Until Abram was circumcised, God spoke to him only in a vision, as it says above, “The word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision” (Gen. 15, 1). By “vision” we understand the grade in which all figures are apparent, and which symbolises the covenant.
This seems to contradict what was said before, that till Abram was circumcised he was addressed only by that grade to which the other grades are not attached.
The truth is that this grade is indeed the reflection of all the higher grades, and was rendered possible through that reflection; it reflects all the colours (symbolic of the divine attributes)-white at the right, red at the left, and a further colour compounded of all colours. In this reflection God stood over Abram and spoke with him, although he was not circumcised.
Of Balaam it is said that he saw “the vision of Shaddai” (Num. 24, 4), and of Abraham that God spoke to him “in a vision”, simply. The difference is that Balaam saw only those (angels) below the Almighty, whereas Abram saw the He in which all the celestial figures are reflected.
Till Abram was circumcised, he was addressed only by that degree which we have mentioned; after he was circumcised, then THE LORD APPEARED UNTO ABRAM, i.e. all the other grades appeared over this grade, and this grade addressed him without reserve. After he was circumcised, then THE LORD APPEARED UNTO ABRAM,
Thus when Abram was circumcised he emerged from the unripe state and entered into the holy covenant, and was crowned with the sacred crown, and entered into the covenant on which the world is based, and thus the world was firmly established for his sake. For it is written, “But for my covenant, I had not set the ordinances of heaven and earth”, and also “There are the generations of heaven and earth when they were created”-the word behibaream (when they were created) can be read anagrammatically both beabraham (for the sake of Abraham) and bhe b’raam (he created them with He), and both come to the same thing. When God showed Adam all future generations, he saw them all in the Garden of Eden in the form which they were destined to assume in this world.
When he saw David-so we have been told-with no span of life at all apportioned to him, he was grieved, and gave him seventy years of his own; that is why Adam lived seventy years short of the thousand, the rest being given to David.
תָּא חֲזֵי, עַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם הֲוָה מְמַלֵּיל עִמֵּיהּ מִגּוֹ מַחֲזֶה בִּלְחוֹדוֹי כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר דִּכְתִיב הָיָה דְּבַר יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם בַּמַּחֲזֶה וְגו'. בַּמַּחֲזֶה. בְּהַהוּא חֵיזוּ דַּרְגָּא דְּכָל דִּיוּקְנִין אִתְחַזְיָין בֵּיהּ, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר. וְהַאי מַחֲזֶה אִיהוּ רָזָא דִּבְרִית.
Until Abram was circumcised, God spoke to him only in a vision, as it says above, “The word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision” (Gen. 15, 1). By “vision” we understand the grade in which all figures are apparent, and which symbolises the covenant.
וְאִי תֵימָא דִּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרֵי מַחֲזֶה בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ דַּרְגָּא חֵיזוּ דְּכָל דִּיוּקְנִין אִתְחַזְיָין בֵּיהּ וּכְדֵין אִקְרֵי מַחֲזֶה, הָא אֲמַרְתְּ (פח ב) בְּקַדְמִיתָא דְּעַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם לָא הֲוָה מְמַלֵּיל עִמֵּיהּ בַּר הַאי דַּרְגָּא דְּלָא שָׁרָאן עֲלוֹי דַּרְגִּין אָחֳרָנִין, וְהַשְׁתָּא אֲמַרְתְּ בַּמַּחֲזֶה חֵיזוּ דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין (איהו). וְהָא עַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר כְּתִיב הָיָה דְּבַר יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם בַּמַּחֲזֶה.
This seems to contradict what was said before, that till Abram was circumcised he was addressed only by that grade to which the other grades are not attached.
אֶלָּא הַאי דַרְגָּא חֵיזוּ דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין אִיהוּ וּבְחֵיזוּ דְּדַרְגִּין עִלָּאִין אִתְתַּקַּן. וְאַף עַל גַּב דִּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאַבְרָהָם לָא הֲוָה גָּזִיר הַאי דַּרְגָּא בְּחֵיזוּ דְּדַרְגִּין עִלָּאִין אִיהוּ וּבְכָל אִנּוּן גְּוָונִין אִיהוּ קָאִים. וְחֵיזוּ דְּאִנּוּן (קא א, וצז ב) גְּוָונִין קָיְימֵי תְּחוֹתֵיהּ חַד מִיָּמִינָא גַּוָּון חִוַּור. חַד מִשְּׂמָאלָא גַּוָּון סוּמָק. חַד דְּכָלִיל מִכָּל גְּוָונִין, וְאִיהוּ חֵיזוּ דְּכָל גְּוָונִין עִלָּאִין דְּקָיְימֵי עֲלֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא בְּהַאי חֵיזוּ קָאִים עֲלֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם וּמַלִּיל עִמֵּיהּ וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא אִתְגְּזַר. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגְּזַר מַה כְּתִיב וַיֵּרָא יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם.
The truth is that this grade is indeed the reflection of all the higher grades, and was rendered possible through that reflection; it reflects all the colours (symbolic of the divine attributes)-white at the right, red at the left, and a further colour compounded of all colours. In this reflection God stood over Abram and spoke with him, although he was not circumcised.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מַחֲזֵה שַׁדַּי (אמר) כְּתִיב בְּבִלְעָם. וּבְאַבְרָהָם כְּתִיב מַחֲזֶה סְתָם, מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי. אֶלָּא מַחֲזֵה שַׁדַּי אִלֵּין דִּלְתַתָּא (דנפקו) מִנֵּיהּ וְאִנּוּן חֵיזוּ דִּילֵיהּ. מַחֲזֶה סְתָם מַחֲזֶה דָּא הוּא ה' (דכל חיזו) דְּכָל דִּיוּקְנִין עִלָּאִין אִתְחַזְיָין בֵּיהּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב בְּאַבְרָהָם מַחֲזֶה סְתָם וּבְבִלְעָם מַחֲזֵה שַׁדַּי.
Of Balaam it is said that he saw “the vision of Shaddai” (Num. 24, 4), and of Abraham that God spoke to him “in a vision”, simply. The difference is that Balaam saw only those (angels) below the Almighty, whereas Abram saw the He in which all the celestial figures are reflected.
וְעַל דָּא עַד לָא אִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם הֲוָה לֵיהּ הַאי דַרְגָא כִּדְאֲמָרָן. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגְּזַר מִיָּד וַיֵּרָא יְיָ אֶל אַבְרָם וְגו' אִתְחֲזוּן כֻּלְהוּ (שאר) דַּרְגִּין עַל הַאי דַּרְגָּא, וְהַאי דַּרְגָּא מַלִּיל עִמֵּיהּ כְּדְקָא חָזֵי בִּשְׁלִימוּ. וְאַבְרָהָם אִתְקַטַּר מִדַּרְגָּא לְדַרְגָּא וְעָאל בִּבְרִית קְיָימָא קַדִּישָׁא כְּדְקָא חָזֵי בִּשְׁלִימוּ
Till Abram was circumcised, he was addressed only by that degree which we have mentioned; after he was circumcised, then THE LORD APPEARED UNTO ABRAM, i.e. all the other grades appeared over this grade, and this grade addressed him without reserve. After he was circumcised, then THE LORD APPEARED UNTO ABRAM,
תָּא חֲזֵי, כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְגְּזַר אַבְרָהָם, נָפַק מֵעָרְלָה וְעָאל בִּקְיָימָא קַדִּישָׁא וְאִתְעַטַּר בְּעִטְּרָא קַדִּישָׁא וְעָאל בְּקִיּוּמָא דְּעָלְמָא קָאִים עֲלֵיהּ, וּכְדֵין אִתְקְיַּים עָלְמָא בְּגִינֵיהּ. בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב (ירמיהו ל״ג:כ״ה) אִם לֹא בְרִיתִי יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה חֻקּוֹת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ לא שָׂמְתִּי. וּכְתִיב (בראשית ב׳:ד׳) אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם. בְּה"א בָּרְאָם, בְּאַבְרָהָם. וְכֹלָּא בְּרָזָא חָדָא קָאִים. וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחֲמֵי לֵיהּ לְאָדָם כָּל אִנּוּן דָּרִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְחָמָא לוֹן כָּל חַד וְחַד כָּל דָּרָא וְדָרָא כֻּלְהוּ קָיְמֵי בְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן בְּהַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא דְּזַמִּינִין לְקָיְימָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא.
Thus when Abram was circumcised he emerged from the unripe state and entered into the holy covenant, and was crowned with the sacred crown, and entered into the covenant on which the world is based, and thus the world was firmly established for his sake. For it is written, “But for my covenant, I had not set the ordinances of heaven and earth”, and also “There are the generations of heaven and earth when they were created”-the word behibaream (when they were created) can be read anagrammatically both beabraham (for the sake of Abraham) and bhe b’raam (he created them with He), and both come to the same thing. When God showed Adam all future generations, he saw them all in the Garden of Eden in the form which they were destined to assume in this world.
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, הָא אִתְּמָר כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לֵיהּ לְדָוִד דְּלָאו בֵּיהּ חַיִּים כְּלַל, תָּוָהּ, וְאִיהוּ יְהִיב לֵיהּ מִדִּילֵיהּ ע' שְׁנִין, בְגִין כָּךְ הֲווּ לֵיהּ לְאָדָם תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת וּתְלָתִין שְׁנִין. וְאִנּוּן שִׁבְעִין אִסְתַּלָּקוּ לֵיהּ לְדָוִד.
When he saw David-so we have been told-with no span of life at all apportioned to him, he was grieved, and gave him seventy years of his own; that is why Adam lived seventy years short of the thousand, the rest being given to David.
וּמִלָּה דָּא רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא אִיהוּ, דְּדָוִד לֵית לֵיהּ (יומין) בַּר שִׁבְעִין שְׁנִין מֵאָדָם קַדְמָאָה, וְכֹלָּא רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא אִיהוּ. וְכָל מַה דִּלְתַתָּא כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ בְּרָזָא דִּלְעֵילָא.
The fact of David’s only having seventy years from Adam, the first man, symbolises something in the higher world, as does everything here below.