The Holy One, blessed be He, who is One above, does not take His seat upon the Throne of Glory, until She has entered within the mystery of the One in accordance with His very essence of Oneness, to be the One in One. This, as we have said, is the significance of the words: “The Lord is One, and His Name is One.”
It is the mystery of the Sabbath, which is united with the mystery of the One so that it may be the organ of this Oneness. ‘In the prayer before the entrance of the Sabbath the Throne of Glory is prepared for the Holy Heavenly King.
And when the Sabbath arrives the Shekinah is in perfect union with Him and is separated from the “other side”, and all the potencies of severe judgement are severed from Her, She being in closest union with the Holy Light and crowned with many crowns by the Holy King, and all the principalities of severity and all the lords of judgement flee from Her, and no other domination reigns in any of the worlds,
and her countenance is illumined by the supernal light, and she is crowned here below by the Holy People, all of whom are invested with new souls. Then is the time for the commencement of prayer, when the worshippers bless Her with joy and gladness, saying, “Bless ye the Lord, the Blessed One!” (the beginning proper of the Sabbath Eve prayer).
For the holy people cannot be allowed at this moment to begin with a verse that suggests judgement, as on weekdays, when “Bless ye” is preceded by “And He being merciful, forgiveth iniquity and destroyeth not”, because the Shekinah is then entirely severed from the mystery of the “other side” and all the lords of judgement have separated themselves and passed away from Her, and he who rouses judgement in the lower spheres causes vibrations of doom and severity also in the celestial regions, and while this disturbing element is in evidence the Holy Throne cannot crown itself with the crown of holiness. Then the lords of judgement who have severed themselves for the time being from the rest of creation, hiding themselves away from all eyes in a deep and secret recess at the bottom of the sea, are roused to return to the celestial habitations, and they come back with violence and fury, so that the Holy Sphere, which requires above all rest and peace for the entrance of the Sabbath, is hard pressed by these potencies of judgement.
So it is evident that we should not imagine that She (the Shekinah) is independent of our “rousings”, for there is no vibration above of any sort but is caused by those which take place in the midst of Israel below, as we have already pointed out in connection with the expression “in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day”; it is not merely a feast day, but our feast day; that is to say, we effect a movement in the higher spheres by our prayers. Therefore the holy people, who are crowned with holy crowns of souls in order to awaken rest and peace above, may not order judgement there, but, on the contrary, must all consciously and with exceeding great love awaken blessings both above and below.
כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִינּוּן מִתְיַיחֲדִין לְעֵילָּא בְּאֶחָד, אוּף הָכִי אִיהִי, אִתְיַחֲדַת לְתַתָּא בְּרָזָא דְּאֶחָד, לְמֶהוֵי עִמְּהוֹן לְעֵילָּא חַד לָקֳבֵל חַד, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֶחָד לְעֵילָּא, לָא יָתִיב עַל כּוּרְסְיָיא דִּיקָרֵיהּ, עַד דְּאִיהִי אִתְעֲבִידַת בְּרָזָא דְּאֶחָד כְּגַוְונָא דִּילֵיהּ, לְמֶהֱוֵי אֶחָד בְּאֶחָד. וְהָא (קל"ד ע"א) אוֹקִימְנָא רָזָא דַּיְיָ' אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד.
The Holy One, blessed be He, who is One above, does not take His seat upon the Throne of Glory, until She has entered within the mystery of the One in accordance with His very essence of Oneness, to be the One in One. This, as we have said, is the significance of the words: “The Lord is One, and His Name is One.”
רָזָא דְּשַׁבָּת, אִיהִי שַׁבָּת, דְּאִתְאַחֲדָא בְּרָזָא דְּאֶחָ"ד, לְמִשְׁרֵי עֲלָהּ רָזָא דְּאֶחָד. צְלוֹתָא דְּמַעֲלֵי שַׁבְּתָא, דְּהָא אִתְאַחֲדַת כּוּרְסְיָיא יַקִּירָא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּרָזָא דְּאֶחָ"ד, וְאִתְתַּקָּנַת לְמִשְׁרֵי עֲלָהּ מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה.
It is the mystery of the Sabbath, which is united with the mystery of the One so that it may be the organ of this Oneness. ‘In the prayer before the entrance of the Sabbath the Throne of Glory is prepared for the Holy Heavenly King.
כַּד עַיֵיל שַׁבְּתָא, אִיהִי אִתְיַחֲדַת וְאִתְפַּרְשַׁת מִסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְכָל דִּינִין מִתְעַבְּרִין מִינָהּ, וְאִיהִי אִשְׁתְּאָרַת בְּיִחוּדָא דִּנְהִירוּ קַדִּישָׁא, וְאִתְעַטְּרַת בְּכַמָּה עִטְרִין לְגַבֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְכָל שׁוּלְטָנִי רוּגְזִין וּמָארֵי דְּדִינָא כֻּלְּהוּ עַרְקִין, (נ"א ואתעברו מינה) וְלֵית שׁוּלְטָנוּ אַחֲרָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין.
And when the Sabbath arrives the Shekinah is in perfect union with Him and is separated from the “other side”, and all the potencies of severe judgement are severed from Her, She being in closest union with the Holy Light and crowned with many crowns by the Holy King, and all the principalities of severity and all the lords of judgement flee from Her, and no other domination reigns in any of the worlds,
וְאַנְפָּהָא נְהִירִין בִּנְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה, וְאִתְעַטְּרַת לְתַתָּא בְּעַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא, וְכֻלְּהוּ מִתְעַטְּרִן בְּנִשְׁמָתִין חַדְתִּין. כְּדֵין שֵׁירוּתָא דִּצְלוֹתָא, לְבָרְכָא לָהּ בְּחֶדְוָה, בִּנְהִירוּ דְּאַנְפִּין, וְלוֹמַר בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְיָ' הַמְבוֹרָךְ. אֶת יְיָ' דַּיְיקָא, בְּגִין לְמִפְתַּח לְגַבָּהּ בִּבְרָכָה.
and her countenance is illumined by the supernal light, and she is crowned here below by the Holy People, all of whom are invested with new souls. Then is the time for the commencement of prayer, when the worshippers bless Her with joy and gladness, saying, “Bless ye the Lord, the Blessed One!” (the beginning proper of the Sabbath Eve prayer).
וְאָסִיר לְעַמָּא קַדִישָׁא לְמִפְתַּח לְגַבָּהּ בִּפְסוּקָא דְּדִינָא, כְּגוֹן וְהוּא רַחוּם וְגוֹ', בְּגִין דְּהָא אִתְפַּרְשַׁת מֵרָזָא דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְכָל מָארֵי דְּדִינִין אִתְפָּרְשׁוּ וְאִתְעַבְּרוּ מִינָהּ. וּמַאן דְּאִתְּעַר הַאי לְתַתָּא, גָּרִים לְאַתְעֲרָא הָכִי לְעֵילָּא. וְכֻרְסְיָיא קַדִישָׁא לָא יָכְלָא לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בַּעֲטָרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה, דְּכָל זִמְנָא דְּמִתְעָרֵי לְתַתָּא אִינּוּן מָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינָא, דַּהֲווֹ מִתְעַבְּרִן וַהֲווּ אַזְלֵי כֻּלְּהוּ לְאִתְטַמְּרָא גּוֹ נוּקְבָּא דְּעַפְרָא דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא, כֻּלְּהוּ תַּיְיבִין לְאַשְׁרָאָה בְּדוּכְתַיְיהוּ וְאִתְרָחֲקַת (ואתדחקת) בְּהוּ אֲתָר קַדִישָׁא דְּבָעָאת נַיְיחָא.
For the holy people cannot be allowed at this moment to begin with a verse that suggests judgement, as on weekdays, when “Bless ye” is preceded by “And He being merciful, forgiveth iniquity and destroyeth not”, because the Shekinah is then entirely severed from the mystery of the “other side” and all the lords of judgement have separated themselves and passed away from Her, and he who rouses judgement in the lower spheres causes vibrations of doom and severity also in the celestial regions, and while this disturbing element is in evidence the Holy Throne cannot crown itself with the crown of holiness. Then the lords of judgement who have severed themselves for the time being from the rest of creation, hiding themselves away from all eyes in a deep and secret recess at the bottom of the sea, are roused to return to the celestial habitations, and they come back with violence and fury, so that the Holy Sphere, which requires above all rest and peace for the entrance of the Sabbath, is hard pressed by these potencies of judgement.
וְלָא תֵּימָא דְּדָא אִיהוּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, אֶלָּא לֵית אִתְעָרוּתָא לְעֵילָּא לְאַתְעֲרָא, עַד דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְעָרֵי לְתַתָּא, כְּמָה דְּאוּקִימְנָא, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים פ״א:ד׳) בַּכֶּסֶה לְיוֹם חַגֵּנוּ. לְיוֹם חַג לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא לְיוֹם חַגֵּנוּ. וְעַל דָּא אָסִיר לְעַמָּא קַדִישָׁא, דְּקָא מִתְעַטְּרִן בְּעִטְרִין קַדִּישִׁין דְּנִשְׁמָתִין, בְּגִין לְאַתְעֲרָא נַיְיחָא, דְּאִינּוּן יִתְעָרוּן דִּינָא, אֶלָּא כֻּלְּהוּ בִּרְעוּ וּרְחִימוּ סַגִי, דְּיִתְעָרוּן בִּרְכָּאן עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא כַּחֲדָא.
So it is evident that we should not imagine that She (the Shekinah) is independent of our “rousings”, for there is no vibration above of any sort but is caused by those which take place in the midst of Israel below, as we have already pointed out in connection with the expression “in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day”; it is not merely a feast day, but our feast day; that is to say, we effect a movement in the higher spheres by our prayers. Therefore the holy people, who are crowned with holy crowns of souls in order to awaken rest and peace above, may not order judgement there, but, on the contrary, must all consciously and with exceeding great love awaken blessings both above and below.