잠언 4:9의 Musar

There is yet another dimension, which, if properly understood also explains the words of Shemot Rabbah 21,4 on the question מה תצעק אלי. The Midrash quotes Psalms 65,3: שומע תפלה עדיך כל בשר יבואו, "All mankind comes to You, You who hear prayer;" Rabbi Pinchas, quoting a number of sages, says that the Jewish people do not offer their prayers at one and the same time or from one and the same location, but stagger the times of their prayers. Once all congregations have concluded, the angel in charge of prayers gathers them all up, forms them into "crowns," and places the crowns on the head of G–d. We know this because of the verse quoted from Psalm 65. The word עדיך means "crown," as per Isaiah 49,18: כלם כעדי תלבשי, "You don them all like jewels." We have a similar verse a few lines earlier (49,3) in the same chapter: "Israel I glory in you!" This refers to G–d putting on the phylacteries of Israel as: עטרת תפארת בראשך, "a beautiful diadem will crown Your head" (Proverbs 4,9). Thus far the Midrash.

The reason that the Midrash also quoted the verse from Proverbs 4,9 describing the crown on G–d's head as His תפארת, glory, is, that it wishes to alert us to the fact that there are times -such as when Israel is on its own land- when G–d actively desires our prayers. At such a time the prayers are both עטרת and תפארת. During such times G–d is perceived as courting כנסת ישראל, the spiritual equivalent of the people of Israel, much as a groom courts a bride. This is understood in kabbalistic circles as the union of the emanation תפארת and מלכות.