443. Rabbi Acha was walking on the way, when he met Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yosi walking together. Rabbi Acha said, Surely we are going to welcome the Shechinah. They joined and went together. Rabbi Acha said, Let each of us say something in relation to the Torah as we walk.
444. Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion saying, "Shower, O heavens, from above" (Yeshayah 45:8). This verse is the secret of wisdom, which I learned from the holy luminary. "Shower, O heavens, from above:" What is "Shower?" It is like the words: "My doctrine shall drop as the rain" (Devarim 32:2). It speaks about the rain, which is everybody's food. The eyes of the whole world, therefore, look towards the Holy One, blessed be He, for sustenance, since He gives food for all and feeds everyone, as written, "The eyes of all wait on You..." (Tehilim 145:15).
445. You may say that it depends on the place called heaven, ZEIR ANPIN, yet we learned that NOURISHMENT does not depend on merit. Merit, as we explained, is charity, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, as charity is translated into Aramaic as merit, while charity and heaven are the same thing. IT THUS DOES NOT DEPEND ON HEAVEN, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. It is written here: "Shower, O heavens, from above," NAMELY HEAVEN FROM HIGHER ABOVE; "from above" is surely from Atika Kadisha, ARICH ANPIN, WHENCE NOURISHMENT IS FROM, not from the place called heaven and merit, but precisely from above.
446. "And let the skies pour down righteousness" (Yeshayah 45:8). When the heavens, ZEIR ANPIN, receive nourishment from above, from the supernal place resting on them, ARICH ANPIN, FROM THE SECRET OF THE BEARD (HEB. DIKNA) CALLED MAZALA, then "the skies pour down righteousness." What are the skies? It is a place where manna is ground for the righteous. And what are those? Netzach and Hod, which surely grind manna for the righteous. To whom? To the place called the Righteous, YESOD, since they grind manna that comes from above, FROM ARICH ANPIN. All goodness is gathered within them to be given to the grade CALLED the Righteous, YESOD, so that righteousness, MALCHUT, shall be blessed from their flow. Manna is therefore ground for the righteous. Who are the righteous? Righteous and righteousness, WHICH ARE Joseph and Rachel, YESOD AND MALCHUT, who are called righteous, when joined together.
447. NETZACH AND HOD indeed grind manna for the righteous, RIGHTEOUS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. THE VERSE therefore SAYS, "Let the skies" (NETZACH AND HOD) "pour down righteousness." Then, "let the earth open" (Ibid.) below "and let them bring forth salvation" (Ibid.), NAMELY, the inhabitants of the world. "And let it cause righteousness (also: 'charity') to spring up also" (Ibid.), so that every kind of mercy and goodness in the world will increase, there will be food for men in the world and there will be joy upon joy and every world will be blessed. Rabbi Acha said, Had I come only to hear this, it would suffice.