Sha'arei Orah - Gates of Light (Part 2 of 2)

We have already informed you, my precious soul, in the preceding five Gates, some of the wonders of these systems, for a man can discern a straightforward way to walk through the courtyards of God, may He be Blessed, without stumbling. Now we must make you aware of the five remaining Gates [of the Sefirot], with God's help. You must open your eyes to study, to do and to fulfill, etc.

ELoHIM, hear my prayer, listen to what my mouth says. (Psalm 54:4)

The sixth Name of the Holy Names when listed in ascending order is ELoHIM. Now I must initiate you to rules and principles so that whenever you find the Torah of ELoHIM, you may know to which side He turns. You have already been told, my soul mate, that the great Name that is called YHVH, may He be Blessed, is the source and the trunk of the tree which extends above, below and to all sides. He dresses in the other Holy Names and the other Cognomens, as we have told you, and He does so in accordance with each activity that He enacts in His world. Thus, He is known by the name that is appointed to perform that activity. At times, He is called EHYE, or YaH, ADoNaY TZVAOT, ELoHIM TZVAOT, EL CHaY, and ELoHIM CHaYYiM - all in accordance with the new actions He brings into the world. For He will be dressed in the garments of the Name that signifies His conduct. Behold, the name that is known as ELoHIM is the Name that has been appointed for judgment. This is a sign from the verse, "Judgment is for ELoHIM." (Deuteronomy 1:17) When He, may He be Blessed, performs an activity from the side of Din (Judgment), He is called ELoHIM. Know that this side is the side of judgment. This Name judges all who traverse the world with the appropriate judgments, whether they be positive or adverse, for life or for death. This Name has several courts in fixed places and each one completes its work and its judgments in truth and in faith, for everything is done justly. This is what is known as the Heavenly Court, for there it is determined whether the world's creatures will be judged for peace or the sword, for famine or for plenty, for life or for death. This is the Name that is called ELoHIM and all are judged in His court. Thus the Sages said: "Just as a man makes a blessing for the good, so too he must bless the bad." (Mishnah Berakhot 9:5) Where do we have the source we require for this? The verse states: "I will praise the word of YHVH and I will praise the word of ELoHIM." (Psalm 56:11) 'I will praise the word of YHVH" - refers to the good. 'I will praise the word of ELoHIM' - this refers to the attribute of Divine punishment. Now we can tell you that all has been judged in the court that is called ELoHIM; if the judgment is favorable, the appointed Name will be YHVH orEL; if the judgment comes to punish, it is called ELoHIM. Guard this idea. You must contemplate the fact that whenever you find the Name ELoHIM in the Torah, it represents the attribute that has come to judge the whole world. We have already told you how the heavenly Sanhedrin stands between the Name YHVH and the Name ELoHIM, and how the attribute of mercy mixes with the attribute of judgment, so that the creatures of the world will not be annihilated at the time of their being judged. Thus the heavenly Sanhedrin sits permanently on the left side, between YHVH and ELoHIM, and it faces to the left, about which is said: "SHaRReyCH (Your navel) is like a round goblet, let mixed wine not be lacking." (Song of Songs 7:3)

The Sages interpreted: "This verse is referring to the great Sanhedrin," because the verse states: The face of SHoR [an ox, but here a play on the words of Song of Songs 7:3] is on the left (Ezekiel 1:10). Thus the verse in Song of Songs refers to the Sanhedrin as SHaRReyCH. The teachings of God will remedy the sinner when he is being judged for his sins in court, when he chooses to be penitent, as it is written: "It will be a cure for SHaReCHa" [lit.- your navel] (Proverbs 3:8) The Prophet proclaims that repentance is the cure, as it is written, "And repent and cure Himself." Isaiah 6:10).

Now, open your eyes and see that the Great Court know as ELoHIM judges all who are in the upper and lower worlds.

After we have told you this and given over these rules and concepts, we must return and feed you more principles from which you will be able to enter other gates of light and receive more the Torah's secrets. After we have told you some of they mysteries that are contained in the Name ELoHIM, we must seal this gate by telling you that ELoHIM is known to some Kabbalists as the essence of the consuming fire, as we have said, but this attribute may do exactly the opposite with the same simple force. This power can bring death or life on the one hand; it can, however, annihilate or sustain, make ill or heal, and all this is contained within one attribute with one pattern. It is from this power that all messengers from above must have permission to complete the judgments that have been decreed on humanity: for life or death, to destroy or sustain, to wound or to heal, all are contained in this attribute. According to this, understand that an emissary is called ELoHIM because of the power of the forces that have been handed over to him. Keep this principle with you, for you will require it in other places. So, now if you have eyes, open your eyes to these great rules that we have given you in this gate regarding the Name ELoHIM and you will be able to understand the Name ELoHIM wherever you find it in the Torah. You will understand why the ministers in the heavens are called the other ELoHIM, and why all judges are called ELoHIM, even human judges. You will understand these matters, you will understand all the forces and actions which are contained under the Name ELoHIM. And God, may He be Blessed, will teach us the way to know the truth of His ways and to keep His commandments, laws and statutes, so may it be His will.

And You, O ADoNaY, are a merciful and pardoning EL, long forbearing and abundant in kindness (CHeSeD) and truth (EMeT). (Psalm 86:15)

The seventh Name from the Holy Names is the one known as EL. We must make you aware of the essence of this Name by giving you a thorough understanding. When you comprehend this then wherever you find the name EL you will understand its purpose. In previous gates we have already let you know that the name EL is in charge of compassion and mercy and it is the essence of the attributes that Abraham, our father, inherited, as he said: "...and invoked there the Name YHVH, the everlasting EL." (Genesis 21:33)

Now, you must know that the Great Sanhedrin known as ELoHIM has 310 encampments for the attribute DIN which float throughout the world. Each of these camps completes the judgments over which it has been given responsibility irrespective of whether the nature of the judgment is good or evil. These attributes all draw their favors which are held back from the wicked by the attribute DIN. Their stores are filled with fortune, favor and glory and they are called YeSH (there is). All these treasures are placed in sage keeping awaiting the righteous in the world to come. As it is written, "I endow those who love me with YeSH, I will fill their treasuries." (Proverbs 8:21) For when these 310 camps go forth from the great court and traverse the world to complete pending judgments among those who have sinned, some of whom they loot and pillage, wound and uproot, disease and plague, each of these camps completes the judgments that was decided upon for each creature. All is done with faith and trust, for nothing is added or diminished from that which has been decreed by ELoHIM, who is the "True ELoHIM".

Know that above these camps and above the great court that is know as ELoHIM sits the absolute attribute of mercy (RaCHaMiM), compassion without any aspect of judgment. This attribute has mercy on those individuals who do not deserve it and bestows it upon them as a gift. In times of trial, the righteous and pious used this way to direct their thoughts to this attribute and would thus save the world from many kinds of tribulation. Know that the uppermost attribute which is absolute mercy is called EL and it is the tithe of the camps that are called YeSH. When the 310 encampments come to slaughter the world's people by virtue of the sentence that was passed by the Heavenly Court, if there is one righteous man in the world who is able to direct his thoughts to the attribute known as EL, then He will go forth from His Shrine and reveal Himself. When this occurs the YeSH [310 camps] disperse and hide because of His glory and cannot therefore act on their designs to destroy, because the attribute of mercy is upon them and when He is revealed, all of them know that they no longer have the power to destroy or to do harm to any creature on earth, for the attribute EL has already appeared. Now realize that in times of trouble the saints [the Kedoshim] and the pious [Chasidim] would hasten to pray and direct their thoughts to the attribute EL, which is why we call Him EL, King who dwells on the throne of mercy. And He is also called EL ELYON (uppermost EL). For Abraham our father aspired all his days toward this attribute which is absolute compassion, mercy and forgiveness, and he accepted many trials and afflictions so that he would be worthy of it. Because of his extensive efforts and his love, he was awarded this everlasting inheritance. This is the essence of the blessing, "Blessed is Abram to the uppermost EL." (Genesis 14:19) And it is written, "And he planted a tamarisk in Beersheba and he called the place in the Name of YHVH, the everlasting EL." (Genesis 21:33) We see that Abraham had inherited this attribute and thus was blessed with everything. For there was no entity above who could prosecute or protest against his requests, for they were all prepared to do whatever he wished and this was because the attribute EL was always available to him, so all prosecutors would flee from him, and this is the essence of "CheSeD for Abraham".

YHVH ADoNaY my strength, who makes legs like the deer's, and lets me stride upon the heights. (Habakkuk 3:19)

The author says: We have seen fit to explain the essence of the eighth Name which is written one way and vocalized another; it is written YHVH and it is vocalized as ELoHIM and it is also given the notation [Hebrew vowels] of ELoHIM. This is the Sphere called BINaH. You must be aware that this is the Name that connects all the Sefirot, with its powerful bonds of emanation and magnetism. For this is the third Nam of the three highest Names which are united and are intimate with KeTeR. From this Name, the everflow of light, emanation and blessing flows through all the channels until the seven lower Sefirot are blessed from the three upper Sefirot. What you must know is that the Name which is written with the letters YHVH and is pronounced as ELoHIM reflects its essence, for it is connected to both Names; that both hold fast tot he world of absolute mercy which is the essence of KeTeR, one from the right and one from the left; the right side is the name YH, the left is called by the Name ELoHIM, although it is written as YHVH. This is the essence of BINaH

Grasp in your hand this great principle in respect of these two Sefirot, BINaH and MaLCHUT. We have already told you that when the two of them are facing each other, they receive the everflow of blessing from one another; now you must be aware that the essences of both these Spheres are contained in the seal of YHVH, may He be Blessed, for the power of sustenance has been given to them. The upper 'hay' which is BINaH is the essence of that which gives support from above. For from her comes everflow and blessing to all the Sefirot, therefore you will find that the seal of the whole Name has been given to her. For the Name is written YHVH and is vocalized and pronounced as ELoHIM, so that the Name is actually YHVH but is pronounced ELoHIM and this is to show that by pronouncing the Name as it is vocalized, the Name contains the whole seal. The last 'hay' which is MaLCHUT is the essence of the last great supporter, from which the angels will receive their sustenance, their stability and their life. So, too, will the heavens, the sun, moon and stars. So it is with the hosts of the earth, the metals, plants, animals and the like - all of them receive their strength and sustenance and life as is deemed appropriate form the Sphere MaLCHUT, for this is the essence of the last letter 'hay' in the Name. Thus the seal of the whole Name was given over to her, and she is vocalized as ADoNaY when she is written YHVH, so the Name is pronounced as it is vocalized. One find from this that the name YHVH, may He be Blessed, has two vocalizations in the Torah. One is ELoHIM, which is the essence of BINaH; thus it is employed in the verse, "YHVH, ADoNaY my strength" (Habakkuk 3:19); [pronounced AdoNay ELoHIM] and the verse, "ADoNaY YHVH, how shall i know that I am to posses it?" (Genesis 15:8) [also pronounced AdoNay ELoHIM], as it is with the rest of them.

The second is vocalized as ADoNay, which is the essence of MaLCHUT; thus it is wherever it appears in this way throughout the Torah. If you contemplate this great principle that we have given you in this place, you will understand the essence of the two 'hays' in the Name and how they are pointed toward each other, and how the keys of the Name are with them. One from above, and one below - they are vocalized throughout the entire Torah in either of these ways and not by any other. From here you should understand the essence of the unity of the two 'hays'; both have the same purpose, one draws from the other, and all is one great unity of the Name, may He be Blessed. About them it is said, "YHVH YHVH is One and His Name is One (Zechariah 14:9), that one should face the other and unite the Spheres with each other. This is the key for those who know the principles of Kabbalah and the unity of YHVH, may He be Blessed. I have given you the two 'hays' which are the essence of it wherever you find it written in one verse, ADoNay YHVH or YHVH ADoNaY. After we have given over to you these principles in this gate, we must enter the other gates that we intend to explain in this book. Let God, for the sake of His mercy and compassion, teach us the true way.

From the MeTZaR (dire straits) I called to YaH, answer me with MeRCHaV (breadth and generosity), YaH.

The Ninth Name from the Holy Name is called YaH. You must realize that the Name which is YHVH, may He be Blessed, known as the unique Name, means that it contains all the ten Sefirot as one. We have already explained how the first Spheres are contained in the letter 'yud' of the unique Name: For the crown on the letter 'yud' is the essence of KeTeR and the body of the letter 'yud' is the essence of CHoCHMaH. The third Sphere unites with the two of them which is the essence BINaH and that is included in the first 'hay' of the Name. One finds that the first two letters of the Name contain the three upper Spheres, and the next letter, the 'vav', contains six Spheres; three are contained in the upper half of the 'vav' and three in the lower half; GeDuLaH, GeVuRaH and TiFERet are above and NeTZaCH, HOD and YeSOD below; while the last Sphere which is the tenth is contained in the last letter of the Name, the letter 'hay'.

Now we must tell you the reason why these first two letter of the Name often appear and are pronounced independently, and the last two letters of the Name are not. We have already explained the function of the two 'hays'. The first 'hay', which is BINaH, unifies the seven lower Sefirot, while the last 'hay', which is MaLCHUT, unites with the nine upper Sefirot through the Sphere YeSOD. To conclude, the principal aspect of the ten Sefirot, is that the three upper Sefirot influence the seven lower Sefirot, and if, God forbid, the three Sefirot cease to flow, then the Temple is destroyed, the Shrine is burned and the children are exiled among the nations. That is why it is possible to pronounce the first half of the Name, which is YaH, independently and not possible to do the same with the last half of the Name, which is 'vav hay', because it is like cutting it off from its source. For the upper Sefirot are not dependent on the lower Sefirot. Also, its numerical equivalent does not contain the number of the whole Name, for when you call YaH, the second half is also included and therefore it is not cut off at all, for if one counts the numerical equivalents of the vocalization of the letter 'yud' (which would be yud, vav, dalet = 20) and the letter 'hay' (hay + aleph = 6), it adds up to 26, which is the numerical equivalent of YHVH, so half of the Name is like the whole Name. This is only in regard to the first half of the Name but the sustenance and upholding of the second half of the Name relies on the essence of YaH.

Know that this Sphere is referred to in the Torah as YeSH, and you must realize the reason. For the first Sphere is KeTeR, which is hidden from all living things, and no one may even contemplate it, for it is called AYN, as we shall explain in the future, with God's help. If a man comes to ask of it something, the answer he will receive is "AYN" - meaning that there is no one who can contemplate the essence of its depth and grandeur. Thus, it is not symbolized by a specific letter, but only by the crown on the letter 'yud'. It is the origin of thought which flows, for the beginning of where the order of the Sefirot is perceivable originates with the second Sphere which is CHoCHMaH, and this is the place where one has access to request one's wishes. For even though it is not revealed, it is not completely hidden as is the first Sphere. It is the second Sphere that contains the essence of where questioning begins. The first Sphere, because of its hiddenness, is called AYN; the second Sphere, which as limited accessibility for requests through [the fact that it receives] the everflow emanating from KeTeR [and KeTeR does not receive everflow] is called YeSH. Jacob, our father, already revealed things from the mysteries of this Sphere, for it was more attracted to him than to Abraham or Isaac, for his portion ascends through the Middle Line which is DAT until is reaches the realm of mercy. Therefore: "And he dreamed and behold a ladder stood on the ground whose top reached the heavens... and behold YHVH stood above him and Jacob awakened from his sleep saying, 'It is true that YeSH (there is) YHVH is in this place'." (Genesis 28:12) It was attractive to intimate this to him about whom it was said: "I will ride you astride the heights..." (Isaiah 58:14 - See whole verse below). Allow me to make an inference. In the visions of this dream it is stated: "And you will burst forth to the west, to the east, to the north and to the south" (Genesis 28:14). This was not revealed to the other forefathers, thus he ascended tot he "heights of the earth", saying, "It is true that YeSH YHVH is in this place." The explanation of this portion is long this is not the place to elaborate further.

This is YeSH which Israel along is attached to, so that they may enter life in the world to come and then they will be nurtured with the everflow, favor and blessing, which has no measure from the Sphere known as YeSH....

Who is an EL like You, forgiving iniquity and remitting transgression? Who has not maintained His wrath forever, against the remnant of His own people, because He loves CheSeD? (Micah 7:18)

The tenth Name of the Holy Name is called EHYE. This is the Name that ascends to the top of KeTeR which, except for it, no one knows. This is the name that is concealed in the hidden tent and which is appointed to the realm of mercy. This Name has twelve combinations, and the point of mercy, the source of its living essence, is in the middle. These twelve combinations, coupled with the center point, which is the essence of thirteen canisters of mercy, contain absolute mercy without any judgment mixed in, just as the Divine Name YHVH resides in the middle of the Sefirot which reside above, below and to each side, as we have already alluded to, in the gates in which we have have already written. These same twelve combinations of the unique Name and the Middle Line which communicates between them are the essence of the thirteen attributes which contain both judgment and mercy. When, however, the upper attributes appear from the Name KeTeR which is EHYE and which are complete mercy, then all the realms and all the Sefirot are filled with life, mercy and a vast variety of everflow...

Know that the activity of the upper Name which is EHYE is the activity of absolute mercy, and this is the Name that brings good and gives for free and has mercy not out of judgment but out of absolute mercy, as it is written, "And I am called by the Name YHVH before you, and I will pardon whom I will pardon and I will have mercy upon those whom I will have mercy." (Exodus 33:19)...

We need to tell you the great mercy of God, may He be Blessed, about whom we have told so many exalted secrets, that even though the people of the world are judged in the upper courts and deserve so many punishments, the lower entities can reverse the judgment and the punishment will be enacted for good, as it is written: "The righteous govern YiRAT EloHIM." (2 Samuel 23:3) They [the Sages] interpreted this to mean, "Who governs me? The righteous, for I decree and he rescinds them" (Moed Katan 16b). How does this work? Know that when there is a righteous person in the world who is worthy to contemplate in his prayers and does so until he reaches the realms of RaTZON and mercy, even though there has been a decree from the heavenly court, when this very prayer of that same righteous person ascends to KeTeR, then the gates of the realm of mercy open. When these judgments that were decreed are rescinded because the lights of mercy appeared and filled all the Sefirot with mercy, blessing and emanation and those no Sphere has the capacity at that moment to contain any judgment, and there is not attribute than can hold any anger or fury, because EL stands in joy and in RaTZON and has transcended all the faces of rage and transformed the stern judges into merciful ones, then the entire attribute is dripping with great mercy which flows through the thirteen heavenly channels through the thirteen attributes which reside in the realm of judgment...

Now, my son, hear my voice, we have given you ten keys for connecting [the Sefirot]. With these you will be able to enter many gates that are closed and many people will never merit entering them. Now you must contemplate each gate and see these things with clarity and then you will know how the Torah is woven with these Cognomens, and the Cognomens are derived from the three Holy Names, and the Holy Names are intertwined with the Name YHVH, may He be Blessed, which unifies them from above, below and on all sides... When you enter these rooms in this world, you will merit the mysteries of life in the world to come... For even though Solomon was wiser than all men, he did not have access to even one of the mysteries, and he said as much: "I attempted all this with CHoCHMaH and I said I would achieve it, but it was far from me." (Ecclesiastes 7:23)... Thus Solomon said, "Not everyone can enter the gateway."...

Now, my son, contemplate with this book, and if God, may He be Blessed, awards you, it will be like a gateway for entry into the many chambers that you wish to enter, and it will explain them to you with the help of God. In His own mercy, may He deem us worthy to be among the students who learn the law from His lips, and may this verse be upheld by us: "All Your children are students of YHVH and great shall be the happiness of Your chidren." (Isaiah 54:13)