545. That donkey-driver opened the discussion saying, "But as for me, let my prayer be to You, Hashem, in an acceptable time (a time of goodwill): Elohim, in the greatness of Your steadfast love hear me, in the truth of Your salvation" (Tehilim 69:14). We have learned that a favorable time is when the congregation is praying, then it is appropriate. It is certainly so, for the congregation sets out and prepares the establishing of that time. Then it is a favorable time when it is proper to make requests, as it is written, "Elohim, in the greatness of Your steadfast love hear me, in the truth of Your salvation." For then it is the time to make requests.

546. "But as for me, let my prayer be to You, Hashem." Here is the secret of the union, "But as for me" refers to King David, NAMELY MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'I.' It is the place that is called 'Redemption,' WHICH IS MALCHUT WHEN JOINED WITH YESOD, "my prayer" refers to prayer, NAMELY PLAIN MALCHUT. Here THAT HE SAYS "ME... MY PRAYER," the Amidah prayer is adjacent to redemption for they are one, FOR THEY ARE BOTH THE ASPECT OF MALCHUT. When one brings together redemption to the Amidah prayer, then it is a time of goodwill. A time of goodwill is also one inclusion together. Time is one, NAMELY MALCHUT, and favor is one, FOR IT IS THE SECRET OF THE FAVOR THAT BECOMES REVEALED FROM KETER, and they are combined together to become one. King David wanted to form one unity through this verse, AS WE HAVE SAID.

547. If you ask, Why was this verse selected TO BE SAID during the Minchah of Shabbat? HE ANSWERS, It is proper for it to be in the Minchah service of Shabbat and not in the weekday service, for it is certain that Minchah service of Shabbat is unlike the weekday prayer because Judgment is suspended over the world during the weekday at the time of Minchah, and it is not a time of goodwill. However, during Shabbat, when all anger is removed and everything is combined together, FOR THE JUDGMENT AND CHESED ARE ONE, Judgment is aroused, but it is in order to be sweetened, MEANING ONLY IN ORDER TO REVEAL THE SWEETNESS THAT IT CONTAINS. Therefore, a verse of unity is needed to unite all the grades, for when there is unity, Judgment joins and combines with Mercy and everything is sweetened, as it is written, "A time of goodwill." "A time of goodwill" shows that everything, JUDGMENT AND CHESED, is combined together, that Judgment is sweetened at that time, and there is joy in everything.

548. Moses departed from the world, at the time of the Shabbat Minchah, at the time when there was "a time of goodwill." At that moment favor was above and pain was below, BECAUSE OF THE DEATH OF MOSES. Therefore, during Shabbat the gates are locked from the time of Minchah and further. Which gates are locked? The gates of the Holy Study Hall, in order to memorialize Moses, the Faithful Shepherd, for the Torah was voided because of him, BECAUSE HE DIED.

549. At the time THAT HE DIED, the Study Hall of Moses and THE STUDY HALLS of others became nullified. Whoever saw the doors of Moses's Study Hall were locked, while all the others be not locked? If Moses's Torah mourned for him at that time, who did not mourn? Therefore, all the gates of the Study Hall are locked, and everyone has to justify the Holy One, blessed be He, by way of praise, THAT WE RECITE THEN, "Your righteousness is like the great mountains" (Tehilim 36:7).

550. There were three who departed from the world at that time, and they are all included in Moses. They are Moses, the Faithful Shepherd, Joseph the Righteous, and King David. Therefore, there are here three justification prayers. One is for Joseph the Righteous, who preceded all these, and this is, "Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your Judgments are a great deep... " This refers to Joseph the Righteous, for he alone is like the great mountains, like all the supernal Mountains, WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, FOR JOSEPH, WHO IS YESOD, IS COMBINED OF THEM ALL. Another is Moses, the Faithful Prophet, and this is what is written, "Your righteousness also, Elohim, reaches the high heavens, who have done great things" (Tehilim 71:19) because he IS ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT takes all the sides, THE RIGHT SIDE AND THE LEFT SIDE, AND MEDIATES BETWEEN THEM. The other is King David, as it is written, "Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your Torah is Truth" (Tehilim 119:142). "Everlasting (lit. 'for the world')" refers to King David, WHO IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED 'WORLD.'

551. When everything was gathered at that time, the Written Torah, WHICH IS MOSES, and the Oral Torah, THAT IS DAVID, the gates of Torah were locked and all the gates of the world were locked at that time. At the moment that Joseph the Righteous died, the sources and springs dried up, and all the tribes fell into exile. Those above opened with the words, "Your righteousness is like the great mountains, Your Judgments are a great deep." At that moment that Moses died, the light of the sun darkened at midday and the Written Torah was barred, which is the light of the shining mirror, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. At the moment that King David died, the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, gathered in its light and the Oral Torah gathered in its light.

552. Since that time the lights of Torah were concealed, and arguments multiplied in the Mishnah. The scholars argued and all those of stout heart were confused; therefore, there was no joy of the Torah at that time throughout the generations of the world. This is the cause of the severe fasts that the Rabbis decreed. When a certain person died they decreed a fast, when something happened they decreed so. When the joy of the Written Torah and the Oral Torah was most gathered up at that time, it is so much more necessary to lock the gates of the Torah. Therefore, we say the Justifications of the Judgments, as we have mentioned. Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Chiya rejoiced and kissed him on his head as before. They said, Happy is our portion on this way.