Isaías 38:11 Cabalá: Pardes Rimmonim & Sha'arei Orah

After we have been occupied with the subject of the Sefirot and the necessity of their existence, and the subject of the devotion to them among the wise ones, it is necessary for us to know their what-ness and their general names, which is agreed upon among the commentators, and especially in the words of Rashbi of blessed memory. And this is it: The first one [is] Keter/Crown, the second one Chochmah/Wisdom [which one receives], the third one Binah/Distinction, the fourth one Gedolah/Greatness or Chesed/Generosity, the fifth one Pachad/Fear or Gevurah/Force, the sixth one Tif’eret/Adornment, the seventh one Netsach/Victory, the eighth one Hod/Splendor, the ninth one Yesod/Foundation, and the tenth one [is] Malkut/Kingdom. And these Sefirot are [the] ten names which are not to be erased, and the[se] names and the Sefirot are all one matter, as the spirituality of the names are themselves the Sefirot. Keter is [the name] אהי"ה, and it is found in Scripture only three times in one verse (Exodus 3:14) “And God said to Moses: ‘I am who I am’ (אהי"ה אשר אהי"ה)’, and He said: ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: “אהי"ה has sent me to you.”’” But the reason why it did not come [to be written more often] in the Torah, and other dilemma’s that are in this explanation, it will be explained in the Gate of the [Divine] Names [Gate XX], with help of HaShem. And the name of Chochmah is י"ה/Yah, and there is much written of them in the Torah, doubled in the Prophets and tripled in the Writings. In the Torah it is written: “My refuge and strength [is] Yah/י"ה ” [Exodus 15:2], and similarly “because a hand is on the throne of Yah/ י"ה” [Exodus 17:16]. Doubled in the Prophets: “I will see Yah, Yah in the land of the living.” [Isaiah 38:11], which is in “the poem of [king] Hezekiah” [Isaiah 38:9]. Tripled in the Writings: “Out of the distress I called Yah, and he answered me in the wide Yah.” [Psalms 118:5], and [there are] many [places] similar to them. And the name of Binah is the four-letter name [Tetragram] vocalized as Elohim/God, written in the Torah, doubled in the Prophets, tripled in the Writings. Written in the Torah: “My Lord יהו"ה by what will I know that I will take into possession…” [Genesis 15:8], and as this one [there are] many [places]. Doubled in the Prophets: “יהו"ה my Lord is my strength, and He will place my feet etc.” [Habakkuk 3:19], and as this one [there are] many [places]. Tripled in the Writings: “I will come with the strength of my Lord יהו"ה, I will mention your righteousness alone” [Psalms 71:16], and as this one [there are] many [places].And the name of Chesed is the name El/א"ל, and there many [places] of them in the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings. In the Torah: “And he called him El, the God of Israel.” [Genesis 33:20], and as this one [there are] many [places]. And in the Prophets: “El God HaShem knows” [Joshua 22:22], and as this one [there are] many [places]. And in the Writings: “The El, His way is complete” [Psalms 18:31], and as this one [there are] many [places].And the name of Gevurah is Elohim/God, written in the Torah, doubled in the Prophets, tripled in the Writings. Written in the Torah: “And Elohim/God tested Abraham…” [Genesis 22:1], and as this one [there are] many [places]. Doubled in the Prophets: “And there was a fear of Elohim/God…” [I Samuel 14:15], and as this one [there are] many [places]. Tripled in the Writings: “Do arise, Elohim/God, and do judge the earth…” [Psalms 82:8] and as this one [there are] many [places].And the name of Tif’eret is YHWH, written in the Torah, doubled in the Prophets, tripled in the Writings. Written in the Torah: “And YHWH said”, “And YHWH spoke” and besides them [there are] many [places]. Doubled in the Prophets: “Thus spoke YHWH” and besides them [there are] many [places]. Tripled in the Writings: “YHWH spoke to me: you are my son.” [Psalms 2:7], and as this one [there are] many [places].And the name of Netsach you will not find on its own, only coupled with the name of Hod, by reason that the two of them have one name, and that is Tsebaot/Of Hosts. And this [name] is not found in the Torah at all. But in the Prophets many [times]: “Thus spoke HaShem Tsebaot”, and besides them [there are] many [places]. And on the name of Yesod, all later commentators have explained [that] its name [is] special: El Chai/Living God. And it is difficult that El Chai is not among the names that are not to be erased, as the word Chai is not holy, as what is seen in tractate [Babylonian Talmud] Shevuot (35a), that it is not a name [not to be erased], only El [is listed there]. And the name El, which is holy, is borrowed from Chesed [of which it is the name] by way of the special names and their part. And Rabbi Abba included this opinion in the book of the Zohar, parasha Vayikra (page 11a), and this is what it says: ‘The sixth and seventh [name], they called them Tsebaot. The eighth [name] El Chai, as you say: “Because there HaShem commanded the blessing: Life etc.” [Psalms 133:3], and this is the Righteous One [Yesod], as all living beings go out from him.’ Until here the citation.

