c"qa Ed¨I¦l¥` g©z¨R Patach Eliyahu i`geiÎxa oerny iax z`n By Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai :f"i• .f"i cenr xdef ipewz ,dipy dncwd From the alternative introduction to Tikkunei Zohar 17a•b x©n¨`§e Ed¨I¦l¥` g©z¨R Elijah [the Prophet] opened the discussion, saying: oi¦n§l¨roFA¦ x Master of the worlds, c©g `Ed §Y§p©`§C You are One, .o¨A§WEg§a `¨l§e the unthinkable [One]; oi¦`¨N¦r l¨M l©r d¨`¨N¦r `Ed §Y§p©` You are above all beyonds, .oi¦ni¦z§q l¨M l©r `¨ni¦z§q More mysterious than all mysteries :l¨l§M K¨a `¨qi¦t§Y `¨a¨W£g©n zi¥l No thought can grasp you at all. oi¦pET¦Y x©U£r z©wi¥R©`§c `Ed §Y§p©` You produced ten emanations o¨xi¦t§q x©U£r oFdl § o¨pi¦x¨w§e that we call “Ten Sefirot,” .oi¦n§l¨r oFda § d¨b¨d§p©`§l to lead the worlds with them, o¨i§l©B§z¦` `¨l§C oi¦ni¦z§q mysterious worlds that are not revealed .o¨i§l©B§z¦`§C oin§ ¦ l¨r§e as well as the revealed worlds. z©`i¦q§M§z¦` oFdaE § Through them You conceal Yourself .`¨W¨p i¥p§A¦n from human beings, oFl xi¦W¨w§c `Ed §Y§p©`§e but You connect them .oFl cg© ¥ i§nE and unite them; e`¨b§l¦n Y§§p©`§C oi¦b§aE and because You are within them, Di¥x§a©g¥n c©gWi¥ x§t©`§C o`¨n l¨M anyone who causes these Ten Sefirot to diverge o¨xi¦t§q x©U£r oi¥N¦`¥n from one another D¥l a¥X©g§z¦` is regarded :K¨A Wi¥x§t©` EN¦`§M as if he had caused a divergence within You. .o¨xi¦t§q x©U£r oi¥N¦`§e These ten Sefirot proceed .o¨x§c¦q§M oi¦l§f¨` oEP¦` according to their order: xi¦v§w c©g§eKi¦ x£` c©g one long, one short, .i¦pEpi¥A c©g§e and one mediating [between them]. .oFl bid§ ¦ p©`§c `Ed Y§§ p©`§e You lead them, K¨l bi¦d§p©`§C o`n ¨ zi¥l§e but nothing leads You— `¨Y©z§l `¨l§e `¨N¥r§l `¨l not above, not below, :`¨x§h¦q l¨M¦n `¨l§e and not from any side. oFl z©pi¦w§Y oi¦WEa§l You made ‘garments’ for them .`¨W¨p i¥p§a¦l oi¦z¨n§W¦p oi¦g§x¨R Ed§i©P¦n§C from which souls fly [in]to human beings. Patach Eliyahu Page 1 oFl z©pi¦w§Y oi¦tEb d¨O©k§e You have fashioned many “bodies” for them, oi¦WEa§l i¥A©b§l oi¦tEb E`ix§ ¦w§z¦`§C which are called bodies only relative to the “garments” :oFdil£r ¥ o¨i§q©k§n¦C that cover them. .`¨c `¨pET¦z§AE`i¦ x§w§z¦`§e They are entitled as follows: .`¨pi¦n§i `¨rFx§C c¤q¤g Chesed [Kindness] is the right arm; .`¨l`¨n§U `¨rFx§C d¨xEa§B Gevurah [Power] is the left arm; .`¨tEB z¤x¤`§t¦Y Tiferet [Splendor] is the torso; cFd¨e g©v¤p Netzach [Eternity; Triumph] and Hod [Glory] .oi¦wFWoi¥ x§Y are the two thighs; `¨tEb§c `¨nEI¦q cFqie ¦ Yesod [Foundation] is the end of the torso, .W¤cŸwzi¦ x§A zF` the symbol of the sacred covenant; d¤R zEkl© §n Malchut [Kingship] is the mouth, .D¨l o¨pi¦x§w d¤R l©r§A¤W d¨xFY Which we refer to as the Oral Torah. `¨gFn d¨n§k¨g Chochma [Wisdom] is the brain, .e`¨b§N¦n `¨a¨W£g©n Edi¦` meaning inner thought; `¨A¦l d¨pi¦A Binah [insight, understanding] .oi¦a¥n a¥N©d D¨aE is the understanding heart. oi¥x§Y oi¥N¦` l©r§e Regarding these two last sefirot ai¦z§M is written: (Deuteronomy 29:28) Epi®¥dŸl¡` d†¨Fdi«©l zŸ½x¨Y§qP© ¸¦ d “The hidden mysteries belong to HaShem our God”— oFi§l¤r x¤z¤M Keter Elyon [the Supreme Crown] .zEk§l©n x¤z¤M Edi¦` is the crown of kingship. x©n§z¦` D¥l£r©e Concerning this it is said: (Isaiah 46:10) zix£ ½¦g«©`Æzi¦ W`¥x«¥n ci³¦B©n “He Who declares the outcome from the beginning,” oi¦Ni¦t§z¦C `¨Y§t©w§x©w Edi¦`§e and this is the head that wears teffilin. Edi¦` e`¨b§N¦n Within [the tefillin] is [the Four•Letter Name] `"d e"`e `"d c"ei whose letters are Yud Kei Vav Kei .zEli¦v£` g©xŸ` Edi¦`§C which is the path of Atzilut [spiritual emanation]. `¨p¨li¦`§c Ei§w©W Edi¦`§e It irrigates the tree of the Sefirot .iFR§p©r§e iFrFxc¦ §A with its arms and branches, `¨p¨li¦`§l i¥w§W©`§c `¨I©n§M like water that irrigates a tree, :Ei§w©W `Ed©d§A i¥A©x§z¦`§e causing it to grow, thanks to that irrigation. mi¦n¨lFr¨d oFAx ¦ O Master of the worlds, zFN¦r¨d z©N¦r `Ed §Y§p©` You are the cause of causes, zFA¦Q©d z©A¦q§e and the reason of reasons, .Eri¦a§p `Ed©d§A `¨p¨li¦`§l i¥w§W©`§C who irrigates the tree through that wellspring. Edi¦` Eri¦a§p `Ed©d§e That wellspring is like Patach Eliyahu Page 2 `¨tEbl § `¨z¨n§W¦p§M the soul to the body .`¨tEb§l mi¦I©g Edi¦`§C in that it gives life to the body. oFi§n¦C zi¥l K¨aE However, in You there is neither resemblance `¨p§wEi§C zi¥l§e nor likeness :x¨a§lE e`¨b§l¦C d©n l¨M¦n to anything either within or without. `¨r§x©`§e `¨I©n§W z`¨¨ x§aE You created heaven and earth oFd§P¦n z©wi¦R©`§e and drew forth from them ,`¨I©l¨G©nE `¨I©a§kFk§e `¨x£di¦q§e `¨W§n¦W the sun, moon, stars, and constellations; `¨r§x©`§aE and on earth— o¤c¥r§c `¨z§p¦b§e oi¦`¨W§cE oi¦p¨li¦` [You drew forth] trees, vegetation, the Garden of Eden, oi¦ xi¦r§aE o¨ei¥g§e oi¦A§U¦r§e grasses, beasts, cattle, `¨W¨p i¥p§aE oi¦pEp§e oi¦tFr§e birds, fish, and human beings, oFd§A `¨r§cFn§Y§W¦`§l through whom to make known oi¦`¨N¦r [lofty concepts] of the universe, oi¦`¨Y©z§e oi¦`¨N¦r oFdA § oEb£d©p§z¦i Ki¥`§e how the upper and lower realms function, o`¨r§cFn§Y§W¦` Ki¥`§e how the upper realms can be discerned i¥`¨Y©Y¦n i¥`¨N¦r from the lower ones— .l¨l§M K¨A r©c¨i§C zi¥l§e but no one can know You at all. `¨cEg¦i zi¥l K¨P¦n x©aE Without You there is no unifying force .i¥`¨Y©z§e i¥`¨N¦r§A above and below. `¨lFM l©r z©li¦r r¨cFn§Y§W¦` Y§§p©`§e You are known as the reason for all .`¨NŸM l©r oFc¨`§e and master of everything. `¨xi¦t§q l¨k§e Each sephira, `¨ri¦c§i m¥W D¨l zi¦` has its particular name .`¨I©k¨`§l©n E`ix§ ¦w§zi¦` oFdaE § which identifies the angels; `¨ri¦c§i m¥W K¨l zi¥l Y§§p©`§e but You have no particular name, o¨d¨n§W l¨k `¥N©n§n `Ed Y§§ p©`§C for You fill all their names. :Ed§Nªk§c Eni¦l§W `Ed Y§§ p©`§e You are the perfection [wholeness] of them all. oFd§P¦n w¥N©Y§q¦Y Y§§p©` c©k§e When You withdraw from them, o¨d¨n§W Ed§Nªk Ex£`¨Y§W¦` their names all remain .`¨z¨n§W¦p `¨l§A `¨tEb§M like a body without a soul. mi¦M©g `Ed Y§§ p©` You are wise, .`¨ri¦c§i d¨n§k¨g§A e`¨l§e but You cannot be known through wisdom; oi¦a¥n `Ed §Y§p©` You are understanding, .`¨ri¦c§i d¨pi¦a§A `¨l§e but You cannot be understood through understanding. .`¨ri¦c§i x©z£` K¨l zi¥l You have no identifiable location. K¨li¥g§e K¨R§wªY `¨r§cFn§Y§W¦`§l `¨N¤` [All is only for] Your strength and force Patach Eliyahu Page 3 .`¨W¨p i¥p§a¦l to be known to human beings, `¨n§l¨r b¥d©p§z¦` Ki¥` oFl d`¨ ¨ f£g©`§lE to show them how the world is led .i¥n£g©x§aE `¨pi¦c§A with judgment and mercy — h¨R§W¦nE wc¤ ¤v oEpi¦`§c which are righteousness and justice — :`¨W¨p i¥p§a¦C oFdic§ ¥aFr mEt§M according to the deeds of human beings.