Israel and the Nations
The Creator Offered the Torah to Everyone
Balak
140) “The Lord came from Sinai” is as it is written, “Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud.” “[He] came from Sinai” and appeared to them, “And dawned on them from Seir,” from what the children of Seir said, that they did not wish to receive. From that, it shone for Israel and added much light and love to them. Similarly, “He shone forth from Mount Paran,” from what the children of Paran said, that they did not wish to receive. From that, Israel were given a great addition of love and illumination.
141) By whom was He revealed to them? This is a sublime secret and will be revealed through your question. The Torah came out from a sublime secret, from the head of the hidden king, Bina. When He reached the left arm, Isaac, Gevura, the Creator saw bad blood in that arm, which was proliferating from there, who is Esau, Sam’el. And the Sitra Achra said, “I should sort out and scrutinize this arm, and if I do not shed that bad blood, it will blemish everything. Indeed, every flaw must be cleared out from here.”
142) He called to Sam’el, Esau’s minister, and told him, “Would you like to have my law?” He replied, “What is written in it?” He said, “You shall not kill.” The Creator skipped to show him the right place, He skipped to the place that He knew he would not be able to tolerate. Sam’el said, “God forbid, this law is Yours, and Yours it shall stay. I have no wish for this law.” He pleaded with Him once more and said, “Lord of the world, if you give the law to me, all of my governance will be gone, for my whole governance is by killing. If I accept the law, there will be no wars, while my governance is on planet Mars, which indicates bloodshed. Thus, everything would be cancelled from the world.”
143) “Lord of the world, do take Your law and I will have no part of it. But if it pleases You, the people that are the sons of Jacob are worthy of the law.” He thought he was slandering them. This is the meaning of “And dawned on them from Seir,” meaning that the light came out for Israel from the very Seir [scapegoat], meaning from Sam’el, Seir’s minister.
Sam’el said to himself, “If Jacob’s children accept the law, they will probably vanish from the world and will never be able to govern.” The Creator replied to him several times, “For you are the firstborn and for you should the law be given.” He told Him, “But the birthright is his, for it was sold to him and I confessed.” The Creator told him, “Since you wish to have no part in the law, move away from it entirely.” He said, “Very well.”
144) The Creator told him, “Since this is so, advise Me—how should I make Jacob’s children accept it, as you say?” Sam’el replied to Him, “Lord of the world, they must be bribed. Take some light from the light of the hosts of heaven and pour it over them. By that they will accept it. And here, I will give of my light first.” He took the light that was covering him off himself and gave it to the Creator to give it to Israel, as it is written, “And dawned on them from Seir,” actually out of Seir, who is Sam’el, of whom it is written, “The goat shall bear on itself.” “On them” means on Israel.
145) Since he uprooted this Sam’el and removed the bad blood from the left arm, Isaac, Gevura, He returned to the right arm, Abraham, Hesed. In it, too, He saw bad blood—Ishmael. He said, “This arm, too, must be cleaned from bad blood.” The Creator summoned Rahav, Ishmael’s minister, and told him, “Would you like to have My law?” Rahav replied, “What is written in it?” He skipped over everything and told him, “You shall not commit adultery.” He said, Oh dear, should the Creator inherit me with this inheritance, it is a bad inheritance that will remove all my governance from me, which is based on adultery, for I have taken the blessings of the water, the blessing of the fish of the sea, as it is written, “Be fruitful and multiply.” And it is written, “I ... will make him fruitful and will multiply him,” and it is written, “And he will be a wild donkey of a man.”
146) He began to plead before his Master. He told him, “Lord of the world, two sons came out of Abraham. Here, the children of Isaac, give it to them, it is right for them.” The Creator told him, “I cannot, for you are the elder, and the law should be given to you.” He began to implore Him and said, “Lord of the world, Let my birthright be his, and that light that I have inherited for the birthright, take it and give it to them.” So did the Creator, and this is the meaning of the verse, “He shone forth from Mount Paran...”
148) When the Creator took those gifts to Israel from those ministers that rule over Esau and Ishmael, He came and called upon all the holy tens of thousands of appointees over the rest of the nations, and they, too, replied to him as did Sam’el and Rahav. He took from all of them and received gifts to give to Israel.
We Shall Do and We Shall Hear
Lech Lecha [Go Forth]
315) “Bless the Lord, you His angels… hearing unto the voice of His word.” Happier are Israel than all the other nations of the world, for the Creator has chosen them from among all nations, and has made them His share and His lot. Hence, He has given them the holy Torah, since they were all in one desire at Mount Sinai and preceded doing to hearing, as they said, “We shall do and we shall hear.”
316) And since they preceded doing to hearing, the Creator called upon the angels and told them: “Thus far, you were the only ones before Me in the world. Henceforth, My children on the earth are your friends in every way. You have no permission to sanctify My name until Israel bond with you in the earth, and all of you together will join to sanctify My name, since they preceded doing to hearing, as the high angels do in the firmament,” as it is written, “Bless the Lord, you His angels … They do His word,” first. And then it is written, “Hearing the voice of His word.”
317) “Bless the Lord, you His angels” are the righteous in the land. They are as important before the Creator as the high angels in the firmament, since they are mighty and powerful, for they overcome their inclination like a hero who triumphs over his enemies. “Hearing the voice of His word” means being rewarded hearing a voice from above every day and at any time they need.
318) Who can stand with them, these high, holy ones? Happy are they for they can stand before them. Happy are those who can be saved from them. The Creator’s guidance is over them each day. How can we stand before them? This is why it is written, “Choose, and bring near, so he may dwell in Your courts,” as well as, “Happy is the man whose strength is in You.”
My Beloved Is for Me and I am for Him
Noah
108) When the moon is filled with blessings above properly, Israel alone come and suckle from her. This is why it is written, “On the eighth day you shall have an assembly.” An assembly is a collection, since no other nations suckle from everything that was collected from the upper blessings but Israel alone. This is why it is written, “You shall have an assembly,” you and not other nations, you and not other appointees.
109) For this reason, Israel appease the Creator with water that they pour on the altar, to give to the appointees of the nations a part of the blessings, so they engage in it and do not mingle with Israel’s joy when Israel suckle the upper blessings. It is written about that day, “My beloved is for me and I am for him,” that no other mingles with us.
110) There is an allegory about a king who invited his loved one to a meal that he was having on a certain day, so that the king’s loved one would know that the king favored him. The king said, “Now I wish to be happy alone with my loved one and I fear that while I am at the meal with my loved one, all those officers and appointees will come and sit with us at the table, to dine in the meal of joy along with my loved one.”
What did the lover do? He made stews of vegetables and ox meat and offered it for those officers and appointees to eat, and then the king sat with his loved one for a more sublime meal than all the delicacies in the world. And while he was alone with the king, he asked of him for all his needs, and he gave them to him, and the king rejoiced with his loved one alone, and no stranger interfered between them. So are Israel with the Creator, and this is why it is written, “On the eighth day you shall have an assembly.”
The Slanderers Love Israel Again
Emor [Speak]
273) All those offerings, the seventy oxen, are to give nourishments to the appointees of the rest of the nations, since because the Creator loves His children, He wishes for all the ministers to love them, as it is written, “When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies make peace with him.” This means that even all the upper slanderers become lovers of Israel once again. And when the forces above become lovers of Israel again, it is all the more so with all of them below.
Israel’s Actions Determine Everything
VaYechi [Jacob Lived]
412) Had Israel gathered good deeds before the Creator, the idol worshipping nations would never have risen against them. But Israel cause the rest of the nations to raise their heads in the world, for if Israel had not sinned before the Creator, the rest of the idol worshipping nations would have surrendered before them.
413) If Israel had not extended bad deeds to the other side in the land of Israel, the rest of the idol worshipping nations would not have ruled in the land of Israel and they would not be exiled from the land. It is written about that, “For we are very poor” because we have no good deeds as we should.
In Exile, Israel Are Nourished On the Remains of the Nations
Teruma [Donation]
485) And you shall eat and be satisfied, and you shall bless the Lord your God. How happy are Israel because the Creator favored them and brought them near Him from among all other nations. For Israel, He gives His food and satiation to the whole world. Were it not for Israel, the Creator would not have given nourishment to the world. And now that Israel are in exile, it is all the more so: the world receives sevenfold nourishment and satiation so that an extract of that will suffice for Israel.
486) When Israel were in the holy land, nourishments would come down to them from a high place, and they gave an extract to the idol-worshipping nations, and all the nations were feeding on the extract. Now that Israel are in exile, the matter has been turned around in a different way: the food comes to the nations of the world and Israel receive an extract of that.
487) There is an allegory about a king who made a meal for his household. As long as they do his will, they eat at the meal with the king and give the part of the bones for the dogs to chew on. When his household do not do the king’s will, he gives the entire meal to the dogs and the bones to his household.
488) As long as Israel do their Master’s will, they eat at the King’s table and the entire meal is prepared for them. In their joy, they give the bones, which is the extract, to the idol-worshipping nations. And as long as Israel do not do their Master’s will, they are exiled and the meal is given to the dogs, while they are given the extract, as it is written, “Thus will the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations,” for they eat the extract of their disgust, their loathsome food. Woe unto a king’s son who sits and waits for the servant’s table, that what is left of his table is food.
When Israel Fall, They Are the Worst
VaYechi [Jacob Lived]
196) What is the difference between Israel and the idol worshipping nations? In Israel, when a person dies, he defiles each body and the house is defiled. And the body of an idol worshipper does not defile another, nor is his body impure when he dies.
197) When one of Israel dies, all the sanctities of his master are removed from him, the holy Tzelem [semblance] is removed from him, the holy spirit is removed from him, and his body remains impure.
198) However, an idol worshipper, a foreigner, one who performs idolatry, who is impure in every way during his life, his Tzelem is impure and his Ruach [spirit] is impure, since these impurities are within him. It is forbidden to draw near him. Once he dies, all these impurities come out of him and the body remains without impurity so as to defile.
199) And although their Guf [body] is impure both in their lives and in their death, in their lives, all the impurities within them have the power to defile others. In their death, when all the impurities come out of them, they cannot defile. And the Guf of Israel can defile others after its death, since all the sanctities have departed it and the other side is on it.
Israel’s Presence In Other Nations Strengthens It
Shemot [Exodus]
75) “And a new king arose over Egypt.” All the nations in the world and all the kings in the world were strengthened in their government only because of Israel. Egypt did not rule the whole world until Israel came and entered there in the exile. Then they overcame all the peoples in the world. Babel was stronger than all the peoples in the world only because of Israel, when they were in exile among them. Edom were stronger than all the people in the world only because of Israel, when they were in exile among them. Those peoples were in lowliness among the rest of the nations, and were lower than all of them but grew strong because of Israel.
76) Egypt were lower than all the peoples; they were actually called, “slaves” because they, the Egyptians, were the lowest of all peoples. Babylon were low, as it is written, “Behold, the land of the Chaldeans—this is the people that was not.” Edom were lowly, as it is written, “Behold, I make you small among the nations, and greatly despised.”
77) They all receive strength only because of Israel, since when Israel are in exile with them, they immediately become stronger than all other nations in the world, since Israel alone are equal to all the nations in the world.
When Israel went into the exile in Egypt, Egypt immediately rose and their government strengthened above all the nations, as it is written, “And a new king arose over Egypt.” “Arose” means that they had rising, meaning that the angel appointed over the government of Egypt was strengthened and rose and was given strength and rule over all the appointees of all the other nations.
In the beginning, that appointee above was given governance, and subsequently his people below. And because of that the writing says, “And a new king arose over Egypt.” This was their appointee, who was new because until this day he had no governance over all the other nations, and now he was raised to rule over all the peoples in the world. And then the words, “Under three things the earth quakes ... Under a slave when he becomes king” come true, since the Egyptians were slaves.
The Reason for Israel’s Affliction
Pinhas
143) One day, a sage from the nations came to Rabbi Eliezer. He told him, “Old man, old man...
