The Bahir

«1. Rabbi Nehuniah ben HaKana said: One verse (Job 37:21) states, “And now they do not see light, it is brilliant (Bahir) in the skies … [round about God in terrible majesty].” Another verse, however, (Psalm 18:12), states, “He made darkness His hiding place.” It is also written (Psalm 97:2), “Cloud and gloom surround Him.” This is an apparent contradiction. A third verse comes and reconciles the two. It is written (Psalm 139:12), “Even darkness is not dark to You. Night shines like day — light and darkness are the same.”» — §1, en boca de Nehuniah ben HaKana: el libro abre con una contradicción entre versículos —el resplandor y el escondrijo de tinieblas— y la resuelve con un tercero que iguala luz y oscuridad ante Dios. De aquí sale el nombre del libro.

«2. Rabbi Berachiah said: It is written (Genesis 1:2), “The earth was Chaos (Tohu) and Desolation (Bohu). What is the meaning of the word “was” in this verse? This indicates that the Chaos existed previously [and already was]. What is Chaos (Tohu)? Something that confounds (Taha) people. What is Desolation (Bohu)? It is something that has substance. This is the reason that it is called Bohu, that is, Bo Hu — “it is in it.”» — §2, en boca de Berachiah: el verbo *was* del Génesis prueba que el Caos preexistía, y las dos palabras se definen por etimología, Tohu como lo que confunde y Bohu como lo que tiene sustancia.

«3. Why does the Torah begin with the letter Bet? In order that it begin with a blessing (Berachah). How do we know that the Torah is called a blessing? Because it is written (Deuteronomy 33:23), “The filling is God's blessing possessing the Sea and the South.” The Sea is nothing other than the Torah, as it is written (Job 11:9), “It is wider than the sea.” What is the meaning of the verse, “The filling is God's blessing?” This means that wherever we find the letter Bet it indicates a blessing.» — §3: la Torá empieza por Bet para empezar por bendición, y de ahí la regla general de que la Bet señala bendición donde aparezca.

«The word “beginning” (Reshit) is nothing other than Wisdom. It is thus written (Psalm 111:10), “The beginning is wisdom, the fear of God.”» — §3: la ecuación que sostiene toda la lectura sefirótica posterior del Génesis, *Reshit* igual a Sabiduría.

«4. How do we know that the word Berachah [usually translated as blessing] comes from the word Baruch [meaning blessed]? Perhaps it comes from the word Berech [meaning knee]. It is written (Isaiah 44:23), “For to Me shall every knee bend.” [Berachah can therefore mean] the Place to which every knee bends.» — §4: el texto se objeta a sí mismo la etimología de *Berachah* y admite la derivación rival, de *Berech*, rodilla, que convierte la bendición en un lugar.

«5. Rabbi Rahumai sat and expounded: What is the meaning of the verse (Deuteronomy 33:23), “The filling is God's blessing, possessing the Sea and the South”? This means that wherever we find the letter Bet it is blessed. This is the Filling referred to in the verse» — §5, en boca de Rahumai: el Llenado del versículo se identifica con la Bet bendita.

«What example does this resemble? A king wanted to build his palace among great cliffs. He mined into the bedrock and uncovered a great spring of living water. The king then said, “Since I have flowing water, I will plant a garden. Then I will delight in it, and so will all the world.”» — §5: la parábola del rey que cava en la roca y encuentra el manantial, con que el texto explica de dónde se nutre el Llenado.

«The Torah is saying, “For two thousand years I was in the bosom of the Blessed Holy One as His delight.” The verse therefore says, “a day, a day.” Each day of the Blessed Holy One is a thousand years, as it is written (Psalm 90:4), “A thousand years in Your eyes is as but yesterday when it is passed.”» — §5: la Torá preexistente habla en primera persona y su antigüedad se calcula por la equivalencia de mil años por día divino.

«6. What is a blessing? It can be explained with an example. A king planted trees in his garden. It may rain and water them, and the ground may be wet and provide them with moisture, but still, he must water them from the spring.» — §6: la bendición se define por la parábola del riego: la lluvia y la humedad no bastan, hace falta el agua del manantial.

«7. Rabbi Amorai sat and expounded: What is the meaning of the verse (Deuteronomy 33:23), “The filling is God's blessing, possessing the Sea and the South?” Moses was saying, “If you follow my decrees, you will inherit both this world and the next.”» — §7, en boca de Amorai —el sabio que Kaplan propone como seudónimo de Nehuniah—: el versículo se lee como promesa de heredar los dos mundos.

«The World to Come is likened to the sea, as it is written (Job 11:9), “It is wider than the sea.” The present world is referred to as the South. It is thus written (Joshua 15:19), [Give me a blessing] for you have set me in the land of the south, [therefore give me springs of water].” The Targum translates this, “behold the earth is the south.”» — §7: la clave de la equivalencia, mar igual a Mundo Venidero y sur igual a mundo presente, apoyada en el Targum.

«8. Why did God add the letter Heh to Abraham's name, rather than any other letter?3 This was so that all parts of man's body should be worthy of life in the World to Come, which is likened to the sea. To the extent that we can express it, the Structure was completed in Abraham. [Regarding this Structure] it is written (Genesis 9:6), “For in the form of God, He made the man.” The numerical value of Abraham is 248, the number of parts in man's body.» — §8: el argumento gemátrico que hace de Abraham la Estructura completada; el valor 248 iguala las partes del cuerpo humano.

«What does this resemble? A king had two treasuries, and he hid one away. After many days he said to his son, “Take what is in these two treasuries.” The son replied, “Perhaps you are not giving me all that you have hidden away.” The king said, “Take everything.”» — §9: la parábola de los dos tesoros con que el texto lee la palabra *YiRaShaH* como *hereda a Dios*.

«10. Rabbi Bun said: What is the meaning of the verse (Proverbs 8:23), “I was set up from eternity (Me-Olam), from a head, before the earth?” What is the meaning of “from eternity (Me-Olam)?” This means that it must be concealed (He-elam) from the world.» — §10, en boca de Bun: el juego entre *Olam* y *He-elam* convierte la eternidad en ocultamiento, y con eso funda la reserva sobre la enseñanza.

«The Torah said, “I was first, so that I might be the head of the world.” It is thus written, “I was set up from eternity, from a head.”» — §10: la Torá habla y reclama precedencia sobre la tierra.

«11. What is the meaning of the verse (Ecclesiastes 7:14), “Also one opposite the other was made by God.” He created Desolation (Bohu) and placed it in Peace, and He created Chaos (Tohu) and placed it in Evil.» — §11: el reparto que ata Bohu a la Paz y Tohu al Mal, leído de la sentencia de que Dios hizo lo uno frente a lo otro.

«This teaches us that Michael, the prince to God's right, is water and hail, while Gabriel, the prince to God's left, is fire. The two are reconciled by the Prince of Peace.» — §11: la pareja angélica de los contrarios —Miguel agua y granizo, Gabriel fuego— y el tercero que los reconcilia.

«12. How do we know that Chaos is in Evil? It is written (Isaiah 45:7), “He makes peace and creates evil.” How does this come out? Evil is from Chaos, while Peace is from Desolation.» — §12: la prueba escrituraria del reparto anterior, con el mal derivado del Caos.

«13. Rabbi Bun also sat and expounded: What is the meaning of the verse (Isaiah 45:7), “He forms light and creates darkness?” Light has substance. Therefore, the term “formation” is used with regard to it. Darkness has no substance, and therefore, with regard to it, the term “creation” is used.» — §13, en boca de Bun: la distinción técnica entre formar y crear se apoya en si el objeto tiene sustancia.

«In the case of darkness, however, there was no making, only separation and setting aside. It is for this reason that the term “created” (Bara) is used.» — §13: la segunda explicación del mismo verbo, que hace de la oscuridad separación y no hechura.

«14. Why is the letter Bet closed on all sides and open in the front? This teaches us that it is the House (Bayit) of the world. God is the place of the world, and the world is not His place.» — §14: la forma de la letra lleva la doctrina; de la Bet cerrada y abierta al frente sale la fórmula de que Dios es el lugar del mundo y no al revés.

«15. What does the Bet resemble? It is like a man, formed by God with wisdom. He is closed on all sides, but open in front. The Alef, however, is open from behind. This teaches us that the tail of the Bet is open from behind. If not for this, man could not exist. Likewise, if not for the Bet on the tail of the Alef, the world could not exist.» — §15: la Bet se lee como figura del hombre y la Alef como su condición; las dos aperturas sostienen respectivamente al hombre y al mundo.

«16. Rabbi Rahumai said: Illumination preceded the world, since it is written (Psalm 97:2), “Cloud and gloom surround Him.”» — §16, en boca de Rahumai: la iluminación precede al mundo, y la prueba se saca de un versículo sobre nube y penumbra.

«They said to Him, “Before the creation of Israel your son, will you then make him a crown?” He replied yes. What does this resemble? A king yearned for a son. One day he found a beautiful, precious crown, and he said, “This is fitting for my son's head.” They said to him, “Are you then certain that your son will be worthy of this crown?” He replied, “Be still. This is what arises in thought.”» — §16: la parábola de la corona hallada antes del hijo, con la que el texto responde a la objeción sobre el mérito con un *así surge en el pensamiento*.

«17. Rabbi Amorai sat and expounded: Why is the letter Alef at the beginning? Because it was before everything, even the Torah.» — §17, en boca de Amorai: la Alef precede a todo, incluida la Torá.

«18. Why does Bet follow it? Because it was first. Why does it have a tail? To point to the place from which it came. Some say, from there the world is sustained.» — §18: la cola de la Bet como señal del origen, con una lectura alterna consignada sin arbitrar.

«It has three parts, teaching us that it bestows (gomel) kindness. But did Rabbi Akiba not say that Gimel has three parts because it bestows, grows, and sustains. It is thus written (Genesis 21:8), “The lad grew and was bestowed.”» — §19: dos lecturas de la Gimel, la del expositor y la de Akiba, que el texto pone frente a frente y resuelve diciendo que dicen lo mismo.

«20. And why is there a tail at the bottom of the Gimel? He said: The Gimel has a head on top, and is like a pipe. Just like a pipe, the Gimel draws from above through its head, and disperses through its tail.» — §20: la Gimel como caño que toma por arriba y reparte por abajo, imagen del flujo descendente.

«21. Rabbi Yochanan said: The angels were created on the second day. It is therefore written (Psalm 104:3), “He rafters His upper chambers with water [He makes the clouds His chariot, He walks on the wings of the wind].” It is then written (Psalm 104:4), “He makes the winds His angels, His ministers from flaming fire.”» — §21, en boca de Yochanan: los ángeles se crean el segundo día.

«[Rabbi Haninah said: The angels were created on the fifth day, as it is written (Genesis 1:20), “And flying things shall fly upon the firmament of heaven.” Regarding the angels it is written (Isaiah 6:2), “With two wings did they fly.”]» — §21, la posición contraria, en boca de Haninah: quinto día; el corchete marca lo que la edición añade a su texto base.

«Rabbi Levatas ben Tavrus said: All agree, even Rabbi Yochanan, that the water already existed [on the first day]. But it was on the second day that “He raftered His upper chambers with water.” [At that time He also created] the one who “makes the clouds his chariot,” and the one who “walks on the wings of the wind.” But His messengers were not created until the fifth day.» — §21: la conciliación de las dos fechas, en boca del sabio que aquí se imprime *Levatas ben Tavrus* y en la introducción *Levitas ben Tavroe*.

«22. All agree that none were created on the first day. It should therefore not be said that Michael drew out the heaven at the south, and Gabriel drew it out at the north, while God arranged things in the middle.» — §22: el punto en que sí hay acuerdo, y su consecuencia polémica: negar que dos ángeles ayudaran a extender el cielo.

«I am the One who planted this tree in order that all the world should delight in it. And in it, I spread All.5 I called it All because all depend on it, all emanate from it, and all need it. To it they look, for it they wait, and from it, souls fly in joy.» — §22: la primera persona divina define el Árbol y el Todo por dependencia, emanación y necesidad.

«Alone was I when I made it. Let no angel rise above it and say, “I was before you.”» — §22: la exclusión de todo cooperador angélico en la plantación del Árbol.

«23. Rabbi Rahumai said: From your words we could conclude that the needs of this world were created before the heavens. He answered yes.» — §23, en boca de Rahumai: la consecuencia cosmogónica que se extrae y se acepta, contra el orden aparente del Génesis.

«He then said, “I will dig for water, and will bring forth a spring to nourish the tree.” He dug and opened a well, flowing with living water. He then planted the tree, and it stood, giving forth fruit. It was successfully rooted, since it was always watered from the well.» — §23: la parábola del pozo cavado antes del árbol, que ilustra esa precedencia.

«24. Rabbi Yanai said: The earth was created first, as it is written (Genesis 2:4), “[On the day that God made] earth and heaven.”» — §24, en boca de Yanai: la tierra primero, apoyado en el orden invertido del segundo relato del Génesis.

«He replied: What is this like? A king bought a beautiful object, but since it was not complete, he did not give it a name. He said, “I will complete it, I will prepare its pedestal and attachment, and then I will give it a name.”» — §24: la objeción se contesta con la parábola del objeto sin nombrar hasta tener pedestal.

«What is its name?7 “And Forever” (VoEd) is its name. And [the name of] its pedestal is “World” (Olam). It is therefore written, “for the World And Forever.”» — §24: los dos nombres —VoEd y Olam— que el texto saca de la fórmula litúrgica.

«25. Rabbi Berachiah said: What is the meaning of the verse (Genesis 1:3), And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light”? Why does the verse not say, “And it was so”?» — §25, en boca de Berachiah: la pregunta por la fórmula anómala del versículo de la luz; la comilla de apertura se pierde en la capa de texto.

«What is this like? A king had a beautiful object. He put it away until he had a place for it, and then he put it there. It is therefore written, “Let there be light, and there was light.” This indicates that it already existed.» — §25: la parábola del objeto guardado hasta tener lugar; Kaplan la lee como alusión al tzimtzum. La luz preexistía.

«26. Rabbi Amorai said: What is the meaning of the verse (Exodus 15:3), “God is a man (Ish) of war”?» — §26, en boca de Amorai: la pregunta por el antropomorfismo más crudo del Éxodo.

«Mar Rahumai said to him: Great master, do not ask about something that is so simple. Listen to me and I will advise you.» — §26: la respuesta de Mar Rahumai, que desvía la pregunta en vez de contestarla.

«He said to him: What is this like? A king had a number of beautiful dwellings, and he gave each one a name. One was better than the other. He said, “I will give my son this dwelling whose name is Alef. This one whose name is Yud is also good, as is this one whose name is Shin.”9 What did he do then? He gathered all three together, and out of them he made a single name and a single house.» — §26: la parábola de las tres moradas, que compone la palabra *Ish* con Alef, Yud y Shin.

«The other replied: My son, Alef is the head. Yud is second to it. Shin includes all the world. Why does Shin include all the world? Because with it one writes an answer (T'shuvah).» — §26: la clave que se da tras el reproche por ocultar el sentido; la Shin lo abarca todo porque con ella se escribe *teshuvá*.

«27. The students asked him: What is the letter Dalet? He replied: What is this like? Ten kings were in a certain place. All of them were wealthy, but one was not quite as wealthy as the others. Even though he is still very wealthy, he is poor (Dal) in relation to the others.» — §27: la Dalet como el menos rico de diez reyes; la pobreza es relativa, no absoluta.

«28. They said to him: What is the letter Heh? He grew angry and said: Did I not teach you not to ask about a later thing and then about an earlier thing? They said: But Heh comes after [Dalet]. He replied: The order should be Gimel Heh. Why is it Gimel Dalet? Because it must be Dalet Heh. And why is the order Gimel Dalet? He said to them: Gimel is in the place of Dalet, on its head it is in the place of Heh. Dalet with its tail is in place of the Heh.» — §28: el enojo del maestro por el orden de las preguntas, y la transformación gráfica Gimel–Dalet–Heh que da la respuesta.

«29. What is the letter Vav? He said: There is an upper Heh and a lower Heh.» — §29: la respuesta no contesta lo preguntado y desplaza el asunto a las dos Heh, alta y baja.

«30. They said to him: But what is Vav? He said: The world was sealed with six directions.» — §30: al reiterarse la pregunta, la Vav se lee por su valor seis, las seis direcciones con que se selló el mundo.

«31. Rabbi Amorai asked: Where is the Garden of Eden? He replied: It is on earth.» — §31, en boca de Amorai: el Jardín del Edén se localiza en la tierra, no en el cielo.

«32. Rabbi Ishmael expounded to Rabbi Akiba: What is the meaning of the verse (Genesis 1:1), “[In the beginning God created] (et) the heaven and (et) the earth”? [Why is the word et added in both places?] If the word et (an untranslated preposition that connects a transitive verb to its predicate noun) were absent, we would think that “heaven” and “earth” were gods.» — §32, en boca de Ishmael ante Akiba: sin la partícula *et*, el versículo de apertura podría leerse como politeísta; el paréntesis largo es glosa del traductor dentro del texto.

«He replied: By the Divine Service! You may have reached out for the true meaning, but you have not sorted out, and therefore you speak in this manner. But [in the case of “heaven”] the word et comes to include the sun, moon, stars and constellations, while [in the case of “earth”] it comes to add trees, plants, and the Garden of Eden.» — §32: la respuesta de Akiba, que objeta a Ishmael y hace de *et* una partícula de inclusión.

«33. They said to him: It is written (Lamentations 2:1), “He threw the beauty of Israel from heaven to the earth.”» — §33: la objeción tomada de Lamentaciones, que parece afirmar una caída.

«He replied: If you have read, you did not review, and if you reviewed, you did not go over it a third time. What does this resemble? A king had a beautiful crown on his head and a beautiful cloak on his shoulders. When he heard evil tidings, he cast the crown from his head and the cloak from his shoulders.» — §33: el reproche de lectura y la parábola de la corona y el manto arrojados, que sustituyen la caída por un gesto de duelo.

«34. They asked him: Why is the letter Chet open? And why is its vowel point a small Patach?15 He said: Because all directions (Ruach-ot) are closed, except for the North, which is opened for good and for evil.» — §34: la apertura de la Chet se lee como la apertura del norte, que el texto declara ambivalente.

«He said: There is no difficulty. One case is speaking of when Israel does the will of God, while the other is speaking of when they do not do His will. When Israel does not do His will, then the fire comes close [to destroy and punish]. But when they do God's will, then the Attribute of Mercy encompasses and surrounds it, as it is written (Micah 7:18), “He lifts up sin and passes over rebellion.”» — §34: la contradicción sobre el norte se resuelve por la conducta de Israel, no por la naturaleza de la dirección.

«35. What is this like? A king wanted to punish and whip his slaves. One of his governors stood up and asked the reason for this punishment. When the king described the offense, the governor said, “Your slaves never did such a thing. I will be their bondsman until you investigate it more thoroughly.” In the meantime, the king's anger was calmed.» — §35: la parábola del gobernador que se hace fiador de los esclavos, figura del atributo de misericordia que rodea al fuego.

«36. His students asked: Why is the letter Dalet thick on the side?17 He replied: Because of the Segol which is in the small Patach.18 It is thus written (Psalm 24:7), “The openings (pitchey) of the World.” There He placed Patach above and a Segol below. It is for this reason that it is thick.» — §36: el grosor de la Dalet explicado por los puntos vocálicos, con el juego entre *Patach* y *pitchey*, aperturas.

«He replied: In the open Mem.20 It is thus written (Psalm 85:12), “Truth sprouts up from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.”» — §37: el rey pone la corona en la Mem abierta, y el versículo ata ese lugar a la verdad que brota de la tierra y a la justicia que mira desde el cielo.

«A gate is nothing other than an opening. We thus say, “Open for us the gates of mercy.”» — §38, expuesto por Amorai: la equivalencia entre puerta y apertura, apoyada en la fórmula litúrgica.

«God said: I love the “gates of Zion” when they are open. Why? Because they are on the side of evil. But when Israel does good before God and are worthy that good be opened for them, then God loves them—“more than all the dwellings of Jacob.”» — §38: la preferencia divina por las puertas de Sion se justifica precisamente porque están del lado del mal.

«39. This is like two men, one who is inclined to do evil and does good, and the other who is inclined to do good and does evil. Who is more praiseworthy? The one who is inclined to do evil and does good, for he may do good again.» — §39: la parábola moral que sostiene la preferencia anterior; vale más el bien hecho contra la inclinación.

«40. His students asked: What is Cholem?23 He replied: It is the soul — and its name is Cholem.24 If you listen to it, your body will be vigorous (Chalam) in the Ultimate Future. But if you rebel against it, there will be sickness (Choleh) on your head, and diseases (Cholim) on its head.» — §40: el punto vocálico *Cholem* se identifica con el alma, y de su misma raíz salen el vigor y la enfermedad según se le obedezca o no.

«41. They also said: Every dream (Chalom) is in the Cholem. Every white precious stone is in the Cholem. It is thus written [with regard to the High Priest's breastplate] (Exodus 28:19), “[And in the third row …] a white stone (aChLaMah).”» — §41: la misma raíz enlaza sueño, punto vocálico y la piedra blanca del pectoral del Sumo Sacerdote.

«42. He said to them: Come and hear the fine points regarding the vowel points found in the Torah of Moses. He sat and expounded: Chirek hates evildoers and punishes them. Its side includes jealousy, hatred and competition.» — §42: los puntos vocálicos se tratan como potencias morales, no como signos de lectura.

«It is thus written (Psalm 37:12), “He gnashes (Chorek) his teeth at them.” Do not read chorek (gnashes), but rochek (repels). Repel (rachek) these traits from yourself, and repel yourself from evil. Good will then certainly attach itself to you.» — §42: el procedimiento característico del libro, *no leas X sino Y*, convertido aquí en precepto de conducta.

«43. Chirek. Do not read ChiRiK but KeRaCh (Ice). Whatever the Chirek touches becomes ice.» — §43: la misma operación aplicada a las consonantes del nombre del punto, que lo vuelve hielo.

«44. What is the indication that Chirek has the connotation of burning?26 This is because it is fire that burns all fire.» — §44: y acto seguido lo contrario, el mismo punto como fuego que quema todo fuego, sin armonizar con lo anterior.

«45. He said: What is the meaning of the verse (Exodus 20:15), “And all the people saw the voices.” These are the voices regarding which King David spoke.» — §45: el pueblo *ve* las voces, y el texto identifica esas voces con las siete del Salmo 29.

«This teaches us that the Torah was given with seven voices. In each of them the Master of the universe revealed Himself to them, and they saw Him. It is thus written, “And all the people saw the voices.”» — §45: la conclusión doctrinal de la serie: siete voces, y en cada una una revelación visible.

«46. One verse states (2 Samuel 22:10), “He bent the heavens and came down, with gloom under His feet.” Another verse says (Exodus 19:20), “And God came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain.”» — §46: otra contradicción de versículos, esta vez sobre dónde ocurrió el descenso.

«How is this reconciled? His “great fire” was on earth, and this was one voice. The other voices were in heaven.» — §46: la solución reparte las voces entre la tierra y el cielo, con el gran fuego abajo.

«47. What is the meaning of the verse (Deuteronomy 4:12), “You saw no form, only a voice”? This was explained when Moses said to Israel (Deuteronomy 4:15), “You did not see an entire image.” You saw an image, but not an “entire image.”» — §47: el texto no niega la visión, la acota: se vio una imagen, no una imagen entera.

«What is this like? A king stands before his servants wrapped in a white robe.27 Even though he is far away, they can still hear his voice. This is true even though they cannot see his throat when he speaks.» — §47: la parábola del rey de túnica blanca, que separa lo oído de lo visto sin negar ninguno de los dos.

«48. One verse (Exodus 20:15), states, “and all the people saw the voices.” Another verse, however, (Deuteronomy 4:12), states, “The voice of words you heard.” How can [the two be reconciled]?» — §48: la tercera contradicción del bloque, entre ver y oír las voces.

«At first they saw the voices. What did they see? The seven voices mentioned by David. But in the end they heard the word that emanated from them all.» — §48: la solución temporal, primero visión de las siete y al final audición de la palabra única.

«This is so that Israel should not make a mistake and say, “Others helped him. It might have been one of the angels. But His voice alone could not be so powerful.” It was for this reason that he came back and included them [in a single word].» — §48: el motivo polémico del dicho único: cerrar el paso a la sospecha de colaboradores angélicos, como en el §22.

«49. Another explanation: It was so that the world should not say that since there were ten sayings for ten kings, it might be that He could not speak for them all through one. He therefore said (Exodus 20:2), “I am [the Lord your God],” which included all ten.» — §49: la explicación alterna, que el texto pone al lado de la anterior sin elegir entre las dos.

«What are the ten kings? They are the seven voices and three sayings (Amarim).» — §49: la cuenta que da diez a partir de siete voces más tres dichos, y prepara la doctrina de las diez sefirot.

«As the old man said to the child, “What is hidden from you, do not seek, and what is concealed from you, do not probe. Where you have authority, seek to understand, but you have nothing to do with mysteries.”» — §49: el tercer dicho es una prohibición de indagar, citada como palabra del anciano al niño.

«50. We have learned (Proverbs 25:2), “The glory of God is to hide a word.” What is “a word”? That of which it is written (Psalm 119:160), “The Beginning of Your word is truth.”» — §50: el par ocultar/indagar de Proverbios, que el libro usa como estatuto de su propia oscuridad.

«What is this “word”? That of which it is writen (Proverbs 25:11), “A word spoken in its proper place (Aphen-av),” Do not read “its proper place” (Aphen-av), but “its wheel” (Ophen'av).» — §50: la lectura desplazada que convierte el lugar propio en rueda; el impreso da *writen* con una sola t.

«51. The students asked Rabbe Berachia, “Let us discuss these words with you,” but he would not give them permission. Once, however, he did give them permission, but he did so to test them, to see if they would now pay good attention.» — §51: la escena de la licencia concedida como prueba; el impreso escribe *Rabbe* Berachia.

«Rabbi Chama thus taught: Because of the merit of deeds of kindness, a person can study the Torah.» — §51, en boca de Chama: el estudio se gana por el mérito de las obras de bondad, no al revés.

«52. “Let him without silver come” can also be explained in another way. Let him come to God, for He has silver. It is thus written (Haggai 2:8), “Mine is the silver, and Mine is the gold.”» — §52: la segunda lectura del versículo de Isaías, que traslada la carencia a la fuente.

«What is this like? A king had two treasuries, one of silver, and one of gold. He placed tha of silver to his right, and that of gold to his left.» — §52: el reparto lateral de plata y oro, que fija la polaridad derecha/izquierda; el impreso da *tha* por *that*.

«53. Why is [gold] called ZaHaV? Because it includes three attributes, [alluded to in its three letters, Zayin, Heh, Bet]. [The first attribute is) Male, (Zachar). This is the Zayin. [The second is] the Soul. This is the Heh. [The numerical value of Heh is five, alluding to] the five names of the soul: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chayah, Yechidah.» — §53: el nombre del oro se descompone en tres atributos, y de ahí sale la lista canónica de los cinco nombres del alma; el impreso cierra un corchete con paréntesis.

«54. What is its function here? What is this like? A king once had a daughter who was good, pleasant, beautiful and perfect.» — §54: arranca la parábola de la hija del rey, que Kaplan lee como planteo de la paradoja entre trascendencia e inmanencia.

«Is it possible for the king to ever leave his daughter? You will agree that it is not. Is it possible for him to be with her constantly? You will also agree that it is not. What can he then do? He can place a window between the two, and whenever the father needs the daughter, or the daughter needs the father, they can come together through the window.» — §54: la ventana como solución de la doble imposibilidad; ni separación ni fusión, sino un paso que funciona en los dos sentidos.

«55. What is the Bet at the end? [As it is written] (Proverbs 24.3), “With wisdom will the house (Bayit) be built.”33 The verse does not say “was built,” but “will be built.” In the future God will build and decorate it, thousands of times more than it was.» — §55: el tiempo verbal del versículo se lee como promesa futura, no como descripción del pasado.

«He replied: First I will explain gold. What is gold? We learn that it is where justice emanates. If you bend your words to the right or left, you will be punished.» — §56: el oro identificado con la fuente de la justicia, y la advertencia contra torcer las palabras a un lado o al otro.

«As you said, God made six beautiful vessels. What are they? “The heaven and the earth.” Are they not seven? Yes, as it is written (Ibid.) “And on the seventh day, He rested and souled.”» — §57: los seis vasos de la creación y el séptimo día, con el verbo *souled* que el traductor acuña para verter el hebreo.

«sustains all souls. It is therefore written that it “souled.”» — §57: la conclusión de esa lectura, que hace del Sábado el sostén de todas las almas; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«58. Another explanation: This teaches us that it is from there that souls fly forth. It is thus written, “and He souled.”» — §58: la lectura alterna del mismo verbo, ahora como origen de las almas y no como su sostén.

«What is the meaning of “cut”? He cut a covenant between the ten fingers of his hands and the ten toes of his feet.» — §58: el pacto de Abraham leído entre los diez dedos de las manos y los diez de los pies, base de la correspondencia con las diez sefirot.

«59. Why is heaven called Shamayim? This teaches that God kneaded fire and water, and combined them together. From this He made the “beginning of His word.” It is thus written (Psalm 119:160), “The beginning of Your word is truth.”38 It is therefore called Shamayim — Sham Mayim (there is water) — Esh Mayim (fire water).» — §59: la etimología doble de *Shamayim*, que hace del cielo la mezcla de fuego y agua.

«He said to them: This is the meaning of the verse (Job 25:2), “He makes peace in His heights.” He placed peace and love between them. May He also place peace and love among us.» — §59: la paz entre los contrarios y la plegaria con que el expositor la traslada al presente de la escuela.

«61. They asked him, “What is the letter Tzadi? He said: Tzadi is a Nun and a Yud. Its mate is also a Nun and a Yud.39 It is thus written (Proverbs 10:25), “The righteous (Tzadik) is the foundation of the world.”» — §61: la Tzadi descompuesta en Nun y Yud, y su enlace con el Justo como fundamento del mundo.

«62. They asked him: What is the meaning of the verse [with regard to Balak and Balaam] (Numbers 23:14), And he took him to the field of the seers.” What is the “field of the seers”? As it is written (Song of Songs 7:12), “Come my beloved, let us go out to the field.” Do not read Sadeh (the field), but Sidah (carriage).» — §62: el campo de los videntes se convierte en carroza por el cambio de vocalización.

«What is this carriage? He said, “The Heart of the Blessed Holy One.” His heart said to the Blessed Holy One, “Come my beloved, let ns go out to the carriage to stroll. It will not constantly sit in one place.”» — §62: la carroza identificada con el Corazón divino, que habla en primera persona y pide moverse; el impreso da *ns* por *us*.

«The heart (Lev) [in numerical value] is thirty-two. These are concealed, and with them the world was created.» — §63: la gematría que iguala corazón y treinta y dos, y hace de esas potencias ocultas el instrumento de la creación.

«What are these 32? He said: These are the 32 Paths.41 This is like a king who was in the innermost of many chambers. The number of such chambers was 32, and to each one there was a path.» — §63: las Treinta y dos Sendas del Sefer Yetzirah figuradas como cámaras del rey.

«What then does he do? He touches the Daughter, and includes all the paths in her and in her garments. One who wants to go inside should gaze there.» — §63: la Hija concentra todas las sendas, y mirarla a ella sustituye el acceso directo a las cámaras.

«He married her to a king, and also gave her to him as a gift. Because of his love for her, he sometimes calls her “my sister,” since they are both from one place. Sometimes he calls her his daughter, since she is actually his daughter. And sometimes he calls her “my mother.”» — §63: los tres nombres de la Hija —hermana, hija, madre— consignados sin resolver la contradicción de parentesco.

«64. Furthermore, if there is no wisdom, then there is no justice. It is thus written (I Kings 5:26), “And God gave wisdom to Solomon.”» — §64: la dependencia de la justicia respecto de la sabiduría, probada por el caso de Salomón.

«65. And what wisdom did God give to Solomon? Solomon had God's name. We have thus said that whenever Solomon is mentioned in the Song of Songs, it is a holy name, except in one case.» — §65: la lectura que convierte el nombre de Salomón en nombre divino dentro del Cantar, con una excepción que no se identifica.

«God said to him, “Since your name is like the name of My Glory, I will let you marry my daughter.”» — §65: la boda de Salomón con la Hija —la Sabiduría— justificada por la homonimia.

«What is the meaning of “to do judgment?” As long as a person does judgment, God's wisdom is inside him. This is what helps him and draws him near. If not, it repels him, and not only that, but it also punishes him.» — §65: la sabiduría se sostiene en el ejercicio del juicio y se retira con él; la misma potencia que acerca, castiga.

«66. And Rabbi Rahumai said: What is the meaning of the verse (Leviticus 26:28), “(I will chastise you,] also I” God said, “I will chastise you.” The Congregation of Israel said, “Do not think that I will seek mercy for you, but I will chastise you. Not only will I render judgment, but I will also chastise you.”» — §66, en boca de Rahumai: el *también yo* del versículo se reparte en dos voces, y la Congregación de Israel deja de ser intercesora para volverse castigadora.

«But if you return to Me, then I will return to you. It is thus written (Malachi 3:7), “Return to Me, and I will return to you.”» — §67: la reciprocidad del retorno, leída de la forma exacta del versículo y no de una paráfrasis.

«68. The disciples asked Rabbi Rahumai: What is the meaning of the verse (Habakkuk 3:1), “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, for errors.” A prayer? It should be called a praise» — §68: la objeción al título del capítulo de Habacuc, que abre el tramo más largo de exégesis del libro.

«But whoever turns his heart from worldly affairs and delves in the Works of the Chariot46 is accepted before God as if he prayed all day. It is therefore called “a prayer.”» — §68: la declaración que equipara el estudio de la Obra del Carro con la oración continua; es el pasaje que Kaplan cita en la introducción.

«70. Why did he say “I feared”? Because the ear looks like the letter Alef. The Alef is the first of all letters. Besides this, the Alef causes all the letters to endure. The Alef looks like the brain.» — §70: la Alef como oreja y como cerebro a la vez, primera de las letras y condición de las demás.

«When you mention the Alef you open your mouth. The same is true of thought, when you extend your thoughts to the Infinite and the Boundless.» — §70: el gesto de pronunciarla se hace figura del pensamiento extendido hacia lo Infinito y lo Ilimitado.

«From Alef emanate all letters. Do we not see that it is first? It is thus written (Micah 2:13), “God (YHVH) is at their head.” We have a rule that every Name that is written Yud Heh Vav Heh is specific to the Blessed Holy One and is sanctified with holiness.» — §70: la regla sobre el Tetragrámaton escrito con esas cuatro letras y su santidad.

«Where is the Holy Palace? We would say that it is in thought and in the Alef.» — §70: la localización del Palacio Santo en el pensamiento y en la Alef, no en un lugar.

«What is this like? A king who was talented, hidden and concealed went into his house and commanded that no one seek him. One who does seek is therefore afraid, lest the king find out that he has violated the king's order.» — §71: la parábola del rey que prohíbe buscarlo explica el temor de Habacuc como temor del indagador, no del pecador.

«This is what Habakkuk said: Because Your name is in You, and in You is Your name, “bring to life Your works in the midst of the years.” Thus will it be forever.» — §71: la reciprocidad entre el Nombre y su portador como fundamento de la petición.

«What is this like? A king had a beautiful pearl, and it was the treasure of his kingdom. When he is happy, he embraces it, kisses it, places it on his head, and loves it.» — §72: la perla como figura de lo que el rey ama y exhibe, segunda lectura del mismo versículo.

«Habakkuk said: Even though Kings are with You, the beloved pearl is in Your world.49 Therefore, “Bring to life Your works in the midst of years.”» — §72: la perla se sitúa en el mundo, no junto al rey, y de ahí sale la petición del profeta.

«What is the meaning of “years”? It is written (Genesis 1:3), “And God said, ‘Let there be light.’” Light is nothing other than day, as it is written (Genesis 1:16), “The great light to rule the day, and the small light to rule the night.” Years are made from days.» — §72: la cadena que iguala luz, día y años, y convierte el tiempo en materia luminosa.

«This righteousness (Tzedek) is the Attribute of Judgment for the world. It is thus written (Deuteronomy 16:20), “Righteousness, righteousness, shall you pursue.”» — §74: *Tzedek* como atributo de juicio, no como virtud moral.

«Immediately after this, it is written, “that you may life and occupy the land.” If you judge yourself, then you will live. If not, then it will judge you, and it will be fulfilled, even against your will.» — §74: la alternativa que el texto plantea entre juzgarse uno y ser juzgado; el impreso da *life* por *live*.

«The first “righteousness” is literal righteousness (Tzedek). This is the Divine Presence. It is thus written (Isaiah 1:21), “Righteousness dwells in it.”» — §75: la repetición del versículo se reparte en dos justicias, y la primera se identifica con la Presencia Divina.

«His head is nothing other than Truth. It is thus written (Psalm 119:160), “The head of Your word is truth.”» — §75: la cadena de equivalencias que va del yelmo a la Verdad.

«Truth is nothing other than peace. It is thus written [that King Hezekiah said] (Isaiah 39:8), “There shall be peace and truth in my days.”» — §75: el eslabón siguiente, verdad igual a paz, apoyado en el dicho de Ezequías.

«He mentioned both “peace and truth” and “in my days,” since it is all one. It is thus written (Genesis 1:5), “And it was evening, and it was morning, one day.”» — §75: el día como unidad que reconcilia tarde y mañana, figura de la paz.

«[The day reconciles morning and evening, and is therefore peace.] Just as the day is peace, so he chose peace.» — §75: la conclusión, con el corchete que marca la glosa interpolada por el traductor.

«76. What is the meaning of the verse (Habakkuk 3:2), “In the midst of years make it known”? He said: I know that You are the holy God, as it is written (Exodus 15:11), “Who is like You, mighty in holiness?” Holiness is in You and You are in holiness.» — §76: la santidad enunciada como mutua contención, misma forma que la del Nombre en el §71.

«What is the meaning of “make it known”? [This means] that You should have mercy. It is thus written (Exodus 2:25), “And God saw the children of Israel, and God knew.”» — §76: *conocer* se lee como tener misericordia, no como saber.

«What is this like? A king had a beautiful wife, and had children from her. He loved them and raised them, but they went out to bad ways. He then hated both them and their mother. The mother went to them and said, “My children! Why do you do this? Why do you make your father hate both you and me?” [She spoke to them in this manner] until they had remorse and did the will of their father.» — §76: la parábola de la madre intercesora, en la que el odio del padre alcanza también a ella.

«77. What is the meaning of the verse (Habakkuk 3:2), “In anger, you shall remember love (rachem)”? He said: When Your children sin before You and You are angry at them, “remember love.”» — §77: el término *rachem*, que el traductor vierte como amor y que la raíz enlaza con el útero, entra aquí como petición dentro de la ira.

«78. Where do we see that Abraham had a daughter? It is written (Genesis 24:1), “And God blessed Abraham with all (BaKol).”54 It is also written (Isaiah 43:7), “All that is called by My name, for My glory I created it, I formed it, also I made it.” Was this blessing his daughter, or was it not? Yes, it was his daughter.» — §78: el *todo* con que Dios bendice a Abraham se lee como una hija, y con eso el Todo del §22 se vuelve figura femenina.

«He said, “What will I give him? What can I do for him? Behold I have made a beautiful vessel, and in it are beautiful jewels. There is nothing like it in the treasuries of kings.56 I will give it to him, and he will be worthy in his place.”» — §78: el don que cierra la parábola del esclavo puesto a prueba, y que el texto identifica con esa hija.

«What did he understand? He understood God's thought. Even [human] thought has no end, for man can think, and descend to the end of the world.» — §79: la infinitud del pensamiento humano se usa como argumento *a fortiori* sobre el pensamiento divino.

«The ear also has no end and is not satiated. It is thus written (Ecclesiastes 1:8), “The ear is not satiated from hearing.” Why is this so? Because the ear is in the shape of an Alef.58 Alef is the root of the Ten Commandments.59 Therefore, the ear is not satiated from hearing.”» — §79: la forma del oído como Alef explica su insaciabilidad y lo ata a los Diez Mandamientos.

«80. What is the meaning of the letter Zayin in the word OZeN (ear)? We have said that everything that the Blessed Holy One brought into His world has a name emanating from its concept. It is thus written (Genesis 2:19), “All that the man called each living soul, that was its name.”» — §80: el principio de que el nombre emana del concepto de la cosa, apoyado en la escena de Adán nombrando.

«It is written (Proverbs 10:7), “The memory of the righteous shall be a blessing, and the name of the wicked shall rot.” What actually rots, their name or their body? [One must agree that it is their body.] Here too, [each thing's name refers to] its body.» — §80: la prueba de que el nombre es el cuerpo, sacada de lo que en el versículo se pudre.

«81. What is an example of this? Take the word for root — ShoReSh (Shin Resh Shin). The letter Shin looks like the roots of a tree.60 [Resh is bent, since] the root of every tree is bent. And what is the function of the final Shin? This teaches us that if you take a branch and plant it, it will root again.» — §81: la palabra *raíz* se analiza letra por letra y su forma gráfica reproduce lo que nombra.

«What is the function of the Zayin [in OZeN — ear]? [Its numerical value is seven] corresponding to the seven days of the week. This teaches us that each day has its own power.» — §81: el valor siete de la Zayin ata el oído a los siete días, cada uno con potencia propia.

«This teaches us that just like there is infinite wisdom in the ear, so is there power in all parts of the body.» — §81: el paso del oído al cuerpo entero como sede de potencias.

«He replied: The covenant of circumcision and man's mate are considered as one.62 His two hands then make three, his head and body, five, and his two legs make seven.» — §82: la cuenta de las siete partes del cuerpo humano, que empieza contando el pacto y la pareja como una sola.

«83. What is the significance of the Nun [in the word OZeN]? This teaches us that the ora in is the main part of the spinal cord. It constantly draws from there, and if not for the spinal cord, the brain could not endure.» — §83: la dependencia recíproca de cerebro, médula y cuerpo; el impreso parte la palabra en *ora in*, donde el sentido pide *brain*.

«The spinal cord is the channel from the brain to the entire body. It is represented by the bent Nun.» — §83: la Nun doblada como figura de la médula.

«The straight Nun is the one that is always at the end of a word. This teaches us that the straight Nun includes both the bent one and the straight one. But the bent Nun is the Foundation. This teaches us that the straight Nun includes both male and female.» — §83: la Nun final incluye a la doblada, y de ahí sale la lectura sexuada de las dos formas de la letra.

«What is the closed Mem? It is made like a belly from above. But Rabbi Rahumai said that the belly is like the letter Tet.65 He said that it is like a Tet on the inside, while I say that it is like a Mem on the outside.» — §84: dos lecturas del vientre, la de Rahumai por dentro y la del expositor por fuera, consignadas sin elegir.

«85. What is a Mem? Do not read Mem, but Mayim (water). Just like water is wet, so is the belly always wet.» — §85: la Mem leída como agua, y de ahí la humedad del vientre.

«Why does the open Mem include both male and female, while the closed Mem is male? This teaches us that the Mem is primarily male. The opening was then added to it for the sake of the female. Just like the male cannot give birth, so the closed Mem cannot give birth. And just like the female has an opening with which to give birth, so can the open Mem give birth. The Mem is therefore open and closed.» — §85: la doble forma de la letra se lee como diferencia sexual, con la apertura añadida sobre un fondo masculino.

«86. Why should the Mem have two forms, open and closed? Because we said: Do not read Mem, but Mayim (water). The woman is cold, and therefore must be warmed by the male.» — §86: la segunda razón de la doble forma, que introduce la polaridad térmica entre los sexos.

«Why should the Nun have two forms, bent and straight? Because it is written (Psalm 72:17), “Before the sun shall his name reign (ya-Nun).” [This is] from two Nuns, the bent Nun and the straight Nun, and it must be through male and female.» — §86: la misma operación aplicada a la Nun, con el versículo mesiánico como prueba.

«87. It is written (Ecclesiastes 1:8), “The ear is not satiated from hearing.” It is also written (Ecclesiastes 1:8), “The eye is not satiated from seeing.” This teaches us that both draw from thought.» — §87: oído y ojo son insaciables porque los dos beben del pensamiento.

«What is thought? It is a king that is needed by all things that were created in the world, both above and below.» — §87: la definición del pensamiento como rey del que todo depende.

«88. What is the meaning of the expression, “It rose in thought”?66 Why do we not say that “it descended [in thought]”? Indeed, we have said, “One who gazes into the vision of the Chariot first descends and then ascends.”» — §88: la pregunta por la dirección del verbo, que trae a cuento la fórmula técnica del descenso al Carro.

«Here, however, we are speaking of thought, [and therefore only speak of ascent]. For thought does not include any vision, and has no ending whatsoever. And anything that has no end or limit does not have any descent.» — §88: la distinción entre visión y pensamiento; lo ilimitado no admite descenso.

«People therefore say, “Someone descended to the limit of his friend's knowledge.” One can arrive at the limit of a person's knowledge, but not at the limit of his thought.» — §88: el uso corriente del habla se aduce como prueba de la distinción entre conocimiento y pensamiento.

«What is the meaning of the Segol?70 Its name is Segulah (treasure). It comes after the Zarka.» — §89, expuesto por Amorai: el acento Segol se lee por su nombre, tesoro, y por su posición tras el Zarka.

«What is the meaning of Zarka? It is like its name — something that is thrown (ni-Zrak). It is like something that is thrown, and after it comes (Ecclesiastes 2:8), “the treasures of kings and lands.”» — §89: el Zarka como lo arrojado, seguido por el tesoro; los signos de cantilación se leen como secuencia doctrinal.

«90. What is the reason that it is called Zarka? It is written (Ezekiel 3:12), “Blessed is the glory of God from His place.” This indicates that no being knows His place.» — §90: la fórmula litúrgica se lee como confesión de que nadie conoce el lugar de la Gloria.

«91. Why is [this accent] at the end of a word, and not at the beginning? This teaches us that this Crown rises higher and higher.» — §91: la posición final del acento se convierte en figura del ascenso de la Corona.

«It is included and crowned, as it is written (Psalm 118:22), “The stone that the builders rejected has become the head cornerstone.” It ascends to the place from which it was graven, as it is written (Genesis 49:24), “From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel.”» — §91: la piedra rechazada y su retorno al lugar de donde fue grabada.

«92. He also said: What is the reason that we place blue wool in the Tzitzit?74 And why are there 32 [threads]?75 What is this like? A king had a beautiful garden, and in it were 32 paths. He placed a watchman over them to show that all these paths belong to him alone. [The king] said to him, “Watch them, and walk upon them every day. As long as you walk these paths, you will have peace.”» — §92: el jardín de 32 sendas y su guardián, que enlaza el precepto del tzitzit con las Sendas de la Sabiduría.

«What did the watchman do? He appointed other watchmen [as his assistants to watch] over them. He said, “If I remain alone on these paths, it is impossible for me, a single watchman, to maintain them all. Besides that, people may say that I am the king.” The watchman therefore placed his assistants over all the paths. These are the 32 paths.» — §92: el motivo de la delegación incluye una precaución teológica: que no lo confundan con el rey.

«93. What is the reason for the blue? The watchman said, “Perhaps those assistant watchmen will say that the garden belongs to us.”» — §93: el azul nace de un temor de usurpación dentro de la propia parábola.

«told them, “See this. It is the sign of the king, indicating that the garden belongs to him. He is the one who made these paths, and they are not mine. This is his seal.”» — §93: el azul como sello del rey; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«94. Rabbi Amorai sat and expounded: What is the meaning of the verse (I Kings 8:27), “Behold the heaven and the heaven of heaven cannot contain You”? This teaches us that the Blessed Holy One has 72 names.» — §94, en boca de Amorai: de la imposibilidad de contener a Dios el texto deriva los setenta y dos nombres.

«Why do they begin with twelve? This teaches us that God has twelve Directors. Each of these has six Powers [making a total of 72]. What are they? They are the 72 languages.» — §94: la aritmética de doce por seis, que ata los nombres a las lenguas del mundo.

«95. The Blessed Holy One has a single Tree, and it has twelve diagonal boundaries:81 The northeast boundary, the southeast boundary; The upper east boundary, the lower east boundary; The southwest boundary, the northwest boundary; The upper west boundary, the lower west boundary; The upper south boundary, the lower south boundary; The upper north boundary, the lower north boundary; The continually spread forever and ever; They are the “arms of the world.”» — §95: los doce límites diagonales del Sefer Yetzirah, enumerados uno por uno como brazos del mundo.

«On the inside of them is the Tree. Paralleling these diagonals there are twelve Functionaries. Inside the Sphere83 there are also twelve Functionaries.» — §95: los Funcionarios que duplican los límites, dentro y en la Esfera.

«Including the diagonals themselves, this makes a total of 36 Functionaries. Each of these has another. It is thus written (Ecclesiastes 5:7), “For one above another watches.” [This makes a total of 72.]» — §95: la cuenta que llega a treinta y seis y luego a setenta y dos por duplicación.

«These are twelve, twelve, twelve, and they are the Functionaries in the Axis, the Sphere, and the Heart.» — §95: el reparto en las tres categorías del Sefer Yetzirah, Eje, Esfera y Corazón.

«Even though there are twelve in each of the three, they are all attached to each other. Therefore, all 36 Powers are in the first one, which is the Axis. And if you seek them in the Sphere, you will find the very same ones.» — §95: la implicación mutua de las tres series, donde cada una contiene las treinta y seis.

«What is this “advantage”? This is the place from which the earth was graven. It is an advantage over what existed previously.» — §95: la Ventaja del versículo de Eclesiastés se identifica con el lugar de donde se grabó la tierra.

«96. What is the earth from which the heavens were graven? It is the Throne of the Blessed Holy One. It is the Precious Stone and the Sea of Wisdom.» — §96: la tierra de la que se grabaron los cielos identificada con el Trono, la Piedra Preciosa y el Mar de la Sabiduría.

«Rabbi Meir thus said:86 Why is blue chosen above all other colors [for the Tzitzit]? Because blue resembles the sea, the sea resembles the sky, and the sky resembles the Throne of Glory.» — §96, en boca de Meir: la cadena de semejanzas que va del hilo azul al Trono de la Gloria.

«97. Rabbi Berachiah sat and expounded: What is the meaning of the verse (Exodus 25:2), “And they shall take for Me a lifted offering (Terumah)”? It means, “Lift Me up with your prayers.”» — §97, en boca de Berachiah: la ofrenda elevada se lee como elevación de Dios por la plegaria.

«Rabbi Rahumai said: [This refers to] the righteous and pious in Israel who raise Me over all the world through their merit. From them the Heart is sustained, and the Heart sustains them.» — §97, en boca de Rahumai: la reciprocidad entre los justos y el Corazón, que se sostienen mutuamente.

«98. And all the Holy Forms oversee all the nations. But Israel is holy, taking the Tree itself and its Heart.» — §98: el reparto entre las Formas Santas sobre las naciones y el Árbol mismo para Israel.

«What is the Lulav? [It can be written] Lo Lev — “it has a heart.” The heart is also given over to it. And what is this Heart? It is the 32 hidden paths of wisdom that are hidden in it.» — §98: el nombre del lulav descompuesto para hacerlo portador del Corazón y de las treinta y dos sendas.

«What is the meaning of, “He placed to the east (kedem) of the Garden of Eden”? He placed it in those paths that preceded (kadmu) the place that was called the Garden of Eden.» — §99: el *este* del versículo se lee como *antes*, y las sendas quedan antes del Jardín.

«Is it then before [the flame]? Heaven is called Shamayim, indicating that fire and water existed before it.» — §99: la objeción cronológica y la respuesta por el nombre del cielo, que ya contiene fuego y agua.

«How do we know that the heaven is fire? It is written (Deuteronomy 4:24), “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”» — §99: la prueba de que el cielo es fuego se toma de un versículo sobre Dios, no sobre el cielo.

«100. And how do we know that “Heaven” refers to the Blessed Holy One? It is written (I Kings 8:36), “And you, O Heaven, shall hear.” Was Solomon then praying to heaven that it should hear their prayers? But [we must say that he was praying] to the One whose name is Heaven.» — §100: el argumento contra una lectura idolátrica de la plegaria de Salomón; Cielo es nombre divino.

«But we must say that their Power existed before the Forms of that place. Only then did these Holy Forms come into existence.» — §100: la distinción entre la Potencia y las Formas, que resuelve la aporía del orden.

«101. Rabbi Berachiah sat and expounded: What is the Lulav that we discussed? It is 36 (Lu) given over to 32 (Lav).» — §101, en boca de Berachiah: la palabra *Lulav* descompuesta en dos números, 36 y 32.

«He replied: There are three Princes, the Axis, the Sphere and the Heart.93 Each one is twelve, and the three therefore constitute a sum of 36, through which the world is sustained. It is thus written (Proverbs 10:25), “And Righteous is the foundation of the world.”» — §101: los tres Príncipes del Sefer Yetzirah dan el 36 que sostiene el mundo.

«102. We learned: There is a single pillar extending from heaven to earth, and its name is Righteous (Tzadik).95 [This pillar] is named after the righteous. When there are righteous people in the world, then it becomes strong, and when there are not, it becomes weak.» — §102: el pilar que sostiene el mundo depende de los justos, y la dependencia va de abajo hacia arriba.

«Therefore, even if there is only one righteous person in the world, it is he who supports the world. It is therefore written, “And a righteous one is the foundation of the world.”» — §102: el límite inferior de esa dependencia: basta un solo justo.

«103. Another explanation: It is written (Exodus 25:2), “and they shall take for Me (Li) a lifted offering.” [Li (for Me) can also be read, “for the Yud.”] They shall take the Yud, which is the tenth, as a lifted offering to make it holy.» — §103: la relectura de *Li* como *para la Yud* ata la ofrenda a la décima letra y al diezmo.

«It is furthermore written (Psalm 111:10), “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.” Do not read “is the fear” but “and the fear.” [The verse will then read, “The beginning is wisdom and the fear of God.» — §103: el cambio de una conjunción convierte una subordinación en enumeración; el corchete de cierre falta en la capa de texto.

«104. The disciples asked Rabbi Eliezer: Our master, what is the meaning of the verse (Exodus 13:2), “Sanctify to Me every first-born”? Does the Blessed Holy One then have a first-born? He replied: “Sanctify to Me (Li) every first-born” refers to nothing other than the second level of holiness.» — §104, en boca de Eliezer: la pregunta por el primogénito divino se contesta desplazándola a un nivel de santidad.

«But the scripture says, “you shall surely send away the mother” in honor of the one who is called the Mother of the World. It is thus written (Proverbs 2:3), “For you shall call Understanding a Mother.”» — §104, en boca de Rahumai: el precepto de espantar a la madre del nido se explica por la Madre del Mundo, y la Comprensión queda nombrada Madre.

«Rabbi Rahumai said: These are the children that she raised. And who are they? They are the seven days of creation, and the seven days of Succot.» — §105, en boca de Rahumai: los hijos de esa Madre son dos series de siete días.

«Why is Shavuot one [day]? Because the Torah was given to Israel on that day. And when the Torah was created in the beginning, the Blessed Holy One ruled His world alone with it. It is thus written (Psalm 111:10), “The beginning is wisdom, the fear of God.” [God] said [to it], “This being so, your holiness shall be yours by yourself.”» — §105: la unicidad de Shavuot se deriva de la soledad de la Torá en el gobierno del mundo.

«And what is Succot? He replied: The letter Bet [which has the connotation of a house (Bayit)]. It is thus written (Proverbs 24:3), “With wisdom a house is built.”» — §105: la fiesta de las cabañas remitida a la Bet y a la casa edificada con sabiduría.

«106. Rabbi Berachiah sat and expounded: What is the Axis (Teli)?104 This is the likeness that is before the Blessed Holy One. It is thus written (Song of Songs 5:11), “His locks are curled (Taltalim).”» — §106, en boca de Berachiah: el Teli del Sefer Yetzirah definido por un juego de raíz con los rizos del Cantar.

«What is the Sphere? This is the Womb.106 What is the Heart? It is that regarding which it is written (Deuteronomy 4:11), “unto the heart of heaven.” In it are included the 32 mystical paths of Wisdom.» — §106: las otras dos categorías del Sefer Yetzirah quedan definidas, la Esfera como Útero y el Corazón como sede de las treinta y dos sendas.

«This is the explicit Name of the Blessed Holy One. It is the Name containing twelve letters, as it is written, YHVH YHVH YHVH.» — §107: la Bendición Sacerdotal se lee como Nombre de doce letras por sus tres Tetragrámatones.

«This teaches us that God's names consist of three troops. Each troop resembles the other, and each one's name is like [the other's] named. All of them are sealed with Yud Heh Vav Heh.» — §107: los nombres divinos organizados en tres tropas selladas por el Tetragrámaton; el impreso da *named* por *name*.

«This teaches us that each army, with its leaders and officers, has 24. Multiply 24 by three and you have the 72 names of the Blessed Holy One.» — §107: la aritmética que va de las veinticuatro permutaciones del Nombre a los setenta y dos.

«108. And who are the Officers? We learned that there are three. Strength (Gevurah) is the Officer of all the Holy Forms to the left of the Blessed Holy One. He is Gabriel. The Officer of all the Holy Forms to His right is Michael. In the middle is Truth. This is Uriel, the Officer of all the Holy Forms [in the center].» — §108: los tres arcángeles asignados a las tres columnas, con Uriel en el centro identificado con la Verdad.

«He said: This is not the case. For when Israel brings a sacrifice before their Father in heaven, they are united together. This is the unification of our God.» — §108: la objeción aritmética del ciento cuarenta y cuatro se descarta por la unificación que opera el sacrificio.

«109. Why is a sacrifice called a Karban [which means “bringing close”]? Because it brings the Forms of the Holy Powers close.» — §109: la etimología del sacrificio como acercamiento, aplicada a las Formas y no al oferente.

«And why is [the sacrifice] called a “pleasant fragrance”? Fragrance is only in the nose. The sense of smell is through breath, and this is nowhere but in the nose.» — §109: el olfato como único sentido que pasa por el aliento, y por eso el que sirve de puente.

«The fragrance-spirit descends and unifies itself with those Holy Forms, bringing itself close through the sacrifice.» — §109: el descenso del espíritu-fragancia, leído del Targum, que cierra la explicación del *Karban*.

«110. There is a name that is derived from the three verses (Exodus 14:19–21), “And traveled … And came … And stretched. …”114 The letters of the first verse, “And traveled …” are arranged in this name in the order that they are in the verse. The letters of the second verse, “And came …” are arranged in the name in reverse order. The letters of the third passage, “And stretched …” are arranged in the name in the same order as they occur in the verse, just like the case of the first verse. Each one of these verses has 72 letters.» — §110: el procedimiento exacto con que se deriva el Nombre de setenta y dos del paso del Mar Rojo, con el segundo versículo en orden inverso.

«These are the 72 names. They emanate and divide themselves into three sections, 24 to each section.» — §110: el reparto de los setenta y dos nombres en tres secciones.

«111. Rabbi Ahilai sat and expounded: What is the meaning of the verse, “God (YHVH) is King, God (YHVH) was King, God (YHVH) will be King forever and ever.”?116 This is the Explicit Name (Shem HaMePoresh), for which permission was given that it be permuted and spoken.» — §111, en boca de Ahilai: la fórmula litúrgica de los tres tiempos como Nombre Explícito, con licencia expresa de permutarlo y pronunciarlo.

«If one safeguards it and mentions it in holiness, then all his prayers are heard. And not only that, but he is loved on high and below, and immediately answered and helped.» — §111: la promesa operativa que el texto ata al Nombre de doce letras, condicionada a guardarlo y pronunciarlo en santidad.

«This is the Explicit Name that was written on Aaron's forehead.118 The Explicit Name containing 72 letters and the Explicit Name containing twelve letters were given over by the Blessed Holy One to [the angel] Mesamariah, who stands before the Curtain. He gave it to Elijah on Mount Carmel, and with them he ascended and did not taste death.» — §111: la cadena de transmisión de los dos Nombres, del ángel Mesamariah a Elías, y la ascensión sin muerte como su efecto.

«112. These are the Explicit Holy Exalted Names. There are twelve Names, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel:120 AH-TzYTzaH-RON AKhLYThaH-RON ShMaKTha-RON DMUShaH-RON Ve-TzaPhTzaPhYTh-RON HURMY-RON BRaCh YaH-RON EReSh GaDRa-AON BaSAVaH MoNA-HON ChaZHaVaYaH HaVaHaYRY HAH Ve-HaRA YTh-HON» — §112: la lista de los doce Nombres, uno por tribu, en la transliteración exacta de esta edición y sin cotejo con otras grafías.

«All of them are included in the Heart of heaven.121 They include male and female. They are given over to the Axis, the Sphere and the Heart, and they are the wellsprings of Wisdom.» — §112: los doce Nombres quedan repartidos entre las tres categorías del Sefer Yetzirah y declarados masculinos y femeninos a la vez.

«113. Rabbi Rahumai sat and expounded: What are the twelve tribes of Israel? But this teaches us that the Blessed Holy One has twelve rods [on high. The word Shevet is the same for both “tribe” and “rod.”]» — §113, en boca de Rahumai: el equívoco de *Shevet* convierte las doce tribus en doce varas celestes.

«He then said to them, “If the sons are as good as their fathers, they will be worthy, and I will let water flow through the pipes. The fathers will then drink all they wish, and so will the sons. But if the sons are not worthy and do not do what is right in my eyes, then regarding this, these pipes will stand. I will give them water only on the condition that they give none to their children, since they do not obey my will.”» — §113: la parábola de los doce caños, donde el flujo se corta por la conducta de los hijos y no de los padres.

«114. What meaning of the word Shevet [which has the connotation of both a tribe and a rod]? It is something simple and not square. What is the reason? Because it is impossible to have one square inside another square. A circle inside a square can move. A square inside a square cannot move.» — §114: el argumento geométrico sobre el movimiento, que prepara la doctrina de puntos redondos y letras cuadradas.

«115. What are the things that are circular? They are the vowel points in the Torah of Moses, for these are all round. They are to the letters like the soul, which lives in the body of man.» — §115: los puntos vocálicos como alma de las letras, en la Torá de Moisés.

«116. Every vowel point is round, and every letter is square. The vowel points are the life of the letters, and through them, the letters endure.» — §116: la formulación cerrada de esa doctrina; sin los puntos, la letra no subsiste.

«117. Rabbi Yochanan said: What is the meaning of the verse (Exodus 15:3), “God is a man (Ish) of war, God (YHVH) is His name”?125 Man (Ish) indicates a sign. The Targum thus renders, “God is a man of war,” as “God is the Master of victory in war.”» — §117, en boca de Yochanan: el mismo antropomorfismo del §26 vuelve, ahora desactivado por el Targum.

«What is this Master? Alef is the first, the Holy Palace.126 Do we then say that the Palace is holy? Instead we say, “the Palace of the Holy One.”» — §117: la corrección sintáctica que evita atribuir santidad al Palacio mismo.

«118. Yud is the Ten Sayings with which the world was created.127 What are they? They are the Torah of Truth, which includes all worlds.» — §118: la Yud, por su valor diez, se identifica con los Diez Dichos de la creación.

«What is the Shin? He said: It is the root of the tree. The letter Shin is like the root of a tree.» — §118: la Shin como raíz, cerrando la lectura de *Ish* por sus tres letras.

«119. What is this tree that you mentioned? He said: It represents the Powers of the Blessed Holy One, one above the other.» — §119: la definición del Árbol como jerarquía de Potencias divinas.

«What is the water of the Blessed Holy One? It is wisdom. It is the souls of the righteous. They fly from the fountain to the great pipe, ascend and attach themselves to the Tree.» — §119: el agua que riega el Árbol se identifica a la vez con la sabiduría y con las almas de los justos.

«120. How do we know that the Divine Presence is called Tzedek (Righteous)? It is written (Deuteronomy 33:26), “He who rides in the heavens is your help, and His majesty is in the skies (Shechakim).” It is also written (Isaiah 45:8), “The skies (Shechakim) run with Righteousness (Tzedek).”129 Tzedek is the Divine Presence, as it is written (Isaiah 1:21), “Righteousness (Tzedek) dwells in it.”» — §120: la cadena de versículos que identifica a la Presencia Divina con *Tzedek*.

«121. What is the meaning of “generation to generation”? Rabbi Papias said: “A generation goes and a generation comes» — §121, en boca de Papias: la pregunta que abre el pasaje sobre la reencarnación; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«(Ecclesiastes 1:4).” Rabbi Akiba said: “The generation came” — it already came.» — §121, en boca de Akiba: la lectura que hace del versículo un retorno de la misma generación, y que Kaplan señala como primera formulación del *gilgul* en el libro.

«122. What is this like? A king had slaves, and he dressed them with garments of silk and satin according to his ability. The relationship broke down, and he cast them out, repelled them, and took his garments away from them.» — §122: la parábola de los vestidos, que da forma a la doctrina del retorno de las almas.

«The king took the garments, and washed them well until there was not a single spot on them. He placed them with his storekeepers, bought other slaves, and dressed them with the same garments. He did not know whether or not the slaves were good, but they were [at least] worthy of garments that he already had and which had been previously worn.» — §122: los vestidos lavados y reutilizados por esclavos nuevos; el rey ignora si los nuevos son buenos.

«124. Why are the hands lifted when they are blessed in this manner? It is because the hands have ten fingers, alluding to the Ten Sefirot with which heaven and earth were sealed.» — §124: el gesto de la Bendición Sacerdotal se lee como alusión a las diez sefirot; es el pasaje del que arranca la sección central del libro.

«In these Ten are included the 613 Commandments. If you count the letters in the Ten Commandments, you will find that there are 613 letters.» — §124: el argumento numérico que incluye los 613 preceptos dentro de los Diez Mandamientos.

«They contain all 22 letters except Tet, which is missing in them.» — §124: la ausencia de la Tet en los Diez Mandamientos, dato del que sale la exclusión siguiente.

«What is the reason for this? This teaches us that Tet is the belly — and it is not included among the Sefirot.» — §124: la Tet queda fuera de las sefirot por ser el vientre; Kaplan usa este pasaje para explicar por qué el tratado alfabético se detiene antes de esa letra.

«125. Why are they called Sephirot? Because it is written (Psalm 19:2), “The heavens declare (me-SaPRim) the glory of God.”» — §125: la etimología de *sefirot* por el verbo declarar, que es la definición que Kaplan destaca en la introducción.

«127. Why are there three “holies” and not four? Because the holiness on high is three by three.» — §127: la triplicación del *santo* se explica por una estructura de tres por tres.

«The [first] “holy” is the highest Crown.140 The [second] “holy” is the Root of the Tree.141 The [third] “holy” is attached and unified in them all.» — §128: el reparto de los tres *santos* de Isaías entre Corona, Raíz del Árbol y el tercero que unifica.

«130. What is the meaning of, “the whole earth is filled with His glory”? This is the earth that was created on the first day. It is on high, filled with God's glory and paralleling the Land of Israel.» — §130: la tierra del primer día se coloca arriba y se hace paralela a la Tierra de Israel.

«131. What is “God's glory”? What is this like? A king had a matron in his chamber, and all his troops delighted in her. She had sons, and each day they came to see the king and to bless him. They asked him, “Where is our mother?” He replied, “You cannot see her now.” They said, “Let her be blessed wherever she is.”» — §131: la Gloria figurada como matrona oculta, a la que se bendice sin verla.

«132. What is the meaning of “from His place”? This indicates that none know his place.» — §132: la fórmula litúrgica leída como declaración de que el lugar es desconocido.

«This is like a royal princess who came from a far place. People did not know her origin, but they saw that she was a woman of valor, beautiful and refined in all her ways. They said, “She certainly originates from the side of light, for she illuminates the world through her deeds.”» — §132: la princesa de origen desconocido, cuyo lugar se infiere de sus obras y no de su genealogía.

«134. Rabbi Rahumai said: Glory (Kavod) and Heart (Lev) both have the same [numerical value, namely 32].143 They are both one, but Glory refers to its function on high» — §134, en boca de Rahumai: la gematría iguala Gloria y Corazón, y la diferencia entre ellos queda reducida a la posición.

«“God's glory” and the “heart of heaven” are therefore both identical.» — §134: la conclusión de esa identidad, que cierra el hilo abierto en el §130.

«135. Rabbi Yochanan said: What is the meaning of the verse (Exodus 17:11), “And it was when Moses would raise his hands, Israel would prevail, and when he would lower his hands, Amalek would prevail.”? This teaches us that the whole world endures because of the Lifting of Hands.» — §135, en boca de Yochanan: el episodio de Refidim se generaliza hasta hacer del gesto de alzar las manos el sostén del mundo.

«Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were each given a particular Power. The counterpart of the attribute in which each one walked was given to him.» — §135: el principio de correspondencia entre la conducta del patriarca y la potencia que recibe.

«God therefore granted him the same measure and gave him the attribute of Kindness (Chesed). It is thus written (Micah 7:20), “You give truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from days of yore.”» — §135: la asignación de *Chesed* a Abraham, apoyada en Miqueas.

«What is the meaning of “from days of yore”? This teaches us that if Abraham did not do deeds of kindness, then he would not have been worthy of the attribute of Truth.» — §135: la dependencia en cadena de los atributos, donde el de Jacob cuelga del mérito de Abraham.

«In the merit through which Abraham was worthy of the attribute of Kindness, Isaac became worthy of the attribute of Terror. It is thus written (Genesis 31:53), “And Jacob swore by the Terror of his father Isaac.”» — §135: la asignación del Terror a Isaac, probada por la fórmula del juramento de Jacob.

«What is it? It is Chaos. It emanates from evil and astounds people.» — §135: el Terror identificado con el Tohu del §11, y por tanto con la raíz del mal.

«136. What is Kindness? It is the Torah, as it is written (Isaiah 55:1), “Ho, let all who are thirsty come for water, let he without silver come,» — §136: la Bondad identificada con la Torá, por el versículo del agua sin plata.

«137. Why wine and milk? What does one have to do with the other? But this teaches us that wine is Terror and milk is Kindness.» — §137: el par vino/leche se convierte en el par Terror/Bondad.

«Why is wine mentioned first? Because it is closer to us.148 Do you then think that this refers to actual wine and milk? We must say that it is the Form of wine and milk.» — §137: el propio texto corta la lectura literal y desplaza los términos a Formas.

«Through the merit of Abraham, who was worthy of the attribute of Kindness, Isaac was worthy of the attribute of Terror. And because Isaac was worthy of the attribute of Terror, Jacob was worthy of the attribute of Truth, which is the attribute of Peace.» — §137: la cadena completa de los tres patriarcas, con Verdad y Paz igualadas en Jacob.

«138. What is the meaning of “a Torah of Truth?” It is that which teaches (Moreh) the Truth of [all] worlds» — §138: la Torá de Verdad definida por lo que enseña, con el juego de raíz entre *Torah* y *Moreh*.

«He erected Ten Sayings, and with them the world stands.150 It is one of them. In man He created ten fingers, paralleling these Ten Sayings.» — §138: los Diez Dichos y los diez dedos, correspondencia que sostiene la lectura del gesto de Moisés.

«Moses raised his hands and concentrated to some degree on the Attribute that is called Israel, which contains the Torah of Truth. With his ten fingers, he alluded that he was upholding the Ten. For if [God] would not help Israel, then the Ten Sayings would not endure every day. It was for this reason that “Israel prevailed.”» — §138: el gesto se lee como acto teúrgico con intención dirigida, y la permanencia de los Diez Dichos queda condicionada.

«[The verse continues], “And when he lowered his hands, Amalek prevailed.” Would Moses then do anything that would cause Amalek to prevail? But [this teaches us] that it is forbidden for a person to stand for [more than] three hours with his hands spread out to heaven.» — §138: la objeción moral se resuelve con una norma práctica que limita a tres horas el gesto.

«139. His disciples asked: To whom are the hands raised? He replied: To the heights of heaven. How do we know this? It is written (Habakkuk 3:10), “The deep gives forth its voice, it lifts up its hands on high.” This teaches us that the Lifting of Hands is only to the heights of the heaven.» — §139: la dirección del gesto queda fijada, y la prueba viene del abismo que alza las manos.

«When among Israel there are people who are wise and know the mystery of the Glorious Name, and they lift up their hands, they are immediately answered.» — §139: la eficacia del gesto se condiciona al conocimiento del misterio del Nombre.

«140. What is the meaning of “then” [— AZ — spelled Alef Zayin)? This teaches us that it is not permissible to call Alef alone. [It can] only [be called] through the two letters that are attached to it, which sit first in the kingdom.153 Together with the Alef, they are then three. Seven of the Ten Sayings then remain, and this is the Zayin [which has the numerical value of seven].» — §140: la partícula *AZ* se descompone en tres más siete, y de ahí sale la partición tres/siete de los Diez Dichos; el impreso cierra el corchete con paréntesis.

«141. What are the Ten Sayings? The first is the Highest Crown. Blessed and praised be its name and its people.» — §141: arranca la enumeración de las diez sefirot; la primera es la Corona Suprema.

«142. The second one is Wisdom. It is thus written (Proverbs 8:22), “God procured me, the beginning of His way, before His works, from then (Az).” A “beginning” is nothing other than Wisdom, as it is written (Psalm 111:10), “The beginning is wisdom, the fear of God.”» — §142: la segunda es la Sabiduría, identificada de nuevo con el *Reshit* del Génesis.

«143. The third one is the quarry of the Torah, the treasury of Wisdom, the quarry of the “spirit of God.”155 This teaches us that God carved out all the letters of the Torah, engraved it with spirit, and with it made all Forms. This is the meaning of the verse (1 Samuel 2:2), “There is no Rock (Tzur) like our God” —there is no Former(Tzayir)like our God.» — §143: la tercera es la cantera de la Torá, y el juego *Tzur*/*Tzayir* convierte la Roca en Formador; el impreso pega las palabras alrededor del paréntesis.

«144. These are three. What is the fourth? The fourth is (Deuteronomy 33:21), “the charity of God,” His merit, and His Kindness (Chesed) to all the world. This is the Right Hand of the Blessed Holy One.» — §144: la cuarta es la Bondad, y se la localiza como Mano Derecha.

«145. What is the fifih?156 The fifth is the great fire of the Blessed Holy One. Regarding this it is written (Deuteronomy 18:16), “Let me see the great fire no more, lest I die.” This is the Left Hand of the Blessed Holy One.» — §145: la quinta es el gran fuego, Mano Izquierda; el impreso da *fifih* por *fifth*.

«What are they? They are the holy Chayot and the holy Serafim, to their right and their left. They are the “pleasant ones”157 which ascend higher and higher, as it is written (Ecclesiastes 5:7), “And ones higher than they.”» — §145: las dos manos pobladas por Chayot y Serafines, en ascenso indefinido.

«146. The sixth one is the Throne of Glory, crowned, included, praised and hailed.160 It is the house of the World to Come, and its place is in Wisdom.» — §146: la sexta es el Trono de Gloria, que en la introducción Kaplan identifica con la Belleza bajo nombre no estándar.

«147. And Rabbi Yochanan said: There were two [types of] light, as it is written, “[let there be light,] and there was light.” Regarding both of them it is written (Genesis 1:4), “(And God saw the light] that it was good.”» — §147, en boca de Yochanan: la duplicación de la palabra *luz* en el versículo se lee como dos luces distintas.

«The Blessed Holy One took one [of these types of light] and stored it away for the righteous in the World to Come. Regarding this it is written (Psalm 31:20), “How great is the good that You have hidden away for those who fear You,» — §147: la luz guardada para los justos en el Mundo Venidero.

«We learn that no creature could look at the first light. It is thus written (Genesis 1:4), “And God saw the light that it was good.”» — §147: la razón del ocultamiento; ninguna criatura podía mirar la primera luz.

«He took of that good, and included in it the 32 paths of Wisdom, giving it to this world.» — §147: la porción de esa luz que sí baja trae dentro las treinta y dos sendas.

«The Blessed Holy One said, “This Attribute is considered to be included in this world, and it is the Oral Torah. If you keep this Attribute in this world, then you will be worthy of the World to Come, which is the good stored away for the righteous.”» — §147: la Torá Oral queda identificada con esa luz repartida, y su observancia se vuelve condición del Mundo Venidero.

«149. Rabbi Rahumai said: This teaches us that Israel had light. Torah is light,» — §149, en boca de Rahumai: abre el tramo que distingue las dos Torás por su modo de luz.

«And we say that a lamp is a commandment, illumination (Orah) is the Oral Torah, and light (Or) is the Written Torah. [How can we then say that the Oral Torah is light (Or)?] Because this light has already been kept, it is called light.» — §149: el reparto de los tres términos del versículo entre precepto, Torá Oral y Torá Escrita.

«What is this like? A room was hidden at the end of a house. Even though it is day, and there is bright light in the world, one cannot see in this room unless he brings along a lamp.» — §149: la parábola del cuarto oculto, que hace falta una lámpara aunque sea de día.

«The same is true of the Oral Torah. Even though it is a light, it needs the written Torah to answer its questions and explain its mysteries.» — §149: la dependencia declarada de la Torá Oral respecto de la Escrita, aunque las dos sean luz.

«150. Rabbi Rahumai said: What is the meaning of the verse (Proverbs 6:23), “And the way of life is the rebuke of admonition”? This teaches us that when a person accustoms himself to study the Mystery of Creation and the Mystery of the Chariot, it is impossible that he not stumble.» — §150, en boca de Rahumai: el error es inevitable en el estudio de los dos misterios; es el pasaje que Kaplan cita en la introducción junto al §68.

«The Torah calls it “the rebuke of admonition,” but actually it makes one worthy of “the way of life.” One who wishes to be worthy of “the way of life” must therefore endure “the rebuke of admonition.”» — §150: el tropiezo se convierte en condición del camino, no en obstáculo.

«If one wants to be worthy of it, he should reject physical pleasure and accept the yoke of the commandments. If he is afflicted with suffering, he should accept it with love.» — §151: el régimen ascético que el texto pone como precio de la Torá.

«152. You said [that the sixth one was] His Throne. Have we then not said that it is the Crown of the Blessed Holy One? We have said, “Israel was crowned with three crowns, the crown of priesthood, the crown of royalty, and the crown of Torah above them all.”» — §152: la objeción interna, y las tres coronas de Israel traídas para resolverla.

«What is this like? A king had a pleasing, beautiful vessel and he was very fond of it. Sometimes he placed it on his head — this is the Teftllin worn on the head. At other times he carried it on his arm — in the knot of the Tefillin worn on the arm. Sometimes he lends it to his son so that it should remain with him.» — §152: la misma sefirá es corona o trono según dónde se la lleve, ilustrado por los tefilín; el impreso escribe *Teftllin* la primera vez.

«153. What is the seventh? It is the heaven [called] Aravot.168 And why is it called heaven (Shamayim)? Because it is round like a head.» — §153: la séptima sefirá es Aravot, nombre no estándar que Kaplan identifica con el Reinado.

«We learn that it is in the center, with water at its right and fire at its left. It supports water (Sa Mayim) from fire and water, and brings peace between them.» — §153: su posición central entre agua y fuego, con una segunda etimología de *Shamayim*.

«154. Is it then the seventh? Is it nothing more than the sixth.171 But this teaches us that the Holy Palace is here, and it supports them all. It is thus counted as two.172 It is therefore the seventh.» — §154: la objeción aritmética se resuelve haciendo contar doble al Palacio Santo.

«And what is it? It is Thought that does not have any end or boundary.» — §154: el Palacio Santo identificado con el Pensamiento sin límite, como en el §88.

«155. The seventh one is the east of the world. It is from where the Seed of Israel comes. The spinal cord originates in man's brain and extends to the [sexual] organ, where the seed is.» — §155: la correspondencia entre la dirección este y el trayecto de la médula hasta el órgano sexual.

«When Israel is good, then this is the place from which I will bring your seed, and new seed will be granted to you. But when Israel is wicked, [then I will bring] seed that has already been in the world.» — §155: la alternativa entre alma nueva y alma ya usada, que es la doctrina del *gilgul* dicha como sanción.

«Why is [west] called MaAReV? Because it is there that all seed is mixed together (MitAReV).» — §156: la etimología del oeste por la mezcla.

«What is this like? A king's son had a beautiful bride and he hid her in his chamber. He took riches from his father's house and constantly brought it to her. She, in turn, took everything, constantly put it away, and mixed it all together. Ultimately he seeks to see what he had gathered and accumulated.» — §156: la parábola de la novia oculta que acumula y mezcla, figura del oeste como depósito.

«157. What is the eighth one? The Blessed Holy One has a single Righteous One (Tzadik) in His world, and it is dear to Him because it supports all the world. It is the Foundation (Yesod).» — §157: la octava sefirá es la Fundación, identificada con el Justo del §102.

«This is what sustains it, and makes it grow, increasing and watching it. It is beloved and dear on high, and beloved and dear below; fearsome and mighty on high, and fearsome and mighty below; rectified and accepted on high, and rectified and accepted below. It is the Foundation of all souls.» — §157: la serie de pares arriba/abajo que define a la Fundación como sede de todas las almas.

«Yes, it is the seventh. This is because it decides between them.» — §157: el propio texto se contradice sobre el número de esta sefirá y lo resuelve por su función de fiel entre tres y tres.

«158. Why is it called the seventh? Is it then the seventh? It is not. But it is because the Blessed Holy One rested on the Sabbath with the attribute regarding which it is written (Exodus 31:17), “For six days God made the heaven and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and souled.” This teaches us that each day has a Saying that is its Master.» — §158: la pregunta se repite y la respuesta cambia; cada día queda regido por un Dicho.

«This is not because it was created on that day, but because that is when it does the task to which it was assigned. Each one does its task and maintains its activities.» — §158: la corrección que separa creación de función; el día no crea a su Dicho, lo pone a trabajar.

«159. What is this “rest”? It is the absence of work. It is a cessation which is called Shabbat (meaning rest).» — §159: la definición del reposo por ausencia de obra.

«What is this like? A king had seven gardens, and the middle one contained a fountain, welling up from a living source. Three [of his gardens] are at its right, and three are at its left. When it performed its function and overflowed, they all rejoiced, saying, “It overflowed for our sake.” It waters them and makes them grow, while they wait and rest.» — §159: los siete jardines con la fuente en medio, tres a cada lado, que es la figura del reparto sefirótico.

«We must therefore say that it waters the Heart, and the Heart then waters them all.» — §159: la corrección del riego, que pasa por el Corazón antes de llegar a los demás.

«160. Rabbi Berachiah sat and expounded: Each day we speak of the World to Come. Do we then understand what we are saying? In Aramaic, the “World to Come” is translated “the world that came.”» — §160, en boca de Berachiah: el arameo cambia el tiempo verbal y convierte lo por venir en lo ya venido.

«We learned that before the world was created, it arose in thought to create an intense light to illuminate it. He created an intense light over which no created thing could have authority.» — §160: la luz intensa anterior al mundo, sobre la que ninguna criatura tiene autoridad.

«The Blessed Holy One saw, however, that the world could not endure [this light]. He therefore took a seventh of it and left it in its place for them. The rest He put away for the righteous in the Ultimate Future.» — §160: la fracción exacta —un séptimo— que queda en el mundo, y el resto reservado.

«This teaches us that the north wind confused them. It is thus written (Exodus 15:25), “And he cried out to God, and He showed him a tree. He cast it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.”» — §161: las aguas amargas de Mará se explican por el viento del norte, la dirección abierta al mal del §34.

«God immediately placed His hand against the Satan and diminished him. It is thus written (Exodus 15:25), “There He gave them a decree and a law, and there He proved them.”» — §161: el episodio se lee como enfrentamiento con el Satán, y el decreto como su contención.

«What is the meaning of the verse, “And He showed him a tree”? This teaches us that the Tree of Life was near the water. The Satan came and removed it in order to denounce Israel and cause them to sin against their Father in heaven.» — §161: el árbol del relato bíblico se identifica con el Árbol de la Vida, retirado por el Satán.

«The Satan had falsified the situation in order to cause the people to sin. As soon as Moses saw the Satan, “He cried out to God, and He showed him a tree.” This is the Tree of Life that the Satan had removed. He then “cast it into the water, and the water became sweet.”» — §161: la escena de Mará recontada como maniobra del Satán, con el árbol devuelto al agua.

«162. What is this like? A king had a beautiful daughter, and others desired her. The king knew about it, but could not fight those who wanted to bring his daughter to evil ways. He came to his house and warned her, saying, “My daughter, do not pay attention to the words of these enemies and they will not be able to overcome you. Do not leave the house, but do all your work at home. Do not sit idle, even for a single moment. Then, they will not be able to see you and harm you.”» — §162: el rey no puede combatir a los enemigos de la hija y solo puede advertirle; el remedio que ofrece es la ocupación constante.

«They have one Attribute which causes them to leave aside every good way and choose every evil way. When they see a person directing himself along a good way, they hate him. What is [this Attribute]? It is the Satan.» — §162: el Satán definido como Atributo, no como persona.

«This teaches us that the Blessed Holy One has an Attribute whose name is Evil. It is to the north of the Blessed Holy One, as it is written (Jeremiah 1:14), “From the north will Evil come forth, upon all the inhabitants of the earth.”» — §162: el Mal queda dentro de los Atributos divinos y localizado al norte, no fuera de Dios.

«163. What is this One Attribute? It is the Form of a Hand. It has many messengers, and the name of them all is Evil Evil.181 Some of them are great, and some are small, but they all bring guilt to the world.» — §163: el Atributo como Forma de una Mano, con sus mensajeros; la duplicación *Evil Evil* se imprime así.

«This is because Chaos is toward the north. Chaos (Tohu) is nothing other than Evil. It confounds (Taha) the world and causes people to sin.» — §163: el Tohu del §2 vuelve aquí como nombre del Mal, con la misma etimología.

«Every Evil Urge (Yetzer HaRa) that exists in man comes from there. And why is it placed to the left? This is because it does not have any authority any place in the world except in the north.» — §163: el Impulso Maligno del hombre se hace derivar de esa localización cósmica.

«It is not accustomed to be anywhere except in the north. It does not want to be any place but in the north. If it remained in the south until it learned the routes of the south, how could it lead others astray? It would have to stay there for [several] days until it learned, and then it could not cause people to sin.» — §163: el argumento por el que el Mal no puede cambiar de sitio sin perder su oficio.

«164. What does the Evil Urge gain? What is this like? A king appointed clerks over the lands of his kingdom, over his work and over his merchandise. Each and every thing had its clerk.» — §164: la pregunta por el interés propio del Impulso Maligno, contestada con una parábola administrativa.

«There was one clerk in charge of the storehouse containing good food. Another was in charge of the storehouse containing stones. Everyone came to the storehouse containing good food. The clerk in charge of the storehouse of stones came and saw that people were only buying from the other [clerk]. What did he do? He sent his messengers to tear down the weak houses [so that people would need stones to rebuild them]. They could not do so, however, to the strong ones. He said, “In the time that it takes to tear down one strong [house], you can tear down ten weak ones. People will then all come and buy stones from me, and I will not be inferior to the other.”» — §164: el Mal actúa por competencia comercial, y ataca a los débiles por cálculo de rendimiento, no por preferencia.

«The word Satan means “turning aside,” since he turns all the world aside to the balance of guilt.» — §164: la etimología del nombre, apoyada en el Targum.

«165. What is the significance of the “seventy date palms”? They had accepted upon themselves the commandments, as it is written (Exodus 15:26), “If you listen to the voice of the Lord your God.”» — §165: las setenta palmeras se leen como consecuencia de la aceptación de los preceptos.

«“Where there were twelve wells of water.” At first God gave it to them as wells, and in the end, he gave it back to them as stones. It is thus written [regarding the stones set up near the Jordan] (Joshua 4:9), “twelve stones.”» — §165: los doce pozos y las doce piedras del Jordán como dos estados del mismo don.

«What is the reason? It is because the Torah was originally likened to water in the world. Only later was it put in a permanent place. Water, however, is here one day and elsewhere the next.» — §165: el paso de agua a piedra se explica por el tránsito de la Torá a un lugar permanente.

«166. What are the seventy date palms? This teaches us that the Blessed Holy One has seventy Structures.» — §166: las setenta Estructuras, término que el §16 de la introducción empareja con *Komah* y *Partzuf*.

«These draw from the twelve Simple Ones.185 Just like water is simple, so are these simple.» — §166: la dependencia de las setenta respecto de las doce letras Simples del Sefer Yetzirah.

«How do we know that the date palm is a Structure? Because it is written (Song of Songs 7:8), “Your structure is like a date palm.”» — §166: la prueba escrituraria de la equivalencia palmera-Estructura.

«167. You said that the seventy date palms represent the seventy Structures. But have you not said that there are 72? There are 71. Israel makes 72, but it is not included. But did you not say that there were seventy? One is the Officer of the Satan.» — §167: la cuenta se ajusta dos veces, y el número que falta se explica por el Oficial del Satán.

«What is this like? A king had sons and bought slaves for them. The king then told his sons, “I am giving you all equally.” One of them replied, “I do not want to be with you, for I have the power to steal everything from you.” The king then said, “Because of this, you will not have a portion among them at all.”» — §167: la rebelión del hijo que se excluye a sí mismo, origen narrativo del Príncipe del Caos.

«He is the Prince of Chaos. It is thus written (I Samuel 12:21), “Do not turn aside, for you will follow Chaos. It will not help or save, for it is Chaos.” [It cannot help or save,] but it can do harm.» — §167: el límite exacto de la potencia adversa: no salva, pero daña.

«Why did He say all this? In order to close all doors, so that he should not find you soft at times and hard at times.» — §167: la razón de la enumeración exhaustiva de preceptos, dicha como táctica defensiva.

«What is the meaning of “for I am God who heals you”? This means that even when he comes and strikes, I am God who will heal you.» — §167: el golpe no queda impedido; lo que se promete es la curación posterior.

«168. Why do you call it the eighth?186 Because with it the eight are begun, and with it the eight numbers are completed. In function, however, it is the seventh one.» — §168: la doble numeración de la Fundación, octava por cuenta y séptima por función.

«And what are [the eight] that were begun? This is the fact that a child enters the Covenant of Circumcision when eight days old.» — §168: el octavo día de la circuncisión como razón del lugar de la Fundación, argumento que Kaplan destaca en la introducción.

«What are they? They are as follows: The right and left hands The right and left legs The head, the body, and the Covenant as an arbitrator And his wife, who is his mate.» — §168: las ocho direcciones del hombre enumeradas, con el Pacto como árbitro y la esposa como octava.

«Are they then eight? They are nothing more than seven, since the body and covenant are one. It is therefore eight.» — §168: la cuenta se contradice dentro de una sola frase, y el texto la deja así.

«169. What is the ninth? He said to them: The ninth and tenth are together, one opposite» — §169: la novena y la décima se tratan juntas; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«the other.187 One is higher than the other by 500 years.» — §169: la distancia entre las dos últimas sefirot medida en años de camino.

«They are like two Wheels (Ofanim). One inclines toward the north, while the other inclines toward the west. They reach down to the lowest earth.» — §169: las dos últimas sefirot como Ofanim inclinados al norte y al oeste.

«The end of the Divine Presence of the Blessed Holy One is under His feet. It is thus written (Isaiah 66:1), “The heaven is My throne, and the earth is the hassock for My feet.”» — §169: el extremo inferior de la Presencia Divina localizado bajo los pies.

«170. What is the meaning of “Victory of Victories”? There is a single Victory (Netzach). Which is it? It is the one that inclines toward the west.» — §170: la Victoria principal se asigna al oeste; en este párrafo el Esplendor recibe el nombre de segunda Victoria, la anomalía que Kaplan señala en la introducción.

«We must therefore say that the end of the Divine Presence is also called Victory. This is the meaning of “Victory of Victories.” “Victory” is one, and “Victories” is two, giving [a total of] three.» — §170: la cuenta de tres Victorias, leída de la forma singular y plural del versículo.

«171. His disciples said to him: From above to below we know. But from below to above we do not know.192 He replied: Is it not all one—below to above and above to below? They said: Our master, ascending is not the same as descending. One can run while descending, but cannot do so while ascending.» — §171: la objeción de los discípulos sobre la asimetría entre subir y bajar, que el maestro había negado.

«There is a Divine Presence below, just like there is a Divine Presence above.» — §171: la duplicación de la Presencia Divina, arriba y abajo.

«What is this Divine Presence? We have said that it is the light that was derived from the first Light, which is Wisdom. It also surrounds all things, as it is written (Isaiah 6:3), “The whole earth is filled with His glory.”» — §171: la Presencia definida como luz derivada de la primera Luz, que envuelve todo.

«a place. He said to them, “Sit here, one above the other.” The lowest one said, “I will not sit at the bottom. I do not want to be far from you.” [The king] replied, “I will surround you and see you all day long.”» — §171: la parábola de los siete hijos, donde la queja del más bajo obtiene por respuesta un rodeo y no un ascenso; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«Why is He among them? This is so that He should support them and sustain them.» — §171: la razón de esa presencia envolvente.

«172. And what are the sons? I have already told you that the Blessed Holy One has seven Holy Forms.» — §172: los hijos identificados con las siete Formas Santas.

«The right and left legs The right and left hands The body, covenant and head.» — §172: las siete Formas enumeradas por partes del cuerpo.

«But these are only six. You have said that there are seven. The seventh is with his wife. It is thus written (Genesis 2:24), “And they shall be one flesh.”» — §172: la séptima se obtiene sumando a la esposa, contada como una sola carne con el hombre.

«What is this like? A king had an idea to plant ten male trees in a garden. All of them were date palms. He said, “Since they are all the same kind, it is impossible for them to endure.” What did he do? He planted an Etrog195 among them. This was one of those which he had intended to be male.» — §172: la parábola de los diez árboles machos, donde uno se convierte en Etrog para que el conjunto subsista.

«And why is the Etrog female? Because it is written (Leviticus 23:40), “The fruit of a beautiful tree, fronds of a date palm, [branches of a tree of leaves, and willows of the brook].” What is the fruit of a beautiful (hadar) tree?» — §172: la lista de las cuatro especies de Sucot, que el texto va a repartir entre las Formas.

«173. What is the meaning of “beautiful”? It is the beauty of all things. This is also the beauty of the Song of Songs. Regarding it, it is written (Song of Songs 6:10), “Who is she who looks forth as the dawn, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, terrible like an army with banners?”» — §173: la belleza del Etrog se enlaza con la figura femenina del Cantar.

«Because of her, the female was taken from Adam. This is because it is impossible for the lower world to endure without the female.» — §173: la necesidad de lo femenino se enuncia como condición de subsistencia del mundo inferior.

«And why is the female called Nekevah? Because her orifices (Nekev) are wide. Also because she has more orifices than the male. What are they? They are the orifices of the breasts, the womb, and the receptacle.» — §173: la etimología anatómica del término, enumerada sin eufemismo.

«Rabbi Yochanan thus said: All Scripture is holy, and all the Torah is holy, but the Song of Songs is Holy of Holies.» — §174, en boca de Yochanan: la sentencia clásica sobre el Cantar, traída aquí para la doctrina de lo femenino.

«What are the Holy Ones? They are the counterparts of the six directions that are in man.197 That which is holy for them is holy for everything.» — §174: los Santos son las seis direcciones del hombre, y lo santo para ellos lo es para todo.

«175. What is this that is Holy? It is the Etrog, which is the beauty (hadar) of them all. Why is it called beautiful (hadar)? Do not read hadar, but HaDar —“which dwells.”198 This refers to the Etrog which is not bound together with the Lulav. Without it, the commandment of the Lulav cannot be fulfilled.» — §175: el cambio de vocalización convierte lo bello en lo que mora, y el Etrog queda a la vez separado del lulav e indispensable para él.

«176. What does the Lulav parallel? It is the counterpart of the spinal cord.» — §176: el lulav como médula espinal, retomando el §83.

«What is this like? A man has arms, and with them he protects his head. He has two arms, and his head makes three. [It is therefore called] “a branch of a tree of leaves.” A “branch” is to the left, and the “leaves” are to the right. It then comes out that the “tree” is in the center.» — §176: las tres palabras del versículo repartidas en izquierda, derecha y centro.

«And why is it called a “tree”? Because it is the Root of the Tree.» — §176: el centro identificado con la Raíz del Árbol.

«177. What are “willows of the brook”? There are two [willow branches in the Lulav,] and these parallel the two legs in man.» — §177: los dos sauces como las dos piernas.

«178. Another explanation: [Willows of the Brook] are called Aruey Nachal because the function of one is sometimes mixed (ma-arav) with that of the other.» — §178: la segunda etimología, por mezcla de funciones; el impreso da *Aruey* donde el párrafo anterior escribe *A rvey*.

«How do we know that each of the seven Attributes is called a Brook (Nachal)? Because it is written (Numbers 21:19), “From to Nachaliel, [from Nachaliel to Bamot, and from Bamot to the valley that is in the Field of Moab, the head of the cliff, and it looks down on the face of the Yeshimon].” Do not read Nachaliel, but Nachley El —Brooks of God.» — §178: el itinerario del desierto se lee como escala sefirótica; el impreso da *From to Nachaliel*.

«What is this path? It is the one that arbitrates between them. It is thus written (Habakkuk 3:5), “Before Him goes the pestilence, and fiery bolts at His feet.” All of them go to that pipe, and from that pipe to the sea.» — §178: el canal arbitral por donde pasan los seis antes de llegar al mar.

«What is Lebanon? We say that this is Wisdom.» — §178: la identificación del Líbano del Cantar con la Sabiduría.

«179. We learned that there are Ten Spheres and Ten Sayings.209 Each Sphere has its Saying. It is not surrounded by it, but rather, it surrounds it.» — §179: la relación entre Esfera y Dicho se enuncia invirtiendo el sentido esperado del contener.

«This [physical] world is like a mustard seed inside a ring. Why? Because of the Spirit that blows upon it, through which it is sustained. If this spirit were to be interrupted for even a moment, the world would be annihilated.» — §179: la imagen del grano de mostaza dentro del anillo, con la aniquilación como consecuencia de un instante de interrupción.

«180. There are three Spheres in this world.210 How? This world inclines to the north and the south.» — §180: las tres Esferas del mundo actual y su inclinación.

«The “Righteous, Foundation of the world” is in the center. It emanates from the south of the world, and is officer over the other two.» — §180: el Justo-Fundación en el centro, con mando sobre las otras dos potencias.

«In its hand are also the souls of all living things. It is the Life of Worlds.» — §180: el apelativo *Vida de los Mundos*, que Kaplan registra en la introducción como nombre alterno de la Fundación.

«What is the seventh attribute? This is the Blessed Holy One's attribute of Goodness.» — §180: el séptimo atributo identificado con la Bondad, y ligado al mandato de guardar el sábado.

«181. Why is it written, “My sabbaths you shall keep,” [in the plural] rather than “My sabbath” [in the singular]? What is this like? A king had a beautiful bride, and every week she would set aside a day to be with him. The king also had beautiful beloved sons. He said to them, “Since this is the situation, you should also rejoice on the day of my joy. For it is for your sake that I strive, and you also respect me.”» — §181: el plural del versículo se explica por la parábola de la novia y los hijos, que hace del sábado una fiesta compartida.

«“Remember” (zachor) refers to the male (Zachar). “Keep” (shamor) refers to the bride.» — §182: los dos verbos del mandamiento del sábado se reparten por sexo.

«183. Why do we say [in the blessing after food], “On all that He created … [Blessed] is the Life of Worlds.” Why do we not say, “On all that You created”? But we bless the Holy One, who grants His wisdom to this “Life of Worlds.” It then provides for all.» — §183: el cambio de persona en la bendición se explica porque el destinatario no es el mismo que el sujeto.

«184. What is the reason that we say [in blessings, “Blessed are you …] who made us holy with His commandments and commanded us” [in the third person]? Why do we not say, “that You made us holy with Your commandments, and You commanded us,” [in the second person]? This teaches us that all commandments are included in the Life of Worlds.» — §184: la misma anomalía gramatical en la fórmula de las bendiciones, y su lectura sefirótica.

«In its hand is the treasury of souls. When Israel is good, these souls are worthy of emerging and coming to this world. But if they are not good, then [these souls] do not emerge.» — §184: el depósito de almas y la condición moral de su salida.

«We therefore say, “The Son of David will not come until all the souls in the Body are completed.”214 What is the meaning of “all the souls in the Body”? We say that this refers to all the souls in man's body. [When these are completed] new ones will be worthy of emerging.» — §184: la condición mesiánica se hace depender del agotamiento del depósito de almas.

«What is this like? A king had an army, and he sent them much bread to eat. They were so lazy that they did not take care of [the bread] which they did not eat [immediately]. The bread therefore became mouldy and went to waste.» — §184: arranca la parábola del pan enmohecido, la más larga del libro.

«He swore to the men, “I will not give you any more bread until you eat all this mouldy bread.” He then returned the bread to them.» — §184: el juramento del rey, que obliga a consumir lo estropeado antes de recibir nuevo; es la figura del retorno de las almas.

«What did they do? They agreed to divide it up, and each one took his portion. The diligent one took his portion and placed it in the air, taking care of it and keeping it in good condition to eat. The other one took it and ate it lustfully. He ate what he could and laid the rest aside, not taking care of it since he had given up on it. It spoiled even more and became so mouldy that he could not eat it at all. He therefore starved to death.» — §184: los dos soldados con el mismo pan y distinto destino, que reparte la responsabilidad sin cambiar las condiciones de partida.

«He answered, “You should have taken care of it. And if you claim that you were not able to, you should have watched your friends and neighbors with whom you shared the bread. You should have seen what they did and how they took care of it, and you should have kept it like they did.”» — §184: la réplica que cierra la excusa: el ejemplo del vecino basta como enseñanza.

«They answered: If you would have strived and worked in Torah, you would not reply foolishly and brazenly like this. Because of your reply, it is obvious that you have not worked or strived in Torah. It is thus written (Deuteronomy 8:3), “for not by bread alone does man live, but from all that emanates from God's mouth does man live.”» — §184: el pan de la parábola se resuelve en Torá por el versículo del Deuteronomio.

«From here they said, “An ignoramus cannot be pious.”215 If a person does not act with kindness (Chesed) toward himself, he cannot be called pious (Chasid.)» — §184: la sentencia de Avot traída como conclusión, con la bondad hacia uno mismo como requisito.

«185. How can one do kindness to his Master? By studying Torah. All study of Torah is a deed of kindness toward one's Master. It is thus written (Deuteronomy 33:26), “He rides the heavens with your help, [His pride is in the skies].” God says, “When you study Torah for its own sake, then you help Me and I can ride the heavens.”» — §185: el estudio se presenta como acto que sostiene a Dios, no solo como obediencia.

«186. What is the meaning of the verse (Job 15:2), “Should a wise man answer knowledge of spirit?” What is “knowledge of spirit”? This is the Knowledge that is close to the spirit.» — §186: el Conocimiento definido por su cercanía al espíritu.

«[First comes] Wisdom, and then comes Understanding. And in Understanding is “counsel, strength, knowledge and the fear of God.”» — §186: el orden jerárquico Sabiduría–Comprensión, con los demás dones incluidos en la segunda.

«Knowledge is Truth. Knowledge is therefore that with which one recognizes the truth.» — §186: la definición del Conocimiento por su función de reconocimiento.

«Rabbi Akiba thus said: With whatever God created, He created its counterpart. It is thus written (Ecclesiastes 7:14), “Also one opposite the other has God made.”» — §186, en boca de Akiba: el principio general de la contraparte, que ya organizaba los §§11 y 82.

«What is the Treasury of the Torah? It is that regarding which it is written (Isaiah 33:6), “The fear of God is His treasury.” A person must first be god-fearing, and then he can study Torah.» — §186: el temor como recipiente previo al estudio, no como su consecuencia.

«187. The fear of God is the one that is higher. It is in the palm of God's hand. It is also His Force.» — §187: el temor localizado en la palma divina e identificado con su Fuerza.

«This palm (kaf) is called the pan of merit (Kaf Zechut). This is because it inclines the world to the pan of merit.» — §187: el juego entre palma y platillo de balanza, que hace del temor el fiel que inclina el mundo.

«188. Once this thing comes, sharpen it. What is its sharpening? Tell us the meaning of the verse, “He has rays from His hand.” Why does it first say “rays” and then “His hand”? It should have said “His hands” [in the plural].» — §188: la objeción gramatical de los discípulos sobre el singular.

«They replied: Our master, we are pointing out a contradiction in order to receive an answer, and you are covering our eyes. Did you not teach us, master, that you must answer first things first and last things last?» — §188: los discípulos reprochan al maestro que oculte en vez de responder, y le oponen su propia regla de método.

«When he saw that they were ashamed, he said to them: Is it not true that [at first] there was water, and that fire emanated from it?227 Water therefore included fire.» — §188: la respuesta que llega tras la vergüenza: el agua contenía el fuego, y por eso la mano es una.

«And Master, what is the meaning of “rays”? He replied: There are five rays. These are the five fingers on man's right hand.» — §188: los rayos identificados con los cinco dedos de la mano derecha.

«189. And master, you are the one who told us in Rabbi Yochanan's name that there are only two “arms of the world.”229 He replied: Yes. But here “rays” allude to the two rays that are below them.» — §189: los discípulos le oponen su propia enseñanza citada de Yochanan, y él acepta la objeción y desplaza el referente.

«190. And what is the fear of God? It is the first light.» — §190: el temor identificado con la primera luz, cerrando el hilo del §147.

«Rabbi [Meir] thus said: Why is it written (Genesis 1:3), “And God said, ‘let there be light,’ and there was light”? Why does it not say, “and it was so”?» — §190: la misma pregunta del §25, ahora en boca de Meir; el corchete indica que la edición restituye el nombre.

«But this teaches us that the light was very intense, so that no created thing could gaze upon it. God therefore stored it away for the righteous in the Ultimate Future.» — §190: la respuesta, que repite la doctrina de la luz guardada.

«This is the measure of all merchandise (Sechorah) in the world. It is also the power of the precious stones that are called Socheret and Dar.» — §190: la misma raíz enlaza mercancía y piedras preciosas del libro de Ester.

«This teaches us that God took a thousandth of its radiance, and from it He constructed a beautiful precious stone. In it He included all the commandments.» — §190: la piedra hecha de una milésima del resplandor, que contiene todos los preceptos.

«Abraham came, and He sought a power to give him. He gave him this precious stone, but he did not want it. He was worthy and took Kindness as his attribute, as it is written (Micah 7:20), “Kindness to Abraham.”» — §190: la escena en que los patriarcas rechazan la piedra y eligen otro atributo; el reparto del §135 se recuenta aquí como elección.

«Jacob came and wanted it, but it was not given to him. They said, “Since Abraham is above and Isaac is below him, you will be in the center and take all three.”» — §190: a Jacob se le niega la piedra y se le da el centro, con lo que recibe las tres.

«This is the meaning of the verse (Isaiah 58:14), “I will feed you with the inheritance of Jacob your father.” This is a complete inheritance (Nachalah), comprising Kindness, Terror, Truth and Peace.» — §190: la herencia de Jacob definida por su composición, cuatro atributos en uno.

«It is therefore written (Psalm 118:22), “The stone despised by the builders has become the chief cornerstone.” This is the Stone that was despised by Abraham and Isaac, the builders of the world, and that then became the chief cornerstone.» — §190: la piedra rechazada del §91 se identifica ahora con la que Abraham e Isaac despreciaron.

«It refers to what the Attribute of Kindness said: As long as Abraham was in the world, I did not have to do my job. Abraham stood there in my place and “kept my watch.”» — §191: el Atributo habla en primera persona y declara haber sido relevado por Abraham.

«It is my task to bring merit to the world, and even when people are guilty, I bring them merit. I also bring them back, directing their hearts to do the will of their Father in heaven.» — §191: la definición que el propio Atributo de Bondad da de su oficio, que incluye a los culpables.

«Is it then possible to say that the Blessed Holy One did not know that they could be saved? But He told this [to Abraham] to bring him merit. From here they said, “If one comes to purify himself, they help him. If one comes to defile himself, they open for him.”» — §191: la sentencia talmúdica sobre la ayuda y la apertura, con la asimetría entre las dos.

«192. [It is written that Abraham kept] (Genesis 26:5), “My commandments, My decrees, and My Torahs.” He said, “Since I do not want [the precious stone], I will keep all the commandments that are included in it.”» — §192: Abraham renuncia a la piedra pero se queda con lo que contiene.

«What is the meaning of “My Torahs”? This teaches us that he knew and kept even the decisions (Horah) and discussions that are taught on high.» — §192: el plural del versículo se lee como conocimiento del debate celeste.

«193. And what is the meaning of the verse (Genesis 49:24), “From there is the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.” From “There” is nourished the Rock of Israel.239 What is the meaning of “from There”? We say that this is the Supernal Righteous One (Tzadik).» — §193: el adverbio *allí* se sustantiva y se identifica con el Justo Supremo.

«194. Rabbi Rahumai said: This I received [from the tradition]. When Moses wanted to know about the glorious fearsome Name, may it be blessed, he said (Exodus 33:18), “Show me please Your glory.” He wanted to know why there are righteous who have good, righteous who have evil, wicked who have good, and wicked who have evil.» — §194, en boca de Rahumai: la petición de Moisés se lee como pregunta por la justicia distributiva; abre la última sección del libro.

«But this is what Moses said: “I know the ways of the Powers, but I do not know how Thought spreads through them. I know that Truth is in Thought, but I do not know its parts.” He wanted to know, but they would not tell him.» — §194: lo que Moisés declara saber y no saber, y la negativa que recibe.

«195. Why is there a righteous person who has good, and [another] righteous person who has evil? This is because the [second] righteous person was wicked previously, and is now being punished.» — §195: la respuesta que el texto sí da, y que es la doctrina de la reencarnación como explicación del mal del justo.

«He said: I am not speaking of his present lifetime. I am speaking about what he has already been, previously.» — §195: la aclaración que descarta la objeción sobre el castigo por actos de la infancia.

«He replied: Go out and see. What is this like? A person planted a vineyard and hoped to grow grapes, but instead, sour grapes grew. He saw that his planting and harvest were not successful so he tore it out. He cleaned out the sour grape vines and planted again. When he saw that his planting was not successful, he tore it up and planted it again.» — §195: la parábola de la viña replantada, figura de los retornos sucesivos del alma.

«How many times? He said to them: For a thousand generations. It is thus written (Psalm 105:8), “The word that He commanded for a thousand generations.» — §195: el número de retornos se fija en mil generaciones.

«196. Rabbah said: If the righteous wanted, they could create a world.244 What interferes? Your sins, as it is written (Isaiah 59:2), “Only your sins separate between you and your God.”» — §196, en boca de Rabbah: la capacidad de crear queda atribuida a los justos, y solo el pecado la impide.

«We thus see that Rabba created a man and sent it to Rav Zeira. He spoke to it, but it would not reply. But if not for your sins, it would also have been able to reply.» — §196: el relato del hombre creado y enviado a Rav Zeira, que es el episodio del que Kaplan deriva la datación del libro.

«But the [Evil] Urge comes from Him. Can we then imagine that it comes from Him? But it originated from Him until David came and killed it.» — §196: el origen divino del Impulso Maligno se plantea, se objeta y se deja en pie con una salida temporal.

«How was David able to overcome it? Through his study, since he never stopped [studying] day or night. He therefore attached the Torah on high. For whenever a person studies Torah for its own sake, the Torah attaches itself to the Blessed Holy One.» — §196: el estudio continuo como método de David contra el Impulso.

«What is this Torah that you are discussing? It is the Bride who is adorned and crowned, and who is included in the commandments. It is the Treasury of the Torah. It is the betrothed of the Blessed Holy One, as it is written (Deuteronomy 33:4), “Moses commanded us the Torah, the heritage (Morasha) of the congregation of Jacob.” Do not read “heritage” (Morasha) but “betrothed” (Me'urasa).» — §196: la Torá como novia, obtenida por el cambio de una sola letra en el versículo.

«197. Rabbi Amorai sat and expounded: Why was Tamar worthy of being the mother of Peretz and Zerach? 246 It was because her name was Tamar.» — §197, en boca de Amorai: la última sección arranca por el nombre de Tamar.

«Peretz was named after the moon. The moon breaks out (paratz) at times, and will be built up in the future. Zerach was named after the sun, which always shines (zarach) in the same manner.» — §197: los dos hijos repartidos entre luna y sol por etimología de sus nombres.

«198. Why was she called Tamar and not any other name? Because she was female. Can we then say that [it was something special that] she was female? But it is because she included both male and female. For [Tamar means a date palm, and] every date palm includes both male and female.» — §198: la palmera como figura que incluye los dos sexos, y por eso el nombre.

«How is this? The frond (Lulav) is male. The fruit is male on the outside and female on the inside. And how? The seed of the date has a split like a woman. Paralleling it is the power of the moon above.» — §198: la anatomía del dátil leída como doble sexo, con su contraparte lunar.

«But we must say that the Torah [three different words]: “formed” (yatzar), “made” (asah), and “created” (bara).» — §198: los tres verbos de la creación del hombre, que el texto va a repartir; la frase omite el verbo principal en la capa de texto.

«When the soul was made, the word “made” is used.249 [The word “created” is then used:] “Male and female He created them.” The word “formed” was used when the soul was combined with the body and the spirit was brought together.» — §198: el reparto de los tres verbos entre alma, sexo y unión de alma y cuerpo.

«199. The soul of the female comes from the Female, and the soul of the male comes from the Male. This is the reason why the Serpent followed Eve. He said, “Her soul comes from the north, and I will therefore quickly seduce her.”» — §199: la elección de Eva por la Serpiente se explica por el origen norteño de su alma, y no por debilidad moral.

«And how did he seduce her? He had intercourse with her.» — §199: la seducción se dice en términos sexuales, sin atenuación.

«200. His disciples asked: Tell us how this took place. He replied: The wicked Samael made a bond with all the host on high against his Master.» — §200: el último párrafo del libro abre con la conjura de Samael contra su Señor.

«[Samael] said, “How can we cause him to sin and be exiled from before God?” He descended with all his host, and sought a suitable companion on earth. He finally found the serpent, which looked like a camel, and he rode on it.» — §200: Samael busca montura en la tierra y encuentra la serpiente, que aquí tiene forma de camello.

«He then went to the woman and said to her (Genesis 3:1), “Did God also say, from all the trees of the garden [you shall not eat]?” [He said, “I know that He did not forbid all the trees,] but I will seek more—I will add in order that she should subtract.”» — §200: la táctica declarada del tentador, añadir para que ella reste.

«She had added two things. She said, “from the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden,” while [God] had only said (Genesis 2:17), “from the Tree of Knowledge.” She also said, “do not touch it lest you die,” [while God had only spoken of eating it].» — §200: las dos adiciones de la mujer se contabilizan una por una contra el texto del mandato.

«What did Samael do? He went and touched the tree. The tree cried out and said, “Wicked one, do not touch me!”» — §200: el árbol habla y protesta, detalle que el relato bíblico no trae.

«He then said to the woman, “See, I touched the tree and I did not die. You can also touch it and not die.”» — §200: la maniobra con que Samael desacredita ante la mujer la prohibición añadida: toca el árbol a la vista de ella y no muere.

«The woman went and touched the tree. She saw the Angel of Death approaching her and said, “Woe is to me. Now I will die and the Blessed Holy One will make another woman and give her to Adam. I will therefore cause him to eat with me. If we die, we will both die, and if we live, we will both live.”» — §200: el motivo que el texto pone en Eva para dar el fruto a Adán es celoso, no altruista ni malicioso.

«She took the fruit of the tree and ate it, and she also gave some to her husband. Their eyes were opened and their teeth were set on edge. He said, “What is this that you have given me to eat? Just as my teeth were set on edge, so will the teeth of all [future] generations be set on edge.”» — §200: la consecuencia se transmite a todas las generaciones por la imagen de la dentera.

«[Adam] replied (Genesis 3:10), “‘I heard Your voice in the garden’—and my bones trembled. ‘I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid.’ I was naked of works, I was naked of commandments, and I was naked of deeds.”» — §200: la desnudez se reinterpreta como carencia de obras y preceptos.

«What was Adam's garment? It was a skin of fingernail. As soon as he ate from the fruit of the tree, this skin of fingernail was removed from him, and he saw himself naked.» — §200: la vestidura perdida era una piel de uña, y su pérdida es lo que descubre la desnudez.

«Adam said to the Blessed Holy One, “Master of all worlds: When I was alone, did I ever sin before You? But the woman that You placed with me enticed me from your word.”» — §200: el descargo de Adán, que devuelve la responsabilidad a quien puso a la mujer con él.

«[God] took the three of them, and decreed upon them a sentence of nine curses and death.» — §200: la cuenta exacta de la sentencia, nueve maldiciones y la muerte.

«He then cast the wicked Samael and his group from their holy place in heaven. He cut off the feet of the serpent and cursed it more than all the other animals and beasts of the field. He also decreed that it must shed its skin every seven years.» — §200: las penas de Samael y de la serpiente, con la muda cada siete años.

«Samael was punished and made the guardian angel over the wicked Esau.» — §200: el castigo consiste en un cargo, el de ángel guardián de Esaú.

«In the Future, when God uproots the Kingdom of Edom, he will lower him first.253 It is thus written (Isaiah 24:21), “God will punish the host of the heights of high.”» — §200: la caída futura del ángel precede a la del reino que custodia.

«This statement, death and punishment all came because she added to the commandment of the Blessed Holy One. Regarding this it is said, “Whoever increases diminishes.”» — §200: la moraleja con que cierra el libro entero: añadir al precepto es restarle.

«May God enlighten our eyes with the light of His Torah, May He place in our hearts His fear, May we be worthy to greet Him He will enlighten the heart Waken the heart with understanding Make the heart shine with brilliance.» — la plegaria final que cierra la traducción, con el juego de raíz sobre el propio nombre del libro.

«Until the publication of the Zohar, the Bahir was the most influential and widely quoted primary source of Kabbalistic teachings.» — Kaplan sitúa el lugar del Bahir en la serie cabalística: hasta que aparece el Zohar, es la fuente primaria más influyente y más citada.

«It is quoted in virtually every major book on Kabbalah, the earliest being the Raavad's commentary on Sefer Yetzirah,1 and it is cited numerous times by Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban) in his commentary on the Torah.» — Kaplan fecha la citación más temprana en el comentario del Raavad al Sefer Yetzirah y señala el uso repetido que hace Ramban en su comentario a la Torá; el *1* es la llamada a nota.

«It is also called the “Midrash of Rabbi Nehuniah ben HaKana,” particularly by Ramban.» — Kaplan registra el segundo nombre con que el libro circula, y a quién se debe sobre todo.

«The reason might be that Rabbi Nehuniah's name is at the very beginning of the book, but most Kabbalists actually attribute the Bahir to him and his school.» — Kaplan da la razón del nombre con un *might*, y distingue entre el título y la atribución: la mayoría de los cabalistas adjudican el libro a Nehuniah y a su escuela, no solo a él.

«Some consider it the oldest Kabbalistic text ever written.» — Kaplan consigna la opinión de antigüedad máxima sin hacerla suya, atribuyéndola a un *some* sin nombrar.

«Rabbi Judah Chayit, a prominent fifteenth century Kabbalist writes, “Make this book a crown for your head.”» — la valoración que Kaplan cita del cabalista del siglo XV Judah Chayit.

«Much of the text is very difficult to understand, and Rabbi Moshe Cordevero (1522–1570), head of the Safed school of Kabbalah, says, “The words of this text are bright (Bahir) and sparkling, but their brilliance can blind the eye.”» — Kaplan declara la dificultad del texto y la respalda con la sentencia de Cordevero, cabeza de la escuela de Safed, que juega con el propio nombre del libro.

«The first printed edition appeared in Amsterdam (1651), and subsequent editions were printed in Berlin (1706), Koretz (1784), Shklav (1784) and Vilna (1883).» — la cadena de ediciones impresas que da Kaplan; la lista numerada de la misma plana escribe *Sklav* y añade Lvov 1800, 1830 y 1865, y Vilna 1913.

«The earliest commentary on the Bahir was written in 1331 by Rabbi Meir ben Shalom Abi-Sahula, a disciple of Rabbi Shlomo ben Avraham Aderet (Rashba), and it was published anonymously under the title Or HaGanuz (“The Concealed Light”).» — Kaplan fecha y nombra el comentario más antiguo, y consigna que salió sin firma.

«Notes on the first part of the Bahir (up to 36) were written by Rabbi Eliahu, the Gaon of Vilna (1720–1797), and these are also included in the Margolius edition.» — Kaplan indica que el Gaón de Vilna solo anotó hasta el párrafo 36, y que esas notas viajan en la edición que él traduce.

«The Bahir was translated into Latin by Flavius Mitridates in the end of the fifteenth century, but this translation is wordy and virtually unreadable.» — Kaplan data la traducción latina a fines del siglo XV y la descalifica como prolija e ilegible.

«The attribution to Rabbi Nehuniah appears surprising for another reason; namely, because after the first paragraph, his name is never again mentioned in the text.» — la objeción interna que Kaplan opone a la atribución tradicional: el nombre de Nehuniah no reaparece después del primer párrafo.

«An interesting possibility is that Rabbi Amorai, who plays an important role in the Bahir, is actually a pseudonym for Rabbi Nehuniah.» — la hipótesis que Kaplan propone, dicha como *possibility*: Amorai sería seudónimo de Nehuniah.

«Careful study indicates that this mysterious Rabbi Amorai, who is mentioned nine times in the text, is actually the source of the main teachings found in the Bahir.» — Kaplan cuenta nueve menciones de Amorai y le adjudica el núcleo doctrinal del libro.

«Rabbi Amorai is particularly intriguing, since his name is found nowhere else in classical Jewish literature. All attempts to identify him have been futile, and it is assumed by many that this is a fictitious name.» — el dato que sostiene la hipótesis y la lectura rival que Kaplan consigna sin suscribir: para muchos, Amorai es un nombre ficticio.

«The word Amorai means “speakers,” and would indicate that Rabbi Nehuniah was the primary spokesman for the group, the plural form being used as a sign of respect.» — el argumento filológico de Kaplan: el plural *speakers* sería tratamiento de respeto para el portavoz del grupo.

«This hypothesis is also supported by the fact that the other sages of the Bahir speak of Rabbi Amorai with the greatest respect, and go to great length to explain his teachings.» — el segundo apoyo que Kaplan alega, tomado del trato que los demás sabios le dan dentro del texto.

«Although Rabbi Nehuniah be HaKana is mentioned only a few times in the Talmud, these citations leave no doubt as to the important position that he occupied.» — Kaplan reconoce lo escaso de las menciones talmúdicas y aun así les hace decir la posición del personaje; el impreso da *be HaKana* donde en otras planas escribe *ben*.

«As a young man he studied in the school of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, even though he was already an ordained rabbi.» — el dato biográfico con que Kaplan lo sitúa en la generación posterior a la destrucción del Templo.

«He lived to a very old age, and when asked the reason, replied that it was because he never gained from another's downfall, never took a grudge to bed, and always took a relaxed attitude with respect to money.» — la explicación ética de su longevidad que Kaplan recoge del Talmud.

«Precise interpretation of the Torah was a prime quest of Rabbi Nehuniah, and it was he who taught Rabbi Ishmael (ben Elisha) how to properly interpret every word.» — Kaplan hace de Nehuniah el maestro hermenéutico de Ishmael, de quien saldrán los Trece Principios.

«So careful was Rabbi Nehuniah in his teachings, that, as the Mishnah records, each day before he would begin his studies, he would pray that he not be in error.» — el rasgo de cautela doctrinal que Kaplan toma de la Mishnah.

«His favorite saying was, “Whoever accepts the yoke of the Torah is relieved of the yokes of government and livelihood.”» — la máxima que Kaplan le adjudica como dicho predilecto.

«Another picture of Rabbi Nehuniah, not found in the Talmud, is brought out in the Hekhalot Rabatai, written by his disciple, Rabbi Ishmael.» — Kaplan distingue dos retratos de Nehuniah y adjudica el segundo a la literatura de los Hekhalot, atribuida a su discípulo.

«In the Hekhalot, Rabbi Ishmael describes how Rabbi Nehuniah taught him about the heavenly chambers and the names of the angels who guarded their gates.» — el contenido que Kaplan resume de los Hekhalot: cámaras celestes y nombres de los ángeles que guardan sus puertas.

«A clear picture emerges of Rabbi Nehuniah as a master of the mystical arts and teacher of his entire generation.» — la conclusión que Kaplan saca de las dos series de testimonios.

«Sitting before him as disciples were the luminaries of his time: Rabbi Shimon be Gamaliel, Eliezer the Great, Akiba, Yonatan ben Uziel, and many others.» — la lista de discípulos que Kaplan toma de los Hekhalot; el impreso da *Shimon be Gamaliel*.

«When there was a decree to kill the sages, it was Rabbi Nehuniah who ascended to heaven to ascertain the reason.» — el episodio de ascenso celeste que Kaplan cita de la misma fuente.

«Besides the Bahir, also attributed to Rabbi Nehuniah is the prayer Anna BaKoach. The initial letters of the words in the prayer spell out the 42 letter Name of God, which is discussed at length in mystical literature.» — Kaplan añade una segunda atribución al mismo nombre, y explica su interés: las iniciales de la plegaria deletrean el Nombre de 42 letras.

«Although the Bahir had its origins in Rabbi Nehuniah's teachings, considerable portions are directly attributed to other sages. Rabbi Nehuniah taught the mysteries of Kabbalah to many sages of his generation, and it must be assumed that this school preserved his teachings after his death. It is to this school that we must attribute the main text of the Bahir.» — la posición de Kaplan sobre la autoría: no una persona sino una escuela; el texto principal se adjudica al círculo que preservó las enseñanzas.

«Thus, Rabbi Akiba is quoted three times in the Bahir (19, 32, 186), and the Talmud states that he was the one sage who entered Paradise and emerged unharmed.» — Kaplan localiza las tres citas de Akiba por número de párrafo y explica por qué el nombre pertenece al elenco místico.

«Rabbi Eliezer the Great is also quoted (104), and he is also known for his mystical experiences.26 His chief work, Pirkey DeRabbi Eliezer (“Chapters of Rabbi Eliezer”), also exhibits considerable influence from the Bahir.» — Kaplan señala la influencia en dirección inversa: los Pirkey DeRabbi Eliezer muestran huella del Bahir.

«The most prominent sage of the Bahir, mentioned more often than any other, is Rabbi Rahumai, whose name appears thirteen times in the text.» — el recuento de menciones con que Kaplan encabeza el elenco interno.

«No mention of Rabbi Rahumai is found in the Talmud or Midrash, but in the Zohar we find that he knew Rabbi Pinches ben Yair, father-in-law of the Zohar's author, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.» — Kaplan consigna que el sabio más citado del Bahir no aparece en el Talmud ni en el Midrash, y solo lo sitúa por el Zohar.

«It is also related that he spent a week in Ono, a suburb of Jerusalem, together with an otherwise unidentified Rabbi Kisma ben Geira.» — el dato geográfico del que Kaplan derivará su hipótesis sobre Ono.

«From the Bahir itself there is evidence that it was Rabbi Rahumai who led the school after Rabbi Nehuniah's death.» — la sucesión que Kaplan lee dentro del propio texto.

«Also prominent in the text is Rabbi Berachia, mentioned seven times in all.» — el segundo del elenco por número de menciones.

«In the Bahir, it is he who defines a number of difficult terms from Sefer Yetzirah (106), and explains the meaning of the World to Come (160).» — Kaplan adjudica a Berachia los pasajes técnicos, con el número de párrafo.

«This together was the fact that he is the second one mentioned in the Bahir, lend support to the theory that it was Rabbi Berachia who led the Kabbalistic school after Rabbi Rahumai.» — la segunda sucesión que Kaplan propone, dicha como *theory*; el impreso trae *This together was* donde se esperaría *with*.

«His prominent mention may also be due to the fact that it was under his influence that the initial draft of the Bahir was composed.» — Kaplan aventura, con *may*, que el primer borrador del libro se compuso bajo la influencia de Berachia.

«A certain Rabbi Yochanan is also prominent in the Bahir, mentioned six times in all.» — el tercero del elenco, que Kaplan declara no identificable con ningún sabio talmúdico.

«That this Rabbi Yochanan was a mystic is obvious, since in the Talmud he relates four things taught to him by the angels.» — el indicio con que Kaplan lo adscribe al círculo místico.

«Another sage whom we can attempt to identify is Rabbi Levitas ben Tavroe.34 He is of particular importance, since in one place it appears that Rabbi Rahumai responds to his teachings (23).» — Kaplan hace de la respuesta de Rahumai en el párrafo 23 el indicio de la importancia de Levitas.

«This allows us to hypothesize that Ono may have been a center of Kabbalistic activity, and further research into this is indicated.» — la hipótesis geográfica de Kaplan sobre Ono como centro cabalístico, declarada como pendiente de investigación.

«Rav Zeira, who flourished in Babylon in the fourth century. The Talmud reports how they performed miraculous cures, and used the Kabbalah to create living creatures.» — Kaplan pone a Rabba y a Rav Zeira, del siglo IV babilónico, como los últimos que usaron abiertamente las artes místicas, y les adjudica curaciones y creación de criaturas vivas según el Talmud.

«One of these accounts is related in the Bahir (196), and is the second to last major theme in the text. Since Rabba and Rav Zeira were leaders of this school, and since they are the most recent sages mentioned in the Bahir, it can be assumed that it was around their time that the final redaction of the text was made.» — el argumento de datación de Kaplan: el sabio más reciente que el libro nombra fija el término de la redacción final, hacia el siglo IV.

«It is for this reason that there exists a tradition that the Bahir was written by Amaraim, the later sages of the Talmud.» — Kaplan consigna la tradición que adjudica la escritura del libro a los Amoraim, no a Nehuniah; el impreso da la grafía *Amaraim*.

«With the closing of the Talmudic period, the circle of Kabbalists diminished, and at times may have consisted of not more than a few dozen individuals. So closely knit was this group, that outsiders often did not even know of its existence.» — el estado del círculo cabalístico tras el cierre del periodo talmúdico, según Kaplan: unas decenas de personas y sin existencia pública.

«While it was important to maintain the tradition of the Kabbalah, it was equally important that it not fall into the wrong hands.» — la tensión que Kaplan pone en el origen del secreto: transmitir y a la vez restringir.

«It is known that such individuals as Natronai Gaon (794– 861) and Hai Gaon (939–1038) had knowledge of these mysteries.40 There is also evidence that Sherira Gaon (906–1006) had access to many of these teachings.» — los tres gaones a quienes Kaplan atribuye conocimiento o acceso a los misterios, con sus fechas; el guion del rango queda partido por el renglón en la capa de texto.

«Central to much of this activity was the Bahir. Just how wide a circle had access to the text during this period is not known, but the number could not have been large.» — Kaplan declara el límite de lo que puede saberse sobre la difusión del texto en ese periodo.

«Manuscripts may have existed, but these remained in the hands of the group's leaders, with all others receiving the tradition orally. Members of the group were bound by an oath not to reveal its mysteries to outsiders, and the community at large was totally unaware of its existence.» — el régimen de transmisión que Kaplan describe: manuscritos en pocas manos, oralidad para los demás y juramento de reserva.

«For this reason, it is not surprising that such prominent scholars as Saadia Gaon (882–942) and Maimonides (1135–1204) never saw the Bahir, or that in his extensive commentary on Sefer Yetzirah, Rabbi Yehudah ben Barzillai of Barcelona (1035–1105) does not make any mention of it.» — Kaplan convierte tres silencios documentales en prueba del secreto, no en prueba de que el texto no existiera.

«Thus, in one of the earliest published Kabbalistic texts, Rabbi Avraham ben David (Raavad) states, “All these things and their mysteries were transmitted only from one mouth to the next.”» — la frase del Raavad con que Kaplan documenta la transmisión exclusivamente oral.

«Much of this mystery is alluded to in the opening chapters of Ezekiel, and the Kabbalah in general is often called the “workings of the Chariot,” a term also used in the Bahir.» — Kaplan ancla el nombre del corpus en la visión de Ezequiel y advierte que el propio Bahir usa ese término.

«Although the Bahir is the primary text of Kabbalah, it does not use this term, prefering the Mishnaic term, Maaseh Merkavah, which literally means “Workings of the Chariot,” in allusion to Ezekiel's vision.» — el dato terminológico que Kaplan subraya: el texto primario de la cábala no se llama a sí mismo cábala; el impreso escribe *prefering* con una sola r.

«As a matter of law, the sages state that these mysteries “cannot even be taught to a single individual, unless he is wise enough to understand with his own knowledge.”» — la norma halájica de restricción que Kaplan cita: ni siquiera a uno solo, salvo que entienda por sí mismo.

«Another important relevant injunction was, “Things transmitted by mouth may not be written down.”» — la segunda prohibición que Kaplan alega para explicar la ausencia de manuscritos.

«Although each master might keep personal notes, these were called “concealed documents,” and were not even made available to his closest disciples.» — el estatuto de los apuntes privados según Kaplan: documentos ocultos, vedados incluso a los discípulos cercanos.

«Tradition has it that the Bahir was kept by a small school of Kabbalists in the Holy Land. During this period, parts of it were paraphrased in another Kabbalistic text known as Raza Rabba (“Great Mystery”), which as a whole has been lost, but is quoted by some eastern writers of the tenth century.» — Kaplan sitúa la custodia en Tierra Santa y señala el Raza Rabba, hoy perdido, como testigo indirecto por paráfrasis.

«From there, the center of activity moved to Germany and Italy, bringing the Bahir with it.» — el primer tramo del itinerario que Kaplan traza para el libro.

«By the year 1100 some of the Bahir's teachings were known to a small group in Spain, and its influence can be seen in the writings of Rabbi Avraham bar Chiyah, particularly in his Megilat HaMegillah (“Scroll of Scrolls”).» — Kaplan fecha hacia 1100 la llegada a España y señala el Megilat HaMegillah como huella.

«Soon after this, the main Kabbalistic school moved to France, particularly to Provence. This city became an important center of Kabbalah, and it was here that the decision was made to publish the Bahir.» — el punto en que, para Kaplan, se toma la decisión de publicar.

«The earliest known members of this school were Isaac Nazir and Yaakov Nazir of Lunel. The title “Nazir” indicated that they did not engage in any worldly activity, but were supported by the community so that they could devote their entire life to Torah and worship.» — Kaplan explica el título *Nazir* como condición material: sostenidos por la comunidad para dedicarse por entero al estudio.

«Also important in this group were Rabbi David ben Isaac, and Rabbi Avraham ben Isaac of Narbonne, author of the Eshkol. Son of the former and son-in-law of the latter was Rabbi Avraham ben David (Raavad) of Posqueres (1120–1198), author of a gloss on Maimonides' Code.» — la red de parentesco con que Kaplan encadena la escuela provenzal.

«A master of the mystic arts, he received the tradition from his father and father-in-law, and later became head of the school. In his legal commentaries, he writes that his school was subject to divine inspiration and the revelation of mysteries.» — Kaplan cita al propio Raavad reclamando inspiración divina para su escuela, dentro de sus comentarios legales.

«It was Raavad's son, known as Isaac the Blind, who inherited the leadership of the Kabbalistic school and brought it to Provence.» — la sucesión que lleva la escuela a Provenza, según Kaplan.

«Even though he was blind, he was reputed to be able to look into a person's soul and see his thoughts.» — la fama que Kaplan le recoge a Isaac el Ciego, dicha como reputación.

«In his commentary on the Torah, Rabbi Bachya ben Asher (1276–1340) calls him the “father of Kabbalah.”» — el título que Kaplan cita de Bachya ben Asher para Isaac el Ciego.

«There was a tradition that revelation of a sort would return in 1216, and this was even known to Maimonides from his ancestors.56 Like the entry into the Holy Land, this would require forty years of preparation, and part of this preparation was the dissemination of the Kabbalah. It was in this spirit that the Bahir was first published around 1176.» — el motivo escatológico con que Kaplan explica la publicación: cuarenta años de preparación antes de la fecha esperada de 1216.

«Since the Bahir was restricted to a small closed group for several hundred years, there has been considerable confusion among historians regarding its transmission and publication. Oral traditions and secret societies do not lend themselves to historical research, and jealously guarded manuscripts do not find their way into libraries.» — la objeción metodológica de Kaplan a la historiografía del texto: el objeto está construido para no dejar archivo.

«The only viable data regarding the Bahir comes from traditions preserved over the centuries, and, as many modern historians and anthropologists have discovered, these traditions are usually reliable and accurate.» — la premisa que Kaplan adopta en consecuencia, y que da a la tradición oral valor de fuente.

«The tradition was passed on from Isaac the Blind to his disciples Ezra and Azriel, and from them, to Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Nachmanides), known as the Ramban (1194–1270).» — la cadena de transmisión que Kaplan traza hasta Nahmánides.

«Through his commentary on the Torah, where he frequently quotes the Bahir, he popularized many of its teachings to the Jewish world at large.» — el papel de difusor que Kaplan adjudica al Ramban.

«Until the Zohar was published around 1295, the Bahir remained the most important classical Kabbalah text.» — Kaplan fecha en 1295 el relevo del Bahir por el Zohar.

«There are many places where the Zohar expands upon concepts found in the Bahir, and careful study reveals an important similarity of content in both works.» — la relación de contenido que Kaplan señala entre las dos obras.

«This is not surprising, since the author of the Zohar, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, was doubtlessly familiar with Rabbi Nehuniah's teachings.» — la explicación que da Kaplan de esa similitud, apoyada en la atribución tradicional del Zohar a Shimon bar Yochai.

«An interesting point is the fact that the names of both the Bahir and the Zohar have the connotation of light and brilliance.» — la coincidencia onomástica que Kaplan señala entre las dos obras.

«Although a cursory examination does not reveal any apparent order in the Bahir, careful examination uncovers a definite structure. The text can be roughly divided into five parts.» — la tesis estructural de Kaplan contra la impresión de desorden del libro.

«1. The first verses of creation (1–16). 2. The alphabet (27–44). 3. The Seven Voices and Sefirot (45–123). 4. The Ten Sefirot (123–193). 5. Mysteries of the soul (194–200).» — las cinco partes en que Kaplan divide el texto, con los números de párrafo; los tramos dejan fuera los párrafos 17–26 y se solapan en el 123.

«The text begins with a statement by Rabbi Nehuniah. In rapid order, Rabbis Berachia, Rahumai and Amorai enter the discussion, explaining the concept of a “filling” (Maley), which is probably an allusion to (Isaiah 6:3), “The whole earth is filled (Maley) with His glory” (2–7). In particular, Bet, the initial letter of the Torah, receives considerable attention.» — Kaplan describe la apertura del libro y el orden en que entran las voces, con el tramo de párrafos entre paréntesis.

«The second part deals with the first eight letters of the Hebrew Alphabet, from Alef to Chet. The fact that the discussion terminates before reaching the letter Tet may be accounted for by a late statement that it does not pertain to the Sefirot (124).» — Kaplan explica por qué el tratado alfabético se corta en la octava letra, apoyándose en una declaración posterior del propio Bahir y diciéndolo con *may*.

«The third section begins with a discussion of the seven voices heard at Sinai, and asking the relation between the seven voices and Ten Commandments, begins a discussion of the Sefirot.» — la bisagra que Kaplan identifica entre las siete voces del Sinaí y la doctrina sefirótica.

«The Sefirot are used to explain the anthropomorphisms appearing in the Bible (82), and this is expanded upon in the next section.» — la función exegética que Kaplan atribuye a las sefirot dentro del libro: explicar los antropomorfismos bíblicos.

«Especially important is the number thirty-two, which corresponds to the paths of Wisdom, the numerical value of Lev or heart (63), and the number of strings in the Tzitzit (92).» — el número que, según Kaplan, articula toda la tercera sección: 32 como sendas de la Sabiduría, valor numérico de *Lev* y número de hilos del tzitzit.

«The fourth section contains the primary discussion of the Sefirot found in the Bahir. It is introduced with a discussion of the Priestly Blessing, where the ten fingers are said to allude to the Ten Sefirot, a concept also found in the Sefer Yetzirah.» — Kaplan localiza el tratamiento central de las sefirot y su entrada por la Bendición Sacerdotal, con el paralelo del Sefer Yetzirah.

«The word Sefirah is defined, being that which expresses (Saper) God's power and glory (125). The Sefirot are then listed and defined, one by one in order.» — la definición etimológica que Kaplan destaca del párrafo 125: la sefirá es lo que expresa el poder y la gloria de Dios.

«The section concludes with a discussion of the relationship between the Sefirot and the spheres (179ff), with a brief introduction to reincarnation (183), also in relation to the Sefirot.» — el cierre de la cuarta sección según Kaplan, con la reencarnación entrando de paso.

«The fifth and final section deals with the soul, beginning with a discourse on reincarnation and its relationship to divine justice (194).» — el asunto de la quinta parte: el alma, abierta por la reencarnación como problema de justicia divina.

«It states that delving into these mysteries is as acceptable as prayer (68), but warns that it is impossible to do so without falling into error (150).» — Kaplan pone juntas las dos declaraciones del propio Bahir sobre el estudio de los misterios: vale tanto como la plegaria, y no se hace sin errar.

«The Talmud states that the Kabbalah should only be taught through hints and allusions, and this is the course followed by the author of the Bahir. One who merely reads it as a book will find that large portions make little if any sense.» — la razón que da Kaplan de la oscuridad del texto: la norma talmúdica de enseñar por indicios, que el autor del Bahir sigue.

«The proper way to study any Kabbalistic text is to take it as a whole, using every part to explain every other one. The student must find threads of ideas running through the text, and follow them back and forth, until the full meaning is ascertained.» — el método de lectura que Kaplan prescribe: holístico, siguiendo hilos de ida y vuelta.

«In a small text like the Bahir, this is relatively straightforward, and our index should be helpful. In larger texts such as the Zohar, this methodology assumes even greater importance, and without it, much of the writings of the Ari will appear like little more than gibberish.» — Kaplan declara la función de su propio índice como instrumento de ese método, y mide su alcance contra el Zohar y el Ari.

«We are warned that one who reads the Kabbalah literally and shallowly is almost certain to misunderstand it.» — la advertencia contra la lectura literal, que Kaplan atribuye a la propia tradición.

«One of the most important concepts revealed in the Bahir is that of the Ten Sefirot, and with the exception of three, their names are also introduced.» — Kaplan adjudica al Bahir la introducción de las diez sefirot, con la salvedad de tres nombres.

«Particularly interesting is the order in which the Sefirot are given. The last seven of these correspond to the seven days of the week, and are derived from the verse (1 Chronicles 29:11), “Yours O God are the Greatness, the Strength, the Beauty, the Victory and the Splendor, All (Foundation) that is in heaven and earth, Yours O God is the Kingdom.” This is the order followed by most Kabbalistic texte.» — el orden canónico y su versículo de origen; el impreso cierra con *texte* por *texts*.

«In the Bahir, however, the order of the last four is reversed. The last four Sefirot are then Kingship (Aravot, 7), Foundation (8), Victory (9), and Splendor (10).» — la divergencia que Kaplan señala entre el Bahir y el resto del corpus: las cuatro últimas sefirot van invertidas.

«must be in the middle of the seven, and since it corresponds to the Sabbath, it is also fitting that it be the seventh Sefirah (153, 157).» — la razón que el propio Bahir da, según Kaplan, para poner el Reinado en séptimo lugar: su correspondencia con el Sábado; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«Similarly, since Foundation corresponds to the sign of circumcision, it is fitting that it be eighth, since circumcision is performed on the eighth day (168).» — la segunda razón del reordenamiento: la Fundación en octavo lugar por el octavo día de la circuncisión.

«With the exception of Beauty, Splendor and Kingship, all the Sefirot are given their standard names. Beauty is called the Throne of Glory (146), while Kingship is called Aravot (153). Splendor is simply called the second Victory (170).» — los tres nombres no estándar que Kaplan inventaria, con el párrafo de cada uno.

«In a number of places, Foundation is also called the Righteous One (102, 180), the Life of Worlds (180ff), and “All” (22, 78).» — los tres apelativos alternos de la Fundación que Kaplan reúne.

«Another important concept that is revealed is that of reincarnation or Gilgul. It is interesting to note that this idea is first introduced in the name of Rabbi Akiba (121, 155) This concept is used to explain the problem of apparent injustice and why even innocent children suffer and are born maimed.» — Kaplan adjudica al Bahir la introducción del *gilgul*, puesto en boca de Akiba, y le asigna la función de explicar el sufrimiento del inocente.

«The fact that Saadia Gaon rejects reincarnation is aimple proof that he did not have access to the secret teachings of the Kabbalah.» — Kaplan lee el rechazo de Saadia Gaón a la reencarnación como indicio de que no tuvo acceso a la enseñanza secreta; el impreso da *aimple* por *simple*.

«This concept is further developed in the Zohar, and in even greater detail in the Sefer Gilgulim and other writings of the Ari's school.» — la trayectoria posterior de la doctrina, según Kaplan.

«Other subjects included in the Bahir include an interpretation of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, fifteen of which are mentioned.» — el recuento de letras tratadas que da Kaplan: quince de las veintidós.

«A number of ideas found in the Sefer Yetzirah, such as the Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom (63), the twelve diagonal boundaries (95), as well as the “Axis, Sphere and Heart” (106) are discussed. In general, numbers play a highly significant role in the Bahir.» — la deuda con el Sefer Yetzirah que Kaplan documenta por párrafos, y el papel que atribuye al número en el libro.

«Two unusual terms are found in the Bahir, both of which apparently refer to angels or angelic forces. One is Tzurah, which literally means “form”62 while the other is Komah, which can be translated as “structure” (8, 166). In Kabbalistic literature, these are more familiar in their Aramaic form, the former being Diukna, and the latter, Partzuf.» — los dos términos angélicos propios del Bahir y su equivalencia aramea posterior, según Kaplan.

«Another important revelation is the various names of God, the most mystical being found in 112. The Name containing twelve letters, mentioned in the Talmud,63 is also discussed (107, 111).» — Kaplan localiza los nombres divinos por número de párrafo, con el de doce letras entre ellos.

«This is also true of the Name consisting of seventy-two combinations, which is also derived (94, 107, 110). This name is mentioned in early Talmudic sources,64 and its derivation is discussed as early as 1100» — el Nombre de setenta y dos combinaciones y su antigüedad documental; Kaplan sigue en la plana siguiente nombrando a Rashi y al Midrash Lekach Tov.

«One of the important concepts introduced in the Bahir is that of Tzimtzum, the self-constriction of God's Light. This involves one of the most important philosophical concepts of the Kabbalah, as well as one which has been a source of confusion to many scholars.» — Kaplan define el *tzimtzum* como autoconstricción de la Luz divina y declara que ha confundido a muchos estudiosos.

«The clearest statement of the Tzimtzum can be found in the writings of Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534–1572), known as the Ari, who headed the Safed school of Kabbalah. As described in Etz Chaim (“Tree of Life”), the process was as follows:» — Kaplan remite la formulación más clara a Isaac Luria y al Etz Chaim, no al Bahir.

«Before all things were created … the Supernal Light was simple, and it filled all existence. There was no empty space…. When His simple Will decided to create all universes… He constricted the Light to the sides…leaving a vacated space…. This space was perfectly round.» — el pasaje del Etz Chaim que Kaplan cita en bloque, con sus elipsis: la Luz Suprema llenaba todo y se retrae a los lados dejando un espacio vacío y redondo.

«After this constriction took place … there was a place in which all things could be created.… He then drew a single straight thread from the Infinite Light … and brought it into that vacated space.… It was through that line that the Infinite Light was brought down below.» — la segunda mitad del pasaje del Etz Chaim: el hilo recto de Luz Infinita introducido en el espacio vacío.

«In its literal sense, the concept of Tzimtzum is straightforward. God first “withdrew” His Light, forming a vacated space, in which all creation would take place. In order for His creative power to be in that space, He drew into it a “thread” of His Light. It was through this thread” that all creation took place.» — la paráfrasis con que Kaplan fija el sentido literal antes de negarlo; el impreso pierde la comilla de apertura de *thread*.

«Virtually all the later Kabbalists warn that the Tzimtzum is not to be taken literally, since it is impossible to apply any spatial concept to God.» — la advertencia de los cabalistas posteriores que Kaplan recoge contra la lectura espacial.

«Rather, this is speaking in a conceptual sense, since if God filled every perfection, man would have no reason to exist. God therefore constricted His infinite perfection, allowing a “place” for man's free will and accomplishment.» — la lectura conceptual que Kaplan propone: la constricción abre lugar al libre albedrío.

«Another important point stressed by many Kabbalists is the fact that the Tzimtzum did not take place in God's essence, but in His Light.» — la distinción que Kaplan subraya entre la esencia y la Luz, que es donde ocurre la constricción.

«Many historians erroneously conclude that the Tzimtzum originated in the teachings of the Ari. Actually, however, it is a much older teaching, and a clear reference to it is found in the Zohar.» — la objeción de Kaplan a la historiografía: el *tzimtzum* no nace con Luria, y él lo remonta al Zohar.

«And there emerged out of the Hidden of Hidden — the Mystery of the Infinite — an unformed line, imbedded in a ring … measured with a thread.» — el pasaje del Zohar que Kaplan alega como referencia temprana; la frase arranca en la plana anterior con la Lámpara de Oscuridad tallada de la luminiscencia suprema.

«A close look at 25 in the Bahir will also reveal a clear allusion to the Tzimtzum. Rabbi Berachiah says that the Light was like a “beautiful object” for which the King had no place.» — Kaplan retrocede un paso más y encuentra la alusión en el propio Bahir, en el párrafo 25, atribuido a Berachiah.

«The reason for the Tzimtzum stems from a basic paradox. God must be in the world, yet, if He does not restrict Himself from it, all creation would be overwhelmed by His Essence. Both the paradox and its resolution are clearly alluded to in the Bahir 54.» — la paradoja que Kaplan pone en el origen de la doctrina, con su localización en el párrafo 54.

«There is, however, a more difficult paradox involved in the Tzimtzum. Since God removed His Light from the vacated space, it must be empty of His Essence. Still, God must also fill this space, since “there is no place empty of Him.”71 This is a most basic paradox, and it is closely related to the dichotomy of God's imminence and transcendence.» — la segunda paradoja, más dura, que Kaplan enlaza con la dicotomía de inmanencia y trascendencia; el impreso escribe *imminence*.

«The main point brought out by this paradox is the fact that this space is only “dark” and “vacated” with respect to us. The “Lamp of Darkness” mentioned in the Zohar is “darkness” to us, but with relation to God, it too is a “lamp.” With respect to God, it is actually light, since for Him it is as if the Tzimtzum never took place.» — la salida que Kaplan propone: lo vacío y lo oscuro lo son solo respecto de nosotros.

«It is particularly interesting to note that it is precisely with this apparent paradox that Rabbi Nehuniah opens the Bahir. The main point of the theoretical Kabbalah is to resolve the paradox of how an absolutely transcendental God can interact with His creation.» — Kaplan formula el problema central de la cábala teórica y lo ve planteado en el párrafo inaugural del Bahir.

«The structure of the Sefirot and similar concepts are what form the bridge between God and the universe.» — la función que Kaplan asigna a la estructura sefirótica: puente entre Dios y el universo.

«Such an introduction is reminiscent of a similar warning found at the beginning of the Idra Rabba, one of the most mysterious portions of the Zohar, and one containing much anthropomorphic symbolism.» — el paralelo que Kaplan traza con la apertura del Idra Rabba.

«Even though anthropomorphisms may be used in describing the Sefirot and other Kabbalistic concepts, they are in no way meant to be taken literally.» — la reserva sobre el antropomorfismo con que Kaplan cierra la introducción.

«Rabbi Nehuniah is giving a very similar warning at the beginning of the Bahir. Do not think that the Sefirot are lights coming to fill any darkness with respect to God, since for Him all is Light» — la lectura que Kaplan hace del párrafo inaugural como advertencia doctrinal; la frase queda sin punto en la capa de texto.

«In order to avoid error, Rabbi Nehuniah's name appears here without disguise — this principle is so important that it must be backed by the full prestige of the master himself.» — con esto Kaplan cierra el círculo de su hipótesis del seudónimo: el nombre propio aparece solo donde hace falta la autoridad.

«1. This paragraph has already been discussed in the Introduction, in the section on Tzimtzum. It speaks of a basic dichotomy, where God must be both imminent and transcendental — He must fill all creation, yet, at the same time, must be utterly divorced from it.» — abre el comentario de Kaplan al §1, y con él el aparato párrafo por párrafo; el impreso escribe *imminent* donde el término técnico es *immanent*.

«The Light discussed here refers to the Divine Essence, as perceived in the mystical state. Due to the Constriction (Tzimtzum), we do not see this Light when we look toward God, and He therefore seems to be surrounded with darkness. Creation must exist as an independent entity, and therefore cannot be totally infused with the Divine Presence. At the same time, however, it cannot be said that this Essence does not infuse all creation, since “there is no place empty of Him.” Therefore, when we look toward God, this Light must actually be there. This is the dichotomy.» — Kaplan formula la paradoja como necesidad doble: la creación necesita ser independiente y a la vez no hay lugar vacío de Dios.

«Rabbi Nehuniah resolves this by explaining that the Constriction only exists with regard to creation, but not with respect to the Creator. Although we see Him surrounded by darkness, He sees Himself surrounded by Light — since for Him, even this darkness is actually light.» — la solución que Kaplan adjudica a Nehuniah: el tzimtzum es relativo al observador.

«In this discussion, the author makes use of a dialectic involving thesis, antithesis and synthesis. The same concept is alluded to in the last of the Thirteen Principles of Exegesis of Rabbi Ishmael (who was a disciple of Rabbi Nehuniah): “Two verses that oppose one another until a third verse is brought to reconcile them” (Introduction to Sifra). It is this dialectic that results in the basic triplet structure so often found in Kabbalah.» — Kaplan deriva la estructura ternaria de la cábala de una regla hermenéutica talmúdica, y usa el vínculo maestro-discípulo entre Nehuniah e Ishmael como apoyo.

«Besides a philosophical teaching, however, Rabbi Nehuniah was also providing an important lesson for initiates into the mysteries. The vision may be one of clouds and gloom, but for God, even this darkness is light.» — Kaplan lee el párrafo inaugural también como instrucción práctica para quien tenga la visión.

«This word Shechakim always alludes to the sefirot Netzach and Hod, the sefirot involved in prophecy and the mystical vision (cf. 185).» — la clave léxica que Kaplan fija para todo el libro: *Shechakim* remite siempre a Netzach y Hod.

«chaos and desolation, they are here described as the basic ingredients of creation.» — Kaplan advierte que Tohu y Bohu no funcionan aquí con su sentido corriente; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«God gives existence to all things, and is therefore the ultimate Giver. Creation, on the other hand, must receive its very existence from God, and is therefore the ultimate receiver.» — el par dar/recibir con que Kaplan organiza toda su lectura del libro.

«Another important principle is the fact that God is an absolutely simple Unity, and cannot be described by any qualities whatsoever. Every concept that is necessary for creation must therefore also be created. As we see, two of the most basic of these are the concepts of giving and receiving. In Kabbalistic terminology, the concept of giving is referred to as “Light,” while that of receiving is called a “Vessel.”» — Kaplan hace de la simplicidad divina la razón de que hasta las categorías de dar y recibir sean criaturas.

«Both Tohu (Chaos) and Bohu (Desolation) allude to these primeval Vessels. Tohu refers to the first Vessels, which were shattered, while Bohu refers to these Vessels after they were restored and rectified.» — la identificación que Kaplan propone entre los términos del Bahir y la doctrina luriánica de los vasos.

«The original Vessels consisted of the Ten Sefirot in their most primitive form. In this state, they could not interact with each other, and hence, could not give anything to each other. All they could do was receive from God.» — el estado primitivo de las sefirot según Kaplan: solo receptoras, sin interacción.

«In order to receive God's Light, however, a Vessel must in some way be connected to God. The basic difference between the spiritual and the physical is the fact that space does not exist in the spiritual, and hence, there is no way in which the Sefirot can be physically connected to God. The only possible relationship is therefore resemblance. Hence, in order to receive God's Light, the Vessel must, at least to some degree, resemble God.» — el argumento de Kaplan que sustituye la conexión espacial por la semejanza en el orden espiritual.

«This presents a difficulty, however. If God is the ultimate Giver, while the Vessel only receives, the two are then absolute opposites. Therefore, in order for a vessel to properly receive, it must also give. What is therefore needed is a vessel that gives as well as receives.» — la aporía que Kaplan construye: recibir bien exige dar.

«The ultimate such vessel is man. If man is to receive God's Light, he must first resemble God by being a giver. This he does by keeping God's commandments, and thereby providing spiritual sustenance to the supernal worlds.» — Kaplan hace del hombre el vaso que la doctrina exige, y de los preceptos su modo de dar.

«Before he can do this, however, he must also resemble God by having both free will and free choice, and this is only possible when both evil and good exist.» — la consecuencia que Kaplan extrae: el mal es condición de la semejanza con Dios.

«The first stage of creation is called the Universe of Chaos or Tohu. This is a state where the Vessels, which were the primitive Ten Sefirot, could receive God's Light, but could neither give nor interact. Insofar as they did not resemble God, these Vessels were incomplete, and therefore could not hold the Light. Since they could not fulfill their purpose, they were overwhelmed by the Light and “shattered,”» — el Universo del Caos descrito por Kaplan; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«this being the concept of the “Breaking of Vessels.”» — el nombre técnico con que Kaplan cierra la descripción anterior.

«It is for this reason that these Vessels are called Tohu, which comes from a root meaning “confounded.” When a person is confounded, it means that he is perceiving an idea that his mind cannot hold. Similarly, the vessels of Tohu-Chaos received a Light that they could not hold. Just like confusion and confoundment shatter the thought process, so these Vessels were shattered.» — Kaplan traslada la etimología del §2 a una analogía cognitiva: el vaso roto es la mente desbordada.

«The broken pieces of these Vessels fell to a lower spiritual level and subsequently became the source of all evil. It is therefore said that Tohu-Chaos is the source of evil (see 11).» — Kaplan enlaza la rotura de los vasos con la sentencia del §11 sobre el Caos y el Mal.

«The reason why the Vessels were originally created without the ability to hold the Light was so that evil should come into being, thus giving man the freedom of choice, which, as we have seen, was necessary for the rectification of the Vessels.» — la teodicea de Kaplan: la insuficiencia inicial de los vasos era el medio para que hubiera libre albedrío.

«This Breaking of Vessels is alluded to in the Midrash, which states that “God created universes and destroyed them” (Bereshit Rabbah 3:7). It is also alluded to in the Torah in the account of the Kings of Edom, at the end of Genesis 36.» — los dos anclajes textuales con que Kaplan da antigüedad a la doctrina.

«The word Tohu is spelled Tav Hu, Tav being the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Since Malkhut-Kingship is the last of the Sefirot, it is represented by the letter Tav. Tohu — Tav Hu — therefore refers to the realm of these “kings.”» — el argumento gráfico con que Kaplan ata el Tohu a los reyes de Edom.

«After having been shattered, the Vessels were re-rectified and rebuilt into Personifications (Partzufim), enumerated in 62. Each of these Personifications consists of 613 parts, paralleling the 613 parts of the body, as well as the 613 commandments of the Torah.» — los Partzufim de la cábala luriánica, que Kaplan cuenta en 613 partes cada uno.

«These Personifications were then able to interact with each other. More important, through the Torah they were also able to interact with man, and therefore became givers as well as receivers.» — la Torá como vía de interacción entre el hombre y los Partzufim, según Kaplan.

«In the rectified state, the Vessels were adequate to receive God's Light. In Kabbalistic terminology, this state is called the Universe of Rectification (Tikkun). As here, it is also called Bohu-Desolation. Since the vessels of Bohu can interact, there is said to be “peace” between them. Bohu is therefore seen as the source of peace (11).» — Kaplan identifica el Bohu del Bahir con el Universo de la Rectificación luriánico.

«Kabbalists also speak of Tohu as the intermediate state between potential and realization (see Raavad, Introduction to Sefer Yetzira).» — una segunda lectura del Tohu que Kaplan recoge del Raavad, sin armonizarla con la anterior.

«For initiates, this also contains a lesson for those who would enter the mystical realm. The Husks (Klipot), derived from Tohu-Chaos, are the forces that “confound people,” and cause them to have misleading visions.» — Kaplan convierte la doctrina de las klipot en advertencia práctica sobre visiones engañosas.

«3. The first letter of the Torah is Bet, the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is also the first letter of the word Berakhah, meaning “blessing.”» — el dato elemental con que Kaplan abre su comentario al §3.

«When the Torah is discussed, it normally refers to the Five Books of Moses, or in a broader sense, to the entire theological structure based on these Books. In a Kabbalistic sense, however, the word “Torah” refers to the entire spiritual blueprint of creation.» — la ampliación del término *Torá* que Kaplan declara necesaria para leer el libro.

«When the Kabbalists speak of God's eminence and transcendence, they say that He “fills all worlds and surrounds all worlds” (Zohar 3:225a). The letter Bet refers to the interface between these two concepts (14), and hence the name of the letter Bet is related to the word Bayit, meaning “house.”» — Kaplan cita el Zohar para la fórmula de la doble presencia, y hace de la Bet su interfaz.

«In order for a totally transcendental God to relate to His creation, a series of Ten Sefirot (Emanations) had to be brought into existence. The first two of these Sefirot are Keter-Crown and Chakhmah-Wisdom.» — la función que Kaplan asigna al sistema sefirótico entero: hacer posible la relación.

«The first Sefirah is called the Crown, since a crown is worn above the head. The Crown therefore refers to things that are above the mind's abilities of comprehension. Wisdom is therefore the first thing that the mind can grasp, and is therefore called a “beginning.” Since Chakhmah-Wisdom is the second Sefirah, it is alluded to by the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which is the letter Bet.» — la explicación de Kaplan para el nombre de la primera sefirá y para el arranque de la Torá por la segunda letra.

«4. The word Berakhah (blessing) is closely related to the word Berekh, meaning “knee.” Just as bending the knee lowers the body, so the concept of Berakhah lowers God's Essence so that He can relate to the universe and be comprehended through His acts.» — Kaplan da contenido doctrinal a la etimología que el §4 dejaba como alternativa.

«An important concept here, which shall be encountered many times, is the Kabbalistic idea that before there is an “awakening from on high,” there must first be an “awakening from below.” That is, before any spiritual sustenance is granted, there must first be some effort on the part of the recipient.» — el principio del despertar desde abajo, que Kaplan anuncia como recurrente en todo el comentario.

«5. Here Rabbi Rahumai explains that the Sefirah Chakhmah-Wisdom, represented by the Bet, is the transition between God's transcendence and His imminence. It not only surrounds, but is also the “filling.”» — Kaplan adjudica a Rahumai la identificación de la Sabiduría con el punto de transición.

«Chakhmah-Wisdom is the concept through which God initially perceived all creation (and it therefore parallels the eyes), and is hence said to have given Him advice. This is alluded to in a Midrash, which states that God sought advice from the Torah before He created the universe (Pirkey Rabbi Eliezer 3).» — Kaplan enlaza la Sabiduría con la vista y con el consejo que Dios pide a la Torá antes de crear, según el Pirkey Rabbi Eliezer.

«The Torah is represented by water, since it flows from the highest spiritual sources to infuse the lowest spiritual levels and even the physical world, which is beneath them all.» — por qué la Torá se figura como agua, según Kaplan: fluye de lo alto hasta el mundo físico.

«Here, however, the analogy is used in a different sense, and the Torah is likened to a spring of water flowing from bedrock. The bedrock represents the power of Tzimtzum-Constriction, which holds back the Divine Light.» — el giro que Kaplan señala en el §5: el agua ya no baja, brota de la roca, y la roca es el tzimtzum.

«In order to hold something, a vessel has to be able to prevent it from flowing. A sieve cannot hold water. The same force that acts as a Vessel to hold God's light therefore also serves to hold it back and constrict it. This is the concept of Bohu, as discussed in 2. Here it is represented as a rock, and the scripture likewise speaks of “Stones of Bohu” (Isaiah 34:11).» — el argumento del cedazo con que Kaplan hace de la misma fuerza vaso y freno, y lo apoya en las *piedras del Bohu* de Isaías.

«Of the Ten Sefirot, the last seven correspond to the seven days of the week. These inferior seven are called Attributes (Midot). Above these seven are the three superior Sefirot, called Mentalities (Mochin), consisting of Keter-Crown, Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding.» — la división del árbol sefirótico en siete Atributos y tres Mentalidades, que Kaplan usa como rejilla en todo el comentario.

«The Torah stems from God's Wisdom, and is therefore two levels above the inferior seven. It is therefore said that the Torah was created two “days” before the seven days of creation.» — de ahí saca Kaplan la antigüedad relativa de la Torá: dos niveles, leídos como dos *días*.

«These four levels thus correspond to the four letters of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH). They also correspond to the four universes: Atzilut-Nearness, the universe of Sefirot; Beriyah-Creation, the universe of souls and the Throne; Yetzirah-Formation, the universe of Angels; and Asiyah-Making, the physical universe and its spiritual shadow.» — los cuatro universos de la cábala posterior, que Kaplan alinea con las cuatro letras del Tetragrámaton.

«Since the level of Chakhmah-Wisdom is that of thousands, each day becomes a thousand years. It is also the level of Eyes, and it is therefore written, “a thousand years in Your eyes.…” When it reaches the level of the six days of creation, it is then breathed through the nose.» — la conversión de niveles en unidades de tiempo, que explica los mil años del §5.

«The word Praise (Tehillah) here represents the Sefirah of Malkhut-Kingship, which is the lowest Sefirah and the ultimate recipient and Vessel. This Sefirah is also related to David, who initiated the concept of Kingship in Israel.» — la Alabanza identificada con el Reinado, y el vínculo de esa sefirá con David.

«God's purpose in creation was that He should give of His good to His handiwork. When this purpose is fulfilled through “awakening from below,” God's purpose is fulfilled, and, as it were, He is “elevated.”» — el propósito de la creación según Kaplan, y en qué sentido puede decirse que Dios es elevado.

«6. The example here stresses the “awakening from below” involved in the concept of blessing. Rain coming from above represents God's sustenance that descends from the aspect in which He “surrounds all worlds.” The wetness of the ground is that which comes from the aspect where He “Fills all worlds.” Still, “water” must also come from below, from the spring. This alludes to the fact that the “awakening from below” is primarily through the Torah.» — Kaplan reparte los tres términos de la parábola del riego entre las dos presencias divinas y el esfuerzo humano.

«7. Even though it was stated earlier (in 3) that the sea alludes to the Torah, here it is said to refer to the World to Come. This is no contradiction, since the Torah is the emanation of God's Light, and hence in itself is the main reward of the World to Come. This reward will be the revelation of God's glory, which is the “Filling.”» — Kaplan resuelve la contradicción entre el §3 y el §7 sin anular ninguna de las dos identificaciones del mar.

«The present physical world is alluded to by the south, since the south parallels the Sefirah of Chesed-Love. While the reward of the World to Come must be earned, that which is given in the present world is a gift of Love.» — la asimetría que Kaplan señala entre los dos mundos: uno se gana, el otro se recibe.

«8. When God changed Abram's name to Abraham, He did so by the addition of the letter Heh. According to tradition, the number of parts in the human body is 248 (Ohalot 1:8). When God added this Heh to Abraham's name, He gave him dominance over the final five parts of his body, namely, the two eyes, two ears, and the sexual organ, as mentioned in the Talmud (Nedarim 32b).» — el detalle talmúdico con que Kaplan explica qué añade la letra Heh al nombre de Abraham.

«The letter Heh has the numerical value of five, and alludes to the five levels of the soul (53). The fact that this letter was added to Abraham's name indicates that these five levels were given over to him.» — el segundo sentido de la misma letra, que Kaplan enlaza con los cinco nombres del alma del §53.

«This is also the connotation of the two Heh's in the Tetragrammaton, which is spelled Yud Heh Vav Heh. The first Heh corresponds to the Sefirah of Binah-Understanding, and this is the “hand” with which God gives the reward of the World to Come. The final Heh is the Sefirah of Malkhut-Kingship, and this is the hand that He gives us so that we should be able to accept this reward.» — las dos Heh del Tetragrámaton como las dos manos, la que da y la que permite recibir.

«The “form” of God in which He created man is actually God's blueprint form for man (see 82, 172). This “form” or “blueprint” consisted of God's first throught in creation, and hence is the highest level of creation. In later Kabbalistic writings, it is referred to as Adam Kadmon (Primeval Man).» — Kaplan identifica la *forma* del §8 con el Adam Kadmon de la cábala posterior, y no con una figura corporal.

«This blueprint contains 248 parts, and when Abraham was perfected through the commandment of circumcision, he became its precise counterpart.» — y cierra la cuenta: los 248 miembros del plano coinciden con Abraham circuncidado.

«The author is stating that God must be included in all of man's works, that is, they must all be for God's sake, and not merely for any anticipated future reward. One can then “inherit God,” since the principle future reward is the perception of the Infinite Being.» — la lectura moral que Kaplan da del §9: la recompensa principal es la percepción del Ser Infinito.

«The example also teaches that God Himself must be sought, and no merely reward. If the son would have sought the treasuries and not have asked for the King, he would not have received all. It was only after he had sought the King himself that he received all the treasures.» — el orden que Kaplan subraya en la parábola: primero el Rey, después los tesoros; el impreso da *and no merely reward*.

«is derived from the same root as Elam, meaning “concealment.” The “universe” thus conceals God, and does not allow Him to be seen directly.» — la etimología que hace del universo un ocultamiento; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«Eternity is the ultimate concealment, since the human mind cannot penetrate infinite time, nor can it fathom the timelessness of true eternity. This “concealment” alludes to Keter-Crown, which is above Chakhmah-Wisdom and is its source (see 49). Keter-Crown is thus alluded to by the word Kedem, which means “before.” Keter-Crown represents God's will, which is the source of the Torah.» — Kaplan sube la eternidad hasta la Corona, y hace de la voluntad divina la fuente de la Torá.

«It might be thought that the Torah was created only to rectify creation as it already exists. If this were so, the Torah would have been created after the earth. But actually, the Torah was the blueprint of creation, and therefore preceded it.» — la objeción cronológica y la respuesta de Kaplan: el plano precede a la obra.

«The word BeReshit — “In the beginning” — refers to Wisdom. Elohim, one of the Hebrew names of God, refers to Understanding, since when we use the word “God,” we are actually speaking of our understanding of Him. In this same verse, Shamayim (heavens) indicates the next six Sefirot, and for this reason the word Shamayim is a plural word. “Earth” is Malkhut-Kingship.» — el versículo de apertura del Génesis leído por Kaplan como mapa de cuatro niveles sefiróticos.

«Before creation, only the Infinite Being existed, and therefore all was sameness and homogeneity. Sameness is therefore the highest concept that the mind can comprehend with regard to the Infinite Being, and it is therefore the essence of Chakhmah-Wisdom.» — Kaplan hace de la mismidad el contenido máximo pensable del Ser Infinito, y con eso define la Sabiduría.

«Creation, however, is at the opposite pole than the Creator, since the Creator gives existence, while creation accepts it. Therefore, before creation could be brought into existence, the concept of differentiation had to be brought into being. This is the essence of Binah-Understanding.» — y de la diferenciación, la Comprensión; el par se sostiene en la oposición dar/recibir del §2.

«It is for this reason that the word Binah shares the same root as Bein, meaning between. The Talmud also states that Understanding refers to “understanding one thing from something dissimilar” (Sanhedrin 93b).» — los dos apoyos de esa definición, la raíz hebrea y una sentencia del Talmud.

«Michael is the angel that oversees Love, the concept of giving freely, while Gabriel is the angel of Justice, the restraint of Love, as well as receiving without giving. These represent two opposites, and their only reconciliation is Bohu-Desolation, the concept of free will, which allows a recipient to also be a giver.» — Kaplan asigna los dos ángeles del §11 a Amor y Justicia, y hace del libre albedrío su única reconciliación.

«Peace is most closely related to Daat-Knowledge, which is a quasi-Sefirah, intermediate between Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding (see note 220). Daat-Kowledge descends to become the Sefirah of Tiferet-Beauty. The “Prince of Peace” is the angel corresponding to Tiferet-Beauty, and is identified as the archangel Uriel (see 108).» — Kaplan sitúa la Paz en Daat y le adjudica el arcángel Uriel; el impreso escribe *Daat-Kowledge*.

«12. “Creation” generally is said to refer to the very first step, creating “something from nothing. “Making” on the other hand, refers to the completion of a concept.» — la distinción técnica entre crear y hacer, que Kaplan aplica al §12.

«The most important realization of peace is the reconciliation between the ultimate opposites, Creator and creation. This was only accomplished through the creation of Evil (see commentary on 2).» — la consecuencia que Kaplan extrae: la paz última se alcanza, dice, creando el Mal.

«nothing,” while “formation” is “something from something.” Light emanates from God's essence, and is therefore “something from something.” Darkness, on the other hand, is a completely novel concept, and has no relationship to God. It is therefore “created” — “something from nothing.” (see Moreh Nebuchim 3:10).» — la misma pareja de verbos aplicada a luz y oscuridad, con remisión a Maimónides; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«This paragraph also contains an allusion to the Tzimtzum, the original Constriction discussed in the Introduction. All creation was originally filled with the Light of the Infinite Being, and therefore, “darkness,” which is the restraint and constriction of this Light, was something completely novel. It is for this reason that the word “created” is used with regard to darkness. The thread of Light that entered this darkness of the Vacated Space, however, had its origin in the original Infinite Light, and is therefore said to be “formed.”» — Kaplan lee la oscuridad del §13 como la constricción misma, y el hilo de luz como lo *formado*.

«In general, thought is said to be on the level of Creation, since thought is “something from nothing.” Speech, on the other hand, emanates from thought — “something from something” — and is therefore on the level of Formation. When the verse states, “God said, let there be light,” the phrase “God said” indicates the level of speech, which is also the level of Formation.» — el segundo criterio de Kaplan: pensamiento es Creación y habla es Formación.

«In no place in the account of creation, however, does it state that “God said” that darkness should be created. Darkness therefore does not involve speech, but only thought, which is the level of Creation. The scripture therefore states, “And darkness on the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2), without any mention of a saying.» — el argumento *ex silentio* con que Kaplan sostiene que la oscuridad no pasó por el habla.

«14. God encompasses all things, even space and time, and is not encompassed by them. This is also true of Chakhmah-Wisdom, which is the concept of Beginning — without end — before space and time were created.» — Kaplan traslada al plano sefirótico la fórmula del §14 sobre el lugar del mundo.

«15. The two main organs of human expression, the mouth and the sexual organ, are thus “open” in front. The Bet thus represents Chakhmah-Wisdom, the first Sefirah through which God expresses Himself.» — Kaplan lee la apertura frontal de la Bet como los dos órganos de expresión, boca y sexo.

«Chakhmah-Wisdom is only a Sefirah, however, an emanation of God's glory» — el límite que Kaplan pone a la Sabiduría: es emanación, no Dios; el impreso une por guion de renglón la palabra que sigue.

«receives existence from an even higher power, namely the Alef.» — la Alef como Corona, oculta y abierta por detrás, que solo recibe y retiene.

«The Alef is the first Sefirah, which is Keter-Crown. This is totally hidden, and only serves to receive from God, holding back His light so that it does not overwhelm creation. The Alef is therefore open in the back.» — y de dónde recibe la propia Alef; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«Even though Keter-Crown is the very highest conceivable element of creation, it is infinitely lower than the Infinite Being. The Zohar thus states that even though Keter is the most brilliant light, it is utter darkness when compared to the Infinite Being (Tikuney Zohar 70).» — Kaplan cita el Tikuney Zohar para medir la Corona contra el Ser Infinito: la luz más brillante es tiniebla frente a él.

«16. The question here is that since the light can only be granted as a matter of free will, how is it certain that man will be worthy of it? God answers with the verse from Samuel, indicating that He brings about things so that in the end all will be worthy of this Light, and “none will be cast away.”» — la pregunta que Kaplan encuentra en el §16 y la respuesta que lee en el versículo.

«This Light is represented by a crown, since with regard to the World to Come it is taught that “the righteous will sit with their crowns on their heads” (Talmud, Berakhot 17a). This means that the highest Light, which emanates from Keter-Crown, will then be comprehended by man.» — Kaplan enlaza la corona del §16 con la sentencia talmúdica sobre los justos coronados.

«17. The Torah emanates from Chakhmah-Wisdom, while Alef alludes to Keter-Crown, which is higher than Wisdom. Keter-Crown is not perceivable in this world, and therefore the highest actual level that can be perceived is Chakhmah-Wisdom.» — por qué la Torá no empieza por la primera letra, según Kaplan: la Corona no es perceptible.

«The alphabet contains the letters as abstract concepts, and therefore, it can begin with the Alef. But the Torah is concerned with the actual perception of God, and must therefore begin with Bet, which alludes to Chakhmah-Wisdom.» — la distinción entre el alfabeto como serie abstracta y la Torá como percepción efectiva.

«19. Gimel alludes to Binah-Understanding, which is the Hand that gives Wisdom (see comment on 8). Wisdom is meaningless unless it is understood» — Kaplan asigna la Gimel a la Comprensión, la mano que da la Sabiduría.

«21. The principle conclusion here is that there are two types of angels. One type stands before God and praises Him, while the second type are His messengers. The first type was created on the second day of creation, while the second type was made on the fifth day. (Cf. Bachya on Genesis 28:12).» — la conclusión doctrinal que Kaplan saca de la disputa del §21: dos clases de ángeles, no dos fechas incompatibles.

«22. Michael is the angel of water and the south, while Gabriel is the angel of fire and the north (see 11.). The Tree here refers to the entire array of Sefirot (see 6, 119). It especially alludes to the final seven Sefirot.» — Kaplan fija el Árbol del §22 como el conjunto sefirótico, con acento en las siete últimas.

«This Sefirah is called All, since through it must flow all spiritual sustenance. This Sefirah also parallels the sexual organ in man. It is through the sex act that new human beings are born, and souls transmitted to the world. Yesod-Foundation parallels this function insofar as it is the source of all souls (see 180).» — por qué la Fundación se llama Todo, y su paralelo con el órgano sexual como origen de las almas.

«24. The basic question here is what was created first, the “heaven,” which is the Light and the power of giving, or the “earth,” which is the Vessel, and the power of receiving. Rabbi Yannai declares that without a vessel there can be no light, and the vessel was therefore created first.» — Kaplan reformula la disputa del §24 como pregunta por la prioridad entre Luz y Vaso; el impreso da *Rabbi Yannai*, mientras el texto traducido escribe *Rabbi Yanai*.

«He then goes on to explain that even though the heaven was created first, it was not given a name until after the earth was created. Before the earth was created, the heaven was not complete, and therefore could not be named.» — la solución que Kaplan lee en la parábola: el cielo se creó antes pero no pudo nombrarse antes.

«the Male concept of giving. Thus, when the earth was created, the supernal sexual union could also exist, and the Sefirah of Yesod-Foundation, which parallels the sexual organ, could come into being. When this happened, heaven could be given a name, but until this took place, worlds were created and destroyed.» — Kaplan hace de la creación de la tierra la condición de la unión sexual suprema; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«The “Pedestals” are Netzach-Victory and Hod-Splendor. The “attachment” is Yesod-Foundation.» — la identificación de los dos términos de la parábola con Netzach, Hod y Yesod.

«25. This alludes to the concept of Constriction (Tzimtzum) discussed in the Introduction. First a Vacated Space was formed in the Infinite Light, and into this space was drawn a “Thread of Light.” Since this thread is actually nothing more than an extension of the original Light, the author states that it was light that had been hidden.» — Kaplan lee el §25 como alusión al tzimtzum: la luz escondida es el Hilo.

«26. The letters Alef Yud Shin spell out Ish, the Hebrew word for man. The allusion is to the Supernal Man (see 117).» — las tres letras de *Ish* leídas como Hombre Supremo.

«Furthermore, Keter-Crown is the level above comprehension, and therefore, we cannot speak of it at all. Only God Himself can speak of Keter-Crown, and it is He who says of it, “I will.” It is the same sense that the name associated with Keter-Crown is Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, which means “I will be what I will be” (Exodus 3:14).» — el nombre divino de Éxodo 3:14 asignado a la Corona, por ser el único nivel del que solo Dios puede hablar.

«As a prefix Yud means “he will,” while as a suffix it means “my.” It therefore indicates God's potential of which we can speak, the level of Chakhmah-Wisdom of which we can say “He will.” When God speaks of Himself, He calls Himself Ehyeh (I will be), while when we speak of Him, we call Him YHVH, which has the connotation of “He is-will be” (see Rashbam on Exodus 3:14). The Yud is therefore the first letter of the Tetragrammaton, since it is the first level of our understanding.» — la lectura gramatical con que Kaplan explica por qué el Tetragrámaton empieza por Yud.

«27. Dalet, the fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is usually said to represent Malkhut-Kingship, the last of the Ten Sefirot. While each of the other nine give to the one below it, Malkhut-Kingship, being the lowest, cannot give. Since it cannot give, it does not resemble God in any manner, and in this sense is called poor. Like the absolutely destitute, it only receives, but cannot give.» — Kaplan explica la pobreza de la Dalet del §27 por la posición del Reinado: solo recibe.

«As mentioned earlier, Gimel is Binah-Understanding, the first Heh in YHVH, while Dalet is Malkhut-Kingship, the final Heh. Since both Gimel and Heh refer to the same Sefirah, they should be in proximity. The author answers this difficulty by stating that Dalet and Heh also refer to the same Sefirah, namely Malkhut-Kingship, and therefore the Heh must follow the Dalet.» — la dificultad de orden que Kaplan resuelve haciendo que Gimel y Heh coincidan arriba y Dalet y Heh abajo.

«29. Since the two Heh's in YHVH have different connotations, there must be something that connects them. This is the letter Vav.» — la Vav como conectiva entre las dos Heh, según Kaplan.

«In the Tetragrammaton, the Yud relates to the thing that is given, the first Heh to the hand that gives, and the final Heh to the hand that receives (see 8). In this context, the Vav is the arm that stretches out to give, and the letter is therefore written in the shape of an arm.» — el reparto de las cuatro letras entre lo dado, la mano que da y la que recibe, con la Vav como brazo.

«30. The numerical value of Vav is six, corresponding to the six directions of the physical universe. Physical space has three dimensions, and each dimension implies two directions. The six directions are east, west, north, south, up, and down.» — el valor seis de la Vav leído como las seis direcciones del espacio físico.

«Here, the letters of the Tetragrammaton are given their significance in the space-time continuum, which is paralleled in the spiritual world. The Yud represents Chakhmah-Wisdom, which is the thing that is given, while the initial Heh is Binah-Understanding, the “Hand” that holds it so as to give it. In a space-time sense, the Yud is the past, which is the thing that is given, while the initial Heh is the future, which holds what the past gives to it. At the interface between past and future is the three dimensional space continuum, consisting of six directions and represented by the letter Vav. These are the first three letters of the Tetragrammaton, YHV.» — Kaplan proyecta las letras sobre el continuo espacio-tiempo: Yud pasado, Heh futuro, Vav espacio.

«These concepts also have their parallel in a conceptual, spiritual sense. The most primary relationship possible is that which exists between Creator and creation, namely the cause-effect relationship. Cause and Effect are represented by Keter-Crown and Malkhut-Kingship, the first and last of the Ten sefirot.» — la relación causa-efecto como la primera de todas, asignada a Corona y Reinado.

«Once we have the concepts of cause and effect, another concept comes into being, namely that of opposites. In order to speak of opposites, however, we must also be able to speak of similarities. Two new concepts thus come into being, namely similarity and oppositeness. In the language of philosophy these are thesis and antithesis, while in Kabbalistic terminology, these two are Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding, the Yud and initial Heh of the Tetragrammaton.» — el paso de causa y efecto a semejanza y oposición, que Kaplan nombra tesis y antítesis.

«Once we speak in terms of similarity and opposition, we have created yet another concept, namely that of relationship. In philosophic terms, this is the synthesis between thesis and antithesis. In our present terminology, it is the Vav of the Tetragrammaton.» — y de ahí a la relación, que es la síntesis y la Vav.

«In this representation, each of the original four abstract concepts gives rise to a relationship. Accordingly, Chakhmah-Wisdom gives rise to Chesed-Love, Binah-Understanding gives rise to Gevurah-Strength, Keter-Crown gives rise to Tiferet-Beauty, and Malkhut-Kingship gives rise to Yesod-Foundation.» — la derivación de las cuatro sefirot intermedias a partir de las cuatro originales.

«As discussed above (in 2), in a spiritual sense, similarity is closeness, while opposition is distance. In order to give, however, the giver must be close to the recipient, and thus, in a spiritual sense, there must be an element of similarity between giver and recipient. Therefore, Chakhmah-Wisdom, which is the concept of similarity, gives rise to Chesed-Love, which is the concept of giving. Conversely, Binah-Understanding, which is differentiation, gives rise to Gevurah-Strength, the concept of withholding.» — por qué la Sabiduría produce el Amor y la Comprensión la Fuerza: semejanza es cercanía y oposición es distancia.

«Tiferet-Beauty is similarly derived from Keter-Crown, which is the concept of cause. In order to be a cause, something must give the precise amount of existence or motivation required for the effect. This is the concept of measured giving, represented by Tiferet-Beauty.» — la Belleza definida como dar medido, exigencia de toda causa.

«Malkhut-Kingship, the concept of effect, is usually said to be the feminine element of creation. Since Yesod-Foundation is derived from Malkhut-Kingship, it is naturally drawn to it and is motivated to attach itself to it. It is for this reason that Yesod-Foundation is said to parallel the sexual organ.» — por qué la Fundación se orienta al Reinado y por eso se empareja con el órgano sexual.

«We immediately see that the cause-effect, Crown-Kingship relationship was the primary relationship. The thesis-antithesis, Wisdom-Understanding relationship was only introduced so as to make the cause-effect relationship possible.» — la jerarquía que Kaplan afirma entre las dos relaciones: la segunda existe para hacer posible la primera.

«The Crown-Kingship relationship can therefore be called the primary dimension, while the Wisdom-Understanding relationship is a secondary dimension. This yields a totally new concept, namely the qualities of being primary and secondary. These in turn form a new, third dimension, to which can be assigned the forward-backward direction. In a Kabbalistic sense, this is the dimension linking Netzach-Victory and Hod-Splendor.» — de esa jerarquía Kaplan deriva una tercera dimensión y con ella Netzach y Hod.

«With the introduction of these two new concepts, Zer Anpin is completed with its six Sefirot, namely, Chesed-Love, Gevurah-Strength, Tiferet-Beauty, Netzach-Victory, Hod-Splendor, and Yesod-Foundation. These are the six directions of a conceptual continuum, represented by the Vav, currently under discussion.» — el cierre de la construcción: seis sefirot de Zer Anpin como seis direcciones conceptuales.

«The six conceptual directions represented by the Vav correspond to the six physical directions in the space continuum. Furthermore, as the Sefer Yetzira explains, Wisdom-Understanding delineates the time dimension, while Crown-Kingship represents the spiritual, moral dimension between good and evil. Creation thus consists of five dimensions, or ten directions.» — la lectura de Kaplan del Sefer Yetzirah: cinco dimensiones y diez direcciones, con el bien y el mal como una de ellas.

«Since Keter-Crown is closest to God, it is said to represent good. Conversely, Malkhut-Kingship is furthest from God, since it is a receiving effect, and it is therefore said to represent evil.» — la consecuencia incómoda que Kaplan enuncia sin atenuar: el Reinado, por ser efecto puro, queda del lado del mal.

«In this context, Chakhmah-Wisdom is said to represent the past, while Binah-Understanding is the future. Wisdom is similarity and unity, and there is only one past. Understanding is dissimilarity and plurality, and there are many possible futures. It is the fact that there are many possible futures that makes free will possible.» — Kaplan hace de la pluralidad de futuros la condición del libre albedrío.

«Since the past fertilizes the future, Wisdom and the past are male, while Understanding and the future are female. It is therefore taught that “God gave the female additional Understanding” (Bereshit Rabbah 18:1).» — y de ahí saca el sexo de las sefirot, con una sentencia del Bereshit Rabbah sobre la Comprensión de la mujer.

«Furthermore, we have knowledge of the past, but not of the future. The future, which is the feminine element, is therefore deficient in knowledge, and it is therefore taught that “women are weak in knowledge” (Kiddushin 80b). This is also related to the reason why women are exempt from time dependent commandments.» — la segunda sentencia que Kaplan alega, del tratado Kidushín, y la consecuencia halájica que le anexa.

«The author asks, “Is not Vav a single letter?” All the six Sefirot of Zer Anpin are actually a single concept, namely “relationship.”» — Kaplan responde a la objeción del §30 haciendo de Zer Anpin un concepto único.

«He answers that the “heavens” are spread out. Even though it is a single concept, it is represented by six independent concepts, it is represented by six independent concepts, which are its six Sefirot.» — y de la pluralidad, un despliegue; la capa de texto repite la cláusula *it is represented by six independent concepts* dos veces.

«It is for this reason that the Hebrew word for heaven, Shamayim, is always in the plural. It is the plural of the word Sham, meaning “there.” It therefore literally refers to all places that can be considered “there.” The concept of “there,” however, while a single concept, also implies all directions. The heavens are therefore said to be “spread out.”» — la etimología de *Shamayim* como plural de *allí*, que explica su forma plural permanente.

«31. The allusion of a garden has already been used a numer of times (5, 6, 23). The paradigm of gardens is Eden, and hence the question is posed, where is it and what is its spiritual significance? The reply is that it is on earth. This indicates that the original Garden of Eden was physical, here on earth, and that it was not merely a spiritual entity.» — Kaplan lee la respuesta del §31 como afirmación de que el Edén fue físico y terrestre; el impreso da *numer* por *number*.

«33. Alternatively, this verse can be read, “He threw from the heavens the land of the beauty of Israel.” This would indicate that the “land” or “earth” was originally in heaven. The question then arises, how can it be said that the Garden of Eden was on earth, when “the land of the beauty of Israel” was originally in heaven. This also raises a question against Rabbi Yanai's statement that the earth was created before the heaven (24), since the earth was originally in heaven.» — la lectura alterna del versículo que Kaplan plantea, y la dificultad que crea contra el §24.

«Another problem involves the usual identification of “earth” with Malkhut-Kingship. Here it is seen to be identified with “the beauty of Israel,” which is the Sefirah of Tiferet-Beauty. This is one of the six Sefirot associated with Zer Anpin, which is usually called “heaven” (see 30).» — el segundo problema: la *tierra* del §33 no es el Reinado sino la Belleza, que suele llamarse cielo.

«The “crown” in this paragraph represents the Sefirah of Keter-Crown, while the “cloak” is alluded to in the verse, “He wraps Himself in light as a garment” (Psalms 104:2), quoted above (30). This “cloak” or garment is the light of Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding when they descend to protect the lower Sefirot from evil.» — el reparto de corona y manto entre Corona, Sabiduría y Comprensión, con la función de proteger del mal.

«The letter Chet is the final letter of the word Ruach, and under it is the vowel point Patach. The final Chet is unique in this respect, since in all other cases the vowel is read after its accompanying letter, while the Patach is always read before its primary Chet at the end of a word.» — la particularidad gráfica del Patach bajo la Chet final, que Kaplan usa como base de toda la lectura.

«The Kabbalists state that the letter Chet represents the Sefirah of Yesod-Foundation, which parallels the male organ. This organ contains two ducts, one for reproduction, and one for discharging waste, and these are represented by the two legs of the Chet (Shaar RaShBY, on Zohar 1:3a). The duct involved in reproduction is the source of good, while that involved in discharging waste is the source of evil.» — los dos conductos del órgano masculino leídos en las dos patas de la Chet, con el bien y el mal repartidos entre ellos.

«The primary concept of the Chet is that of an opening from below, and this is indicated by the form of the letter, which is actually closed on three sides, and open on the bottom. This is reinforced by the Patach under the Chet, since the word Patach literally means “opening.”» — la apertura por abajo como concepto rector de la letra, reforzada por el nombre del punto vocálico.

«The author states that the Chet in the word Ruach alludes to the three directions or winds —Ruch-ot in Hebrew — which are closed. These closed directions are south, east and west, corresponding respectively to the Sefirot of Chesed-Love, Tiferet-Beauty, and Yesod-Foundation. The only open direction is the north, which corresponds to Gevurah-Strength.» — las tres direcciones cerradas y la única abierta, con su sefirá cada una.

«The concept of Chesed-Love is that of freely giving, while that of Gevurah-Strength is that of restraint. When it is said that Strength is restraint, it is in the sense of the teaching, “Who is strong, he who restrains his urge” (Avot 4:1). It is obvious that man can restrain his nature, but if man can do so, then God certainly can. God's nature, however, is to do good, and therefore, when He restrains His nature, the result is evil. The Sefirah of Gevurah-Strength is therefore seen as the source of Evil.» — el argumento con que Kaplan hace de la Fuerza la fuente del Mal: si la naturaleza de Dios es hacer el bien, restringirla produce el mal.

«North is associated with evil in many places (see 162,163, 199). It is said to be “open,” since the existence of evil opens the door for free will.» — y por qué esa dirección se declara abierta: el mal abre la puerta al libre albedrío.

«The “stormy wind,” “great cloud,” and “burning fire,” mentioned by Ezekiel are said to represent the three Husks (Klipot) of evil (Zohar 2:203a). These Husks are the source of all evil, and in this verse, are associated with the North.» — las tres klipot que Kaplan lee en la visión de Ezequiel, siguiendo al Zohar.

«The Husk closest to the physical world is fire, and it is this that destroys and punishes. It is for this reason that the punishment of Gehenom is said to be fire (see Etz Chaim, Shaar Kitzur ABYA 4).» — la klipá de fuego como razón de que el castigo de Gehenom se figure como fuego.

«The Sefirah of Gevurah-Strength corresponds to the second day of creation. The Talmud states that in the account of creation, the phrase, “it was good,” does not occur on the second day, since it was on this day that the fires of Gehenon were created (Pesachim 54a).» — el dato talmúdico que Kaplan aduce: en el segundo día falta la fórmula *era bueno*.

«35. The attribute of strict justice would demand immediate punishment for any sin. The attribute of mercy, however, delays punishment, giving man a chance to repent.» — la diferencia entre justicia y misericordia reducida por Kaplan a una cuestión de plazo.

«36. (See notes and illustration) The letter Dalet consists of two lines, one from right to left on top, and the other straight down on the right side. The first line connects Chakhmah-Wisdom to Binah-Understanding, while the second line connects Chakhmah-Wisdom to Chesed-Love. The vowel associated with Chakhmah-Wisdom is Patach, while Segol is associated with Chesed-Love.» — las dos líneas de la Dalet leídas como dos conexiones sefiróticas, con su punto vocálico cada una.

«The word Dalet means door, while the word Patach means opening. Since Chakhmah-Wisdom represents our highest perception» — el juego entre puerta y apertura que hace de la Sabiduría el sitio por donde Dios se revela; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«Segol is related to the word Segulah, a remedy that works for no apparent reason. Segol thus parallels the Sefirah of Chesed-Love, which gives freely, even without reason. The Sefirah of Gevurah-Strength, on the other hand, restrains, and only gives that which is earned with strict justice.» — el Segol emparejado con el Amor por la vía de *Segulah*, remedio que obra sin razón aparente.

«The two “doors of the world” are Patach and Segol. Patach is a natural opening, while Segol is the opening that gives even without reason. Both are in the door that is the Dalet.» — las dos puertas del mundo, la natural y la que da sin razón, alojadas ambas en la Dalet.

«The level of the Throne is Binah-Understanding. It is called a Throne because, in general, the concept of sitting is that of lowering. Therefore, when we say that God “sits,” we actually mean that He is lowering His essence so as to be concerned with His universe and comprehended by it. The Throne is the vehicle through which God “sits” and thus lowers Himself, and this is the concept of Binah-Understanding, through which we comprehend God.» — el Trono identificado con la Comprensión, y el sentarse leído como rebajamiento.

«Understanding is normally in the head. But its counterpart in the lower Sefirot is Gevurah-Strength, which parallels the left arm. Thus, this Throne is sometimes on the “head,” and sometimes on the “arm.” This then parallels the Tefillin worn on both the head and the left arm (Deuteronomy 6:8).» — Kaplan enlaza la doble posición del Trono con los tefilín de la cabeza y del brazo.

«Alluded to here are the Tefillin worn by God, mentioned in the Talmud (Berakhot 7a). When we wear Tefillin, they parallel those of God, and they bring us near to God insofar as they help us to resemble Him. Of course, God's Tefillin are not physical, but refer to special concepts associated with the appropriate Sefirot.» — los tefilín que el Talmud atribuye a Dios, que Kaplan aclara que no son físicos.

«In a sense, our wearing Tefillin thus “lowers” God toward us, and allows us to partake of His essence. This, however, is the concept of a Throne, as mentioned above. This might seem to indicate that we should make the Tefillin in the form of a chair and sit on them, but this would not be properly respectful.» — la consecuencia que Kaplan plantea y descarta: si los tefilín son trono, habría que sentarse en ellos.

«The author then states that God wears His Tefillin in the open Mem. This is the concept of Binah-Understanding, the supernal Mother, when She descends to encompass and protect the lower Sefirot, which are Her “children.” This descent is the mystery of the supernal Womb (see 84).» — la Mem abierta como descenso de la Madre suprema sobre sus hijas, misterio del Útero.

«which the embryo is formed in the Womb. These forty also parallel the Ten Sefirot in each of the four boxes of the head Tefillin (see 50).» — el valor cuarenta de la Mem ligado a los cuarenta días de formación del embrión; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«38. The main theme here is the fact that God has maximum pleasure when evil is transformed into good. Man was given free will so as to overcome evil, this being the purpose of creation. When evil is overcome, this purpose is fulfilled, and this is God's “pleasure.”» — la tesis central que Kaplan atribuye al §38: el placer divino está en que el mal se transforme en bien.

«In a deeper sense, the more one overcomes evil, the more he makes use of his free will, and in doing so, the more he resembles God.» — y su corolario, que vencer el mal aumenta la semejanza con Dios.

«40. The vowel point Cholem corresponds to the Sefirah of Tiferet-Beauty, which is the essence of Zer Anpin, the Supernal Man.» — el punto Cholem asignado a la Belleza y al Hombre Supremo.

«This is also the concept of the soul. In general, the vowel points are considered to be the souls of the letters (116). In the case of the Cholem, however, the vowel point also often includes the letter Vav. It is thus a vowel point associated with a letter, alluding to the soul as manifest in the body.» — los puntos vocálicos como almas de las letras, y el Cholem como alma manifiesta en cuerpo.

«If primary attention is given to the soul, then the body is also strong in the World to Come. This is speaking of the body after the resurrection, which is strengthened to such an extent by the soul that it becomes immortal (see Derekh HaShem 1:3:13). The main strength of the body is the fact that it resembles the Supernal Man, represented by the Cholem.» — la inmortalidad del cuerpo resucitado, que Kaplan remite al Derekh HaShem.

«42. The Vowel point Chirek parallels the Sefirah of Netzach-Victory.» — el punto Chirek asignado a Netzach.

«As discussed earlier, Netzach-Victory represents the primary purpose in creation, while Hod-Splendor is that which is secondary (30). Evil is a result of the secondary elements of creation, since its purpose is only to allow free choice to exist, and thus bring about the primary purpose, which is man's attachment to God. Since Evil is associated with the “backward side” (Acharayim) or “Other Side” (Sitra Achara), it derives its primary nourishment from Hod-Splendor.» — Kaplan deriva el mal de Hod y no de Netzach, y lo concilia con su tesis anterior haciendo de Hod un vástago de Gevurah.

«Ice, on the other hand, is frozen water, and indicates the concept of water when it is transformed into a state of permanence. This is related to Netzach-Victory, since the word Netzach also has the connotation of permanence and eternity. This alludes to man's permanent state, which is in the World to Come, where “the righteous sit, delighting in the radiance of the Divine Presence” (Berakhot 17a). The angels seen by Ezekiel are always in such a state, and regarding them it is therefore written, “above their head was a likeness of fearsome ice” (Ezekiel 1:22).» — el hielo como agua permanente, emparejado con Netzach por el sentido de eternidad, y con los ángeles de Ezequiel.

«Hair is something that comes from a living creature, but in itself, is not alive. It thus represents an extreme lowering of status, non-life emanating from life. It is also a self-made garment that conceals the living creature.» — el cabello leído como no-vida que sale de lo vivo y como vestido que oculta.

«God-s primary purpose in creation was that He should be able to reveal Himself to His handiwork, this being the greatest possible good that He can bestow. This is then the level of Netzach-Victory, the primary purpose.» — Kaplan enuncia el propósito primario de la creación: que Dios pueda revelarse; el impreso escribe *God-s*.

«thing could tolerate God's unrestricted Light. Therefore, as a secondary concept, God must constrict His essence, and lower and conceal His light. This is alluded to by “hair.” It is also the level of Hod-Splendor, the secondary purpose.» — y su condición: la ocultación es secundaria y necesaria, y ésa es Hod; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«Baldness, the removal of hair, alludes to the Ultimate Future, when no concealment will be necessary and man will experience God to the greatest degree possible. At this time, the primary purpose, represented by the Chirek and Netzach-Victory, will be revealed.» — la calvicie como figura del Futuro Último, cuando la ocultación deje de hacer falta.

«The first Voice is Chesed-Love, and is therefore represented by water.» — la primera de las siete Voces del §45 asignada al Amor.

«The second Voice is Gevurah-Strength. The first verse, from Isaiah, shows that Gevurah-Strength is represented by a hand, but does not indicate which hand. The next verse, in its entirety reads, “My hand has founded the earth, My right hand has spread out the heavens.” This indicates that an unspecified “hand” refers to the left hand. Hence, the second Voice, Gevurah-Strength, parallels the left hand (see 145).» — la segunda Voz, con el argumento filológico que hace de la mano no especificada la izquierda.

«The third Voice is Hod-Splendor, as indicated by the verses quoted. The fourth Voice is Yesod-Foundation, and this is always alluded to by the bow. The fifth Voice is Tiferet-Beauty, which makes peace between fire and water (see 11). The sixth Voice is Netzach-Victory, which also has the connotation of permanence and eternity. It is thus alluded to in the word “eternity.” The seventh Voice is Malkhut-Kingship, which is alluded to by “Glory.”» — el reparto de las cinco Voces restantes entre las sefirot.

«This ordering differs from the conventional ordering of the Sefirot insofar as Hod-Splendor and Yesod-Foundation are transposed with Tiferet-Beauty and Netzach-Victory.» — Kaplan registra aquí la divergencia de orden del Bahir sin corregirla: Hod y Yesod cambiados por Tiferet y Netzach.

«46. This teaches another aspect of Netzach-Victory, namely that it is the source of revelation and prophecy. This is the same as the fire of Elijah, mentioned in 44.» — Kaplan hace de Netzach la fuente de la revelación y la profecía.

«47. This indicates that they saw only the Sefirot, but not God Himself. Furthermore, they saw only the lowest seven of the Ten Sefirot. They did not see the “throat,” indicating that they had no perception of anything above the “neck,” namely the Sefirot of Chakhmah-Wisdom, Binah-Understanding, and Keter-Crown. These are discussed in 49.» — el límite de la visión del Sinaí según Kaplan: solo las siete inferiores, nada por encima del cuello.

«48. It is this section that the concept of the Ten Sefirot is introduced. The inferior seven Sefirot parallel the seven days of creation, and have already been discussed in 45. Besides the seven days, creation also involved Ten Sayings (Avot 5:1). Similarly, even though the revelation at Sinai involved Ten Commandments, it consisted of seven Voices.» — Kaplan localiza en el §48 la introducción efectiva de las diez sefirot.

«The answer given is that the ten “were expressed with a single word.” The Ten represent an internal concept, which is expressed externally as a single idea. This is because the Ten represent a complete structure. The seven, on the other hand, are an incomplete structure, and are therefore seen as separate entities (See Etz Chaim, Shaar HaMelachim 5).» — la respuesta a por qué diez se expresan como siete: lo interno es completo, lo externo no.

«49. The Ten are divided into two groups, seven Voices and ten Sayings. The lowest of the Ten Sefirot are usually called Attributes (Midot), while the highest three are called Mentalities (Mochin). An Attribute is something that is externalized, while a Mentality or mental process is completely internal. Similarly, a “voice” is externalized, while a “saying” without voice is not.» — la distinción entre Atributos y Mentalidades, y entre voz y dicho, que Kaplan usa como criterio.

«The Ten Kings mentioned here are the same as those in 27. The Sefirot are called Kings in many places in Kabbalistic literature, especially in their state in the Universe of Chaos before the rectification (see comment on 11). These are alluded to by the Kings of Edom at the end of Genesis 36. They are called “kings,” since a king only takes from his subjects, and does not contribute to the economy of his kingdom. Similarly, these Sefirot of the Universe of Chaos could only receive, but could not give.» — por qué las sefirot se llaman reyes: un rey toma de sus súbditos y no aporta a la economía del reino.

«Of the three Sefirot mentioned here, only Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding are mentioned explicitly. With regard to Keter-Crown, we are merely warned not to speculate into its mysteries.» — el límite que Kaplan señala en el propio texto: de la Corona solo se advierte que no se especule.

«50. In Kabbalistic terminology, the word “glory” always refers to a garment (cf. Shabbat 113a). It also alludes to the Sefirah of Malkhut-Kingship. A garment serves two purposes, to conceal and to reveal. With respect to God, the concept of “garment” conceals His true Essence, while at the same time, attenuating it so that it can be revealed.» — la gloria como vestidura, que oculta y a la vez atenúa para revelar.

«The verse, “the beginning of Your word is truth (EMeT),” speaks of the three steps preceding the seven days of creation. The word Emet is spelled Alef Mem Tav, which are the first, middle, and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. As such, they refer to the concepts of past, present and future. These parallel the Sefirot of Chakhmah-Wisdom, Keter-Crown, and Binah-Understanding, which are hidden.» — las tres letras de *Emet* leídas como pasado, presente y futuro, y asignadas a las tres sefirot ocultas.

«As discussed earlier, Chakhmah-Wisdom parallels the past, while Binah-Understanding is the future (see comment on 30.). Keter-Crown is the eternal present, since it exists on a plane that is totally above time. This level, however, is totally beyond comprehension, and is therefore represented by the quasi-Sefirah Daat-Knowledge, which is the concept of the interface between Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding. This is the temporal present, which is the interface between past and future. The internal concept of Keter-Crown is thus externalized as Daat-Knowledge (see 186).» — la Corona como presente eterno, y Daat como su versión externalizada.

«The four basic steps of creation also imply four universes, each with its own inhabitants. The inhabitants of the lower three universes are species of angels. They are given in the following Table:» — los cuatro universos y sus habitantes, que el volumen presenta en una tabla.

«The “glory of kings” refers to the level of Malkhut-Kingship, which is the Universe of Asiyah-Making. The angels of this Universe, which are the spokesmen of expression, are called Ophanim.» — los Ofanim como ángeles del universo más bajo y voceros de la expresión.

«51. Here the Sefirot are discussed in greater detail. Since Keter-Crown cannot be probed, the first Sefirah discussed is Chakhmah-Wisdom.» — Kaplan empieza el recuento detallado por la Sabiduría, porque la Corona no se sondea.

«In Kabbalistic teachings, Binah-Understanding is said to be the source of souls, and it is therefore called the Supernal Mother (Ima Ila'ah). As mentioned above, the level of Binah-Understanding is the Universe of Beriyah-Creation, and it is in this Universe that Neshamah souls originate.» — la Comprensión como Madre Suprema y fuente de las almas Neshamá.

«As discussed earlier, Chakhmah-Wisdom is the past, while Binah-Understanding is the future, and therefore, the concept of time originates from the confluence of these two Sefirot. The complete concept of time is therefore defined only on the level of Binah-Understanding. Since man can only function within the framework of time, his soul originates from this level, which is where time originates.» — el argumento por el que el alma humana nace en ese nivel: es donde queda definido el tiempo.

«On a more basic level, water is the essence of change. Once time is defined by Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding, the concept of change can also be defined. The liquid state is the essence of change, while the solid state is permanence.» — el agua como esencia del cambio, frente al sólido como permanencia.

«Of these five, only the lowest three enter into man's being. The higher two, Chayah-Vitality and Yechidah-Uniqueness, are considered to be Envelopments (Makifin), which do not directly influence man.» — Kaplan reparte los cinco niveles del alma: solo tres entran en el hombre, dos quedan como Envolturas.

«One reason for this is that the highest of two levels exist on a realm above time (see comment on 51). These levels will only enter into man's being in the World to Come.» — y la razón: los dos altos están sobre el tiempo y solo llegan en el Mundo Venidero.

«The concept of these parts of the soul can be understood by the analogy of a glassblower. A breath leaves the glassblower's lips, travels through his blowing tube as a wind, and finally rests in the object that he is forming, shaping it as he desires. The breath is the Neshamah-Breath, which has this literal meaning. It is alluded to in the verse, “And God blew in his nostrils a breath (Neshamah) of life” (Genesis 2:7). This is transmitted down to man in the form of a “wind,” which is the level of Ruach-Windspirit. When it rests in man, it is called Nefesh-Soul, which comes from the root Nafash, meaning “to rest.”» — la analogía del soplador de vidrio, con que Kaplan explica los tres niveles inferiores por el trayecto del aliento.

«In this scheme, the level of Chayah-Vitality would represent the breath before it even leaves the Blower, while it is still an integral part of his life force. The level of Yechidah-Uniqueness would be the very desire that wills Him to breath.» — y su extensión a los dos niveles altos, hasta el deseo mismo de soplar; el impreso da *to breath* por *to breathe*.

«The reason for this involves an important concept. God's primary purpose in creation was to give. Since creation cannot accept all that God has to give, He must also restrain. The concept of restraint therefore fulfills a secondary function in creation. Silver and Chesed-Love represent giving, and are thus on a higher level than gold and Gevurah-Strength, which represent restraint.» — la razón por la que el oro vale más que la plata siendo inferior: lo retenido es siempre mayor que lo dado.

«But even though giving is higher than restraint, that which is withheld is always greater than that which is given. Indeed, the reason why it is held back is precisely because it is too high to be given. Thus, that which is given is silver, while that which is withheld is the more valuable gold. This is evidenced by the five levels of the soul, where the two highest are held back.» — la formulación completa de esa asimetría, con los dos niveles altos del alma como prueba.

«In the sense that it is represented here, the word HaZahav (“the gold,” HZHV) is actually a reversal of the Tetragrammaton YHVH, with the Zayin replacing the Yud.» — el hallazgo gráfico de Kaplan: *HaZahav* invierte el Tetragrámaton con Zayin en lugar de Yud.

«54. The above concept is developed more fully here. The King is Chakhmah-Wisdom, while his daughter is Malkhut-Kingship, the archetypal feminine element. She is bound to the Male, and for this reason he is represented by the letter Zayin, as above. It is this Daughter that gives birth to all creation.» — la parábola del §54 leída como Sabiduría y Reinado, con la Hija pariendo la creación.

«In order for creation to be independent of the King, He must divorce Himself from it. Yet, at the same time, He must also remain intimately connected with it, this being the primary paradox of creation (see 1). The King therefore constrains Himself, but leaves a “window” through which He can communicate with His daughter. The window restrains, but it can be opened.» — la ventana como solución de la paradoja del §1, que restringe pero puede abrirse.

«The window is the letter Heh, which is said to represent the five levels of the soul. Even though God conceals Himself from man, the soul is the window to God.» — la ventana identificada con la Heh y con los cinco niveles del alma: el alma es la ventana a Dios.

«The verse thus says that the King's Daughter is hidden, not only from the King, but also from us. The garment that hides her is gold, the concept of restraint.» — y la vestidura de oro que la esconde, que es la restricción misma.

«55. As discussed earlier (in 51, 53), the highest level of the soul that we experience is Neshamah-Breath, which is the level of Binah-Understanding. It is only in the Future World that we will reach the level of Chakhmah-Wisdom, which is the level of Chayah-Vitality.» — el techo de la experiencia presente según Kaplan: la Neshamá, y solo en el futuro la Jayá.

«57. The seven lower Sefirot are alluded to by “heaven” and “earth.” “Heaven” are the six, while “earth” is Malkhut-Kingship (see 30).» — el reparto de las siete inferiores entre cielo y tierra.

«The level of the body is to work to earn sustenance, while the level of the soul is to receive it as a free gift. During the six days of labor we must earn everything that we obtain with “motivation from below,” while on the Sabbath it is given as a free gift. This “sustains souls.”» — la diferencia entre los seis días y el sábado dicha en términos económicos: ganar frente a recibir gratis.

«58. The Sabbath represents Malkhut-Kingship, the primary female element, and the womb from which all souls originate. In Kabbalistic teachings, “word” also alludes to Malkhut-Kingship.» — el Sábado como Reinado y útero de las almas.

«The “covenant” is the Sefirah of Yesod-Foundation, which parallels the male sex organ. It is through the coupling of Male and Female that souls are begotten. The covenant of Abraham involved circumcision of the male sex organ, since Abraham and his children would then be able to transmit souls begotten by the supernal Male and Female (see 82, 168).» — el Pacto como Fundación, y la circuncisión de Abraham como habilitación para transmitir almas.

«This covenant is said to be between the “ten fingers and ten toes.” The ten fingers allude to the Ten Sefirot that gives (see 138). This is the concept of “motivation from above.” The ten toes, on the other hand, represent the Ten Sefirot that receive from below, just as the feet are supported by the ground beneath them.» — los diez dedos de manos y pies leídos como dos series de diez sefirot, la que da y la que recibe.

«The concept that unifies these two sets of ten is the sexual organ, which begets souls. As mentioned above (53), the soul is the “window” to God, and is thus the channel through which the “hands” give and the “feet” receive.» — y el órgano sexual como lo que une las dos series, por ser el que engendra almas.

«highest souls through the covenant of circumcision, he was ashamed, for he had already begotten Ishmael while uncircumcised. God then told him that he would be the “father of many nations,” and that even though Ishmael was already born, his main fulfillment would be through Isaac.» — la vergüenza de Abraham por Ismael y la respuesta divina; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«59. In this context, water refers to Chakhmah-Wisdom, while fire is Binah-Understanding (see HaGra on Sefer Yetizrah 1:11, 12). This is also alluded to in the word EMeT — “Truth.” (see 50). Even though it is usually said that water is Chesed-Love and fire is Gevurah-Strength, here they allude to Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding. This is no contradiction, since Chakhmah-Wisdom is the root of Chesed-Love, while Binah-Understanding is the root of Gevurah-Strength (29).» — Kaplan cambia aquí la asignación de fuego y agua y declara por qué no es contradicción.

«“Heaven” alludes to the six Sefirot of Zer Anpin, which correspond to the six days of creation. These are born out of the union of Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding, the supernal Father and Mother, fire and water.» — el cielo como nacido de la unión del Padre y la Madre supremos.

«The concept of “peace and love” is that of rectification (2). Once the Sefirot can interact and communicate with each other, they can be rectified to form Personifications (Partzuftm). The most important of these Personifications is Zer Anpin (Small Face), which consists of these six Sefirot, and is alluded to in the word “Heaven.”» — Kaplan enlaza la paz del §59 con la rectificación del §2 y con la formación de Zer Anpin.

«The reply is that they must look carefully at the verse. “Righteous” always refers to the Sefirah of Yesod-Foundation, since it is written, “The Righteous is the Foundation of the world” (Proverbs 10:25).» — la clave que Kaplan repite para todo el libro: el Justo es siempre la Fundación.

«In Kabbalistic teachings, “Judgment” is Zer Anpin itself. Thus, six of the seven Sefirot are “Judgment,” which are the six of Zer Anpin.» — y la identificación del Juicio con Zer Anpin, que da seis de las siete.

«61. The letter Tzadi here is meant to represent the Sefirah of Yesod-Foundation, the Righteous One (Tzadik). The Yud represents Chakhmah-Wisdom, the first letter of YHVH.» — la descomposición de la Tzadi en Yud y Nun, con las cincuenta puertas de la Comprensión.

«When Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding come together in the union between the supernal Father and Mother, then there can also be a union between the Male and Female, Zer Anpin and Malkhut-Kingship. The union between Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding, the Father and Mother, is called Daat-Knowledge indicates union and intercourse, as in the verse, “And Adam knew his wife” (Genesis 4:1). This is also the mystery of the Talmudic adage, “There can be no erection without Knowledge” (Yevamot53b).» — Kaplan define Daat como unión e intercourse y lo apoya en una sentencia talmúdica cruda; el impreso pega *Yevamot53b*.

«The letter Tzadi is doubled, indicating that it is male and female (see 83). The Tazdi thus represents Yesod-Foundation, the sexual organs of both the male and the female. Both are aroused when the Mentalities, Chakmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding are brought together.» — la Tzadi doble como los dos sexos, excitados a la vez cuando se unen las Mentalidades; el impreso da *Chakmah* y *Tazdi*.

«The statement that Binah-Understanding extends to Hod-Splendor, the left foot, may seem to contradict the statement that it extends to the “chest” of Zer Anpin. However, the Yesod-Foundation of Imma-Mother, the Personification of Binah-Understanding, extends to the “chest,” while Hod-Splendor of Imma-Mother extends to Hod-Splendor of Zer Anpin.» — la contradicción interna que Kaplan señala y resuelve distinguiendo dos extensiones de la Madre.

«63. In a variant reading, the answer is, “Mother, thus Ben Zomah is outside …” He is therefore replying that Binah-Understanding is Imma-Mother (see 104).» — la lectura variante que Kaplan consigna del §63, con la respuesta cambiada a *Madre*.

«The Thirty-two Paths are said to pertain to the heart, and therefore pertain to Binah-Understanding. In Sefer Yetzirah, however, they are called the Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom, and thus would appear to pertain to Chakhmah-Wisdom rather than to Binah-Understanding.» — la dificultad que Kaplan plantea: el Bahir pone las Treinta y dos Sendas en el corazón y el Sefer Yetzirah en la Sabiduría.

«The Ari reconciles this difficulty with the Zoharic statement that “Father and Mother never separate (Zohar 3:290b).» — la solución que Kaplan toma del Ari, apoyada en la sentencia zohárica de que Padre y Madre nunca se separan; la capa de texto repite una cláusula entera y omite la comilla de cierre.

«In Kabbalistic literature, these Thirty-Two Paths represent the thirty-two times that God's name Elohim occurs in the first chapter of Genesis. Elohim is the Name that parallels the Sefirah of Binah-Understanding. Here, the author states that “with them the world was created.”» — las Treinta y dos Sendas contadas como las treinta y dos veces que Elohim aparece en el primer capítulo del Génesis.

«The concept of the heart, which consists of the letters Lamed Bet, also represent the Torah as a whole. The first letter of the Torah is a Bet, while the final letter is a Lamed.» — el corazón como la Torá entera, por sus letras inicial y final.

«As discussed earlier (in 30), the Ten Sefirot represent the ten basic directions of a five-dimensional hyperspace. Keter-Crown and Malkhut-Kingship define the good-evil dimension, Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding define the time dimension, while the other six define the three dimensional space continuum. Two to the fifth power is thirty-two, and therefore, this is the number of corners in a five-dimensional hypercube (see 95).» — la lectura geométrica de Kaplan: treinta y dos son los vértices de un hipercubo de cinco dimensiones.

«Although the source of revelation is Netzach-Victory and Hod-Splendor, all revelation ultimately comes through Malkhut-Kingship, which is the Female. This is also the Divine Presence (Shekhinah). Therefore, it is primarily through the Daughter that the Thirty-two Paths are revealed.» — y por qué las Sendas se revelan por la Hija: toda revelación pasa por el Reinado.

«The concept of the Female, however, is divided into two concepts, which in Kabbalistic teachings are represented by Jacob's two wives, Leah and Rachel. Rachel is the Female concept that stems from Malkhut-Kingship proper. Leah, on the other hand, is actually Malkhut-Kingship of Imma-Mother (Binah-Understanding), and as such, represents the lowest level of Imma-Mother, which is in the place of Malkhut-Kingship. Normally, Leah is seen as being above Rachel.» — las dos caras de lo femenino repartidas entre Raquel y Lea, con Lea por encima.

«Since both Zer Anpin and Rachel come from the womb of Imma-Mother, they are represented as brother and sister. They are also husband and wife, this being the meaning of “my sister, my bride” (Song of Songs 4:9,5:1). The Female is also the “daughter” of Zer Anpin, since, like Eve, she was derived from the rib of her mate. Furthermore, since one aspect of the Female is Leah, who is actually the lowest level of Imma-Mother, she is actually in part also Zer Anpin's mother.» — las cuatro relaciones de parentesco simultáneas entre Zer Anpin y la Femenina, que Kaplan enumera sin resolver.

«65. In Hebrew, Solomon is Shlomoh, from the root Shalom, meaning “peace” (see I Chronicles 22:9). As discussed earlier, Peace is the attribute of Daat-Knowledge, which is the concept of union and reconciliation, especially between male and female. The word Shalom — peace — comes from the same root as Shalem, which means perfect and complete. In particular, neither the male nor the female is complete without the other.» — Kaplan enlaza el nombre de Salomón con Daat y con la idea de completud recíproca de los sexos.

«Shalom (ShaLOM) is spelled with a Vav, while Shlomoh (ShLoMoH) is spelled with a Heh. As discussed earlier, the Vav represents the Male, while Heh is the Female. Shlomoh-Solomon is therefore the concept of “Peace” in Malkhut-Kingship, the Female. Shlomoh-Solomon is therefore said to be “The King to whom Peace belongs” (Shavuot 35b, Rashi on Song of Songs 1:1). God therefore told Solomon that his name was like the name of “My Glory,” since Glory always refers to the Sefirah of Malkhut-Kingship.» — el argumento gráfico: la Heh final de *Shlomoh* pone la paz en lo femenino.

«Wisdom was then given to Solomon through the “daughter” which is also the Sefirah of Malkhut-Kingship. It is an important Kabbalistic teaching that Malkhut-Kingship is the Sefirah through which all others are revealed. Since Solomon made himself a counterpart of Malkhut-Kingship, he could draw through it.» — y la consecuencia: Salomón recibe la sabiduría haciéndose contraparte del Reinado.

«66. The “Congregation of Israel” refers to the souls of Israel, both past and future. Although they frequently intervene for mankind, they do not do so when man sins. This is related to the teaching that God consulted with the souls of the righteous at the time of creation (Bereshit Rabbah 8:7).» — la Congregación de Israel identificada con las almas, y su intervención acotada por el pecado.

«Here it is evident that the primary purpose of the seven Sefirot of Zer Anpin and the Female is to control providence. They act as a feedback mechanism, dealing with man according to his deeds.» — el papel que Kaplan asigna a las siete sefirot inferiores: mecanismo de retroalimentación de la providencia.

«At the beginning of Etz Chaim (“Tree of Life”), the Ari makes the following statement: “When it arose in His Will to create the universe, to bestow good to His handiwork, that they should» — la frase del Ari con que Kaplan abre su lectura de la finalidad de la creación; la cita sigue en la plana siguiente.

«recognize His greatness, and be worthy of being a vehicle for the supernal, to cleave to Him.”» — la segunda mitad de esa frase, que Kaplan reparte entre los cinco Partzufim.

«Arikh Anpin is thus the hidden Will of God, which cannot be probed. It represents God's own motivation in creating the world, which is beyond the realm of human understanding and wisdom.» — Arikh Anpin como la voluntad oculta, que Kaplan declara fuera del alcance humano.

«The highest purpose that can be probed is that God created the universe in order to bestow good to His handiwork. This is the level of Abba-Father and Chakhmah-Wisdom.» — el propósito más alto que sí puede sondearse, asignado al Padre y a la Sabiduría.

«Zer Anpin is what is usually referred to as the “Supernal Man,” and it is with regard to Zer Anpin that it is written that “God made man in His image” (Genesis 1:27). In the spiritual realm, when two things resemble each other, they are said tobe in proximity, and one can be a vehicle for the other. Therefore, since man is a counterpart of Zer Anpin, it is through Zer Anpin that man can become a vehicle for the supernal.» — Zer Anpin como Hombre Supremo, y la semejanza como vehículo; el impreso pega *tobe*.

«Man then binds himself to the Female, just as the male cleaves to the female in a physical sense. The Female is the Divine Presence (Shekhinah). This binding is the ultimate delight of the World to Come, and it is thus taught, “In the World to Come … the righteous will sit, with their crowns on their heads, delighting in the radiance of the Shekhinah” (Berakhot 17a).» — la unión con la Femenina como delicia del Mundo Venidero, con la sentencia de Berajot.

«Keter-Crown is the Supernal Will, the cause of all things. Chakhmah-Wisdom is similarity, since it represents the fact that God wishes to bestow of His good, and make His handiwork as much like Him as possible.» — el reparto final de las categorías del §30 entre las etapas de la frase del Ari.

«Earning reward is therefore through Zer Anpin, while receiving it is through the Female. Zer Anpin therefore consists of the six Sefirot and corresponds to the six working days, while the Female corresponds to the Sabbath.» — y su consecuencia práctica: se gana por Zer Anpin y se recibe por la Femenina, seis días frente al sábado.

«The Alef also consists of a Yud on the upper right, a Yud on the lower left, and a diagonal line separating the two Yud's (see Fig. 1). The upper Yud is the upper right part of the brain, which is Chakhmah-Wisdom. The lower Yud is the left leg, which is Hod-Splendor, the source of inspiration and prophecy. The line has the shape of a Vav, which represents the six intervening Sefirot.» — la Alef descompuesta en dos Yud y una Vav, cada una con su sefirá.

«The two Yuds each have a numerical value of ten, while the Vav has a value of six. Therefore the two Yuds and the Vav have a total numerical value of twenty-six, which is also the numerical value of the Tetragrammaton YHVH.» — la gematría que hace de esa suma veintiséis, el valor del Tetragrámaton.

«The Name of YHVH is usually said to be the Name that is specific to Zer Anpin. The four letters, however, also allude to the four levels, where Yud is Chakhmah-Wisdom, Heh is Binah-Understanding, Vav is Zer Anpin, and the final Heh is Malkhut-Kingship.» — el reparto habitual de las cuatro letras del Nombre entre cuatro niveles.

«Besides this, however, there is another connotation of the Name YHVH, and this is only evident when the letters are spelled out. The Kabbalists state that there are four such possible spellings, illustrated in Table 4. These four spellings have the numerical values of 72, 63, 45 and 52. They represent the four levels as they exist in Adam Kadmon (Primeval Man), which is the Universe that corresponds to Keter-Crown. (see Introduction to Shaar HaHakdamot).» — las cuatro grafías desarrolladas del Nombre, con sus valores 72, 63, 45 y 52, situadas en Adam Kadmon.

«The name adding up to 45 is thus Zer Anpin, the Supernal Man. Therefore, 45 is also the numerical value of ADaM, the Hebrew word for man.» — la grafía de valor 45 identificada con Zer Anpin y con la palabra ADaM.

«The “Holy Palace” is usually said to be Malkhut-Kingship (see Sefer Yetzirah 4:3). Actually, however, it is the confluence of Keter-Crown, Chakhmah-Wisdom, Binah-Understanding, and Malkhut-Kingship, but it is primarily expressed in Malkhut-Kingship.» — la corrección de Kaplan al lugar común: el Palacio Santo es confluencia de cuatro sefirot, aunque se exprese en el Reinado.

«71. The King here is said to be “talented, hidden and concealed.” The Hebrew for “hidden” here is MuPhla, from the root PeLA, which alludes to Keter-Crown. As mentioned earlier, PeLA therefore has the same letters as ALpHh.» — la raíz *PeLA* del §71 remitida a la Corona por sus mismas letras que *Alef*.

«The word Shanim — “years” — has the same letters as the word Sh'nayim, meaning “two.” This alludes to the second Sefirah, which is Chakhmah-Wisdom, the Bet.» — el juego entre *años* y *dos*, que lleva la parábola a la segunda sefirá.

«72. Regarding the pearl, see 72, 190. The “pearl” usually refers to the level of Malkhut-Kingship, but it can also be “embraced with the hands and placed on the head,” which is the level of Keter-Crown.» — la perla con dos lecturas, Reinado y Corona, que Kaplan consigna sin elegir.

«Day is usually said to represent Zer Anpin, while night is the Female. Day is therefore the “great light,” the sun, which is Zer Anpin, while the moon is the Female. Since “day” is Zer Anpin, and “years are made from days,” years are also in Zer Anpin. Actually, time is completed with the Sefirah of Binah-Understanding, and only begins to function within the realm of Zer Anpin (see Pardes Rimonim 18:3).» — el reparto de día y noche entre Zer Anpin y la Femenina, con la precisión de que el tiempo se completa en la Comprensión.

«“Life” indicates the Sefirah of Yesod-Foundation, and it denotes the sexual organ when it is “alive,” that is, during intercourse. Years are constructed through a measuring of the sun and moon, day and night, a confluence of male and female.» — *Vida* leída como el órgano sexual en acto, y los años como confluencia de sol y luna.

«The word for day, Yom, has the same root as Yam, which means west (and sea). This is the direction of Yesod-Foundation, the concept of “life” and the “pearl.”» — la raíz común de *día* y *oeste*, que ata el día a la Fundación.

«four hours, consisting of both day and night. This is the confluence of Zer Anpin and the Female mentioned above. Zer Anpin is to the east of the Female, facing the west, and the “seed” therefore comes from the east.» — la respuesta que resuelve la contradicción de direcciones: el día de veinticuatro horas incluye a los dos; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«The concept of Shechakim usually refers to the Sefirot of Netzach-Victory and Hod-Splendor. As discussed earlier, these two Sefirot are the source of prophecy, vision and inspiration. The concept of a vision both reveals and hides, allowing only what is fitting to be seen. The vision therefore contains “thick clouds,” since we only see God through a “thick cloud.”» — el término *Shechakim* como visión que revela y oculta a la vez, con la nube espesa del Sinaí.

«There are two modes through which God judges the world, the Attribute of Judgment (Midat HaDin), and the Attribute of Mercy (Midat HaRachamim). The Attribute of Judgment demands a single, fixed, unmitigated response for any wrong, while the Attribute of Mercy admits a number of mitigated responses. Therefore, Judgment comes from the Female, which is derived from a single Sefirah, Malkhut-Kingship, and therefore has just one single response. Zer Anpin, on the other hand, is constructed from six Sefirot, and therefore allows an infinite blend of responses. It is therefore the source of the Attribute of Mercy.» — Kaplan deriva la diferencia entre Juicio y Misericordia de la aritmética sefirótica: una sola sefirá da una sola respuesta, seis dan infinitas.

«Actually, however, all providence ultimately comes from the Sefirah of Malkhut-Kingship, this being the definition of the word. But in order for Malkhut-Kingship to act in a mode of Mercy, it must be bound to Zer Anpin, this being the concept of the Supernal Union. This Union, however, takes place through Yesod-Foundation, the sex organ, which is also called Righteous (Tzadik).» — el matiz que sigue: toda providencia pasa por el Reinado, y la misericordia exige la Unión Suprema.

«Yesod-Foundation, however, has two modes, one of celibacy, and one of intercourse. The Righteous is one who is “separated from sex,” and therefore, when it is in this mode, it is called, “the Righteous, the Foundation of the world.” The word “world” here is Olam, also having the connotation of Elam — “Hidden” (10). Therefore, Yesod-Foundation is called Righteous when the sex organ is hidden and not expressed. Similarly, Joseph is called Righteous (Tzadik) precisely because he refused to have intercourse with Potiphar's wife.» — los dos modos de la Fundación, celibato y coito, con José como ejemplo del primero.

«In the second mode, Yesod-Foundation is called Chai — “alive.” It is said to be “alive” when it is functioning during intercourse.» — el segundo modo, llamado *Chai*; la frase anterior queda cortada por el cambio de plana.

«If a person pursues righteousness, then he arouses its counterpart on high and brings about the supernal union. He then “may live and occupy the land.” When the verse says that he will “live,” it means that he will bring Yesod-Foundation into its mode of Chai, which is that of union. He will then occupy the “Land,” which always alludes to the Sefirah of Malkhut-Kingship, which is the Female.» — y su efecto: quien persigue la justicia despierta la unión suprema.

«75. The word “glow” (Nogah) usually refers to the twilight, which is the light of day shining into the night. As discussed above, day is Male, while night is Female, The “glow” of twilight is therefore when the Male intrudes into the Female. It therefore represents the sexual organ of the Female, and is thus said to be “opposite Him”» — el crepúsculo leído como intrusión de lo masculino en lo femenino, y de ahí el órgano femenino; el impreso omite el punto final.

«The other “righteousness” is the male organ, which is the Sefirah of Yesod-Foundation. It frightens the righteous, “Tor there is no man righteous on earth, who does good and does not sin” (Ecclesiastes 7:20). It is more frightening, since sexual righteousness, while possible for a woman, is next to impossible for a man.» — la segunda justicia como órgano masculino, con la asimetría que Kaplan enuncia entre hombre y mujer; el impreso da *Tor* por *for*.

«The author then asks if this “righteousness” is charity. Charity is the concept of giving something freely, without its being earned.» — la pregunta del §75 sobre si esa justicia es caridad.

«If God were to bestow His good freely without its being earned, it would not be a perfect good. For one thing, since it was not earned, it would be the “bread of shame” (Magid Mesharim, Bereshit). Furthermore, since the recipient is receiving without giving, he does not at all resemble God when he receives, and this itself is a concept of shame.» — el argumento de Kaplan contra el don gratuito: sería *pan de vergüenza* y no habría semejanza con Dios.

«Therefore, in order that this good be perfect, it must be earned. This is the concept of “righteousness” (Tzedek), where a fair reward is given for a fair job of earning it.» — y la conclusión: el bien perfecto tiene que ganarse.

«This is also alluded to by the fact that the final letters of the first three words of the Torah, BeReshit Bara Elohim, spell out the word EMeT -“truth”(BaaZ HaTurim ad loc.). In this context, however, the order is reversed, and the letters of EMeT appear as Tav, Alef, Mem, representing Binah-Understanding, Chakhmah-Wisdom, and Daat-Knowledge, respectively, in that order. The order is that of the paradox and its resolution.» — el acróstico de las tres primeras palabras del Génesis, con el orden invertido que Kaplan lee como paradoja y resolución; el impreso da *mens*, *BaaZ HaTurim* y pega *truth*(BaaZ.

«called “holy” insofar as He is utterly divorced from any concept associated with His handiwork.» — la definición de santidad como separación absoluta; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«“Holiness” therefore alludes to the three highest unknowable Sefirot. These are the concept of the “Holy” in the “Holy Palace” (see 70). This level is called “holy” since it is utterly divorced from our conceptions.» — y su consecuencia: la santidad nombra las tres sefirot inaccesibles.

«The concept that connects these three highest Sefirot to the lower seven is called Daat-Knowledge. It thus has the connotation of attachment and connection, as in “Adam knew his wife.” The “years” mentioned here are the seven lower Sefirot, where time exists. The prophet says, “in the midst of years make it known,” that is, through Daat-Knowledge, the highest levels should be revealed in the lower seven Sefirot.» — Daat como el concepto que conecta las tres altas con las siete bajas, con la connotación sexual de *conocer*.

«This is the meaning of “God saw and He knew.” As the result of the deeds of humanity, His “children,” Zer Anpin and the Female can come together, this being the concept of His “knowing” Her. Thus, when the “children” do the King's will, He remembers their Mother.» — la lectura que Kaplan da del §76: las obras humanas provocan la unión, y el Rey se acuerda de la Madre.

«77. This concept is similar to that of 34. The word Rachem, which we translate as “love,” and which is often translated as “mercy,” actually comes from the same root as Rechem, meaning “womb.” Hence, a more precise translation would be “mother-love,” the love that a mother has for the fruit of her womb.» — Kaplan objeta la traducción corriente de *Rachem*: no dice misericordia sino amor de madre, por la raíz de útero.

«Although Malkhut-Kingship is the root of the Attribute of Justice, this Sefirah is also the “womb” from which all souls flow. As mentioned earlier, Atzilut-Nearness is the Universe of the Sefirot, while Beriyah-Creation is the Universe of Souls. The lowest Sefirah of Atzilut-Nearness is Malkhut-Kingship, and it is therefore the Sefirah that is closest to the Universe of Souls, giving birth into it. It is in this sense that it is called a “womb.”» — la paradoja que Kaplan consigna: la misma sefirá es raíz del Juicio y útero de las almas.

«It was King David who said, “I love (Rachem) You, O God my strength.” The attribute of David is Malkhut-Kingship, as discussed many times in the Kabbalistic texts. Since David communed with God through this concept of “mother-love,” which is Malkhut-Kingship, this attribute was given to him (see 75).» — por qué el atributo del Reinado se le da a David: por el modo en que él se comunicó con Dios.

«Solomon represents the union between Male and Female, the concept that brings “peace” (Shalom) to the Female. The elements of Zer Anpin are then able to work through the Female, which is the Divine Presence (Shekhinah), which oversees all providence.» — Salomón como la unión que trae la paz a la Femenina y habilita la providencia.

«The element of Zer Anpin which is most desired to be in operation is that of Chesed-Love, which is the attribute of Abraham (see 135,190,191). It is therefore said that the “seed” should be that of Abraham, which means that the “seed” that Zer Anpin introduces into the Female should derive from Chesed-Love.» — y qué se busca introducir por esa unión: el Amor, que es el atributo de Abraham.

«78. According to the Talmud, the daughter's name was actually Bakol, meaning “With All.” The word “All” always refers to the Sefirah of Yesod-Foundation, which is the sexual organ (see 22). BaKol is literally Bet Kol, where Bet is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and hence indicates the number two. Therefore, BaKol is the “second All,” that is, the second sexual organ, namely that of the Female.» — la lectura de la hija de Abraham como el *segundo Todo*, es decir el órgano femenino.

