Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Gulgalta of Arich Anpin
גלגלתא
Gulgalta (“the skull”) of Arich Anpin
Gulgalta (“the skull”): Keser as the Supernal Will, the outer dimension of Keser of Arich Anpin, covering the hidden brain (Mocha Stima’ah) and letting only “hairs” of its light through to Chochmah.
The word Gulgoles also means a plain head or skull, as in the census “by their heads” (legulgelosam) and the half-shekel “a beka per head.” The text means the level where it says גלגלתא (Aramaic), pairs it with Mocha Stima’ah, Arich Anpin or the “hairs,” or calls it the will that covers the brain (דחפיא על מוחא). Z’eir Anpin also has a Gulgalta (its Keser), named as such (גלגלתא דז״א).
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 5, ¶20The Supernal Will, Keser, is called “the skull that covers the brain,” far above Chochmah, the brain. Yet in a person the brain is the seat of life and the skull only a covering bone. The answer: the brain is indeed inward and the main life, and the skull only outward, but it is a vessel and dwelling for the supernal delight more than Chochmah is.
והנה רצון העליון ב״ה שהוא בחי׳ כתר נק׳ גלגלתא דחפיא על מוחא שהוא למעלה מעלה מבחי׳ חכמה מוחא
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 17, ¶1The will (Gulgalta) is outward relative to the Mocha Stima’ah, the hidden intellect in which the delight is, the Or Ein Sof itself; the skull covers it so that only a hair is drawn, from which Chochmah of Atzilus nurses. The paragraph notes that elsewhere Gulgalta, Keser of Keser, is set above Mocha Stima’ah, Chochmah of Keser, and grounds both readings in Etz Chaim.
הרי מבואר מזה דבחי׳ מו״ס זהו פנימית דגלגלתא שהיא חיצוניות שלו
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 19, ¶11The Torah comes from Chochmah, rooted in Chochmah within Keser, the inward level; the mitzvos come from Gulgalta, the outer dimension of Keser, which encompasses the brains. So the Sages praised Torah more, yet “the deed is the main thing,” since Gulgalta, Keser of Keser, is higher than Chochmah of Keser.
נמצא גולגלתא שהיא החיצוניות של בחינת כתר אריך היינו כתר שבכתר הוא מה״ט גבוה מבחי׳ חכמה שבכתר עם היותו בחי׳ פנימית
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 21, ¶13As hairs grow from the skull that covers the brain, so above Keser, called Gulgalta, enclothes the radiance of the Or Ein Sof, and from it the light is drawn through “hairs” and mazalos. The supernal delight enclothed in it is Ein Sof, far above Keser and Gulgalta.
וכך למעלה בחי׳ כתר הנק׳ גלגלתא הוא המלביש הארת א״ס ב״ה וממנו נמשך אח״כ ע״י שערות ומזלות
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 6, ¶11Chochmah and Keser have no common measure: Keser is above hishtalshelus. It is the Gulgalta of Arich, Malchus of the Ein Sof, like a crown that sits on the head and has no connection with it, unlike the hand and foot.
והוא בחינת גולגלתא דאריך בחי׳ מל׳ דא״ס והוא כמשל הכתר למטה שהוא על הראש ואין לה שייכו׳ כלל עם הראש
Stated differently
Whether the mitzvos are drawn from Gulgalta, or draw only the will enclothed in Chochmah while Gulgalta is revealed through teshuvah
והמצות הן נמשכות מגולגלתא דא״א שהוא בחי׳ אור מקיףThe Torah is rooted in the Mocha Stima’ah of Arich Anpin, an inner light; the mitzvos are drawn from the Gulgalta of Arich Anpin, an encompassing light (Or Makif).
אך ביוהכ״פ יום התשובה הוא התגלות עתיקא קדישא סתימא דכל סתימין שלמעלה מבחי׳ גלגלתא וכתר דא״אTorah and mitzvos draw the encompassing and inner lights from the Gulgalta and Mocha of Arich Anpin; on Yom Kippur, the day of teshuvah, Atika Kadisha is revealed, above Gulgalta, and fills their blemishes.
והב׳ הוא בחי׳ רצון העליון שלמעלה מעלה מסדר ההשתלשלות ואינו מלובש כלל בבחי׳ חכמה עילאה והוא בחי׳ גלגלתא דחפיא על מוחאThe Supernal Will has two levels: the will enclothed in Chochmah, drawn through Torah and mitzvos by the perfectly righteous; and the will far above hishtalshelus, not enclothed in Chochmah at all, the Gulgalta, revealed in baalei teshuvah through the depth of the heart.
Whether an arousal from below can reach Gulgalta
ע״כ אין אתעדל״ת יכול לעורר כלל לבחי׳ כתר רק הוא דבר שחל ממילאKeser, the Gulgalta of Arich, cannot be aroused from below at all; it is revealed of itself, as on Shavuos and at the splitting of the sea (“it depends on Atika”).
הרי ע״י ביטול רצון זה בבחינה זו גורם ומעורר למעלה רצון העליון ב״ה שלמעלה מעלה מבחי׳ השתלשלותTeshuvah from the depth of the heart, uprooting one’s will with mesirus nefesh, causes and arouses above the Supernal Will that is above hishtalshelus, the Gulgalta.
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Shelach 17, ¶1Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 5, ¶20Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 19, ¶11Likkutei Torah, Acharei 4, ¶6Likkutei Torah, Acharei 4, ¶16Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 1, ¶5Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 21, ¶13Torah Ohr, Beshalach 6, ¶11
Where it appears
In 129 paragraphs of 65 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 9 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 5 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Korach 1 ¶21 ¶24 ¶41
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 3 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 1 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8 ¶7 ¶24 ¶36 ¶41
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 19 ¶5 ¶6 ¶7 ¶11 ¶12 ¶15 ¶17 ¶24 ¶29 ¶30 ¶33 ¶34 ¶35
- Likkutei Torah, Tazria 6 ¶28
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 2 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 4 ¶9 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 6 ¶17 ¶25
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 3 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 4 ¶6 ¶16 ¶18 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 5 ¶30
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 14 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 16 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 19 ¶6 ¶7 ¶8 ¶12 ¶13 ¶14 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 2 ¶31 ¶38
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 5 ¶20 ¶21 ¶23
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 4 ¶4 ¶5 ¶7 ¶8 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 17 ¶1 ¶4 ¶5 ¶6 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 37 ¶9 ¶10 ¶11 ¶12 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 39 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Chayei Sarah 3 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 4 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 6 ¶2 ¶25
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 6 ¶4 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 1 ¶5 ¶6 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 4 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 13 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 27 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Beshalach 6 ¶11 ¶13 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 41 ¶13 ¶28
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 5 ¶9 ¶15
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 10 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 3 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 3 ¶1 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 21 ¶13 ¶14 ¶15 ¶17 ¶19 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 12 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 4 ¶14 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 15 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 16 ¶4 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 9 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 1 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 3 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 3 ¶26
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 9 ¶8 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 13 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 7 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 2 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 12 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 11 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Lech Lecha 1 ¶11
- Torah Ohr, Tetzaveh 3 ¶23 ¶24
- Torah Ohr, Tetzaveh 4 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 7 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 2 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Savo 1 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 7 ¶12 ¶21 ¶22 ¶27
- Torah Ohr, Noach 3 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 1 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 8 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Tazria 4 ¶30
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.