The Unification of Kindness and Severity
The idea of Shov-Returning to reveal Hashem in the world is connected to the idea of Kindness, which is to give from a higher level to a lower level, from Light Above to shine into our world below through Torah and Mitzvos.
Just as Tiferes unifies Kindness and Severity in general, it unifies these two aspects of Kindness and Severity, namely, Ratzo and Shov. It does so by revealing the Infinite Light of Hashem that contains both aspects of Ratzo and Shov, showing how they, together, fulfill the greater plan and desire of Hashem of having a dwelling in the physical world.
Rabbi Akiva was able to see this greater plan and desire of Hashem that includes both Ratzo and Shov together, and was therefore able to plan out his Ratzo elevation in such a way that it would lead to Shov brining that deeper awareness and energy back into this world.
Therefore, his elevation from below, his manner of ‘entering the Pardeis, was measured and proportionate to how he planned to exit the Pardeis, in a manner of Ratzo V’Shov.
He “entered in peace” in his elevation from below to Above, and “exited in peace,” in his bringing back that revelation from Above to below, which is Shov-Returning.
Unlike Ben Azai, who’s soul was from the level of Tohu, where there are only two Channel, as explained above regarding Yaakov, that “he split his group into two camps.”
We explained above, in chapter 3, that in each Sefira of Tohu there only two aspects: The Sefira itself, and anything else besides for the Sefira, which is taking away room for this Sefira. This is contrast to the Sefiros of Tikkun, where each Sefira has three aspects: The Sefira itself, the other Sefiros, and how it and all the other Sefiros together are part of something much greater, the Infinite Light of Hashem.
Because the Sefiros of Tohu lacked that third aspect of seeing how they are part of a bigger picture, they were able to have an unlimited Ratzo, to the point of the Light completely leaving the vessels of the Sefiros.
This is similar to a person who doesn’t see everything in his life is part of a bigger picture of Hashem’s plan, and can therefore go off the deep end in davening and forget about revealing Hashem in the world, since his greatest enjoyment is just to leave the world and return to his source in Hashem.
Because of this, there was no balanced and proportionate connection between his Ratzo and Shov, and Ben Azai “glimpsed as died” since there was an overpowering Ratzo and the surge of the soul to leave the body was so powerful that it caused the soul to separate from the body, leading to Ben Azai’s death.
