ערלה ה

And therefore the mikveh is a great rectification for teshuvah — for from there comes the beginning of teshuvah. And therefore the initial entry of Israel under the wings of the Shechina was through immersion in the mikveh. And likewise in our time, the beginning of the convert's entry under the wings of the Shechina is also through immersion — for from there begins the entry into His service, blessed be His Name, as mentioned above — for there one returns and is renewed — which is the essential dimension of teshuvah.

And this is what is said regarding the immersion of vessels: «but it shall be purified with the water of niddah» [Bamidbar 31:23], and our Rabbis of blessed memory derived from this that vessels require immersion like a niddah. For the immersion of vessels is precisely the dimension of the immersion of a niddah. For the blood of niddah comes through the sin of the First Man who sinned with the Tree of Knowledge — through this it was decreed: «in sorrow you shall bear children», which is the blood of niddah. And because of this, the niddah requires immersion — to rectify and purify from the dimension of b'etzev (sorrow, labor) — the dimension of sadness, melancholy, Dark Faces, death, blemish of the Covenant — which is the dimension of the sin of the First Man, as it is said: «on the day you eat of it». And this is precisely the dimension of the immersion of vessels — to purify the metal vessels mentioned above that came from the domain and possession of the Seventy Nations, from the blemish of idolatry that clings most strongly to metals, which are the root of money, as mentioned above. To purify them from the idolatry comprised of all false worships — which is the dimension of the desire for money as mentioned above, which is the dimension of «in sorrow you shall eat it» as mentioned above. It follows that they are in the same dimension — and as is said there in that maamar: that the desire for money is the dimension of the blood of niddah, study it there.

And this is the dimension of the immersion of a niddah and of metal vessels in the dimension of «a river goes out of Eden to water the garden and from there it is divided» [Bereishis 2:10] — for the separation begins only after it waters the garden, and from there the separation begins through the dimension of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil that is within the garden. And therefore, to rectify and purify oneself from the dimension of the blood of niddah which comes through the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge from which comes the separation — therefore one returns to one's root — which is the dimension of immersion as mentioned above — that is, returning and immersing in the mikveh waters, which is the dimension of the river going out of Eden, which is the dimension of teshuvah, which is the dimension of all-good before the separation, where everything is rectified as mentioned above.

And therefore the primary receptacle of impurity is in metal vessels — more than all other vessels — for even their unformed pieces are susceptible to impurity, and they even return to their original impurity [after breaking and remaking], as studied in Tractate Keilim. For there is the essential hold of impurity — for it clings most strongly to metal vessels as mentioned above. And corresponding to this, there is also a special advantage in metal vessels: that even if a forbidden substance was absorbed within them, there is a rectification for them through hagalah (scalding out with boiling water) and libbun (burning white-hot), each vessel according to how the forbidden substance was used in it — for as it absorbs, so does it expel, for each person rectifies according to the measure of their blemish, in the dimension of teshuvat hamishkal (proportional teshuvah) as mentioned above.

But earthenware vessels have no rectification whatsoever when a forbidden substance was absorbed within them — for it has already been explained many times that the essential hold of the Sitra Achra is in a place where there is greater holiness, where they are always clinging. And therefore the essential immersion is for metal vessels — where there is the dimension of the face as mentioned above — but earthenware vessels — which have no face of holiness, and they are the opposite of money, as is understood from the words of Rebbenu in another place (siman 69), where he explained «ve'afroth zahav» as: the dimension of money from which the vitality of holiness has departed — then only dust remains. It follows that dust is the opposite of money in which there is vitality of holiness. And therefore vessels of dust — that is, earthenware — do not require immersion when they come merely from the domain of a non-Jew, for the Sitra Achra does not cling to them to draw sustenance from there as mentioned above. But when the Sitra Achra has already clung to them — that is, when a forbidden substance was absorbed within them — then they have no rectification at all, for the Torah testified about earthenware that the forbidden substance does not leave it.

For since their vitality is small and minimal as mentioned above, and therefore they break easily — therefore when the Sitra Achra clings to them — that is, when a forbidden substance is absorbed in them — they are completely damaged and have no rectification. But metal vessels are the exact opposite — for they require immersion because the Sitra Achra clings there strongly. Nevertheless they have purification in the mikveh, even if they became fully impure, and even if a forbidden substance was absorbed within them — they still have rectification through hagalah and libbun. For since they have great vitality from holiness, and therefore their strength is greater than all vessels, they are never completely damaged, and they always have rectification. As is mentioned above in the Laws of Fat (Halacha 1): that in a place where there is greater holiness — even though the Sitra Achra clings there more — nevertheless it is not completely damaged, Heaven forfend, and there is always a rectification for it, due to the greatness of the holiness there. And also because their strength is very great to withstand the rectification — for even if they require libbun they can be made white-hot in the fire, and they will still remain as vessels as they were. But earthenware has no rectification as mentioned above, and it also has no strength to withstand the rectification. But metal vessels can be refined and made white-hot and rectified — and study in the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory, where it is well explained: that the high souls — ultimately all their sparks will be rectified, even if they fell very low — to whatever place they fell — nevertheless no spark will ever be lost from them. Study there.

Additional note: A sword is considered like a corpse. The primary susceptibility to impurity — even as a secondary vessel from a corpse — is particularly in metal vessels. «Whole stones you shall build» [Devarim 27:6] — «and you shall not lift iron upon them» — yet they have purification in the mikveh and rectification through hagalah and kashering.

And this is the dimension of the immersion of vessels — that one must immerse the vessels purchased from a non-Jew. And the essential immersion by Torah law is for metal vessels — for the essential holiness is to sanctify the vessels so that they should be holy and pure, fit to receive the holiness of the food within them. For everything depends on the vessels — which receive the light within them, as is known. And the essential rectification and holiness of all vessels is through the dimension of emunah (faith) — faith in the Sages — for the essential formation of vessels is through faith. For faith is in the dimension of the vessel to receive the light of wisdom within her. For the light of God Himself, blessed be He, as it were, is so infinitely great that no vessel could contain it — it would dissolve all barriers — except through the medium of faith, which is the dimension of the vessel for divine light. And through faith one forms vessels capable of receiving the holy light gradually and in proper measure.

And when one damages, Heaven forfend, the emunath chachamim — faith in the Sages — then the food is damaged and adjudged as moaros (waste). For through the damage to faith, the vessels are damaged — since the essential vessels are through faith as mentioned above. And through the damage to the vessels, the food is damaged — for within all foods there are exceedingly great lights, in the dimension of «eat, friends», the «terin re'in d'lo misperarshin» (two companions never separated) — the dimension of «and He shall satisfy your soul in dryness» (Yeshayah 58:11): that the Tzaddik's eating in holiness — in the dimension of «the Tzaddik eats to satisfy his soul» — he is nourished in his eating from the lights of tzachtzachos (blazing radiance), as is explained in the words of Rebbenu, of blessed memory, in another place. And therefore it is impossible to eat food in holiness in vessels that come from the domain of a non-Jew who is far from the faith of Israel — until they are purified through immersion.

And the non-Jews — who are far from the faith of Israel — their essential distance is from emunath chachamim (faith in the Sages). And therefore they learn somewhat from the Written Torah — that is, Tanach. But the Oral Torah they do not study at all — for the Oral Torah is the dimension of emunath chachamim, from which they are very far. And because they are far from faith, they have no holy vessels — and all their vessels are impure in our regard. And it is impossible for us to eat our food — that is, the food of Israel, the food of holiness — in their vessels, for their vessels are the dimension of «broken cisterns that cannot hold water» [Yirmiyah 2:13] — they cannot receive the light of holiness, the light of divine wisdom, at all.

And therefore when purchasing vessels from them, one must immerse them in mikveh waters — which are the dimension of pure waters mentioned above, in the dimension of «and I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean» [Yechezkel 36:25]. For through the pure waters of the mikveh mentioned above, the vessels are purified from the damage of moaros mentioned above, which is the damage of emunath chachamim, the damage to the vessels as mentioned above. And then the vessels are purified and fit to receive the holiness of the foods of Israel — through the rectification of emunath chachamim that is rectified through pure waters, which are drawn through the teshuvah one does for the damage to emunath chachamim, as is explained there in the maamar mentioned above.

And the essential immersion is for metal vessels — for there are seven types of metal. For it is brought in the Book of Tales in the story of the king who decreed expulsion under the threat of shemad (forced conversion), alluded to in Psalm 2 — «why do the nations rage» — that there are seven wandering stars corresponding to the seven climates of the world, and there are seven types of metal and so forth. And the king made an image from the seven metals in which all seven wandering stars were shining, and from it they would seek counsel, and so forth — study it there. And in the maamar mentioned above there is an allusion to something of this sort: that through the secret of ibur (calendrical intercalation) — which is the progression of the seven wandering stars — through this one merits complete counsel and so forth.

And then one merits holy vessels as mentioned above — and the essential vessels are metal vessels, the dimension of the Seven Types of Metal. For through emunath chachamim, through this, Israel merits to dwell in their land — which is the dimension of Eretz Yisrael — and through this one merits the secret of ibur, and through this one merits complete counsel as mentioned above. For the essential rectification of the vessels is through the Seven Days of Building, as is known — which are the dimension of the Seven Days of Creation through which God, blessed be He, created all of Creation, which in its entirety is in the dimension of vessels to receive His great light, as is known. And the essential center is Eretz Yisrael, from which the source of all the vessels originates.

And therefore the vessels of the Seven Types of Metals require greater rectification — to immerse them and purify them from the hold of the Seven Nations. For the essential hold of the nations is from the dimension of the Seven Types of Metal — which is the dimension of the statue that Nevuchadnetzar erected: «its head was fine gold, its chest and arms were silver» and so forth [Daniel 2:32], which alludes to the totality of the nations and all four kingdoms, as is explained there in the verse (Daniel 2). For the Seven Nations are included in the Four Kingdoms — just as in holiness the Seven Days of Building are included in the Four Letters of the Divine Name, as is known. Likewise, correspondingly — «this opposite that» — the Seven Nations are included in the Four Kingdoms. And from the Four Kingdoms one can return and draw the sparks and refine them and include them in holiness — just as the Seven Days of Building are included in the Four Letters of the Name. And when all the sparks are included and rectified — it is the dimension of the kingdom of heaven being revealed below, in the dimension of «and His kingdom will rule over all».

And this is the dimension of the immersion of eating vessels purchased from a non-Jew. For the eating of Israel is precious and holy and very exalted — for eating in holiness is literally the dimension of Torah, in the dimension of «and Your Torah is in my inward parts» [Tehillim 40:9]. For the vitality is constantly drawn from the Living of All Life — but it is impossible to receive it, due to the overwhelming intensity of the light — except through the vessels made through Torah study and so forth, as is explained there in that Torah teaching. And therefore the essential vitality is through Torah, as it is said: «for that is your life» [Devarim 30:20]. For through Torah — which has sections and portions and so forth — through this, one calls upon the Living of All Life and draws from Him vitality in a graduated and measured manner through the vessels of the Torah.

It follows that the essential holiness of Israel's eating is through Torah — through which one draws vitality gradually and in measure through the vessels of Torah — and then specifically the vitality is drawn through the food in holiness, as mentioned above. And this is what is explained there in that Torah teaching: that according to the da'as (knowledge) drawn through Torah, so does one merit the sustenance — in the dimension of manna and so forth — study it there. For the sustenance and the holy eating — the dimension of manna — is according to the da'as one receives through Torah, which is the essential vitality. And through this specifically, the food has the power to give life to a person as mentioned above. And this is the dimension of the immersion of eating vessels —