אם לא תדעי לך היפה בנשים

אם לא תדעי לך היפה בנשים, צאי לך בעקבי הצאן, ורעי את גדיותיך על משכנות הרועים.

If you do not know, O fairest among women, go out in the footsteps of the flock, and graze your kids by the dwellings of the shepherds.¹

הנה כתיב, "ורחל היתה יפת תואר ויפת מראה".

Now, it is written: "And Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance."²

פי' "יפת תואר" בציור האברים לפי תכונתם במדתם.

"Beautiful of form" refers to the shape of the limbs, each formed according to its proper proportion and measure.

ו"יפת מראה", בזיו והוד קלסתר הפנים.

And "beautiful of appearance" refers to the radiance and splendor of the face.

והנה רחל הוא כנ"י, שנק' בשם רחל, ע"ש הפסוק "כרחל לפני גוזזיה נאלמה".

Now, Rachel is the Community of Israel (Knesses Yisrael), which is called by the name Rachel ("ewe") after the verse, "like a ewe that is dumb before her shearers."³

והענין, כי הנה כתיב "נעשה אדם בצלמנו כו'".

The explanation: it is written, "Let us make man in our image…"⁴

ופי' "בצלמנו", כמ"ש "ועל דמות הכסא דמות כמראה אדם".

And "in our image" is explained by the verse, "And upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness like the appearance of a man."⁵

והוא בחי' "לך הוי"ה הגדולה והגבורה כו'".

This is the level of "Yours, G‑d, are the greatness and the might…"⁶

וכך הוא בנפש האדם, ז' מדות אהוי"ר כו'.

So too in the human soul there are seven middos (emotional attributes): love and fear, and so on.⁷

אך אין ערוך מדת הנפש שהיא בעלת גבול לגבי מדותיו ית', שהוא א"ס ולמדותיו א"ס.

But the attributes of the soul, which is limited, bear no comparison to His attributes, for He is infinite (Ein Sof) and His attributes are infinite.

וכדי שיאיר על נפשו אור האהבה מאור א"ס ב"ה, צ"ל בבחי' בטול הנפש במציאות אליו ית'.

For the light of love from the infinite light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, to shine upon one's soul, the soul must be in a state of bittul, self-nullification of its very existence before Him.⁸

שהוא להיות בחי' עפר ודומם לגבי אור א"ס ב"ה.

That is, to be as dust and as inanimate matter before the infinite light, blessed be He,

וכמאמר "ונפשי כעפר לכל תהיה".

as the saying goes: "And let my soul be as dust to all."⁹

והוא בחי' עפר אשר בקרקע המשכן.

This is the level of "the dust that is on the floor of the Mishkan."¹⁰

וע"י זה, תהיה נפשו מכון ומשכן לאור באור א"ס ב"ה, להיות בבחי' "בצלמנו" בציור האברים אהוי"ר כו', מחשבה דו"מ כו'.

Through this his soul becomes a resting place and a dwelling for the light, in the infinite light, blessed be He,¹¹ to be in the state of "in our image," in the form of the "limbs": love and fear, and so on; thought, speech and action, and so on.¹²

וזהו בחינת "יפת תאר" שיתארו בם כל המדות בשלימותן וביופין כמו שהם למעלה כו'.

This is "beautiful of form": all the middos are formed in them in their completeness and beauty, as they are above.

וזהו "ורחל היתה יפת תאר" שבחי' "יפת תאר" זה הוא ע"י בחי' רחל, שהוא כמ"ש "וכרחל לפני גוזזיה כו'".

And this is "And Rachel was beautiful of form": this "beauty of form" comes through the quality of Rachel, as it is written, "like a ewe before her shearers…"^[a]

אך כ"ז הוא בחי' חיצוניות שהם אהוי"ר כו' ומחשבה דבור ומעשה כו'.

But all this is the external level: love and fear, and so on, and thought, speech and action.

אבל בחי' פנימית, הוא בחי' רעותא דלבא, שהוא בחי' הארה מפנימית אוא"ס ב"ה דלית מחשבה תפיסא ביה כו'.

The inner level, however, is the "desire of the heart" (re'usa d'liba),¹³ which is an illumination from the innermost of the infinite light, blessed be He, of which "no thought can grasp Him."¹⁴

ובהארה זו שמשם לכנס"י, נק' "יפת מראה", שהוא זיו הקלסתר פנים.

Through this illumination, which comes from there to the Community of Israel, she is called "beautiful of appearance," which is the radiance of the countenance.

שלכן נק' בשם "פנים" שהפנימיות מתגלה בו.

It is called "face" (panim) because the inner dimension (penimiyus) is revealed in it,

כמו "צהבו פניו כו'".

as in "his face shone…"¹⁵

והוא ענין מ"ש יאר ה' פניו כו'.

This is the meaning of the verse, "May G‑d make His face shine…"¹⁶

וכדי שתהא כנ"י מקבלת בחי' והארה זו הוא ג"כ מחמת בחי' רחל.

And for the Community of Israel to receive this level and illumination is also through the quality of Rachel.

והוא בחי' ובכל מאדך כו'.

This is the level of "and with all your might…"¹⁷

שע"י זה נמשכה ההארה העליונה ההיא מריש כל דרגין עד סוף כל דרגין כו'.

Through it that supernal illumination is drawn down "from the highest of all levels to the lowest of all levels,"

וכמ"ש, "ומתחת זרועות עולם".

as it is written, "and beneath are the arms of the world."¹⁸

וזהו "היפה בנשים".

And this is "the fairest among women":

פי' בחי' יפת תאר ויפ"מ הנ"ל.

meaning, the qualities of "beautiful of form" and "beautiful of appearance" described above.^[b]

וז"ש "אם לא תדעי לך".

And this is what is written, "If you do not know."

פי' שלא נמשך בחי' היפה בנשים הנ"ל בבחי' דעת שלימה.

That is, the level of "the fairest among women" described above is not drawn down with complete da'as (knowledge).¹⁹

(וכעין מ"ש במ"א, שיש נשמות שנק' זרע אדם שיש בהן בחי' דעת חזק, והן נשמות דאצי', וכמו נשמת רשב"י.

(This is similar to what is explained elsewhere: there are souls called "the seed of man,"²⁰ which possess strong da'as — the souls of Atzilus, such as the soul of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.

ויש שנק' זרע בהמה, שאין בו בחינת דעת, והיינו כמו נשמות שלנו דבי"ע.

And there are souls called "the seed of animal," which lack da'as — such as our souls, of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah.

ואין הפירוש שאינו יודע ומבין.

This does not mean that one does not know and understand,

רק שלא נמשך מזה התפעלות אמיתית, ואינו נזון מן ההתבוננות כו'.

only that no true arousal of feeling comes of it, and he is not nourished by his contemplation.

וזהו "אם לא תדעי לך".

And this is "If you do not know."

ופי' "לך" מובן ממ"ש ע"פ "עיני כל").

The meaning of "for yourself" (lach) is understood from what is explained on the verse "The eyes of all…")²¹

אך זאת העצה היעוצה "צאי לך בעקבי הצאן".

But this is the counsel given: "go out in the footsteps of the flock."^[c]

"צאן" מלשון "צאי".

"Flock" (tzon) is related to "go out" (tze'i),

כלומר דבר היוצא.

that is, something that goes out —

דהיינו בחי' היוצא מלמעלה מסדר ההשתלשלות.

namely, what comes forth from above, beyond the order of hishtalshelus.²²

והוא בחי' "צאן לבן" לובן העליון.

This is the level of "the flock of Lavan,"²³ the supernal "whiteness" (loven).²⁴

וכל העבודה שעבד יעקב ללבן, "שש שנים בצאנך" הם בחי' שיתא סדרי משנה כו', שהם בחי' "צאן", שיצאו ונמשכו מענג העליון.

All the work that Yaakov did for Lavan, "six years for your flock,"²⁵ represents the six orders of the Mishnah, which are "flock" (tzon): they went out and were drawn down from the supernal delight (oneg).

"אשר קדשנו במצותיו", אשר הוא בחי' ענג, כמ"ש במ"א.

"Who has sanctified us with His commandments" — "who" (asher) being the level of delight, as explained elsewhere.²⁶

ותורה שבע"פ נק' "פרט", מלשון פרט ועוללות.

