Chapter 13

The Secret of the Completion

פרק יג סוד הגמירה

And know that what the verse says, “And Hashem Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept” (Bereshit 2), the matter is as follows (וְדַע כִּי מַה שֶּׁאָמַר הַפָּסוּק וַיַּפֵּל ה׳ אֱלֹהִים תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל הָאָדָם וַיִּישָׁן הָעִנְיָן כִּי), that the Mochin [Intellects] that come to Ze’ir Anpin withdraw from him and enter the Nukvah, which are the Netzach, Hod, Yesod of Yisrael-Saba and Tevunah together with the Mochin [Intellects] within them, and they withdraw from Ze’ir Anpin and enter her not by way of Ze’ir Anpin as at first (הַמּוֹחִין הַבָּאִים לְז״א מִסְתַּלְּקִין מִמֶּנּוּ וְנִכְנָסִין בַּנּוּקְבָא שֶׁהֵם נֵה״י דְּיִשְׂסו״ת וּתְבוּנָה עִם הַמּוֹחִין שֶׁבָּהֶם וְהֵם מִסְתַּלְּקִין מִז״א וְנִכְנָסִין בָּהּ שֶׁלֹּא עַל־יְדֵי ז״א כְּבַתְּחִלָּה). And this is the secret of “and Hashem Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man,” literally (וְזֶ״ס וַיַּפֵּל ה׳ אֱלֹהִים תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל הָאָדָם מַמָּשׁ), and then Leah is included within Rachel, for Leah emerged from behind the head of Ze’ir Anpin, as is known, and now that the Mochin [Intellects] depart from Ze’ir Anpin and enter Rachel, she ascends upward to the head of Ze’ir Anpin, and then Leah is included within her (וְאָז לֵאָה נִכְלֶלֶת בְּרָחֵל לְפִי שֶׁלֵּאָה יָצְאָה אֲחוֹרֵי רֵישָׁא דְּז״א כַּנּוֹדָע וְעַתָּה שֶׁהַמּוֹחִין יוֹצְאִין מִז״א וְנִכְנָסִין בְּרָחֵל הָעוֹלָה עַד לְמַעְלָה בְּרֵישָׁא דְּז״א וְאָז נִכְלֶלֶת בָּהּ לֵאָה).

And if you will say: if so, since the Mochin [Intellects] have withdrawn from Ze’ir Anpin and have been given to the Nukvah, how can he now unite with her? (וְאִם תֹּאמַר אִם כֵּן כֵּיוָן שֶׁהַמּוֹחִין נִסְתַּלְּקוּ מִז״א וְנִתְּנוּ לַנּוּקְבָא אִם כֵּן הֵיאַךְ יָכוֹל עַתָּה לְהִזְדַּוֵּג עִמָּהּ). The matter is that through the Dormita, Ze’ir Anpin receives new Mochin [Intellects], more exalted, from Abba and Imma, and the Zivug [Union] is then more sublime, since he has Mochin [Intellects] from above (וְהָעִנְיָן הוּא כִּי עַל־יְדֵי הַדּוֹרְמִיטָא מְקַבֵּל ז״א מוֹחִין חֲדָשִׁים יוֹתֵר מְעוּלִים מֵאו״א וְהַזִּוּוּג הוּא אָז יוֹתֵר עֶלְיוֹן בִּהְיוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מוֹחִין מִלְמַעְלָה). And this is what Scripture says, “And He took one of his sides” (Bereshit 2), meaning that He sawed (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו פֵּרוּשׁ שֶׁנְּסָרוּ), and what it says, “and He brought her to the man,” is Ze’ir Anpin (וּמַה שֶּׁאָמַר וַיְבִאֶהָ אֶל הָאָדָם הוּא ז״א), for at first, when she was behind Ze’ir Anpin, she would nurse from him, and then all her Kelim [Vessels] were made through the light of Ze’ir Anpin that went out backward (שֶׁבַּתְּחִלָּה בִּהְיוֹתָהּ אֲחוֹרֵי ז״א הִיא יוֹנֶקֶת מִמֶּנּוּ וְאָז נַעֲשִׂין כָּל הַכֵּלִים שֶׁלָּהּ כֻּלָּם עַל־יְדֵי הָאוֹר שֶׁל ז״א הַיּוֹצֵא לָאָחוֹר).

And now Hashem Elohim, which is Abba and Imma, took her Kelim [Vessels] that were behind and made her a complete Partzuf like Ze’ir Anpin (וְעַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהִים שֶׁהוּא או״א לָקְחוּ הַכֵּלִים שֶׁלָּהּ שֶׁהָיוּ מֵאָחוֹר וַעֲשָׂאוּהָ פַּרְצוּף שָׁלֵם כְּמוֹ הַז״א), and afterward, “and He brought her to the man,” face to face (וְאַחַ״כ וַיְבִאֶהָ אֶל הָאָדָם פָּנִים בְּפָנִים). And when Adam HaRishon sinned, she returned to behind Ze’ir Anpin (וּכְשֶׁחָטָא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן חָזְרָה לַאֲחוֹרֵי ז״א). And also now, after the destruction, she is behind Ze’ir Anpin all the days of the weekday, except for Shabbat, when she ascends face to face (גַּם עַתָּה אַחַר הַחֻרְבָּן הִיא בָּאֲחוֹר ז״א כָּל יְמֵי הַחוֹל חוּץ מִשַּׁבָּת שֶׁאָז עוֹלָה פָּנִים בְּפָנִים). But through our prayers we return her to face to face from the chest and below, and even on weekdays, in the mystery of “a King who helps and saves and shields,” as explained (אַךְ עַל־יְדֵי תְּפִלּוֹתֵינוּ אָנוּ מַחֲזִירִין אוֹתָהּ פָּנִים בְּפָנִים מֵהֶחָזֶה וּלְמַטָּה וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּחוֹל בְּסוֹד מֶלֶךְ עוֹזֵר וּמוֹשִׁיעַ וּמָגֵן כַּמְּבוֹאָר). And after the prayer she returns to the back as at first (וְאַחַר הַתְּפִלָּה חוֹזֶרֶת לָאָחוֹר כְּבַתְּחִלָּה), therefore the early pious ones would wait one hour before the prayer and after the prayer, and one hour in prayer, in order to delay the illumination of face to face after the prayer, so that she would not immediately return after the prayer to the back of Ze’ir Anpin (לָכֵן חֲסִידִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הָיוּ שׁוֹהִין שָׁעָה אַחַת קֹדֶם הַתְּפִלָּה וְאַחַר הַתְּפִלָּה וְשָׁעָה בַּתְּפִלָּה כְּדֵי לְעַכֵּב הָאָרַת פָּנִים בְּפָנִים אַחַר הַתְּפִלָּה וְלֹא תַחֲזוֹר תֵּכֶף אַחַר הַתְּפִלָּה לַאֲחוֹר ז״א).

And know that just as Leah is included within Rachel, as explained above, so above, in the Zivug [Union] of Chokhmah–Binah, the Tevunah is included with the Binah (וְדַע כִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁלֵאָה נִכְלֶלֶת בְּרָחֵל כַּנַּ״ל כָּךְ לְמַעְלָה בְּזוּוּג חו״ב נִכְלָל הַתְּבוּנָה עִם הַבִּינָה). And the reason that these aspects are included, even though each one is a Partzuf unto itself, is because Binah and Rachel are two essential Sefirot of the ten Sefirot of Atzilut, but Tevunah and Leah are only illuminations that extend from Binah alone, and therefore they can be included with the essential point of the ten Sefirot (וְטַעַם שֶׁנִּכְלְלוּ אֵלּוּ הַבְּחִינוֹת עִם הֱיוֹתָם כָּל אֶחָד פַּרְצוּף בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ הַטַּעַם הוּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבִּינָה וְרָחֵל הֵם ב׳ סְפִירוֹת עַצְמִיּוֹת שֶׁל י״ס דַּאֲצִילוּת אַךְ תְּבוּנָה וְלֵאָה אֵינָן רַק הָאָרוֹת הַנִּמְשָׁכוֹת מִבִּינָה לְבַד וְלָכֵן יְכוֹלוֹת לְהִכָּלֵל עִם הַנְּקוּדָּה הָעַצְמִית שֶׁל י״ס). And know that just as the Tzelem [Image] of Imma enters within Ze’ir Anpin, so the Tzelem [Image] of Abba enters within Ze’ir Anpin (וְדַע כִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּכְנָס צֶלֶם דְּאִמָּא תּוֹךְ הַז״א כָּךְ נִכְנָס צֶלֶם דְּאַבָּא בְּז״א). And just as from the Malkhut of Tevunah Leah is made, as explained above, so from the Malkhut of Abba there is made the aspect called Tzipporah, the wife of Moses, which is the Yesod of Abba, and this is from the side of the Tzelem [Image] of Mochin [Intellects] of Gadlut [Greatness] (וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמִן הַמַלְכוּת דְּתְבוּנָה נַעֲשֵׂית לֵאָה כַּנַּ״ל כָּךְ מִמַלְכוּת דְּאַבָּא נַעֲשֵׂית בְּחִינָה הַנִּקְרֵאת צִפּוֹרָה אֵשֶׁת מֹשֶׁה שֶׁהִיא יְסוֹד דְּאַבָּא וְזֶה מִצַּד צֶלֶם דְּמוֹחִין דְּגַדְלוּת).

And behold, there is also a Tzelem [Image] of Mochin [Intellects] of Katnut [Smallness] of Abba, and a Tzelem [Image] of Katnut [Smallness] of Imma (וְהִנֵּה גַּם כֵּן יֵשׁ צֶלֶם דְּמוֹחִין דְּקַטְנוּת דְּאַבָּא וְצֶלֶם דְּקַטְנוּת אִמָּא), and from the Malkhut of Imma of Katnut [Smallness] there emerged Timna, the concubine of Eliphaz, and from the Malkhut of Abba there emerged the Cushite woman, the wife of Moses, as explained in the words concerning Moses, that Moses went and reigned over Cush for forty years and married the wife of the Cushite king, and he placed a sword between himself and her and did not touch her (וּמִמַלְכוּת דְּאִמָּא דְּקַטְנוּת יָצְאָה מִמֶּנָּה תִּמְנַע פִּילֶגֶשׁ אֱלִיפַז וּמִמַלְכוּת דְּאַבָּא יָצְאָה כּוּשִׁית אֵשֶׁת מֹשֶׁה כַּמְּבוֹאָר בְּדִבְרֵי הַכֹּל שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה שֶׁמֹשֶׁה הָלַךְ וּמָלַךְ עַל כּוּשׁ מ׳ שָׁנָה וְנָשָׂא אֵשֶׁת הַמֶּלֶךְ הַכּוּשִׁי וְנָעַץ חֶרֶב בֵּינוֹ לְבֵינָהּ וְלֹא נָגַע בָּהּ). And likewise Timna came to attach herself to Ya'akov so that he would marry her, and he did not want her, and Joseph also took Asenath the daughter of Potiphera, and did not want to lie with the wife of Potiphar, who is called Potipher, chief of the executioners (וְכֵן תִּמְנַע בָּאתָה לְהִתְחַלוֹת לְיַעֲקֹב שֶׁיִּשָּׂאֶנָּה וְלֹא רָצָה גַּם יוֹסֵף לָקַח אָסְנַת בַּת פּוֹטִיפֶרַע וְלֹא רָצָה לִשְׁכַּב עִם אֵשֶׁת פּוֹטִיפַר הַנִּקְרָא פּוֹטִיפֶר שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים). And the reason is that each one of these mentioned above repelled the judgments (וְהַטַּעַם שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מֵאֵלּוּ הַנַּ״ל דָּחוּ אֶת הַדִּינִין).

And the matter is (וְהָעִנְיָן), that there are three Mochin [Intellects] of Katnut [Smallness] from the side of Abba (כִּי יֵשׁ ג׳ מוֹחִין דְּקַטְנוּת מִצַּד אַבָּא), and they are three Elohim (וְהֵם ג׳ אֱלֹהִים), and three Mochin [Intellects] from the side of Imma (וְג׳ מוֹחִין מִצַּד אִמָּא), and they are called “the sons of Elohim” (וְנִקְרָא בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים), for within Elohim there is simple, and filling, and filling of filling (כִּי יֵשׁ בֶּאֱלֹהִים פָּשׁוּט וּמִלּוּי וּמִלּוּי דְּמִלּוּי), amounting to fifty-two letters (ב״ן אוֹתִיּוֹת), and this is the secret of “and the sons of Elohim came” (וְזֶ״ס וַיָּבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים) (Bereshit 6). And these three Elohim descend to the throat (וְג׳ אֱלֹהִים אֵלּוּ יוֹרְדִין לַגָּרוֹן), and they equal the gematria of “throat” [with the kolel] (וְהֵם גִּימַטְרִיָּא גָּרוֹן), and they also equal the gematria of Naḥar [parched] (וְגַם הֵם גִּימַטְרִיָּא נַח״ר), and this is “my throat is parched” (וְזֶהוּ נַח״ר גְּרוֹנִי), which extends from these judgments that are there (הַנִּמְשָׁךְ מִן הַדִּינִין אֵלּוּ אֲשֶׁר שָׁם), and this is “and he went to Ḥaran” (וְזֶהוּ וַיֵּלֶךְ חָרָנָה), Ḥaran with a Heh (חָרָן ה׳). And this is the secret of this Heh (וְזֶ״ס ה׳ זוֹ), for behold there are three hundred and twenty judgments (כִּי הֲלֹא ש״ךְ דִּינִין הֵם), and they are the secret of the thirty-two paths of Chokhmah (וְהֵם סוֹד ל״ב נְתִיבוֹת חָכְמָה), each one included of ten (כָּל אֶחָד כָּלוּל מִי׳), making the gematria three hundred and twenty (גִּימַטְרִיָּא ש״ךְ), and adding the Heh they are three hundred and twenty-five judgments (וְעוֹד ה׳ הֵם שׁכ״ה דִּינִין), for from these five there came all (כִּי מִן ה׳ אֵלּוּ מִשָּׁם בָּאוּ כָּל), some say: the sweetening of all (נ״א מִתּוּק לְכָל), these judgments (אֵלּוּ הַדִּינִין).

And the intention of this Heh is the five Alefin of Adonai (וְכַוָּנַת ה׳ זוֹ הֵם ה׳ אַלְפִּין שֶׁל אֲדֹנָי), and this is the secret of “lad, maiden” (וְזֶ״ס נַעַר נַעֲרָה), three hundred and twenty, three hundred and twenty-five, and with the kolel (ש״ךְ שׁכ״ה וְע״ה), whose gematria is Cush (גִּימַטְרִיָּא כּוּשׁ). And this is the secret of the Cushite woman whom Moses rejected (וְזֶ״ס הַכּוּשִׁית שֶׁדָּחָה אוֹתָהּ מֹשֶׁה), for she is judgments (כִּי הִיא דִּינִין), and Ya'akov rejected Timna (וְיַעֲקֹב דָּחָה תִּמְנַע), for all the judgments and Gevurot of Katnut [Smallness] were in her (כִּי כָּל הַדִּינִין וְגְבוּרוֹת דְּקַטְנוּת הָיוּ בָּהּ), for twice MNTZPKH equals the gematria of Timna (כִּי ב׳ פְּעָמִים מַנְצַפַּ״ךְ גִּימַטְרִיָּא תִּמְנַע). And Joseph also rejected Potiphar (וְגַם יוֹסֵף דָּחָה פּוֹטִיפַר), for Potiphera is judgments (שֶׁהוּא דִּינִין פּוֹטִיפֶרַע), whose gematria is four hundred and fifty-five (גִּימַטְרִיָּא תַּנ״ה), which are the secret of the back-sides of all of A״B, S״G, M״H, B״N (שֶׁהֵם סוֹד אֲחוֹרַיִם כּוּלָּם דְּע״ב ס״ג מ״ה ב״ן), some say: they are the gematria of three filled Ehyeh, and they are judgments (נ״ל ע״ד ח׳ שֶׁהֵם גִּימַטְרִיָּא ג׳ אֶהְיֶ״ה מְלֵאִים וְהֵם דִּינִין).

