The Method of Rabbi Nechunia ben HaKana and the Zohar that the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are not the Sefirot | Pardes Rimonim Gate 1 Chapter 7 (3) (Auto Translated)

The Concept of “Gaon” and the Dispute Regarding Ten or Thirteen Sefirot

The Concept of “Gaon” – Does It Mean a Specific Title?

So, we’re holding in the middle of learning chapter seven. So, the person who made the objection, he argues that perhaps when they say “HaGaon” and so forth, perhaps they didn’t mean to say lies, but there are actually two meanings of the word “gaon.” Originally, “gaon” was the name of the Rosh Yeshiva, afterwards they called every talmid chacham a gaon, “HaRav HaGaon.” So perhaps this is the period when they called… who is this Rav Chaim Meir? He doesn’t say that he was such a gaon, he tells you “I am Rav Chaim Meir Gaon.” Shem Tov Gaon. Who is that? Miklush Franboim. Yes, yes. Perhaps he called himself gaon because he wanted to be a gaon. Yes? And it’s not because of… well, perhaps he wanted to be a gaon. In short, so he argues that perhaps they simply called themselves geonim.

The Rambam also had a specific custom to call everyone a gaon, because he didn’t make any distinction between gaon and not gaon. He used to say, geonim is a name for a talmid chacham who comes after the Talmudic period. As if the Rambam also called himself a gaon. And there were those who called the Rambam a gaon, I remember. The Rambam used to call himself… there are opponents who call them geonim. Rashi, the places where they title him, “Gaon Yaakov,” how… I think that among the students of Rashi… it could be. Even Rabbeinu Gershom, the “Maor HaGolah” is like a title that comes to mean gaon, or something like that, that there are other people, I remember, yes.

The Concept of “Braita” – Also Not Necessarily Tannaitic

So that’s the person’s argument, either yes or no. But Shimon HaTzaddik also, there was a Jew named Shimon, he was a tzaddik. I said does it mean that one? Hello. Nice answers. What about braita? In short. Braita means an external thing. Already, in short, I can write a verse too, and you say, a verse means… braita means after all just an external thing. The Chumash isn’t it, right? Let’s say it this way. A quotation from the time is a braita. It’s also a braita.

Anyway, that was his innovation.

The Discussion About Ten Sefirot vs. Thirteen in Sefer Yetzirah

Afterwards I heard out the other people, he spoke nonsense about the ten sefirot with things. But… what I told you about the person on YouTube. But what does seem to be the case is, that there actually was a discussion about this, and they already saw, the people do speak of the ten sefirot in Sefer Yetzirah, and they knew that there are only ten. It’s not really like two approaches that the Ramak tries to press together. The approach itself… that person, ah, there was one of the scholars who tried to argue that there actually were two periods, you don’t know how it goes, everything is answered with time. That’s the approach itself, a kira. Everything is answered with… that, it was the end time and every time. And what did you answer the question? Nothing. It only said that this was two hundred time and two hundred people. With what is different from this one from that one you haven’t said anything.

He argued that as if, we go like this, you know everything circular, there are two versions of the book of Shimon HaTzaddik, one is two ten, one is two thirteen. They say, originally it said thirteen, later he already learned Kabbalah, and he saw that there are ten, so he already wrote in the whole piece. It comes out, do me a favor, either yes or no, no one knows this.

And in any case, the investigation that the Ramak has here about ten and thirteen, is actually an investigation that they had. So it seems. In any case, whoever these people were who learned the shilun with the books, they struggled with this. And they actually had the two different approaches about what we’ve now learned. One way is to say that three is on top of the ten, and the second is that three is below the ten.

The Rambam’s System of Fourteen

That’s… as it says, the Rambam held that there are fourteen things in the world. From this he wrote in Sefer Yad HaChazakah, and he very much loved the number fourteen. Because there are ten… there are actually nine, which plus something becomes ten spheres? Plus one intellect, whatever. Yes, plus four elements is yes, is fourteen. You also go like this one on the other. Right, with circles.

That’s one way, but also a more normal way to do what would be to do thirteen, because no, that doesn’t work, because all of these are already one of them. The Rambam has another way of saying that there are three Rambams, and the usual way to say that there are three worlds, olam hashafal, and olam hagalgalim, and olam hasechel. But that doesn’t get a thirteen, because the ten galgalim, or whatever, are part of the middle one. And the only way is to separate thirteen with that, as the person does, and he makes the sefirot below the galgalim, so then you have separate, so you separate the the the you entirely separate the whatever the sefirot are from the galgalim, then you have ten galgalim plus let’s say stars, and no, it doesn’t work. You can’t put the three there, it doesn’t fit, right? Well, you can’t, it won’t work.

Okay, anyway, that’s the point.

Return to the Topic of the Thirteen Attributes

We’re holding here page 41, we need to return to the topic of the thirteen attributes, yes? As if, yes? Have we answered the topic of the spheres according to the two approaches, that was said, there are two approaches. There’s one who learned that there are three sefirot in worlds, or whatever he calls it, tzachtzachot shelemala meHasefirot. The second one said, there are below three worlds, Beriah Yetzirah Asiyah the Ramak calls it. So that it shouldn’t be, there are here ten sefirot, and this is here three, means something else, another topic, another point.

The Ramak’s Innovation: The Thirteen Attributes Are Not the Sefirot

What about the question that was asked of the Gaon, the question that he brought in the name of the responsum of Rav Hai Gaon, right? Whether the thirteen attributes are the sefirot or not. Ah, so the Gaon accepted that there actually are thirteen attributes, and the thirteen attributes are the sefirot plus the three, three secret things beyond the sefirot.

But the Ramak says that he has a different approach to this. I mentioned it already I think for a second, and I think here he speaks about this. He says thus:

> We should say that they don’t count the sefirot in the way of counting everything

Just as the Gaon meant that the thirteen attributes whatever the sefirot are, this has a question that there are twelve or thirteen or ten and the like. The Ramak says that no, he doesn’t agree at all with the whole thing. They’re not saying the same thing at all. He says that according to Kabbalah, according to his approach, it’s not the same thing at all.

The Ramak’s Question: The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy

The proof, a nice question, the thirteen attributes of mercy. Then the Ramak is a genius. What does thirteen attributes of mercy mean? He’s not talking at all about the attributes of judgment, like Gevurah and Hod which are attributes of judgment. A good question, an interesting question.

The truth is that in the thirteen attributes of mercy there are also attributes of judgment. This didn’t occur to the Ramak.

Student: What?

Teacher: So that’s really a question on the thirteen attributes of mercy itself, that the thirteen attributes of mercy, yes? You know? What do you say? What do the thirteen attributes of mercy say? Erech apayim, what did we say today? Ah, what is today the holiday when we say tachanun? Erech apayim verav chesed ve’emet notzer chesed la’alafim nosei avon vafesha vechata’ah venakeh lo yenakeh poked avon. So, it depends how you count the thirteen attributes really. That’s the point, right?

Does “Of Mercy” Appear in the Sources?

If I remember is the… let’s see the thirteen attributes, it just says something a summary that says this. If I remember is… and the Gemara calls it the thirteen attributes of mercy, yes?

Student: Where? In the Midrash? Other places?

Teacher: In Rosh Hashanah and there also is the whole… but… but there’s another approach. The approach of the Rambam… so that seems to be actually the… approach of most. He says that there are thirteen approaches about what the thirteen attributes of mercy are. He says that there’s also a dispute in the Midrash whether there are actually thirteen or ten, yes? So he says. But he doesn’t bring it. He doesn’t bring it. He doesn’t bring it. It’s just a name there, just an introduction.

Student: Why? It could be thirteen there, no?

Teacher: Let’s see. Let’s see. I want to know. Midrash Tehillim 96 he says. Ah, the person wrote about this. Something was lying in my head to work out a custom. Look, no, just as spoken, he says just. A covenant is made for the thirteen attributes. It doesn’t say for the thirteen attributes of mercy by the way.

Student: The Gemara?

Teacher: The thing itself not to look. In davening it says of mercy.

Student: In davening?

Teacher: Okay. Could be. I’ll have to look here. But here is someone who argues that in the thirteen attributes it doesn’t say of mercy at all. And… how does the concept of thirteen attributes appear at all? Only in the Gemara?

Student: How does it already appear from the paytanim, it comes already from the earlier first paytanim, so it’s really… what is the El Melech nosei, the piece that we say before? It’s already before…

Teacher: [continues]

The Thirteen Attributes – Sources, Count, and the Rambam’s Approach

The Source of “Thirteen Attributes of Mercy”

Student: It doesn’t say “thirteen attributes of mercy,” by the way.

Teacher: In the Gemara?

Student: I need to look it up. Rosh Hashanah 17b says “a covenant is made for the thirteen attributes.”

Teacher: In davening it says “of mercy.”

Student: In davening, okay. I have older than the Gemara. Could be. I’ll have to look here. But here is someone who argues that in the thirteen attributes it doesn’t say “of mercy” at all.

Teacher: And where does the concept of thirteen attributes appear at all, not just in the Gemara?

Student: It appears in davening.

Teacher: It already appears from the paytanim, it already comes from the earlier, the first paytanim, so it’s really… what the “El Melech” text, the piece that we say before erechet apayim. It’s already before Rishonim, certainly, it appears always in the old Rishonim. “Thirteen attributes by which the Torah is expounded,” yes, that’s interesting. There’s only one Gemara, Rosh Hashanah 17b, “a covenant is made for the thirteen attributes,” that’s the whole thing?

Student: And in Bamidbar Rabbah it already actually says “thirteen attributes of mercy are written.” None of them count what they are?

Teacher: Ah, they count? Yes, okay. There actually is a dispute about what they are. You see that there isn’t any…

Midrash Tehillim – A Dispute in the Count

Teacher: Rabbi Simon said, he was right, Midrash Tehillim 93, “Rabbi Simon said, thirteen attributes in the Holy One Blessed Be He, as it says Hashem Hashem El rachum vechanun.” He doesn’t say what. “Rav said eleven, and the Rabbanan said ten.” Aha. Perhaps Rav actually didn’t hold of the approach of the sefirot? I think that Rav was a mekubal, he only says the ten. Midrash Tehillim 93. And Rav said that there are eleven, the Rabbanan said that there are ten.

Student: I think that Rav was a mekubal. He only says the ten attributes of mercy.

Teacher: In the Midrash?

Student: In Midrash Tehillim 93. So Rav said that there are eleven, and the Rabbanan said that there are ten. There’s a dispute about this, perhaps this is the same… he says I should look in Shemot, where it says the thirteen attributes, which chapter?

Teacher: Shemot 34, he says I should look. In the Gemara there are various expositions about this, I think in Rosh Hashanah there, what is Hashem Hashem, what is nosei avon, and so forth, but not really a list of each one, right?

The Difficulty in Arriving at Thirteen

Teacher: So, what the correct thing is that the Rambam says explicitly that in the thirteen attributes there is one attribute of judgment. Why? Because it says “venakeh lo yenakeh.” No, not “venakeh lo yenakeh,” but another one, I remember. Again, it says… what is the verse? “El rachum vechanun erech apayim verav chesed ve’emet nosei avon vafesha vechata’ah,” “poked avon avot al banim,” right? That’s the one. “Ve’al bnei vanim.” That’s certainly an attribute of judgment, right? “Poked avon avot al banim al shileshim ve’al ribe’im.” It says “avon,” it says “poked avon avot al banim.” That’s really an attribute.

Let’s see how you can count ten. “El rachum vechanun, erech apayim, verav chesed.” I’m still holding only about six, seven. Because look, “rachum vechanun” means the same thing. “Hashem Hashem,” “El,” no, about. “El rachum vechanun” is one thing, “erech apayim,” okay. “Rav chesed ve’emet” is another one. “Chesed ve’emet” is actually together. “Notzer chesed la’alafim,” I’m holding four. “Nosei avon vafesha vechata’ah,” five. “Venakeh lo yenakeh,” six. “Upoked avon avot al banim,” blah blah blah, seven. That’s approach number one, that there are seven. Okay. How can you divide more? You can divide erech apayim, either you can divide rav chesed ve’emet, you can divide rachum vechanun, you’re already holding at nine. What else can you divide? How do I get to ten? What is the approach of ten?

Student: It must be, the three people have… it’s a dispute how you divide the verse, right? There you can certainly find ten. What’s the problem?

Teacher: No! There must be an investigation that this makes ten, it won’t count that. Arriving at thirteen is truly difficult. I can for example count avon vafesha vechata’ah, then I get another two, right? And I’m up to eleven. I want clarification on the face of the Torah, I’m trying to say simple peshat. Ah, and you add Hashem Hashem El, and that’s also attributes, yes. So he says, the person, ah, I don’t see what it says, and he argues that there are many approaches. Why don’t I find it? I… poked on avot… I one now. He brings many approaches in a list. Rabbeinu Tam counted the Name twice. And another one in short, thousands… anyway, the Rambam… he counted, he brings a responsum to the Rambam, and there’s also a piece of Rambam.

The Rambam’s Approach – Attributes as Actions of Hashem

Teacher: What I mainly want to know is, that there is, shoot, he should say, there is in the attribute of judgment, that’s the main thing I want to say. I think it’s a wonderful Rambam in my opinion. But the one who holds of thirteen, you hold, you count with nishpokot, and you also count in kilyon hakeh. We say until venakeh. Where does the custom of the siddur come from? It comes from the Geonim. Which Geonim? The same ones who said that there are only… they did there venakeh? Stop. Because they held venakeh velo yenakeh, like the Gemara. Menakeh lashavim ve’eino menakeh le’einam shavim. They didn’t want to speak of that velo yenakeh. That’s apparently the peshat. Because that’s the attribute of mercy. Afterwards it begins with to learn. Velo yenakeh you can already learn with. Although the simple translation is venakeh lo yenakeh, it’s not two attributes. But in the Gemara it decisively said such a teaching, and the Rambam says that the attributes are actions of Hashem in the world.

Moreh Nevuchim Part 1 Chapter 54 – Attributes as Actions, Not Characteristics

Teacher: The Rambam’s approach fits very strongly how you now have here thirteen attributes, not like the Rav HaGaon, that this is the Almighty’s revelation. Because the Rambam says, that kol tuvi, the Rambam says thus, in the Rambam in chapter 54 in part 1 is busy with the topic that you can’t know the Almighty’s essence, you can only know His actions, which means descriptions or actions, and that means, well, what does he bring? “Hodi’eini et derachecha,” that is your ways, and through this you take in understanding, because who does the Almighty love? Whoever knows Him, not whoever fits. The Almighty told him, I will show him kol tuvi, meaning everything I have done, everything the Almighty has done with His attributes is good, because it’s good. But He didn’t tell him everything, thirteen attributes were enough.

And he says, attributes means the same thing as by a person means attributes, he puts aspects, like attributes of people. But the Almighty doesn’t have any attributes, rather He has actions, He is similar to the attributes. He asks the number one question, if so why does He say only thirteen? The Almighty has much more than these thirteen things. So the Rambam, because the thirteen things are actions that come from Him in all circumstances of people and their conduct. These are the attributes that went with the conduct of people. The Almighty conducts the wind, He doesn’t know from which attribute, but people He conducts with the thirteen attributes. Because Moshe Rabbeinu needed to know this, because he needs to lead the Jews with the same attributes that the Almighty leads them. Political human, ethical yes. Human.

The Attributes and the Ten Sefirot

Maggid Shiur: So it’s not the ten sefirot. The same idea of the sefirot. It was also intertwined with… maybe, not sure. Perhaps the sefirot are also only what people know. Perhaps the Almighty has more things, who knows. I don’t know. No, in Sefer Yetzirah, yes, it speaks about everything.

The Rambam’s Explanation of the Attributes – “Pokeid Avon Avot” as Middat HaDin

Maggid Shiur: In short, in the Rambam he explains a bit what is rachamim, what is chanun, and what is punishment. I’m talking about punishment. And he says that the leader must indeed punish a little, punish also, but ah! He says very well, because all these three attributes, for him they are, he says that one must have more mercy than punishment, because there is only in all these thirteen attributes, there is only one attribute that is not mercy, which is pokeid upon avot on children.

Because “nakeh lo yenakeh,” says the Rambam, when not, it doesn’t mean “lo yenakeh,” “venakeh” means “lo yisharesh,” even when the Almighty punishes, He leaves something over. So that’s the Rambam’s interpretation. It comes out that the Rambam held, first of all certainly that the thirteen attributes go until “pokeid avot on children.”

The Rambam’s Siddur and the Custom of the Thirteen Attributes

Student: And the Rambam’s siddur was arranged that way? The Rambam brings in his siddur the thirteen attributes somewhere?

Maggid Shiur: I don’t need to remember? I don’t remember that the Rambam… where, wait. From where does it come to him that one says in the siddur the thirteen attributes? In supplications, we say it in supplications every day, but I think that it’s… aha, do you remember? By selichot one says it, but the selichot is… I don’t know, there is no text of selichot in the Rambam. Trommer said selichot, it’s brought from Hilchot Teshuva, but he doesn’t say what one says. They used to call it Rachman, right?

The Dispute Regarding the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy — The Rambam’s Response and Approach

The Rambam’s Response Regarding Saying “Hashem Hashem” at Torah Reading

Maggid Shiur:

In short, let the Rebbe tell us what is the matter, tell us whether we should do it, and what is the number of attributes. Or it’s just a custom, and everyone will do what he wants. Wow, beautifully written the question.

Says the holy Rambam, I hold that it’s a custom of the chazzanim, I don’t do it. The Rambam was a real stubborn one. The whole world could say a custom, he stands and doesn’t do it. I’m not protesting, not any nullification of customs, not any sin, not any obligation, I’m quiet. I don’t answer at all, in short, I don’t do it, whatever, other translations, I guess.

In short, the Rambam clashed with the world, he used to shout “Hashem Hashem,” because he doesn’t know that it says in the Gemara, he doesn’t do it.

Ah, afterwards, regarding the question, here he does have an opinion. Certainly, the Rambam, the first Name is not from the count. I never heard anyone who disputes this. Hey, the Gemara says a Name before he sinned? The Rambam didn’t understand that the Gemara means that this is the number. The Ibn Ezra also disputes. You see, he says that it can’t be, it’s a Name.

The Ibn Ezra’s Innovation Regarding the Name Havayah — Name in Essence and Name of Description

But the Ibn Ezra said that there is such an interesting innovation from the Ibn Ezra that it can be the Name Havayah can be a Name in essence, and it can be a Name of description. So he explains by “va’eira el Shakkai,” that the forefathers knew of the Name in essence, and knew that it can be a thing that the Almighty does. This is kabbalah, the secret of kabbalah, that the Name Havayah is the Name of description. I don’t know about this? Okay. Yes, do you understand what I’m saying?

Makes sense, like we said last week, because the Name in essence means that it’s only a hint, it doesn’t mean anything, it’s not a thing that one can understand. This is the Rambam, there is a dispute between the Rambam and the kabbalah whether the Name Havayah is a Name in essence or not. The Rambam said, the Name Havayah, perhaps the Name Havayah means God, and about this it doesn’t mean anything. It means perhaps “the Existent who exists,” some such definition, but it doesn’t mean anything, it doesn’t mean anything. The kabbalah comes and says, no, God doesn’t have a name. The Name Havayah means what the Almighty does.

Comes the Ibn Ezra, I hold that the whole kabbalah is a commentary on the Ibn Ezra’s second interpretation of the Name Havayah. He says that this is what Moshe Rabbeinu knew and not the forefathers, because the Ibn Ezra argues, and this is a great secret, because the Ibn Ezra says that why did they certainly know that there is a God? Only that it has actions, actions, and lordship, Shakkai, I don’t know what they wanted. But Moshe Rabbeinu innovated that the Almighty can do things, or one can make the Almighty do things, in the aspect of Havayah. These are the miracles that Moshe Rabbeinu made.

And what the mekubalim are very into the Name Havayah, but their Name Havayah is a second Name Havayah, it’s not the Rambam’s Name Havayah, it’s the second one, understand? Because it’s only the Name Havayah of action. The mekubalim explicitly translate Havayah as “mehave,” not Havayah that is “hove.” This is “she’haya hove,” this is above Havayah. Havayah, even what we understand “she’haya hove,” is already also something an action, however you wanna say.

The Rambam’s Interpretation of the Verse “Vayikra Hashem”

In short, says the Rambam like this, that certainly, simple interpretation, it says “vayikra b’shem Hashem,” the Almighty indeed called in the Name of Hashem, and He said “Hashem Kel Rachum.”

So the Rambam translates, what? “Vayikra Hashem”? So the Rambam translates? Wait, I didn’t catch. What does it say in the verse? I thought that we should go learn His honor, but I want to learn the simple meaning. One minute.

So the Rambam translates like this, do you catch what the Rambam says? The Rambam translates that one must place it like this. Ah, I didn’t catch. “Vaya’avor Hashem al panav vayikra Hashem,” what did the Almighty say, “Hashem Kel Rachum.”

I thought that one can say “vayikra,” the Almighty shouted “Hashem Hashem,” like “Moshe Moshe,” like it’s a shout. So the Gemara learns, Rabbi Yochanan learned like this, aha. But the Rambam here learns differently. “And all the Geonim agree on this,” so he says. Because “Moshe Moshe” always stands, when it stands twice it always stands. But it’s the same word.

So he brings, so the Geonim also said, “and the Rav decided in Hilchot the words of Rav Hai z”l” that “verav chesed” is the sixth attribute. Let’s see how can “verav chesed” be the sixth attribute? “Hashem,” “Kel,” “Rachum,” “Chanun,” “Erech Apayim,” “Verav Chesed.” He counts every name, but from the second name until “verav chesed.” Okay, it comes out like this, because otherwise it’s the seventh if both names. Okay.

The Dispute Regarding “Venakeh Lo Yenakeh”

The Approach of the Targum — “Venakeh” is One Attribute

Then there are others, there are those who call “venakeh” one attribute, and this is the approach of the Targum, that he translates “venakeh lashavim,” “lo yenakeh le’einav shavim,” the Targum itself, yes, so the Targum translates.

Another Approach — “Venakeh Lo Yenakeh” is One Thing

And “there are those who count them together,” he says no, that it’s one thing, “venakeh lo yenakeh,” and so the Rambam indeed translated, that it’s not absolving, it means that it’s a good thing. And he explains its matter, ah, this is “lo ye’aker min hashoresh,” not true? “Venakeh lo yenakeh,” this is a proof, a good proof from the verse. Where does the verse stand? Jeremiah, it stands more than once. “Veyisarticha lemishpat venakeh lo anakecha,” meaning to leave your root upon the punishment he will not do so, this is the translation of “venakeh lo yenakeh.”

The Practical Difference — “Pokeid Avon Avot” as the Thirteenth Attribute

However its matter according to the well-known, this is the dispute. I’m telling you, the Rambam translates here “according to the well-known,” that means not according to the simple meaning that “venakeh lo yenakeh” is two, he translates “Hashem Hashem Kel Rachum Chanun Erech Apayim Verav Chesed Ve’emet Notzer Chesed La’alafim Nosei Avon Vafesha Vechata’ah Venakeh,” the righteous He goes to treat. You can very easily see how this is truly here only ten, because the “nosei avon vafesha vechata’ah” is a bit of a trick.

And says the Rambam, that the others who say, the commentators of Spain, whoever that one is, maybe him, commentators of Spain, I don’t know who this is, Andalusians. The Rambam brings several times, the Andalusians said, no one knows who it is, Ibn Ezra he said, okay, he said that what? That “venakeh lo yenakeh” is one thing, consequently it comes out that “pokeid avon avot” is the thirteenth.

In short, according to all opinions “Hashem” is the first, not any… yes, okay, in short. This is the Rambam. Ah, you see here though, someone indeed spoke about the point.

Summary of the Dispute

It comes out that there is a dispute, the dispute is… ah, it’s really a dispute. According to the simple understanding of the Targum and of the Rabbis of the Torah, “venakeh lo yenakeh,” or “venakeh” alone is a good thing and “lo yenakeh” is a bad thing, it’s already not part of the attributes, it cuts itself out.

Or “venakeh lo yenakeh” alone is a good thing, and then it’s one thing, and then it comes out that “pokeid avon avot” is a middat hadin, and it’s one of the thirteen attributes. This is the approach of the commentators of Spain, says the Rambam.

And says the Meiri, he brings—

The Dispute Regarding “Venakeh Lo Yenakeh” and the Ramak’s New Approach of Twelve Havayot

The Dispute Regarding Middat HaDin in the Thirteen Attributes

The dispute is… ah, it’s really a dispute. According to the approach of the Targum and of Rav Anan the Jews, “venakeh lo yenakeh” — or “venakeh” alone is a good thing, and “lo yenakeh” is a bad thing, it’s already not part of the attributes, it cuts it out. Or “venakeh lo yenakeh” alone is a good thing, and then it’s one thing. And then it comes out that “pokeid avon avot” is a middat hadin, and it’s one of the thirteen attributes. This is the approach of the commentators of Spain, says the Ramban.

