519. "You shall not take the name of Hashem your Elohim in vain" (Shemot 20:7). This secret has already been interpreted by the friends. When the Holy One, blessed be He, planted the world, He planted into the deep waters His Name engraved UPON A STONE. Since then, when the water desires to rise, INTENDING TO DROWN THE WORLD, it sees the Holy Name engraved on that stone and retreats and returns to its place, and the Holy Name remains in the deep waters to this day.
520. At the time when men take a true oath, firmly attached to the Truth, that rock flows up and receives that oath, and then it returns to its place in the deep waters. And the world is maintained by that true oath.
521. When men take a false oath, that rock flows up, intending to receive that oath, but when it sees that this oath was taken in vain, it retreats and all the waters flow up. And the letters of that stone soar inside the deep and disperse. And the waters wish to cover the world and return it to its former state OF WATER.
522. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, invites Ye'azriel the Minister, who is in charge of seventy keys of the secret of the Holy Name. He then engraves the Holy Letters as they were before, and the world is settled by them, and the deep waters return to their place. Of that it is written, "You shall not take the Name of Hashem your Elohim in vain" (Shemot 20:7).
523. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). The twelfth commandment is to swear in His name in a truthful way. And he who takes an oath combines himself with the supernal seven grades in which the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is included. Thus, there are six grades, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, and when man takes a true oath, he then includes himself with them by becoming a seventh, CORRESPONDING TO MALCHUT, so as to maintain the Holy Name, WHICH IS MALCHUT, in its place. Therefore, it is written, "And shall swear by His Name" (Devarim 6:13). And he who takes a false oath causes that place, MALCHUT, to be disturbed in its abode.
524. The oath to keep one's Master's commandment is a true oath, and the Evil Inclination denounces him and tempts this man to transgress his Master's commandment. Such is an oath with which his Master praises himself, and it is proper for man to take a true oath in the Name of his Master, for then the Holy One, blessed be He, is praised by this oath, as Boaz did, as written, "As Hashem lives, lie down until the morning" (Rut 3:13). He took an oath, for the Evil Inclination was, then, denouncing him. He therefore swore to it.
525. A vow (Heb. neder) is connected higher and is the King's life, MEANING THE MOCHIN OF MALCHUT IN BINAH, the secret of 248 limbs and twelve ties, WHICH ARE THE FOUR SFIROT: CHESED AND GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT. EACH ONE OF THESE SFIROT INCLUDES THE THREE COLUMNS. Thus, they amount to the numerical value of "neder" (=254) AS 248 PLUS TWELVE AMOUNTS TO 254. Therefore, taking a vow is a stricter act than taking a oath. This King's Life maintains all the 248 limbs and it is called 'THE KING'S LIFE' for indeed it gives life, and this life descends from above, FROM THE ENDLESS LIGHT downwards, to the source of life, WHICH IS BINAH from which it descends TO MALCHUT, to all the 248 limbs.
526. An oath maintains the lower grade, the secret of the Holy Name, WHICH IS MALCHUT, called the King Himself, whose supernal spirit within His body COMES to dwell in it and stay in it as a spirit dwelling in a body - WHICH MEANS THAT THE MOCHIN ARE ALREADY PLACED IN THE VESSEL OF MALCHUT, WHICH IS CALLED 'BODY.' FOR IT IS HIDDEN ABOVE IN BINAH, AND IS REVEALED ONLY IN MALCHUT. Therefore, he who takes a true oath maintains that place and by doing so, the whole world is maintained. A vow applies to both that which is obligatory and optional. But an oath is not so, AS IT DOES NOT APPLY TO PRECEPTS. This has been explained by the friends. End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).