The singers Heiman, Yedutun and Asaf

145. "And he shall go out to the altar that is before Hashem, and make atonement for it" (Vayikra 16:18). Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion saying, "A psalm of Asaf. El, Elohim, Hashem, has spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof" (Tehilim 50:1). We have learned that 1,550 tens of thousands of singers sing to the Holy One, blessed be He, with the first light of day, and 1,548 with the FIRST LIGHT OF moon, MEANING NIGHT. Another 1,590 tens of thousands SING PRAISE at the time of twilight.

146. Rabbi Yosi EXPLAINS THE WORDS OF RABBI YEHUDA, saying that with the light of day, all those who wail, MEANING THOSE DRAWN FROM THE LEFT COLUMN, SINCE FROM WHERE JUDGMENTS ARE DRAWN THEY WAIL CONSTANTLY. AND they praise with words of praise towards this morning, WHICH IS THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM, because with the stirring of this morning, they all find fragrance, and Judgment is stilled. Thus they say words of praise. This is what is written, "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of Elohim shouted for joy" (Iyov 38:7). At this time, joy and blessings are found in the world when the Holy One, blessed be He, stirs Abraham, FOR HE IS THE SECRET OF CHESED, to revive him, and take pleasure in him and make him ruler over the world. THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE RULE BY DAY. How do we know that this morning is of Abraham, NAMELY CHESED? From the verse, "And Abraham rose up early in the morning" (Beresheet 22:3).

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.

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.

149. Rabbi Yosi said: After the north wind is stirred at midnight and then moves on, BEING THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH OF THE LEFT SIDE CALLED THE NORTH WIND, THEN the praises can be proclaimed until the advent of morning. When this morning is stirred, WHICH IS THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM, joy and blessings are prevalent on the world, WHICH ARE NOT CALLED 'PRAISES' AS DESCRIBED IN THE PREVIOUS PARAGRAPH.

150. We have learned that Rabbi Aba said: EVERYTHING THAT RABBI YEHUDA AND RABBI YOSI SAID is so. Above them are three Chiefs. HE EXPLAINS: At that time, when this morning is awakened and the praises are roused of all the 1,550 tens of thousands, there is appointed upon them one chief by the name of Heiman who counters HEIMAN of below, WHO IS MENTIONED IN TEHILIM. Under his offlicialdom, officers are appointed over them to set up the hymns. HEIMAN EQUALS THE LETTERS IN YEMIN (LIT. 'RIGHT'), AS HE DRAWS HIS STRENGTH FROM THE RIGHT.

151. When the period of twilight is activated and all 1,590 tens of thousands of lamenters are singing praise, there is appointed upon them one chief named Yedutun, who counters YEDUTUN from below MENTIONED IN TEHILIM. Beneath him chief officials are appointed to improve that song, as the verse states, "The song of tyrants" (Yeshayah 25:5), WHICH REFERS TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WICKED, AS EVEN THEIR MELODIES DEVASTATE THE WICKED. IN YEDUTUN ARE THE LETTERS OF YAD (ENG. 'HAND') AND YADUN (ENG. 'HE WILL JUDGE'), WHICH INDICATES THAT HE IS FROM THE LEFT HAND AND THAT JUDGMENTS STEM FROM HIM.

152. With the arrival of night, all these ANGELS who are outside of the veil stir MEANING THOSE THAT ARE DRAWN FROM THE BACK OF MALCHUT AND FROM HER EXTERNAL PART. Then, everything is stilled and there is no opening IN THE DOOR. The Judgments from below, THOSE OF MALCHUT - THE LOWEST OF ALL SFIROT - are all aroused, MEANING ALL THE JUDGMENTS are assigned together, these over those until midnight. After the assembly of all THE ANGELS THAT ARE DRAWN FROM THE CENTRAL COLUMN after midnight, one minister is appointed over them; he gathers all the camps, as the verse says, "The rearward (Heb. me'asef) of all camps" (Bemidbar 10:25). His name is Asaf (Eng. 'he gathered'), and he corresponds to ASAF down below, WHO IS MENTIONED IN TEHILIM. All appointed ministers and heralds of praise are under his tutelage.

153. This goes on until morning. When morning arrives, the youth rises, METATRON, who is nurtured at the breast of his mother, MALCHUT, to cleanse them, NAMELY THE ANGELS OF THE NIGHT, and he comes in to serve. The early morning is a period of goodwill when the Queen talks with the King, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. The King extends from Himself a single thread of blessings, NAMELY CHASSADIM, and spreads over the Queen and those allied with her, NAMELY those that toil in Torah at midnight.

154. Rabbi Shimon said: How fortunate is the share of he who comes with the Queen when she welcomes the King, ZEIR ANPIN, to talk with Him, for he is with her at the time when the King extends His right hand, DENOTING THE LIGHTS OF CHASSADIM, to receive the Queen, as it is written, "If I take the wings of dawn, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea" (Tehilim 139:9). What is "uttermost parts of the sea?" This is the hour OF MORNING WHEN SHE WELCOMES ZEIR ANPIN, the uttermost parts of the sea, MALCHUT. The middle OF THE NIGHT is then her beginning, AS THEN SHE BEGINS TO SHINE, and it pertains to Judgment, AS LONG AS NIGHT PREVAILS, DUE TO LACK OF CHASSADIM TO CLOTHE HER CHOCHMAH. WITH THE ARRIVAL OF MORNING, it is her "uttermost parts," as her Judgments end and she enters beneath the wings of the King, DENOTING ZEIR ANPIN, AS IF TO SAY SHE IS CLOTHING HERSELF WITH HIS CHASSADIM, she and all those RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE joined with her. The verse states, "And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea."

155. We have learned that all those toiling in Torah in the middle of the night join with the Shechinah. When the morning arrives and the Queen, NAMELY THE SHECHINAH, joins with the King, ZEIR ANPIN, they too are with the King, and the King spreads His wings over all of them. This is the meaning of, "Yet Hashem will command His steadfast love in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me" (Tehilim 42:9).

156. We have learned that at that hour, THE ARRIVAL OF MORNING, the Patriarchs - NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN - meet with the Queen and proceed to speak with her and join us with her. The Holy One, blessed be He, ZEIR ANPIN, speaks with her through them, and He calls her to spread His wings upon her. This is the meaning of the verse, "A psalm of Asaf. El, Elohim, Hashem, has spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof." El refers to light of Chochmah and is called Chesed, NAMELY THE RIGHT COLUMN, DENOTING CHESED THAT RISES TO BECOME CHOCHMAH. Elohim denotes Gvurah, REFERRING TO THE LEFT COLUMN. Hashem refers to total perfection, to mercy, NAMELY THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT BRINGS TOGETHER RIGHT TO LEFT. Therefore, THE CENTRAL COLUMN "has spoken and called the earth," DENOTING MALCHUT, AND IN THAT IT PERFECTS MALCHUT.