Daf 40a (דַּף מ׳ ע״א)

Likewise, the Gevurah of Hod produces Darkness (וְכֵן גְּבוּרַת הוֹד פּוֹעֶלֶת חֹשֶׁךְ), and the Darkness itself clothes itself within it (וְהַחֹשֶׁךְ עַצְמוֹ מִתְלַבֵּשׁ בּוֹ), therefore it produces the mighty Judgment, the side of Esav, the Flaming Fire (וְלָכֵן הוּא פּוֹעֵל דִּין חָזָק סִטְרָא דְּעֵשָׂו אֵשׁ מִתְלַקַּחַת), but this Tohu acquires its existence from the Gevurah of Binah within it (אֲבָל הַתֹּהוּ הַזֶּה לִהְיוֹת שֶׁהוּא קוֹנֶה מְצִיאוּתוֹ מִגְּבוּרַת בִּינָה שֶׁבָּהּ), therefore it has no color (לָכֵן לֵית לָזֶה גָּוָן), therefore afterward it says, “Except this one, which appears in it, yet is not there at all, nor does it exist” (לָכֵן אוֹמֵר אַחַ״כ בַּר הַאי דְּאִתְחֲזֵי בֵּיהּ וְלֵיתֵיהּ כְּלָל וְלָא הֲוֵי). Its explanation is: Binah sends forth the Spirit of Elohim and does not permit the form to act or reveal itself (פֵּרוּשׁ הַבִּינָה הַשּׁוֹלַחַת הָרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים וְאֵינוֹ מַנִּיחַ לִפְעֹל הַצִּיּוּר וּלְהִתְגַּלּוֹת), and “it is not there at all” (וְלֵיתֵיהּ כְּלָל), its explanation is: it is as one who has no power to accomplish anything (פֵּרוּשׁ כְּמִי שֶׁאֵין בְּיָדוֹ לִפְעֹל מְאוּמָה), since it has no ability to do as it wishes, it is regarded as though it does not exist (כֵּיוָן שֶׁאֵין בְּיָדוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת כִּרְצוֹנוֹ כְּמַאן דְּלֵיתֵיהּ דָּמֵי), and not only this, but even after it receives some abundance from the Gevurot [Powers of Judgment], it does not perform its function (וְלֹא זוֹ שֶׁאַף אַחַר שֶׁקוֹנֶה שֶׁפַע מַה מֵהַגְּבוּרוֹת אֵינוֹ פּוֹעֵל פְּעֻלָּתוֹ), rather even before the nullification from the Binah within it comes upon it, it does not perform its function (אֶלָּא אַף זוֹ קֹדֶם שֶׁבָּא אֵלָיו הַבִּטּוּל מִבִּינָה שֶׁבָּהּ אֵינָהּ פּוֹעֶלֶת פְּעֻלָּתוֹ), therefore he says, “nor does it exist” (לָכֵן אָמַר וְלָא הֲוֵי). Its explanation is: there was no Havayot [Manifestations] in its activity, neither now nor previously (פֵּרוּשׁ לֹא הָיָה הֲוָיוֹת בִּפְעֻלָּתָהּ לֹא עַתָּה וְלֹא קֹדֶם זֶה). “Bohu—for this one there is form and appearance” (בֹּהוּ לְהַאי אִית לֵיהּ צִיּוּרָא וְדִיּוּקְנָא), it is the second level, the Gevurah of Gevurah (הוּא מַדְרֵגָה הַשֵּׁנִית גְּבוּרַת גְּבוּרָה), for it has form and appearance (יֵשׁ לָהּ צִיּוּר וְתֹאַר), since the Judgment of the Gevurah of Gevurah within MNTZPKH performs its function (מֵאַחַר כִּי הַדִּין שֶׁל גְּבוּרַת גְּבוּרָה שֶׁבְּמנצפ״ך פּוֹעֶלֶת פְּעֻלָּתָהּ), and there the refuse and the food are each recognized separately (וְשָׁם נִכָּר הַפְּסֹלֶת וְהַמַּאֲכָל כָּל אֶחָד לְבַדּוֹ), until it is called Bohu, that is to say, “within it is He,” because what is within it is recognizable (עַד שֶׁנִּקְרָא בֹּהוּ פֵּרוּשׁ בּוֹ הוּא נִכָּר מַה שֶּׁבְּתוֹכוֹ), therefore the Klipah corresponding to it also clothes itself from the Judgment of the overflowing and turbulent waters extending from it (לָכֵן גַּם הַקְּלִיפָּה אֲשֶׁר הִיא כְּנֶגְדָּהּ וּמַלְבֶּשֶׁת עַצְמָהּ מֵהַדִּין שֶׁל הַמַּיִם הַשּׁוֹטְפִים וְהַזֵּידוֹנִים הַמִּתְפַּשְּׁטִים מִמֶּנָּה), and then it performs its function (וְאָז פּוֹעֶלֶת פְּעֻלָּתָהּ), and within it are hidden drops and sparks of purity (וּבָהּ נִגְנָזִים טִפִּין וְנִיצוֹצִים שֶׁל טָהֳרָה), and they are the stones embedded within the engraving of Tohu, emerging into the engraving in which they are embedded (וְהֵם אַבְנִין מְשׁוּקָעִין גּוֹ גְּלִיפָא דְּתֹהוּ נָפְקָא גּוֹ גְּלִיפָא דְּמִשְׁקְעָן תַּמָּן). Its explanation is: this is the Tohu into which the second level fell, whose name is Bohu (פֵּרוּשׁוֹ הוּא הַתֹּהוּ שֶׁנָּפַל בְּתוֹכוֹ הַמַּדְרֵגָה הַשֵּׁנִית אֲשֶׁר נִקְרָא שְׁמָהּ בֹּהוּ), and they are the stones, namely the letters attached to their shattered vessels (וְהֵם הָאֲבָנִים הָאוֹתִיּוֹת הַנִּדְבָּקִים בְּשִׁבְרֵי כֵּלֵיהֶם), and they are the stones embedded within the engraving of the Tohu, namely the Shattered Vessels (וְהֵן הָאֲבָנִים הַמְשׁוּקָּעִים בְּתוֹךְ הַגְּלִיפָא שֶׁל הַתֹּהוּ הוּא שִׁבְרֵי כֵּלִים), and they emerge from Tohu into Bohu, which is the engraving, the measure, and the carving of the second level that emerged from the first level and settled beneath it (וְיוֹצְאִים מִתֹּהוּ אֶל בֹּהוּ הוּא הַגְּלִיפָא וְהַשִּׁעוּר וְהַחֲקִיקָה שֶׁל הַמַּדְרֵגָה הַשֵּׁנִית אֲשֶׁר יָצְאָה מִתּוֹךְ הַמַּדְרֵגָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה וְיָשְׁבָה תַּחְתֶּיהָ), and the matter of these aforementioned drops of Bohu is the Judgments proceeding from the Gevurah of Gevurah (וְעִנְיַן מַעֲשֵׂה הַטִּפִּין הַנִּזְכָּרִים שֶׁל בֹּהוּ הֵם הַדִּינִים הַבָּאִים מִגְּבוּרַת גְּבוּרָה), and within it the Name Mem-Bet [Forty-Two] was joined, in the mystery of the Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] (וּבוֹ נִתְחַבֵּר שֵׁם מ״ב בְּסוֹד מַיִין נוּקְבִין), it is the head that falls below and performs its function (הוּא הָרֹאשׁ הַנּוֹפֵל לְמַטָּה וְעוֹשֶׂה פְּעֻולָּתוֹ).