Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Mayim elyonim and mayim tachtonim
מים עליונים ומים תחתונים
The upper and the lower waters (mayim elyonim and mayim tachtonim)
The waters the firmament divided on the second day, applied at several levels: above, Chochmah, hidden worlds or supernal delight; below, revealed worlds, source of separate existence, or worldly pleasure.
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 6, ¶7Before the division all were spiritual waters, Chochmah, “waters within waters.” When the firmament divided them, the upper waters became more refined and the lower became physical, like wine that clears when the lees settle and the lees grow coarse. The libation, poured through the shissin down to the deep, is explained by this.
וביום שני שהבדיל בין מים למים אז מים עליונים נעשו רוחניים יותר משהיו קודם ההבדלה ומים תחתונים נתגשמו להיות מים גשמיים
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 5, ¶18The sea is the lower waters, below the firmament: the source from which separate existence (yesh) comes into being. The upper waters are the hidden worlds, which are in bittul.
והנה בחי׳ ים הוא מים תחתונים וכמ״ש יהי רקיע ויהי מבדיל כו׳ דהיינו המקור להתהוות יש ודבר נפרד
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 4, ¶14The revealed worlds, which receive from the revealed world, are the lower waters; they weep, “we want to be before the King,” over their descent, because the hidden worlds receive from hidden powers. Likewise the compassion of the twelve tribes in every person, over the spark of G‑dliness that came down.
הם הנק׳ מים תחתונים ונק׳ מי בוכים כדאיתא בזהר שהמים התחתונים בוכים אנן בעינן למהוי קדם מלכא
- Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 10, ¶6G‑d’s flow of life is of two kinds, divided by the parsa as the diaphragm divides the organs of breath from those of food. The upper waters are supernal delight (Vaetchanan 10:5); the lower are the waste, the pleasures of this world. Choosing life means choosing the first and despising the second.
והב׳ הוא מים תחתונים הם הפסולת תענוגי עוה״ז שנמשכים ע״י הפרסא ורקיע המבדיל בין מים עליונים למים תחתונים
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 10, ¶9Torah is water, which runs from high to low, and “water” is said twice. The upper waters are the sea of Chochmah, the upper yud, above the revelation of Torah; the lower waters are the actual performance of physical mitzvos, Malchus of all worlds, rooted in the upper waters, the Malchus of the Ein Sof Himself.
מים העליונים בחי׳ ים החכמה ויו״ד עלאה שהיא למעלה מבחי׳ גילוי התורה עצמה
Stated differently
Where the firmament dividing upper from lower waters lies
וכ״ז הוא מתחת לרקיע ופרסא שבין אצילות לבריאהThe sea is lower waters beneath the firmament even though it is the hidden world: Beriah (hidden) and Yetzirah (revealed) are both below the firmament, the parsa between Atzilus and Beriah.
ולכן נק׳ יצירה מים תחתונים לגבי הבריאהBeriah is the hidden worlds and Yetzirah the revealed world; therefore Yetzirah is called lower waters relative to Beriah.
ואפשר שזהו ג״כ ענין קרומא דאוירא כו׳ ע׳ בע״ח שער א״א פ״ז שזהו ענין רקיע המבדיל בין מים למיםIt suggests (“perhaps”) that the screen at the beginning of Atzilus, through which Atik’s Gevurah clothes itself in the hidden brain of Arich, is also the “membrane of the air,” which Etz Chaim calls the firmament dividing the waters.
Which level the upper waters are
מן המים משיתיהו מבחי׳ מים עליונים שהוא בחי׳ אצי׳Moshe was drawn “from the water,” from the upper waters, which are Atzilus.
לפי שמקבלים המ״ד ממים עליונים שמלמעלה מהשתלשלותMoshe was drawn from the sea of supernal Chochmah, “beyond the river,” above the chain of descent; the three flocks, divided while in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, become one flock when they receive from the upper waters above the chain of descent.
מים העליונים בחי׳ ים החכמה ויו״ד עלאה שהיא למעלה מבחי׳ גילוי התורה עצמהThe upper waters are the sea of Chochmah, the upper yud, above the revelation of the Torah itself.
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Shelach 6, ¶7Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 4, ¶14Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 5, ¶18Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 5, ¶19Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 6, ¶6Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 10, ¶5Likkutei Torah, Vaeschanan 10, ¶6Torah Ohr, Yisro 10, ¶9
Where it appears
In 35 paragraphs of 26 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 29 ¶13 ¶14
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 41 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Acharei 3 ¶2
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 6 ¶8
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 2 ¶20
- Likkutei Torah, Haazinu 3 ¶24
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 6 ¶6
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 5 ¶18 ¶19 ¶22
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 30 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Va’eschanan 10 ¶5 ¶6 ¶11 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 2 ¶4
- Torah Ohr, Yisro 10 ¶9 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 1 ¶10
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 3 ¶26
- Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 1 ¶10
- Likkutei Torah, Shelach 6 ¶7 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 12 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 5 ¶34
- Torah Ohr, Bo 2 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 4 ¶14
- Torah Ohr, Mishpatim 3 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 2 ¶7
- Torah Ohr, Shemos 7 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 7 ¶23
- Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 5 ¶47 ¶48
- Likkutei Torah, Rosh Hashanah 2 ¶12
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.