274) “You are my hiding place; You will protect me from an enemy and surround me with songs of deliverance.” “You are my hiding place” is the Creator, who hides and protects a person who is walking on the path of Torah, in the middle line. He hides under His wings so that no one can harm him. Thus, why it is written, “You will protect me from an enemy”? After all, it is the same as “You are my hiding place”.
From above—a person has enemies. It is written about it, “You are my hiding place.” And from below, as well, the evil inclination. It is written about it, “You will protect me from an enemy,” which is an enemy above and an enemy below, as we learn, “descends and incites, ascends and slanders.” And were it not for the evil inclination, man would have had no enemies in the world. This is why it is written, “You will protect me from an enemy,” about the evil inclination.
275) When the left line illuminated from above downward, before it was included in the right, the evil inclination was gripping unto man from above and from below. It was complaining about him from above, and brought hatred upon him. And from below, it incited him to sin and to draw the left from above downward, which was the sin of the tree of knowledge. And when the middle line came, the left and the right were included in one another and illuminated together so the light of the right shone from above down, and the left, from below up. At that time, the hatred, cast over man from above, was cancelled and the evil inclination separated from him from below.
There are two things here: 1) A hiding place, for which the GAR of the left line were diminished and he could shine only from below upwards, which is VAK of Hochma. 2) Preserving, since by that, the left and the right were included in one another and that removed the slander and hatred from man.
It is said, “He hides in the shadow of His wings,” so they will not be able to harm him, since the diminution that brought the left line through the screen of Hirik is regarded as a shadow, and the screen is regarded as wings. It is said, “From above—a person has enemies.” The slander and hatred are drawn upon man from above during the illumination of the left from above downward. And from below, too, the evil inclination incites him to sin and to draw illumination of the left from above downward.
“An enemy above, and an enemy below, as we learn, “descends and incites, ascends and slanders.” And were it not for the evil inclination, man would not have an enemy in the world. That is, if the evil inclination had not incited him to sin below, during the illumination of the left from above downward, no hatred would have been drawn over man from above.
The Hochma that is clothed in Hassadim after it has waned into VAK of GAR through the middle line, is drawn and becomes revealed through songs, which is why it is called, “songs.” And since the Hochma was first diminished by the middle line, it was to the contrary, bringing judgments [judgments] over him. This is why he said to the Creator, which is the middle line, “[You] surround me with songs of deliverance.”
“Songs of deliverance” are songs that were “discharged” and remained after their waning through the middle line. “You surround me,” by which to save me from all the harm-doers along the way. “…surround me” are the songs in which there are degrees sufficient for deliverance after they have been diminished into VAK of GAR through the middle line, and have become suitable for deliverance. This is so because this operation is performed by the middle line, the Creator, and this is why he told him, “surround me,” in second person, and not “will surround me.”
Reading in order indicates the right line, illumination of Hassadim, which shines from above downwards. And retroactive reading indicates the left line, illumination of Hochma, which shines from below upwards. And since this verse speaks of these two kinds of illuminations, it is possible to read it in order, as well as to read it retroactively, since it contains both the left side and the right side.
276) The songs and praises that David recited contain secrets and sublime matters in the secrets of the wisdom. This is so because they were all said in the spirit of holiness, which was over David and he recited songs. Hence, they were all said in the spirit of holiness.
277) “You have rejected me to fall.” It should have been written, “I have been rejected,” since the Creator did not reject him, but the enemies. However, this is the Sitra Achra, who always rejects man and wishes to reject him and to lure him away from the Creator. This is the evil inclination, which is always with man. And it is to him that David returned and said, “Thou have rejected me that I might fall,” since he was inciting him by all the troubles that came upon him, to lure him away from the Creator. And David said about him, “Thou have rejected me that I might fall” in hell “but the Lord helped me” to not be given into your hand.
278) Hence, one should be wary of him, so he may not rule over him. And then the Creator will keep him in all his ways, as it is written, “Then shall you walk in your way securely, and you shall not dash your foot.” And it is written, “When you walk, your step shall not be straitened.” It is also written, “But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn.” Happy are Israel, for the Creator keeps them in this world and in the next world, as it is written, “Your people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever.”