Chapter One Hundred Sixteen (פֶּרֶק מֵאָה וְשִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר)

When the second Chesed descends from the five Chesadim gathered in the Da‘at of Ze’ir Anpin, to enter into the Gevurot of Ze’ir Anpin (כְּשֶׁיָּרַד הַחֶסֶד הַשֵּׁנִי מִן הַחֲמִשָּׁה חֲסָדִים הַנִּקְבָּצִים, בְּדַעַת זְעֵיר לִכָּנוֹס בִּגְבוּרוֹת זְעֵיר), it becomes in the secret of Sheva [the Sheva vowel] (נַעֲשֵׂית בְּסוֹד שְׁבָא), like the upper Zakef Katan [the Zakef Katan accent] (כְּמוֹ זָקֵף־קָטָן הָעֶלְיוֹן), in the secret of judgment (בְּסוֹד דִּין). And when the third Chesed descends into the Tiferet of Ze’ir Anpin (וּכְשֶׁיָּרַד הַחֶסֶד הַשְּׁלִישִׁי לְתִפְאֶרֶת זְעֵיר), which is the secret of Vav (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד ו׳), it takes the Nekudah [vowel point] of its Keter (לוֹקַחַת הַנְּקוּדָה שֶׁל 'כֶּתֶר' שֶׁלּוֹ), which had been in Segolta [the Segolta accent] (שֶׁהָיְתָה בְּסֶגוֹלְתָּא), and now it becomes primary in Tiferet (עַכְשָׁו נַעֲשֵׂית עִקָּרִיּוּת בְּת״ת), like Cholam [the Cholam vowel] (כְּמוֹ חוֹלָם). And if you should say (וְאִם תֹּאמַר), since it comes in the secret of Vav (הוֹאִיל וּבָא בְּסוֹד ו׳), why did it not also take the Nekudah [vowel point] of Patach [the Patach vowel] (לָמָּה לֹא לָקַח גַּם הוּא נְקוּדַת פַּתַּח), as we said concerning Abba (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ בְּאַבָּא)?

The answer is (תְּשׁוּבָה): Every explicit matter (כָּל דָּבָר מְפוֹרָשׁ), which does not require another thing to indicate the meaning of that matter itself (שֶׁאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ דָּבָר אַחֵר, שֶׁיּוֹרֶה מַשְׁמָעוּת הָעִנְיָן הַהוּא עַצְמוֹ), must be clothed in another form (צָרִיךְ לְהַלְבִּישׁוֹ צוּרָה אַחֶרֶת). So too here (כֵּן הָכָא), and since it is the secret of the Havayah itself (וְהוֹאִיל וְהוּא סוֹד הֲוָיָה עַצְמָהּ), therefore it took an undefined matter (לָכֵן לָקַח דָּבָר סְתָם), which is not apparent at first (שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִרְאֶה מִתְּחִלָּה), and through it it exalts and glorifies itself (וּבוֹ יִתְהַלֵּל וְיִתְפָּאַר), therefore it took the Nekudot [vowel points] of Cholam [the Cholam vowel] (לָכֵן לָקַח נְקוּדוֹת חוֹלָם). And Netzach has the Nekudah [vowel point] of Chirik [the Chirik vowel] (וְהַנֵּצַח יֵשׁ לוֹ נְקוּדַת חִירִיק), to allude that it is a branch of Chesed (לִרְמוֹז שֶׁהוּא עֲנַף הַחֶסֶד), therefore it comes in the form of a complete Yud (לְפִיכָךְ בָּאוּ כְּמִין יוּ״ד גְּמוּרָה). And Hod has the Nekudah [vowel point] of Kibbutz [the Kibbutz vowel] (וְהַהוֹד נִקּוּד שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ קְבוּץ), because the Nekudah [vowel point] of Sheva [the Sheva vowel] which comes from Gevurah (כִּי נִיקוּד שְׁבָא הַבָּא מִגְּבוּרָה), wishes to be somewhat sweetened with the Nekudah [vowel point] of Chirik [the Chirik vowel] (רוֹצֶה לְהַמְתִּיק מְעַט עִם נְקוּד חִירִיק). And the combination of the three Nekudot [vowel points] in a diagonal arrangement (וְצֵירוּפָן שָׁלֹשׁ נְקוּדוֹת בַּאֲלַכְסוֹן), alludes to a step outward in the lower point (לִרְמוֹז פְּסִיעָה לְבַר בַּנְּקוּדָה הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה), which joined to it from the side (שֶׁנִּתְחַבְּרָה לָהּ מִן הַצַּד), from Netzach its counterpart (מִנֵּצַח בֶּן זוּגוֹ), while the first two are from Gevurah (וּשְׁתַּיִם הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת מִגְּבוּרָה), which are above the first ones (שֶׁעַל הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת), and because of the strength of its judgment (וּלְחוֹזֶק דִּינוֹ), it is sweetened and blended (הוּא מִתְמַתֵּק וּמִתְמַזֵּג), with the Chirik [the Chirik vowel] (עִם הַחִירִיק), so that the Chitzonim [external forces] will not gain power over it (שֶׁלֹּא יִגְבְּרוּ בוֹ הַחִיצוֹנִים). And Yesod, because it is a branch of Chesed (וְהַיְסוֹד לִהְיוֹת שֶׁהוּא עֲנַף הַחֶסֶד), which receives the Chesed that emerges from the mouth of the Amah [covenantal organ] (שֶׁמְּקַבֵּל הַחֶסֶד דְּנָפִיק מִפּוּם אַמָּה), therefore its Nekudah [vowel point] comes in the form of a complete Yud (לְפִיכָךְ בָּאָה נְקוּדָתוֹ כְּמִין יוּ״ד גְּמוּרָה). And Hod, its Nekudah [vowel point] is small (וְהַהוֹד נִיקוּד שֶׁלּוֹ זְעֵיר), and taking bone from its bones (וְלוֹקֵחַ עֶצֶם מֵעֲצָמָיו), it takes the Patach [the Patach vowel] at its side (לוֹקֵחַ הַפַּתַּח בְּצִדּוֹ), [like a Vav] ([כְּעֵין ו׳]), and it takes the Nekudah [vowel point] of the Cholam [the Cholam vowel] of Ze’ir Anpin in the middle of the Vav (וּנְקוּד הַחוֹלָם שֶׁל זְעֵיר לוֹקֵחַ אוֹתָהּ בָּאֶמְצַע הַוָא״ו), and this is Shuruk [the Shuruk vowel] (וְהוּא שׁוּרוּק). And if it had the Nekudah [vowel point] of Cholam [the Cholam vowel] (וְאִלּוּ הָיָה לוֹ לְנִקּוּד נִיקוּד חוֹלָם), there would now be no distinction between it and Ze’ir Anpin (לֹא הָיָה הֶפְרֵשׁ בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין זְעֵיר עַכְשָׁיו). And Shuruk [the Shuruk vowel] is like Kamatz [the Kamatz vowel] (וְיֵשׁ שׁוּרוּק הִיא כְּמוֹ קָמֶץ), which is a point standing beside the letter (שֶׁהוּא זָקֵף בְּצַד הָאוֹת), not beneath it and not above it (לֹא תַּחְתֶּיהָ וְלֹא עָלֶיהָ), which is an additional affection (שֶׁהִיא תּוֹסֶפֶת חִבָּה), in the secret of Malapum [filled mouth] (בְּסוֹד מְלָאפּוּם), “and Ya‘akov kissed Rachel” (וַיִּשַּׁק יַעֲקֹב לְרָחֵל) (Genesis 29:11), and it is Maleh Pum [filled mouth] (וְהוּא מָלֵא פּוּם). And Malkhut has no Nekudah [vowel point] in its own regard (וּמַלְכוּת אֵין לָהּ נְקוּדָה בְּעֶרְכָּהּ), but it does have a Nekudah [vowel point] in regard to its influence (אֲבָל יֵשׁ לָהּ נְקוּדָה בְּעֶרֶךְ הַשְׁפָּעָתָהּ), namely ChSh"K [Cholam, Sheva, Kamatz] (דְּהַיְנוּ חש״ק), and your sign is (וְסִימָנִיךָ): “Only in your fathers did Hashem delight” (כִּי רַק בַּאֲבֹתֶיךָ חָשַׁק י״י) (Deuteronomy 10:15). And this is the secret of Cholam, Sheva, Kamatz (וְהוּא סוֹד ח׳וֹלָם שׁ׳ְבָא ק׳ָמֶץ), for she is the Chakal Tapuchin Kadishin [holy orchard of apples] (כִּי הִיא חֲקַל תַּפּוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין). And for this reason she takes from the Chesadim the Kamatz [the Kamatz vowel] (וּלְזֶה לוֹקַחַת מִן הַחֲסָדִים קָמֶץ), and from the Gevurot the Sheva [the Sheva vowel] (וּמִן הַגְּבוּרוֹת שְׁבָא), and from the Rachamim [mercies], which is Ze’ir Anpin, the Cholam [the Cholam vowel] (וּמִן הָרַחֲמִים שֶׁהוּא זְעֵיר, חוֹלָם), and because her essence is judgment (וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁעִקָּרָהּ דִּין), therefore she places the Nekudah [vowel point] of Sheva [the Sheva vowel] at her head (לָזֶה הִיא מְשִׂימָה נְקוּדַת שְׁבָא בְּרֹאשָׁהּ), which is the power of the Gevurot (שֶׁהוּא כֹּחַ הַגְּבוּרוֹת), receiving her Da‘at in the secret of the Kallah [Bride] [135] (הַמְקַבֶּלֶת דַּעַת שֶׁלָּהּ בְּסוֹד קל״ה), and after it Kamatz [the Kamatz vowel] (וְאַחֲרֶיהָ קָמֶץ), and the last of all is Cholam [the Cholam vowel], according to proper order (וְאַחֲרוֹנָה שֶׁבְּכֻלָּם חוֹלָם כְּמִשְׁפָּט). And from this emerges the Name Tzevaot (וּמִזֶּה יוֹצֵא שֵׁם צְבָאוֹת), for they are precisely the Nekudot [vowel points] of ChSh"K [Cholam, Sheva, Kamatz] (כִּי הֵם נִקּוּד חש״ק מַמָּשׁ). And this is the secret of: “Only in your fathers did Hashem delight” (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד רַק בַּאֲבֹתֶיךָ חָשַׁק) (Deuteronomy 10:15), mentioned in the Tikkunim (הָאָמוּר בַּתִּיקּוּנִים) (Tikkunei Zohar 20b). And behold, the Yud sweetens the Sheva [the Sheva vowel] (וְהִנֵּה הַיוּ״ד מְמַתֶּקֶת הַשְּׁבָא), [in the Name Havayah with the Nekudot [vowel points] of Malkhut] ([בְּשֵׁם הֲוָיָ״ה בְּנִקּוּד הַמַּלְכוּת]), the Heh has the Nekudah [vowel point] of Kamatz [the Kamatz vowel] in her Binah (ה׳ נִקּוּד קָמֶץ בְּבִינָה שֶׁלָּהּ), which is the first Heh of her Name Havayah (שֶׁהִיא ה׳ רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁל שֵׁם הֲוָיָ״ה דִּידָהּ), in order to sweeten her (כְּדֵי לְמַתְּקָהּ), and the Cholam [the Cholam vowel] remains in its place upon the Vav (וְהַחוֹלָם בִּמְקוֹמוֹ עַל הַוָ״ו), to double the Rachamim [mercies] (לִכְפֹּל הָרַחֲמִים).