[The acrostic prayer called] 'The blessed G‑d/E-l Baruch' is in the order of the small letters [of malchut] which is the rectification of the Congregation of Israel [of malchut of Shechinah] every weekday in prayer. Because they are small letters there is no space between them [meaning that each letter forms a single word in the sequence, and not a phrase as in the poem "E-l Elyon said on Shabbat]. They are the rectifications of the Maidens that come with the Queen to the supernal King.

The sanctification that the supernal angels make is not said when [one prays] alone. We have explained that the single person is prohibited to recite any sanctification that is in the Holy Tongue, however, [any sanctification said] in Aramaic is always recited by one alone and not by a quorum, for this is definitely rectification for one but not for the quorum.

The sign for this is the expression, '[read] the Scriptures twice and the Aramaic translation once'; (Berachot 8a) two is plural. That assuredly the sanctification in the Holy Tongue [the language of the Scriptures] is prohibited to be recited alone, [whereas] sanctification in the Aramaic is prohibited in public, only [said] when alone. We learned that the Aramaic translation is only [said by] one person and not by two or more, since the translation comes to lessen [as it is the language of the ministers of the nations, the kelipot] and so it must be.1 But the Holy Tongue [Hebrew] comes to increase, and it must be so because 'one should increase, not decrease, in holy matters.' (Megila 21b) We decrease rather than increase in Aramaic. We learned 'one' and not more, because one does not increase at all.

This sanctification is rather sanctification that sanctifies the Shechinah and all Her Chariots in order to become perfected before the supernal King. Because it is the sanctification of the lower world [malchut] it is [said] sitting and not standing.

The other sanctification after the repetition of the Amidah prayer is the sanctification of the upper world [tiferet]. Therefore, it is [said] standing in order to draw [the blessings of the Amida prayer] down [to the lower worlds], while all the matters relating to the upper world are recited standing and not sitting.

Israel become sanctified below through all these sanctifications. Therefore, they are endowed with the sanctification of the lower Chariot when seated, and with the sanctification of the upper Chariot when standing.

The other sanctification [in the "U'Va LeTziyon" prayer] is only an addition [to the main] sanctification. Therefore, it is at the end of [morning] prayer, since it is an additional sanctification on the other sanctifications. Since each one has to draw upon himself from that addition, a translated Aramaic sanctification was arranged for the individual.

And if you ask, but it does contain sanctification in the Holy Tongue. That is for the Congregation, that they all be sanctified with that additional sanctification. Since the individual is not permitted to say it in the Holy Tongue and becomes sanctified singularly, they prepared it [also] in the Aramaic. It is for the single one so that each and every one should become sanctified with that addition to draw upon himself more sanctification. Fortunate is the portion of Israel that become sanctified with the supernal sanctification, because they cleave unto Above, as it is written: "But you that cleaved to the L-rd, your G‑d, are alive every one of you this day". (Deut. 4:4)

BeRahamim LeHayyim: Why did the Ari and Chida include this section? What do they want us to learn?

No man is an island, particularly in matters of holiness. For while "Kedusha" is literally translated as separation from the mundane, profane, secular, worldly, weekday-like things, we have said that, on the contrary, it means connection, yichud. "You that cleaved to the L-rd, your G‑d are alive today." Cleaving means connection.

Above we learn why one must be in a quorum to say the standing Kedusha/sanctification in the Amidah prayer. But the sanctification said later in the service is said seated and also when alone. The Zohar gives the reason why: one must take it upon himself too to promote connection with above. We can't solely rely on the crowd to take us to where we need to be. For, "if I am not for myself, who will be for me?"

What does the above mean to you, and why is it being revealed right now?


Bracketed annotations from Metok Midevash and Sulam commentaries
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