Chapter Fifteen (פֶּרֶק חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר)

And all this light that we say descended (וְכָל זֶה הָאוֹר שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁיָּרַד), which is the secret of Havayah Elohim (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד הֲוָיָ״ה אֱלֹהִים), is the aspect of Nefesh from the Upper Imma, which is Malkhut (הוּא בְּחִינַת נֶפֶשׁ מֵאִמָּא שֶׁל מַעְלָה שֶׁהִיא מַלְכוּת), and this is what the verse says, “The Lord Hashem swore by His Nefesh” (וְזֶה שֶׁאוֹמֵר הַכָּתוּב נִשְׁבַּע אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהִים בְּנַפְשׁוֹ) (Amos 6:8). And a person does not swear by something beneath him (וְאֵין אָדָם נִשְׁבָּע בְּמַה שֶּׁלְּמַטָּה מִמֶּנּוּ), but rather by that which is above him (אֶלָּא בְּמַה שֶּׁלְּמַעְלָה מִמֶּנּוּ). And how is it possible that Hashem Elohim (וְהֵיאַךְ אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיְ־יָ אֱלֹהִים), where Havayah is Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד הֲוָיָ״ה), and Elohim is its Nukvah (וֶאֱלֹהִים שֶׁהוּא נוּקְבֵיהּ), or Abba and Imma (אוֹ אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), swears by His Nefesh, which is Malkhut (נִשְׁבָּע בְּנַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁהִיא מַלְכוּת). Rather the explanation is (אֶלָּא פֵּירוּשׁוֹ), that He swears by this light that descended (שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע בְּזֶה הָאוֹר שֶׁיָּרַד), which is Nefesh from its own perspective (שֶׁהוּא נֶפֶשׁ מִצַּד עַצְמוֹ), while for them it is a concealed Neshamah (וְלָהֶם הוּא נְשָׁמָה נֶעְלֶמֶת). Therefore Ze’ir Anpin swears by the Malkhut of Imma (אֲלָמָא זְעֵיר נִשְׁבָּע בְּמַלְכוּת אִמָּא), and Abba and Imma swear by the Malkhut of Arich Anpin (וְאַבָּא וְאִמָּא נִשְׁבָּעִים בְּמַלְכוּת אֲרִיךְ), which is the aspect of Nefesh [Soul] in its own place (שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת נֶפֶשׁ בִּמְקוֹמָהּ), while it is a Neshamah to them (וְהִיא נְשָׁמָה אֲלֵיהֶם).