Chapter Six (פֶּרֶק שִׁשִּׁי)

Why are the two Partzufim, Ze’ir Anpin and its Nukvah, attached back to back before the Zivug [Union] (לָמָּה הַשְּׁנֵי פַּרְצוּפִין זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ הֵם דְּבוּקִים אָחוֹר בְּאָחוֹר קֹדֶם הַזִּוּוּג), so that Other Elohim may not take hold of them (כְּדֵי שֶׁאֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לֹא יִתְאַחֲזוּ בָּהֶם). And the matter is (וְהָעִנְיָן), that the backs, we have said, are the secret of Elohim (כִּי הָאֲחוֹרַיִים אָמַרְנוּ הֵם סוֹד אֱלֹהִים), and they are the one hundred and twenty permutations of Elohim (וְהֵם ק״ך צֵירוּפֵי אֱלֹהִים), and they extend until the end of Asiyah, as explained in its place (וְהֵם עַד סוֹף הָעֲשִׂיָּה כַּמְבֹאָר בִּמְקוֹמוֹ). And there, behind them, come the Klipot (וְשָׁם אַחֲרֵיהֶם בָּאִים הַקְּלִיפּוֹת), and they are drawn from there at the end of all Asiyah (וְנִמְשָׁכִים מִשָּׁם בְּסוֹף כָּל הָעֲשִׂיָּה), and they are called Other Elohim (וְהֵם נִקְרָאִים אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים), in relation to these one hundred and twenty Elohim (בְּעֵרֶךְ אֵלּוּ הַק״ךְ אֱלֹהִים), which are the Living Elohim of Holiness (שֶׁהֵם אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים דִּקְדֻשָּׁה).

And behold, when, Heaven forbid, there are sinners (וְהִנֵּה כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם חוֹטְאִים), these Other Elohim become included in their root (נִכְלָלִים אֵלּוּ הָאֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים בְּשָׁרְשָׁם), in the secret of the Holy Elohim that are in the backs (בְּסוֹד הָאֱלֹהִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים שֶׁבָּאֲחוֹרַיִים), and through their inclusion in their root (וְעַל יְדֵי כְּלָלוּתָם בְּשָׁרְשָׁם), they draw sustenance from the Shekhinah (הֵם יוֹנְקִים מִן הַשְּׁכִינָה). And this is the secret of the entire grasp of the external forces upon holiness (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד כָּל אֲחִיזַת הַחִיצוֹנִים בַּקְּדֻשָּׁה), for they do not grasp except through their inclusion in their root (כִּי אֵינָם אוֹחֲזִים רַק עַל יְדֵי כְּלָלוּתָם בְּשָׁרְשָׁם), and not that they themselves, Heaven forbid, enter in (וְלֹא שֶׁהֵם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם נִכְנָסִים עַצְמָם). And this is the secret of the verse: “Strip her, strip her, even to her foundation” (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד הַפָּסוּק עָרוּ עָרוּ עַד הַיְסוֹד בָּהּ) (Psalms 137:7), for these Elohim have their root in Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] (כִּי אֵלּוּ הָאֱלֹהִים שָׁרְשָׁם מַיִן נוּקְבִין), which are in the Yesod of the Nukvah (שֶׁבִּיסוֹד דְּנוּקְבָא), for they are the five Gevurot, the five letters of Elohim (כִּי הֵם ה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת ה׳ אוֹתִיּוֹת אֱלֹהִים). And when Malkhut wishes to raise Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] (וּכְשֶׁרוֹצָה הַמַּלְכוּת לְהַעֲלוֹת מַיִן נוּקְבִין), all the Elohim of Holiness become included there within her Yesod (נִכְלָלִים כָּל הָאֱלֹהִים שֶׁל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה שָׁם בִּיסוֹד שֶׁבָּהּ), and when there is blemish, Heaven forbid (וּכְשֶׁיֵּשׁ פְּגָם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם), then the Other Elohim take hold of their root (אָז אוֹחֲזִים אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים בְּשָׁרְשָׁם), and become included together with them (וְנִכְלָלִים עִמָּהֶם), and even though they themselves do not enter, Heaven forbid (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם אֵינָם נִכְנָסִים חַס וְשָׁלוֹם), nevertheless they draw sustenance through the secret of inclusion (עִם כָּל זֹאת יוֹנְקִין בְּסוֹד הַכְּלָלוּת). And this is what the verse says (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב): “And a maidservant who inherits her mistress” (וְשִׁפְחָה כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִרְתָּהּ) (Proverbs 30:23), for the Supernal Tzaddik [Righteous One] unites with the maidservant, as it were, in the secret mentioned above (כִּי צַדִּיק הָעֶלְיוֹן מִזְדַּוֵּג עִם הַשִּׁפְחָה כִּבְיָכוֹל בְּסוֹד הַנִּזְכָּר). And from this you will understand the secret of the sin of: “One who has relations with an Aramean woman—zealous ones strike him” (וּמִזֶּה תָּבִין סוֹד חֵטְא הַבּוֹעֵל אֲרָמִית קַנָּאִין פּוֹגְעִין בּוֹ) (Avodah Zarah 36b), in order to cut off the union of the Tzaddik [Righteous One] with the maidservant (כְּדֵי לְהַכְרִית זִוּוּג הַצַּדִּיק עִם הַשִּׁפְחָה), for concerning this it is said: “And a maidservant who inherits her mistress” (כִּי עַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר וְשִׁפְחָה כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִרְתָּהּ) (Proverbs 30:23). And this is what the verse says (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאוֹמֵר הַכָּתוּב): “Strip her, strip her, even to her foundation” (עָרוּ עָרוּ עַד הַיְסוֹד בָּהּ) (Psalms 137:7), for up to that point the blemish reaches, as it were (כִּי עַד שָׁם מַגִּיעַ הַפְּגָם כִּבְיָכוֹל). And this is what the verse says (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב): “O Elohim, nations have entered Your inheritance” (אֱלֹהִים בָּאוּ גוֹיִם בְּנַחֲלָתֶךָ) (Psalms 79:1), meaning (פֵּירוּשׁ), that the external forces called Other Elohim (כִּי הַחִיצוֹנִים הַנִּקְרָאִים אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים), take hold of the Elohim of Holiness (הֵם נֶאֱחָזִים בֶּאֱלֹהִים דִּקְדֻשָּׁה), and through this they enter into the holy inheritance (וְעַל יְדֵי כָּךְ בָּאוּ תּוֹךְ נַחֲלַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ). And for this reason it says “Elohim” and does not say “Hashem” (וְלָזֶה אָמַר אֱלֹהִים וְלֹא אָמַר י״י), and behold, their being back to back (וְהִנֵּה הֱיוֹתָם אָחוֹר בְּאָחוֹר), is because they are judgments (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם דִּינִים), and they emerge from him to her (וְיוֹצְאִים מִמֶּנּוּ אֵלֶיהָ), and then they remain attached (וְאָז נִדְבָּקִים), for the branch remains attached to the tree from which it emerged (כִּי הֶעָנָף נִשְׁאָר דָּבוּק בָּאִילָן אֲשֶׁר מִשָּׁם יָצָא). And behold, when afterward they are in the secret of the Zivug [Union] face to face (וְהִנֵּה בִּהְיוֹתָם אַחַר כָּךְ בְּסוֹד הַזִּוּוּג פָּנִים בְּפָנִים), it would seem fitting that they should return to be attached through the secret of the Chesedim given from him to her (הָיָה רָאוּי שֶׁיַּחְזְרוּ לְהִדָּבֵק בְּסוֹד הַחֲסָדִים הַנִּתָּנִים מִמֶּנּוּ אֵלֶיהָ), but the reason is (אַךְ הַטַּעַם הוּא), that they are clothed in the lights of Abba and Imma (שֶׁהֵם מְלֻבָּשִׁים מֵאוֹרוֹת אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), and then the judgments are subdued (וְאָז הַדִּינִים נִכְנָעִים). For their lights are called the Freedom of the Jubilee (כִּי אוֹרוֹתֵיהֶם נִקְרָאִים חֵרוּת הַיּוֹבֵל), freedom from the subjugation of kingdoms (חֵרוּת מִשִּׁעְבּוּד מַלְכֻיּוֹת), and they flee from the Havayah of Gadlut [Maturity] (וּבוֹרְחִים מִשֵּׁם הֲוָיָ״ה שֶׁל גַּדְלוּת), concerning which it is said: “I am Hashem, I am He and not another” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ אֲנִי ה׳ אֲנִי הוּא וְלֹא אַחֵר), “There is none besides Him” (אֵין עוֹד מִלְּבַדּוֹ) (Deuteronomy 4:35), and it is said: “I am Hashem, that is My Name, and My glory I shall not give to another” (וְנֶאֱמַר אֲנִי י״י הוּא שְׁמִי וּכְבוֹדִי לְאַחֵר לֹא אֶתֵּן) (Isaiah 42:8). That “other” is the Other God (הוּא אֵל אַחֵר), and on the contrary (וְאַדְּרַבָּא), through it the Klipot are subdued (בּוֹ נִכְנָעִים הַקְּלִיפּוֹת), and in the future to come (וְלֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא), the lights of freedom and the Jubilee of Imma (אוֹרוֹת הַחֵרוּת וְהַיּוֹבֵל דְּאִמָּא), will subdue all the hosts of impurity to their furthest limit (יַכְנִיעוּ אֶת כָּל צְבָא הַטֻּמְאָה עַד קָצֵהוּ), and “the children of wickedness shall no longer afflict Israel as formerly” (אֲשֶׁר לֹא יוֹסִיפוּ בְּנֵי עַוְלָה לְעַנּוֹתוֹ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה) (based on II Samuel 7:10). As it is said: “In “this [Zot]” year of Jubilee [an allusion to the year 5408 [1648], which is especially suited for redemption] each man shall return to his possession” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בִּשְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל הַזֹּאת תָּשֻׁבוּ אִישׁ אֶל אֲחֻזָּתוֹ) (Leviticus 25:13), “and each man shall return to his family” (וְאִישׁ אֶל מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ תָּשֻׁבוּ) (Leviticus 25:10), so that every one of Israel will know his family and his tribe (שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל יֵדַע מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ וְשִׁבְטוֹ), and none of the secrets will be hidden from them (וְכָל הַסּוֹדוֹת לֹא יִתְעַלְּמוּ מֵהֶם). And the Mochin of Gadlut [Maturity] will return (וּמוֹחֵי הַגַּדְלוּת יַחְזְרוּ), and they will never again depart from their place (וְלֹא יָסוּרוּ עוֹד מִמְּקוֹמָם), for they are the Name Havayah itself (שֶׁהֵם שֵׁם הֲוָיָ״ה עַצְמוֹ מַמָּשׁ), and not the Mochin of Katnut [Smallness], which are the Name Elohim (וְלֹא מוֹחֵי הַקַּטְנוּת שֶׁהֵם שֵׁם אֱלֹהִים), as it is said: “And it shall come to pass on that day, Hashem shall be One and His Name One” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה יְהוָה אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד) (Zechariah 14:9). And the wings and the screens will be removed from the entrances of Holiness and the Merkavah (וְהַכְּנָפַיִם וְהַמְּסָכִים יָסוּרוּ מִמְּבוֹאוֹת הַקְּדֻשָּׁה וְהַמֶּרְכָּבָה), as it is said: “And your Teacher shall no longer be concealed, and your eyes shall behold your Teacher” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְלֹא יִכָּנֵף עוֹד מוֹרֶיךָ וְהָיוּ עֵינֶיךָ רֹאוֹת אֶת מוֹרֶיךָ) (Isaiah 30:20), and it is said: “And the glory of Hashem shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see” (וְנֶאֱמַר וְנִגְלָה כְּבוֹד י״י וְרָאוּ כָּל בָּשָׂר יַחְדָּו) (Isaiah 40:5), and it is said: “And it shall be said on that day: Behold, this is our Elohim; we hoped for Him and He shall save us; this is Hashem; we hoped for Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation” (וְאָמַר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֵינוּ זֶה קִוִּינוּ לוֹ וְיוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ זֶה יְהוָה קִוִּינוּ לוֹ נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בִּישׁוּעָתוֹ) (Isaiah 25:9). Blessed is Hashem forever, Amen and Amen (יִתְבָּרַךְ י״י לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן).