Pardes Rimmonim 2

After we have written in the previous chapters [1 and 2] all the reasons that the commentators have written, some large, some small, and [after] we have raised objections to them according to what they taught us from the heavens, we have said to talk on this subject according to what will come up in our portion. And prior to every word we will say that ‘men I have seen [but] the answer I have not seen’ [allusion to Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 16a], as this question will not be enclosed from one of two ways: [1] If it is that the question of the reason of the ten [Sefirot] [is] for us as if to say: from where do we have evidence in the Torah or from close examination on what we have received. Or [2] this question will be to the Emanator En Sof, King of Kings, the Blessed One: why did He emanate ten and not another number. And to each one of these [questions] we will answer. If the question to us intends to say: from where do we have support to the received teaching that they are ten [Sefirot], as we might say that they [would be] twenty or five or one, actually this is not a question, as we have very many evidences in the Torah of Moses, revealing to us and making our eyes see these hidden mysteries. Be it in the creation of the world with ten utterances, be it in the giving of the Torah with the Ten Commandments, and King David with ten kinds of praises that are in the song “Praise God in His Sanctuary” [Psalms 150:1], with this [psalm] he closed his book. And this subject has already been explained before in tractate Rosh HaShanah [Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 32a], which we know well by heart there: ‘These ten kingships correspond to what? Rabbi said: “[they] correspond to ten praises which David spoke in the book of Psalms.” [An objection was raised:] “There were more praises.” [It is answered:] “[Only] those on which is written: ‘Praise him with the sound of the shofar’[Psalms 150:3]. Rabbi Yochanan said: “[they] correspond to the ten utterances with which the world was created”. These, which are they? [They are] “And He said…” “And He said…” in [the Book of] Genesis. [An objection is raised:] They were nine. [It is answered:] “In the beginning” [Genesis 1:1] is actually [also] an utterance, as is written: “With the word of HaShem the heavens were made” [Psalms 33:6].’ End of citation.

The truth [is] that this saying is apparently difficult in the subject of Rabbi Yochanan who settled that “In the beginning” is also an utterance.

And see, he is hinting at Chochmah/Wisdom, which is called “beginning”/Reshit, and the large [letter] Bet/ ב[the first letter Bet of Bereshit/בראשית is written large in the Torah, and it precedes the word Reshit/ראשית] hints at it [= Chochmah]. If this is so, even though ‘“In the beginning” is also an utterance’, still they are nine [because In the beginning refers to Chochmah, and when one starts to count the Sefirot downwards from Chochmah and leaves Keter out, one arrives at nine], and it is thus difficult. If this is so, what difficulty is there for him to object when the objection is that Chochmah was not [counted] in the number [of ten]? If this is so, there are eight, [which] he should have objected. And if the objection is that Keter was not [counted] in the number, if this is so, why was it accepted when he added Bereshit [to the number of utterances] etc., as he had to object although ‘Bereshit is also an utterance’, nevertheless, yet despite Bereshit [is added] there are nine, because Bereshit is Chochmah. Now this is a general question on the subject of the mentioned utterances in this [Talmudic] saying. And similarly, out of this objection we will force the view of Rabbi Shem Tov ben Shem Tov, the writer of the Book of Beliefs, whose expression we will copy in the Gate “Is En-Sof Keter?” [Gate III], chapter three. And it is the view of Da’at/Knowledge, as he thinks that Keter is not [counted] in the number of the Sefirot, but [that] the ten Sefirot are those from Chochmah downwards, and because they impelled the number [ten] he said that ‘we will innovate to it another Sefirah, and it is called Da’at/Knowledge, and it is below Chochmah and Bina, and above Chesed and Gevurah’. And we will extend [on this] there [in Gate III] on the subject. And now, according to his words it is found that the utterances only begin from Chochmah, and nevertheless they are nine without Bereshit, which is Chochmah, and they are ten with Bereshit which is Chochma. And because of the destruction that extends from this [Talmudic] saying, before we shall raise further remarks on it and shall explain it at all, it is necessary that we closely observe on the reparation of this subject, and we will say that this subject is impossible. As after Rabbi Shem Tov confesses by mouth that Da’at is the one that is mentioned in the verse (Proverbs 3:20) “With his Da’at the depths were split”, and similarly from what our sages of blessed memory said (Babylonian Talmud, Chagigah 12a, and there it is: ‘With ten matters the world was created, and the three from them are Wisdom/Chochmah etc.’[the Talmudic text slightly differs from what the author here cites]) ‘with three matters the world was created, with Wisdom/Chochmah and with Understanding/Tevunah and with Knowledge/Da’at’, this is forced out of the words of Rashbi of blessed memory [in the Zohar], that Da’at is the reality of Tif’eret that is hidden between Father [= Chochmah] and Mother [= Binah], and this is what is called ‘son of י"ה/Yah [Yod = Chochmah, He = Binah]’, as by means of it [= Da’at] [occurs] the unification of Chochmah and Binah, as we will extend on these subjects in this Gate [further].

See according to this, it is appropriate that we shall ask: how is this Da’at distinguished - when it is the hidden reality of Tif’eret that positions itself between Father and Mother, so that it is the actor of a [creative] utterance by itself -, from the other realities of the Sefirot that are not acting [creative] utterances, when already their existence [that is, that of Chochma, Bina, Chesed and Gevurah] preceded the existence of this Da’at, just as the reality of Binah hidden in Chochma, as just as Chochma acted by itself, it is appropriate similarly that Binah, which is hidden, would act [a creative utterance], and similarly the reality of Gevurah hidden in Binah, and the reality of Chesed hidden in Chochmah; it would have been fitting that each one of them would act one [creative] utterance besides the utterance that it has in the revealed reality [in which it is hidden], as in the way of Da’at and Tif’eret. And it is not to say that the reason that Da’at has acted a [creative] utterance by itself is because Da’at is the reality of Tif’eret in being the child of its [female] partner [= Malkut] at its side, and they are the reality of two great luminaries [= the sun and the moon, corresponding to Tif’eret and Malkut], and because they were united they acted both of them together one single [creative] utterance as the resemblance of the other Sefirot, truly after the accusation of the moon and [when] it was diminished and expelled, the luminaries were parted in two, and Tif’eret returned [to its former place] and acted a [creative] utterance by itself, and Malkut [acted] a [further] utterance by itself; as if this is so, why didn’t Tif’eret from the beginning act an utterance according to itself and Malkut [an utterance] to itself, when they were uniting [in] perfect union? As it is not possible to deny that there are two Sefirot, as if it were not so, but if they were only thought of as one Sefirah, if this were so, the [number of] Sefirot prior to the diminution [of the moon] would be found [to be] nine and not ten, as see, Malkut and Tif’eret they [would be] one Sefirah, and thus when it would return to its first place there would [also] be nine, and this denies the custom of this wisdom [= the Kabbalah] as we have explained in the previous gate.

And further, see, the Ten Words [given to Moses at Sinai] and the Ten Utterances, their subject is one, as is proven out of the [Talmudic] passage which we have cited above, and similarly it is proven in the Zohar, section Yitro [Zohar II:93b], and this is what it says: “These Ten Words of the Torah, they are the totality of all commandments of the Torah, totality of above and below, totality of all ten utterances of Bereshit” – End of citation.

And his saying [is] ‘totality of all commandments of the Torah’, because thus the Rashbi of blessed memory holds the opinion that the 613 commandments [of the Torah] are comprised in the Ten Words as is explained in parasha Yitro [of the Zohar], and similarly they are comprised in the Ten Utterances as is proven in parasha Bereshit [of the Zohar] and in the Tikkunim [Tikkunei Zohar]. And therefore, his saying [is] that the Ten Words are the totality of the commandments. And similarly, he said that they are the totality of the Ten Utterances. Explanation: everything that is explained in the Ten Utterances of the Work of Creation is explained [also] in the Ten Words that are in the giving of the Torah, in the eyes of those who understand. And now we will say, since the Ten Words and the Ten Utterances are all one thing, if this is so, how is it possible to say about the [Ten] Words [given at Mount Sinai] that they are unique, and [that] the Shechinah was expelled? As surely it [= the Shechinah/Malkut] had unified itself for the coupling [in the Work of Creation, when Malkut (the moon) and Tif’eret (the sun) were side by side], [and] it was not diminished, being still in the lap of her master, and if it was below [after the diminution of the moon] why are they ten? As see, Da’at was already hidden [at that moment, as the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai was after the Work of Creation, and thus Malkut and Tif’eret were separated], and it was not fitting that it would say a Word [= one of the Ten Words], because it had already hidden itself and the matter has not returned to its order [at the end of times, when Malkut and Tif’eret will be united again].

And further, could we say that if there was no diminution [of the moon] there would be only nine utterances? How strange, as the world would be diminished from its perfection [by] all subjects of the unique utterance [that would be lacking].

And further, since Da’at encompasses Malkut and Tif’eret, see, the utterance which said that this creation [of the two luminaries] has been created, why did it not create everything that was possible with the force of Malkut and what was possible with the force of Tif’eret? Since it [= Da’at] is the reality of their unification which is [of] them being two large luminaries [prior to the diminution of the moon], and why did a further creation remain for Malkut and Tif’eret after this, [as] if Da’at, which is more complete that the two of them [separate], lacked force?

And further, that we have many clear proofs that Bereshit is the utterance of upper Keter. The first one [is] in Sefer HaBahir [Sefer HaBahir 141-142], this is what it says: ‘What are these ten utterances? The first is upper Keter, blessed be it and blessed etc. Chochma is the second one as it is written’. See it reckons among the totality of utterances upper Keter, and it is the first of them all.

And further that the objection at first is not difficult and has no [force of] necessity, because when the word Bereshit is in Chochma, nevertheless the utterance [of it] is in Keter, and because of the delicacy of Keter and its proximity to its source that they do not attribute in it from the name of four [letters; the tetragram, where י refers to Chochma, ה to Bina,ו to the six lower Sefirot, and the final ה to Malkut] except the tip of the י/Yud, and similarly it is called א/Aleph (אלף), from the word of marvel (פלא), and it is called ‘talented, hidden and covered’ [Sefer HaBahir 71]], and when it is that the [letter] ב/Bet of Bereshit is the allusion to Chochma [because it indicates ‘two’, and after the first Keter comes Chochma], nevertheless its point indicates Keter. And similarly, the explanation of Rabbi Akiva [in the Alphabet of Rabbi Akiva], and this is what it says: ‘They said to Bet: who is your creator? And it points with its point towards the Aleph’. And the intention [is] that the Bet itself, which is Chochma, to teach [להויות should read להורות] that it is not the first stage for the emanation but that it is the second emanation, [therefore] it does have a point behind it to point to the Aleph as if teaching to those who asked her ‘who is your creator?’, meaning to say: [being asked] whether it was emanated by means of what was emanated [thus being the second emanation] or by means of the first emanator [thus being the first emanation], and [as an answer] it is showing with its point that it is the second emanation, and that the Aleph came before it, which is Keter, and now already it will be justified that the utterance ‘Bereshit’ is in Keter, although the word ‘Bereshit’ [itself] will allude to Chochma, since Keter was already alluded to somewhat by it, as we have explained. And the subject in the verse ‘Bereshit’ [the whole verse of Genesis 1:1] includes the whole of emanation [it first mentions all of creation (the heavens and the earth), and in the following verses the details of creation are described] , to teach concerning it [=Keter] that it is the emanator, meaning to say: with the force of En-Sof, and when this is so, Keter by itself is the emanator and the actor and the speaker of the [first] utterance. And thus, it is found that the majority of the utterances are comprised of all ten [utterances] and therefore in the word ‘Bereshit’ an allusion has come to Chochma, even though the root of the utterance is in Keter. And this is not surprising, as see, the Blessing of the Patriarchs [the first blessing of the Amidah Prayer] is in Chesed, but Chesed is not mentioned in it until “the God of Abraham” [as Abraham is linked to Chesed], and even “the God of Abraham” is in Chochma [as it (the God of Abraham) is a higher degree than Abraham], and it [= Chesed] is not mentioned actually, except in the word “the great God/האל הגדול” [גדולה/Gedula is another name of Chesed], except the conclusion [of the Blessing of the Patriarchs, where one says מָגֵן אַבְרָהָם, ‘Shield of Abraham’]. And similarly [is] the subject in the expression ‘Bereshit’, as it is appropriate that the word ‘Bereshit’ is in Chochma, and nevertheless the root of the utterance is in Keter but it is hidden, as is its custom. And nevertheless, it came with the allusion to the point of the [character] Bet as we have explained, and the intention [is]: Chochma which is in Keter.

And further, besides this, it is possible that to say that the Bet itself alludes to Keter, and the support to this is that the Bet of [the word] Bereshit is the Aleph of [Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakanah’s liturgical prayer] Ana beKoach, which is the name of forty-two [letters] as we will explain in the Gate of the details of the names [Gate XXI] with help of HaShem, and the Rashbi of blessed memory explained that the Aleph of Ana beKoach is the allusion to Keter, and this is what it says (Tikkunei Zohar 70): ‘The Aleph of Ana beKoach is Keter “talented, hidden and covered”’.

See, in the explanation he affirms that the Beit of Bereshit is in Keter. And close to this is the opinion of the Ramban of blessed memory in [his] commentary on Bereshit, and this is what he says: ‘And the word Bereshit alludes to Chochma, which is the beginning of [all] beginnings, just as I have mentioned, and this is its [Aramaic] translation in Targum Yerushalmi: “With wisdom”. And the word [Bereshit is] crowned with the crown/Keter [on the letter] Bet. End of citation.

And the explanation of his words that the Bet בי"ת alludes to Keter for the reason that it [= Keter] is the house (בית) for all the Sefirot. And thus it is proven out of his expression when he says that ‘and the word Bereshit alludes to “in Chochmah”’, the intention [of the Ramban is that] of the word Bereshit is not the Bet but the word in itself and as he concludes that this is Reshit etc. And he did not say that it [= Chochma] is called Bereshit, but [that it is called ] only Reshit, and as he is bringing a proof from the Targum which translates “with Chochma”, it is not Chochma in reality but the usable [= prefix] Bet of Bereshit, as the word Reshit is Chochma, and the Bet of Bereshit is Keter, and therefore he says ‘And the word [Bereshit is] crowned with the crown/Keter [on the letter] Bet’.

See, from all this it is seen that there is no necessity from this saying for the opinion of Rav Shem Tov of blessed memory. Truly now to us is left the duty to explain what is found different from this saying in the Zohar, parasha Wayiqra. As in this saying [of R. Shem Tov) it says that Bereshit is the tenth utterance, and in parasha Wayiqra [Zohar III.11b) Rashbi explains that these are ten utterances besides Bereshit. And this is what it says: ‘Rabbi Shimon said: It is written: “ten, ten the vessel with the holy shekel” [Numbers 7:86]. “ten, ten” why does it come [here]? But [it indicates] ten for the work of Creation, and ten for the giving of the Torah. What does it teach? That the world was not created except for the sake of the Torah, as all the time Israel is involved in the Torah, the world endures. And all the time Israel is abolishing the Torah, what is written? “If [there were] not my covenant with daytime and night, I would not have placed the ordinances of heavens and earth.” [Jeremiah 33:25]. Come and see: Ten utterances of the work of Creation, as we have learned: ‘With ten utterances the world was created.’ [Mishnah, Pirkei Avot 5:1]. Ten utterances of the giving of the Torah, these are the Ten Commandments. [First utterance:] It is written: “I am HaShem your God” [Exodus 20:2], and in the account of Creation it is written: “Let there be light, and there was light.” [Genesis 1:3] This is faith, as the Holy One, blessed be He, is called ‘light’, as it is written “HaShem is my light and my salvation etc.” [Psalms 27:1]. [Second utterance:] It is written: “You shall not have other gods beside me” [Exodus 20:3], and it is written in the account of Creation: “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters etc.” [Genesis 1:6]. “Let there be a firmament”, these are Israel, as they are a portion of the Holy One, blessed be He, who are united with the place that is called ‘heavens’. And this is a secret, as once Rabbi Yeisa the Old asked Rabbi Ela’e; he said: Oh, all the rest of the peoples, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them to dignitaries, princes, rulers [to guide them], [but] Israel to what? He [= Rabbi Ela’e] sent to him [the answer]: “and God placed them in the firmament of the heavens” [Genesis 1:17]. And a pleasing [answer] he sent to him. “in the midst of the waters” [Genesis 1:6], between the words of the Torah. “and let it divide water from water” [Genesis 1:6], between the Holy One, blessed be He, who is called “well of living waters” [Song of Songs 4:15] and between idolatry, which is called “broken cisterns that will not hold the waters” [Jeremiah 2:13] which are bitter waters etc., stinking gathered [= stationary]. And therefore Israel, holy ones, are dividing between waters [above, clean] and waters [below, unclean]. [Third utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “You shall not take the name of HaShem your God in vain” [Exodus 20:7], and it is written in the account of Creation: “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered to one place” [Genesis 1:9]. Come and see, each one who swears by the Holy Name for a lie [is] as if he has separated the Mother [= Binah] from her place above, and the holy crowns are not settled on their places, as it is said: “And a mischief-maker is separating an intimate friend” [Proverbs 16:28], and there is no “intimate friend” except the Holy One, blessed be He. And it is written: “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered to one place” [Genesis 1:9], you should not place a separation because of swearing that is false. “to one place”, as is fitting, to a place of truth, and not to another place of falsehood. And what is falsehood? It is when waters go to another place which is not its own. [Fourth utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “Remember the day of Shabbat to keep it holy” [Exodus 20:8], and it is written in the account of Creation: “Let the earth sprout grass” [Genesis 1:11]. When is the holy earth [= Malkut] increased and is crowned with her crown? Say: on the day of Shabbat, because then the bride is associated with the King, to bring forth grasses and blessings for the world. [Fifth utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “Honor your father and your mother” [Exodus 20:12], and it is written in the account of Creation: “Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the heavens” [Genesis 1:14]. What does this point to except that these ‘luminaries’, it is “your father and your mother”? “Your father”, this is the sun, “your mother”, this is the moon. And there is no sun except the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: “Because a sun and shield is HaShem God” [Psalms 84:12]. And there is no moon except the assembly of Israel, as it is written: “And your moon will not perish” [Isaiah 60:20]. And therefore, all is one. [Sixth utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “You shall not murder” [Exodus 20:13], and it is written in the account of the Creation: “Let the waters swarm living soul” [Genesis 1:20]. And you shall not kill a human being who is called thus, as it is written: “And the human being became a living soul” [Genesis 2:7], you will not be as these fishes, of which the big ones swallow the small ones. [Seventh utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “You shall not commit adultery” [Exodus 20:13], and it is written in the account of Creation: “Let the earth bring forth living soul according to its kind” [Genesis 1:24]. From this we learn that a human being should not do falsely with another woman who is not his mate, and therefore it is written: “Let the earth bring forth living soul according to its kind”, that a woman should not give birth except from her kind. And who is its kind? Her [male] mate. [Eighth utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “You shall not steal” [Exodus 20:13], and it is written in the account of Creation: “And God said: ‘See, I have given you every plant producing seed’” [Genesis 1:29]. What I have given you and deposited to you will be yours, and you shall not steal what is of another. [Ninth utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “You shall not testify to your fellow false witness” [Exodus 20:13], and it is written in the account of Creation: “And God said: ‘Let us make a human being in our image” [Genesis 1:26]. To him who is in the image of the King you shall not witness falsely. And he who has witnessed falsely to his neighbor [it is] as if he has witnessed falsely to above. [Tenth utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “You shall not desire the wife of your fellow” [Exodus 20:14], and it is written in the account of Creation: “It is not good that the human being is alone” [Genesis 2:18]. This is your mate in front of you, and therefore “you shall not desire the wife of your fellow”. And this is: ten utterances of the work of Creation, and ten utterances of the giving of the Torah, which is “ten, ten the vessel with the holy shekel” [Numbers 7:86], they were weighed as one, with one shekel. And because of this the world endures and peace is found in it. End of citation.

And from this it is seen in the explanation of the ten utterances, that in the account of Creation [the word] ‘Bereshit’ is not an utterance at all, and this is for sure an objection. And in order to understand this subject, we will further introduce a saying from the Tikkunim [Tikkunei HaZohar], and by means of it this confusion will be explained, with help of HaShem.