Chapter Seventy (פֶּרֶק שִׁבְעִים)

Since sparks of purity fell below into the Worlds of Beri’ah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah (לִהְיוֹת שֶׁנִּצּוֹצֵי טָהֳרָה נָפְלוּ לְמַטָּה בְּעוֹלָמוֹת בִּי״ע), even though the good was later separated from the refuse (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּתְבָּרֵר אַחַר כָּךְ אוֹכֶל מִתּוֹךְ הַפְּסֹלֶת), by the folding of the legs of Arich, as we will explain in its place (עַל יְדֵי קִפּוּל רַגְלֵי אֲרִיךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר נְבָאָר בִּמְקוֹמוֹ), and the great light was elevated upward (וְהוּא הֶעֱלָה לְמַעְלָה הָאוֹר הַגָּדוֹל), still, there remained sparks of purity as vitality for the Klipot (עֲדַיִן נִשְׁאֲרוּ נִצּוֹצֵי טָהֳרָה לִהְיוֹת חַיּוּת לַקְּלִיפּוֹת). And that which we do in our prayer (וּמַה שֶּׁאֲנַחְנוּ עוֹשִׂים בִּתְפִלָּתֵנוּ), and also the souls of the Tzaddikim when they depart from this world (וְגַם נְשָׁמוֹת שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים כְּשֶׁנִּפְטָרִים מִן הָעוֹלָם), is that they pass through the World of Asiyah (הוּא כִּי עוֹבְרוֹת בְּעוֹלַם הַעֲשִׂיָּה), and raise with them sparks of purity (וּמַעֲלִים עִמָּהֶם נִצּוֹצֵי טָהֳרָה), that are within the Klipah of Asiyah to Yetzirah (אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ קְלִיפַּת עֲשִׂיָּה לִיצִירָה), and likewise from Yetzirah to Beri’ah (וְכֵן מִיצִירָה לִבְרִיאָה), and from Beri’ah to Atzilut (וּמִבְּרִיאָה לַאֲצִילוּת). And in Atzilut itself—from the six extremities (וּבְאֲצִילוּת עַצְמוֹ מִן הַשֵּׁשׁ קְצָווֹת), meaning, from the lights of the broken vessels (פֵּרוּשׁ מֵהַאֲרוֹת הַמָּאֲנִין תְּבִירִין), that remained as a Reshimu of them (שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרוּ בְּרְשִׁימוּ שֶׁלָהֶן), to the first three [Sefirot] until they return to their place (לִשְׁלוֹשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת עַד שֶׁחוֹזְרִים לִמְקוֹמָן). And this is the secret of Mayin Nukvin (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד מַיִּין נוּקְבִין), and the intent is this (וְהַכַּוָּנָה): the souls of the Tzaddikim become Mayin Nukvin above (פֵּרוּשׁ נְפָשׁוֹת הַצַּדִּיקִים נַעֲשִׂין מַיִּין נוּקְבִין לְמַעְלָה), and especially the Ten Martyrs (וּבִפְרָט הָעֲשָׂרָה הֲרוּגֵי מַלְכוּת). Because due to our transgressions the harsh Klipah prevailed (לְפִי שֶׁבַּעֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ גָּבְרָה הַקְּלִיפָּה הַקָּשָׁה), and the world was collapsing and fading (וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם מִתְמוֹטֵט וְהוֹלֵךְ), and there was almost no Mayin Nukvin (וְכִמְעַט לֹא הָיוּ מַיִּין נוּקְבִין). Then they surrendered themselves to the Klipot (וְאָז מָסְרוּ עַצְמָם לַקְּלִיפּוֹת), in the vengeance they wrought upon their bodies (בְּנְקָמָה שֶׁעָשׂוּ בִּגְוִיָּם), and received the punishment with a pleasant countenance (וְקִבְּלוּ הָעוֹנֶשׁ בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים יָפוֹת), and with their souls (וּבְנַפְשׁוֹתֵיהֶם), they elevated sparks of purity upward to their place (הֶעֱלוּ נִצּוֹצֵי טָהֳרָה לְמַעְלָה לִמְקוֹמָם), [after] they had been subdued beneath the Klipot ([לְאַחַר] שֶׁהָיוּ נִכְנָעִים תַּחַת הַקְּלִיפּוֹת). And when they were combing the flesh of Rabbi Akiva, peace be upon him, with iron combs (וּכְשֶׁהָיוּ סוֹרְקִין בְּשָׂרוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא ע״ה בְּמַסְרֵקוֹת שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל), behold, from the breath that came from his mouth in his cry (הִנֵּה מֵהֶבֶל הַיּוֹצֵא מִפִּיו בְּצַעֲקָתוֹ), he would perform a unification (הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה יִחוּד), and break and pierce the Klipot in the atmosphere of the world (וְשׁוֹבֵר וּבוֹקֵעַ הַקְּלִיפּוֹת שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ אוֹוִיר הָעוֹלָם), so that they would not obstruct the ascent of the sparks of purity within them (שֶׁלֹּא יַעַכְּבוּ עֲלִיַּת נִצּוֹצֵי הַטָּהֳרָה שֶׁבְּתוֹכָם). This was his intent (זֹאת הָיְתָה כַּוָּנָתוֹ), not, Heaven forbid, that he was kicking against the sufferings (לֹא חַס וְשָׁלוֹם שֶׁהָיָה בּוֹעֵט בַּיְּסוּרִים). And the angels above, who did not know the secret of their outcry (וּמַלְאֲכֵי מַעְלָה שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ יוֹדְעִים סוֹד צַעֲקָתָם), would ask: “This is Torah and this is its reward?” (הָיוּ שׁוֹאֲלִים: זוֹ תּוֹרָה וְזוֹ שְׂכָרָה), and the Holy One Blessed Be He answered them: “Be silent, so it arose in [My] thought” (וְהֵשִׁיב לָהֶם הקב״ה: שְׁתוֹקוּ, כָּךְ עָלָה בַּמַּחֲשָׁבָה). That is, through this the light of purity arose (פֵּרוּשׁ, עַל יְדֵי כָּךְ עָלָה אוֹר הַטָּהֳרָה), to the place of thought (לִמְקוֹם הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה), which is Atzilut (שֶׁהוּא אֲצִילוּת), from which it was emanated until Chokhmah, which is the thought itself (שֶׁנֶּאֶצְלָה מִמֶּנּוּ עַד חָכְמָה שֶׁהִיא הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה עַצְמָהּ). And how much more so with an imagined act (וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן בְּפֹעַל דִּמְיוֹנִי), where no pain reached them (שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעַ לָהֶם צַעַר), for they directed their intention toward piercing the atmosphere of the Klipah (שֶׁכִּוְּנוּ אֶל בְּקִיעַת אוֹוִיר הַקְּלִיפָּה), the iron barrier separating between Israel and their Father in Heaven (מְחִיצָה שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל הַמַּפְסֶקֶת בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם). And with this is understood the secret of the verse: “Hashem causes death and brings life; He brings down to She’ol and raises up” (1 Samuel 2:6) (וּבָזֶה יוּבַן סוֹד הַפָּסוּק: ה׳ מֵמִית וּמְחַיֶּה, מוֹרִיד שְׁאוֹל וַיָּעַל). That is to say, the blessed God causes the death of the Tzaddik (רָצוֹן לוֹמַר, הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ מֵמִית לַצַּדִּיק), in order to bring to life the sparks of purity that were in the Klipot (לְהַחֲיוֹת נִצּוֹצֵי טָהֳרָה שֶׁהָיוּ בַּקְּלִיפּוֹת), and likewise lowers him to She’ol to raise them (וְכֵן מוֹרִיד אוֹתוֹ לִשְׁאוֹל לְהַעֲלוֹתָם), and through him they merit the World to Come (וְיִזְכּוּ בָהֶם לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא). And the word “ascend” is also valid regarding the Tzaddik himself (וּמִלַּת עָלָה צוֹדֶקֶת גַּם עַל הַצַּדִּיק עַצְמוֹ), whose Neshamah becomes Mayin Nukvin [Female Waters] (שֶׁנִּשְׁמָתוֹ נַעֲשֵׂית מַיִּין נוּקְבִין), and he himself raises the sparks of purity (וְגַם הוּא הַמַּעֲלֶה נִצּוֹצֵי הַטָּהֳרָה), up to Chokhmah of Atzilut, which is Machshavah [Thought] (עַד חָכְמָה דְּאֲצִילוּת שֶׁהִיא הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה). And the word “Machshavah [Thought]” is the same letters as “B’simchah [With Joy]” (וּמִלַּת מַחֲשָׁבָה הִיא אוֹתִיּוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה), for one must accept upon himself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven completely (שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְקַבֵּל עָלָיו עֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם שְׁלֵמָה), and give over his soul for the sanctification of the Name (וּלְמְסוֹר נַפְשׁוֹ עַל קִדּוּשׁ הַשֵּׁם), with love and with joy (בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְשִׂמְחָה). And on this it is said: “For with joy shall you go out, and with peace shall you be led” (כִּי בְשִׂמְחָה תֵצֵאוּ וּבְשָׁלוֹם תּוּבָלוּן) (Isaiah 55:12). Amen and Amen, may it be His will (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן יְהִי כֵן רָצוֹן).