Chapter Fifty-Three (פֶּרֶק חֲמִשִּׁים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה)

We said above (אָמַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה), that Chokhmah, Chesed, Netzach (שֶׁחָכְמָה חֶסֶד נֶצַח) are the right line (הֵם קַו יָמִין), and they are called Chasadim (וְהֵם נִקְרָאִים חֲסָדִים), because the branches are called by the name of the body, as is known (כִּי הָעֲנָפִים נִקְרָאִים עַל שֵׁם הַגּוּף כַּנּוֹדָע), and likewise on the left side (וְכֵן בְּצַד שְׂמֹאל), Binah, Gevurah, Hod (בִּינָה גְּבוּרָה הוֹד) are the left line (הֵם קַו שְׂמֹאל), and all the branches are called Gevurah by the name of the body (וְכָל הָעֲנָפִים נִקְרָאִים גְּבוּרָה עַל שֵׁם הַגּוּף). And according to this manner (וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה), “Netzach, Netzachim” that we mentioned is explained (יִתְפָּרֵשׁ נֶצַח נְצָחִים שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), the explanation is (פֵּירוּשׁ), the Netzach of Ze’ir has within it another Netzach (נֶצַח דְּזְעֵיר יֵשׁ בּוֹ נֶצַח אַחֵר), namely the extension of the Netzach of Imma (דְּהַיְינוּ הִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת נֶצַח דְּאִמָּא), and likewise Hod has within it another Hod from Imma (וְכֵן הוֹד יֵשׁ בּוֹ הוֹד אַחֵר דְּאִמָּא). But it does not say “Yesod, Yesodot” (וְאֵלּוּ יְסוֹד יְסוֹדוֹת לָא קָאָמַר), for the Yesod of Imma is short (שֶׁהֲרֵי יְסוֹד אִמָּא קָצָר), and it does not extend sufficiently downward (וְאֵינוֹ מַגִּיעַ כָּל כָּךְ לְהִתְפַּשֵּׁט לְמַטָּה), and it extends only into the Tiferet (וְאֵינוֹ מִתְפַּשֵּׁט אֶלָּא עַד תּוֹךְ ת"ת), with its complete third (בִּשְׁלִישׁ שָׁלֵם שֶׁלָּהּ), in the final joints (בַּפְּרָקִים הָאַחֲרוֹנִים). And it reaches the head of Rachel (וּמַגַּעַת עַל רֹאשׁ רָחֵל), at the place of the navel of the heart (בִּמְקוֹם הַטַּבּוּר שֶׁל הַלֵּב), where the end of the upper third of the Tiferet of Ze’ir is found (שֶׁשָּׁם סוֹף שְׁלִישׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן דְּת"ת זְעֵיר), where the third of the Yesod of Imma is (אֲשֶׁר שָׁם שְׁלִישׁ יְסוֹד דְּאִמָּא), descending from the Da’at of Ze’ir Anpin (הַיּוֹרֵד מִדַּעַת ז"א), into its Tiferet (אֶל תּוֹךְ ת"ת שֶׁלּוֹ), and filling its upper third (וּמְמַלֵּא שְׁלִישׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁלּוֹ). And the reason they did not bestow and bring down their three joints, but only one joint at a time (וּמַה שֶּׁלֹּא הִשְׁפִּיעוּ וְהוֹרִידוּ הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה פְּרָקִים שֶׁלָּהֶם רַק פֶּרֶק אֶחָד בְּפַעַם אַחַת לְבַדּוֹ כָּאָמוּר), was so that the vessel of the Chokhmah of Ze’ir would not be shattered, Heaven forbid, from the abundance of the light (הוּא כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁבֵר כְּלִי חָכְמַת זְעֵיר חַס וְשָׁלוֹם מֵרוֹב הָאוֹר), and it was revealed and known before Him (וְגָלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לְפָנָיו), that the vessels of Ze’ir were weak (שֶׁכְּלֵי זְעֵיר הָיוּ חַלָּשִׁים), and would not have the strength, Heaven forbid, to contain the illuminations all at once (וְלֹא יַעַצְרוּ כֹחַ חַס וְחָלִילָה לְהָכִיל הַהֶאָרוֹת בְּפַעַם אַחַת). And likewise were the operations made (וְכֵן [נַעֲשׂוּ פְּעוּלוֹת]), at the beginning of the construction of the Mochin and vessels of Ze’ir (בִּתְחִלַּת הַבִּנְיָן שֶׁל הַמּוֹחִין וְהַכֵּלִים דְּזְעֵיר), that the upper and middle thirds of Chesed ascended (שֶׁהֶעֱלָה הַשְּׁלִישׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן וְהַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁל חֶסֶד), to complete the Chokhmah of Ze’ir to three thirds (לְהַשְׁלִים חָכְמַת זְעֵיר לִשְׁלֹשָׁה שְׁלִישִׁים), and likewise Netzach (וְכֵן נֶצַח), so that the Chesed of Ze’ir would not be lacking (כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה חֶסֶד זְעֵיר חָסֵר), when the middle third of the Netzach of Imma descended (בְּרֶדֶת הַשְּׁלִישׁ הָאֶמְצָעִי דְּנֶצַח אִמָּא), the Chokhmah, Binah, Da’at of the Netzach of Ze’ir ascended (עָלוּ חב"ד דְּנֶצַח זְעֵיר), to become the Netzach, Hod, Yesod for the Chesed of Ze’ir (לִהְיוֹת נה"י לְחֶסֶד זְעֵיר). And these ascents and descents were made (וְעֲלִיּוֹת וִירִידוֹת אֵלּוּ נַעֲשׂוּ), in order that their lights should be blended and intermingled together (כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְמַזְּגוּ וְיִתְעָרְבוּ יַחַד הָאוֹרוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם), namely (דְּהַיְינוּ), the lights of the Netzach of Imma with the lights of the Chesed of the right line of Ze’ir (אוֹרוֹת דְּנֶצַח אִמָּא עִם הָאוֹרוֹת דְּחֶסֶד קַו יָמִין שֶׁל זְעֵיר), and likewise in this manner in the other lines (וְכֵן עַל זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ בִּשְׁאָר הַקַּוִּים). And therefore (וְלָזֶה), they possess a connection to the illuminations from Imma (יֵשׁ לָהֶם שַׁיָּכוּת הֶאָרוֹת מֵאִמָּא), and this is called the first Gadlut [maturity] (וְזֶה נִקְרָא גַּדְלוּת רִאשׁוֹן), and the stretching forth of the limbs of the vessel of Ze’ir (וּמְתִיחַת אֵיבְרֵי כְּלִי זְעֵיר), concerning which it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר): “And He stretched them out like a tent to dwell in” (וַיִּמְתָּחֵם כָּאֹהֶל לָשָׁבֶת) (Isaiah 40:22). “A tent that shall not be removed, whose stakes shall never be pulled up” (אֹהֶל בַּל יִצְעָן בַּל יִסַּע יְתֵדֹתָיו לָנֶצַח) (Isaiah 33:20). “Hashem shall reign forever” (יְיָ יִמְלֹךְ לְעוֹלָם) (Exodus 15:18). Amen and Amen (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן).