36. "These wait all upon You: that You may give them their food in due season" (Ibid. 27). What is meant by "in due season?" This is the Matron, NAMELY MALCHUT, known as the time of the Righteous, WHICH IS YESOD. For this reason, all look up to this "due season," all that are sustained here below. They are fed from this source, AS THE LOWER BEINGS RECEIVE ONLY FROM MALCHUT. This secret meaning was established in, "These wait all upon You..." as we have established.

48. In the book of Rabbi Hamnuna Saba, it is written: what is the meaning of 'worlds (Heb. olamot)?' It is according to the verse, "She rises also while it is yet night, and gives food to her household, and a portion to her maidens" (Mishlei 31:15). THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE SEVEN CHAMBERS OF BRIYAH, WHICH SERVICE MALCHUT AND ARE REFERRED TO AS MAIDENS. These maidens ARE "the virgins (Heb. alamot) love you," to bless Your name and to sing praises before You. From there, there are blessings among all the lower beings, and the upper and lower beings are blessed.

73. We have learned that, regarding this bed, REFERRING TO MALCHUT, it is written , "She rises also while it is yet night" (Mishlei 31:15). When she nurtures from the side of Judgment, MEANING WHEN MALCHUT RISES TO POUR THE ABUNDANCE OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, IT IS NIGHT, MEANING JUDGMENT, SINCE HER CHOCHMAH IS GIVEN ONLY WITH JUDGMENTS. AS EARLIER MENTIONED, "RISING" REFERS TO THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH. "And gives food (Heb. teref) to her household" (Ibid.): What is meant by "teref?" It is the same as in, "And tears down (Heb. taraf) in pieces, and none can deliver" (Michah 5:7), NAMELY THE JUDGMENTS ATTACHED TO THIS CHOCHMAH FROM WHICH THERE IS NO SAVING. This is what is meant by, "All girt with swords, and expert in war" (Shir Hashirim 3:8). They are ready to execute Judgment everywhere and are called wailers and moaners.

80. When the chief slanderer, THE SERPENT, descends, it begins to jump over the hills and skip over the mountains until there is prey seized by the nails, which it eats. Then it becomes calm and its tongue speaks well, MEANING THAT ITS SLANDERING TALK ENDS AND BECOMES GOOD TALK. Fortunate are Yisrael who prepare food for it, and THE SERPENT returns to its place and enters the hole of the great abyss.

223. "You shall afflict your souls..." (Vayikra 16:29). It says "your souls" in order that Yisrael be found meritorious before the Holy King, and meet with the goodwill of the Holy One, blessed be He. They must cling to Him in order that all their sins may be forgiven. Therefore, whoever eats and drinks on the ninth day and pleasures his soul with food and drink will find himself with the affliction on the tenth day doubled, and it will be considered as if he fasted on the ninth and tenth. "Your souls" includes all, body and soul, to surrender on this day in order to have atonement for sins.