(ז) פָּתַח אֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא זָכוּר לְטוֹב וְאָמַר, רִבּוֹן עָלְמִין דְּאַנְתְּ הוּא חַד וְלֹא בְחֻשְבָּן, אַנְתְּ הוּא עִלָּאָה עַל כָּל עִלָּאִין, סְתִימָא עַל כָּל סְתִימִין, לֵית מַחֲשָׁבָה תְּפִיסָא בָּךְ כְּלָל, אַנְתְּ הוּא דְּאַפַּקְתְּ עָשָׂר תִּקּוּנִין, וְקָרֵינָן לוֹן עָשָׂר סְפִירָן, לְאַנְהָגָא בְּהוֹן עָלְמִין סְתִימִין דְּלָא אִתְגַּלְיָן, וְעָלְמִין דְאִתְגַּלְיָן, וּבְהוֹן אִתְכַּסִּיאַת מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא, וְאַנְתְּ הוּא דְקָשִׁיר לוֹן, וּמְיַחֵד לוֹן, וּבְגִין דְּאַנְתְּ מִלְּגָאו, כָּל מַאן דְּאַפְרִישׁ חַד מִן חַבְרֵיהּ מֵאִלֵּין עֲשַׂר סְפִירָן אִתְחַשִׁיב לֵיהּ כְּאִלּוּ אַפְרִישׁ בָּךְ: וְאִלֵּין עָשָׂר סְפִירָן אִינוּן אַזְלִין כְּסִדְרָן, חַד אָרִיךְ, וְחַד קְצִיר, וְחַד בֵּינוֹנִי, וְאַנְתְּ הוּא דְּאַנְהִיג לוֹן, וְלֵית מַאן דְּאַנְהִיג לָךְ, לֹא לְעֵילָּא וְלֹא לְתַתָּא וְלֹא מִכָּל סִטְרָא, לְבוּשִׁין תַּקַּנְתְּ לוֹן, דְּמִנַּייהוּ פַּרְחִין נִשְׁמָתִין לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא, וְכַמָּה גוּפִין תַּקַּנְתְּ לוֹן, דְּאִתְקְרִיאוּ גּוּפָא לְגַבֵּי לְבוּשִׁין דִּמְכַסִין עֲלֵיהוֹן, וְאִתְקְרִיאוּ בְּתִקּוּנָא דָּא, חֶסֶד דְרוֹעָא יְמִינָא, גְּבוּרָה דְרוֹעָא שְׂמָאלָא, תִּפְאֶרֶת גּוּפָא, נֶצַח וְהוֹד תְּרֵין שׁוֹקִין, יְסוֹד סִיּוּמָא דְּגוּפָא אוֹת בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ, מַלְכוּת פֶּה תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה קָרֵינָן לָהּ: חָכְמָה מוֹחָא אִיהִי מַחְשָׁבָה מִלְּגָאו, בִּינָה לִבָּא וּבָהּ הַלֵּב מֵבִין, וְעַל אִלֵּין תְּרֵין כְּתִיב הַנִּסְתָּרוֹת לַיי אֱלֹקֵינוּ, כֶּתֶר עֶלְיוֹן אִיהוּ כֶּתֶר מַלְכוּת, וְעָלֵיהּ אִתְמַר מַגִּיד מֵרֵאשִׁית אַחֲרִית, וְאִיהוּ קַרְקַפְתָּא דִתְפִלֵּי (נ"א קַרְקַפְתָּא דְלָא מַנַּח תְּפִלֵּי), מִלְּגָאו אִיהוּ יו"ד ק"א וָא"ו ק"א, דְּאִיהוּ אֹרַח אֲצִילוּת, אִיהוּ שַׁקְיוּ דְּאִילָנָא בִּדְרוֹעוֹי וְעַנְפּוֹי, כְּמַיָּא דְאַשְׁקֵי לְאִילָנָא, וְאִתְרַבֵּי בְּהַהוּא שַׁקְיוּ:
The prophet Elijah, of blessed memory, opened, and said:
Eternal Hidden Master of the worlds! You are He whose Unity is infinite and absolute, and therefore indivisible. You are He [the First Cause], transcendent beyond all that is above, and concealed behind all that is concealed. No thought whatsoever can grasp You.
But You are He who brought forth ten rectifications - we call them the ten sefirot - with which to regulate [the powerful illumination of Your Light that flows down through] hidden worlds that are not revealed, as well as worlds that are revealed.
[The sefirot of Atzilut are clothed within these "garments", and for this reason] they are called ["limbs" of] a "body" relative to the "clothes" that cover over them. [These "limbs"] are arranged as follows: chesed (or loving-kindness) is the right arm, gevura (restraint) is the left arm, and tiferet (harmony) is the torso. Netzach (dominance) and hod (empathy) are the two legs, and yesod (foundation or channel) is the body's extremity, the sign of the Holy Covenant. Malchut (kingship) is the mouth [of the holy covenant]. It is therefore called the "Oral Torah".
[Above these "limbs" is the "head" in which] chochma (wisdom) is the [right] brain, the seat of thought, and bina (understanding) is [the left brain and] the heart, the heart's ability to discern. Concerning these, it is written, "The hidden things belong to G‑d [corresponding to chochma] our G‑d [corresponding to bina]".
Phase one: “Before” the tzimtzum, “there was a celestial and simple light that filled all existence, and there was no empty room... Rather all was filled with simple infinite light, which did not have either beginning or end, but all was one simple light, all the same and equal... this is called infinite light (ohr ayn sof).”
Phase two: “Then... this light was contracted (tzimtzum is the Hebrew word for contraction)... and drawn aside... leaving empty room, a hollow space (chalal)... After this tzimtzum there was now space where emanations and creations could [potentially] be formed and made.”
Phase three: “Then was drawn forth from the infinite light a single straight line (kav), [drawn] from the surrounding light... successively descending into the hollow. The top of this line is drawn from the the infinite light itself and touches it... and through this line the infinite light is drawn and spread out below. Thus, in that hollow space, all the realms were emanated, created and made.”
There is a basic difference between the first three sefirot and the seven that follow.
The first three are G‑d's mochin, intellect, as opposed to the last seven which are midot, emotive attributes—Kindness, Severity and their various combinations and offshoots.
An understanding of the difference between human intellect and emotions gives us a glimpse into the nature of their divine counterparts.
Cognition is an intensely personal experience. Even when I am thinking about others, it is me thinking about them—these thoughts are hidden from them and, most importantly, have no direct impact on them. Furthermore, intellect does not require another. Even when I am alone, without someone with whom to share an idea, I can contemplate and theorize.
Emotions, by contrast, require a recipient. This is where others actually enter the picture. Because emotions are directed at another entity. For example, the attribute of kindness requires someone to receive one's generosity and kindness. And an emotion towards another – whether positive or negative – normally leads to a direct consequence that will affect that individual.
In many of the sources, it speaks only of six Sefirot—i.e. Chesed through Yesod. This is because the final sefirah, Malchut, possesses no distinctive quality; its function is to absorb the energies of the higher six attributes and use them to actually descend and create—and "reign" over the created entities. (Malchut is often compared to the moon, which merely reflects the light of the sun.)
- Chochmoh (Wisdom)
- Binah (Understanding)
- Da'at (Knowledge)
- Chesed (Kindness)
- Gevurah (Severity)
- Tiferet (Beauty)
- Netzach (Perseverance)
- Hod (Splendor)
- Yesod (Foundation)
- Malchut (Royalty)
(26) This, after my skin will have been peeled off. But I would behold G-d while still in my flesh,