"And it came to pass in the days of Amrafel"

211. Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion of the verse, "And it came to pass in the days of Amrafel, king of Shin'ar..." (Beresheet 14:1), with the text, "Who raised up one from the east, whom righteousness met wherever he set his foot..." (Yeshayah 41:2). Although this passage has already been explained, it has another explanation in accordance with the secret of Wisdom. We have learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, created seven firmaments on high, WHICH ARE THE LOWER SEVEN SFIROT OF ATZILUT - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT. The purpose of them all is to acknowledge the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, and they exist to proclaim the secret of the Supernal Faith.

212. Come and behold, there is a sublime firmament, high above these seven FIRMAMENTS, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF BINAH OF ATZILUT. This firmament guides and illumines all of them. And it is unknowable; THIS REFERS TO ITS UPPER THREE SFIROT, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF ABA AND IMA. It is stated as a question, because it is unknown; THIS REFERS TO ITS LOWER SEVEN SFIROT, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH. Because it is concealed and so deep, everyone wonders about it. This is why it is called Mi (lit. 'who'), REFERRING TO ITS LOWER SEVEN SFIROT, as has been explained. As it is written, "From the womb of whom (Heb. mi) came forth the ice" (Iyov 38:29), which was explained. And this is the supernal firmament that stands high above the other seven.

213. And there is also a firmament down below, NAMELY MALCHUT, which is the lowest of them all, and it does not shine. Since it is the lowest and has no light, the supernal firmament above them, WHICH IS BINAH THAT IS CALLED MI, joins with it. THIS MEANS THAT THE SUPERNAL FIRMAMENT, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF MI (MEM-YUD), DOES NOT ILLUMINATE THE CHOCHMAH TO ANY OF THE LOWER SEVEN FIRMAMENTS, BUT ONLY TO THE LOWEST OF THEM ALL, WHICH IS MALCHUT. And these two letters, MEM-YUD, WHICH BELONG TO THE SUPERNAL FIRMAMENT, WHICH IS CALLED MI, are included in itself to form a sea (Heb. yam, Yud-Mem), of the supernal firmament, which is called Mi, A COMBINATION OF THE LETTERS MEM AND YUD.

214. Because all of the other firmaments, WHICH ARE ABOVE THE LOWEST FIRMAMENT AND ARE CALLED CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD act as streams and flow to the lowest firmament, it then becomes a supernal sea that produces fruits and fishes in all varieties. THESE ARE THE MOCHIN THAT IT GIVES DOWN TO BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH. David described it with the words, "This great and wide sea wherein there are innumerable creeping things, both small and great beasts" (Tehilim 104:25).

215. On this subject it is written, "Who (Mi) raised up one from the east, whom righteousness met wherever he set his foot..." (Yeshayah 41:2). "Who raised up one from the east" refers to Abraham. ABRAHAM ROUSED UP THE SUPERNAL FIRMAMENT, WHICH IS CALLED MI, TO BRING THE CHOCHMAH DOWN TO THE LOWEST FIRMAMENT, WHICH IS CALLED YAM (YUD-MEM). "Whom righteousness met wherever he set his foot" refers to the lowest of all SEVEN firmaments, which has become a sea. Of the verse, "gave the nations before him," HE ASKS, "What is meant by 'before him'?" AND HE SAYS, This is the lowest firmament, as we have said, that takes revenge and overthrows the enemies. David was proud of this and praised it by saying, "You have also given me the necks of my enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me" (Tehilim 18:40).

216. "...gave the nations before him" - these are the nations that Abraham put to flight and the Holy One, blessed be He, put to death. "And made him rule over kings" - these are the angels that govern them from above. Because when the Holy One, blessed be He, executes Judgment on the world, He brings it upon all - high above and down below. THIS MEANS, UPON THE NATIONS BELOW AND UPON THEIR GOVERNORS HIGH ABOVE IN THE HEAVENS.

217. The text continues, "He pursued them, and passed on safely." "He pursued them" refers to Abraham, who pursued them, while the Holy One, blessed be He, went in front of him and killed them off. As it is written, "and passed on safely (Heb. shalom)." This is the Holy One, blessed be He, who is called shalom!

218. Of the words, "Even by the way that he had not gone with his feet," HE ASKS, Could you ever imagine that Abraham walked through clouds, or mounted upon horses and carriages? BECAUSE IT IS WRITTEN, "BY THE WAY THAT HE HAD NOT GONE WITH HIS FEET!" AND HE REPLIES, "Even by the way that he had not gone with his feet" MEANS that neither an angel nor a messenger preceded Abraham, only the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself. It is written, "with his feet." AND HE ASKS, What are 'his feet?' AND HE REPLIES, These are the angels who are beneath the Holy One, blessed be He. As it is written, "And His feet shall stand on that day..." (Zecharyah 14:4), WHICH REFERS TO THE ANGELS THAT ARE CALLED "HIS FEET." IN THE VERSE, "HAD NOT GONE" MEANS EVEN BY THE WAY OF ABRAHAM. ONLY THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, ACCOMPANIES HIM ON HIS WAY!

219. There is another explanation of the verse, "Who raised up one from the east." Come and behold, when the Holy One, blessed be He, aroused the world, WHICH IS MALCHUT, to bring Abraham closer to Him, this awakening occurred FOR THE SAKE OF JACOB, WHO IS THE SECRET OF THE EAST. Because Jacob was destined to come from Abraham and to bring forth the twelve tribes, which were all righteous before the Holy One, blessed be He.

220. The verse continues, "Whom righteousness met wherever he set his foot." The Holy One, blessed be He, called him, REFERRING TO JACOB, always, since the world was created, as the verse says, "calling the generations from the beginning" (Yeshayah 41:4). Therefore, "righteousness," THAT IS MALCHUT, "called him assuredly! "His foot" MEANS THAT he joined Him in His worship and became closer to Him. As it is written, "and all the people that follow You (lit. 'that are at your feet')" (Shemot 11:8), WHICH MEANS THE PEOPLE WHO CLEAVE TO YOU. SO HERE AS WELL, "HIS FOOT" MEANS TO CLEAVE ONTO HIM.

221. An alternative explanation of "Who raised up one from the east" is that the light begins to shine from the east. For all the power of the light in the south, WHICH IS CHESED, comes from the east, WHICH IS TIFERET. Therefore, THE VERSE READS, "Who raised up" the light of the south, WHICH IS CHESED, "from the east." THE EAST, BEING TIFERET, RAISED THE LIGHT. Because it, TIFERET, takes the Light and is nourished first, AND AFTERWARD GIVES LIGHT TO THE SIX EXTREMITIES THAT ARE INCLUDED WITHIN TIFERET. AMONG THEM IS THE SOUTH, WHICH IS CHESED. And the desire of the supernal firmament, WHICH IS BINAH, is to give abundance to the east, WHICH IS TIFERET.

222. The verse "whom righteousness met wherever he set his foot" refers to the west, WHICH IS MALCHUT. It calls on the east, WHICH IS TIFERET, always and does not quiet down. As it is written, "Keep not Your silence, Elohim, do not hold Your peace, and be still, El" (Tehilim 83:2). This is because the west, WHICH IS MALCHUT AND IS CALLED ELOHIM, is constantly aroused to Him. "Gave the nations before him and made him rule over kings," because it is from it - FROM THE EAST - that it receives the power to overcome all the nations of the world.

223. Rabbi Yehuda said, "Who raised up one from the east?" This is Abraham, who received his awakening to the Holy One, blessed be He, from the east alone. When he saw that the sun rose in the morning from the east, he was awakened to realize it is the Holy One, blessed be He. Abraham said OF THE SUN, 'This is the king who created me.' And he worshipped the sun all that day. As evening came, he saw that the sun went down and the moon shone. He said ABOUT THE MOON, 'This must be the one that rules over the worship that he had performed during the day FOR THE SUN. Since the sun has been darkened and shines no more before the moon!' And he worshipped the moon all that night.

