Two
Points
120)
Rabbi
Hiya
started,
“Fear
of
the
Lord
is
the
beginning
of
wisdom,
a
good
understanding
for
all
who
do
them;
His
glory
endures
forever.”
Should
this
verse
not
have
said,
“Fear
of
the
Lord
is
the
end
of
wisdom,”
since
fear
of
the
Lord
is
Malchut,
which
is
the
end
of
wisdom
[Hochma]?
However,
Malchut
is
the
first
to
enter
the
degree
of
upper
Hochma,
as
it
is
written,
“Open
for
me
the
gates
of
righteousness,”
the
gates
of
Malchut,
who
is
called
“righteousness.”
“This
is
the
gate
of
the
Lord.”
Indeed,
if
he
does
not
enter
by
this
gate,
he
will
never
enter
the
upper
King,
for
He
is
sublime,
hidden,
and
concealed,
and
He
makes
gates
for
Himself,
one
atop
the
other.
Explanation:
Because
the
fear
of
the
Lord
is
the
Sefira
Malchut,
which
is
at
the
end
of
the
ten
Sefirot,
should
he
not
have
said,
“Fear
of
the
Lord
is
the
end
of
wisdom”?
It
was
said
about
the
upper
King
that
he
is
sublime,
hidden,
and
concealed,
and
He
makes
gates
for
Himself,
one
atop
the
other.
This
is
not
an
allegory.
Rather,
it
is
the
lesson
itself,
since
He
is
a
sublime,
hidden,
and
concealed
King,
the
thought
cannot
perceive
Him
whatsoever.
Hence,
He
made
many
gates
one
atop
the
other,
by
which
He
made
it
possible
to
approach
Him,
as
it
is
written,
“Open
for
me
the
gates
of
righteousness.”
These
are
the
gates
that
the
Creator
has
made
and
made
it
possible
for
the
righteous
to
approach
Him
through
those
gates.
At
the
end
of
all
the
gates,
He
made
a
gate
with
several
locks.
That
gate
is
called
Malchut
of
Malchut,
the
final
point
of
all
the
upper
gates.
This
last
gate
is
the
first
gate
for
the
upper
Hochma
[wisdom].
That
is,
it
is
possible
to
be
rewarded
with
the
upper
Hochma
only
after
the
attainment
of
this
last
gate
specifically,
as
for
attainment
of
the
upper
Hochma,
it
is
the
first
gate.
This
is
why
it
is
written,
“Fear
of
the
Lord
is
the
beginning
of
wisdom,”
since
“Fear
of
the
Lord”
is
called
the
last
gate,
which
is
the
first
for
the
wisdom
of
the
Lord.
121)
“At
the
end
of
all
the
gates,
He
made
a
gate
with
several
locks,”
several
openings
in
several
halls,
one
atop
the
other.
He
said,
“Anyone
who
wishes
to
come
into
My
place,
this
gate
will
be
the
first
toward
Me.
One
who
enters
will
enter
through
this
gate.”
Here,
too,
the
first
gate
for
the
upper
Hochma
is
the
fear
of
the
Lord,
which
is
Malchut,
and
this
is
the
one
called
“first.”
We
should
thoroughly
understand
the
meaning
of
locks,
openings,
and
halls.
Know
that
they
are
three
forms
that
come
one
after
the
other
over
a
single
substance.
This
is
a
very
deep
matter
and
I
will
exert
to
clarify
as
best
as
possible,
enough
to
somewhat
understand
the
words
of
The
Zohar
before
us.
We
should
know
that
although
it
is
clear
that
the
thought
cannot
perceive
Him
whatsoever,
the
truth
is
that
the
thought
of
creation
is
to
delight
His
creations,
and
no
pleasure
is
perceived
by
the
created
being
while
he
must
be
separated
from
the
Creator.
Moreover,
we
learn
that
the
Creator
craves
to
dwell
in
the
lower
ones.
