does not mean “in the wilderness,” but rather “by the Word,” as it is written: “Thy Word (midbarekh) is pleasant,” and elsewhere: “Because ye understand neither the admonitions coming from the East and the West, nor those coming from the Word (mi-midbar) upon the mountains.” Likewise, the words “Olâ min ha-midbar” mean: “Olâ” is made of “Midbar”; that is, the Word (Midbar) became a Burnt Offering (Olâ). For, coming from the mouth of God, the Word enters between the wings of the mother, and, coming forth from there, descends upon the head of the holy people. The mother’s descent through the Word is accomplished by means of praises addressed to heaven. When a man rises in the morning, he must bless his Master; as soon as he opens his eyes, he must bless Him. The pious men of old used to do as follows: they placed beside them a vessel of water and, upon waking, washed their hands and began to study the doctrine, saying the prayer that accompanies study. When the cock crows, that is, at midnight, the Holy One, blessed be He, is in Paradise in the company of the Just, and it is fitting to bless Him at that time. But it is forbidden to bless Him so long as the hands are soiled and impure. This applies not only at midnight, but at all hours; for while a man sleeps, his soul leaves him, and when he is deprived of his soul, an impure spirit appears and attaches itself to his hands, which it defiles. Therefore it is forbidden to bless God until they have been washed. This precept applies even during the day, when a man is not asleep and, consequently, the soul does not leave the body, so that the impure spirit might attach itself to it: it applies when a man is in an unclean place. For, upon leaving such a place, it is forbidden to bless God or recite a single word of Scripture without having washed one’s hands, even though they have touched nothing impure. Woe unto men who scorn these things, because they know not the exaltedness of their Master, nor understand upon what this world rests! For there is an evil spirit in every unclean place; this spirit delights in uncleanness and attaches itself to the fingers of the man who passes through it.
Rabbi Siméon saith: Whosoever maketh merry during the feast-days without giving a portion unto God is a miser; Satan hateth him, accuseth him, and taketh him from the world. Oh, how terrible are the punishments that await such a man! A portion is given unto God by making the poor merry according to one’s means. For, during the feast-days, the Holy One, blessed be He, cometh to visit His broken vessels, and when He seeth that they are deprived of what they need, He pitieth them and returneth to Heaven, resolved to destroy the world. The souls of the Just then come before God and say unto Him: Master of the Universe, Thou art called in Scripture “Compassionate and Gracious”; have mercy upon Thy children! God answereth them: Is not mercy the sole foundation upon which I established the world, as it is written: “The world is built upon mercy”? The heavenly Angels then say unto God: Master of the Universe, here is a certain man who eateth, who is sated, and who hath the means to do good unto the poor, yet doeth it not. Straightway the accuser presenteth himself and, after asking leave to act, setteth forth in pursuit of the guilty man. What man in the world hath surpassed the patriarch Abraham in kindness toward all creatures? And yet, this is what tradition teacheth us: The day of Abraham’s feast is described in Scripture in these words: “And the child grew, and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that he was weaned.” Abraham invited all the great men of that time to this feast. At every feast, tradition teacheth us, an accusing angel descendeth to inquire whether the host hath first sent a portion of the food to the house of the poor and whether he
He invited them to his table. If he had, the accusing angel withdrew from the house and did not enter it; if he had not, He went up to Heaven and brought an accusation against the host. On the day when Abraham invited the great men of the age, the accusing angel appeared at His door disguised as a poor man; but no one paid any attention to him. Abraham was busy serving his guests, kings and great men, while Sara was nursing the children of all those who did not believe that she had just given birth; for many people claimed that Isaac was a foundling picked up in the street and brought to Sara. Therefore all those who did not believe it brought their children, so that Sara might nurse them in their presence. Hence Scripture says: “Who would ever have believed that it could be said to Abraham that Sara would nurse sons?” Scripture speaks of several sons. It was while the accusing angel stood at the door that Sara uttered the words: “God hath made me a subject of laughter.” Straightway the accusing angel appeared before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said unto Him: “Master of the Universe, Thou callest Abraham ‘My friend’; yet he has just held a feast without giving Thee any share in it, for he gave nothing to the poor, nor did he even offer Thee the sacrifice of a turtledove; moreover, Sara said that Thou hadst mocked her.” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered the angel: “What man in the world is as charitable as Abraham?” But the accuser was not satisfied until he had obtained the promise that this whole feast would soon be marred. Accordingly, shortly after this feast, God commanded Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering, and decreed the death of Sara, which came upon her as a result of the terror she felt on learning of God’s command concerning the sacrifice of her son. All these afflictions had but one cause: a lack of charity towards the poor.
