“B’chatzotzrot (With trumpets) and the sound of the shofar shout out before God, the King.” (Psalms 98:6)
Now, each person must say: “The entire world was created only for my sake” (Sanhedrin 37a). Consequently, because the world was created for my sake, I must constantly look into and consider ways of making the world better; to provide what is missing in the world and pray on its behalf.
{“The verdict is decreed by the destroying angels, and the request is through the maamar of the holy ones” (Daniel 4:14).} And in the matter of prayer, there are two approaches. Before the decree has been issued we follow the regular order of prayer and there is no need to veil the prayers. But after the decree has been issued our prayers have to be disguised <within stories>, so that the <accusing angels> standing to the left do not understand and protest. As is written, “The verdict is decreed by the destroying angels”—i.e., when it is after the decree has been issued—then, “the request is through the maamar of the holy ones”—then the tzaddikim disguise their requests in a maamar.
2. But how do we know whether it is before the decree has been issued or after the decree has been issued? We can determine whether it is before the decree or after the decree by means of the mitzvot we perform.
And this is specifically when a person performs the mitzvot with such great joy, that he has no desire for any reward in the World to Come. Instead, his only desire is that the Holy One provide him with the opportunity to do another mitzvah as a reward for the first mitzvah. As in the saying of the Sages: The reward for a mitzvah is a mitzvah (Avot 4:2) —for he derives pleasure from the mitzvah itself.
This is the difference between the prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu and the prophecy of the other prophets. It is similar to Rashi’s commentary to, “Moshe spoke to the tribal heads of the Children of Israel, saying, ‘Zeh hadavar (This is the word) God has commanded’” (Numbers 30:2). Rashi explains: All the prophets prophesied with “Koh (Thus) says God.” Moshe achieved even more than they in that he prophesied with “Zeh hadavar.” For koh corresponds to a dull looking-glass, whereas zeh hadavar corresponds to a clear looking-glass.
These two aspects of prophecy are also found in our service of the Creator. There is the person who does the mitzvah for the reward of the World to Come—he has no enjoyment from the mitzvah itself. If he were not given the World to Come as a reward, he would not do it. This corresponds to koh, a dull looking-glass. Just like the person who sees something from a distance, so, too, he performs the mitzvah for the reward it will bring at a distant time, after this world. {“He who goes weeping on his way carrying a seed-bag, yavo verina nosay alumotav (will come back with songs of joy, carrying his sheaves)” (Psalms 126:6).}
And the payment of reward is called navy (prophet). This is because the first letters of “Yavo Verina Nosay Alumotav” <spell NAVY>.
The payment of reward is also alluded to in the verse itself. <As Rashi explains:> “He who goes weeping on his way carrying a seed-bag”—he is pained by the [mitzvah’s] performance. “He will come back with songs of joy, carrying his sheaves”—he will rejoice in the Future, when he will receive reward for the mitzvot.
But the prophet who prophesies with zeh hadavar does not desire the reward of the mitzvot. Rather, he desires the mitzvah itself. He rejoices so much in its performance that he rejects any kind of reward. We see, then, that his World to Come is in the mitzvah itself.
This is therefore the concept of NAVY —i.e., the payment of reward—corresponding to zeh hadavar, a clear looking-glass. Just like the person who sees something from up close, with a splendidly clear view, so, too, he enjoys the mitzvah itself and his reward is right before his eyes.
And it is the person who is on this level—who performs the mitzvah with such great joy that he has no desire for any reward of the World to Come in return—who is able to differentiate between before the decree has been issued and after the decree has been issued.
This is because the mitzvot form a complete construct. And they give life to all other constructs; whether it be the construct of Man, or the construct of World, or the construct of Year. For World-Year-Soul receive vitality from the mitzvot, as in (Psalms 33:4), “All His work is done with faith,” and also (ibid. 119:86), “All Your mitzvot are faith.” Thus, the Holy One is in simple unity with the mitzvot.
Therefore, when the Holy One’s works are as they should be and in proper order, the Holy One is happy with them and delights in them, as is written (Psalms 104:31), “God rejoices in His works.” Like a craftsman who makes some vessel. If the vessel is beautiful, then he delights in it. And the joy of the Holy One is clothed in the mitzvot, because they are His unity.
