R. Jose further discoursed on the verse: “And He said unto me: Thou art my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified” (Isa. 49, 3). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that there is an outer and bodily worship of the Holy One, blessed be He, and an inner and spiritual worship which is the true and genuine worship.
The body possesses twelve members that participate in rendering worship. These are the outer members of the body, but there are also twelve inner members whose act of worship is of benefit to the spirit. For this is the inner and precious worship of the Holy One, blessed be He, as expounded among the mysteries taught by R. Simeon, and as belonging to the mysteries of supernal wisdom known to the Companions, happy is their portion!
Prayer is spiritual worship. Deep mysteries are attached to it, for men wot not that a man’s prayer cleaves the ethereal spaces, cleaves the firmament, opens doors and ascends on high.
At the moment of daybreak, when light emerges from darkness, a proclamation resounds through all the firmaments, saying: Make yourselves ready, ye sentinels at the doors, chiefs of the Palace-each one to his post! For the day-attendants are not the same as the night-attendants, the two groups replacing each other with the succession of day and night.
This is alluded to in the passage, “the greater light for to rule the day”, etc. (Gen. 1, 16), “the rule of the day” and “the rule of the night” signifying the day-attendants and the night-attendants.
When night arrives proclamation is made, saying: Make yourselves ready, O ye rulers of the night-each one to his place! Similarly, when day breaks a proclamation goes forth: Make yourselves ready, ye rulers of the day-each one to his place! Each one thus, following the proclamation, is assigned his suitable place. The Shekinah then descends whilst Israel enter the Synagogue to offer praise to their Master in song and hymn.
It behoves, then, every man, after equipping himself with emblems of holiness,1Fringes and phylacteries. to attune his heart and his inner being for that act of worship and to say his prayers with devotion. For the words that he utters ascend on high, for the scrutiny of angelic supervisors.
These abide in ethereal space on the four sides of the world. On the eastern side there is the chief supervisor, whose name is Gezardiya, and who is attended by a number of other chieftains, all awaiting the word of prayer that is about to ascend to the ethereal realm on that side. The moment it does so the supervisor takes it up.
If it be fitly uttered, he, together with all the other chieftains, kisses that utterance and carries it aloft into the supernal firmament, where other chieftains are awaiting it. When kissing the utterance of prayer they say: “Happy are ye, O Israel, who know how to crown your Master with holy crowns. Happy is the mouth from which issued this utterance, this crown.”
Then the letters of the Divine Name that abide in the ethereal space soar upwards. That Divine Name is formed of twelve letters, and is the one by which Elijah flew to the ethereal regions until he reached heaven. This is indicated in the words that Obadiah spoke to Elijah, saying, “… that the spirit of the Lord (TETRAGRAMMATON) will carry thee….” For it was that Name by which Elijah flew upwards, and it is that Name that rules the ethereal space.
The letters, then, of the Name fly upwards with the prayer-utterance, in company with the chief who holds the keys of the ether, and all the other chiefs, until heaven is reached, where the prayer is taken in charge by another chief to carry it still higher.
On the southern side there is another chieftain ruling over the ethereal space of that region and having under him a number of supervisors and officers. His name is Pesagniyah, and he is in charge of the keys of the ethereal space in that quarter. Now the prayer of persons in deep sorrow and anguish, if uttered with due devotion, ascends into that region and is taken up by the chief, who kisses it and pronounces over it the words, “The Holy One, blessed be He, be merciful towards thee and be filled with compassion on thy behalf.”
Then all the chieftains and officers administering that region accompany it upwards, along with the letters of the Divine Name-to wit, the Name of four letters that rule that region-until it reaches the heaven over that region. There it is taken in charge by the chief of that region.
The name of the one in charge of the northerly region, who also has under his command a number of chieftains and officers, is Petahyah. He is appointed over that side to which prayers offered for deliverance from enemies ascend. If such a prayer be found worthy, the chief takes it up and kisses it.
Then a spirit emerges out of the abyss in the North who makes proclamation through all the ethereal spaces, so that they all take up that prayer and carry it into heaven, all the while kissing it and exclaiming, “May thy Master cast thy enemy down before thee.”
It then ascends and cleaves the heavens.1Al. and ethereal spaces. When it reaches the first heaven it is met by the chief of the West, whose name is Zebuliel, and who presides over numerous chieftains and officers that stand sentry over nine doors.
The same Zebuliel would fain minister in that heaven in the daytime, but he is not permitted until moonlight appears, when he comes out with all those legions and chieftains. But when day breaks they all retire through one, the most prominent of the nine doors. Now any ascending prayer enters through that door, and then all officers and chieftains, under the guidance of Zebuliel their chief, emerge through that door. They embrace it, and accompany it to the second heaven.
That heaven is fitted with twelve gates, at the twelfth of which there stands a chief, named ‘Anael, who is in command of numerous hosts and legions. And when the prayer arrives there that chief loudly orders all those doors to be opened, exclaiming, “Open ye the gates”, etc. (Isa. 26, 2). All the gates then open, and the prayer enters through all the doors.
Then arises a chief, ancient of days, who is placed at the northern side, and whose name is ‘Azriel the Ancient, though sometimes he is called Mahniel (lit. mighty camp). This other name is given him because he commands sixty myriads of legions. All these legions are winged, part of them are full of eyes, and by their side are others full of ears. These are called “ears” because they listen to all those who pray in a whisper, from the heart, so that the prayer should not be overheard by anyone else. Only such a prayer is accepted by these “all-eared” legions,
whereas a prayer that is heard by the ears of man is not listened to on high, and so remains unheard by anyone save by him who overheard it at first. Hence it behoves man to be careful not to let others hear his prayer. Furthermore, prayer becomes absorbed in the upper world, and the speech of the upper world should remain inaudible.
Similarly, in the reading of the Book of the Law, while one reads, the other standing by him should be silent. For, if two read together faith is diminished, because voice and utterance are only one. For only a single voice and a single recital must be heard; so that if there are two voices and two utterances there is a diminution of Divine Faith.
When the silent prayer soars aloft, all those sixty myriads of legions, all those “all-eye” and “all-ear” hosts, come forward and kiss it. So Scripture says: “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry” (Ps. 34, 16), indicating the “all-eye” and the “all-ear” legions.
From thence the prayer mounts to the third heaven, the chief of which is Gedariah, who has under him numerous officers and chiefs. He ministers three times a day in the presence of a ray of light that is constantly shooting up and down in that heaven without ever being still.
And when the prayer mounts up there that ray descends and bows down before it. Then the chief of that heaven, after bowing down to the prayer, strikes with the ray of light against a mighty rock that is placed in the centre of that heaven, and there emerge from it three hundred and seventy-five legions that have been confined within it since the day the Torah came down to earth. They were so confined because they endeavoured to prevent the Torah descending on earth, and God rebuked and shut them up in the interior of that rock, whence they do not emerge save at the time when prayer ascends. They then break forth into song, chanting: “O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is thy name… above the heavens” (Ps. 8, 2). They then bow to the prayer, after which it is crowned with supernal crowns and mounts up into the fourth heaven.
Then comes forth the sun and Shamshiel (=mighty sun or sun of God) the chief enters that heaven accompanied by three hundred and sixty-five legions called days of the solar year, and they all crown that prayer with crowns of sweet perfume of the Garden of Eden.
There it tarries until all those legions accompany it into the fifth heaven, the chief of which is Gadriel. This angel is in charge of the wars waged among the nations, but as soon as the prayer arives there a trembling seizes him with all his hosts so that their strength is enfeebled; and they come forward and bow down to the prayer,
and crown it and accompany it into the sixth heaven. There numerous hosts and legions come out to receive it and ascend with it until they reach a series of seventy gates in charge of a chief whose name is ‘Anpiel. He crowns the prayer with seventy crowns.
Then all the hosts and legions of all these heavens join together and take up that prayer, crowned with all these crowns, into the seventh heaven. Finally Sandalphon, the supreme chief, the keeper of all his Master’s keys, introduces the prayer into the seven Palaces.
to wit, the Palaces of the King. When the prayer enters there, decorated with all those crowns, it combines them all into one heavenly crown, each prayer according to its rank. And the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is crowned on all sides, above and below, so that the whole forms a unity. Of this Scripture says: “Blessings are upon the head of the righteous” (Prov. 10, 6).
Happy is the portion of the man who knows the proper way in which to order his prayer. The Holy One, blessed be He, being glorified in such a prayer, awaits the completion of all the prayers of Israel, so that the whole is fitly harmonized, both the above and the below. ‘So far we have spoken of prayer. But there are in addition certain precepts that are bound up, not with action, but with the words of prayer.
These are in number six. The first is “to fear the glorious and awful Name” (Deut. 28, 58); the second is “to love Him” (Ibid. 10, 12); the third is to bless Him; the fourth is to proclaim His unity; the fifth enjoins the priests to bless the people; the sixth bids man to surrender his soul to Him. These six precepts are bound up with the words of prayer, just as there are other precepts that are connected with the action of prayer, such as those of the fringes and phylacteries.
Now the injunction “to fear the Name” is accomplished by means of the hymns and songs that King David chanted, and of the sacrifices ordained by the Torah. For it behoves man to be filled thereby with fear of his Master, for those hymns belong to a region called “Fear” (yir’ah),1Malkuth. and all the Hallelukahs are emblematic of the fear of the Holy One,1Because the word Hallelukah has the same numerical value as Elohim, signifying the attribute of Justice. blessed be He; it thus behoves man to attune his mind to a spirit of awe in the recital of those hymns.
In arriving at “Praised be” it behoves a man to concentrate his thoughts on the Holy One, blessed be He, in that benediction which reads: “Blessed art Thou… who formest light… Blessed art Thou, O Lord creator of the universe.” The precept, “to love Him”, is realized in the benediction commencing with “With abundant love”, which is followed by the reading of “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God…”, containing the mystery of the love of the Holy One, blessed be He. And we proclaim His unity when we recite “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One”, as that declaration contains the secret of God’s oneness. After the reading of these sections comes the passage wherein we mention our exodus from Egypt, in fulfilment of the injunction, “But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt” (Deut. 24, 18).
There follows the pronouncement of the blessing of the people by the priests in order to embrace all Israel at the moment when they receive blessings. For at that moment the Community of Israel receives blessings, and it is a propitious moment to surrender our souls to Him in the full willingness of our heart when we fall on our faces and recite the Psalm: “Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul…” (Ps. 25, 1), which should be the expression of our full and complete self-surrender to Him. These are the six precepts that are bound up with our daily prayer, and that comprise in a way the six hundred precepts of the Torah.
If you ask, What of the thirteen left over,1There being, according to the Rabbinic reckoning, six hundred and thirteen precepts. these are a category apart designed to draw upon us the thirteen attributes of mercy that comprise all the precepts. These are the six precepts by which prayer is embroidered.
Happy is the portion of whoever concentrates his heart and will on them and realizes them every day. With these precepts many others are interwoven, but at each particular passage it behoves man to concentrate his heart and will on the particular precept contained in that passage. Such a man is praised aloud in the words contained in the passage: “And He said unto me: Thou art My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified” (Isa. 49, 3).’ R. Jose ceased, and R. Abba went up to him and kissed him;
and R. Isaac next began a discourse on the text: And Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, etc. ‘The object’, he said, ‘of this assembling was to give them anew the law of the Sabbath. For the previous promulgation of the Sabbath before the Israelites made the golden calf was not observed by the mixed multitude. When they heard the words, “between Me and the children of Israel” (Ex. 31, 17), they said in protest: Are we then to be excluded from this? Straightway, “the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron”, etc. (Ibid. 32, 1), and many were they that followed them. Then, after the guilty ones were put to death, Moses assembled the children of Israel separately and gave them the Sabbath anew, saying: “Six days shall work be done…”
פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו מ״ט:ג׳) וַיֹּאמֶר לִי עַבְדִּי אַתָּה וְגוֹ', הָכָא בִּצְלוֹתָא דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְצַלָּאָה קַמֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּאִיהִי פּוּלְחָנָא חֲדָא רַבָּא וְיַקִּירָא, מֵאִינּוּן פּוּלְחָנִין דְּמָארֵיהּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, אִית פּוּלְחָנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּקַיְּימָא בְּעוֹבָדָא, דְּאִיהוּ פּוּלְחָנָא דְּקַיְּימָא בְּעוֹבָדָא דְּגוּפָא, וְאִיהוּ פּוּלְחָנָא. וְאִית פּוּלְחָנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּאִיהוּ פּוּלְחָנָא פְּנִימָאָה יַתִּיר, דְּאִיהוּ עִקָרָא דְּכֹלָּא, קַיְּימָא בְּהַהוּא פּוּלְחָנָא פְּנִימָאָה, דְּאִיהוּ עִקָּרָא דְּכֹלָּא.
R. Jose further discoursed on the verse: “And He said unto me: Thou art my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified” (Isa. 49, 3). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that there is an outer and bodily worship of the Holy One, blessed be He, and an inner and spiritual worship which is the true and genuine worship.
בְּגוּפָא אִית (בראשית ט"ז ע"א) תְּרֵיסָר שַׁיְיפִין, דְּקַיְימִין בְּעוֹבָדָא דְּגוּפָא, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא. וְאִינּוּן שַׁיְיפִין דְּגוּפָא, וּפוּלְחָנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּעוֹבָדָא קַיְּימָא בְּהוּ. בְּגִין דְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בִּתְרֵין סִטְרִין, שַׁיְיפִין דְּגוּפָא לְבַר, וְאִית תְּרֵיסָר שַׁיְיפִין אַחֲרָנִין, פְּנִימָאִין לְגוֹ מִן גּוּפָא. וְאִינּוּן תִּקּוּנִין פְּנִימָאִין לְגוֹ מִן גּוּפָא, לְאִתְתַּקְנָא בְּהוּ תִּקּוּנָא דְּרוּחָא, דְּאִיהוּ פּוּלְחָנָא יַקִּירָא פְּנִימָאָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא גּוֹ רָזִין פְּנִימָאִין דְּקָאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וְאִינּוּן רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה, וְאִתְיְדִיעוּ בֵּינֵי חַבְרַיָּא, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן.
The body possesses twelve members that participate in rendering worship. These are the outer members of the body, but there are also twelve inner members whose act of worship is of benefit to the spirit. For this is the inner and precious worship of the Holy One, blessed be He, as expounded among the mysteries taught by R. Simeon, and as belonging to the mysteries of supernal wisdom known to the Companions, happy is their portion!
צְלוֹתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ, אִיהוּ פּוּלְחָנָא דְּרוּחָא, וְאִיהוּ קַיְּימָא בְּרָזִין עִלָּאִין, וּבְנֵי נָשָׁא לָא יַדְעִין, דְּהָא צְלוֹתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ בַּקְעָת אֲוִירִין, בַּקְעָת רְקִיעִין, פַּתְחָת פִּתְחִין, וְסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא.
Prayer is spiritual worship. Deep mysteries are attached to it, for men wot not that a man’s prayer cleaves the ethereal spaces, cleaves the firmament, opens doors and ascends on high.
בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָהִיר נְהוֹרָא, וְאִתְפְּרָשׁ נְהוֹרָא מִן חֲשׁוֹכָא, כְּדֵין כָּרוֹזָא אָזְלָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ רְקִיעִין, אִתְתָּקָנוּ מָארֵי דְּפִתְחִין, מָארֵיהוֹן דְּהֵיכָלִין, כָּל חַד וְחַד עַל מַטְרֵיהּ. בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן דְּשֻׁלְטָנִיהוֹן בִּימָמָא, לָאו אִינּוּן דְּשֻׁלְטָנֵיהוֹן בְּלֵילְיָא. וְכַד עָאל לֵילְיָא, אִתְעַבְרוּ שׁוּלְטָנִין דִּימָמָא, וְאִתְמְנוּן שֻׁלְטָנִין אַחֲרָנִין, דְּשָׁלִיטִין בְּלֵילְיָא, וְאִתְחַלְּפָן אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין.
At the moment of daybreak, when light emerges from darkness, a proclamation resounds through all the firmaments, saying: Make yourselves ready, ye sentinels at the doors, chiefs of the Palace-each one to his post! For the day-attendants are not the same as the night-attendants, the two groups replacing each other with the succession of day and night.
וְרָזָא דָּא, (בראשית א׳:ט״ז) אֶת הַמָּאוֹר הַגָּדוֹל לְמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַיּוֹם וְגוֹ'. וּמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַיּוֹם וּמֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַלַּיְלָה, שׁוּלְטָנִין אִינּוּן דִּי מְמָנָן בִּימָמָא, וְשׁוּלְטָנִין אִינּוּן דִּי מְמָנָן בְּלֵילְיָא. וְאִלֵּין אִקְרוּן מֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַיּוֹם. וְאִלֵּין אִקְרוּן מֶמְשֶׁלֶת הַלַּיְלָה.
This is alluded to in the passage, “the greater light for to rule the day”, etc. (Gen. 1, 16), “the rule of the day” and “the rule of the night” signifying the day-attendants and the night-attendants.
כַּד עָאל לֵילְיָא, כָּרוֹזָא נָפְקָא, אִתְתָּקָנוּ שׁוּלְטָנִין דְּלֵילְיָא, כָּל חַד וְחַד לְאַתְרֵיהּ. וְכַד נָהִיר יְמָמָא, כָּרוֹזָא נָפְקָא, אִתְתָּקָנוּ שׁוּלְטָנִין דִּימָמָא, כָּל חַד וְחַד לְאַתְרֵיהּ. (כדין מתעברי שלטנין דליליא ואתפקדון שלטנין דיממא) וְכַד כָּרוֹזָא אַכְרִיז, כְּדֵין כֻּלְּהוּ כָּל חַד וְחַד, אִתְפְּקַּד עַל הַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִתְחָזֵי לֵיהּ. כְּדֵין שְׁכִינְתָּא קַדְמָא, וְנַחְתָּא, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל עָאלִין לְבֵי כְּנִישְׁתָּא, לְשַׁבְּחָא לְמָארֵיהוֹן, פַּתְחִין בְּשִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן.
When night arrives proclamation is made, saying: Make yourselves ready, O ye rulers of the night-each one to his place! Similarly, when day breaks a proclamation goes forth: Make yourselves ready, ye rulers of the day-each one to his place! Each one thus, following the proclamation, is assigned his suitable place. The Shekinah then descends whilst Israel enter the Synagogue to offer praise to their Master in song and hymn.
דְּבָעֵי לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ, (ויקרא ק"כ ע"ב) כֵּיוָן דְּאַתְקִין גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּעוֹבָדָא, בְּתִקּוּנֵי דְּמִצְוָה וּקְדוּשָׁה, לְיַחֲדָא לִבֵּיהּ בְּתִקּוּנָא דְּפוּלְחָנָא פְּנִימָאָה דְּמָארֵיהּ, וּלְשַׁוָּאָה לִבֵּיהּ וּרְעוּתֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא פּוּלְחָנָא דְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין, (ד"א דקאמר) דְּהָא מִלָּה סַלְּקָא.
It behoves, then, every man, after equipping himself with emblems of holiness,1Fringes and phylacteries. to attune his heart and his inner being for that act of worship and to say his prayers with devotion. For the words that he utters ascend on high, for the scrutiny of angelic supervisors.
וְאִינּוּן מְמָנָן דְּקַיְימִין בַּאֲוִירָא, אִתְמְנּוּן לְד' סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא. לִסְטַר מִזְרָח אִתְמַנָּא מְמָנָא חַד, דְּקַיְּימָא בַּאֲוִירָא לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא, גְּזַרְדִּיָ"א שְׁמֵיהּ, וְעִמֵּיהּ סַרְכִין מְמָנָן אַחֲרָנִין, דְּאִינּוּן מְחַכָּאן לְהַהִיא מִלָּה דִּצְלוֹתָא, וְסַלְּקָא בַּאֲוִירָא בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא, וְנָטִיל לָהּ הַאי מְמָנָא.
These abide in ethereal space on the four sides of the world. On the eastern side there is the chief supervisor, whose name is Gezardiya, and who is attended by a number of other chieftains, all awaiting the word of prayer that is about to ascend to the ethereal realm on that side. The moment it does so the supervisor takes it up.
אִי הִיא מִלָּה כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, הוּא, וְכָל אִינּוּן סַרְכִין נַשְׁקִין לְהַהִיא מִלָּה, וְסַלְּקִין עִמָּהּ עַד הַהוּא אֲוִירָא דִּרְקִיעָא לְעֵילָּא, דְּתַמָּן מְמָנָן סַרְכִין אַחֲרָנִין. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנַשְּׁקֵי לְהַהִיא מִלָּה, פַּתְחֵי וְאַמְרֵי, זַכָּאִין אַתּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּיַדְעִיתּוּ לְאַעְטְרָא לְמָארֵיכוֹן בְּעִטְרִין קַדִּישִׁין זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ פּוּמָא, דְּמִלָּה דְּעַטְרָא דָּא נָפְקָא מִנֵּיהּ.
