IF THOU BUY AN HEBREW SERVANT, SIX YEARS HE SHALL SERVE. When a soul is doomed to undergo transmigration, should it be one which has emanated from the side of the Servant, Metatron, who represents in himself six aspects, then the successive revolutions of that soul will not be more than six years (i.e. times) until it shall have completed the six stages which lead back to the region from whence it came.
But if the soul has emanated from the sphere of the Shekinah Herself, who is symbolized by the number seven, it “shall go forth free”, because its owner is righteous, and is not subjected to labour or servitude.’
Now it chanced that while Rabbi Simeon spake these things a certain “ancient one” came down to his side and said: ‘If that be so, Master, where is the additional delight of the soul that emanates therefrom, indicated by the words, “In it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son nor thy daughter nor thy manservant, etc.” (Ex. 20, 10)?’
Rabbi Simeon replied: ‘O venerable companion! Should a man of thy learning ask this? This verse assuredly speaks of the soul of the Righteous One, teaching us that even though she may have to undergo transmigration in any of these, even in a manservant or maidservant or in any animal, yet “in it thou shalt do no manner of work”, or, what amounts to the same thing, “thou shalt not make him serve as a bondman”. But, old man, the difficulty is this.
Seeing that Sabbath is an only daughter, and that she is the mate of the Righteous one, what is meant by the words in our text, “if he take him another wife”?’ He replied: ‘These words refer to the weekdays.’ ‘What do these symbolize?’ he asked. ‘These’, he said, ‘are the bondmaid who is the body of the only daughter.
Now as for the soul which is doomed to undergo transmigration, if she is the daughter of the Holy One, blessed be He, we cannot suppose that she is sold to an alien body that is under the domination of the evil spirit emanating from the side of Samael, since it is written: “I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another” (Isa. 42, 8).
Nor is it to be thought that the body which harbours the daughter of the king shall be sold into the power of earthly crowns of defilement. Against this the Scripture says: “And the land shall not be sold in perpetuity” (Lev. 25, 23). Which is the body of the King’s daughter? Metatron; and this same body is identical with the handmaid of the Shekinah. Nevertheless, the soul that is the King’s daughter is held prisoner therein, having to undergo transmigration.
According to another interpretation, “man” here signifies the Holy One, blessed be He; “his daughter” denoting the Community of Israel, who emanates from the sphere of the “Only Daughter”. The verse therefore indicates that when God delivers His people from the nations of the world “she shall not go out” as the menservants do, namely, as the children of Israel did when they left Egypt in haste. For at that time they were in the grade of “servants”, represented by Metraton, who is but the bearer of the Shekinah; but in the days of the Messiah they shall “not go out with haste, nor go by flight” (Isa. 52, 12) from their captivity.
See, now. When a human being is born into the world he is given a soul (nephesh) from the primordial “animal” sphere, the sphere of purity, the sphere of those who are designated “Holy Wheels”-namely, the supernal order of angels. If he is more fortunate he will be endowed with a spirit (ruah) which appertains to the sphere of the Holy Hayoth. Should he possess still greater potential merit he is given a soul (neshamah) from the region of the Throne. These three grades of personality are the “maidservant”, the “manservant”, and the “bondwoman” of the King’s daughter.
And if the newly created being deserves still more, the soul which is put into his bodily form derives through a process of emanation (aziluth) from the sphere of the “Only Daughter”, and is itself called “the King’s daughter”. If his merit is still greater he will be endowed with a spirit (ruah), deriving through emanation from the sphere of the “Central Pillar”, and its owner is then called “The son of the Holy One”, as it is written: “Sons are ye to the Lord your God” (Deut. 14, 1). Should he be of even greater worth he is given a soul (neshamah) from the sphere of Father and Mother, concerning which it is written: “And he breathed into his nostrils the breath (nishmath) of life” (Gen. 2, 7). What does “life” signify? It signifies the Divine Name YH; and therefore it is written of such souls: “Let the whole soul (all souls) praise KaH” (Ps. 150, 6).
