Шмот 24:17 Каббала: Pardes Rimmonim

After we have been confirmed on the subject of the number of Sefirot, it is proper that we will explore if they are necessary from the side of philosophy or not. And to this we will say that they are necessary because of several reasons. The first one [is] since we are believing in [divine] providence, and even in individual providence, we are obliged to say that He is watching over [creation] from the side of the Sefirot, because the simple [=undivided] one, reason of all reasons and the cause of all causes, is removed from [any] change and from [any] attributes. It wants to say: wise, righteous, listening, and the rest of the attributes that the philosophers remove from Him. And similarly restrictions of the body and of corporeality, as for example “And HaShem descended…” [Genesis 11:5], and similarly “And the appearance of the glory of HaShem [was] as a consuming fire...” [Exodus 24:17], and similarly “and I saw HaShem sitting on a throne…” [Isaiah 6:1], and similarly “And the glory of HaShem filled the tabernacle” [Exodus 40:34], and similarly “and they saw the God of Israel and under his feet…” [Exodus 24:10], and similarly what is said in Daniel (7:9) “and the Ancient of Days sat, his garment white as snow”, and similarly the writings on the finger of God [Exodus 31:18], the ears of HaShem [Exodus 11:18], the hand of HaShem [Exodus 7:5], the eyes of HaShem [Exodus 15:5], as these subjects, which have entered into Scripture, are instructing about the boundary and about the corporeality, and similarly about the attributes. And this with the simple one, regarding the aspect of its essence and its simpleness, it is not possible to say such about this [one], except when we regard the aspect of its attributes, as will be explained in the Gate of the Essence and the Vessels [Gate IV] and in the Gate of the Denominations [Gate XXII], with help of God.