תּוֹרָה מב - וַיַּרְא בַּצַּר לָהֶם

Torah 626

Through melody [n'ginah] the judgments are sweetened. For the voice of melody is the three colours of the rainbow [keishes] in the voice — fire, water, and wind — which are the three Patriarchs. And they are the three illuminating colours that are the garments of the "Shechinah" — which is the rainbow [Zohar Part III, 215a and Chagigah 16a]. And the three colours of the rainbow are the Patriarchs. And when it [the "Shechinah"] is clothed in illuminating garments — then: ""and I will see it to remember the eternal covenant"" [Genesis 9:16]. And then: ""and the king's wrath subsided"" [Esther 7:10]. And one who sings the letters of prayer — which is the "Shechinah" — as it is written: ""Adonai — open my lips"" [Psalms 51:17] — for speech is the Name "Adonai" — and it is called a bow [keshet] — the language of request [bakashah] — as Rashi explained: ""with my sword and with my bow"" [Genesis 48:22]. And through the voice of the melody that is in great clarity and purity — he thereby clothes the "Shechinah" — that is, the letters — in illuminating garments. And the Holy One, blessed be He, sees it. And then: ""the king's wrath subsided."" And this is what Rashi explained: ""when He heard their cry"" [Psalms 106:44] — in the merit of the Patriarchs — as above — for the garments of the "Shechinah" are in clarity and illumination — then: ""and He was comforted according to His great mercies"" — and the judgments are sweetened.

Also through faith in the Sages [emunас chachamim] — believing that all their words and deeds are not simple but contain mysteries — through this the rainbow is clothed in illuminating garments as above — and the judgments are sweetened. For the Tzadik is the aspect of a rainbow — as Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai said to Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi: ""has a rainbow appeared in your days?"" etc. [Kesubos 77b and the holy Zohar there]. For the Tzadik illuminates in all his deeds to the "Shechinah" — and strips away the plain dark garments from her — adorning her in illuminating garments of the colours of the mysteries of Torah — for the light of Torah is called mystery. And through this: ""I will see it to remember the eternal covenant"" — and the burning anger of His son subsides: ""and the king's wrath subsided"" — and the judgments are sweetened.

And also through making a beautiful garment [levush na'eh] for the Tzadik — the above-mentioned rectifications are made.

And also through the "t'ki'as shofar" on Rosh Hashonah the judgments are sweetened. For "t'ki'ah", "sh'vorim", "t'ru'ah" are the Patriarchs. And your mnemonic is "keshet" [rainbow] — that is, "t'ki'ah" etc. And they are the three names of the unity: ""Hashem is our G-d — Hashem"" — which are 14 letters — the aspect of the above-mentioned colours — the aspect of the 14 of "Shaddai". And the Patriarchs are the three branches of the tree — which are the "shin" of the Name "Shaddai". And this is the explanation of: ""and Shaddai shall be your security"" [Job 22:25] (and see all this in the holy Zohar, Part III, 230a–231a) (and see this in "Likutay Halachos", Laws of Presumptive Ownership of Movable Property, law 5).