But if he should acquire still greater merit, the Holy Name TETRAGRAMMATON is granted to him in its fulness-the letters Yod, He, Vau, He, representing Man in the sphere of the supernal Aziluth, and he is said to be “in the likeness of his Lord”, and in him the words, “Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing” (Gen. 1, 28), are properly fulfilled: for his dominion is indeed over all the firmaments and over all the Wheels and Seraphim and Living Beings (Hayoth) and over all the hosts above and below. It is therefore concerning one who has attained to the sphere of the “Only Daughter” and has derived his soul from thence that it says, “She shall not go out as the menservants do”.’
(שמות כ״א:ב׳) כִּי תִקְנֶה עֶבֶד עִבְרִי שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים יַעֲבֹד וּבַשְּׁבִיעִית יֵצֵא לַחָפְשִׁי חִנָּם. חַבְרַיָּיא, עִידָן הָכָא, לְגַלָּאָה כַּמָּה רָזִין טְמִירִין דְּגִלְגּוּלָא. כִּי תִקְנֶה עֶבֶד עִבְרִי שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים יַעֲבֹד. כַּד נִשְׁמְתָא אִתְחַיְּיבַת בְּגִלְגּוּלָא, אִם הִיא מִסִּטְרָא דְּהַהוּא עֶבֶד מְטַטְרוֹן, דְּאִיהוּ (ק"ה ע"ב, ט"ו ע"א, צ"ו ע"א) כָּלִיל שִׁית סִטְרִין, כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים יַעֲבֹד, גִּלְגּוּלִין דִּילָהּ לָא מִתְחַיְּיבָא אֶלָּא שִׁית שְׁנִין, עַד דְּאַשְׁלִימָת שֵׁשׁ דַּרְגִין, מֵהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִתְנְטִילָת.
IF THOU BUY AN HEBREW SERVANT, SIX YEARS HE SHALL SERVE. When a soul is doomed to undergo transmigration, should it be one which has emanated from the side of the Servant, Metatron, who represents in himself six aspects, then the successive revolutions of that soul will not be more than six years (i.e. times) until it shall have completed the six stages which lead back to the region from whence it came.
אֲבָל אִם נִשְׁמְתָא הִיא מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּאִיהִי שְׁבִיעִית וַדַאי מַה כְּתִיב, וּבַשְּׁבִיעִית יֵצֵא לַחָפְשִׁי חִנָּם, דְּצַדִּיק, וַדַאי לֵית בֵּיהּ מְלָאכָה, כֵּיוָן דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ מְלָאכָה, לֵית בֵּיהּ שִׁעְבּוּד. וְנִשְׁמְתָא דְּאִיהִי מִתַּמָּן, אִתְּמַר בָּהּ וּבַשְּׁבִיעִית יֵצֵא לַחָפְשִׁי חִנָּם, לֵית בָּהּ שִׁעְבּוּדָא.
But if the soul has emanated from the sphere of the Shekinah Herself, who is symbolized by the number seven, it “shall go forth free”, because its owner is righteous, and is not subjected to labour or servitude.’
אַדְהָכִי, הָא סָבָא נָחַת לְגַבֵּיהּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ, אִי הָכִי, רַבִּי, מַה תּוֹסֶפֶת לְנִשְׁמְתָא דְּאִיהִי מִנָּהּ, דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ, (שמות כ׳:י׳) לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כָל מְלָאכָה אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶךָ וְעַבְדְךָ וְגוֹ'.
Now it chanced that while Rabbi Simeon spake these things a certain “ancient one” came down to his side and said: ‘If that be so, Master, where is the additional delight of the soul that emanates therefrom, indicated by the words, “In it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son nor thy daughter nor thy manservant, etc.” (Ex. 20, 10)?’
