ביאור עוד לענין מוצאיהם למסעיהם ומסעיהם למוצאיהם

1A further explanation of the matter of “their goings forth to their journeys” and “their journeys to their goings forth.” Now, Adam Kadmon is called “Adam of Beriah”; and Akudim, Nekudim, or Atik Yomin and Arich Anpin, are called “Adam of Yetzirah”; and Atzilus as a whole is called “Adam of Asiyah.”

And the level of Atzilus is nothing but the level of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), etc. [That is to say: since, in terms of the worlds as a whole, Adam Kadmon too, which is far, far above Atzilus, is called by the name Beriah,

if so, what is the level within the worlds as a whole that is called Atzilus, that which is above the level of the general Beriah, which is Adam Kadmon? And about this he said that that level of Atzilus is the level of the Infinite Light.

2And the explanation is that “Atzilus” is from the expression “and He drew off (vayatzel),” etc., which is only [a movement] from concealment to revelation; whereas Beriah is a new coming into being, something from nothing, as is written about this in the explanation on the verse “And these are the ordinances.”

Therefore the drawing forth and revelation of the kav (line of light) from the Infinite Light is Atzilus, from concealment to revelation; for at first the light was included in the luminary,

that is, the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, “Before the world was created, there was He and His Name alone”; and like the radiance of the sun when it is included within the body of the sun, by way of analogy.

3And afterwards it was emanated and drawn forth to become the revelation of the radiance. This is a drawing forth from concealment to revelation, and therefore it is called Atzilus. And see what is written on the matter of Atzilus in the explanation on the verse “And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel,” regarding “He contracted His Shechinah,” etc.; whereas Adam Kadmon, which includes the Ten Sefiros, is called Beriah, something from nothing.

4And see what is written about this in the explanation on the verse “You shall keep My Shabbosos.”] And the explanation of the matter: it is also known that, in general terms, Adam Kadmon and Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah are one Name Havayah,

which is the level of the ten Sefiros: that is, the yud is Chochmah, and it is the level of the World of Atzilus; the hei is the level of Binah, and it is the level of Beriah.

5The vav, the six extremities (vav ketzavos), is Yetzirah. The final hei is Malchus, and it is the level of Asiyah. And the level of the general Keser is Adam Kadmon, and it is called “the tip of the yud,”

and it includes them all, as is written in Sha’arei Kedushah, Part III, Gate 1, and in Etz Chaim, Gate 41, chapter 4. And the explanation of the matter is that

the Infinite Light, blessed be He, is as its name: it has no beginning and no end, and Sefiros without end or limit could have come into being from it.

6Nevertheless, only ten Sefiros came into being. This is because it so arose in His will that there be only ten Sefiros; and this level of the Supreme Will of the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He, that the Ten Sefiros come into being, is called Adam Kadmon. As is known from the matter of

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts”: that when it arose in His will to bring into being and to emanate ten Sefiros, they immediately came into being, and they are included in this Supreme Will; as is written about this in the explanation on the verse “My dove.”

7And this is what is written in Etz Chaim and Sha’arei Kedushah mentioned above: that Adam Kadmon, which is Keser, includes all the worlds of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, which are the Ten Sefiros, Chochmah [being] Atzilus, etc., down to Malchus [being] Asiyah; and Adam Kadmon, which is Keser, includes them all. And this is because

Adam Kadmon, which is Keser, is the Supreme Will: that it arose in His will to bring the Ten Sefiros into being. And since “My thoughts are not your thoughts,” so that through its arising in His will they immediately came into being, then this is the meaning of Adam Kadmon, which is Keser, including all the Ten Sefiros within it.

8And afterwards they came into being as actual ten Sefiros, in revelation, and then a flow of influence can come from them; whereas while they are included in Adam Kadmon, in the Supreme Will, it was not possible for a flow of influence to come from them, etc.

[For there they are in the state of nothingness and self-nullification (bittul); along the lines of what is written in the discourse beginning “Then Moshe and the children of Israel sang,” in Parshas Beshalach, on the matter of the “hidden world” (alma de’iskasya), that they are nullified in their very existence within their source, etc.;

and in the discourse beginning “And Israel saw,” on the matter that there are two Names Havayah: one is the level of the lower Name Havayah, which brings into being, etc.;

the second is the higher Name Havayah, and it is the level of will: it arose in thought that there be the lower Havayah, to bring the worlds into being. See there.

9And according to what is written [here], the lower Name Havayah is the Ten Sefiros of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah: the yud, Chochmah, Atzilus, etc., down to the final hei, Malchus, Asiyah. And the higher Name Havayah is the level of the Supreme Will, Adam Kadmon, which includes within it the Ten Sefiros of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, as mentioned above.

And see Etz Chaim, Gate 41, end of chapter 4, mentioned above; and see what is written further on the matter mentioned, that there could have been a coming into being of endless Sefiros, in the explanation on the verse “Let them bring royal apparel.”]

But nevertheless, their existence and their coming into being were truly in the Supreme Will. And this is what is said: “Let there be light, and there was light.” The meaning: “Let there be light” is the coming into being of the first light (or kadma’ah) in its inclusion in Adam Kadmon.

And afterwards, “and there was light” is the drawing forth from Adam Kadmon, so that the coming into being of the light is drawn down below. [And this is what is written in the Zohar, Bereshis (16b): “And there was light”:

a light that already was; that is to say, that it had already been included in Adam Kadmon, and this is the matter of “Let there be light.” And see the Mikdash Melech there, and Sefer Hadras Melech, section 94 (46b),

what is also explained on this in a somewhat different way.] And the level of Adam Kadmon is what is called “the Will of all wills” (ra’ava dechol ra’avin); as is written about this on the verse “For the conductor, on the eighth (sheminis).”

Therefore, when one writes the yud, one first makes its upper tip and afterwards the body of the yud, and not first the body of the yud and afterwards its tip.

That is, because from the tip of the yud, which is Keser, namely Adam Kadmon, the Will of all wills, from it is drawn the yud itself, which is Chochmah and Atzilus.

And see the commentary of the Ramaz on the Zohar, at the beginning of Parshas Shelach (159a), on the passage “Three worlds.” And along these lines there was a saying often on the holy lips of the Maggid, whose soul is in Eden, on what is written, “He calls the generations from the beginning (merosh)”: its meaning is that He calls the Ten Sefiros.

“From the beginning” is the level of Adam Kadmon, [calling them] to be drawn down and revealed below, like one who calls to his friend whom he sees from afar, “Reuven, come here!”

[And the reason Adam Kadmon is called rosh (head) can be explained according to what is written in Mishnas Chassidim, Tractate Kelalus HaOlamos, beginning of chapter 2: that Adam Kadmon is the mystery of the Arich of the four worlds, Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. That is, because it includes all of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, like Arich Anpin in relation to Atzilus, as is written in Etz Chaim and Sha’arei Kedushah there.

10And Arich is called the head and root of the emanated beings for this reason, as is written in Etz Chaim, Gate 41, chapter 3. Therefore Adam Kadmon too is called “head” (rosh).

And as for the Ten Sefiros being called “generations” (doros), it may be explained [as] from the expression dari dari, that is, rows: for Chochmah, Binah and Daas are the first row; Chesed, Gevurah and Tiferes the second row, etc.

And also from the term “generation” in its literal sense: for Chochmah and Binah are called Abba and Imma (Father and Mother); Chesed, Gevurah and Tiferes are called children; and Netzach, Hod and Yesod are called grandchildren, as is written elsewhere in the explanation of “and brings a redeemer to their children’s children.”

And see the Likkutei Torah of the Arizal, Parshas Vayeshev, on the explanation of “My dwelling (dori) is pulled up and carried away”; and see further on the matter of “He calls the generations from the beginning” in the Zohar, Parshas Lech Lecha (86a)

and in Parshas Vayechi (227b), that it refers to the souls of the righteous. And according to this too, the interpretation of “from the beginning” (merosh) as Adam Kadmon fits well, as [will be explained] below in the explanation of “their goings forth.”

And see Etz Chaim, Gate 8, chapter 5, where he wrote: “And above its skull (gulgalta) there is in it a counterpart of the level of Atik of Atzilus.” End of quote.

And it is cited in Zohar HaRakia, Parshas Bereshis, on the explanation of the Zohar’s passage (15) “At the head of the King’s authority (bereish hurmenusa),” etc., by Rabbi Meir Poppers Katz.

And he explains there that just as the Malchus of Adam Kadmon becomes Atik for the World of Atzilus, so, in the same way, the Malchus of Atzilus becomes Atik for Beriah.

That is to say: in the worlds as a whole, Adam Kadmon is called “Adam of Beriah,” and the Atik of this supernal Beriah is made from the Malchus of Atzilus; that is, from the level of the radiance of the Infinite Light itself, which is called the general Atzilus, as mentioned above.

11But how is it fitting to say, of the supernal Atzilus, which is the level of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), the term “the Malchus of Atzilus,” which implies the language of Sefiros?

But it is as written in Etz Chaim, Gate 41, chapter 3: “It is the lowest and humblest level of all the levels of the Infinite One, and it is as if we were to say, by way of analogy, that it is the level of Malchus of Malchus, although it is not so;

for there is no form or Sefirah there at all, G‑d forbid; only to settle the ear do we speak this way.” End of quote. And see what is written about this above, in the explanation on the verse “I am black but comely.”

And see what is written in the Arizal’s explanation of the Idra, on what is written there (end of 128b), “Tav inscribed an impression (reshimu).” And it is cited above in the explanation on the verse “You shall keep My Shabbosos.”

And see what is written on the verse “And you shall eat, eating,” on the matter of the new souls that will be revealed in the time to come, that they are from the level of the Infinite Light, the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), which is above even the kav, etc. See there.

And it is possible to say that the level of the kav (line of light), though it is the radiance of the Infinite One itself, which is called Atzilus, yet because it is drawn forth through a tzimtzum (contraction) and a vacated space first,

this is like the matter of the level of Atzilus that becomes Atik for Beriah. For just as the Malchus of Atzilus, which becomes Atik for the Beriah of the actual Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, does so by breaking through the screen between Atzilus and Beriah, descending and being enclothed in the first three [Sefiros] of Arich Anpin of Beriah, as is written in Etz Chaim, the Gate of the Order of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah (Gate 47, chapter 1),

so, in the same way, above: for the Ten Sefiros to come into being from the Infinite One, blessed be He, there had to be a tzimtzum and a vacated space, which is a contraction infinitely more powerful than the level of a partition (parsa) and screen, as is written elsewhere.

And the kav breaks through the tzimtzum and shines into Adam Kadmon, etc.; and this is the meaning of “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn.” And nevertheless it is a line and a thread, a mere radiance.

And see Emek HaMelech, Gate 1, chapters 55 and 56, which explains, on the matter of the thread of the Infinite One, that it is the eleventh level, which is not in the count of the Ten Sefiros,

that is, even of the most supernal Ten Sefiros, etc.; and about this they said, “Ten and not eleven,” [and] “You are One, but not in number.” (And see what is written about this elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “Elijah began,” in Parshas Vayeira.)

But the level of the light that encompasses all worlds, that is, the revelation of the Infinite Light that is above the level of the kav, is the level of the supernal Atzilus itself, the revelation of the concealment that is above the tzimtzum. And see what is written about this in the explanation on the verse “I have seen,

and behold, a menorah all of gold”; and it is possible that this is included in what the Arizal wrote, that in the time to come there will be a revelation of the inner dimension (pnimiyus) of Atik, etc.] And therefore it is explained in Etz Chaim that the feet of Adam Kadmon end at the bottom of Asiyah,

for in the level of the will everything is included, even the coming into being of the final deed, etc.; as is written about this in the explanation on the verse “My dove,” mentioned above.

12Now the matter of the forty-two journeys will be understood. They had two aspects, journeying and encamping, as it is written, “And it was, when [the Ark] journeyed,” etc., and “And when it rested, he would say,” etc., which are ascent and drawing down.

And it is explained below, in the explanation of “their goings forth to their journeys,” that the drawing down is from Adam Kadmon. And therefore they had two aspects, journeying and encamping,

for it is impossible for there to be a drawing down from Adam Kadmon into the worlds except in the manner of “reaching and not reaching” (mati velo mati); that is, as soon as it is drawn down, it returns and ascends.

13This is because the drawing down is from a very high and exalted place, which is the level of Adam Kadmon. Therefore, from there the drawing down must necessarily be in the manner of “reaching and not reaching” (mati velo mati), as is written in Etz Chaim, in the Gate of “Reaching and Not Reaching.”

That is, it is impossible for this drawing down to be in the manner of “reaching,” enclothed in actual vessels in complete revelation; rather, as soon as the “reaching” is drawn down, it immediately withdraws and becomes “not reaching,”

for no vessel can contain it. (And this is what is written in the Idra Zuta) (288b) regarding the Unknowable Head (Reisha deLo Isyada): “And concerning this it is called, ‘Flee to your place’”; and “The living creatures ran and returned.”

That is, even when it is drawn down, it immediately withdraws to its place. Now, seemingly this is close to the matter of the returning surrounding light, which at first enters as inner light (or pnimi), and because the vessel cannot contain it, withdraws and becomes surrounding light (makif), etc.

Nevertheless, it is not truly similar, for there it withdrew from the vessel completely, to be only surrounding light, etc., which is not so with “reaching and not reaching,”

for even after “not reaching,” “reaching” is drawn down, etc. And these are the words of Etz Chaim, in the Gate mentioned above, chapter 1: “This vessel has no power to bear the light unless it is reaching and not reaching.” End of quote. So at any rate, through this the vessel is able to bear the light.

However, the essence of the journeying was ascent from below to above; therefore the Levites carried the Mishkan, for ascent is through the Gevuros (powers of restraint).

(And the three Levites, Gershon, Kehas and Merari, are the three “hands” of the Name of Forty-two [Letters], through which the ascent takes place. And the matter of these three hands in the human soul, through which the soul is lifted up to G‑d, is explained elsewhere, in the Purim discourse beginning “A person is obligated,” etc., in the explanation of “For a hand is upon the throne of Yah.”

And it will also be understood along the lines of what is written on the rank of the three levels of the Levites, Gershon, Kehas and Merari, at the end of the discourse beginning “And He spoke,” etc., of “in the Wilderness of Sinai.”)

Therefore the Levites also guarded the Sanctuary in twenty-one places, for the guarding is chiefly against the kelipos. And “the stranger who comes near shall be put to death,” etc.

(as is written on the matter of “and the stranger who comes near” in the Raaya Mehemna, Parshas Shoftim) (274b) and in Parshas Teitzei (282b); and see further on this in the Zohar, Part I, Bereshis (31a); Part II, Mishpatim (117b);

in the Raaya Mehemna, Part III, Tzav (end of 33b); and see further the commentary of the Ramaz on the Zohar, Mishpatim (95b), on the matter of “to a strange man.”

But this ascent too is impossible except through a prior drawing down from above, and this is through the Kohanim. Therefore the Levites would not begin their service except through the Kohanim, as it is written, “And they shall set each man to his service,” etc.

And see also what is written on this matter at the end of the discourse “And He spoke” of “in the Wilderness of Sinai,” mentioned above. And this is the matter of the offerings: the Kohanim would offer two lambs as daily (tamid) offerings each day, for

from the first three [Sefiros] of Adam Kadmon no drawing down at all is possible, only from the seven lower [Sefiros] (and see Etz Chaim, the Gate of Circles and Line, Branch 5).

And this is through the lambs (kevasim), for “And the lambs (kesavim) Yaakov separated.” Yaakov is the level of the seven lower [Sefiros], as is written in the Likkutei Torah of the Arizal, at the end of Parshas Vayetzei.

And he drew the level of the lambs down, that is, that they be drawn down from their root in the level of the seven lower [Sefiros] of Arich Anpin. And also the level of “the hair of His head like pure wool” is the supernal emotive attributes (middos), and their root is from the seven lower [Sefiros] of Atik, which are enclothed in Arich Anpin and become there the seven tikkunim of the head, etc., as is written in the Likkutei Torah of the Arizal there.

And from there Yaakov drew them down below, even to the world of separation, so that below too, in the world of separation, there be the nullification of separate existence (bittul hayesh), etc.

(And it is explained elsewhere that the waving of the two lambs on the festival of Shavuos is the raising of the emotive attributes of Atzilus to their root and source in the seven lower [Sefiros] of Arich Anpin; see there at length.) And along these lines the matter of the forty-two journeys will also be understood:

they are the level of the seven emotive attributes, each attribute comprising six, which all ascend up to their first source, which is the level of Adam Kadmon, as mentioned above, for the source of the drawing down and of the whole chain of descent (hishtalshelus) is from the seven lower [Sefiros] of Adam Kadmon, etc.; like the analogy of fire, which rises upward as far as is possible.

And the reason the Counting of the Omer, which also corresponds to the seven attributes, is forty-nine days is that the Counting of the Omer is a drawing down from above to below;

therefore the Malchus of each of the seven attributes is also counted. Whereas in the Name of Forty-two, which is the level of ascent, only six aspects of each attribute apply, and not the seventh aspect, which is the level of revelation below,

(and this is the matter of “with all your might”: for the first section of the Shema, in which “with all your might” is said, is the level of the Name of Forty-two; and see what is written on this matter in the discourse beginning “Gathering wood,” etc.).

And all the more so, since this ascent reaches up to their first source in Adam Kadmon; and when they are included in Adam Kadmon, which is the Supreme Will, they are there in the state of

self-nullification (bittul), to the point that no flow of influence or revelation from them applies, as mentioned above on the matter of “Let there be light,” etc. And it is possible that this is the meaning of what is said in the Zohar, Terumah (132b): “[The Name of] Forty-two ascends and does not descend,” etc.

And see what is written elsewhere on the matter of the Splitting of the Sea of Reeds, the analogy for the matter of “the waters froze”: a wise man does not speak before one who is greater than he, etc.

14And as for what is said regarding the journeys, “And Moshe wrote,” whose meaning was explained above, namely the drawing down of “The seal of the Holy One, blessed be He, is truth”: the explanation is

as, by way of analogy, through writing the intellect, which is spiritual, is drawn and descends and is enclothed in physical action; this is a binding of the spiritual with the physical.

So, in the same way, by way of analogy, is the meaning of “The seal of the Holy One, blessed be He, is truth.” For wisdom (Chochmah) is called truth.

For the essence of wisdom is knowing the truth: even a fool can say and speak words, but the matter will not be precise and true.

15And the wise man grasps the truth with his wisdom; and this is what wisdom is, and therefore it is called truth. And in the same way above, supernal Chochmah is the wisdom of the truth, that there is nothing else besides Him, etc., as is written in Sefer Shel Beinonim, chapter 35, in the gloss; and therefore it is called truth.

Nevertheless, it is known that Chochmah, relative to the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, is considered like physical action relative to wisdom, and even more than that, there is no comparison, as is written in Sefer Shel Beinonim, Part II, chapter 9.

For even the level of Adam Kadmon, which is the Supreme Will, is above Chochmah, and relative to the Infinite One, blessed be He, even Adam Kadmon is called “Adam of Beriah,” as mentioned above.

