Time in the Teachings of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi

Yesod 
of 
Adam kadmon
, that is, above the division 
136
For the correspondence between the days of week and the attributes, see for example LT 
Pekudei 
5b; 
Seder tefilot
26d-27a. 
137
See Wolfson, 
Luminal Darkness
, 147 and the sources listed there. 
138
See for example TO 8c, 9b, 10a, 25c, 97c. 
139
TO 10a. 
140
b
Shabat 131b. 
141
See 
Vayikra rabah 
27:10, and above, Chapter 3, section 2.3. 

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240 
between the worlds of Emanation, Creation, Formation and Making, whereas the 
Sabbath ascends from the lower worlds to the world of Emanation, but not beyond it. 
Since 
Adam kadmon 
is above the four cosmic worlds, he is also above the distinction 
between the weekdays and the Sabbath.
142
The ritual of circumcision therefore 
releases the radiance of a brighter light, one which has not been materialised or 
“enclothed” by passage through the four cosmic worlds,
143
and it must be preceded 
by the Sabbath, as the release of light from beyond the four worlds must be preceded 
by the release of light in the World of Emanation.
144
Circumcision ultimately transcends time. Following traditions which have 
been traced to the medieval Ashkenazi Pietists,
145
Rashaz decodes the Hebrew word 
milah 
as an acronym of [Dt 30:12] “Who shall go up for us to heaven?” [
mi ya’ale 
lanu ha-shamaymah
], whose final letters constitute the Tetragrammaton,
146
which 
according to Rashaz’s teachings, represents supratemporal reality.
147
This is made 
even clearer through the emphasis he places on the symbolic significance of the 
eighth day, the day which is beyond the seven days of the week, and the messianic 
connotation of the number eight.
148
This in turn links the ritual of circumcision to 
Hadar, the eighth Edomite king,
149
the only king of Edom whose death is not 
mentioned and whose spouse is named in the Torah, which represents the 
142
See for example 
Seder tefilot 
141d. 
143
On the connection between circumcision and apophany, see Wolfson, 
Circle in the Square
, 29-48. 
144
LT 
Tazri’a 
20d-21a. 
145
See Wolfson, “Circumcision and the Divine Name,” 87-90. 
146
LT 
Tazri’a 
21d. See also TO 13b, 31c.
147
See for example T2, 7:82a; TO 106a.
148
In LT 
Tazri’a 
21d the eight days stands for the eight-string harp of the Messiah, made out of seven 
strings corresponding to the disclosure of light from seven “worldly days” (
yemot ‘olam
– namely 
seven attributes from the World of Emanation corresponding to the seven days of the week), and from 
the radiance emanating from the “primordial days” (
yemei kedem
– namely 
Adam
kadmon
who 
precedes the division into attributes-days). 
149
Gn 36:31-39. On the relation of circumcision, Hadar, and the eight-string harp in later Habad, see 
Wolfson, 
Open Secret
, 54-55. On the myth of the Edomite kings in the Lurianic Kabbalah, see 
Wolfson, “Min u-minut,” 254 n. 109, and the literature listed there. 

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241 
rectification of the breaking of the vessels and the reconnection of the male to the 
female.
150
Although this restoration is achieved by means of a ritual which seems to be 
exclusively masculine, there is a talmudic tradition that counts women among the 
circumcised,
151
and one can find it incorporated in those of Rashaz’s teachings that 
utilize the fluidity of gender categories.
152
Since gender attribution is based on the 
duality of donor and recipient [
mashpi’a 
and 
mekabel
], it may change when a certain 
sefirah 
changes from donor to recipient or vice versa. Furthermore, the very same 
sefirah 
can be considered both female and male, depending on the perspective from 
which it is being viewed. Hence the feminine 
sefirah 
of 
Malkhut
can be perceived as 
masculine when bestowing the divine life-force on the lower worlds, and as such it, 
too, is subject to circumcision. Still, the covenant of the circumcision of the female 
(
Malkhut
) differs from the one of the male (
Ze‘ir anpin
): 
This clarifies the statement of the Sages, of blessed memory, [
b
Sanhedrin
 
22b] that the woman “concludes the covenant only with him who transforms 
her into a vessel,” for the covenant of the female [
brit de-nukba
] is made out 
of the overflowing 
Yesod
of the male, who is the one who transforms her into 
a vessel, as Scripture says [Is 54:5], “for thy maker is thine husband.” This 
refers to the conclusion of her covenant 
[
keritat ha-berit
] with him who 
transforms her into a vessel […] (and the meaning of [the words]: “who 
transforms her into a vessel” is that she becomes an aspect of the male to 
beget, etc., and this should suffice for one who understands) […], for the 
covenant of the female [
brit de-nukba
] is actually called a covenant of the 
aspect of the masculine donor after it has become a vessel for the covenant of 
the male [
brit di-dekhura
] […]. Therefore it was said [
b
‘Avodah zarah 27a] 
that “the woman is considered as though she is circumcised,” for she is called 
150
See Wolfson, 
Language Eros Being
, 311. 
151
See 
b
‘Avodah zarah 27a. 
152
See 
Seder tefilot 
113c-114a. 

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242 
an aspect of the male, yet she is not such on account of herself [
mi-tsad 
‘atsmah
], but rather on account of having received from the donor.
153
It appears that even the relativity of gender is, in fact, relative: even though the 
female acquires a masculine character, she does not do so by herself but is rendered 
masculine by the male. The female enters the covenant, and is referred to [
b
‘Avodah 
zarah 27a] “as one who is circumcised” during her first marital intercourse, or to be 
more precise, she is brought into the covenant by her husband’s phallus – 
yesod di-
dekhura
, which makes her a “vessel,” that is, when it enables her to take upon herself 
the maternal role, which - because of its active character - is described specifically in 
masculine terms.
154
This concept of women as being subject to circumcision seems 
to serve their masculinisation rather than their empowerment as women.