Tikunim Chadashim - Tikun 8

"And for all the mighty hand and for all the great awe..." [Devarim 34:12]

Theme: The hand of Yehudah; MaBD and MaBY; the Tree of Life and Tree of Knowledge; prayer; the Tzelem (Image) and Dmus (Likeness)

I. The Hand of Yehudah

"The mighty hand" — this is the Hand of Yehudah, of whom it is said: "His hand is on the neck of his enemies" [Bereishis 49:8]. "The great awe" — this is the ו"ה [the last two letters of YHVH — Ze'eir and Nukvah] thereof. "Which Moshe did" — for he blessed him so: "And this for Yehudah..." For Yehudah is יהוה ד' — Havayah plus Dalet — for this son was chosen to have the mystery of the kingship of Israel — the root of Mashiach the King. But until it separated and was revealed — it stood there to be illuminated and established in this secret: יהוה ד' in the middle — like the Dalet letters of Adonai [Aleph-Dalet-Nun-Yud] — all in one encompassing totality to be illuminated from those four that surround Her.

When King Dovid came, this Dalet was awakened and revealed. At that time it expanded in its levels in these four letters of Adonai and became a Temple [Heichal] for the other four [Havayah]. Therefore Dovid wanted to make a Temple for the Holy One — wanted to build the Beis HaMikdash. But the Tikun was not yet perfectly prepared in his time — therefore he did not build it; rather his son Shlomo built it. Shlomo — the completeness of the Tikun for the time of Mashiach the King — when it expands in a complete Tikun.

II. The Two Mashiachs — United in One Hand

Come and see the mystery of all: "and they shall be united in your hand" [Yechezkel 37:17] — these are the two Mashiachs, MaBD and MaBY. The beginning of all — from those two supernal hands of Atik Kadisha [the Ancient Holy One] that are prepared to be joined as one. Through them, the two Mashiachs below will be joined. The joining of those two supernal hands appears in those two supernal מזלין [locks of the beard] — ו"ו — all is the mystery of Echad [One]. "And they shall be united" — two times Echad — "in your hand" — truly; for the two hands will be joined to be one hand and no more.

If you ask to whom this hand was given — the mystery: "Who is the head? — the son of Yishai; the head" — as it is written: "His hand is on the neck of his enemies" — his majesty hangs on this — in the mystery of these two hands that became one and were given to him. For then he will receive the kingdom — and MaBY with him — truly in one joining.

But the root of all is MaBD — for he receives this hand in one joining, and MaBY is included and united with him to guard it — as it is written: "And the help against his enemies shall be from you" [Devarim 33:7] — this is MaBY who is included and joined with him. Therefore this hand was given to MaBD — and from there MaBY receives it, who is joined with him. Even though he [MaBY] will be complete first [in the initial stages], from the secret of MaBD he receives it truly. And the matter is not complete except with MaBD. Then the kingdom is established with two who are one — in complete strength — the Mighty Hand truly, the one that became known. And this is Yehudah — הי"ד ו"ה — for this hand descended from the very highest above and MaBD received it — and then he is a chariot for those two supernal ones in one joining — and this is ו"ה.

III. The Image and Likeness — Two Mashiachs

Then the great Prince Metatron came and opened, saying: R' R' — "Let Us make man in Our Image, after Our Likeness" [Bereishis 1:26] — these are MaBD and MaBY — male and female — Image and Likeness — for in them the supernal Form is completed in its mystery as is fitting. Corresponding to these two — two nations existed — Esav and Yishmael — who stand as roots from which branches spread in many directions. These caused the supernal Form to not be seen complete as is fitting.

In the time to come, when the Holy One will awaken the world to a complete Tikun — the rectification will begin from the very head of all — in this mystery of Tzelem [Image] and Dmus [Likeness] as is fitting. When all is completed thus — it arrives below to the two Mashiachs — to establish them in one unity — "and they shall be united in your hand." At that time: "How beautiful are your feet in sandals" [Shir HaShirim 7:2] — these two feet are the two Mashiachs.

If you ask — the two Mashiachs are two feet, and they are two eyes, and they are two hands, and they are Image and Likeness — come and see: there is no limb in which the Holy Name Havayah is not found. And there is no place where this Holy Name is found that Mashiachs are not needed to establish it. For in all aspects the Sitra Achra pursues to cleave — therefore in every place Mashiachs are needed to take root and establish everything in the mystery of male and female. In them: "And they called, one to the other" [Yeshayahu 6:3] — twelve and twelve — these are the twelve tribes, each of which includes twelve — for all to be in a complete Tikun.