224. In the morning, he saw that the moon became dark. As the east lit up, he said, 'There must be a king and ruler over all these, who governs them.' When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that Abraham's desire was directed towards Him, He revealed Himself to Abraham and spoke with him. As it is written, "Whom righteousness met wherever he set his foot." "RIGHTEOUSNESS" REFERS TO THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WHO CALLED HIM, spoke with him, and revealed Himself to him.

225. Rabbi Yitzchak opened the discussion by saying, "I speak righteousness, I declare things that are right" (Yeshayah 45:19). All that the Holy One, blessed be He, says is true; all of His actions are just. HE ASKS, How does He act justly? AND HE SAYS, When the Holy One, blessed be He created the world, it wobbled from side to side, unable to stand. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the world, 'Why are you collapsing?' It answered, 'Master of the Universe, I am unable to stand because I have no foundation to stand upon!'

226. THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE said to the world, 'But I am about to raise within you a righteous man, who is Abraham, who shall love Me!' Immediately, the world stood up and was firmly established. As it is written, "These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created (Heb. behibar'am)" (Beresheet 2:4). Do not read behibar'am, but rather, BeAbraham (with Abraham) because by Abraham was the world established.

227. Rabbi Chiya said, "...I declare things that are right" MEANS that the world answered the Holy One, blessed be He, by saying, 'From this same Abraham, children will come forth who shall destroy the Temple and shall burn the Torah!' THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, said to it, 'One man is destined to come from him, who is Jacob. And from him twelve tribes shall come forth, all of them righteous. Immediately the world was established for his sake.' Therefore, it is written, "I declare things that are right," WHICH IS THE SECRET OF JACOB, WHO IS TIFERET.

228. Rabbi Elazar said that we have noted here that each one of the terms - "to speak," "to declare," and "to say" - has a meaning of its own. "To speak" means openly, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT AND IS CALLED THE REVEALED WORLD. This is an external, not an internal, grade, unlike the grades that are higher THAN IT. And this also applies to "speak righteousness," WHICH REFERS TO MALCHUT WHICH IS THE ASPECT OF "SPEAKING."

229. "To declare" alludes to the internal and supernal grade, which governs speech THAT IS MALCHUT and this applies also to "declare...right." Who is "right?" This is the supernal grade, where Jacob dwells, NAMELY TIFERET. Hence "You founded things that are right" (Tehilim 99:4). And this is why it says here "declare," rather than "speak." IT SHOWS US THAT THE INTENTION HERE APPLIES TO TIFERET AND NOT TO MALCHUT. AND RABBI ELAZAR HEREBY OFFERS A PROOF FOR WHAT RABBI CHIYA SAID!

230. Rabbi Yitzchak said that it is written, "And He declared to you His covenant" (Devarim 4:13). ACCORDINGLY, IF THE TERM "DECLARE" IS USED WITH THE COVENANT, THEN IT CAN ALSO BE USED WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS! He said to him, "It is surely so" THAT THE TERM "DECLARE" CAN BE USED WITH THE COVENANT, NAMELY WITH YESOD, BECAUSE TIFERET AND THE COVENANT ARE ONE. NEVERTHELESS, YESOD is a grade that is dominant over the lower grade, which is "speak righteousness," SO HERE WE CAN USE THE TERM "DECLARE" AS WELL. And all this should be well examined. Come and behold, Even though we said that the term "speak" is the lowest of them all, do not conclude from this that it is not a high and important GRADE! The term "speak" includes within it all the other GRADES, and is a high grade. And the proof of this appears in the verse, "For it is not a vain thing (speech)" (Devarim 32:47).

231. Rabbi Elazar was on his way to his father-in-law, accompanied by Rabbi Chiya, Rabbi Yosi, and Rabbi Chizkiyah. Rabbi Elazar said, I see that the awakening from above occurs as a response to awakening from below, because the upper is aroused by the passion and desire of the lower, and depends on it.