The Great Serpent – Ze’ir הַתַּנִּין הַגָּדוֹל - זעִיר

abbi Shimon opened and said (ר״ש פָּתַח וְאָמַר), “And Elohim created the Great Dragons,” etc. (וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הַתַּנִּינִים הַגְּדֹלִים וְכוּ׳). Hashem Elohim are Abba and Imma (י״י אֱלֹהִים אַבָּא וְאִמָּא). “The Great Dragons” are Ze’ir Anpin and Nukvah (אֶת הַתַּנִּינִים הַגְּדֹלִים זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין וְנוּקְבֵיהּ). “Taninam” is written defectively (תַּנִּינָם כְּתִיב), because He slew its Nukvah and the Holy One Blessed Be He elevated her for the Tzaddikim in the future to come (בְּגִין דְּקָטַל לְנוּקְבֵיהּ וְסָלְקָה הַקב״ה לַצַּדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא), meaning (ר״ל), that He withheld from her the light above in the Yesod of Abba and Imma (שֶׁמָּנַע מִמֶּנָּה הָאוֹר לְמַעְלָה בִּיסוֹד או״א), and there are the five Chesedim and five Gevurot (וְלְשָׁם הֵם ה׳ חֲסָדִים וְה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת), and the greatest of all of them is his and is tranquil (וְהַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבְּכֻלָּם הוּא שֶׁלּוֹ וְשָׁקֵט), and it is found that they are nine aside from this upper one (וְנִמְצָא שֶׁהֵם ט׳ לְבַד מִזֶּה הָעֶלְיוֹן), and the Great Dragon that alludes to Ze’ir Anpin crouches among them (וְהַתַּנִּין הַגָּדוֹל הָרוֹמֵז לְזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין רוֹבֵץ בְּתוֹכָם).

And in the highest of them he hinted and said “the waters of this river” (וּבָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁבְּכֻלָּם רָמַז וְאָמַר מַיִם שֶׁל זֶה הַיְאוֹר), meaning the supernal Chesed of the five Chesedim (ר״ל חֶסֶד עֶלְיוֹן שֶׁל ה׳ חֲסָדִים), its waters come from the Garden of Eden alluding to Abba (הַמַּיִם שֶׁלּוֹ בָּאִים מִגַּן עֵדֶן הָרוֹמֵז לְאַבָּא). “They fall into it three times in the year” (נָפְלִין בֵּיהּ ג״פ בַּשְּׁתָא), alluding to the three sections of the Chesed (רֶמֶז לְג׳ פְּרָקִים שֶׁל הַחֶסֶד), and when they are two sections alone it is not so complete that attribute (וּכְשֶׁהֵם ב׳ פְּרָקִים לְבַד אֵינוֹ כָּל כָּךְ שְׁלֵמָה אוֹתָהּ מִדָּה), until it is from three sections together it is not so complete (עַד הֱיוֹתָהּ מִג׳ פְּרָקִים יַחַד אֵינָהּ כָּל כָּךְ שְׁלֵמָה).

And this Dragon which is Ze’ir Anpin (וְזֶה הַתַּנִּין שֶׁהוּא ז״א), when this river enters into it (כְּשֶׁנִּכְנָס בּוֹ זֶה הַיְאוֹר), it strengthens and swims and enters into Abba which alludes to the sea (מִתְחַזֵּק וְשָׁט וְנִכְנָס בְּתוֹךְ אַבָּא הָרוֹמֵז לְיַמָּא), and swallows all the “fish” (וּבוֹלֵעַ כָּל נוּנִין), an allusion to the levels found within it (רֶמֶז לְמַדְרֵגוֹת הַנִּמְצָאוֹת בְּתוֹכָהּ), meaning (ר״ל), that it swallows all aspects of the flow, mercy and judgment (שֶׁבּוֹלֵעַ כָּל בְּחִינוֹת הַשֶּׁפַע רַחֲמִים וְדִין), and rules and returns to swim in its river (וְשׁוֹלֵט וְחוֹזֵר לָשׁוּט בְּיְאוֹרוֹ).

These nine rivers that remained (אֵלּוּ ט׳ יְאוֹרִין שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרוּ), ascend and go (עוֹלִים וְהוֹלְכִים), and around them are many trees and grasses (וְסָבִיב לָהֶם כַּמָּה אִילָנוֹת וַעֲשָׂבִים), alluding to the holy creatures and the angels (הָרוֹמֵז לְחַיּוֹת הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְלַמַּלְאָכִים). The first river emerges from the side of the left through one channel, etc. (יְאוֹרָא קַדְמָאָה נָפְקָא סִטְרָא שְׂמָאלָה בְּחַד צִנּוֹרָא וְכוּ׳).

