Daf 33b (דַּף ל״ג ע״ב)

She is the secret of sediment and refuse (הִיא סוֹד שְׁמָרִים וּפְסוֹלֶת), as the Sifra diTzni'uta says, “And He closed up flesh beneath it” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמֵר הַסִּפְרָא דִּצְנִיעוּתָא וַיִּסְגֹּר בָּשָׂר תַּחְתֶּנָּה) (Genesis 2:21), implying that the first one was not flesh (מִכְּלָל שֶׁהָרִאשׁוֹנָה לֹא הָיְתָה בָּשָׂר), rather it is Elohim sweetened in Abba and Imma through squared Ehyeh and the Spelling in Full of Yods, together with two kollelim, equaling Basar [Flesh] (הוּא אֱלֹהִים הַמְמוּתָּק בְּאַבָּא וּבְאִימָּא בְּשֵׁם מְרֻבָּע וּבְמִלּוּי יוּדִין עִם שְׁתֵּי כּוֹלְלִים עוֹלֶה בָּשָׂר), and from within the mystery of the Holy River surrounding holiness, refuse was separated from her (וּמִתּוֹךְ <סוֹד נָהָר קֹדֶשׁ הַמַּקִּיף אֶת הַקְּדֻשָּׁה נִפְרַד מִמֶּנָּה פְּסֹלֶת), “and it was removed.” Its explanation is: this refuse was removed from her (וְאִתְעַדִּיאַת פֵּרוּשׁ <הֶעֱבִיר) נֶעֱבַר מִמֶּנָּה הַפְּסֹלֶת הַזֶּה), and she remained entirely holy in her Gevurot [Powers of Judgment], and examine this carefully (וְנִשְׁאֲרָה כֻּלּוֹ קָדוֹשׁ בִּגְבוּרוֹתֶיהָ וְדוֹק), and this is the mystery of Tohu (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד תֹּהוּ), it is the Klipah that bewilders a person as to where it has the power and ability to rule over the world (הִיא הַקְּלִיפָּה הַמַּתְהֶה אֶת הָאָדָם מֵהֵיכָן יֵשׁ לָהּ כֹּחַ וִיכֹלֶת לִשְׁלוֹט עַל הָעוֹלָם), and Tohu is also an expression of desolation and wasteland (וְתֹהוּ גַּם כֵּן הוּא לְשׁוֹן שְׁמָמָה וְצִיָּה), and it is known that the Klipah is entirely ruined and desolate (וְיָדוּעַ כִּי הַקְּלִיפָּה הִיא כֻּלָּהּ חֲרֵבָה וּשְׁמָמָה), yet they have the power to cling to their dwelling there (וְיֵשׁ לָהֶם כֹּחַ לְהִדָּבֵק בִּדְיָרָתָם שָׁם), and consequently people flee from that dwelling, leaving it desolate (וּמִמֵּילָא בּוֹרְחִים הַבְּנֵי אָדָם מִן הַדִּירָה הַזֹּאת וְנִשְׁאֶרֶת חֲרֵבָה), as our Rabbis of blessed memory said, “A person should not enter this ruin because of the harmful spirits” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאַרְזַ״ל לֹא יִכָּנֵס אָדָם לְחוּרְבָּה זוֹ מִפְּנֵי הַמַּזִּיקִין) (Berakhot 3a), and see what our Rabbis of blessed memory said concerning the verse, “And desolation shall strike the gate” (וְעַיֵּן מַה שֶׁאַרְזַ״ל עַל פָּסוּק וְשָׁאִיָּה יֻכַּת שָׁעַר) (Isaiah 24:12), therefore the Klipah is called Tohu (וְלָכֵן הַקְּלִיפָּה נִקְרֵאת תֹּהוּ), therefore the Zohar says, “Tohu is the dwelling of the Zohama [Impurity], the nest of refuse” (וְלָכֵן אוֹמֵר הַזוֹהַר תֶּה״וּ מְדוֹרָא דְּזוֹהֲמָא קִינָא דְּפְסוֹלְתָא). It is the body of the serpent (הוּא גּוּף הַנָּחָשׁ), which had a creation of its own (שֶׁהָיְתָה לָהּ בְּרִיאָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ), and it was prepared to receive the refuse of the Manin Tevirin [Shattered Vessels] (וְהִיא הָיְתָה מוּכֶנֶת לְקַבֵּל הַפְּסֹלֶת שֶׁל הַמָּאנִין תְּבִירִין), and the sediment of “the earth was,” specifically (וְהַשְּׁמָרִים שֶׁל הָאָרֶץ הָית״ה דַּיְקָא), therefore he repeats it afterward, corresponding to the Ze'ir Anpin of the World of Tohu, whose Kelim [Vessels] fell below (וְלָכֵן כּוֹפְלוֹ אַחַר כְּנֶגֶד זְעֵיר שֶׁל עוֹלָם הַתֹּהוּ שֶׁנָּפְלוּ כֵּלָיו לְמַטָּה), and from it were made the seven Heikhalot [Palaces] of the Temurot [Transformations], corresponding to the Heikhalot [Palaces] of His Nukvah of Beri'ah (וְנַעֲשׂוּ מִמֶּנּוּ שִׁבְעָה הֵיכָלוֹת הַתְּמוּרוֹת נֶגֶד הֵיכְלֵי נוּקְבֵיהּ דִּבְרִיאָה), and from the sediment of the earth there also fell below the seven compartments of Gehinnom, corresponding to the seven compartments in Yetzirah, though at times they are in Beri'ah, as is known (וּמִשִּׁמְרֵי הָאָרֶץ נָפַל גַּם כֵּן לְמַטָּה וְנַעֲשׂוּ ז׳ מְדוֹרִין שֶׁל גֵּיהִנָּם כְּנֶגֶד ז׳ מְדוֹרִין שֶׁבִּיצִירָה וְלִפְעָמִים הֵם בִּבְרִיאָה כַּנּוֹדָע), and these seven Heikhalot [Palaces] of His Nukvah are called the seven mountains, in relation to the compartments called the seven rocks in the language of the Tikkunim (וְאֵלּוּ הַשֶּׁבַע הֵיכְלֵי נוּקְבֵיהּ נִקְרְאוּ שֶׁבַע הָרִים לְגַבֵּי הַמְּדוֹרִין הַנִּקְרָאִים שֶׁבַע סְלָעִים בִּלְשׁוֹן הַתִּיקּוּנִים). “And Bohu is the refinement that was refined from within the refuse and settled within it” (וּבֹהוּ הוּא בְּרִירוּ דְּאִתְבְּרִיר מִגּוֹ פְּסוֹלֶת וְאִתְיָשִׁיב בָּהּ). That is to say: because he spoke of the refuse of the impure bloods that she cast off (ר״ל מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאָמַר הַפְּסֹלֶת שֶׁל הַדָּמִים טְמֵאִים שֶׁהִפִּילָה), he afterward speaks of this Sanpira [Fin], which was rectified from this refuse (אָמַר אַחַ״כ הַסַּנְפִּיר הַזֶּה שֶׁנִּתְקַּן מִן הַפְּסֹלֶת הַזֶּה), in the mystery of separating the food from the refuse (בְּסוֹד בֵּירוּר אֹכֶל מִתּוֹךְ הַפְּסֹלֶת), they are the sparks of purity that ascended above (הֵם נִיצוֹצֵי טָהֳרָה אֲשֶׁר עָלוּ לְמַעְלָה), and through Arich the food was refined from within this refuse (וְנִתְבָּרֵר ע״י אֲרִיךְ אֹכֶל מִתּוֹךְ הַפְּסֹלֶת הַזֶּה), and the allusion to this is the expression Bohu, that is to say, “within it is He” (וְהָרֶמֶז עַל זֶה לְשׁוֹן בְּהוּ ר״ל בּוֹ הוּא). Its explanation is: within the Klipah itself this Light settled for its own need (פּ׳ בַּקְּלִיפָּה עַצְמָהּ נִתְיַשֵּׁב הָאוֹר הַזֶּה לְצָרְכָּהּ), and from it were built its watch, its power, its station, its angels, and its maidens worthy to be given to it from the King's house (וְנִבְנָה מִמֶּנָּה מִשְׁמַרְתָּהּ וְכֹחָהּ וּמַעֲמָדָהּ וּמַלְאָכֶיהָ וְנַעֲרוֹתֶיהָ הָרְאוּיוֹת לָתֵת לָהּ מִבֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ), and this is the attribute of Chesed [Kindness] itself (וְזֶהוּ <מִדַּת> הַחֶסֶד עַצְמָהּ). “Darkness is the mystery of the Mighty Fire, and that Darkness covered over the Tohu, over that refuse” (חֹשֶׁךְ רָזָא דַּאֲשָׁא תַּקִּיפָא וְהַהוּא חֹשֶׁךְ חָפֵי עַל גַּבֵּי תְּהוּ עַל הַהוּא פְּסוֹלֶת).