וללבן שתי בנות וגו

וללבן שתי בנות וגו'.

And Lavan had two daughters…¹

הנה לאה ורחל, הם אותיות המחשבה ואותיות הדבור, שהם עלמא דאתכסיא ועלמא דאתגליא.

Leah and Rachel are the letters of thought and the letters of speech, which are the "hidden world" and the "revealed world."²

(עיין לקמן, בדבור המתחיל בכ"ה בכסליו בפירוש "ושם ה' קטנה רחל")

(See below, in the maamar beginning "On the twenty-fifth of Kislev," on the explanation of "and the name of the younger [read: the small hei] was Rachel.")³

וזהו ענין "בארצות החיים", ב' ארצות.

And this is the meaning of "in the lands of the living"⁴ — two lands.^[a]

שבזמן שבית המקדש היה קיים, היו שני הבחינות מאירים בארץ ישראל.

When the Holy Temple stood, both levels shone in the Land of Israel.

והעיקר היה בחינת רחל, (שנקראת "עקרת הבית"), כי המחשבה מתלבשת בתוך הדבור, והדבור היה מתגלה.

The main one was the level of Rachel (who is called "the mainstay of the house"⁵), for thought is clothed within speech, and speech was revealed.

ולפי שרחל, שהוא בחינת הדבור, הוא עלמא דאתגליא, לכך היה אז בארץ ישראל גילוי אלקותו יתברך. שהיו חכמים גדולים, בעלי רוח הקודש, ונביאים.

Since Rachel, the level of speech, is the revealed world, G‑dliness was then revealed in the Land of Israel: there were great sages, possessed of ruach hakodesh (Divine inspiration), and prophets.

(וכמו שפירש רש”י גבי יונה ויחזקאל, שאין הנבואה שורה אלא בארץ ישראל)

(As Rashi explains regarding Yonah⁶ and Yechezkel,⁷ that prophecy rests only in the Land of Israel.)

ובפרט בית המקדש, והשראת השכינה בקודש הקדשים, ואורים ותומים, ועבודת הקרבנות, שהיה יורד אש שלמעלה.

And especially the Holy Temple: the resting of the Shechinah in the Holy of Holies, the Urim VeTumim, and the service of the offerings, when fire came down from above.⁸

מה שאין כן אחר חורבן בית המקדש, שגלו ישראל, וגלתה עמהם השכינה. שהיא בחינת רחל, שהיא בבחינת גלות, בע' שרים, ואינה מאירה כלל, מערך הגלוי שהיתה מאירה בזמן הבית, שהיה הדבור מתגלה.

This is not so after the destruction of the Holy Temple, when Israel went into exile and the Shechinah went into exile with them⁹ — the Shechinah being the level of Rachel. She is in a state of exile, among the seventy princes,¹⁰ and does not shine at all, compared with the revelation with which she shone in Temple times, when speech was revealed.

מה שאין כן עכשיו כתיב, "כרחל לפני גוזזיה נאלמה". והעבודה היא בדרך בירורים כו'.

Whereas now it is written, "Like a ewe [rachel] that is silent before her shearers."¹¹ And the service is by way of birurim (refinement)¹²…

(וכמו שכתוב על פסוק במדבר סיני.)

(As is written on the verse "in the wilderness of Sinai.")

ומכל מקום נשאר מאיר בארץ ישראל בחינת לאה. והיא מדרגה יותר גבוה מבחינת רחל וכמשל המחשבה, שהיא רוחניות ונעלית מן הדבור.

Nevertheless, the level of Leah still shines in the Land of Israel. It is a higher level than that of Rachel, just as thought is spiritual and loftier than speech.^[b]

(שהיא אינה בגלות, כי רחל נקרא "מ"ם פתוחה", שיש ממנה פתח, ומבוא ליניקת החיצונים בזמן הגלות. מה שאין כן מבחינת מ"ם סתומה. ושם הוא שרש לאה. עיין בזהר ראש פרשת תרומה דף קכ"ו ב' ודף קכ"ז)

(For Leah is not in exile. Rachel is called the "open mem,"¹³ which has an opening, an entrance through which the external forces draw nurture during the exile. This is not so with the level of the "closed mem," and there is the root of Leah. See the Zohar at the beginning of Parshas Terumah, pages 126b and 127.)

אך לפי שהוא עלמא דאתכסיא והעלם, לכך אין הגילוי אלקות עכשיו בארץ ישראל, מערך הגילוי שהיה בזמן בית המקדש קיים.

But since it is the hidden world, concealment, the revelation of G‑dliness in the Land of Israel now is not comparable to the revelation when the Holy Temple stood.

ומכל מקום הצדיקים הגדולים אשר בארץ, יכולים להשיג עכשיו בארץ ישראל השגות עליונות יותר, אפילו ממה שהשיגו צדיקים כמותם, בזמן הבית. (מאחר שההשגה היא בבחינת מחשבה עליונה, כמו שהיא עדיין למעלה מהתלבשות בעולם הדבור)

Nevertheless, the great tzaddikim in the Land can now attain, in the Land of Israel, even higher perceptions than tzaddikim of their stature attained in Temple times (since that perception is on the level of supernal thought, as it is still above being clothed in the world of speech).

וכמו האר"י זכרונו לברכה, שהשיג השגות עצומות מה שלא השיגו צדיקים גדולים בדורות הקדמונים.

Like the Arizal¹⁴ of blessed memory, who attained tremendous perceptions that great tzaddikim of earlier generations did not attain.

ולהבין מה שכתוב "כי שנואה לאה כו'". הרי יעקב השיג ודאי בעלמא דאתכסיא?

Now, to understand what is written, "that Leah was hated…":¹⁵ surely Yaakov attained the hidden world!^[c]

אך הענין, כי יעקב נקרא "בריח התיכון, המבריח מן הקצה אל הקצה". פירוש שהוא הממשיך אור אין סוף ברוך הוא, מן הקצה עליונה (היינו הקו הבוקע החלל, כמו שכתוב במקום אחר) מבחינת כתר, למטה.

The explanation: Yaakov is called "the middle bar, which bolts from end to end."¹⁶ That is, he draws down the light of Ein Sof, blessed be He, from the upper end (namely the "line" that pierces the vacated space,¹⁷ as explained elsewhere), from the level of Kesser (the crown, the highest level), downward.

ולכן נאמר בו תוספת וי"ו "ואלקי יעקב". וכן "והנורא". שמייחד ומחבר חסד וגבורה, על ידי המשכת והארת האין, והיינו על ידי בחינת בטול.

This is why an extra vav ("and") is said of him: "and the G‑d of Yaakov."¹⁸ Likewise "and the awesome."¹⁹ For he unites and joins Chesed and Gevurah by drawing down and shining forth the Ayin (the Divine "nothingness"), that is, through the level of bittul (self-nullification).

וכל ההמשכות שלו הוא עד הקצה התחתונה. דהיינו בבחינת מלכות, עלמא דאתגלייא.

And all that he draws down reaches the lowest end, that is, the level of Malchus (sovereignty), the revealed world.

וזהו "ויאהב גם את רחל מלאה" שכל תשוקתו היה להיות גילוי אור אין סוף ברוך הוא למטה בעלמא דאתגלייא, שעל ידי זה יוכלו הכל לקבל, מה שאין כן מבחינת עלמא דאתכסייא כו'.

And this is "And he loved²⁰ Rachel also, more than Leah": all his yearning was that the light of Ein Sof, blessed be He, be revealed below, in the revealed world, so that everyone would be able to receive it; which is not so with the hidden world…

ולכן כתיב "וישק יעקב לרחל", על דרך שנקוד על "וישקהו". דהיינו, שבחינת חכמה בינה דעת, שהוא זיווג נשיקין, ואתדבקוח רוחא ברוחא. על דרך משל הנשיקין שבאין מפנימית האהבה.

This is why it is written, "And Yaakov kissed Rachel,"²¹ similar to the dots written over "and he kissed him."²² That is: the level of Chochmah, Binah and Daas, which is "the union of kisses" and "the cleaving of spirit to spirit,"²³ like the analogy of kisses that come from the innermost love.

(עיין מה שכתוב במקום אחר על פסוק "ישקני מנשיקות", ועל פסוק "אמצאך בחוץ אשקך") וגם בחינת זו המשיך ברחל.

(See what is written elsewhere on the verse "Let him kiss me with the kisses"²⁴ and on the verse "I would find you outside and kiss you."²⁵) This level, too, he drew into Rachel.

וזהו שכתוב "אעבדך שבע שנים ברחל בתך הקטנה".

