Chapter Thirty-Two (פֶּרֶק שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁנַיִם)

And the intention of his statement, “and they shall be coupled together below” (וְכוֹוָנַת אוֹמְרוֹ וְהָיוּ תוֹאֲמִים מִלְּמַטָּה), is the difference between “coupled together” and “perfect” (הַהֶבְדֵּל שֶׁבֵּין תוֹאֲמִים לְתַמִּים). “Coupled together” means (תוֹאֲמִים הוּא) that they are not perfect of themselves (שֶׁאֵינָם תַמִּים מֵעַצְמָם), but rather are coupled at times (אֶלָּא מוּתְאֲמִים לִפְעָמִים), and so too Ze’ir Anpin and his Nukvah (וְכֵן זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), at times they are united (לִפְעָמִים מִתְיַחֲדִים) and at times they are not united (וְלִפְעָמִים אֵינָם מִתְיַחֲדִים). But Abba and Imma are perfect (אֲבָל אַבָּא וְאִמָּא הֵם תַמִּים), companions forever (רֵעִים לְעוֹלָם), for “as one they emerge, as one they abide, and they never separate” (כִּי כַּחֲדָא נָפְקִין כַּחֲדָא שָׁרְיָין וְלָא מִתְפָּרְשִׁין לְעָלְמִין) (Zohar, Shemot 11b), for they are upon his head (שֶׁהֵם עַל רֹאשׁוֹ). And Abba and Imma are at “the one ring” (וְאַבָּא וְאִמָּא הֵם אֶל הַטַּבַּעַת הָאַחַת), which is the great ring in the throat of Arich Anpin (הוּא הַטַּבַּעַת הַגְּדוֹלָה שֶׁבַּגָּרוֹן שֶׁל אֲרִיךְ), which becomes a Keter for both of them (שֶׁהוּא נַעֲשֶׂה כֶּתֶר לִשְׁנֵיהֶם), and they extend until the navel (וּמַגִּיעִים עַד הַטַּבּוּר) when it is not the time of the zivug of Ze’ir Anpin (כְּשֶׁאֵין שְׁעַת זִוּוּג שֶׁל ז"א), and at the time when there is a zivug of Ze’ir Anpin (וּבִזְמַן שֶׁיֵּשׁ זִוּוּג שֶׁל ז"א), they extend until the feet of Arich Anpin (מַגִּיעִים עַד הָרַגְלַיִם שֶׁל אֲרִיךְ), as we have explained (כַּדְפִירַשְׁנוּ).

And I, Naftali, the author, wrote these introductions concerning the Partzufim that touch one another through enclothement (וַאֲנִי נַפְתָּלִי הַמְחַבֵּר כָּתַבְתִּי הַקְדָּמוֹת אֵלֶּה בַּפַּרְצוּפִין הַנּוֹגְעִים זֶה בָּזֶה בְּהִתְלַבְּשׁוּת), even though I have not yet written anything concerning the construction of Ze’ir Anpin and his Nukvah (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא כָתַבְתִּי עֲדַיִן מִבִּנְיַן זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ שׁוּם דָּבָר), because the words of this wisdom are like a flame bound to a burning coal (לִהְיוֹת שֶׁדִּבְרֵי הַחָכְמָה הַזֹּאת הֵם כְּשַׁלְהֶבֶת קְשׁוּרָה בְּגַחֶלֶת). And if I do not explain one Partzuf together with its fellow (וְאִם לֹא אֲבָאֵר פַּרְצוּף אֶחָד עִם חֲבֵרוֹ), it is impossible to delve deeply into it (אֵינוֹ בָּאֶפְשָׁרוּת לְהַעֲמִיק בּוֹ), as is known to the investigator who delves into this wisdom (כַּנּוֹדָע לַמְעַיֵּן הַמַּעֲמִיק בַּחָכְמָה הַזֹּאת), so that he should not err when reading the abbreviated books (שֶׁלֹּא יִטְעֶה בְּקָרְאוֹ הַסְּפָרִים הַמְקַצְּרִים). And there is room for error in every secret (וְיֵשׁ מָקוֹם לִטְעוֹת בְּכָל סוֹד וָסוֹד), and the omissions are beyond estimation and recounting (וְהַדִּלּוּגִים אֵינָם לְשַׁעֵר וּלְסַפֵּר), and all the more so in a place where they write a matter in its opposite sense (וְעַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁכּוֹתְבִים דָּבָר בְּהִיפּוּכוֹ), for not all descended to the depth of its attainment (כִּי לֹא יָרְדוּ כֻּלָּם לְעוֹמֶק הַשָּׂגָתוֹ), and because of the brevity of expression in the secret of Ruach HaKodesh (וּלְקִצּוּר לְשׁוֹנוֹ בְּסוֹד רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ).

For example (כְּגוֹן), “their feet are all equal until the end of Atzilut” (רַגְלֵי כֻלָּם שָׁוִים עַד סוֹף הָאֲצִילוּת), and Atik Yomin, in the aspect of Makif, extends until the end of Asiyah (וְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין בִּבְחִינַת מַקִּיף הוּא עַד סוֹף הָעֲשִׂיָּה), the place where it returns to become Ein Sof (מָקוֹם שֶׁחוֹזֵר לִהְיוֹת אֵין סוֹף), and concerning Arich Anpin they wrote (וְאֲרִיךְ כָּתְבוּ עָלָיו), that because of this he is called Arich (שֶׁמִּפְּנֵי זֶה נִקְרָא אֲרִיךְ), since he is extended throughout all the worlds together (לְפִי שֶׁהוּא אָרוֹךְ בְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת יַחַד), but in truth he reaches only until the end of Atzilut (וּבֶאֱמֶת אֵינוֹ מַגִּיעַ כִּי אִם עַד סוֹף הָאֲצִילוּת). And one author says (וּמְחַבֵּר אֶחָד אוֹמֵר), that Ein [the Nothingness] extends until the end of Beri’ah (שֶׁאֵין הוֹלֵךְ עַד סוֹף הַבְּרִיאָה), and Lo Ityada [the Unknowable] is not enclothed except until the end of Atzilut (וְלָא־אתידע אֵינוֹ מְלוּבָּשׁ כִּי אִם עַד סוֹף הָאֲצִילוּת), and one who studies these books (וְהַמְעַיֵּן בַּסְּפָרִים אֵלּוּ), thinks that it is according to its simple meaning (סוֹבֵר שֶׁהוּא כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ), but the truth is not so (וְהָאֱמֶת אֵינוֹ כֵן). And similarly his statement (וּכְמוֹהוּ אוֹמְרוֹ), that Abba and Imma do not pass beyond the navel of Arich Anpin under any circumstances (שֶׁאַבָּא וְאִמָּא אֵינָם עוֹבְרִים טַבּוּר אֲרִיךְ בְּשׁוּם פָּנִים), and how can he say (וְהֵיאַךְ אוֹמֵר), “the feet of Abba and Imma are equal until the end of Atzilut” (רַגְלֵי אַבָּא וְאִמָּא שָׁוִים עַד סוֹף הָאֲצִילוּת). And they were not precise in the term Abba and Imma (וְלֹא דִּיְּקוּ בְּמִלַּת אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), that they do not pass beyond the navel of Arich Anpin under any circumstances (שֶׁאֵינָם עוֹבְרִים טַבּוּר אֲרִיךְ בְּשׁוּם פָּנִים), but Yisrael Saba and Tevunah (אֲבָל יִשְׂרָאֵל סָבָא וּתְבוּנָה), are their lower Partzufim (הֵם פַּרְצוּפֵיהֶם הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים), passing and clothing down to the feet (עוֹבְרִים וּמַלְבִּישִׁים עַד הָרַגְלַיִם).

To the extent that because of this (עַד שֶׁמִפְּנֵי זֶה), our teacher and master Rabbi Chaim [Vital] Kalifri"z of blessed memory wrote (כָּתַב מוֹרֵנוּ וְרַבֵּנוּ הָרַ״ר חַיִּים קְלִיפְרִי״ז זלה״ה), that there is no place to read in their books (שֶׁאֵין מָקוֹם לִקְרוֹא בְּסִפְרֵיהֶם), what they write concerning the essence of the wisdom (מַה שֶּׁהֵם כּוֹתְבִים מֵעֶצֶם הַחָכְמָה), for they gave, Heaven forbid, no place except for error (שֶׁלֹּא נָתְנוּ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם מָקוֹם אֶלָּא לִטְעוּת), and these are matters that destroy worlds (וְהֵמָּה עִנְיָנִים הַמַּחֲרִיבִים עוֹלָמוֹת), and if Hashem wills (וְאִם יִרְצֶה ה׳), I shall explain their statements that contradict one another (אֲפָרֵשׁ דִּבְרֵיהֶם הַסּוֹתְרִים זֶה אֶת זֶה), in a gate of its own (בְּשַׁעַר בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ). And in any event (וְעַל כָּל פָּנִים), the book Kanfei Yonah (סֵפֶר הַכַּנְפֵי יוֹנָה), is fine sifted flour (הוּא סֹלֶת נְקִיָּה), except only that it has no order (אַךְ וְרַק שֶׁאֵין לוֹ סֵדֶר), and skips many worlds (וּמְדַלֵּג כַּמָּה עוֹלָמוֹת), and it has no end, middle, or beginning (וְאֵין לוֹ סת״ר [ס׳וֹף ת׳וֹךְ ר׳אש]). And he stated wondrous secrets in brevity (וְאָמַר בְּקִצּוּר סוֹדוֹת נִפְלָאִים), which cannot be attained except through very great toil (שֶׁאֵין לְהַשִּׂיגָם כִּי אִם בְּטוֹרַח גָּדוֹל מְאֹוד).