lighting on me as appeasement

Synopsis

From the words of Rabbi Shimon and Moses, as they continue speaking about Jacob's encounter with the angels, we come to understand that there were two camps, the daytime angels and the night time angels, and that Jacob could not see them at night. We also learn the difference between 'coming upon,' meaning appeasement, and 'lighting on,' meaning union. In the evening prayer, a person seeks for Adonai, the Shechinah, with entreaties, and he seeks for mercy from God.

Relevance

Sexual connections between husband and wife are imbued with spiritual purpose and Light. The Upper and Lower worlds are wedded, allowing mercy and Light to permeate our existence. The Evil Inclination and the influences of wicked angels are abated. We can meditate to cleanse the world of negativity caused by improper sexual relationships, which are those that lack the correct spiritual intent. Moreover, we can meditate to awaken all the Light that has been generated by the intimate relations that took place between the great sages and their soulmates throughout history. This Light embodies the mystical forces associated with the evening prayer and now corrects the physical world of Malchut.

Bride Sun

Light Lights Shepherd Sun

239. The Faithful Shepherd said: If this is so, what is the meaning of "because the sun was set (Heb. ki va)," which is here explained homiletically, THAT 'KI VA' IS derived from extinguishing (Heb. kviyah), and so "because the sun was set" MEANS WHEN THE LIGHT OF THE SUN WAS EXTINGUISHED. However, what we can learn from this is that whoever unites with the wife must extinguish the lights at night, and that the sages do not advocate sexual intercourse by the light of day, but only by night, with modesty. When, therefore, does one stay overnight? SCRIPTURE SAYS: When the sun has set, namely after the light of the sun has turned away from the world.

239. אָמַר רַעְיָא מְהֵימָנָא, אִי הָכִי מַאי נִיהוּ כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ דְּהָא אֹרַח דְּרָשָׁא אוּקְמוּהָ, לְשׁוֹן כְּבִיָּיה, וְהַיְינוּ כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ. אֶלָּא מֵהָכָא אוֹלִיפְנָא, מַאן דִּמְיַיחֵד בְּאִתְּתֵיהּ, צָרִיךְ בְּלֵילְיָא לְמִכְבֵּי שְׁרָגָא, וּבִימָמָא לָאו אֹרַח דְּרַבָּנָן לְשַׁמֵּשׁ מִטָּתָן, אֶלָּא בַּלַּיְלָה, אֹרַח צִנְעָא. וּבְגִין דָּא, מָתַי אִתְעָבֵיד לִינָה. כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, דְּאִתְפְּנֵי שִׁמְשָׁא מֵעָלְמָא.

Angels Camp Evil Evil Inclination Good Inclination Jacob Laban Morning Sun Torah Zeir Anpin

240. For this reason, just as one has to cover oneself up from the sun, so does one have to cover oneself from the angels who are from the Good Inclination on the right in a number of camps, AS WELL AS FROM THE ANGELS WHO ARE from the Evil Inclination that goes on the left in a number of camps. And so it was that after the morning had dawned, Jacob spoke when he saw the angels, FOR AT NIGHT HE DID NOT SEE THEM. And there was no one with Jacob, the plain man, WHO IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN except for the camps of the King and the Queen, WHO ARE CALLED 'THE DAYTIME ANGELS' AND 'THE NIGHTTIME ANGELS.' This is why "And he called the name of that place Machanaim (lit. 'two camps')" (Beresheet 32:3). About the daytime angels, WHO ARE OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHO IS CALLED 'DAY,' it is written: "And when Jacob saw them, he said: This is Elohim's camp" (Ibid.), FOR ZEIR ANPIN IS CALLED 'THIS.' And when the nighttime angels came, NAMELY THOSE OF MALCHUT WHO IS CALLED 'NIGHT,' who gathered around him to protect him, it is said: "And he called the name of that place Machanaim (lit. 'two camps')." AND THERE IS NO DIFFICULTY HERE, FOR THE VERSE "WHEN JACOB SAW THEM" IS WRITTEN ABOUT THE TIME AFTER HE HAD RETURNED FROM LABAN, FOR 'THE TORAH IS NOT IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.'

240. וּבְגִין דָּא, אוֹף הָכִי דְּצָרִיךְ לְאִתְכַּסְּיָיא מִן שִׁמְשָׁא, וְהָכִי צָרִיךְ לְאִתְכַּסְּיָיא מֵאִלֵּין מַלְאֲכִין, דְּאִינּוּן מִיֵּצֶר הַטּוֹב מִימִינָא, בְּכַמָּה מַשִׁרְיָין. וּמִיֵצֶר הָרָע, דְּאָזִיל לִשְׂמָאלָא בְּכַמָּה מַשִׁרְיָין. וּבְגִין דָּא, בָּתַר דְּאָתָא צַפְרָא, אָמַר כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָם. וּמִסִּטְרָא דְּיַעֲקֹב דַּהֲוָה אִישׁ תָּם, לָא הֲוָה עִמֵּיהּ אֶלָּא חַיָּילִין דְּמַלְכָּא וּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא. וּבְגִין דָּא וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא מַחֲנָיִם. אִינּוּן מַלְאֲכִין דִּימָמָא כְּתִיב. כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָם מַחֲנֶה אֱלֹֹהִים זֶה. וְכַד אָתוּ מַלְאָכִים דְּלֵילְיָא, דְּאִתְכְּנָשׁוּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ, לְנַטְרָא לֵיהּ אָמַר וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא מַחֲנָיִם.

Bride Lebanon Prayer Torah Unity

241. THE AUTHOR HERE WISHES TO RECONCILE WHAT HE SAID INITIALLY ON "AND HE LIGHTED ON A CERTAIN PLACE," THAT "THERE IS NO 'COMING UPON' THAT IS NOT PRAYER" AND WHAT HE SAID LATER, NAMELY THAT 'COMING UPON' MEANS APPEASEMENT WHEN A GROOM COMES TO A BRIDE...ACCORDING TO WHICH "AND HE LIGHTED ON A CERTAIN PLACE" MEANS THE UNITY OF BRIDE AND GROOM. AND THIS IS WHAT HE SAYS: Since prayer is a bride, NAMELY MALCHUT, as it is said: "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, with me from Lebanon" (Shir Hashirim 4:8), THUS MALCHUT is here called "with me" (Heb. iti). And in the written Torah, it is said about her: "Behold, there is a place by Me (Heb. iti)" (Shemot 33:21). HENCE 'A PLACE' IS MALCHUT, AS IS 'WITH ME.' And since MALCHUT is called 'a place' in this world, it is said about her: "And he lighted on a certain place, and tarried there all night" (Beresheet 28:11).

241. בְּגִין דִּצְלוֹתָא אִיהִי כַּלָּה, הה"ד אִתִּי מִלְּבָנוֹן כַּלָּה אִתִּי וְגוֹ.' אִתְקְרֵי הָכָא אִתִּי. וּבְאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּבִכְתָב אִתְּמַר עָלָהּ, הִנֵּה מָקוֹם אִתִּי. וּבְגִין דְּאִיהִי אִתְקְרִיאַת מָקוֹם בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, אִתְּמַר בָּהּ וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם.

Jeremiah Rebecca War

242. And for this reason, she says: "O that I were in the wilderness, in a lodging place of wayfaring men" (Yirmeyah 9:1), for then she would have been independent, without those who turn her sin downwards, and without her groom. And whenever a man prays, the Holy One, blessed be He, precedes him and protects her. And the secret of the matter is to be found in the verse: "And the man (Heb. ish) wondering at her" (Beresheet 24:21), for whenever the word Ish (Eng. 'man') is used the reference is to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: "Hashem is a man (Heb. ish) of war" (Shemot 15:3). "And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rivkah (Resh Bet Kof Hei) came out" (Beresheet 24:15), just as "and his arrow (Heb. habarak, Hei Bet Resh Kof) shall go forth like the lightning" (Zecharyah 9:14).

242. ובג"ד אִיהִי אַמְרַת, מִי יִתְּנֵנִי בַמִּדְבָּר מְלוֹן אוֹרְחִים. דַּהֲוַת רְשׁוּ בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ, וְלָאו עִם אִינּוּן דְּקַבְעִין לָהּ חוֹבָה עִמְּהוֹן, בְּלָא חָתָן דִּילָהּ. וּבְכָל שַׁעֲתָא דב"נ מְצַלֵּי, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַקְדִּים וְנָטַר לֵהּ. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה, וְהָאִישׁ מִשְׁתָּאֵה לָהּ. וְלֵית אִישׁ, אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. הה"ד יְיָ' אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה. וַיְהִי הוּא טֶרֶם כִּלָה לְדַבֵּר וְהִנֵּה רִבְקָה יוֹצֵאת, כְּגוֹן וְיָצָא כַּבָּרָק חִצּוֹ.

Adonai Hebrew Letters Mercy Mochin Prayer Shechinah Ten Tetragrammaton Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

243. You might argue that the sages taught that in a gathering of ten the Shechinah is preceding to come among them, but does not come for a single one until he sits down, AND WHAT DID I SAY? THAT WHENEVER A MAN PRAYS, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, PRECEDES AND RECEIVES HIM, NAMELY, EVEN A SINGLE PERSON. HE ANSWERS THAT THE EXPLANATION IS AS FOLLOWS: In the case of ten, there is Yud (= 10) before Hei; THAT IS TO SAY, IF THERE IS YUD HEI, THE MOCHIN OF CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, FOR THE YUD INCLUDES THE HEI ALSO, THEN THE SHECHINAH, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF HEI, COMES. In the case of one, who is Vav: IF THE VAV IS ALONE WITHOUT YUD HEI, until he sits down AND RECEIVES THE MOCHIN OF YUD HEI the second Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI does not come to him. And the secret of the matter is that the Hei THAT IS MALCHUT does not come to a place where Yud Hei are not. Whoever wishes to unite the letters YUD HEI AND VAV HEI must pray with supplications and entreaties, this being the reason for the verse: "And I besought Hashem at that time, SAYING "ADONAI ELOHIM, YOU HAVE BEGUN..." (Devarim 3:23-24), for Adonai, which is the Shechinah, is sought with entreaties, and mercy is sought from the Holy One, blessed be He. And up to here IS THE EXPLANATION FOR ARVIT.

243. וְאִי תֵּימְרוּן, דְּהָא אוּקְמוּהָ רַבָּנָן, לְעַשְׂרָה קַדְמָא שְׁכִינְתָּא וְאַתְיָא, לְאֶחָד עַד דְּיֵתִיב. לְעַשְׂרָה דְּהִיא י' קַדְמָה ה.' לְאֶחָד דְּאִיהוּ ו,' עַד דְּיָתִיב, לָא אַתְיָא לְגַבֵּיהּ ה' תִּנְיָינָא. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה, דְּבַאֲתָר דְּלֵית תַּמָּן יָ"הּ, לָא אַתְיָא תַּמָּן ה.' וּמַאן דְּבָעֵי לְיַחֲדָא אַתְוָון, צָרִיךְ בִּתְחִנָּה וּבְתַחֲנוּנֵי. ובג"ד, וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל יְיָ,' בַּאֲדֹנָ"י לִשְׁכִינְתָּא בְּתַחֲנוּנִים. וּלְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּרַחֲמֵי, עַד הָכָא.