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Atik

עתיק

Atik (Atik Yomin, Atika Kadisha)

The inner partzuf of Keser: the lowest level of the Emanator, Or Ein Sof clothed in Atzilus, not counted among the Ten Sefiros; “removed” from all, all face, the source of delight.

The word עתיק plainly means “ancient” (עתיק יומין, the Ancient of Days in Daniel), and the root also means to move or copy (המעתיק הרים, העתיקו, ויעתק צור); the text draws on both. Note that ע״י may abbreviate עתיק יומין but far more often means על ידי (“through”).

Where it’s explained

  1. Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 2, ¶8Keser has two levels, Atik and Arich Anpin. Only Arich is counted among the Ten Sefiros; Atik, the lowest level of the Infinite, is not, and it is the principal inner side of Keser. Chesed of Atik is clothed in Gulgalta and Gevurah of Atik in Mocha Stima’ah.בחי׳ עתיק שהוא בחי׳ תחתונה שבא״ס אינו במנין הע״ס
  2. Likkutei Torah, Chukas 2, ¶29Atik Yomin, “exalted above the days of the world,” is the highest level in Keser, the hidden of all hidden. It is all face with no back, so kelipos and the wicked, who draw only from the back, can draw nothing from it.בחי׳ עתיק היינו פנימית הכתר דהיינו שכולו פנים ואין בו בחי׳ אחוריים כלל
  3. Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 39, ¶6Behind a will that seems to have no reason lies a hidden reason known to Him alone, and there rests the supernal delight; this is Atik, for the delight is “removed” from all. Keser holds both: Atik, from which comes Mocha Stima’ah, and the will revealed to others, Gulgalta.וזהו בחי׳ עתיק כי התענוג של הדבר נעתק מכל
  4. Likkutei Torah, Chukas 11, ¶10Atik Yomin is read from “who moves (ha-ma’atik) mountains” and “which the men of Chizkiyahu copied (he’etiku)”: prayer draws Malchus of Ein Sof across, as it were, to become Atik and Keser for Atzilus.וכך הוא ההמשכה מבחי׳ מל׳ דא״ס להיות יהי רצון עתיק וכתר לאצילות
  5. Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 3, ¶30Etz Chaim calls Atik the lowest level of the Emanator, the level clothed in Atzilus. Citing R. Chaim Vital on the Idra Zuta, the paragraph adds that Atika is in essence Or Ein Sof itself, and the three heads are called Atika Kadisha because it is hidden in them.כי עיקר עתיקא הוא הא״ס אמנם על שם התעלמות בג׳ רישין נק׳ הג׳ רישין ג״כ ע״ק

Stated differently

Whether Atik is revealed in Chochmah, or only in Binah

Torah Ohr, Lech Lecha 1, ¶7שהתגלות עתיק הוא בבינה דוקא ולא בחכמה

Atik, the source of delights, is revealed in Binah specifically and not in Chochmah (Eden), since delight is above Chochmah, and Chochmah, a mere point, comes to revelation only through Binah.

Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 7, ¶10דפנימיות אבא דוקא הוא פנימיות עתיק

The inner side of Abba (Chochmah) is the inner side of Atik, the inner supernal delight, relative to which the will is called “back.”

Torah Ohr, Yisro 6, ¶19להמשיך בחי׳ גילוי ענג העליון שיומשך ויתגלה בחכמה (דהיינו התגלות עתיק בחכמה)

Israel, by doing the mitzvos through the weekdays, draw the supernal delight to be revealed in Chochmah, that is, the revelation of Atik in Chochmah.

Whether Atik is sovev kol almin, or above even that

Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8, ¶40א״א נקרא סוכ״ע אכן בחינת עתיק אינו נקרא אפילו סוכ״ע

Arich Anpin is called sovev kol almin; Atik, the lowest level of the Emanator and not counted among the Ten Sefiros, is not even called sovev.

Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12, ¶10הנק׳ קדמונו של עולם שאינו בגדר עלמין שהוא מובדל ומרומם גם מהיות נק׳ סוכ״ע

Atik, the inner side of Keser and lowest level of the Infinite, cannot even be called root of the emanated; it is “the Ancient of the world,” not within the bounds of worlds, exalted even above being called sovev kol almin, which is only Keser’s second aspect.

Likkutei Torah, Shelach 17, ¶21גילוי בחי׳ סוכ״ע שהוא בחי׳ ע״ק

The Exodus draws a revelation of sovev kol almin, which is Atika Kadisha; relative to it the Havayah of Z’eir Anpin is only Elokim, memalei kol almin.

Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 5, ¶26הוי׳ עתיק יומין הוא סוכ״ע הוא האלקים וכולא הוא חד

Citing the Zohar: Havayah, Atik Yomin, is sovev kol almin; it is Elokim, and all is one.

Main sources

Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 2, ¶8Likkutei Torah, Chukas 2, ¶29Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 39, ¶6Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8, ¶40Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 3, ¶30Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 2, ¶17Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12, ¶10

Where it appears

In 329 paragraphs of 140 maamarim.

Written with AI from the paragraphs of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah, each entry checked by a second AI reader and every Hebrew quote checked by code; not yet reviewed by a person. Our English: CC BY-NC 4.0.

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