500. Come and see that when a man has merit in this world through good deeds, his days are blessed above from the place called "the measure of days," WHICH IS BINAH. He opened the discussion saying, "Hashem, make me to know my end, and the measure of my days, what it is" (Tehilim 39:5). This verse has already been explained, yet "my end" is the end of the right, which is connected to David. "The measure of my days" is in charge of his days, WHICH IS BINAH.

501. Rabbi Yehuda said, I have heard from Rabbi Shimon that this verse talks about the days that were portioned from Adam, seventy years. For we have learned that David had no life whatsoever, but the seventy years given him by Adam.

502. It is a mystery THAT THE FIRMAMENT IS a curtain WHICH CORRESPONDS TO MALCHUT, which serves no purpose, since the moon, MALCHUT, has no light of her own. THE SECRET IS THAT DAVID, WHO CORRESPONDS TO MALCHUT, HAS NO LIFE. Seventy years shine upon her, UPON MALCHUT, on all her sides, BEING THE SECRET OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT OF ZEIR ANPIN, EACH INCLUDES OF TEN, WHICH ALTOGETHER AMOUNT TO SEVENTY. This is the life of David. He therefore desired to learn from the Holy One, blessed be He, this secret of why the moon has no life of her own, and wanted to know of her root.

503. "And the measure of my days, what it is:" This is a supernal, undisclosed grade, BINAH, CALLED THE MEASURE OF MY DAYS, since it is situated over all the days which form the life OF MALCHUT, AS CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT ARE DRAWN FROM BINAH, a place which shines upon everything. "I will know how frail I am" (Tehilim 39:5). David said, Let me know wherefore I have not MY OWN light, and cannot be like the rest of the supernal lights, which have THEIR OWN lives, why MY LIGHT IS frail, and wherefore it is withheld from me. This is what David desired to know, but was not given permission to know.