Now it is known to those familiar with the "Hidden Wisdom" [22] [i.e., the Kabbalah] that the "word of G-d" is referred to as the Shechinah, in the terminology of the [Talmudic and Midrashic] Sages, of blessed memory, and as Imma Tataah [the "nether mother"] and Matrunita [the "Queen"] in the terminology of the Zohar, especially at the beginning of Parshat Va'eira, [where an analogy is drawn to G-d's speech from a princess], because [the "word of G-d"] dwells and vests itself in created beings, to give them life.

[The word Shechinah derives from the root Shochen - "to dwell." The titles of "mother" and "queen" relate to their functions of caring for the lives of their children and subjects, respectively].

In the terminology of the Kabbalists, [the "word of G-d"] is called Malchut, for [23] "the word of a king rules" - a king rules his kingdom through his speech; and also for other reasons known to those those familiar with the "Hidden Wisdom" (i.e., the Kabbalah).

Now it is known that there is a rank and level of [the Sefirah of] Malchut of [the World of] Atzilut, and a rank of [the Sefirah of] Malchut of [the World of] Beriah, and so on.

There are thus many degrees of "G-d's speech."

Malchut of Atzilut means the "word of G-d" which animates and brings into being the great souls that are of the rank of Atzilut, such as the soul of Adam, of whom it is said, [24] "And He blew into his nostrils the soul of life..." [i.e., a soul from the level of Atzilut]; and such as the souls of the patriarchs and the prophets and the like [25] (who were truly a "chariot" unto G-d [26] and in a state of total self-abnegation in relation to Him; as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, [27] "The Shechina speaks from the throat of Moses".

[Moses' own personality was so translucent - he had so nullified himself to G-d - that when he prophesied he did not relay what G-d told him to say; rather, the Shechinah itself spoke directly through his mouth].

And likewise with all the prophets and those possessed of the Holy Spirit: the Supernal voice and speech vested itself in their actual voice and speech, as R. Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, wrote).

Malchut of Beriah is the "word of G-d" which animates and brings into being the souls and angels in the World of Beriah, whose level is not like the level of Atzilut, and so on; [i.e., Malchut of Yetzirah is the level of Divine speech that brings into being and animates the souls and angels in the World of Yetzirah].

And Malchut of Asiyah is the "word of G-d" which animates and creates this world in its entirety, up to and including the Element of Earth, and [28] "the water that is below the earth."

[Now if the creation of all things derives from the Shechinah, from the revelation of Divine power, how do we account for those things that derive from kelipot, entities that "oppose" G-dliness and holiness?

   

Notes:

22. (Back to text) The two Heb. words for "Hidden Wisdom" are commonly abbreviated to their initials, and pronounced as chen.

23. (Back to text) Kohelet 8:4.

24. (Back to text) Bereishit 2:7.

25. (Back to text) Parentheses are in the original text.

26. (Back to text) Bereishit Rabbah, beginning of sec. 46; et al.

27. (Back to text) Cf. Zohar III, 234a; et al.

28. (Back to text) Cf. Shmot 20:4.