מילה ב

510 COMPLETE_Tefilas_HaMinchah_Halachah_3 (1).html

According to the Talmudic saying: “Rabbi Akiva said: When you reach the stones of pure marble, do not say ‘water, water!’ as it is written, ‘one who speaks falsehood shall not stand before My eyes’” — see the words of Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, may I be an atonement for his resting place, where this entire teaching is explained well ((Siman 51)).

And the general principle is this: if one desires that post-creation be as pre-creation — that Father and Son be as one (av u-ven ka-chada), that everything be entirely one, entirely good — one must be vigilant against falsehood. For through truth, the hashgachah [Divine providence] of the Blessed One rests upon us, and then all is one — for through His blessed providence, post-creation is included within pre-creation, in the aspect of Father and Son as one. But through falsehood, He removes His blessed providence, as it is written: “one who speaks falsehood shall not stand before My eyes” [Tehillim 101:7]. For truth is one, but falsehood is distant from oneness — in the aspect of “they sought many calculations” — and the primary grip of falsehood, which is the evil, which is the impurity, comes from distance from the One. For immediately after creation, the aspect of “two” began — namely, creation and pre-creation — and from there the chain of falsehood, which is the evil, descended. But before creation, all was entirely good, entirely holy — even the term “purity” was not applicable there, for purity begins only after creation, since purity implies that there is impurity; it is the aspect of the side of Levi, the side of the left, from which the grip of the Sitrah Achara [the Other Side], which is falsehood, descends. And therefore one can ascend from impurity to purity, for the primary chain of the grip of impurity is from the aspect of purity itself — in the aspect of “and you shall purify the sons of Levi” — see there the full matter, for it is exceedingly deep.

520 COMPLETE_Tefilas_HaMinchah_Halachah_4 (1).html

And this is the aspect of the mitzvah of milas avadim [circumcision of slaves]. For the orlah, which is the zuhamas ha-nachash [the filth of the serpent], is in the aspect of falsehood — which is the evil, which is the impurity, the aspect of the zuhamas ha-nachash, as is known. For when the orlah is removed, he is then in the aspect of the chosam emes [seal of truth], the aspect of the os emes [sign of truth], which is the aspect of the holy bris [covenant] — as the orlah that covers over the bris, which is in the aspect of falsehood, in the aspect of m’shakker b’chosamah d’malka [forging the king’s seal], is removed from him. For the primary tzelem Elokim [image of God], the tzelem d’mus tavniso [likeness of His form], as it were, is a circumcised man who is sealed with the seal of truth. But when the orlah covers over the bris, it is in the aspect of falsehood — for it is not the image of a human being at all, since as long as the orlah is upon him he is entirely blemished, as Rashi explains on the verse “hishalech l’fanai v’heyai tamim” [“Walk before Me and be wholesome”] — see there. Thus the orlah is in the aspect of falsehood literally, for it misrepresents the form of the human being; for in truth the orlah is not from the form of the human being at all, and it clings to the person through utter falsehood — it appears as though it is part of the body, yet in truth it is complete falsehood, for it is not the image of a human being, since the primary form of man, the tzelem Elokim, is when one is sealed with the holy bris with the seal of the sign of truth, through the removal of the orlah — for then one is called tamim [wholesome], as above. And so it is explained in many places that the guarding of the bris, which is the aspect of the mitzvah of milah, is the aspect of truth, the aspect of “kulah zera emes” [“all of her seed is truth”] ((Yirmiyahu 2)). And conversely, blemishing the bris in the aspect of orlah d’chafya al bris [the foreskin that covers the covenant] is in the aspect of falsehood — which is the zuhamas ha-nachash. And this is the aspect of the slave, who is cursed, in the aspect of “arur Kenaan eved avadim” [cursed is Canaan, a slave of slaves], who is the seed of Cham, in the aspect of blemishing the bris, the zuhamas ha-nachash, of whom it is said: “arur atah” [cursed are you], as is cited. It is thus found that the orlah — which is the aspect of falsehood, the zuhamas ha-nachash — is the aspect of the slave who is cursed, as above. For the slave is in the aspect of falsehood, whose grip comes from the chain of post-creation. For through falsehood, post-creation is not included within pre-creation, as above — as it is written, “one who speaks falsehood shall not stand before My eyes” ((Tehillim 101)) — and then Father and Son are not as one, as it were, as above. And then one falls into bondage, God forbid, for the slave is the opposite of the son — when one is in the aspect of son, post-creation is included within pre-creation in the aspect of Father and Son as one, Father and Son precisely, for the son is drawn from the mind of the father and therefore when he is in the aspect of son, Father and Son are automatically as one, and post-creation is included within pre-creation. But through falsehood, God forbid, there is no Father and Son as one, and then one is in the aspect of slave, for the slave is distant from the master and is not in the aspect of oneness with the master. Thus the slave is in the aspect of falsehood, in the aspect of orlah, in the aspect of distance from oneness. For the primary aspect of being entirely one — that post-creation be as pre-creation — is only in the aspect of son, the aspect of Father and Son as one, Father and Son precisely, as above. And so it is hinted at in the words of Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, in another place ((Siman 117)), that the slave is in the aspect of falsehood which is the zuhamas ha-nachash — see there.

530 COMPLETE_Tefilas_HaMinchah_Halachah_5 (1).html

And therefore the Torah commanded to circumcise the son — to remove the orlah which is falsehood — in order that His blessed providence be drawn upon us, so that post-creation be as pre-creation, in the aspect of Father and Son as one, in the aspect of all being one. For this is the primary purpose of our service and the primary goal: to merit that post-creation be included within pre-creation. For the orlah is in the aspect of ananin d’mechasyan al ainin [clouds that cover the eyes] — and thereby His blessed providence does not rest upon him, for the orlah is the blemishing of the bris, which is the blemishing of the eyes, as is cited. But when the orlah d’chafya al bris is removed, thereby the clouds that cover the eyes are removed, and His blessed providence rests upon us, and thereby Father and Son are as one — for thereby one exits from the aspect of slave, which is the aspect of falsehood, to the aspect of son, and then all is one, Father and Son as one, as above.

540 COMPLETE_Tefilas_HaMinchah_Halachah_6 (1).html

And therefore the primary obligation is upon the father to circumcise his son — for pre-creation and post-creation is also in the aspect of father and son, as is explained in the teaching above, for He blessed be He is called Father, and the totality of creation is called son — from the moment creation emerged from potential to actual, a grip was formed for falsehood, which is the orlah, and we must remove the orlah so that Father and Son be as one, as above. And by the fact that the father himself circumcises his son, through this — by the arousal from below awakening the arousal from above (b’it’arusa d’litata it’ar l’eila) — He blessed be He, Who is our Father, also removes the orlah which is falsehood from the totality of creation, so that Father and Son be as one, as above. It is thus found that the primary purpose of the mitzvah of milah is to eradicate the falsehood which is the orlah, which is the aspect of slave, which is the evil and the impurity — in order that they be in the aspect of the seal of the sign of truth, so that post-creation be as pre-creation, Father and Son as one, as above.

550 Tefilas_HaMinchah_Halachah_7_Part1 (1).html

And therefore the Torah commanded to circumcise the slave — in order to subdue and nullify the orlah at its root, which is the aspect of slave, which is the opposite of son: the aspect of post-creation when it is not included, God forbid, within pre-creation, through the grip of falsehood which takes hold of it — for then creation is not in the aspect of son but in the aspect of slave, and there is where the orlah takes hold, which is the aspect of falsehood, as above. And therefore when one circumcises the slave and removes the orlah from him, thereby the orlah is subdued in its place and at its root — for there is its place, in the aspect of slave, as above. And then, when the orlah is subdued and removed from the slave, the slave too can become included within the aspect of son, for the primary bondage is due to the grip of falsehood, through which he is distanced from oneness, and then he is not in the aspect of son but in the aspect of slave. But when the orlah, which is falsehood, is removed, the slave is included within son, and all becomes one.

555 Tefilas_HaMinchah_Halachah_7_Part2 (1).html

For it is stated in the holy Zohar in Ra’aya Mehaimna [the Faithful Shepherd], Parashas Behar, that every one of Israel must serve the Blessed One in two aspects: in the aspect of son and in the aspect of slave. And this is the primary perfection — when one’s service is comprised of both aspects, son and slave — see there. And the matter, according to the above: before creation, all was one; and immediately when creation emerged from potential to actual, there were immediately two aspects — pre-creation and post-creation — and from there descended the grip of the Sitrah Achara, which is falsehood. And this is the aspect of right and left, son and slave. For pre-creation is in the aspect of kola yemina [all is right], for leis s’mala tamman [there is no left there], as above. And the totality of creation, compared to pre-creation, is in the aspect of left, as is understood from Rabbeinu’s words in the above teaching. And from this descended all the aspects of right and left found everywhere, for they all descended from these two aspects: son, which is when post-creation is included within pre-creation in the aspect of Father and Son as one; and slave, which is when it is not included, God forbid, as above.

560 Tefilas_HaMinchah_Halachah_7_Part3 (1).html

And the entire purpose of our service is to include the left within the right — and each person, according to how he merits through his service to subdue the Sitrah Achara that grips the side of the left, so that the left be included within the right — correspondingly and proportionally, post-creation is included within pre-creation for him, which is the ultimate goal of all our service, as above. And therefore one must serve the Blessed One in both aspects: in the aspect of son and in the aspect of slave, which are the aspects of right and left — so that the left be included within the right, and post-creation within pre-creation, as above. And this is the aspect of milas avadim, for through circumcising the slave and removing from him the orlah which is falsehood, whose primary grip is in the aspect of slave, thereby slave is included within son, left within right — for even though he remains a slave, this is nonetheless the primary service: that the slave, the aspect of left, be included within the right, in the aspect of son. And therefore afterwards he is obligated in the commandments that a woman is obligated in, for he is in the aspect of left, the aspect of ishah — and through removing the orlah from him, he can thereby be included within the left of holiness, and then the left of holiness is included within the right, as is known — for this is the primary service everywhere: wherever there is left and right, to subdue the evil that grips the left, and thereby the left is included within the right, and through this post-creation is included within pre-creation, as above. Also, the slave is the master’s miknos kaspo [monetary acquisition], which is in the aspect of left, in the aspect of “uvism’olah osher” [“and in her left, riches”] ((Mishlai 3)). And through subduing the orlah that grips the aspect of his wealth, which is itself the aspect of slave as above, thereby the left is included within the right, and through this post-creation is included within pre-creation — which is the ultimate purpose of all our service, as above.

565 Tefilas_HaMinchah_Halachah_7_Part4 (1).html

And this is the aspect of what is forbidden: to emancipate the slave — as it is written, “and you shall bequeath them to your children after you… you shall work them forever”. For this work and this refinement — to subdue and nullify the evil gripping the totality of creation so that post-creation be included within pre-creation — this refinement we must perform all our days, in every generation, until the end — until the spirit of impurity passes entirely from the earth. And then everything will truly be nullified and return to its root, and all will be one as before creation. But now, as long as the Blessed One desires the continued existence of the world, we must pursue all our service in the aspect of ratzo va-shov [running and returning] — that the totality of creation be included within pre-creation, and yet the existence of creation continue and not be nullified entirely, God forbid — for the Blessed One desires the continued existence of the world. And therefore the primary service is to refine, elevate, and include the left within the right, and yet the existence of the left remain — for the side of the left is the sustaining of the world, as is known.

