Chapter Seven (פֶּרֶק שְׁבִיעִי)

After the separation (אַחַר הַנְּסִירָה), the Holy One, Blessed Be He, alluded to Arich Anpin (רָמַז הַקב״ה לַאֲרִיךְ), that he should rectify Abba and Imma in the secret of a Partzuf (שֶׁיְתַקֵּן אַבָּא וְאִמָּא בְּסוֹד פַּרְצוּף), because before Arich Anpin separated them through its flame of fire (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁקּוֹדֶם שֶׁנְּסָרָם אֲרִיךְ עַל יְדֵי הַשַּׁלְהוֹבִיתָא דְאֶשָּׁא שֶׁלּוֹ), it received a great influx from its companion, the Reisha DeEin [the Head of Nothingness] included with it (הִשִּׂיג שֶׁפַע גָּדוֹל מֵחֲבֵרוֹ, רֵישָׁא דְאֵין הַכָּלוּל עִמּוֹ), and built their Reshimu (וּבָנָה אֶת הָרְשִׁימוּ שֶׁלָּהֶם). And the Holy One, Blessed Be He, saw (וְרָאָה הַקב״ה), that for the sake of the existence of the worlds (שֶׁלְּצוֹרֶךְ קִיּוּם הָעוֹלָמוֹת), it was absolutely necessary that Chokhmah have connection and attachment to Binah, and Binah to Chokhmah (הָיָה מִן הַהֶכְרֵחַ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בַּחָכְמָה שַׁיָּכוּת וַאֲחִיזָה בְּבִינָה, וְלַבִּינָה בַּחָכְמָה), so that they would be like the Chokhmah and Binah within Keter (שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כְּמוֹ חָכְמָה בִּינָה שֶׁבַּכֶּתֶר), namely the Reisha DeEin [the Head of Nothingness] and the head of Arich Anpin (דְּהַיְינוּ רֵישָׁא דְאֵין וְרֵישָׁא דַאֲרִיךְ), which are one within the other, as is known (שֶׁהֵם זֶה בְּתוֹךְ זֶה כַּנּוֹדָע). And this attachment was from only one side (וְהַדִּבּוּק הַזֶּה הָיָה מִצַּד אֶחָד לְבַד), namely that Binah stretched forth its right hand to the left side of Chokhmah and embraced it (הַיְינוּ שֶׁבִּינָה שָׁלְחָה יְמִינוֹ בְּצַד שְׂמֹאלוֹ שֶׁל הַחָכְמָה וְחִבְּקָה אוֹתָהּ), and Chokhmah also embraced Binah from that very side (וְגַם הַחָכְמָה חִבְּקָה בַּצַּד הַהוּא מַמָּשׁ אֶל הַבִּינָה), namely that it stretched forth its left hand and embraced the right side of Binah (הַיְינוּ שֶׁשָּׁלְחָה שְׂמֹאלָהּ וְחִבְּקָה בְּצַד יָמִין שֶׁל הַבִּינָה), and as the verse alludes (וּכְמוֹ שֶׁרָמַז הַכָּתוּב), “Each woman touching her sister” (מַשִּׁיקוֹת אִשָּׁה אֶל אֲחוֹתָהּ) (Exodus 26:5), and this is the secret of “His left hand is under my head, and His right hand embraces me” (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְחַבְּקֵנִי) (Song of Songs 2:6), in the secret of male and female (בְּסוֹד זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה). And while they were thus held and joined together (וּבְהִיּוֹתָם כָּךְ נֶאֱחָזִים וְנִדְבָּקִים יַחַד), a flame emerged from Arich Anpin to rectify them afterward in the secret of male and female (נָפַק שַׁלְהוֹבִיתָא מֵאֲרִיךְ לְתַקְּנָם בְּסוֹד זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה אַחַר כָּךְ), and he separated them and distinguished between them (וְנְסָרָם וְהִבְדִּיל בֵּינֵיהֶם). And this is the secret of the separation (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד נְסִירָה), in such a manner that Binah remained with the left side of Chokhmah, which had been attached to her, as mentioned (בְּאוֹפֶן שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרָה הַבִּינָה עִם שְׂמֹאלוֹ שֶׁל הַחָכְמָה שֶׁהָיָה דָּבוּק בָּהּ כָּאָמוּר), and Chokhmah remained with the right side of Binah [Understanding], which had been attached to her, as mentioned (וְהַחָכְמָה נִשְׁאֲרָה עִם הַיָּמִין שֶׁל הַבִּינָה שֶׁהָיָה דָּבוּק בָּהּ כַּנִּזְכָּר). And it follows afterward that Chokhmah remained entirely right-sided (וְנִמְצָא אַחַר כָּךְ שֶׁהַחָכְמָה נִשְׁאֲרָה כֻּלָּהּ יְמָנִית), because she possessed her own right side on one side (לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה לָהּ יְמִינָהּ מִצַּד אֶחָד), and the right side of Binah, which remained with her on the other side (וִימִין הַבִּינָה שֶׁנִּשְׁאַר לָהּ מִצַּד אַחֵר), and Binah remained entirely left-sided (וְהַבִּינָה נִשְׁאֲרָה כֻּלָּהּ שְׂמָאלִית), namely that she remained with her own left side on one side (הַיְינוּ שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרָה עִם שְׂמֹאל שֶׁלָּהּ מִצַּד אֶחָד), and with the left side of Chokhmah on the other side (וְעִם שְׂמֹאל הַחָכְמָה מִצַּד אֶחָד). And this is alluded to in the verse, “And God separated between the light and between the darkness” (וְזֶה נִרְמָז בַּכָּתוּב וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ) (Genesis 1:4), namely that He separated the left side, which is evening, in the secret of judgment, from the light, which is the right side, in the secret of Chesed (הַיְינוּ שֶׁהִבְדִּיל הַשְּׂמֹאל שֶׁהוּא עֶרֶב, בְּסוֹד דִּין, מִן הָאוֹר שֶׁהוּא יָמִין בְּסוֹד חֶסֶד). And nevertheless, “And there was evening and there was morning, one day” (וְעִם כָּל זֶה וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד) (Genesis 1:5), meaning that evening and morning together are one force (דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁהָעֶרֶב וְהַבֹּקֶר שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחַד, הֵם כֹּחַ אֶחָד), because of the intermingling of their powers, each into the other, as mentioned (מִסִּבַּת עֵירוּב כֹּחוֹתֵיהֶם מִזֶּה לָזֶה כָּאָמוּר). And in the aspect of their being two powers together (וּבִבְחִינַת הֱיוֹתָם שְׁנֵי כֹּחוֹת יַחַד), therefore they are called “one day” (לָכֵן נִקְרְאוּ יוֹם אֶחָד), for two times twenty-eight equals the numerical value of Yom [Day] (דִּשְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים כ״ח מִסְפָּרוֹ כְּמִנְיַן יוֹם), and thus it follows from what we have said (וְנִמְצָא אִם כֵּן בְּמַה שֶּׁאָמַרְנוּ), that the Gevurot of Abba are the Chasadim of Imma (שֶׁגְּבוּרוֹת אַבָּא הֵם חֲסָדִים דְּאִמָּא), and the Chasadim of Imma are the Gevurot of Abba (וַחֲסָדִים דְּאִמָּא הֵם גְּבוּרוֹת דְּאַבָּא), and to this the Zohar alludes at the beginning of Parashat Vayikra (וְלָזֶה רָמַז הַזֹּהַר בְּרֵישׁ פָּרָשַׁת וַיִּקְרָא), concerning the verse “Eat, companions” (עַל פָּסוּק אִכְלוּ רֵעִים) (Song of Songs 5:1).