R. Simeon said: ‘It is written: “Only he shall not go in unto the veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my holy places, because I am the Lord who sanctify them” (Lev. 21, 23). When the perennial stream releases human souls, and the Female becomes pregnant, they all range themselves within the edifice.
Now all those that go forth at the period when the moon is defective by reason of the evil serpent, although pure and holy, become bruised and defective in whatever place they reach, and have to undergo pain and suffering. And these are the souls in whom the Holy One finds delight in spite of their being sad instead of joyful.
Esoterically speaking they are a counterpart of something above, the body being impaired and the soul being within after the supernal pattern, each corresponding to each, and these are the souls that require to be renewed with the renewal of the moon, and hence it is written concerning them: “And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me” (Is. 66, 23), the word “all” signifying that these souls will be renewed wholly with the renewal of the moon.
For they are partners, as it were, with the defective moon, for which reason she dwells in them always, without leaving them, in allusion to which the Scripture says: “I dwell… with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit… to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Is. 57, 15), also: “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart” (Ps. 34, 19). These verses refer to those who are fellow-sufferers with the moon in her defect, and regarding whom it is fitly said, “to revive the heart of the contrite ones”, that is, to make those who participated in the sufferings of the moon also participate in the new life to be bestowed on her in the future.
Such sufferings undergone by them are called “sufferings in token of love”. Happy is their portion in this world and in the world to come when they will be privileged to be partners with her, in allusion to which it is written: “For my brethren and companions’ sakes, etc.” (Ibid. 122, 8).’
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח, (ויקרא כ״א:כ״ג) אַךְ אֶל הַפָּרֹכֶת לֹא יָבֹא וְאֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לא יִגָּשׁ כִּי מוּם בּוֹ וְלֹא יְחַלֵּל אֶת מִקְדָּשַׁי כִּי אֲנִי יְיָ מְקַדְּשׁוֹ. אַךְ אֶל הַפָּרֹכֶת לא יָבֹא. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא דְּהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק אַפִּיק כָּל אִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין וְאִתְעֲבָרַת נוּקְבָא, כֻּלְּהוּ קָיְימִין לְגוֹ בְּקוּרְטָא דִלְגוֹ בְּסִיטוֹ קוּרְטָא.
R. Simeon said: ‘It is written: “Only he shall not go in unto the veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my holy places, because I am the Lord who sanctify them” (Lev. 21, 23). When the perennial stream releases human souls, and the Female becomes pregnant, they all range themselves within the edifice.
וְכַד סִיהֲרָא אִתְפְּגִים בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא דְּחִוְיָא בִישָׁא, כְּדֵין כָּל אִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּנָפְקִין, אַף עַל גַּב דְּכֻלְּהוּ דַּכְיָין וְכֻלְּהוּ קַדִּישִׁין, הוֹאִיל וְנָפְלוּ בִּפְגִימוּ. בְּכָל אִינוּן אַתְרֵי דְמָטוּ אִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין כֻּלְּהוּ אִתָּבְרוּ וְאִתְפְּגִימוּ בְּכַמָּה צַעֲרִין בְּכַמָּה כְּאֵבִין, וְאִילֵּין אִינוּן (נשמתין ואתרין) (נ"א נשמתין דאתרין דפגימו) דְּאִתְרְעֵי בְּהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְבָתַר דְּאִתָּבְרוּ, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּנִשְׁמָתִין בַּעֲצִיבוּ וְלָא בְּחֶדְוָון.
Now all those that go forth at the period when the moon is defective by reason of the evil serpent, although pure and holy, become bruised and defective in whatever place they reach, and have to undergo pain and suffering. And these are the souls in whom the Holy One finds delight in spite of their being sad instead of joyful.
רָזָא דְמִלָּה שַׁרְיָין כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא גּוּפָא אִתְפְּגִים, וְנִשְׁמָתָא לְגוֹ כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא, וַדַּאי כְּגַוְונָא דְּדָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִלֵּין אִינוּן דְּבַעְיָין לְחַדְתוּתֵי בְּחַדְתוּתָא דְסִיהֲרָא, וְעַל אִלֵּין כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו ס״ו:כ״ג) וְהָיָה מִדֵּי חֹדֶשׁ בְּחָדְשׁוֹ וּמִדֵּי שַׁבָּת בְּשַׁבַּתּוֹ יָבֹא כָל בָּשָׂר לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לְפָנַי אָמַר יְיָ. כָּל בָּשָׂר וַדַּאי, דְּאִלֵּין יִתְחַדְתוּן בְּכֹלָּא. וּבָעְיָין לְחַדְתוּתֵי בְּחַדְתוּתָא דְסִיהֲרָא.
Esoterically speaking they are a counterpart of something above, the body being impaired and the soul being within after the supernal pattern, each corresponding to each, and these are the souls that require to be renewed with the renewal of the moon, and hence it is written concerning them: “And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me” (Is. 66, 23), the word “all” signifying that these souls will be renewed wholly with the renewal of the moon.
וְאִלֵּין אִינוּן בְּשׁוּתָּפוּתָא חָדָא בְּסִיהֲרָא פְּגִימִין בְּהַהוּא פְּגִימוּ דִילָהּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִיהִי שַׁרְיָא בְּגַוַּויְיהוּ תָּדִיר דְּלָא שָׁבְקָא לוֹן כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (ישעיהו נ״ז:ט״ו) וְאֶת דַּכָּא וּשְׁפַל רוּחַ. וּכְתִיב, (תהלים לה) קָרוֹב יְיָ לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי לֵב, לְאִינוּן דְּסָבְלֵי עִם סִיהֲרָא הַהוּא פְּגִימוּ, אִינוּן קְרֵיבִין לָהּ תָּדִיר. וְעַל דָּא לְהַחֲיוֹת לֵב נִדְכָּאִים, בְּאִינוּן חַיִּים דְּאַתְיָין לָהּ לְאִתְחַדְתָא יְהֵא לוֹן חוּלְקֵהוֹן, אִינוּן דְּסָבְלֵי עִמָּהּ יִתְחַדְתוּן עִמָּהּ.
For they are partners, as it were, with the defective moon, for which reason she dwells in them always, without leaving them, in allusion to which the Scripture says: “I dwell… with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit… to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Is. 57, 15), also: “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart” (Ps. 34, 19). These verses refer to those who are fellow-sufferers with the moon in her defect, and regarding whom it is fitly said, “to revive the heart of the contrite ones”, that is, to make those who participated in the sufferings of the moon also participate in the new life to be bestowed on her in the future.
וְאִלֵּין אִקְרוּן יִסּוּרִין שֶׁל אַהֲבָה, שֶׁל אַהֲבָה אִינוּן וְלָא מִנֵּיהּ דְּהַהוּא בַר נָשׁ. שֶׁל אַהֲבָה, אִינוּן דְּאִתְפַּגִּים נְהוֹרָא שֶׁל אַהֲבָה זוּטָא דְּאִתְדַּחְיָיא מֵאַהֲבָה רַבָּה. בְּגִין כָּךְ אִלֵּין אִינוּן חֲבֵרִים מְשׁוּתָּפִים בַּהֲדָהּ. זַכָּאָה חוּלַקְהוֹן בְּעַלְמָא דֵין וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי, דְּאִינוּן זָכוּ לְהַאי לְמֶהוֵי חֲבֵרִים בַּהֲדָהּ, עֲלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, (תהילים קכ״ב:ח׳) לְמַעַן אַחַי וְרֵעָי וְגו'.
Such sufferings undergone by them are called “sufferings in token of love”. Happy is their portion in this world and in the world to come when they will be privileged to be partners with her, in allusion to which it is written: “For my brethren and companions’ sakes, etc.” (Ibid. 122, 8).’