Chapter Twenty-Nine (פֶּרֶק עֶשְׂרִים וְתִשְׁעָה)

And now we will explain the letter Bet (וְעַכְשָׁיו נְפָרֵשׁ אוֹת הַבֵּית): Know that the point of Yod expanded in breadth, to the right side (דַּע שֶׁנְּקוּדַּת יוּ״ד נִתְפַּשְׁטָה לְרָחְבָּהּ לְצַד יָמִין), until the place of its boundary, which is a finger by a finger in a square (עַד מְקוֹם גְּבוּלָהּ, שֶׁהוּא אֶצְבַּע עַל אֶצְבַּע בְּרִבּוּעַ). And for this reason, the Tefillin of Shimusha Rabbah (וּלְזֶה הַתְּפִילִּין שֶׁל שִׁימוּשָׁא רַבָּא), each letter is a finger by a finger (כָּל אוֹת הִיא אֶצְבַּע עַל אֶצְבַּע), and its secret is the Name Ahuvah in its full spelling, whose gematria is finger (163) (וְסוֹדוֹ הוּא שֵׁם אַהוּוֶה גִּימַטְרִיָּא בְּמִלּוּאוֹ: א׳ל׳ף ה׳י וי׳ו׳ ה׳י אֶצְבַּע). And they are the fingers of the letters (וְהֵם הָאֶצְבָּעוֹת הָאוֹתִיּוֹת), in the hands of Arich, which are concealed within Abba and Imma (בְּיָדַיִם שֶׁל אֲרִיךְ, הַמְּכֻסִּים בְּאַבָּא וְאִמָּא), and this is the secret of the Tefillin according to the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד תְּפִילִּין שֶׁל סְבָרַת רַבֵּינוּ תָם), which are drawn from the World of the Malbush [Garment] (שֶׁנִּמְשָׁכִים מֵעוֹלַם הַלְּבוּשׁ), by way of the thread of Ein Sof descending upon the head of Arich Anpin and giving life to all the Worlds (דֶּרֶךְ חוּט אֵין סוֹף הַיוֹרֵד עַל רֹאשׁ אֲרִיךְ אַנְפִּין וּמְחַיֶּה כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת). And in the time of favor, Ze’ir receives from these letters (וּבְעֵת רָצוֹן מְקַבֵּל זְעֵיר מִן הָאוֹתִיּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה), especially at the Minchah hour of Shabbat (וּבִפְרָט שַׁעַת מִנְחָה שֶׁל שַׁבָּת), about which it is said (וַאֲשֶׁר עָלֶיהָ נֶאֱמַר): “But as for me, my prayer is to You, Hashem, a time of favor” (וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּתִי לְךָ ה׳ עֵת רָצוֹן) (Psalms 69:14). And since the aforementioned Yod expanded in the width of a finger (וּכְיוֹן שֶׁהַיּוּ״ד הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת נִתְפַּשְׁטָה בְּרֹחַב אֶצְבַּע), it had no place to expand further (לֹא הָיָה לָהּ מָקוֹם לְהִתְפַּשֵּׁט יוֹתֵר). And after this line expanded in breadth and not in length, as mentioned (וְאַחַר שֶׁנִּתְפַּשֵּׁט הַקַּו הַזֶּה בְּרֹחַב וְלֹא בְּאֹרֶךְ כַּנִּזְכָּר), the light of the line increased and extended (נִתְרַבֶּה אוֹר הַקַּו וְנִמְשַׁךְ), that is (הֵינוּ), from it extended a single straight line downward in length (נִתְפַּשֵּׁט מִמֶּנּוּ קַו אֶחָד יָשָׁר בְּאֹרֶךְ לְמַטָּה), and it expanded to the measure of two fingers and a little more (וְנִתְפַּשֵּׁט כְּשִׁעוּר שְׁתֵּי אֶצְבָּעוֹת וְיוֹתֵר מְעַט), which was one finger more than its lower boundary (שֶׁהָיָה אֶצְבַּע אֶחָד יוֹתֵר מִגְּבוּלוֹ לְמַטָּה). And since it had neither permission nor capacity to remain in that downward expansion (וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה לָהּ רְשׁוּת וִיכוֹלֶת לַעֲמוֹד בְּאוֹתוֹ הַהִתְפַּשְׁטוּת לְמַטָּה), it returned and bent back against the upper roof (חָזַר וְנִכְפַל נֶגֶד הַגַּג הָעֶלְיוֹן), and thus became the shape of the Bet (וְנַעֲשֵׂית הַבֵּית). And since it was slightly longer than the upper roof (וּלְהִיוֹת שֶׁהָיָה יוֹתֵר אָרוֹךְ מְעַט מִן הַגַּג הָעֶלְיוֹן), that excess bent backward (חָזְרָה לְאָחוֹר אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹתֵר), and became the Chototeret [Crown-Spur] (וְנַעֲשֵׂית חַטּוֹטֶרֶת).