“Tik’u (Sound) the shofar at the moon’s renewal, at the time appointed for our festive day.” 2 (Psalms 81:4)

The Jew is created to have memshalah (dominion) over the angels. This is Israel’s ultimate purpose and destiny, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: The section of the righteous is destined to be inward of that of the ministering angels, as it is written (Numbers 23:23), “at that time it will be said to Yaakov and to Israel, ‘What has God wrought?’” (Yerushalmi, Shabbat 6:9). When the angels will want to know what God has wrought, they will need to inquire of Israel.

Every [Jew] must see to achieve this ultimate purpose: having dominion over angels. Yet he has to guard himself carefully and see that he has the ability to maintain this dominion without being cast down, God forbid, through the angels’ envy. This is because the angels are extremely jealous of such a person who has dominion over them. Thus we find that our Sages, of blessed memory, taught regarding a number of eminent individuals: “the ministering angels sought to push him away” (Chagigah 15b).

2. The solution for this is to bind oneself with the Jewish souls and through this attachment be protected from [the angels]. This is as in “He allows him to grab onto the front of the throne” (Job 26:9). A person has to attach himself to the roots of the souls, which are hewn from beneath the Throne of Glory, “the mother of all living things” (Genesis 3:20).

This corresponds to what our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: When Moshe ascended on high, the ministering angels said, “[Master of the Universe!] What is someone born of woman doing among us?” [God] replied, “He came to receive the Torah.” They said, “[Would it not be better] that You bestow Your majesty upon the heavens?” (Psalms 8:2). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe, “Give them an answer.” [Moshe] said, “I am afraid to, lest they burn me with the breath of their mouths.” [God] said to him, “Grab onto the throne of My Glory [and then answer them]” (Shabbat 88b). In other words, God advised him to grab hold of and attach himself to the roots of the souls—i.e., the Throne of Glory, “the mother of all living things”—as this would protect him from the angels’ jealousy.

This is the meaning of: “The Lord God fashioned the rib that He took from the man [into a woman, and He brought her to the man]” (Genesis 2:22). “VaYiVeN (He fashioned)” is an acronym for U’tekativ Yated B’makom Ne’eman (I will affix him as a peg in a trusted place) (Isaiah 22:23). This alludes to dominion, as in Targum Yonatan’s rendering of this verse: I will appoint him as a trusted officer serving in an enduring position.” In other words, the dominion will be enduring.

And this is “the rib.” It refers to Chavah, “the mother of all living things,” corresponding to the Throne of Glory, the souls’ roots, through which one has the ability to maintain this dominion, as discussed above.

And this is “that He took from the man”—i.e., Supernal Man, as it is written (Ezekiel 1:26), “and upon the throne there was a form resembling a man.” “And He brought her to the man”—namely, to lower man. Through this, lower man has the ability to maintain this dominion.

This is also the meaning of what Rav Amram Chasida answered the angel: Even though I am bisra (flesh) and you are fire, I am more powerful than you (Kiddushin 81a). BiSRA is an acronym for Shishim Rebo B’kareis Echad (six-hundred thousand in a single womb)—i.e., the roots of the souls. Through this he has the ability to maintain dominion over the angels, as in “I am more powerful than you.”

3. Now, in order to bind oneself with the Jewish souls’ roots one has to know the source of the souls and the source of their life-force, from which each soul receives its vitality.

Most importantly, one has to know all the renowned figures of the generation. This is because if he cannot know and bind himself to each individual soul, he has to bind himself to all the renowned figures and leaders of the generation, under whom the souls are grouped. Each renowned figure and leader of the generation has a certain number of individual souls for which he is responsible. When a person binds himself to the renowned figures, he is bound to all the individual Jewish souls.

However, one has to be able to know and distinguish [between] renowned figures, because there are many renowned figures who are imposters. Their [renown] derives solely from arrogance, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Impudence is kingship without a crown (Sanhedrin 105a).

4. The way to recognize which of the renowned figures owe their position to arrogance is through building Yerushalayim, which is the concept of the heart. YeRuShaLayiM corresponds to YiRah ShaLeM— i.e., the perfection of fear, which is dependent upon the heart. This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Of those things that are given over to the heart, it is said, “And you shall fear your Lord!” (Kiddushin 32b).

However, there are three traits that destroy Yerushalayim/the heart, undermining fear, which is dependent upon the heart. The three traits are craving wealth, craving food and craving sexual pleasure. These three traits are [centered] in the heart and so [have the power to] undermine the fear in the heart.

Wealth is rooted in the heart, as in “God’s blessing enriches, and no sadness is added to it” (Proverbs 10:22), and “and it saddened Him in His heart” (Genesis 6:6).

Food is the concept of “and bread sustains the heart of man” (Psalms 104:15).

Sexual desire, too, is in the heart, because the desire stems mainly from the passion produced by the blood in the heart’s ventricle.

And because they are [centered] in the heart, they undermine the fear in a person’s heart, which is Yerushalayim.

This is the explanation of: The night consists of three watches. [At each watch, the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and roars like a lion, as it says: “God roars from on high…” (Jeremiah 25:30) . The sign [for each watch] is as follows: The first watch, a donkey brays; the second, dogs bark; the third, an infant nurses from its mother’s breasts and a woman converses with her husband] (Berakhot 3a).

“Night” connotes darkness—i.e., obstacles. These are the three watches, the three traits.

And this is: “The first watch, a donkey brays.” This corresponds to the craving for wealth, as in “Yissakhar is a strong-boned donkey” (Genesis 49:14), which Onkelos renders as “[Yissakhar is] rich with possessions.”

“The second, dogs bark.” This connotes the craving for food, as it is written: “The dogs are brazen, they are never satiated” (Isaiah 56:11).

“The third, an infant nurses from its mother’s breasts and a woman converses with her husband.” This connotes the craving for sexual pleasure, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “They saw her conversing…” (Ketuvot 13a).

And this is the meaning of “an infant nurses from its mother’s breasts,” because this desire is related to nursing. If an infant suckles milk from an immodest woman, this desire becomes stronger within him, because “the blood decomposes and turns into milk” (Bekhorot 6b). Therefore, when she is immodest, the milk produced by the decomposition of her blood is harmful to the infant, generating passion in his heart, which strengthens this craving. Conversely, when he suckles milk from a modest woman, his heart is hollow within him and he has only as much passion as is necessary for [fulfilling] the commandments of the Creator, blessed be His Name.

This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Avodah Zarah 4b) : David was not suited for that deed, as it is stated (Psalms 109:22), “and my heart is hollow within me.” The initial letters of Lebee Chalal B’kirbi (“my heart is hollow within me”) spell ChaLaV (milk). In other words, because of the modest woman’s milk, his heart is hollow within him and this desire does not dominate him. Therefore David, who had attained this level, was not suited for that deed. Conversely, the milk of an immodest woman generates excessive passion in the heart, corresponding to “Cham Lebee B’kirbi (My heart is hot within me)” (Psalms 39:4), the initial letters of which spell ChaLaV, [in the manner] explained above.

And this is the meaning of what our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: At each watch, the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and roars like a lion (Berakhot, op. cit.)—i.e., over the undermining of fear, as in “A lion has roared; who will not fear?” (Amos 3:8). This is because the three traits, which are the three watches, undermine the building of Yerushalayim—i.e., the perfection of fear, which depends upon the heart.

5. Now, the way to rectify these three traits is through unitive knowledge and awareness of God (daat). It is necessary to draw this unitive knowledge and awareness into the heart, as in (Deuteronomy 4:39), “Know it today and ponder it in your heart.” One has to draw the daat into the heart and thereby rectify the three traits.

For daat corresponds to the three mentalities, the three regions of the brain. These also correspond to the Three Festivals.

Each festival signifies a renewal of the mentalities, as a new intellect is drawn to rectify these three traits. In other words, on each of the Three Festivals one of the three traits is rectified. We must therefore take great care to honor the Three Festivals and celebrate them fittingly, because it is through the mitzvot of the Three Festivals that we merit rectifying these three traits.

On Pesach the craving for wealth is rectified, as it is written (Exodus 12:36), “God granted the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, who lent them”—against their will (Berakhot 9b). The [Jews] did not want to receive anything, because the craving for wealth had at that time been rectified.

On Shavuot the craving for sex is rectified, as in “the blood decomposes and turns into milk.”

On Sukkot the craving for food is rectified, because Sukkot is called “the Festival of the Ingathering” (Exodus 23:16), when one gathers in all types of food. This is rectifying the craving for food, for “there is no similarity between one who has bread in his basket and one who does not” (Yoma 74b).

And this is the meaning of “those called up to meeting, men of name” (Numbers 16:2). “Men of name” refers to the three traits, as each one has the concept of name applied to it.

Wealth—as it is written, “in every place I permit My Name to be mentioned I shall come to you and bless you” (Exodus 20:21). This is as in “God’s blessing enriches….”

Food—as it is written, “and call a name in Bet-Lechem (lit., the House of Bread)” (Ruth 4:11).

Sexual desire—this is as in “unless the king desired her, and she was called by name” (Esther 2:14).

The fear in the heart likewise has the concept of a name applied to it, as in “to fear this glorious name” (Deuteronomy 28:58).

Thus this is the meaning of “those called up to mo’eid (meeting), men of name.” It is necessary to call up the mo’adot, namely, the Three Festivals, in order to rectify the three traits, which are “men of name.”

6. And by building Yerushalayim—i.e., the rectification of perfect fear in the heart—an angel is created that instills the vessels of prophecy with prophetic inspiration. Prophecy stems from the concept of the cherubs, as in “he heard the Voice… from between the two cherubs” (Numbers 7:89). Cherubs have a child’s face (Zohar I, 18b). They receive inspiration from the angel, as in (Genesis 48:16), “May the angel who redeems me from all evil bless the children”—i.e., “a child’s face,” the cherubs.

This angel’s root is fear, because the letters that spell MaLAKh (angel) are the initial letters of “Ki Ain Machsor Li’reiav (for those who fear Him lack nothing)” (Psalms 34:10). Prophetic insight is then drawn, so that even the children can attain prophesy, as in “and your sons and daughters will prophesy” (Joel 3:1).

7. Nevertheless, a person must be very careful not to assume a position of authority. In attaining fear one acquires a strong desire to influence others, because “anyone who fears Heaven, his words are heard” (Berakhot 6b). And because his words are heeded, he longs to be in a position of influence. But he must be very careful not to assume such a position, because being in a position of authority snuffs out the prophetic inspiration, namely, the angel created through fear.

This is what Yehoshua said to Moshe, when [Moshe] was told “Eldad and Meidad are prophesying in the camp.” [Yehoshua said,] “My master, Moshe, kla’aim (destroy them)!” (Numbers 11:27-28). Rashi interprets [kla’aim] as: burden them with community responsibility and they will perish [of their own accord]. This is because community responsibility, i.e., a position of authority, erodes and snuffs out the flow of prophecy. Thus rearranging the letters of MaLAKh [spells] KLa’AiM.

8. Even if there is no one to prophesy, prophetic inspiration—its mere presence in the world!—frees prayer from exile and redeems it.

Prayer is really very exalted, but people treat it lightly. Even when they stand up to pray, all they want is to be done with it. As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “That which is exalted is degraded by the sons of man” (Psalms 12:9)—this refers to those things that stand at the very summit of the universe, yet people treat them lightly (Berakhot 6b).

Yet through prophecy, prayer is redeemed from exile, as in “for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you” (Genesis 20:7). Prophecy brings to the perfection of prayer. This is because prayer is the concept of “He creates NiV (the expression) of the lips” (Isaiah 57:19)—i.e., NeVuah (prophecy).

9. And when prayer is freed from exile and redeemed, all doctoring falls away, because there will be no need for medicine. All medicines are based on plants, each plant receiving potency from its own particular star and constellation. This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Bereishit Rabbah 10:6) : You won’t find a blade of grass that does not have a star and a constellation striking it and telling it, “Grow!”

Now, each star and constellation receives power from those higher than it. And the higher one receives from the one higher than it, till they receive power from the ministering angels. This is as is said: All the heavenly bodies borrow from one another; the moon borrows from the sun, etc. (Tikkuney Zohar #44, p.82b). “For there is higher and higher still” (Ecclesiastes 5:7), and they all borrow from one another, till they receive and borrow from the ministering angels. These angels, in turn, receive from those above them, “higher and higher still,” until they all receive from the root of all things, which is the Word of God: “By the Word of God the firmaments were made, and their entire host by the breath of His mouth” (Psalms 33:6). Therefore, when a person merits [perfected] prayer, he has no need for the healing that plants provide, because prayer is the Word of God, which is the root of everything.

This is the concept of NaVYE (a prophet), which is an acronym for Bidvar YHVH Shamayim Naasu (“By the Word of God the firmaments were made”). The Alef represents the firmament separating water from water (Tikkuney Zohar #5, p. 19b, and #40, p.80a). ***** Prophecy is the means to prayer, which corresponds to the Word of God, as discussed above.

This is: “He dispatches His word to heal them; He saves them me’shechitotam (from their destruction)” (Psalms 107:20).

He dispatches His word to heal them— In other words, all cures are received solely by means of the Word of God, namely, prayer. Thus…

He saves them me’shechitotam— [SheChiTotam] alludes to plants, as in “harvest leShaChaT (hay)” (Menachot 71a), because there is no need for the healing that plants provide.

And this is the meaning of: “You shall serve God, your Lord, and He shall bless your bread and your water, and I shall remove illness from your midst” (Exodus 23:25). “You shall serve God”—“service” is prayer (Bava Kama 92b)—“and He shall bless your bread and your water, and I shall remove illness….” In other words, you will be healed through bread and water. As a result of their being blessed from the root of everything—i.e., the Word of God/prayer—bread and water will have the same healing power as the plants.

The division of the potencies, such that one plant has the power to cure one kind of illness, and another [plant] a different kind of illness, and so on—all this apportioning of their potencies is only in the lower world. But on high, at the root of everything, which is the Word of God, all things are one. Bread and water are no different than plants. By grabbing onto the root—i.e., the Word of God/prayer—it is possible to channel the healing powers into bread and water. Then one will be healed through the bread and water, as in “and He shall bless your bread… and I shall remove illness….”

10. However, there are three “services” that undermine the service of prayer. These are three behaviors: [failure to heed the injunction,] “Do not regard anyone with contempt” (Avot 4:3)—for one is not to disparage any personidol worship—and even flawed faith, because faith that is less than perfect is also tantamount to idolatry[failing to] guard the Covenant—in other words, someone who does not maintain proper moral purity

Each of these three behaviors is an unholy avodah (service) and undermines the avodah of prayer.

Treating people with contempt is an [unholy] avodah, as we find in connection with Yosef’s brothers. They treated him with contempt and did not believe that he would become a ruler. As a result, they fell into avdut (slavery), as they said to him, “We are prepared to be your slaves” (Genesis 50:18).

Idol worship [is an unholy service], as it is written, “I am God your Lord Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of avadim (slaves)” (Exodus 20:2). Egypt was full of graven images and avodah zarah (the service of idols), and for that reason is called “the house of slaves,” the concept of avdut.

[Failing to] guard the Covenant: someone who violates [the Covenant] is likewise associated with avdut, with the characteristic of Cham, about whom it is said, “Cursed is Kanaan; a slave’s slave shall he be to his brothers” (Genesis 9:25). A person must see to extricate himself from these three services, i.e., the three behaviors. Then one merits the service of prayer and can be cured by any means, even bread and water.

This is the explanation of “one is cured by any means”—in other words, it is possible to be cured through anything in the world, provided it is “other than idol worship, illicit relations and murder” (Pesachim 25a). These are the three behaviors, which are the three [unholy] services. Once one extricates oneself from these three behaviors, “one can be cured by any means,” even bread and water. For when he is free of the three services and so merits the service of prayer, he can be cured through anything in the world.

11. And know! There are different types of illnesses. Some illnesses act in the same manner as vegetation. When a seed is sown in the ground and decomposes, a fatty substance emerges that turns into radicles which steadily multiply and form the root. From this [root] twigs begin to emerge, and from them more twigs, until eventually the fruit blossoms. In the same way, there are illnesses that develop inside a person over the course of years.

On the other hand, there are some illnesses that are genetically transmitted from one’s parents, though they only manifest in old age. During the developmental stages of the illness, it is hidden and concealed from all living beings, and nobody knows about it. Even so, weaknesses that are symptomatic of the illness are born in a person while the illness incubates.

Likewise, there are differences also in the healing powers of the plants. Some illnesses can be cured by a single plant. Other, more serious illnesses are cured only by medications that are compounds of a variety of plants. Still other [illnesses] require hard-to-get remedies to be cured.

