which amount to the numeric-value of: two, two and seven, seven equalling 18¹¹.

footnotes: ¹ ḥaiy ¹ life

Or, those who guard the Yod¹², which is the sign of the covenant of circumcision, which is for the ‘eight’ days, for all is 18³.

footnotes: ¹ י ² 10 ³ ḥaiy

Or, those who lay phylacteries¹ every day, which are the letter Yod², as it says: (Ex. 13:16) And it shall be for a sign... etc. and they bind them with the 8 ‘housings’ of the phylacteries, which are the 4 housings of the tephilin¹ of the head, and the 4 scrolls of the tephilin of the hand.

footnotes: ¹ tephilin ² י ¹ phylacteries

Or, those who preserve the letter Yod¹, the Sabbath, in its domain, which is 8 – two thousand cubits in each direction – and all is 18.

footnotes: ¹ י

These they accept in repentance, which is Noah’s ark – the Day of Atonement. But others they do not accept in repentance, and if they emerge on the Day of Judgement – those that have not been observant – it is stated of them: (Gen. 7:21) *And all the flesh that crawls on the earth perished... *And they are called ‘the completely wicked’, who are judged immediately for death,¹ for it is through them, in six days, that the Shekhinah has wandered.

footnotes: ¹ BT Rosh HaShanah 16b

It is this that is written: (Gen. 8:9) And the dove¹ did not find rest for her foot... * *– and these are the weekdays.

footnotes: ¹ yonah

The ‘completely righteous’ – these are they that observe ‘18’, and Sabbaths and festivals – about them it is stated: (Gen. 8:11) *And the dove returned to him towards the evening *– and this is refers to Sabbath and Festival eves, for the Shekhinah arrives to reside upon them, because they are holy, as it says: (Jer. 2:3) Holy is Israel to Y”Y...

(Deut. 4:4) And you who cleave to Y”Y your God, are all of you living¹ this day, and they are ‘the completely righteous’, who are written and sealed immediately for life, and written in the Book of Life, as it says:² ‘and in the Book of Life, blessing, etc.’

footnotes: ¹ ḥayyim ² Liturgical: from the ‘Standing Prayer’ of the Ten Days of Repentance.

‘Average-ones’¹, who are comprised of mundane and holy, are suspended in judgement until the Day of Atonement, which is like Noah’s ark. If they return in repentance, it accepts them, and they are written for life, and if not, they are written for death – with the others of whom it is stated: (Gen. 7:21) And all flesh perished... etc.

footnotes: ¹ beinonim

And average people, because there are, in them, precepts and sins, it is stated of them: (Gen. 6:19) And from every living thing, from all flesh... etc. ...from every living thing...– from the aspect of merits, ...from all flesh...– from the aspect of sins.

[And furthermore: for at the time that the messiah will arrive, all those who guarded the sign of the covenant will be saved from death, for at that time death will be annulled, as prophesied by those prophets of ‘the looking glass that does not shine’ – that there would not remain except... one from a town, and two from a family, (Jer. 3:14) like that which is written: (Gen. 7:9) Two by two they came to Noah...

And there is the view that says: (Gen. 7:2) *... seven by seven... *– from the aspect of Bat Sheva¹. And these are:... one from a town. (Jer. 3:14) Noah – this is Sabbath, in which is the rest inherited by a righteous-one. Two by two... (Gen. 7:9) – two days: one of New Year, and one of the Day of Judgement, for the second day is from doubt,² and one day of the Day of Atonement, and one day of the Festival of Weeks, and... seven by seven... (Gen. 7:2) ... are: the seven days of Tabernacles, and the seven days of Passover, for whoever observes these days is destined to be saved in the exile.]

footnotes: ¹ ‘daughter of-seven’ ² See BT Beitzah 4b

And because the blessed Holy One revealed all this to Moses, he requested mercy for them, and submitted himself for death,¹ it is this that is written: (Ex. 32:32) *... and if not, wipe me out please from Your book... *And through his appeasement, he cleaved to the King, and he took hold of the right arm, and said: (Ex. 32:13) *Remember Abraham! *After which, he took hold of the left-side and said: *Remember Isaac! *After which, he took hold of the body and said: ...and to Israel...

footnotes: ¹ See BT Berakhot 32a and Sotah 14a

And the blessed Holy One had said, regarding those average-ones, that ‘the merit of the Patriarchs has finished’,¹ since they had not returned in repentance, they are like the completely wicked, and if they would return in repentance, it is stated of them, that the merit of the Patriarchs does apply.

footnotes: ¹ See BT Shabbat 55a

And so that these ‘average people’ would not be destroyed, Moses said: ‘Should the world say that I am like Noah, who did not request mercy upon his generation?’ At that time, he submitted himself for them, it is this that is written:... and if not, wipe me out please... (Ex. 32:32)

And because of this, the Faithful Shepherd Moses is destined to be in the final exile,¹ and in him will be fulfilled: (Is. 53:5) And he was pained² *by our crimes... *He was made ‘mundane’² because of us, afflicted in our iniquities – plagued by the afflictions of poverty, with many oppressions that he suffered because of them. And because of him: (Ex. 32:14) And Y”Y repented of the evil... etc. And it is this that is written: (Is. 53:5) ... and with his wound we were healed.

footnotes: ¹ See Midrash Tanḥuma, Ḥuqat Ch.10 ² me-ḥolal ² ḥol

And of Moses’ merit, because of it, the left-side rejects the average-ones – which is New Year, and the right-side draws them near in repentance – which is Passover