Now let us return to Be’er Sheva, with which we began. We saw that according to Rabbi Chiya’s interpretation, Be’er Sheva corresponds to the sefirah of understanding. Next, we also mentioned Shechem, whose root is in the sefirah of knowledge (da’at). These are two of the three intellectual sefirot. Only wisdom is missing. We can conclude that the overall sanctity of the Land of Israel is rooted in Chochmah (wisdom), as it is written: “Hashem founded the earth with wisdom.” The intellectual quality of wisdom, also known as the Father Principle shines throughout the Land of Israel.
Now we have the three intellectual sefirot in place, representing the general secret of the Land. Concerning it, it is said: “The eyes of Hashem your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.” The “eyes” signify wisdom, and Hashem’s eyes are upon the entire Land of Israel. This is why “the air of the Land of Israel makes one wise.” All of this relates to the idea that “Abba founded the daughter,” as in, “Hashem founded the earth with wisdom.”
Following this, we have the concealed aspects of Be’er Sheva (in kingdom) and Shechem (in foundation), as well as the three emotive sefirot (loving-kindness, might, and beauty) and the sefirah of foundation, which all correspond to Hebron. Then, there are the advising kidneys represented by Tzfat and Tiberias. When I imagine myself in Tzfat, I receive advice from the right kidney, which corresponds to active trust. In Tiberias, I receive the advice of the left kidney, corresponding to passive trust, a quality captured in the well-known phrase, “think good, and it will be good.” And so forth, each place and city offering its unique psychological and spiritual power.
Wisdom-Chochmah
Holiness of Land of Israel
Understanding-Binah
Be’er Sheva
Knowledge-Da’at
Shechem
Loving-kindness-Chessed
Hebron
Might-Gevurah
Hebron
Beauty-Tiferet
Hebron
Victory-Netzach
Tzfat
Acknowledgment-Hod
Tiberias
Foundation-Yesod
Hebron
Kingdom-Malchut
Jerusalem
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Notes:
- 1:147a.
- Genesis 21:30-31.
- Ibid. 26:18-22.
- Ibid. v. 25 and vv. 32-33.
- On Ibid. v. 33.
- 1 Kings 19:3.
- On Genesis 26:33.
- See also Radak and Chizkuni Ibid.
- Sefer HaMa’amarim 5567 (third edition); also published in the Mittler Rebbe’s Biurei HaZohar 16c and ff.
- Incidentally, there is a discourse by the Lubavitcher Rebbe (From Shabbat parashat Vayeitzei 5740 printed in Tiferet Levi Yitzchak – Bereishit, pp. 158ff.) on the debate in the Zohar, where he explains that the difference between the two opinions of Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Shimon hints at two primary mitzvot that we observe each morning: the mitzvot of Tefillin and Tzitzit (the tallit). Rabbi Chiya, who expounds on the verse “The sun rises, and the sun sets, and it hastens to its place where it rises” (Ecclesiastes 1:5), says that the essence of Jacob's departure from Be’er Sheva and his journey to Haran symbolizes the mitzvah of Tefillin. On the other hand, Rabbi Shimon, who interprets the departure as a departure from holiness (the Land of Israel) entirely and an entry into the danger of chutz la’aretz, aligns his understanding with the mitzvah of Tzitzit and the Tallit.
- Chesed LeAvraham, Ma’ayan 3, Nahar 13.
- The value of the names of these four cities “Tzfat Tiberias Hebron Jerusalem” is 1644, also the value of “you shall love Havayah your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all your might.” It is also the product of 4 times “chaos,” indicating that the settling and developing of these four cities is a remedy for “chaos,” following the words of Isaiah, “So says Havayah, the Creator of the heavens, He is God, who formed the earth and made it, who alone established it, who did not create it to be a wilderness [chaos] but formed it for habitation” and that it brings about a sense of God creating reality at every moment out of “nothing” (i.e., that which cannot be perceived). 1644 is also the product of 4 times “being from nothing,” suggesting that the perception that God is continuously creating reality ex nihilo emanates from these four cities.
