THE TEN HEAVENS Part 3
THE TEN HEAVENS Part 3
By James Scott Trimm
THE WINE
Concerning the three upper heavens the Zohar says:
He then discoursed on the verse: “And in the vine were three branches”, etc. (Gen. XL, 10). ‘We have learnt’, he said, ‘that there are seven firmaments which are six and also five. All issue from the ancient holy supernal Wine, which Jacob presses from a certain Vine. Therefore it was that Jacob presented to Isaac the wine which was fitting for him. That wine proceeds from grade to grade up to Joseph the Righteous, who is David the Faithful. This Vine is the one that is recognized as holy, in contrast to another which is called the “strange vine”, the grapes of which are hard and biter. But this is the vine from which all the holy ones drew the taste of old and good wine, the wine in which Jacob poured water so that all who knew the taste of wine could drink it with relish. When this vine came near the Shekinah it put forth three branches. Then it “was as though it budded”, like a bride bedecking herself, and it entered in the love and the joy of that wine to the place where joy abides. Then “its blossoms shot forth”: its love went out to its beloved and it began to sing in love. Then were those tender grapes ripened and filled with the good old wine into which Jacob had poured water. Therefore one who blesses over wine should pour some water into it, since the blessing, “Have mercy, O Lord, upon thy people Israel”, should not be said save with water in the wine.’ R. Eleazar and R. Abba were amazed. They said: ‘Holy angel, messenger from above, thy wine has conquered in the mystery of the holy spirit.’ They all came and kissed him, and R. Eleazar said: ‘Blessed be God for sending me here.’ The boy then said: ‘Bread and wine are the essence of the meal, all the rest being subsidiary. The Torah is begging of you, saying: “Come, eat ye of my bread and drink of the wine I have mingled” (Prov. IX, 5). Since the Torah calls you, you must obey her behest.’ They said: ‘That is assuredly so.’ So they sat and ate and rejoiced with him.
(Zohar 3:189a-b)
Now you may recall that the Talmud (b.Chag. 13a) had quoted a passage from the apocryphal book of Sira concerning the three upper heavens as follows:
Seek not things that are too hard for thee,
and search not things that are hidden from thee.
The things that have been permitted thee,
think thereupon; thou hast no business
with the things that are secret.
(Sira 3:21-22)
The Prophet Isaiah writes:
And whereof from of old men have not heard,
nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen
an Elohim beside You, who works for him that
waits for Him.
(Is. 64:3(4))
There is a Baraita on this verse that appears twice in the Talmud () once in the Midrash Rabbah () and four times in the Zohar.
The following is the Baraita as it appears in the Talmud:
What is the meaning of “Eye has not seen” (Is. 64:3)
Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said:
This is the wine that has been kept
in its grapes from the six days in the beginning.
(b.Berakot 34b; b.Sanhedrin 99a)
The phrase “wine that has been kept” in the Hebrew is Yayin HaMeshumar “wine of keeping”. The tradition of the Yayin HaMeshumar runs deep in traditional Judaism. It is the wine that will be served at the Messianic Feast when the Messiah re-establishes the Kingdom of Israel on earth.
In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul also quotes, or perhaps we should better say paraphrases Is. 64:3(4) as follows:
But as it is written:
The eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard,
and into the heart of a son of man has not entered
that which Eloah had prepared for those who love Him.
(1Cor. 2:9 HRV)
Note that Paul’s citation is influenced by the Baraita as the actual text of Isaiah says that “eye has not seen… an Elohim beside you” but Paul says “Eye has not seen… that which Eloah has prepared for those who love Him.” And the Baraita has “Eye has not seen… the wine which has been kept…”.
Now lets look at Paul’s quote in context:
But we speak the wisdom of Eloah
in a mystery that was hidden
And [that] Eloah had before separated
from before the ages for our glory.
That not one of the authorities of this world knew,
for if they had known it,
they would not have crucified the Adon of glory.
But as it is written:
The eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard,
and into the heart of a son of man has not entered
that which Eloah had prepared for those who love Him.
(1Cor. 2:7-9 HRV)
When we look at Paul’s context we see an even greater influence from the Baraita of the Yayin HaMeshumar “…a mystery that was hidden and that Eloah had before separated from before the ages… eye has not seen… that which Eloah has prepared for those who love Him.”
It is clear that Paul here must be referring to the Yayin HaMeshumar as his audience is, no doubt, familiar with this Baraita to Is. 64:3.
It is the Yayin HaMeshumar that Yeshua refers to when we read:
And afterwards he took the cup, and blessed,
and gave to them, saying,
“Drink you all of it,
for this is my blood of the New Covenant,
which is shed for many to atone for sinners,
And I tell you, hereafter I will not drink of the fruit of the vine,
until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom
of my Father which is in heaven.”
(Mt. 26:27-29)
The Yayin HaMeshumar is the blood of the New Covenant. At the Passover Sader the wine represents the blood of the lamb. Note that we read in Revelation that Messiah is the lamb slain “before the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8) his blood is the wine kept in its grapes from the six days in the beginning.
In the Apocryphal Gospel of Thomas Yeshua is quoted as saying:
Yeshua said, "I shall give you what no eye has seen
and what no ear has heard and what no hand has touched
and what has never occurred to the mind of man.
(Gospel of Thomas 17)
Note that in 1Cor. 1:18-20 the same “wisdom” of which we are later told is “…in the mystery that was hidden … before separates from before the ages… which Eloah had prepared for those who love him.” (1Cor. 2:7-9) is also the “wisdom” which “takes away the wisdom of the wise” in 1Cor. 1:19 quoting Isaiah 29:14. In Isaiah 29:15 this wisdom is the contents of the sealed book (Is. 29:11-12, 14, 18). In Revelation this book is opened by the “lamb as if it was slain” (Rev. 5:6) a lamb slain “before the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8).
This is the wine that will be served at the “marriage supper of the lamb” (Rev. 19:7) the great Messianic Banquet and Passover Sader.
In 1Corinthians, Paul has brought up the Yayin HaMeshumar at the beginning of his letter because he will be addressing this wine throughout his letter. In 1Cor. 5 he will discuss the recent Passover Sader at Corinth. In 1Cor. 11:23-34 he addresses the significance of the Passover and especially being worthy to drink the wine which is the Yayin Hameshumar.
In 1Cor. 15:54 he cites Isaiah 25:8 a passage of Isaiah which immediately follows the description of the Messianic Banquet in Isaiah 25:6-7:
6 And in this mountain shall YHWH of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.
7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.
8: He will swallow up death in victory; and the Adonai YHWH will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for YHWH has spoken it.
Notice that the Yayin HaMeshumar is something which “from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen” (Is. 64:3) elsewhere Isaiah writes:
So shall he sprinkle many nations, kings shall shut their mouths
because of him, for that which had not been told them shall they see
and that which they have not heard shall they perceive.
(Is. 52:15)
Thus the “suffering servant” song of Isaiah 53 is the message that “eye has not seen”, it is the Yayin HaMeshumar.
The Midrash Rabbah to Num. 13:2 (500) says:
Because hr bared his soul unto death (Is. 53:12)
and bruised themselveswith the Torah which is sweeter than honey,
the Holy One, blessed be He, will hereafter give them to drink
of the wine kept in its grapes since the six days in the beginning....
(Midrash Rabbah to Numbers 13:2 (500))
Thus Paul writes:
But we speak the wisdom of Eloah
in a mystery that was hidden
And [that] Eloah had before separated
from before the ages for our glory.
That not one of the authorities of this world knew,
for if they had known it,
they would not have crucified the Adon of glory.
But as it is written:
The eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard,
and into the heart of a son of man has not entered
that which Eloah had prepared for those who love Him.
(1Cor. 2:7-9 HRV)
Not only is the Yayin HaMeshumar the blood of the Messiah, but it is more. It is the “mystery” of which the blood of Messiah is only part:
The Zohar says:
The Tzadik (The Righteous) is the Yesod (foundation) in Yah,
the mystery (SOD) which is the wine which has been kept
in its grapes from the six days in the beginning.
(Zohar; Roeh M’haimna on Pinchas)
There is a clear connection here because SOD (“mystery”) has a gematria (numerical value) of 70 which is also the gematria of YAYIN (“wine”). Just as the Zohar identifies the “mystery” with the Yayin HaMeshumar, so does Paul in 1Corinthians.
For Paul goes on to further identify the Yayin HaMeshumar as follows:
10 But Eloah has revealed [it] to us by his spirit, for the spirit searches into everything, even the deep things of Eloah.
11 For who is the son of man who knows what is in a son of man except the spirit of the son of man that [is] in him? So also, that which is in Eloah, no man knows except the Spirit of Eloah.
12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit that is from Eloah, so that we might know the gifts that were given to us from Eloah;
13 Which also we speak, not in the teaching of words of the wisdom of sons of men, but in the teaching of the spirit, and to spiritual men we compare spiritual things.
14 For the son of man who is in the nefesh does not receive spiritual things, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know that which is judged spiritually.
15 Now the spiritual man judges all things, and is not judged from man.
16 For who knows the mind of YHWH that he might instruct him? (Is. 40:13) But we have the mind of the Messiah.
(1Cor. 2:10-16)
Paul identifies the Yayin HaMeshumar with the “words of wisdom” (2:13) as well as the “mind of YHWH” or the “mind of Messiah” (1Cor. 2:16) and with the spiritual “gifts” (1Cor. 2:10-16) which he will elaborate upon later in the letter (1Cor. 12-14).
So next time you partake of the cup of redemption in the Passover sader, realize that this cup is symbolic of the Yayin HeMeshumar, the wine that has been kept from the six days in the beginning, the blood of the lamb slain from the foundation which has been hidden and separated and prepared for those who love him. It is not just the blood of the New Covenant, it is the Mind of YHWH and the spiritual gifts that he has prepared for us.
THE SEFIROT
Now we already discussed the fact the seven lower heavens are reversed (mirror image) from the three upper heavens. This means that each set of heavens is numbered from the point in between them. Thus the three upper heavens are eight, nine and ten, going away from the separation between them. And the seven lower heavens are number from one to seven going away from the point where they meet as well. In other words the order is like this:
10
9
8
====
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Now if you have not guessed by now, the ten heavens parallel the ten Sefirot as follows:
10 Daat (knowledge)
9 Chokhma (Wisdom)
8 Benah (Understanding)
===
1 Chesed (Mercy)
2 Gevurah (Severity)
3 Tiferet (Harmony)
4 Netzach (Stamina, endurance)
5 Hod (Pliability; adaptability)
6 Yesod (Foundation)
7 Malkut (Kingdom)
Malkut corresponds to the Shekinah and is the combination of the other sefirot which flow down into Malkut. Thus Malkut would be the Seventh Heaven: ARAVOT as we read in the Zohar:
‘It is written: “Extol him that rideth upon araboth” (Ps. LXVIII, 4). Who is it that rides upon ‘araboth, and what is meant by ‘araboth? It is the seventh firmament, and it is called ‘araboth (lit. mixtures) because it is composed of fire and water, from the region of the South and from the region of the North, being “mixed” from both these regions. And as ‘Araboth is intrinsically the synthesis of all the other six firmaments, it forms intrinsically the Supernal Chariot. The Holy One, blessed be He, loves this firmament more than any of the other firmaments and delights in perfecting it with supernal beauty. Therefore does it say: “Extol Him that rideth upon ‘Araboth... and rejoice before Him”,
(Zohar 2:165a)
Thus as we mentioned earlier in Hebrews:
And from whom, we have this Cohen which ascended through the heavens by the
Foundation [YESOD]--Yahushua the Messiah, the Son of Elohim, behold we must confess this obligation.
(Heb. 4:14 HRV)
This would make the “Third Heaven” which Paul referred to in 2Corinthians 12:2 to correspond with Tiferet.
Tiferet means literally “splendor” or “glory”. Tiferet is used as a euphemism for the ark of the covenant (Ps. 78:61) and is also the word used when the Tanak refers to “Israel my glory” (i.e. Israel my tiferet) (Is. 46:13).
Tiferet is the balance or harmony between chesed and gevurah. It is well illustrated by the Ark of the Covenant which has upon it two opposing cherubim facing one another. These two Cherubim represent the opposing sefirot of Chesed and Gevurah while the Ark itself represents Tiferet.
Tiferet is often identified with the Son of Yah . As we have said, when the Tanak refers to “Israel My glory” (Isa. 46:13) the word for “glory” is “tiferet”.
Now there is an allegorical relationship between Messiah as the Son of Elohim and Israel as the Son of Elohim. This relationship is typified by Matthew 2:15 which quotes Hosea 11:1 “out of Egypt I have called my son”. In Matthew 2:15 this “Son” is the Messiah but in Hosea 11:1 this “Son” is Israel. This is because Messiah and Israel have an allegorical relationship .
Now the Bahir says of tiferet:
Why are they called Sephirot?
Because it is written (Psalm 19:2),
“The heavens declare (me-SaPRim) the glory (tifret)
of Elohim.”
(Bahir 125)
And the Zohar elaborates on this statement in the Bahir as follows:
The Holy One, blessed be He, has a son, whose glory (tifret) shines from one end of the world to another. He is a great and mighty tree, whose head reaches heaven, and whose roots are set in the holy ground, and his name is “Mispar” and his place is in the uppermost heaven… as it is written, “The heavens declare (me-SaPRim) the glory (tifret) of Elohim” (Ps. 19:1). Were it not for this “Mispar” there would be neither hosts
Nor offspring in any of the worlds.
(Zohar 2:105a)
Moreover the the Zohar elsewhere states:
We may also translate “he who withholds blessings
from the Son” (Prov. 11:26), Whom the Father and Mother
have crowned and blessed with many blessings, and concerning whom they commanded, “Kiss the Son lest he be angry” (Ps. 2:12), since he is invested with judgment (gevurah) and with mercy (chesed).
(Zohar 3:191b)
In 2Cor. 3:18 Paul says:
In But all of us, with open faces, behold the magnificence of YHWH as in a mirror, and we are being changed into that likeness from glory to glory as by the Spirit of YHWH.
(2Cor. 3:18)
The word for "magnificence" here in the Aramaic is "teshbuchta" the same word that appears in the Peshitta Aramaic Tanak for "tefret" in 1Chron. 29:11. Therefore it may be understood as:
…behold the teferet of YHWH…
Teferet is the focal point of all of the attributes; one of its meanings is "harmony."
"from glory to glory"
The Jewish New testament has
"from one degree of glory to the next"
THE THIRD HEAVEN: PARDES
Finally Paul identifies the Third Heaven as Pardes. There is a well known story in the Talmud about four Rabbis who entered Pardes:
Our Rabbis taught: Four men entered PARDES namely, Ben ‘Azzai and Ben Zoma, Aher, and R. Akiba. R. Akiba said to them: When ye arrive at the stones of pure marble, say not, water, water! For it is said: He that speaketh falsehood shall not be established before mine eyes. Ben ‘Azzai cast a look and died. Of him Scripture says: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Ben Zoma looked and became demented. Of him Scripture says: Hast thou found honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. Aher mutilated the shoots. R. Akiba departed unhurt.
(b.Chag. 14b)
Paul’s point is that the man in question (Paul himself? Or Yochanan?) made the journey up to Pardes, ascending from one degree of glory to the next up to the point of tifret, harmony of all of the sefirot. Paul’s point to the Corinthians is that he is qualified to guide them on this journey.
By James Scott Trimm
THE WINE
Concerning the three upper heavens the Zohar says:
He then discoursed on the verse: “And in the vine were three branches”, etc. (Gen. XL, 10). ‘We have learnt’, he said, ‘that there are seven firmaments which are six and also five. All issue from the ancient holy supernal Wine, which Jacob presses from a certain Vine. Therefore it was that Jacob presented to Isaac the wine which was fitting for him. That wine proceeds from grade to grade up to Joseph the Righteous, who is David the Faithful. This Vine is the one that is recognized as holy, in contrast to another which is called the “strange vine”, the grapes of which are hard and biter. But this is the vine from which all the holy ones drew the taste of old and good wine, the wine in which Jacob poured water so that all who knew the taste of wine could drink it with relish. When this vine came near the Shekinah it put forth three branches. Then it “was as though it budded”, like a bride bedecking herself, and it entered in the love and the joy of that wine to the place where joy abides. Then “its blossoms shot forth”: its love went out to its beloved and it began to sing in love. Then were those tender grapes ripened and filled with the good old wine into which Jacob had poured water. Therefore one who blesses over wine should pour some water into it, since the blessing, “Have mercy, O Lord, upon thy people Israel”, should not be said save with water in the wine.’ R. Eleazar and R. Abba were amazed. They said: ‘Holy angel, messenger from above, thy wine has conquered in the mystery of the holy spirit.’ They all came and kissed him, and R. Eleazar said: ‘Blessed be God for sending me here.’ The boy then said: ‘Bread and wine are the essence of the meal, all the rest being subsidiary. The Torah is begging of you, saying: “Come, eat ye of my bread and drink of the wine I have mingled” (Prov. IX, 5). Since the Torah calls you, you must obey her behest.’ They said: ‘That is assuredly so.’ So they sat and ate and rejoiced with him.
(Zohar 3:189a-b)
Now you may recall that the Talmud (b.Chag. 13a) had quoted a passage from the apocryphal book of Sira concerning the three upper heavens as follows:
Seek not things that are too hard for thee,
and search not things that are hidden from thee.
The things that have been permitted thee,
think thereupon; thou hast no business
with the things that are secret.
(Sira 3:21-22)
The Prophet Isaiah writes:
And whereof from of old men have not heard,
nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen
an Elohim beside You, who works for him that
waits for Him.
(Is. 64:3(4))
There is a Baraita on this verse that appears twice in the Talmud () once in the Midrash Rabbah () and four times in the Zohar.
The following is the Baraita as it appears in the Talmud:
What is the meaning of “Eye has not seen” (Is. 64:3)
Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said:
This is the wine that has been kept
in its grapes from the six days in the beginning.
(b.Berakot 34b; b.Sanhedrin 99a)
The phrase “wine that has been kept” in the Hebrew is Yayin HaMeshumar “wine of keeping”. The tradition of the Yayin HaMeshumar runs deep in traditional Judaism. It is the wine that will be served at the Messianic Feast when the Messiah re-establishes the Kingdom of Israel on earth.
In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul also quotes, or perhaps we should better say paraphrases Is. 64:3(4) as follows:
But as it is written:
The eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard,
and into the heart of a son of man has not entered
that which Eloah had prepared for those who love Him.
(1Cor. 2:9 HRV)
Note that Paul’s citation is influenced by the Baraita as the actual text of Isaiah says that “eye has not seen… an Elohim beside you” but Paul says “Eye has not seen… that which Eloah has prepared for those who love Him.” And the Baraita has “Eye has not seen… the wine which has been kept…”.
Now lets look at Paul’s quote in context:
But we speak the wisdom of Eloah
in a mystery that was hidden
And [that] Eloah had before separated
from before the ages for our glory.
That not one of the authorities of this world knew,
for if they had known it,
they would not have crucified the Adon of glory.
But as it is written:
The eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard,
and into the heart of a son of man has not entered
that which Eloah had prepared for those who love Him.
(1Cor. 2:7-9 HRV)
When we look at Paul’s context we see an even greater influence from the Baraita of the Yayin HaMeshumar “…a mystery that was hidden and that Eloah had before separated from before the ages… eye has not seen… that which Eloah has prepared for those who love Him.”
It is clear that Paul here must be referring to the Yayin HaMeshumar as his audience is, no doubt, familiar with this Baraita to Is. 64:3.
It is the Yayin HaMeshumar that Yeshua refers to when we read:
And afterwards he took the cup, and blessed,
and gave to them, saying,
“Drink you all of it,
for this is my blood of the New Covenant,
which is shed for many to atone for sinners,
And I tell you, hereafter I will not drink of the fruit of the vine,
until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom
of my Father which is in heaven.”
(Mt. 26:27-29)
The Yayin HaMeshumar is the blood of the New Covenant. At the Passover Sader the wine represents the blood of the lamb. Note that we read in Revelation that Messiah is the lamb slain “before the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8) his blood is the wine kept in its grapes from the six days in the beginning.
In the Apocryphal Gospel of Thomas Yeshua is quoted as saying:
Yeshua said, "I shall give you what no eye has seen
and what no ear has heard and what no hand has touched
and what has never occurred to the mind of man.
(Gospel of Thomas 17)
Note that in 1Cor. 1:18-20 the same “wisdom” of which we are later told is “…in the mystery that was hidden … before separates from before the ages… which Eloah had prepared for those who love him.” (1Cor. 2:7-9) is also the “wisdom” which “takes away the wisdom of the wise” in 1Cor. 1:19 quoting Isaiah 29:14. In Isaiah 29:15 this wisdom is the contents of the sealed book (Is. 29:11-12, 14, 18). In Revelation this book is opened by the “lamb as if it was slain” (Rev. 5:6) a lamb slain “before the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8).
This is the wine that will be served at the “marriage supper of the lamb” (Rev. 19:7) the great Messianic Banquet and Passover Sader.
In 1Corinthians, Paul has brought up the Yayin HaMeshumar at the beginning of his letter because he will be addressing this wine throughout his letter. In 1Cor. 5 he will discuss the recent Passover Sader at Corinth. In 1Cor. 11:23-34 he addresses the significance of the Passover and especially being worthy to drink the wine which is the Yayin Hameshumar.
In 1Cor. 15:54 he cites Isaiah 25:8 a passage of Isaiah which immediately follows the description of the Messianic Banquet in Isaiah 25:6-7:
6 And in this mountain shall YHWH of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.
7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.
8: He will swallow up death in victory; and the Adonai YHWH will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for YHWH has spoken it.
Notice that the Yayin HaMeshumar is something which “from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen” (Is. 64:3) elsewhere Isaiah writes:
So shall he sprinkle many nations, kings shall shut their mouths
because of him, for that which had not been told them shall they see
and that which they have not heard shall they perceive.
(Is. 52:15)
Thus the “suffering servant” song of Isaiah 53 is the message that “eye has not seen”, it is the Yayin HaMeshumar.
The Midrash Rabbah to Num. 13:2 (500) says:
Because hr bared his soul unto death (Is. 53:12)
and bruised themselveswith the Torah which is sweeter than honey,
the Holy One, blessed be He, will hereafter give them to drink
of the wine kept in its grapes since the six days in the beginning....
(Midrash Rabbah to Numbers 13:2 (500))
Thus Paul writes:
But we speak the wisdom of Eloah
in a mystery that was hidden
And [that] Eloah had before separated
from before the ages for our glory.
That not one of the authorities of this world knew,
for if they had known it,
they would not have crucified the Adon of glory.
But as it is written:
The eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard,
and into the heart of a son of man has not entered
that which Eloah had prepared for those who love Him.
(1Cor. 2:7-9 HRV)
Not only is the Yayin HaMeshumar the blood of the Messiah, but it is more. It is the “mystery” of which the blood of Messiah is only part:
The Zohar says:
The Tzadik (The Righteous) is the Yesod (foundation) in Yah,
the mystery (SOD) which is the wine which has been kept
in its grapes from the six days in the beginning.
(Zohar; Roeh M’haimna on Pinchas)
There is a clear connection here because SOD (“mystery”) has a gematria (numerical value) of 70 which is also the gematria of YAYIN (“wine”). Just as the Zohar identifies the “mystery” with the Yayin HaMeshumar, so does Paul in 1Corinthians.
For Paul goes on to further identify the Yayin HaMeshumar as follows:
10 But Eloah has revealed [it] to us by his spirit, for the spirit searches into everything, even the deep things of Eloah.
11 For who is the son of man who knows what is in a son of man except the spirit of the son of man that [is] in him? So also, that which is in Eloah, no man knows except the Spirit of Eloah.
12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit that is from Eloah, so that we might know the gifts that were given to us from Eloah;
13 Which also we speak, not in the teaching of words of the wisdom of sons of men, but in the teaching of the spirit, and to spiritual men we compare spiritual things.
14 For the son of man who is in the nefesh does not receive spiritual things, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know that which is judged spiritually.
15 Now the spiritual man judges all things, and is not judged from man.
16 For who knows the mind of YHWH that he might instruct him? (Is. 40:13) But we have the mind of the Messiah.
(1Cor. 2:10-16)
Paul identifies the Yayin HaMeshumar with the “words of wisdom” (2:13) as well as the “mind of YHWH” or the “mind of Messiah” (1Cor. 2:16) and with the spiritual “gifts” (1Cor. 2:10-16) which he will elaborate upon later in the letter (1Cor. 12-14).
So next time you partake of the cup of redemption in the Passover sader, realize that this cup is symbolic of the Yayin HeMeshumar, the wine that has been kept from the six days in the beginning, the blood of the lamb slain from the foundation which has been hidden and separated and prepared for those who love him. It is not just the blood of the New Covenant, it is the Mind of YHWH and the spiritual gifts that he has prepared for us.
THE SEFIROT
Now we already discussed the fact the seven lower heavens are reversed (mirror image) from the three upper heavens. This means that each set of heavens is numbered from the point in between them. Thus the three upper heavens are eight, nine and ten, going away from the separation between them. And the seven lower heavens are number from one to seven going away from the point where they meet as well. In other words the order is like this:
10
9
8
====
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Now if you have not guessed by now, the ten heavens parallel the ten Sefirot as follows:
10 Daat (knowledge)
9 Chokhma (Wisdom)
8 Benah (Understanding)
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1 Chesed (Mercy)
2 Gevurah (Severity)
3 Tiferet (Harmony)
4 Netzach (Stamina, endurance)
5 Hod (Pliability; adaptability)
6 Yesod (Foundation)
7 Malkut (Kingdom)
Malkut corresponds to the Shekinah and is the combination of the other sefirot which flow down into Malkut. Thus Malkut would be the Seventh Heaven: ARAVOT as we read in the Zohar:
‘It is written: “Extol him that rideth upon araboth” (Ps. LXVIII, 4). Who is it that rides upon ‘araboth, and what is meant by ‘araboth? It is the seventh firmament, and it is called ‘araboth (lit. mixtures) because it is composed of fire and water, from the region of the South and from the region of the North, being “mixed” from both these regions. And as ‘Araboth is intrinsically the synthesis of all the other six firmaments, it forms intrinsically the Supernal Chariot. The Holy One, blessed be He, loves this firmament more than any of the other firmaments and delights in perfecting it with supernal beauty. Therefore does it say: “Extol Him that rideth upon ‘Araboth... and rejoice before Him”,
(Zohar 2:165a)
Thus as we mentioned earlier in Hebrews:
And from whom, we have this Cohen which ascended through the heavens by the
Foundation [YESOD]--Yahushua the Messiah, the Son of Elohim, behold we must confess this obligation.
(Heb. 4:14 HRV)
This would make the “Third Heaven” which Paul referred to in 2Corinthians 12:2 to correspond with Tiferet.
Tiferet means literally “splendor” or “glory”. Tiferet is used as a euphemism for the ark of the covenant (Ps. 78:61) and is also the word used when the Tanak refers to “Israel my glory” (i.e. Israel my tiferet) (Is. 46:13).
Tiferet is the balance or harmony between chesed and gevurah. It is well illustrated by the Ark of the Covenant which has upon it two opposing cherubim facing one another. These two Cherubim represent the opposing sefirot of Chesed and Gevurah while the Ark itself represents Tiferet.
Tiferet is often identified with the Son of Yah . As we have said, when the Tanak refers to “Israel My glory” (Isa. 46:13) the word for “glory” is “tiferet”.
Now there is an allegorical relationship between Messiah as the Son of Elohim and Israel as the Son of Elohim. This relationship is typified by Matthew 2:15 which quotes Hosea 11:1 “out of Egypt I have called my son”. In Matthew 2:15 this “Son” is the Messiah but in Hosea 11:1 this “Son” is Israel. This is because Messiah and Israel have an allegorical relationship .
Now the Bahir says of tiferet:
Why are they called Sephirot?
Because it is written (Psalm 19:2),
“The heavens declare (me-SaPRim) the glory (tifret)
of Elohim.”
(Bahir 125)
And the Zohar elaborates on this statement in the Bahir as follows:
The Holy One, blessed be He, has a son, whose glory (tifret) shines from one end of the world to another. He is a great and mighty tree, whose head reaches heaven, and whose roots are set in the holy ground, and his name is “Mispar” and his place is in the uppermost heaven… as it is written, “The heavens declare (me-SaPRim) the glory (tifret) of Elohim” (Ps. 19:1). Were it not for this “Mispar” there would be neither hosts
Nor offspring in any of the worlds.
(Zohar 2:105a)
Moreover the the Zohar elsewhere states:
We may also translate “he who withholds blessings
from the Son” (Prov. 11:26), Whom the Father and Mother
have crowned and blessed with many blessings, and concerning whom they commanded, “Kiss the Son lest he be angry” (Ps. 2:12), since he is invested with judgment (gevurah) and with mercy (chesed).
(Zohar 3:191b)
In 2Cor. 3:18 Paul says:
In But all of us, with open faces, behold the magnificence of YHWH as in a mirror, and we are being changed into that likeness from glory to glory as by the Spirit of YHWH.
(2Cor. 3:18)
The word for "magnificence" here in the Aramaic is "teshbuchta" the same word that appears in the Peshitta Aramaic Tanak for "tefret" in 1Chron. 29:11. Therefore it may be understood as:
…behold the teferet of YHWH…
Teferet is the focal point of all of the attributes; one of its meanings is "harmony."
"from glory to glory"
The Jewish New testament has
"from one degree of glory to the next"
THE THIRD HEAVEN: PARDES
Finally Paul identifies the Third Heaven as Pardes. There is a well known story in the Talmud about four Rabbis who entered Pardes:
Our Rabbis taught: Four men entered PARDES namely, Ben ‘Azzai and Ben Zoma, Aher, and R. Akiba. R. Akiba said to them: When ye arrive at the stones of pure marble, say not, water, water! For it is said: He that speaketh falsehood shall not be established before mine eyes. Ben ‘Azzai cast a look and died. Of him Scripture says: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Ben Zoma looked and became demented. Of him Scripture says: Hast thou found honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. Aher mutilated the shoots. R. Akiba departed unhurt.
(b.Chag. 14b)
Paul’s point is that the man in question (Paul himself? Or Yochanan?) made the journey up to Pardes, ascending from one degree of glory to the next up to the point of tifret, harmony of all of the sefirot. Paul’s point to the Corinthians is that he is qualified to guide them on this journey.
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