Daf 58b (דַּף נ״ח ע״ב)

And it raised it upward (וְהֶעֱלָה אוֹתוֹ לְמַעְלָה), and through this the world was created in the Particular (וּבָזֶה נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם בִּפְרָט), which is the mystery of the two hundred and eighty-eight lights that were within these Kelim [Vessels] (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד רפ״ח שֶׁהָיָה בַּכֵּלִים הַלָּלוּ), whose source had been the entire world in the General (וּמְקוֹרָם הָיָה כָּל הָעוֹלָם בַּכְּלָל). Its explanation is: within this Yod all the activities existed within it in the General (פֵּי׳ בַּיוֹ״ד הַזֹּאת הָיוּ כָּל הַפְּעֻלּוֹת בְּתוֹכָהּ בַּכְּלָל), and everything was intermixed within this Primordial Avir [Air] (וְגַם הַכֹּל הָיָה מְעוֹרָב בְּתוֹךְ הָאֲוִיר קַדְמוֹן הַזֶּה), namely the Light of the Nekudah [Point], called the Primordial Avir [Air], together with the Light of the Essence of the Ein Sof (הָאוֹר שֶׁל הַנְּקוּדָּה הַנִּקְרֵאת אֲוִיר קַדְמוֹן וְהָאוֹר שֶׁל הָעַצְמוּת שֶׁל אֵין סוֹף), until the Particular of the Kelim [Vessels] could scarcely come into being from it (עַד שֶׁכִּמְעַט הַפְּרָט שֶׁל הַכֵּלִים לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לְהִתְהַוּוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ), because the Light of the Essence did not permit it (כִּי הָאוֹר שֶׁל עַצְמוּת לֹא הָיָה מַנִּיחוֹ), therefore the Yod had to take this General together with it from that sphere (לָכֵן הוּצְרְכָה הַיוֹ״ד לִקַּח מִן הַכַּדּוּר הַזֶּה עִמָּהּ הַכְּלָל הַזֶּה), so that all the Inner Lights would be enclosed in the mystery of the Particular, each Kli [Vessel] by itself (כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּסָּגְרוּ כָּל הָאוֹרוֹת פְּנִימִיּוֹת בְּסוֹד פְּרָט כָּל כְּלִי וּכְלִי לְבַדּוֹ), and through its return it established the letters of the Kelim [Vessels] in the mode of back aspects (וּבַחֲזָרָתָהּ הִצִּיבָה הָאוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל הַכֵּלִים בְּדֶרֶךְ אֲחוֹרַיִים), for every Kli [Vessel] is Judgment (כִּי כָּל כְּלִי הוּא דִּין). Therefore the Zohar says, “Until this point it was in the General, afterward the General returned to become General, Particular, and General” (לָכֵן אוֹמֵר הַזֹּהַר דְּעַד הָכָא הֲוָה בִּכְלָל וּבָתַר אִתְהַדַּר כְּלָל לְמֶהֱוֵי כְּלָל וּפְרָט וּכְלָל) (Zohar 16b). Its explanation is: until now everything was in the General (ר״ל עַד עַתָּה הָיָה הַכֹּל בַּכְּלָל), that is, the Light of the Essence and the Light of the Garment were intermixed (פֵּי׳ מְעוֹרָב אוֹר וְעַצְמוּת וְאוֹר הַלְּבוּשׁ), and they were abundance upon abundance (וְהֵם רִבּוּי אַחַר רִבּוּי), which had to be diminished through the return (שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהִתְמַעֵט בַּהֲחָזָרָה), in order to make from it the Particular (כְּדֵי לַעֲשׂוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ פְּרָט), bringing forth the Kelim [Vessels], each one separately (לְהוֹצִיא הַכֵּלִים כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְבַדּוֹ), distinguishing each one individually (לִפְרוֹט אוֹתוֹ בְּדֶרֶךְ פְּרָט), for previously everything had been included together in one power, like a point within its circle (כִּי מִקֹּדֶם הָיָה הַכֹּל בַּכְּלָל נִכְלָל בְּכֹחַ אֶחָד כִּנְקוּדָּה בְּתוֹךְ עִגּוּלָהּ), and concerning this it is said, “Let there be Light” (וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר יְהִי אוֹר) (Genesis 1:3), for it spread without limit (שֶׁהָיָה מִתְפַּשֵּׁט לְאֵין תַּכְלִית), so that it was impossible to distinguish one Kli [Vessel] from another (שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין כְּלִי לִכְלִי), nor could any degree of coarseness resulting from the repeated returns come into being (וּלְהִבָּרְאוֹת קְצָת עָכִירוּת מֵהַהֲחָזָרוֹת), which is the existence of the Kli [Vessel] (שֶׁהוּא מְצִיאוּת הַכְּלִי), the mystery of “And there was Light” (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד וַיְהִי אוֹר), which refers to the return that revealed a slight coarseness, namely the existence of the Kli [Vessel], the mystery of Elohim (שֶׁהוּא נֶאֱמָר עַל הַהֲחָזָרָה שֶׁגִּלְּתָה קְצָת עָכִירוּת וְהוּא מְצִיאוּת הַכְּלִי סוֹד אֱלֹהִים). Therefore it says, “Until this point it was in the General” (לָזֶה אוֹמֵר עַד הָכָא הֲוָה בִּכְלָל), because it was not divided into parts (שֶׁאֵינוֹ נֶחְלָק לַחֲלָקִים), but spread without limit (וְהָיָה מִתְפַּשֵּׁט לְאֵין תַּכְלִית). Afterwards this General returned to be divided into three parts (אַחַ״כ הָיָה חוֹזֵר כְּלָל הַזֶּה לְהִתְחַלֵּק לִשְׁלֹשָׁה חֲלָקִים): the first General is the Inner Light, deriving from the Chesedim [Kindnesses], from the Havayot (הַכְּלָל הָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא אוֹר פְּנִימִי שֶׁהוּא מִן הַחֲסָדִים מִן הַהֲוָיוֹת), and it became contracted within the Kli [Vessel], called the Particular (וְהוּא נִתְצַמְצֵם בְּתוֹךְ הַכְּלִי הַנִּקְרָא פְּרָט), which encloses the Inner Light within its sphere (וְהוּא הַסּוֹגֵר הָאוֹר פְּנִימִי בְּכַדּוּרוֹ), so that it is compelled to contract and does not shine with all its power (שֶׁהוּא מֻכְרָח לְהִתְכַּנֵּס וְאֵינוֹ מַבְהִיק בְּכָל כֹּחוֹ), as it is said, “And I will speak with you from above the Kaporet [Cover], from between the two Keruvim” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְדִבַּרְתִּי אִתְּךָ מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת מִבֵּין שְׁנֵי הַכְּרֻבִים) (Exodus 25:22).