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75) “Let the earth put forth grass” is a high unification, since now it reveals her power in those waters that were gathered unto one place. All the power, the Mochin, that the Nukva de ZA received in the upper unification when she was included there, as it is written, “And let the dry land be seen,” she brings them out when she descends to her place from Chazeh de ZA and below in the lower unification. At that time, in relation to her being dry, she becomes a land that bears fruit and offspring.
This is so because when she was included in the upper unification, as it is written, “And let the dry land be seen,” she was desolate and dry, and was unfit for illuminating to the settling of the world. But in the bottom unification she becomes a land that bears fruit and offspring, as it should be for the settling of the world, as it is written, “Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed.” The Mochin are extended within her in a hidden and concealed manner, and high and hidden souls and holy hosts come out and are born within her, where all those faithful righteous correct and extend them in the corrections of the faith, in MAN, in the work of God.
Two kinds of Mochin are extended in the bottom unification in the Nukva by her Hitkalelut [mingling] in the upper unification: 1) in a hidden and concealed manner, when they are not revealed to the lower ones at all; 2) in revealed Mochin, when souls and angels for the world are born and come out of her.
76) It is as it is written, “Who causes the hay to grow for the cattle, and herb for the work of man.” This is because this beast lies on a thousand mountains, and each day that hay is grown for her. A beast is an appellation of Malchut when she is devoid of Mochin de GAR. Lying means that she lacks the three Kelim NHY, called “legs,” like a lying bird whose legs are unseen, only the body. Likewise, when Malchut has only six Kelim, HBD HGT, lacking the three bottom ones, NHY, she is called “lying” because her NHY disappear.
The number 1,000 indicates Mochin de Hochma, whose Sefirot number 1,000, as it is written, “And I will teach you wisdom” [“teach” in this verse contains the word “thousand” in Hebrew]. Mountains are an appellation for the three Sefirot HGT, as we learn that there are no mountains but the fathers, HGT. NHY are called “sons,” and they are called “hills.” Hay is an appellation for angels who are born from her Mochin de GAR that the righteous extend to her each day through the MAN that they raise to her with their good deeds.
Explanation: One of the primary corrections in the world of correction after the breaking of the vessels was the concealment of inner AVI, who operated in the world of Nekudim, for because of their great illumination, the Parsa below Atzilut was cancelled and the Kelim descended to BYA, broke, and died. By the concealment of the Zivug of inner AVI, there is no longer illumination of GAR de AB in the Mochin of ABYA, only Mochin de VAK de AB, extended from the outer AVI de AB. Mochin de AB are Mochin de Hochma. Those GAR de Mochin are called “inner AVI” or GAR de AB, and those VAK de Mochin are called “outer AVI” or VAK de AB.
For this reason, the HGT of each Partzuf is in covered Hassadim, in which there is no light of Hochma because the three Sefirot HGT through the Chazeh are GAR of the Guf, and the Sefirot TNHYM from the Chazeh down are VAK de Guf. And because the Mochin de GAR de AB depart from each Partzuf and do not illuminate, the GAR de Guf, HGT, are devoid of Hochma, but are in covered Hassadim. And because the Mochin de VAK de AB clothe and illuminate in the Partzuf, VAK of the Kelim de Guf, TNHYM from the Chazeh and below illuminate in illumination of Hochma, in disclosed Hassadim.
It is written about those Mochin de AB, “Leaping on the mountains, jumping on the hills,” since mountains are HGT, on which the Mochin de AB leap, skipping them and not clothing in them because they need GAR de AB and they are hidden from the rest of the Partzuf. The Mochin de AB jump and come upon the hills, TNHYM from the Chazeh and below, for because they are Kelim de VAK they have these Mochin, since VAK de AB remain and illuminate. Thus, he leaps and skips the mountains, and jumps specifically on the hills, which are TNHYM.
However, this does not mean that the Mochin came out in a Zivug of VAK without GAR, since in Mochin de AB, VAK cannot come out without GAR. Rather, from the beginning of the Zivug, a complete level of AB extends to each Partzuf, GAR and VAK, but the Mochin de GAR de AB return and come out of the Partzuf, and only the Mochin de VAK de AB remain clothed in the Partzuf. Offspring come out of each Zivug, even from Mochin de GAR de AB, which extend only at the beginning of the Zivug, and promptly disappear.
Accordingly, there are two kinds of offspring from the Zivug of ZON to Mochin de AB: 1) the ones who emerge at the beginning of the Zivug from GAR de AB. These are called “hay,” which are angels that rule for a time because they must be cancelled immediately with the concealment of the Mochin de GAR de AB from which they were born. 2) The Mochin de VAK de AB that remain in each Partzuf, and are called “Herb yielding seed.”
This is why it was said, “A beast that lies on a thousand mountains.” A beast is the Nukva de ZA, which in regard to 1,000, which mean Mochin de Hochma, she lies on the mountains, HGT, meaning she is devoid of GAR, as it is written, “Leaping on the mountains.” Yet, each day that hay is raised for her, and that hay is those angels that rule for a time. It is so because the righteous raise MAN each day for a Zivug of ZON for Mochin de AB. It is considered that each day, that hay is raised for her, since in the beginning of the Zivug, the GAR de AB come out, as well, and their offspring are called “hay,” meaning angels who rule for a time.
However, they must promptly disappear because the GAR de AB come out of the Partzuf. Their dominion extends from the left line, created on the second day, and they wish to annul the right line with their rule, like the left line that was created on the second day. They are poised to be food for that beast, for nothing extends from their illumination to the lower ones, but the Nukva herself enjoys them during their rule. Afterwards she burns them and cancels them because fire consumes fire. The dominion of the left is called “fire,” which are the angels. The Nukva, with her illumination of the left, is also called “fire.” When she cancels the angels, she is regarded as fire that consumes fire.
77) “And herb for the work of man” indicates the Ophanim, the animals, and the cherubim. Ophanim are angels in Assiya, animals are the angels in Yetzira, and cherubim are the angels in Beria. All those angels extend from VAK of the Mochin de AB, hence they are sustainable, unlike those who are called “hay,” who extend from GAR de AB, who rule only for a time and promptly burn.
All of them, the Ophanim, the animals, and the cherubim are corrected and clothed within their corrections, which are on the part of the Emanator Himself. They are poised to be corrected further when people come to the work of their Master with their offerings and prayer. It is so because this is the work of man, and that grass was intended for man’s work from the beginning, to be corrected in the correction of man, as it should be.
78) When they are corrected in that work of man, nourishments and prey then come out of them to the world, as it is written, “To bring forth bread from the earth,” and as it is written, “Herb yielding seed,” which is the Mochin de VAK de AB, which is not hay, which is GAR de AB, for hay does not yield seeds but is intended to be consumed by the fire of the Kedusha of the Nukva. But the herb is for the correction of the world because it yields seed.
79) All of that is to bring forth bread from the earth, since all the corrections that were given to people are only to correct that herb that comes out of the earth, who is the Nukva. The work of people toward their Maker is to provide through them pray and nourishments to this world out of that earth, so that people are blessed by the blessings of above.
Although the Mochin of the hay are GAR de AB, and Mochin of the herb are VAK de AB, still, man’s work in offerings and prayer to extend Mochin and abundance is only on the Mochin of herb, and not on Mochin of hay, since the Mochin of hay are not imparted to the worlds at all, but are for the nourishments of the Nukva. All that is imparted upon the worlds is only from the Mochin of herb, so that all of man’s work in raising MAN and extending abundance from above is only for extension of Mochin of herb, which are VAK de AB, and not Mochin of hay, which are GAR de AB.
It is written, “Who causes the hay to grow for the cattle.” Hay is for the Nukva herself, who is called “a beast,” HaVaYaH filled with the letters Hey, which in Gematria is Behemah [beast], 52. “And herb for the work of man.” Only the herb was given for the work of man, to bring forth bread out of the earth.
80) “A fruit tree bearing fruit” is two degrees, male and female. A fruit tree is the Nukva de ZA. “Bearing fruit” is Yesod de ZA, a male. He is called “Bearing fruit” because all those fruits that the Nukva begets come to her from the male. Thus, the male is the one who makes the fruits in the Nukva, hence he is called “Bearing fruit.”
As the fruit tree, the Nukva, brings forth the force that she received from the fruit bearing tree, the male, she also elicits her own power. There are special offspring to the fruit tree, the Nukva, which are not in the “Bearing fruit,” the male, by the force of the Nukva herself, the cherubim and the pillars that come from her own Behina. What are the pillars? They are those who rise in the smoke of the offering and are corrected with the offering. They are called “pillars of smoke,” as it is written, “Who is this who comes up from the desert like pillars of smoke?” The cherubim correspond to the herb that she received from the male, and the pillars of smoke correspond to the hay that she received from the male.
Whenever Israel were righteous, the cherubim were attached to one another in Dvekut Panim be Panim. The smoke of the offering when Israel were righteous would rise up straight, not leaning to the right or to the left. It was said here that cherubim Panim be Panim, which is big Panim, and the smoke of the offering that rises up straight at that time, extend from the power of the Nukva herself, the bottom Hey de HaVaYaH, which is the face of a man, and not by the force of the male, who is Yod–Hey–Vav, the face of a lion. All of them, the cherubim and the pillars, stand in their corrections for man’s work.
Hay does not stand so because it is meant for eating. This is so because there is a difference between smelling and eating. The smell rises from below upward and does not spread downward, while eating expands from above downward. It was said that although the pillars of smoke are Mochin that extend from GAR de AB like the hay, they still remain standing and existing for man’s work by the force of their correction, and they are not cancelled. They are corrected through the work of the offerings, which burns the offering in the fire and raises the smoke for a sweet savor from below upward. It does not reach the lower ones, and by that they exist and are not cancelled.
But the Mochin of the hay, which are intended for eating, expand from above downward, like eating. This is why they are cancelled and are not sustained, since those Mochin are unfit to expand below to the lower ones.
81) “A fruit tree bearing fruit” indicates the forms of male and female, whose faces are the image of the face of a man. “A fruit tree” is Nukva de ZA. “Bearing fruit” is Yesod de ZA, a male, who makes fruits in her. Those male and female are not like the cherubim, implied in the herb yielding seed, since those are big Panim, marked with a beard, while cherubim are small Panim, like the face of infants. Panim [face] means GAR and Mochin. Big Panim are Mochin de Gadlut that are received from the 13 qualities of Rachamim in AA, who is called Dikna de AA. This is why it said, “Panim marked with a beard.” It is also called Mazal [luck]. Small Panim, however, are Mochin de Katnut.
All the shapes are included in a man’s face—lion, ox, and eagle—since they are big Panim, for big Panim are Mochin de Gadlut and GAR, and are not received by the Nukva when she has only six Sefirot HBD HGT, and lacks the four Sefirot NHYM. Rather, once she raises her NHYM from BYA and is complemented with ten Sefirot de Kelim, she mates with ZA and receives from him Mochin de Gadlut.
There are two raisings: 1) First, she raises NHY without Malchut. At that time she has only GAR de VAK, which are Mochin de Katnut. 2) Next, when she raises the Malchut, too, called “a man’s face,” she obtains Mochin de Gadlut.
Those NHYM that she raises from BYA are called “four animals,” which carry the throne to ZA for a Zivug, for without them the throne, Nukva de ZA, would be lacking in the ten Sefirot of the Kelim and would not be fit for a Zivug. The Sefira Netzah is the face of a lion, Hod is the face of an ox, Yesod is the face of an eagle, and Malchut is the face of a man.
All the shapes are included in the face of a man because the face of a man are big Panim, and carved shapes are engraved in them, as the carvings of the explicit name in the four directions of the world. Through the face of a man, the three animals also acquire big Panim, HB TM in Mochin de Gadlut, implied in the name HaVaYaH in his four letters: Yod being Hochma and south, Hey being Bina and north, Vav being ZA and east, and the bottom Hey being Malchut and west. This is why it is considered that all the shapes—lion, eagle, and ox—which are NHY, are included in the face of a man, Malchut, for besides the face of a man, by raising NHY without Malchut they are still in Panim of Katnut, in Mochin de VAK.
82) Michael inscribed an inscription to the south, and all three faces—the face of a lion, the face of an ox, and the face of an eagle—look to the face of a man. “Inscribed an inscription” means that he allots the place of the Zivug. South is right, for extending light of covered Hassadim. Looking means receiving by their looking.
At the time of Gadlut, when the Nukva de ZA raises Malchut to her from BYA, called “the face of a man,” the Zivug of ZON is done on that Malchut from the right, south, and the level of Mochin de Gadlut extends on her. Then, all three Panim—lion, ox, and eagle—receive the Mochin de Gadlut from that Malchut, who is called “the face of a man.” It follows that all three Panim look to the face of a man and receive from those Panim. Michael is one of the four angels serving Nukva de ZA. Hence, he inscribes and prepares the place of the Zivug, and he is the angel of Hesed. This is why he inscribes to the south side, right, Hesed.
A man is male and female, and only they are called “man.” Malchut in and of herself, when she is not in a Zivug with ZA, is not called “man,” since she is without a male. Only when she mates with ZA are both of them called “man,” as it is written, “He created them male and female, and blessed them, and called their name Adam [man], on the day when they were created.” Thus, both together are called “man,” but each one for himself is like half a body, and he is not called “man.”
Out of him means from the face of a man in a Zivug to the south side, were the depictions depicted, as it is written, “The vehicle of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands,” which is the lower Merkava, called “The vehicle of God.” Depictions means the measures born from the Zivug, since each level has its own depiction according to the quality of the Zivug de Hakaa.
Explanation: Those four animals—man, lion, ox, and eagle—are called Merkava [structure, assembly, chariot], since they are the four Sefirot NHYM that rise from BYA and connect to the Nukva de ZA to complement her ten Sefirot so she is fit for a Zivug. Since without them she would not be fit for a Zivug, it is considered that the Nukva rides on these four animals, and they became a Merkava to her, for they carry her to the Zivug.
However, there are two Merkavot for two Zivugim. They are called “upper Merkava” and “lower Merkava.” There is a big difference between them because in the upper Merkava there are four animals—man, lion, ox, and eagle—and in the lower Merkava there are only three animals—ox, eagle, and lion. There is no man in them in particular, but only by way of Hitkalelut.
We should understand why the animals divided to became two Merkavot for two Zivugim, and why one Zivug is not enough, and why the face of a man in particular is missing in the bottom Merkava. The thing is that it is known that there are only nine Sefirot in AA de Atzilut. Following him, it is likewise in all the Partzufim of ABYA. It is so because Malchut is deficient, since she was concealed in the Rosh of Partzuf Atik and did not extend to AA. This is only one of the main corrections that were done in the world of correction. However, it does not mean that all ten Sefirot in Malchut are missing, since there is Zivug only in the Masach in Malchut. Rather, only Malchut de Malchut is missing, but the first nine of Malchut remained in the Partzufim.
Therefore, when she was sorted and rose to the Nukva, her Malchut from BYA—which is the face of a man—only the first nine of Malchut rose to her, since Malchut de Malchut was missing. Thus, the first nine in each Partzuf are above its Chazeh, and below its Chazeh it is regarded as Malchut of the Partzuf. It therefore follows that there is the face of a man, Malchut that rises from BYA, only from the Chazeh and above, only the first nine of Malchut, which end at the place of the Chazeh. But from the Chazeh and below, where there is Malchut de Malchut, there is no face of a man there because Malchut de Malchut was concealed in the Rosh of Partzuf Atik and does not appear in the worlds.
It is known that each Behina ascends to its corresponding Behina in the upper one. Therefore, she rose to the Chazeh and above of the face of a man, to from Chazeh and above of ZON, and the complete Zivug of the face of a man was done only in their from Chazeh and above. This is why Michael inscribed an inscription to the south, and all three Panim look to the face of a man, since the Zivug from Chazeh and above is called “south,” “the right side,” “light of covered Hassadim.”
Michael inscribes the place of the Zivug only from Chazeh and above because he did not rise more than the face of a man, Malchut, only the first nine, ascribed only to from Chazeh and above, and not from Chazeh and below. Here, in from Chazeh and above, the Zivug is complete in all four animals NHYM, called “face of a man,” face of a lion,” face of an ox,” and “face of an eagle.” They are called “the upper Merkava” because they carry the Nukva for the upper Zivug of from Chazeh and above, and because they are all from Chazeh and above of each of the four animals.
However, the three worlds BYA, as well as NRN of people, cannot receive their abundance from the Zivug of from Chazeh and above because they are related to the Sefirot of from Chazeh and below of ZON. Therefore, once the complete Zivug de ZON was done in from Chazeh and above, in the upper Merkava, the from Chazeh and below of the three animals—lion, ox, and eagle—also rises, and they are included in the upper Zivug of from Chazeh and above of ZON, receiving the abundance from the face of a man that is there. They descend and impart to the children of the three worlds BYA, and those three animals are called “the bottom Merkava,” as they are from Chazeh and below.
It was said that the depictions were depicted from him, as it is written, “The vehicle of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands,” since the animals of the bottom Merkava were depicted from the upper Zivug on the south, as it is written, “The vehicle of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands,” since the animals in the Merkava are called Shinan [translated as “thousands” but actually an acronym for ox, eagle, lion, man].
83) The name Shinan includes all the depictions, all the animals, which are Shor [ox], Nesher [eagle], Arieh [lion]. This is the acronym Shina of Shinan. The letter Nun of Shinan implies the face of a man that is included in them. The Nun is an expansion of male and female that are mingled as one, since the face of a man is missing in them themselves, as they are from the Chazeh and below, from which Malchut is missing. But since they rise and become included in the upper Zivug from Chazeh and above, they receive from the face of a man from there. This is why it is implied in a Nun and not in the initial letter like the other three animals, since they have no particular face of a man, but rather an expansion and inclusion from the face of a man above the Chazeh.
All of them, all that is in BYA, come out from those animals, which are Shinan. The forms in BYA are born and depart from them, each in his own Behina as is appropriate for it. The three worlds BYA and all that is in them are ascribed to from Chazeh and below of ZON. For this reason, they cannot receive from the upper Merkava from Chazeh and above of ZON. Instead, they must receive from the animals in the bottom Merkava, which are Shinan that are ascribed to their Behina, as they are from Chazeh and below of ZON.
84) Those animals are incorporated and mingled in one another so that each will be included in the other. That is, the four animals, Shinan, are incorporated in one another in a way that the face of an ox consists of the four animals, the face of an eagle consists of the four animals, and the face of a lion consists of the four animals. Each has four Panim, Shinan, and they are 12 Panim. However, they are not 16 Panim because they do not have a particular face of a man; it is in them only by Hitkalelut, to the extent that it is included and incorporated in the three animals. This is why they are 12 Panim.
The animals, Shinan, are conducted in the four carved names, as it is written, “The great, mighty, terrible God.” They rise to them to be conducted and to look. To be conducted means for Mochin de VAK. To look means for Mochin de GAR. Those four names are carved in the four animals in the upper Merkava above Chazeh de ZON, and the animals in the bottom Merkava, below the Chazeh, who have no Zivug in their place because they are lacking the face of a man, must rise to the four names above and receive Mochin de VAK and GAR from the upper Zivug that is there.
85) The ox rises to be conducted and to look to the face of a man. A name rises, crowns, and is carved in two colors. This is the name “God,” since those animals below have no Zivug in their place because the face of a man is missing in them. Instead, they must rise up to the upper Merkava to receive from the Zivug of the face of a man that is there, the Mochin de GAR and de VAK.
Here The Zohar explains the ascent of each animal to the face of a man in the upper Merkava, and its unification with the names that are there. It says, “When the ox, the left of the animals, rises to the upper Zivug in the upper Merkava, to receive VAK and GAR from the face of a man that is there, it does not rise to the name “mighty” that is there, to the left line. Rather, it ascends to the name “God” that is there, on the right line, since there is no correction for the left, except in the Hassadim on the right.” It follows that the name “God” is crowned and carved with two colors—white color from itself, and red color from the ox included in it.
Then, once the ox has been included in the name “God,” it returns back, remaining only in Mochin de VAK—called Mochin of Achor [posterior], the throne, Nukva de ZA, carves and decorates it—and is inscribed by it to be conducted by the name “God.” That is, although the ox is left, and its way is in Dinim and Gevurot, it is still conducted in Hassadim in the name “God” because Midat ha Din in it has already been mitigated.
86) The eagle ascends to be conducted and to look at the face of a man. Another name rises, crowns, and is carved with two Panim and in two colors, the face of a man and the face of an eagle. The color of the right is white, and the color of the eagle is green, to be conducted and to look in a manner of ascent, in the crown of above, and it is great. Crowns means Mochin de GAR. Carved means Mochin de VAK. Conducted and looking means Mochin de GAR and Mochin de VAK.
When the eagle, the middle line of the animals below, rose to the upper Zivug in the upper Merkava to receive from there Mochin de VAK and Mochin de GAR, called “conduct” and “looking,” the name “great” that is there rises opposite it, and the eagle is included in it, receiving from it Mochin de VAK and de GAR. The name “great,” the level of Gadlut in the upper Merkava, stands there in the right. Although the Hochma, GAR, extends and stands in the left line at the point of Shuruk, still, the two lines—right and left—are included in one another in a Zivug through the middle line, which decides and sustains the illumination of them both, in a way that the Hassadim on the right will illuminate from above downward, and the illumination of Hochma on the left will illuminate from below upward.
At that time, the two lines are included in one another because the right is included in the illumination of Hochma on the left, and acquires the name, “great,” the left is included in the illumination of Hassadim on the right, and Hochma clothes in Hassadim. Thus, although Gadlut is primarily in the left, the Gadlut still extends only from the right line as it illuminates from above downward and reaches the lower ones, and not from the left because it illuminates from below upward and its illumination does not extend to the lower ones.
This is why the ox is included only in the name “God,” and not in the name “great,” as in itself, it is the left line, whose Mochin are extended only from below upward. But the eagle, the middle line, which can illuminate from above downward, rose and was included in the right, receiving the Gadlut in the name “great,” because it can illuminate to the lower ones, as it was said, “To be conducted and to look in a manner of ascent, in the crown of above.”
The Zohar interprets how the eagle receives the Gadlut from the left line through the right line. It says that it ascends to “Be conducted and to look in a manner of ascent, in the crown of above,” since the Hochma extended through the left line is the crown of above, as “crown” means Mochin de GAR, as it is written, “Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and gaze upon king Solomon, upon the crown with which his mother has crowned him.” It illuminates only in a manner of ascent, from below upward.
When it is conducted and looks at the crown that illuminates in a manner of ascent on the left, the right is included in the left, and receives the illumination of the crown that is there, then it acquires the name “great,” then turns back, the throne carves and decorates it, and it is inscribed by it to be conducted by the name “God.” Then, after the above mentioned Hitkalelut, the eagle returns to Mochin de VAK, Mochin de Achor, the throne, Nukva, carves and decorates it, and the eagle is inscribed to be conducted in that name. That is, the qualities of the eagle will be as the qualities of the name “great,” which is right and Hassadim.
87) The lion ascends to be conducted and to look at the face of a man above. Another name ascends opposite it, crowns and carves in two Panim and in two colors, to be strengthened and connected in Gevura. This is the name “mighty.” Then, after the Hitkalelut, it turns back to Mochin de VAK, and the throne, Nukva de ZA, carves and decorates it, and it is inscribed to be conducted in the name “mighty.” That is, its qualities will be of the lion, right, as the qualities of the name “mighty,” and he will be conducted by the quality of Gevura.
When the lion, right line and Hassadim, rose from the lower order to the upper Zivug in the upper Merkava from Chazeh de ZON and above, to receive from there Mochin de VAK and de GAR, called “conduct” and “looking,” the name “mighty” ascends opposite it, the left line that is there. The lion is included in it and receives Mochin de VAK and de GAR through it.
However, the ox and the eagle could not be included in the left line because they themselves are also included with the quality of the left, as it is written, “And the face of an ox on the left side of the four of them.” Likewise, the eagle, the middle line, contains right and left. If it were in the left of above, the quality of left would overcome it. Thus, only the lion, who is entirely from the right line, can rise to the left line of above, where there is illumination of Hochma, receive its qualities, and return them to his own right.
88) The face of a man looks at all the animals, and all of them rise and look at it. This is so because they all rose to the face of a man of above in the upper Merkava, since below there is no face of a man in them. Then, all of them were depicted in their carvings in this depiction in one name, called “terrible.” A depiction means a certain level. Carvings are Kelim, and depicted is the elicitation of the level by the Zivug de Hakaa related to it.
When the animals ascend to the face of a man, Malchut, in the upper Merkava, receiving from there the level of Gadlut by their looking at one another, they receive from there the name “terrible.” It is so because Malchut is called “fear,” and her male is called “terrible,” as it is written, “And God made it that He will be feared.”
Then it is written, “And the image of their faces was as the face of a man.” It is so because all the animals, Shina, are included in the image of a man, and that image includes them, as it is written, “They had the image of a man, and each had four faces.” It is so because the three animals are included in one another, and also included in the face of a man of above. Thus, each animal has four Panim, Shinan, which are 12 Panim.
89) This is why the Creator is called “The great, and mighty, and terrible God,” since those names are carved above, in the upper Merkava, included in the four letters of the name HaVaYaH, the name that includes all the names. The Hitkalelut of the ox of below with the lion of above is Yod de HaVaYaH, the name “God.” The Hitkalelut of the lion of below with the ox of above is Hey de HaVaYaH, the name “mighty.” The Hitkalelut of the eagle of below with the lion of above is Vav de HaVaYaH, the name “great,” and the face of a man of above—included in all the animals of below that rose to it—is the bottom Hey de HaVaYaH, the name “terrible.”
The order of the animals of the lower Merkava is different from the order of the animals in the upper Merkava, since the order in the upper Merkava is man, lion, ox, and eagle, and in the lower Merkava, the order is ox, eagle, lion, and man, like the acronym, Shinan. This is so because from the right side, where there is HaVaYaH, this is the order of the four animals—man, lion, eagle, and ox, where the ox, Gevura, is last. The animals of the other side, which are the damages on the left, are arranged in this manner: ox, eagle, lion, and man, which is Shinan.
It is written, “The vehicle of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands,” which are Shinan. It is known that the upper Merkava is right, and the bottom Merkava is left. The reason for the difference is that the animals of below have no Zivug in their place. Instead, they receive from the Zivug of above. For this reason, before the ox is mitigated in its ascent to the right, no animal can rise there because the multitude Dinim in the ox detain them. Hence, the ox ascends first, then the eagle, the middle line, in whom there is left, as well, which must first be mitigated, and in the end, the lion ascends to the left of above. Then, all are included in the face of a man of above, and this is why the order changed to Shinan.
Those forms, Shinan, are carved and decorated in the throne, Nukva de ZA. The throne is carved and embroidered with them because the name combinations and levels within one another are called embroidering. It is similar to one who embroiders two forms that are different from one another over the two sides of the canvas—on the one side a lion, and on the other side an ox, and so forth. And since those names and animals came out in the throne in the two Panim and colors together, it is called embroidering, that the throne is embroidered with them.
They were embroidered one to the right and one to the left, one to the front, and one to the back. They are inscribed to the four directions of the world: the face of a lion is inscribed to the right, south; the face of an ox on the left is the north, the face of an eagle from before, the east, and the face of a man from behind, the west. They are also the four letters HaVaYaH because Yod–Hey is south and north, right and left, and Vav–Hey is east and west, Panim and Achor.
90) When the throne, Nukva de ZA, ascends for a Zivug with ZA, it is inscribed in four forms, Shinan. Those four upper names carry that throne for a Zivug with ZA, and those four animals that unite with the four names, “The great, mighty, and terrible God,” are NHYM of the Nukva that were sorted and rose from BYA, connecting and complementing ten Sefirot for her, for the Nukva to be fit for a Zivug with ZA. When she lacks the Sefirot NHYM, she is unfit for a Zivug. This is why those animals, the four Sefirot NHYM, are regarded as carrying the throne. They are also called “a Merkava for the Nukva.”
It was said that those four upper names carry that throne for a Zivug with ZA. This is because without them, the Nukva, the throne, would lack her Sefirot NHY. When they rise to her and connect in her, they carry her for a Zivug, and the throne, the Nukva, is included in them during the Zivug. That is, she is complemented by those names, since they are NHYM that complement her ten Sefirot until the throne receives and gathers Nefashot [pl. of Nefesh] and delightful pleasures in the Zivug of ZA. Once she receives and gathers those pleasures and delights, she descends full, like a tree full of branches and fruits on all sides.
91) Once the throne descends from the place of Zivug to her own place, from Chazeh and below, those four forms, the four animals Shinan, come out depicted each in its depiction: carved, illuminating, glimmering, and blazing, and they sow a seed in the world.
Carved means the measures of Kelim for a receptacle.
Illuminating means the measures of the levels of Ohr Yashar.
Glimmering means measures of levels of Ohr Hozer.
Blazing means illumination from below upward, like the fire that blazes from below upward. These are illuminations of the left.
They also sow a seed in the world. That is, all the generations in the three worlds BYA are imparted by them. Then the four animals are called Shinan, as it is written, “Herb yielding seed.” “Herb” means the animals, which sow a seed in the world.
92) When the form of a man—which includes all the forms—comes out, it is written about it, “A fruit tree bearing fruit.” It is so because man is male and female. A fruit tree is a female, and bearing fruit is a male. It is written, “Whose seed is in it, on the earth,” meaning that it emitted its seed only for the benefit of the earth. “Whose seed is in it” means that man is forbidden to extract seed from it in vain.
93) “Grass” in the verse, “Let the earth put forth grass,” does not yield seed. This is why it is cancelled and is not sustained like the others. It is so because the hay is the angels that rule for a time, who were created on the second day. They stand as food for the beast. Grass and hay are one and the same, since the grass has no image to be depicted and carved in an image or depiction in any way. Rather, they are seen and not seen.
This is so because image and depiction come from the Kelim, since the lights take no changes from the beginning of the line through the end of Assiya. All the changes and forms come only from the Kelim, while the lights, which are called hay or grass, are GAR de AB, and have no Kelim in the worlds ABYA, since their Kli is revealed only in the inner AVI of the world of Nekudim. Also, it is known that those AVI were concealed and are no longer revealed in the worlds ABYA, hence GAR de AB have no Kli in anything.
This is why they are seen and not seen. They are necessarily seen in order to disclose the Mochin de VAK de AB, Mochin de Haya, for it is impossible for VAK to be disclosed without GAR. Once the Mochin have been disclosed they promptly part and are not seen because they have no Kelim in which to clothe. This is the rule: All those who were not depicted in a form and an image in the Kelim are not sustained. Rather, they are created and stand for a time, and are promptly consumed by the fire that consumes fire. Then they are once again created and promptly eaten by the fire that consumes fire as before, and so forth repeatedly each day.
94) A man below, in this world, has an image and a depiction, and still does not exist forever like the angels of above. This seemingly means that existence does not depend on an image and a depiction whatsoever. Rather, the image and the depiction of the angels of above are depicted in their depictions as they are, without being depicted through another clothing. This is why they live and exist forever. The depiction of man below, in this world, his NRN are depicted in their depictions through a clothing and not in some other way. For this reason they exist only for a set and allotted time.
The angels come from Zivug AVI. As AVI receive their lights in their own Kelim, without any clothing, the angels, who extend from them, can also receive their lights in their Kelim, and do not need assistance from another clothing. But the souls of people come from Zivug ZON de Atzilut, and it is known that ZON can receive their lights only through a clothing, which they receive from NHY de AVI, since their Kelim are unfit for Ohr Yashar, but only for Ohr Hozer.
It is even more so with people who are born from them—those are unfit to receive the lights in their own Kelim, but only through a clothing from ZON. Thus, they do not exist forever because “There is not a righteous man on earth who will not sin.” When they blemish the upper clothing until it is no longer fit for its role, their NRN promptly depart and they die.
95) Each night, when a man is asleep, the man’s spirit strips off that clothing and rises up for MAN to ZON. And the fire that consumes fire, Nukva de ZA, consumes and burns the spirit. Then the spirits are revived as before and are depicted in their clothes. This is why the spirits are not sustained, like those forms of above, the angels of the herb, but rather burn and are renewed, as it is written, “They are new every morning; great is Your faith,” written about people’s spirits, which are new each day. It is so because during sleep, the spirits rise up and burn, and are renewed because “Great is Your faith,” which is great, big, and not small.
Two kinds of angels come out from Zivug ZON: 1) angels called “grass,” which extend from GAR de AB, coming out for a time and promptly burn in the Nukva, and 2) angels that are called “herb,” which extend from VAK de AB and are sustained.
There is no Zivug in ZON except by MAN that people raise. During sleep, the righteous raise their spirits in MAN for Zivug ZON, as it is written, “In Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me Lord, a true God.”
Accordingly, two kinds of spirits should have been elicited through those MAN: 1) unsustainable, which promptly burn, like angels of the grass, 2) sustainable, like the angels of the herb. However, it is not so because only one spirit was extended to them, which first burns, and is then renewed and sustained.
Those two kinds of Mochin, GAR de AB and VAK de AB, are like two opposites—they cannot come in the same subject at the same time. Hence, in angels, who are above time, it is impossible that they would come in them in two times, so they come in them in two subjects, two kinds of angels. But for people, for whom there is time, they can come in them in one subject, but in two times. First, when they receive from GAR de AB, they burn like the angels of the grass and the hay. Subsequently, when they receive from VAK de AB, the return to their former state and exist. This is, “They are new every morning,” for because they first burn, they are regarded as renewed each morning.
For “Great is Your faith,” and not small. The Nukva de ZA is called “faith.” Since the Nukva needs to be great from the start to receive the GAR de AB, and not small, for she cannot receive the VAK before she receives the GAR, the souls must first burn when the Mochin de GAR de AB illuminate in her. In the illumination of the VAK de AB, they are renewed, as it is written, “They are new every morning,” for “Great is Your faith,” for the Nukva must be big and not small.
96) Indeed, the faith, Nukva, is great, for she can receive all the souls of the world and include them within her, the upper souls and the lower souls, including the GAR of the souls, which burn inside her, and the VAK of the souls, which come out from her to the world. The Nukva is a great and big place, which includes everything and is not filled, as it is written, “All the rivers go to the sea, and the sea is not full.” The Nukva is called “sea,” and the rivers are the souls.
All the souls go to the Nukva, and she is not filled. It is so because the souls go to the sea, and the sea accepts them and burns them in it. This is why it is not filled with them, for they burn and are gone. Afterwards the sea takes out the souls as before and they go and come to the world. This is why it is written, “Great is Your faith.”
97) On the third day, it is written twice, “That it was good,” because that day is regarded as being on both sides, the right line and the left line. He said to this side, “That it was good,” and to that side, “That it was good,” and decided between them. This is why there are two times “Said” in it, since the third day of the work of creation is Tifferet, which decides on the two lines that deny one another, which are HG, that are in dispute. This is why it is written twice here “Said,” and twice “That it was good,” since Tifferet said to the right line, Hesed, “That it was good,” and also said to the left line, Gevura, “That it was good,” sustaining the illumination of them both.
Here the four letter name Yod–Hey Vav–Hey is decorated and carved, rising to 12 letters in four forms on four sides, and inscribed on the holy throne, the Nukva de ZA. The verse, “Herb yielding seed” refers to the elicitation of the angels in the verse, “The vehicle of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands,” which are themselves only three Panim, Shina, lacking the face of a man. For this reason they themselves have no Zivug, but must rise for a Zivug from Chazeh and above, where there is the face of a man, meaning all four Panim. It was said, “Michael inscribed an inscription to the south side, and all three Panim, which are the face of a lion, the face of an ox, and the face of an eagle, look to the face of a man.
It is considered that each of the animals from the vehicle of God that rose for the upper Zivug received all four Panim there—the face of a lion, the face of an ox, the face of an eagle, and the face of a man, which is the four letter name, Yod–Hey Vav–Hey. The ox includes the four Panim, the eagle includes the four Panim, and the lion includes the four Panim. The 12 letter name is carved in the three animals Shina in four forms, where each received four forms—lion, ox, eagle, and man—when they ascended for the upper Zivug on the two sides that are there. The face of a lion is on the right, on the south; the face of an ox is on the left, in the north; the face of an eagle is in the middle, in the east, and the face of a man is on the west, and they were inscribed on the holy throne.
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