40. Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Acha were sitting one night before Rabbi Aba. They rose at midnight to study Torah. As they were going out, they saw a star striking another star three times, masking its light. At the same time they heard two sounds from two directions, one from the north from above, and another from below. That sound BELOW proclaimed, 'Come and gather to your places, for just now the guarding over the Nukva, MALCHUT, has been released, for the Holy One, blessed be He, has entered the Garden to walk about and be delighted with the righteous therein.' That sound passed away and was silenced.

41. (A) Rabbi Acha and Rabbi Chiya returned TO THE HOUSE and said, Surely it is time of goodwill of the awakening of the Congregation of Yisrael to unite with the Holy King, ZEIR ANPIN, THE CENTRAL COLUMN. Rabbi Acha said, Surely the Congregation of Yisrael united with the Holy One, blessed be He, only by singing and by her praise for Him.

(B) Before dawn, the King holds out to her a thread of Chesed, SINCE THEN THE CHOCHMAH IN HER IS CLOTHED IN CHESED AND ATTAINS COMPLETION. The secret of this is said in the verse, "and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand" (Ester 5:2). THE KING IS ZEIR ANPIN AND ESTER IS MALCHUT; THE GOLDEN SCEPTER IS THE THREAD OF CHESED, WHICH, WITH THE CLOTHING OF CHOCHMAH IN MALCHUT IN IT IS CALLED A GOLDEN SCEPTER. Do not say that the King holds out to her alone THE GOLDEN SCEPTER but to her and to all those who join her. Let us come together. They sat down.