נידוי וחרם

And therefore the pe'os grow even on an infant (tinok), but the beard does not emerge until adulthood (yemei gadluso). For the infant in his childhood years — as he grows, so too the intellects grow with him, from which is all his vitality. That is: then the intellects emerge and grow from the aspect of gestation to the aspect of birth — for then he passes from the intellects of gestation to the intellects of suckling (mochin d'yenikah). And therefore then the hairs of the pe'os emerge and grow with him — for they are the aspect of the birth of the intellects from the aspect of gestation to the aspect of birth, from which the hairs of the pe'os are drawn, as mentioned. But the beard grows only in the years of adulthood — for to bring the encompassing lights inward, which is the essential completion of a person's Da'as, one does not merit this until the years of adulthood. And therefore then the beard grows with him, as mentioned.

And therefore a eunuch (saris) has no beard. For it is explained in the said Torah that the essential commandment of bearing children (mitzvas p'ru u'rvu) is in order to leave after oneself a blessing — to draw through them the light of the Countenance, which is the aspect of attaining the encompassing lights mentioned. This is to know and recognize the Creator, blessed be His name — for this holy Da'as must be drawn from generation to generation, from father to son, as it is written: "av livnim yodi'a el amitecha" ("a father to children makes known Your truth"). For it is impossible to draw it in a single generation. And this is understood from what is said there regarding the topics of yibum (levirate marriage) and chalitzah (release therefrom) — that the essential blemish of the man who dies without children is that he did not merit to leave children who would continue to draw the encompassing intellect (sekhel ha-makkif), etc., as is explained there, see there. And therefore the eunuch who does not merit to have children has no beard — for he does not merit the drawing of the encompassing lights, which are the aspect of the beard, which are the aspect of bearing children, as mentioned.

And this is the aspect of the fact that it is the way of the infant to cry out greatly all the days of his childhood. For from the day of his birth until the completion of his childhood years, he is then in the aspect of the birth of the intellects — for one needs to give them birth and reveal them from the aspect of gestation to the aspect of birth, as one can see clearly that Da'as grows with the infant. Therefore Hashem the Blessed implanted in the infant's nature that he should cry out greatly — for to give birth to the intellects from their concealment, to bring them out from the aspect of gestation, crying out is needed, in the aspect of "tzakasenu yodei'a ta'alumos" ("You who know hidden things, hear our cry") as is explained in the said Torah. And from this a person must learn regarding the essential matter of intellect and true Da'as — to attain the holy Torah and to recognize the Creator, blessed be He — that when one sees that one's intellect and Da'as are hidden from one in the aspect of gestation, one must cry out greatly to Hashem the Blessed, exactly like the woman in labor before giving birth. And like the infant who cries out in his childhood years in order to give birth to the intellects, as mentioned. For regarding the intellects there are many aspects without number — for the crying out of the woman in labor and the infant is to give birth to the simple intellects that Hashem the Blessed implanted in human Da'as. But afterward the person himself must give birth to the essential intellects — which one needs to attain through one's service. And there is the essential aspect of gestation and birth and maturity and encompassing lights, etc. And when the intellects are in the aspect of gestation and concealment, one needs great crying out in order to give birth to them from their concealment — from wherever one's intellects have been hidden — each according to one's aspect, in the aspect of "tzakasenu yodei'a ta'alumos". For only He, blessed be He, knows the hidden places of the intellects of each one — where they have been hidden — and it is impossible to reveal them from their concealment except through crying out, as mentioned.

[Here the source text notes: Halachos of Niddah.]

And this is the aspect of the prohibition of Niddah. For it is explained in the said Torah that the drawing of the encompassing lights is through the sanctification of the seven lamps mentioned. This is the aspect of the seven days of the wedding feast (shivas yemei ha-mishteh), etc., see there. That is, as follows from the above — for the essential commandment of bearing children is in order to draw the encompassing lights mentioned from generation to generation, and for this sake is the essential purpose of the wedding canopy (chuppah) and union (yichud) of the marriage. Therefore one needs the seven days of the wedding feast corresponding to the seven lamps mentioned, through which one attains the encompassing lights — for the entire essential purpose of the marriage and the wedding canopy is for the drawing of the encompassing lights, which are the essential Da'as, as mentioned. For union is the aspect of Da'as, as it is written: "v'ha-adam yada" etc. ("and the man knew"). For the birth is drawn from a very lofty place — the intellects are aroused higher and higher until the root of all souls, and from there the birth is drawn. All of this is the aspect of the drawing of the encompassing lights — the drawing of Da'as from the heights above until it enters and illuminates in the Da'as of a person in this world, which is the essential purpose. For Hashem the Blessed desires that we know and recognize Him, blessed be He, in this very physical world — this is the essential greatness and delight of His being, blessed be He, as is known and brought elsewhere.

