Kabbalah Library

288. “On the eighth day, you shall have an assembly,” since this day is only from the king; it is His joy in Israel. There is an allegory about a king who invited guests, and his entire household troubled themselves for them. Finally, the king said to the people in his hall, “Until now, I and you have troubled ourselves about the guests; you have sacrificed offerings for all the nations each day, seventy bulls. From here on, I and you will be glad one day, as it is written, “On the eighth day, you shall have an assembly.” “You,” to sacrifice its offering for you. However, the guests of faith, who were on the seven days of Sukkot, are always with the king, as well as on the eighth of the assembly and in the day of the king’s delight; everyone assembles to it and are with him. This is why it is written “assembly,” which means a gathering.

289. On that day, Jacob, Tifferet, is the host, and all the other guests—Abraham, Isaac, Moses, ‎Aaron, Joseph, and David—rejoice with him. This is why it is written, “Happy are you, ‎Israel, who is like you?” and it is written, “And He said unto me, ‘You are My servant, Israel, ‎in whom I take pride.’”

290. “Command the children of Israel that they will bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to make the candle burn continually.” Why did the Creator attach this portion to the portion Moadim [Festivals]? All the high candles, the Sefirot, which are the festivals, are candles to light the high anointing oil to draw the abundance of Hochma, which is called “oil.” Through Israel, upper ones and lower ones are blessed, and the candles are lit and shine to the world, as it is written, “Oil and incense delight the heart,” the joy of the upper ones and lower ones.

291. It is written, “Delight in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and sing for joy, all you upright in heart,” and it is written, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it,” since we must rejoice and shine our faces in the Creator.” Man should be in joy, since it is the joy of the Creator, as it is written, “let us rejoice and be glad in it.” In it, in the day. In it, in the Creator, and it is all one.

292. “Delight in the Lord,” when the judgments grow silent and the mercies awaken. When the mercies awaken, then “rejoice, O righteous,” righteous and justice, Yesod and Malchut, blessed together. They are called righteous because they are blessed with bestowing upon the world, and delight to all the world. “And sing for joy, all you upright in heart,” the faithful ones, to connect in Yesod and Malchut.

293. Everything requires an act from below in order to awaken above. One who says that there is no need for an action or for words, to bring them out and make a sound in order to awaken above, damned be he. After all, this portion proves, through the lighting of the candles and the incense, as it is written, “Oil and incense will delight the heart,” that by this act of lighting the candles and the incense below, there is lighting and joy above and below, and connecting together of Hochma and Bina, since oil awakens the Hochma, and the incense awakens the Bina. The altar below awakens another altar, Malchut; the priest below awakens another priest, Hesed, since by the act below, an act above is awakened.