The chambers of holiness

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon describes for us the chambers where praises to God are arranged, one of them is for words, and the is other according to the wordless desire and intention of the heart. The chambers are arranged for one purpose, and that is to unite above and below. He tells us that when Moses prayed for Yisrael he made his prayer long, for it is a prayer that ascends to Zeir Anpin, but when he prayed for his sister he made his prayer short, for it remains below. He said: "Heal her now, O El, I pray you," and did not need to pray further because he was the master of this level. Rabbi Shimon tells us that all the arrangements for the chambers were made to allow the Shechinah to live in the world.

He then discusses Adam, and the delight that he had in living in the Garden of Eden where there were seven canopies for his pleasure. He speaks of the supernal beauty that Adam could see and that refers to the seven firmaments above and below. Rabbi Shimon says to Adam that he was given both the seven supernal holy canopies that are the secret of Chassadim and the seven lower firmaments of Malchut, and that God gave him everything for his completion. He had all these things until he was driven out of the garden by being drawn to unholy desires called 'poison of asps'. After this Abraham came and repaired the world by rejoining the firmaments above and the firmaments below. We are told that the lower firmaments of Malchut are chambers for the upper firmaments of Zeir Anpin.

Chambers Heart Holiness (Kedushah) Infinity Kedushah (Holiness)

471. אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הָא תָּנֵינָן בְּאִינּוּן הֵיכָלִין, דְּאִינּוּן קַיְימִין, לְסַדְּרָא סִדּוּרָא דִּשְׁבָחָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בֵּין סִדּוּרָא דְּקַיְּימָא בְּמִלָּה בֵּין סִדּוּרָא דְּקַיְּימָא בִּרְעוּתָא. בְּגִין דְּאִית סִדּוּרָא דְּקַיְּימָא בְּמִלָּה, וְאִית סִדּוּרָא דְּקַיְּימָא בִּרְעוּתָא וְכַוָּונָה דְּלִבָּא, לְמִנְדַּע וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, בְּגִין לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא עַד אֵין סוֹף, דְּתַמָּן תְּקִיעוּ דְּכָל רְעוּתִין וּמַחֲשָׁבִין, וְלָא קַיְימִין בְּמִלָּה כְּלַל, אֶלָּא כְּמָה דְּאִיהוּ סָתִים, הָכִי כָּל מִלּוֹי בִּסְתִימוּ.

Chambers

Chambers Chariot Moses Prayer Shechinah

473. But Come and see: When Moses arranged his prayer for the sake of Yisrael, he made this prayer long, for it is a prayer abiding above, IN ZEIR ANPIN, and when he composed a short prayer, IN PRAYING for his sister, he did not lengthen it, because it abides below, IN MALCHUT, as it is written, "Heal her now, O El, I pray You" (Bemidbar 12:13). He did not pray further, since he is the master of the house, WHICH IS MALCHUT CALLED 'HOUSE', AND MOSES WAS A CHARIOT OF ZEIR ANPIN, HER MASTER. He therefore commanded the house properly, and did not prolong his prayer. All the arrangements CONCERNING THE CHAMBERS were made to allow the Shechinah to dwell in the world, as we already expounded upon in relation to the said chambers.

473. אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, מֹשֶׁה כַּד סִדֵּר צְלוֹתֵיהּ בְּגִינֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, אָרִיךְ בְּהַאי צְלוֹתָא, בְּגִין דְּאִיהִי צְלוֹתָא דְּקַיְּימָא לְעֵילָּא. וְכַד סִדֵּר צְלוֹתֵיהּ בִּקְצִירוּ דְּאַחְתֵּיהּ, לָא אָרִיךְ בָּהּ, בְּגִין דְּקַיְּימָא לְתַתָּא. דִּכְתִּיב, אֵל נָא רְפָא נָא לָהּ, וְלָא אָרִיךְ יַתִּיר, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ מָארֵי דְּבֵיתָא, וּפָקִיד בֵּיתֵיהּ כַּדְקָא חֲזֵי, ובג"כ לָא אָרִיךְ יַתִּיר בְּבָעוּתֵיהּ. וְכֻלְּהוּ סִדּוּרִין, לְאַשְׁרָאָה שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּעָלְמָא, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא בְּכָל אִינּוּן הֵיכָלִין דְּקָאָמַרָן.

Adam Eden Firmaments Seven Temple, The

474. Rabbi Shimon stood up and said: Happy is your portion, Adam, chosen of all the creatures in the world, for the Holy One, blessed be He raised you above all, put you in the Garden of Eden, and prepared seven canopies for your pleasure, to delight in the supernal beauty, as it is said: "to behold the beauty of Hashem, and to inquire in His Temple" (Tehilim 27:4). "To behold the beauty of Hashem" above IN ZEIR ANPIN, "and to inquire in His Temple" below IN MALCHUT. HE FURTHER EXPLAINS: "To behold the beauty of Hashem" refers to the seven firmaments above OF ZEIR ANPIN, and "to inquire in His Temple" refers to the seven firmaments below, IN MALCHUT. The ones correspond to the others.

474. ר"ש קָם וְאָמַר, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָא דִּילָךְ אָדָם קַדְמָאָה, בְּרִירָא דְּכָל נִבְרָאִין, דְּקַיְימִין בְּעָלְמָא, דְּרַבֵּי לָךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל כֹּלָּא, וְאָעִיל לָךְ בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, וְאַתְקִין לָךְ ז' חוּפּוֹת בֵּיהּ, לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא בְּעִנּוּגָא דְּנֹעַם עִלָּאָה, כד"א לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם יְיָ' וּלְבַקֵּר בְּהֵיכָלוֹ. לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם יְיָ' לְעֵילָּא. וּלְבַקֵּר בְּהֵיכָלוֹ לְתַתָּא. לַחֲזוֹת בְּנוֹעַם יְיָ', בְּאִינּוּן שִׁבְעָה רְקִיעִין לְעֵילָּא, וּלְבַקֵּר בְּהֵיכָלוֹ בְּאִינּוּן שִׁבְעָה רְקִיעִין דִּלְתַתָּא, וְאִלֵּין קַיְימִין אִלֵּין לָקֳבֵל אִלֵּין.

Chassadim Eden Firmaments Seven Zeir Anpin

475. You stood within all THE SEVEN FIRMAMENTS OF ZEIR ANPIN AND THE SEVEN OF MALCHUT, in the Garden of Eden. The seven supernal holy canopies, NAMELY, THE SEVEN FIRMAMENTS OF ZEIR ANPIN stood above you for your adornment, FOR THEY ARE THE SECRET OF CHASSADIM. You stood within the lower seven FIRMAMENTS, OF MALCHUT, to take pleasure in, FOR THEY ARE THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH CALLED 'PLEASURE'. And your Master gave you all for your perfection, NAMELY, BOTH BY CHASSADIM AND BY CHOCHMAH.

475. וּבְכֻלְּהוּ קָמְת בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן. אִינּוּן שִׁבְעָה חוּפּוֹת עִלָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין, קַיְימוּ עֲלָךְ לְעֵילָּא, לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּהוּ. וְאִינּוּן ז' תַּתָּאִין, קָמְת בְּהוּ לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא בְּהוּ, וּבְכֻלְּהוּ אַשְׁלִים לָךְ מָארָךְ, לְמֶהֱוֵי שְׁלִים בְּכֹלָּא.

Abraham Body Death Death and the Afterlife Eden Evil Faith Firmaments Job Serpent

476. Until your legs were tempted to follow the counsel of the evil serpent, and you were driven out of the Garden of Eden, thus bringing death to you and to the whole world, by leaving all the delicacies of above and below. You were drawn to unholy desires called, "poison of asps" (Iyov 20:16), to which the body was drawn and not the spirit, as it is said, "and cruel venom of asps" (Devarim 32:33), THAT IS CRUEL TO THE SPIRIT, AND ALSO "their clusters are bitter" (Ibid. 32). Then came Abraham the pious, and started to amend the world, and entered the holy Faith, fixing above and below, in the firmaments above, and in the firmaments below.

476. עַד דְּאִתְדְּחוּ רַגְלָךְ, בָּתַר עֵיטָא דְּהַהוּא חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא, וְאִתְתַּרָכְת מִגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, וְגַרָמְת מוֹתָא לָךְ, וּלְכָל עָלְמָא, בְּגִין דְּשַׁבָקְת אִלֵּין עִדּוּנִין דִּלְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, וְאִתְמַשָּׁכְת בָּתַר אִינּוּן כִּסוּפִין מִסְאָבִין, דְּאִקְרוּן רֹאשׁ פְּתָנִים, דְּגוּפָא מָשִׁיךְ בְּהוּ, וְלָא רוּחָא. כד"א, וְרֹאשׁ פְּתָנִים אַכְזָר. וּכְתִיב עֲנָבֵימוֹ עִנְּבֵי רֹאשׁ. עַד דְּאָתָא אַבְרָהָם חֲסִידָא, וְשָׁארִי לְאַתְקְנָא עָלְמָא, וְעָאל גּוֹ מְהֵימְנוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְאַתְקִן לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, בְּאִינּוּן רְקִיעִין עִלָּאִין, וּבְאִינּוּן רְקִיעִין תַּתָּאִין.

Chambers Firmaments Zeir Anpin

477. אִינּוּן תַּתָּאִין, הֵיכָלִין לְאִינּוּן רְקִיעִין עִלָּאִין, לְאִתְאַחֲדָא דָּא בְּדָא, וּלְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא דָּא בְּדָא, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא בְּאִינּוּן הֵיכָלִין דְּקָאָמַרָן. ואע"ג דְּאוֹקִימְנָא הָתָם גּוֹ כְּלָלָא, הָכָא אִית לָן לְפַרְטָא מִלִּין, וּלְאַתְקְנָא לְיִחוּדָא כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִטְעוּן חַבְרַיָּיא, וְיֵהָכוּן בְּאֹרַח מֵישָׁר, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב כִּי יְשָׁרִים דַּרְכֵי יְיָ' וְצַדִּיקִים וְגוֹ'.