The ‘gate’ of understanding is a ‘bava’ like ‘Bava Kamma’ and it is an entrance to the general principle that teaches everything | Zohar Bamidbar Sefirat HaOmer 5786 (Auto Translated)

The Nature of “Sha’ar” in “Chamishim Sha’arei Binah”: A Linguistic Investigation

Introduction

Today is Erev Shabbos Parshas Bamidbar, and what we’re going to try to do here is repeat a shiur that I already gave once, but something went wrong with the microphone technology, it didn’t record properly. So I’ll repeat it briefly and quickly, because it’s almost Shabbos, and we should try to go fast, and say the main point, and all the additions and novel insights and parables will have to wait for another time.

Like at 1.5 speed.

Chapter 1: Review of the Sugya of Chamishim Sha’arei Binah

The Basic Sugya

So we’ll say like this, we’re holding in the middle of the sugya of chamishim sha’arei binah (fifty gates of understanding), we’ve spoken about this in various ways, and we’re holding mainly at the point where we left off last time approximately, that the Ramban has two interpretations of the statement that says chamishim sha’arei binah nimsru l’Moshe chutz me’echad [fifty gates of understanding were transmitted to Moshe except for one].

The Ramban’s First Interpretation – Introduction to the Torah

And the Ramban in his Introduction to the Torah interprets the chamishim sha’arei binah: each gate is the field, the subject of one part of nature, one part of ma’aseh bereishis [the work of creation], and the fiftieth gate is yedias haBoreh shelo nimsar l’nivra [knowledge of the Creator that was not transmitted to the created being], it says nivra, but actually it’s not really nivra, it’s about the Almighty.

This Moshe didn’t know, as this interprets “va’techsarehu me’at me’Elokim” [Psalms 8:6 – and You made him slightly less than God/angels], literally one less than God, because God, that he doesn’t know, perhaps this is like the lack of knowledge of Yosef’s situation.

And as it says “hareini na es kevodecha” [Exodus 33:18 – show me please Your glory], Moshe Rabbeinu asked the Almighty to tell him everything about Him, He didn’t tell him, very clear that this is something that was lacking for Moshe. This is the Ramban’s first interpretation.

The Ramban’s Second Interpretation – Parshas Behar

The second interpretation is in Parshas Behar, in the previous week, that chamishim sha’arei binah is a hint to the fifty jubilees of the world, of the order and history of brias ha’olam [the creation of the world], that the world has a shemittah [the seventh year] and a yovel [the jubilee, the fiftieth year], seven thousand years there is a shemittah, afterwards it gets burned and it becomes a yovel.

Moshe Rabbeinu heard from the Almighty the entire seder ha’olam (order of the world) until hayovel hakodesh [the holy jubilee], the fiftieth year, the fiftieth thousand years actually, Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t know, because that is yovel, that is the next keviyachol [so to speak], Moshe Rabbeinu saw the entire history from bereishis bara Elokim [Genesis 1:1 – in the beginning God created] until, we don’t call it Mashiach, this is the last ultimate Mashiach, as Mashiach is really only one level that we call, until the last but the last he didn’t see.

The Connection Between the Two Interpretations

We figured out what is the connection of the two things, the Ramban said that the source, the place in the Torah that hints most to the two orders, this is in the two mitzvos of sfiras ha’omer [counting of the omer] and sfiras hayovel [counting of the jubilee]. These are the two places where the secret stands almost explicitly in the Torah, and the mitzvos are hinting. I think we already spoke about what it means that mitzvos are hinting last week, that’s what we learned.

Chapter 2: The Main Question – What Does “Sha’ar” Mean?

The Missing Simple Explanation

Now, I caught something important this week, that we’re simply missing an explanation in the words “chamishim sha’arei binah”. We already said an interpretation, that sha’ar means a perspective, and in every perspective of every created being there is an understanding of the entire world. Okay, very nice, but we’re still missing the interpretation. It’s a nice Torah, I don’t believe it’s the interpretation.

The Question Presented

And the Gemara, “rabu chamishim sha’arei binah”, what is sha’arei binah? Where do we find it? And especially it’s a davar kasheh [a difficult matter], let’s explain it clearly.

When we learn midrashei chachamim (rabbinic midrashim), we know that they use various images. It’s always built on pesukim (verses), it’s always built on concepts that exist, that we know. And when we see in other midrashim that there’s such a sort of dimuy [parable, image], such a sort of image, such a sort of word in another place, it’s built on a pasuk, or on such a simple thing that we learn from the pasuk.

It’s very strange that here there’s such a thing “sha’arei binah”, and nobody knows where it says it. Perhaps it says in another midrash “sha’arei chochmah”, basically the same thing, but what is sha’arei binah? What is a gate of understanding? What is the connection of a gate to understanding? Where does a gate come in? What is the parable at all of a gate? What is the nimshal [the lesson of a parable]? Where do we find such a parable?

The Foundations That Are Clear

And I want to say a bit more clearly. The statement is built on a few such foundations, yes? Let’s say like this.

Foundation 1: The Number Fifty

The first thing, the number of the fifty, of seven times seven, of forty-nine and the fiftieth and so on. We’ve seen that the number is explicit in the Torah by the parsha of shemittah and yovel, the structure stands. We don’t need to ask from where did Rav Abba Shmuel take the structure, he took it from there.

And even there it’s not so difficult, I mean even there, from sheshes yemei bereishis [the six days of creation] we’ve seen, we’ve seen that they bring the pasuk “mezukak shiv’asayim” [Psalms 12:7 – refined seven times]. Also in that midrash he didn’t clearly bring that pasuk, but it’s certainly built on that pasuk “mezukak shiv’asayim”. “Imros Hashem imros tehoros” [Psalms 12:7 – the words of Hashem are pure words], it’s talking about the Torah, about the creation, about “ba’asarah ma’amaros nivra ha’olam” [Mishnah Avos 5:1 – with ten utterances the world was created], this is the Torah, and it’s “mezukak shiv’asayim”, it’s seven times.

One can think, it’s a bit different from saying “mezukak shiv’asayim”. And it’s a bit different from saying “chimshu v’shilshu rabboseinu” [our rabbis multiplied by five and by three], but it’s the same idea, it’s close enough, one can understand from where it comes, this is not in doubt.

Foundation 2: “Va’techsarehu Me’at Me’Elokim”

The second thing that’s not in doubt is the point of “va’techsarehu me’at me’Elokim”, and we need to explain it a bit better. The verse that comes from Tehillim in chapter 8, where it says the wonder:

“Hashem Adoneinu mah adir shimcha b’chol ha’aretz asher tenah hodcha al hashamayim” [Psalms 8:2 – Hashem our Master, how mighty is Your name in all the earth, that You have placed Your glory above the heavens], the Almighty created such a great world, so much wisdom, and made the heavens, shemei hashamayim [the heavens of the heavens], “ki er’eh shamecha ma’aseh etzbe’osecha yarei’ach v’chochavim asher konanta” [Psalms 8:4 – when I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars that You established], it says, “mah enosh ki sizkrenu uven adam ki sifkedeinu” [Psalms 8:5 – what is man that You should remember him and the son of man that You should be mindful of him], who is man to be remembered and be mindful of, count, yes, be mindful of, that means count, we don’t reckon with him, why does man count?

How can it be, in other words, one way of saying it, how can it be that man knows everything, “va’techsarehu me’at me’Elokim”, almost as if he knows as much as God knows, something is lacking him only a bit from a god, from an angel, Elokim, however we interpret it, only a bit is lacking, and that’s the translation of this pasuk.

Who Is the Man Being Discussed?

And certainly what the Rishonim say is, who is the man being discussed? Just any man, me and you, are we somewhat “va’techsarehu me’at me’Elokim”? We’re barely people, we’re barely little people, it’s not God, not anything.

Rather what we’re talking about is the adam hashalem [the complete person], and as in the Rishonim we find their language about Moshe Rabbeinu, “mivchar hamin ha’enoshi” [the choicest of the human species], the language of the Rashba [Rabbi Shlomo ben Aderes], the language of the Rambam [Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon], but here we see that our rabbis of blessed memory think this way, they take the pasuk that’s talking about the greatest person, and it’s wondering, almost that the person is not God, and they say that certainly this means Moshe, and consequently they take, sometimes they count just by two things, they say that fifty gates of understanding Moshe learned, and one was lacking to him, because that’s what “va’techsarehu me’at me’Elokim” means. This is up to here is very clear the understanding of the statement, nothing is missing.

The Dispute About Shlomo HaMelech

The entire dispute that our rabbis of blessed memory had is whether Shlomo had the same level of understanding, as it says “amarti echkemah” [Koheles 7:23 – I said I will become wise], as it says “uvikesh Koheles limtzo divrei chefetz” [Koheles 12:10 – and Koheles sought to find words of delight], and the question is, did they have a dispute whether he had the same level of understanding as Moshe, or only a difference in halachah he couldn’t change, but the knowledge he did have.

