Chapter Eight (פֶּרֶק שְׁמִינִי)

And because the aforementioned Chokhmah and Binah of the World of Nekudot had not yet been rectified in the secret of a Partzuf (וּלְפִי שֶׁעֲדַיִן חָכְמָה וּבִינָה הַנִּזְכָּרוֹת שֶׁל עוֹלָם הַנְּקוּדוֹת, לֹא הָיוּ מְתֻקָּנִים בְּסוֹד פַּרְצוּף), therefore, in order to rectify them (לָכֵן כְּדֵי לְתַקְּנָם), the Holy One, Blessed Be He, alluded to Arich Anpin in its totality (רָמַז הַקב״ה לַאֲרִיךְ שֶׁבִּכְלָלוּתוֹ), which is included with the Reisha DeEin [the Head of Nothingness] bound with it face to face (שֶׁהוּא כָּלוּל מֵרֵישָׁא דְאֵין הַקָּשׁוּר עִמּוֹ אַפִּין בְּאַפִּין), in which there are no levels of back-to-backness (שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם מַדְרֵגוֹת אָחוֹר), that it should extend its right arm, namely Chesed [Kindness] (שֶׁיוֹשִׁיט זְרוֹעוֹ הַיְמָנִי דְּהַיְינוּ גְּדוּלָּה), and the upper right quarter of Tiferet (וְרֹבַע הָעֶלְיוֹן הַיְמִינִי שֶׁל ת״ת), and that it should be assisted in this construction by Arich Anpin together with its companion, the Reisha DeEin [the Head of Nothingness], included within it (וְיִסְתַּיֵּעַ בַּבִּנְיָן הַזֶּה מֵאֲרִיךְ עִם חֲבֵירוֹ אֵין הַכָּלוּל בּוֹ). And because all the Partzufim are emanated through their illumination, as is known (וּלְפִי שֶׁכָּל הַפַּרְצוּפִים נֶאֱצָלִים עַל יְדֵי הֶאָרָתָם כַּנּוֹדָע), therefore every Partzuf is divided into two (לָכֵן כָּל פַּרְצוּף נֶחְלָק לִשְׁנַיִם), namely Abba and Yisrael Saba (דְּהַיְינוּ אַבָּא וְיִשְׂרָאֵל סָבָא), and Imma and Tevunah (וְאִמָּא וּתְבוּנָה), and in Ze’ir Anpin, the Youth of Yisrael and Yaakov (וּבִזְעֵיר נַעַר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיַעֲקֹב), and in its Nukvah, Leah and Rachel (וּבְנוּקְבֵיהּ לֵאָה רָחֵל). But the Reisha DeLa Ityada [the Unknowable Head] has no relation to this (אֲבָל רֵישָׁא דְלָא אִתְיְדַע אֵין לוֹ שַׁיָּכוּת לָזֶה), because the Ein Sof is clothed within it (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין סוֹף מִתְלַבֵּשׁ בּוֹ), and it is exceedingly subtle (וְהוּא דַּק מְאֹד), therefore we cannot truly say, “this is bone of my bones” (עַל כֵּן לֹא נוּכַל לוֹמַר מַמָּשׁ זֶה עֶצֶם מֵעֲצָמַי) (Genesis 2:23), “and this is flesh of my flesh” (וְזֶה בָּשָׂר מִבְּשָׂרִי) (Genesis 2:23), rather it is a very subtle influx from above (אֶלָּא שֶׁפַע דַּק מְאֹד מִלְמַעְלָה), which travels through a narrow place by way of the throat and the mouth (הַהוֹלֵךְ בְּמָקוֹם צַר דֶּרֶךְ הַגָּרוֹן וְהַפֶּה), and became clothed within the two Partzufim (וְנִתְלַבֵּשׁ בִּשְׁנֵי הַפַּרְצוּפִין). And the influx became somewhat coarse relative to the influx of the Ein Sof (וְהַשֶּׁפַע נַעֲשָׂה מְעַט עָב, בְּעֵרֶךְ שֶׁפַע אֵין סוֹף), and I have already explained the clothing of Abba and Imma (וּכְבָר בֵּאַרְתִּי הַהִתְלַבְּשׁוּת שֶׁל אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), that they clothe the Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet of Arich Anpin (שֶׁמַּלְבִּישִׁים חג״ת שֶׁל אֲרִיךְ), but not the entire Sefirah of Tiferet, only up to its midpoint (וְלֹא כָל סְפִירַת ת״ת אֶלָּא עַד חֶצְיוֹ), namely up to the navel (דְּהַיְינוּ עַד הַטִּיבּוּר). And that this form of the Partzuf in Abba and Imma was made from the arms of Arich Anpin (וּמַה שֶּׁנַּעֲשָׂה צוּרַת הַפַּרְצוּף הַזֶּה שֶׁבְּאַבָּא וְאִמָּא בַּזְּרוֹעוֹת שֶׁבַּאֲרִיךְ), and was not made through its Chokhmah and Binah (וְלֹא נַעֲשָׂה זֶה עַל יְדֵי הַחָכְמָה וְהַבִּינָה שֶׁלּוֹ), though it would seem more fitting to do so (שֶׁנִּרְאֶה שֶׁהָיָה יוֹתֵר רָאוּי לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן), the reason is (הַיְינוּ טַעְמָא), that they are the secret of the Mochin (שֶׁהֵם סוֹד הַמּוֹחִין), and are called a brilliant light (וְנִקְרָאִים אוֹר בָּהִיר), and the world was not worthy to make use of them (שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה הָעוֹלָם כְּדַאי לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם), therefore he did not build them, namely Abba and Imma, through its Chokhmah and Binah (לָכֵן לֹא בָנָה אוֹתָם אֶת אַבָּא וְאִמָּא בְּחָכְמָה וּבִינָה שֶׁלּוֹ), but rather through the Chesed and Gevurah of Arich Anpin (אֶלָּא בְּחֶסֶד גְּבוּרָה שֶׁל אֲרִיךְ). And to this construction the verse alludes when it says, “I, Chokhmah, dwell with prudence” (וְלַבִּנְיָן זֶה רָמַז הַכָּתוּב בְּאוֹמְרוֹ אֲנִי חָכְמָה שָׁכַנְתִּי עָרְמָה) (Proverbs 8:12), meaning (כְּלוֹמַר), I, Chokhmah, have dwelt and been rectified from “Iti” [myself] (אֲנִי חָכְמָה שָׁכַנְתִּי נִתְקַנְתִּי מֵאִתִּי), which has the numerical value of Kadosh [Holy] (שֶׁהוּא בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא קָדוֹשׁ), namely Arich Anpin (דְּהַיְינוּ אֲרִיךְ). And the verse also alludes to this (וְזֶה רָמַז הַכָּתוּב גַּם כֵּן), “And to whom will you liken Me, that I should be equal? says the Holy One” (וְאֶל מִי תְדַמְּיוּנִי וְאֶשְׁוֶה יֹאמַר קָדוֹשׁ) (Isaiah 40:25), meaning (כְּלוֹמַר), if one should entertain the thought of comparing the Cause of Causes to one who is Binah (אִם יַעֲלֶה עַל הַדַּעַת לְדַמּוֹת עִלַּת הָעִלּוֹת אֶל מִי שֶׁהוּא בִּינָה), “says the Holy One” (יֹאמַר קָדוֹשׁ), which is Chokhmah (שֶׁהוּא חָכְמָה), for it also receives from Keter (שֶׁהִיא גַּם כֵּן מְקַבֶּלֶת מִכֶּתֶר), and Keter from Tehiru (וְכֶתֶר מִטְּהִירוּ), and Tehiru from the Primordial Air (וּטְהִירוּ מֵאֲוִיר קַדְמָאָה), up to the Cause of Causes (עַד עִלַּת הָעִלּוֹת). “Prudence” has the numerical value of Yesh [substance]-[of] Heh (עָרְמָה בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא יֵש־ה׳), meaning (כְּלוֹמַר), there are within me five Chasadim (יֵשׁ בִּי ה׳ חֲסָדִים), “I am Binah, Mine is Gevurah” (אֲנִי בִינָה לִי גְבוּרָה) (Proverbs 8:14), and this is the left arm of Arich Anpin (וְהַיְינוּ זְרוֹעַ שְׂמֹאל שֶׁל אֲרִיךְ אַנְפִּין), and the word Gevurah means Gevurah-Heh, namely five Gevurot (וּמִלַּת גְּבוּרָה הִיא גְּבוֹר ה׳ דְּהַיְינוּ ה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת).