Kabbalah Library

86. “You shall not profane My holy name, and I will be sanctified among the children of Israel; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” It is a commandment to sanctify Him every day, to elevate His sanctity from below upward, to raise MAN from below to awaken His holiness above, as He is holy above, until His holiness ascends to the fathers, who are HGT of ZA, and to the sons, who are NHY of ZA, who are called “children of Israel.” It is written, “And I will be sanctified among the children of Israel,” above the Chazeh, below the Chazeh, since “I will be sanctified, HGT of ZA, is the fathers, above the Chazeh, and “among the children of Israel” is NHY of ZA, below the Chazeh of ZA. Above, in three degrees, HGT; below, in three degrees, NHY.

87. As there is holiness above everything, upper AVI, who are called “holy,” so there is holiness in the middle, ZA, and holiness below, in Malchut. Everything concerns what is below, since the most important is to draw holiness below, to Malchut. The holiness of high above, AVI, are one matter, for they themselves are holiness, and their entire phase is holiness. The holiness in the middle and below, ZA and Malchut, is divided into three degrees that are one, for the holiness is extended in three lines. The holiness is in the right line, and from the right line, it is extended to all the lines, where in ZA, they are HGT, and in Malchut, they are NHY.

88. “Holy” is a high phase that is found at the beginning of all the degrees, AVI, Hochma, the top of the degrees, Yod of HaVaYaH. Although it is hidden and is called “holiness,” for it is not extended downward, since it is a Yod, which has no leg, no expansion, it nevertheless shines from there through a thin and hidden trail in Yesod of AVI to the middle degree, ZA. Once she shines in the middle degree, one Vav is registered in the abundance of holiness, which shines inside the holiness that she received, and it is called “holy” with a Vav [in Hebrew].

An expansion spreads from this light down to Malchut, who is the end of all the degrees, the bottom Hey of HaVaYaH. Since she shines at the end, one letter Hey of Malchut is registered inside the light, and it is called “holiness” with an added Hey [in Hebrew]. You find that when the abundance of holiness is in its origin in upper AVI, it is called holy, and when it is extended to ZA, a Vav is added to it, and it is called holiness. When it is extended to Malchut, the letter Hey is added to her and she is called “holiness.”

Three degrees contain all ten Sefirot: AVI, ZA, and Malchut. The difference between them is that AVI are pure air, where air is Hassadim since Hochma does not shine in them. However, the Hassadim are thin, regarded as GAR, since GAR of Bina are as it is written, “for he desires mercy,” that they desire Hassadim more than Hochma. Hence, their Hassadim are more important than Hochma. This is not regarded as a deficiency since they are Bina of direct light, which does not receive Hochma.

Conversely, ZA and Malchut, whose origin is the direct light, need Hochma. For this reason, as long as there is no illumination of Hochma in them, they are regarded as having no Rosh [head], and the Hassadim they receive from above do not have pure air in them, but merely air, VAK without a Rosh. However, after they receive Hochma in three lines from YESHSUT, when they acquire a Rosh from her, they can receive the Hassadim from AVI, and then there will be pure air in them, too. The difference between ZA and Malchut is that in ZA, although the Hochma is revealed in him, it is only VAK of Hochma and not GAR of Hochma. Hence, it does not shin in his HGT, since they are GAR. Rather, she shines in the NHY from his Chazeh and below, where Malchut is, VAK, as the place for extension of Hochma is in ZA, and the place for revealing the Hochma is in Malchut.

The pure air in AVI is the root of all the holiness. It is called “holy,” for all the Kedushot [pl. of Kedusha (holiness)] are extended from there. However, it is Yod of HaVaYaH, which has no expansion below to ZA and to Malchut, but only after they receive Hochma in three lines from YESHSUT. Although she is hidden and is called “holy,” having no expansion, and they are hidden since the pure air cannot expand directly to ZA and Malchut, since it becomes simple air in them, since Yod of HaVaYaH, which implies AVI, has no leg, no expansion, and holy implies that it has no expansion, for holy means elevated and distinguished from all, nevertheless, Yesod of upper AVI, called “a thin and hidden trail,” shines for YESHSUT, and YESHSUT open in illumination of Hochma through three lines in the three dots Holam, Shuruk, Hirik.

From there, the three lines are extended to the middle degree, ZA, the illumination of Hochma is opened in him, and he is completed and can receive the abundance of pure air, the holiness, from AVI. Once she shines in the middle degree, one Vav is registered in the abundance of the holy, and shines inside the holy that she receives. It is called “holy” with a Vav because Vav indicates expansion downwards, since its leg spreads downward because the Vav, ZA, which receives pure air after it is completed in Hochma from the three lines of YESHSUT, his abundance consists of Hochma and Hassadim. Then, where his Hassadim expand, they are pure air. For this reason, his is called “holy” with a Vav, indicating that his holiness spreads. However, the main purpose is for the holiness to expand to Malchut, from which all the worlds receive.