570 Tefilas_Arvis_LM_I_49 (1) - end of Mincha 7 from 82 to end.html

And therefore it is forbidden to emancipate the slave — so as not to nullify the aspect of the left entirely before its time. Rather, one should circumcise him, to eradicate the utterly evil orlah from him, so that afterwards, through the Israelite working him, the good within him can be refined and the left included within the right, slave within son — but not to emancipate him entirely, for then one is nullifying the aspect of the left entirely before its time. For one is not permitted to nullify the aspect of the left entirely until the end. And this is the verse: “and you shall bequeath them to your children” — to your children precisely. For the slave must serve the son, so that the slave be included within son, the left within the right — so that through this, post-creation be included within pre-creation, as above. For the more that the left is included within the right, correspondingly post-creation is included within pre-creation, as above.

580 Tefilas_Arvis_Halachos_1-3 (1).html

And this is the aspect of S’firas ha-Omer and Shavuos. For it is stated that during the S’firah one ascends from impurity to purity through counting the Omer — for then we purify ourselves from the impurity of Egypt in order to merit receiving the Torah on Shavuos. And at first glance this is puzzling: how does counting the days purify us? What does counting days have to do with purity? But according to the above, the matter of the counting is well explained.

585 Tefilas_Arvis_Halachah_4_Part1 (1).html

For the primary grip of the Sitrah Achara — which is falsehood, which is the evil and the impurity — its primary grip is in the aspect of number (mispar). For before creation, all was one, entirely good, and there in the aspect of oneness there is certainly no concept of number at all — as one says: “before One, what do you count?” And immediately when the Blessed One brought creation forth from potential to actual, the aspect of number began immediately, for immediately there were two aspects, as Rabbeinu wrote in the above teaching. And when there are two aspects, number is applicable, and from there the chain descended until the grip of the Sitrah Achara, which is the aspect of “many calculations” — that through the multiplication of number and the distancing from oneness, the chain descended to the aspect of many calculations, which is the grip of the Sitrah Achara, which is the aspect of falsehood, which is distant from oneness, as above. It is thus found that the primary grip of the Sitrah Achara, which is falsehood, which is impurity, is from the aspect of number. And the root of number in holiness, before it chains down to impurity — that is, immediately after creation, when the aspect of number first came into being — is still in holiness. This is the aspect of purity explained in the above teaching — namely, immediately after creation when the aspect of “two” arose, the aspect of number. This is an impression (roshem) that will eventually chain down until impurity arises — yet before it chains down, it is in the aspect of purity, as is explained there. And therefore whoever wishes to emerge from impurity must ascend to the aspect of purity, for purity, which is the aspect of post-creation immediately, the aspect of number, is the root of impurity — and therefore precisely through it one ascends from impurity to purity, as explained well in the above teaching. And therefore, after we merited to leave Egypt from bondage to freedom — for Egypt is from the seed of Cham, which is the aspect of blemishing the bris, the zuhamas ha-nachash, the aspect of slave of slaves — and therefore after we left there from bondage to freedom and we must purify ourselves from the impurity of Egypt, to ascend from impurity to purity, the Blessed One therefore commanded us to count S’firas ha-Omer. For precisely through the aspect of number, which is the root of the grip of impurity, precisely thereby does one ascend from impurity to purity, for number in holiness is in the aspect of purity, which purifies from all impurities since from there comes the chain of impurity, as above — as it is written: “and you shall be purified from all your impurities”, as explained in the above teaching. For the number of holiness (mispar d’kedushah), which is the aspect of immediately post-creation — that is, a number of truth in which there is no falsehood, a number in holiness and purity guarded from falsehood, meaning guarded so that the Sitrah Achara, which is falsehood and impurity, does not grip it — this number, which is post-creation, is included within pre-creation and from the number all becomes one, as above. And therefore it is said at the beginning of creation: “vay’hi erev vay’hi voker yom echad” [and there was evening and there was morning, day one] ((Bereishis 1)) — and it does not say “first” (rishon) so that all of creation be included within the aspect of One, in the aspect of all being one, all being good, so that all the numbers that follow — all of which arose post-creation as above — should all be included and counted toward the aspect of One, so that all be included within the aspect of all being one. And therefore the holy Torah counted each day of creation, as it is written: evening and morning — day two, day three, etc. — so that the number, which is in the aspect of post-creation, be included in holiness, so that thereby all number, which is all of creation, be included within the aspect of One. Accordingly the Torah began the count from One, as above, for through the holy Torah counting the days of creation, all of creation which is in the aspect of number as above is included within the aspect of pre-creation, the aspect of all being one, as above. And this is the aspect of what we find in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory, that one must not count Israel — for wherever there is counting, a curse rests, God forbid. And therefore the Torah warned that when it is necessary to know the count of the children of Israel, one must take from each person a half-shekel as ransom for his soul. And it is also stated in the holy Zohar that before the count they would bless Israel, and similarly afterward — all of this to guard them so that the curse that grips the count and the tally would not have power, God forbid, as explained in the holy Zohar. For certainly the primary grip of the curse — which is the aspect of arur [cursed], the aspect of arur Kenaan, arur ha-nachash — descends from the aspect of number and tally. And therefore it is forbidden to count Israel, so that the curse that grips the count not have power, God forbid — in the aspect of “they sought many calculations”, as above. And therefore they took a half-shekel per head as charity (tzedakah) as ransom for their souls, for through charity one is saved from their grip and the falsehood — which is impurity, which is the curse — has no grip. For post-creation is included within pre-creation, all being one, as above — and all this is achieved through charity. For charity is the aspect of truth, the aspect of connecting truth and faith, and through this post-creation is included within pre-creation in the aspect of all being one, as above. For charity connects and binds all worlds so they are included in their root, in the aspect of all being one. And therefore precisely through the charity of a half-shekel per head, they are saved from the grip of the Sitrah Achara through the count, for we include the count in holiness, in the aspect of pre-creation, in the aspect of all being one, through the charity, as above — and then the curse and the Sitrah Achara have no grip at all, for their primary grip is due to distance from oneness, as above. But when the count is connected to oneness — when post-creation is included within pre-creation in the aspect of all being one as above — they are entirely nullified and have no grip or dominion at all. And the Zohar states in the holy Idra: kad alin b’chushvana, y’havin agra [when they enter the count, they give payment] to Atik Yomin — meaning, when there is a count and tally and one fears lest the grip of “many calculations” take hold, God forbid, then one gives a half-shekel per head. And through this one connects oneself to the aspect of Gulgalta, which is the aspect of Atika, the aspect of truth, the aspect of “rosh d’varcha emes” [“the beginning of Your word is truth”] ((Tehillim 119)) — which is entirely right, all one. But when all is one, they have no grip and are entirely nullified, as above. And this is the aspect of S’firas ha-Omer — to ascend from impurity to purity through the counting of the Omer, which is the aspect of mispar d’kedushah included in its root in the aspect of all being one, as above. Precisely through this does one ascend from impurity to purity, as above. For we count the days of the Omer, and the offering of the Omer was also in this same aspect — that post-creation be included within pre-creation through left being included within right, animal within human, for the Omer of barley is animal fodder, as it is stated in the holy Zohar, and as cited above many times. And through waving the Omer before God and offering it, we thereby raise and wave the totality of creation so that it be included within pre-creation — through waving the Omer of barley, which is in the aspect of animal, the aspect of post-creation, before God, as above. And therefore afterwards we count the S’firas ha-Omer, seven weeks corresponding to the seven days of creation — in order to connect all of creation that was created in the seven days of creation, which is in the aspect of number, for after creation number begins as above — to connect it all to the Omer, which is the aspect of connecting post-creation to pre-creation, as is the aspect of the waving of the Omer of barley, as above. And precisely through this counting one ascends from impurity to purity, as above — and then we are purified from the filth of the bondage that was in Egypt, where the primary bondage was in the aspect of Cham, as above. For the primary filth of the aspect of slave, which is impurity, the aspect of orlah, the aspect of blemishing the bris, the aspect of the impurity of Egypt, the aspect of falsehood — all of it is only due to distance from oneness, and their grip is from the aspect of number and tally, as above. And they are sweetened at their root — precisely through the number of holiness that is included within the aspect of One, the aspect of S’firas ha-Omer — thereby they are sweetened at their root and their grip is nullified, for all number which is post-creation is included within the aspect of all being one, and then they have no grip at all, as above. ((And see further on this matter below in Hilchos Simanei B’heimah v’Chayah T’horah, in volume 14.)) And this is the aspect of the t’vilah [immersion] of the slave — for one must raise him from impurity to purity, from the aspect of falsehood, the aspect of many calculations, so that he ascend to the aspect of purity from which their grip descends and where they are sweetened and purified, as above. And therefore all immersions are in the waters of a mikveh, for water is in the aspect of pre-creation — for water preceded the world, for water is the aspect of Chesed, the aspect of right, which is the aspect of pre-creation. And through entering the waters and the entire body submerging and becoming nullified and hidden within the water — thereby one is nullified and included within the aspect of pre-creation, and then he is in the aspect of all being one, as above, and he is purified from all impurities and ascends from them — for all impurities are nullified there in the aspect of all being one, for their primary grip is due to distance from oneness, as above. And therefore when Israel drew close to the Blessed One, they drew close also through milah and immersion, as above. And this is the aspect of the ger [convert] who comes to convert — who must also undergo milah and immersion, to subdue the orlah which is the evil, which is the impurity of the nations (tumas ha-akum), for all the nations are uncircumcised (areilim). For the nations are in the aspect of falsehood and Israel is in the aspect of truth, as it is written: “sh’eris Yisrael” [the remnant of Israel…] and as is cited. And therefore all the nations are called by the name of the orlah, as above, and as our Sages said that the orlah is only called by the name of the nations, for the orlah is in the aspect of falsehood, the aspect of the impurity of the nations. And therefore the convert cannot enter the holiness of Israel except through milah and immersion — for through removing the orlah which is falsehood, the impurity of the nations is thereby nullified from him, and then he becomes all one, entirely good, and then he too returns to the holiness of Israel, as above. And this is the aspect of the immersion, as above. And therefore the milah must precede the immersion — for first one must remove the orlah which is falsehood, and only then can one merit purity through being included within the waters in the aspect of pre-creation. For as long as the orlah, which is falsehood, is within him, he cannot be included within the aspect of pre-creation, which is the aspect of immersion as above. Only after the filth of the orlah is removed from him, and he is then included within the aspect of the sign of truth, can he then receive purity through immersion in water, through being included within the aspect of pre-creation in the aspect of all being one, as above. For it is impossible to be included within the aspect of pre-creation — that is, for post-creation to be as pre-creation, Father and Son as one — except through guarding against falsehood, as above. For this is the aspect of removing the orlah which is falsehood, as above. And this is the aspect of the bais din [court] of three that is required for the milah and immersion of a convert — derived by our Sages from the word mishpat [judgment] in relation to the convert: just as judgment requires three, so too a convert requires three. For in every judgment and adjudication, three are required — for judgment is to subdue falsehood and clarify truth, for this is the primary purpose of adjudication before judges: one litigant argues truth and one argues falsehood, and the judges must clarify the truth and subdue the falsehood. And therefore in every judgment and adjudication one must subdue falsehood at its root — that is, one must connect to the aspect of all being one, the aspect of the totality of creation included within pre-creation, in the aspect of Father and Son as one — for through this aspect, falsehood is entirely nullified and has no grip at all, since all is one, as above. And this aspect of the totality of post-creation included within pre-creation, achieved through truth — through the judges ruling true judgment (din emes l’amito) — this aspect is a threefold one, for it is comprised of three aspects which are the general sustaining of all worlds: the aspects of right, left, and center. For pre-creation, before creation emerged at all from potential to actual, is in the aspect of entirely right (kola yemina), for there is no left there, as above. And post-creation, when creation emerged from potential to actual, is in the aspect of left compared to pre-creation, as above. And immediately when creation emerged from potential to actual, an impression formed of the chain of the Sitrah Achara, which is evil, falsehood, and impurity, as above. And all our service is to subdue the falsehood, which is the Sitrah Achara, so that post-creation return and be included within pre-creation, that all of creation be one, as before creation — and then falsehood will be entirely nullified, as above. And this aspect is a third aspect, the aspect of center, the aspect of the decisive line (kav ha-makria) — the aspect that even after creation, after creation has already emerged from potential to actual, all of creation will be included within pre-creation, through connecting all of creation to its root in the aspect of all being one through truth, as above. This aspect is the aspect of the decisive line which connects and joins right and left — this being the aspect of joining and including post-creation within pre-creation, as above. And this is the aspect of the general holiness of Israel which is comprised of Kohanim, Levites, and Israelites, corresponding to the three Patriarchs: Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov — all of which is this threefold aspect, the aspect of right, left, and the decisive center, as above. And therefore when one must adjudicate judgment to expel falsehood and clarify truth, three judges are required, corresponding to these three aspects — for the bais din is in the aspect of right, left, and the decisive center, as our Sages said: “a court must not be evenly divided” [i.e., there must always be an odd number capable of deciding]. And therefore through these three, who correspond to the three aspects above, post-creation is included within pre-creation in the aspect of all being one, and through this falsehood is subdued — for the primary grip of falsehood is due to its distance from oneness, and wherever the left is included within the right through the decisive center, correspondingly post-creation is included within pre-creation, as above. And therefore the convert who comes to convert — whose primary entry into the holiness of Israel is only through removing falsehood from him, which is the orlah, and including him within the aspect of pre-creation through immersion in water, through which precisely one ascends from impurity to purity and the aspect of all being one etc., as above — must have three present at his milah and immersion, as in judgment. For to take the convert out from the impurity of the nations, who are in the aspect of orlah, the aspect of falsehood, and raise him to the holiness of Israel, who are in the aspect of truth — this is literally an act of judgment, which expels falsehood and clarifies truth. And all of this is accomplished through three, who are comprised of the three aspects above, through whom all is included in the aspect of all being one — and through this the Sitrah Achara is entirely nullified, one ascends from impurity to purity, and the convert merits thereby to enter the holiness of Israel, as above. And this is the aspect of Birchas Kohanim [the Priestly Blessing]. For the Kohanim are in the aspect of right, which is the aspect of pre-creation, as above — and from there all blessings are drawn, for the primary grip of the curse is only in the aspect of post-creation, as above. And therefore Aharon the Kohen would wave all the Levites — for the Levites are in the aspect of purity, the aspect of post-creation, from which a grip can descend to the aspect of many calculations, which is the Sitrah Achara, etc. Therefore the Kohen was required to wave the Levites, so that post-creation be included within pre-creation in the aspect of all being one — to nullify the grip of the Sitrah Achara, whose grip is due to distance from oneness, as above. And this is the aspect of the blessing that is mentioned in the holy Zohar: that before the count they would bless Israel, and similarly afterward, as above. For the count is in the aspect of post-creation from which their grip descends, as above — therefore they required the Priestly Blessing before and after, so that they be included within the aspect of pre-creation where the blessing is found, so that the curse that grips the count — the aspect of post-creation, as above — not have power, God forbid. For this is why they were required to give a half-shekel per head, etc., as above. And therefore Birchas Kohanim is threefold, as above. And this is the aspect of Shavuos, on which the Torah was given — after they counted the days of the S’firah through which they were purified from the filth of Egypt, from the aspect of slave, the aspect of orlah, the aspect of falsehood, etc., as above — and afterwards they merit to receive the Torah on Shavuos, which is the Torah of truth, through which all worlds are connected and post-creation is included within pre-creation. For the primary realization of this aspect is accomplished through the Torah of truth. And therefore the entire Torah is in the threefold aspect, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said ((Shabbos 88a)): “B’rich Rachmana d’yahiv lan oraisa t’li’ta’ah al y’dai t’li’ta’i b’yom t’li’ta’i b’yarcha t’li’ta’i” [Blessed is the Merciful One who gave us the threefold Torah through the threefold one [Moshe, the third of his mother’s children], on the third day, in the third month]. For the Torah is the aspect of truth, the aspect of peace, which comprises the three aspects above through which post-creation is included within pre-creation — which is the purpose of all creation, and for this the world was created, as is known. And this is accomplished through the three aspects above. And this is the aspect of “al sh’loshah d’varim ha-olam omaid: al ha-din v’al ha-emes v’al ha-shalom” [“Upon three things the world stands: upon judgment, upon truth, and upon peace”] ((Avos)), as it is written: “emes u-mishpat shalom shif’tu b’sha’areicaim” [“truth and the judgment of peace, judge in your gates”]. For these three are one aspect, and each one is comprised of three aspects, and all of them together are the three aspects above which are the sustaining of the world — for the primary sustaining of the world is when post-creation is included within pre-creation in the aspect of all being one, as above. That is the ultimate purpose of all creation, and for this the world was created, as is known. And this is accomplished through the three aspects above: through din and mishpat [judgment] — through which, by ruling true judgment, falsehood is subdued and truth is clarified, and post-creation is included within pre-creation, as above; through emes [truth] — for all depends upon truth, through which His blessed hashgachah rests upon us, and through which all is included within the aspect of all being one, as above; and through shalom [peace] — which is the aspect of the decisive one that makes peace between opposites, between right and left, for peace connects all and the left is included within the right, post-creation within pre-creation. And this is the aspect of “Hashem yivaraich es amo va-shalom” [“God shall bless His people with peace”] ((Tehillim 29)) — for peace is the vessel that holds blessing, for the primary blessings that are drawn from the aspect of pre-creation, where the source of blessing is, cannot be drawn down below to post-creation except through peace which connects all and post-creation is included within pre-creation, and then blessing is drawn from the source of blessing to all of creation. And this is the aspect of Birchas Kohanim, which concludes with peace, and their blessing also ends with shalom [“place peace”] — for the primary blessing is drawn to creation through being included within pre-creation, which is the aspect of peace, as above. For the blessing is to be saved from and to subdue the curse that grips the aspect of post-creation, and through post-creation being included within the aspect of pre-creation in the aspect of all being one and entirely good, all curses are nullified at their root and all blessings and all goodness are drawn to all of creation. And this is the aspect of “Hashem yivaraich es amo va-shalom”, as above. This halachah traces a single luminous thread through many halachic topics: the mitzvah of circumcising a slave, the prohibition against emancipating him, the slave’s obligation in women’s mitzvos, S’firas ha-Omer, the half-shekel, immersion, a court of three, Birchas Kohanim, and Shavuos. The thread is the kabbalistic concept of post-creation being included within pre-creation — achar ha-b’riah nichlal b’kodem ha-b’riah. The slave (eved) represents the aspect of the left, of number, of falsehood, of distance from oneness. Milah removes the orlah which is the grip of falsehood at its root, making it possible for the slave to be subsumed within the son — for the left to be gathered into the right. Every mitzvah discussed here performs, on its own plane, the same cosmic act: drawing the multiplicity of post-creation back to the pure unity that preceded it.