“Run my beloved, until the love of our wedlock wants.”
Concerning running, that the Creator appears to us in a manner of running, it is in order to disclose the love. But why do we need the running first? It is because from the perspective of creation, all has already been completed, meaning that the love has been prepared for all in all its fullness. However, it should be revealed among the created beings, and it cannot be revealed without clothing in light of mercy, for the light of mercy qualifies the created beings to be able to receive the light of love.
The thing is that the light of love can clothe only in eternity. Hence, when a person does not feel himself as eternal, he cannot receive that light of love. Conversely, when he receives the light of mercy first, he is certain that “he will not turn back to folly.” Naturally, the present and the future are the same for him.
It follows that to him, all seventy years are in one form, meaning in the form of the singular authority, and seventy years and six thousand years, which is the whole of creation, are all one, which is regarded as a complete degree. (This is as it is written, that when a person annuls his own desire and has no desire for himself, but rather for the collective, he is like a link in a chain, and the link is named after the chain while the link itself has no name in and of itself.)
It follows that he is named after the general creation, which is regarded as eternity. Hence, when he receives the light of mercy, he becomes fit to receive the love. This is the meaning of the words, “The love of our wedlock,” which is a general quality and not a partial one, such as was said about Moses, “Behold, I pass all of my abundance,” meaning a general form.
Receiving the light of mercy requires an awakening from below, meaning to ask for mercy. Then, when the light is revealed through the prayer, it is called “light of mercy.”
How can one ask for mercy that will be in a manner of, “My soul yearns for Your salvation,” meaning that he desperately needs salvation? Hence, the Creator is revealed to us in a manner of “running,” and by the Creator seemingly running, meaning inverted Providence, at that time there is room to reveal the true prayer and to extend the light of mercy for eternity.
This is the meaning of “Run my beloved,” so as to be “until it wants.” Although from the perspective of the Creator, the love is complete, this love is not felt by the lower ones, who do not desire this love unless by receiving the light of mercy. Then the actions are fit to also want the light of love.
This is the meaning of “until it wants,” meaning that there is a desire. This is so because there can be mercy in one person, whereas love pertains specifically to two. Hence, first we draw the light of mercy, which is specifically by running, and become fit to receive the light of mercy. Through the light of mercy, we become fit to receive the light of love.
This is the meaning of “You have loved us great love.” Hence, when this is revealed in the lower ones, then “Great and overflowing compassion You have had for us,” which is that the ability to receive the light of mercy has been prepared for us, for by this we become able to receive love.
Prayer is eternity, for the Shechina [Divinity] is called “prayer.” Therefore, when one prays for himself, it is not eternity because while he prays and has some contact with the Creator, he has nothing to pray for, and what he extends onward is called “servitude” and not “prayer.”
There is prayer only when there is a place to evoke mercy, which is as a critically ill person. But if he has some contact with the Creator, he is no longer critically ill and he can no longer pray. It follows that his prayer is not eternity.
Therefore, the Creator has prepared for us a whole world, as our sages said, “One must say, ‘The world was created for me’” (Sanhedrin 37a), meaning that he should pray for the entire world. Therefore, when he comes to pray and has contact with the Creator, although he himself is not sick at the moment, he can pray for his contemporaries, meaning to extend mercies so that no one in his generation will lack abundance.
It is a great rule that the person himself is called “a creature,” meaning only he alone. Other than him it is already considered the holy Shechina. It follows that when he prays for his contemporaries, it is considered that he is praying for the holy Shechina, who is in exile and needs all the salvations. This is the meaning of eternity, and precisely in this matter, the light of mercy can be revealed.
Another reason we should pray only for the general public is the need to disclose the light of mercy, which is the light of bestowal. It is a rule that it is impossible to receive anything without equivalence. Rather, there must always be equivalence.
Hence, when he evokes mercy on himself, it follows that he is engaged in reception for himself. And the more he prays, not only is he not preparing the Kli [vessel] of equivalence, but on the contrary, sparks of reception form within him.
It turns out that he is going the opposite way: While he should prepare vessels of bestowal, he is preparing vessels of reception. “Cleave unto His attributes” is specifically “As He is merciful, so you are merciful.”
Hence, when he prays for the public, through this prayer he engages in bestowal. And the more he prays, to that extent he forms vessels of bestowal, by which the light of bestowal, called “merciful,” can be revealed.
By receiving the light of mercy, there is an ability to later reveal the quality of “gracious.” This is the meaning of “Grant us the treasure of a free gift,” for grace is love, as grace is without any rhyme or reason, and so is love.
And “free” means bestowal, that He is merciful. That is, by him receiving the light of mercy, he becomes fit to receive the light of love, which is the meaning of “until it wants.” At that time, the desire appears in the lower ones, as well.