The
Fifteenth
of
Av
Article
No.
35,
1986
It
is
written
in
the
Mishnah
(Taanit,
p
26b):
“Rabbi
Shimon
Ben
Gamliel
said,
‘No
days
were
better
for
Israel
than
the
fifteenth
of
Av
[11th
Hebrew
month],
and
Yom
Kippur
[Day
of
Atonement],
when
the
daughters
of
Jerusalem
would
come
out
dressed
in
borrowed
white
garments,
so
as
not
to
shame
those
who
do
not
have.
The
daughters
of
Jerusalem
would
come
out
and
dance
in
the
vineyards.
What
would
they
say?
‘Young
man,
lift
up
your
eyes
and
see
what
you
choose
for
yourself.
Do
not
cast
your
eyes
on
beauty;
cast
your
eyes
on
family.’”
(And
on
page
31)
“Those
who
did
not
have
wives
went
there.
Our
sages
taught,
‘What
would
the
beauties
among
them
say?
‘Turn
your
eyes
to
beauty,
for
a
woman
is
only
for
beauty.’
What
would
the
wellborn
among
them
say?
‘Cast
your
eyes
on
family,
for
a
woman
is
only
for
sons.’
In
The
Eye
of
Jacob
he
adds,
‘The
wealthy
among
them
say,
‘Cast
your
eyes
on
the
wealthy.’
What
would
the
unsightly
ones
among
them
say?
‘Take
what
you
take
for
the
Creator,
as
long
as
you
crown
us
with
gold
coins.’”
We
should
understand
the
connection
between
good
days
and
the
daughters
of
Jerusalem
coming
out
to
dance
in
the
vineyards
and
speaking
to
young
men
about
matchmaking.
What
modesty
is
there
here?
It
implies
that
the
good
days
that
Israel
had
caused
the
daughters
of
Jerusalem
to
come
out
and
dance
in
the
vineyards.
We
should
understand
the
connection
between
them.
It
is
known
that
Malchut
is
called
“daughter,”
as
in
“Father
created
the
daughter.”
We
make
four
discernments
in
Malchut.
These
are
called
Hochma,
Bina,
ZA,
and
Malchut,
which
are
called
“four
Behinot
[discernments]
in
the
Aviut
[coarseness].”
The
first
Behina
[discernment],
which
is
Hochma,
is
called
“beauty,”
for
it
is
known
that
Hochma
is
called
“having
beautiful
eyes.”
The
second
Behina
is
Bina.
She
is
called
“mother
of
the
children,”
and
she
begot
ZON.
The
quality
of
Bina
is
that
she
wants
equivalence
of
form,
to
be
similar
to
the
Giver.
For
this
reason,
the
merit
of
Bina
is
that
we
attribute
her
to
Keter,
meaning
that
she
wants
to
resemble
Keter,
who
is
the
Giver.
The
third
Behina
is
ZA.
She
is
called
“rich,”
as
it
is
written,
“The
rich
shall
not
give
more.”
It
is
written
(Zohar,
Ki
Tissa,
item
4),
“‘The
rich
shall
not
give
more’
is
the
middle
pillar,
ZA,
who
should
not
give
too
much
Yod.
‘The
rich
shall
not
give
more’
is
the
middle
pillar,
which,
from
His
essence,
leans
toward
the
right,
to
Hassadim,
and
does
not
need
Hochma,
hence
its
title,
‘rich.’”
The
fourth
Behina,
which
is
Malchut,
is
called
“poor
and
meager,”
as
it
is
written,
“She
has
nothing
of
her
own
except
that
which
her
husband
gives
her.”
It
is
known
that
Malchut
is
called
“faith.”
It
is
as
was
said
about
Abraham,
“And
he
believed
in
the
Lord
and
He
considered
it
for
him
as
righteousness.”
Faith
is
called
Tzedakah
[righteousness/charity],
as
one
gives
charity
to
the
poor
without
asking
anything
in
return.
Such
is
faith
above
reason:
he
does
not
ask
anything
in
return,
but
only
for
the
Lord.
It
follows
that
it
is
as
though
faith
is
called
“meager,”
like
the
poor,
who
do
not
return
anything
for
the
charity
that
is
given
to
him.
With
the
above
said
we
can
interpret
the
excerpt
about
the
daughters
of
Israel
coming
out.
It
is
known
that
good
days
are
when
there
are
ascents
of
the
worlds
and
their
disclosure.
Therefore,
then
is
the
time
for
disclosure,
and
then
the
daughters
of
Jerusalem
come
out.
Coming
out
means
from
concealment
to
disclosure,
and
each
Sefira
shows
its
importance.
