Ramchal

Section 17 is entitled “The Connection between (the world of) Atzilut and (the world of) Adam Kadmon through (the Partzufim of) Attik and Erich Anpin“, and it encompasses Petachim 96-100.

Let’s get our bearings again. As Ramchal points out in Sefer HaIlan (7), the Partzuf of Attik is above the other Partzufim. It’s actually the Malchut — i.e., it’s the lowest rung — of the high world of Adam Kadmon. Attik‘s own upper division is a separate entity, Radlah (“the Unfathomable Beginning”) which we discussed above, and it’s lower is engarbed in and thus permeates and thus influences the Partzuf below Adam Kadmon, Atzilut.

The first Petach of the section, Petach 96, is concerned with the connection between the exalted world of Adam Kadmon and the one just beneath it, Atzilut, and how that connection affects Divine governance.

We’ll be discussing that, Ramchal says in his comments here, since we’d already discussed in Section 16 above the two ways that the Partzuf of Erich Anpin functions — as itself, and as it relates to the Partzuf of Zeir Anpin below it — which is analogous to what we’ll be discussing here. But we’d first need to discuss the Partzuf of Attik Yomin that governs the Partzuf of Erich Anpin.

In truth, Petach 96 is a rather technical one that might distract us, but it serves to clear up an apparent contradiction in two statements in Eitz Chaim. We’ll proceed from it, of course, to the Petachim that follow which speak to the greater theme of the interactions of the various worlds, Partzufim and intentions for the universe under discussion.

(c) 2015 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

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

In each instance, the differences in a case of a higher Partzuf being engarbed within a lower one shows whether its actions i.e. the actions of the one that’s engarbed, are large or small. And it, i.e., the degree of its action, is always proportional to how its parts are divided.

Whether the engarbment is large in one instance or small shows whether the action taking place in one place is greater than in the other in proportion to the extent of each part of the engarbed.

The reason for the proportion of engarbment is rooted in what the all-embracing intention  of all-encompassing benevolence requires. And various reasons could be found for the particular degree in each case, because it has many facets.

חילוקי ההתלבשות ככל מקום שהוא – מורה פעולתו אם רב ואם מעט. הערך נשמר תמיד לפי שיעור התחלקו.

מקום שמתלבש חלק גדול,ומקום שמתלבש חלק קטן – מורה שהפעולה במקום אחד גדולה מהפעולה במקום השני, באותו הערך שיש בין חלק לחלק המתלבש.

אך טעם הערך הוא – כי זהו מצטרך לפי הכוונה הכללית. וכמה טעמים נוכל למצוא בערך ההוא, כי לכמה פינות הוא פונה:

(c) 2015 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”.

Radlah, which is the mystical notion of the conjunction of MaH and BaN above, is the source of all governance. The seven lower Sephirot of Attik, which are engarbed in Erich Anpin, govern it according to the makeup of Radlah above them.

Da’at of Attik, which is engarbed between Erich Anpin‘s “Crown” and “Brain”, is prepared to accept the deeds of humankind in accordance with the mystical notion of the present form of governance, and to transfer them through Radlah to all of the levels above to be fixed for eternity.

רדל”א הוא סוד חיבורי מ”ה וב”ן למעלה. מקור לכל ההנהגה. ז’ תחתומת דעתיק, המתלבשים בא”א, הם המנהגים אותו לפי ענין הרישא שלמעלה.

דעת דעתיק, המתלבשת בין כתרא ומוחא דא”א, עומד לקבל ענין מעשה בני האדם בסוד ההנהגה של עתה, ומעביר אותם על ידי רדל”א אל שלמעלה, להיות נקבעים לנצחיות:

(c) 2015 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.

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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”.

Until MaH and BaN came about everything proceeded in a state of Tikkun and nothing needed to be withheld. But there came to be a form of damage in BaN and its Tikkun lie in MaH. And they had to be given a realm in which to do what they had to, until they’d return to the state that’s beyond that of the worlds of Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzira, and Assiyah — when the lower beings will ascend higher and higher according to the mystical notion of the offshoots of Adam Kadmon until the ultimate ascent.

So Attik — which is the mystical notion of the conjunction of MaH and Ban — is ready to transfer things from the current order of governance to that of eternity. For every deed performed by those below has an effect on the conjunction of MaH and BaN and goes on to be fixed in eternity. Then when all the work of the lower beings will have been completed, everything needed for the conjunction of MaH and BaN will be complete, and what’s necessary will be fixed for all eternity in accordance with humankind’s deeds. Thus everything is in the merit of humankind and in accordance with its deeds.

ענין מ”ה וב”ן היה הולך הכל בתיקון, ושם לא הוצרך שום עיכוב. אך בב”ן היה הקלקול, ובמ”ה תיקונו. והוצרך לתת להם מקום לעשות את שלהם, עד שיחזרו אל ענין מה שלמעלה מהעולמות, ומציאות התחתונים מתעלה בסוד ענפי א”ק ממעלה למעלה, עד סוף כל העליות.

על כן עתיק העומד בסוד חיבור מ”ה וב”ן, הוא העומד להעביר הדברים מהנהגה זאת של עתה להנהגת הנצחיות. כי כל מעשה התחתונים עושה פעולה בענין חיבור מ”ה וב”ן, והולך ונקבע לנצחיות. ובהשתלם כל מעשה התחתונים, יהיה נשלם כל הצריך בחיבור מ”ה וב”ן. ונקבע מה שצריך לכל הנצחיות, להיות לפי מעשה שעשו בני האדם. ונמצא הכל בזכותו של האדם התחתון, ולפי מעשיו:

(c) 2015 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”.

