De’ah et HaShem The Knowledge of G-d Written by Shimon Markel Edited by Rabbi Amiram Markel Copyright © 2004 – 2006 Torah True Judaism, Inc. -The Knowledge of G-d- 2 -The Knowledge of G-d- The Knowledge of G-d Table of Contents Part One: Seder Hishtalshelut - The Chaining Down of the Worlds 1. The Soul of Man 2. The Soul of Creation 3. The Source of All Existence 4. The Inner Self of Man 5. Heyulie & Ko’ach – Ability & Potential 6. The Singular Essence of the Soul 7. A Highlight in the Singularity 8. The Estimation Within Himself 9. The Essential Light of the Soul 10. Ohr Ein Sof – The Infinite Light 11. Yachid – Singular 12. Echad – One 13. Kadmon – The Primordial 14. The Need for Restraint & Concentration 15. Tzimtzum – Restraint 16. The Point and Impression 17. Reshimu – Impression 18. Kav V’Chut – The Line & Thread 19. Kav HaMidah – The Measuring Line 20. The Three Abilities 21. HaGadol, HaGibor, V’HaNorah - The Great, The Mighty, and The Awesome 22. The Ten Sefirot 23. The Three Upper Sefirot (Mochin – Brains) 24. The Seven Lower Sefirot (Midot – Emotions) 25. The Realm of Desire 26. The Primal Desire 27. Ratzon HaKadoom – The Primal Desire 28. The Sefirot of Igullim – Circles 29. The Sefirot of Yosher – Upright 30. Adam Kadmon – Primal Man (Ratzon L’Ratzon) 31. Malchut and Keter 32. Keter of Atzilut, Atik Yomin & Arich Anpin (Pleasure & Desire) 33. The Enclothement of Atik in Arich 34. Binah – Comprehension 35. Hitbonenut – Contemplation & Analysis 36. Da’at – Concentration 37. Abba & Imma (Father & Mother) 38. The World of Tohu – Chaos 3 -The Knowledge of G-d- 39. The World of Tikkun – Rectification 40. The Worlds of Akudim, Nekudim, & Brudim 41. The Three Lines of the Sefirot of Yosher 42. The Inner Keter of Atzilut 43. Inclusion & Subdivision 44. The Enclothement of Arich Anpin into Abba & Imma (From Desire to Thought) 45. The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy 46. Influence from the Two Mazalot – Notzer & V’Nakeh 47. The “Arms” of Arich Anpin become Enclothed in Abba & Imma 48. Intellect Influenced by Netzach, Hod & Yesod of Arich Anpin 49. The Three Levels of the Intellect of Abba & Imma 50. ChaBa”D of Abba & Imma 51. ChaGa”T of Abba & Imma 52. NeHi”Y of Abba & Imma 53. The Unification of NeHi”Y of Abba & Imma 54. Orot V’Kelim – Lights & Vessels 55. The Names 56. The Function of the Vessels 57. The Power to Limit & Actual Limitation 58. Spiritual Form & Physical Form 59. The Thickening of the Lights 60. The Source of the Vessels 61. The Inclusion of Opposites in the Vessels 62. The Body of the King 63. Zeir Anpin – The Emotions 64. The Thirty Two Pathways 65. The Unity of Zeir Anpin to the Self 66. The Birth of the Emotions 67. The Maturation of Zeir Anpin 68. Yisrael – The Internality of the Emotions 69. Yaakov – The Externality of the Emotions 70. Yosef – Yesod of Zeir Anpin 71. The Voice of Yaakov 72. Leah & Rachel – Thought & Speech 73. The Unifications of Zeir Anpin 74. The Source of the Letters 75. Vessels & Clothing 76. Souls Taken from the Clothing 77. The Two Types of Thought 78. Analytical & Comprehensive Thought 79. Action of Thought 80. Speech of Thought 81. Thought of Thought 82. The Dividing & Combining of the Letters 83. That Which is Higher Up, Comes Lower Down 84. Thought, Speech & Action of Thought, In the Essence 85. Thought, Speech & Action of Thought 86. Machshevet Sechel – Intellectual Thought (Malchut of Tvunah) 4 -The Knowledge of G-d- 87. Speaking & Saying – Dibur & Amirah 88. The Closed Mem & The Open Mem 89. The Name Elokim 90. The Firmament on the Heads of the Chayot 91. The Garment Called “the Chashmal” 92. Shvirat HaKelim – The Shattering of the Vessels 93. The Cloak of Leather 94. The Cloak of Light 95. The Sleep of Zeir Anpin 96. The Eight Kings of Tohu 97. Moshiach Ben Yosef – Messiah the Son of Josef 98. The Source of Nogah 99. Summery of the Shattering & Rectification 100. Malchut of Atzilut 101. The Tenth 102. Achor B’Achor – Back to Back 103. Panim B’Achor – Face to Back & Achor B’Panim – Back to Face 104. Panim B’Panim – Face to Face 105. A Point Under Yesod 106. Malchut 107. Keter Malchut – The Desire for Kingship 108. The Sefirot of Malchut 109. Thought, Speech & Action of Speech 110. The Divisions & Combinations of the Letters of Speech 111. Abba Yasad Barta – The Father Founded the Daughter 112. The Combinations of the Six Days of Creation 113. Briyah, Yetzirah & Asiyah in General 114. The Masach – The Screen, Between Atzilut & Briyah 115. The Source of the Masach 116. The Expansions of the Holy Name 117. The Lower Unity 118. The World of Briyah – Creation 119. The World of Yetzirah – Formation 120. The World of Asiyah – Action 121. Everything That G-d Desired He Did 122. Hechalot U’Malachim – The Chambers & Angels 123. Kelipat Nogah – The Intermediary Shell 124. Olam HaShafel – The Lowly World 5 -The Knowledge of G-d- Part Two: Contemplation & Meditation 1. What is Contemplation – Hitbonenut 2. Girsah – Surface Study 3. Length, Width & Depth 4. Height 5. Chochmah, Binah & Da’at 6. The Depth of a Concept 7. Iyun – Deep Analysis (Hitbonenut) 8. Da’at – Concentration 9. “Meditation” 10. Chochmah – Wisdom 11. “Be Understanding with Wisdom, and Wise in Understanding” 12. Binah & Tvunah (Comprehension & Application) 13. Love & Fear of G-d 14. The Effects of Hitbonenut 15. The Purpose of Hitbonenut Part Three: Divine Inspiration 1. Divine Inspiration 2. Bodies without Souls 3. False Excitement of the Emotions 4. Divine Excitement or Alien Service 5. Proper and Improper Approach to the Toil of Hitbonenut 6. Level One: “Cold Thought” 7. Level Two: “A Good Thought” 8. Level Three: Natural Love & Fear 9. Level Four: Intellectual Love & Fear 10. Level Five: Pure Desire 11. The Five Levels of the Natural Soul 12. The Difference Between the Divine & Animal Souls 13. The Three General Levels of Comprehension 14. The Three General Levels of Excitement 15. The Lowest Level of the Divine Soul 16. The Five Levels of the Divine Soul 6 -The Knowledge of G-d- Part One: Seder Hishtalshelut -1:1- It is clear that there is a force which enlivens the body. The external body itself is nothing more than an inanimate vessel which contains and is animated by this force. This is readily observable by the fact that when one passes away, G-d forbid, his body remains intact, but without any life force. At this point the body no longer has the faculties of a living being. The brain no longer thinks nor do the eyes see. It can no longer smell with its nose nor hear with its ears, nor can it move its limbs. The heart no longer beats nor does the blood surge through the veins. There are no feelings and emotions; no love, no fear, no pleasure, anguish, anticipation, joy or regret. In short, there is no consciousness whatsoever. The body becomes a mass of decaying flesh, an empty shell devoid of life, a shadow of its former self when it was vibrant and vital. This matter is so self-evident that even a chicken or a vulture can distinguish between a living creature and one that is dead, between a body that has the breath of life invested in it and one that does not. Most importantly, it is this very breath of life, the soul, which is the actual vitality and consciousness of the person and which is his actual identity. The body itself is like a garment for the soul, and just as it is with a garment, it becomes animated only when the soul is invested in it. Every action of the physical limbs is merely a result of the control of the soul. Every desire, thought or emotion, is merely a function of the soul and is completely caused and controlled by it, and upon the soul’s departure the faculties also immediately depart with it. -1:2- From the above, it is understood that there must be a soul which animates and enlivens the physical body. Now, just as this is so in man, who is a microcosm, likewise, in the macrocosm, it appears that there is a force which enlivens and animates the entire universe. For the physical universe is no more alive than the body of man, and yet we see from observable phenomena, such as the revolutions of the stars and planets, the multitudes of living organisms on our planet, and even the atomic and subatomic particles, that everything is moving. There is nothing in the universe which is stationary, but rather, everything is teeming with activity. But where does all this activity come from, for just as man’s body cannot move itself, so too, no body in the universe can move itself? From this it appears that there must be a force which propels and enlivens the universe. Were this life force to be removed, the universe would be like a body without a soul. Just as we can clearly see that everything that takes place in the physical body of man comes from the soul, so too, in the macrocosm, it must be this life force; the soul of the world, if you will, which animates everything in the universe. Everything that takes place must be a direct result of this enlivening force which causes it. An example is the influence of the sun on our planet. Everything on our planet gets its sustenance and life force from the sun.