Chapter Sixteen (פֶּרֶק שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר)

And know (וְדַע) that the first three Nekudot [Points] were at first extended like a straight line (כִּי שָׁלֹשׁ נְקֻדוֹת רִאשׁוֹנוֹת נִתְפַּשְּׁטוּ תְּחִלָּה כְּעֵין קַו יָשָׁר), in the secret of the Ta'am [Cantillation Mark] called Shalshelet (בְּסוֹד הַטַּעַם הַנִּקְרָא שַׁלְשֶׁלֶת), in which the Nekudot [Points] are drawn down one beneath the other (שֶׁהַנְּקֻדוֹת מִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוֹת זוֹ לְמַטָּה מִזּוֹ), and then the face of Binah was opposite the Achorayim [Backside] of Chokhmah (וְאָז הָיָה פְּנֵי הַבִּינָה מוּל אֲחוֹרֵי הַחָכְמָה). For each Sefirah of these three had its face toward its source (כִּי כָל סְפִירָה מִשָּׁלוֹשׁ אֵלֶּה הָיָה פָּנֶיהָ נֶגֶד מְקוֹרָהּ), that is (דְּהַיְינוּ), the face of Keter was toward Ein Sof, blessed be He (הַפָּנִים שֶׁל כֶּתֶר הָיָה נֶגֶד אֵין־סוֹף ב״ה), and the face of Chokhmah toward the face of Keter (וּפְנֵי הַחָכְמָה אֶל פְּנֵי הַכֶּתֶר), and even though it is in truth the Achorayim [Backside] of Keter (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא בֶאֱמֶת אֲחוֹרֵי הַכֶּתֶר), nonetheless it is called “face” (עַל כָּל זֹאת יִקָּרֵא פָּנִים), for there is no aspect of Achorayim [Backside] in the Nekudah [Point] of Keter at all (כִּי אֵין בְּנְקֻדַּת הַכֶּתֶר מִדַּת אֲחוֹרַיִים בְּעֶצֶם), since it is simple Rachamim [Mercies] (לְפִי שֶׁהִיא רַחֲמִים פְּשׁוּטִים). And the face of Binah was opposite the back of Chokhmah (וּפְנֵי הַבִּינָה הָיָה מוּל אֲחוֹרֵי הַחָכְמָה), and lest it be broken, Heaven forbid, from being so distant from the root (וּפֶן תִּשָּׁבֵר חַס וְשָׁלוֹם מֵהִיוֹתָהּ כָּל כָּךְ רְחוֹקָה אֶל הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ), permission was granted to the line of the Tzadi Peshutah mentioned above (הוּרְשָׁה הַקַּו שֶׁל הַץ פְּשׁוּטָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת לְמַעְלָה), to raise the third ring near the second ring (לְהַגְבִּיהַ הַטַּבַּעַת הַשְּׁלִישִׁית בְּסָמוּךְ לְטַבַּעַת הַשֵּׁנִית), and to form the likeness of two shoulders, Chokhmah and Binah (וּלְצַיֵּיר כְּעֵין ב׳ כְּתֵפַיִם, חָכְמָה וּבִינָה), beneath the head, which is Keter (תַּחַת הָרֹאשׁ שֶׁהִיא הַכֶּתֶר), and the two shoulders are the Yod and the Rosh of the Vav of (וּשְׁתֵּי כְּתֵפַיִם, הֵם הַיוּ״ד, וְרֵישָׁא דּוָי״ו שֶׁל), the Tzadi (הַצַּדִּי), and the Tzadi becomes bent like this: (וְנַעֲשֵׂית צַדִּי כְּפוּפָה כָּזֹאת: צ׳). And there is in this both leniency and stringency (וְיֵשׁ בָּזֶה לְהָקֵל וּלְהַחְמִיר), for from the fact that Binah was elevated next to Chokhmah (כִּי מִמָּה שֶׁנִּתְעַלַּת בִּינָה אֵצֶל חָכְמָה), she became distanced from the Dinim [Judgments] (נִתְרַחֲקָה מֵהַדִּינִין), and the face of both of them was toward Keter (וּפְנֵי שְׁתֵּיהֶן אֶל הַכֶּתֶר), and in the Nekudah [Point] of Keter there is no aspect of Achorayim [Backside] at all (וְאֵין בְּנְקוּדַּת הַכֶּתֶר מִדַּת אֲחוֹרַיִים בְּעֶצֶם), for it is simple Rachamim [Mercies] (לְפִי שֶׁהִיא רַחֲמִים פְּשׁוּטִים). But from the fact that afterward there were two kings drawing from one Keter (אֲבָל מִמָּה שֶׁהָיוּ אַחַר כָּךְ שְׁנֵי מְלָכִים יוֹנְקִים מִכֶּתֶר אֶחָד), and not only that, but that Binah's gaze was upon Keter and Chokhmah (וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁצְּפִיּיַת הַבִּינָה בַּכֶּתֶר וּבַחָכְמָה), this would be a total nullification of her Dinim [Judgments] (יִהְיֶה בִּטּוּל גָּמוּר לְדִינֶיהָ), such that there would be no weakening of power at all (שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה שׁוּם חֲלִישׁוּת הַכֹּחַ), and also the Shefa [Abundance] that was meant to come to the seven Sefirot would be exceedingly sweetened (וְגַם הַשֶּׁפַע שֶׁהָיָה רָאוּי לָבוֹא אֶל ז׳ סְפִירוֹת הָיָה מְמוּתָק בְּיוֹתֵר), and it would not cause damage in the secret of Shevirah [Breaking] (וְלֹא הָיָה מַזִּיק בְּסוֹד שְׁבִירָה), and this was not the intention of the one who arranges it (וְלֹא כֵן כַּוָּנַת הַמְכַוֵּן). Therefore it was said to her: “Go forth in the footsteps of the flock” (Song of Songs 1:8) (לָכֵן נֶאֱמַר לָהּ: ״צְאִי לָךְ בְּעִקְבֵי הַצֹּאן״), to the backside of His feet (לְצַד אָחוֹר מְרַגְּלוֹתָיו), and this is the secret of the bent Tzadi and the straight Tzadi (וְהוּא סוֹד צ׳ כְּפוּפָה וְצ׳ פְּשׁוּטָה), and the intention is that she should turn to her left (וְהַכַּוָּנָה שֶׁתִּפְנֶה לִשְׂמֹאלָה), for one who eats that which is not his, it is fitting to be ashamed to look p2-0(כִּי מַאן דְּאָכִיל דְּלָאו דִילֵיהּ בָּהֵית לְאִסְתַּכָּלִי בֵיהּ). For prior to this, at the time of her ascent upward (כִּי קֹדֶם זֶה בִּזְמַן הֲלִיכָתָהּ לְמַעְלָה), she was face to back for a short while (הָיְתָה פָּנִים בְּאֲחוֹר לְפִי שָׁעָה), and afterward she turned her face away and was no longer able to gaze into Chokhmah (וְאַחַר כָּךְ הָפְכָה פָּנֶיהָ וְלֹא יָכְלָה לְהִסְתַּכֵּל בַּחָכְמָה), and yet the bond of her back with the back of Chokhmah, and her closeness above, saved her from the Shevirah [Breaking] (וְעַדַּיִן דִּיבּוּק אֲחוֹרֶיהָ בַּאֲחוֹרֵי הַחָכְמָה וּקְרֹבוֹתֶיהָ לְמַעְלָה יַצִּילוּ אוֹתָהּ מִן הַשְּׁבִירָה). And specifically in the World of Nekudot [Points], as here (וּדְוַק בְּעוֹלַם הַנְּקֻדוֹת כִּי הָכָא), there are turnings of backs, whether little or much, between Chokhmah and Binah (יֵשׁ פְּנִיוֹת אֲחוֹרַיִים אִם מְעַט וְאִם הַרְבֵּה בֵּין חָכְמָה לְבִינָה), but in the World of Tikkun they are always face to face (אֲבָל בְּעוֹלַם הַתִּקּוּן הֵן לְעוֹלָם פָּנִים בְּפָנִים), “The arms above are never separated forever” (דְּרֵעִין דְּלְעֵילָא לָא מִתְפָּרְשִׁין לְעָלְמִין), as I shall explain with the help of Heaven (כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבָאֵר בְּסִיַּיעְתָּא דִשְׁמַיָּא).