Chapter Twenty-Three (פֶּרֶק עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלוֹשָׁה)

Behold, the Emanator, blessed be He, brought forth ten points (הִנֵּה הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא הוֹצִיא י׳ נְקוּדוֹת), essences and vessels (עַצְמוּיוֹת וּכֵלִים), and each point included ten within it (וְכָל נְקֻדָּה כְּלוּלָה מֵעֶשֶׂר), and the first three points, because they are greatly refined (וְהַג׳ נְקוּדוֹת רִאשׁוֹנוֹת לִהְיוֹתָן זַכּוּת הַרְבֵּה), by their closeness to the Emanator (מִקְּרָבְתָּם אֶל הַמַּאֲצִיל), did not fall (לֹא נָפְלוּ), and there was made in them a gradation (וְנַעֲשָׂה בָהֶם הַדְרָגָה), that there not be, God forbid, any shattering within them (שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה בָהֶם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם שְׁבִירָה), in order that their shatterings not be those that repair (כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ שִׁבְרֵיהֶם מְתַקְּנִים), enabling Keter of Malkuth, and Chokhmah and Binah (מְאַפְשְׁרִים כֶּתֶר מַלְכוּת, וְחָכְמָה וּבִינָה), to fall into destructive and desolate thoughts (אֶל מַחְשְׁבוֹת הֲרִיסָה וּשְׁמָמָה), to cut down, God forbid, the Tree along with all its branches (לְקַצֵּץ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם אִילָן עִם כָּל נְטִיעוֹתָיו). Therefore, there was with them a gradation of spatial separation (וְלָכֵן הָיְתָה אֶצְלָם הַדְרָגַת רִיחוּק מָקוֹם), and a window and an orifice (וְחַלּוֹן וְנֶקֶב). But in any case, the first three were refined (אֲבָל עַל כָּל פָּנִים נִזְדַּכּוּ הַשָּׁלֹשׁ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת), until the vessel almost returned to become like their essence (עַד שֶׁכִּמְעַט חָזַר הַכֵּלִי לִהְיוֹת כְּמוֹ הָעַצְמִיּוּת שֶׁלָּהֶם). Therefore, in the building of the three heads of the World of Tikkun (וְלָכֵן בִּבְנִיָּן תַּלְת רֵישִׁין שֶׁל עוֹלַם הַתִּקּוּן), the name “vessel” is not mentioned regarding the first three (לֹא נִזְכַּר בַּג׳ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת שֵׁם כֵּלִי), only the secret of the essence (אֶלָּא בְּסוֹד הָעַצְמִיּוּת). And the first three were one within the other (וְהַג׳ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת הָיוּ זֶה בְּתוֹךְ זֶה), to support each other (לְהַחֲזִיק כָּל אֶחָד אֶת חֲבֵירוֹ), and each one has, individually, both an inner and a surrounding light (וְיֵשׁ לְכָל אַחַת וְאַחַת בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ פְּנִימִי וּמַקִּיף). Therefore, that which it could contain entered into its vessel (לָכֵן מַה שֶּׁיָּכוֹל לְהָכִיל נִכְנַס תּוֹךְ הַכֵּלִי שֶׁלּוֹ), and that which it could not contain went out from it above, through its head (וּמַה שֶּׁלֹּא יָכוֹל לְהָכִיל, יוֹצֵא מִתּוֹכוֹ לְמַעְלָה דֶּרֶךְ רֹאשׁוֹ), and falls around it in the secret of the surrounding light (וְנוֹפֵל סְבִיבוֹ בְּסוֹד מַקִּיף). And if, God forbid, there had not been in the intention of the one who arranged them to make for each one of them a surrounding light of its own (וְאִם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם לֹא הָיָה בְּכַוָּנַת הַמְכַוֵּן לַעֲשׂוֹת לְכָל אַחַת מֵהֶן מַקִּיף בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ), there would have been, God forbid, shattering in the three first ones (הָיָה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם שְׁבִירָה בַּג׳ הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת). Therefore, each one went out on its own (לָכֵן יָצְאָה כָּל אַחַת בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ). And also Chokhmah and Binah had a slight form of rectification between them (וְגַם חָכְמָה וּבִינָה הָיָה דּוּגְמַת תִּקּוּן מְעַט בֵּינֵיהֶם), to dwell together, this one beside that one (לָשֶׁבֶת יַחַד זוֹ בְּצַד זוֹ), which we do not find in the other seven points (מַה שֶּׁלֹּא מָצִינוּ בְּז׳ נְקוּדוֹת הָאֲחֵרוֹת), since they were not in the secret of Partzuf (כֵּיוָן שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ בְּסוֹד פַּרְצוּף), only one beneath the other (רַק זֶה תַּחַת זֶה), in the secret of: “And he died, and he reigned in his place” (Bereshit 36) (בְּסוֹד: וַיָּמָת וַיִּמְלֹךְ תַּחְתָּיו), specifically “in his place” (תַּחְתָּיו דַּיְיקָא). And they were also like links in a chain (וְהָיוּ גַּם כֵּן כְּטַבָּעוֹת בְּשַׁלְשֶׁלֶת), one below the other (זוֹ לְמַטָּה מִזּוֹ), pressed together and close (תְּכוּפוֹת וּסְמוּכוֹת), such that there was no space to make a surrounding light for each one individually (שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה מָקוֹם לַעֲשׂוֹת מַקִּיף לְכָל אֶחָד לְבַדּוֹ).

And in truth, it was fitting that there be a surrounding light for all six extremities at once (וּבֶאֱמֶת הָיָה רָאוּי לִהְיוֹת לָהֶם מַקִּיף לְכָל הַשֵּׁשׁ קְצָווֹת בְּפַעַם אַחַת), and not for each and every one individually (וְלֹא לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְבַדּוֹ), because they did not surround one another (כִּי לֹא הָיוּ מַקִּיפוֹת זוֹ), each the other, like the first three (אֶת זוֹ כְּמוֹ ג׳ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת). Therefore all the influx was forced to descend at once (וְלָכֵן הוּכְרַח כָּל הַשֶּׁפַע לֵירֵד בְּפַעַם אַחַת), to make one encompassing light for all six extremities at once (לַעֲשׂוֹת מַקִּיף אֶחָד לְכָל הַו׳ קְצָווֹת בְּפַעַם אַחַת). And the light entered at one place from Binah into their vessels (וְהָיָה הָאוֹר נִכְנָס בִּמְקוֹם אֶחָד מִבִּינָה לַכֵּלִים שֶׁלָּהֶם), and exited at once to its companion (וְיוֹצֵא בְּפַעַם אַחַת לַחֲבֵירוֹ), unlike in the World of Tikkun, in Partzuf (מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּעוֹלַם הַתִּקּוּן, בְּפַרְצוּף), which has many orifices to receive and to bestow (שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ הַרְבֵּה נְקָבִים לְקַבֵּל וּלְהַשְׁפִּיעַ). And each Sefirah was also separated from its companion (וְגַם הָיְתָה נִפְרֶדֶת כָּל סְפִירָה מֵחֲבֶרְתָּה), for there was no union between them (כִּי לֹא הָיָה בֵּינֵיהֶם יִחוּד), like the slight form of rectification between Chokhmah and Binah (דּוּגְמַת תִּקּוּן מְעַט שֶׁל חָכְמָה וּבִינָה), rather all of them were one beneath the other (אֶלָּא כֻּלָּם זוֹ תַּחַת זוֹ), and there was no love between them (וְלֹא הָיָה בֵּינֵיהֶם אַהֲבָה), only two aspects of Yirah did each one possess (רַק שְׁתֵּי בְּחִינוֹת יִרְאָה הָיָה לָהֶם לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד).

How so? Chokhmah had Yirah [Awe] of ascending to the Sefirah of Keter (כֵּיצַד, הַחָכְמָה הָיְתָה לָהּ יִרְאָה מֵלַעֲלוֹת לִסְפִירַת הַכֶּתֶר), for every Ohr [Light] longs to cleave to its source, to ascend, as is known (כִּי כָל אוֹר חוֹשֵׁק לְהִתְדַּבֵּק אֶל מְקוֹרוֹ, לַעֲלוֹת כַּנּוֹדָע), and likewise a second Yirah [Awe] of descending to Binah (וְכֵן יִרְאָה שְׁנִיָּה מִלֵּירֵד לִבִּינָה). And in this manner, among all of them, there was no Yichud [Union] (וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה בְּכוּלָּן לֹא הָיָה יִחוּד). And even though there was a slight Yichud [Union] between Chokhmah and Binah (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיָה קְצָת יִחוּד בֵּין חָכְמָה וּבִינָה), it was not complete, but only back-to-back (לֹא הָיָה בִּשְׁלֵמוּת, אֶלָּא אָחוֹר בְּאָחוֹר), and therefore they underwent Shevirah [Breaking] (וְלָכֵן נִשְׁבְּרוּ). And this is what the Rabbis of blessed memory said (וְזֶהוּ מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ ז״ל): the world was created with Din [Judgment], which is the Yirah [Awe] mentioned (הָעוֹלָם נִבְרָא בְּדִין, שֶׁהִיא הַיִּרְאָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת), and the world had no standing (וְלֹא הָיָה לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה מַעֲמָד), for the seven kings were nullified (כִּי נִתְבַּטְּלוּ הַז׳ מְלָכִים), until He associated with it the attribute of Rachamim [Mercies], which is the Tikkun (עַד שֶׁשִּׁיתֵּף עִמּוֹ מִדַּת רַחֲמִים שֶׁהוּא הַתִּקּוּן), and then Ahavah [Love] and Yichud [Union] were drawn between them (וְאָז נִמְשְׁכָה בֵּינֵיהֶם אַהֲבָה וְיִחוּד), and the six extremities were united into one Partzuf [Configuration] (וְנִתְיַחֲדוּ ו׳ קְצָווֹת בְּפַרְצוּף אֶחָד). And the attribute of Rachamim [Mercies] is the Ahavah [Love] mentioned (וּמִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים הִיא הָאַהֲבָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת), for two times Ahavah [Love] has the gematria of YHVH (כִּי פַּעֲמַיִם אַהֲבָה הוּא גִּימַטְרִיָּיא ידו"ד), and Ahavah [Love] has the gematria of Echad [One] (וְאַהֲבָה גִּימַטְרִיָּיא אֶחָד). From our discussion we derive (יָצָא לָנוּ מִנִּדּוּן דִּידַן) that Binah, which brought forth the seven lower kings, did not bring them forth one by one (שֶׁהַבִּינָה שֶׁהוֹצִיאָה ז׳ מַלְכִין תַּתָּאִין לֹא הוֹצִיאַם אֶחָד אֶחָד), but all of them together (רַק כֻּלָּם יַחַד). And this is the secret of the verse: “Six of their names on the one stone” (Exodus 28:10) (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד הַפָּסוּק: ״שִׁשָּׁה מִשְּׁמוֹתָם עַל הָאֶבֶן הָאַחַת״), six—these are the six extremities (שִׁשָּׁה שֶׁהֵם ו׳ קְצָווֹת), “of their names”—for each and every one had its own individual name (מִשְּׁמוֹתָם, שֶׁכָּל אַחַת וְאַחַת יֵשׁ לָהּ שֵׁם בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ), until the seventh, Malkhut, which is called “stone” (עַד מַלְכוּת הַשְּׁבִיעִית, הַנִּקְרֵאת אֶבֶן), in the secret of: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” (Psalms 118:22) (בְּסוֹד: ״אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה״), which is the Malkhut of the House of David (שֶׁהִיא מַלְכוּת בֵּית דָּוִד), and she too is the stone from which the palaces of Beri'ah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah were built (וְגַם הִיא הָאֶבֶן שֶׁמִּמֶּנָּה נִבְנוּ הֵיכָלוֹת דְּבִי״ע), as I will explain, with Hashem's help (כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲפָרֵשׁ אִי״ה).

Thus it was not so with the seven kings who died (נִמְצָא שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה כֵן אֵצֶל הַשִּׁבְעָה מְלָכִים דְּמֵיתוּ), as it was with the three first ones, each of which came out on its own (כְּמוֹ אֵצֶל ג׳ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת, שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד יָצָא בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ), and therefore they were not able to receive the light (וְלָכֵן לֹא יָכְלוּ לְקַבֵּל הָאוֹר). Then Chesed was nullified first (וְאָז נִתְבַּטֵּל הַחֶסֶד תְּחִלָּה), because it took the influx of light from its companions with it (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלָּקַח שֶׁפַע אוֹר חֲבֵרָיו עִמּוֹ), in order that it might be fit to make a Makif for its five companions all at once (כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה רָאוּי לַעֲשׂוֹת מַקִּיף לַחֲמֵשֶׁת חֲבֵרָיו בְּפַעַם אַחַת), and not for each one individually (וְלֹא לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד). For the window from Binah to the seven extremities was equal for all (כִּי הַחַלּוֹן שֶׁמִּבִּינָה לַז׳ קְצָווֹת הָיָה שָׁוֶה לַכּוּלָּם), that is - up to Yesod only (דְּהַיְנוּ עַד יְסוֹד לְבַדּוֹ), for two reasons (מִצַּד שְׁנֵי פָנִים). First, that the window included all the influx fit to come at once to the six extremities (אֶחָד, שֶׁהָיָה כּוֹלֵל הַחַלּוֹן הַהוּא כָּל הַשֶּׁפַע הָרָאוּי לָבוֹא בְּפַעַם אַחַת לְכָל הַשֵּׁשׁ קְצָווֹת), and from this came the Shevirah to each of the six extremities (וּמִזֶּה הִגִּיעַ שְׁבִירָה לְכָל אַחַת מִו׳ קְצָווֹת). And the second aspect - that the window was equal for all (וְהַפֶּן הַשֵּׁנִי, שֶׁהַחַלּוֹן הָיָה שָׁוֶה לַכּוּל), and was not in gradation (וְלֹא הָיָה בְּהַדְרָגָה), like by the three first ones, in the secret of the window of Chokhmah (כְּמוֹ אֵצֶל הַג׳ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת בְּסוֹד חַלּוֹן שֶׁל חָכְמָה), which was greater than the window from Chokhmah to Binah (שֶׁהָיָה גָּדוֹל מֵחַלּוֹן שֶׁמֵּחָכְמָה לִבִינָה). But the window for the six extremities was of one measure for all its Sefirot (אֲבָל הַחַלּוֹן לַשֵּׁשׁ קְצָווֹת הָיָה לְכָל סְפִירוֹתָיו שִׁעוּר אַחַת), that is, one window only (דְּהַיְנוּ חַלּוֹן אַחַת), and the window that reached Chesed was the same as for Gevurah (וְחַלּוֹן אֲשֶׁר הִגִּיעַ לַחֶסֶד הָיָה כְּמוֹ לַגְּבוּרָה), and so too for Tiferet, Netzach, and Hod (וְכֵן לִתְפְאֶרֶת נֵצַח וְהוֹד), for all their windows were equal in measure and size (כִּי כָל חַלּוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם בְּמִדָּה וּבְשִׁעוּר אֶחָד), and there was not one smaller in quantity and the other greater (וְאֵין אֶחָד קָטָן הַכַּמּוּת, וַחֲבֵירוֹ גָּדוֹל הַכַּמּוּת). And this is the secret of the explanation: “one window equal for all” - and understand this well (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד פֵּירוּשׁ: חַלּוֹן אֶחָד שָׁוֶה לַכּוּלָּם, וְהָבֵן, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא נִצְטָרֵךְ לְפָרְשׁוֹ פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת). And this too harmed them greatly - what they could not contain (וְגַם זֶה הָיָה מַזִּיק לָהֶם מְאֹד, מַה שֶּׁלֹּא יָכְלוּ לְהָכִיל), should have gone out for each one individually as its own Makif (הָיָה רָאוּי לִהְיוֹת לְכָל אֶחָד לְבַדּוֹי מַקִּיף), going up from the Kli through its head (שֶׁיֵּצֵא לְמַעְלָה מֵהַכְּלִי דֶּרֶךְ רֹאשׁוֹ), but it could not (וְלֹא יָכְלָה), and it shattered (וְנִשְׁבְּרָה), because they were all like rings of a chain (מִטָּעַם שֶׁכֻּלָּם הָיוּ כְּטַבָּעוֹת בִּשְּׁלְשֶׁלֶת), tightly pressed and closely joined one to another (תְּכוּפוֹת וּסְמוּכוֹת זוֹ לָזוֹ), one beneath the other (זֶה תַּחַת זֶה), and there was no space for the Makif to emerge (וְלֹא הָיָה מָקוֹם לַמַּקִּיף הַנִּזְכָּר). And with this we have made a proper introduction (וּבְזֶה עָשִׂינוּ הַקְדָּמָה נְכוֹנָה), before we come to the explanation of the breaking of the seven Kelim (קֹדֶם שֶׁנָּבוֹא לְפֵירוּשׁ שְׁבִירַת הַז׳ כֵּלִים), for the one who investigates, so that he not err (לַמְּעַיֵּן שֶׁלֹּא יִטְעֶה), and from it you shall see, and consider, and judge with your understanding (וּמִמֶּנָּה תִרְאֶה וְתַעֲיֵן וְתִשְׁפּוֹט בְּשִׂכְלְךָ).