These “seven days” are not like the seven days of the feast of Tabernacles, avhich latter are “upper” days (belonging to the world of “Understanding”), whilst the former are “lower” days (belonging to the world of “Kingdom”). Therefore, on the feast of Tabernacles the full “Hallel”)1i.e. Ps. 113-118. in full. is recited, whilst on that of Passover (after the first day) only a part of it1i.e. the same psalms with the omission of Ps. 115, 1-11, and 116, 1-11. is recited.
It may be asked, After the feast of the Passover has been sanctified (on the first day), why is there a descent to a lower plane on the succeeding days? Is there not an ancient rule that “in holy things there must be continual progress upward, not regression downward”? Why, then, is not the “complete” Hallel said on the remaining six days of the feast? Why does the sanctification “come down” in these “lower” days?
The answer would be as follows: It is written concerning the High Priest: “And he should make an atonement for himself and for his house” (Lev. 16, 6); from which it is clear that he, being the medium of propitiation, must first make atonement on his own behalf and then be the means of atonement for his household. The same applies here: the grade of the Passover feast began to be sanctified first (on the first day), and having been sanctified itself required to sanctify its household, and for this reason it “came down”. And what is the instrument of that sanctification? Israel which is below, when she counts the days of the Omer (from the second night of Passover until the night of Pentecost). And when these have been sanctified, this grade must be raised in order to ascend above, for when the house of the Matrona (Israel, the “bearer” of the Shekinah) is sanctified, it ascends to the upper region in order to unite itself with those “higher” days above (on the Feast of Weeks).
Therefore we have to count the days of the Omer standing, because these are “high” days. So, also, whenever a man enters into those “high” days, whether it be with prayers nr hymns of praise, he must pray or sing standing, his thighs taut, his feet firm, his body erect: the attitude. of a man, instinct with power, as distinct from the characteristic attitude of a woman, which is sitting. Another reason for standing is that the counting of the days of the Omer signifies praise-giving to the upper world.
And because the counting of the Omer is part of the mystery of the world of Masculinity, therefore it is not obligatory for women; for it is only the men who are obliged to count, in order to unite all the attributes according to the Divine purpose. Similarly it is written (in regard to the pilgrimage to Jerusalem on the three festivals): “Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God” (Ex. 23, 16)-males but not females, because the mystery of the Covenant applies to males but not to females; therefore the command to “appear” being bound up with that supernal mystery, women are not obliged to keep it.
We have also learnt in this connection the mystery, that from every seven of those “high” days, one day of the lower days receives holiness, and that day is called Shabu’a (week),1Alluding to the fact that in the counting of the Omer the weeks are mentioned as well as the days. because it was sanctified by the seven “supernal” days. And so it is with all the sevens of the fifty days (between the second night of Passover and the night of Pentecost), or rather the forty-nine days, and as there are forty-nine supernal days, seven days below are sanctified, and every one of these days is called “week”, because it ascends by means of those seven. Therefore it is written, “Seven complete weeks they shall be” (Lev. 23, 15). Because they (i.e. the “lower” days) are of the Feminine grade they are designated by a feminine form (sheba’ instead of shib’ah).
And when they have been sanctified by them (i.e. by the supernal days), and the “House” has been prepared, so that the Wife (the Shekinah) may be united with her Spouse, then it is called “The Feast of Weeks” (Pentecost), because of the “lower” days which have been hallowed by the “higher”. Therefore it is written: “In your weeks” (Num. 28, 26), because they are “yours”, as Israel is also sanctified with them.
Hence, when forty-nine days have been reached and passed, the fiftieth day, which reigns over them, symbolizes the mystery of the Torah (given on that day), which possesses forty- nine aspects; and this day, by means of the impulse from below, brought forth the Torah complete with forty-nine aspects.’
אֶת חַג הַמַּצּוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר, הַאי אִיהוּ אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי שָׁמוֹר. וּבְּגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב, אֶת חַג הַמַּצּוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תֹּאכַל מַצּוֹת כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ. שִׁבְעַת יָמִים אִלֵּין, לָאו אִינּוּן כְּשִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים דְּסֻכּוֹת, דְּאִינּוּן עִלָּאִין וְאִלֵּין תַּתָּאִין. וְעַל דָּא, בְּאִינּוּן הַלֵּל גָּמוּר, וּבְהָנִי לָאו הַלֵּל גָּמוּר, וְעַל דְּאִינּוּן לְתַתָּא, שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תֹּאכַל מַצּוֹת. מַצֹּת כְּתִיב חָסֵר בְּלָא ו', דְּעַד לָא שָׁרָאן אִינּוּן יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין, רָזָא דְּו'.
These “seven days” are not like the seven days of the feast of Tabernacles, avhich latter are “upper” days (belonging to the world of “Understanding”), whilst the former are “lower” days (belonging to the world of “Kingdom”). Therefore, on the feast of Tabernacles the full “Hallel”)1i.e. Ps. 113-118. in full. is recited, whilst on that of Passover (after the first day) only a part of it1i.e. the same psalms with the omission of Ps. 115, 1-11, and 116, 1-11. is recited.
וְאִי תֵּימָא, כֵּיוָן דְּהַאי רָזָא דְּחַג הַמַּצּוֹת אִתְקַדָּשׁ, אֲמַאי נַחְתָּא, דְּהָא תָּנֵינָן מַעֲלִין בַּקֹּדֶשׁ וְלָא מוֹרִידִין, אֲמַאי נַחְתָּא לְתַתָּא בְּאִינּוּן יוֹמִין תַּתָּאִין.
It may be asked, After the feast of the Passover has been sanctified (on the first day), why is there a descent to a lower plane on the succeeding days? Is there not an ancient rule that “in holy things there must be continual progress upward, not regression downward”? Why, then, is not the “complete” Hallel said on the remaining six days of the feast? Why does the sanctification “come down” in these “lower” days?
תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב (ויקרא ט״ז:ו׳) וְכִפֶּר בַּעֲדוֹ וּבְעַד בֵּיתוֹ וְגוֹ', מַאן דִּיְכַפֵּר, אִצְטְרִיךְ (נ"א לכפרא) עָלֵיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּבָתַר עַל בֵּיתֵיהּ. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, הַאי דַּרְגָּא, שָׁאֲרִי לְאִתְקַדְּשָׁא וּלְנָפְקָא בִּקְדוּשָׁה, לְכַפְּרָא עָלֵיהּ, וְכֵיוָן דְּאִיהוּ אִתְקַדָּשׁ, בָּעֵי לְכַפָּרָא עַל בֵּיתֵיהּ, וּלְקַדְּשָׁא לוֹן, וְעַל דָּא נַחְתָּא לְתַתָּא לְקַדְּשָׁא בֵּיתֵיהּ. וּבְמָּה מְקַדֵּשׁ לוֹן, בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל דִּלְתַתָּא. בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא דְעוֹמֵר וְכֵיוָן דְּאִלֵּין מִתְקַדְשָׁאן, בָּעֵינָן לְסַלְּקָא לָהּ לְעֵילָּא, דְּהָא כַּד בֵּיתָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא אִתְקַדְשַׁת, כְּדֵין סַלְקַת לְעֵילָּא, לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּאִינּוּן יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין לְעֵילָּא.
The answer would be as follows: It is written concerning the High Priest: “And he should make an atonement for himself and for his house” (Lev. 16, 6); from which it is clear that he, being the medium of propitiation, must first make atonement on his own behalf and then be the means of atonement for his household. The same applies here: the grade of the Passover feast began to be sanctified first (on the first day), and having been sanctified itself required to sanctify its household, and for this reason it “came down”. And what is the instrument of that sanctification? Israel which is below, when she counts the days of the Omer (from the second night of Passover until the night of Pentecost). And when these have been sanctified, this grade must be raised in order to ascend above, for when the house of the Matrona (Israel, the “bearer” of the Shekinah) is sanctified, it ascends to the upper region in order to unite itself with those “higher” days above (on the Feast of Weeks).
וְעַל דָּא אֲנָן עַבְדִּין חוּשְׁבָּנָא, בְּקִיּוּמָא עַל קַיְימִין, בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן יוֹמִין, יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין אִינּוּן, וְכֵן בְּכָל זִמְנָא דְּעָאל בַּר נָשׁ לְאִינּוּן יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין, בֵּין בִּצְלוֹתָא, בֵּין בִּשְׁבָחָא, אִצְטְרִיךְ לְקַיְּימָא עַל רַגְלוֹי, יַרְכִּין וְגוּפָא כַּחֲדָא תַּמָּן. יַרְכִּין וְגוּפָא לְקַיְּימָא, כִּדְכוּרָא דְּקַיְּימָא בְּחֵילֵיהּ, וְלָא כְּנוּקְבָא דְּאָרְחָהָא לְמֵיתַב. וְעוֹד בְּגִין שְׁבָחָא דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה.
Therefore we have to count the days of the Omer standing, because these are “high” days. So, also, whenever a man enters into those “high” days, whether it be with prayers nr hymns of praise, he must pray or sing standing, his thighs taut, his feet firm, his body erect: the attitude. of a man, instinct with power, as distinct from the characteristic attitude of a woman, which is sitting. Another reason for standing is that the counting of the days of the Omer signifies praise-giving to the upper world.
וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דִּדְכוּרָא, נָשִׁים פְּטוּרוֹת מֵחוּשְׁבָּנָא דָּא, וְלָא מִתְחַיְיבָן לְמִימְנִי בַּר דְּכוּרִין, לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא כָּל חַד כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, (שמות כ״ג:י״ז) יֵרָאֶה כָּל זְכוּרְךָ, דְּכוּרִין, וְלָא נָשִׁין. בְּגִין דְּרָזָא דִּבְרִית בִּדְכוּרָא אִיהוּ, וְלָא בְּנוּקְבָּא, וּבְגִין דְּקַיְּימָא רָזָא לְעֵילָּא, נָשִׁין לָא מִתְחַיְיבָן.
And because the counting of the Omer is part of the mystery of the world of Masculinity, therefore it is not obligatory for women; for it is only the men who are obliged to count, in order to unite all the attributes according to the Divine purpose. Similarly it is written (in regard to the pilgrimage to Jerusalem on the three festivals): “Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God” (Ex. 23, 16)-males but not females, because the mystery of the Covenant applies to males but not to females; therefore the command to “appear” being bound up with that supernal mystery, women are not obliged to keep it.
וְרָזָא אוֹלִיפְנָא הָכָא, דִּבְכָל שִׁבְעַת יוֹמִין, מֵאִלֵּין יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין, נַטְלָא קְדוּשָּׁא יוֹמָא חַד (ומתאחד) דְּאִלֵּין תַּתָּאֵי, וְהַאי תַּתָּאָה אִקְרֵי שָׁבוּעַ, דְּאִתְקַדָּשׁ בְּשִׁבְעָה יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין. וְכֵן בְּכָל שִׁבְעָה וְשִׁבְעָה מֵאִינּוּן חַמְשִׁין יוֹמִין, עַד וְלָא עַד בִּכְלָל, וְכַד אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ אַרְבְּעִין וּתֵשַׁע יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין, אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ לְתַתָּא שֶׁבַע יוֹמִין, דְּאִתְקַדָּשׁוּ בְּהוּ וְכָל חַד אִקְרֵי שָׁבוּעַ, דְּעָאל בְּאִינּוּן שֶׁבַע. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (ויקרא כ״ג:ט״ו) שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימוֹת תִּהְיֶינָה. בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן נוּקְבִין, נָקַט קְרָא לִישָׁנָא דְּנוּקְבִין.
We have also learnt in this connection the mystery, that from every seven of those “high” days, one day of the lower days receives holiness, and that day is called Shabu’a (week),1Alluding to the fact that in the counting of the Omer the weeks are mentioned as well as the days. because it was sanctified by the seven “supernal” days. And so it is with all the sevens of the fifty days (between the second night of Passover and the night of Pentecost), or rather the forty-nine days, and as there are forty-nine supernal days, seven days below are sanctified, and every one of these days is called “week”, because it ascends by means of those seven. Therefore it is written, “Seven complete weeks they shall be” (Lev. 23, 15). Because they (i.e. the “lower” days) are of the Feminine grade they are designated by a feminine form (sheba’ instead of shib’ah).
וְכַד אִתְקַדָּשׁוּ בְּהוּ, וּבֵיתָא, מִתַּתְקְנָא לְאִתְחַבְּרָא אִתְּתָא בְּבַעְלָהּ, כְּדֵין אִקְרֵי חַג שָׁבוּעוֹת, מֵאִינוּן נוּקְבֵי דְּשָׁארוּ עָלַיְיהוּ אִינּוּן יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין, דְּאִתְקַדָּשׁוּ בְּהוּ. וּבְּגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב בְּשָׁבוּעוֹתֵיכֶם, אִינּוּן דִּלְכוֹן, וְלָא כְּתִיב בְּשָׁבוּעוֹת, בְּגִין דְּהָכִי נָמֵי מִתְקַדְּשִׁין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא עִמְּהוֹן.
And when they have been sanctified by them (i.e. by the supernal days), and the “House” has been prepared, so that the Wife (the Shekinah) may be united with her Spouse, then it is called “The Feast of Weeks” (Pentecost), because of the “lower” days which have been hallowed by the “higher”. Therefore it is written: “In your weeks” (Num. 28, 26), because they are “yours”, as Israel is also sanctified with them.
וְעַל דָּא כַּד מָטוּן לְתֵשַׁע וְאַרְבְּעִין יוֹמִין, הַהוּא יוֹמָא עִלָּאָה דְּעָלַיְיהוּ, דְּאִיהוּ יוֹמָא דְּחַמְשִׁין, דְּשַׁלִּיט עַל תִּשְׁעָה וְאַרְבְּעִין יוֹמִין, רָזָא דִּכְלָלָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּתִשְׁעָה וְאַרְבְּעִין אַנְפִּין, וּכְדֵין הַהוּא יוֹמָא עִלָּאָה, יוֹמָא דְּחַמְשִׁין, בְּאִתְעָרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא, אַפִּיק אוֹרַיְיתָא כְּלָלָא בְּתִשְׁעָה וְאַרְבְּעִין אַנְפִּין.
Hence, when forty-nine days have been reached and passed, the fiftieth day, which reigns over them, symbolizes the mystery of the Torah (given on that day), which possesses forty- nine aspects; and this day, by means of the impulse from below, brought forth the Torah complete with forty-nine aspects.’