It
is
known
that
there
are
four
Behinot
[discernments/phases]
of
Ohr
Yashar
[Direct
Light].
This
means
that
four
phases
are
discerned
in
Malchut
herself—in
the
will
to
receive,
which
is
Malchut
with
respect
to
the
Ohr
Yashar,
whose
quality
is
to
receive
in
order
to
receive.
Four
Behinot
are
discerned
there,
as
it
is
written
(“Preface
to
the
Wisdom
of
Kabbalah,”
item
20),
“The
five
discernments
of
reception
in
Behina
Dalet
are
called
by
the
names
of
the
Sefirot
KHB
TM
because
prior
to
the
Tzimtzum
[restriction],
while
Behina
Dalet
was
still
the
vessel
of
reception
for
the
ten
Sefirot
included
in
the
Upper
Light
by
way
of
‘He
is
One
and
His
Name
One,’
…
its
clothing
of
the
ten
Sefirot
there
followed
these
Behinot.
Each
of
the
five
Behinot
in
her
clothed
its
corresponding
Behina
in
the
ten
Sefirot
in
the
Upper
Light.”
These
above-mentioned
Behinot
appear
on
good
days,
meaning
that
each
Behina
reveals
its
merit.
The
order
is
that
Behina
Aleph,
called
Hochma,
says,
Bachur
[young
unmarried
man],
meaning
one
who
is
worthy
of
being
Bachur
[also
“chosen”]
from
among
the
nation.
At
that
time
she
reveals
her
merit—that
there
is
beauty
in
her.
That
is,
Hochma
is
called
“the
beauty
of
the
eyes,”
as
it
is
said,
“The
eyes
of
the
congregation,”
referring
to
the
sages
of
the
congregation.
Therefore,
Hochma
is
called
“beauties.”
This
is
why
they
said
that
a
woman
is
only
for
beauty.
Concerning
the
vessels
of
reception
in
general—where
the
desire
to
do
good
to
His
creations
created
a
Kli
[vessel]
to
receive
the
delight
and
pleasure—it
pertains
to
light
of
Hochma.
This
is
why
a
woman
is
called
“vessel
of
reception
only
for
Hochma.”
“What
would
the
wellborn
among
them
say?”
Being
wellborn
means
that
he
has
a
high
root.
For
example,
when
we
say
that
this
man
is
the
grandson
of
a
great
man,
we
mean
that
his
root
is
a
very
high
root.
The
Sefira,
Bina,
called
Behina
Bet,
shows
her
merit—that
she
craves
equivalence
of
form,
by
which
we
can
come
to
adhere
to
the
root,
which
is
the
Emanator
and
Keter.
It
follows
that
the
Sefira
Bina
shows
that
she
is
attached
to
the
root.
This
is
called
“pedigree,”
meaning
that
the
sons
she
will
bear
will
have
a
nature
with
the
same
quality
as
hers,
since
she
has
equivalence
with
the
root.
This
is
why
it
is
written,
“What
would
the
wellborn
among
them
say?
A
woman
is
only
for
sons.”
This
means
that
the
vessels
of
reception,
called
“woman,”
must
strive
to
bear
sons,
meaning
that
the
sons
they
will
bear
will
be
important
sons.
This
is
why
it
was
said
“Cast
your
eyes
on
family,”
meaning
the
family
pedigree.
That
is,
Bina
showed
her
merit—that
she
is
adhered
to
the
root,
which
is
called
“equivalence
of
form,”
for
the
root
of
Bina
is
Keter,
which
is
a
desire
to
do
good
and
bestow.
Therefore,
her
merit
is
that
she
begets
power
of
bestowal
for
the
sons,
who
will
later
bear.
“The
wealthy
ones
among
them
say,
‘Cast
your
eyes
on
the
wealthy.’”
Behina
Gimel,
which
is
ZA,
is
called
“rich,”
since
one
who
has
Hassadim
is
regarded
as
rich
because
he
is
content
with
his
lot
and
does
not
need
Hochma.
He
also
has
illumination
of
Hochma,
but
he
leans
toward
Hassadim.
In
that
respect
he
is
similar
to
Bina,
who
is
the
source
of
Hassadim,
which
extends
from
the
root,
Keter.
She
wants
to
resemble
her
root,
but
he
has
illumination
of
Hochma.
It
is
written
in
the
holy
Zohar
(Ki
Tissa,
item
4):
“‘The
rich
shall
not
give
more’
is
the
middle
pillar,
ZA,
who
should
not
give
too
much
Yod.”
And
it
is
written,
“‘The
rich
shall
not
give
more’
is
the
middle
pillar,
which,
from
His
essence,
leans
toward
the
right,
to
Hassadim,
and
does
not
need
Hochma,
hence
its
title,
‘rich.’”
It
was
told
not
to
give
too
much
Yod,
meaning
not
to
give
too
much
Yod,
but
rather
take
Ohr
Hassadim
[light
of
mercy]
with
illumination
of
Hochma.
This
is
why
it
is
written,
“The
wealthy
ones
among
them,”
meaning
Behina
Gimel,
which
is
the
Behina
of
ZA,
called
light
of
Hassadim
in
illumination
of
Hochma,
for
ZA
is
called
“rich.”
That
Sefira
in
Malchut
shows
her
merit,
as
it
is
written,
“Cast
your
eyes
on
the
wealthy.”
“The
unsightly
ones
among
them”
are
the
actual
Malchut,
called
Behina
Dalet
in
Dalet,
on
whom
there
was
the
Tzimtzum
[restriction].
Hence,
this
Behina
is
called
“poor
and
meager,”
as
it
is
written
in
the
holy
Zohar,
that
Malchut
is
called
“poor
and
meager
for
she
has
nothing
of
her
own
except
that
which
her
husband
gives
her.”
It
is
known
that
we
must
assume
the
kingdom
of
heaven
above
reason.
This
is
called
“faith,”
to
believe
in
the
Creator
although
the
body
comes
with
many
questions,
complaints,
and
demands.
At
that
time
we
should
say,
“They
have
eyes
but
they
do
not
see,
ears,
but
they
do
not
hear.”
Instead,
we
must
accept
everything
above
sense
and
reason.
Moreover,
this
must
be
as
Tzedakah,
as
was
said
about
Abraham,
“And
he
believed
in
the
Lord
and
He
regarded
it
for
him
as
righteousness.”
The
reason
is
that
as
when
you
give
charity
to
the
poor,
you
do
not
ask
the
poor
for
anything
in
return
because
the
poor
have
nothing
to
give
back
except
what
they
are
given.
So
should
be
the
assuming
of
the
burden
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven—without
anything
in
return,
but
only
for
the
Creator,
as
though
the
Creator
has
nothing
to
give
back
to
man
in
return
for
his
work
in
assuming
the
burden
of
the
kingdom
of
heaven.
Indeed,
why
should
faith
be
specifically
this
way?
It
is
because
of
the
known
reason
that
there
was
a
Tzimtzum
on
the
vessels
of
reception
so
there
would
be
room
for
work,
and
by
which
to
achieve
equivalence
of
form,
called
Dvekut
[adhesion].
Specifically
in
these
Kelim
[vessels],
called
“annulment
of
vessels
of
reception,”
we
obtain
vessels
of
bestowal,
where
one
can
aim
in
order
to
bestow.
In
these
Kelim
illuminate
all
the
delight
and
pleasure
that
the
Creator
wanted
to
bestow
upon
His
creations.
However,
in
the
creatures,
who
were
created
with
vessels
of
reception,
and
who
are
told
that
they
must
work
above
reason,
this
work
is
called
“unimportant
work.”
It
is
regarded
as
unimportant
because
it
is
unsuitable
for
a
reasonable
person
to
do
things
to
which
the
intellect
does
not
agree.
It
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
said
about
the
verse
that
the
Creator
said
to
Moses
(Exodus,
4:2):
“And
the
Lord
said
to
him:
‘What
is
that
in
your
hand?’
And
he
said,
‘A
staff.’
And
He
said,
‘Throw
it
on
the
ground,’
and
it
became
a
serpent,
and
Moses
fled
from
it.”
He
said
that
Moses’
hands
are
called
“faith.”
It
is
regarded
as
“of
little
importance,”
since
man
craves
only
knowledge.
Where
he
sees
that
there
is
no
knowledge
that
he
wants
to
obtain,
he
cannot
attain
the
matter.
He
argues
that
he
has
already
exerted
in
this
work
so
we
can
do
everything
for
the
Creator
but
he
did
not
move
one
bit.
Thus,
the
body
tells
him,
“Give
up
on
this
and
do
not
think
that
you
will
ever
be
able
to
attain
it.
So
get
off
this
path.”
At
that
time
the
Creator
tells
him,
“Throw
it
on
the
ground,”
meaning
this
is
what
you
should
do
before
the
people
of
Israel.
We
must
know
that
Pharaoh
and
Egypt
imply
the
Pharaoh
and
Egypt
that
exist
in
an
Israeli
heart.
“And
it
became
a
serpent.”
That
is,
as
soon
as
we
leave
the
faith,
called
“of
low
importance,”
we
promptly
fall
into
the
Klipot
[shells/peels]
for
specifically
through
faith
above
reason
can
we
be
rewarded
with
all
the
wholeness.
