 |
The Arizal on the Torah
The large-size colored text is the direct translation of the Ari teachings.
|
| Arizal Archives |
Parashat Mishpatim The portion of the Torah read this week begins with the law of the Jewish bondsman: “If you buy a Jewish bondsman, he will work [only] six years; in the seventh he will go free….”[1] Why did G-d decree that the Jewish bondsman should work no more and no less than six years? And why may the Jewish bondsman marry a Canaanite slave-girl? This is a heinous sin, [as it is written,] “he consorted with the daughter of an alien god.”[2] Furthermore, why is the law of the Jewish bondsman different from that of the Jewish handmaiden? For our sages said[3] that “a Jewish bondsman serves the [master’s] son but not his daughter, [while a Jewish handmaiden serves neither the master’s son nor his daughter].” A Canaanite slave, we find, serves everyone [in the master’s household], as it is written, “And you shall pass them on to your children after you.”[4] The Canaanite slave is only obligated to perform those mitzvot that [Jewish] women are obligated in. I.e., all passive (i.e., “negative”) commandments and those active commandments not required to be done at specific times. Although the Canaanite slave is a non-Jew, his acquisition by a Jew is a semi-conversion of sorts, and he becomes thereby obligated in the performance of mitzvot to a certain degree. The mystical explanation of all this is as follows. Every person possesses [at least] a soul [nefesh] from the world of Asiyah. Even if this soul is derived from a higher level of the world of Asiyah, it is still no more than a nefesh. This soul is called “the nefesh of Atzilut,” or “the Canaanite slave-girl.” The five levels of the soul, in ascending order, are nefesh (active soul), ruach (emotional “wind” or “spirit”), neshamah (“breath” of life), chayah (“living being”), and yechidah (“unique one”). In general, these five levels are associated with the five worlds of Asiyah, Yetzirah, Beriah, Atzilut, and the keter of Atzilut, respectively. In particular, however, each of the five levels exists in each of these worlds. Thus, one can possess, in addition to the basic level of nefesh of Asiyah, a ruach of Asiyah, etc. But since these are all aspects of Asiyah, they are all considered, generally, on the level of nefesh. These “souls” or “levels of soul” are levels of consciousness of G-d and the relationship with G-d that results from this consciousness. The world of Asiyah (“action”) is the world where action is paramount; everything is evaluated and conceived of in terms of action. A person whose G-d-consciousness (“soul”) is on this level relates to G-d in a very behaviorally-oriented, perhaps even just perfunctory way. He has a nefesh, he is alive, but not much more than that. He is not emotionally and certainly not intellectually involved in his service of G-d. He serves G-d like a Canaanite slave-girl, perhaps not altogether against his will, but if it were up to him he’d rather be doing something else. Now, there are three spellings-out of the Name Ekyeh, whose numerical values are 130, 140, and 122. The sum of these three is the same as the numerical value of the word for “slave-girl” [shifchah] with the kolel. The Name Ekyeh is spelled alef-yud-hei-yud. The two hei’s of this Name can be spelled-out either with yud’s, hei’s, or alef’s. Thus, if we consider only the numerical values of the letters used to spell-out the Name (ignoring those of the letters of the Name themselves), we have three possible sums:
The sum of these three is 140 + 130 + 122 = 392. Shifchah = shin-pei-chet-hei = 300 + 80 + 8 + 5 = 393. The Name Ekyeh means “I will be,” an assertion of selfhood, and is usually associated with binah, the sefirah of the intellect that must assume its own selfhood in order to fulfill its function of processing the insight of chochmah. But since malchut, in order to fulfill its function of transmitting the reduced consciousness of its home-world to the world below it, must also evince a certain selfhood, the Name Ekyeh is sometimes associated with it as well. [These] three Names Ekyeh are present in malchut [of Atzilut]. Malchut [of Atzilut] “nests” in Asiyah, and therefore its three spellings-out descend into Asiyah. It is said in the Zohar that each of the four principle partzufim of Atzilut “nests” in one of the four worlds. Abba (chochmah) nests in Atzilut itself; Ima (binah) nests in Beriah; Z’eir Anpin (the midot) nests in Yetzirah; and Nukva (malchut) nests in Asiyah. By “nests” is meant that the partzuf in question becomes the dominant consciousness of the world in which it nests. Thus, the dominant consciousness of the world of Asiyah is that of the sefirah of malchut, which, as we know, is principally that of actualizing the residual consciousness of the preceding levels. Like malchut, Asiyah is the realm in which actualization and action are paramount. The spelling-out of any Name of G-d expresses how that Name is manifest. Since malchut of Atzilut is manfiest chiefly in the world of Asiyah, its three spellings-out descend into this world. This explains why in the above calculation we considered only the letters used to spell out the Name and did not consider the letters of the Name themselves. Ruach is associated with the world of Yetzirah, no matter what level thereof. [A ruach of] Yetzirah is called a [Jewish] bondsman. One who attains the Divine consciousness (“soul”) of ruach lives in the experience of the world of Yetzirah, i.e., in an emotional relationship with G-d. His service is no longer that of the Canaanite, but of the Jewish bondsman, who although a servant, is at least emotionally tied to and involved with his master (since they are both Jews). This type of Jew serves G-d out of genuine concern, love, and awe of Him. The mystical allusion to this is that the word for “bondsman” [eved] may be read ayin-beit [= 72] dalet [= 4]. To explain: The Name Havayah alludes to Z’eir Anpin; Z’eir Anpin “nests” in Yetzirah. Therefore the posterior of the Name Havayah, whose numerical value is 72, descends into this world. The 4 represents the four letters of the Name itself. All of G-d’s Names are associated with specific sefirot. The Name Havayah is associate with tiferet, the “heart,” the central sefirah of Z’eir Anpin. As we have explained previously, the “posterior” of any Name is formed by considering its first letter, then its first two, then its first three, etc., until all the letters have been considered. These iterations are then summed. Similar to the “spelling-out,” the posterior iteration of a Name indicates how that Name descends to be enclothed in the level below it. The posterior of the Name Havayah is derived as follows:
Neshamah is associated with the world of Beriah. [Such a soul] is called a [Jewish] maidservant. Beriah is the world of the intellect, since Ima (binah) “nests” in it. Someone who has risen to this level serves G-d with the full commitment of his intellect. The mystical allusion to this is as follows: The numerical value of the first two letters of the word for “maidservant” [amah, alef-mem, 41] is the number of letters required to iterate the Name Ekyeh, its spelling-out, its second spelling-out:
This is the Name Ekyeh in Ima, which “nests” in [Beriah, the world of] the Throne. The hei [i.e., the third letter of the word amah] signifies the hei of Ima itself. This Name Ekyeh is that associated with Ima, as opposed to the one associated with malchut, discussed above. The world of Beriah is the location of the “heavenly throne of glory,” as explained in the Zohar. In the correspondence between the four letters of the Name Havayah and the four principle partzufim of Atzilut, Ima is associated with the first hei. Besides these levels of soul, one may attain [a soul] from the world of Atzilut [itself, and not just from a manifestation of Atzilut in the lower three worlds]. [He may attain] a nefesh from malchut [of Atzilut], a ruach from tiferet [of Atzilut], a neshamah from binah [of Atzilut], or a chayah from chochmah [of Atzilut]. [We see that chayah is related to chochmah, for] about it it is written, “and wisdom enlivens those who possess it.”[5] This was the level of the soul of Moses. The process of ascending the ladder of Divine consciousness and service leads through the four worlds of Asiyah (behaviorism, action), Yetzirah (emotional involvement), Beriah (intellectual involvement), and Atzilut (subsumission of the self into the reality of G-d). Once in the world of Atzilut, the soul is no longer termed a “servant” of G-d but has so merged with Divinity that it is termed a “son” of G-d.[6] This is the level of Divine consciousness that defines a tzadik. Within this level of Divine consciousness, there are again levels of ascent, as one identifies with G-d as Ruler of the universe (malchut, nefesh), G-d’s emotional attributes (midot, ruach), G-d’s intellect (binah, neshamah), or G‑d’s super-intellect, His original insight that gave rise to creation (chochmah, chayah). This is the source of the Torah, and the level of Divine consciousness attained the Moses, who served as the conduit or channel through which the Torah was given. [Higher yet, one may attain] a yechidah from Arich [Anpin of Atzilut]. This is the soul-level of Mashiach, of whom it is written, “He will ascend and be exalted and uplifted exceedingly.”[7] Our sages said this verse means that “he will ascend—higher than Abraham, be exalted—higher than Isaac, be uplifted—higher than Jacob, exceedingly—higher than Moses.”[8] Mashiach’s soul is the collective yechidah of the Jewish people, their total identification with their Divine dimension. This consciousness transcends the limitations of the Torah as it was revealed through Moses, and is that of the Torah’s inner dimension. Returning to the previous discussion, This is why the Jewish maidservant, the neshamah that descends from the Throne of Glory, serves neither the [master’s] son nor his daughter. She is subservient neither to Z’eir Anpin nor to Nukva, they being the “son” and “daughter,” but only to Abba [their “father”]. She therefore only serves the master. The ruach, however, being from Z’eir Anpin, which was blemished and descended as the Jewish bondsman, does serve [his master’s] son, for he is subservient to Z’eir Anpin [the “son”]. Still, he does not serve [his master’s] daughter, for he is not subservient to malchut. The Canaanite slave, which is a soul that left the realm of holiness and was blemished and then ascended back to enter the world of Asiyah, serves all [members of the master’s household], for it is at the level of malchut, which is subservient to all [the levels above it]. The Canaanite slave is a mentality that has opted out of Divine consciousness altogether in favor of worldy, mundane consciousness. When it first repents and submits once again to the order of holiness, it must begin at the bottom, first assuming the role of the simple slave. This is why [the slave] is only obligated to perform those mitzvot that women are obligated in—he/she has so far progressed only so far as the level of malchut, the feminine principle. Of course, the orientation of the Canaanite slave and the Jewish woman are the exact opposite. The woman is exempt from many mitzvot because she is “busy” manifesting feminine consciousness, which, as we have explained previously, is the drive to actualize Divinity in the concrete reality of this world. The Canaanite slave is moving in the opposite direction; he is ascending out of his former absolute identification with the concrete reality of this world into the more abstract world of holiness. Thus, for different reasons, they both are obligated only minimally in mitzvot. As to why the master is allowed to give [the Jewish bondsman] a Canaanite slave-girl, this is because yesod copulates on three levels. The first is above, in the world of Atzilut, as it is written, “These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph.” “Jacob” is an appellation of tiferet of Atzilut; “Joseph” of yesod of Atzilut. This verse thus describes the coupling of yesod at the level of Atzilut. The second is [alluded to in the continuation of the above citation]: “and he was a youth,” referring to when [yesod of Atzilut] becomes vested in the “youth,” i.e., the world of Yetzirah, and copulates with its feminine counterpart [i.e., malchut] of Yetzirah, or when it descends and copulates at the level of Asiyah, at which the forces of evil are able to exist. Yetzirah is emotion-consciousness, i.e., that of an immature youth. Since in Asiyah the dominant consciousness is that of behavior and action devoid of inspiration, evil can gain a foothold. Since the Jewish bondsman was blemished and descended into Yetzirah, then, just as [yesod at the level of] Yetzirah [sometimes] copulates below, at the level of Asiyah, so may his master give him a Canaanite slave-girl. The Jewish bondsman having intercourse with the Canaanite slave-girl is thus enacting how yesod of Yetzirah sometimes descends to copulate at the level of Asiyah. From all the above it becomes clear that the different types of servants and bondsmen the Torah describes are different states of Divine consciousness. The Jew’s soul’s natural home is in the world of Atzilut, completely submerged in Divinity. The fact that he is not consciously at this level is due either to the simple circumstance of his soul being born into a physical body or because of some failing in a previous lifetime that he has now to overcome. Life, in this context, is thus a progression through the varied states of Divine consciousness embodied in these levels of servants and bondsmen, and finally through the various levels of Atzilut itself, until the individual is able to reveal, on his level, his own “spark of Mashiach” every Jew possesses.
—translated from Sefer HaLikutim by Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky Disclaimer: the above translation, as
the previous installments in this series, has not yet been checked over for
accuracy by any authority on the teachings of Kabbalah. Therefore, although I
have rendered and explained the Arizal’s teachings as best I can based on my
knowledge and research, there may be passages that I misunderstood and rendered
incorrectly. Before publishing these translations in book form they will,
please G-d, be examined for accuracy by a competent authority, and any
necessary changes will be made then. (Click on the footnote number to return to the text.) [1] Exodus 32:2. [2] Malachi 2:11. The full text of this passage is: “Have we not all one Father? Did not one G-d create us? Why do we break faith with one another, profaning the covenant of our ancestors? Judah has broken faith; abhorrent things have been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned what is holy to G-d—what He desires—and espoused daughters of alien gods.” [3] Kidushin 17b. [4] Leviticus 25:46. [5] Ecclesiastes 7:12. [6] See Torah Or, beginning of p. Mishpatim. [7] Isaiah 52:13. [8] Midrash Tanchuma, Toldot 14. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
Ascent of Safed
|
|