Adir BaMurom — Chapter 4: The Beginning of Existence — Malchus of Ayn Sof; The Bond; The Cosmic Pillar Source: https://ajew.org/reader/ramchal-adir-bamuroam/1/4 Segment 1 HE: קֶשֶׁר שׁ״שׁ ק-ר קשר Segment 2 HE: שֶׁקֶר קֶשֶׁר Segment 3 HE: קשר ת-ר בְּרִית קֶשֶׁר ת-ר EN: Know: in every place where assemblies [kenisiyos] gather for the sake of Heaven, the assembly is established above just as they made it below. And this is accomplished through the Yesod — for upon the Yesod depends all yichud [unification] and chibur [joining/bonding], in the secret of shalom [peace — whose root also means completeness and wholeness]. And the secret of this is bris [covenant] — for a bris is the tradition of the bond between those who cut it, and the Yesod is the bris. And this too is the secret of the bris that Ze'ir Anpin cuts with the Nukva — which binds and unifies — in the secret of: "for all that is in heaven and on earth" [I Chronicles 17:21 / 29:11]. And it binds and unifies all the gradations of the Nukva — which is the root of those below — with the Holy Blessed One. But in truth they cannot be bound unless they are connected so as to return everything to the secret of yichud. And the explanation of the matter: this yichud exists above between the Holy Blessed One and His Shechinah, in the secret of the bonding Yesod — and whoever merits it is also included in this bond. And this is the secret of Israel being one nation — because they are encompassed in the bond of the yichud. And all of this is in the secret of the Os Bris [sign of the covenant] — for then they too are said to be included in this bris. And this is the Name Shaddai as above, whose secret is the bonds of the tefillin: the Shin of Shaddai is the beginning of the strength of this bond, in the secret of Cha"D aR [Chessed, Din, Rachamim] — the three lines — in the secret of the rope that binds. And through this strength the Nukva is bound to Ze'ir Anpin, in the secret of the Dalet that is at the [back of the] head [of the tefillin shel rosh]. And the straps [retzu'os] are themselves in the aspect of these ropes — in the secret of: "the king is held fast in the channels" [Song of Songs 7:6] — as is expounded many times in the Zohar and the Tikkunim, and in the words of the holy master, our teacher the Ari, of blessed memory. And the Yud is the Yesod of Ze'ir Anpin that is bound with the Nukva in the tefillin shel yad. And when assemblies unite below, the light of the bris of this Yesod illuminates among them and joins them to become one bond, encompassed in the totality of the bris. Understand this well. For at the end of all things, there will be peace in the world — and all creatures will form one union to serve the One Singular King, blessed be He — for all will be rectified in the secret of yichud. And I will now explain to you a very great secret in the matter of these bonds. The complete bond must be double — two bonds one upon the other — in the secret of the kesher shel kayama [the enduring/permanent bond]. And corresponding to this, the Yesod contains two biy'in [Aramaic: "eggs" — the two aspects of the Yesod]. And the secret of the matter: the word קֶשֶׁר [kesher = bond] has the secret of שׁ״שׁ [= double Shin] — for ק-ר [the remaining letters of קשר] are also [equivalent to] one Shin [ק=100, ר=200 together = 300 = Shin]. And the secret of the two Shins is Cha"G and NaH"Y [= Chessed-Gevura-Tiferes and Netzach-Hod-Yesod] — and all of these must bind together as one in the secret of the bris we described. Now, Ze'ir Anpin is always bound to the Nukva, in the secret of: "I, Hashem, have not changed" [Malachi 3:6] — for there is no deficiency from the side of the Bestower. But this alone is not sufficient — for as long as the Nukva has not been prepared to be bound in turn to Ze'ir Anpin, the bond is not complete. And this depends upon the deeds of those below — for if, heaven forbid, they give power to the Sitra Achra, then this preparation is lacking — and then, heaven forbid, there is found שֶׁקֶר [sheker = falsehood], which is the inverse of קֶשֶׁר [kesher = bond] [same letters rearranged: שקר ↔ קשר] — for the kesher unifies all, while sheker is the opposite. And the Sitra Achra are the betrayers — and of Israel in their sinning it is said: "Yehudah has betrayed..." [Malachi 2:11] — for they betray their bris and their bond. And in truth this corruption can only arise when there is only one bond — but when it is double, then there is no more sheker. And in the secret of these two bonds are found the two biy'in that truly bind all the sefiros together. And their secret is: "Sh'tayim [two] rows of the showbread" [Leviticus 24:6], and "six of their names on one stone" [Exodus 28:10] — for in this secret the twelve tribes stand to forge these two bonds. And if there is only one bond, it is said that there is only one biy'a — and if there are two bonds, then there are two complete biy'in. But the Sitra Achra, which is in the secret of separation, of it is said: "the other god was castrated" (Zohar II, 103a) — for these biy'in do not exist within it. And the corruption of the biy'in is in the secret of: "crushed, broken..." [Leviticus 22:24] — these are the kinds of corruptions in the aspect of these bonds. Now, as soon as the assembly gathers, the bond is found among them — flowing from the Yesod that bestows upon them and joins them as described. But as long as the fellowship is as it were temporary [ara'i] — meaning nothing has been permanently fixed among them and they merely encounter one another to bond — then only the first bond is found in their root, which is the bond of Ze'ir Anpin alone. And then, heaven forbid, accusations [kitrug] can still arise in the secret of sheker, heaven forbid — and the tikkun is not so strong. But if a permanent and complete bond is fixed among them, then there are two bonds. And the Yesod possessing two biy'in is a bris supported on two pillars, which fears no fall, heaven forbid. And know that Metatron is the secret of Shaddai — for such is the numerical value of his name. And even there, union and yichud are found — namely through the Shechinah enclothing there as is known — but in truth it is then called the bearer of only one bond, and therefore the union is also not of great power, for the power of the union is the force of the cleaving. Therefore the lights do not then illuminate with a great light. But in Atzilus [the World of Emanation], the yichud is complete and great with both bonds — and accordingly the lights there illuminate with full force. And this is the secret of: "Sheker [falsehood] stands on one leg, but truth [emes] stands on two legs" (Shabbos 104a) — for sheker can only prevail when there is only one bond. But emes [truth] exists when there are two bonds as described — therefore: "falsehood cannot stand, truth can stand" — for its tikkun is strong and complete. And until the time of the Idra, even though the bond and the bris were among them, still, in its being as it were temporary, it was called a bris of one pillar — namely one bond. And now Rashbi desired to forge the second bond, so that it would be a strong and firm bond, and the tikkun that emerges from them would be a great tikkun. And these ten companions were indeed truly already bound from the side of their root — in the secret of the ten chassadim of Av"A [Abba ve-Imma — the Supernal Father and Mother], as explained in the words of our holy master the Ari, of blessed memory.2 And Rashbi was in the secret of the Yesod itself that joins them. And now through this tikkun of the Idra, the bris was strengthened with two bonds — and from then on there is no Satan and no evil encounter. And the bris is the secret of the kesher [bond — קשר] as well: the letters ת-ר of בְּרִית = קֶשֶׁר [600 — though note: the Ramchal's gematria here requires explanation in the notes], and the 12 is the secret of the "two rows of the showbread" we described, in the secret of the twelve tribes. And circumcision was sealed with thirteen covenants (Nedarim 31b) — and this is the secret of the 613 commandments. For the ת-ר [600] is the secret of the kesher depending on the Name Shaddai as above — and together with the thirteen covenants sealed upon this bond, there is 613. And let us return to the matter: Rashbi now desired to complete their bris in the secret of the two bonds — the two pillars upon which it rests — and from then on the tikkun would be complete. And so it was. And therefore he said: "Until when shall we sit upon a single support?" This verse truly declares the right and pleasing path in the matters of the service imposed upon man — and especially in the time of exile. And it is what the Sages of blessed memory also said: "In a place where there are no people, strive to be a person" (Avos 2:5). For whoever wishes to show his love before the Omnipresent blessed be He and to find favor before Him — this is when there is a dearth of workers and rectifiers in the world: to take upon his own shoulders the service and the tikkun for all the others as well — for then he is distinguished and marked before the Holy Blessed One for good. And therefore he said: "A time to act for the Lord" — the time fitting for acting on behalf of the Lord, for the matter to be distinguished and pleasing before Him, is "when they have made void Your Torah." And "made void" means: in the hour when they interrupt the spreading of the Torah — which spreads in its holiness over Israel and over the whole world — meaning: they disturb and nullify it from its holy work. Now, when the gradations stand in their tikkunim and their orderings as befitting — above and below — then all the servants are known, and each one finds his portion, and influence flows upon him according to his particular aspect for the needs of the entire world. And this is what is said: "each man according to his blessing he blessed them" [Genesis 49:28]. And then none needs to trespass another's boundary — for each one knows his place and does his own. And this is in truth the matter as it applies specifically to Torah. Explanation: for the Torah is the root for all Israel, and extends in its particulars so that a portion may be found in it for each one of them individually. But all this ordering must be kept at the time when Torah is being upheld. But if it is being voided — then it is impossible to proceed by this path of doing one's own portion alone, for no sufficient tikkun will be found for the world. Rather, one must take a different path. For the Torah is the Name of the Holy Blessed One — only as it spreads in its combinations according to this particular division we described.3 And when it is impossible to rectify by the particular path, one must rectify by the general [klal] path — which is the path of the Name itself in its totality — for through it all kinds of tikkunim reach all who are from Israel. Therefore: "a time to act for the Lord" — one must do what is needed — "for the Lord", in the secret of the Name — the root itself — at the time when "they have made void Your Torah", when it is no longer possible to recognize each one's particular place. Rather: even though there are no people, strive to be a person. And this is also what Scripture says: "He looked and there was no man, and He was appalled that there was none to intercede [mafgi'a]" [Isaiah 59:16]. For mafgi'a is the one who takes it upon himself to rectify on behalf of those who are unrefined — and this is the matter of: "and for transgressors he interceded [yifga]" [Isaiah 53:12]. And so it was said to Yirmiyahu: "Do not intercede [tifga] before Me" [Jeremiah 7:16] — meaning: to pray on behalf of the people of his generation who were liable. And therefore the Holy Blessed One is appalled and says: it is not enough that there are no people — but there is also none to intercede on behalf of the transgressors. And know that upon this depends also the interpretation the Sages gave: "they have made void Your Torah" — on account of: "it is a time to act for the Lord" (Berachos 63a) — for when the Torah weakens in its tikkunim on account of the deeds of people, sometimes it will be necessary to change some particular thing for the hour, on account of: it is a time to act for the Lord. The general principle: every person must offer himself up at a time when others are lacking, and enter even into a place that had there been others, he would not have entered — for this is not damage and destruction but tikkun. For at the end of the Tikkunim they said: "Rabbi Elazar said: Why did the earlier ones live for so many years — such as Adam and so on? And because of this, of Abraham it was said: 'These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created [behibar'am]' — [read:] b'Avraham — [spelled] with a small Heh." And this matter requires explanation — for how are we to understand that Abraham was less than Adam and Noah? Such that in the days of Adam and Noah the governance was in the mode of Arich Anpin [the Long-Suffering/Long Face — the highest partzuf, representing vast expansive divine patience], and from Abraham onward it was through Ze'ir Anpin? And truly this matter is the secret of the deepest and most wondrous secrets. For it is written: "Adam [man] is likened to hevel" [Psalms 144:4] — and note that it does not say "Adam is domeh to hevel" [= resembles/is similar to]. And this is also the secret of the verse: "Man in glory does not lodge — he is likened to the beasts that perish" [Psalms 49:13]. Know: the service that was given to us now is not like the service that Adam had at first. And observe how things go according to the ordering of their gradations. For until Abraham, the Holy Blessed One did not separate one nation from among the nations — He desired that the entire world be rectified equally. And see further: from Abraham and Yitzchak, Esav and Yishmael still had to emerge — and this was a tikkun — whereas in the beginning it would have been fitting that all who came forth should be good. And further observe: Abraham observed the entire Torah in its entirety (Kiddushin 82a) — and this was not said of Adam, Methuselah, or Noah. And now I will explain all these matters thoroughly, G-d willing. When man was created he had no zuhama [spiritual impurity] at all — and he had nothing to do but ascend the worlds to the supernal gradation, namely to complete the tikkun that the Matzil [the Emanator] blessed be He had begun. And then the yetzer hara [evil inclination] would have been rectified, and all evil would have burrowed and striven toward good [חָתַר לַטּוֹב — chatar: to burrow/tunnel/dig actively toward; not merely "turn" but effortfully work its way toward good of its own accord] — as it is destined to be at the end of the tikkun. For the light of holiness would have prevailed, and the tikkun of: "and its brightness shall be like light" [Habakkuk 3:4] would have been accomplished — for all of Creation would have remained in holiness with no impurity whatsoever. See the explanation of this matter further on, in the commentary on: "orchah de-pilgusa de-sha'arei — the path of the division of the gates."4 And this is the reason Adam HaRishon was not commanded the 613 commandments — for these are the secret of service below in the secret of Ze'ir Anpin. But Adam HaRishon's path was not thus5 — rather, it was to attain the holiness that was coming to him through a great strengthening, until Shabbos,6 and it would have been sufficient merely not to prevent it. And then the abundance of holiness would have sanctified him entirely — so that even the aspect of the yetzer hara would become very good — and the world would have been rectified immediately. This is in the secret of Arikh Anpin [lit. Long Countenance — the highest divine partzuf] which bestows an abundance of holiness and rectifies even Ze'ir Anpin itself. But through Ze'ir Anpin — through which one must rectify — great toil and abundant deed in the secret of the 613 commandments is required. And know: the animals in the time of Adam HaRishon before the sin were at the level of human beings now — and this is the secret of: "we are like donkeys — but not like the donkey of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair" (Shabbos 112b). For Adam HaRishon, as I said, did not need to toil — his rectification was in the secret of ע״ק = Atik Kadisha [the Holy Ancient One — the highest divine partzuf, above even Arikh Anpin], to attain the great holiness. And the animals were there to serve man and to toil in the secret of the 613 — and this was the tikkun of Ze'ir Anpin. But afterwards man descended to the level of the animal, and then he was commanded the 613 commandments. And this is the secret of: "he is likened to the beasts that perish" [Psalms 49:13]. And it is the secret of: "the advantage of man over the beast is naught — for all is hevel" [Ecclesiastes 3:19]. And it is the secret of: "Adam is damah [likened] to hevel" [Psalms 144:4] — and not "domeh" [resembles]. And I will yet explain this to you further on. And thus it emerges: the intention of the Matzil blessed be He was that the world could be rectified in the beginning solely through the secret of receiving the holiness — and in this secret He created man. But when he sinned, he became blemished with zuhama. Yet even so, the Holy Blessed One desired to rectify him in the end through many transmigrations [gilgulim] — for those souls that were included in him were to be reincarnated over ten generations, and He did not command them the Torah. Rather He desired that through the power of the gilgul, the rectification of the souls would come about — through the power of the death they endure. And through the gilgul itself — which is the overturning from root to root, from under one source to under another source — in the secret of the four chayos [living beings] of the Merkava [the Divine Chariot], as elaborated in Tikkun 68. And He desired to rectify them of that zuhama that had adhered to them — all through the power of the abundant light of holiness. And therefore they were not commanded the Torah — for the tikkun was still possible for them only through the secret of the light of holiness, if they had not prevented it. And therefore they had long years. And in truth all this flows in the secret of Arikh Anpin. And they were to attain many gradations of holiness through their many years and great wisdom — until through all of this they would be rectified. And the culmination of all this was in the days of Noah — who was precisely like the secret of the Messiah — for in him they were to rest from transmigration, and he could have rectified the world through the abundance of holiness as described. And specifically at six hundred years — which is the secret of what the Zohar says: "at six hundred years, the gates of wisdom were opened" (Zohar I, 117a). For at that time a very great light was revealed that could have rectified the entire world — and this is the secret of the hidden [primordial] light that He showed them for seven days. And had they not prevented it then, everything would have been rectified. But since they did not wish to — for they held fast to impurity — on the contrary, this great light worked for them the very matter of the breaking of the vessels — for they could not bear the light and they fell — and this is the secret of the Flood. And Adam HaRishon's gradation was immediately blemished through his sin — yet the Holy Blessed One wished to rectify it over ten generations — and the gradation was not rectified through all ten generations. And Noah too was not greatly rectified — for he sinned with wine — and the Holy Blessed One wished to rectify him over ten generations and he was not rectified. And then the world was rectified by another path. And the secret of the matter: Adam was the first gradation for the rectification of the corruption — and so was Noah — and neither the one nor the other could rectify. Then another path of rectification was taken: the path of Abraham. For it is no longer possible to rectify through the abundance of illumination — rather, toil is required. And things descended to the gradation of Ze'ir Anpin — which is the gradation to which Adam descended through his sin — in the secret of: "Adam likened to the beasts that perish" as above. And now the zuhama must be separated to one side — for it has now been truly incorporated into the body — and must be moved to another place, and the holiness will be rectified in its place regardless. Until afterwards the Sitra Achra will also be rectified — bound beneath holiness — in the secret of: "attached strangers [gerim gerurim]" (Avodah Zarah 24a). But first, separation is needed, in the secret of: "And G‑d separated between the light and the darkness" [Genesis 1:4]. And afterwards bonding, in the secret of: "And there was evening and there was morning..." — and this has already been explained at length elsewhere. Therefore Abraham began to keep the Torah, and the years were shortened in the secret of Ze'ir Anpin, and the tikkun was in the secret of the toil and labor of the commandments. And Yishmael also emerged from him, and from Yitzchak came Esav — to extract the zuhama. And afterwards Israel came from Yaakov — until the days of the Messiah when the entire world will be rectified. And then too exile began, in the secret of: "daughter of Gallim [bas Galim]" [Isaiah 10:30] — [read:] "daughter of golim [exiles]" (Pesikta de-Rav Kahana 13) — for the Shechinah needed to be rectified by this lower path from the side of Ze'ir Anpin, and this is the secret of the small Heh of "behibar'am" [Genesis 2:4]. And I will now explain to you this matter thoroughly in the secret of what the Sages said: "The day is short and the work is abundant" (Avos 2:15). For the secret of all the going of man in the world during his days of life is in the secret of the twelve hours mentioned in the Sifra DiTzniusa (Zohar II, 176b) — and it will be explained further on, G-d willing, in the matter of: "orchah de-pilgusa de-sha'arei" — look it up there.7 And all of these are called one day — in the secret of: "For a thousand years in Your eyes are like a yesterday that has passed" [Psalms 90:4]. And this is the secret of: "today to perform them" (Eruvin 22a) — that in the aspect of one day [alternate: of our day] the service must take place. Now, there is a yom katzar [short day] and a yom aroch [long day]. The short day is from the side of Ze'ir Anpin — and therefore the years that are the hours of this day are few. And there is a long day from the side of Arikh Anpin — whose hours are many. In the beginning, the day was long and the work was small — for everything was in restfulness and tranquility, only in the receiving of the light of holiness. And afterwards came the short day — and then the work became abundant in the secret of the commandments. And the truth is: the length of the days [of the ancients] is the secret of the spreading of the gradations in a great expansion — and the shortness of the day is the diminution of the spreading of the gradations, where the Sitra Achra grows stronger to accuse — but not in the long day. And one must labor during these days that are few, and use the little light to accomplish the tikkun of the reward. And afterwards one is in the secret of the long day — which is the day without end. And this is the secret of the length of days of the Torah: it is carried out in the short day, while the reward is in the long day. But because the lights are few, great diligence is required to use these lights and to be zealous about the passing time. And "the work is abundant" — to accomplish many tikkunim with the few lights. And I will now explain to you the verse I mentioned above: "Adam damah le-hevel — man is damah to hevel" — and this is the secret of: "for all is hevel" [Ecclesiastes 3:19]. The matter: for in the Zohar and the Tikkunim it is explained: hevel in the secret of the hevel peh [the breath/vapor of the mouth]. But one must understand that the word is not simply hevel [= vanity] — but הֶבֶל [with the letters: Heh-Beis-Lamed] — and this is another matter entirely. And the secret of the matter: know that the world was created in the secret of speech [dibbur], as is known — in the secret of the utterances [ma'amaros]. For Malchus becomes the mouth of the King, and brings forth lights below to create from them what is needed. And the hevel [breath/vapor] issues from the mouth and creates the created beings. But within it there are two aspects: the first is while it is still within the mouth — and another aspect is that which is outside the mouth, which is also called speech [dibbur]. Now the physical things were created from the portion of the hevel that is outside the mouth — that very one which creates them — and this is also called hevel for the speech is not visible. And this is: "By the word of Hashem the heavens were made" [Psalms 33:6]. But the spiritual beings — namely the angels who govern the physical — were made from the portion of the hevel that is inside the mouth — and this is called "the breath [ruach] of His mouth." And this is the secret of: "and by the breath of His mouth all their host" [Psalms 33:6] — these are the hosts of angels. But human beings are more inward still than the angels — for they were created from the very beginning of the hevel that is within the mouth. And whoever is outside the mouth must toil in order to return to the root — for it is far from it. But whoever issues from the hevel within the mouth does not need to toil — for it is close to the root. Therefore the angels are close and cleave to the root — and the souls are even closer — and therefore man would have needed to rest greatly. But the sin brought it about — and then he remained at the level of the animal. And this is the secret of: "he is likened to the beasts that perish" — and he was subjected to the toil of the 613 — for he descended from the hevel [of the inner mouth] to the hevel [of the outer breath]. And this is: "Adam damah le-hevel." And in this aspect he subsequently descended to the gradation of Ze'ir Anpin — in the secret of Abraham — for this was the final outcome when the first gradation could no longer be sustained even through the power of the gilgulim — and then his days were like a passing shadow. And certainly when man descended, the animals descended as well — and these are the animals of today. But some animals remained from the gradations of those of Adam HaRishon — such as the donkey of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair and its like. And now it emerges that all the governance is only in the secret of hevel — and even man descended there. And though the animals descended more than he, still: all is hevel — whether more or less. And let us return to the matter: in the end, the world had to be rectified through the toil and labor of the commandments — because the day is short, therefore man must guard his time greatly for his rectification, for it is small while the work is abundant. And this is the secret of: "mari de-chova dachik — the creditor presses" [Aramaic] — for below there is a place where the klippos grow strong — which was not so above — and the distress is great, for the time is little and the pressing is much. But in truth: in this distress, human beings must stand firm and strengthen themselves more in their deeds — to arrive at the tikkun of the world. For this path will ultimately certainly rectify the world. But whoever wishes to be the one who rectifies must set this matter before his face — to contemplate it greatly in order to find the good that is needed for all Israel. And I will explain to you thoroughly the matter of "mari de-chova dachik" — and you will understand through this great secrets in the matter of the governance of exile. For the Mishnah says: "the master of the house presses [ba'al habayis dochek]" (Avos 2:15), while here they say: "the creditor [mari de-chova] presses." And the truth: the Holy Blessed One is the master of the house, but the creditor [mari de-chova] is the Samech-Mem [the Samael — the cosmic force of evil]. And of the holy Shechinah it was said: "the reward of the kala [bride] is from her pressing [duchka]" (Berachos 6b) — for she sits between these two pressings — and is destined in the future to receive light corresponding to all of this. It is written: "You shall not be as a creditor pressing him" [Exodus 22:24]. And this is the secret of: "the borrower is servant to the lender" [Proverbs 22:7]. For through the act of the loan, the borrower is truly bound to be as a slave to the lender. And the secret of this: the Holy Blessed One has made nothing below that is not according to the order of the supernal luminaries and for their rectification. And this is the matter of the poor and the rich. For since He desired that service and free choice should exist in the world — He arranged that Malchus [Royalty] needs to receive lights from others and needs service. And this was already explained above. And the Yesod illuminates upon her and is called the rich man giving charity to the poor. And every wealthy man below is at the gradation of Yesod, and the poor person receiving from him is at the gradation of Malchus. And this aspect of the lechem oni [bread of affliction — the Nukva in exile] was only rectified through the poor and rich below — through the charity which the rich person performed for the poor. And while standing at the gradation of Yesod, it is said of him: "The rich man rules over the poor" [Proverbs 22:7] — in the secret of: "and he shall rule over you" [Genesis 3:16] — for thus it is in this aspect: that Malchus is a non-luminous mirror [aspaklaria de-lo nahara] and needs Ze'ir Anpin. And poverty divides into two gradations: there is one who is poor and needs charity — without returning it. And there is one who needs to borrow but does return it. Both of these need to receive their influence through another — and thus they remain at this gradation of servant. And the borrower descends to the gradation of Metatron — who is a servant — while one who is at the gradation of Atzilus is a free person, in the secret of: "all Israel are children of kings" (Shabbos 67a). But if one needs another, one descends from there to the gradation of Metatron the servant: "six years he shall serve" [Exodus 21:2] — and he must toil until he repays the money. And this is the secret of the toil of Metatron in the secret of the weekdays, as is known. And whoever descends to this gradation of servant — the lights are greatly sealed against him. And your sign: a servant is exempt from commandments. And if the lender presses upon him, he brings about an ever greater descent and sealment for him — therefore Scripture commanded: "You shall not be as a creditor pressing him" [Exodus 22:24]. Now Israel sinned greatly and were — heaven forbid — liable to annihilation. What did the Holy Blessed One do? He borrowed from the wicked Samech-Mem — meaning: He wished for him to extend the time — and He registered against him the debt as a loan: if they do not return in teshuva, heaven forbid, He would destroy them. And even this loan was not granted for free but with interest [ribis] — and this is the reason that interest is permitted from a non-Jew — for such is the governance with the wicked Samech-Mem — and the interest is all the prosperity and greatness given to the nations of the world. And therefore Israel must not envy the nations of the world for their tranquility — nor go in their ways and their rejoicing — for this is given to them in exchange for the Samech-Mem having allowed the world and Israel to continue, and the extension of time — until they return in teshuva. And of this it is written: "When a servant becomes king" [Proverbs 30:22] — that is the Samech-Mem who glorifies himself in his power. And "ministers walk as servants on the ground" [Ecclesiastes 10:7] — they have been made servants before him on account of this loan. And this is the aspect of Metatron in the secret of the weekdays and the exile — and he is always pressing like a creditor over his debt, causing descent and sealment constantly — and from this all the many harsh decrees in exile flowed, to our great misfortune. Therefore one must always make tikkunim on account of this — for truly the exile is a great corruption that contains many kinds of corruptions. And this is: "the creditor presses [mari de-chova dachik]." But in the Mishnah it says: "the master of the house presses [ba'al habayis dochek]" (Avos 2:15). The matter: since the Samech-Mem refuses to accept upon himself the yoke of the Torah, he is dealt with by a different path. For there is the evil — and it must be removed from the world. Only the Holy Blessed One also lends it time — and therefore the wicked exist in the world. But He also presses upon them so that they do not dominate with great insolence in the world. And this is: "the master of the house presses." And in truth all this pressing reaches the Nukva as above — and therefore they said: "the reward of the kala [bride] is from her pressing" (Berachos 6b) — for according to the sealment that is now sealed upon her, to be a root for those below while she is in exile — so great shall be her space and her light in return. For it is written: "Bless Hashem, His angels, mighty in strength, who do His bidding, hearkening to the sound of His word" [Psalms 103:20]. And the Sages of blessed memory explained: "doing [comes] first and then hearkening" (Shabbos 88a). And one must explain how this is so. Know: for all the operations that need to be performed above, the heralds [krozim] precede. The matter: for this is the secret of the readying [hazmana]. And it is so: when the decrees issue from Malchus to reach the attendants — and this is after all the luminaries have already agreed — and all the preparations have been made for all the shefa [divine abundance/flow] to go out to its operation — and all the luminaries speaking with one mouth, which is the Shechinah — the mouth of them all — command the servants to act. Then immediately the herald goes out and proclaims through all the heavens. And then the angels who are fitting to receive this command receive strength from this spreading voice, in order to then perform the operation. And it emerges that through the voice they receive the power — and through the shefa itself that reaches them for the operation, they receive the operation itself. And I will explain this further in detail. All decrees must issue in the secret of kol [voice] and dibbur [speech] — whose secret is Yesod and Malchus. The herald draws the power of the Yesod, while the operation itself is in the secret of Malchus. And the truth: the Shechinah enclothes herself within all the angels — in the secret of: "Adonai among them" [Psalms 68:18].8 And it is the decree of the Matzil blessed be He that the operations of the luminaries shall not go out into the world except through the angels — and the Shechinah enclothes herself in them as above, and acts through them to bring the decrees below. And even though the angels are those who bring the operation to action — still, the throne carries its bearers. And the angels have nothing except to bond and cleave to the Shechinah enclothing herself in them — and then she acts through them. And with the going out of the herald, which draws the power of the voice, then immediately the angels present themselves to receive the Shechinah and she enclothes herself in them — and this aspect is like the aspect of union [zivug] — and afterwards the required shefa reaches them, and the Shechinah acts through them. And it emerges: the first deed that they must do in the wake of the herald is to cleave to the Shechinah that enclothes herself in them — for this is their act. For I have already said that the Shechinah acts through them — and they do nothing but cleave to their root, to give it a throne upon which to sit and act. Understand this well. And this is: "doing His bidding" — to hearken to the voice — "to the sound of His word." For they give a throne to the Malchus within them, in order to hearken to the voice which is the herald — the aspect of the voice that is drawn. And know that in this secret, heralds go forth every day — and heralds reach below, into the World of Asiyah [Action], to arouse souls to perform their deeds. And from this the souls receive power and preparation to do what is fitting for them. And this is the secret of the rooster that cries out — for the Sages already said: what does it cry in Perek Shira? And these are the proclamations that the herald reaching below proclaims — to give preparation to the souls as above. And this is the angel Gavriel who heralds. And from his aspect, many further aspects of heralds spread for the needs of all the matters of service. 1 See Tikkunim Chadashim, p. 16. 2 Sha'ar HaGilgulim, Introduction 26. See also below, p. 74. 3 See above, p. 12 [= Chapter 2, on the Name as the root of Torah]. 4 See p. 185. 5 See Part II, pp. 31 and 56; and in Ma'amar Yichud HaYirah (published at the end of Adir BaMurom Part II), p. 157. 6 Alternate reading: "and in this manner [ve-al derekh]." 7 See p. 190. 8 See below, pp. 259 and 158. Segment 4 HE: חָתַר לַטּוֹב Segment 5 HE: ע״ק Segment 6 HE: הֶבֶל