"And above the firmament"

Synopsis

We hear the meaning of: "And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone." The firmament refers to the lower firmament for no one can behold the one above. "A throne" refers to the throne below; had it said 'the throne' it would have meant the supernal throne, and this is impossible because the supernal throne cannot be seen; it is concealed and undisclosed. In "the likeness as the appearance of a man," "the appearance" includes all the forms of the utterances of wisdom. The secrets of Chochmah go up and stand in the likeness of man. Rabbi Shimon tells the rabbis that he can see the secret of man is impressed upon them all, and that the righteous are destined to be seen by all. He admonishes Rabbi Yosi for thinking of worldly matters, and Rabbi Yosi comes back to the words of the Torah, so his image is complete.

441. It is written: "And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone" (Yechezkel 1:26). This verse was already explained. Yet "above the firmament" refers to the lower firmament, BENEATH MALCHUT, as you, friends, have explained. FOR THEY MENTIONED IT IN THE NAME OF RABBI SHIMON, happy is my portion and happy is your portion. For nobody can behold the upper firmament, BINAH. BUT IT IS WRITTEN ABOUT THE FIRMAMENT BELOW WITHIN MALCHUT "AND YOU SHALL SEE MY BACK" (SHEMOT 33:23), and above THIS FIRMAMENT that sapphire stone is located, which we said IS MALCHUT, based on the inference of its being a good and precious pearl, as I explained.

441. כְּתִיב וּמִמַּעַל לָרָקִיעַ אֲשֶׁר עַל רֹאשָׁם כְּמַרְאֵה אֶבֶן סַפִּיר דְּמוּת כִּסֵּא, הַאי קְרָא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ. אֲבָל וּמִמַּעַל לָרָקִיעַ, בְּהַהוּא רָקִיעַ לְתַתָּא, כְּמָה דְּאָמַרְתּוּן חַבְרַיָּיא, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקִי, וְזַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיכוֹן. דְּהָא בִּרְקִיעָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, לֵית מַאן דְּאִסְתָּכַּל בֵּיהּ. וּמִלְּעֵילָּא מִנֵּיהּ קַיְּימָא הַהוּא אֶבֶן סַפִּיר, דְּהָא אִתְּעַרְנָא בֵּיהּ בְּרָזָא דְּהַהוּא מַרְגָּלִית טָבָא יַקִּירָא, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא.

442. דְּמוּת כִּסֵּא, וְלָא כְּתִיב דְּמוּת הַכִּסֵּא. בְּגִין דְּאִית כִּסֵּא, וְאִית כִּסֵּא. הַכִּסֵּא: עִלָּאָה טְמִירָא גְּנִיזָא דְּלָא אִתְגַּלְיָיא, וְלֵית מַאן דְּקַיְּימָא בֵּיהּ לְמִנְדַּע וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא. וְע"ד כְּתִיב כִּסֵּא סְתָמָא, דָּא כִּסֵּא דִּלְתַתָּא.

443. "the likeness as the appearance of a man" (Yechezkel 1:26): HE ASKS: Since it was said "likeness," why add 'as the appearance'. Would not it suffice to say "the likeness of a man?" HE ANSWERS: "the likeness of man" represents the high secret of the high glory, THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN, IN YUD HEI VAV HEI FULLY SPELLED WITH ALEPH'S WHICH EQUALS THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF ADAM. This is the likeness of man SITTING ON THE THRONE WHICH IS MALCHUT; and the addition, "the appearance," includes all the forms of the words of wisdom CALLED SIGHT OR APPEARANCE, FOR CHOCHMAH IS SO CALLED. They are the secrets of Chochmah that go up and adorn themselves above, IN ZEIR ANPIN, and then assume the likeness of man, NAMELY, that form with which the righteous are bedecked. And in all these the Holy One, blessed be He, is delighted in His crowns.

443. דְּמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר דְּמוּת, אֲמַאי כְּמַרְאֵה, דְּהָא סַגִּי לֵיהּ דְּמוּת אָדָם. אֶלָּא דְּמוּת אָדָם, דָּא אִיהוּ רָזָא עִלָּאָה, בְּהַהוּא כָּבוֹד עִלָּאָה, דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּאָדָם. אֲבָל הָא דְּאִתּוֹסָף כְּמַרְאֵה, לְאַכְלְלָא אִינּוּן דִּיוּקְנִין דְּמִלִּין דְּחָכְמְתָא, וְאִינּוּן רָזִין דְּחָכְמְתָא דְּסַלְקָן וּמִתְעַטְּרָן לְעֵילָּא, וּלְבָתַר קַיְימִין בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּאָדָם בְּהַהוּא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא דִּמְעַטְּרִין לוֹן, וּבְכֻלְּהוּ אִשְׁתֲּעְשָׁע קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּעִטְרוֹי.

444. And you, friends, the Holy One, blessed be He, is delighted even now with the words you said, and they are crowned on that way. And you have established THE LIKENESS OF A MAN before your Master by your holy forms, for when I beheld you and regarded your shapes, I saw that you were marked with the secret of man, and I knew that your shape is invited above. And so the righteous are destined to be recognized by everyone and display the sacred form of their countenances before the whole world. This is the meaning of the verse "All that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which Hashem has blessed" (Yeshayah 61:9).

444. וְאַתּוּן חַבְרַיָּיא, הָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִשְׁתֲּעְשָׁע הַשְׁתָּא, בְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּקָא אַמְרִיתּוּ, מִתְעַטְּרָן בְּהַהוּא אוֹרְחָא. וְהָא קְיַּימְתּוּן קַמֵּי מָארֵיכוֹן בְּדִיּוּקְנַיְיכוּ קַדִּישִׁין, דְּהָא אֲנָא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דַּחֲמֵינָא לְכוּ, וְאִסְתַּכַּלְנָא בְּדִיּוּקְנַיְיכוּ, חֲמֵינָא בְּכוּ דְּאַתּוּן רְשִׁימִין בְּרָזָא דְּאָדָם, וְיָדַעְנָא דְּהָא דִּיּוּקְנָא דִּילְכוֹן אִתְעַתְּדָא לְעֵילָּא. וְהָכִי אִזְדַמְּנָן צַדִּיקַיָּיא לְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי, לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא לְעֵינֵיהוֹן דְּכֹלָּא, וּלְאַחֲזָאָה פַּרְצוּפָא קַדִּישָׁא לְקָמֵי כָּל עָלְמָא, הה"ד כָּל רוֹאֵיהֶם יַכִּירוּם כִּי הֵם זֶרַע בֵּרַךְ יְיָ'.

445. אַדְּהָכִי חָמָא לְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, דַּהֲוָה מְהַרְהֵר בְּמִלֵּי דְּעָלְמָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, יוֹסֵי קוּם אַשְׁלִים דִּיּוּקְנָךְ, דְּאָת חַד חָסֵר בָּךְ. קָם רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְחַדֵּי בְּמִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְקָם קַמֵּיהּ, אִסְתָּכַּל בֵּיהּ ר"ש, א"ל, ר' יוֹסֵי, הַשְׁתָּא אַנְתְּ שְׁלִים קַמֵּי עַתִּיק יוֹמִין, וְדִיּוּקְנָךְ שְׁלִים.