Daf 2b (דַּף ב׳ ע״ב)

The blackness in the pan (הַשַּׁחֲרוּת בַּמַּרְחֶשֶׁת), this (הַזֶּה), is the secret of the five Gevurot (וְהוּא סוֹד ה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת), of the letters MNTZPKH (שֶׁל אוֹתִיּוֹת מנצפ״ך), which, in the World of the Alef-Beit (אֲשֶׁר בְּעוֹלָם הָאַלְפָ״א בֵּיתָ״א), sparkle below (מִתְנוֹצֵץ לְמַטָּה), through the Yod of S"G (עַל יְדֵי הַיּוֹ״ד שֶׁל ס״ג), from the simple MNTZPKH letters (מִן מנצפ״ך הַפְּשׁוּטִים), and it is not revealed (וְאֵינוֹ מִתְגַּלֶּה), except when it comes to the Head of Ein (אֶלָּא עַד שֶׁבָּא אֶל רֵישָׁא דְּאֵין), which is called “the Hidden of hiddenness” (הַנִּקְרָא סְתִים דִּסְתִימוּ), for it is hidden (כִּי הוּא סָתוּם), from Reisha d'Lo Ityada [The Unknowable Head] (מֵרֵישָׁא דְּל״א), and from the Head of Arich (וּמֵרֵישָׁא דַאֲרִיךְ), and there the World of Tikkun begins (וְשָׁם מַתְחִיל עוֹלָם הַתִּיקּוּן), and there is born the blackness of the judgments (וְשָׁם נוֹלַד הַשַּׁחֲרוּת שֶׁל הַדִּינִין), in the letters Elohim themselves (בְּאוֹתִיּוֹת אֱלֹהִים מַמָּשׁ), through the power of this spark (בְּכֹחַ הַנִּיצוֹץ הַזֶּה), which sparkles below (שֶׁמִּתְנוֹצֵץ לְמַטָּה), and reveals there its activity (וּמְגַלֶּה שָׁם פְּעֻלָּתוֹ), in the secret of the Alef of the word “Ein” (בְּסוֹד הָאָלֶ״ף שֶׁל מִלַּת אֵי״ן), which is divided into two (שֶׁנֶּחְלַק לִשְׁנַיִם), for until there Reisha d'Arich [the Head of Arich] conceals (כִּי עַד שָׁם מְכַסֶּה רֵישָׁא דַאֲרִיךְ), and when you divide the Alef into two (וּכְשֶׁתַּחֲלֹק הָאָלֶ״ף לִשְׁנַיִם), the thirty-two Paths of Chokhmah are formed (נַעֲשִׂים ל״ב נְתִיבוֹת חָכְמָה), which are the thirty-two Elohim of the Work of Bereshit (שֶׁהֵם ל״ב אֱלֹהִים דְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית) (Genesis 1:1), and there Judgment is revealed (וְשָׁם מִתְגַּלֶּה הַדִּין), namely, the Name Elohim (הוּא שֵׁם אֱלֹהִים), and the operation of the authority is completed (וְנִשְׁלַם פְּעֻלַּת הַהוֹרְמָנוּת), and the dominion called “King” (וְהַשּׁוֹלְטָנוּת הַנִּקְרָא מֶלֶךְ), and this spark (וְהַנִּיצוֹץ הַזֶּה), blackens the Gevurot (הוּא מַשְׁחִיר הַגְּבוּרוֹת), and divides the Alef-Beit (וּמְחַלֵּק הָאַלְפָ״א בֵּיתָ״א), into portions (לַחֲלָקִים), into Chesed, Judgment, and Mercy (לְחֶסֶד דִּין וְרַחֲמִים), and kindles all the fires (וּמַדְלִיק כָּל הָאֵשׁוֹת). And it also gives birth to colors (וְגַם הוּא מוֹלִיד גְּוָנִים), for from there and above it has no color (כִּי מִשָּׁם וּלְמַעְלָה אֵין לוֹ גָּוֶן), as I shall explain afterward (כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבָאֵר אַחַר זֶה), when it says, “it is no color at all” (בְּאוֹמְרוֹ לָאו גָּוֶן כְּלָל). Or the reading may be (אוֹ יִהְיֶה הַגִּרְסָא), “The Hard Spark” (בּוּצִינָא דְקַרְדִּינוּתָא), from the expression “one does not measure in the mountains” (מִלְּשׁוֹן אֵין מְקַדְּרִין בֶּהָרִים), and it is an expression of measuring (וְהוּא לְשׁוֹן מְדִידָה), like the measuring line of the craftsman (כְּמוֹ חוּט הַמִּשְׁקָל שֶׁל הָאוּמָּן), who hangs it (שֶׁתְּלָאוֹ), from above to below (מִלְמַעְלָה לְמַטָּה), to see whether the building is in a straight line (לִרְאוֹת אִם הַבִּנְיָן בְּקַו הַיֹּשֶׁר), and both versions follow one path (וּשְׁנֵי הַגִּרְסָאוֹת הוֹלְכִים אֶל דֶּרֶךְ אֶחָד), for it is a designation for the Gevurot (כִּי הוּא כִּנּוּי אֶל הַגְּבוּרוֹת), which measure the flow (הַמּוֹדְדִים אֶת הַשֶּׁפַע), and give measure (וְנוֹתְנִים שִׁעוּר), and establish coverings (וּמַעֲמִידִים קְרוּמִים), to diminish the flow (לְהַקְטִין הַשֶּׁפַע), in order to establish it according to the secret of the understanding of human beings (כְּדֵי לְהַעֲמִידוֹ אֶל סוֹד הֲבָנַת בְּנֵי אָדָם), like the thirty-two Paths of Elohim in all the wisdoms (כְּמוֹ הַל״ב נְתִיבוֹת אֱלֹהִים שֶׁבְּכָל הַחָכְמוֹת), so that the worlds should not receive more than is fitting for them (כְּדֵי שֶׁהָעוֹלָמוֹת לֹא יְקַבְּלוּ יוֹתֵר מֵהָרָאוּי לָהֶם), and not in order to satisfy their desire (וְלֹא כְּדֵי לְמַלֹּאות תַּאֲוָתָם), for this is the desire (כִּי הִיא הַתַּאֲוָה), which the upper and lower beings desire (אֲשֶׁר מִתְאַוִּים עֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים), and wish to receive and ascend (וְרוֹצִים לְקַבֵּל וְלַעֲלוֹת), to the level of the world before them (לְמַעֲלַת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁלְּפָנָיו), and to become as refined and subtle as it (וְלִהְיוֹת זַךְ וְדַק כָּמוֹהוּ), and this is sufficient (וְדַי בָּזֶה). And the sum of the matter is (וּכְלַל הַדְּבָרִים), that the spark of the light of the Gevurot emerges (שֶׁנִּיצוֹץ אוֹר הַגְּבוּרוֹת יוֹצֵא), from the secret of the Yod (מִסּוֹד הַיּוֹ״ד), which takes the five letters MNTZPKH (הַלּוֹקַחַת ה׳ אוֹתִיּוֹת מנצפ״ך), from the World of the Garment (מֵעוֹלָם הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ), and spreads into Reisha d'Ein [the Head of Ein] (וּמִתְפַּשֶּׁטֶת בְּרֵישָׁא דְּאֵין), and reveals there the Gevurot (וּמְגַלָּה שָׁם הַגְּבוּרוֹת), and passes (וְעוֹבֶרֶת), through Adam Kadma'ah (דֶּרֶךְ אָדָם קַדְמָאָה), who is from the World of Ein Sof (אֲשֶׁר הוּא מֵעוֹלָם הָאֵ״ס), for he was pushed (כִּי הוּא נִדְחַק), above (לְמַעְלָה), from Tehiru (מִטְּהִירוּ), after the expansion of Reisha d'Ein [the Head of Ein] and Arich (אַחַר הִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת רֵישָׁא דְּאֵין וַאֲרִיךְ), with their Tikkunim (עִם תִּיקּוּנֵיהֶם), and this is the meaning of what it says (וְזֶהוּ אוֹמְרוֹ), “from the mystery of Ein Sof” (מֵרָזָא דְּאֵי״ן סוֹ״ף).