Daf 31a (דַּף ל״א ע״א)

And they are the waters that cause the five Gevurot [Powers of Judgment] of the two hundred and eighty of the Afarsemon [Persimmon Balsam] to grow (וְהֵם הַמַּיִם הַמַּגְדִּילִים אֶת הַה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת שֶׁל פּ״ר דְּאַפַּרְסְמוֹן), and they also descend into this Appiryon [Palanquin] (וְיוֹרְדִים גַּם כֵּן לָאַפִּרְיוֹן זֶה), and this is the radiance of the two Supports, which are called in the verse “the heads of the Chayah [Living Creature]” (וְהוּא הַזֹּהַר שֶׁל הַתְּרֵין סַמְכִין הַנִּקְרָאִים בַּפָּסוּק רָאשֵׁי חַיָּה), which implies two (דְּמַשְׁמַע תְּרֵין), and they are also the heads of this Chayah [Living Creature] in the World of Yetzirah (וְהֵם הָרֹאשׁ שֶׁל הַחַיָּה הַזֹּאת גַּם כֵּן בְּעוֹלָם הַיְצִירָה), in the mystery of, “This is My Name,” namely Keter, Chokhmah, Binah of Yetzirah (בְּסוֹד זֶה שְׁמִי כח״ב דִּיצִירָה), and this is the meaning of, “The radiance that shines upon the heads of that Chayah [Living Creature]” (וְזֶהוּ אוֹמְרוֹ זוֹהַר דְּזָהִיר לְאִינוּן רָאשֵׁי דְּהַהוּא חַיָּה), and it illuminates with its light from this Rakia [Firmament] through the two heads and the two Supports upon this Chayah [Living Creature] (וְהוּא הַמֵּאִיר בְּאוֹרוֹ מִן הָרָקִיעַ הַזֶּה בְּהַתְּרֵין רָאשִׁין וְסַמְכִין עַל הַחַיָּה הַזֹּאת), it is the lock of the Shekhinah, in the mystery of the wings, so that the Klipot may not, Heaven forbid, derive benefit from the Light of the Shekhinah (הוּא מַנְעוּל שֶׁל הַשְּׁכִינָה בְּסוֹד כְּנָפַיִם שֶׁלֹּא יֵהָנוּ הַקְּלִיפּוֹת מֵאוֹר הַשְּׁכִינָה ח״ו), and these heads are the Enlightened Ones, who continually shine and illuminate (וְאִינוּן רָאשֵׁי אִינוּן מַשְׂכִּילִים דְּזָהֲרִין וְנַהֲרִין תָּדִיר).

Its explanation is: these heads that we have mentioned are the two Supports, continually shining (פֵּרוּשׁ הָרָאשִׁים הַלָּלוּ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ הֵם הַתְּרֵין סַמְכִין הַמְּאִירִים תָּדִיר), to bestow upon the Atik of the Appiryon [Palanquin], in the mystery of the Heikhal [Palace] of Elohei Yisrael (לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לְהָעַתִּיק דְּהָאַפִּרְיוֹן בְּסוֹד הֵיכַל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), for every one of the seven upper Heikhalot [Palaces] illuminates below and cleaves to the corresponding Heikhal [Palace] of His Nukvah, which is called by the same name (כִּי כָּל הֵיכַל שֶׁל הַז׳ עֶלְיוֹנִים מֵאִיר לְמַטָּה וְנִדְבָּק בְּהֵיכַל נוּקְבֵיהּ אֲשֶׁר נִקְרָא כָּמוֹהוּ), as is alluded to in Pekudei concerning the Heikhalot [Palaces], that each one cleaves to the one above it and is included within it (כַּאֲשֶׁר נִרְמַז בִּפְקוּדֵי בְּהֵיכָלוֹת שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד נִדְבָּק בַּחֲבֵירוֹ שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מִמֶּנּוּ וְנִכְלָל בּוֹ), therefore they continually illuminate below from this Torah (לָכֵן מְאִירִים לְמַטָּה תָּדִיר מֵהַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת), and they protect and save the Tzaddik [Righteous One] for the sake of his Torah (וּמְגִנִּים וּמַצִּילִים אֶת הַצַּדִּיק בַּעֲבוּר תּוֹרָתוֹ), and they proclaim throughout all the worlds, “Beware of this Tzaddik [Righteous One] because of his Torah” (וּמַכְרִיזִים בְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת הִזָּהֲרוּ בַּצַּדִּיק זֶה בַּעֲבוּר תּוֹרָתוֹ), and they do not interfere with his prayer as it ascends without hindrance (וְאֵינָם נוֹגְעִים בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ הָעוֹלָה בְּלִי מַעֲקִיר), even at night when it ascends on high (גַּם בַּלַּיְלָה כְּשֶׁעוֹלָה מַעְלָה), and the one who understands will understand (וְהַמֵּבִין יָבִין), therefore the Zohar says, “And they contemplate that Rakia [Firmament]” (וְלָכֵן אוֹמֵר וּמִסְתַּכְּלִין לְהַהוּא רָקִיעַ), it is the Heikhal [Palace] of Ahavah [Love], which unites itself with this Appiryon [Palanquin] (הוּא הֵיכַל אַהֲבָה הַמְיַחֵד עַצְמוֹ בְּהָאַפִּרְיוֹן הַזֶּה), whose interior is paved with love from the daughters of Yerushalayim (אֲשֶׁר תּוֹכוֹ רָצוּף אַהֲבָה מִבְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלָיִם) (Song of Songs 3:10), specifically (דַּיְקָא), and not from the World of the Male (וְלֹא מֵעוֹלָם הַזָּכָר), therefore he says, “That radiance which goes forth from there” (וְלָכֵן אָמַר לְהַהוּא נְהִירוּ דְּנָפֵק מִתַּמָּן).

