Raising the hands during prayer

122. Rabbi Shimon said: "I raise my hands in high to prayer," AS HE BEGAN TO REVEAL THE ORDER OF THE EMANATIONS OF THE UPPER THREE SFIROT OF ARICH ANPIN, WHICH ARE CALLED KETER, THE 'BRAIN (HEB. MOACH) OF AIR,' AND THE 'CONCEALED BRAIN (MOACH).' HE ALSO BEGANTO REVEAL HOW TO RISE UP TO THE 'UNKNOWN HEAD,' WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE ENDLESS WORLD (HEB. EIN-SOF), BLESSED BE HE. BECAUSE THIS ISSUE IS AN EXALTED AND VERY SECRET MATTER, HE PRAYED SO THAT THE REVELATION OF THESE SECRETS WOULD BE ACCEPTED BEFORE HASHEM, BLESSED BE HE. When the supernal desire at the highest point above, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF KETER OF ARICH ANPIN, is established upon the forever unknown and ungraspable desire, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE HEAD OF ATIK CALLED THE 'UNKNOWN HEAD,' KETER OF ARICH ANPIN becomes the most concealed Head above. And that Head emanates something that is unknown, WHICH IS THE BRAIN OF AIR OF ARICH ANPIN. And He illuminates all that He illuminates in a concealed manner, WHICH IS THE CONCEALED BRAIN OF ARICH ANPIN, AS SHALL BE FURTHER EXPLAINED.

123. The desire of the supernal thought, WHICH IS KETER OF ARICH ANPIN, CALLED THE SUPERNAL WILL. AFTER IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AS THE HEAD, IT IS CALLED "SUPERNAL THOUGHT." But as it desires to run after THE UNKNOWN HEAD TO SHINE FROM IT, a veil spreads BETWEEN THE UNKNOWN HEAD AND KETER, and from within the veil the light reaches yet does not reach it. THE VEIL HINDERS IT FROM REACHING THERE. Something shines upward toward the veil, BUT NOT FROM THERE DOWNWARD. Therefore supernal Thought shines with unrevealed illumination TO THE CONCEALED BRAIN (MOACH), and with light unknown TO THE BRAIN OF AIR." But Thought itself, WHICH IS KETER - is considered unknown.

124. Then, the illumination of the Unknown Thought hits upon the illumination of the veil that stands and shines from what is unknown BY THE 'BRAIN OF AIR,' from what is not known, BY KETER, and what is unrevealed IN THE 'CONCEALED BRAIN.' Thus, the illumination of the Thought that is not known, WHICH IS THE UNKNOWN HEAD, hits upon the veil's illumination, and they shine together. And from them, nine chambers are made IN THE UNKNOWN HEAD.

125. These chambers are not lights, AS ARE THE NINE LIGHTS OF ARICH ANPIN IN THEIR ORIGINAL LOCATION. And they are neither Ruchot nor Neshamot, and nobody can understand what they are. BECAUSE THE LIGHT OF THE EIN SOF, BLESSED BE HE, SHINES UPON THE UNKNOWN HEAD, THE NINE CHAMBERS THEREIN ARE AS THE EIN SOF, WHICH NO MIND CAN GRASP, AS SHALL BE EXPLAINED. The desire of all nine lights OF THE THREE HEADS OF ARICH ANPIN which can be grasped by thought, NAMELY IN THEIR LOCATION IN ARICH ANPIN, WHICH IS CALLED THOUGHT that is also considered one of them. THE DESIRE OF ALL IS to pursue THE NINE CHAMBERS IN WHICH THEY ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE UNKNOWN HEAD, while THE NINE LIGHTS are located in Thought, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN. Nevertheless, THE CHAMBERS are not attained and not known TO THE NINE LIGHTS because they are not established as either AN ASPECT OF desire or as AN ASPECT OF supernal Thought, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN. They grasp it yet do not grasp. All the secrets of Faith are present in AND BASED ON THESE NINE CHAMBERS. And all of these lights come from the secret of supernal Thought, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN, AND ALL OF THE NINE CHAMBERS ORIGINATE FROM IT and all are called Ein Sof. Because the lights reach and do not reach this point, and are unknown, there is no desire or thought at this point.

126. When Thought shines from an unknown source, NAMELY FROM THE BRAIN OF AIR, IT IS ENCLOTHED AND COVERED BY BINAH. It shines upon whom it shines, and they enter each other until they are as one.