If it be fitly uttered, he, together with all the other chieftains, kisses that utterance and carries it aloft into the supernal firmament, where other chieftains are awaiting it. When kissing the utterance of prayer they say: “Happy are ye, O Israel, who know how to crown your Master with holy crowns. Happy is the mouth from which issued this utterance, this crown.”
כְּדֵין פַּרְחִין אַתְוָון דְּקַיְימִין בַּאֲוִירָא, דְּבִשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּתְרֵיסָר אַתְוָון, דְּהַהוּא שְׁמָא שַׁלִּיט בַּאֲוִירָא, וְהַאי אִיהוּ (בראשית ט"ז ע"א) שְׁמָא, דְּהֲוָה טָאס בֵּיהּ אֵלִיָּה"וּ, עַד דְּאִסְתַּלָּק לִשְׁמַיָּא. וְהַיְינוּ דְּקָאמַר עוֹבַדְיָה לְאֵלִיָּהוּ, (מלכים א יח) וְרוּחַ יְיָ' יִשָּׂאֲךָ. בְּגִין דְּבִשְׁמָא דָּא, הֲוָה אֵלִיָּהוּ טָאס בֵּיהּ בַּאֲוִירָא, וְהַאי אִיהוּ שְׁמָא דְּשַׁלִּיט בַּאֲוִירָא.
Then the letters of the Divine Name that abide in the ethereal space soar upwards. That Divine Name is formed of twelve letters, and is the one by which Elijah flew to the ethereal regions until he reached heaven. This is indicated in the words that Obadiah spoke to Elijah, saying, “… that the spirit of the Lord (TETRAGRAMMATON) will carry thee….” For it was that Name by which Elijah flew upwards, and it is that Name that rules the ethereal space.
וְאִינּוּן אַתְוָון פַּרְחִין וְסַלְּקִין בְּהַהִיא מִלָּה, וְהַהוּא מְמָנָא דְּמַפְתְּחָן דְּאַוִּירָא בִּידֵיהּ, וְכָל אִינּוּן מְמָנָן אַחֲרָנִין, כֻּלְּהוּ סַלְּקִין בֵּיהּ עַד רְקִיעָא, וְאִתְמְסָר בִּידָא דִּמְמָנָא אַחֲרָא, לְסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא.
The letters, then, of the Name fly upwards with the prayer-utterance, in company with the chief who holds the keys of the ether, and all the other chiefs, until heaven is reached, where the prayer is taken in charge by another chief to carry it still higher.
לִסְטַר דָּרוֹם, אִית מְמָנָא אַחֲרָא דְּשַׁלְטָא בַּאֲוִירָא לְהַהוּא סְטָר, וְכַמָּה מְמָנָן אַחֲרָנִין וְסַרְכִין עִמֵּיהּ. פְּסַגְנִיָ"ה שְׁמֵיהּ, וּבֵיהּ מִתְאַחֲדָן (נ"א וליה אתמסראן) מַפְתְּחָן דְּאַוִּירָא לְהַהוּא סְטָר. וְכָל אִינּוּן מָארֵי דְּעָקוּ, דְּצַלָּאן צְלוֹתָא לְמָארֵיהוֹן מִגּוֹ עַקְתָּא, מִגּוֹ תְּבִירוּ דְּלִבָּא, אִי הַהִיא מִלָּה כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, סָלְקָא לַאֲוִירָא בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא, וְנָטִיל לָהּ הַאי מְמָנָא, וְנָשִׁיק לָהּ (ס"א בגין דסלקא בההוא סטרא) כַּד נָשִּׁיק לָהּ, פָּתַח וְאָמַר, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָחוֹס לְקָבְלָךְ (נ"א ועלך') וּבְגִינָךְ יִתְמְלֵי רַחֲמִין.
On the southern side there is another chieftain ruling over the ethereal space of that region and having under him a number of supervisors and officers. His name is Pesagniyah, and he is in charge of the keys of the ethereal space in that quarter. Now the prayer of persons in deep sorrow and anguish, if uttered with due devotion, ascends into that region and is taken up by the chief, who kisses it and pronounces over it the words, “The Holy One, blessed be He, be merciful towards thee and be filled with compassion on thy behalf.”
סַלְּקִין עִמָּהּ כָּל אִינּוּן מְמָנָן קַדִּישִׁין, וְכָל אִינּוּן סַרְכִין דְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא. וּפַרְחִין אַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִינּוּן ד' אַתְוָון, דְּמִתְעַטְּרִין וְשַׁלְטִין בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא דַּאֲוִירָא, וְסַלְּקִין בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא דַּאֲוִירָא, עַד רְקִיעָא, עַד הַהוּא מְמָנָא דִּרְקִיעָא דְּשַׁלִּיט בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא.
Then all the chieftains and officers administering that region accompany it upwards, along with the letters of the Divine Name-to wit, the Name of four letters that rule that region-until it reaches the heaven over that region. There it is taken in charge by the chief of that region.
לִסְטַר צָפוֹן, אִית מְמָנָא אַחֲרָא, וְעִמֵּיהּ כַּמָה סַרְכִין מְמָנָן דְּשַׁלְטִין בַּאֲוִירָא, וְהַהוּא מְמָנָא פְּתַחְיָ"ה שְׁמֵיהּ, וְהַאי אִתְמַנָּא בַּאֲוִירָא לְהַהוּא סִטְרָא, וְכָל אִינּוּן דִּמְצַלָּאן צְלוֹתִין עַל בַּעֲלֵי דְּבָבוּ דְּעָקִין לוֹן, וְכַד מִלָּה דְּהַהִיא צְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא לַאֲוִירָא בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא, אִי זַכָּאָה הוּא, נָטִיל לָהּ הַאי מְמָנָא, וְנָשִׁיק לָהּ.
The name of the one in charge of the northerly region, who also has under his command a number of chieftains and officers, is Petahyah. He is appointed over that side to which prayers offered for deliverance from enemies ascend. If such a prayer be found worthy, the chief takes it up and kisses it.
כְּדֵין אִתְּעַר רוּחָא חֲדָא דְּנָפְקָא מִגּוֹ תְּהוֹמָא בְּסִטְרָא דְּצָפוֹן, וְהַהוּא רוּחָא קָארֵי בְּכָל אִינּוּן אֲוִירִין, וְנַטְלֵי כֻּלְּהוּ הַהִיא מִלָּה, וְסַלְּקִין לָהּ עַד רְקִיעָא וְנַשְּׁקִין לָהּ. פָּתְחֵי וְאַמְרֵי, מָרָךְ יִרְמֵי שַׂנְאָךְ לְקָמָךְ.
Then a spirit emerges out of the abyss in the North who makes proclamation through all the ethereal spaces, so that they all take up that prayer and carry it into heaven, all the while kissing it and exclaiming, “May thy Master cast thy enemy down before thee.”
וְאָזְלָא וְסַלְּקָא וּבַקְעָא רְקִיעִין (ס"א אוירין) עַד דְּסַלְּקִין עִמָּהּ לְגַבֵּי רְקִיעָא קַדְמָאָה סַלְּקָא צְלוֹתָא, וּמָטָאת לְגַבֵּי חַד מְמָנָא, דְּאִתְמָנָא לִסְטַר מַעֲרָב, וְתַמָּן קַיָּימִין תִּשְׁעָה פִּתְחִין, וּבְהוּ קַיְימִין כַּמָה סַרְכִין, וְכַמָּה מְמָנָן, וְעָלַיְיהוּ מְמָנָא חַד דִּי שְׁמֵיהּ זְבוּלִי"אֵל.
It then ascends and cleaves the heavens.1Al. and ethereal spaces. When it reaches the first heaven it is met by the chief of the West, whose name is Zebuliel, and who presides over numerous chieftains and officers that stand sentry over nine doors.
וְדָא אִיהוּ דְּבָעֵי לְשַׁמְּשָׁא בְּהַאי רְקִיעָא בִּימָמָא, וְלָא אִתְיְהִיב לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ, עַד דְּסָלִיק נְהוֹרָא דְּסִיהֲרָא, וּכְדֵין אַפִּיק כָּל אִינּוּן חֵילִין, וְכָל אִינּוּן מְמָנָן. וְכַד נָהִיר יְמָמָא, עָאלִין כֻּלְּהוּ בְּפִתְחָא חֲדָא, דְּאִינּוּן ט' פִּתְחִין, דְּאִיהוּ פִּתְחָא עִלָּאָה עַל כֻּלְּהוּ. וְכַד צְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא, עָאלַת בְּהַהוּא פִּתְחָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ סַרְכִין, וְכֻלְּהוּ מְמָנָן, נָפְקִין מֵהַהוּא פִּתְחָא. וַעֲלֵיהוֹן זְבוּלִיאֵ"ל, הַהוּא רַב מְמָנָא, וְנַפְקֵי כֻּלְּהוּ וְנַשְּׁקֵי לָהּ, וּמָטָאן עִמָּהּ עַד רְקִיעָא תִּנְיָינָא.
The same Zebuliel would fain minister in that heaven in the daytime, but he is not permitted until moonlight appears, when he comes out with all those legions and chieftains. But when day breaks they all retire through one, the most prominent of the nine doors. Now any ascending prayer enters through that door, and then all officers and chieftains, under the guidance of Zebuliel their chief, emerge through that door. They embrace it, and accompany it to the second heaven.
(ס"א ברקיעא תניינא סלקא צלותא עד ההוא רקיע ואתפתחו) וְכַד סַלְּקָא צְלוֹתָא עַד הַהוּא רְקִיעָא, אִתְפְּתָחוּ תְּרֵיסָר תַּרְעִין דְּהַהוּא רְקִיעָא. וּבְהַהוּא תַּרְעָא דִּתְרֵיסָר, קָאִים מְמָנָא חַד, דִּשְׁמֵיהּ עָנָ"אֵל, וְהַאי מְמָנָא עַל כַּמָה חַיָּילִין, עַל כַּמָה מַשִּׁרְיָין, וְכַד צְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא, קָאִים הַאי מְמָנָא וְכָרִיז עַל כָּל אִינּוּן פִּתְחִין וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו כ״ו:ב׳) פִּתְחוּ שְׁעָרִים וְגוֹ', וְכֻלְּהוּ תַּרְעִין פְּתִיחִין, וְעָאלַת צְלוֹתָא בְּכָל אִינּוּן פִּתְחִין.
That heaven is fitted with twelve gates, at the twelfth of which there stands a chief, named ‘Anael, who is in command of numerous hosts and legions. And when the prayer arrives there that chief loudly orders all those doors to be opened, exclaiming, “Open ye the gates”, etc. (Isa. 26, 2). All the gates then open, and the prayer enters through all the doors.
כְּדֵין, אַתְעַר חַד מְמָנָא סָבָא דְּיוֹמִין, דְּקָאִים לִסְטַר דָּרוֹם, דִּשְׁמֵיהּ עַזְרִיאֵ"ל סָבָא, וּלְזִמְנִין אִתְקְרֵי מַחֲנִיאֵ"ל, בְּגִין דְּאִתְמַנָא עַל שִׁתִּין רִבּוֹא מַשִׁרְיָין, וְכֻלְּהוּ מָארֵי דְּגַדְפִין, מָארֵי דְּמַשִׁרְיָין, מַלְיָין עַיְינִין. וּלְגַבַּיְיהוּ קַיְּימִין אִינּוּן מַשִׁרְיָין מָארֵיהוֹן דְּאוּדְנִין. וְאִקְרוּן אוּדְנִין, בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן צַיְיתִין, כָּל אִינּוּן דִּמְצַלָאן צְלוֹתְהוֹן בִּלְחִישׁוּ, בִּרְעוּתָא דְּלִבָּא, דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע הַהוּא צְלוֹתָא לְאַחֲרָא. הַאי צְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא, וְצַיְיתִין לָהּ כָּל אִינּוּן דְּאִקְרוּן מָארֵי דְּאוּדְנִין.
Then arises a chief, ancient of days, who is placed at the northern side, and whose name is ‘Azriel the Ancient, though sometimes he is called Mahniel (lit. mighty camp). This other name is given him because he commands sixty myriads of legions. All these legions are winged, part of them are full of eyes, and by their side are others full of ears. These are called “ears” because they listen to all those who pray in a whisper, from the heart, so that the prayer should not be overheard by anyone else. Only such a prayer is accepted by these “all-eared” legions,
וְאִי הַהִיא צְלוֹתָא אִשְׁתְּמַע לְאוּדְנִין דְּבַר נָשׁ, לֵית מַאן דְצַיִית לָהּ לְעֵילָּא, וְלָא צַיְיתִין לָהּ אַחֲרָנִין, בַּר מַאן דְּשָׁמַע בְּקַדְמִיתָא, בְּגִין כָּךְ בָּעֵי לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא דְּלָא יִשְׁמְעוּן לְהַהִיא צְלוֹתָא בְּנֵי נָשָׁא. וְתוּ, דְּמִלָּה דִּצְלוֹתָא אִתְאַחֲדָא בְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, וּמִלָּה דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, (בראשית ג' ע"ב) לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִשְׁמַע.
whereas a prayer that is heard by the ears of man is not listened to on high, and so remains unheard by anyone save by him who overheard it at first. Hence it behoves man to be careful not to let others hear his prayer. Furthermore, prayer becomes absorbed in the upper world, and the speech of the upper world should remain inaudible.
כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, מַאן דְּקָרֵי בְּסִפְרָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, חַד קָרֵי, וְחַד לִשְׁתּוֹק, וְאִי תְּרֵי קָרָאן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, גַּרְעֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, בְּגִין דְּחַד קָלָא וְדִיבּוּר כֹּלָּא חַד כְּדֵין תְּרֵין קָלִין וּתְרֵין דִּבּוּרִין, אִיהוּ גְּרִיעוּתָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא. אֶלָּא דִּיְּהֵא קָלָא וְדִבּוּר חַד כְּמָה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ, בְּגִין דִּיְּהֵא הַהוּא קָלָא וְהַהוּא דִּבּוּר חַד.
Similarly, in the reading of the Book of the Law, while one reads, the other standing by him should be silent. For, if two read together faith is diminished, because voice and utterance are only one. For only a single voice and a single recital must be heard; so that if there are two voices and two utterances there is a diminution of Divine Faith.
