A
Handmaid
Who
Is
Heir
to
Her
Mistress
This
requires
a
thorough
explanation.
To
make
it
clear
to
all,
I
will
choose
to
interpret
the
matter
by
what
is
revealed
to
us
for
this
reason
and
extends
to
us
here
in
the
conduct
of
this
world.
Internality
and
Externality
The
thing
is
that
the
upper
roots
extend
their
power
by
cascading
until
their
branches
appear
in
this
world,
as
it
is
written
in
the
explanation
of
branch
and
root.
As
a
whole,
the
worlds
are
regarded
as
internality
and
externality,
like
a
heavy
load
that
none
can
lift
or
move
from
place
to
place.
Hence,
the
advice
is
to
divide
the
load
into
small
parts
and
subsequently
transfer
them
one
at
a
time.
It
is
similar
in
our
matter:
Since
the
purpose
of
creation
is
invaluable,
for
a
tiny
spark
such
as
man’s
soul
can
rise
in
its
attainment
higher
than
the
ministering
angels,
as
our
sages
said
about
the
verse,
“Now
it
will
be
said
to
Jacob
and
to
Israel:
‘What
has
God
wrought!’”
They
interpreted
that
the
high
angels
will
ask
Israel,
“What
has
God
wrought?”
The
Evolution
of
Israel
(Internality)—One
at
a
Time
This
abundance
will
come
to
us
only
by
developing
one
at
a
time.
As
in
the
above
allegory,
even
the
heaviest
load
can
be
lifted
if
we
split
it
into
pieces
and
raise
them
one
at
a
time.
Not
only
the
general
purpose
comes
to
us
in
this
manner,
but
even
the
physical
purpose,
which
is
but
a
preparation
for
the
general
purpose,
comes
to
us
through
gradual
and
slow
development.
Hence,
the
worlds
have
been
divided
into
internality
and
externality,
where
each
world
contains
illuminations
suitable
to
operate
in
a
slow
development,
and
they
are
called
“the
internality
of
the
world.”
Evolution
of
the
Nations
of
the
World
(Externality)—at
Once
Opposite
them
are
illuminations
that
can
act
only
at
once;
hence,
when
they
appear
here
in
their
worldly
branches
and
are
given
control,
not
only
do
they
not
correct,
they
even
ruin.
Our
sages
call
it
“unripe,”
as
it
is
written
concerning
the
Tree
of
Knowledge
and
Adam
HaRishon,
that
they
ate
unripe
fruit.
This
means
that
it
is
truly
a
dainty
delight,
immeasurably
pleasant,
and
is
destined
to
delight
man,
but
in
the
future,
not
at
present,
as
it
is
still
growing
and
developing.
This
is
why
they
compared
it
to
an
unripe
fruit,
since
the
fig,
too,
which
is
the
sweetest,
most
pleasant
fruit,
when
eaten
prematurely,
will
upset
one’s
stomach
and
he
will
die.
Indeed,
we
should
ask,
“Who
is
the
one
who
brings
such
an
act
into
the
world?”
After
all,
it
is
known
that
there
is
no
action
in
our
world
that
comes
without
a
strike
in
the
upper
root.
Know
that
this
is
what
we
call
“the
control
of
the
externality,”
as
in
the
verse,
“God
has
made
one
opposite
the
other.”
It
contains
a
force
that
pushes
and
rushes
toward
the
revelation
of
the
internal
guidance,
as
our
sages
said,
“I
place
upon
them
a
king
such
as
Haman,
and
against
their
will
they
will
repent.”
The
Internality
Are
the
People
of
Israel
Once
we
have
clarified
the
upper
roots,
we
will
clarify
the
branches
in
this
world.
Know
that
a
branch
that
extends
from
the
internality
are
the
people
of
Israel,
who
have
been
chosen
as
the
operators
of
the
correction
and
the
general
purpose.
They
contain
the
preparation
required
for
growing
and
developing
until
they
come
to
move
the
nations
to
achieve
the
general
goal.
The
Externality
Are
the
Nations
of
the
World
The
branch
that
extends
from
the
externality
is
the
rest
of
the
nations.
They
have
not
been
imparted
the
qualities
that
make
them
worthy
of
receiving
the
conducts
of
development
of
the
purpose
one
at
a
time.
Rather,
they
are
fit
to
receive
the
correction
at
once
and
to
the
fullest,
according
to
their
upper
root.
Hence,
when
they
receive
dominion
from
their
root,
they
destroy
the
virtues
in
the
children
of
Israel
and
cause
suffering
in
the
world.
A
Slave
and
a
Handmaid
The
upper
roots,
called
“Externality,”
as
we
have
explained
above,
are
generally
called
a
“handmaid”
and
a
“slave.”
This
aims
to
show
that
they
do
not
intend
to
harm
at
all,
as
it
may
seem
in
superficial
observation.
Instead,
they
serve
the
internality
like
a
slave
and
a
handmaid
serve
their
master.
The
Externality
Rule
When
Israel
Do
Not
Demand
Depth
in
Their
Work
The
above-mentioned
control
of
the
externality
is
called
“the
exile
of
Israel
among
the
nations
of
the
world.”
Through
it,
they
inflict
many
forms
of
suffering,
degradation,
and
ruin
upon
the
Israeli
nation.
However,
to
be
brief,
we
will
explain
only
what
is
revealed
through
a
general
observation,
which
is
the
general
purpose.
This
concerns
the
idol-worship
and
superstition,
as
it
is
written,
“They
mingled
with
the
nations
and
learned
from
their
actions.”
This
is
the
most
terrible
and
dangerous
poison,
which
destroys
the
souls
of
Israel,
as
it
brings
their
vanities
closer
to
the
human
reason.
In
other
words,
they
do
not
require
great
depth
to
understand
them,
and
thus
plant
the
foundations
of
their
work
in
the
hearts
of
the
children
of
Israel.
Although
an
Israeli
man
is
quite
unfit
to
accept
their
vanities,
in
the
end
they
do
induce
idolatry
and
filth,
down
to
blatant
heresy,
until
he
says,
“all
faces
are
equal.”
The
Reason
for
the
Concealment
of
Kabbalah
Now
you
can
understand
the
matter
of
the
concealment
of
the
wisdom
of
the
hidden
from
the
eyes
of
the
external
ones,
as
well
as
what
the
sages
said,
“A
gentile
must
not
be
taught
Torah.”
There
seems
to
be
a
contradiction
between
this
and
the
Tanna
[great
sage
in
the
early
CE
years]
Devei
Eliyahu,
who
said,
“Even
a
gentile,
even
a
slave,
and
even
a
handmaid
who
sit
and
learn
Torah,
the
Shechina
[Divinity]
is
with
them.”
Thus,
why
did
the
sages
prohibit
teaching
the
Torah
to
gentiles?
Teaching
the
Torah
to
Gentiles
Indeed,
the
Tanna
Devei
Eliyahu
relates
to
a
converted
gentile,
or
at
least
to
one
who
retired
from
idol-worship,
from
superstition.
Our
sages,
conversely,
referred
to
one
who
did
not
retire
from
idol-worship
and
wanted
to
know
Israel’s
law
and
wisdom
in
order
to
strengthen
and
fortify
their
idolatry.
You
might
say,
“Why
should
we
care
if
this
gentile
has
become
more
pious
in
his
idol-worship
because
of
our
Torah?
If
it
does
not
help,
what
harm
will
it
do?”
Rashbi’s
Weeping
Indeed,
this
is
what
Rashbi
cried
about
before
he
explained
an
important
secret
in
the
wisdom
of
the
hidden,
as
it
is
written,
“Rabbi
Shimon
wept,
‘Woe
if
I
tell,
and
woe
if
I
do
not
tell.
If
I
tell,
the
sinners
will
know
how
to
serve
their
idols;
and
if
I
do
not
tell,
the
friends
will
lose
that
matter.’”
He
was
afraid
that
this
secret
would
come
by
the
hands
of
idol-worshippers,
and
they
would
perform
their
idolatry
with
the
force
of
this
holy
mind.
This
is
what
prolongs
our
exile
and
brings
upon
us
all
the
afflictions
and
the
ruins,
as
we
now
see
before
us,
since
the
sages
of
the
nations
studied
all
the
books
of
the
children
of
Israel
and
turned
them
into
delicacies
to
strengthen
their
faith,
meaning
their
wisdom,
called
“theology.”
Two
Harms
from
Revealing
Israel’s
Wisdom
to
the
Nations
of
the
World
They
have
done
two
harms:
-
Besides
clothing
in
our
cloak,
saying
that
all
of
that
wisdom
is
by
attainment
of
their
own
holy
spirit,
these
mimics
gained
their
reputation
at
our
expense.
By
this,
they
strengthen
their
false
teaching
and
obtain
the
strength
to
deny
our
holy
Torah.
-
An
even
greater
harm
came
upon
us:
One
who
observes
their
theology
discovers
in
it
concepts
and
wisdom
concerning
the
work
of
God
that
seem
truer
and
more
genuine
than
our
wisdom.
This
is
so
for
two
reasons:
The
first
is
that
they
are
a
large
society,
and
among
them
are
great
and
proficient
philologists
who
know
their
work:
to
make
matters
acceptable
to
uneducated
people.
Philology
comes
from
external
teachings,
and
certainly
a
society
of
eight
billion
people
can
produce
many
more
and
much
greater
philologists
than
our
society
of
fifteen
million
can.
Hence,
one
who
observes
their
books
falls
into
doubting
that
they
might
be
right,
or
even
worse,
of
course.
The
second,
and
the
most
important
reason
is
that
the
sages
of
Israel
conceal
the
wisdom
of
religion
from
the
masses
behind
closed
doors.
However
they
can,
the
sages
of
each
generation
offer
simple
explanations
to
the
masses
and
reject
them
with
all
kinds
of
tricks
from
the
desire
to
even
approach
and
touch
the
wisdom
of
the
hidden.
Woe
if
I
Tell
They
do
this
for
fear
that
the
matters
will
fall
into
the
hands
of
idol-worshippers,
as
Rashbi
wrote,
“If
I
tell,
the
sinners
will
know
how
to
serve
their
masters.”
After
all,
we
suffer
plenty
even
for
the
tiny
things
they
stole
from
our
vessels,
which
have
seeped
to
them
past
all
the
vigil
guarding.
The
Reason
for
the
Concealment
of
Kabbalah
This
clarifies
what
would
happen
to
us
if
our
sages
revealed
the
wisdom
of
the
hidden
to
all.
And
since
we
conceal,
as
long
as
our
ordinary
person
is
unfit
to
be
given
the
secrets
of
Torah,
he
has
no
knowledge
whatsoever
in
the
wisdom
of
religion.
Hence,
such
a
person
is
obviously
inspired
and
elated
when
he
finds
the
trifling
wisdom
and
explanations
in
their
theology,
whose
essence
is
but
a
collection
of
stolen
concepts
from
our
hidden,
with
added
literary
dainties.
Once
one
sees
this,
he
says
and
denies
our
practical
law
and
ends
in
complete
heresy.
A
Handmaid
Who
Is
Heir
to
Her
Mistress
This
is
called
“a
handmaid
who
is
heir
to
her
mistress,”
since
the
very
power
of
the
mistress—the
control
of
the
internality—is
by
the
force
of
our
wisdom
and
knowledge,
as
it
is
written,
“we
are
distinguished,
I
and
Your
people,
from
all
the
people
that
are
upon
the
face
of
the
earth.”
Now,
the
handmaid
has
stepped
forth
and
prides
herself
in
public
that
she
is
the
heir
of
this
wisdom.
Know
that
this
power
of
theirs
is
the
chain
by
which
they
tie
the
legs
of
the
children
of
Israel
in
the
exile
under
their
dominion.
Chains
of
Exile
Thus,
the
essence
of
the
chains
of
exile
and
its
power
come
from
the
wisdom
of
Torah
and
its
secrets,
which
they
have
managed
to
steal
and
place
in
their
vessels
passed
all
the
watchful
guarding
we
have
put
up.
With
it,
they
mislead
the
masses,
saying
they
have
inherited
the
work
of
the
Creator,
and
cast
doubt
and
heresy,
too,
in
the
souls
of
Israel.