324. "And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi" (Shemot 2:1). Rabbi Elazar opened the discussion saying: "The song of songs, which is Solomon's" (Shir Hashirim 1:1) -- we learned that when the Holy One, blessed be He, WHICH IS BINAH, created His world, He so wished and created the heavens, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, with His right hand, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF CHASSADIM, and the earth, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, with His left hand, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF GVUROT. And He so desired to guide the day and the night, THAT THEY SHOULD BE PAIRED IN THE SECRET OF THE PASSAGE, "AND THERE WAS EVENING AND THERE WAS MORNING, ONE DAY" (BERESHEET 1:5). He created the angels, WHO ARE DRAWN FROM ZEIR ANPIN, who are appointed by His kindness by day, and He created the angels who are appointed to sing praises by night. FOR THE SONG IS THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH THAT IS DRAWN THROUGH THE NUKVA, THAT IS CALLED 'NIGHT.' This is what is written, "Hashem will command His steadfast love (Heb. chesed) in the daytime" (Tehilim 42:9), THROUGH THE ANGELS WHO ARE APPOINTED OVER CHESED, "and in the night His song shall be with me" (Ibid.), THROUGH THE ANGELS WHO ARE APPOINTED OVER THE SINGING, those on the right, MEANING THOSE APPOINTED OVER CHESED, and those on the left, MEANING THOSE APPOINTED OVER THE SINGING. Those OF THE RIGHT listen to the singing of the day, the singing of holy Yisrael, BECAUSE YISRAEL SINGS PRAISES BY DAY. Rabbi Yitzchak said, Those who say songs of praise by night listen to the singing of Yisrael by day, as is written, "The companions hearken for your voice" (Shir Hashirim 8:13).

325. Rabbi Shimon said, One group, WHICH IS THE LEFT COLUMN, is comprised of three groups, MEANING THAT IT IS COMPRISED OF ALL THREE COLUMNS, and recites songs during the night. This is the meaning of, "She rises also while it is yet night and gives food to her household" (Mishlei 31:15).

326. Rabbi Elazar said, Ten things were created on the first day, among them being the attribute of night, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and the attribute of day, WHICH IS TIFERET. It is written about the attribute of night: "She rises also while it is yet night, and gives food (Heb. teref) to her household." FOR FOOD IS JUDGMENTS, as is written, "He tears (Heb. taraf) me in His wrath" (Iyov 16:9), MEANING THE WRATH OF HASHEM TORE ME. It is also written, "...and tears in pieces, and none can deliver" (Michah 5:7). As for, "and a portion (Heb. chok) to her maidens" (Mishlei 31:15), rations are also Judgments, AS IS WRITTEN, "A statute (Heb. chok) and an ordinance" (Shemot 15:25), and "His statutes and His ordinances" (Tehilim 147:19). "For this is a statute for Yisrael, an ordinance of the Elohim of Jacob" (Tehilim 81:5). From here, IT IS UNDERSTOOD that the attribute of Judgment rules at night.

327. We learned that those who sing praises at night are singers WHO RISE above all those who sing. When the living, MEANING THE LOWER BEINGS, start singing, the supernal ones gain added strength to know and to recognize and to grasp what they could not grasp before. Heaven and earth, WHICH ARE MALE AND FEMALE, ALSO gain added strength through this singing.

328. Rabbi Nechemyah said, Fortunate is one who achieves knowledge of that singing, MEANING THAT MOCHIN OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH. For we learned, the one who merits the singing will know the subjects of Torah and wisdom, and will hear and ascertain and add strength and power in what was, and into what is going to be. And by this, Solomon gained knowledge.

329. For Rabbi Shimon taught that David, may he rest in peace, knew of this, MEANING HE ACHIEVED THE MOCHIN OF CHOCHMAH INSIDE DA'AT. THEREFORE, he composed many songs and praises, and in them alluded to what would come in the future. He added strength and power through the Holy Spirit, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE NUKVA AT THE TIME THAT IT IS RECEIVING DA'AT FROM HOLINESS, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH. He knew the subjects of Torah and Wisdom, and heard and ascertained and added strength and power in the Holy Language, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE NUKVA WHEN IT IS RECEIVING DA'AT FROM HOLINESS, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH.

330. And Solomon gained more merit through the song and achieved wisdom, and weighed and searched and composed many proverbs, and wrote a book from that very poem, as written, "I acquired men singers and women singers" (Kohelet 2:8). This means, I learned the science of poetry from those lofty poems, and those lower than them. This is the meaning of the words, "The song of songs," a song of all those singers of above, a song which includes all that pertains to the Torah and to wisdom, to strength and might, what was and what will be; a song that the singers above sing.

331. Rabbi Elazar said, All those who sing, MEANING THE SUPERNAL SINGERS, stopped SINGING PRAISES until Levi was born. Since the birth of Levi and afterwards, they said praises, BUT IT WAS STILL NOT COMPLETE. When Moses was born and Aaron was anointed and the Levites became sanctified, the singing became complete. And they stood, THE SUPERNAL SINGERS, on their watches.

332. Rabbi Elazar also said, At the moment of Levi's birth, they opened above and asserted THAT THE SHECHINAH SAID TO ZEIR ANPIN, "O that you were as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! When I should find You outside, and would kiss you; and none would scorn me" (Shir Hashirim 8:1). "O THAT YOU WERE MY BROTHER," MEANS THAT YOU SHOULD GIVE ME CHOCHMAH, BECAUSE FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF CHOCHMAH, ZEIR ANPIN AND THE NUKVA ARE CALLED 'BROTHER' AND 'SISTER.' "THAT SUCKED THE BREASTS OF MY MOTHER," FOR THEN THEY BOTH SUCK FROM BINAH, AND ARE OF AN EQUAL LEVEL. "WHEN I SHOULD FIND YOU OUTSIDE, AND WOULD KISS YOU," FOR THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH WITHOUT CHASSADIM IS ON THE OUTSIDE. SHE ASKED HIM TO KISS HIM AND SHINE FROM HIM ALSO WHEN SHE IS OUTSIDE. "AND NONE WOULD SCORN ME" REFERS TO THE KLIPOT THAT ARE ROUSED ON THE OUTSIDE TO SCORN THE SHECHINAH, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "SIN CROUCHES AT THE DOOR" (BERESHEET 4:7). As soon as the singing of below emerged from the tribe of Levi, DIVIDING INTO RIGHT AND LEFT, PRIESTS AND LEVITES, they were all sanctified, standing on their watches - MEANING THE SUPERNAL MINISTERS and THESE ANGELS became sanctified, corresponding to these LEVITES - companions as one. BECAUSE THE ACTIONS OF THE LOWER BEINGS COMPLETE THE SUPERNAL ONES, THEN the worlds BECOME as one and one King dwells over them. AFTER ALL THESE PREPARATIONS, Solomon came and composed a book from the song of those singers, AS MENTIONED, and the wisdom was concealed in it!

333. Rabbi Yehuda said, Why are the singers of below called Levites? IT IS because they are attached (Heb. nilvim) and joined as one above. THE REASON BEING that the soul of the one who hears the singing became attracted and attached above TO HASHEM. Therefore Leah said, "Will my husband be joined to me" (Beresheet 29:34). Rabbi Tanchum said, THE REASON HE WAS CALLED LEVI IS BECAUSE the seed of Levi is entirely attached to the Shechinah by Moses, Aaron and Miriam, and to all his children after him. They are attached to Hashem to serve Him.