Malkhut 03 - Nesher

| *nesher (malkhut 03)* | נשר | | 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| | Now, sometimes this Divine quality is called by the term **Eagle-_Nesher_-נשר_**. The reason is because it is at times wealthy, and filled with all manner of goodness, when the Jewish people are righteous, affecting the drawing forth of influence from the higher levels into it. They thus draw forth various types of beneficence, emanations, blessings, kindness, and mercies, from all the _Sefirot_ that are above it. However, when the Jewish people stray from the ways of _HaShem_-_יהו״ה_, blessed is S/he, then this quality is lacking, and becomes poor and impoverished, “like an elm tree with wilted leaves, and like a garden with no water.” _*Isaiah 1:30_ It then becomes like a tree that has shed (_Nosher_-נושר) all its fruit, at which time the Jewish people are impoverished and lowly, despised and abandoned to disgrace and derision. It then is called by the term “_Nesher_-_נשר_” of the same root as _*Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 67a_ “a tree that sheds-_Masheer_-_משיר_ its fruit.” Let me further awaken you to the explanation of this mystery, as follows: I have already informed you that the Essential Root of the Indwelling Presence is in the earth. The verse by which to remember this is, _*Isaiah 66:1_ “the earth is My footrest.” Thus, when the Indwelling Presence (_Shechinah_) receives beneficence from the blessings that are above, it is called _*Genesis 1:10_ **The gathering of the waters-_Mikveh HaMayim_ -מקוה המים**. In contrast, when it does not receive blessings, it is called, **Dry land-_Yabashah_-יבשה**. _*Genesis 1:9_ The verse by which to remember this is, _*Genesis 1:10_ “God called the dry land-_Yabashah_-יבשה earth-ארץ and the gathering of waters-_Mikveh HaMayim_-מקוה המים S/he called, Seas-ימים.’” Thus, when this quality is dry-_Yeveishah_-יבשה and lacking, the Jewish people are in a state of hunger and thirst, naked and lacking everything, and they are shed (_Neshurim_-נשורים) of it. For, the Jewish people are like the leaves, whereas this quality is like the body of the tree. This quality is sometimes prosperous and sometimes lacking, sometimes full and sometimes empty. This is the mystery of the verse, _*Deuteronomy 32:11_ “S/he was like an eagle-_Nesher_-נשר arousing its nest, hovering over its young.” When the Jewish people return in repentance, they renew this quality to be as an eagle-_Nesher_-נשר, as it was at first. When they repair the conduits and bestow beneficence of blessings toward it, then it becomes filled to the brim, renewed and prosperous. About this the verse states, _*Psalms 103:5_ “The One Who satisfies your mouth with goodness, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle-_Nesher_-נשר.” Now, this Divine quality called “eagle-_Nesher_-נשר” possesses several eagles-_Nesharim_-נשרים, who have several wings. They are called, “the eagles of the Chariot-_Nishrei HaMerkavah_-נשרי המרכבה,” and they all protect the Jewish people by spreading their wings over them, saving them from various troubles. It is this eagle-_Nesher_-נשר and all its camps that are called, “the eagles of the Chariot-_Nishrei HaMerkavah_-נשרי המרכבה,” who protected the Jewish people in Egypt, taking them out of bondage. This is the mystery of the verse, _*Exodus 19:4_ “You have seen what I did to Egypt; that I have borne you on the wings of eagles-_Nesharim_-נשרים and brought you to Me.” All these camps called “the eagles of the Chariot-_Nishrei HaMerkavah_-נשרי המרכבה,” become elevated and filled when the Jewish people ascend in Torah and commandments-_mitzvot_. However, they