Sha'ar HaEmunah VeYesod HaChasidut, Entrance to the Gate of Beit Yaakov 22

ענין "פגימת הלבנה" היא החסרון בתולדות הבריאה, שהניח הקב"ה מקום לעבודת האדם. והטובה הצפונה ע"י העבודה הזו, הסתיר השי"ת לעת קץ שיתמלא הלבנה. The Blemish of the Moon.
Continuing with the image of the moon, as symbolizing creation in its current, deficient state, the author recalls themes that he discussed much earlier in the work – that G-d is best served from a place of lack and deficiency, as he stated previously: “There is no light but that which emerges from darkness.” The soul, like the moon, willingly limits itself to enter this dark world, yet only from here, can it truly shine. With this, R. Gershon Hanokh begins to close his argument: the world of darkness and concealment is not an absolutely negative state. It is the setting out of which revelation emerges. As such, it is an indispensable step to revelation. Seeing through the eyes of faith not only means seeing the good in the darkness, but seeing how the darkness itself is part of the larger plan. This redeeming vision is at present hidden from our eyes (and thus, the need for faith), but will be revealed in the world-to-come.

שענין פגימו דסיהרא הוא על החסרון בתולדת הבריאה, שהניח הקב"ה כדי שיהיה מקום לעבודת האדם, וכדאי' בזוה"ק תצוה (קפד.) לית פולחנא דקוב"ה אלא מגו חשוכא. וז"ש (ישעיהו מ״ח:ח׳) ופושע מבטן קורא לך, והטובה הצפונה ע"י העבודה הזו הסתיר הקב"ה לעת קץ ליום אשר הוא עושה סגולה. וזהו דאי' במס' שבועות (דף ט.) הביאו עלי כפרה שמיעטתי את הירח, שנדרש על שעיר ראש חדש שנקרב בפגימו דסיהרא. וע"ז נרמז שלא יתרעם האדם על הקב"ה ויקבל הכל באהבה. ועל זה איתא בזוה"ק (וישב הנ"ל) והיה מדי חדש בחדשו ומדי שבת בשבתו יבוא כל בשר, ודאי שבשר מרמז על החסרון שנמצא בתולדת הבריאה כדאי' (סוטה ה.) בשר הוא נוטריקון בושה סרוחה רמה שהיא שורש כל החסרונות, ומזה החסרון יבנה התחדשות לעתיד שיתרומם מבושה הזאת. וכדמסיים (שם) בזוה"ק פתח ואמר הנה ישכיל עבדי ירום ונשא וגבה מאד (ישעיהו נ״ב:י״ג) זכאה חולקהון דצדיקיא דקוב"ה גלי לון ארחי דאורייתא למיהך בהו, תא חזי האי קרא רזא עלאה הוא. הנה ישכיל עבדי ואוקמוה. אבל תא חזי כד ברא קוב"ה עלמא עביד לה סיהרא ואזער לה נהורתא דהא לית לה מגרמה כלום, ובגין דאזעירת גרמה אתנהרא בגין שמשא ובתוקפא דנהורין עלאין. ובזמנא דהוה בי מקדשא קיים, ישראל הוו משתדלין בקורבנין ועלוון ופולחנין דהוו עבדין כהני וליואי וישראל בגין לקשרא קשרין ולאנהרא נהורין. ולבתר דאתחריב בי מקדשא אתחשך נהורא וסיהרא לא אתנהרית מן שמשא ושמשא אסתליק מנה, ולית לך יומא דלא שלטא ביה לווטין וצערין וכאבין כמה דאתמר. ובההוא זמנא דמטי זמנא דסיהרא לאתנהרא מה כתיב, הנה ישכיל עבדי דא הוא רזא דמהימנותא הנה ישכיל דאתער אתערותא לעילא כמאן דארח ריחא ואתי לאתערא ולאסתכלא. ירום מסטרא דנהורא עלאה דכל נהורין. ירום כמה דאת אמר (ישעיהו ל׳:י״ח) ולכן ירום לרחמכם, ונשא מסטרא דאברהם וגבה מסטרא דיצחק מאד מסטרא דיעקב ואע"ג דאוקמוה וכלא חד ברזא דחכמתא. ובההוא זמנא יתער קוב"ה אתערותא עלאה לאנהרא לה לסיהרא כדקא יאות כד"א (ישעיהו ל׳:כ״ו)והיה אור הלבנה כאור החמה ואור החמה יהיה שבעתים כאור שבעת הימים. ובגין כך יתוסף בה רוח עלאה ובגין כך יתערון כדין כל אינון מתיא דאינון גו עפרא וכו': The blemish of the moon reflects the deficiency that God programmed into the very fabric of creation. God saw the necessity for such a deficiency in order to give man the possibility of serving Him. This is as it is written in the Zohar (Tetsave, 184a): Man only serves God from amidst darkness… This is as it is written (Yeshayahu, 48), “You are called a criminal from the womb.” God concealed the good that results from this type of service until the final redemption, to that special day known only to Him. This is as it is written in the Talmud (Shevuot, 9a) concerning the goat offered of the new moon (Bamidbar, 28:15), “‘And one goat for a sin offering for God.’ Why does the verse here say, ‘for God,’ which is not said after other offerings? It is as if God is saying, ‘Bring a sacrifice for Me, in order to atone for My own sin of diminishing the moon!’”⁴⁴⁵Chulin, 60b: Rav Shimon ben Pazzi pointed out a contradiction between two verses. One verse says, “And God made the two great lights,” and immediately the verse continues, “The greater light . . . and the lesser light.” [In other words, are they both great, or are they great and small?] The moon said unto the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the Universe! Is it possible for two kings to wear one crown?” [I.e. can there be two great lights?] God answered, “So go and make yourself smaller.” The moon cried, “Master of the Universe! Since I have suggested that which is proper, I have to make myself smaller?” He replied: “Then you will go and rule by day and by night.” [I.e. the moon can be see both at night and by day.] “What is the value of this?” cried the moon; “What is the use of a lamp in broad daylight?” God answered, “Go. By you will Israel calculate the days and the years.” “But it is impossible to calculate the seasons without the sun!” said the moon, “as it is written, And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years.” “Go, for the righteous shall be named after you, as we find, Yaakov the Small, Shmuel the Small, David the Small.” On seeing that the moon would not be consoled, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: “Bring an atonement for Me for making the moon smaller.” This is what Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish meant when he said, “Why is it that the he-goat offered on the new moon is phrased differently in that after it, it is said, ‘a sin offering for G-d’? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘Let this he-goat be an atonement for Me for making the moon smaller.’” It is hinted at here that a person should not complain angrily to God, but rather, should accept everything with love. This is what the Zohar meant when it quoted the verse, ““from new moon to new moon… all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord.” The word, “flesh,” hints at the deficiency which exists in the very nature of the creation, as the Talmud states (Sotah, 5a), “the word, ‘flesh – basar,’ is an acronym for ‘busha – shame,’ ‘sruha – stench,’ ‘rima –worm.’” Thus, “flesh” is the root of all deficiencies. Yet, the future renewal will be built from this deficiency and raised up out of this shame. This is as our passage in the Zohar continues (Tetsave, 184a): He opened and said (Yeshayahu, 52:13), “Behold, My servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and he shall be very high.”⁴⁴⁶This is a prophecy concerning the righteous in the messianic era. Fortunate is the portion of the righteous to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, reveals the way of the Torah and how to live by it! Come and see how this verse is a sublime mystery. “My servant shall prosper,” has been explained. Yet come and see! When God created the world, He created the moon, and then made her light smaller. In this way, she would not have any light of her own. Since she made herself smaller, she only reflects the light she receives from the sun and the power of the supernal luminaries. In the days of the Holy Temple, Israel was assiduous in bringing sacrifices together with all the other services performed by the Cohanim, Levi’im, and Israelites. Their service wove bonds of union and caused an intense illumination. After the Temple was destroyed, the lights were darkened, and the moon no longer shined from the light of the sun. Ever since the sun withdrew from her, the days are fraught with curses, affliction, and pain.⁴⁴⁷This is a metaphor for creation in its present, exilic state, in which the light of the son (G-d) no longer shines upon the moon (our world). Thus, it is a period of suffering and pain. But of the time when the moon will shine with her original light, it is said of her, “Behold, my servant shall prosper.” This is the mystery of emunah (faith). At that time, there will be an awakening in the upper realms, like someone who, upon catching a sweet scent, wakes up and looks out at the world. “He shall be exalted,” from the side of the most exalted of luminaries. And as in the verse (Yeshayahu, 30:18), “And He will be exalted that He may have mercy upon you.” “Lifted up,” is from the side of Avraham. “He shall be (very) high,” is from the side of Yitzhak. Whereas “very” is from the side of Yaakov. in the mystery of wisdom. At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, will cause an awakening on high in order to allow the moon to shine in her full splendor, as it is written (Yeshayahu, 30:26), “Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of the seven days.” For this reason, an exalted spirit will be added to the moon which will rouse the dead who sleep in the dust. This is the meaning of “My servant,” who has the key of the Master in his hand.

וענין פגימת הירח הוא מצד סיהרא, היינו נקודת מלכות שמים שרצתה לירד עד שפל המדרגות, שיהיה מקום לכח העבודה ע"י ההסתר ובחירה, וכדאי' חולין (דף ס.) שאמר לה הקב"ה לכי ומעטי עצמך, ולא נאמר שמיעטה הקב"ה, רק שהקב"ה הראה לה עצה טובה, שטוב לפניה שתמעט עצמה, והמיעוט הוא ג"כ לצביונה של הבריאה שרצתה בהסתר הזה, כדי שתזכה לגודל האור אח"כ כמ"ש בזוה"ק הנ"ל. שבאמת בנקודת ההסתר יש אור יקר מאד, מפני שסוף כל המדות נעוץ בתחלת וראשית המדות. ולכן היה בה בשרשה תקיפות עצום לומר שלא תרצה לכנוס להסתר, ושתקבל אור משרשה שלא ע"י מסכים, כי קבלת האור על ידי השמש רומז, מה שהאדם מקבל אור על ידי עבודה וצמצומים, וכמו שנתבאר בזוה"ק, שעיקר שלמות התקשרות הבריאה בהש"י הוא רק כשמקבל ע"י עבודה. ודוגמת זו הלבנה שבזמן הקיבוץ, אז עומדת ופניה נגד השמש ומקבלת האור מקרוב, שאז היא קרובה ביותר להשמש, אבל אז אינה מאירה לעולם. ובזמן הניגוד, שאז היא בתכלית הריחוק ומקבלת דרך הפסקת מרחק ואז מאירה בשלמות להעולם: The blemish of the moon represents the point of Divine Sovereignty that wanted to descend to the lowest of levels, so that there is the potential for serving G-d through concealment and free choice. This is hinted when the Talmud says (Hullin, 60b), “The Holy One told her: Go and make yourself smaller,” and not that “God made the moon smaller.” God only gave the moon a piece of good advice, telling her that she would benefit from making herself smaller. This reduction follows the desire of the creation, which wanted this state of concealment in order to later be worthy of a very great illumination, as is explained in the passage of the Zohar quoted above. An intensely precious light hides in this point of concealment, since the end of the attributes is wedged in the beginning and chief of all attributes.⁴⁴⁸The Sefer Yetzirah says, “The end is wedged in the beginning”; meaning, the lowest spiritual world (Malkhut) is included in the highest (Keter). Or, in other words, the final product of creation exists in potential in the original intention of creation. And even when it descends to manifest itself in reality, it still exists, simultaneously, at the highest level. Therefore the moon displayed incredibly brazenness,⁴⁴⁹“Tekifut” – a kind of brazen, holy strength. It is the mode of operation man employs when he knows that God is acting through him, and his will is just a vessel for God’s will. In this state, man is beyond choice. This is one of the key concepts in the Mei HaShiloach. See the Mei HaShiloach, Sefer Bereshit, Parshat Vayeira, under the verse, “and Sarah laughed.” It must be noted that this concept can be easily misunderstood and even corrupted, as the Mei HaShiloach notes in his discussion of Amalek. in order to say at first that she did not want to enter into a state of concealment, but rather receive light directly from the source without any diminution of the light by means of a system of filtration in the upper worlds. The act of receiving the light of the sun teaches how man receives light through Divine service and constriction (tzimtzum).⁴⁵⁰Tzimzum is the act of God constricting his infinite light through numerous filters so that it can be contained in the weak vessels of this world without breaking them. Performing a commandment is a way of receiving the light of the Infinite through tzimtzum. The Zohar explains that the only way that man can completely connect to God is if he receives the Infinite light through the Divine service. We see this in the moon. When the moon is in the time of the, “ingathering” (the new moon), she stands facing the sun,⁴⁵¹Actually, at the time of the new moon, what we consider the moon’s back is facing the sun. receiving light from nearby. At this time, when she is closest to the sun, she does not illuminate the world. At the time of, “opposition” (the full moon), she is at the farthest position from the sun, and only receives the light over a great distance. Yet, she shines a full illumination to the world.

וזה מרומז בזוה"ק פ' אמור (דף ק:) שעיקר שלמות העבודה מראש השנה הוא בחג הסוכות. שבראש השנה ויוה"כ עדיין לא נתמלא הירח, וראש השנה הוא בכסה, וביוה"כ עדיין לא נתמלא, ואז מקבלת הירח משרשה בקירוב מקום. וזהו דאיתא (שם) רבי אבא שדר ליה לרבי שמעון אימתא זוויגא דכנסת ישראל במלכא קדישא שלח ליה (בראשית י״ב:י״ט) וגם אמנה אחותי בת אבי היא אך לא בת אמי ותהי לי לאשה. ונתבאר (שם) בכסה ליום חגנו דאתכסיא ביה סיהרא וכו' ובמה דנהיר כלא בתיובתא וכו' תא חזי בהאי יומא אתכסי סיהרא ולא נהיר עד בעשור וכו' יום כפור מבעיא ליה מאי יום הכפורים אלא בגין דתרין נהורין נהרין בחד בוצינא עלאה נהיר לבוצינא תתאה ובהאי יומא מנהורא עלאה נהיר ולא מנהורא דשמשא. והענין בזה הוא, שהשי"ת הציב עבודה לישראל כפי סדר הזמנים בכל זמן כפי מערכתו, ולכן ביום כפור לא נשלם עוד העבודה ליחד רצון הש"י עם עבודת ישראל, יען שלפי מערכת הזמן אינו עוד בשלימות האור. ולכן ביום הכפורים אין העבודה לכלל ישראל אלא ע"י צמצום ועינוים. וזהו שאין הירח מקבלת עוד ע"י השמש בשלימות, לפי שעדיין היא מקורבת ביותר. אכן בחג, שאז הוא מלואה דסיהרא לכן ניתן אז העבודה בפעולה ובשמחת החג על ידי עונג ואז הוא השלימות, וכדאיתא (במדרש קהלת פ"ד) רעותא דבר נש מתקרי לעי ונגיס, שהאדם חפץ שיקבל שכר חלף עבודתו ולא יהיה נהמא דכסופא: The Zohar (Emor, 100b) teaches us that the completion of the Divine service on Rosh Hashanah comes fifteen days later with the festival of Succot. On Rosh Hashanah, which falls on the new moon, the light of the moon is covered. Ten days later, on Yom Kippur, the moon is not yet full. This means that on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur the moon is still close to the sun, receiving her light at points closer to the source. This is as it is said (Ibid.): Rabbi Abba sent a question to Rabbi Shimon asking, “When is the union of Knesset Yisrael (the Shekhina) with the Holy King?” He sent back to him, “(As Avraham said of Sarah:) Indeed she is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. And she became my wife.” (Bereshit, 20:12) This is explained: “On the covering of the day of our festival.”⁴⁵²This refers to Rosh Hashanah, when the new moon is still hidden (i.e. “covered.”) (Tehillim, 81:4) On this day the moon is covered… And it illuminates everything with the light of repentance… Come and See! On this day the moon is covered, and does not shine until the tenth of the month, on Yom Kippurim… Why is the name of the day of Atonement voiced in the plural (Kippurim – Atonements)? It is because on this day, two lights shine as one. The upper luminary shines to the lower luminary. And on this day the upper luminary shines, and not from the light of the sun. God established the service for Israel according to the seasons, each time according to its system. Therefore, by Yom Kippur the Divine service has not yet been completed, to unite God’s will with the service of Israel. Since on the tenth of the month the moon is not yet full, therefore the Divine service cannot yet be totally complete. For this reason, the Divine service performed by Israel on Yom Kippur is through restraint and afflictions.⁴⁵³The five afflictions one must perform on Yom Kippur: not eating, not drinking, not washing, not anointing, and not engaging in marital relations. This is evinced in how the moon does not yet fully receive the light of the sun, since it still too close to the source. On Succot, however, when the moon is full, the Divine service is fulfilled through active service, through the joy of the festival and all of its delights.⁴⁵⁴On Succot there are active commandments such as sitting in the succah, waving the four species, and rejoicing in the feasts of the festival. In the days of the Temple there was also the joyous ritual of water libations. Then the Divine service is truly complete. This is as it is written in the Midrash (Kohellet, 4), “Man’s desire is to work and receive the fruits of his labors.” When man receives, he wants to have earned his reward by his own efforts. In this way he doesn’t suffer the shame of receiving an undeserved gift.⁴⁵⁵In other words, on Succot, the moon is the furthest from the sun. Yet precisely for that reason, it shines the brightest. In our terms, it is precisely when a person is furthest from G-d that he has the ability to serve him. And as a result of that service, comes the joy of receiving a hard-earned reward – the opposite of the shame a person feels when he receives a gift that he does not deserve.

ועיין בזוה"ק בלק (דף קצז.) דהא מגו מהימנא סגי דילה דלא אשכחת בה מומא יהבו לה בלא עכובא כלל ואיהו כד מטי לגבה כל מאן דכניש עצר מעצרת ומעכבת דלא נחית ונהיר אלא כפום טלא. ולכן, היה שורש הבריאה מרוצה למעט עצמה, ואף שהיה לה תקיפות משרשה ממקום גבוה, מתרצית יותר לקבל ע"י מסך, הינו ע"י עבודה מתוך ההסתר, וכדאיתא (בזוהר חדש במדרש הנעלם בראשית דף טו:) רבי יוסי ברבי שמעון בן לקוניא אתא למחמיה לרבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון חתניה נפקא ברתיה ושקלא ידוהי לנשקא, אמר לה לכי ומעטי עצמך לגבי בעלך, שמע רבי אלעזר אמר כען אנא מדכרנא מלה חד דאיהו מרגלא יקירא, דאתמר על סיהרא כדתנינן דקוב"ה אמר לסיהרא לכי ומעטי עצמך דחשבת סיהרא דלה אתייהב שולטנא, אמר ליה חמוה אנא כך שמענא וכך הוא מסודר בלבאי בגין דלא אעבר על דעתוי דחברייא. וזה הוא משל הגמור למיעוט הירח, שכמו שהאשה אף שבית אביה גדול מאד ויכולה להשתמש בתקיפות ממקור מחצבתה, ויכולה לקבל ולבקש צרכיה ממקום מולדתה, אך העצה היעוצה לטובה לפניה הוא להסתיר התקיפות הזאת ולמעט את עצמה להכנע לבעלה, מפני שאחר כל רוב השפע שתוכל לקבל ממקורה, מכל מקום להוליד הולדות חדשות לא תשיג שמה רק על ידי בעלה: Look closely into the following Zohar (Balak, 197a): Because of her great faithfulness, which is without blemish, she receives without hindrance whatsoever. After all that she has gathered has come to her, she stops, containing the effluence, delaying it, so it only descends and shines like the dew. And so, the root of creation was content in reducing itself. And even though it possesses a great strength, as its source is in a very high place, it is even more pleased to receive the Divine effluence through a filter, which is the service that Israel performs when God’s presence is concealed. This is as it is written (Zohar Hadash, Midrash Ne’elam, Bereshit, 15b): Rabbi Yossi son of Rabbi Shimon ben Laqunya went to see his son in law, Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon. Upon arriving, his daughter took Rabbi Yossi’s hands to kiss them. He said to her, “Go and make yourself small unto your husband, as he is holy.”⁴⁵⁶Using the phrase that God said to the moon quoted above from the Talmud, Hulin, 60b. Rabbi Elazar exclaimed, “Now I remember a precious word of Torah concerning the moon!”⁴⁵⁷Rabbi Elazar had suffered a brief memory lapse. Now that Rabbi Yossei mentioned the words God said to the moon, “go and make yourself small,” it jogged Rabbi Elazar’s memory and he remembered a teaching. He said, “We have learned that God said to the moon, ‘Go and make yourself small,’ because the moon had thought that God had given her the power to rule.” His father in law said, “I too have heard this. And so it is arranged in my heart, in order that I do not transgress the opinion of my companions.” This is the ultimate parable about the diminishment of the moon. Even though a woman’s home is prestigious, and she is able to exert power⁴⁵⁸“Tekifut,” as above: brazen strength. based upon her background, from the source of her own family. She could have asked for and received anything she needed from her home. Yet, she was well advised to conceal this strength, and to submit to her husband.⁴⁵⁹Like the moon, in the parable above. For even though she could receive great bounty from her own source, it is only through her husband that she can give birth and bring renewal into the world.

וכן הוא בכל המדרגות עד רום המעלות, שאף אמנם הם גדולים וגבוהים מאד ומביטים תמיד באור פני המלך, על כל זה נקראים עומדים, כמ"ש (זכריה ג) ונתתי לך מהלכים בין העומדים האלה, היינו שהמלאכים נקראים עומדים מפני שעומדים תמיד במעלה אחת, וישראל נקראים מהלכים מפני שהולכים ועולים תמיד ממעלה אל מעלה. ולכן התרצה הבריאה לקבל דרך מסך, ואף שיש מזה כמה סבלנות: So it is, with all of the levels until the highest of all heights.⁴⁶⁰That no matter what level a soul is on, it can only attain a higher level by means of constriction (tzimtzum). Though the angels are great and lofty, ever gazing into the light of the face of the King, still they are called, “standing,” as it is written (Zekharia, 3:7), “Then I will give you a place to walk among these (angels) that stand.” Angels are called, “standing,” because they always stand on one level. And the people of Israel are called, “walking,” because they always proceed from level to level. Therefore the creation was content in receiving the light through a filter, despite the inevitability that this will lead to suffering.