תורה 54

6. Now this imagination is always in search a repository on which to rest. It therefore constantly attempts to reside in the mouth of those who study Jewish law. If they formulate some new Torah insight, it is an acceptable and credible insight because it comes from the imagination which likens one thing to another. Yet the bad that [the insight] contains surpasses the good.

These insights are thus detrimental to earning a living. The reason is that through Torah insights, heaven and earth are created, as it is written (Isaiah 51:16), “and I have declared to Zion: You are My people”—do not read this ami (My people) but imi (with Me), just as I create heaven and earth through My word…. (Zohar, Introduction, p .4b-5a). And through this all influx and blessing comes into the world, as it is written, “God will open for you His good treasury in heaven” (Deuteronomy 28:12). But when the Torah insights stem from the imagination, then “firmaments of futility” are created (Zohar, ibid.), through which famine comes to the world. Although they also contain some good, for they are words of Torah, which are the aspect of contentment, nevertheless since the bad surpasses the good, the bad therefore increases and the good is eliminated, in the aspect of “but there was no way of knowing that they were inside them” (Genesis 41:21). The aspect of the seven years of famine overpower the aspect of the seven years of contentment, God forbid, which corresponds to the bad overpowering the good to the point where the good is no longer recognizable because of the bad, in the aspect of “but there was no way of knowing…,” as explained above.

Now, the reason the imagination attempts to reside in the mouth of the one who studies Jewish law is that it was created on the eve of Shabbat at dusk, when the sanctity of the day set in and no physical form was created for it. As it is written in the Zohar concerning the verse, “that the Lord created, to make” (Genesis 2:3). There it is explained that the forces of evil, which are the aspect of the imagination, were being created on the eve of Shabbat at dusk when, suddenly, the sanctity of the day set in and they remained disembodied. See there.

Thus this imagination, which is the aspect of the evil forces, a disembodied spirit, seeks for itself a body in which to reside. It goes to those who study Jewish law, because they create everything through their words of Torah. that through them a body will be created for it in which to be enclothed. {“Yosef said to Pharaoh, ‘Pharaoh’s dream has a single meaning…. The reason that Pharaoh had the same dream twice is because the process has already been set in motion by the Lord, and the Lord is rushing to do it’” (Genesis 41:25, 32).}

This is the explanation of what is written, “the same dream twice”—i.e., the reason the dream, which is the aspect of the imagination, endeavors to reside with the one who studies Jewish law is “because the process has already been set in motion by the Lord, and the Lord is rushing to do it.” This corresponds to “that the Lord created, to make,” which was mentioned above. Everything had been set in motion on the eve of Shabbat at dusk, when the sanctity of the day set in, so that the Lord rushed “to make” it without a body. Because of this it always attempts to reside with the one who studies Jewish law, as explained above.

And this is the explanation of “Pharaoh’s dream has a single meaning.” In other words, PhaRaOh’s dream, which is the aspect of the imagination, is the power of nullity, as it is written (Exodus 5:4), “taPhRiOo (diverting) the people.” This comes from oneness, from love {because oneness is the aspect of love, as explained elsewhere}—i.e., from fallen love, . This corresponds to “My people are nidmu, because they had no knowledge,” because “You have rejected knowledge…,” as explained above.

We see then that with the departure of knowledge that stems from slander—which corresponds to “someone who speaks slander is a fool,” i.e., knowledge departs from him—he thereby falls from the love of God to the love of animality. Then the imagination, which is the power of animality, overpowers him, and because of the imagination the memory is blemished and he succumbs to forgetfulness. {“My people are nidmu (destroyed), because they had no knowledge. You have rejected knowledge, and so I have rejected you from kahein (serving) Me. You forgot the Torah of your God, I will likewise forget your children.”}

So come now and see how good and pleasant is the connection of all [the different parts] of this verse: “My people are destroyed…,” which was mentioned above.

This is the explanation of “My people are nidmu, because they have no knowledge”—because of a blemish in knowledge, the medameh gains strength, as explained above.

And this is the explanation of “You have rejected knowledge, and so I have rejected you from kahein Me”—because of a blemish in knowledge he falls from loves that are holy, which is the aspect of kohein. Then the medameh, corresponding to “My people nidmu …,” overpowers him, as explained above.

This is how the verse there concludes: “You forgot the Torah of your God”—surely “forgot,” for through the blemish of knowledge, because of which the imagination gains strength, the memory is blemished and forgetfulness occurs, as explained above.

And this is the explanation of “I will likewise forget your children”—for by blemishing the memory and succumbing to forgetfulness, he therefore has no male offspring, as was brought above regarding Avshalom, who did not merit having male offspring because he blemished the memory, as explained above. This is, “I will likewise forget your children.”

This is why Pharaoh’s decree was specifically against the males, because Pharaoh is the aspect of the imagination, which is the power of nullity. He overpowers the memory, which is the aspect of a male offspring. For when the imagination gains strength, God forbid, it blemishes and nullifies the memory, God forbid, as explained above.

And this is the explanation of “Then Pharaoh gave orders…. ‘Every boy who is born you shall throw into the river’” (Exodus 1:22). Specifically “the river,” because Egypt’s river is PIShON—i.e., the aspect of PI ShONeh (the mouth of one who studies) Jewish law, which is where the imagination resides. In other words, [Pharaoh] wanted to blemish the memory, which is the aspect of male offspring, by means of the imagination that resides in the mouth of the one who studies Jewish law, as explained above.