Chapter Forty (פֶּרֶק אַרְבָּעִים)

We have already explained (כְּבָר בֵּאַרְנוּ), that the eunuch of the other god (כִּי הַסָּרִיס אֵל אַחֵר), has no beard (אֵין לוֹ זָקָן), for this depends upon that (כִּי הָא בָּא תַּלְיָא), and he has no splendor of countenance (וְאֵין לוֹ הֲדַרַת פָּנִים), and therefore (וְלָכֵן), everyone whose soul has a root-spark from the Dikna [beard] of Arich Anpin (כָּל מִי שֶׁנִּשְׁמָתוֹ יֵשׁ לָהּ שֹׁרֶשׁ נִיצוֹץ מִדִּיקְנָא דַאֲרִיךְ), fathers children before his time (הוּא מוֹלִיד בָּנִים קֹדֶם זְמַנּוֹ), as with Betzalel, peace be upon him (כְּמוֹ בְצַלְאֵל ע״ה), concerning whom our Rabbis of blessed memory said (שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל), that he fathered a child at eight years old (עָלָיו שֶׁהוֹלִיד בֶּן ח׳ שָׁנִים) (Sanhedrin 69b; Bava Batra 119b). And behold (וַהֲרֵי), the Mochin [intellects] of Ze’ir Anpin are not completed until thirteen years and one day (זְעֵיר אֵין הַמּוֹחִין שֶׁלּוֹ נִגְמָרִין עַד י״ג שָׁנִים וְיוֹם אֶחָד), as we shall explain in its place (כַּאֲשֶׁר נְבָאֵר בִּמְקוֹמוֹ), but know (אַךְ דַּע), that Betzalel was from the world of Arich Anpin (כִּי בְצַלְאֵל הָיָה מֵעוֹלָם א״א), and his root was from the eighth Tikkun (וְשָׁרְשׁוֹ הָיָה מִתִּיקּוּן הַשְּׁמִינִי), called Notzer Chesed [Preserver of Kindness] (הַנִּקְרָא נוֹצֵר חֶסֶד), the Upper Mazal (מַזָּל הָעֶלְיוֹן). And from it he received abundance (וּמִמֶּנּוּ קִבֵּל שֶׁפַע), to father a child at eight years old (לְהוֹלִיד בֶּן ח׳ שָׁנִים), and because he was from Arich Anpin (וּלְהִיוֹת שֶׁהָיָה מֵא״א), therefore he made the Mishkan (לָכֵן עָשָׂה הוּא אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן), which is the secret of Arich Anpin (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד א״א), as we explained above (כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה). And because the Arizal, of blessed memory (וּלְהִיוֹת שֶׁהָאֲרִ״י זלה״ה), had a spark from Arich Anpin in the secret of Yechidah (הָיָה לוֹ נִיצוֹץ מֵא״א בְּסוֹד יְחִידָה), for he had already completed his Neshamah (כִּי כְּבָר הִשְׁלִים נִשְׁמָתוֹ), and came into the world only to redeem the generation (וְלֹא בָא לָעוֹלָם אֶלָּא לִגְאֹל אֶת הַדּוֹר), and to rectify the world and return it to complete repentance (וּלְתַקֵּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם וּלְהַחֲזִירוֹ בִּתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה), therefore he heard the Torah and the mysteries of Atik Yomin (וְלָכֵן שָׁמַע תּוֹרָה וְרָזִין עַתִּיק יוֹמַיָּיא), which Arich Anpin cooks and gives them the taste of spices (שֶׁמְּבַשֵּׁל אוֹתָם אֲרִיךְ אַנְפִּין וְנוֹתֵן לָהֶם טַעַם בְּשָׂמִים). Thus the Ta’amim [cantillation marks] and the mysteries (כֵּן הַטְּעָמִים וְהָרָזִים), which he revealed (אֲשֶׁר גִּלָּה אוֹתָם), are with the taste of spices (הֵם בְּטַעַם הַבְּשָׂמִים), therefore he was exceedingly careful with his beard (לָכֵן הָיָה נִזְהָר מְאֹד בַּזָּקָן שֶׁלּוֹ), never to shave it at all (שֶׁלֹּא לְגַלְּחוֹ כְּלָל וְעִיקָר) (Sha’ar haMitzvot, Parashat Kedoshim), neither with a razor nor with scissors (לֹא בְּתַעַר וְלֹא בְמִסְפָּרַיִם), neither above nor below in any place whatsoever (לֹא לְמַעְלָה וְלֹא לְמַטָּה בְּשׁוּם מָקוֹם כְּלָל וְעִיקָר), so as not to cut down and destroy the supernal Chesed of the Dikna of Atika Kadisha [the Holy Ancient One] (שֶׁלֹּא לִגְדֹּעַ וּלְהַשְׁחִית הַחֶסֶד עִילָאָה דְּדִיקְנָא דְעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא). And one who stands at the midpoint of his days (וּמִי שֶׁעוֹמֵד בַּחֲצִי יָמָיו), and wishes to conduct himself in matters of piety (וְרוֹצֶה לְהַנְהִיג עַצְמוֹ בְּמִילֵי דַחֲסִידוּת), should conduct himself according to this practice as well (יִנְהַג זֶה הַמִּנְהָג גַּם כֵּן), except that the hair upon the lip (רַק הַשֵּׂעָר שֶׁעַל הַשָּׂפָה), he would cut with scissors (הָיָה חוֹתְכוֹ בְּמִסְפָּרַיִם), whatever interferes with eating (כָּל מַה שֶּׁמְּעַכֵּב הָאֲכִילָה). And one who has eyes in his head and a mind in his skull and a heart to understand (וּמִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ עֵינַיִם בְּרֹאשׁוֹ וּמוֹחַ בְּקׇדְקֳדוֹ וְלֵב לְהָבִין), will understand (יָבִין), that these are the mysteries of Atik Yomin (שֶׁאֵלּוּ הֵם רָזֵי עַתִּיק יוֹמַיָּיא), given from one shepherd by the masters of assemblies (מִבַּעֲלֵי אֲסֻפּוֹת נִתְּנוּ מֵרוֹעֶה אֶחָד) (Ecclesiastes 12:11). And we have a great hint (וְיֵשׁ לָנוּ רֶמֶז גָּדוֹל), to what we said above (עַל מַה שֶּׁאָמַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה), that Betzalel was from the world of Arich Anpin (שֶׁבְּצַלְאֵל הָיָה מֵעוֹלָם א״א), for the Midrash says (שֶׁאוֹמֵר הַמִּדְרָשׁ), you were in the shadow of El (בְּצֵל־אֵל הָיִיתָ), meaning (פֵּירוּשׁ), in the shadow of the first Tikkun of the Thirteen Tikkunei Dikna [Rectifications of the Beard] (בְּצֵל הַתִּיקּוּן הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל י״ג תִּיקּוּנֵי דִיקְנָא), called El [God] (הַנִּקְרָא אֵ״ל), of Arich Anpin (שֶׁל א״א). And Ein is also called El [God] (וּבְאַיִן נִקְרָא גַּם כֵּן אֵ״ל), in the verse (בַּפָּסוּק), Who is a God like You (מִי אֵל כָּמוֹךָ) (Micah 7:18), which is the first Tikkun of Ein (שֶׁהוּא הַתִּיקּוּן הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל אַיִן).