תורה 29

4. Now, to correct all the sins individually—they are very many, and the task is an onerous one! It is impossible to rectify them, because in each and every prohibition there are many fine points and details.

It is therefore necessary to rectify the generality of the GiDim, corresponding to (Deuteronomy 4:13), “And yaGeD (He announced) to you His brit (covenant).” Then, by rectifying the brit, which is the generality of the gidim, all the prohibitions that he transgressed are rectified as a matter of course, and whiteness is drawn into them.

Because of this, the generality of the gidim, which is the holy brit, is called ShaDaI ; because it ShaDI (shoots) and fires whiteness and rectifications to each and every detail according to its needs, even to those places which are narrow and tiny. For there are places that are so narrow and tiny that no rectification can reach there except the General Remedy which shoots whiteness and rectification even to the narrow and tiny places; as in (Job 22:25), “And Shadai (the Almighty) will be b’TZaRekha.” shoots and fires rectifications to all the TZaR (narrow) places, .

And because of this, brit is called “the brightness of the firmament.” For then, prior to rectification, it is in the category of (Job 20:27), “The heaven will reveal his transgression.” But after rectification, it then brightens and purifies the firmament—corresponding to the crimson-colored strap which whitens the transgressions of the three hundred sixty-five < gidim, the three hundred sixty-five> prohibitions (Yoma 67a) —and causes whiteness to flow into the three hundred sixty-five gidim, corresponding to, “At all times let your garments be white.” { “Like a nesher (an eagle) arousing its> kein (ne st), hovering over its gozel (young)” (Deuteronomy 32:11). }

whiteness is drawn from the mind, as in (Song of Songs 4:15), “flowing from LeBaNon”—from the LiBuNa (whiteness) of the mind. through the rectification of the generality of the gidim, as in, “Like a nesher arousing its kein.” Nishra is the spirit, as in (Joshua 2:11), “Neither did there arise any more spirit-of-life in man”—. “Arousing its kein”—he arouses , corresponding to “Knei wisdom, knei understanding,” from the aspect of sleep.

“Hovering over its GoZeL (young).” He hovers over and protects the mentalities which were at first niGZaLin, as in (Proverbs 28:24), “He gozel (steals) from his father and his mother.” These are the mentalities—namely, “father in Chokhmah (Wisdom)” and “mother to Binah (Understanding).”

This is the meaning of (Berakhot 3a): “An infant nourishes from the ShDaI (breasts) of his mother.” “An infant” alludes to constricted mentalities. He is nourished and raised from infant-like constriction by means of the General Remedy, which shoots and fires .

And this is the meaning of “his mother”—this is . As is written (Proverbs 23:22), “Do not despise your mother when she is old.” [“Your mother,”] Rashi explains, is “your gathering,” all the rectifications are gathered and encompassed there.

This is the essence of Israel’s coming closer to its Father in heaven, i.e., through rectification of the brit. This is the primary means through which Israel comes closer to its Father in heaven, as in (Exodus 19:4), “I carried you on kanfei nesharim (the wings of eagles), and I brought you to Me.” “Nishra” is the General Remedy, as in, “And He announced to you His covenant”—namely, rectification of the brit, as explained. Specifically through this, “I brought you to Me.” They came closer to the Holy One, for the main way to come closer to the Holy One is through the rectification of the brit .