"And their feet were straight feet"

Synopsis

The Faithful Shepherd undertakes a difficult explanation of a portion of Ezekiel's vision, from which we understand that people must run to the Torah and its precepts, and return in repentance.

Relevance

Repentance blooms in our hearts, opening up a door to the Upper Spheres. A ceaseless flow of Light pours out upon Creation.

We are connected to the angel Michael, who blankets the world with boundless Mercy, igniting and ensuring our Redemption through compassion, not destruction. The angel Gabriel fights on our behalf and triumphs over the left side (our Evil Inclination). Our prayers ascend to the Holy One through the power and secret of the "straight feet," and all mankind begins to walk in the way of the Light.

Atzilut Beasts Briyah Ezekiel Form Hosts Living Creatures Loins Metatron Righteous Shadai Thigh Worlds Zeir Anpin

316. The fourth and fifth corrections are, ."..from what appeared to be his loins upward, and from what appeared to be his loins downward" (Yechezkel 1:27), about which IT IS SAID that the legs of the living creatures are equivalent to all of them, and they are in the Sfirot of Netzach and Hod. FOR NETZACH AND HOD ARE CALLED 'LOINS,' AND "FROM WHAT APPEARED TO BE HIS LOINS UPWARD" IS NETZACH, AND "FROM WHAT APPEARED TO BE HIS LOINS DOWNWARD" IS HOD. And Metatron is a sign in His army, for he has the form of the Righteous, WHICH IS YESOD, FOR RIGHTEOUS, WHICH IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, is a letter in His heavenly hosts, IN ATZILUT, while Metatron is a sign in the earthly hosts, IN BRIYAH. Metatron has Shadai in him, AS HE HAS THE SAME NUMERICAL VALUE AS THE SHADAI, ABOUT WHOM IT IS SAID: "And the living creatures ran and returned like the appearance of a flash of lightning" (Ibid. 14).

316. תִּקּוּנָא רְבִיעָאָה וַחֲמִשָּׁאָה, מִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנָיו וּלְמָעְלָה וּמִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנָיו וּלְמַטָּה. דִּבְהוֹן שׁוֹקֵי הַחַיּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד כֻּלָן, וּבִסְפִירָן נֶצַח וְהוֹד. מְטַטְרוֹן אוֹת בְּצָבָא דִּילֵיהּ, וְאִיהוּ דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּצַדִּיק. דְּצַדִּיק אוֹת בְּצָבָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, וּמְטַטְרוֹן אִיהוּ אוֹת בְּצָבָא דִּלְתַתָּא. מְטַטְרוֹן שַׁדַּי בֵּיהּ, וְהַחַיּוֹת רָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב כְּמַרְאֵה הַבָּזָק.

Beasts Chariot Demons Ezekiel Patriarchs Point

317. וְרַגְלֵיהֶם רֶגֶל יְשָׁרָה, דְּרַגְלִין דְּמַזִּיקִין כֻּלְּהוּ עֲקָלָּתוֹן. וְרַגְלֵיהֶן, וְרַגְלִין דְּחֵיוָן, קַדִּישִׁין, אִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן וְרַגְלֵיהֶם רֶגֶל יְשָׁרָה, מִצַּד חַיָּה דְּאִיהוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּלִיל תְּלַת חֵיוָן, דְּאִתְּמַר בְּהוֹן הָאָבוֹת הֵן הֵן הַמֶּרְכָּבָה.

Beasts Brass Colors Ezekiel Female Male Metatron Ox Seas Serpent Shadai

318. "And the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot" (Ibid.) BECAUSE THEY ARE from the side of the living creature that is CALLED 'ox,' WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE LEFT COLUMN, AND THIS IS WHY THEY HAD A CALF'S FOOT. "And they sparkled like the color of burnished brass" (Ibid.), namely from the side of the slithering serpent that is in the sea and which ascends to the one on the dry land, NAMELY THAT ASCENDS TO FIGHT WITH THE SERPENT THAT IS ON THE DRY LAND. SERPENT (HEB. NACHASH) AND BRASS (HEB. NECHOSHET) ARE MALE AND FEMALE, WHICH ARE IN THE BRIGHTNESS, AND IT IS THEREFORE SAID: "AND THEY SPARKLED LIKE THE COLOR OF BURNISHED BRASS" NAMELY FROM THE SIDE OF THE SERPENT WHO ILLUMINATES IN THEM. "Ran (Heb. ratzo)" (Ibid. 14), WHICH IS SAID ABOUT THE LIVING CREATURES, is from the side of Nuriel, which has the same numerical number as ratzo. SIMILARLY, "and returned (Heb. vashov)," WHICH IS SAID ABOUT THE LIVING CREATURES, is from the side of Shadai, which has the same numerical value as 'vashov.' And this is the numerical value of Metatron. AND THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN EXPLAINED ABOVE.

318. וְכַף רַגְלֵיהֶם כְּכַף רֶגֶל עֵגֶל, מִסִּטְרָא דְּחַיָּה דְּאִיהוּ שׁוֹר. וְנוֹצְצִים כְּעֵין נְחוֹשֶׁת קָלָל, מִסִּטְרָא דְּנָחָשׁ בָּרִיחַ דְּיַמָּא. דְּאִיהוּ סָלִיק לְגַבֵּיהּ בְּיַבֶּשְׁתָּא. רָצוֹא, מִסִּטְרָא דְּנוּרִיאֵל, דְּסָלִיק רָצוֹא. וָשׁוֹב, מִסִּטְרָא דְּשַׁדַּי. דְּהָכִי סָלִיק בְּחוּשְׁבַּן. וְאִיהוּ סָלִיק מְטַטְרוֹן.

Angels Beasts East North Prayer Precepts Repentance Shabbat South Temple, The Torah West

319. And whenever Yisrael heard the voice OF TORAH AND PRAYER from the east, they would run to the east, and similarly to the west, and likewise to the south and to the north. The Holy One, blessed be He said to the ministering angels: "Those who run to the ordained prayer, and who run to hear the lesson on the Shabbat, and run to do My will and who repent, they are to be received in the temple of this appearance," NAMELY IN THE TEMPLE OF NETZACH AND HOD. For by these signs, THAT THEY RUN TO THE TORAH AND PRECEPTS AND RETURN IN REPENTANCE, NAMELY "RAN AND RETURNED," they are your friends. For they run and return in Torah, JUST AS THE LIVING CREATURES WHO "RAN AND RETURNED," in the speech of Halachah, and they are recorded with you, them you shall bring into this temple.

319. וְכַד הֲווֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל שַׁמְעִין קָלָא מִמִּזְרָח, הֲווֹ רָצִין תַּמָּן. וְלְמַּעֲרָב הָכִי, וְכֵן לַדָּרוֹם וְלַצָּפוֹן. אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת, אִלֵּין דְּרַהֲטִין לִצְלוֹתָא דְּמִצְוָה, וְרַהֲטִין לְפִרְקָא בְּשַׁבְּתָא, וְרַהֲטִין לְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתָא דִּילִי, וְתַיְיבִין בְּתִיּוּבְתָּא. קַבִּילוּ לוֹן בְּהֵיכָלָא דְּהַאי מַרְאָה, דִּבְאִלֵּין סִימָנִין, אִינּוּן חֲבֵרִים בַּהֲדַיְיכוּ, אִינּוּן דְּרָצִין וְשָׁבִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּדִבּוּרָא דַּהֲלָכָה, אִינּוּן רְשִׁימִין בַּהֲדַיְיכוּ, וְאָעִילוּ לוֹן בְּהַאי הֵיכָלָא.

Adonai Gabriel (Angel) Michael (Angel) Prayer Precepts Shechinah Tetragrammaton Torah Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

320. And so it is that when Yisrael pray, Michael flies round the world with one flap of his wings, and Gabriel with two, and when the speech emerges from Yisrael in Halachah, prayer, or any precept where the Shechinah is, they run to Her, TO THE SHECHINAH and return with Her, WITH THE SHECHINAH, on a mission from their Master, TO UNITE HER WITH YUD HEI VAV HEI. And in every place where the voice of Torah is heard, there the Holy One, blessed be He, is, and they run to that voice, and return with it on a mission from their Master. And whenever there is a voice without the Name Yud Hei Vav Hei being there, or speech without Adonai being there, MICHAEL AND GABRIEL do not run and return there. And this is why "their feet were straight feet," "for the ways of Hashem are straight" (Hoshea 14:10), THIS BEING THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, where the way is straight. And if the Name Yud Hei Vav Hei is not there, the way is not straight.

320. הָכִי כַּד מְצַלִין יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִיכָאֵ"ל טָאס עָלְמָא בְּטִיסָא חֲדָא. וְגַבְרִיאֵ"ל טָאס בִּתְרֵין טָאסִין. וְכַד נָפִיק דִּבּוּרָא מִיִשְׂרָאֵל, בַּהֲלָכָה, בִּצְלוֹתָא, וּבְכָל פִּקּוּדָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא תַּמָּן. אִינּוּן רָצִין לְגַבָּהּ, וְשָׁבִין בָּהּ בִּשְׁלִיחוּת מָארֵיהוֹן. וּבְכָל אֲתָר דְּשַׁמְעִין קָלָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּתַמָּן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אִינּוּן רָצִין לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא קָלָא, וְתַיְיבִין בָּהּ בִּשְׁלִיחוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן. דִּבְכָל קָלָא דְּשֵׁם יְדֹוָ"ד לֵית תַּמָּן, בְּדִבּוּרָא דְּלֵית תַּמָּן אֲדֹנָי, לָא רָצִין וְשָׁבִין תַּמָּן. ובג"ד, וְרַגְלֵיהֶם רֶגֶל יְשָׁרָה, כִּי יְשָׁרִים דַּרְכֵי יְדֹוָ"ד, בַּאֲתָר דַּיְדֹוָ"ד תַּמָּן, אִיהוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה. וְאִי לֵית תַּמָּן יְדֹוָ"ד, לָאו אִיהוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה.

Angels Gates Mishnah Prayer Temple, The

321. Moreover, "And their feet were straight feet." The sages of the Mishnah said: 'One who prays should arrange his feet during his prayer as do the ministering angels,' NAMELY HIS FEET SHOULD BE STRAIGHT "like the sole of a calf's foot," namely to be THUS marked among them. And for this reason the sages taught: 'When one prays, he should place his feet in proper position, as it says: "And their feet were straight feet."' And the Holy One, blessed be He, said TO THE MINISTERING ANGELS: 'Those who are thus noted in their prayer, that they place their feet as you do, for them open the gates of the temple to enter this vision' OF NETZACH AND HOD.

321. וְעוֹד רַגְלֵיהֶם רֶגֶל יְשָׁרָה, אָמְרוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, דְּמַאן דִּמְצַלֵי, בָּעֵי לְתַקְּנָא רַגְלוֹי בִּצְלוֹתֵיהּ, כְּמַלְאָכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת. כְּכַף רֶגֶל עֵגֶל, לְמֶהֱוֵי רָשִׁים בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ. וּבְגִין דָּא, אוֹקְמוּהָ רַבָּנָן, הַמִתְפַּלֵל צָרִיךְ לְכַוֵּון אֶת רַגְלָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְכַף רַגְלֵיהֶם כְּכַף רֶגֶל עֵגֶל. וְאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אִלֵּין דְּאִינּוּן רְשִׁימִין בִּצְלוֹתַיְיהוּ הָכִי, לְכַוֵּון רַגְלוֹי כְּוָותַיְיכוּ, אַפְתְּחוּ לוֹן תַּרְעֵי הֵיכָלָא, לְאַעֲלָא בְּמַרְאָה דָּא.