Kabbalah 1 Raja-raja 8:13: Pardes Rimmonim & Sha'arei Orah

Zevul: In Sefer Hashem in the trait of Understanding [Binah], Rabbi Moshe explained, and these are his [words]: Zevul is an expression of grouping, residence and connection. And Scripture states: This time my husband will exalt me [yizbeleini], for I have borne him six sons [...] And then she bore a daughter (Genesis 30:20-21). And my husband is very wise. To here are his [words]. And his intention is that Leah is the hint for Understanding, and she give birth to six sons, which are [the sefirot] from Wisdom [Chockmah] to Foundation [Yesod]. And the daughter is Kinghood [Malkhut]. And the intention of her saying, This time my husband will exalt me, is about the unification of Wisdom and Understanding. And my husband is Wisdom. And so, according to this, Understanding is called Zevul by way of Wisdom's unification with it. And he also wrote in the trait of Splendor [Tiferet], and these are his words: Zevul is an expression [of the usage], This time my husband will exalt me [yizbeleini]. And he is the connector and the one that houses with him the entire building, a man and his household — and they are six. But Solomon said, I have surely built a house of dwelling [zevul] for You (I Kings 8:13), and that is one of the seven firmaments. So this Zevul is not like the Zevul of Understanding. To here are his [words]. And the general principle that comes out of his words is that Splendor is called Zevul when it connects with the six edges [outer sefirot], such that Zevul is an expression of connections, as we explained.

I will hint at the explanation of the matter, as follows: The verse states,¹³¹Daniel 9:17 “Let Your face shine upon Your desolate Sanctuary, for the sake of the Lord-Adona”y-אדנ״י.” In his words, “Let Your face shine upon Your desolate Sanctuary,” it is as though Daniel said, “I am only asking a small thing of You.” For, when Adam, the first man, sinned, he caused the complete withdrawal of the Indwelling Presence of HaShem-יהו״ה (the Shechinah). However, our forefather Avraham came and accepted Her upon his shoulders, and became a seat for the Supernal Chariot (Merkavah), as it states,¹³²Genesis 17:22 “God-Elohi”m-אלהי״ם ascended from upon Avraham.” Then our teacher Moshe came and established a place for the Shechinah in the Tabernacle (Mishkan), as it states,¹³³Exodus 25:22 “There I will set My meetings with you.” Then, King Solomon came and established a permanent meeting place, as it states,¹³⁴Kings I 8:13 “I have surely built a house of habitation for You, the foundation of your dwelling forever.” When the Jewish people sinned and traveled ten journeys,¹³⁵See Talmud Bavli, Rosh HaShanah 31a; Also see before in Gate Five. Daniel came and said, “These journeys are unlike the journeys caused by Adam, the first man. For, in the time of Adam, the first man, the Indwelling Presence of HaShem-יהו״ה, the Shechinah, had no fixed place at all, being that when Adam sinned, he caused the complete withdrawal of the Indwelling Presence of HaShem-יהו״ה, the Shechinah.”

However, from the time that Solomon built the Holy Temple, once there was an established place for the Indwelling Presence of HaShem-יהו״ה in the land, even though She sometimes withdraws, She is never completely uprooted from the place of Her holiness. This is as stated,¹³⁶Psalms 132:14 “This is My resting place forever and ever, here I will dwell, for I have desired it.” It similarly states,¹³⁷Psalms 132:13 “For HaShem-יהו״ה has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation.” What is the meaning of the word “desired-Eevah-אוה”? This is like a person who is far away from the members of his household and lusts-Mit’aveh-מתאוה for them. Likewise, Solomon said,¹³⁸Kings I 8:13 “I have surely built a house of habitation for You, the foundation of your dwelling forever.” In other words, even though He sometimes withdraws, it is to here that He returns, as the verse states,¹³⁹Zachariah 8:3 “Thus said HaShem-יהו״ה: I have returned to Zion, and I have made My dwelling in the midst of Jerusalem; Jerusalem will be called ‘The City of Truth-Emet-אמת,’ and the Mountain of HaShem, Master of Hosts-HaShem Tzva’ot-יהו״ה צבאו״ת [shall be called], ‘The Holy Mountain-Har HaKodesh-הר הקדש.’” Likewise, it states,¹⁴⁰Hosea 2:21 “I have betrothed you to Me forever.”