The First Teaching: Kol Hamirah

The foundation of Passover and its laws are fundamental principles like the mighty and exalted cedars of Lebanon. They are meant to inspire a person to forsake the path of wickedness and to maintain proper thoughts so that they are not removed from God's presence. Through them,one (will learn to) cast off the poisonous sickness of impurity with which the evil inclination afflicts individuals through shameful acts and deeds, falsehood, and schemes which crush a person’s life to the earth. The enemy (the evil inclination) looks for ways to spread a snare for people’s feet, causing them to transgress God’s will, bit by bit, a little here, a little there, moment by moment. It convinces people to weaken their devotion to God or convinces them that their transgressions aren’t really transgressions. As a result people make false justifications and empty excuses for their actions entangling themselves in the web (of the evil inclination). This is the result of trivializing one’s transgression. This is how the ancient ones explain, “For the devisings of a person’s heart are only evil (rah) from his youth.” (Gen. 8:21) The advice of the evil inclination causes the sinner to trivialize his transgressions⁴ and convinces him of the strength of leniencies in Jewish law. One rationalizes that even if one committed a transgression, it was a minor one. The passage means, ‘the imaginings of a person’s heart are only (rak) evil’ is read as a limitation. That is to say, the strength of the evil impulse’s falsehood is to convince him that he hasn’t sinned and even if he did it was miniscule. That is the meaning of the verse, “(V’khol Yetzer,) Every evil inclination (machshavot libo) makes his heart imagine that his transgression was only (rak ra) very small (kol hayom) every day.” The inclination entices him making the sins seem smaller and smaller until he falls into a deep pit of oblivion.

footnotes: ⁴ 4 See Rashi Exodus 31:13. The principle appears in many passages that the words ach (but) and rak (only) are meant to minimize or become exclusionary in the interpretation of the verse. Rashi writes: “The words אך and רק wherever they occur in Scripture have limitative force (Rosh Hashanah 17b; cf. Rashi on Rosh Hashanah 17b on אכין ורקין). Here Scripture intends by the word אך to except the Sabbath from the days on which the work of the Tabernacle may be done.”

This is what the sages meant when they said, “When a person commits a transgression and repeats it, it becomes as if it were something permitted to him.”⁵ When he first commits the transgression, the evil inclination “reveals meanings in the Torah that do not follow Jewish law,”⁶ (law). For example, one who translates "And from your seed do not give to pass to Molekh" (Leviticus 18:21) as "And from your seed do not give to impregnate an Aramean woman." (Mishnah Megillah 4:9) And this is not the simple meaning of the text. And included within this is teaching worthless homiletical interpretations. to convince him that his sin was not so serious and wasn’t even in the category of sin. And even if it was a sin it was a relatively minor one. The person is persuaded through false thinking (of the evil inclination) that the sin was the most minor of transgressions. The evil inclination then takes hold of the individual and praises him, “See how great you are! Because of your pure thoughts, you had doubts and thought that you had sinned. Actually there was no sin here at all since this is permitted.” One who believes the evil inclination, is led like a lamb led to slaughter. He quickly follows the evil inclination’s example, thinking it spoke correctly,⁷ The sin becomes like something permitted to sinner and he repeats the transgression. The influence of the evil inclination and the tendency to follow its advice makes it seem that the transgression is actually permitted by false halachic reasoning. Because it speaks leniently, it brings him to more serious transgressions, growing a little at a time.

footnotes: ⁵ 5 BT Kiddushin 40b ⁶ 6 Mishnah Avot 3:11 in his commentary, Bartenura explains: "one who reveals meanings (literally, faces) in the Torah": who shows meanings and explanations that do not conform with the halacha ⁷ 7 See Deuteronomy 5:25 and 18:17

When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt with love and compassion, He sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to stay away from chametz so that it should neither be seen (bal yeraeh) nor found (bal yimatzeh) in one’s property even in the smallest amount.⁸ 1:4 Chametz is an allusion to the evil inclination and arrogance from which one must distance oneself. It should never enter (one’s domain). Partaking of the smallest amount of chametz was considered a grave sin. So, too, any connection with the evil inclination makes one impure and destroys the entire edifice, as has been repeatedly taught in the books of ethical teachings. There are many allusions and rebukes regarding this in the books of the righteous. So too, there are more details regarding the commandment of avoiding chametz than any other commandment. Concerning other commandments there is the principle of ta’am ki’eekar⁹, if something falls into a pot of kosher food it is nullified by a percentage of one in sixtieth unless it changes the taste of the cooking food. Not so on Passover even a small bit less than one sixtieth of the food that is chametz makes it unkosher.. But regarding the prohibition of chametz the simple explanation is a deeper allusion.

footnotes: ⁸ 8 Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, The Laws of Chametz and Matzah, ⁹ 9 With regard to the normal laws of kashrut

Rabbi David ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra (the Radbaz),¹⁰ whose responsa was published in Germany (Number 576, Yichaveh Daat), writes about why the sages were so stringent about chametz. Why is chametz different from other prohibitions in the Torah, so that one must search one’s home for it, burn it, and annul it?¹¹ The sages add that one must conduct the search in every hole and crevice (in one’s home) and that one must search for it and uproot every bit of it from one’s property so that one is not guilty of seeing (bal yeraeh) or owning it (bal yimatzeh).¹² Even the smallest particle of chametz that one has in one's domain must be completely disowned. Such stringencies are not to be found in any of the other prohibitions in the Torah. If the reason for this is because one is punished with karet,¹³ "cutting off" is a form of punishment for sin, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and later Jewish writings. there are other laws relating to blood and certain fatty parts of the animal (for which karet is the punishment and yet we are not as stringent.) If chametz is so stringent because it is forbidden to benefit from it, that is true of mixtures of seeds (and yet such stringencies do not exist).This is also true of the goring ox and other cases in which there is a prohibition against benefit and yet other stringencies don’t exist. If the reason for the stringencies is that a person does not normally separate oneself from chametz, the same could be said of the law against a Nazir and wine.The nazir does not normally remove himself from the prohibition (wine) until he takes a vow and yet the stringency doesn’t exist.¹⁴

footnotes: ¹⁰ 10 Rabbi David ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra (1479–1573) An early Acharon of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries who was a leading posek, rosh yeshiva, chief rabbi, and author of more than 3,000 responsa. ¹¹ 11 Referring to three ways we prepare our homes for Passover: bedikah, biur chametz and bitul chametz. ¹² 12 See https://www.etzion.org.il/en/bal-yeraeh-u-val-yimatzei-and-tashbitu for an explanation of the difference between bal yeraeh and bal yimatzeh and their source. ¹³ 13 The Hebrew term karet ¹⁴ 14 Normally Chametz is permitted so one is more prone to transgress during Passover when it becomes forbidden. Similarly, a person normally is allowed to have wine - it only becomes prohibited when he takes a Nazirite vow - so the need for more stringencies might be necessary. But

The Radbaz suggests that there are two things that make chametz different: First, there is no other prohibition in the Torah that combines all three of these conditions: chametz combines the prohibition against benefit, it is punishable bykaret and people don’t usually separate themselves from it. Since all three conditions are present, the Torah added other stringencies and the sages also did so. Furthermore, chametz on Passover is also something that is normally permitted and is only prohibited for a limited amount of time. It is for this reason that the prohibition is not nullified even if it is one part in a thousand. But I still do not understand why one must search it out, burn it and remove it from one's property. Is the prohibition of chametz more serious than the prohibition of idolatry, about which the Torah says, “Let nothing shall that has been doomed stick to your hand...”?¹⁵ One who transgresses this is considered like one who has denied the whole Torah. Yet the Torah does not require searching out and the nullification of objects of idolatry as it does with chametz.** So we still need an explanation for chametz. It is for this reason that I will base my understanding on what the sages had to say in Midrashim that chametz on Passover is an allusion to the evil inclination. The sages referred to the evil inclination as “the leaven in the dough;” therefore, a person must completely remove it and one must search it out in all its hidden places in one’s thoughts. Even the smallest amount is not inconsequential. This explanation seems true and correct!

footnotes: ¹⁵ 15 See Deuteronomy 13:18 This is the prohibition against ownership of any thing that has been determined to be used for idolatry and has been declared “cherem”

You will see that the Radbaz searched for an explanation but didn’t find another reason for the stringencies regarding chametz in theTorah nor from the sages in its plain sense meaning of the Torah or in the law. He therefore based himself on an allegorical interpretation (remez) of chametz. Chametz is an allusion to the evil inclination. It would seem that this interpretation of chametz is the plain sense (peshat) meaning of the law. All these stringencies are meant to arouse a person so that he will stay away from the evil inclination and search for it in the inner recesses of his heart . Even if the smallest amount is found he must quickly remove it and burn it with the fire of Torah. If he wants to be saved from it he must be especially careful that it is not found in any amount.

This is what the sages meant when they said, “There is no removal of chametz without burning.”¹⁶ 2:1 In other words, there is no cure for the evil inclination except through the burning it with the fire of Torah, as the sages said, “The blessed Holy One said, ‘I created the evil inclination and I created Torah as an antidote.”¹⁷ 30b It is also alluded to in the following gematria. The word yetzer (inclination) has the numerical value of 300 and eish (fire) is 301, one more than yetzer. The Torah which is fire is more powerful than the evil inclination. The Torah has the power to cool the heat of the evil inclination; the word cool is kar, has the same numerical value as yetzer, 300. Continuing with this, the numerical value of yetzer ra (evil inclination) is the same as the word rasha (wicked) - 570 - because one who follows his evil inclination is considered wicked. This is the allusion in the verse, “(Every plan devised by humans is) nothing but evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5) rak rah, (“Nothing but evil,”) has the same numerical value as yetzer hara - 570 - and rasha, wicked. I found other hints in the commentaries, that the reason the Torah calls for the annulment of chametz is that one cannot expel the power of the serpent except through fire. The poison of the serpent is based on the earth - “And the serpent's food shall be earth.” (Isaiah 62:25) And fire’s destination is far from the earth. One is low and the other rises up high. Therefore, the fire expels the poison of the serpent. I wrote about this in my youth¹⁸ describes himself as being poor in wisdom as a young man. in a book called Devarim Achadim, Sermon 14. The evil inclination comes from the element of the earth while Torah is from fire. Only fire can expel evil inclination. It is possible that this is the reason that the sages said that redemption will come about through the merit of Torah. As scripture states, “Though they have courted among the nations, now I will gather them.”¹⁹ It is through the power of Torah learning for its own sake that the serpent is expelled. When the serpent (nachash) is nullified, the Messiah (mashiach) will come. Nachash and Mashiach have the same numerical value (358). I have written about this at length in other places. Since the blessed Creator did not find a way to repair the evil inclination other than Torah and God revealed that its nullification is through the Torah, certainly there is no other way to nullify its power! That is what they meant when they stated, “there is no removal of chametz except through burning” in the negative. This was meant to rebuke those who argue that philosophy is effective in helping one to overcome the evil inclination. There is no removing the evil inclination except through the fire of Torah! Rabbi Yitzchak of Akko²⁰ wrote about this in his book Meirat Einaim (Parshat Vayishlach), bringing a statement from Rabbi Hai Gaon, and teachers of other generations. He also writes of a famous philosopher of his generation who separated himself from Judaism. Though the nation thought of him as holy, he transgressed with the wife of the king.

footnotes: ¹⁶ 16 Mishnah Pesachim ¹⁷ 17 BT Kiddushin ¹⁸ 18 Literally, “In my poverty” The chidah ¹⁹ 19 Hosea 8:10 The exact connection of this verse is not clear to me. ²⁰ 20 Isaac ben Samuel of Acre 13th–14th century was a Jewish kabbalist who fled to Spain. According to Chaim Joseph David Azulai Isaac ben Samuel was a pupil of Nachmanides.

I have tried to understand the stringencies in dealing with chametz. I found that the seven stringencies²¹ are related to the seven names of the evil inclination which Rabbi Avia (or possibly by Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi) spoke in Perek Hachalil, the fifth chapter of Sukkot:²² The evil inclination has seven names. The Blessed Holy One called it ra, evil. Moses called it arel, uncircumcised. David called it tamei, impure. Solomon called it sonei, enemy. Isaiah called it michshol, a stumbling block. Ezekiel called it even, stone. Joel called it tziffoni, a hidden one. A verse is brought for each of them.²³ One wonders why do these names matter to us and what reason is there for them? If one says the wicked could not agree about the name of the evil inclination, what is gained by increasing to seven names? We know there is no battle as mighty as the battle between a person and his evil inclination. It is like the parable of the King’s army that returns from battle feeling joyful about its victory over its enemies, having destroyed and plundered them. An old man comes and stands before the soldiers. What blessing should they receive? “May it be God’s will that even though this victory in battle was small they should be victorious in the great battle! All the soldiers and their officers became alarmed for it was well known that this was a great battle and the war was a very big war. So the elderly man answered them, “Don’t you know that as great and mighty as this battle was it is like nothing compared to the battle of the evil inclination! The elderly man spoke well and his explanation is the reasoning of an elder.

footnotes: ²¹ 21 Later in this essay he counts the seven stringencies: searching, looking in holes and cracks, nullification, burning, forbidding even a small amount, it can not be found and it cannot be in one’s property. ²² 22 BT Sukkot 52a ²³ 23 The Holy One - ra - Genesis 8:21 Moses - arel - Deuteronomy 10:16 David - tamei - Psalm 51:21 Solomon - Sonei - Proverbs 25:21-22 Isaiah - michshol - Isaiah 57:14 Ezekiel - even - Ezekiel 36:26 Joel - tziffoni - Joel 2:20

If we look carefully, we will see that every enemy and adversary in the world is small in comparison with the evil inclination. There are seven ways in which the evil inclination is more powerful than other types of enemies. The sages added additional prohibitions and called the evil inclination by these seven names compared to these prohibitions.

(1) First, the hatred of the evil inclination exists from the moment one enters the world, as Scripture states, “Sin crouches at the door” (Gen. 4:7) - that is, from the day of one’s birth. This is different from a human enemy who begins hating later in his youth or so on. One does not find that a person begins hating from the time of one’s birth day. Only the evil inclination does so and therefore it is called “evil from its youth” (Genesis 8:21, ra minurav), when one leaves (ninaer) out of the mother’s womb.

(2) Second, because of their actions, people stay far away from enemies. Even if they both live in the same city, people stay in their own neighborhood or in their own house. Even if one’s opponent goes out, they stay separated from each other; this is not the case with the evil inclination who clings to the person and couples with him. Because of this, it is called arel because it is like the foreskin (arel) which clings to the body and is like one of its limbs. So too, the evil inclination clings to the body and only death can separate them.

(3) This explains the third trait: because it clings to the body it makes a person impure (tamei) which is not the case with a human enemy. Even if they are together in the same place, the impurity does not cling to the other. The very touch of the evil inclination makes the other person impure which is why it is called tamei.

(4) Fourth, it is possible that one’s foe will make peace over time, or if he is defeated he will turn his hatred to love. With the evil inclination, there can never be peace in any way; that is why the evil inclination is called enemy (sonei). It is a true enemy forever and ever.

(5) The fifth difference is that one can be saved from a human enemy, especially if one is a mighty soldier so that the evil inclination is unable to cause harm. One can never be saved from the evil inclination, as is written, “No person is righteous in the world who does only good and does not sin.” (Ecc. 7:20) Appropriately the evil inclination’s name is stumbling block (michshol) since one will inevitably stumble and fail.

(6) The sixth difference is that the adversary can be bribed with money or one can cause him troubles or humiliate him. In one of these ways the enemy will make peace with his opponent. The evil inclination is called a hard rock (even) because like a rock there is no appeasement or sweetening of the relationship because he is so hard.

(7) The seventh difference is that the abomination is in his soul. One’s enemy is recognizable and it is possible to save oneself from him. This is not the case with the evil inclination who is in one’s most inner self and completely concealed; that is why it is called the hidden one (tziffoni).

It would appear that these names are meant to cause one to listen carefully to the voice of one’s teachers. The evil inclination is just as powerful as the tree of poison that causes death. The differences one counts show how much worse the evil inclination is from one’s human opponents. It seeks evil through these seven differences for it exacts seven evils²⁴) from the children of Israel.” The word for oath (shavua) is the same as the word for seven ( sheva). from one’s soul.

footnotes: ²⁴ 24 A wonderful play on words. See Exodus 13:19 “Moses took with him the bones of Joseph, who had exacted an oath (Hashbia Hishbia

These names [of the evil inclination]] are connected to the stringencies that the Torah adds to the prohibition of chametz. With the candles (in the search for chametz) one opens one’s eyes, keeping oneself far from the seven evil characteristics of the evil inclination whichchametz symbolizes. The seven extra stringencies are: searching, looking in holes and cracks, nullification, burning, forbidding even a small amount, it can not be seen or found in one’s property. These practices allude to the seven ways we avoid the evil inclination.

● Because the yetzer hara is called ra, evil. Just as the evil inclination is, “evil (ra) from its youth,” from the moment it enters the world, one searches for chametz even before the holiday arrives - it is already ra.

● Just as the evil inclination is called arel (uncircumcised) because it clings to the body, so there is the prohibition, bal yera’eh, it shall not be seen (in your home).

● It does not help to act as if the clinging doesn't exist or it isn't there...For its clinging to the person makes one (tamei ) impure. Therefore there is the prohibition of bal yimatzeh, (it shall not be found). For the study of Torah separates one from impurity and in this way it is not found in one's domain.²⁵ במכיתתו. I have amended the text to the word B’mechitzato, a word used elsewhere in the text,

footnotes: ²⁵ 25 The text contains the word B’mechitato

● It is called soneh ,**** enemy, because there can be no peace with it and it must be burned out of the world. It must be burned with the fire of faith.

● Just as its name is michshol, stumbling block, because it is not enough if it causes harm or steals one’s sleep if it doesn’t cause one to stumble; therefore chametz is also forbidden to be present in even the smallest amount lest it cause one to stagger or stumble.

● It is called an even, a stone of those who err,²⁶ was the stone on which people stood when announcing lost objects. Tradition held that the stone was so high up that it would never be covered in a flood. He gives it a different connotation here. because it is nullified just as stone is worn down by water, the water of the well of Torah.

footnotes: ²⁶ 26 The expression is borrowed from Mishnah Taanit 3:8. The even hatoim

● Because the evil inclination is tzafun, hidden, so too it is necessary to have a full search in all the rooms, crevices of the house and in the attic and to root it out.

All of these stringencies are meant to completely expel the evil inclination and to destroy its nature. They are meant to warn Israel to play close attention to anything that is written about chametz and to prepare for their war against the true enemy all year long….. The prohibitions of chametz and related matters are meant to allude to the importance of keeping one’s distance from the evil inclination, and being constantly vigilant. If a person sins, let him humble himself and quickly repent. He should purify his thoughts and ideas and guard his home on all sides²⁷ may be from II Kings 11:6. I think the idea here is that by being vigilant in searching out chametz before and during Passover, one will learn to be more mindful in stopping the evil inclination. like to the laws of Passover.

footnotes: ²⁷ 27 Meaning uncertain. The word masakh

Look and see²⁸ that the preparation and koshering of utensils is an allusion to the way of repentance. In the koshering of utensils we find that there are four methods: (1) utensils that are bought from a non-Jew need immersion . (2) those are improperly used for cooking with chametz, even one time, need to be immersed in boiling water in order to extract the taste of chametz which enters them. (3) if it was directly used on a fire, it must be koshered with libun²⁹ is the process of making something kosher by heating it to a high temperature. so that the sparks fly off from it and the great strength of the fire removes the taste of the chametz that is in the utensils. (4) if the utensil is made of clay there is no way to repair it whether it was chametz or other prohibited foods that made it impure. It demands breaking since breaking is its purification in matters of impurity.

footnotes: ²⁸ 28 See 142:5 literally,”Look at my right and see.” ²⁹ 29 Libun

The four methods of kashering utensils allude to the four types of atonement that Rabbi Ishamael explicated:³⁰ “If one transgresses a positive commandment he is forgiven even before he moves from his place; if one transgresses a negative commandment, only repentance andYom Kippur can atone; if one transgresses a commandment for which the punishment is karet (being cut off), only repentance, Yom Kippur and suffering remove the sin; if one desecrated God’s name, one only gains atonement through death.” In all of them the body is a receptacle holding the soul as was stated in the Imrei Noam:³¹ the body is a utensil for the soul all the days that it is attached to the body….

footnotes: ³⁰ 30 See BT Yoma 86a Also Maimonides Mishnah Torah Hilchot Teshuvah 1:4 . There are many versions of this statement. See Burt Vistotzky Mortal Sins ³¹ 31 I am not certain what work he is referring to here.

Just as utensils taken from a gentile, even when they are new and have not been used for prohibited food contain a residue of impurity from the hand of the non-Jew require immersing (low level purification), so too a person who only transgresses a positive commandment is forgiven through regret and repentance. It is enough to immerse new utensils that were taken from a gentile. Similarly, the body, the utensil of the soul, which had contact with the evil-inclination (is cleansed) through regret and repentance for having transgressed a positive commandment since the evil inclination ruled over it.

If the utensil was used with chametz or any other prohibited food even one time, it needs rinsing in boiling water to purge the forbidden food from it. Similarly, the body, the utensil of the soul, which transgresses a negative commandment is kashered using the seething waters, (See Psalm 124:5) to rid it of the pitch and brimstone of the evil inclination, a person needs repentance and Yom Kippur which acts like rinsing in boiling water. The fire of fasting on Yom Kippur and repentance purges the poison which is in the utensil of the body that sinned by performing a negative commandment. In this way one repents and is healed.

And if one is trapped in the advice of his inclination and falls into a deep pit, transgressing laws which are punishable by karet or death at the hands of the court (such as unchastity and similar transgressions), it is similar to a utensil that is used for chametz or other prohibited foods directly on the fire. Such a utensil needs purification by fire so that the impure sparks fly off it. So too, with the body. If it was seduced by the burning fire of the evil inclination, ruling over it so that the person was guilty of a crime involving karet or death at the hands of the court, one needs the purification of the fire of suffering until the sparks fly off him. The flames of suffering have the power to purge what was used by the fire of the inclination. The actions of the sparks and their burning come together to purify the body and the poison of the prohibited so that all that remains is the cleansed utensil. But if the transgression causes a desecration of God’s name, then the utensil (the body) is like the earthenware utensil from which the impurity cannot be removed. It requires smashing; that is, death or brokenness which is its purification.

It is possible that scripture alluded to this in the verse, “Precious children of Zion; once valued as gold - alas, they are accounted as earthen pots, work of a potter’s hands!” (Lament. 4:2) When Israel’s sins became so great that they transgressed laws punishable either by karet, death at the hands of the court, or the desecration of God’s name, there is no repair for them but that they be broken. This is what the verse states: “Precious children of Zion; once valued as gold,” - they were pure utensils without any impurity. “Alas, they are accounted as earthen pots,” - through the sins of desecrating God’s name, they became like earthenware utensils which cannot be repaired except through breaking.

This is similar to what the prophet Jeremiah said in (the parable) of the vessel: “So will I smash this people and this city, as one smashes a potter’s vessel, which can never be mended…”³² He means to say that their sins were so grievous involving karet, death at the hands of the court, or the desecration of God’s name, there is no repair except if God desires their death. For they are similar to an earthenware vessel which was used to cook prohibited food. The impurity cannot leave it and it needs to be broken. This is the parable of the vessel when it says, “So I will smash this people and this city.” They are like vessels used for prohibited food and they are made of clay that needs to be broken “As one smashes a potter’s vessel, which can never be mended…” There is no way to repair it, either in boiling water or burning fire. This is the most grievous. Such people are nothing more than a potsherd of earth.³³

footnotes: ³² 32 See Jeremiah 19:11 ³³ 33 See Isaiah 45:9

We can conclude that just as utensils need purification and repair through rinsing or fire, so too the body which is the vessel of the soul needs purification and repair. When the soul has contact with fire, that is, the fire of the evil inclination ruling over it, causing it to burn, even if the sin was not so serious, just a smaller prohibition... it needs repair though self mortification and fasts until the sparks rise up and the person is purified both inside and out as in the kashering of vessels. Not only is the body/vessel damaged but so is the soul. This being so, the root of the soul above, is damaged. When the enemy prevails³⁴ it preys (on the supernal soul) and one cannot be saved from one’s sins. It is inclined toward the hand that is sent to aid the nations of the world, the evil inclination, so it can grasp the branches of one's soul, for Satan is the evil inclination. Every aspect of the evil inclination desires to prey on and oppress the holy sparks.

footnotes: ³⁴ 34 See Lamentations 1:16

This is so for the heavenly princes of each nation³⁵ who enter the soul of the nation over which they reign, causing evil to Jacob during the exile of Israel in their land. They cause Israel to sin and oppress them, as the Zohar explains in Parshat Shemot, 17a, “‘He said to his people, ‘Look, the Israelite people are too numerous for us.’”³⁶ Rabbi Shimon stated, “Come and see: a ruling angel was assigned over the Egyptians. Most of the parashah only speaks the mundane king of Egypt but there is a higher prince who was set over Pharaoh, king of Egypt…” We learn that the prince of the nation to which Israel has been exiled, places (the idea) in the minds of those people to oppress Israel, as is stated there in the Zohar: “He said to his people, ‘give us advice how to mistreat them…’’’ The idea is that the princes come from the evil inclination which incites Israel to sin. It is the prince who counsels the people and places in their hearts (the idea) to mistreat Israel, to subjugate them and cause them to forsake their faith. In this the evil inclination greatly desires to oppress the souls of Israel and their holy abundance; this is its main purpose, as stated in the Zohar and in the Gur Arye,³⁷ may his memory be a blessing.

footnotes: ³⁵ 35 This is a common idea in earlier Midrashic literature. There are seven proverbial nations. Each is ruled over by a heavenly angel/prince except for Israel - God alone rules over Israel. In the story of the Exodus Israel vanquishes the heavenly angel/prince of Egypt in order to defeat Pharaoh. ³⁶ 36 See Exodus 1:9 ³⁷ 37 Gur Arye is a supercommentary on Rashi on the Torah written by the Maharal of Prague (1526 – 1609)

One can now explain the verse from Isaiah, “Thus said Adonai, Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to the despised one, to the abhorred nations, to the slave of rulers: kings shall see and stand up; nobles, and they shall prostrate themselves - to the honor of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who chose you.”³⁸ “Thus said Adonai, redeemer of Israel,” refers to the redemption of the holy sparks from their prison upon which the evil inclination preys, steals and deceives them. This is the true redemption, as is written, “Redeemer of Israel, His holiness.”³⁹ God will redeem the holiness of Israel that is spread among the husks (in exile). They are, “the despised one” to the supernal prince. Its only desire is to scorn the souls of Israel and convince them to do wrong, destroying the seed of Israel, as it states, “the despised one.”⁴⁰ The one who scorns the souls of Israel is the abhorrent one of the nations. He (each supernal prince) causes the nations to make Israel abhorrent and despicable, God forbid, as it states, “the despised one”⁴¹ Because of this, the servant Israel who rules over his body and soul, against the nations and their heavenly princes, as is stated, “To the slave of the rulers.” Behold the day of the Lord will come, when “The riches he swallows he vomits.”⁴² Then the power of compassion will overcome and free the holy sparks as occurred during the Exodus from Egypt. On that day, “kings shall see and stand up,” For the essence of the sparks are the seven kings, as Gur Arye writes. These kings will see the lights and rise up from the depths of the husks. They are the princes of the nations and they shall bow down before God who is faithful and promised to save the holy souls of Israel and has chosen them for God’s service.

footnotes: ³⁸ 38 See Isaiah 49:7 ³⁹ 39 In other words, the true redemption is about redeeming the holy sparks that are trapped in this world. Israel holds those sparks. ⁴⁰ 40 They are despised by the supernal princes who now oppress them. ⁴¹ 41 The Chida forms the words despised one and despicable and abhorrent in the verse into verbs. The prince of the nation makes Israel into a despised and abhorrent one. ⁴² 42 See Job 20:15

We can now explain the allegorical meaning of Kol Chamira. Chametz, foods containing chametz, leavening, are the evil inclination and its troops. Therefore, before the coming of the great day,⁴³ the night when the festival is hallowed, (Is. 30:23) after one has toiled and prepared all types of utensils and his house has been purified along with his utensils, then he will be inspired by repentance having seen how far he must be from the prohibitions, both in taste or substance then (he recites) the nullification of the chametz, a decree of the sages, sweet words, Kol Chamira. It alludes to the nullification of “the leaven that is in the dough,”⁴⁴ Satan, the evil inclination. This is what the formula means: “All leavened stuff” - any type of leavening, or the advice of the evil inclination. “That is within my domain” - whether it came about because of the heavenly princes within whose land I dwell, whether caused by mixing with gentiles, or their subjugating us, whether it is cause by cursed materialism in this or previous incarnations (so that an impression of the evil inclination remains within my property that includes the body and the soul and its roots in heaven). “Whether I have seen it” - Sins I have committed of which I was aware, and character flaws such as arrogance and anger that I did not seek to remove and cast out of me. “Or have not seen,” - Sins of which I was not aware. “That I have destroyed” - I have removed the sin through repentance and yet the remnants of it remain. “And that I have not destroyed,” - I have not yet repented for that detail and nullified it and made it like the dust of the earth, so that it will not lead me to sin. “Let it be nullified” - Let it be nullified so that I am pure and whole in the service of God.

footnotes: ⁴³ 43 See Malachi 3:23; the conclusion of the Haftorah for Shabbat HaGadol ⁴⁴ 44 See BT Berachot 17a Talmudic term for the evil inclination.