The holiness of high above, AVI, are in one matter. The light in them is pure air, called “holy,” the root of all the holies. “Thin” means GAR, and the holiness in the middle and below, ZA and Malchut, is divided into three degrees, which are one because the pure air in AVI cannot be accepted in ZA and Malchut unless they first receive three lines that complement with Hochma, with GAR, and then they receive the holiness, the abundance of the pure air. It necessarily follows that the holiness of AVI is received only when they are three degrees that are one.

89. It is written, “Holy, holy, holy.” In the beginning, heaven, ZA, is called “holy,” since the first holy is the beginning of everything, upper AVI. They are called “holy” because from there comes the holiness, where holy means the root of holiness. Thus, why is it called “holy” above”? After all, there is no Vav there, an expansion; rather, they are Yod, which has no expansion.

90. However, Israel sanctify below like the high angels above, of whom it is written, “And one called out to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts.’” When Israel sanctify, they elevate the upper glory, ZA, from below upward until the Vav, the upper heaven, rises to upper AVI. When the heavens rise up, the holy shines in them, upper AVI, and then ZA, who has risen up, is called “holy.” Thus, the first holy, too, pertains to ZA, but to ZA that ascended to upper AVI.

Afterwards, the upper light shines from upper AVI to the throne, which is called “Holy, Holy, Holy.” It should have said that they returned to their place after the heavens, ZA, descended from upper AVI with the holiness they had received and came to their place below, which became a throne for AVI, and settled in that light, and then the second “Holy” is called out.

Afterwards, the light descends into ZA until one, high righteous one receives everything, which is an honorable degree, to sanctify everything below, Yesod of ZA, who bestows downward, to Malchut. When he receives everything, he is called “Holy.” Thus, the first holy, ZA, is in the place of AVI and receives from them. The second holy is ZA after descending from AVI and coming to his place, and the third holy is Yesod of ZA, who bestows upon Malchut.

91. One who places one’s will to aim in the three times “holy,” in AVI, in ZA, and in Yesod of ZA, does well. One who places one’s will to aim in the three degrees of the fathers, in the three lines of ZA, in one collective, to unite them with this holiness, if he cannot place his will on more than that, he does well. It is all in order to bring down from the holiness above to Malchut below, so that each one of Israel receives of it and sanctifies himself with this holiness, keeps it, and spreads on himself the expansion of holiness, as it is written, “And I will be sanctified among the children of Israel,” first, when the children of Israel raise MAN to awaken the three holies above, and then, “I the Lord sanctify you,” when Israel receive the upper holiness.

92. In what place does one sanctify himself in holiness to include himself in it? ‎When one comes to write, “the Lord of Hosts,” mentioned after the third “Holy,” Netzah and Hod, in which there is the matter, “I the Lord sanctify you.” ‎After the three times “Holy,” we say only “the Lord of Hosts,” meaning we do not include ‎ourselves there.‎

Afterwards, when one comes to the verse, “The whole earth is full of His glory,” when ‎holiness is extended to Malchut, he should include himself in the holiness, to be sanctified ‎below, within that glory below, Malchut, as it is written, “And was sanctified by My glory.” ‎Afterwards he should work in particular, first including himself in Malchut, in the glory ‎below, in the verse, “The whole earth is full of His glory,” containing the whole earth and all ‎the nations, and then he will make an extension of holiness particularly for Israel, so that everything is sanctified. And from Israel, holiness will spread to the whole world.‎

As we do, it corresponds to the high angels, who say, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place,” which is the upper glory, ZA. Afterwards, they say, “The Lord will be king forever,” which is the bottom glory, Malchut. We, too, incorporate ourselves in the verse, “The whole earth is full of His glory,” which is the bottom glory, and not in “the Lord of hosts,” Netzah and Hod of ZA, the upper glory, as did the first ones.

93. “Holy! Holy! Holy!” is the holiness that will be sanctified, the written Torah, ZA, in one collective, in his three lines HGT. Afterwards, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place” are the prophets, Netzah and Hod of ZA. Afterwards, “The Lord will be king forever,” Malchut. We need holiness, blessing, kingship to be together in this holiness. Holiness, as it is written, “Holy! Holy! Holy!” Blessing, as it is written, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place.” Malchut, as it is written, “The Lord will be king forever.” Hence, we must complete everything, and for this, one must aim and place one’s will in Him each day.