Ramchal

Here’s how Ari depicted the “break”. (We’ll backtrack and discuss Ramak then fast-forward to Ramchal after this for obvious reasons.) Based on deep reflections of the Zohar, most especially the Iddrot and Sifre D’Tzniuta [1], on revelations granted him by Eliyahu [2], on traditions he was privy to in Egypt before he came to Tzefat, and on his own visions and keen discernment, Ari offered the following [3].

God suddenly brought about a Tzimtzum in His Being [4] which, if one may say as much, had His Being push itself aside (or conceal itself) to the sides of the center of His Being which then allowed room for the existence of empty space — space devoid of Him, whereas before all there was, was Him. Understand of course that all of this, as well as what’s soon to follow, is fraught with possible obfuscation and misinterpretation given that God doesn’t occupy space, is unaffected by time and change, etc. But we’ll go on.

God allowed something of a residue of His Being to remain in the void, and also allocated a single beam of light to emit from His Being into the center of this void, which then formed ten concentric circles, Partzufim, and a primal replication of the human figure known as Adam Kadmon (“Primordial Man”). “Lights” then emitted from Adam Kadmon’s countenance which then formed an entire realm that eventually lead to the formation of four primordial Worlds out of which devolved this physical world.

Ramak, though, touched upon very little of this. He certainly allowed for the formation of Sephirot and, unlike others before him, he even addressed Partzufim in a later work [5], but he went no further [6]. That was said to be so because while the earlier Kabbalists only addressed “The World of Chaos” (i.e., the anarchic non-perfected state of things) Ari addressed “The Rectified World” [7].

Notes:

[1]       The Iddrot (“The Assemblies”) are terse and pithy Zoharic statements of the makeup of the Upper Realms. Iddra Rabba “The Greater Assembly”) is found in Zohar 3, 127b-145;  Iddra Zutta (“The Lesser Assembly”) is in Zohar 3, 287b-296b; and Sifre deTzeniuta (“The Book of Concealment”) is in Zohar 2, 176b-179a.

[2]       See R’ Reuben Margoliot’s discussion of that in Sha’alot u’Teshuvot  Min HaShamayim pp. 36-41.

[3]       We’ll explain this all in more detail both later in this section and elsewhere in the book.

[4]       This can legitimately be translated either as a “contraction” or “concealment” depending on your perspective as we’ll explain.

[5]       See his Elimah Rabbati.

[6]       Thus while Ramak might be taken to have gone straight from God to the Sephirot before touching on this world (though he really didn’t, as we saw in the previous note), and Ramchal can be seen as doing that too, at least as far as our reading of Klach goes for now, that too is really not true. Klach is out of order, for several good reasons; Ramchal will certainly backtrack to discuss Ari’s other themes — his own way.

[7]       R’ Shimon Ashkenazi said this in his second introduction to Eitz Chaim in the name of Ari himself.

(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”.

The essential problem, which has been stated in many different ways, is this: How could finite, differentiated, and fault-ridden things derive from the one perfect God? As it’s worded in R’ Meir Ibn Gabbai’s Avodat HaKodesh (1:18, 16^th Century) that “no two opposites could be connected without an intermediary”, the question then becomes, what exactly is that intermediary or series of intermediaries?

Many of the ancients spoke of a series of “emanations” descending down- and outward from God’s being and growing more and more unlike Him in the process. R’ Shlomo Ibn Gabirol (11^th Century) for example likened them to streams emanating from a river, to light beams emitting by the sun, etc. (M’kor Chayim). Rambam noted his and others’ remarks and argued for and against certain elements (Moreh Nevuchim 2:12). He even cited the following verses as evidence for the veracity of the analogies: “My people … have forsaken Me, the spring of living waters” (Jeremiah 2:13), and “For with You is the source of life; in Your light we will see light” (Psalms 36:10) [1].

But there had to have been a “break” somewhere along the line — a point at which things utterly and radically changed and turned mortal and ungodly — a “skip” or “jump” [2]. Otherwise the universe could never have been created; so, what was it?