And the Oral Torah is called peret, from the term "peret and olelos" (fallen grapes and small clusters),²⁷

שנמשכו שלא כסדר ההשתלשלות מעילה לעילה רק בדרך פרט ועוללות.

for they were drawn down not according to the order of hishtalshelus, from cause to effect, but in the manner of peret and olelos.²⁸

וזהו "ויפרוץ האיש מאד מאד ויהי לו צאן רבות".

And this is "And the man increased (vayifrotz) exceedingly, exceedingly, and he had many flocks."^29[d]

שהמשיך בחי' צאן רבות ע"י בחי' מאד מאד.

He drew down "many flocks" through the level of "exceedingly, exceedingly" (me'od me'od).

כי בחי' "ובכל מאדך כו'" הוא בחי' מאד שלך, כל חד לפום שיעורא דיליה, משא"כ "מאד" סתם.

For "with all your might (me'odecha)…" is your "might," "each one according to his own measure";³⁰ not so a plain "me'od."

אבל "מאד, מאד" הוא בחי' מאד לגבי כל הבחי' מאד.

And "me'od, me'od" is "very" relative to all the levels of "very."

ופי' הפסוק "ויפרץ האיש מאד מאד", לפי שפרץ והרבה למעלה ממדרגה למדרגה עד רום המעלות, לפיכך הרבה להמשיך בחי' צאן, מבחי' רבה וגבה מאד נעלה מאא"ס ב"ה ממש.

The meaning of the verse "and the man increased exceedingly, exceedingly": because he broke through and increased upward, from level to level, to the very highest, he therefore drew down much "flock," from a level that is great and "exceedingly high,"³¹ exalted, from the very infinite light, blessed be He.

(ועיין מ"ש בפ' שלח בפי' טובה הארץ מאד מאד)

(See what is explained in Parshas Shelach on "The land is exceedingly, exceedingly good.")³²

ועי"ז המשיך ג"כ בחי' שפחות ועבדים.

Through this he also drew down "maidservants and servants."³³

והנה יעקב אבינו ע"ה, לפי שהיה בחי' מרכבה, המשיך בחי' צאן ע"י עבודתו, וע"י עובדא דמקלות.

Now Yaakov our father, peace be upon him, since he was a "chariot" (merkavah),³⁴ drew down "flock" through his work and through the act of the rods.³⁵

(וכן עד"ז חפירת הבארות, שהם המשכות אוא"ס ב"ה במקלות ובארות)

(The digging of the wells is similar:³⁶ they are drawings down of the infinite light, blessed be He, through rods and wells.)

כי לפי שהיה במעלה ומדרגה העליונה מאד מאד היה יכול להמשיך אוא"ס ב"ה במעשה של עצמו שיהיו כל מעשיו משכן ומכון להשראת אוא"ס ב"ה.

For since he stood at an exceedingly high level and rank, he could draw down the infinite light, blessed be He, through his own deeds, so that all his deeds would be a dwelling and resting place for the infinite light, blessed be He.

אבל אנו אין לנו כח זה אלא במה שמוכן כבר להיות שם המשכת אוא"ס ב"ה, דהיינו בבחי' תומ"צ הניתן לנו.

We, however, have this power only in what is already prepared for the infinite light, blessed be He, to be drawn there: Torah and mitzvos, which were given to us.^[e]

ונק' בעקבי הצאן, בחי' "עקביים", סוף דרגין, דהיינו תומ"צ המלובשים בענינים גשמיים, שעל ידם "ורעי את גדיותיך", המה המזלות, מלשון "גד גדי וסינוק לא".

They are called "the footsteps (ikvei) of the flock": "heels," the lowest of levels — namely, Torah and mitzvos clothed in physical matters. Through them, "graze your kids (gediyosayich)," which are the mazalos (constellations), from the expression "gad gedi."³⁷

וכמו העורכים לגד שלחן.

As in "who set a table for Gad (Fortune)."³⁸

כי כל הדברים שבעוה"ז הם תחת המזלות, מזל מחכים, מזל מעשיר כו'.

For all things in this world are under the mazalos: "mazal makes wise, mazal makes rich…"³⁹

וכן "ממגד תבואות שמש" כתיב מזל השמש משפיע תבואות, דהיינו תורה ומצות המלובשים בעניינים גשמיים, הנתונים תחת המזלות.

Likewise it is written, "with the bounty of the produce of the sun":⁴⁰ the mazal of the sun gives forth produce — that is, Torah and mitzvos clothed in physical matters, which are placed under the mazalos.

