Królów I 8:12 Kabała: Sha'arei Orah

It therefore is necessary for a person to prepare himself for prayer and properly direct his thoughts, in a manner that his prayer will not be obstructed and his request will not return emptyhanded. About this our sages, of blessed memory stated,¹⁶Talmud Bavli, Berachot 30b “A person should always take stock of himself. If he is able to focus his heart, he should pray, but if not, he should not pray,” meaning, if in his prayer he is able to focus on HaShem’s-יהו"ה title that pertains to his prayer, he should pray, but if not, he should not pray.

The sign for this [is the word ‘Then-Az-אז’¹⁷⁴That is, the Aleph-א-1 of the Understanding-Binah (as in “Aleph Beit-אלף בית means ‘Learn Understanding-Aleph Binah-אלף בינה,’” Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 104a), is over and above the Zayin-ז-7 lower Sefirot, as will now be further hinted. as in the verse],¹⁷⁵Exodus 15:1 “Then-Az-אז Moshe and the children of Israel sang,” and,¹⁷⁶Psalms 93:2 “Your throne is established from then-MeAz-מאז.” I will hint at this further with the following,¹⁷⁷Mishnah Yoma 5:3; Talmud Bavli, Yoma 53b; Also see the Yom HaKippurim liturgy in the section of the High Priest’s Temple service of the day. “[This is how he would count, One,] One and one; one and two; one and three; one and four; one and five; one and six; one and seven. He then would emerge and place [the bowl] on the golden pedestal,” “For it is a Day of Atonements-Yom HaKipppurim-יום הכפורים,” referring literally to the Day of Atonements-Yom HaKippurim-יום הכפורים.¹⁷⁸It was already explained in the Eighth Gate that the Day of Atonements-Yom HaKippurim-יום הכפורים in the plural refers to the union of the Sefirah of Understanding-Binah with the seven lower Sefirot and particularly the Sefirah of Kingship-Malchut which is the seventh. This is reflected in the sign “Then-Az-אז,” in which the Aleph-א-1 above is unified with the Zayin-ז-7 below. That is, there is [the union of] Az-א״ז from above to below, and [the union of] Az-א״ז from below to above. However, when it came to the sprinkling [of the blood] on Yom HaKippurim, [the High Priest] “would neither intend to sprinkle [the blood] upward nor downward, but rather like one who whips [with the blood sprinkled in a single column, all eight drops being one beneath the other].”¹⁷⁹See Talmud Bavli, Yoma 53b ibid., and Rashi there. That is, he would not separate the upper one from the seven lower ones, so that one would be on the upper part of the Ark cover and the others in the center, but would sprinkle them in a single column in succession, at the center of the Ark cover, with one above and seven below it in succession. Solomon cried out on the day that the Indwelling Presence of HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, the Shechinah, became affixed in Speech-Dibur-דיבור in its place below, as the verse states,¹⁸⁰Kings I 8:12-13 “Then-Az-אז Solomon said, ‘HaShem-יהו״ה said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. I have surely built a House of habitation for You.’” The sign for this is the verse,¹⁸¹Ruth 4:11 “Like Rachel-רחל and like Leah-לאה, both of whom built up the House of Israel.”¹⁸²That is, Leah refers to the [letters of the] thought of Understanding-Binah, and Rachel refers to the [letters of the] speech of Kingship-Malchut. See Shaar HaYichud of Rabbi Dovber of Lubavitch, translated as The Gate of Unity, Ch. 27, 35, 37 and on and the notes and citations there. That is, Rachel-רחל and Leah-לאה are the Sabbatical-Shemitah-שמיטה and the Jubliee-Yovel-יובל, the Upper Hey-ה and the Lower Hey-ה.¹⁸³That is, the Understanding-Binah and Kingship-Malchut, respectively, as discussed in the preceding Gates.

About this the verse states,¹⁰⁰Kings I 8:12-13 “Then Solomon said, “HaShem-יהו״ה said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. I have surely built a house of habitation for You, the foundation for Your dwelling forever.” Similarly, the verse states,¹⁰¹Chronicles II 6:17-18 “So now, HaShem-יהו״ה, God of Israel, cause Your word that You spoke unto Your servant David to come true. Would God truly dwell on earth with man? Behold, the heavens and the heavens of the heavens cannot contain You; surely not this Temple that I have built.” The verses then continue,¹⁰²Chronicles II 6:41-42 “Now, arise HaShem-יהו״ה God, to Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your might! HaShem-יהו״ה God, do not turn back the request of Your anointed one; remember the righteousness of Your servant David!” The verse then continues and relates,¹⁰³Chronicles II 7:1 “When Solomon finished praying, the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt-offering and the feast-offerings, and the glory of HaShem-יהו״ה filled the Temple.”