This section is termed “Adam Kadmon and its Offshoots” and it’s based on Petachim 31-35.
As we’ve done till now, we’ll present the Petachim themselves in translation one by one with some interpolation, and follow that up with a quick summation of their main points and their extra areas of discussion, onto an analyses of the whole section.
Petach 31
הסדר הראשון שקבל האור הנאצל לעמוד בסוד עשר ספירות בבחינת סדר דמות אדם – הוא נקרא אדם קדמון. והוא הסדר של שם הוי”ה ב”ה לעולם ולעולמי עולמים. וזה ענין – שכל הסדרים והחוקים כולם נמשכים ובאים תחת סדר ארבעה אותיות אלה. ולפי הסדר הזה הכל נדרש תמיד בסוד ארבעה אותיות השם ב”ה.
The first order adopted by the emanated light, i.e., the trace environment, that was to be established in the mystical configuration of ten Sephirot and to be arranged in the likeness of a human is termed Adam Kadmon. It always and forever follows the sequence of the four letters of the name Havayah, i.e., Heh–Vav–Yod-Heh, a purposeful and reverent misspelled acronym of the Tetragrammaton spelled Yod–Heh–Vav–Heh.
This phenomenon is the source of the idea of the various orders and rules of governance of the worlds being extensions of and falling under the rule of following the order of these four letters. And it’s in keeping with this order that all the various esoteric levels to be discussed further are to be explained following the mystical notion of the four letters of God’s name.
(c) 2011 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”.