This one begins, “Praise ye the Lord from the heaven”, inasmuch as the heaven was the starting-point of the six directions which expanded downwards from it. This is the limit within which it is permitted to man to investigate. So Scripture says: “For ask now of the days past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and from the one end of heaven unto the other” (Deut. 4, 32), that is, so far art thou permitted to ask and investigate; but beyond it is not permitted to inquire, that being a sphere hidden and undisclosed.
Hence, “praise ye the Lord from the heaven, praise him in the heights”, these constituting the two directions, right and left, whence there was an expanding of all the others downwards in the mystery of the grades, till the development was complete. “Praise ye him, all his angels”: these are the two supports on which the Body rests.
These are here indicated by the term “angels” because, as the legs are, as it were, the messengers of man, moving about from place to place, so are the angels the messengers moving from place to place in the service of their Master, executing His messages.
“Praise ye him, all his hosts,” is an allusion to the region whence emanate all the supernal sacred hosts who are marked with the holy sign of the covenant.
“Praise ye him, sun and moon, praise ye him, all ye stars of light”, to wit all the heavenly luminaries, stars and constellations. Now the Psalmist returns to the height of heights, the place by which all is held fast, saying: “Praise him, ye heavens of heavens”; then again he turns to the earth, saying, “Praise the Lord from the earth”, etc.
Observe that the stars of the lower world exist by the energy they attract to themselves from the supernal mystery, since the whole of existence is based on the supernal archetype, as said elsewhere. Hence all the supernal stars and constellations are entrusted with the guidance of the world beneath them; and from thence there evolve a series of grades upon grades reaching out to the lower stars. All these have no power of their own whatever, but are under the power of the supernal world. Hence the words of Scripture: “Let now the astrologers, the stargazers… stand up and save thee” (Isa. 47, 13) indicating that the lower world is under the jurisdiction of the supernal world.’
הַלְלוּיָהּ הַלְלוּ אֶת יְיָ' מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם, אִיהוּ שֵׁירוּתָא דְּשִׁית סִטְרִין לְאִתְפַּשְׁטָא לְתַתָּא, דְּדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא דְּקַיְּימָא לִשְׁאֵלָה, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (דברים ד׳:ל״ב) כִּי שְׁאַל נָא לְיָמִים רִאשׁוֹנִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ לְפָנֶיךָ וְגוֹ', עַד הָכָא אִית רְשׁוּ לִשְׁאֵלָה, מִן הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא וְגוֹ', וְעַד קְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה, לָאו קַיְּימָא לִשְׁאֵלָא, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ אֲתָר טָמִיר וְגָנִיז.
This one begins, “Praise ye the Lord from the heaven”, inasmuch as the heaven was the starting-point of the six directions which expanded downwards from it. This is the limit within which it is permitted to man to investigate. So Scripture says: “For ask now of the days past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and from the one end of heaven unto the other” (Deut. 4, 32), that is, so far art thou permitted to ask and investigate; but beyond it is not permitted to inquire, that being a sphere hidden and undisclosed.
וְעַל דָּא הַלְלוּ אֶת יְיָ' מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם הַלְלוּהוּ בַּמְרוֹמִים, אִלֵּין תְּרֵין סִטְרִין, (דאינון רומא דשירותא) יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא. וּמֵהָכָא אִתְפַּשְּׁטָאן כֻּלְּהוּ אַחֲרָנִין לְתַתָּא, בְּרָזָא דְּדַרְגִּין לְאִתְתַּקְנָא כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת. הַלְלוּהוּ (קס"ו ע"א) כָל מַלְאָכָיו, אִלֵּין תְּרֵין קַיָימִין דְּקַיְימֵי תְּחוֹת גּוּפָא, לְמִשְׁעָן גּוּפָא עָלַיְיהוּ.
Hence, “praise ye the Lord from the heaven, praise him in the heights”, these constituting the two directions, right and left, whence there was an expanding of all the others downwards in the mystery of the grades, till the development was complete. “Praise ye him, all his angels”: these are the two supports on which the Body rests.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אִינּוּן קַיָימִין דְּגוּפָא אִשְׁתְּעָן עָלַיְיהוּ, קַיְימֵי הָכָא בְּרָזָא דְּמַלְאָכִין, בְּגִין דְּיַרְכִין אִינּוּן שְׁלִיחָן, לְמֵיזָל מֵאֲתָר לְאֲתָר, וּמֵרָזָא דָּא, נָפְקִין אִינּוּן דְּאִקְרוּן מַלְאֲכִין, דְּאִינּוּן שְׁלִיחָן לְמֵהַךְ בִּשְׁלִיחוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, מֵאֲתָר לַאֲתָר.
