ליקוטים

In Tractate Megillah (16b:11), [it teaches], “All the songs are written a half brick arranged upon a whole brick and a whole brick arranged upon a half brick.” At first glance, we should wonder about that which is written (Vayikra Rabbah 13:4), “A new Torah will go out from Me”: Is it not one of the Thirteen Principles [of Faith] that this Torah will not be switched and that there will no other Torah? Rather [its] content is like this - that behold, it is known that the letters of the Torah are the aspect of inner (penimi) lights, which come in the revelation of the order of descent of the worlds; whereas the white borders which surrounds the letters are the aspect of the surrounding (makif) lights which do not come to be revealed except through hiding in the aspect of surrounding lights. And from this it is understood that even the white borders are also the aspect of letters; except they are letters hidden above the revealed letters. And it is from this reason that touching in the Torah scroll is forbidden. For with touching, he negates and covers the aspect of whiteness, which is the hidden letters. However with the splitting of the Red Sea - which is a great miracle above nature - [it was otherwise]. As the light and the vitality of the Lord, which is far above the order of the descent - which is the aspect of encircling the aspect of surrounding lights - was revealed. And that is why song was written a half brick arranged upon a whole brick and a whole brick arranged upon a half brick: Because it was the gathering of both of them together. Meaning that the aspect of whiteness, which is the aspect of the hidden letters, was drawn into revelation in the aspect of the revealed letters. And this is [the meaning of] what our Sages, may their memory be blessed, said, “A maidservant at the sea saw, etc.” It was because there was so much revelation of God, to the point that even a maidservant had the ability to grasp, etc. And this is the explanation of the verse (Isaiah 51:4), “A (new) Torah will go out from Me.” For in the future there will be a revelation of God, and the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh shall see, etc. That is, there will be a revelation from the aspect of encircling and the aspect of whiteness will be revealed - meaning the hidden letters that are surrounding - in the revealed letters of the Torah. And this is [the meaning of], “a new Torah from me.” Be precise and you will understand.