The Firmament over Malchut

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339) The firmament that stands over the garden stands over four heads of animals, the four letters Mem–Reish–Gimel–Nun—Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Nuriel—the firmament over Malchut. They are considered superior to those in the lower Garden of Eden, and that firmament over Malchut de Atzilut is formed in sacred colors, similar to the firmament over the garden below, in which there are four colors. Also, the upper firmament over Malchut is formed in colors. All the Behinot [discernments] applied in the firmament over the lower Garden of Eden apply also in the upper firmament over Malchut de Atzilut.

340) Four animals and all those armies below look at the firmament on the upper Malchut. When that firmament illuminates and sparkles with its colors, the four colors HG TM in the firmament itself, which illuminate through the openings, then all the Merkavot, armies, and camps know that their prey is approaching, since they receive from the openings. That firmament is formed with all the sacred colors—the four lights HG TM, in which four openings stand, where one color illuminates in each opening, and the lights are inscribed in four sparkling colors.

341) One opening stands to the east, Tifferet, in which a single letter stands, as in the firmament over the garden. Yet, the letter Reish stands there, the beginning of the word Raphael, and here it is the letter Aleph, the beginning of the name ADNI. This letter sparkles, rises, and falls in this opening. This opening illuminates and sparkles with an upper sparkling from a single color in the HG TM in the lights of the firmament itself, and this letter Aleph sparkles and protrudes within it, rising, falling, and descending, inscribed in that opening.

342) The second opening is inscribed on the north, Gevura, in which the letter Dalet of the name ADNI stands. It stands and sparkles, rising and falling, blazing in the opening on the north. At times it sparkles in a sparkling, and at times that light hides and does not illuminate. It is so because Dalet is the opening on the north, the left line. When it has Hassadim, it illuminates. And when it does not have Hassadim from the right, it does not illuminate. This is why it is called Dalet, from the word Dalut [poverty], since the Hochma on the left does not illuminate without Hassadim. For this reason, this letter does not always maintain its existence, and this letter was inscribed in that opening.

343) The third opening is an opening that stands to the west, Malchut. A single letter stands in it, written and illuminating in that opening—the letter Nun in the name ADNI. This letter sparkles in a sparkling in that opening.

344) The fourth opening stands to the south, Hesed, and in it stands a Reshimo of one small point below, which is seen and not seen. This is the letter Yod in the name ADNI. When Malchut is in unification with ZA in the combination of two names YAHODNHI, the Yod of ADNI is seen because then she receives Hochma from the first letter Yod. If she is not bonded with HaVaYaH, she is not seen. These four letters ADNI sparkle into four sides in this firmament, in these four openings at its end.

345) Other letters are inscribed with Ketarim [pl. of Keter] on their heads in this firmament. These are the 22 letters crowned in crowns. The 22 letters are ZA who is included in this firmament of Malchut. The Ketarim over them are Bina, who is Keter ZA because the root of every letter, which is called Keter, is from Bina. This firmament travels and surrounds the animals that are in the Reshimot of the letters in the calculation of the unification, in one combination of the alphabet, which are Aleph–Tet, Bet–Het, Gimel–Zayin, Dalet–Vav.

The four combinations Aleph–Tet, Bet–Het, Gimel–Zayin, Dalet–Vav imply to the three lines HBD and Malchut who receives them, which are four animals that circle the firmament of Malchut de Atzilut.

Aleph–Tet implies Hochma, who has nine Sefirot that begin from Hochma and below. And Keter, her root—which is the Aleph—is clothed within them. Thus, Aleph–Tet implies Keter who is clothed within the nine Sefirot of Hochma, and it is the right line, the face of a lion.

Bet–Het implies Bina, who has eight Sefirot that begin from Bina and below, and KH—her roots—are clothed within them. These KH are two, in a way that Bet–Het imply the two Sefirot KH that are clothed inside the HS of Bina. This is the left line, the face of an ox.

Gimel–Zayin implies Daat, who has seven Sefirot that begin from Hesed down, and KHB—her roots—are clothed within them. These KHB are three, in a way that Gimel–Zayin imply the three Sefirot KHB that are clothed inside the seven Sefirot of Daat. This is the middle line, the face of an eagle.

Dalet–Vav implies Malchut, who has four Sefirot from Chazeh de ZA down, which are TNHYM, and six Sefirot HBD HGT clothed within them. These HBD HGT are six, in a way that Dalet–Vav imply the six Sefirot HBD HGT, clothed within the four Sefirot of Malchut, and she receives from all three faces—lion, ox, and eagle—while she herself is the face of a man.

346) These letters—Aleph–Tet, Bet–Het, Gimel–Zayin, Dalet–Vav—circle the firmament with other high, holy, and concealed letters, which are from Bina. These other, hidden letters circle that firmament, and then these letters Aleph–Tet, Bet–Het, Gimel–Zayin, Dalet–Vav are seen in rolling—they roll from place to place one at a time, in three lines, which is called “rolling,” and are inscribed in this firmament.

347) When this firmament illuminates, four secrets illuminate in it, four letters HaVaYaH of the holy names that are refined in combinations, the 12 combinations of the names HaVaYaH of the 32 paths. It illuminates in these 12 names, the 32 paths of Hochma. At that time, dew comes down—sacred abundance—from that firmament, in these letters of the holy name, in 12 combinations of HaVaYaH, all the Merkavot, armies, and holy camps are nourished, and all receive with joy.

348) When the Din is hanging, these letters hide and are concealed within four letters Aleph–Bet–Gimel–Dalet, which are the roots. They disappear, become hidden, and remain Tet–Het–Zayin–Vav, meaning branches without roots. When these Aleph–Bet–Gimel–Dalet were hidden and concealed, a voice awakened from the north, where the Dinim are, knowing that the Din is over the world. A certain color was inscribed in that firmament, comprising all the colors, meaning Malchut who receives from all three lines, three colors.

349) When that firmament travels from the east, the middle line, four heads, the four roots in the four letters Aleph–Bet–Gimel–Dalet, all travel in journeys and rise in ascent of above, departing upward, and the illumination of Hochma disappears due to the departure of the roots of Aleph–Tet Bet–Het Gimel–Zayin Dalet–Vav. Afterwards, the letters Aleph–Bet–Gimel–Dalet return and appear inside the branches in full, as in the beginning, Aleph–Tet Bet–Het Gimel–Zayin Dalet–Vav, and the firmament is made of them. At that time, it illuminates in light of Hochma.

There are two actions in the appearance of the middle line, the east side:

1. Diminishing all the Hochma in the left line by disclosing the Man’ula [lock] in its Masach.
2. Mitigating the Man’ula with a Miftacha [key], thus returning the VAK de Hochma to illuminate in the left line through its bonding with the right.

The first act of the middle line, for which all the Hochma disappears, and then all four roots Aleph–Bet–Gimel–Dalet disappear from the branches Tet, Het, Zayin, and Vav, meaning the whole of the illumination of Hochma. Afterwards, in the second act, once it extends the Miftacha—and unites the two lines with one another—the Hochma reappears, as it was said that the letters Aleph–Bet–Gimel–Dalet reappear inside the branches in full, reappear along with their roots, Aleph–Tet Bet–Het Gimel–Zayin Dalet–Vav.

350) When that firmament illuminated as before, with the letters Aleph–Tet Bet–Het Gimel–Zayin Dalet–Vav, they all returned and roared to hunt prey and food. When they roar and raise a sound, that sound is heard up above, and then those who are worthy of taking, take blessings and sanctities.

351) The letters Aleph–Tet Bet–Het Gimel–Zayin Dalet–Vav turn and roll on three lines, circling the firmament on Malchut and standing in the south. When those letters stand in the south, they rise, sparkle in a sparkling, and blaze. Then, in the middle of that firmament, a single inscription is inscribed, and that inscription is the letter Yod. When that letter is written and seen, the three other letters Hey–Vav–Hey blaze after her, and the name HaVaYaH illuminates.

352) These letters HaVaYaH sparkle in the middle of the firmament, rising and falling, and blazing in 12 blazes, 12 combinations of HaVaYaH. Then, once they blaze 12 times, illumination of Hochma comes down and is included in these letters of the 12 combinations of HaVaYaH. It is crowned in them and is not known, and then all the armies and all the camps are in joy, raising songs and praises.

353) That firmament travels once again, circles, and rolls over three lines. These first letters, Aleph–Tet Bet–Het Gimel–Zayin Dalet–Vav, are all included in those upper letters that are the holy name HaVaYaH, circling a firmament. These letters HaVaYaH that were standing in the middle—being the holy name—were written on the north side, left. They were written and not written because there is no one to look at that side to extend Hochma, which is seeing. They all cover with Hochma and say in a pleasant voice, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place.”

They cover on the north, left line, and say, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place.” They cover on all the sides and say, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place.” It is so because the north side is included in all three sides because Hochma appears only in Malchut, who receives from three lines, and not in the three lines themselves.

354) After The Zohar explained the actions that were done in the firmament in three sides, east, south, and north, which are three lines, it now explains the operations that take place in the firmament controlled by the west side, Malchut, who receives from all three sides together. It says, “This firmament circles as before, rolling from side to side on all four sides, through the west, Malchut. At that time, a pleasant voice of camps of many angels rises from that side to all the sides, east, south, north, and west. At that time the firmament illuminates with a different light—greater than what it had been in the three sides—for the light of Hochma appears in it, and there is no place where it appears but in Malchut. Also, it stands in illumination in a different color, made of all the colors because the Malchut consists of all three colors in the three lines.

355) These letters HaVaYaH rise up in the firmament, ascend to ZA, and receive from ZA one upper letter that connects to that name of these letters HaVaYaH. It is so because although these letters are of the holy name, HaVaYaH, it is still a name that is included below in the firmament of Malchut, since that name is included above in ZA, and included below in Malchut. And when the name is included below in Malchut, these letters HaVaYaH rise to receive a certain letter from ZA, as these letters HaVaYaH below in Malchut are nourished from that letter. That letter is the letter Vav, which descends to Malchut, and the letters HaVaYaH bond in this letter, VeHaVaYaH [Ve is spelled with a Vav in Hebrew], where the Vav that is connected to the HaVaYaH in Malchut indicates ZA, as in He and His courthouse. Then they are all in one crown and a complete name is made.

356) The name HaVaYaH below is complete and incomplete. It is complete in itself, and it is not complete as it is included with Malchut. A complete name is in five letters VeHaVaYaH, where the Vav from ZA is connected to the HaVaYaH, indicating ZA and His courthouse, Malchut, male and female implied. It is so because the Vav implies the male, and HaVaYaH implies the female.

A fully complete name is in nine letters, which are HaVaYaH Elokim. HaVaYaH implies the male, and Elokim—the female. This is a fully complete name. The other name, VeHaVaYaH, is only in an intimation where the Vav implies the male, and it is in five letters. But the name of the nine letters, HaVaYaH Elokim, is fully complete.

357) When the letters VeHaVaYaH unite, a firmament illuminates in 32 lights, 32 paths of Hochma. At that time all are in joy, all stand in one, above and below, all those Merkavot and all those camps are all in wholeness, and all the degrees are corrected in their places, each as it should.

358) A single flame illuminates and never rests in the firmament of Malchut on the north, the place of illumination of Hochma in Malchut. It is the sentence from which the Hochma appears. This Din is called “a flame,” and it is inscribed in other letters to the right, and they are ten names, rising to 70 names, which emerge from the 72 names of the name AB. All are inscribed in that firmament, and all illuminate together.

359) Out of this firmament, all the firmaments below, on the side of Kedusha, journey until they reach those other firmaments of the other side. They are called “goat-hair curtains,” as it is written, “Then you shall make goat-hair curtains for a tent over the tabernacle.”

360) The curtains of the tabernacle are curtains that are called “firmaments of animals of the holy tabernacle.” The goat-hair curtains are other firmaments of the other side. These firmaments of the tabernacle are the Merkavot of the holy spirits, and those firmaments on the outside, the goat-hair curtains, illuminate in the words of the world. They are repentance and the work of the body of the people of the world, covering those firmaments within, the curtains of the tabernacle, like a shell that covers the brain. The firmaments inside are a thin membrane over the brain, and they are called “heaven for HaVaYaH,” for the one name, HaVaYaH, the one below in Malchut.

361) There are other firmaments above: internal firmaments, firmaments of ZA, firmaments of the animals, which are the holy name HaVaYaH, in regard to the upper, big animals, HGT and Malchut from Chazeh de ZA and above. These are the upper letters in the secrets of the Torah, the whole of the 22 engraved and inscribed letters that come out of the eighth firmament, Bina, the firmament over the upper animals HG TM de ZA, a firmament that has no appearance. It is hidden and concealed; there is no color in it.

