Chapter Two (פֶּרֶק שֵׁנִי)

The world of Metakla [balance] (עוֹלַם הַמַּתְקְלָא) is the world of Tikkun (הוּא עוֹלַם הַתִּיקּוּן), because the balance (מַתְקְלָא) is an expression of weighing scales (הוּא לְשׁוֹן מִשְׁקָל שֶׁל מֹאזְנַיִם), which has one pan on this side and one pan on that side, and a tongue in the middle (שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ כַּף מִכָּאן וְכַף מִכָּאן וְלָשׁוֹן בָּאֶמְצַע), and likewise the Sefirot in the world of Tikkun (וּכְמוֹ כֵן הַסְּפִירוֹת שֶׁבְּעוֹלַם הַתִּיקּוּן), in every Partzuf and Partzuf (בְּכָל פַּרְצוּף וּפַרְצוּף). Namely Chokhmah (דְּהַיְנוּ חָכְמָה) from this side, the side of Chesed (מִכָּאן צַד הַחֶסֶד). The Tikkun (הַתִּיקּוּן) is called by the metaphor of the scales (מְכוּנֶה בְּמָשָׁל הַמֹּאזְנַיִם), thus it is also called by the metaphor of a complete stature of the limbs of man (כָּךְ הוּא מְכוּנֶה בְּמָשָׁל קוֹמָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁל אֵיבְרֵי הָאָדָם): “Male and female He created them… and He called their name Adam” (זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בְּרָאָם... וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמָם אָדָם) (Genesis 5). For Keter (כִּי הַכֶּתֶר) is the head (הוּא הָרֹאשׁ), and Chokhmah and Binah (וְחָכְמָה וּבִינָה) are the shoulders (הֵם הַכְּתֵפַיִם), and Chesed and Gevurah (וְחֶסֶד וּגְבוּרָה) are the two arms of the world (הֵם שְׁנֵי זְרוֹעוֹת עוֹלָם), embracing the Shekhinah called world (הַמְחַבְּקִים הַשְּׁכִינָה הַנִּקְרֵאת עוֹלָם), and Tiferet (וְת״ת) is the body with the heart and intestines (הוּא הַגּוּף עִם הַלֵּב וּבְנֵי מֵעַיִם), until the place where the legs begin (עַד מָקוֹם שֶׁמַּתְחִילִים הָרַגְלַיִם). And this is called by the name Gufa [the body] (וְזֶה נִקְרָא בְּשֵׁם גּוּפָא) in the Zohar, Ra‘aya Meheimna, Parashat Pinchas (בַּזֹּהַר רַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא פָּרָשַׁת פִּינְחָס), The body with Nukvah (גּוּפָא עִם נוּקְבָא), Tiferet and Malkhut (ת״ת וּמַלְכוּת), see there (עַיֵּין שָׁם). And likewise in its statement (וְכֵן בְּאוֹמְרוֹ): “Body and covenant we consider one” (גּוּף וּבְרִית חָשְׁבִינַן חַד). And Netzach and Hod (וְנֵצַח וְהוֹד) are the thighs (הֵם הַשּׁוֹקַיִם), and they are outside the body (וְהֵם לְבַר מִגּוּפָא), for they emerge outside the body (שֶׁהֵם יוֹצְאִים חוּץ לַגּוּף), and they cover the Yesod, the Holy Covenant (וּמְכַסִּים הַיְסוֹד בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ), and extend further downward (וּמִתְפַּשְּׁטִים יוֹתֵר לְמַטָּה), and are called: “the curves of your thighs” (וְנִקְרָאִים חַמּוּקֵי יְרֵכַיִךְ) (Song of Songs 7). And the Shekhinah likewise (וְהַשְּׁכִינָה כְּמוֹ כֵן), has a distinct Partzuf on its own (לָהּ פַּרְצוּף מְיֻחָד בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ), and afterward they unite in Zivug (וּמִזְדַּוְּגִים אַחַר כָּךְ), except that the limbs of the female are smaller than the male (אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵיבְרֵי הַנְּקֵבָה קְטַנִּים מֵהַזָּכָר), and both of them together are called Adam (וּשְׁנֵיהֶם יַחַד נִקְרָאִים אָדָם), and this is the secret of the Metakla [balance] (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד הַמַּתְקְלָא) that Sefer deTzni‘uta (שֶׁאוֹמֵר סִפְרָא דְצְנִיעוּתָא) says: “For before there was the balance, the former kings died” (דְּעַד לָא הֲוָה מַתְקְלָא מַלְכִין קַדְמָאִין מִיתוּ). And this is the secret of its statement in Idra Naso, Zohar Gadol, daf 256 (וְזוֹהִי סוֹד אוֹמְרוֹ בְּאַדְרַת נָשֹׂא זֹהַר גָּדוֹל עַלֶּה רנ״ו): “When it ascended to settle within it” (כֵּיוָן דְּסָלִיק לְאִתְיַשְּׁבָא בֵיהּ). Meaning (רָצָה לוֹמַר), in the world of Tohu (בְּעוֹלָם הַתֹּהוּ), it did not stand and was unable to stand (לָא קָאִים וְלָא הֲוָה יָכִיל לְמֵיקַם). What is the reason (מַאי טַעְמָא)? Because Adam could not be rectified (מִשּׁוּם דְּאָדָם לָא יָכִיל לְאִתַּתְקָנָא), and it was necessary for everything to return to Tohu vaVohu (וְהֻצְרַךְ לַחֲזוֹר הַכֹּל לְתֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ). What is the reason (מַאי טַעְמָא)? For the Tikkun of Adam in his likeness includes everything (דְּתִקּוּנָא דְּאָדָם בְּדִיּוּקְנֵיהּ כָּלִיל כֹּלָא), and everything can settle within it (וְיָכִיל כֹּלָא לְאִתְיַשְּׁבָא בֵיהּ), and because this Tikkun of Adam was not found (וּבְגִין דְּתִקּוּנָא דָא דְּאָדָם לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח), they were unable to stand and to settle (לָא יָכִילוּ לְמֵיקַם וּלְאִתְיַשְּׁבָא), “and they were nullified” (וְאִתְבַּטָּלוּ). And the Metakla [balance] (וּמַתְקְלָא) is male and female (הוּא דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא), and it includes the world of Tikkun (וְהוּא כּוֹלֵל עוֹלַם הַתִּיקּוּן), which was not so in the world of Tohu (מַה שֶּׁלֹּא הָיָה כֵן בְּעוֹלַם הַתֹּהוּ), rather they stood one beneath the other (אֶלָּא הָיוּ עוֹמְדִים זֶה תַּחַת זֶה), and the female beneath them (וְהַנְּקֵבָה תַּחְתֵּיהֶם), in the secret of a point that unites within its own parts (בְּסוֹד נְקוּדָה שֶׁמִּתְיַחֶדֶת בַּחֲלָקֶיהָ), and not with its companion (וְלֹא עִם חֲבֶרְתָּהּ), and it is not divided into parts and lines (וְאֵינָהּ נֶחְלֶקֶת לַחֲלָקִים וְלַקַּוִּים), as the masters of geometry said (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ בַּעֲלֵי הַהַנְדָּסָה), that even if all the points in the world were gathered together (שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ יִתְקַבְּצוּ כָּל הַנְּקוּדוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם), they would not make a line (לֹא יֵעָשֶׂה קַו). And the root of the matter is (וְשֹׁרֶשׁ הַדְּבָרִים הוּא), that in the world of Tohu (כִּי בְּעוֹלַם הַתֹּהוּ) all the Sefirot (הָיוּ כָּל הַסְּפִירוֹת) were like circular and spherical points (כְּמוֹ נְקוּדוֹת עֲגוּלִים וְכַדּוּרִיִּים), and their letters stood in a circle and not in length (וְאוֹתִיּוֹתֵיהֶם הָיוּ עוֹמְדִים בְּעִיגּוּל וְלֹא אָרוֹךְ), like the form of the Partzuf of Adam כביכול (כְּמוֹ צוּרַת פַּרְצוּף שֶׁל אָדָם כִּבְיָכוֹל), and therefore there was no love and brotherhood between them (וְלָכֵן לֹא הָיָה אַהֲבָה וְאַחֲוָה בֵּינֵיהֶם), to enact within them the will of endurance and establishment (לִפְעוֹל בָּהֶם הָרָצוֹן שֶׁל קִיּוּם וְהַעֲמָדָה). Rather, the will of Ein Sof (אֶלָּא רְצוֹן אֵין סוֹף) was to destroy and to ruin His plantings (לַהֲרוֹס וְלַחֲרוֹב נְטִיעוֹתָיו), so that evil alone and good alone would emerge from them (כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּצֵא מֵהֶם רַע לְבַדּוֹ וְטוֹב לְבַדּוֹ), and one would not be compelled by its companion to bestow Chesed or mercy (וְאֵינָהּ מֻכְרַחַת מֵחֲבֶרְתָּהּ לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ חֶסֶד אוֹ רַחֲמִים). But in the world of Tikkun (אֲבָל בְּעוֹלַם הַתִּיקּוּן), the letters were transformed from the form of a sphere to the form of a Partzuf (נֶהֶפְכוּ הָאוֹתִיּוֹת מִצּוּרַת כַּדּוּר לְצוּרַת פַּרְצוּף), namely Metakla [balance] (דְּהַיְנוּ מַתְקְלָא), which is male and female (שֶׁהוּא זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה), as it is brought in Sefer deTzni‘uta (כִּדְאִיתָא בְּסִפְרָא דְצְנִיעוּתָא): “For before there was the balance… the former kings died” (דְּעַד לָא הֲוָה מַתְקְלָא... מַלְכִין קַדְמָאִין מִיתוּ). And the weighing of the pans of the scales (וּמִשְׁקַל שֶׁל כַּפּוֹת הַמֹּאזְנַיִם) is that which rectifies the upright conduct of the will of Ein Sof, blessed be He (הוּא הַמְתַקֵּן הַהַנְהָגָה הַיְשָׁרָה שֶׁל רְצוֹן אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא), and it is like the balance that we mentioned at the beginning of the chapter (וְהוּא כְּמוֹ הַמִּשְׁקָל שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ בְּרֵישׁ פִּרְקִין). And the proof of this is (וְהָעֵד עַל זֶה), that as long as He had not built the world of Tikkun (כָּל זְמַן שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בּוֹנֶה עוֹלַם הַתִּיקּוּן), Adam Kadmon was not made (לֹא נַעֲשָׂה אָדָם קַדְמוֹן), for the Tikkun of Adam (כִּי תִּיקּוּן אָדָם) is the form of the Metakla [balance] (הוּא צוּרַת הַמַּתְקְלָא), and both of them allude to the world of Tikkun (וּשְׁנֵיהֶם רוֹמְזִים עַל עוֹלַם הַתִּיקּוּן), and Adam Kadmon (וְאָדָם קַדְמוֹן) is the first Adam (הוּא אָדָם רִאשׁוֹן), and the first Partzuf and first balance (וּפַרְצוּף וּמִשְׁקָל רִאשׁוֹן), that was created in the world of Tikkun (שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְּעוֹלַם הַתִּיקּוּן). And because of this (וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה), there was no Partzuf whatsoever in the world of Tohu (לֹא הָיָה שׁוּם פַּרְצוּף בְּעוֹלַם הַתֹּהוּ), and they did not possess the parts of inclusiveness in actuality (וְלֹא הָיָה לָהֶם חֶלְקֵי הַכְּלִילִיּוּת בְּפוֹעַל), through the functioning of the limbs of the supernal Adam (בְּהַפְעָלַת אֵיבְרֵי הָאָדָם הָעֶלְיוֹן), and each one ruled over its companion (וְהָיְתָה כָּל אַחַת מוֹשֶׁלֶת עַל חֲבֶרְתָּהּ), and they were not equalized in the secret of the middle balance (וְלֹא הָיוּ מִשְׁתַּוִּים בְּסוֹד הָאֶמְצָעוּת). And therefore the Emanator was compelled to create the world of Tikkun and Metakla [balance] (וְלָכֵן הֻצְרַךְ הַמַּאֲצִיל לִבְרוֹא עוֹלַם הַתִּיקּוּן וּמַתְקְלָא), so that through the Zivug (כְּדֵי שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַזִּוּוּג), mercy or judgment would necessarily emerge (יוּכְרַח לָצֵאת רַחֲמִים אוֹ דִּין), according to the agreement of the Emanator (בְּהַסְכָּמַת הַמַּאֲצִיל), Who sends His influence from Himself, may He be blessed (הַשּׁוֹלֵחַ הַשְׁפָּעָתוֹ מֵאִתּוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ), whether to harm or to bestow good (לְהָרַע אוֹ לְהֵיטִיב), the male agreeing with the female or the opposite (יַסְכִּימוּ הַזָּכָר עִם הַנְּקֵבָה אוֹ אִיפְּכָא), and it is easy to understand (וְקַל לְהָבִין).