The Bahir 42 stones. Everyone came to the storehouse containing good food. The clerk in charge of the storehouse of stones came and saw that people were only buying from the other [clerk]. What did he do? He sent his messengers to tear down the weak house [so that people would need stones to rebuild them]. They could not do so, however, to the strong ones. He said, “In the time that it takes to tear down one strong [house], you can tear down ten weak ones. People will then all come and buy stones from me, and I will not be inferior to the other.” It is thus written (Jeremiah 1:14), “From the north will evil come forth, upon all the inhabitants of the earth.” The verse then continues (Jeremiah 1:15) “For I call all the families of the kingdom of the north – says God – and they will come, and each one will place his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem…” Evil will be their business, and the Evil Urge will also constantly strive. The word Satan means “turning aside,” since he turns all the world aside to the balance of guilt. How is this indicated? It is written (Genesis 38:16), “And he turned aside to her,” and the Targum renders this VeSata, [Satah being the root of Satan]. It is likewise written (Proverbs 4:15), “Turn aside (S’the) from it and pass on.” 165. What is the significance of the seventy date palms? They had accepted upon themselves the commandments, as it is written (Exodus 15:26), “If you listen to the voice of the Lord your God.” Immediately after this we find (Exodus 15:27) “And they came to Elim (Elimah) [where there were twelve wells of water and seventy date palms].” What is the meaning of Elimah? It is Eli Mah – “to me is what.” “Where there were twelve wells of water.” At first God gave it to them as wells, and in the end, he gave it back to them as stones. It is thus written [regarding the stones set up near the Jordan] (Joshua 4:9), “twelve stones.” What it the reason? It is because the Torah was originally likened to water in the world. Only later was it put in a permanent place. Water, however, is here one day and elsewhere the next. 166. What are the seventy date palms? This teaches us that the Blessed Holy One has seventy Structures. These draw from the twelve Simple Ones. Just like water is simple, so are these simple. How do we know that the date palm is a Structure? Because it is written (Song of Songs 7:8), “Your structure is like a date palm.” Besides that, there are seventy kinds of date palms. It is therefore written that there were seventy date palms. One was not like the other, their functions were all different, and the taste of one was not like the taste of the other. 167. You said that the seventy date palms represent the seventy Structures. But have you not said that there are 72? There are 71. Israel makes 72, but it is not included. But did you not say that there were seventy? One is the Officer of the Satan. What is this like? A king had sons and bought slaves for them. The king then told his sons, “I am giving you all equally.” One of them replied, “I do not want to be with you, for I have the power to steal everything
Posted on: Thu, 08 Aug 2013 01:35:11 +0000
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