"רעי" ופרנס אותם מענג העליון, "על משכנות הרועים".

"Graze" and sustain them from the supernal delight, "by the dwellings of the shepherds."

פי' "רועים", הם ז' רועים, אברהם יעקב משה כו'.

"Shepherds" are the seven shepherds: Avraham, Yaakov, Moshe, and so on.⁴¹

ונק' רועים, ע"ש שממשיכין בחי' עונג העליון לכנס"י.

They are called shepherds because they draw down the supernal delight to the Community of Israel.

והנה האבות הן הן המרכבה.

Now, "the Patriarchs are themselves the chariot."⁴²

אבל אנו אין לנו כח זה אלא ב"משכנות הרועים", בחי' כלים מכלים שונים ויין מלכות רב.

But we have this power only in "the dwellings of the shepherds," the level of "vessels of diverse kinds, and royal wine in abundance."⁴³

בחי' חסד, דרועא ימינא, הוא כלי לבחי' אברהם אוהבי, דהיינו מצות צדקה וחסד.

Chesed, "the right arm,"⁴⁴ is a vessel for the level of "Avraham who loves Me"⁴⁵ — namely, the mitzvos of tzedakah and kindness.

וכן שיתא סדרי משנה, זרעים בחסד, ונק' "משכנות הרועים"

So too the six orders of the Mishnah — Zera'im corresponds to Chesed⁴⁶ — are called "the dwellings of the shepherds";

שם תרעה את גדיותיך.

there you shall graze your kids.

ועי"ז תזכה להגיע ולבא למדרגה גדולה מזו, להיות "על משכנות הרועים", ולמעלה מבחי' משכנות, דהיינו למקום הרועים עצמן:

And through this you will merit to reach a level greater than this: to be "al the dwellings of the shepherds" — above the level of dwellings, at the place of the shepherds themselves.⁴⁷

ובכ"ז יובן הפסוק, "עבדתיך ארבע עשרה שנה בשתי בנותיך, ושש שנים בצאנך".

With all this the verse will be understood: "I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock."^48[f]

כי הנה כתיב "וללבן שתי בנות: שם ה' גדולה לאה", ששרשה מבחי' ה' עלאה דשם הוי"ה.

For it is written: "And Lavan had two daughters: the name of the elder (literally, 'the great hei') was Leah,"⁴⁹ whose root is in the upper hei of the Name Havayah,⁵⁰

"ושם ה' קטנה רחל כו'".

"and the name of the younger ('the small hei') was Rachel…"

ונק' שכינתא עלאה ושכינתא תתאה.

They are called the Upper Shechinah and the Lower Shechinah,⁵¹

והם בחי' מקור נשמות דאצי'.

and they are the source of the souls of Atzilus.

כי בנשמות דאצילות יש ג"כ ב' מדרגות.

For among the souls of Atzilus there are also two levels:

הא' הנק' אחים למקום. ויש שנק' בנים.

the first are called "brothers" to the Omnipresent, and there are those called "sons."⁵²

אך הנה ברחל כתיב, "ורחל באה עם הצאן אשר לאביה", שהם נשמות דבי"ע, שנק' זרע בהמה.

But of Rachel it is written, "And Rachel came with the flock that was her father's"⁵³ — these are the souls of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, which are called "the seed of animal."

וזהו "אם לא תדעי לך היפה בנשים", דקאי על נשמות דבי"ע, שנק' בהמה וצאן, שלא יוכלו להמשיך בנפשם בחי' היפה כו', להיות יפת תאר ויפת מראה, מחמת פחיתות נשמתם והסתר הגוף ונה"ב.

And this is "If you do not know, O fairest among women": it refers to the souls of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, which are called "animal" and "flock," who cannot draw into their soul the level of "the fairest" — to be "beautiful of form" and "beautiful of appearance" — because of the lowliness of their soul and the concealment of the body and the animal soul.

וכמ"ש במ"א ע"פ "וראית בשביה אשת יפת תאר כו'", שבחי' זו דיפ"ת הוא בגלות ושביה בנה"ב.

As explained elsewhere on the verse "And you see among the captives a woman of beautiful form…":⁵⁴ this "beauty of form" is in exile and captivity in the animal soul.

אזי זאת העצה בחי' "שש שנים בצאנך", שהם שיתא סדרי משנה.

Then the counsel is the level of "six years for your flock," the six orders of the Mishnah.

שהתורה נק' עוז ותושיה שנותנת כח בנה"א ומתשת כח הנה"ב.

For the Torah is called "strength" and "tushiyah,"⁵⁵ since it gives strength to the G‑dly soul and weakens the power of the animal soul.

ועי"ז יוכלו ג"כ לבא לבחי' ורחל היתה יפ"ת כו'.

And through this they too can come to the level of "And Rachel was beautiful of form…"

וכמ"ש, "לך אמר לבי בקשו פני", לבקש גילוי פנימית הלב.

As it is written, "On Your behalf my heart says, 'Seek My face'"⁵⁶ — to seek the revelation of the inner dimension of the heart.

וכיצד יבקש ויחפש אחריה?

And how shall one seek and search for it?

"את פניך ה' אבקש".

"Your face, G‑d, I will seek":

דהיינו ע"י עסק התומ"צ.

that is, through engaging in Torah and mitzvos.

דאורייתא מחכמה נפקת, שהיא בחי' הארת פנימית הוי' "חכמת אדם תאיר פניו", ועי"ז יאר הוי' פניו אתנו סלה.

For "the Torah comes forth from Chochmah,"⁵⁷ which is the illumination of the inner dimension of Havayah: "A man's wisdom makes his face shine";⁵⁸ and through this, "May G‑d make His face shine upon us, Selah."⁵⁹

וכמ"ש במ"א ע"פ בחדש השלישי לצאת בנ"י מארץ מצרים כו'.

As explained elsewhere on "In the third month after the children of Israel went out of the land of Egypt…"⁶⁰

וזהו ההילוך מלמטה למעלה.

This is the progression from below upward.

משא"כ בנשמות עליונות, ההילוך מלמעלה למטה. תחלה "ואהבת כו'", ואח"כ "והיו הדברים כו'".

Not so with lofty souls: their progression is from above downward — first "You shall love…," and afterwards "And these words shall be…"⁶¹

וזהו ענין "ארבע עשרה שנה", שהם שבעה מדות עליונות, שהן בחי' "שבעה, ושבעה מוצקות כו'", כמ"ש לקמן ע"פ "כי עמך מקור חיים".

And this is the meaning of "fourteen years": the seven supernal middos, which are the level of "seven, and seven pipes…,"⁶² as explained further on, on the verse "For with You is the source of life."^63[g]

וזהו "אם לא תדעי כו'", ע"ד ההילוך מלמעלה למטה, אזי "צאי כו'".

And this is "If you do not know…": along the lines of the progression from above downward — then "go out…"

וכמ"ש ע"פ "והתהלכתי בתוככם כו'", שיש שני בחי' הילוך בעבודת ה'.

As explained on the verse "I will walk among you…":⁶⁴ there are two modes of progression in the service of G‑d.

הא' לנשמות הצדיקים הגדולים שהילוכם ודרכם בקדש הוא כפי סדר ההמשכה מלמעלה למטה.

The first is for the souls of the great tzaddikim, whose progression and path in holiness follow the order of the drawing down from above downward,

וכמ"ש בפרשת שמע ישראל מתחלה ואהבת את הוי' שהוא בחי' אהוי"ר ונמשך ע"י ההתבוננות שמע ישראל כו' ואח"כ והיו הדברים כו' ודברת בם כו' שהוא מצות ת"ת ואח"כ וקשרתם לאות שהוא מעשה המצות.

as it is written in the passage of Shema Yisrael: first "You shall love G‑d," which is love and fear, drawn through the contemplation of "Hear, O Israel…"; afterwards "And these words shall be…, and you shall speak of them…," which is the mitzvah of Torah study; and afterwards "Bind them as a sign," which is the performance of the mitzvos.⁶⁵

וזהו כסדר ההמשכה של שם הוי' ב"ה.

This follows the order of the drawing down of the Name Havayah, blessed be He:

י"ה הן בחי' דחילו ורחימו. ו' הוא בחי' תורה. ה' בחי' מצות.

Yud-hei are fear and love (dechilu u'rechimu);⁶⁶ vav is Torah; hei is mitzvos.