127. Returning to the secret of the sacrifice: when it rises ON THE ALTAR, all are enmeshed within one another and shine one upon the other. Now all the grades are in a state of rising and, WHEN IT ASCENDS TO THE UNKNOWN HEAD, THOUGHT, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN, it is crowned by the Ein Sof. And FROM EIN SOF comes ARICH ANPIN. It is established and shines upon whom It shines. All is based upon this, ON THE DRAWING OF THE LIGHT OF EIN SOF BY ARICH ANPIN TO THE WORLDS, AS HAS BEEN EXPLAINED. Happy are the righteous WHO RAISE UP THE 'FEMALE WATERS' AND UNIFY THE AFOREMENTIONED EXALTED COMBINATIONS in this world and the World to Come, (AS THEY INHERIT BOTH WORLDS.)

128. Come and behold: this 'End of all Flesh,' means that the attachment takes place in joy above IN BINAH AND IN ARICH ANPIN. The same applies below TO ZEIR ANPIN, THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, AND THE LOWER WORLDS. AND THE ATTACHMENT OF EVERY LOWER GRADE TO EVERY UPPER ONE OCCURS in happiness and in a desire to share fulfillment with everything above and below, EVEN TO THE 'END OF ALL FLESH;' and Ima, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, dwells properly upon Yisrael.

129. Come and behold every first day of the month, when the moon renews herself, OR, IN OTHER WORDS, THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE RENEWS HERSELF BY MATING WITH ZEIR ANPIN. Then, the 'End of all Flesh' is given an extra portion, WHICH IS THE SCAPEGOAT OF THE NEW MOON, which is added to the REGULAR sacrifices. Thus, he is occupied by it and uses his portion. SO, THE NEW MOON'S SCAPEGOAT RENEWS THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LEFT SIDE, FROM WHICH THE 'END OF ALL FLESH' IS REPLENISHED. Hence, the RIGHT side of Yisrael remains for them alone so that they can unify with their King. This is why THEY OFFER THE SCAPEGOAT, ALSO CALLED 'Hairy' (Heb. se'ir), because it belongs to the part of Esau, who is described as being hairy, as it is written: "Esau my brother is a hairy (Heb. sa'ir) man" (Beresheet 27:11). Thus, THE 'END OF ALL FLESH' uses his part OF ESAU, WHICH IS THE LEFT SIDE, while Yisrael uses their part, WHICH IS THE RIGHT. Thus, it is written: "For Yah has chosen Jacob to Himself, Yisrael for His peculiar possession" (Tehilim 135:4).

130. Come and behold: the sole desire of this 'End of all Flesh' is flesh alone. All that is done with the flesh in any instance is only for his sake. That is why he is called the 'End of all Flesh.' And when he rules, he rules over the body, WHICH IS THE FLESH, but not over the soul. The soul returns to its place, WHILE THE BODY, NAMELY the flesh, is given over to this place, NAMELY THE 'END OF ALL FLESH.' It is the same with the offering, as the desire goes to one place and the flesh to another.

131. A person who is righteous is HIMSELF a sacrifice given for atonement, BECAUSE HE SACRIFICES HIS OWN DESIRE, OVERCOMING HIS WILL. But a person, who is not righteous, is not accepted as a sacrifice because he is blemished. As it is written: "For it shall not be acceptable for you" (Vayikra 22:20). So the righteous alone atone for the world and are accepted as sacrifices in this world. Come and behold: "And Elohim said to Noah, the End of all Flesh is come before Me" (Beresheet 6:13), NAMELY, THE OTHER SIDE. And it came to receive permission to darken the faces of humankind. So that is why "I will destroy them with the earth" (Ibid.).

132. Come and behold: it is written, "And Noah was 600 years old" (Beresheet 7:6). AND HE ASKS: Why does the verse count THE YEARS OF NOAH? AND HE ANSWEREד: If Noah was not 600 years old, he would not have entered the ark and unit with it. Because he became complete with 600 years, he unit with it.

133. From the day that the sins of the people were completed, FROM THE TIME THEY WERE DESERVING OF RECEIVING THEIR PUNISHMENT, the Holy One, blessed be He, still waited for them. He waited until Noah completed his 600 years and perfected himself as a righteous man. Only then did Noah enter the ark. And everything below is as above. IN OTHER WORDS, EVERYTHING WAS DONE BY DIVINE INSPIRATION FROM THE UPPER YESOD AND MALCHUT. THAT IS WHY IT IS WRITTEN: "And Noah was 600 years old," and not 'approximately 600.' FOR, AS WE HAVE SAID, HE HAD TO BE EXACTLY 600 YEARS OLD.