Chochmah united with its paths
Rabbi Shimon speaks about the mechanism of the delivery of wisdom to the world, and of the delivery of the wise back to paradise. He tells of fifty gates, 32 paths, the secret of the 22 and the power of 72 and the way in which these things are accomplished. The Sfirah of Binah is expounded upon. He reminds us of the joining of everything through Jacob, and of the fertilization of one of God's qualities with another, for "In Wisdom have you made them all."
Even in the most complex and unfathomable sections of Trumah, like this one, a meaning can be discerned, though it would take years of study to understand the symbolism and the numerology intellectually and grasp all of its spiritual benefits. Nevertheless, certain ideas clearly stand out: 22 corresponds to the 22 primordial forces of Creation, which express themselves through the very pages of this book, namely the 22 Letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Thus, here we are touching the pure, primeval Light of Creation and it purifies our hearts and souls. 72 denotes the 72 Names of God, telling us that we are now receiving the power to perform feats of wonder concerning the ultimate transformation of human nature. The word "Binah" is itself a portal, a priceless passkey to the supernal fountainhead where we now dip ourselves into the pure, pristine wellspring of Light, and reemerge, cleansed in body and soul.
And the great name of Jacob, who is the Central Column force incarnate, ignites our own Central Column, the divine gift of free will, the autonomous choice a man has to reject the base drives born of ego. Our ego is herewith overthrown by the will of our soul. And the Satan is crushed by the cosmic Central Column power of Jacob.
912. We have studied that Chochmah united with its paths and gathered the waters with its wind, (MEANING ITS SEVEN LOWER SFIROT, WHICH ARE CALLED 'WIND'), and the waters gathered into one place. The fifty gates of Binah opened. From these 32 paths, ten crowns emerged, WHICH ARE THE TEN SFIROT OF THE FIRST THREE SFIROT OF CHOCHMAH, with glorious crowns, and then there remain 22 paths, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE SEVEN LOWER SFIROT OF CHOCHMAH, BEING THE SECRET OF 22 LETTERS. THEREFORE, WHEN that wind beat upon the paths IN ORDER TO GATHER THE WATERS TO ONE PLACE, AS MENTIONED, the fifty Gates of Binah opened, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE FIRST THREE SFIROT OF BINAH. And 22 opened, WHICH ARE THE LOWER SEVEN SFIROT in the fifty Gates of Jubilee, MEANING IN THESE FIFTY GATES OF BINAH. THESE 22 OF BINAH ARE crowned with the Ayin-Bet (72) letters of the Holy Name, THAT ILLUMINATE WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH, and opened to its aspect. BUT UPON THE FIFTY GATES OF BINAH, WHICH ARE THE FIRST THREE SFIROT OF BINAH, THE NAME MEM-BET (42) ILLUMINATES, AS JUST MENTIONED.
912. תָּאנָא בָּטַשׁ חָכְמָה בִּשְׁבִילוֹי, וְכָנִיף בְּרוּחָא לְמַיָּא, וְאִתְכָּנְפוּ מַיָּא לְאֲתָר חַד, וְאִתְפְּתָחוּ חַמְשִׁין תַּרְעִין דְּבִינָה. מֵאִלֵּין שְׁבִילִין, נַפְקֵי עֲשָׂרָה כִּתְרִין, בְּקַרְנִיטֵּי זְהִירִין, וְאִשְׁתָּאָרוּ עֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין שְׁבִילִין. בָּטַשׁ הַהוּא רוּחָא בְּאִינּוּן שְׁבִילִין, וְאִתְפְּתָחוּ חַמְשִׁין תַּרְעִין דְּבִינָה, וְאִתְגְּלִיפוּ עֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין, בְּחַמְשִׁין תַּרְעִין דְּיוֹבְלָא, וְאִתְעַטָּרוּ בְּשַׁבְעִין וּתְרֵין אַתְוָון דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. אִלֵּין אִתְפְּתָּחוּ לְסִטְרוֹי.
913. The 22 crowns of Mercy were adorned, WHICH ARE THE SEVEN LOWER SFIROT that are included in Atik Yomin, who illuminates upon them each one in his aspect. THEY ILLUMINATE IN COVERED CHASSADIM. FROM THEM are adorned fifty engravings, WHICH ARE THE FIFTY GATES OF BINAH, with the 42 holy letters of the Holy Name, with which heaven and earth were created. They were engraved into eight gates, which are the eight letters of Mercy, as it is written, "Hashem, Hashem, El, Merciful and Gracious... " (Shemot 34:6). THESE ARE THE EIGHT NAMES that emerge from Atika Kadisha, that emerge into ZEIR ANPIN. The Supernal Chochmah and Binah join these holy crowns and ascend, MEANING THAT THEY ILLUMINATE FROM BELOW UPWARDS. And Supernal Chesed emerges from this side, MEANING FROM CHOCHMAH. The Judgment of Gvurah emerges from this side, FROM BINAH, and the merit of Jacob, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, TIFERET, comes and unites them ONE WITH THE OTHER, for this is the supernal perfection.
913. וְאִתְעַטָּרוּ עֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין כִּתְרִין דְּרַחֲמֵי, דִּכְלִילָן בְּעַתִּיק יוֹמִין, דְּנָהִיר לוֹן כָּל חַד בְּסִטְרוֹי. אִתְעַטָּרוּ חַמְשִׁין גְּלִיפִין, בְּמ"ב אַתְוָון קַדִּישִׁין דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, דִּבְהוֹן אִתְבְּרֵי שְׁמַיָא וְאַרְעָא. וְאִתְגְּלָפוּ בְּגִּלוּפֵיהוֹן, תְּמַּנְיָא תַּרְעִין, דְּאִינּוּן תְּמַנְיָא אַתְוָון דְּרַחֲמֵי, דִּכְתִּיב יְיָ' יְיָ' אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן, דְּנָפְקָא מֵעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא, לִזְעִירָא, וּמִתְחַבְּרָן בְּאִלֵּין כִּתְרִין קַדִּישִׁין, חָכְמָה וּבִינָה עִלָּאִין דְּסַלְּקִין. נָפְקָא חֶסֶד עִלָּאָה מֵהַאי סִטְרָא, וְדִינָא דִּגְבוּרָה מֵהַאי סִטְרָא, אָתָא זְכוּתָא דְּיַעֲקֹב, וְאַשְׁלִים אֲתַרְוַויְיהוּ וְאָחִיד לוֹן. דְּהָא הוּא שְׁלֵימוּתָא עִלָּאָה.
914. We have learned that Rabbi Shimon said, This is the reason that he is called 'Yisrael.' We have learned that Jacob is below, MEANING THE ASPECT FROM THE CHEST DOWN OF ZEIR ANPIN. Yisrael is above, MEANING FROM THE CHEST UP OF ZEIR ANPIN. Jacob is not perfection, but Yisrael is complete perfection, and we have learned, "The saying of David the son of Yishai" (II Shmuel 23:1). David is not perfection because he is last, FOR HE IS THE LAST SFIRAH, MALCHUT, WHOSE PERFECTION LIES ONLY IN YESOD. Yishai is Yesod, which is highest, is perfect. This is what we learned, that the children of Yisrael were not exiled from their land until they denied the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Kingdom of David, WHICH ARE YESOD AND MALCHUT, as it is written, "We have no part in David" (II Shmuel 20:1), WHICH IS MALCHUT, "Neither have we inheritance in the son of Yishai," WHICH IS YESOD, "every man to his tents, O Yisrael" (Ibid.). What is the meaning of "each man to his tents (Heb. ohalav)," meaning to his deity (Heb. Elohav), which is the place where idol worshipping dwells among them.
914. תָּאנָא א"ר שִׁמְעוֹן, בג"כ יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְקְרֵי. דְּתָאנָא יַעֲקֹב תַּתָּאָה. יִשְׂרָאֵל עִלָּאָה. יַעֲקֹב לָאו שְׁלֵימוּתָא יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁלֵימוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא. וְכֵן תָּאנָא, נְאֻם דָּוִד בֶּן יִשַׁי, דָּוִד לָאו שְׁלֵימוּתָא, דְּהָא בַּתְרָאָה הוּא. יִשַׁי יְסוֹד עִלָּאָה הוּא, וּשְׁלֵימוּתָא. וְהַיְינוּ דְּתָנֵינָן, לָא גָּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאַרְצָם עַד שֶׁכָּפְרוּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּבְמַלְכוּתָא דְּבֵית דָּוִד, דִּכְתִּיב אֵין לָנוּ חֵלֶק בְּדָוִד וְלֹא נַחֲלָה בְּבֶן יִשַׁי אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו יִשְׂרָאֵל. מַאי אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו. אֲתָר דְּעכו"ם שַׁרְיָא בְּגַּוַּיְיהוּ, הַיְינוּ לֶאֱלֹהָיו.
915. Rabbi Yehuda said, When Chochmah started to engrave on all the crowns, NAMELY THE SFIROT, from which crown did it start? HE ANSWERS, From THAT CROWN that is called 'Binah,' as everything is included in Binah BECAUSE THE REVELATION OF CHOCHMAH STARTED IN IT. Therefore, fifty gates were opened in it, so it appears that everything was engraved with Chochmah. This is what is meant by, "In wisdom have you made them all" (Tehilim 104:24).
915. אָמַר ר' יְהוּדָה, כַּד שַׁרְיָא חָכְמְתָא לְגַּלְפָא גְּלִיפִין בְּכֻלְּהוּ כִּתְרִין, מֵאָן כִּתְרָא שַׁאֲרֵי מֵהַהוּא דְּאִתְקְרֵי בִּינָה. בַּבִּינָה אִתְכְּלִיל כֹּלָּא. וּבג"כ אִתְפְּתָּחוּ בָּהּ חַמְשִׁין תַּרְעִין, וְאִשְׁתְּכַח דְּכֹלָּא בְּחָכְמָה אִתְגְּלָפוּ, הה"ד כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ.