Chapter 10

Discourse on Yaakov and Moshe from the Yesod of Abba

פרק י דרוש יעקב ומשה מיסוד דאבא

And behold, just as we explained above that there is a Tzelem [Image] of Imma, and the two letters Lamed–Mem upon the head of Ze’ir Anpin (וְהִנֵּה כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ לְעֵיל שֶׁיֵּשׁ צֶלֶם דְּאִמָּא וּב׳ אוֹתִיּוֹת ל״ם לְרֹאשׁוֹ דְּז״א), so too there is the aspect of the Tzelem [Image] of Abba upon the head of Ze’ir Anpin (כָּךְ יֵשׁ בְּחִינַת צֶלֶם אַבָּא עַל רֹאשׁ ז״א). And they are the secret of Chokhmah and Binah and the two crowns (וְהֵם סוֹד חו״ב וּב׳ עַטְרִין), which are clothed within the Netzach, Hod, Yesod of Abba (הַמִּתְלַבְּשִׁים בְּנֵה״י דְּאַבָּא), and from them is made the aspect of a Tzelem [Image], exactly like Imma (וְנַעֲשֶׂה מֵהֶם בְּחִינַת צֶלֶם דֻּגְמַת אִמָּא מַמָּשׁ). And afterward the Netzach, Hod, Yesod of Abba clothe themselves within the Netzach, Hod, Yesod of Imma in this manner (וְאַחַר כָּךְ מִתְלַבְּשִׁים נֵה״י דְּאַבָּא תּוֹךְ נֵה״י דְּאִמָּא בְּאוֹפֶן זֶה): the Binah of Chokhmah clothes itself within the Netzach of Imma (כִּי בִּינָה דְּחָכְמָה מִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בְּנֵצַח אִמָּא), and the Binah of Imma within the Hod of Imma (וּבִּינָה דְּאִמָּא בְּהוֹד אִמָּא).

It is thus found that there are two Binot (נִמְצָא שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם ב׳ בִּינוֹת), and this is the secret of “for it is not a people of understanding” (וְזֶה סוֹד כִּי לֹא עַם בִּינוֹת הוּא). And the Chokhmah of Imma is within the Hod of Abba (וְחָכְמָה דְּאִמָּא תּוֹךְ הוֹד אַבָּא), and the Chokhmah of Abba within the Netzach of Abba (וְחָכְמָה דְּאַבָּא תּוֹךְ נֵצַח אַבָּא), and they are two Chokhmot (וְהֵם ב׳ חָכְמוֹת), and this is the secret of “wisdoms cry aloud outside” (וְזֶה סוֹד חָכְמוֹת בַּחוּץ תָּרֹנָּה). And the Five Gevurot of Abba are the Chesedim of Imma (וְהַה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת דְּאַבָּא הֵם הַחֲסָדִים דְּאִמָּא), and the Five Gevurot of Imma enter the Yesod of Imma (וְהַה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת דְּאִמָּא נִכְנָסִׁין בִּיסוֹד אִמָּא). And the Five Chesedim of Abba, from his Chesedim, and the Five Chesedim of Imma—which become the Gevurot of Abba—enter the Yesod of Abba (וְהַה׳ חֲסָדִים דְּאַבָּא מִן הַחֲסָדִים שֶׁלּוֹ וְהַה׳ חֲסָדִים דְּאִמָּא הַנַּעֲשִׂים גְּבוּרוֹת דְּאַבָּא נִכְנָסִׁין בִּיסוֹד אַבָּא).

And they too are two Daat (וְהֵם גַּם כֵּן ב׳ דֵּעוֹת), for “El is a God of knowledges” (כִּי אֵל דֵּעוֹת ה׳). And behold, the Netzach, Hod, Yesod of Abba clothe themselves within the Netzach, Hod, Yesod of Imma (וְהִנֵּה נֵה״י דְּאַבָּא מִתְלַבְּשִׁים בְּנֵה״י דְּאִמָּא). And behold, the Yesod of Abba is masculine and is long, while the Yesod of Imma is feminine and is short (וְהִנֵּה הַיְסוֹד דְּאַבָּא הוּא דּוּכְרָא וְהוּא אָרוֹךְ וִיסוֹד דְּאִמָּא הוּא נוּקְבָא וְהוּא קָצָר). Therefore, when the Yesod of Abba is clothed within the Yesod of Imma, it is found that since the measure of the Yesod of Imma is the measure of one third (לָכֵן כְּשֶׁמִּתְלַבֵּשׁ יְסוֹד אַבָּא בִּיסוֹד אִמָּא נִמְצָא כֵּיוָן שֶׁשִּׁעוּר יְסוֹד אִמָּא הוּא שִׁעוּר שְׁלִישׁ אֶחָד), the Yesod of Abba emerges outside the Yesod of Imma by the measure of two revealed thirds (אָז יוֹצֵא יְסוֹד אַבָּא חוּץ לִיסוֹד אִמָּא שִׁעוּר ב׳ שְׁלִישִׁים מְגוּלִּים). And the Yesod of Abba extends until the end of the Yesod of Ze’ir Anpin itself (וְנִמְשָׁךְ יְסוֹד אַבָּא עַד סוֹף יְסוֹד ז״א עַצְמוֹ). And this is the secret of “vanity of vanities” (וְזֶה סוֹד הֶבֶל הֲבָלִים), meaning the breath that includes two breaths (פֵּרוּשׁ הֶבֶל הַכּוֹלֵל ב׳ הֲבָלִים), for the breath that issues from the Yesod of Ze’ir Anpin is two breaths: one his own and one from the Yesod of Abba (כִּי הֶבֶל הַיּוֹצֵא מִיְסוֹד דְּז״א הֵם ב׳ הֲבָלִים א׳ שֶׁלּוֹ וְא׳ שֶׁל יְסוֹד אַבָּא).

And behold, from the great light of the Chesedim within the Yesod of Abba, which is clothed within the Tiferet of Ze’ir Anpin (וְהִנֵּה מִן הָאוֹר הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁל הַחֲסָדִים שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ יְסוֹד אַבָּא הַמִּתְלַבֵּשׁ תּוֹךְ הַת״ת דְּז״א), and which is revealed light (וְהוּא אוֹר מְגוּלֶּה), the light breaks through and emerges outward to the belly of Ze’ir Anpin from the front side of Ze’ir Anpin (בּוֹקֵעַ וְיוֹצֵא הָאוֹר לַחוּץ לְבֶטֶן ז״א מִצַּד פָּנִים דְּז״א). And there Ya‘akov is formed, the term “Ya‘akov” meaning the bursting of light (וְשָׁם נַעֲשָׂה יַעֲקֹב לְשׁוֹן בְּקִיעַת אוֹר), in the secret of “then your light shall burst forth like the dawn” (בְּסוֹד אָז יִבָּקַע כַּשַּׁחַר אוֹרֶךָ), and this is the letters of “Ya‘akov” (וְזֶהוּ אוֹתִיּוֹת יַעֲקֹב). And this is “and as he came out, Ya‘akov came out” (וְזֶהוּ אַךְ יָצָא יָצָא יַעֲקֹב), for there are two emergences and two burstings for Ya‘akov (כִּי ב׳ יְצִיאוֹת וּב׳ בְּקִיעוֹת יֵשׁ לְיַעֲקֹב): one is the light within the Yesod of Abba that breaks through the Yesod and emerges within Ze’ir Anpin (א׳ הוּא הָאוֹר שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ יְסוֹד אַבָּא שֶׁבּוֹקֵעַ הַיְסוֹד וְיוֹצֵא תּוֹךְ ז״א).

The second bursting is that the light returns to burst again (בְּקִיעָה ב׳ הוּא שֶׁחוֹזֵר הָאוֹר לִבְקוֹעַ), and it bursts forth from the belly of Ze’ir Anpin and goes out to the outside at the front of Ze’ir Anpin (וּבוֹקֵעַ מִבֶּטֶן ז״א וְיוֹצֵא לַחוּץ בִּפְנֵי ז״א), for the back of Ya‘akov is opposite the front of Ze’ir Anpin from the chest downward (כִּי אֲחוֹרָיו שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב נֶגֶד פְּנֵי הַז״א מִן הֶחָזֶה וּלְמַטָּה). And likewise in this manner Rachel emerged from behind Ze’ir Anpin, back-to-back, from the chest downward (וְכֵן עַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה יָצְאָה רָחֵל מֵאֲחוֹרֵי דְּז״א אָחוֹר בְּאָחוֹר מִן הֶחָזֶה וּלְמַטָּה), for there the Yesod of Imma is completed and her light goes out to the outside (כִּי שָׁם נִשְׁלַם יְסוֹד אִמָּא וְהָאוֹר שֶׁלָּהּ יוֹצֵא לַחוּץ).

And behold, there the Name M״H in its filling of Alef-letters is in Ze’ir Anpin (וְהִנֵּה שָׁם מ״ה מִלּוּי דְּאָלְפִין הוּא בְּז״א). And behold, the Alef that is in the filling of the letter Vav has its place there, in the middle third of the Tiferet of Ze’ir Anpin, beneath the chest (וְהִנֵּה א׳ שֶׁבְּמִלּוּי וָ״ו מְקוֹמָהּ שָׁם בִּשְׁלִישׁ אֶמְצָעִי שֶׁל ת״ת דְּז״א תַּחַת הֶחָזֶה). After the Yesod of Imma has ended there, this Alef is revealed (אַחַר שֶׁכָּלָה יְסוֹד אִמָּא אָז מִתְגַּלֶּה א׳ זוֹ), and it is the Name Ehyeh in the secret of “the blood of the human within the human,” as explained by us (וְהוּא אֶהְיֶה בְּסוֹד דַּם הָאָדָם בָּאָדָם כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ אֶצְלֵנוּ). And this Ehyeh, in the filling of Hehin, is the central line, as is known (וְאֶהְיֶה זוֹ בְּמִלּוּי הֶהִי״ן שֶׁהוּא קַו אֶמְצָעִי כַּנּוֹדָע), and its numerical value is one hundred fifty-one (וְהוּא גִּימַטְרִיָּא קנ״א), and with the inclusive count it is one hundred fifty-two (וְעִם הַכּוֹלֵל גִּימַטְרִיָּא קנ״ב). For there a perforation is made and the light goes out to the outside within Ze’ir Anpin, from within the Yesod of Imma (כִּי שָׁם נַעֲשֶׂה נֶקֶב וְיוֹצֵא אוֹר לַחוּץ תּוֹךְ ז״א מִתּוֹךְ יְסוֹד אִמָּא).

The explanation of this second point is that this Name of one hundred fifty-one, which with the inclusive count is one hundred fifty-two, pierces and causes the light to go out to the outside to Rachel, at the back of Ze’ir Anpin (פֵּרוּשׁ ב׳ כִּי שֵׁם זֶה שֶׁל קנ״א שֶׁהוּא גִּימַטְרִיָּא קנ״ב הוּא נוֹקֵב וְיוֹצֵא אוֹר לַחוּץ לְרָחֵל בְּאֲחוֹר ז״א), for there is her place and she is called the lower Heh (כִּי שָׁם מְקוֹמָהּ וְהִיא נִקְרֵאת ה׳ תַּתָּאָה). And then this perforation joins with the lower Heh and a female is formed at the back of Ze’ir Anpin (וְאָז נִתְחַבֵּר נֶקֶב זֶה עִם ה׳ תַּתָּאָה וְנַעֲשֵׂית נְקֵבָה בַּאֲחוֹרֵי ז״א). And one wall suffices for two only (וְכוֹתֶל אֶחָד יֵשׁ לִבְּנֵי ב׳ לְבַד), therefore she requires Nesirah [Separation] (לָכֵן צְרִיכָה נְסִירָה). This is not so with Ya‘akov, who has a wall of his own in addition to the wall of Ze’ir Anpin (מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּיַעֲקֹב שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ כּוֹתֶל לְבַדּוֹ חוּץ מִכּוֹתֶל הַז״א), and there is a separation between Ze’ir Anpin and Ya‘akov (וְיֵשׁ הֶפְסֵק בֵּין ז״א לְיַעֲקֹב). Thus the light of Abba that goes out to the outside of Ze’ir Anpin becomes Ya‘akov (בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁאוֹר אַבָּא הַיּוֹצֵא לַחוּץ לְז״א נַעֲשֶׂה יַעֲקֹב), but the illumination that comes out from the Yesod of Abba into the belly of Ze’ir Anpin on the inner side—this is the secret of Moshe (וְהָהֶאָרָה שֶׁהִיא יוֹצֵאת מִיְסוֹד אַבָּא תּוֹךְ בֶּטֶן ז״א בִּפְנִים זֶה סוֹד מֹשֶׁה). And this is what is said: “Moshe is inward, and Ya‘akov is outward” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ מֹשֶׁה מִלְּגָאו וְיַעֲקֹב מִלְּבַר).

And behold, there are five aspects to Moshe (וְהִנֵּה ה׳ בְּחִינוֹת יֵשׁ לְמֹשֶׁה). The first is within the Da‘at of Ze’ir Anpin itself, for there is the Yesod of Abba (א׳ הוּא בְּדַעַת דְּז״א עַצְמוֹ כִּי שָׁם יְסוֹד אַבָּא).

The second is in the covered upper third, for there there is a broader space between the arms, more than in the Da‘at, and then it is the second aspect where the Yesod of Abba spreads there (ב׳ בִּשְׁלִישׁ עֶלְיוֹן הַמְכוּסֶּה כִּי שָׁם יוֹתֵר מָקוֹם רָחָב בֵּין הַזְּרוֹעוֹת יוֹתֵר מִבַּדַּעַת וְאָז הוּא בְּחִינָה ב׳ שֶׁמִּתְפַּשֵּׁט שָׁם יְסוֹד דְּאַבָּא). And corresponding to this aspect it is said regarding Moshe, “And Moshe hid his face, for he feared to look” (וּכְנֶגֶד זוֹ הַבְּחִינָה נֶאֱמַר בְּמֹשֶׁה וַיִּסְתֵּר מֹשֶׁה פָּנָיו כִּי יָרֵא מֵהַבִּיט), meaning that there is an aspect of concealment and covering there (פֵּרוּשׁ כִּי שָׁם בְּחִינַת סֵתֶר וּמְכוּסֶּה).

The third aspect is in the middle third of the Tiferet after its exit from the Yesod of Imma (בְּחִינָה ג׳ בִּשְׁלִישׁ ת״ת הָאֶמְצָעִי אַחַר צֵאתוֹ מִיְסוֹד אִמָּא). And there was the prophecy of Moshe (וְשָׁם הָיְתָה נְבוּאַת מֹשֶׁה). And this is what is said in the Zohar, that the prophecy of Moshe is from the male, and the other prophets are from the female (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר בַּזֹּהַר כִּי נְבוּאַת מֹשֶׁה מִן דְּכוּרָא וּשְׁאָר הַנְּבִיאִים מִן נוּקְבָא), meaning that Moshe prophesies from the Yesod of Abba that is within Ze’ir Anpin, and the other prophets from the Yesod of Imma while they are within Ze’ir Anpin (פֵּרוּשׁ כִּי מֹשֶׁה מִתְנַבֵּא מִיְסוֹד אַבָּא שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ ז״א וּשְׁאָר הַנְּבִיאִים מִיְסוֹד אִמָּא בִּהְיוֹתָם תּוֹךְ ז״א).

The fourth aspect is when the Yesod of Abba reaches into the Yesod of Ze’ir Anpin, and then it is the aspect of Shet (בְּחִינָה ד׳ כְּשֶׁמַּגִּיעַ יְסוֹד אַבָּא תּוֹךְ יְסוֹד ז״א וְאָז הוּא בְּחִינַת שֵׁת). And this is the secret of “and the nakedness of Shet was uncovered” (וְזֶה סוֹד וְחֲשׂוּפֵי שֵׁת), meaning that it is Shet, the place of Yesod, when the foreskin is removed from the Yesod and it is revealed (פֵּרוּשׁ כִּי הוּא שֵׁת מְקוֹם הַיְסוֹד כְּשֶׁמְּסִירִין הָעָרְלָה מִן הַיְסוֹד שֶׁמִּתְגַּלֶּה), and the light that is there is added (וְנִתּוֹסֵף הָאוֹר אֲשֶׁר שָׁם). And this is “the nakedness of Shet” (וְזֶהוּ חֲשׂוּפֵי שֵׁת).

The fifth aspect is the breath that emerges from the Yesod of Abba outside the Yesod of Ze’ir Anpin, and there it is the aspect of Hevel (בְּחִינָה ה׳ הוּא הֶבֶל הַיּוֹצֵא מִיְסוֹד אַבָּא חוּץ לִיסוֹד ז״א וְשָׁם הוּא בְּחִינַת הֶבֶל). And this is the secret of Moshe as an acronym: “Moshe – Shet – Hevel” (וְזֶה סוֹד מֹשֶׁה רָאשֵׁי תֵבוֹת מֹשֶׁה שֵׁת הֶבֶל). And behold, Hevel sinned in that he gazed at the Shekhinah (וְהִנֵּה הֶבֶל חָטָא שֶׁהִבִּיט בַּשְּׁכִינָה), meaning that Hevel wanted to turn the light that emerges from the Yesod of Abba—which breaks through and goes out to Ya‘akov—toward the backsides in order to give it to Rachel, who is called the Shekhinah (פֵּרוּשׁ שֶׁהֶבֶל הָיָה רוֹצֶה שֶׁהָאוֹר הַיּוֹצֵא מִיְסוֹד אַבָּא וְהוּא בּוֹקֵעַ וְיוֹצֵא לְיַעֲקֹב יַהְפְּכֶנּוּ לַאֲחוֹרַיִם לָתֵת לְרָחֵל הַנִּקְרֵאת שְׁכִינָה). And this is “he gazed at the Shekhinah,” meaning that he sought to illuminate and gaze upon the Shekhinah from that light that is destined for Ya‘akov (וְזֶהוּ הִצִּיץ בַּשְּׁכִינָה שֶׁרָצָה לְהָאִיר וּלְהַצִּיץ בַּשְּׁכִינָה מֵאוֹתוֹ הָאוֹר הַנּוֹגֵעַ לְיַעֲקֹב).