The one commandment in this portion which comprises all other commandments is the commandment to "walk in G–d's ways." Since man has been created in the image of G–d, it behooves him to emulate G–d to the extent he is able to. He has to see to it that every one of his limbs is in perfect condition, for each limb has been charged with the performance of some commandment. The same applies to our spiritual and emotional faculties. We know that G–d is gracious; hence we too must display this trait in our dealings with other people. Our sages quote G–d as saying: כל זמן שבני עוסקים כסדר הזה, "As long as My children conform to this order (of prayer) they will not leave empty-handed". [The reference is to the recital of the 13 attributes of G–d which He taught Moses in response to his request for knowledge how to assuage His anger. Ed.] We all know how many times we recite the thirteen attributes and nothing seems to happen and our sins do not seem to disappear. This is because we did not heed the wording of the promise. The sages spoke about G–d having demanded that we practice, עוסקים, the attributes of G–d, not merely recite them during a confessional [cf. Alshich and Tzror Hamor on Exodus 34,6. Ed.] והלכת בדרכיו, "and you will walk in His ways." Fulfilling this part of the Torah's blueprint for our relationship with G–d will qualify us to be the מרכבה, the carrier of G–d's Presence on earth. Man, in the way he was originally constructed, was after all the reflection of G–d on earth. Who could better qualify as the מרכבה? We have already described elsewhere how the 7 sections of our body represent the seven parts of the concept בנין. By sanctifying our body we will be able to recapture the lofty niveau Adam possessed and become like the דמות עליון, a replica of the form in the highest regions.

This is alluded to in 26,19: ולתתך עליון על כל הגוים אשר עשה לתהלה לשם ולתפארת, "and He will set you supreme over all the nations He has made, to be for fame renown and glory, etc." The word תפארת refers to the emanation of that name, the level at which original man of the dual face emanated. The word תהילה, on the other hand, refers to the still higher emanation בינה, as Pardes Rimonim explains under the heading תהלה in the section ערכי הכנויים. Though there seems to be some doubt whether this expression refers to the emanation כתר or בינה, we may consider that all three emanations i.e. כתר, חכמה, בינה are meant. They represent the origin of בנין. Keeping this in mind we understand why the term עליה, ascent, is used not only in connection with the blessing, such as in 26,19, but also in connection with the warning or curse in 28,43 where the stranger in the land of Israel is described as ascending, whereas we will descend. That verse even repeats the expression מעלה מעלה "higher and higher," describing the progress made by the alien. How are we to understand this? Do we not have a tradition that the מדה טובה, the positive, is always in 500 times greater supply than the negative? (Sotah 11; Sanhedrin 100, Yuma 76 et al.) We therefore must not understand the words מעלה מעלה to mean that the alien will climb much higher than Israel but rather that he will only ascend two steps. The repetition acts as a limitation, (מיעוט), a common occurrence in Bible exegesis. The reference to the ascent of the Jewish people in 26,19, ולתתך עליון, however, is a comprehensive term.

Man's purpose is to perfect his resemblance to the Divine. It follows that even those aspects of his body which are more mundane by nature should be elevated to a level of חולין שנעשו על טהרת הקודש, "profane matters treated as if all the restrictions of sacred matters applied to them." This includes the act of sexual union with his wife. At first glance the very desire to engage in sexual intercourse is demeaning, reflects the dominance of our physiological impulses over our spiritual impulses. This can be overcome when man sanctifies himself prior to engaging in marital relations with his wife. When he does so he not only models himself on the Divine but the children who will be born as a result of such a physical/spiritual union will reflect the דמות ה' in an intensified measure. We have elaborated on this elsewhere as well as on the fact that there are three partners involved in the making of every human being, G–d having said "Let us make man in Our likeness" (Genesis 1,26). [This refers to G–d's participation in the creation of every human being subsequent to the first. I have found this confirmed in ראשית חכמה, שער קדושה, פרק טז, paragraph 56 in the new edition by Rabbi Joseph Chayim Waldman. Ed.] G–d's participation is conditional on the act of marital union being performed under the aegis of the סטרא דקדושה, the sacred side of the emanations.

Similar sanctification can be achieved by man even in that most regular and therefore most profane performance of bodily functions, eating and drinking. I have described this at length in my essay on קדושת האכילה. The food is elevated to the spiritual level of sacrificial meat, the drink to that of the wine libations, both as offered on the altar when the Temple was standing. G–d will then relate to our food and drink intake as He is described in Song of Songs 5,1 as relating Israel's offering of incense, the preferred of all sacrificial offerings. The Zohar both on פרשת ויקרא and elsewhere explains that whole verse in Song of Songs in terms of the various sacrifices. The mystical element in all this: The consumption of the sacrificial meat on the altar, though it takes place in this world, represents a spiritual awakening in this world which translates into a ריח ניחוח, a pleasing fragrance which rises towards heaven. The same thing happens when the righteous in this world consume their daily meals. Their seemingly mundane activity is transformed into a spiritual experience by which they derive pleasure from the brilliance of the שכינה and their entire body derives nourishment from its splendor. Even the plates and other utensils used will become refined and will sparkle. These utensils will then qualify to serve as receptacles for spiritual food. Maimonides refused to believe that the eternal reward for the performance of the commandments included an eternal physical life of both body and soul after the resurrection; he preferred to believe in an eternal existence of the soul alone. Maimonides (because according to him there was neither eating nor drinking in the World to Come) would not have recognized the need for these utensils. I believe he forgot an important consideration. Food will always be needed to sustain life. The food and drink does not necessarily have to be of the physical variety which we are familiar with. Spiritual food may also be served in dishes, but sanctified dishes. Were this not so, how could G–d – or certain aspects of G–d – have been described as "receiving" the sweet smelling fragrance of the incense offering? It is said of this fragrance in Songs 5,1: אכלו רעים שתו ושכרו דודים, i.e. the fragrance which symbolizes something intangible, spiritual, [compare the commentary on that verse by Metzudat. Ed.] We can now understand that something like this is conceivable also in our times provided our food has been prepared with the necessary care.

In principle, this is what the legislation of בכורים, מעשר and מעשר שני is all about. We are to bring physical food to a holy place and consume it under conditions of holiness having declared that we have met all the necessary requirements to qualify for doing so. The Torah reports that even Adam was told that he could eat from every tree in the garden i.e. אכול תאכל, (eating of a dual nature); this was a hint that such eating was to be spiritually uplifting.

ולקחת מראשית פרי האדמה . Rav Huna, commenting on the first verse in the Torah in Bereshit Rabbah 1,4, says that the universe was created in consideration of three merits acquired by Israel. They are: the merit of setting aside the חלה from their doughs, the merit of giving tithes, and the merit of bringing the first ripe fruit to the Temple. In fact, the reason that the word used by the Torah for describing the beginning of creation is בראשית, [and not e.g. בהתחלה] is that the legislation of חלה is described as setting aside מראשית עריסותיכם, "from the 'beginning' of your dough" (Numbers 15,20). The same word is also used in Deut. 18,4 in connection with the tithes. The expression is further used in connection with בכורים, as we know from our פרשה 26,2. The difficulty with this Midrash is why these three commandments should be so much more important than others to justify their being reported to be the reason that G–d created the universe. We have other easily understandable quotes about the word ראשית being equated with Israel and the world being created for the sake of Israel or for the sake of Torah. This special significance of the above-mentioned three commandments certainly needs elaboration! Another difficulty in the Midrash is the wording אין דבר נקרא ראשית אלא חלה, which implies that the appellation ראשית is not accorded to anything else but חלה. How can the Midrash reverse itself immediately afterwards and state אין דבר נקרא ראשית אלא מעשר? The Midrash compounds this by stating "אין דבר נקרא ראשית אלא בכורים." How many things are there which qualify for the exclusive appellation ראשית? Another difficulty is that the verse (18,4) quoted by the Midrash as proving that the term ראשית applies to מעשר actually speaks of תרומה and not of מעשרות? Why does the Midrash not use the customary form for quoting a verse i.e. שנאמר, but instead says: כמה דאת אמר?

Actually, the purpose of the creation was the Torah which would provide the means by which mankind could successfully exist on earth and which in turn mankind or Israel respectively were meant to observe. Just as the Torah consists of "body and soul," or of visible and invisible aspects which nonetheless form a whole, so man is composed of 248 limbs and 365 sinews corresponding to the 613 commandments in the Torah. All these 613 parts of the human body can be viewed as holy, קודש, whereas there is also a קודש קדשים, an even holier part of man, i.e. the soul. We must understand how the body can qualify for the description holy, קודש, seeing it is mostly animal-like and depends on eating and drinking in order to stay alive. If the body is so dependent on physical, biological functions, how could it develop the affinity to Torah needed seeing that Torah is totally holy? What did G–d do in order to overcome this problem? He imbued our food with a degree of holiness. He sanctified the relevant first produce called חלה, מעשר and בכורים. He commanded us in the Torah to sanctify these particular parts of the food we eat and thereby created the "bridge" which enables the body which is animal-like to become holy, to relate to the Torah on a spiritual wavelength. The act of dedication to His name of these parts of our food supply elevates the whole concept of physical food to a higher spiritual plateau; its technical means is the giving of the parts dedicated to G–d's representative, the priest or the Levite respectively.

The food which man consumes is first and foremost based on grain, דגן, the "king" of all plants. This is the reason that G–d commanded to set aside part of the grain harvest for special sanctification as a תרומה, gift, contribution. Since G–d did not consider this sanctification of food as adequate, He also imbued the tithes to be given to the Levites with a degree of special holiness. The Levite, in turn, gives some of what has been allocated to him to the priest, i.e. the תרומת מעשר; once the Levite has done so he has joined the ranks of the 1-10-100, or 2-20-200 described in שערי אורה in connection with the reason for the need to recite 100 benedictions daily. (Compare what we have written in connection with the blessing Isaac experienced, page 160) We have outlined there also how the relationship between the ordinary Israelite, the Levite and the priest parallel the relationship between 1, 10, 100 respectively. We explained the relationship as akin to the relationship between the three levels of man's soul, נפש-רוח-נשמה. The Israelite gives 10 out of 100 to the Levite; the Levite in turn gives to the priest 10 out of his share, i.e. 1/100th of the original quantity. Once the raw grain has been transformed into something of spiritual significance, the dough, it is elevated further by the setting aside of חלה. Next this dough is converted into bread which has by now been thoroughly sanctified. Bread is so important that our sages (and frequently the Torah itself) automatically referred to every meal as "bread". People are described as being invited to eat "bread," when in fact the invitation extends to a comprehensive meal.

Having dealt with these aspects of cereal-based food and the means to sanctify them we are left with the problem of the sanctification of the fruit of the trees. This is the reason for G–d's commandment to the farmer to take from the seven kinds of produce the land of Israel is famous for, (5 of which are tree grown fruit) and for every farmer to annually present the first ripe fruit of each category in the Temple. The seven categories are in their class what דגן is in the class of all that grows directly in the earth, i.e. the choicest. All the tree-grown fruit becomes sanctified when the farmer observes the legislation as it applies to these seven kinds of fruit/produce. The Midrash stated אין ראשית אלא חלה; this means that the mere sanctification of giving תרומה or מעשר from the grain in its original state was not enough to elevate it to the desired level of sanctity; the process had to be continued at the level where the grain is transformed into dough. Hence the Torah speaks of ראשית עריסותיכם. The same consideration applies to מעשרות; that sanctification too was not adequate yet, i.e. the מעשר ראשון given to the Levite had to be followed up by the תרומת מעשר given by the Levite to the כהן. Since תרומת מעשר is דגן in its original state, the Midrash did not want to use the customary expression שנאמר to preface the quotation from the Torah. This would have been interpreted as applying to תרומה גדולה instead of to תרומת מעשר, i.e. the lesson that even designating grain as תרומה גדולה was not yet an adequate level of sanctification. The Midrash teaches that the word ראשית is used to describe the first- but not necessarily final- step of sanctifying something.

