We’ll finish off this part with mention of Adam Kadmon’s “forehead” as we said we would and with a general statement about Adam Kadmon [1].
As Ramchal goes on to say in his comments to Petach 32, “The ‘forehead’ emits a radiance of its own. This is something that’s also not seen now,” much the way the radiance of our own faces can’t be. “But if the radiance of the forehead were visible like the radiance of the other (of Adam Kadmon’s) senses, it would indeed be visible; for there’s (in fact) a very subtle fissure” on the surface of Adam Kadmon’s “forehead” which would allow for this radiance to shine through. The point is that despite this subtle fissure, the “forehead’s” radiance doesn’t appear at this time, but it will eventually irradiate outward.
He concludes that “Adam Kadmon itself is more elevated than the ‘senses’ and cannot be apprehended, which explains why we don’t occupy ourselves with Adam Kadmon itself” though we discuss its component elements. For at bottom, “Adam Kadmon itself is the recondite source of (Divine) governance, while its radiance (and its ‘senses’ which it passes through) is what’s revealed of Adam Kadmon” which is why we’re capable of discussing them.
Note:
[1] The “forehead” will be discussed in more detail later on, in Petachim 59, 94, and 103 specifically. And note that we’ll also be discussing the “hair” of Adam Kadmon’s “head” as well as its “brain” in the very next Petach.
(c) 2012 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org
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