1The first 17 lines of the Hebrew text do not appear in our translation. ‘It is written: “And she (the Shunammite) said unto her husband, Behold now, I know that this is an holy man of God which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber on the wall, and let us set before him a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick” (2 Kings 4, 9, 10). Here we have an allusion to the order of prayer. “Behold now, I know” refers to the concentration of mind during prayer; “that he is an holy man of God” refers to the supernal world which sitteth upon its Throne of Glory and from whence emanate all sanctifications and which sanctifies all worlds; “passeth by us continually” with the sanctification wherewith the worlds above are nourished, he also sanctifies us here below, for there can be no completion of the sanctification above without sanctification below, as it is written: “I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel” (Lev. 22, 32).
Therefore, “let us make a little chamber”: let us have an ordered service as a stay for the Shekinah, who is called “wall”, as in the verse, “And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall” (Isa. 38, 2). This stay created by our prayers and praises consists of a bed, a table, a stool, and a candlestick.
By our evening prayers we provide Her with a bed; by our hymns of praise and by reciting the section of the sacrifice in the morning we provide Her with a table. By the morning prayers, which are said sitting, and with the proclamation of the Divine Unity (the Shema), we provide Her with a stool; and by means of those prayers which must be said standing (‘Amidah) and of the Kaddish and Kedushah prayers and benedictions we provide Her with a candlestick.
Blessed is the man who thus endeavours daily to give hospitality to the Holy One. Blessed is he in this world and blessed shall he be in the world to come. For these four groups of prayers equip the Shekinah with beauty, joy and lustre, to greet Her Spouse with delight and ecstasy day by day, through the worship of the holy people.
The “bed” was given to Jacob to prepare, therefore he ordered the evening prayer; the “table” was prepared by King David in the Psalms which he wrote (“Thou preparest a table before me” (Ps. 23, 5)); the “stool” was prepared by Abraham, through his close union with the Lord, wherewith he benefited the souls of all the sons of men.
The candlestick was prepared by Isaac, who sanctified the Name of the Holy One before the eyes of the whole world, and lighted the supernal light in that sanctification. Therefore the Holy People must direct its mind towards the supernal world, and prepare for the Lord of the House a bed, a table, a stool, and a candlestick, in order that perfection and harmony may reign undisturbed every day, both above and below.
כְּתִיב (מלכים ב ד׳:ט׳-י׳) הִנֵּה נָא יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אִישׁ אֱלהִים קָדוֹשׁ הוּא עוֹבֵר וְגוֹ', וּכְתִיב נַעֲשֶׂה נָא עֲלִיַּת קִיר קְטַנָּה וְגוֹ', בְּהַאי קְרָא אִית לָן סְמָךְ בְּעָלְמָא לְסִדּוּרָא דִּצְלוֹתָא. הִנֵּה נָא יָדַעְתִּי, דָּא אִיהוּ רְעוּתָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ בַּר נָשׁ לְשַׁוָּאָה בְּגַוִּיהּ בִּצְלוֹתָא. כִּי אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים קָדוֹשׁ הוּא, דָּא אִיהוּ עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ יָתִיב עַל כּוּרְסֵי יְקָרֵיהּ, וְכָל קִדּוּשָׁאן נָפְקִין מִנֵּיהּ, וְאִיהוּ מְקַדֵּשׁ לְכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין. עוֹבֵר עָלֵינוּ תָּמִיד, מֵהַהוּא קְדוּשָׁה דְּאִיהוּ מְקַדֵּשׁ לְכָל עָלְמִין לְעֵילָּא, אִיהוּ מְקַדֵּשׁ לָן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. דְּהָא לֵית קְדוּשָׁה לְעֵילָּא, אֶלָּא אִי אִית קְדוּשָּׁא לְתַתָּא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (ויקרא כ״ב:ל״ב) וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
1The first 17 lines of the Hebrew text do not appear in our translation. ‘It is written: “And she (the Shunammite) said unto her husband, Behold now, I know that this is an holy man of God which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber on the wall, and let us set before him a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick” (2 Kings 4, 9, 10). Here we have an allusion to the order of prayer. “Behold now, I know” refers to the concentration of mind during prayer; “that he is an holy man of God” refers to the supernal world which sitteth upon its Throne of Glory and from whence emanate all sanctifications and which sanctifies all worlds; “passeth by us continually” with the sanctification wherewith the worlds above are nourished, he also sanctifies us here below, for there can be no completion of the sanctification above without sanctification below, as it is written: “I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel” (Lev. 22, 32).
וְהוֹאִיל וְכַךְ הוּא, נַעֲשֶׂה נָא עֲלִיַּת קִיר קְטַנָּה, דָּא אִיהוּ סִדּוּרָא דְּתִקּוּנָא (ויחי רכ"ח ע"ב) דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּאִיהִי עֲלִיַּת קִיר, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (ישעיהו ל״ח:ב׳) וַיַּסֵּב חִזְקִיָּהוּ פָּנָיו אֶל הַקִּיר. קְטַנָּה: בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי זְעֵירָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (קהלת ט׳:י״ד) עִיר קְטַנָּה. וְנָשִׂים לוֹ שָׁם בְּתִקּוּנָא דָּא דְּאֲנָן מְתַקְּנִין, וּבְסִדּוּרָא דִּילָן בְּשִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבָּחָן וּבִצְלוֹתָא, (ובתקונא דא) אֲנָן מְתַקְּנִין לְגַבֵּיהּ, לְנַיְיחָא דִּילֵיהּ. מִטָּה וְשֻׁלְחָן וְכִסֵּא וּמְנוֹרָה. אַרְבַּע אִלֵּין, כֻּלְּהוּ בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִינּוּן. וְאִיהִי (כלא) בְּכָל תִּקּוּנִין אִלֵּין מִתְתַּקְּנָן, לְגַבֵּי עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה בְּסִדּוּרָא דְּאֲנָן מְסַדְּרִין.
Therefore, “let us make a little chamber”: let us have an ordered service as a stay for the Shekinah, who is called “wall”, as in the verse, “And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall” (Isa. 38, 2). This stay created by our prayers and praises consists of a bed, a table, a stool, and a candlestick.
בְּסִדּוּרָא דִּצְלוֹתָא דְּעַרְבִית, וּבְתִקּוּנָא דִּילֵיהּ, הָא מִטָּה. בְּסִדּוּרָא דְּאִינּוּן קָרְבָּנִין וְעִלָּוָון, דְּאֲנָן מְסַדְּרִין בְּצַפְרָא וְאִינּוּן שִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן, הָא שֻׁלְחָן. וּבְהַהוּא סִדּוּרָא דִּצְלוֹתָא דִּמְיּוּשָׁב, וּבְתִקּוּנָא דִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע, בְּהַהוּא יִחוּדָא דְּאֲנָן מְתַקְּנִין הָא כִּסֵּא. בְּהַהוּא סִדּוּרָא דִּצְלוֹתָא דִּמְעוּמָד, וּבְאִינּוּן קְדוּשָׁאן, וְתוֹסֶפֶת קְדוּשָׁה, וּבִרְכָּאן, דְּאֲנָן מְסַדְּרִין (לה) הָא מְנוֹרָה.
By our evening prayers we provide Her with a bed; by our hymns of praise and by reciting the section of the sacrifice in the morning we provide Her with a table. By the morning prayers, which are said sitting, and with the proclamation of the Divine Unity (the Shema), we provide Her with a stool; and by means of those prayers which must be said standing (‘Amidah) and of the Kaddish and Kedushah prayers and benedictions we provide Her with a candlestick.
זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ, דְּדָא שַׁוֵּי בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ, לְאַשְׁלָמָא לְגַבֵּי מָארֵיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא, וּלְאַתְקְנָא הַאי עֲלִיַּת קִיר קְטַנָּה, לְגַבֵּי מָארֵיהּ בְּהָנֵי תִּקּוּנִין. כְּדֵין וַדַּאי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יְהֵא אוּשְׁפִּיזֵיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא. זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְזַכָּאָה אִיהוּ בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. בְּגִין דְּאִלֵּין אַרְבַּע, אִינּוּן תִּקּוּנֵי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, לְאִתְתַּקְנָא לְגַבֵּי בַּעְלָהּ. בְּאַרְבַּע תִּקּוּנִין אִלֵּין, אִתְתַּקְנָת בִּשְׁפִירָהָא, בְּחֶדְוָוהָא, בְּחֶזְוָוהָא, עַל יְדֵי דְּעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא בְּכָל יוֹמָא.
Blessed is the man who thus endeavours daily to give hospitality to the Holy One. Blessed is he in this world and blessed shall he be in the world to come. For these four groups of prayers equip the Shekinah with beauty, joy and lustre, to greet Her Spouse with delight and ecstasy day by day, through the worship of the holy people.
מִטָּה אִתְיְהִיבַת לֵיהּ לְיַעֲקֹב לְאִתְתַּקְּנָא, וְעַל דָּא יַעֲקֹב אַתְקִין צְלוֹתָא דְּעַרְבִית. שֻׁלְחָן אַתְקִין דָּוִד מַלְכָּא, בְּאִינוּן שִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן דְּאִיהוּ אַתְקִין, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים כ״ג:ה׳) תַּעֲרֹךְ לְפָנַי שֻׁלְחָן נְגֶד צוֹרְרָי. כִּסֵּא אַתְקִין אַבְרָהָם, בְּאִתְקַשְּׁרוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ, דְּעָבִיד טִיבוּ וּשְׁלִימוּ דְּנִשְׁמָתִין לְכָל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, וְלֵית תִּקּוּנָא דְּכִסֵּא, אֶלָּא בְּחֶסֶד דְּאַבְרָהָם, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (ישעיהו ט״ז:ה׳) וְהוּכַן בַּחֶסֶד כִּסֵּא.
The “bed” was given to Jacob to prepare, therefore he ordered the evening prayer; the “table” was prepared by King David in the Psalms which he wrote (“Thou preparest a table before me” (Ps. 23, 5)); the “stool” was prepared by Abraham, through his close union with the Lord, wherewith he benefited the souls of all the sons of men.
מְנוֹרָה אַתְקִין יִצְחָק, דְּאַקְדִּישׁ שְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעֵינֵיהוֹן דְּכָל עָלְמָא, וְנָהִיר נְהִירוּ דְּבוּצִינָא עִלָּאָה בְּהַהִיא קְדוּשָׁה. בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ, צְרִיכִין עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא, לוֹמַר תָּדִיר וּלְשַׁוָּאָה רְעוּתְהוֹן, לְסַדְּרָא לְגַבֵּי עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ מָארֵיהּ דְּבֵיתָא, אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים, מִטָּה וְשֻׁלְחָן וְכִסֵּא וּמְנוֹרָה, לְמֶהֱוֵי שְׁלִימוּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא, עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא.
The candlestick was prepared by Isaac, who sanctified the Name of the Holy One before the eyes of the whole world, and lighted the supernal light in that sanctification. Therefore the Holy People must direct its mind towards the supernal world, and prepare for the Lord of the House a bed, a table, a stool, and a candlestick, in order that perfection and harmony may reign undisturbed every day, both above and below.