The overall lesson of this whole series of legislation is that the righteous individual consumes physical food (the part permitted to him) to remain alive so as to be able to serve his Lord and perform His commandments. G–d regards food consumed under such circumstances as being in the class of an offering that has been presented to him. I have explained this at greater length in my treatise קדושת המאכל, under the heading of the letter ק.

I would like to reveal another aspect of the words: והלכת בדרכיו in 28,9. There is an allusion here to something more than mere hyperbole. It implies you will be blessed "coming" and "going." G–d makes this even plainer in 28,6: ברוך אתה בבואך וברוך אתה בצאתך. Verse 7 resumes the same theme when the manner in which our enemies will be put to flight, etc. is described. The command to strive to emulate the attributes of G–d to the limits of our ability includes both their hidden and their revealed aspects. G–d's revealed aspects are His deeds, the way He manifests Himself; His Essence remains forever "hidden." Man too must retain this "hidden" element, i.e. keep himself aloof from all the peripheral matters in his environment and strive for an intimate relationship only with G–d. He reveals himself by performing many commandments, such as attending Torah lectures or conducting them in public. He is seen regularly in the Synagogue and generally strives to sanctify the name of the Lord by his actions in public. As soon as he has completed performing whatever מצוה he has performed he returns home to isolation and does not waste his time in idle chatter in public places.

In order to explain the nature of this התבודדות, isolation, let me first quote a passage from the Tikkunei Ha-Zohar concerning הבל which is rampant on earth: "It happened on a Sabbath eve that someone who could only walk on crutches encountered two scholars whom he addressed as "masters of the generations" [foremost scholars of their time] and "masters of wisdom." He greeted them cordially, inquiring where they were headed. When told the place the scholars were travelling to (on horseback), the man on crutches mentioned that he was headed for the same place and could arrange board and lodging there for the scholars in the event the latter were in need of same. Upon hearing this, the scholars asked how it was possible that they would not arrive ahead of the man on crutches seeing that they were on horseback whereas he did not even have his own legs. While saying this they turned their heads and observed that the cripple suddenly ran like a rod of lightning. He arranged for the two scholars to experience a contraction of the distance to be covered so that they too arrived simultaneously with the cripple at the entrance of a cave. The cripple asked the scholars to enter the cave. The Rabbis followed him and climbed inside the cave until they arrived at an orchard where they found the cripple divesting himself of his former body and assuming an entirely new body. The former cripple's face shone like the sun and he was seated on a Royal throne surrounded by three hundred disciples at his feet. The disciples were engaged in reciting the first verse of Kohelet: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." The disciples kept on repeating this verse innumerable times. The "leaders of the generation" turned to the disciples inquiring if there was no other verse in the Book of Kohelet that they kept repeating the same verse all the time. Upon hearing this, the man on the throne [who had first appeared to the scholars as a cripple] immediately arose and took hold of the hands of the two scholars and transported them to seven palaces. Each of these palaces was inscribed with the first verse of Kohelet, i.e.: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." When they came to the seventh palace the entrance was decorated with the likeness of an eagle and a crown. On the crown there was the image of a dove. On the crown was inscribed the following: "Anyone who is not conversant with the meaning of the seven vanities in the first verse of Kohelet is the subject of the verse in Numbers 1,51: והזר הקרב יומת, 'And any stranger (non priest) who enters will be executed.'" Thereupon the two scholars turned to leave.

The former cripple turned to them exclaiming: "You are supposed to be the leading scholars of your generation and this is why we have followed you thus far in order absorb some of your wisdom! You are no scholars at all! You do not even know that the whole universe was built by means of this verse in Kohelet. By invoking this [42 lettered name of G–d which we recite before the לכה דודי prayer on Sabbath eve, Ed.], He covers the entire universe sometimes in a single flight, sometimes in two flights, sometimes in three flights, etc., up to seven flights. We, on the other hand, who are in this world, are all cripples. I have inherited the interpretation of this verse in Kohelet from my father, who in turn had learned it from his father, who inherited this knowledge from the earliest generations." Thereupon he gave them enough money and they returned to their original location in the winking of an eye. [I believe the meaning of this to be a reference to the knowledge these two scholars had taken away from these treasure chambers as being described as "sufficient money." Ed.] These seven times six words, representing the 42-lettered name of G–d, express the thought that all on this world is but vanity.

The colleagues (formerly described as leaders of their generation) had said to the former cripple: "Rabbi tell us at least a hint of the deeper meaning that lies in these words [the verse vanity of vanities, etc.] and do not keep this knowledge concealed from us.” Thereupon the [former] cripple said: "Rabbis there is undoubtedly a profound truth hidden in this verse. However, I will tell you a hint. The seven times the word "vanity" appears have to be read as follows: הבל =1 vanity; הבלים =two vanities; הבל הבלים =three vanities; הכל הבל =1 vanity making a total of seven "vanities." Between them they refer to the seven formulations of the Holy name which G–d uttered and as a result of which part of this physical universe came into being. This 42-lettered name of G–d is composed of the 7 groupings described in the passage we recite before לכה דודי. The word הבל when re-arranged is the same as להב, flame, and the word הבלים when re-arranged is equivalent to להבים, flames. David in Psalms 29,7 speaks of קול השם חוצב להבות אש, "the voice of G–d kindles flames of fire." He who understands the secret of the seven הבלים as they emerge from the mouth of G–d is able to understand how all existence (in this world) came into being with the use of this 42-lettered name by means of which heaven and earth were created. Thus far the quote from the תקוני הזהר.

This is an exceptionally mysterious parable. No doubt the people referred to were preoccupied with Kabbalah and endeavored to understand how the use of these names would translate into converting a spiritual world into a physical one just as the "man on crutches" had been doing in the parable. What was the nature of the "hint" which the "cripple" had revealed? Although, as we have already stated, this is a secret of a very exalted nature, everyone who reads this passage must endeavor to interpret it in the light of his knowledge and intelligence. We may also analyze why the "cripple" is described as having addressed the scholars as "leaders of the generation." He repeated this reference to them again later on in their conversation. Why? He could have simply addressed them as "Rabbis" or such.

I believe the point is that the "cripple" is a simile for people who seek illumination in esoterics by isolating themselves from the community. They are described as cripples to indicate that they have no legs, i.e. that they stay in their surroundings and do not move about like ordinary mortals. Even though on rare occasions there is a need for them to leave their homes, they attend to these pressing needs with the utmost speed returning to their isolation "in the wink of an eye." This is in line with the Torah describing Aaron the High Priest as "not leaving the precincts of the Holy Tabernacle" (Leviticus 21,12). What this means is that the High Priest was to commune with G–d primarily in the Sanctuary. The scholars whom this Kabbalist encountered and whom he deliberately addressed as the "leaders of the generation," represented the leaders of the community at large whose task it is to immerse themselves in community affairs at all times. The "cripple" appeared to them in order to acquaint them with this dimension of affinity to G–d and His ways which can only be achieved through isolation. They were told that through achievement of this communion with G–d in this world all the pleasures of the World to Come would eventually become available, at which time one would be able to streak through the universe like a rod of lightning, (as the impression gained by the scholars when they saw the "cripple" "move.")

When the events in the parable have been described as occurring on the Sabbath eve, this is to remind us of the statement of our sages (Avodah Zarah 3a) that "he who toils on the Sabbath-Eve will eat on the Sabbath." The holy name of G–d consisting of 42 letters is, after all, being completed on the Sabbath-Eve.

In order to explain the significance of the seven times הבל in the first verse in Kohelet cited in our parable, I have to preface with a quotation from the Zohar. We read there that there is a kind of הבל which occurs on earth and there is a kind of הבל which has its roots in the masters of the lie. In the latter case it refers to acts of deceit. In the former case the word may refer to the verse in Deut. 8,3: כי על כל מוצא פי השם יחיה האדם, "that man lives on all that issues forth from the mouth of G–d" i.e. from the Torah. This verse uses the term מוצא פי השם to describe the הבל פיו, the instructions issuing forth from the mouth of G–d. The word הבל must be understood as follows: the letter ה stands for the Five Books of Moses, the letter ב stands for the first letter in the Torah i.e. בראשית; the letter ל stands for the last letter in the Torah, ישראל.

