Chapter One Hundred Thirty-One (פֶּרֶק מֵאָה שְׁלֹשִׁים וְאֶחָד)

The general principle of the matters that we explained above (כְּלָל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה), in order that you may know these secrets very well (לְמַעַן תֵּדַע הַסּוֹדוֹת הַלָּלוּ בָּאֵר הֵיטֵב), let us return to what we said (נַחֲזוֹר לְמַה שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ): just as above Ze’ir Anpin there is a Lamed and Mem from Imma (כְּמוֹ שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מִזּ״א יֵשׁ לָמֶ״ד מֵ״ם מֵאִמָּא), the secret of the Tzelem that we mentioned above (סוֹד הַצֶּלֶם שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה), so too there is a Lamed and Mem from Abba (כָּךְ יֵשׁ לָמֶ״ד מֵ״ם מֵאַבָּא), and they are included within Imma (וְנִכְלָלִים בְּאִמָּא). And just as these four, which are the Mem, namely Chokhmah, Binah, and the two Atarin [crowns] (וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁאֵלּוּ הַד׳ שֶׁהִיא הַמֵּ״ם דְּהַיְנוּ חָכְמָה וּבִינָה וְתְּרֵין עֲטָרִין), [and they] become vested, Chokhmah in Netzach, Binah in Hod, and the two Atarin [crowns] in Yesod ([וְהֵם] מִתְלַבְּשִׁין חָכְמָה בְּנֵצַח, בִּינָה בְּהוֹד, תְּרֵין עֲטָרִין בִּיסוֹד), all of these from Imma (כָּל אֵלּוּ מֵאִמָּא), in order that Ze’ir Anpin may be able to bear them (כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכַל ז״א לְסָבְלָם). So too the Lamed and Mem of Abba (כָּךְ הַלָּמֶ״ד מֵ״ם מֵאַבָּא), its Chokhmah, Binah, Gedulah, and Gevurah (חָכְמָה בִּינָה גְּדוּלָּה גְּבוּרָה שֶׁלּוֹ), become vested within its Netzach, Hod, and Yesod (מִתְלַבְּשִׁים בְּנה״י שֶׁלּוֹ), in that very same manner which we explained above regarding Imma (עַל אוֹתוֹ הַדֶּרֶךְ עַצְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה בְּאִמָּא), namely (דְּהַיְנוּ), the Mem within the Lamed (מֵ״ם בְּלָמֶ״ד), so that Imma may be able to bear them (כְּדֵי שֶׁתּוּכַל אִמָּא לְסָבְלָם), and afterward the Netzach, Hod, and Yesod of Abba become vested within the Netzach, Hod, and Yesod of Imma (וְאַחַר כָּךְ מִתְלַבְּשִׁים נה״י שֶׁל אַבָּא בְּנֵצַח הוֹד יְסוֹד שֶׁל אִמָּא), in the secret of the lower Partzufim, which are Yisrael Saba and Tevunah (בְּסוֹד הַפַּרְצוּפִים הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים שֶׁהֵן יִשְׂרָאֵל סָבָא וּתְבוּנָה).

And it is in this manner (וְהוּא בְּזֶה הָאֹפֶן): the Binah of the Netzach of Imma becomes vested within the Binah of the Hod of Abba (הַבִּינָה שֶׁל נֵצַח אִמָּא מִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בַּבִּינָה דְּהוֹד שֶׁל אַבָּא), and it follows that there are two aspects within it (נִמְצָא שֶׁיֵּשׁ [בָּהּ] שְׁתֵּי בְּחִינוֹת), and this is the meaning of the verse (וְזֶהוּ אוֹמְרוֹ): “For it is not a people of understandings” (כִּי לֹא עַם בִּינוֹת הוּא) (Isaiah 27:11). And the Chokhmah of Hod becomes vested within the Chokhmah of her Netzach (וְהַחָכְמָה שֶׁל הוֹד מִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בַּחָכְמָה דְּנֵצַח דִּידָהּ), and this is what the verse says (וְזֶה מַה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב): “Wisdoms cry aloud outside” (חָכְמוֹת בַּחוּץ תָּרֹנָּה) (Proverbs 1:20). And the Chesadim of Imma become the Gevurot of Abba (וְהַחֲסָדִים שֶׁל אִמָּא הֵם נַעֲשִׂים גְּבוּרוֹת שֶׁל אַבָּא), for her five Gevurot join together with the five Gevurot of Abba (כִּי ה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת דִּידָהּ מִתְחַבְּרִים עִם ה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת שֶׁל אַבָּא), and they are her Chesadim (וְהֵם חֲסָדִים דִּידָהּ), while the Gevurot belong to Imma (וְהַגְּבוּרוֹת הֵן שֶׁל אִמָּא), and the Chesadim of Abba are from his own Chesed (וְהַחֲסָדִים שֶׁל אַבָּא הֵם מֵחֶסֶד דִּידֵיהּ), and his Gevurot are from her Chesed (וּגְבוּרוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ הֵן מֵחֶסֶד דִּידָהּ). And that which it says (וּמַה שֶׁאָמַר): “For Hashem is a God of knowledges” (כִּי אֵל דֵּעוֹת יְיָ) (I Samuel 2:3), is because the Da’at of Ze’ir Anpin is from two knowledges (כִּי דַּעַת ז״א הוּא מִבּ׳ דֵּעוֹת), the Da’at of Abba and the Da’at of Imma (דַּעַת אַבָּא וְדַעַת אִמָּא), for the Chesadim are included together with the Gevurot (כִּי הֵם נִכְלָלִים הַחֲסָדִים עִם הַגְּבוּרוֹת), and when these Mochin [mental lights] enter the head of Ze’ir Anpin (וּכְשֶׁנִּכְנָסִים אֵלּוּ הַמּוֹחִין בְּרֹאשׁ ז״א), being vested within the Netzach, Hod, and Yesod of Imma (שֶׁהֵן מְלוּבָּשִׁים בְּנה״י שֶׁל אִמָּא), from the three segments of Netzach are formed the Chokhmah, Chesed, and Netzach of Ze’ir Anpin, the right column (מִגּ׳ פְּרָקִים שֶׁל נֵצַח נַעֲשִׂית חָכְמָה וְחֶסֶד וְנֵצַח שֶׁל ז״א, הַקַּו יָמִין), and from the three segments of Hod are formed the Binah, Gevurah, and Hod of Ze’ir Anpin, the left column (וּמִגּ׳ פְּרָקִים שֶׁל הוֹד נַעֲשִׂית בִּינָה וּגְבוּרָה וְהוֹד ז״א, קַו שְׂמֹאל), and from the three segments of Yesod are formed Da’at, Tiferet, and Yesod, the middle column of Ze’ir Anpin (וּמִגּ׳ פְּרָקִים שֶׁל יְסוֹד נַעֲשִׂית דַּעַת תּ״ת יְסוֹד, קַו הָאֶמְצָעִי שֶׁל ז״א), as we said above (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה).

And afterward (וְאַחַר כָּךְ), the Lamed and Mem of Abba that we mentioned (הַלָּמֶ״ד מֵ״ם שֶׁל אַבָּא שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), its four Mochin [mental lights] become vested within its Netzach, Hod, and Yesod (מִתְלַבְּשִׁים ד׳ מוֹחִין שֶׁלּוֹ בְּנה״י שֶׁלּוֹ), afterward they enter vested within the Netzach, Hod, and Yesod of Imma (אַחַר כָּךְ נִכְנָסִים מְלוּבָּשִׁים בְּנה״י שֶׁל אִמָּא), and enter within Ze’ir Anpin (וְנִכְנָסִים בְּתוֹךְ ז״א): the Netzach of Abba until it reaches the Netzach of Imma (הַנֵּצַח שֶׁל אַבָּא עַד אֲשֶׁר מַגִּיעַ לְנֵצַח שֶׁל אִמָּא), as stated above (כָּאָמוּר), for the first segment is the Chokhmah of Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁהַפֶּרֶק הָא׳ הוּא חָכְמָה מִזּ״א), and the second segment is Chesed (וְהַפֶּרֶק הַב׳ הוּא חֶסֶד), and the third segment is Netzach (וְהַפֶּרֶק הַג׳ הוּא נֵצַח). And likewise on the left side (וְכֵן צַד שְׂמֹאל), and the Da’at (וְהַדַּעַת), which are the five Chesadim [kindnesses] and the five Gevurot [strengths] (שֶׁהֵם ה׳ חֲסָדִים וְה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת), that became vested within the Yesod of Abba (שֶׁנִּתְלַבְּשׁוּ בִּיסוֹד שֶׁל אַבָּא), entered within the Yesod of Imma (נִכְנְסוּ בְּתוֹךְ יְסוֹד אִמָּא), and it is one and a half thirds in relation to the measure of Ze’ir Anpin (וְהוּא שְׁלִישׁ וָחֵצִי בְּעֵרֶךְ מִדַּת זְעֵיר כִּדְלְעֵיל). And likewise (וְכֵן), the two-thirds of the Yesod of Abba complete the two-thirds of the Tiferet of Ze’ir Anpin (ב׳ שְׁלִישֵׁי יְסוֹד אַבָּא מַשְׁלִימוֹת שְׁנֵי שְׁלִישֵׁי תּ״ת זְעֵיר), in which the light remains revealed (שֶׁנִּשְׁאַר הָאוֹר מְגֻלֶּה בָּהֶם), and furthermore (וְעוֹד), the Yesod of Abba passes over the entire surface of the Yesod of Ze’ir Anpin (עוֹבֵר יְסוֹד אַבָּא עַל יְסוֹד זְעֵיר עַל פְּנֵי כֻּלּוֹ), therefore (אַלְמָא), the two-thirds of the Yesod of Abba exceed by far the two-thirds of the Tiferet of Ze’ir Anpin (שְׁנֵי שְׁלִישֵׁי יְסוֹד אַבָּא עוֹדְפִין הַרְבֵּה עַל שְׁנֵי שְׁלִישֵׁי תּ״ת זְעֵיר), and this is the secret of “Vanity of vanities” (וְזֶהוּ הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים) (Ecclesiastes 1:2), one breath by itself and afterward two breaths (הֶבֶל אֶחָד לְעַצְמוֹ וְאַחַר כָּךְ שְׁנֵי הֲבָלִים). And every breath is from Yesod, which emits a breath (וְכָל הֶבֶל הוּא מִיסוֹד שֶׁמּוֹצִיא הֶבֶל), within Ze’ir Anpin there is the Yesod of Imma until the third of Tiferet (בְּתוֹךְ ז״א יֵשׁ הַיְסוֹד שֶׁל אִמָּא עַד שְׁלִישׁ תּ״ת), and that is one breath (וְהוּא הֶבֶל אֶחָד), and the Yesod within its Tiferet and its Yesod extend below the Yesod of Imma as two breaths together (וְהַיְסוֹד שֶׁל תּ״ת וִיסוֹד שֶׁלּוֹ מִתְפַּשְּׁטִים לְמַטָּה מִיסוֹד אִמָּא שְׁנֵי הֲבָלִים יַחַד), for indeed (כִּי אָמְנָם), after the Yesod of Imma is completed (יְסוֹד אַבָּא אַחַר שֶׁנִּשְׁלַם יְסוֹד אִמָּא), it remains without a Masakh [screen] (נִשְׁאַר בְּלִי מָסָךְ), and extends through its two-thirds into the lower two-thirds of the Tiferet of Ze’ir Anpin (וְנִתְפַּשֵּׁט בִּשְׁנֵי שְׁלִישָׁיו לְתוֹךְ שְׁנֵי שְׁלִישִׁים הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים שֶׁל תּ״ת זְעֵיר), and from there into the Yesod of Ze’ir Anpin across its entire surface (וּמִשָּׁם לִיסוֹד זְעֵיר עַל פְּנֵי כֻּולּוֹ).