NAPHTALI IS A HIND LET LOOSE, WHO GIVETH GOODLY WORDS. It has been affirmed that the upper world is of the male principle, and therefore whatever the Community of Israel causes to ascend on high must be male. We know this from the name of the offering (‘olah, lit. going up), so called because it rises above the female. Hence it has to be a “male without blemish” (Lev. 1, 3).
By the words “without blemish” is meant that it must not be castrated. It may be objected that we find the words “without blemish” applied also to the female. This is true; nevertheless it does not alter the fact that the burnt-offering rises from the female to the male, and from this point upwards all is male, while from the female downwards all is female.
It may be said that there is a female principle above also. The truth is, however, that the whole body takes its description from the end of the body, which is male, although the beginning of the body is female. Here, however, both the beginning and end are female.
Observe the recondite allusion in this matter. We see that Jacob blessed Joseph along with his brothers, but when God arranged the tribes under four standards He omitted Joseph and put Ephraim in his place. This cannot have been for any sin of Joseph’s,
and since all the adornments of the Shekinah are female, Joseph was removed from the standards and Ephraim was appointed in his place. On this account he was stationed on the west, the side where the female abides, and the impress which is male was removed from her adornments.
We thus see that all the twelve tribes are the adornment of the Shekinah after the supernal pattern, save for the grade of the Zaddik, who makes all the limbs male.
WHO GIVETH GOODLY WORDS. The Voice speaks to the Utterance, there being no voice without utterance. This Voice is sent from a deep recess above in order to guide the Utterance, the two being related as general and particular. The Voice issues from the south and speaks to the west, inheriting two sides, and therefore Moses said to Naphtali: “Possess thou the west and the south” (Deut. 33, 23).
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח וְאָמַר נַפְתָּלִי אַיָּלָה שְׁלוּחָה הַנּוֹתֵן אִמְרֵי שָׁפֶר. הָא אִתְּמָר, דְּעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה עַלְמָא דִּדְכוּרָא אִיהוּ, כֵּיוָן דְּסָלְקָא מִלָּה מִכְּנְסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְעֵילָא, כֹּלָּא הוּא דְּכַר. מְנָלָן, מֵעוֹלָה, אַמַּאי אִתְקְרֵי עוֹלָה, בְּגִין דְּסָלְקָא לְעֵילָא מִן נוּקְבָא. וּבְגִינֵי כָּךְ, (ויקרא א׳:ג׳) עוֹלָה זָכָר תָּמִים יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ וְגו'.
NAPHTALI IS A HIND LET LOOSE, WHO GIVETH GOODLY WORDS. It has been affirmed that the upper world is of the male principle, and therefore whatever the Community of Israel causes to ascend on high must be male. We know this from the name of the offering (‘olah, lit. going up), so called because it rises above the female. Hence it has to be a “male without blemish” (Lev. 1, 3).
אַמַּאי תָּמִים, וְכִי פִּיסְקֵי פִּיסְקֵי בְּעִינָן לֵיהּ, דְּאָמַר תָּמִים, מַהוּ תָּמִים. אֶלָּא, כְּדִכְתִיב, (בראשית י״ז:א׳) הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי וֶהְיֶה תָמִים. אֵימָתַי תָּמִים, בְּשַׁעְתָּא (ס"א באתר) דְאִתְגְּזַר, דְּהָא דְכוּרָא לָא הֲוֵי, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע, אֶלָּא בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי תָמִים. וּמַאן אִיהוּ, דָּא אָת קַיָּימָא, דְּבֵיהּ אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע דְּכוּרָא מִן נוּקְבָא. כְּדִכְתִיב, (בראשית ו׳:ט׳) אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה. בְּגִינֵי כָּךְ זָכָר תָּמִים, דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע בֵּיהּ הַאי שַׁיְיפָא, וְלָא יְסָרְסוּן לֵיהּ.
By the words “without blemish” is meant that it must not be castrated. It may be objected that we find the words “without blemish” applied also to the female. This is true; nevertheless it does not alter the fact that the burnt-offering rises from the female to the male, and from this point upwards all is male, while from the female downwards all is female.
וְאִי תֵימָא, הָא כְּתִיב, (ויקרא ד׳:ל״ב) נְקֵבָה תְמִימָה. הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, כְּמָה דְאִקְרֵי צַדִּיק תָּמִים, כָּךְ אִקְרֵי צֶדֶק תְּמִימָה. בְּגִין דְּכֹלָּא, נָטְלָא מִנֵּיהּ, בְּגִינֵי כָּךְ, עוֹלָה דְּסָלְקָא מִן נוּקְבָא לִדְכוּרָא, וּמֵהַאי אֲתַר וּלְעֵילָא, כֹּלָּא הוּא דְּכוּרָא. וּמִן נוּקְבָא וּלְתַתָּא, כֹּלָּא הוּא נוּקְבָא, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא.
It may be said that there is a female principle above also. The truth is, however, that the whole body takes its description from the end of the body, which is male, although the beginning of the body is female. Here, however, both the beginning and end are female.
וְאִי תֵימָא, הָכִי נָמֵי נוּקְבָא דִּלְעֵילָא. אֶלָא, סִיּוּמָא דְגוּפָא אַחֲזֵי עַל כָּל גּוּפָא דְּאִיהוּ דְכַר, רֵישָׁא דְגוּפָא נוּקְבָא, עַד דְּנָחִית לְסִיּוּמָא, וְכַד סִיּוּמָא אִתְחֲזֵי, הָא עָבִיד כֹּלָּא דְכַר. אֲבָל הָכָא, רֵישָׁא וְסוֹפָא נוּקְבָא, דְּהָא כָּל תִּקּוּן גּוּפָא נוּקְבָא.
Here, however, both the beginning and end are female.
תָּא חֲזֵי, חַד רָזָא עִלָּאָה אִית בְּמִלָּה דָא, דְּהָא חָמִינָן דְּיַעֲקֹב בָּרִיךְ לְיוֹסֵף בְּגוֹ אֲחוֹהִי, כֵּיוָן דְּמַנֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַרְבַּע דְּגָלִים בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, בִּתְרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין לְאִתְתַּקְּנָא בְּהוּ, גָּרַע מִנַּיְיהוּ לְיוֹסֵף, וְשַׁוֵּי לְאֶפְרַיִם בְּאַתְרֵיהּ. מַאי טַעְמָא אִסְתַּלַּק יוֹסֵף מִנַּיְיהוּ. אִי תֵימָא בְּגִין חוֹבוֹי, לָאו הָכִי, דְּהָא זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ.
Observe the recondite allusion in this matter. We see that Jacob blessed Joseph along with his brothers, but when God arranged the tribes under four standards He omitted Joseph and put Ephraim in his place. This cannot have been for any sin of Joseph’s,
אֶלָּא, רָזָא דְמִלָּה, יוֹסֵף רְשִׁימָא דִּדְכוּרָא הֲוָה, דִּכְתִיב בֵּן פּוֹרָת יוֹסֵף בֵּן פּוֹרָת עֲלֵי עָיִן. וּכְתִיב מִשָּׁם רוֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִתַּמָּן אִתְּזָן הַאי אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֶבֶן, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעֲלָה אָמַר דָוִד (תהילים קי״ח:כ״ב) אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה. וּבְגִין דְּיוֹסֵף אִיהוּ רְשִׁימוּ דִּדְכוּרָא, אִקְרֵי יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק, דְּהָא אִיהוּ צַדִּיק וַדַּאי, מִשָּׁם רוֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל.
but the reason is this. Joseph was the impress of the male,
וּבְגִין דְּכָל תִּקּוּנֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא אִינוּן נוּקְבָן, אִסְתַּלַּק יוֹסֵף מִתַּמָּן, וְאִתְמַנֵּי תְּחוֹתֵיהּ אֶפְרַיִם, וְאִיהוּ נוּקְבָא לְתִקּוּנָהָא. וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ הָכִי, אִתְמַנֵּי לִסְטַר מַעֲרָב, אֲתַר דְּנוּקְבָא שַׁרְיָא, וְהַהוּא רְשִׁימוּ דְּאִיהוּ דְכוּרָא, אִסְתַּלַּק מִתִּקּוּנָהָא, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ עַלְמָא דְנוּקְבָא, וְלָא עַלְמָא דִּדְכוּרָא, וְכָל תִּקּוּנָהָא בָּעְיָין נוּקְבֵי.
and since all the adornments of the Shekinah are female, Joseph was removed from the standards and Ephraim was appointed in his place. On this account he was stationed on the west, the side where the female abides, and the impress which is male was removed from her adornments.
וּבְגִין כָּךְ, יוֹסֵף דְּאִיהוּ צַדִּיק, אִסְתַּלַֹק מִתִּקּוּנָהָא, וְאִתְמַנֵּי אֶפְרַיִם תְּחוֹתֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא, כֻּלְּהוּ תְּרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין, תִּקּוּנִי שְׁכִינְתָּא אִינוּן, וְכֻלְּהוּ בָּעְיָין כְּגַוְונָא דִלְעֵילָא, בַּר דַּרְגָּא דְּצַדִּיק, דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד כָּל שַׁיְיפִין דְּכַר, וְלָא בָּעֵי לְאַכְּחָשָׁא (נ"א ליה).
We thus see that all the twelve tribes are the adornment of the Shekinah after the supernal pattern, save for the grade of the Zaddik, who makes all the limbs male.
נַפְתָּלִי אַיָּלָה שְׁלוּחָה הַנּוֹתֵן אִמְרֵי שָׁפֶר, הַיְינוּ דִכְתִיב, (שיר השירים ד׳:ג׳) וּמִדְבָּרֵךְ נָאוְה, בְּגִין דְּקוֹל מַדְבַּר לֵיהּ לְדִבּוּר, וְלֵית קוֹל בְּלָא דִבּוּר. וְהַהוּא קוֹל אִשְׁתַּלַּח מֵאֲתַר עֲמִיקָא דִּלְעֵילָא, וּשְׁלִיחַ מִקַּמֵּיהּ, לְאַנְהָגָא לְדִבּוּר, דְּהָא לֵית קוֹל בְּלָא דִבּוּר, וְלָא דִבּוּר בְּלֹא קוֹל. וְדָא כְּלַל דְּצָרִיךְ לִפְרַט, וּפְרַט דְּצָרִיךְ לִכְלַל. וְדָא קוֹל נַפְקָא מִדָּרוֹם, וּמַדְבַּר לְמַעֲרָב, יָרִית לִתְרֵין סִטְרִין. וְדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (דברים ל״ג:כ״ג) וּלְנַפְתָּלִי אָמַר וְגו', יָם וְדָרוֹם יְרָשָׁה, לְעֵילָא דְכַר, לְתַתָּא נוּקְבָא, בְּגִין כָּךְ נַפְתָּלִי אַיָּלָה שְׁלוּחָה נוּקְבָא לְתַתָּא. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא דְּכַר לְעֵילָא, דִּכְתִיב הַנּוֹתֵן אִמְרֵי שָׁפֶר, הַנּוֹתֵן כְּתִיב, וְלא הַנּוֹתֶנֶת.
WHO GIVETH GOODLY WORDS. The Voice speaks to the Utterance, there being no voice without utterance. This Voice is sent from a deep recess above in order to guide the Utterance, the two being related as general and particular. The Voice issues from the south and speaks to the west, inheriting two sides, and therefore Moses said to Naphtali: “Possess thou the west and the south” (Deut. 33, 23).