Chapter Forty (פֶּרֶק אַרְבָּעִים)

And because the hairs of the head of the aforementioned Ze’ir reach to that opening (וּלְפִי שֶׁשַּׂעֲרוֹת רֵישֵׁיהּ דִּזְעֵיר הַנִּזְכָּר מַגִּיעוֹת עַד הַחוֹר הַהוּא), our Rabbis of blessed memory measured the size of the Tallit (שִׁעֲרוּ חז״ל שִׁעוּר הַטַּלִּית), that it should be sufficient to cover the head and most of the body of a child (שֶׁהוּא כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּכַסֶּה רֹאשׁוֹ וְרֻבּוֹ שֶׁל קָטָן), namely until the aforementioned opening beneath the chest (דְּהַיְינוּ עַד הַחוֹר הַנִּזְכָּר שֶׁתַּחַת הֶחָזֶה), and from there the hairs of Rachel are visible, which are the Tzitzit [Fringes] (וּמִשָּׁם נִרְאִים שַׂעֲרוֹת רָחֵל שֶׁהֵם הַצִּיצִית). And they pierce through the hairs of Ze’ir, which is in the likeness of the Tallit (וְנוֹקְבִים בְּשַׂעֲרוֹת זְעֵיר שֶׁהוּא כִּדְמוּת טַלִּית), because they become entangled in the hairs of Arich (לְפִי שֶׁהֵם מִסְתַּבְּכִים בְּשַׂעֲרוֹת אֲרִיךְ), and from the hairs of both of them there came into being a kind of garment of the Tallit (וּמִשַּׂעֲרוֹת שְׁנֵיהֶם נִתְהַוָּה כְּמִין בֶּגֶד הַטַּלִּית). And the words of the Ba’al HaIttur were correct (וְצָדְקוּ דִּבְרֵי בַּעַל הָעִטּוּר), who said that the Tzitzit [Fringes] must hang upon the corner from only one side (שֶׁאָמַר שֶׁצָּרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַצִּיצִית נוֹטֵף עַל הַכָּנָף מִצַּד אַחֵר לְבַד), and not from two sides (וְלֹא לִשְׁנֵי צְדָדִים), namely that the Tzitzit [Fringes] should pass through two holes on only one side (דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁיַּעֲבֹר הַצִּיצִית בִּשְׁנֵי נְקָבִים בְּצַד אֶחָד לְבַד). And just as eight Mochin [Mentalities] enter into Ze’ir (וּכְמוֹ שֶׁבִּזְעֵיר נִכְנָסִים בּוֹ ח׳ מוֹחִין), namely four from Abba and four from Imma (דְּהַיְינוּ ד׳ מֵאַבָּא וְד׳ מֵאִמָּא), as will be explained with the help of Kudsha Berikh Hu and His Shekhinta (כַּאֲשֶׁר יִתְבָּאֵר בְּסִיַעְתָּא דְקב״ה וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ), in the secret of the enlargement and in the secret of the Tefillin (בְּסוֹד הַהַגְדָּלָה וּבְסוֹד הַתְּפִלִּין), namely four compartments of the Tefillin according to Rashi (דְּהַיְינוּ ד׳ בָּתֵּי תְּפִלִּין לְדַעַת רַשִׁ״י), and four compartments according to Rabbeinu Tam (וְד׳ בָּתִּים לְדַעַת רַבֵּנוּ תָּם), so too in Malkhut, Rachel (כֵּן בַּמַּלְכוּת רָחֵל), there emerged from her hairs (יָצְאוּ מִתּוֹךְ הַשְּׂעָרוֹת שֶׁלָּהּ), in the likeness of eight braided and interwoven hairs (כִּדְמוּת ח׳ שְׂעָרוֹת שְׁזוּרוֹת וּמְקוּלָּעוֹת), each one consisting of eight threads (כָּל אַחַת מֵח׳ חוּטִין), which are sixty-four (שֶׁהֵם ס״ד), corresponding to the sixty-four wings in each Chayah [Living Creature] of the Four Holy Living Creatures (כְּנֶגֶד ס״ד כְּנָפַיִם שֶׁבְּכָל חַיָּה מֵאַרְבַּע חַיּוֹת הַקֹּדֶשׁ), which together are two hundred and fifty-six (שֶׁהֵם בֵּין כֻּלָּם רנ״ו), and your sign is “Sing for joy, O Yaakov, with gladness” (וְסִימָנָךְ רַנּוּ לְיַעֲקֹב שִׂמְחָה) (Jeremiah 31:6). And the secret of the hairs is (וְסוֹד הַשְּׂעָרוֹת הוּא), that the hairs enter into Ze’ir or into his Nukvah from Abba and Imma (שֶׁהַשְּׂעָרוֹת נִכְנָסִים בְּתוֹךְ זְעֵיר אוֹ בְּתוֹךְ נוּקְבֵיהּ מֵאַבָּא וְאִמָּא), or when they enter into Arich from Reisha deLo Ityada [the Unknowable Head] (אוֹ כְּשֶׁנִּכְנָסִים בַּאֲרִיךְ מֵרֵישָׁא דְּלָא אִתְיְידַע), and do not find a place to spread here or there (וְאֵינָם מוֹצְאִים מָקוֹם לְהִתְפַּשֵּׁט אָנָה וָאָנָה), for a reason (לְסִבָּה), which will be explained in the enlargement [Gadlut] (שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּהַגְדָּלָה [בְּגַדְלוּת]), with Heavenly assistance (בְּסִיַעְתָּא דִּשְׁמַיָּא). They return by way of Ohr Chozer [Returning Light] (חוֹזְרִים דֶּרֶךְ אוֹר חוֹזֵר), in order to ascend back to their root (כְּדֵי לָשׁוּב לַעֲלוֹת לְשָׁרְשָׁם), and emerge through the brain (וְיוֹצְאִים דֶּרֶךְ הַמּוֹחַ), piercing the skull of the head and emerging outside (נוֹקְבִים גֻּלְגֹּלֶת הָרֹאשׁ וְיוֹצְאִים לַחוּץ). For when the flow descends through the brain (לְפִי שֶׁכְּשֶׁיּוֹרֵד הַשֶּׁפַע דֶּרֶךְ הַמּוֹחַ), the skull is immediately sealed in order to retain the flow (תֵּכֶף נִסְתָּם הַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת כְּדֵי לְהַחֲזִיק הַשֶּׁפַע), and therefore when it returns upward (וְלָכֵן כְּשֶׁחוֹזֵר לְמַעְלָה), it returns and pierces the brain (חוֹזֵר וְנוֹקֵב הַמּוֹחַ). And its source no longer returns to receive it (וּמְקוֹרָם אֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר עוֹד לְקַבְּלָם), because they have become thickened (לְפִי שֶׁנִּתְעַבּוּ), [and are unable to ascend to their source] ([וְאֵינָם יְכוֹלִים לַעֲלוֹת לִמְקוֹרָם]). Therefore they spread downward externally as hairs (וְלָזֶה מִתְפַּשְּׁטִים לְמַטָּה דֶּרֶךְ חוּץ [כִּשְׂעָרוֹת]), and for this reason they are in the secret of judgment (מֵהַטַּעַם הַזֶּה הֵם בְּסוֹד דִּין), as we have already explained (כַּאֲשֶׁר כְּבָר בֵּאַרְנוּ), because they were formed in the secret of Ohr Chozer [Returning Light] (לְפִי שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ בְּסוֹד אוֹר חוֹזֵר), and every Ohr Chozer [Returning Light] is judgment (וְכָל אוֹר חוֹזֵר הוּא דִּין). However, the hairs of Arich are white (אָמְנָם שַׂעֲרוֹת דַּאֲרִיךְ הֵם לְבָנִים), because they are not truly in the secret of judgment (לְפִי שֶׁאֵינָם בְּסוֹד דִּין מַמָּשׁ), for they are considered judgment only in relation to the Chesadim that are there in Arich (כִּי אֵינָם נֶחְשָׁבִים דִּין רַק לְגַבֵּי הַחֲסָדִים שֶׁהֵם שָׁם בַּאֲרִיךְ), which are exceedingly great Chesadim (שֶׁהֵם חֲסָדִים גְּדוֹלִים).