Kabbalah Mazmur 118:10: Sha'arei Orah

I shall now further hint at this matter. The verse states,²⁸Psalms 118:10 “All the nations surround me,” referring to the place where the ministering angels of the nations have room to take hold. This refers to the secret of the letter Vav-ו-6 of the Name HaShem-יהו״ה, which includes six-Sefirot. The secret of the Vav-ו is called HaShem-יהו״ה throughout Torah.²⁹That is, the Sefirah of Splendor-Tiferet, as explained at length in Gate Five. The sign for this is the verse,³⁰Chronicles I 29:11 “Yours, HaShem-יהו״ה, is the greatness-Gedulah, and the Might-Gevurah, and the Splendor-Tiferet, and the Victory-Netzach, and the Majesty-Hod,” with Foundation-Yesod³¹As mentioned before, the Sefirah of Foundation-Yesod-יסוד-80 is hinted in the continuation of the verse, “For all-Kee Kol-כי כל-80 in the heavens and the earth is Yours.” being the lower thorn of the letter Vav-ו-6. About this the verse states, “All the nations surround me,” being that the ministering angels of the nations surround the letter Vav-ו of the Name. However, from the letter Vav-ו and up is the secret of Ya”h-י״ה, where they cannot ascend, but rather,³²Deuteronomy 33:29 “Your foes will try to deceive you, but you will trample their high places,” and,³³Isaiah 58:14; Also see Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 118b ibid. “I will mount you astride the heights of the earth, and I will provide you with the inheritance of your forefather Yaakov.”³⁴These verses, and the limitless portion of Yaakov (in contradistinction to the limited portions of Avraham and Yitzchak) were explained in the preceding Gate.

Moreover, our sages, of blessed memory, established these very two verses at the end of Pesukei d’Zimrah-Verses of Song [recited every day in the morning prayers].⁵¹As mentioned at the beginning of Gate One, “They are called “songs-Zemirot-זמירות” [or Verses of Song-Pesukei d’Zimra-פסוקי דזמרה] from the term “machete-mazmer-מזמר,” as in the verse (Isaiah 18:5), “He will cut down the young branches with machetes-mazmerot-מזמרות.” About this scripture states (Psalms 119:54), “Your statutes were like machetes-zemirot-זמירות for me in the house of my fears-megurai-מגורי.” This is to say that in those places on the way that I was in fear and terror-magor-מגור, I scattered and cut through them with those machetes-zemirot-זמירות [the verses (Torah) and statutes (mitzvot)].” That is, every morning we pray, “And saviors will ascend Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esav, and the Kingdom will be HaShem’s-יהו״ה; And HaShem-יהו״ה will be King over all the earth. On that day HaShem will be One-HaShem Echad-יהו״ה אחד and His Name One-u’Shmo Echad-ושמו אחד.” It is at this point in our prayers that the sages joined these two prophecies, this one-Zu-זו with that one-Zu-זו.⁵²That is, the One-Echad-אחד-13 Above with the one-Echad-אחד-13 below, thus affecting the unification of the Name HaShem-יהו״ה-26. For, upon the joining of these two prophecies as one, the Name HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, is unified. Whoever understands the depth of what the sages established here, will understand the secret of the verse,⁵³Psalms 118:10 “All the nations surround me, in the Name of HaShem-יהו״ה, I cut them off!”⁵⁴See Ginat Egoz of our master and teacher, Rabbi Yosef Gikatilla, translated as HaShem Is One, Vol. 1, The Gate of Intrinsic Being (Shaar HaHavayah) and on. and the secret of the verse, “The first of the nations is Amalek,” and the secret of the Torah portion of Remember-Zachor-זכור (Parshat Zachor), and the secret of the Torah portion of the crossing of the Ford of Yabok-יבק.⁵⁵Genesis 32:23-33 – See the previous note regarding this. It therefore behooves you to contemplate the verse in Torah,⁵⁶Exodus 17:16 “For a hand is [raised in oath] upon the throne of Ya”h-י״ה,” and realize that by means of this,⁵⁷The name Ya”h-י״ה, referring to the upper three Sefirot. salvations, redemptions and goodness will come to the Jewish people. For when the Jewish people are in exile, it is as though the travails have also come upon Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, and David, all of whom are included in the letters Vav-Hey-ו״ה.⁵⁸This is because Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov and David are the four legs of the Throne (Kis’eh-כסא) and Chariot (Merkavah) as explained before. That is, Avraham is Kindness-Chessed (and Victory-Netzach branches from kindness), Yitzchak is Might-Gevurah (and Majesty-Hod branches from might), Yaakov is Splendor-Tiferet (and Foundation-Yesod branches from Splendor-Tiferet) and David is Kingship-Malchut. They thus are all included in the letters Vav-Hey-ו״ה. Therefore, during a time of exile, it is as though they too are afflicted. Therefore, salvation and redemption must come from above them, that is, from the letters Yod-Hey-י״ה, which are the three upper Sefirot. Thus, the name Ya”h-י״ה must bring salvation and redemption. The sign for this is the verse,⁵⁹Exodus 15:2, recited in the Pesukei d’Zimra as part of the Song of the Sea. “The might and vengeance⁶⁰See Rashi to Exodus 15:2 about the word “Zimrat-זמרת” in this verse, which Onkelos translated as “Song of Ya”h-י״ה” or “The Praise of Ya”h-י״ה.” However, as explained in Gate One, it also means “to cut off,” as explained in Gate One. of Ya”h-י״ה was salvation for me.” Similarly, another verse states,⁶¹Psalms 118:5-6 “From the straits I called Ya”h-י״ה.” That is, from the constraints (Meitzar-מיצר), which refer to the secret of the letters Vav-Hey-ו״ה, which has castigators and constraints (Meitzarim-מצרים), in that they are surrounded by the ministering angels of the seventy nations. This is as explained before⁶²In the Eighth Gate. on the verse,⁶³Lamentations 1:3 “[Judah has gone into exile because of suffering and great servitude. She dwelled amongst the nations, but found no rest;] all her pursuers overtook her between the straits-Mitzarim-מצרים.” The verse therefore specifies, “From the straits I called Ya”h-י״ה,” being that Ya’h-י"ה has no constraints, limitations, or castigators, since it is the place of the Expansiveness of the River-Rechovot HaNahar-רחובות הנהר,⁶⁴That is, the Sefirah of Understanding-Binah (and the other two upper Sefirot that are revealed through it), as explained in the preceding Gate Eight. It is for this reason that the verse concludes, “Ya”h-י״ה answered me with expansiveness-Merchav-מרחב,” as discussed there, and as will be mentioned shortly. and the World of Mercy-Olam HaRachamim, where there is no room whatsoever for the ministering angels or their nations to have a hold. Rather, it solely is given to Yaakov, who is the middle line-Kav HaEmtza’ee-קו האמצעי that ascends higher than Avraham and Yitzchak. The verse therefore states,⁶⁵Isaiah 58:14; Also see Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 118b ibid. “Then you will delight in HaShem-יהו״ה, and I will mount you astride the heights of the earth-Bamatei Aretz-במתי ארץ; I will provide you the inheritance of your forefather Yaakov.”⁶⁶See Gate Eight at length. The verse therefore specifies, “From the straits (Meitzar-מיצר) I called Ya”h-י״ה.”

After stating this, the Psalm then continues and further elucidates. That is, just as all the supernal ministers are positioned surrounding the Name HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, so likewise, all their families below surround the Jewish people, the portion of HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He. The verse therefore states,²¹⁶Psalms 118:10 “All the nations surround me, in the Name of HaShem-יהו״ה, I cut them off!” Notice the great extent he went to in explaining. That is, he says that just as Above, HaShem-יהו״ה is in the center and the angelic ministers of the nations surround Him, so also below, Israel is in the center and all the nations surround them. Why is Israel in the center? Because they are HaShem’s-יהו״ה portion and they inherit the land that is HaShem’s-יהו״ה portion below, this being Jerusalem. The verse therefore states,²¹⁷Ezekiel 5:5 “This is Jerusalem!” – “The portion of HaShem-יהו״ה”²¹⁸Zachariah 2:16 – “I have placed her in the midst of the nations, and all around her are countries.” As you can see, three are in the center: HaShem-יהו״ה is in the center above, and all the ministering angels surround Him, as it states,²¹⁹Kings I 22:19 “I saw HaShem-יהו״ה sitting on His throne, with all the hosts of heaven standing by Him, to His right and to His left.” The Jewish people are in the center below, and all the nations surround them, as it states,²²⁰Psalms 118:10 “All the nations surround me.” Jerusalem is the portion of HaShem-יהו״ה in the land of Israel, which is surrounded by the lands of the nations. The verse therefore states,²²¹Ezekiel 5:5 “This is Jerusalem!” – “The portion of HaShem-יהו״ה”²²²Zachariah 2:16 – “I have placed her in the midst of the nations, and surrounding her are countries.” It thus is clear that the Name HaShem-יהו״ה, the Jewish people, and Jerusalem, are three positioned in the center, and all the ministers and countries surround them.