הקדמה

237. “The tenth commandment, etc.”The tenth commandment is to don tefillin and to complete oneself in the supernal form, as it is stated: “And God created man in His own image” [Genesis 1:27]. He opened [his discourse] and said: “Your head upon you is like Carmel” [Song of Songs 7:6]. We established [the meaning of] this verse, and it was taught: But “Your head upon you is like Carmel,” this is the supernal head, the tefillin of the head, of the supernal, holy ‎King, Havaya, with inscribed letters. Each letter in the name Havaya is one chapter in the ‎tefillin. In this way, the holy name is inscribed in the chapters of the tefillin, in the order of the ‎letters, as is fitting. And we learned: “That the name of the Lord is called upon you and they will be afraid of you” [Deuteronomy 28:10] – these are the tefillin of the head [Berakhot 57a], which are ‎the holy name, in the order of the letters. ‎

Explanation: The aforementioned commandment to be gracious towards the poor was only the beginning [step] for drawing forth the ‎supernal form, which is the mystical meaning of the image of God. This is as stated above, that by means of the commandment to be gracious towards the poor, Imma (mother) was ‎incorporated in Malkhut, in the mystical meaning of: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” [Genesis 1:26]. Know that this is ‎the mystical meaning of “the mother [Imma] lends her garments to the daughter” (section #17#, above): Through the incorporation of Malkhut ‎in Imma, the letters alef-lamed-heh [eleh] fell to the place of [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba and only the letters mem-yod [mi] remained in Imma. It is ‎discerned that the letters alef-lamed-heh of Abba and Imma descended to the aspect of [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, namely, the aspect of Abba [in those descending letters] took on the aspect of Ze’er Anpin, and the aspect of Imma took on the aspect of Nukba, ‎and the [letters] truly became of the aspect of [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, because an upper [level] that descends to a lower [level] becomes like [that lower level]. ‎

Through [the descending aspects], [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba attained the aspect of immaturity of the image [tzelem, spelled tzadi-lamed-heh] of God, namely, six extremities without a ‎head, because the Imma herself also lost the aspect of her first three [sefirot] through this partnership [with Malkhut]. The three vessels alef-lamed-heh, which are Bina, Ze’er Anpin, and Malkhut from her ten sefirot, ‎fell from her, leaving in Imma only the letters mem-yod [Mi], which are Keter and Ḥokhma of her ten sefirot. As is known, when the three lower vessels are missing, ‎the first three of the lights are missing, and [thus] only the lights of ruaḥ [and] nefesh remained in her vessels of Mi: The ‎light of ruaḥ in the vessel of Keter, and the light of nefesh in the vessel of Ḥokhma. ‎

Consequently, [the Imma] could only give [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba [the aspect of] six extremities without a ‎head. Given this, the [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba were not yet completed in the lofty form, which are the brains of the first three [sefirot], called the image of God. ‎This is the meaning of: “To don tefillin and to complete oneself in the lofty form,” that by means of the commandment of tefillin the first three [sefirot] are drawn to [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, [and those sefirot] are the ‎completion of the lofty image. ‎

You might raise the following difficulty: Since this referring to the lower man, the [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba must have been completed already, since they would not be able to produce nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshama for the lower man before they themselves had ascended to the place ‎of Abba and Imma and matured in their brains like Abba and Imma. If so, why do we say that even Imma is still in [a state of] ‎immaturity [given that Abba and Imma possess mature brains]?‎

You should know that when the [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba attain the brains of Abba and Imma, they enclothe Abba and Imma and they are ‎properly like [Abba and Imma, since a lower entity that ascends to [the level] of a higher one becomes truly like [that higher] one. Therefore, everything we now discern [and discuss in Abba and Imma is intended to [refer to Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba that [have now] become Abba and Imma All the pathways that are operative in Abba and Imma to ‎produce brains of [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba of Atzilut operate in precisely the same manner in [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba that became Abba and Imma. They ‎produce the brains, which are the nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshama, for the lower man, without any difference whatsoever [from Abba and Imma] Accordingly, there ‎is no need to change the names at all, and we now call [Ze’er Anpin and Nukba with the names of Abba and Imma, while the nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshama of the lower ‎man are named Ze’er Anpin and Nukba. Remember this below, for all of what comes later. ‎

[The Zohar] continues: “As it is stated: And God created man in His own image.” The mystical meaning of tzelem [image] is a very complex matter, but I will explain it here only as much as necessary to understand the matter at hand. You need to have in mind all that was explained earlier in Marot HaSulam (sections #2#–#4#) regarding the number thirteen as it applies to the sefirot; see there carefully, for ideas should not be repeated without good reason.

You will see there that yeḥida [and] ḥaya have no vessels. Only nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshama have the ‎vessels Bina and [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba. Even when we explicitly state “vessel of Keter,” the reference is to Bina and [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba of Keter. Now, the Bina and [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba are divided into ten sefirot through the rectification of lines: ‎The three lines of Bina are Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da’at; [the three lines] of Ze’er Anpin are Ḥesed, Gevura, and Tiferet; and [the three lines] of Nukba ‎are Netzaḥ, Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut. This number applies to the light of giving. However, with regards to the transmitting of the illumination of ‎Ḥokhma, Bina divides into two [partzufim]: [Abba and Imma Ila’in] and Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, which [together] are ‎Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da’at; Ḥesed, Gevura, and Tiferet. Together with the lower seven [sefirot] ‎of [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, these make thirteen sefirot. This is the mystical meaning of the numerical value of eḥad [“one,” the letters alef-ḥet-dalet], ‎which alludes to the full name. ‎

The root of the matter is that Keter and ‎Ḥokhma were sealed off in the sealed ‎Ḥokhma of ‎Arikh Anpin, and only the Bina [of Arikh Anpin] illuminates ‎all the brains of Atzilut, dividing into [Abba and Imma Ila’in] and Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna of Atzilut. The first three [sefirot of Bina] illuminate in [Abba and Imma Ila’in], and the six extremities [of Bina illuminate] in Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna. These two aspects of the Bina are termed [the letters] mem and lamed of tzelem. [Abba and Imma Ila’in] are called mem in the mystical meaning of “a pure ring,” because the ‎mem [that appears at the end of a word] is [shaped] like a closed ring, enclosing the brains all around. Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna are called [the letter] lamed of tzelem, because the lamed raises her head up high, like a tower. This head alludes to the brains of ‎the first three [sefirot], and this is the mystical meaning of the verse: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs in it and is set ‎up on high” [Proverbs 18:10]. Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna is the mystical meaning of a tower, and Ze’er Anpin is called the righteous who runs in that ‎tower and is set up very high. ‎

[Abba and Imma Ila’in] are the mystical meaning of a ring that encloses the brains. The light of ‎Ḥokhma will not be revealed in them, due to their great height, because the light of ‎Ḥokhma in them is of the aspect of the sealed ‎Ḥokhma itself, which disappeared from all the ‎partzufim of ‎Atzilut. Consequently, [the light of ‎Ḥokhma] is not revealed in [Abba and Imma Ila’in], and they contain only the light of giving, which is called “pure air,” since air is the mystical meaning the light ‎of ruaḥ. It is also called “sealed air,” because the [letter] yod never departed from their air [avir]. ‎

However, Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, as they are only the aspect of the lower seven [sefirot] of Bina, which is the mystical meaning of the [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba that are incorporated in Bina, are not called ‎‎“sealed air.” During the phase of the transmission of the brains of maturity to [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, the yod departs from their ‎avir [air] and they become or [light], meaning ‎Ḥokhma and brains of the first three [sefirot]. For this reason, ‎Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna is called “a tower [migdal] that flies in the air [avir].” Migdal means maturity [gadlut] of ‎ the first three [sefirot]. Because these brains are not permanently fixed in [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, it follows that the phase of immaturity within [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba is the result of ‎the yod entering the or [light] and making it into avir [air]. In the phase of maturity, the yod reverts and exits from the avir, which then becomes or. [Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna] is therefore regarded as a flying tower, on account of the ‎rectification within it, in the mystical meaning of avir. [Lastly, ] the Ze’er Anpin is called [the letter] tzadi of tzelem, because it is the ‎righteous [tzadik] who runs in the tower that is set up on high, as stated.

We have thus thoroughly explained the three letters of tzelem, in the mystical meaning that Ze’er Anpin is tzadi; Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna are lamed; and [Abba and Imma Ila’in] ‎are mem. ‎They are also the mystical meaning of ‎Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da’at: [Abba and Imma Ila’in] ‎are ‎Ḥokhma, enclosed in a pure ring, since they are of the aspect of the sealed‎ Ḥokhma [of Arikh Anpin]. Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna are ‎Bina, but when [Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna] ascends to the head of Arikh Anpin, the yod comes out of the avir and gives Ḥokhma, in the mystical meaning of ‎a tower that flies in the air. Ze’er Anpin is that which runs in that tower, namely, he receives those brains, and is the mystical meaning of Da’at. Remember all of this well, for these ideas are at the roots of Ḥokhma, and no change will ever transpire in these paths, which is why the ‎brains are always called by the name tzelem.

When we said that ‎Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da’at are the three letters mem, lamed, [and] tzadi of tzelem, they must not be confused ‎with the three lines in the ‎brains, which are [also] called ‎Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da’at. The ‎Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da’at of tzelem ‎are not of the aspect of [the concept of] three lines, but rather they are three complete partzufim enclothed within one another. ‎Ḥokhma, which is the mem of tzelem, is the mystical meaning of [Abba and Imma Ila’in] which are enclothed from the chest and below inside the [lower aspect of] Bina, which is Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna and the lamed of tzelem. The Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna are enclothed from the chest and below inside the Da’at, which is ‎Ze’er Anpin, ‎the tzadi of tzelem. ‎

[The Zohar] thus states: “And to complete oneself in the lofty form, as it is stated: And God created man in His own image.” By virtue of the tefillin, ‎brains ‎of the first three [sefirot] are drawn forth in the order of the letters tzadi-lamed-mem, which appear in the verse: “And God ‎created man in His own image.” This is the mystical meaning of the supernal brightness of ‎Atzilut that Adam the first [man] ‎received when he was created. We draw the [letters] first to [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, from where these ‎brains ‎transmit to us [below] as well. ‎ The order of the letters tzadi-lamed-mem is clarified in the four chapters of the Tefillin, as set out below.

[The Zohar] continues: “The tefillin of the head, the name of the supernal, holy ‎King, Havaya, in inscribed letters.” The tefillin are called Carmel, because Carmel means car malei [a pasture filled] with all goodness. This is the mystical meaning of the verse: “Your head upon you is like Carmel.” That is, when the supernal head of ‎Ze’er Anpin, as well as ‎that of the ‎Nukba, are enclothed in the tefillin of the head, which are the supernal ‎brains of tzelem, they are like ‎Carmel, like a pasture filled with all goodness. These ‎brains are called “the name of the supernal, ‎holy King,” namely, the four letters of Havaya, in accordance with the order of the letters: Yod, heh, vav, heh. ‎ The reason why [the Zohar] emphasizes “Havaya in inscribed letters” is that each and every letter is inscribed in ‎a separate ‎partzuf, since there are the four letters of Havaya which are ten ‎sefirot in every ‎partzuf. [The Zohar] therefore specifies that the reference [here] is to inscribed letters, namely, that each [letter] is [also] a complete ‎partzuf in itself. ‎

[The Zohar] continues: “Each and every letter of the name Havaya is one chapter of the four chapters in ‎tefillin. The holy name is inscribed in them, in accordance with the order of the ‎letters, as is fitting.” A “chapter” means a complete ‎partzuf in and ‎of itself. [The Zohar] is saying that each and every letter of the name Havaya becomes, in the mystical meaning of the ‎brains, a complete, distinct ‎partzuf. They are arranged in the [tefillin] boxes “in the order of the ‎letters, as is fitting,” that is, in the order yod, heh, vav, heh. This is the mystical meaning of the tefillin of Rashi, since the tefillin of Rabbeinu Tam are arranged in the boxes in the order of the acronym from the verse: “But let he who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows [yithalel hamithalel haskel ve-yado’a] Me” [Jeremiah 9:23], namely, yod, heh, heh, vav, as is known. ‎