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10 גַּם-אִישׁ שְׁלוֹמִי אֲשֶׁר-בָּטַחְתִּי בוֹ אוֹכֵל לַחְמִי הִגְדִּיל עָלַי עָקֵב Based on the awesome matter explained at the end of the book Sippuray Ma'asiyos [the Stories], regarding the division of alafim [thousands] into mai'os [hundreds]; see there well. And the general principle is that there is a light that illuminates a thousand worlds, and it is one light, and it is impossible to receive it on account of its greatness. But a talmid chacham [Torah scholar] who is "vengeful and bears a grudge like a serpent" (Yoma 22b) — he is able to divide thousands into hundreds, that is, to divide the great light into portions so that the small ones can receive it etc. And one who knows this can revive the dead etc. And one who does not know this etc., and does not know the yichud [unification] of "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed", and what are tzikay k'dairah [residue of the pot] etc., and what is cha"sh from chashma"l, and what is nogah, and what is Ma'aseh Merkavah, and what is bris etc. And Moshiach knows this matter in its completeness. But the other tzadikim do not know it except when they make from thousands, hundreds etc.; see there well, and the matters are ancient.

Gam eesh shiloamee ashehr butachtee voa oachail lachmee heegdeel ulliy ukaiv.

And this is the aspect of two witnesses, through whom the truth is clarified and falsehood is pushed away, and they are trusted in every matter. For whoever testifies truthful testimony is in the aspect of the Torah, which is truth, as it is written: "a Torah of truth" etc. (Malachi 2:6). And it is called aidus [testimony] everywhere, as it is written: "And you shall place into the Ark the Aidus [Testimony]" etc. (Exodus 25:16). And likewise in the entire account of the Mishkan [Tabernacle] and throughout the Torah, the Torah is called by the name aidus. And it is written: "The testimony of Hashem is trustworthy" etc. (Psalms 19:8).

My ally in whom I trusted, even he who shares my bread, has been utterly false to me.

For the Torah is a great testimony regarding Him, Yisborach. For one who has a true brain in his skull can see with the eye of his intellect clearly the existence and oneness and unity of Hashem Yisborach through the Holy Torah. For all possessors of true knowledge and intellect will testify and declare that it is impossible in any manner, through any intellect, to fabricate such a Torah from the heart, chas v'sholom — as this argument is elaborated in many holy books. And as it is written: "And wisdom, from where shall it be found, and where is the place of understanding?" etc. (Job 28:12). For from where does one take such a Torah? From "In the beginning" until "before the eyes of all Yisroel" (the first and last words of the Torah), with all its details and fine points etc. And all the other books of the Prophets and Writings, and the entire Shas and Midrashim and their commentaries, and all the pilpulim and novel insights within them. And all the secrets of the Torah that were revealed by the Rashbi and his students, and the Arizal, of blessed memory. And all the might and awe and wonders within them, which make the hair of a person's head stand on end when he examines them — even one who does not comprehend them to their ultimate depth — nevertheless, the little bit that sparks for him from their words, everyone will acknowledge and say that it is impossible to fabricate, chas v'sholom, such things from the heart in any manner.

And likewise all the revelations and wondrous and awesome novel insights that the tzadikim revealed in the generations that followed, up to this very day. For Hashem Yisborach is still with us even in these generations — for we have seen, eye to eye, the revelation of wondrous and awesome novel insights that it is impossible to reveal through human intellect in any manner, except through Divine influx that flows from the Hidden Singular One, Yisborach Sh'mo forever.

11 וְאַתָּה יי חָנֵּנִי וַהֲקִימֵנִי וַאֲשַׁלְּמָה לָהֶם Therefore all the words of the Holy Torah testify and declare that Hashem is One and His Name is One. Therefore the Torah is called aidus [testimony] everywhere. (And see more of this in Hilchos Pesach, Halachah 9. And there is still much in my heart regarding this, to elaborate, but this is not the place to extend on this, and the discerning will understand on their own.)

And this is: "Great are the works of Hashem, expounded by all who delight in them" (Psalms 111:2). For through the wondrous novel insights and expositions of the Torah, which are "expounded by all who delight in them" with wondrous and awesome and exalted intellectual depth — through this everyone sees that "great are the works of Hashem." For all possessors of truth will acknowledge and testify that the hand of Hashem has done this — as it is written: "And the Tablets were the work of G-d" etc. (Exodus 32:16). And this is what Moshe said: "Not your children etc., for your eyes are the ones that see all the great work of Hashem that He has done" (Deuteronomy 11:7). And this applies to all the generations until the end. That is, he is not speaking with children whose minds are still immature and whose eyes have not been opened to see the truth eye to eye. For "your eyes are the ones that see all the great work of Hashem that He has done" — for whoever examines and gazes into the Torah, his eyes see eye to eye all the great work of Hashem that He has done. For he knows and understands the truth: that it is impossible to fabricate from the heart, chas v'sholom, all these wonders and accounts and novel insights and all the awesome things that He has done with us and revealed to us from the day of the giving of the Torah through Moshe Rabbeinu until this very day — for they are the work of Hashem. The general principle is that the Torah is called aidus [testimony], for it testifies to His existence and His oneness and His sovereignty, Yisborach v'yis'aleh. And therefore the Torah was given on two Luchos HaAidus [Tablets of Testimony], for testimony requires no fewer than two. And this is the aspect of Sh'ma and "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed" — through which we testify to His oneness and sovereignty, Yisborach. And both are needed, specifically — Sh'ma and Baruch Shem — which are the aspect of yichuda ila'ah [the upper unification] and yichuda tata'ah [the lower unification]. For the people of Yericho used to "wrap the Sh'ma" against the will of the Sages (Pesachim 56a). And it is explained there that they did not say "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed." And this is the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds, which is the secret of "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed," as is written there. That is, one must specifically divide the light — divide it into portions, in the aspect of dividing thousands into hundreds — so that all can receive it, in order to make known to all who enter the world His oneness and His sovereignty, which rules over all. And this is the aspect of "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed." And one must not "wrap the Sh'ma" — that is, bind the light together, for then it is impossible to receive it. For regarding the matter of the division of thousands into hundreds: even though the essential words that emerged from the mouth of our exalted Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, are impossible to grasp, nevertheless, whatever allusion we can find in them, we are obligated to strive with all our might to find what we can. And behold, the matter of the division of thousands into hundreds — that is, to divide the great light that is in the aspect of alafim [thousands], to divide it into portions that are the aspect of mai'os [hundreds] so that they can receive it — this is the aspect of the general totality of the receiving of the Torah. For the entire Torah — its sections and orders and words and letters — are all wondrous tzimtzumim [contractions] of the great light, so that we can receive it. And this is the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds. For "the Torah emerged from the Supernal Wisdom" (Zohar, B'shalach 62), where everything is in the aspect of alafim, as is brought in the [Kabbalistic] writings — that above, the light is in the aspect of thousands, and below, the lights are divided in the aspect of hundreds. For the Chochmah Ila'ah [Supernal Wisdom] itself, in the aspect of thousands, is impossible for us to receive. For it is the aspect of Oraisa d'Atika S'sima'ah [the Torah of the Hidden Ancient One], which is destined to be revealed in the future. And we receive only through tzimtzumim [contractions] — through the Torah being clothed in these garments. And this is the aspect of "the fallen leaves of the Supernal Wisdom are Torah" (Bereishis Rabbah 17:5), as is brought. And this is the aspect of tzimtzumim, the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds, as above. And therefore the Torah preceded [the world] by two thousand years (Bereishis Rabbah 8:2). For initially it was in the aspect of thousands, and it was in the aspect of "garments of light" [spelled] with an alef [i.e., ohr, light], in the aspect of thousands. And had Adam HaRishon not sinned with the Tree of Knowledge, he would have received the Torah in the aspect of "garments of light" with an alef, and he would have lived forever. For there, above, in the aspect of thousands, in the aspect of Oraisa d'Atika, there is no death, for there is eternal life. But through his eating from the Tree of Knowledge, everything was blemished, and then the k'lipah [husk] gained dominion — the aspect of "the orlah that covers the bris" — and the intellect became clouded. And therefore it became impossible to receive the great light in the aspect of thousands, from where the essential life-force derives. And through this, death gained dominion — for the light from where life derives was withdrawn, and everything was left without life-force, in the aspect of death. And were it not for His kindness, Yisborach, the world would have reverted to chaos, chas v'sholom. But through the compassion of Hashem and His wondrous kindnesses, He had mercy upon him and upon His world, and He worked wondrously: He drew down the rectification of the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds, and He clothed the light — which is the Torah — in the aspect of "garments of skin" [spelled with an ayin], so that he could survive. For "garments of skin" — these are t'fillin (Tikkunay Zohar, Tikkun 69, 105a), which are wondrous tzimtzumim for the great lights that are drawn from the aspect of Atik and Arich Anpin, where everything is in the aspect of thousands. And through t'fillin, the mochin [intellectual lights] are drawn from there in the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds. And this is the aspect of the two shins on the t'fillin — the shin of three heads and the shin of four heads — which are the aspect of hundreds. And this is the aspect of: "The word He commanded for a thousand generations" (Psalms 105:8). For Hashem Yisborach wished to wait to give the Torah for a thousand generations, so that the world would be refined over a thousand generations in order to receive the light of the Torah in the aspect of thousands — as Moshiach will merit, for he will grasp the light in its completeness in the aspect of thousands, as is written there. But because of the sins of the generations, He saw that the world could not endure; therefore He gave it after twenty-six generations, through His wondrous wisdom by contracting and dividing the light from thousands to hundreds, so that we could receive it. And therefore Yisroel did not receive the Torah until they appointed "captains of thousands and captains of hundreds and captains of fifties and of tens" (Exodus 18:21) — in order to contract the light from thousands to hundreds, so that they could receive the Torah that was drawn from this aspect, from the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds, as above. And therefore Adam HaRishon was compelled to die within a thousand years. For the life-force corresponds to the grasp of the holy Wisdom of the Torah, for "wisdom gives life" (Ecclesiastes 7:12), and as it is written: "For it is your life" etc. (Deuteronomy 30:20). And had he lived a thousand years, he would have needed to receive the light from the aspect of thousands — and this is impossible to receive now, after the sin. And therefore Hashem Yisborach made His day specifically a thousand years. And through this was fulfilled: "For on the day you eat from it, you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:17) — as our Sages, of blessed memory, said — for it was certainly fulfilled. For since he does not live a thousand years and cannot ascend to the light of the thousands where the essential life resides, death therefore has dominion over him, for its hold is below. And this was his essential blemish: that he cannot receive the light of the thousands on his own, where the essential life resides. And behold, the general principle is that through the sin of Adam HaRishon, he caused the k'lipah that covers the brain to gain dominion — which is the contamination of the Serpent. And then it is impossible to receive the light of the thousands, and there is no life-force for the person, or for the entire world that depends upon him, except through contracting the light in the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds, as above. And even for this, great exertion is needed — for one must overcome each time and break the k'lipah that covers the brain, which is the aspect of "the orlah that covers the bris." And then one can make vessels and contractions to receive the light in the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds — which is the aspect of the revival of the dead, as is brought there. For through the sin of Adam HaRishon, sparks fell into the depths of the k'lipos, and they are there in the aspect of the dead — because the contamination of the Serpent has seized them, which is the side of death. And the essential contamination of the Serpent is the falsehoods that are the aspect of k'firos [heresies/denials] that surround and cover the truth and the emunah [faith]. And they become overpowering because the light has withdrawn upward, as above. Therefore great exertion is needed to draw down the light in the aforementioned aspect, in the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds, so that all can receive it — even those who are placed at the very lowest level. And then one subdues and drives away the contamination of the Serpent, which is falsehood, which is the side of death, and one revives the sparks in the aspect of the actual revival of the dead. And therefore specifically a talmid chacham who is "vengeful and bears a grudge like a serpent" can divide thousands into hundreds, as is explained there. For this talmid chacham who is vengeful and bears a grudge etc. — certainly his intention is only for the sake of Heaven, and not for the sake of his own honor at all, chas v'sholom. For certainly he does not transgress "You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge" (Leviticus 19:18), chas v'sholom (and as is discussed there in the Gemara in Yoma; see there). Rather, his entire intention is for Heaven, for the sake of truth alone. Therefore he must specifically be vengeful and bear a grudge like a serpent, and then specifically he is a talmid chacham, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. For it is forbidden to be a "foolish humble person," who has a flawed humility. For even though one must be small in his own eyes before every person in the world, nevertheless, it is forbidden for him to budge from the truth. That is, regarding all matters of truth that he has merited to grasp and know according to what he received from his teachers — he is forbidden to nullify his opinion even before the greatest of the great, as we have seen with all the masters of the Shas: even though they were certainly all exceedingly humble, nevertheless each one was very firm in his opinion in all the ways of Torah they were studying, as it is written: "They shall not be ashamed when they speak with enemies at the gate" (Psalms 127:5). And therefore this talmid chacham who is vengeful and bears a grudge like a serpent — certainly his intention is for Heaven, for the sake of truth alone. And therefore he must be vengeful and bear a grudge like a serpent — that is, "this corresponding to that" (Ecclesiastes 7:14), good corresponding to evil. That is, just as the Serpent was "more cunning than all" (Genesis 3:1) — from whom derive all the deceits and falsehoods and lies in the world — so too must the true talmid chacham conduct himself with truth: to be vengeful and bear a grudge for the sake of truth, in order to reveal the truth in the world. For there are countless deceits and errors in the world, and they all derive from the contamination of the Serpent who was "more cunning than all" — from where derive all types of cunning and deceptions and deceits of the Ba'al Davar [the Adversary] that he has implanted in the world, until it is exceedingly difficult to discern the truth. For the Ba'al Davar clothes himself in many guises and in many types of people — even in great and upright people — and deceives and misleads them in many ways until they oppose the truth and conceal and hide it. And from there derive all types of machlokes [controversy] in the world — in particular the controversies among Torah scholars — and each one says that he desires the truth. Yet the truth is one. And therefore the talmid chacham must be vengeful and bear a grudge like a serpent. That is, he should conduct himself with truth exactly as the Serpent conducts himself with falsehood, to fulfill: "With the crooked, act crookedly" (II Samuel 22:27). That is, just as the Serpent, who was more cunning than all, covers and surrounds the truth through his lies and deceits in many ways — so too should the talmid chacham conduct himself against him with truth, and conduct himself with them with wisdom and cunning for the sake of truth alone, just as the Serpent conducts himself with his lies, as above. Also, "like a serpent" alludes to the fact that the talmid chacham who is vengeful and bears a grudge should not intend for his own benefit and honor at all, but only for the sake of truth alone. And this is "like a serpent" — for our Sages, of blessed memory, said that the serpent has no benefit from its bite, as they expounded on the verse: "If the serpent bites" etc. (Ecclesiastes 10:11). And just as the serpent in the realm of k'lipah has no benefit and yet is vengeful and bears a grudge, so too the talmid chacham in the realm of holiness must be vengeful and bear a grudge like a serpent — that he should not intend for his own benefit and honor at all, but only for the sake of truth alone. And then he is a talmid chacham. And then he is able to divide thousands into hundreds. For since he is vengeful and bears a grudge like a serpent for the sake of truth alone, as above, and reveals the truth from amidst the falsehood — he pushes away and removes the contamination of the Serpent, which is falsehood, which is the side of death, and he rectifies the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. And then Hashem Yisborach helps him to divide the thousands into hundreds, in order to draw down the light in measure so that the small ones can receive it — in order to illuminate the knowledge of His truth, Yisborach, in all the fallen sparks, to revive them from their death, in the aspect of the actual revival of the dead, as above. And therefore testimony requires no fewer than two. For the essential testimony is needed in a place where there is denial and contradiction, and then specifically two are needed to reveal the truth from amidst the falsehood. For falsehood is the contamination of the Serpent, which is the side of death. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: there was a place called "Kushta" [Truth], where no one died — because there was no falsehood there (Sanhedrin 97a). For truth is the elixir of life, and falsehood is the opposite. For all falsehoods in the world are the aspect of k'firos [heresies], as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "Whoever changes his speech, it is as if he worships idolatry" (Sanhedrin 92a). And idolatry and heresies are the aspect of falsehood, which is the aspect of the contamination of the Serpent who was "more cunning than all," who deceived Adam and Chavah with his lies and deceits and brought death to the world. And therefore these witnesses who come to testify truthful testimony and to reveal the truth from amidst the falsehood and contradiction between the litigants — they must be at least two. For it is impossible to reveal and clarify the truth from amidst the falsehood except through the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds, which is the aspect of the revival of the dead. That is, through drawing down the light through contractions and portions, through which one makes vessels to reveal the truth of His G-dliness, Yisborach Sh'mo — which is the essential root of truth. And through this one revives all the holy sparks, which are the aspect of the point of truth that fell into the falsehood, and one clarifies the truth from amidst the falsehood, as above. And for this, specifically two are needed, for "two are better than one" etc. (Ecclesiastes 4:9). For wherever there are two, they have greater power to divide the light in the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds. For this is a great general principle, as is explained above: that above, the light is in the aspect of thousands, and below it is in the aspect of hundreds. And as it is written: "I was seeing etc., and the Ancient of Days sat etc. — a thousand thousands served Him, and a myriad of myriads etc." (Daniel 7:9–10). For above, in the aspect of Atik, everything is in the aspect of thousands. And as is written in the Idra Rabbah: "We learned: in the skull of the head, a thousand thousands, myriad and seven thousand and five hundred hairs" etc. And it is explained in the commentaries that the higher and more exalted the light, the more it is in the aspect of myriads and thousands, and below it diminishes until it comes to the aspect of hundreds; see there. And this is the aspect of: "The thousand are yours, Shlomoh, and two hundred to the guardians of its fruit" (Song of Songs 8:12). "The thousand are yours, Shlomoh" — the King to Whom peace belongs — there, above, the light is in the aspect of thousands. "And two hundred to the guardians of its fruit" — these are the tzadikim who guard and uphold the Torah, who merit to receive the light in the aspect of two hundred, which is hundreds. That is, they merit to divide the thousands into hundreds so that all can receive it — which is the essential drawing-down of Torah and the knowledge of the truth of His G-dliness in the world, as above. And therefore it expresses "to the guardians [l'not'rim]" — to allude to the Torah scholars who are "vengeful and bear a grudge [not'rim]" who divide the thousands into hundreds, as above. And all the souls of Yisroel have their root in the Torah, as is known. And therefore the root of all the souls, above, is in the aspect of thousands — and there all the souls are one. But when they are drawn below, it is impossible to draw them except through dividing thousands into hundreds. And then each and every soul is drawn below to its place, to the body that pertains to it. And the entire service of a person is to draw upon himself the light from above to below, from the aspect of thousands to hundreds, in the aspect of "do not read mah [what] but rather mai'ah [a hundred]" (Menachos 43b). For the light of the thousands is, for us, in the aspect of mah [what/unknowable], for it is impossible to grasp it. But through a person's service — in particular through prayers, which are the aspect of blessings and thanksgivings, the aspect of a hundred blessings each day (Menachos 43b) — through this one draws the light of the thousands to the aspect of hundreds, and one joins the alef with mah and it becomes mai'ah [a hundred]. And all of this is in order to reveal His truth, Yisborach, until even those who are very distant — who are the sparks placed very low — know Him. For through the contractions and vessels that are made through the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds, through this one draws the light of truth gradually until one can make known even to all the distant ones His G-dliness and His sovereignty. And through this one subdues and burns away the falsehood and reveals and clarifies the truth from amidst the falsehood, as above. And likewise, the more one burns away and nullifies the falsehood and elevates the truth from amidst the falsehood — through this one can make vessels to draw the light downward in the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds. For this depends upon that, and as is explained in the [Kabbalistic] writings: it is impossible to give birth to and draw down the mochin [intellectual lights], which are the light of the knowledge of His truth, Yisborach, except through clarifying and elevating the sparks from the depths of the k'lipos, in the aspect of ha'ala'as mayin nukvin [the raising of feminine waters]. And likewise the reverse: it is impossible to elevate the sparks except through drawing upon them the light from above etc. And therefore in truth there are many exertions in many aspects before one merits this. It emerges that above, the totality of the souls is in the aspect of thousands, and below they are divided, each one to his place, in the aspect of hundreds. And therefore in every census of the Children of Yisroel there were thousands and hundreds, both in the total and in the details. Go and examine and you will find in the Book of B'midbar [Numbers]: for in the total count there were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. And likewise in the count of each degel [banner/camp] there were thousands and hundreds. And likewise in the count of each shaivet [tribe] there were thousands and hundreds. Examine there, in each tribe and each banner and the total count. And likewise in the count of the Levites, both in the total and in the details — in all of them there were thousands and hundreds. This indicates that the souls of Yisroel are drawn below through drawing the light from thousands to hundreds, as above. And the more Yisroel join together, the more power they have to be included in the aspect of the thousands, which is their supernal root, and to draw the light from there below in the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds. For since they are many and there is among them diversity of opinions — which derives from the aspect of the division of the light into hundreds (for above there is no diversity, for there everything is one) — therefore, since they are many, which is the aspect of diversity of opinions that derives from the aspect of the division of the light into hundreds, as above, when they gather and are included together in a matter of holiness, they have even greater power to be included in their root in the aspect of thousands, and to draw the light below in the aspect of hundreds. For they have the power to divide the light, because they are many, as above. And therefore every matter of holiness is not said with fewer than ten. For a thousand is ten times a hundred. And when there are ten together, and each one is in the aspect of a hundred — for he is obligated to bless a hundred blessings each day, in the aspect of "do not read mah but rather mai'ah" — and when ten of Yisroel gather together, they are included in the aspect of a thousand, which is ten times a hundred, and they draw the light from thousands to hundreds, as above — which is the essential drawing-down of holiness. And therefore testimony requires no fewer than two. For when they are two, they have the power to divide the thousands into hundreds — since they are two, whose minds are distinct from one another, and they are included together to testify truthful testimony. Through this they have the power to draw the light from their root, from the aspect of thousands, to the aspect of hundreds, as above — through which is the essential revelation of truth from amidst falsehood, which is the aspect of the revival of the dead, as above. But when he is one, he does not have the power for this, for he does not have the power to divide the light into hundreds since he is one alone. And this is: "There is one and there is no second etc. — this too is vanity. Two are better than one, for if they fall, the one will raise" etc. (Ecclesiastes 4:8–10). For one alone is in the aspect of the people of Yericho who used to "wrap the Sh'ma" against the will of the Sages — who did not say "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed" — which is the aspect of the second witness. For through both of them, specifically, one divides thousands into hundreds and reveals the truth from amidst the falsehood and elevates the holiness from the fallen places, in the aspect of "two are better" etc. — "for if they fall, the one will raise" etc., as above. And this is "two are like a hundred" — "like a hundred," specifically — for they draw and divide the light from thousands to hundreds. Through this they have trustworthiness in every matter, for they reveal the truth in every place where it is, as above. And therefore one needs t'rain sahadin [two witnesses] every day — t'fillin and bris; and on Shabbos, Shabbos and bris. For testimony requires no fewer than two. And this is the aspect of the two Luchos HaAidus [Tablets of Testimony], the aspect of Sh'ma and "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed" — for it is all one. For truthful testimony is the aspect of the testimony of the Torah, which is the aspect of the testimony of the recitation of Sh'ma — through which we testify to the truth of His existence and His unity and His sovereignty, which rules over all, as above. And all of this is impossible except through the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds, as above. Therefore specifically two are needed, as above. And this is the aspect of "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed." For first we say "Sh'ma Yisroel, Hashem Elokainu, Hashem Echad" and testify to His unity, Yisborach. But we have not yet testified that His sovereignty rules over all — even over all the lowest levels where the Sitra Achara and falsehood have hold — that even there His sovereignty rules, and one can reveal the truth even there, in the aspect of "truth sprouts from the earth" (Psalms 85:12). And this is the essential testimony — for the essential testimony is needed specifically in a place where there is denial and contradiction. For in a place where the truth is known, testimony is not needed. And therefore we say "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed" — that is, that the glory of His sovereignty is blessed perpetually, forever and ever, even in all the distant and lowly places. And this is revealed through the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds, through which one draws the light below through wondrous vessels and contractions, until even all those who are distant from Him, Yisborach, will know. And therefore the people of Yericho who did not say "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed" — our Sages, of blessed memory, called them those who "wrapped the Sh'ma." That is, it was as if they wished to wrap everything together and not divide it at all. And this is a great blemish, for then one cannot make known [His truth] to those who are distant from Him, Yisborach, as above. For the Sitra Achara "begins with connection and ends with separation," and holiness is the opposite. That is, the Sitra Achara — which is the Serpent and falsehood — begins with connection, saying that the light above is bound together and it is impossible to contract it and divide it and draw it below. And through this they end with complete separation — for it is complete heresy, for they do not believe that all the life-force below is entirely connected and bound to above, and it is as if this world is separated, chas v'sholom, from its supernal root. But holiness is the opposite: "it begins with separation" etc. — that one separates and divides thousands into hundreds and contracts the light until one draws down the knowledge of the holy faith that this entire physical world is connected and bound to above, for "His sovereignty rules over all" (Psalms 103:19). And this is the essential completeness of the yichud [unification] — when one knows that all the life-force and governance of every detail of Creation is entirely connected and bound to Him, Yisborach, for He gives life to all of them. And this is "and ends with connection." Therefore specifically two witnesses are needed, in order that they have the power to separate and divide the light — through which, specifically, one can subdue and burn away the falsehood and reveal the truth, as above. For the witnesses are in the aspect of the talmid chacham who is vengeful and bears a grudge etc., for they take vengeance upon the evildoer, as it is written: "The hand of the witnesses shall be upon him first" (Deuteronomy 17:7). And therefore they have the power to divide thousands into hundreds. But for this, at least two are needed, as above. And this is: "A single witness shall not stand against a person for any iniquity or any sin" etc. (Deuteronomy 19:15). That is, since the contamination of the Serpent has already gained dominion and seized hold — from where all iniquity and all sin derive — and one must clarify the truth from there, therefore it is impossible through a single witness. For he does not have the power to stand against the Sitra Achara that overpowers, seeking not to divide the light, so that the light remains above and they [the forces of evil] rule below, chas v'sholom — which is the essential side of death that separates the life-force from the body, in the aspect of "for death separates" (I Samuel 20:3). And this derives from the aspect of "begins with connection and ends with separation." And therefore, since the Sitra Achara has already gained dominion here — the aspect of the Serpent from where falsehood derives, which is the aspect of all iniquity and all sin — therefore one alone does not have the power to stand against it. For he does not have the power to stand against it and divide the light into hundreds, since he is one alone. Rather: "By the mouth of two witnesses a matter shall be established" — for "two are better than one" etc. For two, since their souls are distinct below, have greater power to divide the light from thousands to hundreds — through which is