P'Tach Eliahu "Spoke Elijah" This is from the Tikkuney Zohar, a contemporary of the Zohar, from the same era and community of Kabbalists in the 1500's in Sfat, Israel. It can be found in the Sefard siddur [Jewish prayer book] in the very early part of the daily service, just after donning tefillin. The heading in Artscroll says: "Some recite the following deeply mystical selection, and Yedid Nefesh at this point" P'Tach Eliahu Elijah spoke and said: Master of the universe, You Who are a Unity, but not in the sense of disparate parts; You are supreme over all exalted ones, more hidden than all hidden ones; no intelligence can have any perception of You. You produced ten emanations that we call 'Ten Sefirot,' by means of which to direct hidden, unrevealed worlds and revealed worlds. Through them You conceal Yourself from human beings, but it is You Who connects them and unites them, and because You are within them, anyone who causes these Ten Sefiros to diverge from one another is regarded as if he had caused a divergence within You. These Ten Sefiros proceed according to their fixed order: one long, one short, and one mediating [between them]. It is You Who regulate them, but nothing regulates You - not above, not below, and not from any side. You made 'garments' for them from which souls flutter to human beings. You have fashioned many 'bodies' for them, which are called bodies only relative to the 'garments' that cover them. They are entitled as follows: Chesed [Kindness] is the right arm, Gevurah [-Power] is the left arm; Tiferet [Spendor] is the torso; Netzach [Eternity; Triumph] and Hod [Glory] are the two thighs; Yesod [Foundation] is the end of the torso, which is the symbol of the sacred covenent; Malchut [Kingship] is the mouth, which we refer to as the Oral Torah, or Mastery of speech. Chochma [Wisdom] is the brain, meaning inner thought; Binah [Insight, Understanding] is the heart within which is the understanding heart - and regarding the last two Sefirot is written: The hidden mysteries belong to HASHEM our G-d, - Keter Elyon [the Supreme Crown] is the crown of kingship, and concerning it, it is said: He Who declares the outcome from the beginning, and this is the head that wears tefillin. Within [the tefilin] is [the Four-Letter Name] whose letters Yud Kei Vav Kei which is the path of Atzilut [spiritual emanation]. This irrigates the tree of the Sefirot with its arms and branches, like water that irrigates a tree causing it to grow thanks to that irrigation. O Master of the universe, You are the Primary Cause, and Producer of Results, Who irrigates the tree through that spring. That spring is like the soul to the body, in that it gives life to the body. However, in You there is neither similarity nor likeness to any thing either within or without. You created heaven and earth and drew forth from them the sun, the moon, stars, and constellations; on earth, [You drew forth] trees, vegetation, the Garden of Eden, grasses, beasts, cattle, birds, fish, and human beings, through whom to make known [lofty concepts] of the universe, how the upper and lower realms function, how the upper realms can be discerned from the lower ones - but no one can know You at all. Without You there is no unifying force in the upper and lower realms, and You are known as the Cause above all and the Lord of all. Regarding all the Sefirot, each has its particular name and the angels are also so identified; but You have no particular Name, for Your essence saturates all names. It is You Who give perfection to them all. When You withdraw from them, their names all remain like a body without a soul. You are wise, but without a definable type of wisdom; You are understanding, but without a definable type of understanding. You have no identifiable location. [Your purpose is] only to make known to people Your power and organized force, to show them how the world is directed with judgment and mercy - which are righteousness and justice - according to the deeds of human beings. Judgement is Gevurah; justice is the middle column; righteousness is the Holy Kingship; the scales of justice are the two supports of truth; the measure of righteousness is the symbol of the sacred covenant. All this is to demonstrate how the world is conducted, but not that You have a righteousness that is knowable [to humans], which is judgement; nor a justice that is knowable [to humans], which is mercy, nor any of these attributes. Blessed is HASHEM forever, Amen and Amen.

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