Jerusalem; Temple Mount, Kotel

(1) The altar is placed extremely precisely and may never ever be placed anywhere else as it says "This is the Altar for the offerings of Israel." And it was in the temple that Isaac was bound as it says "and go to the land of Moriah" and it says "Solomon built the temple on Mt. Moriah."

(2) And it is a tradition accepted by all, that the place where David and Solomon built the altar at the threshing floor of Arauna was the place that Abraham built the altar and bound Isaac upon it, and that was the place that Noah built upon when he left the ark, and that was the altar upon which Kain and Abel sacrificed, and upon which Adam the First sacrificed when he was created. And from there was born the saying of the sages that "Man was created from the place of his atonement."

For three practical reasons the name of the place is not distinctly stated in the Law, but indicated in the phrase "To the place which the Lord will choose" (Deut. 12:11, etc.). First, if the nations had learnt that this place was to be the centre of the highest religious truths, they would occupy it, or fight about it most perseveringly. Secondly, those who were then in possession of it might destroy and ruin the place with all their might. Thirdly, and chiefly, every one of the twelve tribes would desire to have this place in its borders and under its control; this would lead to divisions and discord, such as were caused by the desire for the priesthood. Therefore it was commanded that the Temple should not be built before the election of a king who would order its erection, and thus remove the cause of discord.

As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwelt with the children of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.

(8) Inside the wall [of Jerusalem] is more holy than these, because there the less holy [offerings] and the second tithe are eaten. The Temple Mount has greater sanctity, because men and women with discharges, menstruating women, and women who have given birth may not enter there. The Cheil [a low fence around the Temple, which served as a boundary, beyond which entry to those impure was prohibited] has higher sanctity, because gentiles and people contaminated with corpse impurity may not enter there. The women's courtyard has higher sanctity, because a tevul yom may not enter there, but they are not liable for a sin offering for doing so. The Israelites' courtyard has higher sanctity, because one who lacks atonement may not enter there, and is liable for a sin offering for doing so. The priests' courtyard has higher sanctity, because the Israelites may not enter there except at the time of their [ritual] requirements: the laying on of hands, the slaughter, and the wave-offering.

(1) The temple mount was five hundred amah [cubit] by five hundred amah, with most of it [its chambers] in the south, second to it [number of chambers] was in the east, third it [number of chambers] was in the north, and the least were in the west. The area which had the most measure [number of chambers] had the most use.

(15) Therefore, all of the sacrifices may be brought even though the temple has not been brought. The Holiest sacrifices may be eaten throughout the courtyard, even though it is destroyed and there are no walls surrounding it. And sacrifices of lesser holiness and Second Tithe may be eaten in all of Jerusalem, even though there are no walls because the initial holiness is eternal holiness.

Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Ami said in the name of Ulla: Since the day the Temple, where the Divine Presence rested in this world, was destroyed, the Holy One, Blessed be He, has only one place in His world where he reveals His presence exclusively; only the four cubits where the study of halakha is undertaken.

(1) At the time the First Temple stood, in which the Ark and Tables [of the Decalogue] were housed in the Holy of Holies, the Shechinah, i.e. Malchut d'Atzilut, that is, the aspect of the "revealed" light of the blessed En Sof, dwelled there and was clothed in the Ten Commandments, far higher and stronger, and with a greater and mightier revelation, than its revelation in the shrines of the Holy of Holies above in the upper worlds. For the Ten Commandments are the "All-embracing principles of the whole Torah," which comes from the Higher Wisdom, that is far higher than the world of manifestation. In order to engrave them on material tablets of stone it (the Shechinah) did not descend degree by degree, parallel to the order of descent of the worlds down to this material world. For this material world functions through the garment of material nature, while the Tables [of the Decalogue] are "The work of G‑d, and the writing is the writing of G‑d," beyond the nature of this material world which is derived from the effulgence of the Shechinah in the shrine of the Holy of Holies of Asiyah ("Action"), whence issues light and vitality to the world of Asiyah, in which this our world also is contained.

(2) But the category of the Higher Wisdom of Atzilut, consisting of the totality of the Torah as it is epitomized in the Decalogue, has clothed itself in Malchut of Atzilut and of Beriah alone, and they alone, united as they are with the light of the blessed En Sof that is within them, are referred to as the "Shechinah" which rested in the Holy of Holies of the First Temple, through its clothing itself in the Ten Commandments, which were engraved in the Tables [reposing] in the Ark, by miraculous means and by the work of the Living G‑d (this being the "hidden" world which nests in the world of Beriah as is known to those familiar with the Esoteric Discipline).

(3) As for the Second Temple, in which did not repose the Ark and Tables [of the Decalogue], our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said that the Shechinah did not abide there. This refers to the category of the Shechinah which used to abide in the First Temple— which was not of the ordinary descent of the worlds. But in the Second Temple it abided according to the order of gradual descent, of Malchut d'Atzilut vested in Malchut d'Beriah and the latter in Malchut d'Yetzirah, and the latter in the shrine of the Holy of Holies of Asiyah which in turn was clothed in the Holy of Holies of the Temple here below. In it rested the Shechinah, i.e. Malchut d'Yetzirah which was clothed in the Holy of Holies of Asiyah.

(4) Therefore no man was permitted to enter there, except the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. However, since the Temple was destroyed, there remains to the blessed Holy One but "The four cubits of Halachah alone." Hence each individual who sits by himself and occupies himself in the Torah, the Shechinah is with him, as is stated in the first chapter of Berachot. The phrase "The Shechinah is with him" means in the order of the gradual descent and investment of Malchut d'Atzilut in Malchut d'Beriah, and Yetzirah and Asiyah. For the 613 commandments of the Torah are by and large active precepts, as are also those which are fulfilled by word and thought, such as Torah study and Grace after meals and the recital of the Shema and Prayer, for it has been ruled that contemplation has not the validity of speech, and one has not fulfilled one's obligation by contemplation and kavanah alone, until he gives utterance with his lips; and it has been ruled that the motion of the lips is considered an "action."

(5) The 613 commandments of the Torah, together with the seven commandments of our Rabbis, combine to total the numerical equivalent of כתר ("crown") which is the blessed Ratzon Elyon (the "Supernal Will"), which is clothed in His blessed Wisdom, and they are united with the light of the blessed En Sof in a perfect union. "The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth," which refers to the Oral Law that is derived from the Higher Wisdom, as is written in the Zohar, "The Father [chochmah] begat the daughter [i.e. Malchut, the Oral Law]."

(6) And this is what the Yenuka meant when he said that "The Supernal light that is kindled on one's head, namely, the Shechinah, requires oil," that is, to be clothed in wisdom, which is called "oil from the holy anointing," as is explained in the Zohar, that "these are the good deeds," namely, the 613 commandments, which derive from His blessed wisdom. Thereby the light of the Shechinah can cling to the wick, i.e. the vivifying soul in the body, which is metaphorically called a "wick." For just as in the case of a material candle, the light shines by virtue of the annihilation and burning of the wick turning to fire, so does the light of the Shechinah rest on the divine soul as a result of the annihilation of the animal soul and its transformation "From darkness to light and from bitterness to sweetness" in the case of the righteous, or at least through the destruction of its garments, which are thought, speech and action, and their transformation from the darkness of the kelipot to the Divine light of the blessed En Sof, which is clothed and united in the thought, speech and action of the 613 commandments of the Torah, in the case of benonim. For as a result of the transformation of the animal soul, originating from the kelipat nogah, [a transformation] from darkness to light, and so forth, there is brought about toe so-called "ascent of the feminine waters" to draw the light of the Shechinah, i.e. the category of the "revealed" light of the blessed En Sof— over one's divine soul [principally dwelling] in the brain of the head. Thereby will also be clearly understood the text "For the Lord Thy G‑d is a consuming fire" as is explained elsewhere.

(7) CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST PART WITH THE HELP OF G-D, MAY HE BE BLESSED AND EXALTED.