Monthly Archives: March 2014

Partzufim (4)

Next we’re told that all of them are connected into a single order in order to be joined to one another and to be governed by one overarching form of governance, each part in accordance with its own function. This single order “is the ‘heart’ (i.e. driving force, though it’s presented otherwise there) that governs all the different limbs and organs … through the blood and spirit (i.e., life-force) within it”, Ramchal adds in his own comments here.

And finally, we learn that there are 613 parts to each Partzuf all in all, each of which is then comprised of several smaller parts needed for its perfection. The 613 parts correspond to the “Likeness of Man” concept cited in Petach 12 above, given that man is a composite of 613 body parts [1]. This last theme will be expanded on in the very next Petach.

 

Notes:

[1]       See Makkot 23b and Zohar 1:170b where the 248 + 365 (= 613) elements are spoken of in connection with the 613 mitzvot.

(c) 2014 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

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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”.

Partzufim (3)

All of them, i.e., all of the aspects of the Partzufim, are connected into a single order, Petach 70 goes on to say, in order to be joined to one another and to be governed by one overarching form of governance, each part in accordance with its own function.

That is, they’re all connected that way in order to function as individual component parts [1] of a single and whole “Merkava” (i.e., vehicle) that would execute God’s governance of the universe.

Notes:

[1] See Da’at Tevunot 124 and Klallim Rishonim 12 for discussions about these component parts, termed koneniyot.

(c) 2014 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”.

Partzufim (2)

Once again, a Partzuf comes about by a single light, expanding outward and revealing all of its aspects as a single order, the Petach goes on to say, in which certain parts remain interior aspects, others remain exterior, some parts are high, and others are low.

The “interior” and “exterior” aspects depict the Partzuf’s “width” (Shiur HaOvi), while its “high” and “low” aspects depict its “length” (Shiur HaKoma). They address the multi-dimensionality, plasticity, complexity, and intricacy of the Partzufim, which is itself responsible for the same traits in the universe at large and in God’s governance of it. Their relative internality and highness speak to their being closer to their source, and their externality and lowness speak to the opposite.

(c) 2014 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”.

Partzufim (1)

This section expands upon the idea of Partzufim which we’ve already encountered [1]. It’s spoken of here at more length than before because it was the Tikkun process — which was focused upon in the previous section — that allowed for the formation of Partzufim.

We’ll also find that rest of Klach Pitchei Chochma will expand upon each Partzuf as it completes Ramchal’s depiction of the entire Kabbalistic system.

As such the first Petach of the section, 70, defines Partzuf as follows. A Partzuf comes about by a single light, i.e., Sephira, expanding outward and revealing all of its aspects as a single order i.e., in human configuration.

Notes:

[1] See 3:2 and 4:1, 5 for example.

(c) 2014 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”.

Section 12 over-all

We start off with a definition of terms and listing of some details. A Partzuf comes about by a single light, i.e., Sephira, expanding outward and revealing all of its aspects as a single order i.e., in human configuration, in which certain parts remain interior aspects, i.e., the Mochin (“minds”), others remain exterior, i.e., the vessels, some parts are high, and others are low. Then we determine they’re interconnected thusly: All of them are connected into a single order in order to be joined to one another and to be governed by one overarching form of governance, each part in accordance with its own function. There are 613 parts to each Partzuf all in all, each of which is then comprised of several smaller parts needed for its perfection (Petach 70).

There’s a discussion of anthropomorphism beginning with the statement that the arrangement of the lights, i.e., the Sephirot, of the Partzuf, their interconnections and everything about them are just like the arrangement of the limbs and organs of a human body. That’s to say, everything that exists in man i.e., when it comes to his organs, has a corresponding aspect in the lights in the Partzufim above (Petach 71).

And we learn that the anthropomorphism also touches on gender (and subtler-yet differences where that’s concerned), as we’re told that some of the Partzufim are “male” and others “female”. That is, some of them, the “male” ones, act as a conduit for Chessed and others i.e., the “female” ones, act as a conduit for Gevurah. But when they conjoin, both forms of conduction combine and “give birth” to the desired action, as there’s nothing that isn’t a combination of the two qualities of Chessed and Gevurah. Yet there are certain differences between the lights of “male” and “female” as well as real differences in their processes. But when it comes to differences in form, there are real differences indeed, but only in the lights that are involved in the conduction process, namely the two respective Yesods. Since they act as conduction agents, as all the different, i.e., other, parts of the Partzuf are drawn to them i.e., the respective Yesods, in order to act as conduits in keeping with their own processes (Petach 72).

Then we’re instructed in the essential role played by gender in all this, given that perfection is achieved with the conjugation of “male” and “female” aspects, and with the conduction of the Divine flow through that conjugation. As such, when “male” and “female” are close to each other, that indicates a level of perfection that requires no service on the part of the lower entities. And when they are further apart from each other, that indicates a need for i.e., or a lack of, perfection and for the need for service on the part of the lower entities (Petach 73).

We’ll explore all of this, point by point.

(c) 2014 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”.

Petach 73

בור הדו”ן הוא השלמות, ובו נמשכת ההשפעה.

 ולכן כל מה שהדו”ן קרובים יותר מאליהם – מורה שלמות, שאין צריך שם עבודת התחתונים. וכל מה שהולכים ומתרחקים זה מזה – מורה שצריך שלמות, ושצריך שם עבודת התחתונים.

Perfection is achieved with the conjugation of “male” and “female” aspects, and with the conduction of the Divine flow through that conjugation.

As such, when “male” and “female” are close to each other, that indicates a level of perfection that requires no service on the part of the lower entities. And when they are further apart from each other, that indicates a need for i.e., or a lack of, perfection and for the need for service on the part of the lower entities.

(c) 2014 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”.

Petach 72

הפרצופים – מהם זכרים, ומהם נקבות. דהיינו מהם ממשיכים החסד, ומהם הדין. ובזיווגם מתחברות ההמשכות ביחד, ונולדת הפעולה הצריכה, כי אין דבר שאינו מוסכם משתי מדות חסד ודין.

 ויש איזה שינויים באורותיהם, ושינוי ממש בחוקם. אך שינוי הצורה, שינוי ממש, אינו אלא באורות ההמשכה, שהם היסודות, כי הם הממשיכים, ואליהם נמשכים כל חלקי הפרצוף, להמשיך לפי חוקם:

Some of the Partzufim are “male” and others “female”. That is, some of them, the “male” ones, act as a conduit for Chessed and others i.e., the “female” ones, act as a conduit for Gevurah. But when they conjoin, both forms of conduction combine and “give birth” to the desired action, as there’s nothing that isn’t a combination of the two qualities of Chessed and Gevurah.

Yet there are certain differences between the lights of “male” and “female” as well as real differences in their processes. But when it comes to differences in form, there are real differences indeed, but only in the lights that are involved in the conduction process, namely the two respective Yesods. Since they act as conduction agents, as all the different, i.e., other, parts of the Partzuf are drawn to them i.e., the respective Yesods, in order to act as conduits in keeping with their own processes.

(c) 2014 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”.

Petach 71

סדר אורות הפרצוף וקשריהם וכל עניניהם, הוא ממש כסדר אברי הגוף באדם. כל מה שיש באדם – יש כנגדו בענין האורות בפרצופים למעלה:

The arrangement of the lights, i.e., the Sephirot, of the Partzuf, their interconnections and everything about them are just like the arrangement of the limbs and organs of a human body. That’s to say, everything that exists in man i.e., when it comes to his organs, has a corresponding aspect in the lights in the Partzufim above.

(c) 2014 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”.