The Sabbath service continues with the prayer: “The soul of all living shall bless thy name, O Lord our God.” The Companions have made some true observations on this prayer.1Zohar, Exodus, p. 205b. But the real truth is that on Sabbath it is incumbent on us to mention that soul1The “additional soul” given to the Israelite on Sabbath. which emanates from “the Life of Worlds” (Yesod). And since this soul belongs to Him from whom all blessings proceed and in whom they are present, who wills to water and to bless that which is below, she is given permission to bless this Place.
Thus the souls which fly forth from this “Living One” on the entrance of Sabbath do actually bless that Place in order to communicate blessings to the world below which is called the “Lower Name” (Malkuth). At the same time, the region whence those souls emanate blesses the Name from above, and so it receives blessings from below and from above, and is completed in all aspects.
During other days she receives blessings from those souls which bless her from below; but on the Sabbath she receives blessings from those supernal souls which bless her with forty-five words according to the numerical value of the word Mah (What?) From the words “the soul of all living” to “the God of the first and last ages” there are forty-five words; from the words “were our mouths filled with song as the sea” to the words “and with us” are very nearly fifty words, corresponding to the Mi1For the symbolic meaning of Mah and Mi, v. Zohar, Genesis, 1b. (numerical value=fifty). From here on follow other praises which resolve themselves in the number one hundred, the completion of all (to “the great God”) and form one chariot.
Thus this hymn of praise and all the words contained in it are numerical symbols of the perfection of the Sabbath, and the perfection attained through it, according to the Divine purpose. Blessed is that people that has learnt how to conduct a service of praise in well-pleasing fashion! From here on follow prayers proper (connected with the Shema and the Amidah).
נִשְׁמַת כָּל חַי, הָא חַבְרַיָּיא אִתְּעָרוּ ר"ה בֵּיהּ מִלִּין דִּקְשׁוֹט. אֲבָל אִית לָן לְאַדְכְּרָא, הַאי נִשְׁמְתָא דְּפַרְחָא מֵהַהוּא חַי הָעוֹלָמִים. וּבְגִין דְּאִיהִי דִּילֵיהּ, דְּמִנֵיהּ נַפְקָן כָּל בִּרְכָּאן, וְשַׁרְיָין בֵּיהּ, וְהוּא אַשְׁקֵי וּמְבָרַךְ לְתַתָּא, הַאי נִשְׁמְתָא דְּנָפְקָא מִנֵּיהּ, אִית לָהּ רְשׁוּ לְבָרְכָא לְהַאי אֲתָר.
The Sabbath service continues with the prayer: “The soul of all living shall bless thy name, O Lord our God.” The Companions have made some true observations on this prayer.1Zohar, Exodus, p. 205b. But the real truth is that on Sabbath it is incumbent on us to mention that soul1The “additional soul” given to the Israelite on Sabbath. which emanates from “the Life of Worlds” (Yesod). And since this soul belongs to Him from whom all blessings proceed and in whom they are present, who wills to water and to bless that which is below, she is given permission to bless this Place.
וְעַל דָּא פַּרְחִין נִשְׁמָתִין מֵהַהוּא חַי, בְּמַעֲלֵי שַׁבַּתָּא. אִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּאִינּוּן פַּרְחָאן, מַמָּשׁ מְבָרְכִין לְהַאי אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי שֵׁם מִתַּתָּא. וְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּנַפְקֵי מִנֵּיהּ מְבָרַךְ לֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא, וְהַאי שֵׁם מְקַבְּלָא בִּרְכָאן, מִתַּתָּא וּמֵעֵילָּא, וְאִתְכְּלִילַת מִכָּל סִטְרִין.
Thus the souls which fly forth from this “Living One” on the entrance of Sabbath do actually bless that Place in order to communicate blessings to the world below which is called the “Lower Name” (Malkuth). At the same time, the region whence those souls emanate blesses the Name from above, and so it receives blessings from below and from above, and is completed in all aspects.
בְּיוֹמֵי דְּחוֹל, אִיהִי מְקַבְּלָא בִּרְכָאן, מִשְּׁאַר נִשְׁמָתִין, דְּקָא מְבָרְכִין לָהּ מִתַּתָּא. בְּיוֹמָא דְּשַׁבָּת, אִיהִי מְקַבְּלָא בִּרְכָאן מֵאִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין עִלָּאִין, דְּקָא מְבָרְכָאן לָהּ בְּאַרְבְּעִין וַחֲמֵשׁ תֵּיבִין, כְּחוּשְׁבָּן מ"ה. (מנשמת כל חי עד והאחרונים) (ס"א ברזא דחמשין תיבין, כחושבן מ"י) כְּמָה (הקדמה ב' ע"א) דְּאוֹקִימְנָא, בְּרָזָא מ"ה, וּבְרָזָא מ"י. דָּא עָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, וְדָא עָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה. נִשְׁמַת כָּל חַי (ס"א עד האחרונים') מ"ה. וּמִן וְאִילּוּ פִּינוּ מָלֵא שִׁירָה עַד וּמִלְּפָנִים, סַלְּקָא תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא אַחֲרָא חַמְשִׁין תֵּיבִין. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא קַיְּימָא תַּמָּן מִלָּה בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא, סַלְּקָא חוּשְׁבָּנָא רָזָא מ"י. וּמִתַּמָּן וּלְהָלְאָה סַלְּקָא תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא אַחֲרָא לְחֶשְׁבּוֹן (מ"ה) מְאָה תֵּיבִין, תַּשְׁלוּמִין דְּכֹלָּא, וְחַד רְתִיכָא עַל מַה דְּשַׁרְיָא דְּאִיהוּ תַּשְׁלוּמָא (ס"א ההוא שלימא עלאה.)
During other days she receives blessings from those souls which bless her from below; but on the Sabbath she receives blessings from those supernal souls which bless her with forty-five words according to the numerical value of the word Mah (What?) From the words “the soul of all living” to “the God of the first and last ages” there are forty-five words; from the words “were our mouths filled with song as the sea” to the words “and with us” are very nearly fifty words, corresponding to the Mi1For the symbolic meaning of Mah and Mi, v. Zohar, Genesis, 1b. (numerical value=fifty). From here on follow other praises which resolve themselves in the number one hundred, the completion of all (to “the great God”) and form one chariot.
וְכָל שְׁבָחָא דָּא, וְכָל מִלִּין אִלֵּין, כֻּלְּהוּ שַׁיְיפִין יְדִיעָן, בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא לְתַשְׁלוּמָא דְּשַׁבָּת, וּלְאִשְׁתַּלְּמָא מִנַּיְיהוּ, כַּדְקָא חֲזִי. זַכָּאָה עַמָּא, דְּיַדְעֵי לְסַדְּרָא שְׁבָחָא דְמָרֵיהוֹן, כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת. מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה סִדּוּרָא דִּצְלוֹתָא כְּמָה דְּאִתְתַּקְנַת.
Thus this hymn of praise and all the words contained in it are numerical symbols of the perfection of the Sabbath, and the perfection attained through it, according to the Divine purpose. Blessed is that people that has learnt how to conduct a service of praise in well-pleasing fashion! From here on follow prayers proper (connected with the Shema and the Amidah).