In Chapter 2:6 of Pesachim, the Mishnah states: “These are the greens with which one discharges his obligation on Pesach: lettuce [hazaret]; chicory [olshin]; wild chicory [tamkah]; picridium [harhavina], and with horseradish [maror]. One fulfills one’s obligation whether they are moist or dry, but not if they are preserved in vinegar, or stewed or boiled. And they combine to the size of an olive.”

Before explaining this Mishnah, I must explicate several passages in Parshat Lech Lecha, according to their allegorical meaning.

“When he (Abram) returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh, which is the Valley of the King. And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him, saying, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your foes into your hand.” And [Abram] gave him a tenth of everything. (Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the possessions for yourself.”)⁴⁵ But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I swear to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth: I will not take so much as a thread or a sandal strap of what is yours; you shall not say, ‘It is I who made Abram rich.’ For me, nothing but what my servants have used up; as for the share of the men who went with me - Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre - let them take their share. Some time later, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision. He said, “Fear not, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” (Gen. 14:17-15:1)

footnotes: ⁴⁵ 45 This verse does not appear in the Chida’s text.

This passage can be explained allegorically. The first letters of the words מלך סדום לקראתו “The king of Sodom came out to meet him,” (samekh-melekh-lamed) have a gematria of 133, like the name, Samael, when including the word in the count.⁴⁶ this is one way of counting in Gematria - in addition to the numerical values of the letters, we add one for the word itself. In this case Samael is written with an additional aleph - and the word has the value of the words melekh sedom likrato - when we add one. Samael is (another name for) Satan and the evil inclination. The evil inclination comes out to meet Avraham who represents a righteous soul. As is written in Midrash HaNe’elam⁴⁷ in the holy Zohar: Abram had returned from smiting the ones who sat at the table of kings and dressed lavishly while following the Evil One. Even though they weren’t wicked, by connecting themselves to the Evil One and partaking of its royal delicacies, the evil inclination ruled over them, causing them to stumble little by little until they died at the hand of the Evil One and his gang. Together, all of them went to the Valley of Shaveh,⁴⁸ rich and poor, mighty and small; it is also known as the Valley of the King, the King of the world. Through council with the blessed Holy One, (Samael knew) that all who were born must die and it was a simple matter for the Evil Inclination to kill the wicked and their helpers. But he also saw that the wicked were no different than the righteous so he sought to cause the righteous and the pious to stumble and act wickedly. This was the great joy of the evil inclination - to rule over the righteous and treat them the same as the wicked. This was the intention of the evil inclination after Abram returned from smiting the Evil One and those attached to him. Many were smitten but he now sought to seduce the righteous with all types of seductions and falsehoods.

footnotes: ⁴⁶ 46 Literally Im Hakollel, ⁴⁷ 47 Midrash haNe-elam is a separate work embedded in the text of the Zohar. ⁴⁸ 48 Mentioned in the verses above. THe word shaveh means equal - so it doesn't differentiate between those who come there...

God answered with a promise that he would never forsake his faithful ones, guarding them. Therefore, God sent Malki-tzedek (whose gematria is the same as Shechinah, 390).⁴⁹ adds up to 390. Hashechinah also adds up to 390. However in our text the Chidah uses the word Shechinah and not HaShechinah. Adding the number of words still does not add up... In His promise, “Behold, Adonai stood before him” to watch over him, he (Malki-tzedek) brought out bread and wine, as it is written, “Come, eat my food and drink the wine that I have mixed.” (Proverbs 9:5)The commentators explain that wine and bread refer to Torah and wisdom. This is how the blessed Holy One arouses the righteous, moving their hearts to busy themselves in Torah and wisdom and deepen their understanding. In this way God helped remove the evil inclination from Abram. For the Merciful one has said, “I have created the evil inclination and I have created Torah as an antidote.”⁵⁰ For one who busies himself in matters of Torah and in contemplation removes improper thoughts (from his mind). The council of the evil inclination is scattered and carried away by the wind.

footnotes: ⁴⁹ 49 The numbers are not so clear to me here. U’malki tzedek melech ⁵⁰ 50 See BT Kiddushin 30b

Malki-Tzedek was the priest of El Elyon because he remained righteous. In his holiness a priest served El Elyon and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed is Abrahm - a righteous soul - to El Elyon, Creator of Heaven and earth.” That is to say, the righteous person in his Torah and commandments creates himself, as is stated, “And You shall make them,”⁵¹ - read it, “And ‘you’⁵² andatem, “You shall do them” and “You shall make you.” shall make you.” If you observe my commandments I will give you credit as if you created yourself. As stated in the Talmud, Sanhedrin, Chapter 11, Chelek: “He calls to the heavens above,” (Psalm 50:4) this is the soul, which is heavenly. “And to the earth that He may judge His people”; the earth is the body, which is earthly.⁵³ This is what he means when Malki-Tzedek says, “El Elyon, Creator of heaven and earth.” For the righteous person creates his own soul and body through his righteous deeds he creates his body; his physical being becomes sanctified like his soul. This is the fruit of the righteous person, adding holy to the mundane. It is through the way of the secular that he strengthens the holy, even the flesh. “And blessed is El Elyon who delivers your foes into your hand,” God delivered the evil inclination and its powers into your hand, for everything is in the hands of heaven except for fear of heaven. This is what is meant by “your hands” - when the righteous person is strengthened and aroused to battle his inclination, God helps him rule over the evil inclination. Abram then gave a tithe of everything to Malki Tzedek because the blessed Holy One caused his Divine Presence (Shechinah) to dwell upon him.Yalkut Reuveni quotes the Holy Zohar: A tithe of this is for the Shechinah, for the righteous, so to speak, are a chariot for the Shechinah.⁵⁴ represents the Shechinah, or the lowest of the Sefirot. Together with Hesed, Gevurah and Tiferet, the four Sefirot represent the divine chariot in Ezekiel’s vision. The tenth Sefirah is often referred to as Malchut but it is also the divine presence or Shechinah.

footnotes: ⁵¹ 51 See Leviticus 26:3 “If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments, Chida reads the last Hebrew words of this verse literally “and you shall make them(Selves)” ⁵² 52 Playing on the word otam ⁵³ 53 See BT Sanhedrin 91b ⁵⁴ 54 That is Malki-Tzedek

“Then the King of Sodom said to Abram…” Now the bargaining of the evil inclination with the righteous soul began. Seeing how poor the righteous soul (Abram) was and how he went about in his poverty and lowliness eager to serve God, the evil inclination spoke to him face to face, saying, “give me the souls,⁵⁵” which the chidah translates as souls and not persons. that is, give me their spiritual portion, and “You take the material possessions so that you will be blessed with wealth and won’t have to work. If you listen to the Sitra Achra, you will see that the wicked always prosper!” (Jeremiah 12:1)

footnotes: ⁵⁵ 55 The biblical verse contains “nefesh

Abram/the soul then said to the King of Sodom, “When an unsavory thought enters into the heart of the righteous, they should immediately make an oath to Adonai, El Elyon, creator of Heavens and earth, that the righteous should not take credit for himself. It is the strength of Torah and good deeds that fashion his body and soul. Instead he should say that whatever success he has is because of God and that everything comes from the Blessed One. God created body and soul and God created heaven and earth, as is said, “The soul is Yours and the body is Your work.”⁵⁶ liturgy. It is through God’s goodness that we are alive. God is All-powerful!”

footnotes: ⁵⁶ 56 This expression appears in both the Sephrdic and Ashkenazic High Holy Day Selichot

(Abram/the righteous soul continues:) “I will not take so much as a thread” - even to give up a thread of Torah; I have no desire nor willI I listen to the evil inclination. “Or a sandal strap of what is yours” This refers to one’s wife, as the sages explained, “take off your shoe,”⁵⁷ This teaches that even when dealing with one’s wife who is given to a man through heavenly assignment, his actions must be for the sake of heaven. Whatever pleasure there is only for the sake of God, as it says, “He spoke and it was” (Psalm 33:9) - this refers to the woman one marries. “God commanded and it stood” (ibid) - these are the children who one works hard to raise.⁵⁸ From this expression we derive that the evil impulse tries to seduce a person in both easy and hard ways. At first it speaks to a righteous person about doing something easy - if he doesn’t listen he is saved. This is not so with the wicked who put doing before listening.⁵⁹ Even in weighty matters they become entrapped in its domain.⁶⁰

footnotes: ⁵⁷ 57 See Exodus 3:5 where this expression appears. However I think it is a reference to Deuteronomy 25, the ceremony of halitzah in which the woman removes the man’s shoe as part of the ceremony. ⁵⁸ 58 See BT 152b - “For He spoke and it was”; this is a woman that a man marries. ⁵⁹ 59 Irony here - he uses the expression in the opposite way. Israel accepted the Torah by doing and then listening. ⁶⁰ 60 Final part of this passage is unclear.

I think this is the reason that the sages in the tractate of Sukkot said⁶¹ For the righteous the evil inclination appears as a high mountain, and for the wicked it appears as strand of hair. “In the future... the evil inclination will appear to the righteous as a high mountain, and as a strand of hair to the wicked. Both these and these will weep. The righteous will weep and say: How were we able to overcome such a high mountain? And the wicked weep and say: How were we unable to overcome this strand of hair?” This means that for the righteous, when the evil inclination tempts them, it is relatively easy not to follow it. When they see it as a mighty mountain (the true intention of the evil inclination) they begin crying because so little was asked of them and they were not enticed except in relatively easy ways. They begin crying because they realize they have done very little (on their own) and everything was because of God. God made it so that the evil inclination did not pursue them like a mountain - had it done so they could not have withstood it. And the wicked who see it as a thread - something simple - at the beginning of their sinfulness, they realize that they could have easily conquered it and they begin to cry about the extent of their perversity.

footnotes: ⁶¹ 61 BT Sukkot 52a In the Talmud it begins, “In the future, Rabbi Yehudah said, in the future God will bring the evil inclination and slaughter it in the presence of the righteous and in the presence of the wicked.

(Returning to the passage in Genesis) Abram said, “I will not take so much as a thread” - I won’t compromise even with something easy. “A sandal strap” - Even with his wife he will not take improper pleasure. “Of whatever is yours,” whether it is for eating, drinking or other bodily pleasures; whatever it is will only be taken in the name of God and then in greatly restricted amounts as is necessary to maintain life. Everything should be for the sake of heaven and with lofty intentions (kavanah) to clarify the holy sparks and to unite them with the divine. It would appear that he did not want to have pleasure from this world at all. This is what he said, “If I take anything that is yours” and God then enriches me with great kindness, you will be able to say, “I enriched Abram.” This was an explicit declaration that he didn't want anything from the evil inclination or from the dark side. Nothing that is banned (herem) should cling to Abram’s hands. The only bit that is acceptable “Is for that which the youth have used.” That is, was used in my youth, before the good inclination rose up. (For instance) when I engaged in eating without intention to clarify the holy sparks and for the sake of heaven. “As for the share of the men who went with me,” that is to say, these few men represent the body that served some purpose in this world through travel and eating. When the letters of the name Aner are switched around it spells naar, youth or youthful actions; Eshkol is Eish Kol, entirely fire - that is to say, it is the evil inclination without a good inclination. It is entirely the fire of the evil inclination; Mamre represents how I rebelled against my parents and teachers in my youth. (Abram continues) Let me accept a portion of suffering for these sins in this world so that I will be freed of suffering in the world to come from my youthful sins. After this, the evil inclination argued that a righteous person must completely separate himself so that he has no pleasure in this world. Not only that but he must accept the suffering of his youth when he did not behave with abstinence and piety. God showed great compassion to Abram/the righteous one….That which is said “In a vision,” (Gen. 15:1) God said to Abram, ‘My beloved son, there is no need for suffering as long as your Torah study is conducted with great passion. This is the promise/vision of Torah according to the sages in Song Of Songs Rabbah: “And your face (maraiyich) is comely - this is Torah learning (Talmud)”⁶² My Grandfather of blessed memory explained in his commentary on the Mishnah that Torah is like a mirror so that all who peer into it see themselves according to their form. Each person toils in it according to his level. This is why it says, “Look into it.”⁶³ …. This is what it means when it states, “In a vision, saying…” That is to say, “You do not need a vision since the Torah speaks to the one above and atones for sins like sacrifices. As the sages explain, ‘Don’t be afraid (al tira Avram) of suffering; I will protect you in this world and your reward will be great in the world to come.’

footnotes: ⁶² 62 See Song of Songs 2:14, Song of Songs Rabbah 2:14 ⁶³ 63 Avot 5:22

The time has come⁶⁴ to explain the allusions in our Mishnah...Some years ago I saw this in the book Midrash Bichidush by the holy sage, our teacher Eliezer Nachman Foa, of blessed memory… The greens are an allusion to the nations and kingdoms which subjugated Israel: Maror represents the Egyptians who oppressed Israel with hard labor and “embittered their lives.” (Ex. 1:14, Deut. 26:6) Picridium (harhavina) is a reference to wicked Babylonia who destroyed the Temple. Wild chicory (tamkah) refers to Media who supported Israel in the building of the Second Temple but also because God had to support us so that we didn’t fall into the hands of Haman. Chicory (olshin) is a reference to the yoke of wicked Greece (ol yavan) who decreed that Jews were not to study Torah; this is the meaning of the name - ol shin, or a yoke against learning.⁶⁵, which is another word for learning. Lettuce (hazaret) is for our present exile; the blessed Holy One in the future will bring us back and return our kingdom as it originally was. These are the things that were recorded; unfortunately the book cannot be found at this time. According to Rabbi Foa’s explanation the Mishnah begins with these vegetables with which a person fulfills his obligation….. Since the time when Israel went out of Egypt they came forth from the depths of the husks.⁶⁶ husks, is a term used in Lurianic Kabbalah for evil. It is the outer manifestation that contains and hides the sparks of holiness. If Israel hadn’t left at that time they would not have survived. Therefore to complete the decree in the covenant of the pieces they had to be in the hands of their harsh masters and there were to be four kingdoms in days to come⁶⁷: Babylonia, Edom, Greece and Media. These (greens) are allusions to the exiles that Israel would face…. For Israel would be one in the land and they would be like a scattered flock of sheep as they went out in exile as was foretold in the covenant of the pieces.… the full Exodus would involve four exiles

footnotes: ⁶⁴ 64 A translation cannot capture the imaginative use of the biblical verses here! See Ecclesiastes 3:1 - “There is a time for every experience” and Song of Songs 2:12 - “The time of pruning has come.” ⁶⁵ 65 Shin or shinun ⁶⁶ 66 Kelipot, ⁶⁷ 67 See Bereshit Rabbah 44:17

It is possible to interpret the first verse in Parshat Shemot, “These are the names of the children of Israel who came (habaim) to Egypt,” as the early interpreters⁶⁸ explained that the blessed Holy One showed our father Abraham, of blessed memory, the four exiles as the sages explained, “A great dark dread descended upon him”⁶⁹ - these are the four exiles. At the giving of the first set of commandments at Mount Sinai, the Israelites were redeemed from the angel of death and freed from subjugation to the other nations - so how do we account for the four exiles? It seems that as a result of the great famine in the time of Joseph people from all the nations came to dwell in Egypt and remained there. All of them were involved in the subjugation of Israel. If the Israelites had not sinned by worshipping the golden calf they would have already been saved from the four exiles since all of them subjugated us in Egypt.⁷⁰ When they made the golden calf at Mount Sinai (Horev), it was necessary for the four exiles to occur over the course of years and generations. I heard this from Rabbi Jacob ibn Naim,⁷¹ of blessed memory in explaining the verse, “Thus let the redeemed of the LORD say, those He redeemed from adversity, whom He gathered in from the lands, from east and west, from the north and from the sea. Some lost their way in the wilderness, in the wasteland; they found no settled place.” (Psalm 107:2-3) The people did not know that the Exodus from Egypt was like going out of many lands that had gathered from the East, West, etc. ...It was as if God had gathered them from the four corners of the world since all these nations were in Egypt and had subjugated them. But they erred in the wilderness, making the golden calf and this was the reason why they actually had to go through four separate exiles.

footnotes: ⁶⁸ 68 See Mishnah Keilim 25:4 The expression Kat HaKodmim appears in this Mishnah but it has a totally different meaning from the way he uses it here. ⁶⁹ 69 See Genesis 15:12, Bereshit Rabba 44:17. “And behold a great dark dread descended upon him: dread - this is Babylonia….dark - this is Midea...great….this is Greece...fell upon them…. this is Edom ⁷⁰ 70 In other words the four exiles all took place in Egypt since it involved the four nations! ⁷¹ 71 Rabbi of Smyrna toward the end of the seventeenth century. He corresponded with Ḥayyim Benveniste, author of "Keneset ha-Gedolah," whom Jacob seems to have succeeded in the rabbinate of Smyrna. Jacob was the author of "Mishkenot Ya'aḳob" (Salonica, 1721), homilies on the Pentateuch and other subjects.

There is nothing that alludes to this directly in the Torah but there is a hint to it in the expression, “These are the names of the sons of Israel who came (habaim Mitzrayimah) to Egypt.” (Exodus 1:1) The expression “When they came to Egypt,” they would have fulfilled the five exiles which are hinted at by the word Habaim Mitzrayim’aH, “Who came to Egypt.” They are Babylonia, Edom, Greece, and Media. (The first letters spell out baim). With Egypt there are five and it is the hay of the word habaim. All of these nations were in Egypt. I heard in the name of the famous sage, Maharam Zachuti⁷², he was a rabbi, Kabbalist, and poet. of blessed memory, that the word Mitzrayim there is a reference to the five exiles. The letters of Egypt, Mitzrayim are: M itzraim Tz ulah,⁷³ (a name for Babylonia) R ome, Y avan (Greece), M edia (Persia). If Israel had not made the Golden Calf, the Exile in Egypt would have made up for all the other exiles.

footnotes: ⁷² 72 I assume this is a reference to Moses ben Mordecai Zacuto (c. 1625 – 1 October 1697), also known by the Hebrew acronym ReMe"Z ⁷³ 73 See Isaiah 44:27, Rashi’s comment ad locum

Now we can explain the allusions in the Mishnah according to this explanation. It is well known that there are powerful qualities in certain herbs and roots. They can heal the sick and afflicted. These qualities are hidden from the gentile doctors. The doctors in certain lands might know the names**…** We have heard that Bedouins living in tents in the wilderness and also those living on islands in the Americas know of the medicinal qualities of herbs on illnesses which the doctors have labored to treat without affect - these doctors, known as Refaim, believe that one herb can provide a full recovery. Just as the body can be healed with herbs of the field, so the Tanna’im⁷⁴ compare them to the healing of the soul. Like the herbs of the field, God blessed these plants, “priceless herbs worth silver and gold,”⁷⁵) are silver and gold, The Chida writes - their herbs (asaveihem) to provide a full healing for the service of God and to lift one’s heart so that it clings to the good inclination (See Tziporen Shamir Number 4)⁷⁶ alluding to Passover. A person must fulfill all of his obligations on Passover, having clung to the service of God and fulfilled the good inclination as alluded to in the Mishnah:⁷⁷]; with chicory [olshin]; with wild chicory [tamkah]; with picridium [harhavina], and with sonchus [maror]. They fulfill their obligation whether they are moist or dry, but not preserved [in vinegar], or stewed or boiled. And they combine to the size of an olive.

footnotes: ⁷⁴ 74 Tanaaim is the term for the sages quoted in the Mishnah. ⁷⁵ 75 See Psalm 115:4, playing on the verse “Their idols (Atzabeihem ⁷⁶ 76 This is another work by Chaim Yosef David Azulai ⁷⁷ 77 See Mishnah Pesachim 2:6 And these are the herbs with which one discharges his obligation on Pesah: with lettuce [hazaret

Hazeret alludes to one’s obligation to review God’s teachings, never allowing these teachings to depart from his mouth. This is a great principle for saving oneself from the evil inclination, as is said, “I created the evil inclination and I created the Torah as an antidote.”⁷⁸ This is why the Tanna’im and the Amora’im⁷⁹ in early times were so holy and that the fire of the evil inclination could not rule over them. At that time, the Oral Torah was constantly reviewed by the sages because they were not allowed to write it down. Even though the Mishnah was already written, the Braitot and other teaching were all taught orally. If one’s heart was stirred (Ex. 35:21) to learn, it was necessary to review one’s lessons day and night and never stop so that one would not forget them. The occupation of constantly learning Torah by heart helped them, and made them holy as is stated in the Talmud. Menahem ben Judah de Lonzano, of blessed memory, wrote in Derech Chaim that fear of God and the fulfillment of the commandments is dependent upon Torah study. The more one studies Torah, the more one will increase one’s fear of God and clinging to God. He wrote about this at length. It is for this reason that Hazeret⁸⁰ is similar to the word hazar, to review. is taught first as the cornerstone - that one should study faithfully and review his learning.

footnotes: ⁷⁸ 78 See BT Kiddushin 30b ⁷⁹ 79 Amoraim refers to scholars of the period from about 200 to 500 CE who followed the tana’im of the Mishnah, ⁸⁰ 80 Hazeret

Olshin is an allegorical allusion as stated earlier, Ol Shinun - yoke of repetition. One should accept upon himself the yoke of repeating his learning, as the early sages said, “You should make your Torah learning a regular pursuit,”⁸¹ learning so many pages a day and so many hours each night and learning such and such at night. He should bear the yoke and never fade (Psalm 1:3) this Ol-Shin, the yoke of learning.

footnotes: ⁸¹ 81 See Mishnah Pirkei Avot

Tamcha Harchvinah Let those who are sinful find support (tamach) by remembering how the Temple was destroyed (harav) because of one’s evil deeds. One rebukes him with harsh words like sinews. Maror -This is meant to cause the bitterness of maror, to cause one to return to the good. This is the proper way as the Zohar states, “Pursue the sinner as one pursues life.”⁸² - pursue - here in the sense that it is used in rabbinic literature. A rodef, pursues someone to kill him. So here one should pursue the evil inclination to destroy it. These are the greens and herbs that can cause one to shine, bringing healing to the soul and causing the soul to cling to God.

footnotes: ⁸² 82 I believe the Chida uses the word Mirdaf

Another explanation is to say that the Mishnah alludes to the repentant person who wishes to flee destruction, in the valley of tears,⁸³ when he doesn't know how to raise up his soul to God. The Tanna'im allude to this in the statement These are the greens - the herbs of the mountains, the mountains of God, where it is fitting to raise up the ones who go astray and gather the scattered so that a person has fulfilled his obligation on Passover, leaping like a ram from the Valley of Rephaim⁸⁴ (Shades, Ghosts) to the heights of holiness.

footnotes: ⁸³ 83 See Psalm 84:7 Emek HaBacha is a place name - I have translated it literally here. ⁸⁴ 84 See Proverbs 9:18 Emek Refaim a place name, associated with the dead

Hazeret - To begin with, the first fruit of everything is when a person experiences great regret - this is fitting to bring him to return from his sin against the soul.

Olshin - (He should experience) the yoke of the attribute of judgment. The name Elohim when it is spelled out with the names of its letters (Aleph-lamed-hay -yud-mem) is equal to three hundred (the letter shin). This is the meaning of the expression Ol Shin, the yoke of Elohim. A person experiences suffering and all the judgements that are fitting for his sin from the attribute of judgment. The full name of God, Elohim. This is how the ancient ones explained what King David said, “I have set God (YHVH) constantly before me.” (Psalm 16:8) This means, ‘I value YHVH, who represents the attribute of mercy, before me.’ That is, it is opposite from me, as we find, “If he is unworthy, she shall be opposed to him.”⁸⁵ Similarly the sages explained the verse, “YHVH shall be my God (Elohim),” (Gen. 28:21) this means, let the attribute of mercy be set before me for judgement, as the Holy Zohar explained. This is the allusion of Ol Shin/Ol Elohim, the attribute of judgment.

footnotes: ⁸⁵ 85 See Genesis 2:18 Rashi ad locum.

Tamcha Harchvinah - One should beware to find support (from evil) which seeks to destroy the soul and weaken it, by causing it to break down boundaries and trample them so that it is overgrown with briers and thistles. (Isaiah 5:6) There Lilith reposes. Now you must rebuild the ruins and fix them so that they are no longer entirely destroyed. This hints that everything must be placed in order, rising up each day to strengthen, to build and to plant.

Maror - and everything shall be accomplished through self mortification and through bitter sighs.

They fulfill their obligation whether they are moist or dry - That is to say, whether one sheds tears for one’s sins, for the gates of tears are never locked - this is moist. Or dry - that is to say, he fasts until his bones are dried out.

But not preserved in vinegar (k’vushin) - Repentance is not effective if others force (kovshim) one to repent or if he does so out of fear. In such a case his actions are not heartfelt.

Nor should it be stewed or boiled - that is to say, that takes their taste away, meaning it is not performed with a whole heart. Even with these he has not fulfilled his obligation whether forced or with repentance and weak deeds since the herbs no longer have their original taste nor can they heal - these are ineffective.

They combine to the size of an olive - All forms of self-mortification helps refine⁸⁶) and refine (tzarof yitzrifu) one and separates one from the evil inclination as explained in the book, *Magid Meisharim, Parshat Bereshit, “*The olive-bulk that the Sages said (must remain of the liver so the animal will remain kosher) must be in the place (where the liver connects to) the gallbladder .⁸⁷ This olive-bulk protects one from accusers. When an olive-bulk isn’t found there is nothing separating one from the side of impurity. Evil rules over him. This is hinted at in the teaching, “They combine to the size of an olive,” that is, self- mortification and other bitter plants. These join together to make up the olive-bulk that separates one from the evil inclination. It is a partition that the evil one cannot enter to trouble the order of purity. For God examines the heart and preserves those who walk in purity and are upright.

footnotes: ⁸⁶ 86 Note the play on words combine (mitztarfim ⁸⁷ 87 See BT Hullin 46b playing on the word mara - the olive bulk helps to atone for one’s sins.

As I speak of this, I am reminded (Is. 31:19) of the explanation of the Maggid Meisharim by the Panim Meirot,⁸⁸ in his book, Ketonet Ohr, which was recently published (on Parashat Bahar). He quotes Hullin 46b, “The royal army came to Pumbedita, and Rabba and Rav Yosef fled the city, whereupon Rabbi Zeira met them. Rabbi Zeira said to them: Refugees, hear this halakha: The olive-bulk that the Sages said (must remain of the liver so the animal will remain kosher must be) in the place (where the liver connects to) the gallbladder (mara).” The mention of this organ demands some explanation; what is the connection between the sages’ flight from Pumpedita and Rabbi Zeira’s statement regarding the olive-bulk by the gallbladder (mara)? It would appear that these subjects are an allusion (remez). The Panim Meirot brought insight to this passage. Rabbi Zeira speaks of the refugees from the royal army as a reference to those fleeing from the evil inclination. He tells them, ‘make sure that it does not rule over you.’ The mystery is that the olive-bulk of which they spoke must remain in the gallbladder (mara) so that the evil inclination cannot rule over them. One needs an olive-bulk to separate oneself from accusers, and in this way one assures that the evil inclination can rule over them and they must then banish it so that it is not found with them or cause harm to them. It is my contention that this is his explanation of this passage.

footnotes: ⁸⁸ 88 Meir ben Izsak Eisenstadt 1670 – 1744 was the author of responsa and other works of rabbinic literature. An authority on Halakha, he was consulted by rabbis from Turkey, Germany and Italy.

But having studied the explanation of the Panim Meirot, it seems to me, in my limited understanding, that the correct explanation is just the opposite. Rabbi Zeira’s intention is to tell them that it was not right to flee. In the first chapter of Baba Batra (8a) “Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: “Suffering comes to the world only due to ignoramuses. This is like the incident of the crown tax [kelila] that was imposed on the residents of the city of Tiberias. The heads of the city came before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi and said to him: The Sages should contribute along with us. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to them: No, the Sages are exempt. They said to him: Then we will run away and the entire burden will fall on the Torah scholars. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to them: Run away as you please….They all ran away, so that only one launderer was left. The authorities imposed the entire tax on the launderer. The launderer then ran away as well. The crown tax was then canceled in its entirety. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said: You see from this that suffering comes to the world only due to ignoramuses.” Also⁸⁹ the sages commented, on“Greater than the sand:” (Gen.22:12) “Just as a little sand can hold back the sea, the deeds of the righteous which are greater than the sand on the shore, how much more so… Rabbi Yohanan said, “I am a wall and my breasts are like towers,” (Song of Songs 8:10) may be explained as follows: “I am a wall”; this is referring to the Torah. “And my breasts are like a tower.” Thus, Rabbi Zeira criticized Rabba and Rav Yosef, two of the great scholars of their generation for being afraid and fleeing. He called them “refugees!” In other words, “Did you really need to flee? That olive-bulk separates gallbladder so that it does not spread, as the Maggid Meisharim writes...How much more so when you study Torah it serves as a tower and you add to the sand that protects us from the sea.....You are even greater than the sand of the sea. Certainly you didn't need to flee since retribution is only visited upon ignoramuses. His words were meant to hint to them that they had not acted properly.

footnotes: ⁸⁹ 89 See Baba Batra 7b

With this explanation we do not need the explanation of our teachers, the Tosafot and the Ran in his novella. They question why Rabbi Zeira did not also flee. They answered that Rabbi Zeira’s father was tax collector for the king.⁹⁰ Our answer is better because he didn't think that the other sages had to flee. The statement that Rabbi Zeira his father was the head tax collector and Rabbi Zeira did want there to be too many people. But Rabbi Zeira believed that they didn’t have to flee from the city because the sages did not need protection because they feared God and were protected by an encircling shield.⁹¹

footnotes: ⁹⁰ 90 See BT Sanhedrin 25b ⁹¹ 91 See Psalm 91:4