And there are illnesses that no medication can cure, because the illness is stronger than the power of the plants.

When the illness first began to develop, before it grew and manifested, it would have been possible to easily cure it. However, at that time it was hidden from sight and no one other than God knew of its existence.

But when a person is attached to the Word of God, which is prayer, he can be cured by all things in the world, even bread and water. This is as in “one is cured by any means.” He can then be cured even at the time the illness is [just beginning to] develop, while it is invisible to the human eye, since he has no need for any medications other than bread and water. Therefore, even then—when the illness had yet to manifest—he could have likewise been healed by means of the bread and water he ate at that time. {“And He said: If you hearken to the voice of God your Lord, doing what is virtuous in His eyes, giving ear to His commandments and observing all His statutes, I will not bring upon you all the diseases that I brought upon Egypt, for I, God, am your Healer” (Exodus 15:26) . }

This is the meaning of “I will not bring upon you all the diseases that I brought upon Egypt, for I, God, am your Healer.” All the commentators ask: If He does not bring [any diseases], what need is there for healing?However, based on what was said above, this is well resolved. The explanation is: “I will not bring upon you all the diseases”—i.e., He will not bring any illness whatsoever upon you, for He will heal you beforehand, while the illness is developing. This is: “for I, God, am your Healer.” Specifically “I, God”—that is, at the time the illness is developing, when no one knows of it except “I, God,” then I will heal you through the Word of God, prayer. It will never reach the stage of illness, because it will be cured before this, while it was developing.

All this depends upon the rectification of prayer, which entails extricating oneself from the three “services.”

This is the meaning of “And He said: If you hearken… doing what is yashar (right) in His eyes, giving ear to His commandments and observing all His statutes.” This is the rectification of the three [unholy] services.

doing what is yashar in His eyes— This is the opposite of treating people with contempt. When one disparages people, it is said (Job 33:27), “Let him go around to people and say, ‘I sinned; I perverted that which was YaShaR (right) …,” as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Yoma 87a).

giving ear to His commandments— This is the rectification of the Covenant, as in (Genesis 21:4), “Avraham circumcised his son Yitzchak at the age of eight days as God had commanded him.”

and observing all His statutes— This is the rectification of faith, the opposite of idol worship [and] spoiling faith, about which it is said: “the statutes of the nations are futility” (Jeremiah 10:3).

Thus: all the diseases that I brought… for I, God, am your Healer— For prayer is then perfected and it is possible, through the Word of God, to be cured by any means in the world, even before the illness manifests. ***** This is as in “one is cured by any means.”

This is what Chizkiyah said: “and I have done that which is good in Your eyes” (Isaiah 38:3). Our Sages, of blessed memory, taught:

He linked redemption to the Prayer and hid away the Book of Remedies (Berakhot 10b). This is all one idea, because by linking redemption to the Prayer—i.e., redeeming prayer from exile—he was able to hide away the Book of Remedies. This is because when prayer is redeemed, all remedies fall away, for one can be healed through the Word of God. Then, all doctors are embarrassed by their remedies, because no medicine has any potency since all the plants have put their power back into prayer, which is the Word of God—their supernal root.

Every plant and “every herb of the field” (Genesis 2:5) is obliged to do this. When a person stands in prayer—and thus attains the Word of God, their supernal root—[the plants] put their power back into the prayer, which is their supernal root. And so when a person prays over some illness, those plants which have the potency to heal that illness are obliged to put their power back into the prayer, since it is their root, the Word of God.

This is the meaning of “Yitzchak went out laSuaCh (to speak) in the field” (ibid. 24:63)— his prayer was with the SiaCh (herbs) of the field. All the herbs of the field put back their potencies and instilled them in his prayer, which is their root.

12. And this corresponds to the shining forth of Mashiach. For all things are distinguishable from one another by their appearance, taste and scent. This is why that which causes all vegetation to grow is called MaTaR (rain): the initial letters of Mareh (appearance), Taam (taste) and Reyach (scent).

The most essential [of these] is scent, because the soul has pleasure only from scent, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: From what does the soul derive pleasure but the body not? You have to say it is fragrance (Berakhot 43b). And the essence of prayer is from the soul, as in (Psalms 150:6), “Let every soul praise God.”