the essential revelation of truth, the aspect of truthful testimony, as above. And this is the aspect of the mitzvah of milah [circumcision] — the aspect of chituch [cutting] and pri'ah [uncovering]. For first one cuts the orlah that covers the bris, which is the contamination of the Serpent, the aspect of falsehood. And this is the aspect of the talmid chacham who is vengeful and bears a grudge, the aspect of "a sword that avenges the vengeance of the covenant" (Leviticus 26:25). But it is still impossible to reveal the atarah [corona/crown], which is the seal of truth, until one performs pri'ah — separating and dividing the skin and revealing the atarah. And through this one subdues and clarifies the k'lipas nogah [the husk of luminescence], and the holy sparks — the good within nogah — are included in the aspect of chashma"l, as is known. And all of this is drawn from the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds, from where the drawing-down of all the souls that are drawn from generation to generation derives. And they are drawn through this holy channel — which is the atarah upon the bris. And there they are drawn from the aspect of "a path that no bird of prey knows" (Job 28:7), from the aspect of peleh [wonder], the aspect of thousands — until they are drawn to the aspect of hundreds, when they can be formed in this world, as it is written: "I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wondrous are Your works" etc. (Psalms 139:14) — which is said regarding the formation of the fetus in its mother's womb, as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded. For his soul is then drawn in the aspect of wonders upon wonders, from thousands to hundreds. And then a name is given to the infant, in which his entire soul and life-force is bounded, as it is written: "whatever the living soul [called it], that was its name" (Genesis 2:19). As Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, wrote elsewhere: that all the names of Yisroel are drawn from the census of the Children of Yisroel, who were counted by the number of names, as is explained in the portion of B'midbar. And all of them were drawn through the division of thousands into hundreds — and this is the aspect of the thousands and hundreds that were in every count, both in the total and in the details, as above. For His Name, Yisborach, is intertwined with our names. And the essential knowledge of Him, Yisborach, is through His Names, Yisborach, which are drawn and revealed in the world through the division of thousands into hundreds — through which contractions and vessels are made for the knowledge of His truth. And then one knows to call upon Him by His Names, Yisborach. And from there the name is drawn to the infant who is circumcised, for His Name is intertwined with our names, as above. And this is the aspect of the mitzvah to bear children. For the more Yisroel multiply into thousands and myriads, the more they are included in their root in the aspect of thousands, and they draw the light from there — from thousands to hundreds — because they are many, as above. And upon this depends the coming of Moshiach. For Moshiach will grasp the light of the thousands in its completeness, and he will know in completeness how to contract the light and divide it into hundreds, in order to "make known to the children of men His mighty acts" etc. (Psalms 145:12), so that "all the peoples of the earth shall know that Hashem is G-d" etc. (I Kings 8:60). And therefore, then, "the earth will be filled with knowledge" etc. (Isaiah 11:9), and all will know Him, "from the least of them to the greatest" (Jeremiah 31:33). And all of this is because he will know how to contract and divide the light in a manner that each one can receive according to his level. For within the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds are included all types of contractions and all types of mochin d'katnus and gadlus rishon and shaini [small-mindedness and first and second stages of expanded consciousness] etc. Only the essential thing is the beginning — which is the initial contraction of the wondrous light from the aspect of thousands, to divide it into hundreds. But the remaining contractions afterward — the aspect of captains of fifties and captains of tens — are made easily of their own accord. And all of them are called by the name of the division of thousands into hundreds. But in truth there are many types of mochin that are drawn from many aspects of contractions and divisions of the light — the aspect of "at five years for Scripture, at ten years for Mishnah" etc. (Avos 5:21) — which are the general totality of all the mochin d'katnus and gadlus rishon and shaini, as is explained in the kavanos [mystical intentions] of Pesach. And this is: "at a hundred, it is as if he has died" etc. (Avos 5:21). For above hundreds are thousands, which are impossible to receive now after the sin of Adam HaRishon, as above. And therefore Moshiach, who will know how to divide the light with ultimate completeness — for he will grasp the light of the thousands with ultimate completeness — will therefore know how to divide it and contract it well, to make known to each one according to his level. Therefore all will know Him, Yisborach, from the least to the greatest. And therefore the more Yisroel multiply into thousands and myriads, the more they draw the light of Moshiach. For through Yisroel multiplying, they can divide thousands into hundreds, as above — which is the aspect of the light of Moshiach, as above. And through this comes the drawing-near of the Redemption. And this is: "The smallest shall become a thousand and the youngest a mighty nation; I am Hashem, in its time I will hasten it" (Isaiah 60:22). For through the multiplication of Yisroel into thousands and myriads, through this He hastens the coming of Moshiach, as above. And this is "the smallest shall become a thousand" — "a thousand," specifically — the aspect of "May Hashem add upon you a thousand times" etc. (Deuteronomy 1:11) — "a thousand," specifically. For in truth, Yisroel need to multiply without number, as it is written: "If a person could count the dust of the earth" etc. (Genesis 13:16). And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: they said to Moshe, "You are setting a limit to our blessings" etc. But he seized upon the number of a thousand — for this is the essential virtue of multiplication: that they multiply until they reach the aspect of thousands, so that they can be included in the aspect of the light of the thousands and draw from there the knowledge of His G-dliness from thousands to hundreds. Through this is the essential drawing-down of da'as [knowledge] to know of Him, Yisborach — through which He will draw near and hasten the coming of Moshiach, in the aspect of "in its time I will hasten it," speedily in our days, Amain. And therefore Yo'av said: "May Hashem your G-d add to the people, like them and like them, a hundred times" etc. (II Samuel 24:3). And our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "The blessing of Yo'av was greater than that of Moshe" etc. That is, Moshe and Yo'av — their intention was one, to bless Yisroel with completeness. But the blessing of Yo'av is more explicit, and therefore it is greater. For Moshe mentioned "a thousand times," as it is written: "May Hashem add upon you like yourselves a thousand times" (Deuteronomy 1:11) — that is, that they multiply so much that they have the power to be included in the aspect of the light of the thousands, from where all the souls and all the blessings and bounties are drawn in great abundance. But he did not explicitly mention the drawing-down of the abundance below, to the aspect of hundreds — which is the essential point. But Yo'av explicitly mentioned the drawing-down below. And therefore he mentioned the hundreds and said: "May Hashem add like them and like them a hundred times" — that is, that they merit to draw the light to the aspect of hundreds, which is the essential point. And therefore his blessing was greater than that of Moshe — because Moshe mentioned only the thousands, even though his intention was also that they should draw the blessing from there below to the aspect of hundreds, but he did not mention the hundreds explicitly. But Yo'av mentioned the aspect of the hundreds explicitly — which is the essential blessing, when the bounty and blessing is drawn below from thousands to hundreds. Therefore his blessing was greater than that of Moshe, as above. And see in the Pri Eitz Chaim, Sha'ar R"H, Chapter 4, where he brings in the name of the Tikkunim that Sh'ma corresponds to Binah, and "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed" corresponds to Malchus. This is explained precisely according to our words: that Sh'ma is the aspect of the light of the thousands, where everything is entirely one. And this is the aspect of Binah, which is the generality of the three upper [s'firos] that are reckoned as one — where everything is in the aspect of thousands, the aspect of "be silent, and I will teach you [va'a'al'f'cha] wisdom" (Job 33:33) — the aspect of the two thousand [years] that Torah preceded the world. And "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed" corresponds to Malchus, where the essential revelation and drawing-down of the light below takes place — the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds. For Malchus is the aspect of a hundred, the aspect of a hundred blessings — which are the aspect of a hundred adanim [sockets of the Mishkan], as is brought. And through this our words written above are explained: that the people of Yericho who used to "wrap the Sh'ma" against the will of the Sages — the blemish was that they did not draw down the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds, which is the aspect of "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed" — through which is the essential revelation of the knowledge of His truth to all who enter the world, down to the very lowest level, the aspect of "and His sovereignty rules over all," as above. And therefore the secret of "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed" is in the aspect of tzikay k'dairah [residue of the pot], as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. For tzikay k'dairah is a fragrant delicacy, but it is placed in lowly places, among simple villagers. And it is the secret of the fallen holinesses that are clarified and elevated through the unification of "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuso L'olam Va'ed" — which is the aspect of the division of thousands into hundreds, as above. This monumental halachah (16 osiyos) applies an enigmatic passage from the end of Rabbeinu's Sippuray Ma'asiyos — the "division of thousands into hundreds" — to the laws of testimony. The core framework: above, all light is in the aspect of alafim (thousands) — undivided, infinite, one. Below, this light can only be received when divided into mai'os (hundreds) through tzimtzumim (contractions). This is the act of the talmid chacham who is "vengeful like a serpent" — who fights for truth against the deceptions of the Serpent/falsehood/death, and thereby draws down the great light in digestible portions. The Torah itself is this mechanism: Oraisa d'Atika (the thousand-level Torah) clothed in kosnos or (garments of skin = t'fillin = the hundred-level). Two witnesses embody this dynamic: being two (= plurality), they can divide the unified light of thousands into the differentiated light of hundreds, revealing truth in the very place where falsehood holds sway. Sh'ma (= Binah, thousands, oneness) paired with Baruch Shem (= Malchus, hundreds, revelation below) is the template: the "wrapping" of the Sh'ma (failing to say Baruch Shem) is the refusal to divide the light, which paradoxically causes the greatest separation. The halachah extends outward to circumcision (cutting/uncovering = dividing the light to reveal the seal of truth), procreation (more souls = greater power to include in the root of thousands), and Moshiach — who will grasp the light of thousands in completeness and divide it perfectly, filling the earth with knowledge. Based on the passage at the end of Sefer Sippuray Ma'asiyos