Visions of the Ladder

1) Each pleasure that a person enjoys from the Creator, if he blesses for it, he raises that pleasure with the aim of the blessing for MAN to Malchut. By that, ZA and Malchut rise to Bina, where they receive Mochin and Kelim from which the abundance comes down to all the worlds, and for which the Creator delights the man. Thus, if a person enjoyed and did not bless, he is robbing the Creator, as it is written, “He who robs his father or his mother,” his father being ZA and his mother being Malchut, since the souls are offspring of ZA and Malchut.

2) It is known that Gadlut and Zivug ZON are only during the prayer. When not in prayer, their Zivug ceases and they return to Katnut, to VAK. Hence, with each blessing, we must extend Gadlut to ZON once more.

The place of extension is from upper AVI because they are always in Gadlut and PBP [Panim be Panim (face-to-face)] and their Zivug never ceases because they do not need to lower Malchut from Bina, since they desire mercy. They are regarded as never having left Rosh AA. But below them, even in YESHSUT, their Zivug ceases. However, our blessings do not rise to AVI because they are above our attainment. Our ascents are only up to Malchut because our souls are offshoots of Malchut.

Yet, once the blessing rises up to Malchut, Malchut and ZA strengthen as a result, and rise up to the Zivug de AVI and YESHSUT, through the Daat that unites AVI and YESHSUT, HB. This is so because that blessing rises and shines to the candle that does not shine, Malchut. The blessing strengthens her, to rise up with ZA for a Zivug de AVI and YESHSUT, to receive Gadlut of Kelim and Mochin from there. And when that blessing rises, all the degrees are summoned to that light that does not shine, Malchut, to shine in her, since Malchut rises to them with ZA, receives Kelim and Mochin, and mates with ZA.

3) The ascent of the blessing to Malchut is as explained about the ascent of the prayer. First, the blessing clings to Bina and TM de Malchut that fell into this world, where the one who blesses is found. Then they need to aim in the name Mem-Bet of the ascent, which is the lowering of Malchut from the place of Bina in all the degrees. Then the upper half of the Partzuf that remained in each degree—KH and half of Bina—raises to it the half of the degree that fell from it to the degree of the one below it—half of Bina and TM—and the one below her rises along with her.

By that, that the blessing that was attached to Bina and TM of Malchut de Assiya that fell into this world reunites with KH and half of Bina de Malchut de Assiya to the same degree, taking with them the blessing to the place of Malchut de Assiya. Also, Bina and TM de Yesod de Assiya that fell to the degree of Malchut de Assiya return to their degree in Yesod de Assiya, taking with them the blessing from Malchut de Assiya to the place of Yesod de Assiya until the blessing rises to Malchut de Atzilut and becomes MAN there.

4) We could ask, “But the lowering of Malchut from Bina begins with the highest Partzuf of all, and from there the illumination comes to the next degree, from above downwards. Thus, how can the blessing or the prayer that is attached to the bottom of the degrees—in Bina and TM de Malchut de Assiya that fell into this world—rise higher than Malchut de Assiya? After all, once they came to Malchut de Assiya, Bina and TM de Yesod de Assiya have already risen before and are not there, so how does the prayer rise from Malchut to Yesod?

The lowering of the bottom Hey from the Eynaim begins with Partzuf Nekudot de SAG, where the ascent of Malchut was rooted in Bina for the first time, since the illumination of the three Partzufim, Galgalta, AB, SAG de AK in which there was no issue of the ascent of Malchut to Bina. This is the name of the 42 letters. And since this illumination awakened above, Malchut promptly descends from all the degrees at once. Hence, it can be said that it was done from above to below. However, it can also be said that it was done from below to above. Moreover, there is no absence in the spiritual and any change is only an addition to the first form, and the operation acts on all sides, from above to below and from below to above.

