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THE ZOHAR |
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SHELAH LECHA Numbers XIII, 1-XV, 41 AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES SAYING, SEND THEE MEN TO SPY OUT THE LAND OF CANAAN, ETC. R. Hiya here cited the verse: "Hast thou caused the dayspring to know his place", etc. (Job XXXVIII, 12). 'Note', he said, 'that Moses was the sun, and when he desired to enter the land, God said to him, Moses, when the light of the sun arrives, the moon [157a] is embraced in it, but the sun and the moon cannot shine together; the moon cannot shine till the sun is gathered in. Now thou art not permitted to enter, but if thou wouldst fain know of the land, send thee men who will inform thee. For Moses already knew at this time that he was not to enter the land, and since he wanted to know of it before he departed, he sent the spies. When they failed to bring him back a proper report, he did not send again, but waited till God showed him the land. 'The first instruction that Moses gave to the spies was to inquire "whether there were trees in it or no". Moses in fact knew already, and what he really referred to was the Tree of Life, of which the proper place is the terrestrial Garden of Eden. He said: If this tree is in it, I shall enter, but if not, I shall not be able to enter. Observe that there are two Trees, [1] one higher and one lower, in the one of which is life and in the other death, and he who confuses them brings death upon himself in this world and has no portion in the world to come.' Said R. Isaac: 'Moses took to himself the Tree of Life, and therefore he wished to know whether it was in the land or not.' SEND THEE MEN. R. Judah quoted here the verse: "Like the coolness of snow in the day of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to one who sends him, he refresheth the soul of his master" (Prov. XXV,13). '"The faithful messenger" is exemplified in Caleb and Phineas, who were sent by Joshua and brought back the Shekinah to abide in Israel. But those whom Moses sent were a source of weeping to future generations, and caused many thousands to perish from Israel.' As R. Hizkiah and R. Jesse were once walking together, the latter said: 'I see from your looks that some thought is troubling you.' He replied: 'I am pondering on the verse: "For that which befalleth the sons of man befalleth beasts, even one thing befalleth them" (Eccl. III, 19). This saying of the wise Solomon troubles me, because it seems to give an opening to the unbelievers.' [157b] 'That is assuredly so,' he replied. At that moment a man came up to them and asked them for water, as he was thirsty and weary from the heat of the sun. They asked him who he was. He replied that he was a Jew. 'Have you studied the Torah?' they asked. He replied: 'Instead of talking with you, I can go up to that hill and find water there and drink.' R. Jesse thereupon brought out a flask full of water and gave it to him. When he had drunk, they said: 'We will go up there with you for water.' So they went up to the rock and found there a trickling stream from which they filled a bottle. They then sat down, and the man said to them : 'You just now asked me if I had studied the Torah. I have done so through a son of mine whom I have put under a teacher, and from whom I have gained some knowledge of the Torah.' R. Hizkiah said to him: 'If it is through your son, well and good; but I see that for the solution of our problem we shall have to look somewhere else.' The man said: 'Let me hear it, since sometimes in the beggar's wallet one finds a pearl.' They then quoted to him the verse of Solomon. He said to them: 'Wherein are you different from all other men who also do not know?' They replied: 'Wherein then?' He then said: 'That is the way in which Solomon meant this verse. He was not saying it in his own name like the rest of the book, but was repeating what is said by worldly fools, that "the hap of man and the hap of the beast", etc.; that is to say, that this world is the sport of chance, and there is no Providence, but "the hap of man and the hap of beast is the same". When Solomon observed this, he called those fools themselves "cattle", as it says in the next verse, "I said in my heart concerning this saying of the sons of men that God should put them on one side and that (the faithful) should see that they are cattle for themselves". A curse on those cattle, on those fools, on those faithless unbelievers I Better they had never come into the world! What did Solomon answer them? "Who knows the spirit of the sons of man which goeth upwards and the spirit of the beast which goeth downwards to the earth?" Who of those fools that wot not of the honour of the supreme King knows that the spirit of the sons of man goes upwards to a supernal, precious and holy place to be nourished by the supernal brightness of the Holy King and to be included in the "bundle of the living", while the spirit of the beast goes downwards to the earth, and not to that place where is every man of those of whom it is written, "In the image of God he made man"? How can those foolish unbelievers say that there is one spirit to all? They shall be like chaff before the wind, and will be left in Gehinnom and not ascend for all generations.' R. Hizkiah and R. Jesse thereupon came and kissed him on his head, saying: 'All this you knew and we were not aware! Blessed the hour in which we met thee!' [158a] He then proceeded: 'This is not the only instance of such a usage. There is, for instance, the verse: "This is evil in all that is done under the sun, for there is one hap to all" (Ibid. IX, 3): as much as to say, "What the evil man says is, There is one hap to all". And he goes on: "For he who chooses (the future world) does naught, [2] for we are well assured that for all the living there is trust", and also that a live dog is better than a dead lion.' They said to him: 'Would you mind if we join you, and you should accompany us?' He replied: 'Were I to do so, the Torah would call me a fool, and, moreover, I should render my life forfeit.' 'Why so', they asked. 'Because', he said, 'I am a messenger, and King Solomon said, "He cutteth short his own legs, and drinketh in damage who sendeth words by the hand of a fool" (Prov. XXVI, 6). For the spies, because they did not prove trusty and faithful messengers forfeited their lives both in this world and the next.' He then embraced them and departed. R. Hizkiah and R. Jose also went their way, and meeting some men they inquired about the stranger. They were told that he was R. Haggai and one of the leading Companions, and that the Companions in Babylon had sent him to make some inquiries of R. Simeon and the other Companions. Said R. Jesse: 'Assuredly this is the R. Haggai who was always unwilling to let it be known that he is a scholar, and therefore it was that he told us that he learnt the Torah through his son. Verily he is a faithful messenger, and happy is the man who has committed his message to him. So, too, Eleazar, the servant of Abraham, was accursed in virtue of being a Canaanite, but because he was a faithful messenger he escaped from his curse and was blessed in the name of the Lord (Gen. XXIV, 31). 'ALL OF THEM MEN. They were all virtuous, but they were misled by a false reasoning. They said: If Israel enter the land, we will be superseded, since it is only in the wilderness that we are accounted worthy to be leaders, and this was what caused their death and the death of all who followed them. [158b] 'AND MOSES CALLED HOSHEA THE SON OF NUN JOSHUA: As much as to say: May Jah save thee from them!' R. Abba said: 'As he was being sent for the purpose of entering the land, it was requisite that he should be perfect, to wit, through the Shekinah, for up to that time he had been called "a lad", and therefore Moses joined the Shekinah with him. And though we find the name Joshua before this in the text (e.g. Ex. XVII, 9; XXXIII, 11), it is there used in anticipation.' WHETHER THERE ARE TREES (lit. tree) IN IT OR NOT (ayin). Said R. Hiya: 'Did not Moses know that there were trees in it, seeing that God had told him that it was a land flowing with milk and honey?' R. Simeon said: 'What he said was this: "If you see that the produce of the land is like that of other lands, then the Tree of Life is in it, but it does not derive from a still higher place. But if you see that its produce is superior to that of all the rest of the world, then you will know that that difference originates from the Ancient Holy One who is called ayin (nothing), and you will know the answer to the question once asked by the Israelites, "whether the Lord is in our midst or ayin" (Ex. XVII,7).' AND THEY WENT UP IN THE SOUTH AND (HE) CAME TO HEBRON. It should surely be "they came"?' R. Jose said: 'The reference is to Caleb, who went to pray over the graves of the patriarchs. Caleb said: Joshua has been blessed by Moses with support from heaven, and can therefore be delivered from these. What shall I do? He therefore conceived the idea of praying on the graves of the patriarchs in order to keep clear of the evil counsel of the other spies.' R. Isaac said: 'That which was more distinguished than all of them went in within him; [159a] the Shekinah entered the land in Caleb in order to bring tidings to the patriarchs that the time had arrived for their descendants to come into the land which God had sworn to give them. 'AND THERE WERE AHIMAN. ETC. We have learnt that Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai were of the descendants of the giants whom God cast down upon the earth and who begat children from the daughters of men.' AND THEY CAME TO THE BROOK OF ESHCOL. As R. Judah was once walking along with R. Abba, he said to him: 'I should like to ask you one question. Seeing that God knew that man was destined to sin and to be condemned to death, why did He create him? That He knew this is proved by the fact that in the Torah, which existed two thousand years before the universe, we find it already written, "When a man shall die in a tent", and so forth. Why does God want man in this world, seeing that if he studies the Torah he dies, and if he does not study he also dies, all going one way.' He replied: 'What business have you with the ways and the decrees of your Master? What you are permitted to know and to inquire into, that you may ask, and as for what you are not permitted to know, it is written: "Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin" (Eccl. V. 6).' He said to him: 'If that is the case, all the Torah is secret and recondite, since it is the Holy Name, and if so we have no permission to ask and inquire?' He replied: 'The Torah is both hidden and revealed, and the Holy Name is also hidden and revealed, as it is written, "The hidden things belong to the Lord our God, and the revealed things are for us and for our children" (Deut. XXIX, 29). The revealed things we may inquire into, but the hidden things are for the Lord alone. Hence men are not permitted to utter secret things and divulge them, save only the Holy Lamp, R. Simeon, since the Holy One, blessed be He, has concurred with him, and because his generation is distinguished both on high and below, and therefore things are divulged through him, and there shall be no such another generation till the Messiah comes. Now, as for your question. The Holy One, blessed be He, has three words in which He is enshrouded. The first [3] is a supernal recondite one which is known only to Him who is concealed therein. The second [4] one is linked with the first and is the one from which the Holy One, blessed be He, is known. The third [5] is a lower one in which is found separation, and in this abide the celestial angels, and the Holy One, blessed be He, is both in it and not in it, so that all ask, "Where is the place of his glory?" Similarly man has [159b] three worlds. The first is the one which is called "the world of separation", in which man both is and is not; as we look at him he departs and vanishes. The second is the world which is linked with the higher world, being the terrestrial Garden of Eden, while the third is a hidden recondite and unknowable world. Now the first world is a stepping-stone to the others, and did not man sin he would not have a taste of death when he is about to enter those other worlds and when the spirit is divested of the body. But as it is, the spirit has to be cleansed in the "stream of fire" to receive its punishment, and then it enters the terrestrial Garden of Eden, and it is furnished with a robe of light resembling its appearance in this world, and therewith it is equipped, and then its abode is there continually, and on New Moons and Sabbaths it attaches itself to the super-soul and ascends aloft. This is the essence of the matter, and so it is with all save the sinners who are cut off from all worlds if they do not effect repentance.' Said R. Judah: 'Blessed be God that I put this question and gained this knowledge.' R. Simeon said: 'All this section (Num. XIII) can be expounded esoterically. God praises the Torah and says: "Walk in My ways and devote yourselves to My service, and I will bring you in to good and noble worlds." To men who will not believe this God says: "Go and spy out that good and desirable land." They say: "How are we to spy it out and to find out all this?" Therefore it is written: "Go up here in the south": study the Torah, and from it you will know that the land is before you. "And ye shall see the land what it is": from it you shall see the world of that inheritance into which I am bringing you. "And the people that dwell in it": those are the righteous in the Garden of Eden who stand in rows in the celestial glory. "Whether he is strong or weak": through this you shall see whether they attained to all this when they conquered their evil inclination or no, or when they clung fast to the Torah to study it night and day, or if they relaxed their hold on it and still attained to all this. "Whether they be many or few": whether they be many that devote themselves to my service and cling to the Torah in order to attain to all this or not. "And what is the land, whether it is fat or lean": from the Torah ye shall discover what is the nature of that other world, whether it confers in abundance heavenly bliss on those that dwell there or withholds from them anything. "Whether there are in it trees or no": whether the Tree of Life is therein for all eternity, and whether the "bundle of the living" is there or not. [160a] "And they went up by the south": men go up therein halfheartedly, like one working for nothing, since they think it brings no reward and they see that the riches of this world are lost through it, until "he comes to Hebron", that is, he comes to read and re-read it. "And there were Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai": there they see great contrasts, unclean and clean, forbidden and permitted, punishments and rewards. "And they came to the brook of Eshcol": these are the words of Agadah which strengthen faith. "And they cut from there a branch": they teach from there general principles which rejoice the true believers and show them how all is reduced to one principle without deviation. But the sceptical and those who do not learn the Torah for its own sake find deviation, as it says, "and they carried it on upon a pole between two". Then, "they returned from spying out the land": they turn from the way of truth and return to the evil side, saying: What use is this? Till this day we have derived no benefit; we have laboured for nothing. We have made ourselves laughing-stocks, and as for the other world, who can make himself worthy to enter it? We have laboured and toiled to find out what is the portion of that world, and "indeed it is flowing with milk and honey"; that other world is indeed good. "Howbeit the people are fierce": he that would study must be strong-minded so as to disregard this world, and therefore he should be well provided with money, and also a strong body, since the study of the Torah weakens a man's strength. And should a man say that with all this he will still manage, "Amalek dwells in the south land": the evil inclination, the seducer of man, is always in his body, "and the Hivite and the Amorite": many are the accusers there to prevent a man entering into that world; so who can attain it? Thus "they spread an evil report of the land". What say then the faithful? "If the Lord delight in us, he will give it to us": if a man seeks with all his heart to serve God, only the heart is required; [160b] only "rebel not against the Lord": he should not rebel against the Torah, for the Torah demands not wealth nor vessels of gold or silver. "Neither fear ye the people of the land": for if a broken body will study the Torah, it will find healing therein. "For they are bread for us": those accusers themselves provide every day food for those who study the Torah.' AND THEY CAME UNTO THE VALLEY OF ESHCOL. R. Abba said: 'They cut off the cluster, and when they came to raise it they were not able, nor even to move it, but Caleb and Joshua came and lifted it. While joined to the tree it was called a "branch", but afterwards a "staff". Through this Joshua and Caleb knew that they were destined to enter into the land and obtain a portion in it. On the way the others plotted against them, so Caleb addressed the branch, saying: Fruit, fruit, if for thee we are to be killed, why should we have thee? Straightway it lightened itself and they gave it to them.' R. Eleazar said: 'They did not give it to any other, but when they came back to the Israelites they gave it to them, and withdrew into the background.' R. Isaac said: 'When they came into the presence of the Anakim they displayed before them the staff of Moses and so were delivered.' R. Judah said: 'We have a tradition that Moses transmitted to them the Holy Name, and through this they were delivered.' R. Hiya said: 'The giants were called by three names: Nefilim, Anakim, Refaim. Their original name was Nefilim, and when they associated with the daughters of men they were called Anakim, and then when they went about the world and neglected the Heavenly One they were called Refaim. They lived to a great age until at last half their body became paralysed while the other half remained vigorous. They would then take a certain herb and throw it into their mouths and die, and because they thus killed themselves they were called Refaim.' R. Isaac said that they used to drown themselves in the sea, as it is written, "The Refaim are slain beneath the waters" (Job XXVI, 5). R. Simeon said: 'Had Israel entered the land under the sign of [161a] the evil tongue, they would not have endured an instant. Observe how much evil was wrought by the evil tongue: it called forth the decree that our ancestors should not enter the land, those that uttered it died, and weeping was decreed for succeeding generations. Their calumny of the Holy Land was, as it were, a calumny of the Almighty, and therefore God was indignant on account of this, and all Israel would have been destroyed but for the prayer of Moses. AND THEY TOLD HIM: the word "told" (sapper) means "explaining in detail". WE CAME: as much as to say, "We entered into that land of which you were always singing the praises". AND SURELY IT FLOWETH WITH MILK AND HONEY: R Isaac said that if a man wants to deceive he should first say something true so that he may be believed. R. Hiya, however, said that what they meant was, "We came into the land which you praised so much and which you said was flowing with milk and honey, and this is its fruit! If this is the inheritance which God is giving to Israel and for which they have endured such sufferings, there is fruit in Egypt twice as good". HOWBEIT THE PEOPLE THAT DWELL IN THE LAND ARE FIERCE: as a rule the best warriors are stationed outside the towns to protect the roads, but here even those who dwell in the cities are mighty men. AND THE CITIES ARE FORTIFIED: even if all the kings of the world were to assemble against them, they could make no impression on them. R Jose said: 'The worst of their calumnies was that AMALEK DWELLS IN THE LAND OF THE SOUTH: so when a man has been bitten by a snake, if people want to frighten him they say, There is a snake here. So they said: That one that made war on you before is here, and where? In the land of the south, by which you have to enter. Straightway ALL THE CONGREGATION LIFTED UP THEIR VOICE AND CRIED: they doomed that night to be one of weeping for all generations. 'AND NOW, I PRAY THEE, LET THE POWER OF THE LORD BE GREAT. Observe that when God created man, He formed him on the supernal pattern, and placed his strength and power in the middle of the body where the heart is. Now the heart [161b] is closely attached to a place above it, to wit, the brain. In a similar way did God fashion the world. He placed the ocean round about the inhabited world, and the habitation of the seventy nations round about Jerusalem. Jerusalem itself is round about the Temple Mount, and the Temple Mount round about the courts of the Israelites, and the courts of the Israelites round about the Chamber of Hewn Stone where the Great Sanhedrin used to sit, and this again was round the place of the altar, and the place of the altar round the court, and the court round the Temple proper, and the Temple round the Holy of Holies, where the Shekinah used to abide, and there was the heart of the whole world, and the whole world was nourished from there, while this heart itself was nourished from the brain and the two were linked together. Similarly in a higher sphere, in the mystery of the supernal King. The Stream of Fire is round about many camps, which again are round certain Ministers, who in turn surround the four Chariots, which again surround the Holy City, which rests upon them. Thus ultimately it is found that all is nourished from the supernal hidden Brain, and when examined all are found to be linked together. Now when the Hidden Ancient One illumines the Brain, and the Brain the Heart by the way of "the pleasantness of the Lord", then this is the "power of the Lord"; and Moses now prayed that it might be magnified and ascend higher and higher, and then be drawn down below. As THOU HAST SPOKEN: as we have explained. SAYING: that is, that all future generations should learn to use this address in the time of trouble, namely, THE LORD IS SLOW TO ANGER, ETC.' R. Isaac asked: 'Why is "truth" not mentioned here (among the attributes)?' R. Hiya answered: 'Because they caused it to depart through having spoken falsely; they were thus punished with measure for measure.' [6] ... with one another things that they had not been able to discuss previously. They went out through that door and sat down in a garden under some trees. They said: 'Now that we are here and see all this, if we die here we shall certainly enter the future world.' So they sat there and fell asleep, until the guardian came [162a] and woke them, saying: 'Rise and go forth into the outer garden'. So they went out and found the Masters of Holy Writ expounding the verse, IN THIS WILDERNESS THEY SHALL BE CONSUMED: but not (they said) in any other place. AND THERE THEY SHALL DIE: but not in any other place. This speaks of the bodies, but in regard to their souls they shall be like the denizens of the Garden. The guardian then told them to leave the garden. and they went out with him. He said to them: 'Did you hear anything from that grade?' They replied: 'We heard a voice say. "He who interrupts shall be interrupted, he who shortens shall be shortened. he who shortens shall be lengthened": 'Did you understand what it meant: he asked, and they answered, 'No'. He said to them: 'Did you observe a mighty eagle, and a boy who gathered herbs? R. Ilai of Nisibis and his son once came here and saw this cave, and when they went into it they could not endure the darkness and died. The boy stands every day before Bezalel when he comes down from the heavenly Academy and says three things. "He who interrupts shall be interrupted": that is, if one interrupts his study of the Torah to speak of idle matters, his life shall be interrupted in this world and his judgement awaits him in the other world. "He who shortens shall be shortened": if one shortens his "Amen", and does not draw it out, his life shall be shortened. "He who shortens shall be lengthened": the first syllable of ehad (one) [7] should be uttered very rapidly and not dwelt on at all; and if one does so, his life will be prolonged: They said to him: 'He also said: "They are two, and one is joined to them, making three, and when they are three they are one": He said to them: 'These are the two names "Lord" in the Shema; [8] "our God" is, as it were, the signature, and when they are joined they form one: They said to him: 'He also said: "They are two and have become one; when he has sway he flies on the wings of the wind and traverses two hundred thousand and hides himself": He said to them: 'These are the two cherubim on which the Holy One, blessed be He. used to ride, but from the day that Joseph has been hidden from his brethren one has been hidden away in two hundred thousand worlds, and He who was wont to ride upon it has hidden himself. Now go forth from here.' They went forth and the guardian gave them a rose, and the mouth of the cave closed, leaving nothing visible. They saw the eagle come down from a tree and enter another cave. They smelt the rose and entered there, and the eagle said to them: 'Enter, ye truly virtuous, for yours is the first society I have enjoyed since I came here.' They went in and came to another garden along with the eagle. When they came to the Masters of the Mishnah the eagle took the form of a man in a resplendent robe like theirs and sat down with them. He said to them: 'Pay honour to the scholars of the Mishnah who have come here, since their teacher showed us many wonderful things here.'. One of them said to them: 'Have you a token?' They said: 'Yes', and brought out the two roses. They smelt them and said to them: 'Sit, members of the Academy, sit, ye truly virtuous.' Then they took hold of them and they sat down and learnt thirty rules that they did not know before, and other mysteries of the Torah. They then went back to the Masters of Holy Writ and found them expounding the verse: "I said, Ye are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High" (Ps. LXXXII, 6). 'This', they said, 'is what God said when Israel at Mount Sinai said "we will do" before "we will hear'', [9] but when they followed their evil imagination He said, "Verily like Adam ye shall die"; like Adam, that is, whose death drew him down to the dust in order that the evil imagination in him might be wiped out; for it is that evil imagination which died and was consumed within him.' [162b] An old man who was at their head said: 'Here, too, it is written: AND YOUR CARCASES SHALL FALL IN THIS WILDERNESS. What is meant by "carcases"? The evil imagination. "In this wilderness they shall be consumed" (V. 35), to wit, these carcases, and there they shall die, because it is the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, to destroy those carcases from the world.' R. Ilai said to them: "Ye truly virtuous, enter and see, for permission is given you to enter as far as the place where the curtain is hung, happy is your lot!' So they arose and went to a place where there were Masters of the Agadah, [10] their faces shining like the sun. 'Who are these,' they asked. He replied: 'These are the Masters of the Agadah who every day see the true splendour of the Torah. They stood there and heard many new expositions of the Torah, but they were not permitted to join with them. R. Ilai said to them: 'Come into another place and you will see.' They went into another garden and saw there people digging graves and dying immediately, and coming to life again with holy, luminous bodies. 'What does this mean?' they asked. He replied: 'They do this every day. As soon as they lie in the dust the evil taint which they received at first is consumed and they rise at once with new and luminous bodies, those in which they stood at Mount Sinai. As you see them, so they stood at Mount Sinai, with bodies free from all taint; but when they drew upon themselves the evil imagination, they were changed into other bodies.' A voice then came forth saying: 'Go, assemble, since Aholiab is in his place and all the thrones before him.' So the others all flew away and they were left alone under the trees of the garden. They saw a door and went in through it, and they then saw a temple, in which they went and sat down. Two young men were there. They lifted up their eyes and saw a tent embroidered with all sorts of figures in various colours, and over it a curtain of flashing light too dazzling to behold. They also heard a voice saying: 'Bezalel is the fourth of the supernal lights....' [11] When the voice ceased the two youths said to them: 'Have you a token?' They said 'Yes', and brought out the two roses. They smelt them and said: 'Sit here till you shall hear two profound mysteries from the head of the Academy, which you must always keep secret.' They promised to do so. (Said R. Simeon: 'They wrote down all that they had seen, but when they came to this point they said, "I will take heed to my ways that 1sin not with my tongue" (Ps. XXXIX, 2): I asked my father about those two words and he said to me: I swear to you, my son, those two words could build worlds and destroy worlds in the hands of one who knew how to use them.') When they had heard those two words the two youths said: 'Go out, go out, you are not permitted to hear any more.' One of them brought out an apple and said: 'Smell this'. They did so and went out, and forgot nothing of all they had seen. Another guardian then came and said to them: 'Companions, R. Ilai has sent me to bid you wait here at the entrance of the cave till he comes and tells you notable things which you have not heard before; for he has asked [163a] permission from the Academy to reveal to you certain things.' So they went out and waited at the entrance of the cave, discussing with one another what they had seen and heard there. At last R. Ilai came, resplendent like the sun. They said to him: 'Have you heard any new exposition?' He said: 'Assuredly so, and permission has been given to me to tell you.' So they gathered together at the mouth of the cave and sat down. He said to them: 'Happy are you to have been shown by your Master the like of the other world. Are you not afraid?' They said: 'Assuredly, we can no longer feel like other human beings, being so amazed at all we have seen in this mountain.' He said to them: 'Do you see those rocks? They are the Heads of the Academies of this people in the wilderness, and they enjoy now privileges which they did not enjoy when they were alive. On New Moons and Sabbaths and festivals these Heads of Academies gather to the rock of Aaron the priest and throng round him and enter into his academy, and there they are renewed with the purity of the holy dew which descends upon his head and the oil of anointment which flows upon him, and along with him they are all renewed with the rejuvenation of the beloved of the Holy King, so that this is called the Academy of Love, and He sustains the whole Academy secretly [12] ... flashing like eagles' wings in the Academy of light, and this is the Academy of Moses. All stand without and no one enters save Aaron alone, but occasionally one or other of them is called by name. No one can see Moses, because a veil overspreads his face and seven clouds of glory surround him. Aaron stands within the curtain below Moses, the curtain half separating them, and all the Heads of the Academies remain outside of this curtain. All the rest remain outside of the clouds. The more illuminating the exposition given of the Torah, the more those clouds are lit up, and they become more and more transparent until the veil becomes visible, and from the midst of that veil they see a light brighter than that of all other lights, and this is the face of Moses. No one actually sees his face, but only the light which proceeds from the veil behind all the clouds. Moses makes a remark to Aaron, and Aaron explains it to the Heads of the Academies. How does he explain it? With all those founts of wisdom which were closed to him when the time of Joshua came. Now he restores them with wonderful streams that flow from each word. Similarly all the virtuous women of that generation come to Miriam. Then they all ascend like pillars of smoke in this wilderness. That day is called the day of the marriage celebration. The women on the eves of Sabbaths and festivals all come to Miriam to gain knowledge of the Sovereign of the Universe. Happy is that generation above all other generations. When they emerge from the Academy of Moses they fly to the Academy of the firmament, and those who are qualified fly to the highest Academy. Of that generation it is written: "Happy is the people that is in such a case, yea, happy is the people whose God is the Lord" (Ps. CXLlV, 15).' [13] [174a] AND THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ... THAT THEY MAKE THEMSELVES FRINGES ON THE CORNERS OF THEIR GARMENTS, ETC. R. Hizkiah adduced here the verse: "And he showed me Joshua the high priest", etc. (Zech. III, 1). [174b] 'What did he see? He saw him standing before the angel.' R. Isaac said: 'What does this tell us? That every man who in this world does not wrap himself in the ceremonial garb and clothe himself therewith, when he enters the other world is covered with a filthy garment and is brought up for trial. Many are the garments prepared for man in this world, and he who does not acquire the garment of religious observance is in the next world clad in a garment which is known to the masters of Gehinnom, and woe to the man who is clad therein, for he is seized by [175a] many officers of judgement and dragged down to Gehinnom, and therefore King Solomon cried aloud, "At all times let thy garments be white".' [175b] R. Judah said: 'God has appointed many witnesses to give man warning. When he rises in the morning and begins to move, the witnesses stand before him and say: "He shall keep the feet of his saints" (I Sam. II, 9), and "keep thy feet when thou goest" (Eccl. IV, 17). When he opens his eyes to observe the world, the witnesses say: "Thine eyes shall look right on" (Prov. IV, 25). When he begins to speak the witnesses say: "Keep thy tongue from evil" (Ps. XXXIV, 14). When he begins to transact business they say: "Depart from evil and do good" (Ibid. 15). If he listens to them, well and good, but if not, then they all testify against him above. But if he desires to labour in the service of the Almighty, they all become his advocates in the hour of need. When, therefore, he rises in the morning, he should recite a number of blessings. He then puts the phylactery on his head and he knows he has the Holy Name impressed on his head. When he stretches out his arm he sees it bound with the knot of the Holy Name. When he puts on the ceremonial garment he sees in the four corners four kings issuing to meet four. Four true witnesses of the King are suspended from the four corners like grapes from a cluster. Like seven couriers are the seven windings of blue round each one, which may be increased up to thirteen, but not more.' R. Isaac said that if there are seven, they are symbolical of the Shekinah, and if thirteen, of the thirteen attributes. R. Isaac said that the threads indicate how the four sides of the world are suspended from that special place which controls all as the heart the body. R. Judah said: 'The Holy One, blessed be He, thus signifies that whoever wishes to walk in the fear of Him should follow after this heart and after the eyes that are above it, but "ye shall not go astray after your heart and your eyes".' [176a] R. Hiya said: 'Why is the exodus from Egypt mentioned in this passage? Because when they went forth from Egypt God brought them into this portion (of the commandments), and therefore He admonished them thus.' _______________ Notes: 1. Tifereth and Malkuth. 2. Translating the Kethib of Eccl. IX, 4. 3. Aziluth. 4. Beriah. 5. Yezirah. 6. There is here a lacuna in the text. 7. In the Shema. 8. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one." 9. v. Ex. XXIV, 7. 10. i.e. the Cabbalah. 11. Here follow in the text a number of similar enigmatic utterances. 12. The text seems here to be imperfect. 13. From here to p. 174a the text is fragmentary, and it is not easy to find a connecting thread.
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