And therefore all of a person's trials and free choice are bound up with this desire — for "zeh l'umas zeh asah ha-Elokim" ("God made this corresponding to this") for the sake of free choice. And the essential free choice is in the knowing itself (yedi'ah), as is understood in the said Torah. And as I heard from his holy mouth in these very words: that it is impossible to understand how free choice is within the knowing itself. And therefore at the time when one needs to draw Da'as, there is the essential free choice. And therefore all the righteousness and uprightness of tzaddikim and upright people is through the Da'as they draw in holiness and purity in truth and Emunah — for they do not breach the boundary to enter into difficulties and confusions that cannot be understood. For they know and understand that these confusions cannot be understood — for they are in the encompassing intellect (sekhel ha-makkif) that cannot be brought inward into this world in any way, as mentioned. Only they draw true Da'as and intellect of what is possible for human intellect to attain — through which they merit to know and recognize Hashem the Blessed according to their level, in truth and perfect Emunah, and they draw the Da'as from generation to generation, which is the essential purpose, as mentioned. But the wicked do the deed of Zimri (ma'aseh Zimri) and seek the attainment of Da'as as Pinchas (k'Pinchas) — for they do not sanctify the seven lamps at all and look with their eyes deliberately, etc., and seek to attain the confusions that cannot be attained. Through this they distance themselves from Hashem the Blessed and come to great heresies until they cause the masses who follow them to stumble — and they are caught in their net like birds caught in a trap, as this trouble is known, especially in these generations.

And therefore the essential trial is in the desire mentioned — for then one needs to arouse Da'as in all the levels, from which comes the essential birth. And likewise arouses against it the evil of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, from which comes all the heat of the evil inclination — for the movement of the intellect generates heat. Just as through the movement of the intellect in holiness, warmth is born to be warmed and inflamed to Hashem the Blessed with fiery flames of Godliness (rish'pei shalheives Yah), to pray and serve Hashem the Blessed with great holy warmth and passion — so too through the arousal of the evil of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, through this the warmth of the Sitra Achra is born — from which comes the warmth of the said desire. For the husk precedes the fruit (kelipah kodemes la-pri). And therefore most of the world feels only the warmth of desire that is drawn from the sin of Adam the First who blemished through the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. And therefore indeed there is the essential battle, trial, and refining, as is known — for free choice lies in the knowing, from which comes the essential union and joining, as mentioned.

And this is the aspect of the prohibition of Niddah — for the blood of menstruation (dam nidos) is drawn from the evil of the Tree of Knowledge, since Chava was then cursed: "b'etzev teldi vanim" ("in pain shall you bear children") — this is the aspect of the blood of menstruation, as our Sages of blessed memory said. And therefore then union is entirely forbidden — for then it is impossible to draw the birth from holy Da'as in any way whatsoever. And this is the aspect of "shivas yamim tihyeh be-nidasah" — "seven days she shall be in her menstrual impurity" — corresponding to the aspect of the seven lamps mentioned, which are the aspect of the seven days of the wedding feast of the wedding canopy (chuppah). For the essential holiness of the birth comes through them, as mentioned. And therefore she must wait seven days in the aspect of "tisager shivas yamim" ("she shall be shut in for seven days"). And then she is purified through immersion in a pool of water (mikveh mayim) specifically — for through the immersion in water the purification is drawn upon her from the aspect of the seven voices that David proclaimed over the waters (shiva kolos she-amar David al ha-mayim), which are the aspect of the crying-outs mentioned — the aspect of the crying-out of the woman in labor, through which one gives birth to the intellects, as is explained in the said Torah.

And this is the aspect of "v'eileh shemos bnei Yisrael ha-ba'im Mitzraimah" etc. ("And these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt"). For the essential cause of all the exiles — and especially the exile of Egypt — is due to the blemish of Da'as mentioned, as is explained at the end of the said Torah. And therefore the Egyptians decreed specifically regarding the male children to cast them into the water. And Israel cried out to Hashem — this is the aspect of the crying-out of the woman in labor mentioned. Through this the intellects were given birth and Moshe was revealed — who is the Da'as — and he came from Midian and redeemed them. For the Egyptians wanted to conceal the intellects, God forbid. And therefore they decreed upon the male children — through whom the intellects are drawn from generation to generation, since for this purpose one must leave male children in the world, as mentioned. And the essential are male children who are the aspect of settled Da'as (da'as me'yusheves), as is explained elsewhere. For the essential Da'as is drawn through males. And therefore the Egyptians schemed to kill them and cast them into the water — for there, in the water, is the concealment of the intellects. For from there one draws the intellects through crying out, which is the aspect of the seven voices that David proclaimed over the waters — for water is the aspect of Da'as, as it is written: "u'male'ah ha-aretz de'ah...ka-mayim" etc. And the Egyptians wanted to reverse it entirely — to conceal the intellects through casting the male children into the water so that they would die there, God forbid, and the intellects would become hidden, God forbid. And Israel did their part and held fast to the tradition of their forefathers: "vayitz'aku vnei Yisrael el Hashem" ("and the children of Israel cried out to Hashem") — for this is the essential rectification of the exile and of all troubles. For they all are drawn from the deficiency of Da'as through the concealment of the intellects, as is explained there at the end of the said Torah — and for this crying out is needed, as mentioned.