Sha'arei Orah - Gates of Light (Part 1 of 2)

(1) You asked me, brother, dear friend, to clarify in front of you a path about the names of the Holy One, Blessed be He, the Exalted and Almighty, to produce with them according your will and to reach through them the object of your desire. And by seeing that your intention is honest, and better than (simply fulfilling) your request, I must let you know which way will spread light (be spiritually profitable); namely, what is the way that HaShem Almighty desires or does not desire. And when you get to know this, then call HaShem and He will respond. And you will be closest to him. And love Him with all your soul, and rejoice on HaShem. And He will grant you the requests of your heart.

(2) Do you not know? Have you not heard? Hashem is the L-rd of the Universe, before Him tremble all of the upper worlds and lower worlds, from the fear of Him the earth trembles and before His wrath who can stand? (Nahum 1:6) Who shall endure before His anger? He places no trust even in His holy ones, and the heavens hold no merit in his eyes. How much less man who is vile and corrupt and who drinks wickedness like water. (Job 15: 15-16). How may a mortal use the His holy names and make from them an axe to chop with? Who is he who conspired to do so? To snatch the kingly crown for his own personal use? Behold, our sages have said: anyone who utters the name of Hashem according to the way it is written has no share in the world to come. The holy Rabbi Chanina ben Tradion did not utter Hashem's name in a profane manner or for his own use, rather in a manner of respect in order to learn and understand the ways of Hashem blessed be He and he was still punished, we who are (spiritually) impoverished and lacking, how much more so!?...

O Adonai, open my lips and let my mouth give you praise (Psalm 51:17).

The foundation of wisdom and the essence of Kabbalah is belief in the blessed Lord (YHVH). If your thoughts will travel honestly on the way, "...then you will go your way safely and not injure your feet (Proverbs 3:23)." The first of the Holy Names is the one called ADoNaY . King Solomon fo blessed memory said: "Be not overeager to go to the house of God (Ecclesiastes 4:17)".

This verse warns one to inspect oneself and to be careful when one wishes to pray before God. One should see if one has "detractors" who keep one's prayer from being received. One must clear the path and remove all the obstacles in the way. It is similar to a person who goes to the king's court to seek advice. He must be careful and aware of whether there is danger on the way. He must also know how many gates the king's house has [and the approaches to them], one inside the other. He must know and be beloved by each of the gatekeepers and he must know and make peace with the one who wants to deter him....

Now you have been informed that the essence of faith and the basis for understanding the unity of God is to understand the applications of each Name. For all His Names that are mentioned in the Torah are included in the Tetragrammaton YHVH, which is similar to a tree trunk. Each of the other names - those which I have campared to roots and branches and other hidden treasures - has a unique function.

It is just like a storehouse which has several rooms. Each room within the storehouse has a specific identity: one room has precious gems, one has silver, another has gold, while another has different kinds of food and another has drinks. If a person needs food, he may starve to death if he doesn't know how to get to the room, even though the rooms are full. It is not because his request has been denied. He is simply not aware of which room he needs. So it is with the comprehension of the blessed Holy Names: there are Names in charge of prayer, mercy and forgiveness, while others are in charge of tears and sadness, injury and tribulations, sustenance and income, or heroism, loving-kindness and grace.

If one does not know how to concentrate on the very Name which is the key to the answer of his request, then who is to blame if the request is not granted? As it is stated "A man's folly subverts his ways and his heart rages against YHVH." (Proverbs 19:3)

...One must therefore familiarize oneself with the ways of the Torah and know the purpose of the Holy Names. He should be expert in them and when he needs to request something from God he should concentrate on the Name designated to handle that question. If he does so, then not only will he request be granted, but he will be loved in the heavens and beloved in the world; he will inherit both this world and the next.

Know that the first Name is the Name closest to all those who have been created. Without It, there is no way for any creature to enter the court of the king. the Name is ADoNaY.

The ineffable Name YHVH is the one that teaches us the essence of our Blessed Creator and everything is subordinate to It, but the Name ADoNaY is the key to the entrance through the first gate. This Name is the lowest level of God's Names. It is the uttermost foundation of unity - as we will explain with God's help - after which comes the other world, the world outside the Divine Hierarchy.

The essential and true understanding of the verse, "A river issues from Eden to water the garden, and then it divides and becomes four branches" (Genesis 2:10), is that the rivers represent the four divisions of the SHeCHINaH, which are subordinate to ADoNaY, which is the lowest level of the Divine oneness...

Now, after we have made you aware of these fundamental concepts of the attribute known as ADoNaY, we must now conclude these concepts with a general all encompassing rule that should be handily preserved by you. Know that this attribute, because it receives energy from higher posers, [once received] has various qualities: to give life, or bring death, to bring up or bring down, to smite or to cure. All, however, is dependent upon the kind of energy that can be drawn to this attribute. It acts among all Creation according to the energy it receives. All this is in accord with the forthright law of true justice. There is no fraud, no negligence, no favoritism. Since this attribute is filled with the everflow from those attributes which reside above it, sometimes it is called by the name of one of these attributes from which it is filled at that particular time.

