Chapter Forty (פֶּרֶק אַרְבָּעִים)

The majority of the count and the majority of the structure of the Klipot were built in the World of Tikkun (רוֹב מִנְיַן וְרוֹב בִּנְיַן הַקְּלִיפּוֹת נִבְנוּ בְּעוֹלַם הַתִּקּוּן) from the mystery of the cooking of the two eggs of Yesod of Abba (מִסּוֹד הַבִּשּׁוּל שֶׁל תְּרֵין בֵּיעִין שֶׁל יְסוֹד אַבָּא) which are Netzach and Hod of Yesod of Abba (שֶׁהֵם נֶצַח הוֹד שֶׁל יְסוֹד אַבָּא) and there these lights were cooked (וְשָׁם נִתְבַּשְּׁלוּ הָאוֹרוֹת הָאֵלֶּה) that is, the forty-nine myriads (דְּהַיְנוּ הַמ״ט רְבָבוֹת) and there was needed the letters seven times seven (וְהֻצְרְכוּ אוֹתִיּוֹת ז׳ פְּעָמִים ז׳) of the seven inner lights of the shattered vessels (שֶׁל שִׁבְעָה אוֹרוֹת פְּנִימִיּוֹת דְּשִׁבְרֵי כֵּלִים) which many dinim also clung to them (אֲשֶׁר נִדְבְּקוּ בּוֹ גַּם כֵּן הַרְבֵּה דִּינִין) and this cooking was required (וְהֻצְרַךְ הַבִּשּׁוּל הַזֶּה) in order to separate the dinim (כְּדֵי לְהַבְדִּיל הַדִּינִין) and they fell below and joined their companions who had fallen previously below at the time of the Shevirat haKelim (וְנָפְלוּ לְמַטָּה וְנִתְחַבְּרוּ עִם חֲבֵרֵיהֶם שֶׁנָּפְלוּ קוֹדֶם זֶה לְמַטָּה בְּעֵת שְׁבִירַת כֵּלִים) and they established three worlds of dinim and Klipot (וְהֶעֱמִידוּ ג׳ עוֹלָמוֹת שֶׁל דִּינִין וּקְלִיפּוֹת) corresponding to the external light of Beri’ah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah (נֶגֶד אוֹר הַחִיצוֹן שֶׁל בִּי״ע) which is squared and in achora’im (שֶׁהוּא רִיבּוּעַ וַאֲחוֹרַיִים). And even though some of the secrets pertain later (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁקְּצָת סוֹדוֹת שַׁיָּכִים אַחַר כָּךְ) in the World of Tikkun in the construction of Ze’ir Anpin and Nukvah (בְּעוֹלַם הַתִּקּוּן בְּבִנְיַן זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין וְנוּקְבָּה) nevertheless they are of great necessity also here (עַל כָּל זֹאת הֵם צוֹרֶךְ גָּדוֹל גַּם כֵּן כָּאן) to explain in this gate how the factions of impurity were built (לְהוֹדִיעַ בַּזֶּה הַשַּׁעַר אֵיךְ נִבְנוּ כִּתּוֹת הַטֻּמְאָה) and I will not deviate from the purpose afterwards (וְלֹא אֵצֵא מִן הַמְּכוּוָן אַחַר כָּךְ).

And if I were to explain the matters in scattered order, skipping about and mixed together, not according to their order (וְאִם הָיִיתִי מְבָאֵר הָעִנְיָנִים סִירוּגִין וּבְדִילּוּג מְעֹרָב שֶׁלֹּא כַסֵּדֶר), no person would understand them (לֹא יְבִינֵם שׁוּם אָדָם). However, in the World of Asiyah I will explain them (אֲכֵן בְּעוֹלַם הָעֲשִׂיָּה אֲפָרְשֵׁם), with the help of the Creator and His Shekhinah (בְּעֶזְרַת הַבּוֹרֵא וּשְׁכִינָתוֹ), with a sufficiently broad explanation (בִּיאוּר רָחָב דַּי צָרְכּוֹ). Therefore I will abbreviate somewhat here (עַל כֵּן אֲקַצֵּר בּוֹ בִּמְקָצָת). And do not be astonished by the expressions I will write: drop, two eggs, cooking, and the like (וְאַל תִּתְמַהּ בַּדְּבָרִים שֶׁאֶכְתּוֹב מִטִּפָּה וּתְרֵין בֵּיעִין וּבִשּׁוּל וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ), for permission has already been given to us, as is apparent from Iyov: “And from my flesh I shall behold God” (Job 19:26) (כִּי כְּבָר נִתַּן לָנוּ רְשׁוּת כְּפִי הַנִּרְאֶה בְּאִיּוֹב: ״וּמִבְּשָׂרִי אֶחֱזֶה אֱלוֹהַּ״), and our Rabbis of blessed memory said (וְרַזַ״ל אָמְרוּ): “The Torah speaks in the language of man” (דִּבְּרָה תּוֹרָה כִּלְשׁוֹן בְּנֵי אָדָם). And know (וְדַע) that all the operations we have mentioned (שֶׁכָּל הַפְּעֻלּוֹת שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), and that we shall mention afterward (וְשֶׁנֹּאמַר אַחַר כָּךְ), are all Names performing different actions according to their respective levels (הֵם כֻּלָּם שֵׁמוֹת פּוֹעֲלִים פְּעֻלּוֹת מְשֻׁנוֹת כְּפִי מַדְרֵגוֹתֵיהֶם). That is to say (רָצָה לוֹמַר), when we speak of a mixed drop of Ze'ir Anpin and Nukvah (שֶׁכְּשֶׁנֹּאמַר טִפָּה מְעֹרֶבֶת שֶׁל זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין וְנוּקְבָּה), which were in the mystery of a drop (שֶׁהָיוּ בְּסוֹד טִפָּה), its secret is mixed letters of Names (סוֹדוֹ הוּא אוֹתִיּוֹת מְעֹרָבוֹת שֶׁל שֵׁמוֹת), such that the letters of each Name had not yet joined together (שֶׁלֹּא נִתְחַבְּרוּ אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל כָּל שֵׁם), but rather were all intermixed together (אֶלָּא כֻּלָּם מְעֹרָבִים יַחַד), and no Name was distinguishable by itself (וְלֹא נִכָּר שׁוּם שֵׁם לְעַצְמוֹ). And when we say: Arich Anpin stretched out His right hand and took the drop of Ze'ir Anpin and Nukvah (וּכְשֶׁנֹּאמַר אַרִיךְ אַנְפִּין פָּשַׁט יָד יְמִינוֹ וְלָקַח טִפַּת זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבָּה), it means one Name within the Chesed [Kindness] of Arich Anpin (הוּא שֵׁם אֶחָד שֶׁבַּחֶסֶד שֶׁל אַרִיךְ אַנְפִּין), which takes these Names (שֶׁלוֹקֵחַ הַשֵּׁמוֹת הָאֵלֶּה), arranges the forty-nine mixed Orot [Lights] (וּמְסַדֵּר אוֹתָם הַמ״ט אוֹרוֹת הַמְּעֹרָבִים), and inserts them into the brain of Abba (וּמַכְנִיס אוֹתָם בְּמוֹחַ שֶׁל אַבָּא), in whose brain is one exceedingly great Name (שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּמוֹחוֹ שֵׁם אֶחָד גָּדוֹל מְאֹד), and He takes these Names and arranges them (וְלוֹקֵחַ הַשֵּׁמוֹת הָאֵלּוּ וּמְסַדֵּר אוֹתָם). And He brings them down through the spinal cord (וּמוֹרִיד אוֹתָם דֶּרֶךְ חוּט הַשִּׁדְרָה), where there is one Name inscribed along the length of the spine (שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם שֵׁם אֶחָד כָּתוּב בְּאֹרֶךְ הַשִּׁדְרָה), as appears in the Zohar, Parashat Pekudei, in the Heikhalot (כַּנִּרְאֶה בַּזֹּהַר פָּרָשַׁת פְּקוּדֵי בַּהֵיכָלוֹת).

And when we say that they descended into the two eggs of the Yesod of Abba (וּכְשֶׁנֹּאמַר שֶׁיָּרְדוּ לְתוֹךְ תְּרֵין בֵּיעִין שֶׁל יְסוֹד אַבָּא), there are two Names there (יֵשׁ שָׁם שְׁנֵי שֵׁמוֹת), that possess the power to cook these Names (שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם כֹּחַ לְבַשֵּׁל הַשֵּׁמוֹת הָאֵלּוּ), to sweeten them (לְהַמְתִּיקָם), to strengthen them (וּלְחַזְּקָם), and to clarify them (וּלְבָרְרָם), so that each one will be recognized individually (שֶׁיִּהְיוּ נִכָּרִים כָּל אֶחָד לְעַצְמוֹ), and to separate the Dinim [Judgments] and the letters that are not needed for these Names (וּלְהַבְדִּיל הַדִּינִים וְהָאוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁאֵינָם לְצוֹרֶךְ אֵלּוּ הַשֵּׁמוֹת). And do not allow any physical thought, Heaven forbid, to enter your mind concerning these secrets (וְאַל תַּהֲרֵהֵר שׁוּם מַחֲשָׁבָה גַשְׁמִית חַס וְשָׁלוֹם בְּרֵעוֹנְךָ בַּסּוֹדוֹת הָאֵלּוּ), lest you be punished (פֶּן תֵּעָנֵשׁ), but rather think in your mind that they are all Names and letters of Ohr [Light] (אֶלָּא חָשֹׁב בְּמַחְשַׁבְתְּךָ שֶׁכֻּלָּם שֵׁמוֹת וְאוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל אוֹר), which gives life to all the worlds (הַמְחַיֶּה כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת), and performs its actions through Chesed [Kindness], Din [Judgment], and Rachamim [Mercies] (וּפוֹעֲלִים פְּעֻלָּתָם בְּחֶסֶד דִּין וְרַחֲמִים). And the excess is the inversion of the Names of holiness (וְהַמּוֹתָרוֹת הוּא הַהֵפֶךְ שֶׁל שֵׁמוֹת הַקְּדֻשָּׁה), and they act only evil all day long (וְאֵינָם פּוֹעֲלִים אֶלָּא רַע כָּל הַיּוֹם). And even after this, do not reflect further (וְגַם אַחַר זֶה אַל תַּהֲרֵהֵר), for so His Chokhmah decreed (כִּי כָּךְ גָּזְרָה חָכְמָתוֹ), to create punishment for the wicked (לִבְרוֹא עוֹנֶשׁ לָרְשָׁעִים), who destroy the world that was created with ten utterances (שֶׁמְּאַבְּדִין אֶת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בַּעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת), and a good reward for the righteous who sustain the world that was created with ten utterances (וְשֶׂכָר טוֹב לַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁמְּקַיְּמִין אֶת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בַּעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת).