185. Come and behold: what is the difference between those who are occupied with the Torah and the faithful prophets? IT IS THAT those who are occupied with the Torah are always more valuable than the prophets. Why? They are in a much higher grade than the prophets, since they who are occupied in the Torah stand above in the place called 'the Torah,' ZEIR ANPIN, which sustains all the Faith, MALCHUT, WHICH HAS NOTHING BUT WHAT ZEIR ANPIN GIVES HER. The prophets stand below, NAMELY, UNDER THE CHEST OF ZEIR ANPIN, in the place called 'Netzach' and 'Hod.' Those who are occupied with the Torah are of more importance than the prophets and are superior to them, for the ones stand above and the others stand below. Those who say things through the Holy Spirit are the lowest, SINCE THE HOLY SPIRIT IS DRAWN FROM MALCHUT, WHICH IS THE LOWEST.
185. תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה בֵּין אִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לִנְבִיאֵי מְהֵימְנֵי. אִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, עֲדִיפֵי מִנְּבִיאֵי בְּכָל זִמְנָא. מַאי טַעֲמָא. דְּאִינּוּן קַיְימֵי בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה, יַתִּיר מִנְּבִיאֵי, אִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא קַיְימֵי לְעֵילָּא, בְּאַתְרָא דְּאִקְרֵי תּוֹרָה, דְּהוּא קִיוּמָא דְּכָל מְהֵימְנוּתָא. וּנְבִיאֵי קַיְימֵי לְתַתָּא, בַּאֲתַר דְּאִקְרוּן נֶצַח וְהוֹד. וְעַל דָּא, אִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, עֲדִיפֵי מִנְּבִיאֵי, וְעִלָּאִין מִנְּהוֹן יַתִּיר. דְּאִלֵּין קַיְימִין לְעֵילָּא, וְאִלֵּין קַיְימִין לְתַתָּא. אִינּוּן דְּאַמְרֵי מִלִּין בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ, קַיְימֵי לְתַתָּא מְכֻּלְּהוּ.
186. Happy are those who labor in the Torah, who are of the highest grade of all. He who labors in the Torah needs neither sacrifices nor burnt offerings, because the Torah is better than everything. It is the bond of everyone's Faith, NAMELY THE BOND OF MALCHUT. It is therefore written: "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace," (Mishlei 3:17) and, "great peace have they who love the Torah, there is no stumbling to them" (Tehilim 119:165).
186. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִינּוּן בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה יַתִּיר עַל כֹּלָּא. מַאן דְּלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לָא לְקָרְבְּנִין, וְלָא לְעִלָּוָון. דְּהָא אוֹרַיְיתָא עָדִיף מִכֹּלָּא, וְקִשּׁוּרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, דְּרָכֶיהָּ דַּרְכֵי נֹעַם וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם. וּכְתִיב, שָׁלוֹם רָב לְאוֹהֲבֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ וְאֵין לָמוֹ מִכְשׁוֹל.