Kabbalah su Isaia 40:78

This is true for a woman who comes from the aspect of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, but if she is from the Shechinah she remains unchanged. This is the meaning of, "For I am Hashem, I do not change" (Malachi 3:6). "I" is the Shechinah, who has no fear from the other sides [ i.e. the kelipot]. This is the meaning of, "All nations before Him are as nothing" (Isaiah 40:17).

Three people are especially beloved by G-d: One who does not lose control of his temper, one who does not become drunk, and one who does not demand his full rights. (Pesachim 113a)

"In the beginning," Rabbi Elazar opened, “Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who has created these things.” (Isaiah 40:26) Lift up your eyes, to what place? To the place where all eyes are turned. And who is He, that has "created these things"? He is one who opens those eyes. And you will know this. It is the concealed Atika,wherein lies the question, 'Who has created these?' And who is He? WHO. [M"I] He is called from the ends of Divine Heaven on high, where everything belongs to Him as everything is in His domain. And since one can ask about Him though He is concealed and not revealed, He is called WHO, because beyond Him, one may not pose such questions. Thus, the end of heaven is called WHO.

Know that this honored and awesome name, YHV"H, blessed, is found in the Torah in different matters and uses. Know that you will sometimes find it by itself in most of the Torah, as in "and YHV"H spoke" "and YHV"H said" and in similar instances as those. And sometimes you will find that another of the holy names joins itself to it, as it is said after the Creation: "and these are the generation of heaven and earth as they were being created, on the day that YHV"H Elohim made earth and heaven" (Genesis 2:4). And in all Creation you only find Elohim alone, and when [the text] began to speak about the completion of Creation, in the portion"and these are the generations of heaven and earth as they were being created" [the text] began to use YHV"H Elohim. And we need to inform you of the reason for this. Know that as YHV"H being advanced and crowned and filled with all the middot [characteristics] and with all the sefirot combining in it, and that in it all the things and all creatures are completed and finished, as we already informed you, there was no need to mention [that name] in the story of Creation, since the world wasn't there yet, nor were its creatures completed not the deed finished. The world wasn't in its fullness and completeness, and the world was not filled [with its contents], rather, all the were in a state of flux. And when the Creation of the World was completed, and all the things were in an advanced state, and they were all in an state of complete improvement, then [the text] records YHV"H Elohim, that are two names that unite with each other. This is because Elohim many times clothes Godself with the name Adon"ai and is then called Adon"ai Elohim as we explained to you. And in joining YHV"H Adon"ai, which is the secret of YHV"H Elohim, then all the things [become] in final [state of] completeness. And even though there is Elohim that is the secret of the characteristic of Gevurah and Din/Judgment, as we said, and as our sages of blessed memory said: [God] began to build God's world through the characteristic of Judgment as it is said in the beginnign of Elohim creating (Genesis 1:1) God saw that [the world] would not be able to stand, God rose and joined the characteristic of Rachamim/compassion as it is said "in the day of YHV"H Elohim having created land and heaven" (Genesis 2:4). And this is true, and upright and correct, but come and see great and wondrous things. Behold the text said: "raise your eyes to heavens and see M"Y who created these [eleh]?" (Isaiah 40:26). Obviously that which is called M"Y created "these", which is the secret of the first day that is the secret of Binah, and from it - until the day of Shabbat - during the six days in which heaven and earth and all the creatures were made. And in truth the word M"Y is above and the word Y"M is below, and the word M"Y created it. which is the beginning of the clothing of the name Elohim in the secret of the name called YHV"H, which is written in the word YHVH and called out with the vowels of Elohim in the secret of YHV"H, and both of them are the secret M"Y and their secret: All K"L the rivers go to the sea Y"M (Ecclesiastes 1:7). And from this characteristic which is called M"Y, and is the secret of the clothing of Elohim in the name YHV"H, from [that characteristic] the characteristic of Gevurah, Din and Pachad, which is verily called the characteristic of the Strength of Elohim, is inherited. And from those two characteristics the characteristic called Adon"ai name of Elohim, is inherited, and is clothed in her clothing and then created the world in the secret of YHV"H Adon"ai. And if you understand this principle you will find the name YHV"H Elohim. both of them, in the secret of YHV"H. In the form of its letters, YHV"H; in the form of its vowels, Elohim. And one finds that this name witnesses the secret of YHV"H Elohim, the full name. And the secret of YHV"H is Elohim (I Kings 18:39) in truth: YHV"H in the form of the letters is Elohim in the form of the vowels. And according the saying of the verse YHV"H is Elohim, twice, one corresponding to the higher justice and one corresponding to the lower justice. And the secret of "And you shall know this day, and you shall set it to your heart, that YHV"H is Elohim in the heaven above and on the earth below; there is none else" (Deuteronomy 4:39): in the heaven above - this is the higher justice; and on earth below - this is the lower justice. And if so, all is hinted in the secret of YHV"H Adon"ai. You have found that you've learned that the characteristic Adon"ai in the Creation of the World is clothed in the characteristic M"Y, which is the secret of Binah, which is YHV"H in writing and in vowels, and created the world. And behold, the characteristic of the higher justice that is called Bin"ah and the characteristic of Gevurah and all the other sefirot flowed their power in the name Adon"ai, and it was clothed from the name Elohim and created the world, as it is written "In the beginning created Elohim". And since the name Elohim sometimes is spelled in contracted form and sometimes is spelled in full, it was needed to mention it in the creation of the world, while the world was not full and its creation was not completely formed, yet once the creation of the world was finished, the name mentioned is YHV"H Elohim. Elohim while the forms were not completed, YHV"H at the completion of all the forms, since the name Elohim is not full and complete unless in the name YHV"H - and the secret (Exodus 4:11) "Who makes mute [ilem אלם].. Is it not I, YHV"H?" - this is the secret of Elohim, when you separate the two letters of the name YHV"H, which are Y"H, mute [ilem אלם] is left in the secret of Elohim, Ilem Y"ah. Therefore the world was created with the name Elohim, and when all the things were improved and all the formed beings [were], and the world was in its fullness, it was necessary to mention YHV"H Elohim. And this is what our sages said: the full name was mentioned in a full world, and therefore when the deed of Creation was finished, [the text] began to mention YHV"H Elohim over the fullness of the world.

Chapter 8 brings another source from the Zohar from the book Ra'aya Meheimna, "To whom can you liken me (Isaiah 40:25)".

Rabbi Shimon said, from here onward we shall complete the text. As it is written, "That brings out their host by number" (Isaiah 40:26), there are two grades, and each one has to be recorded, one is called WHAT [M"H] and the other WHO [M"I]. WHO is the Upper One, and WHAT is the lower one. The Upper Degree registers, speaks, and brings forth their hosts by number, where the letter Hei alludes to the one that is known and unequaled, [i.e. WHO]. This is similar to the phrase, “haMotzi lechem” – "He who brings forth bread from the earth," where the letter Hei refers to the knowledge of the known, lower degree, [i.e. WHAT]. And together they are one. [as Malkuth]. So, "...by number," 600,000 that stand together and bring forth the hosts according to their types, which are innumerable.

He asks: “What is the meaning of “by the greatness of His might and wealth?” (Isaiah 40:26) This is the supreme grade where all desires rise up in Him. And they ascend through a hidden and secret path... "because He is strong in power". This is the secret of the supernal world [WHO/M"I] that rose up to the name Elohim. As we have stated, the phrase "no one is missing", is to the 600,000 that He brought forth by the power of this name. And because "no one is missing" [from the] 600,000, it follows that in every place that Israel died and were punished for their sins, they were numbered. And no one was ever missing from the 600,000, to keep the balance [between the worlds]. Just as no one was missing [from the] 600,000 above, no one was missing [from the 600,000] below.

