"A bird's nest"

751. "If a bird's nest chance to be before you in the way" (Devarim 22:6). "In the way" refers to the sages of the Bible, "in any tree" to the sages of the Mishnah, who are as young birds nestling in the branches of the tree. And some say that "in any tree" (Ibid.) refers to Yisrael about whom it is said: "for as the days of a tree shall the days of My people be" (Yeshayah 65:22); or that "on the ground" refers to the sages of the Torah, about whom it is said: 'Sleep on the ground and live a life of suffering while you toil in the Torah'. "Young ones" (Devarim 22:6)) refers to young priests, and "eggs" (Ibid.) are those whom the Holy One, blessed be He, nourishes from buffalo's horns to louse's eggs THAT IS TO SAY, INCLUDING EVERYTHING, FROM THE SMALLEST TO THE LARGEST. "And the mother sitting upon the young" (Ibid.) is the time when sacrifices used to be offered. What is written THEN? "You shall not take the mother bird together with the young" (Ibid.). THAT IS TO SAY: DO NOT BREAK UP THE UNION OF THE MOTHER, WHO IS THE SHECHINAH, WITH THE YOUNG, WHO ARE YISRAEL.

752. After the destruction of the Temple and the annulment of the sacrifices, what is written? "but you shall surely let the mother go" (Ibid. 7), WHERE THE MOTHER IS THE SHECHINAH, and the young have been exiled, namely, "and take the young to you" (Ibid.). FOR THE KABBALISTS ARE CALLED 'YOUNG','for they are from the side of the letter Aleph that is inserted in the spelling of the letter Vav FULLY SPELLED OUT AS VAV-ALEPH-VAV OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, which is a long world, FOR THIS LETTER ALEPH THAT IS INSERTED IN THE FULL SPELLING VAV-ALEPH-VAV, IS DRAWN DOWN FROM BINAH, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE WORLD TO COME, WHICH IS A WORLD THAT IS THROUGHOUT LONG, about which it is said: "that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days" (Ibid.) in the world that is altogether long.

753. AND IN THE EXILE, prayer was decreed instead of sacrifices, AND YISRAEL raised their voices with the sound of the songs, the reading of Sh'ma, WHICH ASCENDS to the Central Column that is on high, NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN, for the mother and the daughter, WHICH ARE BINAH AND MALCHUT, are in exile, FOR INASMUCH AS MALCHUT IS PART OF BINAH, TO THAT EXTENT BINAH IS ALSO IN EXILE, and immediately on ZEIR ANPIN's descent, He is joined with the daughter, WHICH IS MALCHUT, that is called 'dim hand', in order to connect Vav, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, with Hei, WHICH IS MALCHUT in six Sfirot, FOR THE READING OF SH'MA IS THE DRAWING DOWN OF THE SIX INTERMEDIATE SFIROT OF GREATNESS TO ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. Immediately, 'Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever' is whispered to Chochmah, FOR IT IS THE SECRET OF THE UNIFICATION OF MALCHUT, TO WHICH BOUNTY IS THEN DRAWN DOWN FROM CHOCHMAH.