Seven Sections of the Upper Earth

39/2) There are seven sections above, in Malchut, arranged degree by degree in order. In all the sections there are high angels, one atop the other according to the order of their degrees. There are also angels below, in the seven lands of Assiya. All of them grip to one another so that all will be one.

There are seven sections above, in the world of Atzilut, and the upper land, Malchut, includes all of them, and all are included in it, since those seven sections are the expansion of Malchut to her seven Sefirot Bina, and HGT NHY. Hence, they are all included in her because they are all but parts of Malchut.

The praise of the Creator clothes in all of them together. However, the degrees differ from one another, and the places of the degrees are also different from one to the other.

Explanation: In the beginning he explained two interpretations to the verse “And the earth was unformed and void [Tohu veBohu], and darkness on the face of the deep, and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.” The first interpretation, which applies to the upper earth, Malchut of Atzilut, is that the four phases—Tohu veBohu, darkness, and spirit—came out because she was diminished in the diminution of the moon. The second interpretation applies to the lower earth, in which those four phases—Tohu veBohu, darkness, and spirit—made seven sections in her: “earth,” “ground,” “valley,” “oblivion,” “aridity,” Arka, and “world.”

He continues to explain about that: Those two interpretations do not dispute one another since all that there is in the lower earth is extended from the upper earth, from Malchut of Atzilut. Therefore, the verse “And the earth was unformed and void” applies to both earths. There are seven sections, as in the lower earth, and moreover, the seven sections below extend from the seven sections of the upper earth because they are seven sections above, seven sections below, and all grip to one another because they are all one.

Each of the seven sections below grips to its corresponding phase in the seven sections of the upper earth. All are one, and all that there is in one, there is also in the other. For this reason, he explains the seven sections in the upper earth, Malchut of Atzilut, from which we conclude all the details of the seven sections that correspond to them in the lower earth. This is why it is said below, “So it is in the seven sections of the earth below,” and they are all as the seven sections of above.

However, when coming to conclude from our lower earth regarding the upper earth of Atzilut, Malchut of Atzilut, we should know that the relation of our earth to Malchut of Atzilut is not to the whole of Malchut of Atzilut, but only to the externality of Malchut of Atzilut, since the world of Assiya in general is ascribed to the whole of Malchut of Atzilut. Also, it is known that the ground of the world of Assiya is as the ground of the Garden of Eden, in Bina of Malchut of the world of Assiya.

In other words, Malchut of the world of Assiya is considered a unique Partzuf, and does not end the world of Assiya in Malchut in her, but only in Bina in her, in Tifferet, regarded as Bina of Guf where the Parsa inside the intestines stands. That Parsa, which ends the world of Assiya, is the ground of the Garden of Eden.

The part from Chazeh of Malchut of Assiya and below, who is under that Parsa, is regarded as her externality. There are ten Sefirot in it, and Malchut of those ten Sefirot is our earth, which is divided into seven sections: “oblivion,” “aridity,” Arka, “world,” “earth,” “ground,” “valley.” Likewise is our earth in regard to Malchut of Atzilut, since Malchut of Atzilut in general ends in Bina of her tenth Sefira, where there is the Parsa inside the intestines. From there down, the ten Sefirot of the externality of Malchut are extended.

Malchut of those ten Sefirot is the upper earth with seven sections, which he counts here before us. Each of the seven sections of the lower earth, our earth, receives from its corresponding phase in the upper earth. Thus, only Malchut of the externality of Malchut of Atzilut is ascribed to our earth, and in them are the seven sections that The Zohar describes before us.

That Malchut is also regarded as a Partzuf, whose four upper sections stand from her Chazeh and above through the Parsa that is there, and the three bottom sections stand from Chazeh and below, under her Parsa. Those three sections are considered the externality of Malchut of the externality of Malchut of Atzilut, and in them are roots of the shells. That externality of Malchut of the externality illuminates a tiny candle for them, to sustain them, as it is written, “And His kingdom rules over all.” These are the roots of the shell, which The Zohar regards in the three bottom sections, and the praise of the Creator dresses in all of them.

And why does Malchut of Atzilut illuminate to the shells and sustain them? It is because the praise of the Creator would not be completed without them, because the Klipa [peel/shell] comes before the fruit, as is known.

Seven Sections of the Upper Earth

First Section, Yesod

40) The first section below, the bottom section—the second of Yesod, the first when you begin to count from the bottom—is a place of darkness that does not illuminate. It is established with sections for spirits and makers of judgment and strong stormy winds. These are three kinds of shells, one stronger than the other. They are in the first shell of the four shells of stormy wind. These shells are invisible, possessing neither light nor darkness, and are completely amorphous.

Nothing is known there, in that place, as there is no form at all in that imprint. Although there are three shells in that section, they are visible to no one, and neither light nor darkness nor any form can be perceived in them. However, there is necessarily some imprint in them, but in that place there is no form in the imprint that suffices for perception. Hence, they are completely unknown.

That first section corresponds to Tohu in the verse “and the earth was Tohu.” It was said in The Zohar that Tohu is a place without colors or forms, nor is it included in a form at all. Now it is with a form, but when scrutinizing it, it has no form at all. Therefore, it was said here that in this section, too, which corresponds to Tohu, there is no one to know of the existence of the shells. It seems that there are shells there, but when approaching to look at them, no form is seen there at all.

41) There is an angel appointed over that place, whose name is Tahariel. Along with Angel Tahariel are 70 flying appointees that are erased by flickers of flames above them. Some of them do not exist, some exist but are invisible, and some are visible, but when approaching to look at them, they are gone.

At morning time they are all renewed. But they do not persist because when they arrive at that place they are lost and are absent because they enter a hole in the abyss, and are invisible because when the night darkens, they are erased by the flames until morning.

It is written, “His kingdom rules over all.” Malchut of Atzilut illuminates a tiny candle for the shells to sustain them. This is why their place in this section has been rooted, in the last section of the externality of Malchut, the lowest place that exists.

However, an angel of the side of Kedusha [holiness] has been appointed over them, and he is called Tahariel, after his work. His work is to subdue the shells and guide them so they do not damage the Kedusha too much, but properly serve it since the peel precedes the fruit. It follows that it eventually consumes and erases the impurity of these shells, bringing purification to the worlds. This is why he is called Angel Tahariel, from the words Tahara [purity] of El [God].

He has seventy appointees whose role is to extend the vitality and sustenance to the shells in that section. But those appointees do not persist. Rather, they are created and then burn out because being the channels of existence to the shells, they must be as transitory as they are, and have no part in eternity.

Thus, they burn when approaching Malchut to receive abundance for the shells. Hence, when flying to receive abundance, they are erased by the sparks and flickers of the flames on them, from that River Dinur [river of fire] above them in the third section.

Also, they are divided into three thirds, RTS: KHB, HGT, NHY. It was said about NHY that they do not exist because when they arrive at that place, they disappear completely since the majority of the judgments is in the NHY of the shells, hence their channels must be utterly destroyed so they cannot receive anything from them.

It was said about their HGT that they are absent because they enter a hole in the abyss. That is, they can be seen, but when approaching to look at them, they are gone because they have entered a hole in the abyss, the female of Tohu, and there is no dominance so as to see her, since the male is called Tohu, and Nukva is called Tehom [abyss].

It was said about their HBD that they are invisible because when the night darkens, they are erased by those flames. That is, they are present but are not, since they are erased by the flickers of flames on them.

When morning comes, they are all renewed, all three phases NHY, HGT, HBD. When approaching to receive abundance, the three judgments settle on them once more, NHY promptly disappear, HGT hide in the abyss, and HBD are erased and cannot be seen.

So it goes each day repeatedly. In this manner, the force of the shells in that section is significantly reduced, and they are fit for their role to serve the Kedusha, since the Klipa [peel/shell] precedes the fruit.

Seven Sections of the Upper Earth

Second Section, Hod

42) The second section is a place that illuminates more and is darker. But it is not as dark as the first section. That section was established as an abode for the angels of above, and there are no shells here, who are appointed over the works of people, to assist them if they do good, or conversely, to deflect them on the path of evil that they march. That is, they give strength also to those who follow the bad path.

And although they are angels of above and not shells, because as we learn, your right hand is stretched out to welcome the returning, that place seems more than the previous place in the first section, since the first section was Tohu, and that section is Bohu, which is more apparent.

These angels have proximity to people because there are angels that are seen to people in the similitude of people, then there are other angels who are seen as actual spirits, according to people’s concepts of the mind. This is why it was said here that the angels in this section have proximity to people, meaning that they appear to people as their image. Because they are from the Chazeh and below of the sections, and people, too, are from the Chazeh and below, they have proximity and equivalence with them.

However, the angels from Chazeh and above of the sections, in the fourth section, appear to people only in a vision or by extended observation, since they have no proximity to people, as they are from the Chazeh and above.

These angels are nourished by the scent and from the perfumes that people raise from below, to rise in the benefit that they receive and to illuminate more. That is, through the MAN that people raise by good deeds, in the scent and in the perfumes in them, these angels derive benefit and illuminate more.

43) There is an appointee over these angels, Kdumiel, from the letters Kdumei El. It is so because that appointee needs to guard the angels in his section from the forces of judgment in the third hall lest they control them. And since the third hall is above it, and each upper one controls the one below it, the appointee receives the power to protect from it through the name El [God].

Since that name is the name of Hesed, which precedes Gevura and the left line, which controls the third hall, its power can revoke the forces of judgment in its upper one, in Netzah. And by the force of that Kadmut [precedence] in the name El, it is delivered from it. This is why he is called Kdumiel, implying that all of his strength is because the name El precedes the Gevura, by which it revokes and repels the judgments in the section above it lest they control it.

And the angels over which Tahariel is appointed begin with singing and gradually grow silent. This is because singing is extended from the left, hence the singing intensifies the power of the left, which causes the forces of judgment from the third hall to awaken on them at that time. Therefore, Angel Tahariel silences them in the midst of their singing and does not let them conclude their singing.

Once they have stopped their singing and went away, they are completely gone until Israel below begin to sing in this world. At that time, the angels return to their places and to their singing as before, and seem more illuminating.

Three times a day they say Kedusha because Israel cling to the Guf of the king, middle line, which is a Guf that subdues and unites the two arms with each other—the left and right lines. Also, Israel’s singing is extended from the left only once it has been corrected and subdued to the right through the mercy in the middle line.

And after the left line was corrected and included in the right, the upper angels, too, can resume their singing because there is no longer fear of awakening of the forces of the left in the third hall, and Angel Tahariel no longer stops them. Then Kedusha is said three times a day, extending the Kedusha from the three lines—right, left, and middle—which is three times.

When Israel engage in Torah, all the angels in that section fly and testify a testimony above, and the Creator has mercy over them, where by the MAN that Israel raise through engaging in Torah, they give strength to the angels in that section so they can fly up to the upper unification.

And the benefit that they have obtained by their Torah is considered that they testify a testimony to the great Kedusha in the engagement in Torah. From that unification, which is done by the MAN, the Creator has mercy over Israel and gives them Mochin from the middle line, the mercy.

Seven Sections of the Upper Earth

Third Section, Netzah

44) The third section in the seven sections of the upper Eretz is a place of flames and pillars of smoke. There the stream of the river of fire leaps out; it is the origin of the river of fire, which is the crematorium for the souls of the wicked, from which the fire descends over the heads of the wicked.

That is, from that section, the fire descends over the heads of the wicked who sit below, in Hell. Because the fire comes out from that section and descends to Hell, it is called the “crematorium,” and there dwell the harm-doing angels that hammer them in Hell.

45) Sometimes there are slanderers of Israel there to stray them from the good path, except when Israel take cure to repel them, at which time they cannot harm them. Also, they have an appointee over them from the left side.

All the angels there come from the side of the darkness. It is written about that section, “And darkness was on the face of the abyss,” since the first section is Tohu, the second section is Bohu, and the third section is darkness on the face of the abyss. Also, wicked SAM is there, in that section.

It follows that in the third section, Netzah, there is not a spark of corrected illumination. Rather, it is all fire, smoke, the river of fire, and the crematorium for the wicked, for harm-doing angels, and for wicked SAM. In the lower section, the second one—Hod—are the upper angels. And once Israel begin to sing, a great illumination reaches them. Then they sing, too, and make three sanctities there.

We should understand—it is always so that anyone who is higher than his friend is infinitely more important, too. But here it is to the contrary: the upper section is far worse than the section below it. The thing is that the difference between Netzah and Hod is as between GAR and VAK. It is known that one of the prime corrections established in the world of Tikkun [correction] was the concealment of inner AVI, the concealment of illumination of GAR of AB so they would not illuminate prior to the end of correction.

But those sections are VAK of Malchut of the ten outer Sefirot of Malchut of Atzilut, left, except that by Israel’s raising of MAN during the engagement in Torah and good deeds, they receive their correction from ZA of Atzilut. At that time, the Mochin of AB are drawn to them, which correct the left, as well, since the left cannot be corrected by less than them.

However, since the GAR of AB are not drawn throughout the 6,000 years, it follows that all those Mochin that are drawn by Israel’s MAN illuminate and are received only in the section of the Hod, where there is reception of VAK, but not at all in the section of Netzah, in which there is reception of the GAR. Hence, the section of Netzah remains without any illumination of Mochin.

Moreover, there lies the root of all punishments. The root of all punishments is the sin of the tree of knowledge, and that sin was that SAM, who was riding the serpent, seduced Adam and Eve to extend Mochin of GAR of AB to the section of Netzah, of which it was said that it is all fire and smoke. And also, wicked SAM was in that section—the root of all evil—who seduced Adam and Eve with the tree of knowledge.

But the hall below it, the second hall, Hod, receives its complete correction by the MAN of Israel, as it receives only VAK of AB, which is its own phase. Their saying Kedusha three times a day indicates that they receive the Mochin in three lines—right, left, and middle—which are three sanctities, and draw only Mochin of VAK of AB, which are completely sufficient for Hod.

Seven Sections of the Upper Earth

Fourth Section, Tifferet

46) The fourth section is the place that illuminates. A light shines there for the upper angels from the right side, and they begin to sing and conclude it. They do not go and become idle due to the singing, as do the first ones, in the first section, who begin to sing and burn, who pass through a burning fire and in the morning they are renewed as before. But those angels that are here remain in their places and are not canceled because these are angels of mercy who never change.

In other words, they do not burn as the first ones because they are made of light of mercy, from the level of Hassadim above the Chazeh, which is received there from Bina, as it is written, “Because he desires mercy,” right. They never change to receive from the lights of the left, hence there is no judgment in the world that can control them. This is why they can conclude their singing and not burn.

47) It is written about those angels, “He makes his angels into winds,” and they carry out their missions in the world without being seen by people. They are seen only in a vision or in some other manner by close observation.

When the angels that are from Chazeh and below carry out their mission in the world, they dress in clothing of this world and are seen by people. When the angels, emissaries of the Creator, come down to this world, they clothe themselves in a body similar to this world, and they have closeness with people.

But the angels in the fourth section, Tifferet, from Chazeh and above, do not clothe in clothing of this world because they are spirits from the Chazeh and above, while this world is from Chazeh and below. Hence, they are not seen by people because they have no proximity to them, except when they attain them in a manner of vision or in some other manner by close observation.

