Behold, it is written:1 “The Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice.” The use of the term “justice” is exact, because justice is the intermediate attribute that blends and includes the two opposites of Chessed and Gevurah in varied and multitudinous ways. It is identified with the sublime attribute of Malchus, which is called “King” over all the higher and lower worlds, including this lowly physical world. Concerning this, it is said:2 “The King establishes the land with justice,” i.e., with the intermediate attribute, which is called truth, i.e., it is neither solely kindness, nor solely judgment.3

This pattern is similar to that which is manifest on the earthly plane. According to the extent of the greatness of [a king’s] sovereignty over his entire kingdom, the character of his leadership of his kingdom reflects an integration of Chessed and Gevurah. Were he to display an excessive measure of kindness, there would be an increase in robbers, tricksters, and deceivers;4 “a man would swallow his fellow alive.”5 Conversely, were he to display and conduct himself excessively with the attribute of judgment, he would judge even a righteous man as guilty, as explained above. The righteous would perish together with the wicked and much innocent blood would be shed. Therefore “the king must establish the land with justice,” with the intermediate quality that is called truth. [Exercise of this quality] will “establish the land,” enabling its existence to be firmly maintained.

By and large, for this quality of balanced justice to be established in a manner that is genuinely true, it is only fitting and possible for it to be exercised by a king and not by anyone else, because the [balanced] attribute of Malchus of Atzilus shines within him. [Malchus] is the last of the ten Sefiros and is positioned below the middle vector, as explained above. [Thus] it is through this quality that all the sublime influences are drawn down through it from the three emotional attributes, i.e., Chessed and Gevurah which are included in the attribute of Tiferes that is identified as Truth. From this interrelation and blending, these [influences] are drawn down through [the king’s] attribute of Malchus to conduct the world in a blend of kindness and judgment. For the kingdom of the earth is truly comparable to the kingdom of heaven,6 for the reason explained above.

[The above] is implied by the verse:7 “My son, fear G‑d and the king,” equating the fear of G‑d and the kingdom of Heaven with the fear of a king on the earthly plane. [And the verse proceeds to warn:] “With those who divide” — who differentiate and make a distinction between the two — “do not associate,” because they will separate you from the fear of G‑d, because [the two] are indeed one. For the light of the heavenly attribute of kingship shines within a king on the earthly plane, [enabling] him to “establish the land with justice,” stemming from truth, as it is written: “The Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice.”

For this reason, it is a mitzvah to pray for the wellbeing (shalom)of the ruling kingdom,3 for it is drawn down from the wellbeing of the sublime King Who is identified as “the King Who possesses peace.”8

On this basis, we can appreciate the charge:9 “And you shall seek out the wellbeing of the city [to which I have exiled you], for it is through its wellbeing that wellbeing will be granted to you.” From [the ruling authority on this earthly plane] will flow light and influence to every person for that reason.

This is also the reason that the Talmud rules:10 “The law of the ruling kingdom is [our] law,” i.e., the law of the sublime King in our holy Torah.11 And for this reason, one is obligated to recite a blessing — and include mention of G‑d’s name and kingship — [praising G‑d] “Who has apportioned from His [sublime] honor,” when he sees a [mortal] king.12