Chapter Two (פֶּרֶק שֵׁנִי)

And you must know (וְצָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת), that when the Yod was cleaving to the Shekinah (כִּי כְּשֶׁהָיְתָה הַיוֹ״ד דְּבוּקָה בַּשְּׁכִינָה), the light of the Shekinah was cleaving to it (הָיָה דָּבוּק בָּהּ אוֹר הַשְּׁכִינָה), which is the final Hei itself of the Name S”G (שֶׁהוּא הַה"א אַחֲרוֹנָה עַצְמָהּ שֶׁל שֵׁם ס״ג), which is called Shekinah (שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת שְּׁכִינָה). For the Yod is the Yesod within Malkhut (כִּי הַיוֹ״ד הִיא יְסוֹד שֶׁבַּמַּלְכוּת), and the final Hei itself of S”G is Malkhut itself, that is, Shekinah (וְהַה״י עַצְמָהּ הָאַחֲרוֹנָה שֶׁל ס״ג הִיא מַלְכוּת עַצְמָהּ, דְּהֵינוּ שְׁכִינָה). And even though the light of the Shekinah was cleaving to it (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיָה דָּבוּק בָּהּ אוֹר הַשְּׁכִינָה), its light was not as great as the Shekinah (לֹא הָיָה אוֹרָהּ כָּל כָּךְ גָּדוֹל כְּמוֹ הַשְּׁכִינָה). And when she descended below (וּכְשֶׁיָּרְדָה הִיא לְמַטָּה), she left her light below (הִנִּיחָה אוֹרָהּ לְמַטָּה), from which the Tehiru was made (שֶׁמִּמֶּנָּה נַעֲשָׂה הַטְּהִירוּ), and nothing remained in her (וְלֹא נִשְׁאַר בָּהּ), except only a Reshimu (כִּי אִם רְשִׁימוּ בִּלְבַד). Because she was not able, in her return above, to cleave to the Shekinah (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָכְלָה בְּחֻזְרָהּ לְמַעְלָה, לְהִדָּבֵק בַּשְּׁכִינָה), as we have said (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ). And now, when she returned to descend (וְעַכְשָׁיו כְּשֶׁחָזְרָה לָרֶדֶת), she did not have light as at first (לֹא הָיָה בָּהּ אוֹרָהּ כְּמוֹ בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה), but only the Reshimu (אֶלָּא הָרְשִׁימוּ בִּלְבַד). Therefore, the Holy One Blessed Be He hinted to the letter Hei (וְלָכֵן רָמַז הקב״ה לָאוֹת ה״י), which is above the Yod of the aforementioned Name S”G (שֶׁהִיא לְמַעְלָה מֵהַיּוֹ״ד שֶׁל שֵׁם ס״ג הַנִּזְכָּר), that she should give from her light and emanate to her (שֶׁתִּתֵּן מֵאוֹרָהּ וְתָאַצֵּל לָהּ), in order that she should descend and shine from this light within (כְּדֵי שֶׁתֵּרֵד וְתָאִיר מִן הָאוֹר זֶה תּוֹךְ), the aforementioned Tehiru (הַטְּהִירוּ הַנִּזְכָּר). In order that the Yod should have strength to pierce the light of the sphere of the Tehiru (כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּהְיֶה לַיּוֹ״ד כֹּחַ לְבַקַּע אוֹר הַכַּדּוּר שֶׁל טְהִירוּ), and that she should have the ability to enter into it (וְתִהְיֶה לָהּ יְכוֹלֶת לָבוֹא בְּתוֹכוֹ). For as soon as this Yod ascended above (כִּי תֵּכֶף שֶׁעָלְתָה לְמַעְלָה הַיּוֹ״ד הַזֹּאת), the sphere of the Tehiru was sealed (נִסְגַּר כַּדּוּר הַטְּהִירוּ), and the aforementioned Yod had no ability to pierce the sphere (וְלֹא הָיָה יְכוֹלֶת לַיּוֹ״ד הַנִּזְכָּר לְבַקַּע הַכַּדּוּר), except through the power of the aforementioned Hei (כִּי אִם בְּכֹחַ ה״י הַנִּזְכָּר). And when she descended into the Tehiru (וּכְשֶׁיָּרְדָה תּוֹךְ הַטְּהִירוּ), she illuminated within it from the light that was given to her from the Hei (הֵאִירָה בְּתוֹכוֹ מִן הָאוֹר שֶׁנִּתַּן לָהּ מִן הַה״י), and this is what the verse said: “Behibaram” (וְהוּא מַה שֶּׁאָמַר הַפָּסוּק: "בְּהִבָּרְאָם") (Bereshit 2), and our Sages of blessed memory expounded: “With a Hei He created them” (וְדָרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל: "בְּה״י בְּרָאָם"). In such a way that in her return above (בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁבְּחֻזְרָתָהּ לְמַעְלָה), she left the light of the aforementioned Hei (הִנִּיחָה אוֹרָהּ שֶׁל הַה״י הַנִּזְכָּר), and one sphere was made within the aforementioned Tehiru (וְנַעֲשָׂה כַּדּוּר אֶחָד תּוֹךְ הַטְּהִירוּ הַנִּזְכָּר). And this sphere is called Keter Ila’ah in the Zohar (וְכַדּוּר הַזֶּה נִקְרָא כֶּתֶר עִילָּאָה בַּזֹּהַר), and also the Cause of Causes and Atika de’Atikin after the Tikkun (וְגַם כֵּן עִילָּתִי הָעִלּוֹת וְעַתִּיקָא דְּעַתִּיקִין אַחַר הַתִּקּוּן). And know that these spheres are much smaller (וְדַע שֶׁהַכְּדֻרִיִּים הָאֵלֶּה הֵם יוֹתֵר קְטַנִּים הַרְבֵּה), and they do not occupy the entire hollow space (וְאֵינָם תּוֹפְסִים כָּל מְקוֹם הַחָלָל), and there is there an empty space (וְיֵשׁ שָׁם מָקוֹם פָּנוּי), engraved with engravings of the seal of My Holy Names (מְפֻתָּחִים פִּתּוּחֵי חוֹתָם שֵׁמוֹתַי הַקֹּדֶשׁ), which have the power (אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ בְּיָדָם כֹּחַ), to build worlds and to destroy them (לִבְנוֹת עוֹלָמוֹת וּלְהַחְרִיבָן). Therefore His will, may He be blessed, did not leave any room for error (וְלָכֵן לֹא הִנִּיחַ רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ מָקוֹם לְטָעוּת), to say: From where did this power come, to change the Will in His shefa, may He be blessed (וְלוֹמַר: מֵאַיִן בָּא הַכֹּחַ הַזֶּה שֶׁל שִׁנּוּי הָרָצוֹן בְּשֶׁפַע יִתְבָּרֵךְ), to sustain certain Sefirot and destroy others (לְקַיֵּם אֵיזֶה סְפִירוֹת, וּלְהַחְרִיב אֵיזֶה סְפִירוֹת), for everything was already prepared and established by these names - the artisans (שֶׁכְּבָר הָיָה הַכֹּל מֻכָּן וּמְזֻמָּן עַל יְדֵי הַשֵּׁמוֹת הָאֵלֶּה הָאוּמָנִים), whether for sustaining and standing (הֵן לְקִיּוּם וּלְהַעֲמָדָה), or for destruction and desolation (הֵן לְחֻרְבָּן וּשְׁמָמָה), and likewise the names in these spheres (וְכֵן הַשֵּׁמוֹת בַּכְּדֻרִיִּים הָאֵלֶּה). But more it depends on the secret of the surrounding light (אֲבָל יוֹתֵר תָּלוּי בְּסוֹד אוֹר מַקִּיף), which is the Empty Space (שֶׁהוּא הַמָּקוֹם הַפָּנוּי), which does not occupy the sphere (שֶׁאֵינוֹ תּוֹפֵס הַכַּדּוּר). For the worlds do not currently receive shefa from the surrounding light (כִּי הָעוֹלָמוֹת אֵין לָהֶם עַתָּה שֶׁפַע מִן אוֹר הַמַּקִּיף), but it serves as protection of the vessel from breaking (רַק הוּא שְׁמִירַת הַכֵּלִי מִשְּׁבִירָה), and from the grasp of the Klipot (וּמֵאֲחִיזַת הַקְּלִיפּוֹת). And the proof for this is the secret of the Tallit (וְהָעֵד עַל זֶה סוֹד הַטַּלִּית), by which a person may go even to the place of elimination (שֶׁיָּכוֹל אָדָם בּוֹ לָצֵאת אֶל בֵּית הַכִּסֵּא), and this is the secret of: "And spread over us the Sukkah of Shalom [Peace]" (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד: וּפְרוֹשׂ עָלֵינוּ סֻכַּת שָׁלוֹם), a protection and shield from enemies (שְׁמִירָה לְהָגֵן מֵהָאוֹיְבִים), as it is said: "Hashem will bless His people with Shalom [Peace]" (Psalms 29:11) (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״י״י יְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם״). It is the letters of Malbush [Garment] (הוּא אוֹתִיּוֹת מַלְבּוּשׁ), it is the secret of this Ohr haMakif [Surrounding Light] (הוּא סוֹד אוֹר הַמַּקִּיף הַזֶּה), and understand this well (וֶהֱבֵן).