R. Judah connected this text with the verse: “O, how (mah) great is thy goodness which thou hast hidden for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!” (Ps..XXXI, 20). ‘This verse’, said he, ‘has been well enough expounded by the Companions; but the “holy lamp”.(R. Simeon) found in it one of the deepest of the esoteric lessons.
The supreme grade, esoterically known as.”the supernal world”, is designated “Mi” (“Who”) and the lower grade known as “the lower world” is designated “Mah” (“What?”, “How?”), and we have been taught that “Mah” contains an allusion to.”meah”-“hundred”-because all the higher grades, when fully realized, are subsumed in it.
Why is the world below called “Mah”? Because, although the emergence of the Supernal becomes manifest in that last of all the grades to a greater degree than at any previous stage, it is still mysterious: “What seest thou?.What knowest thou?”
As to the words “great is Thy goodness”, these connote the Foundation of the world, as in the verse, “great goodness towardsthe house of Israel” (Isa. 63, 7). This is here said to be “hidden”, because it has been stored away like the primordial light (which is called “good”). The verse continues: “Which Thou has wrought for those who trust in Thee”. Yea, for in this Foundation is the fabrication of the whole, of all the world, of souls and spirits;
this is the hidden force behind the creation of the (lower).heaven and earth, and this is also the hidden force behind the building of the Tabernacle, which was erected in the likeness both of the world above and of the world below. This is the significance of the words: “that they take me a heave offering”: two grades1Yesod and Malkuth. become united as one in the Tabernacle which is the emblem of that union.’
(ספר הבהיר השייך כאן סימן ג'. עי' עליו לקמן דף קמ"ו ע"א) (שמות כ״ה:ב׳) וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, (תהילים ל״א:כ׳) מָה רַב טוּבְךָ אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ לִּירֵאֶיךָ פָּעַלְתָּ לַחוֹסִים בָּךְ נֶגֶד בְּנֵי אָדָם. הַאי קְרָא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ וְאִתְּמַר. אֲבָל רָזָא דָּא, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא, גּוֹ רָזִין עִלָּאִין.
R. Judah connected this text with the verse: “O, how (mah) great is thy goodness which thou hast hidden for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!” (Ps..XXXI, 20). ‘This verse’, said he, ‘has been well enough expounded by the Companions; but the “holy lamp”.(R. Simeon) found in it one of the deepest of the esoteric lessons.
דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה, אִקְרֵי מִ"י. דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דְּעָלְמָא תַּתַּאָה, אִקְרֵי מַ"ה. וְתָנֵינָן, אַל תִּקְרֵי מַ"ה אֶלָּא מֵאָה, בְּגִין דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין עִלָּאִין בְּאַשְׁלְמוּתְהוֹן הָכָא אִינּוּן.
The supreme grade, esoterically known as.”the supernal world”, is designated “Mi” (“Who”) and the lower grade known as “the lower world” is designated “Mah” (“What?”, “How?”), and we have been taught that “Mah” contains an allusion to.”meah”-“hundred”-because all the higher grades, when fully realized, are subsumed in it.
תּוּ אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי מַ"ה. אֶלָּא אַף עַל גַּב דִּמְשִׁיכוּ עִלָּאָה אִתְמְשַׁךְ, לָא אִתְגַּלְיָא עַד דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים הָכָא, דְּאִיהוּ אֲתָר סוֹפָא דְּכָל דַּרְגִּין, סוֹפָא דְּאַמְשָׁכוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא, וְקַיְּימָא בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָּא, קַיְּימָא לִשְׁאֵלָא, מַ"ה. מַה חָמִית, מַה (בראשית ב' ע"ב) יָדַעְתְּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (דברים ד׳:ט״ו) כִּי לא רְאִיתֶם כָּל תְּמוּנָה.
Why is the world below called “Mah”? Because, although the emergence of the Supernal becomes manifest in that last of all the grades to a greater degree than at any previous stage, it is still mysterious: “What seest thou?.What knowest thou?”
וּבְגִין כַּךְ, מָה, רַב טוּבְךָ, דָּא אִיהוּ יְסוֹדָא דְּעָלְמָא, דְּאִקְרֵי רַב טוּב. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (ישעיהו ס״ג:ז׳) וְרַב טוּב לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגִין דְּהַאי אִיהוּ רַב טוּב. אוֹר קַדְמָאָה, אִקְרֵי טוֹב סְתָם, וְהָכָא כְּלִילָן דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָּא כַּחֲדָא. אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ, דְּהַאי אִתְגְּנִיז, כְּגַוְונָא דְּאוֹר קַדְמָאָה, דְּאִתְגְּנִיז וְאִתְטָמַּר. פָּעַלְתָּ: דְּהָכָא אִיהוּ אוּמָנוּתָא דְּכֹלָּא, אוּמָנוּתָא דְּכָל עָלְמָא, אוּמָנוּתָא דְּנִשְׁמָתִין וְרוּחִין.
As to the words “great is Thy goodness”, these connote the Foundation of the world, as in the verse, “great goodness towardsthe house of Israel” (Isa. 63, 7). This is here said to be “hidden”, because it has been stored away like the primordial light (which is called “good”). The verse continues: “Which Thou has wrought for those who trust in Thee”. Yea, for in this Foundation is the fabrication of the whole, of all the world, of souls and spirits;
בְּרָזָא דָּא עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוּמָנוּתָא דְּכָל עָלְמָא, וְרָזָא דָּא (בראשית א׳:א׳) בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ. בְּרָזָא דָּא אִתְעָבִיד מַשְׁכְּנָא וְאִתְבְּנֵי, דְּאִיהוּ בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּעָלְמָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, וּבְדִיּוּקְנָא דְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה. לִי. תְּרוּמָה. תְּרֵין דַּרְגִּין, דְּאִינּוּן חַד, דְּמִתְחַבְּרָן כַּחֲדָא.
this is the hidden force behind the creation of the (lower).heaven and earth, and this is also the hidden force behind the building of the Tabernacle, which was erected in the likeness both of the world above and of the world below. This is the significance of the words: “that they take me a heave offering”: two grades1Yesod and Malkuth. become united as one in the Tabernacle which is the emblem of that union.’