104. “Even though he was still not included, etc.” Even though he was still not included in their number and calculation, it is nevertheless written: “And David set him over his guard” (II Samuel 23:23), [meaning] that he was never parted from the tablet of his heart, for they will never be separated. David set his heart upon him, but he did not set his heart upon David. This is because the praises, songs, and mercies that the moon performs toward the sun thereby pull toward her, so that his dwelling is with her. This is [the meaning of]: “And David set him over his guard.”

Explanation: David is the aspect of Malkhut, the fourth leg of the first three [sefirot]. The meaning is that although [Benayahu] could not come to the supernal thirty years, which are the first three [sefirot], nevertheless “David set him over his guard,” meaning that [Benayahu] clung to [David] and never moved from the tablet of his heart. The reason is that aspect of wholeness within Malkhut was revealed through [David], since he is from the great fusion of the Atik Yomin, which detaches all the kelippot from the name Ban, in the mystical meaning of the verse: “He will eliminate death forever” (Isaiah 25:8, as stated in section 94, above, third paragraph; see there).

[The Zohar] continues: “David set his heart upon him,” as stated above, “that he was never parted from the tablet of his heart,” since [David’s] wholeness was within him. However, Benayahu Ben Yehoyada did not set his heart upon David, because David is the fourth leg of the first three [sefirot]. Accordingly, just as [Benayahu] cannot receive from the first three [sefirot], he could not receive from David, and therefore he did not set his heart upon him.

“Praises, songs etc.” By means of the feminine waters, which the Malkhut – called the moon – raises to Ze’er Anpin], called the sun, through the praises, songs, and mercies, [the Malkhut] draws to itself the illumination of the soul of Benayahu Ben Yehoyada, which is the final wholeness [of Malkhut] (as stated), “so that his dwelling is with her,” that he will cleave to [the Malkhut] forever.