489. And what is "after" this grade, THAT IS, AFTER MALCHUT? THIS IS A REFERENCE TO THE WORDS, "that Elohim tested Abraham," which mean that the Evil Inclination came from there to lay accusations before the Holy One, blessed be He. THEREFORE, "ELOHIM TESTED ABRAHAM." This phrase should be studied carefully. It should have been written, 'tested Isaac,' because Isaac was already 37 years old and his father could no longer be punished for his sins. So if Isaac had said, 'I refuse to obey,' his father would not have been punished because of him. So then why is it written, "that Elohim tested Abraham," rather than, 'tested Isaac?'

490. AND HE REPLIES, IT SHOULD definitely BE WRITTEN, "tested Abraham," because he was supposed to be included within Judgment, as there was no judgment in Abraham previously - HE HAD CONSISTED ENTIRELY OF CHESED. Now water was mixed with fire; CHESED WAS MIXED WITH JUDGMENT. So Abraham did not achieve perfection until he crowned (prepared) himself to execute Judgment and establish it in its place.

491. So all his life, he did not reach perfection until now, until water mixed with fire - RIGHT MIXED WITH LEFT - and fire with water - LEFT WITH RIGHT. This is why, "Elohim tested Abraham" and not Isaac. Because THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, invited Abraham to be included with Judgment ACCORDING TO THE SECRET OF THE LEFT. So when he performed THE ACT OF BINDING ISAAC, the fire entered the water, THAT IS, JUDGMENT ENTERED CHESED, and they were perfected by each other, AS WAS SAID BEFORE. This is what the act of Judgment accomplished, it included one within the other. This is also the reason why the Evil Inclination came and accused Abraham of not being properly perfected until he performed the act of Judgment by BINDING Isaac. THE PLACE of the Evil Inclination is "after" (beyond) these "things," WHICH ALLUDES TO MALCHUT ACCORDING TO THE SECRET OF THE VERSE, "SIN CROUCHES AT THE DOOR" (BERESHEET 4:7). And so he came to persecute.

492. Come and behold, observe the mystery behind this issue. Even though it is written, "Abraham" and not Isaac, Isaac is still included in the passage. It is written, "Elohim tested (et) Abraham," rather than 'tested Abraham.' Instead of a dative particle, it uses Et. Et is accurate and ALLUDES TO Isaac, because at that time ISAAC resided in lower Gvurah, WHICH REFERS TO THE NUKVA. And as he was bound and underwent the trial of Judgment performed by Abraham, ISAAC was crowned in his place together with Abraham, and the fire combined with the water and rose upward. AND ABRAHAM WITH CHESED ROSE UP TO CHOCHMAH, AND ISAAC WITH GVURAH ROSE UP TO BINAH. Then the dispute was settled properly, BECAUSE THEY MADE PEACE BETWEEN THEMSELVES, AS fire and water WERE COMBINED AND BECAME INCLUSIVE OF EACH OTHER.

493. Who has ever seen a merciful father do a cruel thing TO HIS SON? It is only to settle the dispute and combine water with fire. THIS REFERS TO THE ATTRIBUTE OF CHESED OF ABRAHAM WITH THE FIRE OF ISAAC, and each one is properly crowned in its place. AND THIS REMAINED SO until Jacob appeared, WHO WAS THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN. Then, everything was properly established, and all three Patriarchs achieved perfection, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY BECAME A CHARIOT FOR THE UPPER THREE COLUMNS, and so the upper and lower beings were properly established.

494. Of the verse, "And He said, Take now your son" (Beresheet 22:2), HE ASKS, How could Abraham HAVE TAKEN ISAAC, HIS SON, by force, when he was old? If you say THAT Isaac was still under his authority AND THEREFORE HAD TO OBEY HIS FATHER'S COMMANDMENTS, IT WOULD BE a good explanation. But this is similar to, "take Aaron and Elazar his son" (Bemidbar 20:25), WHERE THE MEANING IS only to convince them with words and remind them THAT THEY SHOULD FULFILL the will of the Holy One, blessed be He. So here as well, WITH ABRAHAM, THE MEANING IS to "take," by verbal persuasion, "your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah," as it is written, "I will go to the mountain of myrrh (Heb. mor)" (Shir Hashirim 4:6), to be established in a proper place.

495. "On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off" (Beresheet 22:4). The meaning of "on the third day" has already been explained, but since it has already been stated, "And he rose up and went to the place of which the Elohim had told him" (Ibid. 3), ONE SHOULD ASK why does it then say, "On the third day...and he saw the place afar off?" WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS REPETITION? HE REPLIES, It is written, "For in Isaac shall your seed be called" (Beresheet 21:12), because Jacob came from him. ISAAC IS THE SECRET OF THE LEFT COLUMN, WHICH HAS NO EXISTENCE WITHOUT THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH IS JACOB. And, he is called "the third day," BECAUSE ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB ARE THE SECRET OF CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, WHICH ARE CALLED 'THREE DAYS.' THUS, JACOB, WHO IS TIFERET, IS EQUIVALENT TO THE THIRD DAY. THIS IS WHY HE LOOKED FOR JACOB, WHO IS THE CAUSE OF THE EXISTENCE OF ISAAC.

496. The words, "and saw the place afar off," are similar to, "from afar off has Hashem appeared to me" (Yirmeyah 31:3), WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN. The phrase, "and he saw the place" refers to Jacob, of whom it is written, "and he took of the stones of that place" (Beresheet 28:11). SO Abraham looked into the "third day," which is the third grade, NAMELY TIFERET, and there he saw Jacob, who was to issue from him. BUT "afar off" MEANS at some distant time, as we have already explained, rather than in the near future.

497. Rabbi Elazar said to him, What is Abraham praised for, as he already saw that Jacob was destined to issue from him? Since he was on his way to sacrifice Isaac, this cannot be such a great praise for him. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE BECAUSE THIS MUST HAVE BROUGHT SOME DOUBT INTO HIS MIND ABOUT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. IF HE IS ABOUT TO OFFER HIM AS A SACRIFICE, HOW THEN WILL JACOB BE BORN?

498. He said to him, It is certain that he saw Jacob, because even before THE SACRIFICE, Abraham had knowledge of wisdom. THIS MEANS THAT HE HAD ALREADY ATTAINED THE SUPERNAL MOCHIN THAT FLOW OVER THE THREE COLUMNS, THE THIRD COLUMN OF WHICH IS JACOB. So now he looked into the "third day," which is the third grade, TIFERET, to draw perfection from it - THAT IS, TO COMPLETE HIS MOCHIN, BECAUSE PERFECTION CANNOT BE REACHED EXCEPT THROUGH THE CENTRAL COLUMN. Then THE SCRIPTURES SAY THAT he saw Jacob, as it is written, "and he saw the place," MEANING HE SAW THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH IS CALLED JACOB. But this still remained "afar off" from him, AS HE COULD NOT ACHIEVE IT NOW. He was on his way to bind Isaac and did not wish to have any doubts about the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO TOLD HIM TO OFFER ISAAC AS A SACRIFICE. AND THEREFORE, HE DID NOT ACHIEVE THE CENTRAL COLUMN COMPLETELY, AS IS FURTHER EXPLAINED.