Observe that Moses set up the Tabernacle in the recondite spirit of his own high grade; but the Temple that Solomon built was the recondite expression of the River that went forth from Eden, signifying homely peace and rest. The Tabernacle expressed love and affection, but not restfulness, whereas the Temple of Solomon meant rest, as it says, “he shall be a man of rest” (I Chron. 22, 9).
Moses first firmly established in the side of holiness the central Point which was hid in darkness and buried, and afterwards all the rest, which is but the enlargement of this Point.
And if this Point had not been established first, all that spread from it could not have been established. This is referred to in the words, “he reared up the tabernacle”. Moses then “set up its sockets” on either side to the number of a hundred, as it says, “a hundred talents, a talent for a socket” (Ex. 38, 27).
As already said, here it is not written “and he reared up”, but “he laid” (vayiten) the sockets, for the reason that over above them there were placed other grades, riding one upon the other, as it were.
At the moment when the central Point was reared up the evil power sank, but it was not wiped out altogether. That will come to pass in the future, as already said. As the one thus rose, so the other sank.
Had Israel not sinned, the evil powers could never more exercise sway in the world. But since Israel sinned, and thereby drew unto them the “other side” as of old, there is no remedy save to assign him his portion, esoterically speaking, in the sacrifices and libation-offerings. For this reason the burnt-offering is completely consumed in fire, so that the “other side” may be subjugated and the holy side may rise.
so that there should be rearing-up both at the beginning and the end, whereby the side of holiness was upraised and the evil side was weakened and forced down.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּקַדְמִיתָא, בְּמַשְׁכְּנָא דְּעֲבַד מֹשֶׁה, אִיהוּ אַתְקִין לֵיהּ, בְּרָזָא דְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה דְּאִיהוּ קַיְּימָא בֵּיהּ. בְּמַקְדְּשָׁא דְּעָבַד שְׁלֹמֹה, אִיהוּ תַּקִּין לֵיהּ, בְּרָזָא דְּהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָפִיק מֵעֵדֶן, דְּאִיהוּ שְׁלָמָא דְּבֵיתָא, וְאִיהוּ נַיְיחָא דְּבֵיתָא. וְעַל דָּא בְּרָזָא דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא, אִיהוּ קוּרְבָּא דַּחֲבִיבוּתָא, בְּדַּרְגָּא (ס"א ברזא) דְּגוּפָא, הַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּמֹשֶׁה, קַיְּימָא בֵּיהּ קוּרְבָּא דַּחֲבִיבוּתָא, וְלָאו דְּנַיְיחָא. כַּד אָתָא שְׁלמֹה, וְאַתְקִין מַקְדְּשָׁא, הַהוּא מַקְדְּשָׁא אִתְתָּקַּן, בְּרָזָא דַּחֲבִיבוּ דְּנַיְיחָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב בִּשְׁלֹמֹה, (דברי הימים א כ״ב:ט׳) הוּא יִהְיֶה אִישׁ מְנוּחָה.
Observe that Moses set up the Tabernacle in the recondite spirit of his own high grade; but the Temple that Solomon built was the recondite expression of the River that went forth from Eden, signifying homely peace and rest. The Tabernacle expressed love and affection, but not restfulness, whereas the Temple of Solomon meant rest, as it says, “he shall be a man of rest” (I Chron. 22, 9).
וּבְגִין כָּךְ, דָּא אַתְקִין בְּחַד דַּרְגָּא, וְדָא אַתְקִין בְּחַד דַּרְגָּא, דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּהַאי בְּהַאי, וְרָזָא דָּא, (בראשית ל״ז:ב׳) אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף.
Each one builded according to his own grade.
שֵׁירוּתָא דְּשָׁאֲרִי מֹשֶׁה, לְאַתְקְנָא בְּהַאי אֲתָר, דְּאִיהוּ סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה אוֹקִים קִימָה דִּנְקוּדָה דְּקַיְּימָא בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא, דְּהֲוָה חָשׁוּךְ וְשָׁקוּעַ בְּאַתְרֵיהּ, וְלָא אִתְחָזֵי, וְלָא נָהִיר כְּלַל, וְשֵׁירוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא אוֹקִים לָהּ לְהַאי נְקוּדָה, דְּאִשְׁתְּקָעַת בְּאַתְרָהָא. וּלְבָתַר לְכָל אַחֲרָא, דְּאִיהוּ בִּנְיָינָא דְּהַאי נְקוּדָה.
Moses first firmly established in the side of holiness the central Point which was hid in darkness and buried, and afterwards all the rest, which is but the enlargement of this Point.
וְאִם הַאי נְקוּדָה לָא אִתְתָּקַּן (נ"א אתתקם) בְּקַדְמִיתָא, כָּל מַאן דְּאִתְפָּשַּׁט מִנָּהּ, לָא יָכִיל לְאִתְתַּקְנָא. וְכֵיוָן דְּהַאי נְקוּדָה אִתְּקָמַת וְאִתְנְהִירַת, כְּדֵין, כָּל שְׁאַר תִּקּוּנָא אַחֲרָא אִתְתָּקַּן, וְאִתְיְישָׁבַת בְּדוּכְתָּהּ. וְעַל דָּא, וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן. (את) דָּא נְקוּדָה דַּהֲוַות חֲשׁוֹכָא וּשְׁקִיעָא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ. וּלְבָתַר, וַיִּתֵּן אֶת אֲדָנָיו, אִינּוּן סַמְכִין דְּאִינּוּן מִכָּאן וּמִכָּאן. (בגין דאית אדנים ואית אדנים) וְכֻלְּהוּ הֲווֹ מֵאָה לְחֶשְׁבֹּנָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ אִתְפְּלָגוּ לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ, דִּכְתִּיב, מְאַת אֲדָנִים לִמְאַת הַכִּכָּר כִּכָּר לָאָדֶן.
And if this Point had not been established first, all that spread from it could not have been established. This is referred to in the words, “he reared up the tabernacle”. Moses then “set up its sockets” on either side to the number of a hundred, as it says, “a hundred talents, a talent for a socket” (Ex. 38, 27).
וְאִלֵּין אֲדָנִים הָא אוֹקִימְנָא, אֲבָל לָא כְּתִיב בְּהוּ קִימָה, אֶלָּא וַיִּתֵּן, נְתִינָה לְשַׁוָּואָה עָלַיְיהוּ מַה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ, בְּגִין דְּאִית תַּתָּאִין וְעִלָּאִין, רְכִיבִין דָּא עַל דָּא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב בְּהוּ נְתִינָה.
As already said, here it is not written “and he reared up”, but “he laid” (vayiten) the sockets, for the reason that over above them there were placed other grades, riding one upon the other, as it were.
בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא דְּהַאי נְקוּדָה אִתְּקָמַת, אִשְׁתְּקָעַת סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא. וְלָא אִתְמָחַת כְּלַל, דְּהָא לָא אִתְמְחֵי, אֶלָּא לְהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי, דְּאִתְמְחֵי מֵעָלְמָא, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר, אִתְּקַם דָּא וְאִשְׁתְּקָעַת דָּא.
At the moment when the central Point was reared up the evil power sank, but it was not wiped out altogether. That will come to pass in the future, as already said. As the one thus rose, so the other sank.
(שמות מ׳:י״ח) וַיִּתֵּן אֶת אֲדָנָיו, כְּדֵין שָׁאֲרִי לְאִתַּתְקְפָא הַאי סִטְרָא (ד"א רוחא) דִּקְדוּשָּׁה וְכַד אִתְיְיהִיבוּ אִלֵּין סַמְכִין, אִשְׁתְּקָעוּ כֻּלְּהוּ דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְעָאלוּ בְּנוּקְבָּא דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא. בְּגִין דְּאִסְתַּלָּק הַאי סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה עִלָּאָה, וְאִיהוּ חוּלָקָא לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא, וּכְדֵין הַאי סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא אִשְׁתְּקַע, וְעָאל בְּהַהוּא נוּקְבָּא דִּתְהוֹמָא.
When “he set up its sockets”, the “holy side” began to gather force, whilst the forces of the “other side” plunged into the cavern of the Abyss.
וְאִלְמָלֵא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל חָאבוּ, (בקדמיתא) לָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בְּעָלְמָא יַתִּיר. וּלְבָתַר אוּף הָכִי חָאבוּ, וְאַמְשִׁיכוּ לֵיהּ עָלַיְיהוּ כְּקַדְמֵיתָא. וּמֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא, לָא הֲוָה עֵיטָא, אֶלָּא לְמֵיהַב חוּלָקָא לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא בְּכֹלָּא, בְּרָזָא דְּקָרְבְּנִין וּנְסָכִין וְעִלָּוָון. וְתָּא חֲזֵי בְּגִין כָּךְ עוֹלָה אִתּוֹקְדָא כֹּלָּא בְּאֶשָּׁא, לְאַכְפְּיָיא הַאי סִטְרָא, וּלְאִסְתַּלְּקָא סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה, וּבְגִין כַּךְ כַּד מֹשֶׁה אוֹקִים לַאֲתָר דָּא. אִשְׁתְּקַע אֲתָר דָּא.
Had Israel not sinned, the evil powers could never more exercise sway in the world. But since Israel sinned, and thereby drew unto them the “other side” as of old, there is no remedy save to assign him his portion, esoterically speaking, in the sacrifices and libation-offerings. For this reason the burnt-offering is completely consumed in fire, so that the “other side” may be subjugated and the holy side may rise.
תָּא חֲזֵי וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה, הַאי סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה. וְאִשְׁתְּקַע סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא מְסַאֲבָא. וַיִּתֵּן. לְהַאי סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה, וְאִתְרַפְיָא הַאי סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא מְסַאֲבָא. וַיָּשֶׂם, לְהַאי סִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה, וְאִתְכַּפְיָא הַאי סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא. וּלְבָתַר אַהְדָּר וַיִתֵּן אֶת בְּרִיחָיו.
Then the text repeats, “and he put in the bars thereof and he reared up its pillars”
וּלְבָתַר וַיָּקֶם. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דִּיְהֵא שֵׁירוּתָא וְסִיּוּמָא בְּקִימָה, שָׁאֲרִי בְּקִימָה, וְסִיֵּים בְּקִימָה. בְּגִין דִּבְכֹלָּא בָּעֵי קִימָה, שֵׁירוּתָא וְסִיּוּמָא. קִימָה בְּשֵׁירוּתָא דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא אִתְרַפֵי. וְדָא, אִיהוּ קִימָה לְסִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה, בְּגִין לְאִתְקַיְּימָא וּלְאִסְתַּלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא, לְמֶהוֵי אִתְקַשְׁרוּתָא חֲדָא כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת. בְּגִין דְּכָל זִמְנָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה שַׁלְטָא וְסַלְּקָא, מְסָאֲבוּ שָׁפִיל, וּמָאִיךְ לְתַתָּא.
so that there should be rearing-up both at the beginning and the end, whereby the side of holiness was upraised and the evil side was weakened and forced down.