"And on the day of the first fruits, when you bring a new meal offering to G‑d on your Festival of Shavuot, you shall have a holy gathering". (Num. 28:26) Rabbi Shimon opened [his discourse] with, "Then shall the trees of the wood sing for joy at the presence of G‑d, because He comes to judge the earth". (I Chron. 16:33) Fortunate is the lot of those who are occupied in the Torah day and night, who know the ways [the mitzvot] of the Holy One, blessed be He, and bind with His name. Woe to those who are not occupied with the Torah, who have no portion in the Holy Name and do not join it, neither in this world nor in the World to Come. For whoever merits in this world merits in the World to Come, as we have so learned that, "causing the sleepers' lips to murmur", (Songs 7:10) even when they are in that world [the World to Come], their lips murmur there Torah.

[Now we begin to explain the opening verse above.] Come and see: until now [although the Omer was a one-time annual offering on the 2nd Day of Pesach, its rectification continued until Shavuot], Israel sacrificed the produce of the earth [the Omer offering], truly the produce of the earth [malchut]. They were occupied with it [harvesting, preparing, and offering it] and connected to that bond [of malchut]. Although judgment is within it [malchut], it is in peace, a weak judgment necessary to manage the world. And they offered barley since it is the first grain to ripen, and one should sacrifice the first and not of those that are later, since the first attachment of Israel to the Holy One, blessed be He, lies here. The Holy One, blessed be He, said [to Israel], 'I give you in the desert [manna] out of that place called heaven [tiferet], as written, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you", (Ex. 16:4) while you offer barley [i.e. the first grain] before Me.

The secret of this is, "This is the Torah of jealousies", (Num. 5:29) missing [the letter vav]. It is a warning for women not to stray to a man other than their husbands, for if she does, she shall offer barley meal [as a sotawoman who was suspected of adultery]. From one thing [the offering's effect on her, if she is ravaged by it or blessed] we deduce another [her guilt or innocence]. Fortunate is the portion of Israel, since the Congregation of Israel [malchut] is never false to the Holy King. The Congregation of Israel wonders, "[how could] a wife [possibly] stray to a man other than her husband"?! Because of that, the punishment of that [wayward] woman comes from Her place [the place of malchut]. Her place is that of which it is written, "Who can find a woman of worth? For her price is far above rubies" (Prov. 31:10) and "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband". (Prov. 12:4) [As the wayward wife blemishes malchut, malchut is She Who takes vengeance upon her and punishes her.]

Bracketed annotations from Metok Midevash and Sulam commentaries
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