Chapter Two (פֶּרֶק שֵׁנִי)

And let us return to our matter (וְנַחֲזוֹר לְעִנְיָנֵינוּ), this thread that we mentioned (הַחוּט הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְנוּ), is called in the Zohar “a secret within a secret” (נִקְרָא בַּזֹּהַר סִתְרָא גּוֹ סִתְרָא). The explanation of the matter is (פֵּרוּשׁ הַדְּבָרִים), that this thread is hidden within the Yesod of the upper garment (שֶׁהַחוּט הַזֶּה הוּא נִסְתָּר בְּתוֹךְ הַיְסוֹד שֶׁל הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן), which we mentioned many times (שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים), and it is also hidden within Adam Kadma’ah Setima’ah [the Concealed Primordial Adam] (וְגַם הוּא נִסְתָּר בְּתוֹךְ אָדָם קַדְמָאָה סְתִימָאָה), which gives vitality to Adam Kadma’ah in general (שֶׁהוּא הַנּוֹתֵן חַיּוּת לְאָדָם קַדְמָאָה סְתָם), namely Keter (דְּהַיְנוּ כֶּתֶר), like the Neshamah to the body (כְּמוֹ הַנְּשָׁמָה לַגּוּף), and the Neshamah is hidden (וְהַנְּשָׁמָה נִסְתָּר). And this thread after it entered within Adam Kadma’ah [Primordial Adam] (וְהַחוּט הַזֶּה אַחַר שֶׁנִּכְנַס בְּתוֹךְ אָדָם קַדְמָאָה), and the Netzach, Hod, Yesod of Adam Kadma’ah were entirely in the secret of Vav (וְהָיָה נֵהִ״י שֶׁל אָדָם קַדְמָאָה כּוּלּוֹ בְּסוֹד וָ״ו), for they were all circles (כִּי הָיוּ כּוּלָּם עִיגּוּלִים), as we explained in the Gate of Adam Kadma’ah (כִּדְפֵירַשְׁנוּ בְּשַׁעַר אָדָם קַדְמָאָה). And from the illumination of this thread (וּמֵהֶאָרַת הַחוּט הַזֶּה), the joints of the Netzach, Hod, Yesod of Adam Kadma’ah divided (נֶחְלְקוּ הַפְּרָקִים שֶׁל נֵהִ״י דְּאָדָם קַדְמָאָה), which are within the sphere of the Tehiru (שֶׁהֵם בְּתוֹךְ כַּדּוּר הַטְּהִירוּ), and they became three Vavin (וְנַעֲשׂוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה וָוִין). And from the middle Vav, which is the Vav of “And he came” (וְיָצָא מִן הַוָּ״ו הָאֶמְצָעִית שֶׁהִיא הַוָּ״ו שֶׁל וַיָּבֹא), one point emerged (נְקוּדָה אַחַת), which illuminated within the Malkhut and rectified the Sefirot of the Malkhut (שֶׁהֵאִירָה בְּתוֹךְ מַלְכוּת וְתִקְּנָה הַסְּפִירוֹת שֶׁל מַלְכוּת). In this manner (בְּזֶה הָאֹפֶן): the first three Sefirot of this Malkhut (הַשָּׁלֹשׁ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁל מַלְכוּת זוֹ), because of this great light (מֵרֹב הָאוֹר הַזֶּה), became concealed because of their great refinement (נִתְעַלְּמוּ מֵרֹב הִזְדַּכְּכוּתָם), and they all became one revealed head (וְהֵם נַעֲשׂוּ כּוּלָּם רֵישָׁא חֲדָא מְגוּלֶּה), and they do not divide into parts (וְאֵינָם מִתְחַלְּקִים לַחֲלָקִים). Nevertheless there are three aspects in this head (וְעַל כָּל פָּנִים שָׁלֹשׁ בְּחִינוֹת יֵשׁ לְהָרֹאשׁ הַזֶּה), which is revealed and illuminates below in the world of Atzilut and with individual supervision (הַמְגוּלֶּה וּמֵאִיר לְמַטָּה בְּעוֹלָם הָאֲצִילוּת וּבְהַשְׁגָּחָה פְּרָטִית), and it remains revealed to illuminate upon the face of the entire earth (וְהוּא נִשְׁאָר מְגוּלֶּה לְהָאִיר עַל פְּנֵי כָּל הָאָרֶץ). And these are the three aspects (וְאֵלּוּ הֵם הַשָּׁלֹשׁ בְּחִינוֹת): in the aspect of the Keter within her she is called Reisha DeLav Reisha [the Head that is not a Head] (בִּבְחִינַת הַכֶּתֶר שֶׁבָּהּ נִקְרֵאת רֵישָׁא דְלָאו רֵישָׁא), because of the abundance of concealment (מֵרֹב הֶעְלֵמוּת), and in the aspect of the Chokhmah within her she is called Reisha DeLa Yada [the Head that does not know] (וּבִבְחִינוֹת חָכְמָה שֶׁבָּהּ נִקְרֵאת רֵישָׁא דְלָא יָדַע), meaning (כְּלוֹמַר), that it itself does not know its essence (שֶׁהוּא עַצְמוֹ לֹא יָדַע מַהוּתוֹ), like a person who does not recognize his Neshamah (כְּאָדָם שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַכִּיר אֶת נִשְׁמָתוֹ), and in the aspect of the Binah within her she is called Reisha DeLa Ityada [the Unknowable Head] (וּבִבְחִינַת בִּינָה שֶׁבָּהּ נִקְרֵאת רֵישָׁא דְלָא אִתְיְדַע), meaning to say (רָצָה לוֹמַר), that it does not make its essence known to its seven lower Sefirot (שֶׁאֵינוֹ מוֹדִיעַ עַצְמוּתוֹ לְשִׁבְעָה תַּחְתּוֹנוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ). And if you say (וְאִם תֹּאמַר), since all three are one head (הוֹאִיל וּשְׁלָשְׁתָּם הֵם רֵישָׁא חֲדָא), why were they divided in their aspects (מַדּוּעַ נֶחְלְקוּ בִּבְחִינוֹתֵיהֶם)? Either from the beginning He should have given each one its own portion and called it by its own name alone (אוֹ מֵעִיקָרָא הָיָה לוֹ לָתֵת לְכָל אֶחָד חֶלְקוֹ וְלְהִקָּרֵא לוֹ שֵׁם לְבַדּוֹ), or include them all together under one name from every side (אוֹ לִכְלוֹל כּוּלָּם יַחַד בְּשֵׁם אֶחָד מִכָּל צַד). The answer is (תְּשׁוּבָה): you must know (צָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת), that the point which emerged from the middle Vav of “And he came” (שֶׁאוֹתָהּ הַנְּקוּדָה שֶׁיָּצְאָה מֵהַוָּ״ו הָאֶמְצָעִית שֶׁל וַיָּבֹא), is the point of Yod (הִיא נְקוּדַת יו״ד), which includes beginning, middle, and end (שֶׁהִיא כְּלוּלָה מֵרֹאשׁ תּוֹךְ סוֹף), the beginning being the aspect of Ein Sof (הָרֹאשׁ הַיְינוּ בְּחִינַת אֵין סוֹף), the middle being the aspect of the Yesod of the upper half-garment (הַתּוֹךְ הַיְינוּ בְּחִינַת יְסוֹד שֶׁל חֲצִי הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן), and the end being the aspect of the Yesod itself of Adam Kadma’ah [Primordial Adam] (וְהַסּוֹף הוּא בְּחִינַת הַיְסוֹד עַצְמוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם קַדְמָאָה). It follows (נִמְצָא), that the thread of Ein Sof joins them together (שֶׁהַחוּט אֵין סוֹף הוּא מְחַבְּרָם יַחַד), and they became one point for all of them (וְנַעֲשׂוּ נְקוּדָה אַחַת לְכוּלָּן), when they entered into the first three Sefirot of the Malkhut of Adam Kadmon (כְּשֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ בְּג׳ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁל מַלְכוּת אָדָם קַדְמוֹן), the first three Sefirot also became one unity (נַעֲשׂוּ גַּם הַשָּׁלֹשׁ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת אַחְדוּת אַחַת), like the root, namely their Neshamah (כְּמוֹ הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ דְּהַיְנוּ נְשָׁמָה שֶׁלָּהֶם), and it is one point (וְהִיא נְקוּדָה אַחַת), and just as this root possesses the three aspects that we mentioned (וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהַשֹּׁרֶשׁ הַזֶּה יֵשׁ לוֹ ג׳ בְּחִינוֹת שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), so too there are three aspects within these first three Sefirot (כֵּן יֵשׁ ג׳ בְּחִינוֹת בְּג׳ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת אֵלּוּ). And they are one head (וְהֵם רֵישָׁא חֲדָא): the aspect of Ein Sof illuminated within the Keter (בְּחִינַת אֵין סוֹף הֵאִירָה בַּכֶּתֶר), the aspect of the Yesod of the upper half-garment illuminated within her Chokhmah (בְּחִינַת יְסוֹד שֶׁל חֲצִי הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן הֵאִירָה בְּחָכְמָה שֶׁלָּהּ), and the aspect of the Yesod of Adam Kadma’ah [Primordial Adam] illuminated within the Binah of this Malkhut (וּבְחִינַת יְסוֹד שֶׁל אָדָם קַדְמָאָה הֵאִירָה בְּבִינָה שֶׁל מַלְכוּת זוֹ). And therefore the aspect of Ein Sof which is in the Keter is called Reisha DeLa Yada [the Head that does not know] (וְלָזֶה הַבְּחִינוֹת אֵין סוֹף שֶׁהִיא בַּכֶּתֶר נִקְרֵאת רֵישָׁא דְלָא יָדַע), meaning (כְּלוֹמַר), that this Chokhmah, because this aspect is exalted and almost equal to Ein Sof (שֶׁחָכְמָה זוֹ לִהְיוֹת שֶׁבְּחִינָה זוֹ הִיא עֶלְיוֹנָה וְכִמְעַט שָׁוָה לְאֵין סוֹף), therefore it itself does not know its essence (לָזֶה לֹא יָדַע הוּא עַצְמוֹ מַהוּתָהּ). And the aspect of the Yesod of Adam Kadmon is called DeLa Ityada [the Unknowable] (וּבְחִינַת יְסוֹד שֶׁל אָדָם קַדְמוֹן נִקְרָא דְלָא אִתְיְדַע), because it is adjacent to the Malkhut (לִהְיוֹתָהּ סָמוּךְ אֶל מַלְכוּת), Binah knows its essence, that it is from Yesod (יָדַע בִּינָה מַהוּתוֹ שֶׁהוּא מִיסוֹד), but because the light is great (אֲבָל מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָאוֹר הוּא גָּדוֹל), it has no permission to reveal its essence to others (אֵין לוֹ רְשׁוּת לְהוֹדִיעַ מַהוּתוֹ לַאֲחֵרִים), for revelation requires disclosure (שֶׁהַהוֹדָעָה צְרִיכָה גִּלּוּי), and when the lights become revealed the vessels would shatter, Heaven forbid (וּכְשֶׁמִּתְגַּלִּים הָאוֹרוֹת הָיוּ נִשְׁבָּרִים הַכֵּלִים חַס וְשָׁלוֹם). And all their endurance and vitality is through this thread (וְכָל קִיּוּמָם וְחַיּוּתָם הוּא עַל יְדֵי הַחוּט הַזֶּה), which was rectified beforehand within the first three Sefirot of the Malkhut that we mentioned (שֶׁנִּתְקַן קוֹדֶם בְּתוֹךְ הַג׳ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁל מַלְכוּת שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), and prepared itself to illuminate within the seven Sefirot of the Malkhut of Adam Kadmon (וְהִזְמִין עַצְמוֹ לְהָאִיר בְּז׳ סְפִירוֹת שֶׁל מַלְכוּת אָדָם קַדְמוֹן), which are called Atik Yomin [Ancient of Days] (הַנִּקְרָאִים עַתִּיק יוֹמִין), in order to bring them into Reisha DeEin [the Head of Nothingness] (כְּדֵי לְהַכְנִיסָם בְּתוֹךְ רֵישָׁא דְאַיִן), and to make there the seven Tikkunim (וְלַעֲשׂוֹת שָׁם הַז׳ תִּיקּוּנִים). And before we come to explain Atik Yomin [Ancient of Days] of the Malkhut of Adam Kadmon (וְקוֹדֶם שֶׁנָּבוֹא לְבָאֵר עַתִּיק יוֹמִין דְּמַלְכוּת אָדָם קַדְמוֹן), and their splitting within Ein and Arich and their reason and explanation with them (וּבְקִיעָתָם בְּאַיִן וַאֲרִיךְ וְטַעְמָם וְנִימוּקָם עִמָּם), it is fitting that we first explain these two heads joined together (רָאוּי שֶׁנְּבָאֵר קוֹדֶם אֵלּוּ הַשְּׁנֵי רֵישִׁין הַמְחֻבָּקִים יַחַד), which are called Ein and Arich (הַנִּקְרָאִים אַיִן וַאֲרִיךְ), and their essence and their spreading (וּמַהוּתָם וְהִתְפַּשְּׁטוּתָם).