Hochma Wisdom , on Which the World Stands

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Items 40-48

Items 40-48

Hochma [wisdom], on which the World Stands

40)Beresheet [In the beginning] is in Hochma, on which the world, ZA, stands, to enter the high, hidden secrets in the light of Bina. Here, the six great, upper edges are engraved, VAKdeBina, from whom everything comes, and from whom six origins and streams, VAKdeZA, were made, to bring them into the great sea, Malchut. That is, Barah [created] Sheet [Aramaic: 6] is implied in the letters of Beresheet, since six edges were created from here. And who created them? The one who is not mentioned; that hidden one who is not known, AA.

Explanation: There are two Hochmot [plural of Hochma] in Atzilut: 1) The first Hochma, HochmadeAA, is called HochmaStimaa. 2) The Hochmaof the thirty-two paths. This is Bina that rises to the Roshde [of] AA, where she becomes Hochmato bestow upon ZA.

It was said, “Beresheetis in Hochma.” It is so because Resheet [beginning/primer/prime] is the name of Hochma, but not the first Hochma, that of AA, but Hochmaon which the world stands, the Hochmaof the thirty-two paths that the world, ZON, stands on, from whom it receives, and in whom it exists. But ZA cannot receive anything from HochmadeAA himself and the world was not created by her. Hence, BeresheetBarah [In the beginning [God] created] refers to the Hochmaof the thirty-two paths, which is Bina that returns to being Hochmathrough her ascent to RoshAA.

When the ZON, the world, receive from the Hochmaof thirty two paths, they rise to upper AVI, and AVI are called “the high, hidden secrets.” This is why it was said, “Hochma, on which the world, ZA, stands, to enter the high and hidden secrets.” “Stands” means obtainment of Mochin. ZON exist through the Mochinthat he receives from the Hochma, and through her they rise to the high and hidden secrets, which are AVI, clothing them, meaning becoming like them, since the lower one that rises to the upper one becomes like him.

It was said, “Here, the six great, upper edges are engraved, VAK of the upper Bina ... That is, Barah [created] Sheet [Aramaic: 6],” since Beresheethas the letters of Barah Sheet. And the “Six edges” are VAK. The great, upper six edges were engraved in this Hochma, from whom all are emanated and emerge, as it is written, “You have made them all in wisdom [Hochma].” It is so because this Hochmais Bina that came out of the RoshdeAA because Aba took Ima out because of the sons, and Aba himself is set up as a kind of male and female. HochmadeAA and AbadeAtzilutset themselves up as a kind of male and female through the Malchutthat rose to them in the place of Bina, hence Bina herself departed from RoshdeAA and from Aba, and became GufdeAA, without a Rosh, since while she stands in GufdeAA, she could not receive from GARdeAA and became VAK, devoid of GAR.

Thus, the Bina was carved and became six edges without a Rosh. Here, the six great, upper edges from which everything comes out were engraved, since VAK without GAR were carved in Hochmaof the thirty-two paths, who is Bina, due to her exit from RoshdeAA. Afterwards, through MAN from the lower ones, she returns to RoshdeAA and receives GARdeHochmafrom AA, and she gives to ZON, who give the abundance to all the worlds. Thus, all the worlds come out of those six edges that were carved in Bina. And the reason why he calls them “the great, upper VAK,” is that they are Bina, like the letters of Bina, which are called “great letters.”

“From them, six origins and streams were made, to bring them into the great sea, Malchut.” This is so because the carving of six edges while the Bina is outside RoshdeAA is called “six origins,” as they are only the origins of MochindeZA. Afterwards, upon her return to RoshdeAA, they become MochindeGAR, which are called “streams for ZA.” Then they become six streams, as it is written, “He will drink from the brook by the wayside; therefore He will lift up His head,” and then ZA imparts them upon the great sea, his Nukva.

It was said that six origins were made of the VAK, the six great, upper edges of Bina. These are VAKdeZAdeKatnut. And the streams are the MochindeZA. To bring them means to impart into the great sea, to Nukva. And the reason why VAKdeKatnutdeBina are called “origins of Mochin” is that Bina went out to be VAKdeKatnutonly to become a source for imparting Mochinupon ZON. Had Bina not gone out, they would be unfit for any Mochin.

It was said Barah Sheet [created six]. “Created” points to VAK without a Rosh, since the word “created” means blocking. Thus, two issues are implied here in the word Beresheet: 1) Hochma, for Resheet [first, beginning] indicates Hochma. 2) Barah Sheet, to show that six edges without a Rosh were created out of Hochma, and these are the origins of Mochin for ZON. They are called “world,” and they are the seven days of creation.

And who created them? The one who is not mentioned, that hidden one who is not known, AA. Since the word Barah is in Beresheetitself, who is it who created it? He says about it that it is that hidden one who is not known, HochmaStimaadeAA, since he took Bina out of his Rosh and made her VAK, creating these six great upper edges, implied in Beresheet.

Lock and Key

41) Rabbi Hiya and Rabbi Yosi were walking along the way. When they arrived at a certain field, Rabbi Hiya said to Rabbi Yosi, “Your saying Barah Sheet, which is implied in Beresheet, is so indeed, since the six upper days, which are only VAKdeBina, impart upon the Torah, ZA, and not more. The others, GARdeBina, are hidden.

Explanation: The Torah is ZA. The six upper days are VAKdeBina, who are above ZA. He says that for this reason Barah Sheet was implied in the word Beresheet, since Beresheetimplies to Bina that returned to being Hochmain order to bestow upon ZA. And because ZA is not receiving GARdeHochmafrom her, but only VAKdeHochma, the letters Barah Sheet are implied in this Hochmain Beresheet, indicating that ZA receives from her only VAKdeHochma. But the others, GARdeBina, are hidden because GAR of the Hochmaremain hidden for ZA and he does not attain them.

It is known that Atik was established in TzimtzumBet [second restriction], who raised the bottom Hey to his Nikvey Eynaim, to emanate upon PartzufAA. Hence, Keter was divided into two halves, where GE remained in NukvadeAtik, and half of the bottom Keter, AHP, was established as PartzufAA. It is considered that the bottom Hey is operating NE in Atik, and Yod-Hey-Vav in AHP, which are AA. This is so because the bottom HeydeHaVaYaH is missing in AA, hence, there are only the first nine in AA, lacking Malchut, and only AteretYesoddeZA complements him into ten Sefirot.

Also, Malchutwas hidden in NEdeAtik, and all the Partzufim of Atzilutwere imprinted from them. The Partzufim themselves were divided into two halves, with GE apart and AHP apart, since Bina was divided into two Partzufim, where GE in her were set up as upper AVI, and AHP in her as YESHSUT.

Thus, the bottom Hey is in NEdeAVI and Yod-Hey-Vav without the bottom Hey are in YESHSUT. They lack the Malchutbecause their Malchutremained in NE of upper AVI, as in Atik and AA. Also, GE were established as the great ZON in ZON, and AHP in the small ZON, while Malchutremained the great NEdeZON, and the small ZON have only the first nine, without Malchut, with only AteretYesodcomplementing their Malchut, as in Atik and AA. Thus, as the Keter was divided into two halves—GAR and ZAT—Bina and ZON were divided, too: the bottom Hey remained in the GAR of each, and in the ZAT there are only Yod-Hey-Vav, without the bottom Hey, and only AteretYesoddeMalchutcomplements them instead of Malchut.

Therefore, the upper half of each degree remains unknown, like PartzufAtik, where the bottom Hey does not descend from their NE in Gadlut, as well. This is so because although in Gadlut, they bring back the AHP of the Kelim to them that were missing, they still do not extend GAR of lights due to the bottom Hey, on which there was TzimtzumAleph [first restriction], is hidden in them to not receive Hochma. Hence, they always remain in light of Hassadim, pure air. However, only the bottom half of each degree extends the GAR of lights at the time of Gadlut, when the Yod comes out of their Avir and they return to being Ohr [light] of Hochmaand GAR.

Because of it, it is considered that the Partzufim of GAR that extend in the five Partzufim of Atzilutare regarded as merely VAKdeHochma and remain deficient of GARdeHochma. This is so because the GAR of each Partzufdo not receive Hochma, but VAK of each Partzuf. For this reason, there is only VAKdeHochmain these Mochin.

It was said that six upper days impart upon the Torah, ZA, and not more. ZA has only six days, VAKdeMochin, from the upper Mochin. But the others, GARdeBina, are hidden. GARdeMochinare concealed; they are hidden even in the Partzufim above him, since only the VAK of the upper Partzufim have Mochin.

42) But in the essay, Beresheet, it was said that that hidden, holy one engraved a carving in his intestines, in Bina, of one hidden one, the NukvadeAtik, who is dotted in the imbedded dot, the point of MalchutdeTzimtzumAleph, which rose to Bina and took AHPdeAA out of his Rosh. That carving that was engraved in Bina was engraved and hidden in her, as one who hides everything behind one key, and the whole of that one key is hidden in one palace. And even though everything is hidden in that palace, that key is the most important because that key closes and opens.

Explanation: The holy, hidden one, AA, who is called “the holy HochmaStimaa,” engraved a carving of lack of AHPdeKelim in his intestines, in Bina, of one hidden one, the internality of NukvadeAtik. “Dotted” means the correction of the Masachfor a Zivug. “At the imbedded dot” means in a circle, in MalchutdeTzimtzumAleph, the middle point, on which there was the first restriction.

This is different from the Masachthat is set up with AteretYesod, as is with the VAK of all the Partzufim, since a Masachof AteretYesodis called “the point of settling,” and not by the name, “the middle point.” It is so because AA is engraved and becomes deficient of his GAR through the internality of his superior, NukvadeAtik, who is set up with the bottom Hey in her NE.

It was said that that engraving that was carved in Bina was carved and hidden in her, as one who hides everything behind one key. A key is Malchutof AteretYesod, set up in every VAK of the Partzufim of Atzilut. This is so because in Partzufim of VAK, the Yod comes out of their Avir [air] and they become Ohr [light], meaning that the Masachdescends from their NE to the Peh, and brings the AHP back to the degree. At that time, once they have AHP of Kelim, they acquire GAR of lights, too. For this reason, the Masachin NE is regarded as a key because it closes the Partzuffrom illumination of GAR while it is in NE, and reopens it with lights of GAR when it descends back to its place, to the Peh. For this reason, it is called “the opening of the eyes.”

It was said that there is concealment in her, as one who hides everything behind one key. It is so because although Atik himself was engraved in the bottom Hey, the carving that was engraved in AA by Atik is unlike the carving of Atik himself, since AA was carved through a Miftacha [key], AteretYesod, lacking the Malchut. It follows that only AteretYesodgoverns in NEdeAA, and not the bottom Hey.

Thus, the air of AA is known because it is set up with a key. But the air of Atik is not known because the Malchutof the middle point is in him, and she does not extend GAR in him. It is not perplexing that they are saying here that there are GE in AA, and we said above that there is only AHP in him, half of the bottom Keter, since with regard to Atik, he only has AHP, but with regard to himself, he is GE, devoid of AHP.

It was said that the whole of that key is hidden in one palace. This is so because AA emanated to upper AVI and engraved for AVI, too, lacking GAR of lights and AHPdeKelim. Also, they are the palace in which all the lights of GAR were hidden—GARdeNeshama, GARdeHaya, and GARdeYechida—and AA extended the bottom Hey of Atik into this palace, too, as well as himself, who is the key.

And even though everything is hidden in that palace, the heart of everything is in that key. The palace, Bina, is a palace for Hochma, in which there are GAR and VAK. The bottom Hey governs her GAR, and the Miftacha, AteretYesod, governs her VAK. And although everything is hidden in that palace, even the bottom Hey from Atik, still, the heart of everything is in that key, in AteretYesod.

This is so because VAKdeBina, YESHSUT, VAK without RoshdeGAR, are the only ones in which the concealment is discerned. But in GARdeBina, AVI, where there is the bottom Hey in NE, GAR is not deficient there because the Hassadimof upper AVI are as important as Hochmaand GAR.

Also, the closing and opening are done by the bottom Hey in NE, for when she rises to NE, she closes the MochindeGAR because then the Partzufremains deficient of AHPdeKelim and GAR of lights. And when she descends from NE to the Peh, she opens the MochindeGAR to illuminate in the Partzuf, for then she brings back the AHP of Kelim and GAR of lights to the Partzuf.

Thus, only the bottom Hey herself closes and opens. But since the opening of Mochinis not in GAR, but only in ZAT, in which the bottom Hey does not govern, but AteretYesod, the Miftacha, and the GAR of each degree—where the bottom Hey rules—always remain in the unknown Avir, the closing and opening are attributed to the Miftacha,and not to the bottom Hey.

43) There are many hidden treasures in that palace, one atop the other. Within that palace there are gates that were made for concealing, made to block the lights. They are fifty, carved into four directions, and they became forty-nine gates, since one gate has no side and it is unknown where it is, above or below. For this reason, that gate remained hidden.

Commentary: There are three kinds of GAR—GARdeNeshama, GARdeHaya, and GARdeYechida. In each of three kinds of GAR are innumerable details. This is why it was said, “Many hidden treasures in that palace, one atop the other.” When the bottom Hey is in the NE, all those degrees are hidden and unknown.

Also, “There are gates that were made for concealing, made to block the lights. They are fifty.” Gates are receptacles for lights. There are two discernments in them: 1) While they are still blocked, when they are closed, they are blocked and receive nothing. 2) When they are open and receive lights from the upper one.

When the gates of the palace are blocked, they number fifty. But with respect to opening the gates, they are only forty-nine. The number fifty is because ten Sefirotare essentially only five SefirotKHBTM, but Tifferetconsists of VAK, hence they are ten. Thus, when each of the ten Sefirotcomprises ten, they are fifty.

They are carved into four directions and become forty-nine gates because the closing and opening is not done in the bottom Hey, but only in the Miftacha [key] AteretYesod. It follows that carving, meaning the carvings that are suitable for reception, were not done in all five SefirotKHBTM, but only in the four SefirotKHBTifferet, and not in Malchut, and four times ten are forty.

However, Malchutcontains ten SefirotKHBTM, as well. It follows that she, too, can receive from the Miftachato her first nine, down to her AteretYesod, hence there is carving here to forty-nine Sefirot: forty from the four SefirotKHBTifferet, each of which consists of ten, and the first nine from the Malchut, which includes ten. It follows that it is missing only the MalchutdeMalchut.

This is why it was said, “One gate has no side and it is unknown where it is, above or below.” This is the reason why this gate remained blocked—the MalchutdeMalchut, the fiftieth gate, the actual bottom Hey, who descends from Eynaimto Peh at the time of Gadlut. And even though the bottom Hey descends from NE of upper AVI to the Peh, and their AHP are with YESHSUT that clothe over them, they join AVI into a single Partzuf. At that time, lights of GAR are drawn into them, which is why AVI receive nothing of the lights of GAR and remain in pure air, as though the bottom Hey has still not descended from their NE.