The Essence

--from Likutei Torah and Sefer HaLikutim translated by Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky

(This is a continuation of an earlier installment. It is suggested that the reader review the first installment before proceeding.)

When Eliezer, Abraham's slave, arrived in Haran looking for a wife for Isaac, he asked G-d that one of the signs identifying the right girl be that "the girl to whom I will say, 'Please tip your pitcher so that I may drink'" will respond "'drink, and I will give your camels also to drink.'"[1] Before he had even finished this prayer, "Rebecca came out…with her pitcher on her shoulder…and she descended to the well, filled up her pitcher, and ascended back."[2]

The numerical value of the word for "pitcher" (kad, kaf-dalet = 20 + 4) is 24.

As you know, chesed of tiferet is divided into three parts, each of which is alluded to by the number 24.

By tiferet, the Arizal presumably is referring here to the full partzuf of Zeir Anpin.

The numerical value of chesed is 72 (chesed: chet-samech-dalet = 8 + 60 + 4 = 72). 72 divided by 3 is 24.

During the exile, [chesed of tiferet] possesses only one of these three 24's. In the future, the Temple will be rebuilt [and the missing two 24's will be restored, this being alluded to by the fact that] the numerical value of the word for "house" is twice that of the word for "light."

The Temple is the house of G-d; the term for "Temple" in Hebrew is beit ha-mikdash, or "house of the sanctuary." The numerical value of the word for "house" (beit) is 412:

2 x 207 = 414. Presumably, the discrepancy implies that we are to add the kolel for each instance of "light." These two lights refer to the two 24's missing from chesed of tiferet when the Temple (the "House") is in ruins.

This is the mystical meaning of the verse, "I shall set your window [frames] with ruby…."[3]

The word for "ruby" (kadchod, kaf-dalet-kaf-dalet) may be seen as the word for "pitcher" (kad, kaf-dalet) doubled. This verse is part of a prophecy of the restoration of Israel's former glory that will be part of the messianic redemption. Thus, the ruby window frames allude to the restoration of the two 24's to chesed of tiferet that are missing during the exile.

It follows that Rebecca, who is synonymous with Nukva, has one "pitcher" [i.e., 24] inside her head and another "pitcher" [i.e., 24] above her shoulder, which is where the yesod of Imma terminates.

In this imagery, Rebecca/Nukva is seen to be bringing the two 24's back to chesed of tiferet (i.e., Zeir Anpin), thus signaling the end of the exile.

The text of this passage of the Torah [understood mystically] is referring to the moment of redemption, when this "pitcher" [on Nukva's shoulder] will descend to the yesod of Imma. [Although Nukva must ascend in order to reach yesod of Imma,] this ascent is called a "descent" because the light [of Imma] descends to her. [Nukva] only receives her lights as reflected lights, as mentioned [elsewhere].

As we have mentioned previously, yesod of Imma is the drive of the intellect to actualize itself; it thus is the point where intellect is transformed into emotion, i.e., feeds Zeir Anpin and Nukva. In order for Nukva--the partzuf of expression--to rejuvenate Zeir Anpin--the emotions--it must return to its "mother," the intellect.

The Torah thus says, "she descended to the well," i.e., to the yesod of Imma, which is called a "well." She then "filled up her pitcher" from the well, the yesod of Imma, "and ascended," meaning that these lights reflect back up, causing her and her crown to mature. Thus, she acquires three thirds, just like her husband, Zeir Anpin.

Now, regarding these three "pitchers" [i.e., 24's], each one refers to another name Havayah. For there are three names Havayah depicted with eyes, each one of which is drawn with 24 circles, giving a total of 72, the numerical value of chesed, as mentioned elsewhere. Thus, each "pitcher" is another name Havayah, meaning that there are three names Havayah here.

In the vision of Ezekiel, the angels are described as having "backs, tall and frightening, for the backs of all four were covered all over with eyes."[4] In the Zohar,[5] this verse is interpreted as referring to the "backs," i.e., the separate strokes, used to write the four letters of the name Havayah. Each stroke is depicted as being formed by three eyes:

We see here that the four letters of the name Havayah are formed by 8 strokes, each here depicted as having 3 "eyes," giving a total of 24 eyes.

Thus, although we usually associate the name Havayah with the number 26, its numerical value, we see here that "structurally" it can be associated with the number 24.

These three names Havayah are three shades of creative energy used in the restitution of reality being described here.

The following section refers to the story of Elijah the prophet and his contest on Mt. Carmel with the prophets of Baal. In order to demonstrate the falseness of this idol, Elijah assembled the people and told the prophets of Baal to prepare an offering to it, while he prepared an offering to G-d. Everyone agreed that if one of the offerings would be devoured by fire, it would indicate that the deity to which it was offered was the true G-d.

Try as they might, the priests of Baal could not get him to devour his offering with heavenly fire. When it was Elijah's turn, he first had pitchers of water poured on the altar, in order to demonstrate that the fire that was about to descend from heaven was indeed from heaven and not any trick he was performing. He poured so much water on his offering that it spilled over and filled the trench that he had dug around the altar.

These [names Havayah] correspond to the pitchers with which Elijah the prophet, of blessed memory, filled the trench [around the altar he built]. When he said, "Fill four jars [with water…]," he intended these to correspond to the four letters of the name Havayah. [When he said, "…and pour it over the burnt offering and the wood," he intended this to correspond to the first third of chesed of tiferet.] When he said, "do it a second time," he intended this to correspond to the second third of chesed of tiferet. When he said, "do it a third time," he intended this to correspond to the third of three parts of chesed of tiferet.

By pouring the four pitchers three times over his sacrifice, Elijah was reconstructing Nukva, the conglomerate of the souls of Israel, giving it the three "pitchers" (24's) or thirds of chesed of tiferet it is supposed to possess.

We see from the above exposition that the female is to play a decisive role in the process of redemption. Indeed, at least in this scene, Zeir Anpin is depicted as being helpless and dependent on Rebecca/Nukva to restore its broken tiferet, or heart. We may perhaps visualize this as the jaded or cynical mood that affects those who have suffered too much and are worn down by the state of exile. Such people need a boost of inspiration to lift their spirits. This is provided, in the present scenario, by Nukva, the spouse, who, faced with a languid, uninspired husband, whose joie de vivre has been sapped, returns to her wise mother to draw inspiration and direction to revive him.

Alternatively, an individual can try to rejuvenate himself, to mend his broken heart, by reinvesting his action, his means of expression, with new intellectual understanding. Doing so enables his expression to influence his emotion, for "the media" to make "the message", so to speak.

In either case, once the "wife" succeeds in re-inspiring her "husband," she restores him to his original vigor and the redemption can proceed.[6]

Disclaimer: the above translation, as the previous installments in this series, has not yet been checked over for accuracy by any authority on the teachings of Kabbala. Therefore, although I have tried to render and explain the Arizal's teachings as well as I am able to, based on my knowledge and research, there may be passages that I misunderstood and rendered incorrectly. Before publishing these translations in book form they will, please G-d, be examined for accuracy by a competent authority, and any necessary changes will be made then.

Rabbi Moshe Yaakov Wisnefsky is a scholar, writer, editor and anthologist. Originally from Los Angeles, he moved to Israel in 1977, and currently lives in Jerusalem.

[1] Gen.24:14.

[2] Ibid. 24:15-16.

[3] Isaiah 54:12.

[4] Ezekiel 1:18.

[5] Tikunei Zohar 70 (126b).

[6] As mentioned previously, each of us comprises a male and a female aspect, and therefore the roles of male and female partner as described can be reversed. Since the male aspect obviously dominates in the husband and the female in the wife, however, the usual case is the way it is described in the text.