144) “You say that you are closer to the High King than all other nations. One who is close to the King is always happy, without sorrow, fear, or troubles. But you are always afflicted, in trouble, and in more grief than all the people in the world. We, however, no affliction, trouble, or grief come upon us at all. Thus, we are close to the High King and you are far from Him, and this is why you are having sorrow, troubles, mourning, and grief, which we do not...”
152) The question that that gentile asked him was this: We are certainly closer to the High King than all other nations. Indeed, this is so, since Israel were made by the Creator, the heart of the whole world. Hence, so are Israel among the nations, like a heart among the organs. And as the organs of the body cannot exist even a minute without the heart, all the other nations cannot exist in the world without Israel. And so is Jerusalem among the rest of the countries, like a heart among the organs. Hence, it is in the middle of the whole world, like a heart, which is in the middle of the organs.
153) Also, Israel are lead within the rest of the nations as the heart is within the organs. The heart is soft and weak, and it is the sustenance of all the organs, and all the organs do not feel any sorrow, trouble, and grief, but only the heart, in which there are sustenance and intelligence. Sorrow and grief do not come near the rest of the organs whatsoever because there is no sustenance in them, and they do not know anything. All the other organs are not close to the King, who is wisdom and intelligence that are in the brain, except the heart, while the rest of the organs are far from it and do not know of it at all. So are Israel—close to the holy King, while the rest of the nations are far from Him.
He Who Spares His Rod Hates His Son
Shemot [Exodus]
304) It is written, “He that spares his rod hates his son.” It is also written, “I have loved you, says the Lord,” and it is written, “But Esau I hated.” “I hated” is as it is written, “He that spares his rod hates his son.” I hated him, hence I spared him the rod.
The Allegory about the Queen and the Maidservants
BeShalach [When Pharaoh Sent]
151) But is it respectable for the King, ZA, that the queen, Malchut, will go and make war and go on a mission? But like a king who mated with the upper queen, the king saw her merit, that she is above all the other queens in the world. He said, “They are all considered maidservants compared to this queen of Mine; she is above all of them. What shall I do for her? My whole house shall be in her hands.”
The King sent out an announcement: Henceforth, all the words of the King will be conveyed through the queen. And the King placed all His arms in her hands, all the warriors, all the King’s gems, and all the King’s treasures. He said, “Henceforth, anyone who wishes to speak with Me will not be able to speak with Me before he notifies the queen.”
152) Thus, for the Creator’s fondness and love for the assembly of Israel, Malchut, He placed everything in her possession. He said, “Everything else is considered by her as nothing.” He said, “Sixty is Malchut, one is My dove, My undefiled. What shall I do for her? Indeed, My whole house will be in her hands.” The king sent out an announcement: Henceforth, all the words of the king will be conveyed through the queen. He placed all his arms in her hands, as it is written, “Behold, it is the bed of Solomon, sixty mighty men around it, all are wielders of swords, trained in war.”
Fear Not, You Worm of Jacob
VaYishlach [Jacob Sent]
250) The Creator placed all the idol worshipping nations in the world under appointed ministers, and they all follow their gods. All shed blood and make war, steal, commit adultery, mingle among all who act to harm, and always increase their strength to harm.
251) Israel do not have the strength and might to defeat them, except with their mouths, with prayer, like a worm, whose only strength and might is in its mouth. But with the mouth, it breaks everything, and this is why Israel are called “a worm.”
252) “Fear not, thou worm of Jacob.” No other creature in the world is like that silk-weaving worm, from which all the garments of honor come, the attire of kings. And after weaving, she seeds and dies. Afterwards, from that very seed, she is revived as before and lives again. Such are Israel. Like that worm, even when they die, they come back and live in the world as before.
253) It is also said, “as clay in the hands of the potter, so you, the house of Israel, are in My hands.” The material is that glass; even though it breaks, it is corrected and can be corrected as before. Such are Israel: even though they die, they relive.
254) Israel is the tree of life, ZA. And because the children of Israel clung to the tree of life, they will have life, and they will rise from the dust and live in the world, and they will become one nation, serving the Creator.