A general rule: Know that the truth of the essence of the Blessed Creator is only comprehended by Godself, and not one of the myriads on high know His place, all the more so the essence of His truth. Don't you see that the angels on high say "Blessed be the honor of Y"Y in His place" (Ezekiel 3:12)? [Meaning] in every place that He is. And if it is so with the high beings, all the more so with the lower beings. If so, all the descriptions we read in the Torah, such as hand and foot, ears and eye, and all the rest of those, what is this? Know and believe that all those descriptions, even though they teach and give witness to His greatness and His truth, there is no way for any creature to know and meditate on the nature of those things called hand and foot, ears and so on. And if we are made in the image and resemblance, do not let it arise in your mind that eye [for God] means the real form of an eye, or hand in the real form of a hand. All these are profound, deep and recondite issues regarding the truth of the actuality/existence of the Blessed Y"Y, from them are the source and flow that come to everything found in the [sphere of] differentiation of the Blessed Name. The nature of "hand" is not like the nature of [a human] hand, and their build are not comparable/equal, as it is written "to whom can you liken Me, to whom can I be compared?" (Isaiah 40:25). And know and understand that His understanding and His build are not a resemblance of something clearly visible and form, rather, the intention regarding the form of the limbs that we have are that they are made in the resemblance of signs, issues that are so closed and so high that the mind cannot comprehend unless through a resemblance of a memory: for example, when it is written "Reuven the son of Jacob" these letters and the image [they bring to the mind] are not the essence, build and existence of Reuven the son of Jacob, they are just a memory, as this written "Reuven the son of Jacob" is a sign regarding the reality and build known and called as "Reuven the son of Jacob." Since the Blessed Y"Y wanted to give us merit, He created in the body of a person many limbs, hidden and revealed, in the resemblance of the sign of the Deed of the Chariot, and if a person merited to purify even one of their limbs, that limb would still be like a resemblance of the throne of that same high and recondite thing that is called by that name, if eye - eye, if hand - hand, and so on to all the rest. How? For example, if a person is careful and guards his eyes from viewing improper sexual things, but all the rest of the improper visions, and only looks at things that have the holiness of Y"Y and the worship of Him, then that same eye becomes like a throne for that same thing that is called, on high, "eye". And the same applies to hand and foot and all the rest of the limbs. And regarding this our sages of blessed memory said: "the Avot [Ancestors] they are the Chariot" (Bereshit Rabbah 47:6) and they did not say each and every Ancestor is the Chariot, rather "the Ancestors are". How so? our father Avraham took the right side in purity, and so inherited the right [side] of High, which is the aspect of Hesed, and regarding this it is said: "then Avram journeyed by stages toward the Negev" (Genesis 12:9). Yitzchak took the aspect of the left side in purity, which is Fear [Pahad], and regarding this it is written "Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac" (Genesis 31:53). And Yaakov took in purity the middle line [characteristic/route] and regarding this it is written "Ya'akov was a simple man, living inside the tents" (Genesis 25:27) - between the tent of Avraham and the tent of Yitzchak. Here we find the three Ancestors a throne for the Chariot, and through this way the thing is thought deeply and created to be stable.

The words "be gathered" suggest measurement by the line and the measuring; measuring is from the hard spark that is in Binah, as it is written: "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand" (Isaiah 40:12). In this verse, "who" alludes to Binah. This is what is meant by: "Let the waters...be gathered." Here in the verse: "Let the waters...be gathered" is the extent of the entire Mochin of He who forms the worlds, namely Zeir Anpin, and which is hinted at in the name Yud Hei Vav Hei, fully spelled with Aleph's, as Yud-Vav-Dalet, Hei-Aleph, Vav-Aleph-Vav, Hei-Aleph.

If one should ask: Is it not written, “For ye saw no manner of similitude” [Deut. 4:15], the answer would be: Truly, it was granted us to behold him in a given similitude for concerning Moses it is written, “and the similitude of the Lord doth he behold” [Num. 12:8]. Yet the Lord was revealed only in that similitude which Moses saw, and in none other, of any creation formed by His signs. Therefore it stands written: “To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto Him?” [Isa. 40:18].

"Let Us make man..." (Beresheet 1:26), the use of "Us" assuredly alludes to two grades, as each said to the one above it, "Let Us make." (The lower grade) cannot do anything without permission from the one above it and the one above this one cannot do anything without permission from its higher neighbor. But the one that is called the Cause above all causes has no equal above nor below, as it is written: "'To whom then will you liken Me, that I should be his equal,' says the Holy One" (Isaiah 40:25). He said, "See now that I, I am He - and there is no Elohim with me..." (Devarim 32:39) from whom to take counsel - which is not like that about which it is written: "And Elohim said, Let Us make man...".

We should have a closer look at this verse, now. It is written: "All the nations are as nothing before Him" (Isaiah 40:17). What is so special about this? He answers Rather, "Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?" (Jer. 10:7) is He the King of the other nations, and not the King of Yisrael?! The Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to be glorified by Yisrael. Therefore, He is always called in relation to the name of Yisrael, as is written, "Elohim of Yisrael," "Elohim of the Hebrews" (Ex. 5:3). Also it is written: "Thus says Hashem, the King of Yisrael" (Isaiah 44:6) - the King of Yisrael explicitly! The other nations of the world said, We have a different Guardian up in the heavens, because your King governs over you alone, and not over us.

Rabbi Yitzchak said, The Holy One, blessed be He, will pour other spirits upon the bodies. They will be properly revived in the world if they merit the spirits. If they do not, they will be ashes under the feet of the righteous, as it is written, "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, etc." (Daniel 12:2). Everything was established and prepared before the Holy One, blessed be He, and all were numbered for the time of resurrection, as it is written, "That brings out their host by number, etc." (Isaiah 40:26).

And it is also written, "And let birds fly above the earth" (Genesis 1:20). This refers to this world, but as far as the other world is concerned, we have learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, will provide them with wings like those of the eagles to allow them to meander around in all the worlds. As is written, "But they that wait upon Hashem shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles" (Isaiah 40:31).

All the plants in the earth, which have placed over them great forces in the heavens, each and every one is a mystery alone/ of its own like the pattern above, and because of this it’s written: “Your field you will not sow [with] mixtures/kilayim” [Lv 19:19], for each and every one goes up alone and emerges alone.

Because of the above, the Holy One, blessed be He, will say to them: Although I manifest Myself to you in your forms, i.e., in vision and imagination, nevertheless, “to whom will you liken Me, that I should be equal?”⁴⁵Isaiah 40:25. For before the Holy One, blessed be He, created an image in the world and before He fashioned a form, the Holy One, blessed be He, was singular in the world, without a form or image.

And that which is said in Tikunae Zohar (Tikun 30): Arise for the sake of the Holy Presence, for you have an empty heart that does not understand how to acquire Her, although She is in your midst. This is the deeper meaning of what is written (Isaiah 40:6) “A voice says, call!” The voice, that is in the heart of every Jew, calls out for everyone to pray for the elevation of the Holy Presence, [the Holy Presence] that manifests itself through the unification of all Jewish souls.

(Bringing proof from Job 5:1 “Now call/cry out” that [the word] "call" is synonymous with prayer). However, the Holy Presence says “What shall I call?" Meaning, I do not have the strength to rise from the ground, for “all flesh is grass”, they are all compared to animals that eat grass. Meaning, that they perform the Mitzvot without thought, similar to [the thoughtless actions of] an animal. “And all their kindness is like the blossom of the field” (that is cut off and dries). For all their kindness, they do for themselves, meaning, their intent in performing Mitzvot is only to benefit themselves and not for their Creator.

75 (45) Said the Soul - and what is that?:

76 (46) Said the Intellect - Behold we see rules and laws, the He may His name be blessed uses to interact with us, we His creations, characteristics and ways of righteousness as he decreed though the depth of His wisdom, until because of these characteristics we attribute to Him many descriptions like all the words of the prophets may they rest in peace, and we call Him, merciful, gracious, powerful and all the other many nicknames which we attribute to Him. Indeed here we need to understand and understand the certain faith with which we need to believe in all this, for all of these descriptions and nicknames are not befitting Him may He be blessed according to his essential self at all, in that all of these actions are not actions that He may He be blessed does like a person does according to his nature and power, rather they are all matters that were willed from His will to do according to the value of the creations that he wanted to create and according to their power alone. And this matter is explained by the sages in many places in broad explanation. And in general that which we need to believe in this is, that He may His name be blessed, his existence is known to us with certainty as intrinsically compelled, but his essence is impossible for us to grasp at all; and not only that, but it is already forbidden to us as eternal prohibition to enter into this examination, and the sages already said (Chagigah 11b, "One who looks at four things, it would be appropriate that he had never come to the world"; and similarly they said (Chagigah 13a), "With that which is mysterious to you do not inquire...you should have no dealings with hidden matters". And it is a generalization, all that the mind of man can grasp and describe - is certainly not His essence may he be blessed, for he is lofty and exalted from any thought or reasoning, and he has none of the matters that are in his creations, not from the great or from the lowly, for that which is the greatest perfection in his creation - would be deficiency with regard to Him may he be blessed, and they are not like him in his rule at all. For all that is found in creations - the good and the negative the deficiency and the perfection - all of it is new that was caused to exist by Him may his name be blessed through his will, and they are things that are only according to our value and our matters, and not according to His value and His matter may He be blessed. And on this the text is filled with crying out and says (Isaiah 40:25), "And to whom shall you compare me and find me equal says the Holy One":

"A prayer of the destitute one, who prays as he gathers his cloak." (Psalm 102:1). "The destitute one" - this is the shekhinah, who is destitute? the tzaddik,

164 (91) Said the Soul - If so, lets discuss these three situations.

165 (92) Said the Intellect - Our sages may their memory be for a blessing taught us that the world exists for six thousand years, and afterwards in the seventh millennium is destroyed and afterwards the Holy One blessed is He renews His world (Sanhedrin 97b). And we also found that they said (ibid 92a) regarding the seventh millennium, "The righteous what do they do? The Holy One blessed is He makes for them sails and they float upon the water, as it says (Isaiah 40:31) "And those who trust in haShem will renew their strength...". From the simple meaning of the words we learn there are there time periods, and they are the six thousand years; the seventh millennium, and the renewal of the world. For six thousand years the world stands as it is now; in the seventh millennium the world has still not been renewed and the righteous are like they lived in the resurrection of the dead, but the Holy One blessed is He makes for them sails etc; and the renewal of the world - that the Holy One blessed is He will renew the world in a complete renewal. And indeed, the world is as it is now, here we see that the body has control like a person residing in his house, because this is his place and not another; but in the seventh millennium the righteous become elevated from the earth, and the body remains external to the place of its rest, and it is like a person wandering from his place, and like a visitor diverted to sleep. Therefore it has no remaining control except like Moshe our teacher may he rest in peace in his ascension to the mountain, where since he ascended from the earth he no longer went in the ways of the occupants of the earth. And similarly with regard to the seventh millennium the sages may their memories be for a blessing called it (Sanhedrin 97a) "A day that is completely Sabbath for eternity", for you rest upon it from all the physical labors which are secular, but the body does not move yet from its existence, for no renewal has been made yet to creation. But from the renewal of the world and onward, which is (Eruvin 22a) "...tomorrow to receive their reward", there is no need anymore for the control of the body at all, for it is not needed other than for service in its time, but is existence will become subjugated to the soul, to be pampered with the heavenly goodness forever and ever:...