Chapter Six (פֶּרֶק שִׁשִּׁי)

The lower waters were weeping (מַיִם הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים הָיוּ בוֹכִים) (Etz Chayim, Sha’ar haKlalim), until they were healed through the song and praise that they were saying (עַד שֶׁנִּתְרַפְּאוּ עַל יְדֵי הַשִּׁיר וְהַשֶּׁבַח שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים), blessed is the glory of Hashem from His place (בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד יְיָ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ) (Ezekiel 3:12). And they ascended above through the folding of Arich Anpin (וְעָלוּ עַל יְדֵי הִתְקַפְּלוּת אֲרִיךְ לְמַעְלָה), for Ein Sof hinted to Arich Anpin himself that he should fold himself (כִּי אֵין סוֹף רָמַז לַאֲרִיךְ עַצְמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְקַפֵּל), and his thighs would be included within his arms (וְיוּכְלְלוּ שׁוֹקָיו בִּזְרוֹעוֹתָיו), three within three (תְּלַת גּוֹ תְּלַת), namely (דְּהַיְינוּ), Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and the lower half of Tiferet (נֵצַח הוֹד יְסוֹד וַחֲצִי תִּפְאֶרֶת הַתַּחְתּוֹן), within Gedulah [Chesed], Gevurah, and the upper half of Tiferet (בִּגְדוּלָה גְּבוּרָה וַחֲצִי תִּפְאֶרֶת הָעֶלְיוֹן), and this is what is stated in the Sefer haZohar (וְזֶהוּ הָאָמוּר בְּסֵפֶר הַזֹּהַר), three folded within three (אִתְקַפְּלוּ תְּלַת גּוֹ תְּלַת). And why the upper third did not fear the abundance of its light (וּמַה שֶּׁלֹּא חָשַׁשׁ הַשְּׁלִישׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן מֵרִבּוּי אוֹרוֹ), like the lower ones (כְּמוֹ הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים), even though it is revealed like them (שֶׁהוּא מְגוּלֶּה כְּמוֹהֶם), is because it is exceedingly more exalted than the lower third (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מְעוּלֶּה מְאֹד יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁלִישׁ הַתַּחְתּוֹן), in such a way that it did not fear the light of the Tehiru at all (בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה יָרֵא מֵאוֹר הַטְּהִירוּ כְּלָל). And also the Reisha d’Ein [Head of Nothingness] and the Unknowable Head (וְגַם רֵישָׁא דְאַיִן וְלָא אִתְיְידַע), do not fear the light of the Tehiru (לֹא יִירְאוּ מֵאוֹר הַטְּהִירוּ), because they extend until the end of the Tehiru (שֶׁהֵם מִתְפַּשְּׁטִים עַד סוֹף הַטְּהִירוּ), since they are covered by Arich Anpin (לִהְיוֹת שֶׁהֵם מְכֻסִּים [עַל יְדֵי] אֲרִיךְ). And the head must always remain revealed (וְהָרֹאשׁ צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לְעוֹלָם מְגוּלֶּה), in order to illuminate the lower ones (לְהָאִיר לַתַּחְתּוֹנִים), and even if Abba and Imma were also to enclothe his head (וְגַם אִם הָיָה אַבָּא וְאִמָּא מַלְבִּישִׁים גַּם כֵּן רֹאשׁוֹ), Heaven forbid (חַס וְשָׁלוֹם), they would become nullified (הָיוּ מִתְבַּטְּלִים), for the light of Ein Sof would enter into them (כִּי הָיָה נִכְנָס אוֹר אֵין סוֹף בָּהֶם), just as into Atik (כְּמוֹ לְעַתִּיק), not by means of a Masakh [Screen] (שֶׁלֹּא עַל יְדֵי מָסָךְ).

