AND THE LORD SPOKE TO MOSES IN THE WILDERNESS OF SINAI, ETC. Said R. Abba: ‘Why was the command regarding the paschal lamb repeated here after it had been given them once whilst they were still in Egypt? The reason is that the Israelites thought that that command was intended only for the one year in Egypt and not for future years. Hence,”in the wilderness of Sinai… of the second year”: the command was renewed to indicate that it was to be kept throughout the generations.
“In the first month of the second year” contains a sublime mystery. The month signifies the Moon,1Malkuth. and the year points to the Sun1Tifereth. that sheds his rays on the Moon. Thus it happened at the time when all the precepts of the Torah were delivered to Israel.’
Said R. Simeon: ‘Alas for the man who regards the Torah as a book of mere tales and everyday matters! If that were so, we, even we could compose a torah dealing with everyday affairs, and of even greater excellence. Nay, even the princes of the world possess books of greater worth which we could use as a model for composing some such torah. The Torah, however, contains in all its words supernal truths and sublime mysteries.
Observe the perfect balancing of the upper and the lower worlds. Israel here below is balanced by the angels on high, of whom it says: “who makest thy angels into winds” (Ps. 104, 4). For the angels in descending on earth put on themselves earthly garments, as otherwise they could not stay in this world, nor could the world endure them. Now, if thus it is with the angels, how much more so must it be with the Torah-the Torah that created them, that created all the worlds and is the means by which these are sustained. Thus had the Torah not clothed herself in garments of this world the world could not endure it.
The stories of the Torah are thus only her outer garments, and whoever looks upon that garment as being the Torah itself, woe to that man-such a one will have no portion in the next world. David thus said: “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Ps. 119, 18), to wit, the things that are beneath the garment.
Observe this. The garments worn by a man are the most visible part of him, and senseless people looking at the man do not seem to see more in him than the garments. But in truth the pride of the garments is the body of the man, and the pride of the body is the soul.
Similarly the Torah has a body made up of the precepts of the Torah, called gufe torah (bodies, main principles of the Torah), and that body is enveloped in garments made up of worldly narrations. The senseless people only see the garment, the mere narrations; those who are somewhat wiser penetrate as far as the body. But the really wise, the servants of the most high King, those who stood on Mount Sinai, penetrate right through to the soul, the root principle of all, namely, to the real Torah. In the future the same are destined to penetrate even to the super-soul (soul of the soul) of the Torah.
Observe that in a similar way in the supernal world there is garment, body, soul and super-soul. The heavens and their hosts are the outer garment, the Community of Israel is the body which receives the soul, to wit, the “Glory of Israel”; and the super-soul is the Ancient Holy One. All these are interlocked within each other.
Woe to the sinners who consider the Torah as mere worldly tales, who only see its outer garment; happy are the righteous who fix their gaze on the Torah proper Wine cannot be kept save in a jar; so the Torah needs an outer garment. These are the stories and narratives, but it behoves us to penetrate beneath them.1The last 3 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation.
(במדבר ט׳:א׳) וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי וְגוֹ'. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, מַאי טַעְמָא אַזְהַר לְהוֹן הָכָא עַל פִּסְחָא, וְהָא אִתְּמַר לְהוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם. אֶלָּא בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית הֲוָה, דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל חָשִׁיבוּ דְּהָא פֶּסַח לָאו אִיהוּ אֶלָּא בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְכֵיוָן דְּעָבְדוּ לֵיהּ זִמְנָא חֲדָא בְּמִצְרַיִם, חֲשִׁיבוּ דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ יַתִיר. אָתָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאַזְהַר לוֹן עָלֵיהּ, דְּלָא יַחְשְׁבוּן דְּהָא קָא עָבַר זִמְנֵיהּ בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְלֹא יִצְטְרִיךְ. בְּגִין כַּךְ בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית, לְאַתְקְנָא לְהוּ לְדָרֵי דָּרִין.
AND THE LORD SPOKE TO MOSES IN THE WILDERNESS OF SINAI, ETC. Said R. Abba: ‘Why was the command regarding the paschal lamb repeated here after it had been given them once whilst they were still in Egypt? The reason is that the Israelites thought that that command was intended only for the one year in Egypt and not for future years. Hence,”in the wilderness of Sinai… of the second year”: the command was renewed to indicate that it was to be kept throughout the generations.
וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּהָא אַזְהַר לְהוּ בְּמִצְרַיִם, הַשְׁתָּא פָּקִיד לוֹן זִמְנָא אַחֲרָא, בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּכָל פִּקוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בֵּיהּ אִתְיְהִיבוּ. וְעַל דָּא בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית. מַאי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן. אֶלָּא רָזָא עִלָּאָה הִיא, חַד שָׁנָה. וְחַד חֹדֶשׁ. מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי. חֹדֶשׁ: דָּא סִיהֲרָא. שָׁנָה: דָּא שִׁמְשָׁא, דְּנָהִיר לְסִיהֲרָא. וּכְדֵין הֲוָה בְּזִמְנָא דְּכָל פִּקוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְמְסָרוּ בֵּיהּ.
“In the first month of the second year” contains a sublime mystery. The month signifies the Moon,1Malkuth. and the year points to the Sun1Tifereth. that sheds his rays on the Moon. Thus it happened at the time when all the precepts of the Torah were delivered to Israel.’
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, וַוי לְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּאָמַר, דְּהָא אוֹרַיְיתָא אָתָא לְאַחֲזָאָה סִפּוּרִין בְּעָלְמָא, וּמִלִּין דְּהֶדְיוֹטֵי. דְּאִי הָכִי, אֲפִילּוּ בְּזִמְנָא דָּא, אֲנָן יַכְלִין לְמֶעְבַּד אוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּמִלִּין דְּהֶדְיוֹטֵי, וּבִשְׁבָחָא יַתִיר מִכֻּלְּהוּ. אִי לְאַחֲזָאָה מִלָּה דְּעָלְמָא, אֲפִילּוּ אִינּוּן קַפְסִירֵי דְּעָלְמָא, אִית בֵּינַיְיהוּ מִלִּין עִלָּאִין יַתִיר. אִי הָכִי נֵזִיל אֲבַּתְרַיְיהוּ, וְנַעְבֵּיד מִנַּיְיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא, כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא. אֶלָּא כָּל מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, מִלִּין עִלָּאִין אִינּוּן, וְרָזִין עִלָּאִין.
Said R. Simeon: ‘Alas for the man who regards the Torah as a book of mere tales and everyday matters! If that were so, we, even we could compose a torah dealing with everyday affairs, and of even greater excellence. Nay, even the princes of the world possess books of greater worth which we could use as a model for composing some such torah. The Torah, however, contains in all its words supernal truths and sublime mysteries.
תָּא חֲזֵי, עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה וְעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה בְּחַד מַתְקְלָא אִתְקָלוּ. יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא, מַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי לְעֵילָּא. מַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי כְּתִיב בְּהוּ, (תהילים ק״ד:ד׳) עוֹשֶׂה מַלְאָכָיו רוּחוֹת. (האי באתר עלאה) בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנַחְתִּין לְתַתָּא (אף על גב דנחתין), מִתְלַבְּשֵׁי בִּלְבוּשָׁא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא. וְאִי לָאו מִתְלַבְּשֵׁי בִּלְבוּשָׁא כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, לָא יַכְלִין לְמֵיקָם בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְלָא סָבִיל לוֹן עָלְמָא. וְאִי בְּמַלְאָכֵי כַּךְ, אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּבָרָא לְהוּ, וּבָרָא עָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ, וְקַיְימִין בְּגִינָהּ, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה כֵּיוָן דְּנַחְתַּת לְהַאי עָלְמָא, אִי לָאו דְּמִתְלַבְּשָׁא בְּהָנֵי לְבוּשִׁין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, לָא יָכִיל עָלְמָא לְמִסְבַּל.
Observe the perfect balancing of the upper and the lower worlds. Israel here below is balanced by the angels on high, of whom it says: “who makest thy angels into winds” (Ps. 104, 4). For the angels in descending on earth put on themselves earthly garments, as otherwise they could not stay in this world, nor could the world endure them. Now, if thus it is with the angels, how much more so must it be with the Torah-the Torah that created them, that created all the worlds and is the means by which these are sustained. Thus had the Torah not clothed herself in garments of this world the world could not endure it.
וְעַל דָּא הַאי סִפּוּר דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְבוּשָׁא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. אִיהוּ. מַאן דְּחָשִׁיב דְּהַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא אִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא מַמָּשׁ, וְלָא מִלָּה אַחֲרָא, תִּיפַּח רוּחֵיהּ, וְלָא יְהֵא לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. בְּגִין כַּךְ אָמַר דָּוִד, (תהילים קי״ט:י״ח) גַּל עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ. מַה דִּתְחוֹת לְבוּשָׁא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.
The stories of the Torah are thus only her outer garments, and whoever looks upon that garment as being the Torah itself, woe to that man-such a one will have no portion in the next world. David thus said: “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Ps. 119, 18), to wit, the things that are beneath the garment.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אִית לְבוּשָׁא דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לְכֹלָּא, וְאִינּוּן טִפְּשִׁין כַּד חָמָאן לְבַר נָשׁ בִּלְבוּשָׁא דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לוֹן שַׁפִּירָא, לָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין יַתִּיר. חֲשִׁיבוּ דְּהַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא, גּוּפָא, וַחֲשִׁבוּ דְּגוּפָא, נִשְׁמְתָא.
Observe this. The garments worn by a man are the most visible part of him, and senseless people looking at the man do not seem to see more in him than the garments. But in truth the pride of the garments is the body of the man, and the pride of the body is the soul.
כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא אוֹרַיְיתָא, אִית לָהּ גּוּפָא, וְאִינּוּן פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִקְרוּן גּוּפֵי תּוֹרָה. הַאי גּוּפָא מִתְלַבְּשָׁא בִּלְבוּשִׁין, דְּאִינּוּן סִפּוּרִין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא. טִפְּשִׁין דְּעָלְמָא, לָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי אֶלָּא בְּהַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא, דְּאִיהוּ סִפּוּר דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא יַדְעֵי יַתִּיר, וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי בְּמָה דְּאִיהוּ תְּחוֹת הַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא. אִינּוּן דְּיַדְעִין יַתִּיר, לָא מִסְתַּכְּלָן בִּלְבוּשָׁא, אֶלָּא בְּגוּפָא, דְּאִיהוּ תְּחוֹת הַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא. חַכִּימִין עַבְדֵי דְּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, אִינּוּן דְּקַיְימוּ בְּטוּרָא דְּסִינַי, לָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי אֶלָּא בְּנִשְׁמְתָא, דְּאִיהִי עִקָּרָא דְּכֹלָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא מַמָּשׁ. (ולעלמא) וּלְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי, זְמִינִין לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּנִשְׁמְתָא דְּנִשְׁמְתָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.
Similarly the Torah has a body made up of the precepts of the Torah, called gufe torah (bodies, main principles of the Torah), and that body is enveloped in garments made up of worldly narrations. The senseless people only see the garment, the mere narrations; those who are somewhat wiser penetrate as far as the body. But the really wise, the servants of the most high King, those who stood on Mount Sinai, penetrate right through to the soul, the root principle of all, namely, to the real Torah. In the future the same are destined to penetrate even to the super-soul (soul of the soul) of the Torah.
תָּא חֲזֵי, הָכִי נָמֵי לְעֵילָּא, אִית לְבוּשָׁא, וְגוּפָא, וְנִשְׁמְתָא, וְנִשְׁמְתָא לְנִשְׁמְתָא. שְׁמַיָּא וְחֵילֵיהוֹן. אִלֵּין אִינּוּן לְבוּשָׁא. וּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דָּא גּוּפָא, דִּמְקַבְּלָא לְנִשְׁמְתָא, דְּאִיהִי תִּפְאֶרֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְעַל דָּא אִיהוּ גּוּפָא לְנִשְׁמְתָא. נִשְׁמְתָא דְּאַמָרָן דָּא תִּפְאֶרֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִיהִי אוֹרַיְיתָא מַמָּשׁ. וְנִשְׁמְתָא לְנִשְׁמְתָא, דָּא אִיהוּ עֲתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא. וְכֹלָּא אָחִיד דָּא בְּדָא.
Observe that in a similar way in the supernal world there is garment, body, soul and super-soul. The heavens and their hosts are the outer garment, the Community of Israel is the body which receives the soul, to wit, the “Glory of Israel”; and the super-soul is the Ancient Holy One. All these are interlocked within each other.
וַוי לְאִינּוּן חַיָּיבַיָּא, דְּאָמְרֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לָאו אִיהִי אֶלָּא סִפּוּרָא בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִינּוּן מִסְתַּכְּלֵי בִּלְבוּשָׁא דָּא וְלָא יַתִּיר. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא, דְּמִסְתַּכְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כַּדְּקָא יֵאוּת. חַמְרָא לָא יָתִיב אֶלָּא בְּקַנְקָן. כַּךְ אוֹרַיְיתָא לָא יְתִיב אֶלָּא בִּלְבוּשָׁא דָּא. וְעַל דָּא לָא בָּעֵי לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, אֶלָּא בְּמָה דְּאִית תְּחוֹת לְבוּשָׁא. וְעַל דָּא כָּל אִינּוּן מִלִּין, וְכָל אִינּוּן סִפּוּרִין, לְבוּשִׁין אִינּוּן.
Woe to the sinners who consider the Torah as mere worldly tales, who only see its outer garment; happy are the righteous who fix their gaze on the Torah proper Wine cannot be kept save in a jar; so the Torah needs an outer garment. These are the stories and narratives, but it behoves us to penetrate beneath them.1The last 3 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation.