The night of the Bride

125. Rabbi Shimon was sitting and studying the Torah on the night when the Bride, WHO IS MALCHUT, was to be joined with Her husband! For we have learned that all the friends who are the attendants of the bridal chamber should remain with the Bride all that night. On the morrow, WHICH IS THE HOLIDAY OF SHAVUOT, the Bride to be is prepared for the matrimonial service and to be wed to Her husband. During this night, the attendants rejoice with Her as She prepares her jewels. THIS REFERS TO the study of the Torah, and from the study of the Torah to the Prophets, and from the Prophets to the Holy Writings, and then to the expositions of the scriptures and to the inner secrets of Wisdom. Because these are Her jewels and Her adornments. And She, THE BRIDE, approaches Her bridesmaids and sets Herself over their heads. She is prepared by them and rejoices with them all night. The day after, IN THE MORNING OF SHAVUOT, she does not enter under the Chupah (marriage canopy) without them. So THOSE FRIENDS, WHO STUDIED THE TORAH ALL NIGHT LONG, are called the "canopy attendants." As she approaches the canopy, the Holy One, blessed be He, inquires after them, blesses them, and crowns them with the Bridal Crowns. How happy is their portion.

126. And Rabbi Shimon and all the friends were chanting the songs of the Torah. Every one of them brought forth a new discovery about the Torah, and Rabbi Shimon was rejoicing together with all the friends. Rabbi Shimon said to them, My sons, how happy is your lot, because tomorrow, the Bride shall not approach the bridal canopy without you. Because all those who prepare the adornments of the Bride during this night and rejoice with Her shall all be written and registered in the Book of Remembrance. And the Holy One, blessed be He, blesses them with seventy blessings and crowns from the upper world.

127. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion by saying, "The heavens declare the glory of El" (Tehilim 19:2). I have already explained this verse, but will again. When the Bride awakens on the morning of the following day to enter under the bridal canopy, she appears, shining with all Her ornaments, together with the friends who rejoiced with Her the previous night. She, in turn, rejoices with them now.

128. On the following day, many crowds, hosts, and camps gather around her and wait for each and every one of those who prepared her, BY STUDYING THE TORAH during the night. Upon seeing them - ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT - joined together, and watching her, MALCHUT, see her husband, ZEIR ANPIN, the scriptures say, "The heavens declare the glory of El." "The heavens" refers to the Bridegroom who enters under the bridal canopy, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN AND IS CALLED THE HEAVENS; "declare" (Heb. mesap'rim) means that they shine like the radiance of a sapphire (Heb. Sapir), which sparkles and radiates from one end of the universe to the other.

129. "The glory of El" is the Bride, NAMELY, MALCHUT, which is called El. As it is written, "and El who has indignation every day" (Tehilim 7:12). During all the days of the year, She is called El, but now, IN THE HOLIDAY OF SHAVUOT, after entering under the bridal canopy, She is called 'El', WHICH MEANS glory upon glory, splendor upon splendor, and dominion upon dominion.

130. And then, the instant the heavens, WHO ARE ZEIR ANPIN, enter under the bridal canopy and begin to shine upon Her, all those friends who prepared Her, BY STUDYING THE TORAH ALL NIGHT, are recognized and known by their names. As it is written, "and the firmament proclaims His handiwork" (Tehilim 19:2). "His handiwork" refers to those who own the sign of the covenant, who are called His handiwork. As it is written, "and established the work of our hands upon us" (Tehilim 90:17), which is the sign of the covenant marked on man's flesh (the circumcision).

131. Rav Hamnuna Saba then quoted, "Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin" (Kohelet 5:5). THIS MEANS THAT a person should not allow his mouth to be the cause of bringing upon himself evil thoughts, thereby bringing sin to the sacred flesh where the holy covenant is marked. Because if he does so he shall be dragged into Gehenom. He who is in charge of Gehenom is called Dumah. And together with many tens of thousands of destructive angels, they all stand at the opening of Gehenom. But he has no permission to touch all those who have kept the Holy Covenant in this world.

132. King David, after what happened to him, was very fearful. Because at that time, Dumah ascended to the Holy One, blessed be He, stood before Him, and said, 'Master of the Universe, in the Torah it says of "the man that commits adultery with another man's wife...the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death"' (Vayikra 20:10). Furthermore, it is written, "Moreover, you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, to defile yourself with her" (Vayikra 18:20). So what is to become of David, who has profaned his organ of the holy covenant by committing a sexually immoral act? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "David is righteous! And the holy covenant remains intact, because it is known to Me that Bathsheba was assigned to him since the day the world was created.

133. DUMAH said to Him, If this is known to you, it is not known to him. He, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, said to him, 'Not only that, but all that happened was permitted and done lawfully. Because every man that went to war did not leave before he had given a bill of divorce to his wife!' He said to Him, If this is so, he should then have waited for three months, which he did not! He replied: When is this applied? Only in cases where we suspect that she might be pregnant! And it is known to Me for certain that Uriah never touched her. Because My name is sealed in him as a witness. For it is written 'Uriah,' WHICH CONSISTS OF THE LETTERS Or (Eng. 'light') and Yud-Hei. And it can also be written Uriahu (pron. uree-yahu), WHICH IS FORMED BY THE LETTERS OR, YUD HEI VAV, 'to show that he is sealed by My Name AS A WITNESS that he never had intercourse with her.'

134. Dumah said to Him, Master of the Universe, this is exactly what I have said! If it is known to You that Uriah never slept with her, it is not known to him. Therefore, he should have waited for three months. And furthermore, IF YOU CLAIM THAT DAVID knew that he had never slept with her, then why did he send Uriah home and command him to have intercourse with his wife? Since it is written: "Go down to your house and wash your feet" (II Shmuel 11:8).

135. He said to Dumah, 'He certainly did not know. So he waited more than three months, as four months had passed.' Because we have learned that on the twenty-fifth day of Nissan, David sent an announcement TO GO OUT TO WAR. And they were with Joab on the seventh day of Sivan, as they went and destroyed the land of the children of Amon. There they remained during the months of Sivan, Tammuz, Av, and Elul. And on the twenty-fourth day of Elul the event with Batsheva occurred. Then on Yom Kipur (the Day of Atonement) the Holy One, blessed be He, forgave him for that sin. And there are those who claim that on the seventh day of Adar the announcement was sent, and all arms were gathered on the fifteenth day of Iyar. So what happened with Batsheva occurred on the fifteenth day of Elul. While on Yom Kipur, he received the message "Hashem also has put away your sin; you shall not die" (II Shmuel 12:13). What is the meaning of "you shall not die?" It means that he shall not die at the hand of Dumah.

136. Dumah said, Master of the Universe, I have one thing against him! He opened his mouth and said, "as Hashem lives, the man that has done this deserves to die" (Ibid. 5). So he has condemned himself to death, and therefore I have the power over him TO BRING DEATH UPON HIM. He said to Dumah, You have no permission TO BRING DEATH UPON HIM, because he has already confessed in front of Me saying, 'I have sinned against Hashem,' even though he did not sin. Although his sin against Uriah was IN KILLING HIM, I have written his punishment and he has accepted it! Immediately Dumah returned to his place, disappointed.

137. Concerning this, David said: "Unless Hashem had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence (Heb. Dumah)" (Tehilim 94:17). "Unless Hashem had been my help" MEANS that had HE not become David's keeper and guarded him FROM THE ANGEL DUMAH, David's "soul had almost dwelt with Dumah." Why does he say "had almost?" Because only the smallest distance, as narrow as a thin thread separated him from the Other Side. So "almost dwelt with Dumah." Was just the distance of a thin thread away, THE DISTANCE REMAINING FOR HIM TO BE WITH DUMAH IN GEHENOM.

138. Therefore, every person should be careful not to say what King David said, because he will not be able to say to THE ANGEL Dumah, "it was an error" (Kohelet 5:5), as it was with David. Because in David's case, the Holy One, blessed be He, defeated (Dumah) in the case. "Wherefore should Elohim be angry at your voice" (Ibid.) refers to the voice that said, "and destroy the work of your hands" (Ibid.). This is the sacred flesh, WHICH IS the holy covenant that he damaged, and because of which he is to be dragged down to Gehenom by the angel Dumah.

139. And because of this, "the firmament proclaims His handiwork" (Tehilim 19:2). These are the friends who have joined the Bride, WHICH IS MALCHUT, BY STUDYING THE TORAH DURING THE NIGHT OF SHAVUOT, together with those who are the custodians of the sign of Her covenant, AND WHO ARE CALLED "HIS HANDIWORK." The firmament shows and registers each and every one of them. What is the firmament? It is where the sun, moon, stars and constellations are located, and it is CALLED the Book of Remembrance. It announces, registers, and inscribes them, so that they can be the residents of its own palace, and it can always fulfill their desires.

140. "Day to day utters speech" (Ibid. 3) is an allusion to the sacred day that belongs to those supernal days of the King, REFERRING TO THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT ARE CALLED "DAYS," that praise the friends, WHO DELVED INTO THE STUDY OF THE TORAH DURING THE NIGHT OF SHAVUOT. And they say to each other the same words that are written, "Day to day utters" that same "speech," thereby praising Him. The words "and night to night" refer to the levels that govern the night, WHICH ARE THE SFIROT OF MALCHUT THAT GOVERNS AT NIGHT. They praise one another with the knowledge that each RECEIVES from its friends. And by this state of harmony and perfection, they become their friends and beloved ones.

141. "There is no speech nor language" (Ibid. 4). THIS REFERS TO the speech and language that belong to worldly matters that are not heard before the Holy King, and that he is not interested in hearing them. But the words, "Their line is gone out through all the earth" (Ibid. 5), MEAN that these words draw a line between the inhabitants of above and the inhabitants of below. From THESE WORDS, Firmaments are formed, and from THESE WORDS and from that praise, the earth is molded. And if you should say that these words wander around the world in one place, THE VERSE STATES, "and their words to the end of the world" (Ibid.).

142. Because Firmaments are formed by words, who resides there? He repeated, "In them He set a tent for the sun" (Ibid.). That holy sun, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, has made his habitation and above in them and crowned himself with them.

