Editing Chashmal (section)

== Essence and Origin of the Name ==
Already in the book of Yechezkel, when he prophesies in his prophetic vision about the Maaseh Merkavah (Divine Chariot), it states:<blockquote>"And I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a brightness around it, and from its midst something '''like the Chashmal''' from the midst of the fire." — Yechezkel 1:4</blockquote>The Chashmal is also mentioned in dozens of places in [[Sefer HaZohar|the Zohar]], and in the book of Rabbi Chaim Vital, the close student of the Arizal, an entire "gate" was dedicated to this topic.

According to what is explained in Chazal, the garments of skin that Hashem clothed Adam and Chava with were also in the aspect of the Chashmal garment. In Chassidus it is explained that just as in the human body there are pores in the skin through which sweat, which is the waste of the body, exits, so too from the 'pores' in the Chashmal garment between the world of Atzilus and the world of Beriah, the 'waste' goes out to the worlds below it. It separates between the divine light above and the divine light below, and it performs an action similar to the action of sifting, but in a reverse manner - the waste passes through it and descends downward, while the refined part remains above.

In other places in Chassidus, it is explained based on the words of the Gemara that the word 'Chashmal' is like the expression 'times of '''chas'''h (silence), times of '''mal'''el (speaking)' which hints at two aspects: 'Chash' (silence) indicates its root in the external aspect of Binah of the world of Atzilus, which is illuminated by the revelation of bitul (nullification) of the sefirah of Chochmah, whose essence is humility and nullification. The aspect of 'Malel' (speaking) hints at the level as it descends and becomes a garment for the lower levels of the world of Atzilus. For the same reason, the angels and holy chayos that receive vitality from this level, when the revelation is apparent in them, they are in complete bitul and in a state of 'silence', and when the divine revelation in them is concealed - they are in a state of 'speaking' and then they roar and say 'Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh'.

In several places in Chassidus, the gematria (numerical value) of the word 'Chashmal' also indicates its essence - malbush (garment).