Glossary · Torah Ohr · Likkutei Torah
Shin-ayin nehorin
ש״ע נהורין
The 370 lights (shin-ayin nehorin)
The 370 lights of Arich Anpin (the “great reckoning”), a revelation of Or Ein Sof, some far above hishtalshelus, hinted in yeshuos (salvations); Z’eir Anpin receives them by gazing; tzedakah and mitzvos draw them down.
Where it’s explained
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 11, ¶7The 370 lights are drawn from the “great reckoning” (cheshbon gadol), the revelation of the abundance of the higher lights: Chochmah, Binah and Daas each comprise a hundred (shin, 300) and the seven lower attributes each comprise ten (ayin, 70). They are drawn down through the mitzvos, as with tzedakah, where every coin joins into a great sum.
ולכן ג׳ בחי׳ חב״ד הם כל א׳ כלול ממאה וזהו השי״ן וגם ז״ת כל א׳ כלול מיו״ד וזהו העיי״ן
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 1, ¶5On “Command the salvations (yeshuos) of Yaakov”: yeshuos are the 370 supernal lights, which Yaakov joins and draws down even to the level of the heels. Yeshuos is also from “turning,” as in “Havayah turned to Hevel”: the descent of G‑d’s light to the very lowest.
ישועות הם ש״ע נהורין עילאין ובחי׳ יעקב מחבר וממשיך אותן למטה בבחי׳ עקביים ג״כ
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 5, ¶24In “He clothed me in garments of salvation (yesha)”, yesha is the 370 lights with an added yud that points to the future: the 370 lights to be revealed in the days of Moshiach, for there are several levels of the 370 lights. These are far above hishtalshelus; the Targum renders “Havayah turned to Hevel” as goodwill (raava), the supernal will.
וש״ע נהורין אלו הן למעלה מעלה מן ההשתלשלות
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 5, ¶15Citing the Idra Rabba: when Z’eir Anpin gazes at the forehead of Arich Anpin it receives 370 lights, and in the face 150. Arich Anpin (Keser) is the lowest level of the Emanator, and Z’eir Anpin longs to be absorbed in it; the light of the forehead can be received only through sight, which takes in from outside. Below, this is a person’s fiery longing “to gaze at the glory of the King.”
כד ז״א מסתכל במצחא דאריך מקבל ש״ע נהורין ובפנים ק״נ נהורין
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 4, ¶31Tzedakah is called a “helmet of salvation” because it causes G‑d to turn with His very Self to draw down the revelation of His essence. This revelation divides into the 370 lights and is the source of the “glory of old age,” the majesty of the face.
וגילוי זה מתחלק לש״ע נהורין והוא מקור התפארת שיבה בחי׳ הדרת פנים
Stated differently
Whether the 370 lights are received from the forehead or from the face of Arich Anpin
כד ז״א מסתכל במצחא דאריך מקבל ש״ע נהורין ובפנים ק״נ נהוריןZ’eir Anpin receives 370 lights by gazing at the forehead (mitzcha) of Arich Anpin, and 150 lights in the face.
ז״א נמשך לו ק״נ מהש״ע נהורין שבפנים דא״א וע״כ נק׳ זעיר לפי שנשאר אר״ך אורות מהש״ע נהורין שלא נמשכו בוThe 370 lights are in the face (panim) of Arich Anpin; Z’eir Anpin receives 150 of them and is called “small” (zeir) because 220 were not drawn into it, though at times Arich Anpin gives it all 370.
How the number 370 is made up
ולכן ג׳ בחי׳ חב״ד הם כל א׳ כלול ממאה וזהו השי״ן וגם ז״ת כל א׳ כלול מיו״ד וזהו העיי״ן300 is Chochmah, Binah and Daas, each comprising a hundred; 70 is the seven lower attributes, each comprising ten.
כשהם בא״א ש״ע נהורין ר״ך וק״ן חשבון גדול תיקון אריךThe 370 lights are 220 and 150, the “great reckoning,” the tikkun of Arich Anpin, in which the fifty gates of Binah are included at their source.
Whether the lights of the forehead number 370 or 375
כד ז״א מסתכל במצחא דאריך מקבל ש״ע נהוריןGazing at the forehead of Arich Anpin, Z’eir Anpin receives 370 lights.
באסתכלותא דמצחא שע״ה נהורין שהוא ענין ישועותThe gazing at the forehead is 375 lights, the meaning of yeshuos, a revelation of Or Ein Sof far above hishtalshelus.
גילוי הש״ע נהורין שלמעלה מהשתלשלות או שע״ה נהוריןGives both: the revelation of the 370 lights above hishtalshelus, “or 375 lights”; shalom (376) is 375 with the word itself.
Who gazes when Z’eir Anpin receives the 370 lights
כד ז״א מסתכל במצחא דאריך מקבל ש״ע נהוריןZ’eir Anpin gazes at the forehead of Arich Anpin, in fiery longing to be absorbed above, and so receives 370 lights.
הוא ענין אסתכלותא דע״ק בז״א כי הז״א ק״נ נהורין ונמשך לו יאר ה׳ פניו ונעשה ש״ע נהוריןIt is the gaze of Atik Kadisha upon Z’eir Anpin: Z’eir Anpin is 150 lights, and when “may G‑d make His face shine” is drawn to it, it becomes 370 lights.
Main sources
Likkutei Torah, Chukas 11, ¶7Likkutei Torah, Masei 5, ¶21Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 5, ¶24Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 27, ¶7Likkutei Torah, Tzav 4, ¶4Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 1, ¶5Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 2, ¶2Torah Ohr, Vayechi 5, ¶15
Where it appears
In 21 paragraphs of 18 maamarim.
- Likkutei Torah, Chukas 11 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Pinchas 2 ¶17
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 19 ¶12
- Likkutei Torah, Tzav 4 ¶4
- Likkutei Torah, Ki Seitzei 3 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar 13 ¶14 ¶17
- Torah Ohr, Bereishis 2 ¶27
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 2 ¶2 ¶13 ¶21
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 34 ¶9
- Likkutei Torah, Re’eh 5 ¶1
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 27 ¶7
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 1 ¶13
- Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim 31 ¶3
- Likkutei Torah, Nitzavim 5 ¶24
- Torah Ohr, Vayechi 5 ¶15
- Torah Ohr, Vayeitzei 1 ¶5
- Likkutei Torah, Masei 5 ¶21
- Torah Ohr, Vayeishev 4 ¶31
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.