Source: https://thenutgarden.wordpress.com/tag/tzimtzum/
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 20:16:38+00:00

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“Rabbi Neḥunia son of ha-Qannah said: One verse says, They have not seen the light, bright though it be in the skies (Job 37:21). And another verse says, He set darkness His hiding-place (Psalms 18:12); it is also written, Cloud and dense fog around Him (ibid. 97:2). This is difficult. However, a third verse comes to hold the balance: Darkness itself does not darken for You, and the night lights up like the day, the dark and light are one (ibid. 139:12)” (Bahir §1).
“He set darkness His hiding-place round Him, His abode darkness of water, the clouds of the skies (Psalms 18:12). But is there any darkness before Heaven? For behold it is written: He lays bare the deep and the hidden things, knows what is in darkness, and light dwells with Him (Daniel 2:22)—this is not difficult: the one refers to inner houses [in which there is only light], the other to outer houses [hidden in darkness of water, cloud and dense fog]” (BT Ḥagigah 12b–13a).
“When you light up [the lamps, opposite the front of the lamp stand shall the seven lamps give light] (Numbers 8:2).
Darkness itself does not darken for You, and the night lights up like the day, the dark and light are one (Psalms 139:12). Yet to us He says When you light up!
And so, the blessed Holy One is entirely light, as is said, He lays bare the deep and the hidden things, knows what is in darkness, and light dwells with Him (Daniel 2:22). Yet He says to Israel ‘Prepare for Me a lamp and lights.’ And why is it written, They shall make Me a Tabernacle, that I may abide in their midst (Exodus 25:8); And you shall make a lamp stand of pure gold (ibid., 31)? When they had completed everything שְׁכִינָה (Shekhinah), [divine] Presence, came.
Why is it written, [And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of YHWH filled the Tabernacle.] And Moses could not come into the Tent of Meeting (ibid. 40:35)? Immediately He called to Moses: And when Moses came into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he would hear the voice (Numbers 7:89). What did He say to him? When you light up [the lamps]” (Bemidbar Rabbah 15:8).
“Why is it called זָהָב (zahav), gold? Because three qualities are included in it. זָכָר (Zakhar), male—ז (zayin). הַנְּשָׁמָה (Ha-neshamah), the soul—ה (he), for ה״ (five) names of the soul [which are feminine nouns]: ruaḥ, ḥayah, yeḥidah, neshamah, nefesh. What is the function of he? She is a throne for zayin, as is written, For he who is high has a higher one watching him (Ecclesiastes 5:7). And ב (bet)? She is their existence, as is said, בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא (Bereshit bara), In the beginning created… (Genesis 1:1).
A parable: A king had a daughter who was good, sweet, lovely, and perfect. He married her to a royal prince—and clothed, crowned, and bejewelled her, giving her abundant wealth. Is it possible for the king to ever leave his daughter? Certainly not! Is it possible for him to remain with her constantly, the entire day? Certainly not! What then must he do? He places a חַלּוֹן (ḥallon), window, between the two, and whenever the father needs his daughter, or the daughter needs her father, they can unite through the window [cf. Bereshit Rabbah 74:7]. As is written, All the glory of the king’s daughter is inward, filigree of gold her raiment (Psalms 45:14) [on the association of this verse with the Sanctuary, see Tanḥuma, Bemidbar 3; Tanḥuma (Buber), Bemidbar 3; Bemidbar Rabbah 1:3; Zohar 3:171a]” (Bahir §53–§54).
“And YHWH spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai [in the Tent of Meeting] (Numbers 1:1).
Before the Tent of Meeting was set up, He spoke with him from the bush, as is said, And Elohim called out to him from the midst of the bush (Exodus 3:4). And afterward, He spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, as is said, And YHWH said to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying… (ibid. 12:1).
He also spoke to him in Midian, as is said, And YHWH said to Moses in Midian (ibid. 4:19). He also spoke to him on Sinai, as is said, And YHWH spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying… (Leviticus 25:1). However, as soon as the Tent of Meeting was set up, [the blessed Holy One] said, ‘הַצְּנִיעוּת (Ha-tsninut), modesty, is beautiful,’ as is said, [He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does YHWH require of you, but to do justly, and to love kindness,] and to walk הַצְנֵעַ (ha-tsne’a), humbly, with your God (Micah 6:8), [and so from now on] I will speak to him in the Tent of Meeting. Thus, David said, All the glory of the king’s daughter is פְּנִימָה (penimah), inward, filigree of gold her raiment (Psalms 45:14).
The daughter of the king—[Torah of] Moses, as is said, And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of harsh masters (Isaiah 19:4)—the plagues that came upon Egypt [called harsh אֲדֹנִים (adonim), masters]; and a fierce king shall rule over them, [says הָאָדוֹן (ha-Adon), the Lord, YHWH of armies] (ibid.)—Moses who was king of Torah which is called Strength, as is said, May YHWH give strength to His people (Psalms 29:11). Therefore: All the glory of the king’s daughter is inward. Filigree of gold her raiment—Aaron, as is said [of the priestly garments worn by the High Priest:] And you shall make a filigree of gold (Exodus 28:13).
From here they said: A woman who conducts herself with מַצְנַעַת (matsena’at), becoming modesty, even if she is an Israelite [i.e., her father is not a Cohen or a Levi], deserves to be married to a priest and to raise High Priests, as is said, filigree of gold her raiment. The blessed Holy One said, ‘So too it befits My honor that I should speak מִלִּפְנִים (millifenim), within,’ as is said, And when Moses came into the Tent of Meeting [to speak with Him…] (Numbers 7:89) [on the association of Psalms 45:14 with the Sanctuary, see Tanḥuma, Bemidbar 3; Tanḥuma (Buber), Bemidbar 3; Zohar 3:171a]” (Bemidbar Rabbah 1:3, cf. Pesiqta de-Rav Kahana 1; Zohar 2:22b).
“What is, And from the west I will gather you (Isaiah 43:5)? From the same quality which perpetually inclines to the west. Why is it called מַּעֲרָב (ma’arav), the west? Because from there all seed is מִתעַרֵב (mit’arev), mixed. A parable: A king’s son had a lovely and modest bride in his chamber. He would take riches from his father’s house and come to her constantly and she would constantly take it all and hide it, mixing it all together. [After some time he] requested to see what he had gathered and stockpiled. Thus: from the west I will gather you. And what is it? His father’s house, since from the east I will bring your seed. To teach that He brings from the east and sows to the west. Afterwards, He gathers in what He has sown” (Bahir §156).
My lover is like a deer or like a stag. Oh, he stands behind our wall peering through the windows, peeping through the crannies (Song of Songs 2:9).
“Come and see: When a man builds a house and makes windows within he wants the light to enter. He makes windows narrow on the outside and broad on the inside. Why? So that the light will enter from the outside and shine on the inside. But when Solomon built the Temple, he did not make the windows in such a way. Rather, they were narrow on the inside and broad on the outside so that the light would emanate from the Temple and shine outside, as is written, And he made broad and narrow windows for the house (1 Kings 6:4)” (Tanḥuma [Buber], Beha’alotkha 2:1).
“Rabbi Ḥanina said: There were windows in the Temple, and from these light used to emanate for the world, as it says, And he made broad and narrow windows for the house (1 Kings 6:4). They were transparent and opaque; narrowing towards the inside and broadening towards the outside so as to let the light out to the world” (Vayiqra Rabbah 31:7).
“It has been taught: Rabbi Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan, ‘Before the blessed Holy One created the world, He and His Name were one. It arose in His mind to create the world, and He created first a thousand worlds, as is said: the thousand are yours, Solomon (Song of Songs 8:12). Afterward He created other worlds—to show that all is naught before Him” (Zohar Ḥadash 2d, cf. Pirqei de-Rabbi Eli’ezer 3).
“[Rabbi Yehudah said:] I learned from father in the mysteries of letters of the Holy Name, the duration of the world and the days of Creation—all a single mystery” (Zohar 1:117a).
“Rav Qattina said: A world is six thousand years, and one is desolate, as is written, And YHWH alone shall be exalted in that day (Isaiah 2:11). Abbaye said: It is desolate two, as is said, After two days will He revive us: on the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight (Hosea 6:2) [see Rabbi David ben Yehudah he-Ḥasid, Sefer Mar’ot Ha-Tsove’ot, 106:13].
It has been taught in accordance with Rav Qattina: Just as the seventh year is one year of release in seven, so is a world: one thousand years out of seven shall be fallow, as is written, And YHWH alone shall be exalted in that day, and it is further said, A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day (Psalms 92:1)—the day that is altogether Sabbath. It is also said, For a thousand years in Your eyes are like yesterday gone (Psalms 90:4).
The Tanna debe Eliyyahu teaches: A world is six thousand years. Two thousand תֹּהוּ (tohu), chaos; two thousand תּוֹרָה (torah), Law; two thousand years the days of Messiah” (BT Sanhedrin 97a).
“And there was evening (Genesis 1:5). Rabbi Yehudah son of Rabbi Shim’on said: It is not written let there be evening, but rather and there was evening: hence we know that an order of time existed before this. Rabbi Abbahu said: The blessed Holy One kept creating worlds and destroying them until He created these [i.e., heavens and earth]. Then He declared, ‘These please Me, those do not.’ Rabbi Pinḥas said: This is Rabbi Abbahu’s reason: And God saw all that He had done, and, look, it was very good (Genesis 1:31): ‘These please Me, those do not’” (Bereshit Rabbah 3:7).
“Rabbi Tanḥuma opened: Everything He has עָשָׂה (asah), done, aptly in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Rabbi Tanḥuma said: The world was created in its time, and the world was not fit to be created earlier. Rabbi Abbahu said: Hence we learn that the blessed Holy One was creating worlds and destroying them, creating worlds and destroying them, until He created these [i.e., the heavens and earth], and then He said: ‘These please Me, those do not.’ Rabbi Pinḥas said: This is Rabbi Abbahu’s reason: And God saw all that He had עָשָׂה (asah), done, and, look, it was very good (Genesis 1:31): ‘These please Me, those do not’” (Bereshit Rabbah 9:2).
“Rabbi Berekhiyah said: It is written, And the earth was welter and waste (Genesis 1:2). Was—what does it mean? Welter, already was” (Bahir §2).
“Rabbi Amora sat and expounded: What is fullness—the blessing of YHWH. To the west and the south His possession (Deuteronomy 33:23)? It means that everyplace ב (bet) is said is blessed, and this is: fullness—בִּרְכַּת (birkat), the blessing, of YHWH. From there those in need drink. And from the fullness She offered counsel at the beginning (Proverbs 9:10).
A parable: A king wanted to build a palace for himself among mighty cliffs [cf. Shem Tov ibn Shem Tov, MS British Museum 711]. He cut rocks and hewed boulders, uncovering a great spring of living water. The king then said, ‘Since I have flowing water, I will plant a garden. Then I will delight in it, and so will the entire world.’ As is written, And I was by Him an intimate, I was His delight day after day, playing before Him at any time (Proverbs 8:30). Torah says, ‘For two thousand years I was in the blessed Holy One’s lap, as His delight,’ therefore the verse reads: day after day; a day of the blessed Holy One is a thousand years, as is written, For a thousand years in Your eyes are like yesterday gone (Psalms 90:4). From here forward: from time to time, as is said, at any time. But the remainder is לְעוֹלָם (le-olam), everlasting, thus it is said: I draw My breath, and for My praise, hold it for you, [so as not to cut you off] (Isaiah 48:9). What is My praise? As is written, Praise to David. Let me exalt You (Psalms 145:1–2). Why is this praise? Because: Let me exalt You. And what is this exaltation? Let me bless Your name לְעוֹלָם (le-olam), forevermore (ibid.).
What is בְּרָכָה (berakhah), blessing? A parable: A king planted trees in his garden. Although rains fell constantly, and it was absorbed, and the soil was wet, he must water it from a spring, as is written, The beginning—wisdom, the fear of YHWH, good knowledge to all who perform it (Psalms 111:10). And if you say it lacks something [i.e., an end], look: His praise stands for all time (ibid.)” (Bahir §5–§6).
“It has been taught: The Book of Concealment, a book balanced on scales. For until there was a balance, they did not gaze face-to-face, and the primordial kings died and their weapons vanished and the earth was nullified. Until the head of Desire of all Desires arranged and bestowed garments of glory [on ‘a balance,’ see Bereshit Rabbah 12:15; on ‘they did not gaze face-to-face,’ see BT Bava Batra 99a; on ‘the primordial kings,’ see Genesis 36:31–39].
This balance hangs in a place that is not; weighed upon it were those who did not exist. The balance stands on its own, ungrasped and unseen. Upon it rose and upon it rise those who were not, and who were, and who will be.
Secrecy within secrecy was prepared and arranged in a single skull filled with crystalline dew. Membrane of air, purified and sealed; those strands of clean fleece hanging evenly. Will of Wills is revealed through prayer of those below [on the forehead as expressing the Will, see Zohar 3:129 (IR) on Exodus 28:38]. Open-eyed watching, never sleeping, ever vigilant; supervision below by supervision of radiance above. Two nostrils of an official arousing breath for all [as a nose supervising commandingly, cf. Zohar 3:137b–138a (IR); on טַלָּא דִּבְדוֹלְחָא (talla di-vdulḥa), crystalline dew, cf. Rashi on Numbers 11:7; Ibn Ezra on Genesis 2:12].
בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ (Be-reshit bara Elohim et ha-shamayim ve-et ha-arets), In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). שִׁיתָא (Shita), six [words]—בְּרֵאשִׁית (be-reshit), in the beginning, above them. All of them are below, suspended from the seven [features] of the skull until Glory of Glories [cf. BT Shabbat 152a: ‘The glory of a face is the beard’].
The second earth is not included in the calculation, as has been said, and it emerged from that which was cursed, as is written: from the soil that YHWH cursed (Genesis 5:29). הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם (Hayetah tohu va-vohu ve-ḥoshekh al penei tehom ve-ruaḥ Elohim meraḥefet al penei ha-mayim), Was waste and empty, with darkness over the face of the abyss and the wind of God hovering over the face of the waters (ibid. 1:2)—thirteen [words] suspended from thirteen [‘strands of clean fleece’] of Glory of Glories [i.e., the divine beard; on the thirteen attributes of Compassion, see Exodus 34:6–7].
Six thousand years are suspended from the first six; seventh above them, fortified alone. All will be destroyed in twelve hours [cf. the twelve hour rise and fall of Adam, described in Avot de-Rabbi Natan A, 1; B, 1; Vayiqra Rabbah 29:1; BT Sanhedrin 38b], as is written: was waste and empty…. Thirteen, He will raise them in Compassion—renewing themselves as before—and all those six will rise, since it is written created, and afterward is written was, for surely was! [cf. Bahir §2]. And in the end, תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ (tohu va-vohu), welter and waste, with darkness—YHWH alone will be exalted on that day (Isaiah 2:11)“ (Zohar 2:176b, Sifra di Tsni’uta).
“Ten סְפִירוּת בְּלִימָה (sefirot beli-mah), ciphers of emptiness. Their measure is ten, yet infinite” (Sefer Yetsirah §1).
“You shall surely tithe all the yield of your seed that comes out in the field year after year (Deuteronomy 14:22)—at all times you must reckon each of the rungs, ‘Ten and not nine, ten and not eleven’ (Sefer Yetsirah §4).
Another explanation: עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר (Aser ta’aser), You shall surely tithe [lit., tithe you will tithe]. Why two times? Because here there is a deep and hidden mystery which the mouth cannot speak nor the ear hear. You already know that tithe alludes to ten lower [sefirot]. Until here I have permission to explain. If you are one of the enlightened, you will understand this great mystery with your fullest intellectual capacity and will surely not let it out of your mouth: Here below we give our tithes according to the supernal model—so that man imitate his Creator” (Rabbi David ben Yehudah he-Ḥasid, Sefer Mar’ot Ha-Tsove’ot, 236:29–237:3, adapted from Matt, The Book of Mirrors, p. 26, cf. Tiqqunei ha-Zohar 31a–b).
“The things hidden are for YHWH our God and things revealed for us and for our children forever (Deuteronomy 29:28). Understand this verse by its inner sense, deep and sealed though it may be. For YHWH—the Cause of Causes, for all proclaim that they are His; each of the עֶשֶׂר צַחְצָחוֹת (eser tsaḥtsaḥot), ten pure white radiancies, that comprise אֲרִיך אַנְפִּין (arikh anpin), Elongated Countenance, form ten inner rungs. And for our children—ten that parallel ten rungs within supernal Keter who are not revealed but remain concealed and hidden, imperceptible to the inquirer. For they belong to the Cause of Causes, blessed be the glory of His name and His majesty forever. Therefore, the enlightened will understand and will remain silent for God, and he alone will see wonders from the holy Torah He gave us from His very own treasury” (Rabbi David ben Yehudah he-Ḥasid, Sefer Mar’ot Ha-Tsove’ot, 252, adapted from Idel, “The Image of Man Above the Sefirot: R. David ben Yehuda he-Ḥasid’s theosophy of ten supernal ‘ṣaḥṣaḥot’ and its reverberations.” Kabbalah: Journal for the Study of Jewish Mystical Texts 20 , p. 181–212).
“Come and see: How many hidden causes are clothed and conveyed by the sefirot! The sefirot are but chariots to them, for they are concealed from human thought. Of them is written: For he who is high has a higher one watching him, and still higher ones over them (Ecclesiastes 5:7)—נְהוֹרִין מְצוּחְצָחִין (nehorin metsuḥtsaḥin), glaring white lights, these above those, but those that are receptacles are darkness compared to the others above them. And their is no light that can exist before עִלַּת הָעִלּוֹת (illat ha-illot), the Cause of Causes, all lights are darkened before Him” (Zohar 1:23a, Tiqqunei ha-Zohar).
How can a Person Grasp His own Way?
From YHWH are the steps of a man, and how can a person grasp his own way? (Proverbs 20:24).
“Come and see: All events of the world depend on numerous suzerains, yet all inhabitants of the world neither know nor consider the foundation of their existence. Even Solomon, who was wiser than anyone in the world, could not comprehend them.
He opened saying, ‘He has made everything right in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Come and see: Happy are those who engage in Torah and know how to contemplate with the spirit of wisdom! He has made everything right in its time. Every action performed by the blessed Holy One in the world, each and every one, has a rung appointed over it, whether for good or for evil, some rungs to the right, some to the left. If a person goes to the right, performing an action, there is a rung appointed to that side, offering him assistance; how many assist him! If a person goes to the left and commits his acts, the act he commits is appointed to that side, accusing him, conducting him to that side, leading him astray.
So, an act performed fittingly by a person is facilitated by the power appointed on the right. This is in its time—right in its time, for that action links with its time fittingly.
He has also set the world in their heart. The entire world and all its activity depend solely upon the desire of the heart, as it arises in the will of a human being. Happy are the righteous who attract good deeds, benefiting themselves and the whole world [cf. BT Qiddushin 40b; Sotah 3b]! Woe to those who do not know the time of that action and do not care about performing their actions in the world according to the remedy needed by the world, aligning the action with its appropriate rung. Why? Because they do not know.
So, all is given to human רְעוּתְהוֹן (re’uthon), will, as is written: yet a human cannot discover what God has done… (Ecclesiastes 3:11). And since those actions are not performed to be aligned fittingly with their rungs—that this act might be integrated in this rung, perfectly arranged—but rather according to human desire, what is written next? I know that there is nothing good in them but to be happy and do good in their life (ibid., 12). I know that there is nothing good in them—in those actions performed improperly. But to be happy with whatever befalls him and to offer thanks to the blessed Holy One and do good in his life. For look, if that action brings evil upon him through the rung appointed over it, he should rejoice in this and offer thanks since he brought it upon himself, going unknowingly like a bird into a snare.
How do we know all this? As is written: For a human does not know his time. Like fish caught in a cruel net, like birds seized in a snare, so humans are trapped in a time of calamity, when it falls upon them suddenly (ibid. 9:12). For a human does not know his time. What is his time? The time of that action that he performs, as has been said: He has made everything right in its time. So they are like birds seized in a snare. So, happy are those engaged in Torah, who know its ways and paths, so as to walk the way of truth” (Zohar 1:195b, cf. ibid. 2:134b).
“Rabbi Yehudah opened, ‘Happy is the people who know the shout of joy; O YHWH, they walk in the light of Your presence (Psalms 89:16). How essential for people to walk in the ways of the blessed Holy One and observe the commandments of Torah, so that thereby they may attain the world that is coming and be delivered from all accusations above and below! For just as there are accusers in the world below, so there are accusers above, looming over human beings [cf. M Avot 4:11].
Those who enact the commandments of Torah and walk a straight path, revering their Lord, how many advocates stand poised above them [cf. BT Shabbat 32a; ZḤ 14c (MhN)]! As is said: If he has an angel over him, one advocate among a thousand, to vouch for his uprightness, then He is gracious to him and says, ‘Spare him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom’ (Job 33:23–24). So, happy is one who observes the commandments of Torah.
Rabbi Ḥiyya said, ‘If so, why is an angel required to be an advocate for that person? Look at what is written: For YHWH will be your confidence; He will keep your foot from the snare (Proverbs 3:26), and similarly: YHWH will guard you from all evil (Psalms 121:7)!
For the blessed Holy One sees everything that a person does in this world, whether good or evil, as is said: ‘If one hides in secret places, do I not see him? declares YHWH (Jeremiah 23:24). Rabbi Yehudah replied, ‘All is certainly so, but see what is written: Stretch out Your hand and touch his bone and his flesh…. YHWH said to Satan, [‘Here, he is in your hand, but spare his life’] (Job 2:5–6), and similarly: You incited Me against him to destroy him without cause (ibid., 3)—demonstrating that authorization is granted to the Other Side, authorization over matters of the world being given to one who, it should not be given. All these ways are concealed before the blessed Holy One, and we must not pursue them, for they are laws of the blessed Holy One, and human beings are not permitted to scrutinize them—except for the truly virtuous who know the secrets of Torah and walk in the way of wisdom, discovering those hidden elements of Torah’” (Zohar 2:32b).
“Come and see: By YHWH, a man’s steps are set, and He favors his way (Psalms 37:23). When the blessed Holy One is pleased with someone, all his steps and all his ways—all of them—are prepared for him, and He rectifies each and every one, fittingly. He favors his way—even in worldly matters.
Further, By YHWH, a man’s steps are set, and He favors his way. If a person directs his mind, רְעוּתֵיהּ (re’uteih), will, and heart toward the Holy King, following His way—the blessed Holy One favors it, the one that he paves, as if it were His own, actually! [cf. M Avot 2:4]” (Zohar Ḥadash 74a).
“Rabbi Levi said: Six things serve man—three are under his control, and three are not under his control. The eye, the ear and the nose are not under his control, since he sees what is not wanted, hears what is not wanted, and smells what is not wanted. The mouth, the hand, and the foot are under his control. If he wants to, he learns Torah, while if he wants to he speaks badly, and if he wants to he blasphemes and reviles. Regarding the hand, if he wants to he can offer charity, while if he wants to he can rob, and if he wants to he can murder. Regarding the feet, if he wants to he can go to houses of theatre and houses of circus, while if he wants to he can go to houses of assembly and houses of study. But when he is worthy the blessed Holy One makes those which he controls no longer in his control. The hand: And the hand he reached out against him withered (1 Kings 13:4); the mouth: Now blessed he stays (Genesis 27:33); the foot: My son, do not go on a road with them… for their feet hurry to shed blood (Proverbs 1:15–16)” (Bereshit Rabbah 67:3, cf. Sefer Yetsirah §62; Zohar 1:195a).
Let go, and know that I am God (Psalms 46:11).
“Rabbi Yoḥanan son of Ḥanina said: The day consisted of twelve hours. In the first hour, his dust was gathered; in the second, it was kneaded into a shapeless mass. In the third, his limbs were shaped; in the fourth, a soul was infused into him; in the fifth, he arose and stood on his feet; in the sixth, he gave [the animals] their names; in the seventh, Eve became his mate; in the eighth, they ascended to bed as two and descended as four; in the ninth, he was commanded not to eat of the tree, in the tenth, he sinned; in the eleventh, he was tried, and in the twelfth he was expelled and departed, as is written, A man will not rest in splendor (Psalms 49:13)” (BT Sanhedrin 38a, cf. M Avot 1:1).
“[A king makes a land stand firm through justice.] But a man of תְּרוּמוֹת (terumot), donations, destroys it (Proverbs 29:4)—Adam, who was the completion of the world, and ḥallah is designated תְּרוּמָה (terumah), a donation [or: an elevation offering]…. Rabbi Yose son of Ketsarta said: Like a woman who mixes her dough with water and separates ḥallah precisely from the middle, even so, at first, wetness would well from the earth to water all the surface of the soil, then YHWH God fashioned the human, humus from the soil (Genesis 2:6) [on the phrase “precisely from the middle,” cf. Rabbi Ḥayyim Vital, Liqqutim Ḥadashim, 17–23]” (Bereshit Rabbah 14:1, cf. JT Shabbat 2:6, 5a).
“בְּרֵאשִׁית (Bereshit), In the beginning, this is ḥallah as is written, רֵאשִׁית (reshit), the first, yield of your kneading troughs, חַלָּה (ḥallah), a round loaf, you shall present in donation (Numbers 15:20), as we have said, ‘Adam was חַלָּה (ḥallah) of the world…’ What is ḥallah? It is these seven species: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olive oil of the land, and honey, which is honey of dates. חִטָּה (Ḥittah), wheat, is the tree from which the first man ate, and since he did not separate ḥallah, [holiness] did not descend upon ה (he), but dwelled upon ח (ḥet) and ט (tet) [which together with ה (he) spell, חִטָּה (ḥittah), wheat, and allude to חֵטְא (ḥet), sin], causing death [cf. BT Berakhot 40a].
And the ḥallah is the Shekhinah, it includes these seven species [which hint at the lower seven sefirot]. In this was the sin of the first man—the drop, which is the י (yod). Dough must have ḥallah taken from it. Immediately they fell upon that drop, and he gave seed that was included with both which is the ו (vav) and the mystery of the matter, הֵא (he), here, is seed for you, [and sow the land] (Genesis 47:23).
Because of this, ḥallah is certainly a decree for the wife, because of her Adam who was the ḥallah of the world died. She must separate ḥallah, to take it from her dough, which is her drop, to return it to man” (Tiqqunei ha-Zohar 31a).
“Nothing existed until there arose within the will of thought actualizing all by impress of the סָמִיטְרָא (samitra), signet, creating the world” (Zohar 1:15b).
You will be transformed like clay of a stamp (Job 38:14).
“וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים (Va-yippaḥ be-appaiv nishmat ḥayyim), And He blew into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7)—חוֹתָם (ḥotam), signet ring, stamp, seal [cf. חוֹטֶם (ḥotem), nose; Isaiah 48:9]” (Ba’al ha-Turim).
“For if a man strikes many coins from one stamp they all resemble one another, but the King of the Kings of Kings, the blessed Holy One, טָבַע (tava), stamps, every man בְּחוֹתָמוֹ (be-ḥotamo), with His signet, of the first man, and yet not one of them resembles his fellow. Therefore every single person is obliged to say: ‘The world was created for my sake’” (BT Sanhedrin 37a).
“Thus the Shekhinah says [to the blessed Holy One]: Even though You ascend above Your image is never removed from me, like the seal that is in the place to which cleaves the impression of the master of the seal. The image of the seal through which He is known is not removed from Her” (Tiqqunei Zohar 1:18a, translated in Wolfson, Through a Speculum that Shines: Vision and Imagination in Medieval Jewish Mysticism).
“There is no place empty of Him” (Tiqqunei ha-Zohar 57, 91b).
“Like a king that sends a document with his seal, and the likeness of the king is embossed in the wax of the seal. The sefirot of אֲצִילוּת (atsilut), Emanation, are precisely the likeness of the King. The sefirot of בְּרִיאָה (beri’ah), Creation, are the seal of the king, and the sefirot of יְצִירָה (yetsirah), Formation, are the angels which are the living beings, and they are the form of the seal in wax” (Tiqqunei ha-Zohar 3b).
“Truth is the seal of the blessed Holy One” (BT Shabbat 55a).
“King Ardavan IV of Parthia sent a pearl of purest radiance to Rabbi [Yehudah ha-Nasi] and requested: Send me something equally precious in return. Rabbi sent him a mezuzah. The king sent back word: I sent you something beyond price, and you sent me something that sells for a debased coin of no value! Rabbi replied: My desirable things and your desirable things are not to be compared. You sent me something that I have to guard; I sent you something that guards while you lie asleep, as is said: [Keep, my son, your father’s command, and do not abandon your mother’s teaching. Bind them on your heart at all times, garland them round your neck.] When you walk about, it will guide you, when you lie down, it will guard you, [when you wake, it will converse with you] (Proverbs 6:22)” (JT Peah 1:1, 15d).
“[When] Onqelos the son of Qalonymus became a convert, the Emperor sent a contingent of Roman [guards] after him but he enticed them with scriptural verses and they became converted…. So they took hold of him; and as they were walking on he saw the mezuzah which was fixed on the doorpost and he placed his hand on it saying to them: ‘What is this?’ and they replied: ‘You tell us.’ He said, ‘According to the way of the world, a king of flesh and blood dwells within, and his servants keep guard on him without; but the blessed Holy One, it is His servants who dwell within while He keeps guard on them from without; as is said: YHWH guards your going and coming, now and for evermore (Psalms 121:8). Then they, too, were converted. [The Emperor] sent for him no more” (BT Avodah Zarah 11a).
“שַׁדָּי (Shaddai)—שׁוֹמֶר דְלָתוֹת יִשְׂרָאֶל (Shomer delatot yisra’el), Guardian of the doors of Israel” (Kol Bo 90, 101:4).
He who dwells in the Most High’s shelter, in the shadow of שַׁדַּי (Shaddai) lies at night—I say of YHWH, “My refuge and bastion, my God in whom I trust.” For He will save you from the fowler’s snare, from disastrous plague. With His pinion He shelters you, and beneath His wings you take refuge, a shield and a buckler, His truth. You shall not fear from the terror of the night nor from the arrow that flies by day, from the plague that stalks in darkness nor from the scourge that rages at noon. Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, you it will not reach…. No harm will befall you, nor affliction near your tent (Psalms 91:1–7, 10).
“Afflictions of the children of Adam (2 Samuel 7:14). These lure human beings at doorways, wells, and toilets. Therefore, if a person places the Holy Name at his doorway—if שַׁדָּי (Shaddai) is inscribed in its supernal crowns—they all flee far away from him, corresponding to what is written: No affliction will draw near your tent (Psalms 91:10). What is affliction? Afflictions of the children of Adam” (Zohar 3:76b).
“שַׁדָּי (Shaddai) of the מְזוּזָה (mezuzah), doorpost, chases away the שֵׁדִים (shedim), demons, and מַזִּיקִים (mazziqim), destroyers, at the gate” (Zohar 3:251b).
“She is the gate by which one must enter all wisdom, and every [divine] appellation, and הֲוָיָה (Havayah), to enter each and every sefirah. She is the knowledge of everything, and without Her no creature has permission to ponder any knowledge in the world. Of Her it is said: זֶה (Zeh), This, is the gate of YHWH (Psalms 118:20)….
Shekhinah is the gate onto which the mezuzah is affixed [one of the many appellations of Shekhinah is זֶה (zeh), ‘This’ (masculine pronoun), or זֹאת (zot), ‘This’ (feminine pronoun), perhaps because as the Divine Presence She is constantly right here, see Zohar 1:49b; 2:11b–12a; 3:8b]” (Zohar 3:256b, 258a, Ra’aya Meheimna Pineḥas).
“Rava said, The proper performance of the mitsvah is to fix it in the handbreadth nearest to the street. Why?—the Rabbis say, So that one should יִפְגַּע (yifgga’), encounter, a mitsvah immediately [on one’s return home, cf. Genesis 32:1: And Jacob had gone on his way, and messengers of God יִּפְגְּעוּ (yifggu), accosted him]; Rabbi Ḥanina of Sura says, So that it should protect him [and his entire house from מַזִּיקִין (mazziqin), destroyers (Rashi)]. Rabbi Ḥanina said, Come and see how the way of the blessed Holy One differs from that of flesh and blood. According to the way of flesh and blood, the king dwells within, and his servants keep guard on him from without; but with the blessed Holy One it is not so, for it is His servants that dwell within and He keeps guard over them from without; as is said, [Look, He does not slumber nor does He sleep, Israel’s guard] YHWH is your guard, YHWH is your shade at your right hand (Psalms 121:4–5)” (BT Menakhot 33b).
“Rabbi Yehudah son of Rabbi Yose said, ‘A doorway that bears a mezuzah: no demon—neither accuser nor evil spirit—can approach, because the blessed Holy One watches the doorway. Even when the destroying angel has permission to harm, he lifts his gaze and sees the name of the Omnipresent poised over the doorway, as it were—and He will not allow the Destroyer to enter your houses to strike (Exodus 12:23). Therefore, one should always be [enveloped] by a mezuzah….
From where do we know this? From its written form—מְּזוּזֹת (mezuzot), doorposts. Its letters demonstrate: זָז מָוֶת (zaz mavet), Death slinks off, for he is not given permission to attack, and he slinks away from the opening” (Zohar Ḥadash 84d–85a [MhN], cf. Tiqqunei ha-Zohar 25a, 66a).
“Our Rabbis taught: If one rents a house to another, the tenant must provide a mezuzah. But when he leaves, he must not take it with him, except [if he rented] from a gentile, [then] he must remove it when he leaves. And it once happened that a man took it away with him, and he buried his wife and two children” (BT Bava Metsi’a 102a).
“Our Rabbis taught: Children die as a punishment for [unfulfilled] vows….
[However,] Rabbi Me’ir and Rabbi Yehudah disagree: One maintains, It is for the neglect of mezuzah, while the other holds that it is for the neglect of tsitsit. Now, as for the view that it is for the neglect of mezuzah, it is well, as is written, And you shall write them on the מְזוּזוֹת (mezuzot), doorposts, of your house and in your gates, which is followed by, so that your days may be many, and the days of your children (Deuteronomy 11:20). But what is the reason of the view that it is for the neglect of tsitsit?—Rav Kahana, others say Shila Mari: because it is written, Also on your skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents (Jeremiah 2:34). Rav Naḥman son of Yitsḥaq said, The view that it is for the neglect of mezuzah is also [learnt] from this: Did I not find them tunneling in? (ibid.) [cf. Exodus 22:1: If while tunneling, a thief should be found and is struck down and dies, there is no bloodguilt for him]—they made their entrances like [nothing more than] caves [without doorposts]” (BT Shabbat 32b).

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