מעשה ד-מעשה נסים

It begins by telling of the King who decreed an expulsion, and so forth — and it appears like a simple story, for literally such a story can occur. And incidentally it tells of the great love with which Israel cherishes the mitzvos — for even the forced convert, who could not fully withstand his trial, still, when an opportune moment came and the King swore to fulfill his will and grant any request, even were he to ask for something extraordinary — the convert asked for nothing other than permission to wear tallis [the fringed garment] and tefillin [phylacteries] publicly. And this itself was a great trial, for the King was exceedingly angry, yet was compelled to fulfill the request because of his oath. Afterward it tells of the king who called all the star-gazers and so forth, and they told him that his seed would not be cut off only if he guards himself from a bull and a sheep [shor and seh], and so forth. And afterward how his son became king, and devised a plan to conquer the entire world. And the matter of the man who made [a statue] from all seven kinds of metal — and this man was only effective in the manner that the king be one who humbles the arrogant and elevates the lowly. This story is clear to all, for it is a wondrous matter — particularly what is told afterward, that there is a place to which all 365 paths of the sun's rays shine, and there grows a shevet barzel [iron staff/rod], and incidentally the grave severity of the prohibition of anger is alluded to there, and all the rest of that narrative until the end of the story — all this is awesome and wondrous. And how the matter is alluded to in "Why do the nations rage?" [Psalms 2] — this is awesome and wondrous in the extreme. See also Likutay Halachos, Hechsher Kaylim, Halachah 2. The excellence and preciousness of the holiness of the mitzvos of tzitzis and tefillin are exceedingly great and precious, as our Sages magnified and praised them. In them is the essential acknowledgment of the acceptance of the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven for the Jewish man. And behold — when the forced convert saved the king from actual death and the king swore to grant him whatever honor he wished, the convert answered that the principal honor for him was to be permitted to wear tallis and tefillin publicly. This was his essential distinction and appointment. And afterward, when a subsequent king from his descendants rescinded these mitzvos from him, the bull and sheep among the constellations were seen mocking him — for tefillin and tzitzis are in the aspect of shor and seh (see within). And although this king was a great sage who conquered the entire world through his wisdom, he and his seed were cut off and the great fire dominated them and they were burned and cut off entirely. But the other kings who had Jews dwelling in their lands — clothed in tallis and tefillin — those kings would walk through this great fire and were not harmed at all, by the merit of the mitzvah of tzitzis and tefillin with which the Jews in their lands were clothed. See and understand the great power of the holiness of these mitzvos — how they protect and save from everything — and how much more so for the Jews themselves who merit to be wrapped and clothed in them!

(Kaas [Anger] §3) There is an angel appointed over anger, for through anger a destructive angel is created. And that angel mentioned above governs all the destructive forces. From this angel they ask the path of how to reach the Iron Rod — for when one reaches there, one is saved from fear.