Chapter Fifty (פֶּרֶק חֲמִשִּׁים)

The sin of Adam HaRishon was that he ate (הַחֵטְא שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן הָיָה שֶׁאָכַל), and then those five Gevurot (וְאָז אוֹתָם חָמֵשׁ גְּבוּרוֹת), which had been sweetened within five Chasadim [Kindnesses] (שֶׁהָיוּ מְמוּתָקוֹת בַּחֲמִשָּׁה חֲסָדִים), returned to their original strength (חָזְרוּ לְתָקְפָּם), and through him death was born (וְנוֹלַד עַל יָדוֹ הַמָּוֶת), through the power of the excessive strengthening of the judgments (מִכֹּחַ רִבּוּי תִּגְבּוֹרֶת הַדִּינִים), and its end is death (וְסוֹפוֹ מָוֶת), as it is said: “Her feet descend to death” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר רַגְלֶיהָ יוֹרְדוֹת מָוֶת) (Proverbs 5:5), as is known (כַּנּוֹדָע). And he is the one who kindles the blaze (וְהוּא הַמְבַעֵר אֶת הַבְּעֵרָה), the strengthening of the judgments in all the worlds (תִּגְבּוֹרֶת הַדִּינִים בְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת), and he transgressed the prohibition: “You shall not kindle a fire in all your dwellings on the day of Shabbat” (וְעָבַר עַל לָאו לֹא תְבַעֲרוּ אֵשׁ בְּכָל מוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת) (Exodus 35:3), for Esh [fire] equals Elohim of Yudin with the kolel [inclusive count] (כִּי אֵשׁ בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא אֱלֹהִים דְּיוּדִי״ן עִם הַכּוֹלֵל), and at that time it was entirely Shabbat before the sin (וּבְאוֹתוֹ פַּעַם הָיָה כּוּלּוֹ שַׁבָּת קֹדֶם הַחֵטְא). And so shall it be: “A Psalm, a Song” in the future to come (וְכֵן יִהְיֶה מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא), “for the day that is entirely Shabbat and rest for everlasting life” (לְיוֹם שֶׁכּוּלּוֹ שַׁבָּת וּמְנוּחָה לְחַיֵּי עוֹלָמִים) (Tamid 7:4). And in order to establish you upon the secret of the eyes of Ze’ir Anpin (וּכְדֵי לְהַעֲמִידְךָ עַל סוֹד הָעֵינִים שֶׁל זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין), we must first present to you a small introduction (צְרִיכִים אָנוּ לְהַקְדִּים לְךָ הַקְדָּמָה קְטַנָּה), and make your ears like a funnel (וַעֲשֵׂה אָזְנֶיךָ כַּאֲפַרְכֶּסֶת), to hear the words of Atik Yomaya [Ancient of Days] (לִשְׁמוֹעַ דִּבְרֵי עַתִּיק יוֹמַיָּיא), and this is it (וְהִיא זֹאת).

You must know (צָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת), that when the seven shattered vessels fell at the time of the death of the kings (כִּי כְּשֶׁנָּפְלוּ שִׁבְעָה כֵלִים הַנִּשְׁבָּרִים בִּזְמַן מִיתַת הַמְּלָכִים), the first three of each one returned to the womb of Binah (חָזְרוּ שָׁלֹשׁ רִאשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם לִמְעֵי הַבִּינָה), and from them the Partzuf was made into three heads (וּמֵהֶם נַעֲשָׂה הַפַּרְצוּף לִתְלַת רֵישִׁין). And behold, these returned to the womb of Binah at the time of the fall of the remainder (וְהִנֵּה אֵלּוּ חָזְרוּ לִמְעֵי בִינָה בִּשְׁעַת נְפִילַת הַשְּׁאָר), and each one of them in the womb of Binah at the time of its fall makes two membranes for the eyes of Ze’ir (וְכָל אֶחָד מֵהֶם בִּמְעֵי בִינָה בִּשְׁעַת נְפִילָה עוֹשֶׂה שְׁנֵי־קְרוּמִין לְעֵינֵי זְעֵיר), in the rectification of its Partzuf (בְּתִקּוּן פַּרְצוּף שֶׁלּוֹ), in the first Katnut [Smallness] (בְּקַטְנוּת רִאשׁוֹן), namely in the womb of its mother (דְּהַיְינוּ בִּמְעֵי אִמּוֹ). Behold, these seven membranes (הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ ז׳ קְרוּמִין), are from the seven Sefirot of Ze’ir of Tohu (הֵם מִשִּׁבְעָה סְפִירוֹת שֶׁל זְעֵיר שֶׁל תֹּהוּ), from which arose seven Ketarim, seven Chokhmot, and seven Binot (שֶׁעָלוּ ז׳ כְּתָרִים וְשִׁבְעָה חָכְמוֹת וְשִׁבְעָה בִּינוֹת), and the total is seven membranes (וְהַכּוֹלֵל הוּא ז׳ קְרוּמִין), they are in the secret of Vavin (הֵם בְּסוֹד וָוִי״ן), and they are from the extremities of the Nekudot [Points] of Ze’ir (וְהֵם מִקְצוֹת הַנְּקוּדוֹת שֶׁל זְעֵיר), for its body itself is Vav (שֶׁהוּא גּוּפֵיהּ וָא״ו), which is the secret of the six extremities of Tohu (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד שֵׁשׁ קְצָווֹת שֶׁל תֹּהוּ). And likewise, from the first three Middot [Attributes] of the inclusion of these (וְכֵן מִג׳ מִדּוֹת רִאשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁל כְּלִילַת אֵלֶּה), three worlds were included (נִכְלְלוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה עוֹלָמוֹת), in the secret of K”K [120] membranes (בְּסוֹד ק״ך קְרוּמִין), which are two times a Vav included from ten (שֶׁהֵם ב׳ פְּעָמִים וָ״ו כְּלוּלָה מֵעֶשֶׂר), because it was divided into two parts (כִּי נֶחְלַק לְב׳ חֲלָקִים), the Ketarim [Crowns] and the portion of its body from which it was built (הַכְּתָרִים וְחֵלֶק גּוּפוֹ שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ נִבְנָה), thus they are two Vavin included from Yud (נִמְצָא שֶׁהֵם שְׁנֵי וָוִי״ן כְּלוּלִים מִי׳), they are two times sixty (הֵם ב׳ פְּעָמִים שִׁשִּׁים), equaling K”K [120] permutations of Elohim (עוֹלִים ק״ך צֵירוּפֵי אֱלֹהִים), and therefore there are also three membranes in the eye (וְלָכֵן יֵשׁ גַּם כֵּן ג׳ קְרוּמִים בָּעַיִן), and three colors, red (וְג׳ גְּוָנִים אָדוֹם), black and white (שָׁחוֹר וְלָבָן), whose sign is ESH”L (שֶׁסִּימָנָן אש״ל). And the intention of Abraham, the man of Chesed [Kindness], was to sweeten the eyes of Ze’ir (וְכַוָּנַת אַבְרָהָם אִישׁ הַחֶסֶד הָיְתָה לְמַתֵּק עֵינֵי זְעֵיר), and to bring the planting of the eyes into Malkhut (וּלְהָבִיא הַנְּטִיעָה שֶׁל הָעֵינַיִם בַּמַּלְכוּת), which is called Be’er Sheva (הַנִּקְרֵאת בְּאֵר שָׁבַע), for she is “the beautiful maiden who has no eyes” (כִּי הִיא עוּלֵימְתָא שַׁפִּירְתָא דְּלֵית לָהּ עֵינִין) (Zohar Shemot 95a), and he makes for her an illumination of eyes through the Tzitzit (וְעוֹשֶׂה לָהּ הֶאָרַת עֵינַיִם עַל יְדֵי הַצִּיצִית), as we explained in its place (כִּדְפֵירַשְׁנוּ בִּמְקוֹמוֹ).

And behold, the first membrane [of the eye] is white (וְהִנֵּה הַקְּרוּם הָרִאשׁוֹן [שֶׁל הָעַיִן] הוּא לָבָן), it is in the secret of Chesed (הוּא בְּסוֹד הַחֶסֶד), as it is said: “I said, the world shall be built through Chesed” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אָמַרְתִּי עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה) (Psalms 89:3), white is its first construction (לָבָן הַבִּנְיָן הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁלּוֹ), and it has only one membrane (וְאֵין לָהּ אֶלָּא קְרוּם אֶחָד). And behold, there is in the eye a central point (וְהִנֵּה יֵשׁ בָּעַיִן נְקוּדָה הָאֶמְצָעִית), which is the pupil, the daughter of the eye, always black (שֶׁהִיא אִישׁוֹן בַּת עַיִן שְׁחוֹרָה לְעוֹלָם), and likewise the Gevurot that are from Imma (וְכֵן הַגְּבוּרוֹת דְּאִינוּן [מ]אִמָּא), for judgments are aroused from her (כִּי דִינִין מִתְעָרִין מִינָּהּ), these membranes always darken it (הַקְּרוּמִין הַלָּלוּ תָּמִיד מַשְׁחִירִין אוֹתוֹ), through the abundance of screens (בְּרִבּוּי הַמְּסָכִים), to stabilize its light so that it will not be damaged (לְהַעֲמִיד אוֹרָהּ שֶׁלֹּא יוּזַּק), and because of this the black color that we mentioned never changes in any person (וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה גּוֹן הַשָּׁחוֹר שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ לֹא יִשְׁתַּנֶּה לְעוֹלָם בְּשׁוּם אָדָם). And surrounding it is the residue of the Gevurot (וּסְבִיבָיו יֵשׁ פְּסֹלֶת הַגְּבוּרוֹת), whose color weakens (שֶׁהַגָּוֶן שֶׁבָּהֶם נֶחְלָשׁ), and the blackness diminishes (וּמִתְמַעֵט [ה] שַׁחֲרוּרִיתָא), and likewise in the second and third circles it diminishes somewhat (וְכֵן בָּעִגּוּל שֵׁנִי וּשְׁלִישִׁי בְּמַשֶּׁהוּ מִתְמַעֵט), and any person whose outer ring, adjacent to the whiteness, is of the color of Tekhelet [Blue] (וְכָל בֶּן אָדָם שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ הַזֵּר הַחִיצוֹן הַסָּמוּךְ לַלֹּבֶן שֶׁהוּא מִגּוֹן הַתְּכֵלֶת), there is no faithfulness in him (לֵית בֵּיהּ מְהֵימְנוּתָא). And these three circles and a little more (וְאֵלּוּ הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה עִגּוּלִים וּמַשֶּׁהוּ), correspond to three and a half Gevurot (הֵן נֶגֶד שָׁלֹשׁ גְּבוּרוֹת וָחֵצִי שֶׁלָּהּ), namely Netzach, Hod, Yesod and part of Tiferet (דְּהַיְינוּ נה״י וּקְצָת ת״ת), which is sweetened (הַמְמוּתֶקֶת), corresponding to three and a half Middot (שֶׁכְּנֶגְדָּן שָׁלֹשׁ מִדּוֹת וָחֵצִי), as stated (כָּאָמוּר), in Imma the membranes are formed (בְּאִמָּא נַעֲשֶׂה הַקְּרוּמִין), and the Gevurot of Abba make a permanent house for the eye (וְהַגְּבוּרוֹת שֶׁל אַבָּא עוֹשׂוֹת בַּיִת קָבוּעַ לָעַיִן), this being in the bone of the head (זֶה, בְּעֶצֶם הָרֹאשׁ), because these Gevurot are white (לְפִי שֶׁהַגְּבוּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ לְבָנוֹת), from the color of the bone (מִגּוֹן הָעֶצֶם). And through the power of her Gevurot striking against his Gevurot (וּמִכֹּחַ הַגְּבוּרוֹת דִּידָהּ דְּבָטְשִׁי בִּגְבוּרוֹת דִּידֵיהּ), he strengthens himself against them (הוּא מִתְגַּבֵּר כְּנֶגְדָּן), and hardens his Gevurot in the secret of “the awesome ice” (וּמַקְשֶׁה גְּבוּרוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ בְּסוֹד הַקֶּרַח הַנּוֹרָא), which became frozen (דְּאִיגְלִידוּ), and became bone (וְנַעֲשִׂית עֶצֶם), and from the excess of this congelation (וּמִמּוֹתֶרֶת הַגְּלִידָה הַזֹּאת), the eyelashes emerge (יוֹצְאוֹת רִיסֵי הָעַיִן), which are hard hairs (שֶׁהֵן שְׂעָרוֹת קָשׁוֹת), since the bone is hard and the skin is hard (כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָעֶצֶם קָשֶׁה וְהָעוֹר קָשֶׁה). Therefore the eye has two membranes (לְפִיכָךְ הָעַיִן יֵשׁ לוֹ ב׳ קְרוּמִים), the outer one white (הַחִיצוֹן לָבָן), and the inner one red (וְהַפְּנִימִי אָדוֹם), the colors of Abba and Imma (גַּוְונֵי אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), just as the esophagus is red, the secret of Imma (כְּמוֹ הַוֶּשֶׁט הוּא אָדוֹם סוֹד אִמָּא), and the windpipe is white, the secret of Abba (וְהַקָּנֶה הוּא לָבָן סוֹד אַבָּא). And from the excess of these membranes (וּמִמּוֹתֶרֶת הַקְּרוּמִין הָאֵלּוּ), come the hairs of the eyelids (הַשְּׂעָרוֹת שֶׁל הָעַפְעַפַּיִם), and they are small and large (וְאִינוּן זְעֵירִין וְרַבְרְבִין), because they derive entirely from one and a half Gevurot (לִהְיוֹתָם מִגְּבוּרָה אַחַת וָחֵצִי מִכֹּל וָכֹל). But the hair of the head emerges from the returning light of the Chasadim (אֲבָל שְׂעַר הָרֹאשׁ יוֹצֵא מֵחֲזָרַת הָאוֹר שֶׁל חֲסָדִים), which spread down to the Yesod (דְּאִתְפַּשְׁטוּ עַד הַיְּסוֹד), and return in the secret of Ohr Makif [Surrounding Light] (וְחוֹזְרִים בְּסוֹד אוֹר מַקִּיף), and from their return (וּמֵהַחֲזָרָה שֶׁלָּהֶן), emerge the hairs of the head (נַפְקֵי שַׂעֲרֵי דְרֵישָׁא), smooth (שַׁעִיעִין), and long (וַאֲרוּכִין), and they extend down to their roots (וּמִתְפַּשְׁטִים עַד שָׁרְשֵׁיהוֹן), namely to the end of the extension of the Yesod (דְּהַיְינוּ עַד סוֹף הִתְפַּשְׁטוּת יְסוֹד), from the place where the returning light began (מִמָּקוֹם שֶׁהִתְחִיל אוֹר הַחוֹזֵר). And although we said that the hairs were formed from the Katnut [Smallness] (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ הַשְּׂעָרוֹת מֵהַקַּטְנוּת), this means that their primary extension was from the Katnut [Smallness] (הַיְינוּ עִיקַּר הִתְפַּשְׁטוּתָם הָיָה מֵהַקַּטְנוּת), and afterward they spread out and were strengthened (וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִתְפַּשְׁטוּ וְנִתְחַזְּקוּ), through the return of the light of the Chasadim (בַּחֲזָרַת אוֹר הַחֲסָדִים). Just as Ze’ir Anpin, although it possesses Mochin of Katnut [Smallness] (כְּמוֹ שֶׁזְּעֵיר אַנְפִּין אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מוֹחִין דְּקַטְנוּת), is not made complete and does not become great (אֵינוֹ נַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלֵם וְאֵינוֹ גָּדוֹל), except through Mochin of Gadlut [Greatness] which are the light of the Chasadim (כִּי אִם עַל יְדֵי מוֹחִין דְּגַדְלוּת שֶׁהֵם אוֹר הַחֲסָדִים), so it is with the hairs (כֵּן הוּא אֵצֶל הַשְּׂעָרוֹת), that they do not attain their completion and their growth (שֶׁאֵינָם מַשִּׂיגִים שְׁלֵמוּתָם וְגָדְלָם), except through the Chasadim (כִּי אִם עַל יְדֵי הַחֲסָדִים), through which they attain their form and stature (נַעֲשׂוּ בְּצִבְיוֹנָם וּבְקוֹמָתָם).

May it be His will before Atik Yomaya [Ancient of Days] (יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלִּפְנֵי עַתִּיק יוֹמַיָּיא), that His Open Eye gaze (שֶׁיַּשְׁגִּיחַ עֵינָא פְקִיחָא דִילֵיהּ), upon the eyes of Ze’ir Anpin (עַל עֵינֵי זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין), to whiten them and wash them with His milk (לְהַלְבִּינָם וּלְרָחְצָם בַּחֲלָב דִילֵיהּ), as it is said: “His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, washed with milk, sitting in fullness” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עֵינָיו כְּיוֹנִים עַל אֲפִיקֵי מָיִם רֹחֲצוֹת בֶּחָלָב יֹשְׁבוֹת עַל מִלֵּאת) (Song of Songs 5:12), to fill and to pour upon them (לְמַלּוֹת וּלְהָרִיק עֲלֵיהֶם), blessing and great abundance (בְּרָכָה וְשֶׁפַע גָּדוֹל), without limit (עַד בְּלִי דָי), without interruption (בְּלִי הֶפְסֵק), and may they become white within white (וְיִהְיוּ חִוָּורָא גּוֹ חִוָּורָא), blessed is Hashem forever, Amen and Amen (יִתְבָּרַךְ י״י לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן).