סימן כ"ז-מאמר רציצא

Siman Twenty-Seven — Ma'amar Retzitzaסימן כז — מאמר רציצא The author writes: From this discourse one can explain a wondrous Midrash — brought in the book Ma'amar Mordechai and in other books as well.

And this is what is written: "my dove in the clefts of the rock" — which speaks there of the straits Israel was in at the sea due to the above accusation. "Show me your appearance" — the aspect of the splendor of the face [hadras panim]. "Let me hear your voice" — the aspect of the purification of the voice. And through all of this came the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. And this is what the Midrash also says: "the sea saw" — "what did it see?" — meaning: even though it is elaborated that it saw and fled — as the Sages expounded that it saw the coffin of Yosef — nonetheless one must still understand how the accusation was sweetened through this. And to this the answer is: "it saw the pedagogy of Rabbi Yishmael." Meaning: through the merit of Yosef — the aspect of the covenant — the aspect of the illumination of the face was drawn — which is the aspect of the pedagogy of Rabbi Yishmael — namely: the thirteen attributes through which the Torah is expounded. And the splendor of the face [hadras panim] is the aspect of Yaakov — through which peace comes. And through this all idolatry is nullified — and all of them turn shoulder to shoulder to serve Him. This being the aspect of: "and Yaakov came whole to the city of Shechem" . And therefore through this the sea split. And this is what is written: "what is with you, sea, that you fled?" — the aspect of the above question. And the answer: "from before the G-d of Yaakov" — meaning: the aspect of the revelation of Divinity that was drawn through the aspect of Yaakov — the aspect of the splendor of the face — through which the whole world will be rectified as above. And see Zohar Beshalach, p. 47: "Rabbi Yochanan said: the merit of Yaakov protected Israel." And so on — see there. And this is its language: "the sea saw and fled — what did it see? It saw the pedagogy of Rabbi Yishmael [braisah d'Rabbi Yishmael]." And this is according to what is elaborated in this discourse — that at the sea the aspect of the covenant was revealed — as the Sages said: [Midrash Rabbah Vayeshev, ch. 7] "the sea saw and fled — and came out to the outside." And the matter is: for it is known about the accusation [kiturug] that occurred at the splitting of the Sea of Reeds: "these are idol-worshippers and those are idol-worshippers." If so: one must understand how this accusation was sweetened when the sea saw the coffin of Yosef who merited the protection of the covenant [shmirat habris]. But according to the above it is well elaborated — for through the rectification of the covenant one merits the splendor of the face [hadras panim] — meaning: the aspect of the purification of wisdom [chuchmah] in the thirteen attributes through which the Torah is expounded. And through this one merits the purification of the voice of rejoicing [kol rinaso]. And through this one merits peace [shalom]. And through this everyone throws away their silver and gold idols and turns only to Hashem to serve Him shoulder to shoulder [shchem echad]. It follows that through the aspect of the covenant all idolatry is nullified as above. Therefore through this the accusation at the sea was sweetened. And this is what is written: "my dove in the clefts of the rock" — which speaks there of the straits Israel was in at the sea due to the above accusation. "Show me your appearance" — the aspect of the splendor of the face [hadras panim]. "Let me hear your voice" — the aspect of the purification of the voice. And through all of this came the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. And this is what the Midrash also says: "the sea saw" — "what did it see?" — meaning: even though it is elaborated that it saw and fled — as the Sages expounded that it saw the coffin of Yosef — nonetheless one must still understand how the accusation was sweetened through this. And to this the answer is: "it saw the pedagogy of Rabbi Yishmael." Meaning: through the merit of Yosef — the aspect of the covenant — the aspect of the illumination of the face was drawn — which is the aspect of the pedagogy of Rabbi Yishmael — namely: the thirteen attributes through which the Torah is expounded. And the splendor of the face [hadras panim] is the aspect of Yaakov — through which peace comes. And through this all idolatry is nullified — and all of them turn shoulder to shoulder to serve Him. This being the aspect of: "and Yaakov came whole to the city of Shechem" [Genesis 33]. And therefore through this the sea split. And this is what is written: "what is with you, sea, that you fled?" — the aspect of the above question. And the answer: "from before the G-d of Yaakov" — meaning: the aspect of the revelation of Divinity that was drawn through the aspect of Yaakov — the aspect of the splendor of the face — through which the whole world will be rectified as above. And see Zohar Beshalach, p. 47: "Rabbi Yochanan said: the merit of Yaakov protected Israel." And so on — see there. And see Midrash Rabbah Beshalach, portion 23: "we are worthy to sing praise before You — for the circumcision testifies for us that we are pure — therefore it is said: 'this song'" [Exodus 15] — "and there is no 'this' except circumcision — as it is said: 'this is My covenant'" [Isaiah 59].

Section 3 — Letter ג — [on Letter Khes of the discourse] For to the splendor of the face one merits through the protection of the covenant — as is elaborated in the discourse. Meaning: through this the voice of rejoicing [kol rinaso] was purified — which is the aspect of the song. And the circumcision testifies for us that we are pure — therefore it is said "this song" — the aspect of the purification of the voice of rejoicing through the aspect of the covenant. There — Letter Khes — "b'hiynu d'a'al" — meaning: when the spirit of folly [ruach shetus] — namely: thoughts of licentiousness — entered him — and he breaks his desire. One can say this too is included in what is elaborated above — that the path of peace and healing is to clothe itself in bitterness. For the above thoughts are the essential aspect of bitterness — the aspect of mayim miririm [bitter waters] — as is elaborated below in Siman 50. And as it is written: "and I find more bitter than death" [Ecclesiastes 7]. And when one merits to break one's desire — through this one extracts all the holy sparks of the blemish of the covenant. It follows that through this very act is the essential healing — which is the aspect of peace. And this is: "and Hashem showed him a tree" [Exodus 15]. And the Sages expounded: [Yalkut Shimoni there] "the way of the Holy One is to sweeten the bitter through the bitter." Meaning: as above — that specifically through the stirring of the bitter thoughts [and one breaks them] — through this the bitterness of the blemish of the covenant that one blemished previously is sweetened. And this needs further elaboration.