Chapter One Hundred Forty-Four (פֶּרֶק מֵאָה אַרְבָּעִים וְאַרְבָּעָה)

At the time when Imma is crouching over her children (בִּזְמַן שֶׁאִמָּא רְבִיעָא עַל בְּנִין), in the secret of “a joyful mother of children” (בְּסוֹד אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה) (Psalms 113:9), for the streams of Imma flow with abundant influx (כִּי נַחֲלֵי אִמָּא הוֹלְכִים בְּשֶׁפַע רַב), to water her children, Ze’ir Anpin and its Nukvah (לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת בָּנֶיהָ ז״א וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), as it is said: “And the heavens are not pure in His eyes” (וְשָׁמַיִם לֹא זַכּוּ בְּעֵינָיו) (Job 15:15). And it always appears in her eyes as though they require further Tikkun [rectification] (וְתָמִיד נִרְאֶה בְּעֵינֶיהָ כְּאִלּוּ הֵם צְרִיכִין תִּיקּוּן יוֹתֵר). Therefore she constantly adorns her children (לָכֵן הִיא תָּמִיד מְקַשֶּׁטֶת אֶת בָּנֶיהָ), and brings forth a breath from her mouth (וּמוֹצִיאָה הֶבֶל מִפִּיהָ), from which there is a surrounding illumination for all of Ze’ir Anpin when she is crouching over her children (שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ הֶָאָרָה מַקֶּפֶת לְכָל ז״א כְּשֶׁהִיא רְבִיעָא עַל בָּנֶיהָ), and this breath is the primary life-force and sustaining existence of Ze’ir Anpin (וְזֶה הַהֶבֶל הוּא עִיקַּר חַיּוּת וְקִיּוּם ז״א). Therefore she is called “a mouth speaking great things” (וְלָכֵן הִיא נִקְרֵאת פּוּם מְמַלֵּל רַבְרְבָן) (Zohar Tosefta 55b), for from Binah come the great letters (כִּי מִבִּינָה אָתְוָון רַבְרְבִין). And this breath comes from great speech (וְזֶה הַהֶבֶל בָּא מִדִּבּוּר רַבְרְבָא), as is known (כַּנּוֹדָע), that the letters of Olam haBa [the World to Come] are Binah (שֶׁאוֹתִיּוֹת עָלְמָא דְאָתֵי הִיא בִּינָה), they are large letters (הֵם אוֹתִיּוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת), which rule on Shabbat (הַשּׁוֹלְטוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת), which is a foretaste of the World to Come (שֶׁהוּא מֵעֵין עוֹלָם הַבָּא), for it is “a day that is entirely Shabbat and rest for eternal life” (כִּי הוּא יוֹם שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ שַׁבָּת וּמְנוּחָה לְחַיֵּי עוֹלָמִים) (Tamid 7:4). Therefore on Shabbat they say “God, Master over all works” (לָכֵן אוֹמְרִים אֵל אָדוֹן עַל כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים), while during the weekdays (וּבְחוֹל), which are the secret of this world (הוּא סוֹד עוֹלָם הַזֶּה), small letters rule (שׁוֹלְטִים אוֹתִיּוֹת זְעֵירִין), namely “God, blessed, great in knowledge” (שֶׁהֵם אֵל בָּרוּךְ גָּדוֹל דֵּעָה), this will be explained in its place (יוּבַן זֶה בִּמְקוֹמוֹ). And this surrounding light is the secret of Chashmal [radiant silence-speech] (וְהָאוֹר הַמַּקִּיף הַזֶּה הוּא סוֹד חַשְׁמַל), and its secret is (וְסוֹדוֹ הוּא), that there are seven surrounding lights upon the head of Ze’ir Anpin from Upper Imma (שִׁבְעָה מַקִּיפִים הֵם עַל רֹאשׁ ז״א מֵאִמָּא עִלָּאָה), and they are the Lamed–Mem of Tzelem [image] (וְהֵם ל״מ מִן צל״ם).

And behold (וְהִנֵּה), we explained in its place in the secret of the Tzelem [image] (בֵּאַרְנוּ בִּמְקוֹמוֹ בְּסוֹד הַצֶּלֶם), that the Mochin were originally four and became three (שֶׁהַמּוֹחִין הָיוּ מִקֹּדֶם אַרְבָּעָה וְנַעֲשׂוּ ג׳), one thus encompassing them all, seven (אֶחָד כָּךְ כְּלָלָם ז׳), [Mem and also Lamed] ([מ׳ וְגַם ל׳]), and they are the secret of the seven surrounding lights (וְהֵם סוֹד ז׳ מַקִּיפִין). And when Ze’ir Anpin receives from these seven surrounding lights (וְכַאֲשֶׁר ז״א מְקַבֵּל מִז׳ מַקִּיפִין אֵלּוּ), then great vitality is drawn to it (אָז נִמְשָׁךְ לוֹ חַיּוּת גָּדוֹל), and through them it is sustained (וַעֲלֵיהֶם מִתְקַיֵּם), and through this the Supernal Adam lives, namely Ze’ir Anpin (וּבָזֶה יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם הָעֶלְיוֹן הוּא ז״א), for the Name M"H has the numerical value of Adam (כִּי שֵׁם מ״ה גִּימַטְרִיָּא אָדָם).

