The Holy Scripture
Chapter VIII
Before He appointed me to attend the Throne of Glory, the Holy One, blessed be He, opened to me ‘three hundred thousand gates of Understanding three hundred thousand gates of Subtlety three hundred thousand gates of Life 1-1 Following is the order of the attributes in the other readings: B
wisdom. . understanding. .life. .subtlety. . grace and loving-kindness . .love. .Tora. .maintenance. .meekness. .fear of sin C
loving-kindness... understanding... life. ..subtlety...Shekina. . power (chash) and sometimes speak (allel): they are silent when the Word emanates .from the Holy One, blessed be He, they speak when He has ceased speaking.” to attend the Throne of Glory day after day. This is a traditional function of Metatron, the Prince of the Presence. Cf. ch. xlviiic 4. Hek. R. xi: ‘when the angel of the Presence enters to exalt and magnify the Throne of Glory and to prepare the seat for the Mighty One in Jacob”. Hek. Zot. (2) In that hour the Holy One, blessed be He, added in me wisdom unto wisdom, understanding unto understanding, subtlety unto subtlety, knowledge unto knowledge, mercy unto mercy, instruction unto instruction, love unto love, loving-kindness unto loving-kindness, and might...grace and loving-kindness. ..love. ..instruction (Tora). „main- tenance. .fear of sin. .meekness E (12): wisdom. .understanding. .subtlety. .life. .peace. . Shekina. .power and might. .strength. .grace and loving-kindness. .love. .meekness . . fear of sin YR. i. 54 b (12): wisdom. ..understanding. .life. .subtlety. .Shekina. .power and might...grace and loving-kindness...love...'l'ora. .. maintenance. . meek- ness...fear of sin L (12): wisdom. . understanding.. . life. .subtlety. . Shekina. . might... grace and loving-kindness. .love.. Tora. .maintenance. .meekness. .fear of sin D
wisdom. .understanding . .life. .subtlety. .peace. . Shekina. . power and might...strength...grace and loving-kindness... .love...Tora...mainten- ance. .mercy. .meekness.. .fear of heaven « three hundred thousand gates of Tora. Cf. Alph. It is interesting to note, that acc. to this conception there is a special treasury of Tora (= the Celestial Tora?) besides the treasuries of wisdom and of understanding. Acc. to another conception the Tora is itself formed of the elements of wisdom and understanding, the ‘secrets of the treasuries; cf. on goodness unto goodness, meekness unto meekness, power unto power, strength unto strength, might unto might, brilliance unto brilliance, beauty unto beauty, splendour unto splendour, ? and I was honoured and adorned with all these good and praiseworthy things more than all the children of heaven.