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the zohar [1:2a] I said, the meaning I aroused. `Silence, two': by holding my silence, two what were created, erected as one.'' worlds Shim'on said, ``From here on, the completion of the verse, as is Rabbi The one who brings forth their array by number (Isaiah 40:26). 67 These written: two rungs, each of which should be inscribed. One is What; the other, are This is above, that is below. The one above is inscribed by the words: Who. one who brings forth their array by number, the one who is known, beyond The 68 Similarly, `The one who brings forth bread from the earth,' 69 the compare. who is known, the lowerrung, 70 and all is one. By number: 600,000, one together, generating forces according to their kind, beyond number. 71 standing calls them each by name, both the 600,000 and theirforces. What does this And by name? If you say they were called individually by nameÐnot so, for mean: OKFN then by the powerof this name, it yielded them perfectly. This is the (Elohim), of calls them each by name: by its very name, it called forth each and meaning kind to exist perfectly. Similarly, See, I have called by name Bezalel every (Exodus 31:2): 72 temple above . . . below The temple 65. is Binah; the one below, Shekhinah. above BT Sanhedrin 99b: ``Rav said, `[Whoeverengages See in Torah forits own sake,] it as if he built the heavenly and earthly is palaces.''' the heavenly and earthly temples, see On Shirata 10; JT Berakhot 4:5, 8c; Mekhilta, Vayaqhel 7; Pequdei 1±3; Shemot Tanḥuma, 33:4; Midrash Tehillim 30:1. Rabbah El'azar's silence stimulated his Rabbi Rabbi Shim'on, to reveal mysteries father, two realms. of a word is worth . . . A proverb cited 66. Rav Dimi in BT Megillah 18a. by completion of the verse... The 67. that Rabbi Shim'on and his son have verse expounding continues: Who brings been their array by number and calls them forth by name: because of His great might each the one who is known, beyond 68. Binah. Rabbi Shim'on interprets compare opening letter F (he) of F KXGP B (ha- the who brings forth, as a definite article motsi), one who'') rather than simply a rela- (``the pronoun (``who''). tive `The one who brings forth bread . . .' 69. traditional blessing over bread, derived The Psalms 104:14. Again, the F (he) is from as a definite article. interpreted the one who is known, the lower 70. Binah, shares Her name (Elohim), and is on known as Earth. also 600,000 . . . beyond number The 71. the six sefirot between numberrepresents and Shekhinah, which generate innumerable Binah offspring. See Zohar 1:21b±22a. El'azarsaid, ``My silence assembled a temple above, a temple below. 65 Rabbi à word is worth one coin; silence, two.' 66 À word is worth one coin': Indeed, then the verse should read each by its name. Rather,aslongasthisrunghad 10 ascended and was still called P K not (Mi), Who, it did not give birth nor bring forth what was hidden, each according to its kind, though all of them were within. Once it created B N F (elleh), these, andattaineditsname, B hidden Ì mentioned My name so that Bezalel would attain perfect rung, and all is one Shekhinah is modeled See, I have called by name Bezalel 72. to the chief artisan of the Taber- Referring nacle in the Sinai Desert. and vast power, not one is missing.
His great might (Isaiah 40:26). 73 existence.' all desires ascend, ascending there [2b] secretly. 74 which mystery of the upper world, 75 Not one is missingÐnot one of those 600,000 generated by the power of said. name. Because not one is missing, wheneverany of the Children of Israel the as punishment fortheirsins, the people were counted, and not even one died the 600,000 was lacking, 76 so that everything accorded with the paradigm: of Hamnuna Sava said, ``We find Rav letters backward: 77 C (Bet) first, the reason is: When the blessed Holy One wished to fashion the world, all ``The letters were hidden away. 78 Fortwo thousand years before creating the the 79 the blessed Holy One contemplated them and played with them. As He world, on creating the world, all the letters presented themselves before Him, verged from last to first. 80 His great might This is the continuation 73. of the verse from Isaiah: Because of great might and vast power, not one is His cited above, note 67. missing.; First of rungs . . . Either Keter, also 74. as Ratson (``Will, Desire''), or Ḥokh- known the first sefirah that can be identified. mah, Zohar 2:231b. See the upper world Binah. 75. Children of Israel...600,000... 76. total numberof male Israelites above The age of twenty who left Egypt was ap- the 600,000. See Exodus 12:37; proximately 11:21. The precise total of the first Numbers taken in the Sinai Desert was 603,550 census 38:26; Numbers 1:46; cf. Numbers (Exodus Leqaḥ Tov, Numbers 1:46). The 26:51; Israelites parallel the 600,000 di- 600,000 forces. vine Mekhilta, Baḥodesh 3: `Ìf even one of See had been missing [at Mount Sinai], them would not have been worthy of receiv- they [the Torah].'' Cf. Mekhilta de-Rasbhi, on ing 19:11; Devarim Rabbah 7:8. Exodus We find the letters backward . . . 77. first two words of the Torah begin with The second letterof the alphabet, C (bet); the the two words of the Torah begin with the next letter, B (alef). first hidden away Before Creation, the 78. were concealed within the divine letters and arranged in reverse order. mind For two thousand years... See 79. Rabbah 8:2: ``Rabbi Shim'on son Bereshit Lakish said, `The Torah preceded the of of the world by two thousand creation years.''' all the letters presented themselves 80. Beita de-Rabbi Aqiva, Version 2 (Battei Alfa 2:396±404); Midrash Aseret ha- Midrashot, (Beit ha-Midrash, 1:62±63); Midrash Dibberot ha-Shirim (ed. L. Greenhut) 5:11; Zohar Shir ZḤ 88c±d (MhN, Rut); TZ, Haqdamah, 1:205b; 16a. The Zohar draws primarily on Haqdamat Sefer ha-Zohar [1:2b] What is this? First of rungs, to And vast powerÐ which attained the name Elohim, as we have just as not one is missing above, so not one is missing below.'' \ (Be-reshit), In the beginning. K[BZC by C (bet): C K[BZ \ (Be- followed In the beginning, followed by C Z B (bara), created. ThenB (alef) first, reshit), by B (alef): B KFN O (Elohim), followed by B \ (et). followed 11 before Him . . . A similarstory appears in Beita de-Rabbi Aqiva. See Michal Oron, Alfa Meḥqerei Yerushalayim be-Maḥashevet Yis- in ra'el 3 (1984): 97±109.
Page 1 and 2: and then there is a rose! Just as a
Page 3 and 4: Shim'on opened, ``The blossoms Rabb
Page 5 and 6: are little children, youngsters, as
Page 7 and 8: is End of Heaven above; What is End
Page 9: (Mah), What, 56 name throughout the
Page 13 and 14: so revealedÐso as not to provide t
Page 15 and 16: M (kaf) descended from the throne o
Page 17 and 18: et). Letters above and letters belo
Page 19 and 20: was not, did not exist. When did th
Page 21 and 22: ``You are not entitled to see him.'
Page 23 and 24: tremble and quake [4b] before Him.
Page 25 and 26: was granted to him. He emerged trem
Page 27 and 28: Torah. Of this is written: I have p
Page 29 and 30: Shim'on said to the Companions, `Ì
Page 31 and 32: in the third to be one without divi
Page 33 and 34: is that? The one included by the bl
Page 35 and 36: awe is the point standing in the ce
Page 37 and 38: Abba and Rabbi El'azar gazed at him
Page 39 and 40: and concealed. 266 In the trunk of
Page 41 and 42: was decreed above by the celestial
Page 43 and 44: He drew near. But the three he did
Page 45 and 46: light created on the first day. 308
Page 47 and 48: eaching the house of Rabbi Yose son
Page 49 and 50: So he was called Habakkuk; it was h

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