Rabbi Yehuda said, how many witnesses [angels] has G‑d set up to testify for a person. All are in counsel and testify before him.

When he gets up in the morning and stretches his leg forward to start walking, the witnesses stand before him and declare and say, "He will guard the feet of the pious ones... [so they won't stumble]" (I Samuel 2:9) as well as: " watch your feet [watch out for any misdeed] when you go [to the House of the L-rd"] (Eccl. 4:17) and "Weigh the path of your feet." (Prov. 4:26)

When he opens his eyes to look around the world, the witnesses say, "Let your eyes look straight ahead." (Ibid. 4: 25) He starts to talk and the witnesses say, "Keep your tongue from evil [speech]..." (Psalms 34:14) He extends his hands to mundane things and the witnesses say, "Depart from [doing] evil, and do [only] good." (Ibid. 34:15)

If he obeys them [those angels warning and watching him] it is well, and if not, it is written: "And the adversary standing at his right hand to thwart him". (Zechariah 3:1) All testify about him and his iniquities above. If a person wishes to strive in the service of G‑d, all the witnesses become good advocates for him and are ready to give a good report for him when he needs it.

When he rises in the morning, he recites several blessings, puts Tefilin on his head between his eyes. When he wishes to raise his head, he sees the supernal Holy Name attached to and marked over his head and straps hanging from each side over his heart. He thereby observes the glory of his Master. He extends his hands and sees the other hand tied with the knot of the Holy Name [in the hand Tefilin]. He returns his hand and gazes at the glory of his Master [Tefilin are called 'glory']. He wraps himself in a mitzvah garment, a Talit with four corners.

Four kings come before four, [meaning] the four true witnesses [the Talit's fringes] of the King hanging from the four corners [to prevent one from sinning], like grapes in a cluster.

Just like a grape cluster is one cluster but has several grapes hanging on each side, so too this is one commandment, with grapes, husks and little branches hanging from it [i.e. the commandment of tzitzit includes details of different levels of importance]. Seven runners are entwined in them. They are the seven bands of the blue thread that one has to wind around each [bundle of fringes] to add up to thirteen [windings]. If adding, one must not add beyond thirteen and if decreasing one must not make less than seven.

We have learned that this blue is the secret of King David [who represents malchut]. It is the thread of Abraham, which he merited for himself and his descendants after him [when he said, "If so much as a thread or a shoe strap."]. (Gen. 14:23)] What is the [secret] meaning of blue [techelet]? It is the purpose [in Hebrew, 'tachlit'] of everything [i.e. malchut is the ultimate purpose of all the worlds]. Rabbi Yehuda says it [techelet] is called the Throne of glory [i.e. malchut].

Rabbi Yitzhak said: Seven wraps is the Shechinah, which is definitely the seventh of everything, since She is blessed from the other six [sefirot] through the righteous [i.e. channeled by way of yesod]. If thirteen [windings] are done, then the thirteen is as was set in the thirteen attributes of Mercy, it [malchut] being the entrance to all.

This is one thread [of techelet, corresponding to malchut], marked in its color. Its [blue] color is produced from a certain fish in the sea of Kineret; [that sea is] called Kineret after her [malchut]. Because of that, there is a violin [in Hebrew, 'kinor'] hanging above David's bed [this violin representing malchut], for it is surely David's violin that played on its own to the supernal Holy King [Zeir Anpin, which is the secret of the Song of Songs that malchut sings to Zeir Anpin, to arouse Him to unite with Her]. Therefore, the [blue] colors rise to the firmament [Zeir Anpin] and from the firmament to the throne [bina].

Here [in the portion commanding to wear Tzitzit] "a commandment" is written [i.e. " you will remember all the commandments" (Num. 15:39)], For malchut is called "mitzvah", as it says: "it is the king's commandment." (II Kings 18:36) "Why do you transgress the king's commandment" (Esther 3:3), "For it was the king's commandment." (Nehemiah 11:23) [The commandments are malchut, through which the king rules this world].

BeRahamim LeHayyim: What does the above mean to you, and why is it revealed to you now?

"Every breath you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you..." Kinda scary, Nu?! Every part of the sacred dance of daily prayer ritual below does something above. Every number has significance. Every word. Every letter. Every crown on the letter. Every vowel. Every cantillation note. Every Every. You get the message.

Does this take the fun, or the spontaneity out of it? On the contrary, methinks this means that if you act mindfully, the rewards are supreme. "You are wherever your thoughts are. Make sure your thoughts are where you want to be" was a favorite saying of the Ba'al Shem Tov.

Bracketed annotations from Metok Midevash and Sulam commentaries
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