«God gave Abraham the commandement of Circumcision, which was the rectification of the male sex organ, thus assuring that he would have “seed.” In a physical sense, this meant that he would be able to have children through Sarah, and that he would have descendants until the end of time. It also implied that he would have access to the souls that are begotten by the attribute of Yesod-Foundation. In a purely spiritual sense, however, it meant that Abraham's attribute, which is Chesed-Love, would have “seed” and enter Malkhut-Kingship, the Female, thus influencing all providence.» — el alcance triple que Kaplan asigna a la circuncisión: descendencia, acceso a las almas e influencia sobre la providencia; el impreso da *commandement*.

«The verse then quoted is, “All that is called by My Name for My Glory.” Again, as always, “Glory” refers to Malkhut-Kingship. “My Name” is Sh'mi, literally Shem Yud, “the Name of Yud,” the Yud being the aspect of Chakhmah-Wisdom, the first letter of the Tetragrammaton. The attribute of “All” transmits the Yud, which is Chakhmah-Wisdom, to Glory, which is Malkhut-Kingship, the Female.» — el análisis del versículo de Isaías, que hace de la Fundación el canal de la Sabiduría hacia el Reinado.

«Both here and in 65, Chakhmah-Wisdom is called a “daughter.” This might seem surprising, since Chakhmah- Wisdom is a male element, while “daughter” is usually said to refer to Malkhut-Kingship.» — la anomalía que Kaplan señala: la Sabiduría, elemento masculino, llamada hija.

«The Hebrew word for “daughter,” however is BaT, spelled Bet Tav. As mentioned above, Bet is Chakhmah-Wisdom, while Tav is Malkhut-Kingship. The concept of “Daughter” is therefore the channeling of Chakhmah-Wisdom to Malkhut-Kingship.» — y su solución gráfica, por las dos letras de *BaT*.

«The verse concludes, “I created it, I formed it, and I made it.” “My Glory” is Malkhut-Kingship, the lowest level of Atzilut-Nearness. The lower three universes are then mentioned explicitly: Beriyah-Creation, Yetzirah-Formation, and Asiyah-Making. It is actually from this verse that the mystery of the Four Universes is derived in Kabbalah texts (See Mesechta Atzilut 5).» — los cuatro universos derivados de los tres verbos del mismo versículo.

«In Genesis 26:24, God calls Abraham, “My slave.” The King to whom the slave belongs is the Sefirah of Malkhut-Kingship, the Divine Presence (Shekhinah). It was to this attribute that Abraham first bound himself as a slave. The Talmud therefore states that Abraham was the first one who addressed God by His name Adonoy, which is the Name associated with Malkhut-Kingship (see Table ).» — Kaplan hace de Abraham el primero en llamar a Dios por el Nombre del Reinado, con remisión a una tabla del volumen.

«This Sefirah then gave Abraham over to its “older brother,” which refers to the Sefirah of Yesod-Foundation, the lowest element of Zer Anpin. God then revealed Himself as Shaddai, the Name associated with Yesod-Foundation. He then gave Abraham the commandment of circumcision, which is the rectification of Yesod-Foundation, the male organ.» — la cadena que va del Reinado a la Fundación y de ahí a la circuncisión.

«The concept here is the process through which “motivation from below” brings about “motivation from above.” Abraham bound himself to the aspect of Malkhut-Kingship, and all such binding is, in itself, an aspect of Yesod-Foundation. He was then given the Attribute of Yesod-Foundation, which was the covenant in his body, and he was then worthy of experiencing Malkhut-Kingship “in his place.”» — el ciclo completo de motivación de abajo y de arriba en la carrera de Abraham; el impreso da *Triend* por *friend* en el párrafo anterior.

«79. This verse literally says, “I heard Your hearing.” It is well established that “hearing” refers to Understanding, and therefore, when the prophet said, “I heard Your hearing,” it means that he understood God's Understanding. That is, with his own understanding, he delved into the Sefirah of Binah-Understanding. This is infinite, as it is written, “There is no probing His Understanding” (Isaiah 40:28).» — la lectura literal del versículo de Habacuc, que Kaplan convierte en entender el Entendimiento divino.

«Of the highest three Sefirot, the only one which can in any way be grasped is Binah-Understanding. It is therefore taught that the Torah uses anthropomorphic allegories to “satisfy the ear,” since this is the highest level of our comprehension (see Etz Chaim, Shaar AChaP 2).» — por qué la Torá usa alegorías antropomórficas, según Kaplan: para satisfacer el oído, techo de la comprensión.

«Seeing and hearing respectively correspond to Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding. We can only grasp the Divine with understanding, but not with wisdom. The highest level of our comprehension is therefore Binah-Understanding, the level of the “Ear,” but even here, there is a reflection of Keter-Crown in the Alef of Ozen.» — el reparto de ver y oír entre Sabiduría y Comprensión, con el techo puesto en la segunda.

«When both Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding exist, their confluence creates Daat-Knowledge, which binds them to the body. Therefore the “head” can also be counted. But when only Binah-Understanding is present, there is no Daat-Knowledge, and, since the head cannot effect the body, it is not counted in the mode of the Vav.» — por qué la cabeza cuenta o no en el reparto del cuerpo, según haya o no Daat.

«Malkhut-Kingship. When the quasi-Sefirah, Daat-Knowledge, is also included the center line has five elements. This is the significance of the Nun. Each of these five elements is multiplied by ten, yielding fifty, which is the numerical value of Nun.» — la cuenta de cinco elementos en la columna central que da el valor cincuenta de la Nun; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«This is the concept of the spinal cord, which unites the body with the brain.» — y su lectura anatómica, la médula que une cuerpo y cerebro.

«Above, it was said that the Nun is Binah-Understanding (61). This is because Keter-Crown is only comprehended through Binah-Understanding, this being the concept of the Ear. It is for this reason that the “head” of the Nun is inclined slightly toward the left, indicating the dominance of Binah-Understanding. Nun is also the final letter of Ozen, which means “ear.”» — la conciliación de las dos asignaciones de la Nun, con la inclinación de su cabeza como argumento gráfico.

«This is the concept of the Son, Ben in Hebrew, where the Chakhmah-Wisdom associated with the Bet flows through the Nun to be expressed. The Son usually refers to Zer Anpin.» — la Nun como canal del Hijo, por donde la Sabiduría de la Bet se expresa.

«There are two letters Nun in the Hebrew alphabet, a bent one in the middle of a word, and a straight one at the end of a word. In the bent Nun, instead of going straight down the middle, the line inclines slightly to the right, and then bends sharply to the center. That is, it bends toward Netzach-Victory, and ends at Yesod-Foundation. Yesod-Foundation is the Sefirah that bestows to another, and therefore, such a Nun is in the middle of a word, where it can bestow to the next letter. The straight Nun, on the other hand, “includes male and female,” and since it extends all the way down the middle, includes Malkhut-Kingship as well. Just as Malkhut-Kingship is an end point, so is the final Nun.» — las dos formas de la Nun repartidas entre Yesod y Malkhut por dónde termina cada trazo.

«84. The letter Mem represents the present, which is the womb of the future (see 37, 50). In its external aspect, it represents Daat-Knowledge, while in its internal aspect, it is Keter-Crown. Mem has a numerical value of forty, which consists of four steps, each step containing ten elements. These four steps are Keter-Crown, Chakhmah-Wisdom. Binah-Understanding, and Daat-Knowledge.» — la Mem como presente y útero del futuro, con sus cuatro pasos de diez.

«In the next section, we see that the open Mem, which occurs in the middle of a word, is the female, while the closed Mem, which is at the end of a word, is the male. The letter Mem itself, however, is spelled Mem Mem, with both the open and closed Mem, and it therefore includes both the male and the female. The reason for this is because it contains both Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding, Father and Mother.» — por qué la letra misma incluye los dos sexos: se escribe con la Mem abierta y la cerrada.

«The Mem is the womb open from below to give birth. The Tet, on the other hand, is the womb that is open from above to receive from the Male.» — la diferencia entre Mem y Tet dicha por la dirección de la abertura del útero.

«Understanding, the supernal Mother, and Malkhut-Kingship, the supernal Bride. The Mem is the womb of Binah-Understanding, while the Tet is the womb of Malkhut-Kingship. Since Binah-Understanding is one of the three unfathomable upper Sefirot, it can only be viewed from the outside. Malkhut-Kingship, on the other hand, is the womb of the universe, and hence is visible only on the inside. We are inside the letter Tet, looking upward through its small opening on top.» — y su consecuencia perspectiva: la Tet se ve desde adentro porque estamos dentro de ella; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«85. As mentioned earlier, water represents the concept of change, and this is also the primary concept of birth.» — el agua como cambio y como concepto primario del nacimiento.

«The teaching here includes the entire mystery of Mikvah, the ritual pool used for purification. The Mikvah contains forty Sah's (measures) of water, forty being the numerical value of Mem. The Mikvah thus represents the womb. When a person enters the Mikvah, it is like he re-enters the womb, and when he emerges, it is like he is reborn.» — el misterio del mikve, cuyas cuarenta medidas son el valor de la Mem, leído como reingreso al útero.

«The concept of water contains both male and female aspects. These are alluded to in the water above and below the firmament respectively (Genesis 1:7, Yerushalmi, Berakhot 9:2). Masculine water is active change, while feminine water is passive change, the two being action and reaction respectively.» — las aguas de arriba y de abajo como cambio activo y pasivo.

«88. The concept of thought is like that of “up.” No matter how high one reaches, one can still go further. Therefore, with respect to thought, the word “rise” is used.» — por qué se dice que el pensamiento *sube*: no tiene tope.

«Knowledge is the expression of the mind. No matter how deep the expression, it can ultimately be fathomed. But the mind itself cannot be fathomed.» — la distinción entre conocimiento y mente: lo expresado se sondea, la mente no.

«Similarly, the Merkava-Chariot is merely an expression of the Divine, and not the Divine itself. It is therefore called a “Vision.” This vision consists of elements in the seer's mind interacting with the unseeable. The seer is therefore said to be above the vision, since it emanates from elements in his own mind.» — y su aplicación a la Merkavá: la visión es expresión, y el vidente está por encima de ella porque emana de su propia mente.

«The word “Succah” has the connotation of both “seeing” and “covering,” and therefore it is a cover through which one can see.» — el doble sentido de *Sucá*, cubrir y ver, que la hace cubierta a través de la cual se ve.

«When we speak of God's “thought,” we are speaking of a level where He “surrounds all worlds.” On the other hand, when we speak of the Merkava-Chariot, we are speaking of a level where He “fills all worlds.” We therefore can look down into our own soul to see Him.» — la consecuencia práctica que Kaplan saca: se mira dentro del alma propia para verlo.

«The four levels of expression are Letters, Ornaments, Vowels, and Cantellations (see Etz Chaim, Shaar TNT A 1) (Also see Table five).» — los cuatro niveles de expresión que el volumen presenta en tabla.

«As a cantellation, Segol is associated with Malkhut-Kingship, as is the Zarka. Segol is the mode of “above to below,” while Zarka is “below to above.” These are respectively the concepts of “motivation from below,” and “motivation from above.”» — los dos acentos repartidos entre motivación de arriba y de abajo.

«The word Zarka comes from the root Zarak, meaning to “throw.” It therefore represents the concept of “motivation from below,” like something that is “thrown” upward. When something is thrown upward, however, it falls down again, and thus, a “motivation from below” results in a “motivation from above.” The latter is the “Treasury of Kings.”» — la etimología de *Zarka* como arrojar, y el ciclo que hace caer de arriba lo que se lanzó desde abajo.

«Zarka is the first of the cantellation notes, and it is followed by Segol. First must come “motivation from below,” and only then is it followed by “motivation from above.”» — el orden de los acentos como orden de las motivaciones: primero abajo, después arriba.

«90. There are two praises of the angels. The first is “Holy, holy, holy, the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is filled with His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). This speaks of God's imminence, where His Glory, which is the aspect of Malkhut-Kingship, fills all creation. The second praise is the one quoted here, “Blessed be God's glory from His place” (Ezekiel 3:12). This indicates His transcendence, where even His Glory, which is Malkhut-Kingship, the lowest level, must be blessed from afar. These two levels are the ones discussed above (in 2), Where it was said that God both fills all worlds and encompasses all worlds.» — las dos alabanzas angélicas repartidas entre inmanencia y trascendencia.

«Between the aspect of His “filling all worlds” and His “surrounding all worlds” are the universes themselves, where God is hidden through the concept of Tzimtzum-Constriction (see Likutey Moharan 64:2). The concept of Zarka is then to cross this abyss, and since one cannot reach across it, it must be “thrown.” We then bring the Light from the aspect of “surrounding all worlds” to that of “filling all worlds,” which we can perceive through gazing in the Markava. This is the Segulah, the treasure.» — el tzimtzum como abismo entre las dos, que hay que cruzar arrojando porque no se alcanza.

«The blue thread in the Tzitzit-fringes was colored with a special dye made from a mollusk called the Chilazon, most probably related to the Murex and Purpura. The blue thread is spoken of as an object of mystical contemplation, “The blue is like the sea, the sea is like the sky, and the sky is like the Throne of Glory” (see 96). Through it, one climbs from the terrestrial to the astral, and then to the transcendental.» — el tinte del hilo azul y la escala contemplativa que Kaplan describe, del plano terrestre al astral y al trascendental; el impreso da *gread cloud* más abajo.

«There are four Tzitzit-fringes in the Tallit, each having eight threads, making a total of thirty-two threads.» — la aritmética del tzitzit: cuatro flecos de ocho hilos dan treinta y dos.

«The four Tzitzit-fringes are said to represent the four basic concepts in each of the four universes. These are the four “elements” (or stages of matter) in the physical universe of Asiyah-Making; the four archangels, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael, in Yetzirah-Formation, the universe of angels; the four legs of the Throne in Beriyah-Creation, which is the Universe of the Throne, and finally, the four letters of the Tetragrammaton in Atzilut-Nearness, the Universe of Sefirot.» — el reparto de los cuatro flecos entre los cuatro universos, con sus cuatro elementos, arcángeles, patas del Trono y letras.

«The four Tzitzit-fringes are attached to the Tallit, a shawl-like garment that covers the body. This Tallit is said to represent the Chashmal (Electrum) mentioned in Ezekiel 1:4. In Kabbalistic teachings, the Chashmal is the garment that protects from the Klipot (Husks) of Evil, also mentioned in the same verse: “A storm wind … a gread cloud, and flashing fire.” As is evident from the context, Ezekiel had to pass through these three Klipot before he could experience his vision, which begins with the Chashmal. It is therefore through the Tzittzit fringes that this inner Chashmal can be reached.» — el talit identificado con el Chashmal de Ezequiel, coraza contra las klipot que hay que atravesar antes de la visión.

«93. The blue thread is a sign of Malkhut-Kingship, indicating that God is King over all the paths.» — el hilo azul como marca de realeza sobre todas las sendas.

«The example is a “king who travels abroad.” This is the Divine Essence when it is lowered so as to be the subject of a vision. The slaves are terrified of the king, lest they err, and he therefore gives them a sign, namely, the Tzitzit.» — la parábola del §93 leída como la Esencia rebajada para ser objeto de visión, con el tzitzit como señal.

«94. The Thirty-two Paths consist of the Ten Numbers, and the Twenty-two Letters. The Ten Numbers correspond to the Ten Sefirot. The Twenty-two Letters are divided into Three Mothers, Seven Pairs, and Twelve Elementals. The Three Mothers are the three horizontal base lines of the Tree, while the Seven Pairs are the seven vertical lines. The Twelve Elementals are the diagonals, (see Fig. 10).» — la composición de las Treinta y dos Sendas en diez Números y veintidós Letras, y su traducción gráfica en el diagrama del Árbol.

«The Three Mothers and Seven Pairs also parallel the Ten Sefirot. The Three Mothers are the three highest Sefirot, while the Seven Pairs are the seven lower ones. Each of the Seven Pairs thus reaches upward from one of the lower seven Sefirot.» — el reparto de Madres y Pares entre las tres altas y las siete bajas.

«The first statement is that each of these Twelve Elementals consists of six “names.” The six names parallel the six directions of a three-dimensional continuum. Each of the Twelve is thus a complete spatial continuum, in its own right.» — los seis nombres de cada Elemental como un continuo espacial completo.

«The twelve diagonal paths themselves are in the world of Sefirot, which is the Universe of Atzilut-Nearness. These are reflected in the Twelve Directors, which are the archangels in the world of the Throne, which is the Universe of Beriyah-Creation. It is with regard to these archangels that Isaiah said, “I saw God sitting on a high and exalted Throne … above Him stood the Seraphim (archangels), each one had six wings” (Isaiah 6:1,2). He is speaking of the archangels that are in the world of the Throne.» — la cadena que va de los doce caminos a los doce Directores del mundo del Trono, con los serafines de Isaías.

«Each of these Director Archangels has six wings, and these correspond to the Six Powers that it has in the world below the throne, the world of angels, which is the Universe of Yetzirah-Formation. This makes a total of Seventy-two Powers.» — y de las seis alas de cada Director a las setenta y dos Potencias.

«Each of these Power-Angels is the guardian angel of one of the Seventy-two nations, corresponding to the seventy-two languages. These are the reflection of the Powers in the physical world.» — las setenta y dos Potencias como ángeles guardianes de otras tantas naciones y lenguas.

«On a deeper level, each of the seventy-two languages has a root in God's name of seventy-two elements, and therefore, any one of these languages can be used to enter the realm of the mysteries. This reflects the Midrashic teaching, where Elijah said, “I bring heaven and earth to bear witness, that any human, Jew or Gentile, man or woman, freeman or slave, according to his deeds he can be worthy of Ruach HaKodesh (the “Holy Spirit,” the transcendental experience)” (Tana DeBei Eliahu Rabba 9).» — Kaplan universaliza el acceso: cualquier lengua sirve, y lo apoya en el dicho de Elías sobre judío o gentil, hombre o mujer, libre o esclavo.

«These seventy-two elements exist in all four universes, making a total of 288. This is the significance of the 288 sparks of Holiness that exist in creation (see Etz Chaim, Shaar RaPaCh Netzutzin).» — las 288 chispas de santidad como los setenta y dos por los cuatro universos.

«As outlined in Sefer Yetzirah (chapter 5), these twelve paths also correspond to the twelve signs of the zodiac, the twelve months of the year, and the twelve primary functions of the body. They also correspond to the twelve tribes, and the twelve ways in which the four letters of the Tetragrammaton, YHVH, can be permuted.» — las cuatro series de doce del Sefer Yetzirah que Kaplan alinea con los caminos diagonales.

«They are called the “Arms of the world,” a term borrowed from the verse, “His pride is in the skies (Shechakim); a dwelling is the God of Eternity (Kedem), and underneath are the arms of the world” (Deuteronomy 34:26,27). As mentioned in a number of places (see 1), the term Shechakim always refers to Netzach-Victory and Hod-Splendor, the two Sefirot involved in prophecy and inspiration.» — el término *brazos del mundo* y su versículo, con la clave de *Shechakim* repetida.

«As discussed earlier (in 30), creation consists of five dimensions, consisting of space, time, which is the fourth dimension, and a fifth spiritual dimension (Sefer Yetzirah 1:5). In the Sefer Yetzirah, these are divided into three major concepts, the Universe, which is the three dimensions of space, the Year, which is the time dimension, and the Soul, which is the spiritual dimension. All twenty-two concepts, paralleling the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew Alphabet, are reflected in each of these three categories.» — las cinco dimensiones y sus tres categorías —Universo, Año, Alma—, con las veintidós letras reflejadas en cada una.

«The Sefer Yetzirah states that the Axis (Teli) is the king over the Universe, the Sphere or Cycle (Galgal) is the king over the year, and the Heart (Lev) is king over the Soul.» — los tres reyes del Sefer Yetzirah, Eje, Esfera y Corazón, cada uno sobre su dominio.

«The source of all spiritual elevation, however, is the Heart, which is the king over the Soul. Of the five dimensions, the one through which the initiate travels into the mystical realms is that of the Soul. The author therefore states that they all are included in the Soul. It is in the Heart that the Thirty-two Paths exist (63).» — la consecuencia práctica que Kaplan extrae: de las cinco dimensiones, el iniciado viaja por la del Alma.

«The sixty-four Forms mentioned here are those seen by Ezekiel. Each of the four legs of the Throne has four angels, and each of these angels has four “faces,” making a total of sixty-four “faces” or Forms (see Pirkey Rabbi Eliezer 4).» — las sesenta y cuatro Formas contadas sobre la visión de Ezequiel, cuatro por cuatro por cuatro.

«The last one involves space — the single point in space through which the Divine can shine. This is the concept of the Divine Presence (Shekhinah), which is the Sefirah of Malkhut-Kingship manifest in the physical spatial world. This is the “advantage” of the world, the extra dimension perceived only by the initiate.» — la Presencia Divina como el punto único del espacio por donde brilla lo divino, y como la Ventaja del §95.

«The great Kabbalist, Rabbi Judah Low (The Maharal of Prague), who is credited with having made the Golem, explains it in this manner. The world consists of six directions, two for each of its three dimensions, and it was for this reason that it was created in six days. The Sabbath, the seventh day, is the central point, unifying the six directions and the six days. The number seven is therefore the perfection of creation, and this is the reason why it occurs in so many contexts in the Torah. This is the point of Malkhut-Kingship.» — Kaplan cita al Maharal de Praga —a quien, dice, la tradición atribuye la hechura del Golem— para explicar el siete como perfección de la creación.

«The level that transcends the physical is eight. This is the reason, for example, why circumcision is on the eighth day, since this allows one to draw down a soul from the transcendental plane.» — y el ocho como lo que la trasciende, con la circuncisión como caso.

«Malkhut-Kingship is called a precious stone, since it receives and reflects all the other Sefirot. Similarly, a diamond reflects white light as all colors (see 146).» — el Reinado como piedra preciosa que refleja todas las demás, con el símil del diamante.

«Prayer is the “service of the heart.” It is therefore one of the primary ways of enhancing the Heart on high, opening up the Thirty-Two Paths, (see 103).» — la plegaria como servicio del corazón y modo de abrir las Treinta y dos Sendas.

«98. Of the seventy-two, seventy refer to the seventy nations, while the other two are Israel and the Satan (see 167).» — el reparto de los setenta y dos: setenta naciones más Israel y el Satán.

«If all the bullocks offered during the festival of Succot (mentioned in Numbers 29:12–34) are counted, the total number is seventy. The Talmud states that these were to expiate for the seventy nations (Succot 56b).» — el dato ritual con que Kaplan sostiene la cuenta: los setenta becerros de Sucot expían por las setenta naciones.

«But the commandment that Israel observes on this festival involves things taken from trees, notably the Etrog or citron, the Lulav or palm frond, the myrtle and the willow twigs. Israel thus takes the Tree itself.» — la asimetría que Kaplan subraya: las naciones reciben sacrificios, Israel toma el Árbol.

«In the right hand, one holds the Lulav, together with the myrtle and willow, and these represent the Tree itself. The “heart” of this Tree is the Etrog, held in the left hand, opposite the heart.» — el reparto de las cuatro especies entre las dos manos, con el Etrog frente al corazón.

«It was primarily on the feast of Succot that people were able to grasp onto this Tree. They therefore had a festival of “Drawing” when water was drawn for a special “Water Sacrifice” on the altar during Succot. The Talmud says that it was called a celebration of Drawing because the people drew Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit, the transcendental experience; Yerushalmi, Succot 5:1).» — la fiesta del Agua leída, con el Talmud de Jerusalén, como extracción de Ruach HaKodesh.

«99. The forms are the Cherubim. These are identical with the Chayot (Life Angels), as defined by the prophet (Ezekiel 10:15). These Chayot were therefore the first things that Ezekiel saw in his vision (Ezekiel 1:5).» — las Formas del §99 identificadas con los querubines y con las Chayot de Ezequiel.

«101. This can also be read, “the thirty-six given over to the heart” (alluding to 97). These are the thirty-six (Lamed Vav) righteous men who sustain the world. These are the thirty-six individuals who walk the Thirty-Two Paths of Wisdom.» — los treinta y seis justos ocultos identificados con quienes recorren las Treinta y dos Sendas.

«102. Here again, “heaven” refers to Zer Anpin, while “earth” is Malkhut-Kingship. But in a more general sense, “earth” is the physical world, while “heaven” is the transcendental. In either case, one who wishes to ascend on high must always travel along the path from Malkhut-Kingship to Yesod-Foundation. Looking at the diagram of paths, it is evident that, while there are many paths interconnecting the other Sefirot, there is only one path leading from Malkhut-Kingship, the lowest Sefirah, upward, and this is the path leading to Yesod-Foundation.» — la observación topológica de Kaplan sobre el diagrama: del Reinado sale una sola senda hacia arriba.

«Just as it is the only path upward, it is also the only path downward, bringing all blessing and spiritual sustenance. This is strong when there are righteous people in the world; otherwise it is weak. Since the universe only exists through God's creative force flowing through this path, the world cannot endure it if it is weak.» — y su doble dirección, que hace del mismo camino la vía de subida y la de toda bendición.

«Only the righteous can offer the Heart, and it is thus written “from every man who would offer his heart” (Exodus 25:2). It is from the others that mundane offerings are taken.» — quién puede ofrecer el Corazón según Kaplan, y qué se toma de los demás.

«As discussed earlier, these Thirty-Two Paths are in the Heart, which is where the revelation of Binah-Understanding ends, and Chakhmah-Wisdom begins to be revealed (63). The concept of the Lifted Offering (Terumah) is that the individual lifts himself through Wisdom, to travel on the Thirty-Two paths.» — la Ofrenda Elevada leída como elevación del propio individuo por la Sabiduría.

«The Hebrew word for “wisdom” is Chakhmah, and as the Zohar states, this has the same letters as Ko'ach Mah, the “power” or “potential” of What. (Zohar 3:28a, 235b).» — la etimología zohárica que descompone *Chakhmah* en *potencia de qué*.

«Alternatively, Ko'ach Mah means “a certain potential.” In the first sense, it is the power to question, to go beyond what is grasped with Understanding. In the alternate sense, it is an undefined potential, a potential that cannot be grasped with Understanding, which is a lower level, but which must be experienced in its own right. As such, it is man's power to experience, since Wisdom is built out of experience.» — y la lectura de Kaplan: la Sabiduría es potencia de experiencia, no de comprensión.

«When one travels on the Paths of Wisdom, one begins with the Heart, which is Understanding. But then, one goes beyond this, to the Experience of Wisdom, which cannot be understood.» — el itinerario que resulta: se empieza por el Corazón y se sigue más allá, a lo que no se entiende.

«104. There is a commandment in the Torah that states that when one finds a nest with eggs or chicks, one must send away the mother bird before taking anything from the nest. The explanation given here is reiterated a number of times in the Zohar.» — el precepto del nido, cuya explicación Kaplan dice repetida en el Zohar.

«Binah-Understanding is therefore the Mother Womb from which all creation emerged. It is also the Mother from which all the lower seven Sefirot emanated.» — la Comprensión como Útero-Madre del que emergen la creación y las siete inferiores.

«105. Here it is said that the lower seven Sefirot can be taken, but that Binah-Understanding must be sent away. This means that one may not delve any higher than the lower seven Sefirot, but that it is forbidden to even try to penetrate the upper three (Radbaz, Metzudot David 206).» — la norma que Kaplan lee en el §105: prohibido penetrar las tres altas.

«There might appear to be a contradiction here, since in this statement it appears that it is forbidden to probe Binah-Understanding, while in other places it appears that Binah-Understanding is the highest level that can be reached, and that even Chakhmah-Wisdom is accessible. But the meaning is this:» — la contradicción que Kaplan plantea contra sus propias afirmaciones anteriores.

«Even though Zer Anpin is built out of six of the lower seven Sefirot, it is a complete structure, and therefore has Ten Sefirot in its own right. When the Tikyney Zohar states that “Understanding is the Heart,” it is speaking of Binah-Understanding as it is expressed in Zer Anpin (Tikuney Zohar 17a, Etz Chaim, Shaar Partzufey Zachar U'Nekevah 4). Thus, when Binah-Understanding enters into the lower seven Sefirot of Zer Anpin as the Heart, then it is approachable. But when it is in its own place, as the Mother of Zer An, then it is impossible, and must be “sent away.” (See Introduction to Shaar HaHakdamot).» — y su solución: la Comprensión es accesible dentro de Zer Anpin y no en su propio sitio; el impreso da *Zer An* y *Tikyney Zohar*.

«The Succah is a hut, having four walls, and covered with a roof made of nonedible vegetable matter. This roof is called the S'chach. The words Succah and S'chach both have the connotation of seeing and covering (see 88). The festival was therefore one of visions.» — la Sucá descrita, con el doble sentido de sus nombres que hace de la fiesta una fiesta de visiones.

«The roof of the Succah contains small openings through which the sky can be seen. This is the concept of a vision, it is mostly covered and concealed, and we can only see through the narrowest cracks.» — la techumbre agujereada como figura exacta de la visión: sobre todo cubierta, con rendijas.

«106. Of the five dimensions alluded to in Sefer Yetzirah, the three spatial dimensions are the World, the time dimension is the Year, and the spiritual dimension is the Soul. The Axis (Teli) is the ruler of the World, the Sphere or Cycle (Galgal) rules the Year, and the Heart rules the Soul.» — los tres reyes del Sefer Yetzirah repartidos entre las tres categorías.

«The seven lower Sefirot parallel the seven astrological planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Sun, and the Moon. (The outer planets are not considered to affect the earth.)» — las siete sefirot inferiores emparejadas con los siete planetas astrológicos, con la exclusión explícita de los exteriores.

«107. This is the Priestly Blessing. It is said with the hands raised and the ten fingers spread, the ten fingers alluding to the Ten Sefirot (124).» — el gesto de la Bendición Sacerdotal y su lectura sefirótica por los diez dedos.

«The three blessings represent Universe, Year and Soul. These are the three levels of spiritual projection, from space, to time, to the spiritual dimension.» — las tres bendiciones repartidas entre las tres categorías del Sefer Yetzirah, y leídas como niveles de proyección.

«If the two letters Heh in the Tetragrammaton YHVH are taken as different letters, then the four letters of this Name can be permuted in twenty-four ways. It is because of this that some Kabbalists write these two Heh's somewhat different from each other. If the two Heh's are not differentiated, then the four letters only have twelve permutations. Thus, there are twelve in each domain, but the twelve must be doubled (as in 95). The twelve usual permutations of the Name correspond to the twelve diagonal directions.» — la aritmética de las permutaciones del Nombre, con la práctica de algunos cabalistas de escribir las dos Heh distintas.

«The “leaders,” or more literally “heads” mentioned here are the archangels of the Universe of Beriyah-Creation. The “officers” are the angels of Yetzirah-Formation. The “army” itself is the domain of Asiyah-Making.» — los tres rangos angélicos del §107 repartidos entre los tres universos.

«108. Beside the three horizontal levels, there are also three vertical “pillars.” These pillars are called Love (Chesed), Severity (Din), and Harmony (Mishpat). The right pillar, headed by Chesed-Love, is represented in the world of angels by Michael. The left pillar is headed by Gevurah-Strength, and is represented by Gabriel. The middle pillar is headed by Tiferet-Beauty, and is represented by Uriel.» — los tres pilares verticales con su sefirá y su arcángel.

«109. The concept of an animal sacrifice is to unify the animal in man with his spiritual essence. Just as the animal is “brought close” to God, so is the person bringing the sacrifice.» — el sentido del sacrificio animal según Kaplan: unir lo animal del hombre con su esencia.

«As discussed earlier, (5), the concept of Nose parallels Zer Anpin and Yetzirah-Formation. Breath, on the other hand, emanates from the Mouth, which is Malkhut-Kingship, the lowest level of Atzilut-Nearness, and therefore, Breath is the level of Beriyah-Creation. The concept of the “pleasant fragrance” therefore represents the link between Beriyah-Creation and Yetzirah-Formation.» — la fragancia como enlace entre dos universos, por la vía del aliento.

«For one thing, this is the level of Ruach HaKodesh, (Divine Spirit), where man actually experiences the level of Ruach. This experience can also consist of communion with an angel, which is also on the level of Ruach. In such cases, the Breath, which is Re'ach (from the same root as Ruach), is said to “descend.”» — el efecto que Kaplan describe: Ruach HaKodesh y comunión con un ángel, ambos en el nivel del Ruach.

«By tradition, it was with the Name emanating from these verses that Moses split the Red Sea. (See p. 184.)» — Kaplan atribuye a la tradición que Moisés partió el Mar Rojo con ese Nombre, con remisión a la página del volumen.

«The pillar of cloud mentioned in the first verse refers to the cloud that conceals the mysteries from our eyes. Through this Name, the cloud is brought “behind” us, separating us from the Husks of evil, personified by the “camp of Egypt.” The same is true of the angel that guards the path of enlightenment.» — la lectura operativa de los tres versículos: la nube se pone detrás y separa de las klipot.

«The sea refers to Malkhut-Kingship, the Sefirah that must be penetrated before one can enter the mysteries. Wind (Ruach, also meaning Spirit) is the level of Zer Anpin, and the east is Tiferet, the source of “seed” (73). The force of Tiferet-Beauty in Zer Anpin opens Malkhut-Kingship so that it can be entered, and we can then pass over on dry land.» — el mar como el Reinado que hay que penetrar, y el viento del este como la fuerza que lo abre.

«The actual splitting of the Red Sea was the primary preparation of the Israelites for the greatest of all visions, the revelation at Sinai. In making use of this Name, the individual can follow the same path.» — Kaplan hace del paso del mar la preparación para la visión del Sinaí, y ofrece la misma vía al individuo.

«The methods of using this Name are discussed in Rabbi Abraham Abulafia's Chayay Olam HaBa and Sefer HaCheshek, as well as in the fourth (unpublished) part of Shaarey Kedushah by Rabbi Chaim Vital.» — las fuentes prácticas que Kaplan nombra para el uso del Nombre: dos obras de Abulafia y la cuarta parte inédita del Shaarey Kedushah de Chaim Vital.

«112. The total number of letters in these names, when written correctly and not counting suffixes, is seventy two. It is therefore the name of seventy-two, used to reach the “heart of heaven.”» — el recuento de letras que hace de los doce nombres del §112 el Nombre de setenta y dos.

«These names are not found in any other Kabbalistic texts, nor is there any instruction regarding their use. The suffix “on” or “ron” is also found in angelic names, such as Metatron and Sandelfon.» — la búsqueda negativa que Kaplan declara: esos nombres no aparecen en ningún otro texto cabalístico ni hay instrucción de uso.

«Through these channels all force flows from the higher Sefirot to the lower ones. When the Sefirot are thus fortified, they can in turn influence events in the lower worlds. But when people are not worthy, the Sefirot are still granted blessing, but only on the condition that they do not bestow any of it to those below.» — el régimen del flujo por los canales, que se corta según el mérito de la generación.

«This is a lesson related to the above names. The channels through which they can be used are only open when the generation is worthy.» — y su consecuencia: hay quienes fueron dignos y no alcanzaron los misterios por culpa de su generación; la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«114. There are four basic levels of creation, represented by Chakhmah-Wisdom, Binah-Understanding, the six Sefirot of Zer Anpin, and Malkhut-Kingship. When these can be differentiated, they are said to comprise a “square.” When they cannot be differentiated, they are called a “circle.”» — la oposición cuadrado/círculo leída como diferenciable frente a indiferenciable.

«The square is therefore Malkhut-Kingship, which is the level in which all can be seen. It is the level that parallels Asiyah-Making, which also encompasses the physical world. The circle, on the other hand, is Binah-Understanding.» — el cuadrado asignado al Reinado y el círculo a la Comprensión.

«The square also denotes that which is made by man, as discussed in the Talmud (Yerushalmi, Nedarim 3:2). It is in the physical world, the domain of Malkhut-Kingship, that man works. But it is within the works of man that the circle, representing the spiritual, can move.» — y el segundo criterio: el cuadrado es lo hecho por el hombre, y dentro de su obra se mueve lo espiritual.

«115. The letters represent the body, which is in Asiyah-Making. The vowel points are the Neshamah-Soul, which is in Beriyah-Creation. It is through the proper combination of letters and vowels that one can enter into the spiritual domain (see Chayay Olam HaBah).» — letras como cuerpo y puntos vocálicos como alma, con la combinación de ambos como técnica de entrada.

«117. Alef is usually said to represent Keter-Crown (70). Actually, the “Holy Palace” is the confluence of the four basic concepts, Keter-Crown, Chakhmah-Wisdom, Binah-Understanding, and Malkhut-Kingship, and it is seen as the center point of the six Sefirot of Zer Anpin. The four concepts are denoted by the four corners of the Alef.» — el Palacio Santo como confluencia de cuatro conceptos, dibujada en las cuatro esquinas de la Alef.

«4. “Let the earth put forth grass” (1:11), Gevurah-Strength. 5. “Let there be luminaries in the firmament” (1:14), Tiferet-Beauty. 6. “Let the waters swarm with living creatures” (1:20), Netzach-Victory. 7. “Let the earth bring forth living creatures” ( 1:24) Hod-Splendor. 8. “Let us make man in our image” (1:26), Yesod-Foundation. 9. “Behold I have given you every herb” (1:24), Malkhut Kingship.» — la lista de los Diez Dichos que Kaplan asigna una a una a las sefirot; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«There is a question as to what is the tenth saying. Some say that it is implied in the first verse, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Rosh HaShanah 32a). This is the saying that parallels Keter-Crown, which is also implied but not expressed.» — la primera opinión sobre el décimo Dicho, implícito como la Corona.

«Others say that the tenth verse is, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18), and that this corresponds to Malkhut-Kingship, which is man's mate (Bereshit Rabbah 17:1). This is actually not a dispute, since “the beginning is imbedded in the end,” and therefore, Keter-Crown and Malkhut-Kingship are one. This is the “head” mentioned above (82).» — y la segunda, que lo pone en la creación de la pareja; Kaplan declara que no es disputa porque principio y fin son uno.

«These three concepts are the Saper (Number), Sepher (Book), and Sippur (Telling), mentioned in Sefer Yetzirah (1:1).» — los tres términos del Sefer Yetzirah —Número, Libro y Relato— que Kaplan usa como eje del §125.

«These parallel the three basic dimensions, Soul, Year, and Universe. The first connotation relates to the dimension of Soul, since it is to the soul that God's glory is expressed. The second is that of time, since God's decrees function within the framework of time. Finally, it is the universe that delineates God's glory into the realm of number.» — su reparto entre Alma, Año y Universo, con la razón de cada correspondencia.

«127. The question here is, if there are four basic levels of creation, why are there three holy's and not four? The answer is that the four concepts are arranged in a three by three array in the Ten Sefirot. Furthermore, the Sefirot are expressed in three concepts: Soul, Year and Universe.» — la pregunta por los tres *santos* frente a los cuatro niveles, y la respuesta por la disposición ternaria.

«These three concepts also parallel the three stages of time, past, present, and future. We remember the past, and therefore, the past is in the Soul. The Universe is the present. But the future is pure Time, and does not affect the Soul or Universe.» — los tres términos alineados con pasado, presente y futuro, con el futuro declarado tiempo puro.

«The two names YHVH represent mercy “before the sin, and after the sin” (Rosh HaShanah 17b). Hence they represent the past and future. The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are for the present.» — la fórmula talmúdica sobre los dos Nombres, antes y después del pecado, leída como pasado y futuro.

«The fact that there are Thirteen Attributes also attests to the triplet nature of the Sefirot, and to the fact that they are arranged in three columns. The top members of each column are doubled, each one drawing from the level above it. Thus, Thirteen Attributes are derived from the Ten Sefirot (see Hai Gaon, quoted in Pardes Rimonim 11:1).» — los Trece Atributos derivados de las diez sefirot por duplicación de las cabezas de columna, con remisión a Hai Gaón.

«128. The first “Holy” parallels the spiritual dimension, as mentioned above. This is the dimension from Keter-Crown to Malkhut-Kingship. The second “Holy” is the time dimension. This is the dimension defined by Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding, as well as Daat-Knowledge, which is their confluence. It is from these upper Sefirot that the lower ones emanate, and hence, they are the “root” of the Tree.» — el primer *santo* asignado a la dimensión espiritual y el segundo a la temporal, raíz del Árbol.

«The third “Holy” is Zer Anpin, which defines the concept of space, and is also the concept of connection (30). It is this concept that unites all the Sefirot.» — y el tercero a Zer Anpin, que es el espacio y la conexión.

«129. The six Sefirot of Zer Anpin consist of two triplets, Chesed-Love, Gevurah-Strength and Tiferet-Beauty, and Netzach-Victory, Hod-Splendor and Yesod-Foundation. The higher triplet receives from the three Mentalities, while the lower triplet functions to bestow to Malkhut-Kingship, and hence to the rest of creation.» — los dos tríos de Zer Anpin, uno que recibe de las Mentalidades y otro que entrega al Reinado.

«The upper triplet is called the “children” (of Abba-Father and Imma-Mother), while the lower triplet is called “grandchildren.” If the lower are not worthy, the upper are only given enough for themselves, but not enough to give to others (see 113).» — hijos y nietos como nombres de los dos tríos, con la regla de reparto según el mérito de los de abajo.

«130. The concept of “the whole earth is filled with His Glory,” refers to Chakhmah-Wisdom, the “Filling” mentioned above (in 3). The concept of Chakhmah-Wisdom is sameness and homogeneity, and it therefore indicates that God's glory is universally present (see 30).» — la Gloria que llena la tierra remitida a la Sabiduría, por ser el concepto de mismidad.

«135. This can be understood in the light of the fact that the following individuals are usually identified with particular Sefirot Abraham Chesed-Love Isaac Gevurah-Strength Jacob TiferetrBeauty Moses Netzach-Victory Aaron Hod-Splendor Joseph Yesod-Foundation David Malkhut-Kingship» — la tabla de siete personajes bíblicos con su sefirá que Kaplan da para leer el §135; el impreso pega *TiferetrBeauty*.

«143. Binah-Understanding is called the “Treasury of Wisdom,” since without understanding, wisdom cannot be grasped.» — por qué la Comprensión se llama Tesoro de la Sabiduría, según Kaplan.

«While Chakhmah-Wisdom is the concept of similarity and undifferentiated homogeneity, Binah-Understanding is the concept of difference and differentiation. All letters, forms and concepts therefore stem from Binah-Understanding.» — y de dónde salen letras y formas: de la diferenciación, no de la mismidad.

«Foundation. Still, once it exists as a Personification (Partzuf), it becomes a complete structure, and it then consists of a full Ten Sefirot. It is for this reason that even though creation took place in six days, it consisted of Ten Sayings.» — la ampliación de Zer Anpin de seis a diez, que explica por qué la creación tuvo seis días y diez Dichos; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«In the “growth” of Zer Anpin from six Sefirot to ten, the three upper Sefirot, Chesed-Love, Gevurah-Strength, and Tiferet-Beauty, are doubled. Chesed-Love then becomes Chakhmah-Wisdom, Gevurah-Strength becomes Binah-Understanding, and Tiferet-Beauty becomes Keter-Crown. These are the caps of the three columns of Zer Anpin, and are the three Crowns of Israel.» — las tres coronas de Israel identificadas con los duplicados de las tres sefirot altas de Zer Anpin.

«The Tefillin allude to the purpose of creation. Usually, purpose and will are represented by Keter-Crown, since this is even higher than the intellect. But will and purpose must also be carried out in terms of action, which is represented by the arm. When this takes place, it must first be channeled through the Heart.» — los tefilín como propósito llevado a la acción, canalizado por el Corazón.

«The concept of a throne is that of lowering, since when one sits on a throne, his body is lowered. When God acts, thereby placing the Tefillin on His “Arm,”, the Tefillin are called a “throne,” since their concept is lowered into the realm of action.» — y por qué eso los vuelve trono: el trono es rebajamiento, y la acción es el rebajamiento de la voluntad.

«153. Aravot is the feminine plural of Arav, which means “west.” This name of heaven is only mentioned one place in the Bible: “Praise the Rider of Aravot” (Psalms 68:5). Since God is the “Rider” of Aravot, the latter is considered to be His vehicle or “chariot” (Merkava). It is through Aravot that God lowers Himself and oversees the world, as the Psalm continues, “Father of orphans, judges of widows …” (Pardes Rimonim 68:6).» — el nombre *Aravot*, su único versículo bíblico y su lectura como vehículo divino.

«The vehicle of God's providence is Malkhut-Kingship. Of the seven heavens, the Talmud states that Aravot is the highest (Chagigah 12b). Hence, it is actually the head of Malkhut-Kingship, and as mentioned earlier, the head of the Female is opposite the heart of Zer Anpin, which is the Sefirah of Tiferet-Beauty. It is for this reason that it is mentioned after Tiferet-Beauty, rather than as the tenth Sefirah. In this sense, it is also to the “West” of Zer Anpin, opposite Yesod-Foundation, and this is the derivation of its name.» — por qué el Bahir pone a Aravot en séptimo lugar y no en décimo: es la cabeza de la Femenina, frente al corazón de Zer Anpin.

«The head of Malkhut-Kingship is located in the precise center of the Sefirot of Zer Anpin. The author therefore states that “water is at its right, and fire at its left.” Furthermore, when the Sefirot of Zer Anpin are conceived of as being in a three-dimensional array, Malkhut-Kingship, the Holy Palace, is in the center (Sefer Yetzirah 4:3).» — la posición central del Palacio Santo en el arreglo tridimensional de las sefirot.

«All the Sefirot act through Malkhut-Kingship, whether those on the right side, which pertain to water and love, or those on the left side, which represent fire and judgment. Therefore, both fire and water find their attributes in Malkhut-Kingship.» — y la consecuencia: fuego y agua encuentran sus atributos en el Reinado porque todo actúa a través de él.

«165. The Torah was created and “written” two thousand years before the creation of the universe, as above. This is difficult to understand, however, since the Torah contains accounts regarding people, and these people have free will. But actually, when the Torah was first written, it did not contain the accounts themselves, but only a system that stated how accounts would be written with regard to various types of actions. Rather than a book, the Torah was very much like a computer program, set to produce a specific book from specific events.» — la analogía informática con que Kaplan explica cómo una Torá preexistente puede contener actos libres: era un programa, no un libro.

«It was only after the Torah was actually written down by Moses that its form was fixed for all eternity.» — y el momento en que esa forma se fija: la escritura por Moisés.

«In its first stage, the Torah is likened to water, which is fluid and changes shape to fill its vessel. Ultimately, however, it became firm and permanent like stone.» — el paso de agua a piedra, que Kaplan usa para la misma tesis.

«168. The discussion now returns to Yesod-Foundation. In the usual representation, Yesod-Foundation is the ninth Sefirah, following Netzach-Victory and Hod-Splendor, while Malkhut-Kingship is the tenth. In the representation of the Bahir, presented here, however, Malkhut-Kingship is the seventh Sefirah, while Yesod-Foundation is the eighth.» — el reordenamiento del Bahir enunciado por Kaplan sin corregirlo: Reinado séptimo y Fundación octava.

«Yesod-Foundation parallels the male organ, and, since the male organ cannot function without the female, is secondary to the female. Therefore, Yesod-Foundation follows Malkhut-Kingship, and is the eighth Sefirah.» — y su razón: el órgano masculino no funciona sin la femenina y por eso queda después.

«One reason why circumcision is on the eighth day is so that a Sabbath should pass before the child is circumcised, thus giving him the strength of the Sabbath (Zohar 3:44a).» — la primera razón del octavo día, tomada del Zohar: que pase un sábado.

«Another reason for circumcision being on the eighth day is because it initiates the child into the eighth level. Seven represents the perfection of physical creation, exemplified by the Sabbath, while eight is the level above the physical, namely, the transcendental. In the Sefirot, this corresponds to the level of Binah-Understanding.» — y la segunda: el ocho es lo que trasciende lo físico, y corresponde a la Comprensión.

«here considered to be the last two Sefirot. Usually, these are the seventh and eighth Sefirot, but here they are interchanged with Malkhut-Kingship and Yesod-Foundation to become the ninth and tenth. The reason for this is because the usual order refers to the Ten Sefirot taken as absolutes, before they are rectified into Partzufim.» — el segundo reordenamiento, con Netzach y Hod en noveno y décimo lugar; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«Here, however, they are presented as paralleling the Ten Sayings of creation, which pertain to the six days of creation, and hence to the six Sefirot of Zer Anpin. Netzach-Victory and Hod-Splendor correspond to the feet of Zer Anpin, and the feet are the lowest part of the body, even below the sexual organ.» — y la razón que Kaplan da: aquí las sefirot no se toman como absolutos sino en Zer Anpin, donde son los pies.

«The usual picture of Zer Anpin presents this Personification in a lying down position with his head to the east. The right foot, corresponding to Netzach-Victory is raised upward, while the left foot, corresponding to Hod-Splendor, is lowered downward. Hence, Netzach-Victory and Hod-Splendor, are said to represent the up-down directions.» — la postura de Zer Anpin que Kaplan describe, acostado con la cabeza al este y un pie alzado.

«In his vision, Ezekiel saw the Ophanim below the Chayot (Ezekiel 1:15-21). This teaches that the Ophanim (Wheels) are the angels of Asiyah-Making, below the Chayot (Living Creatures) of the Universe of Yetzirah-Formation. The ground upon which “feet” stand is considered the next lower level or universe. Hence, the Ophanim represent the “feet” of the Chayot, and in general are “feet.”» — los Ofanim como pies de las Chayot, leído de la visión de Ezequiel.

«Since the head of Zer Anpin is to the east, his feet are to the west. Hod-Splendor, however, the left foot, inclines to the north, the sides of Gevurah-Strength, which is the source of judgment and evil (163). As mentioned earlier, it is from Hod-Splendor that Evil is nourished (30).» — por qué Hod se inclina al norte y de ahí se nutre el Mal.

«Netzach-Victory and Hod-Splendor are the lowest Sefirot, touching the “ground.” Therefore, when one ascends on high, they are the first Sefirot that can be reached, and hence, they serve as the source of prophecy.» — y por qué esas dos sefirot son la fuente de la profecía: son las primeras que se alcanzan al subir.

«influences the Sefirot through “awakening from below.” In a meditative sense, this is speaking of meditating on the Sefirot, where one climbs the ladder upward. Whereas one can “run” downward after he has reached the highest level, the ascent upward is a difficult process, requiring much training and discipline, and one cannot “run” upwards.» — el giro que Kaplan marca aquí: hasta el §171 la secuencia era descendente, y de aquí en adelante es ascendente y meditativa; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«When the verse says, “the whole earth is filled with His glory,” it implies that wherever one is, one has access to the Infinite Being.» — la consecuencia práctica del versículo: se accede al Ser Infinito desde donde uno esté.

«The lowest of the Sefirot is Malkhut-Kingship, and hence, this is the furthest from the Infinite Being. Malkhut-Kingship is therefore also the closest to the forces of evil, and must be protected from Evil by the Chashmal, which is an emanation of Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding. When one grasps the lowest level, he also has access to the higher levels through the concept of the Chashmal. The Zohar thus teaches, “One who grasps any one of them, grasps them all” (Tikuney Zohar 17a).» — el Chashmal como protección del Reinado, con la sentencia del Tikuney Zohar de que quien aferra una las aferra todas.

«172. The seven “Holy Forms” are the seven inferior Sefirot. When the Torah says that man is created in the “form of God,” it means that his body is a counterpart of the structure of the Sefirot.» — las siete Formas Santas como las siete inferiores, y el cuerpo humano como su contraparte.

«The structure of the Sefirot which is Zer Anpin was originally androgynous, as was Adam at the time of his creation. Thus, when the Torah says that Adam was “in the image of God, male and female” (Genesis 1:27), it means that the androgynous Adam was in the form of the androgynous Zer Anpin.» — la androginia de Zer Anpin como razón de la androginia de Adán.

«The Hebrew word Tzela, usually translated as “rib,” actually should be translated as “side,” as affirmed by the Targum, the standard Aramaic translation of the Bible. When the Bible states, “He took one of his ribs,” it actually means “one of his sides,” that is, the feminine side. Since it originated in the structure of the Sefirot, the female is considered to be one of the Sefirot.» — la corrección filológica de Kaplan a la palabra *costilla*, que apoya en el Targum.

«The concept of the Male is that of giving, while the Female is that of receiving, holding, and giving birth. Thus, without the Female, creation could neither take place nor endure.» — el par dar/recibir aplicado a los sexos, con la Femenina como condición de que la creación perdure.

«contemplates any beauty, he must realize that this is the Divine Essence, and can thus make use of it to begin the ascent on the Ladder.» — la aplicación práctica: toda belleza contemplada es la Esencia divina y sirve de arranque para la Escala; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«Although the word Nekevah alludes to the orifices of a woman in the physical sense, it also refers to the spiritual orifices of Malkhut-Kingship. It is through these orifices that one can ascend into the spiritual realm. This is represented by the opening on the bottom of the letter Heh.» — los orificios del §173 leídos como aberturas espirituales por donde se asciende.

«174. While outwardly the Song of Songs is simply a beautiful love song, it actually is the most profound song of unification of Zer Anpin and his Bride. It thus contains a hidden holiness, just like this mundane world contains the hidden holiness of the Shekhinah. Thus, when one recites the Song of Songs and meditates on its inner meaning, one can gain accesss to its inner essence, as well as to the inner hidden essence of the mundane world, which is the Shekhinah.» — el Cantar como canto de unificación, y su lectura meditativa como acceso a la Shejiná; el impreso da *accesss*.

«The Song of Songs is thus said to be the Holy of Holies. The “Holies” are the six male Sefirot of Zer Anpin, while the “Holy of Holies” is the “Holy” that pertains to these “Holies,” namely Malkhut-Kingship. The word “holy” in general indicates separation from the mundane world, and it is insofar as they are transcendental that the Sefirot are called holy. Similarly, when a person enters into a mystical state, he is said to enter the realm of the “Holies,” that is, of the Sefirot. But the one Sefirah through which one must first pass is Malkhut-Kingship, and it is therefore the “Holy of Holies.”» — por qué el Cantar es Santo de Santos, y por qué toda entrada mística pasa primero por el Reinado.

«This copulation is represented by the Lulav and Etrog being brought together when they are taken in hand. The Etrog, which is Malkhut-Kingship, is then the “sea” into which the “brook” flows. This flux actually is derived from the essence of all six male Sefirot. In this sense, they are all called “brooks.”» — la unión ritual de lulav y etrog leída como cópula, con las seis sefirot masculinas como arroyos.

«179. Here there is a discussion of the two aspects of God's relationship to creation, how He “fills all worlds and surrounds all worlds” (Zohar 3:225a).» — las dos relaciones de Dios con la creación, llenar y rodear, citadas del Zohar.

«light from a sphere, creating a Vacated Space and it was in this Space that all creation took place. However, creation could not take place without God's power, so into this Space, God drew a thread of light. From this thread of light were formed ten concentric spheres, which surround all creation.» — la descripción del tzimtzum según el Ari, con las diez esferas concéntricas nacidas del hilo de luz; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«The ten concentric spheres are the Ten Sefirot with which God surrounds all worlds. The thread of light contains the Ten Sefirot with which He fills all worlds, and these are the Ten Sayings with which the universe was created.» — el reparto de las dos series de diez: las esferas rodean, el hilo llena.

«This world is therefore like a “mustard seed in a ring.” The Spirit is that of the Ten Sefirot that are in the thread of light.» — el grano de mostaza en el anillo, con el Espíritu identificado con las sefirot del hilo.

«180. The three Spheres are the lowest Sefirot, Netzach-Victory, Hod-Splendor, and Yesod-Foundation. These are said to surround the physical world, that is, all influence and enlightenment in the physical world comes through these.» — las tres Esferas del §180 identificadas con las tres sefirot más bajas, por donde pasa toda influencia al mundo físico.

«183. “Life of Worlds” represents the Sefirah of Yesod-Foundation (as in 180). As mentioned earlier, it is called “Righteous” when passive, and “Life” when active (74).» — la Vida de los Mundos como la Fundación en acto, frente al Justo como la misma en reposo.

«198. Here, there is an allusion to the lowest three universes, Beriyah-Creation Yetzirah-Formation, and Asiyah-Making. These three correspond to the levels of Binah-Understanding, Zer Anpin, and Malkhut-Kingship, which in turn are end points of the dimensions of Time, World, and Soul.» — los tres universos inferiores alineados con tres sefirot y con las tres dimensiones.

«Therefore, when the soul is created, the scripture says, “let us make man in our image.” This is directed along the Soul Dimension, from Keter-Crown to Malkhut-Kingship, the latter which parallels the Universe of Asiyah-Making. Since this line intersects all the other Sefirot, the verse is in the plural: “Let us make …”» — la explicación de Kaplan para el plural del versículo: la línea del Alma atraviesa todas las sefirot.

«The Time dimension stems from Chakhmah-Wisdom and Binah-Understanding, and these are the arch types of male and female. Therefore, when male and female come into being, this is the fulfillment of the concept of time, which has its endpoint in Binah-Understanding, paralleling Beriyah-Creation. Therefore, the word “create” is used.» — y por qué el verbo *crear* corresponde a la aparición del sexo: es el cumplimiento de la dimensión del tiempo.

«Finally man must be brought into the dimension of World. This is the concept of relationship and Zer Anpin, paralleling the Universe of Yetzirah-Formation, and hence, the word “formed” is used here.» — y por qué *formar* corresponde a la dimensión del Mundo; con esto cierra el comentario párrafo por párrafo.

«1. Raavad on Sefer Yetzirah 1:5 (26b). Although Raavad is usually identified as Rabbi Avraham ben David of Posquieres (1120–1198), the accepted opinion is that it was a different Raavad who wrote this commentary.» — la nota 1 declara que el Raavad que comenta el Sefer Yetzirah no es el de Posquières, contra la identificación corriente.

«5. Shem HaGedolim loc cit. Even though the Bahir cites many things found in Sefer Yetzirah, it might have actually been written earlier. According to a reliable tradition, it was Rabbi Akiba who actually wrote the Sefer Yetzirah, even though its teachings are attributed to Abraham. See Pardes Rimonim 1:1, Korey HaDorot 30a. Although the teachings of the Sefer Yetzirah may have been known from earlier sources, they were not redacted until after the Bahir.» — la nota 5 abre la posibilidad de que el Bahir sea anterior al Sefer Yetzirah pese a citarlo, y recoge la tradición que adjudica el Sefer Yetzirah a Akiba y no a Abraham.

«8. see the section on structure. In 17, he begins the discussion of the letters. In 45 he initiates the discussion of the Seven Voices, and again in 123, he begins the discussion of the ten fingers, which leads into the discourse on the Sefirot. He is also the author of the closing section of the text (197–200), which discusses the mystery of masculinity and femininity.» — la nota 8 localiza por número de párrafo todas las intervenciones de Amorai y le adjudica la sección final del libro.

«9. See 26 where Rabbi Rahumai calls him Berabi, a title meaning “master of the generation.” Cf. Rashi on Kiddushin 80b. In 51 we also find that the disciples ask Rabbi Berachia to explain one of Rabbi Amorai's sayings. Use of such an anonym is not unusual, and we thus find that Rabbi Meir's real name was actually Nehemiah (Eruvin 13b). Another name used by Rabbi Meir was Nahorai, which has the same type ending as Rahumai and Amorai.» — la nota 9 apoya la hipótesis del seudónimo en el uso talmúdico de anónimos, con Rabí Meir llamado Nehemías y Nahorai, terminación pareja a Rahumai y Amorai.

«10. Bava Batra 10b. From the fact that Rabbi Yochanan calls him “Rabbi” we see that he was already ordained.» — la nota 10 fecha la ordenación de Nehuniah por el tratamiento que le da Yochanan.

«27. There is some question as to how Rabbi Akiba could have been a disciple of Rabbi Nehuniah. We find, however, that he was even together with Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, see Pirkey DeRabbi Eliezer 7, Radal ad loc. 7:1. This is not difficult, however, since Rabbi Akiba died at the age of one hundred and twenty (Sifri, Zot HaBerakhah 357). His death occurred during the Hadrianic persecutions around 135 c. e., and since the destruction of the Temple occurred in the year 70, he was around 55 years old at the time. It was around the time of the destruction that both Rabbi Nehuniah and Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai flourished.» — la nota 27 plantea la dificultad cronológica sobre Akiba discípulo de Nehuniah y la resuelve con la edad de su muerte y las fechas de la destrucción del Templo.

«brother-in-law, and who supports his statement regarding the Song of Songs. See Bahir 174, where this statement is attributed to Rabbi Yochanan. Another possibility is that this may be Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai.» — la nota 33 ofrece dos candidatos alternos para el Rabí Yochanan del Bahir y no decide entre ellos; la frase arranca en la plana anterior, donde nombra a Yochanan ben Yehoshua.

«34. In 21. In a similar quotation in Bereshit Rabbah 1:3, 3:9, the speaker is Lulayni ben Tavri, cf. Midrash Tehillim 24:4. In Midrash Tehillim 18:29 we find a Rabbi Lulyani who is apparently a disciple of Rabbi Ishmael and a contemporary of Ben Azzai.» — la nota 34 registra las variantes del nombre Levitas en otras fuentes: Lulayni ben Tavri y Rabí Lulyani.

«37. Tavrus would then be identified, not as his father, but as a place name. This would be Tavvros Umanos (Taurus Aman us), which is Har HaHor on the northern boundary of the Holy Land.» — la nota 37 propone leer Tavrus como topónimo y no como patronímico, identificándolo con Har HaHor; el impreso parte *Aman us*.

«48. Rashi, Shabbat 6b, Bava Metzia 92a. See Tshuvot Rashbash 189 where the publication of Kabbalah is questioned because of this.» — la nota 48 registra que la publicación misma de la cábala fue cuestionada por la prohibición de poner por escrito lo oral.

«57. See note 161 in text. The Zohar derives its name from Daniel 12:3, see Tikuney Zohar la.» — la nota 57 da el versículo de Daniel del que el Zohar toma su nombre; el impreso da *la* por *1a*.

«58. It is interesting to note that it is only in this section that concepts found in the Sefer Yetzirah are discussed. See 58, 63, 70, 84, 95, 110. Two other less obvious allusions are in the next section, 124 and 185.» — la nota 58 observa que los conceptos del Sefer Yetzirah aparecen en una sola sección del Bahir, y localiza las dos alusiones menos obvias.

«65. Rashi on Sukkah 45a “Ani.” The Midrash Lekach Tov, BaShalach 20 states this in the name of an identified Sefer HaYashar. An interesting hypothesis would be that this Sefer HaYashar is actually an older name for the Bahir, or, alternatively, a text derived from it.» — la nota 65 lanza la hipótesis de que el Sefer HaYashar citado por el Midrash Lekach Tov sea un nombre viejo del Bahir o un texto derivado de él.

«In Lekach Tov, VeEtChanan 7b, it is stated that this Sefer HaYashar is quoted in the Hekhalot, which was written by Rabbi Nehuniah's disciple, Rabbi Ishmael. The subject matter brought from Sefer HaYashar there also closely resembles 45–47 in Bahir.» — y el indicio con que la apoya: el Sefer HaYashar se cita en los Hekhalot, y su materia se parece a los párrafos 45–47.

«71. Tikuney Zohar 56 (91b). Cf. Berakhot 10a. This might be the concept of “Filling” discussed in 3, 5.» — la nota 71 conecta el *no hay lugar vacío de él* con el Llenado de los §§3 y 5, dicho con *might be*.

«72. Shomer Emunim 2:37, Likutey Moharan 64. See my article “Paradoxes” in Jewish Life 41:3 (February, 1974) p. 38.» — la nota 72 remite a un artículo del propio Kaplan en *Jewish Life* de 1974 sobre paradojas.

«1. As a prefix, the letter Bet means “in.” This can indicate a “filling.” The “filling” may allude to (Isaiah 6:3), “The whole earth is filled with His glory.” See 130, 134. Counting the word itself, the numberical value of Maley is seventy-two, see 94, 110, 167.» — la nota 1 al Bahir da el valor gemátrico de *Maley*, setenta y dos, contando la palabra misma; el impreso da *numberical*.

«2. This verse is not found anywhere in the Bible, but see I Kings 2:45. Cf. Tikuney Zohar Chadash 116d.» — la nota 2 declara una búsqueda negativa: el versículo que el §3 cita como Escritura no está en la Biblia.

«9. When the Gimel is elongated “at its head,” it becomes a Dalet. Left over is its tail, which converts the Dalet into a Heh. According to the reading of the Vilna Gaon (HaGra), however, the Gimel and Dalet are in place of Vav Heh. The tail of the Gimel is removed, making a Vav, and this tail converts the Dalet into a Heh.» — la nota 9 explica la transformación gráfica del §28 y registra la lectura distinta del Gaón de Vilna.

«15. The apparent reference is to the word Ruach (spirit or wind) in Genesis 1:2. The relationship between the Chet and the Patach is unique, since at the end of a word, the vowel is read before its consonant, and this is the only case where this occurs.» — la nota 15 fija la particularidad gramatical de la Chet final como caso único en la lengua.

«18. Patach and Segol are vowel points. The meaning is somewhat ambiguous, but might refer to the shape of the letter, which looks like a Patach and Segol. Alternatively, it might refer to the fact that in the word Dalet, the first vowel is a Patach, while the second is a Segol. Dalet means “door,” while Patach means “opening.” Regarding Segol, see 89, 90, 178.» — la nota 18 declara ambiguo el pasaje del §36 y ofrece dos lecturas sin elegir.

«25. The Targum renders this as Ein I gla, meaning “Calf's Eye.” Bachya a.l. identifies this with “crystal.” This stone is related to dreams.» — la nota 25 identifica la piedra del §41 con el *ojo de becerro* del Targum y con el cristal de Bachya.

«27. This alludes to the Tallit in which God wrapped Himself at Sinai. See Rash HaShanah 17b.» — la nota 27 remite la túnica blanca del §47 al talit con que Dios se envolvió en el Sinaí; el impreso da *Rash HaShanah*.

«35. Up until now, the first five Sefirot have been discussed, Crown, Wisdom, Understanding, Love or Kindness (silver), and Strength (gold). Strength is the attribute of Justice.» — la nota 35 hace el recuento de las cinco primeras sefirot ya tratadas y adjudica la Justicia a la Fuerza.

«38. Truth is thus identical with peace. See 17, 190, 11.» — la nota 38 enuncia la identidad de Verdad y Paz, con sus remisiones.

«39. The reference is to a regular Tzadi and a final Tzadi. Its form is that of a Yud attached to a Nun. see Zohar 1:2b.» — la nota 39 explica la forma de la Tzadi como Yud pegada a Nun, con remisión al Zohar.

«40. Ben Zoma lost his mind when he entered Paradise, Chagigah 15a.» — la nota 40 explica el *Ben Zoma está afuera* del §63 con el dato talmúdico de que perdió la razón al entrar en el Paraíso.

«46. Mentioned in Ezekiel 1. See Chagigah 2:1 (11b). This refers to the deepest mysteries.» — la nota 46 identifica la Obra del Carro con Ezequiel 1 y la declara los misterios más hondos.

«48. From Sefer Yetzirah 4:3, we see that the “Holy Palace” is the center of the Six Directions, and this is usually assumed to be the Sefirah of Kingship. See 154, 175, 117. Cf. Tikuney Zohar 18 (32a).» — la nota 48 registra la lectura corriente del Palacio Santo como Reinado, con el *usually assumed* que la acota.

«49. See 49 that “Kings” refer to the Sefirot. Tzioni, Chayay Sarah (17a), however, reads Malachim or “Angels.”» — la nota 49 registra una variante textual: donde el Bahir dice reyes, el Tzioni lee ángeles.

«54. The Talmud says that the name of Abraham's daughter was Bakol. Bava Batra 16b. Regarding the significance of “All,” see 22.» — la nota 54 da la fuente talmúdica del nombre de la hija de Abraham.

«Zohar 1:25a. The Kol Yehudah onKuzari 4:25 (54b) states that the word Teli is phono-semantically related to Tanin, meaning “serpent.” Another possibility presented there is that it is derived from the word “to spread.”» — la nota 105 recoge del Kol Yehudah dos etimologías rivales de *Teli*, serpiente y extender, sin arbitrar entre ellas; el impreso pega *onKuzari*.

«The Sefer Yetzirah states that the Teli is King over the universe. It is therefore the source of the six directions of the universe, which in turn are the counterparts of Man the Macrocosm.» — y la consecuencia doctrinal: el Teli es rey del universo y fuente de las seis direcciones, contraparte del Hombre Macrocosmos.

«In later Kabbalistic texts, this is called the Partzuf (Personification) of Zer Anpin. Here, the author calls it the “likeness that is before the Blessed Holy One.”» — la identificación del Teli con el Partzuf de Zer Anpin en los textos posteriores, frente al nombre que le da el propio Bahir.

«106. See Rabbi Moshe Butril on Sefer Yetzirah, who states that this should be translated Cycle rather than Sphere.» — la nota 106 registra la propuesta de traducir *Galgal* como Ciclo y no como Esfera, atribuida a Moshe Butril.

«The present is the womb in which the future is born. Wisdom is the past, while Understanding is the future. See Sefer Yetzirah 1:5, HaGra ad loc. This is therefore identified with Understanding, the Mother, discussed at the end of 104.» — y la razón que Kaplan añade para identificar la Esfera con la Comprensión: el presente es el útero del futuro.

«107. See 63. The Heart, Sphere and Axis respectively are Wisdom, Understanding, and the Seven lower Sefirot. See Raavad on Sefer Yetzirah 6:1, Or HaGanuz, on Bahir 95, Pardes Rimonim 21:8.» — la nota 107 reparte Corazón, Esfera y Eje de un modo distinto al del comentario, entre Sabiduría, Comprensión y las siete inferiores.

«109. This is the Name used in the Priestly Blessing in the Temple. Kiddushin 71a.» — la nota 109 identifica el Nombre de doce letras con el que se usaba en el Templo.

«114. See Pesikta Zutrata on Exodus 14:21, Rashi, Sukkah 45a “Ani,” Ibn Ezra on Exodus 33:21, Zohar 2:270. It is vocalized in Pardes Rimonim 21:5. For an explanation of this Name, see Raziel HaMalach (Margolies edition) p. 54ff.» — la nota 114 da las fuentes para el Nombre de setenta y dos y remite al Raziel HaMalach para su explicación.

«116. This is not a verse in the Bible, but it is found in the Prayer Book in Yehi Kavod. See Siddur Rav Amram Gaon (Rav Kook, Jerusalem, 1971). p. 9. Also see Hekhalot Rabotai 3l:4, Rokeach 320.» — la nota 116 declara otra búsqueda negativa: el versículo del §111 no está en la Biblia, sino en el devocionario.

«118. Referring to the plate (Tzitz) placed on the High Priest's forehead, mentioned in Exodus 28:36–38.» — la nota 118 identifica el *Tzitz* con la lámina de la frente del Sumo Sacerdote.

«120. A variation of these is vocalized in Pardes Rimonim 21:9. For variants, see Or HaBahir and Or HaGanuz ad loc. In one manuscript they are cited as AH-TzYTzaH-RON, ABROThY-HON, VeSheBaBYOMT-RON, DMaGDE-RON, BaNaThYaH-RON, EdaShYHaG-AON, KiSAY-DaMaN-HaNaN, YHVH YHHYV YHAH AHVHY DaMHaD-ROS, DaMHaRy-RON.» — la nota 120 imprime dos series manuscritas de los doce Nombres, con transliteraciones que difieren entre sí y del cuerpo del texto; se copian tal cual, sin cotejo.

«124. One cannot “hear” letters without vowels, so they can only be heard as a result of sacrifice, which is the unification.» — la nota 124 explica por qué las letras solo se oyen tras el sacrificio: sin vocales no hay sonido.

«Also see BaMidbar Rabbah 13:16, 18:21. Actually, the Ten Commandments contain 620 letters, but the last seven letters in Asher LeReyekha are not counted, this being the essence of the Torah, as in Yerushalmi, Nedarim 9:4.» — la nota 134 resuelve la cuenta de las 613 letras: los Diez Mandamientos tienen 620 y las últimas siete no se cuentan; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«135. Indicating that the Sefirot are expressions of God's action. For further discussion of the etymology of this word, see Shiur Komah 2.» — la nota 135 fija el sentido de *sefirá* como expresión de la acción divina, con remisión al Shiur Komah.

«139. See Rosh HaShanah 17b. This appears to support the opinion of the Ari, that the Thirteen Attributes are (Exodus 34:6), “God (1), merciful (2), and gracious (3), slow (4) to anger (5), and abundant in love (6) and truth (7). Keeping mercy (8) to the thousandth generation (9), forgiving sin (10), rebellion (11) and error (12), and cleansing (13).”See Etz Chaim, Shaar Arich Anpin 9, Shaar HaKavanot, Inyan VaYaavor 3 (p. 286), Zohar 2:4b, 3:13b. Others, however, count the two Tetragrammatons at the beginning among the Attributes.» — la nota 139 consigna dos maneras de contar los Trece Atributos —la del Ari, enumerada, y la de quienes incluyen los dos Tetragrámatones— sin decidir.

«215. Avot 2:5. This saying is attributed to Hillel.» — la nota 215 adjudica a Hillel la sentencia sobre el ignorante y la piedad; el número 215 se repite en dos notas seguidas por errata del impreso.

«215. Cf. Proverbs 18:23. 217. He must be reborn. See 121, 122, 155.» — la nota 217 identifica el castigo del §184 con el renacimiento; el impreso numera dos notas seguidas como 215 y salta la 216.

«that Chesed precedes Gevurah. See 144, 145, 74. The answer is that “one is above the other.” There is a lower Attribute of Justice, which is Gevurah, and a higher one, which is Binah (Understanding).» — la nota 218 plantea una dificultad jerárquica y la resuelve postulando dos Atributos de Justicia, uno alto y otro bajo; la frase arranca en la plana anterior.

«220. This has been defined earlier as Tiferet. See 108, 137. The Sefirah of Daat, however, follows Chakhmah and Binah, and is directly above Tiferet. He therefore answers, “one is above the other.” Just like Binah is the source of Gevurah, so Daat is the source of Tiferet. The saying of Rabbi Akiba is cited as proof that there are such parallels.» — la nota 220 hace la misma operación con Daat y Tiferet, y usa el dicho de Akiba como prueba de que esos paralelos existen.

«225. Sometimes a word is read differently than it is written. In this case, the word is spelled Yado, without a Yud, and would normally be read as “his hand.” Tradition, however, dictates that it be read Yadav, as if it had the Yud, and it is translated as “his hands,” in the plural.» — la nota 225 explica la mezcla de singular y plural por la diferencia entre lo escrito y lo leído en la tradición.

«228. It was said earlier that water includes fire. Water is the right hand, while fire is the left. See 11, 145. The right hand therefore includes the left, and this answers why it is in the singular. It also explains why the plural and singular are mixed when speaking of hands.» — la nota 228 da la razón doctrinal de esa mezcla: la mano derecha incluye a la izquierda porque el agua incluye al fuego.

«229. See note 82. In Seder Rabbah DeBereshit (in Batey Midrashot) p. 30, this is attributed to Rabbi Ishmael.» — la nota 229 registra que el dicho sobre los dos brazos del mundo se atribuye a Ishmael en otra fuente.

«231. Mentioned in Esther 1:6» — la nota 231 localiza las dos piedras del §190 en el libro de Ester.

«235. God said this with regard to the destruction of Sodom and Gemorah.» — la nota 235 sitúa el versículo del §191 en el episodio de Sodoma; el impreso da *Gemorah*.

«236. Shabbat 104a, Yoma 38a. This is cited as a saying of Resh Lakish, an Amorah.» — la nota 236 adjudica a Resh Lakish la sentencia sobre purificarse y contaminarse, y lo marca como amoraíta.

«243. Cf. Chagigah 13b. The Torah was given to the 26th generation after Adam. When this is subtracted from a thousand, the remainder is 974.» — la nota 243 hace la resta que da las 974 generaciones faltantes del §195.

«244. Sanhedrin 65b. Yad Ramah ad loc. writes that this is Rabba bar Nachmani.» — la nota 244 identifica al Rabbah del §196 con Rabba bar Nachmani, siguiendo al Yad Ramah.

«246. Referring to Genesis 38:29, 30. Peretz was the ancestor of David, Ruth 4:12. Amnon and the second Tamar, mentioned in II Samuel 13, were therefore her descendants. Tamar also means “date palm”, as below.» — la nota 246 conecta las dos Tamar del relato bíblico y da el sentido botánico del nombre.

«251. See 34, 162, 163. North (or left) is normally the feminine side.» — la nota 251 fija la clave del §199: el norte, o la izquierda, es el lado femenino.

«253. Edom is associated with Esau, Genesis 36:43. The final exile preceding the Messianic era is said to be that of Edom, and when the Messiah comes, he will destroy Edom.» — la nota 253 identifica Edom con Esaú y con el exilio final anterior al Mesías.

«Sefer Yetzirah (book), ix, xiii, xviii, xix, 107, 157f, 171, 185» — la entrada del índice para el Sefer Yetzirah, la obra que el volumen cita con más frecuencia; sus números son folios de la edición impresa, con romanos para la introducción y arábigos para el cuerpo.

«Or (light), 55 Or HaBahir (book), x Or HaGanuz (book), x Orah, 55 Orifices, 66» — cuatro renglones seguidos del índice, con los dos comentarios que Kaplan usa —el Or HaBahir de Margolius y el Or HaGanuz de Abi-Sahula— remitidos a la misma plana romana de la introducción.

«Etrog (citron), 36, 66f sea, 68 Etz Chaim (book), xxii, xxiii Eve, 80 Evil, 5, 115 north, 6O Evil Urge, 61, 78» — un tramo del índice que mezcla términos del Bahir, la obra del Ari y los conceptos del comentario; el impreso da *6O* con letra O donde el folio pide un cero.

Sefirot (las diez numeraciones) — El Bahir introduce las diez sefirot y las enumera una por una desde el párrafo 141; su orden difiere del canónico en las cuatro últimas, que van invertidas, y tres reciben nombres no estándar —Trono de Gloria, Aravot y *segunda Victoria*

Ein Sof (el Infinito) — Kaplan sitúa el Ser Infinito por encima de la Corona y declara que hasta la sefirá más alta es tiniebla frente a él, citando el Tikuney Zohar

Gematría (aritmética de las letras) — El libro trabaja por valores numéricos: corazón y gloria valen 32, Abraham 248, la Nun 50, y las cuatro letras del Nombre suman 26

Tetragrammaton (el Nombre de cuatro letras) — Las cuatro letras se reparten entre Sabiduría, Comprensión, Zer Anpin y Reinado, y sus cuatro grafías desarrolladas dan 72, 63, 45 y 52

Cadena de transmisión (quién tomó de quién) — Kaplan traza la transmisión del Bahir de Tierra Santa a Alemania, Italia, España y Provenza, y de Isaac el Ciego a Ezra y Azriel y de ahí al Ramban

Secreto (lo que se jura no fijar por escrito) — El texto se guardó bajo juramento en un círculo de pocas decenas, con prohibición de poner por escrito lo transmitido de boca en boca

Iniciación (recepción por grados / metamorfosis del ser) — Kaplan lee el libro como manual de ascenso: las Treinta y dos Sendas son la ruta del iniciado, y de las cinco dimensiones se viaja por la del Alma

Microcosmos (el hombre-mundo) — Las siete Formas Santas tienen contraparte en el cuerpo humano, y el Teli es fuente de las seis direcciones, contraparte del Hombre Macrocosmos