Chapter 1 (PDF) - Stanford University Press

(Mah), What, 56
name throughout the earth! Your splendor is celebrated above heaven. (Psalms
Your
1). Above heaven, 57 to attain the name. Forit created a light forits light, one
8:4,
and Motherlends DaughterHergarments, though not adorning Her
below
Heradornments. 59
When does She adorn Her fittingly? When all males
with
before Her, as is written: [All your males shall appear] before the
appear
YHVH (Exodus 23:17). 60
This one is called Sover eign, as is said:
Sovereign,
Behold, the ark of the covenant, Sovereign of all the earth (Joshua 3:11). 61
letter F (he) departsandK (yod) enters, and She adorns Herself in masculine
the
in the presence of every male in Israel. 62
Otherletters Israel draws
clothing
I mentioned them, in my yearning I poured out my tears, drawing forth
mouth
letters. Then I conduct them from above to the house of Elohim, to be
these
Above heaven . . . Heaven refers to
57.
above which lies Binah.
Tif'eret,
light forits light,'' Binah attained the
``a
Elohim.
name
not emerge until Binah emanates the
does
lower sefirot. Only then can Binah, the
seven
Mother, lend Her garments, the lower
Divine
sefirot, to Herdaughter, Shekhinah.
All your males . . . All Israelite males
60.
commanded to appear in God's Temple
are
Jerusalem three times a year on the pilgrimage
in
festivals: Pesaḥ (``Passover''), Sha-
(Festival of ``Weeks''), and Sukkot (Festivavu'ot
of ``Booths''). Here the command
that the masculine powerof the sefirot
implies
must be drawn down to Shekhinah, the
Through the ritual of pilgrimage,
Sovereign.
is adorned.
Shekhinah
Behold, the ark... Shekhinah is the
61.
housing the sefirah of Yesod, the covenant.
ark
Zohar 1:33b, 59b, 228b; Moses de LeoÂn,
See
ha-Qodesh, 75 (95).
Sheqel
letter F (he)... The letter F (he)
62.
the feminine; the letter K (yod), the
signifies
continues: and pour out my soul: how I
verse
with the crowd, conducting them to the
walked
of Elohim with joyous shouts of praise,
house
festive throng. With the arrival of these
the
the verse describes both the earthly
Here
to the Temple and the divine
pilgrimage
of emanation to Shekhinah. The
procession
meanings are linked since the human
two
below stimulates the sefirot above.
ritual
to be Elohim, like Him So Shekhinah
64.
be Elohim, like Binah. On the masculine
will
of Binah, see Zohar 1:5b, 17b, 96a;
nature
Haqdamat Sefer ha-Zohar
[1:2a]
Rabbi Shim'on said, ``So the heavens and their array were created by
F
P
as is written: When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your
the moon and stars that You set in place, . . . P F (mah), how, majestic is
fingers,
in the other, and it attained a high name. So, In the beginning B OKFN
enclothed
created (Genesis 1:1), B KFN O (Elohim) above. 58 For P F (Mah) wasnotso,
(Elohim)
not composed until these lettersÐ B N F (elleh)Ðare drawn from above to
is
Then
9
above to this site: B N F (Elleh), These, I remember (Psalms 42:5). 63 `With my
from
Elohim, like Him.' 64 With what? With joyous shouts of praise, the festive throng.''
P F (Mah), What Shekhinah.
56.
In the beginning B KFN O
58.
(Elohim)
created . . .
By emanating the lower sefirot,
When the masculine powers of
masculine.
sefirot reach Shekhinah, She is transfor-
the
from feminine to masculine, from P F
med
to P K (Mi). Then She rules the world.
(Mah)
P F (Mah) was not so . . . Shekhinah
59.
B N 63.
F (Elleh), These I remember The
letters, Shekhinah also attains the name of
O (Elohim): P K (mi) plus B N F (elleh).
KFNB
2:127b; ZḤ 72b (ShS).