Chapter Seventy-Three (פֶּרֶק שִׁבְעִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה)

Before you know how these Chasadim are divided (קוֹדֶם שֶׁתֵּדַע אֵיךְ נִתְחַלְּקוּ הַחֲסָדִים הַלָּלוּ), I will reveal to you four brief principles (אֲגַלֶּה לְךָ אַרְבָּעָה כְּלָלִים קְצָרִים), which are very, very necessary for the division of the lights of these Chasadim (הַצְּרִיכִים מְאֹד מְאֹד לְחִלּוּק אוֹרוֹת הַחֲסָדִים הָאֵלּוּ). The first principle is (הַכְּלָל הָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא): that you must know (שֶׁצָּרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת), that this is the nature of the Da’at of Ze’ir Anpin (כִּי זֶה טִבְעוֹ שֶׁל דַּעַת זְעֵיר), that when it bestows upon another the Chasadim bestowed upon it (כִּי כְּשֶׁהוּא מַשְׁפִּיעַ לְזוּלָתוֹ הַחֲסָדִים הַנִּשְׁפָּעִים עָלָיו), it divides and bestows them gradually (הוּא מְחַלֵּק וּמַשְׁפִּיעַ אוֹתָם עַל יַד עַל יַד), to Ze’ir Anpin there (לְזְעֵיר שָׁם), meaning (פֵּירוּשׁ), with measure, weight, and proportion (בְּמִדָּה וּבְמִשְׁקָל וּבְמְשׂוּרָה), because they are precious to it (כִּי הֵם חֲבִיבִים עָלָיו), and it does not give them all at once from its hand (וְאֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן אוֹתָם בְּפַעַם אַחַת מִיָּדוֹ), as it does the Gevurot (כְּמוֹ הַגְּבוּרוֹת). However (אָמְנָם), when it bestows the Gevurot bestowed upon it (כְּשֶׁמַּשְׁפִּיעַ הַגְּבוּרוֹת הַנִּשְׁפָּעוֹת אֵלָיו), it bestows them abundantly (מַשְׁפִּיעָם בְּשׁוֹפַע), and all at once (וּבְבַת אַחַת), and “as he swallowed them, so he emits them” (וּכְבוֹלְעָם כָּךְ פּוֹלְטָם). And the second principle is (וְהַכְּלָל הַשֵּׁנִי), you must know (צָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת), that just as all the influence bestowed from Imma to Ze’ir Anpin is through her Yesod (כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּל הַשֶּׁפַע הַנִּשְׁפָּע מֵאִמָּא לִזְעֵיר הוּא דֶּרֶךְ יְסוֹד דִּידָהּ), except that the first is in the secret of Ohr Mitpashet [Expanding Light] (אֶלָּא שֶׁהָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא בְּסוֹד אוֹר מִתְפַּשֵּׁט), this one is in the secret of Ohr Chozer [Returning Light] (וְזֶהוּ בְּסוֹד אוֹר חוֹזֵר), as is known (כַּנּוֹדָע), that the Chasadim return to ascend above (שֶׁחוֹזְרִים הַחֲסָדִים לַעֲלוֹת לְמַעְלָה), in the secret of Ohr Chozer [Returning Light] (בְּסוֹד אוֹר חוֹזֵר), to be an Ohr Makif [Surrounding Light] for him openly (לִהְיוֹת אוֹר מַקִּיף לוֹ בְּגָלוּי). And the third principle is (וְהַכְּלָל הַשְּׁלִישִׁי), you must know (צָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת), that the nature of these five Chasadim (כִּי טֶבַע ה' חֲסָדִים הַלָּלוּ), which came into being from the striking of “Notzer VeNakeh [Preserver and Cleanser]” of Arich Anpin (שֶׁנִּתְהַוּוּ מִבְּטִישַׁת דְּנוֹצֵר וְנַקֵּה דַּאֲרִיךְ), as mentioned above (כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל), is exceedingly exalted (הוּא מְעוּלֶה מְאֹד), in such a way (בְּאוֹפֶן), that each one of these five Chasadim of Arich Anpin (שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מֵחָמֵשׁ חֲסָדִים אֵלּוּ דַּאֲרִיךְ), is double (פִּי שְׁנַיִם יֵשׁ לָהֶם), in relation to each one of the Middot of the Kli [Vessel] of Ze’ir Anpin (עַל כָּל אֶחָד מִמִּדּוֹת כְּלִי זְעֵיר), namely (דְּהַיְנוּ), that one half of a Chesed of Arich Anpin (שֶׁחֲצִי אֶחָד שֶׁל חֶסֶד דַּאֲרִיךְ), which is one and a half thirds (שֶׁהוּא שְׁלִישׁ וָחֵצִי), fills one complete Middah of the Middot of Ze’ir Anpin (מְמַלֵּא מִדָּה אַחַת שְׁלֵמָה מִמִּדּוֹת זְעֵיר). And we have already said (וּכְבָר אָמַרְנוּ), that every influence is expounded in three thirds (שֶׁכָּל שֶׁפַע הוּא נִדְרָשׁ בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה שְׁלִישִׁים), just like all the Kelim [Vessels] of Ze’ir Anpin (כְּמוֹ כָּל הַכֵּלִים שֶׁל זְעֵיר), and its Sefirot are expounded in three thirds (וּסְפִירוֹתָיו נִדְרָשִׁים בְּג' שְׁלִישִׁים), so too here every Chesed is of three thirds (כֵּן כָּאן כָּל חֶסֶד מִג' שְׁלִישִׁים), and likewise all the five Chasadim mentioned (וְכֵן כָּל הַה' חֲסָדִים הַנִּזְכָּרִים). And the fourth principle is (וְהַכְּלָל הָרְבִיעִי), you must know (צָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת), that even though we have said (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ), that all these Chasadim follow this pattern (שֶׁכָּל הַחֲסָדִים הַלָּלוּ זֶה דַּרְכָּם), that one half of a Chesed of Arich Anpin fills one complete Middah of the Middot of Ze’ir Anpin, as stated (שֶׁחֲצִי אֶחָד שֶׁל חֶסֶד דַּאֲרִיךְ מְמַלֵּא מִדָּה אַחַת שְׁלֵמָה מִמִּדּוֹת זְעֵיר כָּאָמוּר), nevertheless (מִכָּל מָקוֹם), those Chasadim that are covered beneath the wings of the Yesod of Tevunah (אוֹתָם הַחֲסָדִים שֶׁהֵם מְכֻסִּים תַּחַת כַּנְפֵי יְסוֹד שֶׁל תְּבוּנָה), which reaches and covers up to the upper third of the Tiferet of Ze’ir Anpin, as mentioned above (שֶׁהוּא מַגִּיעַ וּמְכַסֶּה עַד הַשְּׁלִישׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁל ת״ת דְּזְעֵיר כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל), behold (הִנֵּה), they diminish themselves while they are there covered by the Yesod (מַקְטִינִים עַצְמָם בִּהְיוֹתָם שָׁם מְכֻסִּים מִיסוֹד), like a small lamp beside the great light of the sun (כְּדֶרֶךְ הַנֵּר הַקָּטָן אֵצֶל אוֹר הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ הַגָּדוֹל), for then the flame of the lamp diminishes itself (שֶׁאָז שַׁלְהֶבֶת הַנֵּר מַקְטִין עַצְמוֹ). And therefore (וְלָכֵן), those Chasadim that are covered by the aforementioned Yesod (אוֹתָם הַחֲסָדִים הַמְכֻסִּים מִיסוֹד הַנִּזְכָּר), are equal in size to the Middah of Ze’ir Anpin (הֵם שָׁוִים כְּגוֹדֶל לְמִדַּת זְעֵיר), but those Chasadim that are revealed (אֲבָל אוֹתָם הַחֲסָדִים הַמְגֻלִּים), which are not under the authority of the aforementioned Yesod of Imma (שֶׁאֵינָם תַּחַת רְשׁוּת יְסוֹד אִמָּא הַנִּזְכָּר), increase according to their nature (הֵם מִתְגַּדְּלִים בְּטִבְעָם), in such a way (בְּאוֹפֶן), that half of each and every one of them (שֶׁמַּחֲצִית כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵהֶם), is sufficient to fill one complete Middah of the Middot of Ze’ir Anpin (דַּיּוֹ לְמַלּוֹת מִדָּה אַחַת שְׁלֵמָה מִמִּדַּת זְעֵיר), and the reason is (וְהַטַּעַם הוּא), because now they are revealed (לְפִי שֶׁעַתָּה הֵם מְגֻלִּים), and distant from the great light of the aforementioned Yesod (וּרְחוֹקִים מֵהָאוֹר הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁל יְסוֹד הַנִּזְכָּר). Behold (הֲרֵי), I have explained to you four brief principles (פֵּרַשְׁתִּי לְךָ ד' כְּלָלִים קְצָרִים), founded upon four foundations of fine gold (הַמְיֻסָּדִים עַל אַרְבָּעָה אַדְנֵי פָז), which are very necessary for the matter of the division of the Chasadim (הַצְּרִיכִים מְאֹד לְעִנְיַן חִלּוּק הַחֲסָדִים), “sweeter than honey and the honeycomb” (מְתוּקִים מִדְּבַשׁ וְנֹפֶת צוּפִים) (Psalms 19:11).