Daf 40b (דַּף מ׳ ע״ב)

In the blink of an eye (כְּהֶרֶף עַיִן), it raises upward the waters of the drops (וּמַעֲלֶה לְמַעְלָה הַמַּיִם שֶׁל הַטִּפִּין), and they are beneficial to all the worlds (וְהֵם תּוֹעֶלֶת לְעוֹלָמוֹת כֻּלָּם), for from them are created angels, souls, and Names (שֶׁנִּבְרָאִים מִמֶּנּוּ מַלְאָכִים וּנְשָׁמוֹת וְשֵׁמוֹת), throughout all the worlds, standing to protect Yisrael (בְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת הָעוֹמְדִים לְהָגֵן עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל), therefore he says, “And there...” (וְלָכֵן אָמַר וְתַמָּן), its explanation is: from Bohu they draw benefit from above to below (פֵּרוּשׁ מִבֹּהוּ מַשְׁכֵי תּוֹעֶלְתָּא מֵעֵילָּא לְתַתָּא), and they ascend from below to above (וְסָלְקִי מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָּא), after they first ascend above (אַחַר שֶׁהוֹלְכִים קֹדֶם לְמַעְלָה), they draw benefit for all the worlds from the Supernal World below (מוֹשְׁכִים תּוֹעֶלֶת לְכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת מֵעוֹלָם הָעֶלְיוֹן לְתַתָּא), on condition that they first ascend from below to above (וּבִתְנַאי דְּסָלְקִי קֹדֶם מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָּא), and afterward they descend below (וְאַחַ״כ יוֹרְדִים לְמַטָּה), and water the garden with all its plantings (וּמַשְׁקִים אֶת הַגָּן עִם כָּל נְטִיעוֹתָיו), and therefore they are called perforated and embedded (וְעַל דָּא נְקִיבָן וּמְפוֹלָמִין). Its explanation is: for this matter and for this reason they are perforated and embedded there, to become Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] through the Tzaddikim [Righteous Ones] and their good deeds (פֵּרוּשׁ וְעַל עֵסֶק זֶה וְטַעַם זֶה הוּא נוֹקְבִים וּמְשׁוּקָּעִים שָׁם לְהֵעָשׂוֹת מַיִין נוּקְבִין עַל יְדֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים וּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הַטּוֹבִים), and through the intention of the prayer and its particulars (וְעַל יְדֵי כַּוָּנַת הַתְּפִלָּה וּפְרָטֶיהָ). “These hang in the air at times; at times they are concealed on a cloudy day and bring forth waters from within the Tehom [Deep] to provide sustenance” (הָנֵי תַּלְיָין בַּאֲוִירָא לְזִמְנִין תַּלְיָין לְזִמְנִין אִטַּמְרָן בְּיוֹמָא דַּעֲבִיבָא וּמַפְּקֵי מַיִּן גּוֹ תְּהוֹם לְאִתְזָּנָא). Its explanation is as follows (פֵּרוּשׁוֹ הָכִי הוּא): at times these drops remain suspended and standing in the air of the Manin Tevirin [Shattered Vessels] (לִפְעָמִים הַטִּפִּין הַלָּלוּ תְּלוּיִים וְעוֹמְדִים בַּאֲוִיר דְּמָאנִין תְּבִירִין), and no one is able to draw them down from there (וְאֵין אָדָם יָכוֹל לְתָלְשָׁם מִשָּׁם), because there are no Tzaddikim [Righteous Ones] in the world and many wicked people abound (מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵין צַדִּיקִים נִמְצָאִים בָּעוֹלָם וּרְשָׁעִים הַרְבֵּה פּוֹרְחִים בָּעוֹלָם), and then Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] are not found (וְאָז אֵין מַיִין נוּקְבִין מָצוּי), for the heavens and the moon have grown dark because of the sins of the generation, Heaven forbid (כִּי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְיָרֵחַ קָדְרוּ בַּעֲוֹן הַדּוֹר ח״ו), and the mist neither descends nor rises from the Tehom [Deep] to water the whole earth (וְאֵין הָאֵד יוֹרֵד וְעוֹלֶה מִן הַתְּהוֹם וּמַשְׁקֶה כָּל הָאֲדָמָה), but at times the deeds of the Tzaddikim [Righteous Ones] are found (אֲבָל לִפְעָמִים יֵשׁ מַעֲשֵׂה הַצַּדִּיקִים מָצוּי), and this is the mystery of the rain of A"B, the cloud that raises the Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] from the Tehom [Deep] (וְהַיְינוּ סוֹד הַגֶּשֶׁם שֶׁל ע״ב הֶעָנָן הַמַּעֲלֶה מַיִין נוּקְבִין מִן הַתְּהוֹם), and immediately they are concealed and hidden through the ascent of the Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] into the Yesod of Imma (וְתֵכֶף נִגְנָזִים וּמִתְטַמְּרִים עַל יְדֵי הַעֲלָאַת מַיִין נוּקְבִין בִּיסוֹד אִמָּא), on a cloudy day (בְּיוֹמָא דַּעֲבִיבָא), which is the mystery of the Name A"B, called the cloud of A"B (הוּא סוֹד שֵׁם ע״ב הַנִּקְרָא ע״ב הֶעָנָן), raising the Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] together with the Name Mem-Bet [Forty-Two], in the mystery of Male and Female (הַמַּעֲלֶה מַיִין נוּקְבִין עִם שֵׁם מ״ב בְּסוֹד דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא), and immediately they bring forth waters from the Tehom [Deep] (וְתֵכֶף מוֹצִיאִים הַמַּיִם מִן הַתְּהוֹם), to ascend and provide sustenance for all the worlds (לְהַעֲלוֹת וּלְזוֹן מִמֶּנּוּ כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת). “To provide sustenance for Tohu from there, for then joy and folly spread through the world” (לְאִתְזָּנָא תֹּהוּ מִתַּמָּן דְּהָא כַּדֵּין חֶדְוָה וּשְׁטוּתָא דְּקָא אִתְפַּשַּׁט תֹּהוּ בְּעָלְמָא), and even this abundance descending below mixes this Tohu with the refuse within it (וַאֲפִלּוּ הַשֶּׁפַע הַזֶּה הַיּוֹרֵד לְמַטָּה מְעָרֵב הַתֹּהוּ הַזֶּה בַּפְּסוֹלֶת שֶׁבּוֹ), for joy is called food (כִּי הַחֶדְוָה נִקְרָא אֹכֶל), whose numerical value is Zan [Sustenance] and El Havayah (שֶׁהוּא גִּי׳ זָן וְאֵל הוי״ה), and also the numerical value of the heads of the watches (וּכְמִנְיַן רָאשֵׁי הַמִּשְׁמָרוֹת).p1-50