are caused to descend and become lacking when the Jewish people are distant from the study of Torah and the fulfillment of the commandments-_mitzvot_. (Trans. based on Markel and Markel). | וְלִפְעָמִים נִקְרֵאת הַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת נֶשֶׁר, וְהַטַּעַם כִּי לִפְעָמִים הִיא עֲשִׁירָה מְלֵאָה כָּל טוּב, בִּהְיוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל צַדִּיקִים, מוֹשְׁכִים אֵלֶיהָ מִכָּל הַמַּעֲלוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת כַּמָּה מִינֵי שֶׁפַע וַאֲצִילוּת וּבְרָכָה וָחֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים מִכָּל הַסְּפִירוֹת שֶׁעָלֶיהָ; וּבִהְיוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל נְסוֹגִים מִדַּרְכֵי יהו"ה אָז הַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת חֲסֵרָה וְדַלָּה וּשְׁפֵלָה, וְהִיא כְּעָלֶה נוֹבֶלֶת עָלֶיהָ וּבְגַנָּהּ אֲשֶׁר מַיִם אֵין לָהּ, וְאָז הִיא כְּאִילָן שנוש"ר פֵּרוֹתָיו, וְאָז יִשְׂרָאֵל דַּלִּים וּשְׁפָלִים בְּזוּיִים שְׁלוּלִים לְחֶרְפָּה וּלְקֶלֶס. שֶׁהֲרֵי כְּשֶׁאֵין הַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת יוֹנֶקֶת מִלְּמַעְלָה, אֵינָהּ יְכוֹלָה לְהָנִיק אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנִקְרֵאת נֶשֶׁר, מִלְּשׁוֹן אִילָן שֶׁמִּשִּׁיר אֶת פֵּרוֹתָיו. וְהַסּוֹד הַזֶּה הִנְנִי מֵעִירְךָ עָלָיו. כְּבָר הוֹדַעְתִּיךְ כִּי עִקַּר שְׁכִינָה בָּאָרֶץ, וְסִימָנֶיךָ: וְהָאָרֶץ הֲדוֹם רַגְלַי (יְשַׁעְיָהוּ סוּ, א), וּכְשֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה מְקַבֶּלֶת שֶׁפַע מְבָרְכוֹת שֶׁל מַעְלָה נִקְרֵאת מִקְוֵה הַמַּיִם, וּכְשֶׁאֵינָהּ מְקַבֶּלֶת בְּרָכוֹת נִקְרֵאת יַבָּשָׁה וְסִימָנֶיךָ; וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים ליבש"ה אֶרֶץ ולמקו"ה המי"ם קָרָא יַמִּים (בְּרֵאשִׁית א, יָא). וּכְשֶׁהַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת הִיא יְבֵשָׁה וַחֲסֵרָה אָז יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם בְּרָעָב וּבְצָמָא וּבְעֵירֹם וּבְחֹסֶר כֹּל, וְהֵם נְשׁוּרִים מִמֶּנָּה, שֶׁהֲרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם כְּמוֹ הַעֲלִין, וְהִיא כְּמוֹ גּוּף הָאִילָן. וְהַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת פְּעָמִים עֲשִׁירָה וּפְעָמִים חֲסֵרָה, פְּעָמִים מְלֵאָה פְּעָמִים רֵיקָנִית, וְזֶהוּ סוֹד; כְּנֶשֶׁר יָעִיר קִנּוֹ עַל גּוֹזָלָיו יְרַחֵף (דְּבָרִים לֵב, יָא). וּכְשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל חוֹזְרִים בִּתְשׁוּבָה, מְחַדְּשִׁים אוֹתָהּ כנש"ר כַּאֲשֶׁר בַּתְּחִלָּה; כְּשֶׁמְּתַקְּנוֹת הַצִּנּוֹרוֹת וּמַשְׁפִּיעִין אֵלֶיהָ הַבְּרָכוֹת וּמִתְמַלֵּאת עַל כָּל גְּדוֹתֶיהָ, אֲזַי הִיא מִתְחַדֶּשֶׁת וּמִתְעַשֶּׁרֶת, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר: הַמַּשְׂבִּיַע בַּטּוֹב עֶדְיֵךְ תִּתְחַדֵּשׁ כנש"ר נְעוּרָיְכִי (תְּהִלִּים קג, ה). וְהַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת הַנִּקְרֵאת נש"ר יֵשׁ לָהּ כַּמָּה נשרי"ם בַּעֲלֵי כַּמָּה כְּנָפַיִם, וְנִקְרֵאת נשר"י הַמֶּרְכָּבָה, וְכֻלָּן מִגִּנּוֹת עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפוֹרְשִׁין כַּנְפֵיהֶם עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמַצִּילִין אוֹתָם מִכַּמָּה צָרוֹת. והנש"ר הַזֹּאת עִם כָּל שְׁאָר מַחֲנוֹתֶיהָ, הַנִּקְרָאִים נִשְׁרֵי הַמֶּרְכָּבָה, הֵגֵנּוּ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִצְרַיִם וְהוֹצִיאוּ אוֹתָם מִתַּחַת סִבְלֹתָם, וְהַסּוֹד: אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי לְמִצְרָיִם וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים (שְׁמוֹת יט, ד). וְכָל אֵלּוּ הַמַּחֲנוֹת הַנִּקְרָאִים נִשְׁרֵי הַמֶּרְכָּבָה מַעֲלָתָם וּמִלּוֹאָם בַּעֲלוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמִצְווֹת, וִירִידָתָם וְחֶסְרוֹנָם בְּהִתְרַחֵק יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הַתּוֹרָה וּמִן הַמִּצְוֹת: |