AND THE LORD GOD COMMANDED THE MAN, SAYING. It is agreed that the term “command” in the Scripture always has reference to the prohibition of idolatry. This sin has its root in the liver, which is the seat of anger, and it has been laid down that “to fall into a passion is like worshipping idols”.
The expression “the man” designates bloodshed, on the analogy of the verse: “by man shall his blood be shed” (Gen. 9, 6). This sin has its root in the gall, the sword of the angel of death, after the verse: “her latter end is bitter like gall, piercing like a two-edged sword” (Prov. 5, 4). The expression “saying” refers to incest, which has its root in the spleen, as it is written, “Such is the way of the adulterous woman, she eats and wipes her mouth” (Ibid. 30, 20). Although the spleen has no mouth or suckers, yet it absorbs the black turbid blood of the liver; so the adulterous woman wipes her mouth and leaves no trace. The murderer is incited by the bile and sucks from the blood of the heart. All who see bile recoil from it,
but unchastity is covered in darkness, in the black blood of the spleen. Whoever sins by murder, idolatry, and incest bans his soul through the liver, the gall, and the spleen, and is punished in Gehinnom in these three members, through three chief demons, Mashith (destroyer), Af (anger), and Hemah (wrath)….
Before Israel went into captivity, and while the Shekinah was still with them, God commanded Israel: “thou shalt not uncover thy mother’s nakedness” (Lev. 18, 7), and this captivity is the uncovering of the nakedness of the Shekinah, as it is written, “On account of your sins your mother has been put away” (Is. 50, 1), i.e. for the sin of unchastity Israel has been sent into captivity and the Shekinah also, and this is the uncovering of the Shekinah. This unchastity is Lilith, the mother of the “mixed multitude”. It is they who separate the two He’s of the sacred name,
and prevent the Vau from entering between them; so it is written, “the nakedness of a woman and her daughter thou shalt not uncover”, referring to the upper and lower Shekinah. When the “mixed multitude” are between the one He and the other, the Holy One, blessed be He, cannot link them together, and consequently “the river becomes dry and parched”-dry in the upper He and parched in the lower He, in order that the “mixed multitude” may not be nourished by the Vau, which is the Tree of Life. Therefore the Vau does not link together the two He’s when the mixed multitude is between them,
and the letter Yod is not able to draw near to the second He’; thus the precept “thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter-in-law” is transgressed. Further, they separate the Yod from the upper He, and so break the command “thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s wife”, the Yod being the father, the first He the mother, Vau the son and the second He the daughter. Therefore it is ordained with regard to the upper He, “thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s wife”; “the nakedness of thy sister the daughter of thy father” refers to the lower He; “her son’s daughter and her daughter’s daughter” refers to the He and He which are the children of He; “the nakedness of the father’s brother” refers to the Yod, which is the product of the letter Yod, a brother to Vau.
In a word, when the “mixed multitude” are mingled with Israel, the letters of the name Tetragrammaton cannot be joined and linked together; but as soon as they are removed from the world, then it is said of the letters of God’s name that “On that day the Lord shall be one and his name one” (Zech. 14, 9). This is why Adam, who is Israel, is closely linked with the Torah, of which it is said, “It is a tree of life to those who take hold on it”; this tree is the Matron, the Sefirah Malkhuth (Kingship), through their connection with which Israel are called “sons of kings”.
On this account God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Gen. 2, 18). This help is the Mishnah (the oral Law), the handmaid of the Shekinah. If Israel deserve well, it is a help to them in the captivity from the side of the permitted, the clean, and the proper; if they do not deserve well, it is a hindrance to them from the side of the unclean, the unfit, and the forbidden, the clean, the permitted, and the fit signifying the good inclination, and the unfit, the unclean, and the forbidden signifying the evil inclination.
Thus the Mishnah resembles the woman, who has both pure and impure blood of menstruation. But the Mishnah is not the spouse of his real union, for real union is denied to him until the “mixed multitude” shall be removed from the earth. On account of this Moses was buried outside of the Holy Land….1The English translation resumes at the end of line 2 of the Hebrew text.
וַיְצַו יְיָ אֱלֹהִים וְגו' הָא אוּקְמוּהָ לֵית צַו אֶלָּא עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה דְּמִתַּמָּן אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְאִיהִי בַּכָּבֵד. דְּמִינָּהּ תִּכְבַּד הָעֲבוֹדָה דְּאִיהִי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה לֵיהּ וְהַכָּבֵד כּוֹעֵס. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ כָּל הַכּוֹעֵס כְּאִלּוּ עוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה דָא אִיהוּ וַיְצַו.
AND THE LORD GOD COMMANDED THE MAN, SAYING. It is agreed that the term “command” in the Scripture always has reference to the prohibition of idolatry. This sin has its root in the liver, which is the seat of anger, and it has been laid down that “to fall into a passion is like worshipping idols”.
עַל הָאָדָם דָּא שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (בראשית ט) בָּאָדָם דָּמוֹ יִשָּׁפֵךְ. וְדָא מָרָה חַרְבָּא דְּמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (משלי ה׳:ד׳) וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָה כְּלַעֲנָה חַדָּה כְּחֶרֶב פִּיּוֹת. לֵאמֹר דָּא גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת וְדָא טְחוֹל עֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמָר (משלי ל׳:כ׳) אָכְלָה וּמָחֲתָה פִּיהָ וְגו' דִּטְחוֹל לֵית לֵיהּ פּוּמָא וְעַרְקִין וְאִתְשַׁקְיָא מֵעֲכִירוּ דְּדָמָא אוּכְמָא דְּכָבֵד וְלָא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא לֵיהּ פּוּמָא. וְדָא אִיהוּ אָכְלָה וּמָחֲתָה פִּיהָ וְגו'. כָּל שׁוֹפְכֵי דָּמִים מִמָּרָה אִנּוּן. דְּעַרְקִין דִּדְמָא דְלִבָּא מִיָּד דְּחָזָאן מָרָה כֻּלְהוֹן בָּרְחִין קֳדָמָהּ.
The expression “the man” designates bloodshed, on the analogy of the verse: “by man shall his blood be shed” (Gen. 9, 6). This sin has its root in the gall, the sword of the angel of death, after the verse: “her latter end is bitter like gall, piercing like a two-edged sword” (Prov. 5, 4). The expression “saying” refers to incest, which has its root in the spleen, as it is written, “Such is the way of the adulterous woman, she eats and wipes her mouth” (Ibid. 30, 20). Although the spleen has no mouth or suckers, yet it absorbs the black turbid blood of the liver; so the adulterous woman wipes her mouth and leaves no trace. The murderer is incited by the bile and sucks from the blood of the heart. All who see bile recoil from it,
וְעֶרְיָין כֻּלְהוּ אִתְכַּסְיָין בַּחֲשׁוֹכָא בְּדַם אוּכְמָא דִטְחוֹל. מָאן דְּעֲבַר עַל שְׁפִיכַת דְּמָא וְעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְגִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת גַּלְיָא נִשְׁמְתֵיהּ בְּכָבֵד מָרָה טְחוֹל וְדַיְינִין לֵיהּ בַּגֵּיהִנָּם וּתְלַת מְמַנָּן עֲלַיְיהוּ מַשְׁחִית אַף וְחֵימָה.
but unchastity is covered in darkness, in the black blood of the spleen. Whoever sins by murder, idolatry, and incest bans his soul through the liver, the gall, and the spleen, and is punished in Gehinnom in these three members, through three chief demons, Mashith (destroyer), Af (anger), and Hemah (wrath)….
ט"ו עֶרְיָין אִנּוּן כְּחֻשְׁבַּן י"ה. וְשִׁית אָחֳרָנִין כְּחֻשְׁבַּן ו'. קֳדָם דְּגָלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּתָא וּשְׁכִינְתָּא עִמְּהוֹן. מָנֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל (ויקרא י״ח:י״ג) עֶרְוַת אִמְךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה. וְדָא גָּלוּתָא אִיהוּ גִּלּוּי עֶרְוָתָה דִשְׁכִינְתָּא הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו נ׳:א׳) וּבְפִשְׁעֵיכֶם שֻׁלְחָה אִמְכֶם. וְעַל גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת גָּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל וּשְׁכִינְתָּא בְּגָלוּתָא. וְדָא אִיהִי עֶרְוָה דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא. וְהַאי עֶרְוָה אִיהִי לִילִית אִמָּא דְּעֵרֶב רַב. וְעֵרֶב רַב אִנּוּן עֲרָיוֹת דִּילָהּ וַעֲרָיוֹת דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל דִּלְעֵילָא דְּעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמָר (ויקרא י״ח:ח׳) עֶרְוַת אָבִיךָ לא תְגַלֵּה.
Before Israel went into captivity, and while the Shekinah was still with them, God commanded Israel: “thou shalt not uncover thy mother’s nakedness” (Lev. 18, 7), and this captivity is the uncovering of the nakedness of the Shekinah, as it is written, “On account of your sins your mother has been put away” (Is. 50, 1), i.e. for the sin of unchastity Israel has been sent into captivity and the Shekinah also, and this is the uncovering of the Shekinah. This unchastity is Lilith, the mother of the “mixed multitude”. It is they who separate the two He’s of the sacred name,
וְאִנּוּן אַפְרִישִׁין בֵּין ה' ה' דְּלָא אִתְקְרִיב ו' בֵּינַיְיהוּ הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (אחרי מות ע"ד) עֶרְוַת אִשָּׁה וּבִתָּהּ לא תְגַלֵּה. וְאִנּוּן שְׁכִינְתָּא עִלָּאָה וְתַתָּאָה. דְּבְּזִמְנָא דְּעֵרֶב רַב דְּאִנּוּן (סי' נג"ע ר"ע) נְ'פִילִים גִּ'בּוֹרִים עֲ'מָלֵקִים רְ'פָאִים עֲ'נָקִים בֵּין ה' ה', לֵית רְשׁוּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְקָרְבָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה (ישעיהו י״ט:ה׳) וְנָהָר יֶחרַב וְיָבֵשׁ יֶחרָב בְּה' עִלָּאָה וְיָבֵשׁ בְּה' תַּתָּאָה. בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְפַּרְנְסוּן עֵרֶב רַב מִן ו' דְּאִיהוּ עֵץ הַחַיִּים. וּבְגִין דָּא לֵית קְרִיבוּ לְו' בֵּין ה' ה' בְּזִמְנָא דְּעֵרֶב רַב בֵּינַיְיהוּ.
and prevent the Vau from entering between them; so it is written, “the nakedness of a woman and her daughter thou shalt not uncover”, referring to the upper and lower Shekinah. When the “mixed multitude” are between the one He and the other, the Holy One, blessed be He, cannot link them together, and consequently “the river becomes dry and parched”-dry in the upper He and parched in the lower He, in order that the “mixed multitude” may not be nourished by the Vau, which is the Tree of Life. Therefore the Vau does not link together the two He’s when the mixed multitude is between them,
וְלֵית רְשׁוּ לְאָת י' לְקָרָבָא בְּה' תִּנְיָינָא הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב עֶרְוַת כַּלָּתְךָ לא תְגַלֵּה. וְאִנּוּן אַפְרִישׁוּ בֵּין ו' לְה' עִלָּאָה הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב עֶרְוַת אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה. דְּי' אִיהוּ אָב. ה' אֵם. ו' בֵּן. ה' בַּת. וּבְגִין דָּא מָנֵי לְגַבֵּיהּ ה' עִלָּאָה. עֶרְוַת אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה. עֶרְוַת אֲחוֹתְךָ בַּת אָבִיךָ דָּא ה' תַּתָּאָה. אֶת בַּת בְּנָהּ וְאֶת בַּת בִּתָּהּ אִנּוּן ה"א ה"א דְּאִנּוּן תּוֹלָדִין דְּה'. עֶרְוַת אֲחִי אָבִיךָ דָּא יוּ"ד דְּאִיהוּ תּוֹלָדָה דְּאָת י' וְאִיהוּ אָח לְוא"ו.
and the letter Yod is not able to draw near to the second He’; thus the precept “thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter-in-law” is transgressed. Further, they separate the Yod from the upper He, and so break the command “thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s wife”, the Yod being the father, the first He the mother, Vau the son and the second He the daughter. Therefore it is ordained with regard to the upper He, “thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s wife”; “the nakedness of thy sister the daughter of thy father” refers to the lower He; “her son’s daughter and her daughter’s daughter” refers to the He and He which are the children of He; “the nakedness of the father’s brother” refers to the Yod, which is the product of the letter Yod, a brother to Vau.
סוֹף סוֹף בְּזִמְנָא דְּעֵרֶב רַב מְעוֹרָבִין בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לֵית קְרִיבוּ וְיִחוּדָא בְּאַתְוָון שֵׁם ידו"ד, וּמִיָּד דְּיִתְמָחוּן מֵעָלְמָא אִתְּמָר בְּאַתְוָון דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא (זכריה י״ד:ט׳) בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה ידו"ד אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד. וּבְגִין דָא אָדָם דְּאִנּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל אִית לוֹן יִחוּדָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּאִתְמָּר בָּהּ (משלי ג׳:י״ח) עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ. וְאִיהִי מַטְרוֹנִיתָא מַלְכוּ"ת. דְּמִסִּטְרָהָא אִתְקְרִיאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנֵי מְלָכִים.
In a word, when the “mixed multitude” are mingled with Israel, the letters of the name Tetragrammaton cannot be joined and linked together; but as soon as they are removed from the world, then it is said of the letters of God’s name that “On that day the Lord shall be one and his name one” (Zech. 14, 9). This is why Adam, who is Israel, is closely linked with the Torah, of which it is said, “It is a tree of life to those who take hold on it”; this tree is the Matron, the Sefirah Malkhuth (Kingship), through their connection with which Israel are called “sons of kings”.
וּבְגִין דָא אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לֹא טוֹב היוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ אֶעֱשֶׂה לוֹ עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדוֹ דָּא מִשְׁנָה אִתְּתָא דְּהַהוּא נַעַר וְאִיהוּ (נ"א ואיהי) שִׁפְחָה דִשְׁכִינְתָּא. וְאִי זָכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אִיהִי עֵזְרִ לוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּהֶתֵּר טָהוֹר כָּשֵׁר. וְאִי לָאו אִיהִי כְּנֶגְדוֹ מִסִּטְרָא דְטָמֵא פָּסוּל אָסוּר. טָהוֹר הֶתֵּר כָּשֵׁר אִיהוּ יֵצֶר הַטּוֹב. פָּסוּל טָמֵא אָסוּר אִיהוּ יֵצֶר הָרָע.
On this account God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Gen. 2, 18). This help is the Mishnah (the oral Law), the handmaid of the Shekinah. If Israel deserve well, it is a help to them in the captivity from the side of the permitted, the clean, and the proper; if they do not deserve well, it is a hindrance to them from the side of the unclean, the unfit, and the forbidden, the clean, the permitted, and the fit signifying the good inclination, and the unfit, the unclean, and the forbidden signifying the evil inclination.
וְאִתְּתָא דְּאִית לָהּ דַּם טוֹהַר וְדַם נִדָּה מִסִּטְרָא דְּמִשְׁנָה אִיהִי שַׁוְיָא לֵיהּ וְלָאו אִיהִי בַּת זוּגֵיהּ יִחוּדָא דִּילֵיהּ. דְּלֵית יִחוּדָא עַד דְּעֵרֶב רַב יִתְמָחוּן מֵעָלְמָא. וּבְגִין דָא (לעיל כו ע"ב) אִתְקְבַר משֶׁה לְבַר מֵאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא. וּקְבוּרְתָּא דִּילֵיהּ מִשְׁנָה אִיהִי וְלָא יָדַע גְּבַר יַת קְבוּרְתֵּיהּ עַד יוֹמָא הָדֵין. קְבוּרְתָּא דִילֵיהּ מִשְׁנָה דְּשָׁלְטָא עַל מַטְרוֹנִיתָא דְּאִיהִי קַבָּלָה לְמשֶׁה. וּמַלְכָּא וּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִבַּעֲלָהּ. בְּגִין דָּא (משלי ל׳:כ״ב) תַּחַת שָׁלשׁ רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ וְכוּ' תַּחַת עֶבֶד כִּי יִמְלוֹךְ דָּא אִיהוּ עַבְדָא יְדִיעָא. וְשִׁפְחָה דָּא מִשְׁנָה. וְנָבָל כִּי יִשְׂבַּע לָחֶם דָּא עֵרֶב רַב, עַם נָבָל וְלא חָכָם.
Thus the Mishnah resembles the woman, who has both pure and impure blood of menstruation. But the Mishnah is not the spouse of his real union, for real union is denied to him until the “mixed multitude” shall be removed from the earth. On account of this Moses was buried outside of the Holy Land….1The English translation resumes at the end of line 2 of the Hebrew text.