פְּלָא֥וֹת עֵדְוֺתֶ֑יךָ עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן נְצָרָ֥תַם נַפְשִֽׁי׃
Kahanga-hanga ang Iyong mga patotoo; kaya iniingatan ang mga ito ng aking kaluluwa.
Sha'arei Orah
Thus, from these primary principles that we have given you, contemplate the secret of Knowledge-Da’at-דעת – the Sefirah that includes all the Sefirot. That is, it is the root and wellspring that has no end or conclusion. Now, because the Sefirah of Knowledge-Da’at begins from Kingship-Malchut and reaches all the way up to the Unlimited One-Ein Sof-אין סוף, there are two verses about this in Torah.504This refers to the two verses on the right and left of the previous diagram. The first verse (Psalms 119:129) states, “Your testimonies-Eidotecha-עדותיך are wonders, therefore my soul has guarded them.” The term “testimonies-Eidot-עדת” shares the same letters as “knowledge-Da’at-דעת,” and this verse refers to the acceptance of the yoke of HaShem’s-יהו״ה Kingship-Malchut, in keeping His commandments, which are called “testimonies-Eidut-עדות,” through desisting from transgressing the negative commandments, and the fulfillment of the positive commandments (and thus relates to the Tree of Knowledge-Etz HaDa’at-עץ הדעת). The second verse will be explained shortly. The verse that begins with the Sefirah of Kingship-Malchut, which is the secret of HaShem’s-יהו״ה title of Lordship-Adona”y-אדנ״י, is the secret of the Tree of Knowledge-Etz HaDa’at-עץ הדעת. For, the quality of Kingship-Malchut is the secret of the Tree-Etz-עץ that is sustained through Knowledge-Da’at-דעת.505As discussed in the First Gate. The second verse, which reaches the Unlimited One-Ein Sof-אין סוף, is the secret of the verse,506Psalms 139:6 “Knowledge-Da’at-דעת is wondrously beyond me. It is exalted. I am incapable of it.” That is, even though the Sefirah of Knowledge-Da’at-דעת is found in all the Sefirot, both those above and those below, it nevertheless is so exalted that it reaches the Unlimited One-Ein Sof-אין סוף, which is the secret of the Crown-Keter, and has no end or conclusion. Since Above it has no end or beginning, no created being can reach its ultimate depth. About this the verse states, “It is exalted. I am incapable of it.” This being so, contemplate the secret of the Sefirah of Knowledge-Da’at-דעת.