Those hairs cover not the lips, and the entire lips are red and rosy. As
it is written, Cant. v. 13, “His lips as roses.” (In the ordinary version
SHVSHNIM, _Shushanim_, is translated “lilies,” not “roses.”
His lips murmur Geburah, Severity, but they also murmur _Chokmah_, Wisdom.
From those lips alike depend good and evil, life and death.
From these lips depend the Lord of Vigilance. For when those lips murmur,
they all are excited to bring forth secret things, as well as the Lords of
Judgment in all the tribunals wherein they have their abiding-place.
And therefore are these called the Watchers; as it is written, Dan. iv.
17, “This matter is by the decree of the Watchers, and the demand by the
word of the Holy Ones.”
What is a Watcher? In the book of the dissertation that is explained from
this passage, 1 Sam. xxviii. 16, “And is become thine enemy.”
Seeing that judgments are stirred up against those who obtain not mercy
from the Supernals.
Hence are those stirred up who are the lords of the enmity of all things.
And, nevertheless, in each case are there mercy and judgment. And
therefore is it said, Dan. iv. 13, “A watcher and a holy one”; judgment
and mercy.
And between those lips when they are opened is the mouth disclosed.
By that RVCH, _Ruach_, breath, which goeth forth from His mouth, many
thousands and myriads are enshrouded; and when it is extended by the same
are the true prophets enfolded, and all are called the mouth of
Tetragrammaton.
When forth from His mouth the words proceed through His lips, the same are
muttered through the whole circuit of 18,000 worlds,(871) until they are
all bound together at once in the twelve paths and the known ways. And one
thing ever expecteth another.
By the tongue is the vocal expression of the sublime spoken, in the middle
nexus of the utterance.
And therefore is it written, Cant. v. 16, “His mouth is most sweet.” And
this same palate of His conveyeth a sweet taste; wherefore He smileth when
He tasteth food (which is pleasant).(872)
“And He is altogether the desirablenesses (or delights)” (of the powers
of) fire and (the powers of) water, because the fire and water are
counterchanged with each other mutually (otherwise, are conformed
together), and are beautiful in his conformation.(873)
For the colors are mutually associated together.
In His palate are the (guttural) letters (of the Hebrew Alphabet—namely,
A, H, CH, O) formed and constructed; in the circuit of His (mouth) are
they condensed (into the palatals G, I, K, Q).(874)
The letter A, _Aleph_, which cast forth the kings and constituted the
kings(875) (_i.e._, that guttural letter which is referred to the First
Sephira, Kether, the Crown, becometh the palatal letter G, _Ghimel_).
The letter CH, _Cheth_, which goeth forth and descendeth and ascendeth,
and is crowned in the head (referring to the Second Sephira, _Chokmah_,
Wisdom), and is fire condensed in ether (_i.e._, developeth in the palatal
letter I, _Yod_).
The letter H, _He_, the golden-yellow color (otherwise, germinating power)
of the Mother, Aima, having been connected with the Female Power, is
extended in the Greater Female Potency into the desire of the Holy City,
which two (otherwise, for these places) are mutually bound together the
one unto the other (these two are Aima, the supernal H of IHVH, and the
Holy City, the Bride, as She is called in the Apocalypse, the final H of
IHVH). (And the guttural letter H, _He_, formeth the palatal letter _K_,
_Kaph_, which is referred unto the Queen.) As it is written, Cant. iv. 6,
“Unto the mountain of myrrh, unto the hill of frankincense.”
The letter O, _Ayin_ (which denoteth the seven Inferiors which were
destroyed) is the medium of splendor of mediation (_i.e._, the internal
Light of the broken vessels), hath been formed forth in His lips by
revolution therein (and it hath been condensed in Q, _Qoph_, which goeth
forth from the middle of the palate unto the lips). For the branches (of
the Tree of Life, namely) are connected in Him (Microprosopus) in the
spirits (such as they were in the prior world) formed forth (such as they
are in the restored world).
For in the mysteries of the letters of Solomon the King, those four
letters, A, H, CH, O, are surrounded by GIKQ.
But it is written in Job. vi. 6, “Can that which is unsavory be eaten
without salt?” etc.
Also it is written, Is. xxxii. 17, “And the work of TZDQ, _Tzedeq_,
Righteousness (or Justice), shall be peace.” Also, Ps. xix. 10, “More to
be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold,” etc.
But King David saith, _ibid._, 11, “Also by them is thy servant warned.”
I affirm concerning myself, that I have been every day cautious concerning
them, so that concerning them I might not err (_i.e._, concerning the
judgments, Meshephath, referred to in verse 9).
Excepting a certain day when I was binding together the Crowns of the
King(876) in the Cave of Maranæa, I beheld a Splendor of devouring Fire
flashing from His wrathful Countenance of Flame, and with terror I
trembled at the sight.
From that day forth I ever acted with caution in my meditations concerning
them, neither have I omitted that all the days of my life.
Blessed is his portion who is prudent regarding Him who is more ancient
than (otherwise, concerning the gentleness of) the King, so that he may
taste thereof, as is fitting.
Therefore is it written, Ps. xxxiv. 9, “Taste and see that Tetragrammaton
is good,” etc.
Also it is written, Prov. ix. 5, “Come, eat of my bread,” etc.