The creation of the physical world in the 7 days of Creation is described as הבל הבלים הכל הבל. This is why man is not to live in that world exclusively but should endeavor to cleave to a world based on a different kind of הבל i.e. the seven days of creation in the sin-free higher world. There man is to commune with G–d in solitude. These days are referred to as the seven days of בנין. They are to be viewed as seven times seven days, corresponding to the forty-nine שערי בינה. Each of these days comprises seven sections as explained at length in the Pardes Rimonim. When one adds what is known in the circles specializing in גימטריאות as the כולל, the word itself, in this case the emanation בינה, one arrives at the number fifty, the highest of the "gates of insight" attainable by man. Above the regions we have described as בנין, we come to a region inaccessible to man where G–d operates with the 42-lettered name, i.e. another domain in which seven units of six each are active. Our Kabbalists have found an allusion to this domain in the verse שלח תשלח את האם, (Deut. 22,7) a reference to the "Mother Superior” in the Celestial Regions. There is no way we humans can access this domain while bound by a body, and this is why the verse in Deuteronomy alludes to this by saying רק הבנים תקח לך, "you may only take the young ones for yourself," i.e. only lower emanations and domains represented by them are accessible to humans. These seven times seven periods alluded to the six times one thousand years this world is to exist and the one thousand years it is to be in a state of destruction before giving way to a more perfect universe. When a cycle of this kind has repeated itself seven times the ultimate perfect world will emerge. All of this is alluded to in the concept of these seven times six words representing the 42-lettered name of G–d. The six letters (words) in each section of these names correspond to the six days of active Creation. When the word itself is added it alludes to the Sabbath, the seventh day. [You will observe that the prayer אנא בכח which we mentioned as being recited before לכה דודי is also recited daily in the mornings during the recital of the order of daily sacrifices. At the end of each line the first letters of each of the six words in the stanza are printed as an acronym to reflect what the author has just tried to explain. Ed.] As a result you will arrive at the division of this name into seven times seven. The Torah alludes to all this when it instructs us in Leviticus 25,8: "Count for yourself seven times seven Sabbaths of years; these seven times seven Sabbaths of years shall total forty- nine years." These "years" are "days" in G–d's calendar [where a day equals one year. Ed.] This whole verse is an allusion to the name of G–d as described in the אנא בכח prayer. This is the deeper meaning of the "cripple" in our parable having seven palaces and why on each palace the verse of Kohelet referring to the seven הבלים was inscribed. They are to be understood as seven להבים, fiery emissions from the mouth of G–dץ Since we have a principle that G–d provided alternatives for everything He created, there must also be alternatives for the manner in which ascent to holiness is possible.

This alternative is alluded to when the Torah in Deut. 28,25 speaks of: בדרך אחד תצא אליו ובשבעה דרכים תנוס לפניו, "you will go out (to war) against your enemy on one path but flee from him in seven directions." The allegorical meaning of this verse is that there are many ways which may, G–d forbid, lead away from G–d's purpose for His universe. I have mentioned earlier that on the one hand G–d remains concealed, i.e His essence is concealed from us, whereas on the other hand He is manifest through His actions. His being concealed becomes especially noticeable when He manifests Himself and we do not "see Him." The closest we can come to appreciate Him is within the framework called בנין. It is appropriate for us therefore to partake as little as possible in the הבל הבלים of the physical world created during the seven days of Creation and instead seek communion with Him in the higher regions, the seven days of Creation of the higher world. This is the message of the man on crutches, the "cripple" in our parable. If, however, a person needs to venture into the physical world in order to fulfil any of the commandments of the Torah he should do so only for as long as required to perform the מצוה in question. He should return without delay to his communion with G–d in solitude. This is why the Torah (28,6) stresses: ברוך אתה בבואך וברוך אתה בצאתך. "You are blessed when you enter and you are blessed when you exit." This is why the parable described the attainment of solitude in terms of קפיצה, that the earth, so to speak, contracted under the runner to enable him to reach his destination more speedily. There is also an allusion in the parable that we find ourselves suddenly in front of a "cave;" the "cave" is hyperbole for our grave, our death. Since we do not know the day we die, we must hurry to achieve what is our task in life while we have a chance. When the parable describes the seven palaces as being as brightly lit as the sun this is a hint that those who prefer to suffer insults rather than to insult others are viewed as emitting light similarly to that of the sun.

As to the eagle, the crown and the image of the dove in the parable related by the Tikkunei Ha-Zohar: This is an allusion to the close relationship between G–d and our people. He is fond of us, and we are fond of Him. This sentiment is clearly expressed in 26,17: את ה' האמרת היום להיות לך לאלוקים וללכת בדרכיו … וה' האמירך היום להיות לו לעם סגולה… "You have affirmed the Lord this day to be your G–d and to walk in His ways,….and the Lord has affirmed you this day to be His own treasured nation…" The eagle symbolizes His fondness of us, as we know from Exodus 19,4 where G–d recalled how He transported us (the whole Jewish nation) (as) on the wings of eagles." The dove symbolizes our own fondness for G–d and our cleaving to Him to the point of preparedness to die for the sake of His Holy Name. Israel is called יונה, dove, as per Psalms 68,14: יונה נחפה בכסף, "wings of the dove covered with silver." Our sages comment on this that it is characteristic of the dove that once it has mated it will not mate with any other female. Our sages also stated (Midrash Tehillim ibid.) that the dove does not go into convulsions when it is slaughtered, just as the people of Israel do not have spasms when dying a martyr's death but accept such a death gracefully.

The "cripple" described as sitting on the throne with three hundred disciples at his feet is an allusion to the Heavenly Spheres. There are ten emanations in each of the four worlds known as עולם האצילות, עולם הבריאה, עולם היצירה, עולם העשיה. Each emanation comprises ten sections totaling one hundred. There is a difference, however, between the divisions of the emanations in the עולם האצילות and those in the other three "worlds." The former are of infinite dimension; the latter have strict limitations, as explained in the Pardes Rimonim. We can detect another allusion here. It is known and accepted that a "spiritual day" comes into existence every day a person makes a contribution to "repairing" the damage caused to G–d's earth by Adam's sin. The Arizal derives this concept from Psalms 139,16: ימים יוצרו, "days were formed," i.e. that the positive deeds of man translate into tangible shapes, the "day". Our parable describes these deeds as the disciples. Individuals of average piety perform such "repairs" on fifty-four days a year, the days on which they engage in fasting. These fifty-four days are comprised of 40 plus the 11 eves of the New Moon, the tenth of Tevet, the seventeenth of Tamuz, and the ninth of Av. The fast commemorating the murder of Gedalyah and New Year's eve are included in the forty days mentioned. We are therefore left with another three-hundred days (the average year comprises 354 days). The disciples mentioned in the parable number 300, to tell us that these students engaged in "repairs," תקונים on the other 300 days of the year as well.

This is a further reason why we have a statement that every righteous person will inherit 310 worlds in the future (Proverbs 8,21 — להנחיל לאוהבי יש as interpreted in the introduction to Tractate Avot). The worlds referred to are the worlds of Atzilut, Briyah, Yetzirah and Assiyah. There is no need for an allusion to the עולם האצילות seeing it has infinite dimensions which are impossible to symbolize by numbers. In that world there is something much closer to absolute unity than in any of the "worlds" which form part of the process of development. Since, however, even that world of emanations divides into ten parts, it is alluded to by the number 10 rather than 100.

This then is the mystical dimension of the 310 worlds portrayed by the "cripple" who sat on the throne with 300 disciples at his command. The three hundred are an allusion to the Celestial Throne. The moral lesson to be learned from all this is that we have to follow in G–d's footsteps and endeavor to make the creature resemble its Creator. This will result in our existence being justified and of value, the crown being eventually restored to its former glory, and the Jews thereupon enjoying the "light."