Chapter Seven (פֶּרֶק שְׁבִיעִי)

And if you should ask (וְאִם תֹּאמַר), why did the Sefirah of Binah of the Reisha DeEin [Head of Nothingness] and Arich Anpin not enter and become bound together with them (לָמָּה סְפִירַת בִּינָה דְאֵין וַאֲרִיךְ לֹא נִכְנְסָה בַּקּוֹשְׁרִים עִמָּהֶם), to be above among the Mochin and the Tikkunim of the head (לִהְיוֹת לְמַעְלָה בִּכְלַל הַמּוֹחִין וְתִיקּוּנֵי הָרֹאשׁ), in the manner of the Mochin, which are Keter, Chokhmah, and Binah everywhere (כְּדֶרֶךְ הַמּוֹחִין שֶׁהֵם כח״ב בְּכָל מָקוֹם). And there is also room to ask (וְגַם יֵשׁ מָקוֹם לִשְׁאוֹל), why above, among the Three Heads, there was no head at all for Arich Anpin (לָמָּה לְמַעְלָה בִּתְלַת רֵישִׁין לֹא הָיָה רֹאשׁ לַאֲרִיךְ כְּלָל), so that some revealed part of it would remain from its head (שֶׁיִּשָּׁאֵר דָּבָר מְגֻלֶּה מִמֶּנּוּ מֵרֹאשׁוֹ), as with the Keter, Chokhmah, and Binah of the Reisha DeLa Ityada [Unknowable Head], and the upper third of the Reisha DeEin [Head of Nothingness] (כְּמוֹ כח״ב דְּלָא אִתְיְדַע וּשְׁלִישׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁל אֵין).

The answer is (תְּשׁוּבָה): Know (דַּע), that the Sefirah of Binah of Arich Anpin was required to descend below, beneath the palate (כִּי סְפִירַת בִּינָה דַאֲרִיךְ הֻצְרְכָה לָרֶדֶת לְמַטָּה תַּחַת הַחֵךְ), which is the end of Chokhmah, called the Palate of M”H, as is known (שֶׁהִיא סוֹף הַחָכְמָה הַנִּקְרֵאת חֵךְ מ״ה כַּנּוֹדָע), and Binah is the secret of the throat of Arich Anpin (וְהַבִּינָה הִיא סוֹד הַגָּרוֹן שֶׁל אֲרִיךְ), and it could not remain above within the bond of the Mochin of Keter and Chokhmah, its companions (וְלֹא יָכְלָה לְהִשָּׁאֵר לְמַעְלָה בְּקִשּׁוּר הַמּוֹחִין שֶׁל כֶּתֶר חָכְמָה חֲבֵרֶיהָ), nor could any part of it remain revealed above its Tikkunim (וְלֹא לִהְיוֹת שׁוּם דָּבָר מְגֻלֶּה מִמֶּנָּה לְמַעְלָה מִתִּיקּוּנֶיהָ). For because of the great refinement that exists there (לְפִי שֶׁמִּזִּכּוּךְ גָּדוֹל שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם), the Ein Sof saw that it would have no endurance (רָאָה אֵין סוֹף שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לָהּ קִיּוּם), because judgment is present within it (לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ דִּין), and Heaven forbid, it would shatter (וְחַס וְשָׁלוֹם תִּשָּׁבֵר). Therefore the Emanator distanced it below into the throat (לְפִיכָךְ הִרְחִיקָהּ הַמַּאֲצִיל לְמַטָּה בַּגָּרוֹן), where the light does not rule so strongly in the constrictions of the chest and in such a narrow place (שֶׁאֵין הָאוֹר כָּל כָּךְ שׁוֹלֵט בְּמֵיצְרֵי הֶחָזֶה וּמָקוֹם צַר כָּזֶה), for every place that is distant does not possess light like that which is near (שֶׁכָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא רָחוֹק אֵין אוֹרוֹ כְּמוֹ הַקָּרוֹב). Therefore it became the throat, which is distant (וּלְפִיכָךְ נַעֲשֵׂית בַּגָּרוֹן שֶׁהוּא רָחוֹק), and it did not emerge equal to its companion (וְלֹא יָצְאָה שָׁוָה לַחֲבֶרְתָּהּ), unlike all the other Partzufim (מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּכָל הַשְּׁאָר פַּרְצוּפִין), in Abba and Imma, and Ze’ir Anpin and its Nukvah (בְּאַבָּא וְאִמָּא, וּזְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), because there the light is not so intense (לְפִי שֶׁשָּׁם אֵין הָאוֹר כָּל כָּךְ), and therefore there the Chokhmah and Binah emerged equal (וּלְפִיכָךְ יָצְאוּ [שָׁם] הַחָכְמָה וְהַבִּינָה שָׁוִים). And through this you will understand the dispute among the Kabbalists (וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה תָּבִין מַחֲלֹקֶת הַמְקֻבָּלִים) (see Pardes Rimonim, Sha‘ar 6, Seder Amidatan), for some arrange the Ten Sefirot one above another (שֶׁקְצָתָם מְסַדְּרִים עֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת זוֹ לְמַעְלָה מִזּוֹ), and some say that only the first three points are one above another (וּקְצָתָם אוֹמְרִים שֶׁשָּׁלֹשׁ נְקוּדוֹת רִאשׁוֹנוֹת בִּלְבַד הֵם זוֹ עַל גַּבֵּי זוֹ), but from Chesed downward they are arranged in lines (אֲבָל מֵחֶסֶד וּלְמַטָּה הֵם בְּקַוִּים), Chesed on the right (חֶסֶד יָמִין), and Gevurah on the left (וּגְבוּרָה שְׂמֹאל), Tiferet in the middle (ת"ת בָּאֶמְצַע), and likewise Netzach, Hod, and Yesod (וְכֵן נה״י). And both these and those are the words of the Living God (וְאֵלּוּ וְאֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים), for at the beginning of Atzilut the Ten Points were one above another (כִּי מִתְּחִלַּת הָאֲצִילוּת הָיוּ עֶשֶׂר נְקוּדוֹת זוֹ עַל גַּבֵּי זוֹ), and afterward, when Arich Anpin was rectified, the upper three were one above another (וְאַחַר כָּךְ כְּשֶׁנִּתְקַן אֲרִיךְ הַג׳ עֶלְיוֹנוֹת הָיוּ זוֹ עַל גַּבֵּי זוֹ), while from the seven and downward, namely from Chesed downward, they became lines (וּמִז׳ וּלְמַטָּה דְּהַיְינוּ מֵחֶסֶד וּלְמַטָּה נַעֲשׂוּ קַוִּים), and all this is within the stature of Arich Anpin (וְכָל זֶה בְּקוֹמָתוֹ שֶׁל אֲרִיךְ). But from Abba and Imma downward they all became lines (אֲבָל מֵאַבָּא וְאִמָּא וּלְמַטָּה כֻּלָּם נַעֲשׂוּ קַוִּים), Chokhmah, Binah, and Da’at in the middle (חָכְמָה בִּינָה וָדַעַת בָּאֶמְצַע), and all of them are in the head (וְכֻלָּם בָּרֹאשׁ), and they are the Three Hollows of the Gulgalta [Skull] (וְהֵם תְּלַת חַלְלֵי דְגֻלְגַּלְתָּא), and Chesed and Gevurah on the right and on the left (וְחֶסֶד גְּבוּרָה מִימִין וּמִשְּׂמֹאל), and Tiferet in the middle (וְת"ת בָּאֶמְצַע), and likewise Netzach, Hod, and Yesod (וְכֵן נה״י). And when the Binah of Arich Anpin descended below (וּכְשֶׁיָּרְדָה בִּינָה שֶׁל אֲרִיךְ אַנְפִּין לְמַטָּה), and from it was made the throat (וְנַעֲשָׂה מִמֶּנָּה הַגָּרוֹן), which is three Elohim whose numerical value is Garon [Throat] (שֶׁהוּא ג׳ אֱלֹהִים עוֹלִים גָּרוֹן), it became revealed and became Keter for Abba and Imma (נִתְגַּלֵּית וְנַעֲשֵׂית כֶּתֶר לְאַבָּא וְאִמָּא), and thus Binah is called Keter (וְנִמְצָא שֶׁהַבִּינָה תִּקָּרֵא כֶּתֶר). And this is the secret that many times Binah is called Ehyeh (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד שֶׁכַּמָּה פְּעָמִים נִקְרֵאת הַבִּינָה אֶהְיֶ״ה), and that Name is in Keter (וְהוּא בַּכֶּתֶר), for it is Keter and it is Binah (כִּי הוּא כֶּתֶר וְהוּא בִּינָה), and Abba and Imma begin to clothe beneath the throat (וְאַבָּא וְאִמָּא מַתְחִילִים לִלְבּוֹשׁ תַּחַת הַגָּרוֹן), namely in Chesed and Gevurah down to the navel (דְּהַיְינוּ בְּחֶסֶד וּגְבוּרָה עַד הַטִּיבּוּר), and the throat of Arich Anpin becomes Keter for both of them (וְהַגָּרוֹן שֶׁל אֲרִיךְ נַעֲשֶׂה כֶּתֶר לִשְׁנֵיהֶם). The explanation is (פֵּירוּשׁ), that from the union effected between the palate and the throat of Arich Anpin (מֵהַזִּוּוּג הַנַּעֲשֶׂה מֵחֵךְ וְגָרוֹן שֶׁל אֲרִיךְ), light flows to Abba and Imma (שׁוֹפֵעַ הָאוֹר לְאַבָּא וְאִמָּא), and the hairs above them cause the union (וְהַשְּׂעָרוֹת שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶם גּוֹרְמִים הַזִּוּוּג), as we explained in the Tikkun of the hairs that cover the throat of Arich Anpin (כִּדְפֵירַשְׁנוּ בְּתִיקּוּן הַשְּׂעָרוֹת הַחוֹפְפִים הַגָּרוֹן שֶׁל א״א). And from Hashem I ask forgiveness (וּמִי־יָ אֶשְׁאַל הַמְּחִילָה), for revealing the furnace of the world (שֶׁגִּלִּיתִי כִּבְשׁוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם), and may these matters remain with you in hidden secrecy (וְיִהְיוּ עִמְּךָ בְּסוֹד נֶעְלָם), concerning which it is said, “Do not seek that which is too wondrous for you, and do not investigate that which is concealed from you” (וְעָלָיו נֶאֱמַר בַּמֻּפְלָא מִמְּךָ אַל תִּדְרֹשׁ וּבַמְּכֻסֶּה מִמְּךָ אַל תַּחְקֹר) (Chagigah 13a). Meaning (רָצָה לוֹמַר), that which is concealed (מַה שֶּׁהוּא מְכֻסֶּה), in the secret of a garment (בְּסוֹד לְבוּשׁ), in the secret of Pele [Wonder], which is Arich Anpin and which is Keter (בְּסוֹד פֶּלֶא שֶׁהוּא אֲרִיךְ וְהוּא כֶּתֶר). And the expression “too wondrous” is derived from the expression, “When a man shall clearly utter a vow to Hashem” (וּלְשׁוֹן בַּמֻּפְלָא הוּא נִגְזָר מִלְּשׁוֹן אִישׁ כִּי יַפְלִא נֶדֶר לַי־יָ) (Numbers 6:2), and it is separated from you (וְהוּא מֻבְדָּל מִמְּךָ), in the secret of the Parsa [Partition], the Pargod [Curtain], and the Parokhet [Veil] (בְּסוֹד פַּרְסָה וּפַרְגּוֹד וּפָרוֹכֶת).