Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag [1], Teaching of Ten Sfirot [2]

Publisher’s Foreword

How can I repay haShem for all His goodness to me? I shall raise the cup of salvations and invoke the Name of haShem [7].

Let us thank haShem with all our heart for having granted us the radiance [8] of a Light [4] more precious than thousands of gold and silver [bars] [9], the Light of the inner part of the Torah, concealed by haShem, be He glorified, for the righteous in the World to Come [10]. Is this Light not the book “Teaching of Ten Sfirot [2]”, written by the Holy man of the people of Israel, the head of all the sons of the exile, our master, teacher, and mentor, Rabbi Yehudah Leib haLevi Ashlag [1], may the memory of the righteous and Holy one lead to life in the World to Come? And now to this have been added the commentaries of his firstborn son, who succeeded him and continued to walk in his path—a Holy man of G-d, renowned for his Holiness, our master, teacher, and mentor, Baruch Shalom haLevi Ashlag [11], may the memory of the righteous and Holy lead to life in the World to Come.

This book is a masterpiece of our master, teacher, and mentor, Rabbi Yehudah Leib HaLevi Ashlag [1], may his merits protect us, the middle bar of Kabbalistic wisdom, binding everything together from end to end [14]. In this book, our teacher set forth the order of the Spiritual stages clearly and precisely, with a cause-and-effect substantiation, in a form accessible to everyone. To such an extent that every person whose soul has desired to draw near to haShem can enter the Holy of Holies without fear or concern of materialization, just as everyone approaches the study of the Gemara. And let every student of the Torah whose soul yearns to ascend hesitate no longer; for time is fleeting: “for it passes quickly, and we fly away” [15]. Rather, let him bind the life of his spirit and his soul to the teaching of this elder, who acquired wisdom [16] and knowledge like one of the ancient sages, and who walked in Holiness and purity along the path of truth.

And our teacher [1], may his merits protect us, wrote as follows in his work The Essence of Kabbalistic Wisdom: “This wisdom is neither more nor less than an order of [Spiritual] sources descending [17] in a sequence of cause and effect according to immutable and absolute laws, joining together and pursuing one very exalted goal, called ‘the revelation of His Divinity, be He glorified, to His created beings in This World’ [19]. And here the general and the particular manifest themselves. The ‘general’—that is, all humanity, which by the end of its existence is absolutely and inevitably bound to attain this highest level of development, as it is written: ‘For the land shall be full of knowledge of haShem, as water covers the seabed’ (Yeshayahu 11:9). ‘And no longer shall one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, "Know haShem," for they shall all know Me from their smallest to their greatest’ (Yirmeyahu 31:33). And [the verse] says: ‘And your Teacher shall no longer be concealed from you, and your eyes shall see your Teacher’ (Yeshayahu 30:20). The ‘particular’—that is, even before all humanity attains perfection, certain chosen individuals attain it in every generation without exception, for it is precisely these individuals who, in every generation without exception, merit certain stages of the revelation of His Divinity, be He glorified; and these are the prophets and men of renown [63]. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Bereishit Rabbah, part 74): ‘You will not find a generation in which there is no one like Avraham and Yaakov.’ Indeed, before your very eyes, the revelation of His Divinity, be He glorified, takes place in every generation without exception, according to our Sages, of blessed memory, who are authorized to speak on this matter and are worthy of our trust.”

And our teacher [1], may his merits protect us, further wrote: “In this connection, a question arises: why must Kabbalists teach every person Kabbalistic wisdom? In fact, there is an important matter here, worthy of being proclaimed aloud: those who engage in Kabbalistic wisdom possess a wondrous and invaluable remedy, and even though they do not understand what they are studying, nevertheless, through their strong desire and yearning to comprehend what they study, the Lights [4] surrounding [27] their soul are awakened for them. Explanation. For every person from the people of Israel is assured that by the end of his existence he will attain all those wondrous attainments that haShem, be He glorified, conceived in the Plan of Creation, which consists in bestowing pleasure upon every created being [23]. And one who does not merit this in the present incarnation will merit another incarnation, and so on, until he merits fulfilling His Plan, be He glorified—that which He conceived concerning him, in accordance with what is written in the Book of Zohar, as is known. Thus, as long as a person has not merited attaining perfection, all those Lights that will come to him in the future are considered Surrounding Lights, in the sense that they are prepared for him but wait until the person purifies his vessel of reception [3], and then these Lights will clothe themselves in the prepared vessels. And therefore, even when he lacks the vessels, while he engages in this Wisdom and pronounces the names of the Lights and vessels that are related to his soul, they immediately begin to shine upon him to a certain extent. Yet they shine upon him without clothing themselves within his soul, because he lacks the vessels prepared to receive them, as already stated. Nevertheless, the radiance [8] that he receives time after time during his study draws down mercy from Above upon him, endowing him with the Grace of Holiness and purity, which bring a person substantially closer to attaining perfection.” End of the quotation from the words of the Holy righteous man (Foreword to the Teaching of Ten Sfirot [2], § 155 [p. 44 in the file and p. 43 in the book]).

And thus it will become clear “that the Torah must be divided into stages, that is, according to the measure of the Light [4] that a person is capable of receiving from its study, for only the Torah is a special antidote for overcoming and eliminating the evil inclination [64], which is the meaning of the words: ‘The Light within it brings them back to the right path’ [65]. And it is clear that when a person reflects upon and studies the words of the Torah concerning the revelation of haShem to our ancestors, and similar matters, they bring the student more Light than when he reads about practical matters. Although the latter are more important with regard to practice, from the standpoint of the Light, the revelation of haShem to our ancestors is undoubtedly more important. And this is known to all the pure of heart who have sought and tried to receive the Light of the Torah. And since all Kabbalistic wisdom speaks of the secret of revelation of haShem, it is self-evident that you will find no wisdom as important and as effective as this one. And the Kabbalists sought to arrange it in such a way that it would become suitable for study.” (“The Fruit of a Sage” [66], vol. 1, p. 152; an abridged version appears on p. 85 of the book available on the Internet).

And from this you should understand the dryness and darkness that have befallen us in our present generation, the like of which never occurred in any of the generations that preceded us, and which are due to the fact that even the [faithful] servants of haShem have withdrawn from the study of the secrets of the Torah. And Rambam, of blessed memory, already offered an apt analogy in this regard, saying that if a column of a thousand blind men is traveling along a road, and there is at their head at least one guide, they can all be confident that they will follow a straight path and will not fall into a pitfall or snares, since they follow the guide who walks at their head. But if they lack this one guide, they will undoubtedly fail to overcome any obstacle lying in their path, and they will all fall into a pit [67]. This also applies to what we are being told here: if at least the [faithful] servants of haShem, be He glorified, engaged in the inner part of the Torah and drew down the Light [4] from Ein Sof [68] (the Infinite), be He glorified, in full measure, then all the members of the generation would be drawn after them, and all, as they went on their way, would be assured that they would not perish. But if even the servants of haShem have withdrawn from this wisdom, it is no wonder that the entire generation has consequently failed. And, being deeply grieved, I cannot speak about this any further. But I know the reason [for the refusal to study books on Kabbalah and the Book of Zohar], and it lies mainly in the fact that faith in general has diminished, and faith in the righteous of the Most High, the sages of the generations, in particular. The books on Kabbalah and the Zohar, however, are full of parables [containing descriptions] of the material world. Therefore, absolutely everyone has been seized by the fear lest his reward turn into a loss, for it is all too easy, G-d forbid, to fall into the worship of idols and images. This is what prompted me to compose a sufficiently clear commentary on the writings of Arizal [6] (Foreword to the Book of Zohar, §§ 57–58 [p. 17]).

And from what has been said above, it is clear that such an opportunity is open to everyone whose heart is restless: to set out on the path that ascends to the House of haShem. For this book is a revelation of the Light [4] that was revealed from Heaven to our teacher [1], may his merits protect us, through his steadfast, perfect, and eternal adhesion to the Master of all, through the perfection of his entire life and of his every breath in the service of the Master of the world, so that His Thoughts, be He glorified, were revealed from this perfect work of his—and these are the very secrets of the Torah.

And we also find the following in his Holy manuscripts: “A parable about a group of people who were suffering from hunger and thirst and had lost their way in the desert. And behold, one of them found a settlement full of every kind of good thing and tried to tell his unfortunate brothers of it, but they had already gone far away, and he did not know where they were. What did he do? He began to cry out at the top of his voice and sound the shofar—perhaps his hungry and unfortunate friends would hear his voice, draw near to him, and also come to this settlement filled with every kind of good thing. The same applies to what we are discussing: we have lost our way in a terrible desert together with all humanity, but now we have found a great treasury filled with every kind of good thing—that is, the books on Kabbalah contained in this treasury, which bestow Light [4] upon our thirsty souls and fill them with richness and joy; and we have eaten our fill, and there is still some left over [69]. But the memory of our friends who remained helpless in this terrible desert has been engraved within us. Yet great is the distance between us, and they do not hear our words; therefore, we have prepared this shofar to sound it for all to hear. Perhaps our brothers will hear, draw near to us, and become as happy as we are.

Know, our brothers, our own flesh, that the entire foundation of Kabbalistic wisdom consists in the knowledge of how the world descends from the heavenly heights [24] until it reaches our lowly [17] realm. And this state of affairs was necessary, because the end of an act is in the initial thought [70], and His Thought, be He glorified, acts instantaneously, for He does not require instruments of action as we do; and therefore we initially emerged in Ein Sof [68], be He glorified, in complete perfection, [and descended] all the way to This World. And therefore, it is very easy to discover all the corrections that are destined to take place, based on the perfect worlds [20] that preceded us; and through this we know how to correct our paths now and in the future. This can be interpreted as the advantage of man over animal, for the spirit of an animal descends downward, that is, it only looks into the distance and has neither reason nor understanding to see what has happened to it so as to correct itself in the future; man, however, has additional capacities, for the spirit of man ascends upward, that is, toward the past, and he looks into the past just as a person looks into a mirror in order to correct his defects; likewise, the intellect looks at what has happened to a person and corrects what needs to be corrected, now and in the future.

And behold, this book is ready and lies before you in the ark, and it records and explains all the wisdom of statecraft and the entire order of individual and communal life in the future, at the end of days, that is, this book on Kabbalah, in which the corrected worlds [20] that, as already stated, emerged in perfection are set in order, for that which emanates from haShem, be He glorified, is perfect from the outset. We then correct what requires correction and attain the complete perfection existing in the Higher [24] World, which emanates from Ein Sof [68], be He glorified, according to the principle, “the end of an act is in the initial thought” [70]. And since the imperfect does not proceed from the Perfect instantaneously but gradually, and there is no disappearance in the Spiritual, all [these worlds] remain in existence and are fully imprinted, in image and likeness, both as a whole and in every detail, in the Kabbalistic wisdom. Open these books, and from them it will be revealed to you how well everything will be ordered at the end of days, and from them you will learn a valuable lesson as to how to order affairs even today, what must be done in This World, for by studying the history of the past, we correct the history of the future.

And I took all this so deeply to heart that I could no longer restrain myself, and I resolved to reveal some of my thoughts and some of what I had seen written in these books; namely, the paths of correction that inevitably lie ahead of us. And I went forth to those who dwell in this world with this shofar, which, in my opinion and according to my estimation, will be sufficient to gather together all the chosen individuals, so that they may begin to study and investigate these books and tip the scales for themselves and for the entire world toward merit [71].” End of the quotation from the words of the Holy and righteous man. (From the writings of our teacher [1], may his merits protect us.)