The
common
thing
in
understanding
those
two
matters,
which
deny
each
other,
is
that
the
world
was
created
in
complete
oppositeness
from
the
Creator,
from
one
end
to
the
other,
in
all
one
hundred
points.
This
is
so
because
this
world
was
created
with
a
desire
to
receive,
which
is
the
opposite
form
of
the
Creator’s,
in
whom
there
is
not
even
a
shred
of
this
desire,
as
it
is
written,
“And
man
is
born
the
foal
of
a
wild
donkey.”
In
that
respect,
all
the
issues
of
the
governance
of
His
guidance
in
this
world
are
in
total
contrast
to
the
thought
of
creation,
which
is
only
to
delight
His
creatures,
for
it
is
according
to
the
will
to
receive
in
us,
which
is
our
taste
and
our
standard.
This
is
the
meaning
of
the
locks
on
the
gates.
First,
all
the
many
contradictions
to
His
uniqueness,
which
we
taste
in
this
world,
separate
us
from
the
Creator.
Yet,
when
we
exert
to
keep
Torah
and
Mitzvot
with
love,
with
our
soul
and
might,
as
we
are
commanded—to
bestow
contentment
upon
our
Maker—all
those
forces
of
separation
do
not
affect
us
into
subtracting
any
of
the
love
of
the
Creator
with
all
our
souls
and
might.
Rather,
in
that
state,
every
contradiction
we
have
overcome
becomes
a
gate
for
attainment
of
His
wisdom.
This
is
so
because
there
is
a
special
quality
in
each
contradiction—revealing
a
special
degree
in
attaining
Him.
And
those
worthy
ones
who
have
been
rewarded
with
it
turn
darkness
into
light
and
bitter
into
sweet,
for
all
the
powers
of
separation—from
the
darkness
of
the
mind
and
the
bitterness
of
the
body—have
become
to
them
gates
for
obtainment
of
sublime
degrees.
Thus,
the
darkness
becomes
a
great
light,
and
the
bitter
becomes
sweet.
Hence,
to
the
extent
that
previously,
all
the
conducts
of
His
guidance
were
for
them
forces
of
separation,
now
they
have
all
been
inverted
into
forces
of
unification,
and
they
sentence
the
entire
world
to
the
side
of
merit.
This
is
because
now
each
force
serves
for
them
as
a
gate
of
righteousness,
by
which
they
will
come
to
receive
from
the
Creator
everything
that
He
has
contemplated
for
them,
to
delight
them
with
the
thought
of
creation,
as
it
is
written,
“This
is
the
gate
of
the
Lord;
the
righteous
will
enter
through
it.”
However,
prior
to
being
rewarded
with
inverting
the
desire
to
receive
in
us
through
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
into
reception
in
order
to
bestow,
there
are
strong
locks
on
those
gates
to
the
Creator,
for
then
they
have
the
opposite
role:
to
drive
us
away
from
the
Creator.
This
is
why
the
forces
of
separation
are
called
“locks,”
since
they
block
the
gates
of
approaching
and
drive
us
away
from
the
Creator.
But
if
we
overcome
them
so
they
do
not
affect
us,
to
cool
His
love
from
our
hearts,
the
locks
become
doors,
the
darkness
becomes
light,
and
the
bitter
becomes
sweet,
since
over
all
the
locks,
we
receive
a
special
degree
in
His
Providence,
and
they
become
openings,
degrees
of
attainment
of
the
Creator.
And
those
degrees
that
we
receive
on
the
openings
become
halls
of
wisdom.
Thus,
the
locks,
the
doors,
and
the
halls
are
three
forms
that
come
upon
our
substance,
the
will
to
receive
in
us.
Before
we
turn
it
into
reception
in
order
to
bestow
contentment
upon
our
Maker,
that
substance
turns
the
light
to
darkness
and
the
sweet
to
bitter,
according
to
our
taste,
since
all
the
conducts
of
His
Providence
remove
us
from
Him.
At
that
time,
locks
are
made
from
the
desire
to
receive
in
us,
and
after
we
repent,
we
are
rewarded
with
receiving
in
order
to
bestow,
all
the
locks
become
doors,
and
then
the
doors
become
halls.
Remember
this
well
henceforth,
for
I
will
not
repeat
the
words.
He
said,
“Anyone
who
wishes
to
come
into
My
place,
this
gate
will
be
the
first
toward
Me.”
The
end
of
all
the
gates,
the
last
phase
among
them,
the
lowliest
there
is,
can
be
called
Malchut
of
Malchut.
And
he
says
that
to
be
rewarded
with
the
upper
Hochma,
this
gate,
the
last
of
them,
was
made
the
first
gate
to
the
hall
of
upper
wisdom.
In
truth,
all
the
gates
serve
as
doors
and
as
halls
of
the
Creator’s
wisdom,
but
it
is
impossible
to
obtain
the
upper
wisdom
unless
by
attaining
specifically
the
last
gate,
since
it
is
the
first
for
the
upper
wisdom.
This
is
why
it
is
called
“first,”
meaning
Beresheet
[“In
the
beginning”
but
also,
“At
first”]
in
which
the
Torah
begins,
since
Beresheet
indicates
the
fear
of
the
Lord
in
relation
to
the
last
gate,
which
is
the
first
for
obtainment
of
the
upper
wisdom.
122)
The
letter
Bet
from
Beresheet
[in
the
beginning]
indicates
that
those
two
join
together
in
Malchut.
They
are
two
points,
one
concealed
and
hidden,
and
one
disclosed.
And
because
they
are
not
separated,
they
are
called
“first,”
meaning
only
one
and
not
two,
for
one
who
takes
this
one,
takes
that
one,
too.
It
is
all
one,
for
He
and
His
name
are
one,
as
it
is
written,
“That
they
may
know
that
You
alone,
Your
name
is
‘the
Lord.’”
Explanation:
Those
two
points
are
the
sweetening
of
the
quality
of
judgment
with
the
quality
of
mercy,
when
Malchut
rose
and
was
sweetened
in
Bina,
the
quality
of
mercy,
as
it
is
written,
“And
they
both
walked
together,”
Bina
and
Malchut.
It
follows
that
the
screen
that
was
established
in
Malchut
consists
of
both,
hence
there
are
two
points
there,
conjoined
as
one.
One
is
hidden
and
concealed,
and
the
other
is
disclosed,
since
the
judgment
in
the
point
of
Malchut
is
hidden
and
concealed,
and
only
the
mercy
from
the
point
of
Bina
is
disclosed.
Had
it
not
been
so,
the
world
would
not
be
able
to
exist,
as
we
learn,
“First,
the
world
was
created
with
the
quality
of
judgment;
He
saw
that
the
world
could
not
exist,
and
associated
it
with
the
quality
of
mercy.”
And
because
they
are
not
separated,
they
are
called
“first,”
only
one,
and
not
“two,”
for
one
who
takes
this
one,
takes
that
one,
too.
That
is,
although
the
quality
of
judgment
is
concealed,
it
does
not
mean
that
the
coupling
is
not
performed
on
her,
for
those
two
points
have
actually
become
one,
and
the
point
of
Malchut
receives
this
coupling
with
the
point
of
Bina,
too,
albeit
in
secret
and
not
openly.
This
is
what
the
name
Resheet
[beginning]—in
singular
form—indicates,
that
they
are
both
one.
“It
is
all
one,
for
He
and
His
name
are
one.”
“He”
indicates
Bina,
and
“His
name”
indicates
Malchut.
In
“He
and
His
name
are
one,”
both
must
be
one
because
when
they
are
one,
Malchut,
too,
receives
the
upper
coupling
along
with
Bina,
by
which
the
quality
of
judgment
itself
is
finally
sweetened
at
the
end
of
correction.
And
on
that
day,
“The
Lord
will
be
one
and
His
name
One.”
Because
of
this
quality
of
judgment,
included
in
the
letter
Bet
of
Beresheet,
she
is
called
“first”
to
Hochma,
as
her
correction
will
be
at
the
end
of
correction.
At
that
time,
the
upper
Hochma
will
appear,
as
it
is
written,
“The
earth
shall
be
full
of
the
knowledge
of
the
Lord,”
since
the
last
gate
is
the
first
gate
to
Hochma.
And
it
is
written,
“That
they
may
know
that
You
alone,
Your
name
is
‘the
Lord,’”
for
then
the
knowledge
will
be
revealed
in
all
the
earth.
123)
“Fear
of
the
Lord
is
the
beginning
of
wisdom,
a
good
understanding
for
all
who
do
them.”
Why
is
Malchut
called
“Fear
of
the
Lord?”
It
is
because
Malchut
is
the
tree
of
knowledge
of
good
and
evil.
When
one
is
rewarded,
it
is
good.
If
he
is
not
rewarded,
it
is
bad.
Hence,
there
is
fear
in
that
place.
She
is
the
gate
to
come
into
all
the
good
that
is
in
the
world.
“A
good
mind”
is
those
two
gates,
the
two
points
that
are
as
one.
Rabbi
Yosi
said,
“A
good
mind
is
the
tree
of
life,
for
it
is
a
good
mind
without
any
evil
at
all.
And
because
there
is
no
evil
in
it,
it
is
a
good
mind,
without
evil.”
The
last
gate
is
called
“the
fear
of
the
Lord,”
of
which
it
is
written,
“Fear
of
the
Lord
is
the
beginning
of
wisdom.”
This
is
the
tree
of
knowledge
with
which
Adam
HaRishon
sinned,
for
on
this
point,
his
punishment
is
death,
and
the
great
fear
is
not
to
blemish
it.
At
the
end
of
correction,
when
this
point
is
completely
corrected,
in
the
full
perfection,
the
verse
“Death
will
be
swallowed
up
forever”
will
come
true.
This
is
why
it
is
called
“The
fear
of
the
Lord.”
This
is
why
it
was
said
that
there
is
fear
in
that
place,
and
that
she
is
the
gate
for
all
the
good
in
the
world,
since
the
disclosure
of
the
upper
Hochma
is
all
the
good
in
the
world,
included
in
the
thought
of
creation.
And
since
the
fear
of
the
Lord
is
the
first
gate
to
the
upper
Hochma,
it
follows
that
it
is
the
gate
to
all
the
good
in
the
world.
“A
good
mind”
is
those
two
gates,
the
two
points
that
are
as
one.
The
two
points
are
included
in
the
letter
Bet
of
Beresheet
together,
and
when
he
does
not
say
“two
points,”
but
“two
gates,”
it
refers
to
after
the
correction
of
BON,
when
the
two
points
are
called
“two
gates,”
for
then
both
of
them
are
good
without
any
evil
at
all.
Hence,
the
words
“A
good
mind”
are
possible.
But
prior
to
the
end
of
correction,
they
are
called
“the
tree
of
knowledge
of
good
and
evil.”
Rabbi
Yosi
said,
“A
good
mind
is
the
tree
of
life,
for
it
is
a
good
mind
without
any
evil.”
Rabbi
Yosi
does
not
dispute
Rabbi
Hiya,
since
Rabbi
Hiya
explains
the
verse
after
the
correction
of
BON,
when
the
two
points
have
become
two
gates.
There
is
no
evil
in
them,
they
are
a
good
mind
without
any
evil,
and
Rabbi
Yosi
explains
the
verse
prior
to
the
end
of
correction,
when
they
are
considered
the
tree
of
knowledge
of
good
and
evil.
This
is
why
he
says,
“A
good
mind
is
the
tree
of
life,”
ZA
in
Mochin
of
Ima,
called
“the
tree
of
life,”
which
is
all
good
without
any
evil,
even
before
the
end
of
correction.
However,
the
two
points
are
good
and
evil
prior
to
the
end
of
correction,
for
which
the
Malchut
is
called
“the
tree
of
knowledge
of
good
and
evil.”
124)
“For
all
who
do
them”
are
the
faithful
followers
of
David,
the
keepers
of
the
Torah.
Those
who
keep
the
Torah
are
seemingly
the
ones
who
make
it.
There
is
no
doing
in
all
those
who
engage
in
Torah
while
they
are
engaged
in
it.
However,
there
is
doing
in
those
who
keep
it,
and
by
that,
the
verse
“His
glory
endures
forever”
comes
true,
and
the
throne
is
properly
sustained.
Explanation:
The
gate
of
the
fear
of
the
Lord
is
the
last
gate.
It
is
the
first
gate
to
the
upper
Hochma.
It
follows
that
all
those
who
engage
in
Torah,
who
have
already
corrected
the
last
gate
and
the
two
points
have
become
two
gates
for
them—which
are
a
good
mind
without
evil—it
is
considered
that
there
is
no
doing
in
them,
which
is
the
tree
of
knowledge
of
good
and
evil.
However,
there
is
doing,
which
is
good
and
evil,
in
those
who
have
not
yet
been
rewarded
with
the
end
of
correction,
those
who
are
called
“keepers
of
the
Torah,”
since
they
have
not
yet
corrected
the
sin
of
the
tree
of
knowledge.
Also,
those
who
keep
the
Torah
are
seemingly
the
ones
who
make
it
because
all
those
forces
of
separation
are
inverted
and
become
gates,
each
lock
becomes
a
door,
and
each
door
becomes
a
hall
of
wisdom.
By
those
who
keep
the
Torah,
all
the
sublime
degrees
that
are
included
in
the
thought
of
creation
to
delight
His
creations
come
and
become
revealed.
It
follows
that
all
the
wisdom
and
the
whole
Torah
are
revealed
only
by
those
who
keep
the
Torah,
meaning
those
in
whom
there
is
doing,
in
whom
there
is
good
and
evil.
This
is
why
they
are
called
“keepers
of
the
Torah,”
for
it
appears
only
through
them.
The
verse
calls
them
those
“who
do
them,”
for
they
are
seemingly
the
ones
who
make
the
Torah.
This
is
so
because
were
it
not
for
their
concealments,
which
have
become
gates
through
their
prevailing,
the
Torah
would
not
have
been
revealed.
This
is
why
it
was
said,
“Those
who
keep
the
Torah
are
seemingly
the
ones
who
make
it.”
That
is,
they
are
regarded
as
the
ones
who
seemingly
make
it,
revealing
it.
It
was
said
that
the
Torah
seemingly
preceded
the
world.
Certainly,
the
Creator
made
it,
but
were
it
not
for
the
good
deeds
of
those
who
keep
the
Torah,
it
would
never
have
been
revealed,
hence
they
are
regarded
as
the
doers
and
the
makers
of
the
Torah.
By
that,
the
verse
“His
glory
endures
forever”
is
sustained,
meaning
by
the
force
of
those
who
keep
the
Torah.
You
find
that
His
glory,
which
is
all
the
wisdom
and
all
the
Torah,
endures
forever
and
ever,
including
after
the
end
of
correction,
since
then,
too,
they
will
need
the
fear
of
the
Lord.
After
the
correction
of
the
tree
of
knowledge,
they
will
have
nowhere
to
take
fear
of
the
Lord
except
the
past,
from
the
keepers
of
the
Torah.
It
follows
that
they
establish
the
glory
of
the
Creator
forever
and
for
all
eternity.
This
is
why
it
was
said,
“The
throne
is
properly
sustained,”
for
by
that
the
throne
of
the
Lord
is
properly
sustained
forever.