"a bed, and a table, and a chair, and a lamp"

Synopsis

The section opens with the verse, "Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of Elohim, who passes us by continually. Let us make a little upper chamber'" Employing the lyrical language of metaphor, this is a reference to the upper world, Zeir Anpin, who continually sanctifies above as He sanctifies us below. We learn how we perfect Him for His gratification with our order of songs and praises, and with prayer. The "bed" is in the order of the Evening Prayer and its perfection. The "table" is in the order of the offerings, songs and prayers of the morning. The "chair" is the order of the prayer recited while sitting, and the unity we strive to perfect. The blessings that we recite are the "lamp." Next, we are told how these things were supplied and perfected by Jacob, by King David, by Abraham and by Isaac. Holy people who constantly wish to prepare before the upper world, we finally learn, should therefore recite 'a bed, a table, a chair' and 'a lamp,' so that there might be perfection daily, both above and below.

Relevance

To partake of water, a man requires a vessel, or cup, to hold the fluid while he drinks. In like fashion, Light needs a vessel before it can express itself in our physical domain. Therein lies one purpose of the Daily Prayers.

The words of wisdom set forth below expound upon the construction of a Vessel (prayer) so that Light and blessing may be received in our world. Thus, this knowledge perfects and prepares our own souls and the global vessel so that we, and all mankind, may be the recipients of Divine Light. This effect is now achieved through the lofty spiritual influence of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and King David, whose names channel the energy that brings preparation and perfection to our souls.

Chambers Lamps Prayer Sanctification Table Throne Zeir Anpin

119. It is written, "Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of Elohim, who passes by us continually. Let us make a little upper chamber... " (II Melachim 4:9-10). In this passage, we have a slight allusion to the sequence of prayer. "Behold now, I perceive" is desire, and a person must put into his prayer that "this is a holy man of Elohim." This is the upper world, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, who sits on His Throne of Glory. All sanctifications emanate from Him, and He sanctifies all the worlds. "Passes by us continually," MEANING THAT He sanctifies the world above and He sanctifies us in this world from that sanctification. There is no sanctification above unless there is sanctification below, as it is written, "But I will be hallowed Yisrael" (Vayikra 22:32).

119. כְּתִיב הִנֵּה נָא יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים קָדוֹשׁ הוּא עוֹבֵר וְגוֹ,' וּכְתִיב נַעֲשֶׂה נָא עֲלִיַּת קִיר קְטַנָּה וְגוֹ,' בְּהַאי קְרָא אִית לָן סְמָךְ בְּעָלְמָא לְסִדּוּרָא דִּצְלוֹתָא. הִנֵּה נָא יָדַעְתִּי, דָּא אִיהוּ רְעוּתָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ בַּר נָשׁ לְשַׁוָּאָה בְּגַוֵּיהּ בִּצְלוֹתָא. כִּי אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים קָדוֹשׁ הוּא, דָּא אִיהוּ עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ יָתִיב עַל כּוּרְסֵי יְקָרֵיהּ, וְכָל קִדּוּשָׁאן נָפְקִין מִנֵּיהּ, וְאִיהוּ מְקַדֵּשׁ לְכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין. עוֹבֵר עָלֵינוּ תָּמִיד, מֵהַהוּא קְדוּשָׁה דְּאִיהוּ מְקַדֵּשׁ לְכָל עָלְמִין לְעֵילָּא, אִיהוּ מְקַדֵּשׁ לָן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. דְּהָא לֵית קְדוּשָׁה לְעֵילָּא, אֶלָּא אִי אִית קְדוּשָּׁא לְתַתָּא, כד"א וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Chambers Face Hezekiah Lamps Prayer Shechinah Table Walls Zeir Anpin

120. Since this is so, "let us make a little upper chamber," which is the order of the perfection of the Shechinah, who is CALLED "a little upper chamber...with walls," as it is written, "And Chizkiyah turned his face toward the wall" (Yeshayah 38:2). 'Little,' because it is small, as it is written, "A little city" (Kohelet 9:14). "And let us set for him there" (II Melachim 4:10), through this perfection that we are arranging. We perfect Him, ZEIR ANPIN, for His gratification with our sequence of songs and praises and with prayer. "A bed, and table, and a chair, and a lamp" (Ibid.): All these four are in the Shechinah, for She is prepared with all these tools toward the upper world, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, in the order that we set out.

120. וְהוֹאִיל וְכַךְ הוּא, נַעֲשֶׂה נָא עֲלִיַּת קִיר קְטַנָּה, דָּא אִיהוּ סִדּוּרָא דְּתִקּוּנָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּאִיהִי עֲלִיַּת קִיר, כד"א וַיַּסֵּב חִזְקִיָּהוּ פָּנָיו אֶל הַקִּיר. קְטַנָּה: בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי זְעֵירָא, כד"א עִיר קְטַנָּה. וְנָשִׂים לוֹ שָׁם בְּתִקּוּנָא דָּא דְּאֲנָן מְתַקְּנִין, וּבְסִדּוּרָא דִּילָן בְּשִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבָּחָן וּבִצְלוֹתָא, אֲנָן מְתַקְּנִין לְגַבֵּיהּ, לְנַיְיחָא דִּילֵיהּ. מִטָּה וְשֻׁלְחָן וְכִסֵּא וּמְנוֹרָה. אַרְבַּע אִלֵּין, כֻּלְּהוּ בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִינּוּן. וְאִיהִי בְּכָל תִּקּוּנִין אִלֵּין מִתְתַּקְּנָן, לְגַבֵּי עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה בְּסִדּוּרָא דְּאֲנָן מְסַדְּרִין.

Amidah (Standing Prayer) Blessing Lamps Morning Prayer Sanctification Sh'ma Yisrael Standing Prayer (Amidah) Table Unity Zion

121. In the order of the evening prayer and in its perfection is the bed, and in the order of the offerings and burnt offerings that we set out in the morning and these songs and prayers is the table. In the order of the prayer recited while sitting down, and in the perfection of the reading of Sh'ma, in that unity which we strive to perfect is a chair. In the order of the standing prayer and these sanctifications THAT ARE IN 'WHO FORMS' AND IN THE REPETITION OF THE AMIDAH BY THE CANTOR, and the additional sanctification THAT IS IN "AND A REDEEMER SHALL COME TO ZION," and the blessings that we recite are the lamp.

121. בְּסִדּוּרָא דִּצְלוֹתָא דְּעַרְבִית, וּבְתִקּוּנָא דִּילֵיהּ, הָא מִטָּה. בְּסִדּוּרָא דְּאִינּוּן קָרְבָּנִין וְעִלָּוָון, דְּאֲנָן מְסַדְּרִין בְּצַפְרָא דְּאִינּוּן שִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן, הָא שֻׁלְחָן. וּבְהַהוּא סִדּוּרָא דִּצְלוֹתָא דִּמְיּוּשָׁב, וּבְתִקּוּנָא דְּק"ש, בְּהַהוּא יִחוּדָא דְּאֲנָן מְתַקְּנִין הָא כִּסֵּא. בְּהַהוּא סִדּוּרָא דִּצְלוֹתָא דִּמְעוּמָד, וּבְאִינּוּן קְדוּשָׁאן, וְתוֹסֶפֶת קְדוּשָׁה, וּבִרְכָּאן, דְּאֲנָן מְסַדְּרִין הָא מְנוֹרָה.

Chambers Lamps Shechinah Table World to Come, The Zeir Anpin

122. Happy is the man that concentrates his wish on this, to be perfect before his Master every day and to perfect this little upper chamber, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, TO HIS MASTER, with these constructions OF A BED, A TABLE, A CHAIR, AND A LAMP. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, will surely be his guest every day. Happy is he in this world and happy is he in the World to Come, because these four are the tools of the Shechinah with which to become ready for her husband, ZEIR ANPIN. She becomes ready in these four tools with beauty, with joy and in appearance through the holy people every day.

122. זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ, דְּדָא שַׁוֵּי בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ, לְאַשְׁלָמָא לְגַבֵּי מָארֵיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא, וּלְאַתְקְנָא הַאי עֲלִיַּת קִיר קְטַנָּה, לְגַבֵּי מָארֵיהּ בְּהָנֵי תִּקּוּנִין. כְּדֵין וַדַּאי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יְהֵא אוּשְׁפִּיזֵיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא. זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְזַכָּאָה אִיהוּ בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. בְּגִין דְּאִלֵּין אַרְבַּע, אִינּוּן תִּקּוּנֵי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, לְאִתְתַּקְנָא לְגַבֵּי בַּעְלָהּ. בְּאַרְבַּע תִּקּוּנִין אִלֵּין, אִתְתַּקְנָת בִּשְׁפִירָהָא, בְּחֶדְוָוהָא, בְּחֶזְוָוהָא, ע"י דְּעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא בְּכָל יוֹמָא.

Abraham David Jacob Mercy Prayer Soul, The Table Throne

123. The bed was given to be prepared by Jacob. Therefore, Jacob composed the evening prayer. The table was prepared by King David through the songs and praises that he composed, as it is written, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" (Tehilim 23:5). A chair was prepared by Abraham by his attachment, by his doing kindness and perfection of the souls of all the inhabitants of the world. The perfection of the chair is only through the kindness of Abraham, as it is written, "And in Mercy a throne was established" (Yeshayah 16:5).

123. מִטָּה אִתְיְהִיבַת לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב לְאִתְתַּקְּנָא, וְע"ד יַעֲקֹב אַתְקִין צְלוֹתָא דְּעַרְבִית. שֻׁלְחָן אַתְקִין דָּוִד מַלְכָּא, בְּאִינוּן שִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן דְּאִיהוּ אַתְקִין, כד"א תַּעֲרֹךְ לְפָנַי שֻׁלְחָן נֶגֶד צוֹרְרָי. כִּסֵּא אַתְקִין אַבְרָהָם, בְּאִתְקַשְּׁרוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ, דְּעָבִיד טִיבוּ וּשְׁלִימוּ דְּנִשְׁמָתִין לְכָל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, וְלֵית תִּקּוּנָא דְּכִסֵּא, אֶלָּא בְּחֶסֶד דְּאַבְרָהָם, כד"א וְהוּכַן בַּחֶסֶד כִּסֵּא.

Candles Eyes Iron Lamps Light Sanctification Table Zeir Anpin

124. מְנוֹרָה אַתְקִין יִצְחָק, דְּאַקְדִּישׁ שְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעֵינֵיהוֹן דְּכָל עָלְמָא, וְנָהִיר נְהִירוּ דְּבוּצִינָא עִלָּאָה בְּהַהִיא קְדוּשָׁה. בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ, צְרִיכִין עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא, לוֹמַר תָּדִיר וּלְשַׁוָּאָה רְעוּתְהוֹן, לְסַדְּרָא לְגַבֵּי עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ מָארֵיהּ דְּבֵיתָא, אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים, מִטָּה וְשֻׁלְחָן וְכִסֵּא וּמְנוֹרָה, לְמֶהֱוֵי שְׁלִימוּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא, עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא.