ביאור ע״פ יונתי בחגוי הסלע וגו׳

1An explanation of the verse “My dove, in the clefts of the rock, etc.”

2Now, it is written, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts.” And it is explained elsewhere that according to its plain meaning this is not understood: for it is an obvious matter that there is no comparison between our thoughts, which are enclothed in a body, and the thought of the Holy One, blessed be He, who has no likeness of a body and is not a body, G‑d forbid.

The explanation is this. In a human being, “contemplation” (hirhur), that is, thought, “does nothing.” For thought is called a “river,” as is known from the explanation of “And a river goes out from Eden”; that is, just as a river wells up from its source and flows constantly, does not rest and does not stand still,

so thought wells up constantly from its source, from the intellect, and does not rest even for a moment, for a person’s thought is always roaming over some matter.

3Yet even so, it brings about no perceptible effect and leaves no impression at all, unlike speech and action, which do leave an impression.

As, by way of analogy, when a person pictures in his thought bringing into being and making some existent thing, that it should be: his thought will not bring [it] about.

And even if he pictures and depicts in his mind the form of the existent thing that he wishes to bring into being, nevertheless it is as though it had never been, until it is effected and brought out into actuality through the power of action specifically, or through speech, by which he commands others to do it.

It turns out, then, that thought has no power to effect and to make, as speech and action do; for the effect comes about chiefly only through action specifically, or speech.

(And this is [the meaning of] “contemplation does nothing”: thought is at the level of “nothing” (ayin) compared to speech and action, which are the “something” (yesh) and the main thing, as [will be explained] below.)

But it is not so above, in His thought, may He be blessed, where it is thought specifically that effects (and it is the “something”). For when it arose in His thought and His will to bring into being and to emanate the World of Atzilus (Emanation),

then it was actually emanated and brought into being through this thought, etc., as all this is written in the Pardes (Sha’ar HaTzachtzachos, chapter 3).

And see what is written about this also in the discourse beginning “Blow on the New Moon.” And on the contrary: there [above] it is the reverse, for the coming-into-being of existence that is through thought is far higher in quality and level than the existence that came into being through speech.

For it is known, from the matter of [His] “looking and gazing to the end of all the generations” in one thought, that there it is above the level of the bounds of time.

4As is written in the Zohar, that in one thought all the worlds, Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, were created, and also the Resurrection of the Dead, and the seventh millennium, and all the ascents: all is included in this thought, from which they came into being.

But when the flow (shefa) comes into the level of speech, that is when the light is contracted, in the manner of diminution after diminution and in the manner of division, until there the aspect of time is made and comes into being, so that there are years and months and days, etc.

As is written in Sefer Shel Beinonim [the Tanya], Part II, chapter 7, that the coming-into-being of time is only from the level of Malchus, which is the supernal speech; but of the level of the emotive attributes (middos) of Atzilus, which are above speech, it is written, “For a thousand years in Your eyes are like yesterday,”

which includes a thousand years in one day; until, in the supernal thought, it is above even this time mentioned above, for He looks and gazes to the end of all the generations in a single thought and glance. (And see what is written about this in Parshas Bereshis, in the discourse beginning “Go out and gaze, etc.,” [at] “You have captured my heart, etc.”; see there.)

It is understood from this, then, that above, the main coming-into-being is from the level of thought specifically; so much so that every existent thing too, when it arose in thought and came into being there through this,

has in it far more life-force and light than [there is in] its very being and essence when it is afterwards drawn down below through speech, etc., to come into being in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah.

For what is drawn down and brought into being through speech has actually descended and been drawn beneath time; whereas what is at the level of thought is above this, etc.

5And see what is written in Parshas Mikeitz, in the discourse beginning “The Chanukah lamp, etc., so that the mezuzah may be,” for there this matter too was explained: how the main coming-into-being is through “Whatever G‑d desired, He did”; and that there had to be a saying (ma’amar) and speech so that there would be the level of “something” (yesh), etc. See there.

6And this is [the meaning of] “For My thoughts are not your thoughts.” For in a physical human being, it is seen that his thought is accounted as “nothing,” since no coming-into-being will be drawn from it, because of its fineness; while what goes on and grows coarser, into the level of speech and action, is accounted more as “something,” since from them the coming-into-being of a thing will be drawn.

But the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not so: for He, may He be blessed, [who is] the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), is the “something,” and there is none besides Him; and whatever goes on and extends further into the upper and lower worlds is accounted more as “nothing,”

for everything is nullified before Him, and “all before Him is accounted as nothing.” Therefore, so too in the matter of His thought and speech, may He be blessed, which are radiances and extensions of His G‑dliness, may He be blessed:

thought is the level of “something” (yesh), and of this it is said, “to cause those who love me to inherit yesh”; and from it comes the main coming-into-being, so much so that speech is accounted the level of “nothing,” and as nothing compared to this thought, etc. And see what is written about this elsewhere on the verse “And there was a voice from above the firmament.”

(And see what is written further elsewhere on the matter of what is written, “Whatever G‑d desired, He did,” while it is written, “By the word of G‑d the heavens were made”; and there it was also explained that the main coming-into-being is from the level of His desire and His supernal will, which is the level of thought mentioned above: in the explanation on the verse “Let them bring a royal garment,” in the discourse beginning “To understand the difference, etc.”)

72. Now, Israel arose in the thought mentioned above, which is what is called the primordial thought (machshavah hakedumah), as our Sages, of blessed memory, said in Bereshis Rabbah, chapter 1: “The thought of Israel preceded them all.”

The explanation: the purpose of creation, and of the Torah and the mitzvos, is that there be for Him, may He be blessed, a dwelling place among the lower realms (dirah betachtonim); that is, that there be a revelation of the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, below specifically.

And not for the sake of the revelation in Atzilus, for in Atzilus, even without this, “He and His vessels are one” (ihu vegarmohi chad): the level of self-nullification (bittul), etc.

But Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah are “something” (yesh) and a separate thing; and through Torah and mitzvos one draws into them, too, the level of a dwelling and the resting of the Infinite Light,

as in Atzilus. This is the purpose of creation. (And [this is] like the matter of “G‑d has made laughter for me, etc.” And see what is written in the discourse beginning “There are sixty queens,” on the matter of “Light is sown, etc.” And see what is written in the explanation on the verse “For as the new heavens,” and in the discourse beginning “He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob.”)

And how is this accomplished through the Torah and mitzvos? The explanation is that the 248 positive commandments are the “248 limbs of the King.” The meaning of “limbs” is

as, by way of analogy, through a limb, light and life-force from the soul are drawn forth and revealed, [such as] the power of sight in the eye, etc.; so above, through the Ten Sefiros of Atzilus, the very Infinite Light, blessed be He, is drawn forth and revealed.

And this is the meaning of “He and His life-forces and His vessels are one”; and therefore they are what is called the “248 limbs of the King.” And these very ones are also the mitzvos,

for tefillin are the drawing down of the Infinite Light into Chochmah, Binah and Daas, etc.; charity and acts of kindness (gemilus chassadim) [are] the level of Chesed, etc.

And the count of 248 limbs and 248 positive commandments is because Z’eir Anpin possesses nine Sefiros (as is written elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “Thousands of shinan,” in Parshas Yisro; and see the Zohar, Noach, page 65a, and Etz Chaim, Sha’ar Arich Anpin, chapter 2):

Chochmah, Binah and Daas; Chesed, Gevurah and Tiferes; Netzach, Hod and Yesod. And each one is composed of nine: thus nine times nine comes to 81. And each aspect has three vessels, head, middle and end: thus 243. And the five Chasadim that enlarge [it]: thus 248.

Now, the matter of the giving of the Torah is the enclothing of the supernal mitzvos, the 248 limbs of the King, [such as] the Holy One, blessed be He, putting on tefillin, etc., in physical mitzvos: tefillin in parchment and ink, and tzitzis in wool, and likewise sukkah and lulav, etc.,

and all the rest of the mitzvos. That is, through fulfilling the mitzvah physically, one draws down the Infinite Light, blessed be He, which is revealed in the 248 limbs of the King, so that it be revealed actually below, in Asiyah: that is, through tefillin one draws down the level of Chochmah,

and through charity the level of Chesed, etc., until the hand of the person who gives charity will be at the level of a vessel for the revelation of His G‑dliness, may He be blessed, just as Chesed, “the right arm,” in Atzilus is a vessel for the revelation of the Infinite Light, since “He and His vessels are one.”

So this very revelation will be in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah. And this is the matter of a dwelling place among the lower realms, which is made through fulfilling the Torah and mitzvos, which are the 248 limbs of the King, called Z’eir Anpin of Atzilus: through this, this revelation that is in Atzilus will be drawn down into Asiyah too, actually.

(As is written about this in the discourse beginning “Moshe would speak,” in Parshas Yisro; and see what is written in the discourse beginning “And it shall be tzitzis for you,” in Parshas Shelach, on the meaning of “And you shall remember all the commandments, etc.”; see there.)

But how can there be a bond between Atzilus and physical Asiyah, when there is no comparison between them? And how will the revelation of supernal Atzilus be drawn down through the active mitzvos, etc.?

But the explanation is that it is because Israel arose in the primordial thought; and because of this, when Israel perform the mitzvos, they draw down spiritual Atzilus and bind it to physical Asiyah.

For the level of the primordial thought is of the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), before which Atzilus and Asiyah are equal, for it includes them all together. This is the level of Adam Kadmon, which is the general Keser (Crown) of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah.

8Therefore Atzilus and Asiyah are equal in relation to this level (and see what is written about this in the discourse beginning “For the conductor, on the sheminis, etc.”); and therefore one can bind and join Atzilus with Asiyah, although they are utterly distant from each other.

This will also be understood by way of analogy from a human being. For we see, in the light and life-force of the soul that is enclothed in the limbs of the body, that in each limb a particular power is enclothed,

such as sight, hearing, smell, taste and speech: the power of sight is enclothed in the eye, and the power of hearing in the ear, etc.; each one is an aspect and level of its own.

But as for thought, all the limbs, and the powers in them, from the head to the toenail, are bound to it and held in it; for he feels in his thought everything that is done in the 248 limbs,

and also all the limbs are nullified before his thought, and it rules over them all; and it also rests in them all and encompasses them.

For as soon as it arises in his thought to move his foot, the foot moves at once, without any lapse of time, etc. (And see what is written about this elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “To understand why the festival of Pesach is on the day on which the miracle was done,” and in the explanation on the verse “And Korach took, etc.”)

And what this illustrates above: in the chain of descent (hishtalshelus) of the worlds, Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, each level is a particular of its own; and therefore between Atzilus and Beriah there is a partition (parsa), etc.,

and this is like the analogy of the power of sight in the eye, which is separate from the power of walking in the foot; and there is also a partition that divides between the organs of breathing and the organs of nourishment, namely the diaphragm (chatzar hakaved), etc.

But the level of the primordial thought includes them all together. Therefore the feet of Adam Kadmon extend into Asiyah too, and the partition does not block it, etc.

And therefore the souls of Israel, who arose in this thought, have the power to bind and join Atzilus with Asiyah through the Torah and mitzvos, to draw the level of the 248 limbs of the King into Asiyah itself, as mentioned above.

And see what is written on the verse “And there was a voice from above the firmament.” And therefore it is said throughout the Torah, “Speak to the children of Israel, etc.,” “Command the children of Israel, etc.”

(And from this the root will be understood of the matter explained elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “Remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it,” on the matter of “‘Remember’ and ‘Keep’ were said in a single utterance, etc.”; see there.

That is, through the revelation of the level of Keser, which is the level of Adam Kadmon, which includes even Atzilus and Asiyah actually together, as mentioned above. And see what is written in the discourse beginning “Go out and gaze,” mentioned above, in Parshas Bereshis, on the matter of “which is Shlomo’s, etc.”; also in the discourse beginning “The Song of Songs, which is Shlomo’s,” and in the discourse beginning “I am black, etc.,”

on the matter of “like the curtains of Shlomo.” It was further explained in this way regarding the splitting of the Sea of Reeds: that to turn the sea, which is the hidden world (alma de’iskasya), into dry land, the revealed world (alma de’isgalya), is through drawing down from a level higher than both of them, for sea and dry land are equal there, etc.; and so it is here.)

9And this is [the meaning of] “and He placed Torah in Israel”: that from them the Torah is drawn. For the Torah is the higher Chochmah (Chochmah Ila’ah) of Atzilus; and the higher Chochmah is the beginning of revelation in Atzilus, [the line of] Chochmah, Chesed and Netzach, the right line, etc.,

and it is the source of the 248 limbs of Z’eir Anpin, etc.; and it receives from, and is drawn from, the level of Adam Kadmon, etc. And this is [the meaning of] “Bereshis: for the sake of Israel, who are called ‘first’ (reishis).”

That is, the level of “first” in Israel, which is their root in the primordial thought, for this level is called “first”; of this they said, “The thought of Israel preceded everything.” And for this revelation to be in the soul enclothed in the body is through the Torah.

For in Israel there are two levels. The first is their existence and root in the primordial thought, and it is called Israel Above (Yisrael dele’ila); it is the part of the soul that is above enclothing in the body, but is at the level of an encompassing light (makif), etc.

10And the second is what is called Lesser Israel (Yisrael zuta) and the Congregation of Israel (Knesses Yisrael), that is, the source of the soul that extends and is enclothed in the body. And this source is the level of Malchus of Atzilus, and it is also called the lower Imma (Imma tata’ah) and the Matronita.

Now, the level of Malchus of Atzilus is “the end of all levels” (sofa dechol dargin); and for the light to be drawn into it from the level of Keser, which is the level of Adam Kadmon, the primordial thought, is through the higher Chochmah, which is the Torah, etc.

And of this they said, “Israel are bound to the Torah, etc.” And this is [the meaning of] “Do not read ‘your children’ (banayich) but ‘your builders’ (bonayich)”: that the souls of Israel, who are “your children,” [the children] of the level of Malchus of Atzilus,

since from it was taken the part of the soul that extends into the body, are also “your builders,” [builders] of the level of Malchus of Atzilus and of the radiance from it that is enclothed in the body.

And this is by virtue of their root in the primordial thought, through which “and He placed Torah in Israel,” and they are the ones who make the Torah and draw the revelation into the level of the higher Chochmah, and from the higher Chochmah into Malchus of Atzilus, etc.

And therefore the level of “your builders” is specifically through the study of Torah, as it is written, “Through wisdom a house is built”; that is, for there to be the drawing down from the level of the primordial thought mentioned above into Malchus of Atzilus is through the Torah specifically, which is the level of the higher Chochmah, etc.

(And see what is written in the discourse beginning “I have come into my garden,” and in the discourse beginning “And [G‑d] spoke, etc.: I am, etc., who brought you out of the land of Egypt”; and see what is written in the discourse beginning “And He fed you the manna,” regarding the blessing for the land, in which one must mention the covenant and the Torah. And things like these are explained also in the Zohar, in Parshas Vayechi)

(page 245, end of side a): “There are three souls, etc.”; see there. And see what is written further on the matter of the two levels mentioned above that are in the soul, on the verse “When you go out, etc.,” regarding “And G‑d created man in His image, etc.”

113. And this is the meaning of “my beloved (ra’ayasi), my fair one (yafasi).” “My beloved” is through the study of Torah, “Come, eat of my bread”: just as food, by way of analogy, binds and joins the soul’s life-force so that it spreads through the body, etc., so through the Torah the Infinite Light, blessed be He, is drawn down to be enclothed in the higher Chochmah, etc.

And the explanation of “my fair one”: these are the mitzvos, which are called garments, as in “Let them bring a royal garment, etc.” And this is “my fair one”: that she makes the level of beautiful garments, etc.; which is not so of the level of “I clothe the heavens in blackness, etc.”

The explanation is this. From the level of Keser, which is “long-suffering” (erech apayim), [He] who defers anger, etc., for before Him “darkness is like light, etc.,”

if so, the external forces too can receive nurture, for “the spider (semamis) takes hold with its hands, etc.,” and like the matter of what Avraham said, “If only Yishmael, etc.”

(And see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “This matzah,” and in the discourse beginning “And a man wrestled”; and see in the Likkutei Torah [of the Arizal], at the end of Parshas Vayishlach, that Adam Kadmon is the first to receive the flow from the Infinite One (Ein Sof); and know that a single spark descended from it, divided into two, a kernel (mo’ach) and a husk (kelipah), etc.; see there.)

Therefore, in order that the flow be drawn only to the side of holiness and not to the external forces, this is through the performance of the mitzvos, from which the level of a royal garment is drawn,

which is the beautiful garment: for when [the flow] is drawn through this garment that comes from the performance of the mitzvos, it is drawn only to the side of holiness, etc., to those who accept upon themselves the yoke of the kingship of Heaven, etc.

And just as a garment protects a person, to save him from the heat and the rain, so the garment mentioned above is what protects against the nurture of the external forces, etc. And therefore our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Whoever says, ‘I have nothing but Torah,’ does not have even Torah,

but rather Torah and acts of kindness (gemilus chassadim)”; for it is specifically through the mitzvos that the garment mentioned above is drawn, whereas with Torah alone, at times it is said, “I clothe the heavens in blackness.” The heavens (shamayim) are fire and water (esh umayim), “running and returning” (ratzo vashov); this is the level of Torah, “from His right hand a fiery law, etc.,”

Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel, etc. And at times, G‑d forbid, they can be clothed in blackness: the nurture of the external forces from the attributes of fire and water, Chesed and Gevurah, like the matter of Avraham, from whom there came forth, etc.

But through the performance of the mitzvos the level of “my fair one” is made, a royal garment, etc. (And see the Zohar, Parshas Balak) (page 204b), on the verse “In the morning I will set out before You, and watch (va’atzapeh), etc.”:

“David came and fashioned this lamp as a covering for this ‘morning’ of Yosef, to be covered by it, etc., as it says, ‘And he overlaid it (vayetzapehu) with pure gold.’”

That is, David fashioned the level of Malchus of Atzilus as a garment and a covering for this “morning” of Yosef, etc.; see there, and it was explained elsewhere. And this is also what is written, “And Yehudah approached him and said, ‘Please (bi), my lord.’”

The meaning is: “through me” (bi) the flow will be drawn from the level of Yosef; for Yehudah too is the level of Malchus, and this is specifically the vessel and the garment, etc.

And see what is written about this on the verse “And [Yehudah] approached.” And see further in the Zohar, Parshas Acharei (page 58b), regarding “Therefore one should not err and join another ‘time’ to the King, etc.

‘With this he shall come,’ etc.” (and page 74b), regarding “And then the heavens were clothed in blackness,” and in the Mikdash Melech there. And see the Pardes, Sha’ar 25, chapter 6; see there.

And this is [the meaning of] “And I besought G‑d at that time.” “I besought” (va’eschanan) is the drawing down that is through the Torah, as is written elsewhere; and this drawing down must be “at that time” (ba’es hahi), which is the level of Malchus, etc. And it is the level of the mitzvos, of which it is said, “and a time for every desire, etc.,”

as is written elsewhere, in the discourse beginning “When Israel put ‘we will do’ before ‘we will hear’”; and there it was also explained how this drawing down, that [He] be King of the world, is drawn through the mitzvos; as was explained also in the discourse beginning “Blow the shofar on the New Moon, etc.”;

see there. And see what is written in the discourse beginning “When you hearken to the voice,” regarding “to keep all His commandments.” And the matter of a garment will be further understood: although the garment conceals and hides, so that there be the level of a world (olam), from the expression “concealment” (he’elem), etc.,

its root is from a very high place, as in the matter explained elsewhere, in Parshas Lech Lecha, in the discourse beginning “And the curtain shall divide,” regarding

“And to understand this matter of the chashmal, etc.”; and also in the discourse beginning “The matter of ‘Go forth,’” regarding “And he spoke three thousand parables, etc.” And this was further explained elsewhere, in the explanation of “The heavens are My throne,”

that the level of yechidah, which has no vessel, that is, Keser, which surrounds and encompasses from its head to its foot, divides between Atzilus and Beriah and becomes a curtain (pargod) and a screen (masach).

12That is to say, the root of the curtain (pargod) and the screen (masach), which is the garment mentioned above, is in the level of yechidah and Keser. And this is [the meaning of] “The heavens are My throne (kis’i)”: for

“heavens” also means encompassing lights (makifim), and from them is drawn the throne (kisei), kes [and] alef, the garment and screen mentioned above. (And see what is written on the verse “And Avraham was old, advanced in days.”) And along these lines the matter of “my fair one” will be understood, etc.

And this is [the meaning of] “You are fairer than the sons of men, etc.”: that through fulfilling the mitzvos, [man] makes beautiful garments for the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

If so, as it were, Your being fair is “from the sons of men.” So it was explained by the gaon and chassid Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, of blessed memory, of Berditchev.

And this is what is written, “my fair one.” And see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “And you shall make holy garments,” that in these garments that come from the performance of the mitzvos there are three aspects and levels.

Now, it is explained elsewhere that the nurture of the external forces comes in two ways. The first is from below, because of the many contractions (tzimtzumim) and the concealment, etc.

And the second is through “Though you soar aloft like the eagle, etc.”: that they seek to receive from the level of which [it is said] “before Him darkness is like light,” as mentioned above. Now, the remedy (tikkun) for these two kinds of nurture is through the garments of the performance of the mitzvos.

The remedy for the first kind is simple: when [the flow] is drawn through the garment of Malchus of Atzilus, they have no excess nurture from below.

But the remedy for the second kind is, as is written there, that there is a supernal level in the garments of the performance of the mitzvos; and of this it is said, “And you shall make holy garments for Aharon”: that Moshe is the one who makes them, etc.

And the matter of this garment is explained in Pri Etz Chaim, Sha’ar 12, chapter 8: that from the sixth attribute onward, etc., [it] is enclothed in eight garments, etc.,

“and it follows that the sixth tikkun is enclothed, etc.”; see there. The Ramaz [Rabbi Moshe Zacuto] cited it on Parshas Emor (page 88); and see about this in Zohar HaRakia, on Parshas Mishpatim (on page 95). And the sixth tikkun is “for He desires kindness (chesed).”

And therefore, through these garments that clothe the level of “for He desires kindness,” [one] causes this great kindness of His to be drawn only to the side of holiness, and not to the chambers of Nogah.

It follows that through the garments of the performance of the mitzvos a remedy is made also for the second kind of nurture. And see what is written in the discourse beginning “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and G‑d our G‑d took us out.”

134. But for there to be the drawing of the Infinite Light into the higher Chochmah through the Torah, and for the level of the garment mentioned above to be drawn down through the performance of the mitzvos, one must first have the level of “Arise for yourself (kumi lach)”: to your own self,

that is, to the level of the soul that is above, etc.; and this is through the Shema and prayer. Now, the written form (ksiv) is lachi, with a kaf and a yud, etc.

The explanation is that the level of the primordial thought is the level of an intermediary between the essence of the Infinite Light and the emanated beings; for

the primordial thought is the level of an encompassing light (makif) that surrounds the whole chain of descent (hishtalshelus) and includes them all together, for it is through this thought that they come into being, etc.

It follows that this thought is the level of an all-encompassing light (or kelali) that includes all the particulars of the chain of descent. But to the essence of the Infinite Light none of this applies, for it is not applicable, G‑d forbid, to say of it

that it is a source and a whole (klal) that includes the life-force of the worlds, since it is utterly exalted and lifted beyond the bounds of the worlds; and there could have been myriads upon myriads of chains of descent in other ways, etc.,

and myriads upon myriads of Sefiros not of the nature of the emanated Sefiros, as is written in the explanation on the verse “Let them bring a royal garment”; see there, in the discourse beginning “To understand the difference, etc.”

14And see what is written in Parshas Beshalach, at the end of the discourse beginning “To understand the matter of the double bread (lechem mishneh).” And also, it is not applicable to say of the Infinite Light that it is an encompassing light (makif) and the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), etc., as is known.

And therefore, for the particulars of the worlds to come into being from the essence of the Infinite Light is through the level of the primordial thought, which is the level of the coming into being of an all-encompassing light that includes the whole chain of descent together, etc.; and it is the whole (klal) of the particulars, etc.

That is, the primordial thought is the level of Adam Kadmon, and it is the level of Keser of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, as is written in Etz Chaim, Sha’ar 41, chapter 4, and explained further in Sha’arei Kedushah by Rabbi Chaim Vital, Part III, Gate 1; these are his words: “Adam Kadmon is the thorn of the yud, and it is the highest Sefirah of all, and it is called Keser.” End of quote.

And therefore the primordial thought is called the level of the intermediary, in the manner explained at length in Etz Chaim, Sha’ar 41, chapter 3, that Keser is the intermediary between the Emanator and the emanated; see there.

Now, the intermediary has in it [something] of the lowest level of the Emanator and of the highest level of the emanated; and through this the light of the Emanator is joined with the emanated. And this is the matter of the [letter] kaf; that is, the kaf is the number twenty,

that is, it has in it the Ten Sefiros twice. One [set] is in the lowest level of the Emanator, which was drawn forth to become the level of Keser for the emanated: since it was drawn forth to be a soul for the root of Atzilus, from now on it is applicable to speak of it as the level of Ten Sefiros; and this is what is called the hidden Ten Sefiros (eser sefiros hagenuzos).

15And the second is the Ten Sefiros of the root of the emanated, as is written in Etz Chaim that Arich Anpin, which is the root of the emanated, includes them all, etc.; and likewise in the level of Atik, which is the lowest level of the Emanator, there are Ten Sefiros, etc. And the two of them as a whole are the level of Keser;

and therefore it is called kaf. And there is also another reason why it is called kaf: it is from the expression kaf hayad, the palm of the hand, which is so called because one bends (kofef) it, and it becomes

like a hollow in its middle, and the hand encompasses and surrounds the thing that is within it; as it is written (Exodus 4), “And it became a staff in his palm (kapo),” and “While it is still in his palm, he swallows it”

(in Isaiah, chapter 28). And so the level of the primordial thought, because it encompasses the whole chain of descent (hishtalshelus) of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, and they are encompassed by it,

is therefore called kaf. And this is what is said, “and beneath are the arms of the world (olam)”; for seemingly it is not understood how the matter of arms applies beneath the world. Rather, the explanation is that it is the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), which is, by way of analogy, an arm and its bent hand that encompasses a thing from every side, etc.

And this is also the meaning of Keser: an expression of koteres, a capital [of a pillar], and of “they surrounded (kitru) Binyamin,” which is a matter of encompassing and surrounding, etc.

This is the matter of the kaf. And see [Bamidbar] Rabbah, Naso, section 13, regarding “one spoon (kaf) of ten [shekels of] gold,” [that it] corresponds to the Tablets, which were written by the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, etc.

And see what is written on the matter of the Tablets in the discourse beginning “If in My statutes.” And the matter of the yud is the level of Chochmah of Atzilus, the beginning of revelation from the level of Keser, etc.

And this is [the meaning of] “Arise for yourself (kumi lachi)”: that He says to the level of the Congregation of Israel (Knesses Yisrael), Malchus of Atzilus, “Arise for yourself (kumi lach)”: to your essential root. And the written form lachi means: to the level of the kaf and the yud mentioned above, which are your root, for Israel arose in thought, etc.

(And this is [the meaning of] “From the beginning (merosh), from of old (mikedem), she was anointed”: “from the beginning” is the higher Chochmah, for “the beginning is wisdom (chochmah)”; and “from of old” is the primordial thought (machshavah hakedumah). And it can be said that they are the two encompassing lights (makifim), chayah and yechidah, etc. And according to this, the meaning can be explained of “This they shall give, etc.: half a shekel by the holy shekel, the shekel is twenty gerah,”

for “the holy shekel” is that the supernal holiness is drawn in the manner of a weight (mishkal), by way of analogy, which is through the tzimtzum and the empty space (makom panui), and afterwards only a line (kav) and a radiance is drawn, etc.; that is, so that there be a source for the coming into being of the worlds, the light that encompasses all worlds and the light that fills all worlds. And this holy shekel as a whole is twenty,

that is, the level of kaf, twice the Ten Sefiros, as mentioned above. Now, it is written, “Behind and before You have formed me, and You have laid Your palm (kapechah) upon me”; and it is stated in Zohar HaRakia, in the commentary on the Sifra deTzniusa, chapter 5: “kapechah, Your kaf”; that is to say, the level of kaf mentioned above, which is the level of the primordial thought, from where the root of the soul is, etc.

And it is possible to say that this is also the matter of the two yuds in the word vayyitzer in “And Havayah Elokim formed (vayyitzer) the man”: that they allude to the two levels of Ten Sefiros mentioned above. And something close to this is stated in Parshas Naso) (141b).

But the soul has in it “behind and before”: for will is called “behind” in relation to the level of delight, “love in delights,” as is written in the discourse beginning “And I was with Him as a nursling (amon), etc.”

And the root of the root of these two levels is from the two levels of Ten Sefiros in the kaf mentioned above, which are also the supernal will and the source of delights, etc.

Now, the level of “love in delights”: not every person merits it, as is written in Sefer Shel Beinonim [the Tanya], chapter 14, etc. But the level of love and will for G‑d is an obligation upon everyone, as is written in Parshas

Ki Sisa, in the discourse beginning “This they shall give, etc.,” and in Iggeres HaKodesh, on the verse “How fair and how pleasant you are, etc.” And this is [the meaning of] “This they shall give, etc.:

half a shekel”; and in the Raaya Mehemna, at the beginning of Parshas [Ki] Sisa, that the half-shekel is the yud. And this is as is written in Sefer Shel Beinonim, chapter 18, that this is the level of the Chochmah in the soul, etc.; see there.

Now, the matter of “Arise for yourself (kumi lachi)” is through prayer, which is called a “ladder,” etc., “and its top reaches heavenward,” to the level of the kaf mentioned above, the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin).

16The explanation is that prayer has in it [something] of the radiance of the level of Shabbos. Now, on Shabbos a person has an additional soul (neshamah yeseirah); and the matter of the additional soul is

that on Shabbos there is the ascent of Malchus, until at Minchah of Shabbos she is in the very place of Abba, and there [light] is drawn to her from the level of Keser, etc.;

that is, the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin) and the primordial thought. And from there an additional soul is drawn to all the souls of Israel in the body; that is, the level of their root in the primordial thought shines in them. And see what is written on this matter in the discourse beginning “And Moshe assembled the whole congregation of the children of Israel, etc.”;

see there. And this is the matter of “Arise for yourself (kumi lachi)”: to the level of kaf [and] yud, the higher Chochmah and Keser, etc. And this is what is written in Pri Etz Chaim, Sha’ar HaShabbos, chapter 23, in the explanation of

“for from You (me’itcha) is their rest”: from the kaf (me’es kaf), which is Keser; from there is their rest now, etc. Now, a radiance of this revelation of Shabbos is drawn also every day at the time of prayer, etc.,

as mentioned above. And this is why of prayer it is said, “Arise for yourself (kumi lachi)”; and through this, afterwards there will be “my beloved, my fair one,” drawing the light from above to below through Torah and mitzvos, etc.,

as was explained above. And see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “And Moshe assembled,” mentioned above: that this is why Moshe our teacher, peace be upon him, told Israel first the keeping of Shabbos and afterwards the making of the Mishkan; for this is as is written regarding “Arise for yourself (kumi lachi),” and then afterwards the level of “my beloved, my fair one,” etc.

Now, this verse was said of the Exodus from Egypt, because then there was a revelation of the Infinite Light, blessed be He, in the Congregation of Israel, as it is written, “And G‑d went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night”; and as is written in the Zohar, Parshas Balak (page 191b): “‘And G‑d’: the cantillation mark is raised above, etc.”

And through this they could be at the level of “Arise for yourself (kumi lach).” And see what is written on this matter also in Parshas Beshalach, at the end of the discourse beginning “And G‑d went before them.” And this is [the meaning of] “For behold, the winter is past, the rain has gone by, etc.”

But in exile the Congregation of Israel has no strength to rise in the manner of “Arise for yourself” to her essential root, because she has descended into “the hidden place of the step (madregah),” etc., and she is called “the fallen sukkah of David.” (And see what is written on this matter in the discourse beginning “For the mountains shall depart.”)

For this [the verse] gives counsel for the manner of her ascent even while she is in the hidden place of the step: it is through “Show me your appearance,” that one should take to heart that the concealment is in order that there be the level of returning light (or chozer), which is drawn specifically because of the concealment, etc.;

for the level of returning light is a greater intensity of love than at the level of “Arise for yourself,” in the manner of penitents (baalei teshuvah): “in the place where penitents stand, the perfectly righteous do not, etc.”

And it is like the matter of what is written on the verse “And I shall look upon those who hate me”; see there well, on the matter of David’s praying, “So in the Sanctuary, etc.” And from this comes

“for your voice is sweet.” “Your voice” is the Torah, which is the drawing of the Infinite Light from above to below, as mentioned above regarding “my beloved.”

But because of the descent into the hidden place of the step, through which the level of returning light mentioned above comes about, it will follow that the drawing down through the Torah will be from a higher level than the level of the drawing down that comes through “Arise for yourself, my beloved, etc.”

And see what is written above along these lines, at the end of the discourse beginning “To My mare among the chariots”: that because in exile the descent is lower, in the weekdays (yomin dechol), through the chariot of horses mentioned in Zechariah, through this the ascent is higher, for the horse runs higher and higher, etc.;

see there. And this is the matter of “for your voice is sweet.” For “my beloved” (ra’ayasi) means that Israel provide sustenance, since the Torah is called food: “Come, eat of my bread.”

But the meaning of “your voice is sweet (arev)” is, by way of analogy, food that has sweetness (arivus) in it, of which they said, “for sweet things, room is found” (Megillah, page 7b, and Eruvin, chapter 8, page 82b).

It follows that food that has pleasantness and sweetness in it has an added quality, etc.; see there. And similarly with the Torah, which is called bread:

but when a revelation of supernal delight from the source of delights is drawn into it, as it is written, “I delight (sha’ashati) in Your Torah,” then it is called “your voice

is sweet,” for this food, by way of analogy, is of a higher quality, etc. And likewise “and your appearance is comely”: these are the mitzvos, for through teshuvah the deeds become good and shine more, etc.

(And see what is written in Parshas Yisro, in the discourse beginning “And all the people saw, etc.”; and see what is written at the end of the discourse beginning “And you shall make holy garments,” that there are several levels in the matter of the garments that come from the performance of the mitzvos, as mentioned above. And therefore, through “Show me your appearance,” it follows that the garments made from the performance of the mitzvos, which is the level of “my fair one,” will be from the highest levels, etc.)