Chasidut sur Ézéchiel 1:29
Kedushat Levi
The first thing G’d embarked on when creating the material universe was to create heaven and earth.”
It is an axiom, general principle, that G’d created the entire universe, and having done so, never withdraws from the universe for even a single moment, [unlike sculptors or painters who, once they have completed a sculpture or painting, move on to something else, having “finished” with their previous “creation.” Ed.] This axiom is true both of what He created in the heavens and what He created in the material, three-dimensional part of the universe. We pay tribute to this in our daily prayers when we say יוצר אור ובורא חושך, “He creates and fashions (present tense) light, and He creates darkness.” When speaking of any accomplishments of G’d’s creatures however, we speak of them in the past tense, i.e.יצר כסא, “he shaped a chair,” or עשה מזרון, “he made a mattress.” G’d’s creative activity is never completed, as the Torah testified in Genesis 2,3 אשר ברא אלוקים לעשות, “which the Lord has created in order to complete it.” This means that G’d is part of every creature He ever created, and once man realizes that he is nothing without G’d Who has created him and Who provides him with all the strength and creative stimuli that he possesses, he will be able to relate to Hashem as an ongoing creative Force in His universe. This is reflected every morning when we get up [after having used the washroom] and we refer to G’d with the words אשר יצר את האדם בחכמה, “Who has fashioned man with חכמה,” the word חכמה meaning the opposite of אין, “nothing.” It is appropriate therefore that in that prayer we refer to the creation of man in the past tense, as opposed to the line we quoted earlier, seeing that we refer to something or somebody who already exists, i.e. יש. This explains why the Ari z’al , Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, said that when we refer to G’d as ה' מלך, usually translated as “Hashem is King,” the reference is to the אין, “nothing,” i.e. G’d at any given moment gives us life, -by not withdrawing it from us.- The implied meaning of the expression is that man is “nothing” unless he continues to exist as part of G’d’s creative activity. The so-called אין, “nothing,” in terms of metaphysical beings, rules supreme in the regions beyond those that are part of the physical universe, the one that we conveniently refer to as “nature.” This so-called אין, is not really a “nothing,” in terms of the universe, its “nothingness” is such only vis a vis the physical part of the universe; in the celestial regions this “אין” rules supreme. [as opposed to the חכמה in our part of the universe. Ed. Although יש and אין are popularly perceived as absolute opposites, not having anything in common, this perception is built on a fallacy; the linkage between יש and אין are the mitzvot, Torah commandments, performed by the Jewish people. The commandments are performed in the section of the universe known as יש, as a result of which close contact is maintained between the aforementioned two domains of the universe. Ezekiel 1:14 refers to the “mitzvot” in their capacity as providing the link between the terrestrial and the celestial part of the universe with the words והחיות רצוא ושוב, “and the chayot ran to and fro”. According to the Zohar II 288, the mitzvot and the Torah respectively, are viewed as related to one another like the “hidden” is related to the “revealed,” both being part of the same whole. Torah and mitzvot provide the link between these two domains, so that each domain is not completely divorced from the other. This concept is contained in the letters of the word מצוה when we divide it up into מצ and וה. The letters מצ when we read the alphabet backwards, starting with the letter ת are equivalent to the letters יה, symbolising the totally abstract Divinity, whereas the letters וה symbolize the hidden parts of the universe, יש. The first half of the word מצוה being read with the two letters used in reverse order of the aleph bet, alludes to the “hidden” part of the universe, the domain exclusive to Divine, abstract forces. Let us explain something about what precisely is “hidden” and what is “revealed,” when it comes to the מצוה, “Torah commandment.” When we perform a מצוה, we cause G’d to become pleased with having created man, the choicest of His creatures. When we comply with requests made to us by a fellow human being, we can immediately gauge whether he is pleased by our actions or not, either by his face indicating this, or by words of approval, something that is not the case when we comply with G’d’s requests from us. Since He is invisible, and does not speak to us as He did to Moses, “mouth to mouth”, we have no way of knowing if our efforts to please Him have been successful. When we try to perform deeds that are for our (immediate) personal benefit, we are able to determine if our efforts have succeeded. This then is the “hidden” element present whenever we perform any of G’d’s commandments, מצות. This is what the Torah had in mind when it wrote (Deuteronomy 29,28) הנסתרות לה' אלוקינו, “the hidden aspects of mitzvah performance are reserved for the Lord our G’d;” on the other hand, והנגלות לנו ולבנינו עד עולם, “the benefits which the performance of the Torah confers upon us will be revealed forever.” This is also the meaning of the words בראשית ברא אלוקים, (addressed to us) “at the beginning of G’d’s creative activity G’d created the יש, a physical domain of the universe.” Through His creating יש, i.e. ראשית, a beginning, the creation of heaven and earth came into being, for prior to that there was only the אין, the abstract universe. This is the meaning of Targum Yerushalmi who renders this verse as 'בראשית בחוכמא ברא ה', “at the beginning G’d created by means of using intelligence found in the domain of the abstract regions.” חכמה, as we pointed out earlier, is a quality inherent in the terrestrial domain.
It is an axiom, general principle, that G’d created the entire universe, and having done so, never withdraws from the universe for even a single moment, [unlike sculptors or painters who, once they have completed a sculpture or painting, move on to something else, having “finished” with their previous “creation.” Ed.] This axiom is true both of what He created in the heavens and what He created in the material, three-dimensional part of the universe. We pay tribute to this in our daily prayers when we say יוצר אור ובורא חושך, “He creates and fashions (present tense) light, and He creates darkness.” When speaking of any accomplishments of G’d’s creatures however, we speak of them in the past tense, i.e.יצר כסא, “he shaped a chair,” or עשה מזרון, “he made a mattress.” G’d’s creative activity is never completed, as the Torah testified in Genesis 2,3 אשר ברא אלוקים לעשות, “which the Lord has created in order to complete it.” This means that G’d is part of every creature He ever created, and once man realizes that he is nothing without G’d Who has created him and Who provides him with all the strength and creative stimuli that he possesses, he will be able to relate to Hashem as an ongoing creative Force in His universe. This is reflected every morning when we get up [after having used the washroom] and we refer to G’d with the words אשר יצר את האדם בחכמה, “Who has fashioned man with חכמה,” the word חכמה meaning the opposite of אין, “nothing.” It is appropriate therefore that in that prayer we refer to the creation of man in the past tense, as opposed to the line we quoted earlier, seeing that we refer to something or somebody who already exists, i.e. יש. This explains why the Ari z’al , Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, said that when we refer to G’d as ה' מלך, usually translated as “Hashem is King,” the reference is to the אין, “nothing,” i.e. G’d at any given moment gives us life, -by not withdrawing it from us.- The implied meaning of the expression is that man is “nothing” unless he continues to exist as part of G’d’s creative activity. The so-called אין, “nothing,” in terms of metaphysical beings, rules supreme in the regions beyond those that are part of the physical universe, the one that we conveniently refer to as “nature.” This so-called אין, is not really a “nothing,” in terms of the universe, its “nothingness” is such only vis a vis the physical part of the universe; in the celestial regions this “אין” rules supreme. [as opposed to the חכמה in our part of the universe. Ed. Although יש and אין are popularly perceived as absolute opposites, not having anything in common, this perception is built on a fallacy; the linkage between יש and אין are the mitzvot, Torah commandments, performed by the Jewish people. The commandments are performed in the section of the universe known as יש, as a result of which close contact is maintained between the aforementioned two domains of the universe. Ezekiel 1:14 refers to the “mitzvot” in their capacity as providing the link between the terrestrial and the celestial part of the universe with the words והחיות רצוא ושוב, “and the chayot ran to and fro”. According to the Zohar II 288, the mitzvot and the Torah respectively, are viewed as related to one another like the “hidden” is related to the “revealed,” both being part of the same whole. Torah and mitzvot provide the link between these two domains, so that each domain is not completely divorced from the other. This concept is contained in the letters of the word מצוה when we divide it up into מצ and וה. The letters מצ when we read the alphabet backwards, starting with the letter ת are equivalent to the letters יה, symbolising the totally abstract Divinity, whereas the letters וה symbolize the hidden parts of the universe, יש. The first half of the word מצוה being read with the two letters used in reverse order of the aleph bet, alludes to the “hidden” part of the universe, the domain exclusive to Divine, abstract forces. Let us explain something about what precisely is “hidden” and what is “revealed,” when it comes to the מצוה, “Torah commandment.” When we perform a מצוה, we cause G’d to become pleased with having created man, the choicest of His creatures. When we comply with requests made to us by a fellow human being, we can immediately gauge whether he is pleased by our actions or not, either by his face indicating this, or by words of approval, something that is not the case when we comply with G’d’s requests from us. Since He is invisible, and does not speak to us as He did to Moses, “mouth to mouth”, we have no way of knowing if our efforts to please Him have been successful. When we try to perform deeds that are for our (immediate) personal benefit, we are able to determine if our efforts have succeeded. This then is the “hidden” element present whenever we perform any of G’d’s commandments, מצות. This is what the Torah had in mind when it wrote (Deuteronomy 29,28) הנסתרות לה' אלוקינו, “the hidden aspects of mitzvah performance are reserved for the Lord our G’d;” on the other hand, והנגלות לנו ולבנינו עד עולם, “the benefits which the performance of the Torah confers upon us will be revealed forever.” This is also the meaning of the words בראשית ברא אלוקים, (addressed to us) “at the beginning of G’d’s creative activity G’d created the יש, a physical domain of the universe.” Through His creating יש, i.e. ראשית, a beginning, the creation of heaven and earth came into being, for prior to that there was only the אין, the abstract universe. This is the meaning of Targum Yerushalmi who renders this verse as 'בראשית בחוכמא ברא ה', “at the beginning G’d created by means of using intelligence found in the domain of the abstract regions.” חכמה, as we pointed out earlier, is a quality inherent in the terrestrial domain.
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Kedushat Levi
Exodus 24,10. “and beneath His feet there was something resembling a brick made from sapphire.” There is an ironclad rule that every “spark”, limb, movement, in this physical universe as well as the activity of every angel, i.e. disembodied creature of G’d, needs to be an instrument used in the service of the Lord. Seeing that He is unique and solitary and eternal, anyone serving Him will experience satisfaction and pleasure of a kind that no creature could attain by its own efforts.
It is axiomatic that when speaking of the אין סוף, the essence of the Creator, concepts such as time, space and quantity, do not apply, seeing that these concepts define limitations, and the Creator, by definition, is “unlimited” i.e. does not suffer from the constraints imposed upon His creatures by time, space and quantity. These concepts become applicable only when the Creator, in order not to destroy His universe and the creatures in it, must impose restraints upon Himself, known as צמצום. These restraints that the Creator imposes upon Himself vary with the parts of the universe in which He desires to become manifest at different times. Concepts such as time, space, quantity, are useful in measuring the degree of such constraints G’d imposes upon Himself at different “times,” and in different “spaces.”
All living creatures are required to “gaze upon,” i.e. to relate to the אין from within the parts of the universe that is their habitat, to their roots, the cause from which all their חיות, life-force, draws its animation or vitality. In other words, speaking allegorically, man must keep in contact with its Creator, much like an unborn baby must remain in contact through its navel with its life-giving mother. By maintaining such contact, the life force of the creature keeps being renewed. This “process,” though assuming different forms, is common to all creatures whether mobile, inert, free-willed or “programmed” by its Creator. The means by which these various creatures maintain this contact with their origins are the אותיות, “identifying letters,” for want of a better word, which represent the individuality of the various kinds of creatures. In the celestial regions there are “outlets,” marked as appropriate for each type of creature to connect to. When each one “concentrates,” i.e. sees with its mind’s eye this outlet whence they “recharge” their “batteries,” they thus ensure their continued existence and function in the parts of the universe that has been allocated to them.
It is important for these creatures to establish a system whereby their contact with their origin remains unbroken, so that their continued existence is not endangered.
According to the Kabbalists, this method or system is known as קמץ, like the vowel in the Hebrew alphabet. This method is discussed in the Tikkuney Hazohar. According to what is explained there, the אין סוף, infinite essence of G’d, is also known as קמץ. This אין סוף, seeing that it has no colour, is considered in the category of “white,” as “white” forms the basis of all other colours. Any other colour may be perceived as having been superimposed on the original white.
It is axiomatic that when speaking of the אין סוף, the essence of the Creator, concepts such as time, space and quantity, do not apply, seeing that these concepts define limitations, and the Creator, by definition, is “unlimited” i.e. does not suffer from the constraints imposed upon His creatures by time, space and quantity. These concepts become applicable only when the Creator, in order not to destroy His universe and the creatures in it, must impose restraints upon Himself, known as צמצום. These restraints that the Creator imposes upon Himself vary with the parts of the universe in which He desires to become manifest at different times. Concepts such as time, space, quantity, are useful in measuring the degree of such constraints G’d imposes upon Himself at different “times,” and in different “spaces.”
All living creatures are required to “gaze upon,” i.e. to relate to the אין from within the parts of the universe that is their habitat, to their roots, the cause from which all their חיות, life-force, draws its animation or vitality. In other words, speaking allegorically, man must keep in contact with its Creator, much like an unborn baby must remain in contact through its navel with its life-giving mother. By maintaining such contact, the life force of the creature keeps being renewed. This “process,” though assuming different forms, is common to all creatures whether mobile, inert, free-willed or “programmed” by its Creator. The means by which these various creatures maintain this contact with their origins are the אותיות, “identifying letters,” for want of a better word, which represent the individuality of the various kinds of creatures. In the celestial regions there are “outlets,” marked as appropriate for each type of creature to connect to. When each one “concentrates,” i.e. sees with its mind’s eye this outlet whence they “recharge” their “batteries,” they thus ensure their continued existence and function in the parts of the universe that has been allocated to them.
It is important for these creatures to establish a system whereby their contact with their origin remains unbroken, so that their continued existence is not endangered.
According to the Kabbalists, this method or system is known as קמץ, like the vowel in the Hebrew alphabet. This method is discussed in the Tikkuney Hazohar. According to what is explained there, the אין סוף, infinite essence of G’d, is also known as קמץ. This אין סוף, seeing that it has no colour, is considered in the category of “white,” as “white” forms the basis of all other colours. Any other colour may be perceived as having been superimposed on the original white.
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Sha'ar HaEmunah VeYesod HaChasidut
This matter is hinted at in the Zohar (Bamidbar, 118b) on the verse (Bamidbar, 2:2), “every man shall make his camp by his flag.” It says: Yet it is so, that within the holy supernal tree God sealed them with His seal, as we have established earlier. It is written (Yehezkel, 1:1), “and the form of their faces was the face of the man, and the face of the lion to the right, etc.” That is to say, the face of man was included in all four faces on the chariot. Their faces faced the four directions, each face different from the others, yet all included the face of man. Mikhael to the right, Gavriel to the left, Uriel to the front, Rafael to the back, and the Shekhina upon them. Hinted at in this passage from the Zohar on the Merkava is the entire matter of Israel’s connection to God, God’s providence through His management of the world, and the order behind His dispensation of effluence and life. Eventually it describes how God conducts the world through the outer garments. There the Zohar concludes (119a): Rabbi Yehuda said, “with Israel this is certainly so. But why do I also see this among the other nations?” He said to him, “Certainly you spoke well.” He opened his discourse with the verse (Bamidbar, 23:8), “What shall I curse that God has not cursed? Shall I send my wrath on that which God has not sent His?” “Come and see! The way things are above, so are they below. Above, there is right and there is left. Below, there is Israel and the nations. Israel holds onto the right, in the sanctity of the Holy King. The idolatrous nations hold on to the left, the side of impurity. They are all below, from all the levels of the left. All levels hold one to each other, until we see that they are all connected to the head. And wherever the head moves, the tail follows. Why is this? It is because the tail is holding on to the head. Thus, it is similar with the idolatrous nations who operate on the side of impurity. … Bilaam used all of the lower levels. He would look at the lower level, which is the tail, and is necessarily led by the head. This is why he said, “What can I curse that God has not cursed?” I cannot go against God! The supernal head was not giving out harsh judgments on those days.” … Rabbi Elazar cried and opened, saying, “Her sound is like that of a snake on the move.” (Yirmiyahu, 46:22) For now that Israel is in exile, surely the Shekhina moves like a snake. When the snake puts his head in the dust, his tail goes up and bites all that comes before him. It is the same way in the exile. The head is down in the dust, and the tail rules. Who causes the tail to go up, rule, and attack? It is the head, bent down below in the dust! Still, who is it that leads the tail, deciding which way it will go in its travels? The head! Though it is down in the dust, it leads the movements and wanderings of the tail. This is why it is said, “Her sound is like that of a snake on the move.” … Rabbi Yitzchak came and kissed his hands, and said, “If I had never learned anything save the answer to this question, it would be enough! Now I know how God leads the nations.” Here Rabbi Yitzchak understood how God conducts the world through the concealment of His presence, which is all hinted at in Yehezkel’s chariot. The description of the chariot mentions the storm wind, the great cloud, and the fire, which are all expressions of the concealment of God’s light. Yet none of these are mentioned in Yeshayahu’s vision of the chariot, for it was unnecessary at the time, as we explained above. One who understands allusions will realize why Yehezkel was compelled to reveal matters that Yeshayahu was not. The only things that the Torah reveals are matters which man needs to know in order to serve God, and to strengthen his trust and faith in God.62In summary, the mystery of faith is simple simple to express in words, yet difficult to obtain and live by. It means knowing that God’s judgment is really a vehicle for His mercy, in that it furthers His desire to bestow, and His overall plan for creation. God wisdom understands and decrees the ultimate good for His creation. The secret of the Merkava is the ability to see God’s light even in the outermost “garments” of creation, and in the realms furthest away from Divinity. In this way, the two mysteries – of faith and the Merkava – go hand in hand. The real secret is that the Divine Chariot is not some vision in the sky only beheld by a biblical prophet. The Chariot is in the world around us, both in times of redemption, and in exile. While this may not make the suffering any easier to bear on a day to day basis, it does mean that if a person looks upon the world with enlightened eyes – with the mystery of faith and the Merkava – he can, at least, find overall meaning in his suffering. This consciousness, passed from generation to generation, witnessed in the visions of the prophets and guarded in the wisdom of the sages. The transmission of sod – the Torah’s mystical dimension – is the subject of the next several chapters of this work.
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Flames of Faith
Aish Mislakkachas: An ever igniting fire (Ezek. 1:4), which is one of
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Flames of Faith
And I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came out from the north, a great cloud, a fire flashing up, and a bright sheath around Him (Ezek 1:4).
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Kedushat Levi
The verses describing the births of Peretz and Zerach are meant to illustrate how such attempted reaching for that which was not completed represented a lost opportunity, so that the second of the twins wound up being the firstborn [in the physiological and halachic sense, similar to Esau. Ed.]
We have a statement in Chagigah 15, according to which there is a heavenly voice calling out once on each day emanating from Mount Sinai calling on sinners to do penitence, excluding only Elisha ben Avuya. The Talmud there illustrates that there exists an opportunity for each one of us to cement our relations with our Creator. All that is needed is to demonstrate one’s sincerity through performance of one of the mitzvot that are basic to Judaism, such as giving charity or Torah study. The reference to שיח, a word having several meanings, may be to warn us that we are not to waste our time on earth in idle conversation, if we aspire to establish a firm bond with our Creator. There is no need to add that if one employs the gift of speech to indulge in defamation of others, etc., that this instead of strengthening the bond with our Creator, drives a wedge between Him and us.
Such abuse of the power of speech is forbidden even when we find ourselves in the part of the universe that has either not yet emerged from the primeval state of חושך, darkness, or is on the verge of descending back into that sorry condition. Our author refers to the mental state of a person yearning for the closeness with the Creator that he describes as a state of התעוררות היראה, “an awakening to a feeling of awe of the Creator.” He has explained this phenomenon in connection with a statement in B’rachot 64 according to which the very existence of Torah scholars contributes to harmony, peace in the lower universe. [As I have not found where the author’s explanation on that statement in the Talmud has appeared in print, I will try and explain how I understand his thoughts. Ed.]
We have a statement in Chagigah 15, according to which there is a heavenly voice calling out once on each day emanating from Mount Sinai calling on sinners to do penitence, excluding only Elisha ben Avuya. The Talmud there illustrates that there exists an opportunity for each one of us to cement our relations with our Creator. All that is needed is to demonstrate one’s sincerity through performance of one of the mitzvot that are basic to Judaism, such as giving charity or Torah study. The reference to שיח, a word having several meanings, may be to warn us that we are not to waste our time on earth in idle conversation, if we aspire to establish a firm bond with our Creator. There is no need to add that if one employs the gift of speech to indulge in defamation of others, etc., that this instead of strengthening the bond with our Creator, drives a wedge between Him and us.
Such abuse of the power of speech is forbidden even when we find ourselves in the part of the universe that has either not yet emerged from the primeval state of חושך, darkness, or is on the verge of descending back into that sorry condition. Our author refers to the mental state of a person yearning for the closeness with the Creator that he describes as a state of התעוררות היראה, “an awakening to a feeling of awe of the Creator.” He has explained this phenomenon in connection with a statement in B’rachot 64 according to which the very existence of Torah scholars contributes to harmony, peace in the lower universe. [As I have not found where the author’s explanation on that statement in the Talmud has appeared in print, I will try and explain how I understand his thoughts. Ed.]
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Sha'ar HaEmunah VeYesod HaChasidut
When the Rambam explains the visions of the Divine Chariot, in the sixth chapter of the third section of the Guide, he explains why Yehezkel revealed more details about his vision of the Divine than did Yeshayahu. There he quotes the Talmud (Hagiga, 13b), “Yeshayahu saw all that had been seen by Yehezkel. Yeshayahu is like a townsman who sees the king, Yehezkel is like a countryman who sees the king.”111There it is written: “The townsman, seeing that his neighbors know well how the king rides, simply tells them that he saw the king. But the villager, wishing to tell his friends that which they do not know, relates in detail how the king was riding, describes his followers, and the officers who execute his order and command.” The Rambam writes, “The generation of Yeshayahu did not require the detailed description. It was enough for him to say, ‘I saw God.’ The generation of the Babylonian exile needed to hear all of the details.” This is exactly according to the words of the Zohar (Shemot, 2b) quoted above.112See chapter 9 on the difference between the visions of Yehezkel and the visions of Yeshayahu. So if all the verses describing the Divine Chariot are only explaining the workings of astronomy, for what reason could Yehezkel have possibly had in thinking that knowledge of astronomy was more useful or of more interest to the exiles in Babylon? From this it clearly follows that the Rambam had possession of a true tradition of the mysteries of the Torah. Here is not the place to dwell on this point. Yet suffice to say that all who study this matter with a clear mind will know that he possessed a true tradition of Kabbalah. The Rambam claimed that there are four planets. The Abarbanel responds to this in saying that everyone knows that there are nine planets. How, the Abarbanel asks, could the prophet Yehezkel have made such a great error? One who studys the Eytz Hayim, in the introduction to the shaar tsiyoor haolamot, shows how the ten are divided into four sections. This is in line with the view of the Rambam. Further, the Guide (Section Two, Ch. 10) hints at the meaning of counting four planets. There you can find an answer to the query of the Abarbanel. Also, in the Pirkei Hatslaha printed in the responsa of the Rambam called, Pe’er haDor, he wrote to his student Rav Yosef Aknin, he explains how the Cherubs on each side of the Ark of the Covenant spread their wings. There he wrote, “just as breath is essential to the life of the heart … so do the Cherubs that jointly spread their wings over the Ark of the Covenant are really two. And know that the sanctuary of your heart is the Ark which holds within it the two Tablets of the Testament.” This exact idea is explained in the Zohar in the section of the Raya Mehemna (Zohar, Pinchas, 235a): For the heart is the seat of judgment, and the four Hayot who are its messengers are the two lungs and the two kidneys. The lungs are the secret of (Yehezkel, 1:11, “and their faces and wings were divided upwards,” reaching up to receive the king … … and the breath of air descends into the heart to cool off its heat, so it does not burn up the body. And when the breath descends, it descends in several directions, like a king and his soldiers. And the lungs receive the breath, which is king over it. This is as it is written (Yehezkel, 1:11), “and their faces and wings were divided upward,” (Shemot, 25:20), “and the wings of the Cherubs shall spread upward.” And in the Tikkunei Zohar (third additional chapter at the end, 140b): Of the lungs it is written (Shemot, 25:20), “and the wings of the Cherubs shall spread upwards, overspreading the covering (of the Ark) with their wings,” this is the covering of the heart.
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Kedushat Levi
Another approach to the thirteen nuances of the attributes of Love that G’d displays, listed here. According to the Ari z’al, the reason why this list commences (is headed by) with the name of the Lord, א-ל, and that these 13 “nuances” correspond to the thirteen exegetical tools of Torah interpretation listed by Rabbi Yishmael, and that the first such tool in Rabbi Yishmael’s list is the קל וחומר, “logic,” is the very fact that the essence of the Creator is beyond any creature’s ability to comprehend. In other words, it is beyond “logic.” (Compare Tikkuney Hazohar7 and 1) All that man can observe when trying to obtain a composite mental image of G’d, is that He possesses the attributes of “greatness,” “strength, heroism,” etc., etc.
My great and revered teacher phrased it thus when he explained the meaning of the Talmud in Sukkah 5 which discusses Exodus 25,18, the figures on the lid of the Holy Ark. The Torah commands: ועשית שנים כרובים זהב, “you are to fashion two cherubs made of gold.” The cryptic comment on this verse by the Talmud is that the word כרובים is the plural mode of the Aramaic כ-רביא, “like a young innocent child.” Rabbi Dov Baer, the author’s teacher, clearly did not understand the Talmud quite in that sense, but saw in the word רביא a reference to the relationship between teacher and pupil. The teacher’s knowledge and understanding is obviously far above that of the student, and in order for the student to understand what the teacher is saying, the teacher must address him in words that are familiar to the student, i.e. he must be מצמם את עצמו, impose restraints upon himself in order for his message to become effective. As a result of the teacher’s restraining himself there will be two intellectually equal people studying. This is the message of the שנים כרובים, the two cherubs mounted on top of the כפורת, the lid of the Holy Ark. The moral lesson of this is that instead of both the minds of teacher and pupil being portrayed as adults in the Torah, they are portrayed as “small children.” The comparison to the exegetical tool known as קל וחומר is even more striking when we consider that one of the limitations of this method of exegesis is that it must never be employed to establish a new halachic parameter. It must content itself with stating that the result of the comparison of the קל to the חומר is that the “heavy” is definitely at least equal to the “light,” but not necessarily superior. To illustrate: if as a result of insulting one’s father the child is banished from his presence for seven days, it is logical that insulting “G’d,” cannot be atoned for by a lesser penalty, as “G’d” is the “heavy” in this comparison. If we were to conclude that the penalty for insulting G’d must logically be greater, this would be beyond the boundaries of the קל וחומר as a legitimate exegetical tool. (Compare Talmud Baba kamma 24.)
The Talmud discusses also if there is ever an exception to this rule, and if so what are the criteria for when it may be breached? Answer: if by applying the rule that a קל וחומר must not result in halachic conclusions beyond the parameters from which we have set out, the entire קל וחומר could no longer be applied, then that rule is ignored. If G’d were to exercise so much self restraint that He would make Himself truly equal to us His creatures, how could He serve for us as a role model or authority?
The author limits the parable to the Jewish people, i.e. the concept that G’d would similarly “restrains Himself,” in order to descend to the level of the gentile nations is quite erroneous. The reason why the Jewish people are afforded this advantage is that they have accepted His rule in spite of the many difficulties that have to be faced by living in our part of the universe in order to fulfill His commandments. Since the gentile nations never accepted these challenges, they are hardly in a position to request G’d’s help in overcoming them.
[The author refers to the Tikunney Hazohar interpreting the tone signs on the letters in the Torah suggesting that the one known as zarka, and the one known as pazer, both striving upwards as an allusion to the heavenly orientation of the Jewish people that entitle them to G’d’s help. I have not found this section of the Tikkunim. Ed.]
My great and revered teacher phrased it thus when he explained the meaning of the Talmud in Sukkah 5 which discusses Exodus 25,18, the figures on the lid of the Holy Ark. The Torah commands: ועשית שנים כרובים זהב, “you are to fashion two cherubs made of gold.” The cryptic comment on this verse by the Talmud is that the word כרובים is the plural mode of the Aramaic כ-רביא, “like a young innocent child.” Rabbi Dov Baer, the author’s teacher, clearly did not understand the Talmud quite in that sense, but saw in the word רביא a reference to the relationship between teacher and pupil. The teacher’s knowledge and understanding is obviously far above that of the student, and in order for the student to understand what the teacher is saying, the teacher must address him in words that are familiar to the student, i.e. he must be מצמם את עצמו, impose restraints upon himself in order for his message to become effective. As a result of the teacher’s restraining himself there will be two intellectually equal people studying. This is the message of the שנים כרובים, the two cherubs mounted on top of the כפורת, the lid of the Holy Ark. The moral lesson of this is that instead of both the minds of teacher and pupil being portrayed as adults in the Torah, they are portrayed as “small children.” The comparison to the exegetical tool known as קל וחומר is even more striking when we consider that one of the limitations of this method of exegesis is that it must never be employed to establish a new halachic parameter. It must content itself with stating that the result of the comparison of the קל to the חומר is that the “heavy” is definitely at least equal to the “light,” but not necessarily superior. To illustrate: if as a result of insulting one’s father the child is banished from his presence for seven days, it is logical that insulting “G’d,” cannot be atoned for by a lesser penalty, as “G’d” is the “heavy” in this comparison. If we were to conclude that the penalty for insulting G’d must logically be greater, this would be beyond the boundaries of the קל וחומר as a legitimate exegetical tool. (Compare Talmud Baba kamma 24.)
The Talmud discusses also if there is ever an exception to this rule, and if so what are the criteria for when it may be breached? Answer: if by applying the rule that a קל וחומר must not result in halachic conclusions beyond the parameters from which we have set out, the entire קל וחומר could no longer be applied, then that rule is ignored. If G’d were to exercise so much self restraint that He would make Himself truly equal to us His creatures, how could He serve for us as a role model or authority?
The author limits the parable to the Jewish people, i.e. the concept that G’d would similarly “restrains Himself,” in order to descend to the level of the gentile nations is quite erroneous. The reason why the Jewish people are afforded this advantage is that they have accepted His rule in spite of the many difficulties that have to be faced by living in our part of the universe in order to fulfill His commandments. Since the gentile nations never accepted these challenges, they are hardly in a position to request G’d’s help in overcoming them.
[The author refers to the Tikunney Hazohar interpreting the tone signs on the letters in the Torah suggesting that the one known as zarka, and the one known as pazer, both striving upwards as an allusion to the heavenly orientation of the Jewish people that entitle them to G’d’s help. I have not found this section of the Tikkunim. Ed.]
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Kedushat Levi
As long as one has not attained the level of being a Torah scholar, the yearning for close affinity to G’d is like a flash of lightning, something that disappears as quickly as it had materialized. While in such a state, it cannot be recaptured at will. This is the meaning of the verse. Once one has attained the level of being a Torah scholar, similar yearnings for close affinity to one’s Creator will not disappear, but will be a constant companion to the Torah scholar. This was what Ezekiel 1,14 had in mind when he compared the fleeting appearance of the חיות הקודש, the highest category of angels running to and fro, as fast as the momentary appearance of a bolt of lightning. Whereas originally, man had to initiate this yearning for דבקות, close affinity to G’d, having experienced it once and continuing to recapture it by striving to make spiritual progress, G’d will reciprocate by helping him to make this a more permanent relationship. In his allegorical commentary on the birth of Peretz and Zerach, Nachmanides views the words ויתן יד, as reflecting G’d’s helping hand. He views the entire paragraph there as a conversation between G’d and man regarding this concept. Although Nachmanides uses the conversation recorded as that between the moon and the sun and G’d, in connection with who should have senior status (Chulin 60), our author views is as between G’d and His subjects in that paragraph.
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Sha'ar HaEmunah VeYesod HaChasidut
In the Mishnah Torah, in the second chapter of Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah, the Rambam writes that there are ten different names of angels, corresponding to ten different levels of angels. His words are well suited to the view of the Zohar on this matter, (Bo, 43a), with the exception that he replaces Elim with Keruvim. A study of the Zohar in Parshat Pinchas (235a-b) will show that it is really the same thing. And in the Zohar Hadash (Bereshit, 6b), the enumeration of the order of angels is precisely as is found in the Rambam, mentioning Keruvim in the place of Elim. That which he wrote concerning the tenth and lowest level of angels called Ishim,123Ish, in Hebrew, means man. who speak to the prophets for their stature is close to the status of man’s consciousness, is also the view of the Zohar (Lekh, 81a): (The Zohar is discussing how the new soul is drawn into the desire at the time of intercourse.) Through the desire, and together with the soul (nefesh) that is drawn there, another force is also drawn below. This force comes from the level of angels called Eeshim, and all enters from the drawing of the seed. The body of the newborn is built from them. This is the first and most primal level of soul, called nefesh. The Zohar Hadash (Bereshit, Midrash haNe’elam, 6b) enumerates the ten classes of angels from below to above. Here the Zohar Hadash also says that the lowest of the ten level is Eeshim. Rav Tordos haLevi, the author of the Otsar haKavod, argues against the Rambam on his treatment of the angels. However, he admits that the Rambam had true intentions in general, yet wonders how he could have said this.124The author is saying that the Rambam was correct in putting Ishim last, which is the view of the Zohar Khadash, and that the Otsar haKavod did not know this. Also we find many other places in the Rambam that hint both in particular and in general that he possessed a true tradition of the mysteries of the Torah. In the tenth chapter of section two of the Guide, the Rambam makes reference to the special usage of the words brass (nehoshet) with regard to the angels; in Zecharia (6:1), “and the four chariots came out from between the two mountains, which mountains were mountains of brass.” And in Yehezkel (1:7), “burnished brass (nehoshet kalal).” There is no explanation of these phrases in pshat (the plain meaning). Here the Rambam is making an explicit reference to the treatment of this phrase in the Zohar (Teruma, 139a), “In the book of Shlomo HaMelech there are lofty secrets surrounding the brass altar. With the altar, we find it said, ‘make me an altar of earth.’ This secret is well and good. Yet brass is mentioned when other mountains rule, and she (malkhut) must nourish them. This is when she colors herself in the color of brass in order to sustain them, and she is called the mountains of brass.”125See the Hadrat Melech of R. Shalom Buzaglo (1700-1780) for an extensive explanation of this passage in the Zohar according to the teachings of the Arizal. There are many other examples such as which attest to the Rambam’s knowledge of Kabbalah which I do not have time to add.126The question of whether or not the Rambam was a recipient of the Kabbalistic tradition was not just a concern for Rav Gershon Henokh, but one that has concerned many scholars. The scholarship of Rav David Fink has revealed seven examples of laws taught in the Code of Maimonides the source of which can only be found in the Zohar, and these are they: Mishnah Torah, Hil. Mezzuzah, 5:4 (the Kesef Mishnah cites the source in the Zohar. See Sefer Bar Yochai Shaar 6 Mishnah 130 for other examples); Hil. Shechita 1:9 based on Zohar Chadash Bereshit, Hil. Shevuot 11:1 based on Zohar Raya Mehemna, Yitro 91b; Hil. Tefillah 7:17, based on Zohar Vayikra 200b; Hil. Succah 6:12, based on Zohar, Raya Mehemna Emor 140b; Hil. Matanot Evyonim, 7:13 based on Zohar Balak 200a.
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Kedushat Levi
Genesis 31,19. “Rachel stole her father’s household idols.” [In the following paragraph our author departs so radically from the plain meaning of the text, without even following up the matter of Lavan’s searching for his idols, that I have decided to omit it. Ed.]
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Baal Shem Tov
The mystery of Chashmal mentioned in Ezekiel 1:4, the rabbis (Chagigah 13b) interpreted it as creatures that are sometimes silent (Chashot) and sometimes chattering (memalelot). From the language of Chash mal, learn that you must be silent until you strike out and cut up (mal) the evil forces, then speak up and cleave to the divine, to sweeten these harsh judgements at their root. This is the secret of prayer, as explained by my teacher the Baal Shem Tov, in the name of his teacher.
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Baal Shem Tov
I heard from my master an explanation of the alphabet, how each letter demands submission and distinction and sweetening. He wanted to say that regarding the harsh judgements known as 'Shach v'Par' hinted at in the word Adonai that opens up the prayer, these can all be found and sweetened there, since the first letter is Alef, which holds the secret of wonder ['Pele', the same letters as Alef], and this is hidden in the next letter,Bet, which is simply two times Alef. The next letter Gimmel is three times Alef, and so on until Tav, which is four hundred timesAlef. The further the letter is from the life-source, the more it is concealed by layers known as klippot, until the level called Malchut shebaMalchut, the source of evil thoughts. When you focus your thoughts on this exile of the Shechina, whose spark is concealed in these ugly layers of klippot, you will be filled with dread. At that moment all the evil forces will leave, and a mighty act of unification through awe will have been accomplished. The holy spark will be distinguished from the rest,and be able to rise and join its life-source, in the manner of (Ezekiel 1:14) "the living-angels run to and fro". This is freedom from exile, and submission of the self, for it is as if not you are speaking but the Shechina herself. This is distinction, in that the klippot are cast off, and a sweetening, in that the words rise and are sweetened at their divine roots. How beautiful are the words of the wise!
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Flames of Faith
Shalosh kelippos ha-teme’os: The three impure shells; the three categories of items that contain sparks of holiness that are irredeemable by man: a stormy wind, a heavy cloud, and ever igniting fire (see Ezek. 1:4).
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