And this is the meaning of "I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter."^26[d]

כי לבן הוא בחינת לובן העליון, מקור החסדים, שכולו רחמים פשוטים, דלית שמאלא בהאי עתיקא. רק שלמטה, נשפל בלבן גשמי. ומכל מקום, כתיב, "כלו הפך לבן, טהור הוא", אפילו הנגע כו'.

For Lavan is the level of the "supernal whiteness" (lovan), the source of the kindnesses, which is entirely simple compassion, for "there is no left side in this Atik."²⁷ Only below, it descends into a physical Lavan. Even so, it is written, "It has all turned white; he is pure"²⁸ — even the affliction…

ועל לבן כתיב, "וישכם לבן בבקר", שבכל יום מתגבר ונמשך אור החסד עליון. "וינשק לבניו ובנותיו", שנמשך בכל פרצופי האצילות, זכרים ונקבות. ואחר כך "ולבן שב למקומו", למעלה מעלה.

And of Lavan it is written, "And Lavan rose early in the morning,"²⁹ for each day the light of supernal kindness grows stronger and flows forth. "And he kissed his sons and daughters": it is drawn into all the partzufim of Atzilus,³⁰ male and female. And afterward "Lavan returned to his place," on high.

"ויעקב הלך לדרכו", להמשיך בחינת לובן העליון הנזכר לעיל למטה מטה, ברחל בתו הקטנה, בחינת דבור כו'.

"And Yaakov went on his way"³¹: to draw the supernal whiteness mentioned above down to the very lowest, into "Rachel his younger daughter," the level of speech…

ולכן היתה רחל עקרה, כי ההולדה מבחינת הדבור הוא להיות הגילוי בבריאה יצירה עשייה, ואי אפשר להיות הולדה וגילוי בבריאה יצירה עשייה, שהרי הנבראים הם נפרדים ואי אפשר להתגלות להם בחינת לובן העליון הנזכר לעיל.

This is why Rachel was barren. For giving birth from the level of speech means revelation in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah (the three lower worlds), and birth and revelation in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah is impossible, since the created beings are separate, and the supernal whiteness mentioned above cannot be revealed to them.

(ומה שכתוב לעי’ דרחל נקרא עלמא דאתגלייא? מכל מקום להיות הגילוי על דרך בחינת לידה הוא קשה ביותר כו'. ויש חילוק גדול בין שארי השפעות לבחינת לידה שהוא גילוי עליון יותר ועמה שכתוב בזוהר פ' פנחס דרמ"ט)

(And what of what was said above,³² that Rachel is called the revealed world? Nevertheless, revelation by way of birth is most difficult. There is a great difference between other forms of giving and the level of birth, which is a higher revelation; see what is written in the Zohar, Parshas Pinchas, page 249.³³)

אבל לאה שהיא המחשבה, ילדה ששה בנים שהם הספירות שבאצילות עצמו, ששם היה שרש השבטים, ולכן נקראו "שבטי יה".

But Leah, who is thought, bore six sons, who are the sefiros in Atzilus itself, where the root of the tribes was; and therefore they are called "the tribes of G‑d."^34[e]

"יהודה, הפעם אודה", בחי' בטול והודאה, הרי הוא נמשך ומסתעף מן המחשבה דוקא.

"Yehudah: This time I will thank"³⁵: the level of bittul and acknowledgment, which is drawn and branches out specifically from thought.

וכן, ראובן ושמעון, ראיה ושמיעה, הוא ג"כ למעלה מבחינת הדבור אלא מן המחשבה הן נמשכים כו'. (כמ"ש במקום אחר על פסוק יהודה אתה כו')

Likewise Reuven and Shimon, seeing and hearing,³⁶ are also above the level of speech; they are drawn from thought… (As is explained elsewhere on the verse "Yehudah, you…"³⁷)

וגם לוי שהוא בחינת התקשרות, כמו שכתוב "הפעם ילוה כו'", נמשך ונולד גם כן מן המחשבה. כנראה בחוש במי שהוא בעל מחשבה, שאינו מרגיש כלל בעסקים החולפים לפניו, מחמת גודל התקשרות שיש לו בהמחשבה.

Levi too, who is the level of attachment, as it is written, "This time my husband will be attached [yilaveh] to me…",³⁸ is drawn and born from thought. This is plainly seen in a man of thought: he does not feel at all the affairs passing before him, because of the greatness of his attachment to his thought.

וכמו שכתוב במדרש בעובדא דר' חייא רבה.

As told in the Midrash in the story of Rabbi Chiya Rabbah.³⁹⁴⁰

וכן גבי רבא (בפ' אר"ע) דהוה מעיין בשמעתי' כו'.

Likewise regarding Rava (in the chapter "Amar Rabbi Akiva"⁴¹), who was absorbed in his learning…

ולכן יצא ממנו משה, שהיה כבד פה וכבד לשון. דהיינו שלגודל התקשרותו בבחינת בטול "ונחנו מה" לא היה יכול להיות משפיע כו', שהיא בחי' הדבור כו'.

This is why Moshe came from him, who was "heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue":⁴² because of the greatness of his attachment in the level of bittul, "and what are we?",⁴³ he could not be a source of giving to others, which is the level of speech…

ועיקר ההפרש בין התקשרות דלוי, שהוא בחינת בטול ובין הודיה דיהודה שהוא גם כן בחינת בטול, הוא.

The main difference between the attachment of Levi, which is the level of bittul, and the acknowledgment of Yehudah, which is also the level of bittul, is this:^[f]

כי יהודה הוא בחינת הבטול בגילוי, כענין מודים שכורע ומשתחוה. ולכן יצאו ממנו מלכי בית דוד, שבטולם הוא בחינת הבטול שבהתגלות וחיצוניות.

Yehudah is the level of bittul in revealed form, like Modim, when one bows and prostrates himself.⁴⁴ This is why the kings of the House of David came from him: their bittul is the bittul of revelation and externality.

אבל לוי שהוא בחינת ההתקשרות והבטול בפנימיותו ועצמותו, הגם שבחיצוניות אינו נגלה כלל, וכענין בטול ד"צבא השמים לך משתחוים". שההשתחואה של המלאכים אינו ענין השתחואה גשמיות, אלא שמשתחוה ובטל בהשגתו ברוחניות. ולכן יצא ממנו משה.

But Levi is the level of attachment and bittul in his innermost being and essence, even though outwardly it is not revealed at all, like the bittul of "the hosts of heaven bow to You."⁴⁵ The bowing of the angels is not a physical bowing; rather, they bow and are nullified in their spiritual perception. This is why Moshe came from him.

(ועיין מה שכתוב במקום אחר, ההפרש בין משה ואליהו שהוא גם כן על דרך זהז) ואחר כך, "ותעמוד מלדת", שלא היה יכול להיות בחי' גילוי עוד.

(See what is written elsewhere on the difference between Moshe and Eliyahu, which is also along these lines.) And afterward "she stopped bearing,"⁴⁶ for there could be no further level of revelation.

(ועיין מה שכתוב על פסוק "טובה הארץ מאד מאד", דענין דור המדבר שהיה מבחינת לאה, עולם המחשבה, וטענו למה צריכים לירד בבחינת עולם הדבור, שהוא בחי' מלכות ארץ תתאה, לקיים המצות בדבור ובמעשה, הלא זה אפשר לקיים גם על ידי התורה ומצוות ברוחניות, דהיינו על ידי המחשבה כו'?

(See what is written on the verse "The land is very, very good":⁴⁷ the generation of the wilderness was of the level of Leah, the world of thought. They argued: why must they descend into the level of the world of speech, which is the level of Malchus, the "lower land,"⁴⁸ to fulfill the mitzvos in speech and action? Surely this can be done through Torah and mitzvos spiritually, that is, through thought…?

אך באמת היו בטעות גדול, דעל ידי דבור ומעשה דוקא נמשך גילוי אור אין סוף ברוך הוא ביתר שאת לאין קץ, כי "נעוץ סופן בתחלתן כו'". ומשה רבינו עליו השלום התפלל תקט"ו תפלות ליכנס לארץ כו'.

But in truth they were in great error, for specifically through speech and action the revelation of the light of Ein Sof, blessed be He, is drawn down with infinitely greater superiority, for "their end is wedged in their beginning…"⁴⁹ And Moshe our teacher, peace be upon him, prayed 515 prayers⁵⁰ to enter the Land…

ועל פי זה יובן עוד ענין "ויאהב יעקב את רחל" דוקא, שהיא בחינת דבור ומעשה, כי "שנואה לאה" ההפך מכוונת דור המדבר.

In light of this one can understand further why "Yaakov loved Rachel"⁵¹ specifically, she being the level of speech and action; for "Leah was hated," the opposite of the intent of the generation of the wilderness.^[g]

ואמנם צריך ביאור מה שאמרה לאה "הפעם ילוה אישי אלי" דוקא. דודאי לא עלה על דעתה לאפוקי מבחינת דבור ומעשה.

Yet it needs explanation why Leah said specifically, "This time my husband will be attached to me." Surely it did not occur to her to exclude the level of speech and action.

אלא הענין כי באמת צריך להבין ב' הבחינות מחשבה ודבור ומעשה. דהא בלא הא לא סגי.

Rather, the point is that in truth one must understand both levels, thought and speech-and-action, for one without the other is not enough.⁵²

ועיין מה שכתוב במקום אחר בענין לויתן ושור הבר, שהוא גם כן ענין ב' בחינות הנזכרים לעיל. "לויתן" לשון התקשרות בחינת בטול, דנוני ימא, כמו "הפעם ילוה כו'". ולאה רצתה שיהיה העיקר על ידי בחינה זו.

See what is written elsewhere about the Leviathan and the wild ox,⁵³ which are also the two levels mentioned above. "Leviathan" is an expression of attachment, the level of bittul of "the fish of the sea,"⁵⁴ like "This time he will be attached [yilaveh]…" And Leah wanted the main thing to be through this level.

על דרך שאמרו בחסידים הראשונים שהיו שוהין ט' שעות בכל יום בתפלה, שהוא כענין בטול והתקשרות הנזכר לעיל דמחשבה כו'. "ואימתי תורתן נעשית? אלא מתוך שחסידים הן כו'"? הרי רוב עסקם היה על דרך זה

Similar to what was said of the early pious ones, who would spend nine hours every day in prayer,⁵⁵ which is like the bittul and attachment of thought mentioned above… "When, then, is their Torah done? Rather, because they are pious…"⁵⁶ So most of their occupation was in this manner.

(ומבואר ענין זה לקמן בדבור המתחיל "ששים המה מלכות כו' אחת היא יונתי כו'")

(This is explained below in the maamar beginning "There are sixty queens… My dove is one…")

ואמנם יעקב ידע שזה אי אפשר, רק לבני עלייה שהן מועטים, אבל כל ישראל עיקר רוב העסק הוא על ידי דבור ומעשה.

But Yaakov knew that this is impossible, except for the "people of ascent," who are few;⁵⁷ for all of Israel, the main part of their occupation is through speech and action.

ולכן היה באהל רחל עיקר קביעותו שהוא בחי' דבור ומעשה, ומכל מקום צריך להיות גם כן מחשבה, שמזה נמשך ראיה ושמיעה לאסתכלא ביקרא דמלכא כו', ו"כל האומר אין לי אלא תורה כו'" אלא צ"ל רצוא ושוב, רק כי אז "נעוץ סופן כו":

Therefore his main dwelling was in the tent of Rachel, the level of speech and action. Nevertheless there must also be thought, from which come seeing and hearing, "to gaze upon the glory of the King,"⁵⁸ and "whoever says 'I have only Torah'…"⁵⁹ Rather, there must be⁶⁰ ratzo vashov, "running and returning,"⁶¹ only that then "their end is wedged…"^62[h]

Flow of the maamar (where the Alter Rebbe is heading)

a. He presents two levels: Leah, thought and the hidden world, and Rachel, speech and the revealed world. The difference between them will explain the contrast between Temple times and exile, and later why Yaakov loved Rachel specifically.

b. Here he turns from the exile to what remains: the level of Leah did not go into exile. From this he will explain at once why tzaddikim in the Land of Israel today attain higher perceptions than in Temple times.

c. Here is the central question of the maamar: if Yaakov attained the hidden world, why was "Leah hated"? The answer: Yaakov's task is to draw the light all the way down, and therefore he loved Rachel, the level of revelation.

d. Here he begins to explain "for Rachel, your younger daughter": Lavan is the "supernal whiteness," and Yaakov draws it down into Rachel. This prepares the explanation of why Rachel was barren.

e. From here he moves to Leah: unlike barren Rachel, Leah bore six sons, because her sons are drawn from thought. From this he will explain the names Reuven, Shimon, Levi and Yehudah.

f. Here he distinguishes two kinds of bittul: Yehudah's, which is revealed, and Levi's, which is inward. The distinction explains why the Davidic kings came from Yehudah and Moshe from Levi.

g. Here he returns to the question "Leah was hated": the generation of the wilderness wanted to remain in the level of thought, while Yaakov loved Rachel, speech and action, because specifically through them the light is drawn down most powerfully.

h. The conclusion: Leah wanted thought to be the main thing, and Yaakov knew that this is only for a few individuals. Therefore his main dwelling was in Rachel's tent, speech and action, yet together with thought, in the way of ratzo vashov.

Notes

1. Bereishis 29:16: "And Lavan had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel."

2. In the language of the Zohar, alma de'iscasya, "the hidden world," and alma de'isgalya, "the revealed world." Thought is hidden within a person; speech reveals it to another.

3. See Torah Ohr, Vayeishev, the maamar "BeChaf-Hei BeKislev": "שם הקטנה רחל. ה' קטנה בחי' מל'" — "the younger" (haketanah) is read as "the small hei": the final hei of the Divine Name Havayah, the attribute of Malchus (sovereignty).

4. Tehillim 116:9: "I will walk before G‑d in the lands of the living." "Lands" is plural: two levels of "land," Leah and Rachel.

5. Based on Tehillim 113:9: "He sets the barren woman of the house (akeres habayis) as a joyful mother of children; praise G‑d." See also Bereishis Rabbah 71:2, that Rachel was the mainstay (ikar) of the house.

6. Rashi: Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki. See Rashi on Yonah 1:3: "He said: I will flee to the sea, for the Shechinah does not rest outside the Land."

7. See Rashi on Yechezkel 1:3: "For the Shechinah does not rest upon a prophet outside the Land unless it first rested upon him in the Land."

8. See Yoma 21b: "Although fire comes down from heaven, it is a mitzvah to bring ordinary fire as well."

9. See Megillah 29a: "Come and see how beloved Israel are before the Holy One, blessed be He: wherever they were exiled, the Shechinah was with them."

10. The seventy heavenly princes appointed over the seventy nations.

11. Yeshayahu 53:7: "He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter, and like a ewe that is silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth." Rachel means "ewe"; the speech (Rachel) is silenced.

12. Birurim: refining the sparks of holiness that fell into the world and raising them to their source.

13. The open mem (מ) has an opening at the bottom; the closed (final) mem (ם) is closed on every side.

14. The Arizal: Rabbi Yitzchak Luria.

15. Bereishis 29:31: "G‑d saw that Leah was hated, and He opened her womb; and Rachel was barren."

16. Based on Shemos 26:28: "And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall bolt from end to end." Yaakov is the middle line, which joins the uppermost end with the lowest.

17. The "line" (kav) of the light of Ein Sof drawn into the empty space left by the tzimtzum (contraction).

18. Shemos 3:15: "the G‑d of Avraham, the G‑d of Yitzchak, and the G‑d of Yaakov." Only with Yaakov is the joining vav ("and") said, since he joins the attribute of Avraham (Chesed, kindness) with that of Yitzchak (Gevurah, severity).

19. Based on Devarim 10:17, and the Amidah prayer: "the great, the mighty, and the awesome G‑d." "The great" is Chesed (Avraham), "the mighty" is Gevurah (Yitzchak), and "and the awesome" is Tiferes (Yaakov), again with the joining vav.

20. Bereishis 29:30: "He came also to Rachel, and he loved Rachel also, more than Leah, and he served with him another seven years." "He" is Yaakov.

21. Bereishis 29:11: "And Yaakov kissed Rachel, and he raised his voice and wept."

22. Bereishis 33:4: "Esav ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept." The word "and he kissed him" carries dots over its letters in the Torah (see Rashi there). A kiss expresses inner love.

23. "The union of kisses" is the inner union of Chochmah, Binah and Daas (wisdom, understanding and knowledge); "the cleaving of spirit to spirit" is the Zohar's phrase.

24. Shir HaShirim 1:2: "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love is better than wine."

25. Shir HaShirim 8:1: "O that you were like a brother to me, who nursed at my mother's breasts! I would find you outside and kiss you, and none would scorn me."

26. Bereishis 29:18: "And Yaakov loved Rachel, and he said: I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter."

27. Based on the Zohar (Idra Rabba, III, 129a): "There is no left side in this Atik." Lavan means "white." In the level of Atik (the "Ancient One," the innermost level of Kesser) there is no left side (judgment), only kindness and compassion.

28. Vayikra 13:13: "The kohen shall look, and behold, the tzaraas has covered all his flesh; he shall declare the affliction pure: it has all turned white, he is pure."

29. Bereishis 32:1: "Lavan rose early in the morning, kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them; and Lavan went and returned to his place."

