Four Animals Inside the HASHMAL

346. Within it is the whisper, those who stand inside, in the Moach. It is written, “And from the midst of it came the likeness of four animals.” This is an internal secret that stands in the Moach, in high secrets, in the high form, more internal than all those shells that surround the Moach, since the four animals are the Moach, and the HASHMAL and Noga and three shells surround it.

347. It is written, “And from the midst of it came the likeness,” from within the one who is called HASHMAL. It is written HASHMAL and it is written HASHMALAH, which means that HASHMAL is male and HASHMALAH is female. Here, it is written HASHMAL, male, so why is it written “from the midst of it” [in female form in Hebrew]? It should have written “from the midst of it” [in male form].

348. However, all those below are females, and anyone who controls another, the one below is called “female,” and all those above, who control those that are below, are males. The one who controls is inside the one that is controlled by it; for this reason, HASHMAL is regarded as female with respect to the four animals, which are inside it and control it.

Three shells contain all the kinds of judgment and the shells in the world: 1) “stormy wind,” from Malchut of the quality of judgment before she was sweetened in Bina, 2) “great cloud,” from the judgments revealed in the left line when it shines without incorporation of the right, 3) “blazing fire,” from the judgments of Malchut that ascended to Bina.

All the various calamities and punishments that befall Israel are from these three shells. However, as they harm the holiness when Israel are unworthy, when Israel are worthy, they assist the holiness, and all the Mochin grow and are completed with their help. For this reason, we make two discernments in them: 1) When they harm and destroy the holiness, they are called “stormy wind,” “great cloud,” and “blazing fire.” 2) When they assist the holiness, when Israel are worthy, those same three forms of the shells are called “the Noga shell.” She is the fourth shell, of which it is written, “And a Noga [glow] around him,” since all the illuminations in holiness that come out in Mochin of holiness surround and shine on the Noga shell.

You find that the Noga shell separates and revokes the three shells so they can no longer harm the holiness. On the contrary, they become helpers and enhance the holiness. Thus, there is no difference between the three shells and the fourth shell in form, but only in the action.

When they act detrimentally to holiness, they are called “stormy wind,” “great cloud,” and “blazing fire.” When they work positively for the holiness, they are called “the Noga shell.” Sometimes, the Noga shell, too, becomes defiled like the three shells, and works detrimentally like the kingdom of Greece.

It all depends on the lower ones. If they worsen their ways, the three shells rule, to the point that even the Noga shell becomes spoiled. If they better their ways, the Noga shell repels the three shells.

There are also changes in the Noga shell herself, since the primary help to holiness is the phase of blazing fire in her, which is the obstacle that is placed for the serpent. However, the other two have roles in helping the holiness, as well.

All those—stormy wind, great cloud, and blazing fire—are shells that surround the Moach one inside the other, since each one is external to the other and surrounds it. The blazing fire is the one that grips that Noga within it, since the main help to holiness that is in the Noga shell is the blazing fire in her, which is the most gripped to Noga. Noga is more internal than all, and she is the one gripping the Moach since she assists in the emergence of the holy Mochin. This is why it is considered that she grips them.

Here is the matter of the four kingdoms that surround everything. Stormy wind is the kingdom of Babylon; great cloud is the kingdom of Madai; blazing fire is the kingdom of Edom, since these four shells contain all the judgments and the punishments that befall Israel, and the four kingdoms where Israel were exiled include all the troubles and enslavement of Israel.

“Noga around him” is the kingdom of Greece. The Noga shell corresponds to the kingdom of Greece, and Noga surrounds them; it is not that Noga is within them. Rather, Noga surrounds, meaning they are near Noga, since in all the kingdoms, there is none as close to the path of faith as the kingdom of Greece. Here, too, in these shells, there is none as close to the Moach of holiness as the Noga shell.

This is the meaning of “Noga around him” and not “Noga within him,” since the Noga shell contains the three shells, and she is not actually Noga, but the holiness takes help from her, it is considered that the Noga of holiness surrounds her, since the Noga—which is the measure of illumination in the Moach of holiness that came out with her help—emerges from the Moach and shines around the Noga shell, as it is written, “Noga around him.”

There is a big difference between the Noga shell and Noga. The Noga shell is only the three shells as a whole, but only to the extent that the Mochin of holiness are assisted by them, while Noga is the illumination of the Mochin that is revealed due to the assistance of the Noga shell; it is the actual holiness. The three shells in and of themselves are only the judgments and the punishments that come upon Israel.

However, all the power of the three shells to enslave and torment Israel is because of their root in the Noga shell, where the illumination of the Mochin shines on her, and which grows because of those judgments. It follows that every shell that rules so as to torment Israel takes her strength from that illumination of Noga that shines on her.

These four kingdoms interchange. When one controls the others, all those others are repelled, and the one that controls enters to receive from that Noga, for each shell that governs so as to torment Israel, necessarily takes her strength from that illumination of the Mochin which grow because of those torments, and in the end, they bring much good upon Israel.

For this reason, each shell that governs over Israel repels the rest of the shells, which do not govern, and approaches the light of the Noga in order to receive strength from it. But in terms of permanency, there is only the shell of Noga, as she is close to the light of Noga, and the light of Noga surrounds her, as it is written, “and a Noga around him.”

The HASHMAL is complete holiness, but he is governed by the left line since the Mochin are three lines with the Malchut who receives them, which are four animals, and they are under the governance of Hassadim, right. Preceding them is the HASHMAL, who surrounds the Mochin. He, too, is in three lines and Malchut who receives them, which are called “four animals,” except they are all under the control of the Hochma that is in the left.

Since the Hochma expands only with many judgments, they are regarded as four animals of fire, due to the many judgments that come out with them. It is considered that they murmur since speech implies Hochma.

It is written, “And from within it, like a HASHMAL from within the fire.” The HASHMAL, the four murmuring animals of fire, correspond to three lines and Malchut who receives them. They are under the governance of the left line, which is why they are animals of fire, from the side of the judgments, and murmur, form the side of Hochma.

He is the shining brightness since illumination of Hochma is called “brightness.” “Ascending and descending”: ascending first, to receive his illumination from Bina, where it is his root, and then his illumination descends to the lower ones. “Blazing fire” means that the judgments are blazing in him, namely the judgments that emerge with the illumination of Hochma. “Standing and not standing”: For those who draw his illumination from below upward, he stands and exists. For those who wish to draw his illumination from above downward, he does not stand and does not exist.

“There is no one who can stand in it in one place,” since three lines are called “three places,” and it is impossible to draw it from one line, left without right, but rather from three places one at a time. “The eyes and the vision cannot govern it; it is here, and it is gone.”

This is so because the conduct of the illumination of the left is to be drawn in haste, and vision does not stand so as to be looked at, since the left line shines, and before there is time to see it, it no longer shines.

Here it is in this place, and here it is in another place. At one time, it is in its own place, in the left line, and at one time, it passes to the right in it, since this is how the three lines are revealed one at a time.

Behold, it ascends, and behold, it descends, since the left line was shining from above downward in the place of its emergence, and its illumination descends, and as it is unified in three lines, it no longer shines, except from below upward.

In this vision, whatever is hidden, is hidden, Malchut of the quality of judgment that is hidden, since if she is revealed, the illumination of Hochma stops. And what is concealed is concealed, namely the illumination of GAR of Hochma is concealed and no longer shines.

This is what is called HASHMAL, and the name HASHMAL indicates that its illumination is not permanent, but rather sometimes feeling [sensing] and sometimes murmuring. The prophet should see within it, and through the HASHMAL, he looks at the complete Mochin that are in the internality of the HASHMAL, that the HASHMAL surrounds, which are four animals under the governance of the right. The eye is more closed than all, for in the control of the right, the eye should be more shut than all, and then, too, I wish for him to be able to withstand those Mochin.

A blazing fire gleams because of the judgments in that HASHMAL. There are four sides in it: From one side emerges one sparkling in a glittering and blazing mirror. “Was and was not, standing and not standing.” That glittering in the glittering and blazing mirror, behold, here it is, and here it is not, standing and not standing, emerges from this side. And one glittering such as this, emerges from that side. And also, that glittering emerges from that side, and likewise to four sides.

From each side emerges a sparkling that shines in all the ways explained about HASHMAL. Although the HASHMAL is drawn only from the left line, the left line is still comprised of three lines and Malchut who receives them, which are called four sides: south, north, east, and west. Hence, HASHMAL is found on all four sides, which are called “four animals of fire.”

This animal speaks to that one, bestowing upon each other, the right to the left, and the left to the right, and both of them to the middle one, and the three of them to Malchut, all four sides, until they become one, until they become one phase.

At that time, all four animals glitter sparks in one sparkling, in one phase, as though they were one animal that is ascending and descending, walking and standing, seen and unseen. Here she is, and here she is not; no one withstands her, she behaves according to all the manners of illumination of the HASHMAL, and then the sparkling is divided once more in the vision of the four murmuring animals, each in its own phase as before.

Within the four murmuring animals in the HASHMAL, which are four animals under the governance of the left line, there is a Moach that is more internal to all of them, four animals under the governance of the right. This is why it was said, “Within it is the whisper,” which is under the governance of Hassadim, which are considered that Hochma is not heard in them, and they are in a whisper from Hochma, which stands within, called Moach.

It is written, “And from the midst of it came the likeness of four animals,” which are internal, regarded as the Moach, and all three shells and Noga and HASHMAL surround that Moach, which is the four animals. “And from the midst of it came the likeness,” from the midst of the one called HASHMAL, that the four animals of fire of HASHMAL surround these four animals, which are the Moach.

349. Whose likeness do these four animals have? The likeness of the upper animals of ZA, since from these, those are seen, the hidden ones, which are invisible. The four animals of Malchut receive all that is in them from the upper animals of ZA.

Here it is called “likeness,” as it is written, “the likeness of four animals,” and it is called “an image,” as it is written, “in our image, after our own likeness,” and it is written, “In the image of God He made the man,” and it is written, “in the image of God He made him.” Why is it called “likeness” here and “image” there?

350 It is so because when a river, Yesod of ZA, comes out of Eden, all those souls flee from it, the fruits of the Creator, and whoever takes them takes them. When they come out from the Creator, each of them enters in shape, to be depicted in a place called “likeness,” which is the four animals.

351. There, in the four animals in Malchut, which are called “likeness,” each of the souls is depicted in the form appropriate for her, and from there, all those forms in the souls emerge, each in her own form, as though they were placed in a printer to be depicted, in a tool that makes a template of something that is placed in it.

The image in the four animals of Malchut elicits a likeness in each soul. The image, which is the four animals emerging from an animal that is a male, which emerges from ZA, elicits an image in each soul.

352. Because these female animals, which are called “the four animals in Malchut,” are in the four directions of the world, in three lines and in the Malchut who receives them, and all the camps and armies are incorporated in them, all the souls and all the angels, they are a likeness above and below, taking shapes above, from the four animals of ZA, which are called “image,” and taking shapes below, from Malchut, which are called “likeness.”

They are truly the shapes of all the sides, which is why they elicit shapes of all the sides—of above, which are called “image,” and of below, which are called “likeness.” Even the shapes that are called “likeness,” which are from ZA, are accepted only in the four animals in Malchut.

353. Since it is written “likeness,” why is it written afterwards, “And this is their appearance,” which is redundant? However, He went down before him and showed him something unknown, as it is written, “And this was the workmanship of the lampstand,” which Moses found difficult to do, and the Creator showed him its template. It is written, “And this is what you shall do.” Here, too, “this is their appearance,” meaning He showed him what he did not know.

354. The mind of all the prophets besides Moses, the faithful prophet, became confused once they reached the HASHMAL. Can it be that Ezekiel could withstand it? However, because the spirit of prophesy was saying the words, all the visions were revealed outside for the love of Israel, and they all mix, and they are all in a jumble.

355. The inner mirror, the vision of the four animals, shows in a whisper, in the governance of Hassadim, as it is written, “and after the fire, a still, small voice.” This is the form that contains all the forms in the mirror of above, which is a shining mirror, ZA.

The upper voice, ZA, who is called “a voice,” is in a whisper above, under the governance of Hassadim, and all the forms emerge from him. The voice below, which is incorporated in the four animals of Malchut, is as the voice above, holding within it all the forms, also in a whisper.

And because he is in a whisper, under the control of the Hassadim, no judgment awakens from them. Hence, when the prophet reaches him, the eyes brighten in him, the illumination of Hochma that is incorporated in those Hassadim, called “eyes,” shines in him and the thoughts shine.

356. It is written, “This is their appearance,” since the four animals in Malchut have no appearance, except through the mirror that shines from above ZA, who is their mirror, and the vision of everything. Everyone shines in that light.

357. HASHMAL is four blazing and glittering sparkles that enter one another and one body is made of them, called HASHMAL. Here, too, these four animals that are clothed within the HASHMAL are incorporated in each other.

358. Because they are to the four directions, the one to the east is incorporated in the one to the west, and the one to the west is incorporated in the one to the east, and the one to the north is incorporated in the one to the south, and the one to the south is incorporated in the north. Since they are all incorporated in each other, one body is made of them, called Adam. Although through the incorporation, all four faces change in terms of their phases, they are still called “the face of a man.”

359. Several camps, according to their kind, are born and emerge from these four animals, which are internal to the point of Malchut that stands on them, since the point of Malchut rides on these four animals, and by this, she is called the letter Hey.

360. Adam is male and female. The male is the letter final Nun, Adam in completeness. This letter governs the dot that is the letter Dalet, Malchut, over the four animals.

361. The letter final Nun is the internality of everything, all those other camps, and all the armies are called by that name, as it is written, “thousands of thousands,” since they emerge from the inner Moach, from the four animals of Malchut, which are called “thousands” altogether, and are the Moach in which there are four animals, ox-eagle-lion, and the man who contains the three of them, which is Malchut, who is called Adam, incorporated from three lines ox-eagle-lion. Instead of Adam, the letter final Nun contains them, as they are the acronym SHANAN, ox-eagle-lion, and the final Nun is Adam. The Moach in its entirety, which is the four animals, connects together in the internality, which is SHANAN [also thousands], which is why they are called thousands of thousands.

362. When the four animals are temporarily looking, it is written about them, “and the image of their face is the face of a man.” This is so because they are incorporated above, to receive abundance from ZA, the animals are incorporated with each other and become one body, called “man,” and the other three faces are not apparent then. Afterwards, the shapes of the three animals lion, ox, and eagle separate each to her own phase.

When they are all covered and are not looking upward, into the dot that is on them, their form is not seen at all, except for the shape of a man, which is a form that contains all the forms, and they are all hidden before that form. For this reason, all the forms in the world, when they look at the form of a man, they all fear and move from before that form of the man.

It is forbidden to detail the three lines before they are all incorporated in the middle line, which contains them with covered Hassadim. After they are all incorporated as one, the right and left should be incorporated, for through this detailing, the illumination of Hochma, which is incorporated in the middle line, is revealed, as well.

You find here that first, all four animals must be incorporated into one body called Adam, who is Malchut, who receives the three lines lion, ox, and eagle, with respect to the middle line in them. Afterwards, the three faces are detailed, each to itself, so the Hochma from the illumination of the middle line will appear.

When the four animals are temporarily looking, it is written about them, “and the image of their face is the face of a man,” since then they must be united in a general way only from the middle line. Afterwards, the shapes separate, since afterwards, the shapes must be detailed, for then the illumination of Hochma incorporated in them is revealed.

When the animals are covered, since there are only Hassadim that are covered from Hochma in them, the matter of detailing the three lines is not applied in them, but they are rather only incorporated in the face of the man. When they are all covered and do not look up, into the dot that is on them, no form is seen in them at all except for the form of a man, since then they are not detailed at all.

This is so because the forms are detailed one by one only for the disclosure of illumination of Hochma. When they are covered from Hochma, there is only a general form in them, only the face of a man.

363. The high form that emerges from the upper one inside the inscribed letters final Mem, Dalet, Aleph, is Adam, and everything is included in him. Adam is the entirety of everything, as it is written, “And from the end of the heaven to the end of the heaven.” Heaven is ZA. In other words, from Bina, which is the end of the heaven above, to Malchut which is the end of the heaven below, and he is the middle, and below, and above, it is all in one whole.

A blocked [final] Mem above, Bina, contains everything that is below, since Bina includes ZA and Malchut, who are below her. The Dalet below, Malchut under ZA, contains several Merkavot [pl. of Merkava] and camps together. Aleph is the meaning of everything in the middle, ZA, which is in the middle between Bina and Malchut, and takes to all sides, and contains within him right and left together.

For this reason, Adam is everything from one side, from Bina, to one side, to Malchut, except for the upper one, who stands in the thought and in the desire until he rises to Ein Sof, which is HaVaYaH filled with letters Aleph, which is Adam in Gematria (45), which is the thought of ZA, Hochma, the acronym of Koah MA [force of MA], and she is called Adam [man].