Rambam-What The Interchanging of the Four Elements Creates- Yisodei Hatorah perek 4 halacha 6

After discussing how the four elements change into each other continuously at the points where they interact, the Rambam now discusses what this creates and the underlying cause for this exchange. He says,

ושינוי זה יהיה בסביבת הגלגל ומסביבתו יתחברו ארבעתן ויהיה מהן שאר גולמי בני אדם ונפש חיה צמח ואבן ומתכת. והאל נותן לכל גולם וגולם צורה ראויה לו על ידי מלאך העשירי שהיא הצורה הנקראת אישים: 


"This change (that is discussed in depth in this post) occurs because of the rotation of the sphere. The rotation causes the four elements to come together and from this conglomeration other creations form such as man, animals, plants, stones, and metals. G-D gave to every one of these items a form that is proper for it through the tenth level of angels which are the form that are called the Ishim."

The Rambam here points out some very interesting ideas. First, he seemingly says that the natural rotation of the spheres causes the four elements to combine and create things on Earth. Then he goes further and says that even the form that each creature or object is given is done through an angel. Rambam is telling us that there is no direct presence or act by G-D. It seems like the Rambam holds that all of these things come about through nature and not a divine act.

However, a person might say that the Rambam is clearly saying that an angel was sent to create the final form of a man, animal, etc. This objection can be countered through what the Rambam says in The Guide for the Perplexed (II:6). He says over there,

"We have already stated above that the angels are incorporeal. This agrees with the opinion of Aristotle: there is only this difference in the names employed -- he uses the term 'Intelligences,' and we say instead 'angels.' His theory is that the Intelligences are intermediate beings between the Prime Cause and existing things, and that they effect the motion of the spheres, on which motion the existence of all things depends."

In the Guide the Rambam is clearly pointing out that the Angels cause the rotation of the spheres, however, it is that rotation that causes all life to ensue on Earth. Therefore, when we put our Mishna Torah together with the Guide we find that the Angels that cause the spheres to move and create existence on Earth are the Ishim. However, this creation seems to occur through "natural" means.

Rambam- The Four Elements- Yisodei Hatorah perek 3 halacha 10

After discussing all of the Spheres of the Universe, the Rambam starts to focus on Earth. He says,


ברא האל למטה מגלגל הירח גולם אחד שאינו כגולם הגלגלים. וברא ארבע צורות לגולם זה ואינן כצורת הגלגלים ונקבע כל צורה וצורה במקצת גולם זה. צורה ראשונה צורת האש נתחברה במקצת גולם זה ונהיה משניהן גוף האש. וצורה שניה צורת הרוח נתחברה במקצתו ונהיה משניהן גוף הרוח. וצורה שלישית צורת המים נתחברה במקצתו ונהיה משניהם גוף המים. וצורה רביעית צורת הארץ נתחברה במקצתו ונהיה משניהם גוף הארץ. נמצא למטה מן הרקיע ארבעה גופין מוחלקין זה למעלה מזה וכל אחד ואחד מקיף את שלמטה ממנו מכל רוחותיו כמו גלגל. הגוף הראשון הסמוך לגלגל הירח הוא גוף האש. למטה ממנו גוף הרוח. למטה ממנו גוף המים. למטה ממנו גוף הארץ. ואין ביניהם מקום פנוי בלא גוף כלל:


"Below the Sphere of the moon, G-D created a shapeless mass that is not like any of the other Spheres. He also created four tzuras (forms) that this shapeless mass can manifest itself as. These tzuras are not like any of the other Spheres. Every tzura has a part of this shapeless mass. The first tzura is that of fire, that when the tzura of fire and part of this shapeless mass combine they create the physical manifestation of fire. The second tzura is wind, that when the tzura of wind and part of this shapeless mass combine they create the physical manifestation of wind. The third tzura is water, that when the tzura of water and part of this shapeless mass combine they form the physical manifestation of water. The fourth tzura is earth, that when the tzura of water and part of this shapeless mass combine they form the physical manifestation of earth.


We find that below the heavens there are four different physical manifestations that one is higher than the other (spiritually) and each one encompasses that which is lower than it in every direction, just like the Spheres. The physical manifestation that is closest to the Sphere of the moon is the physical manifestation of Fire. Just below that is the physical manifestation of Wind. Below this is the physical manifestation of Water. Finally, the lowest of all physical manifestations is Earth. There is no free space that is not occupied by one of these physical manifestations."

The Rambam here is describing what his society knew of science at the time. It is interesting to note that he says the Earth is made up of a shapeless mass and these four elements. We now know about the microscopic world and the periodical table of elements. These elements make up Fire, Wind, Water and Earth.

However, I do not think the Rambam is trying to give us a lesson in science, but rather a lesson in the meaning of the Torah. In The Guide for The Perplexed the Rambam explains how the Earth is made up of these four elements and the rest of the Universe is made up of a fifth element. He uses these ideas to explain the Torah and its meaning. However, right now I think the Rambam is trying to point out something much more significant to our every day lives. The point of describing every element is to tell us that man is composed of these elements. There is no worth to any of these elements in and of themselves, but rather through their unity to form man they become very significant. It is this makeup that allows man to have a physical body made of Earth and water, that breathes air and creates heat like fire. If one of these elements were missing then man could not exist. That is the uniqueness of our world, our ability to exist. Showing that it must be a creator that mixed all the right materials for our world to come into existence.

Rambam- The Intelligence of the Celestial Bodies- Yisodei Hatorah perek 3 halacha 9

The celestial bodies seem to be similar to the Earth that we live on. However, the Rambam points out that this type of thinking is a mistake. The celestial bodies have a higher existence than that of a rock or dust. He says,


כל הכוכבים והגלגלים כולן בעלי נפש ודעה והשכל הם. והם חיים ועומדים ומכירין את מי שאמר והיה העולם. כל אחד ואחד לפי גדלו ולפי מעלתו משבחים ומפארים ליוצרם כמו המלאכים. וכשם שמכירין הקב"ה כך מכירין את עצמן ומכירין את המלאכים שלמעלה מהן. ודעת הכוכבים והגלגלים מעוטה מדעת המלאכים וגדולה מדעת בני אדם:


"All of the celestial bodies and the Spheres have souls, knowledge and intelligence. They are living, standing (stay in their place) and they recognize the one who said 'The world should be. (G-D)' Each one [of the celestial bodies,] according to its greatness and [spiritual] height, praises and beautifies their shaper like the angels. Just like they recognize G-D so too they recognize themselves and they recognize the angels that are above them [in spirituality.] The knowledge the celestial bodies and the Spheres have is less than that of the angels, but greater than the knowledge of man."

The Rambam talks about how the celestial bodies have the ability to comprehend G-D. Also, they have spirituality and deductive reasoning. This is what he means by the fact that they have souls, knowledge and intelligence. The soul represents the spirituality of things that are physical. The knowledge is the understanding that a being can attain of G-D. Finally, the intelligence represents the ability to reason and come to logical conclusions.

The celestial bodies are compared to other beings that have these three qualities discussed in the previous paragraph. Those other beings are angels and humans. The celestial bodies, angels and humans are all on different levels of closeness to G-D. The closest beings to G-D are the angels, then the celestial bodies and, finally, man. The gauging of the closeness to G-D comes from the ability to understand G-D. Therefore, it is man that has the least understanding of G-D from these three types of beings. However, all three of these beings are able to praise G-D and glorify Him in their own unique way.

Rambam-The Size of the Celestial Bodies- Yisodei Hatorah perek 3 halacha 8

In this halacha, the Rambam discusses how the science of his time viewed the size of the celestial bodies. He says,


כל הכוכבים הנראים יש מהן כוכבים קטנים שהארץ גדולה מאחד מהן. ויש מהן כוכבים גדולים שכל אחד מהן גדול מן הארץ כמה פעמים. והארץ גדולה מן הירח כמו ארבעים פעמים. והשמש גדולה מן הארץ כמו מאה ושבעים פעמים. נמצא הירח אחד מששת אלפים ושמונה מאות מן השמש בקירוב. ואין בכל הכוכבים כוכב גדול מן השמש ולא קטן מכוכב שבגלגל השני:


"Every celestial body that is visible is either small, in the sense that the Earth is bigger than one of them, or they are large, in the sense that they are many times bigger than the Earth. The Earth is larger than the Moon by a factor of 40. The Sun is larger than the Earth by a factor of 170 times. We find that the Moon is approximately 1/6800 of the Sun's size. The largest celestial body is the Sun and the smallest is Mercury."

The Peirush (Unknown commentator) explains that the Rambam says the word visible because he admits there are some celestial bodies that are invisible because they are too small to see. I think this is an incredible statement since they were able to figure this out with very primitive instruments. Also, it is amazing that they were able to realize that Mercury is the smallest of all the planets.

Rambam- Zodiac's (constellations) Appearance Explained- Yisodei Hatorah perek 3 halacha 7

For some reason the Rambam finds it crucial to explain astronomy. Therefore, he continues his discussion of the constellations. He says,


גלגל התשיעי עצמו אין בו לא חלוקה ולא צורה מכל הצורות האלו ולא כוכב. אלא בחיבור הכוכבים שבגלגל השמיני הוא שיראה בכוכבים גדולים שבו תבנית הצורות האלו או קרוב מהן. ואלו השנים עשר צורות לא היו מכוונות כנגד אותן החלקים אלא בזמן המבול שאז העלו להן שמות אלו. אבל בזמן הזה כבר סבבו מעט, לפי שכל הכוכבים שבגלגל שמיני כולם סובבים כמו השמש והירח אלא שהן סובבין בכבידות. וחלק שיתהלך השמש והירח כנגדו ביום אחד ילך כנגדו כל כוכב מהן בקירוב משבעים שנה:


"The ninth Sphere itself has nothing in it, no divisions, no forms like these forms [we mentioned] and no stars. However, it does have a connection to the stars that are in the eighth Sphere. It is because of this connection that it appears to have big stars that shape these forms [of the Zodiac] or the forms close to them. These twelve forms [of the Zodiac] (in the eighth Sphere) have not been in correlation to the twelve divisions (that are in the ninth Sphere) since the days of the Great Flood since that is when they were given their names. Nowadays, the (eighth) Sphere has turned a little (and is therefore out of sync with the ninth Sphere and its original designations). The reason for this is because the stars that are in the eighth Sphere are all rotating around like the Sun or the Moon, only they rotate slower. (To compare the two) the amount of the sky that the Sun covers in one day, these other stars it takes 70 years."

The Peirush (unknown commentary) explains that the reason the Rambam feels the need to tell us that the ninth and eighth Spheres are out of sync is because the original astronomers thought that even the eighth Sphere does not rotate. However, by the time of the Rambam all astronomers had found out that really the stars do rotate and have shifted their position in the sky from the previous years, albeit slowly.

The eighth and ninth Spheres are things that are so far away and difficult to understand. The reason that the Rambam devotes so much time to figuring out the constellations and telling us all the science that he knows is clear. The Rambam is telling us that science must be understood in order to connect to G-D. One can not truly appreciate the creator of something if they do not understand the intricacies and difficulties involved with those objects. A man who knows how to make a watch can appreciate the difficulties involved with making that watch. Also, a fellow doctor can understand how hard medical school is, whereas a lay person might not appreciate the difficulty and self sacrifice that is involved.

This is why I think the Rambam takes such great care to delve into these seemingly meaningless ideas. I mean, why should we care how the outer most Spheres work? Will we ever come in contact with them? Will they ever effect us? It must be that we are on a mission to understand everything in this world in order that we can have a greater appreciation for G-D.

Just as a side point, I think this teaches us a very valuable lesson about appreciating anyone, especially our parents. A person never really appreciates all that their parents do for them until they themselves become parents. Only once a person is put into the shoes of their parents do they realize the difficulties that parenting involves. This, of course, is true by most things.

Rambam- The Zodiacs- Yisodei Hatorah perek 3 halacha 6

The Rambam describes how the Zodiacs are made up and described. He says,


גלגל התשיעי שהוא מקיף את הכל חלקוהו החכמים הקדמונים לשנים עשר חלקים, כל חלק וחלק העלו לו שם על שם צורה זו שתראה בו מן הכוכבים שלמטה ממנו שהם מכוונים תחתיו. והם המזלות ששמותם. טלה. שור. תאומים. סרטן. אריה. בתולה. מאזנים. עקרב. קשת. גדי. דלי. דגים:


"The ninth Sphere, that encompasses everything, was split into twelve parts by the first scholars. Every one [of the twelve divisions] was given a name based on the form that appeared in it from its stars that are below [the Sphere in that area] because [that image] is beneath it. These are the Zodiac that their names are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces."

The reason the Rambam says that the ninth sphere was divided into twelve parts was because really it is all of the stars found in the eighth sphere that is included in these divisions. The Zodiacs are just the constellations in the sky and by talking about them, the Rambam is not saying they have any power or anything of the sort. They are only used as reference to describe the different areas of outer space.

Rambam- How Many Spheres Are Out There- Yisodei Hatorah perek 3 halacha 5

In this halacha the Rambam seems to contradict his previous assessment of how many Spheres there are. He says,


מספר כל הגלגלים המקיפין את כל העולם שמונה עשר. ומספר הגלגלים הקטנים שאינן מקיפין שמונה. וממהלך הכוכבים וידיעת שיעור סביבתן בכל יום ובכל שעה ומנטייתן מרוח דרום לרוח צפון ומרוח צפון לרוח דרום ומגבהן מעל הארץ וקריבתן יודע מספר כל אלו הגלגלים וצורת הליכתן ודרך הקפתן. וזו היא חכמת חשבון תקופות ומזלות. וספרים רבים חיברו בהן חכמי יון:


"The number of all of the Spheres that surround the Universe is 18. The number of all of the small Spheres that do not surround [the Universe] is 8. Knowing the path of the stars, the measurements of their rotations every day and hour, whether they lean towards north or south, and [knowing] how high above or close to the Earth they are will lead one to figure out how many Spheres there are, their form, their movement, and their circular path. This is the wisdom of calculations of seasons and the station of the stars (the zodiac). There are many books [on this subject] that have been compiled by the Greek sages."

The numbers 18 and eight seem to contradict the Rambam's previous number of 9. The first halacha in this perek says that there are 9 Spheres, so why does the Rambam contradict himself? The truth is that the Rambam does not contradict himself, rather these 18 Spheres are a description of the Spheres found within the 9 greater Spheres. This goes back to the Rambam's statement in the second halacha where he says that all of the 9 greater spheres are made up of many smaller Spheres.

The Peirush (unknown elucidation) on the Rambam describes how we come to the number 18 for the Spheres that surround the Universe. He tells us that the Sphere for the moon, that the Rambam mentioned in the first halacha, is really divided into three sub-Spheres. Also, the Sphere of Mercury, that the Rambam also mentioned in the first halacha, is also divided into three sub-Spheres. The next five Spheres Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are split into two sub-Spheres. Together thes sub-Spheres all add up to 16 Spheres and the remaining two are the last two Spheres mentioned in the first halacha, the Sphere that contains all other stars and the Sphere that goes from east to west that surrounds all the other Spheres and causes all other Spheres to rotate.

Before describing the 8 smaller Spheres, I think it is important to point out something from The Guide for the Perplexed. The Rambam states (Section 1 Chapter 72), "The number of these spheres encompassing the Universe cannot possibly be less than eighteen: it may even be larger; but this is a matter for further investigation." The Rambam clearly states that he did not have a perfect knowledge of the Universe, but still attempted to explain it according to the science of his time. Showing us that, eventually, his ideas about the planets might be outdated and that his ideas are not the sole way of learning these sciences. This shows his idea that, although halacha is unchanging, that doesn't mean scientific knowledge does not progress. However, one does not effect the other.

The number eight comes form the fact that the first seven of the Spheres, that are mentioned in the first halacha in this perek, all have a local Sphere that exists inside of them. It is called Pelech Tadvir(Which I believe translates into the continual spinning of the planets.) The Sun, however, is the only one of the first seven that does not have this quality and therefore, does not have this mini-Spheres. The last two Spheres, mentioned in the first halacha, also do not have this mini-Sphere because they do not contain a planet that can have the qualities of spinning continuously. This brings us to 6 mini-Spheres. However, Mercury and Venus are considered to have two mini-Spheres. Perhaps this is because they spin much faster than Earth and that is why it seems like they have an extra spin.

Rambam- Shapes of the Spheres- Yisodei Hatorah perek 3 halacha 4

The Rambam describes the Spheres' shape in this halacha. Again, the Rambam is basing what he knows on Aristotilian knowledge and any other available science sources he had at the time. These descriptions do not detract from his genius, nor do they hint at a lack of halachic knowledge on the Rambam's part. All these ideas show is that the Rambam believed that scientific knowledge should be used to enhance our understanding and love for G-D. He says,


כל הגלגלים האלו המקיפין את העולם הן עגולין ככדור והארץ תלויה באמצע. ויש למקצת מן הכוכבים גלגלים קטנים שהן קבועים בהן ואין אותם הגלגלים מקיפין את הארץ אלא גלגל קטן שאינו מקיף קבוע בגלגל הגדול המקיף:


"All of these Spheres that surround the Universe are circular like a circle and the Earth hangs in the middle. There are some celestial bodies that have small spheres that are set around them. However, these spheres are not the spheres that go around the Earth, but rather they are spheres that are not set [in a permanent place] inside of the larger sphere [they are in]."

The Rambam makes some very impressive observations for his time period. He talks about different celestial bodies having orbits around them. For instance, his observations could be referring to Jupiter and its moons or Saturn and its moons. This is what is meant in the Rambam when he says there are spheres that do not rotate around the Earth, but rather around something else. He is telling us that everything rotates around the Earth, but within those greater orbits are the micro-orbits of the planets' moons and other similar bodies.

As we understand in science today, it is the Sun that is at the center of our galaxy and not the Earth. Although we may think the Rambam to be wrong in what he thought was scientific fact, it is amazing how accurate he was in astronomy. There are many planets that have moons and other types of orbits that exist around them, like the rings around Uranus and Saturn. Still, these bigger bodies still orbit around the Sun with these smaller orbits around them. The Rambam realized this, even though he was wrong about what body was at the center of the Universe.

Rambam- Properties of the Spheres- Yisodei Hatorah perek 3 halacha 3

The Rambam attempts to explain some of the features of the Spheres and how we can relate to them. He says,


כל הגלגלים אינן לא קלים ולא כבדים ואין להם לא עין אדום ולא עין שחור ולא שאר עינות. וזה שאנו רואין אותם כעין התכלת למראית העין בלבד הוא לפי גובה האויר. וכן אין להם לא טעם ולא ריח לפי שאין אלו המאורעין מצויין אלא בגופות שלמטה מהן:


"None of the Spheres are light, nor are they heavy. They do not have a red appearance, black appearance or any other appearance. The reason we see them as blue is because it appears this way to our eyes because of the height of the atmosphere. Also, the Spheres have no taste or smell because these qualities are only found by the bodies that exist lower than them."

The Spheres are not the planets and stars, rather they are the orbit that contains them. The discussion now is focused on what are these orbits. An orbit contains no color, mass, or any type of physical properties. This is what the Rambam is pointing out about the Spheres. He is trying to explain what science at his time believed, that the planets and distance stars are contained within separate orbits.

The most interesting point made here is that the orbits have no color. This seems to contradict what is seen on earth since at different points of the day we can see the sky as blue, black or red. If the orbits have no color then why does the sky appear to be these colors? The Rambam tells us that the Earth's atmosphere creates the illusion of color in outer space. The sky that we see has nothing to do with how the universe exists, but rather it is a creation of the atmosphere of Earth, because of its height. Therefore, these colors do not contradict the ideas found within Rambam.

As a side point, it is interesting to note that when the astronauts go up in space there is no color, but just a vacuum. The dark color comes from the distance of the expanse that no one has traveled to yet. What is out there, even modern science does not know for sure. According to modern science, the universe is expanding and therefore we can not see to its end. Nevertheless, it seems like Rambam was correct on this point, that space is a vacuum with no color, mass or other type of Earthly qualities.

Rambam- Motions of the Spheres- Yisoedei Hatorah Perek 3 Halacha 2

The Rambam continues discussing his understanding of the universe. In this section he describes the inner woekings of the spheres. He says,


כל גלגל וגלגל משמונה הגלגלים שבהן הכוכבים נחלק לגלגלים הרבה זה למעלה מזה כמו גלדי בצלים. מהן גלגלים סובבים ממערב למזרח. ומהן סובבים ממזרח למערב כמו הגלגל התשיעי החוזר ממזרח למערב. וכולן אין ביניהם מקום פנוי:


"All of the spheres, from the first eight levels of speheres that have the celestial bodies inside them, are separated into several sub-spheres. [They are ordered in such a manner] that one is higher than the other like the layers of an onion. Some of these sub-spheres rotate from west to east and others rotate from east to west like the ninth sphere returns from east to west. Also, there is no space between these sub-spheres."

The Rambam here is describing why it appears that some things in the sky rotate east to west, even though he said that the eight spheres with celestial bodies in them rotate west to east. It seems like he is attempting to explain meteors and asteroids. These bodies contradict the idea that all of the spheres rotate from west to east. However, by introducing the idea that the eight spheres are made up of many sub-spheres that some rotate east to west and not just west to east, the Rambam is able to explain this phenomenom.

It seems like the Rambam is not basing this knowledge on talmudic sources, but rather it seems like he is basing his ideas on Aristotilian philosophy. Obviously, the Rambam's scientific views are not correct according to the way we understand science, specifically astronomy. This, however, does not detract from the Rambam's point of view that it is important to try and understand science and through this become closer to G-D. Obviously, no one is able to understand how science works perfectly, but that should not stop us from trying.

Rambam- Understanding the Spheres (Celestial Bodies and Their Orbits)- Yisodei Hatorah perek 3 halacha 1

The Rambam's approach to Judaism is that of a rationalist. He attempts to explain and understand everything based on science and nature. The only problem with this is that in his time, science and nature were not understood in the same way we know it today. Their understanding of how the celestial bodies moved and rotated is not the same as we know it today. However, this lack of scientific knowledge does not in any way detract from his ideas on Judaism. Every generation, according to the Rambam, needs to use the science that they know to rationalize their understanding of G-D. As Rambam understood science and tried to rationalize G-D's existence through that scientific knowledge, so too must we use the science available to us and rationalize the existence of G-D. In this perek he discusses the celestial bodies. He says,


הגלגלים הם הנקראים שמים ורקיע וזבול וערבות. והם תשעה גלגלים. גלגל הקרוב ממנו הוא גלגל הירח. והשני שלמעלה ממנו הוא גלגל שבו הכוכב הנקרא כוכב. וגלגל שלישי שלמעלה ממנו שבו נוגה. וגלגל רביעי שבו חמה. וגלגל חמישי שבו מאדים. וגלגל ששי שבו כוכב צדק. וגלגל שביעי שבו שבתי. וגלגל שמיני שבו שאר כל הכוכבים שנראים ברקיע. וגלגל תשיעי הוא גלגל החוזר בכל יום מן המזרח למערב והוא המקיף ומסבב את הכל. וזה שתראה כל הכוכבים כאילו הם כולם בגלגל אחד ואף על פי שיש בהן זה למעלה מזה. מפני שהגלגלים טהורים וזכים כזכוכית וכספיר לפיכך נראים הכוכבים שבגלגל השמיני מתחת גלגל הראשון:


"The Spheres, they are called Heaven (Shamayim), Expanse (Rakia), Residence (Zevul) and Mixing (Araba). There are nine Spheres in total. The closest Sphere to us is the Sphere of the moon. The Sphere after that is the Sphere that has within it a body which is called Mercury. The third has within it Venus. The fourth has within it the Sun. The fifth has within it Mars. The sixth has within it the body of Jupiter. The seventh has within it Saturn. The eighth Sphere has within it all the other bodies that appear in the expanse. The ninth Sphere is the Sphere that returns,every day, from the east to the west. This is the Sphere that surrounds everything and causes everything to rotate.


The fact that a person sees all the celestial bodies as if they are all in one Sphere, even though they are arranged one higher than the other, is because the Spheres are pure and transparent like glass and sapphire. Therefore, we see the bodies that are in the eighth Sphere as if they are lower[, closer to us,] than the bodies in the first Sphere."

The one important point that I want to focus on here is the four different names that the Rambam gives to the Spheres. If there are nine Spheres then why does the Rambam say there are only four names, what about the other five Spheres? I think the answer is as follows. The Rambam believes that there are nine Spheres in total, but some of the Spheres are in the same general category.

The Heaven category includes the Sphere of the Moon since this is the Sphere that is right above our sky and with which we can most closest relate. Then there is the category of the Expanse, this includes the bodies of Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. This category encompasses all the Spheres that cause the bodies inside these Spheres to rotate. The next category is that of the Residence. This category contains within it the eighth Sphere which is the Sphere that contains all the other celestial bodies that are so far away that we can't even relate to them. The final category is that of Mixing. This category contains the ninth Sphere which is the force that moves all other Spheres.

The first category, Heaven, is the category that most relates to humans. This is experienced through the calender, which we base on the moon. Also, this is why every month we do the blessing on the Moon. The next level is that of the second category, Expanse. The Expanse has the Spheres that man relates to, but on a much more distant level. This is why we bless the sun, but only once every 28 years. Also, we relate to the other bodies in our solar system, but on a much more distant level. The third level is that which we can not relate to, but there is something physical that we can see. This is the category of Residence. The Residence is the Sphere where celestial bodies that can relate to G-D because of their distance from man, but can't relate to G-D because they are visible, which makes them physical on some level. The final category, of Mixing, refers to the Sphere that causes all Spheres to rotate. This is the final level before G-D. This is because this Sphere is completely removed from physicality except that it has a relation to the physical Spheres because it causes them to rotate directly. G-D causes everything to rotate indirectly, but this Sphere is the direct cause of the rotation of these other Spheres. It is similar to how the Chayos cause the Ophanim to come into existence.