Notes:

[1]       The astute reader will note of course that the term “the source of life” cited in the last verse is the translation and undoubtedly the source of Ibn Gabirol’s M’kor Chayim.

[2]       See R’ Schneur Zalman’s Likutei Torah 4, 46c.

(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”.

There are a number of things we’ll want to touch upon before we go on to learn more about the images that the Sephirot, which God used to create the various worlds and continues to use to govern them, are said to assume.

We’re taught in this section, for example, that every action that God brings about occurs through the Sephirot (Petach 10), that it’s the Sephira of Malchut specifically that is the root of the lower realms (Petach 11) and is also the means by which individuals can “ascend” or “receive” (Petach 11). So let’s see what precedes the appearance of the Sephirot for one thing, learn about their arrangement, and delve into Malchut itself.

As we know, the Torah reports that God created the world in seven days; but there’s a background story as well we learn, which is only alluded to in the Torah, and exceedingly subtly at that. Let’s briefly examine Ramak’s, Ari’s, and Ramchal’s insights into this.

(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”.

Not following the order of the Petachim themselves, we’re going to be delving into the following in this section, God willing:

A.         What occurs before the appearance of the Sephirot? That will touch upon the idea of the Sephira of Malchut (9, 11) which is said to be the root of the lower realms (11), and thanks to which one can “ascend” to higher worlds and “derive things” (11).

B.         All of creation as a single entity in human shape known as Adam Kadmon (12).

C.         The whole array of God’s governance constituting a Merkava, a “chariot”, (Ramchal’s comments to 7), which has all sorts of associations in Kabbalistic and Rabbinic literature.

D.         The idea of “circles” and “straight lines” in God’s governance (9, 13).

E.         The Sephirot (as well as everything else) as interdependent, sequential, interwoven phenomena that follow specific rules (10); and the idea of certain Sephirot being “encased” in or “emerging” out of others (10).

F.         All that having been explained we can then speak to the assumed “appearance” of the Sephirot, including the idea that the Sephirot only assume shapes in visions — that they don’t really have them (7); that those shapes can be self-contradictory (8); and that we gain our knowledge of God’s governance as well as of the upper realms from those “shapes” (11). This subject also touches on Ramchal’s controversial idea that the Ari’s depictions of things are all metaphors and not to be taken literally which we’ll discuss.

G.         The significance of the fact that each “viewer’s” makeup affects his perception of the Sephirot (8).

(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”.

What we have here are all seven Petachim of the third section (in English alone and with emendations) which is the followed by a synopsis. We’ll begin our analysis after this.

7. The Sephirot can be envisioned as shining brightly or dimly. And they can be pictured as assuming different forms and figures, though they don’t really have forms or figures and only seem to assume them. For as anyone who would truly scrutinize them could see, the forms and figures (they seem to assume) are accidental and dependent on whoever is observing them, as in (the verse that reads) “through the prophets I was imaged (i.e., I was portrayed)” (Hosea 12:11).

In essence, though, the Sephirot are actually an array of (Divine) capacities that are organized a specific way, and which are interdependent and sequential so as to ensure that things are organized just so.

8. The Sephirot can even appear in contradictory images, exactly the way things in a dream can reverse themselves in a moment. It’s just that each likeness seen in the prophetic vision provides information about a (specific Divine) element or attribute. And while the attributes and elements (themselves) become known (to the prophet or soul envisioning them) in the actual order in which they’re arranged and function, the images (appear to the prophet or soul) in accordance with the (prophet or) soul’s ability to receive (them).

9. Even though the Sephirot appear as images, still and all they never assume an actual physical form, Heaven forefend! (Instead,) what’s envisioned is understood to represent something one might see (here) below, and it’s termed a “soul depiction” rather than a physical one.

As such, the subjects (of the vision) needn’t correspond to how an object would appear physically. It’s just that a glow of light is envisioned by means of which the concept of (concentric) “circles” is understood (as being referred to) if the vision appears circular, or (the concept of the) “straight line” is understood if it’s straight and the like.

No (actual) physical form is seen. In fact, even the spiritual form (envisioned) isn’t intrinsic to the Sephirot themselves whatsoever; it’s (connected to) the mystical import (of the Sephira) of Malchut, which represents these phenomena this way.

10. Every action that God brings about occurs through the Sephirot. They (i.e., both the actions and the Sephirot themselves) follow certain rules He wants them to follow, they’re interdependent, they’re sequential, and they’re sequestered within each other.

As such, one particular capacity may function clandestinely while another one appears to be functioning openly, when the latter in fact only functions thanks to the clandestine one. That’s why the Sephirot assume specific images, as when (some) lights are (seemingly) enclosed in (other) lights, or when (certain) lights (seem to) emerge from others. (In point of fact,) all of these forms and figures are (merely) what the soul envisions (when looking at the Sephirot) which it then understands on a spiritual level the way the eye sees (i.e., understands) things in its purview.

11. The ability of the Sephirot to be represented in images derives from the Sephira of Malchut, which is the root of the lower realms. It’s through Malchut that they are all set in their forms. That’s why it’s said that one can only “ascend” or “receive” through Malchut.

In fact, we even derive knowledge of (God’s) governance from the forms and images themselves, for thanks to them we can know how the Shechina(God’s Indwelling Presence) needs to govern for the sake of a particular matter (represented by a specific image) and to bring it about in the lower realms. And (from those images) we can (likewise) gain insight into the levels above where the capacities and attributes actually exist.

12. The whole on-going process of governance (of the universe) until its completion and the whole of creation (itself) encompasses one single phenomenon and order which the Emanator instituted with the goal of bestowing utter goodness (upon creation) to the utmost degree of perfection. All created entities and the rules by which they’re governed are part of this order.

It’s all (an expression of) the mystic figure of a (single) “person” with all his body-parts, which are all inter-connected exactly as they would be in a person. As such, Adam Kadmon, which encompasses everything (in creation), comprises the entire order formed in this figure.

At bottom, the Emanator only brought about a single entity: an order (of phenomena) in the form of a “person”. Thus everything that exists, (which is to say,) all of created entities along with their governance, is (comprised of) the entirety of this mystical figure.

13. The mystical significance of the images (envisioned) is that they assume the shape of things as they’re actually depicted below. Thus a (vision of a) “circle” refers to a circular (i.e., non-linear) mode of governance without differentiation as to Chessed (Kindness), Din (Judgment) or Rachamim (Mercy), but rather as (i.e., it’s an expression of) overall providence depending on the makeup of that Sephira. And it is (a depiction of) the mystical notion of (linear) causality. The (vision of a) “straight line” on the other hand indicates a detailed mode of governance that is based on Chessed (Kindness), Din (Judgment) and Rachamim (Mercy, which are themselves laid out as) right, left or center (poles). And the same applies to all the other images (envisioned).

Our synopsis:

7.        The Sephirot don’t really have shapes — they only assume them in a vision. They’re actually an array of invisible interdependent Divine capacities that are arranged in specific ways and vary in their “appearance” and potency.

8.        They can even assume conflicting shapes, the way images often appear in dreams. And that’s because while their character, relationship, and function are indeed made known to the person “envisioning” them, each “viewer’s” makeup affects his perception of them.

9.        But make no mistake about it: even though the Sephirot do indeed seem to assume shapes and forms when they’re mystically depicted, they don’t actually have shapes. It’s just that a certain “glow of light” is made to assume the shape of circles or straight lines, for example, which then represent things “above” that are analogous to them. As such, those phenomena needn’t conform to reality as we know it. And they all need to pass through the Sephira of Malchut to appear as they do.

10.      Everything but God Himself derives from the Sephirot. Both the Sephirot and they are thus interdependent, sequential, interwoven, and follow specific rules. As such, while one capacity may appear to be in force, in fact another one sequestered within it may actually be. That explains why the Sephirot are sometimes depicted as being encased in each other or as emerging from one another when that’s not literally true.

11.      As had been said in Petach 9, it’s the Sephira of Malchut that enables the lot of them to be “envisioned” here in the world, as it’s the root of the lower realms, and it’s thanks to Malchut that one can “ascend” mystically to higher worlds and “derive sustenance” and the like from them. In any event, we gain our knowledge of God’s governance in the world as well as of the upper realms from the shapes the Sephirot assume.

12.      All of God’s interactions with the cosmos from beginning to end — which occur so as to express His beneficence — encompass a single phenomenon within an order. For, it assumes a human shape with all its contents which is referred to as Adam Kadmon (i.e., Primordial Man). Adam Kadmon thus comprises the whole of creation.

13.      The “visions” assume the shape of things in this world and take on their symbolic value. Upon seeing a “circle”, for example, the prophet understands that to refer to a circular, non-linear mode of governance that’s still and all influenced by the Sephira lying behind it, and to causality; or when seeing a “straight line” he understands that to refer to a detailed, linear mode of governance. The same is true of other “visions”.

(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”.

Petach 13

סוד התמונות – מראים הדברים לפי טבע התמונה ההיא למטה ממש. והעיגול מראה הנהגה סובבת, בלא חילוק הנהגת חסד דין רחמים, אלא כמו השגחה כללית לפי מהות הספירה ההיא, וזה בסוד ההשתלשלות. אך היושר מראה ההנהגה מפורטת לפי חד”ר – ימין ושמאל ואמצע. וכן כל שאר התמונות על הדרך הזה:

The mystical significance of the images (envisioned) is that they assume the shape of things as they’re actually depicted below. Thus the (vision of a) “circle” refers to a circular (i.e., non-linear) mode of governance without differentiation as to Chessed (Kindness), Din (Judgment) or Rachamim (Mercy), but rather as (i.e., it’s an expression of) overall providence that depends on the makeup of that Sephira. And it is (a depiction of) the mystical notion of (linear) causality. The (vision of a) “straight line” on the other hand indicates a detailed mode of governance that is based on Chessed (Kindness), Din (Judgment) and Rachamim (Mercy, which are themselves laid out as) right, left or center (poles). And the same applies to all the other images (envisioned).

(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”.

Petach 12

כללות כל ההנהגה הסובבת עד תשלומה, וכן כללות כל הנמצאים, הוא רק ענין אחד וסדר אחד שתיקן המאציל ית”ש, שתכליתו הוא ההטבה השלמה בכל מיני שלמות. ותנאי הסדר הזה הם כל הבריות ומשפטי הנהגתם.

והוא סוד דמות אדם במנין אבריו, וסדר קשריהם כמו שהם בו ממש. ולכן א”ק, שהוא כללות הכל, הוא כללות סדר זה של דמות זה. נמצא שלא המציא המאציל ית”ש אלא מציאות אחד, שהוא סדר דמות אדם. וכל מה שיש במציאות כולו ביחד, בין בבריות, בין בהנהגה, אינו אלא סוד דמות זה שלם:

The whole on-going process of governance (of the universe) until its completion and the whole of creation (itself) encompasses one single phenomenon and array which the Emanator instituted with the goal of bestowing utter goodness (upon creation) to the utmost degree of perfection. All created entities and the rules by which they’re governed are part of this array.

It’s all (an expression of) the mystic figure of a (single) person with all his body-parts, which are all inter-connected exactly as they would be in a person. As such, Adam Kadmon, which encompasses everything (in creation), comprises the entire array formed in this figure.

At bottom, the Emanator only brought about a single entity: an array (of phenomena) in the form of a person. Thus everything that exists, (which is to say,) all of created entities as well along with their governance, is (comprised of) the entirety of this mystical figure.

(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”.

Petach 11

ענין התמונה והדמיון הנמצא בספירות הוא יוצא מספירת המלכות, שהיא שורש לתחתונים, ומצדה נעשים כולם בצורה שהם נעשים. ועל כן אמרו שאי אפשר לעלות או לקבל אלא בה. ואפילו בתמונות הדמיונות עצמם נודע חכמה בענין ההנהגה, כי נודע איך צריכה השכינה להנהיג לצורך הענין ההוא. ולהביאו לתחתונים. אבל מתוכה משכילים הדברים למעלה ממנה. ששם הם כחות ומדות ממש:

The ability of the Sephirot to be represented in their images derives from the Sephira of Malchut, which is the root of the lower realms. It’s through Malchut that they are all set in their forms. That’s why it’s said that one can only “ascend” or “receive” through Malchut.

In fact, we even derive knowledge of (God’s) governance from the forms and images themselves, for thanks to them we can know how the Shechina (God’s Indwelling Presence) needs to govern for the sake of a particular matter (represented by a specific image) and to bring it about in the lower realms. And (from those images) we can (likewise) gain insight into the levels above where the capacities and attributes actually exist.

(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”.

Petach 10

פעולת המאציל ית”ש, מה שהוא פועל בסוד הספירות לפי החק שרצה בהם, הם נתלים אלה באלה, יוצאים בהמשך אלה מאלה, ומתעלמים הענינים אלה בתוך אלה.

דהיינו שכח אחד הוא הפועל בהעלם, ונראה בגלוי כח אחר פועל, והוא פועל באמת רק לפי כח הנעלם בו. ולכן נראו כל הדמיונות האלה בספירות, דהיינו שיהיו אורות מתלבשים בתוך אורות, או יוצאים אורות מאורות. והכל בסדר ראיית הנשמה, שמבינה הדברים ההם ברוחנית, כראיית העין את הנושאים שלו:

Every action that God brings about occurs through the Sephirot. They (i.e., both the actions and the Sephirot themselves) follow certain rules He wants them to follow, they’re interdependent, they’re sequential, and they’re sequestered within each other.

As such, one particular capacity may function clandestinely while another one appears to be functioning openly, when the latter in fact only functions thanks to the clandestine one. That’s why the Sephirot assume specific images, as when (some) lights are (seemingly) enclosed in (other) lights, or when (certain) lights (seem to) emerge from others. (In point of fact,) all of these forms and figures are (merely) what the soul envisions (when looking at the Sephirot) which it then understands on a spiritual level the way the eye sees (i.e., understands) things in its purview.

(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”.

Petach 9

אף על פי שנראים הדמיונות בספירות, אף על פי כן אין נראה צורה כצורה גשמית ח”ו, אלא נראה ענין אחד שמובן בו כאילו רואים הצורה ההיא למטה. וזה נקרא ראיית הנשמה, שאין ראייתה כראיית הגוף.

ולכן אין צריך שהנושאים יהיו לפי ראיית הגוף, אלא מציאות הארה אחת, שמובן בה ענין העגול, אם הנראה הוא עגול או יושר, אם הוא יושר, וכן כל שאר התמונות. ולא שתיראה הצורה הגשמית. ואפילו הצורה הרוחנית ההיא אינה עצמית בספירות כלל, אלא בסוד מלכות, המראה הכחות בדרך הזה:

Even though the Sephirot appear as images, still and all they never assume an actual physical form, Heaven forefend! (Instead,) what’s envisioned is understood to represent something one might see (here) below, and it’s termed a “soul depiction” rather than a physical one.

As such, the subjects (of the vision) needn’t correspond to how an object would appear physically. It’s just that a glow of light is envisioned by means of which the concept of (concentric) “circles” is understood (as being referred to) if the vision appears circular, or (the concept of the) “straight line” is understood if it’s straight and the like. No (actual) physical form is seen. In fact, even the spiritual form (envisioned) isn’t intrinsic to the Sephirot themselves whatsoever; it’s (connected to) the mystical import (of the Sephira) of Malchut, which represents these phenomena this way.

(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”.