Chapter Thirty-One (פֶּרֶק שְׁלֹשִׁים וְאֶחָד)

Ze’ir Anpin clothes Arich Anpin through Abba and Imma (זְעֵיר מַלְבִּישׁ אֶת אֲרִיךְ עַל יְדֵי אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), and Rachel clothes Ze’ir Anpin (וְרָחֵל מַלְבֶּשֶׁת אֶת זְעֵיר), and when it is the time of the zivug (וּכְשֶׁהוּא שְׁעַת הַזִּוּוּג), Ze’ir Anpin clothes the right thigh (זְעֵיר מַלְבִּישׁ יָרֵךְ יָמִין) and the Malkhut the left thigh (וְהַמַּלְכוּת יָרֵךְ שְׂמֹאל), for the Mishkan is Arich Anpin, as we have explained (שֶׁהַמִּשְׁכָּן הוּא אֲרִיךְ כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ), and the rest are garments to Him (וְהַשְּׁאָר לְבוּשִׁים אֵלָיו). And this is what the verse says (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאוֹמֵר הַכָּתוּב), “and for the rear parts of the Mishkan” (וְלִירְכְּתֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן) (Exodus 26:22). Which is Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁהוּא זְעֵיר), for he clothes from the thighs and downward (שֶׁהוּא מַלְבִּישׁ מֵהַיְרֵכַיִם וָאֵילָךְ), “westward” (יָמָּה), which is the Yesod called “westward” (שֶׁהוּא הַיְסוֹד הַנִּקְרָא יָמָּה), for it mingles all the powers (שֶׁמְּעָרֵב כָּל הַכֹּחוֹת). “You shall make six boards” (תַּעֲשֶׂה שִׁשָּׁה קְרָשִׁים) (Exodus 26:22), corresponding to Ze’ir Anpin, who is six extremities (כְּנֶגֶד זְעֵיר שֶׁהוּא שֵׁשׁ קְצָווֹת), “and two boards shall you make for the corners of the Mishkan” (וּשְׁנֵי קְרָשִׁים תַּעֲשֶׂה לְמִקְצֹעֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן) (Exodus 26:23), and they correspond to Ze’ir Anpin and his Nukvah (וְהֵם כְּנֶגֶד זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), who clothe the two thighs, right (הַמַלְבִּישִׁים שְׁנֵי יְרֵכַיִם יָמִין) and left (וּשְׂמֹאל). And these are the six boards that are in the rear parts (וְאֵלּוּ הֵם שִׁשָּׁה קְרָשִׁים שֶׁהֵם בַּיִּרְכָּתַיִם). And one must ask (וְיֵשׁ לִשְׁאוֹל), for one of the six boards should have been one of these two (כִּי אֶחָד מִשִּׁשָּׁה קְרָשִׁים הָיָה רָאוּי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אֶחָד מֵאֵלּוּ הַשְּׁנַיִם), and how is it possible to say that Ze’ir Anpin is by himself (וְהֵיאַךְ אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר שֶׁזְּעֵיר הוּא לְבַדּוֹ), and the six boards by themselves (וְהַשִּׁשָּׁה קְרָשִׁים לְבַדָּם). And it is possible to explain (וְאֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ) that these two boards are Jacob and Rachel (שֶׁאֵלּוּ שְׁנֵי הַקְּרָשִׁים הֵם יַעֲקֹב וְרָחֵל), and they clothe him from beneath the shoulders of Ze’ir Anpin (וְהֵם מַלְבִּישִׁים אוֹתוֹ מִתַּחַת הַכְּתֵפַיִם שֶׁל זְעֵיר). And at first he clothes Arich Anpin (וּבַתְּחִלָּה הוּא מַלְבִּישׁ לַאֲרִיךְ), and takes all the Mochin (וְלוֹקֵחַ הַמּוֹחִין כֻּלָּם). And afterward he leaves the left thigh to his Nukvah (וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַנִּיחַ הַיָּרֵךְ הַשְּׂמָאלִי לְנוּקְבֵיהּ), and he clothes the right thigh (וְהוּא מַלְבִּישׁ הַיָּרֵךְ הַיְמָנִי), in such a manner that there are two aspects (בְּאוֹפֶן שֶׁיֵּשׁ שְׁתֵּי בְחִינוֹת), and both are correct together (וְצָדְקוּ יַחְדָּו), Ze’ir Anpin is six boards (זְעֵיר הוּא שִׁשָּׁה קְרָשִׁים), clothing all of it (מַלְבִּישׁ אֶת כֻּלּוֹ), and he too is one board (וְגַם הוּא קֶרֶשׁ אֶחָד), and she is one board (וְהִיא קֶרֶשׁ אֶחָד).