IV. Prayer — Its Ascent Through All the Worlds

The Tikun of prayer ascends through many mysteries each day. When a person organizes his prayer, he brings close and joins all the worlds from within — through what? — Through his soul, which is the totality of all. Therefore, prayer without intention is like a body without a soul — for that will [desire] that ascends from place to place, ascends and joins all the worlds, all the levels as is fitting. And without that will they are not joined.

The beginning of all is in the sacrifices [Korbanos] — for all hangs on the drawing close [korban], and through them the closeness is awakened from below to above — to raise those levels of the Ofanim [wheels]. Afterwards from there they ascend to the Chayos [the living creatures]. And here one needs to awaken with melody [nigun] — for below there is no melody except at the time when those Ofanim ascend with many rectifications of closeness to the Chayos and cleave to them. Then the Chayos receive many melodies with sweetness in their wings. The mystery: "How shall we sing Hashem's song on foreign soil?" [Tehillim 137:4] — for Asiyah [the physical world] is outside the Land, and Yetzirah is in the Land of Israel. Therefore outside the Land this song is not fitting and not heard.

V. The Two Trees — Eitz HaChaim and Eitz HaDaas

Furthermore — the two Mashiachs to establish two levels: the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. As it is written: "And Hashem G-d caused to grow...and the Tree of Life in the middle of the garden" [Bereishis 2:9] — this is MaBD. And the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — this is MaBY. They stand in the middle of the garden — the totality of all Israel.

Because things were not established as is fitting, it is said of MaBY: "and from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat of it" [ibid. 2:17] — for it is not to be awakened until it is established as is fitting. When would it have been established? — On Shabbos. If Adam had waited — then that evil would have returned and reverted to good, and MaBY would have been saved from death.

Because Adam sinned, it was necessary to extend until the day Israel received the Torah at Mount Sinai. Therefore: "And there was evening and there was morning — the sixth day" — for then the evil reverted to be good. As it is written: "They spoke well all that they said" [Devarim 5:25] — "they spoke well" — they caused evil to return to good. Then the Tablets were given to them from the side of the Tree of Life.

For until the Tree of Knowledge was established to join in one unity with the Tree of Life — the Tree of Life was not found and not revealed in the world — as it is written: "to guard the way to the Tree of Life." But once the Tree of Knowledge was established, the Tree of Life returned to expand. Afterward the Mixed Multitude [Erev Rav] returned to corrupt things and brought back the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge to its place — when? — at the time it is written: "And the people saw that Moshe was delayed" [Shemos 32:1].

The freedom [cheruth] that had been theirs was taken from them. And it is said of them: "Surely you shall die like men" [Tehillim 82:7] — this is Arka Dikupah [one of the primordial forces]. "And like one of the princes you shall fall" — this is MaBY — one of those two princes. Because of this, he needs death — to establish that Tree of Knowledge that was blemished. And as he needs death to establish this blemish — so it is said of them afterward: "In this wilderness they shall be consumed and there they shall die" [Bamidbar 14:35]. And MaBY — on the sixth day after midday — death is destined for him — to complete the perfect Tikun. And from then onward, the two trees will be joined as one to be in one completeness.

Yet — the length of exile and the rectifications done in it save him from death. And the merit of the Masters of Kabbalah strengthens that good to separate from the evil without this death. Therefore: "and the wise shall shine as the radiance of the firmament"... in the time of which it is written: "And there shall be a time of trouble..." [Daniel 12:1]. Then: "the wise shall shine" — to be strengthened by their radiance to give him life truly. Then: "And she saw him that he was good and she hid him" — truly "she had compassion on him."

VI. The Oral Law from Sinai — Contradiction and Harmony

When Israel stood at Mount Sinai, the Tablets were given to them from the side of the Tree of Life. Afterward [the Oral Torah] was given to them from the side of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Then there was found there right and left — permitted and forbidden, valid and invalid, pure and impure. For the Tree of Life is the general principle [klal] — there right and left are joined in one union. But the Tree of Knowledge is the particular [prat] — there things are known each to its own side — this validates, this invalidates, this purifies, this makes impure. All comes from that Yovel [Jubilee/Binah] of which it is said: "both these and these are words of the Living G-d" [Eruvin 13b]. And though they divide below, above all is one. And the Sages expounded it all [Chagigah 3b]: "One G-d gave them; one Provider said them" — from the side of the middle pillar, in which: "and Moshe was a shepherd" [Shemos 3:1] — to guide the worlds.

And the Shechina from this side: "for she was a shepherdess" [Bereishis 29:9]. And the Holy One is the totality of all the supernal lights, of whom it is said: "Great is Hashem and highly praised" [Tehillim 48:2]. "Great" — from the right side. "Highly praised" — from the left, for there is the melody of the Levi'im. And all — where is it deposited? — In the city of our G-d — this is the Shechina, the city of our G-d from the side of the Foundation [Yesod]. Therefore "His holy mountain" — for many levels differentiate in the Shechina, but one hidden point is there that extends only to the King — "His holy mountain" truly. And there everything is given in one unity — as He encompasses all.

VII. The Four Kingdoms — Egypt, Exile, and Circumcision

But since they were unable to endure the exile [in its full measure], and it was necessary to shorten it — the Klippos did not take all that was theirs. Afterward each one ruled in its place through the four kingdoms [ד' מלכיות]. And when they sinned in the wilderness, they were given back into the hands of those four — in the forty years of the wilderness.

But come and see — what caused them to be unable to endure? Only because they had not been circumcised. And it is said of them: "They betrayed Hashem, for they bore alien children" [Hoshea 5:7] — from the side of the foreskin [ערלה]. For it is said of the foreskin: "There shall be no alien god within you" [Tehillim 81:10] — within you literally — this is the foreskin. And thus Egypt, which is "the nakedness of the land" [Bereishis 42:9], ruled over them; and they were enslaved beneath her and beneath all the impure powers bound to her.

When the Holy One wished to bring them out, He gave them the blood of Pesach and the blood of circumcision. The blood of circumcision — to be saved from that hard Klipa of the foreskin. The blood of Pesach — to be joined within the holiness of their Master. As it is written: "Also you — through the blood of your covenant" [Zechariah 9:11] — this was said to the Shechina, who was redeemed through this power. "I have released your prisoners" — these are Israel. Therefore: "Draw and take for yourselves" [Shemos 12:21] — draw your hands from idolatry — this is the foreskin: "there shall be no alien god within you" [Tehillim 81:10]. And take for yourselves an animal for the mitzvah — the blood of Pesach indeed.

Nevertheless, since the exile had not been completed, the Sitra Achra had not fully separated. And when they returned to sin with the Golden Calf and the Spies, they were again delivered into their hands, as has been said.

But come and see — all these kingdoms draw their power from the power they seized at the beginning. Therefore: "So that you may remember the day of your going out..." [Devarim 16:3] — to remember the first breaking, so they do not grow arrogant and destroy the world. And in the time to come: "As when he heard Egypt..." [Yeshayahu 23:5], and it is written: "As in the days of your going out..." [Michah 7:15], and it is written: "Behold Hashem rides upon a swift cloud and comes to Egypt" [Yeshayahu 19:1] — to break the root, and the branches will break after it.

But in the wilderness truly — the pull of Egypt extended after them and encircled them. Therefore they always said: "Let us appoint a head and return to Egypt" [Bamidbar 14:4], and: "We remember the fish which we ate in Egypt for nothing" [ibid. 11:5] — and all was thus. For they had not fully separated from it. And since they were not circumcised in the wilderness either, all the more so did the Sitra Achra strengthen over them with the power of Egypt indeed. When they were circumcised by the hand of Yehoshua, it was said: "Today I have rolled away the shame of Egypt from upon you" [Yehoshua 5:9] — truly — this is the shame of youth. For they had drawn power from all those impure ones since their youth; and from there they drew power to rule in their times. And in the time to come: "And the shame of your youth you shall no longer remember" [Yeshayahu 54:4] — for then you shall be renewed as in your youth [cf. Tehillim 103:5] — in the time when all blemish will be removed, and all power will be taken from the impurity, and all will be rectified. Then: "the sins of my youth and my transgressions, do not remember" [Tehillim 25:7] — rather: "You are the companion of my youth" [ibid.].

VIII. Elijah Speaks — The Two Hands United

Then Elijah the faithful Prophet arose and opened, saying: R' R' — Fortunate is your portion! In the time to come, all will be rectified indeed. As it is written: "Hashem is your Guardian; Hashem is your Shade at your right hand" [Tehillim 121:5] — all through those two hands that are joined to become one. The secret of the matter: "Hashem is your Shade at your right hand" — it does not say "at your right", but "at your right hand" — for the left joins the right and all becomes one. This is MaBD, who encompasses MaBY within him in one joining. Then together they will go out from exile, and all Israel after them, and the Holy One above them all — "Hashem is your Shade" truly. Then: "Hashem will guard your going out" — that the guilty ones shall not delay through their hands. "And your coming in" — that they shall not enter with them as at another time, as it is written: "And a mixed multitude also went up with them" [Shemos 12:38]. "From now and forever" — for this is a complete Tikun, unlike before when Gog will come to accuse; rather: "from now and forever" indeed.