Seven firmaments and seven planets

13. Rabbi Yehuda said, The Holy One, blessed be He, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, is called heaven, and since He is called heaven, all the firmaments that are included in this name, when they are joined together, are called heaven and called the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He. What are these firmaments COMPREHENDED IN HEAVEN? HE ANSWERS, There are seven as we learned: Vilon (Eng. 'curtain'), Raki'a (Eng. 'firmament'), Shechakim (Eng. 'skies'), Zvul (Eng. 'dwelling'), Ma'on (Eng. 'temple'), Machon (Eng. 'sanctuary'), and Aravot (Eng. 'heaven'). In the Agadah of Rav Hamnuna Saba we learned it thus IN THESE WORDS. Rabbi Yitzchak said, The B'raitot of Rav Hamnuna Saba are thus, SPEAKING ABOUT LOWER THINGS BUT ALLUDING TO LOFTY ONES, THAT IS, JUST LIKE HERE THE SEVEN FIRMAMENTS ARE DISCUSSED THAT REFER TO ZEIR ANPIN THAT HAS SEVEN SFIROT. There are many B'RAITOT THAT SPEAK in all these manners.

14. As we learned, Rabbi Shimon said, We learned in all these B'raitot that all these seventy Sfirot of the King are compared to seven firmaments and seven planets that run to and fro, and they are called by PHYSICAL names. But though they conceal all the firmaments, THAT IS, THEY ARE CALLED BY NAMES THAT ALLUDE TO THEIR INNER, SECRET ASPECT, as for the seven planets, Shabtai (Saturn), Tzedek (Jupiter), Ma'adim (Mars), Chamah (Sun), Nogah (Venus), Cochav (Mercury), Levanah (Moon) they relate these SEVEN SUPERNAL SFIROT to those NAMES OF THE PLANETS, WISHING to conceal matters, NAMELY, regarding those OF WHOM it is written, "Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save you" (Yeshayah 47:13). They conceal matters UNDER THESE NAMES, even though they are not the ways of the Torah BUT ASTROLOGICAL LANGUAGE. But we follow the ways of the Torah, NAMELY, ALLUDE TO EVERYTHING AND CONCEAL IT WITH WORDS OF TORAH, as it is written, "and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them" (Beresheet 26:18), namely, we follow the words of the Holy One, blessed be He, NAMELY THE LANGUAGE OF THE TORAH, and walk with Him, as it is written, "and walk in His ways" (Devarim 28:9).

15. Rabbi Yosi said, These words, NAMELY, OUTER NAMES MENTIONED ABOVE, are easy to the friends, and the words are understood, though they are concealed BY FOREIGN TERMS. He said to him, And so have we learned like Rabbi Yehuda said that Rabbi Chiya said before us. And so have we learned from these B'raitot, that during Solomon's days the moon stood full, THAT IS, MALCHUT WAS FULL AND FACE TO FACE WITH ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS WHY WISDOM WAS SO PREVALENT THEN. Many people understood the words of these B'raitot.

16. Rabbi Shimon said, I have raised my hands in prayer to the Holy Supernal One that these subjects, THE WISDOM OF KABBALAH, were uncovered by me in that world the way they were covered in my heart. And we do not USE these ways of the B'raitot but apply the ways of the Torah TO INTERPRET THIS DISCIPLINE.

17. We learned that Rabbi Yehuda said, Who is great in wisdom like King David and his son King Solomon in ATTAINING that Sfirah known by these B'raitot, THAT IS THE SFIRAH OF MALCHUT. King David called the moon (WHICH IS MALCHUT) righteousness because it is his, HE BEING A CHARIOT TO MALCHUT, as it is written, "Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will go in to them, and I will praise Yah" (Tehilim 118:19). King Solomon also CALLED IT RIGHTEOUSNESS, and it is called righteousness. The sun that is called in the B'raitot a covenant, NAMELY YESOD, is called justice. And both are the Throne of Glory of the King, ZEIR ANPIN, as it is written, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne" (Tehilim 89:15), because the Righteous and Righteousness, YESOD AND MALCHUT, are also in the same grade, WHICH IS WHY THEY ARE MENTIONED TOGETHER IN THE WORDS, "RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE ARE THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR THRONE." We learned that the seven Sfirot, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT, ARE NINE, THAT IS, TOGETHER WITH CHOCHMAH AND BINAH. And even in these B'raitot, seven firmaments are nine.

18. Rabbi Shimon said, How long will the friends read these things, NAMELY THE B'RAITOT! We follow the Holy One, blessed be He, and we know the subjects OF THE WISDOM OF KABBALAH. We have revealed what was not revealed to ancient sages. From now on, leave all these things and all the B'raitot to those who did not go in and out, NAMELY THOSE WHO ENTERED THE WISDOM BUT DID NOT LEAVE IT BECAUSE THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND IT. Let their children come and inquire about this wisdom, and when they will, the friends will say TO THEM, Woe to the generation from which Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai has departed. Yet come and see, from now on there shall be no generation like this one, and Torah will not be disclosed by the friends.