The Holy Epistle: Epistle 12 – Part 3 – video

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The Holy Epistle: Epistle 28 – Part 04 – audio
The Holy Epistle: Epistle 12 – Part 4 – video

ומודעת זאת מה שאמרו רז״ל על העוסק בתורה לשמה

It is well-known that our Sages, of blessed memory, said9 of a person who engages in the study of Torah for its own sake,

משים שלום בפמליא של מעלה ובפמליא של מטה

that “he makes peace within the heavenly retinue and within the terrestial retinue.”

פמליא של מעלה, הם השרים והמדות הנ״ל

The “heavenly retinue” comprises the above-mentioned “princes” and attributes,

שהן ההיכלות עליונים בעולם הבריאה שבזהר הקדוש

for these are the supernal heichalot (lit., “chambers”) in the World of Beriah, as stated in the sacred Zohar.

Peace there consists of the harmonious relationship that is established when Gevurah merges into Chesed and becomes sweetened and tempered by it.

ופמליא של מטה, הן ההיכלות התחתונים

The “terrestial retinue” comprises the lower heichalot,

ובפרט עולם הזה השפל

and especially this lowly world

המעורב טוב ורע מחטא אדם הראשון

which, since the sin of Adam, is mingled of good and evil,

As a result of Adam’s sin, there is no good in this world without evil and no evil without good.

והרע שולט על הטוב

and the evil rules over the good,

כמו שכתוב: אשר שלט האדם באדם גו׳

as it is written,10 “While man rules over man….” I.e., the “man of wickedness,” representing the forces of kelipah, rules over the “man of holiness” — and harms him, too, as the verse concludes.

ולאום מלאום יאמץ

[It is also written],11 “And nation will overpower nation,” as the balance of power fluctuates between the forces of good and the forces of evil.

וכנראה בחוש באדם התחתון, הנקרא בשם עולם קטן

This is empirically evident with terrestrial man, who is called a microcosm,12

שלפעמים הטוב גובר, ולפעמים להיפך, חס ושלום

for sometimes the good [within him] prevails, and sometimes the reverse, heaven forfend.

ואין שלום בעולם עד עת קץ

Therefore there will be no peace in the world until the ultimate time (lit., “the time of the End”), when evil will cease to exist,

שיתברר הטוב מהרע

when the good shall be refined from the evil

לידבק בשרשו ומקורו, מקור החיים ברוך הוא

in order to cleave to its root and source, the Divine Source of Life.

ואזי יתפרדו כל פועלי און, ורוח הטומאה יעבור מן הארץ

At that time13 “all evildoers shall be scattered,” and14 the spirit of impurity shall pass from the earth,

כשיתברר מתוכו בחינת הטוב המחייהו

when the element of the good which sustains it will be extracted from its midst.

Evil will then cease to exist as a matter of course, for its entire existence is dependent on the good found within it.

ובירור זה יהיה גם כן על ידי גילוי אלקותו למטה

This refinement itself, of the good from the evil, will also take place through a manifestation of Divinity below,

For just as the refinement as a whole is accomplished through our actions and efforts throughout the time of exile,15 so, too, the actual refinement will result from the revelation of G‑dliness in this world.

בהארה רבה והשפעה עצומה

with a great illumination and immense effulgence,

כמו שכתוב: כי מלאה הארץ דעה את ה׳

as it is written,16 “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of G‑d,”

ונגלה כבוד ה׳ גו׳

and17 “The glory of G‑d shall be revealed….”

וזהו בכללות העולם לעתיד

Now, this is as regards the future of the world, in general.

In the Time to Come the good will be refined and elevated from the evil through the revelation of G‑dliness that will then be manifest.

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