And know (וְדַע), that when the feet of Arich Anpin ascended above (כְּשֶׁעָלוּ רַגְלֵי דַאֲרִיךְ לְמַעְלָה), which are Netzach-Hod-Yesod (שֶׁהֵם נה״י), they received and raised with them the seven Inner Lights [Orot haPenimiot] (קָלְטוּ וְהֶעֱלוּ עִמָּהֶם הַז׳ אוֹרוֹת פְּנִימִיּוֹת), from the shattered vessels that had fallen from the womb of Binah, as mentioned above (מֵהַכֵּלִים הַנִּשְׁבָּרִים שֶׁנָּפְלוּ מִמְּעֵי בִינָה כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל), and the six extremities of them gathered together into one place (וְהַשֵּׁשׁ קְצָווֹת מֵהֶם נִתְקַבְּצוּ כֻּלָּם בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד), namely in the Netzach of Arich Anpin (דְּהַיְינוּ בְּנֵצַח אֲרִיךְ), and spread throughout all ten Sefirot of that Netzach of Arich Anpin (וְנִתְפַּשְּׁטוּ בְּכָל הָעֶשֶׂר דְּנֵצַח דַאֲרִיךְ זֶה). However (אָמְנָם), the seventh Sefirah, which is Malkhut (הַסְּפִירָה הַשְּׁבִיעִית שֶׁהִיא מַלְכוּת), because it was not shattered but only crushed (לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁבְּרָה רַק נִתְמַעֲכָה), became self-important (זָחָה דַעְתָּהּ עָלֶיהָ), and did not wish to enter together with the six extremities into Netzach (וְלֹא רָצְתָה לִכָּנֵס עִם הַשֵּׁשׁ קְצָווֹת בְּנֵצַח), and she entered by herself into the Hod of Arich Anpin (וְנִכְנְסָה הִיא לְבַדָּהּ בְּהוֹד דַאֲרִיךְ). And concerning this the Zohar says (וְעַל זֶה אוֹמֵר בְּסֵפֶר הַזֹּהַר), he is in Netzach and she is in Hod (אִיהוּ בְּנֵצַח וְאִיהִי בְּהוֹד), meaning (רָצָה לוֹמַר), he is in Netzach, namely Ze’ir Anpin enters into Netzach (אִיהוּ בְּנֵצַח דְּהַיְינוּ זְעֵיר נִכְנָס בְּנֵצַח), and she is in Hod, namely Malkhut enters into the Hod of Arich Anpin (אִיהִי בְּהוֹד שֶׁהִיא מַלְכוּת נִכְנֶסֶת בְּהוֹד דַאֲרִיךְ). And half of the Tiferet of Arich Anpin became a Keter for both of them (וְהָיָה חֲצִי הַתּ״ת שֶׁל אֲרִיךְ כֶּתֶר לִשְׁנֵיהֶם), for Ze’ir Anpin and the aforementioned Malkhut (לְז״א וּלְמַלְכוּת הַנִּזְכָּרִים), and here began the complaint of the moon (וּפֹה הִתְחִיל הַקִּטְרוּג שֶׁל הַלְּבָנָה), which is Malkhut (שֶׁהִיא הַמַּלְכוּת), for when she enters Hod (שֶׁנִּכְנֶסֶת בְּהוֹד), she is called moon (נִקְרֵאת לְבָנָה), and the six extremities in Netzach are called sun (וְהַשֵּׁשׁ קְצָווֹת שֶׁבְּנֵצַח נִקְרְאוּ חַמָּה). And when Malkhut saw (וּכְשֶׁרָאֲתָה הַמַּלְכוּת), that she possessed a greater level than Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁהָיְתָה לָהּ מַעֲלָה יוֹתֵר מִז״א), for all the extremities of Ze’ir Anpin spread only within the Netzach of Arich Anpin (כִּי כָּל הַקְּצָווֹת שֶׁל ז״א לֹא נִתְפַּשְּׁטוּ כִּי אִם בְּנֵצַח בִּלְבַד שֶׁל א״א), and she considered becoming a Partzuf [Configuration] unto herself (וְהִיא חָשְׁבָה לִהְיוֹת פַּרְצוּף לְעַצְמָהּ), therefore she complained and said (לָכֵן קִטְרְגָה וְאָמְרָה), is it possible for two kings to use one crown (אֶפְשָׁר לִשְׁנֵי מְלָכִים שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּמְּשׁוּ בְּכֶתֶר אֶחָד) (Chullin 60b). And these two kings are Ze’ir Anpin and Malkhut, as mentioned (וְאֵלּוּ הַשְּׁנֵי מְלָכִים הֵם ז״א וּמַלְכוּת כַּנִּזְכָּר), and the one crown is the lower half of the Tiferet of Arich Anpin (וְכֶתֶר אֶחָד הוּא חֲצִי תּ״ת הַתַּחְתּוֹן שֶׁל א״א), and it is called Keter (וְנִקְרָא כֶּתֶר), because it stands as a crown over Netzach and Hod (לְפִי שֶׁהוּא בִּדְמוּת כֶּתֶר לְנֵצַח וְהוֹד). Then the Holy One, blessed be He, said to her (וְאָז אָמַר לָהּ הקב״ה), go and diminish yourself (לְכִי וּמַעֲטִי אֶת עַצְמֵךְ) (Chullin 60b), meaning (כְּלוֹמַר), that she should go and enter into the Yesod of Arich Anpin in the secret of a drop (שֶׁתֵּלֵךְ וְתִכָּנֵס לְתוֹךְ יְסוֹד שֶׁל א״א בְּסוֹד טִפָּה), namely (דְּהַיְינוּ), that which the Holy One, blessed be He, decreed concerning the six extremities in Netzach (מַה שֶּׁגָּזַר הקב״ה אֶל הַשֵּׁשׁ קְצָווֹת שֶׁבְּנֵצַח), that they should ascend and enter the Tabbur [Navel] of Arich Anpin (שֶׁיַּעֲלוּ וְיִכָּנְסוּ בְּטַבּוּר אֲרִיךְ), namely into the point of Tiferet within his Tiferet (דְּהַיְינוּ בִּנְקֻדַּת תִּפְאֶרֶת שֶׁבְּתִפְאֶרֶת שֶׁלּוֹ), and He decreed concerning Malkhut (וְגָזַר לְמַלְכוּת), that she should emerge after them and become a tail to all of them (שֶׁתֵּצֵא אַחֲרֵיהֶם וְתַעֲשֶׂה זָנָב לְכֻלָּן), and this is what the verse hinted (וְזֶהוּ מַה שֶּׁרָמַז הַכָּתוּב), go forth in the footsteps of the flock (צְאִי לָךְ בְּעִקְבֵי הַצֹּאן) (Song of Songs 1:8). And because the six extremities are around her (וּלְפִי שֶׁהַשֵּׁשׁ קְצָווֹת הֵם סְבִיבוֹתֶיהָ), and all of them were each included of ten (וְהָיוּ כֻלָּם כְּלוּלִים מֵעֶשֶׂר), they amount to sixty (עוֹלִים שִׁשִּׁים), and from them come the sixty angels surrounding the Throne of Beri’ah (וּמֵהֶם שִׁשִּׁים מַלְאָכִים הַסּוֹבְבִים אֶת הַכִּסֵּא דִבְרִיאָה), as is known (כַּנּוֹדָע), and concerning this it is said (וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר), behold, the bed of Shlomo, sixty mighty men surround it (הִנֵּה מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹה שִׁשִּׁים גִּבּוֹרִים סָבִיב לָהּ) (Song of Songs 3:7). And the reason the lights attached themselves to Netzach and Hod and not to Yesod (וּמַה שֶּׁנִּדְבְּקוּ הָאוֹרוֹת לְנֵצַח וְהוֹד וְלֹא לִיסוֹד), is because the legs of Netzach and Hod are longer (הוּא לְפִי שֶׁרַגְלֵי נֵצַח וְהוֹד הֵם יוֹתֵר אֲרוּכִים), and extend and descend further below than Yesod (וְיוֹתֵר מִתְפַּשְּׁטִים וְיוֹרְדִים לְמַטָּה מִיְסוֹד), just as, so to speak, in a physical person (כְּמוֹ כִבְיָכוֹל הָאָדָם הַגַּשְׁמִי), the legs are longer than the covenant organ (הָרַגְלַיִם הֵם יוֹתֵר אֲרוּכִים מֵהַבְּרִית), and extend further downward (וּמִתְפַּשְּׁטִים לְמַטָּה), therefore they attached themselves to them (לָכֵן נִדְבְּקוּ בָהֶם).