The Zohar also distinguishes between them, as it is written, “Let birds fly over the earth.” “Let birds fly” is upper emissaries, angels who seem like people, in the similitude of people. It is construed from what is written, “Let birds fly over the earth,” indicating that they have the image of the people of the earth, since there are other angels who appear as actual spirits, according to the conceptual perception of people.

There is one appointee over them whose name is Padahel, from the words Padah El [God redeemed], since those who are granted raising MAN to that section through their good deeds receive the lights of Hassadim through that angel. And even if they must die, they are redeemed and do not die. This is why the angel is called Padah El, as it is written, “And the people redeemed Jonathan, and he did not die.”

The keys of mercy are open in that hall to those who repent and return to their Master. They open the gates with them to pass through them their prayers and requests, since the gates of prayer open only by extending GAR to the Shechina. These repented ones, who extended GAR to the Shechina through their repentance, obtain, therefore, the keys of mercy to open the gates of prayer, and they are granted all that they ask and pray for from the Creator.

Seven Sections of the Upper Earth

Fifth Section, Gevura

48) The light of the fifth section illuminates more than every section preceding it. There are angels in it—some are angels of fire, judgment, and some are angels of water, mercy. Sometimes they are in mercy, when predominance is given to the angels of water, and sometimes they are in judgment, when predominance is given to the angels of fire. These are on the right side, and those are on the left side. The angels of fire are on the left, and the angels of water are on the right.

Sometimes these illuminate and the others are dark. Both angels of mercy and angels of judgment are appointed to sing to their Master—these at midnight, and those at daybreak, since the angels in that section are in the wholeness befitting them, both angels of mercy and angels of judgment. Therefore, they both sing, the angels of judgment at midnight, and the angels of mercy at daybreak.

There is an appointee over them whose name is Kodshiel, from the words Kodshei El [sanctities of God], since his role is to extend the Kedusha from here to the lower ones.

49) At midnight, when the night is halved and the north wind awakens, and the Creator comes to play with the righteous in the Garden of Eden, the north wind knocks and comes to those appointed on singing at midnight, and they all sing and open the singing to the lower ones, so they can sing, as well.

Explanation: Night is Malchut, Nukva of ZA. There is a sweetening from Bina in it because Malchut is not constructed before it is sweetened in Bina. Hence, two phases are discerned in Malchut: 1) its own essence, which is judgment, the quality of the first half of the night; 2) its incorporation in Bina, the quality of mercy, the second half of the night.

Therefore, at midnight, the north wind awakens, a Ruach [“wind” but also “spirit”] from Bina, called “north,” since south and north are HB, and this Ruach sweetens the Malchut. Now first, Malchut receives the Katnut of Bina, and the north wind, Bina, blows and knocks on Malchut, night. It is so because the illumination of Katnut is considered knocking. Then it comes to those appointed over the singing at midnight, when the Gadlut arrives from Bina to Malchut and to the angels extending from her.

Through the Mochin that come to them they sing, and as the morning rises, near the morning light, in the twofold darkness that falls at the end of the night, near daybreak, she makes a coupling with the morning light. At that time, all the other angels sing, angels of water on the right side. At that time, all other angels, all the angels of fire on the left side, assist them because singing is considered left.

This is why the angels of the right need assistance from the angels of the left, so they can sing, as it is written, “When morning stars sing together and all the sons of God will cheer.” It points to all the angels whatsoever—both angels of water and angels of fire, as they all sing together until Israel below begin to sing and praise after them.

These angels are more important than Israel because they are from Chazeh and above of the sections. Hence, Israel receive from them the strength to sing. But the angels from Chazeh and below of the sections are to the contrary: They cannot extend their singing until Israel below, in this world, begin to sing. Because these angels are from Chazeh and below, as are Israel, they are of lower merit than Israel and require receiving strength from Israel in order to continue their singing.

Seven Sections of the Upper Earth

Sixth Section, Hesed

50) The sixth section is close to the kingdom of heaven, the inner Malchut, called kingdom of heaven. It contains ships, rivers, and streams that divide and set out from the water. Malchut is called “sea,” ships are Mochin of GAR, rivers are HGT, and streams are NHY.

Three illuminations flow out of Malchut—sea, to the sixth section, which is closest to it. These are HBD, HGT, NHY. Although all the sections are only VAK, they are still divided into three phases because in VAK, too, there is GAR that is attributed to them.

Several fish, who are angels, and which extend from three phases, move about in the rivers and streams to the four directions of the world. Ministers are appointed over them, and one appointee, Oriel, is appointed over all the lower angels in that section.

He is appointed over those angels that come from the west, the last in the four directions. The four directions are HG TM, and the direction of the west is Malchut. Hence, the angels in that direction are the lowest in degree compared to the angels in the rest of the directions—south, north, and east—which are HG and Tifferet.

51) At those moments and times when the ships travel, all the angels move to this side and to that side, meaning to the side where the ships are going. When the ships go south, the appointee over them on that side is Michael, who is extended from the right, Hesed. When the ships go north, the appointee standing over them on that side is Gabriel, who is extended from the left, Gevura, since the four directions—south, north, east, and west—are HB TM, and in VAK they are HG TM. This is why Michael is on the south and Gabriel is on the north.

When the ships go east, the appointee standing over them there is Raphael, who is to the right, leaning toward Hassadim. And when the ships go west, the appointee standing over them on that side is Uriel. He is the last, as it is written, “They shall go last,” since west is the last of the four directions.

Seven Sections of the Upper Earth

Seventh Section, Bina

52) The seventh section is the highest. Only the souls of the righteous are there. This is where the souls are refined in the upper splendor; they delight there in delicacies and in sublime pleasures. The upper splendor means GAR; delicacies and pleasures mean lights of Hassadim.

Only those righteous are there. There are no angels there, only the souls of the righteous. There are the treasures of peace, and blessing, and almsgiving there, and everything there is as the high phase, Bina, since the seventh section is Bina. This is why it receives from its corresponding phase, Bina of above.

53) So it is in the seven sections of the earth below. They are all as the seven sections of above, where the seven sections in the lower earth, Assiya, are equal in every way to the seven sections in the upper earth, which is the externality of Malchut of Atzilut.

In all seven sections of the lower earth there are types of angels that look like people, who can dress in clothing of this world like people. In that, there is a difference between the seven sections of the lower earth and the seven sections of the upper earth, since in the upper earth, only in the second section, from Chazeh and below of the sections, there are angels with proximity to people. And from the fourth section and above, they no longer have proximity to people, unless by close observation.

But in the seven sections in the lower earth, there are angels that look like people in all of them, even in the sections from Chazeh and above. It is so because the lower earth is entirely from the Chazeh and below of the upper one; even the four upper sections are considered from the Chazeh and below.

Everyone thanks and praises the Creator. But in all the sections, there is no one to attain His glory such as those on the upper section. They see His glory properly, to serve and to praise Him and to know His glory.

54) That upper world, called Tevel [universe], remains intact only for the righteous—who are holy bodies that exist in this world—for whom it was created and for whom it exists. As above, in the sections of the upper earth, the seventh section stands only for the souls of the righteous, in the sections of the lower earth. That section, Tevel, stands only for the bodies of the righteous.

In other words, this world exists for them and was created for them, as they are equal, all as one, one opposite the other. That is, the seven sections of the lower earth emerge from the seven sections of the upper earth, each phase from its corresponding phase in the upper one.

Hence, the relation of each section in the lower earth should be equal to that section of the upper earth. And since in the seventh section of the upper earth there are only souls of people, the seventh section of the lower earth is only for the bodies of the righteous people.

And although there are other kinds of people, as well as bodies of wicked ones, the world was not created for them, and they are poised to serve only the bodies of the righteous, as we learn, “And they were created only to serve me, and I to serve My master.” Therefore, the rest of creations have no merit in themselves, and they are regarded as though they are not here.