“The divine being fills the whole world and, however, it is not found in any of their places.”
— Pardés Rimmoním, Gate 3.

1) historical and intellectual Context

• Safed, SIXTEENTH century (1520-1570): after the expulsion of 1492, Safed becomes a pole of right and mystical. Cordovero (1522-1570) studied with Yosef Karo, and Shlomo Alkabetz, and leads the theosophical school of Safed immediately before the advent of arianism (Luria/Ḥayim Vital). Your project: order and systematize the whole cabal medieval (Zohar, Tiquné Zohar, Ra and beyond Mehemná) in a coherent architecture.
• Instead of the Pardés: it is the first exhibition integral the cabal theosophical medieval; for decades it was text-based until the cabal luriánica the displaced by his new mythology of contraction/break/rectification.

2) Structure of the work

• Composition and “doors”: the book is organized in 32 “she'arim” (doors), subdivided in chapters, a number that engages in dialogue with the 32 “paths of wisdom”. You can check this on the edition of Sefaria (index Doors 1-32), and in the note encyclopedic up-to-date. Eye with confusion: the old Jewish Encyclopedia listed “13 sections”, a fact that has now been for the index and critical for the publishing tradition.
• First printed edition: Krakow, 1591; circulating abstracts early as Assisi Rimmoním (Samuel Gallico) and compendiums/readings Menahem Azariah of Fano and Isaiah Horowitz. There were translations partial latina (Kircher; Knorr von Rosenroth, Kabbala Denudata).

“The man must imitate his Creator in all his actions, such as the Sefirot mimic each other in harmony.”
— Tomer DevoráCap. 1.

3) Thesis doctrinal (the “system” cordoveriano)

Cordovero try solder medieval philosophy (via Maimonides) and theosophy zohárica in a schema emanativo and harmonic:

• Ein Sof, and Sefirót: God as First transcendent Cause; the bridge to the world is the structure of the Sefirót. Remak avoid anthropomorphisms: there is no positive attributes of the Ein Sofbut there are emanation light expand by the Sefirót.
• Substance and Kelim (vessels): compromise solution: the Sefirót are substance and vessels at the same time; tools with which God acts in creation (as a soul in the body). Preserves the simplicity divine and, at the same time, the providence.
• Divine will: the Ratzón it occupies a place of decisive; the expansion is not “necessary” but voluntary. The internal dynamics of the Sefirót (aspects/“reflections”) explains the causality intrasefirótica.
• Creation/emanation: the passage from the Ayin the first occurs on the cusp of Kéter; hence, emanation continuous to lower worlds. It is not pantheism: the first Sefirah is outside of the divine essence (mark the threshold).

In synthesis, the Pardés it offers a universe gradual and continuouswithout the “crisis” ontological: light → Sefirót → worlds. That's why its tone rational–harmonizer in contrast with the mythology luriánica (Tzimtzúm/Shevirá/Nitzotzot/Tikun) who will rule after.

4) Issues the “doors”

The exact division of content varies by edition, but the standard itinerary includes:

1. Principles and definitions (Ein Sof, light, will, divine names).
   2-4. Sefirót: nature, relationships, attributes, “faces” in the key pre-luriánica.
   5-8. Letters and names: alphabet, Shemot, gematria, notarikón, temurá.
   9-13. Chains of worlds and hierarchies (los angeles, palaces, thrones).
   14-20. Providence, prophecy, soul (intellects, returns, merits, teshuvah).
   21-26. Mitzvot and kavanot: reasons kabbalistic precepts and prayer.
   27-32. Exegesis mystical: reading zohárica applied and hermeneutical principles.
   Comprobás the presence of the 32 doors in the functional index of Sefaria.

“There is No place empty of Him, because His light penetrates everything, although it remains unknowable.”
— Pardés Rimmoním, Gate 7.

5) Method of Cordovero

• Encyclopedic and conciliator: collects scattered sources (Zohar and the corpus of the like) and harmonizes passages tense between them; in fact, part of notes from the study of the Zohar to “not get lost in their depths.”
• Theology, apophatic + efflux positive: retains the transcendence absolute and, at the same time, explains the immanence by the light that fills the Sefirót.

6) Relationship with the other works of the Remak

• ’Or Yakar (Precious Light): comment monumental to the Zohar that accompanies and expands the Pardés. Modern editions in multiple volumes.
• Tómer Devorá (The palm tree of Deborah): treaty of ethics that translates to theosophy in the imitation of the midot (attributes) divine; it is often read in conjunction with the Pardés as “arm of a practical system.

7) Reception

• The Pardés was very read and training in the decades prior to Luria; then it became the “shadow” of arianism without losing authority as classical system (basis for commentators and compendiums).
• Compendiums and echoes christians: Assisi Rimmoním (Gallico), readings of da Fano, and Horowitz, and Latin translations partial that they opened their dissemination in scholarship, christian (Kircher, Knorr von Rosenroth).

“Love is the root of all emanation; for the love of the Infinite gives existence to the infinite.”
— Pardés Rimmoním, Gate 10.

8) How to study the Pardés Rimmoním today

1. Doctrinal framework prior (short):
   • Maimonides (Guide III about attributes), Zohar basic, Tiqquné Zohar.
   • A modern introduction to the kabbalah (to fix terminology).
2. Reading Pardés in three passes:
   • Last 1 (architecture): recorré the prologues and the index of 32 doors to understand the concept map.
   • Last 2 (technical core): doors on Sefirót (substance/kelim; will; light). Contrastá with the doctrinal summary of Encyclopaedia Judaica to check axis (Ein Sof, providence, will, causality).
   • Last 3 (praxeology): doors on mitzvot/prayer/providence and then crossed with Tómer Devorá to see how the Remak translates theosophy in ethics of imitatio Dei.
3. Compared with the cabal luriánica:
   • Note the pitch harmonic the Remak in front of the crisis cosmological luriánica (Tzimtzúm, Shevirá, Nitzotzot, Tikún). For history and displacement, see synthesis in the input encyclopedic.
4. Texts and accesses:
   • Sefaria provides index and material Pardés navigation theme. To ’Or Yakarthere are commercial editions and notes on availability.

9) fine Points and precautions-read

• Terminology polysemantic: “light”, “bowl”, “will”, “name” are not metaphors free: have technical definitions on each door. Check always the gate prior to extrapolate.
• Not to be confused with Luria: in Cordovero no there are tzimtzúm/breakage as axes; their world is continuous and seamless.
• On the number of sections: if you cruzás with the number “13” is a inheritance bibliographic old; the index critical standard works with 32 doors.

“Nothing exists outside of the divine will; even the evil is a shadow of its light, not its absence.”

Summary

• What it is: the large sum the cabal theosophical prior to Luria, written in 1548 and published in 1591.
• How is armed: 32 doors covering everything from theological principles (Ein Sof, Sefirót, will light) to practice (prayer, mitzvot) and exegesis mystical.
• Contribution id: conciliation apophatic (transcendence) + emanation (immanence) by Sefirót as substance and kelimpreserving providence and divine unity.
• Place in the tradition: text canon for the “cordoverianismo”; then eclipsed for the cosmology luriánica, but still array to read Zohar (via " Or Yakar) and to the ethical mysticism (Tómer Devorá).

“The true knowledge is the silence that recognizes the infinity of the One.”