Idra Raba: Chapter 4

The skull

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon describes the skull of Arich Anpin in which are 130 million worlds, and he describes the flow of dew to Zeir Anpin and by which the dead wake up in the World to Come. He talks about that dew that sustains the Supreme Holy Ones and about the manna that sustains the righteous in the future. We learn how the whiteness of this skull radiates light in thirteen directions and how the dew flows to Zeir Anpin. The white illumination for the rest of the lower skulls (the crowns in the grades of the three worlds Briyah, Yetzirah and Asiyah) is drawn from the skull of Zeir Anpin.

Beard Dew Flow Head Keter Zeir Anpin

16. In the skull, WHICH IS KETER OF ARICH ANPIN, reside 13,000 x 10,000 (130 million) worlds that move on feet and are supported by them. From this skull, dew drops flow DAILY to the exterior one, ZEIR ANPIN, and fill the head every single day, as it is written: "For my head is filled with dew" (Shir Hashirim 5:2).

16. בְּגוּלְגַּלְתָּא, יַתְבִין תְּלֵיסַר אַלְפֵי רִבּוֹא עָלְמִין, דְּנַטְלִין עֲלוֹי רַגְלִין, וְסַמְכִין עֲלוֹי. וּמֵהַאי גּוּלְגַּלְתָּא נָטִיף טַלָּא, לְהַהוּא דִּלְבַר, וּמַלְיָיא לְרֵישֵׁיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא, דִּכְתִּיב שֶׁרֹאשִׁי נִמְלָא טָל.

Apples Atika Kadisha Beard Colors Crystal Dew Face Flow Ground Head Light Lights Manna Righteous Stones White World to Come, The Zeir Anpin

17. From that dew, which is outside, and which ZEIR ANPIN shakes off from his head, the dead wake up TO LIFE in the World to Come, as it is written: "For your dew is as the dew on herbs (also: 'of lights')" (Yeshayah 26:19). THIS IS BECAUSE THIS DEW IS the illumination of the white light of Atika, MEANING THE WHITENESS OF THE SKULL THAT IS NAMED ATIKA, and from that dew the supreme holy beings are sustained. That is the manna that is ground for the righteous in the World to Come. That dew flows to the field of holy apple trees, THE MALCHUT, as it says, "And when the layer of dew was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a fine flaky substance" (Shemot 16:14). The appearance of that dew is white like the crystal stones that appear to contain all the colors within them, as it is written: "And its color was like the color of crystal" (Bemidbar 11:7).

17. וּמֵהַהוּא טַלָּא דְּאַנְעַר מֵרֵישֵׁיהּ, הַהוּא דְּאִיהוּ לְבַר, יִתְּעֲרוּן מֵתַיָּיא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. דִּכְתִיב כִּי טַל אוֹרוֹת טַלֶּךָ, אוֹרוֹת נְהוֹרָא דְּחִוַורְתָּא דְּעַתִּיקָא. וּמֵהַהוּא טַלָּא, מִתְקַיְּימִין קַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין. וְהוּא מָנָא דְּטַחְנֵי לְצַדִּיקַיָּיא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. וְנָטִיף הַהוּא טַלָּא לְחַקְלָא דְּתַפּוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין. הה"ד, וַתַּעַל שִׁכְבַת הַטָּל וְהִנֵּה עַל פְּנֵי הַמִּדְבָּר דַּק מְחוּסְפָּס. וְחֵיזוּ הַהוּא טַלָּא חִוָּור. כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא דְּאַבְנִין דִּבְדּוֹלְחָא, דְּאִתְחַזְיָיא כָּל גַּוְונִין בְּגַוָּוהּ. הה"ד וְעֵינוֹ כְּעֵין הַבְּדוֹלַח.

Beard Directions Face Keter Light Thirteen

18. The whiteness of this skull, KETER OF ARICH ANPIN, radiates light to the thirteen directions engraved around it, four directions on this side OF THE FACE, four directions on that side of its face, ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT OF THE SKULL ON THE SIDE AGAINST THE FRONT FACE, and four directions on the back side. One DIRECTION is on top of the skull, IN THE CENTER BETWEEN RIGHT AND LEFT.

18. הַאי גּוּלְגַּלְתָּא. חִוָּורָא דִּילֵיהּ, אַנְהִיר לִתְלֵיסַר עִיבָר גְּלִיפִין בְּסַחֲרָנוֹי. לְאַרְבַּע עִיבָר בְּסִטְרָא חַד, וּלְאַרְבַּע עִיבָר בְּסִטְרָא דָּא, בְּסִטְרָא דְּאַנְפּוֹי. וּלְאַרְבַּע עִיבָר בְּסִטְרָא דָּא, לְסִטְרָא דְּאֲחוֹרָא. וְחַד לְעֵילָּא דְּגוּלְגַּלְתָּא.

Aramaic Atika Kadisha Beard Body Face Grades Head Holy of Holies Zeir Anpin

19. From this, the length of the face OF ARICH ANPIN spreads unto the 370 x 10,000 worlds. This is referred to as longsuffering (lit. 'of a long face'). THEREFORE, this most ancient Atika is called Arich Anpin, WHICH IS ARAMAIC FOR LONG FACE. That one outside, THE ONE THAT COATS FROM THE NAVEL DOWNWARD OF ARICH ANPIN, WHERE IT IS CONSIDERED AS THE EXTERIOR OF THE BODY, is called Zeir Anpin, corresponding to the old Atika, the Holy of Holies of the Holies, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN. When Zeir Anpin gazes at ARICH ANPIN, all below get restored and its face spreads and lengthens during that period. This is ONLY in periods OF FAVOR but not all the time like Atika, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN.

19. וּמֵהַאי אִתְפְּשָׁט אוֹרְכָא דְּאַנְפּוֹי, לִתְלַת מְאָה וְשַׁבְעִין רִבּוֹא עָלְמִין. וְהַהוּא אִתְקְרֵי אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם. וְהַאי עַתִּיקָא דְּעַתִּיקִין אִתְקְרֵי אֲרִיכָא דְּאַנְפִּין. וְהַהוּא דִּלְבַר אִתְקְרֵי זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין. לָקֳבְלֵיהּ דְּעַתִּיקָא סָבָא, קֹדֶשׁ קֳדָשִׁים דְּקֻדְשַׁיָא. וּזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין כַּד אִסְתָּכַּל לְהַאי, כֹּלָּא דִּלְתַּתָּא אִתְתְּקַּן, וְאַנְפּוֹי מִתְפַּשְּׁטִין וַאֲרִיכִין בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, אֲבָל לָא כָּל שַׁעֲתָא כְּמָה דְּעַתִּיקָא.

Asiyah Atik-Yomin Beard Briyah Census Crowns Grades Head Keter Shekels Thirteen White Worlds Yetzirah Zeir Anpin

20. From this skull, WHICH IS KETER OF ARICH ANPIN, emanates one white side FROM THE THIRTEEN WHITENESSES OF THE SKULL to the skull of Zeir Anpin, WHICH IS HIS KETER, to construct his head, MEANING TO ESTABLISH FOR HIM THE FIRST THREE SFIROT THAT ARE REFERRED TO AS THE HEAD. FROM THE SKULL OF ZEIR ANPIN IS DRAWN THE WHITE ILLUMINATION for the rest of the lower skulls, REFERRING TO THE CROWNS IN THE GRADES OF BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH that are without number. Each skull pays a fee for THE ILLUMINATING OF the whiteness to Atik Yomin, when they are accounted under the scepter, and the half shekel per skull THAT THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL GIVE in their census down below is parallel to this.

20. וּמֵהַאי גּוּלְגַּלְתָּא, נָפִיק חַד עִיבָר חִיוָּר לְגוּלְגַּלְתָּא דִּזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין, לְתַקְּנָא רֵישֵׁיהּ. וּמֵהַאי לִשְׁאַר גּוּלְגַּלְתִּין דִּלְתַּתָּא, דְּלֵית לוֹן חוּשְׁבָּנָא. וְכָל גּוּלְגַּלְתָּא יָהֲבִין אֲגָר חִיוַרְתָּא לְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין. כַּד עָאלִין בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא תְּחוֹת שַׁרְבִיטָא. וְלָקֳבֵיל דָּא, בֶּקַע לַגוּלְגּוֹלֶת לְתַתָּא, כַּד עָאלִין בְּחוּשְׁבָּנָא.

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