# Ruzin Gineezin — Translation v2 | Lo Yasur Shevet, Discourses 1–11
Source: https://ajew.org/reader/ramchal-adir-bamuroam/1/22
## Segment 1
ורזא דא
## Segment 2
מב״ד ממנא לבררא טיבו גבוראן מיא עילאה ורזא דא ושבט מוסר רעיא מהימנא דתמן אתקבר ניצוצין דסטר קדישא כגוונא דמב״ד
Two anchor-verses run through all eleven discourses:
## Segment 3
ברזא בדרגא דלבר ושבט לגו חסר לב דבינייהו בדרגא דלגו תולעתא גו קליפין לחקקא בפנימיותא דלהון
Each of the eleven discourses reads both verses through a distinct kabbalistic lens. The four words of ascent — yarum, v'nisa, v'gavah, me'od — serve as a four-stage ladder, corresponding each time to a different set of four realities: four worlds, four kingdoms, four Partzufim, four levels of Torah, and so on.
## Segment 4
רגלין תרין משיחין דרגא דעבד פורקנא דרגא דבן
The Ramchal's formula throughout: ורזא דא — "and the secret of this is" — signals that what follows is not mere identification but an unlocking of hidden meaning encoded in the verse.
## Segment 5
ובשלייתה יחמון ויתכספון נהירו תקהינה שיניו
Lo Yasur Sheves mi-Yehudah, etc. Hineh Yaskil Avdi, etc.
## Segment 6
לאתכלא לון שכולה
## Segment 7
דרגין
## Segment 8
ישכיל
## Segment 9
מב״י נחת מדרגא דיליה
Come and see: The Melech Ben Dovid [מב״ד], the steward [ממנא] of the exile, stands among the kelipot in order to clarify and extract [לבררא] from them all the goodness [טיבו] that is found within them — and this has already been stated. In what does he fortify himself? Only through the powers of gevurah [גבוראן] that descend from the supernal waters [מיא עילאה] to strengthen him — and the secret of this [ורזא דא] is the sheves [scepter], as it says: "and a rod of chastisement" [ושבט מוסר]. And Moshe, the faithful shepherd [רעיא מהימנא], is also found among them — for he is buried there [דתמן אתקבר], as it says: "He gave the wicked his burial" [Yeshayah 53:9]. And he too extracts from them the holy sparks [ניצוצין דסטר קדישא]. And a power descends upon him from above, from the side of Judgment, to strengthen him — also in the manner of the MBD [כגוונא דמב״ד].
## Segment 10
קלקולא
## Segment 11
אחד יב״א אח״ד
## Segment 12
מ״מ = ומלכא משיחא
## Segment 13
עד״א
## Segment 14
משען יב״א
## Segment 15
סלם מ״ה
## Segment 16
אשגחותא מרחוק
## Segment 17
עני ורוכב על חמור
## Segment 18
שבטך ומשענתך סמיכה ורזא לחכימין אח רחוק בלחישותא בגילויא אֱלֹקִים מ״ה ר"ד"ל"א חוטרא שדרתיה עקיצא דפרזלא בין רגלוי בדרגא דלבר בדרגא דלגו נהירו
But this one is in the secret of [ברזא] the sheves, and that one in the secret of the mechokek. And the secret of this: the MBD, at the time when he is among the kelipot, sustains the world thereby, and his birur [extraction of sparks] is on the outer level [בדרגא דלבר]. Therefore his power is called sheves, as it says: "and a rod for the back of the senseless" [ושבט לגו חסר לב] — "inward" [lego], precisely. But Moshe, who is among them [דבינייהו] and absorbed within them, his birur is on the inner level [בדרגא דלגו]. Therefore his power is called mechokek [engraver], for he stands there like the worm [תולעתא] that is inside a fruit — it eats from within it whatever is found inside, and leaves of it nothing but its outer shell. In the same way, Moshe: whatever he does within the kelipot [גו קליפין] is to engrave within their innermost [לחקקא בפנימיותא דלהון] — mechokek, truly.
Therefore: "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah" — this is the MBD, who is fortified through the sheves as I have said. "And the lawgiver from between his feet" — this is Moshe, whose place is between those two legs [רגלין], which are the two Moshichim [תרין משיחין] that must be joined together. And his power is called mechokek. And all this [lasts] as long as the exile stands, and they are on the level of servant [דרגא דעבד]. But at the time of the Redemption [פורקנא], they shall ascend to the level of son [דרגא דבן], and the secret of this is the Bas Yechidah from the side of Atzilus that will rest upon them.
Therefore: "Until Shiloh comes" — the secret of this is ben [son], as it says: "and his afterbirth" [ובשלייתה] [Bereishis 38:27, read by the Zohar as encoding shiloh]. Then the Sitra Achra shall not be able to overpower them, for on the level of Atzilus, "no evil shall sojourn with You". Rather they [the Sitra Achra] shall be confounded and ashamed [יחמון ויתכספון]. For all that they had thought to dominate over Moshe and over the MBD who stood in their territory during exile — it turned out to their own undoing. For all the radiance [נהירו] that was in them was taken from them and they were left in darkness. Therefore: "And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples" — the yikas of peoples, precisely — and the secret of this is "May the teeth of his enemies be blunted" [תקהינה שיניו] [Bereishis 49:12].
"Behold, My servant shall prosper" — "My servant": this is the MBD and Moshe, for both are called by this name — "Dovid My servant" and "Moshe My servant." Both must dwell among the kelipot during the exile to consume them [לאתכלא לון]. Therefore: Hineh yaskil — and the secret of this is shekulah [שכולה] — a bereaved woman.
## Segment 19
ברגלין דיליה עקיצין דפרזלא יזה פשטא דאורייתא רזין דאורייתא בדרגא דלגו
But at the time of the Redemption, they depart from there and ascend to the level of Atzilus. Therefore: "he shall be exalted [yarum] and lifted [v'nisa] and high [v'gavah] and very [me'od]" — these four levels [דרגין] are the four worlds ABYA, through which they pass in their ascent upward.
And the Sitra Achra shall not be able to [harm] them at that time, and they shall be ashamed — as it says: "At this, kings shall be struck dumb, they shall shut their mouths" [Yeshayah 52:15]. And the secret of this is yikas [blunting] as I have said. Yarum v'nisa v'gavah me'od — truly.
## Segment 20
חנית
## Segment 21
ד״ן אֲדֹנָ״י ד״ן אדנ׳
Lo Yasur Sheves mi-Yehudah, etc. Hineh Yaskil Avdi, etc.
## Segment 22
חקיקא
## Segment 23
סביל יסורין באהבה
Come and see: It has been stated that the MBD is not called by the name of his tribe — which is Yehudah — in the manner that Moshiach Ben Yosef [מב״י] is called "Moshiach Ben Efrayim," because he descended from his [tribal] rank [נחת מדרגא דיליה]. As the Sages expounded: "And Yehudah went down" [Bereishis 38:1] — that he descended from his greatness. Therefore Yaakov, who knew this — that the kingship of Israel would not be called by the name of Yehudah but by the name of Dovid — was fearful: for until Dovid came, the kingship might be entirely lost from the tribe of Yehudah, G-d forbid.
## Segment 24
בענוותנותא סגי
## Segment 25
עד ועד בכלל
## Segment 26
הנה המטה
## Segment 27
עקיצא דפרזלא
## Segment 28
ו״ה אלופים
## Segment 29
בדרגא דלבר בדרגא דלגו משכילים זוהר הרקיע גלותא רגלותא דבינייהו רבינייהו גאות נאות דרגא/דרגין דרנא/דרנין לגו לנו
Therefore when he blessed him, he said: "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah" — this is the MBD, to whom kingship is given — sheves, truly. "And the lawgiver from between his feet" — this is MBY, who derives from him [the MBD], and whose place is between those two legs, for he is on the level of Tzaddik [Yesod]. And between this [MBD] and that [MBY], [kingship] shall be sustained in Yehudah — until Dovid comes, who is the king from the side of the Shekhinah, and the kingdom is called by his name. Therefore: "Until Shiloh comes" — this is Dovid, who is the son of Yehudah. Then: "and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples" — for the people are called by the name of the king.
Lo Yasur Sheves mi-Yehudah, etc. Hineh Yaskil Avdi, etc.
