Daf 38a (דַּף ל״ח ע״א)

So that they would not, Heaven forbid, be able to wage war (שֶׁלֹּא יָכְלוּ לְהִלָּחֵם ח״ו), and this is the meaning of what is said in the Zohar, Yitro, “And after the wind, an earthquake; Hashem was not in the earthquake” (וְזֶהוּ אוֹמְרוֹ בַּזֹּהַר יִתְרוֹ וְאַחַר הָרוּחַ רַעַשׁ לֹא בָרַעַשׁ ה׳) (I Kings 19:11), namely the Great Cloud (וְהַיְינוּ עָנָן גָּדוֹל), “for that cloud goes forth making a great commotion” (דְּהַהוּא עֲנָנָא קָא מַרְעִישׁ וְאָזִיל דְּאִיהוּ גָּדוֹל). Its explanation is: this cloud causes a commotion among the waves of the turbulent waters (פֵּרוּשׁ הֶעָנָן הַזֶּה מַרְעִישׁ בְּגַלֵּי מַיִם הַזֵּידוֹנִים), and does not permit the angels to gather the sparks of purity within the turbulent waters (וְאֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן רְשׁוּת לַמַּלְאָכִים לְלַקֵּט נִיצוֹצֵי טָהֳרָה שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַמַּיִם הַזֵּידוֹנִים), and Ra'ash [Earthquake] has the letters of Se'ar [Hair] (וְרַעַ״שׁ הוּא אוֹתִיּוֹת שֵׂעָ״ר), and its reverse is Eres Devai [Bed of Sickness] (וְהִיפּוּכוֹ עֶרֶשׂ דְּוַי), and its reverse is, “ten donkeys and ten she-asses carrying the best of Egypt” (וְהִיפּוּכוֹ עֶשֶׂר חֲמוֹרִים וְעֶשֶׂר אֲתֹנוֹת נוֹשְׂאִים מִטּוּב מִצְרַיִם) (Genesis 45:23), and Ra'ash [Earthquake] equals two times MNTZPKH together with their ten letters (וְרַעַשׁ הוּא גִּי׳ ב׳ פְּעָמִים מנצפ״ך עִם עֶשֶׂר אוֹתִיּוֹתֵיהֶם), namely the right of the left and the left of the left of the Klipah (יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל דְּהַיְינוּ יָמִין שֶׁל שְׂמֹאל וּשְׂמֹאל שֶׁל שְׂמֹאל שֶׁל הַקְּלִיפָּה), which grasp the channel of urine, divided into two parts (הָאוֹחֲזִים בַּצִּנּוֹר שֶׁל מֵי רַגְלַיִם הַנֶּחֱלָק לִשְׁנֵי חֲלָקִים), for Esav and for Yishmael (לְעֵשָׂו וּלְיִשְׁמָעֵאל), certainly not “Hashem was not in the earthquake,” for that belongs to the side of Holiness (וַדַּאי לֹא בָרַעַשׁ ה׳ שֶׁהוּא צַד הַקְּדֻשָּׁה), for Havayah consists of four levels (כִּי הוי״ה הֵם ד׳ מַדְרֵגוֹת), and they are not, Heaven forbid, clothed in the four levels of Adam Belial mentioned here (וְאֵינָם ח״ו מִתְלַבְּשִׁים בְּד׳ מַדְרֵגוֹת שֶׁל אָדָם בְּלִיַּעַל הַמּוּזְכָּר הֵנָּה), and the activity of Havayah is rest and unity (וּפְעֻלַּת הוי״ה הוּא מְנוּחָה וְאַחְדוּת), not commotion and storm, which have no rest (וְלֹא רַעַשׁ וְסַעַר שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מְנוּחָה), and this is what throws the wicked into turmoil (וְזֶהוּ הַמַּרְעִישׁ אֶת הָרְשָׁעִים), while He and His hosts pursue the wicked with the anguish of wandering (וְהוּא וּצְבָאוֹתָיו רוֹדְפִים אֶת הָרְשָׁעִים בְּצַעַר נָע וָנָד), and from it comes the wagon upon which sit the wicked who died after sinning through immorality (וּמִמֶּנּוּ בָּא הָעֲגָלָה שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִים עָלֶיהָ הָרְשָׁעִים שֶׁמֵּתוּ וְחָטְאוּ בִּזְנוּת), and in their hands is the cup of staggering, which they are forced to drink against their will (וּבְיָדָם כּוֹס הַתַּרְעֵלָה שֶׁמֻּכְרָחִים לִשְׁתּוֹת בְּעַל כָּרְחָם), as it is said, “Behold, I will press you down, as a cart full of sheaves presses down” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אָנֹכִי מֵעִיק תַּחְתֵּיכֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר תָּעִיק הָעֲגָלָה) (Amos 2:13), and it is said, “With the cords of a cart they draw sin” (וְנֶאֱמַר כַּעֲבֹתוֹת הָעֲגָלָה חַטָּאָה) (Isaiah 5:18), and understand this (וְהָבֵן).

“And He refined the Darkness and included it within its mystery—Fire, as it is written, ‘And after the earthquake, fire’” (וַאֲבָרִיר חֹשֶׁךְ וְאַכְלִיל בְּרָזָא דִּילֵיהּ אֵשׁ דִּכְתִיב וְאַחַר הָרַעַשׁ אֵשׁ) (I Kings 19:12). And once He had separated Tohu by itself, which is the nest of impurity, the storm wind (וְכֵיוָן שֶׁבֵּירֵר אַחַ״כ תֹּהוּ לְבַדּוֹ הוּא קִינָא דְּמְסָאֲבוּתָא רוּחַ סְעָרָה), and Bohu by itself, which is the sparks of purity, from which emerged the Great Cloud (וּבֹהוּ לְבַדּוֹ הוּא נִיצוֹצֵי טָהֳרָה וְנָפַק מִינֵיהּ הֶעָנָן גָּדוֹל), after this it was necessary to separate the Gevurot [Powers of Judgment] themselves (וְהוּצְרַךְ אַחַר זֶה לְבָרֵר הַגְּבוּרוֹת עַצְמָן), namely MNTZPKH itself (הֵם מנצפ״ך עַצְמוֹ), all of which are included in her Hod, which is Dava [Infirmity] (שֶׁהֵם כֻּלָּם נִכְלָלִים בְּהוֹד דִּידָהּ שֶׁהוּא דּוֶ״ה), and the Darkness is the Nun of the serpent of the Klipah of Edom (וְהַחֹשֶׁךְ הוּא הַנוּ״ן שֶׁל הַנָּחָשׁ שֶׁל קְלִיפַּת אֱדוֹם), which came into being from the Gevurah adjacent to the night (אֲשֶׁר נִתְהַוָּה מֵהַגְּבוּרָה הַסְּמוּכָה לְלֵילְיָא), and the Light of the eyes of the Chesed [Kindnesses] that sweeten them departs from them (וְהוֹלֵךְ אוֹר הָעֵינַיִם שֶׁל הַחֲסָדִים הַמְמַתְּקִים אוֹתָם מֵהֶם), leaving it entirely refined as Darkness, which then rules (וְנִשְׁאָר מְבֹרָר כֻּלּוֹ חֹשֶׁךְ וְשׁוֹלֵט).