אגרת הקודש

NINETEEN. “He wraps (Himself with) light as (with) a garment….”1Psalms 104:2. In Likkutei Torah by the Arizal,2See above, Epistle 5, note 103. section Ki Tissa and section Vayikra, it is stated that the apprehension of Moses our Master, peace to him, was not in the rank of the pnimiyut 3Inwardness, the highest and most profound levels (see Addendum, Mystical Concepts in Chassidism, s.v. Pnimiyut). of the supreme chochmah—which is called abba 4Father; i.e., the partzuf of abba (see below, note 11). of Atzilut, and, a fortiori, not in the sefirah of keter, called arich anpin,5Macroprosopus (long or extended Countenance; see below, note 11). which transcends (chochmah). Rather, it was in the rank of the achorayim 6Hinder, or extraneous sides; the lowest and most extraneous levels (see below). of chochmah 7The partzuf of abba. which vest themselves8Text corrected according to L. H. in binah,9The partzuf of imma (the supreme mother). which (in turn) vests itself in the seven lower sefirot,10Chesed to malchut. called z’eyr anpin11Microprosopus (the small, or lesser Countenance).—The ten sefirot form a configuration (partzuf) analogous to the image of man (consisting of the ten general categories of the sefirot; 248 “organs” and 365 “sinews”). The principal, or general, partzuf subdivides into five configurations: 1. Keter—the partzuf of arich anpin (including the aspect of atik yomin (or atika kadisha), the very original emanation—see Intro., note 56); 2. Chochmah—the partzuf of abba; 3. Binah—the partzuf of imma; 4. The middot (chesed to yesod; generally referred to by the all-inclusive principle of tiferet)—the partzuf of z’eyr anpin (sometimes referred to as the masculine aspect of z’eyr anpin); 5. Malchut—the partzuf of nukva (the female; sometimes referred to as the feminine aspect of z’eyr anpin). Both of these partzufim again compounds the levels of the ten sefirot and the 613 aspects, though the sefirah by which it is called is the dominant sphere of that configuration. All five proceed from, and succeed each other, in this order as different modes of Divine manifestations. Each one has two general aspects: pnimiyut (analogous to the relation from soul to body), and chitzoniyut (analogous to the relation from body to soul).—See Addendum, ibid., s.v. Partzufim.—the principium of the Torah,12The Torah as given to Moses, though originating in the supreme chochmah, is itself on the lower level of z’eyr anpin, or tiferet. Cf. below, Epistle 20. and extends to the end of the four lowest sefirot: netzach, hod, yesod, malchut (n.h.y.m.). There the apprehension of his prophecy was in the rank of the pnimiyut, i.e., in the rank of the pnimiyut of n.h.y.m.

But (on the levels) beyond n.h.y.m. he had no apprehension in the pnimiyut, but only in the rank of the achorayim of the chochmah which are vested13Text corrected according to L. H. in binah, which (in turn) is vested and extends itself within the pnimiyut of n.h.y.m. This is the principium of “The Torah is an attenuated form14Lit., “withered” (see Isaiah 34:4), or “things that fall” (see comment. by Maharzu to Bereishit Rabbah 17:5). A withered plant is an attenuated or weaker form of a healthy plant. Similarly, the Torah is a weaker manifestation of supreme chochmah, but not chochmah as it is itself. of the supernal chochmah,”15Bereishit Rabbah 17:5; 44:17. The Midrash describes several parallels, microcosms to their original: dream to prophecy, Shabbat to the Coming World, the sun to the Light Above, and Torah to the supreme wisdom. (The latter is the Midrashic equivalent of the Zoharic statement “the Torah derives from chochmah”; below, note 35). on the level of z’eyr anpin. Thus it is written:16Exodus 33:23. “You shall see achoray,17My hinderside (the aspect of achorayim). but panay18My face (the aspect of pnimiyut; cf. above, Epistle 4, note 8). shall not be seen”; see there, and in Shaar Hanevuah, ch. 1.19Cf. Maimonides, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 1:10.

Now this seems rather surprising. After all, it is said: “And there did not rise another prophet in Israel as Moses.”20Deuteronomy 34:10. How then did the Arizal apprehend more than he and expound many themes dealing with the pnimiyut, even of many sefirot and levels that transcend chochmah and keter of Atzilut?

But the matter is (as follows). It is plain and clear to all that there is a great difference between the apprehension of the Kabbalists, as R. Shimon bar Yochai and the Arizal, an apprehension by wisdom and knowledge, and the prophetic apprehension of Moses our Master, peace to him, and the other prophets, to which Scripture refers as an actual vision: “You shall see achoray”;21Exodus 33:23. “And I saw the L–rd”;22Isaiah 6:11. “And the L–rd appeared to him.”23Genesis 18:1.

Now, though this is in a metaphorical sense and does not mean actual sight by the physical eye composed of flesh, nevertheless, the subject (of a metaphor) needs to resemble the metaphor, and as the Targum24On Genesis 18:1. (translates) וירא אליו ה’: “And (the L–rd) became revealed to him…, thus a mode of revelation, that G–d,25Inserted acc. to H. V. blessed is He, Who is hidden, became revealed to him in a state of manifestation. It is different, though, with the apprehension of the Kabbalists.26Chachmei HaEmet in the Hebrew—lit., the “sages of the truth” (i.e., of Kabbalah). To them G–d27Text reads here too: Who is hidden, but omitted acc. to L. H. does not become revealed in the mode of manifestation; rather, they apprehend the secrets of wisdom, that which is hidden and concealed from them.

They28The Sages of the Talmud. therefore said:29Bava Batra 12a. “A wise man is better than a prophet,”30See Arizal, Likkutei Hashass, ad loc.; see also Maamarei Admur Hazaken Haketzarim, pp. 84 and 355. because by his wisdom he can apprehend exceedingly beyond the levels that can descend netherward in a mode of revelation to the prophets in the vision of their prophecy.31Cf. also Arizal, Shulchan Aruch, s.v. Keriah Bechochmat Hakabbalah, par. 6. For only the lowest ranks can descend and become revealed to them, namely n.h.y.m. (The ranks of n.h.y.m.) are the ones that always descend and become revealed from the emanator to the recipient as a faculty of mochin (brains) and life-force. Thus it is known to the students of Kabbalah that the n.h.y.m. of the higher (realm) vest themselves in the lower, in order to vivify it.32See Etz Chaim 8:2 and below, Epistle 20. For they are the kelim of the effluence and of the descent of the vivification from the higher to the lower, with respect to all the worlds and levels. Hence they also become revealed to the prophets in a mode of an actual revelation. Within these is vested the light of binah, the aspect of the understanding of Divinity and33V. L.: from (instead of and). the light of the En Sof, blessed is He.

And in it are vested the achorayim of chochmah, a level transcending the conception and comprehension of Divinity, blessed is He, as the term chochmah denotes the source of conception and comprehension.34Thus itself beyond it. That is why they said in the Zohar35Zohar II:121a; 85a; III:81a. that “the Torah derives from chochmah,”36The Torah as revealed to man only originates in supreme chochmah, but is not chochmah in itself. for the reasons for the commandments were not revealed and transcend conception and comprehension.37Cf. Sanhedrin 21b, Beit Habechirah and Maharsha commentaries, ad loc. (see also the latter’s comment. on Pesachim 119); Moreh Nevuchim 3:26.

And even the occasional places where some apparently intelligible reason was revealed and explained, this, to our intelligible reason, is not the full and absolute reason;38See ref. cited above, note 37, and see Berachot 33b and Rashi, ad loc. (s.v. Middotav), and Jerusalem Talmud, Berachot 5:3. rather, within it is vested the pnimiyut and principium of chochmah, transcending conception and comprehension.

It is likewise with respect to every word that was emitted from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed is He, to the prophets, as recorded in Tanach,39Torah-Neviim-Ketuvim (the Bible). whether they be words of admonishment or tales of events. In them is vested an aspect of the Divine chochmah transcending conception and comprehension.40Cf. Zohar III:149b; 152a; Moreh Nevuchim 3:50. This is empirically evident from the principle of kri and ktiv.41The textual reading of Scripture (kri) sometimes differs from the textual writ (ktiv). The kri relates to the comprehension as revealed to us. The ktiv transcends conception and comprehension; that is, this word in its written form has no garment subject to comprehension, but in its oral reading form it does have a garment.42Cf. Pesachim 50a and Rashi, ad loc.; Zohar III:230a.

The same applies to the large letters in the Tanach;43Some letters in Scripture are written larger than others. Cf. Encyclopedia Talmudit, vol. 1. s.v. Otiyot, p. 190 ff. they are from a supremely sublime world and radiate from there openly, not with a garment like the other letters.44Cf. Zohar II:132a and III:2a. See also Zohar I:3b and ref. cited in Derech Emet, ad loc.

Now, the aspect of the Divine chochmah, blessed is He, vested in the 613 commandments of the Torah, is referred to as the category of the achorayim of chochmah. For all the achorayim in the sefirot are the external and lower levels in the gradation of that sefirah. That is why they can descend and extend below, to become vested in the creatures in order to vivify them. The aspect of the panim is the sefirah itself. It is united with its Emanator, the En Sof, blessed is He, by an absolute union.

As, for example, the sefirah of chochmah: it is united with its Emanator, the En Sof, blessed is He, in an absolute unity, for the Holy One, blessed is He, and His wisdom, are one45Maimonides, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 2:10; Moreh Nevuchim 3:20. See Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 2. (46Brackets appear in the text.as explained above47This reference (“above”) is not clear; cf. H. V., ad loc.). But that which radiates and extends from His wisdom, blessed be He, below [among the limited and finite nether beings, and becomes vested in them], is called achorayim, and is also called the aspect of Asiyah of Atzilut.48The lowest realm within the world of Atzilut.—The four worlds (see Addendum, Mystical Concepts in Chassidism) compound not only the order of the ten sefirot but also the general levels denoted by the names of the worlds. Thus Atzilut is divisible into Atzilut of Atzilut, Beriah of Atzilut, etc.; the same applies to the lower three realms (Atzilut of Beriah, etc.) R. Moses Cordovero illustrates this with an analogy to a silversmith who classifies his silver into four groups according to the purity of the metal: the first type is the most pure silver, free of base metals; the second type is less pure than the first; the third is about half pure and half impure; and the fourth contains more base metals than silver. Now, even the first class of silver cannot be wholly and absolutely pure. There always are some drosses that cannot be removed. Thus even this first class can be subdivided into more and less “wholly pure,” truly, into these four general categories. And the same applies also to the other three classes, one category differing from the other in the degree of purity (Pardes Rimonim 24:10).

Metaphorically speaking, this will be understood by the analogy with terrestrial man. There are five ranks in his soul, one lower than the other. These are the faculties of the intellect, the (emotive) attributes, thought, speech, and action.49See Likkutei Amarim, Part I, ch. 3 ff. and Part II, ch. 8. Action is the lowest of them all. For the vivification that extends from the soul and is vested in the power of action is as nothing compared to the vivification that extends from it and is vested in the power of speech. The latter (in turn) is as nothing compared to the vivification that extends from (the soul) and is vested in thought, the (emotive) attributes, and the intellect.

In a precisely like manner (with respect to) the category of His wisdom, blessed be He, that which can become extended from it to become vested50V. L.: to emanate. in all the nether beings is51Emended according to H. V. as nothing compared to the category of the panim, which is united with the Emanator, blessed is He. For “All that are before Him are esteemed as naught.”52Zohar I:11b. The panim of chochmah thus is completely absorbed in the Emanator. But the effluence to all limited and finite nether beings is regarded, so to speak, as a descent and contraction (tzimtzum) with respect to the Emanator, the En Sof, blessed is He, just as, metaphorically speaking, it would be regarded as a descent and contraction for the intellect of an intelligent person to be contracted to some purely physical and material act.

Moses our Master, peace to him, who apprehended up to the achorayim of chochmah, therefore merited that through him was given the Torah—“an attenuated form of supernal chochmah,” i.e., that which sheds from it and descends netherward and becomes vested in our physical Torah.53Cf. Etz Chaim, Shaar Hakelalim, end of ch. 1; ibid., 32:8 and 37:1. Its principal object and purpose is the upkeep of the operative and prohibitory commandments, in true actuality and performance,54The aspects of Asiyah—Action, or making. in accord with the saying: “To do them this day,”55Deuteronomy 7:11; see Eruvin 22a. and “Study (of Torah) is greater because it leads to performance,”56Kiddushin 40b. and “He who learns with the intent of not doing, it would have been better for him if his after-birth had been turned over….”57Jerusalem Talmud, Berachot 1:2; ibid., Shabbat 1:2; Vayikra Rabbah 35:6; cf. below, Epistle 20. And every person needs to become reincarnated until he has actually observed all the 613 commandments, as known from the Arizal.58See above, Epistle 7, note 37.* * *

59This part, to the end, does not seem to be part of the preceding, though the content is somewhat related.The letters that are revealed to us are in action, speech, and thought.

Pertaining to action are the forms60Emended according to H. V. of the letters as they are in the Assyrian script of the Torah scroll.

The letters pertaining to speech are engraved in the breath and voice which is divided into twenty-two parts. One differs from the other with respect to their form, i.e., the enunciation and utterance of the twenty-two letters in any language. For there is no difference between the sacred tongue and the other languages with respect to the nature of the letters’ enunciation, only as regards their combinations.

The letters pertaining to thought are [again, in any language a person may think] the words and letters of the language, which are twenty-two only.

Though, in thought there are three kinds of [the aspect of] letters. When one sees in the Torah scroll the form of the letters, they are pictured in his thought. This is referred to as the rank of “action61Or: making (Asiyah). of thought.” Likewise, when one hears the letters of speech, they become inscribed in his thought and he meditates upon them. This is referred to as the rank of the “speech of thought,” and as the rank of Yetzirah.62Formation. The letters of thought only, without any meditation on the letters of speech, are referred to as the “thought of thought,” the rank of Beriah.63Creation.

Now, the letters of actual speech come about and receive their vivification from those very same letters that are in the thought.

Though sometimes a person may speak while thinking of another matter, he can, then, speak only such words and combinations that he has already spoken (previously) and that were in his thought a great many times. Thus in those words and combinations there is left the vestige of the thought that entered into them many times.

And this is the rank of the achorayim and externality of the n.h.y. of the partzuf of the higher (realm), which enters into the lower one to be a faculty of mochin and life-force to it, as known.