Now, when the person who performs the mitzvah with a joy derived from the mitzvah itself enters into the joy of the mitzvah, he enters into the joy of the Holy One, who rejoices in His works. This corresponds to “Israel rejoices in its Maker” (Psalms 149:2).
We find, therefore, that if there is any misfortune or harsh decree affecting World-Year-Soul, then certainly the joy of the Holy One is lessened, as in (Genesis 6:6), “He grieved in His heart.” As <the Sages taught: When a person sins,> what does the Shekhinah say? “My head is heavy! My arms are heavy!” (Sanhedrin 46a).
Thus, this person who has entered into the joy [of the mitzvah] will certainly know, by the state of the joy, whether it is before the decree has been issued or after the decree has been issued. He can also discern the part of the structure against which the judgment has been decreed. He knows this based on the structure of the mitzvot. If he cannot joyfully perform the “head” of the mitzvot—i.e., those mitzvot that relate to the head—he will know that a judgment has been decreed against the “heads” of World-Year-Soul. And it is likewise for the rest of the structure of the mitzvot.
This is the meaning of what the Sages said concerning Shabbat: Remember it from the first day of the week (Mekhilta, Yitro 7; Beitza 16a). The joy and pleasure of the World to Come, which is an aspect of Shabbat, should be experienced during the six days of work. [These six weekdays] correspond to the performance of the mitzvot, because World-Year-Soul were created on them.
{“You must pay him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets” (Deuteronomy 24:15).} This is, “You must pay him his wages on the same day”—the person’s reward will come from the mitzvot themselves. “Before the sun sets”—because he does not perform the mitzvot for the reward of the World to Come, which is after his “sun sets,” after his death.
3. Now, the essence of joy is found in the heart, as is written (Psalms 4:8), “You have put joy in my heart.” But it is impossible for the heart to rejoice unless a person removes the crookedness in his heart, so that he might have a straight heart. Then he will merit <true> joy, as is written (ibid. 97:11), “and joy for the straight of heart.”
And the heart’s crookedness is made straight by means of thunder. As our Sages taught: Thunder was only created to straighten the crookedness of the heart (Berakhot 59a). Thunder corresponds to the voice a person releases <with great force> while praying. From this [voice], thunder is generated.
As stated in the Zohar (III, 235b): When the voice is released and encounters the rain clouds, the voice is transmitted to the creation—and this is thunder. For thunder is essentially from gevurot (severities), as is written (Job 26:14), “Who can understand the thunder of His gevurot (strength)?”
This is the why [when hearing thunder] we recite the blessing “… for His might and gevurah fill the universe.” These gevurot are an aspect of might and strength. A person releases the voice with great force, and this voice strikes the rain clouds—i.e., the aspect of <upper> mentalities from where drop after drop descends. As is brought in the Zohar (III, 235b): “a well of fresh water, and drops from LeBaNon” (Song of Songs 4:15) —from the LiBuNa (whiteness) of the mind.
And when [this voice] strikes the rain clouds, then “the voice is transmitted to the creation”—i.e., the aspect of thunder. This is the meaning of “The sound of Your thunder was in the sphere” (Psalms 77:19) —i.e., in the sphere of the mind. For when it encounters the skull, the voice is converted into thunder and is transmitted to the creation. {“My mouth will speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart will be understanding” (Psalms 49:4).}
This <corresponds to> “My mouth will speak wisdom….” The speech that leaves my mouth strikes wisdom—i.e., the sphere of the mind. As a result, “the meditation of my heart will be understanding”—i.e., <the heart> will be stirred by the thunder. <This is because> the voice stimulates kavanah (Berakhot 24b).
This is what our Sages taught: When a person has fear of Heaven, his words are heard (Berakhot 6b). For when someone possesses fear of Heaven, his voice is converted into thunder. This is because thunder is from the side of Yitzchak, as in, “the thunder of His gevurot .” This causes his words to be heard—i.e., “the voice is transmitted to the creation.” For hearing is linked to [the fear of Heaven], as is written (Habakkuk 3:2), “O God, I heard of Your message; I feared” (Zohar III, 230a).
And this is the explanation of “geborei koach (mighty ones) who do His bidding, hearkening to the sound of His word” (Psalms 103:20). [As] the Zohar (I, 90a) states: “They merit hearing voices from Above.” In other words, by means of the gevurot, thunder is generated. This causes the heart to hear—i.e., “the meditation of my heart will be understanding”—as is written (1 Kings 3:9), “Give Your servant a hearing heart [to judge Your people].” And then his words are “transmitted to the creation”; this being “hearkening to the sound of His word.”
This also corresponds to the sound of the shofar—i.e., the shofar-horn of the ram, the ram of Yitzchak (Zohar III, 235b) —which is an aspect of “the thunder of His gevurot .”
This, then, is the meaning of (Psalms 89:16), “Happy is the nation who knows the shofar’s blast.” Specifically “knows,” because the voice hits the mind—corresponding to rain clouds—and is converted into the aspect of thunder. And whoever hears the shofar blown by a man who is God-fearing and pious, will certainly have no fear of thunder the entire year. As it is written: “With sounds [of thunder] and lightning You revealed Yourself to them, and with the shofar-sound You appeared to them.” You appeared to them through the sound of the shofar, [protecting them] from thunder and lightning.
4. But it is [first] necessary to clear the mentalities of secular wisdom and undesirable thoughts—of chametz. A person must not sour his wisdom with secular wisdom or <evil> passions, so that the voice emerges <pure and clean.> It will then strike the <upper mentalities> and be converted into thunder. But when the sphere of the mind is clogged with impurity—as in (Leviticus 11:43), “… because nitmeitem (you will be made unclean) by them”—then his voice is not heard.
He must also safeguard his fear of Heaven—from which the voice emerges, as in, “the thunder of His gevurot”—so that he has no extrinsic fears <but only a fear of the Holy One>. This is: Where there is no wisdom, there is no fear of Heaven; where there is no fear of Heaven, there is no wisdom (Avot 3:21).
And <this corresponds to that which our Sages taught: When King Shlomo married Pharaoh’s daughter,> the angel GaVRiel descended and plunged a reed into the sea (Shabbat 56b; Sanhedrin 21b). The explanation is: From the devolution of the GeVuRot —<which correspond to gold dross,> extrinsic fears—he “plunged a reed into the sea” of wisdom. A kaneh (reed) is the aspect of the voice released from the kaneh (windpipe). Thus, <because of the secular wisdom and> extrinsic fears, the voice remains plunged in the mire of the intellect and will not be transmitted to the creation.
But the most important thing is that a person safeguard his mind from becoming chametz. This is (Psalms 68:31), “Rebuke ChayaT (the beast of) the reed.” As the Zohar (III, 252a) states: Break the reed of the CheT and make it a heh, thus transforming the letters ChaMeTZ into MaTZaH. Your wisdom will then not turn sour.
This is the connotation of “rebuke,” which conveys conflict. For the word MaTZah also implies conflict: the tzaddikim engage in MaTZuta (battle) with the Other Side in order to keep it from approaching the dwelling place of holiness (Zohar III, 251b).
That is, when you protect your wisdom so that secular wisdom does not penetrate it, <and> you do not entertain evil thoughts—which is the KaNeH (reed) of the Other Side, in contrast to <the KaNeH (windpipe) of holiness, i.e.,> “K’NeH wisdom, K’NeH understanding” of holiness—you will be saved from the aspect of chametz, which is the side of death. As is stated (Zohar, ibid.): MaChMeTZeT —it contains < ChaMeTZ and MeT>. And believe that all strife and conflict between those tzaddikim who have reached perfection is only to dispel the Other Side.
This is the meaning of (Proverbs 15:31), “He whose ear hears the reproof of life talin (lodges) among the wise.” < TaLiN> is similar to TeLuNah (complaint) and conflict. When you hear the tzaddikim arguing, know that this is to let you hear reproof for having blemished the drops of your mind. Concerning this it is said (Proverbs 2:19), “None that go to her return, nor do they regain the paths of life.” You have become attached to the side of death, the aspect of chametz, of “Gavriel descended.” Know also that “a reed has been plunged”—extrinsic wisdom has been plunged—into your sea of wisdom.
And, certainly, if your mind had not been blemished, you would not have been given to hear the conflicts among the tzaddikim. This conflict is only for your sake, in order that you return from death to life, from chametz to matzah, from chet to heh ; and so that you repent from unwholesome fear <to fear of His exaltedness>, from a marred voice <to a flawless voice>, from blemished wisdom <to complete and true wisdom>.
But when you guard your mind from the aspect of chametz, so that it does not become clogged, then your voice will strike your skull and be converted into thunder, and the heart’s crookedness will be made straight. Then, you will merit joy, as in, “and joy for the straight of heart.” This is the meaning of (Psalms 81:8), “When you called in secret, I answered you thunderously; I tested you at the Waters of Conflict, Selah .” The Waters of Conflict are an aspect of matzah, of mentalities, through which thunder is generated.
5. Know as well that a person must couple the gevurot (severities) with chasadim (benevolences), left with right, as is written (Psalms 20:7), “with the saving gevurot (strength) of His right arm.” For the main revelation comes about <through the right,> by means of chasadim, as is written (ibid. 110:1), “Sit at My right hand [while I make your enemies your footstool].”
It is likewise necessary to couple love with fear of Heaven, in order to generate thunder. This [love] is from the right side, from “a mind as white as silver” (Tikkuney Zohar #70).
This is <the meaning of “When it turned morning, the sea returned to its might”> (Exodus 14:27). “The sea” alludes to the sea of wisdom; “when it turned morning”—this is the morning of Avraham (Zohar II, 170b), corresponding to “Avraham My beloved” (Isaiah 41:8) ; “to its might”—this is gevurot, corresponding to “The sound of Your thunder was in the sphere.”
And this is (Song of Songs 8:7), “Many waters cannot extinguish the love.” For the ability to conquer is mainly by means of love, as in, “Sit at My right….”
And this is the explanation of (Psalms 29:3), “the El (God) of Glory thunders.” “El” is chesed (lovingkindness); “glory” is wisdom, as is written (Proverbs 3:35), “The wise will inherit glory”; “thunders” alludes to the thunder. In other words, the gevurot, an aspect of thunder, must be coupled with love, so that they will strike the glory, the aspect of wisdom, and be converted into thunder. Then, you will conquer your enemies, as in, “Sit at My right hand while I make your enemies your footstool.”
6. This is the explanation:
Rabbah bar bar Chanah recounted: One time we were traveling on a sephinta (ship) . To sail between a fish ’s two shitza (fins) took the ship three days and three nights, [even though] it was swimming upwind and we were sailing downwind. And lest you think the ship was not sailing quickly, when Rav Dimi came, he said, “In the time it takes to heat a kettle of water, it went sixty parsay (parasangs) . And a parsha (rider) shot an arrow, yet [the ship] preceded it.” Rav Ashi said, “This [fish] was a sea gyldena, which has two fins” (Bava Batra 73b).
sephinta — This connotes importance. It corresponds to gevurah /fear, as is written (Isaiah 33:6), “The fear of God is His treasure.” For [the fear of Heaven] is what is most important.
ShiTZa — This connotes misfortune, as is written (Numbers 16:21), “[Separate yourselves from this congregation,] and I will destroy them in an instant.” The Aramaic translation [of “and I will destroy them”] is v’aShayTZay yas’hone.
three days and three nights — This corresponds to the mitzvot, which are [divided into three categories]: the rational, the tradition-based, and the statutes. Concerning them it is written (Joshua 1:8), “You shall study [Torah] day and night.”
it was swimming upwind and we were sailing downwind — This corresponds to “God rejoices in His works; Israel rejoices in its Maker.”
In the time it takes to heat a kettle of water — This is the mind, as in, “and drops from Lebanon.”
it went sixty parsay — This corresponds to gevurot: “sixty geborim (mighty men)” (Song of Songs 3:7), and “the thunder of His strength.”
And a parsha shot an arrow — PaRSha is the aspect of chesed (lovingkindness). It refers to someone who brings to light that which is hidden, someone who mePhaReSh (explains) those matters which are obscure.
an arrow — As in, “Shoot Your arrows and panic them” (Psalms 144:6). This corresponds to “Sit at My right hand while I make your enemies your footstool.”
the ship preceded it — This is the aspect of fear, which “precedes.” For fear of Heaven precedes all else, as is written (Psalms 111:10), “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.”
Rabbah bar bar Chanah recounted that he had delved so deeply into the attribute of the fear of Heaven, and had seen the great power of this fear, that he was now able to use it to discern between before the decree has been issued and after the decree has been issued—i.e., between two shitza .
He then explains how he could discern: by means of the mitzvot, which are the aspect of three days …, it is possible to discern. And this is only when one performs [the mitzvot] with joy; for through the joy of the mitzvot it is possible to discern. This is because the Holy One rejoices in His works and this joy is clothed in the mitzvot, as explained. And we below also rejoice in the Holy One, as in, “Israel rejoices in its Maker.” We desire no reward, even the reward of the World to Come. This is, It was swimming upwind and we were sailing downwind —our joy <below> is in accordance with His joy <Above>. In this way we can discern [whether it is before or after the decree has been issued].
[Rabbah bar bar Chanah] then explains how to achieve this joy: by means of the aspect of thunder. This is, when Rav Dimi came, he said: In the time it takes to heat a kettle of water it went sixty parsay —i.e., corresponding to “The sound of Your thunder was in the sphere,” <and to “The voice stimulates kavanah”>. Sixty is an allusion to gevurot, which strike the skull and are converted into thunder. And then “the voice is transmitted”—this corresponds to “The voice stimulates kavanah,” and to “Thunder was only created [to straighten the crookedness of the heart].”
He then said that, in essence, the conquering-ability of the gevurot is only due to chasadim. Thus, it is necessary to encompass the left within the right, as explained. But even so, a person must put the fear of Heaven first, because “the owner of a lost object searches after what he has lost.”
{As the Sages taught: It is the way of the man to search after the woman. This is analogous to a person who has lost something. Who searches after whom? Certainly, the owner of the object searches after what he has lost (Kiddushin 2b). The explanation of this is: Man is the aspect of love, whereas woman is the aspect of fear, as is known. It is therefore necessary to put the fear of Heaven first, as, then, love will automatically follow. For the love [of God] constantly goes out and searches after the fear of Heaven, just as the owner of the object searches after what he has lost.} This is, And a rider shot an arrow….
Rav Ashi said, This [fish] was a sea gyldena. Gyldena alludes to the Holy Name AGLA, which is an aspect of gevurot in that it is an acronym for “Atah Gebor L’olam Adonoy (You are mighty forever, O Lord!)” (Amidah Prayer), as is brought (Zohar Chadash, Terumah). GYLDeNA is made up entirely of the letters AGL and the Holy Name ADoNoY —i.e., the Holy Name AGLA. <And this is what is alluded to by two fins .>
7. This is the explanation [of the opening verse]: {“With trumpets and the sound of the shofar shout out before God, the King. Let the sea thunder and all within it, the tevel (world) and all its inhabitants. Let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains y’ranainu (sing joyously) together. At the presence of God, for He is coming to judge the earth” (Psalms 98:6-9).}
With trumpets and the sound of the shofar — That is, by means of the voice that is released [during prayer]
Let the sea thunder — thunder is generated. This corresponds to “The sound of Your thunder was in the sphere.”
the tevel and all its inhabitants — This alludes to the heart and its arteries. “Thunder was only created….”
TeVeL is made up of the letters Tav LeV. TaV connotes a mark, as is written (Ezekiel 9:4), “and hitvita TaV (inscribe a mark).” The voice is imprinted on the heart, as in, “Thunder was only created to straighten [the crookedness of the LeV].” And because of this:
Let the rivers clap their hands — This alludes to joy, as mentioned above: “and joy for the straight of heart.” And by means of this joy…
the mountains y’RaNainu together — RiNah connotes prayer, as is written (1 Kings 8:28), “Hearken to the rinah and to the prayer.”
mountains — This alludes to tzaddikim. By means of the heart’s joy they are able to pray, and once they realize that the judgment has already been decreed, they disguise their prayer in a maamar. This is the explanation of < mountains> together —[the tzaddikim] disguise their prayers together with stories.