Its explanation is: it is the Light of the two Supports (פֵּרוּשׁ הוּא הָאוֹר שֶׁל הַתְּרֵין סַמְכִין), proceeding from the Heikhal [Palace] of the Holy of Holies downward into the Heikhal [Palace] of Elohei Yisrael (הַהוֹלֵךְ מֵהֵיכַל ק״ק לְמַטָּה בְּהֵיכַל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), through the Heikhal [Palace] of Ahavah [Love], which unites itself (ע״י הֵיכַל אַהֲבָה הַמְזַוֵּג עַצְמוֹ), and joins together with the lower Heikhal [Palace] of Ahavah [Love] (וּמְצָרֵף אֶת הֵיכַל אַהֲבָה הַקָּטָן דִּלְמַטָּה), and this is the meaning of, “which proceeds from there” (וְזֶהוּ אוֹמְרוֹ דְּנָפֵק מִתַּמָּן). Its explanation is: through Tiferet proceeds the Mem and Samekh of the Afarsemon [Persimmon Balsam] through its Heikhal [Palace] into the Appiryon [Palanquin] (פֵּרוּשׁ ע״י ת״ת יוֹצֵא הַס״מ שֶׁל אַפַרְסְמוֹן דֶּרֶךְ הֵיכָלוֹ לְהָאַפִּרְיוֹן), and this Light is called the Radiance of the Orayta (וְזֶה הָאוֹר נִקְרָא נְהִירוּ דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא), for Ohr [Light] equals Raz [Mystery] in numerical value (כִּי אוֹר גִּי׳ רָ״ז), and whoever merits the abundance of this Light automatically has the Gates of Light revealed to him (וּלְמִי שֶׁזּוֹכֶה אֶל הַשֶּׁפַע שֶׁל הָאוֹר הַזֶּה מִמֵּילָא מִתְגַּלִּים אֵלָיו שַׁעֲרֵי אוֹרָה), and this is the meaning of, “And this is the Light of the Orayta, which shines continually and never ceases” (וְזֶהוּ אוֹמְרוֹ וְדָא אִיהוּ נְהוֹרָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּנָהִיר תָּדִיר וְלָא פָּסִיק), and this is the mystery of, “For the commandment is a lamp and the Torah is Light” (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר) (Proverbs 6:23), and our Rabbis of blessed memory said, “Why did they compare the commandment to a lamp and the Torah to Light? To teach you that a commandment protects and saves while one is engaged in it...” (וְאַרְזַ״ל לָמָּה הִמְשִׁיל הַמִּצְוָה לְנֵר וְהַתּוֹרָה לְאוֹר לוֹמַר לָךְ מִצְוָה בְּעִידָּנָא דְּעָסִיק בָּהּ מַגִּינָה וּמַצְּלֵי וְכוּ׳) (Sotah 21a).