Abraham Cohen De Herrera: Gate of Heaven (Studies in European Judaism, 5) 9004122532, 9789004122536

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ABRAHAM COHEN DE HERRERA: GATE OFHEAVEN

STUDIES IN EUROPEANJUDAISM Editor G IUSEPPE VELTR I University of Halle-Wittenb erg Leopold Zunz Centre for the Stud y of EuropeanJudaism

Advisory Board Brun o C hiesa (University of Turin) Rachel Elior (H ebrew University ofJ eru salem) Alessand ro Gu etta (INALCO , Paris) Eleazar Gutwirth (T el Aviv University) M oshe Idel (Hebrew University ofJ eru salcm ) H anna Liss (H ochschule fur Judische Studien , Heidelberg) Paul M endes-Flohr (H ebrew U niversity ofJ eru salem) Reinier Munk (Vrije U niversiteit, Amsterda m) David R uderman (Pennsylvania University) Peter Schafer (Princeton U niversity and Free University of Berlin) Stefan Schr einer (University of Tubingen) J on athan W-:bber (University of Birmingham ) Israel Yuval (H ebrew University ofJeru salcm) M oshe Zu cker mann (T el Aviv University) VOLUME

5

ABRAHAM COHEN DE HERRERA:

GATE OF HEAVEN Translated.from the Spanish with Introduction and Notes BY

KENNETH KRABBENHOFT (T r.)

BRILL LEIDEN . BOSTON' KOLN 2002

T his book is pr inted on acid-free paper.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Co hen de Herrera , Abraha m, ca. 1570-ca. 1639. [Puerto del cielo. English1 Ga te of heaven I Abr ah am Co hen de Herrera ; translated from the Spanish with introduc tion and notes by Kenneth Kr abbenhoft. p. ; ern. - (Studies in Europ ean judaism, ISSN 1568-5004 ; v. 5) Includes bibliograp hical references and index. ISBN 9004 122532 I. Ca bala. I. T itle: Abrah am Cohen de Herrera. II. Krabbenhoft, Kenneth. III. Titl e. IV. Series. BM525 .C54 13 2002 296.1'6- dc2 1 2002027658

Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnalune Abrah am Cohen de Herrera : gate of heaven I tran s!. from the Spanish with introd. and notes by Kenneth Krabb enh oft. - Lcidcn ; Boston ; Koln : Brill, 2002 (Studies in EuropeanJ uda ism ; Vol. 5) ISBN 90-04-12253-2

ISSN 1568-5004 ISBN 90 04 12253 2 © Copyright 2002 by KoninklijkeBrill NY Le iden, TheNetherlands

Cover design: Cedilles I Studio Cursief, Amsterdam All nghts reserved. No part ofthispublication mqy be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted in anyformor by anymeans, electronic, mechanical, photocopy ing, recording or olherunse, without prior written permission fr om the publisher. Authorization toIlhotocopy itemsfor internal orpersonal use isgranted by Brill provided that theappropriate[eesare paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers MA 01923, USA. Fees are subj ect tochange. PRI NT ED I:-i TilE :-iET IIE RIA l"'DS

et ecce intus eras et ego foris

C ONT ENT S Acknowledgme nts Int rodu ction The Autho r's Life a nd Works Life ' Vorks Eleme nts of Herrera's Kabbalah Herrera's H istorical Imp ort an ce Rem arks on the Tran slation A W ord on the Footnotes

IX Xl

X111 XlI I

xx XX III

xxx xxxi xxxiv

Gate if Heaven Book I Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 Book 6 Book 7 Book 8 Book 9 Book 10

I 63 82 106 140 192 263 3 12 392 440

Argume nts for why there is a First Cause

497

Argu me nts that prove tha t ' Ein-Sof the first Cause is not a ny one of the sefirot or all of them togeth er 504 Ind ex of what is contained in eac h chapter and book of this divine work of the Gate of Heaven by Abrah am Cohen de H errera .

505

Glossary of Kabbalistic and Philosophi cal T erms

525

Bibliography of Works C ited

535

Hebr ew Bible

54 1

Name Ind ex

543

AC KNOW LEDGMENTS

In acknowledgme nt of his debt to the people who helped make this book possible, the editor wishes to tha nk: Richard Popkin for his leadership in seventeent h-century studies and for suggesting that the time for this edition had come. Elliot Wolfson for his encouragement and advice and for the many footn otes that without his contributions would be lacking. Raymond Scheindlin for sha ring his enthusiasm and eru dition, "que aun se dejan las pefias/ lisonjear de agradecidas sefias." M att Goldish for his suppo rt and contributions to the footn otes. Nissim Yosha for sharing the results of his research over the course of man y yea rs. Arthur Williamson for exposing Abrah am Co hen de H errera to a wider public a nd for brokering encounters in New York and Californ ia. J oel Cahe n for being there be-refit a nd ever since , always with great humani ty and wit. Aryeh M aid enbau m for sha ring his knowledge and expe rience and ope ning caminos from Galilee to Santiago de Compostela. Alfred Ivry and Vincent Renzi for their help wih the footn otes. M attie Kuiper , for a steady and reassuring hand. The fraternity of tran slators who have mad e the works of phil osoph ers a nd kabbalists availab le in English. Ferris Cook for her love.

INTRODUCTION God the almighty First C ause , Creator and Sustainer of all things, 'Ein-Sof th e Infinite, utt erly perfect and elevated above every other existing thing, etern al and unbound by time , place, or phys ical dim ension, hidden from angels and m en in th e depth of his transcendent will and mind but revealed through th e ordered reality of his selfmanifestation: this is th e D eity that Abraham Cohen de H errera (c. 15 70?- 1635) describes in Gate if Heaven (Puerta del cielo). 'Ein-Sof is th e God of Israel conceived in his unknowable essence, which is hidden from th e human mind and signified by the Tetragrammaton or unpronounceable four -lett er name but is also the source of univ ersal being who has revealed his Law to the Peop le of Israel. He has spoken through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob , through Mos es the author of the Torah , and through th e prophets and th e holy wise m en, the hakamim and maskalim of the Talmud, the Mishnah, and the kabba lah or tradition of mystical reception, among th em R. Simeon ben Yohai in th e Sefer ha-Zohar (Book of Splendor), the masterpiece of the Spanish kabbalah written by Moses de Leon in the late thirteenth century; th e anonymous authors of the Tiqqunei ha-Zohar, which was first published in th e sixteenth century; th e Sefer Yesirali (Book of Formation), th e brief but enormously influential work written be tween the third and the sixth centuries A.D . and attributed in Herrera's time to Abraham and R . Akiva; Nahrnanides (M oses ben Nahm an) of thirteenth-century Gerona; Joseph Gikatilla's Sacarei "Orali (G ates of Light ); Moses Yonah's sixtee nth-ce ntury Karifei Yonali (W ings of th e Dove) in M enahem Azariah da Fano's edition and commentary; Moses Cordovero , who taught in Safed in th e early l 500s and whos e Pardes Rimmonim (G arden of Pomegranates ) is often quoted in Gate if Heaven; and mo st importantly th e innovations of ha-Ari (the Lion ), that is, Isaac Luria Ashkenazi (d . 15 72), most of whos e teach ings were handed down orally, including to Hayyim Vital and H err era 's own tea ch er , Isra el Sarug. In H errera's understanding, how ever, th e inner being and activities of th e God of Israel are also revealed in th e teachings of nonmystics and philosophers, J ews and Gentiles alike. This profoundly syncretistic interpretation iden tifies th e Biblical 'Elohim (God) and

XII

I:-ITR ODU CTI O N

)Ado na i (Lord) with the tran scenden t One a nd the sup reme Good of Plat o's dialogue s, the First Cause of later Platonism , a nd th e Ar istotelian Prim e Mover. Her rera accordingly finds argum ents for the kabbalistic truth accurately reflected in Plato's Phaedo, Republic, Symposium an d Timaeus; in Aristotle's Phy sics, Metaphysics, Categories, Topics, On Generation and Corruption, and On the Heavens; in Plotinu s's Enneads; in Proclus's The Elements if 77zeology and the pseudo-P rocla n Book if Causes; in the Cor/JUs Hermeticum or Poimandres an d other Neoplatonic texts att ributed in H errera's time to the "prisci theologi" or "ancient th eologian s" (O rpheus, Hermes Trismegistus, and Zoroaster); in Maim onides's Guidefi r the Perplexed; in the Pseudo-Dionysius's On Mystical 77zeology and On the Celestial Hierarchy ; in Averroes's Tahafut al-tahqfut; in T homas Aquinas's Summa theologiae, OJiaestiones disputatas, and Summa contra Gentiles; in Pico della Mirandola's Commento sopra una canrona di Girolamo Benuneni; in Leo Hebraeus's Dialogues if Love; in Torqua to T asso's phil osophical dialogue Jl Messagiero; in Julius Caesar Sca liger 's Exotencarum exercitationum liber X V de subtilitate ad Hierony mum Cardanum; in Fran cisco Sua rez's M editationes metaphy sicae; in works by Philo of Alexan dria, Boethiu s, Duns Sco tus, Durandus de Sa intPourcain, and other medieval and early modern thinkers, most imp ortantl y Marsilio Ficino , Herrera's precursor and model of syncretistic theology, in his Commentary on Plato's Symposium, Commentary on Parmenides, and his own "summa," the 17leologia platonica. T he list gives an idea of the ra nge of H errera's lea rni ng and the nature of his or igina lity. H e follows the example set by earlier p hilosop hically-mi nd ed kabbalists like R . Azr iel, R . Isaac ibn Latif, and Moses Co rdov ero an d the eclectic erud ition of Amsterdam conte mpo rari es like Me na sseh ben Israel, who like Herrera wro te his maj or work in Span ish, gra nting virtua lly equal authority to classical writers and to rab binical tra dition and qu oting freely from the C hurc h Fat hers a nd theologian s like Aquina s, Duns Scot us, and Ficino. ' H errera's work also reflects the tradi tion of J ewish and C h ristia n theological syncret ism from Philo to Ficino and Pico della Mirandola. It is a synt hesis of mystical and phil osophical thought that was un iqu e for its time and of

I

See Moshe Idel, " Kabbalah, Platonism, and Prisca Th eologia," in Xlenasseh ben

Israel and His World, edited by Yosef Kaplan, H enry Xlechoulan, and Richard H.

Popkin (Leiden: Brill Acad emic Publishers, 1989), pp. 208-209; and Cecil Roth, 771e Lift qf Menasseh ben Israel (New York: Arno Press, 1975), pp . 87-89.

INTRODUCTION

XlII

considerable historical importance for the influence of kabbalah on the course of modern European thought. The remarks that follow provide an introduction to Herrera's life, works, and historical importance, and a n overview of the style and conc eptual fram ework of Gate if Heaven, Herrera's most influential wor k, which was written between 1620 and 1635 in Amsterdam. The fact that he wrote this and the few oth er works attributed to him in Spanish makes him unique in both the history of kabbalah and the history of Spanish literature; it also accounts for the com plex story of the transmission and reception of his ideas, which (except for the circulation of the Spanish manuscript in Jewish circles in the Netherlands) was accomplished not by dissemination of the original Spanish text but through the Hebrew translation of Gate if Heaven (titled Sa(ar ha-Samayimj2 that was mad e after his death by R . Isaa c Aboab da Fonseca, who took it upon himself to abridge and alter Herrera's text considerably. It was Sa(ar ha-Samayim and not Puerta del cielo that was trans lated into Latin between 1677 and 1684 and in this form came to the atte ntion of the European philosophical mainstream. Interest in the full range of Herrera's thinking dates to Gershom Scho lem 's creation of modern kabbalah studies , and has been carried on by a number of scholars in Israel and the United States . The present edition and translation , which is the first com plete translation of Puerta del cielo in any language," is another stage in the transmission of H errera's ideas to a broader reading public. The editor hop es that the availability of this remarkable work in English will make Herrera's unique contribution to Spanish letters , kabbalah, and the history of European thought better known and understood.

The Author's Lift and Works Lift We have no reason to doubt H errera's claim that his father, Rabbi David Herrera, was of Spanish origin and quit e possibly a marrano

2 T he same Hebrew title was used by the above-mentioned Isaac ibn Latif in the thirteenth century. :l An abrid ged Span ish edition was published in 1987, and a modern H ebrew tran slation is being prepar ed by Nissim Yosha. See Bibliography .

XI V

INTRODU CTION

or cryp to-j ew, that is, a member of a family that had rem ain ed in Spain a fter th e 1492 Expul sion but continued to practice J ud aism secre tly. I Although H errera says tha t his fathe r was "from Cordoba ," this may be a gene ra l referen ce to the family's proven an ce and gives no indication as to when they may have left Iberia, perhaps after a n int erim in Portugal, which did not impose the conversion-orexpulsion decr ee until 1498 and was, in comparison to Spain, relatively lax in enforcing it in the ea rly yea rs of the sixtee nth century:' There is also a tradition that the famil y was relat ed to G on zalo Fern andez de C ordob a, the Great C aptain of Philip II's campaign in Italy and Vicero y of Napl es, th e proximate origin of which is the Am sterdam po et Dani el Levi de Barrios." In an y event, we do not know when David H errera left Iberia , or when he arrived in Florence; H errera tells us that he was born in that city but does not spec ify the yea r. W e do know that , until the events that betw een 1596 and the first decade of th e seventeenth century dram atically influenced I Gate of Heaven, Prologue to Book II. T he re is a historical ju stifica tion for using the Spa nish word marrano (swine, from a n Ara bic word for something forbidd en) to design ate the C rypto-j ews of Iberia but with a cavea t abo ut its origina lly pej or ative conno tat ion. " See Yosha, Xlitos u-met'oforah: ha-parianut ha-filosofit iel R. Abraham Cohen Herrera le-qahbalat ha-tAn (Jerusalem: YL. Magnes-H eb rcw University, 1994), p. 29. Both Spai n a nd Portugal have been anxious to claim Herrera for a nat ive son. M any ea rly sources ident ify him as " H ispa nus" (e.g. \\'olf ), a nd some Spa nish historia ns have tried to make him a part of Spanish intellectual history; see Marcelino G utierrez, Fray Luis de Leon )' la filosofia espaiiola del siglo X VI (;\Iad rid, 1885) and Marcelino Men endez y Pelayo, Ensavos de criticajilos6fi[(J (Sant ander, 1948). O ther ea rly souccs, on the other hand, call him Portuguese or " Lusitanus," for exa mple Knorr von Rosen roth . La ter Por tuguese bibliograp hers go fart her. Da Silva, citing Ga rcia Peres and repeating Dos Sa ntos wor d for word , claim s ca tegorically that the fam ily nam e was Herreira or Ferreira, and that Ab ra ha m was born in Lisbon, "leaving Portugal fo r Ma rroco and from th ere to Amsterdam a nd Vienn a, where he died in 1631" (a cla im tha t pe rpetuat es severa l errors, as will he noted below). Barbosa Machado calls him "Abra ham Fer reyra whose last nam e cha nged to Irira [a tran sliteration of the H ebr ew spelling I when , leavin g Portugal, he went to Amsterd am , where he pr acticed the J ewish fa ith." Ribeiro dos Santos and Rodri guez de Ca stro also have him born in Lisbon (see Bibliograph y for these sources). The two nation alities that in fact he held wer e Tuscan and Dut ch . For th e most com plete overview of the question to dat e, sec Yosha, slitos, C hap ter I. I , Daniel Levi de Ba rrios, Relacion de los poetasy escntores espaiioles:

Don Alonso de Herr era con nobleza Fue del gran Capitan descendien te, Y del Rey de Marru ccos Rcsident e [etc.] (Meyer Kayserling, Biblioteca Espaiiola-Portuguera-fudaica [New York: Ktav Publishing House, 19 71; Strasbourg, 1890], p. H ). T he elaim is rep eat ed by G ra tz, Furst, and Yosha.

INTRODUCTION

xv

the course of Herrera's life, he went by the Christian name of Alonso Nunez de Herrera, clear evidence of his community's continuing cultural identification with Ib eria, as is his knowledge of Spanish theologians like Francisco Suarez and Domingo Banez, in addition to the Italian humanists who were clearly an important elem ent in his education.' At the time of Herrera's first appearance in th e documentary record, his uncle Juan de Marchena of Venice was a commercial agent for the Sultan of Morocco, Moulay Ahmed el-l\Ilansur. Herrera was apparently working for Marchena when, on June 3, 1596, he found himself in the Spanish city of Cadiz. It was the day chosen by Robert Devereux, th e Earl of Essex, to attack the Spanish fleet at anchor there. After laying waste to the fleet , Essex took some 40 people hostage and sailed with them for England, where they were held in Ware, near London, in lieu of 120,000 ducats in ransom . When the Sultan heard of this, he wrote to Essex, offering to pay th e ransom in exchange for Herrera's freedom. In December of the same year H errera himself sent a letter, in English, to the Queen, with a copy for the Sultan, in whi ch he says: Right honorable and moste excellent Lord: the Kinge of Berberye writte a letter in my behalf unto the Queenes Majestic, wherein he intreated her yt might please her to grante me liberty, as by the coppie ther eof here inclosed your Honor may sec. Which being given her Majestic, answer was made that I, being one of the pleadges for the hundreth and twenty thousand ducketts, yt behooved that this matter should be conferred of with the right honorable Generalis. Wher efore, fynding myselfe amonge those that are att your Honors disposicion and command, it behooveth me moste humbly to beseech you yt may please your good Honor to understand that I was not borne in Spayne, nor am subjecte thereof, and that my father hath dwelled in the state of the Great Duke of Toscana (whereof he, my uncles and myselfe arc subjectes) and at this present is at Venice. My uncle is the Kinge of Barberyes merchant resident in that kingdome, whether I went from

7 Alexander Altmann remarks about Herrera's education: '1 udging by the astounding range of his ph ilosophical training, [Herrera] must have spent man y years in inten sive study or ancient, medieval, and Renaissance works, including the most recent public ation s. A chan ce remark of his shows that he was also well awar e or what was going on at Italian schools and universities. The result of his prolon ged study was a firm commitment to the Platonic tradition in the large and comprehensive sense in which it had been embraced by Mar silio Ficino and Pico della Mirandola" ("Lurianic Kabbala in a Platonic Key: Abraham Cohen de Herrera 's Puerta del cielo," Hebrew Union College Annual 53 [1982], p. 319).

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INI'RODUCTIO N

Florence in the same Kinges service , and from thenc e to Cal es [Cadiz], in noe oth er sorte but as mercant stranger factor for my uncle . . . I canot be pleadge for any Spanish or oth er mater , my soveraynges bein g in league of amitye with her Magestic."

Herrera goes on to ask permission to stay with friends in London, promising not to set foot outside that city without authorization. The Queen answer ed two and a half years lat er , in June 1599 , in a letter to the Sultan in Spanish in which she blames th e delay partly on th e hostages, "who had mu ch difficulty agreeing on th e manner of collecting the money which had been agree d on , so as to meet certain conditions the y had made with our Gener als; and many months went by in this confusion (d uring which time th ey wrote to Spain and waited for replies), and th ey did not allow that anyon e be set free in the interim but only wh en everyone agree d abo ut th e money and what portion of it fell to each of them. " Another reason for th e delay, she says, is that th e messenger she had sent to th e Sultan with her original an swer of April 1598 turned back from th e coast wh en he he ard that th ere was a plague in Morocco of such virul ence th at th e Sultan himself had retired to the countryside with his a rmy, fleeing the contagion. If her answer had reach ed him, she adds, "I have no doubt that yo u would have been quite satisfied as regards both your request in the matter of Alonso N une z de Herrera and safe conduct for Juan de Marchena 's ships.?" vVe do not know how much ransom was paid or wh en H errera was set free. In a sta teme nt m ad e to the Amsterdam Municipal Offi ce in 1622 regarding his marriage within a degr ee of consanguinuity forbidden by Dutch law , he declares that he married his cousin Sarah in 1600 , directly following his release from cap tivity. But for the next twenty years H errera's movements and wh ereabouts are difficult to ascertain; tho se who have pla ced him in Rouen and Venice, for example, have done so on the basis of insubstantial eviden ce . There is somewhat more of an indi cation th at he may have lived in Hamburg betwe en 1616 and 1620 with his wife and brother-

H Fro m Les Sources inMites de l'histoire du Maroc, Series I: Arch ives et Biblioth equ es d'Angleterre, Vol. 2, p. 108. See also Ralph M elnick, From Polemics to Apologetics (Assen: Van Gorcum , 1981), p. 35; Kenn eth Kr abbenhoft, Abraham Cohen de Herrera: Puerta del cielo (M adrid : Fundaci6n Universitaria Espanol a, 1987), p. 12; Nissim Yosha , Mitos, p. 26. 9 Sources inedites pp . 139 -1 40.

INTRODUCTIO N

XVII

in-law.!? Pr esumably he mo ved to Am sterd am shortly afterwa rd, becaus e his nam e appears in the records of the Neveh Shalom synagogue annually from 1620 until his death in 1635. The only places of residence to which he makes direct reference in Gate if Heaven are Amsterda m (Book V, Ch apter 6, illustr ating a point about divin e will) and Ragusa (modern Dubrovnik), where he says he stud ied with Israel Sarug, a follower and perhap s form er studen t of Isaa c Luria (Book VIII, Chapter 6). The latt er refer ence is especially important becaus e it p rovid es th e onl y clu e as to when and how Herrer a acquired the oral knowledge of Lurianic kabbalah to which he refers in his work: becau se Sarug is thou ght to have been in Ragu sa before 1595 (that is, before H errera's capt ure at Cadiz ), it is possible that H er rer a met him there in th e course of his commercial tr avels. Whatever the particulars may be, the philosophical tendencies of Saru g's kab balah coincide d neatly with H err era's own intellectual training and interests, and H errera naturally gave him the title of "teac he r" and most importa nt living influence, virtually on a par with Simeon ben Yohai of the ;Zphar and the grea t Luri a himself. I I T he question of how H errera acquired his knowledge of kabbalah ra ises the two inextricabl y entwined issues of why he wrote Gate if Heaven, and why he wrote it in Spanish." Hi s principle motivation seems to have been a desire to rescue the tru th and beau ty of kabbalah from the neglect of philosoph ers and the obscurantism of

10 Nissim Yosha, "Abraha m Cohen de Herrera: An Outstanding Exponent of Prisca Theologia in Early Seventeenth Ce ntury Amsterdam" (Dutch J ewish History, edited by J oseph Mic hman [Van Gorcum: Assen , 1993], p. 118, and Mitos, pp . 30-3 1). For a survey and an alysis of the evidence for Herr era's stay in H am burg, see Fra nz Niewohner, "Abraham Co hen de H errera in H amburg." Zeitschriji fur Religion und Geistesgeschichte 35 (1993): 163-1 67. I I For Scholem, Sarug's insights into the connec tion between Platonism and kabbalah pr ovided Her rera with a sta rting point for his own think ing (Das Buch Q" Cr:Ji1 i !JC' [Sa'ar ha-SarnayimJ oder Pfortedes Himmels (Frankfurt: Suhrkamp Verlag, 1974), p. 17. 12 There is of course the related question of whether H err era's knowledge of H ebrew was sufficient for him to have written in that language had he so chosen . There is evidence on bot h sides of this qu estion . If one assumes that in fact Herrera did not know Heb rew well (and this was not un comm on among rnarranos who had been educate d as Christians), his knowledge of kabb alah , T almud, an d Mishnah must be ascribed to prim arily oral training, which of course would be in keeping with the historical natu re of kab balistic tra nsmission. At the same time, this assumption fails to acco unt for the appa rent ease with which H err era uses H ebr ew letters and words and perhap s more imp ortantl y the accuracy of his long paraph rases from Cordove ro's Pardes Rimmonim and the Tiqqunei ha-Zohar.

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INTRODUCTION

kabbalists that, in his opinion, kep t it ou t of the reach of man y interested read ers. In a comme nt that appe ars in the middle of a discussion of the Neoplatonic doctrin e of ema nation, he says: "it is difficult an d problem atic to explain this kind of [metaphysical] produ ction , ab out which the positive or schol astic philosoph ers and the divin e or natural philosophers said little or nothing, while our wise men [that is, the kabb alists] concealed th e tru th in their usual enigmas and metaphors" (Book VII , Chapter 3). H e also makes the revealing stateme nt, in his oth er kabbalistic work (House if the Deiry), that he turned to philosoph y as a relief from the difficulties of mystical conte mplation, in an attempt to spur his flagging interest: "weary of the sovere ign contemplations of kabbalistic an d theological mysticism, I turn to th e humbl e a rg ume nts of hum an philosophical though t, thro ugh them refreshing myself until I am able to return to my exalted purpose with ren ewed spirit and increased stre ngth. ': " This does not mean that one should take philosophi cal speculation less seriously th an kabb alistic contemplation: as H errera rem arks in Book IV , Ch apter 4, it is nothing less than blasph emy to commit the philo sophical error of imputing contra dictory qu alities to the First Cause. But even allowing for a measure of defen siven ess in his statemen t, the clear distinction that he makes between the province of human speculation and the divine nature of mystical truth should be taken into acco un t by anyone atte mp ting to weigh H errera's allegiance to kabbalah agai nst his interes t in pu re ph ilosoph y. H errera also perceived that his J ewish contempo ra ries were not as knowledgable about kabbalah and phil osoph y as he would have liked. He allows that this is du e in part to the difficulty of the subj ect, bu t he is also critical of the lack of exposure to these kinds of ideas in the community in which he lives. H e rem arks that he is writing Gate if Heaven "so that the greatness of the Deity may be revealed and the kabbalah or mystical theological rece ption may be withi n the grasp of piou s and contemplative men, becau se trul y the material veils an d metaphors in which it is enveloped truly create

I:l " . . . cancado de las sobera nas contemplaciones [de] la mistica Ca ba la y theologia, me inclino a los hu mildcs discursos de la razo n philosoph ica y hu man a, recreand om e en elias hasta qu e con nu evo espirit u y acrescen tad a fuerca pu eda volver a mi sublime intento" (Casa de fa divinidad, Book V, Chapter 9, p . 186; cited by Yosha, Mites, p. 109, note 99). "{menlo" ("purpose") sho uld pr obabl y be understood in the sense of" kaww anah (sec G lossary).

INTRODUCTION

XiX

doubts and obstacles for the majority of them, and likewise (for almost everyone) the exalted nature and difficulty of teachings that surpass normal minds little given to abstraction , and are not in agreement with many opinions commonly held today" (Book VII , Chapter 8). In the Prologue to his Epitome de La Logica, he says quite explicitly that "those of my nation are lacking in the philosophical art . .. and also depriv ed of the knowledge of the scholastic theologians who . . . accurately substantiated and corroborated the truths and mysteries that have been revealed to us, for the easy but profound understanding of which I have writt en two books .. , Gate qf Heaven and House qf the Deiry."14 The same sentiment is reiterated in House qf the Deity: "because many men of our nation ... have no knowledge (or a very confused and superficial one) of the true Hebrew theology and mystical tradition, I thought it appropriate to add a philosophical explanation to the kabbalistic one, which would reveal some of the sovereign mysteries in a rational, scientific way."15 Herrera clearly plac es himself at the halfway point between these two approaches to knowledge of the divine, taking on for himself a role not unlike that of the metaphorical intermediaries that carry out the creative will of 'Ein-Sof in ways that he so thoroughly and lovingly details in the pages of his book. These app ear to be the reasons for his choic e of an expository style that, despite its difficulty for modern readers, was associated in his tim e with dialectical argumentation, and it seems also to explain why he developed this style in Spanish rather than Hebrew. Not only was Spanish Herrera's native tongue and, with Portuguese, that of the Jewish community of early seventeenth-century Amsterdam generally, it was the language of the international culture of the sephardic Jews in exile from Iberia. Herrera's desire to communicate with this community in its everyday language is reminiscent of his friend and Amst erdam neighbor Menasseh ben Israel, who wrote in Hebrew early in his career but, in an effort to reach a larger audienc e, after 1628 switched to Latin and Spanish, the language of his magnum opus, the ConciLiador (1632- 165 1). Herrera 's association and friendship with Menasseh paints an appealing picture of two immensely learned men who are of a like mind regarding the importance of

14

I;

Cited by Yosha, Mitos, p. 41. Quoted by Yosha, Mites, p. 43, note 83.

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INTRODUCTION

exposing their community to the full range of both Jewish and Gentile history and thought." The success of this endeavor may be judged by the fact that Herrera apparently enj oyed an excellent reputation for both his piety and his learning. An indication of the esteem in which he was held was his appointment as head of the commission that approved publication of Joseph del M edigo 's Sefer )Elim, as well as Menasseh's praise in the Conciliador, " Daniel Levi de Barrios called him "docto sin yerro" in his poem "Etz Haim. Arbol de las vidas." !" Finally, if the terms of his wife's will are an indication, H errera appears to have left a considerable inh eritance at the time of his death , in 1635 . 19 H e is buried in the Ouderkerk Cemetery of Amst erdam. His H ebrew epitaph includes the expression "bi nisgarah hokmah": "wisdom was enclosed within me. :""

Works Four works ar e attributed to H errera, one of which has been lost. In addition to these , in Gale if Heaven, Book V, Chapter I 0, he mentions two "discursos" (speeches, commentaries, or treatises) without specifying their titles, when and in what language they were composed, or whether or not they were published.

Iti See Richard Popkin's assessme nt in "C hristian J ews a nd Jewish Christians in the Sevent eenth Century," in Jewish Christians and Christian J ews: from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, edited by Richard H . Popkin and Gordon M. Weiner (Dordrecht: Kluwer Acad emic Publishers, 1994). Ralph Melni ck notes that Men asseh's knowledge of th e par allels between kabbalah and Platonism undoubtedly cam e from Herrera, who also wrot e the "Approval" for the Conciliador (From Polemics to Apologetics, p. 43). J7 See Yosha , "Abraha m Cohen de Herrera," p. liB. 18 See Meyer Kayserling, " Une histoire de Iiucrarure juiv e de Daniel Levi de Barrios," Revue des Etudes ]uives 32 (1896): 88-10 I. 19 For past confusion over Herr era 's death date , see Yosha, Mitos, PI" 23-25. On the basis of a rchival documents, Yosha writes: " Herrera's wealth is confirmed by his widow's will, which made large bequ ests to the Neve Salom synagogue, the Talmud Torah , Santa Hebra de Dotar, and the poor of Jerusalem " ("Abraha m Cohen de Herrera ," p. 118). H e had also provided funds for the tran slation of his two princ ipal works from Spani sh into Hebr ew. 211 Yosha tran slation . Yosha notes that the num erical value of hokm ah is 73, possibly indicating his age at the time of death . The entire epitaph, in Ralph Melni ck's transla tion , is: 'j ourne ying, born of wom an , short-liv ed, mortal, he opposed and drov e out the sin which he often saw covering and dark enin g man 's inner bein g, shutt ing out wisdom ; a flawless man, who sought to clean se and bring forth salvation through the highest beaut y; Abr ah am who walks erectly in heaven for eternity" (From Polemics to AJlologetics, p. 35).

INTRODUCTION

XXI

I. Puerta del cielo (Gate of H eaven). Four manuscripts are known to exist, non e of them the autograph: a. The Hague, Royal Library 131 C 10 copied by an anonymous hand. Complete in ten books with summary and index of top ics (the basis of this translation). b. Amsterdam , Jewish-Portuguese Seminary, Ets Haim Library 48 A 16 copied by Samuel David Curiel in 1675. Complete . c. Amsterdam, J ewish-Portuguese Seminary, Ets H aim Library HS 48 B 19 copied by Samuel Abaz George in 1740. Lacks Books 8- 10. d. New York, Columbia University Library X 86 H 42 Q copied by an anonymous hand. Lacks Books 8-10.21 The only published version of the Spanish original is an abridged text: Abraham Cohen de Herrera: Puerta del cielo, edited by Kenneth Krabbenhoft (M adrid: Fundaci6n Universitaria Espanola, 1987). The complete Spanish text has yet to be edited. Prior to this edition, readers have been ab le to consult thre e translations of Gate if Heaven, all of them abridged." They are: a. Sifer Sa(ar ha-Samayim. Partial Hebrew translation by Isaab Aboab da Fonseca. Manuscript copy Amsterdam, 1655. Subsequently printed numerous times. b. Porta coelorum. Shortened Latin translation of Sifer Sa(ar ha-Samayim by Christian Knorr von Rosenroth. In Kabbala denudata (Sulzbach, 1678). This compendium includes selections from the Zohar, Joseph Gikatilla's Sa(arei ' Orali (Gates of Light), and several Lurianic kabbalists . The descriptive title continues: "Apparatus in Librum Sohar pars tert ia et quarta, quarum prior est Liber Sa(ar ha-Samayun seu Porta Coelorum, in quo dogmata cabbalistica de Aen-Soph, Adam Kadmon, Zimzum, Aziluth, Briah, Jezirah, Asiah , Nomine Tetragrammato, revolutionibus alphabeticis, Avvir Kadmon, p, i1D JO, ::1.\) , Personis Attik, Arich, Abb a

21 The manu script listed by Meijer Roest, the first keeper of the Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana in Amsterdam , in his 1868 catalog was sold to T emple Emanuel of New York and given to Columbi a University at the end of the nineteen th century. See Yosha, "Abraha m Cohen de Herr era ," p. 125, note 27. 12 For the nature of Aboab 's alterations to the Spanish text and a comparison of the Hebr ew, Latin , and German translations, see Scholem, Das Buch, pp. 32, 38- 40 and 65- 66; also Krabb enhoft , "Structure and Meanin g of Herrera's Puerta del cielo," Studia Rosenthaliana 16 (March 1982), pp . 2-3.

XXII

INTRODUCTION

veImma, Seir Anpin et uxore ejus ... philosophice proponuntur et explicantur, cumque philosophia platonica conferentur." c. Das Buch Cl"'OiLli1 "j'\)iLl [Sa(ar ha-Samayun] oder Pforte des HimmeLs. German translation of Porta coelorum by Friedrich Haussermann. Frankfurt: Suhrkamp Verlag, 1974.

2. Casa de La divinidad (H ouse of the D eity). H errera mak es several references in Gate qf Heaven to this work as having been written very shortly befor e, at one point using the expressions "a few days ago," as if to give the impression that Gate cf Heaven is in effect a continuation of the earlier work . Two manuscripts of Casa de La divinidad are known, only one of them complete: a. jerusalem, jewish National and Hebrew University Library Varia 106, by an unknown hand. It is missing part of Book VI and all of Books VII - X (this is the source of citations in this edition unless otherwise noted). b. Amsterdam, j ewish-Portuguese Seminary, Ets Haim Library EH 48 A 20, copied by Samuel Abaz George in 1731. It is complete in ten books (this is the source of citations taken from Nissim Yosha, Milos u-metrifOrah).23 Casa de La divinidad was published with Puerta del cielo, like it in abridged form , in both the Hebrew and Latin translations: Sefer Beit )ELohim (pa rtial Hebrew translation by Isaac Aboab da Fonseca , manuscript copy by Emanuel Benveniste, Amsterdam, 1655) and Pneumatica KabbiListica (Latin translation of Sefe: Beit »Elohim by Christian Knorr von Rosenroth, included in Kabbala denudata, [Sulzbach, 1684]). 3. Epitome y compendio de La Logica 0 dialectica, en que se espone, y declara breve y facilmente, su essencia, partes y propnedades, preceptos, regLas y uso, distribuido en 7 lioros. The descriptive title continues: "C on las diffinicion es, descripciones y breves declaraciones de mu chos terminos y palabras qu e se usan assi en la metaphisica y escolastica theologia, como en la logica natural y moral philosophia, tratados no solamente necessarios, mas muy provechosos para que pu edan alcancar todas las artes y sciencias , los que no tiencn noticia de la Icngua griega y latina." It was written some time prior to House qf the Deity (See Prologue, pp . 11-12; for more information see Yosha, Mitos, p . 44, note 85). 2:J

Reported by Yosha , "Abraha m Cohen de Herrera ," p. 125, not e 25.

INTRODUCTION

XXll1

4. Libra de dilfiniciones, discripciones, y breves declaraciones, de muchos terminos, palabras, y conceptos, que se usan en la Theologia escolastica, metaphisica, natural y moral philosophia: que son grandemente importantes y necessarias para entender pefectamente, estas, y las demas sciencias, listed by Da Silva, who cites a reference to the book in the auction catalogue for the library of D . Henriques de Castro in Amsterdam, Spring 1899, at the time "considered an only copy" (Da Silva, 2). The works appears to be lost. Elements

if Herrera's

Kabbalah

The key to understanding why Herrera's work made an impact on thinkers like Spinoza, Leibniz, the Cambridge Platonists, and the German Idealists , is the syncretistic nature of his thinking, which blends the esoteric and the philosophical, the rich tradition of Jewish mysticism and the double current of Platonic and Aristotelian metaphysics. More than anything else, it was this aspect of Herrera's thinking that brought him to the attention of a broad intellectual community, assuring that he would not remain a subject of interest only to kabbalists and students of the Jewish mystical tradition or marrano history. An overview of his sources and the three principal conc epts that underlie his work will provide the background for a summary of his later historical influence. As was pointed out above, Herrera stood at the crossroads of two specifically early-modern traditions: the metaphorical esoteric system developed by Isaac Luria in the early- to mid-sixteenth century, and early-modern philosophical syncretism, that is, the process of reconciliation of Dominican, Franciscan, and Augustinian theology with pagan, Jewish, and Islamic thought that culminated in the the fifteenthcentury with Ficino and Pico and was carried on in the Counter Reformation humanism of Francesco Patrizi, Giulio Camillo, the Ferrariensis, and Francisco Suarez, among others. In this respect Herrera's stated mentor among kabbalists was Moses Cordovero, as he says at the beginning of Gate if Heaven: "the wise Cordovero [who] takes from and develops philosophical arguments from Avicenna, R. Moses of Egypt [Maimonides] and his followers, in order persuasively to present and elaborate the kabbalistic truth which teaches as I have done, and I make use of the statements and arguments of Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, and other theologians and

XXIV

INTRODUCTIO N

philosophers without debating their efficacy, so that they enjoy the esteem that the most learned a nd pious men will grant them and, founded on the infallible Truths of the kabbalah or divine reception , embrace another , greater one, the better to illustrate and state them " (Book IV , Chapter 6). Herrera's system can be an alyzed in three categories: I . the nature and activity of the transcendent Cause; 2. procession, including emanation and crea tion and the Lurianic doctrine of simsum; and 3. reversion and restoration , including the Luriani c doctrines of sebirah ha-kelim (the shatt ering of the vessels) and tiqqun ha-parsufim (restoration of the faces). I . Transcendent Cause:

At the top of the order of reality is 'Ein Sof the Infinit e, the One, the Good, the First Cause and the Prim e Mov er. It is uncaused, utterly simple, undivided and indivisible, self-consistent, and selfsufficient : in its utter transcendence it is hidd en from human understanding. As Herrera puts it: "a bove all uniti es of unions and of individuals, and also above all improving and improved goods , there exists the pure and most simple One and the surp assing uncaused divine goodness which is 'Ein-Sof, the limitless origin al source of all things" (Book VI , Chapter 10). The conceptualization is a union of the God of the H ebrew Bible with the metaphysical und erstanding of the ab solute reality that exists abov e all individual being as developed by Plato and Aristotle and their followers, culminating in the Neoplatonism of Plotinus and Proclus and the scholastic theology of Aquinas, Durandus, Duns Scotus , a nd Suarez. 2. Pro cession (G k. proodos, H eb . hitpastut) This absolute being causes everything th at exists, becau se it is one of its cha racteristics to be manifested. Its man ifestation is accomplished by an essentially two-stage process. In the first stage , it gives rise to an entity that is in all respects identi cal to it, excep t that it is not infinite but finite, without this impl ying any diminishment of its being or power , and without imputing any du ality to the absolute unity of its ca use. This process is called emanation, and by it a single being emerges from the First Cau se. Like its Cause, this being is perfect and powerful, but because, unlike its Cause, it is also limited , it has the abil ity to bring about the existence of all oth er things, that is, the worlds of plurality, beginning with the high est, most pure and pow erful incorporeal beings (the a ngels) and extending down to

IN TRODUCTION

xxv

the teeming material life of the earth. H errera uses the Luriani c notion of simsum (shrinking, withdrawal, or self-limitation) to explain how the inviolate un ity of 'Ein-Sof makes the metaphorical space called 'Awir Qadmon (Primor dial Air or Ethe r) into whi ch this ema na ted first effect can be proj ected, a space that will be fill ed with the worlds that this first effect crea tes by the power of its Cau se. Simultaneous with the creation of this space is a cosmic dynamic of eme rging and returning ligh t, a systole/ diastole of illumination or bein g th at runs up and down th e hierarchy of crea tion from top to bottom, an d from bottom to top, according to the on-going p roductive will a nd operation of 'Ein-Sof. H errera calls this first effect the infinite world ('olam ha-'ein-sof) or mahsabah (m ind): "we say th at the infinite world which is the most perfect effect of the infinitely perfect First Cause is the mind or mah sabah of all the world s, what the Platonic philosoph ers call the mental world , Son of God, and first mind , and Zoroaster calls fath erly and deep , in which they locate the causative represent ational uniti es and ideas to which the sup reme un ity and unmoving mind correspond in man" (Book VIII, Chapter 14).24 Kabbalah gives this first mind the anthropomorphic configuration of 'Adam Q admon, the Primordi al M an , and ascribes to it the power of producing everything that comes after it in th e universal hierar chy: following the distinction made in the Tiqqunei ha-Zohar, where 'Ein-Sof is the cause of all causes, 'Adam Q admon is the cause of causes." It is importa nt to rem emb er that this first stage of the divine self-manifestation is not strictly speaking a creative act but rather an act of ema nation or procession: a free, uncoerced outftow ing of its essence that results in the existence of the first effect which in turn

21 The concept of the 'o lam ha-'ein-sof may be original to Herrera's teac her, Israel Saru g, altho ugh according to Alexande r Altma nn, Sarug used it to mean a rank of emanation inferior to 'Adam Q admon . Also acco rding to Altma nn, the expression appears with a meaning similar to Herr era's in a work by Joseph Alcmanno an d in Co rdovero 's Pardes Rimmonim with a rath er differen t sense; it does not occur in I:Iayyim Vital's writing at all (Altmann, "Luria nic Kabb ala," pp . 325-326, not e 58). In any case, the idea that there are many levels of ema nation rath er than j ust one is an impo rtant elemen t of Luria's teachin g. 25 Altmann, "Lurianic Kabbala," pp. 33 1 and 335, no ting that in the Tiqqunei it is Keter and not ' Adam Q adm on genera lly that is considered the cause of causes. One of H errera's chief concerns in Gate of Heaven is to furthe r Lur ia's argu ment that this pro ductive power is given by the First Cause to all of the sefirot, of which Keter is j ust one .

XXVI

INTRODUCTION

is responsible for crea tion in the pr op er sense of the word. Because of th e spec ial relati on ship that this first effect or 'Ada m Q admon has with his C au se, he sha res dir ectly in the Cause's limitless po wer , which gives him the ability to create furth er effects out of nothing. The effects are the sefirot: the metaphorical lights or members of his own bod y. The sefirot co nstitute a sepa ra te rank or level of existence called the world of ema nation (' olam ha-tasilut); th ey are analogo us to Pla to's Forms or Ideas and , with some differ en ces, to Aristotle's universals; they are also mor e or less identi cal in nature and activity to Proclus's henad s." Kabbalah introduces a furth er, internal differentiation of the sefirot into those that belon g to the infinite world of the essence of 'Adam Q admon (called the sefiro t of the 'aqud im or bound ones), which can be thought of as the mod els of a second rank of crea tive sefirot , and these very on es that a re th e effects of th e sefiro t of the 'aqudim . Called the sefirot of the ema na ted world or of the nequdim or points, they are the on es that bear the names and attributes of which so mu ch kabbalistic discourse is filled , whereas their mod els in th e infinite world are, like their ultimate source, nam eless and unnameable." In this way 'Ada m Q admon , th e first effect of the First Cause, is said to contain within himself the plurality of the worlds that result from the creative ac tivity of the lower sefirot, which in this capacity are called instrument s or vessels. Thus "the unique unlimited being is multiplied a nd limit ed to man y diverse, finite effects by mean s of th e man y limited essences that receive it in themselves like

26 Like Proclus's henad s, which function like divine Platonic forms , the sefirot are pr esent and active in eac h other and bo th secret a nd known , shin ing bu t also hidden : secret insofar as th ey a re turn ed toward th eir cause, and known insofar as they are tu rn ed toward their effects. They a re imp erishable vehicles (ochcmata) of the creat ive power of th e First Ca use (Proclus, Commentary on Plato's Parmenides, tran slat ed by Glenn R . M orrow and J ohn M . Dillon [P rinceton: Princeton University Press, 198 7], pp . 506 and 304; also the Elements qf Theology, edited by E.R. D odd s [O xford : Clarendon Press, 1963], Proposition s 205, 208, a nd 209). In Aristotelian terms , H err era writes, the "unities and form al perfection s" that are the sefirot "are the universals, pri or to th e man y and entirely different from those universals that reside or a re present in the man y or , as others say, ar e universals in being and causing a nd not in predicatin g or coexisting in particu lar effects" (Book VI, C ha pter 10). T hey a re differen t in that they a re not considered to be in any way immin ent to matter. 27 See Book VIII, C hapt er I: "there are other, mo re exalted a nd supe rior light s ab ove the ten scfiro t of the ema nated world of 'asilut, a nd . . . above them all is 'Adam Q admon. "

INTRODUCTION

XXVII

receptacles and vessels or, as they are called, kelim, 'awir, and hallel [vessels, air, and prais e], in no way different from sunlight, which produces diverse, colored lights through diverse media and colors and is imprinted diversely on many mirrors and subjects. " Having established this configuration of emanated being, 'Ein-Sof acts through the instrumental sefirot to produce the worlds that are progressively more accessible to human understanding. They are beri'ah, the seat or throne of glory upon which the Deity is seated, surrounded by the Holy Living Beings of the prophet Ezekiel's vision; yesirah, the world of formation that is the realm of angels and other incorporeal spirits, including celestial beings ; and 'asiyah, the world of making, which is the material world of the earth. Herrera describes the production of these lower worlds in a midrash or interpretation of the creation story of Genesis; as a philosophical syncretist, he explains the same process in the language of Aristotelian causation and Neoplatonic emanation, stressing that 'Ein-Sof is intimately connected to all its effects and not just that which emanates directly from it. 'Adam Qadmon therefore has various aspects, each of which is reflective of one kind of activity : "Insofar as he is the unity of unities, which are like the crowns or centers of all non-material essences, 'Adam Qadmon produces the infinite world in which the sovereign lights are resplendent. Insofar as he is the first intelligible, which contains and encompasses all ideas and forms that represent and cause all things, he projects, by emanation, the world of 'asilut which includes the divine sefirot in itself. Insofar as this 'Adam Qadmon is mind, he creates beri'ah the seat of glory which consists of pure minds, separated from matter; insofar as he is life and form, he creates yesirah the angelical world, which are the movers and souls of the other superior bodies ; and insofar as he is an essence, which is the part of him that is the last and least perfect in the progression, he makes the material world of 'asiyah which in comparison to the others is very imperfect but perfectible, and is eventually perfected by the higher ones, as essence is by life, the intelligible mind, and unity" (Book VIII, Chapter 16). The three created worlds, then, are "efficient and exemplary sources of the three that are like animate or mental instruments by which the infinite First Cause produces, rules, and perfects everything" (Book VIII, Chapter 13). When it comes to working out the analogies between Herrera's Lurianic understanding of the relationship between the higher and the lower levels of reality and their Neoplatonic counterparts, the

XXVlll

Il'.' TRODUCTION

picture becom es more complica ted. In one respect, there is a oneon-one correspo ndence between the three highest eleme nts of the Luriani c world a nd Plotinus's three hypostases: 'Ein-Sof is the One, 'Adam Q admon and his sefirot and parsufim (the world of emanation) are Mind (Nous: the world mind or intelligible world); a nd the worlds of beri ' ah , yesira h, and 'asiyah are Soul (Psuche: the anima mundi or world soul), altho ugh it is difficult not to assume that H errera intends a furth er division by which the incorp oreal worlds correspond to Plotinu s's thi rd hypo stasis (Being; to 6n), while 'as iyah corresponds to th e even lower level of Nature . H errera devotes mu ch of his book to proving the analogies of 'Ein-Sof to the One and 'Adam Qadmon to No us; as Altmann ha s shown, the third analogy is more difficult. The explana tion that relates mo st directly to tripartit e Neoplatonic schem es associates beri'ah with Mind and 'Adam Q admon; yesira h with Soul, and the lights of the world of 'Ein-Sof; as well as 'as iyah with "the divine body," that is Being and 'as ilut in gene ral (Book VIII, C hapter 13).28 H errera also turn s to Aristotle toward the end of Gate if Heaven to spell out a complex set of analogies between the sefirot and (among oth er things) the three causes defined in th e Phy sics. Like the Prim e Mover , ' Ein-Sof can be understood in this sense to work thro ugh H esed as effi cient cause, Din (Geburah) as formal cause, and Raharnim (T if 'eret) as final cause (Book VIII , Chapter 16). Herrera also qu otes Pico della Mirandola to suggest anothe r arra ngement in which the First C ause functions as the eminent cause of all things, the sefirot as their forma l ca use, and the three lower world s as their parti cipative cause. 3. Reversion (G k. epistrofe, H eb. histalqut). The final stage in the cosm ic process described by H errera's Luri ani c kabbalah falls und er the rubri c of reversion and restoration. It accounts for the origin of the existence of the lower world s, including imper-

1" T here is ano ther set of analogies in which 'asilut is iden tified with the worl d of imagination and a nalytical reason (and the refore with Sou l), a nd yesirah and 'a siyah a re extended to the corpo rea l world of the senses. Altmann provides further details (" Lurianic Ka bbala," pp. 337- 339) and remar ks: "T he neat division between Int ellect a nd Soul as corresponding to th e upp er and lower worlds of the Lur ianic hierarchy is no longer maintained " (p. 337). T his may have been a conscious strategy on Her rera's part , designed to advance his argume nt tha t the sefiro t, conside red to be the direct ema nations of ' Ein-Sof's un ified produ ctive power, must be thought of as a unified whole made of interrel ated pa rts in such a way tha t any numb er of schemes or att ribu tes ca n be applied to them mean ingfully.

INTRODUCTION

XXIX

fection and evil, by th e metaphor of a universal breaking or shattering of the perfection of divine being when it is communicated downward, toward the realm of pure phy sicality. For Luria, this phenom enon called sebirah or shattering takes place only among the seven lower sefirot which because of their "inferiority" are unable to retain the force of the light that originally issues from )Adam Qadmon. The first step in H errera's explanation is the distribution of light in the formative shape of a macrocosmic man configured with the parsufim or faces (which are further anthropomorphic configurations of the sefirot) and complete with an imating soul and spirits. The shattering of these configura tions can now be understood to result in the metaphorical fall of the broken pieces of the instrumental sefirot kelim or vessels (also called the kings that die in the process of disintegration). These pieces are called qelippot (literally, "husks" or "shards") that are also the source of evil; they fall from the world of emanation (metap horically speaking) into the worlds of creation, introducing disorder, disob edience, and sin. In order for the broken unity and perfection of reality to be repaired, the upper world must be conc eptually and spiritually restored to its original plac e in the form of compl ete parsufim. This is the process of the restoration of the faces or tiqqun ha-parsufim, which is analogous to the Neoplatonic epistrofe or return of being to its source in the transcendent One, and is accomplished by the prayers and intentions of Israel. Book X provides lengthy descriptions and det ails of this process, which in a sense is the culmination of kabbalistic contemplation; Herrera reconcil es it with Luria's doctrine of the spark and the lights, of straight and circular movement, of the right and left sides and the front and ba ck of )Adam Qadmon. Other aspects of Herrera's kabbalah (including the doctrine of the levels of soul and spirit, geometric metaphors, and number combination) are best left to the author himself, and to comments in the footnotes. It is appropriate to end this survey with Herrera's own warning, in Book VII , Chapter 5: "All of this is clearly understood from what we have said, and although none of the examples that hav e been given ar e entirely identical or sufficient, if we take one part that is similar [i.e. to kabbalistic teaching) , leaving aside those from which it differs, and if we did the same with all, something very close to the received truth would undoubtedly emerge. At this point we should be silent, for in such hidden and sublime matters, any information, even imprecise, must be esteemed and valued."

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INTRODUCTION

Herrera 's Historical Importance T he importance of H errera's work for later kabbal ah and the history of philosophy has long been recognized, and interested readers a re referred in parti cula r to the stud ies by Gershom Scholem , Alexander Altmann, Nissim Yosha, Moshe Ide!, Rich ard Popkin , Giuseppa Saccaro Batti sti, and Kenneth Kr abbenhoft. 2'1 A positive assessment of Herrera's influence would highlight his success in achieving the goal of edu cat ing his fellow J ews in kabbalah and philosophy ; the legacy of his work in later kabbali stic speculation (for exampl e in the eighteenth century H asidic thinker Mo ses Luzzatt o); and his posthumous role as spokesman for Lurianic kabbalah to the Christian world , including the possible influe nce of his ema nationist system on Spinoza, Leibniz, Henry More, Jacob Bruck er , and the German Idealists." It is also imp ortant to take into account the negat ive evaluation of Herrera's work that stemmed from his undeserved association, in the seventeenth and eightee nth centuries, with Sabbateanism, pantheism, and athei sm, usually in reference to his supposed influence on Spinoza." T his view led to attacks on his work by nineteenthcent ury histori ans like Heinrich Gratz who were hostile to kabb alah in general a nd to H errera's kabbalah in particular" Gershom Schol em was responsibl e for the first objective modern evaluations of H errera's work and influence. Recent studies by the scholars mentioned abo ve hav e focused on H errera's place in the history of Seph ardic culture; his position on the millenialist controversy of the early sevent eenth century; the nature of his philosophical sync re tism; a nd his contribution s to ea rly-mode rn European thought .

See Bibliograph y. See Scholem , Das Buch, pp . 57- 61. Richard Popkin has also suggested that Herrera may have influenced William Shakespear e by providing him with a model for the Merchan t of Venice ("A J ewish Merchant in Venice," The Shakespeare OJiarter!J 40 [ 1989]: 329-331.) 31 See Schole m, Das Buch, pp. 26-35; on the qu estion of Spin oza's knowledge of Herrera's work, ibid., pp. 41-57. 32 Gratz added to this criticism the notion that Herr era had been corrupted by his experience as a marrano: "Da er den grossten T eil seines Lebens als Christ gclebt hatte, so war er mit der ausserj udischen ph ilosoph ischen Literat ur mehr vertr aut als mit der j udischen: da her war er leicht zu tauschen, Schlacken fur Gold zu halten!" (Geschichte der J udell [Leipzig, 1891] , Vol. 10, p. 118). 29

30

INTROD UCTION

XXXI

Remarks on the Translation As sta ted above, this tran slation is based on the H agu e manuscript. Wri tten in verti cal R oman cursive, th e manuscript has chapter headings with adorne d capital letters, and the titles of the books and cha pters are elab orately illustrate d (Book I and VII-X hav e the least complex decor ations; Books III-V somew hat more elaborate; and Book VI the mo st elaborate ). O n the inside of the front cover is a bookpl ate with a shield of arms reading "Bibliotheca D.H. de C astro MZ ." Following the richly decorated title page there is a full-folio illustration of a sefirotic tree. Next to each sefirah is its name and its divine nam e in H ebrew. Surro unding this centra l dia gram are four sma ller trees with additional attributes hanging from them like leaves. T his manuscript consists of ten bo oks of un equal length (159 folios), a summary of the main points in twenty-two paragraphs (folios 160 and 161), and an index of chapter head ings (folios 162-168).33 Although several of the books have a some wha t more philosophical tha n kabbalistic character , H errera tends to mix both app roaches the better to make his point. Although all of the concepts that he develops in the course of Gate of Heaven are at least allud ed to in the opening pages, there is a general movem ent in the text from simpli city to complexity and from discu ssions of the tran scendent being of ' Ein-Sof to details of the Luri an ic teac hing abo ut the final stages of tiqqun ha-p arsufim. H errera's literary style reflects his sourc es. It can pro bably best be characterized as scholastic, with the strong influence, in more purely kabbalistic passages, of th e literary style of Mo ses Co rdo vero and H ayyim Vital, and occasional moments of lyrical intensity. The bulk of th e text is nevertheless reflective of H errera's style of argumentation which, although it falls short of true debate in utrarnque partem, bear s a close resembl an ce to the expository style of Plotinus, Proclus, Aristotle, and Thomas Aquinas. D espite the run-on cha rac ter of H errera's sente nces, th e writing is rarely cacophonic, and the frequent repetitions are intenti onal. Grammatical subordination is a cen tral feature of this style: Gate of Heaven is an example of the effort by more traditionally-minded 33 For a detailed analysis of the number mysticism of Gate if Heaven an d its possible relationship to the book's structure, see Ken neth K rabb enh oft, "Structure and meaning of H errera's Puerta del cielo."

XXXll

INTRODUCTION

writers of early-modern Spanish expository prose to em ulate classical Latin and Greek by exploiting ellipsis, using relative pronouns and participles to avoid the repetition of nouns, and relying on grammatical gender and number to refer th e reader back to their grammatical antece dents. Becau se the use of similar features in English has quite a different effect, an overly literal tran slation runs th e risk of crea ting ambiguity by th e rep etit ion of "he" and "it" or "forme r" and "latte r," leading the reader astray in a lab yrinth of subordinate clau ses. This translation th erefor e walks th e narrow line betw een fidelity and flexibility: it attempts to preserve the flavor of H errer a 's prose bu t takes the liberty of substituting nouns for pronouns, bre aking up sent en ces, and suppressing or introducing punctuation wh ere thi s is necessary for ease of compre hension. With the handful of exceptions that are in the original text, it preserves the arrangem ent of the text in books and cha pters without ind entation and par agraph division s. At the sam e tim e, obvious copyist errors have been corrected , for example wher e letters have been dropped, chapters misnumber ed , and words clearly misread (substituting "abiertas" for "abiotas" in folio l26v, for example). Usa ge has been standarized when it do es not detract from the meaning, as for exa mple in the titles of the ten Books. Spelling ha s been standa rdized and modernized (the exception to this are quotations from H errera's original Sp ani sh in footnotes, whi ch give a sense of the inconsi stency that was prevalent in th e sevent eenth cent ury). Traditional or esta blished English usage is followed for proper names, like "Isaac" and "Sa rug." Invisible in the transl ation are Portuguese spellings and construc tions that ar e eit he r original to th e text or crept in through th e copyist, like "espanhola," "e m," "com ," "sua," " dec ho" (modern "deixou" ), "offerece," and "dos" (for Span ish "de los)." Whether or not these wer e present in the lost autograph, th ey are testimony to the fact that Spanish and Portuguese were the lan guages of everyday life among the marranos of early seventee nth-cent ury Amst erdam. H ebrew and Ar amaic words have been transliterated according to the usage of Vetus Testamentum, and Herrera's own tran sliterations have been standardized and brought into line with this system. T he excep tions a re place names a nd proper names like 'jerusalem " or "Cordovero" and other H ebrew words com monly used in English in a particular form , like "kabbalah," "Ashkenazi," "M ishnah," and " R osh ha-Shan ah. " H ebrew

INTROD UCTIO N

XXXlll

works in the titles of published books and art icles, on the othe r hands, are given as they appear. In ren dering philosophical and kabbalistic ter minology, the tra nslation has drawn on a broad ra nge of p receden ts, from E.R . Dodds's Proclus to Richard H ope's Aristotle, and from H arry Sperling and M auri ce Simon 's ,(ahar to D onald Wilder M enzi and Zwe Pad eh 's H ayyirn Vital. There is a Glossary of terms at the back of the text: read ers should turn to it when they come to unfam ilia r words that are not addressed in footnotes. A certain latitud e has been permitted for the sake of intelligibility; within the ra nge of words referring to the produ ctive and crea tive activity of God, for example, "a cto" is tran slated as "act," "activity," "activation," "ope ration," or "effect" depending on th e context. Two items require special comme nta ry. First, the various names of Go d: becau se the Spanish wor d for Dios had a connotation of plurality for H errera and his contemporaries in Amsterda m, they tended to use Dio, which sounded to them like a singular form and therefore more fitting for the one God (and free of T rinit ari an associations).3~ For this reason Herrera almost always substitutes "deidad" or "divinidad" for "Dios." In keeping with this practice, the translation uses "De ity" (capitalized), conAa ting "deida d" and "divinidad" for the sake of legibility except where H errera refers to the sefirot of the infinite world as "deida des," following the Neoplato nic custom with regard to the henads. The exceptional appea ra nce of "Dios" is indicated by English "God." T he second issue is "he" and "it." The neut er is used for 'EinSof a nd the Deity (God) when the latter is described in metaphysical terms; "he" and "his" are used whe n H errera is referri ng to the Biblical Creato r, usually in the context of qu otations from Script ure. The sefirot and parsufim ar e also neut cr except for the male parsufim and (depending on the context) Tif'erct, and Malkur/Ilmma/Sekinah, who is always portrayed as fem ale. The guiding principles are context and common sense, aided by the clarity of H errera's exposition,

:14 Nissim Yosha has pointed this out, and that the usage is common in the Ferrara Bible and Menasseh ben Israel, and among Ladin o spea kers today, who use expressions like "el Dio alto." T he fact that in literary usage "Dios" begins to replace "Dio" in eighteenth century can be a tool for dating manuscripts (Yosha, Letter to the tran slator , 3 March 1999, and Milos, pp . 5 1-64).

XXXI V

INTRODUCTION

even in extreme cases where the Deity wear s both a metaphysical an d a Scriptural face in the same sentence . Finally, when the tran sla tor's clarificat ions appear in the text, they are enclose d in brackets.

A Word on the Footnotes The decision was mad e not to identify all of the quotations, glosses, or textu al referen ces in Gate if Heaven, be they explicit or implicit: this would hav e crea ted a cumbersome appa ra tus that would qu ite possibly have been an obstacle to appreciatin g the flow and developme nt of H errera's own ideas. Instead, the edition attemp ts to be comp rehe nsive in the broad sense of identifying the principal textual sources by title and author, explaining as briefly as possible key ideas and relati onships to Herrera's syncretistic system. It is hop ed that the result is a sufficient guide for experts a nd for those interested in delving furth er into the root s of H errera's thinking. English tran slations of source materia l have been provided where they are readily ava ilab le; qu otations from H ebr ew and Ara maic have been avoided excep t when they appear explicitly in H errera's or iginal, and becau se the translator has had to rely largely on the expertise of others for access to texts in these lan guages. The lack is less serious than it might ap pear, becau se Herrera gene rally provides his own tran sliterations of H ebrew letters and spellings, which he then interp ets or glosses, and because the few length y passages from the Sefer Iza-Zohar, Moses Co rdove ro 's Pardes Rimmonim, and the Tiqqunei Iza-Zolzar which he tra nslates or glosses are too extensive to include in footn otes. Interested read ers are referred to the specific pages or folios of the editions that he identifi es. Latin is the exception to this rule, on the grounds that Herrera read the bulk of his phi losophi cal and theological sources in that la nguage, including Latin tran slations from the Greek: a comparison of his version and the original therefore often sheds light on his meth ods and thinking. M odern editions of source texts have been cited where possible. A detailed study of Herrera's qu otations from G reek sources in earlymodern Latin tran slation s has yet to be done.

rm

rrrr D'il~~ il'::J D~ ' ::J

rn

r~

ID'iJiDil i,\)iD

GATE O F HEAYE N And light to en te r into th e scope and knowledge of th e KABBALAH, the m ysteries and contemplat ion of which are open to human understa nding . Conceived a nd written in th e Sp anish language by th e learned a nd em inent S. ABRAHAM C O HEN DE HERRERA, wh o learned it from h is teache r ISRAEL SARUG , dis ciple of H .H.R. IS AAC LURIA of blessed mem ory."

FIRST BOOK OF ABRAHAM COHEN DE H ERRERA' S GAT E OF H EAVEN

Brief introduction and summary of some of the divine wisdom that has come by continuous oral tradition from our teacher and guide Mo ses to the ancient ones, prophets, and wise men of th e people of Israel, by the grace of its author and every blessing to me, Abraham Cohen de Herrera, son of the prudent and honorable elde r, Rabbi David Cohen de Herrera, drawn from the established teachings of R . Simeon ben Yohai, R . Mo ses bar Na hman, R . Azriel, R. Joseph Gikatilla,"

1 Genesis 28: 17: "This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." 2 R. Isaac Luria, ha-Ari (the Lion) (1534- 1572), spent most of his life in Egypt and died in Safed, where he settled in 1569 or 1570. Luria's written work was limited, but the brilliance and originality of his teachings on the natur e of 'Ein-Sof (God conceived of as limitless tran scendence and universal First Ca use), simsum (divine self-limitation), sebirah ha-kelim (breaking of the vessels), and tiqqun haparsufim (restoration of the faces) left their distinctive mark on the development of kabb alah, especially in the hun dr ed years following his death, when his disciples disseminated his ideas orally and in writing. H.H .R . is an abbreviation for I:fakam Rabb i or Wise T eacher. Little is known about the life of R. Israel Saru g (c. 1560-1 610). Born and raised in Egypt, he appa rently took manu scripts of Luria's teaching to Europe in the versions of Rabbis Hayyim Vital, Moses Jonah, an d Joseph ibn T abu!. Th ese in turn formed the basis of his own interp retations. Herr era met him in Italy, most likely in the I590s. 3 The first-century tann a (sage of the M ishnah) R. Simeon ben Yohai is the principal spea ker in the Sifer ha-Zohar (Book of Splendor), the masterwork of medieval

2

GATE OF HEAVEN

the mi1~~i1 n:n!Jr.l and R . Judah H ayyat its expositor," R . Mose s de Leon , R. Meir Gabbai, R. Menahern Recanati , Rabbi Men ah ern 'Az ariah da Fano, and other kabbalists of praiseworthy memory," and especially from the eminent Hakam Rabbi Moses Cordovero ," who rests in peace, a nd orally expounded by H akam Rabbi Israel Sarug of blessed memo ry, my teacher and guid e.

Sp ani sh kabbalah . H errer a refer s to him throughout Gate qf Heaven as th e author of specific portions of th e Zohar, now th ou ght to hav e been written by Moses de Leon in Castile at th e end of th e thirteen th century. R . Moses bar Nahrnan o r Nahm anides (c. 1194 -1270) was on e of th e most influ enti al T almud schola rs, Biblical co m mentato rs, a nd kabbalists of thirteenth-century Cata lonia . Hi s kabbalistic writings are found in his wid ely-r ead Biblical co mm enta ry and in esoter ic writings th at circ ula ted in manuscript. Th is is th e onl y m enti on of Na hrna nides in Gate qf Heaven, but his writings are cited seve ra l times in H errer a 's House qf the Dei!J. R . Azriel (fl. early thirteenth century) was known for co m bining kabbalistic tradi tion with Neoplato nic noti on s of divine tra nscende nc e, espec ially in his influenti al comme nta ry on th e Sef er Fesiralt (Book of Fo rm ation ), an imp ort an t source for H errera 's kabbalah . A student of Isaac the Blind , he introdu ced ka bb alistic idea s dev eloped in Pro ven ce to G erona , wh ere th ey became a central part of Spa nish kabbalah . The p rincip al work of th e Sp anish ka bb alist R . J oseph G ikatilla (c. 1248- 1325), Sa'arei ' Orah (G ates of Ligh t), shows the influen ce of R . Abrah a m Abul afia 's ecstatic kabb alah , th e nascent sefirotic symbolism of the G eron a circle, and Aristotelian ism , Like Nahma nides , G ikat illa is m ent io ned only o nce in this work , altho ugh his wri tings are cited with some frequency in Herrera 's House of the Deity. I Ma'areket ha-' Elohu/ (System of Go d). R . Juda h H ayya t (c. 1450-1 5 I0) wrot e an influ enti al com me nta ry on thi s book, a n early fourteen th- cen tury expos ition of kabbalah by an unknown a uthor. The a uthor insists on th e identity of th e sefiro t and ' Ein-Sof. ", R . Moses b . Sh em T ov de Leon (d . 1305) is the presum ed a uthor of th e Sifer ha-Zohar and o ther mystical trea tises th at revea l th e influ en ce of the G ero na circle, R. J oseph Gik atill a , a nd ot her s. R . M eir ibn G abbai (c. 1480 -1 54 3) was born in Spa in and settled in Turkey after th e 149 2 Expul sion . H e was th e author of severa l kabbalistic works, including th e 'Abodat ha-Qgdef (153 1; Work of Hol ine ss), in whi ch he stresses th e view that th e sefirot a re th e essence of ' Ein-Sof H e is mentioned onl y on ce ag ain in Gate qf Heaven, but his work is cited in House qf the Deuy. R . M cn ahern Recan ati (ft. late 13th- early 14th centuries) was largely responsible for th e introduction of th e Zohar and th e kabbalah of th e G ero na circle into Italy. In his view th e sefirot a re not th e essence of 'Ein-Sof bu t rat her vessels for its creative ac tivity. Hi s work is cited in House of the Deity. R . M en ah ern 'Aza ria da Fan o (1548- 1620) was instrumental in disseminating the tea chings of Rabbis M oses C o rdo vero , Isaac Luri a , and Israel Sa rug in Italy. Ii R. M oses C o rdov ero (15 22- 15 70) was th e leading kabbalist in sixtee nth-contury Sa fed; Isaac Luri a is tho ught to have stu died with him there sho rtly befor e his deat h. His prin cip al work, Pardes Rimmonim (G a rden of Pomegr an at es), explains kab balah in largely ph ilosoph ical terms.

BOOK I

3

e

Proposition Affirms that there is an uncaused, necessary First Being that is eternal and pefect.

It is necessary that there should be, and con sequ ently certain that there was, ab etemo and before all othe r things , and likewise that there is and always will be, an eternal and uncaused Causal Agent of everything, which because it exists by itself, in itself, and for itself an d not in or for another being, is necessary being:" by its essence it is the purest actu ality, free of all material or pa ssive potency. It is infinite good ness and the simplest One that exists and is constituted in an d by itself with limitless perfection and sufficiency" and which as such, surpassing all other things without being compa ra ble to anyone of them or to all of them together, contains them all in itself with surpassing superiority and simplicity," and produces, sustains, rules and perfects all things out of itself with infinite goodness , 7 By using this word for the division s of Book I, H err era ca lls atte ntion to the philosophi cal nature of his present ation . Although the same form pr evails throughout Gate qf Heaven, the divi sions a re called cha pters in Books II- X . H Herrera's exposition of the absolute uni ty of the First Being bears the imprint of both Plato and Aristotle, who held that everything proceeds from ultim ate ca uses tha t tran scend the spa tial and tempo ral bounds of the created world . Their definitions of the One, the Good, the Beau tiful, the Demiurge, and the Prime Mover or First Cause as existing from all etern ity independent of any externa l ca usation or necessity passed into j e\\; sh, C hristian, and Islamic theology and are used by Neoplatonists, kabbalists, Ch ristian mystics, and sufis alike in discussion s of the innermost being of Go d. One of the most freq uentl y cited autho rities in Gate qf Heaven is Proclus, the fifth-centu ry Neoplatonist, who declar es: "All that exists pro ceed s fro m a single first cause," basing th e ob servation on the Aristot elian teach ing that "things cannot be uncau sed, and ca use is not convertible with effect, and infinite regress is excluded" (The Elements qf Theology, Prop osition II , p. 13). He goes on to prove that every self-constituted entity is without origin, imp erishabl e, without part s, simple, and perp etu al (ibid., pp . 45- 49). !I The no tion that th e un creat ed a nd timeless nature of the First Cau se constitut es a kind of necessity that is not dependent on externa l ca uses can be found in the works of the Neoplatoni sts Plotinu s (c. 204·- 270) and Proclu s, in scholastic the010/:,')', and in the syncretistic th eology of the late fifteent h-centu ry hum ani st M arsilio Ficino . For Plotinu s, the One is simple and without need (Enneads 5.6.4, edited by A.R. Arm stron g [C ambridge, M ass.: H arva rd Un iversity Press, 1994] , Vol. 5, pp . 208-9); mo st sufficient or self-sufficient and most without need (ibid., 6.9.6, Vol. 6 (1988), pp. 324-5). Pro clus devotes Prop osition s 5- 12 of The Elements qf Theology to these a ttributes, which are then repeat ed through out the book. He follows Plotinu s in calling the One supremely self-sufficient (p. 112), also self-pro d uctive and selfconstituted (p. 45). Similarly for Ficino, God is self-sufficient (per se sufficiens) a nd himself necessity (Necessitas autem ipse est Deus) (771eologia platonica, Book II, C hapters 2 and 12, edited by Raymond Marcel [Par is: Societe d' Edition "Les Belles Lettres," 1970], Vol. I, pp . 76 and 113). III In On the Celestial Hierarchy (C hapter I, section 2), the sixth-century C hristian

4

GATE O F HEAVEN

pow er , and wisdom , not In ord er to acquire or add to itself something that it lacks (because, being infinitely perfect, it does not and cannot lack anything) but in order , by its mercy and grace, to give and comm unicate to all things some part of the goodness that it is and contains within itself in enormous abundan ce, II activating in all of its effects a nd in each one ind ividually, albeit in some more and in oth ers less, that perfection which , although in itself it cannot be attained or grasped by crea ted minds, is only knowabl e and known through those effects and in them; and in this way it is glorified and praised .' ?

writer known as the Pseud o-Dionysius (in correc tion of his legend ary misidentification with the G ree k official mentioned in Acts 17:34) is an import ant source of H errera's mystical ontology (for more on this writer and his debt to Proclus sec below, Book VI , C hapte r 4). For Plotinus, the Good is entirely perfect and eterna lly pe rfect because it is "a bove all realities, and only good, an d having no thing in itself, but unm ixed with all things and above all things and cause of all things" (Enneads 5.5. 13, Vol. 5, p. 19 7). By virtue of being First, it is that which is simplest and self-sufficient (2.9. 1, Vol. 2, pp. 223 -4). Proclu s writes that the divine is simple a nd supr emely unitary, or supr emely simple an d unitary: " Being a pure excellence, deity needs not hing extra neo us; being unitary, it is not de pendent upon its own clements" (7he Elements of Theology, p. 113). Similar lan guage turn s up in Ficino's commentary on Ennead 2.9, Plotinus's refutation of the Gn ostics. In a passage tra nslated almost verbatim by Herrera in Book IV, Ch ap ter 2 of Gate qf Heaven, Fieino speaks of God 's surpassing uni ty and simplicity, which transcends everythi ng in such a way tha t Go d has no resembl an ce or relationship with anything else (Absolutissima Dei unitas vel simplicitas, cum adeo supereminea t omnia ut neq ue similitudinem, neque respec tum prorsus ilium ad aliquid hab eat ; In Librum nonum contra gnosticos, Opera omnia [Turin: Bottega d'Erasmo, 1962 (Basel, 1576), Vol. 2, p. 1668 ). T he idea reappears in Ficino, Theologia pl atonica, for example in his state ment : "Divina vero virtus pura est atque summa . . . [non] a passiva poten tia miscitur" (Book II, C hapte r 4, Vol. T, p. 83 ). II See Proclus, Prop osition 10: "T he unqu alified Good lacks nothin g, since it has no desire towa rds another (for desire in it would be a failure of goodness)," and Proposition 121 , which declares that the very substance of divine beings is of the gre atest goodness, which in turn ena bles them to rule over all things "by superflui ty of poten cy" (77le Elements qf 77leology, pp . 13 an d 107). The scholastic theol ogian s a rticulate the same idea; Aqu inas, for instan ce, spea ks of Go d's goodness as being that which moves him to prod uce things (see Contra gnosticos II, 46). 12 Proclu s: "All that is divine is ineffable and unknowable by any secondary being becau se of its supra-existential unity, but it may be apprehended and known from the existents which pa rticipat e in it: where fore only the First Principle is completely unknowable, as being unp arti cipated" (7he Elements qf Theology, p. 109); also Aqu inas, Summa theologiae I a 13,2.

5

BOOK I

Proposition II. Continues to cffim: the infiniry and surpassing perfection )Em-So], the First Cause.

if

There is nothing about this First Cause called 'Ein-Sof or infinite" that can be understood from its effects except that it contains all of them with surpassing simplicity and superiority, yet it surp asses them all in every respect. It is thu s entirely limitless and infinite, as befits that which is not contained by any class, restricted by any difference, or bound to any species or limited nature of things or to all of them togeth er, not only those which have existed, do exist, and will exist, but also those which could exist outsid e it, and this implies no contrad iction. It is, therefore, the essentially pure and absolute being that is not and ca nnot be limited to an y specific nature or to all of the m together . It is the etern ity and permanent pr esence that, without beginning, m iddle, or end, includes and surp asses all beginnings , middles, a nd ends which it uniquely, unmovingly, and eternally contains in itself and creates outs ide itself. It is the vastness that atte nds to all th at can and do parti cipate in being: it is pr esent in some beings, bringing about everything that they are and can possibly be, and it is both ready and disposed to operate in oth er beings whenever it should wish. And in summary, 'Ein-Sof is the perfection that not only surpas ses, contains, causes, and is able to cause all oth er perfection s th at do or can exist out side it, but it is also of such great pe rfection in itself that , even if we went on endlessly adding greater and more out standing perfection s to those that have been created, or with our minds ascended to ever more perfect objects or intelligibles," we would never arrive at any existing or known perfection that, far from being equal to the un caus ed first perfection , would even, I maintain, be comparable or similar to it, nor would all effects 13 T he literal meanin g is "endless"; it was originally used to describe the mind of God . The ter m first ap pea rs in kabb alah in the work of Isaac the Blind of Na rbonne (d. c. 1235) and is also found in other thirteenth-century writers and texts like Azriel of Gerona, the Zohar, and the Ma'areket ha-' Elohut. II T ha t is, the objects of the und erstandin g (ta no tti), which in Platoni c-Aristotelian epistemology are opposed to the objects of sense-perception (ta aisth tti ). Aristotle breaks the hierarchy of entities into : I . pure forms ("circularity"), 2. inte lligibles, that is, the union of form with a part icular intelligible matter ("this parti cular circle"), 3. material un iversals, that is, the union of a form with matt er taken as a universal ("man" as the union of soul with a specific kind of matter), and 4. sensibles, that is, the union of form with a specific piece of matter ("Socrates") (paraphrasing \V.D. Ross on Metaphysics, Book Z, Ch apters 10 and II ; Aristotle's lV1etaphysics, edited by \V.D. Ro ss [Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997], Vol. I , p. c).

6

GATE O F H EAVEN

and comprehe nding knowledge arrive at it, for no matt er how mu ch the finite is multiplied or increased , it always remains finite and therefore infinitely far from that which is infinite and incommensura te with all beings. This is why it is understandable that the wise kabbalists give the nam e ' Ein-Sof or infinite to the First Cause, and why no claim s are mad e for it excep t by way of negation , causation , a nalogy, comparison, and superabunda nce. Proposition 111: Illustrates and confirms what has been said through the analogy or comparison qf the One and numbers. Becau se the One exists prior to all numbers, it is pure and simple in itself, singular and with out accompanime nt outside itself. It con tain s all numbers in itself in [I v] such a way that none of them exists or can exist with out it, alth ough it exists and is constituted with out them . It causes all of them, giving them the being, sustenan ce, and perfection of which they are capa ble. It is pr esent in all of them not only as a whole but also in eac h of their parts. Likewise, only more so, 'Ein-Sof the uncau sed First Cause pr ecedes and exists pri or to all other thin gs not only in its etern ity but also in its superior class and excellence, becau se there is no being that surpass es or prefigures it from above or before , or that is equal or similar to it on the same level, or that resembles it or is comparable to it from below. It is utterly simple and free of all com po sition , diversity, and number, utterly one, surpassingly singular a nd unique, and, as we have already said, there is no being either in it or outside it that equals, complemen ts, or resembl es it, or is compa rable to it in any real way. It contains all things in itself and with infinite superiority and simplicity causes them outside itself, giving them being as their efficient ca use, sustaining and govern ing them as their model or mean s, and providing them with activity, well-being, perfection , and good fortun e as final cause." It is present in all thin gs more intimately than they ar e in themselves, entirely presen t in all thin gs and in each one individu ally and in every part of each one with ou t as a result ceasing to be present outside all things and infinitely above all, withdrawn into a nd hidd en in its vast supe riority. With out it no being exists or can exist, a nd by it all thin gs have existed, do exist,

IS T hese are three of thc four causes of being described by Aristotle in his Physics, Book II, Chapter 3, 194b 16- 32.

BOOK I

7

and will exist that now exist or have ever existed , regardless of what they may be or may com e to be: but it has existed, does exist, and will exist (although with no distinction between past and future, and without change, movement, succession, or time), and it will be what it was, is, and will be without the past diminishing it or depriving it of anything or the future increasing it or adding to it, and without the being or non-being of all other beings that do exist or could possibly exist making it more or less perfect, incr easing or diminishing it, or in any way changing or altering its infinite perfection and absolute self-sufficiency, which remains etern ally unique and unmoving, and the same ."

Proposition IV. It is a quality qf) Ein-Sof the First Cause) because it is irifinite!J! generous and good) to give and communicate itself to all things) benifiting all. Since it is a quality of the good to do good and communicate itself, it is fitting and in accordance with reason that 'Ein-Sof the uncaused First Cause, because it is infinite surpassing goodness and sufficiency, should have communicated itself surpassingly, doing great good for many out of its pure mercy and grace; and because it is infinitely generous and nobl e, it has propagated and distributed outside itself many very perfect ranks, orders, and species of effects in which it is surpassingly resplendent and glorious, and through them we truly know the causes. We conclude that, the more perfect the effects, the more perfect and pow erful is the caus e that produced them, and this is the case of the First One which, communicating the being, pow er, and activity that it had contained in itself ab etemo in the most superior and simple way [2r] , is the beginning, middle, and end of all things, it being understood, of course, that no being can or does give to any other that which it does not formally and effectively hav e in itself. Clearly, then, that which gives everything to all beings exists abov e all beings and all things and consequently is surpassing perfection and excellence.

16 Thi s is the Neoplatoni c prin ciple of und iminished bestowal, which, as E.R . Dodd s point s out in his remarks on Proposition 98 of Proclus's TIle Elements cif Theology (p. 251), is related to the notion that a cause can be present entirely in all of its effects without division, an idea that Herr era returns to frequ ently in discussions of the causative activity of 'Ein-Sof.

8

GATE OF HEAVEN

Proposition V. That the hidden First Cause manifested itself through its dficts) but because it did not succeed with the first ones) which like their source remained concealed) it produced others which) being intelligible) manifested it and revealed it to the understanding. Because it wished to manifest itself, the infinite First Cause had to produce effects to which it could manifest itself and thereby emerge from concealment, but because these were limited and finite and could not directly or perfectly grasp its perfection and magnitude (due as much to the disproportion betw een them and it as to the fact that it surpasses all produced minds far more than the most excellent and incorporeal intelligibles surpass the lowest and most corporeal senses), it decided to produce, proximately and immediately, a most perfect light and effect in which the perfections of the source could be outstandingly resplendent, but only because of its great union with the cause and perfection in which it participated. Thus the First Cause that surpasses all other things, while constituting them in itself, remained hidden and not understood, and so produced out of this one an additional effect that could reveal it and its source; and its reasons remained hidden for the same reasons, thus producing the third effect and others, one after the other, so that, arriving at the tenth and last, one can and does finally grasp that which the pure minds, angelic spirits, rational spirits, and in effect all incorporeal and created understandings ar e able to understand about the surpassing perfection of the First Cause, as if by gazing at a very shiny mirror or perfect species and representational form ; and through this divine understanding they arrive at their ultimate blessing and well-being." And this is one of the causes of the proliferation of ranks that mediate between the First Cause and those creatures endowed with intelligence, and also of their linked procession and the admirable and well-designed order by which they surround and penetrate all things ."

For more on the metaphor of the mirror, see not e 19, p. 470 . The ten ord ered ranks of purc minds that mediate between ' Ein-Sof and the created world s arc the sefiro t or divine lights which arc first mentioned in the next chapter. 17 IS

BO OK I

9

Proposition VI. In order to arrive at the lower, impefect, and corporeal world, many ranks were necessary which, introduced between it and the infinite First Cause, progressively adapt and adjust it to the weak and humble stature if this world. In addition to the above, so that the grea t plurality and variety tha t the three created worlds (that is, the ment al, spiritual, and mat erial world s) contain in them selves could issue from the most pure and limitless divine unity [2v] with all of their great imp erfections and limitations, their changefulness and instability, growth and decay, as well as their specific created natures which contrast so markedly with their infinite source but ar e needed, not to say necessary , in order for the divine activity and efficacy to descend through many ordered stages and ranks and from one ness to plurality, from stability to cha ngefulness, from spirit to body, from that which is neith er born nor decays to th at which is both , and, in conclusion, from the very perfect to the very imp erfect or lower, sublunary world, the effects had to decline a nd disintegrate so far tha t they arrived at the imp erfection just describ ed, becau se none of them received the being that they have a nd in which they pa rticipate directly from the most perfect first one or from the second, third, fourth , or oth er still very perfect ones, but rath er from the lower, subsequ ent ones and their respective imp erfection s. Of course, as will be shown below, there are not only divine sefirot or light s in their specific, elevated, and ema na ted world , but also, deriving from and dependent on them a nd th e First C au se which is the ca use of all things, ther e are other lights th at are like their rays, extensions, or bran ches which , infused into the men tal world of th e seat of glory, the angelical world of yesira h, and the material world of 'as iya h, produce them by the power of the First Cause, becau se, as we have said already, they are closely connected recept acles and efficacious instruments of its light , and they govern and perfect with a measure of adequacy and congruity."

19 See Glossary for definitions. T his description of reality combines elements of Aristotelian , Neoplatonic, and medievalJ ewish philosophy. It is mentioned specifically in the Adam Qgdmon, give lift and impart movement to the emanated world if the >asilut, with the five parsifim into which this world and the others are differentiated, and with the five worlds that correspond to the four letters if this name and the tip if the yod. These four lett ers of the first nam e of th e ineffabl e T etragrammaton , projected into four nam es of ten letters each with th e upper part of the tip of the y od (which because of its hidden and exalted sta te is not described) and proj ected into th e same number of additional orders of divin e sefirot , are not only the origins of the five worlds (1. the world of the infinite, 2. th e world of emana tion, 3. th e world

B In other words, the T etragramm aton filled with 'alifim and hehim. See note 104, p. 59. See also Book IX , Chapter 3, pp . 396-398.

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of crea tion, 4. th e world of form ation, and 5. the world of the foun dation or making, of wh ich we have spoken and will speak aga in) and the five parsufim (I. 'Atiqa Qadisa or the Ancient Hol y One, 2. 'Abba or father, 3. ' Im ma or mother , 4. Ze' ir 'Anpin or the Short-Fa ced One, and 5. Nuqba, his female): they are also the five roo ts, forms , lives a nd spirits of all other things, first and foremost of the emana ted world of ' asilut, which ar e the ten outfiowing or causally proj ected sefiro t belimah that , formin g the incorporeal or metaphorical 'Adam or man, are like his I . ychidah or perfect a nd superior unity of soul, 2. hayyah or nesam ah of the nesam ah , tha t is, the actual deified mind joined in intercourse with the higher deity, 3. nesamah or th e fixed und erstanding, consistent and whole in itself, 4. ruah or reason and discourse, which , inclin ed toward th e body, sha pes and rules it, and 5. nefes or guiding and corporeal life infused into the or de red natural substan ce of the bod y by th e higher ones." These five divin e na mes, rank s of sefirot, a nd supre me lights from the infinite world have, I repeat, alm ost the same symmetry or an alogy to the world of the 'asilut or ten ema nated sefirot as th e five levels of our soul that we have just describ ed have to our human nature and the organized body which , although it is of the earth, is the image and imit ation of the sovere ign and divine being, a world that enc ompasses all things no matter how limited and small.

Chapter VI· Each if the five lights if the irifinite world that issue fr om )Adam Qgdmon and are the support and life if the emanated world if )asilut consists of two times two sqirot; explains how the kelim or vessels were made from the rear light that is from the mouth. R ead the first chapter of th e tenth Book of this treatise, wh ere the above is abundantly explained.

Chapter VII. So that the sovereign vessels would not disintegrate, the light if Keter remained outside and that if Ifokmah entered into its vessel, that if Binah into Hokmah 's vessel, and so forth in succession down to the light if Malkut, which entered the vessel if r esod, leaving its own vessel without light. This p roposition is explained in the second chap ter of the tenth Book and no t here becau se without th at which is included in the nin e

9

See Vital, The Tree

if Life,

Gate VI, Chapte r 2, pp. 237-244.

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pnor books it would be impossible or very difficult to understand what the Hakam of Luria means by these and other declarations which by way of introduction we here abbreviate to propositions that will be explained later.

Chapter VIII. Explains how the sovereign receptacles or vessels issued from the metaphorical ryes if)Adam Qgdmon. This proposition is explained in the third chapter of the tenth Book.

Chapter IX. In which the instrumental sifirot are distinguished from the nequdim or points andfrom the )aqudim or connected ones, and some if the qualities and purposes if both. This is explained extensively in the fourth chapter of the tenth Book.

Chapter X. How the lights were infused into the ten sifirot if the nequdim or points, and how the seven lower ones could not receive them and turned their backs to them, which is metaphorically called their fall and death. Turn to the fifth chapter of the tenth Book, and you will find the explanation that is not given here for the reasons stated above.

Chapter Xl. Five reasons why the ma'asil or supreme Causal Agent wished for and allowed this shattering orfall to take place, and if the beufus that follow from it and in what wqy and how this can and should be conceived and understood. An account or illustration of this paradox or supreme mystery is given in the sixth chapter of the tenth Book, which we recommend. [22r]

Chapter XII. How the fallen sifirot or vessels were preserved, rifiguring themselves in the shape if matqela or scale and balance, face to face like male andfemale or giver and recipient, and how the parsuf if 'Auqa Qgdifa, the Ancient Holy One, was formed. This proposition is fully explained in chapter seven of the tenth Book, with which we bring this to a close.

Chapter XIII. How and if what the par~ufim if 'Ank 'Anpin, 'Abba and )Imma, Arik >Anpin, the three higher ones remaining above, superior and elevated. The infinite wisdom of ' Ein-Sof the First Cause multipl ied the ranks of the sefirot to a number far great er than at the beginning, becau se whereas each of those called nequdim or po ints did not as such occupy more th an its own alm ost indivisible space, when later expa nded into ten sefiro t or points it occup ied the space of all ten. Keter , for example, which in the beginning occup ied only the highest pla ce a nd ended at the place wher e Hokmah began , when later expanded into ten sefirot or po ints occupied the space of ten, penetrating through the eight intermediate ones until it arrived (metaphorically speaking, becau se in the Deity there are neither spaces nor places) at the place of Malku t the Holy One, endpoint of the emanated world of ' asilut and intermediate with that of beri'ah the throne of glory, an d this was so. that the light could distan ce itself from its infinit e source thro ugh many rank s and, onc e made mu ch narrower and limited to the manifold new ones, the sovereign receptacles could receive and retain it, becau se they could receive and pr eserve more efficacy a nd light in a grea ter number of vessels which had been expa nded or enlarged. And this light , as if by means of many veils and screens, adj usted itself to the capac ity of the lower ones that could not in the beginning withstand the force of its outflowing, and to this end the un cau sed first Cau sal Agent covered various parsufim and sefirot with others in such a way that when pa rt of an upp er one becam e naked and exalted, pa rt was infused into a lower one and, bestowing suitabl e light and life on it, becam e adjus ted to it so that in this way it might be communicated and revealed to the lower ones, which could not accom odate it eithe r whole or unveiled and mu ch less benefit [22v] from its power and efficacy. It is, then, the case that 'Atiqa Q adi sa or th e Ancient Ho ly on e exte nded himself to Malkut (the last of the ten sefirot of the nequdim or points) and the three high est ones , which are Keter , H okmah, and Binah , remained elevated in him and within themselves without any lower

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garme nt, but he infused , dr essed , and wrapped the next seven, which are his H esed, Geburah , Tif'eret, Ne~a1:J., Hod, Yesod, and Malkut, in the ten sefirot of 'Arik 'Anpin or the Lon g-Faced One, filling them all from his keter to his Malkut .inclusively in such a fashion that the three highest of the ten sefirot of 'Atiqa became naked and elevated , and 'Arik 'Anpin served as the overflowing and encompassing light that they contain and embrace in them selves, and the seven lower ones were infused into him int rinsically; and as form , life, and spirit, they penetrate him, constitute, move, rule , and perfect him , the H csed of 'Arik being the cause of the crown of'Arik, the Geburah of 'Arik being the cause of the H esed of the crown of 'Arik, and Tif'eret being the cause of the Geburah of the Binah of 'Arik. T he Nesah, Hod, and Yesod of 'Atiqa are left, of which the seven sefirot called of the foundation of 'Arik or the Long-Faced One were formed.

Chapter Xv. Discusses the three supreme and venerable (though metaphorical) heads if the Ancient if Day s and the Long-Faced One, the seven restorations or tiqqunim if the lower one, and the thirteen qualities if merry and grace into which it is projected. The three supreme sefirot of the Ancient of Days and Holy One which became elevated and naked in themselves constituted the hidden and ven erable head that is called risa de-lo ' itid'a, which means head (origin or source) that is not grasped or known, " by eithe r men , an gels, or pure minds, and not even by the oth er parsufim and ema na ted sefirot. And it is the holy place and temple of the light of the infinite one, especially of the Nqa1:J., Hod, a nd Yesod of the primordial 'Adam , first and mo st perfect effect of the infinite and un cau sed first C ausal Agent. Now "Arik, the Lon g-Faced One, retains the two highest of the ten sefirot in which he is projected, beginning with the Binah of 'Atiqa Q adisa: mov ing down, filled with the same one's seven sefirot as if by his activity, perfection , and spi rit, he retains the two high est ones, which a re his Keter and H okm ah , naked and exalte d in themselves, serving as a surrounding light th at surpasses all th e lower on es, espec ially 'Abba and 'Imma, the high Fath er and Mother, and infuses his next eight sefirot, 10 Zohar 3:288a (' Idra Zuta): "T he Head of all Heads . . . neither knows nor is known, because it cannot be comprehended either by Wisdom or Understanding" (The Kabbalah Unveiled, translated by S.L. MacGr egor Mathers [York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1997], p. 265).

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from his Binah to its Malkut, into 'Abba or Father and 'Imma or M oth er , filling the twenty sefirot of both, that is, the ten sefirot of each, with his eight, as with activity and efficacy that penetrate, move, enlighten, warm, and perfect the m all, except that 'Abba was still occup ying and dr essing his entire right side with half the central body, and 'Imma the entire left side with the oth er half of the body of this 'Arik, with the Binah of 'Arik 'Anpin acting as Keter or crown of both. It is important to know, then , that this 'Arik 'Anpin's sefirot, which becam e naked and elevated and without any lower ga rme nt, I I which is his Keter and Hokmah, constituted the two highest heads that are imm ediately below that of 'Atiqa Qadisa, called the one that cannot be grasped , known, or named , the head [23r] of r~ [' ein] (or nothing th at is grasped and known ) and that of 'Arik, th e Long-Faced One, in whi ch are located th e seven ven erable tiqqunim or restorations discussed in the two )[drat of the ,(ohar, which a re (I) the skull of the pate or upper bon e that encompasses the head ; (2) the crystaline dew or brain and gray matt er; (3) the mem bran e or cartilage that contains a nd covers them ; (4) the pure, clean wool of the hair ; (5) the will of all wills or consent of consents or its calm and benign forehead ; (6) the op enings of the eyes that never sleep; and (7) the mysterious nose with its two fragrant ope nings.' ? And all of th ese seven restoration s issue from the seven lower sefirot of 'Atiqa Qadisa, which infused into 'Arik 'Anpin a nd first a nd foremost into his head , also cor respo nd to them . Also observed in it is the mysterious diqn a or beard of the Lon g-Faced One, in which are proj ected the thirteen qu alities of mercy and cleme ncy praised by

II Her rera probably acq uired this notion of the sefirot as a malbu s (garment) in which the parsufim "d ress" them selves from his teacher Israel Saru g. See Book IX , C ha pter 9 for a comp lete definition of their function . l ~ :::.ohar 289a (' Idra Zuta). The skull conceals the Supernal Wisdom of the Ancient One, which in turn consists of thr ee brain s: the Sup ernal , the Hidd en, and the Tranquil. Dew issues from the skull into Ze'i r 'Anpin, "And his head is filled with that dew, and all the place of the apple-trees distilleth therewith ," after Gen esis 27:28: "May God give you of the dew of heaven ." T he membr an e is the karoma de-'awira which covers the brain. T he hair is said to han g down from the Hidden Brain. The Foreh ead is called "will" , a nd: "T he eyes of the Head of the Most Holy Ancient One a re two in one, eq ual, which ever watch, a nd sleep not" (17le Kabbalah Unceiled, p. 27 1). " From this nose, from the ope nings of the nostrils, the Spirit of Life rusheth forth" into Ze' ir 'Anpin (p. 273). A later section specifics tha t the nose "is the form of his countena nce [p arsufa]" (p. 3 16), and: " His countenance [that is, the nose] is as two abod es of fragran ce" (p. 323).

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the prophet [ ] 13 about which one should read in the Zohar and its commentators," because our intention is merely to open the door and provide a short and clear introduction to the divine kabbalah in order to open the understanding to its most prominent authors, especially the prince of them all, the divine Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai in his very obscure treatises , and the wise R . Isaac Luria, the most exalted expositor of the divine secrets, which before him were understood and explained poorly or not at all, and by very few men.

Chapter XVI. Speaks if the sqirot if the high Father and Mother that became naked and exalted, and if those that penetrate the Short-Faced One. We have already explained and will explain more fully that, from the six sefirot of the edifice, which are Hesed, Geburah, Tif'eret, Nesah , Hod, and Yesod and in effect those which, being among the nequdim or points, shattered and fell below along with Malkut: from these six sefirot, I repeat, joined to others like them from among those ten that came out of the symbolic forehead of 'Adam Qadmon, one perfect parsuf of ten sefirot was formed, symm etrically arranged like a scale and weights, which is called Ze'ir 'Anpin or the ShortFaced One, who covers and dresses 'Abba and 'Imma (which are , as we have said , the garments of 'Arik 'Anpin who does the same for 'Atiqa Qadisa) in this way: Tif'eret, the center of the abovementioned 'Abba and 'Imma, remains in the plac e of Keter and covers and veils it; his Hokmah, Hesed, and Nesah cover and dress the Nesah of 'Abba and 'Imma divided into three parts or ternaries; his Binah, Geburah, and Hod cover and veil the Hod of the Father and Mother, also divided into three parts; and his Da'at, Tif'eret, Yesod , and Malkut surround and cover the Yesod of these two in such a way that the three last sefirot of 'Abba and 'Imma, some included in oth ers (but not without the Malkut of both, who along with their Yesod is always united and joined with their Tif'eret, which takes the plac e of Crown), are the intrinsic forms , actions, and spirits that penetrate the Short-Faced One and give him life

13 Th e space is blank in the manu script. In Exodus 34:6- 7, God describes his thirteen qualities of mercy to Moses. 14 Th e beard or diqn a of 'Atiq Yomim configured as 'Arik 'Anpin is the subjec t of special att ention in the :::'plzar, particularly in the ' Idra Rabba, although also in the 'ldra Zuta. In addition to the zodiac and the planets , the thirteen tiqqunim are related to the seven sefirot of the edifice.

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and perfection , but the six higher one s of both sovereign Father and M oth er , which ar e their Keter , Hokrnah, Binah , Hesed, Geburah, and part of Tif' eret, becom e naked and exposed, surrounding Ze'ir 'Anpin, the Short-Faced One, from out side, a nd giving him their directed and encompassing assistan ce and everything that he needs for his being and well-being. [23v]

Chapters XVll and XV/ll. Comments briifly on how 'Arik 'Anpin raised up the seven fallen sifirot, six with his right leg, which is Nesah, and one with his lift, which is Hod; and he infused them in 'Abba and[rom there in 'Imma who purified them and, as if engendering and giving birth, gave them new and more pefect being, creating two parsifim or orders from ten symmetrical sifirot, and they are called Ze'ir 'Anpin or the Short-Faced One and Nuqba his female, enlarging the form erfrom the six stfirot that he had to ten, and the otherfrom the single one she had to another ten. And having discussed how Nuqba clothes and covers Ze'ir and how each if these two parsujim is doubled, concludes with an explanation if what it means that they nurse or give milk, and the infusion if brains.15 From the sefirah of M alkut , which as we have said fell and shatter ed together with iiQ [m-h] or the Ineffable Name of 45 which was communicated to her from above, anothe r perfect parsuf of ten sefirot was form ed , arran ged in the shape of scales and weight s with which she cloth ed her spo use Ze'ir 'Anpin from behind, it is true, just as he wears his high Fath er and Mother on the front , from his Tif'eret down . And it is important to know that , just as two parsufim of ten symme trical sefirot each are observed in 'Abba, the first and higher is the one that we properly call 'Abba or Fath er and the lower or second is called Israel Zaqa or anci ent , and there are two other parsufim in 'Imma that belong to her, the first of which acquired the name 'Imma, and the second is called T ebunah ." So also two parsufim are discerned in Ze'ir 'Anpin, the higher of which, seen from the back looking up, is called Israel, and the second, seen from the back looking down , is called J acob, to which belong two more

I ", In Spa nish, "sesos," meanin g both "brains" and 'j udgment". Her rera sets up a wordplay with the figurat ive a nd the literal meanin gs of the word , rep eated in the description of the metaph orical head of 'Arik 'Anpin, below. Ii; That is, "intelligence" or "discernment," anot her nam e for the Malkut of the pars uf ' Imma, just as Israel Zaka (or Israel Saba : Grandfat her Israel) is an aspect of 'Abba. See Vital, Tree rif Life, Ga te IV, C hapter 3 and Gat e V, C hapter I.

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parsufim (though in the lower part of Ze'ir 'Anpin) in which M alkut is multiplied, the first a nd high er of which or igina tes on her spo use's neck in the place wher e th e tefillin are tied and is called Leah , while th e second and lower , which ori ginat es behind her Tif'eret between th e ar ms th at are H esed and Ge burah , is called R ach el.' ? It would be a len gth y task, and inappropri at e for my brief introdu ction or abst ract, to tell how the Long-Faced One, or 'Arik 'Anpin, stre tching his metaphorical legs, which are Nesah and H od, received in the m the seven sefirot of the nequdim or points th at had shattered and fallen , the six high est of which are H esed , Ge burah, Tif' er et, Nesa h, H od , an d Yesod , attached to his Nesah , and the seventh and last, which is M alku t, j oined with his Hod. And in effect foldin g these Nesah and Hod undern eath his H esed and Geburah , which as ha s been mentioned were part of 'A bba and 'I mma, he divided these different seven sefirot [24r] into two gro ups of six and one and infused them int o the H okm ah of' Abba, like brain s or gray matter. D escen ding from there as if down the spine to his Nesah , H od , and Yesod, comparable to the testicles and peni s, after purifying th em and disposing the m even more, he comm unicated th em and ada pted them th rough his Yesod to the Yesod of 'Imma 's Tif'eret, as if to her womb, whe re th ey were pu rified an d c1eased of the dinim or rigors that th ey had contrac ted in th e fall. They took sha pe, acquired life, and grew in such a fashion th at two parsufim eme rged as if in birth, comparable to two babi es, perfect and completely formed and arra nged in two orders of ten sefirot eac h, in the sha pe of two scales, with their balances an d pointers alrea dy weighing them , tipping first to one side and then to the other. And I will no t discuss how it nursed them , stre ngt hened the m, and mad e the m grow, or how it infused them with judgm en t;" com m unica ting its Nesah, H od , and Yesod to the Short-Faced One in such a fashion that the H okm ah of Ze'ir was formed out of the Nesah of Tmma, from which 17 Th e tefilli n (from the Aramaic word for pray er) are leather boxes containing four passages from the T orah written on pieces of par chment. They are strapped to the arm an d to the head for prayer on weekdays du ring daylight but not on Shabb at or festival days (Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, A Guide 10 J ewish Prayer [New York: Schocken Books, 2000] p. 349 and 349-360 passim). Vital writes that Leah stands behind Ze'ir 'Anpin like the dalel in the tefillin (Tree iif Life, Ga te IV, Ch apter 3, p. 138). 18 In Spanish, "sesos." Here Herrera plays with the purely physical meaning of the word, repeate d in the foregoing description of the metaph orical head of 'Arik 'Anpin .

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he was later proj ected through his entire right side, which is his He sed and Nesah; or how from the Hod of 'Imma issued the Binah of this Ze'ir or Short-Faced One and was projected through his entire left side, which is his Geburah and Hod; finally, how from the Yesod of'Imma issued the Da'at of Ze'ir 'Anpin or the ShortFaced One, and it was spread through the entire middle of the body , which is its Tif'eret, Yesod , and Malkut. I will also pass over in silence the five hasadim or graces (deferring in this as in all matters to the sources of the divine authors), and the five geburot or rigors that, received from th e Yesod of'Imma and included in the Da'at of Ze'ir, were later communicated to it by all seven sefirot, and how he twice participated judgment, the first consisting of three names of 'elohim which are consequently rigorous and imperfect, and the second consisting of three ineffable four-letter nam es which are therefore compassionate and perfect, by which he has spiritual int ercourse and joins with his wife, Malkut the Holy One, also made into a perfect parsuf full of the judgment that her husband participates to her in almost the sam e way that he participated them to his sovereign Mother. And from the congress of the two there issued the worlds of the throne of glory, the angelic one, and the material one, the spirits of men and the incorporeal and marvelous gifts that he has communicated and continues to communicate to the people of Isra el. Chapter XIX That all secondary causes are like instruments in comparison to the uncausedfirst one) on which they not onlY depend in essence and active potency but also in operation and dfict, and to such an extent that everything that issues from them and that they activate is more an dftct and operation if the First Cause than if them/l because it is always and in all dficts the 19 The probable source of this reference is the Liber de causis (Book of Ca uses), a ninth-century Arabi c work based on Proelu s's 771e Elements if Theology that was translated into Latin by Gerh ard of Cremon a in the late twelfth century and by William of Moerbeke in the thirt eenth . Ascribed to Aristotle unt il mod ern times, it was widely read and quoted from the Middle Ages through the seventeenth century . Aquinas wrote a commentary on it in which he identifies I'roelu s as the author (see Preface to St. Thomas Aquin as, Commentary on the Book if Causes, tran slated by Vincent A. Guagliardo, 0 .1'., Charles R . Hess, 0 .1'., a nd Richard C. T aylor [Wa shington : T he Ca tholic University of Ameri ca Press, 1996], p. 4). See below, Book VI , Chapter I, for Herrera's first dir ect citation from this work , concretely the first proposition, which is echo ed in the chapter opening abov e: " Every primary cause infuses its effect more power/idly than do es a universal second cause" (p. 5). The source in !'roelus is given in the not e on p. 198.

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most complete and pe:fect cause and directly connected to itself by its power) which it does not receive from any other (fir example from a subject) because it is present in all things by its essence and through intermediaries. The lower do not ope ra te in causes that are essentially self-subordinate unless moved by the higher on which they depend for their being and potency no less than for their activity, just as the higher always coope rate in the ope ra tions of the lower [24v] which are in effect continually stimulated, enticed, a nd aroused by them as the male is by his own fem ale or the natural agent by the well-disposed subject with which it communicates by corresponding to it, so that when one cause is active, all are active, eith er becau se activity begins above and is communicat ed below by the light of the right side or becau se it originates below and rises on high through the light that is converted and returns by reflex moti on . It is tru e that among these subordinate ca uses the lower is always like an instrument of the higher, by whose power it exists and can and does ope rate , and all are instruments of the primary one that is the most simple and infinite light which, not depending on an oth er ca use, is the ca use of all ca uses and of all effects: it is always, in everything, entirely what they are, hav e, can and do ope ra te, and is therefore more the ca use of the effects of the othe r causes tha n they are, intenti onally activating through the m that which they them selves activate but ever more perfectly th an if it were to act dir ectly on its own. Everything tha t we have said 'Adam Q admon activates (his light s, the sefirot a nd par sufim of the higher worlds): all of this, therefor e, 'Ein-Sof the first Causal Agent activates, making use of these instruments in order to be ever more perfectly communicated and ever more clearly revealed to its effects, like a very powerful mon ar ch who is more glorious and sup erio r in rulin g over kings and p rinces who rule and govern oth ers in their own right , than in rulin g over slaves and commoners, who derive nothing from oth ers, becau se the perfection of the ca use is revealed ever more perfectly through ever more perfect effects than through those that are lesser or less perfect. And there is no doubt that the grea ter goodness is the one that , when communicated, not only resembl es its effects in its being but also in its ca using, giving them the being by which they are constituted in themselves and the communica tion by which, going out from themselves, they ca use othe rs to exist a nd op er ate, representing their source in both their being and their op eration , ca using effects that ca use othe r effects.

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Chapter XX Corfirms what has been said and states that, in containing and enveloping each other, the higher containing the lower, a cause is contained and enveloped by the higher one, and so firth in succession up to the first one which, penetrating all others, is not penetrated by aJry but rather, infinitelY surpassing all, is the singular, superior, and total cause if all if them and if all their operations and dftcts. Also explains how the worlds are linked and how they issued from the divine sejirot and lights which are not created beings but irradiations, projections, communications, powers, attributes, and manifestations if the First Cause, like rays, activating species, instruments, and means. So that the complete and utter dependence of second causes on the first uncaused one can be appreciated, we declare that they not only receive from it the being that they utterly lack but are continually sustained and in effect reproduced or renewed by it in such a way that if this First Cause, which, being itself: exists in its essence, were for an instant to cease sustaining them in the being that it communicated to them in the beginning, all would return to the nonbeing from which they were taken (beca use all exist by participation and [25r] not by themselves but rather by the efficacy and power of another being), like light and shadow which , in the absence of the reflective body from which they issue and are always sustained, cease to exist. They also operate in such a way that in potency, activity, and effect they always depend entirely on the essential being that, because it is the cause of all that has being by participation, is no less the cause of all moving or changeable being, because it is the operation that issues from it in a stable and permanent way, which is essence and potency, and consequently the activation of everything that in any way participates in being and essence. And thus, by simply not cooperating with the activity of the secondary causes (however powerful, immediate, and ready they may be by themselves to act, and the subject disposed and ready to receive), it can ensure that they do not act, just as, by simply not cooperating in its operation, it ensured that the blazing Chaldean fire did not burn the combustible bodies of the three young men, making sure that it was not only not effective, but also that it could not become effective by burning." In addition to this, because it is infinite , 'EinSof the First Cause surpasses all the secondary causes that depend on it always and entirely far more than the highest empyrean heaven 20

Daniel 3:27.

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or the prime mov er surpass the indivisible core of the earth, and as such it contains them all in itself, filling them most completely from inside and incomparably surpas sing them on the outsid e, like the vast ocean which, taking a tiny sponge into itself, not only penetrates and fills it with its waters on the inside but also envelops and engulfs it on the outside." And 'Ein-Sof first and most imm ediately surrounds 'Adam Q admon and takes him into itself, holding him in its vastness in such a fashion that it penetrates and fill s him inside, being and operating in him and through him all that he always is, can be, and does activate, surpassing him externally without any proportionality or an alogy, because there neith er is nor can be such a thing between that which is infinite and tha t which is limited, no ma tter how large the latt er may be. Now , 'Adam Qadmon, surrounded and penetrated by 'E in-Sof the First Cause , envelops and penetrates the sefirot of the skull or th e tip of the y od, and these penetrate tho se of the brain or the y od which similarly surround and fill tho se of the ears or exalted he, just as these do to those of the nose or waw th at similarly contain and fill the sefirot of the mouth or the second he of the In effable Name of 'Adam Q admon, the Primordial Man . And it is the sefirot of the 'aqudim or connected ones th at, full of the high ones, sur round and pen etrate 'Atiqa Qadisa, and he does the same to 'Arik 'Anpin , and 'Arik to 'Abba and ' Imma, and these two to Ze'ir 'Anpin, who contains and fills his fem ale, who from the outside sur rounds and on the inside fills the entire world of beri'ah the throne of glory, mo re imm ed iately her 'Atiq, and he his 'Arik who embraces and surp asses his 'Abba and 'Imma, and these their Ze'ir who does the same with his Nuqba who , containing and surpassing the angeli cal world of yesirah, is the cause of the sam e inclusion and penetration that we ha ve describ ed in th e higher ones, as is likewise the case with the last rank of this third world of the fourth , material world of 'asiyah in which the sam e six par sufim are found, among which the higher always penetrate and embrace the lower , and th is one embrace s the next, down

21 Augustine uses the metaphor of the sponge when imagining God's crea tion "tamquam si mare esset ubiqu e et undique per inmensa infinitum solum marc et hab eret intra se spongiam quamlib et magnam , sed finitam tamen , plena esset utique spongia ilia ex omni sua parte ex inmenso mar i: sic crea tura m tuam finitam te infinito plena m put abam " (Conjessionum libri XII [Stutt gart: T eubn er, 1996], Book VII , 5, p. 130).

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to the last one . And what we have said about the parsufim should be said about th e sefirot of which they are form ed, in which Keter surrounds and fills Hokmah, this one does the same to Binah, Binah to H esed , H csed to Geburah, Geburah to Tif'eret, and so forth in order to Malkut, in such a way that all the parsufim and sefirot of the five world s, which ar e the infinite one, the ema nate d one, the glorious one, the angelic al one , and the material one, are sur rounded with infinite excess and penetrated with compl ete efficacy, coope ration , and dependen cy by the First Cause, which is the on e that, in all of these worlds , surro unding and containing them all extern ally or on the outside, is not contained or surro unded by any other. It is also the one that , pen etrating and filling them all inside and out , is not filled or penetrated by any other, because it is the most intrinsic of all the intrinsi c ones a nd the most extrinsic or external of all the extrinsic ones, present abo ve them all without separation a nd within all without conj unc tion, not exclude d above all [25v] or included in all, above all beings becaus e it completely surpasses them and in every thing and in all bein gs because it activates in them everything that they are and can do and op erate. And it is worth noting that these divine lights, sefirot, and parsufim that , issued from the infinite, contain a nd fill not only the worlds bu t each other, in their power as instruments and sour ces and causes of all their activities, these divine light s, I rep eat , are not really crea ted beings but rather effects of the First C au se, like propagations , proj ection s, and comm unications which, issuing from it but always unit ed with it like rays from their light-giving source, are continually proj ected and consequently limited , mult iplied , altered, and ad apted for the production of the world s and the manifestation of their Cause, which in itself a nd in its first and hidden lights, which ar e superior, is entirely hidden and beyond compa rison to all others. Issuing from the infinite First Cause and from each other , descendi ng from more to less hidden and concealed, these lights eventually penetrate all created beings, and, acting like a ladder or steps by which the highest ones can descend below and raise up the lowest to the very high one s, they ca use them all by the pow er of the Cause whose instru ments they are, joining and uniting them all togethe r and all with the First Cause which is proj ected through them all and greatly and perfectly draws all to itself through the m, and is greatly and very pow erfully and intimatel y revealed to all through them greatly and

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very clearly, and perfects and likens all to itself and through them blesses them in itself, greatly and very completely.

Chapter XXI. Locates in 'Adam Qgdmon six relations or conditions on which all qf his being and perfection depends as well as that qf all the worlds) which are six) counting himselfas one. The five worlds depend on the five potencies or ranks that are observed in the primordial )Adam and even more on what is known about his Cause, which is the infinite first one, being the one that surpasses everything, contains everything, and produces, preserves, and perfects everything with the three kinds qf causation (ifficient, formal, and final) that are attributed to it, as will be seen especially in Book VIII, Chapters J5 and J6. [26r]

THIRD BOOK OF ABRAHAM C O HEN DE HERRERA'S GATE OF H EAVEN

Chapter 1. Dfffirentiating everything that exists into necessary, possible, and part necessary and part possible, proves that everything is not entirely necessary or entirely possible but rather part necessary and part possible, concluding with a clear argument that there is not and cannot be more than one being that is necessary by itself, and that this is the cause if all possible ones, which are all other things. Everything that is seen and everything that is invisible, and in effcct everything that in any sense has bcing and exists, must exist in one of three ways. I mean that everything that is or will be, exists either of necessity or necessarily, which simply means existing or having the being that it cann ot in any way cease to have or possess; or it mu st be po ssible, which means that it lacks being in itself without being opposed to the bcing that it can pa rticipate or receive from another and that, being neutral or indifferent to being or non-being or , to put it more clearly , not being by itself, it is no t what it could be and therefore, should it come into bein g, it could cea se to be; or , finally, part of what it is is necessary and part of it is possible. Now, it is beyond disput e that not everything is necessary , becau se the senses show us and reason teach es that many are capa ble of being born and degenerating in such a way that they could or can eithe r exist or not exist but tha t they came into being from nonbeing with the possibility of returning to non-being, losing the being that they pa rticipat e from another. 1 It is also imp ossible th at all th ings should be po ssible, becau se if they were they would never com e into being nor would anything at all actually exist, becaus e, as we hav e said, the possible is neutral or indifferent to non-being and being and actually does not exist by itself; and because being is nevertheless not contrary to it and it can thus be assigned or limited to the being that it lacks by itself, it needs a cau se to give or communicate being to it, in a limited way participating the being that is of itself undefined and indefinite and which it doe s not completely possess in or by itself. It remains, then, that of the three parts

I

See Aristotle, On Generation and Corruption, Book I, Chap ters 1-5.

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of our comprehensive scheme (which is entirely necessary being, entirely possible being, and everything that is in part possible and in part necessary), because we have proved that the first two are as false as they are impossible, the third and last must be true, which is the one that affirms that in the totality of things, there is the necessary and the possible; and once this was established as most certain, we said that there is not and cannot be more than one being that is necessary by itself and, consequently, that all the others which in any sense were, are, and will be, are possible and as such participate from the one that is necessary by itself and is the nature and being by which they have being and exist and which by themselves they lack. And in order to prove this we will argue as follows: the unique nature of a thing cannot be communicated to another thing, because the specific and unique being of one obviously differs, by direct opposition, from the being that can be communicated to another or shared by many and divided among them. Consequently they cannot and do not all exist together, and that which is adapted to one , insofar as it is that singular, unique individual, cannot be communicated to or divided among others, be they many or one, but is rather unique and individual, because it is what it is insofar as it is unique, and the same is true for the others, which only exist to the extent that they are unique. And in [26v] truth if we were to say that the one that is necessary by itself is not so to the extent that it is unique and individual, it would follow that it is possible to the extent that it is unique, because there is not and cannot be more than these two opposite categories, the necessary and the possible, between which all things are divided, so that when one of them is denied to a particular being, the other is necessarily attributed to it. But if it is possible insofar as it is unique, and is the totality of what it actually is by the same token (because only thus does it have being and actively exist), then it becomes a possible being, dependent on another and not necessary and self-constituting. And we assume that this implies a contradiction and is completely contrary to reason, and that the one that exists necessarily by itself must really be this way to the extent that it is a unique individual, because neither it nor any other is what it actively is except insofar as it is unique, because universals do not exist by themselves or in themselves but rather through and in the singular beings in which they rest, and in the reasoning by which they conceive them, abstracting them from

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them." T he re is therefore no doubt th at this uni quen ess is consistent with and suited to tha t which is in itself necessary insofar as it is actively necessary by itself a nd, in effect, thro ugh the intrinsic an d na tur al necessity of its being, which is its uniqu e nat ure, an d not through any other that might p redicate it as class or spec ies. And it is also not wha t it is by depende ncy on anot her which communicates being to it from outside, becaus e being necessary and existing by itself, its being could not and has not been communicated to it, but if necessary being suits it by virtue of its own uniqueness, as we have proved , and th is uniqueness cannot be communicated to others, as is the case with all the singulariti es of all othe r things (because if they were to be comm unicated they would be sim ultaneou sly unique and universal, specific and sha red, individu al and divided , and in effect unique and not unique, which implies a contradi ction and is imp ossible), it therefore follows by conclusive eviden ce and infallible argumen t that the one that is necessary by itself is on e, unique, individual, a nd so specific to itself tha t it is for this reason completely incommunicabl e to oth ers: consequently there are not a nd cannot be many beings tha t are necessary in themselves, an d all those other thin gs (which are all those that can either exist or not exist which we call possible) owe their being to a cause, becau se observed in them selves, they are indifferent to being or not being, and so the being about which they are indecisive is necessarily determined by another , and th ey receive from another that which they do not of themselves possess. But the cause from which those beings th at did not possess bein g by them selves, and were therefore only possible, did receive being, is, like them, eithe r possible or necessary. If it is possible, it depends on another, becau se by itself it is ind ecisive abo ut being or not being a nd has need of something that can determine the being that it lacks by itself. And when I ask the same qu estion of it, we must rise endlessly from possible to possible, which is entirely imp ossible, unless we finally arrive at the One which , being necessary by itself, is the cause of all possible beings, which, as has been proved, are all other thin gs. The foregoin g is confirmed by the following argument or dedu ction : it is imp ossible for the same nature, qu ality, or condition to

2

See Aristotle, Metaphy sics, Book VII, Ch apter 14.

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belon g to two or more subjects or unique existents, or to any one by itself, that is, to be independent of another that might cause it, and to exist by virtu e of an accide nt or random thing and also in effect by itself and its own ind ividual nature: rather it mu st be the case that , if it is suited to anyone by itself, it mu st arrive at the rest th rou gh anothe r and in effect through the one that exists by itself and according to itself or, at least, that it is ada pted to all by another tha t is distinct from eac h and every one of them . And this is becau se that which suits any individu al being by itself (that is to say not by accident but acco rding to its unique nature and existen ce) is specific and directly connec ted to it and, being recipro cally converted to it, is so without exceding its nature; and becau se this mu st be the case, it must follow that it was simultaneously specific and shared and consequently specific and non-specific, unique and universal, and by the same token incommunicable and communicate d, individual and divided , eq ually in one and in many, all of which is not only absurd bu t contradictory and imp ossible. No w, [27r] to the un cau sed First Cause there correspo nds necessary, limitless abstrac t being and pure and perfect ope ra tion, by itself and not by virtue of any othe r; by itself and not by accident; by its own nature and not by communication with an y species or class, becau se it is uncaused and entirely ind ependent and primary , and if it were not so it would be dependent, which is the same as being caused or existing through anothe r. It would not be primary becau se being in itself certainly goes before accident, just as, if it were connected to anot her, it would not be a pu re, simple unity by itself. It therefore follows that either there is no being outside the singular and infinite one of the First Cause, which is false, or tha t the being of all others depends on the primal being as numbers depend on the math em atical one, solar rays on the sun, and strea ms on their source, becau se all being that participates in an oth er finite being depend s on th e essential, self-subsistent, and infinite being which is the First Cau se. No te that all of the metaphysician s and logician s confirm the infallibly cor rect axiom tha t there is no universal (which is a unity that is versat ile and capable of being present in man y) that is man ifested sepa ra tely or according to itself except by the operation of reason and the understand ing, so that prior to this operation all things are unique and there is in them alone a distant ground of universality

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which reason later attributes to them , and it is thu s ens rationis et non realis.' that is, forged by reason and not rea lly existing or being constituted by itself.

Chapter II. Proves that, because the unique and individual being qf the First Cause is the same as that qf yod , or the divine essence, the divine essence that is identified with the being qf the First Cause and the same as it is necessarily one, and it is necessarily a unique and uncommunicated one that cannot be communicated to others.

In confirma tion of the incommunicabl e oneness of the First Cause, the following argume nt can be added to the pr ecedin g: that thin g by virtu e of which anything has its particular, unique, and individual being cannot possibly be communica ble to man y, unlike that thin g, for exa mple, by virtu e of which Abrah am is a man , which is the human nature that ca n be communicate d to the man y who , pa rticipa ting in the same human species and nature, are men like him . But tha t thin g by virtue of which Abra ham is Abraha m, tha t is, the specific, unique, parti cular, and indi vidu al man , cannot possibly be communicated to ma ny. T his uniqueness is so specific to him becau se it does not surpass him but is rat her reciprocally convertible to him and the same as he himself: it distinguishes him an d sets him apa rt from all [27v] other men and makes him this man a nd not anot her, so tha t if tha t thi ng by virtue of which Abrah am is a man, which is human natur e, were also the thing by virt ue of which he is this unique and ind ividu al man and in effect Abra ham and not Isaac, J acob, or a ny othe r (because it is imp ossible for there to be man y Abra ha ms, that is, man y men who are a single, uniqu e man without any individu al differences and in effect this man [who has been] spec ifically pointed out)," it would be utterly imp ossible for more than one man to exist, nam ely Abraham or some other. But the :< The scholastics differentiate between an ens rationis (a being of reason, or intentional being) and ens realis (a real being). T he form er dep ends on mind alone for its existence, a nd the latter exists inde pen dent of mind. Her rera uses the distinction to bridge the gap between the universal concei ved of as a Platonic form that exists in the divine Mind or 'Ad am Qadmon a nd the un iversal understood in Aristotelian fashion to have only imm anent being. I Presuma bly Herrera has in mind the special favors conferred on Abraham in Genesis 12:2- 3, where God says: " I will make of you a grea t nation , and 1 will bless you, and make your nam e great, so that yo u will be a blessing . . . in you all the families of the ea rth sha ll be blessed."

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First Cause is its own specific deity, essence, and nature, because if it were not it would not exist by itself, self-constituting, pure, and simple but rath er in another being , that is, in an individual or subject tha t is really different, and that derives from anothe r one in turn, because the one that does not exist by itself, has no existence by itself. Instead it would be manifold a nd of a composite nature and subject, imp erfect, incomplete, and participating in potency, as is always the case with natures or essen ces in compa rison with the given and un ique individual in which only it exists and subsists, perfecting itself in it as in an end which makes it exist and have active being, and all of these arguments ar e absurd and impossibl e. But if this First Cause exists as surpassingly simple, perfect, and sufficien t, purest operation free of all privation and potency, limitation and number, it undoubtedly exists by its own spec ific nature and essence which , like all others, is always one, like the one that is undivided and has only one definition by which it is distinguished from oth ers. This first Cau sal Agent which is its own unified nature is therefore one, unique, and individual and as such cannot be communicated to the many , becau se the nature and essen ce of God is the same as th at of this unique god , to the extent that this god cannot be communicated to oth ers (since if it could be, it would be this one and not that one, or that one and not this one, and in effect simultaneously unique and universal , specific and sha red, individual and divid ed): so, too, the essence and nature of god with which this unique god is iden tified and identic al cannot be comm unica ted. The conclusion therefore follows, by clear and infallible argument, that not only is there not more th an one unique one or subj ect that exists and subsists in the un caused Deity and First Cause, but also that this is impos sible, there being an inh erent contradiction in its being un ique and individual by itself, and communicated or communicable to others and in others, or universal and assigned to many and 111 many.

Chapter III. In six arguments demonstrates that the being that is necessary if itself is uuerly unique and pure and as such .free if all seven kinds if composition which can and do exist in other things. In the preceding cha pters we have proved that there is a single necessary being which exists by itself and is the cause of all others that are possible and exist by virtu e of another. We will now prove that

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this one necessary being is pure and without multipli city or number , most simple number and without any composition or admixture, arguing that just as there is no darkness in pure light or cold in supre me heat , so in the one that is completely primary, which is the one that is necessary by itself, there is not and cannot be an ythin g subsequent like plurality or number that antecedes it or causes it (because these follow the One and exist after it). And the same mu st be said of composites which are subsequ ent to that which is simple, depend on it, and are composed of its parts [28r] which , unit ed among them selves and with the whol e, make it up and bring it together as one." This is confirmed by the fact that in the uncaused One which exists by itself, as in the being that is necessary and by itself, there cannot be and is not anything that is caused by another, like all plurality which issues from the on e and, existing after it and by virtu e of it, participates it to the whole and to each of its parts. And we say the sam e thin g about all composition or composites: becau se they are mad e of man y constitutive elem ents, they exist subseque nt to them and a re ca used by them and by that which brings them togeth er among them selves into on e, adapting and harmonizing them : it is therefore imp ossible that they should be present in the un cau sed One that exists entirely by itself. In addition to this, pure uni ty and simplicity can be, should be, and is present without th e plurality and compos ition th at a re subseq ue nt, inferior, a nd opposed to it, wherever it is impossible for them to be or to have existence without the unit y and simplicity th at not only preced es them but also produces them extern ally and intern ally establishes or ca uses them , contain ing in itself everything that it communicates to them , which ar e its deficient effects, in the form of an exalted and ana logo us principle and in a very perfect way. This is especially tru e because there can be no imp erfection whatsoever in the mo st perfect primary One which is necessary by itself, and because all

; The idea can be found in Plotinu s. See Ennead 2.9. 1 ("Against the Gn ostics"): "We call [the On e] the First in the sense that it is simplest, and the Self-Sufficient, because it is not composed of a number of part s; for if it were, it would be dependent upon the things of which it was composed" etc. (Vol. 2, p. 225); "there must be something simple before all things, and this must be other than all the things which come after it, existing by itself, not mixed with the things which derive from it" etc. (Ennead 5.4. 1, Vol. 5, p. 141). See also Proclus, 77ze Elements qf 77zeologl', Propositions II , 12, 4 1, and 47; and Ficino, Theologia platonica, Book II, Chap ters 2-4.

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plurality and composition are obviously imperfect and lacking, requiring both their parts and the being that brings them together and sustains them as one , because if this being were one of the parts of which the union is made (like form or act in contrast to the other or other parts, which are like potency or subject), it is certain that neither the potency that has need of the act that it lacks in itself, nor the activity that, received by potency, is bound to it and corrupted by it, would be perfect by themselves but rather by virtue of another one which, activating the potency, produces the act and causes the composite, communicating to it the being by which both exist. This is verified by the fact that the perfection of the composite is not congruous with any of its parts, because each of these, being a part, lacks the universal perfection of the whole: any composite, manifold, or whole therefore becomes one perfection consisting of many imperfect parts and is not completely perfect, because the parts of which it is made or joined are not perfect. To this we add that, above the one that rests on another and is mixed with another, especially if the latter is lower and less perfect, there must be and is the one that exists and subsists without dependence on a subject or corruption from what is lower. It is pure and sufficient in itself and by itself, most absolute and pure operation and perfection: free of all potency, subject, or lowliness, addition or mixture, most simple and infinite in itself, it is purely self-consisting and resplendent. Because, then, it is the one that exists by itself and is necessarily not only One and the cause of all others but also entirely simple and pure, there certainly is not and cannot be a number or composite to which it could be compared, that would not be entirely contrary to it. We can therefore infallibly affirm that it is free and exempt of all those units of quantity called integrals, like length, width, and depth, as well as whatever results from them of which bodies are made, so that it is not and cannot be anyone of these or any of their parts or conditions. It is also free of all composition, mode, and form specific to natural bodies, both celestial and elemental or elementary. It excludes from itself all species and difference and the composites and combinations that result from them, and likewise all composition of subject and accident, potency and act, category and nature, essence and existence of which all produced beings are made and comprised in their fashion, including intelligible spirits and pure minds: all, therefore, are finite, manifold, and in some way imperfect dependent beings, while the opposite

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(their un cau sed C au se which we call necessa ry by itself ), becau se it is both the final and the efficient cause, is entirely independent of all oth er beings, not to mention matt er and form. It is very radiant, most perfect, and sup remely absolute and limitless and, as has been said, utt erly simp le and pure and consequently [28v] unch anging and everlasting: it is the One which surpasses everything that do es or ca n exist outside itself with infinite ad vantage, contains everything with surpassing perfection and superiority, and causes everything with infinite wisdom, goodness, and power , as will be explained mor e fully below.

Chapter IV On the unity that rests on plurality, and why it is necessary that the one that consists purely qf itself should exist, because, being the independent cause qf all other unities and manifolds, it excludes from itself with irfinite excess all bodies, corporeal forms, spirits, minds, life, being, and essence. Describes its excellence through the anal0ID" cf the one to number and speaks of its superiority, declaring the manner in which all things depend on it. All thin gs corpo rea l and unit ed to bodi es or sepa ra ted from them are contained in one being, becau se although they ar e distributed amo ng diverse orders, rank s, classes, spec ies, qu alities, and accide nts, they do not differ in being or rank , because each and every one has being and exists. And they ar e arranged among themselves in such a way that the community of being and the order in which they come together a nd a re one is always found in the diversity of their natures. And this one being does not exist by itself, becau se it is not self-co nstituting, but rat her in ano ther, a nd it is not a pr ima ry, pure, a nd perfect One but rather a subsequent, corrupt, and false one in ag reement with the capacity of the impe rfect, divisible, and needy manifold on which it is based . But if the one that rests on plurality does not exist by itself: by virtu e of what does it exist? Not by virtu e of the many diverse on es of which it is composed, becaus e as such they cannot ca use that which is one and indifferent to all, and mu ch less ca n they cause man y from anyo ne of themselves, becau se being unique and specific and different from the others, a nyone of them in parti cular ca nno t communica te to all the distinct uni versal unit y in which they come togeth er. It rem ain s, then , for th e unit y parti cipat ed to the manifold to dep end on the One which is constituted without any diversity or number , most purely in itself and by itself, becau se if it had any plurality in itself we would take issue

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with it, arguing that it does not exist by itself or by the power of a particular being or of all of them together: if this were the case, we would either regress infinitely, and this is impossible," or we would eventually come to rest in a unity that, free of all plurality, is the cause of it and of the unity that necessarily participates in the whole and in each of its parts. But it is impossible that this most pure unity should participate in another, because if it depended on a higher cause two problems would arise : first, it would not be, as it is, a most pure unity because, depending on a higher origin, it would necessarily participate something from it, and, participating, it would not be a pure oneness but rather a manifold or composite of that which it participates from its cause and the specific oneness and nature of its cause ; and, second, its cause would be one , but because that which exists above its [29r] effect (which is the pure primary One and as such the origin of all unity) is not manifold, it could not participate, because no higher cause exists by virtue of the nature of its lower effect, nor does it participate in it. Therefore, it will either be nothing, because there is no being that is not one, or it will be an infinite plurality of infinite pluralities and infinitely composite, which is impossible. One therefore concludes that the universal, un originated origin of all things is the most simple One, which cannot be a body that necessarily consists of diverse parts, or a bodily form that is manifold and extended through the dimensions or measures of divisible quantity.' It is not a spirit that in its powers and activities participates in diversity, plurality, and motion. It is not a mind that, because it is manifold and numerous, is composed of being, life, and intelligence, or of nature and mind, the intellective activity , or any number of intelligibles. It is not life, which being an intrinsic movement of being adds to it and is like a composite of both. It is neither an existent that results from being and essence nor an essence that in its imperfection tends toward being and does

6 On the Aristotelian injunction again st infinite regress, see Metaphysics, Book II, 994a . The idea is repeated by the majority of Herrera's sources, including Ficino in the Commentarium in Philebum Platonis, Chapter 2. 7 Herrera here repeats Proclus's definition of the three lowest ranks of reality (quoting Dodds ): "inseparable potencies and immanent Forms, which are infected by the spatial divisibility of the body"; "continuous corporeal magni tudes, which are divisible at any point "; and "discrete corporeal man ifolds, which are actually divided in space" (Proclus, the Elements qf 7heology, p. 289).

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not exist without it; nor, finally, is it existence or being, which is an activity of essence, participated in it, and reduced to its limits and cap acity. And it is worth notin g that when we call the First Cause One it is by analogy and compa rison to the one that is the source of number, because like it, it is the origin of all numbers, and although it is not a ny one of them or all of them togeth er, it contains them all in superiority and simplicity without being bound to any one of them , insofar as it conta ins all their imp erfection s without the imp erfection s of plurality a nd division that are specific to it.8 It is present in them all not only in the whole, as each number is one, but also in each part, becaus e each part is necessarily one in such a way that it become s present in eac h part of each part and in the whole, everythin g being pres ent in every thing and everythin g in each part, for the one that lacks parts a nd is entirely indivisible converts all numbers to itself, perfecting them to a grea ter or a lesser degree to the extent th at they approac h it or are closer to it and resembl e it and unite with it. The First Cau se is therefore the source of all thin gs that ever were, are now, a nd ever will be, without being a ny one of them or all of them togeth er , not because it lacks them but rath er becaus e it surpasses them with infinite perfection and advantage, spec ific to itself alone , not communicated or comm unicable to anything outside itself. It therefore really contains all thin gs in itself not only like a source that gives everything to all but like a spring that communicates the liquid that it has in itself to the brook, activating everything (beca use it actually is everything) but with un iqu e simplicity and supe riority, not contained by an y class, bound to any species, or j oined to this or that nature or differenc e or to all those tha t are or could be, but rath er infinitely above all and in its infinity greater than all. It thu s contain s the bounded in the manner of vastness; the manifold in uniquen ess; the composite in simplicity; the changea ble in stability; the temporal, eternally; the material , spiritually; and in effect everything, in a uniquely infinite a nd superior way. It is present in all things more intimatel y than they are present in them selves, wholly in all and wholly in each one and in each part of each on e without being con tain ed by any one of them or by all

8 No te that when Herre ra states that 'Ei n-Sof "co nta ins" the imp erfections of all beings he is reinfor cing the perfection of the First Cau se without att ributi ng a ny fault, inco mpleteness, or lack to it.

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of them togeth er , containing them all like something that extern ally surrounds and intern ally penetra tes, in and above all, neither excluded no r distan ced from the inside but not included in them or appropriated from outside to the extent that it incomparably surpasses and precedes the m all on the inside in the degree to which it comm unicates to all everyt hing that they are and can and do ope ra te. It conver ts all to itself and perfects them in itself, making the m one an d unit ed a nd like itself, which is the surpassing One, becau se simple things exist by virtue of the unity th at they pa rticipa te from the prim al unity, and composite ones by the union of their parts with the whole, all of them coming togeth er in one shared order insofar as they depend on a universal source and tend toward the same goal. vVe therefore conclude that , becaus e all that exists is [29v] eithe r One or uni ted and ordered as a unity, it is all a participa tion and effect of the most pure self-constituting One, a nd becau se both being and unity are surpassingly desired by all (because their preservation and existence is constituted in it), the more lasting and perfect anyone of them is, the more it parti cipates in uni ty.

Chapter V. Continuing the comparison if the preceding chapter, states what kind if oneness is attributed to the First Cause, difines its qualities, and declares its simplicity. T he First C au se is not a numerical source of unity beca use this is no more tha n a sepa ra te or discrete qu anti ty, which is an accide nt; and it is not a ph ysical unity, which is specific to continuous magnitude and which, although undivided , is infinitely divisible in its pa rts." It is not an essential unity tha t, although tran scendent, is bound to one or anot her nature, in the way tha t one being, one mind, etc., is bound to one being a nd is thu s not a primary, pure, and absolute unity but a unity of on e kind or anot her, subseque nt, dependent, composite, corrupt, imp erfect, needy, a nd decomposed . It is not a unity by accident, for this is mo st imp erfect; it is not a uni ty of class, becau se this contains many spec ies, or a unity of species, becau se this enco mpasses many individu als. It is not a single individu al tha t is either composed of qu antity and matt er or of special, individu al natu res, qualities, and conditions, and is composed, in effect, of essence and substance . It is not a un ity tha t can be

9

See the previous not e on Proclus.

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extended through another , that ca n be present in anothe r or another in it, that depends on another or tends or is directed toward another. It is not a unity that coopera tes with another or with oth ers, like a part, to form a composite or a whole, and it is not a un ity that results from diverse parts as a whole. It is not a unity that, existing prior to its parts, is reduced to, inferred or derived from, or projected in them as if in its affects, poten cies, and immanent actions. It is not a unity that has identi ty, congruity, liken ess, or comparison with a nother but rather a unity th at intrinsically excludes all plurality, composition, limit ation, and definition , and extrinsically excludes all equality, similarity, resemblance, compa rison, intercourse, and relation with any oth er. And it excludes even more completely all dep endence on an y higher on e that, surpassing it, could be the ca use of its being and ope ra tion, because it is that unity which is infinitely distant from all and purely withdrawn into its consistent vastness: th at unity , I repeat , which exists infinitely in itself as utt erly simple, indi vidu al, and indivisible, and in all of its effects, which ar e all oth er thin gs. It is int ern al and intrinsic and everything in all and in any one of them or its parts, and in th e parts of its pa rts, so that it is the most perfect ca use of its production, [30r] being, duration , potency, operation, and effect. T o th is we sho uld add that when we call it One and indi visible, this mu st be understood in a way almost oppo site to the unity that is the source of number or to the point tha t is the origin of continuous magnitude, becau se, in addition to the fact that both ar c accide nts and beneath all plurality and qu antity, they are revealed to our understanding descending from ab ove to below and from more to less, becau se they are tiny, intrinsic, and sma ller than an y size or number , whereas the First Cause is revealed to us rising from below to abov e and from less to mo re as the mo st high , extern al to and out side and above all oth er things and in effect greater and infinitely larger , more excellent, and more powerful than all of them . We ther efore conclude by saying that when we call the First Cau se One, we are not making an affirmative stateme nt about its essence or nature, which being infinite infinitely surpas ses everything that all produced minds a nd lan guages can understand or define: rather we deny that it ha s an y dep endence on any other to which it might be subsequent or seco ndary ; on any manifold of sources tha t, equal to th e pure One, might be first causes of all thin gs; on all intrinsic composition, plurality, and diversity, as well as activity and poten cy a nd eithe r po sitive or privativ e being or

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essence, substance or accid ent, nature or substance, being, pow er , or operation; on being, well-being, or mind; on mind or the will an d its objects and oper ations; on mercy, justice, beauty, goodness, and oneness and oth er attributes that differ among themselves and all from the essence or substantial existent that possesses them. Thus negating and stripping all these and other imperfections and limited pe rfections from the First Cause, we say that, because it is uncaused, it exists prior to all things and that, because it is unique, there is no other that exists by itself without its causative activity or on which an ything could depend without its dep endence and active coop eration, because, being most simple, it excludes all plurality, composition , and motion from itself and, finally, being infinite, it is free of all imperfections, finite perfe ctions , limits and boundaries, congruity, comparison, relation, and connec tion with an yone of its effects or with all of them together , not only the existing ones but also those that are possible or imagin ed. If we add causation, which being unity in number has [ ] 10 in all things, as was explained in the preceding chapter, our stat ed purpose has been thoroughly achieved.

Chapter VI. Concludes with many arguments that the First Cause is irifinite and states in which wl'9' this is so.

lt can be proved that the most utterly One First Cause is infinite, as follows: the final effect is so limited and surpas sed by all higher causes that it neither limits nor surp asses any oth er, becaus e if it did , it would not be solely an effect but rath er [30v] a cause and therefore not final, as there would be anothe r after it. In th e same way the un caused First Cause so limits and su rpasses all th ings that it is not limited or surpassed by any other, because if it were, it would not be first but would rath er come after another , nor would it be solely a cau se but also an effect, whereas if it is not surpassed or limited by another it is infinite, becaus e it cannot impose an end or limit on itself and becaus e, the act of limitin g or ending oneself being a flaw or imperfection, it cannot issue from itself into itself except through ignoranc e, a lack of power, or violence, which are entirely foreign to the surpassing wisdom and perfection of the Deity, and also because, not being the cause of its being (beca use if it were it would exist prior to itself, which is a contradiction), it cannot be 10

A word app ears

to

be missing in the manu script , possibly "existence."

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the cause of any bounda ry that limits or circumscribes its being, like a difference that binds to a class or to one species or another, and even less is it bound by a nothe r being, becau se it exists prior to all a nd is entirely indep end ent and pr ima ry. T o this we add, and this is the second argument, that the more thin gs are unit ed, the more powerful they are, but the First C ause, being the source of all unity, union , an d on eness, is surpassingly one and simple and therefore surpassingly powerful : it is unlimited power by its very essence , not restricted to any one rank of power and excellence but rather absolute and limitless. Third argu ment: by its nature, action does not imply an end, becau se to receive a limit or being from a subject is pa ssivity an d imp erfection , a nd this is contra ry to action, which of itself is only efficacious and perfect. Action does not therefore have or come to an end except when it is j oined to a potential or possible subj ect and loses its purity, perfection , and efficacy. Now , the First C ause is most pure activity and surpassing perfection and sufficiency, free of all passive poten cy, subjec t, a nd matt er: it is therefore entirely infinite and un ending, as pr oved by the fourth argume nt: because it is not contained by any class, it is necessarily infinite, which is obvious from the fact that whatever is not circumscribed by the bounda ries of th ose classes th at co ntain all finit e natu re, like the ten predicates, I I is certainly infinite, and because the First Cau se is precisely this thing, as all the wise men agree, it is beyond dispute that it is unlimited and free of all category a nd limit. Fifth argume nt: if greater strength is required for grea ter duration , then infinite strength will certainly be requi red for infinite duration, and given tha t the First Cause is eternal and has neither beginning nor end in time or space, ther e is no doubt that it possesses infinite active poten cy, efficacy, and strength by virtue of which it endures forever , in par ticular becau se its duration is not in consecutive time, in which there is a first and a last, a nd past, pr esent, and future, but is rather unm oving, wholly unit ed and one, an d it issues as such from and is founded on poten cy a nd strength and not consecutively, by extension, as if consisting of infinite parts, eac h one of which is finite, but ra ther in tha t activity, perfection , and efficacy that , being unmoving and one in itself, is intensively and perfectly infinite, containing infinity

II That is, the ten irreducible categor ies that describe all existents (Aristotle, Categories, Book I, Cha pter +, Ib 25-27). See Glossary.

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wholly unit ed in itself and by itself and not projecting it consecutively like one that receives or gra dually acquires it piecem eal. " All of this is confirmed by the sixth argume nt, which is very powerful: everyt hing that is bo unde d or finite is so either intrinsically, by virtue of its constitutive beginnin gs, which are form and matt er, or externally, by virtue of its creator and age nt. Co mposite corpo real substances are limited in the first way, simple non-material ones in the second: thu s in the first mode, form is limited by the matt er or potenti al subjec t in which it rests, not always acco mplishing the complete perfection of its natu re but rather that which the subject or matter 's capacity allows, so that even in its bounded and specific being it becom es restricted or redu ced by the subject in which it resides. Incorporeal form s, however , being subsistent and perfect, ar e in some manner infinite, I mean to say that they are not bound to any rank of their spec ies or deprived of it, but a re finite in an absolute sense, becau se in the order of being [31r] and the category of substance th ey are not the most pure self-sufficient being in itself but rath er form s and natures th at receive being or existence from anot he r and that limit or restrict it to a specific mode of being, nature, form , or species. But the First C au se is not bound by matter or subject and conseq uently is not restricted or limited to any species or nature, like corporeal beings, and it is not a specific form or non-material nature that participates being and binds it to itself, limiting it to the boundaries of its species in such a way tha t, although it lacks no gra de of its perfection , it lacks total and absolute perfection: rather it is pure, unbounded being by" essence, constituted an d subsistent in itself and by itself and therefore utterly unlimited and infinite, as the theologian of Aquinas explains it in his Disputed QjJestions, giving the following, or similar, argume nts:13 infinite being

See Book V , Ch apt er 4. T he citation is a thorough paraph rase of a passage from Aquinas' QJlaestio disputata de potentia, qu o I, ar. 2: "in finitum dicitur dupliciter. uno modo pr ivative; et sic dicitur infinitum qu od natum est habere finem et non habet: tale au tem infinitum non invenitur nisi in qu antit atibus. alio modo dicitur infinitu m negative, id est quod non habet finem . infinitum pr imo modo acceptu m deo convenir e non potest, tum quia deus est absque quantitate, tum quia omnis privatio imperfectione m designat, quae longe a deo est. infinitum autem dicitum negative convenit deo qua ntum ad omnia quae in ipso sunt. quia nec ipse aliquo finitur , nee eius essentia, nec sapientia, nee potentia, nee bonit as; und e omn ia in ipso sunt infinita. Sed de infinitate eius potentiae specialiter sciendum est, qu od cum potentia activa sequatur act um , \2

\ :J

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is of two kinds , the first of which is privative, and it is the kind tha t, although it should have an end, does not, because its end can on ly be found in discrete continuous magnitudes; and the oth er is negative, th at is, that infinite being for which it is no t appropriate to have, nor does it have, any limit or end. The first does not apply to the First C au se becau se it is not and does not have magnitud e a nd becau se all priv ation includes imp erfection and need , which in no way can be situa ted in the First Cause, while the second kind of infinity, called negative, does specifically suit it, becaus e it is not limited by anything, and its being, life, mind, tru th, goodness, pow er , and other attrib utes do not expe rience any limitation . But with referen ce to its efficacy and act ive potenc y, I maintain that, becau se the latter follows activity, it is certa in that its virtu al quantity mu st come after the perfecting quantity of its activity, because the active potency and operational streng th of th ings are more abundant the more they exist in activity, while the First Cause is infinite activity, as is proved by the fact tha t activity is not limited except by the age nt, in the way that the being and perfection of a crafted object dep end on the activity of the craftsma n, or by the recipient or subject, like heat , which receives qu ant ity and limit from the a rrangement and qu antity of the wood in which it burns. Divine activity, however , is not limited by an y agent becau se, being primary and by itself and not dependent on or by virt ue of any othe r, and even less so by virtue of any recipient, and havin g no passive, receptiv e, or

qu antitas pote ntiae seq uitur qu antitat ern act us; unumquodqu e enim tantum abu ndat in virtu te age ndi q ua nt um cst in ac tu. deus a utem est actus infinitus, qu od pater ex hoc quo d ac tus non finitu r nisi duplicitcr , uno modo ex parte age ntis; sicut ex voluntate a rtificis recipit qu an tita tem ct term inum pulchritudo do mus. alia modo ex parte recipienti s; sicut calor in lignis terminatu r et q uan titatcm recipit secundum dispositioncm lignorum. ipse a utern divinus actus non finitur ex aliquo age nte , q uia non est ab alia, sed est a se ipso; nequ e finitur ex alia recipient e, quia cum nihil potcn tiae passivae ei admisceat ur , ipse est actus purus non rccep tus in aliq uo; est cnim deus ipsum esse suum in nullo rccc pturn. und e patct quod deus est infinitus; qu od sic vider i potest. esse enim hom inis terrninatum est ad hominis speciem, quia est reccptum in natura speciei hum an ae; et simile est de esse cq ui, vel cuiuslibet crea turae . esse autem dei, cu m no n sit in aliq uo rcceptu m, sed sit esse purum, non limitatur ad aliquem mod um perfection is esscndi , sed tatum esse in se hab et; et sic sicut esse in un iver sali acce ptum ad infini ta se potest cxtendcre , ita divinum esse infinitum est; et ex hoc patet quod virtus vel poten tia sua activa , est infinita" [Saint T homas Aquin as, Opera omnia (Stuttgart-Bad Ca nn statt: Friedric h Frommann/Gi.i nther H olzboog, 1980), vol. 3, p. 187). H errer a cha nges the passage by substituting exa mples. See also Book VII , C hap ter 12, Ninth observa tion.

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objective potency in itself, it is pure activity, not received from another as potenc y or mixed with another like a subject or an addition. And it is therefore infinit e, pure, and absolute being or existence, as is obvious from that fact that the being of an individual man is bound to the human species because it is received in its specific nature, which lacks all others, and likewise the being of a lion, or the sun, or Gabriel and all other creatures: but the being of the First Cause, because it is not received in another (that is, in no other transcendent, analogous, gen eric, specific, or individual nature or essence different from itself ), is pure being, not limited to any kind of being or to any finite and specific natural perfection, and it is entire being and infinite being and, because it is universal, it can be extended to an infinite number of existents . Thus divin e being is infinite in itself and can be communica ted infinitely outside of itself. [31v]

Chapter Vll. Raises an objection and develops it, stating that not all indivisible beings are irfinite, and teaching like Plato that all things are composed cf irifiniry and limit, and that the First Cause, surpassing both, the cause qf both.

1S

Returning to the pure One, as if to the final and most perfect goal with which we began this discussion (beca use it is the primary and most sufficient beginning), we begin by declaring that , given that the pure One does not allow any plurality in itself, it certainly is not everything that is necessarily composed of parts, and it does not have parts, of which there are many that mak e up a whole . But if it do es not have parts, it does not have a beginning, middle, end, or any limit , and consequently is entirely unbounded and infinite , as has already been proved. But at this point som eon e might argue that the math ematical one, source of number, and the point, which in some sense is also the source of continuous magnitude, do not have parts, and it therefore follows, as we have just argued , that they do not have beginning, middle, or end and are therefore infinite, to which we reply that the mathematical one and the point are in some sense infinite in their class, because the former do es not hav e numerical parts and the point do es not have dimensions, so that there is no contradiction in the former being communicated to infinite numbers in which it can propagate itself, or in the point being extended through an infinite number of dim ensions in which it can be located. Both of them can thus be called infinite in th eir class

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even though in the universal order of all things they may be absolutely limited , the mo st pure One being nothing more than a bounded entity or contained nature or limited class and yet restricted by a specific differenc e to a certain species in which it contains its qualities an d conditions, receiving oth er accide nts from oth er s, being surpassed and limited by the higher nature or cause on which it depends, and assigned to a specific goa l with limited potency and for finite operations and effects. Becau se the num erical one an d the point have these limits and parts, they a re therefore truly finite, as are all the oth er things th at , issuing and devolving from the most pure and infinite One, are necessarily com posite and consequently finite, all of them consisting of infinity and limit, po tency and act , and as the kab balists say, Din or rigor and H esed or mercy, which result from the simsum or shri nking of ' Ein-Sof the First Cau se and the infusion of its light and efficacy, as we will explain below. We understa nd infin ity to be imp er fect poten cy, on its own unfo rm ed or deformed but capa ble of being fo rm ed and perfectible by an other , that is, passive poten cy which may rece ive the perfection an d prima ry activity, or active pot ency which extends to the [32r] operation and second act and, finally, acquires the form or activity that perfects potency, giving it the desired fulfillment. T hus infinity and limit are the first universal principles and elem ent s of which all creatures and effects of the uncau sed First Cau se are composed and mad e, for although they ar e mu tually opposed they depend on it, which is the m ost pure onen ess that as such ca uses the m, reconciles them among them selves, an d joins them togeth er as one. O f course it is not a n infinity out of which an ything is mad e, becau se if it were it would be potential and imperfect and restricted or at least redu cible to perfection and limit by another, higher one, and it would not be able to limit other infinite ones becau se nothing can comm unicate to anothe r that which it is not or does not contain. Ne ither is it the limit mentioned above, becau se if it were it would be limited to the capacity of the infinity or pot ency on which it rests and would not be able to produ ce the infinity that , as such, is opposed to it. It is therefore the most pure One, above these and all oth ers to which in som e sense it is mutually opposed, so that it can issue a nd perfect all in equal measure, bein g absolutely infinite as befits the one that does not contain int rinsic limits or parts a nd does not receive extrinsically or from out side an ythin g by which it might be limited , be they limits of subject, form , efficient or final ca use, or all of the

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ab ove, or limits of knowledge and also place, or any oth er condition. The ranks of its strength and efficacy do not therefore allow any number or measure, and it is mo st perfectly infinite just as one can also say that it is the limit of all things , not becau se it is any limit or rank, nature or condition in particular , or because it is the sam e for any ind ividu al or for all together , but rath er becau se it is the source and cau se of all limits which perfect and give form to all infinities and poten cies.

Chapter VIll. With several arguments, states that the most simple and pure One which exists by itself and is the First Cause is the supreme Good, explaining some if its qualities. That the supreme goodness is the most simple and infinite One is proved by the fact th at if it were not , it would necessarily include within itself some plurality and composition and in so doing would not be most sufficient or perfect by itself, becau se a part lacks the perfection of the oth ers and of the whole , and the whole that is made up of imp erfect parts is not most perfe ct. In addition, eac h part has need of the othe rs, and all have need of the whol e which is also the product of the parts , and it needs them just as the parts need it, and the whole needs the most pure One which, being above the parts and the whole , is their cause, makin g each one un ified and ensuring that , joined int o one, they all form a whole. If it were a comp osite, it would therefore need the parts and the compounding principle and it would be needy, imp erfect, subeque nt, and dependent, and consequently not the supreme Good , which is most sufficient, independent, and primary. This can be confirmed here, becaus e if the suprem e Good is not pure unity and the primal source of all things, whatever we ca n imagine prior to it mu st be better than it, becau se the high er caus e always surpasses the lower. But it is impossible for there to be anything bett er than the supreme Good, because a thing is better becau se it participates more of the good, while what we fan cy to be the Good does not exist or participate of it, and if it did exist or participate it could not be more or [32v] better than the suprem e Good which, being above all, is not surpas sed by any of them. In addition to th is, either the supreme Good yea rns for its Cause or not. It is imp ossible for it not to yearn for it, because every effect desires its cause in order to receive perfe ct being from that which received being first; and it is also impossible for it to desire

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it because the supreme Good, being most perfect by itself, has no need of another and consequently does not yearn for it or seek it out. Neither can one desire that which is not good, for it alon e is the object and goal of all yearnings, and the domain of the supreme Good is truly remarkable and solely a quality of the one that is the most perfect universal Cause of all things, because it contains infinite strength and potency in itself along with great leniency, ease, and gentleness, so that although with its infinite power it could overwhelm and sweep everything away , it does no violence to anyone thing. Rather , by hidden persuasion and sweet coaxing it directs them with as much leniency as force toward that goal and by those means that they themselves wish for and desire, becaus e just as nothing yearns or searches for anything but that which is or appears to be good (which is the sole object of all appetite and activity), likewise there is not and cannot be a more natural, forgiving, well-intention ed , and lenient domain than that of the supreme Good, which is so loved by all that, although they could hate infinite potency and wisdom, they cannot possibly abhor it: rather, it is necessary that they continually desire and yearn for it, because, being as it is the cause of all good, which all things are and participate, and the specific universal goal and perfection of all love and desire, it is surpassingly separate and distant from all hatred and loathing. And as Plato says, being sufficient to itself and to all, it is communicated to all with such abundance that, filling them with total good , it is not diminished or emptied in itself and, not satisfied with having participated to them the natural goods that they have in themselves , it draws them to itself with great power and gentleness , and reforms , assimilat es, and perfects them in itself, giving them the happiness of which they ar e capable.'! Being most perfect, most powerful, primary, uncaused, and most simple , the supreme Good is therefore the pure One; and being necessary by itself, and the infinite Causal Agent of all things , it is the being, I repeat, that is not what it is by virtue of another or by or for another but rather by itself, in itself, and for itself. And this is not a good body , a good spirit , or a good mind, being, life, pot ency , or activity, or any other specific individual perfection that exists or is possible , becaus e each of these, I I See note 16, p. 7. Thi s is a fundam ental teaching of Plato in the Symposium and Phaedo. See also Plotinus, Ennead 5.4, Ficino, Theologia platonica, Book II, Chapters 1-3 ; and Aquin as, Summa theologiae la 19, 2 and Summa contra Gentiles II 46.

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being what it is and not something else, and in effect being limited, lacks the oth er perfections by its own nature; and although it is perfect in its class, it is not so ab solutely, and mu ch less is it an accumulation or union of all perfections, because being manifold and composite it is necessarily subsequent to and dependent on the most simple One. In addition to joining the supreme, unlimited, and pure goodness to another nature, it is contrary to it to limit pure goodness to a cap acity or specific condition, class, or species, or to abase, corrupt, or render it composite, needy, or subsequent. By thus ruling out both this and that good , we understand the unique, most pure Good of all good s which (because it is not thu s by virtu e of any con dition or attribute, disposition or relation, operation or act distinct from itself, or by participation in a higher cause on which it dep ends or a subject on which it is ba sed or an end to which it tends ) is the beginning without beginning and the infinite goal of all goods. And in truth, the word "good" is most fitting for the First Cause both becau se of the manner of its independenc e, simplicity, sufficienc e, and perfection, and because it teaches the surpassing communication by which it shares everything with all, not in order to obtain what it lacks (because nothing is or can be lacking in the supreme Good) but rather in order, through mercy and gra ce, to give that which in effect pours out and overflows from its un ique infinite goodness, containing all blessings in one : because being, life, mind, truth, power, op eration, compassion , justice, beauty, and [33r] every oth er perfection , individually and togeth er , are inclu ded in the good that the sup reme Good communicates to all in order solely to do good . In addition to th is, goodness is a quality of the final cause, a nd the primal sourc e is the final goal of all things, which being the cau se of cau ses, causes and moves all other causes, drawin g one to the oth er and all thereby to their effects and perfectin g them and ushering them into its peace. Being most sufficient, above all and for all, it is thus communicated to all most comp letely and flawlessly and without an y lack on its part, being forever the center and source of all that it contains with infinite superiority and surpassing communication, and it produces all desirabl e perfections and all appetites and, unifying them among themselves and with itself, perfects and most completely blesses them.

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Chapter IX. Concludes that the most pure One and supreme Good which )Etn-Sof the First Cause) is the Cause qf all things.

IS

With everyt hing tha t has been said up to this point, I believe that what our mequbal and teach er H akam R. Isaac Luria Ashkenazi of glorious memory mean t to say has been sufficie ntly explained, demonstra ting that the infinite divine goodness exists prior to a nd ca uses all things becau se, being the most pure One, it goes before and produces all plurality and composition, and becau se it is beyond dispu te that everything that is or ha s existence is in some sen se eithe r simple or complex. If it is simple, it is so by virtu e of the unity that , pa rticipa ted from the primary and mos t simple One, makes it simple and one and no t only undivided in opera tion but also indi visible and without the potency to be fur ther divided; a nd if it is a composite, it is not so while its parts are sepa ra ted a nd divided amo ng them selves but rath er when , un ited by the most pure One th at exists prior to them and ca uses them , they make or constitute an en tire composite which, although it is undi vided in operation , is divisible in potency, so that becau se the pure One is the origin or source of all oneness and union, it is the same for all things that ar e necessarily simple or composite. In addition, becau se it is essential infinite being, it is the ca use of all limited being that exists by participation , becau se everything that has being and is not pure being itself (given tha t it ca nnot be the ca use of its being, because if it were it would exist before it existed, or it would give that which it does not have to give, which is impossible) has being by participation a nd efficacy from that which is the pure, absolute, an d necessary being, by virtue of its essence : becau se everything that exists by participation and through another dep ends on that one, which is wha t it is essentially a nd by itself, like a log that, not being hot by itself, become s so by parti cipation from fire, which is hot by its own qu ality, form, and nature and as such is the cause of all heat that has not [33v] been received from another, becau se before the first being endowed the first effect with heat , there was nothing like it, and if the sun a nd oth er celestial bodi es com municate and distribute heat by mean s of fire and other lower effects, it is eithe r becau se they are mad e of fire, as the Platonists would have it, or because they contain it in a ca usa l and superior way, as the Peripatetics teac h. That which exists through an othe r always depends , therefore, on that which is what it is by itself and by its own nature , wheth er

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that be form al, virtu al, or supe rior, and is not so by virtu e of another. In addition to being surpassingly communicable by nature, the supreme Good mu st have been communicated to all because it is a qu ality of all thin gs to be ac tive, and we therefore see that the more fulfilled and perfect they are in their spec ies, the mo re ac tive they a re, an d thos e th at a re and exist in nobl er spec ies and high rank , act with ever greater efficacy. vVe can therefore conclude th at the pure Good, which is supreme, unique, and infinite, is active and distribu ted a nd communicated becaus e it is good, giving everything most completely to all; but becau se it is most simple an d one, it imme dia tely an d dir ectly produces a single effect and in it and through it produ ces every thing, causing all things, eac h on e of which is on e, wh ile all come togeth er in a whole and lead ba ck to one ness, as to th eir source and measure. [34r]

FOURTH BOOK OF ABRAHAM COHEN DE H ERRERA'S GAT E OF H EAV EN

Chapter E. With thirteen arguments, proves that a single most pefect €fle et issued directly from the First Cause. I One can be convince d by th ese argume nts that only a single most perfect effect issued imm ediat ely and dire ctly from the First Cause that our mequba l and tea cher , following the divine a uthor of th e Zohar, calls )Ada m Q admon or Primordial Man and the other kabbalists ca ll Keter 'Elyon or Primary and Exalted Crown .! The first is tha t only on en ess ca n issue from on en ess as oneness, and only the same can issue from th at which always is and remain s the same, becaus e if eac h on e ac ted accord ing to wh at it is by the activity of the most simple One, through a n op erati on th at is in no way distinguishable from it, no more than a single effect could possibly issue directly from that One which , I repeat, excludes from itself all plurality and diversity of poten cies, ac tivities, attributes, thoughts, intelligibles, wills, desires, and ope ra tions, and, consisting most purely of itself, do cs not and cannot hav e an y intercourse , relation, or comparison with any other becau se, being infinite, it is infinitely separated from all things. There was a direct emana tion from tha t One, I repeat, which becau se it is fr ee from succession, mov em ent , and tim e and ther efore do es no t do today that which it did not do yesterday or will do tomorrow, do es not act dir ectly through diverse instruments or me an s, becau se there wer e no mean s or instruments prior to the primary effect that is the instrument and mean s of all subsequent on es, and there was not anything other than the same beginning without a beginning from which this first effect, which the n becam e the means for all others, immediately emanated, just as there were not different subjects and mat erials that vari ed or multiplied the unique divin e op eration amo ng themselves according to their diverse capacities and natures. No more than one effect, th ere-

I H avin g proved the tran scenden ce of the First Ca use a nd the role of its instr umen ts, the sefirot , Her rera now moves on the metaphor ical union of the sdi rot in th e form of the Primordi al Man . e For more on the iden tification of 'E in-Sof and Keter , see Arth ur G ree n, Keter, pp. 153-161 . T he term 'c lyon origi nates in Psalm 91: I: "You who live in the shelter [or secret] of the Most High [seter (elyon] . . ." (ibid., p. 130).

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fore, issues directly from the most simple One, which is confirmed, and this is the second argum ent , by the fact that all those who would prefer for man y effects to have issued dir ectly from the First C au se agree that they do not em an ate from its singular and most simple nature, which as suc h would produce only a single effect (because from pure on eness nothing but oneness can issue), but rath er from the plurality of ideas and representational species a nd models that it con ceives and manifests in its divin e mind, and from the varied preferences, intentions, and commands of its free will and consen t, which are undoubtedly to locate plurality in the most simple oneness, and specific and diverse activities, attributes, relations, and operations in the singular, absolute infinity th at surpasses everything. In addition to th e above, and this is the third argume nt, from a most perfect cause, like the first one, there mus t issue a mo st perfect effect th at can only be one, because if it were two or more, they would either differ in number and individually as one man from another , or in species, like a man from a horse, or, by analogy, from each other, like [34v] substan ce from accide nt. And if they are individually differentiated they include qu antity and substa nce, which are the roots of individual and numerical difference in the opinion of Aristotle, confirmed by Thomas Aquinas and all who come after, and thu s no effect would be indivisible, non-material, and stable , and consequently it would not be pe rfect, as we assume. And if they are differen tiated by species, a nd even more so by analogy, and one is not more perfect than the othe r, then all are not mo st perfect or primary becaus e species ar e like numbers, with one adding some essential difference to another, like onen ess, and becaus e on e analogous effect is connected to anothe r like a primary or first one to which it gives distinct identity and essence as man ifested in the accident and substance. Therefore the most perfect effect must necessarily be one, and this is corrobora ted by the fourth argume nt, which is this: if the First Cause directly produces two or more effects, they mu st eith er be entirely congru ous, entirely different, or in part congruous and in part different. If they are entirely congru ous, they a re not two but rather one, becau se there is no difference between one and the other; if they are entirely different, it follows that, if one is an effect of the primary and most perfect First Cau se, then the oth er , which is in all ways different, is not its first effect, and it is not most perfect, and there is therefore no more than on e mo st perfect effect. But if they are in part congruous and in part different, then one of them

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clearl y has in itself that which the other one does not, spec ifically, th at which makes it different a nd distinct from the other, which mu st be either perfection or imperfection , and if it is perfection , the oth er on e that lacks it is not a most perfect or p rim ary effect of the surpassingly perfect First Cause, a nd if it is imp erfection the one that has it is imp erfect and lacking in the perfection that the ot her one possesses, which is spec ific to the most perfect First Cause. Fifth reason: all plu rality lead s back to its unit y, j ust as the countless multitud es of men ca n be reduced to one human species or form, and the whole multitude of spec ies and co nceptua l uniti es which a re necessarily limited to a fixed number mu st and do lead back to a single sovereign unit y that, shared by all oth ers, contains them in itself a nd pr ojects them outside itself, like for example the most universal substa nce that is extended to all spec ific natures and substa nces and to all their concept ua l uniti es a nd exemplary ca uses. And thu s we see that the entire manifold of substa nces or subjects leads bac k to one primary subs tance or subject; all bodies to one prim ary body; all hot , bright, and similar ones to a primary hot, brigh t, and similar one; all movem ent to one movem ent ; all natures to one universal nature; all spirits to one primary and most perfect spiri t; all lives to one life; and, finally, all minds and intelligible essences to on e primary and most perfect mind, intell ect, a nd essence . And this is true no t on ly insofar as all manifold s a nd related uniti es lead back to the infinite, external oneness of the First Cause, which is not present in a ny limited orde r, ca tegory, or class and incompar abl y surpasses eac h and all toget he r, but also insofar as, being ana logous, they are connec ted and subordina te to the first most perfect effect, which being hom ogen eou s a nd of the same class is the measur e and sta ndard of all those othe rs th at are mor e or less perfect in the degree that they approach and dr aw near to it, participate in it, and mo re closely resembl e it. One therefor e conclude s th at there is a most perfect, prima ry, produced oneness to which all other produced uni ties and manifold s refer a nd lead. Sixth argume nt : th e surpassing, high est effect of the First Cause ca n only be one becau se if it were two or more, one of them would either be and have every thin g that the ot he r one is an d has, or not. If we were to concede the first point , both togeth er wou ld be one and not two because, with one existing and possessing itself and the othe r in itself, there would not be eithe r the one, or one and th e other, but ra ther one that consisted of one and the other, or one that [35r] containe d

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both of th em and brought th em together and unified th em ; but if we say th at on e of th e two is not and do es not contain th e other, it is not perfect but rather lacking and deprived of that which the other one is and contains. It follows at on ce that th er e cannot be but on e, and in truth (and this is th e seve nth a rgume nt), th at which is surpassing, primary, and high er than all othe rs, like th e first most perfect effect of th e First C au se, ca n on ly be one, becau se if th er e were ano the r th a t it did not surpass or pri or to wh ich it did not exist, it would not be (as we assume) primary, surp assing a nd mo st perfect before all, excee ding and outstripping all other produced beings, becau se this would allow for there to be another or others th at it did not preced e and pri or to whi ch it did not exist, which is contrary to reason . Eighth ar gument: th e spec ime n that imitates a nd manifests its only model and pattern as mu ch as po ssible ca n only be one because if it were two or more, neith er would represent it as perfectly as possible, it being tru e th at whe n a single being or indi vidu al lacks th e complete perfection of th e spe cies, thi s perfection is supplied by the plurality of individuals tha t contain and encompass among th em selves th e complete perfection that eac h one lacks on its own; and it is also tru e th at there is no plurality of individuals in th e mo st perfect One, and th ere is no imperfection or lack in th ose that are separa ted from matter, quantity, and specific accidentals; and it is certain th at th er e is not m or e th an on e th at manifests the infinite divin e model to the greatest possible degr ee, in addition to which , assum ing tha t it is in all othe r respects eq ual a nd as th ey say ceteris paribus [all othe r things being th e same], it resembles the most perfect One and surp assing divine uni ty more closely th an a large va riety of beings, which is th e ninth argume nt, and th e tenth: th e one th at is in direct proximi ty and nearness to th e pure and most simple One can only be simple and one becau se if it wer e manifold and diver se it would not be proximat e or similar to it and, becau se of the plurality and diver sity th at it would be or co nta in, it could not come together with th e indivisible One or unite itself directly to it, becau se only on en ess j oin s with and tou ch es th e One, just as a point on an indi visible line tou ch es the cent ra l point insofar as it is indi visible, and mu ch less the surface or body.' Eleventh

:1 Herrera's discussion of point and line ultimately derives from Plato and Aristotle; it is a fund am ental Lurianic metaph or for the movement of being or light from

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argument: in ordering its effects and directing them by consist ent me ans toward the final goal , which is itself, the First Cause mus t order and direct its most perfe ct effect, which is undoubtedly the first on e, toward this goa l as immediately and directly as possible, and because there is not a diversity of ranks,' this can only happen in one way, depending on how much or how little the effects approach and draw close to or distance themselves from th eir source and final goal. From this it follows that th e one that is most di rectly and surpas singly close to it in both on eness and origin, as well as in goal and perfection, is one . Twelfth argument: just as from the active perfection of the First Cause th ere issues not only the being but also the activi ty and op eration of its effects, like the illum ina ted and illuminating stars from the illum inating sun, so there must issue immediately from the most universal Cause of all effects on e effect which, resembling its cause, produces the effects that follow, activating everything that, having been activated, it can activate, which is everything that is lower than it and to which the first ope rator extends itself through its agency; and if it did no t activate this it wou ld not resemble its caus e and it wou ld not be most perfect, becaus e there cou ld be another that resembled it more closely and caused more effects, causing everything lower, which we assum e this first effect would not cause. Thirteenth argument: every efficient cause strives to make its effect resemble itself and shows itself to be more powerful the more it activates this resemblance and the more it achi eves the goa l that it intends to achi eve through its activities, which is to be communicated and manifested , becaus e there is no doubt that the mo re it makes its effect resemble itself the more it is communicated to it, ben efits it, and is efficacious and perfect in its op eration and activity, just as its divine perfection and active pot ency are more resp lendent in the more perfect resemblan ce [35v] than in the less 'Ein-Sof to 'Adam Qadmon, and from the sefirot and parsufim to the rest of reality. See Vital's description of the beginnin g of this pro cess in simsurn: "T he Infinite contrac ted itself at its midpoin t, in the exact center of is light, and after He con tracted that light a nd withdrew away from that mid-point to the sides surrounding it, it left a vacant place [i.e. the 'awirJ . . . T hat contraction was completely un iform around the midpoint, so that the void was uniforml y circular on all sides" (The Tree ql Life, Gate I, Ch apt er 2, p. 13). In oth er words, emana tion begins as a point and expan ds to a line curved back on itself through the perfect movem ent , which is circular. I That is, at this point in the metaphorical emanation of being there is no differentiation a mong the sefirot.

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perfect one, becaus e it is more perfectly manifested in the greater than in the lesser, and it is better known than through the lesser one, which do es no t so closely resemble it. Now, ' Ein-Sof the First Cause is the most perfect and efficient operator, from which it follows th at it makes its first, most personal effect resemble it, communicating to it everything that can be comm unicated, at least with respect to the effect th at as such is limited, and making it resembl e itself as mu ch as this is po ssible for an effect tha t is dependent on and limited by its independent and unlimited ca use. There is, therefore, a n effect that surpassingly resembl es the First Cause, becau se if it did not, it would lack the goal that every agent strives for, which is to resemble its effect as mu ch as possible, and the First Cau se would not have been communica ted and man ifested in it as mu ch as it could have been and consequently it would not have don e the good that it could have don e, which is a qu ality of the supreme Go od , and mu ch less would it hav e been manifested and glorified as mu ch as it could have been in its operation and effects, and it would appear, then, not to be surpa ssingly perfect, effective, and the sup reme Good that is comm unica ted surpassingly, because in being comm unicated to its effect and manifested in its effect it was not communicated or manifested as much as it could have been . One therefore conclude s that the infinite Kin g of the Kings who are kings over oth er kings, reigns over one King who, issued from it and by its pow er, is Kin g over all oth er kings, becau se the surpassing and uncaused King is more perfect and excellent the more he reigns and rules over ever more perfect kings, among whom the most perfect caused and subordinate king is only one and directly connec ted to it: consequently, by its pow er and active coope ration, it is the cause of all that is lower , which it produces as if it were an instrume ntality or a viceroy who has beneath him kings who are kings over oth er kings and even more so rules and perfects princes and oth er min isters and dignitaries. With this I believe that the intention of our teac he r is proved in a mediocre fashion , and the distin ction made by R. Simeon ben Yoha i of happy memory in the Zohar Para sat be-r'esit (C ommentary on Genesis) and the Tiqqunim is understood , that between the cau se of all causes and the cause of causes, the first of which is undoubtedly the un caus ed Causal Agent of everything, 'Ein-Sof the highly-praised one, and the second of which is as I understand it the mahasaba or exalted mind, there exists 'Adam Qadmon the first and high est Keter , and in summary the first and

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most perfect effect of the ind epend ent ca use of all ca uses which by its power and with its cooperation is ca use of the lower causes that follow but not of all ca uses, like ' Ein-Sof the ineffable, because if it were it would be the cause of itself when, although it is the cause of causes, it is also caused, as will be explained further if the Lord gives us inspirat ion. [36r]

Chapter II. By the authority if illustrious philosophers confirms that a single most pnftct dfict issued directly from the First Cause, and all others from it, by its instrumentality. \ Ve have pr oved with thir teen arguments that no more than a single most perfect effect issued directly from the First C au se, and from it came all subsequent effects, which can be confirmed by the aut hority of the most illustr iou s phil osopher s, like Zoroaster , Mer cury T rismegistus, O rph eus, Aglaophem us, Pyth agoras," Archytas, Plato, Speusippus, Numeni us, Ammonius, Plotinus, Ammelius, Porph yry, Iamblichus, an d Plethon ," and all the Arabs of the first aca de my in

3 These ar e th e five ancient theologian s (prisci theologi or summi theologi) who were believed to have ha nd ed dow n the sacred teachin gs of ancien t Egypt to Plato, by direct line of succession. Ficino gives th e or de r as follows: "prirn us .. . Zoroaster , M agor um ca put, secund us Mercuri us Trismegitus, princeps sacerdotum Aegypt iorum. M ercurio succcssit Orpheu s, O rp hci sacris initiatu s fuit Aglaophcm us. Aglaophemo successit in thcologia Pythagoras, Pythagorae Plat o, qui universam cor um sapicntiam suis Litteris co mp rehend it, a uxit, illustravit" iTheologia platonica, Book XVII , Ch ap ter I [vol , III, p. 148 I). The historical Zoroaster or Zarathustra lived c. G28-55 1 B.C . in Persia an d was therefore no t the author or the texts attribu ted to him, wh ich were writt en in Greek in th e seco nd or third cen turies A.D . (the for gery being definitively proved by Herr era 's ncar- cont empora ry Isaac Casaubon in his De rebus sacns et ecclesiasticis exercitattones XI'/ ad Cardinalis Baronii Prolegomena in Annates [Lond on, I G14] , Exercitat io I, C hapt er 10, pp . 70- 7 1). Mercury (or Hermes) T rismegistus was identifi ed by some with Moses: Ficino quotes the histor ian Arrap anus to th is effect apud Euseb ius tTheologia plaumica, Book XV III , C hap ter I; vol. III , p. 183). T he mythological mu sician O rpheus was believed to have created a mystica l do ctrine co nta ined in the Orphic Hy mns; Aglaophem us was said to have bee n initiated into th e sac red myster ies by O rp heus; and Pythagoras (fl. 530), credited with the discovery of the numerical ratios or the musical scale, found ed a ph ilosophica l school ce ntered on th e notion that things ar c numbers. H errera 's source for these texts was und oubtedly Ficino's tra nslation of th e Corpus Hermeticum, the Potmandres, print ed in sixteenth-century editions o f his complete works. 6 Arch ytas c. +28- 350 B.C ., was a Pyth agor ean philosopher an d co ntempora ry or Pla to; Spe ussip us, Pla to 's nephew , succeede d him as head of the Ath eni an Acad em y; N urnenius (fl. late second cent ury A .D ,) was a pr edecessor of Plotinus; little is known a bo ut Ammonius, Plotinus's tea cher , a lthou gh Porph yry q uotes Longinu s pr aising him as the grea test scholar of his time (Enneads, Vol. I: "T he Life of Plotinus," p. 59); Am melius was Plotinu s's p rotege and, according to Porphyry,

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Cordoba, like Avicenn a, al-Ghazzali,' the author of the Book if Causes.' the author of the most secret par t of the divine wisdom according to the Egyptians and oth ers," and likewise from all of our H ebrew philosoph ers, like Rabbi Mo ses of Egypt, R . Joseph Albo , Leo H ebraeus , and the others," although out of fear of being long-winded I will not cite them all but instead introduce only thr ee or four authoritative argume nts from eminent men who, grounded in reason , prov ed and expounded this noble matter, the first of whom is Marsilio Ficino, who in explicating th e Timaeus of his teacher Plato , utt ers something like the following: a greatly unified world issues directly from the mo st pure One and a greatly good world from the supreme Good, but because this visible world, because of the various distances between its parts, the opposition of its qualities, the variety of its effects, and the deformity of its bodi es, is not greatly one or grea tly good , it is reasonable to assum e that a world would emerge dire ctly from the oneness and goodness of th e Deity tha t resemble s its cause as mu ch as possible: an object of the mind rather than the senses which contain s th e ide as an d models of all th ings in itself, that is not the supreme Good itself but rath er its most perfect effect, the manifestation of its cause, and pattern of the lower world, which issues from

the author of 40 volum es agains t the Zoro astrian s; Porph yry (c. 233-309), also known as Basileus (Greek for Malkus) of Ty re, was Plotinu s's student and biographer; Iamblichu s (c. 240-325) succeed ed his teacher Porphyry as head of the Acad emy; Georgius Gemistus Plethon (c. 1355-1450), sometimes called the last Byzan tine philosoph er , was an adep t of Proclus's system who was instrum ental in the foundin g of the Platonic Acad emy in Florence und er the Medicis. 7 The philosophy of Avicenna (Ibn Sinal (980- 1037) combined Neoplatonic and Aristotelian views; al-Gha zzali (1058- 1I I I) is principally known as a theologian concerned with defending orthodoxy agai nst the incursions from ph ilosoph ers. H See note 19, p. 76. " T hat is, Herm es T rismegistus. 10 Rabbi Moses of Egypt is Moses Maimonides (1135- 1204), a physician , T almudic scholar, and the most prominent J ewish philosopher of the Middl e Ages. J oseph Albo (c. I360- 14H) used arguments drawn from his knowledge ofJ ewish, Chri stian , and Islam ic philo soph y, including Maimonides and Aquinas, to defend Judaism. This is the only mention of Albo in Gate qf Heaven, bu t he is an impo rtant and often-cited source in Herrera's House qf the Deity. Leo Hebraeus, or Judah Abarbanel (c. 1460 -1 535?) was a physician and popular izer of Platonic love philosoph y who was active in Italy. His Dialogues were widely read an d admired. See his Second Dialogue: " II sommo Dio con amore produ ce, e gouerna il Mo[n]do et conlegalo in una unione, pcro che essendo Iddio un o in simplicissima unita, bisogna che que! che procede da [73b] lui sia ancor uno in intera unita, perche da uno prouiene, e da la pura unita, perfetta unione" (Dialogi d'amore [Rome, 1535], fo. 73b- 4a).

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the sup reme Good like ligh t from the sun, the intrinsic ligh t which by virtue of the bright ness a nd warmth th at it gives produ ces all things by the power of its ca use. I I In addit ion to the above we add what Ficino expo unds in his comme ntary on the boo k that Plotinu s wrot e aga inst the G nostics, which is the following: the most absolute divine oneness and simplicity so surpasses all other things tha t it has no resemblance, compa rison, or relation with anyone of them , so that without regarding or being connected to one more than another, it either produ ces none or all together, but being the supreme Good above all thin gs, it produces them all togeth er , and being pu re unity and simplicity, it does not directly project more than a single thin g out of itself. Therefore [36v] the one that ema na tes dir ectly from the One exists above everything, is a unit ed whole, that is, an entity or being tha t contains all entities and beings, an intelligible that enfolds all intelligibles and is the first mind that em braces all pure a nd sepa ra te minds a nd all ideas in itself, and all the ideas and models of all thin gs: it is in effect an intelligible world produ ced by the supreme Good and pure One, a complete unity from which issues the primary universal spirit which is one and everyt hing at the same tim e becau se it somehow projects in itself, with sequ entiality and mov ement , that which the pure mind that is its source contains within itself in a stab le fashion. Next comes the corporeal world of the senses, issued from m ind thro ugh the soul, no longer one and everything but rath er a one joined together and mad e out of all, beca use its unity goes to its plura lity in the understanding or pure mind an d in the prima ry universal soul, and the unity of all the forms follows in the material world a nd is subsequent to the manifold of which it consists. We can therefore conclude by saying that all of the memb ers and the natures of all of the memb ers of the world lead back to the singular nature of the soul of the world as

I I Fieino , Commentanum in Timaeum Platonis: "M erito ab ipso mu nd um proxim e fieri max ime unum, ab ipso bono maxime bonum . At qu on iam uisibilis, hie m undu s ob multiplieem partiu m distantia m qualitatum repu gnantia m, elfeetuum diucrsita tern, rnaterialium defo rm itatem , neq ue maxime unu s est, nequ e maxime bonus , ideo ante hune existimant ab ipsa unitate, bonitat equ e d iuin a m und um, alte ru m proxime emana te, et p rout na tura pa titu r, qu am sim illimum non uisibilem q uidern, sed intelIigibilcm , inte llectua lernque exemplaria omnium qu ae in hoc gign untur habentem . . . imagin em quidem bo ni exemplar uero eorporei mundi ita a bono pcndentem , sieut lumen extra solem a luce intra solern [etc.]" (Opera omnia, Vol. 2, pp . 1++1-1 +42 [+37-438]).

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if to th eir captain and guide, all of th e spirits to a single world spirit as to its beginning, all of th e minds th at reside in th e souls to one mind which consists purely of itself above all, which as we obse rve bea rs th e same relati on ship to th em as th e one light th at issues from the sun has with th e man y eyes that are capable of receiving illumination . Finall y, this sovereign and pure mind mu st lead back to th e pat ernal light of th e supreme Good and pure One, as if to the beginning and end from which it immedi at ely issues and to whi ch it dir ectly retums.' " And Ficino confirms and proves everything stated above in his Platonic Theology, saying: th ere is One th at is above all and m or e than all, whi ch is the beginning of everything th at does not have a beginning and ca nnot immediately be everything because it is th e most pure unity above all number . Ther e is that which is below every thing, and thi s is any particular body. Between th ese two extrem es, th en , th er e mu st be an int ermediary th at ties and binds th em together, which is the complete, universal em brace of all things , which exists in three ways. The first and most supe rior of th em , bein g th e one th at issues immediately from th e pure unity and is very sim ila r to it, is a uni ver sal m anifold , enti rely united in essence, point, and m om ent: in essence becau se it is a sing ular, unique substance , not compos ed or made up of m an y different substa nce s; it is a point be cau se it is not dispersed or sca tter ed int o many parts in such a way th at it would have to be dispersed or proj ected into man y parts and poin ts in th e places th at it occupies and fills; it is

It Ficino, III L ibrum nonum contra gnosticos: "Absolutissima Dei unitas uel simplicitas, cum adeo superernineat omnia, ut nequ e similitudinem, nequ e respectum prorsus ilium ad aliquid hab eat . Ideoqu e nec priu s hoc quod illud aspiciat, certe aut nihil efIicit, a ut omnia simul. Sed enim summa bon itas supe r omnia merito ma x effieit omnia : summa unitas sta tim efficit unum. Qu od igitur ind e prox ime man at , scilicet ab unitat e, qu ae supe r om nia est, nimirum est unum om nia: unum scilicet ens, entia cuncta: hoc ipsum intelligibile est, qu od est intelligibilia cuncta. Hi e primus est intellectus, qui et om nis est intellectu s, intellectus inqu am absoluti, omncsque idea e. H ie mundus intelligibilis est ab un o super omnia genitus: unum om nia. Hin c naseitur anima prima iam unam et omnia, qu odammodo uidelicet mobiliter intu s explieans, qu ae pr imu s stabiliter complectitur int ellectu s. Sequ itur deinde mundus ex intellectu per animam, no n tam unum et omnia, qu am ex omnibus unum: nemp e et in mente, et in anima praece dit ipsa sua un itas mul titudinem . At in mundo corpo reo form arum unit as q uodam modo multi tudinem sequitur: pat es tamen ita colligere, omnia quid em mu ndi membra membro rumque nat uras, ad unam animae mund an ae naturam qu asi ducem : omnes a nimas ad unam mundi anima m uelut principem, omnes intellectus, qu i anima bus insunt ad unum intellecturn super animas existente m, qu asi oculos ad Solis lumen. ln tellectum den ique purum ad paternam lucem atq ue bon itat ern" (Opera omnia, Vol. 2, p. 1668 [668]).

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also one in moment because everything that it can grasp or obtain it grasps and possesses in one indivisible instant, without altering over several moments of time or passing from one to another by sequentiality or pas sag e, losing on e moment when it reaches the next and so forth in order." And this is the mind or pure understanding which issues from the First Cause without med iation and which, resembling it as mu ch as possible, contains and possesses the totality of int elligible ideas and representational forms in its singular essence in such a way that, united among themselves and with it, they are all a single substantial subject, indivisible and free of q uantity in such a way that each one is present in all and alien to all succession and time , and therefore it is no t and do es not activate today what it did not activate yesterday and will not activate tomorrow . This do es not occur in th e first universal spirit, which is the second un iversal level because, although united in essence and point, it is not united in moment because it has a movable nature and grasps one thing after another, and it is not complete, forma l matter that is less united for being distant from the pure on e and First Cause and [37rJ conseque ntly disp ersed in th e spaces of place and location that it occupies, in addi tion to the movem ent that it participates from the spiri t and the diversity and plurality of form by which it resembles the mind. T o this we might add what the phoenix of his tim e, Giovann i Pico della Mirandola, said in the Commentary he wrote on Girolamo Benivieni's love-so ng, which is as follows: following the opinion of Plotinus, Porp hyry, and generally of the most illustrious Platonic phi losophers, approved by Aristotle and all the Arabs, especially Avicenna, the surpassing God produced a creature of an intellectual and incorporeal nature, as perfect as a created

IJ See Aquinas, Summa theologiae I a 14, 2-4, a nd Ficino , Theologia platonica , Book I, Chapter 6; Book II, Chapter 9, which proposes that God 's essence and op era tion are one and the same , and that God's self-knowledge is the same as his being; Chapter I I , which further illustrates the proposition that God 's essence a nd operation a re on e and the sa me; and Chapter 10: "C um vero in hac essentia [divina] sit perfectio infinita, innumerab iles ad eius similitudinem res exprimi possunt , ita ut per innumerabiles perfectionis gradus in melius pau latim pro grediantur" (Vol. I , p. 103). Book III, Chapter 2, describes the role of a third essence: this is the soul (a nima) which is the interm ediary between God and the lower beings, "medius rerum graclus a tq ue omnes gracl us tarn superiores quam inferiores connec tit in unum" (p. 137). It is the mirror of the divine, the life of mortal bein gs, and the link between the two (divinorum speculum, vita mort alium , utrorumque connexio; p. 139).

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thin g can be, and for this reason did not directly produce any oth er thin g, becau se only one most perfect effect can issue from a most perfect cause, and tha t which is most perfect can only be one becau se if it were two or more, one of them would have to be more or less perfect than the other: otherwise one would be the same as the othe r and thu s they would not be two or more but rather one, while if one wer e less perfect th an the othe r it would certainly not be most perfect. If God had directly produced more than this mo st perfect cre ature, it would therefore not be mo st perfect, as it would be less perfect than it [i.e. its cause] and conseque ntly would not be the specific effect of the most perfect First C ause which, as ha s been said, mu st be most perfect and consequently One. And it is important to know that this most perfect effect which issued directly from the surpas sing God is called mind, wisdom , the world of ideas or intelligible world , the son of God , and divine reason or word by Plato and the an cient theologian s Zoroaster , H erm es Trismegistus, Pytha goras, a nd the others. H All of this is confirmed by Ca rdinal Contareno, who states in his Metaphysics th at only one effect emanates directly from the One, that is, from th e prima ry beginning of all things, and this is the primary mind and intelligible world in which the plu rality of ideas exists, which are differenti ated in it by reason as if in th eir origina l model and are the cause of the plurality of " The qu ote is from Giovanni Pico della Mi rand ola, Commento septa una canzona d'amore, Chapter 3: "Seguendo adunq ue noi la opcnione di Plotino, non solo da ' m igliori Pla tonici, rna an chora da Aristotilc, e da tutt i Ii Arabi, e massime da Avicenna seguitata, dico che Dio ab etem o produ sse una crea tura di na tur a incorporea e intellettuale, tanto perfetta qu anto e possibile che sia un a cosa creata, e pero oltre ad lei niente altro produsse, imp eroch e da una ca usa perfettissima non puo procedere se no n uno effctto perfettissimo , e q uello che e perfeuissimo , non puo essere pili che un o, come, verbigra tia, il color e perfettissimo fra tutti e' colori non puo essere pill che un o, perch e se fussen o du a, 0 pill, forza sarebbe che I'uno di loro fussi pili, 0 ma nco perfctto dell'altro, altrimenti sarebbe I'un o quel medcsimo che l'altro, e cosi non sar ebho no pill, rna uno . Quello adunq ue che sara man eo perfetto dell'altro, non sa ra perfettissimo. Similmente se Dio hau essi prodo tto oltre ad questa ment e un 'altr a crca tura, no n sa rebbe stata perfettissima, perche sarebbe stata man co perfetta di qu ella, Questo basti ad sape re che secondo questi philosophi , da Dio imm ediatam ent e non provicn c alt ra crca tura che qu esta pri ma mente, dico immediatam ent e, perch e ancho ra d'ogni cfleuo che poi, e q uesta men te e ogni altra causa seconda produce, si dice Dio essere ca usa, rna mediat a e rem ota. Qu esta prima men te creata, da Plat one, e cosi dalli antichi ph ilosophi , Mercuri o T rimegisto, e Zoro astre, e chiama to hora figluolo de Dio, hora men te, hora Sapi ent ia, hora ragio ne divina, il che anchora interp retono alchuni, verbo" ([Palermo: Noveeento, 199+]), pp . 12-1 +). For Aviccnna's thinking on this matt er , see Book V, Ch apt er 8, p. 165 below.

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the objects of the senses, not becaus e the exemplary cause had need of another model in order to produce things , being in its supreme way the model of all models , but rather because the exemplary cause is located in the second , because the primary source cannot be understood to be the one that surpasses all understanding, it being a quality of the model to be intelligible." We therefore locate its first and most perfect effect beneath the most pure being which exists by itself and is not adjusted to any nature, because it has already been reduced to intelligibility and the understanding, containing in itself as model the ideas of all things that are present in the primary source in a way superior to exemplarity, raised above all minds and intelligibles . And it is worth noting that the first corruption and fall from the most pure being is mind, which is already a bounded nature and not pure being but so capable tha t it embraces and contains in itself all other natures, although according to its intellectual mode . In this way it imitates pure being although not perfe ctly, because all things are present in the primary source in its singular being, exalted and superior to any nature or mode of things , but all things are present in mind according to bounded reason and defined modes , that is, according to being that is not absolute or pure but rather mental and intelligible, which is its specific nature. [37v] Chapter III. Four objections or doubts if great importance are raised against what has been proved about the most perfect and unique '!!ftct if the First Cause, and thry are so poioeful and ifficacious that thry seem to rule it out entirely and defeat it. Very great objections and doubts are offered against what has been stated in the previous two chapters, the first of which is the fact that many effects do not issue directly and specifically from the First Cause. This seems to be due to its being limited by its nature to a single effect in such a manner that, because it is most unified and perfect, it is entirely necessary that a single most perfect effect should issue from it, aga inst which reason teaches us that, because its active potency is infinite , it cannot be limited to a single effect unless it be equal to it and therefore infinite , which is completely impossible; and

I:> Cardinal Gasparo Contarini (1483- 1542), theologian and emissary of the papal court, wrot e De elementus et eorum mixtionibus tibri quinque (Pa ris, (548 ) and also Prima philosophla, which may be the source of Herrera's quote .

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by havin g to produce an inferior infinite effect it would seem not to be bound to any parti cular rank of distan ce and activity, being able to produce an effect greater than any finite one, and so on infinitely without ever arriving at the surp assing and most perfect on e, which would impose boundari es and limits on its unlimited and unbounded pot en cy. In addition to this, because the goa l of the First Cause is to communicate and represent its infinite goodness to othe r thin gs, and becau se non e of them , being finite and bounded, can singly or togeth er participate or manifest completely and perfectly, it remains unassigned to this or that mode of communication and represent ation , and consequently the limit of its goodness does not limit it to a single most perfect communication or representation : rath er, remaining ab solute and free, it can be comm unicated and represented in a number of different ways. Second obje ction and doubt: eithe r this most perfect effect is natural to ' Ein-Sof the First Cause, or it produced it with its mind and free intention a nd will so that, although it could have mad e a greater or a lesser effect, it determined to make this one more than an other , and if this is so, what need do we have for the sefirot or sovereign numbers which are finite, numerous, varied, and in some fashion cha ngea ble mean s and instruments of the infinite, unique, simple, and unchan ging First C au se, which through them limits and adapts itself to finite, num erous, and changeable effects and activities? Becau se if by its mind and will it can and does limit itself [38r] to producing this or that effect in this or that way and at this or that time a nd place, it would seem useless for us to invent the mediations of )Ada m Q ad mon , the lights, sefirot, a nd parsufim of the infinite world , 'as ilut, beri' ah , yesira h, ' asiyah , and the like, becau se it could modify and ada pt its efficacy by its free will a nd consent in such a way as to produce a finite effect even though it is infinite in itself, as the Peripatetics and the modern philo soph ers affirm . Thus it appea rs that in attributing mind and will to the First C au se we exclude the mediations and consequently the entire kabbalah , which is founded on them , and by negating them it seems we attribute everything else to chance except the first effect which we conside r to be natural and so to speak adequate. This is contrary to reaso n, which, leaving aside cha nce becau se it is un cert ain , fickle, and disord ered , proves tha t the universal orde r does not issue from matt er or from man y agen ts or even from the linked succession of ca uses but rath er from the ment al plan and intention of a primary being. The foregoing is confirmed by the fact that , if

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a single effect issues from the First C au se, we cannot account for the diversity of all things, because, applying a specific ca use to each one, we do not apply a ny to the diversity of all effects and secondary causes, by which we mean that the differences between all things would issue from the coope ration of all causes without the intenti on of anyone a nd consequently by chance, redu cing what is most perfect in th e un iverse, which is the wonderful order of all its parts a mong themselves a nd with the whole and with their final and efficient cause, to the defectiveness and corru ption of the various ca uses th at, to the extent that they fall away from each other and all from the first, ma ke up the orde rly and properly disposed diversity of the world s and of their parts , unintenti onally a nd by cha nce. Third objection: becau se the First Cau se is the most simple One which surp asses all und erstanding and will, no int ellection , intelligible, wish, or desire can be located in it, and the production , pre servation, and governance of all thin gs is therefore by cha nce and not according to the intent ion of a universal prima ry Cause. Fourth and final objection an d doubt: it seems imp ossible that )Adam Q admon , a produced being, should produ ce the sovereign light s and par sufim or ordering of the ten balan ced sefirot withou t a subjec t and out of noth ing, producing in effect one sefirah from anothe r and the three worlds which are the seat of glory , the angelical, and the corporeal, from the lowest one which is the Sekinah or divine Presence, becau se being utt erly non-material or incorpo real, the sovereign ones cannot be born or pr odu ced out of anything but are rather ema na ted or crea ted without matt er or pre-existing subject an d consequently out of nothing, but in order to produce from nothing, infinite power or active potency would seem to be required , which only the First Cause possesses, and if we were to say that some produ ce others by its power , like instrument s, the respon se would be that the infinite is limited to finite mean s and restricted to finite operations and effects, becau se the potency that is infinite in the First Cause becom es finite when it is received by any finite mean s, no matt er how elevated and pow erful it is, according to the capacity of the subject which, being a limited recept acle or vessel, cannot receive or retain unlimited power. Being finite, it cannot therefore produce something from noth ing, becau se in order to do so, as mu ch activity a nd power seems to be needed as there is distan ce between some thing and nothing, which is infinite. It therefore seems reason abl e that only the infinite First Cause can produ ce from nothing a nd consequently that either

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there is no more th an one non-material effect or, becau se the re are as many as in reality there are, all are directly produced by this First Cause [38v], which is con trary to what all of the kabb alists have understood and continually teac h, as it is contrary to wha t has bee n demon str ated up to now.!"

Chapter I V. In answer to the first objection, proves that one cannot rise irifinite!J through the '!/fects if the First Cause and that there must be and is one '!/feet that is supreme or higher, and, in summary, more peifect than all possible ones. We mu st an swer the four extremely important and th orny objections and doubts that we have just put forth , which we will do with the aid of the one who is the ca use of all truth and correc t knowledge. We will begin by answering the objection in two ways, the first of which is th at one does not descend infinitely from grea ter to lesser perfection : rath er one arrives at that which is most imp erfect , which is the prime matt er , depri ved of all act ual perfection and form a nd so close to nothing tha t it differs from it not becau se of what it possesses, becau se it possesses nothing, but becau se of wha t it is capable of receiving and possessing, as it is pure potency with respec t to all natural or composite forms. Although some iden tify an infinit e distan ce between noth ing a nd some thing, so that an infinite number of intermed iaries would appa rently be required, we nevertheless see that these do not exist, becau se between the earth, which is an entity, and nothing the re are not countless intermediaries but rat her one, which is the prime matt er that not on ly issues directly from nothing bu t is so close to it th at th ere is no int ermedi ary between them at all.!? And wha t has been said about the descent

16 See Aqu inas: "Q uamvis igitur creare aliquem effectum finiturn non demonstret potenti am infinit am , tam en creare ipsum ex nihil o demon strat potenti am infinitam " (Summa theologiae I a 45, 5; [R ome: Editiones Paulinae, 1962], p. 225). See also Herr era's refutation of the idea that effects have productive power of their own separate from the First Caus e, in chapte r 5 below. 17 This appears to be an attempt to reconcile the creatio ex nihilo with the contentio n, in the targum, that the heavens and the earth were not the first things created and that the Hebrew text of Genesis, as Rashi says, "teaches nothing about the earlier or later sequence of 'the acts of Crea tion.' " T he conclusion is that fire and water existed prior to the Creatio n (Chumash with Rashi's Commentary, tra nslated by Rabbi A.M. Silbermann [J eru salem : Silbermann Family, 1934], Vol. I, p. 3). In any event, it seems clear that Herrera does not mean prim e matter in the Greek sense of a substance tha t was not somehow created by God .

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can and must be appli ed to the ascent, by which we do not rise to the Supreme One from perfection to perfection through infinite intermediaries but by finite ones whose perfection comes directly from the One, not so that any secondary or finite perfection, no matter how great , can be or is comparable or accomodated to the primary, infinite one , but because there is a summit that a produced effect can reach , just as matter can descend to the very lowest. That on e is th erefore as close to the First Cause as the latt er [i.e. matter] is to nothing, because all coming together and joining of produced effects is finite and as such has an end and limit at bo th extreme s, that is, the supreme and elevated, 'Adam Qadmon or the most high first Keter, and the low and base, the first matter, next to nothing." And in truth, if on e do es not rise infinitely through efficient causes [39rJ but first arrives at a primary on e above which there is not and cannot be another, likewise there is not and cannot be an infinite ascension by effects, for on e must arrive at the sovereign one which is next to the uncaused Causal Agent of everything: if it were otherwise the coming together and joining of producible effects would be infinite , and on e would not therefore rise from it to the uncaused one because, being infinit e, the effects could not be surpassed or excee ded. In addition to this, because ea ch effect is finite, the possible as much as the actual, it must be and is finite not only in power and rank but also in spec ies and number, becau se infinite plurality and perfection are contrary to the dependenc e that all have on the primary one and on the order that they always inviolably maintain among themselves and with their source, as well as with the transcendence that the First Cause has over all. In addition to this, there can be no number that is not measurable or measured by the unity that participates in the whol e and in all of its parts which in effect must be even or odd a nd included in one of its species. One ther efore conclude s that, just as one descends from the prime matter to nothing without any intermediary, so one ascends directly from 'Adam Qadmon, the high Keter, to the First Cause that is 'Ein-Sof the ineffable without any effect be ing introduced between them, not because one is comparable to th e other but becaus e all effects, both existing and possible , must have a Supreme One from which they step up to th e infinite First Cause which III See previous no te on the identification of 'Ein-Sof with the first Ketcr, note 2, p. 106.

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infinitely surpasses all. Of course if a primary effect does not come into being, neith er will the othe rs, which ar e those that come after it, and although 'Ein-Sof surpasses this first effect as mu ch as it surpasses the oth er s (there bein g no comparison between any finite effect, no matter how grea t or supe rior, and the infinite one which can on its own produce effects that arc ever more perfect), it is certainly contrary to the nature of produced effects to regress infinitely or to possess infinity, each one and all togeth er having their specific natures and finite limits of rank, perfection , and number , which they do not exceed. In addition to this, becau se the First Cau se contains in itself all the world s, which are the infinite world , the world of ema nation, the created world , the formed world, and the mad e world, it also encompasses and embraces all of the species and individuals that ar c possible in eac h world and in each of their ranks and in all of the m togeth er , so that in being comm unicated outside itself to all of the worlds or ranks of being (which in Platonic terms are esscncc, life, mind, and the supra-essential unity), it stands to reason that it is also communicated to all of the spcc ies included in these ranks both becau se it has no ca use, so that in communicating all the ranks and worlds it does communicate all the species and part s, and because being the sup reme Good it mu st be communicated surpassingly but is not comm unicated surpassi ngly unl ess it communicates all the species of all th e communicable ranks, in parti cular becau se the species, like the ra nks that it contains perfectly in its perfect supe riority, are good and consequently capa ble of being communica ted. In addition to this, it can either mak e the mo st excellent possible effect or not. If it can make it, bcing the supreme Goo d which as such is surpassingly communicable, why did it not make it? And if it cannot mak e it (as claim cd by those who say that it can mak e a nother more excellent effect above any oth er one, and so forth infinitely without a rriving a t the most perfe ct on e) it lacks pow er a nd is not infinite, becau se it ca nnot succeed in producing the most perfect on c that ca n be produced , and all the mor e so because, knowing itself most perfectly, the First Cause knows how it can be communicated to its effects outside itself, and how it knows it can bc imitated and parti cipated . If, then , it actuall y [39v] does not communicate what it knows can be communicated of itself, it is eithe r becau se it does not wish it, in which case it would appea r that it is burdened by the goodness of its effects and, being envious, does not wish to infuse them with goodness and therefore is not surpassingly

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good, or becau se it cannot do so, in which case it is not infinite and om nipo tent, the more so becau se there is a contradiction between being communicable and not being abl e to communicate, because to be communicable is nothing else than to be compe tent, ideally equipped, and sufficient to be communicated. And yet everything that is ca used or capa ble of being ca used is so by virtue of the First Cause, which being unca used, un iversa l, and sup reme , either directly or through in term edi ari es ca uses everything that has bein g and, becau se it is parti cipated , always depe nds on tha t which is being in essence . But if we assume an infinite asce nt which never arrives at the summit, the re would be a being that was capa ble of being caused but that could not be ca used by the m ost powerful and universal First C ause, which implies a contradiction and blasph emy . This is proved by the fact that , if we assume th at the First C au se wishes to ca use as mu ch as ca n be ca used, I could ask if it would ca use it or not: if it did not ca use it, it could not realize wha t it wished a nd was possible, becau se everything that is capable of being caused can be ca used and as such is possible, in which case the First Cause would turn out to be weak or ill-favored , not being able to be what it could be and not achieving that which it intended to put into effect. But if it did cause it, I would ha ve what I am looking for, which is that on e does not ascend infinitel y through the effects but rather arrives at a sup reme one that is as perfect as possible, in addition to which every coming together and j oinin g of possible effects would be po ssible, a nd if this were so, why would it not be by virtue of the First C au se which alone can make everything that is possible (because if it could not , there would be a possible effect that it could not produce, in which case it would not be omnipo tent)? Beyond this, every po ssible effect mu st be eithe r infinite or finite. It cannot be infinite, becau se it is not possible for there to be two or more infinite ones or for a po ssible effect to be equal to its necessary and un cau sed cause, and it mu st therefore be finite, and if so it has its limits, both in number and in perfection. Among all po ssible effects there is therefore a supre me one which, surpassing the othe rs, limits them : although it is infinitely perfect, the First Cause is not infinitely capa ble of comm unication or imitation , becau se as we said when discussing simsum or self-limita tion, the effects can neither manifest it nor participate in it to the exte nt of its total and infinite perfection and nature but rather to the extent of the bounded or finite portion th at they are capable of receiving. Putting it our way, then ,

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while the First C au se withh olds in itself the infinite perfection that canno t be communicated, it communicates to its effect only that bo unded porti on or parti cipation of its infinity of which a finite vessel is capa ble, like a glass emptied of all producible effects, which is called halal [vacuum] or 'A wir Q admon which, filled by 'Adam Qadmon , encompasses all thin gs with it and in it, eac h one of which and all togeth er are finite an d bounde d and consequently do not regress infinitely, becau se if they did the re would or could be an infinite effect, which is imp ossible. And if someone should argue that there can be an oth er , grea ter finite one ab ove any othe r, I would answer that this does not imply that there is a finite one ab ove an y oth er finite one as such but rath er above the highest; and if it is the highest there canno t be another above it, becau se if there were , it would not be the highest, as we assume, but the othe r one would be instead. And if they sho uld insist, saying that acco rding to what has been said, the divine power can be exha usted or depleted because limits and boundari es are imp osed on it beyond which it cannot go, and it is not therefore infinite, I respond that divine infinity has the same relationship to the absolute perfections tha t it contains in itself as its infinite potency has to its possible effects, but divine infinitude does not contain infinite, abso lute, and distinct pe rfections in itself because the re a re only a few of them , which are those that it is better to have tha n to lack or, to pu t it more clearly, a single imm ense perfection that is equivalent to infinite [40r] perfections, if they exist, and it is not infinite in number and extension but rather in rank , ope ra tion, and superiority, int en sely. Similarl y the infinit e divine potency is not what it is becau se it can produ ce infinite effects that a re divided by species, becau se as has been pr oved these do not and cannot exist; rather , it is becau se it can crea te absolutely and entirely all those beings th at are possible even though they are finite and bounded , operating in them with infinite strength and efficacy (regardless of wheth er they are actual or possible effects). And thus it would not only make a grea ter effect but also an infinite one, if this were po ssible and it were not limited by the bounded capac ity of the producible effect th at restricts and limits it in such a way that an infinite effect does not issue from it but rath er a bo unded and finite one. One therefore concludes that there is a supreme effect to which the sup reme Good has been communicated supre mely, and this is the greates t and best one that can be produced, as superior in the order of effects as its ca use is amo ng all ca uses, from which

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it differs only in being an effect. Of course being what it is, and finite, it is not equal or even compara ble to its cause, because there does not exist and cannot exist more th an one infinite being or anything that is comparable to it in any oth er respect. It is onen ess from One and perfectio n from perfection which conta ins in itself and proj ects out of itself (by the power of its cause and with its active coop eration and assistance , by which it exists and both can and do es do all that it is, can do , a nd does) all things that are included in the five world s, which are the infinite, the ema nate d, the crea ted, the form ed , and, finally, the mad e.

Chapter V. Corfirms what was declared in the preoious chapter with additional arguments. If the First Cause can crea te a n infinite number of effects above any one in particular, one of two difficulties ensues: either it will make an infini te effect by regressing infinitely, which is impo ssible, or, becau se it never reaches infinity, it will not mak e the most perfect effect of which it is capa ble, becau se presum ably it can make mor e and more perfect effects above th at one, and non e of the effects that it ca n make will therefore be the mo st perfect. But not to be able to make the most perfect effect is a very grea t imp erfection in the most perfect First Cause and a grea t flaw in the universe, which if this were the case would actually not co ntain the greatest perfection that its cause could give to it, so that it would be neither perfect nor un iversal. It also follows th at the First Cau se would never be able through its activity to produce all that it can, which is not only implau sible but implies a blat ant contra diction and is cont rary to reason , because if it goes on endlessly producing withou t ever reaching the final producible effect, not only will it never arri ve at the final effect th at it can produce: it will certainly never be able to produ ce the final one that it can produce or all that it can produce, and in effect it will not be able to produce that [40v] which it is capable of producing, becau se after having produc ed as many effects as it has produced and does or will produce in all actual moments of time or ima gined moments of eternity, there will still be ano the r th at it can produce, and above that on e oth ers that it could produ ce, without ever reachi ng the final on e of which it is capa ble, a nd therefore it will never be able to produce that which it is capable of producing . And I am not satisfied with what some othe rs say,

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that anyone of those that it is able to produce really can produce by itself, but that the plurality or totality of all those that it can produc e really cannot produce, because if it did so in part or in the whole, it would do something tha t it cannot do , and in effect its active potency would extend to being able to do som ething that, despite its wishes, it cannot do : in conclusion, it could do something that it cannot do , which is an obvious contradiction and impossiblc." The sam e reasoning appl ies to the objective potency, or noncont radiction of being in effects, by the terms of which it is impossible and a very great imp erfection that there should not be a contradiction implicit in th e existence of such an effect, and consequently that it would be impossible for som ething to exist that the First Cause was not actually able to produce. Because if it were po ssible, for whom wou ld it be possible? Certainly for the First Cause, for which alone everything that is possible, is possible: becau se if it is no t possible for the universal and primary C ausal Agent, being a possible bein g itself, it must be possible for another on e which, being less than the first (because it cannot be greater or equal) and consequently less strong, would be able to produce that which the stronger and superior could not , and the one which is the cause of the cause would not be the cause of its effect, and the one that is less would be more, because greater efficacy and power is always found in great er a nd more perfect essence. In summary, if it is not contra ry to reason that something should exist, it can exist, and if it can exist, it is by the power of the omnipotent first One, either directly or th rou gh intermediaries; bu t if we wer e to regress infinitely, there could be an effect for which, by itself, there would be no contradiction in the real nature of things, and, consequently, it would be something th at the one which is abl e to produce everything actu ally could not produce, which is ab surdly absurd. T herefore the First

19 See Aquinas, Summa theologiae la 45, 5 (discussing creatio ex nihilo): " Et quia nulla creatura hab et simpliciter potentiam infinitam , sicut neque esse infinitum . . . relinquitur quod nulla creatura possit creare" (p. 225). Ficino, Theologia platonica, Book II, C hapter 7: "Q uod [au tem] aliunde pend et, non est necessaria per seipsum. Non est igitur an gelus aut aliud quodvi s essendi necessitas, sed solus Deu s. Si nihil aliud prae ter Deum existit necessaria per seipsam, a Deo cuncta accipiunt esse. Hinc Physicorum quorumdam profana scntcntia conde mna tur, qui materiam , mundum, mcntem, non solum semper fuisse opinantu r, veru metiam nullo modo ex Deo secundum cssentia m depende rc, quam vis secundum actum inde pende ant" (Vol. I, pp . 93- 94).

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C au se is able to effect every thing that is capable of existing, and everything who se existence is not contradictory , which is, in effect, the most perfect effect that ca n exist, and this is undoubtedly the first one. In addition to the above , if the First Cause rose from the lowest to the highest and from lesser and lesser to grea ter and greater or mor e perfect effects in the universal production of thin gs, on e co uld say that , not bein g able actua lly to make a n infinit e effect, it co uld go on infinitel y producing greater and grea ter ones without arriving at one that co uld not be surp assed by makin g ever grea ter ones, and it would thu s never make so perfect an effect that it cou ld not make another even more perfect one. This happens with numbers : arising from the math em ati cal one (although it would be better to say descending and degenerating from it), they ar e ab le to receive infinite incr ease (even though in actu ality they will never receive it) because one ca n always add to an y number or mu ltiply it by anothe r. But becau se the First Cause do es not rise from lesser to greater effects when it produces but rather descends from above to below and from grea ter to lesser, from itself to a lower rank, and from her e or from ther e to ano the r lesser and lower one, and so on successively, nevertheless, given what we hav e seen, there is no infinite descent, becau se if ther e wer e the ea rth would not be the last of the mat erial bodies, nor would the prime matt er in its pu re poten cy be the last and lowest of entities, and closest to nothing. And because the re most certainly is no infinit e regress, th er e mu st be and is on e effect that is in dir ect contac t with the First C ause through which it descended to oth ers, one, I repea t, th at is close to it and thus most perfect , the mean s and first step in the descent to all remaining effects, and this is confirme d when we say that the one that is held between two extre mes or between two limits is necessarily finite and bounded, but th e First Cause, at on e extreme, and the lower int elligenc e or angels , at the ot her , are two extre mes or limi ts of everything that lies between , which between them selves [4 1rJ they conta in or encompass. It is th erefore obvious that wh at ever lies betw een cannot be infinite, becau se if it were one would never arrive at the First Cause and one would never complete the descent to the final int elligen ce: th e int ermediaries wou ld eithe r go beyond the limits or extre mes and thu s would not be intermediari es, or the extremes and limits, overta ken or excee ded, would not be extremes with respect to their int ermedi ari es but rather intermediaries of their intermediaries, tran sform ed int o limits of their limits, wh ich is a bla tant con-

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tradi ction. There is therefore a supreme and most perfect effect of the First C au se, which I prove with this argume nt: every efficient ca use a ttemp ts to make its effect resemble itself, and the grea ter the resembl an ce the more perfect it is and the more it is revealed and the more successfully it achieves the goal that it intends to reach throu gh its activity, which is to be comm unicated and manifested in its effect, becau se there is no doubt that the more it makes its effect resembl e it, the more it is communicated to it and, consequently, greater good is done. And it is shown to be mor e perfect and efficacious in its activity and effect, because its manifestation and presence are that mu ch more resplendent in the most perfect resemblan ce than in an imp erfect one , becaus e it is more recognizable and manifest in the greater one, which resembl es it more, than in the one that does not resembl e it, or resembl es it less. But the First C ause is the mo st perfect efficient cause and therefore mak es its effect resembl e it most perfectly, and in its capac ity as the supreme Good , whose quality it is to be comm unicated supremely, it communi cate s everything that can be communicated to the effect on its part, that is, everyt hing that does not raise it up and constitute it above a nd beyond th e limits of a n effect, which would make it un caused like its ca use, and infinite, which is imp ossible. In oth er respects, however , and with out implying an y contradiction, it mak es sense that the First Cau se should make its effect resembl e it as much as it is possible for a flawed , limited effect to resembl e its uncaused, supe rior, and infinite cause, because otherwise the cause would not have acco mplished every thing in its effect th at a n age nt intends , which is to make its effect resembl e it as greatly as possible, nor would it have communicated and manifested to it everything of which it was capable: therefore it would not have don e the good of which it was capable, and it would not have represent ed and glorifed everything that it could. T o this I add what Francisco Suarez says in his Metaphysical Qyestions, disput ation 35, first section , third part, that it is possible for th ere to be a produced non-material or corporeal substance . What he says is substantially the following: It certainly seems more possible, if it can be put this way, for a non-material or mental crea ted substa nce to exist, than for a material or corporeal substance to do likewise, becau se the purpose of the efficient ca use is to make its effect resembl e it: the more the effect resembl es its cause, therefore, the more adequa te, ideally suited, and versatile it is in issuing from its ca use, and the more po ssible, plau sible, fitting, and

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suitable it is that its caus e should produce it. In this way, because the First Cause is an incorporeal intellectual substance, it is in a certain sense more possible and more in keeping with this cause's nature and efficacy for it to produce an incorporeal and intell ectu al substance than a material and corporeal on e, insofar as the form er more closely resembles it th an the latter: becaus e the more actual, perfect and non-material the created substance is, the more it resembles the First Cause and its divin e essen ce and efficacy, and in this respect it is more possib le that it should issue from it and more fitting that it should emanate from it. 20 Relating this to our intention, one concludes that a most perfect effect issues from the First Cause and resembles it surpassingly, as proved in the first chapter of this Book , claiming that on ly one most perfect effect issues directly from the First Cause, whi ch is the 'Adam Q admon of our tea cher, the highest crown of all the kabbalists. [41v]

Chapter VI. With a noteworthy statement by Hakam Rabbi Moses Cordovero, confirms again that not more than one most pefea ~lfect issued from the First Cause. So that no one should think that what has been said comes from our head alone , I will her e quote the substance of what Hakam Rabbi Mos es Cordovero of blessed memory says on this subj ect," which will also be of no small benefit in understanding what will be said below , and it is the following matter about wh ich a number of '" Franc isco San ch ez, SJ ., the Do ctor Eximiu s, was born in Granad a in 1548, tau ght in Spain and Rom e but principally at the University of Co imbra, where he died in 161 7. The Disputationes metaphy sicae hold the place of hon or in his voluminou s work . Herrera closely paraphrases th e following passage trom the section on non -material crea ted substa nce: "Q uin potiu s (si ita loqui licet) possibilius videtur dar i imma terialem substantiam, quam materia lcm . Quod in hun c modum declaro: na m ca usa efficien s intendit sibi assimilare cflcctum suum; un de quo effcctus est similior cau sae , eo aptio r est ut ab ilia fiat; cum er go Deu s sit prima ca usa omnium , et ipse substa ntia spiritualis, possibilius quodam modo, et tali cau sae magis conscnta nc um est, ut a tali cau sa prodeant imm a tcriles substantiae , quam mat erialcs" (p. 425); "Q uod substa ntia crcata, quo actua lior et immaterialio r, eo est Deo similior, et ideo conformior divina e virtuti , et ex hac parte quodam modo possibilior, si tam en in hoc pot est esse magis et minus; nam divina pot ent ia cum sit infinita, ex se aeq ue pot est omnia" (p . 436). Fran cisco Suarez, Disputationes meiaphysicae, Disp. XXXV: De immatcriali substantia crca ta, sectio I, 3 (H ildesheim: Geor g O lms, 1965 [Paris, 1866], Vol. 2, pp . 425- 426). " As Herrera says near the end of the cha pter, this is a length y pa raphrase of Cordovero 's Pardes Rimmonim, Ga te 2 (which he calls the "Ga te of the U nde rstand ing [ta'amJ of 'Asilut," C ha pter 7.

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investigators and seekers of wisdom have expressed doubts: namely, wheth er or not there is pow er in ' Ein-Sof, the holy and blessed King of Kings of Kings, to produce othe r sefirot in addition to those alread y produced. And it is fitting that we look into this becau se, although 'E in-Sof does have the pow er to produce them , and it is a qu ali ty of its goodness to be com m unicated to others and to influence them , it did not produce thousands and thous ands of sefirot and a great many worlds the way it produced the ten sefirot and th is on e world. This matter or qu estion clearly disturbs the inquirer , who is in effect astoni shed because , strictly speaking, it is a simple or simple-minded subject: either the sefirot of which we hav e spoken, which 'Ein-Sof can produce, a re equ al to the on es that have been produced , th at is, Keter equal to Keter, Hokmah equal to Hokmah, and so forth for the rest, or they are superior and grea ter than them , or , finally, they ar e lesser or less perfect. It is impossible for them to be equal, because the sefirot ar e entirely incorporeal and non -m aterial and therefore ca nnot be divided from their ma'asil or cause, and they ca nnot be multiplied by ten, or by more or less tha n ten , except by mean s of ca use an d effect, I mean to say th at the ma'asil or First Cau se mu st be the ca use of the ne' esalim [effects] or sefirot, which is a difference between it and them along with oth ers which we will no t discuss a t this point. And thus Keter is separate from Hokmah insofar as Keter is the cause of H okrnah, and Hokmah the effect of Keter , and the oth ers are also sepa ra te from each other, and all from ' Ein-Sof the un caused, this on e being the cause of that one, and that one of the next , becau se otherwise there could not be any difference between them that wou ld multiply them by ten or any other number , becau se, not being corporeal, they cannot be divided into parts and one sefira h cannot be distingui sed ma terially from another or by division from the continuum. If someone proposing this argumen t were to maintain, therefore, that the re are ten sefirot equal to the ten we allow, we would answer that this is imp ossible, beca use K eter cannot be equ al to anothe r Keter except by division of a bod y, subject, or matt er that it necessarily lacks. It is even more imp ossible that more than one ne'e sal or effect should issue from a mo st simple, unique ma ' asil or ca use [42r] , becaus e if two or more issued from it, how would they be different? Not by qu antity or subject, which they do not ha ve, and less so by reference to th e ma' asil, which is one: one therefore conclude s that they mus t not be incorporeal or spiritual,

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or if they are it is impossible for there to be two that are equal or of the same species: rather, they must be a single effect from one cause. And we will reply in the same way for Hokrnah with Hokmah and similarly for the remaining sefirot, and conclude that there cannot be another ten equal to them, and it is not valid to say that there cannot therefore be power in the first ma'asil or cause to produce two ketarirn [plural for Keter] that would be its immediate effects, equal in species and different in number, because it is not due to a flaw or lack of power in either the cause or the effect that they cannot be produced but rather because of the superiority and perfection of both the one and the other, because in order to be different in number or individually they must abase themselves to the lowliness of the body, which can be divided into many parts and multiplied through division, and this is not plausible because the greatness of the Mast er is known through the greatness of the Servant, and it is a quality of the perfection of the first ma'asil or cause to perfect others outside itself and be replicated, and its perfection is recognized in that, being incorporeal and simple, it can produce bodies and composites and thus was able to produce two ketarim that were corporeal and consequently equal. We will answer that it already produced many effects of this kind, which are the angels that, according to true kabbalistic tradition, are bodily, even though their bodies are simple, elevated, and pure as if made of fire or more." Nor can it be said that the First Cause should create and distribute its spiritual being in such a way that, although by its nature it is non-material and indivisible, it can be divided into parts and portions, because this would be an imperfection and a defect of spiritual being, the perfection of which consists in being singular, undivided, indivisible, and exempt or free of quantity and parts. Thus for example one does not ask if the king has the power to be a servant and in response to the answer "No" concludes that the servant is more powerful than the king because he can do something that the king cannot, it being tru e that, for all his power, a king cannot be a servant, and if he could it would be an imperfection and weakness in him because of which he could not preserve the majesty and crown of his kingdom, the king's glory consisting in holding himself at a remove from all manner of servitude. And this is the case with 22 That is, a more rarified substance. Herrera discusses the corporeal nature of angels at length in Book I of Casa de la divinidad.

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the ma'asil or First Cause and in its ne'esalim and superior effects, that the perfection of the ma'asil is to communicate to its ne' esalim its incorporeal nature and the imprint of its ima ge and seal, so that they are simple, pure, and without ma terial composition, separated from bodi es and quantities and all of their conditions, and we conclude that there cannot be sefirot equal to the original ones for the sam e reason that they cann ot be grea ter than they: becau se the re is no difference between the ma'asil or ca use a nd the ne'e sal or effect unle ss it is the one that exists between cause a nd effect, or all that is possible. That the ne'esal should be close to the ma'asil is already the case, so that there is no spac e left between 'Ein-Sof a nd Keter for another nc' esal to exist in actuality or in po ssibility that would be ab ove Keter and below ' Ein-Sof and in effect betw een th e two, becau se there is no oth er difference between Keter and 'Ein-Sof except that the latt er is ca use and the former effect. O f course, the effect is infinitely inferior to the cause because it issues a nd degenerates from the infinite perfection of its cause, and as the prince of kabbalists says, although Keter the high one is mo st bright and outstanding, it is like darkn ess and shadow in compari son to 'Ein-Sof its ca use. And the re is no place for asking why ' Ein-Sof did not make Keter so perfe ct th at it would be its equal, because it does not lack activity and power for this (otherwise it would imply a contradiction ), and it is impossible that the effect should be equal to its uncaused cause or that the one that exists by virtue [42v] of another should be equal to th e one that exists by itself or in effect for that which is contingent and possible and by itself ind eterminate and indifferent to being or non-being to be equal to the one that is entirely necessary and exists by virtue of its own essence . We therefore conclude th at Ket er cannot be equal to ' Ein-Sof, nor the ne' esal to the ma'asil, not because of any imp erfection or lack of active poten cy in the ma'asil or ca use but rath er by the na ture of the ne'esal or effect, which in issuing from its cause degenerates and falls away from the perfection tha t infinitely exists and goes before it and which, becau se it is un caused, cannot participate in any caused or finite effect, it being necessary for the ne' esal to descend and degenerate from the perfection of its higher on e or cause according to the difference that always exists between the cause and its lower effect. It has therefore been determined tha t there cannot be a ne'esal that is superior to or more nobl e than K eter , becau se this Keter is the most excellent and perfect ne'esal tha t can po ssibly exist in the

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order of ne'esalim or effects, and it is differen t from its un cau sed ca use only insofar as it depen ds on it and is caused by it. And to say that the re sho uld be a sefira h tha t is lower and lesser than Keter is imp ossible becau se it already exists: it is H okm ah , above which there ca n be no high er one excep t Keter , becau se H okrnah , being a ne.'esal or effect of Keter, did not derive from it except as an effect fro m its ca use, witho ut there being any other difference between the two. It is imp ossible for there to be anothe r ne'esal or effect between Keter and H okm ah because nothing can be equal to Keter or to H okm ah for the reason we have alrea dy given, and there ca n be no intermediary betw een Keter a nd H okm ah becau se Keter and H okm ah are specific, imm ediat e, and connected ca use and effect in such a way th at there is no difference or distan ce between th em that is capable of receiving an effect, first from H okm ah a nd afterwa rd from Keter , unless it had descended from H okm ah to the place or rank of Binah , which is the third effect or ne' esal, in which case H okm ah would not be the second nc' esal, as we assume, but rath er Binah , and H okm ah would be the third effect, which is imp ossible. Up to this point the argument is from H akam Cordovero in his Pardes Rimmonim or "G arde n of Pom egr an at es," in the "Gate of the U nde rstan ding of 'Asilut ," C ha pte r 7, which confirms, in agreeme nt with all the kabbalists, that there is a supreme, direct, a nd spec ific effect of the First Cause, the most perfect that can be produced and as such the ca use, by the power of the first one, of all following on es, which issue from it th rough Hokm ah , Binah , and the othe r sefirot. And two things ar e wor thy of note, the first of which is that , altho ugh it is called Keter, it is not the K eter of the ema na ted world of 'asilut above which is the infinite world, as one learns from the Zohar a nd th e Tiqqunim a nd as our tea ch er H akarn Isaac Luria Ashken azi of glorious mem ory teaches and pronoun ces, but rather ,Adam Qadmon and his most high Keter or crown, which is th e cro wn of the ketarim or crowns; and the oth er thin g to notice with diligen ce and atte ntion is that the wise C ordovero takes from and develops philosophical arguments from Avicenn a, R. Moses of Egypt,"

! l T hat is, Mairuonidcs. Cordovero q uotes this philosop her' s Mishneh Torah and Guide to the Perplexed on num erous occasions. H errera here cred its him with being the pri ncipal practitioner of the sync retistic or philosop hical kabbalah and therefor e an imp ortant model.

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and his followers, in orde r persuasively to present a nd elabora te the kabbalistic truth which teaches as I have done, and I make use of the stateme nts and argume nts of Plato, Aristotle, T homas Aquinas, and other theologian s and philosoph ers withou t debating their efficacy, so that they enjoy the estee m that the most learn ed and pious men will gra nt them and, founded on the infallible Truths of the kabbalah or divin e recepti on , embrace anothe r, greater one, the better to illustrate a nd state them. [43r]

Chapter VII. Following Durandus and Scaliger, attests and establishes that there cannot be an irfinue ascent in the iffects if the First Cause, and that there must necessarily be One which is the supreme Good and most pefea. Durandus, who am ong the scholastic theologians atta ined the title of Doctor Illuminatu s, gives more or less the following arguments in the first of his QJlestions, distinction 44, second part: Although everythin g that the First Cause contains in itself is infinite in both its mental essence a nd the mind itself, along with everything that is attributed to it that is connec ted or related to crea ted beings (to which some thing in them cor respo nds), it cannot be infinite in its own mind (as we say of the ideas) becau se the divine essence does not have a mind composed of ideas except insofar as it can be imitated by crea ted beings; and because none of them is or can be infinite, no idea is infinite in the First C ause in its own ment al essence becau se what is imitated a nd wha t is capa ble of imitation mutually correspo nd, and eac h one acts to define the othe r. This pr oves that one cannot proceed infinitely in the spec ific perfection s of created beings: rather , there is or can be one so perfect that there cannot be an oth er more perfect, becau se some idea in the C rea tor corre spo nds to each po ssible species of creat ed beings, and, given that there cannot be an infinite number of ideas in the Crea tor, surely there cannot be an infinite number of species of crea ted beings. And that there is no t an infinite number of ideas in the First Cause is proved by the fact th at if there were, bein g that some numbers are subordina te to oth ers (like the species that imitate them) in such a way that the perfection of the lower is contained in tha t of the higher like the vegetative in the sensitive, and at least one spec ies accrues pe rfection over another like one number over another, if this were the case (he says) it would follow that th ere was an idea that enco mpassed an infinite number of perfections, which is imp ossible becau se

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in accordance with th e perfection that, being supre me, conta ins infinite pe rfections, some species of created being could be produced that had an infinite number of perfections, which implies a contradiction . In addition to this, in the same way that one proves the existence of a First Cause from the order and finite ascent of causes to it, obviously there is a first and surpassingly perfect caus e by virtu e of the order of distinctive perfections, and just as the first argum ent wou ld hav e no efficacy if there was an infinite regress of efficient causes , neither would the second if there could be an infinite regress of distinctive perfections. And because in every class there is a surpassingly perfect species, like the sun among celestial bodie s and man among the animals, so among th e totality [43v] of all produced and producible ranks (and no less so in the orders, as all allow for the intelligible order , but also in the species) there must be on e supremely perfect measure or standard of all oth ers, as the Philosopher says," which , being supreme though finite, limited the divine infinity to its limited communication and nature. This in essence is what Durandus maintains." Now let us listen to what Julius Caesar Scaliger, a most perc eptiv e p hilosopher, says in his book De subtilitate contra Cardano, exercise 249 , where he wrote the following: if the First Cause op erated in the best and most perfect way (beca use it is a quality of perfect bei ng to operate perfectly), and it wer e to add some additional perfection to this best and most perfect effect, it wou ld follow that the effect that we assume to be the most perfect effect because it issued directly from the best and most perfect cause wou ld not be the most perfect, becaus e the on ly one that can receive new per-

2 1 The idea is echoed in Aquin as, Summa contra Gentiles 1, 28: " Item in unoquoque genere est aliq uid perfectissimum in genero illo, ad quod omni a qua e sunt iIIius generis mensurantur, quia ex eo unumquodque ostenditur magis et minu s esse perfectum , quod ad mensuram sui gene ris magis et minu s appropinquat" (q uoted by Yosha, Milos, pp . 3 70 -3 71, note 79). Also Ficino, 17zeologia platonica, Book II, C hapter 7: "Q uicq uid a utem est in aliquo genere summum puram debet hab ere generi s illius naturam , rebus aliis non imrnixtam , ne minuatur per mixtion em"; Ch apter 9: "q uicquid est in aliq uo gene ra pr imum purum est, et solum, ct in seipso" (Vol. I, pp . 9 3 and 99 ). 2', Durandus of Sain t-Pourcain (c. 1275-1 334 ), Domini can theo logian who wrot e: "Sicut nulla crcatura est infinita, sicut nulla idea in Deo est infinita sub propria ration e ideae" (Ourand us de San cto Por ciano , In Petri Lombardi Sententias theologicas commentarium libri IllI [R idgewood , New Jersey: The Gregg Press, Inc., 1964 (Venice, 15 71)], Book I, dist. 44, q. 2, part 8, p. 115); and section 16, p. 116 : " Excepta una quae ponitur terminus cuius ad ditio non pot est facere de finito infinitum ."

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fection and increase is the one that, lacking them both, is somehow imperfect or faulty . To this we may add that there is not a single action that issues from the One (which is surpassingly perfect and correct) that is perfect and correct in itself, because privation and a lack of supreme goodness and potency are a consequence of effecting less good , as if one were to say that the supreme Good and power does not operate perfectly and completely and that the one that possesses it is a worse or less powerful agent than itself, against the con cept of the suprem ely good and pow erful One that only wishes and is able to activate good, and in a perfect way. And if they should say that suprem e pot ency includes the smallest potency from which a lesser effect can issue, I answ er that goodness, which is the measure of potency and is one and the sam e as the Deity , neither wishes nor allows anything less than to be able to do good perfectl y, and thus from the suprem e absolute Good there issues only that which is suprem e a nd perfect in a ny class or order. And thus we observe that man is surpassingly good in his class, and likewise the fly and the bedbug in theirs , because they would not be what they are if they did not reach the high est point of their being and activity, and assuming that there is no int ermediary species between man and the ultimate mind, certainly nothing can be added to man essentially. And yet if on e were to wonder if the First Cause can produce anothe r effect above the highest, increasing the primary created perfection among the ranks of th e universe , I would answer that it can but th at it does not wish to, so as not to differ with itself about the imp erfect operations or effects that it produced before. And arguing more cleverly, and beyond the boundaries of ordinary minds, I repeat that, in adding any perfection to creat ed ones by its infinite power, the First Cau se must stop at a single one and cease incr easing and adding more to infinity becaus e it is impossibl e for there to be an infinite effect that is not surpass ed by its uncaused cau se, and if the effect is surpassed , as it undoubtedly is, it is not infinite. One should the refore say that the First Cause can always mak e an effect th at is higher and more perfect than an y that has been made but that what can be produced cannot allow this infinity because it is finite in both essence and number. It must therefore eithe r emanate infinitel y or give rise to some infinit e being, which is impossible, or stop at a supreme effect which, although finite, is mo st perfect and as close and imm ediately connec ted to the First C au se as possible. Up to this point the argument is essentially

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from Sca liger," to which I would add by way of brin ging this matter to a close, th at the First C ause knows itself to be eithe r infinitely or finitely communicable to its effects: it cannot know itself to be infinitely communicable, becau se this is false, it being the case, as has so often been proved , that it is finitely communicable, and [44r] it would be contradictory for there to be an infinite effect or num ber that was not included in its cause's inten tion ; that was neither odd nor even in any num erical species; that was not contained in any unity by parti cipation with which it is a whole; that was not mad e up of man y parts eac h of which is one and, j oined together into one, made a whole th at, being measured by one, is limited and one a nd not nothing or a manifold of infinite pluralities, infinitely mixed. Because it does not a nd ca nnot have an infinite number of effects (it being impossible for there to be a manifold or number ~li The length y paraph rase is from the hum an ist Julius Caesar Scaliger (1484- 1558). In Part 3 of his a ttac k on Girolamo Ca rdano (150 [-1 576) he asks: "An novae spec ies a nat ura p rogig ni q ueant ." It is interesting to look at it in its entirety as an exa mp le of how Herrera mo lds a utho rity to his own a rguments. Sealiger writes in part: "Deus si optim e fecit: fecit autem opti me op timus: et addat huic, quod fecit, aliq uid bo nitat is: non optimum illud ia m fuerit, q uod erar optimum . . . [320rJ Q uia in unaquaque aetione unum tan tum rectum est: idque a recto , id est a summa recto , Deo ipso constitutum. Quar e q uodeunque pr aeter illud rectum est, non est Dei, sed non Dei. Propterea quod minu s bene facere eapessit privation em summi ba ni, et sum ma e potestatis . Deus a utem sum mum bo num solus est, et potestas sum ma. Itaque sentent ia haec nihil detrahit de divin a pot ent ia , ae bon itat e: quin potius et ag noscit, et fatet ur incomparabilem perfectionem . Per ind e enim esset, ae si dicerem us, no n opt ime Deum operatum esse. Item illud. Deum esse posse arti ficem seipso deteriorem . At bonus non potest, nisi bene: pcrfectus, no]n] nisi perfeete . . . Quia a summa bono simpliciter, no] n] po test, nisi summum bonu m, in unoquoque genere , a ut online ent ium , proficisci. Homo najmj qu e suo in genere sum me bonum est: et musca, et cimex in suis quicq ue circ unscriptionibus essentia libus. No n enim essent hoc, q uod sunt: nisi in summo suo (ut ita loqu ar) essendi essent. C um igitur inter homin em , et proxim am intclligen tiarn nulla intersit species , nulla inter erit perfcctio. Nihil igitur homin i ad d i pot est. An Deus ibi noui qui cqu am possit et crea re, et addcrc? Possit. Sed nolit posse: qu ia seipsum argue ret imp erfectioni s ope rae , q uam in prior e opc re po suisset. Adhuc subtilius, atq ue supra quotidian aru m intcllectionum limit es tran scamus [note that Herrera omits this line]. Dico tibi: cum rei perfeetae, ex infini tae suae potcn tiae perfectionc, quippia m perfection is ad iunx erit Deus: sta ndum illi esse aliqua ndo , et ab operis illius auetione eessandum . Non enim potest ipse faeere ens essentia infinitum . Faceret enim alium Deu m. Quare dice[n]du m est: Deum qui dem posse facere sempe r aliquid meli us: rem a utem ipsam no n posse suscipere iIIam infinita tem . Neq ue cnim est, ut in rebu s nostratihus. Frustra nam qu e est hie ap ud nos po tenti a , quae non habet, in quod cxerc ea tur [an oth er ana logy to human lifeJ. Nam pot enti ac hie, et actus , sunt rclariva. At Dei poten tia ad nihil refertur" (Emtencamlll exeratationum fiber XV de subti/itate ad Hierouymum Cardanum [Paris, 155 7], Exercita tion 249, fo. 320v); a lso: "sed sua solius est, et ipsa sibi, et hoc, quod est, et hoc ornne, quod sunt omnia" (end of pa rt 3, fa. 32 1r).

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that is not finite), it is certain that both the knowledge of the First Cause and its communication have limits and consequently that there is in it, insofar as it has intercourse with its effects, a highest and a lowest and in effect one so high and perfect that there cannot be another that is more elevated and complete. And there is no doubt that if one allows an infinite number of producible perfections, one on top of another, then the First Cause must either acknowledge an infinite producible perfection or produce the perfection that is not known (p roceeding from one to another infinitely), or at least know anew that which was not known before, because although according to our way of understanding there can be successive events within the activity of the Deity (and consequently we say that it does today what it did not do yesterday and will not do tomorrow), there cannot be successive events in its knowledge because it holds in itself the indivisible present of its unchanging eternity, all that ever was, is, and will be, in such a way that the past does not take away from it or deprive it and the future does not add to or increase it, and thus it was neither ignorant yesterday of what it achieves today, nor the opposite, so that if it continues operating infinitely it necessarily acquires new knowledge, as if acquiring a new effect, which is entirely contrary to the surpassing perfection and immutability of its knowledge . It remains for us to conclude, then, that it knew the surpassing and most perfect effect ab etemo and activated it when it so desired because, although its power is infinite, the nature of producibles, which are limited in perfection and number, is not capable of realizing infinite activity and influence, and if anyone should say that potency is connected to activity and effect, and that activity is ineffective or as they sayan impediment that does not effect what it can , I answer that divine potency is its own infinite and perfect essence and as such is not connected or related to, and it cannot relate to, anything outside itself, and it does not have any other goal or objective but itself, in itself. It is therefore not necessary for it to produce an infinite effect or to do what is contrary or impossible or in effect anything that implies a contradiction beyond all subjective and objective potency. It is quite plausible for it to effect outside itself the most perfect being that can exist, which must be a finite one because it cannot be infinite. [44v]

FrITH B O OK OF ABRAHA~I COHEN DE H ER RERA ' S G AT E OF H EAVEN

Chapter l. Describes eight kinds if irfinu», only three if which can be and are applicable to the First Cause, that is 1. irifinity if essence, perfection, and operation; 2. infinity if duration or eternity, and 3. that if size, presence, and preseruation. \Ve have given an a nswer to the first doubt or objec tion among those raised abov e, in Ch apt er 3 of the Fourth Book. We will now give a nothe r that is in grea ter agree me nt with the doctrin e that the Peripatetics or scholastic theologians currently follow, and which is greatly supported by the words of our teach er the Rab of Luria, and it is this: Supposing that the most suprem e or supe rior possible effect did not exist, ' Ein-Sof the First Cause would have limited its power , by the exercise of its mind and will, in such a way that it produced limited effects a nd ac tual time a nd space , and this is the simsum or shrinking of its light which occurred pri or to the produ ction of the world s and of 'Adam Q admon , its most noble effect, a nd I hop e it will not be fruitless to expa nd on this. Ther efore, invoking its name, we say that in order to und erstand the infinity of the First Cau se, which was dem onstrated in C hapter 6 of the Thi rd Book, one mu st define its eight kinds, so as to und erstand those kinds that a rc contrary to it a nd those tha t are appropriate to it, a nd why they a re so. And assuming that the one that is infinite and is called infinite (tha t is, the one that is not bounded by any limit or is lacking all limits) is such that no mat ter how mu ch of it is grasped or reach ed, there is always more a nd more to reach and grasp, it would seem that one can attribute the definition and name of infinite to som ething in one of eight ways, the first of which is continuous magnitude, as if we were to say that there was some line , surface, or bod y th at , lacking limits, was extended infinitely, and that this infinity not only does not exist in the universal nature of all thin gs, as all of the most perceptive philosoph ers and theologian s un animously maintain and prove, but, even if it did exist, could not be attributed to the First Cause, which is surpassingly simple, indivisible, and one and incomparably sepa ra ted from all matt er , qu antity, extension, and corporality. The second kind of infinity is observed in discrete or sepa ra te magnitude, as if one were to think of an

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infinite or un countabl e number, and this one, too, cannot in any way be assigned to the First Cause, which is singular and unique, excluding outside itself anything with which it might , thro ugh congruity, establish or form a numb er , and it is so simple an d pu re that it does not and cannot have any diversity, difference, composition, or number. The third kind of infinity is according to qu ality, as if there were some infinite heat [45r] or whiteness that does not also exist in nature: and becau se qu ality, like accident, depends on a substance in which it can rest or abide, being always less perfect than it and limited to it according to its own capa city, it is clear that if there is not and cannot be an infinite substance outside the First Cause, then there is not and cannot be an infinite qu ality or other accide nt, becau se infinite qu ality or pow er cannot possibly reside or be located in a finite substa nce, and in the First Cause there is no qu ality, becau se it is its own essence which, being mostly perfectly self-constituting, excludes all accident of qu ality or qua ntity or of a ny other kind . T he fou rth kind of infinity, then, is the one called of potency, like continuous magnitud e, which is infinitely divisible, or discrete magni tud e or number , which can be infinitely increased, or, finally, matt er, which can be infinitely sha ped: this kind of infinity is entirely foreign to the First Cause which, being exemp t from all quantity, number, matt er , and po tency, cannot be lacking, divided, or increased in any way, and it cannot receive from itself or from any other that which it does not have, or be more or less than what it is and has. The fifth kind of infinity is by privation, a nd it is the kind that , becau se it lacks the limitation that it could and should have, is imp erfect a nd flawed like matter which, deprived of the forms that perfect and activate it, is as imp erfect as it is unb ounded or undefined: this kind of infinity, like that of sin a nd evil, cannot be connected to the First C ause which is in essence most pure activity a nd the suprem e Good which not on ly excludes all privation and potency from itself bu t also does not allow infinite evil to exist outside itself (because this is imp ossible), and it does not allow any evil that is not surpassed by good and subordina te to good or founded in the same good and eventually redu ced to it, and thu s there is not and cannot be infinite privation or evil. T here rem ain s the sixth kind of infinity, which is a qu ality of tha t which is infinite by virtue of its essence and beca use it is that being or existence that is most purely self-constituting and free of all bounded or finite nature, so

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that its active poten cy, which is not distinct from its being , allows no boundaries: the being , I repeat, that is so unlimited that it excludes from itself all limitations of potency and all positive, negative, or privative operations, essence and existence, essence and subjects, class and difference , substance and accident, being, power, activity , and everything else that has been discussed in this Book; and its essence thus infinitely surpasses all others, and its potency is extended in order to activate everything that is absolutely possible, infinitely outstripping everything that ca n be or is understood about it because it is the one that, by its own nature, does not have any limit within itself by which to be bounded, or any cause outside itself that can limit it, or any mind that can understand it. The seventh kind of infinity , then, is that which is called of duration, which applies to that which always was, is, and will be , whose duration or life has no beginning, middl e, or end ; and it is also a quality of that which is entirely unmoving and fixed and has in it no finite parts like the past, which existed in such a manner that it had a limit and an end and ceased to exist and therefore truly is no longer, or the future, which will happen in such a manner that it does not yet exist and, whenever it should arrive, will be what it will be, and might not come into being, but eventually has an end or limit. There is, finally, the eighth kind of infinity, as far as we are concerned, the one called infinity of pres ence or preservation, which is nothing else than the being that is not limited to any place or time but is always present to all, both those that, because they do not yet exist, can exist without any contradiction in their existing, and those that actually do exist in the nature of things and, in effect, in all spaces, places , and locations that really are or could be or can be imagined; and these three kinds of infinity, that is, that of essence [45v], perfection or active potency; that of eternity or endless duration, stable and fixed ; and that of size, presence, and the preservation of all real and possible plac es, are qualities of the infinite First Cause, which for this reason is called 'Ein-Sof or infinite by our divine teachers. We will demonstrate this again (in addition to what we argued in Chapter 6 of Book Three) in Chapters 2 and 3 below , claiming that 'EinSof is infinite in essence and perfection, and in Chapter 4, proving that it is everlasting and not only has no beginning or end but also no succession or movement, and, finally, in Chapter 5, showing that it is of vast size and, because it is free of quantity and division , is present for and helpful to all things, both those that exist and those

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that are possible, and in all of the places that contain or can contain them.

Chapter II. Proves with clear arguments that the First Cause is surpassingly pefec: because it is the one that is exempt orfree from all flaws, both negative and privative. Aristotle remarks in the fifth book of his Metaphysics that the being that is perfect and appropriately called so lacks nothing, I and because this exemption or exclusion of flaws can be in one of two ways, the first of which is privative and the second negative, there can clearly also be two kinds of perfect beings, the first of which does not have in itself any privative flaw and is therefore so perfect that it lacks nothing of that which is appropriate to it according to its nature, so that it may realize its fullness and fulfillment; and there are many of these perfect ones which lack nothing in their species or classes but are nevertheless not entirely perfect because they do not have in themselves the universal perfection of all things . The second kind of perfect being, then, and the one that lacks nothing negatively, is the one that includes in itself all perfections that do and can exist, in every sense of the word "being," because it does not and cannot lack anyone of them or all of them together, by rank: it is so perfect that all possible perfections are entirely due to it and, consequently, it contains them in itself with such necessity that it lacks and can lack none of them in any sense whatsoever. And this one which is negatively perfect, and this one alone, is the uncaused and necessary being by essence, that is, the infinite primary Causal Agent, which is proved by the fact that it cannot lack any perfection that is connected to it or is due to it by privation, because it possesses all perfections by itself, as is fitting for the one that exists and is perfect by itself and necessarily, containing by itself and in itself all perfections that are due to its nature so that, being independent of any other, it cannot be deprived by another of what it is in itself and possesses by itself, and it cannot deprive itself of the [46r] perfections that are connected to it, because it is a quality of everything that is and exists to want, love, preserve, and sustain its own perfections and not deprive itself of them or allow itself to be deprived or divested of them except through violence, when overcome by the

I

Metaphysics, Book V, Chapter 7.

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active impulse of some other thing which oppose s it with greater force and resistence, a nd also becau se the First Cause does not possess its natural perfections as if it had received them from itself efficiently bu t rather by virtu e of its nature or , as they say, formally and negatively. I mean to say that it was not per fected by itself and it does not perfect itself by communica ting itself to the being that in some sense it originally lacked, rat he r that its being and perfection does not issue from another , so tha t it has neither the one nor the other by par ticipa tion from a nything or by depe ndence on anythin g but rath er by itself a nd by the formal perfection of its own nature. Becau se it did not in effect give itself the being or perfection tha t it includes efficiently, it cannot be deprived of either the on e or the oth er , in particular of the on e that is formall y suited to it by its na ture. In addition to the above, being most simple a nd pure and without any composition or nu mb er, the First Cause cannot be deprived of any perfection witho ut being depri ved of them all a nd of its entire essence, which is identi fied with and identical to a ny of its perfections and to all of them together; and because it is pure, necessary, and ete rnal being, this implies a contradiction. In conclusion, the being th at is p rimary and necessary by itself does not lack anything by privation , and it is also evident that it does not lack a nything by negation , in an absolute sense, in the universality of things. If we take into account tha t all actual or possible perfection is eithe r indep end ent or dependent , or to pu t it more clearl y, uncau sed or caused, if it is uncau sed it is certain that it consists of the primary being that is necessary by itself, as was proved in the first and second cha pters of the third Book, where it was explained tha t there was a single un cau sed, self-constituting being; but if it is caused, it mu st necessarily be ca used by the primary one which is un cau sed a nd self-constituting. T his was also proved by affirming that by its essence it is the principal efficient cause of everything that exists by participation and issues from anothe r. And assuming of course, th at there does not and cannot exist a nything outside this sovereign cause tha t is not contained in it or possessed by it in advance , it is beyond disput e that it possesses in itself all the perfection s of all the things tha t issue from it, because the per fection of the effect necessarily pr esupposes and is located in the ca use tha t by itself and by its sufficient power is able to pr odu ce it a nd does produce it, becau se nothing exists or is active except insofar as it actively exists and possesses something, and it cannot and does not

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give to others that which it does not have. T herefore, the one that can an d does give everything to all lacks nothing, and this argument not only concludes tha t all caused and un cau sed effects are in the First Cause but also proves by similar mean s that all possible perfection s a re presen t in it; an d assuming that they have not existed and do not exist bu t could exist, they can exist, and there is no contra diction in this, because if they are possible they can only be possible by virtue of the one tha t, existing by itself necessarily, is the ca use of all those possible effects which exist by virtue of others. It is therefore beyon d disput e that all possible perfections a re present in the p rimary, self-subsistent being, becau se nothing can exist that does not issue from it dir ectly or through its intermediari es, and nothing issues from it that is not present in it. vVe therefore conclud e that all actual and possible perfections a re pr esent in it and that it is consequently entirely and supremely perfect or, as they say, perfect by negation a nd negatively, which is wha t we mean. Let us confirm the a bov e, th a t the prima ry being , as we have proved, is not only more perfect th an all others that in some way exist or have being but is also more perfect than all those that [46v] can exist with ou t contradiction. From this it follows that it is not only more perfect th an all beings as they a re but that it is also more perfect insofar as it contains them in itself. This is proved by the fact that if we allow the existence of something that surpasses all others in perfection , if th is being does not contain the perfections of all the others in itself, it will not be more perfect than any po ssible being beca use there could be another th at is not only, like it, more perfect than all the others, bu t tha t also has the additional perfection that it contains all of the perfection s of all in itself: being the one that surpasses all others in perfection and also includes and contain s them all, it is therefore more perfect than the one that , in only surpassing them , does not contain them . Certainly the most perfect primary being not only sho uld bu t does surpass in perfection all others that do or can exist, bu t it also contains and encompasses them in itself, as proved by the fact that the uncau sed pr imary being is not only more perfect with respect to being tha n all subsequent beings but also insofa r as it is the sour ce and cause of them all, and becau se in order to be the source and ca use of all th ings it is not enough to be more perfect than them all: it mu st also contain them in itself, as we see in individual seconda ry causes, for example in

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men and lions which, altho ugh they are more perfect tha n horses or mice, cannot and do not produce them becau se even though they surpass them in per fection they do not contain them in themselves in a supe rior formal way. The universal First Cause therefore contain s all thin gs in itself because all issue from it and are its effects, all the more so becau se in order for the being that is by its essence primary to be most perfect, as it is, it mu st not only surpass all thin gs, eac h one in itself and sepa rately from the others, but also all of them together and uni ted among them selves, and not in any way at all but rath er in the most perfect and superior way of surpassing a nd outstripping everything tha t is possible in the universality of all thin gs, and the most perfect way to sur pass all beings unit ed among them selves is to conta in everything that exists in all of them in a superior way. And this can be explained or dem onstrated by saying that when on e thing is more perfect than others witho ut containing their perfections in itself, even though it is more perfect in an absolute sen se, it can nevertheless in some sense turn ou t to be less perfect than these othe r perfections, like for exa mple the sun which, being absolutely more perfect than the moon, is in some quality or sense less perfect tha n it and surpa ssed by it, for instan ce in being the ca use of the movem ent of the sea and the increase of all humors and liquid things, and the same is tru e for man who, being more per fect than the lion or the stag, is out stripped by the former in strength and by the latter in speed, becau se although the sun and ma n a re more perfect and of a supe rior spec ies than the moon and the lion or stag, they do not includ e or contain them in themselves, as p roved by the fact that they cannot p roduce them. Let us therefore conclude that the being th at is first by its essence, which is the First Cause, becau se of its surpassing perfection must and does surpass all perfections of all thin gs, becaus e it outstrips and overtakes them not only in a n absolute sense but also in all qu alities, conditions, and specific perfection s to such a degree that it cannot be surpassed by any other in eithe r an absolute or a limited sense, and it ca nnot have this kind of perfection and superiority with out containing all things in itself, in addition to which, if it did not possess this superiority a nd qu ality of encompassing a nd embracing, it would not be the most perfect primary being in all of the mean ing, magnitud e, and perfection of being, nor could it ca use the entire meaning and perfection of being, as it does. [47r]

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Chapter III. The infinity qf the divine nature cf the First Cause is deduced and demonstrated.from its surpassing perfection, which has been demonstrated. The being tha t is infinite in perfection and essence (to set it ap art from that which is the same in duration, presence, qu antity, number , and so forth ) consists of a negation of all limited perfection and essence, and this spec ifically indicat es a supreme and absolute perfection which excludes from itself all imp erfection s and flaws and all bounded perfe ction and as such lacks and is depri ved of the oth er perfections that it neith er is nor contains in itself in an absolute sense. Considered in an absolute sense, then , it is imp erfect, but the un caused primary being, because it is the very being, presence, and cause of all oth er thin gs, is surpassingly perfect, as was proved in the last chapter: therefore there is no doubt that it includes the perfection that is being in an absolute sense, and it is infinite in essence and perfection. This is confirmed by the fact that , being pure being and self-subsistent, it is surpassingly perfect, including in itself all the perfections of being becau se it does not parti cipate its being from any othe r: rather , possessing it in itself and by itself and by virtu e of its intrinsic nature and the necessity of its existence, it cannot have it in itself in a dim inished , defective, lacking, or as it were fragment ed way, or as th ey say parti ally and acco rding to any one of its parts, but rather according to its total , universal width and length and in effect according to all the perfection to which an entire genera l being or po ssible entity can extend itself. It is therefore not limited to an y class or rank of being but rather includes in itself all the perfection that ca n exist in all being and in all things that have it, so that the infinite being that is a qu ality of the most pure first One is not constituted by a ny other: rather , in its perfection it is not assigned or limited to any class of perfection s into which created thin gs are divided, which includes th at one class alone, but not all of the othe rs, in the most perfect way that suits the surpassing primary perfection, and it is not limited , in each of the classes of perfections of which we have spo ken, to a clear and defined rank tha t can be observed in participated being that does not have this perfection in a more nobl e and excellent way tha n that which is specific to the crea ted beings which actually exist, or than wha t they can parti cipate and receive, no matt er how mu ch they continue perfecting them selves by expa nding themselves. In addition to this, the being that is prima ry by its essence lacks all boundari es and limits,

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being that one which , because it does not exist [47v] by participation from another , ca nnot be bounded by the efficacy or will of the communicating being that has conferred or given it this amount of perfection but no more, or by th e capacity of any recipient that exists by way of passive potency, or by only the potency that is called obj ective, because, existing by itself and not by virtu e of another, by itself and not in any potential subject, without having an y objective potency to exist by external operation or efficacy, no source or principle of limitation and end can be attributed to it: because its being has no cause, it cannot and does not hav e eithe r a giving or efficient cause of its limitation as recipient or potency , because being entirely independent and primary it is free from them both , and self-constituting in itself." In addition to the abov e, any being that possesses limited perfection and, like a portion or part of total being , can and actually do es issue from the primary being that includes all perfections in itself, thus com es into being like the opposite of the primary being that exists by itself in such a way that it cannot issue from another. \Ve therefore conclude that this limited being, like that which can be produced, is not the primary being, which is entirely unproduced and unproducible, all the more so because the limited being is not surpassingly perfect, becaus e a more perfect or superior one can be conceptualized and understood correctly . And thinking this through, there is no reason or cause that obliges us, or any contradiction or impossibility that requires us, to accept that the self-sufficient being limits itself more to this class of perfection than to any other one or to others, or within each class to one rank more than to another sup erior one, even though we should ascend infinitely. It therefore seems to me that we have arrived at a rather efficacious and sufficient argument in this difficult and lofty att empt to prove the infinity of the primary being, both because there ca nnot be a concept that proves this truth by cause , or as they say a priori, because, being uncaused, the First Cause that we are discussing does not hav e a cause, and also because one must rise to the root and cause of every class of possible perfections in which this perfection has surpassing perfe ction and an intrinsic need to exist, because if it did not have it, it would have nowh ere from which to emerge, and it could not arrive at its specific nature through

2 See Plotinus, Ennead 5.4.1; Proclus, The Elements qf Theology, Proposition 4 1; and Ficino, Theolcgia platonica, Book I, Chapter 6; Book II, passim.

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ema na tion, as it actu ally did arrive. The concept of being as such thu s dem ands and requires tha t, in accorda nce with the full scope of its possible perfection , which can truly be conceived and understood, there be some necessity of being, or necessary being, that contains it in itself in a supe rio r formal way so that , by issuing from it, it can come into being by itself and in the nature of thin gs and in effect acquire being from possibility through objective potency and actually exist with out contra diction, becau se it would not exist to the extent that it is a possible being and by itself not committed to either being or non-being, a nd in order to exist it needs the one that exists necessarily by itself, in order to give and communicate to it the being that it lacks by itself. It is also certain that this necessary being cannot be connected to many or be present in them as if divided and multiplied , because as was proved in the Third Book and is a recognized teaching and beyond disput e, there cannot exist more than one being th at is self-subsistent and necessary by itself and trul y infinite in perfection and essence, like the one that is not limited to a ny class amo ng all the perfections, both actual and possible, that exist and have being in the universality of all being, and it is not limited to all the perfections or, among them , to any rank or specific mode of anyone or of all together, becau se it is truly infinite being.

[48r] Chapter I V. Assigns eternity to the First Cause and in dtfining it reveals its qualities and perfictions. That the infinite First Cause is unchan ging and unmoving is proved by the fact th at, being most pure act a nd most simple uni ty, it cannot possibly be in an y way cha ngeable becau se all movem ent by definition is made of and includ es pri vation and potency, plurality and diversity of parts, like the one th at , travelling from one extreme to another, toward which it is heading through one or more intermediarie s, is composite in potency and participates in them [i.e. the intermediaries] and in the different moments of time, which are the past, the present , and th e futur e, that limit and measure all mov emerit." But if only that which moves is measured by time (granted that time is the measure and number of movem ent), the First Cause, which is entirely unmoving, will as such be free of all measur emen t in time and there will not be in it eithe r first or last, or bein g I

Aristotle, Phy sics, Book VIII, Chapter 5, 2 19a-b.

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subsequent to non-being or non-being subsequent to being, or any other change, sequence, or passage, because these cannot and do not exist without time, and without time they are not observed or understood. One therefore concludes that the First Cause, being immutable, necessarily lacks a beginning and an end and is everything that it is in a most unique and stable way, which is truly eternal being. This is confirmed by the following argument: We notice that some things are possible or contingent and as such can either exist or not exist, like those that are capable of being born and corrupted. But all possible things have a cause, because, being by themselves equally indifferent to being and non-being, in order for them to acquire being some cause must intervene, and because there cannot be an infinite regress of causes one must arrive at one cause above all possible beings that is necessary , and this one either has a cause or not: if not , it is because it is necessary by itself, which is what we are claiming. But if it does have one, because there is no infinite regress we must in the end arrive at one that is uncaused and primarily necessary by itself and therefore eternal, because all being that is necessary and self-existing is etern al, oth erwise by implication it would be possible, contingent, and issued from another. And it should be noted, so that we can be better informed about this noble matter, that eternity, as Boethius defines it in his Consolation qf Philosophy, "is the whole , perfect, and simultaneous possession of endless life,"! and as [48v] Plotinus proves in his profound treatise on eternity and time, it is infinite life or duration which, lacking beginning and end, remains entirely united and in oneness and is consequently so stable and fixed that it neither acquires nor loses anything, because in it there is nothing that, having existed in the past, no longer exists, and nothing future that, being about to exist, does not yet exist :" rather, it is a single unmoving and infinite present that contains in itself, with surpassing perfection and superior-

I "Aetem itas igitur est interminabilis vitae simul et perfccta possessio." Boethius , The Consolation ofPhilosophy, translated by Richard Green (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1962), V, Prose 6, p. 115. ., The reference is to Ennead 3.7.3.20 - 30: " [E ternity] does not change at all but is always in the present , because nothing of it has pa ssed away, nor again is there anything to come into being, but that which it is, it is . . . Nor is it going to be what it does not now con tain in itself: Necessarily ther e will be no 'was' about it, for what is ther e that was lor it and has pa ssed away? Nor any 'will be' , for what will be lor it?" (Vol. 3, p. 305).

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ity, everything that time unfolds in its varied course and the sequence of past, present and future . It is thus , as Plato says in his Timaeus, a moving representation or ima ge that flows through the expanse of etern ity, which remains always unmoving in its onen ess," becau se etern ity is a single, stable, and infinite act, and is therefore imitated by tim e. In its uninterrupted continuity, it represents time's perp etual return as best it can , in which one pre sent moment follows another without fail even though all should fail in order, because, although it is ind ivisible, one moment follows the next without intermission or br eak, just as one po int follows anothe r on a line without any intervals or discontinuity. By this perpetu al return, I repeat , time imitates the fixed state of etern ity, because it imitates the infinity th at by repeated, continua l succession, extending one moment after anothe r, is proj ected and propagated infinitely: the infinite, unmoving present is thus like the origin or source of etern ity, while the bounded , manifold, ongoing, and successive present is the ca use of tim e. And in our way of und erstanding both are measures, that is, etern ity is the measure of infinite and abiding being, and tim e is the measure of limited and movable things, except that tim e measures by diverse and successive repetition many times over, as if it were counting or numbering, while eternity measures with a single, unmoving permanence, unified and focused , in one unmoving momen t or indivisible instant. And as the prin ce of Tuscan poets, T orqua to T asso, says in his dialogue The Messenger, eterni ty does not contain a first or last, a before or after, or elements in sequence or in moti on : rat her it is united and withdrawn into itself, like a very placid lake that ha s no ebb or flow, increase or loss of water. H en ce tim e, which was created in its image, flows like a vast, swiftly-moving river that, con suming its waters at their source, creates new wat ers to take their place, thu s perp etu ating itself in ongoin g succession." Let us conclude, then, 6 Timaeus 37d. H errera uses Platonic language from this dialogue in this entire section of Gate qf Heaven. Plotinus repea ts the charac teriza tion in Ennead 3.7. 11.45: "time must exist as an image of eternity ," also 3.7.13.20-25 (Vol. 3, pp. 341 and 35 1). 7 "L'etcm ita . .. non ha ne prima ne poi ne par ti di successione, rna i: unita e raccolta in se stessa, quasi tranq uillissimo stagno che non abbia ne flusso ne riflusso ne discorrumento ne accrescimento 0 diminuzion d'acque; ove il tempo, che poi a quella somiglianza fu fatto, quasi rapido torrento discorre e, consumando egli medesimo Ie sue prim e parti, ne rifa di nuove e per continova successione si fa perpetuo" (T orquato T asso, Prose [Milan : Riccard o Ricciardi , 1959], p. 44). Tasso (1544- 1595) was best known for his poetry, in particular his epic accounts of the C rusades. This dialogue was apparently written in 1580.

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with Plotinus , that eterni ty is entirely un ited , unending life (that is, it lacks beginning a nd end) which, being free of all sequentiality and mov ement, always and equally present , contains and po ssesses everything tha t is, encompassing all number and the movement of all things that it contains in its vast expanse, which time measures in its sequential proj ection , in a single indivisible moment , with surpassing superiority and simplicity . In summary, it is an activity that, fixed in onene ss and for oneness, always rem ains entirely united; it is the pure and singular, present and infinite being ;" it is the sam e absolute and tru e being that we call truly everlasting, and it is this both in the parts we imagine it to contain and in the who le. It is constituted and abides in a stable and necessary way and, as Marsilio Ficino learn edly remarks," it is a force of the essential, intellectual, and divine life that always equally flourishe s and lives, and it possesses everything that is specific to it in equality and unity without losing any of it or acquiring an ything an ew. It is life, but of such infinity that we can distinguish it from any part of time that is finite. It is life, but life as a whole, so that it can be distinguished from all time in which there is succession and movement. It is therefore [49r] eternity, life, and infinite duration, and all of these togeth er. Because time is a duration that issues from the infinite , the being of eternity in the present is entirely stable and fixed, like a center , and thu s on e is sufficient: because it never changes, moves, passes, or ends, the being that possesses it has no need of another to succeed or follow after it, while that which we call present in time, being that which sudd enly disintegrates and passes away, has need of another to follow a nd take its place and make up for it so that the entire nature of time does not come ap art and perish, because it only issues and results from infinite moments that proceed in ord er , one after the other, and for this reason, if time has any essence it is a synthesis of being and non-being with the present, which alone exists, B See Plotinus , Ennead 3.7, "O n Eternity and time." See 3.7.3.35: "T he life, then , which belongs to that which exists and is in bein g, all togeth er and full, completely without extension or interval, is that which we a re looking for, eternity"; 3.7.'1.35-40: "So, then , the complete and whole substa nce of reality, not tha t in the parts on ly but that which con sists in the impo ssibility of any future diminution and the fac t that noth ing non -existent could be added to it-for the all and the whole mu st not only have all real beings present in it, but must not have anything that is at any time no n-existent-this state a nd nature of complete reality would be eternity" (Vol. 3, pp. 305 and 309). " See Thealagia platonica, Book II, C ha pters 4- 7.

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intervening between the past and future that do not exist and, in the manner of which it is capa ble, imitating the stable pr esent of etern ity without ever succeeding in makin g itself immobile or stable in the same way. What it cannot accomplish by abiding it therefore achieves the best way it can, by succession, and one after another, repeating and multiplying in such a way that by issuing infinitely through man y p resent instants or mom ents it equals as best it can the simple and fixed infinity of eternity, which it contains and regards in the single, abiding, and fixed instant of its inde terminate duration , like a center, and as if the countless moments or instants of time were present , like points on a circumference that a re continually and perpetually proj ected and moving, and, following one after another , sur round and encircle and imitate and represent their model and cause, which is eternity, duration and infinity, all togeth er , to the best of their ability.

Chapter V Being immense, the First Cause is present and assists in all places and locations, both actual and imaginary or possible, in a specific manner. The infinite perfection of the First Cause has been dem onstrated, and its endless, uniform eternity. The enormity of its presence remains now to be proved , by which it assists and activates, or is ready and able to activate if it should wish, those effects to which its infinite potency ca n extend itself, in all thin gs th at exist or can exist and in all spaces, locations, and places in which all thin gs that actu ally exist are present either by assignme nt or limitation , as well as all tho se imaginary or po ssible spaces in which they can be present. And as regards the pr esen ce by which it really assists everything outside itself which parti cipates in being or exists, this is so certain that there is no theologian who does not affirm it, becau se if every ca use is joined to its effect, as Aristotle proves in the seventh book of the Phy sics, the being that is primary and necessary by essence (which is the efficient, preservin g, ruling, and perfecting ca use of all that exists by possible or dependent participation , and in effect [49v] of all that in any way exists or has bein g outside it) mu st necessarily be united, joined to, and intimately pen etrate every thing, communicating to them all that they are or can be and all that they can effect, always to all of them , and to all of their parts and relations." This is

III

See Physics, Book VII , Chapter 2, 243a: "T hat which is the first movement of

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confir me d by the fact th at , as an indi vidual ca use is to its individual effect, so the universal ca use is to its uni versal effect, only mu ch mor e so, bu t every individual ca use is j oined to its effect, like th e mover to the moved , or the end to th at which desires it, or form and matter to composite being, or all perfectin g age nts to their perfectibl e effects: th er e is co nseq uently no doubt th at the universal, primary ca use mu st unite and j oin with its effect and be surpass ingly present in it, which is everything th at participat es being from it and actua lly exists in the univ ersal nature of all things. It is tru e that some very learned men rej ect the presen ce of the First Cause in imaginary or possible spaces a nd locations, basing their ar gument on the fact that this Fir st Cause, like oth er incorporeal and spiritua l beings, do es no t assist and is not present excep t wher e it is activ e, and because it is no t ac tive in imaginary spaces (beca use it only ope ra tes in thi s uni verse, whi ch contains and em braces all of its effects, and is present in their rea l space), it appears that it is not present in them , in addition to which it is incompreh ensible that a nything sho uld assist a nd be present in that which is nothing, which is wha t im agin ary space is: it really does not exist exce pt in the imagina tion of the person who invents it. But this opinion, tho ugh probable, I do not hold to be tru e, becau se if the First Cause is included in this world in suc h a way th at it is no t really present in a no ther or in ot he rs, whi ch is no t a co ntradiction , or in the world enlarged and extende d, it is not immen se and infinite but ra the r some how restri cted or limit ed to th e finite p resen ce, capacity, and space of this limit ed universe, and it woul d not be impossible for ther e to be a created being that was its eq ual in this presen ce and that, like it, was imm ense, assisting this entire world and any and all of its parts, becau se above the angel or mind that assists this city, for exa mple, th e First Cause is able to cr eat e ano the r, more perfect angel or mind! ' that would fill a larger space, and above this one,

a thing - in the sense that it supplies no t 'that for the sake of which ' bu t the source of the motion- is always toget her with tha t which is moved by it (by ' together' I mean th at there is noth ing interm edia te between th em)" (TI e Basic Works ofAristotle, p. 342). "T he proximate mover is always together with the moved , in the sense that there is nothin g between them" (Aristotle's Physics, edited by W.D . Ross [O xford : C larendon Press, 1998], I 243a , 30 and 42 1). II Ms. otro, 0 otr a, ma s perfecto: literally "another more perfect ma le or female one." Herrera is playin g with the convention of assignin g masculine or feminine sex to these incorporeal, asexua l beings.

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yet another that would occup y an even larger and more extensive space, and by thus increasing the a ngels or minds and their presences to fill ever larger locations and spaces, it would eventually arrive at one or the oth er that was present in the entire apparatus of the universe. And this is because the potency of the First Cause is infinite and the space occupi ed by the universe is finite, so there is no doubt that, rising toward a sup erior effect, it wou ld event ually arrive at one that was so mu ch so that it would assist and be present in this entire univers e. Becau se it is a finite perfection and communicable to an yone of its finite effects, it is not a qual ity of the First Cause to assist this entire world, and it is not sufficient on this score to call it immense. In the opinion of our opponents, therefore, it is necessary to add that, just as the First Cause is present in the world , it could be present in the same one if it had mad e it larger and more extensive, or in another or others which it could produce; and in truth, if its active potency is not limited to this world, neither is its pres ence, but it is extended farther and farther. In addition to th e above, because the pow er and essence of the First Cause are not only equal but entirely united and the sam e by virtue of its surpassing on eness and simplicity, surely its essence should and does extend as far as its pow er extends, becau se it is not different from this power. But its pow er , being infinite and not limited to this finite universe, extends to oth er effects and world s, in oth er spac es and location s beyond this one: it therefore follows that its essence is also extended to them , a nd that , bein g abl e to operate ou tside this world , eithe r from outsid e itself or from inside its location or space (a nd all the more so if the First Cause wished to crea te another world besides this one, as it is able to do), it would have to assign [50r] its efficacy and active potency to it in order to produce it, and conjointly to th at ima gina ry space or place in which it is to produ ce the effect becau se, as has been said, the agent must be associated and united with its effect in order to communicate to it the being that it intends . But supposing that the First Cause is present in this universe and not out side it, as the opponents claim : if it wishes to assist and activate an ythin g outside, it must move from it to them , arriving and assigning itself anew to the space and effects in which it was no t present originally and ab etemo, because if it did not have a priori presence in the space or pla ce in which it wishes to produce its new effects, it could not begin to be present in it without the passage and spa tial movem ent by which it would later assist that

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which it did not assist before , and would shift or move out of this universe and opera tions to tho se th at it wishes to produce and does produce anew. But becau se there cannot be a ny movem ent or passage in the First Cau se, in order for it to operate where it did no t operate before without moving, it mu st be present now, as it is and has been ab etemo, in th e space or location where it can be active whenever it wants. This is confirmed by another po ssible case, which is th at if divine omnipotence wer e to move this universe, as it is abl e to do, from its curre nt location or place to anothe r high er or lower one, or to on e of its imagina ry and possible ar eas, it would eith er have to move with it through accide nts, as the soul docs when its body carries it from one place to an oth er , or, rem aining here, where it is now pr esent a nd effective, it would have to mov e the universe to a new place to which it could be tran sferred a nd reside without the ca use in which it abides and on which it is entirely dep end ent for everyt hing that it is, is capa ble of, a nd does. Eith er this, or the cause would move by itself without being carried by the universe, from the place in which it cur rently assists and operates to the oth er one in which, becaus e the universe would be located ther e, it would prop erly be ac tive in ruling, which would mean imparting mov em ent to th at which is entirely unmoving and diversity to that which is completely simple and one and pot en cy to that which is most pure act, so that in ab andoning one place it would acquire a nother, and this is so abs urd that it offends the piou s ears of the hearers. We can therefore confide ntly conclude that , in moving from this space or location to anot her one, the universe would not take the Deity with it, nor would it be deprived of it or oblige it to move from this place, leaving it behind for the othe r one to which it went a nd thu s acquiring it, but rather that this First Cause, being pr esent here as mu ch as there without losing its presence in this place, would retain it in another place and in oth ers ad infinitum, so th at wherever the universe mov ed it would always find the First Cause which, being un changingly present in all imagin ary and possible spaces and locations (to which its infinite essence extends no less than its infinite efficacy), has no need of movem ent in orde r to be present and act ive in them . This is confirmed by the fact that everything that is present in a place somehow tou ches it, but with this difference: bodi es are present in a place insofar as dim ensional magnitude impl ies ph ysical contac t, while incorporeal beings are present by virt ue of their activity or active pot ency, by which they do

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or can operate in the space or subject to which, in assisting, they are assigned. From this it follows in th e same way that , if there were some body of infinite magn itud e th at extended to or occupied all po ssible places without limiting itself to the limited space or place that fills this universe, because an incorporeal being of infinite pow er does exist, it is entirely necessary for it to be present in all imagina ry and possible places withou t its presence or active poten cy being limited to this limited universe or finite location which it inhabits and in which it cur rently opera tes without having to be moved from th is space to anothe r: rather , it infinitely assists both of them and oth ers [50v], always ready and equipped to operate in an yone of the m if it should wish. And when we say that the First Cau se is present in po ssible and imaginary spac es we do no t mean that it has an y connec tion or relation with them, like a real thin g that is distinct from it, but rath er that when we conceptualize a space that, like a vacuum or void, is read y and prepared to be filled with bodies, the divine essen ce is most pre sent the re, powerful a nd rea dy to produce that space and fill it with bodies that also mu st be produced by it. This is demo nstrated by the comparison of eternity to time as explained by Aurelius Augu stinu s, who states that the divine imm en sity relat es to actual places and locatio ns the way ete rn ity relates to time , so tha t in the sam e way that eternity, although it is present in all finite time, infinitely surpasses it, so the divine immensity, fill ing all limited places, outstrips and surpasses them to an infinite degree, and just as eternity is not included or contained in finite time but is outside it (that is, befo re and after all moments of time), so the divine imm ensity, being th at which is not contained or enclosed by finite spaces or locations, is out side them , above, below, a nd on all sides of them all." One concludes that , if it can be truthfully claimed th at the D eity existed before real, produced tim e, and 12 T he referen ce may be to the Confissions, Book VII , 20: "certus esse te et infinitum esse nec tam en per locos finitos infinitosve diffundi et vere te esse, qui semper idem ipse esses, ex nulla part e nulloq ue motu alter a ut aliter, cetera vero ex te esse omnia [etc.]" p. 149): "Yet I was certain that you arc infinite without being infinitely diffused throug h finite space. I was sure that you truly a re, and a rc always the same; that you never beco me other or different in an y par t or by any moveme nt of position , whereas all oth er things derive from you, as is proved by the fact that they exist" (translated by Hen ry Chadwick [Oxford: O xford University Press, 1992], p. 130). H err era may be quoting from Ficino. See Theologia platonica, Book II, C ha pter 6: "Et sicut se habet temp us ad aetern itatem , ita temp ora le ad aetern um .. . Aeterna res q uemadmod um extra tempu s est semper, ita extra locum

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in all imaginary times that we can con ceive of, through infinite exte nsion and succession , then we can just as tru thfu lly say that this Deity was present in th e real spac e of the universe ab etemo and in all the imaginary spaces that we can mentally proj ect to infinity , in which it activated that which its will had chosen ab etemo, when it wished to, and ca n so op erate whenever it wishes. To be present in all imaginary and possible places, therefore, simp ly means that the First Cause is so immense that it is of itself prepared , empowered, and sufficient by its presence to coexist and be pr esent conjointly in all spaces and locations and with all possib le bodies and essences if it communica tes and gives them th e being that it can , because if it must be present in the spac e in wh ich it actually op erates, it also mu st be present in all those spaces and locations to which its infinit e potency can be exte nded.

Chapter VI. Proves with seven arguments that the infinite First Cause does not act by necessity or in accordance with its nature but rather following the counsel if its understanding and the flee choice if its own will and consent. The infinitely pow erfu l, eternal, and vast First Cause do es not act out of the necessity of its nature but rather by the admirable counsel of its most wise understanding, and everything that it produces and governs outside of itself is by the free choice of its most merciful will and consent. 13 Thus it caused the world and con tinually caus es all the effects that it could have chosen not to cau se, and it produced them in this time and plac e, when it could have made

esse videtur ubique" [etc.] (Volume I, p. 89). Augustine (354- 430) was the most important theologian of the ea rly C hurch a nd on e of the most influential of all Western thinkers. l :l Herrera's language mirrors Plotinu s and Ficino , in parti cular the latt er's discussion of the divine will in the second book of the Theologia platonica. Ficino points out that being, knowledge and will are the sa me in God in such a way that the divine being is a free knowing of itself which is simultaneously the activity of his cau sative pot ency (7heologia platonica, Book II, Chapters 12 and 9). God cannot act from external nece ssity becau se God is necessity itself, and all oth er necessary beings derive their necessity from him . It must be tru e, then , that God 's will is at the same time both necessary and free: since no necessity determines divine necessity, the highest freedom is found in Go d. He gives Plotinus credit for much of this thinkin g (77zeologia platonica, Book II, Chapter 12). The a rgument is found in scholasticism as well. Aquinas maintains that God's being is his essence , that "God' s knowledge is the cause of all thin gs" (scientia Dei est ca usa rerum), and that "Go d' s bein g is ident ical with his knowing " (suum esse [cst] suum intelligere; Summa theologiae Ia 14, 8 and 2, p. 79).

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them in [5Ir] another or others, as it could also have created many beings in many oth er ways that it has not produced ." And this can be demonstrated with many arguments, the first of which com es from Rabenu [our Teacher] Mos es Bar-Maimon of Egypt (so he is called), in which he concludes that, if th e world depended on th e First Cause becaus e of the absolute necessity of its nature and not its free will and understanding, we could not understand or explain why some of the celestial bodies move at a greater speed than others, some from east to west and oth ers in the opposite direction, when they are neith er larger nor smaller; or why countless sta rs shine in th e eighth heaven, while in the oth er s there is only one, neith er more nor less; why all the planets or wandering bodi es travel beneath th e zodiac, sometimes com ing togethe r and other tim es moving ap art, some time s coming into opposition with each oth er, with man y oth er differenc es that could exist in man y oth er ways if the will of the First Cause did not wish them to be the way th ey are ." The

I I Herrera's Pla tonic au thority for the notion that ' Ein-Sof chose to crea te this particula r reality and no t anothe r is probably Ennead 2.9, "Against the Gnostics," specifically section 4, in which Plotinus defends th e crea ted world as the most beautiful image of th e int elligible universe, agains t th e Gnostics' identification of matter with evil. In the chapter of the Theologia platonica cited in the previou s footnote, Ficino stresses th at , becau se God does not act out of necessity but free will, he is able to chose which natural orders (ordines rerum) he will create, and which ones he will no t create (q uae potest qu aedam faciat, quaedam non faciat ; P: 117). Ficino may have gotte n th e idea from Duns Scotus (see note 17 below). 15 The citation is from Maim onid es, The Guide f or the Perplexed, Part II, Ch apter 19, in a differen t orde r than the English translation here cited: "it would be stra nge that , with out th e existence of design , one of two different [heavenly] bodies sho uld be joined to the other in such a mann er th at it is fixed to it in a certain plac e but does not com bin e with it. It is still mo re diflicult to explain the existence of the nu merous stars in th e eighth sphere; they are all spherical; some of them are lar ge, some sma ll; here we notice two stars apparently distant fro m eac h oth er on e cub it; there a gro up of ten close togeth er ; whilst in ano ther place the re is a large space witho ut any sta r. Wh at determined that the one small part should have ten sta rs, and the other po rtion should be with out any sta r?" (translated by M . Friedlander [Ne w York : Do ver Publications, 1956], P: 188). " But who has determined the variety in the sphe res and the stars, if not the Will of God ? T o say that the Intelligences hav e determined it is of no use whatever; for the Intelligences ar e not corpo rea l, and have no local relation to the spheres. Wh y then should the on e sphere in its desire to approac h th e one Int elligence, move eas tward, and another westward? Is the on e Intelligence in the east, the othe r in the west? or why does on e move with grea t velocity, anothe r slowly? This differen ce is not in accorda nce with their distan ces from eac h othe r, as is well known . We mu st then say that the na ture an d essence of each sphere necessitat ed its mot ion in a certa in direction, and in a certain ma nn er, as th e conseque nce of its desire to approa ch its Int elligence. Aristotle clearl y expresses this opini on " (p, 189).

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second argument, which Averroes attributes to al-Ghazzali in his Destruction if the Destruction: If the First Cause, which acts through th e understanding, were to act without the consent of its free will, because it understands the opposites as it mo st certainly understands th em it would surely activate them together , setting th e Prime Mover simultaneo usly in motion from east to west and from west to east, with simila r oppositions and contradictions that ar e entirely impossible. Iii Duns Scotus, the Doctor Subtilis , adds what we cite as the third argument, that if the First Cause acted by virtu e of its nature and out of nec essity, it would cr eat e th e infinite being that it was capable of creating, making an infinite effect, which cannot be, or it would proceed infinitely and there would then be no order, symmetry, or limit ed number." As Pereira says in his Philosophy if Nature,

Iii Averroes (Ibn Ru shd) (1126- 1198), on e of the most important philosophers of Islam , was committed to the defense of Aristotelianism. The Destruction ofthe Destruction, also known as The Incoherence of the Incoherence iTohofu! al-Tahafui), is his defense of Aristotelian metaphysics again st al-Ghazzali's attacks in TIle Incoherence qf the Philosophers (Tahafut al-Falascfia; Herrera here cites th e Twelfth Discussion , on the subject of divine self-knowledge. Averroes writes that " the p roof that He wills is that he know s th e opposites, and if He were a n agent in ab solutel y the same way as He is a knower, He would ca rry out the two contrary acts togeth er , and this is imp ossible; and therefore it is necessary that H e should perform on e of th e two contra ries through choice" (Tahafut al-Tahafut. tran slated by Simon van den Bergh [London: Luzac a nd Co ., 1954], Vol. I, p. 272). The exa mple of the motion of heavenly bodies ca n be found in Discussion XV, wher e Avcrrocs not es that "circula r bodies mov e with contra ry movements a t the same time , towards the east a nd towa rds th e west; and this cannot happen through nature alone , for that which mo ves nature mo ves in on e movem ent alone" (p. 292). The a rgument occurs earlier, in Discussion III , about the divin e creat ive agency. H ere Averroes remarks: "we lind , indeed , that all the heavenly bodie s in their dail y movem ent , and the sp here of th e fixed sta rs, conc eive one ident ical form and th at th ey all, movin g in this daily movement, are moved by one and the same mover , who is th e mover of the sphe re of'the fixed sta rs" (pp. 137-1 33). 17 Duns Scotus (c. 1266-1 308), the Do ctor Subtil is, Fran ciscan th eolo gian and a utho r of an influential comme nta ry on Peter Lombard's Sentences. In Quaestiones in lib. I. Sententiarum Volume 5, Part II, Disi. VIII , Quaest. V, 20, he writes: "O mnis ca usa necessario agen s agit secundum ultimum potentiae sua e, quia sicut non est in pot estat e sua agere, et non agere : ita nee inten se, et remi ssc age re: ergo si prima cau sa ncccssario cau sat , causa t quidquid potest ca usare: pote st au tem ca usare ex se omne cau sabil e, ut probabo: ergo ca usat omne probabil e . . . Ita quod omnia erunt tantum unum: qui a sicut causabit omnia cau sabili a , propter hoc, quod causat omnia Cluae pot est cau sar e: ita etiam in quacunCjue ca usationc, cau sa bit Cjuantum pot est ca usa re, et ita perfe ctissimum; et ita omni a ilia illud erunt unum cau satum : et tun c om nia crunt unum" (OjJera omnia [H ildeshcim : G eorg Olms, 1968; l.ugduni, 1639], Vol. 2, pp. 316 -81 7). A correllary problem cau sed by this conjecture is that secondary cau ses would be dep rived of the ir ac tivity. As Scotus remarks at th e end of his addition a nd commentary to this scholium: " Si cau sae secunda e privarentur suis

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to be an agent of necessity while possessing infinite active potenc y seems to imply a contradiction , since, possessing it, it would produce everything that it could, including an infinite effect, which is impossible, or at least , becau se it is boundless a nd surpass es everything equally , it would produce nothing or would make an undefined, indeterminate effect which would be no more one thing than another, no more this thing than that, a nd supposing that it is a natural, necessary agent, it would either be unable to produce everything that it could or , having produced it, there would be an infinite effect, which is impossible. III Fourth argume nt: the activity that is most appropriate for the mo st supe rior primary maker is that which, being most superior and primary, surpasses all oth ers, and this is the voluntary , free one that is not only mo re perfect than the natural or nece ssary operations that it dir ects, correc ts, and perfects, but is absolutely M aster of itself and of its effects, which it produces when and how it wishes, being capable of not producing them or of producing others and, after they have been produced, cha nging them , annihilating them , or producing them again according to its free will and consent. Fifth argument , which is from Thomas Aquinas: The will necessarily desire s its final end and everything else that is related and ordered toward th is end so that it necessarily desires whatever has a necessary con nection or arrangem ent with this end, without which it cannot be reached, as for example if I should propose to myself the goal of going to Jerusalem, I would necessarily have to want to be ab sent from Amsterdam, where I live, because if I rem ain here I cannot possibly reach my intended goal .'? Thus if the end is necessary , the means without which it cannot be achieved must also be necessary , and likewise the opposite: if the means are not

actionibus, quod accideret si prima causa ageret de necessitate naturae, tunc imm ediate ipsa causaret omni a, et haec omni a essent tantum unum: qu ia ex quo causaret inqu antum pote st, et sic perfectissimum elfectum, qu em posset [etc.]" (p. 8 19). 18 Possibly a quotation from the Ph y sicorum sive de principiis naturalium libri XV (1562) by Benito Pereira , a Spani sh J esuit. 19 Summa theologiae Ia 19, 3: "Ea a utem qua e sunt ad finem , non ex necessitate volumus volentes finem , nisi sint talia , sine quibus finis esse not potest: sicut volumus cibum, volentes conservationem vitae; et navem , volentes tran sfretare. Non sic autem ex necessitate volum us ea sine quibus finis esse potest, sicut eq uum ad arnbulandum: qui a sine hoc possumus ire; et eadem ratio est in aliis. Unde, cum bonitas Dei sit perfecta, et esse potest sine aliis, cum nihil ei perfectionis ex aliis accrescat; sequitur quo d alia a se eum velie, non sit necessar ium absolute" (p. 104). Herrera adds the destination of J eru salem to Aqu inas's example of the boat.

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necessarily connected to or ordered toward the end and are such that the end can be reached without them , the will need not desire them . Exempli causa: although I might of necessity desire to go to the Holy Land, it is not necessary for me to board a ship and sail away in order to achieve what I int end, because I can also travel by land , which, applied to the subject at hand, illustrates that the first, unique and most perfect goal and objective [5 1v] of the divine will is its own infinite goodness and essence, becaus e without its produced or producible effects it is jus t as self-sufficien t, perfect, and utterly blessed, as after its effects hav e been produced . Of cour se the effects of its poten cy, not only the actual ones that it has produced but the possible ones that it might produce, in no way confer, aid, or benefit it in such a way as to constitute, support, increase, delight, or in any other way perfect the infinitely perfect First Cause. It is therefore certain that the being which , being the suprem e Good, is selfsullicient, possessing its own final goal and good fortun e in itself and by itself (which ar e the same thing), has no need of them and therefore has no reason to desire anything outside itself, and if it does desir e them , it does so freely and spontaneously. This is confirmed by th e sixth argument, which is this: All goods that exist and can exist ar e included in the divine goodness and essence with surp assing perfection , so that the divin e will, which is unit ed with them or , to phrase it more correctly, is one with them , is so full of them, sated , and satisfied, that it has no need to desire anything else out side itself or them. Let us conclude, then, with the seventh argument, which is from Duns Scotus, and in his view is a very pow erful on e: The First Cause is abso lute, surpassingly necessary being by itself: therefore it is impossibl e that it shou ld cease being to such an extent that if it were removed from the world or ab andoned it, losing the being that it has, something that is not this First Cause would end up forever with its being, which is ind ependent, eternal, and necessa ry by its essence , and it wou ld not have these qualities if, lacking something outs ide itself or one of its effects, it becam e flawed and ceased to exist. But if the First C ause is necessarily connected to its effects and by its nature naturally produces them, if they did not exist, neith er would it. The one that exists and is necessary by itself would therefore not be necessary or exist by itself but by virtu e of oth ers, spec ifically, that being or those beings with which it is necessarily connected because of its nature; and it wou ld be contingen t and possib le or necessary not by itself but by another or oth -

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ers without which it does not now exist and would not exist in the future , should they be lacking." And because this is a manifest contradiction and impossible, it is verified and certain that the First Cause operates by its own will and freely.

Chapter VII. Continues what was said in the preceding chapter and) applYing it to the teaching if the Rabbi if Luria) gives the meaning if the simsum or shrinking if) Ein-Sof the First Cause by which it produced not irifinite f!Jects ab eterno and in infinite spaces) butfinite ones in specific times and bounded spaces. The infinite, eternal, and immense Deity is most perfectly understood by its most superior mind, which does not differ from it in any real way . It therefore knows and comprehends, in itself and by itself, all essences and perfections that are contained in it in the most superior manner [52r] and that can be communicat ed and participated outside of it to others. And these essences are without number and can be communicated to an infinit e number of effects over infinite periods of time and in an infinite number of spaces and locations. And there is no contradiction in their communicating only to this natural and necessary understanding by which the divin e mind knows th e infinite strength and essence that can be participated to and imitated by an infinite number of effects in an infinite numbers of places and times: it follows its free will and consent, which decide to produce only those effects that its most hidden counsel deems suitable to issue from it and actually exist, and they are limit ed not only in essenc e, potency, and number but also in space and location (because they have these in a limited and finite fashion ) and in duration and time that did not always exist, at least in th e part that went before. This can all be explained as follows: th e First Cause directed its divin e mind ab etemo to its infinite essence and potency, and it saw or beheld in it, by a single and most simpl e act of understanding and vision, the infinit e natures that it was capable of

20 Duns Scotus , OJIaestiones in lib. I. Sententiarum, Disp. VIII , Quaest. V, 17: " Ens ab solutum, quod est ex se necessarium perfe cte , quantum pot est cogitari a liquid esse necessarium, non po test non esse, quocunque alia a se non existente: Deus est summe necessarium secundum ilium intellectum praeacc eptum : ergo quocunque alia a se non existente, non propter hoc sequitur ipsum non esse. Sed si necessariam hab eret habitudinem ad primum cau satum, ilia cau sato non cxistcnte, non esset: ergo non habet ad illud necessar iam habitudinem " (p. 815 ).

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producing, some of which its most sup erior counsel and free will chos e and decided to produce in a certain time and place, becaus e its active or operational pot ency did actually later produce them, does produce them, and will produce them, leaving in itself many more that it did not wish to produce and will never produce. And it is worth noting that the rule of its divine will cam e soon after this choice which , although (metaphorically speaking) it had activated its productive and operational potency to effect all things ab etemo, it moderated and ord ered so that, at opportune times and in specific and appropriate places and locations, without assigning or putting into effect any new operations or works , with only the preceding and eternal operation, it could once again retri eve that which had been eternally buried inside it out of nothingness and continue to preserve , propagate, and rule it as it had done , docs , and will do , producing the effects that were dictated to it by its will, in the way, place , and time that it determined and wished. Two mod es of relation can be observed in this, the first of which is that by which its operations relate all the effects that issue from it to the Deity as to their ca use, and the second, that by which they connect the same effects to the endl ess time and vast space we imagine to have existed before the creation of the univers e, participating from both only that limited portion and part that they occupy in their duration and presence. The teaching of our Rab and instructor the divine Isaac of Luri a is thus profoundly illustrated, when he says that 'Ein-Sof the First Cause extended itself eternally to all imaginary and possible places, filling them all with its enormity and presenc e, which cannot be distinguished from its infinity ; but when it wished to be communicated and produce the universe , it withdrew into itself and, as if contracting or shrinking, emptied a location or space out of the infinite spaces that it fill ed in order to fill it with the effects that it produced , which it did while still remaining present in it as it had been before : surely an admirable mystery that will be discussed at greater length below ." At this point we will simply say that, although it is infinite, the First Cause did not create infinite effects in the infinite time that it contains unmoving with in its eternity, or in the infinite spaces , places, and locations to which the immensity of its presenc e and the infinity of its efficacious strength extend themselves, ~l

For Vital's explanation of Luria's teaching, sec The Tree ofLife, Ga te I, Chapter 2.

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because it does no t operate by the necessity of its limitless nature but rath er by the free choice of its free will and consent, by which it produced limited effects and specific times and definite spa ces and locat ions, being assigned to them and present in them in such a way tha t it forever remains no t only prior a nd above them with infinite superiority, but also can produ ce for itself with infinite poten cy, if it wishes, [52v] more and more effects, ever more superior, in oth er , ever more suitable or extended spaces and times, which it most perfectly con tains in its vastness and ete rn al duration. And with th is explana tion we more easily defend the infinite efficacy and pow er of the First Cause, declaring th at it can produ ce another even more perfect effect abo ve a ny effect, no matt er how perfect, with out ever arriving at the mo st noble one which , being almost its equa l, would exha ust or deplet e it in such a way that it could not go on to produce other, more perfect effects. Its pot ency thu s rem ain s always free and efficacious and powerful so tha t it can be extended to mo re effects, greater in number and more perfect and noble in qu ality and essence than those to which it is extended in act uality, as is clear from the analogy or comparison of the places and locations, times, and durations in which it has produced everything that exists and has being outside itself: no matter how extensive or dispersed they may be, it is surely able to produce oth ers tha t are even more suitable and extensive, adding mor e space s and additional time beyond that which exists, as can be seen in discrete or material magnitude a nd number , the first of which is infinitel y divisible and the second infinitely expa nda ble.

Chapter VIII. Provides fresh proof ofAvicenna's opinion about the successive production qf minds and other created beings, and on the excellent authority qf the divine author qf the Zohar proves that everything issued directly from the Deity, projected in the lights and sejirot qf the irifinite and emanated worlds, and communicated to those of creation, formation, and making. Avicenn a, along with many Arab think ers and the majori ty of the H ebrew philosophers who followed him , holds the opinion that the first crea ted mind crea ted a second on e (although by virtu e of its cause, which is the universal an d supreme one), and this one a third , and so on successively to th e last one that issued immediately from the preceding on e, concluding that between the two extre mes, of which the first and highe st is the uncau sed First Cause , and the last

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and lowest one is the last mind which as such do es not produce another one (beca use this on e does not exist) are interposed and mediate those minds or intelligences that depend on the ones that go dire ctly before them and productively create those that dire ctly follow them ." And although this opinion may seem clever and probable I do not hold it to be correct or in accordance with sacred Scripture or with those wise men who , [53r] basing themselves in it, have explained the divine mysteries , and even less do I agree with the opinion that the angels, which ar e those minds, being more distant from the First Cause, are therefore in close proximity to bodies and, assisting them , rule and move them and therefore depend on each other, the high er one having caused the one that com es after it, and this one the next lower one, and so forth progressively and in succession to the very last. Likewise I reject the opinion that this same kind of succession and linking exists between corporeal beings, as if to imply that the Prime Mover produced the ninth sph ere, and this one the firmament from which the seven planets and four elem ents issue which are the cause of the mixed plants and animals, and all of this by stages: opinions that are truly contrary to the literal sense of divine Scripture, which teaches us, at the beginning of Genesis, that the Deity created the heavens and the earth and all that they contain, and, in Psalm 33, that the angels were made from the spirit of his mouth .P omitting many other autho ri" See Aviccnna, Le Livre de science I: Logique, kletaphysique: "O r il fau t qu e de I'Etre neccssairc proc ed« en premier lieu un exista nt intelligence . . . et qu e de cette intelligence preced ent par un point d'or igine une a utre intelligen ce et , par un autre point d'origine, un corps [qui est un] de ces corps premiers (s'ils sont multipl es . ..). D e merne, de cette intelligence [p re cede] une a utre intelligenc e et l'un des corps premiers, et a insi de suite ju squ 'au derni er degre de ces corps premiers" (translated by Mohammad Ach ena a nd H enri Masse [Paris: Les Belles Lettres/ UN ESCO , 1986], p. 58). Alfred Ivry identifies the Arabi c sourc e as Avicenn a's M etaphysics, Book IX , Chapter 5, in Al-Shifi (T he H ealing). Ficino approves of th is "Platonic distinction " in Avicenna's lYletaphy sics IV , 3 and IX , 3 and 5 in Theologia platonica, Book XV, Chapter 2, a lthough he stresses tha t the linked powers and intellects incline to the objects of the senses that they govern in an external sense only (solum extrinsecus goberna nda ; op . cit., Vol. 3, p. 22). Perh ap s the most distinguished of the J ewish philosophers who followed Aviccnna was Maimonides, who quot es Aristotle as concluding that "God creat ed the first Int elligence, the motive agent of the first sphere; th e Intelligence which cau ses th e second sp here to move has its source and or igin in the first Intelligenc e, and so on ; the Intelligen ce which sets the sphere nearest to the earth in mot ion is the source a nd origin of the Active Intelligen ce, th e last in the series of purely spiritua l beings" (Guide to the Perplexed, Part II , p . 158). 2 1 Rend er ing "ruah " as "spirit." Psalm 33:6: "all their host [i.e. of the heaven s] by th e breath [spirit] of his mouth."

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ties which for brevity's sake I will not menti on . The wise men of the Midrash confirm all of them , declaring that by itself and without the coope ration of Michael, Gabriel, and the othe r a ngels, the Deity crea ted and in effect stretched forth the expanse of the heavens tha t are encompassed by this nam e." And what persuades me even more in this matt er , in addition to the man y arguments by which the scholastic theologian s uphold it and rej ect the oppo site view, which are omitted for br evity's sake, is the irr efutable authority of Rabbi Simeon ben Yoh ai of glorious memo ry, who in his Faithful Shepherd, in th e most exalted ma' am ar or article on the text: "Consecra te to me all the firstborn" (which we cited in the first chapter of the first book of House if the Deiry in reference to the First Cause and the emanation of th e sefirot or sovereign enumera tions), speaks these admira ble word s: "T hen [i.e. after the production of the 'ol am ha'asilut] H e created mini sterin g beings to those vessels [that are the ema nated sefirot] : one thro ne supported on four colum ns and six steps et cetera," "T he n he prepar ed for the thro ne angelic hierarchies to serve Him: mal'akim (angels), 'e relim, hayyot , 'ofanim et cetera," and "H e appointed as ministers Samael and all his gro ups.?" And this is more clearly sta ted at the beginning of the Tiqqunim, wher e he introduces Elija h the prophet , who pro nou nces th ese admirable thoughts, dir ected to the infinite first C au se: "Lord of the worlds, you are that which is One, bu t not in number. You are the one who is high above all the high ones, concea led above all tha t are concealed, about whom no mind und erstands or grasps any thing. You are the one who derived a nd produced the ten restorations that are called sefirot in order thro ugh them to rule the concea led worlds that are not revealed and the revealed worlds that ar e known, and in them you conceal yourself from the sons of men, and you are the one who brings them togeth er and unites them with all that follows and is inferior. You provided clothing for them (that is, for the sefirot or restorations) from which the souls fly forth and descend to the sons of men , and the many garme nts th at you provided, which ar e called bodies and are the clothes that conceal (or hide) them ," etc., and at the end: "Lor d of the world s, you who are high above

2 ~ Genesis Rabba 8:13: "R. J udah and R. Simon said: Michael and Gab riel were Ada m's 'best men" (M idrash Rabba, translated by Rabbi Dr. H. Freedm an and Maurice Simon [London: Soncino Press, 1961], Vol. 1, p. 63). 25 For more on these ranks of angels, see note 14, p. 399.

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the high ones, cause of ca uses, you water (or fertilize) the tree (that is, the sefirot) with the liquid or strea m th at is to it as the spirit to the body (that is, the life of the body that is the ineffable four-l etter nam e which , infused by the First Cause called Lord of the World s, gives life to the sefirot of the emanated world.) But in you there is no likeness or image of all that is inside or outside (that is, you cannot be compared or likened to the external sefirot or to their vital inn er spirit or life, becau se you surpass them all [53v] infinitely). You created the heavens and th e ea rth and bring forth from them the sun and the stars, the signs and the constellations, and on the ea rth the trees and grasses a nd the garden of delight (or par adise), a nima ls, birds, fish, and sons of men ," et c." T o this I add by way of unquestionable authorization or confirmation that which is found in the N ew Zohar printed in Salonika, section "Parasa t yitro," folio 65, which reads in essence as follows: " It (that is, the infinite prima ry Causal Agent ) is the creator, fashion er , and maker of all things: One is the one that dr ew every thing fr om potency (both objective a nd receptive) to act a nd that , diversifying its works, forever remains without alteration or cha nge. It is the one that ordered the sefirot into large, int ermediate, and small, each one according to its ra nk without there being any ordering within itself (because this comes from var ious thin gs ba lan ced among them selves). It created everything through Binah but was not created by anything. It fashioned everything thro ugh Ti f' eret but was not itself fashioned by a nything and does not have any form itself: It mad e everything through Malkut but is not mad e by a nything, a nd becau se it is presen t intern ally or inside the ten sefirot , it created, fashioned , a nd mad e all things thro ugh them . It unit ed with them in order to be manifested by them , and it is thu s the Cause, becau se whatever sepa rates or divides one sefira h from any other of the ten sefirot, I repeat , in which the Ineffabl e Nam e of yod, he, waw, he is resplendent , is reckon ed and describ ed as if it had divided itself. It is the one that unit es the yod with the he, the he with the waw, and the waw with the he, from which its admira ble nam e results, doin g the same in the nam es of 'Ado nai, ' Ehyeh, a nd ' Elohim, a nd becau se it withdraws into itself

"h T he passage is a paraphr ase of the second introd uction to the Tiqqunim in the :\ la nt ua 1558 edition, fo. 131'. The -(ollar Hadai is a collection of texts not includ ed in the first printed edition of the -(ollar edited by Abra ham Ber ukhim in the sixteent h cent ury.

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and draws away from them , it has no known nam e, but it is the one that connects a nd binds toget her all the cha riots of the angels, and unit es them and brings them togeth er. It sustains the upp er and lower worlds, a nd whe n it withdraws into itself and pulls away from them they are all left without duration or consistency, with out life or knowledge. There is no place that it does not fill , both on high to infinity, and below, until there is no place left for it, and the same on all sides, and in all of them there is no Go d but he, a nd although as has been said he is present in all places, he did not place (assign or parti cipate) his beri'ah or crea tion, yesira h or formation, and 'asiyah or making to the scat (or seats) of its glory or among the angel s (or to the an gels) or in the heaven s, on earth, in the sea, or in any oth er crea ted being in the world , in order that all created beings might know him through the sefirot by which he crea ted some of them (which are the subjects of the seat of glory). It form ed others (these are the angels) and made (or fashion ed) others (that is, the celestial eleme nts and elem ent ary beingsi.?" Chapter IX. Gives voice to the deep kabbalistic teaching about how the Deity, projected in its sifirot or lights, produced the three created worlds, detailing jive wf9!s in which this admirable operation or construction can be observed according to the received tradition if the kabbalah. In orde r to und erstan d what has been established In the previous chapter, we mu st [54r] agree that 'Ada m Q admon , the most elevated and divine mah sab ah or intelligen ce, issued from 'Ein-Sof, the infinit e, un cau sed source of all deity, and from ' Adam Qadmon issued in their ranks the sovereign lights which, projected in five times ten sefirot, are the spirits a nd lives, the liquid and strea m (as the prophet Elijah says), and the animation of the ema na ted world of 'asilut , which are the vari ous sefiro t belimah p rojected as the par sufim or counterbalanced orde rings of the ten sefirot of 'Atiqa Q adisa or Ancient Hol y One, 'Abba or Father , 'Imma or Mother, Ze'ir 'Anpin (the Short- or Sma ll-Faced One), and his Female, in which the Deity comes to rest, proj ected and communicated from its infinite source th rou gh the rank s that were just menti oned, and th rou gh that of 'Arik 'A npin, whom we now include following the

~ i The pa raph rase is from the edition of the Zohar Hadai published at Salon ika in 1597.

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custom of the Zohar, and through that of 'Atiqa Q adisa, as will be clearly explained at the proper moment. And it is important to know that for the production of the three following worlds , which ar e those of beri'ah the seat of glory , the angelic al one of yesirah, and the material one of 'asiyah, the same Deity that resides in the world of emanation extended itself and, stretching forth its branches like skirts, as Isaiah says, "created the first world, and formed the second, then made the third, infusing its image and likeness in each one and in all three,"28 I mean to say the ten sefirot and five or six parsufim that it contained in itself perfectly. Thus not only did it produce them in the beginning, it continually pres erves them , assigns them to operation, directs them toward their goal, and causes them to attain it, because by the power and actual coop eration of 'Ein-Sof and its sovereign lights it is their tru e vital spirit and life, providence and rule . Now, it is well-known, as has been stated elsewhere, that when Binah, along with the other two sefirot that existed prior to it, is interposed between its own 'asilut or emanated world and the future world of beri'ah or the seat of glory, it ensures that Malkut, by virtue of her spouse and the three highest ones with which she joins, produces this world, perhaps first infusing the thre e highest sefirot into it and later the seven lower ones which, once distributed in it, produce and create all the effects of mercy or Hesed in the first rank and, in effect, on the first day , likewise all tho se of Geburah or rigor on the second, and those of Tif'eret Rahamim or clem ency on the third, and so on in order: those of Nesah or victory, Hod or praise, and Yesod or foundation and on their respectiv e ranks or days: fourth , fifth, and sixth , eventually including all individually and all together in their communicated Malkut, which is the sum of all and the final Sabbath, peace, and resting place , like the seventh and final day of the whole higher creation. And this is according to what is found in the Zohar, that the three highest sefirot are proj ected into the first of seven palaces or templ es of holiness of each of the three created worlds, and the next seven sefirot are distributed one in each 2" Possibly a refer ence to Isaiah II :1-2: "A shoot sha ll com e out from the stump ofJ esse, and a branch shall grow out of his roo ts. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him , the spirit of wisdom [Hokrnah] and und erstanding [Binah] , the spirit of counsel and might [Geburah] , the spirit of knowled ge [Da'at] and the fear of the Lord ." See Gikatilla, Gates if LZl!.ht, p. 330. The Christian interpretation of the se verses as applying to J esus und erscores the conce ptua l similarity between 'Adam Qadmon and the Christ as creative "seconds" or Logoi.

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excep t for two that reside in the sevent h, that is Yesod and Malkut. From the communication of the ten sefirot thus issues not only the being but also the life, rule, and perfection of beri'ah the world of creation or seat of glory, which is confirmed by what is stated in the Tiqqunim , tha t the three high est sefirot are like teachers or rulers; the next six like the commanders, extre mities, and days of making that produced everything; and Malkut, the tenth and last, is the resting place, inclusion, and perfection of everything which has been produced. And in the same way the Tif'eret of beri'ah or the throne of glory with the five sefirot it contains in itself and joins with itself, is interposed between its world and that of the future yesirah , and ca uses M alkut to form it, imprinting on it these six qualities or sefirot by virt ue of the three high est, like ranks or days of which it was fashioned. And it is evident [54v] that , included in the sevent h in which they come to rest, they all becom e complete and perfect, and this angelical world greatly perfected . Then comes, finally, the construc tion of this ma terial world of makin g which Malkut produces and th at of the angeli cal, introduced between it a nd the one that it has yet to produce in the same way that we hav e describ ed for the two high er ones, which is that which the sacred text of Be-resit or "In the beginning" [Genesis] mysteriously and allegori cally reveals to us, and which R .S.B.Y. [Rabbi Simeon ben Yoh ai] and other com me nta tor s explain, to whom I defer. Or we might say th at M alkut , the one of the ema na ted world , by virtue of the higher ones produces the high est rank of beri'ah the seat of glory, extending herself to it, sur rounding and penetrating it with the Keter that she infuses from herself into it, after which comes the production of the second rank, to which she communicates the Hokrnah that she projects out of herself, and likewise the third , which she crea tes and fills with the Binah that she proj ects ou t of herself, and so forth in order up to ten ranks, to which she participates th e ten sefirot of the beri'ah which issue from her and surro und, penetr ate, and give life to these ten ranks and in effect to the entire world of the seat of glory. Or we might say by way of a third explanation that the Malkut of ' asilut projects or produces its Ke ter , which is then the efficient cause of its keli, instrument or vessel, which is the elevated rank of the world of the seat of glory according to the teaching of the Platonic philosophers, which affirms that the spirit of heaven produces it [i.e. the seat of glory] as if by an exhalation of breath, and the sam e occurs when it infuses its Hokmah , Binah, He sed, Geburah , and the

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others down to and including its Malkut, and they produce the second, third, fourth, five, and remaining ranks down to the tenth and last of the world of beri'ah, which has alr ead y been discussed, and after they have been produced they reside in them as if in suitable receptables or vessels or ready and efficacious instruments. It can also be added as a fourth explanation, that the emanated Malkut proj ects Keter out of herself and the first and highest rank of beri'ah into which she infuses it, as we read in Genesis: "And the Deity Tetragrammaton formed man, dust of the earth, and breathed or infused the spirit of life in his nose,"?' which might be more clearly expressed as follows: "T he Deity formed the most excellent rank or substance of beri'ah, which is also called 'adam or man, and breathed or infused into him the spirit of life, that is, a sovereign, divine light that gives him life and governs him ." Now , this Keter, imitating its cause Malkut, produces the second rank of beri'ah into which it infuses its Hokmah which it projects out of itself and gives life to this second rank , and Hokrnah does the same when it causes the third rank: it communicates its Binah like a spirit of life which it infuses and assigns to it out of itself, as if to its instrument or body, and each sefirah in order thus produces the one that is directl y below it, its instrument , up to the last and final one . Let us end with the fifth explanation, stating that out of the six parsufim or counterbalan ced orders of ten sefirot of the emanated world , there issued the six ranks or in effect days of the world of creation or seat of glory, each one of them corresponding to one of the sefirot. And the seventh and last rank, their vessel or instrument, issued from the union and totality of all these orders and parsufim like the Sabbath or day of rest, the compl etion of everything and conv ersion to the cause, and, eventually, the blessedness achieved by it and in it for them all. And what we have said about beri'ah the seat of glory should be appli ed to the two following worlds of yesirah, the angelical, and 'asiyah, the material. Recapitulating, then , I repeat that the emanated M alkut , infusing her three supreme sefirot, creat ed by [55r] virtu e of her following six sefirot, called tho se of the edifice, the world of beri'ah or seat of glory, and these, included in the seventh, which

2' 1 Gen esis 2, 7: "the n the Lord God formed man from the dust of the gro und , and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life [nisrnat hayyim] ; and the man bccam e a living being."

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is the tenth and last sefirah, cause th is world to remain perfect in itself and converted to the high one, or that this M alkut , who surpasses them, produced the ten ranks of the world of beri'ah into which it later infused the ten sefirot that she proj ected out of herself, comm unica ting the first to the first, the second to the second, and so forth in order down to the last one, which she assigned to the last rank , or tha t this M alkut , projecting her Keter, causes it to be the Keter of her instrume nt or vessel, which is the first rank of beri'ah, as also by proj ecting Hokrnah out of herself, she causes it to produce the second rank , like her own instrument or garmen t, and Binah doe s the sam e, when , proj ected by Malkut, it makes the third rank of the seat , in which it wraps itself and rests, and the same hap pens to H esed with the four th rank and the oth er sefirot down to the tenth, with respect to the tent h and last rank. Or the Malku t of the emanated world , creatin g the first and highest rank of the world of creation or throne of glory, infuses into it the Keter that she projects out of herself, and this one, imitating its cause, produ ces the second rank of this world and communicates to it the Hokmah that it extends out of itself, and this one, causin g the third rank next, part icipates the Binah th at it projects out of itself, which likewise, creating the fourth rank, gives it life and spirit with the H esed that, when it ha s been projected out of it, it infuses and assigns to it, and so forth in order down to the last rank , and the ninth takes the last sefira h for its own . Or, finally, tha t from the six parsufim of the world of 'asilut there issue the six ranks, like the six days of th e world of beri'ah , and from the union and totality of them all issues the seventh and last rank, like the Sabbath and completion , noting that what has been said for the ema na ted Malkut with respect to the crea ted world of beri' ah should be appli ed to the Malkut of this beri'ah with respect to the angelical world of yesirah, and the Malkut of this on e with respect to the material world of 'as iyah except that between the Malkut of the emanation and the world of crea tion Binah is interposed and the two higher one s, and T if'e ret and all six sefirot of the edifice mediate between the Malkut of crea tion and the world of formation, and, finally, between the Malkut of the creation and the world of making the re is no oth er intermediary except herself. In summary, the successive and linked production of the worlds and their ranks and pa rts can be explained in one of these five ways, as when they say that the nesam ah issues from the seat of glory, ruah from Metatron , and nefes from Sandalfon."

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one mu st understand that they issue fro m tho se worlds and ranks but are not produced by them but rather by the inn er light of the Deity tha t illum inat es them and gives th em life and, being present in them, ope ra tes th rou gh them as through its instrumen ts, and the spirits return to this light after the death of the body"I and, delighting in it, achieve happiness in it and not in the world of the sea t of glory, which is com pose d of a ngels and mad e up of bodi es that nevertheless ascend to them and becom e eq ua l to them and unite with them like parts with the whole, as Hakam Rabbi Moses Co rdovero affirms in his Gate if the SOUl.:l 2 Without allowing that one creature creates an other we ther efor e sta te that th e sefirot, by virtue of their infinit e source (which makes use of them as of instruments, and in them and through them opera tes everything), created , formed , and mad e all things by linked and proportionate mean s and ranks. Of course th ese sefirot, parsufim, and light s a re not strictly speaking created beings but irr adi ati on s, extensions, and com m unications of the Deity which, descending down from the ir limitless source thro ugh man y ranks witho ut dividing or sepa rating them from itself, is proj ected and assigned thro ugh them , as through its attributes and active poten cies, to the p rod uction and rule [55vJ of all created beings of which it is the uni versal, complete, an d perfect ca use but bound to this or that effect or crea ted being thro ugh this or tha t sefirah or measure which it distributes out of itself just as it also makes the othe rs, witho ut any one of them splitting off or sepa ra ting from an y othe r, or any one of them or all togeth er from their source . But in this, as is everyt hing, I defer to the tru e recept ion [i.e. kabbalah] and to those who , having understood it well, have revea led it, and wh ose disciple I would fain be.

1IJ For the complex history of Merat ron and the etymo logy of the nam e, see Scholem, Kabbalah, pp . 377- 38 I. In Book VIII , Chap ter 13, Herrera ca lls him "the Prin ce of the Angels" (see below, p. 33+) G reen suggests G reek sunadelfos (brotherly) as a possible etymology of Sandalfon , "the brot her-angel who ta kes the pr ayers [of Israel] up to God ' and is sometimes associated with C hrist (Keler, pp . 2 3 ~2 4) . II An allusion to Platonic anamnesis and the doctr ine of gilgul or transmigration (Scholem, Kabbalah, pp. 34-1- -348). :11 Here Herrera paraph rases Co rdove ro, Pardes Rimmonim, Ga te 3 1: "Sa 'a r hanesamah ," C hapter 2.

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Chapter X. Explains the creation qf the world as written in the first chapter of Genesis and gives new kabbalistic expression to how the Deity, having flowed out and projected itself in its sejirot and lights, produced the three lower worlds and each qf the six ranks or days which, included in the seventh and last in which they came to rest, all became pefect.

In orde r to illustrat e what was said in the precedin g chapter about the creation of the world s, it will be worthwhile to qu ote here two discourses or stateme nts that I mad e some time ago abo ut the beginning of Gene sis, where the Deity teach es us ab out the production of the world, the first of which, in short, is this;" Projected in the ten ema na ted sefirot, or Malkut the Holy One insofar as she contain s them all in herself and is unit ed with them all outside herself, surpas sing as she does the crea ted world of beri'ah and comm unicated to it like a man who, being supe rior to his chair, construc ts it and, once mad e, sits in it, or like a tribunal with its Kin g who , by surpassing his instrument and cour t, not only produces and establishes them but also assigns him self to them and th rou gh them works for those that a re inferior to him , ordering and ruling the m. The Deity or its Malkut, I repeat , which the H oly Scripture calls 'Elohim or Go d, at the beginning of his comm unicat ion and work and at the beginning of time (leaving out the eternity that various Gen tile philosophers have introduced)," created the heavens that are beri'ah or the seat of glory where , as the prophets Isaiah , Micah , and Ezekiel say, God not only resides and abides but through which he is communicated to othe r effects and rules them. And it is called heaven becau se Isaiah affirms th at the D eity calls the heaven s his scat, becau se it is the first, highest, and most superior of all crea ted beings, like the heavens that are the first, highest, and most perfect of all bodies." the Deity, proj ecting its causal activity and efficacy from this seat, finally arrives at ea rth, which as the same Prophet says, is a footstool or platform for his feet, and this is nothing else than what divine Mos es reveals to us here, namely, that "In the beginning the Deity crea ted the heaven s and the earth,"36 as if one were

These are apparently lost works, perh aps never copied or published. A reference to the creatio ex nihilo question; see above, note 106, p. 6 1. Christian theology very clearly posits the eterna l existence of God and the non- existence of anything prior to the divine beginni ng of creation. :IS Isaiah 66: I: " Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool." 36 Genesis I: I. :13

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to say more clearly, "H e created the exalt ed world of beri'ah the seat of glory," in which as on [56r] a throne or the heavens he sits and rests, a nd the infinite [sic] material world of 'asiyah, in which its final communication comes to completion, is like the feet that , stretch ed out , touch and rest on a low footstool or earth which is the last thing they reach, but the Deity rem ains exalted and high over both th e one a nd the oth er , like a King over his cour t a nd dais, to which he assigns himself in order to be revealed to his effects and rule them. And as for why 'as iyah is called earth, this sta nds to reason, becau se like the earth, it is the lowest and least perfect of the three created world s, the one in which divine cau sation comes to an end . It is true that the Deity did not crea te these two distant worlds or ord ers of thin gs without a suitable intermediary , which, participating both , brings them into unit y with each othe r a nd with itself: rather, forming the angeli cal world of yesirah , it pla ced it between the highest one , beri'ah the seat of glory, and the lowest, 'as iyah the material one, in order to connect them and draw the m together into one, mediating between them and attracting the influence of the high er and passing it on thro ugh itself to the lower , which is no mo re imp erfect than it is separate d, and this is the rua h ' Elohim or spirit of the Deity that swept or hovered over the waters," moving itself and movin g the m and, like a bird hat chin g the eggs of poten cy, bringing forth the forms that make the actual, perfect material world . And this metaphor from the divine text is app ropriate, because just as the air, which mediate s between the sky and the earth and is by nature diaphanous or transparent, attracts the light a nd efficacy of the sky and through itself and at times through water (which is supe rior to earth ) transfers and communicates it, so does ru ah ' Elohim, which mean s the air or wind of the Deity in order to distinguish it from material or eleme ntal air (because it is transpar ent and of a ment al nature). And although it is associated with and inclin ed toward the bod y, this air or wind is a receptacle and subj ect of intelligible ligh t, which attracts and pa sses on (from the intelligible or mental heavens which arc the world of beri 'ah the sea t of glory and the receptacles and instrument s of the divin e sefirot or numbers) the efficacy and light that through them and the medium

17 Cf. Ge nesis 1:2 "a wind from Go d [ruah 'e lohim] swept over the fa ce of the waters."

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of receptive potency, like water , illustrate , form , and perfect the material world of ' asiyah as if it were useless, empty land, disord ered and sunk in the gloom of priv ation and lack. And it is worth noting that by the power of the pure minds, like metaphorical heavens, they form th e high er mental spirits, comparable to air but divine (and truly through its movement and efficacy, which is to sweep over the potency signified by the wat ers, as if encouraging and incubating it), for the base earth, which is the last and lowest world , and the prime matter , the dr egs of all things : and thus entirely chasing away and exiling the darkness of privation, they cause the light of form to be resplendent, giving it being and perfe ction , and establish or make a composite that participates in th e evening and the morning, poten cy and act, matter a nd form , like the first day of creation. Once, then , the material world has been form ed in the way we have describ ed, in effect the first rank on th e first da y, the Deity divided it on the second into three parts which we can call three worlds , specifically, the waters above the heavens that it rendered by the semina l nature and pow er that, when it had issued from the divine spirits or mal) 'Elohim of the angelical world of yesirah (in comparison to which it is like wat er ben eath the air) and when it had been infused into heav en and the entire material world of 'asiyah like the earth that it surp asses, it fertilized , mov ed , increased , and perfected, like a hand or instrument of the spiritual or angelic essence or seed which, taking the place of the fath er, produces the son and is secondarily separa ted from the material world in the expa nse, vastness, firmament, or heaven s, as in the second world , that is the celestial, and finally in the third, which [56v] is this lower , elementary, and elem ental one which is quite accurately called waters that exist beneath the firmament or heavens a nd are dependent on them and like them subje ct to continual motion and displacem en t, to which they add, in accordan ce with their specific lower nature, a perpetu al flux and reflux, increase and decrease, birth and corruption , and other cha nges that are observed in the water. After the separation of the three worlds , in effect the supra-celestial, the celestial, and the sub-celestial, there comes the division of their ranks, spheres, and parts, which the Deity set apart in the third rank or day of the crea tion of the universe imm ediately after th e second. It divided , I repeat, the semin al nature into the most universal on e, and that of both th e elem ental and celestial sp heres, and tha t of the classes, species, individuals , and oth er material beings , just as it divided the heavens and

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the elements into their circles and spheres, with other changes and differenc es that it contains in itself. For example, it divided the air into its three regions, the water into the Mediterranean and oth er seas, the earth into five zones , that is Asia, Africa, Europe, America, and Magellan's Land," all of which the divin e text briefly identifies and points to in the division of the waters and of the earth and its revelation . It also refers to the passions , affects, qualities, potencies, and strengths of these three worlds and their parts when it speaks of the germination of the grasses and plants of the earth, because just as they issue from it by the power of the seminal nature, so the affects, passions, qualities, and potencies of their essences and substances also continually result from it except by the power of their natures and seminal strengths, both universal and specific, and this happens by a process of natural consequence or result. Next comes the fourth day or rank of the production of the world , in which the heavens were adorned with the sun, moon, planets, signs, stars, and other constellations which, like gemstones or jewels set in golden rings, they adorn and enrich, appropriating for them the light and efficacy with which they universally cause exalted and natural effects, although this is by the power of the higher ones. When the heavens had been adorned, the Deity adorned and populated the air and the water on the fifth day or rank, filling them with birds and fishes, and on the sixth day the earth, filling it with numerous species of animals and with the king of them all, who is man, at which point it stopped, as at the final goal that it had intended for its communication, manifestation, and glory. Let us conclude by repeating that the first thing that the Deity created was beri'ah the seat of glory called the heavens, and 'asiyah the material world called the earth but through or by means of ruah 'elohim, the divine air or spirit that is yesirah the angelical world; and because 'asiyah was barren and empty, it filled, formed , and illuminated it with the light and form that issue from the heavens which are beri'ah through the air which means yesirah, and once it had been formed it was divided into three worlds, which are I. the seminal world of nature like waters issued from the air or a second spirit from the first and the 'ofanim or whe els that, residing above heaven, give it life and move it, dep ending on the hayyot of his Holiness which are those angels

"8

That is, South ern Chile and Patagoni a.

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that, being self-constituting, are not int rinsic forms of the bodies;" 2. the world of the heavens ; and , finally, 3. the sublunary world that is also called waters. And it is worth noting that when the divine text says "Vayomer 'Elohim," which means "And the deity said," it means that it recon ciled within itself, in its mind, and wished to participate out side of itself, with its will, the ideas or representative and causal forms of all things in order to make external effects; and when it says "Va yehi," which can be rendered "And it was," it means the incorporeal form that it communicated out of the material effect to the world of beri'ah the seat of glory, just as [57r] "Vayehi-ken" ("And it was so") is the participation of the form that receives the angelical world of yesira h within itself, which the Platonic ph ilosoph ers call reason an d corresponds to the participated idea of beri'ah and the communicated form al cause of the Deity, which is passed on from the eminent a nd causal being of the infinite , primary causal agent. It is, finally, "Vaya'as" ("And he made") or "He made the form and effect that issues and results from the Deity in the material world," which is why they call it "Vaya'as ," an expression for 'a siyah ." And it is like an image of the ideas and thoughts, and this cannot happen without the seeds of the higher world s, or shall we say "Be-r'esit," wh ich means "In the beginning," that is, Hokmah or Wisdom , and the entire upp er emanated world it created; 'Elohim, which is Malkut , the divine Presence, and the lower , soft rigor of the heaven s which are the seat of glory, and the earth, which is the base, material world, with the interm ed iate link of yesirah the angelical world , which is air in comparison to the metaphorical heavens and figurative water and earth. And thus , receiving divin e efficacy and light from the first on es, it transfers and communicates it to the last ones, and, giving them form, divides them int o worlds, spheres, and portions, and adorns, popul ates, and perfects them through six successive ranks or days which, ending at the seventh, are completed in a seconda ry operatio n, a nd converted to the high one.

39

Another reference to Ezekiel's vision .

"0 The four quotations are from the first book of Genesis: note tha t the number

four always refers back to the four letters of the T etragramm aton . Genesis 1:3: "T hen God said [vayomer 'E lohim] , ' Let there be light'; and there was light [vayehi'or]" ; Genesis I:9: "And God said: 'Let the waters unde r the sky be gathere d together into one place, and let the dry land appea r.' And it was so [vaychi-ken]"; Genesis 1:7: "So God made [vaya'as] the dom e . . .'

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Chapter Xl. In another, even more profound exposition, explains the first chapter if Genesis, including not only the creation if the lower worlds but also the emanation if the highest ones and their source. The following is the second explanation of the beginning of Genesis. 'Ein-Sof, the uncaused Causal Agent of everything, infinitely surpassing all understandable concepts and pronounceabl e names, cannot be known and is not known to anyone and cannot be named be-r'esit, With the first and most superior of its effects, whi ch is 'Adam Qadmon, the sovereign and divine mind of the firstyod, who surpasses the "ale] that is the emanated Keter as mu ch in the superiority of his nature as in onen ess and simplicity: in short, with the source or first effect of the infinite world that surpass es Keter and the entire 'a~ilut or emanated world , "Bara 'Elohim" [God created]: ' Ein-Sof created the next deity, that is, the lights of the infinite world which are in effect the animating principles or lives of all the oth er worlds, first and mos t perfectly of the first and most perfect one , which is the emanated one . And they are called "'Elohim," which means "rigor," [literally , "God"] because in them the bosina deqardinuta or lamp of darkness or strength!' shines preeminently, which is the first of the five judgments or geburot that define and measure all produced beings, and also because they issued downward from the light that is above without conversion from below to above, some below others, perpendicularly, without matqela, balance or scale, facing away and not face to face, without there being in them any distinction of giver and recipi ent, male and female, and in effect as if most of them had issued [57v] from the Ineffable Name of 63 in which the metaphorical fall or death took place that was later repaired by the tiqqun or restoration that began with the Ancient Holy One, who is the first of the parsufim, which are arrangements of ten counterbalanced sefirot. It was repaired, I repeat, by all of these causes which ar e correc tly called 'Elohim, which mean s rigor and justice. Next comes "'et ha-samayim ve-'et ha-iares," which means "T he heavens and the earth," and I interpret it in this way :

,[ This term app ears throughout the three parts of the Zohar that H errera quo tes most frequently the Sifra di-seniu ta, the 'Idra Rabba, and the )Idra Zuta. Elliot Wolfson translates it as "ha rdened spa rk." The meaning "spark of darkness" properly belongs to the simila r term bosina de-qadrinuta iThrougji a Speculum That Shines, p . 382, not e 204).

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"'et," which marks the object of a verb'" and consists of 'alef and taw, the first and last letters of the alphabet ," specifically represents the sovereign divine Law that is resplendent in the ten emana ted sefirot which, containing the beginning and the end of all the letters that make up all words, are the representative age ncies of all ideas a nd all things. It is the beginning and end of the three created worlds , and it contai ns in itself the models and patt ern s of all created beings like intermediaries, and it really is the rule and stan dard of the divine will, of the intended blessing of mankind, and of the means that ar e appropriate and necessary to achieve it, and it is a previously existing Law that existed two thousand years prior to the creation of th e world , which I understand as follows: the unities mean the unique or individual effects and their differen ces, the species are represented by group s of twelve like the classes and worlds, and their differences are represen ted by the hundreds a nd thous ands, because the class surpasses the spec ies in scale and inclusiveness just as a group of one hundred surpasses a group of ten, and the world or most universal order of all thin gs outstrips the classes it contains in itself in the sam e way that a group of one thousand surpasse s a group of one hundred , and, as Aristotle says, it differs more tha n in class." The existence of divine Law prior to this material world of 'as iyah therefore means that the emana ted world of 'asilut exists prior to and sur pa sses this material world with the pri or existence and supe riority of two worlds, like the two tho usand years that are interposed between it, as the first, and the world of ' asiyah, which is the fourth , a nd these are the years of the gloriou s world s of beri'ah and yesira h, the angelical. The divine Law, which is present or, more acc ura tely, exists as the first and high est of the four worlds of ,I]'J~,45 sur passes, p reced es, an d is more noble in perfection and efficacy than this four th, inferior world of the very low ' asiyah in which we live, with the distinction, difference, and addition of two thousand

12 Span ish "a ." Spanish sha res with Hebrew the use of a particle to designate certain verba l complements. 43 "' Et" in H ebr ew is ri tli. Vital gives a different reading; "the "e t' is the aspect of the mouth, which is the lowest level (n~ftsh) . And when He saw the "e t' . . . then 'God separated [the light from the darkn ess]'" (The Tree of Life, Gate IV, Ch apter I , p. 124). It is also associated with Malkut, throu gh the identification with nefes. II Metaplty stcs, Book VII , Chapter 12. 45 Th e four letters form an anagra m of the initial letters of the name s of the four worlds: tli of 'asilut, :J of beriah , , of yesirah, S! of 'asiyah.

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yea rs which are, as has been stated, the two intermediate worlds that ar e interp osed and med iate between it and this lowly, material one: descending from the former to the latter, one must therefore pass thro ugh the two thousand years or worlds that separate them, just as in order to ascend from the latt er to that Law a nd fourth world of emana tion one mu st pass through two stages or world s which, metaphorically speaking, are the two thousand yea rs required to reach it. And returning to the origina l question , I repeat that in the world of ema na tion, signified by ii~ ['et] , it is the beginning, like the "alef, of all created beings, a nd, like law, it is the end of them all: the model , measure, and mean s so tha t, once they have issued from the source by suitable mean s, they can reach the end for which they were produced , being as it is the efficient ca use, model , and goa l of everything, or as the Orphics a nd Plato say, the beginning, middl e, and end of all things." "H a-samayim," or "the heavens," mean s beri'ah the seat of glory, both for the reasons given in the pr ecedin g cha pter and becau se the he of ha-sam ayim reveals it, being a sym bol of Binah and as such present at the beginning of the pronunciation. That first, designated he of the Ineffable Name, I rep eat , is always assigned to Binah , which specifically resides in the seat and world of creation. "Ve 'et" rep resents yesira h the angelical world, pr esided over and illumi nated by the six extremes of the edifice: Ti f ' eret or Ze'ir 'A npi n, the Short-Faced One who contains them , and the waw of the praised four-l etter which, like "'et," is always assigned like an increm ent to the material world of 'asiyah in orde r [58r] to give it form and life, so as not to sepa rate the waw from the last he, like husban d from wife, or the angelical wheels or 'ofa nim from the spheres and other bodies, or the rational spirits from the ga rme nts and corporeal instru ments in which they ar e enveloped and through which they act. The material world of 'asiyah is, finally, revealed in "ha-iares," "the earth," both becau se it is the last, lowest, least perfe ct, and least efficacious of the world s, and the crudest and heaviest, and becau se the he th at goes before it is the M alkut that is nestled within it and gives it life. "And the earth was a form-

., i See Plato, Laws, Book IV, and Ficino's com menta ry on the Philebus, Chapter I I, which sta tes that Go d conta ins within himself the beginning, midd le, and end of a ll thin gs (continere dixit principium et finem et media omnium rerum) (The Philebus Commentary), transla ted by j.B. Allen [Berkeley: University of Ca liforn ia Press, 19 75], p. 30.

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less void" etc., as if to say more clearly that the qelippot or husks, which are those lower , impure spirits which mediate between the Deity and men like da rk and heavy clouds, depriving them of its communica tion and ligh t, so that they ar e left empty of virtue a nd knowledge and full of ignoran ce and trouble, are predominant in 'asiyah the material world, as is stated in the first book of House if the Deuy, a nd more fully a nd in agreeme nt with the literal meaning of the Mosaic text: the lower material world , signified by the ea rth, was formless, chao tic, and dark , like one that , being mad e of matter (which is pure, passive, and receptive potency covered with privation and need and lacking all form, activity, efficacy, ad ornment, and light) comes into being and is thus the reason why the being that parti cipates in it also lacks all of what has been said and can be called formless, void , chao tic, and dark. Or we might more correctly say that by "formless void" one understands the final subject that is not by itself a substance or accident or the opposite kinds of privation but ra ther a capac ity or recept acle that , deprived of everything in itself, is able to receive from an oth er. Its formable poten cy therefore represents the water which, although undefined in itself, is capa ble of being assigned to all forms and natural composites, and the darkness to the privation that always acco mpa nies it, and the abyss to the limitless qu a ntity that is always unit ed with this first subject. In addition to this, the M alku t of the angelical world, with the coope ra tion of the higher ones and especially Ze'i r 'A npin the Short-Faced One who contains in him self all six sefirot of the creation (which are the figurative six days of the crea tion of the world received from H esed or grace, which is the first of them), and by its power and acco rding to its qu ality and nature formed 'as iyah, which is as da rk as it is forml ess, and comm unica ted to it the light that it assigned in the first rank , as if on the first day, to the exalted heaven that is always completely and surpassingly luminous and, being perfect , is the primary source of all the oth er light s. Malk ut communicated this light , I repeat , to the empyrea n that is the first and highe st and most capa ble of all the bodi es and enco mpasses and contains them all in itself and, withdrawing its light into itself, caused the first evening and, communicating it to the othe r bodies, which a re all those that belong to the material world, mad e the first morning, tha t is, in effect, a day, which consists of evening a nd morning, and it did this un til the sun, moon , and lower stars, which shine for and are appropriate to the eyes of the lower world, could be

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produced . It the n withdrew the empyrea n light into itself, and it remained hidden because it is incomme nsurate with human eyes though reserved for j ust and pio us men who with glorious eyes and immortal bodies incapable of suffering can take advantage of it in a future age, as our divine teach ers divin ely teach. " Or we might say more simply, and litera lly, that the De ity infused the luminous form of light into the disordered ma terial world and form less prime matter, which lacked it, and, exiling th e darkness of privation and limiting the waters to its po tency, illuminated it, formed it, ordered and perfected it and made it efficacious and active , manifesting in this light, in effect , that which was hidd en in shadowy pri vation and potenc y, and grasped by no one. The second rank [58v] or day thus followed the first one, in which Malkut, on the part of Geburah the Judgmental, divided the single formed unified world into its three principal rigor s or parts, defining it by the number two, or second, which is always rigor and justice within the first, perfect manifold, which is the number three and as such also does not cease to be so [that is, a unified world]." T his is why there was no praise for the work of this second day and why it does not say, as on the oth ers, that "God saw every thing that he had made, and ind eed , it was very good ,":" becaus e division and plurality are not only not good in themselves , they are more importantly the origin and occasion of many imperfections and flaws, as is apparent to even the most average of learned men. And the division of the mat erial world into three parts can be explained in this way: the waters that are above the heav ens represent the Prim e Mov er and the crystalline sky which, being transparent or diaphanous, are called waters but are higher than the heavens so they can be set apart from those that are lower and by nature elemental and corruptible. The next eight heavens are meant by the vastness , expansc, or firmam ent, specifically the eighth in ascending order which is usua lly called the firmamen t,

n See Herme s Trismegistus (Poimandres): "[humana anima] non omni s quid em sed pia, beataque, diu ina, postquam vera huiu smodi anim a pcr mortem a carcerc corporis est cxcmpta, cum omni s subierit, uirtuti s, pietatisque mandata, ccrte aut mens, aut Deus efficitur" (Ficino, Opera omnia, Vol. 2., p. IfH9). Ginzberg lists the sources for the belief that the pious will see God after death in Legends if the .lews, Vol. 5, p. 57. ;11 Three is unified becau se it contains both one and two, which signify the utter unity of 'Ein-Sof (I) a nd the finite unity of 'Ada m Qadmon (I + I). ' 'I Gen esis 1:3 1.

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where the stars were later placed , and the next seven heavens which were ado rne d on the fourth day with the sun, moon, and other plan ets, while the wat ers that are beneath the heavens allude to the elements which , like water , are cha rac ter ized by consta nt movem ent, cha nge, flux and reflux, or increas e and decrease. And it is worth notin g th at the differen ce of the second day was not in the celestial bodi es or sphe res but, in effect, in th e worlds , I mean to say, in the one that , surpassing the firmam ent, is diaphanous or tran sparent like the wat er in the same firmam ent, which is composed of luminous parts that are the stars , and diaphanous parts, or its rem aining circular body, and in the waters that are below the firmam ent , which have lum inous parts , diaphanous parts , and opaq ue parts which are the elem ents and elem entals. Thus, that which is most high and was created first is the empyrea n light, pure, complete, and perfect; that which comes after it is entirely tran spar ent or diaphanous, after which comes the one that is composed of light and transparency, and after this the one th at is added to th e othe r two, the opaque and dark, I mean to say that which is neith er luminous nor diaphanous and able to receive it bu t rath er a na ture th at, lacking light , is incapable of participating it. Now, after the definition of these worlds into which the great and un iversal one was in effect divided , the D eity that is Malkut the Holy One, by the pow er of Tif'eret or beaut y and according to its quali ty and na ture as comeliness, symmetry, and clem ency, defined it as the third da y, in which the two, returning to one, become thre e: an odd number , indivisible and perfect, which as such has a beginn ing, middle, and end; an ab ove, a middle, and a below; a nd the three dim ensions of continuous magnitude, which are height, width, and depth . And this definition existed in the celestial bodies, heavens, and regions which in effect multiply and beautify the three worlds , specifically the two purely diaphanous ones mentioned above and the eight composite on es that are mad e of light and tran spar ency, and the four lower , diaphanous, lucid, or opaque ones to which we have made reference, adding the germination of the grasses, plants, and trees that , in addition to being or producing food for the animals, parti cipate and are endowed with admirable medicinal or healing qualities and pow ers, both hidden and known. All this is a qu ality of Tif'eret, which is the cause of the health that consists of harmony and balance, and of its preservation, treatment , and rem edy, also of the production of children, being the metaphorical child of the sovereign Father and Mother

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from whom, th rou gh M alkut the Hol y One, all the world s issue an d especially the children of Israel, who belong specifically to it according to Deuteronom y, chapter 14: "You are children of Tetragrammaton [i11i1'], your God. " It is no wonder , then , that there were two praises on this day, [59r] on e for the second day, which was perfected on this third one just as rigor is perfected by clemen cy, and the other for the sam e third day, which as has been said depends on the one th at is grea tly compassiona te and inclined toward the side of mercy a nd grace. Following the th ird day or rank comes the fourth, in which Malkut the Divin e One, receiving from Nesah (which is a bran ch of H osed and corresponds to it), as in the creation of the world when the four th day followed the first, the fifth followed the second, and the sixth followed the third , adorned the sky with the sun, moon, and stars, which in their light and efficacy imitate the empyrean light that was created on th e first day, after which , th rough Hod (which is a parti cipation of Geburah and like it rigorous), she filled the air and the water with birds and fish, corres ponding in this to the second day, when she divided the diaphanous and tra nspa rent bodies. Following th is is the crea tion of the sixth day, when this same M alkut , par ticipa ting from Yesod , which is a propagation or quality of T if'e ret, populated the ea rth that had been separated from the wat ers on the third day according to the qual ity of a solid, opaque body, although adorne d and beaut ified by the diverse colors a nd figures of wild animals and men which in some sense they symbol ize, and with the gra sses, plan ts, and trees that cloth e the earth. Thus ending with herself: Malkut the Holy One rested as on the Sabbath or seventh day, being converte d to the higher on es by whom, receiving more light than previously, she is sanc tified and purifi ed and set apa rt from what is lower and profane, which she blesses and enha nces, com municating to it the increased divine light th at purifi es it, perfects it, and gives it life in keepin g with the Holy Scripture which says: "sa bba t vayn afas," which rea lly mea ns "Rested and gave life to or ensouled ," as in parti cular and with great superiority and assistance he cre ates his chosen peopl e, whom on this holy day he separates from that which is lower and less pure, sanctifying and elevating them to sovereign holines s, and communicating to the m th e divine light th at we may call the spirit, which participate s in and is an ima ge of the good fortune to come .

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Chapter XII. Three additional explanations qf the creation qf the world as related by the Prince qf the Prophets" are briifly noted, and they are as new as they are kabbalistic and elevated. We will conclude this fifth Book by briefly notin g three explanations of the creation of the world, the first of which is: " Be-r'esit," "In the beginning," that is, the world of emanation given life by the infinite world ; "bara ' Elohim," the infinite, unnamed First Cause crea ted the divine world of the seat of glory which in compa rison with the higher ones is rigor or 'Elohim; "ha-samayim," "T he heavens," that is, the an gels that live in the heavens and like them are shining, efficacious, and little known , and in effect the third world of yesirah or forma tion which like the heaven s illustrates and rules this fourth one . 'Asiyah, the world of making, is quite accurately called earth, above whose formle ss and chao tic potency, like an ab yss and wat ers, the spirit of th e Deity hovered and swept , which are the 'ofanim or a ngelical [59v] wheels that are infused and assigned to the material world like spirits and th rou gh who se agency the Deity, exiling the darkness of privation , infused into it a luminous form , defined it, ado rne d and filled it in six days or ranks correspo nding to the six extremes of continuo us magnitude into which it is projected, coming to rest on the seventh as in the final perfection , which like a number that is not bo rn of any of tho se tha t the number ten contains in itself, likewise does not give birth to any of those tha t these ten encompassed within them selves. It is free of activity and movemen t, calm and stable, and as such similar to the sovereign one s with which it is j oined. The second explana tion, then : "Be-r'esit," "In the beginning," is 'Abba or high Fath er , H okm ah or wisdom cro wned with the supreme cro wn that is Keter the exalted; "bara 'El ohim": it produced ' Imma or Mother and in effect Binah or intelligence; "ha-samayim": and the heavens, or Ze' ir 'Anpin the ShortFaced One, which is the parsuf that consists of the six sefirot of the edifice united among them selves and expa nded; "ve-'e t ha-iares," "And the earth" which is Malkut the Hol y One who, being in some sense form less and emp ty, was formed, defined and ado rne d in six days according to the six sefirot that, participating in her spouse , she includ es in herself like the sevent h day, for celebration and rest, in which she becom es no less fulfill ed and perfect than stable and

50

A refere nce to R. Simeon ben Yohai's teachings in the Proclu s, The Elements qf Theology , Propositions 25- 39 gene rally, Dodds's section "O f Procession and Rever sion." Specifically Proposition 25: "T he mo re complete is the cause of more, in proportion to the degree of its completeness: for the more compl ete participate s the Good more fully; that is, it is nearer to the Good; that is, it is more nearl y akin to the cause of all; that is, it is the ca use of more " (p. 29); "All proc ession is accomplished through a likeness of the seconda ry to the prim ar y . . . for like th ings a re made like by liken ess, and not by unlik en ess" (Proposition 29, p. 35). The idea comes from Plato , Timaeus: see note 3, p. 197.

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spirits, so also the first principle, which is the most pure One, directly and imm ediately produces the divine and surpassingl y excellent unities of which we have spoken, and later the unions of tho se things that parti cipate in them and are specific to them. And if someon e should ask how the mo st pure One differs from tho se unities, we would answer that the most pure One is complete and separa te from all qualities, conditions, and limited natures, but that the uniti es that come later depend on it underneath their diverse qu alities, conditions , and bounded natures. D iverse, limited nam es and employments ar e therefore assigned to it, becau se although they are called a nd are sup ra-essential unities, they a re constituted and rest on the mo st perfect primary essences and are specific to them and assigned to them, whereas the First Cause not only surpasses all essences, no matt er how primary an d superior they ar e: being self-constituting, most pure and without compa rison, comm unication, or assignm ent to an y oth er, it does not join with a ny one of them , although it is tru e that , abov e all natures that , being imperfect in their orders, are assigned to oth er effects, one mu st rise to the nature of the same or a similar order which has existence and being purely and perfectly in itself, as if rising from the form that resides in matt er to the One tha t is self-constituting and non-material; from life participated to the body to that which, sepa rat ed or cap able of separation, is not encompassed by it; and from mind assigned to the spirit to the pure, self-consisting One. Finally, from the uni ty that is not complete a nd primary but rath er essential, vital, mental, and intelligible, etc ., and has in it some formal manifold or number , we should rise to the pure and absolute primary uni ty which , infinitely surpassing everything, has no comparison or union with any. Let us conclude, then , that one descends from the One, which cannot be participated, to the unions of many participated individu als through tho se un ities that, depending on the primary and pure One, are constituted in another a nd can be parti cipated to many, becau se as has been said, causal a nd eminent being is communicated to participated or receptive being through its formal being and acco rding to its specific nature, which in my view is the sam e as constituting the lights and sovereign sefirot which, containing in themselves in a formal and perfect way all tho se essences and perfection s that the limitless First Cause contains in infinite abundan ce, they participate by virtu e of its will and coope ration to all created beings. [72r]

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Chapter VIII. Corfirms what has been said in the preceding chapter with a statement from Hakam Rabbi Arriel that is as difficult as it is profound. T he wise kabbalist Rabbi Azriel, in the tradition of his predecessors who received it orally from the prophet Elijah, who app eared to them on the da y of kippur or atoneme nt, makes these arguments, which are as difficult as they a re profound a nd under stood and explained by few: 'E in-Sof (which is the infinite First Cau se) is flawless perfection and, although infinite, is capa ble of activating finite effects, becau se oth erwise it would be imp erfect. And if anyone sho uld say that the finite effect that it activate d is only this world , they would attribute imp erfection to it, and because this is impossible it must be said that a limited effec t issued from 'Ei n-Sof's limitless potency, and the limit that issued directly and imm ediately from it are the sefirot, which possess both perfect potency and diminished or decreased po tency: perfect when they receive the influen ce of their ca use, and diminished or decreased when it is not com munica ted to them." Up to here the ba sic idea is from Hakam Rabbi Azriel of prais ewor thy mem ory, which undoubtedly confirms what we have ascert ained by irrefutab le authority and powerful argument s, which is that th is mental, spiritual, and material world did not issue directly from the First Cau se. Becau se it parti cipates the perfections of its cause in an imp erfect and recept ive way, it is quite distant from the one that , being infinite, surpasses all perfection s that are observed in formal and fully realized being. It is therefore appropria te and reasonable tha t the one that issued immedia tely from the First C ause should not be wha t it is by participation or impe rfectly, but formally and in a fully realized way, I mean to say tha t no compassiona te or j ust effect that is imp erfect (beca use it exists through parti cipation) issues immediately from the one tha t surpasses all perfection s of compassion and j ustice: rath er , it issues from th e compassion or j ustice that it receives in itself in a limited way and contrac ts to its specific capacity. T his does not imply that there is anothe r effect which parti cipates more than it from one of these qualities or the othe r, in such a way that

~ 7 Possibly a pa raphrase fro m Azriel's Perui 'Aggadot. See the pa ssage qu oted by Scho lem in Origins qf the Kabbalah: "T he sefirot . .. had their essence [hawwayah] in the will [of 'Ei n-Sof] withou t recognizabl e distinction that migh t enter into the con templation of th ou ght : from them derives the emanation of the logoi thro ugh which th e world was crea ted , logoi that a re connec ted with the will, ou tside of which nothing exists" (Philadelphia: J ewish Publica tion Society, 1987, pp . 438-439).

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in comparison to compassion or justice or to on e that is mor e compassionate or just it becom es imp erfect and conseque ntly is not the primary effect of the infinitely perfect First Cau se, which as such mu st not directly produce any compassionate or just effect but rather formal compassion and justice them selves. And these and oth er similar perfection s are the sefirot or sovereign light s, eac h one of which is most perfect in its class, and the very perfection which is attributed to it is not by parti cipation in a greater or lesser degree but rather formall y and in a fully realized way, with out lacking any rank of those that are necessary for its complete form al perfection. And these sefiro t or divine measures, insofar as [72v] they receive from their ca use the complete and formal being that it communicates to them by emanation, are perfect; but to the extent that, being produ ced and limited, they degen erat e from the infinite perfection which enco mpasses all perfection s in a causal and emine nt way, and are a single perfection which as such excludes oth ers (as if we were to say th at compassion or justice are not the complete Deity with all its perfection s bu t rather one portion of it and in effect a single perfection which is not the equiva lent of all the rest, like beau ty, duration, realm , and the like): insofar as we ob serve them in this fashion they are and can be called imp erfect, incomplete, and lacking in the infinite perfection of their ca use and the perfections of the other sefirot, un ities, and measures fro m which they are distinct, and it is then that they participat e to the lower ones and perfect them with the communication of their formal perfection s: when , receiving from their cause, with out whose power and actua l coope ra tion they cannot and do not effect their noble ope ra tions, they are assigned to their effect a nd p rodu ce or imp rint them . And then they ca n truly be called perfect, becau se they receive in order to ope rate, and in ope rating they are in ope ration and secondary activity, imitating their ca use which not only exists in itself but is also communicated to others, while on the contra ry they can be called imp erfect when , not receiving from ab ove, they cannot and do not commu nicate themselves downward. Let us conclude, then , with wise Azriel, that the First Cause is th e perfection that excludes from itself all imp erfection s and flaws, both negative and positive, a nd is th erefor e entirely unbounded . And given that it is not possible for th ere to be an unbounded effect, the First Cause would be imp erfect if it were not able to pr odu ce a finite effect, becau se it would lack active power and could not be commun icated or proj ected outside itself, and this

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is a quality of goodness and even more of the most perfect One. And if it only produced this world , which does not contain anything but participated or receptive perfections, it would not be perfect, because it would not have produced perfect works. It can only be the case, then , that in addition to this world , 'Ein-Sof first produced, by its original intention , the divine sefirot and measures which can be called both perfect and lacking : perfect insofar as they are what they are not by participation and reception but form ally and by their specific nature, and flawed insofar as, degen erating from the infinite first perfection, they are not completely and negatively perfect but rather limited to this or that rank of perfection, in effect excluding all oth ers from themselves. They are perfect insofar as, receiving the power and influence of their cause, they actu ally operate and perfect the lower ones by being comm unicated to them. They are also in some sense Hawed insofar as, not receiving from above, they do not extend themselves below but are rather like the br easts of a woman which dry up and lose their milk when there is no one to take hold of them and nurse . And when the sam e Rabbi Azriel says that in 'Ein-Sof there is no will or cons ent , intention or understanding, realm or operation, despit e the fact that none of this is beyond it, he means to the extent that there are no limits or boundaries, diversity, composition, or movement in it. And because Holy Scripture teaches us that it exists, lives, understands, wishes, can and does operate, etc. , we must clarify that all of this and everything else that is attributed to it exists and is named by means of the sefirot , which are the rules, orders, and measurements of all things , and the representations and in effect the names and words by which it is manifested. When he says this, I understand that in 'Ein-Sof the First Cause there is no perfe ction in a formal or bounded way, and that it is therefore specifically denied of it, because being infinite and simple it is incomparably separate from everything else. It is true that this negation is not a privation or lack but rather an abundance or advantage so that, not being anything at all (although it is superior to everything), it is the efficient and final cause of all things, and, having been extended immediately f73r] in the formal and fully realized being of all perfect though bounded natures, qualities, and conditions, it is thro ugh them the cause of all being that is participated to pure, self-constituting minds as well as to those that ar e assigned to bodi es, and to the bodies th emselves, be they celestial or elemental and elem entary, manifesting itself through these formal but

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bounded perfections as well as through the same intermediari es by which it produced everyt hing else. And this formal, not to say intermediate, being and perfection is tha t of the sefirot or divine ligh ts which include in themselves, as has often been said, although in a forma l and perfect way, all the perfections that are parti cipated to all created beings, more or less clearly, according to their diverse rank s. The wise kabbalists, parti cularly Rabbi Azriel, Rabbi M eir Gabbai, Rab i Yehudah H ayyat , Rabbi M oses Co rdovero, and others, a re by this not only deeply and trul y understood but also the divine author of the Zohar, who teach es us, him self instru cted by heaven , that the First Cause surpasses all being and knowledge and that , through the sefirot which emanated imm ediately from it, it produces and arranges, rules a nd perfects all of the worlds and is known and nam ed by them all and praised by all minds for its distan ce, negation , and causal superiority. The need for the arrangeme nt of the sefirot, divine light s, rules, and measures of all created beings is thus also adequa tely proved and confirmed, a nd their benefit and usefulness.

Chapter IX. Divides the sovereign unities or members into three ranks and concludes that above all manifolds there is a pre-existing unity which causes them, and that above all the bounded and specific unities qf the many linked manifo lds there is the injinite, complete primary Oneness which is )Ein-Sof the uncaused, just as the others are its sifirot and ideal strengths. The Platonic philosophers do not locate the ideas of all formal things (which are form ally and completely differ enti ated amo ng them selves) in the supreme Good and pu re One but rath er in the universal mind or intelligible world, its first and most outstanding effect which, degenerating from the admira ble simplicity of its cause which is one above everything, is uniform a nd omniform or , to pu t it more clearly, is one and everything, although with this difference: they reserve the word "idea" for individual ideas of th e lowest species, like "man," "lion," and "horse." And they use the term "divine classes and principles" for the most ordinary things attributed to all or man y of the species, like essence, goodness, truth, a nd uni ty, so as to distinguish them from the pure, supra-essential one ness that is specific to the First Cause, and the iden tity or even the difference or different states and movements amo ng them , as if they were placing intermediarie s between two extremes, that is, life, mind , wis- [73v] dam, clemency,

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justice, beau ty, gr eatness, power , praise, glory, kingd om ," and th e like, which altho ugh th ey are not com m unicated to all species, ar e com m unica ted to many of th em and to which th ey ar e related as by th e analogy to one ness or th e One from which th ey issue and to which th ey return , proving th at whe n m an y things co me togethe r into one qu ality or nature it is necessary to rise above th e co ndition th at is com mo n to th e many, to a single efficacy and perfection which, free of th em, is pu rely and perfectly self-constituting and participated and extende d to th e othe rs th at are connected to it, beca use the com mo n eleme nt that resides in the man y (like for example bea uty) is com m on to m any beautiful effects but does not dep end on th e man y insofar as the y are many and diver se, becau se as suc h they ca nnot cau se that whi ch is one and indiffer ent to all, and beauty ca nno t issue from any of th e individu al or specific effects th a t, being different from th e othe rs and unique and specific in th em selves, cannot com m unicate to anyo ne th at by which th ey and the others are connec ted, undifferen tiated , a nd one . And, finally, it ca nnot be said tha t this com mon one ness exists by itself, because that which is present in another does not exist by itself, and the one th at needs support and sustenance from ano ther in orde r to survive does not derive its sour ce from itself, and th e one that participa tes in plurality is not a pure or perfect one, and th e one that, combine d with its opposite, is infected and weaken ed by it, is also not fully realized . The on e th at , bein g present in th e manifold , does not exist by itself or by virt ue of th e man y, or by virtue of any one of tho se many to which it is attributed or all of them toget her, ther efore surely depends on ano the r, th a t is, th e self-con stituting One which is pa rticipat ed to many, to all, I rep eat , and to each indi vidu al on e of th em , as Proclus sta tes in Prop osition 21 of his Elements if Theology, affirming that every orde r, beginning from one ness, issues and is extended to th e manifold th at corresponds to it, and every or dered an d unified manifold returns to th e one ness that causes it,29 adding in Pr op osition 97 th at th e First C ause of any order com m unica tes its qu ality to its

That is, the sefirot. " [Prop. 2 \] For the monad and so gene rates the appro priate that the entire seq uence de rives And in the reverse dir ection the mon ca use of all the co-ordinate 2"

2'1

has the relative status of a n origina tive pri nciple, manifold. H ence a series or or der is a un ity, in from the mon ad its declension into plurality .. . manifold may be carried back to a single com term s" (p. 25).

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entire order in suc h a way that its entire order is, receptiv ely or by participation, that which it is primarily and formally;" and concluding in Proposition 100 that each order of participated effects returns to its cau se, which is unparticipated in its class but capable of being participat ed to all in that class or order, and all those that parti cipat e but are not participat ed in th eir classes eventua lly return to the prim a ry and most uni versal unity which, being absolutely unparticipat ed an d inca pable of participation , is the sha red and most perfect ca use of all those that parti cipate in their classes, wheth er th ey are unparticipated or parti cipated ." And in effect it is the same infinite perfection which , containing everything in a causal and eminent way, is th e cause of all formal and parti cipat ed perfections and of all things , universally, becau se it is the un cau sed source of all the sources of all th e orde rs that depend on them , which th rough them eventua lly return to the infinite end that is the same beginningless beginning of all beginnings, origina ted intermediaries, and ends. No one ca n den y how entirely in accorda nce this is with our divine kabbalah a nd wisdom , becau se wha t we ca n grasp abo ut th e divine sefirot or ema na ted lights is th at , being most perfect dir ect emana tion s of the First Cause, they contain in themselves and produce and dem on strate out side of them selves the sovereign attributes a nd perfection s which are inaccessible and entirely hidden in th eir infinite source. They include these effects in themselves in a form al and very perfect way and, as has been said, comm unicate th em to all other thin gs by linked cha ins and well-orde red steps, mor e or less perfectly and clea rly to the degree that each of them is mor e or less close and similar to them or is re ndered more or less capable of rece iving their qu ality and strength. Being represen tations of the un cau sed infinity, they are therefore patt erns and mo dels of the universe and of all of its part s which, with the cooperation and power of their cause, 30 " Prop. 97. The originative cause of each series communicates its distinctive prop erty to the entire series; and what the ca use is primitively the series is by remission" (p, 87). :1I " Prop. 100. Every series of wholes is referable to an un participat ed first principle and cause; and all unparticipatcd term s a re dependent from the one First Principle of all things . . . Again, all the unpart icipated mon ads are referable to the O ne, because all a re ana logous to the One: in so far as they too are affected by a common character, namely their a nalogy to the One, so far we can refer them to the One. In respect of their common origin from the latt er none of the m is a first principle, but all have as their first principle the O ne; each, however, is a first principle qua unp articipated" (p. 9 1).

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they produced and now sustain, convert, illuminate, and, when th e final goal in whi ch they are respl endent is reach ed, eventually bless. [74r]

Chapter X. COlifirms what has been said and, declaring the qualities and superiorities qf the sovereign measures, shows how, being communicated to the lower ones, they do not coincide with them univocally but rather b;' dqinuion, analogy, and their role as ifficient cause and model, in such a wqy that, participating their qualities and imprints to them, they communicate their natures. What wa s said in the preceding cha p ter is co nfirmed, that many beautiful effects (for example) cannot conform to a single universal be auty except through a single common nature which , being present in the many, issues from the on e that , being self-constituted over th e many indiffer ently, is nevertheless co m m unica ted to all: because beauty (a nd what is said about it ca n and should be said abo ut all oth er divin e species a nd uniti es) is not the same as the beautiful effects that a re wh at they ar e by parti cipation a nd that, bein g man y, are not the same as beauty itself, which is rath er like some thing that, being supre me or first in its class, necessaril y exists and should be wh at it is. In addition to this, beautiful effects are composed of a subject that parti cip at es beauty, and the beauty that actually makes them beautiful, while beauty, on the contrary, is nothing but beauty, because that which is what it is in some class, is wh at it is by itself and not by virtue of another : it is purely beauty. Beautiful effects, on the oth er hand, ar e only beautiful insofar as a porti on of beauty was com m unicated to the m : they are no t beautiful insofar as, lacking beauty by them selves, they participat e it from another in a limit ed fashion. Beauty is un changing, but those that participate it are cha nge able, becau se beauty as such is not converted into its opposite, and it is not deprived of its ba sis because, being self-constituting, it do es not have one. Beautiful effects, on the oth er hand, wh en they are depri ved of beauty or of the subj ect on whi ch they are based , are co rrup ted and converte d int o ugliness. Beauty is indi visible becau se if it wer e small it would not be able to beautify large thin gs, and if it wer e large it would not be ada pted to small ones. It is not composite because if it wer e it could not be assigned to simpl e effects and it would not be suited to spiritua l ones, which are very beautiful. It is not mat erial becau se if it wer e it would not reside in incorporeal beings, which ar e eno rmously beautiful. It is not temporal becau se it is assign ed to eternal effects in whi ch it

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is resplendent. And in conclusion, it exists above all bodies , spirits, and minds which , participating in it, are called beautiful and are beautiful but are not pure, perfe ct, or formal beauty itself, which is one , simple , pure, unchanging, indi- [74v] visible, incorporeal, and eternal and is therefore a quality of the First Cause but in a very superior, infinite way." It is also a quality of the emanated lights, in which true formal beauty is respendent, and it is the exemplary and efficient cause of all those that are beautiful by participation. And in actual truth this same beauty is present above all those that are beautiful by participation, just as above every ord ered and unified manifold there is always a specific unity , cause of its unity and order, to which it relates as to its origin and to which it returns as to its end, and thus above all bodi es there is the one that contains and moves them above all individual natures, the one that, being universal and shared by all, reconciles and joins them together, activating many things above the instinct and quality of each one. Above all individual spirits there is the universal divine one that, like the leader of a choir, tunes them, reconciles them, and joins them in a single shared harmony and balance; and above all individual participated minds there resides the formal one that is common to them all, that illuminates and arouses them; and, finally, above all those that are united together, and above all unions, and above all unities of unions and of individuals, and also above all improving and improved goods , there exists the pure and most simple One and the surpassing uncaused divine goodness which is 'Ein-Sof, the limitless original source of all things. And these unities and formal perfections are the universals , prior to the many and entirely different from those universals that reside or are present in the many or, as others say, ar e universals in being and causing and not in predicating or coexisting in particular effects. Thus Aristotle , contradicting his teacher Plato, understood that, consisting in the First Cause in a superior but relative way, they are specifically and formally present in the first mind or intelligible world, its direct and most perfect effect; and this effect, being the first, is formally, specifically, and enormously like its cause , and consequently it is a measure or standard of all others which ar e more or less this way by participation

:12 Herr era' s discussion of beauty closely parallels Socrates's exposition (in Diotima's mouth) in Plato 's Sy mposium 206c-d and 21I a-2l2a.

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in it and which, depend ing on it in being , also depend on it for their manifestation and knowledge, becau se things are with respect to being what they are with respect to knowledge and being known ." It is therefore certa in that, parti cipating the being of the Deity, they parti cipate its liken ess and image, by which tho se that have reason , understanding, or mind represent and know it, which is what our kabbalists teach about the parti cipation of the ema na ted sefirot to the three created world s, tha t is, the int ellectu al one which is beri'ah the throne of glory, the spiritual one which is yesira h the ang elical, and the material one of making or made , called 'asiyah , in which they are revealed by imprinting their divin e charac ter or seal, as in their effects and images. And they are in some mann er understood throu gh them a nd by them a nd by their inhabitants until , full of light and formed by it, they rise to their source, through which , as through a mo st perfect object an d mo st efficacious represen tation and mean s, they arrive at it, fully realized and blessed, and through it, insofar as it is po ssible, at the hidden First Cau se, the first and sufficient beginni ng a nd final and mo st blessed end of all th ings. And interpretin g what has been said, we say that all pa rticipated being returns to the pri ma ry being as to its unity and measure, a nd tha t it exists formally in the way we hav e jus t said, and 1 have no doubt this is Keter (or most high crown), which being primary , simple, a nd supe rior, contains the oth ers just as being cont ains everything that exists, in addition to which the nam e i1'i1~ ('ehyeh, or "I will be")" is specific to it. It means the being that we assign to all living beings, just as all tho se th at are mani fested and can be understood in effect return to their specific un ity and source, to the first, formal life and intelligible light that is Hokmah or Wisdom , which as the wise man says, being the tree of life for all that cling to it, is tha t which gives life to its masters." And as the Psalmist says, becau se the Law of T etragrammaton is perfect, when it converts the spirit to itself, it returns it to its source [75r] and, casting out the ignorance that it had contracted from the body, which was depraved , it becom es most T l See the critique of the Ideas in Metajlh y sics, Book I, Ch ap ter 9, 990a- 993a, and also On the Soul, Book III, C ha pters 6 and 7, 430a-43I b. 'H Although this verb is usually rendere d in the present tense in English, including by Her rera, he rend ers it here acco rding to its imp erfect form in orde r to suggest the projection of ' Ein-Sof's activity into a limitless future. 'Ii The wise man here being Moses, presumed aut hor of the Torah, as the reference appea rs to be to the tree of life in the ga rde n of Ede n (Genesis 2:9).

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wise and, receiving understanding, lives a blessed , reason ed life.36 All tho se th at kn ow th e primary, formal mind, whi ch is Bin ah or Int elligence, also return as to their unity or head , which is the universal mod el of all intellectu al, ration al, or sensua l knowledge. All those that , commu nica ting, are extende d to others and treat them with mercy and gra ce, return to H esed or mercy, which exists formally and perfectly, while all those that distribute diversely to diverse effects according to distributive justice, and that allot or give to eac h one that which it deserves accordi ng to commutative j ustice" (which by levelling rewards or punishes and in effect prom otes and raises up the good while suppressing and holding back the evil, deflecting evil as much as po ssible or repressing and disciplining it and eventually converting it into good), return to Geburah , strength or rigor, which is perfect formal justice and puts what we have just said into effect with grea t perfection. Everything that is beautiful returns to the perfect form al beauty tha t is resplendent in Tif'cret; all tho se that are eternal and self-constituting return to Nesah, which mean s etern ity or perm an ence; all those that are converted to the high er ones, praising them and proclaiming th eir superiority, return to H od , which mean s praise; all those that bend to the lower ones in order to rule them return to Yesod which, as the nam e "foundation" indicates, sustains and preserves them ; an d all those that , receiving from above, give to wha t is below a nd communicate to the lower ones through approp riate interm ediaries so th at they may resemble their superiors and insur e that the sovereign light that descended below will rise in resplendence a nd return to the height s, eventually return to Malkut the Holy One, who is the formal kingdom of the most supe rior 'Ein-Sof, Ki ng of Kin g of Kings in all the worlds and th eir power and dominion in all gene ra tions and who, containing these and other perfection s in herself formall y and most perfectly, communicates them to all the lower ones bu t by way of parti cipation a nd reception . And it is worth noting with Aristotle and Thomas

:11; Psalm 19:8 [NRSV 7]: "T he law of th e Lor d ~'wi'l is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord a re sure , making the wise simple." :17 Justice is said to be distrib utive when it co nce rns the worthiness of its recipients to be rewar ded or punished ; it is said to be co mmutative when it conce rns the appro pr iateness of compensa ting the recipient. H errera is applying th ese terms to the relat ionship between cause and effect, wh ich by ana logy assume the roles of judge and j udged. See Aristot le, Nicomachean Ethics, Book V, C ha pters 1-5 , I 129aI I 34-a.

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Aq uinas that altho ugh the wisdom, exempli causa, of emanated H okm ah is not an attribute or as they say a univ ocal predica te in pure minds or in mental sp irits, it is neverth eless not eq uivocal but rath er ana logo us and must ther efor e be redu ced to one, becau se just as everythin g that is pred icat ed of uni vocal predi cates of the second mod e by their own term s m ust be reduced to the one tha t mat ch es the pred icate origina lly a nd by its own terms, so also with analogous effects: the first of all the ana logou s is the one to which th e analogy is ap p ropriat e by its own terms and to which it is approp riate for the othe rs to relate a nd return (it is approp riat e, tha t is, for the ot hers to relat e to one th at is different from the man y, to one of th eir own number)." But the first of th ese, or mind (as M arsilio Ficin o says about Plotinus, com menting on the seco nd book of the first Ennead ), is a ttributed to the Deity a nd to the sp irit in a shared, universal nam e that is not eq uivoca l or ra ndom or inappropriat e in any way, and it is not attributed in a single mod e or sense in such a way that th e divine mind and the min d of the soul have the same definit ion in either class or species: rather it is attributed in such a way that the mind of the spirit, like a subseq uent image, is p roduced and preserved by the divine mi nd , its vastly more exalted and eleva ted source and mod el, to which it is still connec ted as to its pattern, in representing it. And this is what is properly called analogic or ana logo us as explained in this exam ple: th e speech of the voice is to the speech of the spirit as the speech of the spirit is to the speech, discourse, or wo rd of the mind, the word of the voice being a n image or interp retati on of th e wor d of the spirit, and the word of the spirit an im age or in terpretati on of the word of the min d which is both the one a nd th e othe r, [75v] that is, both an image and a n int erpreta tion of th e infinite Onen ess a nd goo d ness of the D eity.:l9 We may conclude, th en , that in th e divin e spe cies a nd uni-

lH See Aristotle, Categories I, Ia: "T hings a re said to be nam ed 'eq uivoca lly' when , though they have a commo n nam e, the definition corresponding with the nam e differs for each . . . O n the other han d, thin gs a re said to be named ' univoca llv' which have both the nam e and the definition a nswering to the nam e in co mmon" (The Basic Works if Aristotle, p. 7). Aquin as taught that terms applied to created beings can no t be used either univocally o r eq uivocally to spea k of God, who ca n therefore only be discussed by a nalogy (Summa theologiae Ia I, 7). 34 A substantial reference to Ennead 1.2 "O n virtues," specifically relating to the doctrin e of the two likenesses: "in the case of two thi ngs of which one is like the othe r, bu t the othe r is pri mary , not reciprocally related to the thing in its likeness and not said to be like it, likeness must be und erstood in a different sense; we must

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ties, be they the most general or int ermediary, like the em an at ed sefirot , or th e most specific, like th e representational, causal truths of spec ific lower effects whi ch these sefirot conta in in th emselv es and ar e correc tly called ideas or models, they are of eq ual assistance to all thos e that parti cipate in th em , be th ey larger or smaller, locat ed in the east or in the west, as mu ch now as in the past or the future, etc. W e can therefore affirm that th ey a re by their nature free of qu antity, place, and time, like those that ar e com m unicated equally to all qu antities, places, and times. And because it is true that, after temporal adjustmen ts, they comm unicate th eir specific forms to thos e subjects that ar e alr ead y prepared, without movem ent and suddenly, in a single instant, the y ar e surely free of all division , location, mov ement, cha nge , and tim e and conseq uently indivisible, immobile, eternal , and always present for and of assistance to all. Thus the qu ality of eac h one of the m descends from its spec ific nature and reach es the last and least perfect form s in th e universe, pen etrating through the int ermediari es and imprinting on all of them , mor e or less perfectly and clearl y, that which they are in a very perfect and enlightened sense, becaus e the qu ality or perfection of wisdom descends from sove reign H okrnah or wisdom, whi ch is resplendent in the primary and mo st supe rior effect of 'Ein-Sof the First Cau se, to all th e othe r effects of the infinite as well as to the emana ted world, through its successive step s and ranks, from whi ch it descends with th e same grad ation and order to the pure minds of beri'ah the seat of glory, to the participated minds a nd rational spirits of th e angelical world of yesira h, and to th e shadowy or imaginary on es of 'asiyah the material world, com municating its quality of wisdom to all, though to some more and to oth ers less, and with great er or lesser clarity and efficacy, and in effect imprinting the divin e cha racter of its mo st wise seal on all. And we ca n give the same example for Geburah or str ength whi ch , descending from th e first perfection, whi ch is spec ific to the first effect, through the intermedi ari es of the sovereign worlds, th e infini te on e and the emana ted one of belimah that, not req uire the same form in both , but rathe r a different one, since likeness has come about in this different way" (1.2.2.5- 9, Vol. I, pp. 131-1 33). Th e image of what is made known throu gh reversion to the good as an impression that is implanted in the soul is quoted with respect of virtue (1.2.3.20; Vol. I, p. 139). The ana logy of voices is also found here: "As the spo ken word is an imita tion of tha t in the soul, so the word in the soul is an imitation of that in something else" (1.2.3.29; Vol. I, p. 137).

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consisting of th e ten sefirot, also include th at of Geburah or strength, was participated to all the sepa ra te minds, angels, and rational spirits, the universal on e and the spirit of th e world, as well as to those of the sph eres and individu al bod ies, both empyrean or heavenly and eleme ntal, th at is, the ign eou s, ae rial, aqueous, a nd terrestrial. From th ese it eventually descends to the most warlike men , to the most fero cious animals, like lion s, tigers, and th e like, to the toughest and strongest plants, like oaks, to th e most efficacious imp erfect and perfect composites , and to th e most active e1ementals, binding and tying together the high est and the lowest through tho se that a re in between in such a way th at, when all come together in a single quality and nature, they connect and unite among them selves with such strength that in receiving and giving they dr aw on their strength and reflect th eir source, the sha red ray that illuminates them and gives them life and makes them resembl e each ot her a nd their ca use, which being a speci fic unity is extende d to its entire ordered manifold and linked cha in a nd converts it and returns it to itself. And it is worth noting that material natures do not receive directly from the divine sefiro t or sovereign unities and ideas: ra th er, th ey parti cipat e imm ediately in the lowest thro ugh the inte rmedia te ra nks, and participa te to th em directly an intermediat e rank of 'asiyah, I mean to say th e sefirot that are infused into it. And these, being incorp oreal and divine, are not congruent with them in their spec ific mat erial nature but rather in a certa in individual, mov abl e condition, so th at they ac tivate diverse individual effects in diverse individ ual bodies at diverse times and pla ces, but these bodi es are not congruous with the sefirot a nd sovereign me asures of th e divine worlds [76r] in any nature or condition except in a certain connection, dependen cy, and denominat ion or nam e, so that some material forms issue from some un ities or ideas and oth ers from oth ers which they closely follow and principally represent, th e entire order and cha in parti cipati ng in their qu alities but not in their entire strength or efficacy, as for example all of the power that th e imm ediat e idea of the mat erial sun contains in itself is communicated to the sun but not to all of the solar sta rs or to th e solar spirits th at inh abit th e heaven s, fire, air, and water, but rather to some, and to these in a weak and passive way or wor se: but , weak and dark , they parti cipated a nd continua lly parti cipat e to men under the influen ce of the sun j ust as, finally, it is a very small number of very weak and shadowy powers tha t the beasts, plants , metals, meteors, and eleme nts that a re

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under the influence of the sun have received. While the same quality and perfection thus descends from its origin and source, remaining always the same, the number of powers decreases from rank to rank and likewise the strength and efficacy of the operations and activities that the lower ones receive from it.

Chapter XI. Repeats what has been said about the bounded unities and formal perfections and about the irifinite causal First) stating in which respects they agree and in which Wl9's they differ) and that the firmer are related to the latter not like created beings but rather like propagations) extensions) emanations) or rl9's) and in ~lfect points on diverse lines which) depending on the single point at the center) are greatly united with it; also shows how through these unities all things are known as though through measures) numbers) and weights. It is evident from what has been said so far that above all perfections that are participated to diverse natures or subjects which, receiving them in themselves, limit and restrict them to their capacity, there must be and are those self-constituting perfections that are primary, pure, formal , and complete and as such do not participate in other, higher or superior ones in either their classes or in their orders, because there are not and cannot be such perfections: rather, all the lower effects participate in them in a great number of linked ranks, more or less clearly and perfectly imitating and following them . It was also said that above these formal perfections, adapted to limited orders, classes, and species and not indifferent or common to them all (which are so very perfect in these limited ones that they are not completely perfect in all of them), there must a perfection, in the universality of all things, that, because it is not specific or comparable to any of those [76v] that do or could exist outside it, contains them all in itself with surpassing abundance and superiority, and produces and continually preserves them outside itself with infinite goodness and wisdom, and through them produces and preserves all things that participate in them and depend on it more than on them, just as the efTect depends on its sufficient higher cause more than on the instrument that receives its power and operation from it. And this unique unbounded perfection is the First Cause that the kabbalists call 'Ein-Sof, and the many causes that are complete in their classes and orders (although in an absolute sense they are limited and not entirely perfect) are the emanated sefirot, that

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is, the uniti es and lights that are a direct result of the primary infinity. And without being participated in their orders and classes, they are primary, simpl e, unchanging, and perfect in them and not (strictly speaking) created beings, because created beings are not really complete or pure beauties or justices and therefore become natures and substances whi ch , participating in them, are more or less beautiful or just. Thus they are distinguished from thos e that are (if it can legimitately be put this way) propagations, extensions, emanations, outflows, results , or rays of the infinite and most unique First Cause. And this is so not insofar as, withdrawn into its vastn ess, it separates from all things without having any comparison or connection with anyone of them or with all of them together, but rather insofar as, having alr eady connected to its effects, it conceives them in a limited way in itself and gives birth to them individually outside itself, which is precisely what we me an by the negations that we appl y to it: th ey are not only the overflowing abundancies by whi ch it is raised over all things, but also the causal activities by which it first and primarily produces, preserves , and rules these unities, measures , and lights: they represent it in themselves, reveal it to others, and by its power and actual cooperation produce effects and perfect them , cooperating with their source and differing from it just as diverse indivisible points differ from th e diverse divisible lines that, touching the most unique and indi visible central point from which they issued and to which they return and with which they are greatly united, ar e the sam e as it although very different from it, becaus e being in th emselves indivisible, although they are many and diverse , they are mad e even more perfectly thus a nd entirely one in the single undivided and indivisible center, their beginning and end, to which they ar e joined and united . Thus we understand how these unities or lights (in effect the divine sefirot and measur es) are and ar e not the firs t Cause, and what it means that they flow or issue from their source by extension and projection but without division: I mean to say that they emanated and result ed from their infinite source in such a way that, without being separated from it, they are self-co nstituting and com m unicated to all lower things, as entirely different from created beings , no matter how superior they arc , as they are from those things that, separated from th e first Cause, are not only not complete formal perfections (like essen ce, life, intelligence, clem enc y, justice, beauty, eternity, praise, fruitfulness , kingdom , and other similar ideas and models of all things) but rather a

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greater or lesser participation in them. Likewise they are not directly united with the First Cause and they cannot be unit ed with it except through these unities, and, having been raised up, they can somehow reach and do reach the inn ermost being of the Deity that , because it is entirely hidden inside itself, is represen ted by those most illustrious objects as if by its image and in tho se mo re than transpar ent mirrors in which it is resplendent. In addition to this, they are like specific, conj oined instruments of its efficacy: assigned and ada pted by them to its effects, it can produce and move them and raise them up to itself. And this is enough arcan e material for now , which few (as fa r as I have seen) have discussed [77r], and this in par ables which do more to concea l the intend ed truth tha t is our goa l tha n to reveal it. And tha t all things can be known through these divine unit ies, sefirot , and measures, on which all thin gs depend as on their efficient an d exemplary beginnings and to which they relat e as to their numbers, weights, measures, standards, and laws, ca n be revealed in what has been said elsewhere about tho se that have existence and bein g, where it was sta ted th at because the chime ra, the sp hinx, and oth er similar inventions do not really exist in the nature of thin gs, they ar e an eleme nt in the mo st imperfect and lowly mode, but composites, plants, beasts, and men exist and have being in more complete modes because men more than beasts, and these more than plants, and these, finally, more than composites or elem ents , come close to and resemble the primary being which , if it were not in some way known , could not be a measure or guide to ena ble us, through it, to know tho se that parti cipate in it and resembl e it to a grea ter or lesser degree. And we really do know it because we judge the existen ce of all oth er existents by comparing them to it, which is the first to exist and have such great being, affirming that they exist a nd have being more or less perfectly to the degree that they resembl e it more or less, in addition to which we often redu ce all subordina te classes to the most general ones, like the ten predicates, and these to the complete and simple being or existent that is represented to us. We cannot therefore imagin e th at it does not exist becau se, just as that which we call nothing appears to us to be entirely lacking in being , so pure being is revealed to us free and exemp t from all non-being or nothingness and consequently without the power not to be, so that it is tru ly etern al and necessa ry and without priv ation or negation of any being and thu s supremely perfect and unbounded . And there is no doubt

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th at , in everything that we know, we always recognize being, for example in man , or in whiteness, as in everyt hing else: the being by virtue of which man or whiteness exists is always recognized , and ma n, whiteness, a nd everything that parti cipates in them are known th rou gh this being, an d some thing is known about non-being from this same being, just as from active being something is known abo ut potenti al being, a nd, finally, through complete and pure act and being (which we can call, along with the Platonic philosoph ers, causal or superior being)'? we und erstan d this or that being which, although perfect in its class, is limited to it, and through this one we can assess parti cipative being, which more or less receives a nd possesses tha t which form al being embraces in itself perfectly. And the examples we have given abo ut being can and should be applied to the other uniti es and measures (about which we will spea k in the approp riate place), eac h one in its order and linked togeth er , as is evident for goodness, stre ngth, beaut y, and the like, which are the proof, rule, and revelation of all good, strong, and beautiful things. And thu s not only are virtu ous and useful men good, lion s and tigers strong, and the sun and fire beautiful by par ticipation in a single sha red goo dness, strength, and beau ty which, being pr esent above them, is communicated to them , making them be good, strong, and bea utiful: relatin g them to these, their uniti es and measures, we also affirm in tru th that that which is virtuo us is better than tha t which is useful, the lion is stro nger th an the tiger , a nd the sun more beautiful than fire insofar as, participating in goodness, strength, and beau ty, honesty has received a grea ter por tion of the first quality than the useful, the lion pa rticipated more of the second than the tiger , and the sun more of the third than fire, which is beauty. And this is becau se the virtuous is closer to and more closely resembl es goodness than the useful, the lion is closer to strength than the tiger , and the sun is closer to beaut y than fire. [77v]

Chapter XII. Continues showing that the lower ones which depend on the sovereign unities and ideas are known through them as if through their models and measures, and through them also we have some notion if the irifmite First Cause which surpasses the understanding. The Platonic philosophers p rove that natural thin gs are understood thro ugh their models or ideas. Becau se the variety of powers sugIII

See for example Proclus, TIle Elements qf Theology Proposition I 15.

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gests the variety of objects, a nd the mind's reach is also varied, so too is that which can be und erstood abo ut intelligible objects, and the former is superior to a nd nobler than the latter to the extent tha t the mind is supe rior to the senses. If therefore a sensible object is a rea l, subsistent thin g, as we observe, how mu ch more so mu st the intelligible objec t be, which is always a universal, non-material species called idea? In addition to this, the natural forms are always mixed with their opposites, for exa mple th ose that we call equal or similar mixed with some inequality or dissimilarity: the circular with the angular or the stra ight, the beautiful with deformity or ugliness, the good with the slightly imp erfect and faulty, and in effect all actual or activated thin gs with privation and pot ency. Therefore non e of them is truly what it is called or named, becau se all lose their entire and complete perfection and pow er when j oined with matt er , all the more so becau se, being subjec t to time, they corres pond to it in such a way th at with its continual cha nge and flux they are not today what they were yester day , and they will not be tom orrow wha t they are today, thu s mixing non-being with the being that exists prior to indivisible presen t being, which alone they possess, and there follows infinite futur e non -time which may never exist or , if it does, will exist for indivisible instan ts or mom en ts which rush past continually withou t pause." And beca use th ese na tural forms are contained by a place, they exte nd to man y parts, and beca use no whole is anyone of its parts (because it is one while they a re man y and man y in such a way that they a re almost infinite), it follows that with one being tha t is attr ibuted to the whole, infinite non-beings (so to speak) can be assigned to it out of the parts that make it up , j ust as within the one being that is commo n to all men there is an infinite number of parts which, as such, ar e not the whole man: by being man at a single mom ent and in one way, he is consequently non-man an infinite number of times and in countless ways, and consequently more non-m an than man , and the same holds for the othe r individuals of the natural species."? Let us add to this that each body is mad e of matt er and form, and materially a man is not more a man than a horse, beca use matt er is commo n and indifferent to all natural composites. He is a man , then , by virtue of the form tha t, restricting matt er in ope ra tion, makes him be wha t he is, and

II

"2

See previous notes on time in Aristotle and Plotinus. See Book III, Chapter 6.

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becau se, being part of a composite, form is the reason why a man is a man by [78r] virt ue of one of the parts of the composite, th at is, by form and not by virtue of the who le, which is more immediately human tha n a man, just as that which is set on fire by one of its parts is called burned or ignite d and not fire or bu rn ing itself." T hey concl ude , then , that na tur al mat erial forms are not p rim ary, per fect, or true, and therefor e there mu st be above them, as in fact there are , mind s and incorporea l beings which, becau se they are wha t they are primar ily, are tru ly a nd perfectly what they are. Of course the entire purpose and the integrit y of any nature is founded on the first on e which all othe rs in som e way imit ate and follow. It is tru e that som e doubt if these perfect form s are the ones that contain the rational spirits in them selves, and that by j udging natural composite form s th ey approve, chas tise, correct, purify, elevate, and perfect them , to which it mu st be answe red that altho ugh the forms that are spec ific to the rat iona l a nd ment al spirit are mor e perfect an d tru e than those that rest in formless matt er (like those that , j udging the m, approve, co nde mn, or correct them , as we have said, recognizing what th ey have of goodness or malice, benefit or harm, bea uty or deformi ty, perfection or flaw, and so forth ), they are nevertheless not the primary, most perfect form s, mo dels a nd measures of everything, beca use although they are free of the limita tion s of place, they are not free of tempor al durat ion, not always being in operation or secondary activity but rather in continuous move me nt. Putting the relati on before the ac tivity, th ey therefore return to it a nd a re tran sfer red from one set of forms and relation ships to others, understanding first the latt er and th en the former and so for th in succession in such a way that above th ose movable and therefore imp erfect forms there mu st be , a nd are , th ose that , free of all movement a nd unmoving and in perpetual, uninterrupted ope ration a nd activity, are perfectly self-consistent. The spirit judges their perfection or flaws and their grea ter or lesser efficacy a nd ac tivity as if they were primary, like co rne rstones or 24- car at gold, weighin g and comparing not only the natural forms but also th e spec ific ones, like gold of less purity and value: in effect it recognizes tha t by which they resemble the most perfect forms of which we have spo ken, a nd II Despite mention of Platonists, this discussion closely parallels Summa theologiae Ia 44 , 2 and 3, where Aquinas clarities that matt er is restricted to spec ific species by form ("materia per formam cont rahitur ad deterrninatam spec iern," p. 2 18).

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that by which they degen erate and fall away from them , and in summary what they specifically are a nd possess. And it is worth noting th at the images do not recognize each oth er except by reference to their models, like effects that are not grasped except through their ca uses, be they intern al or external, resolving them all eventually in the sovereign primary ones which are the divine idea s tha t activate and ca use all th ings. And as the Platonic philosophers say, when, mov ed by the image of this particular gold that he happens to see, a man 's imagination or fantasy takes shape, and the species of the universal nature of gold that is pres ent like an imprint of it in the human rea son is stim ula ted by relat ion a nd primary activity, it becom es resplendent a nd, going forth in ope ra tion and seconda ry activity, is revealed to him , becau se this brillian ce is the revelation or discovery, the beginning of understanding or an imperfect a nd blurred under standing until the human mind or reason succeeds through th is mean s in forming an idea of the gold that shines in the intelligible world and is the model and patt ern by which the D eity produced gold and with which the human mind is connec ted through the spec ies of gold th at it has within itself, as we observe when wax, mold ed into a particular sha pe, joins and unites with it and with th e seal on which it is imprinted and by which it was imprinted." Wh en the human spec ies that activate s the gold comes into alignme nt with the sovereign model or mental idea, it is the tru e intelligence of gold, and the same for an oran ge tree, a hors e, a man , a soul, an angel, a mind , and other things that we perceive by our reason becau se they coincide with the ideas on which they depend. And in actual truth, if knowledge consists in [78v] the mind corresponding to the truth and in the truth representi ng its idea as an image of its model , the mind cannot correspond to or coincide with the truth without corresponding to or coinciding with the idea in whose congrue nce and confirma tion the tru th consists, and likewise with the idea, which is the efficient and exemplary model of the truth (which in crea ted things is therefore always an image or effect of the idea in the divine mind). T he same truth is understood becau se perfect understanding always follows after and resembl es the

H See Ficino, 7heologia platonica, Book XV , Chapter 2, Vol. 3, p. 17: "Sum autem form ae in corporibus nihil aliud quam idea rum imagines divinarum , sicut figurae, quae imp rimun tur in cera," and the related image in Book XVIII , Chapter 4, Vol. 3, p. 195: the face is to the mirror as the soul is to the body.

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nature of th e being that is understood : j ust as, like gold and other material natures, they were produced by virtue of their mod els or divine ideas and becau se of them exist and are capable of activity a nd are active, so by virt ue of the same ideas they a re revealed to min ds and a re grasped and understood by them , and in this as in everything else all minds imitat e the first one, and as has been said elsewher e th e unproduced Producer of all things is grea tly revealed th rou gh these divine light s, uni ties, a nd measures which it also produ ces, becau se th eir ca use is known ever more perfectly by its most superior first effects th an by the less nobl e subseq uent ones. In addition to this, th at which being infinit e exists above all int elligibles, no matter how sup eri or they a re, is grasped more clearly th rou gh the supreme int elligibles, at least through negation, causality, and abundan ce, than th rou gh the lower ones, and it wishes to revea l and does reveal a part of th at which in th e enormity of its divine silence is hidden from and inaccessible to minds, through its representa tions alone, as through images, voices, and words.P This is what is meant when we say that it is not only a falseh ood or lie to claim that the First Cause is an element, composite, plan t, a nima l, sphe re, heavenly constellation, or a ny of their shapes, qu alities, and conditions, but also a blasphemy an d a heresy, while to say that it exists, lives, und erstands, wishes, is capa ble of ope ra ting and ope rates, or tha t it is pious, j ust, an d merciful, etc., is not a lie becau se all of this really ca n an d sho uld be att ributed to it although in a un ique and most perfect way. Likewise to deny that this First C au se is an eleme nt, composite, plant, animal, and the rest, is to spec ify little abo ut its supe riority or no more than tha t which affects mankin d, who surpasses every lower effect, and little abo ut that which corresponds to the int ellective soul that is abov e all bodies and is conseq uently sma ll, low, and unw orthy with respect to the suprem e and most perfect First Cause who se infinit e superiority (which incompar abl y surpasses everything that produced bein gs contain in them selves or grasp with their minds) we manifest when we deny its bein g, life, mind, and all int elligible mental perfection s, elevating it abov e all, in its immensity, a nd making it the ca use of all, as supreme Good, stre ngth, and ac tivity. By affirming or negating we th er efor e know what can be known abo ut the First Cause th rou gh th e sovereign uniti es a nd wha t

I ; Sec Plotinus, Ennead 4.4.7 and 29, and Pseudo-Dionysius, 01/ the Celestial Hierarchy I, 3- II, 2.

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is not known thro ugh th e lower effec ts. T o th is we may add th at if the C reator is known through its creat ions, and th ese are understood through th e connec tions a nd cong r uenc ies by wh ich we relat e and compare them to th eir unities and m easures, and also through the corresponde nces and im aginary resemblan ces by whi ch th ey imitate, corresp ond, and adap t to th e divine ide as and models on whi ch th ey dep end like a painting in respect to wh at it depicts or an indentation m ade by a seal pressed into wax , it is conclusive and certain that the First Cause is known through th ese unities and m easures whi ch are the ca uses of all things in their intelligibility as well as in th eir being , it being tru e th at everything op erat ed by th e effect is by the power of its ca use. We conclude that if th e Creator is known by its Creations, and thes e by the sovereign un ities and [79r] light s on which th ey directly dep end, th en it mu st be and is known first and foremost throu gh th em , as if, observing som e material body becau se it gives off heat, and th e heat becau se it gives off light, we wer e to affirm th at we see th e body first and foremost becaus e of th e light rather th an the heat , whi ch is not visible or seen of itself but by the effica cy and powe r of th e light, or if, understanding throug h th eir ordered manifolds th e specific, supportive unity upon wh ich eac h individu al thing dep ends, we arrived at an understanding through thes e manifold limited unities of participated effects, of th at sole, infinite, mos t pure un cau sed un ity which , free of all connec tion and comparison to oth er manifolds or limitations, is selfconstituting and projects sep arat e things out of itself, but not by itself, and ca uses all other limi ted and som eh ow conj oined un ities and, through th em , tho se that par ticipate, which ar e th e three cre ated world and everyt hing they contain.

Chapter X/JI. That the sifiro! or sovereign unities are limited, secondary deities dependent on the irifinitefirst one, and although they are supra-essential they reside in the most noble primary essences like their centers, heads, or eminences, and they are the cause qf their union and qf the union qf the ordered manifold that depends on them, which they provide for in imitation cf the First Cause's universal providence, with which they are continually and mutually united, and this without mixture or adulteration, because they are also defined without division or se/Jaration.46

+6 Note the similarity with Proclus' description of the henads in The Elements Theology, Propositions 125-1 30.

if

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Becau se the infinite pure One is located abov e the primary universal being which is the intelligible mental world , likewise in the order of those that hav e being and exist, each unity , source, and head of an orde red manifold and chain exists prior to, surpasses, a nd is constituted abov e th at essence or tho se essences to which it is communicated or attributed , and it exists with respect to it or them and every thing that goes along with or follows them like the center with respec t to the circumference or the diver se indivisible lines that issue from the form er and return to the latt er. Of course the unity of which we speak joins a nd contains its familiar essence, like curds of milk, because in separa ting it from what is foreign to it, it unites it to itself, perfects a nd establishes it in itself like its own substantial hing e, nail, or stable found ation , because it is a communication of the most pure One that is not only extend ed to the pure, self-constituting forms and to those that are mixed with formless matter, a nd consequently to all essences (both non-material and mat erial), but also to base matt er and to its pot encies and privations which , lacking bein g and essence , do not lack unity but rath er in some way [79v] participat e it. It is true that none of the unities that are assigned and spec ific to corrup tible material essences are either perfect or divine like those th at are connec ted to rati on al spirits, above which are situa ted those that, free of all union with movable material essence (tha t is, body or individual spirit), a re assigned to the pure separate minds, both form al and parti cipated alike, and to the sovereign heavenly spirits, a nd they ca n therefore be called deities like those that a re express images and represent ations of the infinite primary Deity. And there are as many of them as there are most perfect essences in which they subsist, like emine nces, heads , and sovereign centers. And there is no doubt that unity is the specific nam e of the Deity, but with this differen ce a nd distin ction: the unity that is above all being and essence is the surpassing independent Deity or First Cause a nd in effect that which exists pure, unique, and unbounded in itself and above everything, but the unities that are specific to the exalted produ ced essenc es are already manifold, and consequently they are the seconda ry deiti es, ema na ted from the first one, of which they are propagations, rays, proj ection s, representations, and instrument s, limited and restricted to the natures and qu alities of tho se supe rior substances and mo st noble subjects and existents to which they are assigned and which , by the power of th ese un ities, like the uniti es by the pow er of the one infinite primary on e, participate in the

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beneficent universal providence by which they provide for and rule all lower ones. And this is a quality of the supreme Good and pure One, by which all these unities and deities are joined and united like rays of sunlight with their intrinsic source and light, or the lines of the circle with the center from which they issue without division or separation and to which they return or revert without diversity or difference , also maintaining a great union and intercourse among themselves, because if the unity of each thing is the cause of the union that its manifold participates from it, how much greater must the union be that it has with other unities , as if for example the center were the cause of the union of the many lines that are joined to it: how much greater and more perfect must the union of the many points or unities be that come together in this center to make a single, indivisible point, as it is? In addition to the above, if it is a quality of unity to consist in itself purely and distinctly , without being mixed or adulterated with another that would corrupt it or break it into parts, surely the divine unity or deities we are discussing unite among themselves and with their cause in such a way that they inviolably preserve their own unity and nature within themselves, as well as the distinct quality that distinguishes them from the others. We can therefore affirm that they are united without adulteration or mixture, and distinct without any division or separation among themselves or in themselves, or with their most singular Cause. [80r]

Chapter XlV. In the mental world which is the first being are included the life, mind, sources, classes, and ideas if all things, not in the first rank but rather in the second and third to which it is assigned and diffirentiated by its vital movement and discerning, descriptive mind, and this complete manifold depends on the relative causal superiority if the First Cause and is its vessel and the instrument by virtue if which it produces and rules that which is lower. Explains the many ranks that there are in this mental world and how through them we somehow grasp the one that is unattainable in itself. The mental world in which are located all unities of all ordered manifolds and numbers and all the ideas of all created beings, because it is the primary formal being, source and model of all those that exist, and the one that constitutes and rules them by its form and specific nature, must be such that everything specific to it is also specific to all those that exist by participation in it, just as on the contrary everything that is appropriate for all those that exist, to the

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extent that the y exist formally and perfectly and a re constituted in their own species a nd ord ers, mu st be appropriate for or spec ific to th e prima ry formal being or mental world, except in a far supe rior way, beca use, being full of all its natu ral perfection s, it ca nnot lack life (which is an inn er mo vement and activity of essence) or min d (which is a reflex movemen t or return of life into essence and ultimat e per fection , and an activity of both ). This is especially so because, altho ugh it dep ends on th e pure One, it is not one but ra ther manifold or man y, but with this differ en ce: insofar as it exists in an absolute sense it receives its bein g and essence fr om th e One, but insofar as, issuing from it, in effect eme rging out of it, it degenerates into otherness and movem ent (j ust as oppositely, when converted to it, it acquires identity and status, being in itself through form that which its cause is th rou gh the ca use from which it is not only distinguished becau se of the differ en ce or ot hern ess int o which it falls but also through it), it is va ried and multiplied in itself and differ enti at ed and almo st sepa ra ted from those that are outside it by the movem ent th at ema na tes from its so urce , a nd project ed or extende d o utside itself to its effects by identi ty or sameness. It is in harmon y with its cause, ade q ua te to itself, and ada pted to the others to which it is com municated , an d in this sta te, finally, it is not dista nced fro m its source or from itself, stably retaining tha t which is spec ific to it and not ad ulterating or mixing it with tha t which is differ ent or for eign. One therefore concludes that not only does it exist, live, a nd understan d , but [SOv] also tha t it co nsists of the sources a nd uni versal classes of all things, which are the sameness a nd differ en ce, movem en t and stasis th at we have discussed, passing over in silence th e infinity and limit of which it principa lly consists a nd is mad e, like matter and form. Likewise I will not discuss the prima ry number th at it co ntains in itself or th e ideas that, like parts of a wh ole or species of a class, it includes in its living substa nce, knows with its discerni ng mind, and, finally, parti cipat es with its will a nd active poten cy to all ot her things. This is why Plato, in the Parmenides, affirms everything about this ment al world that he denies to the pure One, attr ibuting to it th at which is present in a causal and most simple way in its source, through form along with differ ence and number." Ammonius, Plotinu s, Porphyry, and the majo rity of

17

See Pa rmenides I+3a-1 55c.

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the Acad emicians follow him in this although not Syrianus or Proclus, who do not locate the oppositions among the primary classes or the plurality of ideas in the first existent: because it depends immediately on the pure One and is as greatly united as it is, it seems to them that it could not admit into itself and contain in itself the oppositions of difference or otherness and identity or sameness, or of stasis and movement, which we have discussed, in particular because there should not be anything in the first existent which is not primary." It therefore seems reasonable that it should be free of those oppositions in which identity or sameness is not differen ce, and othern ess or movement is not stasis and, likewise, the rational is not the brutish , a man is not a horse , fire is not water, and the like. In addition to this, being or existence is attributed indifferently to all things that have existence, which no opposite does for another, nor any idea for any oth er idea, because mov ement is not attributed to stasis or the idea of man to that of the horse. They therefore conclude that, because they are not pres ent in the first being, they are present in some other which com es after it and is different and distant from it in the third degree, that is, in the exclusively mental one , which com es after the mental and intelligible one that is imm ediately superior to it, and to the pure mind that exists prior to it through an intermediary, and in effect in the mind that they mak e a third substance below life, which the y put in second place, and below essence or primary being, which they consider first,"? Those who hold the opposing view answer that it is useless to activate th rough many that which can be don e through one especially because the one that lacks life and mind is not a perfect being, just as the one which does not contain in itself the qualities of its effects and IH Herrera here repeat s Pro clus's teach ing that the One is above the intelligible triad of Bcing , Life, a nd Intelligence or Mind. His point is that sameness and differenc e characterize the intelligibles, from the highest rank , Being , to thc lower two, becau se Bcing "is present to all thing s which hav e life and intelligence," and each lower term participat es in the higher one or ones (Elmzents qf Theology, Propositions 10I and 103, pp . 91 and 93). For Proclus's support of Parm cnid es' argument against the sa meness or difference of the One, see Proclus' Commentary on Plato's Parmenides, Book VII , 11 81 ~1189 gen erally. 19 See Proclu s, Commentary on Plato's Parmenides, Book VI. As Dillon notes , Proclu s rejects the doctrine attributed to Origen and to Porphyry, " that the One is the summit of the intelligible world " on the grounds that the latt er is "a participated hcnad " (Proclus, Commentary on Plato's Parmenides, p. 390). See also 7heologia Platonica, Book I, Chapter 3, Vol. I, p. 54, citing Proclu s and Syrianus: "Non enim fit unum, nisi ab uno ."

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those representations or efficacious potencies from which all issue no t randomly bu t for a specific reason a nd with the app ropriate strength, is not a perfect ca use. And it is not enough to place them among the secondary ones which cannot hold or parti cipate them but rather in the first one, and they cannot ope ra te with their own power and efficacy when they parti cipate or hold them unless it is through the efficacy of the first one, which produced them so that they could coope ra te in the production of the lower one s as it intends, thus giving them what they ha ve for a distinct reason a nd not at random, although in a less perfect way, and not that of which it is dep rived. In answer to objections they say th at differences amo ng the opposites and that which differentiates the ideas ar e found in the first being or intelligible world but not separately and specifically in its first and simplest rank (in which , issuing from the First Cause, it consists and exists) but rather in the subseque nt ra nks into which, extending itself in life and the mind, it divides, differenti ates, a nd manifests them in itself and connec ts the m to oth ers ou tside itself. That which is implicit and hidden in the essence is thu s un covered and p rojected later , in life and in the mind; and these, being more separated from and less simple a nd pure than the surpassing primary oneness, are now capable of receiving a manifold or number in which there are also rank s, becau se the five universal classes are attributed first and forem ost to life or the living essence (and becau se only in being [8 Ir] do the ideas begin to be uncov er edj." and the ideas are specifically assigned to the on e that , adding mind to the other two, is now a vital, mental essence . And although all ar e present in the three, they are located in the first in a more implicit and hidden way , in the second more distinctly and clearly , and in the third, finally, in a very extended and resplendent way. Wh en these are assigned to our divin e sefirot, un its, measures, parsufim, and lights , we say that all of the parsufim and lights and all the sefirot and measures are undoubtedly pres ent in the first effect or in the First Cause, not only tho se of the two divine world s, the infinite and the ema nate d, but also tho se of the three created world s of the seat of glory, the angelical, and the material. They are all present in the first and mo st perfect effect of 'Ein-Sof the First Cau se, I repeat , dep ending without intermediaries on the most superior causal per-

',IJ

A reference to the quinque voces or five predicables. See Glossary.

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fections which are observed in this First Cause by negation and supreme excellence. And these are the connections by which it confers its infinite unity and perfection, in diverse ways, to all things that participate in it and in some way imitate it, receiving in diverse and different ways the being and well-being that it includes in itself. But it is related first and foremost to its divine sefirot and lights, with which it joins and unites like the center with the points on the lines that go out from and return to it, and in the same way that we observe the great heat of the heavens joining with its formal effect, which is fire, by this union communicating all the being and potency that it contains in itself to these formal perfections and bounded unities. And by always cooperating with them and their operations in everything they produce and effect, this infinite oneness becomes not only the cause of the causes of all things but also the most perfect, complete, and direct cause of all, be they merely effects or effects and causes, and this is by virtue of its specific strength and efficacy, contiguous and direct power and substance, through which it most completely causes everything in all things . With this I believe that the way in which 'Ein-Sof the First Cause unites and joins with the sefirot or supreme emanations, units , and measures is explained in a mediocre fashion . And it is the same as what Hakam Rabbi Moses Cordovero establishes and teaches in the discourse we translated and cited in Chapter 3 of this Book. And in summary, the causal negations, the most superior, unmultiplied and unbounded perfections, and the most efficacious and more-than-substantial connections of the infinite First Cause are the source and cause of the formal perfections and bounded unities of all the linked numbers and ordered manifolds that exist in the totality of all things, which are the sovereign sefirot: united with them, they are participated to all created beings as through contiguous receptacles and efficacious instruments. And although all these causal perfections exist in 'Ein-Sof the First Cause, one and the same, differentiated only by causality and their connection to the many different sefirot and measures, they do not lack anything but rather include in themselves, in a unique and superior way, all the perfections that there are outside them, both formal and participated, and they contain and join closely with those that its first effect contains in itself, which below the lowest possible number perfectly includes them all, whence they go forth , differentiated, multiplying, and manifesting in many, closely linked ranks , until they arrive at the last one, which contains

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them in itself with the difference, plurality, and balanced manifestation tha t is appropriat e for the production of the crea ted beings that the infinite cause intends, which ca n be observed in 'Ada m Q admon , acco rding to what has been said in agree me nt with the Platonic philosop hers, as in the first being and most supe rior rank ; in the ligh ts or sefirot of the infinite world which issue from this same )Ada m Q admon as in life or in the second a nd middl e rank ; and, [81v] finally, in the sefirot or parsufim of the emanated world, as in the mind or the third and final rank. Wh en we some how und erstand why there are so man y stages and mediations between the First C au se and its creations, and why a few, or one, were not enough, we also und erstand why it is through the sefirot, which are the formal , intelligible perfections and unities, that we somehow grasp the unlimited , unique ca usal perfection of the uncau sed First Cause which contains all these sefirot and uniti es in itself in a most simple, supe rior way and pr odu ces and rules them outside itself, cooperating in all their operations and effects with great vigor a nd efficacy, becau se it is more the ca use of other ca uses and effects tha n they themselves, and thus surpassing all minds it cannot be grasped in itself or by itself unless it is th rou gh a nd in these intelligible and most noble of its effects. In the sam e way it is revealed how it cooperate s thro ugh these inter mediaries which work for it like instruments that it p rod uces and arouses to the universal production and governance of all things. It is also clea r that without the sefirot it cannot produce a nything and so it was appropriate, not to say necessary, for the First Cause to produ ce all the others thro ugh them , becau se j ust as witho ut life, wisdom, a nd beaut y, for example, there cannot be wise or beau tiful living beings, likewise there can be no life, wisdom , or beaut y in the man y wise and beau tiful living beings tha t, being different from these qu alities, parti cipate them an d restrict or limit them to their capacity with out there first being th rou gh causality and superiority the life , wisdom , or beauty that , self-constituting, one and perfe ct, is the exemplary and efficient ca use of the communication th at is pa rticipated to the man y, an d the mean s, measure me nt, and standa rd of those that imitate a nd resemble them , receiving from it in grea ter or lesser degree that which makes them be more or less wise or beau tiful. If we add to this wha t has been said in the pr ecedin g cha pters, that these form al perfections and sovereign uniti es are not specifically created bein gs but rather radi ations, projections, ema nations, extensions, applications, a nd efficacies

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of the First Cause, issued from it without division, united with it without separation, filled with it without loss or decrease, each one joined to the other, each to all and all to each without adulteration, assigned to all the inferior effects without communication or congruity and in effect efficient, equivocal, superior, and incomparable sovereign models of their deficient effects and shadowy images, if we add this, I repeat, then many exalted and difficult propositions and statements of the divine kabbalah and received wisdom would, I think, be explained and understood in a mediocre fashion , for which thanks are due to the one who illuminated my darkened understanding, breathing into it an awareness of such elevated and hidden truths and making it possible for me to describe them in writing. [82r]

Chapter Xv. Corfirms what has been said, that the First Cause is somehow grasped through the sefirot or supreme unities in this present time, qffirming that our devotion rises through them to a vision if the Deuy, and that through them we will know it in future time as peifectfy as it is possible Jor us to know, and we will be blessed. In order to corroborate what has been said about the necessity and utility of the emanated sefirot, we will end this Book by saying that they reveal the infinite First Cause to all of its effects, which is the principal purpose for which it created them , because, being unbounded and beyond understanding, it is incommensurate with every produc ed and consequently limited mind, and therefore no one can grasp it in itself or by itself except through its operations and effects, in which its existence, efficacy, and perfection ar e resplendent, as we see when , from the enormous size of this material machine, from its very speedy and continuous movement, and from the admirable potencies and actions of the almost countless species by which it is populated , we argue for the surpassing vigor and activity of its cause, just as we argu e for its wisdom and providence from the well-ordered design and elaborate beauty that we admire in it, and, finally, just as the surpassing provident goodness of the Deity is obviously inferred from the perfection of each effect and the shared ben efit and profit to all that are directed , through specific goals, to the final, shared one that is the supreme Good and First Cause, arguing that there is one uncaused First Cause that is the cause of all known and subsequent effects, and that it is more superior and perfect than all. Being that this is true , there is no doubt that the one who grasps

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great er and ever more noble a nd perfect effects of the First Cause will grasp more of that cause itself: the one who knows a more nobl e and manifest effect is better informed about the being of its cause, because like the effect of potency, this one always issues from being , as it is beyond dispute that no being can comm unicate being or perfection to a nother if it lacks them both. In addition to the abov e, on e gains information and knowledge of a thin g by negation, like for example the one who , although he does not gra sp man 's being, recogni zes nevertheless that man is not one of the elem ents or mixed beings, impe rfect or perfect, and he is not a plant or unreasoning a nimal but rather anothe r species superior to these . Even though he does not und erstand affirma tively that man is an a nima l that participates in reason and understanding, he nevertheless comes closer to true und erstanding of him than one who only understands that man is not an elem ent , a composite, a plant, or a beast. The sam e thing [82v] is tru e for the on e who knows that 'Ein-Sof the First Cause is not 'Ada m Qadmon or any of the lights of the infinite world or sefirat , parsufim, or orders of the four spiritual ranks, or the worlds of 'asilut, beri'ah, yesirah, and 'asivah, not to mention the known external ranks of mental, spiritual, and material effects: although he does not understand the incomprehen sibile First C au se, he nevertheless surely come s closer to that knowledge than one who only rids him self of the body and turns it into spirit, like Yarra and Manilius, or who , ridding the spirit of soul, turns it into mind, like Aristotle and the Scholastic philosophers gene ra lly." In addition to this, the greatness and supe riority of a being is more fully recognized to the extent th at it surpasses and out strip s higher and more perfect ones, according to what the Wise One says, "Fo r the high official is wat ched by a higher , and there are yet high er ones over them ."52 Although a n ignorant peasant doe s not fail to acknowl edge that the king is the highes t man in the entire kingdom, despite the fact that the most important perso n he knows is the mayor of his

i] A reference to Aristotle's rejection of the transcend en ce of the Plato nic ideas in favor of the imma nent un iversals. See also Theologia platonica, Book I, Ch apte r I, Ficino's introd uction to his theology of the soul, in which he puts Varro and Manilius in the compa ny of the prisci theo logi and qu otes Heraclitus as having formulated a notion of a superior form that chan ges but withou t allowing any bodily division, and tha t is for them the "seat of the soul" (animae sedes) (Vol. I, p. 39). ,2 Ecclesiastes 5:8 attributed to Kin g Salomon. T he same verse is quoted agai n in Book VIII , C ha pter 2. See note 23, p. 3 19.

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village, nevertheless he does not know the king's sove reign majesty as well as the man who knows viceroys , princes, duk es, marquises, counts, officials, judges, magistrates, generals, comma nders, governors, and captains, an d who also knows that the king surpasses them all, not only the mayor of a village: alth ough neith er of these men grasps perfectly the supe riority of his Royal Maj esty, the one who comes closest is the one who recognizes that he is raised ab ove ever more imp ortant position s. And all of this should be appli ed to the divine effects, through which, altho ugh it is imp ossible to comprehend the infinit e First C au se, one who knows more and greater effects nevertheless surely knows mor e about its superiority and affirms that it surpass es and outra nks them all and that he knows only a few of the lower ones, all the more so becaus e the ca usality and perfection of an y cause is better known to the extent that its ever more nobl e effects are grasped, so that just like man , who through this sensory ma chin e, which is an effect of 'Ein-Sof the First Cau se (though not a most perfect one), has some notion of his source, so the sepa ra te minds through their spec ific essence (as th rough a more appa rent a nd noble effect and image) grasp the First Cause ever more perfectly and perceive it with ever greater insight th rou gh the elevated minds of the higher ra nks: mentally unit ed with them , they see mu ch more in them and through them, an d they see it more clearly, as if in very clear mir rors and most efficacious representations and imprints, than wha t they grasped or saw with their own essence ." And this is all th e more the case whe n this mind is more perfect a nd elevated , becau se the more perfect it is, the more it reveals the surpassing perfection of the First C au se, being its mo st supe rior effect, represent ation , and mirror, becau se if as some imagine there were no more nobl e effects than the an gels that belong to yesirah, non e of them , espec ially the lower ones, would be able to understand more ab out the First Cause than that which their own nature or that of the next highest angel revealed to it. But because beri'ah exists, that is, pure minds sepa rated from all bodies and more elevated and nobl e than the an gels (who according to the kabbalistic view are reasonin g minds which are in some fashion assigned to bodies), they ar e able to grasp through them that which they could

')3 Herrera returns to the image of mirrors, which is used by the Pseudo-Dionysius among others, on p. 469 below.

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not by th em selves or through another of their order or class. And what we say about beri'ah appli es to the emanated world of 'asilut, and to the lights of the infinite world, and, finally, to 'Ada m Qadmon, the most perfect effect a nd mo st clear representation of the First C au se. And th is is why we allow so many rank s, one on top of another: so that the lower can grasp through the high er tha t which by itself or through [83r] lower ones it could not , and so that all ma y rise to the most perfect understanding possible. The First Cause is thu s sur passingly known and its effects greatly perfect and blessed , once they have reached their final goal, as Hakam Cordovero explains, saying tha t the First Cause, in order to manifest its being and greatness, in the beginning proj ected the ema na ted world of 'asilut ou t of itself a nd comm unicated to it its light and efficacy; it then produ ced beri'ah the seat of glory, and after it yesira h the angelical world , and, finally, the material world of 'as iyah, all of this in order to reveal its grea tness, becau se yesirah is known thro ugh 'asiyah and through yesirah one rises to glimp se beri' ah , and through beri'ah one eventua lly ascends to contemplate ' asilut, in which the light of its infinite ca use, whi ch illuminat es a nd gives life to it, can be observed and studied." T he First Cause thu s descend s most gently from one extreme to the oth er through many closely connected intermediaries, tying them togeth er one by on e and all togeth er and with itself in such a way tha t the last of the first is in operation and nature imm ediately adj acent to the beginn ing of the one which follows, without there being any emp ty spa ce, gap, asymme try, or maladj ustme nt between them but rather a linking that is so ord erly and unbroken th at it descends like the links of a chain from rank to rank from th e high point of 'Ad am Q admon , who is the first and highest Keter, to the most base cente r of earth. It likewise returns through the sam e links which ar e so close and similar to each othe r that they do not allow any intermedia ry or grea ter symmetry or congruity -d See Gate Five of Pardes rimmonim, "Seder ha-tasilut" (T he ord er of )Asilut), also Or ne'erao, Part IV, C hapter 2, where the succession of the lower worlds is described: "O ne who occup ies himself with Mishn ah . . . partakes of the mystery of ' Forma tion,' as is made clear there . T here fore he derives his flow [of ema na tion] from the [\Vorld] above that of 'Ma king,' which is 'Formation.' The masters of Kabbalah receive mor e [emanation] from the mystery of the innerm ost garment, the soul [of T ora h] tha t clothes itself in the com man d me nts, which is the secret of the [World of J 'C rea tion.' Even the enlightened will be un able to comp reh end this mailer unless he first exa mines the book Pardes [Rimmonim] in the section Ahya" (p. 92). The reference is to Gat e 16 of Pa rdes rimmontm, "Sa'ar ha-'a bya ."

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until they arrive at Keter the most high , as we have said, the origin and goa l of the light tha t desce nds and of the ligh t tha t returns," the nearest and most perfect effect and adjacent altar or temple of the uncau sed infinity which th rou gh it is communicated and revea led to all, adjusting itself th rou gh man y diverse intermediari es to the lower minds and raising them up to its infinite heigh t thro ugh the same number of successive interm ediaries and links so th at it may be grea tly communicated to man y, and grea tly revealed a nd manifested to many according to the capacity of eac h one and of all, gently and easily, like a great heat that adjusts itself through many intermediari es to the fragile sense of tou ch to which it is dispropor tionate in its intensity, or like an infinite light that adj usts itself to the sight through diverse veils, curtains, and scree ns, being invisible in itself becau se of its disproportionate intensity, it being true that crea ted minds are -less ada pted to th e divine light than th e eyes of an owl or a bat to th e midday sun : since th ey ca nno t look at it dir ectly, they look for it in the moon and th e sta rs. Just as for a child's mind a tut or or gramma r tea cher is sufficient to imp art a simple and app ropriate lesson , rather than a phil osopher or theo logian who would teach an elevate d and dem anding subject that would con fuse an d perpl ex him , so, because of the lower ones' imp erfection , they need not be taught direc tly by the high one but rather by the intermediat es which are near th em and adapted to them, becau se one does not go from one extreme to the othe r without passing through the middl e, and becau se age nt and recipient mu st be adapted and j oin ed without intermediaries between them , the last of the first always j oining with the first of the second or last on e. One therefore acce pts with the greatest confide nce the necessity and usefuln ess of the intermediari es that is established by our kabbalah ; and they ar e also useful for the asce nt a nd blessing of those rati onal spirits th at inh abit ea rthly bodi es, becau se in acco rdance with their ranks , operations, relation s, dispositions, worthiness or unworthin ess, th ey attain and receive the divin e influence and enlightenment that is appropriat e and ada pted to them like the subject that , depending on its readiness, parti cipat es a mor e or less [83v] perfect qu ality or form, or is depri ved of both and full of imp erfection and darkness: becau se whe n the sefirot, as ha s alrea dy been said, descend

55

See Or Ne'erao, Part VI, Chapter 5, Section 15, on the double motion of light.

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from the supreme divine perfection to the lowest and most imperfect region s of the material world , there is no rank, class, species, individual, condition, activity, or relation to which one sefirah or measure does not correspond. Just as souls (which are like links and mediations that tie the low and the high together and both to itself, by participation), when they rise in disposition and worthin ess, they receive superior illumination from a high er light , a nd contrarily, when they fall away from the power and plunge into that which is lower and dark , they lose their higher perfection and light and are covered with privation a nd darkness and subjected and enslaved to the tyrannous yoke of the impure spirits , when before they were free and lordly. It is like a black cloud that gets between a man a nd the sun and depriv es them [i.e. the souls] of light and swells their darkness and suffering. If I did not fear going on too long , I would explain how the five free lights of the divine Law correspond to the tip of the yod and to the four letters of the Ineffable Name , to the five parsufim and the five world s, and how the comma ndme nts of the De calogue correspond to the ten ema nated sefirot, to the 248 affirm ative commandme nts of what to do , and to the 248 lights that shine in the merciful right side of the emanated world , and to the 365 negative commandments of what not to do , and to an equal number of lights th at are included in th e left side, the side of rigor and justice." I would also explain that the human spirit has five rank s, which are (I) unity or yehidah; (2) blessed understanding united with and joined to the (3) universal, self-constituting mind; (4) reason or discours e; and (5) the sensory or vegetative life assigned to the body, and five principal bodil y members which form a perfect circle the axis of which is the head , chest, a nd viscera, and the cen-

>I; See Gikatilla, Gates qf Light, First Gate /Tenth Sph ere, comm enting on Daniel 9:19: "0 Lord , hea r; 0 Lord , forgive; 0 Lord , listen and act and do not delay!": "O ne sho uld und erstand this verse as saying, ' Know that the negative comma ndmen ts- for which man is liable an d for which judgment and retribution is exactednumber thr ee hundred and sixty-five, just as there a re thr ee hundred and sixty-five days where man can be judged for his deeds.' But the attr ibute of AdoNaY [Lord] is merciful and from it we are pardon ed for eac h tran sgression a nd sin. Thus the verse menti ons Ado NaY thr ee times and it is juxtapo sed with an acronym whose num erical eq uivalent is three hundred and sixty-five." Weinstein explains in a footnote: "T he first time AdoNaY appea rs it is preceded by a word whose first letter is the nume rical equivalent of thr ee hundred ; the second time it is preceded by one who se num erical equ ivalent is sixty; a nd the third time, the word that precedes has a num erical eq uivalen t of five (p. 34).

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ter of which is the umbili cus, a nd four more memb ers, that is, the two arms and two legs which , when they ar e extended beyond a circular border , form a circumference and perfect the circle that is enclosed by four extremes like the four corners of the hearth and the one axis that stretches from one pole to the other, which in total make five. I would add that its bod y has ten individual memb ers, which ar e (I) the skull, (2) the br ain and the senses, (3) the heart or ton gue, (4) th e right hand, (5) the left hand, (6) the torso, (7) and (8) both legs, (9) the pr ocreative memb er and (10) its head , 248 members and 365 tendons and mu scles.57 And throu gh these and the pr eparations of the Law it receives the influence of the emanated lights, which as we have said ar e also five, ten , 248, and 365, and, unit ed with th em , atta ins in them the beginning with out beginning and infinite end of all and of itself. And it is blessed because, given that its ultimate good fortun e consists in this most high union and knowledge, a nd th at it is so elevat ed by itself that it ca nnot be grasped by lower effects which are very distant from it or by its own essence (because, not having its end in itself, it cannot reach it except through anothe r and not by divine infinity itself, which is incommensurate with all minds), we mu st say that it reaches its goal through the divine sefirot, the most perfect effects of the First Cause, its represent ation s and ima ges, the for mal and exemplary perfections of all crea ted thin gs: existing by itself above all understanding or mind and therefore unknowabl e, it cannot be understood except through its effects, and becau se there is noth ing that is as elevated or bright as the sefirot, perfect und erstanding of the infinite Deity in whom its blessing consists is surely achieved through them and not through a ny created being, and th rou gh them alone, aiding this First C ause according to what it intend s, which is to draw forth and attract the [84r] sovereign influence and light to the lower ones, which is called and ind eed is berakah or blessing, by raisin g up the lowly and the middling to the height s so that , cleans ed of base contamination, they are perfect ed in the purity of the high ones, which is qedu sah or sanctification, and, finally, by unitin g all of them with each other and with their primary source and final end, makin g them one and grea tly unit ed among themselves in imitation of the one that is utterly a nd completely one a nd not merely undi vided but indi visible. The j i According to Zohar 2:177a (Sifra di-~eni'ula) , 248 corresponds to the members of the body of Ze' ir 'Anp in and 365 to the veins (TI e Kabbalah Unveiled, p. 76).

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high ones then give to the low ones, th erefore, and all becom e perfect, coope rating with the sup reme good to which they ar e surpassingly communicated, doin g great good for many and ca using not only effects but also ca uses, the upp er revealing to the lower the greatness of the divine truth that is not as resplendent in them or in the lower ones as it is in their cause. And this is the mystery of the sacrifices by which the con tami nat ed is purged, raises the lowly, and joins givers with receivers up to the un cau sed first one, so that all are greatly communicated, elevated, and unit ed, and all this is du e to the sefirot which in descending give and in rising raise up and in unifying bind all crea ted beings to them and to their source, so that all becom e perfe ct and the T etragramma ton, the One, and its nam e is One. For the mom ent I will rem ain silent about the mystery of the sacrifices, because the time and place do not allow anything more and becau se the contempla tive can infer what IS now passed over in silence from what has been said . [84v]

SEVENTH BOOK OF A BRAHAM COHEN DE HERRERA 'S GATE OF H EAV EN

Chapter I. There is not and cannot be anything that is not revealed to )Ein-Sof the First Cause, although it is not a mind or an intelligible but is rather in~jJilb/y elevated over the one and the other. The th ird doubt that we raised in Chapter 3 of the Fou rth Book was that, because the First C ause is the most simple One which surpasses all mind s and wills, no understanding or intelligibles, and no desire or desirable objects can be located in it. It might therefore app ear th at the production , preserva tion , and rule of all things is random and unintended by any univeral, primary One, and although th is objection was addressed extensively in the sixth Book, I thought I would say something about it here, so that we may proceed in an orderly fashion without turning back, and also becaus e, repeating the same thing, it will be better understood and more firmly fixed in the memo ry. We say, the n, that negation s in the First Cau se do not me an defects or lack but rather abunda nce a nd ad vantage , because to say that it is no t an essence, life, mind , or oth er perfection does not mean we should understand that it does not exist at all or that it is dead a nd depriv ed of life, or ignorant an d lacking in knowledge, but rather that, surpassing all produced , limited , and intelligible essences, life, and mind s with infinite advantage, it produ ces, preserves, and perfects them , not becau se of any conformity, proportion ality, or intercourse with them bu t rath er becau se, being above everything and consequently nothing at all, in its complete simplicity, infini ty, and sup eriority, it produces everyth ing all the same. And truthfully, as has been said elsewhe re, although it is an imp erfection or flaw to deny the maker hands beca use this deprives him of the instrume nts he needs, to deny them to nature is an excellence th at not only affirms that it has no need of hands to carry out its operations but also that it is so perfect and fruitful that, without having them itself, it produces them in the body . Thus the first principle is not and does not have a mind that , depending on the life and essence on which it relics or is based, tends toward the int elligible that it lacks on its own and by which it is illustrated , shaped, and perfected , but is rath er the good or light that all minds try to atta in and in which, ultim atel y illuminated a nd perfected, they come

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blissfully to rest. I It is goodness, I rep eat, a nd light not rece ived in ano ther or restricted to its capac ity but rath er by itself a nd in itself; and this is not precisely mind and does not in any way lack the perfections that it com m unicates, which a re the light , manifestati on , and certainty of all intelligible a nd true things, becau se as such [85r] it is un dou btedly mor e dista nt and separated from all pri vation and lack of und erstan din g tha n mind itself, despite the fact that it is not lim ited to any species or class of mind. And just as we do not call reason blind because it does not requi re or make use of the eyes of the body, we do not call pure mind irrat ion al becau se it does not operate through movement or reason, inferring one thing from another or understanding one after a nothe r successively, it bein g tr ue that reason or though t grasps everything th at th e eyes see and man y other things that they do not per ceive, while pure min d possesses and knows in itself, in a single, sta ble act, that which reason sea rches for and looks int o with man y tho ughts over time, as if in an investigation . By th e same token we sho uld not und erstan d that the First C au se, which because of its singular infinite perfection surpasses all un derstandings, intellects, and mind s, is ignorant , incap able of thinking, or mentally defective, becau se in reality it is everything th at all min ds attempt to be or to grasp , a nd mu ch mor e. And what we have said about the understanding should be said about the will and the othe r attributes, concluding that th e First Cause is not a will and does not possess one or , strictly speaking, lack one, beca use it is the goo d, blessed ness, and delight that every will desires and pursues and in which, eventually complete and perfected , it comes to rest. And as Plotinus learn edly proves, it is in itself no less what it wa nts than it wants wha t it is in itself, and what it wa nts outside itself is to wa nt and crea te every thing th at ca n po ssibly be greater or better or more perfect , becau se th ere is no difference betw een its being, life, and min d." To this we ca n add that the nam es we attribute to the Deity are of three kind s: th e first, affirmative nam es, as when

I Ficino, Theologia platonica, Book VI, C hapter I : "O mnia bonum appc tun t" (Vol. I, p. 71). 2 See Ennead 6.8 "On Free Will and the Will of the One," especially sectio ns 7-1 3, where Plotinus a rgues that the freedom and tran scend ent perfection of the O ne imply a will not subj ect to necessity or cha nce, "being wha t it wills to be" (6.8.9A.,)). T hus we can say of the Goo d: "as he willed, so also he is" (6.8. 13.9), "for what could he have wished to be except this which he is?" (6.8. 13.30). The

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we call it "wise" becau se it does not lack this perfection, wh ich it comm unicates to its effects (it being beyond dispute th at nothing gives to another that which it does not som ehow hav e in itself ); th e second are negative nam es which are attributed to it becau se it is not what it causes and not pr ecisely the wisdom that we understand and nam e, which is either a qu ality or an accident or a bounded perfection but not the infinite, universal one, and it does not contain this wisdom in itself; finally, the th ird kind of names is by way of superiority and sup reme em ine nce, as when we say tha t it is beyond understanding or beyond wisdom , which is nothing more than an affirmation that mind and wisdom a nd oth er similar perfection s and attributes a re not denied to the First Cause because it is lacking or deprived of them and consequently has flawed understanding and wisdom and is in effect ignorant or ment ally deficient, but rath er becau se it surp asses them all with infinite advantage and cause, and with supreme goodness and suffi ciency.

Chapter 11. In response to the fourtlt question concludes that it is possible, without contradiction, for there to be some produced ifftct that, by the power if the First Cause and with its cooperation, produces some bounded ifftct out if nothing, without the prior existence if any parts, subjects, or matter. The fourth and last doubt raised in the third chapter of the Fourth Book was this: it seems imp ossible that)Adam Q admon, a produced effect, could produce out of nothing and with out subject the sovereign lights and pa rsufim or orders of [85v] ten balan ced sefiro t: imp ossible, too, in effect, for one sefirah to produce ano ther and the lowest, which is the sekinah or divine Presence, to produce the three worlds, which are the seat of glory, the angelical, and th e mat erial , becau se the sovereign ones are entirely non -material and incorporeal and therefore cannot be born of or produced by anything but rather are ema nated or crea ted without matter or previou sly existing subject and consequently out of nothing. But it seems that infinite power or active potency is required to produce out of nothin g, and only the First Cau se possesses this, a nd if we were to say that by its power and as its instruments they produce each other, the reply

creation of good effects follows from the addition al precept that the Good's existence is its activity (6.8.7.45), and its will is its existence (6.8.2 1).

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wo uld be th at th e infinite is limited or bound, in finite int ermediaries, to finite actions a nd effects, becau se th e poten cy th at is infin ite in th e First Cause, when received by any finite in term ediary, no m atter how elevated and powerful , becom es finite a nd adap ted to the subject's capacity, which, be ca use it is a limi ted receptacle or vessel, ca nno t receive or co ntain unlim ited power , an d being finite ca nnot produce something out of nothing becau se in order to do this as much act ivity a nd pow er seem s to be necessa ry as th ere is distan ce between nothing a nd some thing, whi ch is infinite. It seems reason abl e, th er efore, th at only th e infinite ca use can produce out of nothing and conseq ue ntly th at th ere is no more th an one nonmat erial effect, and if th er e are many, as th ere are in reality, the y are all directly produced by this First Cause, whi ch is aga inst what th e kabbalists have received and constan tly teach a nd also against wh at has been concluded up to this point." This is th e objection or doubt I am answering , repea ting th at it is impossible for any produ ced cause to p roduce an y effect out of not hin g by itself and without th e cooperation a nd dep enden cy of th e First C a use, be ca use for th eir operatio n a nd effect, as well as for th eir being a nd p reserva tion , all thing s dep end on the First Cause whi ch , becau se it is essential being, is th e source and origin of all bein g and of all th at exists by part icipat ion , in othe r words, every thing a bid ing an d stable or change ful and moving, and the operation as well as th e being and poten cy of any seconda ry ca use th erefore dep ends entirely a nd forever on th e bein g and activity of th e First Cause. In addition to this, it is also impo ssible for any secondary ca use to p roduce all p rodu cible effects: if it were a ble to produce th em , it could also produce itself, becau se it is some thing that is p roducible. This impli es a contradiction, becau se it ca n not opera te with out having bein g and it cannot have bein g before it is produced , nor can it give to itself or to othe rs that whi ch it is not and do es not have. But th er e is no contr adiction, and it is not impossible , for th ere to be a produced pot en cy or secondary ca use th at , dep ending on th e first one and with its power , coopera tion a nd assista nce , can and do es p roduce , :1 A reference to the notion that only the three highest sefirot were th ought to have come into being ex nihilo. Her rera's point is that all of the sefirot of the infinite world and the world of ema na tion were ema na ted in this way, a nd no t just the highest three . See Altma nn, " Luria nic Kab balah ," p. 336; a nd Scho lem, Kabbalah, p. 95. For the proof that only infinite potency can create ou t of nothing, see Aqu inas, Summa theologiae l a 45 , 1- 3.

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with out the prior existence of any parts, subjects, or matt er , a limited effect or spe cies of thin g th at do es not surpass it in perfection, and it is not necessary for it to hav e infinit e being or active potency in order to do this, becaus e its producible object is not infinite but rather, as we assume, limit ed to a finite rank and perfection . And its mod e of opera tion is not infinite, becau se it depends on the cooperation and assistan ce of the First Cause witho ut which it does not exist, cannot operate, and does not ope ra te. I am also not satisfied by wha t some say in respon se, tha t the infinity they attribute to it is inferred from its mod e of opera tion, not becau se it is an action ind ependent of the First C au se but rather becau se it is an ac tion th at does not depend on a mat erial cause or subject. It is tru e th at the coope ration of matt er in the production of bodies is to provide a finite being or entity, and ther e is therefor e no doubt that an agency of high er ra nk and order, although finite, ca n supplement and even surpass it. This is espec ially the case becau se there is not an infinit e distan ce between not hing and what exists: no being is distant from nothingn ess excep t in the ra nks of being or existence that it cont ains in itself, as the th eologia n from Aquina s him self states, saying that there is not infinite distan ce between th at which exists and th at which doe s not exist, [86r] becau se th e distance between each of these opposites is equal to the degree to which it parti cipat es its specific nature, like heat , which, the mor e rank s of heat it contains in itself, is that mu ch farther from non-heat .' In addition to this, nothing and something are not positive or real limits of creation or produ ction withou t subject, becau se when we say tha t the First Cause produces out of noth ing, we mean this to be understood negatively, th at is, tha t it does not produce anything unless, without presupp osing a subject or part of the producible effect, it produces it completely and entirely in such a way th at nothingness is neith er a positive or real limit from which th e effect issues or comes, nor a subj ect or matt er into which it is received or in which , having been received , it rem ain s or is based . One can therefore ado pt th e a rgument of the great th eologian Durandus, that for every opera tion that does not have a subj ect or limit from which it comes or issues but rath er only the effect that it produces, if this effect does not impl y or man ifest the infinite power of an active I Summa theologiae Ia 45, 2, rej ects as false the view that Go d cannot crea te anything he desires because "infinita distan tia est inter ens et nihil" (p. 222).

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pot en cy in its ca use, ther e is no gro und to infer or prove that infinit e pot en cy is necessary for its production , becau se once the subject and the limit have been rem oved nothing is left but the effect, whi ch is finite, and conseq uently ther e are no subj ects, limits, or distan ces of limit in production witho ut subjects or limits. One canno t conclude that infinit e poten cy is required to produce a finite or limit ed effect but that , on the co nt rary, it is prob able , if not obvious, that limit ed power is sufficient, provided it is compa rable or superior to this finite production or effect.' In addition to the above , assuming but not accep ting that being a nd nothingn ess a re the boundari es of crea tion or production without subject (which we have proved is not the case), ther e could not be any distan ce betw een th em , becau se just as diverge nce a nd differ en ce a rc not present or found anywhere exce p t amo ng existents (a n existent or bein g is not different or divergent from a non-existent or nothing, becaus e differ en ce and divergen ce are both only distin ction s of beings or existents), so also ther e can only be distan ce between those thin gs that have being or existence and not between those thin gs or existents a nd nothing. In addition to this, if one acce pts that they ar e distant (which is not true becau se they rea lly are not distant) they ca nnot be infinitely distant, becau se anothe r grea ter distan ce ca n be posited or imagined , like th e one tha t separates infinite being from nothingness, and beca use incorporeal men tal be ing is mor e dista nt fro m the noth ingn ess out of which it was produced than the mat erial being that ca n be apprehended by the senses. In addition, it is certa in tha t there is grea ter distan ce from the nothingn ess whose existence implies a contradiction and which cannot possibly exist or come int o being, than from the nothingne ss th at, being the opposite of being, ca n a nd will actually come into being, ther e being no co ntradiction or objection to saying this. And it is worth noting that when the extremes of distan ce a re mediated , I mean to say that wh en ther e a re one or more int ermediates betw een them , then th e distan ce is as grea t as the qu antity, number , or ranks of th e int ermedi a ry or int ermedi aries locat ed betw een the extre mes, which must always be finite becau se

Possibly a references to the discussion of thc relat ionship between Go d and crea tures in Book II , dist, I, q . .1 , part s 7- 11, of III sententias theologicas Petri Lombardi commentanum. For an English translation, sec " Unpublishcd Philosoph ical Translations," 28 Febru a ry 2002, Alfred J. Frcddoso, University of Not re Dame, < http://www.nd. cdu/ < afrcddos/ translat.htm.>.

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there is not and cannot be an infinite entity or thin g outsid e the First Cause. But when the distance is between the pro ximate extremes, then it is as grea t as one extreme is larger than or surpasses the other, becaus e, there being no intermed iary between the extremes, the distan ce is tan tamount to the superiority and advantage that one extre me has over the oth er. And becau se no effect of the unive rsal First Cause ha s being that infinitely surpasses the nothingn ess we imagine to be its opposite (because it really surpasses it only in that which it possesses of being, which is finite), it is clear that there is not an infinite distan ce between the two, becau se divinity is more distan t from the non-divinity or nothingness tha t is its opposite, and the universal being [rom that which is entirely non-being an d nothingn ess, than this limited being, like a man or a lion , is [rom the nothingness that is its corresponding opposite. [86v] One therefore concludes with surp assing clarity and pr oof that there is not and cannot be infinite distanc e betwe en any finite being a nd nothingness, and that consequently infinite potency is not required to produ ce it. But becau se man y base Thomas Aquinas's conclusion in the surp assing disproport ion th at exists between being and nothingness, by which it is amply proved that the potency that is capable of creating is [or this reason incompar able to the power that alone produces by extracting or deriving the form of potency [rom matter: nevertheless this does not prove that this creative potency is trul y and absolutely infinite, because it is enough that it be of another order that is commonly called infinite in some sense, or as they say infinit e secundum quid, which can be ascrib ed with out difficulty to secondary ca uses produced by the first, and being of anothe r ord er or high er rank is sufficient for that op erative pow er or force that produces from nothing and without pre-establish ed matter not to be compa ra ble to any of thos e poten cies that can onl y produce by extraction from th e form of the potency of matter , bec aus e comparison is onl y relevan t and ob serv ed betw een those things th at are of the same order , meaning, quantity, quality, or natu re." T his becomes abundantly clear when we take the following argumen t into account, becau se when they say that grea ter pow er or

f See for exa mple Summa theologiae l a 44 and l a 45, 5, where Aquinas quotes Avicenna as saying: "quod prima substan tia separa ta, creata a Deo, creat aliarn post se, et substantia m orbis et ani ma m eius, ct q uod substa ntia orbis creat materiam inferiorurn corporum."

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force is necessary to produce somet hing ou t of a mor e distant potency, they are surely speaking about passive mat erial potency and the greater or lesser distan ce and du ration of the action (that is, what is crea ted by the lack of necessary disposition s or the opposition of alien or contra dictory one s). And it is consequently a compa rison between the active forces, whose operat ion only der ives or extracts the potency of matt er or infuses potency in order to produce something from nothing (which requires grea ter power), and nothin gness, which is not a passive pot en cy and is very dista nt and separated fro~ activity or grea tly indisp osed and contrary to it, bu t rather a negation and lack of all passive poten cy, like a lack of all being (beca use if it were a pa ssive potency it would not be no thing but rat her some being or thing). One cannot the refore conclude that the power or force that produces out of nothin g is infinite or greater according to the increase, so to speak, of the extra ctive power of matt er but only that th is power or force that produces out of nothing is of another order, higher than every pow er or force that operates by extrac tion, even if it has the power to extract any form , no matt er how remote. One thu s avoids the probl em of the crea tive and the extractive powers being the same, becau se they are not: instead , they a re incompa ra ble. In addition to the above, the pow er to produce something from nothing can be of two kinds: the first is natural and, as they say, a specific qu ality of second ary ca uses and ina ugurated by the principles of their nature, like ligh t in the sun; and the oth er is imbued from outside or added by some exte rnal ca use a nd assigned to the nature of which it consists. And this can also be of two kinds: first, it can be assigned or adde d as a stabl e or perm an ent qu ality the way Christian theologians locate the light of glory in blessed and fortunate spirits;' and, second, it can be like a tran sient , almost in tentional quality a nd in effect like a beacon or bol t of lightning which comes a nd go es qui ckly, th e way man y attri bute the light of prophecy to the prophets, who do not possess it all the time or when they want it or for the purpose they prefer ." \Ve ca n therefore say th at whe n 'Adam Q admon produced the lights

7 Altma nn poi nts out the reluctance of the Arab Platonists and the C hristian scholastics "to admit the possibility of on e ema na ted intelligence ente ring into a union of substance with anothe r" ("Lurianic Kabbala ," p. 346). B This a topic that H err era treat s at greater length in Casa de fa dicinidad, Book IV.

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of the infinit e world, and one sefirah produced another, and the tenth and last produced the three worlds, mental, angelical, and material , it was in on e of these ways, that is, either as secondary causes subordinated to the first, which depending on it in being and operation coope rated with it (like instrument s with their principal cause) in producing some finite, limited being or effect without pr esupposing for this any [87r] part, matter , or subject; or we might say th at they created and fashioned something out of nothing by the power imbued by the supe rnatur al, divine First C ause, and that, on ce assigned and set in motion by the efficacious coop eration of this First Cau se, it made them do that which by nature they were not be abl e to do , creating or fashioning something out of nothing like the faithful and piou s spirit th at by divine grace and inspiration occasionally activates ope rations and effects that surp ass its nature and its natural pow er , such as foreseeing the future or performing miracles by cha nging or reversing the natural order of the un iverse. Finally, we can say that one effect produces a nother not like a natural cause dependent on the first and limited to the production of some class or spec ies of things, and even less like a cause that by virtue of a supe rn aturally infused or added quality operates supe rnatural effects, or th at this quality is perman ent and unmoving like the light of glory in a person blessed with good fortune , or a transient one like the light of prophecy in the prophet to whom it is communicated like a bolt of lightning, but rath er as an exalted instrument of the First Cause, by its most unique supe rnatural coope ration , so that it may effect that which surpasses its nature by the extractive potency rath er than by its natural one . For in one of the se ways, not to speak of each indiv idually, that which our infallible kabbalah has established can be sustained, when it claims that the lights and sefirot issued from 'Adam Qadmon, and from them the world s of beri'ah, yesirah , and 'asiyah , without any preexisting matt er or subject. The author of th e Catena argentea confirms all of this when commenting on the first cha p ter of Genesis, saying that the meaning of C reation is that nothing else goes before it, at least not in the natural orde r, but the creation from nothing can be understood with reference to eithe r the Creator or the cre ated: if it is with reference to the C reator, th at ope ration is called Creation, which does no t dep end or rely on the action of any prior cause and as such is an activity of the First C au se alone, because every action of a second cau se depends and is based on the activity of the First Cause, and

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just as the being of the First Cause cannot be communicat ed to any created being, likewise creative activity cannot be communicated without this action dep ending on another , which is only specific to the independent first Cause." But if it is understood with reference to a created being, it can be affirm ed that that being creates, and that it does so without anything created going or existing before it, which is being itself, because as it says in the Book if Causes, the first created effect is being , which com es into being through Creation, and all other perfections that are added to it are by the infusion of form in composites, principally that which is called being, which is of the first kind, that is, the matter that is imm ediately above nothing." One can therefore conclude that, if we understand Creation in this way, it can be communicated to created beings in such a way that by virtue of the First Cause, which cooperates with them, it can produce some simple being or subject without presupposing the existence of anything prior to that which was produced, because there is not an infinite distance between nothing and something, as proved by the fact that there is more distance from nothing to the heavens, for example, than from this sam e nothing to the earth. It is beyond dispute that infinite force is not required to make the earth out of nothing becaus e, there being no great er distanc e than infinite distance, it stands to reason that the distance from the earth to nothing is not infinite , because it is increased, specifically, by the heavenly distance that surpasses and is greater than it. In addition to this, the process by which matter cooperates with the gene ration of form and of composites is either finite or infinite: it cannot be called infinite because it issues from matter, which not only does not have

'I Apparently a reference to Bononi cn's Catena argelltea. This passage is cited by Yosha : "Si autem ex pane creati, sic illius prop ric est creatio: Cu i non prae existit aliqud in re et hoc cst esse .. . et ex pane ista accipiendo creatione m potu it communicari crea turae: ut pcr virtut cm ca usae primae operantis in ipsa aliq uod esse simplex, vel materia produccretur. In hoc sensu propria virtut e creare solius Dei est, virtute vcro a Deo communicata pote st et creatural' cornpeterc" (Alitos, p. 235 , fn, 86). III Liber de causis, Proposition 4: "T he first of crcated thing s is being, and there is nothing else created before it"; IV.45: "from the first created being, becau se it is diversified, ther e app ear infinite intelligible forms" (Aq uinas, Commentary all the Book if Causes, pp . 28 -29). See Proclus, 77le Elements if Theology, Propo sition 138: " O f all the principles which pa rticipate the divine cha ra cter a nd a re thereby divinized the first and highe st is Being"; and Propo sition 177: " Every intelligence is a complete sum of Form s, but certain of them embrace more univer sal and others mor e specific Form s" [etc.] (pp. 123 and 157).

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infinite existence but rather has a very small and imperfect one that is, as Augu stine says, very close to nothingness. I I But if it is this finite a nd small , why can it not be provided for by some finite potency or powe r, but of a high er order or rank, and not only more pow erful and high but also disproportionate to any potency or [87v] force that only produces through extrac tion and pulling form out of the entrails of matt er , which is passive potency? And this way of producing without a subjec t does not imply infinity because it depends on another and exists by its power and is mov ed by it a nd assigned, strength ened , and perfected by it, and therefore it produces not all effects bu t only a few limited ones which are inferior to it. This force or efficacious power of the secondary cause, I repeat , administers to the first for this purpose, and this activity can be observed in one of the three manners that have been describ ed , because each and every one of them includes the definition , impe rfection, and dep end ency specific to produ ced effects an d secondary causes, the more so becau se, just as material forms which dep end for their being on the matter in which they rest also depend on the operation of matter , so incorporeal or divine ones, whose being is largely exempt from or free of matter and material subjec t, should be and are thus no less in their operations and effects, and not only by their imma nent activities, which are to understand and desire, in which there is no contradiction or uncertainty, bu t also by their transient one s, the substantial as well as the accide nta l, not being in this or any oth er respect lower or less perfect than the elem ent al or elem entary heavens which produce oth er material substances through their accidental qu alities and pow ers. This is because a thin g is itself as it operates ou tside itself, and extrinsic communication and operation issue from int rinsic perfection , by which it imitates the First Cause which, bein g the sup reme Good, is sup remely comm unicated and, having produced the seconda ry ca uses, is as has alrea dy been proved more a cause of their operations and effects than they are themselves. And thus everything is rightly attributed to it: in working I I H errera may be qu oting from Ficino , 7heologia platonica, Book I, Chapter 3, wh ich in turn cites H ermes Trismegistus and Timaeus: "N unc aute rn mem inisse opo rtet , materiam ipsam . . . esse informe, non nihil, nihilo pro ximum" (Vol. I, p. 50). Raymon d M arcel iden tifies a pa ra llel source in the Confissions XII , 6, e.g. "citius enirn non esse eenseba m, quod om ni form a privare tur, quam eogita ba m quid dam inter form am et nihil nee form atum nee nihil, inform e prope nihil" (Confissiones, p. 297).

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th rough intermediari es it works ever more perfectly than if it had effected everything directly, becau se working through intermediari es it not only produces them and their effects but also gives them active potency with which to be active, and real activity and effectiveness wh ich it would no t hav e given if it had not work ed through them , and by which it presum ably communica tes to more and with greater perfection and excellence.

Chapter III. Discusses the emanation if the higher ones, explaining how it resembles and conforms to creation and birth, and how it differs .from them. It is an axiom agr eed upon by all kabbalists that the higher lights, un ities, a nd measures which they call 'Adam Qadmon, the lights of the infinite world, sefirot, and parsufim of that world and of the ema na ted world of 'asilut, are effects or as they say ne'esalim of 'Ein-Sof the un cau sed First Cause, produced not by simple creation, as are the existents of the seat of glory, a nd not by form ation , like the angels, and also not by birth, fabrication, or making, like all bodi es, but by "asilut, which mean s to extract, derive, comm unicate, proj ect, or educe one thin g from [88r] another, which some modern s quite appropriately call ema nat ion, radiation, and result. And becau se it is difficult and problem atic to explain this kind of production, about which the positive or scholastic theologian s and the divine or natural philosophers said little or nothing, while our wise men concealed the truth in their usual enigmas an d metaphors, it will be useful for us, in explaining and expa nding on their teachings, to spea k as the Lord inspires us, saying in the first plac e that the dissimilar similarity that exists between the surpassing a nd most efficacious activity of the First Cause and the base forml essness and passive poten cy of lowly matt er is obviou s to even the most mediocre students of these matters. Given this, I believe that , by refer ence to the same dissimilarity, we can compare the generation of natural composites by extrac tion from form , potency, and matt er , to the produ ction of the divin e sefirot a nd light s through 'as ilut , educ tion, extrac tion, and result from the essence and na ture of ' Ein-Sof the First Cau se (if it can or should be thu s named). First of all, the resemblance is clear with respect to th e na me, because to educe or derive from is the same as to separate , segrega te, extract, and in effect to pull one thing ou t of another, which is precisely what the word mean s. Form is likewise educed or pulled out of substa nce, as

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if from matter, and is sustained by it, cooperating in its production, being, preservation, and operation like a subject which contains and differentiates it: in the same way the divine world of "asilut is segregated or educed from the First Cause which has contained it in itself ab etemo and continually preserves and in effect sustains it after it has been produced or pulled out of itself. But it is useful to know that it did not contain it in itself the way the passive potency of matter contains the form or activity that it lacks and of which it is deprived but rather the way a higher efficient cause contains its equivocal, degenerating effect, which it does not include in itself potentially, imperfectly, or darkly but rather in a superior, efficacious, perfect, and most clear way; and it does not sustain it like a receptacle or vessel, subject, or support but rather as an efficient, preserving, and perfecting agent, because the being that it originally produced continues to preserve it as if reproducing, expanding, and perfecting. And just as form is united with matter, so 'asilut (or the divine and emanated worlds) is united with 'Ein-Sof, not in order to activate and perfect but to be activated and perfected; not to give but to receive; not to fashion a composite but rather, as if it had been impregnated or fertilized by its infinite efficacy, to be able to produce and give birth, and actually produce and give birth to everything else. And just as a composite results from matter and form, and from it issues a shared operation and activity, so a shared operation depends on the union of 'Ein-Sof with the sefirot , which, emanated from 'Ein-Sof, is communicated to the sefirot and through them to all lower effects, and both they and 'Ein-Sof come together in the same operation and effect in the same way that the First Cause comes together with the second, which is essentially subordinated to it, and, because it is the principal agent, it comes together with the instrument which , fashioned by it, by its power effects the same operations, and just as potency and act are in effect one and the same, because that which the one is in potency, the other is in act, and that which this one is in act, the other is in potency, differing between themselves like that which gives form and that which receives it, or that which gives perfection and that which receives it. And that which 'Ein-Sof is in itself and communicates out of itself to 'asilut or the emanated lights is in effect one and the same , differing only in that 'asilut is present in 'Ein-Sof in an entirely unique, causal, superior, independent, and infinite way, and in 'asilut in a formal , dependent, manifold, and limited way. [33v]

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Chapter J V. )'Asilut or sovereign emanation includes all the pe7fictions if creation and generation in itself and is free of all their impefections and flaws. C reation is imp erfect with respect to crea ted being, which eme rges from nothingness to be wha t it is, while on the contrary the gene ration of living thin gs is perfect with respect to what is genera ted, which does not receive its being or production from nothingness but rath er from the nature of the genera ting or genera tive ca use. But with the imp erfection that we ha ve assigned to created beings, insofar as they have come into being out of nothingness, we observe the C reator's perfection which , without cha nging itself or needin g a subj ect or dispositions, produces or creates out of nothin g, just as in the perfection of th at which is gene rated we find the imperfection of the genera ting or generative being that generates it out of limited and disposed matter , with cha nge , alterat ion, and the decrease of its own essence , and some times with the cutting away, division , or separation of its own substance, as is evident with the spe rm or seed that is the best and most purified of an anima l's eventual nourishment, and which is not cut away or flensed from its body without its altera tion, reduction, or ha rm ." Applying this to the )a~ilu t or ema na tion of the divine sefirot a nd light s, as well as to those of bot h the infinite world and the world tha t is correctly called emanated or 'asi lut (because the same means of produ ction that we call 'as ilut , emana tion, or result applies to both ), we say that in tru th it possesses and includes both perfections and lacks or is depr ived of both imp erfection s and flaws, it being an infallible truth tha t it is p roduction witho ut cha nge, diversity, altera tion, cutt ing away, or reduction of its infinite ma' asil, ema na tor, or First Cause, and similarly C rea tion, which does not pr esupp ose any of these or similar imperfection s and flaws in its C rea tor. The emanated ones are therefore very perfect with respect to their ema nator and also when observed in themselves and insofar as they are produced by ema na tion, because as such, although witho ut an antecedent subject, which they really do not have, we affirm that they do not issue from nothingness like crea ted beings but ra ther from the essence of their divine ma'asil or ema na tor, which is their direct, universal, and primary ca use from 12 See Aristotle, On the Generation ofAnimals, Book I, Ch apt ers 17- 18, 72 la -729a, where seme n is describ ed as a distillation from the ent ire body .

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whose essence, as from the external but unit ed a nd connected illumin ation of a ligh t that is hidden and inaccessible to all, they ar e extra cted or emana ted , becoming as similar to their source and origin, once produced , as illumin ation is to the light that exists before it, witho ut there being an y other difference between the two except th at one exists by itself and the other by virtu e of another, a nd that the first is the unoriginated or igin and cause of the other , a nd the other is dep enden t on and produced or ca used by the other, and in effect the first is a cause and the other is an effect. And [89r] as our kabbalists say, especially the wise Co rdo vero whom we have elsewhere cited, tran slated, and corroborated, they differ as ne' esal from ma' asil, th at is, as em anated from ema na ting, and educed or extracted from educer or extracto r.!" In conclusion, this sovereign production includes in itself all of the perfections of the creation from nothing and the generation of living thin gs, as we have j ust explained, excluding from itself the imp erfections of each one and of both toge ther.

Chapter V. Explains how the sovereign emanation resembles the production if illumination which, depending on light, is communicated to the diaphanous colors and to the eyes, and how this resembles the production if the sensory species which issue from colored bodies without generation or movement, especially how close it is to the sudden activity by which qualities and potencies emanate from their substances and subjects, in particular the sensory and vegetative powersfrom the intellectual and rational spirit, and in which respects they are different and distinct. There is nothin g tha t shows and explains better or more clearly the way in which the sefirot or high ligh ts emanate from their cause, which is the first one, than the comm unication of light which we call its essence, or illumination . Becau se as Aristotle and all of his followers unanimously say, illumination is that same light or its presence in an effective sense; in a formal sen se, it is the activity and perfection of that which is clear, diaphanous, or transpar ent ; and, finally, in a pa rticipatory sense, it is the act ivity an d perfection that ca uses colors to be visible and to be seen by the eyes. It is in effect a spiritual operation of ligh t, of which it is a n ima ge, dem onstration , power , and instrument which, diffused all together in a single

l :l

See Book VII , Chapter 3.

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instant through diaphan ous and tran spar ent intermedia ries, causes colors act ually to be seen and the eyes actually to see, becau se without it they are only potentially visible or seeing. O r as Marsilio Ficino prefers, illumin ation is a sudde n spiritual emanation which issues from light without damaging or diminishing its nature,'" or as Francesco Piccolom ini learnedly confirms, illumin a tion is pri marily an activity a nd perfection of light , secondarily an activity of the diaphanous, a nd in the third degree a n activity of color; as for eyesight, it is an activity of light as of its source and producer; an activity of the diaphanous or tran sparent as of its vehicle which differenti ates, tran sports, and assigns it; and an activity and perfection of colors as of that which animates and aro uses them and makes them efficacious and powerful so that , workin g spiritually, [89v] they can distribute their sensory species and be revealed and seen. It is, finally, an activity and perfection of the eyes because, participatin g to them its luminous nature and then illumin atin g them , it causes not only them but also the intermediari es a nd visible objects to be seen or actually to see." All of th is agr ees wonderfully with the emanation of the divine light s, uniti es, sefirot, and measures of their infinite ca use, becau se as illumin ation s they really depend on the prima ry light and, in a form al and perfect way, are the same as their source is in a superior causal way with its will and presence alone, by which it is commun icated to that to which it did not previously communicate without crea tion, genera tion , or any other action that might parti cipate of dissimilarity, alteration , or movem ent. It is largely communicated in them, I mean the First Cause, and represent ed by them as mu ch as this is possible, eventually producin g all things through them as th rou gh efficacious instrum ent s and intermediaries. And it does this in order to do great good to man y, activating outside itself in these superior light s and more than crystalline mirrors, that which is hidden in the depth s of its infinity and ina ccessible to and hidden from all minds. These sovereign lights, then , are ema na ted in such a way from their origin that they have never been cut off from it, are not and will never be cut off from it: like activities a nd perfection s of the diaphanous, they a re unities, centers, and height s of the mo st

11 77zeologia platonica, Book VI, Chapter 2: "Scitis lumen id solis oculo manifestum ideo corpus non esse, quia momenta se fund it in omnia, infusum non frangit corpora, nec inficitur" (Vol. 1, p. 236); cited by Yosha, Milos, p. 182, note 16. 13 Possibly a reference to Piccolomini's Philosophi primi librorum (Frankfurt, 1597).

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superior and nobl e essences, their archetyp es, mod els, and efficacious measur es, and through them the sources and standards of all other things , most closely resembling and supremely united with the most simple center of the sole infinite light (from which, as we hav e said, they ar e never separated): rath er by its power they are causes of all intelligibles, be they entirely incorp oreal and self-constituting or incorporeal a nd some how bound to bodies or , finally, entirely corpo real and material, becau se they are also the causes of all minds, both the perfectly sepa ra te and pure, and tho se that are united to the dependent rational spirits of ima ges, instruments, and dispositions of bodi es and of the union and actual joining together of the on e and the oth er , I mean to say, of what can be known with those who know , insuring that the form er are known and the latt er do know actively. And what we have explained about light can and should be applied to the visible spec ies in which colors and sha pes are revealed and efficaciously represent ed to us, it being understood that visible objects, through an admirabl e spiritual activity that they participate from light and illumin ation , produ ce their represent ations and ima ges in the eyes of animals through diaphanous a nd illuminat ed effects, and these ima ges a re not created or produced out of nothing or gen erated from matter or in matt er by alteration, and they are not produced in any oth er way through transmutation or any oth er movem ent , but ar e rather communicated to the diaphanous and to the eyes by their sole pr esence, in almost the same way that the sefirot and divine light s issued from their infinite ca use without crea tion, generation, altera tion, or any other movem ent , becau se they are its efficacious presence, extension, communication, and ima ge: by its power and with its actual coope ration, they are the ca use of all crea ted, form ed , a nd made effects, and not only of their entire being and pow er but also of all their operations and effects, imprinting on all, by more or less perfect and clear participation, that which they a re by their formal nature but their infinite ca use is in a mode of abundance and ca usal supe riority. To this we ma y add by way of bringing our discussion to an end that, just as produced essences do not proj ect their accidents, qu alities, and poten cy out of them selves by creation, genera tion, or any oth er movem ent but rath er by ema na tion and result, so does the First Cau se project out of itself the divine sefirot and uniti es, like most efficacious potencies, in order to effect what it wishes; and they ar e tr an spar ent mirrors and very bright images which reveal all its effects outside itself. And becaus e

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it is its wish that it should be known by them , [gar] it proj ected them out of itself, I repeat , with out creating, begettin g, or shaping them or in an y way introducing an y altera tion, divergence, passage, or movem ent, but ra ther by ema nation, which issues from its source; by proj ection , th rou gh which it is com municated to others without separa ting th em from itself; by the illumination with which it enlightens them all; by coope ration, life, and formation , by which it assists, anima tes, form s, moves, a nd perfects them all. And all of this happens by virtue of its most efficacious pres ence alone and in the manner of a sudden emanation and result: a spiritual or divine illumination or activation which, going forth from its source, does not reduce or weaken it, because without separating from it for even a n instant, it is extended and communicated to everything that , being its representation and image, has no comparison or connec tion with it; and without being commensur ate or similar to the lower ones it is the model and efficient cause that produces, pre serves, and perfects them all. It is tru e that illumination a nd the visible spec ies differ from the light that issues from the First Cau se a nd from the colors or colored bodies from which the secondary ca uses result, j ust as accide nts differ from substances or images from th ose that activate them . The divine lights and ideal uniti es, however, do not differ from their ca use like accidents from substance but rath er like manifold substances limited by the more tha n substantial, utterly un ique, most simple, and unbounded First C ause. The qualiti es a nd potencies of the substantial subject from which they resulted by ema na tion also differ in the same manner of accide nt and substance , and they are therefore not similar to the divine lights which are substances, and lar gely subsistent. In addition to this, the qualities and potencies that ema na te from their substance remain in it as in their receptacle, subject, or vessel, but the sovereign sefirot issue from their source in such a way that, although they ar e not sepa ra ted from it, they are inseparably united with it, yet they do not remain in it like accidents or qualities and active pot encies in substan ce, becau se in the most simple, independent , and infinite on e there is not and cannot be an ything that is manifold, dependent, or bounded. We must therefore say that its effects eme rge from it in such a way that , although they a re unit ed with it in perfect, uninterrupted union , they do not remain inside it acco rding to their own form al nature but rath er are subsistent in th emselves and extende d or comm unicated to the lower ones, like illumin ation that , depending on ligh t witho ut being sepa -

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rate from it, is composed of its own nature, distinct from that of its source, and is communicated to diaphanous visible effects and to sight. It is true that illumination is not a substance and it is not selfsubsistent but rather is present in the way of an accident or image which, although it is spiritual and indivisible, has need of a subject and a substantial existent in which to rest. It will therefore be useful to bring another example to bear which will more effectively and clearly explain the emanation of the sefirot from their cause by emanation and result, the unity they have with it, and the difference that explains why, although they issue from it, they are composed of and subsistent in their own natures. And this is the example of the spirit which, participating in mind, is rational and dialectical and which, self-consisting, assists the natural, organized body and communicates to it the sensory and vegetative spirit that it contains in itself in a superior, causal way, and produces outside itself in its specific formal nature which , although it is never separate from its source, is nevertheless different from it, like an effect or image that needs the dispositions and instruments of the body, which is not the case of the source from which it issued without creation, begetting, or any other movement but rather by emanation and sudden result, in the way a [90v] face imprints its image in a mirror by its simple presence. And how much this applies to the production of the divine lights is obvious to all, because as has been said many times, they issued from 'Ein-Sof the uncaused One in which they were present, as they are now and will be forever present, in a most simple and superior causal way, in their own perfect but limited natures. They issued, I repeat, not by creation, formation, generation, alteration, or other similar kinds of production but rather by sudden, perfect result and emanation, whereby 'Ein-Sof communicated what it had in itself to its first and most perfect effects although in a higher way, as if pulling them out of itself but without diminishment or damage to itself. And it remained and remains surpassingly united with them in such a way that, inseparably connected to it, they are full of it, serving as its instruments in all of its operations and effects and as images and representations to reveal to them the infinite perfection and glory of the universal beginning and end of all things. And this is undoubtedly what the wise Cordovero intended to say when he taught that 'asilut is the power of the ma'asil or cause in its ne'esal or cause , like the light or rays of the sun in the moon, and that in being communicated to the effect with which it

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is inseparabl y and continuously united it is not emptied or redu ced, producing one ligh t or ca ndle from ano ther. It is also what Judah H ayyat meant when he claimed that the sefirot wer e to the intrinsic ligh t of ' Ein-Sof as rays of sunlight are to the sun from which they issue with ou t becom ing separated [rom it, like its segulah, qu ality or for ce. All of this is clearly understood from what we have said, and altho ugh non e of the examples tha t have been given ar e entirely identical or sufficient, if we were to take one part that is similar [i.e. to kabbalistic teaching] , leaving aside those from whi ch it differs, and if we did the same with all, something very close to the received truth would und oubtedly emerge. At this point we should be silen t, for in such hidden and sublime matt ers, any information, even imprecise, mu st be esteeme d and valu ed .

Chapter VI. Explains the comparison fo und in the Book of Formati on which say s that) j ust as the flame is j oined to the burning coal, so the emanated ones are united with their emanating cause.

In the profound Book qf Tesirah or Formation attributed to the Patri arch Abraha m one reads tha t j ust as the flam e is uni ted with the burning coal, so each ema na ted sefira h is united with the higher one from which it ema na tes and all with ' Ein-Sof, the primary ema nator which ema na ted from nothin g, whi ch seems to me to be mor e or less understood from what was j ust said in the preced ing cha pter. " But so that it ca n be more perfectly understood , we add her e tha t, like the burning coa l's flam e, 'as ilut a nd the ema na ted numbers dep end [91 r] on ' Ein-Sof, their prima ry emana tor, becau se the coal is the substa nce and the flam e the accident ; th e coal th e ca use a nd th e flam e the effect; the coal, bein g and efficacy, and the flam e, opera tion and activity that results from both ; and the coal is not

Iii

Sefer Tesirah 1:7: T en sefirot of nothingness Their end is imbedded in their beginni ng and their beginni ng in their end like a flam e by a burning coa l [G ruenwald gives ii?iijJ , Kapl an ii?ii: J For the l\ la ster is singula r [i"ii" i 1i~iJ] H e has no second And before One, what do you count? (p. 5 7)

Kapla n notes a simila r passage in alef which, being the first letter, is primary or one, and ~';El [f-l-'a], which are the same letters of >alef spelled as follows: El';~ ['aI-f] and translated as marvellous, wonderful , and hidd en), or to pu t it more clearly, 'Adam Q admon is the sovereign exalted nam e of 'Ein-Sof the First Cause which in a singular or hidden and admirabl e

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way contains the ten sefirot , the five parsufim, and the five world s tha t ar e indicated by the point of the y od, the yod itself, the first he, the waw, an d the last he of its ineffable four-lett er nam e. Or shall we say (12) that t:r1~ ['a-d-mJ includes: ~ one, i four , [and] Q 40 to show that in this 'Adam Q admon there is a nam e of the hawwa yah or essence proj ected in ten letters as follows: ~i1 1~1 'i1 .11' [y-w-d h-y w-'a-w h-' a] , which is explained by these being the numbers 72, 63, 45, and 52, each one of ten letters tha t togeth er make [105r] forty as if one were to say: it is ~ ['a] or one that includes" [d] or four names which, proj ected in its letters with the kolel or community make Q [m] or 40 and in effect Ci~ ['a-d-m] , or in another way: (13): ~ ['a] is one, that is, 'Adam and his infinite world , which with the ., [d] or four letters of his nam e produ ced the four world s of 'asilut, beri' ah , yesira h, and 'as iyah, and imprinted on them Q [m] or forty sefirot, ten in each one, or as th e Prologue of the Tiqqunim says, "The high one of the high ones illum ina tes the ten sefirot of 'asilut, the ten of beri'ah , the ten choirs or hierarchi es of an gels, and the ten circles or sphe res of the br eadth or firmam ent of heaven , which are Q or forty." To which ca n be added what my teacher Rabbi Israel Sarug (peace be with him ) told me, that cn~ ['a-d-m] is mad e up of C~ ['a-m j31 and rt [d], which mean "mother" and "four ," to reveal that 'Adam Q admon is the ca use of the four world s which have been so often mentioned, and I believe he is called moth er and not fath er of the worlds so that no on e should think that he is the First Cau se but rath er its fem ale, instrum ent , vessel, a nd receptacle which , like a life that came out of 'Adam the first man and with his efficacy, was mother of all living human beings.F T his first and mo st perfect effect of the uncau sed Cau sal Agent of everything, as if pregnant with its pow er and efficacy, therefore gave birth to all of the worlds , receiving them from it as if from the mal e in a very superio r and hidden way a nd later producing or giving birth to them in a more coarse and obvious way like the femal e that creates a coarse and diverse composite out of the male's uniform diminutive seed. I will not discuss (14) the fact that he is called 'Ada m, like "'adorn" or "red," becau se Din , rigor, potentiality, and defect, begins with it according to the secret of the bosina de-qardinuta which had Th at is, C~ with the vocalization i-rn-m-a. See Midrash Rabb a 20:1I: "And the man called his wife's name Ever-Hawwah, i.e. life" (Vol. I, p. 169). 11

1~

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its beginning in 'Awir Q admon, who is in my view 'Ad am Qadmon although not in a perfected state. And he is the origin of the five geburo t or rigors and similarly is called 'Adam after "'ada mei demion" or "likeness of the earth" 33 becau se he resembl es the First Cau se as mu ch as th at is po ssible for any effect or for all lower things , which he, like a model or archetype , contains in his very clear ideas, which are the representational or productive causes of them all. I will only say th at , when in his mysterious book of the Yesirah or formation our Fathe r Abraham says ten sefirot belimah , I understand him to have meant ten sefirot of the 'asilut or ema nated world ; bclimah means without mah iiD [m-h] or 45, th at is, without 'Adam Qadmon whose name adds up to iiD [m-h] or 45, like an Ineffable Name of the essence ." And it is worth noting tha t iiD '';J [b-I-y m-h] (belimah) adds up to 87 like the two divine names of iiD [m-h] and JD [mb] , or 45 and 42, which are the same as iiD [m-h] and jO [s-g], or 45 and 63, and iiD [m-h] and JJ [n-b] , or 45 and 52, which, depending on 'Adam Qadmon and with his stre ngth and coope ra tion, were the cause of the tiqqun or restora tion, perfection, and completion of the ema nated world and of its sefirot and parsufim. In summary, they are the simsu m or shrinking which depriv es, and the infusion of light which communicates: the light of the right side which flows into, and the resplendent light which returns and in returning takes away according to the secret of y od which, being the artificer of everything, is the nam e of J.lJ ['a-b] or 72 which communicates H esed or grace and 'o r (that is, light) when descending, and when rising is JD [m-b] or 42, which causes Din, potenti ality, and limitation , and in effect is a keli, recept acle or instrume nt. And this is what]ob mean t when he said that the world was found ed on belimah, likewise the Sefer Yesirali which often repeat s "ten sefirot belirnah. t'" that is, ten sefirot that consist and are mad e up of the iiD [m-h] and JD [m-b] by which they are differen tiated from the jO [s-g] that streamed out of the metaphorical eyes, ears, nose, and mouth of 'Adam Q admon and did not achi eve th e intended perfection that wa s achieved by the sefirot tha t ema na ted from the [I 05v] foreh ead and,

:13 Genesis 2:7: "then the Lord God form ed man from the dust of the ground ['afar min-ha-'adam ah]. " H A reference to Seftr Tesirah 1:4. ssJob 26:7: "H e stretches out Zaph on over the void, and han gs the eart h upon nothing [toleh 'e rcs 'a l-beli-mah]."

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joined to thos e of the mouth , nequdim or po ints , made up the parsufim and the world of the matqela or scale, composed (as will be more fully a nd clearly explained below) of th e name of i1D [rn-h] or 45 that issues from the forehead, a nd that of:)O [m-b] or 42 th at is born of the mouth and likewise the nam e of:o [s-gJ and p [b-n] which togeth er , 45 a nd 42, add up to 87 like belimah a nd the m [p-z] of the divin e head . To this I add that the Ineffable Na me adds up to 26, a nd the letters that go before it (which are ii1"it:l) [k d-h-d]), add up to 22, and the one s th at follow, which are 1nJ [kw-z-w] add up to 39,16 and all togeth er: 26, 22, 39, add up to the number 87 like r~ [p-z] and i1rJ ''?:J [b-I-y m-h] , to show that 26, the name of the essence, is 22 or first, and 39 or last, according to ':l'l: ['a-n-y] or 61, the first and the last," which applied to )Adam Q admon as menti oned above in the Zolzar and the Tiqqunim, is the Ineffabl e Name tha t adds up to 26 which, like the beginning that is 22,3Hsurpasses and antecedes all the divine names and ema na ted lights, because all of these issue from him . And as their goal or 39,39 he is the one to whom all eventually return , being the last and most perfect and the instrument by which 'Ein-Sof produces everything and the mean s by which it returns every thing to itself as to the endpoint a nd restin g place which qu iets and blesses, and to the belimah or 8 7 that our father Abraham insists on so frequ ently and joins to the ten emanated sefirot, not as one of their number , because they are ten and not eleven, but rather as efficient, equivoca l, and belon ging to a higher rank , and as a dista nt goal and not compa rable to them. And let this be enough a bout such an eleva ted matter in which , if I have erred in any way, I ask the forgiveness of the Lord of the world s and submit myself to correc tion by the hak arnim or wise men , who have understood it better.

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