Kabbalah Library

100. It is written, ‎“To You my heart said, ‘Seek My face’; ‘Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.’” “To You my ‎heart said.” King David said this for the assembly of Israel, Malchut, in relation to the holy ‎king, ZA. He said, “To You my heart said,” meaning for you, ZA, my heart said to the people in the world, and my heart warned them that it is gripped in Malchut. He said, “Seek My ‎face,” for the upper king, so they would seek the face of ZA, which are the king’s crowns, ‎the Mochin of ZA that he is gripped to, and they to him. They are his name, meaning ‎that they are also the Mochin of Malchut, who is called “His Name,” and He—ZA—and His ‎Name—Malchut—are one thing. This is why David said, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek,” ‎as it is written, “Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually.”‎

‎“Seek My face’; ‘Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.” What is the connection between his face ‎and the face of the Creator? David is the kingship, a Merkava [chariot/structure] for ‎Malchut [kingship]. Also, it is known that Malchut is built from the left, Hochma without Hassadim, ‎and judgments are extended from her. As long as she does not make a coupling with ZA to draw ‎Hassadim for clothing the Hochma, her Mochin are regarded as posterior and not as anterior.

David—who is in the place of Malchut—said and warned the people in the world to come out of the posterior and seek the anterior of Malchut.‎ He said, “Seek My face,” meaning the Mochin of Hassadim and of Rachamim of ZA. “To You,” to ZA, “My heart said,” meaning Malchut, “Seek My face,” that ‎is, come out from the posterior and seek My anterior, the face of ZA. This is why he ends, “Your ‎face, O Lord, I shall seek,” meaning the Mochin of Rachamim and of Hassadim of ZA, which is ‎My face.‎

David argued before ZA instead of Malchut, “To You my heart said,” meaning because of ‎you, ZA, my heart, Malchut, said to the people of the world. My heart, which is gripped in ‎Malchut, warned the people of the world on Malchut’s behalf, “Seek My face” for the upper ‎king, ZA, for my face is the face of the upper king. He cautioned the people of the world ‎to come out of Malchut’s posterior and seek Malchut’s anterior, which are the crowns of the King, the Mochin of GAR that he unites with, which are Hassadim ‎and Rachamim, such as his quality.

When Malchut receives them, they are called “His ‎Name,” since Malchut is called “name,” and then ZA and His Name, meaning ‎Malchut, are one thing, meaning their Mochin are equal. “Your ‎face, O Lord, I shall seek,” since the face of ZA are themselves the face of ‎Malchut, and when he said, “Seek My face,” he was seeking the face of HaVaYaH.

101. It is becoming of King David to cite poems for the assembly of Israel, Malchut, more than for ‎all the people in the world, and to say the words of the assembly of Israel to the King, ZA, ‎since he is gripped to her, because David is a Merkava for Malchut.

102. ‎“To You my heart said, ‘Seek My face.’” For You my heart said to the people of the world, ‎‎“Seek My face.” These are the times and festivals, HGT of ZA, since HGT of ‎ZA are the GAR of Malchut and her face. “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.” David invited ‎everyone, HGT, to rise to the place of holiness, upper AVI, which are called “the face of HaVaYaH,” of ZA, since ZA receives the Mochin of AVI, which are holiness, when he rises to ‎them.

He invites HGT to rise in order to crown them with the Mochin of AVI, each in its day, and each in its time, and they will all draw from that same deep one from which all the streams and fountains ‎emerge—upper AVI. This is why it is written, “Holy assemblies.” “Assemblies,” since they ‎are summoned to rise to the place called “holiness,” to upper AVI, to be crowned with it and draw from it, so they will all be sanctified as one and joy will be in them.

103. Holy Assemblies means being summoned to holiness, upper AVI, Hochma. And when they ‎are summoned to the place called “Holiness,” they are summoned from the stream that ‎stretches out, YESHSUT, Bina.‎ It is like a king who invites people to his meal, showers them with every kind of ‎delicacy in the world, and serves them wine of pleasant aroma and sweet savor. So are the ‎holy assemblies. Because they are invited to the King’s meal, they are also invited to the ‎good, savory, and well-kept wine. It is written about it, “holy assemblies.”

The Yod never exits the Mochin of AVI. They are Hassadim whose Hochma is concealed, and they are called “eating.

In Mochin of YESHSUT, the Yod exits their Avir [air], and the light of Hochma is revealed in them. Bina that returned to being Hochma are called “drinking.”

It is written, “Eat, friends; drink and be drunken O beloved.” Drawing Mochin of Hochma ‎without Hassadim is darkness and not light. However, once he has Hassadim from upper AVI ‎to clothe Hochma, he can receive the Hochma from YESHSUT. HGT of ZA are three ‎festivals: Passover is Hesed, Sukkot is Gevura and Shavuot [Pentecost] is Tifferet. They ‎are called “holy assemblies” because they are summoned to rise and receive from upper ‎AVI, who are holiness, and whose abundance is called “eating.”

When they are summoned to receive from the abundance of holiness of AVI, called “eating,” they are also summoned to receive from the abundance of Bina, from the illumination of ‎Hochma in YESHSUT in the river that stretches out of Eden. It is called “wine” for ‎drinking since because they already have Hassadim from AVI to clothe the Hochma, they can also extend ‎illumination of Hochma from YESHSUT.

104. It is written, “And you shall be holy men unto Me.” Israel below are called “holy men” because they are ‎summoned from the holiness above, summoned to receive from the abundance of AVI, called ‎‎“holiness,” which is received in Malchut. It is written, “These are the festivals of the Lord, holy assemblies, which you shall proclaim in their time.” You, the holy people below, will summon those festivals, HGT, in their due time, ‎and then set up a feast and a celebration, for you are worthy, since you are called men of holiness. ‎Everyone will be summoned in all the phases of holiness above—from AVI—and ‎below—from Malchut—through Israel who receive from Malchut.

105. ‎“These are the festivals of the Lord.” The festivals of the Lord are festivals ‎given from the Lord, from ZA, which are connected to him from below upward and from ‎above downward. They all connect to him and all crown to bond in a single tie in the King’s ‎knot. Just as the King, ZA, inherits AVI and unites in holiness, in their pure air, ‎crowns in them, and through them receives abundant illumination of Hochma from ‎YESHSUT, all who adhere to the King—the festivals that cling to HGT of ZA—should be summoned to ‎the high place, holiness—AVI—to all unite as one. This is why they are called “the festivals of the Lord, and afterwards, it is written, “Holy Assemblies,” since the King is crowned in ‎them.‎

The festivals are extended from HGT of ZA, from the three lines: Passover from the right, Sukkot ‎from the left, and Shavuot from the middle line. The festivals are from the Creator, from ZA, since the ‎illumination of Hochma is received only from below upward and the Hassadim from above ‎downward. This is why they connect in ZA and from below upward and from above downward, to receive illumination of Hochma and Hassadim.

The king, ZA, inherits AVI and is united in holiness, which is the abundance of Hassadim from the pure air of AVI, and is crowned in them, for through them, it also receives the Hochma from YESHSUT, since after it has Hassadim from AVI, it can receive Hochma, as well. Similarly, all those who are gripped to the king, the festivals that are gripped to HGT of ZA, receive Hassadim from AVI, and illumination of Hochma from ZA, who receives from YESHSUT.

A festival indicates abundant illumination of ‎Hochma, since Mo’ed [festival] comes from the word Eden, meaning Hochma, which ‎they receive from ZA. This is why they are called “the festivals of the Lord,” and then “holy assemblies,” after the abundant Hassadim that they receive from AVI, which are ‎called “holiness.” This is so because through the Hassadim of AVI, they can be crowned with the ‎King and receive Hochma.

106. These are the festivals of the Lord, holy assemblies, which you shall proclaim in their time.” Israel has two parts in them: 1. From the perspective of the king, ZA, from the illumination of Hochma in it, Israel has a high part in it, as it is written, “And you who adhere to the ‎Lord your God are alive every one of you this day,” and also, “For the portion of the ‎Lord is His people.” 2. From the perspective of the upper one in holiness, the pure Avir of AVI, Israel ‎has a high part in him, as it is written, “And you shall be holy men unto Me,” as well as, “Israel was holy to the Lord.”

This is why the Creator said, “It is you who are ‎worthy of summoning the festivals and of setting up a celebration and a feast before ‎them, to rejoice in them in the two kinds of bestowals.

107. One who invites someone to his place should show him joy and a bright face, to decorate ‎the path of that guest. It is like a king who invites an important guest. He tells his household, ‎‎“On all other days, you were each in your own homes, one doing his craft, another travels with his ‎merchandise, and another working in his field. But on this day of mine, when all of you congregate for my festival, because now I have invited a high and prestigious guest, I do not want ‎you to engage in crafts or in trade or in the field. Instead, all of you are invited to rejoice as is fitting for my day. Fix yourselves up to welcome that guest with a bright face, with joy and praise, set up for him a respectable feast so he will be welcomed by me from all sides, so ‎he will enjoy from my side and from yours.

108. Thus said the Creator to Israel, “My sons, on all other days you engage in work and in trade, ‎except on this day of Mine. Now I have invited an exalted and honored guest, and you will ‎welcome him with a bright face. Invite him, set up exalted meals for him and set tables as ‎is suitable for My day. This is why it is written, ‘Which you shall proclaim in their time.’”

‎109. When Israel below delight in the festivals and praise the Creator, they set tables ‎and dress in dignified garments. The high angels ask, “What have Israel got to do with this?” ‎The Creator replies, “They have an honored guest this day.” The angels ask, “But is it not ‎Yours, from that place called ‘holiness’?” He tells them, “Are Israel not holiness? They ‎are called ‘holiness,’ and they are worthy of inviting My guest—one, from My side, for they are adhered to Me, and one, from the side of holiness, as it is written, ‘Israel was holy to the ‎Lord.’ And since Israel are called ‘holiness,’ he is their guest because he is invited from ‎holiness, as it is written, ‘Holy Assemblies.’” They all opened and said, “Happy is the people ‎who is like that.”

110. Three are those who are summoned form holiness, and not more: the festival of Matzot ‎‎[unleavened bread], the festival of Shavuot, and the festival of Sukkot. Is the Sabbath not ‎summoned from holiness? No, for two reasons: 1) It is certainly not any less holy than ‎festivals, as it is written, “You shall observe the Sabbath, for it is holy unto you.” 2) The ‎Sabbath is not summoned to the holiness because holiness is her inheritance. The Sabbath ‎inherits the inheritance of holiness and is not summoned. Hence, they are all summoned from ‎holiness and connect to the Sabbath and crown themselves with it. And the seventh day is crowned with that ‎holiness. This is why the Sabbath is not summoned from holiness.

The Sabbath is when ZA and Malchut rise to upper AVI and become like them. At that time, ‎they are as holy as AVI themselves. Conversely, the festivals do not rise to upper AVI, but to ‎YESHSUT, and from there they extend the holiness from upper AVI. Since YESHSUT ‎itself is not considered holiness, they are regarded only as summoned to receive from ‎holiness but are not holiness themselves.

111. The Sabbath is like a son who comes to the house of his father and mother, and eats and ‎drinks when he wishes. His father and mother do not need to invite him. It is like a king who ‎had an only son who was the love of his life. He gave him a friend to watch over him and ‎bond with him. The king said, “It is only proper to invite my son’s friends and show my ‎love and respect for them.” He invited those friends. However, it is inappropriate to invite the son. Rather, he eats and drinks in his father’s house whenever he wishes, as it is written, ‎‎“Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, sublime in holiness?” “Sublime in holiness,” like a son who has been established in his patriarchs, for ZA had already ‎risen to AVI and became like him, as on the Sabbath. And then he is “sublime in holiness,” ‎and not invited from holiness.

112. “Six days shall work be done, and on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest.” “Six days,” as it is written, “For six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and it is not written, “In six days.” Each day, He did His work. This is why they are called ‎‎“work days,” meaning the six upper days, HGT NHY, from which all the works of creation ‎were done each day: Hesed on the first day, Gevura on the second, Tifferet on the third, Netzah on the fourth, Hod on the fifth, and Yesod on the sixth.

113. If they are the six Sefirot HGT NHY, why are they called “six secular days”? After all, ‎they are holy Sefirot of ZA. Currently, the world is governed by their messengers, by the ‎six Sefirot HGT NHY of Matat, who is an angel. This is why they are called “secular ‎days,” since Matat is secular.

114. Because it is permitted to do work in them, they are not considered holiness, although ‎they are HGT NHY of ZA, since those that are not considered holiness are considered secular. ‎Hence, in the Havdalah [separation between end Sabbath and the start of the new week] there was a distinction between holy and secular.

Holy means something in and of ‎itself, not mingled with anything, since it is upper AVI, from whom all the degrees originate. ‎Hence, the separation is that the secular days are for work and the holy days are for observing. ‎There is observing in them in the secular days when they are summoned by holiness, when they receive ‎the pure air from upper AVI, meaning on festivals.

115. The joy and observing on the Sabbath day are above everything. This day is crowned in ‎AVI, when ZA and Malchut rise and clothe upper AVI, and holiness is added to their holiness ‎more than is present during the rest of the days, since ZA is holiness that is crowned in ‎holiness and clothes the holiness, which are upper AVI, and adds holiness to his holiness. ‎For this reason, this day is joy for the upper ones and the lower ones, and everyone rejoices in it, for it fills all the worlds with ‎blessings and all the words are corrected by it. This is the day of rest for upper ones and lower ones, and on this day, the wicked in Hell rest.