Chapter Five (פֶּרֶק חֲמִישִׁי)

The two Partzufim of Abba and Imma were made from the Reshimu of Chokhmah and Binah, which had been points in the World of Tohu, simultaneously (הַשְּׁנֵי פַּרְצוּפִים שֶׁל אַבָּא וְאִמָּא נַעֲשׂוּ מֵהָרְשִׁימוּ שֶׁל חָכְמָה בִּינָה שֶׁהָיוּ נְקוּדוֹת בְּעוֹלָם הַתּוֹהוּ, בְּבַת אַחַת), and this is what the Holy Luminary, our teacher and master Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, peace be upon him, said in the Idra Zuta, Zohar HaGadol, daf 141b (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא מוֹרֵנוּ וְרַבֵּנוּ רַשְׁבִּ״י ע״ה בְּאַדְרָא זוּטָא זֹהַר גָּדוֹל דַּף קמ״א עַמּוּד ב׳): “Abba and Imma emerge as one, dwell as one, and never separate” (אַבָּא וְאִמָּא כַּחֲדָא נָפְקִין כַּחֲדָא שָׁרְיָין וְלָא מִתְפָּרְשִׁין). And the intention of his statement, “they emerge as one” (וְהַכַּוָּנָה בְּאוֹמְרוֹ כַּחֲדָא נָפְקִין), is that Abba and Imma were not emanated like Ze’ir Anpin and Nukvah (פֵּירוּשׁ שֶׁאַבָּא וְאִמָּא לֹא נֶאֶצְלוּ כְּמוֹ זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), for below, Ze’ir Anpin emerged first from his mother’s womb (כִּי לְתַתָּא נָפַק זְעֵיר תְּחִלָּה מִמְּעֵי אִמּוֹ), and afterward his Nukvah emerged from between the sides of Ze’ir Anpin (וּלְבָתַר נָפְקָה נוּקְבֵיהּ מִבֵּין חַדְוֹהִי דְּזְעֵיר), the head of the Nukvah emerging from behind him (נָפִיק רֵישָׁהּ דְּנוּקְבֵיהּ מֵאֲחוֹרָיו), namely her stature begins from the navel of Ze’ir Anpin (דְּהַיְינוּ קוֹמָתָהּ מַתְחֶלֶת מִטִּיבּוּרוֹ שֶׁל זְעֵיר). But Abba and Imma emerge as one (אֲבָל אַבָּא וְאִמָּא כַּחֲדָא נָפְקִין), meaning that they were emanated and emerged as one (רָצָה לוֹמַר שֶׁנֶּאֶצְלוּ וְנָפְקוּ כַּחֲדָא), without one preceding the other in time (בְּלִי קְדִימַת זְמַן זֶה לָזֶה), and also because both emerged from one Partzuf (וְגַם מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמִּפַּרְצוּף אֶחָד יָצְאוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם), namely from one point (דְּהַיְינוּ מִנְּקוּדָה אַחַת), unlike Ze’ir Anpin and Nukvah (מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), who emerged from the two Partzufim of Abba and Imma (יָצְאוּ מִשְּׁנֵי פַּרְצוּפִין אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), and did not remain there but were pushed below (וְלֹא נִשְׁאֲרוּ שָׁם וְנִדְחוּ לְמַטָּה). But Abba and Imma remain forever in the illumination of the arms and in their actual place (וְאַבָּא וְאִמָּא נִשְׁאֲרוּ בְּהַאֲרַת הַזְּרוֹעוֹת לְעוֹלָם, וּבִמְקוֹמָם מַמָּשׁ), and they are covered by the two Mazalot that bestow upon them (וְהֵם מְכֻסִּים מֵהַשְּׁנֵי מַזָּלוֹת הַמַּשְׁפִּיעִים לָהֶם), and the palate and the throat also illuminate within them forever (וְגַם הַחֵךְ וְהַגָּרוֹן מְאִירִים לְעוֹלָם בָּהֶם), and this is the influx that never ceases (וְהוּא הַשֶּׁפַע שֶׁאֵינוֹ פּוֹסֵק). Forever within them, and this is the influx that never ceases (לְעוֹלָם בָּהֶם, וְהוּא הַשֶּׁפַע שֶׁאֵינוֹ פּוֹסֵק), as they said in the Idra Zuta (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ בְּאַדְרָא זוּטָא) (Zohar, Devarim 290b), concerning the secret of the verse, “And a river went out from Eden” (בְּסוֹד הַפָּסוּק וְנָהָר יֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן) (Genesis 2:10), meaning that the river, which is the Upper Imma (רָצָה לוֹמַר נָהָר שֶׁהִיא אִמָּא עִלָּאָה), goes out from Eden, which is Chokhmah, namely Abba (יוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן שֶׁהוּא חָכְמָה, דְּהַיְינוּ אַבָּא), and the word “goes out” is exact (וּמִלַּת יוֹצֵא דַּיְיקָא), for it goes out continually and never ceases (יוֹצֵא בְּתָמִידוּת וְאֵינוֹ פּוֹסֵק לְעוֹלָם). And it is said (וְנֶאֱמַר) (ibid.), “And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail” (וּכְמוֹצָא מַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְכַזְּבוּ מֵימָיו) (Isaiah 58:11). Which is not the case with Ze’ir Anpin and Nukvah (מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בִּזְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), for they have nothing that continually covers and conceals them (אֵין לָהֶם דָּבָר הַחוֹפֶה וּמְכַסֶּה אוֹתָם תָּמִיד), and they are not face to face except at the time of union (וְאֵינָם פָּנִים בְּפָנִים אֶלָּא בִּשְׁעַת הַזִּוּוּג), for they do not possess these illuminations that bestow upon them continually (שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם אֵלּוּ הַמְּאוֹרוֹת הַמַּשְׁפִּיעִים עֲלֵיהֶם בְּתָמִידוּת).