The Ramchal’s Mishkeney Elyon (Part 2) – Fascinating Insights Into the Holy Temple
The Ramchal’s Mishkeney Elyon (Part 2) – Fascinating Insights Into the Holy Temple
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“There is a river whose streams bring joy to the city of God,the holy place of the dwellings of the Supreme (Mishkeney Elyon)” (Psalms 46:5)
“Rabbi Yochanan said: The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: ‘I will not enter the heavenly Jerusalem until I enter the earthly Jerusalem.’ Is there then a heavenly Jerusalem? Yes, as it is written: ‘Jerusalem is built like a city that is joined to it together'”(Taanit 5a)
Introduction
In Mishkeney Elyon, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (the holy Ramchal) opens a doorway into the secrets of the Heavenly Holy Temple. He begins by telling us his intent:
“The aim of this treatise is to explore the Heavenly Temple as spoken of by our sages, to lay bare its form and structure in every detail, and to reveal how each measurement and design of the earthly Temple mirrors its heavenly counterpart.
He then turns to the reader with a personal appeal:
And you, cherished reader, gather all the powers of your mind. Turn your full attention here, for I will teach you astonishing wisdom the like of which has not reached your ears. Through it you will come to know how the King above all kings tends to His creations and guides His world in perfect order. He established this order so that the world might rest on a solid foundation, brought to its fulfillment in truth and faithfulness.”
– Ramchal, Mishkeney Elyon, Introduction
And yet, Ramchal is the first to admit how far these ideas stretch beyond normal thought:
“These matters reach far beyond the grasp of mortal thought. No person has ever fully penetrated the wisdom of the Creator or walked the path of truth to its end so as to comprehend the works of God. But now I will set these things before you in a single introductory work, all-encompassing, that will open your eyes to the governance of the world and how God provides each creature its daily sustenance, each one in its appointed time.
The Foundation Stone of Creation
The entire universe, says Ramchal, originates from a unified spiritual source:
When the Creator desired to bring this world into being, He gathered everything into ten great lights, the ten Sefirot, from which every kind of creature emerged, like branches spreading from the trunk of a tree. There is nothing in all of existence that does not have its appointed place within the supreme Chariot.”
This “supreme Chariot” (Merkavah Elyonah) is the divine structure through which all existence is channeled and sustained. Every created being, whether spiritual or physical, is a branch rooted in this higher system. And the earthly Temple is not merely symbolic of these realities. It is their expression in material form: the place where the inner order of creation becomes visible and accessible.
The Shechinah and the Foundation of Creation
The tenth and final of the supernal lights, Malchut, is known as the Shechinah, the Indwelling Presence. Through the Shechinah all created beings are rooted. While every creature traces its spiritual root to the higher Sefirot, each also has a direct connection to the Shechinah, who is therefore called “the mother of children.” All existence emerges from her hands.
There is a designated place where all these roots converge: the Heavenly Temple. It is the central nexus of all created realities, whether rooted in the Shechinah or in the higher lights. The roots of everything lie there: the earth and all it contains, the heavens and their hosts, all spiritual and material entities without exception.
At the very center of this place stands a singular stone, radiant beyond compare. This is the Even Shetiyah, the Foundation Stone. Located in the Holy of Holies of the Heavenly Temple, it is the anchor point of all existence, containing perfect beauty and divine charm. A corresponding Foundation Stone exists in the physical Holy of Holies in this world.
The Supernal Network of Channels
From this central stone flow countless channels and pathways extending throughout creation. They begin as great highways, governing the spiritual order of every category of being. Each order of creation follows its path with inner awareness, receiving its sustenance directly from the King.
From these main highways branch off endless smaller pathways: the individual root-lines of every being, great or small. Each has its own unique route. All originate from the same central point, the stone in the middle of the Heavenly Temple, where the Creator watches over them all in a single unified gaze.
“He forms their hearts together, He understands all their works.”Psalms 33:15
This central point, the Foundation Stone, is the beating heart of the universe: the source and convergence point of all life, order, and Divine awareness.
The Land of Israel and the Design of the World
Surrounding the stone is a vast path, likened to a land of majestic cities of unmatched beauty, suffused with the splendor of the Shechinah. Because of its sanctity, it radiates into the lower world as the Land of Israel, the land God watches with particular care.
Outside this central land stretch many other pathways: some leaning to the right (Chesed, kindness), others to the left (Din, judgment). These gave rise to all the other lands of the world. Each is overseen by a powerful spiritual minister (Sar) appointed over one of the seventy nations.
In the original order of creation, these lands were meant to be pure, just as the Land of Israel is holy. But once mankind became corrupted, impurity took root. The ministers themselves were drawn into corruption, and the lands under their charge followed. Only in the future, when the world is rectified, will all lands be restored to purity, though never to the same degree as the land given eternally to Israel.
“Take hold of this teaching, for here I am disclosing secrets of tremendous depth, rooted in the innermost wisdom.”
Building the House Through Unity
Once the Shechinah was complete in her light and balance, a most awe-inspiring place appeared: the Holy of Holies of the Heavenly Temple. This is the Place of Great Desire, the source of peace and love. It is hidden and sealed off. Only the King may enter. It holds within it the fullness of radiance and perfection.
From this inner sanctum, the rest of the Heavenly Temple emanated, and within it rests the Foundation Stone. Two levels thus emerged:
The inner hidden chamber, containing the complete radiance of Malchut.
The expanded structure, the rest of the Temple, which holds the sources of all created beings.
When the light of Malchut was united with the Melech (the King), a state of profound peace (Menuchah) emerged. From this harmony came the full design of the House: all its courtyards, chambers, dimensions, and functions. Each part corresponds to specific spiritual forces and lights.
From this House the highways of creation extend, bearing divine names filled with power. The branching pathways, the unique roots of individual beings, are hidden beneath them. Within the House, only the highways are named. Outside, each pathway takes on its own identity.
This is why the Temple is called Menuchah, for it was born out of tranquility and union. And once it was built, it was never again concealed.
“This sacred House came into being before the world itself. For it is from this House that every created being draws its strength and sustenance.”
– Ramchal, Mishkeney Elyon
When blessing flows from the King to the House, its courtyards and chambers fill with power and strength. Each being draws from it according to its level.
The Unceasing Flow of Divine Sustenance
The flow of blessing and sustenance to the Heavenly Temple has never ceased. It cannot. Were that flow to be interrupted even for a moment, all created beings would instantly cease to exist.
“The King does not remove His gaze from His palace, not even for an instant.”
– Ramchal, Mishkeney Elyon
One might argue that only the higher spiritual levels, Abba (Wisdom) and Imma (Understanding), are always united, while the lower levels, Zeir Anpin and Nukva, can be separated. To this the Ramchal responds sharply:
“You have not reached the depths of this wisdom, and you have not uncovered its roots.”
– Ramchal, Mishkeney Elyon
Union vs. Connection: Two Modes of Divine Relationship
Ramchal draws a careful distinction between two modes of relationship in the spiritual worlds: Chibur (connection) and Zivug (union).
Chibur is a relationship where two lights face each other and shine toward one another from their respective places, yet remain distant. The further the light travels from its source, the weaker it becomes. Although there is no actual severance between these lights, the sages metaphorically call it Pirud (separation), akin to “uprooting the plants,” the severing of life from its root.
Zivug, by contrast, is a full union. The lights draw near, embrace, and merge. When they unite, their beauty and radiance are breathtaking. Like a holy fire, they blaze in passionate convergence. Their unified energy sends ripples of joy and power through all the realms, ascending back to the Infinite One (Ein Sof) and drawing forth abundant blessings in return.
In the upper spiritual planes, the three highest lights alluded to in the Tetragrammaton (the cusp of the Yud representing Keter, the Yud representing Chochmah, and the Heh representing Binah) there is no separation at all. They are forever bound in a perfect and indestructible unity.
In the lower realms, however, separation can occur, not in essence but in connection, due to the sins of humanity. The Yud may separate from the Heh, the Heh from the Vav, and so on. These breaks signify spiritual disconnection, and they manifest as disorder and destruction in the physical world.
Zivug and the Third Temple
True Zivug, full spiritual union, is absent in the lower world until the Temple is rebuilt and the lights are rectified. This is the deeper meaning behind the Talmudic teaching:
“The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I will not enter the heavenly Jerusalem until I enter the earthly Jerusalem.”Taanit 5a
Until the earthly Jerusalem is repaired and exalted, becoming once again the praise of all the earth, the King will not fully reveal Himself, even in the heavenly Jerusalem. But as the lights are repaired and draw closer to their original harmony, their power will increase, and the full flow of Divine vitality will resume. This process will culminate in the building of the Holy Temple in this world.
Yet when the spiritual damage caused by sin becomes too great, the unifying force of Zivug is disrupted. The earthly Temple, no longer aligned with its root, is destroyed.
The Heavenly Temple Never Ceases
Despite the destruction of the earthly Temple, the Heavenly Temple never ceased to exist. Were it to be nullified, the universe itself would collapse in an instant.
Its original brilliance has dimmed, though. The joy and radiant presence it once exuded, the glory of the King’s residence, are no longer fully manifest. Yet this state is not final. When the world is purified and the wicked removed, everything will return to its original order. The light will shine more intensely than ever, and the flow of Divine blessing will pour forth with renewed abundance.
“The splendor of this latter House will surpass that of the former ones.” (cf. Haggai 2:9)
For this reason, the Temple will be rebuilt in the lower world. And when it is, its splendor will exceed that of both the First and Second Temples.
The Temple as a Cosmic Blueprint
With the groundwork laid, Ramchal turns to the Temple’s architecture: not merely its physical layout, but its spiritual structure and metaphysical design.
“I will now set out the design of the Temple in detail, section by section, corner by corner.”
But first, he establishes a crucial principle:
“The whole form of the Temple rests upon a great secret that stands at the very pinnacle of all existence.”
This secret relates to the sublime union of Tiferet and Malchut, the male and female aspects of the Divine, which produced a state of complete Menuchah (tranquility). From that union emerged the Temple’s form: the Sanctuary (Heichal), its inner chambers, and the surrounding buildings. All of these serve as stations from which the King’s servants, celestial and terrestrial, receive their spiritual portions in perfect order.
Three Spheres of Creation Reflected in the Temple
The Temple is divided into three main areas, each corresponding to a different order of created beings. These areas unfold outward from the great Even Shetiyah (Foundation Stone) at the center of the Heavenly Temple.
The Main Sanctuary (Heichal), including the Holy of Holies (Dvir) and Vestibule (Ulam): The innermost section. It corresponds to the souls of the Children of Israel, “the holy seed, a unique people on earth.”
The Courtyards, Upper and Lower: These represent the domain of the angels, celestial beings stationed to carry out the King’s service. The Upper (Inner) Courtyard is closer to the Divine Presence; the Lower (Outer) Courtyard surrounds it.
The Temple Mount and outer areas: This expansive zone corresponds to the physical creatures of this world, from the greatest to the smallest, all included without exception. These are the external creations, bound to the Divine through the lower gateways of holiness.
Each domain receives its sustenance through the precise, orderly channels described above. Nothing is misplaced. Every soul, angel, and creature is given its portion from the House of the King, each according to its root and spiritual capacity.
The Temple and the Four Worlds
There is a deeper dimension to the Temple’s architecture: its correspondence to the four spiritual worlds, Atzilut (Emanation), Beriyah (Creation), Yetzirah (Formation), and Asiyah (Action).
Ramchal begins with an essential clarification:
“Know that the angels require two kinds of sustenance: one to sustain their own being, and another to pass on to the creatures placed in their charge. For if they received nothing, what would they have to give?”
This dual function of the angels reflects their role as intermediaries between the Divine source and the lower worlds. Their sustenance, like all spiritual abundance, flows from the Temple in precise and ordered channels.
While the Temple is often described as having three main areas, Ramchal reveals it is in fact divided into four distinct levels:
The Heichal (Sanctuary Building): This includes the Holy of Holies (Dvir) and the Ulam (Vestibule). It corresponds to the world of Atzilut, the place of pure Divine light and the souls of Israel.
The Upper Courtyard: The domain of the great angelic captains. It corresponds to Beriyah, the world of pure spiritual creation.
The Lower Courtyard: The realm of the angelic hosts. It corresponds to Yetzirah, the world of formation.
The Temple Mount: The outermost area, corresponding to Asiyah, the world of physical action: the domain of created beings in this world.
These four zones form a complete spiritual hierarchy rooted in the inner design of Creation itself.
The Inner Division of the Sanctuary
Even within the Heichal itself there is a division. The Holy of Holies (Dvir) represents the most concealed and sublime dimension of all: Keter (Crown), symbolized by the cusp of the Yud. This Crown is forever united with the Yud, representing Chochmah (Wisdom), and remains unmoving and unseparated.
This inner sanctum, the Place of the Ark, is the point of highest spiritual concentration. From here emanate the channels that animate all levels of existence.
The Four Expansions of the Divine Name
The spiritual power of each area of the Temple is anchored in the sacred names of God. These domains correspond to the four “expansions” (Miluim) of the Tetragrammaton, the ineffable four-letter Name of God (Y-H-V-H), spelled in progressively more revealed forms:
These four expansions are the foundation of all Divine manifestation. Ramchal writes:
“These domains carry the most exalted and choice of all the Names. They are the all-encompassing Names, before which all other mighty and awesome Names retreat as though they never were. All of existence, from first to last, is bound up in them.”
Each spiritual domain in the Temple is governed by one of these four expansions. All other names and forces operate beneath them and cannot express themselves in the presence of these original roots.
The Secret of Two Beginnings (Be-Reishit)
We arrive now at a turning point in Mishkeney Elyon. The Ramchal shifts from describing the Temple’s metaphysical structure to revealing why the future Temple must be fundamentally different from what came before:
“I will now explain to you why the Temple of the future will differ from the First and the Second. This is no trivial matter. Give it your fullest attention and spare no effort to follow. There are certain essential points you must grasp first.”
The key lies in the very first word of the Torah:
“In the beginning (Bereishit) God created the heavens and the earth.” Bereshit 1:1
The sages taught that the letter Beit in Bereishit, whose numerical value is two, hints at two beginnings. Understanding this dual-beginning structure is essential for grasping the entire process of rectification in the universe.
When the Creator, blessed be He, willed to bring the universe into existence, He arranged the lights in their proper places, stationed the guardians, and structured the vast orders of creation according to His wisdom.
This Wisdom (Chochmah), the Yud of the Divine Name, is the manifest principle from which all the lights and created beings draw their existence. Everything depends on this Wisdom. All spiritual forces regard it as the ultimate source of sustenance and power.
Yet above this Wisdom lies a deeper, more concealed beginning: Keter, the Crown. It is described in Kohelet (Ecclesiastes):
This hidden beginning is so exalted, so intensely holy, that it remains completely concealed within Wisdom itself. Though invisible, it empowers and gives direction to all the workings of Wisdom. Everything brought forth by Wisdom is ultimately sourced in this hidden Crown.
“Nothing that Wisdom accomplishes in this world exists independently of that other, higher beginning, which is hinted at by the tip of the Yud.”
The cusp, which represents Keter, is never separated from the Yud. They are bound together as one. All creation is therefore governed by two principles: Wisdom (Chochmah), which is the beginning, and Crown (Keter), which is the beginning of the beginning. This is the secret hinted at in the word Bereishit: Beit-Reishit, two beginnings.
But why encode both beginnings in a single word? Because from the day the world was created until now, creation has not yet reached its ultimate perfection. Everything hinges on the deeds of mankind. Had man not sinned, the world would have been perfected from the outset. But due to sin, the world’s development was arrested at the level of Wisdom. Only the lower beginning, Chochmah, has thus far been revealed and active in guiding creation. The higher beginning, Keter, has remained concealed.
In the future, however, this hidden Crown will be revealed in its full power and glory. When that happens, all spiritual lights will ascend to a much higher level, one from which there will be no further decline:
“The lights have not yet risen to this level. But in the time to come, they will. And when they do, an overwhelming goodness will pour into the world.”
This is the ultimate rectification. When Keter is manifest and joins visibly with Chochmah, the dual beginnings will operate in harmony, and creation will reach its eternal, perfected state.
Sources Cited
Primary Source
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (Ramchal), Mishkeney Elyon (“Dwellings of the Supreme”). All direct quotations of the Ramchal in this article are rendered into English from the Hebrew original. They aim to preserve the meaning and spirit of the Ramchal’s words in clear, readable prose.
Zohar (referenced for the designation of Yesod as “the life of the worlds”)
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Chaim Apsan
Chaim Apsan is a teacher of classical Kabbalah working exclusively from authentic Jewish sources. His approach emphasizes practical inner work, active experience and transformation. He integrates classical theory with applied psychological insight and holistic healing. Currently he lives in Jerusalem.