It
follows
that
the
majority
of
the
work
is
when
a
person
has
no
intellectual
basis
on
which
to
build.
Also,
faith
has
no
basis
in
his
intellect.
For
this
reason,
where
one
does
not
see
that
any
benefit
will
arise
from
this
to
himself,
he
promptly
loses
the
energy
to
work
and
becomes
like
a
log,
without
any
desire
or
strength.
But
precisely
then
one
can
see
the
truth—whether
he
has
faith
above
reason,
so
he
can
tell
his
body,
which
comes
to
him
with
arguments
that
make
sense.
The
body
tells
him:
“Is
it
not
enough
for
you
to
see
the
truth,
that
it
is
impossible
to
go
forward
your
way?
Do
tell
me,
how
much
more
proof
do
you
need
in
order
to
listen
to
me,
give
up,
and
say,
‘Now
I
have
realized
that
this
path
of
working
only
for
the
Creator
is
not
for
me.
I
don’t
know
who
it
is
for,
but
what
I
do
know
is
that
it
is
not
for
me.’”
Although
our
sages
said
otherwise
(Sanhedrin,
p
37a),
“Therefore,
each
one
must
say,
‘The
world
was
created
for
me.’
But
what
can
I
do
if
I
see
that
in
reality,
I
cannot
keep
this
reality
of
saying
that
I
must
do
everything
for
the
Creator?’”
This
is
why
work
of
faith
is
regarded
as
unimportant
work.
With
the
above
said
we
will
interpret
what
the
unsightly
ones
would
say,
“Take
what
you
take
for
the
Creator,
as
long
as
you
crown
us
with
gold
coins.”
Behina
Dalet
in
Malchut
is
called
“poor
and
meager.”
As
said
above,
one
considers
this
work
unsightly
because
here
he
cannot
look
at
the
beauty
of
spirituality,
nor
at
the
pedigree
in
spirituality,
or
the
wealth
in
spirituality.
Rather,
what
we
do
have
here
are
only
things
that
reason
and
intellect
cannot
tolerate.
It
is
like
an
ugly
object
from
which
one
keeps
his
distance,
as
it
is
written,
(Hulin,
44),
“Stay
away
from
ugliness
and
its
likes.”
What
can
they
say
to
a
young
man
who
wants
to
be
a
chosen
one,
“Take
what
you
take
for
the
Creator,”
meaning
“We
cannot
promise
you
anything
of
self-benefit.
However,
if
you
want
to
be
the
chosen
ones
in
the
nation,
you
must
take
what
you
take
only
for
the
Creator.
That
is,
if
you
can
agree
to
these
conditions,
you
may
take
us.
Otherwise,
there
is
nothing
to
speak
of.”
However,
that,
too,
is
not
simple.
Rather,
“We
want
you
to
‘crown
us
in
gold
coins.’”
RASHI
interpreted
“crown
us
in
gold
coins”
to
mean
that
after
the
marriage
you
will
give
us
jewels
and
handsome
garments.
Baal
HaSulam
said
that
although
a
person
agrees
to
take
upon
himself
the
bargain
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator,
meaning
even
if
she
is
unsightly,
he
does
not
look
at
anything,
but
it
is
like
“a
bride
as
she
is,”
she
still
demands
that
afterwards
he
will
draw
for
her
the
light
of
Torah.
That
is,
he
should
try
to
obtain
the
flavors
of
Torah
and
the
flavors
of
Mitzvot,
or
she
will
not
agree,
since
“One
who
does
not
know
the
commandment
of
the
upper
one,
how
will
he
serve
him?”
This
is
why
they
said,
“as
long
as
you
crown
us
with
gold
coins.”
That
is,
although
in
terms
of
faith
it
is
above
reason,
afterwards
we
must
extend
the
light
of
Torah.
We
therefore
see
two
things
that
are
opposite
from
one
another.
On
the
one
hand,
faith
must
be
above
reason,
completely
unfounded.
On
the
other
hand,
we
must
obtain
the
flavors
of
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
Similarly,
Baal
HaSulam
said
about
what
we
say
in
the
blessing,
“Who
has
created
in
him,
holes
upon
holes,
hollows
upon
hollows,
etc.,
so
that
should
one
of
them
open
or
should
one
of
them
close,
it
is
impossible
to
exist
and
stand
before
You.”
He
said
that
closing
pertains
to
faith,
which
should
stay
closed.
This
is
the
meaning
of
“Should
[one
of
them]
open.”
Rather,
it
should
stay
closed.
“Or
should
[one
of
them]
close”
refers
to
the
flavors
of
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
Rather,
faith
will
stay
above
reason,
and
the
flavors
of
Torah
and
Mitzvot
will
be
revealed.