30. When the sefiros take the form of a complete "stature" they are called partzufim (configurations); "male" is the giver, "female" the receiver.

31. Bereishis 32:2: "And Yaakov went on his way, and angels of G‑d met him."

32. Above, in this maamar.

33. Zohar, Parshas Pinchas, III, 249.

34. Tehillim 122:4: "For there the tribes went up, the tribes of G‑d, a testimony to Israel, to give thanks to the name of G‑d."

35. Bereishis 29:35: "She conceived again and bore a son, and she said: This time I will thank G‑d; therefore she called his name Yehudah; and she stopped bearing."

36. See Bereishis 29:32: "She called his name Reuven, for she said: G‑d has seen my affliction," and 29:33: "She said: Because G‑d has heard that I am hated… and she called his name Shimon." Reuven is from "seeing," Shimon from "hearing."

37. See Torah Ohr, Vayechi, the maamar "Yehudah Atah Yoducha Achecha": "Reuven is named for 'see (re'u), a son' — the level of seeing."

38. Bereishis 29:34: "She conceived again and bore a son, and she said: Now this time my husband will be attached to me, for I have borne him three sons; therefore he called his name Levi."

39. Bereishis Rabbah 33:3.

40. Rabbi (Yehudah HaNasi) was praising Rabbi Chiya Rabbah before Rabbi Yishmael son of Rabbi Yosi: "A great man, a holy man." Once Rabbi Yishmael saw him at the bathhouse, and Rabbi Chiya did not stand for him. He said to Rabbi: "That student you praise — I saw him at the bathhouse and he did not rise before me." Rabbi asked Rabbi Chiya why. He answered: "I was contemplating the Aggadah of Tehillim" (and did not notice him). When Rabbi heard this (that his thought was so intense that he saw nothing), he assigned him two students who would go with him into dark places, so that he would not become so absorbed (in his thought) that his life would ebb away.

41. The chapter "Amar Rabbi Akiva," the ninth chapter of tractate Shabbos. See Shabbos 88a: "A certain heretic saw Rava absorbed in his learning, with the fingers of his hand under his leg, pressing on them, and his fingers were spurting blood" — and he did not feel it.

42. Shemos 4:10: "Moshe said to G‑d: Please, my L‑rd, I am not a man of words… for I am heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue."

43. Shemos 16:7: "…For He has heard your complaints against G‑d; and what are we?" — the words of Moshe and Aharon.

44. See Berachos 34a: "These are the blessings at which one bows: at Avos, at the beginning and the end; at Hoda'ah (Modim), at the beginning and the end." At Modim in the Amidah one bows down.

45. Nechemiah 9:6: "You alone are G‑d; You made the heavens… and You give life to them all, and the hosts of heaven bow to You."

46. Bereishis 29:35 (cited above).

47. Bamidbar 14:7: "They said to the entire congregation of Israel: The land that we passed through to scout is very, very good."

48. "The lower land" is the attribute of Malchus (Rachel), as against "the upper land," Binah (Leah).

49. Sefer Yetzirah 1:7: "Their end is wedged in their beginning, and their beginning in their end." The very lowest is bound up with the very highest.

50. Five hundred and fifteen, the numerical value of va'eschanan ("I pleaded"), Devarim 3:23: "I pleaded with G‑d at that time, saying…" (see Devarim Rabbah 11:10).

51. Bereishis 29:18 (cited above).

52. Aramaic: "This without that is not enough."

53. The Leviathan and the wild ox, from which the feast of the righteous will be made in the time to come.

54. "The fish of the sea" are always within their source, the water, and are nullified to it.

55. See Berachos 32b: "The early pious ones would wait an hour, pray an hour, and wait again an hour. Since they spent nine hours a day in prayer, how was their Torah preserved, and how was their work done? Rather, because they were pious, their Torah was preserved and their work was blessed."

56. Berachos 32b (cited above).

57. Based on Sukkah 45b: "I have seen the people of ascent, and they are few."

58. The Zohar's phrase: "to gaze upon the glory of the King."

59. See Yevamos 109b: "Whoever says he has only Torah… even Torah he does not have."

60. Literally, "there must be."

61. Based on Yechezkel 1:14: "And the chayos ran and returned (ratzo vashov) like the appearance of a flash." Ratzo is the yearning to rise and be absorbed in the source; shov is the return below, to fulfill Torah and mitzvos in practice.

62. Sefer Yetzirah 1:7 (cited above).