"Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yehuda says that when God created the world He threw a precious stone down from underneath the throne of glory. It fell into the abyss and one end of it stuck out, this is now the foundation of the world. From this point are three circles of expansion. The first is clear and pure, and corresponds to the Temple and Jerusalem. The second is delicate and clear, though not so pure as the innermost circle, and corresponds to all of Yisrael. The third is all the rest of the world. The ocean surrounds them all. This schema is also the secret of all the colors in the eye that surround the middle point that gives the power of vision to the whole eye. This is like the Holy of Holies, the Ark and the Seat of Mercy, this point is the means of sight for the whole world. The people who merit forgiveness and mercy go into the Temple until they reach the middle point that is "Beautiful of situation, the joy of the whole earth, Mount Zion..."

Abyss Creation Directions Earth Head North Point Stone Throne Universe Zion

38. He opened the discussion and said: "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth; Mount Zion, the sides of the north, the city of the great king" (Tehilim 48:3). Come and see: When the Holy One, blessed be He created the world, He threw one precious stone from beneath the throne of glory. It fell down to the abyss, where one edge was stuck, and the other edge of the stone was up. This other head which stood upward is the one point standing in the middle of the universe, whence it spreads right and left and in all directions. And THE WORLD exists by that middle point, called 'foundation' (Heb. shtiyah), as from it the world spreads in all directions. We have to explain further, that 'Shtiyah' consists of 'shat Yah (Eng. 'Yah has put')', and that the Holy One, blessed be He put (Heb. shat) it to be the foundation of the universe and the plant of everything.

38. פָּתַח וְאָמַר, יְפֵה נוֹף מְשׂוֹשׂ כָּל הָאָרֶץ הַר צִיּוֹן יַרְכְּתֵי צָפוֹן קִרְיַת מֶלֶךְ רָב. תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא, אַשְׁדֵּי חַד אַבְנָא יַקִּירָא מִתְּחוֹת כֻּרְסֵי יְקָרֵיהּ, וְשָׁקַע עַד תְּהוֹמָא, וְרֵישָׁא חֲדָא דְּהַהוּא אַבְנָא נָעִיץ גּוֹ תְּהוֹמֵי, וְרֵישָׁא אַחֲרָא לְעֵילָּא, וְהַהוּא רֵישָׁא אַחֲרָא עִלָּאָה, אִיהוּ חַד נְקוּדָה דְּקַיְּימָא בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּעָלְמָא, וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְפָּשַׁט עָלְמָא לִימִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא וּלְכָל סִטְרִין, וְאִתְקָיָּים בְּהַהִיא נְקוּדָה אֶמְצָעִיתָא, וְהַהִיא אַבְנָא אִתְקְרֵי שְׁתִיָּה, דְּמִנָהּ אִשְׁתִּיל עָלְמָא לְכָל סִטְרִין. תּוּ שְׁתִיָּ"ה, שָׁת יָ"הּ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׁוֵּי לָהּ לְמֶהֱוֵי יְסוֹדָא דְּעָלְמָא וּשְׁתִילוּ דְּכֹלָּא.

Earth Point Waters

39. The earth was spread in three ways around the point, WHICH IS MALCHUT, FOUND IN THE INNERMOST PART OF THIS WORLD. In the first expansion around the point there is all the clarity and purity on earth; it is above the earth around that point. The second expansion is around the first one, it is not as clear and pure, but is delicate and clear REGARDING the transparency of the dust, more than any other dust. The third expansion is dark and its dust is thicker than the rest, around which are the waters of the ocean that surrounds the world. It is found that this point stands in the center, and all manners of world expansion encircle it.

39. בִּתְלַת גַּוְונִין אִתְפַּשְּׁטַת אַרְעָא סַחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא נְקוּדָה, אִתְפַּשְּׁטוּתָא קַדְמָאָה, סַחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא נְקוּדָה, כָּל צָחוּתָא וּזְכוּתָא דְּאַרְעָא קַיְּימָא תַּמָּן, וְתַמָּן אִיהוּ. וְהַאי קַיְּימָא לְעֵילָּא עַל כָּל אַרְעָא סַחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא נְקוּדָה. אִתְפַּשְּׁטוּתָא תִּנְיָינָא, סַחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא אִתְפַּשְּׁטוּתָא קַדְמָאָה, לָאו אִיהוּ צָחוּתָא וְזָכּוּתָא כְּהַהוּא קַדְמָאָה, אֲבָל אִיהוּ דָּקִיק וְצַח בְּצָחוּתָא דְּעַפְרָא, יַתִּיר מִכָּל שְׁאַר עָפָר אַחֲרָא. אִתְפַּשְּׁטוּתָא תְּלִיתָאָה, אִיהוּ חָשׁוּךְ וְגָסוּ דְּעַפְרָא יַתִּיר מְכֻּלְּהוּ, וְסַחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּהַאי, קַיְימִין מַיִין דְּיַמָּא דְּאוֹקְיָּינוֹס, דְּאַסְחַר כָּל עָלְמָא. אִשְׁתְּכַח דְּהַהוּא נְקוּדָה קַיְּימָא בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ גַּוְונִין דְּאִתְפְּשָׁטוּתָא דְּעָלְמָא סַחֲרָנֵיהּ.

Chambers Dwellings Earth Holiness (Kedushah) Jerusalem Kedushah (Holiness) Temple, The Walls

40. אִתְפַּשְּׁטוּתָא קַדְמָאָה אִיהוּ בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, וְכָל אִינּוּן הֵיכָלִין וַעֲזָרוֹת, וְכָל הַהוּא תִּקּוּנָא דִּילֵיהּ, וִירוּשָׁלַםִ, וְכָל מָתָא מִשּׁוּרָא וּלְגוֹ. אִתְפַּשְּׁטוּתָא תִּנְיָינָא, כָּל אַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּאִתְקַדְּשַׁת בִּקְדוּשָּׁה. אִתְפַּשְּׁטוּתָא תְּלִיתָאָה, אִיהוּ כָּל שְׁאַר אַרְעָא, אֲתָר בֵּי מוֹתְבָא דִּשְׁאַר עַמִּין. וְיַמָּא דְּאוֹקְיָּינוֹס דְּסָחֲרָא כֹּלָּא.

Ark Colors Earth Eyes Holy of Holies Mercy Point Tree Zeir Anpin Zion

41. It was already explained, that this is the secret of the colors in the eye, surrounding the middle point in the eye, which gives the power of vision to the whole eye. It is like the middle point, IN THE INNERMOST PART OF THE EARTH, regarding which we said, it is the sight of all, where stand the Holy of Holies, the Ark and the seat of Mercy, that are the vision to everything. It is found that the point is the means of sight to the world. Therefore, it is written of it, "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth - Mount Zion..." IT IS CALLED beautiful because this sight is beautiful. Situation (Heb. nof) is the branch (Heb. anaf) of the tree, ZEIR ANPIN, the beauty of all.

41. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דְּרָזָא דָּא גַּוְונִין דְּעֵינָא, דְּסַחֲרָן לְהַהוּא נְקוּדָה דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּעֵינָא, דְּאִיהוּ חֵיזוּ דְּכָל עֵינָא, כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַהִיא נְקוּדָה אֶמְצָעִיתָא דְּקָאָמְרָן, דְּאִיהוּ חֵיזוּ דְּכֹלָּא, וְתַמָּן קָאֵים בֵּית קֹדֶשׁ הַקָּדָשִׁים, וְאָרוֹן וְכַפֹּרֶת, דְּאִינּוּן חֵיזוּ דְּכֹלָּא. אִשְׁתְּכַח, הַהוּא נְקוּדָה חֵיזוּ דְּכָל עָלְמָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, יְפֵה נוֹף מְשׂוֹשׂ כָּל הָאָרֶץ הַר צִיּוֹן וְגוֹ'. יְפֵה: שַׁפִּיר הַהוּא חֵיזוּ וְחֶדְוָה דְּכֹלָּא. נוֹף: נוֹפָא דְּאִילָנָא דְּאִיהוּ שְׁפִירוּ דְּכֹלָּא.

Ark Point Sanctuary Shechinah Tabernacle Temple, The

42. Come and look at the beauty of the world. And the sight thereof was never revealed to the world until the Tabernacle was constructed and erected, and the Ark was put in the sanctuary. From that time the sight of the whole world, THE SHECHINAH, was seen and the world stood firm. And THE MERITORIOUS go in the Tabernacle and the Ark until they reach the MIDDLE point IN THERE, which is "Beautiful of situation, the joy of all." When they arrive, the Ark opens and says, "This is My resting place forever, here will I dwell, for I have desired it" (Tehilim 132:14).

42. תָּא חֲזֵי, שְׁפִירוּ דְּעָלְמָא, וְחֵיזוּ דְּעָלְמָא, לָא אִתְחָזֵי בְּעָלְמָא, עַד דְּאִתְבְּנֵי וְאִתְּקַם מַשְׁכְּנָא, וְעָאל אֲרוֹנָא לְגוֹ קוּדְשָׁא. מֵהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא, אִתְחָזֵי חֵיזוּ דְּכֹלָּא בְּעָלְמָא, וְאִתְתָּקַּן עָלְמָא, וְאַזְלֵי בְּהַהוּא מַשְׁכְּנָא וּבְהַהוּא אֲרוֹנָא, עַד דְּמָטֵי לְהַהִיא נְקוּדָה דְּאִיהִי יְפֵה נוֹף חֶדְוָה דְּכֹלָּא. כֵּיוָן דְּמָטוּ לְהָתָם כְּדֵין פָּתַח אֲרוֹנָא וְאָמַר, זֹאת מְנוּחָתִי עֲדֵי עַד פֹּה אֵשֵׁב כִּי אִוִּיתִיהָ.

Ark Blessing Congregation Love Mercy Peace Temple, The Throne

43. רִבִּי יֵיסָא אָמַר, הַאי קְרָא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אָמְרָה לֵיהּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְבְּנֵי בֵּי מַקְדְּשָׁא, וְעָאל אֲרוֹנָא לְאַתְרֵיהּ. ר' חִזְקִיָּה אָמַר, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר לֵיהּ, עַל כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, כַּד יִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדִּין רְעוּתֵיהּ, דְּהָא כְּדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָתִיב עַל כּוּרְסֵי יְקָרֵיהּ, וְחָיִּיס עַל עָלְמָא, וּבְרָכָה וְשָׁלוֹם וַחֲבִיבוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא אִשְׁתְּכַח. וּכְדֵין אָמַר זֹאת מְנוּחָתִי עֲדֵי עַד.