Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Kadmono shel olam
קדמונו של עולם
The Primordial One of the world (Kadmono shel olam)
Or Ein Sof Himself as He is not in the category of worlds, above memalei and (in most places) sovev. Torah, the “parable of the Primordial One” (mashal hakadmoni), is His parable and garment.
The word The text plays on the root קדם: “kadmoni” (ancient) in the verse “as the parable of the Kadmoni says” (משל הקדמוני), “kedem” (before, and east), ruach kadim (the east wind), and the gate “facing east” (הפונה קדים). Not the same as Adam Kadmon (אדם קדמון), the first configuration above Atzilus, nor kadmus hasechel (what precedes intellect), the will at the root of Chochmah. Close in sense to atzmus (G‑d’s essence), which has its own entry; this term names Him as above the category of worlds, mostly in the context of the Torah as His parable.
Where it’s explained
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12, ¶4“Kadmoni” in the verse “as the parable of the Kadmoni says” means the Primordial One of the world, Or Ein Sof Himself; sovev kol almin and memalei kol almin are only an illumination drawn from Him to give life to the worlds.
פי׳ הקדמוני היינו קדמונו של עולם שהוא אור א״ס ב״ה עצמו
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12, ¶5Even sovev belongs to the worlds, since it gives them life as an Or Makif, while memalei is the inner light. His being and essence is not in the category of worlds at all, so “encompassing the worlds” cannot be said of Him; that is why He is called the Primordial One of the world.
אבל מהותו ועצמותו ית׳ אינו בגדר עלמין כלל ולא שייך לומר עליו סוכ״ע כו׳ ולכן נק׳ קדמונו של עולם
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 1, ¶11The Torah is called “the parable of the Primordial One”: as the meaning is grasped through a parable, Or Ein Sof, the Primordial One of the world, is grasped through the Torah. Its laws are like hairs, a garment with life clothed inside them, and the “good oil” flowing on them is Chochmah drawn from that level.
כך ע״י התורה יהיה השגה באור א״ס ב״ה שהוא קדמונו של עולם
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 7, ¶35The east wind (ruach kadim) that split the sea is a drawing-down from the Primordial One of the world, before whom the hidden world and the revealed world are equal. Through this revelation, above the order of hishtalshelus, the “sea” of Malchus, the hidden world, became dry land, revealed below.
פי׳ רוח קדים הוא המשכה מבחי׳ קדמונו של עולם דהיינו מבחי׳ א״ס ב״ה עצמו שאינו בגדר עלמין כלל
- Torah Ohr, Vayakhel 1, ¶29What is above Chochmah is called kedem (“before”), above reshis (“beginning”): a beginning has a second after it, unlike the Primordial One of the world. The gate of the inner court “facing east (kadim)” opens on Shabbos, the revelation of the Supernal Will and delight above Chochmah.
בחי׳ שלמעלה מהחכמה נק׳ קדם שלמעלה מבחי׳ ראשית כו׳ כי הראשית יש שני לו משא״כ בחי׳ קדמונו של עולם
Stated differently
Whether the Primordial One of the world is sovev kol almin or above even sovev
נמשכה מימי קדם קדמונו של עולם דהיינו מבחי׳ סובב כל עלמין למעלה מבחי׳ ממכ״עThe oath to the Patriarchs, a promise against the order of hishtalshelus, is drawn “from days of old,” from the Primordial One of the world, that is, from sovev kol almin, above memalei, which is the order of hishtalshelus; it is Or Ein Sof Himself shining above will and Chochmah.
המשכה מבחינת קדמונו של עולם שאינו בגדר עלמין כלל אפילו להיות סובבThe east wind is a drawing-down from the Primordial One of the world, not in the category of worlds even to be sovev; it comes after the six days of matzah have drawn down sovev, the Supernal Will.
שלמעלה מעלה מבחי׳ וגדר השתלשלות לא בבחי׳ ממלא ולא בבחינת סובבAll levels, to infinite heights, are only a parable for the Primordial One of the world, Or Ein Sof itself, far above hishtalshelus, neither memalei nor sovev; the Torah was drawn from there through letters.
Where the Primordial One of the world stands: the very essence of Or Ein Sof; Atik, the inner level of Keser; or the level whose Chochmah is the Chochmah of Adam Kadmon or of Atik Yomin
מה שאינו בגדר עלמין כלל שהוא עצמות אור א״ס ממשThe Torah is the parable and garment for the Primordial One of the world, which is not in the category of worlds at all, the very essence of Or Ein Sof; so Torah study joins sovev and memalei, being drawn from above both.
ובחי׳ זו הוא הנק׳ קדמונו של עולם שאינו בגדר עלמין שהוא מובדל ומרומם גם מהיות נק׳ סוכ״עAtik, the inner dimension of Keser and the lowest level within Ein Sof, is the level called the Primordial One of the world, set apart even from being called sovev, which is only the second level of Keser, the root of the emanated. It adds that it is also called the Primordial One of the world, and is drawn from the Malchus of Adam Kadmon.
מבחי׳ קדמונו של עולם היינו חכמה דא״ק או חכמה דעתיק יומיןThe “good oil” on the hairs (the laws of the Torah) is the Chochmah of Or Ein Sof itself from the level of the Primordial One of the world, that is, the Chochmah of Adam Kadmon or the Chochmah of Atik Yomin, drawn down and clothed in them.
What the “parable of the Primordial One” (mashal hakadmoni) is a parable for
שהתורה היא משל לבחי׳ קדמונו של עולםThe Torah is the parable for the Primordial One of the world: one whose learning is in hand gains a revelation of the radiance of Or Ein Sof above sovev and memalei.
מזה נעשה בחי׳ לבוש שבו ועל ידו יוכל להשיג פנימית התורה ולכך נקרא התורה משל הקדמוניThe revealed Torah one learned becomes the garment through which the soul in Gan Eden grasps the inner reasons of the Torah, an illumination from Chochmah Stima’ah, the Chochmah within Keser; that is why the Torah is called the parable of the Primordial One.
וכמ״ש משל הקדמוני היינו שיהי׳ התגלות עצם רצון אור א״סApplied to the mitzvos: the essence of the will of Or Ein Sof can be revealed to a created being only by His will being clothed in the physical deed of the mitzvah, so the mitzvos are called garments.
Main sources
Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12, ¶4Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12, ¶5Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12, ¶6Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12, ¶10Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 15, ¶29Likkutei Torah, Tzav 7, ¶35Likkutei Torah, Tzav 7, ¶38Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 1, ¶11
Where it appears
In 66 paragraphs of 50 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Balak 5 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 6 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 2 ¶31
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 2 ¶30
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 3 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 3 ¶4 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 1 ¶8 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 7 ¶35 ¶36 ¶38
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 3 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 12 ¶4 ¶5 ¶6 ¶10 ¶11 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Vayakhel 2 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 3 ¶6
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 15 ¶29
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 16 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 7 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 6 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 17 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 19 ¶3 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Tazria 4 ¶6 ¶23
- Torah Ohr, Vayakhel 1 ¶29 ¶37
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 7 ¶45
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 1 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 6 ¶24 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Eikev 4 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Emor 6 ¶9 ¶32
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 1 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 20 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 1 ¶11
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 2 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 3 ¶12 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Matos 1 ¶18
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 1 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 5 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 4 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 10 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 15 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 11 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 3 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 2 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, V’Zos HaBerachah 3 ¶9
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 12 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 2 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 8 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 3 ¶2
- Torah Ohr, Mikeitz 4 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Bechukosai 2 ¶11 ¶12
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 5 ¶13
- Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther 1 ¶32
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 9 ¶15
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.