15. The words "And they who are wise shall shine" ALLUDE TO the letters and the vowels THAT SHINE, and "the brightness" ALLUDES TO the tune of the cantillation marks. "The firmament" ALLUDES TO the expansion of the tune, namely all those INTONATIONS that flow and expand along as the tune flows. "And they who turn many to righteousness" ALLUDES TO the music of the cantillation marks that bring the journeying to a pause and enable the meaning of the words to be heard clearly. The words "shall shine" ALLUDE TO the letters and the vowels that, along the journeys through concealed paths, shine as one. Everything expands from this. "And they who are wise (Heb. maskilim) shall shine like the brightness of the firmament" upon the pillars and sockets of that palanquin. "And they who are wise" are themselves the supernal pillars and sockets, who observe intelligently to bestow on that palanquin and its sockets all that is needed to sustain it. THE PILLARS ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET; THE SOCKETS ARE NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. This secret IS HIDDEN, as you say: "Blessed is he that considers (Heb. maskil) the poor" (Tehilim 41:2); MASKIL IS ZEIR ANPIN AND THE POOR IS HIS FEMALE PRINCIPLE. AND HE RECEIVES THE BRIGHTNESS FOR THE SAKE OF THE POOR WHO NEEDS IT. THE SUPERNAL SIX EXTREMITIES OF ZEIR ANPIN shall shine, for if they do not shine or illuminate, they will not be able to study the palanquin and determine what is necessary FOR ITS RESTORATION. WERE IT NOT FOR THE NEED OF ESTABLISHING THAT PALANQUIN, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED ANY OF THAT LIGHT OF BRIGHTNESS.

16. AND THEY SHINE "like the brightness of the firmament" that rests upon they who are wise, of whom it is written: "And over the heads of the living creature was the likeness of a firmament, like the color of the terrible ice..." (Yechezkel 1:22). This is the brightness OF THE FIRMAMENT, which shines upon THE ENTIRE ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS CALLED the Torah. The brightness shines upon the heads of that living creature THAT IS CALLED THE PALANQUIN. These wise heads, WHICH ARE THE PILLARS AND SOCKETS OF ZEIR ANPIN, who are wise shine constantly and look on that firmament to receive the light that emanates from there. This also is the light of ZEIR ANPIN IN ITS ENTIRETY, WHICH IS CALLED Torah. It shines forever and never stops.

293. We have learned that every time Solomon is mentioned in the Song of Songs, IT IS AN ALLUSION TO the King to whom shalom (peace) belongs, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. IF ONLY the general term 'king' IS USED, AS OPPOSED TO KING SOLOMON, THEN IT ALLUDES TO the Female principle OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS MALCHUT. The lower king is INCLUDED within the upper KING and the secret is that the lower inherits from the upper, and they become as one. Then is THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE CALLED a house, as it is written: "Through wisdom a house is built" (Mishlei 24:3), WHICH MEANS THAT THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE IS NOT CALLED A HOUSE WITHOUT RECEIVING CHOCHMAH. It is also written: "King Solomon made himself a palanquin of the timbers of Lebanon" (Shir Hashirim 3:9). The palanquin is the improvement of the lower world, WHICH IS THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, by the upper world, WHICH IS BINAH.

296. In "King Solomon made himself..." 'himself' IS REDUNDANT AND IS EXPLAINED AS 'for himself' - for his own sake - WHICH MEANS THAT KING SOLOMON, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, BUILT WITH THE MOCHIN OF BINAH THE PALANQUIN FOR HIMSELF, for his own advantage. HE FIRST PERFECTED HIMSELF WITH THE PALANQUIN: 'himself - that is, to show his supernal glory - SO THAT HE MAY BESTOW HIS MOCHIN FROM THE SUPERNAL GLORY (BINAH) UPON THE PALANQUIN (MALCHUT) for himself. [The action was] to proclaim that he is one and his Name One, TO HASTEN THE END OF THE CORRECTION - as it is written: "Hashem shall be one, and his Name One." It is also written: "That men may know that You alone, whose Name is Hashem..." (Tehilim 83:19).