Chapter One (פֶּרֶק רִאשׁוֹן)

ecause His blessed Wisdom saw (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁרָאָתָה חָכְמָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ), that even within this Tehiru, the worlds were still unable to be revealed in it (שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ בְּתוֹךְ טְהִירוּ זֶה, לֹא הָיוּ יְכוֹלִים הָעוֹלָמוֹת לְהִתְגַּלּוֹת בּוֹ), for the light was still too great and subtle (שֶׁעֲדַיִין הָאוֹר גָּדוֹל וְדַק), therefore He again hinted to this Yod (לָכֵן חָזַר וְרָמַז לַיּו״ד הַזֹּאת), that it should return and descend and pierce the sphere of the Tehiru to shine its light, which is a more coarse light (שֶׁתַּחְזוֹר וְתֵרֵד וּתְבַקַּע כַּדּוּר הַטְּהִירוּ לְהָאִיר אוֹרָהּ, שֶׁהוּא אוֹר יוֹתֵר עָב). And even so, this second light was still so great that the world could not use it either (וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן הָיָה הָאוֹר הַשֵּׁנִי הַזֶּה כָּל כָּךְ גָּדוֹל, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה הָעוֹלָם גַּם בָּזֶה יָכוֹל לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בּוֹ), until the Holy One, blessed be He, had to again hint to the aforementioned Yod (עַד שֶׁהָיָה צָרִיךְ הקב״ה לִרְמֹז פַּעַם שֵׁנִית לַיּו״ד הַנִּזְכָּרֶת), that it should return and descend and shine within the aforementioned Tehiru (כְּדֵי שֶׁתַּחְזוֹר וְתֵרֵד וְתָאִיר תּוֹךְ טְהִירוּ הַנִּזְכָּר). And this was in order that the light would become more coarse, and then return above the sphere (וְזוֹת כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּהְיֶה הָאוֹר יוֹתֵר עָב, וְתָחֳזֹר לְמַעְלָה מֵהַכַּדּוּר), and so she did (וְכֵן עָשְׂתָה). And from that second return, after it had pierced the sphere and entered it (וּמֵאוֹתוֹ הַחֲזָרָה שֵׁנִית אַחַר שֶׁבָּקְעָה בַּכַּדּוּר וְנִכְנְסָה בּוֹ), there was formed within this Tehiru one sphere called Keter (נִתְהַוָּה בְּתוֹךְ טְהִירוּ זֶה כַּדּוּר אֶחָד הַנִּקְרָא כֶּתֶר), in which were included all the other Sefirot in potential (שֶׁבּוֹ הָיוּ כְּלוּלוֹת כָּל שְׁאָר הַסְּפִירוֹת בְּכֹחַ), and they were not distinguishable (שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ נִכָּרוֹת). Meaning, by way of example, just as in a person there are four elements in potential (רְצוֹנִי לוֹמַר עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבָּאָדָם יֵשׁ בּוֹ ד׳ יְסוֹדוֹת בְּכֹחַ), but they are not discernible in particular (אֲבָל אֵינָם נִכָּרִים בִּפְרָטוּת), so too this Keter had in it in potential all ten Sefirot (כֵּן הַכֶּתֶר הַזֶּה הָיוּ בּוֹ בְּכֹחַ כָּל הָעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת), and they were not discernible in particular (וְלֹא הָיוּ נִכָּרִים בִּפְרָטוּת). And from the power of these returns, the aforementioned Yod arranged letters and words in reverse (וּמִכֹּחַ הַחֲזָרוֹת הָאֵלֶּה הֵצִיבָה הַיּו״ד הַנִּזְכָּרֶת אוֹתִיּוֹת וּתְבוֹת מְהֻפָּכוֹת), of judgment combined in reverse (שֶׁל דִּין הַמְצֻרָף לְאָחוֹר), such as the verse Vayavo in the Name of Ayin–Beit (כְּגוֹן פָּסוּק שֶׁל וַיָּבֹא בְּשֵׁם ע״ב), and like Tashrak (וְכְמוֹ תַּשְׁרַ״ק). And from this was formed the shattering of the vessels and the Klipot (וּמִזֶּה נִתְהַוָּה שְׁבִירַת הַכֵּלִים וְהַקְּלִיפּוֹת).