86.
And
They
Built
Arei
Miskenot
I
heard
from
my
father,
January
31,
1941
The
writing
says
(Exodus
1):
“And
they
built
for
Pharaoh
Arei
Miskenot,
Pithom
and
Raamses.”
We
should
ask,
“Pithom
and
Raamses
means
that
they
are
beautiful
cities,
while
the
words
Arei
Miskenot
imply
poverty
and
meagerness
[see
footnote],
and
they
also
imply
danger!”
And
we
must
also
understand
what
Abraham
the
Patriarch
asked,
“And
he
said
…
‘How
will
I
know
that
I
will
inherit
it?’”
(Genesis
15:8).
What
did
the
Creator
reply?
It
is
written,
“And
He
said
unto
Abram:
Know
for
certain
that
your
seed
shall
be
a
stranger
in
a
land
that
is
not
theirs,
and
shall
serve
them,
and
they
shall
afflict
them
four
hundred
years.”
The
literal
meaning
is
hard
to
understand,
since
the
question
was
that
he
wanted
guarantees
on
the
inheritance,
and
there
is
no
apparent
guarantee
in
the
Creator’s
answer,
that
your
seed
will
be
in
exile,
but
it
seems
that
this
was
a
sufficient
answer
for
him.
Moreover,
we
see
that
when
Abraham
had
an
argument
with
the
Creator
regarding
the
people
of
Sodom,
he
had
a
long
argument
with
the
Creator,
and
he
kept
saying
“perhaps.”
Here,
however,
when
the
Creator
said
that
his
seed
would
be
in
exile,
he
immediately
accepted
it
as
a
sufficient
answer
and
did
not
argue
or
say,
“perhaps?”
Instead,
he
accepted
it
as
a
guarantee
for
the
inheritance
of
the
land.
We
must
understand
this
answer,
and
we
must
also
understand
what
The
Zohar
interprets
about
the
verse
“Pharaoh
brought
near.”
It
interprets
that
he
drew
them
toward
repentance.
Can
it
be
that
wicked
Pharaoh
would
want
to
draw
them
toward
repentance?
In
order
to
understand
all
that,
we
must
understand
what
our
sages
said
(Sukkah
52a):
“Rabbi
Yehuda
says,
‘At
the
end
of
days,
the
Creator
brings
the
evil
inclination
and
slaughters
it
before
the
righteous
and
before
the
wicked.
To
the
righteous,
it
seems
like
a
high
mountain.
To
the
wicked,
it
seems
as
a
thread
of
a
hairsbreadth.
These
cry
and
those
cry.
The
righteous
cry
and
say
‘How
could
we
conquer
such
a
high
mountain?’
and
the
wicked
cry
and
say
‘How
could
we
not
conquer
this
hairsbreadth?’’”
This
verse
is
perplexing
through
and
through:
-
If
the
evil
inclination
has
already
been
slaughtered,
how
are
there
still
wicked?
-
Why
do
the
righteous
cry?
Quite
the
contrary,
they
should
have
been
happy!
-
How
can
there
be
two
opinions
in
reality
when
they
have
both
arrived
at
the
state
of
truth?
This
verse
speaks
of
the
end
of
days,
which
is
certainly
a
state
of
truth,
so
how
can
there
be
such
a
difference
in
reality
between
a
hairsbreadth
and
a
high
mountain?
He
explains
this
with
the
words
of
our
sages
(there):
“Rabbi
Assi
says,
‘In
the
beginning,
the
evil
inclination
seems
like
a
spiderweb,
and
in
the
end,
it
seems
like
cart-ropes,’
as
was
said,
‘Woe
unto
them
who
draw
iniquity
with
cords
of
vanity,
and
sin
as
though
with
a
cart
rope’”
(Isaiah
5).
There
is
a
great
rule
we
must
know.
Our
work,
which
was
given
to
us
to
be
based
on
faith
above
reason,
is
not
because
we
are
unworthy
of
a
high
degree.
Hence,
this
was
given
to
us
so
as
to
take
it
all
in
a
Kli
[vessel]
of
faith.
It
appears
to
us
as
ignominy
and
worthlessness,
and
we
are
anxious
for
the
time
we
can
rid
ourselves
of
this
burden
called
“faith
above
reason.”
However,
it
is
a
great
and
very
important
degree,
whose
exaltedness
is
immeasurable.
The
reason
it
appears
to
us
as
ignominy
is
because
of
the
will
to
receive
in
us.
We
must
discern
a
Rosh
[head]
and
a
Guf
[body]
in
the
will
to
receive.
The
Rosh
is
called
“knowing,”
and
the
Guf
is
called
“receiving.”
Because
of
this,
we
consider
anything
that
is
against
knowing
as
low
and
beastly.
Now
we
can
interpret
what
Abraham
the
Patriarch
asked
of
the
Creator:
“How
will
I
know
that
I
will
inherit
it?”
For
how
will
they
be
able
to
accept
the
burden
of
faith,
since
it
is
against
reason,
and
who
can
go
against
reason?
Thus,
how
will
they
come
to
be
granted
the
light
of
faith,
since
perfection
depends
on
this
alone?
The
Creator
answered
him
about
this:
“Know
for
certain,
etc.,
that
they
will
be
in
exile.”
This
means
that
He
prepared
a
Klipa
[shell],
which
is
the
evil
inclination,
an
evil
person,
Pharaoh
king
of
Egypt.
The
letters
of
the
word
Pharaoh
are
like
the
letters
of
the
word
Oref
[back
of
the
neck],
as
the
ARI
wrote
(Shaar
HaKavanot
for
Pesach)
that
Pharaoh
is
considered
the
Oref,
the
narrow
in
the
sea.
He
would
suck
out
the
abundance
that
comes
to
the
lower
ones
with
his
question
(Exodus
5:2),
“Who
is
the
Lord
that
I
should
obey
His
voice?”
By
this
very
question,
they
are
in
the
hands
of
the
Klipot
[shells],
as
the
Maimonides
says
(Hilchot
Deot)
regarding
not
turning
to
idol
gods,
that
with
this
approach
alone,
meaning
with
the
very
question,
the
prohibition
on
turning
to
them
is
broken.
The
evil
inclination
wishes
to
suck
abundance
from
the
Kedusha
[holiness].
Thus,
what
does
it
do
to
suck
abundance
from
the
Kedusha?
The
writing
tells
us,
“and
Pharaoh
brought
near.”
The
Zohar
interprets
that
he
brought
them
near
to
repentance.
It
asked
how
can
we
say
that
Pharaoh
brought
them
close
to
repentance
if
the
conduct
of
the
Klipot
is
to
turn
one
away
from
the
Creator.
We
must
understand
this
by
what
is
written
in
The
Zohar
(“Introduction
of
The
Book
of
Zohar,”
p
41
[in
Hebrew]):
“Transgression
is
concealed
within
you,
like
the
serpent
that
strikes
and
hides
its
head
inside
its
body.”
Also,
in
the
Sulam
[“Ladder”
commentary
on
The
Zohar]:
“Like,
etc.
Since
that
transgression
is
concealed,
the
force
of
the
serpent
that
strikes
the
people
of
the
world
and
brings
death
to
the
world
is
still
in
all
its
power
and
cannot
be
revoked.
It
is
like
a
serpent
that
bites
a
person
and
immediately
puts
its
head
in
its
body,
and
then
it
is
impossible
to
kill
it.”
There
is
yet
another
saying
in
The
Zohar—that
the
serpent
bows
its
head
and
strikes
with
its
tail.
This
means
that
sometimes
it
lets
one
take
upon
himself
the
burden
of
faith,
which
is
above
reason,
which
is
the
bowing
of
the
head,
but
it
strikes
with
its
tail.
The
tail
can
be
interpreted
as
“the
end,”
that
it
bowed
its
head
so
as
to
ultimately
receive
in
order
to
receive.
In
other
words,
it
first
gave
one
permission
to
take
upon
himself
faith
so
that
afterward
it
would
take
everything
into
its
own
authority,
for
the
Klipa
[shell/peel]
knows
that
there
is
no
way
to
receive
abundance
except
through
Kedusha
[holiness].
This
is
the
meaning
of
Pharaoh
bringing
them
near.
It
is
explained
that
he
deliberately
brought
Israel
to
repentance,
so
as
to
afterward
take
everything
from
them
into
his
own
authority.
This
is
why
the
ARI
wrote
that
Pharaoh
sucked
all
the
abundance
that
came
down
to
the
lower
ones.
He
sucked
from
the
Oref
and
from
the
throat,
which
is
considered
the
head
of
the
body,
meaning
it
would
take
everything
in
its
vessels
of
reception.
This
is
the
meaning
of
“And
they
built
Arei
Miskenot,”
meaning
that
this
was
for
Israel.
In
other
words,
all
their
work
during
the
exile
was
taken
into
Pharaoh’s
custody,
and
Israel
remained
poor,
for
Miskena
means
poor.
We
should
also
interpret
Miskenot
from
the
word
Sakana
[danger],
meaning
that
they
were
in
great
danger
of
remaining
in
that
state
for
the
rest
of
their
lives.
However,
to
Pharaoh,
the
work
of
Israel
was
Pithom
and
Raamses,
meaning
very
beautiful
cities.
Thus,
the
meaning
of
“And
they
built
Arei
Miskenot”
(to
Israel),
and
to
Pharaoh,
Pithom
and
Raamses.
This
is
because
all
the
work
of
Israel
fell
into
the
Klipot,
and
they
saw
no
blessing
in
their
work.
When
they
prevailed
in
their
work
in
faith
and
bestowal,
they
did
see
fertility.
And
the
moment
they
fell
into
knowing
and
receiving,
they
fell
into
the
hands
of
the
Klipa
of
Pharaoh.
Finally,
they
came
to
a
determined
resolution
that
the
work
must
be
in
faith
above
reason
and
in
bestowal.
However,
they
saw
that
they
were
unable
to
come
out
of
Pharaoh’s
power
by
themselves.
This
is
why
it
is
written,
“And
the
children
of
Israel
sighed
from
the
work,”
since
they
feared
that
they
might
stay
in
exile
forever.
Then,
“their
cry
came
up
unto
God,”
and
they
were
rewarded
with
exiting
from
the
exile
in
Egypt.
It
turns
out
that
before
they
saw
the
situation—that
they
are
in
the
hands
of
the
Klipot,
and
were
hurting
and
afraid
that
they
would
remain
there
forever—they
had
no
need
for
the
Creator’s
help
from
vessels
of
reception,
if
they
do
not
feel
the
shortcoming
and
detriment
caused
by
them,
that
this
is
all
that
obstructs
them
from
adhering
to
the
Creator.
This
is
because
otherwise
one
has
a
higher
regard
for
work
in
the
form
of
knowledge
and
reception,
and
faith
is
considered
lowliness.
They
prefer
knowledge
and
reception
since
this
is
what
man’s
exterior
mind
necessitates.
Hence,
they
were
given
the
exile,
to
feel
that
they
do
not
progress
in
nearing
the
Creator,
and
all
their
work
sinks
in
the
Klipa
of
Egypt.
Finally,
they
saw
that
they
had
no
other
choice
but
to
take
upon
themselves
the
work
of
lowliness,
which
is
faith
above
reason,
and
yearn
for
bestowal.
Otherwise,
they
feel
that
they
are
in
the
domain
of
the
Sitra
Achra
[other
side].
It
turns
out
that
the
faith
that
they
took
upon
themselves
was
because
they
saw
that
otherwise
they
would
have
no
counsel,
and
hence
agreed
to
a
work
of
lowliness.
This
is
called
“conditional
work,”
that
they
accepted
this
work
so
they
would
not
fall
into
the
net
of
the
Klipot.
This
is
why
they
had
taken
upon
themselves
this
work.
However,
if
the
reason
is
revoked,
the
love
for
this
work
is
revoked,
too.
This
means
that
if
the
evil
inclination
is
canceled,
and
there
is
nothing
that
brings
them
thoughts
of
not
turning
to
idol
gods,
then
the
love
for
the
work
in
lowliness
is
canceled.
Now
we
can
understand
what
our
sages
wrote:
“In
the
beginning,
the
evil
inclination
seems
like
a
spiderweb,
and
in
the
end,
it
seems
like
cart-ropes.”
We
know
that
there
is
a
discernment
of
“coercive,”
“mistaken,”
and
“deliberate.”
The
will
to
receive
that
is
imprinted
in
man
is
considered
“coercive,”
since
one
cannot
revoke
it,
and
it
is
therefore
not
considered
a
sin,
but
an
iniquity,
as
it
is
written,
“Woe
unto
them
who
draw
iniquity
with
cords
of
vanity.”
It
cannot
be
rejected
or
hated,
since
he
does
not
feel
that
it
will
be
a
sin.
However,
afterward,
it
becomes
a
“sin,
as
it
was
with
cart-ropes,”
and
the
Klipot
were
then
made
of
this
will
to
receive,
which
have
a
complete
structure,
as
in
“God
has
made
one
opposite
the
other.”
This
is
where
the
evil
inclination
comes
from,
meaning
everything
comes
from
this
hairsbreadth.
Since
it
has
already
been
revealed
that
it
is
a
sin,
then
everyone
knows
to
guard
themselves
from
this
hairsbreadth,
and
they
understand
that
there
is
no
other
choice
if
they
want
to
enter
Kedusha,
except
to
resolve
to
work
in
lowliness,
meaning
faith
and
bestowal.
Otherwise,
they
see
that
they
are
under
the
control
of
the
Klipa
of
Pharaoh,
King
of
Egypt.
It
follows
that
the
benefit
in
the
exile
was
the
feeling
that
the
will
to
receive
is
a
sin,
and
this
is
the
reason
to
decide
that
there
is
no
other
choice
but
to
try
and
acquire
vessels
of
bestowal.
This
is
the
meaning
of
the
Creator’s
answer
to
Abraham
the
Patriarch
about
his
request
for
guarantees
for
the
inheritance
of
the
land:
“Know
for
certain
that
your
seed,
etc.,
and
they
shall
afflict
them,
etc.”
Through
the
exile
they
would
come
to
discover
that
the
hairsbreadth
is
a
sin,
and
then
they
would
accept
the
real
work
in
order
to
detach
themselves
from
the
sin.
This
is
the
meaning
of
what
Rabbi
Yehuda
said,
that
in
the
future,
death
shall
be
swallowed
up
forever,
meaning
the
Creator
will
slaughter
the
evil
inclination,
and
all
that
will
be
left
of
it
is
but
a
hairsbreadth,
which
is
not
even
felt
as
a
sin
(The
hairsbreadth
is
something
that
cannot
be
seen
with
the
eye).
Yet,
some
wicked
and
righteous
do
remain,
and
they
all
want
to
adhere
to
Him.
The
wicked
have
not
yet
corrected
their
hairsbreadth,
when
the
evil
inclination
still
existed,
and
they
could
feel
that
it
is
a
sin.
Now,
however,
when
there
is
no
evil
inclination,
all
that
is
left
is
but
a
hairsbreadth,
so
they
have
no
reason
to
make
them
turn
their
vessels
of
reception
into
vessels
of
bestowal,
since
a
hairsbreadth
is
unfelt.
But
nevertheless,
they
cannot
adhere
to
Him
because
there
is
disparity
of
form,
and
He
and
I
cannot
dwell
in
the
same
abode.
Their
correction
is
to
be
dust
under
the
feet
of
the
righteous.
This
means
that
since
the
evil
inclination
has
been
canceled,
the
righteous
have
no
reason
to
have
to
go
with
faith
above
reason.
Hence,
since
they
have
no
reason,
who
would
make
them?
They
see
that
the
wicked
are
left
with
the
hairsbreadth
and
did
not
correct
the
hairsbreadth
while
there
was
evil
inclination,
and
it
was
the
time
to
correct
it
since
then
the
will
to
receive
was
evidently
a
sin,
whereas
now
it
does
not
seem
like
a
sin,
but
like
a
hairsbreadth.
Hence,
if
there
is
no
reason,
there
is
no
place
to
correct.
Yet,
there
is
also
no
place
for
Dvekut
[adhesion],
since
the
disparity
of
form
remains,
and
all
their
correction
is
that
the
righteous
walk
on
them.
This
means
that
they
now
see
that
there
is
no
fear
from
the
network
of
the
Klipot
since
the
evil
inclination
has
been
slaughtered.
Thus,
why
do
they
now
have
to
work
in
faith
above
reason?
Now
they
see
that
the
wicked
cannot
reach
Dvekut
because
now
they
have
no
reason,
meaning
an
evil
inclination
that
will
be
distinguished
as
a
sin,
yet
they
remain
outside
for
there
is
still
disparity
of
form.
Hence,
when
the
righteous
see
this,
they
understand
how
good
it
was
for
them
that
they
had
a
reason
to
work
in
bestowal.
They
thought
they
were
engaged
in
bestowal
only
because
of
the
evil
inclination,
but
they
see
that
the
sin
they
saw
was
for
their
own
good.
In
other
words,
this
is
the
real
work,
and
it
is
not
because
of
fear
of
falling
into
the
hands
of
the
Klipot
that
they
do
this
work.
The
evidence
of
this
is
that
they
see
that
the
wicked,
who
did
not
correct
the
hairsbreadth,
now
they
have
no
reason
to,
and
they
remain
outside
and
cannot
come
to
Dvekut
with
the
Creator.
It
follows
that
the
righteous
receive
the
strength
to
go
from
strength
to
strength
through
the
wicked,
the
wicked
have
become
dust
under
the
feet
of
the
righteous,
and
the
righteous
walk
on
the
discernments
that
remain
as
wicked.
Hence,
in
retrospect,
specifically
this
work
is
important.
And
it
is
not
because
of
coercion,
as
it
seemed
to
them
before
while
they
had
the
evil
inclination.
Now
they
see
that
even
without
the
evil
inclination,
it
is
worthwhile
to
work
in
bestowal
and
faith.
Regarding
“these
cry
and
those
cry,”
it
is
known
that
weeping
is
Katnut
[smallness/infancy],
VAK.
There
is
a
difference
between
GAR
and
VAK.
Mochin
de
VAK
illuminate
from
the
past,
meaning
they
take
sustenance
and
light
from
what
they
experienced
in
the
past.
Mochin
de
GAR,
however,
shine
in
the
present
by
uniting
the
Zivug
[coupling].
This
is
the
meaning
of
the
righteous
crying
and
saying,
“How
could
we
conquer
such
a
high
mountain?”
Now
they
see
what
was
prior
to
the
slaughtering
of
the
evil
inclination,
that
its
dominion
was
indeed
great,
as
it
is
written,
“God
has
made
one
opposite
the
other,”
and
they
received
great
mercy
from
the
Creator,
Who
gave
them
the
power
to
win
the
war
against
the
inclination,
and
now
they
rejoice
in
the
miracle
that
they
had
then,
meaning
in
the
past.
This
is
called
Mochin
de
Katnut.
The
wicked
cry
because
now
they
have
no
way
to
adhere
to
Him,
even
though
now
they
see
that
it
is
only
a
hairsbreadth.
But
since
now
there
is
no
evil
inclination,
they
have
no
reason
to
turn
the
vessels
of
reception
to
bestowal;
they
can
only
see
that
they
are
outside;
this
is
why
they
cry.
However,
their
correction
is
in
becoming
dust
under
the
feet
of
the
righteous.
In
other
words,
by
the
righteous
seeing
that
although
now
there
is
no
evil
inclination,
the
wicked
still
cannot
attain
Dvekut,
they
say
about
their
thought
that
they
had
to
follow
the
path
of
bestowal
only
because
of
the
evil
inclination,
they
see
that
this
is
the
real
vessel.
This
means
that
even
if
there
were
no
evil
inclination,
this
path
is
still
true,
that
the
path
of
faith
is
a
wonderful
path.
Now
we
understand
why
wicked
remain
after
the
slaughtering
of
the
evil
inclination;
it
is
so
that
they
will
become
dust
under
the
feet
of
the
righteous.
If
no
wicked
would
remain,
there
would
not
be
anyone
to
show
this
great
thing,
that
the
path
of
faith
is
not
because
of
conditional
love.
That
is,
it
is
not
because
of
the
evil
inclination
that
we
should
follow
the
path
of
faith,
but
this
is
unconditional
love,
since
now
there
is
no
longer
any
evil
inclination,
and
still,
only
through
faith
can
we
attain
Dvekut
with
the
Creator.
I
heard
on
another
occasion:
The
reason
we
need
faith
specifically
is
the
pride
within
us,
for
then
it
is
difficult
for
us
to
accept
faith.
This
means
that
although
faith
is
an
exalted
and
wonderful
degree,
which
the
lower
one
cannot
attain
and
understand
its
preciousness
and
sublimity,
it
is
only
because
of
our
pride,
meaning
the
will
to
receive.
We
imagine
it
as
low
and
beastly,
and
for
this
reason
we
were
given
the
evil
person.
And
I
heard
on
another
occasion:
We
see
that
when
we
do
not
want
to
accept
faith,
we
fall
from
our
state.
We
rise
and
fall
each
time
until
we
resolve
that
we
have
no
other
choice
but
to
set
faith
permanently.
This
was
in
order
to
receive
faith,
and
this
is
“And
they
built
Arei
Miskenot”
(for
Israel),
for
Pharaoh.