הכשר כלים ב

At first glance the matter is wondrous — how can the prohibition be overturned to become permitted through nullification? For even if there is sixty parts of permitted, we nonetheless know with certainty that the forbidden is mixed here — so how can we eat the forbidden through nullification?!

The analogy is self-evident: Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace, and all the tzaddikim — the prophets, earlier and later, and all the Tannaim and Amoraim, etc. — write to us to be careful to fulfill the Torah of Moshe, for we will greatly prosper through this in the World to Come. And they are trustworthy, wise, and discerning people who truly love us. Certainly we need not investigate them, God forbid — only to believe them and walk in their ways. And through this we can trade all the holy goods, which are Torah and mitzvos. For we need not waste our days on any investigation to question them, God forbid — only all our days we shall engage in gathering and trading these goods more precious than gold and rubies, and all desirable things are not comparable to them.

The matter, however, is based on what Rabbainu of blessed memory said on the verse "and where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" [Genesis 22:7, cited in Likutay MoHaRaN Part II, Siman 12] — see there carefully, for it is a very deep and subtle matter. And the principle is: when one falls, God forbid, to the place one has fallen — when one begins to look at oneself and see that one is very far from His honour and begins to long and yearn and groan: "where is He?" — that is, where is the divine Presence, where is the illumination of the holy Countenance that I have lost? — then precisely through this cry and yearning, through the very nullification and lowliness of "where" [ayeh] — which is the dimension of the higher nothingness — one draws down the supreme light. For the dimension of ayeh — "where?" — is the dimension of Keter, the supreme Crown — the concealed primordial statement [ma'amar satum] from which all ten utterances draw life. And when one falls and cries out "where is He?" — one draws from this supreme light of ayeh — and from the drawing of this supreme light, even the fallen and forbidden is overturned and elevated and rectified. And therefore the nullification works even when the forbidden is certainly present — for through the supreme light of ayeh drawn through the sixty parts of the permitted, the very substance of the forbidden is elevated and transformed. And this is the dimension of the nullification of the forbidden — for even the forbidden, which is the husk, can be rectified and overturned to become permitted through the dimension of nullification [bitul]. For the dimension of ayeh mentioned above is the dimension of nullification as is known — for it is the highest dimension, the dimension of Ayin [nothingness]. And this dimension — the dimension of ayeh — which is the concealed primordial statement, the dimension of Bereishis, the dimension of Keter — is the dimension of simple undifferentiated light in which there is no form at all, for there the existence of all particular forms is nullified. And there is no form there whatsoever — only the change is according to the receivers — for when this light is drawn into the revealed utterances that are the foundation of everything, all things receive from it, and then the Sitra Achra is completely subjugated. And when one falls to the place one falls and begins to feel the "where" — the sense of divine absence — and to yearn and reach toward the supreme nothingness — at that moment even the forbidden becomes permitted. For the dimension of the supreme concealed statement — the primordial ayeh — shines into the mixture, and through it the forbidden is elevated and included in the permitted majority. This is what the number sixty alludes to: sixty is the dimension of completeness of divine union — the sixty myriads [shishim ribo] of souls of Israel — for when this dimension of complete union shines, the forbidden is truly nullified and transformed. And in summary: in holiness, all ten utterances that are the totality of all creation — all goodness, all holiness, all knowledge of God — everything flows specifically from the concealed primordial statement which is the dimension of ayeh, Bereishis, Keter — from which all the revealed utterances receive. And when the ten revealed utterances draw from this supreme statement — then the Sitra Achra is completely subdued and even the greatest fall can be rectified. For when one cries "where is He?" from the very depths of one's fall — this very cry elevates one through the supreme light of ayeh. And this is the dimension of Moshe Rabbainu seeking to bring in the Mixed Multitude [Erev Rav] — as it says: "and also a mixed multitude went up with them" [Exodus 12:38]. For Moshe saw that Israel at that time was six hundred thousand, all holy, and God's presence was among them — and they had reached the ultimate level of divine union. Therefore he said that he could draw close all the Mixed Multitude — erev [mixed] — the dimension of the mixing of the forbidden with the permitted — for the forbidden is nullified in the permitted through the dimension of sixty — namely, the six hundred thousand souls of Israel — which is the completeness of the divine union. But God did not agree with him — for the mixing of the forbidden was too great — as is said: "and also a great mixed multitude" — the forbidden was too numerous and its grip too strong to be nullified even within that supreme union. And from this mixing came all the subsequent troubles of Israel in the desert. But in the final rectification it will all be elevated and clarified — as the verse promises: "and the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea" [Hosea 2:1] — when Israel multiplies without limit, then even the most distant mixed souls will be drawn in and rectified.

And this is what Shlomo the king, may he rest in peace, praised the holy Emunah: "A woman of valor, who can find?" (eshes chayil mi yimtza) — for holy Emunah is called "woman of valor" (eshes chayil). For truth and Emunah are the aspects of man and woman (ish v'isha), as elaborated in Siman 7, see there. And he praises Emunah — which is the woman of valor — throughout this entire poem in the language of spirit and success in commerce: she succeeds and profits greatly in her commerce, as is explained through the entire wondrous poem from its beginning to its end. That is, as mentioned: for the essential success of a person in the holy commerce — true and eternal success — is through the woman of valor, which is holy Emunah, called "woman of valor," as mentioned. And as is elaborated in all the writings of the Ari that Emunah is the aspect of Malchus — the aspect of "a woman who fears Hashem" (isha yiras Hashem), the aspect of the "woman of valor" — as mentioned. And this is "she is like merchant ships; from afar she brings her bread" (haysah k'aniyos socher mimerchak tavi lachmah). Through holy Emunah — relying on Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace, and the tzaddikim who walk in his ways — through this one can trade goods to distant places and bring one's bread and vitality for eternity from great distances. Even though we do not know what to trade there — for the truly trustworthy person has already told us what we need to trade there, through which we will always prosper there, as mentioned.

It follows that the essential knowledge of the truth — which is the aspect of the face (panim) — comes through Emunah, which is drawn through the holy contractions drawn from the supernal, awesome intellectual lights with which Hashem the Blessed contracted His light in wondrous ways and contractions, until He drew the attribute of Emunah — through which the essential sustenance of the world comes, as mentioned. For Emunah, even though it is below the intellect as is known — for there is Emunah only in what the intellect does not understand — even so, its root is drawn from a very high and supernal place that is higher than all intelligences, for the aspect of Emunah is in the aspect of "I am first and I am last, etc." (ani rishon v'ani acharon), the aspect of "declaring the end from the beginning" (magid meireishis acharis), the aspect of "the end of the act is in the thought from the beginning" (sof ma'aseh b'machshavah techila). As is understood and explained all of this elsewhere.

And these holy contractions through which Hashem the Blessed contracted His light until the truth can only be known through Emunah, as mentioned — these contractions are the aspect of hairs, which are drawn from the mosar mochin (overflows of consciousness). As is explained in the sacred writings: the entire rectification of the worlds was through the aspect of hairs — through the lights contracting until hairs formed, and through these the flow of vitality and Da'as passes from one aspect to another and from world to world, etc. But because the hairs are the aspect of contractions — which are the aspect of judgments when they grow too long — nourishment flows to the Sitra Achra, God forbid. Therefore one must cut them.

But there are holy and very lofty hairs through which the essential drawing of Da'as and vitality comes — and these are the hairs of the pe'os and the holy beard. For all the construction of the worlds and all the drawing of the knowledge of His divinity comes through the holy contractions drawn through these holy and awesome hairs. For the hairs of the pe'os and the beard are drawn from a very high, supernal, and awesome place — from the aspect of Atik (the Ancient One). Through these hairs the essential revelation of His divinity and the essential drawing of holy Emunah comes — for they are wondrous contractions drawn from a very supernal and lofty intellect, from the aspect of Atik. Through this wondrous, awesome intellect — which generates wondrous novelties — He can contract Himself in wondrous contractions, until the illumination of holy Emunah is drawn within the intellect. And we merit to believe in the truth even though we do not yet understand it in our intellect — for Emunah is the wonders of the wholeness of knowledge (niflaos tamim de'im). Of this it is said: "I thank Your name for You have done a wonder, plans from afar, Emunah and Omen" (odeh shimcha ki asisa fele etzos merachok emunah omen). And it is written: "I give thanks to You for I am awesomely and wondrously made; wondrous are Your works, and my soul knows it well" (odecha al ki nora'os nifleisi nifla'im ma'asecha v'nafshi yode'as me'od). As is explained from this elsewhere, see there.

Therefore these holy hairs of the pe'os and the beard are the essential splendor and light of the Countenance, as it is said: "And you shall honor the face of an elder" (vehadarta pnei zaken), as elaborated — for the essential truth, which is the face, cannot be received or attained except through holy Emunah, as mentioned. Therefore Emunah is called the light of the Countenance, as explained in the said Torah. And this is the aspect of the hairs of the pe'os and the beard — which are the aspects of the holy contractions, through which the essential drawing of Emunah comes, which is the essential light of the Countenance. For through Emunah one knows the truth, which is the face. And as long as one does not merit Emunah, it is impossible to receive the very truth due to the overwhelming abundance of light. Therefore the face — which is the truth — illumines only through Emunah, through which the truth is known. Therefore Emunah is the light of the Countenance. And this is the aspect of the hairs of the pe'os and the beard, which are the essential splendor and light of the Countenance, as mentioned. For one cannot know anything of Hashem the Blessed — who is the very substance of truth — due to the overwhelming abundance of light, except through Emunah alone. And then when one merits perfect Emunah, one knows the truth. Therefore the essential light of the Countenance — which is the truth — is Emunah, which is drawn through the hairs of the pe'os and the beard, as mentioned.