The Lord Called unto Moses

When a Ruler Sins

390) Those priests are not so much in sin, since the priest always guards himself, since his Master’s burden is upon him every day, as well as the load of the whole of Israel, and the load of every single one. Hence, it would be a wonder if he sinned. This is why it writes, “If.” Also, “And if the whole congregation of Israel shall err.” It would be a wonder if they all sinned the same sin, since if some sin, others do not sin. This is why it writes, “And if.” But here, “When a ruler sins,” he will certainly sin because his heart is proud within him, since the nation follows him and is appointed under him. This is why it says, “When a ruler sins,” meaning breaks one of the negative Mitzvot [commandments to avoid certain actions], and committed one of them. This is why it does not say, “If” about him, since there is no doubt about his sin.

391) “And the rulers brought the onyx stones, and the stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate.” Why the change, that the rulers offered these things and not another person? But it is written, “Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the Lord's contribution,” and it is written, “The onyx stones, and the stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate,” thus it is a Mitzva [precept/commandment] for every person!

392) However, the Creator said, “Although this donation depends on everyone, let the rulers bring these stones because these stones are on the heart of the priest.” The Creator said, “Let the rulers, whose heart is proud within them, come and bring these stones that are on the heart of the priest, and they will be atoned for the pride of their hearts.” It is written, “And they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the Lord.” This is why the rulers brought the onyx stones, to atone for them.

393) And this is why it is written, “When a ruler sins and unintentionally does any one of all the things which the Lord his God has commanded not to be done,” which is like breaking one of the negative Mitzvot. It is also written, “Or make his sin known to him,” since because his heart is proud within him, he does not notice his sins. Only afterwards does it become known to him and he repents.

A Flame Under the Wings of the Rooster

395) When a Northern wind awakens and half the night is through, a flame emerges and strikes under the wings of the rooster, who knocks with his wings and calls. When that flame reaches him and awakens before him, he looks at it and is startled and calls. He looks and observes for his Master’s glory, to do His will, and he calls upon people to rise and serve the Creator.

396) This is why he is called “a grouse,” from the word, “looking.” And he is called “a rooster” because he awakens in the flame of Gevura, and in the side of Gevura, he comes to awaken in the world. Then, those with faith stand and give might and strength to the assembly of Israel, Malchut, and this is called “the song of the Torah.” And for having risen at midnight, King David was rewarded with the kingship—he and his sons forever and for generations to come.

397) When the rooster calls and people sleep in their beds and do not awaken, the rooster calls, strikes his wings and says, “Woe unto so and so; he is cursed by his Master, he is abandoned by his Master,” since his spirit has not awakened and he did not observe the King’s honor.

398) At the rise of day, a herald declares about him and says, “But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night,’” to help him with those praises so that all will be in one assistance. The Malchut sings to ZA at night, to help man so he, too, will awaken with these praises. And when one praises and engages in Torah, she raises MAN, he helps the Malchut, and they are both in one assistance.

What is “My Maker”? When a person rises at midnight, he engages in the song of the Torah, since the song of the Torah is read only at night, when he engages in the Torah. When the day rises, the Creator and the assembly of Israel correct him with a single thread of grace that was saved from all, to illuminate him among the upper ones and lower ones.

399) “Where is God my Maker.” It should have said, “Makes for me”; why “My Maker”? When he rises at midnight to engage in Torah, when the day rises, Abraham awakens with his thread of grace and the Creator and the assembly of Israel correct him. They make him a new creation every day, as it is written, “God, my Maker.”

400) Elokah [God] has the letters Aleph-Lamed, Vav-Hey. EL [Aleph-Lamed] is Abraham, in regards to whom it is written, “The great God.” Vav is the Creator, ZA; Hey is the assembly of Israel, Malchut, and this is Elokah. It implies to Hesed, to ZA, and to Malchut, and they make the man and correct him every day. This is why it is written, “My Maker,” as in, “Let Israel rejoice in his Maker,” which relates to the Creator.

Or Make His Sin Known to Him

402) When a man sins before the Creator and does not notice his sin so as to repent before the Creator, and casts it behind his shoulder, his soul actually rises and testifies before the Creator. Then the King commands the assembly of Israel and says, “Or make his sin known to him, that which he has sinned,” give him Dinim and alert him of his sin, as it is written, “Make known to Jerusalem her abominations,” where “Make known” is in imperative form.

403) When the Din reaches him, his spirit awakens to repent before his Master and he yields to make an offering. This is because one whose heart is proud within him sins and forgets his sin and does not consider it. Hence, the Creator stands before him and commands to alert him of his sin, so he will not forget it.

404) Indeed, this is how it is. We also found about David that when he did that deed with Bat Sheba, he did not notice it. The Creator told him, you forgot it; I will remind you. Promptly, it writes, “You are the man, thus says the Lord,” meaning you are the man who did not remember the sin; you are the man who forgot it. And He alerted him with a Din.

405) Here, too, the Creator said, “Make his sin known to him, that which he sinned.” And this is good, since it does not say, “Or it was known to him,” as in “Or if it is known that the ox is prone to gore.” And one who rises at night to engage in Torah, the Torah alerts him of his sin, not in a way of Din, but like a mother who speaks to her son with soft words, and he does not forget and repents before his Master.

406) And if you say that David, who would rise at midnight, why was it awakened upon him to remind him of his sin through Din? David is different because he sinned in what he was tied to, in Malchut, and it requires Din. He was sentenced in what he sinned, since he sinned against the holy Malchut, to which he was tied, and to which he was a Merkava [chariot/assembly], and to the holy Jerusalem, which corresponds to Malchut. This is why he was expelled from Jerusalem and the kingship was removed from him until he was corrected and repented.

407) What does it mean that the Creator punished David through his son, as it is written, “Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house”? It is because if another person would rise against him, he would have no mercy on him. He told him, “But Avshalom wished to kill his father with a few bad counsels against him, even more than another person.”

408) David sinned with Bat Sheba, Malchut, without reason. The Creator said, “Let the son of a daughter of a strange god come and take vengeance.” And he is Avshalom, who was the son of a handsome woman who was captured in war. One who takes a woman in war and covets her, in the end a stubborn and rebellious son comes out of her, since the filth has not been removed from her.