And Behold, Three Men – 1

45) The authority and the desire of the king, the Shechina, appears in three colors—white, red, and green. These are the three colors in the eye. One color shows what is seen to the eye from afar, when the eye cannot clearly tell what it sees because it is far, until the eye receives a little bit of seeing by narrowing it. This is why it is written, “From afar the Lord appeared to me,” which is the illumination of the middle line through the screen of Hirik, for there is no opening for the lights without it.

46) The second color is the seeing of the eye when it is shut. This color is seen only by some shutting that it receives. Also, it is not clear vision because it is seen by shutting the eye and then opening it just a little, and then perceiving this vision. This vision requires resolution to comprehend what the eye perceived, for it is not clear. This is why it is written, “What do you see?” This is illumination of the left line from the point of Shuruk, when the lights are concealed for lack of Hassadim.

47) The third color is the radiance of the mirror. This is not seen at all except by rolling of the eye. When the eye is shut by shutting and rolled in rolling, the illuminating mirror is seen in this rolling. This is the illumination of the right line from the point of Holam. But the eye cannot remain in this third color except by seeing the illumination of the radiance by the shutting of the eye, which is the second color, mingled with the first color.

48) This is why it is written, “The hand of the Lord was upon me.” “The hand of the Lord was strong upon me,” since vision is by the shutting of the eye, which is Gevura and force. The prophets of truth attain the first two colors, with the exception of Moses, the high trustee, who was rewarded with seeing the third color, the illuminating mirror.

It is written, “And I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name HaVaYaH, I did not make Myself known to them.” But here it is written in regard to Abraham, “And the Lord [HaVaYaH] appeared to him.” Thus, He appeared by the name HaVaYaH to the patriarchs, as well. The Zohar elaborates on the difference between the mirror of the prophecy of the patriarchs and the mirror of Moses’ prophecy, where even though it writes, “And HaVaYaH appeared to him,” it is the Shechina, a mirror that does not shine.

The Mochin that are extended by three lines, extended from three points—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik. The Holam is covered Hassadim, MI of Elokim. The Shuruk is ELEH of Elokim, concealed light, since it is light of Hochma without Hassadim, until Hirik—the level of VAK—arrives and decides between them. Through its force, the two lines are included in one another, where the Holam is AVI, Shuruk is YESHSUT, and Hirik is ZA.

The Shechina, the King’s will, appears to the prophets in three colors, called “The three colors of the eye.” It begins from below upward, from the middle line, the point of Hirik. One color shows what the eye sees from afar, but the eye cannot clearly tell what it sees because it is far. This is so because this color of the middle line is the level of Hassadim that emerges on the screen of ZA, phase one. This level is VAK, Hassadim without Hochma, while seeing means Hochma, and it cannot see clearly because this color is far from Hochma [wisdom], and Hochma is vision.

As long as this color of the eye is included with the left line, the illumination of the point of Shuruk, the eye receives some vision there by the force of her thriftiness, since the left line is thrift with Hassadim and its Hochma cannot shine without Hassadim. Hence, by the force of the Hassadim, where the blocking of the left line receives from the middle line in order to open its block, its Hochma shines to the middle line and the Hochma enters it, although its quality is VAK and it is far from Hochma.

It follows that this color—of the middle line—takes scanty vision with its stringency and blocking. “Scanty vision,” since the GAR of Hochma do not shine in her, but only VAK of Hochma.

The VAK, compared to GAR, is regarded as “scanty vision,” as it is written, “From afar the Lord appeared to me.” This relates to the middle line, which is far from Hochma, as it is VAK. But because of its incorporation with the left line, it is written, “From afar the Lord appeared to me,” since vision is received specifically in the middle line, which is far. Had it not been for the middle line, vision would not have appeared at all.

A second color, the vision of the eye in its closing. Vision, the light of Hochma in this color, is shut, since it is the left line and the illumination of Shuruk, which is blocked and does not shine for lack of Hassadim. This is why the color of Hochma in it is blocked. The color of Hochma is unseen to the eye except the little bit of blocking that he receives from the first color, the middle line, and does not shine clearly.

This means that for lack of Hassadim, he cannot shine unless by the incorporation of the middle line, VAK, to receive Hassadim from it. It turns out that he is necessarily unable to shine unless by minute shutting from the first color. This is why it does not shine clearly in GAR of Hochma, but only in VAK of Hochma, which is not as clear as the GAR of Hochma.

This color, which is illumination of Shuruk and left line, shines by shutting the eye and then slightly opening it. First, illumination of Hochma is drawn without Hassadim, which shuts the eye so it does not shine at all. Next, through mingling with the first color, he opens it to shine a little, meaning to illuminate in VAK of Hochma and not in GAR. At that time, she receives the measure of seeing, VAK of Hochma.

This second color is considered a dream and requires a solution because for itself, it is blocked for lack of Hassadim. For this reason, its illumination is called “posterior light,” which is illumination of the dreams that are written in the verse. It awaits a solution, the illumination of the light of Hassadim, for then, by clothing in Hassadim, the light of the dream is drawn—to exist while awake.

While awake, meaning that through the solution, which means clothing in the light of Hassadim from the first color, the illumination of Hochma that the eye received in the illumination of Shuruk and left line exists.

And if he does not obtain the light of Hassadim from the first color, this light of the dream does not exist at all and is not known. It is as though it never existed. For this reason, the illumination of this second kind is called “a dream,” as it does not exist at all without a solution, since it is unattainable prior to the solution.

The third color is the illumination of the point of Holam, covered Hassadim, the light of HGT of ZA, called “illuminating mirror.” However, this light is present in the eye only when the eye is shut, and shines only when the illumination of Shuruk alone shines in her. Then it is rolled in rolling on the three points—Holam, Shuruk, and Hirik, and the illumination of Holam, the light of the illuminating mirror, Hassadim that are covered from Hochma, appears in that rolling, too.

However, the eye cannot withstand that third color, except by seeing the illumination of the brightness through the shutting in the eye. The eye cannot remain in that color of the point of Holam because it needs Hassadim that are revealed in Hochma. The eye sees the radiance that shines within the shutting of the eye only when it clothes the illumination of Hochma that is in the second color, which is the illumination of the point of Shuruk inside the Hassadim that it obtained. At that time, it is primarily the light of Hochma that shines in it.

Hence, it is regarded as a mirror that does not shine because the illumination of the point of Holam does not remain in it. This is why it is written, “The hand of the Lord was upon me,” since it receives primarily from the first two colors—the illumination of the restricted Hirik and Shuruk—therefore, the Nukva is called “The hand of the Lord,” from the words Gevura and force, as it is written, “The hand of the Lord was strong upon me.”

The true prophets attain the first two colors, which shine primarily in a vision to the true prophets in a mirror that does not shine. Moses is an exception, for he was rewarded with looking up at the illumination of Holam, in what is not seen at all, meaning in the illuminating mirror.

49) “Appeared to him” refers to the Shechina appearing before him inside these degrees that connect in her—Michael to the right, Gabriel to the left, Raphael in front, and Uriel in the back.

“And the Lord appeared to him” means the revelation of the Shechina in the three colors of the rolling of the eye. The name HaVaYaH points to the mirror that shines only in the form of bestowal upon the Shechina during the rolling, since then the illuminating mirror appears, meaning HaVaYaH, while drawing the right line, the illumination of Holam. However, after the rolling, it remains primarily in the two lines—middle and left—as this is why it is called a mirror that does not shine.

“Appeared to him,” the Shechina, Nukva, appears and becomes revealed to him. HaVaYaH is discerned as bestowal upon the Nukva during the time of the rolling.

There are two thrones in Atzilut: 1. The upper throne, Bina, becomes a throne for Hochma, since Hochma appears only through Bina. 2. The bottom throne is the Nukva, where Mochin of ZA appear only through the Nukva.

The upper throne stands on the four legs, HGT of ZA and the Nukva. HGT of ZA are the three lines that are extended in the three points—Holam, Shuruk, and Hirik—that shine in the Bina, and the Nukva is the fourth leg, which receives from them and stands behind HGT of ZA.

Afterwards, when the Nukva returns to Mochin of face-to-face, she herself becomes a throne for ZA. Then her four legs are the four angels—Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are extended from the three lines HGT, the three legs of the upper throne. Hence, they are inside, like HGT that stand there inside. And Uriel stretches out from the fourth leg of the upper throne, which is the Nukva, which stands there in the posterior of HGT. Hence, the angel Uriel, too, is in the back of the Nukva.

It is said that the Shechina appears and becomes revealed within these degrees that connect in her phases, in the four degrees that were connected into being the four legs in the upper throne, which are four angels in the Nukva. Michael is to the right, Gabriel to the left, Raphael in the front, and Uriel is in the back, since he is the fourth leg, like the fourth leg of the upper throne, which is in posterior there, as well.

However, this pertains to the four angels that carry the throne to the coupling during the rolling of the eye. But afterwards, the Nukva remains in another order, where Uriel is in front and Raphael is in the back. In this respect, the Nukva is called “a mirror that does not shine.”

This is the Shechina appeared before him in these oaks, the shadows of the world, to show them the first covenant, the holy record that was in the whole world in faith. This is so because there are two points in Malchut: 1. The point of the first restriction, the middle point in the whole world, both from the settlements and from the wilderness. 2. The point of the second restriction, only the middle point of the settlements, and not from the whole world.

Opposite them are two covenants, which correspond to cutting and exposing. The first covenant corresponds to the middle point of the whole world, the cutting of the foreskin. The second covenant corresponds to the point of settlement, the exposing.

The Oaks of Mamre are harsh judgments that are extended from the middle point in the world. This is why the Shechina appeared before him at the Oaks of Mamre, which are the shades of the whole world, corresponding to the middle point of the whole world. It is to present the first covenant before them, the cutting off of the foreskin, opposite the holy record that was in the whole world in the Nukva, called “faith,” meaning opposite the first point that occurred in the first restriction, the middle one in the whole world, from which the first covenant is extended—the cutting off of the foreskin.

50) “While he was sitting at the tent door.” The tent door is the place called “covenant,” which is “faith,” meaning Nukva. “In the heat of the day” is what Abraham adhered to. It is the force of the right side, his degree.

There are two kinds of judgments: 1. The judgments of the Nukva, which are extended from the force of restriction in her. This is the tent door. 2. And male judgments, which are extended from the illumination of the point of Shuruk. This is “in the heat of the day,” when the sun, the light of Hochma, shines without the sheath of Hassadim, at which time it emits great heat, as it is written, “Do not look at me because I am swarthy, since the sun has tanned me.” This is the force of the right side, the male Gevurot, considered right.

Also, these two kinds are called Tzadik [righteous] and Tzedek [justice].

51) “The tent door” is the gate of righteousness, the door of faith, Nukva, the judgments of the Nukva. She is called “a door” because then Abraham went into that holy record of the circumcision. Had it not been for that, he would not have come under the circumcision. This is why it is called “a door.”

“In the heat of the day is considered Tzadik, a degree of connection that those who are circumcised enter it, and the holy record is registered in it, since the foreskin has been removed from it and it entered in the illumination of the two degrees Tzadik and Tzedek, which are faith.

Tzadik and Tzedek are Yesod and Malchut. However, these two names indicate the great coupling of ZON to disclose the Mochin of Haya. As long as there is a hold for shells and judgments, this coupling cannot appear. Accordingly, these Mochin cannot be revealed before the end of correction.

The advice for that is the circumcision. The judgments consist of two phases: Nukva and male, and they are opposite. Both cannot serve in the same place, since two opposites do not come in one place. Hence, by the awakening of the lower one through the commandments of the circumcision, the two kinds of judgments are brought into one place, the upper Yesod, and they revoke each other, as is the nature of opposites, and both are canceled. And since they have been canceled, the coupling of Tzadik and Tzedek immediately appears, and the great Mochin are revealed.

This is the act of the circumcision. The scalpel that cuts is extended from the judgments of the Nukva, and the foreskin is the male judgments. It turns out that the scalpel removes the foreskin, meaning that the judgments of the Nukva cancel out the male judgments. And sometimes the contrary is needed, for the male judgments to cancel out the judgments of the Nukva.

RASHI writes about the verse, “And the waterfalls of the streams,” that there were two mountains; one had dents, judgments of the Nukva, and the other had protruding breasts opposite the dents, male judgments. And the Amorites were hiding in the dents and showered arrows over Israel from there while they were walking between the mountains.

And the Creator made a miracle, that the two mountains moved closer and they became one. Thus, the protrusions in one, the male judgments, entered the dents of the other, the judgments of the Nukva, and the Amorites were crushed between them. Hence, through the arrival of the two opposites into one place, the judgments of the Nukva were canceled because the Amorites in the dents were killed. But here in the circumcision, the primary need is to cancel out the male judgments, the foreskin. But in reality, both are canceled.

The tent door is the gate of justice, since the judgments of the Nukva, the tent, revoke and remove the foreskin, the male judgments, which become a gate for Malchut’s completion, named Tzedek. This is so because by the removal of the shell of the foreskin by the judgments of the Nukva, Abraham entered to receive those holy Mochin that appear in a coupling of Tzadik and Tzedek. This is why they are considered a gate.

“In the heat of the day” is Tzadik. After the judgments of the Nukva removed the foreskin that was attached to Yesod, “in the heat of the day,” the name Tzadik appeared in it, the exposing, which is made of the words Parah Koh [the Lord (Yod-Hey) exposed]. This is the degree of the great bonding of Tzadik and Tzedek [justice] that discloses the great Mochin. After all the judgments and the shells were removed by the cutting, the Mochin of Yod-Hey appear in the exposing, which are Tzadik and Tzedek.

52) “Behold, three men.” These are three angels, messengers who clothe in the air and descend into this world in the form of human beings. They were three, as it is above, HGT of ZA, since the rainbow, meaning the Nukva, appears in only three colors—white, red, and green—like the colors of HGT of ZA.

53) These three people are the three colors—white, red, and green. White is Michael, right, and is extended from Hesed of ZA; red is Gabriel, left, and is extended from Gevura of ZA; and green is Raphael, extended from Tifferet of ZA. These are the three colors of the rainbow, the Nukva, which is seen only through them.

This is why it is written, “Appeared to him,” since the revelation of the Shechina is in these three colors, meaning that the words “Behold, three men standing opposite him” is the explanation of the words, “And the Lord appeared to him.” “Appeared to him” means that the Shechina [Divinity] appeared to him, and that revelation was by the revelation of the three colors on which the text concludes, “Behold, three men standing opposite him,” Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, who draw from the three lines of ZA, which is extended from the three points—Holam, Shuruk, and Hirik of Bina.

54) All three angels are required. One is for curing him from the circumcision, which is Raphael, who is the healer. One was to tell Sarah that she would have a son. This is Michael, since he is appointed over the right side and all the blessings and the good from the right side were given into his hands.

55) And one was for overturning Sodom. This is Gabriel, who is to the left, appointed over the judgments in the world. This is so because judgment is from the left side, and the action is through the angel of death, the king’s captain of the guard, who executes the judgments that were sentenced by Gabriel.

56) And all of them do their mission, each according to what befits him. Angel Gabriel goes on a mission to the holy soul, and the angel of death goes on a mission to the soul, from the evil inclination. And yet, the soul does not leave the body until she sees the Shechina.

57) When Abraham saw the three angels coming together, he saw the Shechina in her colors and bowed, since they are the three colors of ZA that the Shechina clothes in. This is why it is written, “And bowed down to the earth.” This is similar to Jacob, who said, “And Israel bowed down upon the bed's head,” that is, to the Shechina.

58) He referred to the Shechina by the name ADNI, as it is written, “ADNI [My Lord], if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by,” as he turned to the Tzadik, Yesod of ZA, called “Lord.” This is so because then the Shechina is called “The Lord of all the earth” because she shines from the righteous one, Lord, and shines with her colors, which stretch from the three lines of ZA, as she is completed with them above.

59) We learn from this that the lower mirror, the Shechina, draws from above, from Bina, since these three colors, which are the three angels, draw the lights from above, from those high sources that are the three lines in Bina herself.

60) And because they bond with her and support her in everything, the name ADNI is said about her, since this name appeared to Abraham completely in the upper ones, in the lights of Bina. And it became openly revealed to him, which was not so before he was circumcised. Before he was circumcised, the Creator did not wish to elicit holy seed from him. But once he was circumcised, the holy seed immediately came out of him, meaning Isaac.

61) Because he was circumcised, the Shechina appeared over him in these holy degrees, as it is written, “And the wise shall shine as the radiance of the firmament.” Thus, with the correction of the firmament, the Parsa, KHB TM of Atzilut were split and divided, and twelve Partzufim emerged from them: 1. Keter was divided into four Partzufim: Atik and Nukva, AA and Nukva. 2. Hochma and Bina were divided into four Partzufim: upper AVI and YESHSUT. 3. Tifferet and Malchut were divided into four Partzufim: the great ZON and the small ZON.

Hence, these twelve Partzufim are called the “radiance of the firmament,” since they were made and came out by the force of the firmament. The first radiance is the radiance of those who shine in the lighting up of the radiance. The second radiance is the radiance that shines and glitters to several sides.

The first radiance is Partzuf Atik, and the second radiance is his Nukva. Atik himself is from the unsweetened Malchut, above the firmament, which is the matter of not fissured. However, this Malchut is the root of the sweetened Malchut, and she lights the lights of Bina after they have been quenched. It is said of the importance of Partzuf Atik that his radiance shines with the lighting of the radiance. It lights the radiance of Bina, the root of all the Mochin, and had it not been for that lighting, there would have been no Mochin of Gadlut in Atzilut.

He says about the importance of Partzuf Nukva of Atik that she lights and shines both in the unsweetened Malchut and in the sweetened Malchut, since she has already been established with the firmament, in the matter of the fissure. For this reason, she shines to all sides. But the Partzuf of the male Atik does not shine to all sides but only to the lighting since he is above the firmament and he did not fissure.

And thus he elaborates on the virtues of all twelve Partzufim of Atzilut, all of which are included in ZA. And ZA bestows upon the Nukva all those holy degrees. Thus, although Abraham received only from the Nukva, he is still rewarded with all twelve upper degrees because they were all connected to the Nukva in the name ADNI in her. However, before he was circumcised, he was rewarded with receiving the speech only from the Nukva, before those twelve degrees connected to her.

62) The rising and falling radiance is Partzuf AA. This is so because the illumination of Atik cannot descend to Atzilut. The radiance that sparkles to all the phases is the Nukva of AA, since AA bestows only Hochma without Hassadim, but the Nukva of AA, his Malchut, bestows Hassadim, as well. From the Rosh of AA, from Eden, Bina came out and clothed in four Partzufim: her GAR clothed in AVI and her ZAT in YESHSUT.

The never-ending radiance is the two Partzufim, upper AVI, whose coupling is perpetual. Since GAR of Bina clothes in them, they are in Hassadim that are covered from Hochma, in accord with the nature of Bina.

The radiance that produces offspring is the two Partzufim YESHSUT, whose illumination is not perpetual, although they shine in illumination of Hochma and there is no coupling for procreation of souls without the light of Hochma; hence, they are of great merit.

63) The radiance that is hidden and concealed, the spark of all sparks. This means that his sparkling is greater than all the sparkling in the worlds and all the degrees are in him, since he contains all twelve degrees of Atzilut. He is the two Partzufim, the Great ZON, which together are called ZA.

He comes out and disappears, blocked and revealed, sees and does not see. When he comes out and shines, he disappears, since the illumination of ZA is extended from the upper AVI, who are in Hassadim that are covered from Hochma. Hence, when he comes out and shines, he is also necessarily as hidden as AVI.

When he is concealed and does not shine, then he is revealed. This means that when he receives the illumination of Shuruk from Ima, Hochma, he is then disclosed. However, Hochma does not shine without Hassadim. Therefore, he is blocked and does not shine.

He does not receive Hochma for himself, since he is in the phase of GAR of Bina, but he does receive Hochma for the Nukva. This is why it is said that he sees and does not see. The light of Hochma is called “vision.” It is discerned that he sees to bestow upon the Nukva, but for himself, he is always in covered Hassadim.

This boundary is the border in this Partzuf. It is the origin of the pit, the Nukva of ZA. A border is the screen erected in the vessel of Malchut on which the coupling by striking is made. The face of a man is from the Chazeh of ZON upward. Hence, there is a place of coupling there, and not from the Chazeh down. From the Chazeh of ZON upward, it is called “the great ZON,” and it is called ZA only. From the Chazeh of ZON downward, it is called the small ZON, and it is called Partzuf Nukva only.

The screen in the Partzuf of a man’s face is the origin of the pit, the Nukva, since she receives only from the illumination of the coupling in this screen, which comes out to shine only in the day. At night, it disappears. It does not shine then, and at midnight, he plays with the souls of the righteous in the Garden of Eden, who are his offspring.

64) Radiance that shines and illuminates for everyone the whole of the Torah, which is Hochma. It receives Hochma and all the colors HB TM are blocked in it, since he is Partzuf Nukva that contains two Partzufim from the Chazeh down, which are called “the small ZON.” It is known that Hochma is not received in Atzilut but in the Nukva, and she is called ADNI.

Three colors, NHY, are seen below her, and three colors above—HGT. When she rises above the Chazeh for a coupling with ZA, she becomes a fourth to the patriarchs, and it is considered that HGT of ZA are above, and NHY of ZA are below her. And only the three below her are revealed and seen in the illumination of Hochma, not the HGT above her.

Everything is extended from those upper three, HGT. Even the illumination of Hochma in the three lower ones, NHY, is extended from HGT. And yet, they are unseen because they do not receive Hochma for themselves. And he sparkles in twelve sparkles and lights that sparkle off him. This means that she receives from ZA all twelve degrees of the twelve Partzufim that ZA contains. And they are thirteen with the one that includes them, the Holy Name, HaVaYaH, within Ein Sof. Thus, they are twelve degrees in Atzilut, and with Ein Sof that includes them, they are thirteen.

It is the same in the twelve degrees in the Nukva. They are thirteen with the Holy Name of ZA that includes them in Ein Sof, which is clothed in him. The one that includes them is called HaVaYaH, and the twelve degrees in the Nukva are called ADNI.

65) When the lower radiance, the radiance of the twelve, called ADNI, connected with the upper radiance, ZA, called HaVaYaH, they became one name in which the prophets of truth attain and look into the upper radiance. This is the name HAVAYAHADNI, meaning HaVaYaH and ADNI combined. In it, they attain seeing the concealed things, as it is written, “As the color of electrum out of the midst of the fire.”

66) To you, the upper, sublime, and good ones on the right, it was said, “This, the nine points in the Torah,” Bina, who is the three points—Holam, Shuruk, and Hirik—each of which consists of all three; hence, they are nine dots. They come out the Rosh [head] of AA through Malchut’s rising to Bina, and they are divided into Keter and Hochma, Bina, and TM. Bina and TM clothe in the letters that are ZON.

The letters travel small journeys through Bina and TM of Bina that clothe in them, meaning that the letters receive from them Mochin of Katnut [smallness], VAK without Rosh. At the time of Gadlut [adulthood, greatness], Bina and TM of Bina that contain nine points ejects from herself these letters in whom she was clothed, and the letters expand from Bina and TM of Bina, which are called nine rulers. Thus, nine points remain whole, to move the letters, meaning to bestow Mochin upon them, which provide motion and livelihood in the letters, which are ZON.

First, the nine points that are Bina were divided into two halves. Their bottom half, Bina and TM, descended and clothed in the letters ZON, at which time these points imparted small journeys upon the letters, which means Mochin of Katnut. Afterwards, at the time of Gadlut, the bottom half of the points ejects the letters and the letters expand from them, since Bina returned to the Rosh of AA and the bottom half returned and joined with the upper half. Thus, she was once again complete with ten Sefirot in vessels and lights, and the points could then bestow Mochin of Gadlut upon the letters, which are ZON.

They will travel only when these come out of Rosh of AA by themselves. Why should Bina come out of the Rosh and diminish into VAK, and then return to the Rosh to bestow Mochin of Gadlut upon the letters? Why does she not bestow them Mochin of Gadlut before she departs the Rosh of AA? The letters could not travel to receive Mochin for movement, except when these points exit the Rosh of AA. At that time, the bottom half descends and clothes in the letters.

67) These letters are in Ein Sof, Malchut of the quality of judgment, on whom there was the first restriction, to not receive any direct light within her. All the letters are under the shade of Ein Sof. The letters are ZA, and the Nukva is Malchut, that the first restriction of Ein Sof lies on her.

But ZA, on whom there was no first restriction, is not under the shade of Ein Sof. It is said, “All the letters are in the shadow of Ein Sof,” that even ZA is under the shadow of Ein Sof because the root of ZA is from Tabur of AK downward, which is the place of Malchut of the first restriction. Hence, the letters are unfit to receive any Mochin within them. Instead, as the points travel, these blocked letters travel, too.

Due to the exit of Bina from Rosh of AA, her Bina and TM fell and clothed in letters. Hence, the letters became as one body with these Bina and TM within them. At the time of Gadlut, just as these Bina and TM return and rise and travel to the Bina, and Bina returns to Rosh of AA, the letters that clothe them travel with them. They, too, ascend and unite with the Bina and receive her lights, like her Bina and TM.

Thus, in and of themselves, the letters are unfit for traveling, for Mochin. But because half of the vessels of Bina fell and clothed in them, they became a single body with them, and they receive Mochin through the journeying of the vessels of Bina. However, as the Nekudot travel, those hidden letters travel, too, although they are unfit for traveling in and of themselves since they are the restricted Malchut.

These concealments, on which the letters, the restricted Malchut, stay, are revealed and not revealed. These are the forces of the quality of judgment from the restricted Malchut. They are concealed and hidden in the letters, and only Malchut that is sweetened in Bina is revealed in them by the descent of half of Bina into them. And the forces of the restricted Malchut are not hidden and concealed in a way that they never appear in them, since when they need to receive Mochin, they are concealed and hidden. But sometimes they appear, when they need to elicit the middle line.

68) Nine names are engraved in ten. Because the restricted Malchut was concealed, there are only nine Sefirot in them, nine names, since the tenth, Malchut, is missing.

The nine names were engraved, and ten were made out of them because the Yesod was divided into two Sefirot and two names: Adon, Shadai. The first is EKYEH, Keter, and the second is Yod Hey, Hochma. EKYEH Asher EKYEH [I am that I am] is Bina; HaVaYaH, punctuated as Elokim is YESHSUT; El is Hesed; Elokim is Gevura; HaVaYaH is Tifferet; Tzevaot [hosts] is Netzah and Hod; and Adon Shadai are both in Yesod—Adon is Ateret Yesod, and Shadai is Yesod itself.

69) These ten names are engraved according to their essence. All these names were engraved and came in the ark of the covenant, which is the name ADNI. This is what appeared to Abraham after the circumcision, meaning the name ADNI, the Nukva after she received within her all ten names, which are all the degrees in Atzilut. But before he was circumcised, he did not attain the seeing, except from the Nukva alone, without her connection with the upper degrees.

70) Michael is the name of the right, Hesed, who clings and serves the name ADNI more than the other angels. Where the name ADNI is found, Michael is there, too. When Michael departs, God, which is Nukva, departs with Shadai, which is Yesod.

71) It is written, “Behold, three men standing opposite him.” In the beginning, there were three men who clothed in this image of air and were eating. Indeed they ate, since their fire consumed and destroyed everything. This gave contentment to Abraham. For themselves, they are certainly fire, and this fire was covered by the image of the air and was unseen. And that food that they ate was scorching fire, and they ate it. This gave Abraham contentment.

72) Since the Shechina departed, it is written, “And God went up from Abraham.” Michael promptly departed with her, as it is written, “And the two angels came to Sodom.” First it said three, and now two, which means that the angel Michael departed along with the ascent of the Shechina and only two angels remained.

73) The angel that appeared before Manoah descended and clothed in the air and appeared before him. This is the angel Uriel, who did not descend among those angels who were with Abraham. Here he descended alone to tell him he would have a son.

74) And because Manoah is less important than Abraham, it does not say that he ate, for it is written, “If you detain me, I will not eat of your bread.” And it is written, “When the flame went up … the angel of the Lord ascended.” And here it writes, “And God went up from Abraham.” But in the angels, it does not say that they went up from Abraham, since with God, Michael departed, too, and Raphael and Gabriel remained, and it is written about them, “And the two angels came to Sodom,” in the evening, when judgment is in the world. Afterwards, one of them departed and only Gabriel remained for the upheaval of Sodom. Lot was saved by Abraham's merit, and hence, he, too, was rewarded with the two angels, which is why they came to him.