"The Great Redemption" (13)

"The Great Redemption" by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto

-- A Discourse on The End of the Exile and the Beginning of the Great Redemption

Translated by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
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13.

I’ll now explain certain verses from Song of Songs that incorporate major themes about the P’kidah.

It’s written, “I am asleep, but my heart is awake” (Song of Songs 5:2). We know that the Shechina has a great Source that never veers from its place of honor, about which it’s said ”my heart is awake”, since this Source has never fallen into the deep sleep of galut like the others. It is the “I” referred to in “I am asleep”.

The truth of the matter is that the P’kidah has to come about when the Jewish Nation is in the thick of the great darkness and pitch black in which it’s most overpowered, and when it will be cast as far away from the Source as it could. Hence it’s said, “The voice of my Beloved knocks (‘dophek’)” (Song of Songs 5:2) since dophek has the very same (Hebrew) letters as (the word) P’kidah. For everything is heading to the same point.

For the P’kidah will only come about by means of the light of Chochma. But since Chochma is its Luminary, it will only illuminate the P’kidah as if from behind. This enigma is termed pk’d which is a revuah of 72. But Binah will illuminate in the course of the Z’chirah, along with Chochma rather than alone, face to face (with her) rather than from behind, which is z’chor.

For nothing will be done without Chochma -- and certainly the gates won't be opened without it. This is expressed by the vowel signs kametz-patach. That’s why the P’kidah is to come about through its power and illumination.

That’s what’s being alluded to by “Open up to me, my sister, my beloved, my dove, my perfect one” (Song of Songs 5:2), with its four salutations (corresponding to) the four letters of (G-d’s name,) A-D-N-Y. (In the phrase) “my head is filled with ‘dew’” (the word ‘dew’ ['tal']) is (numerically equivalent to the letters) YOD HAY VAV, and (the phrase) “my locks (are wet) with the drops of the night” (Ibid.) refers to the final HAY. Thus we find him now calling out to her to conjoin with him as hadn’t happened for so long.

I’ll now apprise you of several great secrets (regarding this) according to the order of some (other) verses.

(c) 2005 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )

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