It follows (נִמְצָא), that the seven surrounding lights which we have mentioned (כִּי שִׁבְעָה מַקִּיפִין שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), are the two letters Mem–Lamed of Chashmal (הֵם שְׁנֵי אוֹתִיּוֹת מ״ל שֶׁל חַשְׁמַל), whose meaning is speech (שֶׁפֵּירוּשׁוֹ דִּבּוּר), as our Sages said (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲזַ״ל): “At times silent, at times speaking” (עִתִּים חָשׁוֹת עִתִּים מְמַלְּלוֹת) (Chagigah 13b). For then Ze’ir Anpin receives the illumination of the seven surrounding lights mentioned above (כִּי אָז מְקַבֵּל ז״א הֶאָרַת ז׳ מַקִּיפִין הַנִּזְכָּרִים), which are Mem–Lamed (שֶׁהֵם מ״ל), then it speaks and utters speech (אָז מְמַלֵּל וּמְדַבֵּר), and each surrounding light emerges from its mouth (וְיוֹצֵא כָּל מַקִּיף מִפִּיו). And this is what the verse says (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַפָּסוּק): “For man does not live by bread alone” (כִּי לֹא עַל הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם) (Deuteronomy 8:3), namely Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁהוּא ז״א), within whom is the Name M"H whose numerical value is Adam (שֶׁבּוֹ שֵׁם מ״ה כְּמִנְיַן אָדָם). “But by that which proceeds from the mouth of Hashem” (כִּי עַל מוֹצָא פִי י״י) (Deuteronomy 8:3), which is the secret of the seven surrounding lights mentioned above (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד שִׁבְעָה מַקִּיפִין הַנִּזְכָּרִים), which Ze’ir Anpin receives (שֶׁמְּקַבְּלָם ז״א), and from whose power it possesses speech (וּמִכֹּחָם יֵשׁ לוֹ דִּבּוּר), which is called “that which proceeds from the mouth of Hashem” (שֶׁהוּא נִקְרָא מוֹצָא פִי י״י), and through them the Adam lives (וּבְאוֹתָם יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם), namely Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁהוּא ז״א), and upon them its vitality depends (וּבוֹ תָּלוּי חַיּוּתוֹ). And this is the secret of “vanity of vanities” (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים), mentioned in Kohelet (הַנִּזְכָּר בְּקֹהֶלֶת) (Ecclesiastes 1), for all existences depend upon this breath (כִּי כָּל הַהֲוָיוֹת תְּלוּיִים בַּהֶבֶל הַזֶּה), which is drawn from the surrounding lights (הַנִּמְשָׁךְ מִן הַמַּקִּיפִין), and because the surrounding lights are seven (וּלְהִיוֹת שֶׁהַמַּקִּיפִין הֵם ז׳), which are the Lamed–Mem of Tzelem [image] (שֶׁהֵם ל״מ מִן צל״ם), corresponding to them seven breaths [vanities] are mentioned in Kohelet (כְּנֶגְדָּם נִזְכָּרִים ז׳ הֲבָלִים בְּקֹהֶלֶת). And they are the secret of the seven Clouds of Glory (וְהֵם סוֹד שִׁבְעָה עַנְנֵי כָבוֹד), and the seven circuits around the altar (וְז׳ הַקָּפוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ), and the seven circuits around the city of Jericho (וְז׳ הַקָּפוֹת עִיר יְרִיחוֹ), for speech cuts away all the Klipot (כִּי הַדִּבּוּר הוּא חוֹתֵךְ כָּל הַקְּלִיפּוֹת), in the secret of Mal [circumcises] (בְּסוֹד מָל), for it circumcises the foreskin and reveals the Holy Covenant (שֶׁמָּל הָעָרְלָה וּמְגַלֶּה הַבְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ). And when it speaks peace to all the seed of Israel (וּכְשֶׁהוּא מְדַבֵּר שָׁלוֹם לְכָל זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל), it destroys all the screens and iron partitions (הוּא מְהָרֵס כָּל הַמְּסָכִים וְהַמְּחִיצוֹת שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל), that stand between them and their Father in Heaven (שֶׁבֵּינֵיהֶם לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם), and then they are cast into the female of the Great Deep (וְאָז נִשְׁלָכִים אֶל נוּקְבָא דְתְּהוֹמָא רַבָּא). And there are times when they are silent (וְיֵשׁ עִתִּים שֶׁהֵן חָשׁוֹת), when speech does not emerge from the mouth of the Holy One Blessed Be He (כְּשֶׁאֵין הַדִּבּוּר יוֹצֵא מִפִּי הַקב״ה), then He is silent (אָז שׁוֹתֵק), and the Klipot (וְהַקְּלִיפּוֹת), which are the hills of the foreskins (שֶׁהֵם גִּבְעָתֵי הָעֲרֵלוֹת), are a separating barrier between Israel and their Father in Heaven (הֵם מָסָךְ מַבְדִּיל בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם). And in the future to come it is said (וְלֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא נֶאֱמַר): “And your Teacher shall no longer hide Himself, and your eyes shall behold your Teacher” (וְלֹא יִכָּנֵף עוֹד מוֹרֶיךָ וְהָיוּ עֵינֶיךָ רֹאוֹת אֶת מוֹרֶיךָ) (Isaiah 30:20). Blessed is Hashem forever, Amen and Amen (יִתְבָּרַךְ י״י לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן).