Chapter Twenty-Five (פֶּרֶק עֶשְׂרִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה)

The seventh Heikhal [Palace] is called Kodesh haKodashim [Holy of Holies] (הֵיכָל הַשְּׁבִיעִי נִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים), and this is the innermost of them all (וְזֶה הוּא פְּנִימִי מִכֻּלָּם), and it is Chesed [Kindness] (וְהוּא חֶסֶד), namely Malchut of Chesed of Ze’ir of Beri’ah (דְּהַיְינוּ מַלְכוּת דְּחֶסֶד דִּזְעֵיר דִּבְרִיאָה), and it is the Upper Kodesh haKodashim [Holy of Holies] (וְהוּא קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הָעֶלְיוֹן), and within it are all the six extremities of Chesed itself (וּבְתוֹכוֹ כָּל הַשֵּׁשׁ קְצָווֹת שֶׁל חֶסֶד עַצְמוֹ), for Ohr haPenimi [the Inner Light] (לְאוֹר הַפְּנִימִי), and there is also a Lower Kodesh haKodashim [Holy of Holies] (וְיֵשׁ גַּם כֵּן קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים תַּחְתּוֹן), namely Chesed of Malchut (דְּהַיְינוּ חֶסֶד דְּמַלְכוּת). And the Upper one is called Afarsemon [Balsam] (וְהָעֶלְיוֹן נִקְרָא אֲפַרְסְמוֹן), and the Lower one is called Apyrion [Palanquin] (וְהַתַּחְתּוֹן נִקְרָא אַפִּרְיוֹן), for the Upper one receives illumination from the Samekh and Mem of the Tablets (כִּי הָעֶלְיוֹן יֵשׁ לוֹ הֶאָרָה מִן סָמֶ״ךְ מֵ״ם שֶׁבַּלּוּחוֹת), through the Netzach and Hod of Ze’ir Anpin (עַל יְדֵי נֵצַח וְהוֹד שֶׁל זְעֵיר), which are called the two supporters (הַנִּקְרָאִים תְּרֵי סַמְכִין), upon which the body stands (שֶׁהַגּוּף עוֹמֵד עֲלֵיהֶם), as it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר): “His legs are pillars of marble” (שׁוֹקָיו עַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ) (Song of Songs 5:15), and it is said (וְנֶאֱמַר): “Sustain me with raisin-cakes, refresh me with apples” (סַמְּכוּנִי בָּאֲשִׁישׁוֹת רַפְּדוּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִים) (Song of Songs 2:5), as I explained in Sha’ar Tikkunei Shabbat [Gate of the Rectifications of Shabbat] (כַּאֲשֶׁר בֵּאַרְתִּי בְּשַׁעַר תִּקּוּנֵי שַׁבָּת). And this Upper Beit Kodesh haKodashim [House of the Holy of Holies] also contains three heads (וּבֵית קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים זֶה הָעֶלְיוֹן יֵשׁ בּוֹ גַּם כֵּן תְּלַת רֵישִׁין), together with the Thirteen Rectifications of the Rivers of Pure Afarsemona [Pure Balsam] (עִם י״ג תִּקּוּנֵי נַהֲרֵי אֲפַרְסְמוֹנָא דַּכְיָא), which are called the Dikna [Beard] of Atik of Beri’ah (הַנִּקְרָא זָקָן דַּעֲתִיק דִּבְרִיאָה), and within it are also Abba and Imma of Beri’ah (וּבוֹ גַּם כֵּן אַבָּא וְאִמָּא דִּבְרִיאָה). For all of them became a screen through their illuminations for Chokhmah, Binah, Da’at of Netzach, Hod, Yesod of Malchut (כִּי כֻּלָּם נַעֲשׂוּ מָסָךְ בְּהֶאָרוֹתֵיהֶם לְחַבַּ״ד דְּנַהִ״י דְּמַלְכוּת), and there Atik and Abba and Imma of Beri’ah were made (וְשָׁם נַעֲשָׂה הָעֲתִיק וְאַבָּא וְאִמָּא דִּבְרִיאָה), within its Heikhal Kodesh haKodashim [Palace of the Holy of Holies] (בְּהֵיכָל קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים שֶׁבּוֹ), and it is called “the bed of Shlomo” (וְהוּא נִקְרָא מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁל שְׁלֹמֹה) (Song of Songs 3:7), for within it Ze’ir Anpin and Nukvah unite at midnight (שֶׁמִּזְדַּוְּגִים בּוֹ זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין וְנוּקְבֵיהּ בַּחֲצוֹת לַיְלָה). And there is engraved the Name of Ayin-Bet [Seventy-Two] (וְשָׁם הוּא נֶחְקָק הַשֵּׁם שֶׁל ע״ב), which is called Higgayon (הַנִּקְרָא הִגָּיוֹן), which awakens the souls of the holy people (הַמְעוֹרֵר נְשָׁמוֹת עַם הַקֹּדֶשׁ), and brings them down below to the Heikhal Ahavah [Palace of Love] (וּמוֹרִידָם לְמַטָּה לְהֵיכָל אַהֲבָה), and from it to the Heikhal Elohei Yisrael [Palace of the God of Israel] (וּמִמֶּנּוּ לְהֵיכָל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל). And behold, this Heikhal [Palace] is comprised of all the six extremities (וְהִנֵּה הַהֵיכָל הַזֶּה הוּא כָּלוּל מִכָּל הַשֵּׁשׁ קְצָווֹת), and therefore the Name of Ayin-Bet [Seventy-Two] in its straight order is in the Heikhal Kodesh haKodashim [Palace of the Holy of Holies] (וְלָכֵן הַשֵּׁם שֶׁל ע״ב בְּיֹשֶׁר הוּא בְּהֵיכָל קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים), and it contains six times twelve, which are seventy-two (וְיֵשׁ בּוֹ שֵׁשׁ פְּעָמִים י״ב שֶׁהֵם ע״ב), and all these twelve Names have a different function (וְכָל י״ב שֵׁמוֹת הָאֵלּוּ יֵשׁ לָהֶם פְּעֻלָּה אַחֶרֶת), as is known among the Mekubalim [Kabbalists] (כַּנּוֹדָע אֵצֶל הַמְקֻבָּלִים). And from it emerges another Name of Ayin-Bet [Seventy-Two] composed of Vavin [Vayisa, Vayavo, and Vayet] (וּמִמֶּנּוּ יוֹצֵא שֵׁם שֶׁל ע״ב אַחֵר שֶׁל וו״ו), and the middle verse returns backward (וְהַפָּסוּק הָאֶמְצָעִי הוּא חוֹזֵר לְאָחוֹר), the attribute of Yitzchak, which is Gevurah [Severity] (מִדָּתוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק שֶׁהִיא גְּבוּרָה), and the other two verses are the attributes of Avraham and Yaakov (וּשְׁנֵי פְּסוּקִים הָאֲחֵרִים הֵם מִדּוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם וְיַעֲקֹב), and therefore they are in a straight order (וְלָכֵן הֵם בְּיֹשֶׁר). And from there descend all the souls that are delayed there (וּמִשָּׁם יוֹרְדִים כָּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת אֲשֶׁר מִתְעַכְּבִים שָׁם), until the time comes for the word of the King of kings of kings (עַד עֵת בּוֹא דְּבָרוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים), to send them into this world (לִשְׁלֹחַ אוֹתָם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה), until the day when King Mashiach will come (עַד יוֹם שֶׁיָּבוֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ), and all of them descend to the Heikhal Elohei Yisrael [Palace of the God of Israel] that we mentioned (וְכֻלָּם יוֹרְדִים לְהֵיכָל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), and if there is a Zivug [Union] (וְאִם יֵשׁ זִוּוּג), the Heikhalot [Palaces] of the Nukvah are included within the Heikhalot [Palaces] of the male (נִכְלָלִים הֵיכָלוֹת הַנּוּקְבָה בְּהֵיכָלוֹת הַזָּכָר), and they unite at the time of prayer and good deeds (וּמִזְדַּוְּגִים בִּזְמַן הַתְּפִלָּה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים), which raise Mayin Nukvin [Female Waters] (שֶׁמַּעֲלִים מַיִן נוּקְבִין). And then the Shekhinah ascends (וְאָז עוֹלָה הַשְּׁכִינָה), and the worlds of Beri’ah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah are built upon her levels (וְעוֹלָמוֹת בי״ע נִבְנִים עַל פִּרְקֶיהָ), thus they ascend with her (נִמְצָא שֶׁהֵם עוֹלִים עִמָּהּ), and they are: “the seven maidens who were suitable to be given her from the king’s house” (וְהֵם: שֶׁבַע הַנְּעָרוֹת הָרְאֻיוֹת לָתֵת לָהּ מִבֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ) (Esther 2:9). It follows that below there are six Heikhalot [Palaces] (נִמְצָא שֶׁלְּמַטָּה הֵם שִׁשָּׁה הֵיכָלוֹת), and the sea is above them (וְהַיָּם עֲלֵיהֶם), which is the Heikhal Elohei Yisrael [Palace of the God of Israel] (הוּא הֵיכָל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), called the Last Sea (הַנִּקְרָא יָם הָאַחֲרוֹן). And there are six Heikhalot [Palaces] above, in the Heikhalot [Palaces] of the male (וְיֵשׁ שִׁשָּׁה הֵיכָלוֹת לְמַעְלָה בְּהֵיכָלוֹת הַזָּכָר), and the Primordial Sea is above them (וְהַיָּם הַקַּדְמוֹנִי עֲלֵיהֶם), and they are the secret of the twelve oxen (וְהֵם סוֹד הַי״ב בָּקָר), and the sea is above them (וְהַיָּם עֲלֵיהֶם), and it is the sea of King Shlomo, peace be upon him (וְהוּא הַיָּם שֶׁל שְׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם), which he made as a likeness of that which is above (שֶׁעָשָׂה לְדוּגְמָא שֶׁל מַעְלָה). Blessed is Hashem forever (יִתְבָּרַךְ י״י לְעוֹלָם), Amen and Amen (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן).