Kabbalah Library

23) “Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites,” for they are the stem and the root of the Levites. “But do this to them that they may live and not die,” meaning the priests must correct them, for even though they are close to holiness, they can be corrected only through a priest, who knows the sign of where he should reach and not further. And when the holy vessels are covered, there is another covering from above, and the Levites are forbidden to draw near and to see, for a whisper, a secret, does not apply to them but to the priests, whose words and deeds are in secret and in whispering. And the Levites raise their voices and sing.

24) This is why the priests are in whispering and in secret, and this is why wine is prohibited for them, since wine is for raising the voice, for singing, and for revealing secrets. This is also why the Levites were dedicated to raising the voice, since they cling to Din, and Din is revealed to make something known to all. But as for the priest, all his words are in secret and in whispering, and not openly, since he is right, Hesed. When the Dinim in the world are from the left side, the right will be bringing closer, by incense, in whispering, finer and more intrinsic than everything. It is Bina.

25) When the outer altar, Malchut, begins to evoke awakening of the Din, when there are no righteous to protect, the inner altar, Bina, awakens toward it and stands opposite it, and the Dinim [judgments] quiet down. This is why it stands one opposite the other and then the Din moves away.

26) This is the work of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, the Holy of Holies. When the sons of Kohath take the Holy of Holies, the priest comes and covers everything before they come to take it. And they would never see what they were carrying, for everything was covered from them, as it is written, “When the camp sets forward, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of the screen.” The majority of the cover of the holy vessels was in azure. And after everything was covered, the sons of Kohath, who were the carriers, would approach. But they would come near only those clothes that were outside, as it is written, “And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects, as the camp is to set out, and after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to carry.”

27) This is why incense—which is internal and all that is secret—is given to the priest. Hence, “And Aaron took as Moses spoke, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and … he put on the incense,” since it is internal, the priest, who is internal, too. And then, “And made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living,” between the tree of life and the tree of death. Then the right was close to one another, meaning that the tree of life, which is right, drew near to the priest who is right, “And the plague was stopped.”

Happy is the priest, for the priest has power above and power below. He causes peace above and below, and the left serves the right at all times, as it is written, “That they may join you and serve you.” Also, the right is included in the left, meaning they are in the Temple.