Nowadays, after the destruction of the Holy Temple, the system has changed. We [in Israel] now take the "watered down" rains, and they [outside of Israel] get the full influence. This can be understood from a passage in the Zohar:

"'And you shall make a table of Cedar wood' (Ex. 25:23) teaches us, that as long as the Jews are fulfilling the will of their Master, they shall eat from the 'table of the king', and all their meals shall be prepared for them, and they, experiencing this delight, shall give the remnants to the nations of the world. Conversely, at the times when the Jews are not fulfilling the will of their master, then the meals will be cast to the dogs, leaving the Jews only the scraps. 'Thus shall the children of Israel eat their breads, impure amongst the nation to where I shall disperse them.' (Ezekiel 4:13). That refers to the scraps of the abhorrent idol-worshipping nations. Whoa unto the son of the king that is sitting and waiting for the scraps of servants' table." (Zohar, parashat Teruma 152b)

And so in our days the verse, "And I shall stop up the heavens and there shall be no 'matar'" (Deut. 11:17), has been fulfilled. For the 'matar', which is Sag [in the Atbash system] now travels to the lands outside Israel, to the "servants". And the milu'im descend to Eretz Yisrael as the number "geshamim" ["rains" =393]. This is the secret of the verse, "Under the maidservant who inherits her matron". (Proverbs 30:23) Even though at present she has the status of a maidservant, nonetheless, she rules all…

Originally (when Eretz Yisrael was in its full glory) the four miluim of Eh-yeh [161 + 143 + 151 = 616] were entirely given over to Eretz Yisrael. This is seen from the verse, "They spied [in Hebrew, 'vayaturu'] the land of Canaan', (Num. 13:2) in which "yaturu" has the numerical value of 616. It is then that Eretz Yisrael is called "The Matron" [in Hebrew, "gevirta"]. This is so being that the four miluim [equaling 616] together with the four kolels [=4] have the same value as "gevirta" [which equals 620, also the numerical value of "keter"]. Under that circumstance, only the miluim of the three Eh-yehs [140 + 130 + 122] would descend to outside of Israel, for they have the value of the word "shifcha" [meaning "maidservant", which equals 393.

Yet nowadays, when we are at the times of "Under the maidservant who inherits her matron". (Proverbs 30:23) That is understood by the fact that the amount of influence descending now in Eretz Yisrael is the number 393 - "shifcha" ["maidservant"], whilst, simultaneously, outside of Israel they are receiving a full 455 - "tenna". This is what is meant by the verse, "Give iniquity to their iniquities, and not let them have access to your righteousness [in Hebrew, 'tzidkotecha']", (Psalms 69:28) for "tzidkotecha" has the numerical value of "Yitro" ["Jethro"], with the four miluim of Eh-yeh.

This is what is meant by the verse, "When a man shall sell his daughter as a maidservant, she shall not go out as the rest of the servants". (Ex. 21:7) In other words, in "When a man sells…", "Man" here is hinting to G‑d. "…His daughter" is referring to the Shechinah. "…As a maidservant" implies that she, the Shechinah, will only receive divine beneficence to the extent of what the maidservant would have received, whereas the maidservant will receive that which the Matron, the Shechinah, would have gotten.

"She shall not go out as the rest of the servants", for most servants are freed if any of their "roshei evarim", literally, "the head of their limbs", i.e. main limbs become damaged. Yet she, the Shechinah, isn't freed in the same fashion. For our purpose, "the head of their limbs" refers to the top part of each realm; therefore that would normally indicate only the aspect of the first milui of 161 [Eh-yeh spelled out with yud's], which stems from chochma bina and daat, which are the top - the three primary sefirot. Rather, she goes out, by means of the three miluim of Eh-yeh alone. They have the value of "tenna" [455]. This is hinted to in the first letters of the words in the verse, "Lo teytze k'tzet ha'avadim" [Hebrew for "She shall no go out as the leaving of the servants", whose initials equal 30 + 400 + 20 + 5 = 455].

This is true even though She, the Shechinah, has been given over to the commands of the maidservant. Nonetheless, she shall not exit servitude as the servants. Rather, "And her sovereignty is over all the domain". That is why the three miluim with the three kolel's add up to "shilton" [meaning "dominion" and equaling 395], also to "shofet" [meaning "judge"]. This indicates that even though at present she has the status of a maidservant ["shifcha"], nonetheless, she rules all. Nowadays the angel Meta‑tron rules in Eretz Yisrael…

Therefore, nowadays the angel Meta‑tron rules in Eretz Yisrael, for he is known as "Second to the King" [in Hebrew, "Mishne La'Melech"], for the three miluim [of Eh-yeh] with their kolels equal "Mishne", 395. Originally the Shechina was alone without garments, and supplied sustenance and nurturing to Eretz Yisrael, but now she is enclothed by Meta‑tron. Now she is called the "maidservant" of the Shechina. Through her the Land of Israel gets its sustenance. This is why now, during the exile, Eretz Yisrael is called "Eretz Ha'tzvi" [Hebrew for "the land of the deer"], the numerical value of which equals 393, the same as "shifcha" ["maidservant"]. She only is capable of receiving influence of "rains" [in Hebrew, "geshamim", which equals 393], again, the value of "shifcha".

This is what is meant by the passage in the Zohar:

"'Woe to you, oh land, whose king is a lad?' (Ecclesiastes 10:16): Woe unto the world that nurses from that side." (parashat Lech Lecha 95b)
For that is through Meta‑tron, who is termed "the lad", who is "Mishne" - secondary to the King. "Mishne" has the same value as "parnasa" [which means "sustenance"], 395. It is though him that the Land is sustained.

This is what the Sages meant by their statement, "Rabbi Abahu said, 'Even a Canaanite maidservant [shifcha] in Eretz Yisrael is guaranteed entrance to the World to Come'. For behold it is written, 'I will give a soul to the nation upon her [the Land]' (Isaiah 42:5) and it is also written, '[Ishmael,] remain here with the donkey' (Gen. 22:5) [for you are] the nation whose is similar to a donkey." This would imply that any one who lives in the Land and only receives the aspect of the 'Shifcha', should stay there. This is because it is through her that he is guaranteed a place in the World to Come, for the three miluim are indicative of the World to Come, as was mentioned earlier. Eretz Yisrael, even amidst its status of destruction, remains the epitome of purity and holiness…

The three Eh-yehs are from the aspect of bina, which is called "Olam Haba" ["the World to Come"]. The three miluim are called the "Bat Olam Haba" [literally "Daughter of the World to Come"]. And just as she is guaranteed a portion in the World to Come [Olam Haba] (for all her influence stems from bina), so too he who receives from that influence is called a "Ben Olam Haba" [literally, "a son of the World to Come"].

The equating of the two verses mentioned above: "Remain here with the donkey" - the nation that is similar to a donkey, and "I will give a soul to the nation upon her [the land]" (Baba Kama 49a) can best be understood from the following passage in the Zohar:

"He is not called King until he rides on his horse - the Jewish people. When the Holy One Blessed be He is away from his place, He seems not to be King." (Raya Mehemna, parashat Ki Teitzei 275b)
Therefore He rides a donkey - Meta‑tron, who is considered a donkey, relative to G‑d. Nonetheless he's still second to the King. Therefore anyone living inside of Eretz Yisrael whilst it is in a state of destruction, and receives even just a morsel of bread, is receiving from the influence of Meta‑tron, who is the "Mishne". G‑d still gives him a "Neshama" (the same letters as "Mishne"). That is what is meant by the language of the verse, "I will give a "Neshama" to the nation upon her [the Land]'.

This is also what is meant by the verse, "To the 'matar' ['rains'] of the heavens you shall drink water." (Deut. 11:11) For the letters of "matar" are found in "Meta‑tron", who is called the "chamor" [Hebrew for "donkey"], who, together with the kolel, equals that of "matar". The remaining three letters of Meta‑tron, tet vav and nun, have the same value as "Ado-nai". This is another way to see how Meta‑tron is the "Chamor Ado-nai" [literally, "the donkey of G‑d"]. This indicates that through the Shechina dressing itself by Meta‑tron, the various rains ["geshamim" and "matar"] fall in Eretz Yisrael. Thus the value of "Ado-nai" in the Albam code has the same value as "geshamim".

Since Eretz Yisrael, even amidst its status of destruction, remains the epitome of purity and holiness, "male" waters nourish her. Even nowadays, the little "watered-down" scraps that she receives are "male" waters. Egypt, however, is the epitome of defilement, which is why she is called "the disgrace of the earth", and therefore it wasn't befitting for her to be nourished from the "male" waters, rather from the Nile, which is "feminine" water. That might be the essence of the verse, "For the land to which you come to possess, is not like the land of Egypt that you left from, where you would plant your seeds and water them on foot like a vegetable garden." (Deut. 11:10).

Yet Abraham, in his love for his son Ishmael, prayed for him saying, "Oh! That Ishmael might live before You." (Gen. 17:18) This is because the fate of one to be nourished from the feminine waters, is not a life. Therefore G‑d responded to Abraham saying, "Yet regarding Ishmael, I have heard you, I have blessed him…" (Gen. 17:20) The blessing is the mystery of the "drop" of "male" water, mentioned previously. The intention of this is that subsequent to a decree from the wisdom of the Holy One, that there shall be no rains in the land of Egypt, and it is impossible to void that decree. Thus when Abraham prayed, the decree remained intact, and yet there was an addition of that "drop" of blessing. The most significant and beautiful trait in G‑d's eyes is humility…

Know that the "feminine" waters are divided into three categories, one atop the other:

The first and lowest level is the water that is hand-drawn by people, out of streams and springs to water their gardens; these drawn waters are called "dead", which was the level of the water of Egypt before Abraham's prayers. That is probably why the verse says, "Not like the land of Egypt that you left from, where you would plant your seeds and water them on foot like a vegetable garden." (Deut. 11:10)

The next level up are the waters that flow out of the springs and streams by themselves. They are called "living waters".

The third and highest level of "feminine" waters are those of rain that fall from the clouds that have been filled by condensation of the salty oceans and lakes etc. that get purified by the clouds and then descend.

Just like the "feminine" waters are divided into three levels, so too, the "male" waters are divide into three categories: The lowest level is when the rains descend, the hue of the heavens is contiguous. In other words it is not spotted with different shades.

The next level is when the "groom" goes out to meet the "bride". In other words, the rain is falling with such strength, that before the next drop (bride) hits the ground, the previous one (groom) has bounced up to greet her.

The highest level is when it rains day and night, for three consecutive days

We see that 29 of the 30 types of fruits can grow only with a particular type of "male" water, yet the etrog [citron] can grow even by means of drawn water. This is what is meant when the Sages say, "Etrogs grow on all waters" (Sukkot 38a). This is why etrogs share certain laws [i.e. tithing] with vegetables (that also grow with any water). Yet this is why it is called a "Pri Etz Hadar" ["fruit of the beautiful tree"]. Its humility is its beauty. For the most significant and beautiful trait in G‑d's eyes is humility.

Know that everything physical in this ethereal world originates from a spiritual example of it in the heavens. In other words, the physical is a mere shadow of the spiritual. In that fashion, all 30 types of fruits can be found above in their spiritual form, hue, and shape. Rather that up in heaven they are in their spiritual form and down below they are in their physical form as a shadow of their spirit.

[End of Chapter Ten]