Depths of Exile & Redemption

 

The first verses of Parashat Bo read: "And G-d said to Moses: Come to Pharaoh, for I have made his heart heavy, and the heart of his servants, that I may place these signs of Mine in his midst, and so that you can tell your children and grandchildren how I mocked Egypt, and about My signs that I placed upon them, and so that you can know that I am G-d [Havayah]."[1]

We should ask:

1.        Why does this verse not read: "that I may place these plagues of Mine in his midst?" Why does it refer to "these signs of Mine?"

2.        Why does it read "…in his midst" instead of "upon him"?

 

In all exiles, evil envelops holiness and conceals it…

[In order to answer this,] know that the four exiles differed one from the other. In one, evil enveloped the "head" of holiness; in one, it enveloped the "torso"; in one, it enveloped the "feet." The common denominator, however, is that in all exiles, evil envelops holiness and conceals it. The allusion to this is in the verse: "The wicked crowns the righteous."[2]

Each exile obstructed a certain aspect of holiness, keeping it from shining and spreading its corresponding level of divine consciousness into the world. By surviving and overcoming these exiles, the Jewish people neutralized the corresponding powers of evil to oppose holiness.

The word for "crowns" (machtir in Hebrew) in the verse quoted also means "surrounds," just as a crown surrounds and encompasses the head.

You might think that there are five exiles - Egypt, Babylonia, Media, Persia, Greece, and the present exile - so how can we speak of only four? The answer is that Egypt and Babylonia were equivalent, equally deep and of the same nature. Our sages indicated this by saying "Pishon refers to Babylon"[3] [and] "Pishon refers to Egypt."[4]

 

The four rivers…express the consciousness of divine oneness…

The four rivers that originated in the river that watered the Garden of Eden express the consciousness of divine oneness present in the Garden splitting into the consciousness of plurality that informs reality outside the garden. Thus, they epitomize the idea of exile, i.e., the state of lower consciousness that leaves us with the impression that the world is governed by a plurality of opposing forces. This gives rise to the disorientation and confusion that characterizes the state of exile.

Homiletically, the verse "A river went forth from Eden to water the garden; from there it divided and became four heads"[5] is taken to allude to the four archtypal empires.

In the Egyptian exile, evil clothed the "neck" of holiness, i.e., the three highest sefirot all at once. In the Babylonian exile, evil clothed the "head" [of holiness], as it is written, "You are the head of gold."[6] Of this it is written, "Her [i.e., Jerusalem's] enemies were the head,"[7] meaning that they clothed the [holy] head. Thus, these two exiles were equivalent; that is why they are counted as one.

The Book of Daniel opens with the story of Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, in which he saw a great statue, the various parts of which represented the empires that would dominate the exiles. The head represented Babylonia, the torso and arms represented Media and Persia, the torso represented Greece, and the legs represented Rome.

 

In the present exile… Edom and Ishmael, corresponding to the two legs…

Media and Persia [clothed] the "arms" [of holiness]; this is why they are counted as two, inasmuch as there are two arms. Greece [clothed] the "torso"; it is therefore counted as one. [In] the present exile [evil clothes] the legs [of holiness], there are therefore two [aspects to it:] Edom and Ishmael, corresponding to the two legs and feet.

The former Roman empire (Europe and North Africa) was inhereted by Christianity and Islam.

This is alluded to in the verse: "…who have defamed the heels of your Mashiach,"[8] since this exile is that of the feet. That is why it is written, "And [the stone] smote the image on its feet."[9]

This exile is the final one before the advent of the Mashiach. Both Christianity and Islam have corrupted the doctrine of the Mashiach, known to them as the "messiah". The downfall of the whole stature/statue of exile will be a blow to its "feet," i.e., to this final exile.

The Egyptian exile is referred as [encompassing] the throat, for Pharaoh was situated on the neck of holiness, which is opposite the throat.

The word Pharaoh (pei-reish-ayin-hei) permutes to spell "the neck" (ha oref: hei-ayin-reish-pei). In this context, the word "neck" connotes the nape, or back of the neck.

 

Evil can never face holiness directly…

This is because evil can never face holiness directly, for [holiness] is a great light, and this blinds evil. This is the mystical meaning of our sages statement that "the wicked do not greet the Shechina,"[10] for they cannot face it directly. Rather, they are attached to it from the back, facing the Shechina's back, and this is how they derive their sustenance.

In Hebrew, the idiom for "to greet" is literally "to receive the face of." If we imagine the forces of evil as cosmic leeches or other such sucking creatures, the imagery of them sucking off the back of the body conveys the idea that they receive only minimal life-force from holiness. The front of the body houses much more vitality.

Pharaoh was facing the neck, sitting and feeding off it. There are three channels of sustenance in the neck: the trachea, the esophagus, and the blood vessels.

"The blood vessels" are probably the two common carotid arteries, which supply blood to the brain.

These are the three names Elo-him, whose numerical value [plus the kolel] is the same as that of the word for "throat" [garon, 259].

Elo-him: alef-lamed-he -yud-mem = 1 + 30 + 5 + 10 + 40 = 86. 3 x 86 = 258.

Garon: gimel-reish-vav-nun = 3 + 200 + 6 + 50 = 259.

The name Elo-him signifies contraction (tzimtzum), in this context, the contraction of life force flowing from the head to the torso.

Joseph manifested the "covenant of the tongue," which includes them all. [This is] also [evident from the fact that] the numerical value of the word for "tongue" [lashon, 386] is that of two names Elo-him, one simple (86) and one spelled out with yuds (300).

 

Speech and sexuality represent the individual's potential to influence the outside world…

The "covenant of the tongue" is first alluded to in Sefer Yetzira,[11] being mentioned as opposite the other covenant, that of the sexual organ. These two organs - those of speech and sexuality - represent the individual's potential to influence the outside world. Since they are the two main locations of exchange and contact between the individual and his environment, a not-yet rectified world, they must be guarded and their holiness preserved. Hence, the two covenants.

These two covenants are mutually dependent. If a person's sexuality is unrectified, so will be his speech, and vice versa. Thus, Joseph, who usually personifies sexual purity, here plays the role of purity of speech, the opposite of the degenerate spiritual state of Egypt. We see here how unholy speech has the effect of blocking the passage of holy energy from the intellect (the head) to the emotions (the body).

Lashon: lamed-shi -vav-nun = 30 + 300 + 6 + 50 = 386.

Elo-him spelled out with yuds:

Alef-lamed-pei, lamed-mem-dalet, hei-yud, yud-vav-dalet, mem-mem =

(1 + 30 + 80) + (30 + 40 + 4) + (5 + 10) + (10 + 6 + 4) + (40 + 40) = 300.

This is why [Joseph] was sold to the chief butcher, for [this aspect of] evil comprises three facets, corresponding to the trachea, the esophagus, and the blood vessels, which were embodied by Pharaoh's three deputies: the chief butler, the chief baker, and the chief butcher [respectively].

We are using the term "chief butler" to translate the Hebrew "the deputy in charge of drink." ("Chief bartender" sounds too undignified.)

The chief butler corresponded to the trachea. True, no liquid can enter the trachea, so how can we assert that the chief butler corresponds to it? The answer is that the lungs are particularly hot, and therefore exemplify gevura. As it is stated in the Zohar, "the lion faces the right,"[12] the numerical value of gevura being the same as that of the word for "lion" [aryeh]. It tends toward the right in order that [chesed and gevura] inter-include. Therefore, since it is so hot, it draws to itself all types of moisture and thereby cools off, and then fans the heart. This is why the chief butler corresponds to the trachea.

We exhale hot air, indicating that the lungs are naturally hot. Heat and fire exemplify gevura, power and strength. The lion, the strong beast, also exemplifies gevura, yet in Ezekiel's vision of the Chariot,[13] it is on the right side, the side of chesed. This signifies rectified gevura, i.e., gevura tempered by chesed.

Gevura: gimel-beit-vav-reish-hei = 3 + 2 + 6 + 200 + 5 = 216.

Aryeh: alef-reish-yud-hei = 1 + 200 + 10 + 5 = 216.

The chief baker corresponds to the esophagus, which in turn corresponds to gevura.

The baker bakes bread, the main food, swallowed by the esophagus.

The chief butcher corresponds to blood vessels in the middle [of the neck]. There are two [such blood vessels], leaning in either direction.

The butcher slaghters the animal, draining its blood. He therefore is associated with the blood vessels.

Joseph [as we said] corresponds to all these aspects [on the side of holiness].

This is the meaning of the verse, "Do not interpretations [of dreams] belong to G-d [Elo-him]? Please tell me [your dream]."[14] Since interpretations come from Joseph, he therefore said, "Please tell me." He meant: since you derive your sustenance from and are governed entirely by the name Elo-him - this being the meaning of "Do not [the] interpretations [of your life] belong to G-d [Elo-him]" - you, Pharaoh, have no conception of the name Havayah, only of the name Elo-him. And, indeed, [Pharaoh] said, "I do not know Havayah."[15] He had no connection to this name. On the contrary, when this name is revealed, [Pharaoh and the evil he personifies] is completely destroyed.

[Pharaoh and the Egyptians therefore] did not recognize that this name is what was attacking them [in the plagues]. Only at the sea did they finally recognize this, as they said, "I will flee the Children of Israel for Havayah is fighting for them."[16] This implies that until then, they thought that the plagues came from the name Elo-him. They therefore did not fear them, for they, too, had a connection to the name Elo-him. But once they realized that the plagues originated in the name Havayah, they said, "I will flee," because it threatened to destroy them completely.

This is why God now said to Moses, "Come to Pharaoh…in order that I place these signs of Mine…." That is, "do not think that I am going to relate to him through the name Elo-him, and that the plagues are going to originate in the name Elo-him, to which he has some connection. Rather, I am going 'to place these signs of Mine in his midst,' meaning My name Havayah." This is also explains the use of the phrase "in his midst," [referring to the way G-d is going to relate to Pharaoh].

The word for "signs" (otot) is similar to the word for "letters" (otiot), inasmuch as letters are symbols for the sounds they represent. Thus, mystically, this phrase may mean: "in order that I place the letters of My true name [Havayah] in his midst." His "midst" means "in his consciousness."

This is what Joseph meant [in his reply to Pharaoh]: "G-d relates to you [presently] only through His name Elo-him, and this is why the interpretation of your dreams is through this name. Therefore, please tell them to me, since I comprise all these levels and I can therefore interpret them."

As said above, Joseph, epitomizing the covenant of the tongue, comprised all the holy aspects corresponding to the deputies of Pharaoh.

Thus, when the chief butler related his dream, it was all in proper order. He said, "The vine had three branches,"[17] these being the three deputies. The word for "deputy" [sar] represents two names Elo-him, one in the progressive iteration and the other spelled out with the letter yud.

Sar: sin-reish. The numerical value of the letter sin is 200; that of reish is 300. We have seen above how the name Elo-him when spelled out using the yud has the numerical value of 300. The progressive iteration of the name Elo-him is as follows:

Alef alef-lamed alef-lamed-hei alef-lamed-hei-yud alef-lamed-hei-yud-mem =200

1 + (1 + 30) + (1 + 30 + 5) + (1 + 30 + 5 + 10) + (1 + 30 + 5 + 10 + 40) = 200

5(1) + 4(30) + 3(5) + 2(10) + 1(40) = 5 + 120 + 15 + 20 + 40 = 200.

Thus, the word for "deputy" implies the name Elo-him, and the three deputies were three names Elo-him, as above.

[Joseph] interpreted his dream: "You will put Pharaoh's cup…." He hoped that he would be connected to him and be on the right [side], and thereby be rescued through him.

After interpreting the chief butler's dream and saying that he will be spared, Joseph asked him to remember him to Pharaoh and have him freed from jail.

But at this point, he was connected to the chief butcher, who was in the middle. That is why he [later] married his daughter.

Joseph mistakenly thought to connect himself to chesed, when in fact he was connected to tiferet. Joseph, personifying yesod, is firmly grounded in the middle axis of the sefirot. It was thus not proper for him to seek salvation from someone associated with the right axis. Sexual fidelity and purity is about balance, not leaning toward one extreme.

Joseph married Osnat, the daughter of Potiphar, the chief butcher.[18]

The chief baker began his dream with the word, "Even" [af]. This signifies the addition of gevura and strength. Even though he also mentioned three wicker baskets, signifying the three deputies, as they each inter-include the others, he mentioned all three only after he said the word "even". [Joseph] turned his dream upside down, and interpreted it to mean that he would die.

This was evidently because the word "even" indicated that the chief baker emphasized gevura too much. In Hebrew, the word "even" used here is "af", which also means "nose", an idiom often used to refer to anger.

 

…for the throat is parched during its exile…

Since the exile [of Egypt] was at the level of the throat, from which issues speech, Moses [the redeemer from this exile] had "uncircumcised lips" and could not talk [well]. This is the meaning of the verse, "…my throat is parched,"[19] for the throat is parched during its exile.

In order to redeem the Jewish people from exile, Moses had to experience it himself. This he did by being hard of speech.

The five letters of the name Elo-him signify the five states of gevura, and produce the 120 permutations in Zeir Anpin. This number is the numerical value of the word for "shadow" [tzeil].

The name Elo-him is composed of 5 letters. 5 letters permute in 120 ways: 5 = 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 120.

Tzeil: tzadik-lamed = 90 + 30 = 120.

The word for "shadow" [tzeil] is related to the word for "image" [tzelem].

Tzelem: tzadik-lamed-mem. Thus, tzelem is tzeil with the addition of a final mem. This letter usually indicates sealing off, since its form is a closed square.

The word for "shadow" [tzeil] signifies these 120 [permutations of the name] Elo-him, which are male in nature. The word for "image" [tzelem] signifies these 120 [permutations in their] female [version]. [The latter] are sealed within [Nukva], appearing as two doors [closing it off] so that evil cannot derive any sustenance from him.

We thus look at the word tzelem as the word tzel in essence, with the incidental addition of the final mem. The two "doors" or, in Hebrew, "daletot" can also be understood as two letter dalets, referring to the form of the ovaries - an organ sealed within the female.

We therefore find the word for "shadow" in the plural, as in the verse, "The shadows have fled."[20] This refers to the 120 male [permutations] and the 120 female [permutations]. But the word for "image" appears only in the singular, not in the plural, for the final mem is affixed only in the female.

This is the mystical meaning of the verse "G-d prepared a kikayon - plant, and it rose up over Jonah to give shade upon his head."[21] To explain: the Book of Jonah [allegorically] describes the [descent of] soul [into the body], and in fact we see that the numerical value of the word Yonah [71] is 45 plus the numerical value of the name Havayah [26].

Yonah: yud-vav-nun-hei = 10 + 6 + 50 + 5 = 71.

26 + 45 = 71.

The text does not explain at this point what the significance of the number 45 is in this context.

To explain: [The soul of] a person comprises its "image" [tzelem] and its Nefesh-Ruach-Neshama [NR"N].

As we know, the soul comprises 5 levels: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Chaya, and Yechida. The latter two are the soul's "image." In short, the Nefesh is the animating soul that enlivens the body. The Ruach is the emotions. The Neshama is the intellect. The Chaya is the will. The Yechida is the divine spark.

 

…the Nefesh when it is born, the Ruach when it turns thirteen, and the Neshama when it turns twenty…

The "image" enters [the body] at conception. As is explained in the Zohar,[22] would the mother and father merit, they would be able to see [their child's "image"] when they copulate [and conceive the child], the Nefesh when it is born, the Ruach when it turns thirteen, and the Neshama when it turns twenty.

Jonah - that is, the soul - descends [from its source], enters Zeir Anpin, descends via his spinal cord, enters his body (symbolized by the ship) and from there descends to the thighs, represented by the lower parts of the ship.

The child's father is the earthly representative of Zeir Anpin; his mother is the earthly representative of Nukva. The soul's journey through his future father is the process by which the spiritual soul becomes invested in the physical seed.

The idiom in Hebrew for "the lower parts" of the ship is "the thighs" of the ship.

Then it meets the large fish, signifying yesod, which swallows it up, and from there, it is given to the female. The three days and three nights Jonah was inside the fish correspond to the three days it takes for the male seed to be properly absorbed [into the womb].

 

…opposite this "shadow" there is an evil "shadow…

This [feminine] "shadow" [mentioned above] is strength, meaning the states of gevura, as we have explained. [These states of gevura] guard [the soul] from harm. For opposite this "shadow" there is an evil "shadow".

The evil female "shadow" refers perhaps to the feminine evil forces that seek to appropriate male seed for themselves. The traditional amulets and inscriptions (Shir HaMa'alot) placed around women in and after childbirth are intended to ward off these evil forces by identifying the woman and her child as allied with holiness.

This explains the statement in the Zohar that "the more [the name Havayah] extends the better,"[23] for it always remains holy. But this is not the case with the states of gevura [of the name Elo-him], for the limit of holiness is the final of these 120 [permutations] of the name Elo-him. From that point on is the realm of evil, called "other gods" [Elo-him acheirim]. They are called "other" [acheirim] because they derive their sustenance from the back [achoraiyim].

A certain amount of gevura, of constriction, is necessary in order for the world to exist in its finite form. However, if the force of contraction is allowed to progress beyond its proper limit, the divine energy becomes so limited that even evil can derive sustenance from it.

As we have explained previously, it is especially crucial to guard the female principle from this tendency toward excessive contraction and limitation. Due to its drive to actualize divinity in the material world, the female principle may overestimate the need to allow worldliness to exist. This is an open invitation for the forces of evil to stake their claim.

 

Shem personified chesed, Ham personified gevura, and Japheth personified tiferet…

We can now explain the verse. For Ham, the father of Egypt,[24] embodied the power of the [five] states of gevura. Shem personified chesed, Ham personified gevura, and Japheth personified tiferet. That is why [the latter] is called Japeth [yafet, meaning "beautiful"], for [tiferet] is a blend of the two colors white and red.

Shem, Ham, and Japheth were the three sons of Noah. The name "Ham" (Cham) means "hot"; hence the association with gevura. Egypt is thus also associated with gevura.

Now, when the 5 letters [of the name Elo-him] produce 120 permutations, each letter produces 24. Thus, Ham took the power of 2 letters, which produce 48 permutations. That is why he was called Ham [Cham, the numerical value of which is 48].

120 ¸ 5 = 24. Thus, each letter of the name Elo-him may be considered to be associated with 24 of its permutations.

Cham: chet-mem = 8 + 40 = 48.

Ham, we just said, is associated with gevura, which in turn is signified by the name Elo-him. Since the numerical value of Ham's name is 48, he may be considered to be associated with 48 of the permutations of the name Elo-him. Since each letter of the name produces 24 permutations, Ham may be considered to be associated with 2 of the 5 letters of the name Elo-him.

In a similar way, we can understand what is written of Rebecca, "and her pitcher was on her shoulder."[25] She was holding one letter of the 5 states of gevura, i.e., one letter of the name Elo-him.

The numerical value of the word for "pitcher" (kad) is also 24.

This is the mystical meaning of the verse "Let not the lowly return embarrassed,"[26] the initials of which spell the name Ado-nai, which signifies malchut, which takes 24 units from the name Elo-him.

"Let not the lowly return embarrassed": Al yashov dach nichlam. The needy "lowly one" is malchut, "who possesses nothing of her own"[27] but owes all her contents to the sefirot above her. The numerical value of the word for "lowly one" (dach) is also 24.

Rebecca also signifies malchut. These verses thus describes how malchut is constructed out of one of the five states of gevura originating in the name Elo-him.

Thus, Ham, the source of the states of gevura, produced the 5 states of gevura. These are 4 sons, for 3 states of gevura are sweetened and can therefore combine with 3 states of chesed. The other 2 cannot be sweetened. Similarly, when they were born, it was after this fashion, 3 [sons] matched with 3 [states of gevura], and 1 [son] matched with 2 [states of gevura] that join together, i.e., the last two letters of the name Elo-him.

 

The last two letters of the name… were not sweetened and were combined together in the fourth son…

Ham had four sons.[28] But if he, personifying gevura, produced the five states of gevura, we would have expected that he have five sons. This is solved here. The first three letters of the name Elo-him, alef-lamed-hei, signify sweetened states of gevura, i.e., those states of gevura that serve a positive purpose in Creation. These three were personified by three of the sons of Ham. The last two letters of the name Elo-him, yud-mem, were not sweetened and were combined together in the fourth son (presumably Mitzrayim, i.e., Egypt).

It is for this reason that the first plague was that of blood, for [the plagues] took place in the throat [of holiness], which is a narrow part [of the body]. It is therefore called "Egypt" [Mitzrayim], meaning "the constriction [meitzar] of the yud-mem." Since [Egypt] took the place of the two states of gevura, which is the place where the blood gathers and has its source, they were smitten accordingly.

The Hebrew for Egypt, Mitzrayim, can be read meitzar yud-mem, "the constriction of the letters yud-mem," i.e., of the last two letters of the name Elo-him.

One of the three channels of life-force in the neck, as we said, is the set of two blood vessels the supply the brain with blood. These evidently signify the two states of gevura embodied in Egypt. Since the forces of evil seek to appropriate the holy life force in these blood vessels, they were smitten with blood.

Of the plague of lice, the sorcerers of Egypt said, "It is the finger of G-d," because the numerical value of the word for "lice" [kinim] is 120, corresponding to the 120 [permutations of] the name Elo-him. Since they could not produce them, they said that this plague was from the name Elo-him.

Perhaps this means that they understood that here, too, they were being deprived of their power, which originated in the name Elo-him.

This is also why the sea of reeds [yam suf in Hebrew] is called thus, for these two letters from the name Elo-him spell the word for "sea" [yam] and go after evil, signified by the end [sof] of this name, smiting it.

The word for "sea" (yam: yud-mem) is composed of the same two final letters of the name Elo-him. The word for "reeds" (suf: samech-vav-pei) is the same as the word for "end" (sof: samech-vav-pei). The "sea of reeds" thus alludes, as well, to the last two letters of the name Elo-him, the unsweetened gevura, taken by Egypt. The Egyptians therefore had to be smitten there, as well.

Thus, we have three instances of the Egyptians being smitten by the name Elo-him. The plague of blood smote the Egyptian evil personified by the chief butcher and the blood vessels of the throat. Presumably, the plague of lice and the splitting of the sea correspond to the other two deputies of Pharaoh and their anatomical correlates, but this is not stated explicitly in the text.

We now return to the verse quoted in the beginning of this exposition.

Thus, the verse reads "in order to place these signs of Mine in his midst."

The word for "these" (eileh, alef-lamed-hei) can be seen as a combination of the name E-l (alef-lamed) and the feminine suffix hei, whose numerical value is 5. The word for "these" is also the first three letters of the name Elo-him.

 

The hei receives from chesed and transmits it to gevura…

The name E-l signifies chesed. The hei [of the word eileh, "these"] receives [divine beneficence] from chesed and transmits it to gevura. This is the meaning of "these signs of Mine in his midst." The name E-l plays the role of the male, while [the Egyptians, represented by Pharaoh] were connected to the sea, signifying the female, represented by the letter hei. Therefore, [these signs] had to enter him.

The Egyptians fed off the last two letters of the name Elo-him, i.e. unsweetened gevura, as we saw above. In order to prevent this, unsweetened gevura had to be overcome by sweetened gevura, signified by the first three letters of the name Elo-him. Thus, the phrase "in order to place these signs of Mine in his midst" can be mystically interpreted to mean: "in order to put the letters alef-lamed-hei of My name [Elo-him] into him [i.e., into the last two letters of My name Elo-him, from which he is trying to derive sustenance]."

(Although above we said that "these signs of Mine" refer to the letters of the name Havayah, here it seems that these words are being referred to the first three letters of the name Elo-him.)

In terms of sefirot, the three letters alef-lamed- hei indicate the flow of chesed into gevura, sweetening it. The numerical value of the letter hei, which has a numerical value of 5, indicates the distribution of the chesed into all five states of gevura.

 

'Every plague was really 5 plagues in one…'

This is the mystical meaning of our sages' statement that "Every plague was really 5 plagues in one, and some say 50 plagues in one,"[29] alluding to the two final letters of the name Elo-him.

The numerical value of yud-mem is 10 + 40 = 50. The sages said that every plague was really 5 to indicate that through the plagues all five states of gevura were sweetened and that every plague was really 50 to indicate that the final letters of the name Elo-him were sweetened.

The 5 refers to the 5 letters of the name Elo-him. This is why the exodus from Egypt is mentioned 50 times in the Torah, in order disengage [the Jewish people] from the two final letters of the name Elo-him to which they were connected.

The first exile was "these signs of Mine"; the second was "in order that you tell…and you know that I am Havayah," for when the name Havayah is revealed [evil] is annihilated completely. They did not recognize this until the [splitting of the] sea, as we explained.

This explains the verse well. [This is as much of the manuscript that I found.]

The first exile, Egypt, was taken care of by putting "these signs of Mine," i.e., the sweetened first three letters of the name Elo-him, into the last two. It appears that the continuation of this exposition was an explanation how the rest of this verse alludes to the rectification of the subsequent exiles.

 

 - translated from Sefer HaLikutim by Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky