# Adir BaMurom — Chapter 13: The Division of the Hairs (Plaga De-Sa'arei) — The Four Klippos; Orach Tzadikim
Source: https://ajew.org/reader/ramchal-adir-bamuroam/1/13
## Segment 1
שבנוקבא המשלמת אותה כנ״ל.
And: "behold a stormy wind came from the north — a great cloud, and flashing fire, and a brightness [nogah] surrounding it" [Ezekiel 1:4]. Know: there is OR [light] and there is NOGAH [radiance] — the light is the essence of the light, and nogah is the glow/gleaming [bihikas ha-or] of the light. And the klippos are the four mentioned in this verse.
## Segment 2
הה סוד מצה ומצוה .כי מצה הוא לחם עוני .והיא בחינתה לבדה ,ולא
Know: fire-water-wind are the secret of chesed-din-rachamim — and the wind is the AVIR in the secret of Aleph-Mem-Shin as written in Sefer Yetzirah. And at the very beginning the tzimtzum occurred and the Kav spread within it — and their secret: chesed and din in one combination which is literally rachamim. For the Ayn Sof joins them — this is the secret of rachamim above chesed and din. And while they were all in one combination it was called: "thin air that is not grasped" — for the light of the Kav is the light within this AVIR, and the din of the tzimtzum is the YUD within this AVIR — at that stage, the light dominates the din which is absorbed within the illumination like a single sealed YUD.
## Segment 3
בחינת השלימות מצד הז׳׳א .והמצוה היא שלימה ,בסוד :אור הלבנה כאור
And to make the vessels — the din spread alone and the vessel was made. Then chesed and din separated to operate each according to its nature — chesed makes the inner dimension as OR [light], din makes the vessel as YUD [restriction]. This cascades down through all the gradations until from the final din emerges the Sitra Achra — "darkness and not light" [Amos 5:18].
## Segment 4
החמה ,ולכן אמר :כד אתחברת בדכורא אתקריאת מצוה בתוספת וא׳׳ו .ואינו
And up to here — meaning, until Da'as of Atik vesting itself in Arikh — the aspect of AVIR still continues, and therefore it is called AVIRA. But from here onward the matters begin to spread in the secret of OR-YUD [light and restriction operating separately]. And this is seen in the PARTING OF THE HAIRS — where the hairs divide from the center to the sides. Although we said there is no left in Atika — this means din does not operate there, rather it returns to chesed. But this is not the totality of chesed and din in one combination as in the secret of AVIR. Rather it is the spreading of operation in the secret of OR-YUD — only that the YUD, even when it separates, is sweetened by the power of the OR. And from this YUD at its end emerges the Sitra Achra.
## Segment 5
אומר שזו׳׳ן ביחד נקראו מצוה ,מצה וא״ו ,אלא הנוקבא היא הנקראת
And the Sitra Achra also emerges from the root of holiness — its order of emergence: the gradations cascade from one to another, and each descending gradation becomes denser — for the power of tzimtzum grows in it more — until it reaches the final gradation that can exist within the gradations of the luminaries. And the final stage is where the tzimtzum overwhelmed so greatly that from its great din it put out a very hard branch — this branch is the Sitra Achra. And this branch must operate opposite to the holiness — for holiness desires to benefit, and this branch was created only to obstruct, in the secret of reward and punishment according to free choice.
## Segment 6
מצוה ,כשנתחברה אל הזכר .כי שלימות הנוקבא הוא התחברותה בזכר:
And therefore in this branch a great structure was built — for it is not merely one angel or a group of angels. It is ONE TREE assembled from many levels like the holy tree — and the portions of this tree, even though they are separated like all creations, are called SEFIROS OF IMPURITY — for their operation parallels the operation of the holy sefiros. And this tree has its own ABI"YA — its Atzilus closer to holiness and its Beriah less so, and so on. And there are FOUR LEVELS of Sitra Achra each with ABiYA — and the closest to holiness is KLIPAS NOGAH.
## Segment 7
חאת היא הוא׳׳ו הנוספת בה דוקא ,כי היא בחינה אחת נוספת בה,
For when the illumination that was the material of the Sitra Achra first emerged — at its very beginning it was not entirely evil — rather it was GOOD-containing-evil within itself, such that in its spreading it would become evil. This beginning is what is called NOGAH — the gleaming. For the holy tree is light = chesed, and the YUD which is the power of din from the tzimtzum is what caused this other tree to emerge. And this could have been absolute darkness — but it did not flow that way, for its beginning is good, and therefore there is some gleaming from the light. The good in its spreading became evil — but at its source it emerged containing good and evil mixed. And THIS ENTIRE MIXTURE is called NOGAH — the secret of good-and-evil truly present together. And from it spreads the aspect of evil alone — the THREE HARD KLIPPOS.
## Segment 8
ולא מתחברת אליה .והביא ראיה לדבר זה ,שכתוב :כי המצוה הזאת
While KLIPAS NOGAH contains this good — the Sitra Achra cannot fully spread because of the holiness — its beginning submits to it. And within this good of klipas nogah there is the final portion of Malchus of Asiyah vested within it, holding it under the dominion of holiness, in the secret of: "and His kingdom rules over all" [Psalms 103:19].
## Segment 9
(דברים ל ,יא) ,הרי שזאת ,היא נקראת מצוה.
And those wicked ones who said there are two authorities G-d forbid — it is because they saw this impure tree spreading like the holy tree and mistook it for a lord like it G-d forbid — and from this all idolatry descended. But know: the good within nogah has power only to hold the Sitra Achra so it does not spread beyond all limits — but not the power to prevent any evil from emerging from it entirely.
## Segment 10
— עמוד 15 —
At the coming of MASHIACH — not everything will be rectified at once. A great tikkun will certainly happen immediately — but to reach the complete ultimate tikkun requires time, and many tikkunim in many stages of world-ascent. And the FIRST TIKKUN at Mashiach's coming: KLIPAS NOGAH will SEPARATE from the three other hard klippos — and will submit to holiness and be sanctified itself. And the remaining three hard klippos will be entirely distanced from holiness. Two things will then happen in the world: first — vengeance upon the nations who are from the side of pure evil, from the three hard klippos; second — the sorting of the nations, the good within them serving G-d, as written: "then I will transform the peoples to a clear language" [Zephaniah 3:9]. Yet the three hard klippos will not be swallowed immediately but will remain to punish the guilty in Gehinnom. And between Israel and the nations: for Israel there will be no death; but for the nations there will still be death as said: "the sinner who is a hundred years old shall die" [Isaiah 65:20]. Afterward the world will ascend another level — no more death even for the nations. And the ultimate end: the Great Day of Judgment when the Sitra Achra passes entirely from all creation.
## Segment 11
נמצא ששני תרי״ג הם .התרי׳׳ג הא׳הוא מה שעשה הקב״ה ,והוא
And the tikkun of NOGAH through the righteous is: "and nogah shall be like light" [Habakkuk 3:4] — note it does not say "it shall be light" but "like light" — for in holiness dominating, the gleaming itself becomes sanctified further, and it alone remains gathering the branches and absorbing them within itself. And then the evil of the three hard klippos is absorbed in the root-evil of nogah, and the root-evil of nogah is absorbed in its root-good.
## Segment 12
בחינת מלכות בפני עצמה ,והוא הגוף הניתן לאדם .ויש תרי״ג אחר
And this is the matter of GARMENTS OF LIGHT vs. GARMENTS OF SKIN [kutoness or vs. kutoness or] (Bereishis Rabbah 20:29). For G-d originally wished to rectify nogah through Adam's body. But because of Adam's sin it did not happen, and the body remained at the level of garments of SKIN [or, ayin-vav-resh]. For nogah spreads in the secret of RE"A [= resh-ayin = 270] — and there is a VAV within the skin [or] for sweetening the evil — and this aspect is the VAV for humanity. And the 27 letters are the building of all — the five MeNaTzPa"Ch letters are literally the five outlets of the mouth from which the 22 others emerged. And from these five letters MeNaTzPa"Ch which equals PE"R [= peh-resh = 280] there is nogah — the secret of the YUD of AVIR. Remove YUD from PE"R and you get RE"A [= 270]. And OR NOGAH full-spelled [aleph-vav-resh + nun-gimel-heh] = RE"A plus ALEPH [271] — and this is the RE"A that tikkuns nogah — the ALEPH of pure light standing above the 270 worlds, not counted in their number.
## Segment 13
שהוא מה שעושה האדם ,והוא בחינת מלכות בסוד מצוה ,חהו התרי׳׳ג
And the VAV in the skin [or] that sweetens the evil — this is the secret of the STAFF [mateh] standing over the serpent to subdue it. Sometimes the staff becomes a serpent — then the Sitra Achra rules. Sometimes the serpent becomes a staff — then it is broken. And the root of this is the VAV and the NUN of the combined Name YaHaDVNHa"Y — for the VAV is the secret of MATEH [staff] and the NUN is the secret of NACHASH [serpent]. When the VAV is dominant the NUN is rectified by it. But if the NUN rules — the serpent draws the staff to itself — the staff becoming a serpent.
## Segment 14
מצות .אך האמת הוא שהכל נכלל בתרי׳׳ג ,אלא שבאחד מן המאורות
And G-d exiled Israel only so that converts would join them (Pesachim 87b) — this is the secret of klipas nogah being rectified through Israel's exile. And likewise: "and it shall also remain for our G-d — these are the synagogues and houses of study in Edom" (Megillah 29a). For in the Temple it was said: "in every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come to you and bless you" — in the secret of the Nukva where the coming occurs. But when Israel was exiled there remained for them a mikdash me'at [small sanctuary] — SYNAGOGUES — in the secret of a concubine [pilegesh] who is in klipas nogah — and from the GOOD SIDE of nogah, the synagogues are found. For the Land of Israel alone is under holiness; outside it is under the Sitra Achra — but whatever is a synagogue or house of study is in the secret of klipas nogah THAT HAS BEEN RECTIFIED and given as concubine to holiness. And the synagogue is called "esh nogah" [fire of nogah] as in the Ra'aya Mehemna (Zohar III:282). And: one who is accustomed to coming to synagogue and one day does not — G-d asks after him — for if he had come he would have had nogah, the tikkun of nogah made there. But not coming — he walked in the darkness of the three other klippos with no nogah.
## Segment 15
האלו נכללים התרי״ג השניים ,והוא עטרת הברית שהיא לבדה מקבלת
And: "a lip of truth shall be established forever" [Proverbs 12:19]. For we find in Ma'aseh Bereishis that the word EMET [truth] is sealed twice as an acrostic — once in the finals of "Bereishis-Bara-Elohim" and once in the finals of "Bara-Elohim-La'asos." And there are also two times TOHU as initials in the verse: "the earth was tohu" — once written in the verse, and once as initial-letters of the verse in reverse. And the secret of all this: TOHU precedes and EMET will be revealed at the end of the tikkun. For EMET and ADAM are one — the Dalet-Mem of ADAM becomes MET [death] by multiplication of YUD = Chochma as known. And CHOCHMA = KO"ACH MA"H = gematria of ADAM. And the Torah is 613 commandments = the form of Adam [demut adam]. And the soul-roots are 613 — all needing to complete all 613 portions — and then Adam will be whole in the world.
## Segment 16
לכל התרי׳׳ג .כי מפני המצא המאור הזה במקומו ,נמצאו כל אותן האיכיות
And although we say the commandments are 613 — truly 7 more are needed, the seven RABBINIC commandments, making 620 = gematria of KETER TORAH [crown of Torah]. And this is also the number of letters in the Ten Commandments. All this is needed to rectify the form of ADAM.
## Segment 17
במאורות שיעשו המעשים הנרצים במצות .וכן יוצאים אותם המאורות
And the TZELEM [image] must also be rectified — it rests on the form of Adam in general. And therefore its rectification is not in particular portions but in the general — for it rests on the whole. And the secret: "only as a tzelem does a man walk" [Psalms 39:7]. And life depends on TZELEM: the TZADEI of TZELEM = MELECH [king] in gematria = the inner dimension drawn from Imma — the neshama spreading within the vessels. And above the body are the LAMED and MEM which are the makifim [surrounding lights] sustaining the inner. And correspondingly: "the days of our years are seventy" — meaning by the Lamed and Mem = 70 in gematria — for these give constant life. And TZELEM = 160 — in the secret of "for man is the tree of the field" [Deuteronomy 20:19] — which also equals 160. And this rectification is beyond the DEMUT which is rectified through the 620. Therefore the tikkun of TZELEM and DEMUT is in 780 LIGHTS [620 + 160 = 780] — and 780 = the gematria of SHFA"T [lips]. And then Adam is complete in all his building — and EMET in all its building — in all worlds and their particulars — and this is the complete tikkun. And therefore: "a lip of truth [shfat emet] shall be established forever" — for when all 780 SHFAT [lips] are rectified in the secret of truth, the tikkun is complete with no subsequent corruption.
## Segment 18
שהם סוד התפילין והציצית ודומיהם .ונמצא שבאמת העטרה הזאת יש לה
And the full spelling of ORACH [path: Aleph-Resh-Chet] = Aleph-Lamed-Pe + Resh-Yud-Shin + Chet-Yud-Tav = and the final letters are PE-SHIN-TAV = SHPAT [lips] — the lips of truth we discussed. And the middle letters of the full spelling = Lamed-Yud-Yud = the secret of the FIFTY GATES OF BINA spreading to Zu"N. And the ORACH itself = the secret of OR NOGAH.
## Segment 19
פעולה גדולה ,כי תקביל לכל התרי״ג .ועל כן אמרו ז׳׳ל :גדולה מילה
Chapter 7 of Adir BaMurom is the longest and most profound chapter in the entire work — the Ramchal's masterpiece: a complete systematic exposition of the second half of the Idra Rabba, from the continuation of the Eye of Arikh Anpin through the final closing of the Idra. It spans pages 116–488 of the printed text (373 pages) and covers seven major thematic arcs:
## Segment 20
ששקולה נגד כל המצות (ירושלמי נדרים סוף פ״ג).
I. THE EYE OF ARIKH ANPIN (§§1–11b, pp. 116–340). The five senses as breaking-through points of light; the Reshimu as vessel and the Kav as light; the three white hues [chivorin]; how ZA's eye has no illumination except from AA's; the Mikveh's three aspects [40 Se'ah / 9 Kabin / 3 Lugin] as the sweetening of the Eye's Gevuros; wine becoming water; chachlili einayim mi-yayin; the double bonding of ZA with AA drawing Imma's milk to wash ZA's eyes; the third white hue sending illumination downward to all six extremities; tov ayin hu yivorach — the blessing going out from the goodly eye; yiras ha-romemus vs. yiras ha-onesh; hineh lo yanum ve-lo yishan shomer Yisroel — 60 letters of Birkas Kohanim as the protection of the All.
## Segment 21
ונפרש כל זה בסוד השם שד״י שהוא ציור הדמות שזכרנו .הנה
II. THE NAME OF ATIK AND THE GREAT TEACHING ON CREATION (§§12–12b, pp. 341–397). The Name of Atik Yomin is hidden throughout Torah except at the Akeidah, where bi nishba'ti ne'um Hashem reveals that Atik IS the inner secret of HVYH itself; the complete teaching on the Tzimtzum and the Kav; Torah preceded the world by 2000 years [= the YH before the VH]; the world first created with Din then with Rachamim; BEREISHIS = Torah; the Patriarchs as cosmic forces [Avraham = Kav = 248 = Chesed; Yitzchak = Reshimu rectified; Yaakov = lights breaking through]; Esav and Yishmael; Moshe = Shem MaH; the 70 nations from the Nikkudos; Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben Dovid; NACHASH = MASHIACH in gematria — Mashiach binds the klippos as head controls tail; the Nose of Arikh Anpin as Malchus of the head-tikkunim; the two breaths: one for ZA now, one reserved for Mashiach; the four lights of the Nose flaring into the Great Sea [Dikna]; the Four Kingdoms of Daniel [Bavel/Paras-Madai/Yavan/Edom]; Atik Yomin sitting on the Dikna of Arikh — "when Atik sits upon it, it is subdued; the one who rides controls."
## Segment 22
התרי״ג של לחם עוני — בסוד ש״ד משד״י ,והאחרץ שבהם הוא העטרה,
III. THE RUACH OF MASHIACH, FREE CHOICE, AND THE SIN OF ADAM (§13, pp. 398–440). The Ruach of Mashiach was created before the world and all human tikkunim depend on it; everything Mashiach will do — Adam HaRishon could have done on the day he was created; his sin only lengthened the time; the two trees = two paths to the same ultimate point; the Tree of Life = immediate direct path; the Tree of Knowledge = the long path of exile and tikkun; the secret of Free Choice — G-d is the ultimate good and even evil must return to good; judgment by free choice enables this without coercion [= the shame of "bread not one's own"]; ROSH and SOFA [beginning and end] — the Unity of the Emitter is equally present in both; 7th millennium = revelation of Sofa; 8th millennium = equalization of Rosh and Sofa = "Hashem Echad u-Shemo Echad"; the Tzimtzum at the center of all infinite light — when its opposite [evil] is revealed as identical to the Blessed One, His unity is clarified completely; SHEM and KINUY: ELOHIM is the cognomen concealing HVYH — all evil is only a concealment that hides the inner good; nine Heichalos; the Pargod between Keter and Chochma; Gan Eden's plants = 613 commandments.
## Segment 23
בסוד י׳דשד״י .והתרי״ג של מצוה הם תלוים כלם בי׳זאת דשד״י.
IV. THE PARGOD, THE NINE HEICHALOS, AND THE 42 PAIRINGS (§13b, pp. 441–460). The Pargod [brain membrane] is born from Chochma's pursuit of Keter — it is the root of all screens between all levels; its shape = the letter Aleph [two Yuds facing a Resh]; nine Heichalos as root of Atzilus; three illumination levels [Keter = sealed Kamatz; Chochma = Patzach = opened; Bina = the Mouth/Peh]; mati ve-lo mati — in the reaching aspect things are known; in the not-reaching aspect all gathers in Unity; the 42 pairings through the seven Heichalos of BIY"A; the Korbanos ascending from below, connecting Kavod to Atzilus and Atzilus to Ayn Sof.
## Segment 24
והנה בציור של ש״ד נמצא עדיין בחינת הרע ,כי אדרבה בעבור כן
V. THE EIGHT EDOMITE KINGS (§13b cont., pp. 460–488). Each of the eight Malchin Kadma'in [primordial kings] in Bereishis 36 corresponds to a stage in the world's governance: BELA = the sealed mouth of Bina / chesron ha-da'as / reward and punishment; YOVAV = the trembling voices [ro'esh] / Shevarim-Teruah / all worldly hardship; CHUSHAM = the senses / 2000 years of Tohu / materialist blindness to Providence; HADAD = Tiferes breaking / the domain of SA's unchecked power / ultimately destroyed; SAMLAH from MASREKAH = the nations as fallen garments of Jewish souls / Mashiach as the folding Vav completing for the later generations / Chirik→Shuruk→Cholam at redemption; SHAUL from RECHOVOS HA-NAHAR = Yesod / Torah-joy through revelation to others / David inheriting and completing this; BAAL-CHANAN = times of expansiveness vs. sealing of lights / the tzaddik-mouse and the evil-mouse; HADAR = the general tikkun of all the Breaking / ZU"N united / TZEDEK + YaK = HADAR / Ruach HaKodesh from Malchus — the final governance.
## Segment 25
הונח בדרך זה לתת מציאות ליצה׳׳ר .תהו גם כן לאומות העולם ,כי זה
VI. SOULS, GARMENTS, AND MASHIACH'S FOLDING (§§13b–14). Before Adam's sin, all souls were to be Israel and the nations only their outer garments; after the sin the garments fell; Mashiach stands at the "fold" between the earlier and later generations, completing for those who could not complete for themselves; the Tzaddik = Yesod = the giver to the Nukva; Torah-joy = the flaming of the 231 gates when Torah is revealed to others; Yerushalayim = City of Tzedek; Tzedek + YaK = Hadar = the final king = the final tikkun.
## Segment 26
הדמות ניתן להם .אך היו״ד דשד׳׳י אינה מתגלית בציור הזה ,אלא בדרך
VII. THE METAPHYSICS OF THE EMITTER (§§13–13b). Woven throughout the chapter's final arc: the Keter is the first emanation and may not be investigated [only from Chochma downward]; the sefirot are the Emitter's attributes as they relate to those below; there are nine upper Heichalos and seven lower Heichalos; the ultimate reward of souls is endless new comprehension of the Infinite; the blessed Emitter desired that even the evil of exile shall be revealed as good — so that in the end not merely "the illness passed" but the illness itself is transformed into the healing.
## Segment 27
מצוה ניתן גילוי היו״ד במצות הברית מילה ,ובה נתלים אחר כך כל
1 The Pargod as the membrane of the brain: see Zohar Bereishis 15a; and see Eitz Chaim, Sha'ar ha-Tzimtzum.
## Segment 28
המצות .ואי אפשר להשיג כל השלימות הזה של המצות ,אלא מי שיש
2 On the nine Heichalos as root of Atzilus: see Zohar Pekudei 259b; and Kla"ch Petach 136.
## Segment 29
בו השלימות הזה של המילה .ולכן לאומות העולם כתוב :לא עשה
3 On Mati ve-lo mati: see Kla"ch Pataich 93–94; Pischei Chochma ve-Da'as §9 (Sha'arei Ramchal p. 144).
## Segment 30
כן לכל גוי ומשפטים בל ידעום (תהלים קמז ,כ).
4 On the 42 Zivugim = the seven Names in the Heichalos with 42 letters: see Kitzur ha-Kavanos p. 162; and Sha'ar ha-Zivugim.
## Segment 31
והמצות הראשונות הנמשכות בדרך עיקר מן היו״ד הזאת הם הנקראים
5 On Bereishis = Bra Shis: Zohar Bereishis 3b. On the seven Voices: Zohar 2:25b (parashas Va'era).
## Segment 32
אותות ,וזה סוד משאחז״ל :אות הוא בצבא ש לו( עי׳חגיגה טז ,).ואפרש לך
6 On the Eight Edomite Kings = eight stages of Breaking and Tikkun: see Eitz Chaim, Sha'ar ha-Shvirah; and Maamar Sod ha-Yichud (Ginzei Ramchal p. 270).
## Segment 33
עתה זה הענין היטב .הנה שמעת איך בשם א״ל שד׳׳י נעשית הבריאה ,אך
7 On the Vavs = garments of AK contracting to threads: see Eitz Chaim, Sha'ar ha-Klalim §3; and Kla"ch Petach 29 (p. 87).
## Segment 34
זה ביסוד אימא שהיא השורש ,ואחר כך שם זה מתפשט בז״א ונכלל
8 On Mashiach as the folding Vav: see Da'as Tevunos Part 2 (Ginzei Ramchal p. 48); Maamar Sod Demut ha-Adam (Ginzei Ramchal p. 263).
## Segment 35
ביסוד שלו גם כן .אמנם לפי הש״ד של שד׳׳י נעשים כל הספירות
9 On the Simchas Torah = flaming of the 231 gates: see Tamid 32b; and Kla"ch Petach 52.
## Segment 36
בבחינת אלהים ,ואחר כך מצד היו״ד נעשות כלם הויו״ת .וזהו בחינת
10 On Tzedek + YaK = Hadar: Sha'arei Ramchal p. 386. And see Kla"ch Petach 58 on Malchus as Yesod.