One who acts with piety to his Master

Synopsis

We are told that a prisoner cannot release himself from prison, and the Faithful Shepherd says that God regards one who prays and does charity and occupies himself with Torah to have redeemed Him and His children from among the heathen nations. Stress is placed on the necessity to meditate only on redeeming the Shechinah from exile. Elijah and the heads of the Yeshivot tells Moses that he is the son of the King and Queen, and that his worship is done with the love of a son who will risk his life for his parents' sakes. The Faithful Shepherd prostrates himself before God and says that even though he has nothing to offer Him, still God desires the heart of man to be willing to do anything for Him. Next God comes to bless and kiss the Faithful Shepherd, and says that he is indeed His son.

Bone Chariot Echad (One) Elijah Flesh Hands Head Heart One (Echad) Tfilin Zeir Anpin

104. Elijah and heads of the Yeshivot, LISTEN. It is indicated here that a prisoner cannot release himself from prison. For he, ZEIR ANPIN, is tied by the knot of the hand Tefilin and bound by the head Tefilin, when he has no son, NAMELY A MAN WHO WILL WORSHIP THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, NOT FOR THE SAKE OF RECEIVING A REWARD, WHO IS CALLED A SON TO THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, who will redeem him through the aspect of the son of Yud Hei. THAT IS, IF HE WHO PUTS ON TEFILIN IS NOT A CHARIOT TO THE SON OF YUD HEI, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, NAMELY, IF HE DOES NOT MEDITATE ON PLEASING HIS MAKER LIKE A SON WHO WORKS FOR HIS FATHER NOT TO RECEIVE A REWARD, THEN by that knot OF TEFILIN the Holy One, blessed be He, is a tied and bound brother, who has no permission to redeem himself, he being Dalet OF ECHAD, which is itself (or: is the bone) of Aleph and Chet OF ECHAD, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. ZEIR ANPIN called it "bone of my bones" (Beresheet 2:23) in the skull where the head Tefilin is put, and called it "flesh of my flesh" (Ibid.) from the aspect of the heart.

104. וְאֵלִיָּהוּ וְרַבָּנָן וּמָארֵי מְתִיבְתָאן, הָכָא רָמִיז, אֵין חָבוּשׁ מַתִּיר עַצְמוֹ מִבֵּית הָאֲסוּרִין. דְּאִיהוּ קָשׁוּר בְּקִשּׁוּרָא דִּתְפִלִּין דְּיָד, וְאָסוּר בִּתְפִלִין דְּרֵישָׁא, כַּד לֵית לֵיהּ בֵּן לְמִפְרַק לֵיהּ, מִסִּטְרָא דְּבֶן יָ"הּ. בְּהַהוּא קְשִׁירוּ אִיהוּ אָח חָבוּשׁ וְאָסוּר, דְּלֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְמִפְרַק יַת גַּרְמֵיהּ, דְּאִיהוּ ד' עַצְמוֹ דְּאָח, עֶצֶם מֵעֲצָמַי קָרָא לָּהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, בְּקַרְקַפְתָּא דִּתְפִלִּין דְּרֵישָׁא. וּבָשָׂר מִבְּשָׂרִי קָרָא לָהּ מִסִּטְרָא דְּלִבָּא.

Congregation Exile Merit Prayer Shechinah Torah

105. Not in vain did the Holy One, blessed be He, say that 'whoever is occupied with the Torah and charity and prays with the congregation, I regard him as if he redeemed Me and My children from among the heathen.' HE ASKS, YET many people are occupied in the Torah and charity and pray with the congregation, yet the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah are not redeemed. AND HE ANSWERS that THE MEANING IS he should study Torah in order to unite the Shechinah with the Holy One, blessed be He, AND NOT FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE. As for charity, we have explained that a Chasid (Eng. 'pious man') is a man who acts with kindness (Chesed) with his Maker, WHICH MEANS THAT all the commandments he performs are done in order to redeem THROUGH THEIR MERIT the Shechinah FROM EXILE, AND NOT FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE. By that he acts with piety with the Holy One, blessed be He, AND IS CALLED PIOUS.

105. וְלָא לְמַגָנָא אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כָּל הָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה וּבִגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים וּמִתְפַּלֵּל עִם הַצִּבּוּר, מַעֲלֶה אֲנִי עָלָיו כְּאִלּוּ פְּדָאַנִי לִי וּלְבָנַי מֵבִין העכו"ם. וְכַמָּה בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּקָא מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְעַבְדֵּי גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וּמְצַלִּין, וְלָא אִתְפְּרַק קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ וְיִשְׂרָאֵל. אֶלָּא דְּיִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְחַבֵּר יָתָהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּגְמִילוּת חֶסֶד, הָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, דְּהָא אֵין חָסִיד אֶלָּא הַמִּתְחַסֵּד עִם קוֹנוֹ, דְּכָל פִּקּוּדִין דְּעָבֵיד, לְמִפְרַק בְּהוּ שְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ, וּבְהָא עָבֵיד חֶסֶד עִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.

Aba and Ima Exile Precepts Repentance Shechinah Torah

106. Whoever is charitable with the Shechinah, TO BRING HER OUT OF EXILE, is charitable with the Holy One, blessed be He, since when Yisrael sinned and the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to afflict them, Ima, NAMELY THE SHECHINAH, brooded over them AND STOPPED THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE FROM AFFLICTING THEM. This was so until they fell into bad ways. The Holy One, blessed be He then exiled the King's children, NAMELY YISRAEL, together with the Queen, WHO IS THE SHECHINAH, and swore He shall not return to His place until the Queen returns to Hers. THUS a man who is charitable with the Shechinah and repents, and in all Her Torah and precepts MEDITATES only on redeeming the Shechinah FROM EXILE, acts with piety towards his Maker and it is as if he redeemed Him and His Shechinah and His children FROM EXILE.

106. מַאן דְּגָמִיל חֶסֶד בִּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ, עִם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּמִיל. בְּגִין דְּכַד חָבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוָה בָּעֵי לְיַסְּרָא לוֹן, אִימָּא הֲוַת רְבִיעָא עָלַיְיהוּ, עַד דְּנַפְקוּ לְתַרְבּוּת רָעָה. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מַה עָבֵיד. תָּרִיךְ בְּנֵי מַלְכָּא וּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא. וְאִיהוּ אוֹמֵי, דְּלָא יֶהְדַּר לְאַתְרֵיהּ, עַד דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא אִתְהַדְּרַת לְאַתְרָהָא. וּמַאן דְּהָדַר בִּתְשׁוּבָה, וְגָמִיל חֶסֶד בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, וּבְכָל אוֹרַיְיתָא וּבְפִקּוּדִין דִּילָהּ, וְלָאו אִיהִי אֶלָּא לְמִפְרַק שְׁכִינְתָּא, דָּא עָבֵיד חֶסֶד עִם קוֹנוֹ, וּכְאִילּוּ פָּרִיק לֵיהּ וּלִשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ וְלִבְנוֹי.

Elijah Head Shepherd Strength

107. Elijah and all the heads of the Yeshivot said, Faithful Shepherd, you are that man, you are the son of the King and the Queen, whose worship to the Holy One, blessed be He is not EVEN that of one who is pious with his Maker, but that of a son who is obliged to gird himself and his strength to redeem his father and mother and risk his life for their sakes. For whoever is not the son of the King yet acts with kindness by the King and Queen, surely is regarded thus that he acts with kindness with his Maker. BUT YOU WHO ARE THE SON OF THE KING, FOR YOU IT IS A DUTY RATHER THAN KINDNESS.

107. אָמַר אֵלִיָּהוּ וְכָל רָאשֵׁי מְתִיבְתָאן, רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא, אַנְתְּ הוּא הַאי ב"נ, אַנְתְּ הוּא בַּר מִן מַלְכָּא וּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, דְּאִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתָא דִּילָךְ לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לָאו כְּמַאן דְּעָבֵיד חֶסֶד עִם קוֹנוֹ, אֶלָּא כִּבְרָא דִּמְחוּיָּיב לְשַׁוּוּיֵיהּ גַּרְמֵיהּ וְתוּקְפֵּיהּ לְמִפְרַק אַבָּא וְאִימָּא, וּמָסַר גַּרְמֵיהּ לַמִּיתָה עָלַיְיהוּ. דְּמַאן דְּלָאו אִיהוּ בְּרָא דְּמַלְכָּא, וְעָבֵד טִיבוּ עִם מַלְכָּא וְעִם מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וַדַּאי הַאי אִתְחֲשִׁיב דְּעָבֵיד חֶסֶד עִם קוֹנוֹ.

Angels Heart Kisses Nefesh (Soul) Neshamah (Soul) Ruach (Soul) Shechinah Shepherd Soul (Nefesh) Soul (Neshamah) Soul (Ruach)

108. The Faithful Shepherd rose and prostrated himself before the Holy One, blessed be He. He wept and said, may it please Him to regard me as a son, that my doings towards the Holy One, blessed be He and His Shechinah will be considered by them as those of a son who strives to do them for his father and mother, whom he loves more than he loves himself, his own Nefesh, Ruach and Neshamah. Whatever he has he regards as naught, so as to do with them his father's and mother's wishes and redeem them through them. And though I know everything is His domain AND I HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER HIM, yet the Merciful desires the heart OF MAN TO BE WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. At that time the Holy One, blessed be He came to him, kissed him, and He said, Faithful Shepherd, you are indeed My son and the son of the Shechinah. Sages and angels, kiss the son. They all rose and kissed him and accepted him as a Rabbi and king over them.

108. קָם רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא, וְאִשְׁתְּטַּח קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּבָכָה, וְאָמַר כֵּן יְהֵא רַעֲוָא דִּילֵיהּ, דְּיַחֲשִׁיב לִי כְּבַר, דְּעוֹבָדִין דִּילִי לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ יְהוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ כִּבְרָא דְּאִשְׁתְּדַּל בְּהוֹן בָּתַר אֲבוֹי וְאִמֵּיהּ, דְּרָחִים לוֹן יַתִיר מִגַּרְמֵיהּ וְנַפְשֵׁיהּ רוּחֵיהּ וְנִשְׁמָתֵיהּ, וְכָל מַה דַּהֲוָה לֵיהּ הֲוָה חָשִׁיב לוֹן לְאַיִן, לְמֶעְבַּד בְּהוֹן רְעוּתֵיהּ דְּאַבָּא וְאִמָּא, וּלְמִפְרַק לוֹן בְּהוֹן. וְאע"ג דְּיָדַעְנָא דְּכֺלָּא בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ, רַחֲמָנָא לִבָּא בָּעֵי. בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא אָתָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְנָשִׁיק לֵיהּ, וְאָמַר, רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא, וַדַאי אַנְתְּ הוּא בְּרָא דִּילִי, וְדִשְׁכִינְתָּא. רַבָּנָן וּמַלְאָכִין נַשְּׁקוּ בַּר קָמוּ כֻּלְּהוּ וְנַשְּׁקוּ לֵיהּ, וְקַבִּילוּ לֵיהּ לְרַב וּמַלְכָּא עָלַיְיהוּ.