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היאך ירגיל האדם עצמו במדות המלכות: להשפיל את עצמו: רִאשׁוֹנָה לְכֻלָּן שֶׁלֹּא יִתְגָּאֶה לִבּוֹ בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ, וְיָשִׂים עַצְמוֹ תָּמִיד כְּעָנִי וְיַעֲמִיד עַצְמוֹ לִפְנֵי קוֹנוֹ כְּדַל שׁוֹאֵל וּמִתְחַנֵּן. וּלְהַרְגִּיל עַצְמוֹ בְּמִדָּה זוֹ אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עָשִׁיר יַחְשֹׁב שֶּׁאֵין דָּבֵק עִמּוֹ מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ מְאוּמָה וְהוּא נֶעֱזָב צָרִיךְ לְרַחֲמֵי הַבּוֹרֵא תָמִיד, שֶּׁאֵין לוֹ כָּל דָּבָר אֶלָּא הַלֶּחֶם אֲשֶׁר אֹכֵל, וְיַכְנִיעַ לְבָבוֹ וְיֵעָנִי עַצְמוֹ, וּמַה גַּם בְּעֵת תְּפִלּוֹתָיו שֶׁזּוֹ סְגֻלָּה נִפְלָאָה, וּלְהֵפֶךְ מִזֶּה נֶאֱמַר (דְּבָרִים ח, יד): “וְרָם לְבָבֶךָ וְשָׁכַחְתָּ” שֶׁהַשִּׁכְחָה הַחִצוֹנִית מְצוּיָה שָׁם. וְדָוִד הִתְנַהֵג בְּמִדָּה זוֹ הַרְבֵּה שֶׁאָמַר (תְּהִלִּים כה, טז): “כִּי יָחִיד וְעָנִי אָנִי”, שֶׁהֲרֵי כָּל אַנְשֵׁי בֵיתוֹ כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד צָרִיךְ לְהֵעָזֵר לְעַצְמוֹ, מַה כֻלָּם אֵלָיו אֲפִלּוּ אִשְׁתּוֹ וּבָנָיו מַה יֹּעִילוּהוּ בִּהְיוֹתוֹ נִשְׁפָּט לִפְנֵי הַבּוֹרֵא אוֹ בְּעֵת סִלּוּק נִשְׁמָתוֹ, כְּלוּם יְלַוּוּהוּ אֶלָּא עַד קִבְרוֹ. מָה הֵם לוֹ בְּעֵת דִּינָיו מִפֶּתַח הַקֶּבֶר וְאֵילָךְ, לְפִיכָךְ יַשְׁפִּיל וִיתַקֵּן עַצְמוֹ בְּסוֹד הַמִּדָּה הַזֹּאת.
Chapter 9 – How a person can accustom himself with the trait of kingship (malkhut): To lower himself – that his heart not become haughty, he [should] first of all always make himself like a poor person in front of his Maker, like an indigent requesting and begging. To accustom himself to this trait – even if he is rich – he [should] think that there is not a thing that is attached to him from all that he has; and he [is] forsaken and always needs the mercy of the Creator, since he has nothing besides the bread that he eats. And he [should] subdue his heart and afflict himself. And even more so at the time of his prayers, as it is a wonderful device. And [about] the opposite of this is it stated (Deuteronomy 8:14), “And your heart will rise and you will forget” – as external forgetfulness is found there. And David supplicated with this trait much, as he stated (Psalms 25:16), “for I am alone and poor.” As behold, each and every one of the people of his household needs to help himself – what are they [then] to him? And even his wife and children, what will they help him when he is judged in front of the Creator or at the time that his soul is withdrawn? Will they accompany him any [further] than to his grave? What are they for him at the time of his judgments from the opening of the grave and beyond? Hence, he [should] lower and refine himself with the secret of this trait.
לצאת לגלות: עוֹד שְׁנִיָּה פֵּרְשׁוּ בְּסֵפֶר הַזֹּהַר (וַיַּקְהֵל, קצ”ח:) וְהִיא חֲשׁוּבָה מְאֹד, יִגְלֶה מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, וּבָזֶה יֵעָשֶׂה מֶרְכָּבָה אֶל הַשְּׁכִינָה הַגּוֹלָה. וִידַמֶּה עַצְמוֹ הֲרֵי אֲנִי גָלִיתִי וַהֲרֵי כְּלֵי תַשְׁמִישַׁי עִמִּי, מַה יַעֲשֶׂה כְּבוֹד גָּבוֹהַּ שֶׁגָּלְתָה שְׁכִינָה וְכֵלֶיהָ אֵינָם עִמָּהּ, שֶׁחָסְרוּ בְּסִבַּת הַגָּלוּת. וְלָזֶה יְמַעֵט בְּכֵלָיו בְּכָל יְכָלְתּוֹ כְּדִכְתִיב (יִרְמִיָה מו, יט): “כְּלֵי גוֹלָה עֲשִׂי לָךְ” וְיַכְנִיעַ לְבָבוֹ בַּגּוֹלָה וְיִתְקַשֵּׁר בַּתּוֹרָה, וְאָז שְׁכִינָה עִמּוֹ, וַיַּעֲשֶׂה לְעַצְמוֹ גֵּרוּשִׁין וְיִתְגָּרֵשׁ מִבֵּית מְנֻחָתוֹ תָּמִיד כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהָיוּ מִתְגָּרְשִׁים רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וַחֲבֵרָיו וְעוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה. וּמַה גַּם אִם יְכַתֵּת רַגְלָיו מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם בְּלִי סוּס וָרֶכֶב, עָלָיו נֶאֱמַר (תְּהִלִּים קמו, ה): “שִׂבְרוֹ עַל ה’ אֱלֹהָיו”, וּפֵרְשׁוּ בוֹ (שָׁם עַמּוּד א’) לְשׁוֹן שֶׁבֶר שֶׁהוּא מְשַׁבֵּר גּוּפוֹ לִכְבוֹד גָּבוֹהַּ.
To go into exile: There is a second [method] that they explained in the Book of the Zohar (Vayekhel, 198b) and it is very important – that he [should] exile himself from place to place for the sake of the Heavens. And through this, he will become a chariot for the exiled Divine Presence. And he [should] compare himself, “Behold I am in exile and behold I have all of the vessels [that I need] with me; what does the honor of the Higher Realm do, as the Divine Presence was exiled, but her vessels are not with Her – as they were removed on account of the exile?” And so he [should] minimize his vessels with all of his ability, as it is written (Jeremiah 46:19), “Vessels of an exile make for yourself.” And he [should] subdue his heart in the exile and connect to Torah; and then the Divine Presence will be with him. And he [should] make for himself an expulsion, and always expel himself from the house of his resting, in the way that Rabbi Shimon and his colleagues would expel themselves and occupy themselves with Torah. And all the more so if he can pound his feet from place to place without a horse and wagon. About [such a one] is it stated (Psalms 146:5), “his hope (sivro) is to the Lord, his God” – and they explained (Zohar, Vayekhel, 198a) about it, that it is an expression of breaking (shever) – such that he breaks his body for the honor of the Higher Realm.