These are here indicated by the term “angels” because, as the legs are, as it were, the messengers of man, moving about from place to place, so are the angels the messengers moving from place to place in the service of their Master, executing His messages.
הַלְלוּהוּ כָּל צְבָאָיו, דָּא אִיהוּ אֲתָר דְּנַפְקֵי מִנֵּיהּ כָּל חֵילִין קַדִּישִׁין עִלָּאִין, רָזָא דְּאָת קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִיהוּ רָשִׁים בְּכָל שְׁאַר רִבְּוָון, כַּדְקָא אַמָרָן, דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו מ״ח:ב׳) יְיָ' צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ, אוֹת אִיהוּ בְּכָל שְׁאַר חֵילִין וְרִבְוָון.
“Praise ye him, all his hosts,” is an allusion to the region whence emanate all the supernal sacred hosts who are marked with the holy sign of the covenant.
הַלְלוּהוּ שֶׁמֶשׁ וְיָרֵחַ, בֵּיהּ קַיְּימָא רָזָא דָּא, וְאִיהוּ שִׁמְשָׁא לְאַנְהָרָא, וּבֵיהּ קַיְימִין כֹּכָבַיָיא עִלָּאִין דְּנַהֲרִין, וּמַזָּלֵי, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא. לְבָתַר אַהְדָּר לְעֵילָּא, לְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּקָאִים בְּרוּמָא דִּמְּרוֹמִים, וְתַמָּן תְּקִיעוּ דְּכֹלָּא, הַלְלוּהוּ שְׁמֵי הַשָׁמָיִם. לְבָתַר הַלְלוּ אֶת יְיָ' מִן הָאָרֶץ, לָקֳבֵל אִלֵּין אֵשׁ וּבָרָד וְגוֹ'.
“Praise ye him, sun and moon, praise ye him, all ye stars of light”, to wit all the heavenly luminaries, stars and constellations. Now the Psalmist returns to the height of heights, the place by which all is held fast, saying: “Praise him, ye heavens of heavens”; then again he turns to the earth, saying, “Praise the Lord from the earth”, etc.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אִינּוּן כֹּכָבִים לְתַתָּא, קַיְימִין בִּמְשִׁיכוּ דְּאִתְמַשְּׁכָאן מֵרָזָא עִלָּאָה, בְּגִין דְּכֹלָּא קַיְּימָא בְּדִיּוּקְנָא עִלָּאָה, וְהָא (בראשית ל"ד ע"א) אוֹקִימְנָא. וּבְגִין כַּךְ כָּל אִינּוּן כֹּכָבַיָיא וּמַזָּלֵי, מֵרוּם רְקִיעָא, כֻּלְּהוּ קַיְימֵי לְאַנְהָגָא בֵּיהּ עָלְמָא דִּלְתַתָּא מִנֵּיהּ, וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְפַּשְּׁטָאן דַּרְגִּין, עַד דְּקַיְימִין דַּרְגִּין לְאִינּוּן כֹּכָבַיָיא דִּלְתַתָּא, דְּכֻלְּהוּ לָא קַיְימֵי בִּרְשׁוּתַיְיהוּ כְּלוּם, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ קַיְּימָאן בִּרְשׁוּתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו מ״ז:י״ג) יַעַמְדוּ נָא וְיוֹשִׁיעֻךָ הוֹבְרֵי שָׁמַיִם הַחוֹזִים בַּכּוֹכָבִים, וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ בִּרְשׁוּתָא וְאִתְּמַר.
Observe that the stars of the lower world exist by the energy they attract to themselves from the supernal mystery, since the whole of existence is based on the supernal archetype, as said elsewhere. Hence all the supernal stars and constellations are entrusted with the guidance of the world beneath them; and from thence there evolve a series of grades upon grades reaching out to the lower stars. All these have no power of their own whatever, but are under the power of the supernal world. Hence the words of Scripture: “Let now the astrologers, the stargazers… stand up and save thee” (Isa. 47, 13) indicating that the lower world is under the jurisdiction of the supernal world.’