And says the Meiri, he brings that the approach of the Rambam, yes, it doesn’t seem right, the Meiri says “and so it seems” — it looks like this, it’s nice, it makes sense. But it’s not the custom to say it at all. Ah, he says yes from the siddur. He says, that it’s not of mercy and they reveal their strength. When it’s simply the custom, he says, apparently thirteen attributes of mercy.

Ah, you see, the Meiri knew the distinction of the Gemara in this custom. And the Gemara indeed says thirteen attributes of mercy. It could be the Gemara understood that either “venakeh lo yenakeh,” or even “pokeid avon avot” is one of the attributes. But the custom is, it’s called “thirteen measures of mercy” — this is somewhere in the selichot, it even says inside, I don’t know. It comes out that this is not included in them.

So, it comes out a dispute. The one who says that there is middat hadin, like the Rambam says, and Meiri, this is very important for the Rambam’s interpretation — it comes out that this is how the Almighty conducts Himself always with people, then it is indeed like a bit of a contradiction with the ten sefirot. But according to the custom — so the mekubalim always go according to the custom.

Note: The Arizal Regarding Piyutim — Sephardic Philosophy Against Ashkenazic Midrash-Tradition

I saw it before, someone spoke at length about this, that the Arizal says that one should not say any selichot from any piyutim except from the paytanim, and he asks about this, Moshe Iden, but he asks about this that what does it mean it’s not true? Because the paytanim, the Arizal meant that the Kallah was Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon, it comes out that it fits with the Zohar. But meanwhile what he was a second one, it comes out that it’s not true, immediately it’s nonsense that the person says.

Because when the Arizal says that one should not say any piyutim from the Sephardic paytanim, he means to say one should not serve the Almighty in the way of philosophy, but in the way of kabbalah. In the way of kabbalah means in the way of the Midrash. The kabbalah is a commentary on this.

But the Ashkenazic mekubalim, or the paytanim, Rabbi Elazar HaKalir, his teachings are only what it says in the Midrash. He doesn’t have any theology. What Rabbi Shlomo Ibn Gabirol writes into his piyut whatever he learned in his science. It doesn’t go like that. He writes what it says in the Torah. What it says in the Torah must fit according to kabbalah. So there’s no contradiction at all.

So the mekubalim here, in any case the Ramak here certainly goes with the custom of the order.

Student: Do you agree?

Maggid Shiur: He’s also a holy Jew, he also has a right to say.

Student: He has a right. I agree that he has a right. One hundred percent. He certainly has a right. The Arizal wouldn’t hold that he has a right. I agree that he has a right. Not only does he have a right, he even says well.

Maggid Shiur: I didn’t say that Rabbi Elazar HaKalir says only what it says in the Midrash. He certainly has certain…

Student: Yes, but in his approach, it could be that he says another midrash, he may also make a midrash, but he doesn’t say… the structure…

Maggid Shiur: And the midrash is a midrash, even if he doesn’t say midrash.

Student: Right. True, true. I agree. But I understand why the Arizal reads the two piyutim and he says “this is a piyut innovated for you and this not.” It’s very easy to understand what he means. Whether Rabbi Elazar HaKalir was Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon or not, both, it fits a lot, it fits very well. You do agree that he was Rabbi Shimon’s only son. In general, the mekubalim also stole a lot from him, it’s not exactly true the whole thing. But that’s a different point. But he is still, the structure, I mean that the structure is still very different.

A mekubal, this is exactly the investigation. A mekubal will say, I go with the ten sefirot, or perhaps Rabbi Elazar HaKalir would have gone more with the attributes way. No difference. And there he will stuff in his whole… what he understands himself from his innovations, or even what innovations he stole from a philosopher. But the philosophers, they can make their own whole order. So it’s as if already, you lose the language. I mean that this is the difference. Do you also understand it like this?

He writes about “Yigdal.” What kind of thing is it that someone should write a prayer about the Rambam made thirteen principles? He must have come that it’s a thing that stands in the Torah, it’s a thing that stands in the Gemara, what is it? It’s nothing. It’s simply a list. The Rambam held that it wasn’t… yes, very nice, very very very strong. Someone would have written the same content but it’s translated into emanation, would have written “no physicality in Him,” understand?

Maggid Shiur: I agree like this. Anyway, I’m just saying that… no, I’m saying a fact, this is not any… I don’t hold like this, I don’t mean that it’s worse, I’m just saying that the mekubalim hold like this.

Din is Also Mercy — A Deeper Perspective

So, in short, he goes… no, it’s very interesting. The Ramak says a proof stands in the reading that you want to write. This is like the proof of the Meiri. But it’s a proof from the custom, it’s not a proof from the Gemara. The Gemara doesn’t call it like this. So the Gemara can indeed agree with the approach.

Okay, he doesn’t speak of the days of mercy, he speaks truly of… he wants to make from this a whole kabbalah already, but… just say that the Ramak… yes, mercy, it indeed can’t be that the Gemara didn’t yet call it mercy. Ah, how did Shimon HaTzaddik know from the custom that one calls it mercy? I don’t know.

I would say simply that this is not a question the whole thing, because even one can even call the whole of mercy, that which the Almighty sometimes makes judgment, is also a part of mercy, which is hard to understand. Yes, it must be, no. It’s certainly so, there is a reason why one should spread out a bit, so that it should spread out a bit and something… you know that even judgment, it’s a good thing, it’s not a bad thing. Yes, judgment is made to cleanse the world.

Student: Right, it’s a good thing, judgment is important.

Maggid Shiur: That in order I won’t punish you on the spot for doing a sin, I will wait a few generations, I will make sure there is an accumulation. Also the opposite, that our enemies I should remember, forever I should pay them back. Germany didn’t pay in one generation, the Almighty will still remember. Don’t worry, and in four generations around He sent a bunch of Muslims who should be His name.

This is the simple meaning of the Chumash, you know. Avraham asks, it’s the Yevusi. He says, many times one sees that there is a great wicked person and he is successful. Wait until his great-grandchild. If then it’s still not, we’ll talk further. But almost always until the great-grandchild he is already… And the condition is like this, the Torah shows this explicitly.

Translation

So, so, so, it’s not a good thing. We have the idea that judgment (din) is a bad thing, because we always think when it’s meant, it’s meant for us, it’s not meant for us, it’s meant for the wicked. So yes, we don’t know. I mean, it could be that one must cry out “visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children” is ours, so that the Almighty shouldn’t be a creditor. Why should one only cry out that the Almighty will do good for Jews?

The Barditchever Rebbe says many times in his Torah Sifrei Reishona in such places that what it says that one must also have the attribute of strength (middat hagevurah), means from the nations, people think it’s just racist. Meaning to say, a very simple thing, the world, the world is “a king establishes the land through justice.” Certainly, one must through the nations, pleasant ways, make people feel good.

In short, a story, this is splendor (hod), yes? Because it’s beautiful, it’s very beautiful, it’s structured, it’s order, it’s beautiful, it’s attributes of strength (middot hagevurah). Yes, so I know. Why… in short, in short, the Ramak says another interpretation.

The Ramak’s New Approach: Twelve Havayot, Not Thirteen

Okay, now there’s another interpretation. He doesn’t explain the whole other interpretation, but I need to think a bit about this. “Therefore we have clarified for ourselves in this” — so yes, I’m still impressed by the question. But the Ramak says this, she has a third, a completely different approach.

What is clear to him is this: that the 13 attributes are included in 12 boundaries which are 12 havayot. These are the twelve havayot that we saw earlier in the picture.

A new Torah, it’s twelve. Do you catch everyone? No one agrees with thirteen. One makes it ten with three, one makes it twelve. Thirteen is very into the number.

Is this the end? Perhaps indeed, this is the end, indeed you want ethics into the number. Something is missing with… what’s wrong with thirteen? Twelve is a good number, it divides well, I know. Thirteen is a prime number? What’s the deal with thirteen? Should I ask my computer?

There’s a website that says, you know there’s a math website that says about every number what’s interesting about it? Math is an interesting thing, every number would have its… look further!

So, 13 is prime, yes, true. It’s interesting. Well, prime means, you know what prime means? Prime means that there’s no way to make the number from other numbers, except for one. Therefore it’s the gematria of echad (one). That is, the first, I mean, in the natural numbers, in the first, yes, it goes 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17. From eleven we’ve already said that it’s not a good number. There’s a system that there are eleven attributes of mercy (middot harachamim), the opinion of Rav.

I mean that I’m going to make a new order where I’ll say “in the merit of Rav’s prayer, hear my 11 attributes.” There’s something… on Rosh Chodesh one says “in the merit of the prayer of the many,” “the prayer of Rav.” Right, the prayer that one says there is Rav’s prayer.

Student: Yes. How do you know he’s there? I mean there are too many versions probably, no?

Lecturer: So, 13 is a bit of a weird number, because it’s not a good number, it doesn’t divide. I don’t know. In Judaism, 13 is bar mitzvah. He doesn’t know about the 13 attributes, the lady goes.

Twelve Havayot = 3×4 — Twelve Permutations

Okay, let’s see. Ahh… so he says a new Torah, there are twelve havayot. What is the secret of twelve havayot? Twelve havayot is 3×4, right? He means twelve, yes, he says twelve permutations. It’s basically 3×4. The reason why there are twelve permutations is a bit different, but yes. And twelve…

Twelve Havayot, Twelve Diagonal Boundaries, and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy

Twelve Havayot and Twelve Permutations

Okay, let’s see. Um, so he says a new Torah. There are twelve havayot. What is the secret of twelve havayot? Twelve havayot is three times four, right? He means twelve, yes, he says twelve permutations. It’s basically three times four. The reason why there are twelve permutations is a bit different, but yes.

Twelve Diagonal Boundaries – From Sefer Yetzirah

And 12 boundaries means the diagonals, right? Of a cube. This is from Sefer Yetzirah basically, it’s called diagonal boundaries. A cube has, is made of twelve lines, right? Eight dots, four above and four below, the same. Twelve lines make a cube.

Um, so the Sefer Yetzirah which thought about how the world is made, that it consists of space, thought that the number twelve is something an important number. Therefore by him there are three, one can say three dimensions, although he didn’t have the idea of three dimensions. And then seven, which is six directions and the center, six which are called cardinal directions, that is up down, east west, north south. And then the double of that is twelve, which that is twelve, which you have a full cube. This is the Sefer Yetzirah, this is twelve boundaries.

The Thirteenth – The Encompassing Place

And afterwards he says:

> And the encompassing place which is the Name that includes them makes them 13

So besides… I don’t know what that means. Just as by six there are six with the seventh, so by him there’s also something a thirteenth which is called the encompassing place makes them. It’s not clear to me, because the space is the twelve. Is there a thirteenth there? All twelve make something new. Ah, it’s the inclusive (kolel). You mean to say the general principle, I guess. That the encompassing place is something for that.

Meaning, let’s see what he says. The permutation, every permutation I understand. Um, he says another interpretation, that one counts the Name. No, I mean he doesn’t mean that. He means the boundaries means boundaries.

> And they are in one of three places which are Teli, Galgal and Lev

I don’t know what that is, something from Sefer Yetzirah. He says simply according to Kabbalah, but their sign is Teli. So this is the secret of 12 attributes.

> Besides this there are another 13 worlds and they are in Keter

And this will stand in Sha’ar Pirtei HaShamot.

A Question on This System of Twelve Plus One

It annoys me, because if there are only thirteen, the idea should be thirteen, not twelve plus one, and not ten plus three. I, it’s not, I have no sense of this.

The Arizal always, the Arizal says all the kavanot (intentions) of the Arizal, I spoke about last week and the other kavanot of the Arizal, all the kavanot of the Arizal for the 13 attributes go three Names of Havayah with two times three Names of Havayah with the inclusive. The beginning of the holy month of Elul of the Tikkunei Zohar goes like this, why should I have three Havayahs? That’s for twelve, and then, how does one arrive at thirteen? One has intention again for an inclusive. All three again. As if the thirteen really is like twenty-four, as if, like you say, the whole separate from the parts. But it’s very funny to me, it bothers me something. I don’t know what the sound is.

Analogy of the Twelve Tribes

With the tribes it’s also so, there are twelve tribes, I know. But on the contrary, by the tribes, it’s always, somehow, figured out that it should always be twelve, either one divides Yosef, or takes out Levi, something one does. And the thirteenth is always in learning, the thirteenth doesn’t count itself. And the learning is because of this. That’s why there’s a number 13. I’m not so… I’m not happy.

The Name of 12 Letters – Three Times Havayah

What does it say in Parshat Shivtei HaShamot? This is what I was in the middle of looking at earlier for all these things. Sha’ar 31, Chapter 3. Well, one can see the questions that it says. Heh – Chet – Dreim – Dreitz – Dreim – Dreitz – the Name of 72. What does he want from the Name of 72? Ah, so, this is Heh of 10, Bet letters, right? It says in… ah, he brings this here.

It says in the Gemara in Kiddushin, and the Mekubalim also, it’s also a trick, I don’t like it. So the Sefer HaBahir said, what is the Name of 12 letters? Where is there a Name of 12 letters? Nobody knows. The Name of 72 one already knows from Rashi, the Name of 42 one already knows. What is the Name of 12? He said, the Name of 12 is three times the Name Havayah. Hello? That’s the Name of 4 letters, three times. And where is thirteen? Thirteen is again.

He speaks about this.

Teli, Galgal, and Lev – World Year Soul

What is Teli and Galgal and Lev? I’m not sure. I mean that this is one of the World Year Soul things from Sefer Yetzirah. The problem is that Teli and Galgal are the same thing. I’m not sure. Lev is the heart, makes sense. Galgal is the sphere. And Teli is like an astronomical term, that I’m not sure what it means.

Student: What does it mean? What is the Teli? The Milky Way?

Lecturer: No, the path that the sun goes through.

Student: Ah, that’s called the Teli?

Lecturer: Yes.

Student: And what does one do with this? What does it have to do with the matter?

Lecturer: He speaks about the twelve, he speaks at length about twelve. Ah, 12 diagonal boundaries. And here he’s explaining what 12 diagonal boundaries means, which I said, something similar in what there is in the sefirot, whatever that means.

And then it says:

> Teli in the world like a king on his throne, Galgal in the year…

Ah, it’s yes, World Year Soul. Because year is like the stars, the constellations, the constellations in the year, and the sphere turns the year, and the heart in the soul. He says thus:

> Teli in the world like a king on his throne

This is another language. The Teli is like a king on his throne.

> Galgal in the year like a king in the city

When the king goes in the city.

> Lev in the soul like a king in war

I don’t know what this means.

He says yes, he says like you:

> The straight line upon which the spheres revolve

What? That’s not that. This is the constellations. So Sunday on the sphere. The constellations are where the sun travels, I don’t understand. The constellations are already where the sun goes. So what is the Teli? As if the place where they go? The… the imaginary line.

Student: Ah, so he says. The… interesting.

The Three States of the King

Student: Why is the heart like war? Isn’t that like a king in the field?

Lecturer: Yes. There are by three states of the king like: in war, in the city, and on his throne. It’s more contained and more open. King on his throne, when one cannot see. I think it’s least stable out. On his throne he sits, and everything travels. In the city something turns the city, and war is already chaos a bit.

Student: It’s reversed.

Lecturer: It’s reversed. It’s theoretical, it’s theoretical.

In short, here he speaks about this, and in times of things by 12 boundaries, he says that this old the Ramak says here that the Sefer Yetzirah speaks of this world, which is all a hint to Kabbalah, everyone knew that the Sefer Yetzirah speaks of this world, but he said that it truly means Kabbalah, and he shows here how one can make twelve, and afterwards he says:

> Teli is the Name Ehyeh, Galgal is the Name Havayah, Lev is the Name Adonai

And each one has twelve, which write it in four letters in each name, three times, and what? We haven’t yet seen the thirteen attributes of mercy.

A Difficult Question: What Does This Have to Do with Attributes of Mercy?

What does this have to do with the thirteen attributes of mercy? How is this yes mercy, Master of the Universe? I don’t understand. Twelve, twelve. He doesn’t explain how this is all attributes of mercy. If it’s 12 permutations of the Name Havayah and it’s the 12 boundaries of mercy, it’s very nice. But what’s got to do with attributes of mercy? It’s just how the world travels. He hasn’t answered his question. His kind of question he hasn’t answered. It only makes it worse. I don’t know. The whole world is mercy. Forget it, I could have already said that judgment is also mercy, as they said earlier. He speaks here further about… he doesn’t speak about the matter at all mercy here.

