Chapter Four (פֶּרֶק רְבִיעִי)

This thread of Ein Sof (הַחוּט הַזֶּה שֶׁל אֵין סוֹף), which emerged from the Yesod of the upper half of the garment (שֶׁיָּצָא מִיסוֹד שֶׁל חֲצִי הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן), after it gives to the two Adam Kadma’ah the aforementioned Metakla [balance] (אַחַר שֶׁנּוֹתֵן לִתְרֵי אָדָם קַדְמָאָה הַמַּתְקְלָא הַנִּזְכָּר), the thread spread within Adam Kadma’ah (נִתְפַּשֵּׁט הַחוּט בְּתוֹךְ אָדָם קַדְמָא), and became a Parsah [barrier] (וְנַעֲשָׂה פַּרְסָ״ה). Meaning a curtain (פֵּרוּשׁ פָּרוֹכֶת), which is a screen between Adam Kadma’ah Setima’ah [the Concealed Primordial Adam] and Adam Kadmon in general (שֶׁהוּא מָסָךְ בֵּין אָדָם קַדְמָאָה סְתִימָאָה לְבֵין אָדָם קַדְמוֹן סְתָם). And even though it receives its influx from it (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא מְקַבֵּל שִׁפְעוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ), it is only through slight sparkling by way of the screen (אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי הִתְנוֹצְצוּת מְעַט דֶּרֶךְ הַמָּסָךְ), in the secret of the verse (בְּסוֹד פָּסוּק): “For Hashem Elohim is a sun and a shield” (שֶׁמֶשׁ וּמָגֵן יְיָ אֱלֹהִים) (Psalms 84). Meaning (פֵּרוּשׁ): if they were to place a shield before the sun (שֶׁאִם יָשִׂימוּ לִפְנֵי שֶׁמֶשׁ מָגֵן), in order that one could receive the light through that shield (כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכַל לְקַבֵּל הָאוֹר עַל יְדֵי הַמָּגֵן הַזֶּה), thus indeed it is (כָּךְ הוּא בֶּאֱמֶת), the influx of Hashem Elohim (שֶׁפַע יְיָ אֱלֹהִים). And His great light without measure (וְאוֹרוֹ הַגָּדוֹל בִּלְתִּי שִׁעוּר), everything would be nullified before Him (יִהְיֶה הַכֹּל בָּטֵל לְפָנָיו), [our life] ([חַיֵּינוּ]), whoever possesses limitation (מִי שֶׁהוּא בַּעַל גְּבוּל), and nothing can stand before Him (וְאֵין דָּבָר עוֹמֵד לְפָנָיו), unless they receive through a screen (אִם לֹא יְקַבְּלוּ עַל יְדֵי מָסָךְ), so that there should not emerge excessively (כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֵצֵא יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי), and Heaven forbid the world would become destroyed (וְיִהְיֶה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם הָעוֹלָם חָרֵב), as it was in the world of Tohu (כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה בְּעוֹלַם הַתֹּהוּ). And this screen restrains the influx (וְהַמָּסָךְ הַזֶּה מְעַכֵּב הַשֶּׁפַע), so that it should not emerge outward more than the worlds can endure (שֶׁלֹּא יֵצֵא חוּצָה יוֹתֵר מִמַּה שֶּׁיְּכוֹלִים לִסְבּוֹל הָעוֹלָמוֹת), and likewise between every world and world there is a separating screen (וְכֵן יֵשׁ בֵּין כָּל עוֹלָם וְעוֹלָם מָסָךְ מַבְדִּיל), in the secret of (בְּסוֹד): “And the curtain shall separate for you between the holy and between the Holy of Holies” (וְהִבְדִּילָה הַפָּרוֹכֶת לָכֶם בֵּין הַקֹּדֶשׁ וּבֵין קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים) (Exodus 26). Therefore these worlds are hidden and concealed from the eye of every living being (לָכֵן הָעוֹלָמוֹת הַלָּלוּ סְתוּמִים וּמְכוּסִים מֵעֵין כָּל חָי). And this is the meaning of its statement in the Idra Rabba (וְזֶהוּ אוֹמְרוֹ בְּאִדְּרָא רַבָּא): “Beginning and end did not exist… and afterward after a time, it ascended within that Parsah [barrier], and was rectified in its Tikkunim” (שֵׁירוּתָא וְסִיּוּמָא לָא הֲוָה... וּלְבָתַר זִמְנָא הוּא אִסְתַּלַּק בְּהַהוּא פַּרְסָא וְאִתְתַּקַּן בְּתִיקּוּנוֹי) (Zohar Bamidbar 128a). Meaning (דְּהַיְנוּ), its statement there (אוֹמְרוֹ שָׁם), that this thread afterward became a Parsah [barrier] and curtain (הַחוּט הַזֶּה נַעֲשָׂה אַחַר כָּךְ פַּרְסָא וּפָרוֹכֶת), to separate between the worlds of Ein Sof and the world of Atzilut beneath it (לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין עוֹלָמוֹת אֵין סוֹף לְעוֹלַם הָאֲצִילוּת שֶׁלְּמַטָּה הֵימֶנּוּ). And before this Parsah [barrier] was made (וְקוֹדֶם שֶׁנַּעֲשֵׂת הַפַּרְסָא הַזֹּאת), there was no head for the world of Atzilut (לֹא הָיָה רֹאשׁ לְעוֹלַם הָאֲצִילוּת), and there was no end for the worlds of Ein Sof (וְסוֹף לֹא הָיָה לְעוֹלָמוֹת אֵין סוֹף), until this thread came and made a Parsah [barrier] (עַד שֶׁבָּא זֶה הַחוּט וְעָשָׂה פַּרְסָא), and stood and separated in between (וְעָמַד וְהִפְסִיק בֵּינְתַּיִם), and it made head and end (וְהוּא עָשָׂה רֹאשׁ וָסוֹף). And this is the explanation of their statement (וְזֶהוּ פֵּרוּשׁ אָמְרוֹ): “Beginning and end did not exist” (שֵׁירוּתָא וְסִיּוּמָא לָא הֲוָה), and from there all the Tikkunim were made (וּמִשָּׁם נַעֲשׂוּ כָּל הַתִּיקּוּנִים), as I shall explain (כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבָאֵר). And because the judgments are always a separating screen (וּלְפִי שֶׁהַדִּינִין הֵם תָּמִיד מָסָךְ מַבְדִּיל), to return abundant light upward (לְהַחֲזִיר אוֹר רַב לְמַעְלָה), [which is the screen] ([שֶׁהוּא הַמָּסָךְ]), nullifying the law of influx (הַמְבַטֵּל חֹק שֶׁפַע), in order that the worlds should be able to endure (כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ הָעוֹלָמוֹת לִסְבּוֹל), therefore its name is called Parsah [barrier] (לָכֵן נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ פַּרְסָ״ה), for it ascends to MNTZPKH Adonai (שֶׁהוּא עוֹלֶה מנצפ״ך אדנ״י), which are two judgments descending below in the prayers of Minchah and Arvit (שֶׁהֵם ב׳ דִּינִין הַיּוֹרְדִים לְמַטָּה בִּתְפִלַּת מִנְחָה וְעַרְבִית). And these two judgments fall below (וְאֵלּוּ ב׳ דִּינִין נוֹפְלִין לְמַטָּה), and Yitzchak and Yaakov, peace be upon them (וְיִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב ע״ה), rectified them in the secret of the Zivug (תִּקְּנוּ אוֹתָם בְּסוֹד הַזִּוּוּג), to sweeten them (לְמַתֵּק אוֹתָם), and therefore at that time those liable in Gehinnom possess relief and slight deliverance (וְלָכֵן בְּאוֹתוֹ שָׁעָה חַיָּבֵי גֵיהִנּוֹם יֵשׁ לָהֶם הַרְוָחָה וְהַצָּלָה פּוּרְתָּא), at that time of prayer (בְּאוֹתוֹ זְמַן שֶׁל תְּפִלָּה). And this screen as well is judgment (וְגַם הַמָּסָךְ הַזֶּה הוּא דִּין), to restrain the influx that comes excessively (לְעַכֵּב הַשֶּׁפַע שֶׁהוּא בָּא יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי), beyond what the worlds are able to endure (מַה שֶּׁאֵין הָעוֹלָמוֹת יְכוֹלִים לִסְבּוֹל), and they cause shattering, Heaven forbid (וְגוֹרְמִים שְׁבִירָה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם). And also Moshe (וְגַם מֹשֶׁה) has the numerical value of Parsah [barrier] (גִּימַטְרִיָּא פַּרְסָ״ה), for he merited the light of the first Tablets (שֶׁזָּכָה לְאוֹר לוּחוֹת רִאשׁוֹנוֹת), and merited the secret of the Masveh [veil] (וְזָכָה לְסוֹד מַסְוֶ״ה), which is the secret of the light of the aforementioned Parsah [barrier] (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד אוֹר הַפַּרְסָה הַנִּזְכָּר), and Israel was unable to behold him (וְלֹא יָכְלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִרְאוֹתוֹ), for the skin of his face radiated light (כִּי קָרַן אוֹר פָּנָיו) (Exodus 34). And from garments of skin there was made light (וּמִכָּתְנוֹת עוֹר נַעֲשָׂה אוֹר), which is the Tikkun of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (שֶׁהוּא תִּיקּוּן עֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע), whose reverse is skin (הִיפּוּכוֹ עוֹ״ר), and it was transformed into light (וְנֶהְפַּךְ לְאוֹ״ר), whose numerical value is Ein Sof (גִּימַטְרִיָּא אֵין סוֹף), and whose numerical value is Raz [secret] (וְגִימַטְרִיָּא רָ״ז). Nevertheless (וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם), after the shattering of the first Tablets (אַחַר שְׁבִירַת לוּחוֹת רִאשׁוֹנוֹת), they required his Masveh [veil] (הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לְמַסְוֶה שֶׁלּוֹ), for they were unable to behold his face (שֶׁלֹּא יָכְלוּ לִרְאוֹת פָּנָיו). And it is necessary to conceal the secrets (וְצָרִיךְ לִגְנוֹז הַסּוֹדוֹת), “The glory of Elohim is to conceal a matter” (כְּבוֹד אֱלֹהִים הַסְתֵּר דָּבָר) (Proverbs 25). And Rabbi Yoḥanan called garments “honor” (וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן קָרֵי לְמָאנֵי מְכַבְּדוּתָא) (Bava Kama 91b), for they are like a curtain and partition in a manner of honor (שֶׁהֵם כְּמוֹ פָּרוֹכֶת וּפַרְגוֹד בְּדֶרֶךְ כָּבוֹד), so that people should not treat it lightly (שֶׁלֹּא יְזַלְזְלוּ בּוֹ בְּנֵי אָדָם).