Chapter Eight (פֶּרֶק שְׁמִינִי)

We said above (אָמַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה) that each one of these seven Ketarim (שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מֵאֵלּוּ הַז׳ כְּתָרִים), possesses ten within it (יֵשׁ בָּהּ עֶשֶׂר), and they were joined together one upon another (וְנִתְחַבְּרוּ יַחַד זוֹ עַל זוֹ), and they became seventy (וְהָיוּ שִׁבְעִים), through the power of the name from the filling of A"B (בְּכֹחַ שֵׁם שֶׁל מִלּוּי ע״ב הַנִּזְכָּר), and the remaining two within the name A"B (וְהַשְּׁנַיִם הַנּוֹתָרִים בְּשֵׁם ע״ב), allude to (לִרְמוֹז עַל): the gathering of their particulars (קִבּוּץ פְּרָטָן), and their inclusiveness (וּכְלָלִיּוּתָן). And from here derive all the groups of seven (וּמִכָּאן כָּל הַשְּׁבִיעִיּוֹת), such as the seven Heikhalot of Beri’ah, Yetzirah, Asiyah (כְּגוֹן ז׳ הֵיכָלוֹת דִּבְרִיאָה יְצִירָה עֲשִׂיָּה), and likewise in Ze’ir Anpin and below (וְכֵן בִּזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין וּלְמַטָּה), they possess only seven continual ones (אֵין לָהֶם אֶלָּא שֶׁבַע [בְּתָדִירוּת] תְּדִירִים). And the three upper ones (וְשָׁלֹשׁ עֶלְיוֹנוֹת), they possess only the aspect of primordial substance and receptacle (אֵין לָהֶם אֶלָּא כְּמוֹ הִיּוּלִי וּבֵית קִבּוּל), and they are not continual among them (וְאֵינָם תְּדִירִים אֶצְלָם). And below likewise in physical Asiyah (וּלְמַטָּה כְּמוֹ כֵן בַּעֲשִׂיָּה הַגַּשְׁמִיּוֹת): seven firmaments (ז׳ רְקִיעִים), seven planetary stars (ז׳ כּוֹכְבֵי לֶכֶת), seven days of the week (ז׳ יְמֵי הַשָּׁבוּעַ), seven Sabbatical years (ז׳ שְׁנֵי שְׁמִטּוֹת), seven Jubilees of Shemitah (ז׳ שְׁמִטַּת יוֹבֵל), seven lands and climates (ז׳ אֲרָצוֹת אִיקְלִיטִים), and your sign is (וְסִימָנָךְ): “Seven by seven molten castings” (שֶׁבַע בְּשֶׁבַע מוּצָקוֹת), from the expression (לְשׁוֹן): “and he cast them” (וַיּוֹצֶק אוֹתָם) (I Kings 7). And likewise to Chokhmah (וְכֵן לְחָכְמָה), there came unto it the seven Chokhmot (בָּאוּ אֵלֶיהָ הַז׳ חָכְמוֹת), through the power of the aforementioned name M"H (בְּכֹחַ שֵׁם מ״ה הַנִּזְכָּר), which is called Reisha DeEin [the Head of Nothingness] (הַנִּקְרָא רֵישָׁא דְאַיִן), and this is alluded to in the verse in Mishlei (וְזֶה רָמוּז בְּפָסוּק מִשְׁלֵי): “Wisdoms built her house, she hewed her seven pillars” (חָכְמוֹת בָּנְתָה בֵיתָהּ חָצְבָה עַמּוּדֶיהָ שִׁבְעָה) (Proverbs 9). And likewise to Binah (וְכֵן בִּינָה), there came unto it the seven Binot (בָּאוּ אֵלֶיהָ הַז׳ בִּינוֹת), through the power of the name B"N (בְּכֹחַ שֵׁם ב״ן). And now it is fitting that we should know (וְעַתָּה רָאוּי שֶׁנֵּדַע), how the name of A"B was divided within the Partzuf of Keter (אֵיךְ נִתְחַלֵּק שֵׁם שֶׁל ע״ב בְּפַרְצוּף הַכֶּתֶר), which gives to it the form of a Partzuf and Metakla [balance] (שֶׁנּוֹתֵן לוֹ צוּרַת פַּרְצוּף וּמַתְקְלָא), and it is that (וְהוּא כִּי), the first Yod of the name A"B (יו״ד רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁל שֵׁם ע״ב) made the Keter (עָשְׂתָה הַכֶּתֶר), and the Vav of the filling of the Yod (וְהַוָּי״ו שֶׁל מִלּוּי יו״ד) made the Chokhmah (עָשְׂתָה הַחָכְמָה), and the Dalet made the Binah (וְהַדָּלֶ״ת בִּינָה). And the essential first Heh (וְהֵ״א רִאשׁוֹנָה עִקָּרִיּוּת) made the Chesed (עָשְׂתָה הַחֶסֶד), and the Yod of the filling of Heh (וְיו״ד שֶׁל מִלּוּי הֵ״י) made the Gevurah (עָשְׂתָה גְּבוּרָה). To this our teacher and Rabbi intended (לָזֶה כִּוֵּן מוֹרֵינוּ וְרַבֵּינוּ), the Rav Rabbi Avraham son of Rabbi Yitzchak of Rimmon, Spain (הָרַב רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם בַּר רַבִּי יִצְחָק מֵרִמּוֹן סְפָרַד), in his Sefer Berit Menuchah (בְּסֵפֶר בְּרִית מְנוּחָה שֶׁלּוֹ), when he spoke concerning this Yod (שֶׁאָמַר וְדִבֵּר בַּיו״ד הַזֹּאת), for all his words are words of Ruach haKodesh (כִּי כָּל דְּבָרָיו הֵם דִּבְרֵי רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ). And the essential Vav of the name A"B (וְהַוָּי״ו עִקָּרִיּוּת שֶׁל שֵׁם ע״ב) made the Tiferet (עָשְׂתָה ת״ת), and the Yod of the filling of Vav (וְיו״ד שֶׁל מִלּוּי וָי״ו) made the Netzach (עָשְׂתָה נֵצַח), and the final Vav made the Hod (וָי״ו אַחֲרוֹנָה הוֹד), the final Heh made the Yesod (הֵ״י אַחֲרוֹנָה יְסוֹד), and the Yod of the filling of the final Heh made the Malkhut (יו״ד שֶׁל מִלּוּי הֵ״י אַחֲרוֹנָה מַלְכוּת).