צאינה וראינה וגו׳

1(Song of Songs 3) “Go forth and gaze,” etc. “On the day of his wedding” — this is the giving of the Torah; “and on the day of the joy of his heart” — this is the building of the Holy Temple.

[We need] to understand why the giving of the Torah is likened to “the day of his wedding,” and the building of the Holy Temple to “the joy of his heart.” And the matter is that prayer is in place of the offerings.

Now, prayer is called “the service of the heart,” as is stated in the Gemara on the verse “and to serve Him with all your heart”: “What is the service of the heart? This is prayer.” Therefore the Holy Temple, which is the place where the offerings were brought, is called “the joy of his heart,” for the offerings are like prayer, which is called the service of the heart.

And therefore even now, prayer with intention, and especially [prayer] with the congregation in the synagogue, which is called a “minor Sanctuary,” is the aspect of “the joy of His heart,” as it were.

2And the matter is: it is written, “You have captured My heart (libavtini), My sister, [My] bride” — for the Community of Israel is called “heart.” For by way of analogy, the heart in a person pours forth life-force to all the limbs,

for all the blood goes from the heart and goes out to all the limbs through the veins and the arteries, to the extremity of the whole body, so that the life-force of the blood, which is the soul, reaches even the toenails, as is known.

3Now, all the blood that went out from the heart to all the limbs returns and goes back to the heart. That is, there are two chambers in the heart: in one chamber the blood rising from the limbs to the heart is gathered, and it goes out through the second chamber.

And also the blood that is formed from food and drink rises to the heart and afterwards goes out from the heart to all the limbs.

And this is like “all the rivers go to the sea,” and afterwards it goes round again, and the water goes out from the sea to the rivers through the veins of the earth, etc.; and therefore “the sea is not full,” etc.

4Now, similarly in the service of the heart, which is prayer — for then is the time of the ascent and binding of the love of the Divine spark to the Holy One, blessed be He, and this arousal is specifically in the heart, as it is written, “And you shall love,” etc., “with all your heart.”

And this is like the gathering of the blood from the limbs to the heart. And this is [the meaning of] “Hear (Shema), O Israel”: shema is an expression of assembling and gathering, to the level of the large ayin, which is the seven emotive attributes as a whole.

5And this love is drawn forth and born through contemplation in the Verses of Praise (Pesukei deZimra) and in “Hear, O Israel.” And the meaning of “Hear, O Israel, Havayah is our G‑d” is the level of the union of Chochmah and Binah, which in the Zohar, Parshas Chayei Sarah, is called “Thought” and “Jubilee.”

And the matter is along the lines of what is said in the Zohar, that with one thought He created all the worlds; and this is like [the idea that] He sees and looks to the end of all the generations with a single glance. For what is drawn forth and comes into being as the dimension of time — past, present and future — has its source and root in the supernal emotive attributes,

as it is written, “A thousand years in Your eyes are like yesterday”; and the six days of Creation are rooted in the six attributes mentioned above. And through the attributes being drawn forth into speech and divided into parts, each attribute became a thousand years, and they are further divided into months and days and hours, etc.

But on the level of the supernal Thought, which is above speech and even above the attributes — that is, before the attributes were born and drawn forth — there everything is included in a single glance.

6And this is the meaning of “Havayah is our G‑d”: it is the level of Thought, as mentioned above. And Israel arose in Thought; therefore it says “Havayah is our G‑d.” And just as it is in the dimension of time, so it is in the dimension of world [space] and of soul, for they are [three]: “world, year, soul.”

7And since it is above the dimension of “year,” so too the level of Thought mentioned above is above the dimension of “world,” and it is the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin). And accordingly, “And you shall love” will be drawn forth, so that Havayah will be “your G‑d” — so that there will be a revelation of the level of sovev kol almin.

