Chapter Fifty-Five (פֶּרֶק חֲמִשִּׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה)

The Tikkunim [Rectifications] of Ze’ir Anpin are the nine that we mentioned (תִּקּוּנֵי דְז״א הֵם הַתִּשְׁעָה שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), and they are the nine for which King David, peace be upon him, prayed (וְהֵם הַתִּשְׁעָה שֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם), and upon them depends his might (וּבְהוֹ תַּלְיָא גְבוּרְתֵּיהּ), and through them he was victorious in his wars (וּבָהֶם הָיָה מְנַצֵּחַ מִלְחֲמוֹתָיו), for after the nine Tikkunim [Rectifications] of Ze’ir Anpin he said (שֶׁאָמַר אַחֲרֵי הַתִּשְׁעָה תִּקּוּנִים דְז״א): “All the nations surrounded me; in the Name of Hashem I shall cut them down” (כָּל גּוֹיִם סְבָבוּנִי בְּשֵׁם יְהוָ״ה כִּי אֲמִילַם) (Psalms 118:10). And these are what he said (וְהֵם שֶׁאָמַר): “From the straits I called upon Yah” (מִן הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי־יָהּ), one (חַד); “Yah answered me with expansiveness” (עָנָנִי בַּמֶּרְחָב יָהּ), two (תְּרֵין); “Hashem is with me, I shall not fear” (י״י לִי לֹא אִירָא), three (תְּלַת); “Hashem is with me among my helpers” (יְהוָ״ה לִי בְּעֹזְרָי), four (אַרְבַּע); “It is better to take refuge in Hashem” (טוֹב לַחֲסוֹת בַּי״י), five (חַמְשָׁה); “It is better to take refuge in Hashem” (טוֹב לַחֲסוֹת בַּיהוָ״ה), six (שִׁיתָא). And three times “Adam” (וּשְׁלֹשָׁה פְּעָמִים אָדָם), as it is written: “Hashem is with me, I shall not fear; what can Adam do to me?” (דִּכְתִיב י״י לִי לֹא אִירָא מַה יַּעֲשֶׂה לִי אָדָם), one (חַד); “It is better to take refuge in Hashem than to trust in Adam” (טוֹב לַחֲסוֹת בַּי״י מִבְּטֹחַ בָּאָדָם), two (תְּרֵי); “It is better to take refuge in Hashem than to trust in nobles” (טוֹב לַחֲסוֹת בַּי״י מִבְּטֹחַ בִּנְדִיבִים), three (תְּלַת). And every “Adam” in these verses is mentioned only in conjunction with the Name Havayah (וְכָל אָדָם שֶׁבַּפְּסוּקִים הַלָּלוּ לֹא נִזְכַּר אֶלָּא בְּחִבּוּר שֵׁם הֲוָיָ״ה), as it is said: “Male and female He created them, and He called their name Adam” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בְּרָאָם וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמָם אָדָם) (Genesis 5:2), this refers to Ze’ir Anpin (הוּא בְּזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין). The explanation is (פֵּירוּשׁ): Adam equals the Name M”H [45] (אָדָם עוֹלֶה שֵׁם מ״ה), and its filling is Chavah (וּמִלּוּאוֹ חַוָּה), and he is fit to make a union and bring forth offspring (וְרָאוּי לַעֲשׂוֹת זִוּוּג וּלְהוֹלִיד), and he is complete in his limbs (וְהוּא שָׁלֵם בְּאֵיבָרָיו). And this is what it says in the Idra Rabba (וְזֶהוּ אוֹמְרוֹ בָּאִדְּרָא רַבָּא) (Zohar Bamidbar 139b): “Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi El(i)ezer his son: Arise, my holy son, arrange the rectification of the beard with these Tikkunim [Rectifications]” (אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְרַבִּי אֶל(י)עָזָר בְּרֵיהּ, קוּם בְּרִי קַדִּישָׁא, סַלְסֵל תִּיקּוּנָא דְדִיקְנָא בְּתִיקּוּנוֹי אִלֵּין), “Rabbi Eliezer arose, opened, and said: ‘From the straits I called upon Yah; Yah answered me with expansiveness,’ and so forth, until ‘than to trust in nobles’” (קָם רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר פָּתַח וְאָמַר: מִן הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי יָ״ה עָנָנִי בַּמֶּרְחָב יָ״ה וְגוֹמֵר, עַד מִבְּטֹחַ בִּנְדִיבִים). “It was taught here: These nine Tikkunim [Rectifications] of this beard were needed by King David for these rectifications, in order to prevail over the other kings and the other nations” (תָּנָא הָכָא, ט׳ תִּיקּוּנִין דִּבְדִיקְנָא דָא לְהָנֵי תִּיקּוּנִין אִצְטְרִיךְ דָּוִד מַלְכָּא בְּגִין לְנַצְחָא לִשְׁאָר מַלְכִין וְלִשְׁאָר עַמִּין). “Come and see, once he spoke these nine Tikkunim [Rectifications], afterward he said: ‘All the nations surrounded me; in the Name of Hashem I shall cut them down’” (תָּא חֲזִי, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר הָנֵי ט׳ תִּיקּוּנִין, לְבָתַר אָמַר כָּל גּוֹיִם סְבָבוּנִי בְּשֵׁם י״י כִּי אֲמִילַם), “he said: These Tikkunim [Rectifications] that I have spoken, why did I need them? Because all the nations surrounded me, and through the rectification of this beard, these nine Tikkunim [Rectifications], which are the Name Hashem, I destroyed them from the world; this is what is written: ‘In the Name of Hashem I shall cut them down’” (אָמַר הָנֵי תִּיקּוּנִין דַּאֲמִינָא לְמַאי אִצְטְרִיכְנָא, מִשּׁוּם דְּכָל גּוֹיִם סְבָבוּנִי, וּבְתִיקּוּנָא דְדִיקְנָא דָא, ט׳ תִּיקּוּנִין דְּאִינוּן שֵׁם י״י, אַשִּׁיצִינוּן מִן עָלְמָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב בְּשֵׁם י״י כִּי אֲמִילַם). “And it was taught in Sifra DiTzniuta: David said nine Tikkunim [Rectifications] here; six are in the Holy Name, for there were six Names, and three are Adam” (וְתָאנָא בִּצְנִיעוּתָא דְסִפְרָא, תִּשְׁעָה תִּיקּוּנִין אָמַר דָּוִד הָכָא, שִׁיתָא אִינוּן בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּשִׁית שְׁמָהָן הֲווֹ, וּתְלַת אָדָם), “and if you should say they are two, they are three, for nobles are included within Adam” (וְאִי תֵימָא תְּרֵין אִינוּן, תְּלָתָא הֲווֹ, דְּהָא נְדִיבִים בִּכְלַל אָדָם הֲווֹ). “And we learned: It is written, ‘From the straits I called upon Yah; Yah answered me with expansiveness’; two times Yah, Yah, corresponding to the two cheeks, in which the hairs are joined” (וְתָאנָא כְּתִיב מִן הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי יָהּ עָנָנִי בַּמֶּרְחָב יָהּ, תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי יָהּ יָהּ לְקַבֵּל תְּרֵי עַלְעוֹי, דְּשַׂעֲרֵי אִתְאַחֲדִין בְּהוֹ)... Rabbi Yehudah said (רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר): “‘From the straits I called upon Yah’ refers to the place where the beard begins to spread, which is from a narrow place, before the opening of the ears above, beneath the hairs, and because of this he said Yah, Yah, two times” (מִן הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי־יָהּ מֵאֲתַר דְּשָׁארֵי דִיקְנָא לְאִתְפַּשְׁטָא, דְּהוּא מֵאֲתַר דָּחִיק, מִקַּמֵּי פִּתְחָא דְאוּדְנִין מִלְעֵילָא, תְּחוֹת שַׂעֲרֵי, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמַר יָהּ יָהּ תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי), from the two sides of the face (מִשְּׁנֵי צִדְדֵי הַפָּנִים). “And in the place where the beard spreads and descends from its ears to extend itself, it is called Adam, and for this extension David needed it in order to subdue beneath him kings and nations because of the honor of this beard” (וּבַאֲתַר דְּאִתְפַּשְׁט דִּיקְנָא וְנָחִית מֵאוּדְנוֹי לְאִתְפַּשְׁטָא, אָדָם אִתְקְרֵי, וְעַל אִתְפַּשְׁטוּתָא הַאי אִצְטְרִיךְ דָּוִד לְאַכְנָעָא תְּחוֹתוֹי מַלְכִין וְעַמִּין בְּגִין יְקָרָא דְדִיקְנָא דָא). “And we learned in Sifra DiTzniuta: Whoever sees in his dream that the beard of the Supernal Man is held in his hand, or that he stretched out his hand toward it, should know that he is at peace with those Above, and those who afflict him are cast beneath him” (וְתָאנָא בִּצְנִיעוּתָא דְסִפְרָא, כָּל מָאן דְּחָמֵי בְחֶלְמֵיהּ, דִּיקְנָא דְבַר נָשׁ עִילָּאָה אָחִיד בִּידֵיהּ, אוֹ דְאוֹשִׁיט יָדֵיהּ לֵיהּ, יִנְדַּע דְּשָׁלִים הוּא עִם עִלָּאֵי, וְאָרְמֵי תְּחוֹתֵיהּ אִינוּן דְּמְצַעֲרִין לֵיהּ). Until here its language (עַד כָּאן לְשׁוֹנוֹ).

And the matter is (וְהָעִנְיָן הוּא), that there are two straits in Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁיֵּשׁ שְׁנֵי מֵיצָרִים בְּז״א), in the corners of the beard and the head (בְּפֵאוֹת הַזָּקָן וְהָרֹאשׁ), for the end of the hairs of the head behind the ears (כִּי סוֹף שַׂעֲרוֹת הָרֹאשׁ אַחֲרֵי הָאָזְנַיִם), is the beginning of the two corners of the beard on the two sides of the face (הוּא הַתְחָלַת שְׁנֵי פֵּאוֹת הַזָּקָן מִשְּׁנֵי צִדְדֵי הַפָּנִים), and they are two times El from Elohim (וְהֵם שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים אֵל מֵאֱלֹהִים), for Pe’ah [corner] equals Elohim (כִּי פֵאָה גִימַטְרִיָּא אֱלֹהִים), and they are judgments (וְהֵם דִּינִין), as it is said: “And God is indignant every day” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְאֵל זֹעֵם בְּכָל יוֹם) (Psalms 7:12). And the sweetening comes from the first Tikkun [Rectification], which is called El (וּבָא הַמִּיתּוּק מֵהַתִּיקּוּן הָרִאשׁוֹן הַנִּקְרָא אֵל), and illuminates upon the first Tikkun [Rectification] of Ze’ir Anpin (וּמֵאִיר עַל הַתִּיקּוּן הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל ז״א), namely these two corners (דְּהַיְינוּ הַשְּׁנֵי פֵּאוֹת הַלָּלוּ). And it contains spikes of hair numbering as El (וְיֵשׁ בּוֹ קוֹצִין דְּשַׂעֲרֵי כְּמִנְיַן אֵל), and every single spike contains Sh”Tz [390] hairs (וְכָל קוֹץ וְקוֹץ יֵשׁ בּוֹ ש״ץ נִימִין), which sweeten the judgments of Ze’ir and its hairs (הַמְמַתֵּק אֶת דִּינֵי זְעֵיר וּשְׂעָרוֹתָיו), and Ze’ir is called Shamayim [Heaven] (וּזְעֵיר נִקְרָא שָׁמַיִם), which equals Sh”Tz [390] hairs (הָעוֹלִים כְּמִנְיַן ש״ץ נִימִין), and through it all the lower judgments are subdued (וּבֵיהּ אִתְכַּפְיָין כָּל דִּינִין תַּתָּאִין). And this is El from Elohim (וְזֶהוּ אֵל מִן אֱלֹהִים), which equals Pe’ah [corner] (שֶׁהוּא בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא פֵאָה), and it is in the two sides of the face (וְהוּא בִּשְׁנֵי צִדְדֵי הַפָּנִים), and they are the two Names Yah, Yah (וְהֵם שְׁנֵי שֵׁמוֹת יָהּ יָהּ), and they are the three Els included within that El (וְהֵם ג׳ אֵל הַנִּכְלָלִים בְּאוֹתוֹ אֵל), and they are El-Shaddai (וְהֵם אֵל־שַׁדַּי), El-Havayah (אֵל־הֲוָיָ״ה), and Eli-Adonai (אֵלִי אֲדֹנָי). And they are the boundaries of the two corners of the face (וְהֵם הַגְּבוּלִים שֶׁל שְׁתֵּי פֵּאוֹת הַפָּנִים), which are called Matzar [strait] (הַנִּקְרָאִים מֵצַר), namely the Supernal Egypts (דְּהַיְינוּ מִצְרַיִם הָעֶלְיוֹנִים), and concerning them Rabbi Eliezer, peace be upon him, said (וְעָלָיו אָמַר רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם): “From the strait I called upon Yah; Yah answered me with expansiveness” (מִן הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי יָהּ עָנָנִי בַּמֶּרְחָב יָהּ) (Psalms 118:5).

It follows from this (נִמְצָא לְפִי זֶה), that there are two Names Yah in the two sides of the corners (שֶׁיֵּשׁ שְׁנֵי שֵׁמוֹת יָהּ בִּשְׁנֵי צִדְדֵי הַפֵּאוֹת), each one including three Names El (כָּל אֶחָד כּוֹלֵל שְׁלֹשָׁה שֵׁמוֹת אֵל), thus they are six Els on the right and the left (נִמְצָא שֶׁהֵם שִׁשָּׁה אֵל בְּיָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל), namely Eli-Shaddai, El-Havayah, and El-Adonai on the right and on the left (שֶׁהֵם אֵלִי שַׁדַּי אֵל־הֲוָיָ״ה אֵל־אֲדֹנָי מִיָּמִין וּמִשְּׂמֹאל). And the Name Yah in its filling, Yud Heh (וְשֵׁם יָהּ בְּמִלּוּאוֹ יוּ״ד הֵ״ה), together with the kolel [inclusive count], equals El (עִם הַכּוֹלֵל עוֹלֶה אֵ״ל), and also two Names Yah equal El with the kolel [inclusive count] (גַּם שְׁתֵּי שֵׁמוֹת יָהּ עוֹלִים אֵ״ל עִם הַכּוֹלֵל), thus six Names Yah produce six Names El (נִמְצָא שֵׁשָׁה שֵׁמוֹת יָהּ שֶׁיּוֹצְאִים מֵהֶם שֵׁשָׁה שֵׁמוֹת אֵל), therefore Rabbi El(i)ezer counts six Names (לָכֵן מוֹנֶה רַבִּי אֶל(י)עָזָר שִׁשָּׁה שֵׁמוֹת). And three Adam (וּתְלַת אָדָם), is the Name M”H [45] (הוּא שֵׁם מ״ה), for three times Yah equal the numerical value of Adam (כִּי ג׳ פְּעָמִים יָהּ גִּימַטְרִיָּא אָדָם), and another Adam from the side of the three Yah of the left corner (וְעוֹד אָדָם שֵׁנִי מִצַּד ג׳ יָהּ מֵהַפֵּאָה שֶׁל שְׂמֹאל), and one Adam in the middle (וְאֶחָד אָדָם שֶׁבָּאֶמְצַע), behold three Adam (הֲרֵי ג׳ אָדָם), and the one who understands will understand (וְהַמֵּבִין יָבִין), and examine the sixth chapter of the Tikkunei Dikna [Rectifications of the Beard] of Arich Anpin (וְתַעֲיֵין בְּפֶרֶק שִׁשִּׁי שֶׁל תִּיקּוּנֵי דִּקְנָא דַאֲ״א). And also into the throat of Ze’ir Anpin descend the six Els mentioned above (וְגַם בַּגָּרוֹן דְז״א יוֹרְדִים הַשִּׁשָּׁה אֵל הַנִּזְכָּרִים), for they are from the side of the throat (כִּי הֵם מִצַּד הַגָּרוֹן), and are formed from the six Mochin of Katnut [Smallness] (וְנַעֲשִׂים מִשִּׁשָּׁה מוֹחִין דְּקַטְנוּת), three from Abba and three from Imma (שְׁלֹשָׁה מֵאַבָּא וּשְׁלֹשָׁה מֵאִמָּא), and they are called the Lower Egypts (וְנִקְרָאִים מִצְרַיִם הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים), whereas those in Arich Anpin are called the Upper Egypts (וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁבַּאֲ״א נִקְרָאִים מִצְרַיִם הָעֶלְיוֹנִים). And the judgments are not nullified except in their root (וְאֵין הַדִּינִים מִתְבַּטְּלִים אֶלָּא בְּשָׁרְשָׁם), namely when those of Arich Anpin illuminate those of Ze’ir Anpin (דְּהַיְינוּ כְּשֶׁמְּאִירִים אֵלּוּ דַאֲ״א בְּאֵלּוּ שֶׁבְּז״א), and this is the secret of: “And I shall set Egypt against Egypt” (שֶׁזֶּהוּ סוֹד וְסִכְסַכְתִּי מִצְרַיִם בְּמִצְרַיִם) (Isaiah 19:2), namely the Upper Egypts against the Lower Egypts (דְּהַיְינוּ מִצְרַיִם הָעֶלְיוֹנִים בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים), and then the Klipot [husks] that are attached to the Lower Egypts will be nullified (וְאָז יִתְבַּטְּלוּ הַקְּלִיפּוֹת הַנֶּאֱחָזוֹת בַּמִּצְרַיִם הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים), namely the two corners of Ze’ir Anpin (דְּהַיְינוּ שְׁנֵי פֵּאוֹת דְז״א). And with this, the kingdom of Egypt was destroyed (וְעִם זֶה נֶאֶבְדָה מַלְכוּת מִצְרַיִם), namely Pharaoh and his three ministers (דְּהַיְינוּ פַּרְעֹה וְג׳ שָׂרָיו), who are the chief cupbearer, the chief baker, and the chief butcher (שֶׁהֵם שַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים וְשַׂר הָאוֹפִים וְשַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים), and they are the secret of the three veins in the neck (וְהֵם סוֹד הַג׳ וְרִידִין שֶׁבַּצַּוָּאר).

And behold, three Elohim equal the numerical value of Garon [throat] with the kolel [inclusive count] (וְהִנֵּה שְׁלֹשָׁה אֱלֹהִים עוֹלִים כְּמִנְיַן גָּרוֹן עִם הַכּוֹלֵל), and equal the numerical value of Reuven, which equals Garon [throat] (וּכְמִנְיַן רְאוּבֵן הָעוֹלֶה גָּרוֹן), and Pharaoh is the letters of HaOref [the nape] (וּפַרְעֹה הוּא אוֹתִיּוֹת הָעֹרֶף), for he drew sustenance from the opening in the nape of Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁהָיָה יוֹנֵק מִן הַחוֹר שֶׁבָּעֹרֶף דְז״א), and all this is during the time of Katnut [Smallness] (וְכָל זֶה הוּא בִּזְמַן הַקַּטְנוּת), when there is a hold for the external forces (שֶׁיֵּשׁ אֲחִיזָה לַחִיצוֹנִים), which is the secret of the Names Elohim (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד שֵׁמוֹת אֱלֹהִים). For there are holy Elohim (כִּי יֵשׁ אֱלֹהִים קְדוֹשִׁים), and there are other gods (וְיֵשׁ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים), and therefore the wicked Pharaoh knew only the Name Elohim alone (וְלָכֵן פַּרְעֹה הָרָשָׁע לֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ אֶלָּא שֵׁם אֱלֹהִים לְבַדּוֹ), and of the Name Havayah he knew nothing at all (וּמִן שֵׁם הֲוָיָ״ה לֹא יָדַע כְּלוּם), therefore he said: “I do not know Hashem” (לָכֵן אָמַר לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אֶת יְהוָ״ה) (Exodus 5:2). And during the time of Gadlut [Greatness] their hold is nullified (וּבִזְמַן הַגַּדְלוּת בָּטְלָה אֲחִיזָתָם), for concerning the Name Havayah it is said: “I am Hashem, that is My Name, and My glory I shall not give to another, nor My praise to graven images” (כִּי עַל שֵׁם הֲוָיָ״ה נֶאֱמַר אֲנִי יְהוָ״ה הוּא שְׁמִי וּכְבוֹדִי לְאַחֵר לֹא אֶתֵּן וּתְהִלָּתִי לַפְּסִילִים) (Isaiah 42:8), and in the future it shall be said: “Hashem alone shall lead him, and there shall be no foreign god with him” (וּלְעָתִיד נֶאֱמַר י״י בָּדָד יַנְחֶנּוּ וְאֵין עִמּוֹ אֵל נֵכָר) (Deuteronomy 32:12). Blessed is Hashem forever, Amen and Amen (יִתְבָּרַךְ י״י לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן).