Trumah: Chapter 72

The Seven Firmaments

Synopsis

Here, Rabbi Chiya discusses, "Who covers Himself with Light as with a garment, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain," saying that God created the Heavens from fire and water, which He expanded and spread out like a curtain. The seven firmaments, we are told, correspond to seven Sfirot, and there is one firmament above them, Tevunah, which cannot be viewed but only understood. Above that, there is one which no one can see or know. Then, Rabbi Chiya says, there are ten firmaments, which are the ten curtains of the tabernacle and also ten Sfirot. Next, Rabbi Yosi says there are nine firmaments, and that the Shechinah is the tenth. He adds that Rabbi Shimon revealed the secrets of all the firmaments, seven above and seven below. The seven firmaments contain stars and constellations, which guide the world.

Relevance

The stars and the heavens rule our cosmos and open our hearts to the million sparks of love that fly to us from God. However, the seven heavenly bodies that adorn our strip of galaxy also exert negative influences. The lower Seven Sfirot control the planets and stars. Thus, by connecting to them here, we ascend above planetary influence and immediately begin directing our own fate. The destiny of mankind makes a quantum shift, from an apocalyptic finale to a Final Redemption that is founded upon compassion, mercy, and joy. This miraculous turn of events occurs by virtue of the love of Rabbi Shimon, author of this heavenly tome.

Creation Curtain Firmaments Garments Heaven Heavens Light

701. Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion saying, "Who covers Himself with light as with a garment, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain" (Tehilim 104:2). This verse has been established. When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He covered Himself with that first light THAT WAS IN THE CREATION, and created with it the heaven.

701. רַבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, עוֹטֶה אוֹר כַּשַּׂלְמָה נוֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם כַּיְרִיעָה. הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דְּכַד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא, אִתְעֲטָף בְּהַהוּא אוֹר קַדְמָאָה, וּבָרָא בֵּיהּ שָׁמַיִם.

Creation Darkness Fire Heavens Hebrew Letters Light Peace Water Zeir Anpin

702. Come and see, Light and darkness were not together, because light is from the side of the Right COLUMN and darkness is from the side of the Left COLUMN. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO IS BINAH, do? He joined them together and created the heaven from them, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF ZEIR ANPIN, BECAUSE ZEIR ANPIN IS THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN AND MEDIATES BETWEEN BOTH COLUMNS, RIGHT AND LEFT, WHICH ARE FIRE AND WATER. What are Heavens? (Heb. shamayim). IT IS COMPOSED OF Esh and Mayin (Eng. 'fire and water'), which He joined together, and made peace between them.

702. וְת"ח, אוֹר וְחֹשֶׁךְ לָאו כַּחֲדָא הֲווֹ. אוֹר מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא, וְחֹשֶׁךְ מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא. מַאי עֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, שִׁתֵּף לוֹן כַּחֲדָא, וּבָרָא מִנְהוֹן שָׁמַיִם. מַאי שָׁמַיִם. אֵשׁ וּמַיִם. שִׁתְפָן כַּחֲדָא, וְעָבִיד שְׁלָם בֵּינַיְיהוּ.

Curtain Fire Heavens Light Tabernacle Ten Water Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH) Zeir Anpin

703. When they were combined together, FIRE AND WATER, He expanded them and spread them like a curtain, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "WHO STRETCHES OUT THE HEAVENS LIKE A CURTAIN." And He made of them the letter Vav OF THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. This is called 'a curtain' or 'curtains,' because light spread from this letter Vav TO MALCHUT, and curtains were made. This is what is meant by, "Moreover you shall make the Tabernacle with ten curtains.

703. וְכַד אִתְכְּלִילוּ כַּחֲדָא, וּמָתַח לוֹן, כַּיְרִיעָה מָתַח לוֹן, וְעָבִיד מִנְהוֹן אָת ו' וְדָא אִקְרֵי יְרִיעָה. יְרִיעוֹת, דְּהָא אָת דָּא אִתְפָּשִׁיט מִנֵּיהּ נְהִירוּ, וְאִתְעָבֵידוּ יְרִיעוֹת, הה"ד וְאֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן תַּעֲשֶׂה עֶשֶׂר יְרִיעוֹת.

Chassadim Colors Firmaments Light Seven Zeir Anpin

704. These seven firmaments expanded and are concealed in the supernal Storehouse, WHICH ARE THE SEVEN SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT, FOR CHOCHMAH IS COVERED AND CONCEALED IN THEM, WITHIN THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM THAT ILLUMINATES UPON THEM FROM BINAH, as we have established. There is one firmament above them, WHICH IS TEVUNAH, and that firmament has neither color nor a revealed place in it IN THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH. Nor can it be viewed. And this firmament is concealed and illuminates all THE SEVEN FIRMAMENTS, causing them to journey, each and every one as is proper for it. IT CANNOT BE VIEWED, it can only be understood.

704. וְשֶׁבַע רְקִיעִין אִינּוּן מְתִיחִין, גְּנִיזִין בִּגְנִיזוּ עִלָּאָה, כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ. וְחַד רְקִיעָא דְּקַיְּימָא עָלַיְיהוּ, וְהַהוּא רָקִיעַ לֵית בֵּיהּ גָּוֶון, וְלֵית לֵיהּ אֲתָר בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא וְלָא קַיָּימָא לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, וְהַאי רָקִיעַ אִיהוּ גָּנִיז, וְנָהִיר לְכֻלְּהוּ, וְנָטִיל לוֹן בְּמַטְלָנֵיהוֹן, כָּל חַד וְחַד כַּדְקָא חֲזִי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא קַיָּימָא בְּסוּכְלְתָנוּ.

Firmaments

705. From that firmament and higher, MEANING HIGHER THAN YISRAEL-SABA, AND TEVUNAH, there is no one who can know or observe. A person should close his mouth in order not to talk and observe with understanding. One who will observe will go backwards, because there is none who can understand THERE.

705. מֵהַאי רָקִיעַ וּלְהָלְאָה, לֵית מַאן דְּיֵדַע וְיִשְׁגַח, וְאִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְמִסְתַּם פּוּמֵיהּ, וּדְלָא לְמַלְּלָא וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּסוּכְלְתָנוּ. מַאן דְּיִסְתָּכַּל אַהְדָּר לַאֲחוֹרָא, דְּלֵית מַאן דְּיָכִיל לְמִנְדַּע.

Curtain Firmaments Shechinah Tabernacle Ten Wisdom

706. There are ten curtains, which are ten firmaments, and who are they? They are the curtains of the Tabernacle, WHICH IS MALCHUT, which are ten, NAMELY TEN SFIROT. They can be comprehended by the wise-hearted, BECAUSE CHOCHMAH IS REVEALED IN MALCHUT BUT NOT HIGHER THAN HER. One who knows them, observes great Wisdom and the secrets of the world, and looks up into that place to which each and everyone is attached, except for two FIRMAMENTS that stand on the right and left, WHICH ARE HER CHOCHMAH AND BINAH that are hidden with the Shechinah.

706. עֶשֶׂר יְרִיעוֹת אִינּוּן, דְּאִינּוּן עֲשָׂרָה רְקִיעִין. וּמַאן אִינּוּן יְרִיעוֹת דְּמַשְׁכְּנָא דְּאִינּוּן עֶשֶׂר. וְקַיְימָן לְמִנְדַּע לְחַכִּימֵי לִבָּא. מַאן דְּיִנְדַּע בְּהוּ, אִסְתָּכַל בְּחָכְמְתָא סַגְיָא, וּבְרָזִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְאִסְתָּכַּל לְעֵילָּא בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר, דְּכָל חַד וְחַד אִתְדַּבָּק בֵּיהּ, בַּר תְּרֵין אִינּוּן דְּקַיְימָן בִּימִינָא וּבִשְׂמָאלָא, וְאִינּוּן גְּנִיזִין בַּהֲדֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא.

Atonement Curtain Firmaments Rosh Hashanah Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Formation) Shechinah Tabernacle Ten Year

707. Rabbi Yosi said, There are nine firmaments and the Shechinah is the tenth. If you say that since it is written Eser (Eng. 'ten') WITHOUT HEI, they are ten besides the Shechinah. Yet if so, then there are eleven Sfirot in the Shechinah, as She is one SFIRAH and is supernumerary to ten SFIROT. YET IT IS KNOWN THAT THERE ARE TEN SFIROT AND NOT ELEVEN, AS IT IS WRITTEN IN THE SEFER YETZIRAH (ENG. 'THE BOOK OF FORMATION'). But certainly there are nine, which are the nine days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and She is the tenth. Similarly, the Tabernacle is made of ten curtains.

707. רַבִּי יוֹסִי אָמַר תֵּשַׁע רְקִיעִין אִינּוּן, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא אִיהִי עֲשִׁירָאָה. דְּאִי תֵּימָא בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב עֶשֶׂר, בַּר מִשְּׁכִינְתָּא אִיהוּ. אִי הָכִי, שְׁכִינְתָּא חַד סָרֵי אִיהִי דְּקַיְּימָא עַל עֶשֶׂר. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי תֵּשַׁע אִינּוּן, וְאִינּוּן תֵּשַׁע יוֹמִין שְׁבֵּין ר"ה לְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, וְאִיהִי עֲשִׁירָאָה. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, מִשְׁכָּן אִיהוּ עֶשֶׂר יְרִיעוֹת.

Astrology Firmaments Seven Stars Ten Wisdom Zeir Anpin

708. These ten firmaments are the mystery of mysteries that is handed only to those who know Wisdom, and it is all in the secrets of the Holy luminary, RABBI SHIMON, who revealed the secret of every single firmament and those who minister in each and every one. There are seven firmaments above, IN ZEIR ANPIN, and there are seven firmaments below, IN MALCHUT, like above, AND THE SEVENTH FIRMAMENT, WHICH IS CHESED, INCLUDES THE FIRST THREE SFIROT. Therefore, there are ten, AS MENTIONED ABOVE. There are seven firmaments, which contain stars and constellations with which to lead this world according to its way, as is needed.

708. אִינּוּן עֶשֶׂר רְקִיעִין רָזָא דְּרָזִין דְּלָא אִתְמְסָר בַּר לְאִינּוּן דְּיַדְעֵי חָכְמְתָא, וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ בְּרָזִין דְּבוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִיהוּ גַּלֵּי רָזָא דְּכָל רְקִיעָא וּרְקִיעָא, וְאִינּוּן שַׁמָּשִׁין דִּמְשַׁמְשֵׁי בְּכָל חַד וְחַד. שֶׁבַע רְקִיעִין אִינּוּן לְעֵילָּא, שֶׁבַע רְקִיעִין אִינּוּן לְתַתָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא. שֶׁבַע רְקִיעִין אִינּוּן, דִּבְהוּ כֹּכָבַיָא וּמַזָּלֵי לְאַנְהָגָא עָלְמָא דָּא כְּפוּם אָרְחֵיהּ, כְּמָה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ.

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