Daf 2a (דַּף ב׳ ע״א)

And He established a standing for the worlds (וְעָשָׂה מַעֲמָד לְהָעוֹלָמוֹת), and the engraving is the measure of the two hundred and thirty-one Alef-Beit combinations (וְהַחֲקִיקָה הִיא שִׁעוּר שֶׁל הַשְּׁנֵי רל״א אַלְפָא בֵיתוֹת). Front and back (פָּנִים וְאָחוֹר), are the letters (הֵם הָאוֹתִיּוֹת), standing in the World of Delights (הָעוֹמְדִים בְּעוֹלָם הַשַּׁעֲשׁוּעִים), surrounding the Light of Ein Sof (הַמַּקֶּפֶת אֶת אוֹר אֵין סוֹף), namely, the parchment (דְּהַיְנוּ הַנְּיָר), which is within the letters (אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ הָאוֹתִיּוֹת). And “Gelifu” means engraving (וּגְלִיפוּ הוּא לְשׁוֹן חֲקִיקָה), and this circle that was made (וְהָעִגּוּל הַזֶּה שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה), within which the Tzimtzum took place (בְּתוֹכוֹ הַצִּמְצוּם), is called “Supernal Tehiru” (נִקְרָא טְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה), for “Tehiru,” together with the word itself, has the numerical value of the two hundred and thirty-one Gates (כִּי טְהִירוּ עִם הַמִּלָּה גִּימַטְרִיָּא רל״א שְׁעָרִים). It is that which gives power, boundary, and judgment to the back aspects (הוּא הַנּוֹתֵן כֹּחַ וּגְבוּל וְדִין לָאֲחוֹרַיִם), to cover the face (לְכַסּוֹת הַפָּנִים). Therefore it is called, in the language of the Targum, “Tehiru” (לָכֵן נִקְרָא בִּלְשׁוֹן תַּרְגּוּם טְהִירוּ), for the Targum is the secret of the back aspects (כִּי הַתַּרְגּוּם הוּא סוֹד אֲחוֹרַיִם), of the Holy Tongue (שֶׁל לְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ). And because there is a lower, unspecified Tehiru (וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁיֵּשׁ טְהִירוּ סְתָם לְמַטָּה), built in the Primordial Air (הַבָּנוּי בַּאֲוִיר קַדְמוֹן), therefore the Holy Mouth called (לָכֵן קְרָאוֹ הַפֶּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ), this circle (הָעִגּוּל הַזֶּה), “Supernal Tehiru” (טְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה), for it is above the unspecified Tehiru (שֶׁהוּא לְמַעְלָה מִטְּהִירוּ סְתָם). And the impression remaining from the Light of His Essence (וְעַל הָרוֹשֶׁם הַנִּשְׁאָר מֵאוֹר עַצְמוּתוֹ), is called “Supernal Tehiru” (נִקְרָא טְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה), the whole of this world (כָּל הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה), namely, the boundary of the letters (דְּהַיְנוּ גְּבוּל הָאוֹתִיּוֹת), and the letters themselves (וְהָאוֹתִיּוֹת עַצְמָם), and everything is drawn from the strengthening of the contraction of this circle (וְהַכֹּל נִמְשָׁךְ מֵחֶזְקַת קִמּוּץ הָעִגּוּל הַזֶּה). It establishes the distinction (הוּא נוֹתֵן), between the Ein Sof surrounding the letter (בֵּין אֵין סוֹף הַמַּקִּיף הָאוֹת), and the Ein Sof enclosed by the letter (וּבֵין אֵין סוֹף הַמּוּקָּף מֵהָאוֹת), for “light” in the language of the Targum is “Tehiru” (כִּי אוֹר הוּא בִּלְשׁוֹן הַתַּרְגּוּם טְהִירוּ), and “light” is the secret of the portion of Ein Sof (וְאוֹר הוּא סוֹד חֵלֶק אֵין סוֹף), that was within the circle (שֶׁהָיָה בְּתוֹךְ הָעִגּוּל), which departed and made room for the worlds (שֶׁנִּסְתַּלֵּק וּפִנָּה מָקוֹם לָעוֹלָמוֹת). And “Tehiru” is, relative to the impression (וְטְהִירוּ הוּא בְּעֵרֶךְ הָרוֹשֶׁם), which is the secret of the back aspects (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד אֲחוֹרַיִם), in relation to the first Light (אֶל הָאוֹר הָרִאשׁוֹן), its relation to the first Light being (וְיִחוּסוֹ אֶל הָאוֹר הָרִאשׁוֹן), like the relation of the Targum (כְּיַחַס הַתַּרְגּוּם), to the Holy Tongue (עִם הַלָּשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ), because its first level ascended (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנִּתְעַלְּתָה מַדְרֵגָתוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנָה). And because the light of the Garment also passed away (וּלְהִיּוֹת שֶׁגַּם אוֹר הַלְּבוּשׁ חָלַף הָלַךְ לוֹ), half of the lower Garment (חֲצִי הַלְּבוּשׁ הַתַּחְתּוֹן), ascended above (נִסְתַּלֵּק לְמַעְלָה), and its impression remained (וְנִשְׁאַר רוֹשְׁמוֹ), in its place (בִּמְקוֹמוֹ), joined with the primordial impression (וּמְחֻבָּר עִם הָרוֹשֶׁם הַקַּדְמוֹן), it too is called “Tehiru” (גַּם הוּא יִקָּרֵא טְהִירוּ), which is also the impression of the Yod of S"G (שֶׁגַּם הוּא רוֹשֶׁם הַיּוֹ״ד שֶׁל ס״ג), which was below (שֶׁהָיְתָה לְמַטָּה), which illuminated in the Primordial Air (שֶׁהֵאִירָה בַּאֲוִיר קַדְמוֹן), and afterward ascended above (וְאַחַר כָּךְ עָלְתָה לְמַעְלָה), and left its impression (וְהִנִּיחָה הָרוֹשֶׁם שֶׁלּוֹ), below (לְמַטָּה), in the secret of “The Shekhinah did not depart until She made an impression” (בְּסוֹד לֹא זָזָה שְׁכִינָה עַד שֶׁעָשְׂתָה רוֹשֶׁם). And the impression of the Yod (וְהָרוֹשֶׁם שֶׁל הַיּוֹ״ד), intermingled and joined (הַמְעוֹרָב וְהַמְשֻׁתָּף), with the impression (עִם הָרוֹשֶׁם), of the light of the Garment (שֶׁל אוֹר הַלְּבוּשׁ), which ascended above (שֶׁנִּסְתַּלֵּק לְמַעְלָה), together with the Light of the Essence (עִם אוֹר הָעַצְמוּת), which made room (שֶׁפָּנָה מָקוֹם), for the World of the Garment (לְעוֹלָם הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ), is called “Supernal Tehiru” (יִקָּרֵא טְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה). And do not err because of the books (וְאַל תִּטְעֶה בַּסְּפָרִים), in which there appears to be a contradiction to my words (שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִכְאוֹרָה סוֹתֵר דְּבָרַי), but examine carefully (אֲבָל תְּעַיֵּין), and deepen your understanding (וְתַעֲמִיק בְּשִׂכְלְךָ), and you will see that the truth is with me (תִּרְאֶה כִּי הָאֱמֶת אִתִּי). And because only this far did the attainment of Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, extend (וּלְהִיּוֹת כִּי עַד כָּאן הָלַךְ הַשָּׂגָתוֹ שֶׁל מרע״ה), as it is said, “the portion of the Lawgiver, there hidden” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר חֶלְקַת מְחֹקֵ״ק שָׁם סָפוּ״ן) (Deuteronomy 33:21), and the spark of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, peace be upon him, was a spark (וְנִיצוֹץ רשב״י ע״ה הָיָה נִיצוֹץ), of his soul (נִשְׁמָתוֹ), in the secret of the Second Tablets (בְּסוֹד לוּחוֹת שְׁנִיּוֹת), therefore he sealed his name with the word “Bereish [In the Head]” (לָכֵן חָתַם שְׁמוֹ בְּמִלַּת בְּרֵישׁ), which is Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (שֶׁהוּא רשב״י): “The Hard Spark” (בּוּצִינָא דְקַדְרִינוּתָא), emerged from within the hidden of hiddenness (נָפִיק גּוֹ סְתִים דִּסְתִימוּ), from the Head of Ein Sof (מֵרֵישָׁא דְּאֵין סוֹף); its explanation is: the spark (פֵּירוּשׁוֹ הַנִּיצוֹץ), which glitters upon the edges of the pan (שֶׁמִּתְנוֹצֵץ בְּשׁוּלֵי הַמַּרְחֶשֶׁת), blackening it (הַמַּשְׁחִיר אוֹתוֹ), and from this spark is born (וּמֵהַנִּיצוֹץ הַזֶּה נוֹלָד).