Nefesh HaChayim, Gate I

And we know that the generation of the desert, who merited to dine from an exalted table on bread from the heavens each day in turn, and their clothing didn’t wear out upon them, and who didn’t require any involvement with earning a living in the world at all, everyone agreed that they were not referred to as performing God’s-Ma-kome will unless they were staring upwards with absolute sincerity, and subjugated their hearts/minds only to Torah and service to God, and awe/fear of Him (blessed be His name), day and night it would not depart their mouths, the words exactly as written, without veering off to the side in any manner, even a single hour for the sake of earning a living. And as the sages (OBM) said in M’khilta209The Mekhilta is part of the midrashic literature. (B’sha-lakh 17 and others): “The Torah was not given to any except those who ate the mahn210Manna. For that reason they set the cherubs in place according to how they performed God’s-Ma-kome will—directly face-to-face—to show that they perceived His (blessed be He) face directly, face-to-face with His holy nation.”

However, in Shlomo’s time, when most of the Nation of Israel’s masses were required by necessity to turn aside slightly to earn a living, even if it was just to sustain their lives, this is the essence of the truth of the Blessed One’s will according to Rabbee Yishmael’s opinion, who concluded that for the masses that it is more worthy to do thusly. As is said in Avot: “The study of Torah is better with an occupation...” and “All Torah that is not accompanied by labor...”. And all the statements of Avot are statements of piety, [expressing] only that during the period that they are involved with earning a living, their hearts/minds should behave with wisdom, reflecting on words of Torah. For that reason at that time they first set up the cherubs according to how they would do God’s-Ma-kome will, their faces turned aside a little, and even so they were attached “as a man and woman joined by their arms” (Melachim Aleph 7:36), with expressions of affection, to exhibit His (blessed be He) affection for us, for this is the crux of His blessed will, as we described above. (And his opinion is per Rabbee Yishmael. And the one who said that Shlomo’s cherubs also were set up initially according to how they would perform God’s-Makome will, absolutely facing each other, his opinion agrees with Rabbee Shim’on bar Yo-khai.)

And on the face of it, still, why was it necessary to set up the two cherubs turned aside slightly, for wasn’t the one that hinted at Him (blessed be His name), shouldn’t they have set it up absolutely straight?

However the matter is as we wrote, that His (blessed be He) relationship (so to speak) to all the worlds and powers and all their processes/structures and connections, and so too all the processes/structures of His (blessed be He) interactions with us, is based on the amount of movement and awakening that arrives to them as a result of our actions below. Based on that amount, aspects that are joyful and kind also flow and are drawn to us below. Therefore, the cherub corresponding to Him (blessed be His name) should also have been set in place turned slightly aside, to the same degree of turning aside of the cherub that corresponds to us, for that same reason.[*]

Annotation: And according to this is understood their (OBM) statement in chapter 9 of Shabbat (86a): “Rabbee Chamma b’Rebbee Chaneena stated: ‘Why is it written (Shir Ha-shirrim 2:3) “like an apple among the trees of the forest…”, why is Israel likened to an apple211Israel is likened to an apple because just as the apple tree’s fruit is visible before its leaves appear, so too, Israel agreed to abide by the Torah even before they examined it.…?’ And Tosafote asked a difficult question there: “There in that text it’s not Israel who is likened to an apple, but rather the Holy One (blessed be He), for it concludes with ‘thus is my Beloved among the sons’.”

And it can be reconciled (with God’s help) based on what I wrote. For later when Israel perceived Him and likened Him in the form of the apple, it is certain that it is because Israel is likened and compared in their actions to the matter of an apple. And just as we appear to Him (blessed be His name), so too He (blessed be His name) appears to the worlds, in the same gradation and degree, and for that reason it asks in what way and manner are Israel compared to and likened in their desirable actions to an apple, that because of this they perceived Him (blessed be His name) in the context of the apple.

Therefore, at the time of the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, He (blessed be He) said to Moshe (Shemot 14:15): “Why are you crying out to Me? Speak to the Israelites that they should start moving”, as if to say that it depends on them. That if they will be in the mode of faith and belief, and they would travel, going and proceeding to the Sea absolutely certain and without fear, out of their mighty belief that it will undoubtedly split before them, then as a result they will cause an awakening above, so that a miracle should happen and it will split before them.

And this is (Shir Hashirim 1:9): “I compared thee, my love, to Par-oh’s chariot steed” meaning that Par-oh’s horses reversed the normal order of the driver guiding the horse, for with Par-oh and his army the horse would lead the driver. And the sages (OBM) said (Sh’mote Rabba 23, and Shir Ha-Shirrim Rabba 1:50): “This is how I described and compared you, my beloved, in this specific manner: that just as I ‘ride the highest heavens’ even so, it is as if you lead Me according to your actions, for the essence of My interactions with the worlds is only according to what your actions stimulate, to where they tend.” And this is what the text states (Devarim 33:26): “rides the heavens with your aid,” and also what the sages stated (Tractate Shabbat 116:2, Y’va-mote 5:2, and M’nakhote 64:1): “the service is a high purpose.”