At times they are silent and at times they are speaking

Synopsis

This section tells about the arrangement of speech in prayer. The title refers to the beasts of fire in Ezekiel's vision, and we hear that they are silent when God speaks, even as Yisrael should be quiet when the Torah is being read. Those who are silent during prayer and Halachah will receive the reward of understanding.

Relevance

Understanding and truth blossom in our hearts and minds. The negative chatter, morbid thoughts, and self-destructive impulses that torment our mind are, at last, silenced. A quiet calm fills our being. The voice of the Creator will now be heard in our daily lives, speaking to us through our soul. It will be our intuition that forever guides us, as opposed to the chaotic rational consciousness that emanates from the side of the Evil Inclination.

In verse 315 the Zohar states: "For those who engage in the study of the Torah for its own sake, the waters of the Torah come forth for them corrected..." The water that comprises more than 65%?? of our body is now purified. Our cells flourish in this environment, engendering healing and well-being. This effect extends to the waters of our planet, which are corrected, healed, and purified. All water now possesses the properties of cleansing and healing!

Beasts Colors Congregation Correction (Tikun) Electrum Ezekiel Fire Mount Sinai Prayer Sinai Tikun (Correction) Torah

313. The third correction is the arrangement of speech in prayer, in which the living creatures of fire speak. And this is: "And I saw something like the color of electrum, like the appearance of fire round about enclosing it" (Yechezkel 1:27). This is the secret of the electrum: that those living creatures of fire sometimes are silent and at other times speak. AND THEY ARE THE SECRET OF THE CONGREGATION LISTENING TO THE READING OF THE TORAH, for they are silent before the Torah scroll at this time when speech emerges from the mouth of the reader, for they consider it as though they were receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai. And when THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, said: "I am..." (Shemot 20:2), nothing but His speech was heard, no other sound nor speech of the living creatures. AND THEREFORE, SINCE THE ONE WHO READS IN THE TORAH IS IN THE PLACE OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, ON SINAI, IT IS NECESSARY THEN TO BE QUIET.

313. תִּקּוּנָא תְּלִיתָאָה סֵדֶר דִּבּוּרָא דִּצְלוֹתָא, דְּבֵיהּ חֵיוָן אֶשָּׁא מְמַלְּלָן. וְהַאי הִיא וָאֵרֶא כְּעֵין חַשְׁמַל כְּמַרְאֵה אֵשׁ בֵּית לָהּ סָבִיב. הַאי אִיהוּ רָזָא דְּחַשְׁמַל. דְּאִינּוּן חֵיוָן אֶשָּׁא, עִתִּים חָשׁוֹת עִתִּים מְמַלְּלוֹת. וְאִינּוּן דְּחָשׁוֹת לס"ת, בְּזִמְנָא דְּדִבּוּר נָפִיק מִפִּי הַקּוֹרֵא, אִיהוּ חָשִׁיב לְגַבַּיְיהוּ, כְּאִלּוּ מְקַבְּלִים אוֹרַיְיתָא בְּטוּרָא דְּסִינַי. וּבְזִמְנָא דְּאָמַר אִיהוּ אָנֹכִי, לָא אִשְׁתְּמַע קָלָא, וְלָא דִּבּוּרָא אַחֲרָא דְּחֵיוָן, אֶלָּא דִּילֵיהּ.

Beasts Chassadim Fire Form Judgment Light Torah Unity

314. And likewise AS WE HAVE SAID REGARDING "I AM," SO IS IT ALWAYS when speech emerges from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He: the living creatures of fire are quiet, FOR THAT IS THE TIME OF THE UNIFICATION OF VOICE AND SPEECH. And when He is silent, NAMELY BEFORE THERE IS YET UNIFICATION OF VOICE AND SPEECH, THEN, the living creatures of fire are speaking. This is as it is written: "And all the people perceived the thunderings" (lit. 'voices') (Shemot 20:15), namely the voice of the living creatures who were roaring. "And the lightnings," which were emitted with the speech of the living creatures, with many types of melody before the King, FOR THIS WAS BEFORE THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, STARTED TO SPEAK. AND WHEN HE SAID: "I AM," THE LIVING CREATURES FELL QUIET AND NOTHING WAS TO BE HEARD EXCEPT HIS VOICE, AS EXPLAINED ABOVE. And those who are quiet at THE TIME OF THE READING FROM the scroll of the Torah have the same form as those living creatures WHO ARE QUIET AT THE TIME OF SPEECH OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, AS EXPLAINED ABOVE. And the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded THAT THE LIVING CREATURES be brought into the room that is like the appearance of fire round about enclosing it.

314. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, כַּד דִּבּוּרָא דָּא נָפִיק מִפּוּמֵיהּ דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, חַיוֹת אֵשׁ חָשׁוֹת. וּבְזִמְנָא דְּשָׁתִיק חַיוֹת אֵשׁ מְמַלְּלוֹת. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, וְכָל הָעָם רוֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלוֹת, קָלִין דְּחֵיוָן, דַּהֲווֹ שָׁאֲגִין. וְאֶת הַלַּפִּידִים, דַּהֲווֹ נָפְקִין בְּדִבּוּר דְּחֵיוָן, בְּכַמָּה מִינֵי נִגּוּן קֳדָם מַלְכָּא. וְאִלֵּין דְּאִינּוּן דְּחָשׁוֹת לס"ת, אִינּוּן בְּדִּיוּקְנַיְיהוּ דְּחֵיוָן. וּמָנֵי לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְאַעֲלָא לוֹן, בְּחֵדֶר דְּמַרְאֶה אֵשׁ בֵּית לָהּ.

Beasts Blessing Congregation Correction Eyes Fire Jeremiah Prayer Rock Torah Water Waters

315. Moreover, those who are silent during the prayer, during the eighteen blessings, FOR THAT IS WHERE THE UNIFICATION IS, will enter into the room of this appearance, NAMELY "LIKE THE APPEARANCE OF FIRE ROUND ABOUT ENCLOSING IT;" THIS WILL BE THEIR REWARD IN THE FUTURE. And also those who are silent before the Halachah, NAMELY THOSE WHO ARE SILENT IN ORDER TO HEAR AND UNDERSTAND THE PRACTICAL LAW AS EXPOUNDED BY THEIR RABBI, about which it is said: 'The reward of listening to the exposition of the Law is in the understanding thereof.' They will enter into the room, which is the palace of this vision, of the Torah, WHICH IS FIRE, about which it is said: "Is not My word like a fire? says Hashem; and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" (Yirmeyah 23:29). And the rock mentioned here is that about which it is said: "and speak to the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth its water" (Bemidbar 20:8), WHICH IS MALCHUT. For those who engage in the study of the Torah for its own sake, the waters of the Torah come forth for them fit to drink, and it is said about them: "And the congregation drank, and their beasts also" (Ibid. 11). But those who do not engage in the Torah for its own sake shall find that the waters emerge for them bitter, and about them it is said: "And they made their lives bitter with hard (Heb. kashah) bondage, in mortar (Heb. chomer), and in brick (Heb. levenim)" (Shemot 1:14). Kashah is with difficult questioning or apparent contradictions (Heb. kushya): chomer refers to the exegetical principle of inference from minor to major (Heb. kal vachomer); and, levenim means the elucidation (Heb. libun) of the Halachah.

315. וְעוֹד אִינּוּן דְּחָשׁוֹת בִּצְלוֹתָא בח"י בִּרְכָאן, יֵיעֲלוּן בְּחֵדֶר דְּמַרְאָה דָּא. וְעוֹד אִינּוּן דְּחָשׁוֹת לַהֲלָכָה, דְּאִתְּמַר בָּהּ, אַגְרָא דִּשְׁמַעְתְּתָא סְבָרָא, יֵיעֲלוּן בְּחֵדֶר דְּאִיהוּ הֵיכָל דְּמַרְאָה דָּא, דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, עָלָה אִתְּמַר הֲלֹא כֹה דְּבָרִי כָּאֵשׁ נְאֻם יְיָ' וּכְפַטִּישׁ יְפוֹצֵץ סָלַע. וְדָא סָלַע דְּאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע לְעֵינֵיהֶם וְנָתַן מֵימָיו. אִלֵּין דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלִין בָּהּ לִשְׁמָהּ, נָפִיק לוֹן מַיָּא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא מְתִיקָן, וְאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן, וַתֵּשְׁתְּ הָעֵדָה וּבְעִירָם. וְאִלֵּין דְּלָא מִשְׁתַּדְּלִין בָּהּ לִשְׁמָהּ, נָפִיק לוֹן מַיִם מְרִירִין, דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וַיְמָרֲרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה: דָּא קוּשְׁיָא. בְּחוֹמֶר: דָּא קַל וָחוֹמֶר. וּבִלְבֵנִים: בְּלִבּוּן הֲלָכָה.