Then he began to speak as follows: ‘It is written: “And in the wilderness where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bare thee as a man doth bear his son in all the way that ye went, until ye came unto this place” (Deut. 1, 31). This verse ought surely to run: “And in the wilderness where the Lord thy God bare thee”; what is the significance of the words “where thou hast seen”? The answer is as follows. The Holy One led Israel tnrough a terrible wilderness “wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions” (Ibid. 8, 15); indeed, the most fearful wilderness in the world. Why did He do this?
Because in the hour when they left Egypt and increased to the number of sixty myriad souls, the Holy Kingdom was strengthened and stood firm, high above all, and the Moon was illumined, and thus the wicked dominion, the “other side”, was subdued, and the Holy One brought the Israelites out in order to lead them through the terrible wilderness, the very realm and domain of Samael the wicked, in order that the evil power might be broken and the ruler of the regions of darkness be crushed, that it might rear its head no more. Had the Israelites not sinned, the Holy One would have resolved to remove him altogether from the world. Therefore He led them through his very dominion and territory.
But when they sinned the serpent stung them many a time, and then was fulfilled that which was written: “He shall bruise thy head (rosh) and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Gen. 3, 15)- that is to say, Israel first (be-rosh) bruised his head, but because later they knew not how to guard themselves against him he finally smote them and they all fell dead in the wilderness, and then the other half of the verse was fulfilled: “and thou (i.e. the serpent) shalt bruise his heel”. And forty years long were they chastised by him, which corresponded to the forty lashes of the judges.
Therefore it says: “where thou hast seen”. They saw with their own eyes the prince of the desert, a prisoner bound before them, and they took his lot and possession. And so I also separated myself from the haunts of men and departed to dwell in the desert in order to be able better to meditate upon the Torah and to subdue that “other side.”
Besides, the words of the Torah can best sink into the soul there in the desert, for there is no light except that which issues from darkness, for when that “other side” is subdued the Holy One is exalted in glory. In fact, there can be no true worship except it issue forth from darkness, and no true good except it proceed from evil. And when a man enters upon an evil way and then forsakes it the Holy One is exalted in glory. Hence the perfection of all things is attained when good and evil are first of all commingled, and then become all good, for there is no good so perfect as that which issues out of evil. The divine Glory is extolled and extended thereby, and therein lies the essence of perfect worship.
And as for us, we remained in the desert throughout all the days of the year in order to subdue there that “other side”, but now, when the time for the divine worship from the side of holiness has come, we return to an inhabited place where the worship of the Holy One is carried on. Moreover, now in the season of the New Year the time has come for that serpent to demand justice from the Holy One, and he rules there at present, and therefore we went away from there and are come to an inhabited place.’
פָּתַח הַהוּא סָבָא וְאָמַר, (דברים א׳:ל״א) וּבַמִּדְבָּר אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתָ אֲשֶׁר נְשָׂאֲךָ יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִשָּׂא אִישׁ אֶת בְּנוֹ וְגוֹ'. הַאי קְרָא הָכִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, וּבַמִּדְבָּר אֲשֶׁר נְשָׂאֲךָ, מַהוּ רָאִיתָ. אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דָּבַר לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַדְבְּרָא, מַדְבְּרָא תַּקִּיפָא, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים ח׳:ט״ו) נָחָשׁ שָׂרָף וְעַקְרָב וְגוֹ'. וּמַדְבְּרָא דְּאִיהוּ תַּקִּיף מִשְּׁאַר מַדְבְרִין בְּעָלְמָא. מַאי טַעֲמָא.
Then he began to speak as follows: ‘It is written: “And in the wilderness where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bare thee as a man doth bear his son in all the way that ye went, until ye came unto this place” (Deut. 1, 31). This verse ought surely to run: “And in the wilderness where the Lord thy God bare thee”; what is the significance of the words “where thou hast seen”? The answer is as follows. The Holy One led Israel tnrough a terrible wilderness “wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions” (Ibid. 8, 15); indeed, the most fearful wilderness in the world. Why did He do this?
בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא דְּנָפְקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם וְאִשְׁתְּלִימוּ לְשִׁתִּין רִבְּבָן, אִתְתָּקַּף מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִסְתַּלָּק עַל כֹּלָּא, וְסִיהֲרָא אִתְנְהִירַת וּכְדֵין אִתְכַּפְיָא מַלְכוּ חַיָּיבָא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא. וְאַפִּיק לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֵיהַךְ בְּמַדְבְּרָא תַּקִּיפָא. דְּאִיהוּ אֲתָר וְשֻלְטָנוּ דְּסָמָאֵ"ל חַיָּיבָא, דְּאִיהוּ דִּילֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ, בְּגִין לְתַּבְרָא תּוּקְפֵּיהּ וְחֵילֵיהּ, וּלְכַתְּתָא רֵישֵׁיהּ, (ס"א ולאחתא ליה) וּלְאַכְפְּיָא לֵיהּ, דְּלָא יִשְׁלוֹט. וְאִלְמָלֵא דְּחָאבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַעְבְּרָא לֵיהּ מֵעָלְמָא, וְעַל דָּא אַעְבַּר לוֹן בְּאַחֲסַנְתֵּיהּ וְעַדְבֵיהּ וְחוּלָקֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ.
Because in the hour when they left Egypt and increased to the number of sixty myriad souls, the Holy Kingdom was strengthened and stood firm, high above all, and the Moon was illumined, and thus the wicked dominion, the “other side”, was subdued, and the Holy One brought the Israelites out in order to lead them through the terrible wilderness, the very realm and domain of Samael the wicked, in order that the evil power might be broken and the ruler of the regions of darkness be crushed, that it might rear its head no more. Had the Israelites not sinned, the Holy One would have resolved to remove him altogether from the world. Therefore He led them through his very dominion and territory.
כֵּיוָן דְּחָאבוּ בְּכַמָּה זִמְנִין, נָשִׁיךְ לוֹן חִוְיָא, וּכְדֵין אִתְקְיָּים (בראשית ג׳:ט״ו) הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ וְגוֹ'. יִשְׂרָאֵל מָחוּ רֵישֵׁיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְלָא יַדְעֵי לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מִינֵּיהּ, וּלְבָתַר אִיהוּ מָחָא בְּבַתְרַיְיתָּא, וְנָפְלוּ כֻּלְּהוּ בְּמַדְבְּרָא, וְאִתְקָיָּים וְאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב. וְאַרְבְּעִין שְׁנִין לָקוּ מִנֵּיהּ, לָקֳבֵל מ' מַלְקוּת דְּבֵי דִּינָא.
But when they sinned the serpent stung them many a time, and then was fulfilled that which was written: “He shall bruise thy head (rosh) and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Gen. 3, 15)- that is to say, Israel first (be-rosh) bruised his head, but because later they knew not how to guard themselves against him he finally smote them and they all fell dead in the wilderness, and then the other half of the verse was fulfilled: “and thou (i.e. the serpent) shalt bruise his heel”. And forty years long were they chastised by him, which corresponded to the forty lashes of the judges.
וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתָ, בְּעֵינַיְיהוּ הֲוֹי חֲמָאן לְהַהוּא מָארֵי דְּמַדְבְּרָא, אָזִיל כָּפִית קָמַיְיהוּ, וְנַטְלֵי אַחַסַנְתֵּיהּ וְעַדְבֵיהּ. מְנָּלָן. מִדִּכְתִּיב (שמות ט״ו:ט״ו) אָז נִבְהֲלוּ אַלּוּפֵי אֱדוֹם, וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן (דברים ח׳:ט״ו) נָחָשׁ שָׂרָף וְעַקְרָב. וַאֲנָן אוּף הָכִי אִתְפְּרַשְׁנָא מִיִשׁוּבָא לְמַדְבְּרָא תַּקִּיפָא, וּלְעַיְינָא תַּמָּן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּגִין לְאַכְפְּיָא לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא.
Therefore it says: “where thou hast seen”. They saw with their own eyes the prince of the desert, a prisoner bound before them, and they took his lot and possession. And so I also separated myself from the haunts of men and departed to dwell in the desert in order to be able better to meditate upon the Torah and to subdue that “other side.”
וְתוּ דְּלָא מִתְיַשְּׁבָן מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אֶלָּא תַּמָּן. דְּלֵית נְהוֹרָא אֶלָּא הַהוּא דְּנָפִיק מִגּוֹ חֲשׁוֹכָא, דְּכַד אִתְכַּפְיָא סִטְרָא דָּא, אִסְתַּלָּק קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעֵילָּא, וְאִתְיָיקָּר בִּיקָרֵיהּ. וְלֵית פּוּלְחָנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אֶלָּא מִגּוֹ חֲשׁוֹכָא, וְלֵית טוּבָא אֶלָּא מִגּוֹ בִּישָׁא. וְכַד עָאל בַּר נָשׁ בְּאוֹרַח בִּישָׁא, וְשָׁבִיק לֵיהּ, כְּדֵין אִסְתַּלָּק קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּיקָרֵיהּ, וְעַל דָּא שְׁלִימוּ דְּכֹלָּא טוֹב וָרָע כַּחֲדָא, וּלְאִסְתַּלְּקָא לְבָתַר בְּטוֹב, וְלֵית טוֹב אֶלָּא הַהוּא דְּנָפַק מִגּוֹ בִּישָׁא. וּבְהַאי טוֹב, אִסְתַּלָּק יְקָרֵיהּ, וְדָא אִיהוּ פּוּלְחָנָא שְׁלִים.
Besides, the words of the Torah can best sink into the soul there in the desert, for there is no light except that which issues from darkness, for when that “other side” is subdued the Holy One is exalted in glory. In fact, there can be no true worship except it issue forth from darkness, and no true good except it proceed from evil. And when a man enters upon an evil way and then forsakes it the Holy One is exalted in glory. Hence the perfection of all things is attained when good and evil are first of all commingled, and then become all good, for there is no good so perfect as that which issues out of evil. The divine Glory is extolled and extended thereby, and therein lies the essence of perfect worship.
וַאֲנָן, עַד הַשְׁתָּא יָתִיבְנָא תַּמָּן, כָּל יוֹמֵי שַׁתָּא, בְּגִין לְאַכְפְּיָא בְּמַדְבְּרָא לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא. הַשְּׁתָּא דְּמָטָא זִמְנָא דְּפוּלְחָנָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּסִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָׁא, אַהֲדַרְנָא לְיִשׁוּבָא דְּתַמָּן אִיהוּ פּוּלְחָנָא דִּילֵיהּ. וְתוּ, דְּהַשְׁתָּא בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה מָטָא זִמְנָא דְּהַהוּא חִוְיָא, לְמִתְבַּע דִּינָא מִקָּמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְתַמָּן אִיהוּ שַׁלִּיט. וּבְגִין כַּךְ נָפַקְנָא מִתַּמָּן וַאֲתֵינָא לְיִשׁוּבָא.
And as for us, we remained in the desert throughout all the days of the year in order to subdue there that “other side”, but now, when the time for the divine worship from the side of holiness has come, we return to an inhabited place where the worship of the Holy One is carried on. Moreover, now in the season of the New Year the time has come for that serpent to demand justice from the Holy One, and he rules there at present, and therefore we went away from there and are come to an inhabited place.’