Chapter Fifty-Three (פֶּרֶק חֲמִשִּׁים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה)

The ears of Ze’ir Anpin (אוּדְנִין דְז״א)

The ears of Ze’ir Anpin are two, right and left (הָאָזְנַיִם שֶׁל ז״א הֵם שְׁנַיִם יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל), and there is hearing for good in the right ear (וְיֵשׁ שְׁמִיעָה לְטוֹבָה בָּאֹזֶן יָמִין), as it is said: “For Hashem hears the needy” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי שׁוֹמֵעַ אֶל אֶבְיוֹנִים י״י) (Psalms 69:34), and the left ear is for evil, Heaven forbid (וְאֹזֶן שְׂמֹאל לְרָעָה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם), if they do not do the will of the Omnipresent (אִם אֵינָם עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם), as it is said: “And Hashem heard, and His anger burned, and the fire of Hashem burned among them” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיִּשְׁמַע י־י וַיִּחַר אַפּוֹ וַתִּבְעַר בָּם אֵשׁ יְהוָ״ה) (Numbers 11:1), which are the judgments called fire (שֶׁהֵם הַדִּינִים הַנִּקְרָאִים אֵשׁ). And this is what it says in the Idra Rabba (וְזֶהוּ אוֹמְרוֹ בָּאִדְּרָא רַבָּא) (138b): “There is hearing for good and there is hearing for evil” (אִית שְׁמִיעָה לְטַב וְאִית שְׁמִיעָה לְבִישׁ), “and the ears of Ze’ir Anpin are curved” (וְאוּדְנִין דְז״א אִינוּן עֲקִימִין), “what is the reason? To hear good and evil” (מַאי טַעְמָא לְמִשְׁמַע טוֹב וּבִישׁ), “and this ear is closed outwardly and curved” (וְהַאי אוּדְנָא סָתִים לְבַר וַעֲקִימָא), “it enters inward into that cavity which drips from the brain” (עָיֵיל לְגוֹ לְהַהוּא נוּקְבָא דְּנָטִיפָא מִן מוֹחָא), “in order to gather the voice inward and not let it go outward” (בְּגִין לְמִכְנַשׁ קָלָא לְגַו וְלָא יִפּוֹק לְבַר), “and that it be guarded and closed from all its sides” (וִיהֵא נְטִיר וְסָתִים מִכָּל סִטְרוֹי), “therefore it is a secret” (בְּגִין כָּךְ הוּא רָזָא), “woe to the one who reveals secrets” (וַי לְהַהוּא דְּמְגַלֵּי רָזִין). “And we learned: From that curvature within the ears depend all those masters of wings” (וְתָאנָא מֵהַהוּא עֲקִימוּ דְּגוֹ אוּדְנִין תַּלְיָין כָּל אִינוּן מָארִין דְּגַדְפִין), concerning whom it is written: “For a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and the בעל כנפים shall tell the matter” (דִּכְתִיב כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת הַקּוֹל וּבַעַל כְּנָפַיִם יַגִּיד דָּבָר) (Ecclesiastes 10:20), and they carry the proclamation and the heavenly voice throughout the world (וְהֵם מוֹלִיכִים אֶת הַכָּרוֹז וְהַבַּת קוֹל בָּעוֹלָם), and Sandalfon is appointed over them (וְסַנְדַלְפוֹ״ן מְמֻנֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם). And the בעלי הכנפים who roam throughout the world (וּבַעֲלֵי הַכְּנָפַיִם הַמְשׁוֹטְטִים בָּעוֹלָם), to make known the decree of the Omnipresent (לְהוֹדִיעַ גְּזֵרָתוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם), are six hundred thousand myriads (הֵם שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף רִבּוֹא), in the secret of the letter Vav of the Name Havayah (בְּסוֹד אוֹת ו׳ שֶׁל שֵׁם הֲוָיָ״ה), which equals M”H [45] in Alephin (שֶׁעוֹלָה מ״ה הוּא בַּאֲלָפִין). And there is an opening in the nape of Ze’ir Anpin (וְיֵשׁ חוֹר בָּעֹרֶף ז״א), and from it there is influence bestowed upon its Nukvah (וּמִמֶּנּוּ נִשְׁפָּע לְנוּקְבֵיהּ), which is behind him (שֶׁהִיא מֵאֲחוֹרָיו), and there must be hairs there to cover the opening of the nape (וְצָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַשְּׂעָרוֹת לְשָׁם לְכַסּוֹת חוֹר הָעֹרֶף), so that the Klipot should not derive benefit (שֶׁלֹּא יֵהָנוּ הַקְּלִיפּוֹת), while the ears must remain free of hair (וְיִהְיוּ הָאָזְנַיִם פְּנוּיִים מִן הַשְּׂעָרוֹת), so that they not be blocked from hearing our prayers, Heaven forbid (כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא לִסְתּוֹם מִשְּׁמוֹעַ תְּפִלָּתֵינוּ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם), as it is said: “Incline, my God, Your ears” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הַטֵּה אֱלֹהַי אָזְנֶיךָ) (Daniel 9:18), which implies two, of Ze’ir Anpin (תְּרֵי מַשְׁמַע דְז״א), and “incline” means (וְהַטֵּה כְּלוֹמַר), bend Your ears to hear our prayer (אַרְכִין אוּדְנִין לִשְׁמוֹעַ תְּפִלָּתֵינוּ). But the ears of Atika Kadisha [the Holy Ancient One] are entirely complete mercies (אֲבָל אָזְנֵי עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא הֵם כּוּלָּם רַחֲמִים גְּמוּרִים), and it is not applicable to speak of a left ear regarding Him (וְאֵין שַׁיָּךְ לוֹמַר בּוֹ אֹזֶן שְׂמֹאל), even though He has two ears (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ תְּרֵין אוּדְנִין), they possess only one aspect (אֵין לָהֶם אֶלָּא בְּחִינָה אַחַת), to hear our prayers and to bestow good upon all (לִשְׁמוֹעַ תְּפִלָּתֵינוּ וּלְהֵיטִיב לַכֹּל), as it is said: “Hashem is good to all, and His mercies are upon all His works” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר טוֹב י״י לַכֹּל וְרַחֲמָיו עַל כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו) (Psalms 145:9), and it is said: “For Hashem your God is a compassionate God” (וְנֶאֱמַר כִּי אֵל רַחוּם י״י אֱלֹהֶיךָ) (Deuteronomy 4:31). And every place where the two Names Hashem Elohim are mentioned (וְכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנִּזְכָּר שְׁנֵי שֵׁמוֹת י״י אֱלֹהִים), Havayah is Atika Kadisha [the Holy Ancient One] (הֲוָיָ״ה הוּא עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא), and Elohim is Ze’ir Anpin (וֶאֱלֹהִים הוּא זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין), which is judgment in relation to Atika Kadisha [the Holy Ancient One] (שֶׁהוּא דִּין לְעֵרֶךְ עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא). And in the future (וּלְעָתִיד לָבוֹא), the Holy One Blessed Be He will open those gates of prayer (יִפְתַּח הקב״ה אִינוּן תַּרְעִין דִּצְלוֹתָא), which were closed during the exile (שֶׁנִּנְעֲלוּ בִּזְמַן הַגָּלוּת), and it shall be fulfilled in us (וִיקֻיָּם בָּנוּ): “Before they call, I shall answer; while they are still speaking, I shall hear” (טֶרֶם יִקְרָאוּ וַאֲנִי אֶעֱנֶה עוֹד הֵם מְדַבְּרִים וַאֲנִי אֶשְׁמָע) (Isaiah 65:24). Blessed is Hashem forever, Amen and Amen (יִתְבָּרַךְ י״י לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן).