Daf 60a (דַּף ס׳ ע״א)
As Scripture says, “He guards all his bones” (שֶׁאוֹמֵר הַכָּתוּב שׁוֹמֵר כָּל עַצְמוֹתָיו) (Psalms 34:21), namely those of Ze'ir Anpin (שֶׁל זְעֵיר), so that they did not become attached to the shards of their Kelim [Vessels] (שֶׁלֹּא נִדְבַּק בַּשְּׁבָרִים שֶׁלָּהֶם), but rather returned and ascended above into the womb of Binah (אֶלָּא חָזְרוּ וְעָלוּ לְמַעְלָה לִמְעֵי בִּינָה), before they descended into the World of Asiyah (קֹדֶם שֶׁיָּרְדוּ לְעוֹלָם הָעֲשִׂיָּה), so that, Heaven forbid, they would not cleave to the shards of their Kelim [Vessels] (כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִדָּבְקוּ ח״ו בְּשִׁבְרֵי כֵּלֵיהֶם), for otherwise it would have been necessary to return the world to Tohu and Bohu, Heaven forbid (וְהָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהַחֲזִיר הָעוֹלָם לְתֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ ח״ו), but one of them was not shattered (אֲבָל אַחַת מֵהֶם לֹא נִשְׁבְּרָה), namely the Malkhut (דְּהַיְינוּ מַלְכוּת), for even its Kli [Vessel] was not shattered (אֲפִלּוּ הַכְּלִי שֶׁלָּהּ לֹא נִשְׁבְּרָה), but only lost the form of a Kli [Vessel] (אַךְ נִתְבַּטֵּל מִצּוּרַת כְּלִי). “And the letters Tav–Alef and Vav–Alef” (וְאָמְרוּ א״ת וָא״ת), in the verse of Bereshit (בַּפָּסוּק שֶׁל בְּרֵאשִׁית), include the other two Partzufim [Configurations], namely Abba and Imma (לִכְלוֹל הַשְּׁנֵי פַּרְצוּפִין אֲחֵרִים שֶׁהֵם אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), for there was also within them a slight weakening of strength (שֶׁהָיָה גַּם בָּהֶם מְעַט חֲלִישׁוּת כֹּחַ), and they brought forth witherings that continue to wither below even today (וְהוֹצִיאוּ נוֹבְלוֹת שֶׁנּוֹבְלִים עוֹד הַיּוֹם לְמַטָּה),p1-65 and through this Light that withers below (וְעַל יְדֵי הָאוֹר הַזֶּה שֶׁנּוֹבֵל לְמַטָּה), Ze'ir Anpin and Nukvah became the Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] for the Zivug [Union] of Abba and Imma (נַעֲשׂוּ זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ מַיִין נוּקְבִין לְזִוּוּג אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), but we are not speaking now about the Keter from which Arich Anpin was formed (וְהַכֶּתֶר שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה מִמֶּנּוּ אֲרִיךְ אֵין אָנוּ מְדַבְּרִים עַתָּה מִמֶּנּוּ), because it cannot be grasped through any letter (לְפִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִתְפָּס בְּאוֹת). It says Bereshit (וְאָמַר בְּרֵאשִׁית), because they are two Reshit [Beginnings] (לְפִי שֶׁהֵם ב׳ רֵאשִׁית), namely Reshit Chokhmah [Beginning of Wisdom] and Reshit Malkhut [Beginning of Kingship] (וְהֵם רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה וְרֵאשִׁית מַלְכוּת), and this Chokhmah [Wisdom] is the Yod within the Heh (וְהַחָכְמָה הַזֹּאת הִיא הַיוֹ״ד שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַה״י), which is the Nekudah [Point] within her Heikhal [Palace] (שֶׁהִיא נְקוּדָּה בְּהֵיכָלָהּ), and through the power of this Yod the Heh emanated these Kelim [Vessels] (וְהַה״י הַזֹּאת בְּכֹחַ הַיוֹ״ד הֶאֱצִילָה הַכֵּלִים הָאֵלּוּ), and this is the meaning of, “Bereshit created” (וְזש״ה בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא), namely, “Two Reshit [Beginnings] created Elohim” (ב׳ רֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים), as we have explained (כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ).
It says, “created Elohim” (וְאָמְרוּ בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים), because this emanation, in relation to the Ohr [Light] of the Ein Sof, is called Beri'ah [Creation] (לְפִי שֶׁהָאֲצִילוּת הַזֶּה כְּנֶגֶד אוֹר אֵין סוֹף נִקְרֵאת בְּרִיאָה), and afterward, seeing that the world could not endure (וְאַחַ״כ רָאָה שֶׁאֵין הָעוֹלָם מִתְקַיֵּים), He associated with it the Attribute of Mercy (שִׁתֵּף עִמּוֹ מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים), as it is first said, “And the earth was Tohu” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר מִקֹּדֶם וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ) (Genesis 1:2), which is the mystery of the Malkhut that had already existed in the World of Tohu (שֶׁהִיא סוֹד מַלְכוּת שֶׁכְּבָר הָיְתָה בְּעוֹלָם הַתֹּהוּ), and now no Havayah remained within her because it had become nullified (וְאֵין לָהּ הוי״ה עַתָּה כִּי נִתְבַּטְּלָה), and upon her rests the Klipah, the Green Line that surrounds the world (וְעָלֶיהָ הַקְּלִיפָּה קַו יָרוֹק דְּאַסְחַר עָלְמָא), and it is called Tohu, the first Klipah of all (וְהִיא הַנִּקְרֵאת תֹהוּ קְלִיפָּה קוֹדֶמֶת לַכֹּל). Afterward it was necessary to associate with it the Attribute of Mercy (וְאַחַ״כ הוּצְרַךְ לְשַׁתֵּף עִמּוֹ מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים), and the Kelim [Vessels] were rectified through the Spellings in Full of the Kelim [Vessels] (וְנִתְקְנוּ הַכֵּלִים בְּמִלּוּאֵי הַכֵּלִים), namely Elohim spelled in full with Yods, Alefs, and Hehs (שֶׁהֵם אֱלֹהִים בְּמִלּוּי יוּדִי״ן וְאַלְפִי״ן וְהֵהִי״ן), which is truly united with the Spellings in Full of Havayah itself (שֶׁהוּא מַמָּשׁ מְשֻׁתָּף עִם מִלּוּאֵי הוי״ה עַצְמָהּ), and this is the mystery of “Let there be Light” (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד יְהִי אוֹר), namely the breath of the utterance by which He said, “Let there be Light” (שֶׁהוּא הַהֶבֶל שֶׁל הַמַּאֲמָר שֶׁאָמַר יְהִי אוֹר).
Notes
Compare Bereshit Rabbah 44:17 (רְאוּ בְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה מד, יז): “Rabbi Chanina bar Yitzchak said: There are three forms of Novlot [Fallen Emanations] (ר׳ חֲנִינָא בַּר יִצְחָק אָמַר שָׁלֹשׁ נוֹבְלוֹת הֵן): the Novlot [Fallen Emanation] of death is sleep (נוֹבְלוֹת מִיתָה שֵׁנָה), the Novlot [Fallen Emanation] of prophecy is a dream (נוֹבְלוֹת נְבוּאָה חֲלוֹם), the Novlot [Fallen Emanation] of the World to Come is Shabbat (נוֹבְלוֹת הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא שַׁבָּת). Rabbi Avin added two more (ר׳ אָבִין מוֹסִיף תַּרְתֵּין): the Novlot [Fallen Emanation] of the Supernal Light is the orbit of the sun (נוֹבְלוֹת אוֹרָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה), and the Novlot [Fallen Emanation] of the Supernal Chokhmah [Wisdom] is the Torah (נוֹבְלוֹת חָכְמָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה תּוֹרָה).”
Compare R. Chaim Vital, Etz Chaim, Sha'ar HaKelalim, folio 5c (רְאוּ רַח״ו, עֵץ חַיִּים, שַׁעַר הַכְּלָלִים, ה ע״ג): “This is the mystery of what our Rabbis of blessed memory said, ‘The Novlot [Fallen Emanation] of the Supernal Chokhmah [Wisdom] is the Torah, and the Novlot [Fallen Emanation] of the Supernal Binah [Understanding] is the Shekhinah’ (וְז״ס שֶׁאַרְזַ״ל נוֹבְלוֹת חָכְמָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה תּוֹרָה וְנוֹבְלוֹת בִּינָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה שְׁכִינָה), for from the Light that fell and emanated from the Supernal Light of Chokhmah [Wisdom], which is Abba, the Torah, which is Ze'ir Anpin, was made (כִּי אוֹר שֶׁנָּפַל וְנוֹבֵל מֵאוֹר חָכְמָה עֶלְיוֹנָה שֶׁהוּא אַבָּא מִמֶּנּוּ נַעֲשָׂה הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁהוּא זְעֵיר), and from what fell from Binah [Understanding], which is Imma, the Shekhinah, which is Nukvah, was made (וּמַה שֶׁנָּפַל מִבִּינָה שֶׁהִיא אִמָּא מִמֶּנָּה נַעֲשָׂה שְׁכִינָה נוּק׳), as is explained, for when Ze'ir Anpin ascends above, he raises with him as Mayin Nukvin [Feminine Waters] that Light which had fallen from Above (כְּמ״שׁ כִּי זְעֵיר כְּשֶׁעוֹלֶה לְמַעְלָה מַעֲלֶה עִמּוֹ מִן אוֹתוֹ הָאוֹר שֶׁנָּפַל מִלְמַעְלָה בְּמָקוֹם מ״ן לְאו״א), and now returns to elevate the Novlot [Fallen Emanations] and the sparks of Holiness that descended below (וְחוֹזֵר עַתָּה לְהַעֲלוֹת אֶת הַנּוֹבְלוֹת וְנִיצוֹצֵי הַקְּדֻשָּׁה שֶׁיָּרְדוּ לְמַטָּה).”
Compare Emek HaMelekh, Part 1, Gate 5, Chapter 60 (רְאוּ עֵמֶק הַמֶּלֶךְ, א, שַׁעַר ה, פֶּרֶק ס): “Just as the Yesod [Foundation] is called Tzaddik [Righteous One], when it receives in order to bestow upon the Malkhut, it does not receive everything that is fitting for it to receive, but only according to what the Malkhut is able to receive (וּכְמוֹ שֶׁיְּסוֹד נִקְרָא צַדִּיק, כְּשֶׁמְּקַבֵּל לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לַמַּלְכוּת, אֵינוֹ מְקַבֵּל כָּל מַה שֶׁרָאוּי לוֹ לְקַבֵּל, אֶלָּא כְּפִי מַה שֶׁתּוּכַל לְקַבֵּל מַלְכוּת), so too Chokhmah [Wisdom] received only according to what Binah [Understanding] could contain (כֵּן חָכְמָה לֹא קִבְּלָה, כִּי אִם כְּפִי מַה שֶׁתּוּכַל לְהָכִיל בִּינָה), and these Novlot [Fallen Emanations] of Chokhmah [Wisdom] and Binah [Understanding] are destined to descend little by little to the place of Ze'ir Anpin and Nukvah (וְאֵלֶּה הַנּוֹבְלוֹת שֶׁל חָכְמָה וּבִינָה מְזוּמָּנוֹת לָרֶדֶת לְמַטָּה מְעַט מְעַט לִמְקוֹם זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), and this is the mystery of what our Rabbis of blessed memory said, ‘The Novlot [Fallen Emanation] of the Supernal Chokhmah [Wisdom] is the Torah’ (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד אָמְרָם ז״ל נוֹבְלוֹת חָכְמָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה תּוֹרָה) (Bereshit Rabbah 44:17), that is to say, from that Light which emanates downward out of the Kli [Vessel] of Chokhmah [Wisdom], and accumulates upon the walls of the Kli [Vessel], because it did not wish to receive on account of Binah [Understanding], from it the Tikkun [Rectification] of Ze'ir Anpin is afterward made (פֵּרוּשׁ מֵאוֹתוֹ הָאוֹר שֶׁנּוֹבֵל מִתּוֹךְ כְּלִי הַחָכְמָה לְמַטָּה, וְנוֹסָף עַל דָּפְנֵי הַכְּלִי, שֶׁלֹּא רָצָה לְקַבֵּל מִפְּנֵי בִּינָה, נַעֲשֶׂה מִמֶּנּוּ תִּקּוּנוֹ שֶׁל זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין אַחַר כָּךְ).