Seven Firmaments and Seven Planets

13. The Creator, ZA, is called “heaven.” Because He is called heaven, when all those firmaments included in this name join together, they are called “heaven,” and they are called the “name of the Creator.” What are those firmaments included in the heaven? They are seven: curtain, firmament, skies, Zvul [the Temple], abode, foundation, willows.

These are the Braitot [pl. of Braita] of Rabbi Hamnuna Saba that speak of lowly matters and imply sublime ones. So it is here, they speak of seven firmaments and imply ZA, who has seven Sefirot.

14. Corresponding to all seventy Sefirot of the king, seven firmaments are placed, and seven planets that run and walk, and they are called by corporeal names. Although they are the skies of the firmaments, they are all covered, called by names that imply the internality in concealment.

The seven planets—Shabtai [Saturn], Tzedek [Jupiter], Maadim [Mars], Hamah [Mercury], Noga [Venus], Kochav [star], Levana [moon]—make those seven upper Sefirot corresponding to those names of the planets, since they want to cover the matters, corresponding to those of whom it is written, “Let them stand now and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars.” They cover all those matters by those names although they are not in the ways of the Torah, but the language of stargazers.

We follow the ways of Torah, implying every thing and covering with the language of the Torah, as it is written, “And he called them names,” like the names his father had called them, like the Creator speaking, we are walking, in the language of the Torah, and we are walking with Him, as it is written, “And walk in His ways.”

Rabbi Shimon was angry about those Braitot that explain the orders of the wisdom of Kabbalah by names from external teachings and not by names in the Torah and in the Song of Songs.

15. The external names are simple to the friends, and the matters are clear to them, although they are covered by foreign names. In the days of King Solomon, the moon was in its fullest, meaning that Malchut was in its fullest, face-to-face with ZA. Hence, at that time, wisdom increased in many places, these words of those Braitot were understood.

16. Rabbi Shimon said, “I raised my hands in prayer to the upper, holy ones, that these words, meaning the wisdom of Kabbalah, will be revealed by me in that world as they were covered in my heart. And we do not use those ways of those Braitot; rather, we hold the ways of Torah in order to explain the wisdom.

17. Who, to you, is as great in wisdom as King David and as King Solomon his son, in attaining the known Sefira in those Braitot, the Sefira Malchut? King David called the moon, Malchut, Tzedek [Jupiter/justice], since it is his, for she was a Merkava [structure/chariot] for Malchut, as it is written, “Open for me the gates of justice, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.” King Solomon also called her Tzedek, and she is called Tzedek. The sun, which is called “covenant” and “foundation” in the Braitot, is called Mishpat [sentence/judgment]. They are the throne of the king, ZA, as it is written, “Justice and sentence are the foundation of Your throne,” for righteous and justice, Yesod and Malchut, are also on the same degree.

Hence, David incorporated them and said, “Justice and sentence are the foundation of Your throne.” The seven Sefirot HGT NHYM are nine with HB, and even in those Braitot, seven firmaments are nine.

18. Rabbi Shimon said, “Until when will the friends read in the Braitot? After all, we follow the Creator and we know the matters in the wisdom of Kabbalah, and that matter has been revealed by us, which was not revealed to the first ones. Henceforth, all those matters and all those Braitot, leave them for those who did not enter and come out, who entered in wisdom but did not come out of it because they did not understand it, and their sons will come to ask in wisdom. When they ask, the friends will tell them, ‘Woe to that generation from which Rabbi Shimon has departed.’ But from here on, there will not be such as that generation, and the Torah will not be revealed by the friends.”