Мусар к Нехемья 9:6

Prayer, i.e. our thanks to G–d, our praising Him, as well as our petitioning Him, is part of what is called עבודת ה', as is our eating and drinking when it is designed to help us serve the Lord better. Nowadays, our "table" fulfills the mystical dimension of what used to be the Temple Service. Instead of the sacrificial offerings being consumed by the altar, we consume our meals after and before a benediction expressing our awareness of Who it is that supplies our needs. You will find more about this in my comments under the heading "ק" in my treatise on sanctity in conjunction with eating. We become like angels when the food we consume is of the right kind and we consume it in a state of sanctity. Just as physical food is the basis of our continued existence on earth, so the souls are the "food" of the angels and assure their continued existence. We know that they need to feed on something from Nechemiah 9,6: ואתה מחיה את כולם, "You provide sustenance for them all." [The subjects of this verse include the various beings that populate the different layers of the Celestial Regions. Ed.] As regards human beings, their consumption of food can become similar to the spiritual forces released by the offering of sacrifices.

But there is room for the question, and the question has its place from something else, and this is it: It is because true and absolute faith is that, in the heavens above and on the earth below, there is none else (Deuteronomy 4:39). And the explanation of the verse about that which it is written there is none else, is not that there are no other gods but just He, may He be blessed. For we already knew [that from], the Lord is our God, the Lord is One (Deuteronomy 6:4). Rather, the explanation is that there is no other matter in the world besides His divinity. I mean to say that there is nothing else in the world, whatever it might be, that has life or power or movement, and even something inanimate, which does not derive from Him, may He be blessed. It is like the matter, and You keep them all alive (Nehemiah 9:6): He, may He be blessed, makes all of them exist; and He, may He be blessed, gives them all life. For were it not so, they would not exist. And He knew them before He made them exist, in order that they would exist. And His knowledge is His decree that He decreed, and He said and commanded and they became. Ane one who does not believe like this but distinguishes and gives any intrinsic power to a thing, God forbid, creates two Authorities.

So, upon reflection, is it, exactly, in our case, a fortiori, many thousandfold: The Holy One Blessed be He, has created this world, the material world, and the higher world. And it is known that in the higher world many worlds are contained, almost without limit. But, as a whole, they are considered three worlds: the world of formation [olam hayetzirah], the world of the angels; above it, the world of creation [olam habriah]; and, above all, the world of Splendor [olam ha'atziluth], where the splendor of the Blessed One's holiness is found. As Chazal have said: "About this, Scripture states (Isaiah 43:7): 'All that is called by My Name [olam ha'atziluth] and which I have created for My glory [olam habriah, where the Throne of Glory is found] — I have formed it [olam hayetzirah, where are found the holy creatures (chayyoth hakodesh) seen by the prophet Yechezkel, and all the world of the angels] — I have also fashioned it [this world and all of the spheres].'" And it is known that this world and all of its spheres are as nothing compared to olam hayetzirah, for there [in the olam hayetzirah] are found classes of angels without limit. And in each class are found angels almost without number, as it is written in Daniel 7:10: "A thousand thousands serve Him. Ten thousand ten thousands stand before Him," about which Chazal have said (Chagigah 13b): "All this, in one class, and the classes are infinite, as it is written (Iyyov 25:3): 'Is there a number to His troops?'" And we find in Tanna d'bei Eliyahu 31 that 496,000 ten thousands of ministering angels sanctify the name of the Holy One Blessed be He always. From the rising of the sun until its setting, they say: "Holy, Holy, etc." And from its setting until its rising: "Blessed is the glory, etc." And it is known that all of the creations, even the highest of the highest, all require the Divine effluence, as it is written (Nechemiah 9:6): "You have made the heavens, the heavens of the heavens, and all their hosts, and You vivify all of them." But the effluence of their sustenance is not like ours. For it is rarefied, spiritual sustenance. As it is written (Psalms 78:25): "The food of the mighty did a man eat," concerning which Chazal have said: "This is the 'bread' [i.e., the Divine effluence] that the ministering angels 'feed' upon."