"The Great Redemption" (60)
"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
_____________________________________________
60.
I’ll now inform you of a great mystery touching upon the emendation of the world. It’s written, “Widen the place of your tent and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations; don’t refrain, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes” (Isaiah 54:2). This is indeed a great mystery (and it has to do with to the following).
Holiness was constricted in the Land of Tzvi at the time of the Holy Temple, and it didn’t extend beyond it. It was even more circumscribed In the exile until it came to be just a small speck. But in the course of the redemption -- may it come speedily and in our lifetime -- it will once again expand throughout the Holy Land, which will itself in fact expand very far. That’s what’s being alluded to by (the phrase) “widen the place of your tent”.
But branches will spread out from the lowest and most external groupings of Malchut to cover the face of the earth, because it would have been cleansed of its impurities. The world will be in a pure state then, but not holy. For only the Land of Israel can be holy, while the rest of the world will be like Suria -- "a single colony". And that’s because (the phenomenon of) a single colony touches upon the mystery of the Shechina, who is the only daughter who spreads out her wings from her place of honor and harbors those other places.
The land of Israel, though, is termed "a multiple colony", since all ten Celestial Luminaries shine upon it, which isn’t so of the single colony since it’s only under the supervision of Malchut, from whose wings it receives (sustenance). This is alluded to by the statement, “stretch out (your) curtains”, as all (instances of) “habitation” derive from Yesod.
The point is that some of the light of Yesod was wherever the (Schechina’s) wings spread, since the conjunction (between them) was so powerful and they wouldn’t divide. And so there were angels appointed to carry out those lands’ duties. All was associated with holiness then, unlike when there were idolators, when the earth was impure because the ministering angels of impurity ruled. Those (angelic) appointees were referred to as “stakes”, hence the verse says, “strengthen your stakes”.
This is what's being referred to in the verse that reads “G-d will be king over all the earth” (Zecharia 14:9). For holiness will reign over and govern everything. As a consequence it’s said of Moshiach, “May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth” (Psalms 72:8), (which he’ll indeed have) thanks the power of the spreading of the Shechina’s wings. And thus it’s said, “your seed will inherit nations” and “settle desolate cities” (Isaiah 54:3), referring to those cities in the Holy Land that will remain emended in conjunction with the mystery of the settlements that will come about by the revelation of the lights. (That's why) he doesn’t cite obstructions (of the light).
It also says “your seed will possess nations” to refer to the matter I explained to you about the giving of the Torah. The (fact that the) Jewish Nation took the desolate places from Esau’s and Ishmael’s cities enabled them to “settle desolate cities” (Isaiah 54:3). Thus it’s said, “you’ll spread out on the right hand and on the left” in reference to the fact that the Shechina’s wings will break through all borders to the right and left. She’ll break through and enter, and they’ll then be subjugated to Her and serve G-d in unison. As it’s said, “And kings will be your foster fathers and their queens your nursing mothers” (Isaiah 49:23).
(c) 2006 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )
********************************
AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman's translation of "The Gates of Repentance" has been reissued at *at a discount*!
You can order it right now from here
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon "The Path of the Just", and "The Duties of the Heart" (Jason Aronson Publishers). His new work on Maimonides' "The Eight Chapters" will soon be available.
Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled
"Spiritual Excellence" and "Ramchal"
-- A Discourse on The End of the Exile and the Beginning of the Great Redemption
Translated by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
_____________________________________________
60.
I’ll now inform you of a great mystery touching upon the emendation of the world. It’s written, “Widen the place of your tent and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations; don’t refrain, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes” (Isaiah 54:2). This is indeed a great mystery (and it has to do with to the following).
Holiness was constricted in the Land of Tzvi at the time of the Holy Temple, and it didn’t extend beyond it. It was even more circumscribed In the exile until it came to be just a small speck. But in the course of the redemption -- may it come speedily and in our lifetime -- it will once again expand throughout the Holy Land, which will itself in fact expand very far. That’s what’s being alluded to by (the phrase) “widen the place of your tent”.
But branches will spread out from the lowest and most external groupings of Malchut to cover the face of the earth, because it would have been cleansed of its impurities. The world will be in a pure state then, but not holy. For only the Land of Israel can be holy, while the rest of the world will be like Suria -- "a single colony". And that’s because (the phenomenon of) a single colony touches upon the mystery of the Shechina, who is the only daughter who spreads out her wings from her place of honor and harbors those other places.
The land of Israel, though, is termed "a multiple colony", since all ten Celestial Luminaries shine upon it, which isn’t so of the single colony since it’s only under the supervision of Malchut, from whose wings it receives (sustenance). This is alluded to by the statement, “stretch out (your) curtains”, as all (instances of) “habitation” derive from Yesod.
The point is that some of the light of Yesod was wherever the (Schechina’s) wings spread, since the conjunction (between them) was so powerful and they wouldn’t divide. And so there were angels appointed to carry out those lands’ duties. All was associated with holiness then, unlike when there were idolators, when the earth was impure because the ministering angels of impurity ruled. Those (angelic) appointees were referred to as “stakes”, hence the verse says, “strengthen your stakes”.
This is what's being referred to in the verse that reads “G-d will be king over all the earth” (Zecharia 14:9). For holiness will reign over and govern everything. As a consequence it’s said of Moshiach, “May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth” (Psalms 72:8), (which he’ll indeed have) thanks the power of the spreading of the Shechina’s wings. And thus it’s said, “your seed will inherit nations” and “settle desolate cities” (Isaiah 54:3), referring to those cities in the Holy Land that will remain emended in conjunction with the mystery of the settlements that will come about by the revelation of the lights. (That's why) he doesn’t cite obstructions (of the light).
It also says “your seed will possess nations” to refer to the matter I explained to you about the giving of the Torah. The (fact that the) Jewish Nation took the desolate places from Esau’s and Ishmael’s cities enabled them to “settle desolate cities” (Isaiah 54:3). Thus it’s said, “you’ll spread out on the right hand and on the left” in reference to the fact that the Shechina’s wings will break through all borders to the right and left. She’ll break through and enter, and they’ll then be subjugated to Her and serve G-d in unison. As it’s said, “And kings will be your foster fathers and their queens your nursing mothers” (Isaiah 49:23).
(c) 2006 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )
********************************
AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman's translation of "The Gates of Repentance" has been reissued at *at a discount*!
You can order it right now from here
Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon "The Path of the Just", and "The Duties of the Heart" (Jason Aronson Publishers). His new work on Maimonides' "The Eight Chapters" will soon be available.
Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled
"Spiritual Excellence" and "Ramchal"
posted by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman at 1:36 PM
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