Daf 1b (דַּף א׳ ע״ב)

At midnight, its sweetening also comes (בַּחֲצוֹת הַלַּיְלָה גַּם כֵּן בָּא מִתּוּקוֹ), from this world (מֵהָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה), whose half ascended above (שֶׁמַּחֲצִיתוֹ עָלָה לְמַעְלָה), behind the first half (אֲחוֹרֵי חֲצִי הָרִאשׁוֹן), to sweeten the Attribute of Judgment (לְמַתֵּק מדה״ד), which is called “Night” (הַנִּקְרָא לַיְלָה), and its numerical value becomes “Kohen [Priest]” (וְנַעֲשָׂה חֶשְׁבּוֹנוֹ כֹּהֵן). And this is what the Zohar said (וְזֶה שֶׁאָמַר בַּזֹּהַר), “the Supernal Kohen” (אָמַר כָּהֲנָא עִלָּאָה), and the beard of Atika Kadisha is also called “Kohen” (וְדִיקְנָא דְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא גַּם כֵּן נִקְרָא כָּהֲנָא), the Supernal One (עִלָּאָה), who receives from Him (שֶׁמְּקַבֵּל מִמֶּנּוּ). And two times “Zaken [Elder]” (וּב׳ פְּעָמִים זָקֵן), “Zaken [Elder], Zaken [Elder] Aharon” (זָקֵן זָקֵן אַהֲרֹן), has the numerical value of “Shaddai” (עוֹלֶה שַׁדַּ״י). It is the Yesod of the Palace of the Essence of the Heavens (הוּא יְסוֹד שֶׁל הֵיכַל עֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם), which is called “the Bird's Nest” (הַנִּקְרָא קֵן צִפּוֹר), for two times “Kohen” has the numerical value of “Bird's Nest” (כִּי ב׳ פְּעָמִים כֹּהֵן גִּימַטְרִיָּא קֵן צִפּוֹר), in the Zohar on Shemot (בַּזֹּהַר שְׁמוֹת). And from it Mashiach emerges (וּמִמֶּנּוּ יוֹצֵא מָשִׁיחַ), and he is the serpent that bites her with love (וְהוּא הַנָּחָשׁ דְּנָכִישׁ לָהּ בְּרַחֲמָא). For the Splitting of the Sea depends upon Atika Kadisha (כִּי קְרִיעַת יַם סוּף בְּעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא תַּלְיָין), in the Zohar on Beshalach (בַּזֹּהַר בְּשַׁלַּח). And every place where it is said in the Zohar or in the words of our Rabbis of blessed memory (וְכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּזֹּהַר אוֹ בְּדִבְרֵי רז״ל), “the hidden light for the righteous” (אוֹר הַגָּנוּז לַצַּדִּיקִים), or the expression “delight” (אוֹ לְשׁוֹן שַׁעֲשׁוּעַ), it is also the light of this world (הוּא גַּם כֵּן אוֹר שֶׁל זֶה הָעוֹלָם), which this righteous one attains as he departs from this world (שֶׁמַּשִּׂיג זֶה הַצַּדִּיק הַהוֹלֵךְ לְעוֹלָמוֹ), and from it he knows where his place is in Gan Eden (וּמִמֶּנּוּ יוֹדֵעַ הֵיכָן מְקוֹמוֹ בְּגַן עֵדֶן), and through which Names he is able (וּבְאֵיזֶה שֵׁמוֹת יָכוֹל), to be saved (לְהִנָּצֵל), from the judgment of Gehinnom (מִדִּינָה שֶׁל גֵּיהִנָּם), for he is compelled to pass through there (כִּי הוּא מֻכְרָח לֵילֵךְ דֶּרֶךְ שָׁם), and he possesses knowledge (וְיֵשׁ לוֹ יְדִיעָה), for he sees (שֶׁרוֹאֶה), from one end of the world to the other (מִסּוֹף הָעוֹלָם וְעַד סוֹפוֹ), and he knows what was, what is, and what will be (וְיוֹדֵעַ הָיָה וְהֹוֶה וְיִהְיֶה), and in its proper place I shall explain it sufficiently (וּבִמְקוֹמוֹ אֲבָאֲרֶנּוּ דֵּי צָרְכּוֹ). And this world is called “King” (וְעוֹלָם הַזֶּה יִקָּרֵא מֶלֶךְ), for here is the revelation of His Divinity, His Kingship, His authority, and His dominion (כִּי