Adam Kadmon as Hester Panim and Ha’aret Panim

In explanation of all this Ramchal cites the two sorts of ways that God interacts with us: either openly, termed Ha’aret Panim, “(with) face aglow”; or covertly, termed Hester Panim, “(with a) hidden face” [1]. When God interacts via Ha’aret Panim His interactions are full and unabated, via Hester Panim they’re unfinished and incomplete. (Needless to say there’s a world to be said about this, but here is not the place.) These paradigms play themselves out in the human sphere in terms of the body (which is an example of imperfection and thus of Hester Panim) and the soul (an example of fullness and of Hester Panim) [2].

Now, these two modes also touch upon the Trace and the Line, where the former is an example of Hester Panim and the latter of Ha’aret Panim. Ramchal’s point here is that Adam Kadmon with its “face” and its “senses” is a representation of the Trace and the Line — Ha’aret Panim and Hester Panim — at work. It’s just that sometimes one mode dominates, and another time the other one does. The implication is that the prophet or exalted soul can not only envision the fact of Adam Kadmon, he can likewise know which is predominant.

Notes:

[1]       This is derived from Klallim Rishonim 8. See Da’at Tevunot 76- 81, 84 where Ramchal expounds upon God’s two interactions and related phenomenon.

[2]       Though this isn’t cited it here, Hester Panim is also analogous to receptacles while Ha’aret Panim is analogous to Lights.

(c) 2012 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

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