Daf 17a (דַּף י״ז ע״א)

It is Beit Rosh [House of the Head] (הוּא רֹאשׁ בַּיִת), Bara [Created] is Reisha d'Ein [Head of Ein] (בָּרָא הוּא רֵישָׁא דְּאֵין), there the active expression of Bara [Created] properly applies (שָׁם נוֹפֵל לְשׁוֹן פּוֹעֵל שֶׁל בָּרָא), for there (כִּי שָׁם), the Gevurah of the Malkhut entered (נִכְנְסָה הַגְּבוּרָה דְּמַלְכוּת), and divided the Alef of Ein into two (וְחָתְכָה הָאָלֶ״ף שֶׁל אֵין לִשְׁנַיִם), and they became two Yod-Vavs (וְנַעֲשִׂים י״ו י״ו), and there was truly Beri'ah (וְשָׁם הָיְתָה בְּרִיאָה מַמָּשׁ). Elohim is Arich Anpin itself (אֱלֹהִים הוּא אֲרִיךְ אַנְפִּין מַמָּשׁ), it is Binah (הוּא בִּינָה), which is called everywhere in the Zohar, “Elohim Chayim [Living Elohim]” (הַנִּקְרָא בַּזֹּהַר בְּכָל מָקוֹם אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים), and from it the Judgments are drawn downward (וּמִמֶּנּוּ נִמְשָׁכִין הַדִּינִין לְמַטָּה), and they have permanence in the lower worlds (וְיֵשׁ לָהֶם קִיּוּם בָּעוֹלָמוֹת שֶׁל מַטָּה), according to the graduated reception of the Light (בְּהַדְרָגַת קַבָּלַת הָאוֹר), so that they would not receive excessively (שֶׁלֹּא קִבְּלוּ יוֹתֵר מִדַּי), but only according to its proper measure (כְּדֵי שִׁעוּרוֹ), so that from it there would become Kol [Voice] and Speech (שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה מִמֶּנּוּ קוֹל וְדִבּוּר), which mankind would be able to receive (שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ הַבְּנֵי אָדָם לְקַבֵּל), in the secret of, “And I will speak with you from above the Kaporet, from between the two Keruvim” (בְּסוֹד וְדִבַּרְתִּי אִתְּךָ מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת מִבֵּין שְׁנֵי הַכְּרֻבִים) (Exodus 25:22). Concerning which our Rabbis of blessed memory said (שֶׁאָרְז״ל), that the Holy One, blessed be He, constricted His Shekhinah between the two poles of the Ark (שֶׁהַקּב״ה צִמְצֵם שְׁכִינָתוֹ בֵּין שְׁנֵי בַּדֵּי הָאָרוֹן) (Bereshit Rabbah 5:7), and the Shekhinah (וְהַשְּׁכִינָה), which is also called Elohim (הִיא הַנִּקְרֵאת גַּם כֵּן אֱלֹהִים), received the constricted Speech (הִיא הָיְתָה מְקַבֶּלֶת צִמְצוּם הַדִּיבּוּר), according to the proper measure (בִּכְדֵי שִׁעוּר), so that Moshe could receive it (שֶׁיּוּכַל מֹשֶׁה לְקַבֵּל), and not as at Mount Sinai (וְלֹא כְּמוֹ בְּהַר סִינַי), where it is said, “My soul departed when He spoke” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר נַפְשִׁי יָצְאָה בְדַבְּרוֹ) (Song of Songs 5:6), and understand “the heavens” (וְהָבֵן אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם), that they must not be separated, male and female (דְּלָא לְאַפְרָשָׁא לוֹן דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא), for Malkhut is the Speech (כִּי מַלְכוּת הוּא הַדִּבּוּר), coming through the inclusion of Et [Alef–Tav] (בָּאָה בְּרִבּוּי אֶת), as explained above (כָּאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה), joined with the heavens (מְדוּבֶּקֶת עִם הַשָּׁמַיִם), with one back alone (בְּגַב אֶחָד לְבַד), in the secret of the twenty-two letters and the ten Amiran [Utterances] (בְּסוֹד הכ״ב אוֹתִיּוֹת וְעֶשֶׂר אֲמִירָן), which exist in one union in Ze'ir Anpin and his Nukvah (שֶׁיֶּשְׁנוֹ בְּחִבּוּר אֶחָד בִּזְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), and this is the source of the three hundred and twenty and the three hundred and twenty-five (וְזֶהוּ הַמָּקוֹר שֶׁל ש״ךְ וְשכ״ה), which are made from the inclusion of the thirty-two Elohim (הַנַּעֲשִׂים מִן כְּלִילַת הל״ב אֱלֹהִים), and this is the secret of Shamayim [Heavens], which is fire and water (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד הַשָּׁמַיִם הוּא אֵשׁ וּמַיִם), namely the secret of the Kol [Voice] of Ze'ir Anpin (דְּהַיְינוּ סוֹד הַקּוֹל שֶׁל זְעֵיר), that they must not be separated (דְּלָא לְאַפְרָשָׁא לוֹן), for Kol [Voice] without Speech does not become a Ma'amar [Utterance] (כִּי קוֹל בְּלָא דִּבּוּר אֵינוֹ נַעֲשֶׂה מַאֲמָר), for with ten Ma'amarot [Utterances] the world was created (כִּי בַּעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם), and through the union of the twenty-two letters of the Primordial Torah (וּבְחִבּוּר כ״ב אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל תּוֹרָה קְדוּמָה), the thirty-two Elohim of Ma'aseh Bereshit [Work of Creation] were made (נַעֲשׂוּ ל״ב אֱלֹהִים דְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית), and therefore it is not relevant to separate them (וְלָכֵן לֹא שַׁיָּיךְ לְהַפְרִישָׁם), so that the Speech should not be defective (שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה הַדִּבּוּר פָּגוּם), and because the ten Amiran [Utterances] of the Sefirot do not perform their action (וְלִהְיוֹת שֶׁהָעֶשֶׂר אֲמִירָן שֶׁל סְפִירוֹת אֵינָם פּוֹעֲלִים פְּעוּלָּתָם), except through the union of the twenty-two letters of the Primordial Torah (רַק בְּהִתְחַבְּרוּת הכ״ב אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל תּוֹרָה קְדוּמָה), therefore it said (לָכֵן אָמַר), Et [Alef–Tav] (א״ת), when it took all the letters (כ״ד נטי״ל אַתְוָון כֻּלְּהוֹן), they are the twenty-two letters of the Alef-Beit (הֵם הכ״ב אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל הָאַלְפָא בֵּיתָא), and Alef is only the beginning and end of the Alef-Beit (וְאָלֶף שֶׁאֵינוֹ אֶלָּא רֹאשׁ וְסוֹף שֶׁל הָאַלְפָא בֵּיתָא), until here are his words (עַכ״ד). The word Et [Alef–Tav] is the entirety of all the letters (מִלַּת א״ת כְּלָלָא דְּכֻלְּהוֹ אַתְוָון), they are the beginning and end of the Alef-Beit (אִינוּן רֵישָׁא וְסֵיפָא שֶׁל הָאָלֶף בֵּית), included in the word Et [Alef–Tav] (הַכָּלוּל בְּמִלַּת א״ת), afterward the supernal Heh of Binah was added to the word Et of Ze'ir Anpin (לְבָתַר אִתּוֹסַף אֶל מִלַּת אֶת שֶׁל זְעֵיר ה׳ עִילָּאָה שֶׁל בִּינָה), and Imma lent from Herself to Her daughter (וְאִימָּא אוֹזִיפַת מִנָּהָא לִבְרַתָּא).