Kabbalah Library

601. The night is three watches, and over each and every watch, the Creator sits and roars like a lion. And in each watch, there are angels appointed at night during these three watches.

602. In the first watch, the angels sing at the beginning of the night, “To David, a psalm, to the Lord, the earth and all that fills it.”

603. Because all the souls of people come out at night and want to rise up, when they rise to the place where the appointees over the first watch stand, there are 365 halls there, as the number of the days of the year, and twelve appointees over them.

604. If the souls merit, high doors open to them. If not, they are repelled outside, they walk and roam throughout the world, and meet the evil spirits that notify them matters that some of them are false, and some of them are true. If afterwards, they merit rising, a door opens for them and they rise to the place of the other souls.

605. In the second watch, there are other appointees, who are called “mourners of Zion,” who mourn the ruin of the Temple.

606. At the time of the calling of the rooster, at midnight, when that flame awakens from the north side, because of the awakening of that flame, when it comes down to this world, up to the wings of the rooster in this world, he calls out loud and says, “Awake to cry over the Temple, all those who have peace, as it is written, “angels of peace cry bitterly.”

607. One who sees cries, meaning those who are worthy of receiving Hochma, which is called seeing. One who does not see cries, meaning those who are unworthy of seeing, Hochma, they all assemble to weep over the Temple. Who saw the confusion in all the hosts of heaven, and all the holy Merkavot sob and cry?

608. The Creator sobs and cries, and kicks 390 firmaments. At that time, “And it came to pass at midnight that the man was startled and turned over.” The man is the Creator, who roars and shouts over the ruin of the Temple, as it is written, “The Lord will roar from on high; He will raise His voice from His holy habitation. He will roar loudly over His pasture,” the Shechina.

609. At that time, He kicks all the firmaments and all the armies and Merkavot cry and mourn at that time and say, “God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; Your holy Temple they have defiled; they have laid Jerusalem in heaps. The dead bodies of Your servants they have given as food for the birds of the heavens,” and also, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and also wept.”

610. “And turned over,” since “and behold, a woman lying at his feet,” lying in the dust that is crushed between the feet. This is the assembly of Israel, Malchut. Then, at that time, she awakens toward him, and he asks her, “Who are you, my daughter in exile, and who are you at this time?

611. “And she said, ‘I am Ruth, your servant.” Ruth, meaning she said, “I have had enough of sorrow, I have had enough of pains over my children, that they are in exile, and over the holy palaces from which I was expelled. And not only was I expelled, but I am cursed and sworn at each day for them, and I have no mouth in the exile to reply to them.”

612. “And he said, ‘Blessed are you.’” The Creator said to her, “My daughter, I remember when David My Messiah was driven out from Jerusalem, and he went until Bahurim, and Shimei Ben Gerah Ben Hayemini went out to My Messiah and cursed and swore at him, and he kept silent. There has not been a curse like that curse, and he cursed him vehemently, and David was not excited to reply to him, and kept quiet.”

613. And now, in the exile, the Creator said to her, “You also acted in Hesed and truth with Me, and your last Hesed is better than that first Hesed that was with Shimei Ben Gerah from Bahurim, for you were not afraid to walk after the curses and swears of the other nations, who are similar to the one from Bahurim.

“And the verse, ‘not to walk after the Bahurim [also young men], whether poor or rich,’ means without getting excited over the curses of the nations that are similar to the one from Bahurim. ‘Whether poor’ is Vespasian, who was not a king’s son. ‘Or rich’ is Nebuchadnezzar, who was a king, son of a king, who was called ‘the head of gold.’

614. “And Solomon’s wisdom toward Shimei, as it is written, ‘Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue.’ “Come out, come out,’ come out from Jerusalem, come out from your home. Solomon said to him, ‘I am not like that, and I will not drive you out from Jerusalem like you said to my father. Rather, build a home for yourself in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there to here and to there. For on the day you go out and cross the brook Kidron, know for certain that you will surely die.”

615. The Creator said to her about this, “Your last Hesed is better than the first, for you existed for Me in existence, and did not fear curses and swears of the other nations. But sleep tonight, be in exile now, and lead your children there with Torah and good deeds. And if the good deeds testify about you to your redeemer, he will redeem. And if not, I will redeem you. As the Lord lives, lie until morning, until the morning comes, and the light of redemption.

616. When half the night is over, Malchut awakens for ZA. At that time, the Creator enters the Garden of Eden, Malchut, with the righteous, to entertain Himself with Torah in the Garden of Eden until daylight.