אמנם יש ג"כ בחי' ב' והוא ההילוך מלמטה למעלה, דהיינו לנשמות שאין כחן יפה להוליד אהוי"ר מרוח בינתם, כ"א ע"י הקדמת עסק התורה והמצות תחלה, שמזה דוקא יקבלו הכח לבא לאהוי"ר כו'.

However, there is also a second mode, the progression from below upward: for souls whose power is not strong enough to give birth to love and fear from the spirit of their understanding, except by first engaging in Torah and mitzvos, from which specifically they receive the power to come to love and fear.

ועז"נ "אם לא תדעי לך". שלא תוכל להמשיך ולהאיר בנפשך גילוי אהוי"ר מבחי' היפה בנשים, הוא בחי' יפ"ת ויפ"מ המבואר למעלה, אזי "צאי לך בעקבי הצאן" תחלה והוא כסדר ההילוך מלמטה למעלה:

Of this it is said, "If you do not know": if you cannot draw down and illuminate in your soul the revelation of love and fear from the level of "the fairest among women" — "beautiful of form" and "beautiful of appearance," explained above — then "go out in the footsteps of the flock" first, which is the order of progression from below upward.^[h]

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

a. He returns to the opening verse, "Rachel was beautiful of form": the "beauty of form," having the middos formed in the soul as they are above, comes only through the quality of Rachel, the bittul of "a ewe before her shearers." Next he explains "beautiful of appearance," the inner level.

b. Now he returns to the verse with which the maamar opened: "the fairest among women" is Rachel's twofold beauty just explained. From here on he explains the counsel for one who cannot attain it.

c. Here the answer begins: the counsel for souls lacking da'as is "go out in the footsteps of the flock." He will explain that this means Torah and mitzvos, through which they too will come to "beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance."

d. Having explained that "flock" is what comes forth from beyond the order of hishtalshelus, he brings "the man increased exceedingly, exceedingly" to show how Yaakov drew down the "flock": by breaking through every limit. This leads to the difference between him and us.

e. This is the difference: Yaakov, being a "chariot," could draw down the infinite light through his own deeds; we can do so only through Torah and mitzvos, which are already prepared for it. Hence our counsel is "the footsteps of the flock."

f. He returns to Yaakov's verse cited above ("six years for your flock") and now explains its first part, "fourteen years for your two daughters" — Leah and Rachel and the two kinds of souls.

g. This explains the "fourteen years": the seven supernal middos, the order from above downward of lofty souls; whereas "six years for your flock" is the order from below upward, through Torah and mitzvos.

h. The close ties everything together: "If you do not know" is said of one who cannot follow the order from above downward; his counsel is first to "go out in the footsteps of the flock," from below upward, and through this he too will come to "beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance."

Notes

1. Shir HaShirim 1:8: "If you do not know, O fairest among women, go out in the footsteps of the flock, and graze your kids by the dwellings of the shepherds."

2. Bereishis 29:17: "Leah's eyes were tender, and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance."

3. Yeshayahu 53:7: "…like a ewe that is dumb before her shearers, and he did not open his mouth." The ewe, silent before her shearers, is the image of complete bittul.

4. Bereishis 1:26.

5. Yechezkel 1:26.

6. I Divrei HaYamim 29:11: "Yours, G‑d, are the greatness, the might, the beauty, the victory and the splendor, for all that is in heaven and on earth [is Yours]; Yours, G‑d, is the kingship." These are the supernal middos (Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferes, Netzach, Hod, Yesod and Malchus), which are the "image" and "likeness of a man" above.

7. The soul's seven middos, the first of which are love (Chesed) and fear (Gevurah).

8. Bittul of one's very existence: not feeling oneself to be a separate being at all.

9. From the prayer "My G‑d, guard my tongue" at the end of the Amidah; its source is Berachos 17a.

10. Bamidbar 5:17: "…and from the dust that is on the floor of the Mishkan."

11. His soul becomes a dwelling for the light, which is from the light of the Infinite.

12. The middos (love, fear, etc.) and the soul's garments (thought, speech and action) are like the form of the limbs in man's "image."

13. Re'usa d'liba: the desire of the heart.

14. From "Pasach Eliyahu" (Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction, 17a): "No thought can grasp You at all."

15. See Pesachim 113b and elsewhere.

16. Bamidbar 6:25: "May G‑d make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you."

17. Devarim 6:5: "You shall love G‑d your L‑rd with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might." Me'odecha, "your might," is a love without limit, beyond the soul's own measure.

18. Devarim 33:27: "The abode of the G‑d of old, and beneath are the arms of the world." The supernal illumination reaches even "beneath."

19. Da'as: binding oneself to an idea and feeling it, so that it gives birth to emotion in the heart (as he explains below).

20. Yirmiyahu 31:27: "I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Yehudah with the seed of man and the seed of animal."

21. Tehillim 145:15: "The eyes of all look to You…"

22. Hishtalshelus: the chain of descent of the light, level by level, from cause to effect.

23. Bereishis 30:36: "…and Yaakov tended the remaining flocks of Lavan."

24. "Lavan" is related to loven, "whiteness": a supernal level above the order of hishtalshelus.

25. Bereishis 31:41: "These twenty years I have been in your house: I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock."

26. The wording of the blessing over a mitzvah. "Asher" is related to osher, delight, as in "In my delight (be'oshri), for women will call me happy" (Bereishis 30:13).

27. Vayikra 19:10: "You shall not glean the small clusters (olelos) of your vineyard, nor gather its fallen grapes (peret)."

28. Like fallen grapes and small clusters, which do not come in the orderly form of the cluster.

29. Bereishis 30:43: "And the man increased exceedingly, exceedingly, and he had many flocks, and maidservants and servants, and camels and donkeys."

30. "Each according to his own measure."

31. Yeshayahu 52:13: "…he shall be exalted and lifted up, and be exceedingly high."

32. Bamidbar 14:7: "The land… is exceedingly, exceedingly good."

33. Bereishis 30:43: "…and he had many flocks, and maidservants and servants."

34. Merkavah, "chariot": utterly nullified to the supernal will, as a chariot is to its rider.

35. See Bereishis 30:37: "Yaakov took fresh rods of poplar…"

36. See Bereishis 26:18, on the wells dug by Avraham and again by Yitzchak.

37. See Shabbos 67b. Gad means fortune, the mazal.

38. Yeshayahu 65:11: "…who set a table for Gad (Fortune)."

39. Shabbos 156a: "Mazal makes wise, mazal makes rich."

40. Devarim 33:14: "…with the bounty of the produce of the sun, and with the bounty of the yield of the moons."

41. See Sukkah 52b: the seven shepherds are Adam, Shes, Mesushelach, Avraham, Yaakov, Moshe and David.

42. Bereishis Rabbah 47:6.

43. Esther 1:7: "…vessels of diverse kinds, and royal wine in abundance."

44. From "Pasach Eliyahu" (Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction, 17a): "Chesed is the right arm."

45. Yeshayahu 41:8: "…the seed of Avraham who loves Me."

46. The six orders of the Mishnah correspond to the middos; the order of Zera'im corresponds to Chesed.

47. "Al" here means "above": above the dwellings, with the shepherds themselves.

48. Bereishis 31:41.

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

50. Hagedolah, "the elder," is read as "the great hei," and haketanah as "the small hei": the upper and the lower hei of the Name Havayah.

51. The Upper Shechinah is the first hei of the Name (Binah); the Lower Shechinah is the final hei (Malchus).

52. Compare "For the sake of my brothers and friends" (Tehillim 122:8) and "You are children to G‑d your L‑rd" (Devarim 14:1).

53. Bereishis 29:9.

54. Devarim 21:11.

55. Sanhedrin 26b: the Torah is called tushiyah because it weakens (mateshes) a person's strength.

56. Tehillim 27:8: "On Your behalf my heart says, 'Seek My face'; Your face, G‑d, I will seek."

57. Zohar II, 62a; 85a: "The Torah comes forth from Chochmah."

58. Koheles 8:1.

59. Tehillim 67:2: "May G‑d be gracious to us and bless us; may He make His face shine upon us, Selah."

60. Shemos 19:1.

61. Devarim 6:6: "And these words which I command you today shall be upon your heart."

62. Zecharyah 4:2: "…its seven lamps upon it, seven, and seven pipes to the lamps."

63. Tehillim 36:10: "For with You is the source of life; in Your light we see light."

64. Vayikra 26:12: "I will walk among you, and I will be your G‑d, and you shall be My people."

65. See Devarim 6:4–8, the passage of Shema.

66. Dechilu u'rechimu: fear and love.