Ramchal

This final Petach of the section helps to explain what happens when Erich Anpin is engarbed within Attik but it can also address what happens when any Partzuf is engarbed within another. It also discusses the idea that the reasoning behind this is beyond us.

In each instance, the differences in an case of a higher Partzuf being engarbed in a lower one show whether its actions i.e. the actions of the one that’s engarbed, are to be significant or not. This is true when Attik is engarbed in Erich Anpin and in all other such instances.

And it, i.e., the degree of its significance, is always proportional to its, i.e., the engarbed Partzuf‘s, size. That’s to say that “if the engarbed Partzuf is of large proportion, that indicates that it has a lot to do,” Ramchal offers in his comments, “and if it’s of small proportion, then it has little to do”.

For, whether the engarbed Partzuf is to be of large or small proportion depends on whether the action in one instance is to be larger than the other one, and it all depends on the size of the parts of the engarbed Partzuf.

But the reasoning behind the proportioning is based on what the all-embracing intention for creation requires, which is beyond our ken. In fact, Ramchal offers that we aren’t even allowed to ask for the reason behind the makeup of “the edifice” (i.e., of the supernal prototypes) [1]; we’re just to accept the way things are set up. We are allowed to draw implications from their makeup, though. In any event, we’re to know that God uses all of these phenomena to govern the universe in ways it has to be governed to reach its end.

As he puts it, the study of Kabbalah requires us to know what follows what and what occurs in fact, but not the reason why anything in particular occurs. “Indeed, we could find many valid reasons for (the makeup of) these structures, but that’s not our intention. We’re (simply) to know what exists and its function in each instance”, Ramchal says.

 In fact, various reasons could be found for each proportion, because each has many facets. But we’re not to explore that. 

Footnotes:

[1]         See Petachim 14-15.

 (c) 2016 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

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The point of the matter is that even though our Divine service only functions in the world of Atzilut and below it, the fruit of our service has to somehow or another rise up to the eternal realm, and that’s where Attik comes into play. For Attik allows for that conveyance from this world to the eternal one. Here are some of the details laid out in this Petach.

In fact, this world is rooted in the mystical interactions of the names of MaH and BaN and in the Tikkunim that involve them, which are the thrust of our Divine service and a part of the Tikkun of the balance-scale. Now, while all of that’s important, it’s nonetheless not the ultimate goal. Because it only touches on MaH and BaN, and our reward goes beyond that. So those higher realms must somehow or another come to be affected by our Divine service.  That where Attik comes in.

That’s where man’s actions below — in the worlds of Atzilut and downward — are then transferred to the higher, world to come related realms like Adam Kadmon can then filter light downward. And that enables man to be rewarded for his work in the lower worldly realms as well as in the higher eternal ones. After all, it has always been God’s intention that man be rewarded for his efforts rather than be a recipient of Divine “charity”, if you will [1].

But there’s more to be said.

Footnote:

[1]  See 1:3 above.

(c) 2016 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

———————————————–

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Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon “The Path of the Just” and “The Duties of the Heart” (Jason Aronson Publishers).

Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled “Spiritual Excellence” and “Ramchal”.

Petach 97 then makes a straightforward-enough point which is nevertheless profound. It contrasts the eternal realm which is situated in the world of Adam Kadmon with the lower worlds of Atzilut, Briah, and Assiyah, which comprise the realm that allows for our service to God and for Tikkun. He then underscores the fact that there’s nonetheless a bridge between the two realms: the Partzuf of Attik (which, if you’ll recall, has been our subject for the longest time).

The Petach states that from the world of Atzilut downwards to the worlds of Briah, Yetzirah and Assiyah everything follows the present world’s governing order, i.e., everything is subsumed to the factors of reward and punishment, right and wrong, free will and Divine determination, and the like. Things follow a specific cycle there until they eventually achieve perfect benevolence, i.e., until they achieve the utter perfection that will result in the full expression of Divine benevolence we’d spoken of as being the pinnacle of all of creation.

But from Attik upward which encompasses the most subtle realms, everything is and already functions as it will in eternity from the seventh millennium onward [1].

Attik itself is the central byway between the two systems of governance, i.e., between reward and punishment and the like, and utter unalloyed Divine benevolence. Accordingly, it allows for things done here and now to affect eternity, Ramchal adds in his comments here.

But the world of Adam Kadmon, which sits atop both Atzilut and Attik and is of a whole other order, is comprised of the whole of existence and of all times. It has bearing on the names of MaH and BaN already spoken of and referred to in the next Petach.

Footnotes:

[1]         See Clallim Rishonim 9 and Clallei Chochmat HaEmet 10 for the chronology.

(c) 2016 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

———————————————–

AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman’s translation of Maimonides’ “Eight Chapters” is available here at a discount.

You can still purchase a copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” here at a discount as well.

Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon “The Path of the Just” and “The Duties of the Heart” (Jason Aronson Publishers).

Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled “Spiritual Excellence” and “Ramchal”.

The Petach ends as follows: For this is the way that the names MaH and BaN were established under them, i.e., under Adam Kadmon‘s Yesod and Malchut [1]. That is done by means of the balance-scale [2], Ramchal adds in his comments, which is how all of the Partzufim experience Tikkun. In fact, this particular combination of MaH and BaN is the essential order of governance needed to ultimately bring about complete perfection.

So in short this Petach is making the point that the Partzuf of Attik supports the  Partzuf of Erich by means of the balance-scale which is rooted in it (and is the mystical notion of the conjunction of MaH and BaN). This phenomenon is the gist of the Tikkunim of all of the Partzufim since is governs all of the world of Atzilut.

It’s just that when this occurs, Atzilut stands under Adam Kadmon‘s Sephirot of Yesod and Malchut, since that’s where this Tikkun takes place. But since the conjunction of MaH and BaN is the playing out of the Tikkun of all damages, it follows that the balance-scale’s governance is the main form of governance, so Erich Anpin must stand under it.

Footnotes:

[1]         See 5:5 above for an explanation of the names MaH and BaN.

[2]         See Section 11.

(c) 2016 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

———————————————–

AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman’s translation of Maimonides’ “Eight Chapters” is available here at a discount.

You can still purchase a copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” here at a discount as well.

Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon “The Path of the Just” and “The Duties of the Heart” (Jason Aronson Publishers).

Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled “Spiritual Excellence” and “Ramchal”.