Chapter Forty-Four (פֶּרֶק אַרְבָּעִים וְאַרְבָּעָה)

The letter Ayin, its point was split into two (אוֹת עַיִן נְקֻדָּתָה נֶחְלְקָה לִשְׁנַיִם), the right side spread forth before the left (הַיְמָנִית נִתְפַּשְׁטָה קוֹדֶם הַשְּׂמָאלִי), and the line extended and went out from the boundary (וְנִתְאָרֵךְ הַקָּו וְיָצְאָה מִן הַגְּבוּל), and as soon as she saw this (וּתֵכֶף שֶׁרָאֲתָה כָּךְ), she sought to fold and to lift up that line (בִּקְּשָׁה לִכְפֹּל וּלְהַעֲלוֹת הַקָּו הַהוּא), and through this, the second line, which was the second part, came down upon that line which wanted to ascend (וּבְזֶה יוֹרֵד הַקָּו הַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁהָיָה הַחֵלֶק הַשֵּׁנִי עַל הַקָּו הַהוּא שֶׁהָיָה רוֹצֶה לַעֲלוֹת), and it did not let it rise because of the weight it placed upon it (וְלֹא הִנִּיחוֹ מִפְּנֵי כׇבְדָּהּ שֶׁהִנִּיחַ עָלָיו), and it remained bent downward (וְנִשְׁאָר מְעוּקָל לְמַטָּה), and thus the form of the Ayin remained in this manner (וְכָזֶה נִשְׁאַרָה צוּרַת הָעַיִן בְּזֶה הָאֹפֶן). And if you say: Why was its point split into two? (וְאִם תֹּאמַר מַדּוּעַ נֶחְלְקָה נְקֻדָּתָהּ לִשְׁנַיִם), we will answer that this point is in the mystery of du-parzufin [two configurations] (נַשִּׁיב כִּי הַנְּקֻדָּה הַזֹּאת הִיא בְּסוֹד ד״ו פַּרְצוּפִין), that is, male and female (דְּהַיְנוּ זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה), and always in the letters, the power of the male is less in quantity than the power of the female (וְלְעוֹלָם בָּאוֹתִיּוֹת כֹּחַ הַזָּכָר קָטָן בַּכַּמּוּת מִכֹּחַ הַנְּקֵבָה), because all the letters are in the mystery of the female (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכָּל הָאוֹתִיּוֹת הֵן בְּסוֹד נְקֵבָה), for just as the female gives birth (שֶׁכְּמוֹ שֶׁהַנְּקֵבָה יוֹלֶדֶת), so too the letters give birth, through their milui, to other letters (כָּךְ הָאוֹתִיּוֹת מוֹלִידוֹת בְּמִלּוּי שֶׁלָּהֶן אוֹתִיּוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת). And because of this, the power of the male is smaller (וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה כֹּחַ הַזָּכָר קָטָן), which is the second line of the letter Ayin (שֶׁהוּא הַקָּו הַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁל אוֹת עַיִן), which is smaller (שֶׁהוּא יוֹתֵר קָטָן), and it is the power of the male (וְהוּא כֹּחַ הַזָּכָר), for the first line is large like a nun, a female (שֶׁהַקָּו הָרִאשׁוֹן גָּדוֹל כְּמוֹ נ׳ נְקֵבָה), and the second strength is like a small zayin, meaning male (וְכֹּחַ הַשֵּׁנִי כְּמוֹ ז׳ קָטָן רָצָה לוֹמַר זָכָר).