For I Take an Appointed Time

135 – For I Take an Appointed Time For I take an appointed time; I judge equities. (Psalms 75:3) It is a segula to be rescued from greatness by honoring the good days—and by receiving the good day with joy and an expansive heart, according to one’s ability. Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, merited the fortynine gates of understanding and thus became “very humble, more than any man” (Numbers 12:3). The good day represents the “brains of the mother,” that is, understanding. Therefore, when one accepts the good day—i.e. receives understanding—he merits humility. In gematria, “good day” ( yom tov = 73) equals ס"ג - SaG [-Divine Name spelled out with two Yuds and an Alef, which has the gematria of 63] with the ten letters [of SaG , 63 and 10 = 73], as noted in the intentions; it opposes a coarse spirit (see Tikkunim in Zohar Chadash). The good day nullifies greatness, since smallness is inherently nullified before greatness. Hence, in proximity to the tzadik, one’s greatness is nullified—because through the tzadik’s great light, one is entirely nullified. This corresponds to, “Youths saw me and hid” (Job 29:8): upon seeing the face of the tzadik, the small ones hide, since smallness vanquishes before greatness. The holiness of the good day is rooted in the tzadikim , as it is written: “These are the appointed times of Gd, which you shall proclaim at their appointed time.” (Leviticus 23:4). Our sages (Rosh Hashanah 24a) taught: read “you” instead of “them”—meaning that the good days depend on the tzadikim . Thus, when honoring and accepting the good days and receiving the tzadik’s great light, one’s greatness is nullified through humility. Therefore, one should greet one’s rabbi on the festival, since the central holiness of the good day is transmitted via the tzadikim . By receiving this holiness, one attains humility and lowliness—corresponding to, “The crown of humility is the fear of Gd.” (Proverbs 22:4)—because fear is the aspect of kingship.

As explained in the Gemara (Hullin 89a): Even when one studies Torah with pride, the verse commands: “You shall speak righteousness … judge the upright.” This is why Scripture states: “For I take an appointed time; I judge equities.” (Psalms 75:3)—by observing festivals one merits humility, which is the essence of judging equities. Earlier we noted (section 129) that smallness is nullified before greatness and is absorbed—transformed into the essence of the tzadik. Similarly, if one is bound to the tzadik, he experiences the holiness of the good day—since the tzadik embodies it. The sign of this bond is humility, because smallness is nullified before greatness. The binding is rooted in love—for one must love the tzadik with complete love, as stated: “And his soul was bound in his soul” (Genesis 44:30)—“beloved as one’s soul”; and also: “The soul of Jonathan was bound in the soul of David” (I Samuel 18:1); and this love for the tzadik is deeper than love for women, as in “Wonderful was your love to me from the love of women” (II Samuel 1:26).

Through this bond one may receive the holiness of the good day. The core mission of the good day is to elevate the **Kingship of Holiness**—the letter ד—from the four kingdoms of the Other Side. Kingship has no intrinsic substance—there is no king without people—hence it “fell” into the four kingdoms of impurity. On the good day one must raise it from under these clumps. This is reflected in, “And it was at the time of the return of the year… at the time of the going out of the kings.” (II Samuel 11:1). Festivals are judgment days (Rosh Hashanah 16a), calling for teshuvah (repentance): through this process the Kingship of Holiness emerges and nullifies the dominion of impurity. Our primary task is to nullify Amalek’s kingdom—Amalek was “First among nations is Amalek” (Numbers 24:20). When Samuel slew Agag, “And Samuel cut (hewed) Agag” (I Samuel 15:33). Rashi explains: “he cut him into four”—that is, he severed the four kingdoms of the Other Side to nullify their hold over the Kingship of Holiness, enabling elevation above them. The Hebrew “cut” (וַיְשַׁסֵּף) uses vav yud to indicate action, rooted in the letters shinsin peh —the initials of **Shavuot, Sukkot, Pesach**: the festivals when the Kingship emerges. Festivals are days of *fear*, *judgment*, and *Kingship* (see Avot ch. Amalek’s failure stemmed from lacking fear of Gd and not elevating the Kingship of Holiness (Deut. 25:18). Four Festivals & Four Commands On each festival there are four corresponding mitzvot: on Pesach—four cups; on Sukkot—four species; on Shavuot—study of Torah in four aspects: one sees it, counts it, prepares it, searches it (Job 28:27; Bereishit Rabbah 24, Tisa 40). These correspond to dismantling the fourfold kingdom of the Other Side and restoring the Kingship of Holiness ( dalet ). The disciples of sages embody Kingship—as Sages taught (Gittin 62a): “Who are the kings? The rabbis—they elevate the Kingship.” Thus the holiness of the good day is actualized through them; in receiving it one achieves humility and lowliness: “The crown of humility is the fear of Gd” (Proverbs 22:4). Abraham our father similarly labored, chasing the four kings to elevate the Kingship—leading to children Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, and Esau—mirroring the four sons (wise, etc.). (From “further we heard” until here is explained previously in section 30 of *Straight of the Knife*.) By this work, the mercy for a woman in labor is opened. *Etz Chaim* (Gate 35, Ch. 3) and Bechorot 45a teach: just as a house has hinges and doors, so does a woman. Two doors form a closed ם (memsofit), where the fetus is formed. One must split the closed mem into two דד doors to allow emergence—this mirrors Samuel cutting Agag into four, i.e. transforming mem into two dalet doors. (Further explanation of the birthing metaphor will be elaborated elsewhere.) Diagram: splitting a closed Memsofit (ם) into two Daletdoors (ד )—with the Mem positioned between the resulting normal and upside-down Dalets , symbolizing the diagonal bisection and spiritual emergence. Explanation: This teaching presents a segula to cultivate humility and avoid arrogance by joyfully embracing festival holiness. Moshe’s humility, rooted in fortynine gates of understanding, exemplifies how welcoming festival light fosters humility.

Gematria 63 contrasts coarse spirit.

The tzadikim centralize festival holiness, through whom personal greatness is nullified, akin to youths hiding before elders. Closed Mem → Dalet Doors: Kabbalistically , the closed memsofit (ם) represents spiritual concealment. Slicing it yields two dalet shaped openings (ד )—symbolizing spiritual birth and liberation. Amalek’s destruction represents severing fourfold impurity and restoring Kingship of Holiness (letter ד) through festival actions.