Noach: Chapter 18

"I said, I shall not see Yah"

Synopsis

Many dark forces attempt to sway us from our spiritual path, tempting our eyes with the illusions of physical reality. But we can draw the Light to assist us in seeing through these illusions. In this way, we can follow the path that leads to the Light of the Creator, rather than the path that leads to punishment.

Torah Wisdom

138. He began by saying, "I said, I shall not see Yah; Yah, in the land of the living; I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of cessation" (Yeshayah 38:11). How obtuse, he said, are the people who do not know or pay heed to the words of the Torah, but look only upon worldly matters. The spirit of wisdom is forgotten from them.

138. פְּתַח וַאֲמַר, אָמַרְתִּי לֹא אֶרְאֶה יָהּ יָהּ בְּאֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים לֹא אַבִּיט אָדָם עוֹד עִם יוֹשְׁבֵי חָדֶל. אָמַרְתִּי לֹא אֶרְאֶה יָהּ, כַּמָּה אֲטִימִין אִינוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, דְּלָא יָדְעִין וְלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין בְּמִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, אֶלָּא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי בְּמִלּוֹי דְעָלְמָא, וְאִתְנְשֵׁי מִנַּיְיהוּ רוּחָא דְחָכְמְתָא.

Adam Body Garden of Eden Gates Soul, The

139. When a person departs this world, that person gives an account to his Master of all his worldy actions. He does this while his body and spirit are still joined together and he can see all that he sees until he reaches the World of Truth, where he meets Adam, the first man, sitting at the gate of the Garden of Eden, waiting to see and rejoice with all who have observed the commandments of their Master.

139. דְּכַד בַּר נָשׁ אִסְתַּלַּק מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, וְיָהִיב חוּשְׁבְּנָא לְמָארֵיהּ, מִכָּל מַה דַּעֲבַד בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, בְּעוֹד דְּאִיהוּ קָאֵים רוּחָא וְגוּפָא כַּחֲדָא, וְחָמֵי מַה דְּחָמֵי, עַד דְּאָזֵיל לְהַהוּא עָלְמָא, וּפָגַע לֵיהּ לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, יָתִיב לְתַרְעָא דְגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן, לְמֶחֱמֵי כָּל אִינוּן, דְּנָטְרוּ פִּקּוּדֵי דְמָארֵיהוֹן, וְחָדֵי בְּהוֹ.

Adam Breath Eden Garden of Eden Gehenom (Hell) Hell (Gehenom) Righteous

140. And many are the righteous around Adam, who instead of walking along the path that leads to Gehenom followed the path to the Garden of Eden. These are the ones who are called "Inhabitants of the Cessation" (Heb. chedel). AND HE ASKS: Why is it not written: "Inhabitants of the world (Heb. cheled)"? HE ANSWERS: Because they are not like the mole (Heb. chulda), a creature who is laboriously storing and hiding provisions, knowing not for whom. They are the inhabitants of cessation, as in "Cease (Heb. chidlu) from man, though his breath be in his nostrils" (Yeshayah 2:22). BECAUSE THE HEBREW WORD CHEDEL MEANS TO AVOID, THEY ARE CALLED THE INHABITANTS OF CESSATION. They avoided walking the path of Gehenom and disciplined themselves to walk along the path leading to the Garden of Eden.

140. וְכַמָּה צַדִּיקַיָּא סָחֳרָנֵיהּ דְּאָדָם, אִינוּן דְּאִתְמְנָעוּ מֵאָרְחָא דְּגֵיהִנֹּם, וְסָטוֹ לְגַבֵּי אָרְחָא דְּגַן עֵדֶן. וְאִילֵּין אִקְרוּן יוֹשְׁבֵי חָדֶל. וְלָא כְתִיב יוֹשְׁבֵי חָלֶד, בְּגִין דְּלָא הֲווֹ כְּמוֹ חוּלְדָה דְּגָרְרָא, וּמַנְחָא, וְלָא יָדְעָא לְמַאן שַׁבְקָא, אֶלָּא יוֹשְׁבֵי חָדֶל. כד"א חִדְלוּ לָכֶם מִן הָאָדָם וגו'. דְּאִתְמְנַע לוֹן מֵאָרְחָא דְּגֵיהִנֹּם וְאַתְקִיפוּ בְּהוֹ לְאַעָלָא לְהוֹ בְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן.

Adam Eden Garden of Eden Gates Righteous Sin Wicked Wickedness

141. Another explanation is that "inhabitants of cessation" REFERS TO all those who repented and ceased performing the sins of the wicked. Because Adam repented before his Master, he sits among others who also repented, ceased sinning, and are called "inhabitants of cessation." As it is written: "I will know how frail (Heb. chadel) I am" (Tehilim 39:5). And therefore, Adam sits at the gate of the Garden of Eden, and he is happy with the righteous who walk along the path and arrive at the Garden of Eden.

141. דָּבָר אֲחֵר יוֹשְׁבֵי חָדֶל אִינוּן מָרֵיהוֹן דִּתְשׁוּבָה, דִּמְנָעוּ גַּרְמַיְיהוּ מֵאִינוּן חוֹבִין דְּחַיָּיבַיָא, וּבְגִין דְּאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, תָּב בִּתְיוּבְתָּא קַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ, יָתִיב עַל אִינוּן דְּאִתְמְנָעוּ מֵחוֹבֵיהוֹן, וְאִינוּן בְּנֵי חָדֶל, כד"א אֵדְעָה מֶה חָדֶל אָנִי. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִיהוּ יָתֵיב לְתַרְעָא דְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, וְחָדֵי בְּהוֹ בְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא, דְּאַתְיָין בְּהַהוּא אוֹרְחָא דְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן.

Light Mirror Soul, The

142. Come and behold: it is written, "I said, I shall not see Yah." SO HE ASKS: Who can ever see Yah now? AND HE REPLIES THAT the end of the verse reveals the intention of the words, as it is written: "Yah, in the land of the living." Come and behold: when the souls ascend and reach the place of the Bundle of Life, they enjoy the illumination of the radiant mirror, which shines and brings forth light from the most elevated place of all. A soul not enclothed in the radiance of another garment could neither approach nor get close enough to see that light.

142. תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב, אָמַרְתִּי לֹא אֶרְאֶה יָהּ, וְכִי מַאן יָכִיל לְמֶחֱמֵי יָהּ. אֶלָּא סוֹפָא דִקְרָא אוֹכַח, דִּכְתִיב יָהּ בְּאֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים, תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד סָלְקִין נִשְׁמָתִין לַאֲתַר צְרוֹרָא דְחַיֵּי, תַּמָּן מִתְהַנָּן, בְּזָהֳרָא דְּאַסְפַּקְלַרְיָאה דְּנָהֲרָא, דְּנָהִיר מֵאֲתַר עִלָאָה דְכֹלָּא, וְאִילוּ לָא מִתְלַבְּשָׁא נִשְׁמָתָא, בְּזָהֲרָא דִלְבוּשָׁא אָחֳרָא, לָא תֵיכוֹל לְאִתְקָרָבָא לְמֶחֱמֵי הַהוּא נְהוֹרָא.

Body Garments Mirror Nukva Righteous Soul, The World to Come, The Zeir Anpin

143. And the secret of the matter is that as the soul is given garments to don so it can exist in this world, WHICH IS THE BODY, so it is also given garments of supernal radiance. These allow it to exist in the World to Come and to see into the radiant mirror, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, from that land of the living, THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE OF ZEIR ANPIN. THUS THE PROBLEM THAT AROSE IN THE VERSE, "I SAID, I SHALL NOT SEE YAH," IS SOLVED. THE INTENTION IS THAT BY THESE TWO IMPLEMENTS - (1) BY THE GARMENT OF THE SUPERNAL RADIANCE AND (2) BY THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE OF ZEIR ANPIN, CALLED THE LAND OF OF LIVING - THE RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE DESERVE TO SEE INTO THE RADIANT MIRROR, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF YAH (YUD-HEI) IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING.

143. וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה, כְּמָה דְּיַהֲבֵי לְנִשְׁמָתָא, לְבוּשָׁא דְּמִתְלַבְּשָׁא בֵּיהּ, לְמֵיקַם בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. הָכֵי נָמֵי יַהֲבֵי לָהּ לְבוּשָׁא, דְּזָהֲרָא עִלָּאָה, לְמֵיקַם בֵּיהּ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, וּלְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּגוֹ הַהוּא אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָאה דְּנָהֲרָא, מִגּוֹ הַהוּא אֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים.

Cloud Garments Moses Mountains Righteous

144. Come and behold: Moses would not have been able to approach what he was looking at had he not been dressed in another garment. As it is written: "And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and went up into the mountain" (Shemot 24:18). And he covered himself with the cloud as a person wears a garment. And then, it is written: "and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where Elohim was" (Shemot 20:18), and "Moses was in the mountain forty days and forty nights" (Shemot 24:18) and was able to see what he saw.

144. תָּא חֲזֵי, מֹשֶׁה לָא יָכִיל לְקָרְבָא. לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, בַּמֶּה דְאִסְתַּכַּל, אֶלָּא כַּד אִתְלַבַּשׁ בִּלְבוּשָׁא אָחֳרָא, כד"א וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה בְּתוֹךְ הֶעָנָן וַיַּעַל אֶל הָהָר. וְתַרְגּוּם בִּמְצִיעוּת עֲנָנָא. וְאִתְלַבַּשׁ בָּהּ, כְּמַאן דְּאִתְלַבַּשׁ בִּלְבוּשָׁא, וּבג"ד, וּמֹשֶׁה נִגַּשׁ אֶל הָעֲרָפֶל אֲשֶׁר שָׁם הָאֱלֹקִים, וּכְתִיב וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה בְּתוֹךְ הֶעָנָן וגו'. וַיְהִי מֹשֶׁה בָּהָר אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לָיְלָה. וְיָכִיל לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בַּמֶּה דְאִסְתַּכַּל.

Adam Eden Fear Flow Garden of Eden Garments Gates Hezekiah Light Mirror Nukva Righteous Rivers Soul, The Streams Zeir Anpin

145. In the same way, the souls of the righteous in the World of Truth dress themselves in garments and act in accordance with that world. So dressed, they are prepared to gaze into the light that shines in the land of the living, MEANING THAT THEY COVER THEMSELVES WITH THE LIGHT OF THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, FROM WHICH THEY ARE ABLE TO GAZE INTO THE LIGHT OF THE RADIANT MIRROR. WHEN HEZEKIAH CALLED, "Yah, Yah, in the land of the living," he was afraid that he might no longer be worthy of gazing on that light and meriting that vision. The stream that flows FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN, he stopped it, and did not beget any children. AND WHOEVER DOES NOT INDULGE IN THE ACT OF PROCREATION, BLEMISHES THE RIVER THAT FLOWS FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN, WHICH IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. THIS IS INDICATED IN THE VERSE: "I shall behold man no more." This refers to the first man, as has already been explained. ADAM SITS AT THE GATE OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN AND RECEIVES THE SOULS OF THE RIGHTEOUS WHO ARRIVE THERE. HEZEKIAH FEARED THAT HE WAS NOT WORTHY OF SEEING ADAM AT THE GATE.

145. כְּגַוְונָא דָא, מִתְלַבְּשִׁין נִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָא, בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, בִּלְבוּשָׁא, כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, דְּלָא יִתְנַהֵג אֶלָּא בִּלְבוּשָׁא, כְּגַוְונָא דָא. וְקָיְימֵי לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בִּנְהוֹרָא דְּנָהֵיר, בְּהַהוּא אֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים. וְזֶהוּ יָהּ, יָהּ בְּאֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים. דַּהֲוָה סָבִיר דְּלָא יִזְכֵּי לְהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא, וּלְהַהוּא אִסְתַּכְּלוּתָא, בְּגִין דְּנַהֲרָא דְּנָגִיד, פָּסִיק לֵיהּ, וְלָא אוֹלִיד. לֹא אַבִּיט אָדָם עוֹד, דָּא אָדָם קַדְמָאָה כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר.

Death Death and the Afterlife Fear Hezekiah Light Merit Prophets Righteous

146. And what was the reason for all this, NAMELY WHY DID HEZEKIAH FEAR THIS? Because the prophet told him, "for you shall die" in this world "and not live" (Yeshayah 38:11) in the World of Truth. For, upon death, he who has not begotten any children in this world is expelled from all that is mentioned above and cannot stay to gaze upon that shining light. If this was the case with Hezekiah, who was a pure, righteous man, so much more for those who do not have ancestral merit to support them and have even sinned before their Master.

146. וְכָל דָא לָמָּה, בְּגִין דַּאֲמַר לֵיהּ נְבִיאָה, כִּי מֵת אַתָּה, בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְלָא תִחְיָה, לְהַהוּא עָלְמָא, בְּגִין דְּמָאן דְּלָא אוֹלִיד בְּנִין בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, כַּד נָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ, מְתַרְכִין לֵיהּ, מִכָל מַה דַּאֲמָרָן, וְלָא שַׁרְיָא לְמֶחֱמֵי בְּהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא דְּנָהֵיר. וּמַה חִזְקִיָּה, דַּהֲוָה לֵיהּ זְכוּת אָבוֹת, וְאִיהוּ זַכָּאָה צַדִּיקָא וַחֲסִידָא כָּךְ, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן מַאן דְּלֵית לֵיהּ זְכוּת אָבוֹת וְחָטֵי קַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ.

Blessing Eyes Garments Righteous

147. This garment, previously mentioned, has already been discussed by the friends. There is a "robe of the sages" that they wear in the World of Truth. Happy are the righteous with their inheritance, as the Holy One, blessed be He, has put aside many blessings and delights for them in the World of Truth. It has been written of them: "Neither has the eye seen, that an Elohim, beside You, should do such a thing for him that waits for Him" (Yeshayah 64:3).

147. הַאי לְבוּשָׁא דְּקָאֲמָרָן, אִיהוּ מַה דַּאֲמָרוּ חַבְרַיָיא, חֲלוּקָא דְּרַבָּנָן, דְּאִתְלְבִישׁוּ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא, דְּגָנִיז לוֹן קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כַּמָּה טָבִין וְעִידוּנִין, לְהַהוּא עָלְמָא, עֲלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹקִים זוּלָתֶךָ יַעֲשֶׂה לִמְחַכֵּה לוֹ.

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