Génesis 28:17 Cábala: Sha'arei Orah

This Sefirah is also called Fear-Yirah-יראה. That is, whosoever comes to contemplate this deep and supernal place, should do so with fear and dread, for perhaps his thoughts will become confused and his thoughts may begin to run and ponder beyond the appropriate measure. About this Sefer Yetzirah says,²⁰⁸Sefer Yetzirah 1:8 “Muzzle your mouth from speaking, and your heart from pondering, and if your heart runs, return [it] to [its] place.” For, this place is a place of fear and dread to ponder the matter and its depth. Thus, when our forefather Yaakov arrived at this place called Something-Yesh-יש, he was filled with fear and dread, saying,²⁰⁹Genesis 28:16-17 “Surely, there is-Yesh-יש HaShem-יהו״ה is in this place! He became frightened-Vayirah-ויירא and said, ‘How awesome-Norah-נורא is this place!’” Even though the Sefirah of Splendor-Tiferet is called “Awesome-Norah-נורא,” this is because it ascends to the heights and adheres to the Sefirah of Crown-Keter, which is the secret of the Desire-Ratzon-רצון and the secret of Fear-Yirah-יראה. Similarly, it states about Moshe,²¹⁰Exodus 3:6 “He was afraid-Yareh-ירא to gaze,” meaning, in the depth of his thoughts, in that he set a boundary to his thoughts. Praised is he who, like our teacher Moshe, peace be upon him, attains the level of fear-Yirah-יראה.

Now, all the statements above about the prayers of an individual and the prayers of the community, apply specifically when the Jewish people are in their land, especially in Jerusalem, and certainly when they are in the Holy Temple. However, when the Jewish people are outside the land, many accusers and prosecutors stand to obstruct our communal prayers, and certainly the prayers of an individual. For, when the Jewish people are outside the land, they are within the domain of the ministering angels of the nations, and there is no way for their prayers to ascend, since the gates to the heavens (Shaarei Shamayim-שערי שמים) are only in the land of Israel, as our forefather Yaakov said,³⁵⁶Genesis 28:17 “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the House of God, and this is the gate of the heavens-Shaar HaShamayim-שער השמים.” This being so, outside of the land of Israel, all paths to the heavens are closed off.

Now, sometimes this middle Sefirah is called Awesome-Norah-נורא, that is, Awesome-Norah in that it includes everything from right to left, both in kindness-Chessed and judgment-Din. Yaakov, who himself is the middle line, revealed this, when,⁵¹⁵Genesis 28:17 “He was afraid and said, ‘How awesome-Norah-נורא is this place! This is none other than the House of God and this is the gate of the heavens!’” That is, he beheld his portion in the Supernal Chariot of HaShem-יהו"ה and said, “How awesome-Norah-נורא is this place.” That is, since in this vision he was told,⁵¹⁶Genesis 28:14 “You will burst forth-uFaratzta-ופרצת westward, eastward, northward, and southward,” he saw [that HaShem-יהו"ה is] his portion of the Chariot. Therefore, the portion of Avraham is called “Great-Gadol-גדול,” the portion of Yitzchak is called “Mighty-Gibor-גבור,” and the portion of Yaakov is called “Awesome-Norah-נורא.”