16Therefore Chochmah, which is the level of truth, is called only “the seal” of the Holy One, blessed be He, and it is called “And Moshe wrote”; for the drawing down of the Infinite Light into Chochmah,

which is the level of action relative to the Infinite Light, is like the analogy of writing and the seal, which is the binding and drawing down of the spiritual into the physical, as mentioned above.

17And in particular, this is the matter of the tikkun “and truth” (ve’emes) among the thirteen tikkunim of the beard, which is the level of the illumination of the face, the “two apples,” where there is the revelation of Chochmah, as it is written, “A man’s wisdom makes his face shine”;

and it is the matter of the revelation of the 375 lights, the level of “Adam of Yetzirah,” as it is written, “Who formed (yatzar) man with wisdom”; and this level is called truth.

Whereas the other tikkunim are the level of attributes, “merciful and gracious,” etc., which is out of keeping with the level of the Infinite One, to be moved by attributes, “and He is not of these attributes at all,” even though they are only the sources of the attributes, etc.

18Now Moshe, the groomsman of the King (shushvina demalka), drew the Infinite Light, blessed be He, to be enclothed in the level of the tikkun “and truth,” which is called a seal; and this is the matter of “And Moshe wrote,” etc.

And from there the illumination of the face is drawn into Z’eir Anpin, and this is the matter of “Grant truth to Yaakov.” And through this they had the power to journey through the air of the desert of the idolaters, to subdue the kelipos,

for “through Chochmah they are refined.” (And all the more so since it is the revelation of the level of hidden Chochmah (chochmah stima’ah), from which is drawn the power even to purify from the impurity of the kelipos that are below kelipas nogah, as is written in Iggeres HaKodesh, in the letter beginning “Why was [the section of Miriam] juxtaposed to the section of the [Red] Heifer,” etc.; see there.

And also along the lines of what has been explained elsewhere on the matter of “And a spring shall go forth from the House of Havayah and water the valley of Shittim,” etc.; and also, the root of this spring is the Chochmah of Adam Kadmon, which is enclothed in the Malchus of Adam Kadmon, and through this is enclothed in Atzilus, etc. And such is the matter of the drawing down from “their goings forth,” that is, from the level of Adam Kadmon, etc.)

Now, from there the Torah was drawn down, and therefore it is called “a Torah of truth.” And therefore the journeys were chiefly with the Ark specifically, in which the Tablets were.

And in the same way now, through occupying oneself with Torah, one draws down the level of “Grant truth to Yaakov,” through which the souls of Israel are able to subdue the body, which is from the skin of the serpent, so that it be nullified and included in the light of G‑d;

and so too the meaning of the blessing over mitzvos: “Blessed are You, G‑d, our G‑d, King of the world” is a drawing down from above to below, through which there is afterwards an ascent from below to above, “Who has sanctified us with His commandments”; and through this, afterwards, a drawing down of masculine waters (mayin duchrin) from above to below, “and has commanded us,” a binding in the inner dimension, etc.

19Now the matter of “their goings forth to their journeys” and “their journeys to their goings forth” will be understood. The meaning: motza (going forth) is a term for source, as in “a source of water” (motza mayim); and it is the level of Adam Kadmon,

which is the source of all the souls, as mentioned above on the matter of “He calls the generations from the beginning”: for Adam Kadmon includes the whole chain of descent (hishtalshelus) and all the souls, as is known from the matter of “Israel arose in thought.”

20And from there Moshe drew the illumination down below, to the souls in the body, so that through this drawing down the power of self-nullification (bittul) is drawn down below as well;

for in the level of “their goings forth” they are included there in a state of actual nothingness and self-nullification, as mentioned above. Therefore, through the drawing down from the level of “their goings forth,” the level of self-nullification is drawn below as well, and through this one is able to rule over the body too, etc.

21And this is “And Moshe wrote their goings forth”: for this drawing down is through the Torah, “Grant truth to Yaakov,” etc.,

as is written elsewhere: because in the Torah the very Supreme Will is enclothed, which is the level of Adam Kadmon, as mentioned above; and through this, the person who occupies himself with it also draws down and shines upon his soul the light of the very Supreme Will, etc.

22And all this is in order that there be “to their journeys, by the mouth of Havayah”; that is, that through this they have the power to ascend above the level of “the mouth of Havayah.”

For “the mouth of Havayah” is [the mouth of] ear, nose and mouth (ozen, chotem, peh), the level of Malchus; but the level of Adam Kadmon is called “what comes forth from (motza) the mouth of Havayah,” the source of the level of mouth, etc. And this is what is written, “For not by bread alone does man live”:

the supernal man (Adam), which receives from the level of lechem (bread), whose numerical value equals mazla, [that is,] three Names Havayah; “but by all that comes forth from the mouth of Havayah does man live”: “comes forth” (motza) specifically.

23And it is possible that this is the matter of the illumination of the face mentioned above, which is above the level of mazla, which is the level of hairs, etc. And afterwards, “And these are their journeys to their goings forth.”

That is to say, this is the ascent to their goings forth and their source, which is the level of Adam Kadmon, as mentioned above from the analogy of fire, which rises so very high, as far as is possible.

(One may further say, in explaining the matter of “And Moshe wrote,” according to what is written elsewhere in the discourse beginning “If in My statutes”: that just as in the Torah there are two levels, engraved letters and written letters (of the Tablets it is said, “engraved upon the Tablets,” etc.), so in every spark of Israel there are also these two levels, etc.; see there.

Now, the level of “their goings forth,” the root of the souls of Israel, is from the level of the engraved letters, and the descent of the soul below into the body is the level of the written letters. Therefore, since the drawing down is from the level of “their goings forth,” it says, “And Moshe wrote their goings forth”; that is, he drew from the level of the engraved letters to be enclothed in the written letters, etc.

And this is so that afterwards there be “And these are their journeys to their goings forth,” as is written there on the verse “If you walk in My statutes”: to be at the level of “those who walk” without limit, etc.; and see there, at the end of the discourse.

And it is possible that the ascent to “their goings forth” is higher than the initial drawing down from “their goings forth.” For although “their goings forth” is the level of Adam Kadmon, it was explained above that from the first three [Sefiros] of Adam Kadmon no drawing down at all is possible, only from the seven lower [Sefiros]. If so, the initial drawing down, from “their goings forth” to “their journeys,” has its root in the seven lower [Sefiros] of Adam Kadmon.

However, through the ascent afterwards, “And these are their journeys,” that is, through the desire of the heart (re’usa deliba) to be nullified and included in the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, this ascent to “their goings forth” reaches the level of the first three [Sefiros] of Adam Kadmon. For it is explained in the Zohar, Terumah)

(132b): “The Name of forty-two letters,” etc., up to “until it is crowned in the Infinite One (Ein Sof); and therefore it ascends and does not descend.”

This implies that the ascent through the Name of Forty-two is into the Infinite One itself. And see Pri Etz Chaim, the Gate of the Shema, chapter 25, that the Name of Forty-two is in the first three [Sefiros], Keser, Chochmah and Binah, of Z’eir Anpin, etc.

24And it is possible that this is the meaning of “ascends and does not descend”: that the ascent is to so high a place that no drawing down at all is possible from there, as mentioned above.

And it is also possible to say that the drawing down from “their goings forth” is from the level of the Arich of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah as a whole, but the ascent reaches the level of Atik, which is the level of the Atzilus, etc.,

of the worlds as a whole; along the lines of what has been explained in the explanation on the verse “You shall keep My Shabbosos,” on the meaning of the supernal Shabbos, which is the ascent from the level of “which [G‑d] created,” etc.: that is, that even Adam Kadmon, which is called “Adam of Beriah,” ascends higher still, etc.