Ekev [Because]

1) Each pleasure that a person enjoys from the Creator, if he blesses for it, he raises that pleasure with the aim of the blessing for MAN to Malchut. By that, ZA and Malchut rise to Bina, where they receive Mochin and Kelim from which the abundance comes down to all the worlds, and for which the Creator delights the man.

7) The Creator desires those who bless Him and His desire is for the blessing below because that blessing rises and shines for the candle that does not shine, the Malchut, strengthening her with a great force to rise up to ZA for a Zivug. It is written about it, “I will honor those who honor Me,” referring to those who honor the Creator.

8) The secret of secrets for those who know the wisdom of their Master—to know the secret of the blessings on the Mitzvot [commandments] of the Torah and on all the pleasures and delights of this world—is to impart blessings from above to below.

12) Since the Masachim [screens] that separate between the halves of the degrees, between KHB, and Bina and TM of each degree, are considered doors. Without them it would not be possible for the lower one to rise to the upper one, since the whole ascent of the lower one to the upper one is only because of the Bina and TM of the upper one that fell to the lower one and clung to him.

For this reason, when they return to their degree in the upper one, they take the lower one along with them. And since that fall is done through the Masach, which is the connection of Malchut in Bina, and the ascent of Bina and ZON is done by fissuring the Masach, through the descent of Malchut from Bina, the Masach is considered a door because when it fissures, the lower one rises to the upper one through there. Thus, if the one who blesses aims in the blessing—in the word “Blessed”—to extend the name of the 42 letters, the Masachim open and fissure, meaning the doors in each degree, to raise the lower one to the upper one. At that time the blessing rises from Bina and TM at the end of the degrees through doors of all the degrees until it arrives in Malchut de Atzilut, since they all open and the blessing rises through them until it arrives in Malchut de Atzilut.

22) There are three Behinot [discernments]: kneeling, bowing, and straightening up.

1. Kneeling is the bending of the knees with his head held up. It means lack of GAR because the bending of the knees is annulment of NHY de Kelim, and one who lacks NHY de Kelim, lacks GAR of lights due to the inverse relation between lights and vessels. The straightening up of the head indicates desire to receive Hochma, which is that kneeling that we kneel in the word “Blessed,” Malchut, indicating that Malchut needs Hochma because this is why the head is held straight, showing that she is devoid of Hochma. Hence, the knees are bent, showing that there is no GAR there.

2. Bowing of the head only indicates that he does not need Hochma, but Hesed, because he desires mercy. This is why he bows his head, which are Kelim de GAR. It is the right line of ZA, which receives from AVI and does not desire Hochma but Hassadim, and this is why we bow in the word “You,” right line.

3. Straightening up is when all three parts of the body, HBD, HGT, NHY, are upright. It indicates that he has Hochma and Hassadim together, hence his head is held up and his knees are straight. This is the middle line, Tifferet. This is why we straighten up in the word HaVaYaH, middle line, which includes everything.