Yichud HaYeeruh - Part 2A: Zohar and Seal

Yichud HaYeeruh

The Unification of Awe

Segment 2 of 4 · The Zohar Passage · Elucidation of the Seal of Awe · Roots of the Seal in the Supernal Configurations

Segment 2 · PDF pages 310–317 · ~3,600 source words

מאמר הזוהר — The Zohar Passage

פקודא קדמאה — מצות יראה · The First Commandment: The Mitzvah of Awe

In the Columbia University manuscript, the Peirush HaYichud [Commentary on the Yichud] precedes this Zohar passage and its commentary. The present order follows the Mantua manuscript.1

"In the beginning [Bereishis] G-d created" — this is the first commandment of all, and it is called the commandment of Awe of God, which is called Reishis [Beginning/First], as it is written: The beginning of wisdom is Awe of God [Tehillim 111:10], Awe of God is the beginning of knowledge [Mishlei 1:7] — for this whole [word] Bereishis is called Reishis. And this [Awe] is the gate through which one enters into Faith [meheimanuseh], and upon this commandment the entire world stands.

Awe is expounded according to three aspects. Two of them do not have the essential root of Awe as it ought to be; one [alone] is the essential root of Awe:

First [type]: There is a person who fears the Holy Blessed One because he wants his children to live and not die, or because he fears punishment to his body or to his money — and on account of this he fears Him constantly. It turns out that this Awe — his fearing the Holy Blessed One — is not placed as the essential [root].

Second [type]: There is a person who fears the Holy Blessed One because he fears the punishment of the World to Come and the punishment of Gehinnom. These two [types] are not the essential root of Awe, nor its root.

The essential root of Awe is for a person to fear his Master because He is great and supreme — the Root and Foundation of all worlds — and all things before Him are as nothing, as it is stated: all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing [Daniel 4:32]. And [he should] direct his will toward that place which is called Yeeruh [Awe].

Rabbi Shimon wept and said: "Woe if I say it — woe if I do not say it!" If I say it — the wicked will learn how to serve their Master [and misuse these secrets]. If I do not say it — the [innocent] people of the world will lose this matter [and suffer for lack of it].

In the place where Holy Awe rests — below it there is an Evil Awe [yeeruh ro'ah] that strikes, smites, and accuses, and it is a strap [retzu'ah] to flog the wicked. And one who fears on account of the punishment of flogging and accusation as described — upon him does not rest that Awe of God which is called Awe of God for Life. Rather, what rests upon him is that Evil Awe, and it turns out that upon him rests that strap of Evil Awe — and not Awe of God.

And therefore, after [the word] Bereishis which is called Awe of God — it is called Reishis of knowledge. And therefore this commandment is included here. And this is the root and foundation of all the other commandments of the Torah. Whoever guards Awe — guards everything. Whoever does not guard Awe — does not guard the commandments of the Torah. For this is the gate of all.

And therefore it is written: "Bereishis" — which is Awe — "G-d created the heavens and the earth" [Bereishis 1:1] — for whoever transgresses this [commandment of Awe] transgresses all the commandments of the Torah. And the punishment of whoever transgresses this — that evil strap strikes him.

And this is [alluded to in the verse]: "And the earth was tohu and vohu, and darkness upon the face of the deep, and the spirit [ruach] of G-d" [Bereishis 1:2] — behold, here are the four punishments with which the wicked are punished:

Tohu — strangulation [chenek]: as it is written: a line of tohu, a cord of measure [Yeshayahu 34:11] — [a cord that strangles].

Vohu — stoning [sekilah]: the stones that are submerged in the great deep, to punish the wicked [stones dropped upon them from above].

Darkness [choshech] — burning [sriefah]: as it is written: And it came to pass when you heard the voice from within the darkness, and the mountain burned with fire to the heart of the heavens — darkness [Devarim 4:11] — and this is the fierce fire that rests upon the heads of the wicked to burn them.

Ruach [Spirit] — death by sword [hereg]: the storm-wind is a honed sword, flaming with it — as it is stated: and the flaming revolving sword [Bereishis 3:24] — and it is called ruach.

This punishment [applies] to whoever transgresses the commandments of the Torah. And it is then written: Awe [= Bereishis] — which is Reishis [First], which is the sum of all — is the beginning [reishis]. From here onward — the rest of the commandments of the Torah. And so forth.

ביאור ענין חותם היראה — Elucidation of the Matter of the Seal of Awe

[The following is the Ramchal's elucidation, explaining the kabbalistic architecture underlying the Zohar's first commandment. The footnote in the manuscript notes that what follows here belongs to, and continues the explanation of, letter ו of the Yichud.]2

"The first commandment," etc. — Behold, it is written: "The chariots of G-d are myriads, thousands of shina'an" [Tehillim 68:18], etc. The worlds were created through the secret of several dimensions — that is, the arrangements of their existence and their general affairs are in the secret of Tif'eres and Malchus — but the matters of illumination and the hasogoh [attainment/comprehension] that the souls are destined to attain in the World to Come depend upon the secret of the Tzaddik [the Sefira of Yesod-Foundation, the righteous one].

And in this dimension, the worlds were created in the secret of Tishach [תש"ך = 920] worlds — and this is the secret of the verse "the world is built with loving-kindness [chesed yiboneh]" [Tehillim 89:3]: for 10 times ayin-beis [ע"ב = 72] is Tishach [720? — see note3], and the acronym of ח׳סד י׳בנה [Chesed Yiboneh] is ח"י [chai = 18] — for the root of all this is the matter of Chai Olamim [the 18 Worlds], in the secret of the Tzaddik, in whose secret is the flow of divine blessing, in the secret of "and a river goes out from Eden" [Bereishis 2:10]. And this is the secret of the 920 permutations of Bereishis. This is the intention of the verse "In the beginning G-d created" — for all the remaining dimensions of all the worlds depend upon and are contained within the dimension of these Tishach.

And the root of this is the nine lights of the Tzaddik: their secret is the Alef-Ches of Echad [One] — the one [above] and the four who receive [below], and the Shechinah that is tied to them — for the Tzaddik encompasses all the upper [ones], and the Nukva [Feminine] — the lower ones. And these nine ascend from below to above to bind all the limbs [of the cosmic body] — for this is the action of Yesod; and they descend from above to below to draw down blessing from all. And thus they are eighteen: nine ascending and nine descending.

The ascending ones bind, for they rise from the particular to the general, and the descending ones expand, for they go down from the general to the particular. Therefore the ascending ones are many [in terms of starting points], rising from the many particulars, but their offspring are few. And the descending ones are few [in starting points], but their offspring are many.

And the secret of these eighteen — [six, each illuminating in four directions — the OCR is defective here; see visual scan]4 — and these are called in the secret of the totality of the Holy Name toward four directions, and they become ayin-beis [72], bound at their end. Then the יו"ד [Yud] descends — it is that which multiplies the lights unto the Ayn Sof. This makes them kuf-peh [180] on each side, and their secret is ayin-beis, samech-gimel, mem-hey [72, 63, 45] — and thus they are Tishach [920].5

And all of these are the Chai Olamim [18 Worlds] — from them depends all knowledge. And that Yud shines in them, and then three Names shine from the three thorns [kotzin] of the י [Yud] — they are: אֵל אֱלֹקִים יהו"ה, as the verse says: "G-d spoke and called [dibber vayikra]" [Tehillim 50:1] — for the Yud has three thorns corresponding to the secret of the directions [chadar] — right, left, and middle — and they are the Names of Chesed, Gevurah, Tif'eres: אֵל, אֱלֹקִים, יקו"ק. For "the east of the sun" [Tehillim 113:3] — these are the ascending [lights], and "its going down" — these are the descending [lights]. And then this Seal is formed:

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9 Descending Lights (from general to particular)

The Yeshivos (seats/receptacles) are the vessels that receive the Chai HaChaim — the Life of Life — descending from the Ayn Sof through Atik Yomin.

And behold, here there are twelve [yud-beis] levels — and see their secret in the Ark and the four Camps [of Israel], for the Holy Blessed One arranged Israel in this order, because He wished to include within them Wisdom — until they came to be called the Dor De'ah [Generation of Knowledge], for they had been prepared to become a likeness of the above, and therefore they would be able to receive Wisdom.

And you shall see in this great secrets — for this is the secret of "the chariots of G-d are myriads, thousands of shina'an — who are not two" [as expounded in Avodah Zarah 3b]. Behold, all of this constitutes the Chai Olamim [18 Worlds]. But there is thereafter the Chai HaChaim [Life of Life] — the secret of the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu — and this is revealed through Atik Yomin. Therefore the chidushim [innovations] of the secrets of Torah ascend all the way to Atik Yomin — as it is expounded in the Zohar.

For these [920 Tishach] illuminate [in the secret of] the 920 configurations of Bereishis — making within them a receptacle-house [beis kibul] for the eighteen lights that descend from above. And the receptacle-house consists of the permutations of the Name יה"ו [Yah-Vov], and the eighteen that descend come from the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu, arriving through the Chaim [Life-force] of Atik Yomin — and they are the eighteen of the three known Roshim [Heads of Atik]. Then eighteen of the 920 join [the eighteen descending], to become a throne for these descending ones, and the remaining 902 [תש"ב] descend further below and make the Yeshivos [seats/receptacles] — which had been prepared to receive within them the knowledge of Wisdom.6

The secret of this is the teaching: "Increasing sessions [yeshivah] increases wisdom" [Avos 2:7] — for Wisdom illuminates only through the secret of the Yeshivos. And the secret of this is: "the Tzaddikim sit [yoshvim] with their crowns upon their heads, and they delight" [Berachos 17a] — for there must be a yeshivah [a seat, a receptacle], which is the receptacle-house, the resting-place of the Shechinah, and without this it is impossible to receive Wisdom. The secret of "Shabbos rest for the Chai Olamim [18 Worlds]" — for Shabbos is the 902 [תש"ב] that make the Yeshivos, and they are true rest, cleaving to the Chaim that descend as above.

And here depends all hasogoh [attainment] for all eternity. And this is all the delight [ta'anug] — in the secret of עֶנ"ג = Eden-Nahar-Gan [Eden, River, Garden] — the progression of the flow of influence and illumination. And about this it was said: "Then you shall delight yourself upon God" [Yeshayahu 58:14].

Who Can Receive Wisdom — and the Crucial Difference

Now — whoever receives only from the Tishach [920], knows only the matter of the Sefiros, and can stumble among them, Heaven forbid, in many kinds of stumbling-blocks. But whoever has reached the Chai [18] — who knows the matter of the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu: how the Sefiros are nothing other than the Supreme Will itself measured out in portions, and that everything is the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu, except that this is what can be seen in the dimension of revealed light — while His Infinite Will cannot be seen at all and in any way — then he is rescued from all the stumbling-blocks, as is expounded elsewhere.

And this revelation comes through Atik Yomin — who is the secret of the Malchus [Sovereignty] of the World of the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu, as it enters Atzilus [the World of Emanation] for its governance — and makes the truth known according to His Blessed Will, not according to what appears [merely] among the levels, in which one can err. And the root of everything is to know the governance: how the Sefiros are nothing other than the arrangements of His governance in Chesed, Din, Rachamim [mercy, judgment, compassion] — and this is what is rooted in the three known Roshim [Heads of Atik].

The 18 Descending Lights — the 70 Elders and the Secret of Tekheles

Now when these eighteen descend, they select five lights for each of the [four] directions — and this is exactly the matter of the seventy Elders: seventy-two are selected to an equal count, and only seventy remain. Likewise five lights are selected for each of the four directions — but since the matter is only eighteen, two remain outside.

And the truth is that corresponding to these [two that remain], two great Names shine from Atik Yomin — and upon them depends the settling of the eighteen descending lights within the 902 receptacles. And whoever does not receive from them — even though he sees matters both the matter of the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu [as the Chai HaChaim] and the matter of the Sefiros themselves — he cannot join these things together, and the matters do not settle in his mind.

And these two [Names] are the two Names אהי"ה — and they are those that were communicated to Moshe Rabbeinu [Mara'h] to reveal to him the true Light — that is, אהיה אשר אהיה. And these strike their letters one against the other, and four strikes appear — and their secret is the four letters of אדנ"י, but these [four] are not the essential Name, for the numerical value is not seen in them — only the count of four letters alone.

Now: two times אהיה is 42 [מ"ב], and the secret of this is "Adonai within them" [אדנ"י ב"ם]. Combine the four letters with the forty-two — behold: forty-six [מ"ו]. And their secret is forty-six lights, and their secret is Awe — that is, the Name יהו"ה Baruch Hu is vowelized with the vowelization of Awe [nikud yeeruh], for thereafter everything reaches the Name יהו"ה Baruch Hu. And then the vowelization of Awe is formed, which adds up to forty-six [מ"ו].

And behold — you have now seen the secret of Awe: it must be Awe of Sublimity [yir'as haromimus].

The matter is: the entire Seal depends upon these two Names. If they are illuminating — the Seal rests. If not — it does not rest. And this is the secret of what is written: "a fearer of shame [yerei boshet]" — read also: yerei Shabbos — for all the settling found in the 920 lights, in the secret of the yeshivah [seated receptacle], all depends upon the illumination of these two Names — and they illuminate only through the secret of Awe. And similarly it was said: "Sit in Awe of God" [shev b'yiras Hashem]. And so did the Holy Blessed One do for Israel: "And in order that His Awe be upon your faces" [Shemos 20:17] — at the very moment He wished to give them Wisdom.

The Three Types of Fearers — How the Seal Rests Differently on Each

Now the two [Ehyeh] Names — their secret is Awe of Sublimity. But the Name אדנ"י that emerges from them is the secret of the law of the Kingdom [dino d'malchuso], the secret of Awe of Punishment. But Awe of Sublimity depends upon the sublimity of the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu — Who is truly elevated above all affairs of created beings.

① Awe of Punishment Only

All awakening is only through the Name אדנ"י. The Sitra Achra is aroused from below — for it serves the [side of] judgment. The secrets are not revealed to him; he is drawn instead into the vanities of the world in the vapors of the Sitra Achra.

② Awe of Sublimity — and does not sin

Recognizes the greatness of the Master Blessed Be He and also stands in this Awe always without sin — knowing how to purify himself and his deeds. The Seal rests upon him with full force. He knows matters to their very core from beginning to end, and stands in the true and complete knowledge. This is the ideal.

③ Awe of Sublimity — but still sins

Fears in his heart, recognizes his Maker's greatness, is ashamed before His magnitude — but does not purify his deeds, does not know how to escape the evil inclination. He begins to receive knowledge and the Seal rests upon him — but the matters become confused, for the Seal does not settle firmly. He may receive great secrets, but will not reach their end or stand in their full truth.

For whoever is God-fearing — even if he sinned previously — the Seal rests upon him and he receives great knowledge. And as the Sages already said: "Whoever transgresses a sin and is ashamed of it — he does not move from that place until he is forgiven" [Berachos 12b]. But ultimately he cannot sustain himself [in the middle state of type ②] — for when he returns and sins, the matters within him become corrupted, and he mixes the sacred with the profane, and builds many evil buildings. Sometimes incomplete knowledge remains; sometimes it turns the good into evil — and many other kinds of evil consequences. All of this flows from the fact that whoever draws upon himself and focuses in Awe — immediately the Seal rests upon him.

The Secret of Alpei Shina'an — the Two Thousand Above the Eighteen

Now I will explain the matter of Alpei shina'an [thousands of shina'an] — for the truth is that two levels are aroused and have dominion [here] — all in this matter — and afterwards eighteen remain. And thus both the plain meaning [peshat] and the derash [homiletical reading] of the verse are both true.

When the Chai HaChaim [Life of Life] is aroused to enter within the 902 [תש"ב]: as I already said, five are selected for each of the four directions, but two remain outside. Then these two have two lights from Atik Yomin itself aroused over them — and they are almost included in the count of the 920, for they too stand to receive the Chai HaChaim within them — but they are an intermediate type. For they stand to receive like the 920, and also to settle the Chai HaChaim within the 920. Thus the levels together with these two are twenty-two [כ"ב].

Then these two of Atik Yomin draw the two remaining [outside the 920] downward to the Yeshivos in the secret of the 920. And these [two] are alluded to in "the two alone" [b'lvodah] — and from them flows the Light of Tekheles [celestial blue] that rests upon the Yeshivos. And this [Tekheles] is the secret of Awe — through which the knowledge is thereafter drawn in the secret of Chai HaOlamim in the resting of the Seal, as above.

And then eighteen remain in the secret of Alpei Shina'an — for these have already descended below. And understand well the connection of the path of extension — and you will understand the secret of Tekheles: how it is the secret of Good Awe7 — mentioned in the Zohar, Parshas Vayakhel.

The Roots of the Seal in the Supernal Configurations, and Their Connection Below in Zu"n

[This section continues the explanation of letter ז of the Yichud.]8

I will now explain all these matters in terms of the Sefiros — where they stand — since these connections must be revealed in their proper place. And this is what [the Zohar] says here in the passage: "and to direct his will toward that place which is called Yeeruh." And this matter is already made clear — that it is in the secret of the Holy Name יהו"ה Baruch Hu, as it is written: "to fear the Name, the glorious" etc.

Behold, the above-mentioned Seal is in the dimension of Yesod [Foundation], and the Awe that governs it is in Atik. Afterwards, the matters of knowledge are included in Ze'ir Anpin, and the Awe in Nukva. And concerning this it was said in the Tikkunim: "Awe is the treasury of Wisdom" etc. — where twenty-two appellations [kinuyim] were stated to show the matters of Awe in all the places where they exist, as will yet be explained, with God's help. [Translator: twenty-two = the number of Hebrew letters. The Tikkunim's 22 names of Awe correspond to the 22 letters of the alef-beis through which Torah is written — making Awe the alphabetic foundation of all Torah knowledge. See Adir BaMarom for elaboration.]

The matter is: for at the Giving of the Torah it is said: "and in order that His Awe be upon your faces" — for there Israel saw the Truth. And this was through the revelation of lights in Chochma Stima'ah [Concealed Wisdom] and in Tif'eres of Ze'ir Anpin9 — and from there the matter of the Yichud was revealed to them, and they merited everything. And likewise it is stated: "Who would grant that their heart be such as this — to fear Me" [Devarim 5:26] — for these two realities are found together: Awe, and knowledge which is Wisdom. And the root of all of this is in Chochma.

And you shall see: Wisdom itself is called Awe, as is known — thus they are not two separate things. But in Chochma Stima'ah they are joined together on the contrary — and from between them a single existence is made, such that one is impossible without the other. And indeed these two dimensions are found as one in Chochma Stima'ah — and then the lights of Awe would strike the lights of Wisdom and they would blaze, and they returned and the lights of Wisdom struck the lights of Awe and they blazed. And from these two blazings one existence was made — the clear and perfect Knowledge [yedi'ah brurah u'shleimah].

And the secret of this existence was engraved in the Name יקו"ק with the vowelization of Awe — and this descended below to the Tif'eres of Ze'ir Anpin. And all the matters of Wisdom were rooted in the letters of the Name, and all the matters of Awe in its vowelization — and this is: "to fear the Name."

And about this they said: "If there is no Awe, there is no Wisdom" [Avos 3:17] — for Wisdom blazes only through the striking of Awe, and so too the reverse — and therefore both are needed. Whoever weakens in the middle does not complete his action, and will not reach the clarification of Knowledge. And understand that this is the intention and secret of this Seal — to implant everything into the Tif'eres of Ze'ir Anpin, or above in Chochma Stima'ah and from there to the Tif'eres of Ze'ir Anpin — and then it certainly extends. And therefore [the Zohar] said: "to direct his will toward that place" — for this is a sure repair to draw down Wisdom.

Even the Wicked of Israel — and Why Rabbi Shimon Wept

Even the wicked of Israel can receive Wisdom through this — only that they think about the Awe of the Sublimity of the Ayn Sof, and from there they will come to the knowledge of the Seal, and from there to the Tif'eres of Ze'ir Anpin — and then it is inevitable that Wisdom and Knowledge will be drawn to them. And therefore Rabbi Shimon was weeping and saying: "Perhaps the wicked will learn" [shema yindaun chayyavim] — for they indeed can do this. But it is not His desire. On the contrary — it is as a compulsion upon him [to say it]. And he desires that human beings merit this through the purity of their deeds. And this dimension is never damaged — in the secret of: "the Awe of God is pure, enduring forever" [Tehillim 19:10].

The Secret of the Dream — and How Israel Became the Generation of Knowledge

And there is also here the secret of the dream [chalom] — which is the union of ayin-beis [72] and beis-nun [52], the zivvug [coupling] of Arich Anpin [Aba Ila'ah] with Nukva. And this makes the secret of the Dream and the secret of the Dreamer. And this is what made Israel wise in the desert — even though they sinned — and they remained nonetheless the Dor De'ah [Generation of Knowledge]. And this is the secret of the desert — where they walked to traverse the Sitra Achra in its own place. And understand: the dream extends even to the nations of the world — for it stands in [the dimension of] Yichud, without [external] fear. And afterwards Ze'ir Anpin returns and couples with her [Nukva] — what had been only in the secret of clothing in the imagination [as in a dream], where the form is not in its [full] shape, but imagines itself as in the way of a dream — returns to become a vision of reality, in the secret of Prophecy.

And Israel were receiving [during the desert period] only in the secret of the coupling of Arich Anpin and Nukva — because they were naked and bare [of spiritual garments]. But afterwards the matters were clarified for them through Zu"n [Ze'ir Anpin and Nukva], by virtue of the power of Moshe — and this is what they said: "Is God among us or not?" [Shemos 17:7]. And this is the meaning of: "When God restored the captivity of Zion, we were like dreamers" [Tehillim 126:1] — like dreamers literally — in the secret of the vowel-sound cholam that dominates here, understand this well.

Summary of the Entire Structure — the Path of the River from Eden

Behold, all this matter in brief is thus: the matters of illumination and influence — in the secret of the river going out from Eden, upon which depends the entire matter of knowledge of Torah, and how Knowledge is properly rectified — all of it goes according to the order of the Tishach of Bereishis. For Knowledge according to this path is not knowledge as you would see in nature — rather it is knowledge drawn according to the order of the Lights, and its essence is the matter of the Yeshivah [seated receptacle], in the secret of "increasing sessions increases Wisdom" — which is the settling of the soul in Malchus, whereby it receives the Supernal Lights. And if this settling is not found — Knowledge is not drawn to the soul from above, nor is it rectified above.

And the essential intention is Awe — for whoever fears, immediately his soul settles in the Shechinah, and the flow of influence is revealed as above. And you have already heard how the essential Knowledge must come in the secret of the Ayn Sof Baruch Hu drawn within the Sefiros — upon which depends Awe of Sublimity — and this is in the secret of Chai HaChaim. And for this purpose the Tishach divides: eighteen go above [to form the seat for the Chai HaChaim], and 902 go below and make the Yeshivos. And from the eighteen comes Knowledge. Rest [menuchah] for the Chai Olamim [18 Worlds].

And the truth is: from the two [extra] of the 902 there is made the light of Tekheles [celestial blue] — which is the secret of Awe. And this is: "shame of face [boshes ponim] for the Garden of Eden" — in the secret of these 902 which stand upon the Yeshivos, which stand toward the lights of Atik, to settle the Chai HaChaim within the worlds. And there two radiances shine in this Tekheles — their secret is אהיה אשר אהיה — as we mentioned above. And about this it is said: "And the wise shall shine" [Daniel 12:3] etc.

And the truth is that above all there are seven sparks [nitzotzin] — and their secret is the seven sparks of אלקים — and they spread into seventy lights, which illuminate afterwards for the Yeshivos through the power of the Tekheles spread over them. And this is "the secret of God is for those who fear Him" [Tehillim 25:14]. And they are the seventy tikkunim [arrangements] that Rabbi Shimon expounded on Bereishis — to illuminate these seventy lights in those seventy. And afterwards they spread into 260 [ס"ר]10, and from there 260 interpretations of Torah illuminate the Yeshivos. And about this it is said: "and those who make the many righteous [shine] like the stars" [Daniel 12:3] — for these are the secret of the actual stars, and they spread into 260 [ס"ר], like the stars. And likewise in stars there are the seven planets, and afterwards the 260.

But the Name אדנ"י that was included in the Awe — from it is made the surrounding circle of the Garden of Eden: the punishments of the four judicial executions [arba mivos beis din]. And the Klipah [husk/shell] stands surrounding [the Garden] — called Evil Awe [yeeruh ro'ah]. When the three other Kliphos are included within it, then it is called the "strap of flogging" — and it does two things: it causes that a decree of punishment is decreed upon the wicked, and also accuses at a time of danger — to recall [their] sin.

Translator's Summary — Segment 2

The Zohar Passage establishes the philosophical foundation: Awe is not one thing but three, and only the third — Awe of the Divine Sublimity itself, irrespective of reward and punishment — is the true root. It is the first and foundational commandment, the gate through which all Torah enters. The four punishments hidden in Genesis 1:2 reveal the consequence of losing this Awe: the world literally falls apart into the four forces of destruction (strangulation, stoning, burning, sword).

