Midnight
and
the
Morning
Prayer
255)
Rabbi
Elazar
and
Rabbi
Yitzhak
were
walking
along
the
way,
when
the
time
for
the
reading
of
Shema
had
arrived.
Rabbi
Elazar
arose
and
read
the
Shema
and
prayed
his
prayer.
Afterwards
he
to
him,
“Rabbi
Yitzhak,
before
one
sets
out
for
the
road,
one
should
receive
permission
from
one’s
Maker
and
pray
his
prayer.”
256)
He
told
him,
“When
I
left,
it
was
still
not
the
time
of
prayer,
and
not
the
time
of
reading
the
Shema.
Now
that
the
sun
has
risen,
I
have
prayed.
But
before
I
set
out,
I
pleaded
Him
and
consulted
with
Him,
but
I
did
not
pray
the
morning
prayer”
[of
which
Shema
is
a
part].
257)
“I
have
been
engaging
in
Torah
since
midnight,
and
when
the
morning
came,
it
was
still
not
time
for
prayer.”
This
is
because
at
that
time,
when
there
is
still
the
morning
dimness,
the
wife
speaks
with
her
husband,
they
are
united
as
one,
and
she
should
go
to
the
tabernacle
to
be
there
with
her
maids.
Hence,
one
should
not
stop
things
and
put
another
thing
between
them,
because
through
them
they
conjoin
as
one.
258)
And
now
that
the
sun
has
risen
it
is
time
to
say
one’s
prayer,
as
it
is
written,
“They
shall
fear
Thee
while
the
sun
endures.”
What
is,
“while
the
sun
endures”?
It
is
to
keep
the
light
of
the
sun
with
us
so
as
to
shine
with
it
for
the
Nukva,
since
fear,
the
Nukva,
needs
to
be
joined
with
the
sun,
which
is
ZA,
and
not
separate
them.
And
as
long
as
the
day
has
not
shone,
fear
is
not
with
the
sun.
Hence,
when
the
sun
shines,
they
should
be
joined
together.
There
are
two
couplings:
1)
to
complete
the
vessels
of
the
Nukva,
which
is
the
nighttime
coupling;
and
2)
to
complete
her
Mochin,
which
is
the
daytime
coupling.
Yet,
they
are
as
removed
from
each
other
as
two
extremes,
since
the
unification
of
the
nighttime
coupling
causes
separation
if
it
is
extended
in
a
daytime
coupling.
And
conversely,
the
act
of
unification
in
a
daytime
coupling
causes
separation
if
it
is
extended
in
a
nighttime
coupling.
There
are
two
states
in
Nukva:
1)
her
being
complete,
prior
to
the
waning
of
the
moon,
when
her
level
was
equal
to
that
of
ZA,
as
it
is
written,
“the
two
great
lights”;
and
2)
her
current
state,
after
her
waning,
when
she
has
diminished
to
a
point
and
has
only
that
which
ZA
gives
her.
There
is
merit
to
the
first
state,
since
she
is
complete
with
Hochma
and
her
level
is
equal
to
that
of
ZA.
But
there
is
also
a
shortfall
in
her:
because
of
the
lack
of
light
of
Hassadim,
the
Hochma
in
her
does
not
shine
either
and
she
is
dark.
And
she
is
given
that
state
through
the
evening
prayer
and
the
engagement
in
Torah
from
midnight
onwards.
This
is
the
night
coupling,
as
it
is
written,
“She
rises
also
while
it
is
still
night,
and
gives
food
to
her
household,
and
a
portion
to
her
maidens.”
Also,
there
is
merit
in
the
second
state,
for
then
she
receives
Hassadim
from
ZA,
the
Hochma
in
her
dresses
in
Hassadim,
and
the
Mochin
within
her
shine
in
full.
But
opposite
that,
there
is
a
shortfall
in
her
at
that
time
because
her
level
is
diminished
and
she
becomes
subordinate
to
ZA,
with
nothing
of
her
own
except
that
which
ZA
gives
her.
And
that
state
is
extended
through
the
reading
of
Shema
and
the
morning
prayer
in
the
daytime
coupling.
This
is
why
Rabbi
Elazar
said,
“I
have
been
engaging
in
Torah
since
midnight,
and
when
the
morning
came,
it
was
still
not
time
for
prayer,”
since
at
that
time,
when
the
dimness
of
morning
is
present,
the
wife
speaks
with
her
husband,
which
is
a
nighttime
coupling
to
complete
the
vessels,
as
then
the
first
state
is
extended
to
her
and
they
are
in
one
unification,
where
both
of
them
are
on
the
same
level.
She
must
go
to
the
tabernacle,
to
be
completed
in
the
illumination
of
the
vessels,
in
the
tabernacle
and
its
vessels,
among
her
maidens
who
are
dwelling
with
her
there,
to
impart
that
light
to
the
maidens
sitting
with
her,
as
it
is
written,
“She
rises
also
while
it
is
still
night
and
gives
prey
to
her
home
and
a
portion
to
her
maidens.”
For
this
reason,
it
is
forbidden
to
stop
things
that
cause
them
to
unite
as
one
at
an
equal
level,
meaning
to
revoke
the
illumination
of
Hochma,
the
first
state,
and
to
insert
another
thing
between
them.
At
that
time,
it
is
forbidden
to
read
the
Shema
and
to
pray
the
morning
prayer,
since
this
lowers
her
level
from
the
level
of
ZA
in
order
to
draw
light
of
Hassadim
for
her.
This
is
the
second
state,
opposite
of
the
first
state,
and
one
that
revokes
it.
When
the
sun
rose,
it
was
time
for
the
daytime
coupling,
to
draw
the
second
state
to
complete
the
Mochin.
This
is
the
time
of
prayer.
This
means
that
through
the
prayer,
she
is
given
the
light
of
ZA,
called
“sun,”
which
is
light
of
Hassadim,
to
shine
for
the
Nukva
so
that
the
Hochma
in
her
can
clothe
in
the
light
of
Hassadim
of
ZA.
This
is
because
the
fear,
Nukva,
must
be
connected
to
the
sun,
ZA.
At
that
time,
the
Nukva
must
be
with
the
sun,
ZA,
since
then
she
has
no
light
of
her
own,
but
must
receive
from
the
sun,
and
not
separate
them,
since
if
she
is
separated
from
ZA,
she
is
completely
annulled.
As
long
as
the
day
has
not
risen,
the
fear
is
not
with
the
sun.
At
night,
fear,
which
is
Nukva,
is
not
with
the
sun,
meaning
that
she
does
not
receive
light
of
Hassadim
from
him.
Instead,
she
receives
light
of
Hochma
from
Bina.
And
when
the
time
for
the
daytime
coupling
arrives,
they
must
be
joined
together,
for
then
she
becomes
subordinate
and
needs
to
receive
everything
from
him.
For
this
reason,
she
then
becomes
connected
and
subordinate
to
the
sun.
259)
Rabbi
Elazar
and
Rabbi
Yitzhak
went.
When
they
arrived
at
a
certain
field,
they
sat.
They
raised
their
eyes
and
saw
a
mountain
with
strange
creatures
climbing
at
its
top.
Rabbi
Yitzhak
was
afraid.
Rabbi
Elazar
told
him,
“Why
are
you
afraid?”
He
replied,
“I
see
this
great
mountain
and
I
see
those
creatures,
that
they
are
strange,
and
I
fear
lest
they
will
harm
us.
The
second
told
him,
“Anyone
who
fears,
should
fear
the
sins
in
his
hand,
and
those
are
not
from
among
those
strong
creatures
that
were
in
the
mountains.
260)
It
is
written,
“These
are
the
sons
of
Zibeon:
Aiah
and
Anah;
he
is
the
Anah
who
found
the
seas
in
the
desert,
as
he
pastured
the
donkeys.”
However,
they
are
not
the
ones
of
whom
it
is
written,
“The
Emim
formerly
lived
there,
a
people
great
and
many,
and
tall
as
the
Anakim
…
and
the
people
of
Esau
dispossessed
them
and
destroyed
them
from
before
them.”
It
is
known
that
judgments
appear
by
drawing
the
left
line.
And
there
is
a
difference
between
the
male
light
and
the
female
light,
since
by
drawing
the
left
line,
discerned
as
male
light,
which
is
from
which
is
from
above
downwards,
very
harsh
judgments
appear.
However,
if
he
draws
illumination
of
the
left
in
the
form
of
female
light,
which
is
from
below
upwards,
only
weak
judgments
appear.
The
harsh
judgments
are
in
the
illumination
of
the
left
line,
which
is
Isaac,
and
the
illumination
of
the
left
line,
as
in
female
light,
called
“lower
court,”
are
weak
judgments
that
are
not
harsh.
But
Rabbi
Elazar
and
Rabbi
Yitzhak
went
to
correct
the
Nukva,
when
they
arrived
at
a
certain
field,
the
Nukva,
called
“a
field
of
apples,”
they
sat,
because
the
Mochin
of
the
Nukva
are
drawn
while
sitting,
not
while
standing.
This
is
so
because
the
act
of
drawing
Mochin
of
GAR
is
implied
by
standing,
like
one
who
stands
upright,
and
the
act
of
drawing
Mochin
of
VAK
is
implied
by
sitting,
like
one
who
sits
so
his
height
is
lower.
And
since
they
came
to
draw
Mochin
to
the
Nukva,
which
shines
from
below
upwards,
considered
Mochin
of
VAK.
This
is
why
it
says
“sat”;
they
acted
while
sitting.
“They
raised
their
eyes,”
meaning
began
to
draw
the
Mochin,
called
“eyes”
and
“seeing.”
Rabbi
Yitzhak
saw
a
mountain,
which
means
that
he
drew
illumination
of
the
left,
called
“mountain.”
He
saw
strange
creatures
climbing
at
its
top,
meaning
the
disclosure
of
the
judgments
that
come
with
the
drawing
of
illumination
of
the
left
by
the
exposure
of
GAR
of
the
left
line,
which
is
the
top
of
the
mountain.
And
although
he
drew
only
VAK,
being
female
light,
it
is
impossible
to
draw
VAK
unless
one
draws
a
complete
level
first,
and
then
leaves
out
the
GAR
and
takes
only
the
VAK.
Hence,
Rabbi
Yitzhak
saw
the
judgments
that
appear
from
the
GAR
of
the
left
while
drawing
the
VAK
of
the
left.
He
saw
that
this
mountain,
the
illumination
of
the
left,
is
harsh,
and
saw
that
the
creatures
that
were
there,
which
are
operators
of
the
judgement,
were
strange,
meaning
casting
fear
and
dread.
Rabbi
Elazar
told
him,
“Anyone
who
is
afraid,
should
be
afraid
of
the
sins
in
his
possession.
That
is,
one
should
not
be
afraid
unless
he
draws
male
light,
from
above
downwards,
for
this
is
the
sin
of
the
tree
of
knowledge.
But
if
he
draws
female
light,
there
is
no
sin
here
and
no
fear.
And
those
creatures
that
you
see
are
not
the
same
strong
creatures
that
are
in
the
mountains;
they
are
not
those
harsh
judgments
whose
conduct
is
to
appear
with
the
extension
of
the
male
light
in
the
left.
This
is
because
the
ones
that
appear
with
the
female
light
that
you
see
are
not
harsh,
but
are
weak
judgments.
However,
these
are
not
the
ones
of
whom
it
is
written,
“The
Emim
formerly
lived
there,”
since
they
are
the
operators
of
the
judgment
who
appear
by
the
extension
of
male
light
in
the
illumination
of
the
left.
This
is
why
they
are
called
Emim
[dreadful],
since
they
are
harsh
judgments
that
cast
great
fear.
And
those
that
are
called
“days”
are
the
operators
of
the
judgement,
which
appear
with
the
extension
of
the
female
light
in
the
illumination
of
the
left,
which
are
only
weak
judgments,
and
are
therefore
called
“days”
and
not
“dreadful.”