Chapter 45

אNow it is written,¹ “And HaShem Elohim-יהו"ה אלהי"ם made for Adam and his wife cloaks of leather (Ohr-עור) and garbed them.”

בThis refers to the aspect of the Chashmal of Nogah that encompasses Zeir Anpin and Nukvah (Malchut) of Atzilut, who are called Adam and his wife, [which encompasses them] until below their feet, as known.

גNow, in the Torah scroll of Rabbi Meir² this was written with an Aleph-א, that is, “Light-Ohr-אור.”

דThis refers to the upper radiance³ about which it states,⁴ “He covers Himself with light as a garment,” this being after the rectification of the two-hundred and eighty-eight [sparks] etc.

הNow, we must first have some understanding into the explanation of the matter of the shattering and rectification [of the vessels] in general.

וThis [took place] in the aspect of the letters (Otiyot-אותיות), which are called vessels (Keilim).⁵

זThey shattered and fell because of the overabundance of light which they were incapable of containing, as stated in Etz Chayim.⁶

חThis is like the verse,⁷ “You caused the sea (Yam-ים) to fracture with Your might.”⁸

טThis refers to the aspect of Tohu (Chaos),⁹ wherein the aspect of the letters fragmented, this being called, “The Shattering of the Vessels” (Shvirat HaKelim), as known.

יThe reason for this, as known, is analogous to a deep conceptual light that transcends the limitations of the organ (vessel) of the brain [to contain]. The letters of the thought of the concept will certainly become confused, because of their inability to contain the light, since it is too great for them.

יאThe opposite is true when the organ (vessel) of the brain is able to contain the light of the deep concept. On the contrary, it becomes limited, settled and concealed within these letters (that is, it is absorbed).

יבHowever, when they are incapable of containment, then of necessity, the letters become fragmented.

יגIt is as explained elsewhere at length,¹⁰ that this is like when a word falls short of containing the great light [of meaning] that is within it; its letters scatter here and there, until nothing at all can be understood from them.

ידAn example is the word “And He said-Vayomer-ויאמר.” When it cannot contain the depth of its intended [meaning], its letters scatter and all that remains is its Vav-ו and Mem-מ, out of order and displaced.

טו(This is similar to the letters of the fleeting thoughts of the heart during the day. They become disjointed, displaced and out of order when one dreams [at night].¹¹

טזThey come about from the combinations of thoughts one thinks during the day, but out of order. Rather, [they come in a jumble], one letter from this word and another letter from that word etc.

יזIt thus states,¹² “dreams speak nonsense etc.,” as explained elsewhere.¹³)

יחThis fragmentation is called a “Shattering” (Shvirah) into many small parts.

יטThis is because when a letter that separated unto itself comes elsewhere, it only contains an exceedingly diminished portion of the full concept, as the word was in its complete form etc.

כMoreover, it too undergoes one fragmentation after another, until it becomes completely alienated from its [original] meaning.

כא(This may be compared to the matter of dreams that come from the thoughts of one’s heart during the day. However, one cannot dream of,¹⁴ “An elephant going through the eye of a needle,” but rather only reflections of the thoughts of his heart [during the day], as discussed elsewhere regarding Joseph’s interpretation of dreams,¹⁵ and as will be explained later.)

כבLikewise, we may understand how it is supernally, in regard to the matter of the shattering of the vessels of the lights of Tohu (Chaos), that it is an aspect of the fragmentation and scattering of their letters, as stated, “You scattered [the sea (Yam-ים)] etc.”

כגThis is to say that they fell lower and lower until they came into an aspect of being an “alien garment.”

כדThis is the root of the matter of the coming into being of the aspect of the garment of the Chashmal etc., which is called garments of skin (Or-עור).

כהNow, as known, these “Skins” are the aspect of the three kinds of letters; thought, speech and action,¹⁶ which are rooted in the letters of the vessels of Tohu (Chaos) that fragmented and fell down, thus making the aspect of an encompassing garment to garb the aspect of the emotions of man etc.

כוAlthough it became an aspect of a separate garment, its root is from above the source of the intellect of Binah as it is in the emotions.

כזThis also is the aspect of the externality of Binah that, “hovers over the chicks,” to protect them etc., which is from the aspect of the encompassing light of Binah, in the aspect of the previously discussed closed Mem-ם. This will suffice for the understanding.

כחNow, to understand this with additional explanation, it is known that this is also the root of the matter of analogies, such as the three hundred analogies of Rabbi Meir etc.¹⁷ in that the root of the analogy is higher than the analogue,¹⁸ as are the analogies [proverbs] of Solomon, which are exceedingly deep [concepts of] wisdom.

כטThey thus do not have an aspect of “vessels of letters,” except through being enclothed in matters that are very separate from the essential wisdom. It is specifically there, [in the analogy,] that the depth of the wisdom may be grasped, just as one grasps the depth of a concept.

לThis may only be [accomplished] specifically through analogy, for it cannot be grasped even with abundant explanations etc.

לאMoreover, for an analogy to be made specifically according to the analogue, of necessity it must reach the depth and source from which the analogue comes out. If not, the analogy will not at all be in line with the analogue, as known.

לבThis being the case, the root of the analogy is in the source concept of the analogue, and higher than it.

לגFor this reason, it states,¹⁹ “The words of the wise and their riddles”; that commensurate to the depth and source of the wisdom, so will be the depth of the riddles and analogies, such as the analogies of Rabbi Meir and the analogies of Solomon.

לדThis is explained elsewhere regarding the verse,²⁰ “And he spoke three thousand proverbs;” that is, [each analogy was] an analogy for [the previous] analogy, as explained in the Zohar that the very last analogy contains the very first depth and source of the analogue etc.

להThe same holds true of the root of the aspect of letters. It is specifically through them that the light of the intellect is grasped well etc.

לו(This may similarly be understood regarding the light of the intellect becoming concrete. To the degree that it comes to be concretely grasped and explained on the lowest level, it is specifically there that the aspect of the depth and inner light of the intellect itself is [grasped] etc.)

לזThe [above] is also the case with the aspect of the externality of Binah from which the aspect of the Chashmal garment of Binah is made.²¹

לחIt is regarding this that it states, “And he made cloaks of skin-Or-עור etc.,” which is the aspect of the protector of the intellect within the emotions, so as not to come to an aspect of error.

לט(It is from this that the placenta for the fetus is made etc.²²)

מThis is as explained at length elsewhere²³ regarding the matter of,²⁴ “The mother spreads her wings etc.,” and regarding the matter of “baShalom-בשלום-in peace,” which is the same letters as “Malbush-מלבוש-garment” etc.,²⁵ and regarding the matter of the Sechach (covering) of the Sukkah and the like.²⁶ This will suffice for the understanding.

מא1 Genesis 3:21; Also see Siddur Im Divrei Elokim Chayim, Shacharit 60d; Birchat HaMazon 115b; Milah 147a-148d; Biurei Zohar, Balak 149d; Maamarei Admor HaEmtza'ee, Vayikra Vol. 2, pg. 493; Torah Or, Lech Lecha 12c.

מב2 See Midrash Bereishit Raba 20:12; Shaar HaEmunah 43a; Maamarei Admor HaEmtzaee, Bereishit pg. 450; Bamidbar Vol. 2, pg. 560 & p. 757; Devarim Vol. 1, pg. 115; Drushei Chatunah Vol. 1, pg. 66; Hanachot 5577 pg. 253.

מג3 Zohar I 36b – Zihara Ila’ah

מד4 Psalms 104:2

מה5 Tanya, Shaar HaYichud V'HaEmunah Ch. 4 and elsewhere.

מו6 See Etz Chayim, Shaar 10, Ch. 5; Maamarei Admor HaEmtza'ee, Devarim Vol. 4, pg. 1,476.

מז7 Psalms 74:13

מח8 The term “sea-Yam-ים” refers to Malchut, which is the letters, as it states (Ecclesiastes 1:7), “All the streams flow into the sea (HaYam-הים). See Shaarei Orah of Rabbi Yosef Gikatilla translated as Gates of Light, Shaar 1 (Malchut); Also see Ginat Egoz of Rabbi Yosef Gikatilla, translated as HaShem Is One.

מט9 Maamarei Admor HaEmtza'ee, Na”Ch pg. 5; Torat Chayim, Vayeishev 206c.

נ10 Maamarei Admor HaEmtza'ee, Na”Ch pg. 5 and on; Maamarei Admor HaZaken, Nevi'im pg. 5 and on.

נא11 Talmud Bavli, Brachot 55b; Maamarei Admor HaEmtza'ee, Hanachot 5577 p. 244

נב12 Zacharia 10:2

נג13 Torat Chayim, VaYechi 245d

נד14 Talmud Bavli, Brachot 55b; Torat Chayim, VaYetze 169d; Miketz 216a

נה15 See Maamarei Admor HaZaken, Inyanim p. 431; Torat Chayim, VaYechi p. 245c & 248c.

נו16 See Biurei HaZohar, VaYeshev 21d; Tazriah 73b; Maamarei Admor HaEmtza'ee, Devarim Vol. 3, pg. 923; Na”Ch pg. 318; Kuntreisim pg. 209

נז17 Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 38b

נח18 See Sefer HaMaamarim 5568 Vol. 1, pg. 393; Maamarei Admor HaEmtza'ee, Vayikra Vol. 2, pg. 522 and on.

נט19 Proverbs 1:6

ס20 Kings I 5:12

סא21 See Or HaTorah, Noach Vol. 3, pg. 1338

סב22 As will be explained later regarding the development of Klipah.

סג23 See Maamarei Admor HaEmtza'ee VaYikra Vol. 2, pg. 494.

סד24 Zohar III (Ra'aya Mehemna) 256a; Torat Chayim, Vayetze 170c; Biurei HaZohar, Noach 4c and on.

סה25 See Siddur of the Arizal, end of Amida; Also see Emek HaMelech, Shaar 1, Ch. 55 (9c); Torat Chayim, Noach 58a.

סו26 See Siddur Im Divrei Elokim Chayim, Shaar HaSukkot p. 257a and on.