Chapter Thirty-Four (פֶּרֶק שְׁלֹשִׁים וְאַרְבָּעָה)

We said that all the prayers and the tikkunim that ascend up to the place of the Mazal (אָמַרְנוּ שֶׁכָּל הַתְּפִלּוֹת וְהַתִּקּוּנִים הָעוֹלִים עַד מְקוֹם מַזָּלָא), which hovers over Abba and Imma (הַחוֹפֶה עַל אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), do not return empty-handed (לֹא יַחְזְרוּ רֵיקָם), therefore the Sages said (לָכֵן אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים), “Children, life, and sustenance—the matter does not depend on merit, but on Mazal” (בְּנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי לָאו בִּזְכוּתָא תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא אֶלָּא בְּמַזָּלָא) (Zohar, Bereshit 181a). And the matter is (וְהָעִנְיָן הוּא), that in the Heikhal of Merit (שֶׁבְּהֵיכַל זְכוּת), there are the seventy-one Sanhedrin (שָׁם הֵם הָע״א סַנְהֶדְרִין), and they judge all the judgments of all the inhabitants of the world (וְדַיְּינִין כָּל דִּינִין דְּכָל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא), and at their head is the Av Beit Din, Metatron Sar haPanim [Prince of the Presence] (וְרֹאשׁ לָהֶם הָאָב״ד מַטְטְרוֹ״ן שַׂר הַפָּנִים), except for these three matters (בַּר מִתְּלַת אִלֵּין), “children, life, and sustenance—they are not judged by merit” (בְּנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי לָאו בִּזְכוּתָא דַּיְּינִין לְהוּ), but rather by Mazal (אֶלָּא בְּמַזָּלִי), whether he merits to have his prayer received (אִם הוּא זוֹכֶה לְקַבֵּל תְּפִלָּתוֹ), and for all of them you will find proof in the verses (וְכֻלְּהוּ תִּמְצָא רְאָיָה בִּקְרָאֵי).

Children (בְּנֵי), “And Channah prayed upon Hashem” (וַתִּתְפַּלֵּל חַנָּה עַל יהו״ה) (I Samuel 1:10), above Ze’ir Anpin, who is called by the Name Havayah (לְמַעְלָה מִזְּעֵיר אַנְפִּין שֶׁנִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם יהו״ה), for in general Havayah is Ze’ir Anpin in every place, as is known (כִּי סְתָם הֲוָיָ״ה הוּא זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין בְּכָל מָקוֹם כַּנּוֹדָע), and his statement “upon” is precise (וְאוֹמְרוֹ עַל דַּיְקָא). Far above, two levels above Ze’ir Anpin (לְעֵילָא לְעֵילָא שְׁתֵּי מַעֲלוֹת לְמַעְלָה מִזְּעֵיר אַנְפִּין), and above the levels of Abba and Imma (וּלְמַעְלָה מִמַּדְרֵגוֹת אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), and that is the place of the Upper Mazal (וְהוּא אֲתַרָא דְּמַזָּלָא עִילָאָה).

Life (חַיֵּי), as it is written (דִּכְתִיב), “Behold, I will add to your days fifteen years” (הִנְנִי יוֹסֵף עַל יָמֶיךָ חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה) (Isaiah 38:5), “will add” is precise (יוֹסִיף דַּיְקָא), for it is in the hidden form of speech (שֶׁהוּא בִּלְשׁוֹן נִסְתָּר), since it should have said “I will add” (דְּהֲוָה לֵיהּ לְמֵימַר הִנְנִי אוֹסִיף), which is the direct form of speech (שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן נוֹכַח), rather his statement “will add” is in the hidden form (אֶלָּא אוֹמְרוֹ יוֹסִיף שֶׁהוּא נִסְתָּר), meaning (כְּלוֹמַר), “He will add”—the One in whose hand it is to add (יוֹסִיף מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ לְהוֹסִיף). And the ordinary days of a person (וּסְתָם יָמָיו שֶׁל אָדָם), are decreed from one hundred and twenty years of the back aspects of Ze’ir Anpin and Nukvah (נִגְזְרוּ מִק״ךְ שָׁנָה שֶׁל אֲחוֹרֵי ז״א וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), for he has one hundred and twenty Sefirot (כִּי יֵשׁ לוֹ ק״ךְ סְפִירוֹת), from one hundred and twenty Elohim (מִק״ךְ אֱלֹהִי״ם), in the back aspects (בָּאֲחוֹרַיִים), and Shanah [year] equals in gematria Sefirah (וְשנ״ה גִּימַטְרִיָּא סְפִירָה). And length of years (וַאֲרִיכוּת שָׁנִים), is from the Tikkunei of Arich Anpin (הוּא מִתִּיקּוּנֵי אֲרִיךְ), from its Mazal (מִמַּזָּלָא דִילֵיהּ), from those primordial years (מֵאִינוּן שְׁנִים קַדְמוֹנִיּוֹת), of which they said (שֶׁאָמְרוּ), “A day of the Holy One, blessed be He is a thousand years” (יוֹמוֹ שֶׁל הקב״ה אֶלֶף שָׁנָה) (source uncertain), for which reason (שֶׁלָּכֵן), He is called Arich Anpin (נִקְרָא אֲרִיךְ). And this is what he hinted by saying (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁרָמַז בְּאוֹמְרוֹ), “upon your days” (עַל יָמֶיךָ), meaning (רָצָה לוֹמַר), upon your ordinary days of Ze’ir Anpin (עַל סְתָם יָמֶיךָ דְזָעִיר). They are the long days of the Mazal of Arich Anpin (הֵם הַיָּמִים אֲרֻכִּים שֶׁל הַמַּזָּלָא דַאֲרִיךְ), which goes and extends until the head of Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁהוֹלֵךְ וּמִתְפַּשֵּׁט עַד רֹאשׁ זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין), and who is the One who adds (וּמִי הוּא הַמּוֹסִיף), the One who is hidden (מִי שֶׁהוּא נִסְתָּר), and that is Arich Anpin (וְהוּא אֲרִיךְ), who is concealed from him very much (שֶׁנֶּעְלָם מִמֶּנּוּ מְאֹוד), in this present exile (בַּגָּלוּת הַחֵל הַזֶּה). And not every person merits to elevate his prayer above (וְלָאו כָּל אָדָם זוֹכֶה לְהַעֲלוֹת תְּפִלָּתוֹ לְמַעְלָה).

Sustenance (מְזוֹנֵי), as it is written (דִּכְתִיב), “Cast upon Hashem your burden and He shall sustain you” (הַשְׁלֵךְ עַל י״י יְהָבְךָ וְהוּא יְכַלְכְּלֶךָ) (Psalms 55:23). “Upon Hashem” is precise (עַל י״י דַּיְקָא), for its plain designation is Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁסְתָמוֹ זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין), as I said above (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי לְמַעְלָה), that it is above Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁהוּא לְמַעְלָה מִזְּעֵיר אַנְפִּין), extending until his head, as is known (שֶׁמִּתְפַּשֵּׁט עַד רֹאשׁוֹ כַּנּוֹדָע).