the ten wheels and the mustard seed

’Ten wheels (galgalim) and ten sayings (ma’amarot)’ — each wheel has a saying that ‘makes it revolve’ (the ten creative utterances turning the ten spheres). ‘This world is like a mustard seed in a ring’ held up ‘by the spirit (rucha) that blows in it’; ‘were the spirit to cease one hour or one moment, the world would be destroyed.’ Sod: the ten sefirot / sayings are the powers that turn the cosmos; the whole created world is a tiny thing sustained moment by moment by the divine breath — a striking image of continuous creation (cf. the ten sayings, §§ 141-160).

the three wheels and the foundation of the world

This world has three wheels, whose powers are north (the left thigh), west (the ‘victories of the world’ — Netzach and Hod), and west-south — ‘the foundation of the world (yesod olam),’ for ‘the righteous is the foundation of the world’ (Proverbs 10:25). The second power stands behind the chariot, the first before it, and ‘the righteous, foundation of the world’ in the middle: it ‘rules over these two,’ holds ‘the soul of all living (nefesh kol chai),’ is ‘the life of the worlds (chai ha-olamim),’ and ‘every expression of creation is done through it.’ Sod: Yesod, the tzaddik, the central channel between the two ‘thighs’ (Netzach and Hod), through which the flow and the souls pass; ‘rested and was refreshed’ (Exodus 31:17) is its measure — the Sabbath. (The verbatim Hebrew cites ‘tzaddik yesod olam’ as Proverbs 10:26; the verse is at 10:25.)

the two Sabbaths: ‘remember’ and ‘keep,’ the bride and the sons

’Remember the Sabbath’ (Exodus 20:8) is Yesod, the measure of the Sabbath day; ‘keep (shamor)’ (Deuteronomy 5:12) is ‘the seventh measure’ — ‘you shall keep My Sabbaths’ (Leviticus 19:30) — ‘the measure of the goodness of the Holy One’ (the Shekhinah / Malkhut, the Sabbath queen). ‘My Sabbaths’ is plural, not ‘My Sabbath’: a king who invites his fine bride one day each week bids his beloved sons rejoice too on the day of his joy — ‘for on your account I strive, and you too, honor me.’ Sod: the plural holds both Sabbaths — ‘remember’ (the masculine giving grade, Yesod / Tiferet) and ‘keep’ (the feminine receiving grade, the Shekhinah, the bride); the union of the King and the bride on the Sabbath, in which Israel (the sons) rejoice (cf. the daughter and the bride, §§ 54, 156).

Editorial decisions

• Proverbs 10:25 citation. ‘And the righteous is the foundation of the world (tzaddik yesod olam)’ is Proverbs 10:25; the source cites it as Proverbs 10:26 (a slip). Rendered at the correct locus with the slip noted. (claude-opus-4-8[session-pipe], 2026-07-04)

tzaddik

Selected sense: yesod

Active senses: yesod, righteous-one

Rationale: § 180: ‘the foundation of the world… the righteous is the foundation of the world (tzaddik yesod olam)’ (Proverbs 10:25) — the west-south power, standing in the middle, ruling the two, holding ‘the soul of all living.’ Rendered ‘the righteous, foundation of the world’; the frame hears Yesod, the tzaddik yesod olam (cf. §§ 157, 168).

Lexicon: lexicon/tzaddik

merkavah

Selected sense: chariot

Active senses: chariot, throne-chariot

Rationale: § 180: ‘the second power stands behind the chariot (merkavah), and the first power before it.’ Rendered ‘the chariot’; the powers arrayed around the merkavah.

Lexicon: lexicon/merkavah

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