Daf 30a (דַּף ל׳ ע״א)

It is in the mystery of the Reisha d'Lav Reisha [Head That Is Not a Head] (הוּא בְּסוֹד רֵישָׁא דְּלָאו רֵישָׁא), but everything is through Binah [Understanding] (אֲבָל הַכֹּל ע״י בִּינָה), and the mystery of the matter is: if the aforementioned Mem and Samekh do not spread forth into this lower Appiryon [Palanquin], in the Heikhal [Palace] of Elohei Yisrael, which is the Primordial Sea (וְסוֹד הָעִנְיָן הוּא אִם לֹא יִתְפַּשְׁטוּ ס״מ הַנִּזְכָּרִים בְּהָאַפִּרְיוֹן הַזֶּה הַתַּחְתּוֹן בְּהֵיכַל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא הַיָּם הַקַּדְמוֹנִי), the Thirteen Rivers of Pure Afarsemona [Persimmon Balsam] will not spread there (לֹא יִתְפַּשְׁטוּ שָׁם הַי״ג נַהֲרֵי אַפַרְסְמוֹנָא דַּכְיָא), and the Appiryon [Palanquin] will not become Afarsemon [Persimmon Balsam] (וְלֹא יֵעָשֶׂה מֵאַפִּרְיוֹן אַפַרְסְמוֹן), and the souls do not delight themselves with the King, the Holy One, blessed be He, Who sends this sweet Light (וְהַנְּשָׁמוֹת אֵינָם מִשְׁתַּעַשְׁעִים בַּמֶּלֶךְ קב״ה הַשּׁוֹלֵחַ הָאוֹר הַמָּתוֹק הַזֶּה), and there are no Mochin [Mentalities] of His Nukvah, nor the waters that make her grow (וְאֵין שָׁם מוֹחִין דְּנוּקְבֵיהּ וְהַמַּיִם הַמַּגְדִּילִים אוֹתָהּ), in the mystery of the waters that make the tree grow (בְּסוֹד הַמַּיִם הַמַּגְדִּילִים אֶת הָאִילָן), and since she has no Mochin [Mentalities], she is not sought for the Zivug [Union], nor is she fit for it (וְכֵיוָן דְּאֵין לָהּ הַמּוֹחִין אֵינָהּ מִתְבַּקֶּשֶׁת לַזִּוּוּג וְאֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה לְכָךְ), and the Great Love is not joined with the Lesser Love (וְאֵינָהּ מִתְקַשֶּׁרֶת אַהֲבָה רַבָּא בְּאַהֲבָה זוּטָא), to give her the Shoshvinin [Bridal Attendants] (לָתֵת לָהּ הַשּׁוֹשְׁבִינִין), namely the Netzach and Hod, which extend downward from the Yesod [Foundation], in the mystery of the thighs, which extend farther downward than the Brit [Covenant] (הֵם נ״ה אֲשֶׁר מִתְפַּשְׁטִין לְמַטָּה מִיְּסוֹד בְּסוֹד הַיְרֵכַיִם אֲשֶׁר מִתְפַּשְׁטִים יוֹתֵר לְמַטָּה מִן הַבְּרִית), and understand this well (וְהָבֵן).

“Like the radiance of the firmament”—that firmament standing above the Enlightened Ones, concerning which it is written, “And the likeness above the heads of the Chayah was a firmament, like the appearance of awesome ice” (כְּזוֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ הַהוּא דְּקַיְימָא ע״ג אִינוּן מַשְׂכִּילִים דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ וּדְמוּת עַל רָאשֵׁי הַחַיָּה רָקִיעַ כְּעֵין הַקֶּרַח הַנּוֹרָא) (Ezekiel 1:22). Its explanation is: “Like the radiance of the firmament” is the Light of the two Supports, shining forth from the Heikhal [Palace] of the Holy of Holies, the mystery of Afarsemon [Persimmon Balsam], downward into this Appiryon [Palanquin] through Ahavah Rabbah [Great Love] (פֵּרוּשׁוֹ כְּזוֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ הוּא הָאוֹר שֶׁל הַתְּרֵין סַמְכִין הַמִּתְנוֹצֵץ מֵהֵיכַל ק״ק סוֹד אַפַרְסְמוֹן לְמַטָּה בְּהָאַפִּרְיוֹן הַזֶּה ע״י אַהֲבָה רַבָּה), it is the Heikhal [Palace] of the Supernal Tiferet, called Rakia [Firmament], whose numerical value is Yesha [Salvation] (הוּא הֵיכַל הת״ת הָעֶלְיוֹן הַנִּקְרָא רָקִיעַ הָעוֹלֶה יש״ע), and the allusion to this is, “Garments of salvation, and the robe of righteousness He has clothed me” (וְרֶמֶז לָזֶה בִּגְדֵי יֶשַׁע וּמְעִיל צְדָקָה תַּעְטֵנִי) (Isaiah 61:10). In the mystery of the Garment of the soul (בְּסוֹד הַלְּבוּשׁ שֶׁל הַנְּשָׁמָה), which is made from Tiferet through the breath of the Torah of the Tzaddik [Righteous One] (הַנַּעֲשֶׂה מִתּ״ת ע״י הֶבֶל תּוֹרָתוֹ שֶׁל צַדִּיק), and these are truly the garments of salvation (וְהֵם בִּגְדֵי יֶשַׁע מַמָּשׁ), in which there is the power to stand in the Heikhal [Palace] of the King (שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ כֹּחַ לַעֲמוֹד בְּהֵיכַל הַמֶּלֶךְ), and when the radiance of Ahavah Rabbah [Great Love] shines forth from this Rakia [Firmament] through the Afarsemon [Persimmon Balsam] into this Appiryon [Palanquin] (וּכְשֶׁמִּתְנוֹצֵץ זוֹהַר אַהֲבָה רַבָּה מֵהָרָקִיעַ הַזֶּה ע״י הָאַפַרְסְמוֹן בְּהָאַפִּרְיוֹן הַזֶּה), it supports her by means of the two Supports of Imma, who dwells upon the Throne (הוּא סוֹמֵךְ אוֹתָהּ בְּהַתְּרֵין סַמְכִין שֶׁל אִמָּא הַמְקַנֶּנֶת בְּכוּרְסְיָיא), through His two Supports, namely Netzach and Hod (ע״י הַתְּרֵין סַמְכִין שֶׁלּוֹ נֵצַח וְהוֹד), thus this Rakia [Firmament] stands above the Enlightened Ones, who are His Netzach and Hod (נִמְצָא הוּא הָרָקִיעַ הָעוֹמֵד עַל הַמַּשְׂכִּילִים הֵם נ״ה שֶׁלּוֹ), and because Yechezkel saw this Rakia [Firmament] through the Appiryon [Palanquin], in the mystery of the Aspaklaria [Mirror] that does not shine (וְכֵיוָן שֶׁרָאָה יְחֶזְקֵאל הָרָקִיעַ הַזֶּה ע״י הָאַפִּרְיוֹן בְּסוֹד אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא שֶׁאֵינָהּ מְאִירָה), he used the expression “likeness,” which is the language of the Female (אָמַר לְשׁוֹן דְּמוּת שֶׁל הַנְּקֵבָה), and did not use the expression “image,” which is the language of the Male (וְלֹא אָמַר לְשׁוֹן צֶלֶם שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן זָכָר), and this Chayah [Living Creature] is Metatron when he ascends and stands in a great level (וְהַחַיָּה הַזֹּאת הִיא מַטַּטְרוֹן בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעוֹלֶה וְעוֹמֵד בְּמַדְרֵגָה גְּדוֹלָה).