Daf 37b (דַּף ל״ז ע״ב)

A little life still remained, and not to kill them all at once (עוֹד מְעַט חַיּוּת וְלֹא לְהָמִיתָם בְּפַעַם אַחַת), but little by little (אֶלָּא ע״י עַל יָד), therefore he says there, “Bohu—these are the split stones, from which waters emerge” (לָזֶה אָמַר שָׁם בֹּהוּ אִינוּן אַבְנִים מְפוֹלָמוֹת דְּמַנְהוֹן נָפְקִין מַיָּא), and our Rabbis of blessed memory said that these are the split stones in the Tehom [Deep] (וְאַרְזַ״ל שֶׁהֵם אַבְנִים מְפוֹלָמוֹת בַּתְּהוֹם), whose letters spell Mavet [Death] (הוּא אוֹתִיּוֹת הַמָּוֶת), they are the drops and sparks of purity within the Manin Tevirin [Shattered Vessels] (שֶׁהֵם הַטִּפִּין וְנִיצוֹצֵי טָהֳרָה שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַמָּאנִין תְּבִירִין), and within this Sanpir [Fin] that the Malkhut took (וּבְתוֹךְ הַסַּנְפִּיר הַזֶּה שֶׁלָּקְחָה מַלְכוּת), and it is known that they are the letters of the Holy Names (וְיָדוּעַ שֶׁהֵם אוֹתִיּוֹת שְׁמוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים), for above there is nothing material, only letters of Light (וְאֵין לְמַעְלָה דָּבָר גַּשְׁמִי רַק אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל אוֹר), and the letters are called stones (וְהָאוֹתִיּוֹת נִקְרְאוּ אֲבָנִים), while the words are called houses (וְהַתֵּבוֹת נִקְרְאוּ בָּתִּים), therefore Sefer Yetzirah says, “Two stones build two houses” (וְלָכֵן אוֹמֵר הס״י שְׁתֵּי אֲבָנִים בּוֹנוֹת שְׁתֵּי בָתִּים) (Sefer Yetzirah 4:12), and they are the sparks of purity embedded within this Tehom [Deep] (וְהֵם הַנִּיצוֹצֵי טָהֳרָה הַמְשֻׁקָּעִים בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּהוֹם הַזֶּה), and they ascend in the mystery of the Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] (וְעוֹלוֹת בְּסוֹד מַיִין נוּקְבִין), they are the Lower Waters ascending from the Tehom [Deep] (הֵם מַיִם תַּחְתּוֹנִים הָעוֹלִים מִתְּהוֹם), in the mystery of, “Deep calls unto deep at the sound of Your channels” (בְּסוֹד תְּהוֹם אֶל תְּהוֹם קוֹרֵא לְקוֹל צִנּוֹרֶיךָ) (Psalms 42:8), and this is the mystery of the rain (וְהוּא סוֹד הַגֶּשֶׁם): first the Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] ascend from the Tehom [Deep] (בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה עוֹלֶה מִתְּהוֹם מַיִין נוּקְבִין), and they ascend by means of the cloud (וְעוֹלֶה ע״י הֶעָנָן), which is A"B, the cloud of the Mayin Dukhrin [Masculine Waters] (הוּא ע״ב הֶעָנָן מַיִין דּוּכְרִין), and they unite (וְנִתְחַבְּרִים), and pour forth abundance and blessing in heaven and on earth (וּמְרִיקִים שֶׁפַע וּבְרָכָה בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ), and grasses, herbs, and trees spring forth (וְצוֹמְחִים דְּשָׁאִים וַעֲשָׂבִים וְאִילָנוֹת), the mystery of souls, angels, and the letters of the Torah renewed through Abba and Imma (סוֹד נְשָׁמוֹת וּמַלְאָכִים וְאוֹתִיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה הַמִּתְחַדְּשִׁים ע״י אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), and they are the ones who separate the food from the refuse (וְהֵם הַבּוֹרְרִים אֹכֶל מִתּוֹךְ הַפְּסוֹלֶת), and all this is in the mystery of Bohu (וְכָל זֶה בְּסוֹד בֹּהוּ).

Its explanation is: within it is He [Bo Hu] (פֵּרוּשׁ בּוֹ הוּא), for within it is concealed the mystery of the drops of the split stones embedded in the Tehom [Deep] (כִּי בוֹ נִסְתָּר סוֹד הַטִּפִּין שֶׁל הָאֲבָנִים מְפוֹלָמוֹת מְשֻׁקָּעוֹת בַּתְּהוֹם), and they bring forth waters (וּמוֹצִיאִים מַיִם), from which the upper and lower realms are sustained (וְנִזּוֹנִים מִמֶּנּוּ עֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים), as he says afterward in the Zohar on Bereshit before us (כְּאוֹמְרוֹ אַחַ״כ בַּזֹּהַר בְּרֵאשִׁית שֶׁלְּפָנֵינוּ). And the refuse is the mystery of the turbulent waters (וְהַפְּסֹלֶת הוּא סוֹד הַמַּיִם הַזֵּידוֹנִים), namely the semen of the Klipah of Yishmael (שֶׁל שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע שֶׁל קְלִיפַּת יִשְׁמָעֵאל), an illumination on the right side of the left (הֶאָרָה בַּיָּמִין שֶׁל שְׂמֹאל), therefore it is the Great Cloud corresponding to Bohu (וְלָכֵן הוּא עָנָן גָּדוֹל כְּנֶגֶד בֹּהוּ), for the thickness of the cloud is deficiency in Holiness (כִּי עֹב הֶעָנָן הוּא חֶסְרוֹן בַּקְּדֻשָּׁה), while in the Klipah, Chesed [Kindness] becomes disgrace (וּבַקְּלִיפָּה חֶסֶד הוּא חֶרְפָּה), and leads a person astray into immorality (וּמַשְׁטִיא הָאָדָם לִזְנוּת), so that he comes to disgrace (וּבָא לִידֵי חֶרְפָּה), as our Rabbis of blessed memory said, “One who commits a transgression in secret is punished in public” (כְּאָמְרָם ז״ל הָעוֹשֶׂה עֲבֵרָה בַּסֵּתֶר נִפְרָעִין מִמֶּנּוּ בַּגָּלוּי) (Avot 4:4), and it is said concerning his sister, “for it is Chesed [a disgrace]” (וְנֶאֱמַר בַּאֲחוֹתוֹ כִּי חֶסֶד הוּא) (Leviticus 20:17). And in Bohu the food is separated and remains by itself, while the refuse remains by itself (וּבֹהוּ הוּא נִבְרָר וְנִשְׁאָר אֹכֶל לְבַדּוֹ וּפְסֹלֶת לְבַדּוֹ), from the Great Cloud that shakes the world (שֶׁל הֶעָנָן גָּדוֹל הַמַּרְעִישׁ אֶת הָעוֹלָם), whose desire is to destroy the work of Holiness (וּרְצוֹנוֹ לַהֲרֹס פְּעֻלַּת הַקְּדֻשָּׁה), and whose hosts are the angels (וְחַיָּלוֹתָיו הֵם הַמַּלְאָכִים).