The four compartments of the Tefilin

Synopsis

We hear of how the friends who live in the south explained the four compartments of the Tefilin, but the rabbis say they do not agree with their interpretation because their inclusion of the supernal Keter as the first of the compartments is incorrect; this is because the supernal Keter includes everything. We learn about the four passages in the brain and the four passages in the heart; these are the four Mochin of Zeir Anpin and the four of Malchut. Rabbi Elazar talks about Judgment and Mercy, and says that one can always tell from which grade a prophet has drawn his prophecy.

Dwellings Firstborn Keter Love Sh'ma Yisrael South Strength Tfilin Torah

173. The friends who live in the south have explained, with their secrets, the four compartments of the Tefilin in the following manner. "Sanctify to Me (Heb. kadesh li) all the firstborn" (Shemot 13:2): FIRSTBORN unspecified corresponds to Keter, highest of all, WHICH IS CALLED FIRSTBORN. "And it shall be, when Hashem your Elohim shall bring you (Heb. vehayah ki yeviacha)" (Devarim 6:10) corresponds to Chochmah. "Hear, O Yisrael (Heb. sh'ma Yisrael)" together with "And you shall love Hashem your Elohim (Heb. ve'ahavta)" (Devarim 6:4-9) correspond to Binah. "And it shall come to pass, if you hearken (Heb. vehayah im shamo'a)" (Devarim 11:13-17) corresponds to Chesed. They are all then included in THE TEFILIN IN the left arm that is called might, as it is written, "and by the arm of His strength" (Yeshayah 62:8). Strength is nothing but Torah; strength is nothing but Tefilin.

173. וְחַבְרַיָּיא יַתְבֵי דָּרוֹמָא אוֹקְמוּהָ בְּרָזָא דִּלְהוֹן, אַרְבַּע בָּתֵּי דִּתְפִילִין כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא. קַדֶּשׁ לִי כָל בְּכוֹר סְתָם, לָקֳבֵל כִּתְרָא עִלָּאָה דְּכֺלָּא. וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ, לָקֳבֵל חָכְמָה. שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָהַבְתָּ, לָקֳבֵל בִּינָה. וְהָיָה לָקֳבֵל חֶסֶד. לְבָתַר כְּלִילָן כֻּלְּהוּ בִּדְרוֹעָא שְׂמָאלָא, דְּאִקְרֵי עֺז. וּכְתִיב, וּבִזְרוֹעַ עֻזּוֹ. וְאֵין עֺז, אֶלָּא תּוֹרָה, וְאֵין עֺז, אֶלָּא תְּפִלִּין.

Brain Egypt Firstborn Freedom Heart Keter Mochin Slavery South Tfilin Zeir Anpin

174. We do not agree with these words. The reason is that the supernal Keter includes everything, and is not part of the reckoning OF THE FOUR PASSAGES. Moreover, "And it shall be, when Hashem your Elohim shall bring you" derives from the exodus from Egypt, which is that place where freedom is bestowed on slaves, NAMELY BINAH. Hence the way OF OUR FRIENDS IN THE SOUTH is incorrect. But we start from Chochmah, THAT "SANCTIFY TO ME ALL THE FIRSTBORN" IS CHOCHMAH INSTEAD OF KETER, and it is so. And the Holy One, blessed be He, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, put on TEFILIN. There are four passages above and four below. HE EXPLAINS, there are four in the area of the brain, NAMELY, THEY ARE THE FOUR MOCHIN OF ZEIR ANPIN; there are four in the area where the heart dwells, WHICH IS MALCHUT, because the one is connected with the other; ZEIR ANPIN IS CONNECTED WITH MALCHUT.

174. וּמִלִּין לָא מִתְיַשְּׁבָן לְגַבָּן. מ"ט. בְּגִין דְּכִתְרָא עִלָּאָה הוּא כָּלִיל כֺּלָּא, דְּלָאו הוּא בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא. וְעוֹד, וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ בִּיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם תַּלְיָיא, הַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ חֵירוּ לְעַבְדִין, וְעַל דָּא לָא מִתְתַּקְּנָן בְּאָרְחַיְיהוּ. וַאֲנָן מֵחָכְמָה שַׁרְיָין, וְהָכִי הוּא וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטִיל לוֹן, אַרְבַּע לְעֵילָּא, אַרְבַּע לְתַתָּא, אַרְבַּע בַּאֲתָר דְּמוֹחָא. אַרְבַּע בַּאֲתָר דְּלִבָּא שַׁרְיָיא. בְּגִין דְּדָא בְּדָא אִתְקְשַּׁר.

Crowns Doorpost Earth Heaven Holy Name House Tetragrammaton Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

175. Man should be crowned with them because they are the supernal Holy Name, NAMELY, YUD HEI VAV HEI, as it is written, "And all people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of Hashem..." (Devarim 28:10). Whoever is adorned with this supernal holy crown is called a king on earth. And the Holy One, blessed be He, is a king in heaven. This is the meaning of, "a king caught in its tresses" (Shir Hashirim 7:6). Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, is king above, so is he a king below. "And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house" (Devarim 6:9), so that the man shall be perfect in everything and perfect by his Master's commandments, marked above and marked below. Happy is the lot of Yisrael.

175. וּבָעֵי ב"נ לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּהוּ, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה. דִּכְתִּיב, וְרָאוּ כֺּל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ כִּי שֵׁם יְיָ' וְגוֹ.' וְכָל מַאן דְּמִתְעַטָּר בְּעִטְרָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה דָּא, אִקְרֵי מֶלֶךְ בְּאַרְעָא. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מֶלֶךְ בִּרְקִיעָ. הה"ד מֶלֶךְ אָסוּר בָּרְהָטִים. כְּמָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מֶלֶךְ לְעֵילָּא, הָכִי נָמֵי הוּא מֶלֶךְ לְתַתָּא. וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל מְזוּזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ, בְּגִין דִּיהֱוֵי בַּר נָשׁ שְׁלִים בְּכֺלָּא, וְיִשְׁתְּכַּח שְׁלִים בְּפִקּוּדֵי דְּמָארֵיהּ, רָשִׁים לְעֵילָּא, רָשִׁים לְתַתָּא, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.

Adonai Grades Hosts Judgment Mercy

176. Rabbi Elazar opened and said, I have found two verses, and though it comes from one grade, nevertheless they are not of the same grade. The one verse writes, "Thus says Hashem Tzva'ot (Eng. 'Lord of Hosts')" (Chagai 1:7), and another writes, "Thus says Hashem Elohim" (Yeshayah 7:7). What is the difference between them? HE ANSWERS, When it is written, "Thus says Hashem Tzva'ot" the matter comes with Mercy, and when it is written, "Thus says Adonai Elohim," it comes with Judgment.

176. פָּתַח ר' אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר, תְּרֵי קְרָאֵי אַשְׁכַּחְנָא, דְּאע"ג דְּכֺלָּא בְּחַד דַּרְגָּא תַּלְיָין, לָאו אִינּוּן מִדַּרְגָּא חַד. חַד קְרָא כְּתִיב, כֺּה אָמַר יְיָ' צְבָאוֹת. וְחַד קְרָא כְּתִיב, כֺּה אָמַר יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים. מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי. אֶלָּא בְּזִמְנָא דִּכְתִּיב כֺּה אָמַר יְיָ' צְבָאוֹת, כְּדֵין מִלָּה אַתְיָא בְּרַחֲמֵי. וּבְזִמְנָא דִּכְתִּיב כֺּה אָמַר יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים, כְּדֵין מִלָּה אַתְיָא בְּדִינָא.

Adonai Judgment Koh Mercy Righteous Tetragrammaton Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH) Zeir Anpin

177. HE EXPLAINS THE ISSUE: IN THE VERSE, "Thus (Heb. koh) says Hashem Tzva'ot," it is because 'koh,' WHICH IS MALCHUT, is blessed by the Righteous One, WHO IS YESOD, and by Netzach and Hod that are called Hashem Tzva'ot. Then it comes out tempered because it issues from that place, YESOD. IN THE VERSE, "Thus says Adonai Elohim," this 'koh,' WHICH IS MALCHUT, is nourished from the aspect of Judgment and from the place of supernal Gvurah, THAT IS, GVURAH OF ZEIR ANPIN. I have learned from my father that Judgment is tempered with Mercy, since it is written, "Hashem Elohim," AND YUD HEI VAV HEI IS MERCY AND ELOHIM IS JUDGMENT.

177. כֺּה אָמַר יְיָ' צְבָאוֹת, בְּגִין דְּהַאי כֺּה, אִתְבָּרְכָא מִצַדִּיק וּמִנֶצַח וְהוֹד, דְּאִקְרֵי יְיָ' צְבָאוֹת. וּכְדֵין, מִלָּה בְּאִתְבַּסְּמוּתָא אַתְיָיא, דְּהָא מֵאֲתָר דָּא קָא אַתְיָא. כֺּה אָמַר יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים, כְּדֵין הַאי כֺּה יַנְקָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּדִינָא, מֵאֲתָר דִּגְבוּרָה עִלָּאָה, וְאוֹלִיפְנָא מֵאַבָּא, דְּדִינָא הוּא בְּרַחֲמֵי, בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים.

Adonai Grades Prophets

178. דְּהָא אֱלֹהִים גְּבוּרָה הוּא בְּכָל אֲתָר, אֲדֺנָי, גְּבוּרָה תַּתָּאָה הִיא בְּכָל אֲתָר. וְעַל דָּא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן מִלֵּי מִפּוּמָא דִּנְבִיאָה, וְהוּא הֲוָה מִתְכַּוֵּין לְמֵימַר מִלָּה מֵאַתְרֵיהּ. וּכְדֵין הֲווֹ יַדְעֵי אִלֵּין בְּנֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא, מֵאָן אֲתָר תַּלְיָיא מִלְּתָא.