Know (דַּע), that the intention of these rivers is an allusion to the Gevurot of Abba which are Chesedim, and to the Gevurot of Imma (כִּי כַּוָּנַת אֵלּוּ הַיְאוֹרִין רֶמֶז לִגְּבוּרוֹת שֶׁל אַבָּא שֶׁהֵם חֲסָדִים וְלִגְּבוּרוֹת שֶׁל אִמָּא), which emerge from one channel that alludes to Yesod (הַיּוֹצְאִים מִצִּנּוֹר א׳ הָרוֹמֵז לִיסוֹד), and even though they are two Yesodot, Yesod of Abba and Yesod of Imma (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם ב׳ יְסוֹדוֹת יְסוֹד אַבָּא וִיסוֹד אִמָּא), nevertheless they are one, because Yesod of Abba is clothed within Yesod of Imma (עִכָּ״ז הֵם א׳ לְפִי שֶׁיְסוֹד אַבָּא מְלוּבָּשׁ בִּיסוֹד אִמָּא). And he said “it produced three drops” (וְאָמַר אַפִּיק תְּלַת טִיפִּין), an allusion to three sections (רֶמֶז לְג׳ פְּרָקִים), and from each section one complete attribute is formed which is called a river (וּמִכָּל פֶּרֶק נַעֲשֵׂה מִדָּה א׳ שְׁלֵמָה הַנִּקְרֵאת יְאוֹר), and they are nine rivers that are strengthened and go and swim and circulate in all those firmaments (וְהֵם ט׳ יְאוֹרִין שֶׁמִּתְחַזְּקִים וְהוֹלְכִים וְשָׁאֲטִים וּמְסַבְּבִים בְּכָל אוֹתָם רְקִיעִין).

From what remains of those drops (מִמַּה שֶּׁנִּשְׁאַר מֵאוֹתָם הַטִּיפּוֹת), one drop remains (נִשְׁאַר טִיפָּה א׳), alluding to the secret of Keter (הָרוֹמֶז לְסוֹד הַכֶּתֶר), and one river is made (וְנַעֲשֶׂה יְאוֹר א׳), and this drop lies and falls among them and becomes a river (וְשׁוֹכֶבֶת וְנוֹפֶלֶת טִיפָּה זוֹ בֵּינֵיהֶם וְנַעֲשֶׂה יְאוֹר), and this river is the river that he said is his and tranquil (וְיְאוֹר זֶה הוּא הַיְאוֹר שֶׁאָמַר שֶׁהוּא שֶׁלּוֹ וְשָׁקֵט).

And when the Keter that emerges from Eden, which alludes to Imma (וּכְשֶׁהַכֶּתֶר הַיּוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן הָרוֹמֵז לְאִמָּא), when it also produces other great drops from the right side, which are the Chesedim of Abba and the Chesedim of Imma (כְּשֶׁמּוֹצִיאָה גַּם כֵּן טִיפּוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת מִצַּד יָמִין שֶׁהֵם חֲסָדִים שֶׁל אַבָּא וַחֲסָדִים שֶׁל אִמָּא), likewise nine emerge (כְּמוֹ כֵּן יוֹצְאִים ט׳ וְכוּ׳), and from the drops what remains of them becomes one river which is the choicest of all of them (וּמֵהַטִּיפּוֹת מַה שֶּׁנִּשְׁאַר מֵהֶם נַעֲשֶׂה יְאוֹר א׳ שֶׁהוּא מֻבְחָר שֶׁבְּכֻלָּם). And all this speaks while they are still in their place (וְכָל זֶה מְדַבֵּר שֶׁעֲדַיִן הֵם בִּמְקוֹמָם), but when they come into Ze’ir Anpin (אֲבָל כְּשֶׁבָּאִים בְּז״א), then they are divided into four rivers that emerge from Eden (אָזַי הֵם נֶחְלָקִים לְד׳ נְהָרוֹת שֶׁיּוֹצְאִים מֵעֵדֶן), and the first is Pishon which falls into this river and is included within it (וְהָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא פִּישׁוֹן נוֹפֵל בְּזֶה הַיְאוֹר וְנִכְלָל בּוֹ), and upon this Malchut of Bavel is included in this (וְעַל זֶה מַלְכוּת בָּבֶל נִכְלָל בְּזֶה), and it alludes to the Name Ehyeh (וְרוֹמֵז לְשֵׁם אֶהי״ה), for the front (panim) of Ehyeh (כִּי פָּנִים שֶׁל אֶהי״ה), in Bokhu equals the number “Bavel” (בּוֹכ״ו כְּמִנְיַן בָּבֶל), and from this all the other rivers are nourished (וּבָזֶה נִיזוֹנִין כָּל שְׁאָר הַיְאוֹרִין). And in every river and river there is one Dragon (וּבְכָל יְאוֹר וְיְאוֹר יֵשׁ תַּנִּין א׳), meaning (ר״ל), that the rivers allude to Chesedim and the Dragons allude to Gevurot (שֶׁהַיְאוֹרִין רוֹמְזִים לַחֲסָדִים וְהַתַּנִּינִים רֶמֶז לִגְּבוּרוֹת), and know (וְדַע), that they are ten Ehyeh, ten Dragons (כִּי הֵם י׳ אֶהי״ה י׳ תַּנִּינִים), for the Name Ehyeh equals the number “tanin” in this manner (כִּי שֵׁם אֶהי״ה כְּמִנְיַן תַּנִּין בְּזֶה הָאוֹפֶן), Aleph (אֶל״ף), Heh–Heh–Yod (ה״ה י׳), ten times ten are one hundred (י׳ פְּעָמִים י׳ הֵם ק׳), and likewise another hundred (וְכָךְ אַחֶרֶת ק׳), and ten times Yod are two hundred (וְי׳ י״פ יו״ד הֵם ר׳), the total equals the number “Tanin” (סַךְ הַכֹּל כְּמִנְיַן תַּנִּין).

Behold (הֲרֵי), that ten Dragons are ten Gevurot (שֶׁי׳ תַּנִּינִים י׳ גְּבוּרוֹת). And ten rivers are ten Chesedim, ten Havayot (וְי׳ יְאוֹרִים הֵם י׳ חֲסָדִים י׳ הֲוָיוֹת), each Havayah equals the number “ye’or (river)" in this manner (כָּל הֲוָיָה כְּמִנְיַן יְאוֹר בְּזֶה הָאוֹפֶן), Yod (יו״ד), Yod, Heh, Yod (יו״ד ה״י), Yod, Heh, Yod, Vav (יו״ד ה״י וי״ו), Yod, Heh, Yod, Vav, Heh (יו״ד ה״י וי״ו ה״י), with the letters and the Kollel equals the number “ye’or (river)" (עִם הָאוֹתִיּוֹת וְהַכּוֹלֵל כְּמִנְיַן יְאוֹר).

It is found (נִמְצָא), that these are the Chesedim and these are the Gevurot (שֶׁאֵלּוּ הַחֲסָדִים וְאֵלּוּ הַגְּבוּרוֹת), these are rivers and these are Dragons (אֵלּוּ יְאוֹרִין וְאֵלּוּ תַּנִּינִים), and they are nine (וְהֵם ט׳), and each and every one of them has one puncture in its head from the side of the Chesedim that pierces it (וְכָל א׳ וְא׳ מֵהֶם נָקוּב נֶקֶב א׳ בְּרֹאשׁוֹ מִצַּד הַחֲסָדִים שֶׁנּוֹקֵב אוֹתוֹ), as it is said “You broke the heads of the Dragons upon the waters” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר שִׁבַּרְתָּ רָאשֵׁי תַּנִּינִים עַל הַמַּיִם), meaning for the sake of the Chesed (ר״ל בִּשְׁבִיל הַחֶסֶד), and even the uppermost of the Dragons (וַאֲפִילוּ הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁבַּתַּנִּינִים), since they all blow their spirit toward it (לְפִי שֶׁכֻּלָּם נוֹפְחִים רוּחָם אֶצְלוֹ).

It is written (כְּתִיב), “In the beginning Elohim created” (בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים), and it is written (וּכְתִיב), “And Elohim created the Dragons” (וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הַתַּנִּינִים), in all the work of Bereshit which are ten utterances (בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית שֶׁהֵם י׳ מַאֲמָרוֹת), corresponding to them are the rivers (כְּנֶגְדָּם הֵם הַיְאוֹרִים), and one Dragon flutters in the wind (וְתַּנִּין א׳ מְרַפְרֵף בְּרוּחַ), an allusion to Ze’ir Anpin that flutters in Tiferet (רֶמֶז לְז״א שֶׁמְרַפְרֵף בְּת״ת), and to seventy years (וְלְע׳ שָׁנָה), an allusion to his seventy Names (רֶמֶז לְע׳ שֵׁמוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ), the world trembles (מִזְדַּעְזַע הָעוֹלָם), Malchut which is called “world” (מַלְכוּת הַנִּקְרֵאת עוֹלָם), because this Dragon which alludes to Ze’ir Anpin, when it ascends (לְפִי שֶׁזֶּה הַתַּנִּין הָרוֹמֵז לְז״א כְּשֶׁהוּא עוֹלֶה), its fins are its wings which are the Chesedim of the right side (סְנַפִּירָיו הֵם הַכְּנָפַיִם שֶׁלּוֹ שֶׁהֵם הַחֲסָדִים שֶׁל צַד יָמִין), for the left side is called scales (כִּי צַד שְׂמֹאל נִקְרָא קַשְׂקַשִּׂים), and then all the other Dragons which are the Gevurot tremble (וְאָז כָּל שְׁאָר הַתַּנִּינִים שֶׁהֵם הַגְּבוּרוֹת מִזְדַּעְזְעִים), and the whole world trembles (וְכָל עָלְמָא מִזְדַּעְזַע), and all of them are included in this Great Dragon, which is Ze’ir Anpin, which is the Chesed sweetened in Tiferet (וְכֻלָּם נִכְלָלִים בְּזֶה הַתַּנִּין הַגָּדוֹל הוּא ז״א הוּא חֶסֶד הַמְּמוּתָּק בְּת״ת).

“And the earth was chaos and void, and darkness upon the face of the deep, and the spirit of Elohim hovered upon the face of the waters” (וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם), they are Yod–Bet corresponding to the twelve diagonal boundaries (הֵם י״ב כְּנֶגֶד י״ב גְּבוּלֵי אַלְכְּסוֹן), and Rabbi Shimon said (וְאָמַר ר״ש), the work of Bereshit the companions study and know (מַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית הַחֲבֵרִים לוֹמְדִים בּוֹ וְיוֹדְעִים), but few are they (אֲבָל מְעוּטִים הֵם), “I have seen the sons of ascent and they are few” (רָאִיתִי בְּנֵי עֲלִיָּה וְהִנָּם מְעוּטִים), who know the secret of the work of Bereshit in the secret of the Great Dragon that alludes to the head of Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁיּוֹדְעִים סוֹד מַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית בְּסוֹד הַתַּנִּין הַגָּדוֹל הָרוֹמֵז לְרֹאשׁ ז״א), for all the world is chained upon its fins which are its Chokhmah and Binah, which are its Mochin (שֶׁכָּל הָעוֹלָם מִשְׁתַּלְשֵׁל עַל סְנַפִּירָיו שֶׁהֵם חו״ב שֶׁלּוֹ וְהֵם הַמּוֹחִין שֶׁלּוֹ).

It is written (כְּתִיב), “and the earth was chaos,” etc. (וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וְכוּ׳), it was a Dragon and they established it (תַּנִּין הָיָה וְאוּקְמוּהָ), meaning Gevurah (ר״ל גְּבוּרָה), and it is sweetened in the river (וְנִמְתֶּקֶת בַּיְאוֹר), for in this primordial river when this Dragon enters into it to be sweetened (לְפִי שֶׁבְּזֶה הַיְאוֹר הַקַּדְמוֹן כְּשֶׁזֶּה הַתַּנִּין נִכְנָס בּוֹ לְהִתְמַתֵּק), then it becomes filled and overflows and extinguishes the sparks that were gathered in the worlds that were destroyed, which are the kings that died (אָז מִתְמַלֵּא וְשׁוֹטֵף וּמְכַבֶּה הַנִּיצוֹצוֹת שֶׁנִּתְלַקְּטוּ בָּעוֹלָמוֹת דְּאִתְחַרְבוּ הֵם הַמְּלָכִים שֶׁמֵּתוּ), and by the power of this sweetening it sufficed to extinguish the sparks from the abundance of the light that overflowed the worlds (וּבְכֹחַ זֶה הַמִּיתּוּק הִסְפִּיק לְכַבּוֹת הַנִּיצוֹצוֹת מֵרִבּוּי הָאוֹר שֶׁשָּׁטַף הָעוֹלָמוֹת).

