He next discoursed on the verse: “Then they that fear the Lord spoke one with another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that fear the Lord, and that thought upon his name” (Malachi 3, 16). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘presents a difficulty in using the word nidb’ru (lit. they were spoken) instead of dibbru (they spoke). What it signifies, however, is the repetition of the words spoken on earth in the upper world, by all the sacred hosts and legions.
For the words of the holy Law spoken here below ascend on high, where multitudes come to meet them to take them up and present them before the Holy King, there to be adorned with many crowns woven of the supernal radiances. All these words, then, are self-spoken, as it were, before the Most High King. Whoever saw such joy, whoever witnessed such praises, as mount up into all those heavens at the moment those words ascend, whilst the Holy King looks on them and crowns Himself with them! They spring up and down, they settle, as it were, on His bosom for Him to disport Himself with them, whence they ascend toward His head and are woven there into a crown. Hence the words spoken by the Torah: “and I would be playing always before him” (Prov. 8, 30),
In the verse cited there is twice mention of “them that fear the Lord”; the first indicates the men themselves as they are here below, and the second their images as reflected in their words that ascend on high. This esoteric doctrine is found in the Book of Enoch, where it says that all the words of exposition uttered by the righteous on earth are adorned with crowns and are arrayed before the Holy One, blessed be He, who delights Himself with them. They then descend and come up again before His presence in the image of that righteous man who gave expression to them, and God then delights Himself with that image. The words, then, are inscribed in “a book of remembrance before Him”, so as to endure for evermore.
“And they that thought upon His name” is an allusion to those that meditate on the words of Torah in order thereby to cleave to their Master through an insight into the Divine Name, so as to know Him and beceme equipped with the wisdom of His name in their heart.
פָּתַח וְאָמַר (מלאכי ג׳:ט״ז) אָז נִדְבְּרוּ יִרְאֵי יְיָ' אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ וַיַּקְשֵׁב יְיָ' וַיִּשְׁמָע וַיִּכָּתֵב סֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן לְפָנָיו לְיִרְאֵי יְיָ' וּלְחוֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ. הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, אָז נִדְבְּרוּ, אָז דִּבְּרוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי נִדְבְּרוּ. אֶלָּא נִדְבְּרוּ לְעֵילָּא, מִכָּל אִינּוּן רְתִיכִין קַדִּישִׁין, וְכָל אִינּוּן חַיָּילִין קַדִּישִׁין.
He next discoursed on the verse: “Then they that fear the Lord spoke one with another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that fear the Lord, and that thought upon his name” (Malachi 3, 16). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘presents a difficulty in using the word nidb’ru (lit. they were spoken) instead of dibbru (they spoke). What it signifies, however, is the repetition of the words spoken on earth in the upper world, by all the sacred hosts and legions.
בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין קַדִּישִׁין, סַלְּקִין לְעֵילָּא, וְכַמָּה אִינּוּן דִּמְקַדְּמֵי וְנַטְלִין לוֹן קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וּמִתְעַטְּרָן בְּכַמָּה עִטְרִין, בְּאִינּוּן נְהוֹרִין עִלָּאִין, וְכֻלְּהוּ נִדְבְּרוּ מִקַּמֵּי מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה. מַאן חָמֵי חֶדְוָון, מַאן חָמֵי תּוּשְׁבְּחָן, דְּסַלְּקִין בְכָל אִינּוּן רְקִיעִין, כַּד סַלְּקִין מִלִּין אִלֵּין, וּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא מִסְתָּכַּל בְּהוּ, וְאִתְעַטָּר בְּהוּ, וְאִינּוּן סַלְּקִין (נ"א על רישיה דהוו עטרה ונחתין ויתבין וכו') וְיַתְבִין עַל חֵיקֵיהּ, וּמִשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע בְּהוּ, מִתַּמָּן סַלְּקִין עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ, וַהֲווּ עֲטָרָה. וְעַל דָּא אָמְרָה אוֹרַיְיתָא, (משלי ח׳:ל׳) וָאֶהְיֶה שַׁעֲשׁוּעִים יוֹם יוֹם. וְהָיִיתִי לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא וָאֶהְיֶה, בְכָל זְמָן, וּבְכָל עִידָּן, דְּמִלִּין עִלָּאִין סַלְּקִין קַמֵּיהּ.
For the words of the holy Law spoken here below ascend on high, where multitudes come to meet them to take them up and present them before the Holy King, there to be adorned with many crowns woven of the supernal radiances. All these words, then, are self-spoken, as it were, before the Most High King. Whoever saw such joy, whoever witnessed such praises, as mount up into all those heavens at the moment those words ascend, whilst the Holy King looks on them and crowns Himself with them! They spring up and down, they settle, as it were, on His bosom for Him to disport Himself with them, whence they ascend toward His head and are woven there into a crown. Hence the words spoken by the Torah: “and I would be playing always before him” (Prov. 8, 30),
תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי כְּתִיב יִרְאֵי יְיָ' יִרְאֵי יְיָ'. אֶלָּא יִרְאֵי יְיָ' לְעֵילָּא, יִרְאֵי יְיָ' לְתַתָּא. יִרְאֵי יְיָ' קַיְימִין לְתַתָּא, וְאִינּוּן מִלִּין קַיְימִין בְּדִיּוּקְנֵיהוֹן לְעֵילָּא. וְרָזָא דָּא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בְּסִפְרָא דְּחֲנוֹךְ, דְּכָל מִלִּין דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא דִּי בְּאַרְעָא, אִינּוּן מִתְעַטְּרָן, וְקַיְימָן קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא, וּמִשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע בְּהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּלְבָתַר אִינּוּן נַחְתֵּי, וְקַיְימִין קַמֵּיהּ בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּהַהוּא צַדִּיק דְּקָאָמַר לוֹן, וְאִשְׁתַּעֲשַׁע קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַהוּא דִּיּוּקְנָא. וּלְבָתַר אַכְתִּיבוּ בְּסֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן לְפָנָיו, לְקַיְּימָא קַמֵּיהּ בְּקִיּוּמָא תָּדִיר.
In the verse cited there is twice mention of “them that fear the Lord”; the first indicates the men themselves as they are here below, and the second their images as reflected in their words that ascend on high. This esoteric doctrine is found in the Book of Enoch, where it says that all the words of exposition uttered by the righteous on earth are adorned with crowns and are arrayed before the Holy One, blessed be He, who delights Himself with them. They then descend and come up again before His presence in the image of that righteous man who gave expression to them, and God then delights Himself with that image. The words, then, are inscribed in “a book of remembrance before Him”, so as to endure for evermore.
וּלְחוֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ, מַאי וּלְחוֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ. הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, (אבל) כָּל אִינּוּן דִּמְחַשְּׁבֵי מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְאַדְבְּקָא לְמָארֵיהוֹן בְּרָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּגִין לְמִנְדַּע לֵיהּ, וּלְאִתְתַּקְנָא חָכְמָה דִּשְׁמֵיהּ בְּלִבַּיְיהוּ, דִּכְתִּיב וּלְחוֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ, דְּהוּא רָזָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא.
“And they that thought upon His name” is an allusion to those that meditate on the words of Torah in order thereby to cleave to their Master through an insight into the Divine Name, so as to know Him and beceme equipped with the wisdom of His name in their heart.