Rabbi Simeon opened one of his discourses in this manner: It is written: “Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and prayed to the Lord.” Mark how great is the merit of him who studies the doctrine, and how far it surpasses all works! Whosoever devotes himself to the study of the doctrine fears nothing, neither the celestial beings nor the terrestrial beings, nor any of the evils that afflict men, seeing that he is attached to the tree of life, which instructs him every day. For the doctrine teaches man to walk in the way of truth; it teaches him how to return to the Master, so as to turn aside the evils that He has decreed. Therefore it befits man to devote himself to the study of the doctrine by day and by night, and never to depart from it, as it is written: “Meditate upon it day and night.” Whosoever neglects the study of the doctrine, or abandons it, is as guilty as if he separated himself from the tree of life. Mark that the verse cited above, concerning Hezekiah’s prayer, serves us as a warning. When, at night, a man lies down, he must submit the kingdom of heaven with all his heart and entrust his soul to the keeping of God; by so doing, he shall be preserved from impure visions, and no evil spirit shall have power over him. And in the morning, when a man rises from his bed, he must bless his Master, enter His house, prostrate himself with great reverence, and then say his prayer. He must also take counsel with the holy patriarchs, as it is written: “And, trusting in the abundance of Thy mercy, I will enter Thy house; I will bow down before Thy holy palace, in Thy fear.” Tradition teaches us as follows: A man must never enter the house of prayer without first consulting Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who instituted the prayers to be addressed to the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore it is written: “And, trusting in the abundance of Thy mercy, I will enter Thy house”; these words designate Abraham; “I will bow down before Thy holy palace” designates Isaac; “in Thy fear” designates Jacob. The invocation of the patriarchs must take place before entering the house of prayer, as it is written: “And He said unto me: Israel, thou art My servant, and I shall be glorified in thee.”
Rabbi Pinhas was wont to frequent Rabbi Rehoumaï, who dwelt on the shore of the Sea of Gennesaret. Rabbi Rehoumaï was a great man. Overwhelmed by years, he lost his sight. He said to Rabbi Pinhas: “Having heard that the son of Jochaï, our companion, possessed a precious pearl, I longed to see it. It shed a brilliant light, like that of the sun when, in the morning, coming forth from its sheath, it illumines the world. This light descends from heaven to earth, and it shall illumine the whole world until the day when the Ancient of Days shall sit upon the throne, as is destined to come to pass. The keeper of this pearl, whose light shall illumine the whole world, is of my family; happy is thy lot! Go, therefore, my son, go in search of this pearl that illumines the world, for the hour is favorable to thee.”
Rabbi Pinhas left Rabbi Rehoumaï and embarked upon a vessel in the company of two other men. Seeing two birds hovering in the air above the waters of the sea, he cried out to them: “Birds, birds, you who cross the seas, can you tell me where the son of Jochaï dwells?” After a short pause, he continued: “Birds, birds, go and bring me this news.” Taking flight, the birds went away. A little while later, Rabbi Pinhas saw the birds return, one of them holding in its beak a note on which these words were written: “The son of Jochaï has already left the cave with Rabbi Éléazar, his son.”
He then went to Rabbi Siméon and, finding him changed and his body covered with sores, began to weep with Rabbi Siméon, to whom he said: “How wretched I am to find thee in such a state!” Rabbi Siméon answered: “How happy I am that thou hast seen me in this state, for hadst thou not seen me in such a state, I would not be what I am.” Rabbi Siméon then delivered a discourse concerning the commandments of the Law, demonstrating that the commandments which the Holy One, blessed be He, prescribed to the Israelites are all summed up in the story of Genesis. Here is his discourse:
He then went to Rabbi Siméon and, finding him changed and his body covered with sores, began to weep with Rabbi Siméon, to whom he said: “How wretched I am to find thee in such a state!” Rabbi Siméon answered: “How happy I am that thou hast seen me in this state, for hadst thou not seen me in such a state, I would not be what I am.” Rabbi Siméon then delivered a discourse concerning the commandments of the Law, demonstrating that the commandments which the Holy One, blessed be He, prescribed to the Israelites are all summed up in the story of Genesis. Here is his discourse:
It is written: “In the beginning God created.” These words sum up the first commandment, which is called “the fear of the Lord”; for the fear of the Lord is designated in Scripture by the word “beginning,” as it is written: “The beginning of Wisdom is the fear of the Lord,” and elsewhere: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.” It is called “beginning” because it is the gate that gives access to faith, and because it is the foundation upon which the world rests. There are three kinds of fear of the Lord, two of which are blameworthy and only one praiseworthy. There are men whose fear of the Lord has no other motive than the desire to preserve the lives of their children and protect them from a premature death, or else fear of bodily suffering or of loss of money. Fear of the Lord motivated by such reasons is not meritorious. There are other men who fear the Holy One, blessed be He, because they dread the punishments of this world and the torments of hell. These two kinds of fear of the Lord are not meritorious. The only meritorious fear is that of the man who fears his Master because He is great and almighty, because He is the root of all worlds, and because all that exists is as nothing in His sight, as it is written: “All the inhabitants of the earth are as nothing before Him.” When the fear of the Lord is of this nature, it has the effect of hastening the hour when, as in heaven, the will of God shall be done in the lower regions called “fear.”
As he uttered these words, Rabbi Siméon cried out, weeping:
I find it hard to speak, and I find it hard to keep silent. If I speak, the wicked will know how to serve their Master. And by keeping silent, I shall deprive my companions of the knowledge of this fact: that, just as in the higher regions there is fear of God, so too below there is an evil fear. The man whose fear of the Lord is prompted by fear of punishment falls into the power of the demons, who will become his tormentors. Such fear is not called fear of the Lord, but fear of evil. That is why Scripture specifies the kind of fear that is the beginning of Wisdom: the fear of the Lord. In the first verse of Genesis is summed up this commandment, which is the foundation of all the others. Whoever observes this commandment will come to observe all the others; and whoever transgresses it will transgress all the others, since it is the gateway to all the commandments. That is why it is written: “Be-reschith,” that is, “with the beginning,” which is the true fear of the Lord: “God created the heavens and the earth.” Whoever violates the one (the law of fear) violates the commandments of the law, and his punishment is indicated by the words: “And the earth was thohou and bohou; and darkness covered the face of the abyss; and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.” In this verse are indicated the four kinds of capital punishment inflicted upon the guilty. The word “thohou” denotes the punishment of strangulation, as it is written: “The line of thohou.” The word “bohou” denotes the punishment of stoning, because the stones sink into the great abyss for the punishment of the guilty. The words “and darkness” denote the…
“the punishment of burning, as it is written: ‘And when ye heard His voice out of the midst of the darkness, and saw the mountain all on fire,’ and a little farther on: ‘We have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire.’ We see, therefore, that Scripture identifies these two words, ‘fire’ and ‘darkness.’ The words ‘and the Spirit of God moved upon the waters’ denote the punishment of beheading with the sword, because the storm-wind is a sharpened sword that blazes, as it is written: ‘And having driven him out, He placed cherubim before the garden of Eden, who made a fiery sword flash, to guard the way that led to the tree of life.’ Now, this fiery sword bears the name ‘Spirit.’ This punishment is intended to chastise the guilty who have transgressed the commandments of the Law. Having summed up the commandment of the fear of the Lord, called ‘beginning,’ a commandment that embraces all the others, Scripture proceeds to the following ones.”
The second commandment is intimately linked with that of the fear of the Lord and is never separated from it; it is the perfect love with which man must be filled toward his Master. And what is perfect love? It is love of perfection, which is called the great love, as it is written: “Walk before Me, and be thou perfect,” that is to say, be perfect in thy love. Therefore it is written: “And God said: Let there be light.” By the word “light,” Scripture designates perfect love, which is love of perfection. This commandment therefore concerns the love with which man must be filled toward his Master. Interrupting Rabbi Simeon’s discourse, Rabbi Eleazar cried out: My father, I have heard a definition of perfect love. Rabbi Simeon answered him: My son, make thy definition heard while Rabbi Phinehas is present, for he practices perfect love. Rabbi Eleazar said: Perfect love is that which is manifested in two different circumstances; for the love that is not manifested equally in these two circumstances is not love deserving the name of perfect. Therefore it has been taught that the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, is manifested in two circumstances.
different. There are men who love God because He has granted them wealth, long life, male offspring, authority over their enemies, and success in their undertakings. These same men would hate God if the wheel of destiny turned and they were overwhelmed by afflictions. Such love of God is not meritorious. Perfect love is that which manifests itself equally in both different circumstances: in affliction and in joy. This is why tradition teaches us that we must love God even when He takes our life. This is also why the light shed at the moment of creation was immediately concealed. When it was concealed, severity appeared; and the two opposites were united so that there might be perfection (in loving God despite His severity); it is therein that love is manifested. Having heard these words of Rabbi Éléazar, Rabbi Siméon embraced him; Rabbi Pinhas did likewise and, after blessing him, exclaimed: Truly, it is the Holy One, blessed be He, Who has led me here; for it was foretold to me that one of my family possesses a precious pearl, whose light will in time come to illumine the whole world. Resuming his discourse, Rabbi Éléazar said: Evidently, the commandment of the fear of the Lord cannot be separated from any other commandment, and still less from that of perfect love; for just as love of the Lord must manifest itself even when one is overwhelmed by afflictions, so must fear of the Lord be practised even when one is blessed with riches, flourishing health, male offspring, and abundance. This is why it is written: “Happy is the man who is always in fear,” that is, whose fear of the Lord is included in love. He who is subject to severity (who is unhappy) must be animated by fear and dread his Master, but not harden his heart. This is why it is written: He that hardeneth his heart shall fall into calamity, that is, into the other alternative called calamity. Thus fear is associated with both alternatives and included within them; and this is perfect love. This is why Scripture adds: “But he that is hard of heart shall fall into evil.”
Rabbi Simeon continued his discourse as follows: The third commandment is to acknowledge that there is an Almighty God, Master of the universe, to proclaim each day His unity in the six celestial directions and to make them one, by saying the six words of the Shema; moreover, as they are uttered, one must manifest the intention of fulfilling the celestial will. In the recitation of this verse, one must lay stress upon the word “one,” prolonging the voice for a duration equal to that required to pronounce six words. Wherefore Scripture says: “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place,” that is to say, that the waters of the rivers, which all meet in the ocean, notwithstanding the opposite directions of their currents, bear witness to the unity of the six celestial directions. It is upon the final letter of the word “Ehad” that one must lay stress; the letter “d,” whose numerical value is four, signifies the four directions of the rivers that bear witness to the unity of the six celestial directions. Wherefore the letter “d” of the word “Ehad” is, in this passage, larger than the other letters. Scripture adds: “And let the dry land appear,” that is to say, that the letter “d,” symbol of the dry land, demonstrates the unity of the six celestial directions. For the opposites implied in the affirmation of the unity of the six directions are, in truth, reduced to three only: the southern direction being an extension of the northern, the western of the eastern, and the lower of the upper. Thus there remain three directions apparently opposed: those from north to south, from east to west, and from above to below. Now, according to its position, the letter “d” represents these three directions, and yet it forms but one unity. After bearing witness to the unity of the six celestial directions, man must also proclaim the unity of those below, by reciting another verse likewise composed of six words: “Blessed be the glorious name of His kingdom for ever and ever.” It is by acknowledging the unity of the three directions symbolized by the letter “d” that man shall walk upon the “dry land,” fruitful in fruits and trees. Wherefore it is written: “God called the dry land Earth.” The unity below is attested by the earth, which is wholly pleasing to it. Therefore it is said of the earth twice: “God saw that it was good,” once for the unity above, and once for the unity below. Being thus constituted, the earth could bring forth fruits and flowers, as was fitting.
