Ve'emet

The Tikkun "Ve'emet" (and truth) from the 13 Attributes of Mercy is the source of the revelation of "Shin Ayin Nehorin" (370 lights), a concept mentioned frequently in Kabbalah that indicates the great revelation of the light of the countenance of the King of life. This is His love for every Jewish person, which in Kabbalistic terminology is called the revelation of "Trein Tapuchin D'Arich Anpin" (the two apples of Arich Anpin), and as is known, the level of Arich Anpin is the Supreme Will.

In the Holy Zohar

The seventh correction: the hair is parted, and two apples appear from here and there, red like a red rose, and they illuminate in 270 worlds. These two apples, when they shine (from two sides) from the illumination of the two holy supernal apples of Atika, redness extends, and whiteness comes. Regarding this, it is written (Numbers 6:25) "May Hashem make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you," for when they shine, the world is blessed. And at the time when they become red, it is written "May Hashem lift up His face to you," meaning that anger will be removed and not be found in the world. It was taught that all the lights that shine from the Holy Atika are called the "First Kindnesses," and because of them, all those "Eternal Kindnesses" shine. — Zohar Part 3, page 141a

Source of the Illumination

It is explained in Kabbalah that this light emerges from the "Trein D'Tapuchin" of Arich (which come from the seventh correction of the 13 Attributes of Mercy called "Ve'emet"), the illumination of the countenance of Arich Anpin called "Sha'ashuim Shin Ayin Nehorin" (370 lights of delight). Its concept is that in the seventh correction, the light of Chochmah Stimaah (Concealed Wisdom) is drawn and revealed not through contraction in the aspect of hair. This is what is stated in the Idra: "The seventh correction parts the hair and two apples appear, etc., this is what is written 'in the light of the King's countenance is life.'" The meaning of "parts the hair" is like how on the face there is no growth of hair, and necessarily this level is called "Ve'emet" (and truth), meaning the revelation of truth as it is alone and there is nothing besides it. And this is only in the correction of "Ve'emet" alone and not in other corrections, for even though they are the highest attributes, nevertheless since they relate to the aspect of worlds, they do not contain the revelation of the essence of Chochmah Stimaah which is as He is alone, for the drawing down is only through the aspect of hair.

The Essence of Illumination

Kohelet 8:1 states, "The wisdom of a person illuminates his face," as exemplified by Rabbi Abahu whose face shone when he discovered a new Tosefta, with visible redness in his cheeks. Although this is a physical phenomenon, its cause is extremely lofty—it stems from the essential pleasure of the yechidah of the soul, which extends through the power of intellect and causes it to descend from concealment to revelation to innovate new intellectual concepts. Therefore, the pleasure is very noticeable when one develops a new intellectual concept, because this is the moment when the intellect emerges and is born from pleasure through its enclothement in the power of intellect. Due to that pleasure, there will also be an illumination of the physical face in one's cheeks. Thus, even though it is a physical illumination, its root is even more elevated than the power of intellect—it is the level of essential pleasure.

Similarly, we can understand the supernal concept of Tikun and Emet (truth) in the "two apples" of the cheeks of Arich Anpin, about which it is said, "May Hashem illuminate His countenance to you"—meaning, to Malchut of Atzilut which is in darkness in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah during exile. For Chochmah Stimaah (concealed wisdom) is a concealed and wondrous intellect, and in order for it to be revealed from its concealment—which involves transformation and change of its essence—there must be something higher than it that can transform the wondrous intellect to emerge from its concealment. This is accomplished through the illumination of Atika's light that penetrates the wondrous intellect and draws it into revelation. From this comes the illumination of the countenance when Chochmah emerges into revelation, as the revelation of light is also drawn through the aforementioned into the cheeks. Therefore, it is free of hair, as it is not in a state of constrictions at all. This is the concept of the 370 lights mentioned above that are drawn from Atik Yomin, the essential supernal pleasure called "the delight of the King in His essence."

The beginning of revelation in the worlds is from this Tikun. The concept of Tikun and Emet among the 13 Tikunei Dikna is the aspect of the illumination of the countenance, the "two apples" where Chochmah is revealed, as it is written, "The wisdom of a person illuminates his face." This is the revelation of the 370 lights, the aspect of "Adam of Yetzirah," as it is written, "Who formed man with wisdom," and this aspect is called "truth." In contrast, the other Tikunin are attributes like merciful, gracious, etc., which are not comparable to the Ein Sof, which is not affected by attributes, "and is not any of these attributes at all," even though they are only the sources of attributes.

Moses, the attendant of the King, drew the light of the Ein Sof, blessed be He, to clothe itself in the aspect of Tikun and Emet, which is called a seal. This is the meaning of "And Moses wrote," and from there the illumination of the countenance is drawn into Zeir Anpin, which is the concept of "You give truth to Jacob." Through this, they had the power to travel through the air of the desert of idolaters to subdue the kelipot, for "through wisdom they are clarified."

During Kabbalat Shabbat

Expanded topic – Chakal Tapuchin Kadishin

When Malchut ascends to Atzilut on Shabbat eve, it receives the title "Chakal Tapuchin Kadishin" (Field of Holy Apples). This is due to the illumination of the 370 lights that it receives on Shabbat night, which is alluded to in the blessing "Who spreads the shelter of Sh'lom A'leinu" (peace over us), in which the 370 lights from Arich Anpin are revealed.

During Shofar Blowing

During the shofar blowing, we awaken the light of the Divine countenance, as explained in the writings of the Arizal that when the face of the one blowing the shofar becomes red during the blowing, he draws down the light of the King's countenance (this does not refer to physical redness, of course, which is merely a physical manifestation of the spiritual redness; rather, it refers to the act of blowing, which is the connection of the Jewish people from the depths of their hearts to the Holy One, blessed be He, in repentance and supplication).

The beginning of this illumination occurs during the first blessing of the Amidah on Rosh Hashanah, when these lights are revealed in the face of Malchut, namely Knesset Yisrael, and illuminate it with the light of the King's countenance of life in the word "magen" (shield) (because three times the Divine name "El" equals the numerical value of "magen").

See Also

• Igeret HaKodesh - Section 3