Letter
No.
17
January
18,
1956
Hello
and
all
the
best
to
my
friend,
who
is
tied
to
the
shackles
of
my
heart…
A
response
to
your
letter
from
December
29,
1955,
to
which
until
now
I
had
no
time
to
reply
due
to
being
burdened
with
my
daughter’s
wedding.
And
regarding
the
first
question,
“Why
did
Jacob,
our
father,
bless
the
sons
through
an
angel?”
It
is
explained
in
the
writings
of
the
ARI
that
NRN
de
Tzadikim
[righteous]
are
the
internality
of
the
three
worlds,
Beria,
Yetzira,
Assiya.
The
origin
of
the
souls
is
from
the
world
of
Beria,
the
Ruach
extends
from
the
world
of
Yetzira,
and
Nefesh
is
from
the
world
of
Assiya.
And
all
the
bestowals
extend
from
the
world
of
Atzilut,
called
“He,
His
life
and
His
essence
are
one.”
In
the
world
of
Atzilut,
the
ten
Sefirot
over
there
divide
into
three
discernments:
1,
Keter;
2,
Hochma
and
Bina;
3,
ZA
and
Malchut.
They
are
regarded
as
Shoresh,
meaning
Keter,
Mochin,
meaning
Hochma
and
Bina,
and
the
recipients
of
the
Mochin,
meaning
ZA
and
Malchut,
called
“male”
and
“female,”
Israel
and
Leah,
Jacob
and
Rachel.
The
ZON
receive
the
Mochin
for
the
souls
of
the
righteous,
who
are
the
internality
of
the
three
worlds
BYA.
The
operator
and
transmitter
of
the
upper
abundance
is
Angel
Matat,
See
in
The
Zohar
(Vayetze,
p
36
and
in
the
Sulam
[Ladder
commentary],
item
71,
that
he
wrote
there).
Angel
Matat
is
called
the
“minister
of
the
world,”
whose
name
is
as
the
name
of
his
rav.
At
one
time
he
is
called
by
the
name
HaVaYaH
and
another
time
by
the
name
Shadai,
since
he
performs
two
operations.
-
He
receives
the
Hochma
and
gives
to
BYA,
and
then
he
is
called
Shadai,
as
in,
“He
said
to
His
world,
‘enough,’
spread
no
more,’”
referring
to
the
abundance
of
Hochma,
as
there
was
a
Tzimtzum
[restriction]
on
receiving
the
Hochma
in
the
Kelim
[vessels]
of
the
will
to
receive.
Therefore,
the
Emanator
brought
back
the
left
leg
of
the
Tav
back
up,
and
because
of
it,
the
leg
of
the
Tav
is
thick
because
He
brought
the
left
leg
back
up
so
it
would
not
illuminate
into
the
Klipot
[shells]
(see
the
“Introduction
of
the
Book
of
Zohar,”
p
26,
and
in
the
Sulam,
item
23).
-
The
second
discernment
of
Angel
Matat
is
when
he
also
has
Hassadim
to
bestow
upon
the
lower
ones.
At
that
time
his
name
is
as
the
name
of
his
rav
which
is
HaVaYaH,
and
Matat
is
completed
and
is
called
by
the
name
of
its
master,
HaVaYaH.
When
Jacob
blessed
his
sons,
he
had
to
extend
the
blessing
according
to
the
order
of
the
degree,
until
the
abundance
would
be
extended
to
the
lower
ones.
Therefore,
he
extended
the
abundance
for
the
sons
up
to
Angel
Matat,
and
from
Matat
the
abundance
would
flow
to
the
sons.
This
is
why
Jacob
blessed
his
sons
through
Angel
Matat,
who
is
the
bestower
and
the
transmitter
of
the
abundance
from
the
world
of
Atzilut
to
NRN
de
Tzadikim
and
to
the
three
worlds
BYA,
and
this
is
why
he
said,
“The
redeeming
angel
will
bless
me.”
By
that
you
will
understand
your
second
question
regarding
“my
name
in
the
midst
of
Him,”
which
Maimonides
wrote,
“for
My
name
is
included
in
the
midst
of
Him”
You
asked,
“What
does
it
mean
that
his
name
is
as
the
name
of
his
Rav?”
since
we
have
no
attainment
in
His
essence,
but
only
in
the
revealed.
The
thing
is
that
a
joint
name
means
that
each
name
indicates
an
attainment,
because
that
which
we
do
not
attain
we
do
not
define
by
name.
And
any
attainment
in
spirituality
is
precisely
when
there
is
a
connection
between
the
attained
and
the
attaining.
This
is
called
“shared
by
the
attaining
and
the
attained
together.”
Then
we
can
say
that
there
is
the
disclosure
of
a
name,
a
form,
and
a
specific
limitation
over
the
abundance.
But,
in
attaining
without
an
attained
you
cannot
speak
of
any
form
or
limitation,
and
no
attainment
is
applied
to
it.
This
is
regarded
as
“There
is
no
thought
or
perception
in
him
at
all,”
and
as
“essence
without
substance”
(See
in
the
“Preface
to
the
Book
of
Zohar,”
p
50,
item
12).
This
is
the
meaning
of
His
name,
meaning
what
we
attain
through
Angel
Matat,
is
as
the
name
of
his
rav
which
is
also
specifically
a
disclosure,
meaning
that
Matat
gives
the
ZON,
who
are
the
recipients
of
the
Mochin
de
Atzilut,
where
there
are
two
discernments—Hochma
and
Bina—that
appear
to
the
lower
ones
in
the
form
of
Hassadim
and
Hochma.
When
Matat
gives
Hochma,
he
is
called
by
the
name
of
his
rav,
by
the
name
Shadai.
And
when
he
gives
Hassadim
as
well,
then
the
name
of
his
rav
is
HaVaYaH.
And
then
Matat
is
called
“the
elder
of
his
home
who
rules
over
all
that
he
has,”
where
the
angel
Matat
is
the
minister
of
the
world
and
rules
the
world,
meaning
that
through
him
the
abundance
extends
to
the
worlds
BYA,
and
are
included
with
the
NRN
de
Tzadikim.
This
is
the
meaning
of
“My
name
is
in
the
midst
of
Him,”
meaning
that
Matat’s
giving
the
names
of
Matat
refers
to
the
form
of
the
abundance
that
consists
of
two
forms,
which
are
Hochma
and
Hassadim,
that
these
names
operate
in
Matat
according
to
the
measure
of
the
name
of
the
rav
that
he
extends.
And
regarding
your
third
question,
why
the
Holy
Torah
elaborates
in
the
introduction
of
Ephraim
to
Menashe,
we
can
explain
this
according
to
the
rule
that
we
have
in
the
work
of
the
Creator,
that
the
goal
must
always
be
before
him,
and
to
know
what
is
his
role
in
life,
and
to
which
final
point
a
person
should
come
so
he
can
say
that
he
has
achieved
peace
and
quiet.
This
is
so
because
only
when
the
final
goal
is
revealed
before
him
can
a
person
prepare
himself
with
all
the
means
and
activate
the
forces
at
his
disposal.
Were
it
not
for
this,
he
would
not
know
how
to
balance
his
forces
and
the
keeping,
because
the
real
means
required
in
order
to
have
as
keeping
in
the
ways
that
involve
dangers,
when
he
does
not
know
the
full
force
of
the
lurking
enemy,
if
he
does
not
know
who
is
the
real
enemy
that
should
be
subdued.
Therefore,
when
beginning
to
speak
of
the
orders
of
the
work,
and
of
having
blessing
in
the
work,
the
goal
should
be
of
utmost
importance.
Also,
it
is
known
that
when
beginning
to
walk
on
the
path
of
work,
one
begins
from
light
to
heavy.
At
first
we
learn
and
do
the
easiest
things
to
understand
and
to
do,
and
then
what
is
a
little
more
difficult,
etc.,
until
we
are
accustomed
and
experienced
in
the
ways
of
the
war
of
the
inclination.
At
that
time
we
attack
the
fiercest
attacks.
It
turns
out
that
we
have
two
things
that
we
should
put
one
before
the
other.
Joseph’s
view
was
that
we
should
mainly
speak
of
the
ways
of
the
work
according
to
the
order,
meaning
from
easy
to
hard.
And
Jacob’s
view
was
that
first
and
foremost
we
have
to
speak
of
the
goal.
Drafts
and
Appendices
to
This
Letter
1)
Regarding
your
third
question,
“Why
the
Holy
Torah
so
elaborates
in
the
introduction
Ephraim
to
Menashe:
It
is
known
that
preceding
one
to
the
other
depends
on
the
importance
of
the
matter.
Regarding
the
work
of
the
Creator,
we
must
know
what
is
important,
meaning
to
give
the
main
emphasis
on
the
main
point,
being
the
goal.
…It
is
written
in
The
Zohar
(Yayechi
4:14,
and
in
the
Sulam,
item
41)
that
there
are
two
great
and
important
ministers.
One
minister
is
from
Ephraim,
whose
quality
is
to
keep
Israel
in
exile
and
to
have
them
multiply
there.
The
other
minister
is
from
Menashe,
therefore
his
quality
is
to
make
them
forgotten
in
exile.
He
explains
there
that
there
are
two
kinds
of
judgements:
1)
judgments
from
Rachamim,
called
Malchut
in
Bina,
and
one
from
Malchut
in
Malchut
called
“judgements
that
come
from
Malchut.”
He
explains
there
that
each
minister
consists
of
both
discernments.
…He
explains
there
that
the
minister
of
Menashe
consists
of
Rachamim
(mercy),
and
judgement
in
mercy,
and
the
minister
of
Ephraim
consists
of
mercy,
and
judgement
in
judgement,
called
Malchut.
It
follows
that
Jacob
blessed
them,
meaning
that
the
judgement
would
be
mitigated,
and
by
that
would
be
the
redemption.
And
since
the
order
of
the
work
is
in
mercy
and
then
judgement,
for
it
is
known
that
there
are
four
discernments:
1)
receiving
in
order
to
receive;
2)
bestowing
in
order
to
receive;
3)
bestowing
in
order
to
bestow;
4)
receiving
in
order
to
bestow.
The
first
two
discernments
are
not
really
according
to
the
way
of
Torah,
but
according
to
the
Torah
Lishma
[for
Her
sake],
beginning
with
bestowing
in
order
to
bestow,
and
this
is
called
the
“quality
of
mercy.”
The
second
discernment
of
Torah
Lishma
is
called
“receiving
in
order
to
bestow,”
and
this
is
called
the
“quality
of
judgement.?
This
is
why
Joseph
wanted
to
bless
them
on
the
order
of
the
work,
where
first
comes
the
quality
of
mercy,
called
Menashe,
and
then
the
quality
of
Ephraim,
called
judgement,
but
Jacob
blessed
according
to
the
order
of
importance,
meaning
that
the
complete
correction
is
the
quality
of
judgement
to
be
corrected,
which
is
called
“the
darkness
shines
as
light.”
Jacob’s
view
was
that
although
we
begin
to
work
with
the
quality
of
mercy,
the
goal
should
be
revealed
before
him—that
the
purpose
is
to
achieve
the
end
of
correction,
and
afterwards
begin
to
work
according
to
the
order,
meaning
with
the
quality
of
mercy.
2)
Angel:
The
Shechina
[divinity]
is
called
an
angel,
as
it
is
written,
“Behold!
I
send
an
angel
before
you.”
It
is
called
an
angel
because
the
Shechina
works
through
Matat.
This
is
so
during
the
exile,
but
at
the
time
of
redemption
he
is
in
Dvekut
[adhesion]
with
the
king
called
ZA
(Vayechi
p
18,
items
53,
23).
3)
See
in
the
portion,
Vayetze
(p
36,
item
71
in
the
Sulam),
where
he
explains
what
is
written
in
the
corrections
[Tikkunim]
(Tikkun
no.
70,
p
119)
about
the
verse,
“and
the
animals
ran
to
and
fro.”
“To”
is
Nuriel,
and
“fro”
is
Matat.
He
interprets
there
in
the
Sulam
that
“to”
means
Hochma
and
“fro”
means
Hassadim.
Since
he
already
has
Hochma,
he
is
going
to
receive
Hassadim.
It
turns
out
that
he
already
has
the
complete
Hochma
and
Hassadim
together.
This
is
why
Matat
is
called
the
“minister
of
the
world,”
since
there
is
wholeness
in
him
for
the
lower
ones
in
the
three
worlds
BYA
where
the
NRN
de
Tzadikim
are
found,
who
are
called
there
the
“internality
of
BYA.”
This
is
the
meaning
of
“the
elder
of
his
home
rules
all
that
he
has,”
meaning
that
he
has
Hochma
and
Hassadim.
In
ruling
the
world,
he
is
with
the
name
Shadai,
which
is
the
first
discernment
of
“and
fro,”
meaning
from
the
Sefira
Hochma,
which
is
left,
and
this
is
the
meaning
of
the
name
Shadai.
Afterwards
he
goes
up,
which
is
the
second
discernment
of
“and
fro.”
This
means
that
he
returns
to
the
name
HaVaYaH
which
is
Hassadim,
and
he
called
by
the
name
of
his
master
HaVaYaH.