The cause of the Egyptian exile was that they did not know what they lacked,¹ as is explained in the writings of the Arizal; for in the Egyptian exile, [their] da'at left them. Thus, the verse says about Moses (at the burning bush), "And G-d saw that he turned to see" (Exodus 3:4).

Thus, they were in exile under the rule of Pharaoh, who is the aspect of the neck, which is the place of forgetfulness.² Pharaoh said, "I do not know G-d," which is the opposite of da'at. [The exile continued] until the aspect of Moses was revealed in the world, the aspect of da'at. Then, "the king of Egypt died" (ibid. 2:23), which is Pharaoh, the neck. Forgetfulness was lifted, and the aspect of da'at came into the world. Then they realized their shortcomings, and "The children of Israel cried out from their labor" (ibid.). They realized that they were lacking in the service of G-d. "And their cries rose to G-d from their labor." All of this was because of Moses: "And Moses was a shepherd" (ibid.).³

Therefore, since the essence of the Egyptian exile was the removal of da'at, which was a spiritual exile, the aspect of forgetfulness and their inability to recognize their own shortcomings, it also became a physical exile. This is not true of one who recognizes his own shortcomings by means of da'at. For then, he can repent and fix what he lacks, and speed the final redemption. Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Pekudei

¹The recognition of one's faults is the first step in coming to deliverance, since one can then cry out to G-d over what one is lacking. This is a common theme in the writings of R. Yaakov Yitzchok of Polnoye.

²The root letters of the word Pharaoh, , also constitute the letters of the word "neck," oref, . In Kabbalah, the face always corresponds to that which gives illumination. The Hebrew word for face, panim, is the same as the word for "interiority," penim, for the face reveals the soul. The "back" always represents that which conceals, for little can be discerned by seeing someone's back. Based upon the coordinates of the sefirot and the human body, Da'at corresponds to the throat, for the throat is the passageway that unites the mind and the heart - a function of da'at. Moses corresponds to da'at, the throat, and illumination, whereas Pharaoh corresponds to the back of the neck, exile and concealment. (Thus, according to the Midrash, Pharaoh sought to cut off Moses' head.)

³Moses was the aspect of da'at, and when he came to redeem the Israelites, he invested them with da'at as well. 

9-d10  Chochmah, the location of thought, is the aspect of Judgment. 

To purify your thoughts, concentrate on the name כוז"ו.[1] Our Teacher and Master M.P.[2] wrote that this name is in Chochmah, the location of thought, which is the aspect of Judgment.[3] When spelled out in full, as follows, כ"ף וא"ו זי"ן וא"א, it has the numerical value of טפטפי"ה, the Name of thought.

Siddur Rabbi Shabsai

[1]This name is constructed from the four letters of the Hebrew alphabet that follow the letters of the Tetragrammaton: כ  follows י, ו follows ה, etc.. Rabbi Yitzchok Isaac of Komarno writes that this alludes to the heavenly dew that will revive the dead in the World to Come, for the word "dew" - tal - has the numerical value of 39, as does this Name. Each day, as well, there is a personal aspect of the Resurrection of the Dead, when the sparks of the Fallen Kings are enlivened. This happens by concentrating on the names טפטפי''ה כוזו כף ואו זין ואו. In the future, there will be a universal resurrection, through the influence of Mocha Setimah (the Concealed Mind), which is the Dew of Onyx Stone, that removes all impurity and enlivens all the souls and the Kings that died. (Zohar Chai, Terumah 176).

[2] This apparently refers to Rabbi Meir Popperas (1624-1662), author of the famous Kabbalistic work Pri Etz Chayim, based upon the writings of the Arizal.

[3]Din.

Kst 72

The Baal Shem Tov taught:[1]

Regarding thoughts, there are many different types of thoughts, some good, some evil. But even within falsehood there is truth, for the numerical value of falsehood - SheKeR - is 600, which is inclusive of truth - Emet - the numerical value of which is 441.[2]

[1] Ben Porath Yoseph 126c.

[2]This teaching is found in the quoted source immediately after the teaching of #71, and continues the same idea. All evil and falsehood conceals within it the good and the true, as alluded to by the numerical values - the numerical value of evil (280) is also greater than of good (17), the large difference perhaps implying that good is frequently extremely hidden within evil, whereas falsehood must contain a large amount of truth in order for it to be accepted.