Part V; Kuntres Acharon, Chapter 6
The whole chapterאדָּוִד, זְמִירוֹת קָרִית לְהוּ כוּ׳. הִנֵּה בַּזֹּהַר: ״שְׁבָחָא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא וּרְנָנָה כוּ׳״. וּלְהָבִין, מַהוּ הַשֶּׁבַח לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא כְּשֶׁזֶּה אָסוּר אוֹ מוּתָּר?
1“David! Do you call them songs!”1 In Zohar we find, “The praise of Torah and its song.” We must understand what is the praise of G–d in forbidding or permitting an object.
בהִנֵּה הוּא עַל דֶּרֶךְ: ״מַה גָּדְלוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה׳, מְאֹד עָמְקוּ מַחְשְׁבוֹתֶיךָ״.
2A similar concept is implicit in “How great are Your works, O G–d, Your thoughts are very deep.”2
גכִּי הִנֵּה נוֹדָע, שֶׁכָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים – תְּלוּיִם בְּדִקְדּוּק מִצְוָה אַחַת, דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל: אִם הַקָּרְבָּן כָּשֵׁר – נַעֲשֶׂה יִחוּד עֶלְיוֹן, וְעוֹלִים כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת לְקַבֵּל חַיּוּתָם וְשִׁפְעָם:
3It is known that all worlds,3 the exalted and the lowly, are dependent on the precise and meticulous performance of a single mitzvah. For example, if the altar offering was valid then the supernal union4 is effected, and all worlds are elevated to receive their life-force5 and sustenance.
דוְאִם שִׁינָּה – שֶׁקִּיבֵּל הַדָּם בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא בִּכְלִי שָׁרֵת כָּשֵׁר, אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה חֲצִיצָה, אֲזַי נִתְבַּטְּלָה עֲלִיּוֹת הָעוֹלָמוֹת וְחַיּוּתָם וְשִׁפְעָם מֵחַיֵּי הַחַיִּים אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא.
4However, if there is an aberration, if the celebrant received the blood of the offering in his left hand, say, or not in the appropriate vessel, or if some foreign body separates the vessel and the blood it contains, then all the elevations of the world are nullified, as is their life-force and sustenance from the Source of Life, the En Sof,6 blessed is He.
הוְכֵן בִּתְפִלִּין כְּשֵׁרוֹת, מִתְגַּלִּים מוֹחִין עֶלְיוֹנִים דִּזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין וְנוּקְבָא, שֶׁהֵם מְקוֹר הַחַיִּים לְכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת, וּבְדִקְדּוּק אֶחָד נִפְסָלִין וּמִסְתַּלְּקִין הַמּוֹחִין. וּכְהַאי גַּוְנָא בְּדִקְדּוּקֵי מִצְוֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה.
5So, too, through valid tefillin there is revealed the supernal intellect of zun,7 the source of life for all worlds. Through the omission of one required detail they are invalidated, and the intellect departs. This applies as well to the requirements of the prohibitions.
ווְהִלְכָךְ, הַמִּתְבּוֹנֵן מַה גָּדְלוּ מַעֲשֵׂי ה׳ שֶׁבְּרִיבּוּי הָעוֹלָמוֹת וְכָל צְבָאָם, וְאֵיךְ כּוּלָּם בְּטֵלִים בִּמְצִיאוּת לְגַבֵּי דִּקְדּוּק אֶחָד מִדִּקְדּוּקֵי תוֹרָה, שֶׁהוּא עוֹמֶק מַחֲשָׁבָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה וְחָכְמָתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, אֲשֶׁר בְּדִקְדּוּק קַל עוֹלִים כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת וּמְקַבְּלִים חַיּוּתָם וְשִׁפְעָם, אוֹ לְהֵיפֶךְ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וּמִזֶּה נִתְבּוֹנֵן גְּדוּלַּת עוֹמֶק מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, שֶׁהוּא בִּבְחִינַת בְּלִי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית, וּמַעֲלָתָהּ לְאֵין קֵץ וְתַכְלִית עַל מַעֲלוֹת חַיּוּת כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת, שֶׁכָּל חַיּוּתָם שׁוֹפֵעַ מִדִּקְדּוּק אֶחָד מִמֶּנָּה, שֶׁהוּא נִמְשָׁךְ מִמְּקוֹרוֹ – הוּא עוֹמֶק מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, כְּמוֹ שְׂעַר הָאָדָם הַנִּמְשָׁךְ מִמּוֹחוֹ עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, וְכַנּוֹדָע מֵהַתִּיקּוּנִים וְהָאִדְרָא רַבָּא.
6The meditation then may take these lines: Consider “How great are the works” of G–d in the multiplicity of worlds and all their hosts. All of these are literally null when compared to one detail of Torah specification, for Torah requirements are the profundity of the supreme thought and His wisdom,8 blessed be He. Through one minor specification all worlds ascend9 and receive their life-force and sustenance, or the opposite, G–d forbid. From this we may ponder the magnitude of the profundity of His thoughts, blessed be He, that is boundless and endless, and infinitely transcends the vitality of all Creation. The vivifying power of all worlds issues from a minor requirement of it (G–d’s thought), for each specification is drawn from its source, namely the depth of His thought, blessed be He. Analogously, man’s hair issues from his brain,10 as is known from Tikkunim and Idra Rabbah.
זוְזֹאת הָיְתָה שִׂמְחַת דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו־הַשָּׁלוֹם, שֶׁהָיָה מְזַמֵּר וּמְרַנֵּן לְשַׂמֵּחַ לִבּוֹ בְּעֵסֶק הַתּוֹרָה בְּעֵת צָרָתוֹ.
7This was the delight of King David, may he rest in peace, as he sang to gladden his heart in his Torah study during his time of trouble.
Kehot Publication Society (English Translation)