"The Great Redemption" (43)

"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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43.

I’ll now explain a verse to you in which you’ll see a very important and auspicious point about the great deal of emanation there will be then. It’s written, “Your gates will continuously be open and will not be closed by day or night” (Isaiah 60:11).

Now, this is a great mystery. For conglomerates of Luminaries will gather there each and every evening in order to emanate below. But in truth, the one Luminary that’s joined together now won’t be later on, for “everything has its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). But there’ll always be some conjunction, which is why rather than say “your gate will continuously be open” it says “your *gates* will continuously be open”. For there are many gates, and some are always open.

But don’t ask, “If they’re always joined together, then what will differentiate between day and night?” or, “When will people ever sleep?”. For as I’ve already indicated, not all the Luminaries will be conjoined all the time. It’s just that there will always be a conglomeration of some Luminaries, and time will shift according to the change of conglomerations. There’ll also always be sleep. For people are always governed by the King and by Malchut, and sleep will occur where it will. After all, when Jacob conjoins with Leah until midnight, doesn’t the Jewish Nation sleep all that time? So, that’s clear.

(c) 2006 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

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

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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.
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