תורה 61

6. This mitigates all the constrictions, which are the severe judgments. Wherever there is some severe judgment and constriction, it is mitigated by rectification of faith in the sages, since through this books of the holy Torah proliferate.

All mitigation, of all the constrictions and severe judgments, is by means of the intellect, for “they are all purified in the mind” (cf. Zohar II, 254b). That is, the intellect is the root of the severe judgments. severe judgments are mitigated there, since a severe judgment is mitigated only at its root. Thus each severe judgment and constriction must be mitigated by the intellect that appertains to it, since that is its root.

Although for each constriction there is an intellect through which it is mitigated, there is an Upper Wisdom, in which all the [types of] wisdom are encompassed and from which they receive. Thus all severe judgments are mitigated there. With the individual intellects, mitigation is possible only through the intellect that specifically appertains to that constriction, since that is its root. But through the aspect of Upper Wisdom, since it comprises them all, all the constrictions and all severe judgments are mitigated there.

And [this requires proliferation of] the Torah, which stems from Upper Wisdom, as in “Torah emerges from Upper Wisdom” (Zohar II, 62a). But it can receive from Upper Wisdom only when it is whole. The Torah is made whole by means of the Oral Law, for the Written Law is made whole only through the Oral Law. Therefore, by means of the aforementioned books that gain renewed meaning through dispute—in the aspect of “and let the one who argues with me write a book”; the aspect of “the making of many books is without limit”—the Torah is made whole.

Then, the Torah is in the aspect of “the stone Tablets” (Exodus 24:12), which receive illumination from the aspect of the Foundation Stone. Each thing in the world has a different contraction, in quantity or quality. And all the contractions in the world are recorded in the Foundation Stone, from which the world was founded and from which they all receive. Thus all severe judgments are mitigated there, because it is the aspect of Upper Wisdom, the aspect of holy of holies. For the intellect is called holy, and all [the individual intellects] receive from and are encompassed in the aspect of holy of holies—the aspect of Upper Wisdom, which comprises them all. Thus the mitigation of all severe judgments, individually and collectively, is from there.

For even when we mitigate an individual severe judgment through whichever intellect of whichever constriction, we must draw strength also from the aforementioned Upper Intellect, in order for this individual intellect to have the strength to mitigate severe judgment. The same is true collectively. It is impossible to mitigate all severe judgments [through the intellect of] any constriction, no matter which it is; it can be done only through the aspect of Upper Intellect/holy of holies/Foundation Stone, as explained above.

And when the Torah is made whole by the aforementioned books, it receives from Upper Wisdom, in the aspect of the stone Tablets [receiving from] the aspect of the Foundation Stone. It then sends an influx into all the [types of] wisdom, and all severe judgments are mitigated, in the aspect of “He will send your help from the Holy” (Psalms 20:3). That is, the main help and salvation, which is the aspect of mitigating severe judgments, is from “the Holy”—i.e., by means of the intellect, which is called holy, as is known.

{“Here is my record! Let the Almighty answer for me; and let the one who argues with me write a book” (Job 31:35).} Hence the letters of SheTiYaH are an acronym of “Hain Tavi Shadai Yaanaini (Here is my record! Let the Almighty answer for me).”

Hain Tavi Shadai [Yaanaini]— This is the aspect of all the recorded constrictions being mitigated by means of their entering SheTiYaH, the aspect of the aforementioned Foundation Stone. And this is:

answer for me—The aspect of mitigation, in the aspect of “He will send your help from the Holy,” as explained above. And this is:

Here is my record! Let the Almighty answer for me ; and let the one who argues with me write a book—“Write a book” alludes to the proliferation of books that comes about through dispute, for then the Torah is whole and receives from the all-encompassing intelligence, from Upper Wisdom, which is the aspect of the Foundation Stone, as explained above. This leads to “Hain Tavi Shadai Yaanaini”—the aspect of mitigation by means of the aspect of the stone Tablets that receive from the Foundation Stone, as explained above.