The following letter is taken from a pamphlet written by the Tzaddik, Rebbe Shimshon from Ostropoli. He writes at the end of the pamphlet that anyone who studies the wondrous and awesome secrets written here, even one time in a year, and especially Erev Pesach, is guaranteed that he will be saved from any kind of accident or disaster or strange death for the whole of that year, and that everything that he turns his hand to will be successful! (Many thanks to Liat Weiser for pointing out to us that, as mentioned in the Shai L'Mora Haggadah, the names of the angels mentioned in the letter should be scanned only, but not read out loud!) 

Shalom Rabbi…as briefly as possible I will answer Your Honor’s question regarding that which I wrote about the symbols DaTSaCH ADaSH BeaChaB  דצ"ך עד"ש באח"ב) ) etc. and how the Redemption is hinted at by these symbols.

The holy Ari z”l wrote in his pamphlet “Many Wonders” (פלאות רבות), Part 15 entitled The Departure from Egypt, Chapter 3, Page 42, as follows:-I have already made known to you that Pharo was afflicted by these ten plagues at the hands of 3,280 (ג' אלפים ור"פ) Angels of Punishment that are appointed to and dwell in the three Heavens of Impurity. The first [Heaven] is named ShaRA (שר"ע ), the second TaMOCH (תמו"ך), and the third BISHeHA ( בישה"א). The Minister appointed over them is named DaLPaKT  דלפק"ט (an alternative version: DaLPaKTA, דלפקט"א). And over ( ועל)  an alternative version: and over them, ועליהם   all, the Minister known as TaKA, BeRAISHIS ( תק"א, בראשית ).

(And behold,) the third is lacking ten, the fourth is lacking six, and the ninth is lacking six, as they are written in the Torah. And furthermore, that which we find, that the Egyptians were afflicted by ten plagues in Egypt and fifty at the Sea, is all according to the name SHaPO (שפ"ו), which is the aspect of David ben Yishai, “And G-d said ‘Strike,’ and they struck them,” (an alternative version: “And G-d spoke and they struck”). According to the name TaKaL (תק"ל), the Egyptians were afflicted by forty plagues in Egypt and two hundred at the Sea, “And G-d said ‘Strike,’ and they struck them,” (an alternative version: “And G-d spoke and they struck”). According to the name SHaTZAH ( שצ"ה ) (an alternative version: ASHaTZAH, אשצ"ה ), the Egyptians were afflicted by fifty plagues in Egypt and two hundred and fifty at the Sea, “And G-d spoke and they struck.”

And G-d rectified the Exile in exactly the same way that He had afflicted [the Egyptians]. And what was their transgression and their sin, what trespass did our forefathers commit [against Hashem], that made it necessary for them to suffer in the Iron Furnace of Exile [i.e. Egypt], until they were finally redeemed (an alternative version: until He redeemed them), using the following names, DeAV ( דע"ב), TZeDAH ( צד"א), KaSHCHaV ( כשח"ב)? This is all as written by the Ari z”l.

And Your Honor wrote to me that all these words of the Ari z”l are obviously the most wondrous and awesome secrets, sealed , closed and locked away from the slightest understanding, for who is there that could explain them? And, in fact, I have been asked many times by some of the greatest Rabbis to explain these words to them, and I refused. However, because of my great love for Your Honor, I will explain them to you as they were revealed and explained to me in a dream. And He who is merciful, forgiving of sin, etc.

That which the Ari z”l started off by writing : I have already made known to you that Pharo was afflicted by the ten plagues at the hands of 3,280 (ג' אלפים ור"פ ) Angels of Punishment etc. he was saying, as the Kabbalistic Masters teach, that there are 3,280 Angels of Punishment appointed to punish the wicked in Gehinnom, and to purify them from their sins. The proof for this coming from the quote, “to smite with the fist ( באגרף ) of wickedness,” (Isaiah 58:4,) the word “fist” being the initial letters of the number 3,280 written out, thus א'ג'ר'ף' = ג' א'לפים ר"פ   Angels of Punishment who punish the wicked, and it is them who also punished the wicked Pharo and the Egyptians.

And that which he wrote: the third is lacking ten, this is referring to the third plague, כנים, which is written without the letter Yud [gematria: 10]. “The fourth is lacking six,” i.e. the fourth plague, ערוב, is missing the letter Vav [gematria: 6].  “The ninth is lacking six,” refers to the ninth plague, חושך, also lacking a Vav. (An alternative version: A Yud is missing from the third plague, כנם, which needs to have the Yud missing. The fourth plague, ערב , is missing six, because it needs to have the Vav missing. The ninth plague, חשך, is lacking six, because it also needs to be written without the Vav.)

And that which he wrote: as they are written in the Torah, his intention was to say that this is actually how they are written in the Torah, with these missing letters. For they are written in Parshas Vaera, כנם without the Yud, ערב without the Vav, and חשך without the Vav, and not as they are written in the Haggadah, all written out in full. He is referring to the way they are written in the Torah, which adds up exactly to the ג' אלפים ור"פ Angels of Punishment that punish the wicked, which punished the Egyptians and afflicted Pharo and the Egyptians in Egypt, from the three Heavens of Impurity.

And that which he wrote: that these ג' אלפים ור"פ Angels of Punishment dwell in the three Heavens of Impurity. The first [Heaven] is named ShaRA (שר"ע), the second TaMOCH ( תמו"ך), and the third BISHeHA ( בישה"א ), there is in this also a wondrous and awesome secret in what he wrote (an alternative version: hinted at in what he said), “these ten plagues that (Hashem) brought (אלו עשר מכות שהביא),” “ten ( עשר )” is the same letters as ShaRA ( שר"ע ),  “plagues (מכות )” is the same letters as TaMOCH (תמו"ך ), and “that brought (שהביא)” is the same letters as BISHeHA (בישה"א), these words are hinting at the three Heavens of Impurity containing the ג' אלפים ור"פ  Angels of Punishment which inflicted the ten plagues upon Pharo and Egypt, and this is truly a great wonder.

And that which he wrote: the Minister appointed over them is named DaLPaKT (דלפק"ט ), he is revealing that this name comes from the name “the Egyptians (המצרים)” where each letter of the angel’s name is the one previous to it’s equivalent letter in the words “the Egyptians,” in the aleph beis, thus, the ד' precedes the ה', the ל' the מ', the פ' the צ', the ק' the ר', the ט' the י', and the final ם' of the word המצרים is just the plural and not part of the root of the word. This is what he was hinting at when he said: ten plagues did Hashem bring upon the Egyptians (i.e. the letters that preceded the letters of the word Egyptians המצרים ), try to understand all this, and the good G-d will atone etc.

This is also the gematria of the word אש"ר [gematria: 501], which is the secret hidden in the verse את אש"ר התעללתי במצרים, “these things which I have wrought in Egypt,” (Shemos 9:2), where in fact there are many many verses that hint to this secret of אש"ר being the gematria of the initial letters of the ten plagues, and concerning this matter there are wondrous secrets and many hints, and the greater glory of Hashem is in what is hidden…

And that which he wrote: and G-d rectified the Exile in exactly the same way that He had afflicted [the Egyptians], this is as I explained above, that the initial letters of the plagues hint to the original cause of the descent to Egypt, and in exactly the same way as Hashem struck the Egyptians, that in itself was the method by which He redeemed Israel, that the actual letters of the plagues are a hint to our redemption.

(An alternative version: and that which he wrote: and how many sins etc. he intended to teach that our forefathers ' sins, which were the cause of them having to go down to Egypt, are hinted at in the actual letters of the plagues. And similarly, the letters of the plagues are also a hint to our redemption by Hashem.)

And that which he wrote: until they were finally redeemed (an alternative version: until He redeemed them), using the following names, DeAV (דע"ב), TZeDAH (צד"א), KaSHCHaV ( כשח"ב), he was hinting that the letters of the word DeAV ( דע"ב) are the initial letters of each of the three symbols DaTSaCH ADaSH BeaChaB  ד'צ"ך ע'ד"ש ב'אח"ב) ). The second name, TZeDAH ( צד"א ), is the second letter in each group, and the third name KaSHCHaV ( כשח"ב), is the third letter, through which Hashem redeemed us. The actual plagues that Hashem inflicted on Egypt hint to Israel’s redemption. (An alternative version: the actual letters of DaTSaCH ADaSH BeaChaB  ד'צ"ך ע'ד"ש ב'אח"ב) ) are a hint to the Minister appointed over all the Angels of Punishment which afflicted the plagues upon the Egyptians, and those same letters hint to the reason for the exile to Egypt, and also to Israel’s redemption from there. The selfsame letters are both the secret of the affliction and of the redemption.)

And may we be found worthy in Hashem’s eyes to quickly see the coming of the Messiah, with all the Angels appointed to accompany the Final Redemption, may it come speedily and in our time. And may we be worthy of seeing the fulfillment of the verse, “As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt I will show him marvelous things (Micah 7:15), for ever and ever amen.

And finally, I hereby declare that anyone who studies these wondrous and awesome secrets, even one time in a year, and especially on Erev Pesach, I promise him that he will be saved from any kind of accident or strange death for that whole year. His enemies will have no power over him and will fall before him, and that he will be successful in everything that he turns his hand to. Amen.  

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