Okay, this is the topic we’re talking about yesterday, our rabbis of blessed memory, it’s still a whole sugya, truly a great sugya, we need to talk about Shlomo and Moshe, the two greatest people. But the intention is that the discussion here is about the shleimus ha’enoshis [human perfection], the greatest perfection is Moshe, perhaps Shlomo also in one aspect, perhaps in wisdom, in halachah, not in prophecy, not in Torah. Okay. This is already details, but this is their discussion. It’s very clear that their discussion is about who is the greatest person, and about this it makes a lot of sense that it’s talking about the pasuk “ga’avah enosh tashpilenu v’shefal ruach yitmoch kavod” [Proverbs 29:23 – the pride of man will humble him and the lowly spirit will support honor]. Up to here is clear. Okay.

The Missing Simple Explanation – Again

What is not clear, what was not clear until this morning – not for me, perhaps someone already knew – is what is this “sha’ar Rabbeinu”? From where comes the language “sha’ar”? What is something a sha’ar? Who ever heard of “sha’ar Rabbeinu”? I don’t know what that means. Until I came [ad asher basi], so it happened, so is the story.

Chapter 3: The Answer – The Language “Sha’ar” in Moreh Nevuchim

The Impetus from Moreh Nevuchim

They learned Moreh Nevuchim [Guide for the Perplexed, the Rambam’s philosophical work], and in Moreh Nevuchim we see the Rambam talks about certain subjects, and he sometimes calls the subject – in the translation that we learn, by Rabbi Shmuel ibn Tibbon – it says “sha’ar”. The Rambam talks about a topic, it’s called worship, philosophical foundations, he says, “sha’ar ha’avodah hazos, I have more to say about this, I’ll look further in my book, I’ll talk about this more”.

So “sha’ar”, all translations say, “sha’ar” is the translation of “nosa” (subject), as we would call “the sugya”. “I have another shiur”, the Rambam says, “I have another shiur about the sugya, look inside”. In other places also we see in the Rambam the language “sha’ar” in the same way. “Sha’ar” in the sense of a subject or a sugya, a certain matter, a certain question, a certain question of knowledge that we’re talking about, that he has what to say about it, and he calls it, when he references the topic, he calls it a “sha’ar”.

The Question: From Where Comes the Language?

So what is the translation of the word “sha’ar”? What is something the word “sha’ar”? It’s a strange language. Why do the Rambam and Rishonim use the language “sha’ar”? For me a light bulb went on in my head, that perhaps the language “sha’ar Rabbeinu” has something to do with the language. We need to investigate but from where comes the language “sha’ar”.

The Research: Rabbi Shmuel ibn Tibbon’s Glossary

I did the basic research, and we know, Rabbi Shmuel ibn Tibbon who translated, he made a translation – the Rambam wrote in Arabic. Rabbi Shmuel ibn Tibbon who wrote the translation of the Moreh Nevuchim, he wrote in the back of the book a glossary, a bit of a dictionary, it’s called “peirush hamilim hazaros” [explanation of the foreign words], where there he explains all the strange, all the foreign – “zaros” means foreign – all the foreign words that he brings in, that the Rambam said in Arabic, and he had to write back in lashon hakodesh (the holy tongue), to find a word.

So he explains from where it comes, why he translated it that way, what he means, he gives the basic definitions, understandings, of the words that we didn’t know, in the Mishnah it doesn’t say it, it’s philosophical concepts, he brings there the translation.

The Entry “Sha’ar” in Peirush HaMilim HaZaros

And there he has an entry on the word “sha’ar”. And he says like this:

Step 1: The Simple Translation in Torah

He says “sha’ar”, first he brings from where it says in the Torah. In the Torah, he says, it says “sha’ar”, “sha’ar” simply means a gate of a city, “sha’ar ha’ir” [gate of the city].

Step 2: The Parable of “Sha’ar HaShamayim”

He says, that in the Torah we already also find the language “sha’ar” in the way of borrowing, in the way of parable, as we borrowed from the concrete, from the physical gate. In the Torah it says “sha’ar hashamayim” [Genesis 28:17 – gate of heaven].

What is “sha’ar hashamayim”? What is the translation, heaven doesn’t have a gate? He says, he means the way how one goes up to heaven, how one goes up to understand the Almighty, how angels go, how the Almighty’s abundance comes down, “malachim olim v’yordim bo” [Genesis 28:12 – angels going up and down on it]. This is the translation of a sha’ar. It’s certainly not a physical gate, but it’s like a parable. Could be that we once meant it’s a parable to a gate, not a gate of a city in any case. It’s a parable, in heaven there’s certainly no gate, we can’t see a gate, it’s a parable for something else.

Step 3: The Innovation of the Translators

Afterwards he says however that the translators, he doesn’t say innovations himself, he wasn’t the first to innovate, there were already translators before him, innovated to say on the language “sha’ar” a kibbutz ma’amarim shemedabrim inyan echad o inyanim krovim l’inyan echad [a collection of statements that speak about one matter or matters that are close to one matter].

A bunch of… when a person collects and takes together a bunch of matters, words, statements, sentences that talk about one topic, they call that a sha’ar.

The Connection to the Simple Translation

He says, from where is the connection of this? This makes sense, because just as a gate of a city, there comes together the entire city to enter and exit from the city, so in this like a statement, in this part of the discussion, we talk together everything that’s relevant to the topic.

So the category, the topic, what defines the subject of a thing, they called a sha’ar. So says Rabbi Shlomo ibn Tibbon. And he says that this comes from in Arabic. In Arabic they say on a sha’ar, on a part of a book or a part of some book, they call a sha’ar.

Two Meanings of “Sha’ar” That Go Together

So there become two meanings of sha’ar that go together, two meanings of the nimshal, yes? That is, besides that sha’ar is a gate, sha’ar means like a topic, a category.

It doesn’t have to be actually a book that has a chapter that’s called a sha’ar. A topic, like what comes together there all the parts that belong to the topic, comes together like in the gate of the city come together all people.

And there’s also that when one writes a book, a person writes a book and he divides it according to topics, he calls each part a sha’ar. We see this in Chovos HaLevavos [Duties of the Hearts, book by Rabbeinu Bachya ibn Pekuda], there are ten gates, and actually each of the gates call their parts gates.

The Source: Arabic

The Deeper Meaning of “Sha’ar” and the Fifty Gates of Understanding

Chapter 4: “Bava” in the Language of Chazal – The Source of “Sha’ar” as a Topic

The Tradition of Chazal in Otzar Leshon Chachamim

I looked in the dictionary of the language of the Sages, that is Otzar Leshon Chachamim which has a concordance of the language of the Sages, and you see that it’s clear, everyone knows, not only that it’s not a novelty of the Rishonim that sha’ar means a topic or that one divides a book into she’arim, but this is actually the custom of our Sages of blessed memory.

Simply taking the book called Talmud Bavli (the Babylonian Talmud), and even the Chachmei HaMishnah (the Sages of the Mishnah), but certainly the Chachmei HaTalmud (the Sages of the Talmud). Everyone knows that there is a tractate called Masechet Nezikin (the Tractate of Damages), kulam azukin k’achada masechta (all are connected as one tractate), everything is divided into three bavot (gates). What does a bava (gate) mean? Does everyone who learns a bit of Gemara know? Bava means a gate. Kai al bava (he stands at the gate), he stands at the gate. Bava means a gate. When the Sages wanted to divide a tractate into three parts, they called them three gates.

“Bava D’Reisha” and “Bava D’Seifa” – Sha’ar as a Topic

Not only that, you find many times in the Gemara “bava d’reisha” (the gate of the beginning), “bava d’seifa” (the gate of the end). The bava means a section of the Mishnah, and the topic, the topic that is discussed in the reisha (beginning) of the Mishnah, the topic many times, bava in various such ways, you find that bava means either a topic, a subject, the Sages call a bava, and also a section of a book that is written on a certain topic they call a bava. Bava Kamma (the First Gate), Bava Metzia (the Middle Gate), Bava Batra (the Last Gate).

So it’s always explicit in Aramit (Aramaic), not as sha’ar, but the language of Aramaic is very similar to Aravit (Arabic), bava, bab, very similar, this is the same shoresh (root), so they call it a sha’ar. So we see that the language of the Sages is this way, and the Rabbeinu Bachya who were the first Amoraim (the Sages of the Talmud) who wrote the Talmud, they began, they also called it Bava Kamma and so on. So certainly this is what they meant.

Why Does It Say “Sha’ar” and Not “Bava”?

Chunk 3 of 4

Now, why does it say “sha’ar” (gate) and not “bava”? Because anyone who learns a bit of Chazal (our Sages of blessed memory) sees that in the midrashim (the homiletical interpretations) there is a ketsat peleh (a certain wonder). One must know and say that the Gemara is in Aramaic, but there are sections where one sees clearly that it was written specifically in lashon hakodesh (the holy tongue), u’vimeyuchad aggadot (and especially aggadot), very many aggadot are b’mechavein (deliberately) written in lashon hakodesh.

It could be that it’s simply a mesorah (tradition) from Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel), where they were more engaged in writing aggadot, so they wrote them in lashon hakodesh. It could be it has to do with the deeper matters, but it’s a bit backwards, the Zohar they wrote specifically in Aramaic the sodot (secrets), and also translated, one can see from where the words come.

But in the Gemara, many times drashot (homiletical teachings) are written specifically in lashon hakodesh, even though in halachah (Jewish law) they speak in Aramaic in the Gemara. This is already a reason for this, but this is the… one must think what the reason is. I’ve come across an idea, perhaps there’s someone who knows more historically or simply why.

The Practical Answer: From Aramaic to Lashon Hakodesh

Al kol panim (in any case), in the Gemara, when one sees other words, but when he writes… yes, this is a klal (a principle), when a person writes, Rav and Shmuel (two great Amoraim) spoke in Aramaic, they didn’t speak in lashon hakodesh day to day.

So, when he wanted to say an aggadah (a homiletical teaching), he thought, in the Torah one doesn’t actually find that “sha’ar” should mean that, but he thought in Aramaic, and in Aramaic one says “bava v’kamah” (a gate and so forth), he thought, how does one say nosa’im (topics) or ketzavot (sections), masechtot (tractates) of binah (understanding)? He said “chamishim sha’arei binah” (fifty gates of understanding). What did he mean by this? Sha’arei binah, just like sha’arei Talmud (gates of Talmud). Binah and Talmud are similar, one must think more about the word binah, but binah is not a word lichorah (at first glance) it seems to me, it’s a bit simple, binah means understanding, and sha’ar means a tractate.

“Sha’arei Binah” Like “Sha’arei Talmud” – The Example of Avraham Avinu

And he means to say like it similarly states in the Gemara, Avraham Avinu (our father Abraham) had a masechta avodah zarah (a tractate of idolatry) of four hundred prakim (chapters). What does this mean? He was osek (engaged) in the kushyot (difficult questions) about avodah zarah (idolatry) or the laws about avodah zarah, or how to be menatze’ach (victorious over) idolatry.

Four hundred chapters on avodah zarah is only a part of a bava, Masechet Bava Kamma has more than ten chapters, and here he says there are hundreds of tractates. It could be actually literally that Bava Kamma is one of the sha’arei binah, one of them. It is chochmot (wisdoms), Seder Nezikin (the Order of Damages), one of the wisdoms is Seder Nezikin. But the whole point is there are more wisdoms, more and more chochmot ba’olam (wisdoms in the world), as the Ramban (Nachmanides) is mesvir (explains) in the hakdamot (introductions). This is what sha’arei binah means. I think this is a clear good peshat (simple explanation), because what does sha’ar mean in this language? It means a bava, which means a section of a book or a topic.

Chapter 5: The Deeper Meaning of “Sha’ar” – Today’s Main Lesson

The Parable of a Gate – A Place of Gathering

Now, let’s be a bit mesvir (explain) the omek (depth) of this, the pnimiyut (inner dimension) of this, and this is our lesson for today. Why is it called a sha’ar? What is the word of a sha’ar? Let’s go back to the mashal (parable). The mashal says, as Rabbi Avraham Zimmering told me, that the mashal of a sha’ar is that there is the city, there people come together, to go in and out of the city.

We need to see that here there are two things, no, even three things. Part of these things already stand in Mishnah v’Torah (Mishnah and Torah), yes? It says “sha’ar iro” (the gate of his city), “lifnei vo’i sha’ar iro” (before I come to the gate of his city), “lo ta’avot mishpat bish’arecha” (you shall not pervert justice in your gates). Many times it says in the Torah “sha’ar,” and everyone knows that sha’ar doesn’t necessarily mean the physical gate, it means that there is the mekom ha’hitaspot (the place of gathering), the beit din (the court), the shoftim (judges), “v’shoftecha v’shotrecha titein lecha b’chol she’arecha” (and your judges and your officers you shall appoint in all your gates), meaning in your batei dinim (courts), “ela sha’ar hu ohel l’veit din, nesava beit din” (rather the gate is a tent for the court, one takes the court), says the Targum (the Aramaic translation).

The Physical and Spiritual Meaning

What is the meaning of this? Certainly there is a physical reason, once upon a time people used to sit, whoever goes sometimes, I know, in the Old City of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), one sees there the sha’ar, the gate of the city, there is the great market. There people come together, there they make asifot (assemblies), it’s a large shetach (area), here is space, this is the sha’ar. But when the Torah says sha’ar, it no longer necessarily means the gate, it means the gathering, the mekom ha’asifah (the place of assembly), the place where one meets.

There one places a mezuzah (mezuzah), yes, “al mezuzot beitecha u’vish’arecha” (on the doorposts of your house and in your gates), on the sha’ar one makes a mezuzah, one places yichud Hashem (the unity of God) there. This is a place where one gathers, a place where there are the inyenei ha’ir (matters of the city), this is the shuk (market), like in Sefer Rut (the Book of Ruth), there they make all the kinyanim b’fumbei (acquisitions in public). This is the meaning of a sha’ar. It comes from the fact that this is the gate of the city, but it means something deeper.

A Sha’ar Makes a City Into a City

And what does it mean? What is the kavanah (intention)? Meaning like a city, that a chomah (wall) doesn’t yet make a city. A chomah is simply for protection, a chomah is important, but a city must have a sha’ar, right? A sha’ar in the chomah. A sha’ar also doesn’t mean just a place to enter into a city. A chomah with a hole is not yet a sha’ar, a pirtzah (breach) in the chomah is not a hole, is not a sha’ar. A sha’ar is something that makes the city into a city.

That is, a city is an osef (collection) of many pratim (particulars), many people, external people, each one has his own things. What makes it a city? The fact that there is a sha’ar. A sha’ar means that one comes together to do mischar (commerce), one comes together ladun (to judge), one comes together for kriat haTorah (reading the Torah), I don’t know what, to gather together. This makes the city into a city.

Sha’ar as Mekabetz HaNose – The General Principle

So the sha’ar is not just, I say that there is the mekom hitkabtzut ha’ir (the place of gathering of the city), therefore one calls the mekabetz hanose (that which gathers the topic), one calls it a sha’ar. The city itself becomes one, becomes a city through the fact that it has a sha’ar. The sha’ar means, when one speaks milah b’ruchaniyut (in spirituality), when one speaks only the nimshal (the lesson) of the sha’ar, it means the cityness of the city.

Or one can say, you want to go speak with the city? You want to go do something with the city? You must first go to the sha’ar. First physically you go to the sha’ar, there you will find people. Or you can say, I have given you a Torah into the city. Every city, people have a certain emunah (faith), a certain type of midah (character trait). Speak with them according to their midah, speak with them according to their emunah. Or they have a certain rebbe (rabbi), they have a certain Sanhedrin (Sanhedrin), they have deep yodim (knowledgeable ones), they have a hanhagah (leadership), speak to them, they will bring it into the whole city, as we spoke in the lesson about the Lithuanian fundraising.

Yetzi’ah U’vi’ah – In and Out Through the Gate

This is the meaning of a sha’ar. A sha’ar means the mekabetz, that which makes the whole city from bunches of particulars into a city. And we also understand, this is also the topic of yetzi’ah u’vi’ah (going out and coming in), as it says “yifkod Hashem Elokei haruchot ish al ha’edah asher yetzei lifneihem va’asher yavo lifneihem” (God shall appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and who shall come in before them).

What does it mean? Why must a manhig (leader) lead out and lead in? How does one enter into a city? How does one understand a city? Even by oneself, through the sha’ar. Through the fact that one understands the nekudah (point) that is me’asef (gathers) the whole city, that makes the city into one, this is the sha’ar into the city and also out of the city. If the city wants to do something, it must first know what they are, afterwards they can go out to a milchamah (war), they can go out to do other things. This is the meaning of sha’ar, the two mahuyot (essences) of the word sha’ar.

Chapter 6: Sha’arei Binah – Fifty General Principles

From Particulars to General Principles

Well, if so one also understands very clearly that the sha’ar binah, the chamishim sha’arei binah, means fifty klalim (general principles). We have spoken much that binah l’gabei chochmah (binah in relation to chochmah) is particulars, but each one of the gates comes out now as its own chidush (novel insight), each one of the gates is a whole sha’ar.

The Ramban in Parashat Behar – Shemitah as a Sha’ar

And the Ramban in Parashat Behar (the Torah portion of Behar) says that fifty shmitot (sabbatical cycles), he says, “kol shmitah hi sha’ar bayit echad” (each shemitah is a gate of one house) or “beit sha’ar echad” (a house of one gate), the same idea. The shemitah is a sha’ar to the house. I think lichorah (apparently) the Ramban there translates the word sha’ar, and he says why it is the sha’ar binah, because a shemitah is a sha’ar to a whole house.

He means to say simply that a shemitah is a klal, and in the shemitah there are seven… the shemitah means seven thousand years, and in the seven thousand years there are a thousand years which is like a whole house. But the shemitah is a sha’ar, the remez (hint) of the shemitah this is a sha’ar to this. Or a shemitah is a remez for the yovlot (jubilees), which are greater particulars, more particulars that go into this general principle.

So a sha’ar is made to enter into a house, but each sha’ar is a klal from which one can enter. With this there is a nafka minah (practical difference) to understand Torah, that the sha’arei binah means all the general principles.

“L’olam Yilmad Adam Ikarei Divrei Torah”

As it says in the books, “l’olam yilmad adam ikarei divrei Torah klalim motzi’in pratim” (always should a person learn the main things of Torah – general principles bring out particulars). To be able to understand the Torah one needs general principles. To do l’ma’aseh (practically) one needs to know the particular according to the general principle from which the law emerges. That is, he learns a general principle and he has no particular, he understands how it is to be applied, memeilah (therefore) it doesn’t help him alone. This is the binah that is motzi davar mitoch davar (brings out one thing from another).

General Principles and Particulars from Sinai

But a great part of the binah, therefore it also says, it’s very interesting, that the midrash in Mechilta (Mechilta) says “zeh Sinai” (this is Sinai). It says by shemitah, shemitah there one learns that there are general principles and particulars in the world, seven that multiplies seven and seven times seven and so forth. One says that also the particulars, general principles and particulars are miSinai (from Sinai).

And here there is another whole lesson that we will im yirtzeh Hashem (God willing) say next week, about how the chidushei Torah (novel Torah insights) are from Sinai, and how the chidushei Torah come about. Also brought from Ramak (Rabbi Moshe Cordovero) who explains very nicely the topic of chidushei Torah, we will say next week God willing l’chavod chag haShavuot (in honor of the holiday of Shavuot).

But this is our lesson for today, that this is the gates, the gates are the general principles that make the wisdom into one.

Chapter 7: The Fiftieth Gate – What Was Hidden from Moshe

The Two Interpretations of the Ramban – One Point

Now we also understand what is the fiftieth sha’ar that is ne’elam (hidden) from Moshe. With this one can also understand the two interpretations of the Ramban. Which lichorah (apparently) have no shayachut (connection), one is the history, one is the havanah (understanding) of the types of sciences.

The End of Every Wisdom – One Point

The matter is thus, the end of every science, we have learned, the end of every thing, one understands one thing, one point, which is the one thing. Everything becomes “k’varza d’achada gavna” (like iron of one color – everything becomes one).

Like Shabbat (Shabbat), a person has done many things the whole week, Shabbat comes he says, “I did one thing, I was a Jew, I served the Almighty.” Such a person becomes “k’varza d’achada gavna d’le’eila” (like iron of one color from above), the person becomes one just as the Almighty is one.

Understanding Means Entering Into the General Principle

And so every wisdom, the end of the wisdom is to know that everything at once there is one point that is metzaref (unites). When one says that one doesn’t understand something, one means to say, how does it go into the general principle? I learn Bava Kamma, I don’t understand the law, I don’t understand! There is a general principle in Bava Kamma which says that a mazik (damager) must pay, why shouldn’t he be a damager? Why must he pay so much? Until I understand it, I understand how it goes into the general principle. And so every wisdom.

The One Wisdom That Encompasses All Wisdoms

Says the Rav in his talk, “But here too there is one wisdom that is kolel (encompasses) all wisdoms.” That is, after one has looked at the whole world through one world, the Almighty made one world, just as the Almighty is one He made one world.

And I learn wisdoms, I learn astronomy, and I can learn all kinds, every kochav (star) has its wisdom, its sha’ar, its particular, its sha’ar sheb’sha’ar (a gate within a gate). Afterwards I know however that everything sach hakol (in total) is stars. Afterwards I learn the stars together with the mazalot (constellations), and together with the people, and together with the metals, and together with… I can calculate a list. There must be some one wisdom that makes from the whole world one thing.

Yediat Hashem – Achdut Hashem

What is the wisdom? The wisdom is the yediat Hashem (knowledge of God), right? The achdut Hashem (unity of God), the Almighty, one God, that the maskana (conclusion) of the whole world is that there is one God. This is the “barchu et Hashem hamevorach” (bless the blessed God) “kol haramim kulam” (all the exalted ones all), “Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem echad” (Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One). It is only a chidush, and it is nistar (hidden) from us, we have spoken.

“Lo Nimsar L’Moshe” – What We Don’t Understand

But after that, there is also this, but our mind [mo’ach] doesn’t accept [mekabel], there is no one who can say that he is here in this world [olam hazeh] who understands how the entire world is one thing, how everything… what is the sum total of all wisdoms. We believe in this, we say that it is the oneness of God [achdut Hashem], or that which we don’t understand, that which we understand must be, that we call Godliness. But to truly understand this, this is “lo nimsar l’Moshe” [it was not transmitted to Moshe], meaning “bitchum asur im atah me’ir” [in the boundary it is forbidden if you illuminate].

The Last Shemita – The Same Thing

And how is this also the same thing as the last shemita? What is the last shemita? Shemita is just a cycle of learning. One can say it like this, that in the history of the world things are learned, there goes such a cycle, and after every six thousand years one makes a sum total of what has been accomplished in the six thousand years. That is one thing, there is one story [ma’aseh], the history of that cycle.

After that there is another cycle in the world itself, life itself is perhaps more than seven shemitot, and one can enter into all kinds of cycles that exist. After that one must make from all of this one thing.

So it’s the same thing, Moshe Rabbeinu [Moshe our teacher] understood why the entire history must be such and such and such, until there is only one simple meaning and there is only one answer [teiretz] for all questions. But the last one, that which makes everything together, that is itself the same thing as the knowledge of the Creator [yediat haBoreh] of the entire world, which makes it one thing. That is “lo nimsar l’Moshe,” that is the “kidashta l’Moshe et chamishim shanah” [You sanctified for Moshe the fiftieth year], that is the secret [sod].

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Summary: The fiftieth gate – both in the historical interpretation (the last shemita) and in the wisdom interpretation (the general principle of all sciences) – is the same matter: the oneness of God [achdut Hashem], the one point that makes from the entire world and all wisdoms one thing. This is what we believe in, but cannot truly understand in this world [olam hazeh] – this is “lo nimsar l’Moshe.”

The Fiftieth Gate: The Secret of the Giving of the Torah [Matan Torah]

The Fiftieth Gate – That Which Makes Everything One

After that there is another cycle in the world itself, and a person’s life itself has perhaps more than seven shemitot [the seven-year cycles], and one can enter into all kinds of cycles that exist. After that you must make from all of this one thing.

So it’s the same thing, Moshe Rabbeinu understood why the entire history must be such and such and such, until there is only one simple meaning, one answer [teiretz] for all difficulties [kushiyot]. But the last one, that which brings together everything, that is itself a single thing, the same thing as the knowledge of the Creator [yediat haBoreh] of the entire world which makes it one thing.

That is, for example, that is the holiness of the fiftieth year [kedushat shenat hachamishim shanah, the Jubilee], that is the secret of the giving of the Torah [matan Torah]. That is, for example, just, as one always speaks of the fifty gates [sha’arei chamishim], in the aspect of the fifty gates [bibchinat sha’arei chamishim], but not the complete perfection [shleimut], that is the measure present in this world [olam hazeh].

“Sum Total” [Sach Hakol] – The Gate That Brings Everything Together

And the same thing when one counts the money, one counts the Jews, in the Torah portion one counts the Jews, after that one makes a sum total [sach hakol]. The sum total is simply the end, it’s not just that one makes a number. People think sum total is a sum.

Sum total is the general principle [klal], sum total is the gate. Sum total is the gate that also makes it.

Barley [Se’orim] – The Language of Gate [Sha’ar]

I forgot to say the hint [remez], that the counting of the Omer [sefirat ha’omer] begins with barley [se’orim]. Se’orim is also the language of gate [sha’ar], it says in the books the hint. The gates of understanding [sha’arei binah] is the language of se’orim, each one estimates in his heart [kol echad tzu mesha’er belibo].

Yes, the gate, the gates of heaven [sha’arei shamayim], that is not simply a physical thing, it’s the gate, it’s the comprehension [hasagah] that one has.

The Building of the Tabernacle [Binyan HaMishkan] and the Giving of the Torah [Matan Torah] – From Details to One General Principle

And so too each one has his reason why he gives money, and how he gives money, and how it comes. After that it becomes together for one thing, that is the building of the Tabernacle [binyan haMishkan], that is the giving of the Torah [matan Torah] which becomes into one flour [kemach].

The Arizal on Flour [Kemach]

Kemach, says the Arizal [Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of blessed memory], is a ground thing, one takes four times a thousand, in a certain way, the gematria [numerical value] kemach, one grinds it, we speak about it.

After that, into one flour, one Torah, it becomes a comprehensive Torah [keliyut’dige Torah], which is still forty-eight [mem-chet] or forty-nine [mem-tet] gates of understanding [sha’arei binah], this becomes one Torah [Torah achat], and that is the secret of the giving of the Torah [matan Torah].

A joyous Sabbath.