A flame under the wings of the cock

394. Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yosi sat one night occupied with the Torah. Rabbi Yehuda said to Rabbi Yosi: I see that the Torah studied at night is clearer than THE TORAH STUDIED by daytime. Why is it so? He said to him: Because the clarity of the Written Torah is within the Oral Torah, THE SECRET OF MALCHUT CALLED NIGHT AND CALLED THE ORAL TORAH, while the Oral Torah, WHICH IS MALCHUT, rules by night and is awake more than by day. When MALCHUT reigns, the Torah is clear.

395. Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion saying, "But none says, Where is Eloha my maker, who gives songs in the night" (Iyov 35:10). Come and see: When the north wind stirs at midnight, we explained that a flame comes out and strikes under the wings of the rooster, and he flaps his wings and crows. When the flame touches him and stirs against him, he looks at it, trembles and cries, looking and searching for his Master's glory to do His bidding and cries to men TO RISE AND WORSHIP THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE.

396. He is therefore called a rooster, derived from watching and a cock (Heb. gever), since he is awakened by the flame of Gvurah and comes from the side of Gvurah to awaken the world. The faithful stand there and give might and strength to the Congregation of Yisrael, MALCHUT. This is called the chanting of the Torah. For WAKING UP AT MIDNIGHT, David attained the kingdom for himself and his sons forever and ever, for all generations.

397. When the cock crows and people sleep in their beds and do not rise, the cock crows later and says that which he says, as we already explained. He then flaps his wings and says, Woe to so-and-so, reproached by his Master and abandoned by his Master, since his spirit did not wake and he did not behold the glory of the King.

398. When day breaks, a herald cries and says of him: "But none says, Where is Eloha my maker, who gives songs in the night" IN ORDER to help him with praises, so that everything will help. HE ASKS, "My maker (lit. 'makers'):" It should have been in the singular. Why does it say "my makers." HE ANSWERS, This applies when man rises at midnight and is occupied with the chanting of the Torah, as the chanting of the Torah is recited solely at night, when he studies the Torah. When day breaks, the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Congregation of Yisrael put on him a thread of grace so that he will be saved from everything and so as to shine upon him among the high and low beings.

399. Rabbi Yehuda said, I heard that Rabbi Aba discoursed the verse SAYING, "Where is Eloha my makers." It should have said, 'who makes me.' Why say, "my makers?" HE ANSWERS, As you said, when man rises at midnight and studies the Torah, at daybreak Abraham awakens by his thread OF GRACE, of which it is written, "From a thread even to a shoe latchet..." (Beresheet 14:23). The Holy One, blessed be He, and the Congregation of Yisrael model him and make him daily into a new creature. Hence, "Eloha my makers."

400. We have explained THAT ELOHA IS SPELLED El Vav Hei. El is Abraham, of whom it is written, 'the great El.' Vav is the Holy One, blessed be He, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. Hei is the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY MALCHUT. This is Eloha, WHICH HINTS AT CHESED, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. They make man and model him daily. Hence the verses, "my makers," and "Let Yisrael rejoice in his makers" (Tehilim 149:2) allude to the Holy One, blessed be He. Rabbi Yosi said, Surely this is so, and everything amounts to the same thing.