וְהַהוּא מְמָנָא, שְׁמֵיהּ עַזְרִי"אֵל סָבָא. כַּד הַהִיא צְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא בִּלְחִישׁוּ, כָּל אִינּוּן שִׁתִּין רִבּוֹא מַשִׁרְיָין, וְכָל אִינּוּן מָארֵי דְּעַיְינִין, וְכָל אִינּוּן מָארֵי דְּאוּדְנִין, כֻּלְּהוּ נַפְקֵי וְנַשְּׁקֵי לְהַהִיא מִלָּה דִּצְלוֹתָא דְּסַלְּקָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהלים לה) עֵינֵי יְיָ' אֶל צַדִּיקִים וְאָזְנָיו אֶל שַׁוְעָתָם. עֵינֵי יְיָ' אֶל צַדִּיקִים, אִלֵּין מָארֵי דְּעַיְינִין דִּלְתַתָּא, בְּגִין דְּאִית (נ"א דלית) מָארֵי דְּעַיְינִין לְעֵילָּא. וְאָזְנָיו אֶל שַׁוְעָתָם, אִלֵּין מָארֵיהוֹן דְּאוּדְנִין.
When the silent prayer soars aloft, all those sixty myriads of legions, all those “all-eye” and “all-ear” hosts, come forward and kiss it. So Scripture says: “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry” (Ps. 34, 16), indicating the “all-eye” and the “all-ear” legions.
רְקִיעָא תְּלִיתָאָה, הַהִיא צְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא וּמָטֵי לְהַהוּא רְקִיעָא, וְתַמָּן הַהוּא מְמָנָא דְּאִקְרֵי גְּדַרְיָ"ה, וְעִמֵּיהּ כַּמָה סַרְכִין וְכַמָּה מְמָנָן. וְאִיהוּ מְשַׁמֵשׁ ג' זִמְנִין בְּיוֹמָא, לָקֳבֵל חַד שַׁרְבִיטָא דְּזִיהֲרָא דְּנָפִיק, סָלִיק וְנָחִית וְלָא קַיְּימָא בַּאֲתָר חַד, וְהַאי אִיהוּ שַׁרְבִיטָא דְּנָטִיל ג' זִמְנִין וְאִתְגְּנִיז. וְכַד צְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא, נָחִית הַהוּא שַׁרְבִיטָא, וְסָגִיד קַמֵּי הַהוּא צְלוֹתָא, וְאִקְרֵי הַאי רְקִיעָא, רְקִיעָא דְּשַׁרְבִיטָא.
From thence the prayer mounts to the third heaven, the chief of which is Gedariah, who has under him numerous officers and chiefs. He ministers three times a day in the presence of a ray of light that is constantly shooting up and down in that heaven without ever being still.
וְכַד סַלְּקָא הַהִיא צְלוֹתָא, הַהוּא מְמָנָא בָּתַר דְּסָגִיד, בָּטַשׁ, בְּהַהוּא שַׁרְבִיטָא בְּטִינָרָא, תַּקִּיפָא דְּזָהִיר, דְּאִיהוּ קָאִים בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּהַהוּא רְקִיעָא, וְנַפְקוּ מִגּוֹ הַהוּא טִינָרָא, תְּלַת מְאָה וְשִׁבְעִין וְחָמֵשׁ חַיָּילִין דְּאִינּוּן גְּנִיזִין תַּמָּן מִן יוֹמָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא נַחְתַּת לְאַרְעָא, בְּגִין דְּאִתְתָּקָפוּ לְחַבְּרָא (ס"א לסרבא) דְּלָא תֵּחוֹת לְאַרְעָא, וְאָנְזִיף בְּהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְעָאלוּ גּוֹ הַהוּא טִינָרָא. וְלָא נָפְקִין בַּר הַהוּא זִמְנָא דִּצְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא, פָּתְחֵי וְאַמְרֵי (תהילים ח׳:ב׳) יְיָ' אֲדוֹנֵינוּ מַה אַדִּיר שִׁמְךָ וְגוֹ'. דָּא הִיא צְלוֹתָא, דְּסַלְּקָא עַל כָּל אִינּוּן רְקִיעִין. כְּדֵין סַגְדִּין לְגַבָּהּ.
And when the prayer mounts up there that ray descends and bows down before it. Then the chief of that heaven, after bowing down to the prayer, strikes with the ray of light against a mighty rock that is placed in the centre of that heaven, and there emerge from it three hundred and seventy-five legions that have been confined within it since the day the Torah came down to earth. They were so confined because they endeavoured to prevent the Torah descending on earth, and God rebuked and shut them up in the interior of that rock, whence they do not emerge save at the time when prayer ascends. They then break forth into song, chanting: “O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is thy name… above the heavens” (Ps. 8, 2). They then bow to the prayer, after which it is crowned with supernal crowns and mounts up into the fourth heaven.
מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה, צְלוֹתָא מִתְעַטְּרָא בְּעִטְרִין עִלָּאִין, וְסַלְּקָא לְגוֹ רְקִיעָא רְבִיעָאָה, וּכְדֵין שִׁמְשָׁא נָפִיק בְּדַרְגּוֹי, וְשַׁמְשִׁי"אֵל רַב מְמָנָא נָפִיק, וּתְלַת מְאָה וְשִׁתִּין וְחָמֵשׁ מַשִׁרְיָין סַלְּקִין עִמֵּיהּ, לְגוֹ הַהוּא רְקִיעָא, וְאִקְרוּן יְמוֹת הַחַמָּה, וְכֻלְּהוּ מְעַטְּרָן לְהַהִיא צְלוֹתָא, בְּעִטְרִין דְּבוּסְמִין דְּגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן.
Then comes forth the sun and Shamshiel (=mighty sun or sun of God) the chief enters that heaven accompanied by three hundred and sixty-five legions called days of the solar year, and they all crown that prayer with crowns of sweet perfume of the Garden of Eden.
וְתַמָּן אִתְעַכָּבַת צְלוֹתָא, עַד דְּכֻלְּהוּ מַשִׁרְיָין סַלְּקִין עִמָּהּ לְגוֹ הַהוּא רְקִיעָא חֲמִישָׁאָה, וְתַמָּן אִיהוּ מְמָנָא חַד גַּדְרִי"אֵל שְׁמֵיהּ, וְהוּא מָארֵי קְרָבִין דִּשְׁאַר עַמִּין. וְכַד צְלוֹתָא סַלְּקָא, כְּדֵין אִזְדַּעְזָע הוּא, וְכָל מַשִׁרְיָין דִּילֵיהּ, וְאִתְבַּר חֵילַיְיהוּ, וְנַפְקֵי וְסַגְדֵּי, וּמְעַטְּרִין לְהַהִיא צְלוֹתָא.
There it tarries until all those legions accompany it into the fifth heaven, the chief of which is Gadriel. This angel is in charge of the wars waged among the nations, but as soon as the prayer arives there a trembling seizes him with all his hosts so that their strength is enfeebled; and they come forward and bow down to the prayer,
וְסַלְּקִין עִמָּהּ עַד דְּמָטוּ לְגַבֵּי רְקִיעָא שְׁתִּיתָאָה, וּכְדֵין נָפְקִין כַּמָה חַיָּילִין, וְכַמָּה מַשִׁרְיָין, וּמְקַבְּלִין לְהַהוּא צְלוֹתָא, וְסַלְּקִין בַּהֲדָהּ, עַד דְּמָטוּ לְשִׁבְעִין תַּרְעִין, דְּתַמָּן קָאִים חַד מְמָנָא, דִּי שְׁמֵיהּ עַנְפִי"אֵל, רַב מְמָנָא. וְאִיהוּ מְעַטֵּר לְהַהִיא צְלוֹתָא, בְּשִׁבְעִין עִטְרִין.
and crown it and accompany it into the sixth heaven. There numerous hosts and legions come out to receive it and ascend with it until they reach a series of seventy gates in charge of a chief whose name is ‘Anpiel. He crowns the prayer with seventy crowns.
וְכֵיוָן דְּמִתְעַטְּרָא צְלוֹתָא בְּכָל הָנֵי עִטְרִין, כְּדֵין מִתְחַבְּרָן כָּל אִינּוּן חַיָּילִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ רְקִיעִין, וְסַלְּקִין לְהַהִיא צְלוֹתָא דְּמִתְעַטְּרָא בְּכָל עִטְרִין, לְגַבֵּי רְקִיעָא שְׁבִיעָאָה. וּכְדֵין עָאלַת צְלוֹתָא, וְסַנְדַּלְפֹ"ן רַב יַקִּירָא עִלָּאָה דְּכָל מַפְתְּחָן דְּמָארֵיהּ בִּידֵיהּ, אָעִיל לְהַהוּא צְלוֹתָא, לְגוֹ שִׁבְעָה הֵיכָלִין.
Then all the hosts and legions of all these heavens join together and take up that prayer, crowned with all these crowns, into the seventh heaven. Finally Sandalphon, the supreme chief, the keeper of all his Master’s keys, introduces the prayer into the seven Palaces.
תָּא חֲזֵי אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן שִׁבְעָא מְדוֹרִין אִינוּן וכו', (אמרו המגיהים כבר נדפסו בפרשת בראשית דף מ"א ע"ש) שִׁבְעָה הֵיכָלִין אִלֵּין, אִינּוּן הֵיכָלִין דְּמַלְכָּא, וְהַאי צְלוֹתָא כַּד מִתְעַטְּרָא בְּכָל הָנִי עִטְרִין, כַּד עָאלַת, מְחַבָּר לוֹן כַּחֲדָא, לְאִתְעַטְרָא לְעֵילָּא לְמֶהוֵי כֹּלָּא חַד כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת. וּשְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מִתְעַטְּרָא בְּכָל עִטְרִין, עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, לְמֶהוֵי חַד, וּכְדֵין (משלי י׳:ו׳) בְּרָכוֹת לְרֹאשׁ (בראשית כ"ו ע"א) צַדִּיק כְּתִיב.
to wit, the Palaces of the King. When the prayer enters there, decorated with all those crowns, it combines them all into one heavenly crown, each prayer according to its rank. And the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is crowned on all sides, above and below, so that the whole forms a unity. Of this Scripture says: “Blessings are upon the head of the righteous” (Prov. 10, 6).
זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ, דְּיָדַע לְסַדְּרָא צְלוֹתֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת. בְּהַאי צְלוֹתָא דְּמִתְעַטְּרָא בֵּיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אִיהוּ מְחַכֶּה עַד דְּיִסְתַּיְּימוּן כָּל צְלוֹתְהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּכְדֵין כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ בִּשְׁלִימוּ כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא. עַד הָכָא מִלִּין דִּצְלוֹתָא, לְמִנְדַּע רָזִין עִלָּאִין, מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה אִית פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִינּוּן קַיְּימִין בְּמִלָּה, כְּמָה דְּקַיְימִין בְּעוֹבָדָא.
Happy is the portion of the man who knows the proper way in which to order his prayer. The Holy One, blessed be He, being glorified in such a prayer, awaits the completion of all the prayers of Israel, so that the whole is fitly harmonized, both the above and the below. ‘So far we have spoken of prayer. But there are in addition certain precepts that are bound up, not with action, but with the words of prayer.
וְאִינּוּן שִׁית פִּקוּדִין, וְקַיְימִין אוּף הָכָא בִּצְלוֹתָא. חַד, (דברים כ״ח:נ״ח) לְיִרְאָה אֶת הַשֵּׁם הַנִּכְבָּד וְהַנּוֹרָא. תִּנְיָינָא, לְאַהֲבָה אוֹתוֹ. תְּלִיתָאָה, לְבָרְכוֹ. רְבִיעָאָה, לְיַחֲדוֹ. חֲמִישָׁאָה, לְבָרֵךְ כַּהֲנָא יַת עַמָּא. שְׁתִיתָאָה, לִמְסוֹר נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ לֵיהּ. וְאִלֵּין שִׁית פִּקוּדִין דְּקַיְימִין בִּצְלוֹתָא דְּמִלָּה, בַּר אִינּוּן פִּקוּדִין (רי"ו ע"א) דְּקַיְימִין בְּעוֹבָדָא, כְּגַוְונָא דְּצִיצִית וּתְפִלִין.
These are in number six. The first is “to fear the glorious and awful Name” (Deut. 28, 58); the second is “to love Him” (Ibid. 10, 12); the third is to bless Him; the fourth is to proclaim His unity; the fifth enjoins the priests to bless the people; the sixth bids man to surrender his soul to Him. These six precepts are bound up with the words of prayer, just as there are other precepts that are connected with the action of prayer, such as those of the fringes and phylacteries.
לְיִרְאָה אֶת הַשֵּׁם, פִּקּוּדָא דָּא קַיְּימָא בְּאִלֵּין תּוּשְׁבְּחָן דְּקָאָמַר דָּוִד מַלְכָּא, וּבְאִינּוּן קָרְבָּנִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּתַמָּן בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְדַחֲלָא מִקַּמֵּי מָארֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן שִׁירִין קַיְּימִין בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי יִרְאָה. וְכָל אִינּוּן הַלְלוּיָהּ, דְּאִינּוּן רָזָא דְּיִרְאָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְשַׁוָּאָה רְעוּתֵיהּ בְּאִינּוּן שִׁירִין בְּיִרְאָה, וְאוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא כָּל אִינּוּן רָזִין דְּשִׁירִין וְתוּשְׁבְּחָן, וְכָל אִינּוּן רָזִין דְּהַלְלוּיָהּ.
Now the injunction “to fear the Name” is accomplished by means of the hymns and songs that King David chanted, and of the sacrifices ordained by the Torah. For it behoves man to be filled thereby with fear of his Master, for those hymns belong to a region called “Fear” (yir’ah),1Malkuth. and all the Hallelukahs are emblematic of the fear of the Holy One,1Because the word Hallelukah has the same numerical value as Elohim, signifying the attribute of Justice. blessed be He; it thus behoves man to attune his mind to a spirit of awe in the recital of those hymns.
כֵּיוָן דְּמָטֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְיִשְׁתַּבַּח, יְשַׁוֵּי רְעוּתֵיהּ לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּגוֹן יוֹצֵר אוֹר, יוֹצֵר הַמְּאוֹרוֹת. לְאַהֲבָה אוֹתוֹ, כַּד מָטֵי לְאַהֲבַת עוֹלָם, (דברים ו׳:ה׳) וְאָהַבְתָּ אֶת יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, דְּדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא דִּרְחִימוּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ. לְיַחֲדָא לֵיהּ, שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ' אֱלהֵינוּ יְיָ' אֶחָד, דְּהָכָא קַיְּימָא רָזָא דְּיִחוּדָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְיַחֲדָא שְׁמֵיהּ בִּרְעוּתָא דְּלִבָּא כַּדְקָא חֲזֵי. וּמִתַּמָּן וּלְהָלְאָה אַדְכָּרוּתָא דִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם, דְּאִיהוּ פִּקּוּדָא לְאַדְכְּרָא יְצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים ה׳:ט״ו) וְזָכַרְתָּ כִּי עֶבֶד הָיִיתָ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.
In arriving at “Praised be” it behoves a man to concentrate his thoughts on the Holy One, blessed be He, in that benediction which reads: “Blessed art Thou… who formest light… Blessed art Thou, O Lord creator of the universe.” The precept, “to love Him”, is realized in the benediction commencing with “With abundant love”, which is followed by the reading of “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God…”, containing the mystery of the love of the Holy One, blessed be He. And we proclaim His unity when we recite “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One”, as that declaration contains the secret of God’s oneness. After the reading of these sections comes the passage wherein we mention our exodus from Egypt, in fulfilment of the injunction, “But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt” (Deut. 24, 18).
לְבָרְכָא כַּהֲנָא יַת עַמָּא, בְּגִין לְאַכְלְלָא יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּחֲדָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנַטְלִין בִּרְכָאן לְעֵילָּא, דְּהָא בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא נַטְלָא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּרְכָאן, וְשַׁעֲתָא דִּרְעוּתָא הוּא, לִמְסוֹר נַפְשֵׁיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, וּלְמֵיהַב לֵיהּ נִשְׁמְתָא בִּרְעוּתָא דְּלִבָּא, כַּד נַפְלִין עַל אַנְפִּין, וְאָמְרִין (תהילים כ״ה:א׳) אֵלֶיךָ יְיָ' נַפְשִׁי אֶשָּׂא, דִּיכַוֵּין לִבֵּיהּ וּרְעוּתֵיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, לְמִמְסַר לֵיהּ נַפְשָׁא בִּרְעוּתָא שְׁלִים. וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן שִׁית פִּקוּדִין דְּקַיְימִין בִּצְלוֹתָא, דְּסַלְּקִין לְגַבֵּי שִׁית מֵאָה פִּקוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.
There follows the pronouncement of the blessing of the people by the priests in order to embrace all Israel at the moment when they receive blessings. For at that moment the Community of Israel receives blessings, and it is a propitious moment to surrender our souls to Him in the full willingness of our heart when we fall on our faces and recite the Psalm: “Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul…” (Ps. 25, 1), which should be the expression of our full and complete self-surrender to Him. These are the six precepts that are bound up with our daily prayer, and that comprise in a way the six hundred precepts of the Torah.
וְאִי תֵּימָא תְּלֵיסָר אַחֲרָנִין יַתִּיר. אִינּוּן קַיְּימִין לְאַמְשָׁכָא תְּלֵיסָר מְכִילָן דְּרַחֲמֵי, דְּכֹלָּא כְּלִילָן בְּהוּ. (ס"א בהני) שִׁית פִּקוּדִין אִלֵּין, דִּצְלוֹתָא מִתְעַטְּרָא בְּהוּ.
If you ask, What of the thirteen left over,1There being, according to the Rabbinic reckoning, six hundred and thirteen precepts. these are a category apart designed to draw upon us the thirteen attributes of mercy that comprise all the precepts. These are the six precepts by which prayer is embroidered.
זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ, מַאן דִּישַׁוֵּי לִבֵּיהּ וּרְעוּתֵיהּ לְדָא, וּלְאַשְׁלְמָא לוֹן בְּכָל יוֹמָא. וּבְאִלֵּין תַּלְיָין אַחֲרָנִין סַגִּיאִין. אֲבָל כַּד מָטֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאַתְרִין אִלֵּין, אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְכַוְּונָא לִבֵּיהּ וּרְעוּתֵיהּ, לְאַשְׁלְמָא הַהוּא פִּקּוּדָא דְּקַיְּימָא בְּהַהוּא מִלָּה. וּכְדֵין אַכְרִיזוּ עָלֵיהּ וְאַמְרֵי, (ישעיהו מ״ט:ג׳) וַיֹּאמֶר לִי עַבְדִי אַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר. אָתָא רִבִּי אַבָּא וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ.
Happy is the portion of whoever concentrates his heart and will on them and realizes them every day. With these precepts many others are interwoven, but at each particular passage it behoves man to concentrate his heart and will on the particular precept contained in that passage. Such a man is praised aloud in the words contained in the passage: “And He said unto me: Thou art My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified” (Isa. 49, 3).’ R. Jose ceased, and R. Abba went up to him and kissed him;
פָּתַח רִבִּי יִצְחָק אֲבַתְרֵיהּ וְאָמַר, (שמות ל״ה:א׳) וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה אֶת כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ'. אֲמַאי כָּנִישׁ לוֹן. בְּגִין לְמִמְסַר לוֹן שַׁבָּת כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין, דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא עַד לָא עָבְדוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יַת עֶגְלָא, מָסַר לוֹן אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת. וְדָא אִיהוּ דְּלָא נַטְרוּ אִינּוּן עֵרֶב רַב. כֵּיוָן דְּשַׁמְעוּ בֵּינִי וּבֵין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמְרוּ וַאֲנָן מִלָּה דָּא אִתְמָנַּע מִינָן, מִיַּד (שמות ל״ב:א׳) וַיִּקָּהֵל הָעָם עַל אַהֲרֹן וְגוֹ', וְאִתְמְשָׁכוּ סַגִּיאִין אֲבַתְרַיְיהוּ. לְבָתַר דְּמִיתוּ אִינּוּן דְּמִיתוּ, כָּנִישׁ מֹשֶׁה לִבְנִי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ, וְיָהַב לוֹן שַׁבָּת כְּמִלְּקַדְמִין, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תֵּעָשֶׂה מְלָאכָה וְגוֹ'.
and R. Isaac next began a discourse on the text: And Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, etc. ‘The object’, he said, ‘of this assembling was to give them anew the law of the Sabbath. For the previous promulgation of the Sabbath before the Israelites made the golden calf was not observed by the mixed multitude. When they heard the words, “between Me and the children of Israel” (Ex. 31, 17), they said in protest: Are we then to be excluded from this? Straightway, “the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron”, etc. (Ibid. 32, 1), and many were they that followed them. Then, after the guilty ones were put to death, Moses assembled the children of Israel separately and gave them the Sabbath anew, saying: “Six days shall work be done…”