362) All the colors come out of the eighth firmament, Bina, while for itself, it has no color, it is unseen and unrevealed. This is the one that brought forth all the lights because all the Mochin from the three lines of Bina come out, and in itself, no light or darkness is seen, nor any color at all. The exception is the souls of the righteous. They see from the lower firmament, the firmament of Malchut—as though from behind a wall—the light that this upper firmament, Bina, brings out, as well as the light of Bina, which does not stop. There is no one to know it, no one to stand in it.

363) Under the firmament of Bina, all the firmaments were perfected in that name, which are called “heaven.” These are called “heaven,” those of whom the upper name is called, HaVaYaH in ZA. They are the ones in whom the holy name, Malchut, is crowned, because the firmaments of Malchut receive from the firmaments of ZA. This is the reason why it is written, “The heavens are heavens for the Lord,” for this concealing in the upper firmament, Bina, which stands over them.

364) Up to the firmament of Bina, it is written, “The heavens are heavens for the Lord,” for the holy name HaVaYaH, since the Creator, Bina, is called by names. Also, a name means attainment, since “All that we do not attain we do not call by a name.” Henceforth, after Bina, there is no wise in whose wisdom he can know and attain at all, except for one small illumination, which is not enough to settle in. Happy is he who enters and exits, who knows how to look at the secrets of his Master and cleave unto Him.

365) In these secrets, a man can cling to his Master to know the whole of the Hochma in the upper secret. When he serves his Master in prayer, in will, and in the aim of the heart, he attaches his will as a fire to an ember, to unite those lower firmaments from the side of Kedusha from Malchut, to crown them in the name HaVaYaH, the lowest in the firmaments of Malchut, and from there on to unite those high, internal firmaments of ZA to be all one in that upper firmament of Bina that stands over them.

366) While his mouth and lips move, he should aim his heart and will above, to unite everything in the secret of secrets, in Ein Sof, where all desires and thoughts are nailed. He should intend that in each prayer each day—to crown all his days with the upper days, HGT NHYM, in his work.

367) At night, he places his will, meaning he is rid of this world, his soul departs from him, and he returns it to the Master of everything. This is so because each night, Malchut stands to include within it the souls of the righteous, meaning each night the souls of the righteous rise to Malchut in MAN.

368) The secret of secrets to know for those wisehearted. The bottom firmament that stands at the point, which is Malchut, consists of above and below. Its Yesod is below, like a candle that raises black light, to unite with the white light over the black light, from above, and its Yesod is below in the wick in oil. The Yesod of the point of Malchut is also below. At daytime, she is included from above, from ZA, and at night, she is included from below with those souls of the righteous.

369) All the words of the world return to the core and the root from which they stemmed. Several nights are each destined to take what they should because at night, everything goes to its root. It is so because the soul walks and roams, and returns to the root that she deserves from above, and the body remains as quiet as a rock, returning to its rightful place to be on it, meaning the Sitra Achra will be on it after its death. For this reason, the body returns to its side, and the soul returns to her side.

370) The Sitra Achra is over the body that has returned to its side. For this reason, his hands are made impure and he must wash them because at night, everything returns to its place, to its root. And the souls of the righteous rise and return to their places, to their roots, to Malchut, from which they were born, and Malchut is crowned in them, included with all sides, above and below. At that time the glory of the Creator rises and is crowned with everything.

371) There are appointees that govern at night, appointed over those souls of the righteous, to raise them up and offer them as a scent offering to their Master. The name of the superior appointee who was appointed over these camps is Suria. Because the soul rises through all those firmaments, she is brought to him, he smells her, as it is written, “And he smelled him with the fear of the Lord,” as the Messiah king is destined to do in the world. Through him, all the souls that are in deposit by him pass on to approach the Malchut.

372) When all the souls that have approached Malchut are seen there, all the souls are included in the point of Malchut, and she takes them in one time, as though swallowing something. She is impregnated with them as a woman who has been impregnated. This matter is for those who dwell over Midian, when this point is impregnated like a woman is impregnated. She enjoys the joy that a soul from this world was included in her, with these deeds and with the Torah in which she engaged during the day. She takes the will of this world and enjoys with it in joy, and is included from all the sides, from above and from below.

373) Afterwards Malchut brings them out and delivers them as before, since the souls are the offspring of Malchut, and the soul is now as new as when it was first born, as it is written, “They are new every morning,” related to the souls, which are new each morning. It is written, “Your faith is plentiful.” Malchut, which is faith, is plentiful, able to include the souls, bring them into her, and bring them out when they are new. This is why others receive from above during the day.

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