The Lord Called unto Moses

Lift Up Your Hands to the Sanctuary

205) As man’s bonding with Malchut is to praise the King together, from that place where the assembly of Israel is blessed out of Zion, her Yesod, from that very place will he provide the blessings for you. It is written about that, “The Lord bless you out of Zion and see the good of Jerusalem.” “The good of Jerusalem” are those blessings that come out to the Malchut from the King through the holy degree of Tzadik [righteous], Yesod de ZA, as it is written, “The Lord bless you out of Zion and see the good of Jerusalem.”

206) “And see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel.” “Upon Israel,” since that man increases peace above—for he has been so rewarded—he increases peace above and below: peace on the ordinary Israel, the Israel below, and peace which is the praise of the upper and lower, the praise of all the worlds. And words of Torah increase peace in the world, as it is written, “The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.”

If a Soul Should Sin

208) When the Creator brings out the soul to lower her into people, He cautions her to keep His commandments with several promises and several punishments. Moreover, He takes her through 1,008 worlds to entertain and to observe the glory of those who engage in Torah in them. She stands before the King in adorned garments in the form of this world. With the high adorned garments, she looks at the King’s glory daily and He crowns her with several crowns.

209) When it is time to go down to the world, she makes her abode in the Garden of Eden for thirty days, to see the glory of the righteous’ Master, and then she rises to her place above. Afterwards, she goes down to the world and the holy King crowns her with seven crowns until she comes and enters man’s body.

And when she is in man’s body, sins in this world, and engages in darkness, the Torah is surprised at her and says, “And what, all this glory and all this perfection, the high King completed the soul, and she sins before Him, “If a soul should sin.” What does it mean that she should sin?

210) “If a soul should sin.” Let us return to the words, “Until the day breathes.” This is an advice for that soul to be wary of her sin and to return so as to be purified. “Until the day breaths” means until the day of this world breaths and that harsh day comes, when the King demands judgment, to bring her out of this world. “And the shadows flee away” means that when it is one’s time to leave the world, the image of man is removed from him. It is written, meaning “Until the day breaths,” until the day breaths that he should leave this world. “And the shadows flee away” means that the image has vanished and will return to its Master.

211) While he exists, man has two images: one big and one small, as it is written, “Shadows,” in plural form, whose least is two. When they are together, man exists. This is why it is written, “And the shadows flee away,” and at that time one should regard one’s actions and correct them before his Master and confess to them because the Creator is called “gracious” and merciful and accepts those who repent before Him.

212) This is the meaning of “Until the day breathes and the shadows flee away.” Since these shadows are removed from him and he is chained in cuffs—meaning he is going to die—if he repents, it is repentance. Still, it is not as good as penance that he repents while he exists. King Solomon declares and says, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come.”

213) Hence, “Until the day breaths,” a man should correct his actions because when his time comes to depart the world, the Creator wonders about him and says, “If one should sin after he hears a public adjuration to testify when he is a witness, whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his guilt.” This is because “I have sworn her in My name with an oath that she would not lie to me, and cautioned her when she came down to the world. And he witnessed how many times I cautioned her to keep My commandments.”

Hence, since man is a witness, when he returns before the King, “Whether he has seen or otherwise known,” meaning he saw these iniquities he had committed and looked upon them or knew for certain that he had broken his Master’s commandment. If he does not say, if he does not confess to them before his Master when he leaves the world, “Then he will bear his guilt.” And when he bears his guilt how will they open a door for him, and how will he rise before his Master? This is why it is written, “If one should sin.”

214) “All this came upon us; yet we have not forgotten You, neither have we been false to Your covenant.” It should have said, “All those came upon us” and not “All this came upon us,” which is in female form [in Hebrew]. However, all the Dinim above that are included in “This” came upon us because this is the Malchut, which contains all the Dinim above. This is why he said, “This” in female form. “Yet we have not forgotten You” means we did not forget the words of Your law. Anyone who forgets the words of Torah [also “law”] and does not wish to engage in it, it is as though he forgets the Creator, since the whole Torah is the name of the Creator.