Matot
Blue Colors Hands Heart Judgment Mercy Purple Red White Women

1. "But all the women children that have not known man by lying with him" (Bemidbar 31:18). In relation to this, we learned that Rabbi Yehuda said the world is maintained by two colors only, WHITE AND RED - NAMELY CHASSADIM AND CHOCHMAH OF THE LEFT that come from the aspect of the wise-hearted woman. Hence, it says, "and all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple" (Shemot 35:25). What did they bring? THE SCRIPTURE SAYS blue and purple, which are colors contained within colors; THAT IS, THERE ARE TWO MAIN COLORS - WHITE AND RED - AND BLUE AND PURPLE COLORS ARE INCLUDED WITHIN THESE TWO COLORS.

1. וְכָל הַטַּף בַּנָּשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לָא יָדְעוּ מִשְׁכַּב זָכָר. תַּמָּן תָּנֵינָן, א"ר יְהוּדָה, אֵין הָעוֹלָם מִתְנַהֵג אֶלָּא בִּתְרֵי גַּוְונִין, דְּאָתוּ מִסְּטַר אִתְּתָא דְּאִשְׁתְּכָחַת חַכִּימַת לִבָּא. הה"ד, וְכָל אִשָׁה חַכְמַת לֵב בְּיָדֶיהָ טָווּ וַיָּבִיאוּ מַטְוֶה אֶת הַתְּכֵלֶת וְאֶת הָאַרְגָּמָן. וּמַאי מַתְיָּין. אֶת הַתְּכֵלֶת וְאֶת הָאַרְגָּמָן, גַּוְונִין דִּכְלִילָן בְּגוֹ גְּוָונֵי.

Compassion Fire Flax Hands Judgment Mercy Spinning Women Wool

2. This is the meaning of: "she seeks wool and flax, and works willingly with her hands" (Mishlei 1:13), SINCE WOOL PERTAINS TO THE RIGHT AND MERCY, AND FLAX TO THE LEFT AND JUDGMENT. It is also written: "did spin with their hands." What is "spin"? Rabbi Yehuda says: They spin with Judgment and they spin with Mercy; THAT IS, THEY INTERLACE RIGHT AND LEFT WITH EACH OTHER, AND THE JUDGMENTS OF THE LEFT ARE SWEETENED BY THE MERCY OF THE RIGHT. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Why is a woman (Heb. ishah) so called, WHICH IS DERIVED FROM FIRE (HEB. ESH)? He said to him: She contains Judgment and Mercy. SHE IS THEREFORE CALLED 'ISHAH', THE LETTERS OF ESH-HEI, ESH BEING JUDGMENT AND HEI MERCY.

2. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, דָּרְשָׁה צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים וַתַּעַשׂ בְּחֵפֶץ כַּפֶיהָ. וּכְתִיב בְּיָדֶיהָ טָווּ, מַאי טָווּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, טָווּ בְּדִינָא, טָווּ בְּרַחֲמֵי. א"ר יִצְחָק, אֲמַאי אִתְקַרְיָא אִשָּׁה. אָמַר לֵיהּ דִּכְלִילָא בְּדִינָא, וּכְלִילָא בְּרַחֲמֵי.

Bone Compassion Female Fetus Flesh Judgment Male Mercy Red Sinew White Women

3. Come and behold. Rabbi Elazar said: Every woman is considered to be of Judgment, SINCE THEY ARE ROOTED IN THE LEFT COLUMN. IT IS SO until she tastes the taste of Mercy - THAT IS, MARRIES A MAN - AS A MALE IS ROOTED IN THE RIGHT COLUMN, WHICH IS CHESED AND MERCY. We learned that it is from the side of the man that white is produced, SUCH AS THE BONES OF THE FETUS, FOR HE IS OF MERCY. From the side of the woman comes the red OF THE FETUS, THE RED OF FLESH AND SINEW, WHICH ARE OF JUDGMENT. When a woman tastes of the white - THAT IS, WHEN SHE IS MARRIED TO A MAN - white is more predominant in her, THOUGH HER ROOT IS THE RED.

3. ת"ח, דא"ר אֶלְעָזָר, כָּל אִתְּתָא בְּדִינָא אִתְקַרְיָא, עַד דְּאַטְעֲמָא טַעֲמָא דְּרַחֲמֵי. דְּתַנְיָא, מִסִּטְרָא דב"נ, אָתֵי חִוָּורָא. וּמִסִּטְרָא דְּאִתְּתָא, אָתֵי סוּמָקָא. טַעֲמָא אִתְּתָא מֵחִוָּורָא, וְחִוָּורָא עָדִיף.

Compassion Dogs Foreigner Garden of Eden Gehenom (Hell) Hell (Gehenom) Judgment Male Marriage White Women World to Come, The

4. Come and behold: this is why women of the other nations, who know man by lying with him, are forbidden to be wed. We have learned that there is right - CHESED - and left - JUDGMENT - which are Yisrael and the other nations, AND ALSO the Garden of Eden, ON THE RIGHT, and Gehenom, ON THE LEFT. This world is ON THE LEFT and the World to Come is ON THE RIGHT. The children of Yisrael correspond to Mercy, ON THE RIGHT, and the other nations to Judgment, ON THE LEFT. We have learned that when a woman has a taste of Mercy - THAT IS, WHEN SHE MARRIES ONE OF THE MEN OF YISRAEL - Mercy overpowers JUDGMENT AND SHE TURNS INTO MERCY. When a woman has a taste of Judgment - THAT IS, WHEN SHE MARRIES A FOREIGNER WHO PERTAINS TO JUDGMENT, AS MENTIONED - Judgment cleaves to Judgment. THE JUDGMENT IN THE WOMAN ADHERES TO THE JUDGMENT IN THE FOREIGNER. It is written of them: "the dogs are insolently greedy, they never have enough" (Yeshayah 56:11).

4. ות"ח אֲמַאי אֲסִירָן נְשֵׁי שְׁאַר עַמִּין, דְּיַדְעֵי מִשְׁכְּבֵי דְּכוּרָא. מִשּׁוּם דְּתָנֵינָן, אִית יְמִינָא, וְאִית שְׂמָאלָא. יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּשְׁאַר עַמִּין. וג"ע, וְגֵיהִנָם. עָלְמָא דָּא, וְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. יִשְׂרָאֵל לָקָבְלֵי דְּרַחֲמֵי, וּשְׁאַר עַמִּין לָקֳבְלֵי דְּדִינָא. וּתְנָן, אִתְּתָא דְּאַטְעֲמָא טַעֲמָא דְּרַחֲמֵי, רַחֲמֵי נַצְחָא. אִתְּתָא דְּטַעֲמָא טַעֲמָא דְּדִינָא, דִּינָא בְּדִינָא אִתְדַּבְּקַת, וְעָלַיְיהוּ אִתְקְרֵי וְהַכְּלָבִים עַזֵּי נֶפֶשׁ לֹא יָדְעוּ שָׂבְעָה.

Dogs Foreigner Judgment Marriage Soul, The Virgin Women

5. In relation to this, we have learned that a woman who is married to a foreigner is attached to him like a dog. Just as a dog has a strong impudent spirit, she WHO IS MARRIED TO A FOREIGNER is also most impudent, WHEN Judgment CLEAVES to Judgment. We learned that she who is married to one of the children of Yisrael, it says OF HER: "but you that did cleave to Hashem your Elohim are alive every one of you this day" (Devarim 4:4). What is the reason thereof? The soul of Yisrael comes from the spirit of living Elohim, as written: "but the spirit...should faint (also: 'envelop') before Me" (Yeshayah 57:16). This is understood from the phrase, "before Me," WHICH MEANS FROM BEFORE THE SHECHINAH, NAMELY FROM ZEIR ANPIN CALLED 'LIVING ELOHIM'. Therefore, in a virgin woman, who does not cleave to the Harsh Judgment of the other nations, AS MENTIONED ABOVE, but cleaves to Yisrael, WHICH IS OF MERCY, Mercy is more powerful, and she is corrected FROM THE JUDGMENT IN HER.

5. וְעַל דָּא תָּנֵינָן, הַנִּבְעֶלֶת לעכו"ם קְשׁוּרָה בּוֹ כַּכֶּלֶב. מַה כַּלְבָּא תַּקִּיפָא בְּרוּחֵיהּ חֲצִיפָא. אוֹף הָכָא דִּינָא בְּדִינָא, חֲצִיפָא בְּכֺלָּא. הַנִּבְעֶלֶת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, תָּנֵינָן, כְּתִיב וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְכֶם הַיּוֹם. מ"ט. מִשּׁוּם דְּנִשְׁמְתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, אַתְיָיא מֵרוּחָא דֶּאֱלֺֹהִים חַיִּים. דִּכְתִיב כִּי רוּחַ מִלְּפָנַי יַעֲטוֹף, מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב מִלְּפָנַי. ובג"כ, אִתְתָא דְּהִיא בְּתוּלְתָא, וְלָא אִתְדְּבָקַת בְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא דִּשְׁאַר עַמִּין, וְאִתְדְּבָקַת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, רַחֲמֵי נַצְחָא וְאִתְכְּשָׁרַת.

Foreigner Levirate Marriage Love Marriage Soul, The World to Come, The Zeir Anpin

6. Come and behold. It is written: "for I have said, 'The world is built by Chesed'" (Tehilim 89:3). What is Chesed? HE ANSWERS: It is one of the King's supernal Sfirot, NAMELY THE HIGHEST OF THE LOWER SEVEN SFIROT. For the Holy One, blessed be He, named the soul of Yisrael Chesed, on the condition that it would build CHESED. Thus, Chesed will never cease. This is derived from the phrase, "is built," WHICH REFERS TO CHESED THAT WILL BE BUILT. We have therefore learned that he who causes Chesed to cease in the world will perish in the world to come. Hence, it is written: "the wife of the dead shall not marry abroad to a stranger" (Devarim 25:5), in order to do kindness (Chesed) with the dead man, so that he will be built and established, as it is written, "the world is built by Chesed" (Tehilim 89:3).

6. ות"ח, כְּתִיב אָמַרְתִּי עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה. מַאי חֶסֶד. הוּא חַד מִכִּתְרֵי עִלָּאֵי דְּמַלְכָּא, דְּנִשְׁמְתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל קָרָא לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חֶסֶד. עַל תְּנַאי דְּיִתְבְּנֵי, וְלָא יִשְׁתֵּיצֵי חֶסֶד מֵעָלְמָא. מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב יִבָּנֶה. בג"כ תָּנֵינָן, מַאן דְּשֵׁצֵי חֶסֶד מֵעָלְמָא, אִשְׁתֵּיצֵי הוּא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, לֹא תִהְיֶה אֵשֶׁת הַמֵּת הַחוּצָה, בְּגִין לְמֶעְבַּד חֶסֶד עִם מִיתָא. וְאִתְעָבֵיד בִּנְיָינָא, דִּכְתִּיב עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה.