Shabbat day is joy for all, and everything is protected above and below. [On the day of Shabbat there is no judgment aroused, and the externalities cannot rule.] And the lower point [malchut is aroused and] shines in rising higher with the beauty of seventy crowns the additional parts [from the weekdays]. And the eldest of the old [Arich Anpin] is aroused [to flow upon it].

When dawn rises, the holy nation hasten to come to the synagogue gladly [in the light of bina, the source of joy], dressed in their best attire and bedecked with that holy, high crown from Above [the extra soul], and with that spirit [from Zeir Anpin] which awaits them below [that extra ruach that they receive in all: nefesh, ruach and neshama]. They sing with praises and hymns, and the hymns go up [much higher than on weekdays when the prayers have to ascend through the chambers of the worlds of Asiya, Yetzira and Beriya before reaching Atzilut. On Shabbat the prayers go straight to the chambers of the world of Atzilut]. The higher and the lower beings are all glad, adorned together.

The higher beings begin by saying 'happy are you, a holy nation upon the earth, for your Master is bedecked through you [by spreading directly from the chambers of Atzilut to Below without the intermittent chambers of the lower worlds], and all the holy armies [in the lower worlds of Beriya, Yetzira, and Asiya] are crowned in your merit.' [since they receive a bountiful spiritual light from above in response to Israel’s holy prayers below.]

This day is the day of the soul [that enjoys its direct reconnection with its source in bina] not of the body [because this is a refined spiritual flow – not received by the coarser body (and we therefore partake of special food to help raise it up as well). On this day the level of "bundle of souls" rules and the souls enjoy the reconnection with this, their source] The higher [angels] and lower beings [responsible for this world] are all in unison [connected directly with Atzilut], with the crown of the additional, holy, supernal ruach that dwells over all in the day of Shabbat.

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

"I'm a soul man...! For the 25 + hours of Shabbat, we are en-souled with something extra special, from a sublime place. When we say, in the VeShameru prayer, "Vayinafash" we are relating the reality of the extra Nefesh given us as a gift, if we only open our inner eyes to it. This is the secret to the greeting to our fellow: "Shabbat Shalom!" Shalom means complete, whole-istic, finished, perfected.

We are also crowned with higher level brains allowing us to access inner Torah in a way unavailable during the week. We are plugged in, with a proverbial light bulb lit over our heads the entire time.

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

Bracketed annotations from Metok Midevash and Sulam commentaries
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