכָא הַנֶּגְבָּה, אֲתַר דְּאִתְדַבַּק בֵּיהּ בְּקַדְמֵיתָא.

Abram Egypt Purification

144. Come and behold the secret of this matter, Had Abraham not gone down to Egypt and been purified, his destiny would not have been attached to the Holy One, blessed be He. And the same thing happened to his children, when the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to join them to one nation - one perfect and complete nation - and bring them near to Him. Had they not gone to Egypt first and been purified, they would not have become His one nation.

144. תָּא חֲזֵי, רָזָא דְמִלָּה, אִי אַבְרָם לָא יֵיחוֹת לְמִצְרַיִם, וְלָא יִצְטָרֵף תַּמָּן בְּקַדְמֵיתָא. לָא יְהֵא חוּלַק עַדְבֵיהּ בְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. כְּגַוְונָא דָא לִבְנוֹי, כַּד בָּעָא קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעבַּד לֵיהּ עַמָּא חָדָא, עַמָּא שְׁלִים, וּלְקָרְבָא לוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ, אִי לָא נָחֲתוּ בְּקַדְמֵיתָא לְמִצְרַיִם, וְלָא יִצְטַרְפוּן תַּמָּן, לֹא הֲווֹ עַמָּא יְחִידָא דִילֵיהּ.

Holy Land

145. In the same manner, had the Holy Land not been given at first to the Cna'anites (spelling) and had they not ruled over it, then this land would not have been destined to become the portion and lot of the Holy One, blessed be He; it is all the same secret.

145. כְּגַוְונָא דָא, אִי לָא אִתְיְיהִיבַת אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא לִכְנַעַן בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וְיִשְׁלוֹט בָּהּ, לָא הֲוַת אַרְעָא חוּלְקֵיהּ וְעַדְבֵיהּ, דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְכֹלָּא רָזָא חָדָא.

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