“BaMeh Heerakhta Yamim (Through what have you earned length-of-days)?” [Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKanah’s disciple asked him]. “I was liberal with my money,” he replied. (Megillah 28a)
Come and see, each of the Six Days of Creation is ruled by its corresponding countenance. And there is no day that is without good…. Yet each day has an outer barrier so that not everyone can ascend to that good—e. g., as darkness conceals the light…. Therefore, when an unworthy person attempts to know the Torah's inner secrets, many serpents and scorpions confuse his thoughts to keep him from entering the place that is not his. But when a person is deserving, all these guardians are at his beck and call; accuser becomes defender, and they usher him inside, to the hidden good. They say, “Our Master, this good, righteous and God-fearing individual wishes to come before Your presence…[to attain] that hidden good.” And He answers them, “Open [the way] for him through that gate called Love, or through that gate which is Repentance. Let each righteous person ascend according to his level.”
Now, good [here] refers to nothing other than the Torah (Avodah Zarah 19b). Thus when a person wants to meditate on and ponder the Torah—i.e., the Torah's inner secrets—these guardians and serpents and scorpions confuse his thoughts. These are the thoughts that distract a person.
But when a person determinedly wants and yearns, so that they open [the gates] for him, as in the aforementioned passage of the holy Zohar, 0 then each day is greatly expanded for him. This is because he sees and perceives the hidden good—i.e., the Torah's inner secrets—that relates to that day.
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וְזֶה שֶׁשָּׁאַל הַתַּנָּא:
This is the meaning of what the Talmudic sage asked:
Through what have you earned length-of-days?—In other words, which of the attributes enabled you to enter into the hidden good and lengthen your days, expanding them?
I was liberal with my money—This is the attribute of the Patriarch Avraham. It is also the gate called Love, and the right side. As we find in the Tikkuney Zohar (#70, p.129a), “From the right side comes a mind as white as silver.” In other words, all the accusers and all the serpents and scorpions—i.e., the alien thoughts that confuse one’s thinking—become as white as silver.
This is the reason it is said of Avraham, “And Avraham was old, advanced in days” (Genesis 24:1)—i.e., all his days were whole and expanded. This is because “From the right side comes a mind as white as silver,” and accuser becomes defender, so that he could daily attain the hidden good related to it.
אִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא:
It is brought in the Talmud:
בַּמֶּה הֶאֱרַכְתָּ יָמִים, אָמַר לוֹ: וַתְּרָן הָיִיתִי בְּמָמוֹנִי (מגילה כח).,
“BaMeh Heerakhta Yamim (Through what have you earned length-of-days)?” [Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKanah’s disciple asked him]. “I was liberal with my money,” he replied. (Megillah 28a)
לְבָאֵר זֶה צָרִיךְ לֵידַע מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (פ' נשא דף קכג), וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ:
In order to explain this, one must be familiar with the following teaching found in the holy Zohar (III, 123a):
תָּא חֲזִי לְשִׁית יְמֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית, לְכָל חַד אִית לֵהּ פַּרְצוּפֵהּ דְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּאַנְהִיג לֵהּ, וְלָא תִּשְׁכַּח יוֹם דְּלֵית בֵּהּ טוֹב וְכוּ'. וְכָל יוֹמָא אִית לֵהּ גָּדֵר מִלְּבַר, דְּלָא יֵעוֹל כָּל בַּר נָשׁ לְהַהוּא טוֹב, כְּגוֹן חֹשֶׁךְ דְּכַסְיָא לִנְהוֹרָא וְכוּ'. וּבְגִין דָּא, מָאן דְּאִיהוּ חַיָּבָא וְיֵעוֹל לְמִנְדַּע רָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא, כַּמָּה נְחָשִׁים וְעַקְרַבִּים מְבַלְבְּלִין מַחֲשַׁבְתֵּהּ, דְּלָא יֵעוֹל לַאֲתָר דְּלָאו דִּילֵהּ. אֲבָל מָאן דְּאִיהוּ טוֹב, כָּל אִילֵין נְטִירִין אִנּוּן לְמֵימְרֵהּ, וְקָטֵגוֹר נַעֲשֶׂה סַנֵּגוֹר, וְיֵעֲלוּן לֵהּ לַטּוֹב הַגָּנוּז, וְיֵמְרוּן: מָרָנָא, הָא בַּר נָשׁ טוֹב וְצַדִּיק וִירֵא שָׁמַיִם בָּעֵי לְעַיְלָא קֳדָמָךְ וְכוּ'. הַהוּא טוֹב גָּנוּז יֵימָא לוֹן: פָּתְחוּ לֵיה בְּהַאי תַּרְעָא דְּאִתְקְרִי אַהֲבָה, אוֹ בְּהַאי תַּרְעָא דְּאִיהוּ תְּשׁוּבָה, כָּל צַדִּיק יֵעוֹל כְּפוּם דַּרְגָּא דִּילֵהּ.