אֲמַר לֵיהּ, סָבָא סָבָא, וְאַתְּ שָׁאִיל דָּא, דְּוַדַּאי הַאי עַל נִשְׁמְתָא דְּצַדִּיק אִתְּמַר, דְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְחַיָּיב לְאַחֲתָא בְּגִלְגּוּלָא בְּכָל אִלֵּין, אֲפִילּוּ בְּעֶבֶד וְאָמָה, וּבְעִירָן דְּאִינּוּן אוֹפַנִּים, אוֹ בְּכָל חֵיוָן, דְּמִנְּהוֹן נִשְׁמָתִין דִּבְנִי נָשָׁא, כְּתִיב בָּהּ לא תַּעֲשֶׂה כָל מְלָאכָה. וְהַאי אִיהוּ, (ויקרא כ״ה:ל״ט) לא תַעֲבֹד בּוֹ עֲבוֹדַת עָבֶד, בְּצַדִיק דְּאִיהוּ יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, לא תַעֲבֹד בּוֹ עֲבוֹדַת עָבֶד, דְּאִיהוּ יוֹם דְּחוֹל.
Rabbi Simeon replied: ‘O venerable companion! Should a man of thy learning ask this? This verse assuredly speaks of the soul of the Righteous One, teaching us that even though she may have to undergo transmigration in any of these, even in a manservant or maidservant or in any animal, yet “in it thou shalt do no manner of work”, or, what amounts to the same thing, “thou shalt not make him serve as a bondman”. But, old man, the difficulty is this.
אֲבָל סָבָא סָבָא, שַׁבָּת (ד"א נשמתא) דְּאִיהִי בַּת יְחִידָה, וְאִיהִי בַּת זוּגֵיהּ דְּצַדִּיק, דְּאִיהוּ שַׁבָּת. מַאי אִם אַחֶרֶת יִקַּח לוֹ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ הָא וַדָאי הַבְדָלָה, חוּלוֹ שֶׁל שַׁבָּת, דְּאִית אַחֲרָא דְּלָא אִתְקְרִיאַת חוּלוֹ שֶׁל שַׁבָּת, אֶלָּא חוּלוֹ שֶׁל טֻמְאָה שִׁפְחָה. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. וְהָא חוּלוֹ שֶׁל שַׁבָּת מַאי הִיא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ, דָּא אֲמָתָא, דְּאִיהִי גּוּפָא דְּבַת יְחִידָה דְּעָלָהּ אִתְּמַר, אִם אַחֶרֶת יִקַּח לוֹ.
Seeing that Sabbath is an only daughter, and that she is the mate of the Righteous one, what is meant by the words in our text, “if he take him another wife”?’ He replied: ‘These words refer to the weekdays.’ ‘What do these symbolize?’ he asked. ‘These’, he said, ‘are the bondmaid who is the body of the only daughter.
תָּא חֲזִי, נִשְׁמְתָא אִית דְּאִתְקְרִיאַת אָמָה, וְאִית (נשמתא) שְׁכִינְתָּא דְּאִתְקְרִיאַת שִׁפְחָה, (ונשמתא) וְשְׁכִינְתָּא אִית דְּאִתְקְרִיאַת בְּרָתָא דְּמַלְכָּא. הָכָא אִית אִישׁ, דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ (שמות ט״ו:ג׳) יְיָ' אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה. וְאִית אִישׁ, דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ (דניאל ט׳:כ״א) וְהָאִישׁ גַּבְרִיאֵל.
Observe this. There is a soul which is called handmaid, and there is also a soul which is called the daughter of the king.
וּבְגִין דָּא, נִשְׁמְתָא דְּאִיהִי מִחַיְיבָא בְּגִלְגוּל, אִם הִיא בְּרָתָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אִי תֵּימָא דְּאִזְדְבָן בְּגוּפָא נוּכְרָאָה, דְּתַמָּן שֻׁלְטָנוּתָא דְּיֵצֶר הָרָע דְּאִיהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְּסָמָאֵ"ל. חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. דְּהָא כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו מ״ב:ח׳) אֲנִי יְיָ' הוּא שְׁמִי וּכְבוֹדִי לְאַחֵר לא אֶתֵּן דְּאִיהוּ יֵצֶר הָרָע.
Now as for the soul which is doomed to undergo transmigration, if she is the daughter of the Holy One, blessed be He, we cannot suppose that she is sold to an alien body that is under the domination of the evil spirit emanating from the side of Samael, since it is written: “I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another” (Isa. 42, 8).
וְהַהוּא גּוּפָא, דְּשַׁרְיָא בְּרָתָא דְּמַלְכָּא, אִי תֵּימָא דְּאִזְדְבָן בְּכִתְרִין תַּתָּאִין דִּמְסָאַבוּ, חֲלִילָה וְחָס. עָלָהּ אִתְּמַר (ויקרא כ״ה:כ״ג) וְהָאָרֶץ לֹא תִמָּכֵר לִצְמִיתוּת כִּי לִי הָאָרֶץ. מַאן גּוּפָא דִּבְרָתָא דְּמַלְכָּא. דָּא מְטַטְרוֹן. וְהַאי גּוּפָא אִיהוּ אָמָה דִּשְׁכִינְתָא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהִי נִשְׁמְתָא דְּאִיהִי בְּרָתָא דְּמַלְכָּא שְׁבוּיָה תַּמָּן, בְּגִלְגּוּלָא אַתְיָא דְּאַתְיָין גִלְגּוּלִין בְּגִין דְּאַתִּית תַּמָּן, מַה כְּתִיב בָּהּ (שמות כ״א:ז׳) וְכִי יִמְכּוֹר אִישׁ אֶת בִּתּוֹ לְאָמָה לא תֵּצֵא כְּצֵאת הָעֲבָדִים.
Nor is it to be thought that the body which harbours the daughter of the king shall be sold into the power of earthly crowns of defilement. Against this the Scripture says: “And the land shall not be sold in perpetuity” (Lev. 25, 23). Which is the body of the King’s daughter? Metatron; and this same body is identical with the handmaid of the Shekinah. Nevertheless, the soul that is the King’s daughter is held prisoner therein, having to undergo transmigration.
וְעוֹד וְכִי יִמְכּוֹר אִישׁ, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. אֶת בִּתּוֹ: אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִינּוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְּבַת יְחִידָה, אִתְקְרִיאוּ בִּתּוֹ. וְאִי תֵּימָא דְּיִפְקוּן, כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִלֵין מִסִּטְרָא דְּעֶבֶד, דְּאִיהוּ מְטַטְרוֹ"ן, דְּנַפְקוּ בִּמְנוּסָה מִמִּצְרַיִם, לא תֵצֵא כְּצֵאת הָעֲבָדִים, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו נ״ב:י״ב) כִּי לא בְּחִפָּזוֹן תֵּצֵאוּ וּבִמְנוּסָה לֹא תֵלֵכוּן.
According to another interpretation, “man” here signifies the Holy One, blessed be He; “his daughter” denoting the Community of Israel, who emanates from the sphere of the “Only Daughter”. The verse therefore indicates that when God delivers His people from the nations of the world “she shall not go out” as the menservants do, namely, as the children of Israel did when they left Egypt in haste. For at that time they were in the grade of “servants”, represented by Metraton, who is but the bearer of the Shekinah; but in the days of the Messiah they shall “not go out with haste, nor go by flight” (Isa. 52, 12) from their captivity.
תָּא חֲזִי, בַּר נָשׁ כַּד אִתְיְלִיד, (ויקרא רכ"ד ע"ב) יָהֲבִין לֵיהּ נַפְשָׁא מִסִּטְרָא דִּבְעִירָא, מִסִּטְרָא דְּדַכְיוּ, מִסִּטְרָא דְּאִלֵּין דְּאִתְקְרוּן אוֹפַנֵּי הַקּוֹדֶשׁ. זָכָה יַתִּיר, יַהֲבִין לֵיהּ רוּחָא, מִסִּטְרָא דְּחַיּוֹת הַקּוֹדֶשׁ. זָכָה יַתִּיר, יַהֲבִין לֵיהּ נִשְׁמְתָא, מִסִּטְרָא דְּכֻרְסְיָיא. וּתְלַת אִלֵּין, אִינּוּן אָמָה עֶבֶד וְשִׁפְחָה דִּבְרָתָא דְּמַלְכָּא.
