We'atem tihyu li mamlekheth kohanim/And You Shall Be Unto Me a Kingdom of Priests
We'atem tihyu li mamlekheth kohanim wegoy qadosh/And you shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. Eleh hadevarim asher tedaber el-benei Yisrael/These are the words which you shalt speak unto the children of Yisrael. (Ex. 19).
1. It is written (Ps. 69): "Cherpah shaverah libi/Reproach has broken my heart." That is, reproach and disgrace (cherpah u'bizyonoth) breaks a mans heart. The remedy is by connecting his heart to the point that pertains to his heart at that time. Thereby the reproach that is resting on his heart will be annulled.
2. For behold, the rule is that the dominion is in the Tzadik's hand, to perform actions as he wills, as our Sages obm explained (M"Q 16b): "Tzadik moshel/The Tzadik rules..." [2 Sam. 23:3] Who rules over Me? The Tzadik. And this is the aspect of (Gen. 42), "And Yosef is the ruler." And he is the root of the entire Israelite souls, and they are his branches that receive from him. And the main thing is the governance, to illumine and awaken their hearts to serve Hashem Yithbarakh. As written, (Deut. 32), "Hear, Hashem, the voice of Judah, and bring him to his people;" namely, to shine the Tzadik's light on the branches, namely the Yisraelite hearts; so this is, "and bring him to his people."
3. And this aspect, namely "And Yosef is the ruler," is the aspect of Melopum. As it is written (in all the Kabbalistic books, and brought in Sha`arei Tziyon in Sha`ar Tikkun haNefesh), Berith - merkavah leyisod/The [Abrahamic i.e. circumcision] Covenant is a vehicle for [the sefirah] of Yesod/Foundation, the vowelization of its HWYH being Melopum [v. Tik. 70]. For MeLOPUM is the letters of MeLO PUM/"full mouth," [Aben`ezra, Book of Purity p.11] to show that the vessel of the [good] influx, namely the Tzaddik's mouth, is full of Hashem Yithbarakh's Godliness. For it seems puzzling why we should need prayer — doesn't Hashem Yithbarakh know thoughts? But because speech is the vessel of influx, into which we receive the influx, as written (Deut. 1:11), "And He blesses you as He told you," that is, according to the speech so is the bounty; if the speech i.e. the vessel of bounty is complete and full, then it is possible to receive in it great bounty. And the Tzaddik's speech is certainly complete and full, therefore it can draw bounty to Yisrael. And thereby it is called the aspect of Melo Pum, to show that his mouth is in fullness and completion.
4. And every single Yisraelite has in him an aspect of "the Tzadik rules" (2 Sam 23:3), which is the aspect of Melo Pum, as written (Isa. 30), "and your people [Yisrael] shall be all Tzaddikim." And this is the explanation of (Ps. 114:2), "Yisrael, His dominion:" that is, "Who rules over me? The Tzadik." For each [member] of Yisrael has in him something dear that is an aspect of a point that is not in his fellow. As in the story of Abaye and Abba the Bloodletter (Ta`anith 21b): You [Abaye]are unable to do the deeds that Abba the Bloodletter does etc. And this aspect that each person has more than his fellow, it influences, illumines and awakens his fellow's heart, and his fellow needs to receive awakening and this aspect from him, as written (Targum and scripture Isa. 6:3) "Um'qablin dein min dein/And they receive from each other."
For, before mathan Torah/giving of the Torah the dominion was in the hand of Hashem Yithbarakh, but after mathan torah the dominion is the hand of each Yisrael, each according to his aspect. For the Torah' s letters are an enclothement of His Blessed Will, for Hashem Yithbarakh's Will is that the mitzwoth be thus. For example the mitzwah of tefillin, His will was that it be of four paragraphs and a housing of hide and not of silver. For that is how He wanted it. Hence His Will is enclothed in all the Torah. And now that the Torah is transferred into our hands, also Hashem Yithbarakh's Will has been conferred into our hands, that we rule, as it were, making His will be according to our will. And this is the aspect of "Yisrael, His dominion" as mentioned. And this is what our Rabbis obm expounded (Yer. R"H Perek 1): "Raboth `asitha atah Hashem Elohai/Great things You have done Hashem my God" (Ps. 40:6) — before mathan Torah — and after mathan Torah (continuation) "nifleotheikha umachshevotheikha eleinu/and Your wonders and thoughts are to us," that is, it is all in our hands. And this is (Ps. 81:11), "I (Anochi) am Hashem your God who raises you up from the land of Mitzrayim..." — namely before mathan Torah all was Anochi (I only) — and after mathan Torah, (cont.) "...make wide your mouth and I will fill it," which is the aspect of "Yosef — he is the ruler," that is, "who rules Me," namely, that the bounty is according to widening of the mouth, and according to the vessel of speech, each according to his aspect.
5. And Melopum, namely the aspect of "And Yosef (WeyYosef) is the ruler," it is the aspect of the point with Waw. For the aspect of Yosef is drawn from Chokhmah and Binah, as written (Gen. 41), "After He has informed you all this, there is none discerning and wise (navon wechakham) as you," namely Chokhmah and Binah, and by this it becomes, "And Yosef he is the ruler." Now, Chokhmah is the aspect of a point, namely Yud, a wellspring [Zohar I:31; II:45,123; Tik. 18 p.32] . And Binah is the stream that is drawn from the wellspring. And named after the drawing, he is Waw, called a stream that is drawn from the spring, which is Yud.
6. And the aspect of Melopum exists in general and particular, for the Ten Commandments with the tablets is the aspect of Melopum, which is Yud, and the tablets are Waw [i.e. six], as our Sages obm said (B"B 14), and the tablets were six long and six wide. And the Torah with the world are also Yud and Waw. For the Torah is Yud, as it is called (Ps. 111), "Reishith chokhmah/The head, wisdom." And the world is Waw, as it was created in the six days of creation.
And the Tzadik and Yisrael are also Yud Waw. For the Tzadik is Yud, for the tzadikim are called "Chokhmei Ha`eidah/Wise of the community" [(Num. 15) and as brought in LM II:26; and the concept of being named after Chokhmah is well known]. And Yisrael are the aspect of Waw, as they are tamkhei oraitha/supporters of the Torah (v. Zohar intro daf. 8) and are called (Ex. 27) wawei ha`amudim/hooks of the posts (v. Meorei Or). And by every single Yisrael by himself there is also the aspect Yud Waw: Yud referring to the mouth, as it is written (Ps. 49), "Pi yedaber chokhmoth/my mouth will speak wisdoms..." and Waw referring to "...wehaguth libi tevunoth/and the contemplation of my heart is discernments," which is the aspect of the Tablets, which were Waw as mentioned, as written (Prov. 3), "bind them about your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart."
7. And when the heart, namely the aspect of Waw, the aspect of the Tablets, is sunk in ahavoth ra`oth/bad loves, namely reproaches and disgraces, called "`orlath halev/husk (prepuce) of the heart" (Deut. 10), then he is in the aspect of the Tablet fragments. And cherpah/reproach is the aspect of husk, as it is written (Gen. 34), "We cannot give our sister to a man who has a prepuce for it is a reproach to us. " And it is the aspect of fallen and broken love, for it is known that the Yetzer haRa` and the qelipoth are generated from the breaking of vessels, and it is brought in the `Etz Chayim (in Heikhal haNequdin Sha`ar Shevirath HaKelim perek 3) that the breakings of the vessel of Chesed fell into Binah of Beriah, namely Bina — Liba (Pathach Eliyahu), while the light of Chesed remained in Yesod of Atziluth, which is the aspect of (Prov. 10), "Tzadik is the foundation of the world." Hence the bad loves come from the breaking of the vessels of Chesed, and this is what Onkelos translated, "For it is a reproach to us: Behold it is a chisuda to us." For reproach, namely heart husk, namely bad loves, is produced from breaking the vessels of Chesed. For this is tangibly seen, that "`Al-kol pesha`im techaseh ahawah/Love covers all transgressions" (Prov. 10). Even if someone transgresses his friend, then he doesn't disgrace him, for the love covers all transgressions. But when the contract of love between them is spoiled, namely the aspect of breaking the vessels of Chesed, then he disgraces him, for reproach is from breaking the vessels of Chesed as mentioned.
And when the heart is sunk in reproach, namely heart husk, the aspect of tablet fragments, namely "cherpah shavrah libi/reproach has broken my heart," and when he binds the heart, namely the aforementioned aspect of Waw, to the Yud, namely the point, which is the aspect of Tzadik, there the light of holy love rests, for the light of Chesed remains in Yesod of Atziluth. Then the bad loves are annulled, namely the reproaches, namely the heart husk. For love covers all transgressions, for the holy love rests there.
And this is what our Sages obm said (Nedarim 32): HaKadosh Barukh Hu intended to make the priesthood come out from there, but because he made the blessing of Avraham take precedence over the blessing of the place/Omnipresent (hamaqom), he took it from there and gave it to Avraham, as it is said (Ps. 110:4), "Atah kohen le`olam `al divrathi Malki-tzedeq/You are priest forever over the word of Malki-tzedeq." And this is just too Hakadosh Barukh Hu's giving the priesthood to Pinchas, saying, "Hinneni nothen lo eth-berithi shalom/Behold I give him my contract of peace" (Num. 25). For the priesthood is the aspect of love; it is Avraham; resting in the place of a contract of peace, namely "Tzadik Yesod `Olam/Righteous, Foundation of the World" [Prov. 10:25].
8. Hence everyone needs to converse between himself and his Creator, in order that the aspect of "point," the aspect of "Pi yedaber chokhmoth...," illumines the Waw, which is the aspect of "...wehaguth libi tevunoth/and the contemplation of my heart is discernments," and thereby the heart husk is annulled, namely the reproaches, namely the bad loves. And also each man needs to talk with his friend about yir'ath shamayim/fear of Heaven, in order to receive the awakening into his heart from the point that is more in his friend than in him, as written, "Um'qablin dein min dein." For in this aspect that is in his friend more than in him, this aspect is the aspect of "point," and there in that point, rests the love that is called "Kohein/Priest," and that point, it is the aspect of the Tzadik relative to his friend. And this point illumines the friend's heart that is called Waw.
And all these points, namely the point called "Pi yedaber chokhmoth...," and also the point that is in each person that is not in his friend, they are branches to the Tzadik, as he is the Point of the entirety of all Yisrael. As all need to receive at first from the Tzadik, and afterwards then receive "dein min ein," as each one receives from him and in him. And through these three aspects the reproaches are annulled, namely the heart husk, that is, the bad loves. And this is, "Al-kol pesha`im techaseh ahawah," for there the holy love rests. And this is [why] when Yosef haTzadik was born Rachel said, "Asaf Elohim eth-cherpathi/God has made an end of my reproach" (Gen. 30), for when the Point is revealed, the holy love is there; then the reproaches are annulled, that is, the heart husk, that is, the bad loves. And this is [why] it is written by Yosef (ibid. 48), "Ki pi hamedaber aleikhem/It is precisely my mouth that is speaking to you," and Rashi explained, "Thus was my heart" [v. Megilah 16b). Namely he shined his Point, on his Waw, as he shined "Pi yedaber chokhmoth..." on "...wehaguth libi tevunoth." And with him it is written (ibid. 50), "Waydaber `al-libam/And he spoke onto their heart," and Rashi explained, "Words/things (debarim) that settle on the heart." Namely he shined his Point of Entirety, on the Heart of All Yisrael.
Hence through these three aspects, there is connection with the Tzadikim, and they illumine him, for they are that which is called the Entirety of Yisrael, and they will awaken his heart. And also by talking with his friend, every single one can illumine and awaken his friend's heart. And also by himself, talking between himself and his Creator, he can illumine his hearts, via "pi yedaber chokhmoth," and drive away heart husk from him.
And this is the explanation of, "We'atem tihyu li mamlekheth kohanim...," namely the aforementioned aspect of the holy love. "...wegoy qadosh/and holy people," namely holy which is the aspect of Point, and Waw which is the aspect of Heart as mentioned. And how does one arrive at the aspect of love, and the aspect of holy, Waw? By "Eleh hadevarim asher tedaber el-benei Yisrael/These are the words that you shall speak to the Yisraelites." For Moshe is the Point of the entirety of the souls of Yisrael, that initially everyone needs to receive from the Point of the Entirety, and afterwards every single person [needs to] illumine his friend from the point in himself, and also he can illumine in and of the point in himself, which is "pi yedaber chokhmoth...," upon the Waw, which is "...wehaguth libi tevunoth." And then it is called "goy qadosh," namely qodesh Waw [?] . For the Point illumines the Waw. And thereby, "We'atem tihyu li mamlekheth kohanim...," namely the holy love. For when you receive from all these points — in and of himself, and also from the points that are in every Yisrael, and also from the Point of Entirety. &mash; there at all the points rests the holy love that is called Kohein, as written, "Hinneni nothen lo eth-berithi shalom." And the point is the aspect of berith shalom, as written in the Etz Chayim. For the light of Chesed remains in Yesod of Atziluth.
[And when one speaks with his friend regarding yir'ath shamayim, he receives from the point in his friend's heart with no enclothement. And sometimes he receives the point from his friend through other things that he is telling him, for it sometimes happens that one can reiceve light and arousal for serving Hashem Yithbarakh, from his friend's point, via worldly converstation that he speaks with him. And then he receives the light of the piont via enclothements. For sometimes the point needs to be enclothed, and it is enclothed in these things, and he receives from that.]