Kabbalah Bilangan 12:6: Sha'arei Orah

The prophets received their prophecy from these Divine qualities and would say, “Thus says HaShem of Hosts-HaShem Tzva’ot-יהו״ה צבאו״ת etc.” Know however, that the prophecy of our teacher Moshe, peace be upon him, was higher than the prophecy of all other prophets, for our teacher Moshe made no mention of the title HaShem of Hosts-HaShem Tzva’ot-יהו״ה צבאו״ת. This is because in his prophecy Moshe adhered solely to HaShem-יהו״ה and had no need to perceive through “colored lenses-Mar’ot HaTzovot-מראות הצובאות.”³⁹Exodus 38:8 Therefore, it states about our teacher Moshe, peace be upon him, that he perceived through a “polished lens-Aspaklariya Metzuchtzachat-אספקלריא מצוחצחת,”⁴⁰Midrash Vayikra Rabba 1:14 and elsewhere. as Torah states,⁴¹Numbers 12:7-8 “Not so My servant Moshe, who is trusted throughout My house. I speak to him mouth to mouth, with clear vision and not in riddles, and he gazes at the image of HaShem-יהו״ה.” In contrast, all other prophets gazed through an “unpolished lens-Aspaklariya She’Eina Metzuchtzachat-אספקלריא שאינה מצוחצחת,” as it states,⁴²Hosea 12:11 “I am likened-Adameh-אדמה by the hand of the prophets”⁴³That is, the term “Adameh-אדמה” indicates that it is only the revelation of a similitude and likeness-Dimyon-דמיון, rather than a direct revelation. It similarly states,⁴⁴Numbers 12:6-7 “If there shall be prophets amongst you, I HaShem-יהו"ה shall make Myself known to him in a vision-Mar’eh-מראה; I shall speak to him in a dream-Chalom-חלום. Not so is My servant Moshe etc.” The words “I shall make Myself known to him in a vision-Mar’eh-מראה” refer to the “colored lenses-Mar’ot HaTzov’ot-מראות הצובאות.” This is why the other prophets prophesied with His title HaShem of Hosts-HaShem Tzva’ot-יהו״ה צבאו״ת, and why they always mention HaShem of Hosts-HaShem Tzva’ot-יהו״ה צבאו״ת, since they receive their prophecy from there.

In contrast, our teacher Moshe, peace be upon him, entered the Tent of Meeting-Ohel Mo’ed-אהל מועד, and spoke with HaShem-יהו״ה face to face,¹³⁹Numbers 12:6-8 this being “the polished lens-Aspaklariya Metzuchtzachat-אספקלריא מצוחצחת.”¹⁴⁰Midrash Vayikra Rabba 1:14 and elsewhere. However, all the other prophets spoke with HaShem-יהו״ה through His title Lord-Adona”y-אדנ״י, which is the “unpolished lens-Aspaklariya She’Eina Metzuchtzachat-אספקלריא שאינה מצוחצחת.” This is the secret of the verse,¹⁴¹Exodus 6:3 “I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov as the Self-sufficient God-E”l Shaddai-א"ל שדי, but My Name HaShem-יהו״ה I did not make known through them.” That is, “I did not reveal Myself to them with My Name HaShem-יהו״ה, for them to perceive Me through the polished lens-Aspaklariya Metzuchtzechet-אספקלריא מצוחצחת, but rather as the Self-sufficient God-E”l Shaddai-א"ל שדי.” As stated toward the end of the First Gate, you already know that the Self-Sufficient One-Shaday-שדי is the matter of His quality of Lordship-Adona”y-אדנ״י.

Therefore know, that because these are the¹⁵⁸Exodus 38:8 “lenses-Mar’ot-מראות” through which the prophets gazed, during prophecy their bodies would shudder and tremble with fear, and their bones would quake with trepidation, until they were transformed to their former state, so that their souls became refined and they then would perceive whatever they perceived through the vision of prophecy. About this the verse states,¹⁵⁹Numbers 12:6 “In a vision-Mar’eh-מראה I shall make Myself known to them.”