40. There are times during the week when graciousness abounds and there are times during the week when decrees are in the world. There are times during the day when graciousness prevails and the world is pampered. There are times during the day when the Judgments are impending and are present. Even during the hour, THERE ARE VARIOUS TIMES. Consequently, it is written, "And a time for every purpose" (Kohelet 3:1). It is also written, "But as for me, let my prayer be to You, Hashem, in an acceptable time" (Tehilim 69:14) and "Seek Hashem while He may be found" (Yeshayah 55:6). Another verse reads, "Why stand You afar off, Hashem? Why hide You Yourself in times of trouble?" (Tehilim 10:1) and another verse reads, "From afar Hashem appeared to me" (Yirmeyah 31:2). At other times, He is close as it is written, "Hashem is near to all those who call upon Him" (Tehilim 145:18). Due to this, it is written, "that he will not come at all times into the holy place..."

133. We have learned that numerous doors opened before Yisrael on this day to receive their prayers. How fortunate is the lot of Yisrael that the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to give them merit and to purify them. This is what the verse says, "For on that day will He forgive you..." On this day, the priest is bedecked with numerous crowns. On this day, the service of the priest is full of glory and far greater than on any other service. Everyone was given a share of these sacrifices to the Holy One, blessed be He. On this day Chesed is crowned in the world by the priest, who offers sacrifices for the sins of the people. First, HE OFFERED for his own sins and afterward for the sins of the people. He offered burnt offerings for himself and the nation. We have already established these matters.

147. At twilight, all of these 1,590 tens of thousands THAT ARE DRAWN THERE, ARE called those who lament. They sing at that time and dissent is then dominant in the world. That hour is when the Holy One, blessed be He, awakens Isaac, REPRESENTING THE LEFT COLUMN OF ZEIR ANPIN. He rises and judges the wicked that violate the words of the Torah. Seven rivers of fire - CORRESPONDING TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT - are drawn out and hover over the heads of the wicked, and a flame of fiery coals stirs from above downward. Then Abraham, THE SECRET OF CHESED, returns to his position, MEANING THAT CHESED RETURNS TO ITS SOURCE AND DISAPPEARS FROM THE ONES BELOW, as the verse says, "And Abraham returned to his place" (Beresheet 18:33). The day departs and the wicked in Gehenom cry out and say, "Woe to us! For the day declines, for the shadows of the evening are lengthened" (Yirmeyah 6:4). At that time, one should be prudent with the Minchah prayer.

198. Afterwards, he washes his body and sanctifies his hands to enter into another holy service. Then he aims to enter another most holy, lofty place; NAMELY, THE HOLY OF HOLIES. Three rows surround THE HIGH PRIEST-his colleague priests, Levite and the rest of the people. THEY REPRESENT THE THREE COLUMNS, PRIEST AND LEVITE REPRESENT RIGHT AND LEFT AND YISRAEL REPRESENT THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN. They raise their hands towards him in prayer. A knot OF ROPE of gold hangs from his leg, FROM FEAR PERHAPS HE WOULD DIE IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES, AND THEY WOULD NEED TO PULL HIM OUT WITH THIS ROPE.

200. Since joy prevails above, if the priest merits it here too, BELOW, at that time the goodwill of light is manifested and scented with the fragrance of mountains of the pure supernal balsam, which fragrance spreads throughout that place. It enters the two nostrils of the priest and his heart is satisfied. Then there is silence with no fault to be found. The priest opens his mouth in prayer willingly and with joy, and he utters his prayer.

201. After he completes HIS PRAYER, the Cherubs raise their wings as before and sing. At that point, the priest realizes that goodwill prevails, a time of joy for all. The people know that his prayer was accepted, as the verse reads, "Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Yeshayah 1:18). THE PRIEST steps back and utters his prayer. How fortunate is the share of the priest. As a result of him, there is joy upon joy that day on high and low. Concerning that hour, it is written, "Happy are those people that are in such a case: happy are those people, whose Elohim is Hashem" (Tehilim 144:15).

227. "Now there was found in it a poor (Heb. misken) wise man" (Kohelet 9:15). This resembles what is written, "He that has clean hands, and a pure heart" (Tehilim 24:4). HE IS CALLED "Misken" in accordance with the words, "And they built for Pharaoh treasure (Heb. miskenot) cities" (Shemot 1:11), MEANING he is crowned with crowns of strength, with the crowns of Torah and with the crowns of the Torah precepts of the King. He is called wise, because he merits wisdom, AS MALCHUT IS CALLED THE LOWER CHOCHMAH BECAUSE IN HER CHOCHMAH REVEALED, AS MENTIONED. ALSO, HE IS CALLED wise, because he is wiser than all PEOPLE to contemplate the service of his Master, so he may gain enough merit to enter that service. This is the idea of the verse, "And he by his wisdom saved the city" and "saved" is to be understood as, "Let me go away, I pray you, and see my brothers" (I Shmuel 20:29). Also, "let me escape there" (Beresheet 19:20) SPEAKS ABOUT RESCUE. Here also, "And he by his wisdom saved the city:" THROUGH HIS MEDITATION, HE SAVED IT FROM THE EXTERNAL FORCES FEEDING UPON IT.

247. We have studied that when one sins before his Master, Mercy is awakened if he offers his sacrifice on the altar and the priest attains forgiveness for him and prays his prayer for him. The Judgments are mitigated and repentance, NAMELY BINAH, pours out blessings in the springs that emerge and flow. All candles are blessed together, NAMELY THE SFIROT OF MALCHUT, and one is cleansed from his sin.

258. IN THE BOOK OF KING SOLOMON, it is written that the Holy One, blessed be He, made three dwellings for righteous people, FOR THEIR NEFESH, RUACH AND NESHAMAH AFTER THEIR DEMISE. One is for the Nefashot (Heb. plural) of the righteous that did not depart this world and are still in this world, AS THE NEFESH OF THE DECEASED DOES NOT DEPART THIS WORLD. When the world needs mercy and living PEOPLE are in distress, the Nefashot pray for them. They go and tell this to those who slumber in Hebron, MEANING THE PATRIARCHS, who awaken and go to the earthly Garden of Eden, where the Ruach of the righteous are clothed with crowns of light, take counsel with them and make a decree. And the Holy One, blessed be He, fulfills their wish and shows mercy to the world.

269. Rabbi Chizkiyah said TO THE GRAVE: Who are you? He answered: I am dead. I was just awakened for the sake of the Torah scroll. Once the world was in distress and the living came here with a Torah scroll to awaken us. My associates and I hurried to the slumberers at Hebron and, when they joined the spirits of the righteous in the Garden of Eden, it was found that the Torah scroll brought before us by the living was unfit. They were false to the name of the King, because an extra Vav was found in the Torah in the verse, "Whatever parts the hoof, and is clovenfooted" (Vayikra 11:3), WHICH WAS SPELLED WITH A REDUNDANT VAV. They said that since they were false to the name of the King, AS THE TORAH IS THE NAME OF THE KING, they would not return to them TO LET THEM KNOW IF THEIR PRAYER WAS ACCEPTED. They then dismissed me and my associates from the Yeshivah.

271. Rabbi Chizkiyah and Rabbi Yesa left. They said surely when there are no righteous men in the world, the world will survive only by the merits of the deceased. Rabbi Yesa said: When the world needs rain, why do people go to the deceased TO PRAY? Does it not say about "one who inquires of the dead" that it is prohibited? He replied: You have not perceived the wing of the bird in Eden, REFERRING TO THE SECRET OF BINAH, MEANING YOU HAVE NOT ATTAINED THE LEVEL OF BINAH, SINCE THE VERSE "one who inquires of the dead" literally means the dead, denoting the world's evildoers from the idolatrous nations that are always dead, AS THE WICKED EVEN DURING THEIR LIFETIME ARE CALLED DEAD. But about Yisrael, who are truly righteous, Solomon said, "So I praised the dead that are already dead" (Kohelet 4:2), those that have already died at a different time, MEANING THEY GAVE THEMSELVES FOR THE TORAH, but not this time. They have already died, and now they are alive.

281. "But Judah still rules with El, and is faithful with holy ones" (Hoshea 12:1). "When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot..." (Beresheet 38:15) as the verse states, "Likewise the way of an adulterous woman" (Mishlei 30:20). "Because she had covered her face" (Beresheet 38:15): We have learned that "she had covered her face," MEANING similar to what you say, "She eats, and wipes her mouth" (Mishlei 30:20). She torched the world with her flames, "and says, I have done nothing wrong" (Ibid.). What is the reason? It is "because she had covered her face" and no one knows her ways in order to save themselves from her. "And he turned to her by the way" (Beresheet 38:16), to the way literally, to make white join with red. "And said, I pray you, let me come in to you..." (Ibid.). We established THAT "let me" always MEANS INVITATION.

332. He said to him: When things depend upon repentance and people do not repent, the sublime Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, BEING BINAH, takes and attracts the Vav and the Yud to itself, as they are not repenting. It then BECOMES A COMBINATION OF HEI-VAV-YUD called Hoy, MEANING Hoy (lit. 'ah'), when the King, ZEIR ANPIN, departs higher and higher TO BINAH. People cry but no one pays attention. SOMETIMES, that supernal concealed NAME, EHEYEH, DENOTING KETER, raises the Vav, ZEIR ANPIN, and the Yud, BEING THE HEAD OF YESOD, to itself, because one's prayer is not accepted, AND IT BECOMES THE COMBINATION OY (ALEPH VAV YUD). Then it is called Oy, as the Aleph THAT IS EHEYEH brings up to it the Vav and the Yud. Then repentance is not available, so the Hei departs from these letters, as it is no longer dependent on repentance, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF BINAH CALLED HEI.

411. Rabbi Yosi found Rabbi Aba sitting and reading this verse, "Cast your burden upon Hashem" (Tehilim 55:23). "Upon" is exact, MEANING ABOVE HASHEM, ZEIR ANPIN. Sustenance is dependent on Mazal, THE BEARD OF ARICH ANPIN. Rabbi Yehuda used to read, "For (lit. 'upon') this (Heb. zot fem.) shall everyone that is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found" (Tehilim 32:6). "Upon Zot" surely, MEANING ABOVE MALCHUT CALLED ZOT, BEING TIFERET THAT IS ABOVE MALCHUT. "In a time...be found," we established that it REFERS TO A WOMAN. Yet "in a time...be found" is like the words, "Seek Hashem while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near" (Yeshayah 55:6), REFERRING TO THE TEN DAYS OF REPENTANCE. Another explanation for, "In a time...be found," MEANING when the rivers, THE LIGHTS OF BINAH, flow and are drawn continuously. The Patriarchs, BEING CHESED GVURAH TIFERET, receive and all are blessed, FOR EVERY PIOUS MAN SHOULD PRAY FOR THIS. What is meant by "the flood of great waters" (Tehilim 32:6)? HE ANSWERS: It is the depth of the springs and rivers, BEING ATIKA KADISHA, FROM WHICH ARE DRAWN THE LIGHTS AND SPRINGS TO BINAH. For who will merit it, and who will merit to come near and ascend there! This is what is meant by the verse, "The flood of great waters shall not come near him." It is because they are not worthy and not capable OF RECEIVING FROM ATIKA.

412. Rabbi Yitzchak said: It is written, "One thing have I desired of Hashem, that I will seek after...to behold the beauty of Hashem" (Tehilim 27:4). Blessed are the pious that numerous supernal treasures await them in that world, DENOTING BINAH, as the Holy One, blessed be He, delights in them in these worlds, as we have explained. FOR THEIR SAKE HE ASKED TO BEHOLD the beauty of Hashem. We have already learned THAT IT IS THE GLOW OF ATIKA THAT IS DRAWN IN BINAH. RABBI YITZCHAK DISPUTES WITH RABBI YEHUDA, WHO SAID THAT "THE FLOOD OF GREAT WATERS SHALL NOT COME NEAR HIM" REFERS TO THE LIGHTS OF ATIKA THAT CANNOT BE CONCEIVED. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME RIGHTEOUS WHO MERIT THIS TOO. Rabbi Chizkiyah says: From here, IT SEEMS THAT THERE ARE PIOUS WHO DO MERIT THE LIGHT OF ATIKA, as it is written, "Neither has the eye seen, that an Elohim, beside You, should do such a thing for him that waits for Him" (Yeshayah 64:3). HE ASKS, 'He should do:' It should have said, 'You should do,' SINCE IT WRITES "BESIDE YOU," A TERM OF SECOND PERSON. HE REPLIES: Rather, 'he should do' is exact, BECAUSE IT REFERS TO ATIKA. THEREFORE, HE SPEAKS IN TERMS OF THIRD PERSON. Similarly, "behold, I (lit. 'he') will add to your days fifteen years" (Yeshayah 38:5). IT SHOULD HAVE SAID, 'I WILL ADD,' SINCE IT PRECEDES IT WITH "BEHOLD (LIT. 'HERE I AM')." IT IS ONLY BECAUSE IT ALLUDES TO ATIKA, WHO IS NOT CONCEIVED TO BE HERE. THEREFORE, HE SAYS IN THIRD PERSON, "HE WILL ADD." IT IS BECAUSE LIFE IS DRAWN FROM MAZAL, MEANING FROM THE BEARD OF ATIKA. Similarly, "Cast your burden upon Hashem" MEANS ABOVE HASHEM, NAMELY MAZAL, FOR THIS IS A PRAYER FOR SUSTENANCE. It is also written, "And prayed to (lit. 'over') Hashem," ALSO REFERRING TO MAZAL THAT IS HIGHER ABOVE OF HASHEM, AS THIS PRAYER WAS FOR CHILDREN. Yet all is one, FOR IT IS ALL DRAWN FROM THE MAZAL, THE BEARD OF ATIKA KADISHA. THUS, IT IS POSSIBLE TO RECEIVE AND DRAW ABUNDANCE ALSO FROM ATIKA KADISHA, UNLIKE RABBI YEHUDA'S WORDS.