10. HE IS LIKENED TO a man who constructs beautiful and attractive buildings. Look at the foundation and see how it is sunken and twisted in all directions. The building will not be perfect until he has demolished it and rebuilt it as it was, NAMELY, AS IT SHOULD BE. Thus in terms of the superstructure of the building that he constructed, everything was good and fine but in terms of the edifice's foundation it is bad and twisted, and for this reason is not referred to as a perfect deed, and not considered a perfect building. AND SO IT IS WITH THE INCARNATED MAN. ALTHOUGH IN TERMS OF HIS DEEDS HE IS RIGHTEOUS, NEVERTHELESS, SINCE HE HAS NOT YET REMEDIED THE EFFECTS OF THE SINS HE COMMITTED THE FIRST TIME THAT HE CAME INTO THE WORLD, he is called 'an incompletely righteous person' because of it and he is held back BY A WICKED MAN. And about this SCRIPTURE SAYS, "When the wicked devours the man that is more righteous than he" (Chavakuk 1:13).

11. Come and see: One who is zealous for the Holy Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, even if he is not designated for greatness and is not worthy of it, he earns it and gains it. Pinchas was not worthy OF THE PRIESTHOOD at that time, but because he was zealous for the name of his Master, he earned everything and rose to the highest position, and everything was put right within him, and he was privileged to serve in the supreme priesthood. From then on he was referred to as Pinchas the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the priest, WITH THE WORD 'SON' OCCURRING TWICE since he completed two levels, THAT IS, HE MADE GOOD FOR HIMSELF AND ALSO FOR THE SOULS OF NADAV AND ABIHU WHICH HAD INCARNATED IN HIM, WHO ARE THE SONS OF AARON AND IT IS THEREFORE WRITTEN "THE SON OF ELAZAR, THE SON OF AARON." And this was because he was zealous for the name of his Master and put the wrong right, FOR HE CORRECTED HIMSELF AND ALSO THE ASPECT OF THE SOULS OF NADAV AND ABIHU THAT WERE INCARNATED IN HIM.

12. Rabbi Yehuda began: "Preserve my soul; for I am pious: Save Your servant..." (Tehilim 86:2). One has to look at the end of the verse, and then at the whole verse. At the end of the verse it says, "who trusts in You." HE ASKS, Should it not have said, "who trusts You?" HE ANSWERS: apparently David promised not to be asleep when midnight passed, as it is written: "At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You" (Tehilim 119:62). He should have said, "I arose," but THE MEANING IS, I will arise and be bound to You forever.

13. HE ASKS WHY IT say, "Preserve (Heb. shomrah) my soul," when he should have used the form 'shemor,' since we have learned that there is no letter in the Torah that does not have heavenly and precious secrets. HE ANSWERS 'shomrah,' for he was saying to the Holy One, blessed be He, 'shomrah,' NAMELY SHEMOR (PRESERVE) THE HEI, for it is that same part onto which the soul holds. When the soul leaves this world it enters to inherit the domain of the World to Come. If it so merits, a number of heavenly hosts come out to greet it, guard it, and bring it into its residence in its place. That letter Hei, NAMELY MALCHUT, preserves it, so as to unite with it on new moons and Shabbatot.

14. But if it does not so merit, a number of angels of destruction are directed against it, and push it outside. Woe to that soul that wanders in vain as a stone in the hollow of the sling. This is what was said: "and the souls of your enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the hollow of a sling" (I Shmuel 25:29). And David made his request before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, "Preserve my soul" that it be not rejected, and when they come out against it, may the portals be opened for it, and may You accept it before You. "for I am pious...:" HE ASKS, was David really called 'pious?' WAS HE NOT A KING, AND WAS NOT KINGSHIP (MALCHUT) HIS CHARACTERISTIC? Rabbi Yehuda said, Yes, HE WAS CALLED 'PIOUS,' for it is written, "the sure loving promises (Heb. chassadim) of David" (Yeshayah 55:3). THAT IS, SINCE HE WAS RECEIVING CHASSADIM THAT ARE SURE, HE IS 'PIOUS' (HEB. CHASID) and this is the reason for "Preserve my soul," namely, do not abandon it to wander on the outside.

15. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Everyone who has a portion in the Righteous, NAMELY WHO GUARDS HIS COVENANT, inherits this land, THAT IS MALCHUT, as it is said: "Your people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land forever" (Yeshayah 60:21). And this Righteous, WHICH IS YESOD, is called 'pious' SINCE HE BESTOWS CHASSADIM. THAT IS WHY David said, Since I am linked and holding onto that place, UNTO THE RIGHTEOUS, THEREFORE, "I am pious;" and because of this, "Preserve my soul" that it be bound up with You.

