We now enter Section Five which is entitled “The Letters and Names” and includes Petachim 18-23. As we’d done until now we’ll first present each Petach in the original and translation then go on with our analysis of the whole section. So here’s Petach 18:
כל האורות העליונים עד שיגיעו להעשות מהם פעולה במעשה, צריך שיבאו לסוד האותיות. והם מציאות סדר אחד העומד להוציא כל הדברים לפועל, והוא סוד, “בדבר ה’ שמים נעשו”. כי אין מציאות לדיבור אלא באותיות:
Before they can (actually) produce (physical) actions, the supernal lights must enter into the mystical realm of letters, which are a particular order (of entities) that exist to bring things about (in the physical realm). This (i.e., the fact that letters affect physical actions) is the mystical import of the verse (that reads): “The Heavens were fashioned through God’s word” (Psalms 33:6). (That step is necessary because) speech only exists in (i.e., when there are) letters.
(c) 2011 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org
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