"and his heart was merry"

456. Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion with the verse "and Boaz ate and drank and his heart was merry" (Rut 3:7). What does it mean, "and his heart was merry?" It means that he said the blessing over his food. And it was explained that its meaning is that whoever says the blessing after the meal, he makes merry his heart. Who is such a one? He is alluded to in "to you my heart has said" (Tehilim 27:8), and "the firm strength of my heart" (Tehilim 73:26), REFERING TO MALCHUT CALLED HEART.

457. And since the blessing after the meal pleases the Holy One, blessed be He, whoever blesses when satisfied, does good and joy to another place, VIZ. MALCHUT, as shown by the meals of Shabbat. For that other place, MALCHUT, enjoys the blessing and the joy of satiation. Here MALCHUT takes pleasure in the blessing of satisfaction of Boaz the righteous. This is the meaning of "and his heart was merry."

458. What is the reason, MALCHUT ENJOYS THE BLESSING AFTER THE MEAL? A man's food is troublesome to the Holy One, blessed be He, being of that place, THAT IS, MALCHUT. When he eats and drinks and says the blessing OVER FOOD, the blessing rises, and MALCHUT enjoys the rising words said by the satisfied man. So MAN enjoys the food below and MALCHUT above.

459. This is a mystery among the friends. The mystery is that on weekdays, that place derives enjoyment only from the words coming from satiation, NAMELY, FROM THE BLESSING AFTER THE MEAL. And all the words are crowned, satiated and satisfied with joy, and that place takes pleasure in them. On Shabbat it is another principle. MALCHUT ENJOYS the actual food and the pleasure in the food consumed to fulfill the Shabbat precept. AND THE FOOD ITSELF is totally included high and low. This is the secret of "for all things come of You, and of Your own have we given You" (I Divrei Hayamim 29:14). Assuredly MALCHUT PARTAKES OF this enjoyment OF MAN and the joy in eating to fulfill the Shabbat precept as explained.

460. Whoever blesses the Holy One, blessed be He, when he is full, should have intention in his heart, and gladness in his mind, and must not be sad. But he has to bless joyously according to this secret, and pay attention that now he gives to another, gladly and with a benevolent eye. And as he blesses gladly with a benevolent eye, so he will be given gladly with a benevolent eye, and therefore one will not be in sadness at all, but in gladness and with words of the Torah. And one should be careful to bless the proper place, NAMELY, MALCHUT.

461. Here is a secret: the four Chariots, in charge of the four directions OF MALCHUT and the troops OF ANGELS, are nourished by that blessing over satiety. And the words "Blessed are You," IN THE BLESSING AFTER THE MEAL, MALCHUT enjoys, grows and adorns herself with them. And he who blesses, should do it willingly, joyously and with a benign eye. Therefore it is written: "he that has a generous eye shall be blessed" (Mishlei 22:9).

462. Here we ought to understand the verse ending thoroughly, for it goes on to say "for he gives of his bread to the poor" (Ibid.). You may disagree with it THAT THE BEGINNING OF THE VERSE SPEAKS OF THE BLESSING AFTER THE MEAL, AND has no connection to the end, and the end has no connection to the beginning. But a man of benevolent eye, as we said, assuredly blesses gladly with a benign eye, and not for no reason does he joyously bless, for from that blessing and joy, "he gives of his bread to the poor," namely, to the place which needs sustenance from all sides, RIGHT AND LEFT, a place that has nothing to itself, but enjoys on all sides, and is included on all sides. THIS IS MALCHUT, WHICH IS THEREFORE CALLED POOR, OF WHICH IS SAID "FOR HE GIVES OF HIS BREAD TO THE POOR." These words are told solely to the wise men who know the high mysteries and the ways of the Torah.

463. Come and see, Boaz had a benevolent eye. He was never impudent. It is written: "he went to lie down at the end of the heap" (Rut 3:7). This is the secret of "your belly is like a heap of wheat" (Shir Hashirim 7:3), ALLUDING TO MALCHUT. MALCHUT IS FOUND EVEN AT THE END OF THE HEAP. From this I learned that whoever says the blessing over food properly, with joy, willingly, when he ascends from this world, a place is prepared for him amidst the high secrets, in the Temples OF MALCHUT CALLED HEAP, TO WHICH THE VERSE ALLUDES. "HE WENT TO LIE" AFTER PASSING FROM THE WORLD "AT THE END OF THE HEAP," WHICH IS MALCHUT. Happy is the man who observes the precepts of his Master, and knows their secret meanings, for from each precept, many high secrets, and high lights and radiance's are suspended. And people do not know nor care for the glory of their Master. Happy is the portion of the righteous, those who are occupied in the Torah. Happy are they in this world and the World to Come.

464. Come and see, it is said that all the impudent without shame have no portion in this world or in the World to Come. All the impudent in Yisrael, when they looked upon the plate, their heart broke and they searched their deeds. Since the plate was based on a letter, AS 'HOLY TO HASHEM' WAS ENGRAVED ON IT and whoever looked at it, felt ashamed for what he has done; thus the plate atoned for the impudent and shameless.

465. The letters of the secret of the Holy Name engraved upon the plate shone with glittering emitting light. Whoever looked upon the radiance of the letters, his face would fall in terror, and his heart would break. Then the plate atones for them that way, for it caused their heart to break and them to surrender before their Master.