16. Rabbi Chiya began: "This he ordained in Jehoseph for testimony, when he went out over the land of Egypt, I heard the language of him whom I had not known" (Tehilim 81:6). We have learned THAT THE ANGEL taught Joseph seventy languages, AS WERE KNOWN BY PHARAOH, but also in the Holy Tongue HE WAS greater THAN PHARAOH, FOR PHARAOH DID NOT KNOW THE HOLY TONGUE. This is meant by "I heard the language of him whom I had not known" FOR HE TAUGHT HIM LANGUAGES THAT HE HAD NOT KNOWN PREVIOUSLY. But, IF THIS IS SO, what is "testimony?" AND HE ANSWERS, Come and see: When Potiphar's wife took hold of him for the reason, Joseph made himself as one who did not know her language, and so it was each day until the last time, as it is written: "And she caught him by his garment" (Beresheet 39:12). What is the meaning of "she caught him?" Until that time he had pretended that he did not know her language, BUT THEN SHE SAW THROUGH HIM, THAT HE DID KNOW HER LANGUAGE, MEANING THAT HE UNDERSTOOD HER INTENTION. THIS IS THE MEANING OF "SHE CAUGHT HIM:" THAT SHE CAUGHT THE TRICKERY IN HIM. "HIS GARMENT (HEB. beged)," IS DERIVED FROM TRICKERY (HEB. begidah). And the Holy Spirit, THAT IS, MALCHUT, cried out to him, "That they may keep you from the strange woman, from the alien woman who makes smooth her words" (Mishlei 7:5). HE ASKS, what is this trying to teach us here? AND ANSWERS, THIS IS TEACHING US that everyone who keeps himself from such a thing AS JOSEPH DID is bound up with the Shechinah and holds on to this testimony WHICH IS MALCHUT. And which is it? This is the Hei that was added to him, as it is written: "This he ordained in Jehoseph for testimony." Also in our section, a Yud was added to the name of Pinchas because he was zealous over the same matter, THE AFFAIR OF ZIMRI, FOR THE YUD HINTS AT MALCHUT.

17. Rabbi Yesa began: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, we also wept, when we remembered Zion" (Tehilim 137:1). HE ASKS, should it not have said Jerusalem since it is written, "If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its cunning" (Ibid. 5). Why then, "when we remembered Zion?" AND HE ANSWERS: IT IS LIKE a man who had a precious and beautiful palace, and robbers came and burned it down. Whose is the anguish IF not that of the palace owner? Here also, whose anguish is it that the Shechinah is in exile, if not that of the Righteous, NAMELY YESOD? And this fits in with what they taught, as it is written: "The righteous perishes" (Yeshayah 57:1) literally, perished. FOR THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF YESOD IS TO BESTOW. BUT IF THE SHECHINAH IS IN EXILE HE HAS NO ONE TO BESTOW UPON, AND THEREFORE IT IS AS IF IT DOES NOT EXIST, BUT HAD PERISHED. Here also, "when we remembered Zion," MEANS when we remembered the anguish OF ZION, WHICH IS YESOD, because of its LACK OF mating, for the anguish is indeed his.

18. Rabbi Yesa said: Whoever respects the name of his Master in this matter, and keeps THE COVENANT, is privileged to have his Master respect him over all. How do we know this? Because regarding Joseph, it is written, "And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had... and made him ruler over all the land of Egypt" (Beresheet 41:43). Furthermore, when Yisrael crossed the sea, Joseph's coffin entered the water first and the waters in front of it were unable to stay as they were. Therefore it is written, "The sea saw it, and fled" (Tehilim 114:3). What is the meaning of "and fled?" The sea saw him about whom this is written, "and fled, and went outside" (Beresheet 39:12).

19. Come and see: He was honored in his life and honored in his death. Why in his life? Because during that time he did not want to cleave TO POTIPHAR'S WIFE, as it is written: "But he refused, and said to his master's wife..." (Ibid. 8), and, "that he hearkened not to her, to lie by her, or to be with her" (Ibid. 10). For this reason he was honored in this world. Since it is written, "And she caught him by his garment...and he fled, and went outside," BECAUSE OF THAT he earned entry after HIS DEMISE into the heavenly curtain THAT IS IN THE SANCTUARY OF THE HOLY OF HOLIES. And so it was befitting to him, RESULTING that he received his due in this world and in the other world.