Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Kodesh HaKodashim
קדש הקדשים
The Holy of Holies (Kodesh HaKodashim)
The innermost chamber, and the level it stands for: above “holy” (Chochmah, sovev), the source of all holiness, from which Yom Kippur draws to fill every blemish. A heichal of Beriah also bears the name.
The word Plainly, the innermost chamber of the Mishkan and the Temple, entered only by the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur ("לפני ולפנים"); the text reads it as a level above “kodesh.” Kodshei kodashim (קדשי קדשים) is also the halachic class of the most holy offerings. The abbreviation ק״ק can also mean the heichal of Kodesh HaKodashim in Beriah, Yetzirah or Asiyah, קדוש קדוש קדוש (קק״ק), or קהילה קדושה before a town’s name. For kodesh and kadosh themselves see kadosh.
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2, ¶14Sins cause blemishes in “kodesh”; the repair is teshuvah drawing from above even the supernal holiness, as the Kohen Gadol enters the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. Citing the Zohar, Chochmah, the supernal holiness, comes forth from the place called Kodesh HaKodashim; that supernal holiness is sovev kol almin, which is not clothed in the worlds.
אשר בחי׳ קדש הקדשים הוא למעלה מעלה גם מבחי׳ קדש העליון
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2, ¶22Shabbos is called kodesh, but Yom Kippur, Shabbos Shabbason, is the Holy of Holies, which the Kohen Gadol enters: the source of every kind of holiness, the completion of all, filling all the Names. It is the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy revealed on Yom Kippur, the source of pardon and forgiveness.
שהוא מקור כל בחי׳ הקדשים והוא שלימו דכולהו וממלא כל שמהן
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 7, ¶24There is kodesh, and Kodesh HaKodashim above it. Shabbos is kodesh itself, while on Yom Kippur the light is drawn from Kodesh HaKodashim; being higher than kodesh itself, it fills and completes every blemish made in kodesh.
ולכן גם בחי׳ מקרא קדש הזה דקדש הקדשים גבוה מעצמיות בחינת הקדש לבד
- Likkutei Torah, Behar 3, ¶19The same name is given to the heichal of Kodesh HaKodashim in Beriah, in which the Malchus of Atzilus is clothed and from which the Talmud is drawn. Citing Etz Chaim, that heichal is the Keser, Chochmah, Binah and Daas of Beriah, and its soul is the lights that sparkle from the Keser, Chochmah and Binah of Atzilus.
דהיכל ק״ק הוא כחב״ד דבריאה ונשמת היכל ק״ק הוא אורות המתנוצצים מכח״ב דאצילות
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 1, ¶11While the Temple stood, the desire of the heart (re’usa deliba), to make one’s will nullified to His, was drawn from the revelation of Or Ein Sof in the Holy of Holies; in exile it must be sought “from there,” by reflecting on how far one is from G‑d.
היה נמשך בחינה זו רעותא דלבא מגילוי אא״ס ב״ה בהיכל קדשי קדשים
Stated differently
What level Kodesh HaKodashim is: above sovev kol almin, or the Keser, Chochmah and Binah of Arich Anpin
אכן קדש הקדשים הוא מה שלמעלה מבחי׳ סוכ״עSovev kol almin is called kodesh, set apart because it is not clothed in the worlds; Kodesh HaKodashim is what is above sovev, “He alone,” with no relation to worlds or vessels, neither inner nor encompassing light. Its revelation fills every blemish in the makifim and inner lights of holiness.
נמשך האור מבחי׳ קדש הקדשים עצמו שהוא כח״ב דא״אKodesh HaKodashim itself is the Keser, Chochmah and Binah of Arich Anpin. When the generation is not fit and arousal from below is lacking, the light is drawn from it without the revelation of Atik (“My holiness is above”) shining in it, and the day is called Shabbos Shabbason “hi”.
Which levels the two words “kodesh” and “kodashim” name
ולכן נקרא קדש הקדשים שהוא מובדל ומרומם גם מבחי׳ סוכ״ע שהוא בחי׳ קדשיםSovev kol almin is the level of “kodashim”; Kodesh HaKodashim is set apart and exalted even above it.
אשר סוכ״ע נק׳ קדש ומובדל שאינו מתלבשSovev kol almin is called “kodesh,” set apart because it is not clothed in the worlds, and Kodesh HaKodashim is above it.
קדש הוא כתר וקדשים הם חכמה ובינהCiting the Pardes (Erchei HaKinuyim, entry kodesh): “kodesh” is Keser and “kodashim” are Chochmah and Binah.
דקדש הקדשים הן תלת רישין רישא עילאה וקדשים הן תרין רישין אחרניןCiting the Ramaz: Kodesh HaKodashim is the three heads; “kodesh” is the uppermost head and “kodashim” the two other heads, one within the other.
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2, ¶14Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2, ¶15Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2, ¶22Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 3, ¶16Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 3, ¶19Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 3, ¶23Likkutei Torah, Acharei 4, ¶23Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 7, ¶24
Where it appears
In 38 paragraphs of 25 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 4 ¶2 ¶23
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 2 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 5 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 6 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 7 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 2 ¶14 ¶15 ¶16 ¶18 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Behar 2 ¶29
- Likkutei Torah, Korach 1 ¶48
- Likkutei Torah, Pekudei 1 ¶48
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 9 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 1 ¶11 ¶15
- Likkutei Torah, Yom Kippur 3 ¶16 ¶19 ¶20 ¶22 ¶23 ¶28 ¶29
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 6 ¶28
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 3 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Tazria 6 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 8 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 1 ¶34 ¶35
- Likkutei Torah, Shemini Atzeres 3 ¶8
- Likkutei Torah, Behar 3 ¶19
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 7 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Sukkos 4 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 2 ¶16
- Likkutei Torah, Nasso 2 ¶35
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 4 ¶28
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 3 ¶3
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.