"The Great Redemption" (17)

"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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17.

We’ll now explain how the gate is to be opened. As you’ve already heard, it's to come about by means of the light of Chochma, which is why it’s said, “My hands dripped with myrrh and my fingers (dripped) with flowing myrrh upon the handles of the lock” (Song of Songs 5:5).

Understand that all these things refer to the great and mighty Luminaries standing next to the palace by the gate. For two mighty Luminaries -- figuratively termed “two hands” -- are found there that emanate from the Celestial Throne and reach the gate. They're alluded to in the verse, “I entrust (p’kad) my spirit to Your hand” (Psalms 31:6). There are in fact five other phenomena connected to the palace referred to as the “five fingers”.

The entire verse “My hands dripped with myrrh and my fingers (dripped) with flowing myrrh upon the handles of the lock” refers to their being taken over by Chochma’s illumination. For the light of Chochma is referred to as “myrrh”. The above-mentioned hands were (then lifted up) to receive this light while it was still above them; and when they were then set down they (were said to have) “dripped with myrrh.” When they dropped down even further yet, the “fingers” also received it. It’s therefore written, “and my fingers (dripped) with flowing myrrh”.

Now see whom this pure myrrh reached -- “the handles of the lock”. The tzaddik is “the lock”; and (the term) “the handles (kapot)” (is used) in the same sense as the “branches (kapot) of palm trees” (Leviticus 23:40), indicating that the Luminaries join together in a single bond.

We’re also taught here that the myrrh descends even further until it reaches the two Moshichim, who are the actual “handles of the lock”. We'll touch upon other mysteries about this later.

(c) 2005 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

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

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