Chapter 10 - To connect with the Sefirot according to the time period: Rabbi Shimon explained in [the Zohar,] Parshat Bereishit (p. 11a) a big and great counsel from the Torah, how a person is to connect to the Highest Holiness, act with It, and never separate from the Highest Sefirot. And in it, a man must act according to the time; meaning to say to know what Sefirah is ruling [at that time], connect to it and do the reparation that relates to the trait that is [therefore] ruling.
At night he [should] connect with Kingship: And he begins from the night, at the time that a man lies down on his bed. And behold the rulership is to Night, the trait of Kingship. And he goes to sleep - and sleep is similar to death, and the tree of death rules. What shall he do? He [should] repair and proceed to connect to the secret of holiness, which is the secret of the trait of kingship, from the aspect of its holiness. And so he [should] go on his bed and accept the full yoke of the Kingship of the Heavens with concentration of the heart. He gets up at midnight, [washes] his hands from the husk that is governing them, removes the evil from his flesh and recites a blessing. And he [should] repair the Divine Presence through the occupation with Torah. And about this is it stated (Proverbs 6:22), "When you lie down it will watch over you," from the external forces; "and when you awake, it will talk with you." And She will be connected to him, and he to Her. And the likeness of his soul will rise in the Garden of Eden with the Divine Presence that is entering there with the righteous ones. And Splendor will also come there to play with the righteous ones, and with him in their company - as they will all be listening to his voice. Behold, he has actually traveled with Her from death and sleep to the secret of the Garden of Eden and began to cause the light of Splendor, that sparkles in the Garden of Eden upon the righteous, to sparkle upon him. And so is it explained in [the Zohar,] Parshat Terumah (p. 130b).
In the morning, he [should] connect himself to the traits of the three fathers that are included in Splendor: When the dawn rises, he also begins to come to the synagogue and bind himself to the three fathers. At the opening of the synagogue, he says, "But I, through Your abundant kindness, enter, etc." (Psalms 5:8). And he includes himself in the secret of the Splendor of Man that includes Kindness, Severity and Splendor, and he enters the assembly of Kingship.
4
וּמְכַוֵּן בַּפָּסוּק בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה אָבוֹת:
And he has intention in the verse for the three fathers:
5
"בְּרֹב חַסְדְּךָ" - דָּא אַבְרָהָם,
"Through Your abundant kindness" - that is Avraham.
"I bow down at Your holy chamber" - that is Yitschak, as bowing down, to bend one's stature across from the trait of judgment (Severity) to be pushed off before it, is from his side. And then the time [of pain] is pushed off in front of him, as a flow of mercy is pulled towards it from Above to sweeten it.
And behold, he has included himself in Them in thought, speech and deed: As the thought that we mentioned is the intention; the speech is the verse; and the deed is the entering into the synagogue and his bowing down across from His chamber.
The traits to which he connects during the course of the day: Before prayer he stands in the synagogue. His mouth exudes prayer and the unification of Foundation - the Source of the well (Foundation) opens up in the well, which is the synagogue (Kingship) - and he repairs the Divine Presence with all the power of the intention of his prayer. He leaves from there and rises to the secret of Torah, and connects to it in the secret of the measure of day; and he is involved with it all of the day until the time of the afternoon prayer, when he connects to Severity. As behold, in the morning, he was connected to Kindness in his prayer, and in the day to Splendor in occupation in Torah; and [so] in the evening, [is it] with Severity. And all of this is in the measure of the day - that he comes to the synagogue to unify with the secret of Severity, in the way that he did from the side of Kindness.
And between this and that, he connects the Divine Presence to him in his meal, such that he bestows kindness on the poor one - as Hillel the Elder (Vayikra Rabbah 34:3) would say, "A righteous one should know the soul of his animal" (Proverbs 12:10). And this [should] be his intention in his meal, to bestow kindness to the animal soul and to connect it with the secret of nourishment.
And after he arrived to the time of the afternoon prayer and he connected with Severity, he waits to the evening and Splendor goes down to Kingship. And behold, he is with [Splendor] at the beginning of the night, connects himself with It and enters the synagogue with the intention mentioned above and he connects himself Below - [so] Splendor comes to the House of Its lodging.
He exits the synagogue [and] unifies himself truly with Kingship alone, through the secret of accepting the yoke of the Kingdom of the Heavens. And this is his strength during the day, with the strength of the Sefirah. And he [should] always cling to the Light that is ruling.
This essence of this counsel is in [the Zohar,] Parshat Bereishit, and the rest is gathered from many places in the Zohar. It is a comprehensive counsel, to always connect a man to holiness; and the crown of the Divine Presence will [thereby] never leave his head.
It is whole and complete - praise to God, who knows all the hidden - today the fourth day of the week, the twelfth day of the month of MarCheshvan, in the year [numerically encoded in the verse], "May my speech be pleasing to Him; I will rejoice in the Lord" (Psalms 104:34).
להתחבר עם הספירות לפי הזמן: פֵּרֵשׁ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בְּפָרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית (דַּף יא.) עֵצָה רַבָּה וּגְדוֹלָה מִן הַתּוֹרָה הֵיאַךְ יִתְקַשֵּׁר הָאָדָם בִּקְדֻשָּׁה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה וְיִתְנַהֵג בָּהּ, וְלֹא יִפָּרֵד מִן הַסְּפִירוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת תָּדִיר, וְצָרִיךְ הָאָדָם בָּזֶה לְהִתְנַהֵג כְּפִי הַזְּמַן, רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר לָדַעַת אֵיזוֹ סְפִירָה שׁוֹלֶטֶת וּלְהִתְקַשֵּׁר בָּהּ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת הַתִּקּוּן הַמִּתְיַחֵס אֶל הַמִּדָּה הַשּׁוֹלֶטֶת.
Chapter 10 - To connect with the Sefirot according to the time period: Rabbi Shimon explained in [the Zohar,] Parshat Bereishit (p. 11a) a big and great counsel from the Torah, how a person is to connect to the Highest Holiness, act with It, and never separate from the Highest Sefirot. And in it, a man must act according to the time; meaning to say to know what Sefirah is ruling [at that time], connect to it and do the reparation that relates to the trait that is [therefore] ruling.
בלילה יתקשר עם המלכות: וְהִתְחִיל מֵהַלַּיְלָה עֵת שְׁכִיבַת הָאָדָם עַל מִטָּתוֹ, וַהֲרֵי הַשְּׁלִיטָה הִיא לַיְלָה מִדַּת הַמַּלְכוּת, וְהוּא הוֹלֵךְ לִישֹׁן, הַשֵּׁנָה הִיא כְּעֵין מִיתָה וְאִילָנָא דְמוֹתָא שָׁלְטָא, מַה יַעֲשֶׂה, יְתַקֵּן וְיַקְדִּים לְהִתְקַשֵּׁר בְּסוֹד הַקְּדֻשָּׁה דְּהַיְנוּ סוֹד מִדַּת הַמַּלְכוּת בִּבְחִינַת קְדֻשָּׁתָהּ, וְלָזֶה יֵלֵךְ עַל מִטָּתוֹ וִיקַבֵּל עֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם שְׁלֵמָה בכונת הַלֵּב. קָם בַּחֲצוֹת לַיְלָה יִטּוֹל יָדָיו מֵהַקְּלִפָּה הַשּׁוֹלֶטֶת עֲלֵיהֶם וְיַעֲבִיר רָעָה מִבְּשָׂרוֹ וִיבָרֵךְ, וִיתַקֵּן הַשְּׁכִינָה בְּעֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר עָלֶיהָ (מִשְׁלֵי ו, כב): "בְּשָׁכְבְּךָ תִּשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ" מִן הַחִצוֹנִים "וַהֲקִיצוֹתָ הִיא תְשִׂיחֶךָ" . וְתִתְקַשֵּׁר עִמּוֹ וְהוּא עִמָּהּ, וְיִתְעַלֶּה דְּיוֹקַן נִשְׁמָתוֹ בְגַן עֵדֶן עִם הַשְּׁכִינָה הַנִּכְנֶסֶת שָׁם עִם הַצַּדִּיקִים, וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת יָבֹא שָׁם גַּם הוּא לְהִשְׁתַּעֲשֵׁעַ עִם הַצַּדִּיקִים וְעִמּוֹ בְּחֶבְרָתָם, שֶׁכֻּלָּם מַקְשִׁיבִים לְקוֹלוֹ. הֲרֵי מַמָּשׁ נָסַע עִמָּהּ מֵהַמִּיתָה וְהַשֵּׁנָה אֶל סוֹד הַחַיִּים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְנִקְשָׁר בְּסוֹד גַּן עֵדֶן וְהִתְחִיל לְהִתְנוֹצֵץ עָלָיו אוֹר הַתִּפְאֶרֶת הַמִּתְנוֹצֵץ בְּגַן עֵדֶן עַל הַצַּדִּיקִים, וְכֵן פֵּרֵשׁ בְּפָרָשַׁת תְּרוּמָה (דַּף קל:).
At night he [should] connect with Kingship: And he begins from the night, at the time that a man lies down on his bed. And behold the rulership is to Night, the trait of Kingship. And he goes to sleep - and sleep is similar to death, and the tree of death rules. What shall he do? He [should] repair and proceed to connect to the secret of holiness, which is the secret of the trait of kingship, from the aspect of its holiness. And so he [should] go on his bed and accept the full yoke of the Kingship of the Heavens with concentration of the heart. He gets up at midnight, [washes] his hands from the husk that is governing them, removes the evil from his flesh and recites a blessing. And he [should] repair the Divine Presence through the occupation with Torah. And about this is it stated (Proverbs 6:22), "When you lie down it will watch over you," from the external forces; "and when you awake, it will talk with you." And She will be connected to him, and he to Her. And the likeness of his soul will rise in the Garden of Eden with the Divine Presence that is entering there with the righteous ones. And Splendor will also come there to play with the righteous ones, and with him in their company - as they will all be listening to his voice. Behold, he has actually traveled with Her from death and sleep to the secret of the Garden of Eden and began to cause the light of Splendor, that sparkles in the Garden of Eden upon the righteous, to sparkle upon him. And so is it explained in [the Zohar,] Parshat Terumah (p. 130b).
בשחר יתקשר עם מדות שלשת האבות הכלולים בתפארת: הִשְׁכִּים וְעָלָה עַמּוּד הַשָּׁחַר, הִתְחִיל הוּא גַּם כֵּן לָבֹא לִכָּנֵס לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת, וְקָשַׁר עַצְמוֹ בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה אָבוֹת. בְּפֶתַח בֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶת אוֹמֵר "וַאֲנִי בְּרֹב חַסְדְּךָ אָבוֹא" (תהלים ה, ח) וְכוּ', וְכוֹלֵל עַצְמוֹ בְּסוֹד הַתִּפְאֶרֶת אָדָם כָּלוּל חֶסֶד גְּבוּרָה תִּפְאֶרֶת, וְנִכְנָס לִכְנֶסֶת מַלְכוּת.
In the morning, he [should] connect himself to the traits of the three fathers that are included in Splendor: When the dawn rises, he also begins to come to the synagogue and bind himself to the three fathers. At the opening of the synagogue, he says, "But I, through Your abundant kindness, enter, etc." (Psalms 5:8). And he includes himself in the secret of the Splendor of Man that includes Kindness, Severity and Splendor, and he enters the assembly of Kingship.
וּמְכַוֵּן בַּפָּסוּק בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה אָבוֹת:
And he has intention in the verse for the three fathers:
"בְּרֹב חַסְדְּךָ" - דָּא אַבְרָהָם,
"Through Your abundant kindness" - that is Avraham.
"אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל הֵיכַל קָדְשְׁךָ" - דָּא יִצְחָק, דְּמִסִּטְרֵיהּ הִשְׁתַּחֲוָיָה לִכְפֹּף קוֹמָתוֹ נֶגֶד מִדַּת הַדִּין לִהְיוֹת נִדְחֶה מִפָּנֶיהָ, וְאָז הַשָּׁעָה נִדְחֵית מִפָּנָיו כִּי יֻמְשַׁךְ שֶׁפַע הָרַחֲמִים מִלְמַעְלָה עָלֶיהָ לְמַתְּקָהּ.
"I bow down at Your holy chamber" - that is Yitschak, as bowing down, to bend one's stature across from the trait of judgment (Severity) to be pushed off before it, is from his side. And then the time [of pain] is pushed off in front of him, as a flow of mercy is pulled towards it from Above to sweeten it.
"בְּיִרְאָתֶךָ" - דָּא יַעֲקֹב, דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ (בְּרֵאשִׁית כח, יז).
"In Your awe" - that is Yaakov, as about him is it written (Genesis 28:17), "how awesome is this place."
וַהֲרֵי כָּלַל עַצְמוֹ בָהֶם בְּמַחְשָׁבָה דִּבּוּר וּמַעֲשֶׂה, כִּי מַחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ הִיא הַכַּוָּנָה, הַדִּבּוּר הוּא הַפָּסוּק, וְהַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַבִּיאָה לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת וְהִשְׁתַחֲוָיָתוֹ נֶגֶד הֵיכָלוֹ.
And behold, he has included himself in Them in thought, speech and deed: As the thought that we mentioned is the intention; the speech is the verse; and the deed is the entering into the synagogue and his bowing down across from His chamber.
המדות שמתקשר בהם במשך היום: קֹדֶם תְּפִילָה עוֹמֵד בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת, פִּיו מְקוֹר נוֹבֵעַ תְּפִילָה וְיִחוּד יְסוֹד , מְקוֹר הַבְּאֵר נִפְתָּח בַּבְּאֵר שֶׁהוּא בֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶת, וּמְתַקֵּן שְׁכִינָה בְּכָל יְכֹלֶת כַּוָּנָתוֹ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ. יוֹצֵא מִשָּׁם, עוֹלֶה בְּסוֹד הַתּוֹרָה, וּמִתְקַשֵּׁר בָּהּ בְּסוֹד מִדַּת יוֹם, וּמִתְנַהֵג עִמָּהּ כָּל הַיוֹם עַד שְׁעַת הַמִּנְחָה, שֶׁמִּתְקַשֵּׁר בַּגְּבוּרָה. שֶׁהֲרֵי בַּבֹּקֶר נִקְשָׁר בַּחֶסֶד בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, וּבַיּוֹם בַּתִּפְאֶרֶת בְּעֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה, וּבָעֶרֶב בַּגְבוּרָה . וְכָל זֶה בְּמִדַּת יוֹם שֶׁהוּא בָּא לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת לְיַחֵד בְּסוֹד הַגְּבוּרָה, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה בְּצַד הַחֶסֶד.
The traits to which he connects during the course of the day: Before prayer he stands in the synagogue. His mouth exudes prayer and the unification of Foundation - the Source of the well (Foundation) opens up in the well, which is the synagogue (Kingship) - and he repairs the Divine Presence with all the power of the intention of his prayer. He leaves from there and rises to the secret of Torah, and connects to it in the secret of the measure of day; and he is involved with it all of the day until the time of the afternoon prayer, when he connects to Severity. As behold, in the morning, he was connected to Kindness in his prayer, and in the day to Splendor in occupation in Torah; and [so] in the evening, [is it] with Severity. And all of this is in the measure of the day - that he comes to the synagogue to unify with the secret of Severity, in the way that he did from the side of Kindness.
וּבֵין זֶה לָזֶה קוֹשֵׁר הַשְּׁכִינָה עִמּוֹ בִּסְעוּדָתוֹ, שֶׁגּוֹמֵל חֶסֶד עִם הָעֲנִיָּה הַזֹּאת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה אוֹמֵר הִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן (וַיִּקְרָא רַבָּה לד, ג) "יוֹדֵעַ צַדִּיק נֶפֶשׁ בְּהֶמְתּוֹ" (מִשְׁלֵי יב, י), וְזוֹ תִהְיֶה כַּוָּנָתוֹ בִּסְעוּדָתוֹ לִגְמֹל חֶסֶד לְנֶפֶשׁ בְּהֵמָה וּלְקָשְׁרָה בְסוֹד הַמָּזוֹן.
And between this and that, he connects the Divine Presence to him in his meal, such that he bestows kindness on the poor one - as Hillel the Elder (Vayikra Rabbah 34:3) would say, "A righteous one should know the soul of his animal" (Proverbs 12:10). And this [should] be his intention in his meal, to bestow kindness to the animal soul and to connect it with the secret of nourishment.
וְאַחַר שֶׁעָלָה לִשְׁעַת הַמִּנְחָה וְנִקְשָׁר בַּגְּבוּרָה, הִמְתִּין לָעֶרֶב וְיָרַד הַתִּפְאֶרֶת אֶל הַמַּלְכוּת, וַהֲרֵי הוּא עִמָּהּ בִּתְחִלַּת הַלַּיְלָה קוֹשֵׁר עַצְמוֹ בָהּ וְנִכְנַס לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת עִם הַכַּוָּנָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת לְמַעְלָה, וְקוֹשֵׁר עַצְמוֹ לְמַטָּה - תִּפְאֶרֶת בָּא לְבֵית מְלוֹנוֹ.
And after he arrived to the time of the afternoon prayer and he connected with Severity, he waits to the evening and Splendor goes down to Kingship. And behold, he is with [Splendor] at the beginning of the night, connects himself with It and enters the synagogue with the intention mentioned above and he connects himself Below - [so] Splendor comes to the House of Its lodging.
יָצָא מִבֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶת יְיַחֵד עַצְמוֹ מַמָּשׁ בַּמַּלְכוּת לְבַד, בְּסוֹד קַבָּלַת עֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם, וְזֶהוּ תְּקוּפָתוֹ בַיּוֹם עִם תְּקוּפַת הַסְּפִירָה, וּלְעוֹלָם דָּבֵק בָּאוֹר הַשּׁוֹלֵט.
He exits the synagogue [and] unifies himself truly with Kingship alone, through the secret of accepting the yoke of the Kingdom of the Heavens. And this is his strength during the day, with the strength of the Sefirah. And he [should] always cling to the Light that is ruling.
עֵצָה זוֹ עִקָּרָהּ בְּפָרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית, וְהַשְּׁאָר מְקֻבָּץ מִמְּקוֹמוֹת רַבִּים מֵהַזֹּהַר. וְהִיא עֵצָה כּוֹלֶלֶת לְהִתְקַשֵּׁר הָאָדָם תָּמִיד בַּקְּדֻשָּׁה וְלֹא יֶחְסַר עִטּוּר הַשְּׁכִינָה מֵעַל רֹאשׁוֹ:
This essence of this counsel is in [the Zohar,] Parshat Bereishit, and the rest is gathered from many places in the Zohar. It is a comprehensive counsel, to always connect a man to holiness; and the crown of the Divine Presence will [thereby] never leave his head.
תָּם וְנִשְׁלַם שֶׁבַח לְאֵל יוֹדֵעַ כָּל נֶעְלָם, הַיוֹם יוֹם ד' י"ב יָמִים לְמַרְחֶשְׁוָן, שְׁנַת "יֶעֱרַב עָלָיו שִׂיחִי אָנֹכִי אֶשְׂמַח בַּה':
It is whole and complete - praise to God, who knows all the hidden - today the fourth day of the week, the twelfth day of the month of MarCheshvan, in the year [numerically encoded in the verse], "May my speech be pleasing to Him; I will rejoice in the Lord" (Psalms 104:34).