"Sixty valiant men"

71. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion saying, "Behold the bed of Solomon sixty valiant men are round about it..." (Shir Hashirim 3:7). "Behold the bed of Solomon:" What is meant by "his litter?" It refers to the throne of glory of the King, NAMELY MALCHUT CALLED BED. It is written about it, "The heart of her husband safely trusts in her" (Mishlei 31:11) and Solomon (Heb. Shlomo) REFERS TO the King that the peace (Heb. shalom) is His, REFERRING TO ZEIR ANPIN. "Sixty valiant men are round about it:" They are attached to MALCHUT'S aspect of harsh Judgment and are connoted as sixty fire guards, MEANING SIXTY GUARDIANS FROM FIRE. That youth, MEANING METATRON, clothes himself with them.

72. On the right side OF METATRON is the mighty bright sword, and on the left are strong burning coals that enjoin his imprints with 70,000 flames of consuming fire. They are sixty mighty ones heavily armed with the mighty Gvurot of supernal Gvurah of the Holy One, blessed be He, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. This is what is meant by, "Of the mighty ones of Yisrael" (Shir Hashirim 3:7), NAMELY GVURAH OF ZEIR ANPIN REFERRED TO AS YISRAEL.

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.

74. "Every man has his sword upon his thigh" (Ibid.): It is as you say, "Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one" (Tehilim 45:4). THE SECRET MEANING OF THE SWORD HAS ALREADY BEEN EXPLAINED, "because of the fear by nights" (Shir Hashirim 3:8), they explained it as the fear of Gehenom. Yet, "because of the fear by nights" is saying where they receive it from - from fear, from the place called fear, as the verse says, "And the fear of Isaac, had been with me" (Beresheet 31:42), WHICH IS GVURAH OF ZEIR ANPIN, THE LEFT COLUMN KNOWN AS ISAAC. Just as this verse reads, "And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac" (Ibid. 53), "by nights" REFERS TO those times designated for Judgments to be done, AS NIGHT IS THE TIME FOR JUDGMENT.

75. We have learned that it is written, "She considers a field, and buys it" (Mishlei 31:16). This is like what is written, "Where all the wild beasts (lit. 'beasts of the field') play" (Iyov 40:20), WHICH REFERS TO THE ASPECT OF JUDGMENT OF MALCHUT, WHOSE SECRET IS NIGHT AS MENTIONED EARLIER, AND IS ALSO REFERRED TO AS FIELD. "THE WILD BEASTS" REFLECTS THE SECRET OF YESOD, AND "PLAY" REFERS TO MATING, and about this is written, "So is this great and wide sea...There go the ships; there are the Leviathan, whom You have made to play therein" (Tehilim 104:25-26). LEVIATHAN IS THE SECRET OF YESOD, "TO PLAY" ALLUDES TO UNION, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "AND, BEHOLD, ISAAC WAS SPORTING WITH HIS WIFE" (BERESHEET 26:8). This is as the verse, "She is like the merchant ships: she brings her bread from afar" (Mishlei 31:14); "from afar" surely. FOR "HER BREAD," WHICH IS THE SECRET ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, DOES NOT SHED LIGHT SAVE FROM "AFAR," MEANING IT DOES SO WITH JUDGMENTS THAT REMOVE THE EXTERNAL FORCES FAR AWAY SO THEY WOULD NOT NURTURE FROM THIS GREAT LIGHT. THIS IS THE SECRET OF, "HASHEM APPEARED TO ME FROM AFAR" (YIRMEYAH 31:2). AND THE SECRET OF THE UNION PERTAINS TO NIGHT AND TO THE FIELD, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, AS IT BRINGS HER LIGHT from the brain inside the head, NAMELY CHOCHMAH, and from that which is above the head, NAMELY THE BLESSED ENDLESS LIGHT. THEREFORE, SHE NEEDS PROTECTION FROM EXTERNAL FORCES. "She brings her bread," NAMELY through the means of the righteous man, DENOTING YESOD. When they join together, there is universal joy. This is the meaning of the verse, "There are the dolphins (Heb. Leviathan) who you have made to play therein," THE LEVIATHAN BEING YESOD, WHILE "TO PLAY" REFERS TO MATING, AS EARLIER MENTIONED.

76. We have learned that 1,500 sword-bearers wielding authority are linked to the side of these SIXTY mighty ones. In the hands of the one known as the youth, NAMELY METATRON, are four large keys, REFERRING TO FOUR ANGELS - MICHAEL, GABRIEL, URIEL AND REPHAEL. THEY ARE REFERRED TO AS LARGE KEYS, BECAUSE THEY CAUSE THE MOCHIN OF GREATNESS TO FLOW TO THOSE BELOW. Crocodiles, NAMELY THE GRADES OF CHOCHMAH, move under the ship, WHICH IS MALCHUT, THAT IS, IN BRIYAH, of the great sea, BINAH, FROM WHICH MALCHUT RECEIVES HER LIGHT, to HER four corners. The one moves to this side, SOUTH, and the other moves to this side, NORTH, and it is so with all of them, ALSO EASTWARD AND WESTWARD, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT. The four shapes of the face appear in them, MEANING IN THESE CROCODILES, AND ARE LION, OX, EAGLE AND MAN, FOR THEY ARE DRAWN FROM THE THREE COLUMNS AND MALCHUT THAT RECEIVES THEM, WHICH IS THE FACE OF A MAN. When they are joined within the one WHICH IS MALCHUT, it is written, "As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man" (Yechezkel 1:10). THIS MEANS the face of all of them, NAMELY THE THREE SHAPES OF LION, OX, EAGLE, RECEIVES A HUMAN FACE LIKE MALCHUT WHEN ALL ARE INCLUDED IN IT.

77. Large faces REPRESENT THE MOCHIN OF GREATNESS and small faces, MEANING MOCHIN OF SMALLNESS, join together above, IN ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. Two, MEANING THE TWO COLUMNS - RIGHT AND CENTRAL - rise and wander with two shovels in their hands. A thousand mountains rise and arrive daily TO DRAW NOURISHMENT from the potions of that sea, NAMELY BINAH, AS THE LIGHT OF CHOCHMAH ALSO KNOWN AS A THOUSAND MOUNTAINS IS DRAWN THROUGH BINAH ALONE. Afterwards, they are pulled away from it, FROM BINAH, and move into the other sea, NAMELY MALCHUT.

78. There is no count to those holding on to the hair OF MALCHUT, MEANING THE JUDGMENTS THEREIN NAMED HAIR. Two sons suckle daily FROM MALCHUT called the spies of the earth and this is the secret written in the Hidden Book (Heb. Safra Det'zeniuta) AT THE END OF TRUMAH, "And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shitim two men to spy secretly, saying" (Yehoshua 2:1). These TWO SONS nurturing from under the sides of the wings OF MALCHUT ARE THE SECRET OF CHESED AND GVURAH. Now two daughters, WHOSE SECRET IS TWO HARLOTS, are under the feet OF MALCHUT, MEANING NETZACH AND HOD OF MALCHUT. Therefore, it is written ABOUT THEM, "And the sons of Elohim saw the daughters of men" (Beresheet 6:2). They, THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE KLIPAH, hold on to the nails of that bed, NAMELY MALCHUT, AS HER NAILS MEAN THE BACK PART OF THE FINGERS OF THE HANDS AND FEET. This is what the verse teaches us, "Then came there two women, that were harlots, to the king" (I Melachim 3:16), "Then came" but not before. And when Yisrael are down, turning their backs on the Holy One, blessed be He, it is written, "As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them" (Yeshayah 3:12), surely REFERRING TO THE TWO WOMEN MENTIONED ABOVE.

79. In the left hand, MEANING FROM THE LEFT COLUMN OF MALCHUT, seventy branches COME OUT, WHO ARE THE SEVENTY CHIEFTAINS OF THE WORLD NATIONS, who are raised among the fish of the sea, REPRESENTING THE LEVELS OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH OF THE LEFT, REFERRED TO AS FISH. THE SEA MEANS MALCHUT. All of them are red like a rose, BECAUSE OF THE JUDGMENTS WITHIN THEM, AS THE JUDGMENTS OF THE LEFT ARE RED. Above them, one branch is extremely red. THAT IS THE HARSHEST JUDGMENT OF ALL, NAMELY SAMAEL. It goes up and down, MEANING ATTRACTS CHOCHMAH FROM ABOVE DOWNWARD. IT IS HE WHO RODE ON THE SERPENT AND ENTICED ADAM TO DRAW CHOCHMAH FROM ABOVE DOWNWARD, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. All of them are covered with hair OF MALCHUT, MEANING HER JUDGMENTS REFFERED TO AS HAIRS.

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.

