Chapter Ninety-Four (פֶּרֶק תִּשְׁעִים וְאַרְבָּעָה)

To understand the grasp of the Dinim [Judgments] and the Klipot mentioned above (לְהָבִין אֲחִיזַת הַדִּינִים וְהַקְּלִיפּוֹת הָאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה), you must know (צָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת), that in the head of Ze’ir Anpin (כִּי בְּרֹאשׁ זְעֵיר), there is the root of the Klipot (שָׁם שֹׁרֶשׁ הַקְּלִיפּוֹת), which grasp his black hairs (הַנֶּאֱחָזִים בַּשְּׂעָרוֹת הַשְּׁחוֹרוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ), but in the head of the Nukvah of Ze’ir Anpin (אַךְ מֵרֹאשׁ נוּקְבֵיהּ דְּזְעֵיר), there is only the root of the Dinim [Judgments] (שָׁם שֹׁרֶשׁ הַדִּינִים לְבַד), and they are red (וְהֵם אֲדֻמּוֹת). And reason would suggest (וְהִנֵּה הַסְּבָרָא נוֹתֶנֶת), that it should be the opposite (שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לְהֵפֶךְ), for the Dinim [Judgments] come first (כִּי הַדִּינִים עוֹמְדִים רִאשׁוֹנָה), and afterward other names are born from them (וְאַחַר כָּךְ נוֹלָדִים מֵהֶם שֵׁמוֹת אֲחֵרִים), from which the Klipot emerge, as is known (שֶׁמֵּהֶם יָצְאוּ הַקְּלִיפּוֹת כַּנּוֹדָע), and they are not one and the same (וְאֵינָם אֶחָד), nor are they as coarse as the Klipot themselves (וְאֵינָם כָּל כָּךְ עָב כְּמוֹ הַקְּלִיפּוֹת עַצְמָם), which are coarse and gross (שֶׁהֵם עָבִים וְגַסִּים), to the extent that one can clearly perceive even their Keter (עַד שֶׁאַתָּה יָכוֹל לִרְאוֹת הֵיטֵב אֲפִלּוּ הַכֶּתֶר שֶׁלָּהֶם). If so (אִם כֵּן), it would have been fitting to be the reverse (הָיָה מִן הָרָאוּי אִיפְּכָא), that the Dinim [Judgments] should have their root in the head of Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁהַדִּינִים יִהְיֶה לָהֶם שֹׁרֶשׁ בְּרֹאשׁ זְעֵיר), and the Klipot should have their root in the head of the Nukvah (וְהַקְּלִיפּוֹת יִהְיֶה שָׁרְשָׁם מֵרֹאשׁ נוּקְבָא). But the reason is (אֲבָל הַטַּעַם), that the Supreme Emanator saw (כִּי רָאָה הַמַּאֲצִיל עֶלְיוֹן), that if the root of the Dinim [Judgments] (שֹׁרֶשׁ הַדִּינִים), were in the head of Ze’ir Anpin (אִם יִהְיוּ בְּרֵישָׁא דְּזְעֵיר), they would become exceedingly harsh judgments (הָיוּ דִּינִים קָשִׁים מְאֹד), for “all judgments found in the male are strong in the head” (כִּי כָּל דִּינִין דְּמִשְׁתַּכְחִין מִדְּכוּרָא תַּקִּיפִין בְּרֵישָׁא) (Zohar, Bamidbar 142b), because they are Mochin [Supernal Intellects] from the aspect of the Netzach, Hod, Yesod of Tevunah, the Nukvah (כִּי הֵם מוֹחִין מִבְּחִינַת נה״י דִּתְבוּנָה נוּקְבָא), and the judgments would become exceedingly powerful and intensified (וְהָיוּ הַדִּינִים קָשִׁים מִתְגַּבְּרִים מְאֹד), and would have a strong grasp there (וְנֶאֱחָזִים שָׁם הַרְבֵּה). And likewise (וְכֵן), if the root of the Klipot were below in the head of the Nukvah (אִם שֹׁרֶשׁ הַקְּלִיפּוֹת לְמַטָּה בְּרֹאשׁ הַנּוּקְבָא), around whom all the Klipot surround (אֲשֶׁר כָּל הַקְּלִיפּוֹת סוֹבְבִים אוֹתָהּ), in the secret of “like a rose among thorns” (בְּסוֹד כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים) (Song of Songs 2:2), they would constantly cling to her (הָיוּ נֶאֱחָזִים בָּהּ תָּמִיד), and the world would be destroyed (וְנֶחֱרַב הָעוֹלָם). Therefore (לָכֵן), the Ein Sof, blessed be He (רָצָה הָאֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא), in His wisdom (בְּחָכְמָתוֹ), desired to overturn this reasoning (לְשַׁבֵּשׁ הַסְּבָרָא הַזּוֹ), and made it that the root of the Klipot would draw nourishment from the head of the male, Ze’ir Anpin (וְעָשָׂה שֶׁשֹּׁרֶשׁ הַקְּלִיפּוֹת יִהְיוּ יוֹנְקִים מֵרֹאשׁ הַדְּכוּרָא דְּזְעֵיר), where the light reaches them only from afar (אֲשֶׁר הָאוֹר בָּא לָהֶם מֵרָחוֹק), and they have no ability to take hold there excessively (וְאֵין לָהֶם יְכוֹלֶת לְהֵאָחֵז שָׁם יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי), as they would if they were below in the head of the Nukvah (כְּמוֹ אִם הָיוּ לְמַטָּה בְּרֹאשׁ נוּקְבֵיהּ). And likewise (וְכֵן), the Ein Sof, blessed be He (עָשָׂה הָאֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא), made it that the root of the Dinim [Judgments] would be below in the head of the Nukvah of Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁשֹּׁרֶשׁ הַדִּינִין לְמַטָּה בְּרֹאשׁ נוּקְבֵיהּ דְּזְעֵיר), whose Mochin [Supernal Intellects] are from the Netzach, Hod, Yesod of Ze’ir Anpin (אֲשֶׁר מוֹחִין דִּילָהּ הֵם מנה״י דְּזְעֵיר), and they are gentle in the head (וְהֵם נָחִים בְּרֵישָׁא), and through this the Dinim [Judgments] become sweetened (וּבָזֶה יִהְיוּ הַדִּינִים מְמֻתָּקִין). And you will understand the language of Kanfei Yonah (וְתָבִין לְשׁוֹן הַכַּנְפֵי יוֹנָה), where it says (שֶׁאוֹמֵר), [in Part One] at the end of Chapter Twenty-Two ([בְּחֵלֶק א] בְּפֶרֶק כ״ב בְּסוֹפוֹ), that in the head of Ze’ir Anpin they have absolutely no grasp (שֶׁבְּרֹאשׁ זְעֵיר אֵין לָהֶם כְּלָל אֲחִיזָה), because it is far above (לִהְיוֹת שֶׁהוּא לְמַעְלָה הַרְבֵּה), and the Klipot have no root except from the Broken Vessels (וְאֵין לַקְּלִיפּוֹת שֹׁרֶשׁ רַק מֵהַמָּאנִין תְּבִירִין), which are from Chesed and below (שֶׁהֵם מֵהַחֶסֶד וּלְמַטָּה), namely the arms of Ze’ir Anpin (דְּהַיְנוּ זְרוֹעוֹת זְעֵיר). And from there his Nukvah emerges behind him (וּמִשָּׁם יוֹצֵאת נוּקְבֵיהּ מֵאֲחוֹרָיו), to protect him from them (לְהָגֵן בַּעֲדוֹ מֵהֶם), for there is her head (כִּי שָׁם הוּא רֹאשָׁהּ), while the root of the Klipot is from the hairs of the head (וְשֹׁרֶשׁ הַקְּלִיפּוֹת הוּא מִשַּׂעֲרוֹת הָרֹאשׁ). And one should emend (וְצָרִיךְ לִגְרוֹס), that in place of the word “the Klipot” (בִּמְקוֹם תֵּיבַת הַקְּלִיפּוֹת), the word “the Dinim” should be read (תֵּיבַת הַדִּינִים), and then there will be no confusion for the student (וְאָז לֹא יִהְיֶה עֵרוּב לְהַמְעַיֵּן), to understand the simple meaning according to its proper structure (לְהָבִין הַפְּשָׁט עַל מַתְכֻּנְתוֹ), every statement upon its wheels (דָּבָר דָּבוּר עַל אָפְנָיו) (Proverbs 25:11), and every man will come to his place in peace (וְאִישׁ עַל מְקוֹמוֹ יָבוֹא בְשָׁלוֹם) (Exodus 18:23), for such is the way of the Idra and the Zohar (כִּי כֵן דֶּרֶךְ הָאִדְּרָא וְהַזֹּהַר). And scrutinize these words of mine (וְתִדְקְדֵק בְּדִבְרֵי אֵלֶּה), to understand the matters according to their truth (לְהָבִין הַדְּבָרִים אֶל אֲמִתָּתָם), and to swim in the depths of these mighty waters (וְלָשׁוּט בְּעוֹמֶק הַמַּיִם הָאֲדִּירִים הָאֵלֶּה), “for the ways of Hashem are upright; the righteous walk in them, and transgressors stumble in them” (כִּי יְשָׁרִים דַּרְכֵי י״י וְצַדִּקִים יֵלְכוּ בָם וּפֹשְׁעִים יִכָּשְׁלוּ בָם) (Hosea 14:10). Blessed be Hashem forever, Amen and Amen (יִתְבָּרַךְ י״י לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן).