699. Come and see what is written of the Tabernacle, "Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains" (Shemot 26:1). THE NUMBER ten is because the perfection of the Tabernacle, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is by ten, AS MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE LAST ESSAY, so that everything will be proper. HE QUESTIONS, HE SAYS TEN (Heb. eser, fem.). What is the reason THAT IT SAYS ten (Heb. eser fem.) and not ten (Heb. asarah, masc.)? HE ANSWERS, For every place THAT IT IS WRITTEN ESER WITHOUT THE HEI refers to THE TEN SFIROT without the Shechinah, FOR THE SHECHINAH ENCIRCLES THEM FROM ABOVE because She is not counted WITH THE TEN. Similarly, "it stood upon twelve oxen (Heb. shnei asar)" (I Melachim 7:25). SINCE THE WORD TEN IS WRITTEN WITHOUT HEI, the Shechinah is not in the number TWELVE, since She stands over them from above as it is written, "And the sea was set above upon them" (Ibid.), MEANING THE SHECHINAH THAT IS CALLED 'SEA.' In those places that allude to what is missing above them, the Shechinah is extranumerary, not included in the count.

700. The Other Side is given an addition to the number, and it decreases in number. For example, Ashtei ASAR (=eleven) is spelled with Ayin THAT IS ADDED TO THE NUMBER SHTEI ASAR (=TWELVE), THUS REDUCING THE NUMBER FROM TWELVE TO ELEVEN. THIS IS AN INDICATION OF WHAT IS LACKING FROM ABOVE, FOR THE ADDED AYIN IS THE SECRET OF THE EVIL EYE (HEB. AYIN), as we have already established. Wherever letters are added in this manner, it serves as subtraction. For example, "Has Aminon your brother" (II Shmuel 13:20). It would have been sufficient TO SAY Amnon AND THE REASON THE YUD WAS ADDED IS TO LESSEN HIS HONOR. However, a letter is deducted on the holy side and it is really an addition, MEANING THAT BY DEDUCTING THE AYIN FROM ASHTEI ESREH, THE NUMBER ELEVEN BECOMES TWELVE.