Chapter Thirty-One (פֶּרֶק שְׁלֹשִׁים וְאֶחָד)

And you must know (וְצָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת), that even the Keter, Chokhmah, Binah, and Da’at of Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁגַּם כֶּתֶר חָכְמָה וּבִינָה וָדַעַת דִּזְעֵיר), came into being through the secret of the kisses and the breaths of which Kohelet spoke (נִתְהַוּוּ בְּסוֹד נְשִׁיקִין וּמֵהַהֲבָלִים שֶׁאָמַר קֹהֶלֶת), and we learn this through a kal vaChomer [a fortiori inference] (וְנִלְמֹד זֶה מִקַּל וָחֹמֶר). And if the other limbs (וּמָה הָאֵיבָרִים הָאֲחֵרִים), which are not called Chokhmah and Binah (שֶׁאֵינָם נִקְרָאִים חָכְמָה וּבִינָה), are built from the Chokhmah and Binah of the kisses (נִבְנִים מֵחָכְמָה וּבִינָה שֶׁל הַנְּשִׁיקִין), because they are the right line and the left line (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם קַו יָמִין וְקַו שְׂמֹאל), all the more so the Chokhmah and Binah of Ze’ir themselves (מִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן חָכְמָה וּבִינָה שֶׁל זְעֵיר עַצְמָם), which were built from them (שֶׁנִּבְנוּ מֵהֶם). And why were they not mentioned in the kisses (וּמִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נִזְכְּרוּ בַּנְּשִׁיקִין), because they are exceedingly subtle (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם דַּקִּים מְאֹד), in the secret of Hyuli [primordial potentiality] (בְּסוֹד הַיּוּלִי), and were scarcely recognizable because of their great subtlety (וְכִמְעַט לֹא הָיוּ נִכָּרִים מִפְּנֵי רֹב דַּקּוּתָם). For they had not yet come into being in complete actuality, namely their vessels (כִּי לֹא נִתְהַוּוּ בְּפוֹעַל גָּמוּר כֵּלִים שֶׁלָּהֶם), and since the Keter, Chokhmah, Binah, and Da’at that came into being for the aforementioned Ze’ir Anpin and his Nukvah (וּבְהִיוֹת שֶׁכֶּתֶר חָכְמָה וּבִינָה וָדַעַת שֶׁנִּתְהַוּוּ לִזְעֵיר וּנוּקְבֵיהּ הַנִּזְכָּר), were Hyulim [primordial potentialities] (הָיוּ הַיּוּלִים), and like points (וּכְמִין נְקוּדוֹת), therefore now, in order to make them into the secret of vessels (לָכֵן עַתָּה לַעֲשׂוֹתָם בְּסוֹד כֵּלִים).

You must know (צָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת), that when the seven Ketarim and the seven Chokhmot and the seven Binot ascended above into the Keter of Keter (כִּי כְּשֶׁעָלוּ לְמַעְלָה בַּכֶּתֶר שֶׁבַּכֶּתֶר הַז׳ כְּתָרִים וְהַז׳ חָכְמוֹת וְהַז׳ בִּינוֹת), from the World of the Nekudot [Points] (מֵעוֹלַם הַנְּקוּדוֹת), which were in Imma as mentioned (שֶׁהָיוּ בְּאִמָּא כַּנִּזְכָּר), their impression remained in Imma (נִשְׁאַר הָרֹשֶׁם שֶׁלָּהֶם בְּאִמָּא), and likewise it also remained in Abba (וְכֵן נִשְׁאַר גַּם כֵּן בְּאַבָּא), as they passed through there as mentioned above (בְּעָבְרָם דֶּרֶךְ שָׁם כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל), and the fallen blossoms of Abba and Imma were included in this point of Reshimu [Impression] (וְנוֹבְלוֹת אַבָּא וְאִמָּא נִכְלְלוּ בִּנְקוּדַת הָרְשִׁימוּ הַזֶּה), and they fell together below as mentioned above (וְנָפְלוּ יַחְדָּו לְמַטָּה כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל). And our Rabbis of blessed memory also said (וְגַם אָמְרוּ ז״ל), “The Shekhinah did not depart until she made an impression” (לֹא זָזָה שְׁכִינָה עַד שֶׁעָשְׂתָה רֹשֶׁם) (source uncertain), for even though a holy light departs from its place (כִּי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאוֹר קָדוֹשׁ הוֹלֵךְ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ), it leaves a Reshimu [Impression] in its place (הִנִּיחַ רְשִׁימוּ בִּמְקוֹמוֹ), likewise below in the Reshimu [Impression] and the shadow of the seven lower ones (כֵּן לְמַטָּה בָּרְשִׁימוּ וְהַצֵּל הַז׳ תַּחְתּוֹנִיּוֹת), of the World of Tohu (שֶׁל עוֹלַם הַתֹּהוּ). And the fallen blossoms and the Reshimu became attached one to another (וְנִדְבְּקוּ הַנּוֹבְלוֹת וְהָרְשִׁימוּ אֶחָד אֶל אֶחָד), and from