It is written: The trees of the Lord have their fill, the cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted; Wherein the birds make their nests; as for the stork (hasidah), the fir trees are her house (Ps. 104, 16-17). The allusion of Lebanon has been explained already elsewhere. The birds also are the two referred to in many places as those from which there emerge hosts of other birds. They themselves, however, are superior, as emanating from Lebanon, which is in the supernal realm. They are hinted at in the words “Laban had two daughters”.
The “fir-trees” are the six supernal sons, symbolic of the six directions of the world, as already explained elsewhere. In them “the stork has made her house”. Why is it called here by the feminine form hasidah (stork, lit. filled with mercy)? The truth is that this upper world is really of the female principle, but we usually give it a masculine name (hesed), inasmuch as in its unfolding it is the source whence all beneficence and all light come forth.
And thus, as it is hasidah, there springs from it hesed (mercy), which is the primordial light referred to in the statement: “And God said, Let there be light” (Gen. 1, 3). It is thus that region of which it says: “fir-trees are her house”, where the word beroshim (fir-trees) may be read berashim (at the heads, or head), signifying that there is another world (Geburah) which has its habitation below and constitutes the Court of Justice of this world.
It is to this that we can refer such expressions as: “And it repented the Lord… and it grieved him at his heart” (Ibid. 5, 6), or “the fierce anger of the Lord”, for in the realms above there resides only light spreading life all around. Hence the dictum: “there is no grief in the presence of God”. Hence, too, it is written: “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing” (Ps. 100, 2), the word “Lord” alluding to the upper world, and the word “presence” to the lower world. Happy are Israel in this world and in the world to come. So Scripture says: “Happy art thou, O Israel, who is like unto thee? A people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and that is the sword of thy excellency! etc.” (Deut. 33, 29).
תָּא חֲזֵי (תהילים ק״ד:ט״ז) יִשְׂבְּעוּ עֲצֵי ה' אַרְזֵי לְבָנוֹן אֲשֶׁר נָטָע. מַאן לְבָנוֹן. הָא אוּקְמוּהָ וְאִתְּמָר, הַאי קְרָא (תהילים ק״ד:ט״ז) אֲשֶׁר שָׁם צִפֳּרִים יְקַנֵּנוּ חֲסִידָה בְּרוֹשִׁים בֵּיתָהּ. אֲשֶׁר שָׁם צִפֳּרִים יְקַנֵּנוּ, בְּאָן אֲתַר, בַּלְּבָנוֹן. וְאִלֵּין אִינוּן תְּרֵין צִפֳּרִים דְּקָאֲמָרָן בְּכַמָּה אֲתַר, וּמֵאִלֵּין אִתְפָּרְשָׁן כַּמָּה צִפֳּרִין אָחֳרָנִין, אֲבָל אִלֵּין עִלָּאִין וְנָפְקִין מִלְּבָנוֹן דְּאִיהוּ (ס"א סתימאה) לְעֵילָא, וְרָזָא דְמִלָּה, (בראשית כ״ט:ט״ז) וּלְלָבָן שְׁתֵּי בָנוֹת וְגו'.
It is written: The trees of the Lord have their fill, the cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted; Wherein the birds make their nests; as for the stork (hasidah), the fir trees are her house (Ps. 104, 16-17). The allusion of Lebanon has been explained already elsewhere. The birds also are the two referred to in many places as those from which there emerge hosts of other birds. They themselves, however, are superior, as emanating from Lebanon, which is in the supernal realm. They are hinted at in the words “Laban had two daughters”.
חֲסִידָה בְּרוֹשִׁים בֵּיתָהּ, (ס"א דא לאה) בְּאִינוּן שִׁית בְּנִין עִלָּאִין, שִׁית סִטְרִין דְּעָלְמָא, כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. אַמַּאי אִקְרֵי חֲסִידָה. אֶלָּא, הַאי עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה אַף עַל גַּב דְּנוּקְבָא אִיהִי, קָרִינָן לָהּ דָּכָר, דְּכַד אִתְפַּשַּׁט, כָּל טִיבוּ וְכָל נְהִירוּ מִנֵּיהּ נָפִיק.
The “fir-trees” are the six supernal sons, symbolic of the six directions of the world, as already explained elsewhere. In them “the stork has made her house”. Why is it called here by the feminine form hasidah (stork, lit. filled with mercy)? The truth is that this upper world is really of the female principle, but we usually give it a masculine name (hesed), inasmuch as in its unfolding it is the source whence all beneficence and all light come forth.
וּבְגִין כָּךְ דְּאִיהִי חֲסִידָה, נָפִיק (מתמן) מִינָהּ חֶסֶ"ד, דְּאִיהוּ נְהוֹרָא קַדְמָאָה, דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית א׳:ג׳) וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר. וְעַל דָּא בְּרוֹשִׁים בֵּיתָהּ. בְּרוֹשִׁים, אַל תִּקְרֵי בְּרוֹשִׁים, אֶלָּא בְּרָאשִׁים. דְּהָא עַלְמָא אָחֳרָא, בְּתַתָּאִין בֵּיתָהּ, וְאִיהִי בֵּי דִינָא דְעַלְמָא. וּלְזִמְנִין אִקְרֵי כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא, בְּכָל אִינוּן שְׁמָהָן.
And thus, as it is hasidah, there springs from it hesed (mercy), which is the primordial light referred to in the statement: “And God said, Let there be light” (Gen. 1, 3). It is thus that region of which it says: “fir-trees are her house”, where the word beroshim (fir-trees) may be read berashim (at the heads, or head), signifying that there is another world (Geburah) which has its habitation below and constitutes the Court of Justice of this world.
וְעַל אֲתַר דָּא כְּתִיב, (בראשית ו׳:ו׳) וַיִּנָּחֶם יְיָ וַיִּתְעַצֵּב אֶל לִבּוֹ. חֲרוֹן אַף יְיָ. דְּהָא בְּאֲתַר דָּא תַּלְיָא. דְהָא כָּל מַה דִּלְעֵילָא, כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ בִּנְהִירוּ, חַיִּין לְכָל סִטְרִין. וְעַל דָּא תָּנִינָן, אֵין עַצְבוּת לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם, לִפְנֵי דַיְיקָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (תהילים ק׳:ב׳) עִבְדּוּ אֶת יְיָ בְּשִׂמְחָה בֹּאוּ לְפָנָיו בִּרְנָנָה. עִבְדּוּ אֶת יְיָ בְּשִׂמְחָה, לָקֳבֵיל עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה, בֹּאוּ לְפָנָיו בִּרְנָנָה לָקֳבֵיל עַלְמָא תַּתָּאָה. זַכָּאִין אִינוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעַלְמָא דֵין וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי. בְּגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב, (דברים ל״ג:כ״ט) אַשְׁרֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִי כָמוֹךָ עַם נוֹשַׁע בַּיְיָ מָגֵן עֶזְרְךָ וַאֲשֶׁר חֶרֶב גַּאֲוָתֶךָ וְיִכָּחֲשׁוּ וְגו'.
It is to this that we can refer such expressions as: “And it repented the Lord… and it grieved him at his heart” (Ibid. 5, 6), or “the fierce anger of the Lord”, for in the realms above there resides only light spreading life all around. Hence the dictum: “there is no grief in the presence of God”. Hence, too, it is written: “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing” (Ps. 100, 2), the word “Lord” alluding to the upper world, and the word “presence” to the lower world. Happy are Israel in this world and in the world to come. So Scripture says: “Happy art thou, O Israel, who is like unto thee? A people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and that is the sword of thy excellency! etc.” (Deut. 33, 29).