Daf 23b (דַּף כ״ג ע״ב)

In the mystery of Cheder [Chesed, Din, and Rachamim] (בְּסוֹד חד״ר), for example, the verses of VaYisa, VaYavo, and VaYet (כְּגוֹן פְּסוּקֵי ווו״), from which the Name A"B emerges (יוֹצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ שֵׁם ע״ב), it is also Cheder [Chesed, Din, and Rachamim] (הוּא גַּם כֵּן חֶדֶר), for so the decree of His Chokhmah [Wisdom] is Abba (שֶׁכֵּן גְּזֵרַת חָכְמָתוֹ הִיא אַבָּא), therefore the Zohar says, “Those who make the many righteous are the verses of the cantillation marks” (וְלָכֵן אָמַר הַזֹּהַר וּמַצְדִּיקֵי הָרַבִּים אִינוּן פְּסוּקֵי דְטַעֲמֵי), namely the pauses of the cantillation marks that separate between word and word, and between verse and verse (דְּהַיְינוּ הַהֶפְסֵק שֶׁל הַטְּעָמִים הַמַּפְרִישִׁים בֵּין מִלָּה לְמִלָּה וּבֵין פָּסוּק לְפָסוּק), in the mystery of Sof Pasuk [End of the Verse] and Ta'am Pasuk [Verse Accent], and between every accent and accent, to weave together Chesed [Kindness], Judgment, and Mercy (בְּסוֹד סוֹף פָּסוּק וְטַעַם פָּסוּק וּבֵין כָּל טַעַם וְטַעַם לְאִתְאַרַג חֶסֶד דִּין וְרַחֲמִים), and because of this the word is heard (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִשְׁתְּמַע מִלָּה). Its explanation is: the word and the expression emerge through the articulation of the lips (פֵּרוּשׁ יוֹצֵא הַמִּלָּה וְהַתֵּיבָה בְּחִיתּוּךְ הַשְּׂפָתַיִם), and stands by itself in the joining of its letters, as is fitting (וְעוֹמֵד בְּקִשּׁוּר אוֹתִיּוֹתָיו לְבַדּוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁרָאוּי לִהְיוֹת), and afterward the food is separated from the refuse (וְאַחַ״כ הָאֹכֶל מִתּוֹךְ הַפְּסֹלֶת), and afterward it becomes Thought, Voice, Speech, and a proclamation goes forth throughout all the worlds (וְאַחַ״כ נַעֲשֶׂה מַחֲשָׁבָה קוֹל וְדִבּוּר וְכָרוֹזָא נָפִיק בְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת), in the mystery of, “If the Mem is silent, the Shin does not whistle, and the unity is not one” (בְּסוֹד אִם הַמֵּ״ם דּוּמֶמֶת הַשִּׁי״ן אֵינָהּ שׁוֹרֶקֶת וְהָאַחְדוּת אֵינוֹ אֶחָד), and this is during the time of the exile (וְזֶהוּ בִּזְמַן הַגָּלוּת), but when Shlomo rectified the Beit HaMikdash [Holy Temple] (אֲבָל כְּשֶׁתִּקֵּן שְׁלֹמֹה הַבַּיִת מִקְדָּשׁ), and the lower world was rectified after the likeness of the upper one (וְנִתְקַּן עוֹלָם הַתַּחְתּוֹן כִּדְמוּת הָעֶלְיוֹן), then Shir HaShirim [Song of Songs] came into being (אָז נַעֲשָׂה שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים), and there Speech is without interruption, and the Shekhinah is never silent (וְדִבּוּר שָׁם בְּלִי הֶפְסֵק וְאֵינָהּ דוֹמֶמֶת הַשְּׁכִינָה לְעוֹלָם), and it ascends higher and higher and higher (וְעוֹלָה לְמַעְלָה מַעְלָה מַעְלָה), and through the mystery of this illumination, by which Abba and Imma are united through the power of the Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] of Ze'ir Anpin and His Nukvah (וּבְסוֹד הַהֶאָרָה הַזֹּאת שֶׁמִּתְחַבְּרִים אַבָּא וְאִמָּא בְּכֹחַ מַיִין נוּקְבִין שֶׁל זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), “the letters and the vocalization marks shall shine and shine together as one” (יַזְהִירוּ אַתְוָון וְנִיקּוּדֵי וְנַהֲרִין כַּחֲדָא), through the mystery of the melody of Atika (מִסּוֹד הַנִּגּוּן שֶׁל עַתִּיקָא), and afterward, just as there is union between Abba and Imma, so the letters and the vocalization marks brought about through Atika shine together as one (וְאַחַ״כ כְּמוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ יִחוּד בֵּין אַבָּא וְאִמָּא כָּךְ יִתְנַהֲרוּן כַּחֲדָא הָאוֹתִיּוֹת וְהַנִּיקּוּדִים הַבָּאִים ע״י עַתִּיקָא), and they become words according to the order of the world (וְנַעֲשִׂים תֵּיבוֹת כְּהַנְהָגַת עוֹלָם), in the mystery of the Mitkela [Balance] of Cheder [Chesed, Din, and Rachamim] (בְּסוֹד מִתְקְלָא חד״ר), for example, the three Vavs of VaYisa, VaYavo, and VaYet in Adam Kadma'ah (כְּגוֹן שְׁלֹשָׁה וו״ו שֶׁל וַיִּסַּע וַיָּבֹא וַיֵּט שֶׁבְּאָדָם קַדְמָאָה), so that, Heaven forbid, there should not be a confusion of letters (שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה ח״ו בִּלְבּוּל אוֹתִיּוֹת), that they should not be like a Shorek [Whistling Vowel], but in one united connection, with their beginning and end properly aligned like a balance (דְּלָא לֶהֱווֹ כְּמוֹ שׁוֹרֵק אֶלָּא בְּחִבּוּרָא חֲדָא רֹאשָׁם וְסוֹפָם מְכֻוָּן כְּמוֹ מִתְקְלָא), and afterward they journey to the lower worlds (וְאַחַ״כ נוֹסְעִים לָעוֹלָמוֹת שֶׁל מַטָּה), and from them angels, Names, and souls are created (וְנִבְרָאִים מֵהֶם מַלְאָכִים וּשֵׁמוֹת וּנְשָׁמוֹת), and the whole world rejoices and is illuminated by these letters (וְכָל הָעוֹלָם שְׂמֵחִים וּמְאִירִים מֵהָאוֹתִיּוֹת הַלָּלוּ), and become enlightened through them, for they are the ones who bring down abundance from above (וּמַשְׂכִּילִים מֵהֶם כִּי הֵם הַמְּבִיאִים שֶׁפַע מִלְמַעְלָה), and this is the meaning of, “in their journeys” (וְזֶהוּ אוֹמְרוֹ בְּמַטְלָנוֹן בִּנְסִיעוֹתָם), in the mystery of the hiddenness of the journey (בְּרָזָא דְּסְתִימוּ דְּמַטְלָנוּתָא), which is the Reisha d'Ein [Head of Nothingness], called the Hidden of the hidden, hidden from the Reisha d'La Ityada [Head that is Unknown] and Arich Anpin (הוּא רֵישָׁא דְּאֵין הַנִּקְרָא סְתִימוּ הַסָּתוּם מֵרֵישָׁא דְּלָא אִתְיְדַע וַאֲרִיךְ), and from it comes the journeying of the thirty-two Elohim (וּמִמֶּנּוּ הַנְּסִיעָה שֶׁל הַל״ב אֱלֹהִים), which unfold throughout all the Partzufim and perform their function, selecting the food from the refuse (הַמִּתְפַּתְּחִים בְּכָל הַפַּרְצוּפִים וּפוֹעֲלִים פְּעֻלָּתָם וּבוֹרְרִים אֹכֶל מִתּוֹךְ הַפְּסֹלֶת).