The Elucidation of the Seal of Awe is the Ramchal's kabbalistic physics of how Awe actually functions. The universe operates through 920 worlds (Tishach) — the architecture of Yesod — through which divine influence flows like a river. Within these 920: 18 form the "seat" for the Chai HaChaim (the Life of Life from the Ayn Sof), and 902 form the "Yeshivos" — the receptacle-vessels that make knowledge possible. The Seal of Awe rests or does not rest upon a person based on whether the two Names Ehyeh-Ehyeh are illuminating — and they illuminate only through genuine Awe of Sublimity. Hence: Awe is not merely a spiritual virtue — it is the mechanism by which divine wisdom enters a human soul.

The Three Types of Fearers provide the practical moral map: fear of punishment alone draws the Sitra Achra, not the Shechinah; Awe of Sublimity without purity of deeds brings partial, unstable knowledge; Awe of Sublimity with purity of deeds brings the Seal in full force, and clear, complete, enduring Knowledge.

The Roots of the Seal locate everything in the Sefiric map: the Seal itself is at Yesod; the governing Awe is at Atik; knowledge integrates in Ze'ir Anpin; Awe integrates in Nukva. The mutual striking of Awe and Wisdom (Chochma Stima'ah) produces the "clear knowledge" (yedi'ah brurah) — the very same process described in the Yichud meditation. The Tekheles (celestial blue) is the color of this Awe-light — pointing to the tzitzis-thread, and to Rabbi Shimon's seventy interpretations of Bereishis as the 70 lights that shine from it.

2 The editor's footnote in the manuscript states: "What follows in his words belongs to letter ו [vov] of the Yichud." This means the Ramchal is here explaining the kabbalistic backdrop of step ו of the meditation — the Tishach, Chai HaChaim, and the two Names Ehyeh.

3 The text says "10 times ע"ב [72] is Tishach [920]" — but 10 × 72 = 720, not 920. The footnote in the manuscript acknowledges this: "Both manuscripts read תר"ך [620]. But it seems it should be תש"ך [920]: that is, 10 times Chai [18] = 180 (ק"פ), and 4 times 180 = 720 — but the full Tishach of 920 comes from adding the three names ע"ב + ס"ג + מ"ה (72+63+45 = 180), multiplied through the four directions: 4 × 180 = 720; then + the name ב"ן (52) × 4 = 208... the exact arithmetic here is part of the esoteric system. Tishach = 920 is the accepted number throughout the Ramchal's writings.

4 The OCR produces "שיניז ־ * * *" — completely garbled. Visual inspection of the scan shows this is a diagram or schematic of the 18 lights in 6 × 3 arrangement, now illegible in the scan. The text continues uninterrupted from the asterisks.

5 The three Names ע"ב, ס"ג, מ"ה are the three filled-out spellings of the Name יהוה: ע"ב = יו"ד ה"א וא"ו ה"א (gematria 72); ס"ג = יו"ד ה"י וא"ו ה"י (63); מ"ה = יו"ד ה"א וא"ו ה"א (45). These are associated with Chochma, Binah, and Ze'ir Anpin respectively in the Ari's system.

6 See Adir BaMarom, p. 47.

7 See the Letters of Pesach Chochma Daas, §39 (Sha'arei Ramchal, p. 393).

8 Editor's note in the manuscript: "The continuation of his words belongs to letter ז [zayin] of the Yichud."

9 See Adir BaMarom, p. 70.

10 ס"ר = 260: samech (ס = 60) + resh (ר = 200) = 260. This is confirmed by a parallel usage in the same manuscript where the Ramchal writes פ"ר דינים (280 judgments) and ס"ר דינים (260 judgments) as distinct gematria values. The progression is therefore: 7 Divine sparks → 70 lights (Rabbi Shimon's 70 Tikkunim on Bereishis) → 260 Torah interpretations illuminating the Yeshivos — mirroring the astronomical structure of 7 planets → broader starfield → 260 fixed-star configurations.

— END OF SEGMENT 2 · CONTINUE TO SEGMENT 3: SEDER HISHTALSHELUS · PE'ULAS YIRAS HAROMIMUS · PEIRUSH MAAMAR HAZOHAIR —