Just as we have given you the keys to the attribute called ADoNaY, we must also convey something else to you. Just as there are three Names connected to unity and they are ADoNaY, YHVH and EHYE, so too there are three elements intrinsically tied to man and they are NeFeSH (living force), the RUaCH (the spirit) and the NeSHaMaH (the Divine soul). For a man must tie NeFeSH to the RUaCH and the RUaCH to the NeSHaMaH and the NeSHaMaH to ADoNaY...

The second of the Holy Names which appears on the order of Emanations is called, EL CHaY, the reason being that it is at the end of the nine levels which are known as the "nine mirrors of vision". It is the one that draws the attributes of loving-kindness and life from all the emanations to ADoNaY, as we have already said. When it draws from the attribute of loving-kindness it is called EL and when it draws from the attribute of life it is called CHaY, and when they are bonded together they are called EL CHaY. Thus when these attributes continue through the attribute ADoNaY, it is then called EReTZ HaCHaYYiM - the land in which the life of the upper world is gathered. From the power of this Name the living ADoNaY lives through all that is created in the world: the angels, the hosts of heaven and the stars, and all the earth's armies and descendants. The essence of this idea is contained in the verse, "Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creatures" (Gen. 1:24).

For this verse, by virtue of the upper wisdom, includes the soul of all that moves and crawls on the earth, the life-force of all species of fish, fowl, beasts and domesticated animals as well as the animal soul that dwells within man which is called the NeSHaMaH...

This attribute is sometimes referred to as EL ShaDaY. The reason is that this attribute brings the power, the fulfillment, the everflow and he emanations into the Name ADoNaY, until it says "that is enough" (SheDY) - as the Sages have said in the tractate Chagigah, "SHaDaY, in this Name He said to His world, 'enough'." Even though the reason given is "that the world continued to expand until he said DY (enough!)", the essential principle to be learned is that the attribute EL SHaDaY gives sustenance to all creatures and sends forth the blessings of ADoNaY until the creatures' lips are worn from saying DY. When the attribute ADoNaY is filled with the power of EL SHaDaY then it is called by the Name SHaDaY and EL SHaDaY, as we have already told you. All the blessings, and good, which flow from ADoNaY to fill the needs of every creature come from ELSHaDaY.

This attribute is called YeSOD, for just as a house rests on its foundations (YeSODoT) so does ADoNaY rest on the attribute YeSOD. Note that ADoNaY cannot receive everflow nor can it be sustained without the attribute YeSOD which is called EL CHaY...

Know that this attribute is called throughout the Torah TOV and this is alluded to in the verse, "They said TZaDIK, for it is TOV" (Isaiah 3:10). Now we must awaken you to this matter. Know that all the continuous flowing which descends from above - from all the upper emanations - all works by way of TOV and wholeness, even if Judgment descended upon the world with the attributes of power and fear. If it came through the channel of TZaDIK, then everything comes by way of complete TOV and no evil is at work in the world because all is being done for the good of him who is blemished; it has been done to him through the channel of TZaDIK, and all is for good.

Reflecting on this attribute [ZaCHoR], God gave us SHaBaT and it is up to me to tell you how. Know that the three upper Spheres which are KeTeR, CHoCHMaH adn BINaH unite above, and since the spheres are all connected, BINaH is connected with the six Spheres beneath it until [we reach] this Sphere which is known as EL CHaY and as SHaBaT. For this was the principle that the world was created in six days and the seventh day was SHaBaT. For SHaBaT corresponds to the attribute YeSOD, which is the Sphere EL CHaY, and therefore the SHaBaT day is called the source of blessing and holiness...

After we have made you aware of these delicate principles which are merely presented as clues, we must tell you that the essence of EL CHaY is the essence of the place where prayers and requests are examined. Thus when the prayer is rendered appropriately and is attached to EL CHaY, then the Name which is called EL CHaY draws near ADoNaY, which is the essence of prayer which causes the unity of all the Spheres. For when prayer attaches itself to EL CHaY it enters all the chambers until it ascends to the Sphere of BINaH and from BINaH it attaches itself to CHoCHMaH which is also called RaTZON (will). We therefore say at the beginning of the eighteen benedictions, "ADoNaY open my lips..." for this is the gate through which we enter; and at the end of the prayer we say, "...let the words of my mouth be of RaTZON", for the "RaTZON" is at the top of the ascending stairs, and it is the essence of the letter yud of the Tetragrammaton which is known as RaTZON. It then ascends from RaTZON, which is the yud, to the coronation of the yud where it cleaves to KeTeR ELYON (highest crown) which is also known as AYN SOF. One thus learns that prayer returns to His great Name, Blessed be He, for when the eighteen benedictions are begun we say, "AdoNaY open my lips..." which is the essence of the letter hay, the final letter hay of the Tetragrammaton, which is the lowest of all the Spheres, and at the end of the eighteen benedictions we say, "Let the words of my mouth be of RaTZON," which is the yud of the Name which is at the top of the Spheres...

