Chapter Three (פֶּרֶק שְׁלִישִׁי)

Because this Gulgalta [Skull] of the Reisha DeEin [Head of Nothingness], which hovers above the head of Arich Anpin as we have said, is revealed (לִהְיוֹת שֶׁהַגֻּלְגַּלְתָּא הַזֹּאת שֶׁל רֵישָׁא דְאֵין הַחוֹפֶפֶת עַל רֹאשׁ אֲרִיךְ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ, הוּא מְגֻלֶּה), and Arich Anpin does not clothe it (וְאֵינוֹ מַלְבִּישׁוֹ אֲרִיךְ), therefore it is called Reisha [Head] (לָזֶה הוּא נִקְרָא רֵישָׁא), and Arich Anpin begins to clothe it from the lower two-thirds of its Keter (וַאֲרִיךְ מַתְחִיל לְהַלְבִּישׁוֹ מִשְּׁנֵי שְׁלִישֵׁי כִתְרוֹ הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים שֶׁלּוֹ), namely Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut (דְּהַיְינוּ חג״ת נהי״ם), which are sufficient for the Keter of Arich Anpin (מַסְפִּיקִים לְכִתְרוֹ שֶׁל אֲרִיךְ). For every Partzuf that is higher and above its fellow (כִּי כָּל פַּרְצוּף שֶׁהוּא יוֹתֵר גָּבוֹהַּ וּלְמַעְלָה מֵחֲבֵירוֹ), its Sefirot are much greater (סְפִירוֹתָיו יוֹתֵר גְּדוֹלוֹת מְאֹד), and the further they extend downward, the smaller they become (וְכָל מַה שֶּׁמִּתְפַּשְּׁטִים לְמַטָּה, הֵם יוֹתֵר קְטַנִּים), and this introduction is of great necessity to this wisdom (וְהַהַקְדָּמָה הַזֹּאת הִיא צֹרֶךְ גָּדוֹל אֶל הַחָכְמָה הַזֹּאת). And from that point downward (וּמִמֶּנּוּ וּלְמַטָּה), the Sefirot [Emanations] of the two companions, the Reisha DeEin [Head of Nothingness] and Arich Anpin, are equal (הַסְּפִירוֹת שֶׁל שְׁנֵי חֲבֵרִים שֶׁל אֵין וַאֲרִיךְ הֵם שָׁוִים), and from there onward they diminish at the beginning of their stature (וּמִשָּׁם וָאֵילָךְ מִתְמַעֲטִים בְּהַתְחָלַת קוֹמָתָם), for the feet of all of them are equal until the end of Atzilut (כִּי רַגְלֵי כּוּלָּם שָׁוִים עַד סוֹף הָאֲצִילוּת), except for Adam Kadmon (מִלְּבַד אָדָם קַדְמוֹן), who reaches to the end of all the worlds together (שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ עַד סוֹף כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת יַחַד), but in their heads they are separated, as I have explained (אַךְ בְּרָאשֵׁיהֶם יִתְפָּרְדוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר בֵּאַרְתִּי).

And I, Naftali, son of my master, my father, the pious Rabbi Yaakov Elchanan, of blessed and saintly memory (וַאֲנִי נַפְתָּלִי בֶּן לַאדוֹנִי אָבִי הֶחָסִיד מוהר״ר יַעֲקֹב אֶלְחָנָן זלה״ה), prepared in my poverty these secrets (הֲכִינוֹתִי בְעָנְיִי אֶת הַסּוֹדוֹת הָאֵלֶּה), with great toil and awesome seclusion (בְּטִרְחָא גְדוֹלָה וּבְהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת נוֹרָאָה), for not all times are fit, prepared, and worthy (אֲשֶׁר לָאו כָּל הָעִתִּים מְסֻגָּלִים וּמְזוּמָנִים וּרְאוּיִים), to draw influx from the supernal pool (לִשְׁאֹב שֶׁפַע מֵהַבְּרֵיכָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה), with joy from the fountains of salvation (בְּשָׂשׂוֹן מִמַּעַיְנֵי הַיְשׁוּעָה). For they are a firmly fastened peg (לִהְיוֹתָם יָתֵד תָּקוּעַ), from it a stone, from it a cornerstone (מִמֶּנָּה אֶבֶן, מִמֶּנָּה פִּנָּה), for the chapter headings and introductions required for this wisdom (אֶל רָאשֵׁי הַפְּרָקִים וְהַהַקְדָּמוֹת הַצְּרִיכִים אֶל הַחָכְמָה הַזֹּאת), which are greatly needed by the student beginning to learn the wisdom of the Ari, of blessed and saintly memory (הַצְּרִיכִים מְאֹד אֶל הַמְעַיֵּן הַמַּתְחִיל לִלְמוֹד בְּחָכְמַת הָאֲרִ״י זלה״ה), and they are in essence the entrance and the gate to Hashem (וְהֵם בְּעֶצֶם הַמָּבוֹא וְהַשַּׁעַר לַי־יָ), “the righteous shall enter through it” (צַדִּיקִים יָבֹאוּ בוֹ) (Psalms 118:20). To the Zohar (אֶל הַזֹּהַר), which is exceedingly concealed and sealed (שֶׁהוּא סָתוּם וְחָתוּם מְאֹד), one word containing many booklets of explanation (מִלָּה אַחַת כּוֹלֶלֶת כַּמָּה קוּנְטְרֵסִים פֵּרוּשׁ). And it does not proceed by explaining the order of the worlds (וְאֵינוֹ הוֹלֵךְ וּמְפָרֵשׁ סֵדֶר הָעוֹלָמוֹת), but rather reveals the secrets of the Torah portions intermittently and not in sequence (אֶלָּא מְגַלֶּה סוֹדוֹת פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה סֵרוּגִין שֶׁלֹּא כְסֵדֶר), one verse speaking of the first world (פָּסוּק זֶה מְדַבֵּר בָּעוֹלָם רִאשׁוֹן), and the verse following it speaking of the lower world (וּפָסוּק שֶׁלְּאַחֲרָיו מְדַבֵּר בָּעוֹלָם הַתַּחְתּוֹן), while skipping all the worlds in between (וּמְדַלֵּג כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת בֵּינְתַּיִם), as is known that the Torah is not written in sequence (כַּנּוֹדָע שֶׁאֵין הַתּוֹרָה כְּתוּבָה כְסִדְרָהּ). And had it been written in sequence (וְאִלּוּ הָיְתָה כְּתוּבָה כְסִדְרָהּ), a person could revive the dead through it (הָיָה אָדָם יָכוֹל לְהַחֲיוֹת בָּהּ אֶת הַמֵּתִים). And concerning these secrets it is said, “And the righteous shall walk in them, but transgressors shall stumble in them” (וְעַל אֵלּוּ הַסּוֹדוֹת נֶאֱמַר וְצַדִּיקִים יֵלְכוּ בָם וּפוֹשְׁעִים יִכָּשְׁלוּ בָם) (Hosea 14:10). Yet in every case, “The ways of Hashem are upright” (וְעַל כָּל פָּנִים יְשָׁרִים דַּרְכֵי ה) (Hosea 14:10).