The first palace is “The Sapphire Brick,” which is Yesod de Malchut (a Heichal [palace] is called Malchut).
“A woman of valor” is Malchut of Atzilut. “A harlot woman” is Malchut of Tuma’a [impurity].
At that time, Israel clung to a harlot woman and the Creator said to Hosea to take a harlot woman so as to know to what Israel clung. This is regarded as extension of Hochma from above downward.
The palace of the sapphire brick is the first of which it was said, “And they saw the God of Israel,” for in Malchut there is the matter of seeing. The appointee over the palace, who stands at the door, is called Tahariel. If the soul, after one’s parting from this world, is worthy, he lets her in. If the soul is unworthy, the appointee of the SitraAchra lets her into the palaces of Tuma’a and she is sentenced for twelve months.
Also, the appointee of the Kedusha [holiness], if she is a “prayer of many,” he lets in the prayer, where she is detained until all the prayers there become a crown on the head of the “Righteous One Who Lives Forever,” called Yesod.
If she is a prayer of an individual, if she is “handsome,” he lets her in. If not, he rejects her outside and she stands in the bottom firmament, of those firmaments below, which guide in the world. The appointee Sahadiel stands there and takes all the disqualified prayers and conceals them until a person repents.
If the person repents and prays a good prayer, the appointee takes the disqualified prayer and raises her to the good prayer, they merge together, and come before the Holy King. Sometimes, if a person is following the Sitra Achra, the appointee of the Sitra Achra takes the prayer and mentions man’s iniquities before the Creator and slanders him.
Above the door of that palace is an opening that the Creator dug from judgments of the key. It opens three times a day, meaning that three lines shine there, and the door does not close.
Everyone need permission to enter, except for the gates of tears, which were not locked. When that prayer ascends, an angel called Ofan, whose name is Yerachmiel, takes the prayer, which through the prayer connects above.