ELoHIM TZVAOT and YHVH TZVAOT are the two sacred Names which rank third and fourth in ascending order. Both of them are sometimes considered as one, as it is written: "YHVH ELoHIM TZVAOT, hear my prayer" (Psalm 94:9), wheras sometimes they are mentioned separately, as it is stated: "ELoHIM TZVAOT, return us, shine Your countenance and we will be saved" (Psalm 90:8). And it is written: "YHVH TZVAOT is with us, the God of Jacob is our haven" (Psalm 46:12).

It was necessary to bring both Names within the same gate even though each of the other Names has a single gate to itself. For these two Names are defined in the light of each other. For when one is defined the other has to be brought in, thus they end up being defined as one, for they are united together as one.

These two Names known as YHVH TZVAOT and ELoHIM TZVAOT are both able to empty all the outpouring from the channels and the upperSpheres and bring them to the attribute EL CHaY. Both of them operate in accordance with straightforward judgment for all the Legions in the world: one works from the side of CHeSeD and the other works from the side of DIN; both draw judgment, loving-kindness and mercy from the attribute EL CHaY...

Know that these two attributes that are called YHVH, ELoHIM TZVAOT sustain all the heavenly and earthly hosts in the world and are responsible for all the wars of the world. The essence of jealousy dwells in this place and this is the essence of the verse: "The jealousy of YHVH TZVAOT will do this" (Isaiah 37:32). And it is stated: "And YHVH is jealous for His Land" (Joel 2:18).

It is from this place that prophecy is nurtured, as it is written, "Thus says YHVH TZVAOT". Know that Moses our teacher was greater than all the other Prophets, and Moses never used the phrase "YHVH TZVAOT", for his level cleaved to YHVH, and he did not have to look into the "mirrors of TZoVOT", (the hosts or legions of women) (Exodus 38:8). Thus it is written that Moses our teacher, peace be with him, looked into the luminous mirror, as it is written: "With him I speak mouth to mouth, plainly and not in riddles, and he beholds the likeness of the Lord." (Numbers 12:8) The other Prophets see through an opaque, unfinished mirror, as it is written: "Through the hand of the Prophets, My likeness has been seen." (Hosea12:11)...

After we have made you aware of the nature of the Names in general, now we must try and describe each one by itself. With the help of the Divine, our task is to write onward in this order, with the help of God, for He will teach us the way of truth and prophecy.

The Name [referring to HOD] called ELoHIM TZVAOT is the essence of the attribute that draws an array of judgment and might from the left side. It draws from BINaH and from fear and it wages the wars of the Lord of Hosts both above and below. Thus it is written: "On that day YHVH TZVAOT will visit the Hosts of heaven in heaven and the kings of the earth on earth." (Isaiah 24:21)

I must tell you what this truly means. We have already ascertained that the Name ADoNaY is what governs the multitudes above and below, and it is the great provider of Creation for in its hand are the stores of the king, the heroes of war and their instruments of battle, the chariots of fine, the horses of fire, the grinding armaments and swords, the bows and arrows, the catapult stones as well as the other instruments of war. When one puts the valiant soldiers around this Name, all of whom are swordsmen, the learned men of war, men with swords attached to their thighs, all of them receive strength and courage from the side of fear [i.e. the Left Side]. The essence of which is rendered in the verse, "A man with a sword attached to his thigh comes from the fear of the nights." (Song of Songs 3:8)...

Know that YHVH TZVAOT is the right pillar which is called NeTZaCH, from the verse, "To You, YHVH, are GeDuLaH (greatness) and GeVuRaH (might) and TiFEReT (glory) and NeTZaCH and HOD." (1 Chronicles 29:11). For it is NeTZaCH which places compassion upon Israel, as it is written, "Has the compassion of NeTZaCH disappeared forever?" (Psalm 77:9).

This is the place that pronounces positive decrees on Israel when it is attached to KeTeR ELYON, the highest Sphere, and He will never rescind them...

The fifth Name from the Holy Names in ascending order is the Name which is known as YHVH, may He be Blessed. Know and understand that the Name YHVH is the pillar to which the upper and lower Spheres cling. They interconnect in ascending order and they are energized in descending order. This is the Name which is likened to the trunk of a tree and all the other Holy Names are like its branches; all are attached to each other from above, below and all sides. It is the One that brings the Spheres together with its letters. So it is with all living creatures, for all upper and lower constellations in the world rely on it and look to it. All the systems of the world, their foundation and structures, rely on it. Nothing exists in any world which does not rely, and is not enriched, with the Name YHVH, Blessed be He.

Understand that God, who is YHVH, is the essence of the Middle Line and is called ATaH, for it is the essence of all the banners of the Name and their Cognomens. He dressed and is glorified by all of them, as we have told you, through the essence of ATaH, which is the essence of all the hosts of the world and all the Constellations that were created through the combination of letters and their permutations...

The author says: God, may He be Blessed, for the sake of His mercy and compassion, will enlighten the pathway to intelligence before us and teach us in His ways and we will walk in His ways. No words will be said against His will, and they will tell us the way we should ascend, for the received truths do not vacillate, so that we can go in the good and straight ways and we will not veer to the right or to the left from doing the good and the forthright. So may it be His will. Amen.