Chapter Twelve (פֶּרֶק שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר)

Why is it called Reisha DeLa Ityada [the Unknowable Head] (לָמָּה נִקְרָא רֵישָׁא דְלָא אִתְיְדַע), and why in the Zohar is it called Reisha DeLa Yada and DeLa Ityada [the Head that does not know and is not known] (וְלָמָּה בַּזֹּהַר נִקְרָא רֵישָׁא דְלָא־יְדַע וְדְלָא אִתְיְדַע)? To allude (לִרְמוֹז), that even Reisha DeLa Ityada [the Unknowable Head] itself (שֶׁגַּם הָרֵישָׁא דְלָא אִתְיְדַע עַצְמוֹ), does not know its own essence (אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ עַצְמוּתוֹ), and the essence of the Ein Sof within it (וּמַהוּת הָאֵין סוֹף שֶׁבּוֹ). And because Reisha DeLa Ityada [the Unknowable Head] is Keter within Keter (וְלִהְיוֹת שֶׁרֵישָׁא דְלָא אִתְיְדַע הוּא כֶּתֶר שֶׁבְּכֶתֶר), which is the head of Atzilut (שֶׁהוּא רֹאשׁ הָאֲצִילוּת), therefore it is called Reisha [Head] (לָזֶה נִקְרָא רֵישָׁא). And it is also called DeLa Ityada [not known] (וְנִקְרָא גַּם כֵּן דְלָא אִתְיְדַע), for two reasons (לִב׳ סִבּוֹת): the first (הָרִאשׁוֹן), that because of the abundance of its purity and subtlety (שֶׁמֵּרֹב זַכּוּתוֹ וְדַקּוּתוֹ), it is not known within Reisha DeEin [the Head of Nothingness] (לֹא נוֹדַע בְּתוֹךְ רֵישָׁא דְאַיִן), and even Reisha DeEin [the Head of Nothingness] itself (וְגַם רֵישָׁא דְאַיִן עַצְמָהּ), does not grasp to know the essence of Reisha DeLa Ityada [the Unknowable Head] (אֵינָהּ מַשֶּׂגֶת לָדַעַת מַהוּת רֵישָׁא דְלָא אִתְיְדַע), even though it is within it (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִיא בְּתוֹכָהּ), like a person who does not recognize his Neshamah (כְּאָדָם שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַכִּיר אֶת נִשְׁמָתוֹ), but he himself (אֲבָל הוּא עַצְמוֹ), perhaps knows somewhat of the light of his essence (אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ קְצָת הָאוֹר שֶׁל עַצְמוּתוֹ). And this is the distinction between DeLa Yada [does not know] and DeLa Ityada [is not known] (וְזֶהוּ הַהֶפְרֵשׁ שֶׁבֵּין דְלָא־יְדַע וּבֵין דְלָא־אִתְיְדַע), for DeLa Yada [does not know] (כִּי דְלָא־יְדַע) means to say (רָצָה לוֹמַר): he himself does not know the light within himself in completeness (הוּא עַצְמוֹ אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ הָאוֹר שֶׁבְּתוֹכוֹ בִּשְׁלֵמוּת), according to its full structure until the ultimate extremity (עַל מַתְכּוּנְתוֹ עַד הַקָּצֶה הָאַחֲרוֹן), but perhaps he knows part of it (אֲבָל קְצָתוֹ אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ), this is the explanation of DeLa Yada [does not know] (זֶהוּ פֵּרוּשׁ דְלָא יְדַע). But DeLa Ityada [is not known] (אֲבָל דְלָא אִתְיְדַע), refers to others (קָאֵי עַל אֲחֵרִים), who do not know at all whatsoever that which is within it (שֶׁאֵינָם יוֹדְעִים כְּלָל וְעִיקָר מַה שֶּׁבְּתוֹכוֹ), not all of it and not part of it (אֲפִלּוּ קְצָתוֹ לָא מִנֵּיהּ וְלָא מִקְצָתֵיהּ), even though it is not as powerful as at the beginning (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ כָּל כָּךְ חָזָק כְּמוֹ מִתְּחִלָּה), in its descent and expansion below (בִּירִידָתוֹ וְהִתְפַּשְּׁטוּתוֹ לְמַטָּה). Nevertheless (מִכָּל מָקוֹם), the others possess no knowledge whatsoever of it (הָאֲחֵרִים אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים שׁוּם יְדִיעָה מִמֶּנּוּ).

The Gate of Adam Kadma’ah, in general

שַׁעַר אָדָם קַדְמָאָה סְתָם