Now that we have transmitted these principles to you, we must tell you the secret of Chizkiyahu’s prayer,⁷⁵Isaiah 38:11 “I had said, ‘I will not see Ya”h-י״ה, Ya”h-י״ה is in the Land of the Living-Eretz HaChayim-ארץ החיים.” What is the meaning of his words, “I will not see Ya”h-י״ה?” It is as if to say, that since he was told,⁷⁶Isaiah 38:1 “You shall die, and you shall not live,” Chizkiyahu said to himself, “Since I will not see the Coming World-Olam HaBa-עולם הבא”⁷⁷Talmud Bavli, Brachot 10a – The double language, “You will die, and you will not live” means, “You will die in this world, and you will not live in the Coming World-Olam HaBa-עולם הבא.” which is the World of the Living-Olam HaChayim-עולם החיים and is Ya”h-י״ה, as explained before, “And if I were to say that I will at least merit to behold the Sefirah of Kingship-Malchut, which is the last Sefirah, I have said that this too I will not merit to behold.” What is the reason? Because it is there, in the Sefirah of Kingship-Malchut, that the Sefirot, which come from the name Ya”h-י״ה, make their appearance, and Kingship-Malchut is then called the Land of the Living-Eretz HaChayim-ארץ החיים. That is, she receives beneficence from the World of Life-Olam HaChayim-עולם החיים, which is the secret of Ya”h-י״ה, which includes Understanding-Binah. The verse then continues, “I will not again behold man-Adam-אדם with the inhabitants of the earth-Chadel-חדל.” This refers to the matter of Adam-אדם, the first man, who withheld himself-Chadal-חדל from transgressing,⁷⁸Also see Zohar I 65b as you shall yet hear, with HaShem’s-יהו״ה help, blessed is He.

This is the secret of the verse,²²³Deuteronomy 28:9 “You shall walk in His ways,” about which our sages expounded,²²⁴Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 133b “Just as He is compassionate, so you be compassionate; Just as He is merciful, so you be merciful.” That is, accustom yourself to adorn in the ornaments and vestments that are customary in the palace of the King, so that you will be worthy of entering His court and serving before Him. For, if you do not garb yourself in the appropriate vestments and adornments, you will be barred from the palace of the King. Now, what are these adornments? They are all the positive commandments, each according to its kind. This is the secret of the verse, “You shall walk in His ways,” and,²²⁵Leviticus 19:2 “You shall be holy,” and this is the matter of the inner fear (Yirah Penimeet). This is the quality that Avraham inherited at the binding of Yitzchak, which is loftier than love-Ahavah-אהבה. This is because Avraham’s service of HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, out of love, was constant, as it states,²²⁶Isaiah 41:8 “Avraham who loved Me-Ohavee-אוהבי.” It does not say, “Avraham My beloved-Ahuvi-אהובי,” but rather, “Avraham who loved Me-Ohavee-אוהבי,” and it states,²²⁷Proverbs 8:21 “I have something-Yesh-יש to bestow on those who love Me-Ohavai-אוהבי.” This is the world that Chizkiyah feared that he would not merit, as it states,²²⁸Isaiah 38:11 “I had said, ‘I will not see Ya”h-י״ה, Ya”h-י״ה in the Land of the Living-Eretz HaChayim-ארץ החיים.’” This being so, remember these important principles that we have conveyed to you, in the following way: There is external fear (Yirah Chitzonit), and there is love (Ahavah) which is higher than it. However, there is inner fear (Yirah Penimit) that ascends even higher than love (Ahavah).