הקדמה

19. “Rabbi Shimon said etc.”Rabbi Shimon said: From here onwards, [we have] the completeness of the text, as it is stated: “The One who brings out by number their host” (Isaiah 40:26). For there are two levels, each of which needs to be imprinted, meaning demarcated. One is that about which it is stated Ma, and one is Mi. This one, Mi, is the higher one, and that one, Ma, is the lower one. The higher level records and says: “The One who brings out by number their host,” in which the definite article of “the One who brings forth” alludes to the one who is known and with whom none can compare, i.e., Mi. Similarly, “The One who brings forth bread from the earth” –the definite article of “the One who brings forth” alludes to the one who is known, which is the lower level, i.e. Ma, and it is all one. They are both within a single level, Malkhut, except that the higher one is Mi of Malkhut, whereas the lower one is Ma of Malkhut. “The One who brings out by number” means that the number 600,000 are the stars that are positioned together, and they bring forth hosts according to their kind, which have no number.

Explanation: After Scripture hinted to us, with the phrase: “Lift up your eyes on high and see: who [mi] has created these [eleh]” (Isaiah 40:26), that we should reflect upon the structure of the Nukba in her name Elohim,1This has been extensively explored in the previous sections. in which [Nukba] draws from Abba and Imma Ila'in – by which the Imma Ila'ah adorns her with her ornaments, as stated – the verse fills in and completes this explanation in its continuation: “The One who brings out by number their host, He calls them all by name; by the greatness of His might, and as He is strong in power, not one is missing,” as Rabbi Shimon proceeds to explain.

He thus states: “There are two levels, each of which needs to be imprinted.” “Imprinted” means “demarcated,” by means of the definitive article. Two levels require demarcation in the Nukba, namely the level of Mi and the level of Ma. The brains of the first three that [Nukba] receives through her ascent and enclothing of the upper world – through which the Nukba becomes like the upper world itself – is called Mi, since the heh of Ma is removed from it and is replaced by a yod.2This was explained at the end of the Sulam's commentary on section 17. The Nukba is also called Mi, like the upper world, as she adorns herself with male garments, as stated. However, at the same time, [Nukba’s] former level, which is Ma, is not lost from the Nukba. Rather, Ma must also be in [the Nukba] as before. The reason is as explained above, that the level of Mi is necessary to draw forth the completeness and the aspect of holy of holies to the offspring. But the bearing sons and being fruitful and multiplying depend solely on the name Ma. Therefore, if either of those levels is missing in the Nukba, she will be unfit to propagate.

[The Zohar continues]: “The upper one records and says: The One who brings out by number their host.” In other words, the verse states with regard to the level of Mi that the Nukba inherits from the higher world: “The One who brings out by number their host.” The definite article of “the One who brings forth” alludes to the complete brains that [the Nukba] receives from Abba and Imma Ila'in, which are the aspect of being ornamented in male garments, as mentioned previously, when the heh is removed and the yod enters. This is the meaning of “The One who brings forth – the one who is known and with whom none can compare,” as this is the ultimate stature of the brains that operate in the Nukba for 6,000 years. Thus, it is written “The One who brings forth bread etc. which is the lower level, and it is all one.” That is, the definite article of “the One who brings forth bread” also alludes to the brains of the first three, i.e., “the one who is known,” but they are the brains of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna which the Nukba receives, and is known by them, and this is the level of Ma, as Rabbi Elazar explained earlier.3See section 16 and earlier for the detailed explanation of Nukba with the brains corresponding with the level of Ma. That level must also be imprinted in the Nukba, and this is the meaning of the phrase “and it is all one,” i.e., both of them, Mi and Ma, are incorporated in the Nukba together, as one partzuf, this one higher and that one lower.

One should not raise a difficulty from the statement in the Zohar in Parashat Teruma (771) that the phrase “the One who brings out by number their host,” and similarly in any case where the definite article is written, is from the lower world that was more revealed, whereas here it says that it is from the upper world. The explanation is as was written above, that here too it is referring to the revealed world, which is the Nukba of Ze’er Anpin. The reason why [the Zohar here] calls it the “higher one” is because of the level of Mi [within] the Nukba, which [the Nukba] receives only when it ascends and enclothes the higher world, which is the Imma Ila'ah. It is on this account that [the Zohar] calls [the aspect of Mi] the “higher" one,” and it calls the level of Ma of the revealed world the “lower one,” as was written above. As for the statement in Teruma: “Regarding all things that are from the upper, hidden world, the heh is hidden from there,” that is referring to when the revealed world does not ascend and enclothe the higher world, as then the higher world is concealed and does not illuminate to the lower realms. Therefore, [in such a context,] it is not written with the definite article [the letter heh], as it is hidden. See there, thoroughly.

[That which the Zohar] states: “By the number of these 600,000, that are positioned together, and that bring forth hosts after their kind, which have no number.” “Number [mispar]” denotes ultimate completeness, in the mystical meaning of the verse: “The heavens declare [mesaprim] the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalms 19:2). This is as stated in the Zohar (Teruma, 185-6): “What is the meaning of ‘declare’ etc. Rather, they illuminate and sparkle in the glitter of the supernal light, and ascend in the name that is incorporated in the brilliance of the supernal completeness etc. As a result, they ascend in a complete name, and they illuminate with a complete light, and they sparkle in a complete sparkle etc.” See there, thoroughly. Thus, “number” indicates the illumination of total completeness. One can understand from here that an incomplete illumination is regarded as a non-number, as something which has no number, which indicates that it lacks the perfection that is termed “number.”

Know that these aforementioned brains of Abba and Imma Ila'in, which the Ze’er Anpin transmits to the Nukba, are the mystical meaning of the verse “the heavens declare the glory of God.” “The heavens” are the mystical meaning of Ze’er Anpin; “the glory of God” is the Nukba of Ze’er Anpin; and “declare” is the shefa of the brains of the Abba and Imma Ila'in. These brains are the mystical meaning of the 600,000, as the levels of Nukba are considered units, the [levels] of Ze’er Anpin are tens, those of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna are hundreds, those of Abba and Imma Ila'in are thousands, and those of Arikh Anpin are tens of thousands. Additionally, there are two aspects in Abba and Imma Ila'in: Relative to themselves, [their levels] are regarded as thousands. Relative to the brains of Ḥokhma that [Abba and Imma Ila'in] receive from the head of Arikh Anpin, [the levels in Abba and Imma Ila'in] are considered tens of thousands, like [Arikh Anpin]. However, [Abba and Imma Ila'in] are only considered the [level of] six extremities of Arikh Anpin, since [Abba and Imma Ila'in] enclothe from the mouth of Arikh Anpin and below. Therefore, regarding the relativity [of the levels] [Abba and Imma Ila'in] are only of [the level] of the six extremities of Arikh Anpin which is [itself] tens of thousands.4Meaning, Arikh Anpin is tens of thousands, while Abba and Imma Ila'in, the six extremities of Arikh Anpin, are sixty, so together they form sixty ten thousands, or 600,000. The six extremities are sixty, [thus together] they are the mystical meaning of 600,000. Consequently, when the Nukba ascends and enclothes Abba and Imma Ila'in, [the Nukba receives a complete number, which is 600,000: “Sixty” means the six extremities, since [the Nukba] still lacks, even then, the head of Arikh Anpin. “Ten thousand” indicates the levels of Arikh Anpin that illuminate into Abba and Imma Ila'in, i.e., into Arikh Anpin’s six extremities, which are enclothed in Abba and Imma Ila'in. Thus, the Nukba has the number 600,000.

Thus [the Zohar] states: “By number – 600,000 are those that are positioned together, and they bring forth hosts after their kind, which have no number.” It has been explained that two levels, Mi and Ma, are imprinted in the Nukba, as follows: Mi is the mystical meaning of Abba and Imma Ila'in, which enclothe in the Nukba. [The Nukba] thereby becomes an aspect of the higher world, and in that respect [the Nukba] then has the mystical meaning of the number 600,000. Ma in the Nukba is the mystical meaning of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, which enclothe in the Nukba in the aspect of “poised for the question Ma [‘what?’],” as explained previously. In this respect, the [Nukba] has the mystical meaning of the lower world. These two aforementioned levels, Mi and Ma, become one partzuf in her, as from [the Nukba’s] chest and above, Abba and Imma Ila'in are enclothed in [the Nukba], and from the chest and downward, [the Nukba] enclothes Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna. Thus, they are one partzuf in [the Nukba], as written above, that “it is all one.” Therefore, these two levels are discerned in the offshoots5The Nukba of Atzilut can be thought of as the blueprint for the lower worlds and levels. Therefore, that which is within the Nukba is reflected in the lower outgrowths of this partzuf. of the Nukba as well. From the perspective of the higher world, the Mi in [Nukba] is the mystical meaning of “the One who brings out by number their host,” i.e., “by the number 600,000.” From the perspective of the lower world, the Ma in her, the offshoots are regarded as having no number. This is the meaning of the statement: “And they bring forth hosts after their kind, which have no number.” That is, [the Nukba] produces the various types of offshoots without a number, meaning, they do not contain those brains of a number from Abba and Imma Ila'in, but only from Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, which are without a number.

Perhaps one might say: If so, [the Nukba’s] offshoots are incomplete because they lack a number. In response, [Rabbi Shimon] says: “By number – 600,000 are those that are positioned together, and they bring forth hosts etc.” In other words, those two levels within [the Nukba], which are a number and without a number,6Meaning, the aspects of Mi (the brains of Abba and Imma Ila'in, "a number,") and Ma (the <Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, "without a number") are both within the Nukba. exist in [the Nukba] together, as they are combined in [the Nukba] literally in a single level, and therefore these two levels are also found in her offshoots as one [unified level]. On the one hand, the offshoots [of the Nukba] are considered to be of the number 600,000, while on the other hand they are without a number. As a consequence, the aspect of "without a number" is considered merely as an additional [level of] completeness, not as any kind of deficiency.

The logic [underlying this additional completeness] is that blessing and fruitfully [reproducing] and multiplying with seed are completely dependent upon the aspect of the lower world, Ma, which is considered to be without a number. This is the mystical meaning of the blessing of seed that is presented in the verse: “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if you able to count them; and He said to him: So shall your seed be” (Genesis 15:5). Thus, the blessing of seed comes only without a number, i.e., from the name Ma. Therefore, after all the completeness of the brains of a number that [the Nukba] obtained from Abba and Imma Ila'in [of] Mi, [the Nukba] has an addition to the blessing from Ma, in the mystical meaning of without a number – “which have no number.” She also has a blessing, and both [aspects] are incorporated in the souls and in the offshoots.