Therefore: yarum — from the aspect of Dovid — for at that time all the corruptions that caused the division of the kingdom must be rectified. For when Dovid received the slander [lashon hara], all became corrupted, and it was decreed that the kingdom would be divided — as the Sages established: "When Dovid received [the slander], Yerav'am and Rechav'am divided the kingdom." And yet the king Moshiach [מ״מ = ומלכא משיחא] shall be exalted, to rectify that corruption. V'nisa — from the aspect of Shlomo, whose kingdom ruled the entire world, and when he sinned with the foreign women, all became corrupted. And the MBD — v'nisa — to rectify that corruption. V'gavah — from the aspect of Rechav'am, in whose days the kingdom was divided because he was haughty over Israel. And Moshiach — v'gavah — to rectify the corruption of Rechav'am. Me'od — through the MBD with the joining of the MBY within him, for he is like the nun relative to him. And when they are joined, he is a complete body in the secret of Adam. All through the power of Moshe who is adam. Yarum v'nisa v'gavah me'od — truly.
## Segment 30
שכולה ישכיל שכולה
Come and see: At the time of Rechav'am, when the kingdom was divided, two kings arose: one in the secret of the sheves from the side of Yehudah, to whom dominion was given; and one in the secret of the mechokek from the side of Yosef, who is the viceroy to the king. Yaakov saw through divine inspiration that the kingdom was destined to be divided, and was fearful that through this fracture [קלקולא], G-d forbid, the kingdom would be utterly lost.
## Segment 31
כגוונא דעבד גאות אדם אלקים אלקים אֱלֹהִים עבדי אלהים אחד יב״א ירום ונשא וגבה מאד מאד = אדם = מ״ה = 45 דך רם
"Behold, My servant shall prosper" — this is Dovid, as it says: "I have found Dovid My servant" [Tehillim 89:21]. He shall truly prosper [ישכיל], as it says: "And Dovid prospered in all his ways" [I Shmuel 18:14]. At every time that rectification is found in Israel, it is called by his name.
Therefore he said: "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah and the lawgiver from between his feet" — for all will be sustained, even though they are in separation — between the sheves and the mechokek that derives from it — therefore "from between his feet", truly. "Until Shiloh comes" — this is Moshe, through whom the two Moshichim shall be unified. When? When strength is achieved in [the Name of] אחד [echad — One], and the secret of this is יב״א, whose letters sum to אח״ד [= 13 = echad]. And when this rectification is awakened: "And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples" — those two peoples [Yehudah and Israel] divided in the time of Yerav'am and Rechav'am, at that time shall be unified as one — yikas amim truly.
Lo Yasur Sheves mi-Yehudah, etc. Hineh Yaskil Avdi, etc.
Come and see: It is written: "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" [Tehillim 23:4] — this verse is said of the MBD, who in the time of exile dwells among the kelipot, which are the valley of the shadow of death. Yet he sits there without any fear — therefore: "I shall fear no evil." For G-d watches over him constantly from above — therefore: "For You are with me." And although at that time he is distant from his root — which is Attika D'Atikin [עד״א] — nonetheless He always stands over him to guard him. And the level of the Tzaddik also stands with him to strengthen him.
Therefore: "Your rod [שבטך]" — this is Attika D'Atikin, the secret of the sheves. "And Your staff [ומשענתך]" — this is the Tzaddik, in whom support [סמיכה] is found — and this is a secret for the wise [ורזא לחכימין]. "They comfort me" — for these two levels always stand over him as I have said.
Therefore: "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah" — this is Attika D'Atikin. "And the lawgiver from between his feet" — this is the Tzaddik, who is found between those two legs, and is the secret of the staff [משען], as it says: "with the lawgiver's staff" [Bamidbar 21:18]. All this is for his protection during exile. But at the time of Redemption, this is no longer needed. Therefore: "Until Shiloh comes" — this is the MBD when he shall be strengthened in the secret of echad, and the secret of this is יב״א. Then: "and to him shall be the obedience of all peoples" — all nations shall serve in holy service, as it says: "For then I will turn to the peoples" etc. [Tzefanyah 3:9].
"Behold, My servant shall prosper" — this is the MBD. Yaskil — for he is strengthened through the Tzaddik who is the maskil [enlightener]. And this is for his strengthening in exile, and for his benefit at Redemption. Therefore yarum etc. — for the Tzaddik is a ladder [סלם] through which one ascends to the supernal levels — as it says of him: "And behold, a ladder set upon the earth" etc. [Bereishis 28:12]. And the MBD, who in exile descended from his level, now re-ascends upon this ladder to his place which is Attika D'Atikin, through these stages of ascent: yarum — through the Shekhinah; v'nisa — through the Tzaddik; v'gavah — through Netzach and Hod; until he arrives at his place. Me'od — this is Attika D'Atikin, which is on the level of מ״ה. All through the Tzaddik who is the ladder as I said. Yarum v'nisa v'gavah me'od — truly.
Lo Yasur Sheves mi-Yehudah, etc. Hineh Yaskil Avdi, etc.
Come and see: The Shekhinah is named according to Her watchfulness [אשגחותא]. And in the secret of Her standing with the MBD among the kelipot, She is called Yehudah. But although She is there in exile, nonetheless Attika D'Atikin always watches over Her from afar [מרחוק]. And the secret of this is: "From afar G-d appeared to me" [Yirmiyah 31:2]. And the Tzaddik is also always connected to Her.
Therefore: "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah" — the sheves is Attika D'Atikin, who is a distant brother [אח רחוק]. Mi-Yehudah — this is the Shekhinah. And the mechokek is the Tzaddik, who is a nearby neighbor connected to Her — from between his feet, truly. "Until Shiloh comes" — this is at the time of Redemption, when Attika D'Atikin, who is in the secret of ben [son] — Shiloh precisely — shall unite with the Shekhinah, and the secret of this is: yavo [he shall come]. Then: "and to him shall be the obedience of peoples" — for in the time of exile the union was performed in whispers [בלחישותא] because of the fear of the Sitra Achra. But in Redemption: "our G-d shall come and shall not be silent" [Tehillim 50:3] — no more fear; all in open revelation [בגילויא]. And all nations shall gather to behold the supernal glory in its unity. V'lo yikas amim — truly.
"Behold, My servant shall prosper" — this is the Shekhinah. And She is avdi [My servant], and She is אֱלֹקִים in gematria [both = 86]. Yaskil — for through the level of the Tzaddik alone, who is the maskil, She cleaves [to holiness] in exile. But at the time of Redemption She shall ascend through supernal levels: yarum — from Her own aspect; v'nisa — from the King's aspect; v'gavah — from Abba and Imma; me'od — from Attika Kadisha, who is the מ״ה, the irrigation of the Tree. And through all these levels She ascended, until She reached the very highest, Radla [ר"ד"ל"א = Reisha D'Lo Isyada — the Unknown Head], where She is rooted. And this is why in exile the Shekhinah went among the kelipot, distanced from Her supernal root and weakened — so that at Redemption She ascends there with exceedingly great power. Yarum v'nisa v'gavah me'od — truly.
Lo Yasur Sheves mi-Yehudah, etc. Hineh Yaskil Avdi, etc.
Come and see: Two things were said of the MBD: one — "humble and riding upon a donkey" [עני ורוכב על חמור] [Zecharyah 9:9]; and one — "behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a human being came" [Daniel 7:13]. The first is for the time of exile, the second for the time of Redemption. For as long as exile stands, the MBD is among the kelipot in the secret of the poor man [ani] — for concealment and poverty cover him. And therefore he must labor to subdue that donkey and ride upon it — riding upon a donkey, truly.
Regarding this secret it is written: "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah and the lawgiver" etc. For one who rides upon a donkey takes a whip [חוטרא] in his hand and strikes that donkey upon its back [שדרתיה]. And the sting of iron [עקיצא דפרזלא] between his legs [בין רגלוי] to goad it — and thereby draws from it its blood. In the same manner, the MBD who rides the donkey in exile — with these two things he constantly fortifies himself to subdue it: first, the sheves in his hand, in the secret of gevurah, to strike it on the outer level [בדרגא דלבר]; and the secret of this is "and a rod for the back of the senseless." Thereafter: the mechokek between his legs, to subdue it on the inner level [בדרגא דלגו] — to draw from it its blood, which is the radiance [נהירו] found within it.
And if you ask: what is the mechokek? Come and see: it is written: "As many were aghast at you... so shall he spatter many nations" [Yeshayah 52:15]. For all the birurim that the MBD extracts from the Sitra Achra do not ascend above until the time of Redemption. And both this [the sheves] and that [the mechokek] are attached to his legs [ברגלין דיליה] — for on them depends the subjugation of the Sitra Achra. (And the secret of this is "I have trodden the wine-press" [Yeshayah 63:3].) And there the iron goads [עקיצין דפרזלא] are formed, which in the secret of gevurah are strengthened. And thereby he engravs that donkey in its own flesh, and blood drips from it as I said. Therefore: "As many were aghast at you" — for from what they [the Sitra Achra, the secret of "many"] were, they have been left desolate and empty. "So shall he spatter [יזה] many nations" — and this is the dripping of blood as I said — yazzeh [spatter], precisely.
Therefore: "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah" — the power from the side of gevurah. "And the mechokek" — these are the birurim, through which he engraves their inner dimension from between his feet precisely, as has been said. And all this while he is in exile, in the secret of the poor man riding on a donkey. But at the time of Redemption, it is said of him: "behold, with the clouds of heaven" etc. Therefore: "Until Shiloh comes" — the secret of this is the Bas Yechidah from the side of Atzilus that shall rest upon him. Then he no longer needs sheves or mechokek — for that donkey has already been subdued, and all the birurim have been extracted from it. And if any remain in it, they themselves shall come to bring themselves to the holy side: "And they shall bring all your brothers as an offering to G-d" [Yeshayah 66:20] — these are the holy sparks that remained there from the time of exile. Therefore: "and to him shall be the obedience of peoples" — they shall come of themselves, willingly and not by compulsion.
Lo Yasur Sheves mi-Yehudah, etc. Hineh Yaskil Avdi, etc.
Come and see: It is written: "G-d acquired me as the beginning of His way, before His works of old" [Mishlei 8:22]. For the Torah and the name of Moshiach were created before the world was created, as the Sages expounded. But the Torah preceded everything, for through it all the worlds were made — as it says: "and I was with Him as a craftsman [amon]" [Mishlei 8:30], and the Sages expounded: "Read not amon but uman [artisan — the world's blueprint]." Therefore: "G-d acquired me as the beginning of His way" — this is the Torah, through whose governance the world is ordered — the beginning of His way, truly. "Before His works" — these are the two Moshichim, who are two workers [poalim], through whose deeds the world shall be completed. The Torah preceded them also — before His works, truly. Therefore it was created first, to give them strength — for it is called oz [strength], as it says: "G-d is my strength" [Shemos 15:2]. Therefore the king Moshiach must be a master of Torah, for this is his power. But while exile stands, concealment covers him and he cannot attach himself fully to all of this — yet the Torah has not departed from him.
Therefore: "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah" — the secret of this is the simple level [peshta] of Torah [פשטא דאורייתא], through whose power the Sitra Achra is subdued — as has been expounded in the Sefer HaZohar — sheves, truly. "And the mechokek" — these are the secrets of Torah [רזין דאורייתא] which are on the inner level [בדרגא דלגו] — mechokek truly, for engraving [chakikah] applies only to that which is inward. Both these levels shall not depart from him during exile. But all is in concealment. Therefore "from between his feet" — these are the ikvos Moshicha [footsteps of Moshiach], in which the wisdom of scribes shall putrefy [as the Sages said]. And therefore none recognizes him as a great sage — because of the concealment covering him. But at Redemption, when the concealment is removed, all shall be found openly. Therefore: "Until Shiloh comes" — the Bas Yechidah from the side of Atzilus shall rest upon him; "and the spirit of G-d shall rest upon him" [Yeshayah 11:2] — these are the six spirits from Chochmah-Binah-Daas, the supernal root of Torah. Through their power, great revelation shall be revealed to him. Then: "and to him shall be the obedience of peoples" — the secret of "Come, let us go up... and He will teach us His ways" [Yeshayah 2:3] — all the world shall know that he is exceedingly wise, and all shall flock to him. Yikas amim — truly.
Lo Yasur Sheves mi-Yehudah, etc. Hineh Yaskil Avdi, etc.
And again he opened: Come and see: The sheves is the matteh [staff/rod] — and it is the [Divine Name] ד״ן of אֲדֹנָ״י, through which the MBD fortifies himself within the kelipot during exile. In the same manner, Dovid when he went to wage war against Golyat — it is written: "he took his staff in his hand" [I Shmuel 17:40], and thereafter he said to him: "You come at me with a sword... but I come to you in the name of G-d of Hosts." This staff is the matteh, and the secret of this is the Name ד״ן of אדנ׳ — truly. But in the time of exile the Sitra Achra seized hold of this staff, and it turned into a snake — and this has been expounded. Yet even so, the MBD fortifies himself through it — for the Sitra Achra only attaches itself on the outer level, while the MBD fortifies himself on the inner level, which always stands in its strength.
Therefore: "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah" — this is the matteh, which even in exile stands with the MBD to strengthen him. "And the lawgiver from between his feet" — this is Moshe, who is between those two legs which are the two Moshichim, to join them. And he too in exile fortifies himself through his staff, even though it was seized from him — as it says: "and he seized the spear from the hand of the Egyptian" [II Shmuel 23:21] — this Egyptian is Moshe, as the Sages have expounded. Therefore: the mechokek is the staff of Moshe, so called because his deed within the kelipah is to engrave within it — in the secret of a spear [חנית] whose work is to engrave within — mechokek, truly.
"Until Shiloh comes" — this is the time of Redemption, when all shall be rectified in the secret of echad [One] — yavo [he shall come], truly. And this is through the power of MBD and Moshe — and the secret of this is Shiloh. Then: "and to him shall be the obedience of peoples" — all nations shall serve in holy service: "For then I will turn to the peoples with a pure lip, to serve Him with a single shoulder" [Tzefanyah 3:9]. And the Sitra Achra shall return all it seized in exile. And this matteh too shall be returned from the holy side, and all shall be rectified in wholeness — a single shoulder, truly.
Lo Yasur Sheves mi-Yehudah, etc. Hineh Yaskil Avdi, etc.
Come and see: The MBD — his source is in the Shekhinah, who is yirah [awe/fear of G-d], and in this he must first fortify himself. Thereafter in the secret of ahavah [love], which is above in Attika Kadisha. And through this he endures afflictions with love [סביל יסורין באהבה] during the time of exile. Thereafter, from this level he receives the secret of yechidah [the singular soul-level] at the time of Redemption. But the Sitra Achra sought to prosecute regarding all this.
Therefore Yaakov, who perceived this through divine inspiration — when he blessed Yehudah, he said: "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah" — sheves is yirah [awe], about which the Zohar expounded: one must fear G-d because He is great and sovereign — sheves, truly. "And the mechokek" — this is ahavah [love], for one who has love — the remembrance of G-d is engraved [חקיקא] in his heart — as it has been expounded: "the lover does not forget." And the secret of this is: "Set me as a seal upon your heart" [Shir HaShirim 8:6] — mechokek, truly. Through both these levels the MBD shall fortify himself against the prosecution of the Sitra Achra — lo yasur [shall not depart], truly. "From between his feet" — for in the ikvos Moshicha [footsteps of Moshiach] the matter stands — and this is a secret for the wise.
"Until Shiloh comes" — for as he fortified himself against the Sitra Achra and drew himself toward the awe of G-d — when the time of Redemption arrives: "and to him shall be the obedience of peoples" — all nations shall be drawn after him in holy service. Which would not have been so, G-d forbid, had he been drawn after them — for everything would have been destroyed.
"Behold, My servant shall prosper" — the servant is in the secret of yirah [awe]. And the secret of this is: "If I am a Master, where is my awe?" [Malachi 1:6]. And through this the MBD shall prosper — he fortifies himself against the prosecution of the Sitra Achra as I said. Thereafter he ascends above and above until he reaches the level of ahavah.
Lo Yasur Sheves mi-Yehudah, etc. Hineh Yaskil Avdi, etc.
Come and see: The MBD in the time of exile — when he stands within the kelipot — must subdue all the nations beneath him. And at their head: Eisav and Yishmael, one from the right side and one from the left side. And corresponding to this, two powers of gevurah descend upon him from the holy side to strengthen him.
Therefore: "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah" — this sheves stands against Eisav who is on the outer level [בדרגא דלבר]. And the secret of this is: "and a rod for the back of the senseless." And the mechokek is against Yishmael, who is on the inner level [בדרגא דלגו] and must be engraved within — mechokek, truly. And through these two powers, Eisav and Yishmael are first subdued, and thereafter the remaining nations beneath them. What is "from between his feet"? For the two Moshichim stand against these two nations: the MBY to subdue Eisav [who stands on his left side]; and the MBD — beneath him Yishmael is subdued [from his right side]. But during exile, when the MBD must also subdue Eisav, he draws this power from the MBY — and it is found that he is comprised of both legs [both Moshichim]. And the secret of this is: the two Moshichim — "from between his feet", truly.
Lo Yasur Sheves mi-Yehudah, etc. Hineh Yaskil Avdi, etc. — This [discourse] is ascribed to the time of the Redemption.
Come and see: It is written: "Efrayim shall not envy Yehudah" etc. [Yeshayah 11:13]. For in the time of King Moshiach there shall be exceedingly great joy and ease in the world. And this is because the MBD shall conduct himself with exceedingly great humility [בענוותנותא סגי]. He shall not be proud when he sees that he rules and reigns over the entire world — unlike Rechav'am who said "my father chastised you" etc. [I Melachim 12:14], and this caused the division of the kingdom. For Yerav'am, when he saw this, did not want to submit to his authority. But at that time it will not be so — for there shall be exceedingly great love between them. Therefore the MBD shall not be proud over the MBY, and the MBY shall not envy the MBD. Rather all shall be in love and ease, truly. Therefore: "Efrayim shall not envy" etc.
Regarding this secret it is written: "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah" etc. — sheves is the dominion of kingship. For from the pride of Rechav'am, the kingdom of Dovid was weakened and did not rule over the entire world, as in the days of Shlomo — whom the Sages expounded as having "ruled from one end to the other" [melech b'kippah]. But at that time, through the humility of the MBD, all peoples shall submit beneath him, and the kingdom shall be established in his hand and weaken no more. Lo yasur sheves mi-Yehudah — truly. "And the lawgiver from between his feet" — this is the MBY who shall submit beneath him — the secret of "from between his feet." And not like Yerav'am, who is the secret of the MBY [in the negative], who did not want to submit. And all this at the time of Redemption. Therefore: "Until Shiloh comes" — the secret of this is "until and including" [עד ועד בכלל]. Shiloh — truly, at the time when it is said of him: "G-d said to me: You are My son, today I have begotten you" [Tehillim 2:7]. Then: "and to him shall be the obedience of peoples" — he shall rule over the entire world and all nations shall gather to him. Yet even so, he shall not become proud like Rechav'am. And the MBY shall not envy him like Yerav'am, who made the two golden calves. Rather all shall be in ease — "and his resting place shall be glorious" [Yeshayah 11:10] — truly.
"Behold, My servant shall prosper" — this is the MBD, who shall conduct himself like a servant [כגוונא דעבד]. And the secret of this is what the elders said to Rechav'am: "If you will be a servant to this people" etc. [I Melachim 12:7]. And because he did not do so, all became corrupted. But the MBD shall do so and succeed in everything — yaskil, truly. And therefore: yarum — from Avraham; v'nisa — from Yitzchak; v'gavah — from Yaakov; me'od — from Moshe and from Dovid. And the secret of this is Adam — for both of them are called by this name. For these righteous ones humbled themselves and G-d elevated them. And the MBD who likewise humbles himself shall be elevated above them — for his level is higher than all the righteous of the world. Which would not be so had he been proud, G-d forbid — for it is written: "The pride of a man [גאות אדם] shall humble him" [Mishlei 29:23]. And the MBY also shall submit beneath him. Therefore: me'od — in the secret of Adam. And the secret of this is "and the lawgiver from between his feet" as I said. Yarum v'nisa v'gavah me'od — truly.
He opened and said: "And the wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament" etc. [Daniel 12:3]. "The wise [משכילים]" — these are the two Moshichim. "The brightness of the firmament [זוהר הרקיע]" — this is the river that flows and issues from the side of the Yovel [Jubilee = Binah]. For like it, the two Moshichim in their union shall radiate, truly. For the MBD and MBY stand below corresponding to Attika D'Atikin and the Tzaddik above, where they are rooted. And just as the Tzaddik receives from Attika D'Atikin and pours forth below into the Shekhinah — so too the MBY is a channel to draw radiance from the MBD to others. For within the MBD all the radiance and sustenance of Israel is included. And the secret of this is: "Is not all the desire of Israel for you, and for your father's house?" [I Shmuel 9:20].
And since the two Moshichim shall be in exceedingly great love to benefit one another, both shall radiate: first the MBD — upon whom it depends to benefit the MBY — and the secret of this is: "all who bless are blessed" [Bamidbar 24:9]. And the river above flows and issues [from Binah]; upon it shall descend many blessings — like the brightness of the firmament, truly. Had it not been so — had he not sought to benefit others — the secret would be: "there was no more vessel and the oil stopped" [II Melachim 4:6]. And the MBY too shall radiate — for radiance descends upon him in a straight path from the supernal river — like the brightness of the firmament, truly. "And those who lead the many to righteousness — like the stars" [Daniel 12:3] — these are the other righteous ones of Israel who stand under the MBY to receive from him. For as he radiates, they too shall radiate like the stars of the firmament — like the stars, truly. "Forever and ever" — the secret of this is the upper Shekhinah and the lower Shekhinah, source of the two Moshichim — they are two, yet united as one: this in the secret of the inner plane and this of the outer plane. In the same manner the two Moshichim who derive from them shall be unified in one unity — as it says: "and they shall be as one in your hand" [Yechezkel 37:17] — forever and ever, truly.
(a) Kollel: הנה (60) = המטה (59) + 1 kollel = 60. Confirmed. Standard Zoharic practice. The word "Behold!" hides "the staff" — the entire drama of exile and redemption in a single word.
(b) שכולה — bereaved woman: Confirmed by the reader. The v1 translation "ear of grain" is corrected throughout. The depth of this reading: ישכיל conceals שכולה — the servant who shall "prosper" is in exile the image of a bereaved mother. This resonates with Yirmiyah 31's Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted — which is immediately followed by the promise of the Return. The Ramchal's lens: the very word of Redemption contains the word of the exile's grief. The bereaved woman and the exalted servant are the same being, seen from two sides of the same moment.
(c) אלקים: Written as אלקים (not spelling the Name in full) — referring to אֱלֹהִים = 86 = עבדי = 86. Confirmed. The Shekhinah is both "My servant" and אלהים — the Attribute of Judgment/Nature — whose gematria is identical. This hints that the Shekhinah, clothed in the garment of Judgment during exile, is the same as G-d's "servant" — concealed but not absent.
עקיצא דפרזלא = the sting/spur of iron, not of a wasp. This changes the image significantly. A wasp stings from the outside; an iron spur is the rider's instrument pressed deliberately into the animal's flank to drive it and draw blood. The mechokek — the inner engraving — is like an iron spur that the rider himself applies: it is intentional, controlled, and produces blood [= the holy sparks]. The violence of the image reflects the violence of the birur-process in exile. The Ramchal does not soften this.
Confirmed in both OCR versions. In the context — "when ו״ה [the two Moshichim] are unified, the eleven cursed ones shall bow beneath them" — the most natural referent is the eleven chiefs [אלופים] of Edom listed in Bereishis 36:40-43. Edom's eleven captains = the eleven "arms" of the Sitra Achra in the world. When the divine Name's two lower letters unite in the two Moshichim, all eleven submit. This may deserve its own extended study.
As warned by the reader: ד/ר confusion is very frequent. Corrected throughout: גלותא (exile) appears as רגלותא; דבינייהו (who is among them) appears as רבינייהו; גאות (pride) appears as נאות. The ג/נ confusion is also systematic: דרגא/דרגין (level/levels) appears as דרנא/דרנין throughout; לגו (within) appears as לנו. All such errors have been silently corrected in the translation. Where the correction affects the meaning significantly, it is noted.
This is the Ramchal's signature phrase, occurring dozens of times in this section. In v1 it was sometimes translated as simply "this is." The correct rendering is always "and the secret of this is" — signaling that what follows is a hidden layer of meaning being explicitly unlocked, not just an identification. The difference is significant: "the sheves is the MBD" vs. "the secret of the sheves is the MBD" — the latter says the verse's sheves carries a hidden encoded meaning pointing to the MBD.
The reader asks whether sending photographs of the text would help verify doubtful readings. Based on experience with this work: yes, please do send images for specific doubtful passages — particularly where both OCR versions agree on something that still seems wrong, or where the letter-distinctions are critical (ד/ר, ג/נ, ב/כ, ט/ח). For clear passages, the Google Lens version is sufficient. The translator's ability to read Hebrew manuscript images has improved with practice and is now reliable for clear script; the Ramchal's circle wrote in a clean Ashkenazic hand.
The following is from the translator; it does not appear in the original.
In every discourse the transition from exile to Redemption is marked by arrival at אחד (echad — Oneness), encoded in יב״א (gematria 13 = echad). The four words ירום ונשא וגבה מאד are traversed through four stages, always culminating in מאד = אדם = מ״ה = 45: the perfected Human. The depth of the exile is the measure of the height of the Redemption. The bereaved woman becomes the exalted servant. The crushed [דך] becomes the exalted [רם] — multiplied by the Yud of Atzilus.
Footnotes from the original:
א. See in the Letters, epistle 13, passage beginning ואפרש (Otzros Ramchal, p. 327).
ב. See Adir BaMarom, Part I, p. 120 [corrected from v1: p. 102 was a misread of the OCR; Google Lens confirms ק״כ = 120].
ג. See Shiv'im Tikunim, Tikun 8, at its beginning [corrected from v1].
## Segment 32
ואפרש