It could be said that the interpretation of the statement “I will choose the king” (offered in secs. 7-8),וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר, דְּפֵרוּשׁ זֶה בַּ'אֲנָא נָסֵיב מַלְכָּא'
– that “the clever person” does not desire the levels (of holiness) that exist in the spiritual realms Above,שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה בְּהַדַּרְגּוֹת (דִּקְדֻשָּׁה) שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה
but rather desires G‑d’s Essence –אֶלָּא בְּהָעַצְמוּת,
and the simple interpretation of that statementוְהַפֵּרוּשׁ דַּאֲנָא נָסֵיב מַלְכָּא כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ
(that he does not serve the stars and the constellations, i.e., the intermediaries that G‑d has established through which He conveys sustenance to the world and which the pagans worshiped as deities, as explained in secs. 3-4),(שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹבֵד לְהַכּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת),
are interrelated.שַׁיָּכִים זֶה לָזֶה.
Their interrelation can be understood according to the well-known explanation1 that the love for G‑d intimated by the verse, “Whom have I in heaven but You?”וְיוּבַן זֶה עַל פִּי הַיָּדוּעַ שֶׁהָאַהֲבָה דְּ"מִי לִי בַשָּׁמָיִם"
– i.e., that he does not desire the revelations of Gan Eden, but rather desires G‑d’s Essence –שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה בְּהַגִּלּוּיִים דְּגַן עֵדֶן אֶלָּא בְּעַצְמוּת אוֹר אֵין סוֹף,
stems from the person’s willingness to rise above self-concern. As will be explained, the self-concern of a person who desires the revelations of Gan Eden is on an elevated level. He does not desire physical things, but rather to behold the radiance of G‑d’s Presence. Ultimately, however, his desire is for his own personal satisfaction; spiritual satisfaction to be sure, but satisfaction nonetheless.
In Gan Eden, one’s soul remains a distinct entity that will comprehend and delight in G‑dlinessאַף שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן יִשָּׁאֵר בִּמְצִיאוּתוֹ וְיִהְיֶה לוֹ הַשָּׂגָה וְתַעֲנוּג בֵּאלֹקוּת
(as our Sages state:2 in Gan Eden, the souls “take pleasure in the radiance of the Divine Presence”).(נֶהֱנִים מִזִּיו הַשְּׁכִינָה)
The revelation of G‑d’s Essence, by contrast, will cause a person’s existence to be nullified entirely.מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן מִצַּד הַגִּלּוּי דְּעַצְמוּת אוֹר אֵין סוֹף יִתְבַּטֵּל מִמַּדְרֵגָתוֹ,
Nevertheless, since the revelations of Gan Eden are merely a rayמִכָּל מָקוֹם, מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁהַגִּלּוּי דְּגַן עֵדֶן הוּא רַק הֶאָרָה בִּלְבַד
(“the radiance of G‑d’s Presence”)(זִיו הַשְּׁכִינָה),
which cannot be compared to G‑d’s Essence,שֶׁבְּאֵין עֲרוֹךְ לְגַבֵּי עַצְמוּת אוֹר אֵין סוֹף,
“the clever person” chooses what is of primary importance, i.e., G‑d’s Essence, and not what is secondary, i.e., the radiance of His light.הוּא בּוֹחֵר בְּהָעִקָּר וְלֹא בְּהַטָּפֵל.
From this explanation, one can understand that when one chooses the revelations of Gan Edenוּמִזֶּה מוּבָן, דְּכַאֲשֶׁר הוּא בּוֹחֵר בְּהַגִּלּוּיִים דְּגַן עֵדֶן
(which have no importance at all in relation to G‑d’s Essence),(שֶׁהֵם כְּלָא חֲשִׁיב לְגַבֵּי עַצְמוּת אוֹר אֵין סוֹף)
he is doing so for the sake of his self-interest3בִּשְׁבִיל הַלְּגַרְמֵיהּ שֶׁלּוֹ,
so that he can retain his iden­tity and derive satisfaction from the radiance of the Divine Presence.בִּכְדֵי שֶׁיִּשָּׁאֵר בִּמְצִיאוּתוֹ וְיֵהָנֶה מִזִּיו הַשְּׁכִינָה,
As a consequence, the possibility exists that this will lead (through a long sequence of chainlike descents)אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיָּבוֹא מִזֶּה (עַל יְדֵי רִבּוּי הִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת וְכוּ')
to the approach that although the person knows that the largesse conveyed by the seventy patron angels comes from the place of deathדַּהֲגַם שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהַהַשְׁפָּעָה שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הָע׳ שָׂרִים הִיא נִמְשֶׁכֶת מִמְּקוֹם הַמָּוֶת
(as explained at the end of sec. 5),(כַּנַּ"ל סוֹף סְעִיף ה),
he nevertheless desires this largesse more than deriving his sustenance from holiness,מִכָּל מָקוֹם יִרְצֶה בְּהַשְׁפָּעָה זוֹ יוֹתֵר מִבְּהַהַשְׁפָּעָה שֶׁמֵּהַקְּדֻשָּׁה,
because in this manner, he will receive greater abundance.בִּכְדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ שֶׁפַע בְּרִבּוּי.
I.e., the desire for the radiance of the Divine Presence reflects an elevated plane of spiritual awareness, while the desire for prosperity bestowed by the seventy patron angels stems from base material desire. Nevertheless, they share a common factor: self-concern.
Now, self-concern is a slippery slope. When a person is motivated by self-concern, even if that self-concern is on a refined level, it is entirely possible that ultimately, he will find himself expressing his self-concern on a lower – and even base – level.