Mashiach receives all the prayers, because Mashiach signifies the nose, as in (Lamentations 4:20), “The RuaCh (breath) of our nostrils is the m’shiach (anointed) of God.” He receives all the ReyChot (scents), i.e. the prayers, because prayer, which is from the soul, is sustained by the scent. This is as in “and My praise is that eChToM (I restrain My anger) for your sake” (Isaiah 48:9)— i.e., ChoTeM (the nose).

This is the reason he is called MaShIaCh, because he nourishes and receives Me ’SIaCh (from the herbs) of the field—that is, [from] all the reychot that come into the prayer, which is the chotem, as in “and My praise is that echtom.” And Mashiach receives them: “The ruach of our nostrils is the m’shiach of God.”

13. And this is the concept of finding favor, as in “yet Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her” (Esther 2:15)—to each person [she] appeared as a member of his own nation (Megillah 13a). This Master of Prayer attains the Word of God, the supernal root from which all the forces and all the host of heaven receive. Therefore, each of the host of heaven and all the ministering angels imagine him to be a member of his own nation—i.e., he finds favor in their eyes. And it seems to each one that he is concerned with him alone, for they all receive from him.

As a result, he can recognize the renowned figures who owe their position to arrogance, because their arrogance disappears in his presence. When a person merits prayer—which is the Word of God, the supernal root—so that all the ministering angels and all the host of heaven receive their power from him, they all become his debtors, as in “All the stars borrow from one another….” It follows that they are all borrowers, up till the supernal root/the Word of God—i.e., the Master of Prayer, who is thus the Great Lender. All the host of heaven and all the powers are in debt to him, as in “and the heavenly host bows to you” (Nehemiah 9:6). All the heavenly host bow down and humble themselves before their root/the Word of God—i.e., the Master of Prayer.

This is: U’tzva Hashamayim Lekha Mishtachavim (“and the heavenly host bows to you”), the initial letters of which spell MaLVeH (lender). They are all borrowers, this one from that one and that one from this one, up till the Great Lender. He is the Master of Prayer, the Great Lender, because he has attained the supernal root, which is the Word of God.

He can therefore recognize those who are renowned only on account of arrogance. The reason is that a person will not act impudently toward his creditor (Bava Metzia 3a). Their arrogance therefore disappears in the Master of Prayer’s presence, because he is the Great Lender and they are all in debt to him.

And this is the meaning of “for you have found favor in My eyes, and I have known you by name” (Exodus 33:17). Through finding favor—which corresponds to “and the heavenly host bows down to you,” because they all receive and borrow from him, and as a result he finds favor in their eyes, as in “to each person he appeared as a member of his own nation,” as discussed above—through this, “and I have known you by name.” You are able to know and recognize all the renowned figures, the masters of name. This is because someone of renown whose name is a result of arrogance will be humbled in his presence.

In addition, “and I have known you by name” alludes to the souls, as in “a living soul is its name” (Genesis 2:19). By means of the renowned figures he binds with all the souls. This is the meaning of “He allows him to grab onto the front of the throne”—i.e., binding to the roots of the souls, which are the Throne of Glory, as discussed above.

14. It is then possible to implement Rosh HaShanah. When a person sits down to talk about another person, it is “Rosh HaShanah,” which is the Day of Judgment—for he sits in judgment of his fellow man. A person must be very careful about this. He has to take a good look at himself and ask if he is fit to pass judgment on his fellow man. “For judgment belongs to God” (Deuteronomy 1:17). The Blessed One alone is fit to judge a person, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Do not judge your fellow man until you have reached his place (Avot 2:4).

Who can understand and project himself into another’s place, other than God? For He is the Place of the world, and the world is not His place (Bereishit Rabbah 68:9). Each and every person has a place with God, and so He alone can judge a person. God is the Master of Compassion and in regard to us does surely “judge every person favorably” (Avot 1:6).

We see His compassion in that, for our benefit, He specified that Rosh HaShanah, the Day of Judgment, should fall on the New Moon. This is really a great kindness, for how could we be so presumptuous to ask for forgiveness from God? He was therefore kind to us and set the Day of Judgment, Rosh HaShanah, on [the day of] the New Moon, when God Himself, as it were, seeks forgiveness, as in “Bring an atonement offering on My behalf,” which was said in connection with the New Moon (as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught; Shavuot 9a). And so we are not embarrassed to ask for forgiveness on the Day of Judgment, since He Himself asks for forgiveness then.

Moreover, because God Himself, as it were, comes to the point where He must say, “Bring an atonement offering on My behalf”—that is, He did something for which He is obliged to feel remorse and say, “Bring… on My behalf”—consequently we are not embarrassed to bring our sins before Him, to ask for forgiveness and feel remorse over them. For God, too, did something which caused Him to feel remorse. We thus see His great compassion.

Therefore, God alone is fit to judge the world, because He knows each person’s place inasmuch as all the places are with Him—for He is the Place of the world, and the world is not His place.

Even though we find places that were inspirited by the Divine Presence, such as the Holy Temple, the intent is not that His Godliness was restricted to there, God forbid. This is as Shlomo said (1 Kings 8:27), “Why, neither heaven nor the heavens of heaven can contain You, how much less this House….” God channeled His Holiness there only because of the beautiful things that were there, for the Holy Temple contained depictions of the works of Creation and depictions of the Garden of Eden (see Tikkuney Zohar, Introduction, p.13a). But as for God, the world is not His place. Rather, He is the Place of the world.

Therefore, God is able to implement Rosh HaShanah, the Day of Judgment, because He fulfills: “Do not judge your fellow man until you have reached his place”—for He is the Place of the world.

And this is the meaning of “Your House, the Holy Dwelling; O God, for the length of days” (Psalms 93:5). That is, God channeled only His Holiness into the Holy Temple, on account of the beautiful things that were there. But as for God Himself, the world is not His place; rather, He is the Place of the world. Thus, “O God, for the length of days”—that is, He can implement Rosh HaShanah, which is one long day.

Thus, someone who grabs onto the Kisey HaKavod (Throne of Glory), the roots of the souls, is also the place of the world, as in “He endows them with a kisey kavod (seat of honor)—for the pillars of the earth are God’s; He has founded the world upon them” (1 Samuel 2:8). In other words, by means of the Throne of Glory, the roots of the souls, he becomes the place of the world, as in “He has founded the world upon them,” and so can implement Rosh HaShanah, as discussed above.

15. This is the explanation [of the opening verse]: “Tik’u (Sound) the shofar at the moon’s renewal, [at the time appointed for our festive day].”

TiK’u— This alludes to the aforementioned dominion, as in “u’TeKativ (I will affix him) as a peg in a trusted place,” as discussed above.

the moon’s renewal— This alludes to renewing the mentalities associated with the Three Festivals, as in “He made the moon for festivals” (Psalms 104:19)—because all the festivals and holidays are dependent on the renewal of the moon.

ShoFaR— This alludes to the heart, which is nourished from ShuFRa d’ShuFRa (the choicest of the choice) (cf. Zohar III, 216b and 221b; Tikkuney Zohar #21, p.49b). Shofar also signifies fear, as in “If a shofar is sounded in a city, are the people not frightened?” (Amos 3:6). Shofar also signifies prophecy, as in “Lift up your voice like a shofar” (Isaiah 58:1). Shofar also symbolizes prayer, as in “From out of narrowness I called out to God; [God answered me with expansiveness]” (Psalms 118:5)—this being the narrow end and wide end of the shofar.

[Shofar] also alludes to the “herbs of the field” putting their power back into the prayer, as in “Yitzchak went out to pray in the field,” as discussed above. This alludes to the shofar, as in “upon an extended blast with the horn of the yovel (ram)” (Joshua 6:5). [The letters of the word YOVeL] are the initial letters of the words “Vayeitzei Yitzchak Lasuach Basadeh (Yitzchak went out to pray in the field).”

And as a result of all these concepts: at the time appointed for our festive day— This refers to Rosh HaShanah, because through this it is possible to implement Rosh HaShanah, as discussed above.

16. There is a difficulty with regard to the aforementioned subject of prophecy. The angel that instills prophecy—as in “May the angel who redeems…,” as discussed above—corresponds to a lower level than the seat of prophecy. That angel is the Divine Presence, as is brought. She is beneath Netzach and Hod, from which prophecy comes. Nevertheless, there is something deeper to this, because when She ascends above them, She is specifically the one who instills prophecy. However this is not the topic we are dealing with at present.