Kabbalah Library

36. “And they that despise Me shall be esteemed lightly.” That is, one who does not know how to honor his Master, and did not intend in the Amen, as we learn, “Great is he who answers, “Amen,” more than the one who blesses.” And Rabbi Shimon said that the one who answers, “Amen,” extends blessings from the spring, Bina, to the King, ZA, and from the King to the queen. Also, in the engraved letters of Rabbi Elazar, he says from the Aleph of Amen, Bina, to the Mem of Amen, ZA, and from the Mem of Amen to the Nun, Malchut [the Hebrew spelling of Amen is Aleph–Mem-final Nun]. When the blessings reach Nun, Malchut, they extend blessings outward from there to the upper ones and lower ones, and spread through everything. And the voice comes out, drank from the potion of blessings that so and so, a servant of the holy King, brought out.

37) When Israel below keep their answering of Amen and aim their hearts as they should, several doors of blessing open above, there is much goodness in all the world, and there is joy in everything. What is Israel’s reward for causing it? Their reward is in this world and in the next world. In this world, when they are afflicted and they pray their prayer before their Master, the voice declares through all the worlds, “Open the gates and let in the righteous, loyal nation.” Do not pronounce it “loyal,” but Amens [a similar pronunciation in Hebrew], who observe their answering Amen. “Open the gates,” as Israel opened the gates of blessings for them, now open the gates and let the prayer of those who are afflicted be answered.

38. This is their reward in this world. What is their reward in the next world? When a man who observed answering Amen departs this world, what does he observe—observe that blessing which the sayer blesses and he waits for him to answer after it, “Amen,” as he should? At that time, his soul rises and declares before him, “Open the gates before him,” as he opened the gates each day when he was loyal, meaning Amens.

39. What is Amen? Amen is the spring of the stream that extends, Bina. It is called Amen, as it is written, “And I was beside Him as an apprentice.” Do not pronounce it Amon [apprentice], but Amen. Keeping all the degrees—that river that stretches out, Bina—is called “Amen,” as it is written, “From the world and to the world,” from the world above, Bina, to the world below, Malchut. Here, too, Amen and Amen, Amen of above, Bina, Amen of below, Malchut. Amen means keeping of them all.

40. Aleph of Amen is the depth of the well, from which all the blessings pour forth and are present. The open Mem is a river that stretches out, Yesod. An open Mem is Yesod; a blocked Mem is Bina, as it is written, “That the government may be increased” [Marbe (increased) is written with a final (blocked) Mem although it’s not at the end of the word].

41. The stretched [final] Nun is the inclusion of two letters, Nun: Stretched Nun [] and bent [regular] Nun [], which also includes within it the Nukva de ZA, who is called “bent Nun.” The stretched Nun is the inclusion of the letter Vav [], which also includes the male within it, the letter Vav, ZA. This is so because the stretched Nun is an expansion of male and female included as one, ZA—Vav, and Malchut—Nun. For this reason, everything together is called Nun [Nun–Vav–Nun], Vav being a male, and the stretched Nun being an inclusion of male and female. The bent Nun contains a stretched Nun. The Mem in Amen is an acronym for Melech [King]. Thus, Amen is an acronym for Loyal King, containing everything.

42. Anyone who heard a blessing from the one who blesses and did not aim his heart in the Amen, it is said about him, “And they that despise Me shall be esteemed lightly,” as it is written, “To you, O priests who despise My name.” What is his punishment? As he did not open blessings above, blessings are not opened to him. Moreover, when he departs from this world, it is declared before him and said, “Close the gates before so and so and do not let him in; do not accept him.” Woe to him and woe to his soul.