from his mouth, many birds open their wings above to receive them, and many angelic ‘beasts’ of the Chariot, all avail themselves towards them, to take them.

How much more so if the Shekhinah resides in his prayer, and ascends to the blessed Holy One! And the mystery of the matter: (Ps. 68:14) If¹ *you lie down between ‘lips’. *Do not read im¹ but, rather, eim¹.

footnotes: ¹ im ¹ if ¹ mother

Worthy is he who elevates Her, with his prayer that he prays with his lips, upwards, towards Her Husband.

In the prayer of the morning service, he elevates Her through the Name that is called EL, ‘The Great EL’ – specifically.

In the prayer of the afternoon service, She ascends with the Name that is called ELQYM.

In the prayer of the evening service, She ascends with the Name that is called YQV”Q.

And the mystery of the matter: (Ps. 50:1) EL ELQYM Y”Y spoke, and He called the earth.

And the Masters of the Mishnah have said:¹ that a person is required in his prayer, ‘to pause, one hour before praying, and one hour after he prays.’

footnotes: ¹ See BT Berakhot 32b

And the mystery of the matter, is that he should pause¹ for an hour in his prayer, because it is stated: (Gen. 24:21) And the man was astonished¹ *at her, silently... *– He of Whom it is stated: (Ex. 15:3) Y”Y is a man¹ of war...

footnotes: ¹ yish-hei ¹ mishta-eh ¹ iysh

And after a person has paused and prayed, if his prayer was fluent in his mouth, then his prayer has certainly been accepted.¹

footnotes: ¹ See BT Berakhot 34b

And the mystery of the matter: ‘A man is required to pause or: wait and a woman to precede’,¹ as it says: (Lev. 12:2) ... woman when she conceives, and gives birth to a male...

footnotes: ¹ See BT Nidah 31b

[And the mystery of the matter is: ‘if a woman conceives first before the man, she gives birth to a son’,¹ and furthermore: (Ps. 136:23) *... that in our lowness He remembered us. *And the mystery of the matter, is that in the lowness of a person, He shall remember him for good.]

footnotes: ¹ BT Nidah 31a

And furthermore: If his prayer is fluent in his mouth, it is the mystery of: (Gen. 24:15) *And it was, before he had finished speaking, and behold Rebeccah emerged... *And the mystery of the matter: (Is. 65:24) And it shall be, before they shall call, that I shall answer, while they are yet speaking, I shall hear.

Worthy is he, who does not prevent the Queen from ascending to the King! For anyone whose prayer is fluent in his mouth – without obstruction – that person hurries the Queen to the King.

Woe to those people who are closed of heart and eyes, who do not strive to know the glory of their Master, to favour Him with His Shekhinah, with many supplications and appeasements, for Him to descend towards the Shekhinah.

How much more so, to arouse in Him love towards Her, as they have prescribed: ‘Who chooses His people Israel with love.’¹

footnotes: ¹ Liturgical: Morning service – blessings before Shm’a

And when they stand before Him, they should stand before Him in fear.

Worthy are they, Israel, who know to appease their Master appropriately, and to combine in their mouths, during their prayers, these two Names, which are: Y-A-Q-D-V-N-Q-Y.

For at that time: (Is. 58:9) Then¹ you will call and Y”Y shall answer. ...and Y”Y – He and His Court of Judgement, and this is the Shekhinah, [Var. and this is Higher Ḥokhmah and the Shekhinah] [Var. Ḥokhmah] higher and lower.

footnotes: ¹ AZ

And this is the mystery of: (Ps. 68:14) *If you shall lie down between the ‘lips’*¹ *, *which is the ‘offering’¹ of the blessed Holy One. For surely the Shekhinah is His ‘sacrificial-offering’¹, and because of this, they the sages established prayer in lieu of sacrifice.²

footnotes: ¹ se-phatayim ¹ qorbana ¹ qorbana ² BT Berakhot 26a

‘ (Lev. 6:2) She’ is the burnt offering¹ * *– the ‘olah¹ certainly!

footnotes: ¹ ’olah ¹ ascending

Worthy is he who elevates Her towards Him appropriately, for He enquires of Her: (Song, 3:6) *Who is ‘this’*¹ rising¹ ... – rising, certainly! ...from the desert?...– from the desert certainly! For his mouth which utters prayer, the blessed Holy One considers as Mount Sinai, and because of this: Who is this that is rising from the desert? etc. ...perfumed with myrrh...– this is the prayer of the morning service, established by Abraham, who is myrrh.²

footnotes: ¹ zot ¹ ’olah ² Shir HaShirim Rabbah 3:8

And furthermore: ...*perfumed with myrrh...

• (Song. 1:13) *A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me... *– and this is Netzaḥ, which he elevates for Her on the right-hand side, it is this that is written: (Ps. 16:11) ... pleasantness in your right hand forever¹. (Song. 3:6) ... and frankincense...– this is Hod, which he elevates for Her in Gevurah. ... over all the powder of the perfumer– this is the Righteous-One, which he elevates for Her in the Middle Pillar.

footnotes: ¹ netzaḥ

And if he does not elevate the Shekhinah with his prayer, as an ‘offering’ to the blessed Holy One, then a dog descends to eat his offering. Woe to him! It were better had he not been created in the world, and about him it is stated: (Prov. 19:2) Also without knowledge, a soul is not good...

And when the Shekhinah ascends through his prayer, many angelic-beasts, and the Chariot, and the wheels of the throne, are all aroused towards Her in joyous song, and they all open their wings to receive Her, and thus have they established: (Ez. 1:11) And their faces and their wings, were separated from above...

And when She ascends, She ascends like a dove, and when She descends, She descends like an eagle – for She is the Queen – who does not fear any of the birds of the world.

And She descends with much sustenance for Her children. It is this that is written: (Deut. 32:11) Like an eagle arouses its nest, it hovers over its chicks...