5) The root of the name Mem-Bet (42) letters is in the first three Partzufim AK—Galgalta, AB, SAG. After the elicitation of each Partzuf, its lights from the Peh down departed and the bottom Partzuf filled him with his lights. Thus, once the lights of Partzuf Galgalta de AK departed, Partzuf AB de AK came out and filled him with his lights. And after the departure of the lights of AB de AK, Partzuf SAG de AK came out and filled him with his lights.

Therefore, it is considered that Partzuf Galgalta de AK is the four letters of simple HaVaYaH, Partzuf AB is considered full HaVaYaH, with ten letters—Yod, Hey, Viv, Hey—because it filled Partzuf Galgalta de AK, and Partzuf SAG is considered HaVaYaH with filling of filling, having 28 letters—Yod, Viv, Dalet, Hey, Yod, Vav, Aleph, Vav, Hey, Yod. This is so because Partzuf SAG filled the AB, which is itself a filling of Galgalta. Thus, it is the filling of the filling.

Thus, there are four letters HaVaYaH in Galgalta here, ten letters in AB, and 28 letters in SAG. Together, they are 42 letters. These three Partzufim are KHB de AK, and there was still no ascent of Malchut to Bina in those three, since the ascent of Malchut to Bina begins from the second Partzuf of SAG de AK, called Nekudot de SAG. Hence, if we wish to lower Malchut from Bina, we must extend the light from these first three Partzufim of AK, in which this ascent is absent, and from their illumination we lower the Malchut from Bina of all the degrees.

6) There are also three Behinot in Galgalta AB SAG de AK in the three Sefirot KHB of all the degrees, which are KHB de AK, since the upper forces must be in the lower ones. Hence, in all the degrees, Keter is regarded as simple HaVaYaH of four letters, Hochma has HaVaYaH with a filling, ten letters, and Bina as HaVaYaH with filling of filling, 28 letters. Together, there are 42 letters in the KHB of each degree. You also know that half the degree that remains in Bina after the ascent of Malchut in Bina is KH and GAR de Bina, which are upper AVI, since there is no Masach governing the upper half of Bina.

Even though they are half of Bina, we regard them as a whole Partzuf. Hence, the three Sefirot KHB remain in the degree, where the ascent of Malchut to Bina does not harm them at all, and only the bottom half of Bina and TM are blemished by the ascent of Malchut to Bina and fall to the degree below them. Thus, the KHB of each degree are equal to Galgalta AB SAG de AK, which are the first 42 in the worlds.

7) Each Behina receives from its corresponding Behina in the upper one. Hence, when we aim to lower Malchut from Bina in each degree, we extend illumination of the 42 letters from Galgalta, AB, SAG de AK, in whom there is no ascent of Malchut to Bina. This is why their degrees are not divided into all 42 letters of the halves of degrees that remain in the degree, and then Malchut descends from the place of their Bina, and all the halves of degrees that fell down reunite with the upper halves. Thus, the upper halves are complemented with ten Sefirot like Galgalta, AB, SAG, de AK. This thoroughly explains the name of the 42 letters and how we raise through it each prayer and every blessing to our root, which is Malchut de Atzilut.

8) Similarly, when the blessing rises to Malchut de Atzilut, ZA and Malchut de Atzilut rise along with Bina and TM de YESHSUT in them, when YESHSUT return to upper AVI. It is known that Bina and TM in the lower one that return to their degree become a left line to the KHB that remained in the degree. It is also known that AVI and YESHSUT are the ten Sefirot of Bina that were divided due to the ascent of Malchut to Bina of those ten Sefirot, becoming KHB de Bina to AVI.

Also, Bina and TM de Bina became YESHSUT. Thus, after Malchut in Bina de AVI came down, YESHSUT, which are Bina and TM de AVI, return to the degree of AVI and become the left line to AVI there. Also, ZON that are attached to Bina and TM of YESHSUT, which rose with YESHSUT, become the middle line there, which is Daat, uniting the two lines—right and left—which hare AVI and YESHSUT into one Hitkalelut [mingling], which is the Zivug. Subsequently, YESHSUT comes down to their place, and they, too, raise their Bina and TM, in whom ZON are included. Thus, their Bina and TM become the left line of KHB that remained in them.

At that time a dispute occurs between the right and left lines in YESHSUT and they cannot shine. Then, through the Masach de Hirik in ZA, the two lines—right and left—unite into one, their illumination is fully completed, and those three lines together become HBD de YESHSUT. And since those HBD came out through ZA, ZA was rewarded with them, as well, since the lower one, too, is rewarded with the full measure of the light that it causes in the upper one. Hence, since three come out of one, where HBD de YESHSUT come out of ZA, and one is rewarded with all three, ZA is in HBD, as well.

9) Indeed, when we say that during the descent of Malchut from Bina, each upper one, meaning KHB, that remained in the degree raises the Bina and TM that fell from it along with the degree of the lower one that is attached to these Bina and TM. However, we should know that this does not mean that it raises to it the entire ten Sefirot of the bottom Partzuf, but only KHB of the lower one, excluding Bina and TM of the lower one. This is so because the ascent of the lower one to the upper one is because Bina and TM of the upper one fell into it and were attached into a single degree with the lower one at the time of their fall. Hence, upon their return to the degree, they take the lower one who is attached to them along with them, and when Malchut rises to Bina and drops all the bottom halves of the degrees from their degree, it is done in all the degrees at once.

It follows that when Bina and TM of the upper one fall to the lower one, there are only three Kelim KHB in the degree of the lower one, since his Bina and TM fell to the degree below it, too. Thus, upon their fall, Bina and TM of the upper one were attached only to KHB of the lower one. They have no contact with Bina and TM of the lower one, since they have already fallen from the lower one and are at the bottom of the bottom one. Thus, when Bina and TM of the upper one return to their degree, they raise only the KHB of the lower one that are attached to them with them, and not at all the Bina and TM of the lower one.

In ZA, KHB descended into HGT, and Bina and TM into NHY. Thus, Bina and TM de YESHSUT that fell into ZA clung only to his HGT, which are considered KHB that remained in his degree at that time, and not in his NHY, which are Bina and TM that fell from him into the degree of Malchut and are not in him. Hence, when Bina and TM de YESHSUT return to YESHSUT, they raise with them only HGT de ZA, and not NHY de ZA.

10) Therefore, the lower one receives all the Mochin that it causes in the upper one, and because three come out of one, one is rewarded with all three. Yet, even so, ZA does not take these Mochin now that he is in the place of YESHSUT, since the entire Partzuf ZA is not there, only his KHB, meaning only HGT. His NHY are not there, and one who lacks NHY de Kelim, lacks GAR of lights because they have no Kelim in which to clothe them. Hence, now he cannot receive the HBD of lights that came out through him in YESHSUT. Rather, he receives only the illumination of Kelim, descending from YESHSUT to his place, lowering the Malchut from his Bina, and raising to him the Bina and TM that fell from him, meaning the NHY.

At that time, HGT NHY bond in him into a single Partzuf and he returns to YESHSUT once more, receiving there the Mochin de HBD that he had left there. Then Kelim de HGT become HBD once more, Kelim de NHY become HGT, and new NHY come out for him. At that time, he comes down from YESHSUT once more with complete Mochin of HBD.

This clarifies that ZA receives the Mochin in YESHSUT only through two ascents. In the first ascent, he receives from YESHSUT only the illumination of VAK, as he lacks the Kelim de NHY. In the second ascent, he receives complete Mochin.

11) The blessings that a person blesses the Creator come to extend life from the source of life, Bina. In other words, illumination of VAK extends in the first ascent to empty upon him from that upper oil, the abundance of Hochma—illumination of GAR through the second ascent—and all the degrees and sources of ZA and Malchut in the first ascent are blessed and are filled with abundance, to empty out to all the worlds. Then the fathers, HGT de ZA, and the sons, NHY de ZA, are all blessed together, in the second ascent, when the Kelim of the fathers and the sons, HGT and NHY de ZA, have joined into a single body. For this reason, they can receive the Mochin de HBD to be blessed as one.

12) When these blessings rise from below, there is not a single door above nor an appointee above who does not open all those gates, since the Masachim [screens] that separate between the halves of the degrees, between KHB, and Bina and TM of each degree, are considered doors. Without them it would not be possible for the lower one to rise to the upper one, since the whole ascent of the lower one to the upper one is only because of the Bina and TM of the upper one that fell to the lower one and clung to him.

For this reason, when they return to their degree in the upper one, they take the lower one along with them. And since that fall is done through the Masach, which is the connection of Malchut in Bina, and the ascent of Bina and ZON is done by fissuring the Masach, through the descent of Malchut from Bina, the Masach is considered a door because when it fissures, the lower one rises to the upper one through there. Thus, if the one who blesses aims in the blessing—in the word “Blessed”—to extend the name of the 42 letters, the Masachim open and fissure, meaning the doors in each degree, to raise the lower one to the upper one. At that time the blessing rises from Bina and TM at the end of the degrees through doors of all the degrees until it arrives in Malchut de Atzilut, since they all open and the blessing rises through them until it arrives in Malchut de Atzilut.

13) Now we will explain the order of the intention of the blessing in the blessings that are not prayer. The blessing of the Mitzvot and the blessing for enjoyment rise from below upward, from this world and above, until they arrive inside the light that does not shine, Malchut, evoking that light that does not shine through that blessing. Through the illumination of the 42 letters, it raises the blessing through Malchut, which is called “light that does not shine.” And when the blessing arrives there, ZA and Malchut awaken and rise with the MAN of the blessing up to Bina, where a Zivug of HB is done on the Masach de ZON.

At that time, other blessings come out of that upper source, Bina, and they are the Mochin that extend from Bina to ZON, MAD, connecting with the MAN in the blessing. They come and stay over the head of the righteous, Yesod de ZA, which extend from Rosh ZA to his Yesod, who is called “righteous,” to impart below. He gives them to Malchut, and Malchut to the lower ones. When they come down, the fathers, HGT de ZA, and the sons, NHY de ZA, are blessed, as well as all their candles, the Sefirot of Malchut, which are the lights of fire.

14) Now he explains the meaning of the intention of the blessings on the Mitzvot [commandments] and the blessings for enjoyment by their order. “Blessed” is the highest source, upper AVI, who are called Hochma. All the candles, meaning the lower degrees, must be aimed to empty and to extend and illuminate all the candles from there, meaning the lower degrees, since all the degrees below AVI are in Gadlut only during prayer. But after the prayer they return to their Katnut, when Malchut rises to Bina of each degree once more, and all the degrees return to Katnut. Excluded are upper AVI, in whom Malchut never descends from their Bina even during Gadlut, hence they are always in Gadlut and in a never ending Zivug. To extend correction for the degrees, they must be brought to the place of GAR. This is why in “Blessed,” we aim to raise ZON and YESHSUT to AVI, from which they will receive their correction. He is always blessed, since upper AVI are always “Blessed” because his waters never cease. For this reason, the correction begins from them.

But how do they rise to AVI? You already know that through the name 42 letters, Malchut descends from the Masach that separates AVI from YESHSUT. At that time, YESHSUT rise to AVI and both become a single degree, where AVI, which are KHB de Bina, become the right hand side of the degree, and YESHSUT, which are Bina and TM de Bina, become the left hand side of the degree. Also, ZA rises there with Bina and TM de YESHSUT, with the MAN of the blessing, and becomes Daat, the middle line that unites AVI and YESHSUT, right and left. After YESHSUT received the illumination of upper AVI through that unification, YESHSUT come down to their place and the two lines—right and left—come out in them as well through raising their Bina and TM. Yet, they are disputed and cannot shine until ZA becomes their middle line, uniting the right and left of YESHSUT. Then they are completed and illuminate in the three lines, HBD.

15) This is why it was said that there is the beginning called “the next world,” YESHSUT, in whom the beginning of the disclosure of Mochin de Hochma is done, since only Hassadim without Hochma shine in upper AVI, as they are GAR de Bina and are always in a state of “For He desires mercy,” not receiving Hochma. However, in YESHSUT, the disclosure of Hochma begins in his left line. Thus, a dispute is made in him and he needs ZA to unite them through his Masach de Hirik. This is why YESHSUT is regarded as the beginning, the top edge of heaven, and not upper AVI.

YESHSUT bestow upon ZA. Hence, YESHSUT is considered the upper edge of heaven because there is such an edge below, the edge that receives from heaven, ZA. She is also called “blessed” in relation to the lower ones. Hence, in Malchut, too, one should intend in the word “Blessed.” The reason why we aim in AVI and in Malchut is that the blessing that we raise ascends only up to Malchut, where our root is found. Hence, we should aim in the word “Blessed” in Malchut.

However, Malchut, too, is in Katnut. That is, she, too, needs correction. For this reason, we raise the Malchut along with ZA up to upper AVI, who are always in wholeness, and hence are always able to correct everything. This is why we should intend in the word “Blessed” in upper AVI and YESHSUT, as well.

Here, in the rest of the blessings, “Blessed” means upper Hochma, upper AVI, who fill and correct YESHSUT. Daat unites upper AVI and YESHSUT with one another, where Daat is ZA that rose there for MAN. Subsequently, ZA descends with YESHSUT to their place and unites the right and left lines of YESHSUT, where three lines HBD come out through ZA. Thus, three come out of one, one is rewarded with all three, and ZA, too, receives those three lines.

16) Now, at the elicitation of the three lines of ZA from YESHSUT, he should aim in the word “You,” after which the lights of ZA began to appear and come out of YESHSUT. “Blessed” is hidden because “Blessed” means AVI and YESHSUT, in which the lights are hidden from the lower ones because AVI and YESHSUT are Bina, and we have no attainment in Bina, but in ZA. “Blessed” is the upper source that is not revealed, YESHSUT, but “You” is the beginning of the emergence outwards, as it is the first light of ZA that went out of Bina, which is in second person, disclosed. The right line, Hesed de ZA, comes out of YESHSUT, meaning that it came out of the hidden place, Bina, into the revealed place, ZA.

17) HaVaYaH is the middle line that comes out of YESHSUT, Tifferet de ZA, which is faith on all sides. This is so because the middle line unites the two sides, right and left, and the middle line must be extended from Bina to ZA before they extend the left line from there, as it is forbidden to extend the left line before it joins with the right line.

For this reason, first the middle line is extended, uniting right and left, then the left line is extended, since once we have drawn the middle line, the left is already included in the right, and the right in it. We draw it with the word Elokeinu [Our God]. Thus far, the blessings have been connecting with each other by extending three lines. However, the Mochin were still not drawn out because extension of Mochin requires a second ascent.

18) Once HGT de ZA are blessed and take blessings for themselves, after we have drawn illumination of VAK to ZA from YESHSUT, in the matter of three coming out of one, and one being rewarded with all three, HGT de ZA return included as one, to their source, YESHSUT, to receive from him the Mochin HBD, which he left there in the first ascent due to lack of Kelim de NHY. Now, after he extended the Kelim de NHY, he can receive the Mochin because they cannot return to that place to receive Mochin before they receive the blessings of illumination of VAK. Through these blessings, ZA descends to his place and lowers the Malchut from his Bina to his place, elevating his Bina and TM, which are NHY, and uniting in them, thus completing his Kelim.

At that time, he can return to Bina to receive Mochin because they have been blessed before by extending the NHY to him, and his ten Kelim are completed, and reenter that place, YESHSUT, to take other blessings—Mochin de HBD—to give them to Malchut, and Malchut to the lower ones.

19) In the second ascent to YESHSUT, when HGT de ZA receive the Mochin de HBD, YESHSUT are called “King.” Hence, this second ascent should be intended in the word “King” of the blessing. It is so because YESHSUT is not called “a king” except when these HGT de ZA approach him, meaning only HGT in the second ascent.

The king is regarded as a king when his ministers come to him when they are rich. This is because in the first ascent, when HGT de ZA were poor and indigent, in Katnut, YESHSUT was not called “a king” because of their ascent. But now, in the second ascent, when they have already received illumination of VAK, and the Kelim de HGT NHY de ZA have already been tied to one another, receiving the Mochin de HBD in this ascent, YESHSUT are called “a king,” since now they are rich and have everything that they need for HGT, without any deficiency. The king below, Malchut, is called “a king,” when these HGT de ZA, which became HBD, give him their Mochin. When ZA gives her holy crowns, GAR, Malchut is called “a king” with regard to the lower ones.

20) Here, in the second ascent, she is called “a king.” Who is a king? It is that world which sanctified us and commanded us, since YESHSUT are called “the world,” and the three Mochin HBD that ZA receives to give to the lower ones. “That” is Keter over the Mochin, “Sanctified us” is Hochma, “Commanded us” is Bina, “To” is commanded, and “Do” is Tifferet and Yesod, which are the middle line that unites HB. There are many ways about it.

21) The world, right, which is Hesed, is called “You.” Wherever it says “You” it is Hesed. When Malchut is tied to Hesed, it is called “Blessed” from below upwards. That is, the Malchut is blessed only in lights of VAK that illuminate from below upwards. This is so because she is tied to Hesed, right line, which shines in Hassadim without Hochma, which is VAK in Malchut because she needs Hochma and Hassadim together, which is what she receives from ZA, the middle line, the straightening up in HaVaYaH.

He is called blessed only in the source to which he clung, Hesed, in which he enters and fills when he fills Malchut with Hassadim. At that time she is called “Blessed,” and this is what should be intended in the “Bless” in blessings of the prayer. “You” in blessings of the prayer is a priest, Hesed, to cling to, meaning that it should be intended for Malchut to rise and incorporate herself in Hesed.

22) There are three Behinot [discernments]: kneeling, bowing, and straightening up.

Kneeling is the bending of the knees with his head held up. It means lack of GAR because the bending of the knees is annulment of NHY de Kelim, and one who lacks NHY de Kelim, lacks GAR of lights due to the inverse relation between lights and vessels. The straightening up of the head indicates desire to receive Hochma, which is that kneeling that we kneel in the word “Blessed,” Malchut, indicating that Malchut needs Hochma because this is why the head is held straight, showing that she is devoid of Hochma. Hence, the knees are bent, showing that there is no GAR there.

Bowing of the head only indicates that he does not need Hochma, but Hesed, because he desires mercy. This is why he bows his head, which are Kelim de GAR. It is the right line of ZA, which receives from AVI and does not desire Hochma but Hassadim, and this is why we bow in the word “You,” right line.

Straightening up is when all three parts of the body, HBD, HGT, NHY, are upright. It indicates that he has Hochma and Hassadim together, hence his head is held up and his knees are straight. This is the middle line, Tifferet. This is why we straighten up in the word HaVaYaH, middle line, which includes everything.

23) Hence, during prayer a person kneels in “Blessed” because he is a world bent upward because Malchut is bent, lacking GAR and Rosh [head]. She is bent upward to ZA, for she cannot straighten up by herself. Rather, ZA needs to straighten her, as it is written, “She has fallen, she will not rise again—the virgin Israel.” This means that Malchut will not straighten up by herself, but her husband will raise her. This is why we must kneel in “Blessed,” pointing to the bent Malchut.

This is the difference between “Blessed” in the prayer and “Blessed” in the rest of the blessings. In “Blessed” of the blessings of the Mitzvot and the blessings for enjoyment, we aim in the “Blessed” to extend abundance from above downwards. This is because “Blessed” of the blessings of the Mitzvot and for enjoyment indicates upper AVI, from which the Mochin is drawn to YESHSUT, from YESHSUT to ZA in the words, “You, the Lord our God, King of the world,” and from ZA to Malchut and to the lower ones in the rest of the words in the blessing.

But here, in the Mitzvot, we extend from below upwards, raising the blessing up to Malchut. In the word “Blessed,” we evoke the Malchut by kneeling, to receive Hassadim from her, and then to receive straightening up from HaVaYaH. Afterwards, we raise her to receive from “Our God,” Bina, and then from the “God of our fathers,” Hochma. In the rest of the words, we extend the abundance from above downwards.

Thus, in the blessing of the prayer we aim from below upwards and from above downwards, not as in the blessings of the Mitzvot and for enjoyment, which aim from above downwards, to give blessings from above to below, from AVI to YESHSUT, and from YESHSUT to ZA, to Malchut, and to the lower ones.

Excluded are the blessings of the prayer, which are the correction of their master. Those rise from below upwards and from above downwards because they begin with Malchut in kneeling, and to Hesed, which is “You,” and to ZA, HaVaYaH. “Our God” is Bina, “God of our fathers” is Hochma, and from there we draw from above downwards, down to this world.

24) In the word “Blessed” in the Eighteen Prayer, a man kneels on his knees because Malchut is bent, lacking Rosh and GAR, since bending the knees points to absence of NHY de Kelim and GAR of lights, which are called Rosh. We aim for the bowing of the head in the “You,” which points to the priest, Hesed de ZA, who receives Hassadim from upper AVI, and hence does not lack GAR but bends the head, GAR, indicating that he has no wish for Hochma, but for Hassadim.

Yet, these Hassadim are GAR because he does not miss the Hochma, which would indicate the bowing of his head. It follows that the bowing of his head is his head, just like upper AVI, since once ZA is integrated with Hochma, his Hesed is like the pure air of AVI, who never receive Hochma. He bows his head in “You” because “You” is called Rosh. The Hesed implied in “You” is Rosh, although it is Hassadim without Hochma. This is the intimation that a priest takes by the head, implying that even though he is only Hesed, it is regarded as Rosh for him, and he is always Rosh because he receives from AVI, whose Zivug never stops. This is the reason why the kneeling is in “Blessed,” which indicates Malchut, who needs Hochma because her head is straight. Yet, she has no Hochma, which indicates the kneeling, hence she is devoid of a Rosh.

The bowing of the head is in the “You,” which indicates that she rejects the Hochma in the Rosh and chooses Hassadim without Hochma that he receives from AVI, which are Rosh and GAR, like Hochma. Had it not been for the bowing of the head of the priest, Hesed, he would have no GAR because the straightening of the head indicates that he needs Hochma. And if he is needy, then he is as deficient as Malchut. However, the bowing of the head indicates GAR of Hassadim due to the rejection of GAR de Hochma, for they are interdependent.

In each of the blessings of the prayer, when the priest reaches the word “You,” which indicates the quality of Hesed de ZA, he bows his head to extend GAR de Hassadim from AVI, for it is impossible to extend them unless by bowing of the head. When the King kneels in the beginning of the Eighteen, he does not stand up until he concludes his prayer because the Creator said to the moon, “Go and diminish yourself,” and the moon, Malchut, has not yet risen from this diminution. Malchut does not straighten up by herself, but through ZA, her husband, since after the diminution of the moon, when Malchut descended from the Chazeh down, she has nothing of her own and must receive both Hochma and Hassadim from ZA.

It is written about the period of 6,000 years, “She has fallen, she will not rise again—the virgin Israel,” for she will not rise again by herself, but her husband will raise her. Hence, this straightening up, when we straighten up the head in the word HaVaYaH in the blessings of the prayer, is not regarded as straightening in regard to Malchut herself. Rather, in the future, in the end of correction, when the diminution of the moon is corrected, Malchut will rise by herself because the prophets prophesied only through the days of the Messiah and not in the end of correction.

For this reason, the King, who is a Merkava [chariot/assembly] for the actual quality of Malchut, has no straightening prior to the end of correction, since from the time the moon was told to diminish herself, she still has not straightened herself. Rather, she has fallen and she will not rise again. For this reason, the King, too, who is a Merkava to her, has no straightening past the kneeling until the end of correction when the diminution of the moon is corrected.