Chapter 1 (PDF) - Stanford University Press

the zohar [1:5a]
of the Ancient of Days. Along with them, it ascends and descends,
words
eighteen hidden worlds, which no eye has seen, O God, but You (Isaiah
entering
180 Emerging from there, they roam until they arrive, full and complete,
64:3).
themselves before the Ancient of Days. At that moment, the Ancient
presenting
Days inhales the aroma of that word and it pleases Him more than anything.
of
Lifting that word, He adorns her with 370,000 crowns. 181 The word flies,
and descending, and is transformed into a heaven. So each and every
ascending
of wisdom is transformed into a heaven, existing enduringly in the
word
of the Ancient of Days. He calls them new heavens, newly created
presence
hidden mysteries of supernal wisdom. As for all other innovated
heavens,
words of Torah, 182
are transformed into earths of the living (Psalms 116:9). Then they descend,
and
themselves upon one earth, 183
which is renewed and transformed
crowning
a new earth through that renewed word of Torah. Concerning this is
into
As the new heavens and the new earth that I am making endure before
written:
66:22). The verse does not read Ihavemade, 184 but rather Iam
Me....(Isaiah
forHe makes them continually out of those innovations and mysteries
making,
of fire. In the Zohar this
throneÐflames
designates the primordial sefirah of
name
Keter.
words of the Ancient of Days . . .
179.
BT Pesaḥim 119a, secrets of Torah are
In
to as ``things hidden by the Ancient
referred
Days.'' See the rabbinic blessing in BT
of
17a: ``May yoursteps run to hear
Berakhot
of the Ancient of Days.''
words
BT Bava Batra 91b; Zohar 1:9a; 2:168a;
See
138b (IR), 232b; and 3:20a: ``Rabbi Yose
3:105b,
to Rabbi Ḥiyya, `Let us engage in words
said
See BT Avodah Zarah 3b: ``Rabbi
eighteen.
said to Rabbi Naḥman son of Yitsḥak,
Abba
does [God] do at night?...He
`...What
his light cherub and sails through
rides
worlds.'''
18,000
BT Berakhot 34b: ``Rabbi Ḥiyya son of
See
the prophets prophesied only concerning
`All
days of the Messiah, but as forthe world
the
is coming, No eye has seen, O God, but
that
[what You will do for one who awaits
You,
. . . All the prophets prophesied only
You]
masters of return [those who
concerning
in turning back to God], but as for
succeed
completely righteous, No eye has seen, O
the
but You.'''
God,
370,000 An allusion to the three
181.
sefirot (3 6 100,000) and seven lower
higher
(7 6 10,000). See Zohar 1:4b; 2:14a±b
sefirot
); 3:128b (IR).
(MhN
all other innovated words of Torah
182.
insights.
Nonmystical
earths of the living ...one earth
183.
is the singular``earth of the living,''
Shekhinah
who is adorned and renewed by hu-
insights of Torah, which have been transformeman
into planetoids, miniature earths
the living orbiting Her.
of
The verse does not read I have
184.
Days are words of wisdom, conveying supernal, concealed mysteries. 179
of
that secret word of wisdom, innovated here, ascends, it joins those
When
they stand before [5a] the blessed Holy One, then ascend
26
Torah, in words of the Ancient of Days.'''
of
eighteen hidden worlds . . . Recal-
180.
ling the phrase above,
I
K
KPNT
Q
(ḥei almin),
``vitality of the worlds,'' describing Yesod;
word K the
(ḥei) has a numerical value of
I
In the past tense, referring to the
made
original creation of heaven and earth.
Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan,