# Adir BaMurom — Chapter 2: The Reapers of the Field — Tzadikim Who Repair the Shechina; Secrets from Gan Eden
Source: https://ajew.org/reader/ramchal-adir-bamuroam/1/2
## Segment 1
(שַׁדַּי) (שׁ״ד) (י׳)
## Segment 2
הוי״ה
## Segment 3
מִילָה יהוה הוי״ה
## Segment 4
יה״ו יהו״ה
## Segment 5
הוי״ה הוי״ה
## Segment 6
אוֹת
## Segment 7
בוטש
## Segment 8
קֶשֶׁת
## Segment 9
א-ו-ת
## Segment 10
אֱלֹהִים מ-נ-צ-פ-ך צַר חֶרְפָּה ח-ר-פ פָּרַע שְׁמִי י-ה פרע יה יהוה
It thus emerges that there are two sets of taryag [613]. The first taryag is what the Holy Blessed One has made — and it is the aspect of Malchus [Royalty, the lowest sefira] of itself: this is the body given to man. And there is another taryag — that which man himself performs — and it is the aspect of Malchus in the secret of mitzva [commandment]: these are the 613 mitzvos. However, the truth is that everything is contained within one taryag; only that within one particular luminary, both sets of taryag are subsumed — and that is the ateres habris [the crown of the covenant — the corona of circumcision], which alone receives the full impress of all 613. For through the presence of this luminary in its place, all those qualities come to exist within the luminaries that bring about the actions required by the mitzvos. And likewise those luminaries that are the secret of tefillin, tzitzis, and similar mitzvos emerge through it. Thus in truth, this crown has a great function, for it serves as the counterpart to all the 613 — and therefore the Sages of blessed memory said: "Great is circumcision, which is equal in weight to all the commandments" (Jerusalem Talmud, Nedarim, end of ch. 3).
And now I will explain all this in the secret of the Name Shaddai (שַׁדַּי), which is the tziyur [the imprinting form] that we have described. The 613 of matza [the Nukva in her diminished, unilluminated state — as "bread of affliction"] — these correspond to Shin-Dalet (שׁ״ד) of Shaddai, while the last among them — the crown — corresponds to the Yud (י׳) of Shaddai. And the 613 of mitzva [the Nukva in her complete, illuminated state] all depend upon this Yud of Shaddai.
## Segment 11
מ-ה (עָמֹק עָמֹק)
## Segment 12
הוי״ה הוי״ה
## Segment 13
הוי״ה
## Segment 14
אל״ף למ״ד ה״י יו״ד מ״ם
Now, within the form of Shin-Dalet, the aspect of evil is still present — for indeed, it was deliberately structured this way in order to give existence to the evil inclination [yetzer hara]. It was given likewise to the nations of the world, for this form was given to them. But the Yud of Shaddai is not revealed through this form — rather, the revelation of the Yud is given specifically through the path of mitzva: in the commandment of the covenant of circumcision [bris mila]. And thereafter all the mitzvos depend upon it. And it is impossible to attain the full completeness of the mitzvos except for one who possesses this completeness of circumcision. Therefore, regarding the nations of the world it is written: "He has not done so for any nation, and they do not know His judgments" [Psalms 147:20].
The first mitzvos that flow principally from this Yud are those called osos [signs / identifying marks] — and this is the secret of what our Sages of blessed memory said: "A sign he has in his host" (Chagiga 16a). Let me now explain this matter to you thoroughly.
You have already heard how through the name El Shaddai creation was accomplished — but that is in Yesod Imma [the Foundation-channel of the Supernal Mother], which is the root. Afterwards this name spreads into Ze'ir Anpin and is subsumed in his Yesod as well. Now, according to the Shin-Dalet of Shaddai, all the sefiros are made in the aspect of Elokim — and afterwards, by virtue of the Yud, they are all made into Havayos [manifestations of the Name הוי״ה]. This is the aspect of Elokim and HVYH mentioned in the account of Creation — for all the sefiros are made only in one of these two aspects: either as Elokim or as HVYH. As for what produces this transformation — namely El Shaddai — it is not relevant to mention it there, since it operates within Imma and the Work of Creation is the work of Zu"n.
And this is the secret of מִי יַעֲלֶה לָנוּ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה — "Who shall ascend for us to heaven?" [Deuteronomy 30:12] — where the initial letters spell מִילָה = mila [circumcision], and the final letters spell יהוה [HVYH] (Tikkunay Zohar, Introduction, fol. 2b) — for only through this Yud does the Name הוי״ה blessed be He shine within the sefiros. Therefore even an infant Israelite who is born — the Name does not illuminate him until after he is circumcised. And therefore arla [foreskin, uncircumcision] has the numerical value of ש״ה = 305, and its secret is the Name Elokim in its miluy [spelled-out form] and its five letters — for in the aspect of Elokim these matters remain.
And this Name spreads through Ze'ir Anpin as stated — El spreads through Cha"G Ta"T [= Chessed, Gevura, Tiferes, Netzach, Hod — through its Lamed], for the Lamed spreads through Cha"G Ta"T. And the Alef spreads through Netzach-Hod, which are the two halves of the Alef of Tzvaos [Hosts], as elucidated elsewhere. Afterwards the Yesod spreads out and is revealed in the secret of Shaddai — in the secret of this form and seal. For truly the Yesod encompasses this crown — the secret of the final sefira of the partzuf [Divine Countenance], and also the end of every individual sefira. Therefore of it the verse says: "Dai — Enough!" (Chagiga 12a) — for when the Yesod emerges, He has said "Enough!" to the world, and the expansion of the light is complete.
And the Shin-Dalet within it corresponds to the El we described — for its secret is likewise Cha"G Ta"T: Shin = Cha"G, Dalet = Ta"T [Netzach-Hod], all in the secret of vavs [the letter Vav = 6, representing the six emotional sefiros]. And the Yud is the aspect of the Yesod itself. Yet even so, in truth the crown is the secret of Malchus that is subsumed there. For you have already heard how the sefiros are in the form of a man — they are imprinted in the form of the aspect of Malchus, which is for the purpose of the governance. Thus the supernal sefiros are all in the secret of the masculine imprinted according to Malchus — and therefore their measure is in the secret of the Heh [= 5], namely Cha"G Ta"T. And similarly Shin-Dalet is five vavs. But the crown is in Malchus, according to the aspect of Yesod — which is the secret of mitzva, as explained above — while formerly [alternate reading: "from the beginning"] it is in the aspect of matza. Understand this well.
It thus emerges that all the sefiros correspond to YaH-Vav [יה״ו — the first three letters of the Name יהו״ה], while the crown corresponds to the final Heh.
And when this crown is revealed and the Name הוי״ה blessed be He shines forth, then El — which had been combined with Shaddai — now combines with הוי״ה and makes El HVYH as well. Therefore both of these Names are found in the Torah: El Shaddai and El HVYH — "El HVYH, and He has given us light" [Psalms 118:27].
And if you add up El Shaddai and El HVYH together with the Heh found in the crown, the total comes to the numerical value of אוֹת [= 407 = sign/letter — the very word for "sign"]. Therefore the Yesod is called Os Bris Kodesh — the sign of the holy covenant — for the Os [sign] belongs to this very aspect. And it is itself one of the 613 mitzvos, and also one of the 613 limbs of the body. And upon it depend another 613, which are the completion of the other 613.
Now, the angelic hosts are created through Malchus — for all of creation was created in her secret, for she is the act [of creation], as is known. Yet the truth is that all of creation was created through the secret of the letters. But the angels have a revelation of the governance through the secret of these letters — for the letter from which each angel emerged shines above its head and sparkles, and according to this sparkling they are governed. And through the revelation of this letter above their heads there is found upon them a covering of radiance and splendor, and various kinds of bonds by which this letter is fastened to them — and this is precisely their perfection of creation. Now their creation is in the secret of Malchus — the act — but the sparkling of the letter upon them is in the secret of the Yesod, namely this very Yud of Shaddai.
And the secret of this is nefesh and ruach [the soul-levels of "life-force" and "spirit"] — for in the nefesh there are 22 letters, and similarly in the ruach. Only: the nefesh stands fixed, like a woman who sits in her home, while the ruach rises and descends and beats and strikes [בוטש — root: to beat/strike/thrash — a strong, active word] in its sparkling. Therefore, from the aspect of Malchus, the angels are created from the letters — but even so, the letters do not sparkle upon them. It is from the aspect of the Yesod that they sparkle and produce in them those bonds of radiance and splendor we described.
And this is similarly the case with Israel: in the aspect of Shin-Dalet alone, these lights of sparkling do not exist — for the letters have built the body and are quietly settled in their place. But it is in the aspect of the Yud of Shaddai that they illuminate. And since attaining this level must be accomplished through performing the mitzva, it was therefore placed in their hands — and once they have done it, these tikkunim become fixed within them. And this fixedness will be seen in them afterwards in the World of Souls, in the secret of: "the righteous sit with their crowns upon their heads" (Berachos 17a) — for these are the tikkunim they established during their lifetimes.4 For during all the time of free choice, the matter must remain in the hands of man.
And regarding tefillin, our Sages of blessed memory explained (Menachos 35b) the verse: "And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the Name of the Lord is called upon you..." [Deuteronomy 28:10] — for just as the letters sparkle in the secret of the Yesod above the head of each celestial host, so do they sparkle upon the head of man below, in the secret of the tefillin sheb'rosh [head-tefillin]. And just as above, one letter illuminates for each host — for each angelic host emerges from a single letter — so in Israel, all four letters illuminate, for they emerge from all of them. And this aspect is called os [sign] — namely, those bonds that are bound upon a person beyond his creation, wherein the root is revealed and bound and rests upon him. And also above, in Ze'ir Anpin, these illuminations are an additional light drawn from his own root upon him. And the tefillin shel yad and the tefillin shel rosh bind the Holy One upon man, as is elucidated in the Tikkunim many times — for these are truly in the aspect of this os: "a sign he has in his host" — and all of this depends upon the Yud of Shaddai, which is the os, as explained.
Now, Adam HaRishon [the primordial man] was far more prepared than human beings are today — for he was already born circumcised. Thus he was already readied to draw upon himself the signs [alternate reading: the letters] dependent upon this Yud of Shaddai, for his service was intended to be far easier and more effortless than it is now. But since he sinned, the foreskin came to be found upon him — and this is the secret of: "he was one who drew out his foreskin" (Sanhedrin 38b) — for he was no longer prepared to accept the yoke of the commandments. And so you will observe that twenty-six generations passed until there would be one worthy to receive the Torah. And the mode of Adam HaRishon's existence in the world was already lost at the time of the Flood, as is explained elsewhere.5 And then the Holy Blessed One created Noah already circumcised like Adam HaRishon, and the world was fitting to be rectified through him. And indeed it began to be rectified — to the point that there was no destruction at the end of his ten generations as there was at the end of the generations of the first man. On the contrary: Abraham our forefather, peace be upon him, came and received the reward of them all, and then it was rectified entirely. And the completion of this rectification came at the giving of the Torah. And the nations of the world remained uncircumcised — which is the condition that came about after Adam's sin — and therefore they have no share in the Torah and the commandments.
Thus tefillin, tzitzis, and all those called os are the matters found in the aspect of the revelation and binding of the root upon man — beyond what was needed for man's building in the secret of the form of man in the aspect of Malchus — and they all depend upon the crown of the Yesod.
And this crown — its secret is keshet [bow / rainbow — קֶשֶׁת], in the secret of Cha"D aR [= Chessed, Din, Rachamim — the three colors of the rainbow], in the aspect of the three avos [patriarchs — the three columns of the divine structure] who are the root of everything. And in truth they are the secret of the three points [thorns / kotzin] of the Yud. And this is precisely the matter of the bow that the Holy Blessed One placed in the days of Noah — and understand the profound significance of the secret of the rainbow mentioned so often in the Zohar and the Tikkunim. And you will also understand the matter of the keshet in its three shining colors, and the matter of the three sounds of the shofar — tekia, shevarim, terua — whose secret is keshet: for these are matters that encompass much, in the ways of wisdom expounded in so many places.
For keshet is the secret of yichud [divine unification] itself — namely the secret of mitzva in the secret of the cleaving of the Masculine — and upon this depend all the matters of this cleaving. And it is itself the matter of the voice of the shofar, which is the very secret of the Torah, in the secret of the expansion of the inwardness [pnimiyus] that is revealed in the world. For Creation is only in the secret of the external [chitzoniyus] — in the secret of the vapors [havlim] — but the Torah is the inner dimension that is revealed; and its secret is kol [voice/sound] in the secret of Alef-Mem-Shin [= Fire, Water, Air — the three mother letters], which afterwards becomes keshet. And this is the secret of: "The voice is the voice of Jacob" [Genesis 27:22] — which is the seven Havayos in the secret of four voices.
And truly the shofar is higher than the keshet — for the shofar is in the secret of [alternate: "in the Yesod of"] Imma, which brings forth the voice — namely Cha"G [Chessed-Gevura] in the secret of the inwardness. And the keshet is in the secret of [alternate: "in the Yesod of"] Ze'ir Anpin as it is revealed — in the aspect of "a sign in his host." And within the external dimension we described, the power of yichud is not revealed — for the sefiros are like vessels, each one for its operation — but only through the inward dimension is the power of yichud known. And this is precisely the secret of the keshet — which is the totality of the gradations in one yichud, in the secret of the Yud we described.
Now, after Adam HaRishon sinned — you have already heard how the foreskin prevailed until the world reached the point of being destroyed by the Flood — and through Noah, who was circumcised, things began to be rectified, and the keshet — which is the os — was set, and all the signs that enter the world depend upon it.
And once the keshet was revealed, it did not return to be hidden again. The only difference is: it can illuminate with its light, or its light can become darkened by various coverings that may cover it — but in any case there will be no one who can entirely eliminate it. It thus emerges that this is the aspect of the inwardness being revealed, as the root shines and is bound in the world. And this action reaches only Israel and not the nations of the world — for Israel have the mila and all the other mitzvos, and upon them stands the os in its host, and to them this revelation is fitting. And this is the secret of: "U'niflianu — we shall be distinguished, I and Your people" [Exodus 33:16], which Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, prayed. And it is the secret of: "Before all your people I will do wonders" [Exodus 34:10], which the Holy Blessed One said to him. And here was revealed the prophecy that the Holy Blessed One gave to Israel — for it is truly something above what the building of the world from the side of Malchus provides. And also the great wisdom in the secret of Ruach HaKodesh [the Holy Spirit / Divine inspiration] — all of this is above the building of the world. For the nations of the world did not merit this; only the human intellect found in the structure of the body remained with them.
Now, this aspect of keshet — once it was revealed, it will no longer depart from the world. Only it can become covered by covering-forces that darken it — as I will explain to you, G-d willing. And when it was covered, that was exile; and when it will be shed of these coverings, that will be the redemption, in the secret of: "I will see it to remember the eternal covenant" [Genesis 9:16].
It thus emerges that the osos [signs] are the bonds drawn from the aspect of this os, that bind the root to the branch — and their secret is tzitzis and tefillin, and all that pertains to them. These have never been removed and will never be removed from the world. Only: before they were wrapped in this cloak of darkness, they were visible to our eyes and produced for us those great goodnesses. And now — do not say that they are absent, heaven forbid — they exist! Only because of the covering we have not seen them. And this is what the verse says: "אֹתֹתֵינוּ לֹא רָאִינוּ — our osos we have not seen" [Psalms 74:9] — and it does not say "osos [signs in general] we have not seen," but rather: "ososaynu — our signs." [Root: א-ו-ת — os = sign, letter, bond.] For the osos exist, and they are these bonds — for the Holy One is bound upon Israel in the tefillin shel rosh and the tefillin shel yad, and in the sign of Sabbath and the sign of the Covenant. But we have not seen — nor have there arrived to us from them the wonders that were said about them: "Before all your people I will do wonders," which come flowing from them. And from the time these osos were covered: "there is no more any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long" [Psalms 74:9].6
I will now explain to you the matter of these coverings. For just as the Yud contains three points [kotzin — thorns/tips], which are the secret of the three colors of the keshet, correspondingly there are three coverings — to remove which, one requires mila [circumcision], pria [uncovering the corona], and atifas dam [the dripping of blood]. And their secret is: Esav, Yishmael, and the Erev Rav [Mixed Multitude] — and these correspond precisely to the three avos [patriarchs]: for Esav and Yishmael come from Yitzchak and Avraham, and the Erev Rav became mixed with the seed of Yaakov. And all this depends upon the commandment of circumcision.
And this is the secret of: "For all the children of Israel there was light in their dwellings" [Exodus 10:23]. And the matter of circumcision has already been explained in its place: for when the foreskin does not cover, the chassadim [acts of lovingkindness — the energies of Chessed flowing from Ze'ir Anpin] spread from the chest downward, and they are seventy, in the secret of the seventy souls. And this is precisely the place of settled habitation — which is the place where Rachel is found: this corresponds to "in their dwellings." And when this light spreads there, Israel are in greatness. But when the foreskin prevails, it is said: "He has turned back His right hand before the enemy" [Lamentations 2:3], and then darkness and exile remain.
Therefore: "How long, O G‑d, shall the adversary revile?" [Psalms 74:10] — this corresponds to the foreskin. "The enemy has blasphemed Your Name forever" — this corresponds to the pria. "Why do you withdraw Your hand?" [Psalms 74:11] — this corresponds to the atifas dam. And this is because you have already heard how the sefiros in the aspect of Shin-Dalet of Shaddai are Names of Elokim. Therefore it says: "How long, O Elokim, shall the adversary revile?" — for these very five letters [of אֱלֹהִים] are themselves the letters Mantzpach [מ-נ-צ-פ-ך — the final forms of five letters] whose secret is tzar [adversary — צַר]. And this is the secret of: "and the serpent — dust shall be its food" [Isaiah 65:25] — meaning: ayin [= the letter Ayin standing for the nikkudos / vowel-points of Elokim], peh-resh [= the letters Mantzpach].
And the foreskin itself is called חֶרְפָּה [disgrace / reviling — sharing the root ח-ר-פ with yecharef = "revile"], in the secret of: "I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you" [Joshua 5:9], and similarly: "and the disgrace of His people He will remove" [Isaiah 25:8]. Thus the adversary is the one who reviles. And there is a further aspect — that of Yishmael, who has mila but not pria. It emerges that he defiles the Name — which is the secret of this Yud — concerning which it is said: "I am Hashem, that is My Name, and My glory I shall not give to another" [Isaiah 42:8]. And as long as pria has not been performed, it is as though the enemy is defiling the Name — for you will observe that פָּרַע [para = to uncover] has the same numerical value as שְׁמִי [shmi = My Name] — and the secret of pria is: para yah — "uncovering the י-ה." [פרע = uncover; יה = the first two letters of the Name יהוה.]
And since Yishmael [alternate reading: Israel] is in the secret of Netzach, and Esav in the secret of Hod, it says: "The enemy has blasphemed Your Name lanetzach" [= forever / in Netzach].
But then there is also the Erev Rav — and on their account too these chassadim do not illuminate Israel — and regarding them it says: "Why do You withdraw Your hand, Your right hand? Draw it out from the midst of Your bosom, and consume!" [Psalms 74:11]. And this is also what is said: "He has turned back His right hand" — for these are the chassadim pushed backward, pushed literally back toward the bosom — the place from which they would have been revealed.
Now in the arm there are two aspects: the aspect of yad [hand], and the aspect of yad yamin [right hand]. Explanation: the yad is the secret of the fourteen joints — which belong to both right and left. And there is the aspect of the five fingers — which are the secret of the five chassadim. Now, fourteen is the secret of all the tribes — for are there not twelve tribes? But fourteen: divided into two — Kohen and Levi — that is fourteen. And from the secret of the five chassadim, seventy are produced — namely five times fourteen — and this is the secret of the seventy chassadim we said are revealed.
And all of this must return backward on account of the Erev Rav. And know further that when these chassadim turn backward, it is said of Ze'ir Anpin, as it were: "his strength weakened like a woman's" (Berachos 32a) — which is precisely the secret of achor [backward/posterior], in the secret of: "You have hemmed me in behind and before" [Psalms 139:5] — meaning that only the aspect of the Nukva remains, which is the secret of back-to-back. This matter has already been explained elsewhere, and there is no room to expand on it here. But when the chassadim do push to illuminate, then even the gevuros [stern judgments] illuminate in the aspect of the masculine and bring about salvation — for they are the salvations, in the secret of: "the cup of salvations" [Psalms 116:13] — and this is the secret of: "G‑d my King from of old, working salvations in the midst of the earth" [Psalms 74:12].
I will now explain to you all of this thoroughly. And this is the matter of: "and we do not know how long [ad ma]" [Psalms 74:9]. For there are many interpretations of this expression — and truly, the Torah is expounded in many ways. There are interpretations according to the plain sense as it appears, and there are interpretations quite remote from the literal sense, to the point that they seem strange according to what the plain text appears to say — since they draw the meaning of the words in an entirely different direction. So much so that sometimes what is praise may be interpreted as reproach, and what is reproach may be interpreted as praise — and all interpretations shall be true. This flows from the combinations [tziruf] of the Torah, concerning which it is said: "then He saw it and set it forth" [Job 28:27] — for everything was created through the Torah, and its letters combine into many combinations to produce all the matters that needed to come into being. And this particular combination that appears before our eyes was the root of all those matters recorded within it.8 And when one matter contains many purposes or many paths, they may all nevertheless emerge from a single root — and so the lights will combine in one combination: in one aspect it will produce one effect, which is seen in one interpretation of the verse; and in another aspect it will produce another effect, seen in another interpretation. Understand this well.
First meaning: The plain interpretation of the expression is: "and we do not know how long [ad ma]" — meaning: until when will this continue? This is because all the consolations that were mentioned in the Scriptures were drawn near in the secret of healing for the blows of exile — for all those lights were already set up in their stations, as they are to perform their operations in the redemption. And their revelation to us is this: a great illumination was already given to them to shine upon us — for had it not been revealed above in this way, the knowledge of them would not have reached us. And it is a great tikkun to weaken the power of the evil that prevails in exile, and to heal many corruptions, until we can bear them. But correspondingly, the day of redemption was sealed, in the secret of: "Is it not concealed with Me, sealed in My treasuries?" [Deuteronomy 32:34]. For the end-times of the first two exiles were revealed — and this was the light prepared for their redemption. When it was revealed to them, it performed a great action in the matters of exile — far beyond what we know. Certainly it was great — for nothing is revealed for nothing, all the more so the day of redemption. But in this last exile, an additional complete tikkun was required — so that even the day would be sealed. And this is the secret of the tehom [abyss — the fourth kingdom], which is the fourth monarchy that has no fathoming, as stated in the Midrash. For this is part of the tikkunim of exile, and the reason is known to the One Singular Master who guides all. And this is what David the King, peace be upon him, lamented and said: "and we do not know how long."
Second meaning: Another matter is contained in this expression, and through it the verse is expounded along a different path. For the knowledge of the latter generations is not called "knowledge" at all — since matters are not clear to them as they were to the earlier ones. For Rashbi [Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai] — all matters were always clear before him, like a person who sees something with his own eyes and it is perfectly imprinted in his heart, with no confusion or obscurity in his knowledge. But prior to him, after the destruction, it is said: "and we do not know how long [ad mah]" — and "ad mah" is as if saying "like nothing at all." The meaning: there is none who knows what the matter actually is — which is as much as saying: nothing whatsoever. And note that it does not say "v'lo banenu yode'a — and none of us knows," but rather "v'lo itanu yode'a — and with us there is none who knows." For in truth, despite all this, there were still some great sages among Israel who were not entirely lacking. But the matter was like the period from Noah to Abraham — for there were righteous men such as Shem and Eber and their courts, yet they did not mingle with the rest of their generation and their generation derived no great benefit from them, for they stood apart and their goodness did not flow to others. So too, after prophecy ceased in Israel, certainly many sages remained — for in the time of the Tannaim there was great wisdom in Israel, and each of them knew secrets. But the matters were not settled clearly in their hearts, for each one did not know with clarity what he had attained, and the matters were as the words of a sealed book. For whoever did not stand upon the true content of the matter — the matters are very sealed, since the way of understanding was hidden from human intellect. And indeed you will see likewise, after Rashbi passed to his resting place: the sages who came after him would mutter in their speech and would not speak with a full mouth. And yet — great and renowned sages existed, who knew the Kabbalah according to its true nature; only they did not establish an academy to produce a great work like the Sefer HaZohar, into which they would gather both supernal and earthly matters. They only stood apart and did not join with others. Thus the entire world was left lacking this knowledge. Therefore it says: "and with us there is none who knows how long" — for whatever exists with us, there is none who knows how much it is — because none can be said to know anything. And in truth all this is drawn from the illumination of the lights in concealment, or in openness. For only in the days of Rashbi, after the thirteen years he was in the cave, were the gates of wisdom opened to him to illuminate all Israel until the end of days — and I will further tell you great things about this, G-d willing.
Third meaning: And there is yet a further matter contained in this expression: "how long [ad ma]." For the true knowledge is the knowledge of the secret of Dmus Adam [the form of Adam — the cosmic man]. That is: are not all the creatures and their laws subsumed in the secret of the form of Adam? — as has already been elucidated in many places.10 And whoever attains this matter is called one who knows wisdom — which is the inwardness of wisdom and the inwardness of Torah, in the secret of: "This is the Torah of Adam [zos haTorah Adam]" [Numbers 19:14]. And since there is none who attains this, it is said: "and with us there is none who knows how long [ad mah]" — for mah [= "what" / the Name of 45] is the Name MaH [= מ-ה] in the secret of Adam. § 13 — The Deepest Level: Atzmus and Kelim; the Inner Thread; Rashbi as the Spark of Moses And there is yet a further secret contained in this verse — deep, deep (עָמֹק עָמֹק) it is, deeper than all that I have explained to you until now. For it is written: "What is His Name, and what is the Name of His Son — if you know" [Proverbs 30:4]. The sefiros divide into atzmus [essence/interiority] and kelim [vessels/outer structures] — as has been elucidated in many places thoroughly.11 The kelim are the sefiros that change in their operations according to the needs of the governance. But the atzmus is the secret of the thread of Ayn Sof blessed be He extending through all of them — which is the secret of the line that pierced the void [challal] — in which there is no change whatsoever, and it is simply the vitality of the sefiros. And it is also called shkiyo d'ilana [Aramaic: the watering of the tree] (Tikkunay Zohar, Introduction, fol. 2b), and its secret is the Name MaH — the secret of Adam.
And those who receive can draw either from the sefiros alone — namely from the kelim — or from the atzmus within them; and the difference is clearly immense. But truly, when Israel is properly prepared, there spreads within them an extension of this thread through their souls — for even above there are many levels of interiority nested one within another, and this thread is the most interior of them all. And so too among Israel: sometimes the extension flows within their souls only from the aspect of the kelim alone, and sometimes also from the aspect of the thread itself — and that is the true strength of Israel, and they are then called: "You are children of the Lord your G‑d" [Deuteronomy 14:1]. And this is: "What is His Name, and what is the Name of His Son?" And when they receive in this way, they attain the inwardness of comprehension.
But at the time when the Temple was destroyed, it is said: "He has set me in dark places, like those long dead" [Lamentations 3:6] — for the extension no longer reaches Israel except through the aspect of the kelim alone, and the inner dimension withdraws. And then it is said: "And the earth was tohu va-vohu — formless and void — and darkness was upon the face of the deep" [Genesis 1:2]. And the secret of this matter: the klippos [forces of concealment] have no dominion over the illumination of the inner dimension — only over the aspect of the kelim alone. The klippos are rooted in the Nukva de-Tehoma Rabba [the Feminine of the Great Deep], and they grasp from there in the places where they grasp. For corresponding to NaRaN [= Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama — the three levels of soul] of the inner dimension as it withdraws, it is said: "the earth was tohu, vohu, and darkness." And these [the three — tohu, vohu, darkness] are in the secret of brain, heart, and liver — within which NaRaN dwell — and this reaches down to the tehom which is the abode of the klippos. And when Israel's governance is only from this alone, exile grows exceedingly heavy — and then: "and we do not know how long [ad ma]" — meaning this aspect of MaH, which is the thread described.
But even then: "and the spirit of G‑d hovered over the face of the waters" [Genesis 1:2] — for despite all this, the ruach [spirit] — which is the secret of this thread — was extending itself over these waters, hovering but not quite touching — in the secret of mati ve-lo mati [Aramaic: "touching and not touching" — the mode of near-presence without full contact]. And from this ruach, those great and renowned sages in Israel we spoke of would receive. But since the ruach was only in the mode of mati ve-lo mati, they could not establish an academy like Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. But in the days of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, this MaH began to spread — and then the Zohar was produced, in the secret of: "And G‑d said: Let there be light!" [Genesis 1:3] — against the darkness of the body, namely the secret of the kelim that had dominated until that time. And then it was said: "G‑d, my King from of old, working salvations in the midst of the earth" [Psalms 74:12].
Let me now explain this matter thoroughly — so you will know what Rashbi did in his cave, and what the Zohar is. For the Sefer HaZohar has been expounded many times in the secret of Noah's teiva [ark] — and in Parshas Beha'aloscha it states: "And the enlightened ones shall shine like the brightness [zohar] of the firmament — these are those who study the Sefer HaZohar, which is the scroll [kesivat] of Noah..." (Zohar III, 153b).
At the time when the Shechinah [Divine Presence] entered exile — in the beginning — we have already said that she was only in the aspect of the kelim and no light from the inner dimension came to her at all. This was until Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai came — and this was because he is a spark of Moses our teacher, peace be upon him. And truly Moses is the first and most essential — the one of whom it is said: "What is His Name and what is the Name of His Son?" — in the secret of the thread we explained above, which enclothes itself in the soul of Moses, and through him enclothes itself afterwards in all the rest of Israel in whom it enclothes. And therefore Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai — who was from his root — was able then, for the time had now also come for drawing down the secret of this thread to the vessels of the Nukva [alternate: "of the body"]. And at that time Imma spread out and illuminated her five lights to the Nukva — and the secret of this is that within the Nukva there is Elokim — which is the secret of the darkness of the body and the kelim we spoke of. But when this thread reaches her, then a light is drawn to this Elokim and it is sweetened.
And the secret of the matter: at first it is said "the earth was tohu, vohu, and darkness" — in the secret of brain, heart, and liver as above. Afterwards: "And G‑d said: Let there be light!" — and there are five occurrences of or [light], to sweeten the five letters of Elokim. And truly this sweetening reaches her through the secret of Imma — for as you know, even the thread itself reaches Zu"n from Imma. And within Imma, Elokim is subsumed within הוי״ה in the secret of its vowel-points, and there it is sweetened in the secret of the five lights. And then the Nukva becomes the teiva of Noah. For before, there was only: "and the spirit of G‑d hovered over the face of the waters" — and then the aspect of a teiva had not yet formed, for everyone stood within the waters — namely within the Sitra Achra [the Other Side — the forces of impurity] that dominates in exile — and the ruach reached them only in the mode of mati ve-lo mati. And even so the governance was only in the secret of Elokim alone. Afterwards: "And G‑d said: Let there be light!" — in the secret of הוי״ה vowel-pointed with Elokim, and in the secret of the five lights that sweeten the five letters of Elokim. And then one mode of existence was formed within the waters — which is the teiva. And this is the existence of the Nukva's spreading in one aspect: that even during the time of exile, and amidst the Sitra Achra, she will separate out from the others whoever is worthy to find shelter in her shade. And these, even though they are within the klippos, shall be called "outside the klippos" — just like Noah who was within the ark in the midst of the floodwaters.
And therefore, before the aspect of the teiva existed, it was not possible to make tikkunim as Rashbi made — for one who is within the klippos cannot make these tikkunim. But once the teiva exists, here is a place of refuge and shelter from the Sitra Achra, where a person can be saved and make tikkunim. Understand this well — for this is precisely comparable to the matter of the zivug d'achor b'achor [back-to-back union]: below, Zu"n cannot unite; but when they ascend to Av"A [Abba ve-Imma — Father and Mother] they unite. So too: had they been outside this teiva, they could not have made tikkunim — for the floodwaters, which are the Sitra Achra, covered the entire earth. But once they entered the teiva, they were able to make tikkunim. And therefore understand: Rashbi's tikkunim could not bring the redemption to light — for they were made only in the secret of the teiva. I will yet explain this to you further, G-d willing.
And this is the secret of: "A window [tzohar] you shall make for the ark" [Genesis 6:16] — for this aspect comes to be only when Imma joins with the Nukva in the secret of her five lights, and then the Nukva becomes the teiva. And this is the secret of the Sefer HaZohar — for they said: it is the zohara de-Imma Ila'a [the brilliance/radiance of the Supernal Mother] — and this is precisely the matter of the tzohar mentioned in this verse.12 And then it says: "and to a cubit [amah] shall you complete it at the top" [Genesis 6:16] — and amah is in the secret of Alef-MaH [= 1 + MaH = the letter Alef that stands for the Name MaH] — which is this MaH, namely the thread.
And although this extends from Imma to the Nukva, it certainly passes through Ze'ir Anpin — but it passes through him merely in transit, as a passageway. For since it must come from the aspect of Imma, it must not change to the gradation of Ze'ir Anpin, but pass on and continue. And the path of its spreading is through the Alef at the center of the Name MaH of Ze'ir Anpin. And this is not the MaH of the thread — for this Alef, you already know, is the Alef that comes within Ze'ir Anpin. And therefore it says: "ve-el amah tichlenah" — [meaning "and to a cubit/Alef-MaH complete it"] — and the secret of tichlena [= complete it] is kala [bride], in the secret of: ki lo haMelucha [= "for His is the Kingship"] whose initial letters spell kala [bride]. "From above" — which is above the Sitra Achra. Understand this matter of the teiva well — for it is the essence of the matter of the Zohar and all its tikkunim. And all this is what I have explained to you in the secret of: "and to a cubit [Alef-MaH] you shall complete it from above" — for the thread extends into the Nukva, yet we say that the lights come from Imma to sweeten her. But the secret of the matter is: when the thread is concealed, there are concealed along with it many tikkunim of the sefiros and the kelim themselves — for these too have their own particular tikkunim that must be present in them from their own side, apart from the thread within them.
And these lights that we say come from Imma are not like the illumination that comes in the ordinary flow of influence — rather, they are a certain aspect that is fitting to exist in the Nukva for the completion of her building. And this is the secret of: "Imma ozifas mana'ah l'varta — Mother lends her vessels to her daughter" (Zohar I, 2a). For when the Nukva is in her own aspect alone, she is harsh judgment [din] and darkness, and the Sitra Achra grasps hold of her. But when there is present in her the completion of her existence from the side of Imma — in the secret of these vessels of hers — then her judgments are sweetened and she is rectified with a great tikkun. And this is the reason why these lights do not come to Ze'ir Anpin and then from Ze'ir Anpin to the Nukva — for they are of the aspect of the Nukva, belonging to her alone for her building. Rather they pass through Ze'ir Anpin, and therefore they come to her bound together with the thread — together with the illumination of the Alef of the Name MaH of Ze'ir Anpin through which they pass. And this is: "ve-el Amah."
And it emerges that she is then not drawn downward — where the klippos could cling to her — but faces toward Ze'ir Anpin, in the secret of the kala [bride] as above. And then even though she is within the klippos in exile, she is called elevated above them — she is above.
The general principle of the matter: the teiva is one existence of the Nukva that can come to be present in her even during the time of exile. Whoever is sheltered in it is called "outside the exile." And therefore within it one can accomplish great tikkunim and powerful battles — great zivogin [divine unions]. Only their effect does not emerge outward — for it is a closed aspect, in the secret of: "And Hashem closed it — the ark — behind him" [Genesis 7:16]. And of it it says: "and you shall cover it inside and outside with kofer [pitch]" [Genesis 6:14] — meaning that kofer equals the numerical value of Elokim in its miluy [spelled-out form]: אל״ף למ״ד ה״י יו״ד מ״ם = 300. And it has the covering whose value is 125 — in the secret of 120 combinations of Elokim and its five letters. When this covering shall be removed — in the secret of: "Noah removed the covering of the ark" [Genesis 8:13] — then the tikkunim that were sealed within will be seen and their effects will flourish.
And if you ask: then what benefit is there in these tikkunim? Know that there is great benefit. First: they are not lost but are preserved for the end of days. Second: when all these great operations are performed inside, even though the operations themselves do not emerge outward, in the end a light emerges from there to accomplish great tikkunim for the overall redemption. Only, to bring forth that small light, all those great operations are required — because of their being sealed inside. And I will speak to you of this further, G-d willing.
And in accordance with the lights that illuminated, he composed his books — for truly the books are composed below according to the illumination that reaches.13 And our Sages of blessed memory already explained this (Vayikra Rabba 15) on the verse: "to give weight to the wind" [Job 28:25]. And the totality of it all is the Sefer HaZohar. Within it are: the Ra'aya Mehemna [the Faithful Shepherd — the section dealing with Moses], the Tikkunim [the Tikkunay Zohar], and the Sifra DiTzniusa [the Book of Concealment] — all according to the illuminations in the enclothing of Moses within him as described, in the secret of the thread, in the secret of the seventy sparks of Elokim subsumed in the הוי״ה of Imma, and in the secret of the five lights.
However, since he made this great tikkun after the corruption had already grown so powerful, and the burden was so great, Rashbi had to prepare himself with a major preparation — and this is the matter of the cave.14 And truly he needed to flee, just as Moses fled from Pharaoh. And he dwelled in the cave for twelve years at first, then emerged, then returned and dwelled another year.
Now I will explain all these matters to you thoroughly, G-d willing. The Matzil blessed be He desired that the King Messiah would bear the sufferings [cholayim], as mentioned in the words of our Sages (Sanhedrin 98a) — and this means that he bears the sealings of the Sitra Achra on behalf of Israel. This is destructive to the Sitra Achra — for of this it says: "where it bowed, there it fell, destroyed" [Judges 5:27]. For all the places where the Sitra Achra takes hold during its time of dominance, it remains trapped there like a bird in a snare — unable to flee afterwards during the time of the strengthening of holiness. Rather, those very gradations become chains upon its neck to bring it under the dominion of holiness, and to exact from it the vengeance that must be exacted. And in this way, all the gradations of the Sitra Achra that dominated over Israel and over the King Messiah — sealing their light and afflicting them — will be bound and standing beneath them for eternity.15 And so too Moses was placed at the end — for he too was within the klipa of Egypt, so that Egypt would afterwards remain bound and fettered beneath him.
And the Shechinah does not abandon the souls that are submerged in exile — all the more so souls such as these. And so it says: "And she saw him that he was good" [Exodus 2:2] — for the Shechinah was with him. But despite all this, she could do nothing but guard him — not to bring him to freedom until the time arrived. Therefore at that time he was under the authority of the ministering angel of Pharaoh, with the Shechinah only standing above him to guard him. And therefore he afterwards needed to flee — to emerge from under the hand of that minister — and then to return there and bring it low. And the secret of this is the matter of the Ir Miklat [City of Refuge], and it is a profound matter — and know from it what caused Ra'aya Mehemna to be called mari teshuvta [Aramaic: the master of repentance/return] (Zohar II, 114a).
For the matters were in a state of corruption at that time, and it was impossible for Moses to ascend from there according to the order of the gradations. Therefore Imma needed to spread out and reach below within the Nukva — and then he ascended in a manner not according to the normal order, but rather in the secret of chafazon [haste/urgency]. And so it is for every fugitive — for he is in danger, close to the klippos that pursue him — and the only way to be saved is to ascend in one instant to Imma. And this is precisely like the matter of teshuva [repentance] — for in a single instant one literally ascends above the level of the completely righteous [tzadikim gemurim]. For in the place where the Nukva cannot, Imma must complete. And this is literally the secret of a nes [miracle] — that which comes from Imma, above the laws of nature ordered according to Ze'ir Anpin. And this is the secret of the Ir Miklat — that Imma spreads into the Nukva and receives the fugitive — whom the Nukva alone could not save, for "the land shall not be atoned for the blood that is shed in it" [Numbers 35:33].
In summary: there is bericha [fleeing] and there is yetziah [departing/going out]. Fleeing is not according to the order of the gradations, and the one who flees must be received by Imma spreading into the Nukva as described — and it emerges that through this fleeing, he escapes from under the hand of the Sitra Achra and is absorbed into Imma. Yet this cannot be the permanent state — for the tikkun must proceed according to the order of the gradations. Therefore he must afterwards return — until he goes out by departing and not by fleeing.
And of this it is written regarding Moses: "and he sat at the well" [Exodus 2:15] — meaning above the well, because he had been fleeing and ascended to Imma, and found his soulmate Tzipporah who is in the secret of Lea [the supernal Feminine of the aspect of Imma]. And know that for this reason Yaakov too was first joined with Lea — for he was fleeing from Esav. But even so its secret is a different path, and there is no room here to explain it — for he did not sit at the well, but rather: "he looked, and behold a well in the field" [Genesis 29:2] — which is Rachel.
And so it was with Israel after the Exodus from Egypt: they initially needed to flee to Imma in the secret of chafazon — for matters were not in order as is known in the secret of the leil shimurim [the night of vigil — the Seder night of Pesach]. Afterwards it says: "and the children of Israel went out with a high hand" [Exodus 14:8] — which is the departure through Rachel, for now the mochin [supernal intellects] of the leil shimurim had departed and everything returned to the proper order. However, since Moses — who was the totality of all six hundred thousand — had already both fled and departed, therefore even the flight counted for Israel in one respect as departure. But in another respect it remained flight. And this is also the secret of: "And it was told to the king of Egypt that the people had fled [barach]" [Exodus 14:5] — and it does not say "is fleeing" but "had fled" [past tense] — for the people had already fled through Moses' flight initially. And therefore he is called mari teshuvta — "the master of teshuva" — for his ascent to Imma which is the teshuva, in the secret of the Ir Miklat.
And it is written: "You ascended on high, You took captivity captive [shavita shevi]" [Psalms 68:19] — this speaks of Rashbi, peace be upon him — for שב״י stands for שמעון בן יוחאי [the initial letters of "Shimon ben Yochai," as is known] — and this is in his ascent to this aspect of Imma which is called marom [height / on high]. And likewise Lea in the secret of Tzipporah is "on high" — and then the Shevi [the captive / Rashbi's soul] returned. For Moses brought out in full force this spark of his which is Rashbi, who likewise had to flee in the same manner. And this is so because just as flight and departure were needed in the redemption from Egypt, so too this needed to occur in the final redemption as well. But it is written: "for not in haste shall you go out" [Isaiah 52:12] — from which it emerges that there will be no flight in the future redemption. And one must explain whence this is drawn and what is its great benefit. Let me first explain whence it is drawn.
Moses our teacher, peace be upon him — in his making the initial tikkun for Israel in Egypt — also prepared a tikkun for the final redemption: namely, he took with him this spark of his that was destined to be revealed at the end, also for the sake of the future redemption — and this is Rashbi. Therefore Rashbi too returned and likewise fled — and fled to the cave, which is literally the secret of Imma, for this is why it is a hiding place and refuge: the secret of the Ir Miklat. And then Imma was drawn into the Nukva as described — and the aspect of the teiva came to be, and the matter of the Zohar was prepared. Understand well the connection of all these matters that depend one upon the other.
And Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, fathered two sons in Midian from his wife Tzipporah — namely Gershom and Eliezer — and both of them are in the secret of his flight. And Eliezer is the secret of the tikkun — for Gershom relates only to the matter of his sojourning [geirus]. But Eliezer is salvation — for then he was saved from the sword of Pharaoh who had been pursuing him on account of the killing he had committed. And these matters are already linked to the further matters of transmigrations [gilgulim] in the secret of Kayin and Hevel as is known — for they go to rectify all the blemishes [pegamim] that were blemished in the world.
And corresponding to this, Rashbi had with him Rabbi Eliezer his son — in the secret of the sum of both sons, Gershom and Eliezer. And it emerges that while Rashbi was in the cave, the aspect of the teiva came to be — in order to produce the Zohar as described — during which all those luminaries that had been hidden until that time due to the concealment of the thread became revealed. And it was necessary to rectify that secret of the light of which it says: "For all the children of Israel there was light in their dwellings" [Exodus 10:23] — and the revelation of the lights [alternate: the letters] in the secret of the Yud of Shaddai. But it was necessary to accomplish great tikkunim there, and to stand there until those tikkunim were complete.
And the totality of the tikkunim is the secret of: "The judgment of the wicked in Gehinnom is twelve months" (Eduyos 2:10) — and this is the matter of the carob tree that grew for them, which is the destruction [churban], and in more particular detail, its secret is the 102 carobs associated with Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa. And the matter is: that the purification of the soul is either through Gehinnom or through teshuva. For every kind goes to its own kind — and thus the soul must descend into Gehinnom until the impurity is separated from it and it cleaves to its root. Or it ascends to Imma through the secret of teshuva, cleaves to its root, and the impurity is separated from it and cast downward.
And you have already heard the matter of "tohu, vohu, and darkness upon the face of the deep" — how the forces of impurity] would grasp hold of the souls from their dwelling, because of the dominance of the kelim alone. Therefore, upon Rashbi's ascent to Imma in the secret of the cave as described — he needed to extract all the souls of Israel from Gehinnom, which is the depth...
4 See Da'as Tevunos, Part II (Ginzei Ramchal, p. 48).
5 See below, p. 31.
6 See Tikkun Tefila no. 164.
7 See Tikkun Tefila no. 310 and no. 178.
8 See Kinas Hashem Tzvaos (Ginzei Ramchal, no. 131), s.v. "Ve-hinneh."
9 See Mashkeni Elyon (Ginzei Ramchal, p. 157). On the matter of the sealed end-time, see Tikkun Tefila, nos. 200 and 411.
10 See Kav HaYashar, Gate 12; Kinas Hashem Tzvaos, no. 9 (Da'as Tevunos, p. 329).
11 The matter of Atzmus and Kelim — see below, pp. 89, 260, 360; Ma'amar HaChochma, no. 3 (Da'as Tevunos, p. 308).
12 See also Tikkun Tefila, Tefila 408.
13 See Igros Ramchal, Letter 5 (Otzaros Ramchal, p. 313).
14 See Igros Ramchal, Letter 5, s.v. "Ve-hinne yire'eh" (Otzaros Ramchal, p. 314).
15 See Part II, section 20.
## Segment 15
שב״י