הקדמה

83. “And because this circle and square, etc.”And because this circle and square are “My Sabbaths” they are both incorporated in “keep [shamor],” as it is stated: “Keep My Sabbaths” (Leviticus 19:30). However, the higher Shabbat is not incorporated in “keep” but in “remember [zakhor],” since the supernal king, which is Bina, was completed in “remember.” For this reason, the Bina is called a “king who has peace,” as his peace is “remember.”1The Hebrew word for “peace” is the word “shalom,” which shares its linguistic and conceptual root with the word hushlam in the previous line, meaning “completed.” In fact, “peace,” while colloquially used as a translation for shalom, is actually less accurate a translation than alternative words like “harmony,” “wholeness,” and “completeness.” In this context, since Bina was completed through “zakhor,” it is called the “king who has completeness.” Therefore, there is no dispute above.

Explanation: “Another Shabbat was left, etc.” This is the mystical meaning of the Malkhut of Malkhut, which is called “the middle point.” [This aspect of Malkhut] does not receive brains even during the day of Shabbat, as [this aspect] itself is the mystical meaning of the manula (lock), and all the brains come only in the mystical meaning of the miftaḥa (key), which is Yesod of Malkhut (as stated in section 42, above). Since [the Malkhut of Malkhut] did not receive brains, it was in a state of shame.

This is the meaning of the statement: “Another Shabbat was left, which was not mentioned.” This is the middle point that was not mentioned, which did not receive brains and was ashamed. “She said before Him etc.” – she claimed: “Since the day You made me,” that is, at the beginning of my emanation in the world of Adam Kadmon, “I have been called Shabbat.” All the brains were bestowed through me, as there was no other Malkhut in [the level of] Adam Kadmon, but merely the middle point, and it was diminished only during the second constriction, in the world of Atzilut.

She further contended: “And there is no day without a night.” This is a most wondrous mystical insight, as she argued that even on the first day it is stated: “And there was evening and there was morning, one day” (Genesis 1:5), [indicating] that the unity is revealed over day and night together. If so, why wasn’t night mentioned on the Shabbat of creation, as “night” is not written on the seventh day of the act of creation. “He said to her...” that is, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to her: “You are Shabbat” for the future, in the seventh millennium, on the day that is all Shabbat, “and I called you Shabbat,” that is, from the day I made you in the world of Adam Kadmon, as stated.

“However, I am hereby crowning you etc.” In other words, the Holy One, blessed be He, raised her up, so that she would serve in the first three of the partzufim (as stated in section 41, above). She was established as Malkhut of Abba and Imma Ila’in, in the mystical meaning of “unknown air; see there. Abba and Imma Ila’in are called “the holy of holies,” and thus she too is in the mystical meaning of the supernal holiness.

“He issued a declaration, saying: ‘Fear My sanctuary. ’” Through the establishing [of Malkhut] in the Abba and Imma Ila’in, [this Malkhut] is in the mystical meaning of a sanctuary, which is the mystical meaning of: “Fear My sanctuaries.” Thus, the Malkhut has now earned a supernal crown, more than it had in the world of Adam Kadmon. [In the world of Adam Kadmon, the Malkhut was serving at the place of the bottom end of the sefirot, in [the usual] place [of Malkhut], whereas now [Malkhut] has risen to serve in the place of the first three [sefirot, in Abba and Imma Ila’in, who are called “holy of holies.” He accordingly states: “I am hereby crowning you with the highest crown.”

[The Zohar] continues: “This is the Shabbat of Shabbat eve, which is fear etc.” The Malkhut is called “fear,” as the constriction was performed upon Malkhut, so that it should not receive according to its measure. 2This refers to the first constriction [Malkhut] does not use the direct light [that flows] from above downward for itself, but only the returning light, because [Malkhut] is established with a partition, with startling and fright, so that the light will not pass from the partition downward (as stated in section 56, above, s. v. Ve-kulhu; see there). 3“Startling and fright” is a phrase often employed in Torah texts to imply great intensity or precision, as a result of spiritual awe or fear. Now, upon the ascent [of Malkhut] to the supernal holiness of [Abba and Imma Ila’in], a supernal “fear resides” in [Malkhut], since the supernal Havaya of Abba and Imma then resides in [Malkhut]. This is the mystical meaning the Shabbat eve that was now established, in accordance with her claim, “there is no day without a night,” and “this is the Shabbat of Shabbat eve.” The attribute of night is also incorporated in the day of Shabbat. He then asks: “What is he”; what is the fear that resides in it? “That which the Holy One, blessed be He, incorporated together and said, ‘I am the Lord’,” since the supernal Havaya of Abba and Imma is incorporated in [Malkhut], and [the Torah] stated, “I am the Lord.” In order to clarify this, he cites a teaching that he heard from his father.

The explanation of these things is that the image of the circle conveys that the light shines there equally in all places, and there is no aspect of judgment there at all, on account of which any change should occur in the measure of illumination. 4The concept of judgment refers to limitations and boundaries. The imagery of a circle is intended to convey the concept of light that is uniform, shining equally everywhere with no limitations or differences in its illumination. The image of the square conveys that there is an aspect of judgment there, because of which it is possible to differentiate between right and left, or east and west. 5The presence of boundaries resulting from these judgments means there are differences in the quality of the light “here” versus “there.” The very presence of these kinds of distinctions and differences in the light give rise to relativity and areas, left and right, east and west, and other spatial comparisons. This is why the head is regarded as in the shape of a circle, relative to the body, which is a square. For in the first three [sefirot], which is the head, there are no judgments, whereas there are judgments in the body, as generally there is right and left in the body, front and back. 6This concept refers to the conceptual head and body of the partzufim, as well as the physical head and body of a human being. The head is a circular shape, and is a unit, while the body is far more linear and dispersed, with multiple regions and aspects.

Now, you already know the mystical meaning of Shabbat, that [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba ascend and enclothe Abba and Imma, forming] the aspect of “the higher Shabbat and the lower Shabbat are incorporated together,” as stated above. The higher Shabbat, which is Abba and Imma, is considered the aspect of “circle,” while the lower Shabbat, which is [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, the aspect of the body, is considered the aspect of “square.” Accordingly, on Shabbat the [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba of the square ascend and are incorporated in the Abba and Imma, which are the aspect of circle. He thus states: “Shabbetotai is the circle and square within it, which are two.” This is why the verse states “My Sabbaths [Shabbetotai],” in order to include two Shabbatot: The higher Shabbat, which is a “circle,” and the “square” inside it, which is the lower Shabbat that ascended and was incorporated within it.

Now, the brains of Ḥokhma are called “seventy names,” or “seventy crowns,” as ayin [70] alludes to Ḥokhma. Since these brains are revealed only through the ascent of the lower Shabbat to the higher one, the brains are thus divided between the pair of them: Half of them to the higher Shabbat and half of them to the lower Shabbat. Consequently, “[the passage of] ‘and they were finished’ consists of thirty-five words,” which are half of the brains in the higher Shabbat, while Kiddush itself contains thirty-five words, alluding to the half of the brains that are in the lower Shabbat. These are the brains that “the Assembly of Israel,” which is the Malkhut that is called Shabbat, is “crowned.”

[The Zohar] continues: “And because this circle and square etc.” In other words, since the circle and the square are together incorporated in “My Sabbaths,” it follows that the brains of the circle are also in the aspect of “keep,” like the square, 7“Keep” (shamor) refers to the laws of the Sabbath that restrict a person from certain activities during the Sabbath. These are limitations (judgments) and they are associated with the word shamor and the concept of the square. In contrast, the word zakhor (remember) refers to the positive commandments of the Sabbath, the actions in which a person should actively engage in order to celebrate the Sabbath. These are associated with the circle. even though “keep” indicates judgment and a boundary from which one should keep his distance. In the higher Shabbat, which is a circle, there is no judgment (as stated below). Nevertheless, due to its mingling together with the Shabbat of a square, the aspect of “keep” also applies to the circle.

“However, the higher Shabbat is not incorporated in ‘keep. ’” The higher Shabbat itself is incorporated in “remember” rather than “keep,” since the supernal king was completed in “remember,” and contains no expression of judgment at all, that it should be suitable to say “keep” about him, as “keep” applies only to the Nukba. Nevertheless, with respect to the incorporation of the higher Shabbat in the lower Shabbat, “keep” applies to both of them together, although not to the higher Shabbat by itself.

“As his peace is ‘remember. ’ Therefore, there is no dispute above. ’” The supernal king is the mystical meaning of the Bina that was completed with [the letter] yod, which is the mystical meaning of the male garments (as stated in section 17 above; see there). This indicates that there is no aspect of dispute there at all, that is, it is without any judgments, for this is why [this Shabbat] is called “a circle” (as explained above). However, the lower Shabbat, which is the mystical meaning of Ma, was completed with [the letter] heh, and therefore there is [the aspect of] dispute in [this lower Shabbat], that is, right and left. 8The concept of “dispute” here is the synonymous with the previous concepts of judgments and differences. When all is uniform, there are no differences, hence no “disputes.” Relative differences give rise to dispute between different areas. For this reason, it is called a “square.”