it the Ketarim of Ze’ir Anpin were built (וּמִמֶּנּוּ נִבְנוּ הַכְּתָרִים שֶׁל ז״א), but it is very weak (אַךְ הוּא חַלָּשׁ מְאֹד), for it cannot hold its head upright (שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהַחֲזִיק רֹאשׁוֹ בְּקוֹמָה זְקוּפָה), until afterward (עַד אַחַר כָּךְ). And when the three were folded within the three in Arich Anpin, as mentioned above (וּכְשֶׁנִּתְקַפְּלוּ תְּלַת גּוֹ תְּלַת בַּאֲרִיךְ כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל), the lights of this Reshimu [Impression] were also absorbed and ascended above (נִקְלְטוּ וְעָלוּ לְמַעְלָה גַּם אוֹרוֹת הָרְשִׁימוּ הַזֶּה), just as occurred with the other lights (כְּמוֹ שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בִּשְׁאָר הָאוֹרוֹת), but they did not become mixed with those that were shattered (אַךְ לֹא נִתְעָרְבוּ עִם אוֹתָם שֶׁנִּשְׁבְּרוּ), because they are more subtle (כִּי הֵם יוֹתֵר דַּקִּים), and from the lights of this Reshimu [Impression] there came into being the secret of Mochin in Ze’ir (וּמֵאוֹרוֹת הָרְשִׁימוּ הַזֶּה נִתְהַוּוּ מֵהֶם סוֹד מוֹחִין בִּזְעֵיר). Namely (דְּהַיְינוּ), that at birth Abba gave them to Imma through their Yesod (שֶׁבְּעֵת לֵידָה נָתַן אַבָּא לְאִמָּא דֶּרֶךְ הַיְסוֹד שֶׁלָּהֶם), and Imma gave them to Ze’ir Anpin and his Nukvah (וְאִמָּא נָתְנָה אוֹתָם לִזְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), and from them was made the vessel of the brain of Ze’ir Anpin and his Nukvah (וּמֵהֶם נַעֲשָׂה כְּלִי מוֹחַ זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), which are the aforementioned Keter, Chokhmah, and Binah (שֶׁהֵם כֶּתֶר חָכְמָה וּבִינָה הַנִּזְכָּרִים לְעֵיל), which had not been recognizable (שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ נִכָּרִים), and now were rectified and became a head (וְעַתָּה נִתְקְנוּ וְהָיוּ לְרֹאשׁ). And the reason Abba did not give Imma this light of the Reshimu [Impression] at the time of the union (וּמַה שֶׁלֹּא נָתַן אַבָּא לְאִמָּא אוֹר הָרְשִׁימוּ הַזֶּה בְּעֵת הַזִּוּוּג), as he did with the drop of Ze’ir Anpin and his Nukvah (כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשָׂה בַּטִּפָּה שֶׁל ז״א וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), is because this light of the Reshimu [Impression] is more subtle than the other lights of the drop (הוּא לְפִי שֶׁאוֹר הָרְשִׁימוּ הַזֶּה הוּא יוֹתֵר דַּק מִשְּׁאָר הָאוֹרוֹת שֶׁל הַטִּפָּה), and therefore they were not mixed together (וְלָכֵן לֹא נִתְעָרְבוּ יַחַד), and he gave this light of the Reshimu [Impression], which is more subtle, by itself at the time of birth (וְנָתַן אוֹר זֶה שֶׁל הָרְשִׁימוּ שֶׁהוּא יוֹתֵר דַּק לְבַדּוֹ בְּעֵת הַלֵּידָה). And in any case (וְעַל כָּל פָּנִים), the light of the fallen blossoms of Chokhmah and Binah that we mentioned in the Gate of the World of Tohu (אוֹר הַנּוֹבְלוֹת שֶׁל חָכְמָה וּבִינָה שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ בְּשַׁעַר עוֹלַם הַתֹּהוּ), in the secret of what our Rabbis of blessed memory said (בְּסוֹד שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל), “The fallen blossoms of the supernal Chokhmah are Torah” (נוֹבְלוֹת חָכְמָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה תּוֹרָה) (Bereishit Rabbah 17:7), the explanation is (פֵּירוּשׁ), from it Ze’ir Anpin was built, which is the secret of the Written Torah (נִבְנָה מִמֶּנּוּ ז״א שֶׁהוּא סוֹד תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב), and the fallen blossoms of Binah are Shekhinah (וְנוֹבְלוֹת בִּינָה שְׁכִינָה), for kind found its kind (כִּי מָצָא מִין אֶת מִינוֹ), Chokhmah and Binah which are from the Ketarim (חָכְמָה וּבִינָה שֶׁהֵם מִן הַכְּתָרִים), and they attached themselves to the Reshimu [Impression] of the Ketarim (וְנִדְבְּקוּ בָּרְשִׁימוּ שֶׁל הַכְּתָרִים), to make vessels of Mochin for Ze’ir Anpin (לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּלֵי מוֹחִין לְז״א).