Kabbalah sa Ezekiel 1:1: Sha'arei Kedusha & Sha'arei Orah

This itself is the explanation of the visions of Yechezkel, which are called the Act of the Chariot (Ma’aseh Merkavah-מעשה מרכבה), in that the levels are compositions (Harkavot-הרכבות) that are composed (Murkavot-מורכבות) one upon the other. At the beginning of his prophecy “the heavens opened,”⁸⁸⁵Ezekiel 1:1 – It is also noteworthy that the prophecy of Yechezkel begins “by the river Kvar-כבר,” which has the root letters of Merkavah-מרכבה-the chariot. these being the gates of the firmaments, which are the lights that are manifest within the substance (Chomer) and vessels (Keilim) of that world. From there, he entered into the realm of the external shells of Kelipah, as written,⁸⁸⁶Ezekiel 1:4 – It is noteworthy that these four classifications refer to the three completely impure husks of Kelipah, and the fourth, which is “a brilliance surrounding it (Nogah Lo Saveev-נגה לו סביב)” and is the husk of Kelipat Nogah which is not as impure and can be purified. “I saw, and behold! There was a stormy wind coming from the north, a great cloud with flashing fire, and a brilliance surrounding it.”

Nevertheless, because he was “in heaven” he was also in a state of adhesion and prophetic gazing, as written,⁸⁸⁸Ezekiel 1:1 “The heavens opened and I saw visions of God.” However, when he arrived at the place of the external shells of Kelipah, he had no pleasure in adhering to them, but rather tore through and passed them by, without adhering to them, but only seeing them in passing, to the extent necessary. This is the meaning of what it states about Eliyahu, who is remembered for good,⁸⁸⁹Kings I 19:11-12 “And behold, HaShem-יהו״ה was passing, and a great powerful wind, smashing mountains and breaking rocks, went before HaShem-יהו״ה. ‘HaShem-יהו״ה is not in the wind!’ [Eliyahu was told]. After the wind came an earthquake. ‘HaShem-יהו״ה is not in the earthquake!’ After the earthquake came a fire. ‘HaShem-יהו״ה is not in the fire.’”

Know that whoever understands the secret of the fourth year and the fifth year mentioned in the Torah portion about the mitzvah of Orlah-ערלה, will understand the secret of the adhesion of the Orlah-ערלה to the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, and the secret of its separation in the fifth. This is hinted in the verse,³⁸⁷Ezekiel 1:1-4 “It happened in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], on the fifth of the month. I saw, and behold! There was a stormy wind coming from the north, a great cloud with flashing fire, and a brilliance surrounding Him,³⁸⁸That is, this verse (the stormy wind, the great cloud, and the flashing fire) refers to the three completely impure husks of evil (Shalosh Kelipot), and the fourth surrounding husk of brilliance-Nogah, as explained before at length. and from its midst, there was like the appearance of the eye of the Chashmal.” Thus, the whole matter is fully explained.