Adir BaMurom — Chapter 19: Commentary on 'I Raised My Hands in Prayer' — Nine Heichalos; The Pargod; 42 Pairings

When the MACHSHAVAH [Chochma/thought] goes out and emanates from Keter, each part of it that would arise to exit — instead of exiting — would cling upward, from below to above, to the RISHA [head/Keter] itself. And the lights of the Reshimu [the remnant of Keter] would roll and spin through this clinging and pursuit. And from this force a NEW LIGHT would be emanated within the Risha, from this very pursuit — not a light that the Risha itself would shine from its own side, but from the rolling of its lights through the pursuit, and from the cleaving of Machshavah itself in its pursuit of Risha. This generated light — born from the pursuit — would draw to itself, through the rolling of Risha's lights, what it could draw. And so all ten lights of Machshavah did. Then all the lights that were emanated from the pursuits, together with what they drew from the Risha's rolling, gathered into ONE CURTAIN — and this is the PARGOD [Parsa/screen/veil] that stands before the Risha. This is the secret of the KRUM DE-MOCHA [membrane of the brain] — for it separates between the Gulgalta [skull/Keter] and the Mocha [brain/Chochma], that is, between Keter and Chochma. And although from one side it is called a separator, from another side it is called a connector — for it is the intermediate between them, and through this Pargod Machshavah receives what it receives from the Risha. If the Pargod did not exist, Chochma could never have emerged.

And therefore: the Idra says — "re'u de-machshavah — chad perisu ispares" — the word is ispares [it was spread], not paris [it spread itself], for it was emanated as if from its own force, by the power of Machshavah's pursuits. And so too a Pargod is spread before the Kavod [Shechina] below; and on the holy Chayos — "and a likeness over the heads of the Chayah — a rakia" [Ezekiel 1:22] — for it is impossible for lower levels to bond with and attain upper ones until a single screen is spread between them. The screen is always what emanates from the upper to illuminate the lower — and then the lower bonds with that screen as if bonding with the upper itself.

And the SHAPE OF THE ALEPH: Machshavah stands below and pursues upward after the Pargod. The Pargod stands between Machshavah and Risha. And the Risha is sealed above the Pargod. Their combined form is: an ALEPH — which is two YUDS facing a single RESH at their center. The Resh = the Pargod/rakia dividing waters from waters and simultaneously connecting them. The upper Yud = the Risha clinging above. The lower Yud = the Machshavah clinging below. And "Yadi = 26" — the numerical value of the Name HVYH beginning to reveal here. But the Name was not yet complete in its branches, for the two HEHs were still included in one single Yud.

And the ORDER OF THE NAME: when the ten lights of Machshavah struck the Pargod from below to above, the Pargod spread its lights to right and left — five to the right [Keter-Chochma-Chesed-Tiferes-Netzach] and five to the left. Thus the Name HVYH was completed — but in the order YOHEH: for the VAV emerged first from the Yud [from Risha's pursuit], and then from the VAV the two HEHs emerged [from Machshavah's pursuit of the Pargod]. The Machshavah struck the Pargod, caused the two HEHs to emanate, and simultaneously fixed ten letters of HVYH's full spelling [YOD-HE-VAV-HE] within itself — each of the ten lights ascending and causing one of the HEH-lights to emanate, then returning and fixing one corresponding light in Machshavah. When the two HEHs were complete in the Pargod, the ten letters of the full spelling were complete in Machshavah — and only then was Machshavah truly called MACHSHAVAH, in the secret of chashav mah = YOD-HE VAV-HE in full spelling.

And MATI VE-LO MATI [it reaches and does not reach]: each light in its ascent caused one HEH-light to emanate from the Pargod, but not as a deliberate act — rather, in arriving there it triggered the Pargod to spread its lights right and left [mati = it arrives], and then it returned to its place [lo mati = it does not remain]. And the NINE HEICHALOS [inner chambers] as root of Atzilus: from this process nine chambers emerged as the root for all of Atzilus — for Atzilus is nine male sefirot [the aleph-ches of ECHAD], and Kavod [Shechina] is the tenth completing them [the dalet of ECHAD]. And NaRaN [Nefesh-Ruach-Neshamah] in the Heichalos: Neshamahs = the fixed lights each in its place; Ruchos = the movements of the lights in all ascents and descents; Nefesh = the completeness of the living-force and influence of the upper. And: "lav inon nhorin" [they are not really lights] — for none of these aspects were actually present yet until the next vesting through Bina.

And the KORBAN [offering] that ascends from below to above: this is the order that the Korban accomplishes — it ascends from below upward and connects the Kavod to Atzilus. And when it reaches the uppermost point, all returns to the aspect of lo mati, and all ascends to Ayn Sof. At that moment the Middle [the tenth light of Machshavah, which connects Risha downward] is awakened, and all is crowned. The full Zivug is accomplished — first Biyas Rishona [first union] creating the vessel through the joining of Atzilus and BiyA [Be'riah-Yetzirah-Asiyah] as Neshamah-and-Guf; then Biyas Shniya [second union] — the aspect of lo-mati — in which Machshavah crowns itself in Ayn Sof. And then: "Yesh Me-Ayin" — the existence of all emerges from Ayin — "de-minei ishtakach ve-kayima ve-nahir le-man de-nahir, ve-al da kola kayima" — from it all things are found, stand, and illuminate for those they illuminate — and on this all stands. And: MA"H and BE"N = the secret of TIME — gematria of ZeMaN — for all of time consists only of their combinations.

And the MOUTH OF BINA: After Chochma was covered and vested within Bina, within Bina a third illumination arose. For Chochma is Machshavah [thought], and Bina is PEH [mouth] — and there the ten sefirot of ABiYA are made. The order of Bina is in the secret of milu ha-milu [the full filling], and the total is Mem-Beis [42] — and correspondingly seven Havalim [breaths/vanities] emerge, the secret of Shem MA"B. When Chochma and Bina vested together: from the side of Bina, Atzilus became root [corresponding to the Yud of the Name] and BiyA became branches. And from the Heichalos: all Atzilus became Neshamah and all BiyA became body [corresponding body to Neshamah].

And: "Bereishis bara Elokim es ha-shamayim ve-es ha-aretz" — the MOUTH arranged within itself the four Names ESSaMaB [Ayin-Samech-Mem-Beis], for the mouth itself is Sa"G [=63], and the twenty-two letters are arranged there in the five articulation-places [motzaos], which are the five letters of ELOHIM. And from within there is Ayin-Beis [=72], which descends from Machshavah through the palate and down to the throat, uniting with Sa"G — and together they make VOICE: 72 + 63 = kol [voice = 136 = kuf-vav-lamed]. And in them there are seven Yuds = seven HVYHs = seven Voices = the secret of YAAKOV [= 182]. So Yaakov's voice = BEREISHIS in the secret of "bra shis" — for the Vav of KOL = the tongue, and the letter Beis = BRaKHaH = ESSaMaB, and the world was created with the Beis because the Aleph = the unity above the Beis, connected to it [pointing with its crown toward the Aleph, as our sages expounded]. And the five utterances of the mouth created five syllables = the five books of Torah.

And: BEREISHIS = the MOUTH being built, then destroyed, then rebuilt. For: "and the earth was tohu and vohu" — when the Peh was sealed, all the Sa"G-lights that remained outside, the seven Voices, were left without the Ayin-Beis, and they were darkened — and that is TOHU-VOHU. At that moment the secret of "ve-eleh ha-melachim asher malchu be-eretz Edom" — the Kings who reigned in the land of Edom — was immediately hinted: for the Aretz [land] = the Sa"G that was left outside, darkened, = Edom [from which dins are stirred]. And then the garment of Adam Kadmon [AK], which had been unable to be revealed due to the great light of AK's sefirot, began to become slightly visible. And here were all the things mentioned in the earlier section: "the Name of Atik is hidden."

And the EIGHT EDOMITE KINGS in Atzilus: the Ramchal now expounds the eight kings of Edom [Genesis 36:31–39] as the eight stages of the Atzilus-world from its initial state of Breaking to its full Tikkun. These are not historical kings but descriptions of the eight states of Malchus [governance] through which Atzilus passed.

BELA BEN BEOR / City of Dinhavah: = the rooting of Din and Judgment — the governance of Da'as that was swallowed within the closed Mouth, causing the absence of Da'as in the world. BELA [swallowing] = the swallowing of the upper lights into the Mouth. BEN BEOR = one who has this quality [like lavan chayil = a man of valor]. And DINHAVAH [his city] = DIN HAVAH [bring justice] — for this was permanently set in Malchus: the governance of rebuke and correction — reward and punishment as they should operate. And: "petach devarecha ya'ir — mevin peta'im" [Psalms 119:130] — when the Mouth opens, light comes forth. And: the Torah causes the Mouth to continually reopen, adding illumination to all worlds.

YOVAV BEN ZERAH / City of Botzrah: = the secret of YIBAVAH [the trembling/broken sound] — for after the Mouth sealed, the Sa"G-lights that remained outside, the seven Voices, began to tremble and flicker — illuminating and ceasing, illuminating and ceasing — unable to sustain constant illumination. This is the secret of SHEVARIM and TERUAH [the broken-sound of the Shofar]: Tekiah = the unbroken voice emerging in continuous force; Shevarim = the voice starting and stopping; Teruah = the persistent weakness of the voice. BEN ZERAH = from the ZERACH [dawn-rising] of light that bursts forth and illuminates momentarily. And yet even now the lights do illuminate — for: "ha-me'ir la-aretz ve-ladarim aleha be-rachamim" — every morning when the sun rises, the Chesed by which creation was made stirs in full force for a moment, as it will be in the future — but then it fades and the world continues through the weakened illumination of Yovav. And BOTZRAH = the FORTRESS [betzurah] of the SA — for from the state of Malchus-as-Yovav emerged the power that the SA uses to challenge the holy, thinking it can build structures of evil so great that holiness cannot prevail against them. But this is wrong — for all evil has an end, while holiness does not.

CHUSHAM FROM THE LAND OF TEMAN: = the seven HAVALIM [breaths/vanities] that were left alone [the Sa"G-lights without the Ayin-Beis], governing the world in the mode of the senses only [CHOSHIM = senses]. This is Koheles's "havel havalim" — for when these govern alone, the world appears as multiple separate things with no inner governance visible, and people follow materiality and sensory experience alone. And this is: the veil between the true inner governance and its outer appearance. TEMAN = the southern/material dimension [as in "ve-halach be-se'arot teman"]. And: the souls who were sunk in this hevel-governance thought that the world follows laws of nature alone — the heresy of Epicurus. But one who reaches true knowledge sees three things: the true inner governance hidden, the false outer appearance, and HOW the outer appearance connects to the true governance. And this is: "puka le-milei de-shtuta" — opening one's mouth for words of foolishness — which Rav Hamnuna Sava would recite before his learning, as explained in the Zohar.

HADAD BEN BEDAD / City of Avith: = CHESED — the fourth king = Tiferes. HADAD = the DADS [breasts/nourishing-lights] — for in the state of Hadad, the great nourishing lights that had been sealed within the Mouth began to emerge in the mode of CHESED. For: "olam chesed yibaneh" — the world is built with chesed — and the Dispenser always desires to give: "more than the calf wants to nurse, the cow wants to nurse" [Pesachim 112a]. And the two DADIM [breasts] = the two lights from ELOHIM of Bina [EL and MI] — for EL and MI are the two dads, illuminating in two directions: right and left. And the HEH of ELOHIM in the center = chalav [milk] flowing in both directions, in the secret of DI-DI-VaVaVaV [the form of the HEH] = 42 = the Name of Forty-Two by which all worlds were created. And: Torah learned li-shmah = for the Name [HVYH] — the Heh-light that causes Torah to be the very milk of the Dads. BEN BEDAD = the Beis of Dovid that was sunk within Edom and needed to be extracted.

SAMLAH FROM MASREKAH: = YESOD — the fifth king. SAMLAH = the garment of the divine light that illuminated within the garments [LEVUSH] of AK. For when the great light was vested within the garments, the garments could contain it [being a great vessel]. But when the light withdrew, the garments contracted and each garment-portion, becoming thin as a single thread, became a VAV [the letter Vav = a thin upright line]. And between each Vav and the next, the body remained in its pre-vesting state of air-that-cannot-be-grasped — this is the GVIL [blank parchment space] between letters in a Sefer Torah. And the VAVs gathered from the four directions in the form of a closed MEM, and all the souls of Yisroel were rooted within them: "de-minayihu perchin nishmatin" [from them the souls fly forth — Eliyahu's prayer in Tikkun Zohar]. And the sparks scintillating within them = the souls that have not yet come until after techias ha-maisim [resurrection]. MASREKAH = the SHEREKE [whistling-sound/VAV] — the sound that connects the garments to the body of AK, when the light re-illuminates within the Vavs in the mode of SHUREK [the vowel Shurek = Vav-dot].

And MASHIACH AS THE FOLDING VAV: The holy souls were divided in two: the RISHONIM [first-generation souls] who could withstand the SA and effect great tikkunim — who gave themselves for kiddush Hashem — and the ACHARONIM [later-generation souls] who lacked this strength. And MASHIACH stands in the middle, FOLDING [mekapel] these upon those — taking the lower half of the garment and lifting it onto the upper half, so that the upper half sustains the lower. He stands at the fold-line itself, the VAV that does the folding. He completes [meshalem] on behalf of all the Acharonim. For they needed a supplement they could not provide for themselves. And: CHIRIQ [the vowel dot below the Vav] = Mashiach's current state in exile — for the light illuminates from above but cannot fully reach the lower garment-half, leaving a dot below rather than within. And at the end: CHIRIQ will return to SHUREK — "ashrika lahem ve-akabtzem" [Zechariah 10:8] — and then to CHOLAM — until the Shechina rises as a crown on the King's head, and that is: the return of evil to good — in Hod [YeSoDe which had been Yud — becoming HoD].

SHAUL FROM RECHOVOS HA-NAHAR: = YESOD of IMMA — the sixth king, whose name means "one who is asked for" [sha'ul = given to G-d]. RECHOVOS HA-NAHAR = the broadness [rechovos] of the River [nahar = RINAH, the song/joy of Torah] — for when the letters of the garment flamed against each other [231 gates striking each other] they created the joy of Torah — the flaming of the lights. And the secret of Dovid's harp hung above his bed, played by the north wind at midnight — for the north-wind [yesod of Imma] struck the harp [yesod of AK], and then the lights of Torah blazed. And: whoever reveals Torah to others [megale masechta] brings these lights to flame in the Shechina, making a true Zivug. And: the joy of Torah is only in giving it to others, not in keeping it for oneself — for it is only at the moment of the Zivug, when Ze'ir Anpin turns toward the Nukva, that all his lights blaze with joy.

BAAL CHANAN BEN ACHBOR: = the seventh king — the secret of the CAT AND MOUSE [Chatul ve-Achbar]. BAAL CHANAN = the Tzaddik who gives generously ["ve-tzaddik chonen ve-noten"]. ACHBOR = the mouse who hoards ["achbara de-shachiv adinarei" — the mouse that lies on the coins]. This is the secret of the GIVING EYE [ayin tovah] vs. the WITHHOLDING EYE [ayin ra'ah] — which is the inner light that illuminates through the eyes and allows the sefirot to give to each other ["tov ayin hu yivorach"]. When this eye-illumination is present: the lights give to each other [mekablin dein min dein]. When absent: each hoards its portion in sealing [situm]. And: the Tzaddik even when sealing does so for a purpose — he guards for the right time. But the evil mouse wastes without benefit. And: Klipas Nogah = the cat that must catch the evil mouse — for sometimes the cat is the instrument of holiness catching what needs to be caught.

HADAR / City of Pa'u — wife Meheitavel daughter of Matred bat Mei Zahav: = the eighth king = the GENERAL TIKKUN of all the Breaking, ZU"N together. For here ZU"N were finally corrected together — hence his wife is mentioned [all previous kings had no wife recorded]. And HADAR = the illumination of the eyes [HA-DAR = HA-EIN = the eye-lights] that illuminates the mouth-lights and causes the Simple and the Filling of Sa"G to reunite. And TZEDEK = the complete governance of the Mouth — "be-tzedek kol imrei fi" [Proverbs 8:8]. TZEDEK is Yerushalayim = Ir ha-Tzedek = the strength of Din. And MISHPAT = the sweetening [mitukt] of Tzedek — turning it toward zechuyos [merits] and minimizing punishments. And TZEDEK + YaK = HADAR [in gematria]. This is TZEDDAKAH — the joining of ZU"N. And MEHEITAVEL = when the Nukva herself returns to be called by the aspect of MA"H [= 45 = good revealed]. For the Beis of Be"N [= 52] becomes the Beis of BAYIS [home] when MA"H rules over Be"N so completely that Be"N itself becomes a source of sustenance — "ha-hofchi ha-tzur agam mayim" [Psalms 114:8].

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:

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

1 The Pargod as the membrane of the brain: see Zohar Bereishis 15a; and see Eitz Chaim, Sha'ar ha-Tzimtzum.

2 On the nine Heichalos as root of Atzilus: see Zohar Pekudei 259b; and Kla"ch Petach 136.

3 On Mati ve-lo mati: see Kla"ch Pataich 93–94; Pischei Chochma ve-Da'as §9 (Sha'arei Ramchal p. 144).

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.

5 On Bereishis = Bra Shis: Zohar Bereishis 3b. On the seven Voices: Zohar 2:25b (parashas Va'era).

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).

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).

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).

9 On the Simchas Torah = flaming of the 231 gates: see Tamid 32b; and Kla"ch Petach 52.

10 On Tzedek + YaK = Hadar: Sha'arei Ramchal p. 386. And see Kla"ch Petach 58 on Malchus as Yesod.