"And Betzalel made the ark"

375. Rabbi Aba opened the discussion and said "and Betzalel made the ark of Acacia wood..." (Shemot 37:1). Though the friends explained all the secret of the tabernacle at the holy assembly, nevertheless we should look in here, for this secret is adorned with several mysteries as to impart wisdom. This ark is a mystery in which the Written Torah is put. FOR THE ARK SYMBOLIZES MALCHUT AND THE WRITTEN TORAH SYMBOLIZES ZEIR ANPIN. The Torah is concealed within its six boards round it, FOR THE ARK IS MADE OF SIX BOARDS ROUND IT, FOUR BOARDS AROUND THE SIDES, ONE ABOVE AND ONE BELOW; ALTOGETHER THERE ARE SIX. This is called an ark. When the six boards, THE SECRET OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF MALCHUT, become one, they turn into a vessel in which the secret of the Torah can be put, which is composed of six endings, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, NAMELY, ZEIR ANPIN.

376. But there are five boards TO THIS ARK, FOUR ON THE SIDES AND ONE BELOW, CORRESPONDING TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD. FOR THE BOARD ON TOP IS THE SECRET OF THE COVERING OF THE ARK, AND IS NOT OF THE ARK PROPER. Five books are put in it, THE FIVE BOOKS OF THE TORAH, CORRESPONDING TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. These five boards become six, together with one grade, that comes in secretly, called the secret of all, and is the secret of the covenant. BEING YESOD, AND CONCEALED, THERE IS NO BOARD CORRESPONDING TO IT IN THE ARK. When it enters within those five boards, the ark and the Torah are established in the secret of the nine grades, the two names Yud Hei Vav Hei, Elohim, WHICH CONSIST OF NINE LETTERS. Then there is one board, a high secret, THE COVERING, that covers all. THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE FIRMAMENT THAT GOES ROUND AND ABOVE ALL, THE EIGHTH FIRMAMENT, BINAH. Hence, SINCE THE COVERING OF THE ARK IS ABOVE THEM ALL, they are concealed, THAT IS, INVISIBLE.

377. Here we should look and know the secret of the ark. For there is ark and ark, TO WIT, MALCHUT OF HOLINESS, AND MALCHUT OF THE OTHER SIDE, one against the other. He opened and said "All these things did the king Aravna give to the king..." (II Shmuel 24:23). HE ASKS: But was Aravna a king? Though the friends explained it, yet David, upon whom was written: "Whoever smites the Yevusite, and gets up to the aqueduct" (II Shmuel 5:8), took hold of and conquered Jerusalem, WHERE HIS TEMPLE LIES; why did he pay Aravna for the place? You may say that though Jerusalem was David's, NEVERTHELESS it was a heritage of Aravna AND THEREFORE HAD TO BE BOUGHT, as in the case of Navot the Jesreelite. Although Achav was ruler and king, he had to obtain his permission for the vineyard. So did David.

378. HE ANSWERS: Assuredly Aravna was a king, and that place was under his authority and possession. When the time arrived for the place to be free of his rule, it did not happen, save by much bloodshed and killing among Yisrael, THAT IS, THROUGH WAR. Later, the angel of destruction stood upon that place in order to kill, but could not for his strength failed him.

379. This was the place where Isaac was bound, where Abraham built the altar to sacrifice his son Isaac. When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that place, He was filled with pity, as is written: "Hashem beheld, and He relented..." (I Divrei Hayamim 21:15). What did Hashem behold? The binding of Isaac, immediately He felt compassion towards them.

380. And He said to the angel of destruction "it is enough (Heb. rav)" (Ibid.). What is the meaning of 'rav'? It was explained as 'take the greater one' (Heb. rav). But here the meaning of 'enough' is as in "you have dwelt long enough in this mountain" (Devarim 1:6) 'Enough' here means that the place was in your possession for many years, and from now on it is enough. Return the place to its owners. Despite that, it could only be taken from him through sacrifice of lives and money.

381. HE ASKS: Why is he called Aravna? AND REPLIES: there is the name 'Aravna' and 'Ornan' (I Divrei Hayamim 21:15). THE REASON IS THAT while the place was still in his possession, it was called 'Aravna (from Heb. aron lit. 'ark'), alluding to the ark of the Other Side, THEIR MALCHUT. And as there are letters added, ARVANA INSTEAD OF ARON, so there is an addition to the evil-eyed, which is the secret of the Other Side, for to him an addition is considered diminution.

382. On the side of holiness, once letters are deducted, holiness is accumulated. This is the secret of the verse "twelve (Heb. shnei asar) oxen" (I Melachim 7:25) in which one letter is missing, Shnei instead of Sheneim. The Other Side, though, is given additional letters, as is written: "and he made curtains of goats' hair for the tent over the tabernacle" (Shemot 36:14). In 'twelve curtains' there is an additional letter, Ayin, to Shtei Esrei. This implies diminution, FOR ASHTEI IMPLIES ONE SHORT OF SHTEI ESREI. On the holy side IT IS WRITTEN: Shnei Asar, WITHOUT MEM, and no more, and here it is written Asthtei Esrei, WITH AN ADDITIONAL AYIN (LIT. 'EYE'), to imply diminution. So deserves the evil eyed, that wishes to fill his eyes, that is, his (eye) Ayin, and is thus lessened, IN THE SECRET OF 'MORE IS LESS'.

383. Come and see, the holy side is called the ark (Heb. aron) of the covenant, ALLUDING TO MALCHUT OF HOLINESS. That ark of the covenant, MALCHUT CONNECTED TO THE COVENANT - YESOD, is fit for the body, ZEIR ANPIN, that is, that the human (Heb. adam) form should be put in it, NAMELY, YUD HEI VAV HEI, FULLY SPELLED WITH ALEPH'S HAS THE SAME NUMERICAL VALUE AS ADAM. In accordance with this mystery, when the holy pious pass away, they are put in a coffin (Heb. aron), AN ALLUSION TO THE UNION OF ZEIR ANPIN AND THE ARK OF COVENANT. For the Other Side cannot be established within a body, and has no part in one, IN ZEIR ANPIN. For that reason no bodies were created to the Other Side, for they are not part of the human body .