the hands raised to the height of heaven

The priestly raising of the hands is directed ‘to the height of heaven’ — ‘the deep gave its voice; it lifted its hands on high’ (Habakkuk 3:10). And when Israel’s ‘enlightened ones (maskilim),’ those who ‘know the secret of the honored Name,’ raise their hands, they are answered at once: ‘then you shall call, and the LORD will answer’ (Isaiah 58:9). Sod: the raised hands, joined to knowledge of the Name, draw an immediate response from the supernal height — the theurgy of §§ 138-139 completed by right intention.

‘then’ (az): the alef and the seven

’Then (az)’ — the word that opens both ‘then you shall call’ (Isaiah 58:9) and ‘then Moses sang’ (Exodus 15:1) — is read by its letters: alef (א) and zayin (ז), one and seven. The alef ‘may not be called alone,’ but only joined to the letters that ‘sit first in kingship (malkhut)’: with the alef they are three [above], and there remain seven of the ten sayings — the zayin, seven. Sod: the One (the alef, the first grade) can be invoked only together with the seven (the seven lower grades / sayings), so that ‘az’ names the whole ten bound as one; the answered prayer of § 139 is the Name rightly called, the alef joined to the seven.

malkhut

Selected sense: kingship

Active senses: kingship, malkhut

Rationale: § 140: the two letters that cleave to the alef ‘sit first in kingship (malkhut).’ Rendered ‘kingship’; the frame hears Malkhut, the tenth grade, the seat of the letters in the lowest sefirah.

Lexicon: lexicon/malkhut

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