Mystical Roots of Evil

This passage from the Arizal's writings is a continuation of the previous installment on this parasha - see The Magician and the Sorcerer.

And Moab became terrified of the people, for they were numerous, and Moab became disgusted [because of the Israelites]. (Num. 22:3)

The [mystical] explanation of this is as follows:

There were two types of [people that made up] Israel [in that generation]. The first was the Jews themselves who lived in that generation, the source of whose souls were sparks of Moses' [soul] who in turn derived from Abel. (This is explained in our exposition on the generation of the desert, on the verse, "And a new king arose over Egypt.")

The second type [of people] was the Mixed Multitude, who are referred to in Scripture simply as "the people", without any qualifier. (See Rashi on Ex. 32:7; Likutei Sichot, vol. 16, pp. 408 ff) They derived from the evil aspect of Cain, as explained above.

It is with reference to them that it is written, "And Moab became terrified of the people, for they were numerous." This refers to the Mixed Multitude, who are described as "numerous".

The literal meaning of the words translated as "Mixed Multitude" [in Hebrew, "erev rav"] is "a numerous mixture". The phrase "the people, for they were numerous", therefore quite clearly refers to the Mixed Multitude.

The narrative then goes on to say that "Moab became disgusted because of the Israelites," referring to the Jews themselves, who were derived from Abel.

The literal meaning of the words translated as "the Israelites" (benei Yisrael) is "the children [or 'descendants'] of Israel", i.e. of Jacob; this refers only to the direct descendants of Jacob as opposed to Moses' converts.

"[And Moab said to the elders of Midian, 'Now this assembly will eat up everything around us,] as the ox eats up the greens of the field.'" (Num. 22:4)

An ox that has been established legally as a goring ox derives from the evil of Esau, who is the "black ox" mentioned in the Sages' teachings. (Berachot 33a)

Once an ox gores other animals three times unprovoked, it is legally classified as a "goring ox" and its owner becomes liable for full damages it causes instead of just half. (Ex. 21:35-36)

In discussing under what dangerous circumstances a person may interrupt his prayers in order to flee for safety, the Sages said that "If an ox's head is in a [fodder] basket, go up to a roof and kick the ladder away from underneath you," i.e. get as far away as possible, for the ox will not take kindly to anyone it perceives as interrupting it from its meal. "Samuel said: 'This applies only to a black ox in the month of Nisan, because then the Satan is dancing between his horns.'" Rashi says on this: "Because the days of autumn have passed, when the land is dry, and the ox now sees it full of greenery, it gets high-spirited and the evil inclination enters it." No longer having to worry about food, the ox becomes mischievous, so it is better to stay away from it.

In any case, we see here that the image of a "black ox" is a particularly threatening type of evil, associated with the evil inclination, which in turn is often personified as Esau.

It "eats up the greens of the field". This refers to the souls that issue from the supernal coupling, i.e. from the "field that G-d blessed". (Gen. 27:27) This is why they said "the field", with the definite article.

When Jacob appeared before Isaac disguised as Esau, in order to receive his blessings, Isaac said, "Behold, my son's fragrance is like that of the field that G-d blessed." Rashi says this means that Isaac recognized on Jacob's garments the fragrance of the Garden of Eden (which he remembered from when he was temporarily there when he was almost slaughtered). Thus, "the field that G-d blessed" is the Garden of Eden, or in Kabbalistic terms, the sefira of malchut. In this imagery, holy souls are the "grass" that grows in the "holy field". The union of Zeir Anpin and Nukva, which is often allegorized as the fertilization of the earth by the rain of heaven, produces the grass of the earth, the souls that issue from this union.

This is also alluded to by the fact that the numerical value of the word for "the field" [in Hebrew, "hasadeh" = 314] is the same as that of the name Sha-dai, alluding to the supernal righteous one, who is also called "the soul of all life", from which all souls take flight.

"Hasadeh" is spelled: hei-sin-dalet-hei = 5 + 300 + 4 + 5 = 314.

"Sha-dai"is spelled: shin-dalet-yud = 300 + 4 + 10 = 314.

