The Palace of the Sapphire Pavement, Yesod

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478) The first palace, Yesod and Malchut, is the first from below upward. It is a beginning with faith, Malchut of the palaces, who is called “faith.” The beginning of faith is the beginning of Malchut de Atzilut at the degree of seeing in the faith, in the degrees of illumination of Hochma in her, called “seeing.” The true prophets would see out of this mirror that does not illuminate, Malchut. And because this palace is the beginning of faith, the beginning of Malchut de Atzilut, it is written, “The beginning of the words of the Lord is in Hosea,” who saw out of that degree, the first palace, which is the beginning of all the degrees rising up, and the end of all the degrees going down to the Sitra Achra.

479) “And the Lord said to Hosea, ‘Go, take for yourself a woman of harlotry.’” Because Hosea saw the end of all the degrees out of this beginning, from within the palaces of Tuma’a, he had to take that woman of harlotry. It is so because Israel were repelled and were drawn out of that first palace down to the place called “woman of harlotry,” Malchut de Tuma’a, for they left and did not cling to a virtuous woman, Malchut de Kedusha. He saw from there all those palaces that are on the side of Tuma’a.

480) The palaces of Tuma’a defile anyone who clings to them. Because Hosea had to look into the palaces of Tuma’a, it is written, “Take for yourself a woman of harlotry.” But does a prophet really need it? Yet, because a person is forbidden to enter these palaces of Tuma’a for fear that he would be taken after them, as did Noah, as it is written, “And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered,” clinging to the Sitra Achra, the intoxicating wine. This is because wine is illumination of Hochma. When drinking as the measure of the law, extending Hochma only from below upward, then it is wine that delights God and people. But when he drinks more than the measure, extending the Hochma from above downward, it is an intoxicating wine.

481) Hosea feared looking into these palaces, in which Israel were defiled and to which they clung, for fear that he would be taken after them, as it is written about Noah, “And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered.” Finally, He said to him, “Take for yourself a woman of harlotry and children of harlotry.” The woman of harlotry is Malchut de Sitra Achra. Children of harlotry are her degrees.

It is written, “And he went and took Gomer, daughter of Diblaim,” to know to what Israel clung and were defiled leaving the faith, Malchut de Kedusha, for a foreign god, Malchut de Tuma’a. Hence, he saw it from the first palace, the beginning of all the degrees. This is why it is written about her, “Sin crouches at the door,” for right at the door of that palace is the Sitra Achra, a woman of harlotry. The appointee over the Sitra Achra is standing by the door.

482) That palace is the beginning of everything to rise in degrees. It is a section that stands in the light, to be crowned in its degrees, to look upon those upper degrees, as it is written, “And they saw the God of Israel,” for since that palace is considered Malchut, there is seeing in her, for there is seeing only in Malchut.

483) There is an appointed attendant in that palace, Tahariel. He stands by the door to the palace, and all the souls, once they pass away from this world, rise and wish to come to the first palace. That appointee stands at the door, along with several other appointees, all of whom are blazing fire, scepters of fire in their hands, and all are with eyes, since there is seeing in this palace, Hochma. And because the Hochma appears only by disclosure of Dinim, they are all blazing fire. If the soul, once it departed from this world, is rewarded with entering, that appointee opens the opening and the soul enters.

484) If the soul is unworthy, having sinned in this world, another appointee is summoned, from the Sitra Achra. He stands on the other side, and several thousands and tens of thousands of litigators and litigants are with him. The Dinim de Miftacha are called “thousands,” and those of Man’ula are called “tens of thousands,” as it is written, “A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand on your right; it shall not approach you,” for they are found here in the verse, “Sin crouches at the door.”

The holy appointee rejects her and the other one, on the side of Tuma’a, receives her and admits her into the palaces of Tuma’a. And all those litigants and litigators grip her until they bring her down to Hell, where she is sentenced for 12 months, which is the correction of the Sitra Achra, a courthouse in which to judge the wicked.

485) The holy appointee stands over the door to all the prayers that breach airs and firmaments to come before the King. If it is a prayer of many, he opens the gate and lets her in, where she is detained until all the prayers of the world become a crown on the head of the righteous one who lives forever, Yesod.

486) If it is a prayer of one, it rises until it reaches the palace door, where that appointee stands. If the prayer is good for entering the holy King, he immediately opens a door and lets it in. If it is not good, he pushes it out and it descends and roams the world, standing at the bottom firmament from among those firmaments below, which lead the world. In that firmament is the appointee Sahadiel, who takes those rejected prayers, called “disqualified prayers,” and conceals them until a person repents.

487) If he repents before his Master properly, and prays another prayer, a good one, when the prayer rises, the appointee, Sahadiel, takes that prayer, the disqualified one, and raises it until it meets the good prayer. Then they rise and mingle together, and come in before the holy King.

488) Sometimes, a prayer is rejected because that man went after the Sitra Achra and was defiled. The appointee in the Sitra Achra takes that prayer, and then the Sitra Achra stands and mentions the man’s iniquities before the Creator, slandering him above. For this reason, when the prayers and souls rise, they all rise and stand before that first palace, and that appointee stands by the door of the palace, letting the souls and prayers inside, or rejecting them.

489) Above the door of the palace is another door, which the Creator dug out of Dinim de Miftacha, as it is written, “The well that the ministers dug.” It opens three times a day, meaning that three lines illuminate in it, and it does not close. It stands open for those who repent, who have shed tears in their prayer before their Master. And all the gates and doors are closed until they come in by permission, except for these gates, which are called “the gates of tears.” Those are open and require no permission.

This is so because the first door is as it is written, “Sin crouches at the door,” where the Malchut de Man’ula is found, ten thousand. In that respect, repentance does not help because it is the quality of harsh Din. But the Creator dug another door above it, the MiftachaMalchut that is mitigated in Bina, and from there the repentance helps.

490) When this prayer in tears rises through these gates, that Ophan, who is an angel from Malchut, called Ophan comes. He stands over 600 big animals, and his name is Yerachmiel. He takes the prayer in tears, the prayer enters and is connected above, and the tears remain here. They are written in a door that the Creator dug.

The prayer in tears raises MAN for correction of the Miftacha, to raise Malchut to Bina; hence, the prayer is accepted and the tears remain carved on the door, where they cause the mitigation of Malchut in BinaDema [tearing] comes from the word mixing, for it mixes and mingles Malchut in Bina.

491) There are tears that are always registered on the upper Merkavot and are not erased. Those tears were shed above and below when the Temple was ruined. The Man’ula is mixed in them, and repentance does not help with them, hence they are not erased. Those tears that are shed over the righteous and worthy when they part from the world, those Merkavot take them all and mix them with those tears that were shed over the ruin of the Temple. This is why it is written in the future, “And the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.” The faces are the upper, holy Merkavot. Afterwards, “And He will remove the disgrace of His people,” at the end of correction.

492) There is a spirit called Situtria in this palace. It is an appearance of sapphire that sparkles in all directions. It stands to both sides, illuminating to the right and to the left. It is called Situtria from the word Sitrin, meaning sides [in Aramaic]. The sparkling spreads like the sparkling of a candle, illuminating to four sides.

493) When the upper firmament, the river that stretches out of Eden, Yesod de ZA, elicits souls to bring them to the seventh palace above, Bina of the palaces, the seventh palace receives them. When the holy souls come out of the seventh palace, they descend until they reach the first palace. The holy spirit, Situtria, who is to the right, takes them, as well as all those male souls that are destined to blossom and clothe in male righteous, who are right. That spirit takes them all and they are detained there until they are mingled with female souls.

494) From the spirit, Situtria, a spirit comes out to the left side. It is called Adiria Sanugia. At first, it is seen by itself, then it is concealed and becomes included in the first spirit, and they become one, included in one another. This spirit is poised to receive female souls when the craving of the seventh palace is to cling to the river that stretches out, Yesod de ZA de Atzilut. At that time, that desire that rises from below upward makes souls with its will, and they are females. And since that spirit is in Gevura and left line, it is called Adiria, from the word Adir [mighty/great] and huge.

495) When the desire of the river—Yesod de ZA—descends and clings from above downwards, it makes male souls. The desire above, of Yesod, makes male souls, and of below, of the Malchut in which the seventh palace is included, makes female souls.

496) When the female souls come out of the seventh palace, they come down from there until they reach the spirit of the left, called Adiria. It is called “the sapphire pavement.” The first spirit, Situtria, is called “sapphire,” and the left spirit is called “a sapphire pavement,” as it is written, “And under His feet there appeared to be a sapphire pavement.”

497) When the souls reach the spirit Adiria, the spirit takes them and they stand in it. Afterwards, the spirit of the left mingles with the spirit of the right, and those souls become mingled with male and female together. At that time they fly out of the palace and divide inside people once again, arriving and clothing in each one according to his way: In the male, a male soul is clothed; and in the female, a female soul. Afterwards they hold each other and mate together.

498) When the spirit of the left comes to mingle with the spirit of the right, they beat on each other in order to mingle, and sparks spread out to all directions. Ophanim—which come from the spirit of the left—are made of these sparks, and these are the Ophanim that blaze in fire. They stand in singing.

499) When spirit is perfumed in spirit, the left in the right, and they are mingled together, a light is born and comes out of them. It ascends and descends, and settles over the four rows of Ophanim. It is an animal that governs them, and it is written about it, “The spirit of the animal in the Ophanim.” It is called Bazak, illuminating in a sparkling light in a flame, and ruling over all the Ophanim.

500) One firmament spreads out from Bazak, standing on two pillars. Those two pillars are two cherubim—Matat and Sandalfon—one from this side and one from that side, and a firmament is over their heads, as it is written, “And I looked, and, behold, upon the firmament that was over the head of the cherubim was an appearance similar to a sapphire stone, as an image of a throne was seen upon them.” That Bazak is appointed over the firmament, and the upper spirit, Situtria—included in Adiria—is appointed over all.

501) All the early prayers, before Israel completed all the prayers, are detained in that firmament, and Bazak, who rules the firmament, corrects them. Finally, Sandalfon—the great appointee, the superior spirit who governs everything—comes, and when Israel complete all the prayers, he takes them from that firmament, ascends, and ties them to their Master.

502) That Bazak stands to count all the prayers that rise, and all the words of Torah that are crowned in the night, when the northern spirit awakens and the night divides. Anyone who stands at that time and engages in Torah, all those words rise, and Bazak takes them and places them in the firmament until the day rises.

503) Once the day has risen, the words rise and stay in the place of the firmament, in which stars, signs, sun, and moon hang. It is Yesod de ZA, for the degrees in it are called so. This is called “a book of remembrance,” as it is written, “And a book of remembrance was written before Him.” A book is Malchut; “remembrance” is Yesod. “Before Him,” since “book” and “remembrance” are written in the same connection, meaning in Zivug of the Panim [anterior/face].

504) Four wheels travel on 12 pillars, since there are four wheels to each Ophan, and each wheel has three pillars. Those four wheels are Ahaniel, Kdumiel, Malkiel, YAHDONHY, and Yahadonia. The keys to the holy name are in their hands.

Four wheels are HG TM, which are four angels, Ahaniel, Kdumiel, Malkiel, and Yahadonia. Ahaniel—Ahani El [I will delight God]. Ahani comes from the words benefit and joy, as it is on the side of Hesed, right. Kdumiel—Kedumei El [The first of God], since what precedes Gevura is Hesed, and since he is from the side of Gevura, the inclusion with Hesed is inscribed in his name. The right line controls the Gevura by its precedence, and this is why he is called Kadmiel.

Malkiel—Malkey El [kings of God], is Tifferet, who is called “a king.” Yahadonia is HaVaYaH and Din combined. It is the Malchut, in which there is the Din of ADNI, and he is mitigated by the name HaVaYaHAleph of ADNI is missing in this angel because Aleph indicates the name EKYEH, which illuminates in Malchut de Atzilut.

505) Those four are included in the letters of the name ADNI. Sandalfon, the owner of the Merkavot, uses them. Those four letters fly in the air, included in the letters of the holy name HaVaYaH with the filling of letters AlephYodHeVavHe, and Avir comprises the four letters ADNI. Thus, ADNI are included in HaVaYaH. The four letters HaVaYaH take the four letters ADNI in Bazak.

Bazak is an animal that controls the Ophanim. It extends from the Hitkalelut of Malchut in Yesod. For this reason, the four letters HaVaYaH are extended by it over the four letters ADNI in the Ophanim.

506) The four letters ADNI enter the four letters HaVaYaH, as it is written, “The loops were parallel to one another.” This is the meaning of including and incorporating these with those, in the spirit Bazak, which is included in the holy name from the two of them, for he is an offshoot of the spirit Adiria, ADNI, who is connected to the spirit Situtria, HaVaYaH. Therefore, he includes the name ADNI in the name HaVaYaH.

507) Everything in this palace is conducted and travels in that spirit, in the meaning of the holy name who governs everything. In that palace, the holy name, YAHDONHY, comprises two names—ADNI HaVaYaH—combined in one another, as it is spirit in spirit, since two spirits govern— Situtria, a male, and the spirit Adiria, a female: HaVaYaH from the side of the male spirit, and ADNI from the side of the female spirit.

When the name YAHDONHY, comprising two spirits, spirit in spirit, illuminates in one another, everything illuminates and the light ascends and descends like the light of the sun in water. As the light of the sun spreads in the water through its end, uniting one another as one, the light of the spirit of the name HaVaYaH spreads in its illumination in the spirit of the name ADNI and they unite with one another as one.

508) Then, when this spirit—Situtria that is included in Adiria—journeys, all travel thanks to him. And when that spirit illuminates from the name YAHDONHY, they all connect as one, to rise up in that holy name.

509) In the middle of the palace stands a pillar, pinned from this palace to the other, upper palace. On that pillar, the spirit below rises to the spirit above in the other palace, to unite spirit in spirit. Also, it rises on that pillar through the highest spirit, which is in the seventh palace, since in each palace that pillar stands in its middle, so they all become one spirit, as it is written, “One spirit for all.”

510) That pillar, which stands in the middle, is called Adaraniel. He holds the keys to the holy name. When the prayers ascend and reach that pillar, all who are in that palace travel to the other palace to unite with one another, so that all become one, to unite above and below together, so the holy name will be whole, as it should. Adaraniel means “carrying here,” since Adar means carrying, and Hani is like Hena [over here]. This is because that angel, who is the pillar, carries the lower ones and brings them to the upper palace.

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