Cohen (Priest)
A priest is the highest degree in man’s correction, where one becomes similar to the Creator in all of one’s desires, in one’s entire make-up, and is in a state of bestowal and love. By that one matches oneself with the Creator and achieves Dvekut (adhesion) with Him. This is the purpose of creation.
Tuma’a (Impurity)
Tuma’a is intention for oneself. All manners of Tuma’a are the same intentions under different names, such as Pharaoh, Balaam, Balak, and all the other wicked.
It is to the contrary with the same desires once they have been corrected to aim to bestow. The desires remain the same, but the names one receives instead are Cohen, Levi, and Israel.
Curse
A curse means that a person discovers that he or she cannot agree with the Creator on the desire that one is in. A person discovers it as Balaam, Balak, and so forth. Such a person discovers the term of the upper force, the Creator, nature, which requires that a person works in order to bestow, in love and giving. Also, the person discovers that his or her desires are opposite, working in order to receive. Out of that desire a person curses, resists, collides with the Creator, and is opposite in form.
Divorcee, Widow
This is not the initial, great desire, but a person can work with it in a more restricted manner. This is why it is not a virgin. A virgin means that a person does not touch the desire but leaves it as is. If one has touched it and performed corrections on it, it is called “divorcee,” “widow,” or “whore.” You can work with these desires but on the degree of a priest. In fact, we achieve the degree of priest through all the desires that are called by these names.
Shaving the Head and the Beard
As we learn in The Study of the Ten Sephirot (Part 13, Tikkuney Dikna), Se’arot (hair) is an extensive topic. The term, Se’arot, comes from the word So’er (stormy), which points to pressure. The channels of abundance that come to us from Ein Sof must be restricted, grow thinner, and drip to us in what is called Mazal (luck), from the word Nozel (dripping). Through the hair, the lights come very thin, limited, due to the limitations on the person. It happens this way so as to adjust the size of the “spoon” to the amount one can receive, just as with a baby. The light comes intermittently, in drops, according to the measure of time and weight.
Shaving refers to the hairs themselves. Partzuf Se’arot is a special Partzuf, a special structure or a system that builds the match between the light of Ein Sof and the little ones, us. We can receive only a little, which is why it is forbidden to shave, to cut the hair short. A priest is forbidden because he is using this entire system precisely in order to bestow.