The name Sha-dai is associated with the sefira of yesod, which in turn is associated with sexuality, the area of life that serves as the basic test of righteousness.

Thus, the Moabites complained to the Midianites that the Jews threatened to wipe them out, just as evil threatens to annihilate the holy souls produced by the holy union of Zeir Anpin and Nukva. They saw themselves as the good ones and the Jews as the embodiment of evil.

[Balak] sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Petor, which is by the river of the land of his people, to call for him, saying, "…please come and curse this people for me." (Num. 22:5)

Balaam's power was sorcery, for he derived from the enveloping breath, and [therefore] his power was solely in his mouth.

As explained previously, Balaam derived from Abel, whose Hebrew name (Hevel) means "breath".

But Balak derived from Cain, who personified action.

As explained previously, Cain is derived from Imma, which is expressed in action, as opposed to Abba, which is expressed in thought.

He was therefore a magician, for he derived from the states of gevura [in the] arms, the hands, and the fingers, and that is why it is written "with magic [tokens] in their hands." (Ibid. 22:7)

As mentioned previously, Balak's emissaries came to Balaam with magic instruments, so that he not be able to refuse on account of not having the right tools. The implication of the verse's phraseology is that magic is something done with the hands, as opposed to sorcery, which is more a matter of incantations and charms, uttered with the mouth.

Inasmuch as he derived ultimately from Imma, Balak was associated with the axis of gevura. Both chesed and gevura are associated anatomically with the arms, hands, and fingers - chesed with the right and gevura with the left.

Balak wanted Balaam - who personified breath, which is the encompassing light, signified by the name Eh-yeh - to curse them from his source in which he was rooted. Therefore the name Eh-yeh is alluded to twice [in this passage]: the first as the initials of the words for "the ox the greens of the field", and the second as the final letters of the words for "please come and curse for me". (Ibid.22:6) Both of these letter-sequences are permutations of the name Eh-yeh, which has twelve permutations, as is known.

"The ox the greens of the field" in Hebrew is "hashor et yerek hasadeh"; the initial letters of these words are hei-alef-yud-hei. "Please come and curse for me" is "lechah na arah li"; the final letters of these words are hei-alef-hei-yud.

Although the name Eh-yeh is composed of four letters, and should therefore have 24 permutations (4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 24), two of its letters are the same (the two hei's), and there are therefore only 12 unique permutations.

Balaam, on the other hand, wanted to curse them from [the spiritual source of] Balak, who was rooted in the Inner Light, signified by the name Havayah. Therefore three permutations of the name Havayah are alluded to in the words of Balaam, all in reverse order:

The first is the final letters of the words for "Lodge here for the night, and I will give you an answer…" (Ibid. 22:8)

The Hebrew for these words is "linu poh halailah vehashivoti", the final letters of which are vav-hei-hei-yud.

The second is the final letters of the words for "Come and curse them for me". (Ibid. 22:11)

The Hebrew for these words is lechah kavah li oto, the final letters of which are hei-hei-yud-vav.

The third is the final letters of the words for "[to do] either good or evil on my own." (Ibid. 24:13)

The Hebrew for these words is "tovah o ra'ah milibi", the final letters of which are hei-vav-hei-yud.

This explanation accords with what I have told you in connection with how the sefirot are called in the world of Beriya. There, [the sefirot] are known by the permutations of the names Eh-yeh and Havayah. And since it is from the world of Beriya on down that the powers of evil begin to have dominion, [Balaam] therefore wanted to curse them from there.

As explained in the previous installment, Balak derives from the lights of Imma in Leah's heels, while Balaam derives from the lights of Abba in Rachel's keter. Thus, Balak is an inner light and Balaam is an encompassing light. The encompassing light is higher and more powerful, but the inner light permeates more thoroughly. Each party therefore wanted to curse the Jews with the other's qualities.

Translated and adapted by Moshe-Yaakov Wisnefsky from Shaar HaPesukim, Likutei Torah, and Sefer HaLikutim; subsequently published in "Apples From the Orchard."

Reprinted with permission from Chabad of California. Copyright 2004 by Chabad of California, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work or portions thereof, in any form, without permission, in writing, from Chabad of California, Inc.