105. "When either man...shall pronounce a special vow..." (Bemidbar 6:2): Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion saying, "Why, when I came, there was no man..." (Yeshayah 50:2). "Why, when I came:" How beloved are Yisrael before the Holy One, blessed be He! Wherever they reside, the Holy One, blessed be He, is among them, since he does not remove his love from them. It is written: "And let them make me a sanctuary: that I may dwell among them" (Shemot 25:8). "And let them make me a sanctuary" IS a generic SANCTUARY, since every synagogue in the world is called a sanctuary, as has been explained. "THAT I MAY DWELL (HEB. SHACHANTI) AMONG THEM," since the Shechinah comes early to the synagogue.
106. Praised is the person who is among the first ten in the synagogue, because they complete the required fulfillment; THAT IS - THE CONGREGATION WHOSE QUORUM IS NOT LESS THAN TEN. They are the first to be sanctified by the Shechinah, as we have already learned. It is necessary that all ten be at the synagogue at the same time in unison and not come little by little, in order not to delay the perfection of the limbs, SINCE ALL TEN ARE LIKE PARTS OF ONE BODY IN WHICH THE SHECHINAH DWELLS since man was formed in one instant by the Holy One, blessed be He, and He had all his limbs and organs prepared together. This is what is meant by: "Has he not made you, and established you?" (Devarim 32:6).
107. Come and see, as soon as the limbs of man were perfected, concurrently every INDIVIDUAL part was constructed appropriately. Similarly, since the Shechinah hastens to the synagogue, there is a requirement to have a complete quorum of ten together. Then, whatever is necessary is completed, SINCE IT IS NOT CONSIDERED A CONGREGATION WITH LESS THAN TEN, WHO CORRESPOND TO THE TEN SFIROT OF MALCHUT. AS LONG AS THERE ARE NOT TEN TOGETHER, NONE IS COMPLETED. After that everything is established, THAT IS THE ESTABLISHING OF THE WHOLE CONGREGATION. What is it that establishes everything? It is as it is written: "In the multitude of people is the king's glory" (Mishlei 14:28). Therefore, the people who follow later, AFTER THE FIRST TEN, all still establish the body even more. THAT IS TO SAY, THE ESTABLISHING OF THE CONGREGATION, SINCE AN INCREASED NUMBER OF PEOPLE INCREASES THE GLORY OF THE KING.
108. When the Shechinah preceded and came, and the people have not yet formed a quorum OF TEN, as required, the Holy One, blessed be He, calls out, "Why, when I came, there was no man." What is: "There was no man?" It is that the parts were not completed and the body was not whole, TO BE CALLED A CONGREGATION. If the body is not whole, there is no man, MEANING EVEN THE INDIVIDUAL LIMBS THAT ALREADY CAME ARE NOT COMPLETED. Therefore, "there was no man" is precisely that. Come and see: When the body is completed below, WHEN THERE ARE TEN MEN TOGETHER, the supreme holiness comes and enters that body, and the lower resumes the likeness of the upper TEN SFIROT. All must refrain from worldly talk, since Yisrael are now in a state of lofty unison and are sanctified with supreme sanctity. Blessed is their lot.
109. "When either man...shall pronounce..." HE ASKS: What is "shall pronounce?" HE RESPONDS: IT MEANS he is separated from the rest of the people to become holy, in the likeness of above, and be whole. If a person comes to be cleansed, he is cleansed, and a person who wishes to be sanctified is sanctified. They envelop him in supernal holiness, the same holiness with which the Holy One, blessed be He, was sanctified.