See, now. When a human being is born into the world he is given a soul (nephesh) from the primordial “animal” sphere, the sphere of purity, the sphere of those who are designated “Holy Wheels”-namely, the supernal order of angels. If he is more fortunate he will be endowed with a spirit (ruah) which appertains to the sphere of the Holy Hayoth. Should he possess still greater potential merit he is given a soul (neshamah) from the region of the Throne. These three grades of personality are the “maidservant”, the “manservant”, and the “bondwoman” of the King’s daughter.
זָכָה יַתִּיר, יַהֲבִין לֵיהּ נַפְשָׁא בְּאֹרַח אֲצִילוּת, מִסִּטְרָא דְּבַת יְחִידָה, וְאִתְקְרִיאַת אִיהִי בַּת מֶלֶךְ. זָכָה יַתִּיר, יַהֲבִין לֵיהּ רוּחָא דְּאֲצִילוּת. מִסִּטְרָא דְּעַמּוּדָא דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא, וְאִקְרֵי בֵּן לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (דברים י״ד:א׳) בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם. זָכָה יַתִּיר, יַהֲבִין לֵיהּ נִשְׁמְתָא, מִסִּטְרָא דְּאַבָּא וְאִמָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשית ב׳:ז׳) וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים. מַאי חַיִּים. אֶלָּא אִינּוּן י"ה, דְּעָלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמַר, (תהילים ק״נ:ו׳) כָּל הַנְּשָׁמָה תְּהַלֵּל יָהּ, וְאִשְׁתְּלִים בֵּיהּ ידו"ד.
And if the newly created being deserves still more, the soul which is put into his bodily form derives through a process of emanation (aziluth) from the sphere of the “Only Daughter”, and is itself called “the King’s daughter”. If his merit is still greater he will be endowed with a spirit (ruah), deriving through emanation from the sphere of the “Central Pillar”, and its owner is then called “The son of the Holy One”, as it is written: “Sons are ye to the Lord your God” (Deut. 14, 1). Should he be of even greater worth he is given a soul (neshamah) from the sphere of Father and Mother, concerning which it is written: “And he breathed into his nostrils the breath (nishmath) of life” (Gen. 2, 7). What does “life” signify? It signifies the Divine Name YH; and therefore it is written of such souls: “Let the whole soul (all souls) praise KaH” (Ps. 150, 6).
זָכָה יַתִּיר, יַהֲבִין לֵיהּ ידו"ד בִּשְׁלִימוּ דְּאַתְוָון, יוּ"ד הֵ"א וָא"ו הֵ"א, דְּאִיהוּ אָדָם, בְּאֹרַח אֲצִילוּת דְּעֵילָּא, וְאִתְקְרֵי בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ. וְעָלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר, (בראשית א׳:כ״ח) וּרְדוּ בִּדְגַת הַיָּם וְגוֹ'. וְהַאי אִיהוּ שׁוּלְטָנוּתֵיהּ בְּכָל רְקִיעִין, וּבְכָל אוֹפַנִּים וּשְׂרָפִים וְחֵיוָון, וּבְכָל חַיָּילִין וְתוּקְפִין דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא. וּבְגִין דָּא, כַּד בַּר נָשׁ זָכֵי בְּנֶפֶשׁ מִסִּטְרָא דְּבַת יְחִידָה, אִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ, לא תֵצֵא כְּצֵאת הָעֲבָדִים.
But if he should acquire still greater merit, the Holy Name TETRAGRAMMATON is granted to him in its fulness-the letters Yod, He, Vau, He, representing Man in the sphere of the supernal Aziluth, and he is said to be “in the likeness of his Lord”, and in him the words, “Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing” (Gen. 1, 28), are properly fulfilled: for his dominion is indeed over all the firmaments and over all the Wheels and Seraphim and Living Beings (Hayoth) and over all the hosts above and below. It is therefore concerning one who has attained to the sphere of the “Only Daughter” and has derived his soul from thence that it says, “She shall not go out as the menservants do”.’