“Ki Ekach Mo’ed (When I seize the appointed time), I will judge with equity.” (Psalms 75:3)

Aparticularly propitious method for being spared from haughtiness is to honor the festivals, and welcome [each] festival with joy and with as many delights as one can afford.

Moshe Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, by meriting to the Forty-Nine Gates of Wisdom, was worthy of being “extremely humble, more so than any man” (Numbers 12:3). Now, yom tov (festival) [corresponds to] the mentalities of Imma, which is Binah (Understanding). Therefore, when one welcomes the festival, which is Binah, one merits humility. For yom tov is numerically equivalent to SaG plus its ten letters, as is brought in the Kavanot—the reverse of a GaS (haughty) spirit.

The festival eliminates haughtiness because it is the nature of the lesser to be nullified vis-à-vis the greater. Consequently, when one is close to the tzaddik, haughtiness is eliminated; for due to the great light of the tzaddik he is completely nullified. This corresponds to (Job 29:8), “The youths saw me and hid”—because they see the face of the tzaddik, the little ones hide. For the lesser becomes nullified before the greater.

Now, in the main, the power of the festival’s holiness is contingent upon the tzaddikim, as it is written (Leviticus 23:4), “These are God’s festivals… that you must proclaim otam (them) at their appointed times.” Our Sages expounded: Do not read OTaM but ATeM (you) (Rosh HaShanah 24a).

We find therefore that the festivals are dependent upon the tzaddikim.

Thus, when one welcomes and honors the festivals, and receives the great light of yom tov, which is the aspect of tzaddik, his haughtiness is eliminated. For the lesser is nullified vis-à-vis the greater. Because of this, a man is obliged to visit his rabbi on the festival, since the primary power of yom tov is contingent upon the tzaddikim.

2. This satisfactorily answers that which is asked in the Talmud (Sukkah 27b) concerning what Rabbi Eliezer said, “I praise those who are lazy on the festival, as in (Deuteronomy 16:14), ‘You shall rejoice on your holidays’”: But did not Rabbi Yitzchak say, “A man is obliged to visit his rabbi on the festival, as in (2 Kings 4:23), ‘Why are you going…’”? Study there well.

For although he is one hundred parasangs away from his rabbi, and cannot come and go in one day, he is still obligated to visit his rabbi on the festival. That is, he has to discern the countenance of his rabbi on the festival—i.e., he has to honor the festival and receive the great light of yom tov, which corresponds to the countenance of his rabbi.

For the primary holiness of the festival is contingent upon the tzaddikim, as above. And when a person welcomes the festival, he literally visits his rabbi, and as a result haughtiness is eliminated. For it is the nature of the lesser to be nullified vis-à-vis the greater.

3. This is the explanation [of the opening verse]: {“When I seize the appointed time, I will judge with equity.”} **When I seize the appointed time—**When I welcome the festivals,

I will judge with equity—That is, I will merit to humility, which corresponds to “judge with equity.” {“Can it be that you are mute? You should be speaking justice; you should be judging the people with equity” (Psalms 58:2) .}

As our Sages teach (Chullin 89a): That which is written: “Can it be that you are mute?…” What should a person do? [Let him feign muteness.] Might I presume this also applies to the words of Torah? The text thus reads: “You should be speaking justice.” Might I presume even if he grows haughty? The text thus reads: “You should be judging the people with equity.”

Thus, this is the meaning of, “When I seize the appointed time, I will judge with equity.” As a result of my welcoming the festivals, I will merit to humility. This is the aspect of, “I will judge with equity,” as above.

This is also the point of that which is explained elsewhere on the verse, “A land that consumes its inhabitants.” For the lesser is nullified vis-à-vis the greater; it is consumed and transformed into the substance of the tzaddik.

4. Furthermore, we heard in this regard: If one is attached to the tzaddik, he is able to sense the holiness of yom tov. This is because the tzaddik is an aspect of the holiness of yom tov, as mentioned above.

Now, the sign that one is attached to the tzaddik is if one possesses unpretentiousness. For, as mentioned, it is the nature of the lesser to be nullified before the greater. And the main bond is love: one should love the tzaddik with a complete love. As it is written (Genesis 44:30), “His soul was bound with his soul”; the Aramaic translation of which is, “he loved him as his own soul.” And as it is written (1 Samuel 18:1), “Yonatan’s soul was bound to the soul of David.”

Moreover, his love for the tzaddik should be greater than the love of women, as in (2 Samuel 1:26), “Your love was wonderful to me, more than the love of women.” Then, by being bound to the tzaddik, he is able to receive the holiness of yom tov. This is because the essence of the festival is dependent upon the tzaddikim.

For the main aspect of yom tov is to elevate the aspect of Malkhut (Kingship) of Holiness from among the evil forces, to eliminate the rule of the Four Malkhuts of the Other Side. Malkhut is called DaLeT, because “D’LeT (it hasn’t) anything of its own.” For there can be no king unless there is a people, hence [Kingship] has nothing of its own.

Now, the Malkhut of Holiness, which is the aspect of dalet, fell and was turned into the Four Malkhuts of the Other Side. And on the festival, one must elevate the Malkhut of Holiness from the Four Malkhuts of the Other Side.

Thus, it is written (2 Samuel 11:1), “And it was at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out.” The explanation is as follows: Yom tov is called “TeShUVat (the return) of the year.” This is because all the festivals are days of judgment, as in, “At four junctures the world is judged: on Pesach…” (Rosh HaShanah 16a).

So one has to return in TeShUVah (repentance), and by doing so free the Malkhut from among the evil forces and nullify their rule. As our Sages teach: Great is repentance, for it draws the redemption closer (Yoma 86b). Through repentance we are redeemed from the Malkhut of the evil forces.

This is the meaning of, “at the return of the year, at the time when MeLaKhim go out.” Then, the MaLKhut of Holiness/the dalet goes out from among the evil forces, and the power of the Four Malkhuts of the Other Side is eliminated.

And the main thing is to nullify the power of the Malkhut of Amalek. This is because it encompasses the Four Malkhuts, as in (Numbers 24:20), “First among the nations is Amalek.”

Therefore, when Shmuel killed Agag, the king of Amalek, it says (1 Samuel 15:33), “Shmuel cut down Agag,” and Rashi explains: he cut him in four. He cut the Four Malkhuts of the Other Side, so that they would not have power and dominion from the Malkhut of Holiness/the dalet. For he elevated the Malkhut of Holiness from them. And this is what happens on yom tov, as above.

This is the meaning of “Va’ YeShaSePh (he cut down).” Vav Yud indicate action, while the root of the word is ShaSaPh. These are the first letters of Shavuot, Sukkot, Pesach—the festivals. At these times the Malkhut of Holiness goes forth. For the festivals are days of judgment, corresponding to fear of Heaven/ Malkhut, as it is written: Were it not for the fear of malkhut (the government)… (Avot 3:2).

It is therefore said of Amalek (Deuteronomy 25:18), “They cut off those lagging to the rear… and did not fear God.” The power [which Amalek had over them] primarily stemmed from their not having elevated the Malkhut of Holiness—because they did not possess the fear of God, the aspect of Malkhut.

Thus, with each festival is associated a fourfold mitzvah. Pesach: four cups of wine; Sukkot: four species; Shavuot: Torah study, which has four aspects—“Then he saw it and told of it; he prepared it, and also researched it” (Job 28:27). [This was said] with regard to Malkhut /the dalet, which goes out from the evil forces on the festival, as mentioned.

And the Torah scholars correspond to Malkhut, as our Sages teach: Who are the malakhim (kings)? The rabbis (Gittin 62a)—because they elevate the Malkhut. The primary holiness of yom tov is thus achieved through them. And when one receives the holiness of the festival, one possesses humility and unpretentiousness, as above.

This is the meaning of (Proverbs 22:4), “The heel of humility is the fear of God”—for fear corresponds to Malkhut.

Our patriarch Avraham also labored over this. He pursued the four kings in order to elevate Malkhut from them. And from him came Yitzchak, Yishmael, Yaakov and Esav—paralleling the four sons: one wise, [one wicked, one simple, and one who knows not how to ask].

(Everything from “Furthermore, we heard” until here has been expounded above, in Lesson I, 30, “How does One Harvest a Garden of Knives?”. See there).

5. Through this, the womb of a woman in labor is opened. As is brought in the Etz Chaim (Shaar 35:3): Just as there are tzirim (hinges) and d’latot (doors) to a house, so a woman has tzirim and D’LaTot (Bekhorot 45a). From the two DaLeTs, the shape of a closed- mem is made. This is where the fetus is formed. Study there.

It is necessary to cut this mem into two dalets so that the fetus can come out. This is the meaning of va’yeshaseph : he cut it into four. He cut the mem into two dalets. Understand this (t his point about the “woman in labor” is explained elsewhere).