Chapter 152

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