13 Enumerations in Keter – From Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKanah

This is one interpretation, and then there’s another interpretation, right?

> Besides this there are 13 enumerations in Keter

And this doesn’t say there in Sha’ar Pirtei HaShamot, this is somewhere else. On this he says, he brings from Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKanah in general in the sefirot. This is another word on the prayers, one of the prayers. He counted 13 enumerations in Keter, as one will bring the Sha’ar Mitzvah Hanagah Chapter 3. So, there, you will see, there’s something a Sha’ar Mitzvah Hanagah Chapter 8. This is something a prayer of Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKanah. And there it says thus, and call, I once made the prayer somewhere. By 13 it begins thus, that here and call in 620 pillars of light you have 620 pillars of light in the Keter, gematria Keter, right?

The 13 Attributes of Mercy, 13 Sources in Keter, and the Essence of Ten Sefirot

The 13 Attributes in Sefer Yetzirah and in Atbash

And from what comes indeed one is in all sefirot:

> “And they are filled inside and outside and externally”

Three times Havayah.

> “And they are engraved in the form of male and female and are reversed to Tiferet from Malchut”

And in short, afterwards it says:

> “If they are elevated in speech and included in calculation you gave war”

And this came out from the books:

> “Coming from the spring of tranquility which is still engraved and without number from the hidden light, and in the shell of the concealed darkness, which is the existence known to all the enlightened”

All the enlightened know about the existence.

> “And 13 wondrous forms, which are revealed and hidden and rest upon the Keter itself”

And then he writes just the 13 attributes in Atbash, if you noticed. Look what he says:

> “Hashem Hashem E-l Rachum VeChanun”

You can see, yes?

> “E-l Rachum VeChanun Erech Apayim”

Yes, but it’s the gematria of Rachen, it’s the Atbash of… what did I say?

> “E-l Rachum VeChanun Erech”

It’s an Erech, right? Ta’ag Resh.

> “Erech Apayim VeRav Chesed VeEmet, Notzer Chesed LaAlafim Nosei Avon VaFesha VeChata’ah VeNakeh”

Right? This is the regular 13 attributes of mercy.

Instructor: The siddur that Rav Sheftl says that one should say this every day in the month of Elul, the acronyms, the Name… I’m not sure what’s the secret of doing that. The Rav Yitzchak also very much loved the prayer of Rabbi Nechunya ben HaKanah, he very much loved to say this. What the matter of saying in Atbash I don’t know. Perhaps this explains what women in general, mother, whatever.

Four Approaches in Understanding the 13 Sources in Keter

Approach A: 12 Boundaries and the Place That Contains Them

Then he says:

> “The secret of the concealed darkness, and they are 13 types of transformation”

Ah, it’s indeed transformation, right? One of the transformations.

> “They are thirteen sources in Keter”

I don’t know. There are many things I don’t know here. 13 attributes, I don’t know. He says it has to do with Teli and Galgal and Lev. I don’t even know. Because the same three is three times. He has something a Torah that there are three times thirteen. I don’t know why three times thirteen. Thirty-six. Why? What’s the matter? Yes, what’s the topic? 36 paths. 36 kingdoms. In short, 36 kingdoms.

> “And regarding Keter, some have interpreted that they are 13 sources”

I don’t know who this “some have interpreted” is, and the Ramak doesn’t copy it. There’s Chapter 4 here. So there’s something going on with these 13 sources in Keter.

Anyway, according to that reasoning there’s further another reasoning. The first reasoning is that the 13 attributes are included in 12 boundaries and the place that contains them, which is the Arizal usually works with that kind of fillings, that kind of approach. But I don’t know what that has to do with mercy. With the root of mercy. The world isn’t entirely mercy, it doesn’t make sense.

Approach B: Teli and Galgal and Lev – Three Times Thirteen

And besides this there’s a system that there is… Maybe the root of this, maybe that’s the point. There is like… ah, this is the Teli and Galgal and Lev he’ll say? Like let’s say above according to Kabbalah, Lev is when it’s already 13 diagonal boundaries, whatever, and the Galgal is something in between, and the Teli is… later he’ll say Teli in Binah, but anyways… This is layer three.

Approach C: 13 of the Worlds in Keter

And afterwards there’s a fourth, which is the 13 of the worlds in Keter. And this he says, Rabbi Chaim ben Attar also held this way because he counted the 13 of the worlds to Keter. And these are the same 13 of worlds, and there are those who say it’s not. In Sha’ar Mispar Hanhagah there’s a dispute about this whether this is the same thing or not.

Approach D: The Rashbi in the Idra – Nine Attributes of Arich Anpin

And likewise also the Rashbi this is the Idra. The Idra is important, but this is still the topic here. He says, the Rashbi gives indeed another Torah, a very interesting Torah. He says that there are places that it says here in all these attributes, that is one place in Parshat Shelach. Also, depending on how you count, on this, I don’t know what one should count there. What does it say? Something like this. There’s very much by there, by the way, there are very many verses that mention the 13 attributes, many commentaries on this. There are also places where it says only three, I mean, Hashem Rachum VeChanun, Chanun VeRachum Moshe. Why didn’t the Idra make a whole Torah? Now there’s another attribute that has only thus.

Anyway, he said that there are nine middot in Ze’ir Anpin and thirteen middot in Arich Anpin. Okay, depending on whatever, Arich Anpin means Keter, Arich Anpin means Tiferet, and the most general sense. It comes out further, that the Zohar, that is Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the Zohar, also goes with the approach that, that the thirteen middot are in all the attributes of Keter. Not like the Gaon who held that the thirteen middot is a general thing.

But all this:

> “The thirteen middot in their place here, for it will be explained in a separate book, and from the decree of Hashem in general”

How does he explain his understanding of the thirteen middot? Interesting. Talmud Bavli, he has a whole explanation of the thirteen middot, remember? He explains what they are. This is Talmud’s list. Perhaps he means this, no one counts here.

The Main Intention: Strengthening Faith in the Ten Sefirot

> “The intention here in writing all this is, one must strengthen the faith of the Kabbalists, that one should not believe more than ten, not less than ten. And one who adds or subtracts sins and causes evil to himself. And it will not help him that we did not err, Amen”

That is the point.

Instructor: Did someone in the back make a comment about this? I remember that in the back there was someone who spoke about this, whether there are ten or thirteen sefirot. We had there in the middle of learning Kabbalah, one may not question, lest the angels go away. I don’t remember, how was it? I’ve already completely forgotten how it was.

Shlomo Alkabetz’s Approach: Sefirot as “Tzurot HaNitpasot”

Otherwise, the tenth chapter of Pirkei HaChacham. This is who is probably talking again. The Sefer HaShorashim that we spoke about, page 408 of Avi Na Ekev. He said that there is a dispute how many sefirot there are. The answer is at great length. He says that the main matter is thus:

> “Say now, why does it say ‘every male shall appear’? For then they will return to God Himself. And this is the wondrous simple meaning of ‘when shall I come and appear before God’, and it did not say ‘and I will be seen’ but ‘and I will see’, that I will be imprinted in His intellect, blessed be He, and this is the language of Shlomo Alkabetz, for at that time God Himself”

This is Shlomo Alkabetz’s theory, that sefirot are the Almighty’s tzurot hanitpasot, and nitpasot means like, it’s stamped the Almighty’s intellect, as it were. And this when a person… what? When a person…

Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz’s Approach: Sefirot as Tzurot Hamitpashtot in the Almighty’s Intellect

The Foundation of the Approach

This is the approach of Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz: that sefirot are the Almighty’s tzurot hamitpashtot. Mitpashtot means like formed, stamped, in the Almighty’s intellect, as it were.

And then, when a person… what? When a person asks 409, it has nothing to do with anything. He says that it’s written in Sha’ar 4. Anyway, Sha’ar 4 is about what? That if so much that a person is in the Almighty’s thought, then he is a god, because the Almighty’s thought is Him.

This is the meaning of “an ear that hears reproof of life dwells among the wise”. A standing thing that he says.

The Ramban and the Baal Shem Tov on This Matter

He brings that this is what the Ramban says about union: that the thought that thinks of the supernal beings is in the supernal beings.

This is what the Baal Shem Tov said — the Baal Shem Tov said this in his way: “In the place where a person’s thought is, there he is”. This is the meaning of a mitzvah, that is to cleave to the Shechinah, and when the matters of the created world are grasped in his intellect, they will ascend and change — it would already be so.

Ah, afterwards he says that he doesn’t always see the same. Not everyone is like the Almighty, like all other people.

The Tzaddik is “Printed” in the Almighty’s Intellect

Do you know what the advantage is to say this? I don’t know. This is the advantage of a tzaddik. I don’t know. The tzaddik is printed in the Almighty’s intellect. So he says. Printed. This is a funny expression. With this one must be attached to tzaddikim. So says Reb Shlomo’le Karliner.

The Parable of a House: How to Understand Aliyat HaOlamot?

What does this mean? I don’t understand. I need to understand this.

There is such a thing, for example when a house — there is the house. Why? How is a house in the intellect? It can go. What does it mean that it should go? That’s what he doesn’t grasp. How does this happen?

There is such a thing as an ascent. That is, for him, ascent. The aliyat ha’olam is like when there is a house that is a physical house, but when it enters, as it were, into the intellect of the builder, then the intellect is spiritual.

The same thing the world — when it enters, but it doesn’t enter, it is already, the world was already, I don’t know what it means it enters. What does this mean?

There are details that are not important, and details that are important, and if you make yourself important, then you get noticed, you stand out. And but what, in a certain way, more than the others.

You say, in truth indeed everyone is in one aspect, in Ein Sof, everything is equal. And somewhere there is a place where… the difference of a person, because a person can understand or not understand.

Moshe Rabbeinu’s Request: To Understand Things as They Are with the Almighty

He says that Moshe Rabbeinu wanted to understand all things as they are with the Almighty, not as they are here.

This speaks of understanding what the mitzvah of shofar does for me — I want to understand what it does for the Almighty. How it is in machshevet haBoreh. Boreh, Boreh, Boreh. The Ramban says, you cannot understand. The Ramban says, you cannot understand. The Ramban says, also that… your job is your part, and the other part is for the Almighty. There isn’t, but… I don’t know truly.

The Parable of a House — Deepened

Like a house, right? Like our parable of a house. Let’s take in to say no one will see. Like a parable of a house. If you look at the house and you see that it has four sides, it has twelve — you feel a lightest, whatever, right? You need to understand the house.

If you want to know the mind, let’s say, right, of the house maker, of the person who made a house, this is not enough, somehow. That is to abstract, right? You want to understand. What was in his head? There is no width, there is no width in a person’s head. There is the imprint, the form, the concept, the form, the order, the order of there being three sides, and perhaps the meaning thereof. Why must there be three sides?

But when you say meaning, the problem is, the problem is to say meaning for the Rambam, the Rambam says meaning for the Ribono Shel Olam, the Ribono Shel Olam has a need. But even the person, you don’t have to talk about the need. You could talk about the beauty in it, which is not in the, in the, in the house, not the width of the house. The width of the house is in, ah, you know, in a width, that is not in the person’s head.

The Parable of the Building: Three Levels of Friendship

In other words, let’s say, I, maybe, maybe, maybe something like this. I want to understand the two, the two levels of the, of the revelation of middot.

Let’s say, I made a, I have, let’s say I made a, a building, okay? You come, you are my friend, you want to be my friend. You heard that I previously made a building, you go into my building, perhaps you will know me. You see the building that I made? “Wow, very cute, really very nice.” You are right, I indeed made it so that people should go there, should have, I am happy. This is al pi nigleh.

The Second Level: Ta’amei HaMitzvot

Afterwards there is a person, he says, “I want to be your friend, I don’t want to just be someone who is like a recipient from you, I don’t want to be from the people who, who this is yes meant, I want to be from your friends.”

So he thinks into it, this is like ta’amei hamitzvot, like ta’am, there is such a thing, right? He wants to understand the structure of the building. Why, what is the goodness, or the beauty, or the structure that you saw to place on the right side this and on the left side that and the whole thing?

And the person who understands this, he is indeed closer to me, right? He’s more of my friend, I could see that. Why? Because he gets me. I didn’t just make this out, in truth I made it, I made it with a certain way to bring out the, what I care about, what I have in my head.

The Third Level: Achdut HaSeichel, Maskil U’Muskhal

And then that person is in my head, right? Because I don’t mean my head in the physical head, he and I are the same. That’s called, right, achdut haseichel, maskil u’muskhal. The intellect is in the house he can only be in one part of it and so on, but in the head he can be in the whole thing, right? He could be me.

That’s why, just so, someone who understands you is much a better friend than someone who gives you to eat, or you give him to eat, or even you give him the result of your intellect, is still, it’s like a level away.

The True Meaning of Aliyat HaOlamot

And when he receives the aliyat ha’olamot, what he means is, in our head, right? It doesn’t mean in the world. What he means is that people should understand the world that the Almighty wanted from it. Then they will be friends. He wants to be a friend of the Almighty. He doesn’t want to be just like a servant who takes. He wants to be His friend.

This makes sense. I don’t know if it’s a big problem, it makes a lot of sense.

Aliyot HaOlamot, The Person as Idea, and the Secret of Thirteen

Aliyot HaOlamot – In Our Head

Maggid HaShiur:

When the Kabbalists say aliyot ha’olamot, what he means is, in our head, right? It doesn’t mean in the world, but what he means is, that people should understand the world that the Almighty wanted from it. Then they are His friends. He wants to be a friend of the Almighty, he doesn’t want to be just like a servant, he wants to be His friend.

It makes sense, it’s not a big problem, it makes a lot of sense. Yes, I thought that it’s like the Rambam, that there’s a lot of details or extra noise. In other words, the purpose for people is a certain purpose that people need to do. So? But not every person does it that far.

The Person as the Idea of Person

So if you become a good person, an oved Hashem, then you… then, you was thinking about you, you would think about the idea of person, you become the idea, you don’t become a detail person, you are the idea person that He thought, you fulfill the purpose of the idea person that He thought, that’s what he meant.

And we, the particular people, many particular people who they do just one thing for one.

Student:

Okay, but then you is God.

Maggid HaShiur:

Right, because you become that, when He built the world, you would not the thought. There must be a heaven, there must be an earth, there must be people. When He meant the people He meant, you came to live. That’s what he meant. He meant you.

Student:

Yes.

The Tzaddik as Friend with the Ribono Shel Olam

Maggid HaShiur:

And for this, ah, for this you say that one must go to the tzaddik. Because a tzaddik is such a kind of person that he is a friend with the Ribono Shel Olam. He understands with Him. I don’t see exactly if it’s not how to say, but somehow it makes a big difference, it’s a different kind of person. Closeness doesn’t mean, right? Closeness means in intellect, closeness means in perfection, in form.

And he is helping his… what you said, ah, like the Rambam said that “the tzaddik is the entire world was created to command this one”. The closer you are, the closer you are at least something about you, the tzaddik takes from you, the tzaddik speaks with you. Something like that, like the… we get seeds from like some, like the mush from this very smart person that like built something or created something in order that because he has something that he really loves or there’s some… as long as you don’t know that, and then, yes, something like that, as long as you don’t know that, no, no.

⟦#2⟧ The Thirteen Middot of Rachamim – The Secret of Thirteen

Twelve in Sefer Yetzirah

Student:

So, what is this with the thirteen middot of rachamim? That there are three…

Maggid HaShiur:

I don’t know, the world has twelve sides, or twelve lines, let’s say, and the twelve months of the year. I know something like that. Oh, the Sefer Yetzirah thinks that the greatest number that the Sefer Yetzirah arrives at in the structure is twelve, right? It’s the greatest number.

Seven and Thirteen Mean “A Lot”

I also think that when one says thirteen middot of rachamim, one means to say very many, right? Just as seven means a lot, and thirteen means even more. I think so. Torah she’be’al peh multiplies by seven, and Torah she’be’al peh multiplies by thirteen. Therefore there was a dispute, there was what they said that there are seven middot that the Torah is expounded, and there are thirteen. Yes, Hillel said that there are seven, something like that.

Why Not Eleven?

It has to be, because, like I said, there’s eleven in between, but I don’t know why eleven is not… ah, there is indeed an approach of eleven, but eleven is somehow not a good number, the Sefer Yetzirah didn’t take it. Too close to ten, and it makes you confused. I don’t know. There are eleven spices of the incense, I know.

Student:

Eleven?

Maggid HaShiur:

As everyone says, there are eleven things. Eleven is one and one. Ten and nine. Thirteen. There is again what thirteen is that it means a lot. I don’t know what one may interesting.

Seven Means A Lot

Seven you know everyone means a lot.

Student:

Yes, yes, but 7, like “in one way he will come out to you and in seven ways he will flee before you”.

Maggid HaShiur:

It means a lot. “Seven who answer with reason”. “In all wisdom regarding me’ilah with seven who answer with reason”. 7 means a bunch. It’s like, I think because it’s like a…

Student:

What does it have to do with it being a time number?

Maggid HaShiur:

It’s like, because it’s like a lot, 7 ones.

The Question on Thirteen Middot of Rachamim

I said that thirteen is a lot, but we want that the thirteen should be one, all rachamim. So what does thirteen of rachamim mean? Thirteen of rachamim is rachamim? Rachamim is one middah or thirteen? Why is there so much?

First he forgives for a sin, he forgives for an avon and for a pesha, seriously, it’s all the same thing. Look, this is my good example. Here is “bearing avon and pesha and chata’ah”. In other words, here there is avon and pesha and chata’ah. The Almighty has one bearing for all of them, yes?

I try to make sense with this that this becomes only thirteen, by making like a klal. It says, twelve with a klal is thirteen. A klal is indeed something like a dochak. No, it has to be something further.

Student:

There were thirteen states in America.

Maggid HaShiur:

In short, what is the matter of thirteen? It’s a mystery. The number that has no explanation. I know, it doesn’t have so much explanation. It has an explanation. A number that has no explanation. This is for the Almighty above.

Proofs for Thirteen in Chazal

Student:

Where else does thirteen appear? Thirteen streams of perfume oil.

Maggid HaShiur:

Ah, from a balsam, yes. Indeed. He means a lot of oil, right? Okay, that’s a proof that means a lot. Already, I only need one proof. I don’t need more than one proof.

I will learn from the Rambam in Sukkah. The Rambam says many times, “they already said many times”, one counts one and a half times in chess. Once is enough, if it’s a good proof it’s enough one. It’s not a Gemara.

Student:

What? It’s written in many Gemaras every Gemara.

Maggid HaShiur:

What? Printed and many times printed the…

Student:

No.

Maggid HaShiur:

That doesn’t count. It’s like one of the ways of showing unity and volted list, yes, the form. Do you understand? Three that is in a minute. I mean to say that one can it like a thing that is common in the mouth of the world. Right, one says it many times, but it doesn’t mean that it’s indeed there many times.

Student:

When there are six hundred and thirteen mitzvot, does it have something with the number thirteen?

Maggid HaShiur:

I say that this has something to do.

Student:

Does it mean that there are many mitzvot?

Maggid HaShiur:

Six hundred is…

Student:

Okay, it will be seven hundred?

Maggid HaShiur:

Well, that is to match.

Student:

“The deed of Rabbi Eliezer thirteen”, there are thirteen fasts?

Maggid HaShiur:

Some calculation in Tractate Ta’anit that the most is thirteen?

Student:

Yes.

Maggid HaShiur:

Yes, so it says, yes, “if the generations did not merit, we would not learn, and if the Temple [was destroyed], thirteen fasts.” What is a Chazal (teaching of our Sages) – the most that can be is thirteen fasts in the calculation of the first chapter in Taanit? In short, and in the Keter there are thirteen sources. There are twelve plus two. Twelve, uh, uh, uh, I know now, twelve with a kollel (inclusive counting).

Student:

Not yet.

Maggid Shiur (Lecturer):

It bothers me very much that the… “Kincha bat Sheva with thirteen cloths.” You also see that it means a lot. Also the mincha (meal offering), the omer was sifted with “thirteen sieves.” “Great is circumcision that thirteen covenants were made upon it.” Okay, that’s actually a number that he counted. There it actually says thirteen times the word brit (covenant). Now, there’s still no difficulty, if I remember. But by Shavuot also, thirteen words and they counted today.

Student:

Yes, that’s for her.

Maggid Shiur:

What does it say in the Gemara? I don’t remember.

Student:

“One who reduces should not reduce,” ah, well, you see…

The Main Source: Seven Heavens Plus Six Airs

Maggid Shiur:

“One who reduces should not reduce,” what does that say? On the threads of the tzitzit, right? “One who reduces should not reduce from seven, one who adds should not add beyond thirteen.” He says, this is certainly the greatest source. Why seven corresponding to seven firmaments? Why thirteen corresponding to seven firmaments? “And six airs between them.”

Okay, that’s the thing. There are seven heavens, and there…

Student:

Wait? Seven heavens, and only six airs between them. Why?

Maggid Shiur:

Because here is the earth.

Student:

Wait, where are the seven airs? And what is on top of the highest – there’s nothing there, except the Throne of Glory?

Maggid Shiur:

He says air, no, by the way, that’s different. No, no, air means yes. Let’s say, so air between them means between, there are seven, and between them there are six. Six spaces, six empty. Right, and on top of the seventh heaven there is whatever, and under the first heaven there’s also nothing, because here is the earth. Here there is already air. There I don’t know what there is, here there is air.

So that’s where we get thirteen from. So this is a structural thing of the world, right? I love such things. But I always imagine that this is the sort of thing one must seek. Seven plus six, that’s the thing. Seven plus six.

And what does one do with this? It’s further, this isn’t the Mekubalim (Kabbalists), the twelve plus…

The Number Thirteen as a Fundamental Unit, and the Matter of Atbash

The Number Thirteen – A Fundamental Structure

I didn’t want such things. I always meant that this is the sort of thing one must seek. 7 plus 6, that’s the thing. 7 plus 6. And what does one do with this?

So further, this isn’t the Mekubalim, the 12 plus… You know that round numbers have real power, right? For example, one makes a campaign and goes to make thirty-seven thousand dollars. What if it comes to thirty-six thousand nine hundred, someone gives another hundred dollars, right? Why? So it should be a kollel. It really works. It’s not some kind of drush (homiletical interpretation). The drush doesn’t make it happen.

So… once people expect it, I don’t know. Their, because it’s a musaf (addition). I stand, I say that… So the unit of thirteen is a very proper unit.

Thirteen in the Temple

There were thirteen collection boxes in the Second Temple. In the Second Temple there are understandably not ten. Ah, there it also says thirteen breaches, water, or such kinds of things. One bowed thirteen times in the Temple, there were thirteen gates, thirteen breaches that the Greek kings made, simple such kinds of things.

It’s true, there is a hint, one of the hints of thirteen from bar mitzvah, so it says “am zu” (this nation). Zu is gematria thirteen, zayin and vav – there is something going on.

Thirteen and Diagonal Boundaries

The diagonal boundaries are also so, like a certain basic structure. If a square is built there are three, somehow in a basic sense a cube. There are twelve diagonals, I don’t understand geometry so well.

The Matter of Atbash – The Cipher in Kabbalah

And he says that the Gemara says that on the contrary, it’s something better. I don’t know why. He sees a code, a cipher. He brings it this way, he says some explanation. What is this? What is the atbash situation?

He says that for David there are thirteen names. But why do the Mekubalim like sometimes just randomly say something backwards? There is some process in this. He doesn’t say why. What is to do backwards? Sefer Shem Tov Katan. What is this Shem Tov Katan? I don’t know why.

Saying Verses Backwards

And on the contrary, he says so, he says so, he says so. Idea. And what is the taste (meaning)? I must think what is the taste. I want some… taste. I can’t. What do you say? I don’t know. I have no kabbalah (tradition).

You say that one must do it. There is one must do it. Previously one should not say the words because it has no vowel points. Perhaps one shouldn’t say the vowel points of the verse?

Well, one doesn’t see how you used to transfer. Yes? I see that people did this. Does one yes, ah, and does one… He used to have whole sentences, he said backwards. What kind of people are these? They should be for me too. They should be for me the Tosafot. And what is the… It’s interesting for them.

It’s a piece you can, can you say Ashrei backwards? It doesn’t mean Ashrei backwards anymore. It’s a good piece though. It’s hard on the same mind. I can, I can try. Everything grasping on the same mind. There are certain minds that for them their things make sense, because I have no sense for it.

Ah listen. Okay. Enough. Okay, I was what I’m doing here for this.