66. “Rabbi Elazar said, what is etc.” Rabbi Elazar said: What is [the meaning of] “and have covered you in the shadow of My hand” (Isaiah 51:16)? He replied: When the Torah was given to Moses, many multitudes of supernal angels came to burn him with the flames of their mouths, but the Holy One, blessed be He, covered him. Now, when the Torah innovation ascends, is crowned, and stands before the Holy One, blessed be He, He covers that word and covers that person, so that he will not be known to them, but to the Holy One, blessed be He, and they will not envy him, until that that word is fashioned into new heavens and new earth. This is the meaning of the verse: “And have covered you in the shadow of My hand, that I may plant heavens and lay the foundations of earth.” From here [we learn] that everything which is covered from the eye counts toward the supernal purpose. This is the meaning of the verse: “And have covered you in the shadow of My hand.” Why was he covered and hidden from the eye? For the supernal purpose. This is the meaning of the verse: “That I may plant heavens and lay the foundations of earth,” as we learned, that is, so that new heavens and earth would sprout from it**.**

Explanation: “And have covered you in the shadow of My hand etc.” This is referring to the aforementioned garment, which is drawn from the firmament and which enclothes and covers the height of the brains (as stated above, s. v. Hahi mila; see there). This clothing is the aspect of “shadow” that covers the brains and hides them from foreign eyes, and they are known solely to the Holy One, blessed be He. [Rabbi Shimon] proceeds to explain the reason for this [covering], that it is in order to conceal those great levels from the ministering angels, so that they will not envy [the righteous person]. This envy of the angels is because they are pure of substance, and thus when they look at a righteous person, they find a kind of inferiority in him, and envy him for the high level he has attained. Subsequently, the prosecuting forces grasp hold of that inferiority that the angels discovered in him. ¹

footnotes: ¹ This refers to a spiritual phenomenon in which, when a person's flaws are brought to the attention of higher spiritual reality, this attracts negative judgments called "prosecuting forces. "

Consequently, when the level is enclothed in that garment of the firmament, this garment measures the level [to be received by the righteous person], so that [the righteous person] will not receive too much of [of the brains of the level], only that which is for the benefit of the Supernal One, may He be blessed. [The righteous person] is thereby protected from the envy of the angels, for then the righteous can be guarded from impairing the level, exactly like the angels.

[Rabbi Shimon] thus states: “Every word that is covered from the eye ascends for the supernal benefit.” [Rabbi Shimon] is alluding to the way that the eye sees and the heart lusts, and thus [a person] cannot guard his thoughts so that they will remain clean and provide only contentment to his Creator, but rather [a person] also receives benefit for himself. However, that which is “covered from the eye,” that is, which is enclothed in the garment of the firmament, will assuredly not receive more than that which ascends for the benefit of the Supernal One, may He be blessed. This is the meaning of his statement: “Why was it covered and hidden from the eye? For the supernal benefit,” as explained.