"The Great Redemption" (8)

"The Great Redemption" by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto

-- A Discourse on The End of the Exile and the Beginning of the Great Redemption

Translated by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
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8.

The P’kidah stage first manifested itself in Egypt. For as the verse says, “G-d observed the Children of Israel, and G-d knew” (Exodus 2:25). But let me now tell you what the P’kidah is all about.

(It's important to) know that only the very first imperfection (i.e., the hiding of the Luminaries’ countenances) will be rectified in the course of the P’kidah -- and not even completely so, at that; while all the other imperfections will be rectified in the course of Z’chirah. As it’s said, “And G-d heard their groaning, and G-d remembered (yizkor) His covenant” (Exodus 2:24).

In truth, when the Supreme Sovereign decides to redeem the Shechina and the Jewish Nation, a certain capacity will emit from Him and begin to descend downward, level by level, throughout the various levels. This capacity will actually first gather its strength and exhibit its might where the two great and exalted Luminaries -- which are in charge of all the worlds, and through whose lips all deeds come to light -- are found.

(These Luminaries) are referred to metaphorically as “Upper Mazal” and “Lower Mazal”, but in essence they’re (the Divine names) Yud Hay Vav Hay and Aleph Hay Yud Hay which stand at the very summit of the universe and have the (combined) numerical value of 233, which is (also) the numerical value of Z’chor (a cognate of Z’chirah). They’re referred to in the verse (that reads), “ .... G-d remembered His covenant”.

As such, the Z'chirah stage will only actually begin once these Luminaries exhibit their actions in full, but it will be preceded by the P’kidah stage.

In reality, though, the P’kidah stage will only manifest itself first down below, for up above, the Z'chirah stage will (actually) come about first and then be followed by the P’kidah stage.

(c) 2005 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )

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