81. When the countless spearmen and swordsmen rise around these supernal sixty MIGHTY MEN THAT STEM FROM THE LEFT COLUMN, who circle the bed, NAMELY MALCHUT, AND THE LEFT JOINS THE RIGHT BECAUSE OF THEM, THEN thousands upon thousands and tens of ten thousands stand along all sides of THAT supernal bed. From it, THE BED WHICH IS MALCHUT, they are sustained and all rise in its presence, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE VERSE, "SHE RISES ALSO WHILE IT IS YET NIGHT" (MISHLEI 31:15).

82. Underneath all of them, MEANING BELOW ALL LEVELS OF HOLINESS MENTIONED BEFORE, many thousands and tens of thousands OF KLIPOT come out, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SECRET MEANING OF THE VERSE, "A THOUSAND SHALL FALL AT YOUR SIDE, AND TEN THOUSAND AT YOUR RIGHT HAND: BUT IT SHALL NOT COME NEAR YOU" (TEHILIM 91:7). They come down and wander through the world until the Shofar blowers blow, THAT IS THE SECRET OF UNITY OF THE THREE COLUMNS - KNOWN AS FIRE, WATER AND AIR - THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE SOUND EMANATING FROM THE SHOFAR. Then they reassemble and hold to the scum found in the nails, NAMELY IN THE REFUSE MATTER OF THE ILLUMINATION OF THE BACK SIDE KNOWN AS NAILS, AS MENTIONED ABOVE.

83. This bed, NAMELY MALCHUT, includes them, NAMELY ALL THOSE LEVELS MENTIONED ABOVE. This bed's legs link to the four directions of the world, MEANING IT CONTAINS IN IT THE FOUR SFIROT OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT - WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THREE COLUMNS AND MALCHUT THAT RECEIVES THEM. Everything is counted, BOTH what there is above, NAMELY THE GRADES OF ZEIR ANPIN, AND what is below, NAMELY HER OWN GRADES. THIS IS THE SECRET OF "in heaven above," NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, "and upon the earth beneath" (Devarim 4:39), NAMELY MALCHUT, KNOWN AS EARTH. Therefore, it is written, "Behold," MEANING "BEHOLD THE BED OF SOLOMON." What is meant by "Behold?" It means it is ready TO SHED LIGHT to all above and below, and this bed is impressed by all. It is called Adonai, which means master (Heb. adon) over all, marked among its armies.

84. Because of this, the priest needs to meditate upon sublime matters, to unify the Holy Name from that place that requires unity, MEANING TO DRAW IN THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH ONLY TO MALCHUT. Therefore, we learned that it is written, "Thus (with zot) shall Aaron come into the holy place" (Vayikra 16:3). Through zot, DENOTING MALCHUT, he needs to bring holiness near its place AND TO EXPEL THE OTHER SIDE, WHICH DESIRES TO DRAW FROM HER THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH FROM ABOVE DOWNWARD. From this place, FROM MALCHUT, man needs to fear the Holy One, blessed be He, MEANING THAT WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH THAT IS REVEALED AT MALCHUT HARSH JUDGMENTS THAT PUNISH THE WICKED AND MOVE THE OTHER SIDE FAR AWAY ARE ALSO REVEALED. AS A RESULT, ONE FEARS HER. About this, it is written, "O that they were wise, that they understood this (Heb. zot)" (Devarim 32:29). Immediately, "they would consider their latter end" (Ibid.). This means that if people would look at the penalty AND SEE how ZOT, NAMELY MALCHUT, is united together with her hosts, MEANING SHE GIVES LIGHT TO THEM ONLY FROM THE ASPECT OF BELOW UPWARDS, and how all these members of the hosts, who are attached to her to serve her were appointed before her to punish and repay the wicked, WHO WISH TO DRAW DOWN HER LIGHT FROM ABOVE DOWNWARDS, immediately "they will understand their latter end" and pay attention to their deeds and not sin before the Holy King.

85. Rabbi Shimon said further, this Zot keeps everyone who merits to learn Torah and keep Zot, NAMELY MALCHUT, and makes another covenant with him, in addition to the existing covenant, that she will not part from him, from his children or grandchildren eternally. This is the meaning of the verse, "As for me, this is My covenant with them..." (Yeshayah 59:21). They sat down to eat. As they were eating, Rabbi Shimon said to his friends: Each one of you should say some new thoughts of the Torah at the table in the presence of Rabbi Pinchas.