The
Meaning
of
Branch
and
Root
Article
2,
1985
The
meaning
of
root
and
branch.
The
land
of
Israel
is
a
branch
from
the
Sefira
Malchut.
Malchut
is
called
the
Kli
[vessel]
that
was
emanated
by
the
Emanator
to
become
a
Kli
for
the
reception
of
the
abundance
that
the
Emanator
wanted
to
bestow
upon
His
creations.
That
Kli
is
called
Malchut.
The
order
was
that
first
was
the
vessel
of
reception
in
order
to
receive,
and
then
there
was
a
correction
that
it
is
forbidden
to
receive
in
that
Kli,
unless
we
can
aim
in
order
to
bestow,
and
then
the
abundance
is
drawn
into
that
Kli.
That
correction
was
made
so
that
when
the
abundance
comes
to
the
creatures,
there
will
not
be
any
deficiency
in
them,
called
“bread
of
shame.”
Instead,
they
will
be
able
to
receive
the
abundance
unboundedly
because
there
will
be
no
shame
in
them
upon
the
reception
of
the
abundance.
Rather,
they
will
aim
all
the
delight
and
pleasure
they
receive
only
to
the
benefit
of
the
Creator.
Then
they
will
continually
extend
abundance
because
they
will
not
be
able
to
say
they
have
given
the
Creator
enough
and
they
do
not
need
to
bestow
upon
Him
anymore.
Therefore,
they
will
always
have
a
reason
to
extend
abundance.
This
is
not
so
if
they
receive
the
abundance
for
themselves,
meaning
because
of
self-love.
At
that
time
they
must
be
limited
because
of
the
shame.
They
will
have
to
say
that
the
delight
and
pleasure
that
He
has
given
us
is
enough.
Because
of
it
there
was
the
correction
called
restriction
so
as
not
to
receive
light
into
the
Kli
of
Malchut
unless
we
can
receive
in
order
to
bestow.
From
the
root
of
Malchut
extends
downward
into
the
corporeal
branch
the
Eretz
[land]
which
is
a
branch
of
Malchut
of
above.
That
land
is
called
the
Holy
Land.
For
this
reason,
here
in
the
Holy
Land
there
are
special
corrections,
meaning
Mitzvot
[commandments]
that
are
dependent
upon
the
earth,
such
as
donations
and
tithing.
This
is
not
so
in
the
rest
of
the
lands.
And
also
there
is
a
special
root
to
Jordan,
a
special
root
to
Syria,
a
special
root
to
Babylon,
and
a
special
root
to
the
rest
of
the
lands
(See
Talmud
Eser
Sefirot,
Part
16,
p
1930).
For
this
reason,
with
respect
to
the
branch
and
root,
the
place
of
the
Temple
is
precisely
the
Holy
Land,
which
is
the
land
of
Israel.
This
is
so
after
it
was
sanctified.
But
before
the
people
of
Israel
came
into
this
land,
it
was
a
place
of
seven
nations,
which
correspond
to
the
seven
holy
Sefirot.
They
were
the
opposite
of
holiness,
extending
from
Malchut,
where
there
is
no
correction
of
the
Masach
[screen]
which
is
the
intention
to
bestow.
For
this
reason,
first
the
nations
of
the
world
came
there,
for
so
was
the
order
in
spirituality:
1)
the
coming
of
the
will
to
receive
came,
2)
the
correction
of
making
it
in
order
to
bestow.
For
this
reason
for
the
Holy
Land:
1)
The
nations
of
the
world
had
to
come
first,
for
they
belong
to
Malchut
before
it
was
corrected
with
a
Masach
so
that
everything
will
be
in
order
to
bestow.
2)
Afterwards,
Israel
will
come
and
conquer
them.
It
turns
out
that
the
Holy
Land
extends
from
Malchut
and
the
will
to
receive
in
a
person
also
extends
from
Malchut.
For
this
reason
there
were
1)
the
nations
of
the
world
in
the
land
first,
2)
then
the
people
of
Israel
came.
It
is
likewise
in
man’s
heart:
1)
First
comes
the
evil
inclination;
2)
and
then
comes
the
good
inclination.
Everything
extends
from
the
upper
roots.
However,
there’s
a
difference
between
man’s
heart,
which
extends
from
Malchut,
and
the
land
of
Israel,
which
extends
from
Malchut,
since
we
should
discern
between
internality
and
externality.
In
the
externality,
there
should
be
the
place
of
the
branch
that
corresponds
to
the
root.
But
in
internality,
it
is
not
necessarily
the
place
of
the
branch
that
corresponds
to
it.
In
the
land
of
Israel,
which
aims
to
a
person’s
heart,
which
extends
from
the
root
of
Malchut,
a
person
does
not
need
to
be
specifically
in
the
land
of
Israel
to
be
awarded
with
the
kingdom
of
heaven,
called
the
“land
of
Israel.”
Internally,
a
person
can
be
rewarded
with
the
instilling
of
the
Shechina
[divinity]
and
with
the
greatest
attainments
overseas
as
well,
just
like
all
of
our
great
sages
who
were
overseas.
Also,
people
who
live
in
the
land
of
Israel
can
be
the
worst
criminals.
The
land
of
Israel,
called
the
“Holy
Land,”
does
not
obligate
them
in
any
way
to
keep
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
since
what
concerns
the
internality,
the
externality
does
not
obligate
them
at
all,
as
internality
is
the
work
in
the
heart
and
it
is
completely
unrelated
to
the
externality.
However,
at
the
same
time
there
is
the
matter
of
externality.
That
is,
there
is
a
rule
that
it
is
forbidden
to
say
Kaddish
unless
ten
men
are
present.
And
we
do
not
check
if
these
ten
men
are
with
complete
fear,
but
rather
when
ten
simple
men
come
together
they
can
say
Kaddish,
and
“Bless,”
and
read
in
the
Torah,
etc.
However,
if
there
are
nine
righteous
sages,
they
are
forbidden
to
say
Kaddish,
and
“Bless”
because
the
revealed
law
is
according
to
the
externality
and
not
according
to
the
quality
of
the
internality.
You
can
similarly
find
in
the
“Introduction
to
The
Book
of
Zohar”
(item
65).
He
writes,
“Hence,
we
could
ask,
Why,
then,
is
it
forbidden
to
disagree
with
the
first
in
the
revealed
Torah?”
It
is
because,
as
far
as
the
practical
part
of
the
Mitzvot
[commandments]
is
concerned,
it
is
to
the
contrary:
the
first
were
more
complete
in
them
than
the
last.
This
is
because
the
act
extends
from
the
holy
Kelim
[vessels]
of
the
Sefirot
(called
‘externality’
because
Kelim
are
called
‘externality’
with
respect
to
the
lights,
and
the
lights
are
called
‘internality’).
And
the
secrets
of
the
Torah
and
the
Taamim
[flavors]
of
the
Mitzva
[commandment]
extend
from
the
Lights
in
the
Sefirot.
You
already
know
that
there
is
an
inverse
relation
between
Lights
and
vessels.”
It
turns
out
that
with
respect
to
the
revealed,
meaning
the
practical
part,
belongs
to
the
externality.
Therefore,
with
respect
to
the
practical
part,
there
are
things
that
can
be
done
only
in
the
land
of
Israel,
such
as
the
prohibition
on
building
the
Temple
abroad.
But
in
the
internality,
which
concerns
man’s
heart,
it
does
not
have
to
be
specifically
in
the
land
of
Israel,
although
the
branch
of
Malchut
is
specifically
the
land
of
Israel.
Yet,
there
are
unifications
that
if
one
wants
to
make
a
unification
on
the
outside,
as
well,
they
have
to
make
that
unification
specifically
in
the
external
land.
It
is
as
we
find,
that
there
is
a
unification
of
ASHAN,
which
is
an
acronym
for
Olam,
Shanah,
Nefesh
[world,
year,
soul
respectively],
meaning
that
that
unification
should
be
specifically
according
to
these
three
conditions
which
are:
Olam
[world]—specifically
the
place
of
the
Holy
of
Holies;
Shanah—with
respect
to
time,
it
should
be
specifically
on
Yom
Kippur
[Day
of
Atonement],
which
is
regarded
as
Shanah
[year];
Nefesh
[soul]—with
respect
to
Nefesh,
it
should
be
specifically
through
the
high
priest.
Therefore,
with
respect
to
internality,
when
we
speak
of
man’s
heart,
where
he
begins
to
serve
the
Creator,
meaning
the
work
of
exiting
self-love,
which
is
called
the
“land
of
the
peoples,”
and
instill
the
people
of
Israel
instead
of
them,
meaning
that
his
intention
will
be
only
to
love
the
Creator,
then
there
is
the
matter
of
day
and
night.
“Day”
means
that
he
has
high
spirits
without
any
need
for
corrections,
such
as
when
the
sun
shines
and
a
person
does
not
need
to
make
any
correction
to
make
the
sun
shine.
However,
one
needs
to
be
careful
not
to
put
interferences
so
that
the
sun
will
not
be
able
to
shine
where
it
should
shine,
such
as
not
entering
a
house
with
no
windows,
for
this
interrupts
the
shining
of
the
sun.
Conversely,
“night”
is
the
time
when
a
person
should
make
corrections
so
it
will
illuminate
for
him.
For
example,
in
corporeality,
night
is
the
time
when
it
is
dark
in
the
house.
Through
corrections,
meaning
by
placing
a
candle
or
a
lamp
there,
there
is
light.
Without
corrections,
even
if
one
does
not
pose
any
interferences,
still,
without
effort,
which
is
called
corrections,
nothing
will
shine
for
him.
Instead,
wherever
he
looks
it
is
as
though
he
is
looking
through
black
glasses:
everything
is
dark.
This
is
a
time
when
one
should
reflect
on
one’s
current
state,
how
remote
he
is
from
spirituality
and
immersed
in
self-love,
and
that
he
has
no
chance
of
exiting
his
situation
by
himself.
At
that
time
he
must
see
his
real
situation—how
by
nature
a
person
cannot
do
anything.
Rather,
as
our
sages
said,
“Were
it
not
for
the
Creator’s
help,
he
would
not
have
overcome
it.”
However,
we
should
know
that
the
Creator
created
the
night,
and
He
certainly
created
it
for
a
purpose,
which
is
to
do
good
to
His
creations.
Therefore,
each
one
is
asking:
Why
did
He
create
darkness
which
is
night?
After
all,
according
to
the
purpose
of
creation,
He
should
have
created
only
day
and
not
night.
The
verse
says,
“And
there
was
evening
and
there
was
morning,
one
day.”
That
is,
specifically
through
both,
which
are
night
and
day,
comes
one
day.
However,
the
night
was
created
deliberately
as
not
illuminating
without
corrections,
in
order
to
perform
the
corrections
that
the
night
reveals
to
a
person.
This
is
so
because
the
Kelim
are
founded
over
the
sensation
of
darkness.
These
are
needed
in
order
for
them
to
have
a
need
for
the
Creator
to
help
them.
Otherwise,
there
is
no
need
for
the
Creator’s
salvation.
That
is,
at
that
time
there
is
no
need
for
the
Torah,
which
is
regarded
as
“the
light
in
it
reforms
him.”
For
this
come
corrections
called
“Torah
and
Mitzvot.”
Torah
is
what
is
revealed
to
us
in
the
part
that
is
called
revealed,
which
is
rules
and
stories
of
the
fathers,
etc.
All
of
this
is
called
Torah.
This
part
is
called
the
revealed
Torah,
and
the
Torah
teaches
us
to
perform
Mitzvot,
and
how
to
do
them.
It
also
tells
us
the
stories
of
the
fathers.
However,
we
should
know
that
there
is
a
hidden
part
in
the
Torah,
meaning
that
that
Torah
is
hidden
from
us.
We
should
know
that
the
whole
Torah
is
the
names
of
the
Creator,
meaning
the
revelation
of
Godliness,
called
the
“secrets
of
Torah,”
which
a
person
begins
to
attain
specifically
after
he
has
been
rewarded
with
Torah
Lishma
[for
Her
sake].
In
the
words
of
Rabbi
Meir
(Avot,
Chapter
6),
“Rabbi
Meir
says,
‘Anyone
who
engages
in
Torah
Lishma
is
rewarded
with
many
things,
the
secrets
of
Torah
are
revealed
to
him,
and
he
becomes
like
an
ever-flowing
fountain.’”
It
turns
out
that
the
revealed
part
in
the
Torah
is
to
bring
us,
by
its
merit,
into
Lishma,
meaning
to
have
the
ability
to
aim
every
thought,
word,
and
action
to
be
in
order
to
bestow.
Afterwards,
once
he
has
been
rewarded
with
Lishma,
begins
the
engagement
in
the
hidden
Torah
and
the
flavors
of
the
Mitzvot.
By
doing
them,
he
extends
upper
abundance
downward.
And
we
have
already
spoken
about
the
613
Mitzvot
being
called
“613
counsels,”
as
well
as
“613
deposits.”
It
is
written
in
the
“Introduction
of
the
Book
of
Zohar,”
“The
Zohar
calls
the
Mitzvot
in
the
Torah
by
the
name
“deposits.”
However,
they
are
also
called
“613
counsels.”
The
difference
between
them
is
that
in
everything
there
is
anterior
and
posterior.
The
preparation
for
something
is
called
the
“posterior”
and
attainment
of
that
thing
is
called
the
“anterior.”
With
that
respect
of
the
anterior
of
the
Mitzvot,
which
are
then
called
“deposits,”
Rabbi
Shimon
explains
the
fourteen
above-mentioned
deposits.
We
see
from
above
that
the
hidden
part
is
called
“anterior,”
and
one
is
rewarded
with
the
anterior
after
one
is
rewarded
with
attaining
Lishma.