If so, this book is the shofar of Mashiach, heralding the stages of our Redemption [72], if we comprehend that we must move toward His Light [4], if we know how to renounce the multitude of things surrounding us, if we look at ourselves and at our society with the gaze of uncompromising, pure, and impartial truth, and if we resolve to offer that which is dearest to us as incense before His Countenance.

This book is a fundamental commentary on the writings of Holy Arizal [6], originating from the very mouth of living Arizal. And this is what our teacher [1], may his merits protect us, wrote in a letter dated 5687 [73] and addressed to one of his disciples: “And know for certain that from the time of Arizal until this day, there has not yet been anyone who has understood Arizal’s system at its very foundation; … and behold, by the will of the Most High, be He glorified, I merited that an additional soul of Arizal entered into me, not by virtue of good deeds, but by the will of the Most High; and why this wondrous soul was bestowed specifically upon me is beyond my own understanding, for no person has merited to acquire it from the time of his passing until this day, and I cannot continue speaking about this, because it is impossible to speak of such wondrous things.” End of the quotation from the text of the Holy righteous man.

This book has been prepared by haShem, be He glorified, as a remedy and balm for the afflictions of this generation; for haShem, be He glorified, first creates the remedy and then inflicts the blow [74]. And just as a critically ill patient in a desperate condition requires the most potent medicines, so too, in order to heal both man in general and an individual in particular among the people of Israel, in the generation in which the footsteps of Mashiach [75] are heard, there is no other way but to make open use of the powerful source of Light [4] that is Kabbalistic wisdom. From this it will become clear that this book is not intended for acquiring information and knowledge about Kabbalah, for we were not created to accumulate knowledge. Rather, it serves as a gushing spring—a source of Holy and pure water, from which those drink who wish to cleanse themselves of the impurity of self-love and acquire the Light of faith, which elevates a person so as to bind him to Him, be He glorified.

And this is what our teacher Baal HaSulam [1] wrote to his disciple, the pious Rav Rabbi Menachem Edelstein, of blessed memory (see the section “Disciples of Baal HaSulam” on this website): “I have received your letter. I am very glad to learn that you are studying from these books. For through your connection with the intellect contained in the books, you will also connect with me, and this is the best means of drawing closer to the goal. And everything depends on whether you work hard.” End of the quotation from the text of the Holy righteous man.

And our teacher and Rav Admor [76] Rabash [11], may the memory of the pious righteous man be blessed, placed his own text on the cover of Baal HaSulam’s [1] book Teaching of Ten Sfirot [2], where it is written as follows: “In the foreword to the book Imrei Yosef (Sayings of Yosef) by the Admor of Spinka [77], the author cites the commentary of our Holy Rav and teacher, Rabbi Chaim of Sanz, of blessed memory, on the verse ‘It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to investigate a matter’ [78]. And he explained that if a person wishes to study Kabbalistic wisdom in order to know how many worlds [20] and Sfirot there are, so as to know the greatness of His glory, be His Name glorified—that is, ‘the glory of God’—then this is ‘to conceal a matter.’ But if he wishes to study this wisdom in order to know how to perceive the Holy One, be He glorified, as Master, and how to serve Him with the proper intention, and to sanctify his 248 organs [79] and make them a chariot striving toward Holiness, then this is ‘the glory of kings’—‘to investigate a matter.’ End of the quotation from the text of the Holy righteous man.

He also said (during the meal on Rosh Chodesh Tammuz 5744 [July 1, 1984]): “Clinging to true books has an effect upon a person and conveys to him the desires and powers of the authors of those books. The purpose of study is not knowledge in itself; rather, knowledge serves only as a means of awakening a desire for Holiness, that is, an altruistic desire, in a person’s heart. And this is the entire man [80], and this is the measure of a person’s Spiritual Height [24].” End of the quotation from the words of the Holy righteous man.

Thus, this book merited two commentaries composed by the man who was the right hand of our teacher [1], may his merits protect us—his firstborn son, Admor [76] Rabash Ashlag [11], renowned for his Holiness, of blessed memory, the Holy and righteous man, who was inseparably bound to his father by an eternal Spiritual bond. And we, his disciples, who merited to abide in the shadow of his Holiness, saw with our own eyes and heard with our own ears, day after day, his profound longing for his Holy father. We witnessed his immense labor and tireless efforts: at one o’clock at night he would always be awake, bent over his father’s writings, ardently yearning for closeness to God in boundless union with Him. For more than sixty years, with unflagging perseverance, he elucidated, deeply investigated, discussed, and systematized his father’s writings. He ascended and raised to the Heavenly heights [24] all those around him. Two commentaries, Or Baruch [81] and Or Shalom [30], are the fruits cultivated over all those years. With feelings of exultation and joy, we reveal to the world this bright light, like that which radiates from Rashi’s commentary on the Gemara. For like Rashi’s commentary, this commentary reveals the true plain meaning of the matters and discloses precisely what his Holy father intended, thoroughly expounding every single idea without exception.

We have presented here excerpts from the Holy words of our teacher [1], may his merits protect us, and of the Admor [76] Rabash [11], and from them it follows in general that two principal things are required in [the study of] the inner part of the Torah: 1) The primary requirement is that every person should turn his gaze inward, with the aim of drawing down, through the study of the True Torah, a radiance [8] that will shine into the depths of his soul, so that through it he may see the greatness of the everlasting and absolute significance of haShem, be He glorified, and the great lowliness of man, who incessantly draws sustenance from the impurity of self-love. And by seeing these two things, and according to the depth and acuteness of his realization of their truth, he will be able to attain the desired goal: union and the establishment of a bond with Him, be He glorified. 2) Through this study, we will be able to correct the structure and functioning of our people’s society, and afterward throughout the entire world. Naturally, a condition for this is that more and more people build themselves individually, as stated in the first requirement. The meaning of these words is simple: all humanity must lead a life devoted to the service of haShem, as it is said, “And all shall come to serve You” [82], and without this there is no justification whatsoever for the existence of the world. Consequently, the world will not be able to exist unless it is founded upon turning away from self-love and upon love of others, for only in this way is a bond established with the Master of the world. And from this it undoubtedly follows that a new order must be created in the world: an order of honesty, justice, and peace. Now, without Kabbalistic wisdom, humanity finds itself utterly helpless, for it will not know how to plan wisely, where to go or where to turn; and our eyes see what destruction the various societies of the world have come to. And only through the True Wisdom, which illuminates the human soul with truth and, through this illumination, points out what is corrupted and damaged within the human soul, will society be able to correct its structure in accordance with the will of haShem, be He glorified. And first our people must embark upon this path by virtue of the chosenness of our Holy forefathers and through the Light [4] of the inner part of the Torah; afterward, the sparks that refine and purify the impure body [83] of self-love will pass to the rest of the world as well: “And the land shall be full of knowledge of haShem, as water covers the seabed” [84].

And behold, this book is the first volume in the series “Teaching of Ten Sfirot” [2], to be followed, with the help of haShem, be He glorified, by many more volumes. We address our prayer to Him Who dwells on high, that He may grant us the merit of completing this immense work that we have begun, and give us a heart that feels and understands, as is necessary for completing the publication of these Holy [books] that we have undertaken.

The Publisher

Avraham Mordechai Gottlieb [13],

a disciple of the Admor [76] “Birkat Shalom” [12] Ashlag [11], renowned for his Holiness, may his merits protect us.

To Those Studying This Book

As anyone studying this book can see, a section entitled “Notes and Commentaries” has been added at the end of each part. This section was written by the publishers to clarify passages in Or Baruch [81] and Or Shalom [30] that are difficult or may be misunderstood. Sometimes the “Notes and Commentaries” explain specific questions concerning the subject under discussion, while at other times they broadly develop the discussion of various aspects of this wisdom. The reader, in accordance with the knowledge he has already acquired, should choose which explanations he needs.

Order of Study: The book is arranged in such a way that one who studies it should first thoroughly study the words of Arizal [6] and the corresponding commentary Or Pnimi [27], and only after he understands them clearly and deeply may he proceed to study the commentary Or Baruch [81], and then the commentary Or Shalom [30]. But if he studies the words of Arizal and Or Pnimi hastily and immediately turns to Or Baruch and Or Shalom, it is like an answer without a question, which leads to a mistaken understanding.

The Difference Between Or Baruch [81] and Or Shalom [30]. Admor [76] [11], of blessed memory, the holy and righteous man, for the most part wrote down Or Baruch in the margins of his own copy of the book or in copybooks, and therefore these notes are brief and concise, whereas Or Shalom is based on audio recordings of lessons, and therefore these questions are discussed there in detail. Therefore, if one who studies the book encounters difficulties while reading Or Baruch, let him not despair, but after reading the explanations given in Or Baruch, let him turn to Or Shalom, and there he will often find answers and clarifications.

Naturally, since Or Shalom [30], as already stated, is based on audio recordings, Or Shalom often goes beyond the subject of the commentary and even moves on to other, unrelated subjects that are not discussed in the passage being commented upon, or to subjects concerning the service of haShem. Therefore, one who studies the book must be able to exercise flexibility and, when Or Shalom moves on to another subject, move on with it, and then return to the main subject under discussion.

Translator’s Notes

---------------------------------

[1] Ashlag, Yehudah Leib haLevi (also Baal haSulam, i.e., the author of [the commentary] Sulam (“ladder”, i.e., Yaakov’s Ladder), 1885, Warsaw—1954, Tel Aviv)—the founder and head of a Kabbalistic school, author of the “Sulam” Commentary to the book of Zohar (which presents the Aramaic text of the Book of Zohar together with Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag’s Hebrew translation and the Sulam commentary), the book Teaching of Ten Sfirot [2] (a commentary on Arizal’s [6] Tree of Life [5]), and other works.

[2] Sfirah (plural: Sfirot) is an element of a Spiritual object and is itself a Spiritual object. According to one interpretation, the word Sfirah comes from the word Sapir (sapphire). It can characterize a vessel [3] and the Light [4] that the vessel receives. Just as a precious stone shines with different colors, and just as colored glass transmits light of a certain color, different Sfirot characterize the vessel’s reception of Light of different quantity and quality. According to another interpretation, Spiritual objects are called Sfirot when they have a certain measure, are finite, and are characterized by a certain number (i.e., the word "Sfirah" derives from the word "Safar", to count). Every Spiritual object is divided into ten Sfirot or five principal Sfirot.

[3] A vessel is the desire to receive pleasure. Why is it called a "vessel"? If a liquid is poured into a physical vessel, it takes the vessel's shape. Similarly, the pleasure received by the vessel assumes, as it were, its form; that is, the pleasure corresponds to the properties of the vessel.

[4] Chochmah means “wisdom.” It is the second of five principal Sfirot [2] and of ten Sfirot. It is the reception, by a vessel [3] (a created being) that is not yet self-aware, of all the Light (i.e., pleasure; when “Light” is written, it usually refers to the Light of Chochmah, the pleasure derived from receiving) that the Giver wishes to give it.

[5] Arizal’s [6] Tree of Life is one of the most important books on Kabbalah (along with the Book of Zohar). This book summarizes the foundations of Arizal’s teaching. It was recorded in 1573 by Arizal’s disciple, Rabbi Chaim Vital. See the Hebrew text.

[6] Arizal—the Divine Ashkenazi Rabbi Yitzchak, of blessed memory.

[7] How can I repay haShem for all His goodness to me? I shall raise the cup of salvations and invoke the Name of haShem—Tehilim 116:12—116:13.

[8] Radiance is small Light [4].

[9] A Light [4] more precious than thousands of gold and silver [bars]—it is said in Tehilim 119:72: The Torah of Your mouth is better for me than thousands of gold and silver.

[10] The Light [4] of the inner part of the Torah, concealed by haShem, be He glorified, for the righteous in the World to Come—Through the Light, that the Holy One, be He glorified, created on the first day, Adam could observe from one end of the world to the other. But when the Holy One, be He glorified, looked upon the generation of the Flood and saw that their ways were corrupt, He arose and concealed it from them, as it is stated: “And from the wicked their light is withheld” (Iyov 38:15). And for whom did He conceal it? For the righteous people in the World to Come, as it is stated: “And God saw the light, that it was good” (Bereishit 1:4), and “good” is referring to none other than the righteous, as it is stated: “Say of the righteous that he is good” (Yeshayahu 3:10)—Babylonian Talmud, tractate Chagigah, p. 12А.

[11] Ashlag, Baruch Shalom haLevi (Rabash (an acronym of the words “Rav Baruch Shalom”), also “Birkat Shalom” [12] (the name Baruch is replaced with the cognate “Birkat”), 1907, Warsaw—1991, Ramat Gan)—the eldest son, disciple, and successor of Rav Yehudah Ashlag [1], and a commentator of his works.

[12] The expression “Birkat Shalom” (blessing of peace) apparently first appears in Rashi’s writings. In his commentary on Bereishit 33:11 it means appeasing (Eisav by Yaakov), while in his commentary on Dvarim 29:18, it means wishing peace for oneself. In later literature, this is the name given to the final benediction of the Amidah. Here it is used as a name of Rav Baruch Ashlag [11]. It is also used as a name of the beth midrash in Kiryat Yearim, headed by Rav Avraham Mordechai Gottlieb [13].

[13] Gottlieb, Avraham Mordechai (b. 1963, Bnei Brak)—a disciple and successor of Rav Baruch Ashlag [11], the founder and head of the beth midrash Birkat Shalom [12], publisher, editor, and commentator of the works of Rav Yehudah Ashlag [1] and Rav Baruch Ashlag.

[14] The middle bar of Kabbalistic wisdom, binding everything together from end to end—it is written in Shemot 26:28: And the middle bar in the midst of the planks shall [extend and] penetrate from one end to the other end.

[15] For it passes quickly, and we fly away—Tehilim 90:10.

[16] Of this elder, who acquired wisdom—this is stated in the Sifra on the weekly Torah reading Kedoshim, chapter 7, section 12, and repeated in the Babylonian Talmud, tractate Kiddushin, p. 32B, as well as in Rashi’s first commentary on the verse Vayikra 19:32 (quoted from the Babylonian Talmud; comments by Adin Steinsaltz are given in curly brackets): “Before the hoary head you shall rise {and you shall respect an elder”, Vayikra 19:32}—{one} might {have thought that it is obligatory to stand} even before a simple elder. The verse states: “elder”, and an elder {means} nothing other {than} a wise man, as it is stated: “Gather unto Me seventy men of the Elders of Israel” {Bamidbar 11:16}. Rabbi Yosei the Galilean says: «An elder {means} nothing other {than} one who has acquired wisdom”, {he interprets the word “elder” [in Hebrew, “zaken” זקן] as “this is one who has acquired“} [in Hebrew “zeh kanah” זה קנה, i.e., he divides the word into two parts and adds the letter ה to each part, this letter is silent in the resulting words and is regarded as insignificant]. {Elsewhere the word “kanah” is used in reference to wisdom}, as it is stated {that wisdom says}: “ HaShem acquired me at the beginning of His way” {Mishlei 8:22}”.

[17] Lower is the one who is closer in quality to Sfirah [2] Malchut [18], in other words, to egoistic desire.

[18] Malchut means "kingship". It is the fifth of five main Sfirot [2] and the tenth of ten Sfirot. Initially, it is a desire to receive for the sake of receiving.

[19] The revelation of His Divinity, be He glorified, to His created beings in This World—And when there arose in Him the simple desire to create worlds [20] and to bestow Light [4] upon the Neetzalim [60], in order to reveal to the world the perfection of His deeds and His Names and His appellations, for such was the reason for the Creation of the worlds […] See Tree of Life [5] with Panim Meirot [62], part 1, branch one (pp. 24—25 in the file and pp. 17—18 in the book). See also “Teaching of Ten Sfirot” [2], part one, chapter one, topic two (p. 3).

[20] World—on the stage “the worlds Adam Kadmon [21], Atzilut [29], Briyah [31], Yetzirah [33], Asiyah [41]” [42], the lower [17] boundary of which represents the reality we perceive, is a Sfirah [2] of all that exists. In addition, a Spiritual object is called world when it combines in itself everything that is in the world Higher [24] to it, like a seal and an imprint, when everything that is inherent in the seal completely passes into an imprint from it. For example, the world Adam Kadmon is the Higher one for the world Nekudim [45], which originated from it and is its imprint.

[21] Adam Kadmon (primordial man) is the Sfirah [2] Keter [22] of all that exists.

[22] Keter means "crown". It is the first of five main Sfirot [2] and of ten Sfirot, a desire of the Giving One to benefit His created beings [23].

[23] When He, be His Name glorified, had a desire to create the world in order to benefit His created beings and so that they would know His greatness and be worthy to become a chariot that is rushing up [24], in order to cling to Him [25], be He glorified, He created and endowed with Light [4] one point out of ten (representing ten Sfirot [2] of Akudim [26], residing in one vessel [3] [28]), and they did not show up—The book Tree of Life [5] by Arizal [6], Shaar haKlalim [Portal of General Principles], beginning of the first chapter. The words in order to benefit His created beings express the most important Attribute of Divinity, which a person should strive to acquire.

[24] Higher means closer in quality to Creator, i. e. to the Sfirah [2] Keter [22], in other words, to altruistic desire.

[25] To cling to Him—this expression, found in Dvarim 11:22, 30:20, and Yehoshua 22:5, is a declaration of objectives in Judaism and Kabbalah.

[26] Akudim (speckled, a word from chapters 30 and 31 of the book Bereishit) is the name of the entirety of Spiritual stages, on which Or Pnimi and Or Makif [27] are connected with each other and collide with each other. As Baal HaSulam [1] explains in the General Introduction, § 5 (p. 19 in the file and p. 12 in the book), this name derives from “And he bound Yitzhak” (Bereishit 22:9) (“and he bound” is vayaakod in Hebrew, i.e., a word having the same root as Akudim). For the collision of the inner and surrounding Lights, see the Introduction to the Wisdom of Kabbalah, §§ 33—42 (pp. 9—11).

[27] Or Pnimi and Or Makif. Or Pnimi (Inner Light [4]) is the pleasure that a created being can receive with altruistic motivation. Or Pnimi is also the name of Baal haSulam’s [1] commentary to the text of Arizal [6] in the book Teaching of Ten Sfirot [2]. Or Makif (Surrounding Light) is the pleasure that a created being is unable to receive with altruistic motivation. The collision of the inner and surrounding Lights is a conflict between the created being, who wants to receive only the pleasure that it is able to receive with altruistic motivation, and G-d, Who wants the created being to receive all the pleasure that He wants to give it. For the collision of the inner and surrounding Lights see the Introduction to the Wisdom of Kabbalah, §§ 33—42 (pp. 9—11).

[28] Residing in a vessel [3]—received by a receiving one.

[29] Atzilut and also the World [20] of Correction—Atzilut means nourishment, endowment [with Light [4] ], as well as proximity to Creator: The meaning of the word Atzilut is established according to the meaning of the expression containing a related word “Va-ehye etzlo” (“And I was beside Him [a nursling, and I was [His] delight every day, rejoicing all the time in front of His countenance” (Mishlei 8:30)]) which is an allusion to Yichud (unification [with Creator]). The world Atzilut is the Sfirah [2] Chochmah [4] of all that exists.

[30] Or Shalom (“Or” means Light [4], and “Shalom” is one of the names of Rav Baruch Shalom Ashlag [11]) is the name of oral commentaries by Rav Baruch Ashlag to the works by Baal haSulam [1].

[31] Briyah (literally: creating [a Spiritual object that differs from Creator by the presence of the desire to receive]) is the Sfirah [2] Binah [32] of all that exists.

[32] Binah means “intelligence, understanding”. It is the third of five main Sfirot [2] and of ten Sfirot. Expulsion of the Light Chochmah [4] (refusal to receive the Light Chochmah) by the vessel [3], which realized that Creator is the Giving One and that it is a receiver that wants to resemble Creator.

[33] Yetzirah (literally: creating [by limiting the Light [4], when the vessel [3] receives only that part of the Light that it can receive at a given stage]) is the Sfirah [2] Zeir Anpin [34] of all that exists.

[34] Zeir Anpin or Tiferet. Zeir Anpin means "small countenance", Tiferet means "splendor". It is the fourth of five main Sfirot [2] and constitutes the fourth to ninth of ten Sfirot: Chesed [35], Gvurah [36], Tiferet [37], Netzach [38], Hod [39], Yesod [40], that is six Sfirot; because of that Zeir Anpin is called Vav Ktzavot (“six ends”). Just like Binah [32], it is a vessel [3] that has realized that Creator is the Giving One, and that it is a receiver, and that wants to be like Creator. However, Zeir Anpin knows that without Light Chochmah [4] at all one cannot survive, and receives the minimum amount of Light Chochmah necessary for survival.

[35] Chesed (mercy) is the name of the first Sfirah [2] of Zeir Anpin [34] and the fourth of ten Sfirot.

[36] Gvurah (might as well as effort and overcoming) is the name of the second Sfirah [2] of Zeir Anpin [34] and the fifth of ten Sfirot.

[37] Tiferet (splendor) is the name of the third Sfirah [2] of Zeir Anpin [34] and the sixth of ten Sfirot.

[38] Netzach (independence of time) is the name of the fourth Sfirah [2] of Zeir Anpin [34] and the seventh of ten Sfirot.

[39] Hod (magnificence) is the name of the fifth Sfirah [2] of Zeir Anpin [34] and the eighth of ten Sfirot.

[40] Yesod (foundation, and also secret and sex organ) is the name of the sixth Sfirah [2] of Zeir Anpin [34] and the ninth of ten Sfirot.

[41] Asiyah means “action”. This is the name of the lowest [17] world [20], Sfirah [2] Malchut [18] of all that exists.

[42] Worlds [20] Adam Kadmon [21], Atzilut [29], Briyah [31], Yetzirah [33], Asiyah [41] are a stage, the lower [17] boundary of which represents the reality we perceive; it is characterized by imposing a Tzimtzum [43] and by the properties of Kav [44].

[43] Tzimtzum (literally: reduction, limitation) is a prohibition to receive the Light [4]. In the world [20] Adam Kadmon [21] Tzimtzum Aleph (the first prohibition) is imposed, that is the prohibition of receiving the Light without altruistic motivation. In addition, in the worlds Atzilut [29], Briyah [31], Yetzirah [33], Asiyah [41] Tzimtzum Bet (the second prohibition) is imposed—a prohibition on receiving the Light into egoistic vessels [3] (vessels below [17] Binah [32]).

[44] Kav ([straight] line, ray, in Neviim and Ketuvim line, measuring cord, see for example Melachim 1, 7:23)—a stage characterized by the fact that the vessel [3] receives an insignificant share of the Light [4] (because after the first prohibition [43] the created being is able to receive only a small share of Light with altruistic motivation, which is visualized by a thin tube, line, or measuring cord), and by the fact that along this line up [24] and down [17] are distinguished: more altruistic stages are situated higher, closer to Creator, that is to the stage Keter [22] associated with Him, and more egoistic stages are located lower, closer to receiving for themselves, that is Malchut [18]. Such properties are manifested at the stage “worlds [20] Adam Kadmon [21], Atzilut [29], Briyah [31], Yetzirah [33], Asiyah [41]” [42].

[45] Nekudim (dotted, a word from chapters 30 and 31 of the book Bereishit), more frequently world [20] Nekudim, is a Partzuf [46], which appeared as a result of the purification [48] of Masach [47] of the Partzuf Nekudot [49] deSAG [50] [51], from which it inherited Tzimtzum Bet [43]. However, this did not help to avoid receiving too much Light [4] and the vessels [3] of the world Nekudim lost the ability to receive Light at all. In the next world Atzilut [29] a correction takes place. The correction consists in separating the Higher [24] stages from the lower [17] ones in order to avoid causing damage to the Higher stages by the wrong actions of the lower ones. In addition, the Partzufs of the world Atzilut take for themselves the unusable vessels of the world Nekudim as Nukvas [58], raise them to the Higher stages and endow them with Light so that they come to life.

[46] Partzuf (Aramaic for “countenance”, plural: Partzufim) is a name of a Spiritual object. The Partzufim are Sfirot [2] of worlds [20].

[47] Masach (screen, curtain, a word from Tanach, first time in Shemot 26:36) is a stage at which the created being receives a part of the Light [4] with altruistic motivation, and rejects (reflects) what it is unable to receive with altruistic motivation. See also Purification of Masach [48].

[48] Purification of Masach [47]—according to the First Prohibition [43] to receive Light [4] a Partzuf [46] receives only the part of the Light that it can receive with altruistic motivation, and rejects the rest of the Light. However, the vessel [3] cannot withstand the temptation and, in order to avoid violating the First Prohibition, it expels all the Light. This is called purification of the Masach, which means the disappearance of desire to receive in the Partzuf. At the same time, the vessel “remembers” that it cannot cope with the desire to receive the Light corresponding to this Partzuf, and the next Partzuf tries to cope with a weaker desire to receive (one step less than in the previous Partzuf).

[49] Nekudot (Hebrew vowels, literally: dots)—expulsion of Light [4] (refusal of pleasure) during purification [48] of Masach [47]. See also Nekudot deSAG [51].

[50] SAG (numerical value (63) of the Four-Letter Name, written as Yud-Vav-Dalet, Key-Yud, Vav-Aleph-Vav, Key-Yud; the numerical value is determined as follows: 10+6+4+5+10+6+1+6+5+10 = 63)—Partzuf [46] Binah [32] of the world [20] Adam Kadmon [21]. See also Nekudot deSAG [51].

[51] Nekudot [49] deSAG [50] (“de” means “of”). Partzuf [46] Nekudot deSAG is formed under [17] the Tabur [52] of Galgalta [57] as a result of the following: when a similarity was discovered between Nekudot deSAG, which have a structure of Zeir Anpin [34], and the radiance [8] and vessels [3] of the stage Sof [56], the Spiritual object that corresponds to Nekudot deSAG descended under the Tabur of Galgalta and united there with Zeir Anpin and Nukva [58] of Galgalta. The viciousness of the intention of this connection immediately became clear, because Nekudot deSAG have the properties of Zeir Anpin of Binah [32], while Zeir Anpin and Nukva of Galgalta are stages of Keter [22]. This immediately led to the imposition of the Second Prohibition [43] to prevent the vessels from receiving too much Light [4]. This did not help in the world [20] Nekudim [45], generated by the Partzuf Nekudot deSAG, in which the vessels still received too much Light and lost the ability to receive Light at all.

[52] Tabur (navel)—the border between Toch [53] and Sof [56].

[53] Toch (inner part) of a Partzuf [46] is its vessels [3] (part of Guf [54]), which, according to Rosh [55], are capable of receiving the Light [4] without violating the imposed prohibition [43].

[54] Guf (body) is a part of a Partzuf [46], consisting of vessels [3] and therefore capable of receiving the Light [4] (or not receiving, if such a decision is made in Rosh [55]).

[55] Rosh (head) is the part of a Partzuf [46], in which there is no actual receiving, but a decision is made how much Light [4] the Guf [54] will receive. It is said because of this that in Rosh, receiving occurs only potentially.

[56] Sof (limit, end) is the lowest [17] part of Guf [54], in which Rosh [55] decides not to receive Light [4].

[57] Galgalta (forehead, skull) is the Partzuf [46] Keter [22] of the world [20] Adam Kadmon [21].

[58] Nukva (woman, wife) is a receiving side at the time of the Zivug [59] of Spiritual objects. In particular, the Nukva of Zeir Anpin [34] is Malchut [18]. Nukva in Aramaic is the same as Nekeivah in Hebrew.

[59] Zivug (conjugal union). In Kabbalah, during the Zivug, the Higher [24] one bestows Light [4] on the lower [17] one.

[60] Neetzal is a created being, that is a vessel [3], created by Maatzil [61], Who bestows Light [4] upon the vessel. The concepts Maatzil and Neetzal are associated with the world [20] Atzilut [29].

[61] Maatzil is a Name of Creator, Who created a created being, that is, a vessel [3], and bestows Light [4] upon it. The concepts Maatzil and Neetzal are associated with the world [20] Atzilut [29].

[62] Panim Meirot means a [human] face illuminated [with wisdom], as well as the Shining Face [of the Most High]. More precisely, in Vayikra Rabbah on the weekly Torah reading Bechukotai (part 36, ch. 2) it is said that the face of one who drinks wine becomes ruddy. In Chidushei Radal (New Interpretations by Rabbi David Luria) it is said that this refers to the verse "The wisdom of a man enlightens his face" (Kohelet 8:1). Finally, in Bamidbar Rabbah on the weekly Torah reading Nasso, part 11, ch. 6, the verse "HaShem will illuminate you with His Face" (Bamidbar 6:26) is commented on as follows: He will turn the Shining Face toward you, and not the Wrathful One. The book Tree of Life [5] by Arizal [6], with the early commentary Panim Meirot by Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag [1] is available on the Internet. Branch 48 can be found on pp. 21—23 of this file (in the book: pp. 233—235).

[63] Men of renown—an expression from Bereishit 6:4.

[64] Only the Torah is a special antidote for overcoming and eliminating the evil inclination—it is said in Babylonian Talmud, tractate Kidushin, p. 30B: The Holy One, be He glorified, said to the people of Israel: «My children, I created an evil inclination and I created Torah as its antidote».

[65] The Light [4] within it brings them back to the right path—Eichah Rabbah, Introduction, part 2.

[66] The expression “the fruit of a sage” originates from the verse Mishlei 11:30: The fruit of a righteous man is a tree of Life, and a sage acquires souls.

[67] If a column of a thousand blind men is traveling along a road, and there is at their head at least one guide, they can all be confident that they will follow a straight path and will not fall into a pitfall or snares, since they follow the guide who walks at their head. But if they lack this one guide, they will undoubtedly fail to overcome any obstacle lying in their path, and they will all fall into a pit—Apparently, the source of these words is the following text: Bachya ibn Pakudah, Duties of the Hearts, Gate 1: On Unity, chapter 2, translated by Yosef Sebag. “Unity of G-d in the mind and in the tongue through Tradition, because he believes those who he received from, but he does not understand the truth of the matter through his own intellect and understanding. He is like the blind man who follows the seeing man, and it is possible that the one he follows received the Tradition from a receiver like himself, whereby it would be like a procession of blind men where each one places his hands on the shoulders of the fellow before him until at the head is a seeing man who guides them all. If the seeing man fails them or neglects them and is not careful to guard them, or if one of the blind men in the chain stumbles or some other trouble happens—all of them will share the same fate, and will stray from the path; and it is possible they will fall in a pit or ditch, or they will stumble in something which blocks their progress.”

[68] Ein Sof (the Infinite) is a world [20] in which a created being receives the Light [4] without limitations.

[69] And we have eaten our fill, and there is still some left over—words from the Shabbat table hymn Our Stronghold [that is, haShem], from Whose bounty we have eaten (known among religious Jews as “Tzur mishelo Ochalnu”) which originate from the verse Melachim 2, 4:44: And they ate and left over.

[70] The end of an act is in the initial thought—a quotation from the piyyut Lecha Dodi (“Come, My Beloved”) by Shlomo Alkabetz, which is part of the Kabbalat Shabbat (“Welcoming the Shabbat”) service.

[71] Tip the scales for themselves and for the entire world toward merit—It is stated in the Babylonian Talmud, tractate Kidushin, p. 40b: Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, says: Since the world is judged by its majority, {i.e., depending on whether people have performed a majority of commandments or a majority of sins}, and an individual is {likewise} judged by his majority, {each person must consider that if} he performs one commandment he is praiseworthy, as he tips the scale for himself and for the entire world toward merit. {Conversely}, if he transgresses one prohibition, woe to him, as he tips the scale for himself and for the entire world toward liability. [Comments by Adin Steinsaltz are given in curly brackets].

[72] Redemption—1) from death (Tehilim 68:21); 2) from suffering (Tehilim 25:17—18). It is also written in Shemot Rabbah 41:7: “And the tablets were the work of God” (Shemot 32:16). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Every single day a Divine voice emerges from Mount Chorev and proclaims: “Woe to the created beings who treat the Torah with disrespect,” for whoever does not engage in the Torah regularly is guilty before the Holy One, be He glorified, for it is said: “And the tablets were the work of G-d, engraved [Hebrew: charut] upon the tablets” (ibid.). What is charut? [This is addressed by] Rabbi Yehudah, [tanna] Rabbi Yirmeya, and the Sages. Rabbi Yehudah says: “Do not read charut [engraved], but cheirut [freedom]—freedom from exile.” Rabbi Nechemyah says: “Freedom from the Angel of Death.” And the Sages say: “Freedom from suffering.” Rabbi Eliezer, son of Rabbi Yosi the Galilean, said: “If the Angel of Death were to come before the Holy One, be He glorified, and say: ‘You created me in this world in vain,’ He would say to him: ‘I have granted you dominion over every nation of the world except this nation, to whom I have given freedom.’ ” This is the meaning of the words “engraved upon the tablets.”

[73] The year 5687 corresponds to 1926–1927.

[74] HaShem, be He glorified, first creates the remedy and then inflicts the blow—It is stated in the Babylonian Talmud, tractate Megillah, p. 13B: The Holy One, be He glorified, does not strike at the Jewish people unless He has already created a remedy for them beforehand.

[75] The expression “the footsteps of Mashiach” is encountered in the Mishnah, tractate Sotah 9:15.

[76] Admor (an abbreviation of Adoneinu, Moreinu, Rabbeinu—“our lord, teacher, and master”)—the title of the leader of a Hasidic dynasty or of a movement originating from Hasidism. When Rav Gottlieb [13] writes “Admor,” he means Rabbi Baruch Ashlag [11].
[77] Spinka—a Hasidic dynasty originating in the town of Săpânța, Maramureș County, Romania. The Admor [76] of Spinka was Yosef Meir Weiss, who wrote two books entitled Imrei Yosef (Sayings of Yosef): a commentary on the Torah and sermons for the festivals.
[78] “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to investigate a matter”—Mishlei 25:2.
[79] According to the Talmud, the human body has 248 organs and 365 sinews, corresponding to 248 positive commandments and 365 prohibitive commandments.
[80] This is the entire man—Kohelet 12:13.
[81] Or Baruch (“Or” means Light [4], and “Baruch” is one of the names of Rav Baruch Shalom Ashlag [11]) is the name of written commentaries by Rav Baruch Ashlag to the works by Baal haSulam [1].
[82] “And all shall come to serve You” is a piyyut recited by Ashkenazi Jews during repetition of Musaf Amidah on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.
[83] Body is a metaphor for the desire to receive, for self-love.
[84] For the land shall be full of knowledge of haShem, as water covers the seabed—Yeshayahu 11:9.