Kabbalah sa Isaias 48:9: Sefer HaBahir, Sha'arei Orah & Idra Zuta

Rabbi Rachumai sat and expounded, "Why is it written 'And filled with the blessing of YHVH, inherit the sea and the south' (Deuteronomy 33:23)? In every place [where there is the letter] Bet, it is blessed. 'It' is the filling, as it is said, 'And the filling is the blessing of YHVH.' From there, the needy drink, and from the filling [God] took counsel in the beginning. To what parable is this similar? To a king who wants to build his palace in strong cliffs. He cut stones and chiseled boulders, and a spring of great waters — living waters — went out from it. The king said, 'Since I have waters bursting forth, I will plant a garden and I will delight in it — I and the whole world.' This is as it is written, 'And I was with Him as a confidant, and I was a source of delight every day [יום יום], to rejoice before Him at all times' (Proverbs 8:30). The Torah said, 'For two thousand years I was in the bosom of the Blessed Holy One,' as it is said 'A day, a day [יום יום]'. A day of the Blessed Holy One is a thousand years, as it is said, 'For a thousand years in Your eyes is like a yesterday that has passed' (Psalms 90:4). From then on, it is for times — as it is said, 'At every time' — but the remainder is for the world — as it is said, 'And I will breathe my praise to you' (Isaiah 48:9). What does it mean 'my praise'? As it is written, 'A song of praise of David, I will raise You high' (Psalms 145:1) Why is it 'praise'? Because 'I will raise You high.' And what is this elevation? Because 'I will bless Your name forever' (Psalms 145:2)."

I now must enlighten your eyes to the great secret of this Divine quality called Long Tempered-Erech Apayim-ארך אפים. Know that when the Upper Court of Law (Beit Din Shel Ma’alah) issues a verdict, once the emissaries have been sent out from the anger-Af-אף to execute the decree, they do not wait for a person to repent. Rather, when they come out of the anger-Af-אף, they immediately inflict the sentence on the one worthy of punishment. However, when in His Divine quality as the Benevolent God-E”l-א"ל, HaShem-יהו"ה wishes to have mercy upon His creatures, though they are unworthy and undeserving of either His Mercy-Rachum-רחום or His Graciousness-Chanun-חנון, His quality of Long Tempered-Erech Apayim-ארך אפים, then lengthens her nose-Chotem-חוטם, also called “Af-אף-nose (anger),”¹⁷See Exodus 15:8, “And with the breath of your nostrils-Ru’ach Apecha-רוח אפיך the waters were heaped up.” Rashi gives a lengthy explanation here, as follows: “This refers to the breath that issues from the nostrils. The Torah speaks, as it were, of the Indwelling Presence of HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, the Shechinah, in the same manner as it does a human monarch, to enable the ears of people to understand the matter as it is in man, so that they may thereby understand how it is spiritually. When a person becomes angry, breath comes out of his nostrils. We see this in the verse (Psalms 18:9), “Smoke went up from His nostrils-Apo-אפו,” and similarly (Job 4:9), “And from the wind of His nostrils-Apo-אפו they will be destroyed.” Similarly, this is the meaning of the verse (Isaiah 48:9), “For the sake of My Name I defer My anger-A’areech Apee-אאריך אפי” [which literally means, “I lengthen the breath of My nostrils”]. That is, when a person’s anger subsides, he takes longer breaths, whereas when he becomes angry, his breaths become short. [The verse thus continues,] “And for My Praise I restrain My wrath-Echtam-אחטם for you,” which can be rendered, “I put a [bridle] ring-Chotem-חטם in my nostril-Apee-אפי to block the anger and breath, so that it should not come out. The word “for you-Lecha-לך” of this verse means for your sake. The word nose ring-Echtam-אחטם of this verse is like “a camel with a nose ring-Chitam-חטם” mentioned in Tractate Shabbat (51b). This is as the matter appears to me. With respect to every expression of anger-Charon Af-חרון אף found in Torah, I say as follows: The expression “anger was kindled-Charah Af-חרה אף” is like the verse (Job 30:30), “And my bones dried up-Charah-חרה from the heat.” That is, “Charah-חרה” is an expression of fire and burning, for in a time of anger, the nostrils flare up and burn. “Burning-Charon-חרון” is of the root “burn-Charah-חרה,” just as “will-Ratzon-רצון” is of the root “desire-Ratzah-רצה.” Likewise, the term “wrath-Cheimah-חמה” is an expression of “heat-Chamimoot-חמימות.” Scripture thus states (Esther 1:12), “His anger burned-Chamato-חמתו within him,” and when anger subsides, we say, “His mind cooled-Nitkarerah-נתקררה דעתו.” [Thus, when one is in a state of anger, he should take long breaths-Ma’arich Af-מאריך אף and his anger will subside.] to great length. Then, even though the emissaries of the Court have already gone out to execute the judgment to completion, though he deserves it, they are incapable of punishing him. This is because the nose-Chotem-חוטם – also called the nose-Af-אף (anger) – was extended, and they are restrained within it. As long as the nose-Af-אף (anger) is restrained from bringing them out, they are incapable of punishing him, though he is deserving of punishment, and during that time, he has the opportunity to repent and return to HaShem-יהו"ה and be saved. This is the secret of the “Long Nostrils-Erech Apayim-ארך אפים.” Understand this very well.

From where do we know that this quality is long tempered and lengthens the [breath of the] Nose (Ma’arich Af-מאריך אף) in order to have mercy on the creatures and not cut off those who are worthy of punishment? From the verse,¹⁸Isaiah 48:9 – Also see the preceding note citing Rashi. “For the sake of My Name I shall lengthen [the breath of] My nostrils-A’areech Api-אאריך אפי [meaning, I shall restrain My Anger-A’areech Api-אאריך אפי’]; for My praise I shall [bridle My nose] with a nose-ring-Echetam-אחטם for you, and not cut you off.” This being so, guard this important principle very well. If you understand it, you will merit many foundational principles.