4 min read

The Unknown Head Kept the Record of Every Deed

Nothing a person does vanishes. Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah maps the hidden place where deeds are held, joined, and never forgotten.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. Every Act Reaches a Place Prepared for It
  2. MaH and BaN Were Joined in Silence
  3. Arich Anpin Received From the Unknown Source
  4. Daat Held What the Faces Could Not Show

Every Act Reaches a Place Prepared for It

A person acts in time. The moment ends. But according to Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, the result of every deed does not end with the moment. It rises into a system of divine faces, names, and heads where every act reaches the place already prepared for its registration. The human being moves through days and forgets. The hidden structure does not forget.

The Unknown Head is the name given to this place in the Ramchal's system. It sits above the configurations visible on the kabbalistic map of worlds. The record of human deeds rises past what the lower worlds can comprehend, into a place where past, present, and future stand together without sequence.

MaH and BaN Were Joined in Silence

Two configurations of the divine name govern creation's giving and receiving. MaH is associated with repair and governance. BaN is associated with vessels and the feminine principle. Neither can accomplish its work alone. Their union produces the world as it functions, the interplay of light descending and vessels receiving.

But this union does not begin in the lower worlds. Its root is in the Unknown Head, in the place above the partzufim where even the names feel like shadows. The joining that makes creation work was decided before the worlds existed to contain it. The lower creature looks at the repaired world and sees the effect. The cause is concealed in a source the lower creature cannot reach.

Arich Anpin Received From the Unknown Source

Arich Anpin, the Long Face, is the highest partzuf in the divine configuration visible to kabbalistic mapping. It represents divine patience, the aspect of God that endures what the lower worlds produce without withdrawing its presence. Below Arich Anpin stands Zeir Anpin, the shorter face, the principle of active governance that responds to what happens in the lower worlds.

What connects them comes from above Arich Anpin itself. The Unknown Head governs the flow between these configurations without being visible in them. The Long Face receives its capacity for patience from a source it cannot fully know. The chain of receiving stretches upward into concealment. Every face in the divine configuration depends on something behind it that it cannot turn around to see.

Daat Held What the Faces Could Not Show

Daat, knowledge, is the sefirah that joins what wisdom sees and what understanding processes into something that can be felt and transmitted. It is hidden on the Tree of Life, not one of the ten, but the principle that makes the ten cohere. What Chokhmah and Binah prepare, Daat unifies into actual knowing.

The Unknown Head holds Daat the way Daat holds its own knowledge: completely and without display. The highest source keeps the full record of everything that has passed through the lower worlds. Not because record-keeping is a divine hobby. Because nothing a person does is without weight, and the weight has to be received somewhere.

A person acts for an hour and the act enters eternity. The Unknown Head is the name Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah gives to the place where eternity holds the hour.

KabbalahUnknown HeadSefirotAdam EveDeeds
← All myths

From the tradition

Sources

4 sources

The texts this telling draws on, in full. Open a card to read inline, or expand it for a wider, quieter read.

Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah 87:6Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah

The ancient Kabbalists certainly thought so. In Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, a profound text exploring the intricacies of creation, we find a fascinating perspective on the interconnectedness of deeds and their impact on, well, everything.

This teaching dives into the idea that the universe is governed by a complex web of interactions, all influenced by the actions of us "lower creations." Think of it like this: every single thing we do creates ripples, affecting not just our immediate surroundings, but the entire fabric of existence. Remember we talked about how the governmental order always takes into account the overall totality? (Opening 78) It’s a constant cosmic calculation!

It's a bit mind-bending, isn't it? The idea that a seemingly small action can have such a profound effect. But Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah goes even further, suggesting that the result of any deed "will never cease to exist.. but is registered to exist for ever and to all eternity." Whoa.

So, how does this all work?

The text explains that every deed performed by a person "reaches its place here, because all of them are already here." It's as if there’s a cosmic ledger, a record keeper of all our actions, past, present, and future. This "here" refers to the Unknown Head, a concept in Kabbalah representing the unknowable source of all creation, where all possibilities and potential realities reside. In the Unknown Head are all the deeds of the past, present and future.

And because everything is interconnected within this Unknown Head, every deed has an effect on all aspects of time. Past, present and future are all affected by this deed, because all of them are included here. The text explains that through the power of this effect, the Partzufim (a divine configuration), divine configurations of the Godhead within the realm of Atzilut (Emanation), are then arranged in a way that influences all the worlds.

Now, the Partzufim are complex arrangements of divine attributes and energies that act as intermediaries between the infinite and the finite. Picture them as filters, or channels, through which divine influence flows into our world.

According to Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, it's a two-way street: our deeds affect the Unknown Head, which in turn affects the Partzufim. It's a dynamic, constantly evolving system of cause and effect. The influence is mutual: the deed affects the Unknown Head, which in turn affects the Partzufim.: if our actions are truly so impactful, then we have a tremendous responsibility to act with intention, kindness, and awareness. Every choice we make, every word we speak, every thought we entertain has the potential to shape not only our own lives, but the lives of others and the very fabric of reality itself.

So, the next time you're faced with a decision, remember the words of Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah. Remember the interconnectedness of all things, and the eternal impact of your deeds. Choose wisely. Because you never know just how far those ripples will reach.

Full source
Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah 85:3Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah

While it might not hand us the cheat sheet, it does give us glimpses, whispers of this underlying structure. The source turns to a particularly enigmatic corner of Kabbalah, exploring the interconnection of MaH and BaN, concepts that dance in the shadows of the "Unknown Head."

Before your eyes glaze over with Hebrew jargon, MaH and BaN are not people or places, but rather, configurations of the divine name, YHVH (יהוה), each representing a different aspect or manifestation of God's creative energy. Think of them as different settings on a cosmic dial, each influencing the flow of creation in a unique way.

The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, a key text in Kabbalistic studies, tells us that the very source of the connection between MaH and BaN resides in what's called the "Unknown Head." What is this "Unknown Head"? It's a concept that represents the most hidden and inaccessible dimension of the Divine, a realm beyond our comprehension. It's the ultimate source, the wellspring from which everything else flows.

So, if the root of this connection exists in the Unknown Head, where do we see its effects? According to the Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, the results are found in the Partzufim (a divine configuration) (the divine configurations). Partzufim (פרצופים) are divine "faces" or "personae" – complex configurations of the Sefirot (the ten emanations of God), each representing a different aspect of the divine personality and how God interacts with the world.

These Partzufim are where the divine attributes are organized and manifest, the very architecture of the spiritual realms. And yet, the text emphasizes that BOTH the source (the Unknown Head) and the consequences (in the Partzufim) are concealed from us.

It goes on to say that the "governmental order" (the way things are governed in the cosmos) dependent on the interconnection of MaH and BaN is also rooted in the Unknown Head. The text even suggests that the way this "governmental order" operates gives rise to another, equally important, "governmental order" within the Partzufim themselves.

But here's the kicker: neither the underlying order nor its consequences are "ascertainable or understandable in the least." Talk about a tease!

What does this mean for us? Well, it suggests that there are forces at play, connections being made, on a level far beyond our ability to fully grasp. We can't see the strings, but we can sometimes see the puppets dance. The text hints that "at times certain movements are seen in the Partzufim whose root is unknown, but the truth is that they derive from here."

In other words, we might witness events, shifts, or changes in the spiritual realms (and perhaps even in our own lives) that seem to come out of nowhere. We might not understand why things are happening, but the Kabbalists suggest that these events are echoes, reverberations, of these hidden connections taking place in the Unknown Head.

This passage from Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah serves as a potent reminder of the limits of our understanding. It acknowledges the vastness and mystery of the Divine, the existence of forces and connections that operate beyond the reach of our intellect.

Maybe the point isn't to fully understand the mechanics of MaH and BaN, or the intricacies of the Unknown Head. Maybe the point is simply to acknowledge the mystery, to stand in awe of the infinite, and to recognize that there are forces at play that are far greater than ourselves. And maybe, just maybe, by acknowledging that mystery, we open ourselves up to experiencing its subtle influences in our own lives.

Full source
Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah 92:5Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah

In the tradition of Jewish mystical thought, specifically within the Kabbalah, we find some truly mind-bending answers.

We'll be exploring the relationship between two divine "faces," or partzufim (a divine configuration), called Arich Anpin and Zeir Anpin. These aren't literal faces, of course, but rather aspects of God's attributes, ways of understanding the divine flow.

This teaching essentially poses a crucial question: why does Zeir Anpin, often associated with the more manifest and, at times, challenging aspects of creation, emerge from Arich Anpin, which represents a state of infinite patience and forbearance?

Think of it like this: Arich Anpin, often translated as "Long Face" or "Vast Countenance," embodies divine patience, a sort of cosmic slow burn. Zeir Anpin, the "Small Face" or "Short Countenance," is more active, more involved in the day-to-day workings of the world.

The proposition, as our text frames it, has two parts. First: what's the ultimate intention behind it all? Second: what's the nature and purpose of both Arich and Zeir Anpin in this grand scheme?

So, let's tackle part one: the ultimate intention. According to the Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, the ultimate intention behind the entire order of the Sefirot (the divine emanations) – those divine emanations, the building blocks of creation – is to bestow good. And I mean, really bestow good. That's the punchline.

Even within the Reshimu, the "Residue" – that remnant of the initial contraction, or tzimtzum, that made space for creation and introduced the possibility of both good and evil – the ultimate goal is still to bestow good. Even the things that seem chaotic, unfair, or downright awful… they’re all, ultimately, geared towards bringing about good.

It's a radical idea, isn't it? That even the potential for evil serves a higher purpose, that it's all part of a divine plan to ultimately shower us with goodness. It's a perspective that challenges us to look beyond the surface, to see the potential for blessing even in the midst of difficulty.

But how can that be? How can something seemingly negative ultimately lead to good? That's where the second part of the proposition comes in. That's where we start to understand the specific roles of Arich Anpin and Zeir Anpin. But that's a story for another time. For now, let's just sit with the idea that even in the darkest corners of existence, the light of goodness is always, ultimately, the driving force. What do you think? Is it comforting? Challenging? Maybe a little of both?

Full source
Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah 99:7Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah

Jewish mysticism grapples with these questions in profound ways, especially when we explore the concept of Daat (דעת), often translated as "knowledge" or "understanding."

It's about connection, integration, and ultimately, the path to eternity.

The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, a Kabbalistic text, paints a fascinating picture of Daat's role in the grand scheme of things. It describes Daat as standing "to receive the deeds of men under the present governmental order." What does that even mean?

Think of it this way: the Kabbalists often speak of different levels of reality, different "worlds" or dimensions, each governed by its own set of rules and divine attributes. Arich Anpin (אריך אנפין), often translated as "Long Face" or "Vast Countenance," is one of these – a realm of immense patience, forbearance, and divine will. It’s a powerful, almost overwhelming force.

Daat, in this context, isn't there to control or direct Arich Anpin. It's not trying to steer the ship, so to speak. Instead, its purpose is to receive what flows from this higher realm. It's a receiver, a conduit. It takes in the raw energy, the unfiltered experiences, the deeds of humankind, and channels them onward and upward.

Where does it channel them? To the "Head," which the text describes as "the true conveyer to eternity through the mystery of its uncertainties." This "Head" isn’t just any head; it’s a reference to the Unknown Head, sometimes called Reisha d'lo Ityada (רישא דלא אתידע), the unknowable, ultimately mysterious source of all creation.

The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah tells us that "in the Unknown Head, all things are supervised in accordance with everything past, present and future." Everything – every action, every thought, every feeling – is taken into account, viewed from a perspective that encompasses all of time.

So, Daat stands and receives all aspects of Arich Anpin, and from there, they ascend, to pass under the supervision of the Unknown Head, from there to be fixed in eternity. Daat, therefore, is a crucial intermediary. It's the point of connection between the manifest world and the ultimate source, the bridge between the finite and the infinite.

It makes you wonder, doesn't it? About the role of knowledge, understanding, and connection in our own lives. Are we simply accumulating information, or are we actively engaging with it, allowing it to transform us and connect us to something larger than ourselves? Are we being a Daat, a point of connection to the Divine?

Full source