Isaías 48:13 Cábala: Pardes Rimmonim, The Wars & Sefer HaBahir

And see, there are 10 fingers. And if this is so, the conclusion is that the Sefirot, with whom the worldwas created, they [are] 10. “Five opposite five”. There is a difficulty to it that Scripture says: “Further, My hand founded the earth, and My right hand measured out the heavens”(Isaiah 48:13). See, we find that the heavens are the work of the hand of G-d, which are five fingers, and they are only five Sefirot and not ten. To this he says: “Five opposite five”, because if the heavens are the work of a hand of G-d, and the earth is the work of a hand of G-d, we see that for sure the two of them together are ten [fingers], and this is “five opposite five”, five from the right hand and five from the left hand, the right hand for making the heavens, the left hand for making the earth. “and the single covenant corresponding in the middle”. There is a problem to it, as from this topic there is no necessity, because we could say that they [= the fingers] are five or that they are twenty. And factually there are twenty fingers, ten on the hands and ten on the feet, their sum [being] twenty. [And thus we could say about the Sefirot also]. What you could say [is] that the ten “fingers” that are on the feet, they are shadow and resemblance of the ten that are on the hands, and there are always only ten Sefirot, but that the allusion is that the ten Sefirot in [the world of] Beriah are shadow and clothing for the ten Sefirot that are in [the world of] Atsilut, as we will explain in the Gate of Atsilut, Beriah, Yetsirah, Asiya [Gate XVI], with help of HaShem. If thus, we might say that they are always only five, and the five left ones are shadow for the five right ones, and the Sefirot they are always only five, or the conclusion is drawn again and we might say that they are twenty. To this [= to avoid these interpretations] it is necesssary that the two of them are in one house, in his saying “and a single covenant” etc. And the general principle of the matters is, as we found unity and a unifying covenant between five and five, that we will find that the five right ones and the five left ones are one matter and one subject, that their sum is ten Sefirot. Which we did not find between the ten [fingers] of the hand and the ten on the feet, since we have seen that they are two [different] arrangements, each one [an arrangement] of ten, this one shadow and clothing of that one. And the harmonizers between five and five are the tongue - harmonizing between the fingers-, and the covenant of the genitals - between the ten that are on the feet -. And on the Sefirot, on the subject that they are “five opposite five”; in this matter the commentators have given two explanations. The first one is that the Sefirot are arranged in two arrangements. The first arrangement is: Keter, Chochmah, Binah, Gedolah, Gevurah, these are five, and they say that they are to direct the upper ones. And Tif’eret, Netsach, Hod, Yesod and Malchut, this is the second arrangement, to direct the lower ones. And although there is no subject telling [us] that they are to direct the upper ones nor to direct the lower ones, it is accepted among us. Nevertheless on the subject of the division of the Sefirot, they have aimed rightly, because this is the opinion of Rashbi, of blessed memory, in some places, especially on the subject of the Tefilin, because the four portions [texts in the compartments of the bayit] of the head are Chochmah and Binah, Gedolah and Gevurah, and [of the bayit] on the hand they are Tif’eret, Netsach, Hod and Yesod, thus its explanation in the Zohar (Parashat Vaetchanan, III.264a). And if these matters involve intense meditation, because it is written that the four portions are the four letters [of the Tetragram; see Tikkunei haZohar (Haqdamot) 3a] , if this is so, it [then] follows for us that the Sefirot are divided into two arrangements according to the words of the commentators. And thus on the subject of the chariots in the Sefirot, its explanation in the Tikkunim (Tikkunei haZohar, Haqdamot 3; Tikkunei Zohar Hadash 111) [is] that the face of Adam on the throne is Chochmah(חכמה) [also spelt as] כח מה, power of What (מה), as the numerical value of Adam (אדם) [מה and אדם both have the numerical value of 45], the eagle [is] Binah, the lion Chesed and the bull Gevurah; this is the chariot up high. And below it is a second chariot , [where] the face of Adam [is] Tif’eret, and Netsach, Hod and Yesod [are] lion, bull and eagle [respectively] this is the second chariot. And upper Keter complements everything above, and Malkut complements everything below. See, this divides the Sefirot in two arrangements as we have mentioned. And besides these there are many [other] indispensable things [to mention], but we will not make it long [here] so as not to stray from what we intend.

24) Furthermore, it is mentioned in the Zohar, Genesis 15, "In the beginning God created the heavens," where it explains that in this "beginning," the concealed entity that was not known to this palace (world) was created. The commentary of the holy book "Mikdash Melech" explains that this "beginning" refers to the Father (Abba) who created that concealed entity. He is the Ancient One, unknown to this palace, and the palace itself is referred to as the Mother called Elohim. Another interpretation explains the verse, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," as meaning that the power of the Father (Abba) created the heavens and the earth, which represent the lesser countenance (Zeir Anpin) and its female aspect, according to this interpretation. It is clear from this that both in the first interpretation and in the latter, the term "Father" is used for the beginning, but in the first interpretation, it refers to the Ancient One, while in the latter, it refers to the Father (Abba) as the understanding (Binah) that encompasses the heavens and the earth, which represents the small countenance (Zeir Anpin) and its female aspect. And according to the latter interpretation, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," refers to the power of the Father (Abba) who created the heavens and the earth, which are the male and female aspects. The commentary of the book "Mikdash Melech" explains that the heavens represent the right side of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the earth represents the left side. The Holy One, blessed be He, extended His right side and created the heavens, and He extended His left side and created the earth. The commentary in the margin of the book "Rechav HaChesed" explains that the attribute of Chesed (loving-kindness) builds the male aspect (Zeir Anpin), and the attribute of Gevurah (severity) builds the female aspect. This is indicated by the verse, "Even My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has stretched out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand up together" (Isaiah 48:13). What does it mean that they stand up together? It does not mean that the heavens and the earth physically stand up together. Rather, it means that the right side and the left side, which are represented by the words "et" (את), are in unity. And the commentary of "Mikdash Melech" explains that the verse "Even My hand has laid the foundation of the earth" represents the attribute of Binah (understanding) saying so. It is not possible to say that they physically stand up together, as it would imply that they are always standing together. But that cannot be said because the female aspect (Nukva) sometimes separates from the male aspect (Zeir Anpin) during exile. Refer to Likutei Sichot Yud-Zayin (17) for the opposite interpretation that is not applicable to our realm. The one who examines will see, recognize, and understand how the philosopher, author of the Zohar, deviated from the path of interpreting the scriptures according to the will of the sages, as explained later in section Dalet (4) below.

Mar [Rachumai] said, "As it is written, 'And all the nation saw the voices [hakolot — often translated as 'thunder'] and the lightning' (Exodus 20:15). Can voices be seen?!? Rather, all the nation saw the voices — those [seven] voices about which David spoke.
[1] 'A voice [kol] of YHVH is upon the waters; the God of Glory thunders, YHVH' (Psalms 29:3).
[2] 'A voice of YHVH in strength' (Psalms 29:4), and it says, With the strength of My hand, I have done [it]' (Isaiah 10:13), and it says, 'My own hand founded the earth' (Isaiah 48:13).
[3] 'A voice of YHVH in majesty [hadar] ' (Psalms 29:4), and the text said, 'Glorious [hod] and majestic [hadar] are His deeds, and His righteousness [tzedek] stands forever.' (Psalms 101:3).
[4] 'A voice of YHVH shatters cedars' (Psalms 29:5). This is the bow that shatters cypress trees and cedar trees.
[5] 'A voice of YHVH kindles flames of fire'(Psalms 29: 7). This is the one who makes peace between water and fire, that cuts the strength of the fire and prevents it from licking up the water and prevents them from evaporating it.
[6] 'A voice of YHVH convulses the desert' (Psalms 29:8), as is said, 'And He does kindness [chesed] to His annointed, to David, and to his descendents forever [may be reading hyperliterally: and to seed him, to the world]' (Psalms 18:51), —moreso than the desert.
[7] 'A voice of YHVH causes hinds to calve, and strips forests bare; while in the divine temple all say 'Glory!'' (Psalms 29:9). It is written, 'I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem, by gazelles or by hinds of the field' (Song of Songs 2:7).
Thus you have learned that with seven voices the Torah was given. With all of them, the Lord of the World was revealed to them, and they saw Him. As it is written, 'And all the nation saw the voices' (Exodus 20:15)."