Chapter Thirteen (פֶּרֶק שְׁלוֹשָׁה עָשָׂר)

Before the influx went out into the vessels (קֹדֶם שֶׁיָּצָא הַשֶּׁפַע אֶל הַכֵּלִים), that is, the aforementioned Sefirot (דּהַיְנוּ הַסְּפִירוֹת הַנִּזְכָּרוֹת), to make inner and surrounding light (לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹר פְּנִימִי וּמַקִּיף), His blessed Wisdom decreed (גָּזְרָה חָכְמָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ) that these seven Sefirot, from Chesed and downward (שֶׁאֵלּוּ הַז׳ סְפִירוֹת מֵחֶסֶד וּלְמַטָּה), would experience nullification and breaking (יִגִּיעַ לָהֶם בִּטּוּל וּשְׁבִירָה), through the abundance of light (מִכֹּחַ רִבּוּיֵי הָאוֹר). And it was in His blessed intention (וְהָיְתָה בְּכַוָּנָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ) to create from them the evil worlds (לִבְרוֹא מֵהֶם עוֹלָמוֹת הָרָעִים), but the first three would have existence and endurance (אֲבָל הַשָּׁלוֹשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת יִהְיֶה לָהֶם קִיּוּם וְהַעֲמָדָה), so that there would not be, Heaven forbid, crowns and Chokhmot and Binot for the Klipot (כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם לַקְּלִיפּוֹת כְּתָרִים וְחָכְמוֹת וּבִינוֹת), that is, the Mochin (דּהַיְנוּ הַמּוֹחִין). And it has already been said (וּכְבָר נֶאֱמַר): “And I shall destroy the wise men from Edom and understanding from the mount of Esav” (Obadiah 1:8) (וְהֶאֱבַדְתִּי חֲכָמִים מֵאֱדוֹם וּתְבוּנָה מֵהַר עֵשָׂו), and it is nothing but like a monkey who wishes to imitate man in all his actions (וְאֵינוֹ אֶלָּא כַּקּוֹף הָרוֹצֶה לְדַמּוֹת עַצְמוֹ בְּכָל מַעֲשָׂיו לִבְנֵי אָדָם), without intellect and understanding (בְּלִי שֵׂכֶל וּתְבוּנָה). And because of this, Shlomo the King, peace be upon him, called him “an old and foolish king” (וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה קָרָאוֹ שְׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם ״מֶלֶךְ זָקֵן וּכְסִיל״) (Ecclesiastes 4:13), for this foolishness he has been doing since the six days of Bereshit (שֶׁהַשְּׁטוּת הַזֶּה עוֹשֶׂה מִשֵּׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית), and he does not abandon his foolishness (וְאֵינוֹ מַנִּיחַ שִׁטְתוֹ), even though he sees that they do not let him hold any spark of holiness (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁרוֹאֶה שֶׁאֵין מַנִּיחִין בְּיָדוֹ שׁוּם נִצּוֹץ קְדֻשָּׁה), even though it is by him temporarily due to some sin (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא אֶצְלוֹ לְפִי שָׁעָה בְּסִיבַּת אֵיזֶה חֵטְא). As it is said: “He prepares, but the Tzaddik shall wear it” (Job 27:17) (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "יָכִין וְצַדִּיק יִלְבָּשׁ"). Like the garments of Adam haRishon, which were taken by Nimrod and Esav (כְּמוֹ מַלְבּוּשָׁיו שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁלָּקְחָם נִמְרוֹד וְעֵשָׂו), and Ya'akov, who is the Tikkun of Adam, took them (וְיַעֲקֹב שֶׁהוּא תִּקּוּן אָדָם לְקָחָם). And it is the garment of the soul, which is called Tzelem Elohim [The Image of God] (וְהוּא הַלְּבוּשׁ שֶׁל הַנֶּשָׁמָה הַנִּקְרָא צֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים), and from this comes (שֶׁמִּזֶּה יַגִּיעַ): “And your fear and dread shall be upon all the beasts of the earth” (Bereshit 9:2) (וּמוֹרַאֲכֶם וְחִתְּכֶם יִהְיֶה עַל כָּל חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ), and adjacent to it is written: “In the image of Elohim He created him” (Bereshit 1:27) (וּסְמִיךְ לֵיהּ: "בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ"). And therefore, every beast that saw the garments of Adam haRishon would immediately submit itself and be caught (וְלָכֵן כָּל חַיָּה שֶׁרָאֲתָה בִּגְדֵי אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן מִיָּד הָיְתָה מַכְנִיעָה עַצְמָהּ וְנִתְפֶּשֶׂת). And when there is some sin, that is, eating meat with milk (וּכְשֶׁיֵּשׁ אֵיזֶה חֵטְא, דְּהַיְינוּ אֲכִילַת בָּשָׂר בַּחָלָב), the Tzelem [Image] departs from him (הוֹלֵךְ מִמֶּנּוּ הַצֶּלֶם), and immediately the beasts of the field can overpower him (וְתֵכֶף וּמִיָּד יָכְלוּ לוֹ חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה). Therefore Daniel was saved from the lions’ den (וְלָכֵן דָּנִיֵּאל נִצּוֹל מִגּוֹב אֲרָיוֹת), for the food of Nevukhadnetzar was always meat with milk (לִהְיוֹת שֶׁמַּאֲכָלוֹ שֶׁל נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר הָיָה תָּמִיד בָּשָׂר בַּחָלָב), and he guarded himself from eating anything of the meal of Nevukhadnetzar the wicked (וְהוּא נִשְׁמַר מֵאֲכִילָה שׁוּם דָּבָר מִסְּעוּדָתוֹ שֶׁל נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר הָרָשָׁע). As it is said: “that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s food” (Daniel 1:8) (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִתְגָּאַל בְּפַת בַּג הַמֶּלֶךְ"), and they ate seeds and water (וְאָכְלוּ זֵרְעוֹנִים וּמַיִם). Therefore the Tzelem [Image] did not depart from him, and he was saved from the lions’ den (לְכָךְ הַצֶּלֶם לֹא זָז מִמֶּנּוּ, וְנִצּוֹל מִגּוֹב אֲרָיוֹת). See Zohar Mishpatim (128b) (עַיֵּן זֹהַר מִּשְׁפָּטִים).