Vayak'hel: Chapter 35

"Then they who feared Hashem spoke to one another"

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon opens with: "Then they who feared Hashem spoke to one another and Hashem hearkened, and heard it: and a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared Hashem, and took heed of His name." He tells us that this means that the holy Chariots and armies spoke with one another before God. And when these holy words rise up, the Holy King delights in them and they mount to His head and become a crown. We read that "they who feared Hashem" above means when they repent with love they stand before God. "They who feared Hashem" below means that afterwards they go down to earth, but even then their words retain their shape above. All the words that the righteous on earth bedeck themselves with stay standing before God in the same shape of wickedness turned into merit. And afterwards they are written in the book of remembrance before Him, so they would exist before Him always.

"Took heed of His name" means that those who value the importance of the Torah fix the wisdom of their Master's name in their hearts.

437. He opened and said "Then they who feared Hashem spoke to one another and Hashem hearkened, and heard it: and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared Hashem, and took heed of His name" (Malachi 3:16). We should examine this verse. It is written: "spoke to one another," but should have merely been written 'spoke'. Why is it so? HE ANSWERS: the holy Chariots and armies spoke with one another BEFORE THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE.

437. פָּתַח וְאָמַר אָז נִדְבְּרוּ יִרְאֵי יְיָ' אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ וַיַּקְשֵׁב יְיָ' וַיִּשְׁמָע וַיִּכָּתֵב סֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן לְפָנָיו לְיִרְאֵי יְיָ' וּלְחוֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ. הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, אָז נִדְבְּרוּ, אָז דִּבְּרוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי נִדְבְּרוּ. אֶלָּא נִדְבְּרוּ לְעֵילָּא, מִכָּל אִינּוּן רְתִיכִין קַדִּישִׁין, וְכָל אִינּוּן חַיָּילִין קַדִּישִׁין.

438. Since these holy words THEY SPOKE mount up, some hasten to carry them before the Holy King, and they are adorned with crowns of supernal light and speak about it with one another before the supernal King. Who has seen joys, and who has seen praises mounting through all the firmaments! And when these words rise, the Holy King looks at them and adorns Himself with them. They come up to sit in His lap, and He delights in them. From there, HIS BOSOM, they mount to His head and become a crown. Upon this the Torah said "and I will be daily His delight" (Mishlei 8:30). It is not written "I was," but "I will be," IN THE FUTURE TENSE, namely, anytime and whenever the supernal words mount before Him.

438. בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין קַדִּישִׁין, סַלְּקִין לְעֵילָּא, וְכַמָּה אִינּוּן דִּמְקַדְּמֵי וְנַטְלִין לוֹן קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וּמִתְעַטְּרָן בְּכַמָּה עִטְרִין, בְּאִינּוּן נְהוֹרִין עִלָּאִין, וְכֻלְּהוּ נִדְבְּרוּ מִקַּמֵּי מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה. מַאן חָמֵי חֶדְוָון, מַאן חָמֵי תּוּשְׁבְּחָן, דְּסַלְּקִין בְכָל אִינּוּן רְקִיעִין, כַּד סַלְּקִין מִלִּין אִלֵּין, וּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא מִסְתָּכַּל בְּהוּ, וְאִתְעַטָּר בְּהוּ, וְאִינּוּן סַלְּקִין וְיַתְבִין עַל חֵיקֵיהּ, וּמִשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע בְּהוּ, מִתַּמָּן סַלְּקִין עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ, וַהֲווֹ עֲטָרָה. וְע"ד אָמְרָה אוֹרַיְיתָא, וָאֶהְיֶה שַׁעֲשׁוּעִים יוֹם יוֹם. וְהָיִיתִי לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא וָאֶהְיֶה, בְכָל זְמָן, וּבְכָל עִידָּן, דְּמִלִּין עִלָּאִין סַלְּקִין קַמֵּיהּ.

439. "They who feared Hashem" is written twice, NAMELY, "THEN THEY WHO FEARED HASHEM...AND A BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE WAS WRITTEN BEFORE HIM FOR THEM WHO FEARED HASHEM..." THE MEANING IS "they who fear Hashem" above, MEANS, WHEN THEY REPENT WITH LOVE, THEY STAND ABOVE BEFORE THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. "They who fear Hashem" below MEANS THAT AFTERWARDS THEY GO DOWN TO THEIR PLACE ON EARTH. AND EVEN WHEN they who fear Hashem are already below, IN THEIR PLACE, those words retain their shape above. I found this secret in the book of Enoch, that all the words, that the righteous on earth bedeck themselves with, stand before the King. NAMELY, WHEN THEY REPENT WITH LOVE, THEY ARE ADORNED WITH THEIR WICKEDNESS WHICH TURNED INTO MERIT AS SAID; they stand on their own above before the King, and the Holy One, blessed be He, is delighted by them. After that THE RIGHTEOUS descend AND THE WORDS STAY standing before Him in the same shape OF WICKEDNESS TURNED INTO MERIT, as the righteous uttered them. The Holy One, blessed be He, is delighted in that image. And afterwards they are written in the book of remembrance before Him, so they would exist before Him always.

439. תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי כְּתִיב יִרְאֵי יְיָ' יִרְאֵי יְיָ'. אֶלָּא יִרְאֵי יְיָ' לְעֵילָּא, יִרְאֵי יְיָ' לְתַתָּא. יִרְאֵי יְיָ' קַיְימִין לְתַתָּא, וְאִינּוּן מִלִּין קַיְימִין בְּדִיּוּקְנֵיהוֹן לְעֵילָּא. וְרָזָא דָּא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בְּסִפְרָא דְּחֲנוֹךְ, דְּכָל מִלִּין דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא דִּי בְּאַרְעָא, אִינּוּן מִתְעַטְּרָן, וְקַיְימָן קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא, וּמִשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע בְּהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּלְבָתַר אִינּוּן נַחְתֵּי, וְקַיְימִין קַמֵּיהּ בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּהַהוּא צַדִּיק דְּקָאָמַר לוֹן, וְאִשְׁתַּעֲשַׁע קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַהוּא דִּיּוּקְנָא. וּלְבָתַר אַכְתִּיבוּ בְּסֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן לְפָנָיו, לְקַיְּימָא קַמֵּיהּ בְּקִיּוּמָא תָּדִיר.

440. HE ASKS: What is the meaning of "took heed of His name?" HE ANSWERS: It was already explained that those, who heed and value the words of Torah, cleave to their Master in the secret of the Holy Name, to know Him, so the wisdom of His name will be fixed upon their heart. OF THEM it is written, who "took heed of His name," for this is the secret of the Holy Name.

440. וּלְחוֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ, מַאי וּלְחוֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ. הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, כָּל אִינּוּן דִּמְחַשְּׁבֵי מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְאַדְבְּקָא לְמָארֵיהוֹן בְּרָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּגִין לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ, וּלְאִתְתַּקְנָא חָכְמָה דִּשְׁמֵיהּ בְּלִבַּיְיהוּ, דִּכְתִּיב וּלְחוֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ, דְּהוּא רָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא.

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