Chapter Forty (פֶּרֶק אַרְבָּעִים)

The letter Mem (אוֹת מֵ״ם): its point is a great point (נְקוּדָּתָהּ הִיא נְקוּדָּה גְּדוֹלָה), and into it entered the power of the Tzimtzum (וְנִכְנַס בְּתוֹכָהּ כֹּחַ הַצִּמְצוּם), that is, after the Tzimtzum set the point in place (הַיְנוּ אַחַר שֶׁהַצִּמְצוּם הִנִּיחַ הַנְּקוּדָּה), the power of the Tzimtzum of Ein Sof returned and struck in the center of the point (חָזַר כֹּחַ הַצִּמְצוּם שֶׁל אֵין סוֹף וּבָטַשׁ בְּאֶמְצַע הַנְּקוּדָּה), and from it came forth three sparks in every direction (וְיָצְאוּ מִמֶּנָּה ג׳ נִיצוֹצוֹת לְכָל רוּחַ). And afterwards a line came forth from each spark (וְאַחַר כָּךְ יָצָא קַו מִכָּל נִיצוֹץ), and they were joined together and formed a square from four lines (וְנִדְבְּקוּ יַחַד וְנַעֲשֵׂית מְרוּבַּעַת מֵד׳ קַוִּים). And afterwards, the light of the striking force increased within its cavity (וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִתְרַבֶּה אוֹר הַבְּטִישָׁה בְּתוֹךְ חַלָּלָהּ), that is, the power of the point is always at the center, even though it dispersed around it (הַיְנוּ שֶׁכֹּחַ הַנְּקוּדָּה לְעוֹלָם הִיא בָּאֶמְצַע, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּתְפָּזְרָה סְבִיב לָהּ). And that point leaned to the right side, for it is Chesed (וְאוֹתָהּ הַנְּקוּדָּה נָטְתָה לְצַד יָמִין לִהְיוֹתָהּ חֶסֶד), and it wanted to ascend upward but could not (וְהִיא רָצְתָה לַעֲלוֹת לְמַעְלָה וְלֹא יָכְלָה). Nevertheless, it made an impression and emerged in its form on the right line from the outside (אַף עַל פִּי כֵן עָשְׂתָה רוֹשֶׁם וְיָצְאָתָה כִּדְמוּתָהּ עַל קַו הַיְמִינִי מִבַּחוּץ), and because of the great striking force it made, the right line was nearly disconnected from the rest of the Mem (בַּעֲבוּר הַבְּטִישָׁה הַגְּדוֹלָה שֶׁעָשְׂתָה, כִּמְעַט נִפְסַק הַקַּו הַיְמִינִי מִשְּׁאָר הַמֵּ״ם), except that the line was strengthened and returned and became attached (אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּתְחַזֵּק הַקַּו וְחָזַר וְנִדְבַּק). And when it saw that it could not ascend as it desired (וּכְשֶׁרָאֲתָה שֶׁלֹּא יָכְלָה לַעֲלוֹת כִּרְצוֹנָהּ), it descended through the direction of the right line downward (יָרְדָה דֶּרֶךְ רוּחַ קַו הַיְמִינִי לְמַטָּה), and the right line was cut at the bottom (וְנִחְתַּךְ קַו הַיְמִינִי לְמַטָּה), and it remained open and descended downward, and it emerged outward (וְנִשְׁאֵרָה פְתוּחָה וְיָרְדָה לְמַטָּה וְיָצְאָה לַחוּץ). And afterwards, from the power of the striking, it became also a closed Mem (וְאַחַר כָּךְ נַעֲשֵׂית מִכֹּחַ הַבְּטִישָׁה גַּם כֵּן מֵ״ם סְתוּמָה), for it widened in its center (כִּי נִתְרַחֲבָה בְּאֶמְצָעִיתָהּ), that is, it expanded in the middle (הַיְנוּ שֶׁנִּתְרַחֲבָה בָּאֶמְצַע), that is, it made an empty space in the center (הַיְנוּ שֶׁעָשְׂתָה מָקוֹם פָּנוּי בָּאֶמְצָע), and it became a square Mem (וְנַעֲשֵׂית מֵ״ם מְרוּבַּעַת). And because her strength was weakened (וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁתָּשׁ כֹּחָהּ), she had no capacity to make the striking in the letter Final Mem as she did originally (לֹא הָיָה לָהּ יְכוֹלֶת לַעֲשׂוֹת הַבְּטִישָׁה בָּאוֹת ם כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשְׂתָה בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה).