Chapter Thirty (פֶּרֶק שְׁלוֹשִׁים)

And let us come to the letter Gimel (וְנָבוֹא לְאוֹת הַגִּימֵ״ל). And know that the beginning of the Gimel is a Yod (וְדַע שֶׁהַגִּימֵ״ל תְּחִלָּתוֹ יוּ״ד), and from it was extended a single straight line downward (וְנִתְפַּשֵּׁט מִמֶּנָּה קַו אֶחָד יָשָׁר לְמַטָּה), which was like a long final Nun (שֶׁהָיְתָה כְּמוֹ ן אֲרוּכָה). And with this is resolved a great difficulty in the introduction to the Zohar Katan (וּבְזֶה יִתָּרוּץ קוּשְׁיָא אַחַת עֲצוּמָה בְּהַקְדָּמַת הַזֹּהַר קָטָן), and this is its language (וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ): “Seven letters of the Alef-Bet which were not sanctified and were moist, and from them was created light” (שִׁבְעָא אַתְוָון דְּאַלְפָּא בֵּיתָא דְּלָא אִתְקַדִּישׁוּ וְלִיחִין הֲווֹ, וְאִתְבְּרְיָיאוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ אוֹר). And the explanation of the matter (וּפֵירוּשָׁא דְּמִלְּתָא): That the seven letters of the Alef-Bet which are Alef Bet Nun Kuf Dalet Mem Yod (שֶׁז׳ אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל אַלְפָּא בֵּיתָא שֶׁהֵם אַ״ב״ן ק״ד״מ״י), which equal the numerical value of Ohr (Light), from them was created the light (שֶׁעוֹלִים כְּמִנְיָן אוֹר, נִבְרָא מֵהֶם הָאוֹר). And if you should ask why were the letters of the Alef-Bet not taken in the order Alef Bet Gimel Dalet Hei Vav Zayin (וְאִם תֹּאמַר לָמָּה לֹא לָקַח אוֹתִיּוֹת אַלְפָּא בֵּיתָא כְּסֵדֶר א״ב״ג״ד״ה״ו״ז), the answer lies in the aforementioned introduction (אֶלָּא יִתָּרוּץ בַּהַקְדָּמָה הַזֹּאת שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), namely that immediately after the Bet (דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁתֵּכֶף אַחַר דְּהַבֵּית), the point spread out in the secret of the final Nun (נִשְׁטַטְּחָה הַנְּקוּדָּה בְּסוֹד ן), that is, the letters Alef Bet Nun (הֵינוּ אוֹתִיּוֹת אַ״ב״ן). Therefore it said they were moist and not congealed (לְכָךְ אָמַר: לִיחִין הֲווֹ וְלָא אִתְקָרִישׁוּ), meaning the line was flattened immediately after the emergence of the point (הַיְנוּ שֶׁנִּשְׁטַטַּח הַקַּו תֵּכֶף וּמִיָּד אַחַר הוֹלֶדֶת הַנְּקוּדָּה). Because of the Tzimtzum (בַּעֲבוּר הַצִּמְצוּם), and also when the letters descended below (וְגַם כְּשֶׁיָּרְדוּ הָאוֹתִיּוֹת לְמַטָּה), they did not descend in order but rather in mixture (לֹא יָרְדוּ כְּסֵדֶר כִּי אִם בַּעֲרָבוּבְיָא), therefore they were not congealed (וְלָכֵן לָא אִתְקָרִישׁוּ), meaning they were not fixed or settled in their proper structure (הַיְנוּ לֹא נִתְיַשְּׁבוּ עַל מִתְּכוֹנְתָם), and thus “they were not congealed” (וְלָכֵן לֹא אִתְקָרִישׁוּ).

And let us return to the matter of the Gimel (וְנָחֲזוֹר לְעִנְיַן הַגִּימֵ״ל): that after it spread out like a Nun (שֶׁאַחַר שֶׁנִּתְפַּשְׁטָה כְּמוֹ נוּ״ן), and went beyond its boundary downward (וְיָצְאָה מִגְּבוּלָהּ לְמַטָּה), it returned upward, as the Bet had done (חָזְרָה לְמַעְלָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשְׂתָה הַבֵּית). Except that the Bet had a large roof (אֶלָּא שֶׁהַבֵּית הָיָה לָהּ גַּג גָּדוֹל), and therefore the lower roof, when it was spread out and folded, was equal to the upper roof (וְלָזֶה הַגַּג הַתַּחְתּוֹן כְּשֶׁנִּתְפַּשֵּׁט וְנִכְפַל הָיָה שָׁוֶה לַגַּג הָעֶלְיוֹן). However, the Gimel has a small roof (אֲבָל הַגִּימֵ״ל הַגַּג שֶׁלָּהּ קָטָן), and it is impossible for the long line to fold into a small curve like its roof (וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לַקַּו הָאָרוֹךְ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה כֶּפֶל קָטָן כְּמוֹ הַגַּג שֶׁלָּהּ), and therefore the lower folded line became medium in size (וְלָכֵן נַעֲשָׂה הַקַּו הַכְּפוּלָה הַתַּחְתּוֹן בֵּינוֹנִי). The middle part on the bottom ascended slightly upward and pulled the lower roof (הָאֶמְצָעִי שֶׁל מַטָּה עָלָה מְעַט לְמַעְלָה וּמָשַׁךְ אֶת הַגַּג הַתַּחְתּוֹן), and the little that remained below is the tail of the Gimel (וְהַמְּעָט שֶׁנִּשְׁאָר לְמַטָּה הוּא זְנַב הַגִּימֵ״ל).