Chapter Fifty-Nine (פֶּרֶק חֲמִשִּׁים וְתִשְׁעָה)

This fissuring that we mentioned above (הַסְּדִיקָה הַזֹּאת שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה), is the mystery of the contraction of the Kelim [Vessels] of Keter, Chokhmah, and Binah (הוּא סוֹד הַקְּטָנַת כֵּלֵיהֶם שֶׁל כֶּתֶר, חָכְמָה, וּבִּינָה), who closed the circles of their Kelim [Vessels] (שֶׁסָּגְרוּ עִגּוּלֵי כֵּלֵיהֶם), closed and sealed completely (סְגוּרֶת וּמְסֻגֶּרֶת הֵיטֵב), by the power of contraction—Kimutz [Contraction]—of judgment within the vessel (מִכֹּחַ קִמּוּץ הַדִּין שֶׁבַּכֵּלִי). And through this power they reduced their Kelim [Vessels] (וּמִכֹּחַ זֶה הִקְטִינוּ כֵּלֵיהֶם), for the act of contraction and limitation is in the hand of the vessel (כִּי פְּעוּלַת הַקִּמּוּץ שֶׁל הַגְּבוּל בְּיַד הַכֵּלִי), and this is their spiritual function (וְזוֹ הִיא פְּעוּלָתָם הָרוּחָנִית). And this cause brought about that excess lights would drip (וְסִיבָּה זוֹ גָּרְמָה לִהְיוֹת אוֹרוֹת נוֹטְפִים), overflowing upon the walls of their Kelim [Vessels]—of Chokhmah, Binah, Keter (כַּחַ״ב) (עוֹדְפִים עַל דּוֹפְנֵי כֵּלֵיהֶם שֶׁל כַּח״ב), and falling below due to the contraction of their Kelim [Vessels] (וְנוֹבְלִים לְמַטָּה מִכֹּחַ הַקְּטָנַת כֵּלֵיהֶם). And the reason is that they feared (וְהַטַּעַם הוּא שֶׁיָּרְאוּ), lest, Heaven forbid, the same mishap—the shattering of the Kelim [Vessels]—should occur to them (פֶּן יִקָּרֶה לָהֶם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם תַּקָּלַת אֲחֵרִים וּשְׁבִירַת כֵּלֵיהֶם). Therefore they were compelled to reduce their Kelim [Vessels] and contract (לָכֵן הֻכְרְחוּ לְהַקְטִין כֵּלֵיהֶם וְלְהִתְקַמֵּץ). But this is not for praise (וְאֵינֶנּוּ לְשֶׁבַח), for it would have been better had they been able to contain all this Shefa [Influx] (וְיוֹתֵר טוֹב הָיָה שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לְהַכִּיל כָּל הַשֶּׁפַע הַזֶּה), and not need to reduce their Kelim [Vessels] (וְלֹא יִהְיוּ צְרִיכִין אֶל הַקְּטָנַת כֵּלֵיהֶם). For this Shefa [Influx] is from the light of the Malbush (כִּי הַשֶּׁפַע הַזֶּה הוּא מֵאוֹר הַמַלְבּוּשׁ), the light that brings joy to God and man (הָאוֹר הַמְּשַׂמֵּחַ אֱלֹהִים וַאֲנָשִׁים), and it is the desire upon which the upper and lower ones long (וְהִיא הַתַּאֲוָה שֶׁמִּתְאַוִּים עָלֶיהָ עֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים). And if they were not afraid of the shattering of their Kelim [Vessels] (וְאִילְמָלֵא לֹא הָיוּ יְרֵאִים מִשְּׁבִירַת כֵּלֵיהֶם), lest it should happen to them (פֶּן יִקָּרֶה לָהֶם), as happened to others (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֵרַע לַאֲחֵרִים), they would not have reduced their Kelim [Vessels] (לֹא הָיוּ מְקַטְּנִים כֵּלֵיהֶם). And because of this, the contraction of the vessel is called weakening of strength (וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה נִקְרֵאת הַקְּטָנַת הַכֵּלִי חֲלִישׁוּת כֹּחַ), that it could not contain all this Shefa [Influx] within its Kelim [Vessels] (שֶׁלֹּא יָכוֹל לְהָכִיל בְּכֵלָיו כָּל הַשֶּׁפַע הַזֶּה), after it already had in its Kelim [Vessels] more than its proper measure (אַחֲרֵי שֶׁהָיָה כְּבָר בְּכֵלָיו נוֹסָף עַל כְּדֵי חַיָּיו). It overflows, trickles, and drips upon the walls of this vessel (נוֹבֵל, נוֹזֵל, וְנוֹטֵף עַל דּוֹפְנֵי הַכֵּלִי הַזֶּה), like a vessel filled with water to its brim (כְּמוֹ הַכֵּלִי הַזֶּה שֶׁמְּמַלְּאִים אוֹתוֹ מַיִם מָלֵא עַל כׇּל גְּדוֹתָיו), and the excess trickles downward (נוֹטֵף הַמּוֹתָרוֹת לְמַטָּה). And there is a difference between the expression noveil and nofel (וְיֵשׁ חִלּוּק בֵּין לָשׁוֹן נוֹבֵל לְנוֹפֵל): for nofel means all falls downward, with no remnant above (כִּי נוֹפֵל הוּא שֶׁכׇּל הַדָּבָר נוֹפֵל לְמַטָּה, וְאֵין נִשְׁאָר מִמֶּנּוּ שֹׁרֶשׁ לְמַעְלָה). But noveil means that a root remains above (וְלָשׁוֹן נוֹבֵל הוּא שֶׁנִּשְׁאַר מִמֶּנּוּ שֹׁרֶשׁ לְמַעְלָה), and it trickles downward (וְנוֹבֵל לְמַטָּה), without interruption (בְּלִי הַפְּסֵק), for the sake of giving life to the worlds (לְצוֹרֶךְ חַיּוּת הָעוֹלָמוֹת).