And the matter of the Verses of Praise that precede the reading of the Shema: since up to the reading of the Shema is the aspect of ascent, to come to the level of “with all your heart” — by way of analogy, the ascent and gathering of the blood from the limbs to the heart — therefore they instituted the recitation of specific psalms,

so that this psalm is an ascent from the level of these limbs, and a second psalm an ascent from other limbs, as is written in the writings of the Arizal of blessed memory, that the Halleluyah psalms are the ten Sefiros of Yetzirah: this psalm is Malchus of Yetzirah,

8and the second psalm corresponds to Yesod of Yetzirah, etc.; see there. And all this is the aspect of ratzo (running forth) and ascent; and afterwards the Shemoneh Esreh, “Blessed are You, Havayah,” is the aspect of shov (return) and drawing-down.

And so too the engagement in Torah and practical mitzvos: just as the blood is drawn from the heart to all the 248 limbs and 365 sinews, so the mitzvos are called the 248 limbs of the King.

And a mitzvah without intention is like a body without a soul, and the intention is prayer (as is explained elsewhere on the verse “He has not beheld iniquity in Yaakov”); therefore this is like the analogy of the spreading and drawing of the blood from the heart to all the 248 limbs.

And so it can be understood also above: for the level of Malchus as well descends at night to Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, and this is like the descent of the blood from the heart to the toenails; and this descent of hers is to refine the 288 sparks. And afterwards, from midnight on, she begins to ascend, and this is like the blood rising to the heart.

And through this [light] is drawn from the brain to the heart, which is the union of Abba and Imma and of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva in the reading of the Shema and in prayer, etc.

And this is why the Community of Israel is called “My heart”: “You have captured My heart (libavtini), My sister, [My] bride” (and see what is explained on the verse “and my heart is awake,” etc., “knocks,” etc., and “and Havayah remembered,” etc.). And see Iggeres HaKodesh, at its end, section 31, beginning “It is known in the gates,” what is written in the Tikkunim.

9Now, we see in a person that if the circulation and flow of the spirit of life from the heart to the limbs and from the limbs to the heart is as it should be, then the person is perfectly healthy.

But if there is some damage in any of their places, such as some blockage or wound in some limb which prevents and holds back, or diminishes, the circulation and flow of the blood,

then this bond that connects all the limbs to the heart is cut off or diminished, and then the person falls to his bed with illness, may G‑d protect us, and needs healing.

10And so it is in the analogue, in [divine] service: for a person’s occupation all day long is like the analogy of the drawing of the life-force from the heart to the limbs,

that is, from prayer to the 248 positive commandments, [the] 248 limbs, and also to all of a person’s deeds, in the manner of “and let all your deeds be for the sake of Heaven.”

11Therefore, if the occupation with permitted things is in this manner, he will be able on the morrow to return and ascend from the limbs to the heart, so that there be “And you shall love… with all your heart.”

But if he stumbled in some sin, this is like a wound in some limb, which prevents and holds back the ascent, and the bond is cut off.

And this is illness of the soul, and of this it is said, “From the sole of the foot to the head there is no soundness in it: wounds and bruises,” etc.

And there is no remedy except through teshuvah (return), which is called healing, as our Sages of blessed memory said, “Great is teshuvah, for it brings healing to the world.” And it is the level of “with all your might,” for from this level healing is drawn if, G‑d forbid, there is damage in the level of the love of “with all your heart.”

For teshuvah preceded the world; this means that it draws down light from a level that is above all the life-force of the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus) — and this is through “your might,” with greater strength.

12Therefore this drawing-down is able to repair the blemish and the damage in the circulation and flow of the spirit of life from the heart to the limbs — which is the level of the light and life-force that gives life to “world, year, soul,” the level of Malchus, the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin), which is called “My heart,” as mentioned above.

And since through teshuvah the level of “from the depths” is drawn down — “He reveals deep things” — that is, a new and renewed light is drawn down, it therefore renews the life-force again, etc. (And the repair of the wound is through the verbal confession, “We have trespassed, we have betrayed,” etc.)

13Now, the Torah too is called healing for the soul, as it is written, “and healing to all his flesh.” And this too is because the Torah preceded the world, so that in it and through it, too, a new light is drawn from above the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus).

And this is [the meaning of] “On the day of his wedding — this is the giving of the Torah.” The explanation: prayer is called the service of the heart, and it is the matter of “the joy of his heart”;

and in the heart is the element of fire, which is ascent from below to above; but the element of water is in the brain, and in it rests the soul’s power of delight, for water makes all kinds of delights grow; and delight is above joy.

14Now, by way of analogy, the drop is drawn from the element of water in the brain, and in it is clothed [something] of the very essence of the soul’s intellect and delight; and therefore through it a new birth takes place, to beget one similar to himself — and this specifically through its being clothed in a physical drop, which is not so with speech, etc.

So too, through the Torah’s being clothed in physical deeds — “today to do them” — a truly new light will be drawn through this from the Infinite Light, blessed be He, from above the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus).

15And this is what is said, “There is nothing new under the sun”; whereas the toil of the Torah, which is above the sun, draws down a new light. For the 600,000 letters of the Torah are the letters of Thought.

And behold, with a single Thought He sees and looks, etc. And the Torah is from the level of “Your thoughts are very deep” — “deep” specifically, the level of the depth of Thought; and so concerning teshuvah it is written, “From the depths.” And this is specifically through the Torah’s being clothed in physicality, as in the analogy mentioned above.

16And the explanation and meaning of “new light” is this: it is known that the root of the whole chain of descent (hishtalshelus) of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah is drawn from the level of the kav and the chut (the line and the thread); and it is drawn through the tzimtzum (contraction) and the vacated space at first, and afterwards only a kav is drawn.

Therefore whatever is drawn from the level of the illumination of the kav is not called a truly new light, etc.; but the light drawn from the essence of the Infinite Light, which is above the vacated space and the kav, is called a new light. And as our Sages of blessed memory said concerning the words of Torah, “Every day let them be in your eyes as new,” etc.

And therefore [He] is called chasan (bridegroom) — chus darga (“descend a level”) — “leaping upon the mountains,” the aspect of leaping from above the chain of descent, etc. And therefore, with the offerings of the princes, the Torah repeated [the account] for each one,

and did not say, “And so did prince so-and-so offer,” but rather [this is] because, although the combinations of letters in each offering of all the princes are exactly the same, nevertheless the light clothed in them is in each one the aspect of a truly new light. And as with “its weight was one hundred and thirty,” which are five Names of Havayah:

in each prince’s offering the aspect of five new Names of Havayah was drawn from the essence of the Emanator, which was not drawn thus in that of the prince before him, etc. — along the lines of “From the depths I have called You, Havayah.”

17And this is [the meaning of] “Go forth and gaze”: “Go forth” from the place of their root above in Gan Eden, to be clothed in this physical world. For specifically [through] “today to do them,” in this world, a new and renewed light will then be drawn through the Torah, etc., which is not so above, in spirituality, as mentioned above.

18“Upon King Shlomo” — upon the King to Whom peace (shalom) belongs. The explanation: through a new light being drawn from above the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus), there comes about the aspect of peace and the joining of two opposites — giver and receiver, fire and water. And therefore our Sages of blessed memory said, “Whoever engages in Torah makes peace in the heavenly household and in the earthly household.”

For Malchus of Atzilus becomes Atik of Beriah and joins Atzilus with Beriah, even though Atzilus and Beriah are two opposites.

And this power exists in the level of Malchus of Atzilus because “their end is wedged in their beginning,” and its root is from the level of Keser, which is the lowest level of the Emanator; therefore it is able to join Atzilus with Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah.

And as is known concerning “Dominion and fear are with Him”: therefore “He makes peace in His heights,” etc. And this is “the King to Whom peace belongs,” namely, the level of Malchus of the Infinite One (Ein Sof), from which all [forms of] peace are drawn.