361. Rabbi Yitzchak and Rabbi Yesa were walking along the road. Rabbi Yesa said, The Shechinah is with us, BECAUSE SHE ATTACHES HERSELF TO TRAVELERS ON THE ROAD TO PROTECT THEM. Let us study the words of the Torah, for whoever studies the Torah and shines in her draws the Shechinah nearer, AS HE DRAWS ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECRET OF THE TORAH. THEN ZEIR ANPIN AND HIS FEMALE, THE SHECHINAH, WILL BE JOINTLY CONNECTED TO THEM.
362. Rabbi Yitzchak opened the discussion with the verse, "Hashem lives; and blessed is my rock; and let the Elohim of my salvation be exalted" (Tehilim 18:47). This verse contains a mystery. It is written, "Hashem lives." Do I not know that the Holy One, blessed be He, lives? HE ANSWERS, Even the righteous, YESOD, is referred to as "living (Heb. chay)," BECAUSE THE RIGHTEOUS ONE DRAWS THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, CALLED THE 'LIGHT OF CHAYAH,' AND IS THEREFORE CALLED "CHAY." "Living" refers to the righteous above and below - his ZEIR ANPIN, ABOVE, AND HIS YESOD, BELOW, ARE BOTH REFERRED TO AS "LIVING." The Holy One, blessed be He, above, ZEIR ANPIN, is called "living," AS IT IS WRITTEN, "HASHEM LIVES." And the righteous below is called "living," NAMELY, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, as it is written, "And Benaiah the son of Jehoida, the son of a living man" (II Shmuel. 23:20), WHICH ALLUDES TO YESOD. Why is THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, called "living?" Because He is Righteous, BECAUSE HE INCLUDES THE ASPECT OF THE RIGHTEOUS, YESOD, AS WELL, and the righteous is called "the life of the worlds." The phrase, "and blessed is my rock," has a similar meaning. These are all one because the living and the blessed are never separated. THE LIVING MEANS THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, AND THE BLESSED REFERS TO THE ILLUMINATION OF CHASSADIM. THEY HAVE TO BE CLOTHED BY EACH OTHER BECAUSE CHOCHMAH WITHOUT CHASSADIM IS DARKNESS. "HASHEM LIVES; AND BLESSED IS MY ROCK," ALLUDES TO CHOCHMAH AND CHASSADIM TOGETHER; "MY ROCK" IS THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN. When "HASHEM LIVES; AND BLESSED BE MY ROCK" are joined together, THE ROCK becomes a well of living water. The water flows from the inside OF THE WELL, NAMELY, FROM THE LIVING AND THE BLESSED, and fills THE ROCK, WHICH IS THE WELL.
363. The verse, "and let the Elohim of my salvation be exalted," refers to the supernal world, BINAH, which is exalted and uplifted. Everything is issued from it, and every spring that fills the well IS DERIVED FROM IT. THE NUKVA is blessed from there and shines upon all those beneath ATZILUT. When everyone is filled WITH PLENTY from her, then "the Elohim of my salvation be exalted," BECAUSE IT IS EXALTED AND UPLIFTED BY THE WEALTH IT SHOWERS ON THE LOWER BEINGS.