Kabbalah 2 Samuel 23:3: Pardes Rimmonim & Sha'arei Orah

[...] And in the Raya Mehemna (Zohar, Pinchas 247b) the Rashbi gave a third explanation differing from the two of them [given above], and this is what it says: “And on the heads of your New Moons” [Numbers 28:11]. Now how many heads does the moon have? But these two dots just as this: [image], the lower dot [is] the moon. Her two heads are two dots which are upon her: Segol [image of a Segol, the vocalization mark that can occur below a letter], [but] in the beginning it was a crown/Keter upon two kings just as this: [image of a Segolta] and it was a Segolta [the cantillation mark that can occur above a letter]. But after she [= the moon] said: ‘It is not possible for two kings to make use of one crown/Keter’, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to her: ‘Go and diminish yourself’, and she descended to the feet of the two kings just as this: [image of a Segol], and this corresponds to a Segol; what had been a Segolta was turned into a Segol.
And the mystery of the matter [is]: in view of the two dots of these two kings, it alludes in: “Bulls, sons of the herd, two” [Numbers 28:11], and in view of the dot [that is] the crown on their heads, it says: “and one ram” [Numbers 28:11], just as one crown/Keter.
After she said: ‘it is not possible for two kings to make use of one crown/Keter’ she diminished herself, also thus: “and one buck of goats for a sin-offering” [Numbers 28:15]. The ram of Isaac [referring to the Akedah in Genesis 22] turned into a buck, it was transformed from Compassion to Judgement, and it was diminished. And therefore “one buck of goats for a sin-offering”, and it did not say “for a burnt offering” [so that it would] be a crown/Keter.
And from where [is it known] to us that there is a descent with the sin-offering? This is what is written: “And he descended from performing a sin-offering” [Leviticus 9:22]. And why did it combine a burnt offering with the sin-offering in the descent? But [only] to teach [us] that in the beginning a burnt offering was the attribute of Compassion, but afterwards it was transformed to Judgement with the descent, and it was called sin-offering, yet everything is one [and the same]. And therefore ‘Let them bring upon Me an atonement’, upon Me was the moon [as a] crown/Keter for sure [previously] like this: וֹ, but afterwards she was diminished and descended to His feet, like this: וּ (in our formulations there is ‘just like this [image of a Segolta] ‘just like this’ [image of a Segolta]), and at that time: ‘Let them bring upon Me an atonement’, it was said about her: “She is the burnt offering…” [Leviticus 6:2], she rose up from His feet as it is said about her: “And the earth is a stool of My feet” [Isaiah 66:1] to say about her: “the heavens [are] My throne” [Isaiah 66:1]. And this is the mystery: “the Righteous One controls the awe of God” [II Samuel 23:3], who reverses Judgement into Compassion. And the mystery of the matter is “the stone that the builders rejected has become the head of the corner” [Psalms 118:22], just as HWHY YHWH. End of citation.

We now must tell you of the great mercies of HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, upon His creatures, in that He informed us of these supernal secrets. That is, even though the people of the world are judged by the upper Court of Law (Beit Din Shel Ma’alah), and may be liable to receive every kind of punishment, nevertheless, the lower beings can transform that judgment to goodness. About this the verse states,²⁶⁹Samuel II 23:3 “A righteous-Tzaddik rules through fear of God-Yirat Elohi”m-יראת אלהי״ם.”

Now, because the prophets knew this great secret, they could nullify all the decrees of the Upper Court of Judgement (Beit Din Shel Ma’alah). This is the secret of the verse,¹⁹⁸Samuel II 23:3 “The righteous-Tzaddik rules over the fear of God-Elohi”m-אלהי״ם.” The Holy One, blessed is He, said, “I rule over man and who rules over me? The righteous-Tzaddik. For, I issue a decree and he annuls it.”¹⁹⁹Talmud Bavli, Mo’ed Katan 16b This is the secret of the verse,²⁰⁰Exodus 32:11 “Moshe implored-Vayichal-ויחל before HaShem-יהו״ה his God.” That is, he elevated his thought to the place where the decree is annulled. Thus, about this, our sages, of blessed memory, stated,²⁰¹Midrash Shemot Rabba 43:4 “He begged Him until He nullified His vow.” This is because understanding-Binah is the place of the vow-Neder-נדר, since the place of understanding-Binah is the matter of the beginning of the seven Sefirot, and this is the secret of annulment-Vayichal-ויחל.²⁰²As in the verse (Numbers 30:3), “If a man makes a vow-Neder-נדר… he shall not break-Yacheil-יחל his word.” This is the meaning of what our sages, of blessed memory, stated,²⁰³Talmud Bavli, Yevamot 105a “From where do we know that even once the sentence is sealed, it may be torn up? From the verse,²⁰⁴Deuteronomy 4:8 ‘Who-Mee-מי is like HaShem-יהו״ה our God, whenever we call upon Him.’”