Kabbalah Library

294. “And call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and you shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words.” “And you shall honor Him, not doing your own ways” is fine, but what is “nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words”? And why is it a fault on the Shabbat if he speaks a word?

295. It is a fault on the Shabbat because there is not a word that comes out from a man’s mouth that does not have a sound. It rises up and awakens another word, and anything that is not holy is secular, of those secular days [weekdays/workdays]. When secularity awakens on the holy day, it is a fault above, and the Creator and the assembly of Israel ask about it, “Who is it who wants to separate our coupling, who is it who needs secularity here?” Holy Atik is not seen and is not present over secularity.

296. A thought is permitted since it does not do anything, and no sound is made by it, and it does not ascend. However, after he utters a word from his mouth, the speech becomes a sound, and breaches the air and the firmaments. It rises up and awakens another speech, of secularity. This is why it is written, “nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words,” nor a thought. One who stirs up a holy word from his mouth, the word of Torah becomes a sound, it rises up and awakens the holy ones of the upper king, the holy Sefirot, and they crown his head. At that time, there is joy above and below.