Chapter One (פֶּרֶק רִאשׁוֹן)

he world of Tikkun (עוֹלַם הַתִּיקּוּן) is that which arose in the thought of the Master of Will (הוּא שֶׁעָלָה בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ שֶׁל בַּעַל הָרָצוֹן). The world of destruction (עוֹלַם הֶחָרוּב), the world of Nefesh (עוֹלַם הַנֶּפֶשׁ), with the Neshamot (עִם הַנְּשָׁמוֹת) that previously existed in the world of Tohu (שֶׁהָיוּ לְפָנִים בְּעוֹלַם הַתֹּהוּ), and were destroyed (וְנֶחְרְבוּ) because the evil prevailed within them (אוֹדוֹת שֶׁגָּבְרָה בָהֶם הָרַע), and there was in them no ability to raise the head (וְלֹא הָיָה בָהֶם יְכֹלֶת לְהָרִים רֹאשׁ). And this world became the world of Tikkun (וְזֶה הָעוֹלָם נִהְיֵינוּ עוֹלַם הַתִּיקּוּן), it is the level of the world of Ruach (הוּא מוֹד עוֹלַם הָרוּחַ), and concerning it was said (וְעָלָיו נֶאֱמַר): “And the spirit of Elohim hovered over the face of the waters” (וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם) (Genesis 1). Which are drops of letters (שֶׁהֵם טִפֵּי אוֹתִיּוֹת) of intermixed names (שֶׁל שֵׁמוֹת מְעוֹרָבוֹת), to establish for them measurement (לְתַקֵּן לָהֶם מְדִידָה), in the measure of liquid (בְּמִדַּת הַלַּח) and in the measure of dry substance (וּבְמִדַּת הַיָּבֵשׁ), which were destroyed in the world of Tohu (שֶׁנֶּחְרְבוּ בְּעוֹלַם הַתֹּהוּ), and require Tikkun (וּצְרִיכִים תִּיקּוּן), and there is no Tikkun except in the place where the corruption previously existed (וְאֵין תִּיקּוּן אֶלָּא בַּמָּקוֹם שֶׁהָיָה הַקִּלְקוּל מִקּוֹדֶם). And this world in which we now exist (וְהָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אֲנַחְנוּ בוֹ עַתָּה), is half and half (הוּא מֶחֱצָה עַל מֶחֱצָה), half of it good and half of it evil (מֶחֱצִיתוֹ טוֹב וּמֶחֱצִיתוֹ רַע). And He left before Him blessing (וְהִשְׁאִיר לְפָנָיו בְּרָכָה), which are the secret of the worlds that precede the circle of Tehiru (שֶׁהֵם סוֹד הָעוֹלָמוֹת שֶׁהֵם קוֹדְמִים לְעִיגּוּל הַטְּהִירוּ), that all of them are the secret of Neshamah (שֶׁכֻּלָּם סוֹד נְשָׁמָה), to give strength and intensification (לָתֵת כֹּחַ וְתִגְבּוֹרֶת). For good or for evil (לְטוֹבָה אוֹ לְרָעָה), because of the absence of the Zivug (בְּסִיבַת הֶעְדֵּר הַזִּוּוּג), through which the judgments are sweetened (שֶׁעַל יָדוֹ יוּמְתְּקוּ הַדִּינִין), and when there is no Zivug (וּכְשֶׁאֵין זִוּוּג), the drop of blood of the judgments falls downward (טִפַּת דַּם הַדִּינִין נוֹפֵל לְמַטָּה), a drop of blood like mustard (טִפַּת דַּם כַּחַרְדָּל), which is not sweetened, Heaven forbid (שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִמְתָּק חַס וְשָׁלוֹם), and she must sit over it seven clean days (וְהִיא צְרִיכָה לָשֶׁבֶת עָלָיו שִׁבְעָה נְקִיִּים). And the world is conducted through the attribute of judgment (וְהָעוֹלָם מִתְנַהֵג בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין). They are the days when a woman is not in purity for her husband (הֵם הַיָּמִים שֶׁלֹּא בְטָהֳרָה אִשָּׁה לְבַעְלָהּ), like the fifty days of the counting of the Omer (כְּמוֹ הַחֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם שֶׁל סְפִירַת הָעוֹמֶר), concerning which it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר): “And you shall count for yourselves” (וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם) (Leviticus 23), and concerning the Niddah it is said (וְאֵצֶל נִדָּה נֶאֱמַר): “And she shall count for herself” (וְסָפְרָה לָהּ) (Leviticus 15). And concerning that time it is said (וְעַל אוֹתוֹ הַזְּמַן נֶאֱמַר): “And on the day of evil, see” (וּבְיוֹם רָעָה רְאֵה) (Ecclesiastes 7), that the attribute of judgment should not strike you (שֶׁלֹּא יִפְגַּע בְּךָ מִדַּת הַדִּין), just as it struck the disciples of Rabbi Akiva during that time (כְּמוֹ שֶׁפָּגַע בְּתַלְמִידֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא בְּאוֹתוֹ זְמַן). And concerning this it is said (וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר): “I will surely conceal My face from them on that day” (הַסְתֵּר אַסְתִּיר פָּנַי מֵהֶם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא) (Deuteronomy 31). And all is conducted through the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (וְהַכֹּל מִתְנַהֵג עַל יְדֵי עֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע), according to the measure of the deeds of the lower beings (כְּפִי מִשְׁקַל מַעֲשֵׂה הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים), and every Partzuf preceding its fellow (וְכָל פַּרְצוּף הַקוֹדֵם אֶל חֲבֵרוֹ), is greater in Chesed and goodness than its fellow beneath it (הוּא יוֹתֵר חֶסֶד וָטוֹב מֵחֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁתַּחְתָּיו). And the completion of the Tikkun of this world (וּגְמַר תִּיקּוּן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה) is to make from evil good (לַעֲשׂוֹת מֵרַע טוֹב), until it shall become entirely good (עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כֻּלוֹ טוֹב), as it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר): “And he shall not exchange it, good for evil” (וְלֹא יָמִיר אֹתוֹ טוֹב בְּרָע) (Leviticus 27), “And if he shall surely exchange” (וְאִם הָמֵר יָמִיר) (Leviticus 27), “Then both it and its substitute shall be holy” (וְהָיָה הוּא וּתְמוּרָתוֹ יִהְיֶה קֹדֶשׁ) (Leviticus 27). And afterward there shall be a new world, the world of Neshamah (וְאַחֲרָיו יִהְיֶה עוֹלָם חָדָשׁ עוֹלַם הַנְּשָׁמָה), which is entirely good (שֶׁכֻּלוֹ טוֹב), Shabbat and rest for the Life of the Worlds (שַׁבָּת וּמְנוּחָה לְחַי עוֹלָמִים), and it is said (וְנֶאֱמַר): “And Hashem alone shall be exalted on that day” (וְנִשְׂגַּב יְ־יָ לְבַדּוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא) (Isaiah 2).