And the other Dragons that were mentioned “were and were not” (וְהַתַּנִּינִים הָאֲחֵרִים שֶׁאָמַר הָיוּ וְלֹא הָיוּ), because these Gevurot were not sweetened until now when they were sweetened (לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא נִמְתְּקוּ אֵלּוּ הַגְּבוּרוֹת עַד עַתָּה שֶׁנִּמְתְּקוּ), and their power was weakened so that they would not destroy the world (וְנֶחְלַשׁ כֹּחָם שֶׁלֹּא יַחֲרִיבוּ הָעוֹלָם), for if they had not been sweetened they would have destroyed the world (אִלּוּ לֹא הָיוּ נִמְתָּקִים הָיוּ מַחֲרִיבִים הָעוֹלָם), but once in seventy years (אֶלָּא לְע׳ שָׁנָה פַּעַם א׳).

And they were strengthened by the power of the Great Dragon that was mentioned (וְהֵם נִתְחַזְּקוּ בְּכֹחַ הַתַּנִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁאָמַר), and this one alone to strengthen (וְזֶה לְבַדּוֹ לְהִתְחַזֵּק), and if its Nukvah had been with it, an allusion to the lower Gevurah (וְאִלְמָלֵא הָיְתָה נוּקְבֵיהּ עִמּוֹ רֶמֶז לִגְבוּרָה תַּתָּאָה), if these had joined they would have destroyed the world (אִלּוּ הָיוּ מִתְחַבְּרִים הָיוּ מַחֲרִיבִים הָעוֹלָם), and they would not have been able to endure before the sweetening (וְלֹא הָיוּ יְכוֹלִים לִסְבּוֹל קוֹדֶם הַמִּיתּוּק).

And therefore (וּבְגִין כָּךְ), before the Holy One Blessed Be He slew the female (קוֹדֶם שֶׁהָרַג הַקב״ה לַנְּקֵבָה), it was “tohu va-vohu” (הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ), “tohu” before the sweetening (תֹהוּ קוֹדֶם הַמִּיתּוּק), and “vohu” after the sweetening (וָבֹהוּ אַחַר הַמִּיתּוּק). And what did the Holy One Blessed Be He do (וּמַה עָשָׂה הַקב״ה), He crushed its head (מָחַץ רֹאשׁוֹ), meaning (ר״ל), that its head was sweetened, which alludes to the power of the Gevurot (נִמְתַּק רֹאשׁוֹ הָרוֹמֵז לְכֹחַ הַגְּבוּרוֹת), which is the “butzina de-kardonita [The Hard Spark]” (שֶׁהוּא בּוּצִינָא דְּקַרְדוּנִיתָא), called the measuring line, the path which the bird does not know (הַנִּקְרָא קַו הַמִּדָּה נָתִיב לֹא יְדָעוֹ עַיִט), and its head was crushed and bent (וְנִמְחַץ רֹאשׁוֹ וְנִכְפַּף), because the deep below, which alludes to Malchut, did not shine (לְפִי שֶׁהַתְּהוֹם לְמַטָּה הָרוֹמֵז לְמַלְכוּת לֹא הָיָה מֵאִיר).

What is the reason? (מ״ט), because this Great Dragon, which alludes to the power of the Gevurot, was blowing into the deep and darkening it (לְפִי שֶׁזֶּה הַתַּנִּין הַגָּדוֹל הָרוֹמֵז לְכֹחַ הַגְּבוּרוֹת הָיָה מְנַשֵּׁב בַּתְּהוֹם וּמַחֲשִׁיכוֹ), and it did not flutter below (וְלֹא הָיָה מְרַפְרֵף לְמַטָּה), meaning even its illumination (ר״ל אֲפִילוּ הַהֶאָרָה שֶׁלּוֹ), until another wind passed from above and blew and struck that wind and calmed it (עַד שֶׁעָבַר רוּחַ אַחֵר מִלְמַעְלָה וְנָשַׁב וּבָטַשׁ בְּאוֹתוֹ רוּחַ וְשָׁכַךְ), as it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר), “and the spirit of Elohim hovered upon the face of the waters” (וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם), and this is what it says (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר), “and the wind struck against the wind and created the world,” etc. (וּבָטַשׁ רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא וּבָרָא הָעוֹלָם וְכוּ׳). And corresponding to this Dragon also below in the Klipot (וְכְנֶגֶד זֶה הַתַּנִּין גַּם כֵּן לְמַטָּה בַּקְּלִיפּוֹת), there is a twisting serpent (יֵשׁ נָחָשׁ עֲקַלָּתוֹן), this is Samael the wicked, the Great Dragon, the chief captain (הוּא סַמָּאֵל הָרָשָׁע תַּנִּין הַגָּדוֹל רַב הַחוֹבֵל).