A large rectangular woodcut headpiece containing an ornate foliate border with scrolls, acanthus leaves, and two human-like faces (cherubs) flanking the sides. In the center is a decorative cartouche topped by an urn and bottomed by a globe-like motif, framing the large Hebrew word "She’elat" (The Question).

You Have Asked

You, my soul’s friend, have asked me to illuminate one of the inner perceptions original: hassagot; this refers to intellectual or spiritual attainments or insights into the divine realm. so as to know which way the light goes concerning the matter of the Ten Sefirot Ten Sefirot|The ten creative powers or attributes through which the Infinite (Ein Sof) reveals itself and governs the universe.. And behold, I have granted your request to fulfill your desires, and may God find favor in you. The start of the path upon which a person enters into the unity of the Creator, blessed be He, is the knowledge of the "Gate." For do you not know that if a person wishes to see the face of the King and toils for many days, yet after all that toil he does not merit to know the location of the gate, what benefit is there in all the toil he spent and the entire way he walked? Since he does not know the gate through which to enter to see the face of the King. In this manner, most people trouble themselves to enter the Orchard original: Pardes. A famous acronym representing four levels of Torah interpretation, often used here to refer specifically to the "orchard" of mystical/esoteric study. but they neither know nor understand; they walk in darkness, and there is no profit in their labor. Therefore, I have seen fit to illuminate a path before you regarding the way

in which you shall walk and the gate through which you shall enter. Then you will be desired and accepted before the Lord, The Hebrew text uses a modified form of the Tetragrammaton (Y-H-W-H) to avoid writing the holy name in a way that could be erased. blessed be He, and you will be among those who merit to behold the pleasantness of the Lord and to visit His palace. "This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter it." Know that the Lord, blessed be He, chose Israel when He separated all the languages during the Generation of the Division original: Dor Ha-Palga. The generation of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11), when humanity was split into different nations and tongues., each man to his own language, according to their families and their nations. He gave to every single nation a Ministering Angel original: Sar. A celestial prince or planetary power assigned to govern a specific nation. and a ruler over them, and He also gave to every nation a portion of the earth. In this way, the nations and the lands were each set apart for a specific Minister. Concerning this, it is said: "From these the coastlands of the nations were separated in their lands, each according to its language, according to their families, in their nations." This is the secret of the matter of the Division: all seventy nations remained delivered into the hands of seventy ministers above, and those seventy ministers surround

These are printer’s signatures used to keep the pages in order during binding.