The fourth commandment is to acknowledge that Jehovah (God) is Elohim (Lord), as it is written: “Know therefore this day, and let this truth be ever engraved upon your heart, that Jehovah is Elohim.” It is therefore man’s duty to acknowledge that Elohim and Jehovah are one alone and constitute no duality. This mystery is summed up in the words of Scripture: “Let there be lights (M’oroth) in the firmament of the heavens.” Scripture designates the two divine essences (Jehovah and Elohim), which form but one and present no duality. The word “lights” (M’oroth) is written without a “vav,” which indicates the singular, to tell us that the two are but one indivisible unity. Just as light, seen through a prism, appears to be composed of white and dark colors, although in reality it is one, so the divine essences form but one unity.
This is also the true meaning of the column of white smoke by day, and that of fire by night, which went before Israel in the wilderness. These two columns were the symbol of the two divine essences, which correspond to day and night; and one blends with the other to illuminate the world, as we have previously explained the words: “That they may give light upon the earth.” This is wherein lies the sin of the first serpent. He proclaimed unity below and diversity above. By this doctrine he brought upon men the evils from which they suffer, since man must, on the contrary, proclaim separation below and unity above; that is to say, he must proclaim the unity of the heavenly light of many hues, and the distinction of the essence of God from material things, which constitute the evil side, that is, the side accessible to demons. Therefore man must recognize the absolute unity of Elohim and Jehovah; and when he has recognized this truth, the demon will likewise disappear from this material world and will have no power even here below. Such is the mystery contained in the words: “And which shine in the firmament of heaven.” As the membranes enclose the brain, so do the demons, which are death, enclose the light. The word “light” (Or) is the symbol of unity, inasmuch as the letters of which it is composed are in alphabetical order (first K, then i, and lastly n); whereas the word “death” (Moth) (mû) is the symbol of separation, since the alphabetical order is reversed in the arrangement of the letters composing it (first û, then i, and lastly n). Now, the word “M’oroth” is composed of two words: “Or” and “Moth.” If one removes from the word “M’oroth” the letters forming the word “Or,” which signifies light and symbolizes unity, there remains only the word “Moth,” which signifies death and symbolizes separation. Through these letters Eve was the cause of evil in the world, as it is written: “And the woman judged that it was good.” She took the letters of M’oroth in reverse order, and mm remained. These two letters carried off the taw with them, and thus she became the cause of death in the world.
Interrupting the discourse of Rabbi Simeon, Rabbi Eleazar said to him: My Father, we have learned by tradition that when the letter “m” was left alone—for the letter “v,” which is the symbol of life, went away of itself—Eve added “th” to it, as it is written: “And she took,” and further on: “And gave also unto her husband.” Thus was formed the word “moth,” which signifies death. To be healed of original sin, it suffices to add to this word the letter “a” (k), whose numerical value is one, symbol of the unity of the divine essences, to form the word “Emeth,” which means truth. Rabbi Simeon said to him: Be blessed, my son, for thus indeed has the explanation of this word been handed down to us.
The fifth commandment is summed up in this verse: “Let the waters bring forth living spirits.” This verse contains three commandments: one to devote oneself to the study of the doctrine, another to practise the divine words: “Increase and multiply,” and, finally, the third, to perform circumcision on the eighth day after the birth of a male child and to remove the foreskin. The fifth commandment, then, is to devote oneself to the study of the esoteric doctrine, to delve into it and to make progress in it each day. For the man who devotes himself to the study of the esoteric doctrine is ennobled by the additional soul with which Heaven provides him, as it is written: “Living spirits,” that is, spirits emanating from the celestial region called “living” (Hayâ). The man who does not cultivate esoteric science is bereft of the holy additional soul; the holiness from on high does not rest upon him. It is the voice of the man who studies the doctrine that brings down the living soul emanating from the celestial region called “living” (Hayâ); and, thanks to it, man becomes the equal of the angels, as it is written: “Bless the Lord, ye His angels,” that is, those who are His angels.
men who study the doctrine and are called “His angels” upon the earth. Therefore Scripture says: “And the birds that fly above the earth.” For we have learned that men who, during their life upon the earth, have studied the doctrine shall be furnished by the Holy One, blessed be He, with wings like eagles, by means of which they shall traverse the earth, as it is written: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.” The words of Scripture, “And birds that fly above the earth,” therefore signify that the man who devotes himself to the study of the esoteric doctrine, called “waters,” shall be endowed with an additional holy soul emanating from the celestial region called “living.” Therefore David said: “Create in me, O God, a pure heart”; that is, open my heart, O God, to the study of Thy mysteries, and thus: “Create in me a steadfast spirit”; that is, favor me with the additional holy soul.
The sixth commandment concerns the observance of the divine words: “Be fruitful and multiply.” Whoever observes the precept “Be fruitful and multiply” helps the waters of the celestial river to flow ever on without ever running dry and to fill the ocean. For, at every birth of children, souls
Thanks to these new souls, the heavenly legions increase. Therefore Scripture says: “Let the waters bring forth living spirits,” that is to say, let the waters of the celestial river, which has its source in the holy and eternal covenant, bring forth continually; which is equivalent to saying that its waters flow ever onward without ever drying up, and this thanks to the living spirits, or, in other words, thanks to the new souls created at the birth of children. Scripture adds: “And birds that fly above the earth,” because, at the moment when the newly created soul passes through the celestial region called “living” (Hayâ), several angels accompany it; and when it descends to earth, it is accompanied by those angels who have followed it from the moment it was severed from the celestial tree. How many angels accompany each soul? Two, one standing on the right, the other on the left. If a man is worthy, these angels are his guardians, as it is written: “For He hath given His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” If a man is unworthy, these angels become his accusers. Rabbi Pinhas said: The number of angels who protect a man when he is worthy is three, as it is written: “If an angel, a protector chosen from among a thousand, plead the man’s equity, ...” The words “if an angel” designate the first angel; “a protector,” the second; and “chosen from among a thousand, plead the man’s equity,” the third. Rabbi Siméon said: The protecting angels are five in number, for Scripture adds: “...He will have compassion upon him, and will say.” “He will have compassion upon him” designates a fourth angel; “and will say” designates a fifth. Rabbi Pinhas said to Rabbi Siméon: Thy words are inaccurate; for the words: “He will have compassion upon him” designate the Holy One, blessed be He, seeing that compassion is reserved to Him alone. Rabbi Siméon answered him: Thou art right. He who refrains from fulfilling the precept “Be fruitful and multiply” diminishes—if it be permitted to speak thus—the celestial figure, central and embracing all figures, arrests the course of the celestial river, and defiles the holy covenant. It is to men who act thus that the words of Scripture allude: “They shall go forth to see the dead bodies of those who have sinned against Me.” Scripture says “against Me” because this sin is against God Himself. The soul of such a man shall never enter the vestibule of paradise and shall be cast out from the celestial world.
The seventh commandment is to circumcise male children on the eighth day after their birth and to remove the pollution of the foreskin. For the celestial region called “living” (Hayâ), whence souls emanate, is the eighth of the celestial regions; therefore no male child is to be circumcised save on the eighth day after his birth. Newborn children whose souls, instead of emanating from the celestial region called “living” (Hayâ), come from the regions of the demons, die within eight days of their birth. Such is the meaning of these words: “Let the waters bring forth living spirits.” In the book of Enoch is described the configuration of the celestial river, whose waters constitute the sacred seed of souls. This river has the form of the letter Yod; therefore the holy flesh is marked with the same letter. Scripture adds: “And the fowl that flieth above the earth.” These words allude to Elijah, who traverses the expanse in four flights to attend every circumcision. Before the operation, a throne must be set up for Elijah and verbally assigned to him, saying: “This is Elijah’s throne”; otherwise, he does not come there. Scripture then adds: “God created the great fishes.” These words allude to the two fishes, male and female, called Leviathan. These two fishes are the symbol of the male and female form manifested throughout the work of creation. Now circumcision also consists of two operations: the cutting away of the foreskin, emblem of the male, and the uncovering of the glans, emblem of the female. The words “and every living thing that moveth” allude to the sacred sign with which all children are marked who possess souls emanating from the region called “living” (Hayâ), as has been said before. The words: “Let the waters bring forth after its kind” allude to the sign of the letter Yod, which is the symbol of the configuration of the celestial river, source of all souls, and which constitutes the sacred and pure seal of the Israelites here below, so that there may be a distinction between the holy side and the side of the demons, which is profane. Just as the Israelites are marked, so that there may be a distinction between them, who are holy, and the heathen, whose souls all emanate from the demons, who are profane, so too are the cattle and fowl of the Israelites marked, to distinguish them from those of the heathen. Happy is the lot of the Israelites!
