הנה פקודי המשכן הוא יחוד ו״ה דשם הוי׳…

1Now, “the accounts of the Mishkan” (pekudei hamishkan) is the union of vav-hei of the Name Havayah, that is, the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva. “Pekudei” is from the expression “to visit (lifkod) one’s wife,” and “Mishkan” is “the Shechinah of His might,” may He be blessed, which is the attribute of Malchus, as is known. And this union comes about through Torah and mitzvos,

and this is [the meaning of] “These are the accounts” (eileh pekudei): for the six orders of the Mishnah, each one comprising six, are the numerical value of eileh; and from this is drawn the level of “the accounts of the Mishkan,” the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva.

But “the Mishkan of the Testimony” (mishkan ha’edus) is the union of yud-hei, as it is written, “the tribes of Yah, a testimony to Israel”; for “testimony” applies to something that is hidden and concealed,

and this is Abba and Imma, which are called “the hidden things.” And this union is [the one] “counted at the word of Moshe,” who is the level of self-nullification (bittul), “and what (mah) are we.”

(The name Moshe also indicates the joining and union of Abba and Imma, for Moshe has the numerical value of 184 [and] 161, that is, the union of the Name Av (72) of Abba with the Name Ehe-yeh of Imma, as is explained below. Moreover, Moshe attained Binah.)

These two unions are in the order of prayer every day, in the Shema: for the first verse of the Shema, “Hear, O Israel, Havayah is our G‑d, etc.,”

is the level of the union of Abba and Imma, and it is the matter of “the Mishkan of the Testimony, which was counted at the word of Moshe,” who is the level of mah and self-nullification. That is, one must give over one’s soul at [the word] “One” (echad), for through this self-nullification the union mentioned above, of the Mishkan of the Testimony, is drawn down.

2And in the verse “And you shall love es Havayah, etc.,” is the matter of the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva: for es is the level of Malchus, which is the level of the es that is subordinate to the Name Havayah;

and also, es is an expression of eis (time), which is the source of time. And the meaning of “And you shall love es” is that through the love one arouses a supernal love for the level of es, that is, that there be “Havayah your G‑d (Elokecha),” the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva. And this is the matter of “These are the accounts of the Mishkan.”

3Therefore, in the first verse, Moshe said in Mishneh Torah [Deuteronomy], “Havayah our G‑d (Elokeinu),” since it is the union of Abba and Imma, which union “was counted at the word of Moshe.” And in the verse “And you shall love,” it says, “Havayah your G‑d (Elokecha),” since it is the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, as is explained elsewhere.

And this is what is said in the Zohar, Parshas Pinchas, page 236b, concerning the large ayin of Shema and the large daled of Echad: “And the sign of this is ‘Havayah is witness (ed) among you’”; and this is like the matter of the Mishkan of the Testimony,

as will be explained. (And see the Baal HaTurim on Parshas Va’eschanan, who also writes that this is the matter of “Havayah is witness among you,” and also as it is written, “And you are My witnesses”; and see the Zohar, [Parshas] Kedoshim, page 86.)

42. Now, to understand the explanation of these matters, why the union of Abba and Imma is called “the Mishkan of the Testimony,” we must first preface what is written in Likkutei Torah [of the Arizal],

in the introduction to Taamei HaMitzvos: that through fulfilling the prohibitive commandments one brings about the level of the union of Abba and Imma, and this is “shemi (My Name) with yud-hei: 365”; and through fulfilling the positive commandments [one brings about] the level of the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva.

5And this is “vav-hei with zichri (My remembrance): 248.” Now, we must understand the connection of fulfilling the prohibitive commandments specifically with the union of Abba and Imma. The explanation is

that the level of the union of Abba and Imma is the level of the nullification of the yesh (“something”): that it be nullified to the Infinite Light, blessed be He, until it takes up no place at all, like what Moshe said, “And what (mah) are we”: truly mah. And this is called the union of Abba and Imma,

for Chochmah is the level of ayin (“nothing”), as it is written, “And Chochmah is found from ayin”; and also, chochmah is koach mah (“the potential of what”). And Binah is the level of yesh (“something”), as it is written, “To cause those who love me to inherit yesh,” which refers to Gan Eden, whose root is from the level of Binah, as it is written, “And a river goes out of Eden, etc.,”

where the Infinite Light, blessed be He, is revealed in a manner of comprehension to the souls, so that they may “delight in the radiance, etc.,” as is known. And the union of Abba and Imma, which are Chochmah and Binah, is the union of ayin and yesh, in which the yesh is nullified to the ayin, so that there is a revelation of the level of ayin within the yesh, as is explained elsewhere on the verse “A psalm of thanksgiving” (see the Siddur).

And this union is drawn down in the Shema, so that there be this union and this drawing-down from ayin to yesh. (And see what is written on this in Parshas Va’eschanan, in the discourse beginning “To understand what the Arizal wrote”; and see what is written on the matter of the union of Abba and Imma in the explanation on the verse “And I shall be sanctified.”)

And [now] the explanation of the matter that Chochmah is koach mah and self-nullification. The point is that Chochmah is above the level of Binah and comprehension,

that is, there is revealed [in it] the Infinite Light, that which “no thought can grasp, etc.”; and the nature of this revelation is the nullification of comprehension and the nullification of the souls’ existence in the Infinite Light, blessed be He, of which “no thought, etc.,”

as is written in [Sefer Shel] Beinonim, chapter 18: “And Chochmah is the source of intellect, etc., that which is not grasped, etc.; and therefore the Infinite Light clothes itself in it, whom no thought can grasp, etc.”

Whereas the level of Binah is understanding and comprehension, and it is only at the level of the radiance of the Shechinah. (As is explained elsewhere, [in] the explanation of the matter of the intellect (mochin) of Abba and the intellect of Imma, in the discourse beginning “To understand what is said in the Haggadah, ‘This matzah.’”)

Now, from the level of Binah, which is understanding and comprehension, it is fitting that an arousal of love be drawn forth. And this contemplation, together with the arousal, is all in the mode of yesh, a thing seen and felt,

for there is (yesh) one who comprehends and there is one who is aroused. (And this is “To cause those who love me to inherit yesh”: so the level of yesh pertains to the level of love.) Whereas the level of Chochmah is that which is above comprehension,

that is, a revelation from the Infinite Light, blessed be He, the “Hidden of all hidden,” whom no thought can grasp at all, and the revelation is not in the mode of understanding and comprehension;

therefore the arousal from this, too, is not in the mode of yesh, like love; rather, the arousal from this is in the mode of self-nullification, that is, one becomes nullified out of existence, as it is written, “And what are we.” And as is explained in [Sefer Shel] Beinonim, chapter 39, that the World of Atzilus,

which is the level of Chochmah in general, is above the level of Gan Eden, and it is the abode of the great tzaddikim, whose service is above the level of love, but rather in the mode of self-nullification, in the manner of “the Patriarchs are themselves the Chariot, etc.”

6And the matter of the union of Abba and Imma is the drawing-down of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, that is clothed in the intellect (mochin) of Abba, which is above comprehension, so that it be drawn down and revealed in Binah.

But this revelation is not in the mode of actual comprehension, since in truth “no thought can grasp Him”; rather, the nature of this revelation in Binah may be understood in some small measure, by way of analogy, from what the Rambam writes concerning the attributes said of the Holy One, blessed be He: that they are said only as negations and are not essential attributes.

7And the difference between negative attributes and positive attributes is [this]: essential attributes, which in the language of the philosophers are called positive attributes, indicate the essence of the thing, what it is.

But negative attributes do not inform us of anything whatsoever about the entity being sought, what it is; they only inform us that it is divested of anything that opposes and contradicts that entity being sought and its essence.

8Therefore, since the Holy One, blessed be He, is above comprehension, and it is in no way possible to comprehend His essence, one cannot ascribe to Him, may He be blessed, attributes such as “omnipotent,” “wise” and “willing,”

for He is above the essence of the ability, wisdom and will that are in created beings, to the point that there is no comparison or likeness at all between Him and us, [such as would allow us] to say these attributes of Him as essential attributes;

rather, they are said in the manner of negation. That is, the [word] “able” said of Him, may He be blessed, divests from Him, may He be blessed, everything that is the opposite of ability, as it is written, “He does not grow faint

and does not grow weary, etc.” In the same way, “wise” and “willing,” etc., divest from Him, may He be blessed, what is the opposite of wisdom, etc.

It follows that these attributes do not give knowledge of His essence; they only make known that we negate of Him the things that are the opposite of His essence, as it were.

It follows that this knowledge is a revelation, in which a revelation of Him, may He be blessed, is revealed to us, and nevertheless it is not a comprehension of His essence at all. And nevertheless, even in this level of knowledge, which is by way of negation, there can be immense knowledge, truly without end, higher and higher, as the Rambam writes all this

(in his book, the Moreh Nevuchim [Guide for the Perplexed], Part I, chapters 57, 58, 59, up to chapter 60), where he writes that there is a multitude of knowledge also by way of negation, to the point that in physical matters a person can, through the multitude of negative knowledge, almost arrive at a picture of the thing as it is, etc.

In the same way the analogue can be understood, concerning the union and the revelation of the drawing-down from Chochmah, which is the level of the source of intellect that is not grasped, in which is clothed the Infinite Light, that which is above comprehension; and [concerning] what is drawn into this very level, which is understanding and comprehension, and which is called the union of Abba and Imma:

this understanding and comprehension is not a comprehension of the essence, but a comprehension, by way of analogy, [like] the comprehension of negations, etc. For as to the Infinite Light, blessed be He, “no thought can grasp Him” at all in His essence.

Therefore Keser is called “He made darkness His hiding place,” for Keser clothes the Infinite Light, blessed be He, and darkens [it], so that it be unrevealed (as is written at the beginning of the Arizal’s commentary on the Idra Zuta; and see what is written in the explanation on the verse “I am black,” [on] “black fire”);

and through Keser it rests and clothes itself in the level of Chochmah, which is also above the intellect that is grasped and understood. And this is the level of the intellect of Abba, in which is clothed the Infinite Light, that which is above the order of the chain of descending worlds (hishtalshelus)

(and see the commentary of the Ramaz on the Zohar, Parshas Emor, page 94, that the existence of Abba is drawn from the inner dimension within the hairs of the thirteen tikkunim of the beard, whereas the existence of Imma is drawn from the hairs themselves; and see the Zohar HaRakia, Parshas Vayikra, on the verse “Like the good oil, etc.,” and as is explained elsewhere).

However, the level of Binah is understanding and comprehension of the essence; but this understanding and comprehension is only at the level of a radiance and illumination from the Infinite Light, blessed be He, drawn forth in the order of the chain of descending worlds. This level is drawn down and revealed in understanding and comprehension in Atzilus, and is drawn also into the upper Gan Eden.

But the level of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, that is in the supernal Keser cannot be drawn down and revealed in actual understanding and comprehension; and nevertheless it is drawn down and revealed through the union of Chochmah and Binah, except that this revelation is not the level of comprehension, but rather the nullification of comprehension.

9And it is impossible to find an analogy for this below except from the matter of the knowledge of negations, which is a revelation and a knowing in actual comprehension, for through this knowledge one draws close to the thing sought; and nevertheless it is not a comprehension of the essence, as [there is] in the level of the radiance in the order of the chain of descending worlds, etc.

And this is the reason that the arousal drawn forth from this revelation and knowledge is the level of self-nullification (bittul), which is also a divesting of what opposes, namely, that one not be a yesh that conceals the Infinite Light, blessed be He; for every arousal must necessarily resemble its source that gives birth to it.

Therefore, since its source is also the level of the nullification of comprehension, as mentioned above, the arousal born of it is also the level of “And what are we,” which is the level of self-nullification, etc.

103. And this is the reason for what is written in Likkutei Torah [of the Arizal], that through fulfilling the prohibitive commandments there is the union of Abba and Imma. For all the prohibitions, too, are in their nature

only the level of negations of something that opposes and conceals His G‑dliness, may He be blessed, such as “You shall not eat chelev (forbidden fat), etc.,” or “Shaatnez shall not come upon you, etc.,”

which is not doing something by an active deed, but only refraining from the things mentioned, which are what conceal and prevent self-nullification to the Infinite One, blessed be He, for they are the level of yesh and a thing entirely separate, the opposite of the ayin.

Therefore they blemish the self-nullification and prevent the self-nullification of the soul: that which there is in the soul from the level of Chochmah, to be nullified to the Infinite Light, blessed be He,

as in “all before Him is considered as nothing”; and they prevent this self-nullification because they are yesh and a separate thing, the opposite of the ayin, etc.

11And there are prohibitive commandments for which one is liable to kares (excision), for they cut the soul off from its root, so that this level of self-nullification is not in it.

This will be understood better from eating chametz on Pesach: for matzah is the level of mah and self-nullification, as in the saying, “This matzah that we eat, on account of what (mah)?”, while chametz is the level of yesh, etc. And in any case, every prohibitive commandment is the negation and prevention of something that conceals the Infinite Light, blessed be He, and His holiness.

12Therefore, through fulfilling this level, in which the concealment is removed, through this the supernal union of Abba and Imma is drawn down, which is also a revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, the Cause of all causes, that is drawn down and revealed. And this revelation, too, is impossible

except in the knowledge of negations, in which a level of knowledge and comprehension of Him, may He be blessed, is drawn forth by way of divesting from Him, may He be blessed, whatever is contrary to His essence, may He be blessed. And although this is not knowledge of the essence,

it is a great closeness and revelation, as mentioned above, and infinitely greater than the comprehension of the essence that is in the level of the radiance that shines in the order of the chain of descending worlds, etc.

13And this is [the meaning of] what is written, “in a land not sown”: that is to say, the “not” (lo) is [what is] sown, namely, the prohibitive commandments, which are higher than the positive commandments, for the lav (“not”) precedes them, from above to below,

as in the saying, “First darkness, and afterward light.” For the level of the light of Keser cannot come to be clothed in the level of a vessel, since

it is above the chain of descent of lights and vessels, as mentioned above, [for] “no thought can grasp Him”; only in the mode of “not” alone can it be revealed, namely, by way of the knowledge of negations.

14Therefore it is said of this, “He made darkness His hiding place,” for the essence itself is not grasped. And this drawing-down and revelation comes specifically through fulfilling the prohibitive commandments: for the sparks that fell into them in the shattering of the vessels

descended and were drawn down below, into the three impure kelipos, and they are what conceal and entirely prevent the revelation of the light of Keser. Therefore, through removing what opposes, the revelation of the light of Keser is drawn into Chochmah and Binah, in the manner mentioned above.

However, the 248 positive commandments are at the level of vav-hei, which is the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, which is the level of lights that are clothed in vessels; and this is

like the level of comprehension of the essence, and not merely by way of negation. And from this aspect they have an advantage over the prohibitive commandments

(and perhaps for this reason a positive commandment overrides a prohibition). But in truth the prohibitions are higher, because [with] the comprehension of the essence that is drawn down through fulfilling the positive commandments,

this light that is drawn down and revealed is only like a mere radiance and illumination compared with the light drawn down and revealed through the prohibitive commandments.

Therefore the knowledge of negations that is in the source of the light is greater than the comprehension of the essence that is in the level of the radiance. (Similar to this, they said that “a sage is superior to a prophet,” even though the prophet grasps the essence and the sage grasps only the existence,

but [it is] because the sage grasps the existence of higher levels that are not revealed in prophecy at all. And all the more so is this the case with the prohibitive commandments compared with the positive commandments, for the comprehension is not merely in the manner of knowing the existence, but an actual revelation, only that it is, by way of analogy below, in [the manner of] the knowledge of negations, etc.

From this can be understood the great superiority of the words of the Scribes, which are also fences and safeguards, like the prohibitive commandments, as is explained on the verse “I am black, etc.” And also the seven rabbinic mitzvos: although they are by active deed, nevertheless their intent is to distance evil, as is known regarding the washing of the hands, etc.

And this is the matter of “Extra Binah was given, etc.”: that what in the Written Torah could be drawn down only in the mode of comprehension of negations, is drawn down in the Oral Torah through active deed, etc., which is the level of comprehension of the essence, etc.

Now, all this does not contradict what is explained elsewhere, that through the prohibitive commandments the source of the light is drawn down in actual revelation: for that is in the Time to Come, when the light of Keser itself will be revealed, from which the Resurrection of the Dead is drawn.

Whereas [in] the union and drawing-down of the present, even in the higher worlds, the revelation is not from His very Essence, may He be blessed, but only in the manner of the analogy mentioned above, of the knowledge of negations, etc.

Therefore even the Patriarchs, whose abode is in the World of Atzilus, above the level of the upper Gan Eden, as is written in [Sefer Shel] Beinonim, chapter 39, will be clothed in a physical body at the Resurrection of the Dead; and this is only because then there will be, below, a revelation of a higher level.)

(And see what is written on the verse “Set me as a seal, etc.”) And this is why the 248 positive commandments are called “the 248 limbs of the King”: for the light is drawn into actual vessels.

And with all this can be understood what is said in the Zohar: “When the sitra achra is subdued, the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, is made complete.” For the subduing of the sitra achra is the fulfillment of the prohibitive commandments and all the fine points of the Scribes, which are all the distancing of evil;

therefore through this “the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, is made complete,” that is, the level of Z’eir Anpin, which rises to the loftiest heights and is in the level of the union of Abba and Imma; and also, the level of Keser is drawn into it from Arich Anpin itself, as is explained concerning the festival of Shavuos.

And this is “the glory is made complete, etc.,” as will be explained below, G‑d willing, in the explanation of “and you came to the ornament of ornaments” (ba’adi adayim). And this is also the matter of a dwelling place among the lower realms.

15Now, in the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, which comes through Torah and the positive commandments, there are also two levels. For the Torah is the level of the inner limbs;

and also, “the Torah comes forth from Chochmah,” and if so, it is also a drawing-down of the intellect (mochin) of Abba and Imma; whereas the mitzvos are the outer limbs, etc.

16And this is [the meaning of] “These are the accounts of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of the Testimony.” That is, “the accounts of the Mishkan” is the level of the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, which is drawn down through Torah and mitzvos,

and this is “These (eileh) are the accounts.” That is, eileh has the numerical value of 36, because the emotive attributes (middos) of Z’eir Anpin are six, for Z’eir Anpin is emanated, in the mystery of [its] root, at the level of the six extremities (vav ketzavos);

and each one comprises six, making 36. And also, eileh has the letters of Leah, for Leah bore six sons, the six extremities mentioned above.

17And this is [the meaning of] “Who (mi) created these (eileh)?” Mi is the level of Binah, in which there are fifty gates, the numerical value of mi; and from the level of Binah comes the birth of the emotive attributes (middos), which are the level of eileh.

And from this comes “the accounts of the Mishkan”: that Z’eir Anpin draws down to Malchus of Atzilus, so that there be a drawing-down into Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, etc. And this is drawn down through the study of Torah,

which is also the six orders of the Mishnah, each of which also comprises six, the number of eileh; and likewise through fulfilling the positive commandments, which is also in the 248 limbs of Z’eir Anpin, as is known.

And the matter of the Mishkan of the Testimony is the union of Abba and Imma (for Binah is called “the supernal Shechinah,” as is explained elsewhere on “The Song of Songs”), which is drawn down through the prohibitions. And the reason it is called the Mishkan of the Testimony is

that testimony applies to something hidden, for this testimony is not a revelation of the actual essence of the thing. So too is the knowledge of negation: although it is a revelation, nevertheless it is not a comprehension of the essence;

it is only a testimony about the level of the “Hidden of all hidden”: testimony, and not a revelation of the actual essence, as there is in the 248 positive commandments, where the light is drawn into actual vessels.

But through fulfilling the prohibitive commandments, since through this the revelation is drawn from His being and essence, which is far, far higher than the level of the light drawn from Him, may He be blessed, through the positive commandments, therefore the revelation cannot be

in the manner of comprehension of the essence, but only in the manner of the level of testimony, which is not the actual substance of the thing, as is explained in Likkutei Torah [of the Arizal] on Tehillim, Psalm 78; and this is, by way of analogy below, the matter of the knowledge of negations, as mentioned above.

But the meaning and matter of “testimony” can be understood further, according to what is written, “For there the tribes went up, the tribes of Yah, a testimony to Israel, to give thanks to the Name of G‑d.”

184. Now, first we must understand the meaning of the verse (in Ezekiel, chapter 16), “I have made you a myriad, like the growth of the field; and you increased and grew, and came to the ornament of ornaments (ba’adi adayim).”

For “ba’adi adayim” is an expression of adornment, and it is “the two crowns that Z’eir Anpin inherits,” as mentioned in the Idra Rabba, which are the level of the two lower joints of Netzach and Hod of Arich Anpin.

The point is that the growth of the field, for example grain, grows only through the rotting of the seed first, so that it becomes the level of ayin (“nothing”); and through this it afterward grows and becomes yesh (“something”), a thing. Whereas

[with] the seed as it was at first, a yesh, it is impossible that there come from it growth and the coming-into-being of another yesh, and moreover in a manner more excellent and exalted than the first yesh.

19And so is the analogue above, as is written in Etz Chaim concerning the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva: it is impossible for there to be the return to face-to-face unless the first configuration (partzuf) of Malchus is first dismantled, so that at first it is only a single point beneath Yesod.

For at first they are back-to-back, and in order that they be turned from the level of back-to-back to be at the level of face-to-face, there must be in her, in between, the level of nullification of the first existence, becoming only a single point beneath Yesod, etc.

(And elsewhere, on the verse “Then the maiden shall rejoice in the dance,” it is explained that in order for there to be an ascent from the level of face-to-face to the level of face-to-face at a higher rung, for there are several rungs within the level of face-to-face, etc.,

there must first be back-to-back, and afterward they become a point beneath Yesod, and afterward she grows into the level of face-to-face at a higher rung, etc.; and there the matter is also explained in [terms of] the service of G‑d.)

And this is “I have made you a myriad, like the growth of the field”: just as with the growth of grain it is impossible that there be yesh from yesh, but only by its becoming, in between, the level of ayin, so for there to be an ascent of the Congregation of Israel to the most exalted rung, there must first be [the state of] self-nullification and ayin, which is called “a point beneath Yesod,” etc.

And through this, afterward, “you increased and grew, and came to the ornament of ornaments,” which are the level of the two crowns mentioned above, which are drawn to Z’eir Anpin and from Z’eir Anpin to Nukva; and they are from the level of Arich Anpin itself

(for they are its very essence and being, and not merely an illumination; and also “the inheritance of Abba and Imma,” which is an illumination, but the illumination is from a higher level, etc., as is explained in Etz Chaim, Sha’ar HaNesirah, chapter 6. And see Likkutei Torah [of the Arizal], Parshas Vayeira, [on] those two crowns, that they are the ultimate purpose and the essence, etc.).

Now, in the meaning of adi there are three senses. The first, in its plain meaning, is an expression of adornment, as in “their ornaments (edyam) from Mount Horeb.”

The second is an expression of eternity, as in “Praised and glorified forever and ever (adei ad) is His great Name.” The third is an expression of “until (ad) here shall you come,” that is, up to here and no further.

20Now, all three meanings are one matter, for they all pertain to the level of Keser. The first meaning, an expression of adornment, is plain: this is the level of Keser, which is the level of a crown upon the head, as in “The righteous sit with their crowns on their heads.”

Now, just as a diadem and crown are made of precious stones, which in essence are the level of the inanimate, only that they have been refined to be shining and bright, and through this a diadem and crown for the king are made of them,

so too our Sages, of blessed memory, said that Sandalphon ties crowns for his Maker from the prayers of Israel; for the letters of prayer are also called “stones,” and when they are refined through self-sacrifice (mesirus nefesh) at [the word] “One,” they become the level of a diadem and crown.

And likewise from the fulfillment of the mitzvos, which are also the 613 mitzvos of the Torah and the seven of the Rabbis, 620 pillars of light, of the level of Keser; because they have been lowered into physical action, in the parchment of tefillin and the wool of tzitzis, which is

like the level of the inanimate, for example, and “their beginning is wedged in their end,” therefore through this is drawn down the light that is above the chain of descent, which is the level of Keser.

21And this is why our Sages, of blessed memory, said that in the Time to Come “the righteous sit with their crowns on their heads”: for in Gan Eden the revelation is only from the level of “the river that goes out of Eden,” which is the level of Chochmah and Binah,

and therefore the revelation is only to the soul. But in the Time to Come, at the Resurrection of the Dead, the revelation will be to the body as well, as it is written, “And He will strengthen your bones”; that is, through the revelation of the light that is above the chain of descent, it will be able to be drawn even lower.

22As is known concerning “And I will pass through the land of Egypt”: “I, and not an angel, etc.”; and this revelation is from the level of Keser. And this is “with their crowns on their heads,” specifically in the Time to Come. And this is the matter of ba’adi adayim, which are also called “the two crowns,” as mentioned above.

The second, the matter of eternity: this too pertains to Keser. For Keser is the level of an intermediary between the essence of the Infinite Light and the emanated [beings], and it contains [something] of the lowest level within the Infinite One (Ein Sof), as is written in Etz Chaim, Sha’ar 41, chapter 3. And since it contains the level of Ein Sof,

therefore it is an expression of eternity, which is the meaning of Ein Sof (“without end”). (This will be understood better according to what the Rama [of Fano] writes in the introduction to the book Yonas Ilem, and in the book Pelach HaRimon, Sha’ar 4: the question why it is called Or Ein Sof, “light without end,” when seemingly it would have been fitting to call it “without beginning,”

that is, that it is primordial; for [being] primordial certainly includes [being] eternal, but [being] eternal does not include [being] primordial, since the separate intelligences are eternal by the will of the Creator, may He be blessed, even though they are newly brought into being from nothing to something.

And he answered that what we call Ein Sof is not meant to describe His being and essence, may He be exalted, G‑d forbid, for “to Him, silence is praise”; rather, it is [said] of the level of His Name, may He be blessed, that it has no end, etc.

The explanation of the matter: His Name is the level of light and radiance, by way of analogy, drawn forth from the luminary by His good will. And before the world was created, there was He and His Name alone, for the light was included in the luminary and was the level of ayin entirely,

as in the luminary of the sun the radiance is included in the level of ayin entirely; and afterward it was drawn forth to be the level of radiance, and in it was the tzimtzum, and the level of the kav was drawn forth, etc.

Therefore it is of this level specifically that it is fitting to call it Ein Sof: for the light is a radiance, an extension and revelation drawn forth from His being and essence, and of this extension it is fitting to say that it is drawn forth and spreads in the manner of Ein Sof (“without end”), etc.

Therefore, regarding the level of Keser, in which there is the lowest level within Ein Sof, the expression adei ad applies, which means eternity, that is, actually the level of Ein Sof. And this is “Praised and glorified forever and ever (adei ad) is His great Name.” “His great Name” is the level of Keser,

for Malchus is called simply “Name,” and Keser, which is drawn from Malchus of Ein Sof, is called “His great Name”; therefore it is adei ad, in the mode of Ein Sof. And see what is written elsewhere in the explanation of “Return, O Israel, unto (ad), etc.”)

And the third meaning of ad, as an expression of cessation, as in “until (ad) here,” also fits the level of Keser specifically, because there is never any grasp or comprehension of the light of Keser. That is why Chochmah is called “beginning” (reishis), because

it is the beginning of revelation, and it is called “Let there be light”; but Keser is the level of “He made darkness His hiding place,” for there is no comprehension in it.

Therefore it is called ad (“until”). (That is, “until, but not including”: for, insofar as there is in it the lowest level of the Emanator, it is certainly “until, but not including,” since in this level there is no comprehension at all; that is why the lowest level of the Emanator is called Atik, for it is removed (ne’etak) and separate from the emanated [beings].

And it is also called “the Head that is not known,” etc., as is known. However, from the aspect of the level within Keser that is the root of the emanated [beings], from this aspect one may say “until, and including”: for at any rate this level is counted among the ten Sefiros, and if so it is part of the Ten Sefiros; and this is “until, and including.”

And it may be said that this is why it says “and you came to the ornament of ornaments (ba’adi adayim)”: for there is drawn into them from every level of ad mentioned above. And this is the level of “May Your Name be praised forever (la’ad), our King”: “Your Name” is Malchus of Atzilus, and “may Your Name be praised

forever (la’ad)” [means] that it be elevated to be at the level of Malchus of Ein Sof, which is called ad, according to all three meanings of ad given above; and as it is written, “And the light of the moon shall be, etc.”; and as is explained in Parshas Mikeitz on the verse “Sing and rejoice, O daughter, etc.,” that the level of “daughter” will be elevated in the Time to Come with surpassing loftiness, etc.; see there.)

And this is why it is also called “the Mishkan of the Testimony” (ha’edus): for into this Mishkan, which is the union of Abba and Imma, there is drawn from the level of Keser, which is the level of adi adayim, according to all three meanings of ad mentioned above.

(And see Likkutei Torah [of the Arizal], Parshas Vayeira, cited below; and as is known, the level of “the inheritance of Abba and Imma” and the two crowns mentioned above are clothed in the Yesods of Abba and Imma, as the Ramaz writes on Parshas Emor, page 99.)

And this is also the meaning of “For there the tribes went up, the tribes of Yah, a testimony to Israel”: for the twelve tribes have their root

in the emotive attributes (middos) of Atzilus, and they are the twelve diagonal boundaries of Z’eir Anpin; and their root is in Arich Anpin, that is, the root of the emotive attributes of Atzilus is from the level of the emotive attributes within Keser, which are called “the mountains of darkness.”

23Therefore it says, “For there the tribes went up”: for through the raising of mayin nukvin (feminine waters) they reach their root in the level of Keser; and through this is drawn down the level of “a testimony to Israel,” that is, the level of the drawing-down of the two crowns mentioned above to Z’eir Anpin.

And this is “to give thanks (lehodos) to the Name of Havayah”: for since in the level of Keser actual comprehension and grasp do not apply, therefore it says “to give thanks,” for of this nothing applies but the level of acknowledgment (hoda’ah),

for acknowledgment is the level of self-nullification (bittul), that is, in relation to a level that is above comprehension; as is explained elsewhere on the verse “Yehudah, you,” and on the matter of praise, blessing and acknowledgment.

Therefore they said, “Whoever does not bow at Modim will not rise at the Resurrection of the Dead”: for the Resurrection of the Dead comes through the revelation of the light of Keser, as mentioned above regarding “with their crowns on their heads.” And the raising of mayin nukvin to this level is acknowledgment and self-nullification, etc.

245. “Which was counted at the word of Moshe”: that is, as is written in Pri Etz Chaim, that the level of the union of Abba and Imma is in the first verse of the Shema, at the words “Havayah our G‑d (Elokeinu)”; and from the verse “And you shall love” onward is the rectification (tikkun) of the skull (gulgalta) of Z’eir Anpin, and the crown of the chassadim spreads down to the Chesed of Z’eir Anpin, and all the joints of Z’eir Anpin are united in it.

But in the first verse, where the union is in Abba and Imma, the light of love is not yet felt there, since the union there is in the mode of the self-nullification (bittul) of Chochmah, and there is truly nothing else besides Him, and there is no one who loves, etc.;

only afterward, when the light is drawn into Z’eir Anpin, does the level of love apply to it, and this is the verse “And you shall love, etc.” It follows that the union of Abba and Imma in the first verse, which is

like the level of the Mishkan of the Testimony, is “counted” and united specifically through Moshe, who is the level of mah and self-nullification, etc.;

and in the verse “And you shall love” it is like “These are the accounts of the Mishkan”: eileh, the six emotive attributes (middos) of Z’eir Anpin, the first of which is love, etc.; and this is the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva.

(According to this it will be understood that [the fact that] in the first verse the ayin and daled are enlarged is the level of “Havayah is witness (ed) among you,” as is written above, that is, actually the level of the Mishkan of the Testimony in this verse,

which is the union of Abba and Imma, drawn down and revealed from the light of Keser; for this is the meaning of ad: an expression of adornment, an expression of eternity, and an expression of “until (ad) here shall you come, etc.,” as mentioned above; and also an expression of testimony about a hidden thing.

The point is that of the level of the light that fills all worlds (memalei kol almin) it is written, “From my flesh I see G‑d”; but of the level of the encompassing [light] it is written, “And they believed,” above comprehension, and this is the level of “the hidden things.” But memalei kol almin is called “the revealed world.” Therefore the term “testimony” applies to the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin).

And testimony is the level of Daas: that nevertheless it is drawn into the level of Daas, as is explained elsewhere on the verse “And you shall know this day, etc.” And this is “You are My witnesses”; and it is written, “And He established a testimony in Yaakov, etc.”; for the drawing of sovev kol almin into the level of Daas is through the souls of Israel, by their occupation with Torah and mitzvos, etc.

Now, it is explained elsewhere that the union of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah is found up to the loftiest heights: that is, in Atzilus they are the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva; and far higher, the kav drawn forth from the Infinite Light, blessed be He, is called Shechinah, for it is drawn from Malchus of Ein Sof, and the essence of the Emanator, may He be blessed, is called the Holy One, blessed be He.

Therefore in the writings of the Arizal it is written that “His Name” is the level of Malchus, while in the books of the early Kabbalists it is written that shemo (“His Name”) has the numerical value of ratzon (“will”); and these and these are the words of the living G‑d: for the level of Malchus of Ein Sof is also called “His Name,” and it is the level of “His great Name,” and from there is drawn the will, which is the Keser of Atzilus.

And this is “And Israel, who sanctify Your Name, shall rejoice in You”: for the souls of Israel draw down the union of the Holy One, blessed be He [and His Shechinah]; and this is “who sanctify Your Name,” for they draw down from the holiness of His being and essence, may He be blessed, to the level of “Your Name.”

And this holds true both of the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva of Atzilus and even far higher, where the light is drawn from His Essence, may He be blessed, into the level of the kav, etc. And since this is so, the matter of the Mishkan of the Testimony is resolved even better: for according to what was written above, it is the union of Abba and Imma, except that it contains an illumination of Keser, etc.,

while according to what is explained elsewhere, the union is in the level of Keser itself, which is drawn from Malchus of Ein Sof, which is the level of “His Name,” and the union is so that an addition of light be drawn from the Infinite One, blessed be He.

And so it is explained in Pri Etz Chaim on the kavanah (intention) of the Shema, and in Likkutei Torah [of the Arizal], Parshas Vayeira, on the union of the Shema: that it is the union of Abba and Imma, and Abba and Imma from Keser, and Keser from Atik, up to Ein Sof, etc., to be renewed and to take those two crowns from their supernal root.

And this is the matter of the enlarged ayin and daled in the first verse of the Shema, as is written above at length in the explanation of ad. Now, seemingly there is a great difference between the meaning of ad as an expression of testimony and the meaning of ad as an expression of crown and adornment.

For the expression “testimony” [applies] when only an illumination shines, and not the essential [light], as is written in Likkutei Torah [of the Arizal] on Tehillim, Psalm 78, on the verse “And He established a testimony in Yaakov”; these are his words: “It is not the actual substance of Yesod, but only a testimony.” End of quote.

Whereas the expression “crown” and “Keser” means the actual essence. And it may be said that here both matters are true. For above, the level of Keser itself is drawn down, as mentioned above, for it is drawn from Ein Sof to Atik, and from Atik to Arich, etc.;

but of what is drawn into Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, there is [some] that is only the level of a mere illumination, like the level of “the inheritance of Abba and Imma,” of which it is explained in Pri Etz Chaim, Sha’ar HaNesirah, chapter 6, that the Chochmah and Binah in it, etc., are only a single illumination, etc.

Or, as is written above at length on the matter of the union of Chochmah and Binah, that it is by way of analogy [like] the knowledge of negations, etc., and this is only an illumination, for the essence itself cannot be revealed now in comprehension, even in Atzilus, etc.,

as is also explained elsewhere in the explanation of “Go forth and gaze upon the crown, etc.”; until the Time to Come, when “And I will remove the spirit of impurity from the land” will be fulfilled; then it is written, “the new heavens and the new earth that I make, etc.,” as is explained in Parshas Bereishis on this verse; see there.)

256. Now, the meaning of “which was counted” (asher pakad): pakad has the letters of dofek (“pulse”), which is the “back” (achorayim) of the Name Havayah spelled out with yuds,

that is, the “back” of the Name Av (72), which is in Chochmah, which amounts to 184; as is written in Taamei HaMitzvos, Parshas Vayeira, that in the pulse there shines [light] from the level of Abba, and within it an illumination of the Infinite Light; therefore it beats constantly, for the Infinite Light rests in Chochmah.

Therefore in the pulse there are vowel-points, for it beats like a kamatz or a patach or a tzeirei or a segol, for the vowel-points are in Chochmah. But the pulse in the hand is from the level of the “back” of Abba.

26Now, 184 [and] 161 are the numerical value of Moshe; and the meaning of 161 is the Name Ehe-yeh spelled out with yuds, which is the inner dimension of Binah.

The point is that “the blood is the soul,” and it gives life to all the limbs, and it is from the level of Binah. Also, the Name Ehe-yeh in its “square” [form] has the numerical value of dam (“blood”), as is written in Etz Chaim. But the level of the “back” of Abba is clothed in the inner dimension of Binah.

27And this is the matter of the pulse in the blood vessels. There is also moisture and watery parts in the blood, and they are from the level of the chassadim (kindnesses), and from this the limbs grow, “like water that waters a tree, and it grows through that watering.”

And this is the matter of adam (“man”): alef, dam (“blood”). And see what is written in Etz Chaim, in the discourse on the afflictions (nega’im): that the cause of the affliction is the withdrawal of the light of Abba, and the sign of this is a white baheres (bright spot), which is the withdrawal of the blood from that limb.

If so, it necessarily follows that the light of Abba is clothed in the blood, as mentioned above regarding the pulse, etc. And see what is written about this in Parshas Tazria, in the discourse beginning “They were disputing in the Heavenly Academy, etc.”

28Now, in the beating of the heart (defiku deliba) there is drawn an illumination of the inner dimension, and in the pulse in the hand there is drawn the “back” of Abba. And since Chochmah and Binah are clothed in the pulse,

therefore it beats constantly, which is the level of self-nullification, [of] ratzo and shov (“running and returning”), etc., for Chochmah is self-nullification, as mentioned above. It follows that in the pulse there is the union of Chochmah and Binah, 184 [and] 161, as mentioned above.

29And this is “which was counted (pakad) at the word of Moshe.” And so in man, in the service of G‑d, the level of “which was counted” is that there be [service] in the mode of ratzo and shov: for the ratzo (“running”) comes from the level of the gevuros (severities) of Binah,

and it is the level of the blood; and the shov (“returning”) comes from the level of Chochmah, which is the level of self-nullification (bittul) that is clothed there. And this is the level of the pulse of the heart, for the heart must be [in] ratzo and shov.

And this is “counted at the word of Moshe”: for the level of Moshe is the “back” of Abba and the inner dimension of Imma, 184 [and] 161, as mentioned above. (And of Moshe it is written, “From the water I drew him,” which is also the level of “like water that waters a tree, etc.,”

mentioned above. And through the self-nullification of ratzo and shov one draws down the level of “the Mishkan of the Testimony, which was counted, etc.” Also, [regarding] “These are the accounts of the Mishkan,” it may be said that pekudei is also the level of the pulse mentioned above, through which the union of vav-hei is also drawn down.

And see what is written in the discourse beginning “Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be remembered (nifkadta)”: that “remembering” (pekidah) is from a very high place, for “He remembered (pakad) Sarah,” and “I have surely remembered (pakod pakadti)” is the sign for Mashiach, etc. And see there on the matter of new Netzach, Hod and Yesod, whose root is from Keser, on [the words] “G‑d Most High, etc.,

and brings a redeemer to their children’s children, etc.” And so the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva: although it is through Netzach, Hod and Yesod, nevertheless the source and root of this union, which is the matter of “He remembered Sarah,” has its root drawn also from the level of Keser, etc.

And this is “Children depend on mazal, etc.” And perhaps corresponding to these two levels of Mishkan are the pulse in the heart and the pulse in the hand: for the pulse in the hand is the level of the outer dimension (chitzoniyus) of Abba,

and this is [why] it is “the accounts of the Mishkan,” unqualified. Also, the hands are the attributes of Chesed and Gevurah, for this is the meaning of eileh: the six extremities, Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferes, Netzach, Hod, Yesod. And so it says, “His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me”; thus the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva is through “his two arms, right and left, and between them the bride.”

However, the pulse in the heart, into which there is drawn from the inner level of the brain, for through the drawing from the brain it closes and opens, as is explained elsewhere on the verse “I sleep, etc.; the voice of my beloved knocks (dofek), etc.,” is the level of the union of Abba and Imma, which are the level of the brain and the heart, as the saying goes, “Chochmah is the brain, Binah is the heart.”

This needs examination, for in Taamei HaMitzvos, Parshas Vayeira, he said that the inner dimension of Abba does not descend below, only its “back,” as is known, etc., and that is 184, which is dofek (“pulse”), etc. However, it can be said that there he speaks only of the pulse in the hand.

Or it can be said that even in the outer dimension and “back” there are several levels, such that at any rate the level of the pulse in the heart is the level of the inner dimension relative to the pulse in the hand, as is explained on the verse “I sleep,” mentioned above.)

Now, [in] the order of the service, the Men of the Great Assembly instituted Pesukei deZimrah before the Shema. And this matter is as it is written here, “the Mishkan of the Testimony, which was counted at the word of Moshe, the service of the Levites”: thus the level of the service of the Levites pertains to the level of “the Mishkan of the Testimony, which was counted at the word of Moshe.”

30The point is that the level of this union of Abba and Imma is very high, and the Congregation of Israel would not be able to reach it; therefore they instituted that Pesukei deZimrah be said first, so that through this they would be able to reach the level of self-nullification (bittul) of the level of “which was counted at the word of Moshe,” in the first verse of the Shema.

31And the matter of this song (zimrah) is the quality and rung of the Levites, for they were the ones who said song, and they were also the bearers of the Mishkan, as it is written, “And they shall carry the Mishkan, etc.”

The point is that, just as above it is written, “And the chayos (holy creatures) carry the Throne,” that is, through their raising themselves up with a great noise, in arousal, through this they lift and raise up the Shechinah.

32And so is the matter of the song of the Levites: since it too is in the mode of ratzo and shov, through this they carry the Mishkan, that is, to raise and lift up the level of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, and to bind and join it with the level of the Mishkan of the Testimony, of Abba and Imma.

And this is “And the Levite, he shall serve,” as is written in the Zohar, Pekudei, page 221b; and see what is written above in Parshas Beshalach, in the discourse beginning “I will sing, etc.,

for He is highly exalted, etc.”; see there on the matter of the song of the Levites. And see the Zohar, Parshas Pekudei, on the verse “And they brought the Mishkan, etc.”

And so in man: through Pesukei deZimrah, so that “the exaltations of G‑d are in their throat,” through this the concealment of the animal soul will be thrust away from him, and this is the matter of “cutting down the tyrants” (zemir aritzim); and through this the inner dimension of the heart will be revealed, so that one can come, in the first verse of the Shema, to the level of self-nullification and self-sacrifice (mesirus nefesh) at [the word] “One,” etc.

33It follows that the order of the service is thus: first, Pesukei deZimrah, to carry up the level of the lower unity (yichuda tata’ah), which is the level of “These are the accounts of the Mishkan,” to bind and join it with the higher unity (yichuda ila’ah) of the Mishkan of the Testimony, which is in the first verse of the Shema.

And this is “For there the tribes went up, the tribes of Yah”: the ascent begins from the level of “the tribes,” plain, who receive from the lower unity, as is known regarding the twelve oxen in Beriah, and as is written in the Zohar at the beginning of Parshas Bamidbar; and their ascent is to be at the level of “the tribes of Yah,”

which is the supernal union of Abba and Imma, which is the level of “a testimony to Israel,” that is, the Mishkan of the Testimony. And after the first verse of the Shema, it says in the Torah, “And you shall love”: that is, the light is drawn from above to below, from Abba and Imma to Z’eir Anpin and Nukva.

And this is the meaning of “a testimony to Israel”: the level of testimony mentioned above is drawn to “Israel,” which is Z’eir Anpin; as is also written in Pri Etz Chaim in the explanation of the Shema, that the intellect (mochin) is drawn from Abba and Imma, and the two crowns mentioned above, and they are clothed in Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, etc.; see there.

(According to this one can also explain what is said in the Zohar, Pinchas, page 236, about the matter of the letters that remain, shin and mem from Shema and alef and ches from Echad, whose sign is esmach (“I will rejoice”), as it is written, “I will rejoice in Havayah.” For

the letters ayin and daled, which are large, indicate the level of the Mishkan of the Testimony, as mentioned above; the letters shin and mem are the level of Malchus, which is called shem (“Name”); and the letters alef and ches are the level of Z’eir Anpin. And since in the first verse of the Shema Z’eir Anpin and Nukva are joined and united with Abba and Imma,

therefore the letters shin-mem [and] alef-ches are included with ayin-daled; and the sign is esmach (“I will rejoice”), for the joy is from the greatness of the ascent and from the revelation of a new light from the Infinite One, blessed be He; and also, this ascent comes through the service of the Levites, which is song and joy.

Moreover, even the self-nullification (bittul) in the first verse of the Shema is also in the mode of joy, for this is the matter of the union of Abba and Imma: Chochmah is self-nullification and Binah is joy. And see what is written about this on the saying of the Zohar, Parshas Korach, page 176, on the verse “And they rose up before Moshe, etc.”

It can also be said that the meaning of “I will rejoice in Havayah” is that one brings about joy in the Name Havayah, as is explained elsewhere on the verse “I will greatly rejoice in Havayah” and on the verse “And the humble shall increase joy in Havayah, etc.”; and humility is the rung of Moshe, which is the first verse of the Shema; therefore esmach is alluded to in it, for they add joy in the Name Havayah, etc.)

34Now, the meaning of “by the hand of Isamar, son of Aharon the Kohen”: Isamar (“it was said”) is speech that comes of itself, like the matter of “I am the Mishnah that speaks in your mouth,”

and this is “Then those who fear G‑d spoke (nidberu),” and it is the level of “And you shall speak of them” in the Shema: that speech in words of Torah is in the mode of self-nullification (bittul), as in “And I have put My words in your mouth,”

that is, the vessel to draw down the light that is drawn through the union of Abba and Imma, which is the level of self-nullification, is through the study of Torah in the mode of self-nullification mentioned above: for when one studies Torah in the mode of self-nullification, this is the word of G‑d in his mouth.

And this is [the meaning of] what is written, “I cause My Name to be mentioned, etc.” And it is the level of “son of Aharon”: Aharon is ahavah rabbah (“great love”), and this is what is written before “And you shall speak of them”: the verse “And you shall love, etc.”

(From this it comes about that the study of Torah afterward is in the mode of “My tongue shall respond with Your word,” as is explained in the discourse beginning “To understand, on the day of Shemini Atzeres, etc.”; see there on “For His kindness has prevailed over us, and the truth of G‑d is forever.”)

Now, “the service of the Levites, by the hand of Isamar”: for in order that the Levites have the strength to carry the Mishkan, which is song and elevation, as mentioned above, the strength for this is first drawn from above, as is explained on the verse “The voice is the voice of Yaakov”; and this is called mayin duchrin (masculine waters), which arouse mayin nukvin (feminine waters);

that is, through the study of Torah in the mode mentioned above, it gives strength, so that through this one can afterward raise up one’s soul in prayer in the mode of ratzo and shov (and see Torah Ohr, Parshas Mishpatim, on the verse “And they beheld, etc., and they ate and drank”).

And this is why the service of the Levites is “by the hand of Isamar, etc.”; and also the vessel for all the levels of unions mentioned above is “by the hand of Isamar,” as mentioned above.

35Summary of the above: the matter of the large ayin and daled in the first verse of the Shema is the meaning of ed, in the manner of the Mishkan of the Testimony, which is likewise the union of Abba and Imma in the first verse of the Shema. And the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva is “the accounts of the Mishkan,” and it is the verse “And you shall love es”;

therefore Moshe our teacher, peace be upon him, said in the first verse, “Havayah our G‑d (Elokeinu),” and in “And you shall love” he said, “Havayah your G‑d (Elokecha),” for the level of the union of Abba and Imma, called the Mishkan of the Testimony, “was counted at the word of Moshe.”

36And the reason the union of Abba and Imma is called the Mishkan of the Testimony is [understood] by prefacing what is written in Likkutei Torah [of the Arizal], Parshas Bereishis: that through fulfilling the prohibitive commandments there is the union of Abba and Imma.

Now, Binah, which is comprehension, is called “To cause those who love me to inherit yesh”; and [it says] “those who love me,” for Binah is “the mother of the children,” the level of love.

But Chochmah is the level of ayin, in which is revealed the Infinite One, whom “no thought can grasp”; therefore it is koach mah, self-nullification (bittul) that is above the level of love.

37And the matter of the revelation from Chochmah in Binah can be understood along the lines of what the Rambam wrote: that the attributes with which we describe the Holy One, blessed be He, are not essential, but rather this is only that we negate of Him, may He be blessed, the thing that is the opposite of this;

but it is impossible to say that they are essential, for they bear no comparison to Him at all. And the knowledge of negations is a revelation, yet nevertheless it is not at all a comprehension of the essence; so too, by way of analogy, is the revelation of the union of Chochmah and Binah.

38From this will be understood what is written in Likkutei Torah [of the Arizal]: for a prohibition, too, is the level of negation, to hold back the level that conceals Him, may He be blessed; and through this is drawn the union of Abba and Imma, in which the revelation is in the manner of the knowledge of negations,

and this is the union of Abba and Imma; and this is “in a land not sown.” And the positive commandments are lights in vessels, like comprehension of the essence; and nevertheless the prohibitions are higher,

for the comprehension of the essence is only in an illumination and radiance, and this is the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva; but in the source of the light, the level of Keser, the knowledge is only in the manner mentioned above

(and this is along the lines of “a sage is superior to a prophet,” even though prophecy is a comprehension of the essence; and also this is like the matter of blessing and acknowledgment). Therefore, “when the sitra achra is subdued, the glory ascends, etc.”

39And this is “These are the accounts of the Mishkan”: that is, the union of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, which comes through Torah and the positive commandments; and the six orders of the Mishnah, each comprising six, are the numerical value of eileh; and pekudei is an expression of “to visit (lifkod) one’s wife.” And the Mishkan of the Testimony is the union

of Abba and Imma: since the revelation is from the Infinite One, blessed be He, Himself, it cannot be a comprehension of the essence, but only in the manner of testimony. By way of analogy, testimony is not the actual substance of the thing, but rather that one testifies about it; and so, by way of analogy, is the matter of the knowledge of negations, as mentioned above.

40But the meaning of “the Mishkan of the Testimony” is also an expression of adi adayim (“the ornament of ornaments”). And it is written, “I have made you a myriad, like the growth of the field”: that there must first be the level of ayin, a point beneath Yesod, and through this, afterward, she will be at the level of

face-to-face; and “you came to the ornament of ornaments”: these are the two crowns that are drawn to Z’eir Anpin and Nukva, and they are from the level of Arich Anpin itself. And the meaning of adi has three interpretations.

First, an expression of adornment, which is the level of Keser, like the matter of “with their crowns on their heads”; for the 613 mitzvos of the Torah together with the seven rabbinic mitzvos are 620 pillars of light, of the level of Keser.

Second, ad as an expression of eternity, for Keser contains [something] of the lowest level of the Infinite One (Ein Sof), blessed be He; and this is eternity, for this is the meaning of Ein Sof (“without end”).

Whereas His being and essence cannot be called Ein Sof, as is explained elsewhere, that Ein Sof refers to the light, etc.

41And the third meaning: ad as an expression of “until (ad) here shall you come,” for in Keser there is no comprehension at all. And this is “a testimony (edus) to Israel,” an expression of adi adayim, according to all three meanings mentioned above. And since into the union of Abba and Imma there is drawn from the level of Keser, therefore it is called the Mishkan of the Testimony.

And this is “For there the tribes went up,” through an arousal from below, to draw down the level of testimony, adi adayim, “to Israel,” Z’eir Anpin, “to give thanks to the Name”: for in this level, which is above comprehension, nothing applies but acknowledgment and self-nullification (bittul).

42And this is “which was counted at the word of Moshe”: like the union of Abba and Imma in the first verse of the Shema, which is through the level of self-nullification, which is above the level of love; for “And you shall love” is the rectification (tikkun) of Z’eir Anpin.

Therefore in the first verse of the Shema there are the large ayin and daled, the level of ed, that is, the union of Abba and Imma, which is called the Mishkan of the Testimony. And in truth, the union of the Shema reaches above, up to Ein Sof itself, as is written in Pri Etz Chaim; and this is also called the union of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah, and this is actually the Mishkan of the Testimony.

Now, the expression “testimony,” which is only an illumination, and the expression adi and Keser do not contradict each other: for above, it is drawn into Keser itself, but in Atzilus an illumination of it shines; and in the Time to Come there will be a revelation of the actual essence.

43And the meaning of pakad: [it has] the letters of dofek (“pulse”), which is from the level of Chochmah clothed in the blood, which is from the level of the inner dimension of Binah. And this is the matter of the 365 prohibitions corresponding to the 365 sinews. And in the beating of the heart there is an inner illumination from the level of the brain, and in the pulse of the hand, from the level of the outer dimension.

And this is also the matter of “These are the accounts.” And also, the level of pekidah (“remembering”) has its root in Keser, as in “I have surely remembered (pakod pakadti).” Now, the beating of the heart in [divine] service is ratzo and shov (running and returning), and through this there is drawn from above “the voice of my beloved knocks (dofek).”

44And Pesukei deZimrah, which precedes the Shema and its blessings, is the matter of the service of the Levites in song and melody, who lift up the Mishkan of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva to the Mishkan of the Testimony of Abba and Imma, in the first verse of the Shema.

And this is “And the Levite, he shall serve”; and through this, afterward, “a testimony to Israel” is drawn from above to below. Therefore the letters of esmach (“I will rejoice”) are in the first verse, for the joining of Z’eir Anpin and Nukva to Abba and Imma. But the main intent is that there be “And you shall speak of them, etc.,”

in words of Torah; and this is the matter of “by the hand of Isamar,” and it is the level of “son of Aharon,” ahavah rabbah (“great love”), which is in the verse “And you shall love”; and through this the strength is drawn for the arousal from below, etc.