However, I, the writer, found another version (אָֽמְנָם אֲנִי הַכּוֹתֵב מָצָאתִי נ״א), and it is written there also the back-sides of A״B S״G M״H B״N (וְכָתוּב בָּהּ גַּם כֵּן עַסְמַ״ב אֲחוֹרִיֵּיהֶם), and he further wrote: remove the root of the Names (וְעוֹד כָּתַב תָּסִיר שֹׁרֶשׁ שֶׁל הַשֵּׁמוֹת). And in my humble opinion it is thus (וְנִרְאֶה לִי דַּעְתִּי שֶׁהוּא כָּךְ): the back of A״B is 184 remove A״B which is the root of the Name, and 112 remains (כִּי אֲחוֹרֵי ע״ב הוּא דפ״ק תָּסִיר ע״ב שֶׁהוּא שֹׁרֶשׁ לַשֵּׁם נִשְׁאַר קי״ב), and likewise one hundred and thirty of M״H, remove M״H, and eighty-five remains (וְכֵן ק״ל דְּמ״ה תָּסִיר מ״ה נִשְׁאַר פ״ה), and likewise the back of B״N, 144 , remove B״N, and ninety-two remains (וְכֵן אֲחוֹר דְּב״ן קֶדֶ״ם תָּסִיר ב״ן נִשְׁאַר צ״ב), and likewise the back of S״G, one hundred and sixty-six, remove S״G, and one hundred and three remains (וְכֵן אֲחוֹר ס״ג קַס״ו תָּסִיר ס״ג נִשְׁאַר ק״ג).

Behold, in all of them we have done only Y-H-V in the back-sides (הֲרֵי לְכֻלָּם לֹא עָשִׂינוּ אֶלָּא י״ה״ו לְבַד בָּאֲחוֹרַיִם), but the Aron, which is Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh, we removed, for it is the root (אֲבָל הָאָרוֹן שֶׁהוּא יו״ד ה״י ו״יו ה״י חִסַּרְנוּ אוֹתוֹ שֶׁהוּא שֹׁרֶשׁ), therefore the four backs of Y-H-V in four fillings equal three hundred and ninety-two (עַל כֵּן ד׳ אֲחוֹרֵי י״ה״ו בְּד׳ מִלּוּאִים גִּימַטְרִיָּא שצ״ב), It lacks sixty-three to reach 455 (חָסֵר לְתנ״ה ס״ג). And these four back-sides, when filled, are sixty-three letters (וְהֵם אֵלּוּ ד׳ אֲחוֹרַיִם יִהְיוּ בְּמִלּוּי הֵם ס״ג אוֹתִיּוֹת), examine and you will find (וְדוֹק וְתִשְׁכַּח), thus four hundred and fifty-five in the back-sides of the four Names, which are judgments (הֲרֵי תַּנ״ה בָּאֲחוֹרַיִם ד׳ שֵׁמוֹת שֶׁהֵם דִּינִין). But he took Asenath, his daughter (אַךְ לָקַח אֶת אָסְנַת בִּתּוֹ), who is the back of Leah (שֶׁהִיא אֲחוֹר לֵאָה), meaning: expansion downward is called Asenath (פֵּרוּשׁ הִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת לְמַטָּה נִקְרָא אָסְנַת), and he rejected the wife of Potiphar (וְדָחָה אֵשֶׁת פּוֹטִיפַר), who was the back of Timna, harsh judgments (שֶׁהָיְתָה אֲחוֹר תִּמְנַע דִּינִין קָשִׁין). Thus far (עַד כָּאן), concluded (סָלִיק).