Ramchal

So, here we are with two configurations of the same phenomenon known as Adam Kadmon — Primordial Man. And they’re said to be two different perspectives of the same phenomenon, where the “circle” or iggulim depiction of Adam Kadmon refers to a circular mode of Divine governance … which is to say, an overall providence, while a “straight line” or yosher depiction of Adam Kadmon … indicates a detailed mode of governance (Petach 13). That’s to say (according to the thrust of Ramchal’s own comments there) that the yosher construct alludes to God’s governance of the universe in response to our ethical and spiritual input, while the iggulim depiction alludes to His more supernal Self-driven governance that functions despite us.

 Why then do we largely disregard the iggulim depiction? It has been said that’s because it alludes to things beyond us whereas the yosher depiction speaks to our situation and our raison d’être which is rooted in our ethical and spiritual betterment [1].

Note:

[1] R’ Y.I. Chaver in Pitchei Chochma. R’ Chaver was known to have drawn a lot on Ramchal’s thoughts.

This is purely conjecture, but might the iggulim construct then be an element of the Torah of Atzilut which the Zohar (predominately in Ra’aya Mehemna and Tikkunei Zohar; also see Zohar 1, 23a and T.Z. 113a) and Ari spoke about (see his Likutei Torah at the beginning of Breishit), which is more sublime than the Torah of Briah that we’re privy to now? And might a great future Kabbalist, or even the Moshiach himself, then address the iggulim construct?

(c) 2011 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”.

Ari continues as follows:

“We will now explain the second aspect of the ten Sephirot, the linear aspect of light in the shape of three (parallel) lines that form the image of the supernal human (Adam Elyon). This (three-pronged) line extends from (the) top (of the trace environment) to (its) bottom, with the aforementioned circles spreading out from it….

“It is comprised of ten Sephirot in the image of a man standing straight, and it includes all of its 248 body-parts. This is portrayed by three (parallel) lines: right, left, and middle…. This second aspect in termed ‘the image of God’ which is alluded to by the statement ‘And God created (a) “Man” (-like form) in His image’ (Genesis 1:27).”

We assume that Ramchal didn’t offer both iggulim and yosher, and thus the whole of Ari’s presentation, in Klach because of this statement which immediately follows in Ari’s remarks:

“Almost everything in the Zohar and the Tikkunim (i.e., in the Tikkunei Zohar) deals with this second, linear aspect” [1].

Notes:

[1]       The Tree of Life pp. 19-20 (with slight changes). Once again see Ramchal’s Klallot HaIlan 1:1 and Pitchei Chochma v’Da’at 28; and see his Biurim l’Sefer Otzrot Chaim 14 for a discussion of both systems.

(c) 2011 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 ten Sephirot that comprise Adam Kadmon assumed two formations upon inhabiting the trace environment: one that resembled a series of onion-skins (known as iggulim or “circles” in Hebrew), and another which was the better-known straight-line configuration (known as yosher or “straight [line]”).

As Ari puts it,

”This is the (first) way the light descends and extends from the Ein Sof and flows into the circle (i.e., the trace environment). Ein Sof surrounds and encircles the circle on all sides because it, too, has a circular aspect….

“The first circle, which is closest to Ein Sof, is called the Keter (i.e., the outer- and top-most layer) of Adam Kadmon. After this, the line continued to descend some more, then spread out and around and became a second circle inside the first one. This one is called the circle of Chochma of Adam Kadmon. Then the line continued downward some more … until it became a third circle inside the second circle … which is called the circle of Binah of Adam Kadmon. It kept going down and creating circles in this way until it made the tenth circle, which is called the circle of Malchut of Adam Kadmon.” [1]

Notes:

[1]       The Tree of Life pp. 16-17 (with slight changes). See Ramchal’s Klallot HaIlan 1:1 and  Pitchei Chochma v’Da’at 28.

(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”.

Before we get into the details of Adam Kadmon, though, we need to point out a missing step here. Ramchal first mentioned Adam Kadmon in Petach 12, as we’d mentioned. In short he said there that: The whole on-going process of governance … and the whole of creation (itself) encompass one single phenomenon … which is the mystic figure of a single “person” with all his body-parts … which is known as Adam Kadmon. And none of that contradicted what’s said in our section.

He then followed that with Petach 13 which, curiously enough, doesn’t seem to refer to Adam Kadmon itself (though it really does), but addresses the fact that the images that the prophets and high souls envisioned — including but not limited to Adam Kadmon — assumed various this-worldly shapes, including circles and straight lines, which actually refer to different modes of Divine governance.

We already offered some of the various details involved in this (in 3:4) where we pointed out how this refers to Adam Kadmon indeed, but it’s important for us now to fill in the gaps, so we can follow the flow of Ari’s depiction of creation downward from Ein Sof unto itself, to the Tzimtzum, trace, and line, and to the formulation of Adam Kadmon proper and onward.

So let’s simply quote Ari, mention where Ramchal offers the same in his own words, and then move on to Adam Kadmon itself.

(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”.

Though we’d spoken of it earlier in broad terms (see 2:5, and 3:1-2) we’ll now delve into Adam Kadmon’s particulars in this section.

Ramchal terms it the first order … to be established in the mystical configuration of ten Sephirot and to be arranged in the likeness of a human (Petach 31). As such, it is the very first layer of phenomena to overlay the line in the trace-environment that will eventually lead to the formation of our own world and reality, as Ramchal will point out below.

We’ll see what sets it apart from the orders that followed it. Ramchal also speaks there of the fact that Adam Kadmon always and forever follows the sequence of God’s four-lettered name, which itself functions of various levels which we’ll explore.

He then addresses Adam Kadmon’s “face”, its “body”, its “senses”, the four worlds that irradiate outward of Adam Kadmon’s inner being, and of its more-esoteric-yet “forehead” (Petach 32).

From there we go to a discussion of the four numerical variations of the Tetragrammaton known as “AV”, “SaG”, “MaH” and “BaN” which are first revealed through Adam Kadmon (Petach 33).

Ramchal depicts AV as sending forth its light by way of the “hairs” of Adam Kadmon’s “head”, as well as Adam Kadmon’s “brain”, though on a decidedly esoteric level; and he offers that SaG reveals the lights that are concealed in AV and that it becomes revealed little by little. He goes on from there to addressing the “inner” and “encompassing” lights which eventually reach Adam Kadmon’s “mouth”, as well as MaH and BaN that are to be revealed afterwards by means of the lights of Adam Kadmon’s “forehead” and “eyes”.

The next Petach (34) delves into the “passageways” (i.e., the “ears”, “nose”, “mouth”, and “eyes” within Adam Kadmon’s “face”) through which the lights pass, and their relationship to “AV”, “SaG”, “MaH” and “BaN”.

 And the final Petach of this section (35) points to the fact that it was in Adam Kadmon where the conjunction of the line with the trace … came about which we referred to above. It also addresses the notion that only the light that emerged by way of Adam Kadmon’s “senses” was able to produce a receptacle which is vital in the formulation of the concrete reality that defines our world, and that it is the only light that’s fit to … bring about whatever was needed to build all the intended phenomena and to bring about whatever was necessary to actualize what was intended for these phenomena down to the material plane.

We’ll explore these themes and more in the course of our discussion of Section Seven.

(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.

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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”.

This is the section’s last Petach. We’ll be in Israel for a couple of weeks (Yay!), and we’ll also need to research this material afterwards, so we’ll be gone for a while.

בא”ק נעשה החבור של הקו עם הרשימו – שלקחו לו לכלי. והאור היוצא דרך החושים הוא אור שכבר נתחבר בכלי, שלכן אחר כך הוא מוציא כלי באורות הפה. ורק זה הוא האור הראוי לבנות ממנו כל הבנינים. ויצא מה שצריך לבנות ממנו כל הבנינים הנרצים, ונתפשט בהדרגה לפי צורך הנרצה בבנינים האלה:

It was in Adam Kadmon where the conjunction of the line with the trace — which the line took as its receptacle — came about.

Thus the light that emerged by way of the “senses” was light that was already conjoined with a receptacle (within Adam Kadmon), and that’s why it was able to produce a receptacle through the lights of the “mouth” (afterwards, when the lights passed through the “senses”).

This (i.e., the light that passed through Adam Kadmon’s “senses”) is the only light that’s fit to erect the various phenomena  (according to the mystical notion of a human stature) and to bring about whatever was needed to build all the intended phenomena  (i.e., the worlds of Atzilut, Briah, Yetzirah, and Assiyah as well as mortal man). And it progressively developed (by going from the “ears” to the “nose”, and from the “nose” to the “mouth”) whatever was necessary to actualize what was intended for these phenomena.

(c) 2011 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”.

המעברים שעוברים דרך שם האורות, הם נבחרים לפי מה שהם נקשרים לפנים עם ד’ השמות הנסדרים שם. והם לפי הרכבות קשרי המאורות, ודרך הליכת הרוח בהם, מקום שהוא נוגע ראשונה – שם הוא יוצא:

The “passageways” (i.e., the “ears”, “nose”, “mouth”, and “eyes” within Adam Kadmon’s “face”) through which the lights pass were chosen because of the way they’re connected to the interior (of Adam Kadmon) with the four names (“AV”, “SaG”, “MaH” and “BaN”) arranged there.

They correspond to the combinations by which the (various) lights (in Adam Kadmon) are connected. As to the route through which the “spirit” passes through them: the first place it comes in contact with (in the interior) is where it emerges from.

(c) 2011 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”.

Just a couple of words here to people coming upon this blog for the first time (which will probably be repeated now and again): we’ve approached the thickest part of the Kabbalistic forest now. Hold on to your buddy’s hand, make sure you have your flashlight and lunch, and trust me now — I know where we’re heading…

ע”ב ס”ג מ”ה ב”ן מתגלים מא”ק. הע”ב לפי חכמתו של א”ק, ואינו מגיע הדברים להשגה, ומשלח הארותיו דרך שערות הראש, שהמוח מגלה בם ענינו, והוא נעלם. אך ס”ג מגלה האורות מה שנעלם בע”ב, והוא ענין האצילות שהולך ומתגלה מעט מעט. לכן בתחלה אור פנימי ואור מקיף רחוקים וה מזה, והולכים ומתקרבים מעט מעט עד הפה, שנעשה כלי שם. ושם נשרש דמות אדם כראוי, והוא ענין מ”ה וב”ן שנתגלה אחר כך

“AV”, “SaG”, “MaH” and “BaN” (which are the four numerical variations of the Tetragrammaton that will function on various levels) are (first) revealed through Adam Kadmon.

AV corresponds to the (level of) Chochma of Adam Kadmon and it doesn’t fall within our grasp. It sends forth its light by way of the “hairs” of the “head” (of Adam Kadmon), through which the “brain” (of Adam Kadmon also) exposes its contents while (still and all) remaining concealed.

But SaG (which corresponds to the level of Binah of Adam Kadmon) reveals the lights that are concealed in AV, and this is the emanation (or, world) of Atzilut, which becomes revealed little by little.

As such, while the (original) “inner” and “encompassing” lights were far apart, they (eventually) come closer together, little by little (in Adam Kadmon’s “nose”) until they reach the “mouth” (of Adam Kadmon), where a vessel is then brought about. That’s where the human likeness is properly rooted, and it constitutes the notions of MaH and BaN (which correspond to the levels of Zeir Anpin and Nukveh respectively of Adam Kadmon) that are to be revealed afterwards (in the lights of Adam Kadmon’s “forehead” and “eyes”).

(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”.

הפנים עשויות להאיר מה שנסדר בפנים בתוך הגוף, ומכל חוש יוצאות הארות מזה. ולכן יוצאים ד’ עולמות של ראיה אשמיעה ריח דבור. וגם מן המצח יוצא הארתו. נמצאו כל העולמות רק זיוו והארתו של א”ק, וא”ק נשגב מהם יותר. ואינו מושג.

The “face” of Adam Kadmon is formulated to irradiate out what’s arranged within the “body” of Adam Kadmon, and it’s the “senses” that irradiate outward. There are thus four worlds that emerge: the worlds of “vision”, “hearing”, “smell”, and “speech”. The “forehead” likewise emits radiance.

Thus all the worlds coming afterwards are nothing but the radiance and shine of Adam Kadmon, while Adam Kadmon itself is more exalted than they and cannot be comprehended.

(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”.

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”.