Similar concepts apply regarding the error of those who serve the stars and the constellations because they consider them as significant entitiesוְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה הוּא גַּם בְּנוֹגֵעַ לְהַטָּעוּת שֶׁל הָעוֹבְדִים לְכוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת שֶׁמְּחַשְּׁבִים אוֹתָם לִמְצִיאוּת
(either because they think that the prosperitycomes from the stars and the constellations themselves(שֶׁהַהַשְׁפָּעָה בָּאָה מֵהַכּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת עַצְמָם,
or because they maintain that the stars and the constellations have the choice to convey prosperity). (See sec. 3 above.)אוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם בְּחִירָה עַל כָּל פָּנִים לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ).
Here, too, the mistaken perspective of one who desires the revelations of Gan Eden and not G‑d’s Essenceדְּמִזֶּה שֶׁרוֹצֶה בְּהַגִּלּוּיִים דְּגַן עֵדֶן וְלֹא בְּעַצְמוּת אוֹר אֵין סוֹף,
– i.e., he considers something outside of G‑d’s Essence as important –הַיְינוּ שֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן חֲשִׁיבוּת לְעִנְיָן שֶׁמִּחוּץ לְהָעַצְמוּת,
can ultimately lead himאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיָּבוֹא מִזֶּה
(through a long sequence of chainlike descents)(עַל יְדֵי רִבּוּי הִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת וְכוּ')
to consider the stars and the constellations as important –שֶׁיִּתֵּן חֲשִׁיבוּת לְהַכּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת,
Previously, the maamar spoke from an emotional perspective: i.e., what the person desires. Now, it is speaking from an intellectual perspective: what the person considers important.
and to think that they have free choice,שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם בְּחִירָה בְּהַשְׁפָּעָתָם,
or to make an even greater error and think that they themselves are the source of the prosperity, Heaven forbid.וִיתֵרָה מִזּוֹ שֶׁהַהַשְׁפָּעָה הִיא מֵהֶם עַצְמָם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.
Moreover, one may say that even when a person desires Gan Eden because it is the Gan Eden of the Holy One, blessed be He, (“Your Gan Eden,”) (see the explanation of the quote of the Alter Rebbe mentioned in sec. 8)וְיֵשׁ לְהוֹסִיף, דְּגַם כְּשֶׁרְצוֹנוֹ בְּגַן עֵדֶן הוּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא גַּן עֵדֶן שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא ("דַאיְין גַּן עֵדֶן"),
it is still possible to come to the error that the stars and the constellationsגַּם אָז אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיָּבוֹא מִזֶּה הַטָּעוּת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם (לְהַכּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת)
have the choice of whether or not to convey prosperityבְּחִירָה לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ
and even to the error that they are the source of the prosperity.וְעַד לְהַטָּעוּת שֶׁהַהַשְׁפָּעָה הִיא מֵהֶם עַצְמָם,
For even according to this mistaken thinking, the power that the stars and the constellations have to provide beneficenceמִכֵּיוָן שֶׁגַּם לְפִי טָעוּת זוֹ הַכֹּחַ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ
is (not because of their inherent capacityהוּא (לֹא מִצַּד עַצְמָם
but) stems from the fact that the Holy One, blessed be He, appointed them to serve this function,אֶלָּא) מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִנָּה אוֹתָם עַל זֶה
as explained in sec. 3 above.כַּנַּ"ל סְעִיף ג
(Thus there is a commonality between this mistaken approach and the desire for “Your Gan Eden.”)(בְּדֻגְמַת "דַאיְין גַּן עֵדֶן").
For, in both instances, there is an intermediate level which, though connected to G‑d, is not Him.
The approach that does not even allow for the possibility that “I will choose a duke”וּבִכְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה שׁוּם נְתִינַת מָקוֹם לַאֲנָא נָסֵיב דֻּכָּסִין וְכוּ'
comes from arousing oneselfהוּא עַל יְדֵי שֶׁיְּעוֹרֵר אֶצְלוֹ
(for this, at least in microcosm,(מֵעֵין וְשֶׁמֶץ עַל כָּל פָּנִים,
is within the potential of every Jew, as will be explained) (see secs. 11-13)שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּכֹחוֹ שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, כְּדִלְקַמָּן)
so that he does not desire even “Your Gan Eden,”שֶׁלֹּא לִרְצוֹת אֲפִלּוּ "דַאיְין גַּן עֵדֶן",
rather he wants “nothing but You alone.”כִּי אִם "מֶער נִיט אַז דִיךְ אַלֵיין".

Summary

The statement “I will choose the king” is interpreted to mean:
a)that “the clever person” does not desire the levels (of holiness) that exist in the spiritual realms above, but rather G‑d’s Essence; and
b)on a more basic level, that he does not serve the intermediaries that G‑d has established to convey sustenance to the world, but he serves G‑d Himself.
These two interpretations are interrelated. In both instances, the choice of something other than G‑d is motivated by self-concern. The revelation of G‑d’s Essence causes a person’s existence to be nullified entirely. By contrast, when one chooses the revelations of Gan Eden, he is doing so for the sake of his self-interest, so that he can retain his iden­tity and derive satisfaction from the radiance of the Divine Presence. As a consequence, the possibility exists that this will lead to the approach that although the person knows that the largesse conveyed by the seventy patron angels comes from the place of death, he never­theless desires this largesse more than deriving his sustenance from holiness, because in this manner, he will receive greater abundance.
Similar concepts apply regarding the error of those who serve the stars and the constellations because they consider them as significant entities. Here, too, the mistaken perspective of one who desires the revelations of Gan Eden and not G‑d’s Essence – i.e., he considers something outside of G‑d’s Essence as important – can ultimately lead him to consider the stars and the constellations as important, and to think that they have free choice. Or it can lead to an even greater error, thinking that the intermediaries themselves are the source of prosperity.