From Atzilut downwards everything follows the present world’s governing order in the course of which things cycle until they achieve perfect benevolence. But from Attik upward everything is as it will be in eternity.

Attik is the central byway between one system of governance to another. And Adam Kadmon is comprised of the whole of existence and of all times.

מאצילות ולמטה הולך הכל לפי ענין ההנהגה של העוה”ז, שבה סובבים הדברים עד שמגיעים אל שלמות ההטבה. אך מעתיק ולמעלה – הכל הוא לפי מה שיהיה בנצחיות.

ועתיק הוא המעביר באמצע מהנהגה להנהגה. א”ק – כללות כל המציאות לכל הזמנים:

(c) 2015 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”.

We now begin Section 17, entitled “The Connection between Atzilut and Adam Kadmon through Attik and Erich Anpin“, which is comprised of Petachim 96-100.

Here’s Petach 96:

התלבשות עתיק יומין בא”א הוא להחזיק אותו בכל ספירותיו לפי ענין המתקלא המושרש ברדל”א. ובזה הוא עומד תחת הנהגת א”ק מצד היסוד ומלכות שלו. כי כך נקבעו תחתיהם מ”ה וב”ן. והוא עיקר ההנהגה ההולכת להשלים השלמות.

Attik Yomin was engarbed in Erich Anpin in order to strengthen all of Erich’s Sephirot by means of the “balance” that’s rooted in The Unfathomable Beginning.

In this respect Erich Anpin is governed by Adam Kadmon through its Yesod and Malchut. For this is the way that MaH and BaN were established under them. In fact, this  particular combination of MaH and BaN is the essential order of governance to bring about complete perfection.

(c) 2015 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”.

Though we haven’t exactly finished exploring the gist of Erich Anpin, we’ll add these fascinating remarks about it  that Ramchal offers in Klallei Milchamat Moshe (7).

He speaks there of an order of governance whose role is to allow for the preservation of the universe. Why would it need that? “It would be impossible for the universe to continue on as it is based on the actions of the lower entities”, i.e., based on humankind’s actions, given what we are. “It would have been destroyed a number of times already” if it depended on us.

Hence, “there’s an order of governance that’s rooted in benevolence, whose role is to manifest benevolence” and to disallow judgment to take its (rightful) toll. “This utterly benevolent order is termed Erich Anpin“. It functions this way at all junctures and covertly (as a rule). “And so the universe continues” thanks to it.   But sometimes it manifests itself overtly in known ways and for particular reasons, Ramchal concludes.

We would add that this statement affirms the deep hopes and faith of many that despite it all,  God’s goodness and mercy will always prevail in the end.

(c) 2015 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

———————————————–

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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”.

Here’s the text of the end of Petach 95 again, and its explanations.

We must next understand that when it comes to Erich Anpin as the root rather than the generator of Zeir Anpin spoken of below and the mystical implications of its governance, we’re only to consider Erich‘s “skull” and “brain” which are cited in Iddrah Rabbah (122b). And we’re to consider their Tikkunim which are the other, non-governing elements like the “hairs”, the “nose”, and the like which the Iddrah Rabbah  cites there, according to their functions in the mystical idea of the overpowering of Erich‘s Chessed.

The Iddrah Zuta (288a), on the other hand, cites three governing element and doesn’t elucidate much about the aforementioned Tikkunim.  Thus were told that when it comes to the mystical idea of Erich generating Zeir Anpin rather than being its root spoken of above we’re to consider Erich‘s “three heads”, i.e., its “crown”, “cavity”, and “brain” and their Tikkunim which generate Tikkunim in Zeir Anpin. “Crown”, “cavity”, and “brain” allude to the left, right, and middle aspects of Zeir, which are an admixture of the thesis and antithesis of Chessed and Gevurah along with their synthesis of Rachamim. That’s in contrast to the Erich‘s exclusively Chessed-based form of governance.

As to the terms “Skull”, “Brain”, “Crown”, and “Cavity”, which are found in the Zohar and in Ari’s writings, they’re openly and decidedly anthropomorphic. Each element refers to things in Adam Kadmon that don’t affect us now. Suffice it to note that the “skull” is underneath the head’s “crown” and it’s comprised of a “cavity” within which sits the “brain”.

This completes Section Sixteen.

(c) 2015 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”.

The end of Petach 95 is rather complex and calls for a lot of explanation based on Ari’s writings. But as it has never been our intention to offer a comprehensive and fully enunciated layout of the Kabbalistic system, we’ll only touch on the major points here and offer references for further study.

The actual subject at hand is based on two Zohar-based renderings of the makeup of Erich Anpin: one from Iddrah Rabbah and another from Iddrah Zutah.

Here’s the text of the Petach, which we’ll follow with explanations.

We must next understand that when it comes to Erich Anpin as the root of Zeir Anpin and the mystical implications of its governance, we’re only to consider Erich‘s “skull” and “brain” and their Tikkunim according to their functions in the mystical idea of the overpowering of Erich‘s Chessed.

Yet when it comes to the mystical idea of Erich generating Zeir Anpin we’re to consider Erich‘s “three heads”, i.e., its “crown”, “cavity”, and “brain” and their Tikkunim which generate Tikkunim in Zeir Anpin.

(c) 2015 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org

———————————————–

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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 95 then completes this section with the statement that since Zeir Anpin is derived from Erich Anpin we must understand two things about Erich Anpin itself.

First, those aspects of Erich’s governance that are based on its intrinsic nature, that is, how Erich intrinsically governs through its characteristic beneficence. And we’ve considered that above. But there’s another aspect of it we must understand.

(c) 2015 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”.