61. As they were walking, he said, "I am black, but comely, O daughters of Jerusalem..." (Shir Hashirim 1:5). The Congregation of Yisrael said before the Holy One, blessed be He: I may be black in exile but I am comely with the commandments of the Torah. Even though Yisrael are in exile, they do not forsake THE PRECEPTS. "Like the tents of Kedar" (Ibid.), MEANING EVEN THOUGH I AM like the children of Keturah, whose faces are always black, still I am like "the curtains of Solomon" (Ibid.), MEANING like the view of heaven for purity, as it is written, "Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain" (Tehilim 104:2). SOLOMON (HEB. SHLOMO) IS THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, THE KING OF PEACE (HEB. SHALOM).

108. We have learned that all these attributes OF MALCHUT rise and become crowned and rest in a head OF ZEIR ANPIN. There is crowned the head of the King, He that is called by the highest level of Piety, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, WHOSE CHESED CONVERTS TO CHOCHMAH. The pious ones THAT CLING TO ZEIR ANPIN inherit all that glory of above, WHICH IS MALCHUT WITH HER THIRTEEN ATTRIBUTES, as it is written, "Let the pious be joyful in glory," NAMELY in this world, DENOTING MALCHUT. "Let them sing aloud upon their beds," MEANING in the World to Come, DENOTING BINAH. "The high praises of El are in their mouths" (Tehilim 149:6), MEANING they know to bind the bond of Faith properly, AS MALCHUT IS CALLED EL. Then "and a two-edged sword in their hand" (Ibid.). What is "a two-edged sword?" This is Hashem's sword, DENOTING MALCHUT FROM THE ASPECT OF JUDGMENT, REFERRED TO AS SWORD. "Two-edged sword" implies that it flames with two Judgments, NAMELY JUDGMENTS OF LEFT AND JUDGMENTS OF THE CURTAIN. For what purpose is all this? It is "to execute vengeance upon the nations..." (Ibid.)

148. With the arrival of night, these 1,548 tens of thousands THAT ARE THEN DRAWN are called outside of the curtain, where they recite songs. Then all the Judgments from below, MEANING THE JUDGMENTS OF MALCHUT, are stirred and go and wander through the world. These recite songs until the middle of the night, MEANING one watch and a half WATCH. After midnight, all the others come together, MEANING THOSE OF THE WATCH AND THE HALF WATCH FOLLOWING MIDNIGHT, and say praise, such as, "And they shall proclaim the praises of Hashem" (Yeshayah 60:6). Rabbi Yehuda said: When goodwill is present in the morning, the praise of Hashem will be recounted, BUT NOT AT NIGHT.