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).