Chapter 43

אFrom all the above, the analogue will be understood to one who contemplates how it is Above, when he contemplates the many particulars of the chaining down of the worlds from the highest level to the lowest level. They all are generally included in the first source that arose in His simple thought etc., within the essential Self of the Light of the Unlimited One (Ein Sof), HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, before the Tzimtzum.

בThis too includes the three levels of thought, speech and action of thought, mentioned above.

גThe aspect of action of the essential thought literally in the Essential Self of HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, is similar to the matter of the last deed that arose first in thought.

ד(This is unlike what Maimonides explains that HaShem-יהו"ה knows everything through Self-knowledge.¹

הRather, this is that He knows the entire chaining down of Atzilut, Briyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah as if it is outside of Himself. That is, through action of thought, like a person who pictures the form of something that is separate from him, even though there is nothing outside of HaShem-יהו"ה, blessed is He.)

וThe aspect of speech of the essential thought of HaShem-יהו"ה, is like the fact that He estimated in potential within Himself, that which is destined to be in the chaining down of the worlds etc.²

זAbout this it is written,³ “He engraved an engraving in the upper purity.” This is the engraving of the letters within His Essential Self etc.

חThis is also the meaning of,⁴ “He said” – within the essential thought – “and the world was,” or the verse,⁵ “Will He say and not do?” – through the first Tzimtzum etc., and the like.

טAs mentioned above, “saying” (Amirah-אמירה) is always the aspect of speech of thought. (This is higher than hearing the speech of one’s friend, as in the verse,⁶ “Lend me your ear and listen etc.” or the verse,⁷ “And HaShem-יהו״ה paid attention and listened” and the like.)

יNow, “thought of thought” of His Essential Self is similar to what was explained above about thinking the intellectual understanding of a matter in various combinations etc.

יאThis is when it arose in His desire and thought, “I shall rule” or the like. This is in accordance to His essential insight and desire etc.

יבThus, it says,⁸ “He spoke (Amar-אמר) and the world was” – in the aspect of the Malchut of the Unlimited One (Ein Sof), that is, “I shall rule (Ana Emloch-אנא אמלוך)” etc.

יג(According to this, the fact that the awakening of the original desire for kindness was brought about through the deeds of the lower beings [that is, the Jewish people], because of which, it arose in His thought and desire [to emanate, create form and actualize. – reaches the beginning of the arousal of desire in His essential thought etc.)

ידThis is the meaning of the verses,⁹ “Your wonders and thoughts toward us etc. are beyond telling,” and,¹⁰ “His Tevunah-understanding is beyond calculation.”

טוThis is because the level of depth of the essential thought in the essential Light of HaShem-יהו"ה, the Unlimited One (Ein Sof), is in accordance to the [infinite] depth of His insight and focus (Chochmah and Daat), as in the verse,¹¹ “How very deep are Your thoughts,” as mentioned before. This is sufficient for the understanding.

טזIn the same manner we can understand on lower levels, such as the chaining down of the desire and thought of the simple unity after the first Tzimtzum, which is called the “Empty Space” etc.

יזFor example, the aspect of the radiance of the “line” etc., is the aspect of the “Primal desire and thought,” in that He foresees everything in one glance etc. This level also has the three levels of thought, speech and action in it.

יח(This is called Creation-Briyah, Formation-Yetzirah and Action-Asiyah.¹² Thought is in Briyah, speech is in Yetzirah and action is in Asiyah, as written,¹³ “I created it, I formed it and I even actualized it,” as known).

יטThis principle continues to the desire of the hidden thought of Adam Kadmon, to Atik Yomin, to Arich Anpin etc., as it descends lower in the chaining down of the worlds in a manner of particulars.

כThis is similar to the example in man below. The radiance of the light of the essential thought hidden in the essential self of the [human] soul descends with the revelation of desire, intellect and emotions etc. until it reaches the aspect of thought, which enclothes the emotions of the heart. The thought that enclothes the emotions is called “Leah,” and also includes the three levels of thought, speech and action etc., as mentioned before.

כאNow, in regard to how it is Above, this applies until the aspect of the letters of the thoughts of His emotions in Atzilut, which is called Zeir Anpin. About this it states,¹⁴ “And HaShem-יהו"ה said (VaYomer-ויאמר) to His heart” – this “saying-Amirah-אמירה” is in thought etc.

כבSometimes the matter remains in the supernal thought of Zeir Anpin, which is called, “The Supernal Man,” as in,¹⁵ “And HaShem-יהו"ה regretted etc.” – which reverted to thought that was never brought into speech or action altogether.

כגThis is similar to the matter of,¹⁶ “The heart did not reveal it to the mouth.” It is also similar to,¹⁷ “Whether someone will be righteous or wicked He did not say (קאמר),” as known. This is sufficient for the understanding.

כד(Now, in explanation of the aspect of the three levels of thought, speech and action as it relates to the general worlds; Adam Kadmon is in thought, which is the aspect of the, “Man of Briyah.” The aspect of Atik Yomin and Arich Anpin is the aspect of speech, which is the, “Man of Yetzirah” and the aspect of Zeir Anpin is called the “Man of Asiyah.”

כהNow more specifically, Zeir Anpin also includes the three levels of Briyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah - that is, thought, speech and action, within itself.)

כוA person who understands the general principle from the accumulation of the particulars, will understand from the aspect of the action of the essential thought in the essence of the light of HaShem-יהו"ה, the Unlimited One (Ein Sof), to the aspect of the action within the thought of Zeir Anpin of Atzilut.

כזAbout this the verse states,¹⁸ “Everything that HaShem-יהו"ה desires” – in His essential thought – “He did” – from the “nothingness” of Atzilut to Briyah etc.)

כחNow, the matter of, “The big Dalet-ד of One-Echad-אחד” may be understood in the same way.

כטIt is the aspect of Malchut of Tevunah from behind Imma etc., which is the matter of the knot of the Tefillin of the head etc., as known.¹⁹

לIt may be understood in a manner of the particulars of the aspect of Zeir Anpin, which is called “One-Echad-אחד,” being that it is the aspect of the oneness of the ten Sefirot of Atzilut (which in the aspect of the general worlds is called the “Man of Action (Adam d’Asiyah)”).

לאThis is the root of the thought of Leah,²⁰ which comes in an aspect of letters and combinations, and is called “Thought of Thought.”

לב(However, it is called, “The big Dalet-ד,” indicating that it is the aspect of the mature state of speech (Gadloot HaDibur). For, as explained above, there are two levels in this.

לגIn truth, however, this too is considered to be, “Speech of thought,” in that He thinks the concept in combinations, even without intending to bring it into speech at all.

לדThis is the, “Big Dalet-ד” of Alef Chet-א״ח-9 (The first two letters of One-Echad-אחד) which are the nine sefirot²¹ of Zeir Anpin etc.²² That is, every emotion and Sefirah comes in the letters and combinations of the thought of Leah etc., from the power and root of thought, which is the aspect of Malchut of Tevunah etc.

להIt is because of this that one must elongate the Dalet-ד [when reciting the Shema].²³ This is because it is the root of the aspect of Kingship-Malchut within the four directions of the world in the lower unity of,²⁴ “Blessed is the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever etc.)

לוNow, one may also understand this in a general way, in regard to the “Primal thought” up to the Simple thought in His Simple Unity, literally in the Essential Self of HaShem-יהו״ה Himself, blessed is He, in the aspect of “The Concealed of all concealed”²⁵ that no thought can grasp,²⁶ even the thought of Adam Kadmon etc., this being that the big Dalet-ד is when it arose in the letters of His simple thought and desire etc., which comes from His Essential Malchut of Tevunah. This is sufficient for those of understanding.

לז(As to what is written in Etz Chayim, that “the heels of Leah enter the head of Rachel etc.,” and similarly, in regards to what the sages stated,²⁷ “That which humility made the heel of her soles, fear of HaShem-יהו"ה made the crown of her head etc.,” this refers to the aspect of speech of thought that becomes thought of speech. This is the meaning of the “Heel of humility.”

לחThis is because thought is in a state of concealment and nothingness, whereas speech is in a state of revelation and somethingness etc., and thought (Machshavah) becomes the crown of Rachel, which is the aspect of speech (Dibur).

לטThis is because the aspect of the power, root and beginning of speech are the combinations of the letters of thought. For, if the combinations of thought cease, so does speech cease, as known.

מThis is the meaning of²⁸ “The heel of humility is the fear of HaShem-יהו"ה etc.,” as explained elsewhere.)

מא1 Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 2:10

מב2 See Mikdash Melech to Zohar I 15a

מג3 Zohar Bereshit 15a

מד4 Psalms 33:9

מה5 Balak 23:19

מו6 Kings II 19:16, Isaiah 37:17, Daniel 9:18

מז7 Malachi 3:16

מח8 Baruch SheAmar prayer

מט9 Psalms 40:6

נ10 Psalms 147:5

נא11 Psalms 92:6

נב12 See Maamarei Admor HaEmtza’ee, Hanachot 5577 p. 202 and elsewhere.

נג13 Isaiah 43:7

נד14 Genesis 8:21

נה15 Genesis 6:6

נו16 Midrash Tehillim 89:1

נז17 Talmud Bavli, Niddah 16b

נח18 Psalms 135:6

נט19 Zohar III (Ra’aya Mehemna) 236b; Pri Etz Chayim, Shaar HaTefillin, Shaar 4, Ch. 5; Likkutei Torah of the Arizal to Exodus 33:23.

ס20 Pri Etz Chayim, Shaar HaTefillin, Shaar 8, Ch. 13.

סא21 The letters Alef-Chet-א״ח have a numerical value of nine.

סב22 Pri Etz Chayim, Shaar HaTefillin, Shaar 8, Ch. 12.

סג23 Talmud Bavli, Brachot 13b

סד24 Zohar I 18b; Talmud Bavli, Pesachim 56a

סה25 Introduction to Zohar 2a

סו26 Introduction to Tikkunei Zohar 17a

סז27 Etz Chayim, (Shaar Leah V’Rachel) Shaar 38, Ch. 3; Maamarei Admor HaEmtza’ee, Vayikra Vol. 1, p. 253; Torat Chayim, Vayeitze 173c, note 20.

סח28 Proverbs 22:4