Adir BaMurom — Chapter 12: The Thirteen Strands of Arikh Anpin — The White Garment; The Beard; Ze'ir Anpin's Birth

This is the totality of the known operation of Arikh Anpin in Atzilus: the WHITENESS OF THE GARMENT, the WHITENESS OF THE FACE, the matter of the BEARD, and the FOUR WHITES THAT FLOW DOWN FROM THE BACK OF THE NECK. And I will now explain the matter well.

Ze'ir Anpin is called the governance of din — not that he is entirely din — but that within him the din performs the operations fitting for the matters of this world. For the Nukva receives according to what flows into her from Ze'ir Anpin. And Arikh Anpin — all his matter is the governance of chesed and the SWEETENING of the dinim of Ze'ir Anpin. And he has TWO OPERATIONS15: The CONSTANT operation is to sweeten through his governance all matters of din. But this is in a hidden way internally — so Ze'ir Anpin in his place performs according to his matters that the din performs there. But since the dinim have already been sweetened in Arikh Anpin — even when they strengthen in Ze'ir Anpin, they cannot strengthen to a degree the world cannot endure. And a SECOND OPERATION — which is not constant but periodic — is his operation in REVELATION. Then the dinim in Ze'ir Anpin do not rule at all — and this is in the revelation of the time of willingness in the revelation of the face, in the completion of Ze'ir Anpin's beard — all these are matters of the passing of the dinim.

And the GARMENT of Arikh Anpin is also mentioned in the verse in the secret of: "his garment was as white snow" [Daniel 7:9]. For the garment always reveals the inner governance. And the Ramchal explains this: the body's operations are hidden when enclothing in those lower — and also are not so comprehensible. But the garment is according to the time — and it is literally the revelation of the inner governance. And when the King wears white — he shows everyone chesed. And when He wears red — he shows everyone din. And so with all the particulars of operations.

And the WHITENESS OF THE FACE of Arikh Anpin stands to sweeten the dinim of Ze'ir Anpin — as you will yet hear further in the tikkunim of the beard. And the beard is the totality of governance — as I will yet explain in its place. And it itself is dinim and gevuros — the root of all the dinim below. When the sweetening of Arikh Anpin strengthens within it to return it to the attribute of mercy — all the lower dinim are found sweetened through it — as explained in the secret of the shofar. And the FOUR WHITES that are at the back of the neck do greater work than the other lights — for they are drawn downward into Ze'ir Anpin himself — to complete his beard. And these lights are called OVRIM [passing] — for they pass from the face of Arikh Anpin to his back, and from the back to the face of Ze'ir Anpin — as explained in the kavvanah of the verse "Va-ya'avor" "and He passed". And in the face of Arikh Anpin is the forehead of divine will — which is a great light — and neither the light of the whites nor of the hairs can illuminate and be seen there. But what illuminates behind is in the secret of Ze'ir Anpin as above.

And: "Ze'ir Anpin — when he gazes at this all below he is rectified." For the measure of the illumination of the face flows from the lights in the partzuf's governance. But when Ze'ir Anpin gazes at Arikh Anpin — the aspect of Arikh's governance flows into him — and then all below him is affected. And when Ze'ir Anpin gazes at Arikh Anpin and cleaves to him — his face too extends to 370 lights for that moment — like Arikh Anpin himself.

And: "from this skull one white membrane goes out to the skull of Ze'ir Anpin." This is the bond between Arikh Anpin and Ze'ir Anpin — without descent of gradation or change of essence19. And it is made "to rectify his head" — which is his brains — which in their place are in the aspect of din relative to Arikh Anpin. And the power of this skull-membrane rectifies them greatly. And this truly is the matter of the tikkun made for the Breaking — in the aspect of MaH rectifying Be"N — for this is what holds this white membrane descending to Ze'ir Anpin.

And it is said: "He counts the number of the stars — to all of them He calls by name" [Psalms 147:4]. For truly the sefiros have no end — for every small luminary can gaze at all of existence and is said to encompass all. Therefore: "Who is there whose hosts have no number?" [Job 25:3] — for without limit are the servants — and "upon whom does His light not rise?" — for the light spreads to all existence — and from here the multitude of servants. But you must know: the root of all world-matters comes from the Malchin Kadma'in — and then the matters were in number — for what was needed for the governance was found there. The kings were one beneath the other and so their aspects — for the bond had not yet been found. But then when the tikkun came the bond was found — and matters proceeded to infinity according to the number of combinations prepared in the Malchin Kadma'in. And now the matters stand without end in time of their generation and bestowing — but they must be rectified through the Malchin Kadma'in.

And therefore: "He counts the number of the stars" — for there is no count to the stars from the side of the tikkun-combination — as "upon whom does His light not rise." But G‑d COUNTS them — dividing them into gradations of the Malchin Kadma'in — one by one by themselves. And in completing their tikkun: "to all of them He calls by name" — and this is the resting of their root upon them. And there is thus an aspect that has NUMBER — the return of things to the Malchin Kadma'in — and an aspect that has NO NUMBER — the aspect found according to its matter in the tikkun.

The birth of Ze'ir Anpin from within Imma — his period of smallness (katnus), the growth of his partzuf — these are the central subjects of much of the Idra Rabba's body. The Ramchal's commentary here is exceptionally detailed, covering the following major themes:

The Three Heads (Tlas Reishin) of Atik: The reisha de-lo ityada [the head that is not known], the ketera [crown], and the mocha stimaa [sealed brain]. From these three, through the mazla [flowing influence], all of Atzilus unfolds. The mazla is the channel through which the inner Yud-Heh-Vav of ChaS descends from level to level — while a second light from ChaS connects directly via the hairs of the back of the neck, bypassing the gradations — this is the dew (tal) of the skull.

The Katnus — Ze'ir Anpin in Smallness: At birth Ze'ir Anpin has only one brain — corresponding to Chochma alone. Imma's three lower sefiros (Netzach, Hod, Yesod of Imma) encloth him, forming his three brains in potential. In this state the MaN [feminine waters] of prayer ascend and arouse the zivug of Abba and Imma — which then bestows light below. The critical teaching: in katnus Ze'ir Anpin acts through the Din-aspect (the left side) alone — and this is the cosmic condition during exile, and during any period when the inner lights are not fully clothed in the outer vessels.

The Gadlus — Ze'ir Anpin in Greatness: When the four whites from Arikh Anpin descend and join the three brains of Ze'ir Anpin — Yesod of Imma is breached — and four brains become present. Add the Yud from Arikh's hairs, and the brains become 400 [the 400 shekels of silver discussed above]. This is Ze'ir Anpin in gadlus — with full brains, the beard complete, and the Face of Arikh illuminating upon him from forehead to forehead (metzach be-metzach).

Prayer and Its Ascent: The essential teaching on prayer: the Shechinah is called ANI [I] in the secret of prayer — for she is the vessel through which all prayer ascends. The prayer begins in Malchus and ascends through the partzufim. In the secret of the ascending of Malchus to Keter — the Shechinah is called the merchant's ship: "like ships of a merchant, she brings her bread from afar" [Proverbs 31:14]. The Ramchal explains this at length: Malchus connects to Keter — and at every gradation she connects to — the arousal immediately reaches up to Keter. And then G‑d illuminates in it and bestows new bounty according to the arousal. And the operation of Keter is the encompassing that surrounds the brains. And the Shechinah when the arousal reaches her is called SECHORA [merchandise] — and the bestowing that reaches according to the arousal is the SILVER [KESEF] of the merchandise.

And the PATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS [orach tzadikim]: "but the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn — going and shining until the day is established" [Proverbs 4:18]. For the Emanator arranged all creation as He wished — in all the orderings of the worlds. And He set another way — the TIKKUN OF SERVICE — through whose power the matters are ordered in a wholly different law and order. For according to the order of creation the Sitra Achra was drawn at the end of the gradations — created to be the evil inclination and the angel of death. But through the acts of those below it is not so — for all evil must perish — and what remains of the Sitra Achra must become good and pure — and this is the glory of the Emanator. And this is the secret of: "may the glory of G‑d endure forever." For all the 613 roots of souls must complete all 613 commandments in all their portions — and then the complete tikkun is found. And every righteous person who completes through his deeds places a new path in the governance of the worlds — the path the Emanator desires — but did not wish to create it thus — only to prepare that it should be so through the deeds of those below. And the path renewed is called ORACH TZADIKIM — a particular path for each righteous one — and a general path completed through all the righteous together.

And the secret of TWO SHABBATOT — for the Sages said: "if Israel keeps two Shabbatot properly they are immediately redeemed" (Shabbos 118a). For Israel needs to keep what would suffice for a complete tikkun — and these are in the secret of the crown [atara] by itself — the Atara and the Nukva. And truly in Shabbos itself there is this aspect that there are two Shabbatot — the crown and the Nukva. But the essential is the crown operating with the Vav. And Imma also joins there — and then they are the three times SEVENTH mentioned in the parasha of Vayechulu. But the essential is the crown — while after the destruction the essential is the Nukva — and she herself is twelve — in the secret of the twelve who are the thirteen — but she is only the secret of twelve.

And the matter of RATZO VE-SHOV [running and returning]: "and the living creatures ran and returned like the appearance of lightning" [Ezekiel 1:14]. And: "do you send out lightnings that they go and say to you: here we are?" [Job 38:35]. And the secret of MATI VE-LO MATI [arrives and does not arrive] mentioned in the Zohar. For the lights go out in the manner of lightning. For the Keter being first — being the gradation closest to the Ayn Sof — matters spread down to Malchus. And when they arrive there it would need to be more revealed. But immediately the Ayn Sof returns and reveals itself there with power — and Malchus rises to the gradation of Keter — and Keter Malchus. And this motion of RATZO VE-SHOV is found always in all the luminaries — causing all the ascents and descents of all luminaries and all separate existents. For in the way of running all descend — and in the way of returning all ascend.

And of RaD'La [RISH'A DE-LO ITYADA — the head that is not known]: "a head that is not a head — not known — what is in this head, that it exists and does not exist, is known and not known" (Idra Zuta 288b). For the governance of the Emanator is so deep it is impossible for any person to attain it. And one of the things that most conceals the governance is the matter of RATZO VE-SHOV — for the lights' vision comes as the appearance of lightning — the illumination changes and returns and changes always without any fixedness. But in the renewal it will not be so. And on what is prepared to be in the time of renewal — it does not operate at all now — only what it receives now prepares for the seventh millennium and for the renewal itself. And of the first aspect he said: "rish'a de-lav rish'a" — not counted as root and head at all. And corresponding to what will be revealed as fixed in the seventh millennium — "de-lo yidah" — truly not known. And for the secret of the uncertain governance changing every moment: "de-lo ityaidah" — impossible to fix the knowledge and attainment. And on this it is said: "the living creatures ran and returned."

And why 12 HOURS not 24: for the seven tikkunim of the head of Arikh Anpin illuminate in the beard — six in the twelve tikkunim in the secret of the male — and the seventh in the thirteenth in the secret of the female. And the essential governance now is in the secret of twelve alone. And thus seven days of twelve hours each are the SEVEN THOUSAND YEARS. For in the rule of the six — six times the governance of the twelve is aroused to operate according to what rules it — but the governance is always one. And in the rule of the seventh day — the governance itself changes its form of governance — therefore they are always twelve, no more no less.

And the CHURBAN [destruction = seventh millennium] is IN TWELVE HOURS — for that is twelve tikkunim like all the other days — and in this secret it is specifically ONE THOUSAND YEARS. And the RENEWAL after the destruction is in the secret of Mazal ve-Naka which also encompasses twelve — but in a different way — the way of ETERNITY — where all the roots of the six thousand years remain fixed eternally. And this is: "thirteen will raise them with mercy." And the mystery: the destruction and renewal are together the hidden Shabbos — two aspects: the destruction through the twelve tikkunim, and the renewal through the thirteenth that encompasses them all in eternity.

And now the Ramchal explains the day/night parallel: the Nukva receives the flow by day and distributes it by night. Therefore the twelve hours are themselves those of both day and night — for the day of the second half of the world during the night of the first half is only the extension of the first half's day. Each hour must spread in the upper and lower world, and this is how twelve tikkunim govern without reducing to twenty-four.

And Arikh Anpin has TWO ASPECTS: the governance of TIME, in being the root of Atzilus's governance; and the governance of ETERNITY, in being drawn to the Atik that depends on it. And this is called: "the middle bolt inside the planks, reaching from end to end" [Exodus 26:28] — for Arikh Anpin is the MIDDLE of the five partzufim, and it reaches from end to end through the two HEHs — the HEH of Imma and the HEH of Nukva — connecting the two modes of governance.

And the TWO MODES OF GOVERNANCE — IMMA and NUKVA — are themselves LEAH and RACHEL. For the Sages taught: "with HEH He created them" (Bereishis Rabbah 12:9) — and this HEH has two aspects, inner and outer — and their secret is HEH-HEH, the full HEH. The inner is LEAH and the outer is RACHEL.

And LEAH is alma d'iskasiya — the hidden world — for the eternity is not revealed now except to the degree needed to connect with temporal governance. And RACHEL is the detailed governance — and the specific levels are the secret of Ayin-Beis, Sa"G, MaH, Be"N which together equal 232, and with the VAV of the six days = 238 = the gematria of RACHEL. And truly the VAV here is the secret of the TWELVE PARTZUFIM of Atzilus — six levels of Zu"N — and thus the VAV fills to twelve in the secret of right and left. And Rachel therefore encompasses all of Atzilus — and Atik himself enters into this aspect through his seven lower sefiros operating in Atzilus. But the secret of Atik himself from the side of the eternal governance is in the secret of Leah.

And Leah is in the secret of the HEH in its three full-spellings — which amounts to 31 [= Lamed-Alef]. And the three full-spellings are the secret of Chesed-Gevura-Tiferes — and the total = LEAH's gematria. And the HOUSE OF DAVID's kingdom comes from this aspect — the secret of: "and my servant David shall be their prince forever" [Ezekiel 37:25] — "forever" is in the secret of eternity. And the Dalet of YEHUDAH is the secret of this Malchus in its four levels: the HEH and its three full-spellings. And what is general in Leah, in Rachel is particular: the four Names of 232, and the VAV added is the secret of the six thousand years in which these four Names operate.

And Leah had SIX SONS — the secret of this VAV — for all is in the secret of six. And from Rachel came two tribes — the secret of the two partzufim: Yaakov and Rachel themselves, which are Yesod and Malchus the essential ones in governance — Yaakov combined with ZA in the secret of the zivug of Shacharit prayer. For Yaakov and Leah are the secret of NaH"Y.

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.