1. Raa'ya MeHemna "And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised" (Leviticus 12:3). This commandment is to perform the circumcision on the eighth day — a cutting that corresponds to the Holy Covenant (Yesod). It is a supernal secret, as it is written: "The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and His covenant, to make them know it" (Psalms 25:14). To whom is this revealed? — To those who fear Him, meaning those who fear sin. For the mystery of the Holy Covenant is not revealed openly to anyone except them. And this mystery of the Holy Covenant has already been explained and discussed in several other places.
2. And this secret — regarding the eighth day — is an obligation upon the world, for all the holy nation, as it is written: "And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." The eighth day refers to the sign of the Holy Covenant, which is the eighth among all levels. And the cutting of that covenant is to remove the foreskin before entering into the covenant.
3. For at the time when the holy nation gathers to remove the foreskin before entering the covenant, the Holy One, blessed be He, gathers all His hosts, and it is revealed that the foreskin must be removed above, before the establishment of the holy covenant. All the actions of Israel below stir up actions above, and at that time, the foreskin is removed from all the holy nation above. And to that foreskin, they prepare one item of earth to strengthen the foreskin in its place, as it is written: "And the serpent shall eat dust for its bread" (Isaiah 65:25) and "Dust you shall eat all the days of your life" (Genesis 3:14).
4. From here (Tikkun 61), it is understood that it is not necessary to handle the clay in that place, even though it is passed over before the covenant. When it passes over from this covenant, it becomes dust, as it is written: "And the serpent shall eat dust for its bread" (Isaiah 65:25) and "Dust you shall eat all the days of your life" (Genesis 3:14). And since the Holy One, blessed be He, when it passes over from the human, makes it a dwelling in the dust, so too in this way, we need to handle the foreskin in order to fix it with dust so that it can become a dwelling.
5. Every person must bring an offering before the Holy One, blessed be He, with joy and the satisfaction of the heart, to elevate it beneath the divine presence of the Shekhinah, and it is considered before the Holy One, blessed be He, as if the offering is complete and accepted with pleasure.
6. And this offering is like the offering in the city, which lasts for eight days, as it is written: "And from the eighth day onward, it shall be accepted." What does it mean to be accepted? It refers to the passing of one Shabbat. Once one Shabbat has passed, then the offering is accepted, and this applies to both offerings. Why? Because it is attached and aligned with that Shabbat, which is the secret of the holy covenant. And because of this, everything is included in the higher secret. (Until here is the Raya MeHemna)
רעיא מהימנא (ויקרא י״ב:ג׳) וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי יִמּוֹל בְּשַׂר עָרְלָתוֹ. פִּקּוּדָא דָּא, לְמִגְזַר לִתְמַנְיָּא יוֹמִין גְּזִירוּ דְּקַּיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא. רָזָא עִלָּאָה, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים כ״ה:י״ד) סוֹד יְיָ' לִירֵאָיו וּבְרִיתוֹ לְהוֹדִיעָם. לְמַאן, לְאִינּוּן יְרֵאָיו אִינּוּן דַּחֲלֵי חַטָאָה, דְּהָא רָזָא דְּקַּיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא לָא אִתְחֲזִי לְגַלָּאָה בַּר לְהוּ. וְרָזָא דְּקַּיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ וְאִתְּמַר בְּכַמָּה דּוּכְתִּין.
1. Raa'ya MeHemna "And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised" (Leviticus 12:3). This commandment is to perform the circumcision on the eighth day — a cutting that corresponds to the Holy Covenant (Yesod). It is a supernal secret, as it is written: "The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and His covenant, to make them know it" (Psalms 25:14). To whom is this revealed? — To those who fear Him, meaning those who fear sin. For the mystery of the Holy Covenant is not revealed openly to anyone except them. And this mystery of the Holy Covenant has already been explained and discussed in several other places.
וְרָזָא דָּא, לַח' יוֹמִין, אִיהוּ חִיוּבָא עַל עָלְמָא, לְכָל עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא. דִּכְתִּיב, וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי יִמּוֹל בְּשַׂר עָרְלָתוֹ. יוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי, דָּא הוּא אָת קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִיהוּ תְּמִינָאָה לְכָל דַּרְגִּין. וּגְזִירוּ דְּהַהוּא קַיָּימָא, לְאַעְבְּרָא הַהוּא עָרְלָה. מִקַּמֵּי בְּרִית.
2. And this secret — regarding the eighth day — is an obligation upon the world, for all the holy nation, as it is written: "And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." The eighth day refers to the sign of the Holy Covenant, which is the eighth among all levels. And the cutting of that covenant is to remove the foreskin before entering into the covenant.
דְּהָא בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּמִתְכַּנְשֵׁי עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא לְאַעְבְּרָא הַהוּא עָרְלָה מִקַּמֵּי בְּרִית, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כָּנִישׁ כָּל פָּמַלְיָא דִּילֵיהּ, וְאִתְגְּלֵי וַדַּאי לְאַעְבְּרָא לְהַהוּא עָרְלָה לְעֵילָּא, מִקַּמֵּי בְּרִית קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא. דְּהָא כָּל עוֹבָדִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדִּין לְתַתָּא, מִתְעָרֵי עוֹבָדָא לְעֵילָּא. וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִתְדַּחְיָיא הַהוּא עָרְלָה, מִכָּל עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא לְעֵילָּא. וּלְהַהוּא עָרְלָה מְתַקְּנֵי מָאנָא חֲדָא בְּעַפְרָא, לְאַשְׁרָאָה הַהוּא עָרְלָה בְּגַוִיהּ. בְּרָזָא דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו ס״ה:כ״ה) וְנָחָשׁ עָפָר לַחְמוֹ. (בראשית ג׳:י״ד) וְעָפָר תֹּאכַל כָּל יְמֵי חַיְּיךָ.
3. For at the time when the holy nation gathers to remove the foreskin before entering the covenant, the Holy One, blessed be He, gathers all His hosts, and it is revealed that the foreskin must be removed above, before the establishment of the holy covenant. All the actions of Israel below stir up actions above, and at that time, the foreskin is removed from all the holy nation above. And to that foreskin, they prepare one item of earth to strengthen the foreskin in its place, as it is written: "And the serpent shall eat dust for its bread" (Isaiah 65:25) and "Dust you shall eat all the days of your life" (Genesis 3:14).
מִכָּאן, (תיקון ס"א) דְּלָא אִצְּטְרִיךְ לְאַנְהֲגָא קְלָנָא בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר, אַף עַל גַּב דִּמְעַבְרֵי לֵיהּ מִקַּמֵּי הַאי בְּרִית, וְדוּכְתֵיהּ, כַּד מִתְעַבְּרָא מֵהַאי בְּרִית, עַפְרָא אִיהוּ, (ס"א דהא) דְּהָרֵי בָּתַר דְּהַהוּא נָחָשׁ אִתְעַבָּר מִקַּמֵּי אָדָם, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׁוִּי לֵיהּ מָדוֹרֵיהּ בֶּעָפָר, דִּכְתִּיב וְעָפָר תֹּאכַל כָּל יְמֵי חַיְּיךָ. וְכֵיוָן דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּד אַעְבָּר לֵיהּ מִקַּמֵּי אָדָם שַׁוִּי מָדוֹרֵיהּ בְּעַפְרָא וְאַתְקִין לֵיהּ, כַּךְ בְּהַהוּא גַּוְונָא מַמָּשׁ, אֲנָן צְּרִיכִין כַּד מְעַבְּרִין לַעָרְלָה, לְאִתְתַּקְנָא לֵיהּ עַפְרָא, לְמֶהֱוִי בֵּיהּ מָדוֹרֵיהּ.
4. From here (Tikkun 61), it is understood that it is not necessary to handle the clay in that place, even though it is passed over before the covenant. When it passes over from this covenant, it becomes dust, as it is written: "And the serpent shall eat dust for its bread" (Isaiah 65:25) and "Dust you shall eat all the days of your life" (Genesis 3:14). And since the Holy One, blessed be He, when it passes over from the human, makes it a dwelling in the dust, so too in this way, we need to handle the foreskin in order to fix it with dust so that it can become a dwelling.
כָּל בַּר נָשׁ אִצְּטְרִיךְ לְקָרְבָא הַהוּא בְּרָא קָרְבְּנָא לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּחֶדְוָה, בִּרְעוּ דְּלִבָּא, לְמֵיעַל לֵיהּ תְּחוֹת גַּדְפּוֹי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, וְאִתְחַשָּׁב קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאִיהוּ קָרְבְּנָא, שְׁלִים לְאִתְקַבְּלָא בְּרַעֲוָא.
5. Every person must bring an offering before the Holy One, blessed be He, with joy and the satisfaction of the heart, to elevate it beneath the divine presence of the Shekhinah, and it is considered before the Holy One, blessed be He, as if the offering is complete and accepted with pleasure.
וְקָרְבְּנָא דָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דְּקָרְבְּנָא דִּבְעִירָא, דָּא לַח' יוֹמִין, וְדָא לַח' יוֹמִין, דִּכְתִּיב, וּמִיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי וָהָלְאָה יִרָצֶּה, בְּמַאי יִרָצֶּה. בְּמֶעְבַּר עָלֵיהּ חַד שַׁבְּתָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאַעְבָּר עָלֵיהּ חַד שַׁבְּתָא, כְּדֵין יִרָצֶּה דָּא לְקָרְבְּנָא, וְדָא לְקָרְבְּנָא. אֲמַאי. בְּגִין דְּאִתְדְּבַק וְאִזְדְּמַן לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא שַׁבָּת, רָזָא דִּבְרִית קַדִּישָׁא, וְעַל דָּא כֹּלָּא בְּרָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ. (ע"כ רעיא מהימנא)
6. And this offering is like the offering in the city, which lasts for eight days, as it is written: "And from the eighth day onward, it shall be accepted." What does it mean to be accepted? It refers to the passing of one Shabbat. Once one Shabbat has passed, then the offering is accepted, and this applies to both offerings. Why? Because it is attached and aligned with that Shabbat, which is the secret of the holy covenant. And because of this, everything is included in the higher secret. (Until here is the Raya MeHemna)