Vayikra: Chapter 7

"Great is Hashem"

Synopsis

We learn of the importance of the female to the male, and are told that a man is not even a man without a woman, that a king without a queen is no king, that Hashem is not great without Malchut. When they join, everyone rejoices and the Congregation of Yisrael is blessed.

Praise Singing

55. Rabbi Aba introduced the following psalm: "A song, A psalm for the sons of Korah" (Tehilim 48:1). This hymn transcends all other psalms of hymns the sons of Korah merited to praise Him. It is a double chant being a song and a Psalm, indicating a praise upon a praise, a praise that was divided into two praises.

55. רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח, שִׁיר מִזְמוֹר לִבְנֵי קֹרַח. הַאי שִׁיר תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא מְעַלְיָא הוּא, עַל כָּל שְׁאָר תּוּשְׁבָּחִין, דְּזָכוּ לְשַׁבְּחָא לֵיהּ בְּנֵי קֹרַח. שִׁיר מִזְמוֹר: תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא עַל תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא. תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דְּאִתְפְּלַג לִתְרֵין תּוּשְׁבְּחָן.

Congregation Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Praise

56. The sons of Korah merited to sing and recite the praise of the Congregation of Yisrael. What is it? It is in the phrase: "Great is Hashem, and highly praised in the city of our Elohim, in the mountain of His holiness" (Ibid. 2). TO CLARIFY, when is the Holy One, blessed be He, called great? When the Congregation of Yisrael, THAT IS MALCHUT, is with Him, as is written, "in the city of our Elohim," He is great. TO ELUCIDATE, together with the city of Elohim, WHICH IS MALCHUT, HE IS GREAT!

56. וְזָכוּ בְּנֵי קֹרַח לְשַׁבְּחָא לָהּ לִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וּשְׁבָחָא דִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל קָא אַמְרֵי. וּמַאי הוּא. דִּכְתִּיב גָּדוֹל יְיָ' וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד בְּעִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ הַר קָדְשׁוֹ. אֵימָתַי אִקְרֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּדוֹל, בְּזִמְנָא דִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִשְׁתְּכָחַת עִמֵּיהּ, הה"ד בְּעִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ, הוּא גָּדוֹל בְּעִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ, עִם עִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ.

Fear Female Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Male Praise

57. Rabbi Yehuda said to him: Why did it have to say here "our Elohim?" WOULD IT NOT HAVE SUFFICED TO SAY, 'IN THE CITY OF THE MOUNTAIN OF HIS HOLINESS?' He said to him: Assuredly it is so, for this city, MALCHUT, IS CALLED the fear of our Elohim, and it is a praise of Yisrael. What does THE VERSE teach us? It teaches us that a king without a queen is no king. He is neither great nor highly praised, AS WAS SAID BEFORE. Hence, whoever is not comprised of male and female is devoid of all praise, and is not even a man. Moreover, he does not deserve to be blessed.

57. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מַאי בָּעֵי הָכָא. אָ"ל הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, הַאי עִיר דְּחָלָא אֱלֹהֵינוּ, וְתוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא. מַאי מַשְׁמַע. אִשְׁתְּמַע, דְּמַלְכָּא בְּלָא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, לָאו הוּא מַלְכָּא, וְלָאו הוּא גָּדוֹל, וְלָא מְהוּלָּל. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, כָּל מַאן דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא, כָּל שְׁבָחָא אַעְדּוֹי מִנֵּיהּ, וְלָאו הוּא בִּכְלָלָא דְּאָדָם. וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּלָאו אִיהוּ כְּדַאי לְאִתְבָּרְכָא.

East Fear Holiness (Kedushah) Job Kedushah (Holiness) Zeir Anpin

58. It is written, "So that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east" (Iyov 1:3). We have learned in the book of Rav Hamnuna Saba that Job's spouse was his equal in fearing the Holy One, blessed be He, and he was called great from his wife's side. Here also, "Great is Hashem, and highly praised:" In what is He great? He repeated the words: "in the city of our Elohim, in the mountain of His holiness" - NAMELY, MALCHUT. FROM HER SIDE HASHEM IS CALLED GREAT, BECAUSE CHOCHMAH, THE SECRET OF GREATNESS, DOES NOT EMANATE TO ZEIR ANPIN, SAVE WHEN HE IS WITH THE FEMALE.

58. כְּתִיב וַיְהִי הָאִישׁ הַהוּא גָּדוֹל מִכָּל בְּנֵי קֶדֶם, תָּנֵינָן בְּסִפְרָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, דְּבַת זוּגוֹ בִּדְחִילוּ דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוַת כְּוָותֵיהּ, וּמִסִּטְרָא דְּאִתְּתֵיהּ אִקְרֵי גָּדוֹל. אוּף הָכָא, גָּדוֹל יְיָ' וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד, וּבְמַּה הוּא גָּדוֹל. הָדָר וְאָמַר, בְּעִיר אֱלֹהֵינוּ הַר קָדְשׁוֹ.

Creation Head Praise Zeir Anpin

59. For this reason, this praise is uttered on Monday, AS THE FIRST THREE DAYS OF THE WORKS OF CREATION CORRESPOND TO THE THREE COLUMNS OF ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECOND DAY BEING THE LEFT COLUMN WHENCE CHOCHMAH IS DRAWN TO MALCHUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SECRET OF THE VERSE: "HIS LEFT HAND IS UNDER MY HEAD..." (SHIR HASHIRIM 2:6). You may ask why it is not written, 'That it was good' of the second day, SEEING IT IS OF SUCH VALUE THAT CHOCHMAH IS DRAWN FROM IT. HE ANSWERS, The reason is that they are destined to be separated. The secret of the words: "It is not good that the man should be alone" (Beresheet 2:18) is that as long as he is alone, WHEN THE FEMALE IS NOT YET TAKEN FROM HIM, it is written, "not good." Thus, it is not written, 'that it is good' of the second day.

59. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דָּא בַּשֵּׁנִי. וְאִי תֵּימָא אֲמַאי לָא כְּתִיב כִּי טוֹב בַּשֵּׁנִי. בְּגִין דִּזְמִינִין לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה לֹא טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ, בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִיהוּ לְבַדּוֹ לֹא טוֹב כְּתִיב. וְעַל דָּא לָא כְּתִיב כִּי טוֹב בַּשֵּׁנִי.

Congregation Earth Praise Righteous Zeir Anpin Zion

60. "Great is Hashem, and highly praised" MEANS as we said THAT HE IS GREAT ONLY WHEN HE IS WITH MALCHUT. "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth: Mount Zion" (Tehilim 48:3) is the praise to their union. "Beautiful for situation" is the Holy One, blessed be He, that is, the Righteous, NAMELY YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. It is "the joy of the whole earth," for then everyone rejoices and the Congregation of Yisrael, MALCHUT, is blessed.

60. גָּדוֹל ה' וּמְהֻלָּל כִּדְקַאמְרָן. יְפֵה נוֹף מְשׂוֹשׂ כָּל הָאָרֶץ, תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דְּזִוּוּגָא דִּלְהוֹן. יְפֵה נוֹף, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְדָא צַדִּיק, מְשׂוֹשׂ כָּל הָאָרֶץ, כְּדֵין הוּא חֶדְוָותָא דְּכֹלָּא, וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְבָּרְכָא.

Blessing Grades Righteous Zeir Anpin

61. "Elohim is known in her palaces for a fortress" (Ibid. 4). These are Netzach and Hod, CALLED PALACES, whence all blessings are gathered and joys are gathered that issue from thence by the grade called Righteous, NAMELY YESOD. There IN YESOD, the blessings gather to cheer the holy city, MALCHUT, so that it will be blessed from thence. "For, lo, the kings were assembled" (Ibid. 5). These are all the Sfirot of the King, ZEIR ANPIN, joined as one UNDER THE NAME OF KING. MALCHUT TOO IS CALLED KING, AND BOTH ARE CALLED "THE KINGS." These words lead us to another matter.

61. אֱלֹהִים בְּאַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ נוֹדַע לְמִשְׂגָּב וְגוֹ,' אִלֵּין אִינּוּן נֶצַ"ח וְהוֹ"ד, דְּתַמָן כְּנִישׁוּתָא דְּכָל בִּרְכָאן, כְּנִישׁוּתָא דְּחֶדְוְותָא. מִתַּמָּן נָפְקָא ע"י דְּהַאי דַּרְגָּא דְּאִקְרֵי צַדִּיק, וְתַמָּן אִתְכְּנָשׁוּ בִּרְכָאן, לְבַסְּמָא לְהַאי עִיר קַדִּישָׁא, וּלְאִתְבָּרְכָא מִתַּמָּן. כִּי הִנֵּה הַמְּלָכִים נוֹעֲדוּ. אִלֵּין כָּל כִּתְרֵי מַלְכָּא בִּכְלָלָא חֲדָא, וְלַאֲתַר אָחֳרָא מִלִּין אִלֵּין סַלְּקִין.

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