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The following piece is an excerpt from the Writings of
the Ari on Parashat Bo. It thus begins referring to the Egyptian exile
and then discusses the spiritual roots and implications of that exile and the
subsequent redemption - as related to Joseph.
The Egyptian exile is referred as [encompassing] the
throat, for Pharaoh was situated on the neck of holiness, which is opposite the
throat.
The word "Pharaoh" (spelled
pei-reish-ayin-hei) permutes to spell "the neck" (in Hebrew, "ha oref",
spelled hei-ayin-reish-pei). In this context, the word "neck" connotes
the nape, or back of the neck.  | | " Evil can never face holiness directly..." | | |
This is because evil can never face holiness directly,
for [holiness] is a great light, and this blinds evil. This is the mystical
meaning of our sages statement (in the Gemara, Sotah 42a) that "the
wicked do not greet the Shechina," for they cannot face it directly.
Rather, they are attached to it from the back, facing the Shechina's
back, and this is how they derive their sustenance.
In Hebrew, the idiom for "to greet" is literally "to
receive the face of." If we imagine the forces of evil as cosmic leeches or
other such sucking creatures, the imagery of them sucking off the back of the
body conveys the idea that they receive only minimal life-force from holiness.
The front of the body houses much more vitality.
Pharaoh was facing the neck, sitting and feeding off
it. There are three channels of sustenance in the neck: the trachea, the
esophagus, and the blood vessels.
"The blood vessels" are probably the two common
carotid arteries, which supply blood to the brain.
These are the three names Elo-him, whose
numerical value [plus the kolel] is the same as that of the word for
"throat" [garon, 259].
Elo-him: alef-lamed-he -yud-mem = 1 + 30 +
5 + 10 + 40 = 86. 3 x 86 = 258.
Garon: gimel-reish-vav-nun = 3 + 200 + 6 +
50 = 259.
The name Elo-him signifies contraction (tzimtzum),
in this context, the contraction of life force flowing from the head to the
torso.
Joseph manifested the "covenant of the tongue," which
includes them all. [This is] also [evident from the fact that] the numerical
value of the word for "tongue" [in Hebrew, "lashon", which has a
numerical value of 386] is that of two names Elo-him, one simple (=86)
and one spelled out with yuds (=300). | | " Speech and sexuality represent the individual's potential to influence the outside world..." | | |
The "covenant of the tongue" is first alluded to in
Sefer Yetzira, (1:3), being mentioned as opposite the other covenant,
that of the sexual organ. These two organs - those of speech and sexuality -
represent the individual's potential to influence the outside world. Since they
are the two main locations of exchange and contact between the individual and
his environment, a not-yet rectified world, they must be guarded and their
holiness preserved. Hence, the two covenants.
These two covenants are mutually dependent. If a
person's sexuality is unrectified, so will be his speech, and vice versa.
Thus, Joseph, who usually personifies sexual purity, here plays the role of
purity of speech, the opposite of the degenerate spiritual state of Egypt. We
see here how unholy speech has the effect of blocking the passage of holy energy
from the intellect (the head) to the emotions (the body).
Lashon: lamed-shi -vav-nun = 30 + 300 + 6 +
50 = 386.
Elo-him spelled out with yuds:
Alef-lamed-pei, lamed-mem-dalet, hei-yud,
yud-vav-dalet, mem-mem =
(1 + 30 + 80) + (30 + 40 + 4) + (5 + 10) + (10 + 6 +
4) + (40 + 40) = 300. | | " ...the lungs are particularly hot, and therefore exemplify gevura" | | |
This is why [Joseph] was sold to the chief butcher,
for [this aspect of] evil comprises three facets, corresponding to the trachea,
the esophagus, and the blood vessels, which were embodied by Pharaoh's three
deputies: the chief butler, the chief baker, and the chief butcher
[respectively].
We are using the term "chief butler" to translate the
Hebrew "the deputy in charge of drink." ("Chief bartender" sounds too
undignified.)
The chief butler corresponded to the trachea. True, no
liquid can enter the trachea, so how can we assert that the chief butler
corresponds to it? The answer is that the lungs are particularly hot, and
therefore exemplify gevura. As it is stated in the Zohar (2:80b,
120a, 3:241a, etc.) "the lion faces the right," the numerical value of gevura
being the same as that of the word for "lion" [aryeh]. It tends toward
the right in order that [chesed and gevura] inter-include.
Therefore, since it is so hot, it draws to itself all types of moisture and
thereby cools off, and then fans the heart. This is why the chief butler
corresponds to the trachea.
We exhale hot air, indicating that the lungs are
naturally hot. Heat and fire exemplify gevura, power and strength. The
lion, the strong beast, also exemplifies gevura, yet in Ezekiel's vision
of the Chariot (Ezekiel 1:10), it is on the right side, the side of chesed.
This signifies rectified gevura, i.e., gevura tempered by
chesed.
Gevura: gimel-beit-vav-reish-hei = 3 + 2 +
6 + 200 + 5 = 216.
Aryeh: alef-reish-yud-hei = 1 + 200 + 10 +
5 = 216.
The chief baker corresponds to the esophagus, which in
turn corresponds to gevura.
The baker bakes bread, the main food, swallowed by the
esophagus. | | " you derive your sustenance from and are governed entirely by the name Elo-him" | | |
The chief butcher corresponds to blood vessels in the
middle [of the neck]. There are two [such blood vessels], leaning in either
direction.
The butcher slaughters the animal, draining its blood.
He therefore is associated with the blood vessels.
Joseph [as we said] corresponds to all these aspects
[on the side of holiness].
This is the meaning of the verse, Gen. 40:8, "Do not
interpretations [of dreams] belong to G-d [Elo-him]? Please tell me [your
dream]." Since interpretations come from Joseph, he therefore said, "Please tell
me." He meant: since you derive your sustenance from and are governed entirely
by the name Elo-him - this being the meaning of "Do not [the]
interpretations [of your life] belong to G-d [Elo-him]" - you,
Pharaoh, have no conception of the name Havayah, only of the name Elo-him.
And, indeed, [Pharaoh] said, "I do not know Havayah." (Ex. 5:2) He had no
connection to this name. On the contrary, when this name is revealed, [Pharaoh
and the evil he personifies] is completely destroyed.
[Pharaoh and the Egyptians therefore] did not
recognize that this name is what was attacking them [in the plagues]. Only at
the sea did they finally recognize this, as they said, "I will flee the Children
of Israel for Havayah is fighting for them." (Ex. 14:25) This implies
that until then, they thought that the plagues came from the name Elo-him.
They therefore did not fear them, for they, too, had a connection to the name
Elo-him. But once they realized that the plagues originated in the name
Havayah, they said, "I will flee," because it threatened to destroy them
completely.
This is why God said to Moses, "Come to Pharaoh...in
order that I place these signs of Mine...." That is, "do not think that I am going
to relate to him through the name Elo-him, and that the plagues are going
to originate in the name Elo-him, to which he has some connection.
Rather, I am going 'to place these signs of Mine in his midst,' meaning My name
Havayah." This is also explains the use of the phrase "in his midst,"
[referring to the way G-d is going to relate to Pharaoh].
The word for "signs" (in Hebrew, "otot") is
similar to the word for "letters" ("otiot"), inasmuch as letters are
symbols for the sounds they represent. Thus, mystically, this phrase may mean:
"in order that I place the letters of My true name [Havayah] in his
midst." His "midst" means "in his consciousness."
This is what Joseph meant [in his reply to Pharaoh]:
"G-d relates to you [presently] only through His name Elo-him, and this
is why the interpretation of your dreams is through this name. Therefore, please
tell them to me, since I comprise all these levels and I can therefore interpret
them."
As said above, Joseph, epitomizing the covenant of the
tongue, comprised all the holy aspects corresponding to the deputies of Pharaoh.
Thus, when the chief butler related his dream, it was
all in proper order. He said, "The vine had three branches," (Gen. 40:10) these
being the three deputies. The word for "deputy" [sar] represents two
names Elo-him, one in the progressive iteration and the other spelled out
with the letter yud.
Sar: sin-reish. The numerical value of the
letter sin is 200; that of reish is 300. We have seen above how
the name Elo-him when spelled out using the yud has the numerical
value of 300. The progressive iteration of the name Elo-him is as
follows:
Alef alef-lamed alef-lamed-hei alef-lamed-hei-yud
alef-lamed-hei-yud-mem =200
1 + (1 + 30) + (1 + 30 + 5) + (1 + 30 + 5 + 10) + (1 +
30 + 5 + 10 + 40) = 200
5(1) + 4(30) + 3(5) + 2(10) + 1(40) = 5 + 120 + 15 +
20 + 40 = 200.
Thus, the word for "deputy" implies the name Elo-him,
and the three deputies were three names Elo-him, as above.
[Joseph] interpreted his dream: "You will put
Pharaoh's cup..." He hoped that he would be connected to him and be on the right
[side], and thereby be rescued through him.
After interpreting the chief butler's dream and saying
that he will be spared, Joseph asked him to remember him to Pharaoh and have him
freed from jail. | | " ...for the throat is parched during its exile..." | | |
But at this point, he was connected to the chief
butcher, who was in the middle. That is why he [later] married his daughter.
Joseph mistakenly thought to connect himself to
chesed, when in fact he was connected to tiferet. Joseph,
personifying yesod, is firmly grounded in the middle axis of the
sefirot. It was thus not proper for him to seek salvation from someone
associated with the right axis. Sexual fidelity and purity is about balance, not
leaning toward one extreme.
Joseph married Osnat, the daughter of Potiphar, the
chief butcher. (Gen. 41:45, 37:36)
The chief baker began his dream with the word, "Even"
[af]. This signifies the addition of gevura and strength. Even
though he also mentioned three wicker baskets, signifying the three deputies, as
they each inter-include the others, he mentioned all three only after he said
the word "even". [Joseph] turned his dream upside down, and interpreted it to
mean that he would die.
This was evidently because the word "even" indicated
that the chief baker emphasized gevura too much. In Hebrew, the word
"even" used here is "af", which also means "nose", an idiom often used to
refer to anger.
Since the exile [of Egypt] was at the level of the
throat, from which issues speech, Moses [the redeemer from this exile] had
"uncircumcised lips" and could not talk [well]. This is the meaning of the
verse, "...my throat is parched," (Psalms 69:4) for the throat is parched during
its exile.
In order to redeem the Jewish people from exile, Moses
had to experience it himself. This he did by being hard of speech.
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