The eighth commandment is to love the proselyte who comes to be circumcised, in order to enter beneath the wings of the Shekhinah; for She takes beneath Her wings all those who separate themselves from the side of the demons and come unto Her, as it is written: “Let the earth bring forth living spirits according to their kind.” Scripture would teach us that the souls of proselytes shall not return to the way of the demons.
That is why Scripture says, “according to its kind.” For each of the wings of the Shekhinah embraces several chambers; the right wing contains two, which serve as a passage for the souls of the Israelites when, after their separation from the body, they ascend to return to the celestial region called “living.” The left wing contains two others, which are destined for “Amon” and “Moab.” From these two chambers emanate the souls with which the converts are endowed. All souls, those emanating from the celestial region called “living” (Hayâ), as well as those coming from beneath the wings of the Shekhinah, are designated by the name “living spirits”; only the latter are of a different kind. Thus Scripture, speaking of the souls of the converts, says: “according to its kind”; for these souls, being of a different kind, will reach, after their separation from the body, only as far as beneath the wings of the Shekhinah, but no farther. Whereas the souls of the Israelites, which emanate from the very body of the celestial tree, will return thereto after their separation from their bodies. It is to this mystery that the words of Scripture allude: “And you shall be a land of delight,” that is to say: the region to which the souls of the Israelites will return will be far more delightful than that where the souls of the converts go to rest. That is why Israel is called “Beloved Son,” because God has given him a better portion than the converts. The Israelites are also called: “Those whom I carry in My bosom, whom I enclose in My entrails,” because the souls of the Israelites return, after their separation from their bodies, into the very interior of the celestial tree, from which they emanate and from which they will never again depart. But the souls of the converts have no share in the celestial tree, and all the less shall they enter into it; they have a share only in the wings, and no more; therefore they will reach no farther than beneath the wings of the Shekhinah. Scripture speaks of sincere converts; it is their souls that will attain the celestial abode we have just indicated. That is why Scripture says: “Let the earth bring forth living spirits according to its kind,” that is to say, the portion of the souls of the converts in heaven shall be inferior to that of the souls of the Israelites. And Scripture adds: “The animals, the creeping things, and the beasts of the earth according to their kinds,” that is to say, just as animals differ from one another, though they are all animated by the same breath of life, so human souls differ from one another, though they all emanate from heaven.
The ninth commandment is to have compassion on the poor and to grant them food, as it is written: “Let us make man in our image.” Scripture uses the plural, “Let us make,” to show us that man’s creation was wrought by the two divine essences symbolized by male and female. “In our image” means the rich; “in our likeness” means the poor; for the male signifies riches, and the female, poverty. Now, just as the two divine essences form but one, because the one protects the other, assimilates it to itself, and showers it with blessings, so among men here below, the rich and the poor, symbols of male and female, must form but one, the one giving to the other and doing…
...to one another. Scripture adds: “And let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of heaven, and over the beasts, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” In the book of King Solomon, we have seen the following mystery: Whoever succours a poor man out of a feeling of compassion shall ever preserve upon his face the seal with which the face of the first man was marked. So long as man bears upon his face the likeness of Adam, he commands all the animals of the world, as it is written: “Let all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of heaven be struck with terror and tremble before you.” For this is the sole law imposed by the Creator upon all animals, and observed by them instinctively: to fear every man who bears upon his face the seal with which the face of Adam was marked. So long as man has compassion for the poor, he preserves this seal upon his face. Whence do we know this? We know it from Nabuchodonosor. Although he had the dream of which we know, no harm befell him and the dream was not fulfilled so long as he performed works of mercy towards the poor; but as soon as he ceased to succour the poor, that which is expressed in the words of Scripture came to pass: “Scarcely had the king spoken this word, when this voice was heard from heaven, etc.” That is to say, the seal of Adam was effaced from his face, and he ceased to be a man. Therefore Scripture uses the word “make” to express the creation of man, as it is written: “Let us make man,” in order to teach us that, to preserve the likeness of the first man, one must be charitable, the word “make” expressing charity, as it is written: “The name of the man with whom I have made a covenant this day is Booz.”