Place of Attachment

We have already explained how the chasadim and gevurot emanate throughout the six extremities of Zeir Anpin on the level of gadlut [maturity], and on the level of katnut [immature state]. We will begin this discussion with the gevurot of gadlut.

The world and its six directions/days comes from Zeir Anpin, which is built out of six primary sefirot. (Eitz Chayim, Shaar Zeir Anpin) In the self, during the week, it is the source of the average consciousness.

Zeir Anpin goes through stages of expansion and constriction. This is dependent upon the spreading out of the powers of chesed within itself. (Ibid.) "Mercy depends upon the mind." (Likutei Moharan) The higher the state of mercy, the higher the state of consciousness. In the expanded state, even the gevurot/din/left-side are sweet and empower and add awareness.

At different times, a person experiences tranquility or pressure, calmness or nervousness. These affect his headset. The key to sweetening difficulties is to grab the side of chesed - always look at and focus on the good and remain calm. This ameliorates problems and can serve to keep one peaceful even in midst much stress.

Perhaps this is why the Ari.Zl. starts with the gevurot of gadlut, because this is the most important lesson in life: To reach a state in which one can turn suffering to good.

It is important to keep in mind that the following points about the following tzadikim are not at all everything that is to be said about their soul-roots. This is just one major wing that needs to be factored in with other data in order to come to full comprehension of their source. In terms of itself, it does tell us how the supernal partzuf of Zeir Anpin unfolds into expression in the world through soul-root characters. The mode of Zeir Anpin they come from is their starting point that affords certain tendencies. Each tzadik takes it and does what he does.

The gevurot of gadlut which ascend from yesod to netzach [manifest as] King Hezekiah.1The gevura that ascends to chesed is Ezekiel the prophet, and the gevura that ascends from yesod to hod is Rabbi Akiva ben Yosef; to gevura is Akavia ben Mehalelel. The gevura that ascends to the lower revealed two-thirds of tiferet is Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai.

Netzach/victory/eternity affords Hezekiah royalty. Mashiach will bring the whole world to gadlut from amidst its suffering - so Hezekiah from gevurot of gadlut was a candidate for Mashiach. (Sanhedrin 94a)

Ezekiel of chesed prophesized about the third Temple, which comes from and manifests complete chesed. (Zohar III Naso Idra Raba)

Rabbi Akiva of hod went through much difficulty in life and then was torturously killed - which latches most on to hod.2

Akavia ben Mehalelel of gevura was known to be outstanding in fear of sin,3 which comes from gevura.

The pattern of sefirot explained is first netzach, then chesed - of the right side; gevura, then hod - of the left side. Next is tiferet of the middle.

Raban Yochanan of the revealed part of tiferet was able to reveal the secrets of the Merkavah.

The gevurot all spread out and descend to yesod, the sefira of connection. It is so the ‘sefira central’.4 From there they bounce up and each one associates with its respective sefira. In the psyche, a person must strive to actualize knowledge in the mind. This refers not only to doing the things one knows he should do, but also igniting in the heart energies rooted in the mind. For example, one who wants to go on a diet needs to draw gevura into his body to fuel self-discipline. One who learns about the greatness of the Divine acts has to draw gevura in the heart to awaken feelings of awe. Once one does this, the gevurot ricochet back up to the other parts of the self and help other things along.

From the remaining third of chesed, after it is divided, is MR/mar, which is Manasseh ben Hezekiah. The upper third is Eliyahu the son of Berach-El HaBuzai from the family of RM/Rum - thus we find RM is MR. When it ascends after that to da’at, it is Samuel the prophet from the RMTYM/Ramatim. Understand this.

Ramatim is simply Rum in the plural. Since Samuel is from da’at, which includes right-left/chesed-gevura forces, in him the Rum energy spreads to both sides.

The da’at source in Samuel helps him to fuse the grand Nadab/Abihu-right/left ibur that he bears. (Chapter 35)

On another occasion, my teacher told me that Eliyahu son of Berachel Habuzi from Family Rum is the covered, upper-third of tiferet - that is Family Rum. Elkana and his son, Samuel the prophet, were from the Ramatim, which is the level of da’at, which is the upper level that includes the two of them, and the upper-third of tiferet.

On the level of katnut, which [comes from] the name ELHYM as is known,5 there are three levels: the level of moach [consciousness], the level of chesed, and the level of gevurot.

The moach that ascends to netzach [manifests in] Rami bar Chama, the chesed that ascends to netzach is Abaye, and the gevura is Rav Bibi his son.

After that, it ascends to chesed, which is the right arm. The moach is Rav Sechora, the chesed is Pinchas the brother of Mar Shmuel, who is the level of gevurat hagadlut hamukeh toch katnut [the gevura of gadlut that collides within katnut]. The gevura is Rav Shmuel the son of Shelas.

Here also the order is netzach-chesed, hod-gevura, lower two thirds of tiferet - the upper third.

"All (below) is as above." An atomic reactor features colliding atoms to produce certain effects. The Supernal Emanator at times causes sefirot to collide in order to produce modes of mochin. Gadlut locks horns with katnut in order for them to help each other. Gadlut sweetens katnut and gives it rays of hope to expand and mature. Katnut helps ground gadlut and prevent it from reaching above its level. In service of God, this is called expertise in walking, running and returning. (Likutei Moharan 6)

The moach that ascends to hod is Rav Mesharshia the student of Abaye. The gevura is Rami bar Tamari. The chesed is Rafram bar Papa.

On this the left side, gevura comes before chesed.

After that, it ascends to gevura. The moach is Rav Zrika, the chesed is Rav Zeira the son of Hillel, and the gevura is Rav Zeiri from Dehavat. In the tiferet, on its bottom revealed two-thirds, the moach is Ulla the son of Koshev, the gevura is Ravin who went up to the land of Israel from Babylon, and the chesed is Rav Chana of Baghdad.

On the covered upper-third, the moach is Rav Meishiyah from the time of Rabbi Yochanan, the gevura is Rav Shiloh for whom the miracle was done in Berachot. The chesed is Shivchat son of Ravina.

By the upper third of tiferet gevura precedes chesed because it is concealed, which comes from the constricting/contracting motion of gevura, which is here predominant.

My teacher also told me once that Rabbi Yosi Hagalili is [from] the left pe'ah [sidelock] of the head, from the level of AL ShDY, which is in the partzuf of the left-shoulder, which is in the partzuf of the Cain-root. For the gematria of YVSY-86/Yossi is equal to PAH-86/pe'ah.

As said, Rabbi Yosi is a spark of King David. YVSY-86/Yosi and PAE-86/paeh equal ELHYM-86 - the name of the leftside/din/gevurot, the power that primarily builds malchut (Eitz Chayim) - the sefira of David/Mashiach. (Zohar, Shaar Ruach HaKodesh) As said, this is all the inner mechanics of the Cain root.

Yosi Haglili is the root name through which the Mashiach soul-energy is channeled. (Sodai Raza) Haglili means the roller. He will roll up reality by fixing everything. Also, he will teach people to see how everything comes around in a circle and is one. This is the idea of keter/malchut [a royal crown]: the beginning is embedded in the end, and the end in the beginning - the circular sphere/sefirotic malchut reality link.

All this relates to the secret of pe'ah. The Torah obligates one who harvests to leave the sides of the field for the poor. (Lev. 19:9) The little bit given to the poor opens the entire field and its produce to receive Divine flow.

Similarly, one who takes a haircut has to leave the sideburns uncut. Hairs come from leftover mind-matter. They are constrictions - thoughts pass through the hair as tiny charges. (Likutei Moharan 11) Because they are constrictions, they hide the holy light of the mind, until there is an element of kelipa that attaches to them. For this reason, in general, it is good not to grow long hair. (Zohar) However, Providence established that the little bit of hair left on the sides is holy. (Zohar)

Yosi/pe'ah/ELHYM also equal hateva [nature], the force that cloaks Providence. The mitzvot of pe'ah sanctify nature and unveil the inner Divine plan and control. "These are the things that have no measure: The pe'ah..." (Pe'ah 1:1) Elevated limitations lead to the limitless.

"The stone that the builders despised has become the cornerstone". (Ps. 118:22) Sometimes the highest things are found in the lowest places. (Likutei Moharan 56) Mashiach will raise up the din-concealment/nature/malchut-the last sefira, leftover aspects of existence. The overlooked, forgotten, hidden aspects of mind will surface to shine new consciousness to the self.

E-L ShDY [the powerful Lord, Almighty] associates with yesod, (Zohar, Eitz Chayim) the connecting link of reality. (Eitz Chayim) Mashiach will use it to plug the entire universe into itself in oneness and harmony through elevating everything to God-connection. The Divine power and omniscience will brilliantly be all-apparent in nature itself. "And God will be King over the whole world - on that day shall God be one and His name one". (Zech. 14:9)

Yonaton the son of Hyrcanus is from the [power of] gevura that is from the five gevurot in the da’at of Zeir Anpin. Rabbi Akiva ben Yosef is from the gevura called hod of the gevura in da’at, just mentioned. Since Yonaton is in gevura and Rabbi Akiva is in hod, Yonaton was sharper and more analytical than he was, as mentioned in the both the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds (Yevamot 16a) regarding the issue of a co-wife to a daughter.

Rabbi Chutzpit the Translator is from the gevurot of the hod that is in the da’at from the Abba-aspect. The light of this gevura breaks through and passes on the side of the gevurot of hod that is in the da’at from the Imma-aspect - for Abba is hidden inside Imma, as is known. From there it breaks forth and goes until the da’at of Leah, which is behind the da’at of Zeir Anpin, outside of it. (Eitz Chayim, Shaar Leah) So he was called ‘Chutzpit’ [Brazen One] - because it [the light] is ‘brazen’ and ‘arrogant’ for passing within Imma, to break forth and go out.

"And you shall breakthrough west and east, north and south". (Genesis 28:14) The special revelation beyond limits is counted as a major advance - which is a form of holy brazenness. (Likutei Moharan 22)

Abba energy lies within Imma energy, just as the father’s energy lies within the mother and expresses through her in birth. However, at rare times, Abba force shows its face and comes out independently. When it does, a unique power manifests spreading the Divine message of wisdom, love, and bliss6 to places it was not able to reach heretofore.

This is the idea of ‘The Translator’. It is used in the Talmud more in the sense of a spokesman who proclaims lofty teachings than for one who translates into other languages. Often a lesson in even the known tongue still remains beyond the public because it is improperly expressed. The lofty light of Abbasmashing forth granted Rabbi Chutzpit the ability to do bring ethereal teachings down to simple people in a way that is deep and meaningful to them.

This is a central theme of the Cain-root - therefore does the Ari.Zl. proceed to mention his proximity to it.

By necessity, as it passes the way of Imma some light remains behind, and in this respect he is very close to the root of Cain. It is this way with the rest of the sparks of the root of Rabbi Chutzpit the Translator, whose beginning is Laban the son of Nachor - we will explain all of them later. They have closeness with the root of Cain for the reason we mentioned, that they pass there on the way out.

The holy tongue is just that - holy. Other languages are not holy. Targum is the Aramaic translation of the Torah. It is modeled after Hebrew and serves as a bridge between it and all other languages. It is so mixed good and bad. Through working on it and attaching it to Hebrew, the confusion of the tree of knowledge of good and bad is sifted and straightened out. . (Likutei Moharan 19)

This relates to the concept of translation, which sorts out ideas and makes them accessible to minds that could not comprehend certain knowledge beforehand.

Laban was a great trickster. He was a kind of human manifestation of the confusion of the tree. Jacob holds a the root level of truth and so subjugates him. This results in a elevation of the sparks of good within Laban – which came back as Rabbi Chutzpit. He continued the process by himself translating ideas and making them accessible to minds that could never reach them alone.

[Translation and commentary by Perets Auerbach.]