Chapter Twenty-Six (פֶּרֶק עֶשְׂרִים וְשִׁשָּׁה)

And you must know that this influx which descended to the ten Sefirot of the World of Tohu (וְצָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת שֶׁהַשֶּׁפַע הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר יָרַד לַעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת שֶׁל עוֹלַם הַתֹּהוּ) is the secret of the multitude of letters that came forth from above, from the World of the Garment (הוּא סוֹד רִיבּוּי הָאוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִלְמַעְלָה מֵעוֹלַם הַמַלְבּוּשׁ), for the light of Ein Sof is attached to them (לִהְיוֹת שֶׁהָאוֹר הָאֵין־סוֹף דָּבוּק בָּהֶם), and it is without limit (וְהוּא בִּלְתִּי בַּעַל תַּכְלִית). So too, the letters that come from the light of His garment are infinite (כֵּן הָאוֹתִיּוֹת הַבָּאִים מֵאוֹר לְבוּשׁוֹ הֵם בִּלְתִּי תַּכְלִית), and the principal letters multiply and are filled by their milui to no end (וְאוֹתִיּוֹת הָעִיקָּרִיּוֹת מִתְרַבּוֹת וּמִתְמַלְּאוֹת מִמִּלּוּאֵיהֶן עַד אֵין־סוֹף). And these letters expanded within the spherical vessels of the Sefirot (וְאֵלּוּ הָאוֹתִיּוֹת הָיוּ מִתְרַחֲבִים בְּתוֹךְ הַכַּדוּרִיִּים שֶׁל כְּלֵי הַסְּפִירוֹת), which enclose the inner light within them (הַסּוֹגְרִים הָאוֹר הַפְּנִימִי בְּתוֹכָם), until it was compelled to contract within itself (עַד שֶׁנֶּאֶנְצַר לְהִתְכַּנֵּס בְּעַצְמוֹ), and to withdraw (וְלְהִתְצַמְצֵם), until the abundance of light and influx of the letters scattered and separated each from its fellow (עַד שֶׁהָרִיבּוּי אוֹר וְשֶׁפַע הָאוֹתִיּוֹת הָיָה מְפַזֵּר וּמַפְרִיד אִישׁ מֵעַל אָחִיו), and its fragments fell below (וְנָפְלוּ שִׁבְרָיו לְמַטָּה). And from them were made the Dinin and the Sigim (וּמֵהֶם נַעֲשׂוּ הַדִּינִין וְהַסִּיגִים), which could not be purified or sweetened in the pregnancy of Imma (אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָכְלוּ לְהִטָּהֵר וְלְהִמָּתֵק בְּעִבּוּר אִמָּא), and they became turbid waters, so to speak (וְנַעֲשׂוּ מַיִם עֲכוּרִים כִּבְיָכוֹל), and were cast downward (וְהֻשְׁלְכוּ לְמַטָּה), and they found the body of the serpent prepared to receive them (וּמָצְאוּ גוּף הַנָּחָשׁ מוּכָן לְקַבְּלָם), and from them were made the names of impurity and the sorceries of Adam Belial (וּמֵהֶם נַעֲשׂוּ שֵׁמוֹת הַטּוּמְאָה וְכִשּׁוּף שֶׁל אָדָם בְּלִיַּעַל). But the inner light went upward into the inner being of Binah (אֲבָל הָאוֹר הַפְּנִימִי הָלַךְ לְמַעְלָה לִמְעֵי בִּינָה), and she could not contain them (וְלֹא יָכְלָה לְהַחֲזִיקָם), and she gave them to Chokhmah (וְנָתְנָה אוֹתָם לַחָכְמָה), and she too could not contain them (וְגַם הִיא לֹא יָכְלָה לְהַחֲזִיקָם), and she cracked, in the secret of wheat (וְנִסְדַּקָה בְּסוֹד חִטָּה), and sent them back down to Binah again (וְשִׁלְּחָם לְמַטָּה שֵׁנִית לְבִינָה), and she too cracked, in the secret of barley (וְגַם הִיא נִסְדַּקָה בְּסוֹד שְׂעוֹרָה). And they fell again downward (וְנָפְלוּ שֵׁנִית לְמַטָּה), to make an imprint of the seven Sefirot in the worlds (לַעֲשׂוֹת רוֹשֶׁם שֶׁל ז׳ סְפִירוֹת בָּעוֹלָמוֹת), like the fragments themselves (כְּמוֹ הַשְּׁבָרִים עַצְמָם), but they did not descend into Asiyah (אֲבָל לֹא יָרְדוּ לְתוֹךְ עֲשִׂיָּה), so that they would not attach, God forbid, to the shattered Kelim (שֶׁלֹּא יִדְּבְּקוּ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם בְּשִׁבְרֵי כֵּלֵיהֶם). Therefore Ein Sof alluded to Arich, who stirs with His feet until the end of the Tehiru (לָכֵן רָמַז אֵין־סוֹף אֶל אֲרִיךְ הַמַּנִּיעַ בְּרַגְלָיו עַד סוֹף הַטֵּהִירוּ), the place of the broken Kelim (מְקוֹם שִׁבְרֵי כֵּלִים), that He fold His feet (שֶׁיִּתְקַפְּלוּ רַגְלָיו), and He raised the inner lights from Yetzirah upward to Atzilut (וְהֶעֱלָה הָאוֹרוֹת הַפְּנִימִיִּים מִיצִירָה לְמַעְלָה לַאֲצִילוּת), after the building of Abba and Imma (אַחַר בִּנְיַן אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), as I will explain in the coming gates with the help of Heaven (כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבָאֵר בַּשְּׁעָרִים הַבָּאִים בְּסִיַּיעְתָּא דִשְׁמַיָּא). And even though we have not spoken or mentioned anything yet regarding Arich, Abba, and Imma (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא דִּבַּרְנוּ וְזָכַרְנוּ מֵעִנְיַן אֲרִיךְ אַבָּא וְאִמָּא שׁוּם דָּבָר), and they have not yet been built (וְעֲדַיִן לֹא נִבְנוּ), nonetheless I am compelled to write the connection of matters (עַל כָּל זֹאת מֻכְרָח אֲנִי לִכְתּוֹב חִבּוּר הַדְּבָרִים), so that the one who investigates will not err (שֶׁלֹּא יִטְעֶה הַמְּעַיֵּן), and wonder: If they rose immediately into the inner being of Imma, then why did Arich need to fold His feet? (וְיִקְשֶׁה אִם עָלוּ תֵכֶף לִמְעֵי אִמָּא לָמָּה לְאֲרִיךְ לְהִתְקַפֵּל רַגְלָיו). And likewise, many such doubts have arisen in the words of the authors (וְכֵהֵנָה סְפֵקוֹת רַבּוֹת שֶׁנָּפְלוּ בִּדְבַרֵי הַמְחַבְּרִים), who hid their words in utmost concealment (שֶׁהָיוּ מַסְתִּירִים דִּבְרֵיהֶם בִּתְכֵלֶת הַהֶעְלֵם וְהַהֶסְתֵּר), in excessive brevity (בִּקְצַר מֻפְלָג), with a small hint that carries much within it (בְּרֶמֶז מוּעָט מַחֲזִיק אֶת הַמְּרֻבֶּה), discourses broader than the sea (דְּרוּשִׁים רְחָבִים מִנִּי־יָם), deep, deep - who can find them? (עָמוֹק עָמוֹק מִי יִמְצָאֶנּוּ). And from the concealment caused by this (וּמִכֹּחַ הַהֶסְתֵּר הַזֶּה), one comes to skip over worlds (יִמָּשֵׁךְ שֶׁמְּדַלְּגִים עוֹלָמוֹת), and many secrets of Ma‘aseh Bereshit (וְכַמָּה סִתְרֵי מַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית), and they write a thing in its opposite (וְכוֹתְבִים דָּבָר בְּהִפֻּכּוֹ), due to their great love of brevity (מֵרוֹב אַהֲבַת הַקִּצּוּר). And from this, the one who investigates will err and destroy worlds (וּמִזֶּה יִטְעֶה הַמְּעַיֵּן וִיחֲרִיב עוֹלָמוֹת). Therefore, since it is in my heart to record [=to document] all of these matters (כַּאֲשֶׁר וּבַאֲשֶׁר עִם לְבָבִי לְהַרְשִׁים [=לְתַעֵד] כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה), in lengthy dialectic in its proper place (בְּפִלְפּוּל אָרוֹךְ בִּמְקוֹמוֹ הָרָאוּי לוֹ), for there is no before and after in the Torah (וְאֵין מוּקְדָם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה).