Psalmów 8:4 Kabała: Pardes Rimmonim & Reshit Chokhmah

If it came up in our mind not to explain this verse, because its depths and its secrets are hidden from us, as they are certainly above our intellect, and there is no person who can descend to the depth of its language except Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, peace be upon him, and Rabbi Akiva, peace be upon him, "whose abode is not among the mortals" [Daniel 2:11]. Yet because of the obligation that is upon us, we will interpret it with strenght of hand. And what should be examined more closely? The first is that it says “Ten Sefirot without what(-ness), the number”, which in truth is superfluous, because it would be proper to say: “Ten Sefirot without what(-ness) corresponding to fingers”; why [does it then add] “number”? Secondly: it says “five”, why should it read thus [that is: making the transition from talking about the Sefirot to that of numbers]? The third is: according to its matters there are eleven of them, since they are “five against five” plus the covenant in the middle, which makes [a total of] eleven. The fourth is that its saying “with the word of the tongue and with the covenant of the genitals” seems to show that there are two harmonizers, but why two? The fifth is: what is its intention to elucidate to us whether they correspond to the fingers, because this seems to be unrelated to the topic at hand. The sixth: the moment that it descends to explain by means of [bodily] limbs, it would have been proper to explain all the limbs to which the Sefirot allude, as we will explain in the Gate of the Soul [XXXI], chapter 4, with help of HaShem. And it is said that the author of this book intended to conceal in this chapter the entire wisdom of the Sefirot and to compel it. And he says that they are “Ten Sefirot”, and because of his saying that they are ten [a number], he will draw out a little on the topic of limitation and corporeality. After they have been divided into number he says that they are “without what(-ness) [BeliMah]”, the explanation is [that BeliMah consists actually of] two words: without [Beli] what(-ness) [Mah], and the intention is: without quiddity/essence. Because although the sentence of our mouth has not abstained from saying [that the Sefirot are] ten, the true believe is that they are Beli Mah, without quiddity/essence. And the intention [is] that they do not have an essence that is comprehensible to human beings, because they are are not limited and grasped, as they are without limit or corporeality. And that which does not have corporeality is not grasped except with the heart of the wise among the people of Israel by way of vision as in prophecy. And the reason for the number ten , at the same time them being without what(-ness) will be explained in the Gates that follow, with help of HaShem. And he says “ the number of ten” etc. so that we will not come to say under great pressure, due to the limitedness of our knowledge, that in reality there is nothing but the simple One, therefore he says that they are of the reality of number. And the expression for the Sefirot is an expression of number, as number governs them even if they are without what-ness. And the evidence for this is that their name, “SeFiRot” (ספירות) has the meaning of number (miSPaR, מספר ), as we have explained. And to establish that they are number and that their number is ten, he says: “the number of ten fingers”. And Scripture says: “When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers” (Psalms 8:4).

And behold, when one meditates on the deeds of the Holy Blessed One, that person will feel awe/respect and lower oneself given their awareness of the greatness of the Holy One, and feel worried and will not transgress God’s mitzvot. And so Yonah said: “And I respect the God of Heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” (Jonah 1:9) And we see that respect comes from the side of God’s deeds that show God’s greatness. And so too King David, peace be upon him, said “When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars that You set in place, what is man that You have been mindful of him?” (Psalms 8:4-5). And so too Moshe our teacher PBUH said “and we, what are we?” (Ex. 16:7), since we do not even enter in the category of creature when compared to the greatness of the Blessed One, as it is written “all of the inhabitants of the earth are of no account” (Daniel 4:32).