Chapter 6

The Descent of Chesed and Gevurah

פרק ו ירידת החו״ג

And now we will explain the matter of the Chesedim and Gevurot, for they are the Five Chesedim and the Five Gevurot (וְעַתָּה נְבָאֵר עִנְיַן הַחו״ג כִּי הֵם ה׳ חֲסָדִים וְה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת), and this is what is written, “and through Da‘at the chambers are filled” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר וּבְדַעַת חֲדָרִים יִמָּלְאוּ), for they are ten (כִּי הֵם י׳). And the Five Chesedim that are within the Da‘at spread into the Five Chesedim that extend from the Chesed of Ze’ir Anpin until his Hod (וְה׳ חֲסָדִים שֶׁבַּדַּעַת מִתְפַּשְּׁטִים לְה׳ חֲסָדִים שֶׁהֵם מֵחֶסֶד דְּז״א עַד הוֹד שֶׁלּוֹ), and the Five Gevurot descend into the Yesod (וְה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת הֵם יוֹרְדִין בִּיסוֹד), and there they are deposited as a trust in order to give them to the Nukvah (וְשָׁם נִתָּנִין בְּפִקָּדוֹן לְתִתָּם לַנּוּקְבָא).

And this is the secret of “and the food shall be for deposit to the land” (וְזֶה סוֹד וְהָיָה הָאוֹכֶל לְפִקָּדוֹן לָאָרֶץ). And the division of the Chesedim is in this manner (וְחִלּוּק הַחֲסָדִים בְּאוֹפֶן זֶה הוּא): for three Chesedim are given to Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet (כִּי ג׳ חֲסָדִים נִתָּנִין לְחַג״ת), but the Chesed of Tiferet was not covered except for one third (אַךְ חֶסֶד שֶׁל ת״ת לֹא הָיָה מְכוּסֶּה כִּי אִם שְׁלִישׁ אֶחָד), unlike the arms, where the Chesedim within them are sealed and fully covered (מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בַּזְּרוֹעוֹת שֶׁהַחֲסָדִים שֶׁבָּהֶם סְתוּמִים וּמְכוּסִּים לְגַמְרֵי).

And likewise the two Chesedim of Netzach and Hod are entirely revealed (וְגַם ב׳ חֲסָדִים שֶׁל נֵ״ה כֻּלָּם מְגוּלִּים לְגַמְרֵי), for the Yesod of Imma, in which the Chesedim are covered, reaches only until the upper third of the Tiferet (כִּי יְסוֹד אִמָּא אֲשֶׁר הַחֲסָדִים מְכוּסִּים בְּתוֹכוֹ אֵינוֹ מַגִּיעַ אֶלָּא עַד שְׁלִישׁ עֶלְיוֹן שֶׁל ת״ת), and even until here it would not reach (וַאֲפִלּוּ עַד כָּאן לֹא הָיָה מַגִּיעַ), since it is the Yesod of the Nukvah and is very short (לְפִי שֶׁהוּא יְסוֹד הַנּוּקְבָא וְהוּא קָצָר מְאֹד). But nevertheless, when she bends herself and reaches until there (אַךְ עַל כָּל זֶה כְּשֶׁמַּרְכֶּנֶת עַצְמָהּ מַגִּיעָה עַד שָׁם), it is found that two Chesedim and one third are covered (נִמְצָא כִּי ב׳ חֲסָדִים וְשְׁלִישׁ אֶחָד מְכוּסִּים), and two Chesedim and two thirds are revealed (וּב׳ חֲסָדִים וּשְׁנֵי שְׁלִישִׁים הֵם מְגוּלִּים).

And therefore the two revealed Chesedim have light that is doubled compared to the covered ones (וְלָכֵן הָיוּ ב׳ הַחֲסָדִים הַמְגוּלִּים אוֹרָם כָּפוּל מִן הַמְכוּסִּים כִּפְלַיִם), and each revealed third suffices for two covered thirds (וְכָל שְׁלִישׁ מַסְפִּיק לִשְׁנֵי שְׁלִישִׁים הַמְכוּסִּים). Therefore, the two revealed thirds of the Tiferet suffice—one third for itself and the second third to form the head of the Nukvah from between the thighs, as mentioned in the Idra (לָכֵן ב׳ שְׁלִישֵׁי ת״ת הַמְגוּלִּים מַסְפִּיקִים שְׁלִישׁ אֶחָד לְעַצְמוֹ וְשְׁלִישׁ ב׳ לַעֲשׂוֹת רֵישָׁא דְּנוּקְבָא מִבֵּין חֲדָוֵי כַּנִּזְכָּר בְּאַדְרָא). And the two revealed Chesedim of Netzach and Hod are likewise doubled (וּב׳ חֲסָדִים הַמְגוּלִּים דְּנו״ה נִכְפָּלִים גַּם כֵּן), and half of them suffice for Ze’ir Anpin (וַחֲצִיָּם מַסְפִּיק לְז״א), and from the other half are made two Mochin [Intellects] for the Nukvah (וּמֵחֲצִיָּם נַעֲשִׂין תְּרֵין מוֹחִין לַנּוּקְבָא).

And behold, when the Five Chesedim and the Five Gevurot descend from the Yesod of Imma to the Yesod of Ze’ir Anpin, and there they are gathered together (וְהִנֵּה כְּשֶׁיָּרְדוּ ה׳ חֲסָדִים וְה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת מִיְּסוֹד אִמָּא עַד יְסוֹד ז״א וְשָׁם נִתְקַבְּצוּ כֻּלָּם), then through this gathering, when the Chesedim return to ascend from below to above, they do so in the aspect of surrounding light, from outside (וְעַל־יְדֵי קִבּוּץ זֶה כַּאֲשֶׁר חוֹזְרִין הַחֲסָדִים לַעֲלוֹת מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָּא בְּסוֹד אוֹר מַקִּיף מִבַּחוּץ). For the way of descent within the Yesod is inner light (כִּי דֶּרֶךְ יְרִידָתָם תּוֹךְ הַיְסוֹד הוּא אוֹר פְּנִימִי), and now they ascend outside the Yesod of Imma as surrounding light (וְעַתָּה עוֹלִין מִבַּחוּץ לְיְסוֹד אִמָּא בְּאוֹר מַקִּיף).

And behold, together with what was said—that the revealed Chesed sufficed by itself (וְהִנֵּה עִם מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי הַחֶסֶד הַמְגוּלֶּה הִסְפִּיק חֶצְיוֹ לְבַדּוֹ)—now that also the two Chesedim and the one covered third are revealed in the aspect of surrounding light (אֲכֵן עַתָּה שֶׁגַּם ב׳ הַחֲסָדִים וְהַשְּׁלִישׁ הַמְכוּסֶּה נִתְגַּלּוּ עַתָּה בְּסוֹד אוֹר מַקִּיף), they too are doubled (אֲכֵן גַּם הֵם נִכְפָּלִים לִשְׁנַיִם). And therefore half of them suffice for the two arms and for the third of the Tiferet (וְלָכֵן חֶצְיָם מַסְפִּיק לִשְׁתֵּי הַזְּרוֹעוֹת וְלִשְׁלִישׁ הַת״ת), and the remaining half of the surrounding light ascends upward (וְהַחֵצִי הָאוֹר הַמַּקִּיף עָלָה לְמַעְלָה). How is this so? (כֵּיצַד): one third of the Chesed of the right arm ascended to the Chokhmah (שְׁלִישׁ חֶסֶד דְּזְרוֹעַ יָמִין עָלָה לְחָכְמָה), and one third of the Chesed of the left arm ascended to the Binah of Ze’ir Anpin (וְשְׁלִישׁ חֶסֶד דְּזְרוֹעַ שְׂמֹאל עָלָה לְבִינַת ז״א). And half of one third ascended to the Da‘at of Ze’ir Anpin on the side of the Chesedim, and half of one third to the Da‘at of Ze’ir Anpin on the side of the Gevurot (וַחֲצִי שְׁלִישׁ לְדַעַת ז״א לְצַד הַחֲסָדִים וַחֲצִי שְׁלִישׁ לְדַעַת ז״א לְצַד הַגְּבוּרוֹת).

And behold, the reason that the Chokhmah, Binah, Da‘at of Ze’ir Anpin suffice with only one third for each of them (וְהִנֵּה הַטַּעַם שֶׁחב״ד דְּז״א מַסְפִּיק לָהֶם שְׁלִישׁ אֶחָד לְבַד לְכָל אֶחָד), whereas the Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet and Netzach–Hod of Ze’ir Anpin require a third and a half for each (וְחַג״ת נ״ה דְּז״א צְרִיכִים שְׁלִישׁ וָחֵצִי לְכָל אֶחָד), the reason is as follows (הַטַּעַם הוּא): since Chokhmah and Binah were initially within the Da‘at of Ze’ir Anpin (לְפִי שֶׁהַחו״ב הָיוּ מִתְּחִלָּה בְּדַעַת דְּז״א), and there they left their imprint (וְשָׁם הִנִּיחוּ רֹשֶׁם שֶׁלָּהֶם), which is a great illumination from the aspect of all these Chesedim and Gevurot (וְהוּא הָאָרָה גְּדוֹלָה מִבְּחִינַת כָּל אֵלּוּ הַחו״ג), and they gather together there (וּמִתְקַבְּצִים יַחְדָּו שָׁם). Therefore, that illumination—meaning the imprint—suffices for it and for its neighbor (לָכֵן מַסְפִּיקָה אוֹתָהּ הָאָרָה, רָצוֹן לוֹמַר הָרוֹשֶׁם, לוֹ וְלִשְׁכֵנוֹ), and thus the Chokhmah, Binah, Da‘at of Ze’ir Anpin do not require more than one third of Chesed alone for each (וְלָכֵן אֵין צָרִיךְ חב״ד דְּז״א רַק שְׁלִישׁ אֶחָד דְּחֶסֶד לְבַד לְכָל אֶחָד), unlike the other Sefirot of Ze’ir Anpin (מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בִּשְׁאָר סְפִירוֹת דְּז״א).

And behold, above we said that from the two revealed thirds of Chesed in the Tiferet of Ze’ir Anpin, one third sufficed for itself and the other third became the Keter of the Nukvah (וְהִנֵּה לְעֵיל אָמַרְנוּ כִּי מִב׳ שְׁלִישֵׁי חֶסֶד הַמְגוּלִּים דְּז״א בְּת״ת בּוֹ הִסְפִּיק שְׁלִישׁ לְעַצְמוֹ וְשְׁלִישׁ הָאַחֵר נַעֲשָׂה כֶּתֶר דְּנוּקְבָא). Know that only half sufficed for the Keter of the Nukvah (דַּע כִּי חֵצִי לְבַד הִסְפִּיק לְכֶּתֶר נוּקְבָא), and half of a third became the Keter of Ze’ir Anpin itself (וַחֲצִי שְׁלִישׁ נַעֲשָׂה כֶּתֶר דְּז״א עַצְמוֹ). Indeed, more than half ascended to the Keter of Ze’ir Anpin, and less than half was given to the Keter of the Nukvah (וַאֲדַרְבָּא יוֹתֵר מֵחֶצְיוֹ עָלָה לְכֶּתֶר דְּז״א וּפָחוֹת מֵחֶצְיוֹ נִתַּן לְכֶּתֶר נוּקְבָא).

And behold, there still remained the aspect of the covered third within the Tiferet (וְהִנֵּה עֲדַיִן נִשְׁאַר בְּחִינַת הַשְּׁלִישׁ הַמְכוּסֶּה שֶׁבְּת״ת), for now, when the Chesedim return in the aspect of surrounding light, its light too is doubled (כִּי עַתָּה בַּחֲזָרַת הַחֲסָדִים בִּבְחִינַת אוֹר מַקִּיף נִכְפָּל אוֹרוֹ גַּם כֵּן לִשְׁנַיִם). And half of its light also ascended to the Keter of Ze’ir Anpin together with the lower half-third of the Tiferet, as mentioned above (וַחֲצִי אוֹרוֹ גַּם כֵּן עָלָה לְכֶּתֶר דְּז״א עִם חֲצִי שְׁלִישׁ תַּחְתּוֹן דְּת״ת כַּנַּ״ל). And thus he now also has, for the Keter, a third corresponding to the Chokhmah, Binah, Da‘at of the Mochin [Intellects] (וְיֵשׁ לוֹ עַתָּה גַּם כֵּן אֶל הַכֶּתֶר שְׁלִישׁ כְּנֶגֶד חב״ד הַמּוֹחִין). Also, the Keter of Ze’ir Anpin is made from the lower half of the Tiferet of Imma (גַּם כֶּתֶר דְּז״א נַעֲשָׂה מֵחֲצִי ת״ת הַתַּחְתּוֹן שֶׁל אִמָּא), for from her Netzach, Hod, Yesod are made the three Mochin [Intellects], and the rest becomes the body of Ze’ir Anpin (כִּי מִנֵּה״י שֶׁלָּהּ נַעֲשִׂין ג׳ מוֹחִין וּשְׁאָר גּוּפָא דְּז״א).