It could be said that the interpretation1 of the statement “I will choose the king” — that [“the clever person”] does not desire the levels (of holiness) that exist in the spiritual realms above, but rather desires G‑d’s Essence — and the simple interpretation of that statement (that he does not serve the stars and the constellations)2 are interrelated. Their interrelation can be understood according to the well-known explanation3 that the love [for G‑d] intimated by the verse, “Whom have I in heaven [but You]?”4 — i.e., that he does not desire the revelations of Gan Eden, but rather desires G‑d’s Essence — [stems from the person’s willingness to rise above self-concern].5 In Gan Eden, one’s soul remains a distinct entity that will comprehend and delight in G‑dliness ([as our Sages state:6 in Gan Eden, the souls] “take pleasure in the radiance of the Divine presence”). The revelation of G‑d’s Essence, by contrast, will cause a person’s existence to be nullified entirely. Nevertheless, since the revelations of Gan Eden are merely a ray (“the radiance of G‑d’s presence”) which cannot be compared to G‑d’s Essence, [“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].

From this [explanation], one can understand that when one chooses the revelations of Gan Eden (which have no importance at all in relation to G‑d’s Essence), [he is doing so] for the sake of his self-interest7 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 (through a long sequence of chainlike descents) to the approach that although the person knows that the influence conveyed by the 70 patron angels comes from the place of death (as explained at the end of sec. 5), he nevertheless desires this influence more than influence from holiness, because in this manner, he will receive greater abundance.8

Similar concepts apply with regard to the error of those who serve the stars and the constellations because they think them to be significant entities (either because they think that the influence comes from the stars and the constellations themselves or because [they maintain that] the stars and the constellations have the choice to convey influence).9 [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 (through a long sequence of chainlike descents) him to consider the stars and the constellations as important,10 to think that they have free choice, or that they themselves are the source of the influence, Heaven forbid.

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,”11 ) it is still possible to come to the error that the stars and the constellations have the choice of whether [or not] to convey influence and even to the error that they are the source of the influence. For even according to this mistaken thinking, the power that the stars and the constellations have to provide influence (is not their independent province), but rather stems from the fact that the Holy One, blessed be He, appointed them to serve this function, as explained in sec. 3 above. (Thus there is a commonality [between this mistaken approach and the desire for] “Your Gan Eden.”)12

The approach that does not even allow for the possibility that “I will choose the duke” comes from arousing oneself (which at least in microcosm is within the potential of every Jew, as will be explained)13 so that he does not desire [even] “Your Gan Eden,” but “nothing but You alone.”