Prologue: Chapter 4

"Who has created these" of Elijah

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai describes to his son, Rabbi Elazar, his mystical encounter with Elijah the Prophet (Eliyahu). It was then that the supernal secrets of Creation concealed within the previous section were revealed to the Holy Master. The words and sentences of this story imbue us with the power to achieve an even stronger connection to the Light.

Astrology Creation Heavens Hebrew Letters Planets Zodiac

11. Rabbi Shimon said, Elazar, my son, stop talking lest the supernal hidden secret, which humans know nothing about, be revealed. Rabbi Elazar stopped talking and was silent. Rabbi Shimon wept and stood still for a moment. Rabbi Shimon then said, Elazar, what are these (Heb. eleh, which is spelled ALEPH LAMED HEI)? If you say that they are the planets and the constellations, have they not always been seen? And they were created by Mah WHICH IS MALCHUT. As it is written, "By the word of Hashem (THAT IS, MALCHUT) were the heavens made" (Tehilim 33:6).- And if THE TERM ELEH was said about the hidden things, then there is no NEED to write Eleh, because they, THE PLANETS AND THE CONSTELLATIONS, are visible.

11. אָמַר רָבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אֶלְעָזָר בְּנִי פְּסוֹק מִילָךְ, וְיִתְגְּלֵי סְתִימָא דְרָזָא עִלָּאָה דִּבְנֵי עָלְמָא לָא יָדְעִין. שָׁתִיק ר' אֶלְעָזָר. בָּכָה ר"ש, וְקָאֵים רִגְעָא חֲדָא. אָמַר רָבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אֶלְעָזָר, מַאי אֵלֶּה. אִי תֵימָא כֹּכְבַיָא וּמַזָּלֵי, הָא אִתְחֲזָן תַּמָּן תָּדִיר. וּבַמֶּ"ה אִיתְבְּרִיאוּ, כד"א בִּדְבַר ה' שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׁוּ. אִי עַל מִלִּין סְתִימִין, לָא לִכְתּוֹב אֵלֶּה, דְּהָא אִיתְגַּלְּיָא אִיהוּ.

Creation Earth Elijah Fingers Heavens Hosts Mi (Who)

12. This secret was never before revealed, until one day when I was on the seashore, Elijah came and asked me: Sir, do you know what "Who (Heb. mi) has created these (Heb. eleh)" means? I answered 'these' are the heavens and their hosts, the works of the Holy One, blessed be He. And man should look at them and bless Him, as is written, "When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers... Adonai our Master, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!" (Tehilim 8:4-10).

12. אֶלָּא רָזָא דָא לָא אִתְגַּלְּיָא, בַּר יוֹמָא חַד דַּהֲוֵינָא עַל כֵּיף יַמָּא, וַאֲתָא אֵלִיָּהוּ וַאֲמַר לִי, רַבִּי יָדַעְתְּ מַה הוּא מִי בָּרָא אֵלֶּה. אֲמֵינָא לֵיהּ, אִלֵּין שְׁמַיָּא וְחֵילֵהוֹן, עוֹבָדָא דְקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא דְּאִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהוֹ, וּלְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ, דִּכְתִיב כִּי אֶרְאֶה שָׁמֶיךָ מַעֲשֵׂה אֶצְבְּעוֹתֶיךָ וגו' ה' אֲדוֹנֵינוּ מָה אַדִּיר שִׁמְךָ בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ.

Images Point Thought

13. He told me, Rabbi, the Holy One, blessed be He, had a great secret, which He revealed to the celestial Yeshivah. The secret is that when the most concealed One desired to reveal Himself, He first made one Point, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and this point ascended and became a Thought, WHICH IS BINAH. THIS MEANS THAT MALCHUT ROSE UP AND WAS INCLUDED WITHIN BINAH. He shaped in it all the images and engraved all the designs.

13. אָמַר לוֹ, רַבִּי: מִלָּה סְתִימָא הֲוָה קַמֵּי קָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְגָלֵי בִּמְתִיבְתָּא עִלָּאָה, וְדָא הוּא. בְּשַׁעְתָּא דִּסְתִימָא דְכָל סְתִימִין בָּעָא לְאִתְגַּלְּיָא, עֲבַד בְּרֵישָׁא נְקוּדָה חֲדָא, וְדָא סָלֵיק לְמֶהֱוֵי מַחֲשָׁבָה. צַיֵּיר בָּהּ כָּל צִיּוּרִין חָקַק בָּהּ כָּל גְּלִיפִין.

Chassadim Creation Deities Form Garments Golden Calf Hebrew Letters Light Mi (Who) Thought

14. And He engraved inside the sacred and hidden candlelight, WHICH IS MALCHUT THAT IS INCLUDED WITHIN BINAH, an engraving of a mystical and holy design. It is a very profound structure that emerges from the thought, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE UPPER THREE SFIROT, and is called Mi, which is the inception of this edifice. And it is exists and exists not; it is hidden deep inside the name ELOHIM. FURTHERMORE, it is called only Mi (Mem Yud). THIS MEANS THAT IT LACKS THE LETTERS ALEPH, LAMED, AND HEI FROM THE NAME ELOHIM (ALEPH-LAMED-HEI-YUD -MEM). He desired to reveal Himself and to be called ELOHIM, so He dressed Himself up in a precious shining garment, WHICH IS THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM, and created Eleh. And these letters, Aleph, Lamed, and Hei, after being joined together ascended to the name ELOHIM, MEANING THAT the letters MEM AND YUD, combined with ALEPH, LAMED, AND HEI, complete the name Elohim. Furthermore, as long as He did not create the letters Aleph, Lamed, and Hei, they did not amount to the name Elohim. Those who sinned in worshipping the Golden Calf used this secret by saying, "These (Heb. eleh) are your Elohim, Yisrael" (Shemot 32:4).

14. וְאַגְלִיף גּוֹ בּוֹצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא סְתִימָא גְּלִיפוּ דְּחַד צִיּוּרָא סְתִימָאָה קֹדֶשׁ קַדִּישִׁין בִּנְיָינָא עֲמִיקָא דְּנָפֵיק מִגּוֹ מַחֲשָׁבָה, וְאִקְרֵי מִי שֵׂירוּתָא לְבִנְיָנָא קַיָּימָא וְלָא קַיָּימָא, עָמִיק וְסָתִים בִּשְׁמָא. לָא אִקְרֵי אֶלָּא מִי. בָּעָא לְאִתְגַּלְיָיא וּלְאִתְקְרֵי בִּשְׁמָא דָא, וְאִתְלַבַּשׁ בִּלְבוּשׁ יְקָר דְּנָהֵיר, וּבָרָא אֵלֶּ"ה, וְסָלֵיק אֵלֶּ"ה בִּשְׁמָא. אִתְחַבְּרוּן אַתְוָון אִלֵּין בְּאִלֵּין וְאִשְׁתְּלִים בִּשְׁמָא אֱלֹהִים. וְעַד לָא בָרָא אֵלֶּה לָא סָלֵיק בִּשְׁמָא אֱלֹהִים. וְאִינוּן דְּחָבוּ בְּעֶגְלָא. עַל רָזָא דְנָא אֲמָרוּ אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Chassadim Elijah Garments Hebrew Letters Light Mercy Mi (Who)

15. Just as the letters Mi joined Eleh, AND FORMED THE NAME ELOHIM, USING THE PRECIOUS SHINING GARMENT, WHICH IS THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM, so the name has remained forever combined. And the continued existence of the world is based on this secret, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE VERSE, "THE WORLD IS BUILT BY LOVE (HEB. CHESED)" (TEHILIM 89:3). Elijah then flew away, and I could not see him anymore. And it is from him that I received this knowledge and was able to grasp this hidden secret. Rabbi Elazar came with all the other friends and bowed down before him. They wept and then said, if we had not come into this world but only to hear this secret, it would have been enough for us.

15. וּכְמָה דְּאִשְׁתַּתַּף מִ"י בְּאֵלֶּה, הָכֵי הוּא שְׁמָא דְּאִשְׁתַּתַּף תָּדִיר, וּבְרָזָא דָא אִתְקַיֵּים עָלְמָא. וּפְרַח אֵלִיָּהוּ וְלָא חָמֵינָא לֵיהּ. וּמִנֵּיהּ יְדַעְנָא מִלָּה דְאוֹקִימְנָא עַל רָזָא וְסִתְרָא דִילָהּ. אֲתָא ר' אֶלְעָזָר וְכָלְהוֹ חַבְרַיָיא וְאִשְׁתְּטָחוּ קַמֵּיהּ, בְּכוֹ וַאֲמָרוּ, אִלְמָלֵא לָא אֲתֵינָא לְעָלְמָא אֶלָּא לְמִשְׁמַע דָּא דַּי.

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