63. The first chamber, CALLED THE CHAMBER OF YESOD AND MALCHUT, IS THE FIRST FROM BELOW. REGARDING THIS CHAMBER, it is written: "and there was under His feet a kind of paved work sapphire stone, and as it were the embodiment of the heaven for clearness" (Shemot 24:10). Here is the secret of secrets: in this chamber, there is a spirit called Sapir (sapphire), who shines as does the precious stone called sapphire. It glitters in two directions, NAMELY CHESED AND GVURAH. One light, THE LIGHT OF CHESED, goes up AS RETURNING LIGHT and goes down AS DIRECT LIGHT. This light is white, shining in every direction, upward, downward, and to all four directions of the world, ALL SIX EXTREMITIES OF ZEIR ANPIN. Its light is sometimes suspended, hidden yet revealed - MEANING ITS DIRECTION HAS NOT YET BEEN DECIDED.

64. From the light OF CHESED, four lights branch out to four sides. THE SECOND LIGHT IS THE LIGHT OF GVURAH OF THE SPIRIT SAPIR. THE FIRST LIGHT, CHESED, SHINES IN SIX DIRECTIONS AND THE SECOND, GVURAH, IN FOUR. THIS IS BECAUSE THE TWO LIGHTS ARE THE MALE AND THE FEMALE ASPECTS OF THE SPIRIT SAPIR; THE FIRST LIGHT REPRESENTS CHOCHMAH, BINAH, DA'AT, CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET, WHILE THE SECOND REPRESENTS NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT. All these lights are as one, in the same way that the multiple reflections of a candle in the eyes of onlookers has just one source. The light rays of the candle go up and down, depart and return from the fire of the burning candle. And all are one light. So are the four lights. They glitter like the red color of burnished brass, as it is written: "And they sparkled like the color of burnished brass" (Yechezkel 1:7). All this is to the right, BECAUSE, IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE RED LIGHT OF THE LIGHTS OF SAPIR ILLUMINATES TO THE LEFT SIDE, IT NEVERTHELESS STANDS TO THE RIGHT OF THE CHAMBER.

65. To the left OF THE CHAMBER, there is a spirit named Levanah (Moon), which is included in and mingles with the first spirit, CALLED SAPIR. The light FROM THIS SPIRIT is simultaneously red and white because it originates from these TWO first lights OF THE SPIRIT SAPIR, WHICH ARE ALSO RED AND WHITE - YET HERE THEY ARE ONE. And when the lights OF THE SPIRIT LEVANAH reach the first lights OF SPIRIT SAPIR and intermingle with them and become one, only the first lights become evident. The other lights OF THE SPIRIT CALLED LEVANAH, are not revealed and are indistinguishable when they enter, as it is written: "and it could not be known that they had entered there" (Beresheet 41:21). This is the intermingling of spirit with spirit to be one and of lights with lights to become one. In this CHAMBER, two lower firmaments shine, and they are called the heaven of heavens.

66. From the glittering of those two spirits, the holy Ofanim were created. They are treated the same way as are the living creatures, as it is written: "The appearance of the Ofanim (wheels) and their work" (Yechezkel 1:16). THIS IS AS MENTIONED IN THE QUOTATION, "WHEN THOSE MOVED, THESE MOVED; AND WHEN THOSE STOOD STILL, THESE STOOD STILL; AND WHEN THOSE WERE LIFTED UP FROM THE EARTH, THE OFANIM (WHEELS) WERE LIFTED UP ALONG WITH THEM" (IBID. 20). And OF THE OFANIM (WHEELS) it is written: "As for the likeness of the living creatures and their appearance, it was like burning coals of fire, which flame like torches. It flashed up and down among the living creatures" (Ibid. 13). EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE CALLED LIVING CREATURES, THEY ARE NEVERTHELESS OFANIM THAT ARE CALLED LIVING CREATURES BECAUSE THEY ARE TREATED THE SAME AS LIVING CREATURES. HE ASKS: To whom DOES THE SCRIPTURE REFER TO AS "it" IN THE VERSE, "IT FLASHED UP AND DOWN AMONG THE LIVING CREATURES?" AND HE ANSWERS: THE REFERENCE IS MADE TO the Holy Spirit LEVANAH, which is where they originated. And it shines upon them, as the scriptures continue: "And the fire was bright and out of the fire went forth lightning" (Ibid. 13). THE HOLY SPIRIT LEVANAH IS MALCHUT, CALLED BRIGHTNESS, OF WHICH THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, "AND THE FIRE WAS BRIGHT AND OUT OF THE FIRE WENT FORTH LIGHTNING." IT IS THEREFORE SAID OF ITS THAT SINCE IT FLASHED UP AND DOWN AMONG THE LIVING CREATURES, "THEIR APPEARANCE WAS LIKE BURNING COALS OF FIRE." SHE IS THE ASPECT OF BRIGHTNESS FROM WHICH FIRE AND LIGHTNING ARE DRAWN.

67. And when one spirit is included in the other - THAT IS THE SPIRIT SAPIR IN THE SPIRIT LEVANAH - the light of one living creatures comes out of them and spreads over four Ofanim. The shape of this living creatures is that of a lion, NAMELY OF CHESED, WHICH IS WHITE. This living creature rules over thirteen million other Ofanim. The wings of this living creatures are those of an eagle. THE NUMBER OF OFANIM IS THIRTEEN MILLION because each of the four OFANIM travels on four wheels, each of which has three supports. In all, there are twelve supports for the four wheels ON WHICH EACH OFAN TRAVELS. The spirit SAPIR controls them all because they originate from it. This spirit sustains them all, NAMELY THOSE WHEELS AND SUPPORTS, and through it they receive nourishment. HENCE IT IS COUNTED WITH THEM AS A THIRTEENTH.

68. Those four Ofanim each have four faces, which are turned toward the four sides of the living creatures set over them. And when the four Ofanim travel under that living creatures, they penetrate and cling to one another, ARE INCLUDED EACH WITHIN THE OTHER, AND RECEIVE SUPPORT FROM EACH OTHER. This is alluded to by: "The loops may correspond one to the other" (Shemot 26:5). Each is within the other and each interpenetrates the other. When the wheels travel, a tender sound is heard among all the lower hosts. THAT IS, THEIR PLEASANT SUSTENANCE REACHES ALL THE LOWER HOSTS.

69. Below this chamber, the hosts spread out to radiate in many directions in the lower firmaments, THROUGH WHICH MATTERS CONCERNING THE LEADING OF THE LOWER WORLD CHANGE. This continues until a planet called Shabtai (Saturn) is reached IN THE SECOND FIRMAMENT OF THE WORLD OF ASIYAH. ALL SEVEN PLANETS ARE LOCATED IN THE WORLD OF ASIYAH, AND THEY ARE CALLED SHABTAI (SATURN), TZEDEK (JUPITER), MA'ADIM (MARS), NOGAH (VENUS), COCHAV (MERCURY), AND LEVANAH (MOON). THROUGH THESE PLANETS, EVERY CHANGE COMES TO THE WORLD. THE FIRST PLANET, SHABTAI, FEEDS FROM THE LOWEST OF THE SEVEN CHAMBERS OF THE WORLD OF BRIYAH, AND THE REST OF THE PLANETS FEED FROM THE OTHER CHAMBERS. All THE LOWER WORLDS look toward this chamber FOR THEIR SUSTENANCE. From this chamber all those present are fed. They anticipate RECEIVING SUSTENANCE AND STRENGTH FROM THE SPIRIT OF SAPIR, as it is written: "Wherever the spirit was minded to go, they went; they turned not when they went" (Yechezkel 1:12). This chamber is called Livnat Hasapir BECAUSE OF THE TWO SPIRITS CONTAINED THEREIN, SAPIR AND LEVANAH.

70. The spirit SAPIR includes the spirit LEVANAH within it and has light that goes up and comes down. Its light never stops shining, as the light of the sun within the water. And nothing other than the desire of a righteous man through his prayer that goes into that chamber can conceive THAT SPIRIT. That prayer elevates so as to connect perfectly - THAT IS, MAKE UNIFICATIONS under the influence of this spirit - as is appropriate. Then THE SPIRIT is enveloped with light and is happy with THE PRAYER, and goes up with it to the second chamber to connect with its unity. This spirit, WHICH INCLUDES WITHIN IT THE SPIRIT LEVANAH, can now mix with a higher spirit IN THE SECOND CHAMBER.

71. This HIGHER spirit, WHICH NOW INCLUDES THE SECOND SPIRIT THAT WENT UP TO THE SECOND CHAMBER AS IT TRAVELED UPWARD, ALSO includes within it all the living creatures, Ofanim, and wheels. They grasp onto it, as does water to fire and fire to water AND AS THE FOUR WINDS GRASP ONTO EACH OTHER, south onto north, north onto south, east onto west, and west onto east. They all link with each other and hold onto each other - LIVING CREATURES, OFANIM, AND TWO SPIRITS - WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE SECOND CHAMBER. This spirit goes up to connect WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE SECOND CHAMBER, and the living creatures, INCLUDED IN THE SPIRIT also looks up toward the second chamber TO RECEIVE ITS SUSTENANCE. They look toward each other AND THE SECOND CHAMBER, AND ALL THEREIN LOOK TOWARD THOSE OF THE LOWER CHAMBER, THAT HAVE COME UP TO IT, SO IT MAY BE COMPLETED BY THEM.

72. In the center of this chamber stands a pillar that reaches the middle of a higher chamber. It pierces THE ROOFS OF ALL THE SEVEN CHAMBERS AND STANDS ERECT WITHIN THEM from bottom to top. This enables the spirits to bond to each other and to elevate FROM ALL THESE CHAMBERS, SO THAT THEY NOW UNITE and become one spirit, as it is written: "They all have one spirit" (Kohelet 3:19).