338. Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yosi were walking along the road. While they were walking, Rabbi Yosi said to Rabbi Chiya: Let us study the words of the Torah, the words of Atik Yomin (lit. 'the Ancient of Days'). Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion saying, "I acknowledge my sin to You" (Tehilim 32:5). From this, I learned that a man who hides his sins and does not confess them before the Holy King to ask for mercy on them cannot open the gate of penitence, because he conceals from Him. If he uncovers them before the Holy One, blessed be He, He takes pity on him and Mercy overcomes Judgment.
339. All the more so if he cries, because he opens all the closed doors by crying and his prayer is accepted. Confessing his sins, therefore, glorifies the King. It causes Mercy to overpower Judgment. It is therefore written, "Whoever offers praise glorifies Me (Heb. Yechabdaneni)" (Tehilim 50:23). Why Yechabdaneni, INSTEAD OF THE COMMON YECHABDENI? This is because there are two glorifications, one above and one below; NAMELY, one in this world and one in the World to Come.
340. The whole verse is difficult, because of its excess of words. The words, "I will confess my transgressions" (Tehilim 32:5) suffice. Why then does he say, "I acknowledge my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hid" (Ibid.). Then he says, "I will confess my transgressions to Hashem." It should have been 'to You,' LIKE HE SAID BEFORE: "I ACKNOWLEDGE MY SIN TO YOU" AND NOT 'TO HASHEM.'
341. HE ANSWERS, David said all his words by the Holy Spirit. He addressed them to the kingdom of heaven, that is a mediator and a messenger that takes the message from below upwards, BEING A GATE TO THE UPPER SFIROT, AND MAN HAS TO ENTER IT FIRST and from above downwards SINCE IT RECEIVES ABUNDANCE FROM THE UPPER SFIROT AND POURS IT DOWNWARDS. Whoever needs the King should first notify it. Therefore, "I acknowledge my sin to You" is addressed to the kingdom of heaven and "my iniquity I have not hid" from the Righteous of the world, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. "I said, I will confess my transgressions to Hashem" to the Holy King, ZEIR ANPIN, that the whole peace is His. It behooves man to bring peace to Him by confession; NAMELY, HE SHOULD CONFESS HIS SINS. For peace offerings are brought by confession, as written, "His peace offering of thanksgiving (derived from 'confess')" (Vayikra 7:13). "And You did forgive the iniquity of my sin. Sela" (Tehilim 32:5) is high above BY THE SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA, where Atika Kadisha, KETER, dwells. This verse is therefore attached to everything, TO MALCHUT, YESOD, TIFERET AND THE SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA, ON WHICH KETER RESTS.
342. In the same manner, he who pleads for a favor of the King should bring the unison of the Holy Name with his will from below upward, FROM MALCHUT TO KETER, and from above downward, FROM KETER TO MALCHUT. And he should bind everything into one unison WITH THE BLESSED ENDLESS LIGHT. In this unison, it behooves him to include his petition. Rabbi Yosi said, Who is wise to ask his request like King David did, who guarded the gate of the King, BEING A CHARIOT TO MALCHUT CALLED THE GATE OF THE KING. Rabbi Chiya said to him: Surely this is so. The Torah therefore teaches us the ways of the Holy King, so that we shall know how to follow Him, as written, "You shall walk after Hashem your Elohim..." (Devarim 13:5).