Chapter Four (פֶּרֶק רְבִיעִי)

And you must know one very strong and exceedingly awesome question (וְצָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת קֻשְׁיָא אַחַת חֲזָקָה וְנוֹרָאָה עַד מְאֹד), regarding what the authors assert (מַה שֶׁהַמְחַבְּרִים אוֹטְרִים), that there was a great necessity for this Yod to descend below in the primordial Air (שֶׁצּוֹרֶךְ גָּדוֹל הָיָה אֶל הַיּו״ד הַזֹּאת שֶׁתֵּרֵד לְמַטָּה בְּאויר קדמון), and to shine from its more coarse light to make from it the sphere of Tehiru (וְתָאִיר מֵאוֹרָהּ הַיּוֹתֵר עָב לַעֲשׂוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ כַּדּוּר הַטְּהִירוּ). And is it not that the Yod is from the upper half of the garment (וְהֲלֹא הַיּו״ד הִיא מֵחֶצְיֵהּ הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁל הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ), and the light in the primordial Air is an impression from the lower half of the garment (וְהָאוֹר שֶׁבְּאויר קדמון הוּא רֶשֶׁם מֵחֶצְיֵהּ הַתַּחְתּוֹן שֶׁל הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ). Moreover, the Yod is from the Name Havayah itself, which is the life-force of the garment (וְעוֹד שֶׁהַיּו״ד הִיא מִשֵּׁם שֶׁל הוי״ה עַצְמוֹ שֶׁהוּא חַיּוּת הַלְּבוּשׁ). So why did they call its light “the more coarse light” (וּלָמָּה קָרְאוּ אוֹרָהּ אוֹר הַיּוֹתֵר עָב). And the answer is (וְהַתֵּירוּץ הוּא), as a matter of distinction with many separations between impurity and purity, and between holiness and the profane (כְּמוֹ לְהַבְדִּיל כַּמָּה הַבְדָּלוֹת בֵּין טֻמְאָה לְטָהֳרָה וּבֵין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל), with Aza and Azael we find that they descended below and became so corporeal that they were able to mate with daughters of man, which is a beast-like act (אֵצֶל עַזָּא וַעֲזָאֵל מָצִינוּ שֶׁיָּרְדוּ לְמַטָּה וְנִתְגַּשְׁמוּ כָּל כָּךְ עַד שֶׁיָּכְלוּ לְהִזְדַּוֵּוג אֶל בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם שֶׁהוּא מַעֲשֶׂה בְּהֵמִי), and they were no longer able to return to their original place (וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לָבוֹא עוֹד אֶל מְקוֹמָם הָרִאשׁוֹן). For immediately when one reaches the Air of another world, he acquires a physical garment (כִּי תֵכֶף אַחַר שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ אֶל אויר עוֹלָם אַחֵר, מַשִּׂיג לְבוּשׁ גַּשְׁמִי), and it is not separated from him (וְאֵינוֹ נִפְרָד מִמֶּנּוּ). And in the Zohar on Ruth they said (וּבַזֹּהַר רוּת אָמְרוּ): “Every angel that remains below seven consecutive days cannot return to its place above” (כָּל מַלְאָךְ שֶׁהוּא לְמַטָּה שִׁבְעָה יָמִים רְצוּפִים אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַחֲזוֹר לִמְקוֹמוֹ לְמַעְלָה). And the angels who perform missions and miracles for Israel are compelled to immerse in the River of Fire (וְהַמַּלְאָכִים הָעוֹשִׂים שְׁלִיחוּת וּנְסִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מֻכְרָחִים לִטְבֹּל בְּנְהַר דִּינוּר), and their body is burned and their soul remains (וְגוּפָם נִשְׂרָף וְנִשְׁמָתָם קַיֶּימֶת), for they have a branch from the World of Yetzirah (כִּי יֵשׁ לָהֶם נוֹף מֵעוֹלָם הַיְצִירָה), and a soul from the mystery of the Name from the World of Beri’ah (וְנְשָׁמָה בְּסוֹד שֵׁם מֵעוֹלָם הַבְּרִיאָה), and afterward they are renewed the next day (וְאַחַר כָּךְ מִתְחַדְּשִׁים לַמָּחֳרָת). And this is the secret of: “They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:23) (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד: חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ), for they received a bodily spirit (כִּי קִבְּלוּ רוּחַ גּוּפָנִי). So too is the case with this Yod that descended below (כֵּן הַדִּין בְּהַיּו״ד הַזֹּאת שֶׁיָּרְדָה לְמַטָּה), and it was not able to return to ascend above (וְלֹא יָכְלָה לַחֲזוֹר לַעֲלוֹת לְמַעְלָה), for its light became embodied and thickened (כִּי נִתְגַלְּמָה וְנִתְעַבֶּה אוֹר שֶׁלָּהּ), and it remained hovering above the Tehiru (וְנִשְׁאֶרָה חוֹפֶפֶת עַל הַטְּהִירוּ). And the same applies to the light that is in this primordial Air (וְהוּא הַדִּין בְּאוֹר שֶׁבָּאויר קדמון), but the impression of its essence does not become so embodied (אֲבָל רֶשֶׁם עַצְמוּתוֹ לֹא יִתְגַּשֵּׁם כָּל כָּךְ), especially the light of the nublot (וּבִפְרָט אוֹר הַנּוֹבְלוֹת). Therefore, the essential light within this primordial Air must be concealed (לְכָךְ צָרִיךְ גְּנִיזָה לְאוֹר עַצְמוּתוֹ שֶׁבָּאויר קדמון), inside the Yesod of the upper half of the garment (בְּתוֹךְ יְסוֹד שֶׁל חֲצִי הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן). And the light of the impression of the garment in this primordial Air, which is this great Yod that cleaved to it (וְאוֹר רֶשֶׁם הַלְּבוּשׁ שֶׁבָּאויר קדמון שֶׁהִיא הַיּו״ד הַגְּדוֹלָה הַזֹּאת שֶׁנִּדְבְּקָה בָּהּ), was not able to contain and cleave to it (לֹא יָכְלָה לְהַכִּיל וּלְהִדָּבֵק עִמּוֹ), and expelled that light upon the sphere of Tehiru (וּפָלְטָה אוֹר זֶה עַל כַּדּוּר הַטְּהִירוּ), and from it was made the concealed Adam Kadmon upon the Tehiru (וּמִמֶּנּוּ נַעֲשָׂה אָדָם קַדְמָאָה סְתִימָאָה שֶׁעַל הַטְּהִירוּ).