## Sulam on Zohar, Introduction

###### Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 18:1
[Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sulam%20on%20Zohar/s/Introduction/r/18:1)

יח) **ואתוון אחרנין** וכו': והאותיות האחרות, דהיינו **אל"ה**, ממשיכות להם ישראל מלמעלה, מן הבינה. אל מקום זה, דהיינו אל המלכות הנקראת עתה בשם מ"י כמו הבינה. **אל"ה אזכרה**. פירושו, הנני מזכיר אותיות **אל"ה** בפי, ואני שופך דמעות ברצון נפשי, כדי להמשיך אותיות אלו אל"ה, מן הבינה. ואז **אדדם** מלמעלה מבינה, **עד בית אלקים**, שהוא המלכות. כדי שהמלכות תהיה נקראת אלקים כעין הבינה שנקראת אלקים. ובמה אמשיך אותן. היינו, **בקול רנה ותודה המון חוגג**.

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
**18. “The other letters etc.”**
**The other letters**, i.e., *alef*-*lamed-heh*, **are drawn forth by Israel from above**, from the *Bina*, **to this place**, that is, to the *Malkhut* that is now called by the name of *Mi*, like the *Bina*.¹ achieves the higher brains of maturity, it reaches the level of *Mi*, beyond the previous level of *Ma*. **“These [*eleh*] things I remember”** (Psalms 42:5) means: **I hereby recall** these letters **in my mouth, and I pour out tears with the desire of my soul, in order to draw forth these letters**, *alef*-*lamed-heh*, from the *Bina*. **Then “I will lead them” from above**, from *Bina*, **“to the house of *Elohim*,”** *Malkhut*, **so that** *Malkhut* **will be** called **“*Elohim*,” like** the *Bina*, which is called *Elohim*. **And with what** shall I draw them? **“With the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday”** (Psalms 42:5). **Rabbi Elazar said: My silence built the Temple above,** which is *Bina*, **and it built the Temple below**, which is *Malkhut***. Certainly,** it is as people say: **“If a word is worth one *sela*, silence is worth two”** (*Megilla* 18a)**. “If a word is worth one *sela*” – that which I said and noted. “Silence is worth two” – this is the silence that I maintained, which is worth twice as much, for the two worlds**, *Bina* and *Malkhut*, **were built and created together.** Had I not refrained from speaking (as stated in section 11, above), I would not have attained the union of these two worlds.

footnotes:
¹ As was explained in the preceding sections, when Nukba


###### Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 18:2
[Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 18:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sulam%20on%20Zohar/s/Introduction/r/18:2)

פירוש, אחר דנפקת **ה'** מ**מ"ה** ואעילת **י'** אל ה**מ'** ונק' **מ"י** אז ממשיכים לה ישראל ע"י עלית מ"ן אותיות אחרות **אל"ה**, לגבי אתר דא, דהיינו **מ"י**, והנוקבא סלקא בשמא אלהים. וענין המשכה זו כבר נתבאר לעיל. ד**אל"ה** דעליון נופלות לתחתון בעת קטנות, וע"כ הן נמשכות לתחתון בעת הגדלות, כי בעת שהבינה ותו"מ דעליון, שהם אתוון אל"ה, חוזרים לראש דעליון, הם לוקחים עמהם גם התחתון, והתחתון קונה את אתוון אל"ה ואת המוחין שבהם, מחמת היותו עמהם יחד בראש דעליון. כי התחתון העולה לעליון נעשה כמוהו(. כנ"ל אות י"ז ד"ה וז"ש ואמא.(

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
Explanation: After the *heh* was removed from *Ma*, to be replaced by a *yod* alongside the [letter] *mem*, so that it is called *Mi*, then Israel, by raising feminine waters draws forth different letters, i.e., *alef*-*lamed-heh*, to this place, i.e. *Mi*, and the *Nukba* ascends through the name *Elohim*.² transpires through the acquisition of all five lights, the brains represented by the five letters of the name *Elohim*. Thus, *Nukba* ascends through the power of these higher brains. The nature of this drawing forth has already been explained above. *Alef*-*lamed-heh* of the higher [level] fall to the lower [level] in the phase of immaturity, and therefore [*Bina*, *Tiferet* and *Malkhut*] draw up the lower [level] in the phase of maturity. When the *Bina*, and *Tiferet*, and *Malkhut* of the higher [level] – which are the letters *alef*-*lamed-heh* – return to the head of the higher [level],³ they take the lower [level] with them as well. The lower [level] then acquires the letters *alef*-*lamed-heh* and the brains in them, since [the lower level] is together with them in the head of the upper level, as a lower [entity] that ascends to an higher [level] becomes like [that higher level] (as stated in section 17, third paragraph).

footnotes:
² As extensively discussed in previous sections, the ascent of Nukba
³ Meaning, in the phase of maturity, when the effects of the second constriction are reversed.


###### Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 18:3
[Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 18:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sulam%20on%20Zohar/s/Introduction/r/18:3)

וז"ש, **ואתוון אחרנין** וכו' **אל"ה אזכרה** וכו' **בגין לאמשכא אתוון**, ה"ס העלאת מ"ן דישראל מעלין מ"ן כדי להמשיך המוחין דגדלות ע"י המשכת אותיות **אל"ה** דאמא עילאה אל הנוקבא. וז"ש **אל"ה אזכרה**, היינו להמשיך אותם, לכן **אדכרנא בפומאי ושפיכנא דמעאי ברעות נפשי**, היינו התפלה בשערי דמעות שאינן חוזרות ריקם, וכדין היינו אחר שהעלה המ"ן **אדדם מעילא** אמשיך לאותיות **אל"ה** מעילא, מאו"א, עד בית אלהים היינו עד הנוקבא שנק' **בית אלהי"ם**, ואחר המשכת האותיות **אל"ה** היא נקראת בעצמה אלהים. וז"ש **למהוי אלקים כגוונא דיליה**, דהיינו כמו אמא.

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
[The *Zohar*] thus states: **“The other letters**, etc. **These [*eleh*] things I remember** etc. **in order to draw forth these letters.”** This is the mystical meaning of the raising of feminine waters, as Israel raises feminine waters in order to draw forth the brains of maturity by means of drawing the letters *alef*-*lamed-heh* of *Imma Ila'ah*⁴, the level of brains acquired by *Nukba* in this phase of maturity. to the *Nukba*. This is the meaning of the statement: **“These [*eleh*] things I remember,”** i.e., to draw them forth, and therefore **“I recall in my mouth, and I pour out tears with the desire of my soul.”** This is referring to prayer at the gate of tears, which is never returned empty [see *Berakhot* 32b]. Then, after the feminine waters have been raised, **“I will lead them from above”**; I will draw forth the letters *alef*-*lamed-heh* from above, from *Abba* and *Imma* (father and mother), to the house of *Elohim*, meaning, to the *Nukba*, which is called **“the house of *Elohim*.”** After the drawing forth of the letters *alef*-*lamed-heh*, the *Nukba* itself is called *Elohim*. This is the meaning of the statement: **“So that it will be called *Elohim*, like it,”** i.e., like the mother.⁵.

footnotes:
⁴ Literally, "supernal mother," in this context, this term refers to the female component of the level of Bina
⁵ Meaning, like Bina


###### Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 18:4
[Sulam on Zohar, Introduction 18:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sulam%20on%20Zohar/s/Introduction/r/18:4)

וז"ש, **מלה בסלע משתוקא בתרין**, כי מאמר דר' אלעזר העלה את הנוקבא עד התבונה שהיא למטה מחזה דא"א, שאז עוד נק' קיימא לשאלה, כנ"ל, ונק' **סלע**. וז"ש **מלה בסלע**. אבל במה דשתיק ר"א ונתן מקום לר"ש שיגלה המוחין דחיה, שהיא ע"י עלית הנוקבא לאמא עילאה, הרי נבנו תרין עלמין כהדא. כי עלמא תתאה שהיא הנוקבא נעשית אחד עם עלמא עילאה, וז"ש **משתוקא בתרין, דאברו ואבנו תרין עלמין כחדא**. כי הנוקבא עלתה לאמא ונעשית דכר כמו אמא עלאה.

**The Sefaria Sulam, 2023:**
[The *Zohar*] thus says: **“If a word is worth one *sela*, silence is worth two,”** as Rabbi Elazar’s statement raised the *Nukba* to the *Tevuna*,⁶ refers to the female component of *Yisrael Saba* and *Tevuna*, the level of brains acquired by the *Nukba* prior to this higher phase of maturity. which is below the chest of *Arikh Anpin*, for then [the *Nukba*] is still poised for a question, as stated, and is called “a *sela*.” This is the meaning of the statement: **“If a word is worth one *sela*.”** However, by means of Rabbi Elazar’s silence, which gave room for Rabbi Shimon to reveal the brains of *ḥaya* – which is through the ascent of the *Nukba* to the *Imma Ila'ah*⁷, the level of brains acquired by *Nukba* in this phase of maturity. – two worlds were built as one. The lower world, *Nukba*, became one with the higher world. This is the meaning of the statement: **“Silence is worth two – for the two worlds were built and created together,”** as the *Nukba* ascended to *Imma* [*Ila'ah*] and became a male, like the *Imma Ila'ah*.

footnotes:
⁶ As was explained in the previous sections, Tevuna
⁷ Literally, "supernal mother," in this context, this term refers to the female component of the level of Bina