כָּאן הִתְגַּלּוּת אֱלֹקוּתוֹ וּמַלְכוּתוֹ וְהוֹרְמָנוּתָא וְשׁוּלְטָנוּתָא), for He has the power to execute judgment and justice (שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ כֹּחַ לַעֲשׂוֹת דִּין וּמִשְׁפָּט), upon this wicked one (בָּרָשָׁע זֶה), who transgresses His ordinances and His commandments (הָעוֹבֵר עַל פְּקוּדָיו וּמִצְוֹתָיו), for the King breaches a fence for His own need (כִּי הַמֶּלֶךְ הוּא פּוֹרֵץ גָּדֵר לְצָרְכּוֹ). And because judgment and justice concerning the punishment of the wicked (וּלְהִיּוֹת כִּי הַדִּין וְהַמִּשְׁפָּט עַל עֹנֶשׁ הָרְשָׁעִים), come from the Attribute of Judgment called Elohim (בָּא מִמִּדַּת הַדִּין הַנִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים), while the Simple Emanator is simple Chesed (וְהַמַּאֲצִיל הַפָּשׁוּט הוּא חֶסֶד הַפָּשׁוּט), Who is One (דְּהוּא אֶחָ״ד), and this is because there are no levels within Him (וְהוּא כִּי אֵין בּוֹ מַדְרֵגוֹת), therefore Elohim, which is Judgment (אֱלֹהִים שֶׁהוּא דִּין), made the letters (לָכֵן עָשָׂה הָאוֹתִיּוֹת), from the impression of the light of His Essence (מֵהָרוֹשֶׁם שֶׁל אוֹר עַצְמוּתוֹ), which are boundary and contraction (שֶׁהֵם גְּבוּל וְצִמְצוּם), He engraved them upon the light of His Essence (דְּחָקְקָן עַל אוֹר עַצְמוּתוֹ), which is like the parchment of the Sefer Torah (שֶׁהוּא כִּדְמוּת קְלָף שֶׁל הַסֵּפֶר תּוֹרָה). And because this world (וּלְהִיּוֹת שֶׁהָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה), is the head of the structure of all the worlds (הוּא רֹאשׁ הַבִּנְיָן לְכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת), and the beginning of the revelation of the Attribute of Judgment (וְרֹאשׁ הִתְגַּלּוּת הַמִּדַּת הַדִּין), which is called Elohim (הַנִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים), therefore the Torah begins with (לָכֵן הִתְחִיל הַתּוֹרָה בְּ), “Bereshit Bara Elohim” (בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים) (Genesis 1:1), meaning: in this Beginning (וְרָצָה לוֹמַר בְּהָרֵאשִׁית הַזֶּה), which is the World of Delights (שֶׁהוּא עוֹלָם שַׁעֲשׁוּעִים), He created Elohim, which is the Attribute of Judgment (בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים שֶׁהוּא מִדַּת הַדִּין), and there begins the revelation through the five letters MNTZPKH (וְשָׁם הַתְחָלַת הַהִתְגַּלּוּת עַל יְדֵי ה׳ אוֹתִיּוֹת מנצפ״ך), which afterward become the five letters of Elohim (הַנַּעֲשִׂים אַחַר כָּךְ ה׳ אוֹתִיּוֹת אֱלֹהִים), which afterward become the five letters of Elohim (הַנַּעֲשִׂים אַחַר כָּךְ ה׳ אוֹתִיּוֹת אֱלֹהִים). And this is the meaning of (וְז״ש), “In the Head, by decree of the King” (בְּרֵישׁ הוֹרְמָנוּתָא דְּמַלְכָּא), meaning the creation of the authority (כְּלוֹמַר בְּרִיאַת הַהוֹרַמְנָא), for He desired to be King (שֶׁרָצָה לִהְיוֹת מֶלֶךְ), for there is no King without a people (כִּי אֵין מֶלֶךְ בְּלֹא עָם). “He engraved an engraving” (גָּלִיף גְּלִיפָא), “in the supernal Tihara [Tehiru]” (בְּטִיהֲרָא עִלָּאָה), its explanation being: He engraved an engraving (פֵּירוּשׁ: חָקַק חֲקִיקָה).