144. Come and see, Pharaoh ruled with THE POWER OF water, as it is written, "The great crocodile that couches in the midst of his streams" (Yechezkel 29:3). Therefore, first his river was turned into blood. Afterward, frogs CAME OUT OF IT that plagued EGYPT with sounds that shook within their bowels. They came out of the River and onto the ground with high pitched voices in all directions until the Egyptians fell as if dead in their homes.

145. And the secret of the matter is that all the ten signs the Holy One, blessed be He, performed originated from the strong hand, WHICH IS GVURAH, and this hand overpowered all the levels of their dominion in order to confuse them. They did not know what to do TO BE SAVED. COME AND SEE, When the grades tried to do something, it became apparent to all that they could do nothing TO BE SAVED FROM THE PLAGUES because of the strong hand that rested upon them.

146. "And the River shall bring forth frogs in swarms, and these will go up and come into your house" (Shemot 7:28). Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion saying, "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children..." (Yirmeyah 31:14). Come and see, This passage has been explained in many places. But this passage is difficult, for it says, "Rachel weeping for her children," yet only Joseph and Benjamin were the children of Rachel and no more, while Leah had her six tribes, so why did Rachel weep and not Leah?

147. HE ANSWERS, But it has been said, it is written, "And Leah's eyes were weak" (Beresheet 29:17). Why were they weak? Because every day she would go out to the crossroads and ask about Esau. They would tell her about the actions of that wicked man, and she feared she would fall into his lot, so she wept daily until her eyes became weak.

148. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, You are weeping to merit that righteous man, Jacob, and not be the lot of that wicked man. Upon your life, your sister will rise at the crossroads and weep over the exile of Yisrael. But you will be inside, NAMELY IN THE CAVE OF MACHPELAH, and will not weep over them. Rachel will weep over the exile of Yisrael.

149. However, this passage really refers to what we said, MEANING THAT ACCORDING TO THE LITERAL MEANING IT IS INTERPRETED THIS WAY, but the secret meaning of the matter is that Rachel and Leah are two worlds. THE NUKVA FROM THE CHEST UP OF ZEIR ANPIN IS CALLED LEAH, AND THE NUKVA THAT IS FROM THE CHEST DOWN OF ZEIR ANPIN IS CALLED RACHEL. One is the world of concealment, NAMELY LEAH, and one is the world of revelation, NAMELY RACHEL. Therefore, the one, LEAH, was buried and concealed within the cave and was covered, while the other, RACHEL, remains at the crossroads, FOR SHE WAS BURIED ON THE WAY TO EFRAT, in the open. And everything is in the likeness of above. Therefore, Jacob did not bring RACHEL into the cave or to any other place, as it is written, "yet there was but a little way to come to Efrat" (Beresheet 48:7). He did not bring her to the city, because he knew that her place was in an open spot.

150. Come and see, the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is called Rachel, as it is written, "And as a sheep (Heb. rachel) before her shearers is dumb" (Yeshayah 53:7). Why is she dumb? IT IS because her voice, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, is stopped when other nations rule, and she becomes dumb.

151. This is the meaning of, "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping..." "A voice was heard in Ramah" refers to celestial Jerusalem, NAMELY BINAH. "Rachel weeping for her children": As long as Yisrael are in exile, she weeps for them because she is their mother. "She refused to be comforted for her children." What is the reason? "Because he is not." HE ASKS, It should have said, 'Because they are not,' AND ANSWERS it is because her husband, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN called voice, is gone from her and is not joined to her.

152. Come and see, She did not weep over Yisrael just once, but rather every moment they were in exile. For the reason THEY BLEMISHED THE VOICE, WHICH WAS GONE FROM RACHEL, the Holy One, blessed be He, brought about a voice to the Egyptians TO PUNISH THEM, as it is written, "And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it..." (Shemot 11:6). He also arranged for them other voices in these frogs that raised their voices in their intestines, so they fell dead in the marketplaces.

153. "And the frog came up" (Shemot 8:2). IT SHOULD HAVE SAID 'FROGS' IN THE PLURAL. HE ANSWERS, IT WAS ONE FROG, BUT IT BRED AND THE LAND BECAME FILLED WITH THEM. AND THEY ALL GAVE THEMSELVES OVER TO THE FIRE, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "AND INTO YOUR OVENS, AND INTO YOUR KNEADING TROUGHS" (SHEMOT 7:28). THEY SAID, "WE WENT THROUGH FIRE AND THROUGH WATER; BUT YOU DID BRING US OUT INTO ABUNDANCE" (TEHILIM 66:12). AND IF YOU ASK, HOW DOES THIS CONCERN THE EGYPTIANS THAT ALL THESE FROGS WENT INTO THE FIRE? HE ANSWERS, they all came into the fire and went into the ovens yet did not die. Those that did die, what did they do? There was bread in the oven, and they came into the bread and burst, and others came out of them and were swallowed in the bread. And when they wanted to eat of the bread, the bread in their bowels turned back into frogs that danced and raised their voices until THE EGYPTIANS died. This PLAGUE was harder on them than all the others. Come and see, it is written, "And the River shall bring forth frogs in swarms, and these will go up and come into your house, and on your bedchamber, and upon your bed...AND THE FROGS SHALL COME UP BOTH ON (LIT. 'IN') YOU, AND ON (IN) YOUR PEOPLE, AND ON (IN) ALL YOUR SERVANTS" (Shemot 7:28-29). SO THEY CAME INSIDE THEIR BODIES. Pharaoh was smitten first and more than everyone else, FOR IT SAYS, "ON YOU, AND ON YOUR PEOPLE, AND ON ALL YOUR SERVANTS." May the name of Hashem be blessed from everlasting to everlasting, for He examines the actions of people in everything they do.

154. It is written, "And the princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into the house of Pharaoh" (Beresheet 12:15). This passage requires interpretation, as Pharaoh is mentioned three times. One Pharaoh refers to Pharaoh of that time, one ALLUDES to Pharaoh during the time of Joseph, and one ALLUDES to Pharaoh in the days of Moses, who was smitten with his rod.

155. The first Pharaoh, when Sarah was taken to him, hinted (correct translation?) to his artists and they drew her picture in his room on the wall over his bed. He had no peace until they made a picture of Sarah on a panel and when he entered his bed, he brought the panel with him. Every king who succeeded him saw the painted image, and jesters came before him, so when he got into his bed he enjoyed that picture. Therefore the king was smitten here more than everyone else. This is the meaning of, "And into your bedchamber, and on your bed," and afterwards "and into the house of your servants, and on your people." The expression "on your bed," appears in relation to none except him alone.

156. Rabbi Aba opened the discussion saying, "All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, thither they return" (Kohelet 1:7). This passage is explained and the sages have spoke of it. Yet come and see, when these rivers, WHICH ARE THE LIGHTS OF ZEIR ANPIN, run to the sea, WHICH IS MALCHUT, the sea receives them and absorbs them in itself because the water freezes in the sea, and the ice draws to itself all the water that flows to it. Afterwards, the water emerges with the power of the south, NAMELY CHASSADIM ON THE RIGHT SIDE, and waters all the wild animals, as it is written, "They give drink to every wild beast" (Tehilim, 104:11).

157. Come and see, the frozen sea draws in all the water and melts by the power of the south, as we have learned. This is why it "is not full." This has already been explained.

158. Here, the friends remarked ABOUT THE PASSAGE, "To the place where the rivers flow, thither they return." Wherefore do they return? HE ANSWERS, Because the river that flows and comes out of Eden, WHICH IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, never interrupts its flow FROM MALCHUT, and always supplies water to the sea. Therefore, the waters return, flow and again return, never stopping. When it again flows to water everything, NAMELY TO DRAW CHOCHMAH THAT SUBDUES ALL THE KLIPOT, a northern wind arrives and the water freezes. And the southern wind, which is warm, thaws it so it can flow in every direction. Therefore, that sea abides between the two sides, NORTH AND SOUTH, and through them THE SEA perseveres. Ships, WHICH ARE THE GRADES THAT RECEIVE FROM MALCHUT, travel in it in every direction, NAMELY, AFTER ALL THE DIRECTIONS-SOUTH, NORTH, EAST AND WEST-ARE INCLUDED WITHIN EACH OTHER.

159. Come and see, when the King, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, comes to His bed, WHICH IS MALCHUT, at midnight, the northern wind awakens, WHICH IS THE LEFT SIDE, which arouses love towards the Queen, NAMELY TO MALCHUT. Without the stimulation of the north, the King would not join with her, because love starts at the north, as it is said, "His left hand is under my head" (Shir Hashirim 2:6). The south, WHICH IS THE RIGHT COLUMN, embraces with love, as it is written, "And his right hand embraces me" (Ibid.). Then many jesters call forth songs until the morning comes, as it is written, "When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of Elohim shouted for joy" (Iyov 38:7).

160. When morning comes, all the upper and lower beings recite songs. BECAUSE AT NIGHT, ONLY THE ANGELS THAT ARE DRAWN FROM THE LEFT COLUMN RECITE POETRY, BUT IN THE MORNING THEY ALL RECITE SONGS, MEANING EVEN THOSE THAT ARE DRAWN FROM THE RIGHT. THEN ALL THE COLUMNS ARE COMBINED ONE WITH THE OTHER UNDER THE DOMINION OF THE RIGHT, and similarly YISRAEL RECITES POEMS below, as it is written, "You that make mention of Hashem, take no rest" (Yeshayah 62:6). THIS IS ADDRESSED specifically to the lower beings, NAMELY TO YISRAEL.

161. At midnight, those who desire to constantly mention the Holy One, blessed be He, do not allow their hearts to be silent and rise FROM THEIR BEDS to make mention of the Holy One, blessed be He. With the light of morning, they hasten to the synagogue to praise the Holy One, blessed be He, and again after midday, MEANING AT MINCHAH (THE AFTERNOON PRAYER), and also at night, when darkness falls, and night is enveloped in darkness and the sun has rest. About these, it is written, "You that make mention of Hashem, take no rest." This refers to Yisrael, the holy nation.

162. The Holy One, blessed be He, remembered them for that in Egypt, and those that take no rest day or night rose against Pharaoh. And who are they? They are the frogs whose voices are never still. It is because He strengthened the holy people that are not silent day or night from praising the Holy One, blessed be He. And there was no one in Egypt who could speak with another. The land became devastated because of them, and babies and children died because of their sound.

163. And if you ask, Why were they not able to kill THE FROGS? HE ANSWERS, For when one raised a stick or a stone to kill one, it would burst and six frogs emerged from its bowels, which went and kicked about the land so eventually they refrained from approaching them.

164. Come and see how many rivers and how many streams emerged from the supernal sea, WHICH IS MALCHUT, at the time the water was thawed and flowed. Many rivers divide into many directions into many streams and many brooks. They belong to the minister appointed over the aspect of Egypt. These are swarming waters, for there are no waters that come from the sea, that do not bring forth fishes after their kind.

165. HE ASKS, IF THE RIVERS AND STREAMS ARE HIGH LEVELS THAT ARE DRAWN FROM MALCHUT, then who are the fishes? HE ANSWERS, They are messengers in the world who are appointed to do the bidding of their Master. And they are appointed with the spirit of wisdom. Therefore we have learned, there is water that raises wise people and there is water that raises fools, according to these rivers that split to all the aspects.

166. The rivers of Egypt raise sorcerers, WHICH ARE strong fish, bound in the ten levels of sorcery, as it is written, "...that uses, divinations, soothsayer, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer" (Devarim 18:11-12). "THAT USES" IS ONE, AND "DIVINATIONS" IS TWO, SO WE HAVE THREE, AND WITH THE OTHER SEVEN THERE ARE TEN. These are ten kinds in the art of sorcery.

167. At the time OF THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT, the Holy One, blessed be He, extended His finger and mixed these streams and rivers of Egypt, WHICH ARE THE HIGH LEVELS FROM WHICH EGYPT ARE NURTURED. Their fish of wisdom were prevented FROM ISSUING TO THEM WISDOM. One reason was that it changed into blood, and another is that the fish, NAMELY THE FROGS, raised their voices, TO DRAW THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM, in vain; the spirit of their arts did not rest on them.

168. The swarm of gnats (lit. 'mixture') is ALSO like that, in that He mixed the various kinds OF LEVELS of their wisdom so they could not attain them. Even those LEVELS OF THEIR WISDOM that were already available in the land were bringing destruction upon the land, NAMELY THEY BECAME DEMONS and turned their ways evil. What is mixture? HE ANSWERS, It is a medley, as it is written, "A garment mingled of linen and wool" (Vayikra 19:19), and, "You shall not sow your field with mingled seed" (Ibid.), WHICH MEANS TO SOW many species by throwing by hand.

169. Come and see how many powers were aroused above as one. The Holy One, blessed be He, mixed them together in order to confuse their strong powers above. All these mighty deeds that the Holy One, blessed be He, performed in Egypt were with one hand, WHICH IS THE STRONG HAND AS MENTIONED, for He raised His hand upon them above and below. Hence, the wisdom of Egypt was lost, as it is written, "For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid" (Yeshayah 29:14).

170. Come and see, it is written, "And I will set Egypt against Egypt" (Yeshayah 19:2), MEANING THAT HE WILL INCITE Egypt of above, WHICH ARE THEIR MINISTERS, against Egypt on earth. These hosts of above, appointed over the hosts of below, were mixed; THEIR ARRAYS were confused above, and the Egyptians were not able to attain through their sorcery these places OF THEIR MINISTERS ABOVE, that they were able to attain before, because they were confused. Therefore, He brought upon them the plague of mixture, THAT IS, a mixture of animals.

171. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF the lice that the dust of the land raised. Come and see, every creature that is produced on earth IS DRAWN from the power of a minister above that was sown on it, and everything is based on the supernal pattern.

172. Come and see that the Holy One, blessed be He, made seven firmaments and similarly seven lands. They are the boundaries that are explained in their place, NAMELY THAT THEY CORRESPOND TO THE SEVEN SFIROT: CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT. There are seven firmaments above and seven peripheries of the earth above. Similarly, the grades spread below, seven firmaments and seven peripheries of the earth. And the friends explained that the seven lands are like boxes one over the other.

173. These seven peripheries of the earth above, WHICH CORRESPOND TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT, each expand into ten, BECAUSE EACH ONE OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT IS COMPOSED OF TEN SFIROT. Therefore, they divide into seventy princes who were appointed over the 70 nations, and those lands, which are the boundaries of every nation, WHICH ARE SEVENTY LANDS, surround the Holy Land of Yisrael, as it is written, "Behold it is his litter, that of Solomon! Sixty valiant men are round about it, of the mighty men of Yisrael" (Shir Hashirim 3:7). There are ten concealed in them, WITH WHICH THEY ARE SEVENTY, and they are the seventy that surround the Holy Land. This is above and is also so below.

174. Come and see that land, the boundary of the portion of Egypt. The Holy One, blessed be He, stretched out His finger at that time, and flames of fire were produced in that periphery. All these boundaries that were moist with water were dried out, as was every drop of spring water. Then, below, IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, the lice appeared from the dust of the earth.

175. HE ASKS, It says that Aaron was smiting THE DUST OF THE EARTH WITH LICE, YET YOU SAY THAT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, EXTENDED HIS FINGER, ETC. HE ANSWERS, For this reason, Aaron was smiting, to show that the right hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, broke the enemies, as it is written, "Your right hand, Hashem, has dashed the enemy in pieces" (Shemot 15:6). BECAUSE AARON IS A PRIEST, WHO IS A CHARIOT FOR THE RIGHT HAND OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. The Holy One, blessed be He, is going to bring the like upon the great city of Rome, as it is written, "And its streams shall be turned into pitch, and its dust into brimstone" (Yeshayah 34:9). And because HE DRIED THE WATER FROM THE DUST OF EGYPT AS MENTIONED, all the dust of the land became lice in the whole land of Egypt.