143. Because Zeir ANPIN resides among those Firmaments, and crowns himself with them, he "is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber" (Tehilim 19:6). He is happy and runs along these Firmaments. Then, he leaves them and enters into another tower at a different place; this tower comes "from the end of the heaven" (Ibid. 7). It certainly comes from the supernal world, which is the upper "end of the heaven" NAMELY BINAH. "and his circuit:" what is his circuit? It is the "lower end of the heaven" NAMELY MALCHUT. THIS is the circuit of the year that revolves around all the "ends." It is attached to the heavens and extends from there to this firmament.

144. "And there is nothing hid from His heat" (Ibid.) MEANS there is nothing hid from His heat, from that circuit, WHICH IS THE CIRCUIT OF THE YEAR, or from the circuit of the sun that revolves in all directions. "And there is nothing hidden from His heat" means that there is no one from all the supernal levels who can hide from Him; everything revolves and comes to Him - each and everything. Nothing can be hidden from Him. "From His heat" CAN BE INTERPRETED AS He heats up and returns TO THE FRIENDS the instant they have reached full repentance. All this praise and all this glorification is the result of their study of the Torah, as it is written, "The Torah of Hashem is perfect" (Ibid. 8).

145. Hashem is mentioned here six times; there are also six verses from "The heavens declare" until "The Torah of Hashem is perfect" (Tehilim 19: 2-8). And based on the same secret it is written, "In the beginning (Heb. Beresheet)" (Beresheet 1:1). The Hebrew word has six letters; and the phrase "Elohim created the heaven and the earth (HEB. BARA ELOHIM ET HASHAMAYIM VE'ET HA'ARETZ)." contains six words. The other verses (Tehilim 19:8-11), BEGINNING WITH "THE TORAH OF HASHEM IS PERFECT" AND ENDING WITH "MORE TO BE DESIRED ARE THEY THAN GOLD," are notable only for the six times that Hashem APPEARS IN THEM; THE SIX VERSES THEMSELVES ARE NOT EXPOUNDED UPON. HOWEVER, the six verses (Tehilim 19:2-8) FROM "THE HEAVENS DECLARE" TO "THE TORAH OF HASHEM IS PERFECT" are equated with the six letters IN THE WORD BERESHEET, while the six Names are equated with the six words, WHICH ARE "ELOHIM CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH."

146. As they were sitting, his son, Rabbi Elazar, and Rabbi Aba entered. He said to them, Certainly the face of the Shechinah has come, and this is why I have called you Pniel (Face of el). You have seen the face of the Shechinah face-to-face. Now, because you received the knowledge that was revealed to you by the scripture about Benayahu the son of Jehoida, it is certainly a matter that belongs to Atika Kadisha (The Holy Ancient One), WHICH IS THE SECRET OF KETER and ALSO the following verse WHICH READS, "AND HE SLEW AN EGYPTIAN" (I Divrei Hayamim 11:23). And the most concealed, WHO IS ATIKA KADISHA, spoke it.

147. This verse, "AND HE SLEW AN EGYPTIAN" IS EXPLAINED in another place, AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL, in this way. He opened the discussion by saying, "And he slew an Egyptian man, a man of great stature, five cubits high" (I Divrei Hayamim 11:23), and all are related to the same secret. This Egyptian is that one who is known AND IS DESCRIBED BY THE VERSE, "very great in the land of Egypt in the eyes of the servants" (Shemot 11:3), as he is great and honored. This is how the old man described him.

148. This scripture was studied in the Celestial Academy. "A man of great stature" (I Divrei Hayamim 11:23). All is one, as "a man of good appearance (II Shmuel 23:21)" and "a man of good stature" are both the same, because they represent the Shabbat and the SHABBAT limits. As it is written, "And you shall measure from outside the city" (Bemidbar 35:5), and, "You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard (Heb. middah)" (Vayikra 19:35). Therefore, this is a man of great stature (Heb. middah) who stretches out from one end of the world to the other. And so was Adam. And if you say, But it is written "five cubits" (I Divrei Hayamim 11:23), remember that these five cubits extended from one end of the world to the other!

149. "And in the Egyptian's hand was a spear, like a weaver's beam" (Ibid.). It is, as the Scriptures say, "a weaver's beam," referring to the rod of Elohim, which was in his hand and upon which the Name pronounced in full was engraved by Betzalel and his Academy by the radiance of the letter combinations. And this is called "weaving," as is written, "Them has He filled with wisdom of heart...of the craftsman and of the embroiderer...and of the weaver" (Shemot 35:35). And the engraved Name shone from within this rod in all directions by the illumination of the wise men that engraved the ineffable Name pronounced in full in forty-two ways. The rest of the passage from here onward IS similar to what he, THE OLD MAN, has already explained. Happy is his lot!

150. Be seated, my dear ones. Be seated and let us renew the preparations of the Bride for this night. Because whoever joins Her, on this night, shall be guarded above and below for all of the coming year and will complete his year in peace. This is described in the verse, "The angel of Hashem encamps round about them that fear Him, and He delivers them. O taste and see that Hashem is good" (Tehilim 34:8-9).