With this we will understand the first “wonder” that Hashem showed to Pharoh, Aharaon’s staff transforming into a snake, this being the preface to all to the Ten Plagues:
As explained above, the purpose of the Ten Plagues was to break the Kelipos, which feel themselves as being completely independent of Hashem, as it is written (Yechezkal 29:3): “Pharoh said: I own the Nile river, and I made myself.”
It is only that the spiritual Kelipos call Hashem: “the G-d of all other forces,” as explained above.
The purpose of the “wonders” was to show them that even though they are acutal Kelipah and Sitra Achra (unholiness), nonetheless, they constantly receive their life from Holiness at every moment, and in truth they do not exist independently from Hashem, as they falsely believe, rather their entire existence depends upon Hashem’s Power.
It is only that this Life-Force from Hashem comes to them through many stages of concealment, and through a myriad of levels of powerful concealments on Hashem’s revelation, and these levels of concealment and limitation on Hashem’s revelation are so strong that they result in creating beings that are capable of saying that “I own the Nile river and I made myself,” i.e. they feel totally separate from Hashem.
Therefore, when there is a great revelation of Divine Light that transcends all the “concealments”, the Kelipa becomes utterly nullified. This was the purpose of the “wonders”.
The whole definition of Kelipah is a “shell” concealing the truth of Hashem’s Presence everywhere and in everything. Therefore, by revealing the Truth of Hashem and removing that “concealment”, then automatically the Kelipa will vanish. This is like a shadow whose entire existence is simply the absence of light, when light shines in the place of shadow then it automatically disappears.
(The fact that evil things don’t always instantly vanish upon being confronted with Divine Revelation, is because Hashem actually gives them the ability to exist and fight against holiness. This Hashem does in order that we should have free will to choose to serve Him despite obstacles. However, if Hashem decides to remove that ability, then their evil/unholy dimension would instantly be nullified upon being confronted with the Truth of Hashem, similar to how a dream vanishes upon a person awakening from sleep.)
This was the lesson of the first “wonder” shown, the transformation of the staff into a snake:
The meaning of the word “מ ט ֶה-staff” is related to the word that means “drawing down” or “turning,” similarly, the word “ש ֵבֶט-rod” also is related to the word that means “drawing down,” as in the phrase “כ וֹּכְּבָּאַׁדְַּׁש ָּבִיט-a shooting star.”
Meaning, the drawing down of the Divine Light throughout the entire Chainlike Spiritual Order of Worlds (Seder Hishtalshelus), from the highest level to the lowest level is represented in the word “מ ט ֶה-drawing down Light.”
And the “snake” represents the spiritual source of the Kelipah of Mitzrayim, as it is written (Yechezkal 29:3): “(Pharoh is like) the great serpent that dwells in the Nile.”
Moshe and Aharon showed him how the “מ ט ֶה-staff” becomes the “snake”, meaning that from the Divine Light of Holiness that is referred to as the “מ ט ֶה-drawing down Light,” this becomes the life and existence of the “snake” which is the spiritual source of the Kelipah.
As it is written (Mishlei 5:5): “Her ‘feet’ go down to a place of death,” and (Tehillim 103:19): “His Kingship has dominion over everything.”
These two verses are referring to the level of Malchus/Kingship. The first verse (from Mishlei) refers to Malchus in the feminine, since Malchus is the “mother” of creation, nurturing all the created beings. The ‘feet’ of Malchus, are a reference to the lowest level of the Light and Life-force coming from Malchus, like the feet are the lowest part of the body. They descend to a “place of death”, meaning the Kelipah which is spiritually dead. Thus, from Malchus there comes spiritual life that ultimately becomes the life of Kelipah as well.
The second verse (from Tehillim) mentions that Hashem’s Kingship has “dominion” over everything. The idea of a dominator is that he rules by force. Hashem is the Creator and King who deserves that all of His creations serve Him willingly. There should be no need to force His rulership over them. Nonetheless, the Kelipah refuses to willingly serve Hashem. It is only regarding the Kelipah that Hashem shows Himself as a “dominator”, since in the realm of Holiness everything accepts His Kingship willingly. Thus, Kelipah receives life from the attribute of “Dominion”, which is an extension of the main attribute of “Kingship.”
However, this comes about through many levels of descent and myriad stages of concealment on the Light, until the “staff/Light” transforms into the “snake/Kelipa”.
Through these many stages of concealment, the flow of Divine Light and Life-force that comes from the “staff/Light” becomes so hidden, until there can come from it “the great serpent that dwells in the Nile,” which is Pharoh who said “I own the Nile and I made myself,” as described above.
Afterwards, they showed him how the “snake/Kelipa” becomes transformed back into the “staff/Light”, and that “the ‘staff’ of Aharon swallowed up their ‘staffs’.”
Meaning, that the snake of Kelipa becomes nullified and absorbed back into the Holiness of the Divine Light, just like it was originally in its ultimate source.
(This is also the idea of the “Elevation of the Sparks” of Tohu, as explained above.)
With this “wonder” they showed to Pharoh and Mitzrayim that they are not truly separate and independent form Hashem, rather, at every moment they receive their life from the Divine Life-force (the “staff/Light”), its just that “Hashem is hiding Himself,” (Yeshaya 45:15) and if Hashem wants, He can transform back the “snake/kelipa” into the “staff/Light”, and the Kelipos will vanish.
Similary, this was the purpose of all of the “wonders” performed, in order that Mitzrayim “so that the Mitzriyim will ‘break/know’ that I am Hashem,” as explained above.
Summary of the Maamar
- What does a stick turning into a snake represent?
- The Jewish People extracted all the Sparks of Holiness that fell from Tohu into the country of Mitzrayim (Egypt). Just like the body covers over the soul, so too the Kelipah/unholiness covers the Sparks of Holiness trapped in it. Before these Sparks fell into unholiness, they were completely united with their Source in holiness. But once they became trapped in unholiness in the physical world, they become “disconnected” from their Source, until they feel as though they are separate from Hashem. The only way to free these Sparks so they can reunite with their Source in Holiness is to break the kelipah/unholiness that covers over the Sparks. This was the purpose of the Ten Plagues, to break the
