Daf 5a (דַּף ה׳ ע״א)

And this is the secret of, “How abundant is Your goodness, which You have hidden for those who fear You” (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד מָה רַב טוּבְךָ אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ לִּירֵאֶיךָ) (Psalms 31:20). Its explanation is: in the Palace of Love (פֵּירוּשׁ בְּהֵיכַל אַהֲבָה), there is the Name M"H [45] (שָׁם הוּא שֵׁם מ״ה), coming from Atzilut, from Ze'ir Anpin (הַבָּא מֵאֲצִילוּת מִזּ״א), and “Rab [Great]” has the numerical value of Elohim in its squared spelling, together with two kollelim (וְרַ״ב גִּימַטְרִיָּא אֱלֹהִים בְּרִבּוּעוֹ עִם שְׁנֵי כּוֹלְלִים), and it is sweetened and becomes “Tov [Good]” (וְנִמְתַּק וְנַעֲשָׂה טוֹ״ב), for they become two hundred Worlds of Longing (כִּי נַעֲשִׂים מָאתַן עָלְמִין דְּכִיסוּפִין), mentioned in the Zohar, in Midrash HaNe'elam (הַנִּזְכָּר בַּזֹּהַר בְּמִדְרַשׁ הַנֶּעְלָם), in many places (בְּכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת), in the secret of “and two hundred for those who keep its fruit” (בְּסוֹד וּמָאתַיִם לְנוֹטְרִים) (Song of Songs 8:12). And everything comes from the secret of “the hidden” (וְהַכֹּל בָּא מִסּוֹד הַצָּפוּן), for “which You have hidden” specifically (שֶׁאֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ דַּיְקָא), because everything comes through the power of this Yod (דְּהַכֹּל בָּא מִכֹּחַ הַיּוֹ״ד הַזֹּאת), which sent below the Hard Spark (שֶׁשָּׁלְחָה לְמַטָּה הַבּוּצִינָא דְקַדְרִינוּתָא), and it is the light of this point (וְהוּא הָאוֹר שֶׁל הַנְּקוּדָּה הַזֹּאת), called MNTZPKH (הַנִּקְרֵאת מנצפ״ך), within which are included all the tens (אֲשֶׁר כְּלוּלִים בְּתוֹכוֹ כָּל הָעֲשִׂירִיּוֹת), and they divide into many kinds of groups of ten (וְהֵם מִתְחַלְּקִים לְכַמָּה מִינֵי כְּלָלִיּוֹת שֶׁל עֶשֶׂר), and from them worlds are made (וְנַעֲשִׂים מֵהֶם עוֹלָמוֹת), in every variety of the details of Elohim (בְּכָל מִינֵי פְּרָטֵי אֱלֹהִים), which also consists of five letters (אֲשֶׁר גַּם הוּא ה׳ אוֹתִיּוֹת), unlike before this hidden point (מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן לִפְנֵי הַנְּקוּדָּה הַזֹּאת הַנֶּעְלֶמֶת), which is called a point (וְנִקְרֵאת נְקוּדָּה), because it must contract here (אֲשֶׁר צְרִיכָה לְהִתְקַמֵּץ בְּכָאן), and it does not divide into parts (וְאֵינָהּ מִתְחַלֶּקֶת לַחֲלָקִים), as it does below (כְּמוֹ לְמַטָּה). And this is the meaning of what it says (וְזֶהוּ אוֹמְרוֹ), “One point shines, the Supernal Hiddenness” (נָהִיר נְקוּדָּה חֲדָא סְתִימוּ עִלָּאָה), its explanation being: it is called “the Supernal Hiddenness” (פֵּירוּשׁ הִיא נִקְרֵאת סְתִימוּ עִלָּאָה), in the secret of Reisha d'Ein [the Head of Ein] (בְּסוֹד רֵישָׁא דְּאֵין), which is called “the Supernal Hiddenness” (הַנִּקְרָא סְתִימוּ עִלָּאָה), to exclude Reisha d'Arich [the Head of Arich] (לְאַפּוּקֵי רֵישָׁא דַאֲרִיךְ), which is also hidden from Abba and Imma (אֲשֶׁר גַּם הוּא סָתִים מֵאַבָּא וְאִמָּא), and there too it is in the secret of a point (וְגַם שָׁם הִיא בְּסוֹד נְקוּדָּה), were it not for the Vav within the Alef of Ein (אִילּוּלֵי הַוָּ״ו שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הָאָלֶ״ף שֶׁל אֵין), which cuts the Alef of Ein into two (הַחוֹתֵךְ אֶת הָאָלֶ״ף שֶׁל אֵין לִשְׁנַיִם), and the thirty-two are formed (וְנַעֲשִׂים ל״ב), as stated above (כָּאָמוּר). And were it not for this (וְלוּלֵי זֹאת), it would not emerge from the secret of a point (לֹא הָיְתָה יוֹצְאָה מִסּוֹד נְקוּדָּה), which is unified within its parts (הַמִּתְיַחֶדֶת בַּחֲלָקֶיהָ), as the astronomers have written (כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתְבוּ הַתּוֹכְנִים), that it cannot be divided into parts (שֶׁהִיא אֵינָהּ מִתְחַלֶּקֶת לַחֲלָקִים). After that point (בָּתַר הַהִיא נְקוּדָּה), which is in the Head (שֶׁבְּרֵישָׁא), there is the beard (בּוֹ זָקֵן), as we said above (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה), and because of this it is called “Beginning” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִתְקְרֵי רֵאשִׁית), meaning Reisha d'Ein [the Head of Ein] is called “Beginning” (כְּלוֹמַר רֵישָׁא דְּאֵין נִקְרָא רֵאשִׁית), and this is the secret of “Bereshit” (וְהוּא סוֹד בְּרֵאשִׁית): it is “two beginnings” (הִיא ב׳ רֵאשִׁית), its explanation being: the second head is Ein (פֵּירוּשׁ הָרֹאשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי הוּא אֵי״ן), and it is Chokhmah (הִיא חָכְמָה). And how fitting it is (וּמָה נָעִים), that Yonatan translated it, “with Chokhmah” (תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן עָלָה בְּחוּכְמְתָא). And there is also a second reason (וְגַם טַעַם שֵׁנִי), because this Beginning is divided into two (עַל שֶׁהָרֵאשִׁית הַזֶּה נֶחְלָק לִשְׁנַיִם), its explanation being: Two Yod, Vavs (פֵּירוּשׁ לִשְׁנֵי י״ו), and in Reisha d'Ein [the Head of Ein] (וּבְרֵישָׁא דְּאֵין), is the beginning of the revelation of the Judgments (הִיא רֵאשִׁית גִּלּוּי הַדִּינִים), which are divided from this Chokhmah (הַמִּתְחַלְּקִים מֵחָכְמָה הַזֹּאת), and it is the first Ma'amar [Utterance] (וְהוּא מַאֲמָר הָרִאשׁוֹן), of the Ten Utterances (שֶׁל הָעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת). Therefore Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, peace be upon him, says (וְלָכֵן אוֹמֵר רשב״י ע״ה), “the Primordial Ma'amar [Utterance] is concealed” (מַאֲמָר קַדְמָאָה דְּבָלָא), for it is the head and the beginning (כִּי הוּא הָרֹאשׁ וְהַתְּחִלָּה), of the revelation of the Judgments (לְגִלּוּי הַדִּינִים), for the Ten Utterances of Bereshit (כִּי עֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת דִּבְרֵאשִׁית), and the twenty-two letters of the Primordial Torah (וְכ״ב אוֹתִיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוּמָה), together amount to the thirty-two Elohim of Bereshit (הֵם עוֹלִים ל״ב אֱלֹהִים דִּבְרֵאשִׁית). And the Ten Utterances (וְהָעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת), are the secret of the Yod (הֵם סוֹד הַיּוֹ״ד), of the Hard Spark (שֶׁל בּוּצִינָא דְקַדְרִינוּתָא), which brought forth the twenty-two letters (שֶׁהוֹצִיאָה הַכ״ב אַתְוָון), and divided them (וְחִלְּקָה אוֹתָם), into two parts (לִשְׁנֵי חֲלָקִים), into Judgment and Mercy (לְדִין וּלְרַחֲמִים), and consequently the secret of Ma'amar [Utterance] was revealed (וּמִמֵּילָא נִתְגַּלָּה סוֹד מַאֲמָ״ר), whose numerical value is MNTZPKH (אֲשֶׁר הוּא עוֹלֶה מנצפ״ך). Therefore our Rabbis of blessed memory said (וְלָכֵן אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז״ל), that every place where “And He spoke” is stated is an expression of severity (שֶׁכָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיְדַבֵּר הוּא קָשֶׁה), and this is the Judgment (וְזֶהוּ הַדִּין), that limits speech (שֶׁמַּגְבִּיל הַדִּבּוּר), and the one that is additional (וְהָאֶחָד שֶׁמְּיוּתָּר), corresponds to this point before it (הוּא כְּנֶגֶד הַנְּקוּדָּה הַזֹּאת קֹדֶם), which is the Yod of S"G (שֶׁהִיא הַיּוֹ״ד שֶׁל ס״ג). And this is the secret of “Bereshit Bara Elohim” (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים) (Genesis 1:1), meaning: in this Beginning (כְּלוֹמַר בְּהָרֵאשִׁית הַזֶּה), He created Elohim (בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים), which is the revelation of the five Gevurot of MNTZPKH (שֶׁהוּא גִּלּוּי חָמֵשׁ גְּבוּרוֹת מנצפ״ך), which is called “Beginning” (שֶׁנִּקְרָא רֵאשִׁית), because it is within Reisha d'Ein [the Head of Ein] (לִהְיוֹת שֶׁהוּא בְּתוֹךְ רֵישָׁא דְּאֵין), and the translation of “Beginning” is “with Chokhmah” (וְרֵאשִׁית תַּרְגּוּמוֹ בְּחוּכְמְתָא), and its explanation is: [It is the] “Beginning [Reshit]” of everything (וּפֵירוּשׁ הוּא רֵאשִׁית הַכֹּל).