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Chapter Two Inhabitants of the Land, part 2
Translation and commentary by Rabbi David Slavin
In the days of Moses, the Children of Israel were only promised the
seven lands of the seven nations. Those seven correspond to the lower seven
sefirot. Yet, "The lands of the Kini and Kenizi and Kadmoni" (Gen. 15:19),
which correspond to the three upper sefirot, they were not promised. This
was so being that, in our times, only the lower seven are functioning in a
perceivable manner. After the final redemption, those upper three will also be
functioning, and therefore we will be given those three corresponding lands.
It is known that the lands of the seven nations are hinted to in
the Zeir and Nukva of the Kelipat Noga, for Zeir is
comprised of six extremities, and its Nukva is their seventh aspect. For
this reason, in my impoverished opinion, the first letters that spell the seven
nations, Canaanites, Hitites, Emorites, Prizians,
Hivites, Jebusites, and Girgashites, have the numerical value
of 131, which is the same value as "Sama'el", who is the Zeir of
Kelipat Noga. While "Eretz Canaan" has the same value as "Lilith"
(Sama'el's mate), for she receives from all of his six extremities, likewise the
entire numerical value of all seven nations (Canaanites, Hittites, Emorites,
Prizians, Hivites, Jebusites, and Girgashites) together with the value of
Sama'el equals the value of Eretz Canaan using the large value for
the final letters MaNZePaCh. That signifies that she (Eretz Canaan) is
the malchut of the kelipot, and that she includes within herself
from the ten sefirot of Kelipa Noga.
[Editor's note: The regular 22 letters of the aleph-beit
range in value from 1 to 400, yet five letters take different shapes when placed
at the end of a word. These letters normally signify the aspect of gevura,
hence the numerical value for them is in a different scale, namely, chaf
sofit =500, mem sofit = 600, nun sofit = 700, pei sofit
= 800, and tzadi sofit = 900. Most authorities take the system a
step further to the "large" aleph = 1000, the word in Hebrew for one
thousand is aleph.]
Yet the malchut of holiness is called "Eretz HaCanaanY",
as is seen in the verse, "And it shall come to pass when G-d brings you in to
the Eretz HaCanaanY..."(Ex. 13:5). [The word Canaan is surrounded by a hei
and a yud; they are letters of G-d's name, hence by surrounding Canaan
they transform it.]  | | " In the midst of Eretz Yisrael, ten levels of holiness sanctify it" | | |
I have heard from that venerable wise sage, Rav Moses Zacuto, that
the numerical value of "Eretz HaCanaanY" equals that of 'malchut'
of holiness. That is so because of the name Yud Hei that join it, as in
the verse, "I had said, 'I will not see G-d (Yud Hei), G-d (Yud Hei)
is in the land of the living (Eretz Yisrael)" (Isaiah 38:11). Also Yud Hei,
spelled out fully, Yud Vav Dalet, Vav Yud
Vav, Dalet Lamed Tav, Hei Hei, Hei
Hei, equals 'malchut', as well as 'Eretz HaCanaanY'. All
its powers stem from the Yud Hei that is attached to it. As in the verse,
"G-d in chochma founded the Land" (Proverbs 3:19). That is why the very
"air of Eretz Yisrael wizens" [per the Gemara Baba Basra 158 b], for in
that land is the revelation of the "light" of the Yud. Namely, Yud
is spelled out fully as Yud Vav Dalet and that, further spelled out as
Yud Vav Dalet, Vav Vav, Dalet Lamed Tav, all together equals
malchut. The mystery of this is found in the passage in the Zohar talking
about how " Abba is the Foundation of his daughter" (Pinchas 158 a), which
says that she is Eretz Yisrael, " Yisrael Sabba". She includes ten levels to
correspond to the ten nations, those levels are keter, chochma,
bina, gedula ( chesed), gevura,
tiferet, netzach, hod, yesod
and malchut. The first letters of those ten levels equals "Yisrael"
(541). There in the midst of Eretz Yisrael, ten levels of holiness sanctify it.
It is known that the level of Ham the son of Noah is hod;
referring to this is the verse, "All day long is 'dava'-moaning"
(Lamentations 1:13). (Hod has the same letters of dava). From this
we should be gladdened and understand that dava was transformed into
hod and hadar (splendor and beauty). In other words, when the "horns"
(they are the letters yud and hei) of hod are revealed to
the land of Canaan, who was dava--wallowing in her menstruation, then the
she becomes sanctified. This is the essence of the verse, "Open for me the gates
of righteousness, I shall enter therein and give thanks to Y-h (yud
and hei)" (Psalms 118:19). Therefore, King David, who was from the aspect
of hod, composed 150 psalms of thanksgiving. They total 10 times 15 (yud
and hei 10+5=15). With the letters yud and hei he finished
the book of Psalms.
Based upon all that is written here, search and you shall not find
another time that Eretz Yisrael is called in the Torah "Eretz HaCanaanY" save
the time of the redemption from Egypt, for regarding the redemption the Torah
writes, "The might and vengeance of Y-h (G-d)" (Ex. 15:2). Thus far his
words, the words of the mouth of the wise and gracious. | | " The land of Canaan has been subjugated under the lyre and sweet harp" | | |
Therefore, all the other six nations (despite their own names) are
referred to by her name, the land of Canaan. Similarly as the Arizal wrote
regarding the mystery of the "Table on the River" ( Likutei Torah
Balak), that the table represents the malchut, the feminine, that is
above the "river", the masculine. That is like the diaphragm on top of the
liver, as mentioned in the Zohar (Parashat Pinchas 231b as well as 224b.)
(The diaphragm represents the feminine and the liver itself the
masculine). This situation (of the feminine above the masculine), is
specifically referring to the land of the children of Ammon, for they are the
kelipot. Yet in the realm of holiness, it is written, "And the land is My
foot stool" (Isaiah 66:1) as well as the verse, "And G-d shall be King upon the
entire land" (Zachariah 14:9). Therefore, regarding holiness, the land is called
Eretz Yisrael, for that connotes that she is underneath the masculine. Then the
land is called "desire". For the word Canaan spells the first letters in
the verse, "Ki nirtza avo na
(her iniquity has been forgiven)" (Isaiah 40:2). (The word "nirtza"
implies not only forgiveness but also desire. In other words, her sins have been
forgiven hence she -the Jews- are once again desired.) That land that was once
Canaan (defiled by the seven nations) is now the "land of desire".
This is the mystery of the iniquities becoming merits, as can be seen from the following verse. "Raise up a song and sound the tof (drum)" (Psalms 81:3). Through the songs, that are the "songs of the mighty"
(Isaiah 25:5), then "sound the tof (drums)". This will break Lilith,
whose numerical value is that of tof - 480. And then "Kinor
na'im im nevel (Sound the sweet harp with the
lyre)" (ibid.)(the first letters spell Canaan). In other words, that which the
land of Canaan was under the control of -- namely the "tof (drum) and
machol (tambourine)" (Psalms 150:4), who are the two harlots, Lilith and
Machlat (this is hinted to by Lilith having the value of tof, and Machlat
being spell like machol), has now been turned over into "Nevel V'Kinor
(the lyre and sweet harp)". Those instruments are in the hand of the side of
holiness, under the providence of G-d. G-d, as Yud Hei, is hinted
at in the word "na'vel", the nun hinting to the Fifty Gates of
Understanding, and the remaining two letters beit and lamed spell
lev, which hints at the [Book of Sefer Yetzira] 32 Paths of Wisdom
(lamed=30 and beit=2). The letters vav hei of G-d's name
are hinted to by the word "kinor", the kaf and the vav of
that word valuing 26, which is the numerical value of the Ineffable Name YHVH,
while the remaining two letters nun and reish hint at the aspects
of Zeir and Nukva. That is why the first letters of "Kinor
na'im im nevel (Sound the sweet harp
with the lyre)" (Psalms 81:3), spells "Canaan". This indicates that the land of
Canaan has been subjugated under the "lyre and sweet harp", which represent
chochma and bina, and tiferet and malchut.
All of this was only possible because of the merits of our
forefathers, as is written, "Moreover, I have established My covenant with them
to give them the land of Canaan" (Ex. 6:4). That is also hinted to in the fact
that the words "Kinor (276) na'im (170) im
(110) nevel (82)" have the same numerical value as Abraham (248)
Isaac (208) and Jacob (182) = 638. In their merit, the land of Canaan left the
rule of the chitzonim (external forces) and entered the domain of
Holiness, the name YHVH.
This is what is meant by the verse, "Great is G-d and much
praised..." (Psalms 48:2). When is G-d exceedingly great? When He is, "...in the
city of our G-d, the mount of His Holiness" (ibid.). That is also "And G-d is in
His Holy Sanctuary" (Habakkuk 2:20). There G-d's name is not complete except for
in the place of His Holy Sanctuary which is the "Holy Land". As in the verse, "Yismechu
Hashamayim Vetagel Ha'aretz -The
Heavens will be glad and the land (Eretz Yisrael) shall rejoice" (Psalms 96:11)
[note that the initials spell the Ineffable Name], for there in Eretz Yisrael is
the gate of heaven, the place where the Yud Hei joins Vav
Hei.
To return to the previous article in this series on the Land of Israel,
Inhabitants of the Land, Part 1 click here
To continue on to the next article in this series on the Land of Israel,
Sanctification of the Mind click here
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