"And he went on his journeys"

164. Rabbi Shimon said, Come and behold, the verse, "And he went on his journeys... (Heb. lemasa'av)" (Beresheet 13:3) MEANS that he went to visit his place and his grade. In this verse, lemasa'av IS SPELLED WITHOUT THE LETTER YUD, INDICATING THE SINGULAR FORM. SO HE ASKS, Which journey? AND HE ANSWERS, This is the first grade that was revealed to him. Here, it is written, "masa'av (his journey);" and in another place thither (Heb. masa), "was built of stone made ready before it was brought" (I Melachim 6:7). As we have already explained, assuredly it was "stone made ready (Heb. shlemah)" WHICH MEANS THAT THE STONE, WHICH IS MALCHUT, BELONGS TO THE KING TO WHOM THE PEACE (HEB. SHALOM) BELONGS. AND KING SOLOMON (HEB. SHLOMO) ALLUDES TO THE KING TO WHOM PEACE BELONGS, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. SO BY ANALOGY, IN THE FORMER VERSE AS WELL IT REFERS TO THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN. "Masa" has already been explained.

165. The words, "on his journeys," MEANS THAT HE MOVED ALONG all of these grades, one after the other, as explained, "from the Negev even to Bet El," to firmly establish his place, WHICH IS CHESED, and to unite it WITH BET EL WHICH IS THE NUKVA. Because the secret of Wisdom lies "from the Negev even to Bet El."

166. In the verse, "to the place where his tent (Heb. ohaloh) had been at the beginning" (Beresheet 13:3), the word ohaloh is spelled with a letter Hei (at the end) INSTEAD OF WITH A LETTER VAV. THIS IMPLIES THAT ohaloh is Bet El, WHICH IS CALLED a "stone made ready," as we have stated, NAMELY THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN. Furthermore, he states THAT HE REFERS TO THE NUKVA, and says, "To the place of the altar, which he had made there at first..." Of this it says, "to Hashem, who appeared to him," WHICH ALLUDES TO THE SECRET OF THE NUKVA. And then it is written, "And there Abraham called in the name of Hashem." Because then he cleaved to the complete faith.

167. Come and behold, at first, he rose THROUGH THE GRADES from lower to higher, as it is written, "And Hashem appeared to Abraham," and "to Hashem who appeared to him." This is the first grade, as we have stated, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF a "stone made ready," NAMELY, THE GRADE OF NUKVA WHERE 'SEEING' LIES. AND FROM HERE HE ATTAINED THE NEFESH. After this it is written, "going on still toward the south," MEANING THAT HE ROSE grade after grade until he was crowned in the south, WHICH IS CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN; THIS IS his share and destiny. AND FROM HERE HE REACHED RUACH. After this, as he rose higher, the matter is concealed, and it simply says, "to Hashem," RATHER THAN, "TO HASHEM WHO APPEARED TO HIM." This is the upper world, NAMELY BINAH. AND FROM HERE HE MERITED THE NESHAMAH. He went through further grades, WHICH MEANS THAT HE WENT DOWN TO EGYPT AND WENT UP FROM THERE. THROUGH THIS, HE ACHIEVED THE GRADE OF CHOCHMAH FROM THE RIGHT SIDE, AS CHESED BECAME CHOCHMAH. Afterward he descended from above downward, AS IS EXPLAINED IN THE VERSE, "AND HE WENT ON HIS JOURNEYS..." and everything was properly attached to its place!

168. Here, as you observe the grades THAT APPEAR IN THE SCRIPTURE, you shall find the secret of the supernal Wisdom (Chochmah) - NAMELY CHOCHMAH OF THE RIGHT SIDE. As it is written, "And he went on his journeys from the Negev." THIS MEANS from the right side, WHICH IS THE SOUTH AND the beginning of the Supernal, NAMELY BINAH, concealed and unfathomed deep, reaching up to the Endless World (Heb. Ein Sof). And from there he descended, grade after grade, "from the Negev even to Bet El" (Beresheet 18:8), WHICH IS THE NUKVA.

169. And it is written, "and there Abraham called in the name of Hashem," MEANING THAT he attached Unity in its proper place. As it is written, "To the place of the altar, which he had made there at first." What is THE MEANING OF "which he made there?" IT MEANS THAT FIRST he elevated THE NUKVA from below to the upper grades and now he brought her down through the grades, so that she remains attached to those supernal grades and they remain attached to her, and all become united in one as should be!

170. Then Abraham was crowned and his destiny surely became connected with the Holy One, blessed be He. Happy are the righteous, who are crowned by the Holy One, blessed be He, and He, in turn, is crowned by them. They are happy in this world, as well as in the World to Come. Of them it is written, "Your people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever" (Yeshayah 60:21), and "But the path of the just is like the gleam of sunlight, that shines ever more brightly until the height of noonday" (Mishlei 4:18).

171. They went along until they reached a field in which they sat down. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion by saying, "Turn to me and have mercy upon me..." (Tehilim 86:16). This verse should be studied. Even though we have explained it in many places, there is hidden meaning in its passages. HE ASKS, How could it be that David, WHO WAS HUMBLE, should say, "Turn to me and have mercy upon me?"

172. AND HE REPLIES, He was referring to his grade, by which he is crowned. IN OTHER WORDS, HE PRAYED FOR THE SAKE OF THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN. In the verse, "give Your strength to your servant," the words "give Your strength" refer to the supernal strength, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH. As it is written, "and he shall give strength to his king" (I Shmuel 2:10). Who is his king? His king, without any specific reference, is clearly King Messiah, NAMELY MALCHUT, WHICH IS THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN. In this passage, the words "your servant" also refer to Messiah. As we have stated, the king is mentioned without any reference; THEREFORE IT ALLUDES TO THE NUKVA.

173. About the verse, "And save the son of Your handmaid" (Tehilim 86:16), HE ASKS, Was he not the son of Jesse? If so, then why did he refer to himself as the son of his mother and not of his father? AND HE REPLIES, We have already explained that when a person comes forward to receive something lofty, he should refer only to things that are absolutely true. Therefore he mentioned his mother, WHEN HE SAID, "AND SAVE THE SON OF YOUR HANDMAID," and not his father. And furthermore, we have already learned that this refers to an unspecified king, as we said. THIS MEANS THAT HE DID NOT PRAY FOR HIMSELF, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THE NUKVA, WHICH IS CALLED 'KING' WITH NO FURTHER QUALIFICATIONS. THIS IS WHY HE MENTIONED HIS MOTHER'S NAME, WHO PERTAINS TO THE NUKVA, AND NOT HIS FATHER'S NAME!