Come and see, each of the Six Days of Creation is ruled by its corresponding countenance. And there is no day that is without good…. Yet each day has an outer barrier so that not everyone can ascend to that good—e. g., as darkness conceals the light…. Therefore, when an unworthy person attempts to know the Torah's inner secrets, many serpents and scorpions confuse his thoughts to keep him from entering the place that is not his. But when a person is deserving, all these guardians are at his beck and call; accuser becomes defender, and they usher him inside, to the hidden good. They say, “Our Master, this good, righteous and God-fearing individual wishes to come before Your presence…[to attain] that hidden good.” And He answers them, “Open [the way] for him through that gate called Love, or through that gate which is Repentance. Let each righteous person ascend according to his level.”
וְאֵין טוֹב אֶלָּא תּוֹרָה (ע"ז יט:), וּכְשֶׁאָדָם רוֹצֶה לַהֲגוֹת וְלַחֲשֹׁב בַּתּוֹרָה, הַיְנוּ בְּרָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא, אִנּוּן נְטִירִין וּנְחָשִׁים וְעַקְרַבִּים מְבַלְבְּלִין מַחֲשַׁבְתֵּהּ, וְאֵלּוּ הֵם הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת שֶׁבָּאִין לָאָדָם.
Now, good [here] refers to nothing other than the Torah (Avodah Zarah 19b). Thus when a person wants to meditate on and ponder the Torah—i.e., the Torah's inner secrets—these guardians and serpents and scorpions confuse his thoughts. These are the thoughts that distract a person.
וּכְשֶׁאָדָם רוֹצֶה וְחוֹשֵׁק עַד מְאֹד, וּפוֹתְחִין לוֹ, כַּנַּ"ל בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ, אֲזַי כָּל יוֹם וָיוֹם אֶצְלוֹ גָּדוֹל עַד מְאֹד, כִּי רוֹאֶה וּמַשִּׂיג הַטּוֹב הַגָּנוּז, הַיְנוּ רָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא, הַשַּׁיָּךְ לְאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם:
But when a person determinedly wants and yearns, so that they open [the gates] for him, as in the aforementioned passage of the holy Zohar, 0 then each day is greatly expanded for him. This is because he sees and perceives the hidden good—i.e., the Torah's inner secrets—that relates to that day.
וְזֶה שֶׁשָּׁאַל הַתַּנָּא:
This is the meaning of what the Talmudic sage asked:
בַּמֶּה הֶאֱרַכְתָּ יָמִים – הַיְנוּ בְּאֵיזָה מִדָּה מִן הַמִּדּוֹת נִכְנַסְתָּ לְהַטּוֹב הַגָּנוּז, וְהֶאֱרַכְתָּ הַיָּמִים שֶׁלְּךָ לִהְיוֹת גְּדוֹלִים כַּנַּ"ל.
Through what have you earned length-of-days?—In other words, which of the attributes enabled you to enter into the hidden good and lengthen your days, expanding them?
וְהֵשִׁיב לוֹ:
And he answered him:
וַתְּרָן הָיִיתִי בְּמָמוֹנִי – שֶׁזּוֹ הִיא מִדַּת אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ, וְהִיא תַּרְעָא דְּאִיתְקְרִי אַהֲבָה, וְהוּא סִטְרָא דִּימִינָא. וְאִיתָא בְּתִקּוּנֵי זֹהַר (תיקון ע' דף קיח) מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא מֹחָא חִוָּרָא כְּכַסְפָּא. הַיְנוּ שֶׁכָּל הַמְקַטְרְגִים וְכָל הַנְּחָשִׁים וְעַקְרַבִּים, הַיְנוּ הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת שֶׁמְּבַלְבְּלִין מַחֲשַׁבְתֵּהּ, נַעֲשִׂין חִוָּרָא כְּכַסְפָּא.
I was liberal with my money—This is the attribute of the Patriarch Avraham. It is also the gate called Love, and the right side. As we find in the Tikkuney Zohar (#70, p.129a), “From the right side comes a mind as white as silver.” In other words, all the accusers and all the serpents and scorpions—i.e., the alien thoughts that confuse one’s thinking—become as white as silver.
וּלְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בְּאַבְרָהָם (בראשית כ״ד:א׳): וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים, הַיְנוּ שֶׁהָיוּ כָּל הַיָּמִים שֶׁלּוֹ שְׁלֵמִים וּגְדוֹלִים. כִּי מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא מֹחָא חִוָּרָא כְּכַסְפָּא, וּמִן הַקָּטֵגוֹר נַעֲשֶׂה סַנֵּגוֹר, וְהָיָה יָכוֹל לָבוֹא בְּכָל יוֹם אֶל הַטּוֹב הַגָּנוּז הַשַּׁיָּךְ לוֹ:
This is the reason it is said of Avraham, “And Avraham was old, advanced in days” (Genesis 24:1)—i.e., all his days were whole and expanded. This is because “From the right side comes a mind as white as silver,” and accuser becomes defender, so that he could daily attain the hidden good related to it.