Psalmów 84:12 Kabała: Pardes Rimmonim, Reshit Chokhmah & Sha'arei Orah

See, from all this it is seen that there is no necessity from this saying for the opinion of Rav Shem Tov of blessed memory. Truly now to us is left the duty to explain what is found different from this saying in the Zohar, parasha Wayiqra. As in this saying [of R. Shem Tov) it says that Bereshit is the tenth utterance, and in parasha Wayiqra [Zohar III.11b) Rashbi explains that these are ten utterances besides Bereshit. And this is what it says: ‘Rabbi Shimon said: It is written: “ten, ten the vessel with the holy shekel” [Numbers 7:86]. “ten, ten” why does it come [here]? But [it indicates] ten for the work of Creation, and ten for the giving of the Torah. What does it teach? That the world was not created except for the sake of the Torah, as all the time Israel is involved in the Torah, the world endures. And all the time Israel is abolishing the Torah, what is written? “If [there were] not my covenant with daytime and night, I would not have placed the ordinances of heavens and earth.” [Jeremiah 33:25]. Come and see: Ten utterances of the work of Creation, as we have learned: ‘With ten utterances the world was created.’ [Mishnah, Pirkei Avot 5:1]. Ten utterances of the giving of the Torah, these are the Ten Commandments. [First utterance:] It is written: “I am HaShem your God” [Exodus 20:2], and in the account of Creation it is written: “Let there be light, and there was light.” [Genesis 1:3] This is faith, as the Holy One, blessed be He, is called ‘light’, as it is written “HaShem is my light and my salvation etc.” [Psalms 27:1]. [Second utterance:] It is written: “You shall not have other gods beside me” [Exodus 20:3], and it is written in the account of Creation: “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters etc.” [Genesis 1:6]. “Let there be a firmament”, these are Israel, as they are a portion of the Holy One, blessed be He, who are united with the place that is called ‘heavens’. And this is a secret, as once Rabbi Yeisa the Old asked Rabbi Ela’e; he said: Oh, all the rest of the peoples, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them to dignitaries, princes, rulers [to guide them], [but] Israel to what? He [= Rabbi Ela’e] sent to him [the answer]: “and God placed them in the firmament of the heavens” [Genesis 1:17]. And a pleasing [answer] he sent to him. “in the midst of the waters” [Genesis 1:6], between the words of the Torah. “and let it divide water from water” [Genesis 1:6], between the Holy One, blessed be He, who is called “well of living waters” [Song of Songs 4:15] and between idolatry, which is called “broken cisterns that will not hold the waters” [Jeremiah 2:13] which are bitter waters etc., stinking gathered [= stationary]. And therefore Israel, holy ones, are dividing between waters [above, clean] and waters [below, unclean]. [Third utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “You shall not take the name of HaShem your God in vain” [Exodus 20:7], and it is written in the account of Creation: “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered to one place” [Genesis 1:9]. Come and see, each one who swears by the Holy Name for a lie [is] as if he has separated the Mother [= Binah] from her place above, and the holy crowns are not settled on their places, as it is said: “And a mischief-maker is separating an intimate friend” [Proverbs 16:28], and there is no “intimate friend” except the Holy One, blessed be He. And it is written: “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered to one place” [Genesis 1:9], you should not place a separation because of swearing that is false. “to one place”, as is fitting, to a place of truth, and not to another place of falsehood. And what is falsehood? It is when waters go to another place which is not its own. [Fourth utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “Remember the day of Shabbat to keep it holy” [Exodus 20:8], and it is written in the account of Creation: “Let the earth sprout grass” [Genesis 1:11]. When is the holy earth [= Malkut] increased and is crowned with her crown? Say: on the day of Shabbat, because then the bride is associated with the King, to bring forth grasses and blessings for the world. [Fifth utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “Honor your father and your mother” [Exodus 20:12], and it is written in the account of Creation: “Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the heavens” [Genesis 1:14]. What does this point to except that these ‘luminaries’, it is “your father and your mother”? “Your father”, this is the sun, “your mother”, this is the moon. And there is no sun except the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: “Because a sun and shield is HaShem God” [Psalms 84:12]. And there is no moon except the assembly of Israel, as it is written: “And your moon will not perish” [Isaiah 60:20]. And therefore, all is one. [Sixth utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “You shall not murder” [Exodus 20:13], and it is written in the account of the Creation: “Let the waters swarm living soul” [Genesis 1:20]. And you shall not kill a human being who is called thus, as it is written: “And the human being became a living soul” [Genesis 2:7], you will not be as these fishes, of which the big ones swallow the small ones. [Seventh utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “You shall not commit adultery” [Exodus 20:13], and it is written in the account of Creation: “Let the earth bring forth living soul according to its kind” [Genesis 1:24]. From this we learn that a human being should not do falsely with another woman who is not his mate, and therefore it is written: “Let the earth bring forth living soul according to its kind”, that a woman should not give birth except from her kind. And who is its kind? Her [male] mate. [Eighth utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “You shall not steal” [Exodus 20:13], and it is written in the account of Creation: “And God said: ‘See, I have given you every plant producing seed’” [Genesis 1:29]. What I have given you and deposited to you will be yours, and you shall not steal what is of another. [Ninth utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “You shall not testify to your fellow false witness” [Exodus 20:13], and it is written in the account of Creation: “And God said: ‘Let us make a human being in our image” [Genesis 1:26]. To him who is in the image of the King you shall not witness falsely. And he who has witnessed falsely to his neighbor [it is] as if he has witnessed falsely to above. [Tenth utterance:] It is written in the giving of the Torah: “You shall not desire the wife of your fellow” [Exodus 20:14], and it is written in the account of Creation: “It is not good that the human being is alone” [Genesis 2:18]. This is your mate in front of you, and therefore “you shall not desire the wife of your fellow”. And this is: ten utterances of the work of Creation, and ten utterances of the giving of the Torah, which is “ten, ten the vessel with the holy shekel” [Numbers 7:86], they were weighed as one, with one shekel. And because of this the world endures and peace is found in it. End of citation.

26. 2) One who lies with a daughter of a strange El, A GENTILE WOMAN, who inserts the sign of the holy Covenant into another domain, as written: “And has married the daughter of a strange El” (Malachi 2:11). We have learned that there is no jealousy before the Holy One, blessed be He, like the zeal for of the Covenant, which is the Covenant of the Holy Name and the secret of the Faith. It is written: “And the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moab” (Bemidbar 25:1), and immediately, “the anger of Hashem was kindled against Yisrael” (Ibid. 3). 27. The leaders of the people who know this and do not protest are punished first, as is written: “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them up before Hashem against the sun” (Ibid. 4). Rabbi Aba said: What is meant by, “against the sun”? It means against the Covenant that is called ‘sun’, of which it is said, “For Hashem Elohim is a sun and shield” (Tehilim 84:12). “A sun and shield” is the Holy Covenant. In the same way that the sun shines and illuminates the world, the Holy Covenant shines and illuminates the body of man. In the same way that a shield protects the man, so does the Holy Covenant protect the man. And there is no injury that can approach one who protects it. This is: “against the sun.” 28. The leaders of the people are punished in every generation if they know of this sin and are not zealous in guarding against it. It is is incumbent upon them to be zealous in upholding this responsibility, for the Holy One, blessed be He, in this Covenant against all who would bring this holiness in another domain.

This is because the formation of the luminaries is drawn from the great mercies-Rachamim above, in the secret of the verse,³⁷⁷Psalms 118:27 “HaShem is God-E”l HaShem-א״ל יהו״ה and He shines for us.” In contrast, the lights of fire-Me’orei HaAish-מאורי האש are drawn from the quality of Elohi”m-אלהי״ם, the quality of darkness-Choshech-חשך, about which it states,³⁷⁸Genesis 1:2 “Darkness-Choshech-חשך was upon the surface of the deep,” and,³⁷⁹Isaiah 45:7 “[I am the One] Who forms light-Yotzer Ohr-יוצר אור and creates darkness-Boreih Choshech-בורא חושך.” Thus, the quality of E”l-א״ל illuminates the darkness-Choshech-חשך included in the quality of Elohi”m-אלהי״ם, which is the secret of fire-Aish-אש. This then, is the meaning of the verse,³⁸⁰Numbers 6:25 “May HaShem-יהו״ה shine His face toward you and be gracious with you.”³⁸¹That is, the great luminaries-Me’orot-מאורות (Genesis 1:14-19) shine from above to below, whereas the light of the lower fire-Aish-אש only shines in the dark-Choshech-חשך. That is, the judgements-Din of the fires-Aish of the title God-Elohi”m-אלהי״ם only shine in the darkness-Choshech-חשך of the night-Laylah-לילה (during exile) when the radiance of the “sun of HaShem-יהו״ה” (Psalms 84:12) is concealed. However, when the Great Name HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, is revealed, meaning when “HaShem-יהו״ה shines His face” from Above, and “HaShem is God-E”l HaShem-א״ל יהו״ה, and He shines for us,” then “ of what use is the flame of a candle in broad daylight?” (Chullin 60b). In that case, His great light and illumination dims the light of the eyes of the fear of Yitzchak-Pachad Yitzchak-פחד יצחק, which is the quality of the title God-Elohi”m-אלהי״ם.