818. Similarly, match-making is as difficult before the Holy One, blessed be He, as the splitting of the Red Sea; just as by the splitting of the Red Sea, these are killed on the one hand while others are kept alive on the other hand. By match-making, it is also written, "He brings out the prisoners into prosperity (Heb. bakosharot)" (Tehilim 68:7). We have learned that IT IS SPELLED WITH THE LETTERS of weeping and singing (Heb. bechi veshirot), because this one dies AND THERE IS WEEPING, and He gives his wife to another AND THERE IS SINGING. Sometimes a wicked person gets a good woman; THEREFORE, MATING IS AS DIFFICULT BEFORE HIM AS THE SPLITTING OF THE RED SEA. There are concealed secrets in it all, and it is all according to the law. And what the friends have remarked ABOUT THIS, TO EXPLAIN WHY ONE IS THRUST ASIDE BEFORE ANOTHER, certainly it is so.

819. And the remark that we were taught about 'before,' MEANING THAT 'MATCH-MAKING IS AS DIFFICULT BEFORE THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE,' instead of 'from before the Holy One, blessed be He,' it is because 'before' refers to that which stands before the Holy One, blessed be He, and serves before Him, NAMELY MALCHUT THAT RECEIVES FROM THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. Therefore, it was not said that match-making is difficult for the Holy One, blessed be He, and similarly, IT WAS NOT SAID that man's food is difficult to obtain for the Holy One, blessed be He. Rather it is before the Holy One, blessed be He, WHICH IS MALCHUT, because all these things are difficult FOR MALCHUT, for they are not under Her authority even though She does accomplish it but this is under another's authority. BECAUSE SHE RECEIVES EVERYTHING FROM THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, IT IS APPROPRIATE TO SAY THAT THESE THINGS ARE DIFFICULT FOR HER.

820. It is written, "And that soul will be cut off from before Me" (Vayikra 22:3). HE QUESTIONS, What is the meaning of "from before Me?" HE ANSWERS, It refers to the World to Come, MEANING BINAH, where all life forms are present. Another explanation, This is the supernal Channel, the river whose waters will never be interrupted, WHICH IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. It is all one, because this YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN receives all the delights of the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH. AND THE VERSE, "AND THAT SOUL WILL BE CUT OFF FROM BEFORE ME" MEANS THAT THE SOUL will be cut off from all these supernal delights that are in the place where the joy of Hashem is, NAMELY BINAH. That is THE MEANING OF "from before Me," BEFORE THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, FOR THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, RECEIVES FROM HER, BINAH, THAT PROVIDES TO ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED 'THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE.'

821. You may say, If so, it is written, "And Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from before Hashem" (Yonah 1:3) and "for the men knew that he had fled from before Hashem" (Ibid. 10). We have learned the reason why Jonah fled. Is it then possible to flee from the Holy One, blessed be He? But he fled in order to go out of the Holy Land, since the Shechinah does not dwell outside the Land of Yisrael, and in order that the Shechinah should not dwell upon him, he fled from the Holy Land. The Shechinah dwells there, as it is written, "Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your house" (Tehilim 128:3). "A fruitful vine" is the Shechinah. Just as the Shechinah is concealed inside, in the Holy of Holies, similarly, a modest woman does not go out from the entrance of her house outside. THEREFORE, THE TORAH COMPARES THE WOMAN TO THE SHECHINAH, and Jonah fled outside of the Holy Land. HE QUESTIONS, Here it is "from before" and it does not say 'before,' AND STILL IT MEANS THE SHECHINAH AND NOT BINAH.

822. HE ANSWERS, It is certainly so, "from before" MEANING BEFORE THE SHECHINAH, because the spirit of prophecy does not come from the Shechinah but rather "from before" MEANING BEFORE THE SHECHINAH, which are the two levels of prophets, WHICH ARE NETZACH AND HOD, that dwell upon the Shechinah. From that place, NETZACH AND HOD, he was afraid to be in the Holy Land so that the prophecy should not dwell upon him. Therefore, it says, "from before Me" because "he fled from before Hashem" and not 'before Hashem,' WHICH WOULD MEAN THE SHECHINAH. Because he knew that prophecy comes only from "from before Me," WHICH IS NETZACH AND HOD.

823. Because of this, matings and food of people are difficult before the Holy One, blessed be He, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, AS MENTIONED. Therefore, King David aspired for his food higher THAN THE SHECHINAH, FOR HE SAID "HASHEM IS MY SHEPHERD... ," WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. Above, the flow is never interrupted, but it can be interrupted here BY THE SHECHINAH, because the food is not dependent upon Her but higher IN ZEIR ANPIN. Therefore, it is written, "Hashem is my shepherd; I shall not want," WHICH MEANS THAT food will never be interrupted from me, because that river which is drawn and emerges from Eden, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN THAT RECEIVES FROM ABA AND IMA, never has its flow interrupted. Therefore, the Shechinah preceded AND RESTED ON HIM, AND AFTERWARDS HE SAID PRAISE.

824. Come and see, When that place, THE SHECHINAH, receives food above, FROM ZEIR ANPIN, FOR THE WORLDS, all THE ANGELS who sanctify their Master delight and awaken and raise their wings TO COVER THEIR FACE when the Shechinah comes with their food TO THEM, in order that they should not gaze upon THE SHECHINAH.

825. There are three companies OF ANGELS on one level, who call and say, 'Holy.' These call to the second company and the first and the second ones raise their wings, and the second ones say, 'Holy.' Then these call to the third company and all three companies in union raise their wings and all say, 'Holy is Hashem Tzva'ot, the whole earth is full of His glory.' Therefore, ALL THREE COMPANIES are fitted one into the other, interpenetrating each other, as we say BY THE BOARDS, "Connected one with the other, thus shall you make the boards for the tabernacle" (Shemot 26:17).

826. The boards always stand erect and do not bend, like these who stand, MEANING THE SERAPHIM, who do not bend, because they have no knees to kneel. They stand constantly without sitting, so it is written of the boards, "standing up."

827. It is written, "Two tenons shall there be in one board" (Ibid.). Here also, JUST AS BY THE SERAPHIM, each including two aspects, WHICH ARE THE TWO TENONS, each one has its own aspect and that of its neighbor, and the same with its neighbor. Therefore, they are fitted one with the other.