Daf 62a (דַּף ס״ב ע״א)

Above, the expression of Amirah [Saying] is not written concerning the Yod before it descended together with the Heh of the Name B"N [Fifty-Two] (לְעֵילָא לָא כְּתִיב אֲמִירָה אֵצֶל הַיוֹ״ד קֹדֶם שֶׁיָּרְדָה עִם ה׳ שֶׁל שֵׁם ב״ן), for at that time it was called Bereshit (בְּאוֹתָהּ הַשָּׁעָה נִקְרֵאת בְּרֵאשִׁית), namely “two Beginnings” (דְּהַיְינוּ ב׳ רֵאשִׁית), which were both the Yod and the Heh (שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם הַיְינוּ הַיוֹ״ד וְהַה״י), and together with their operations they were absorbed within themselves in potential (וְהָיוּ עִם פְּעֻלּוֹתֵיהֶם נִבְלָעוֹת בְּתוֹכָם בְּכֹחַ), and had not yet brought their operations forth outwardly (וְלֹא הוֹצִיאוּ פְּעֻלּוֹתֵיהֶם לַחוּץ עֲדַיִן), and they were two Thoughts (וְהָיוּ ב׳ מַחֲשָׁבוֹת), which are the two Beginnings (שֶׁהֵם ב׳ רֵאשִׁית), and afterward, “created Elohim” (וְאַחַ״כ בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים), and He emanated the Kelim [Vessels] from the five letters and the ten Kelim [Vessels] (וְהֶאֱצִיל הַכֵּלִים מִן ה׳ אוֹתִיּוֹת וַעֲשָׂרָה כֵּלִים), but previously there was no need for the expression, “And Elohim said” (אֲבָל מִקֹּדֶם לֹא הָיָה צֹרֶךְ בָּהֶם לְשׁוֹן וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים), only the word Bereshit (אֶלָּא מִלַּת בְּרֵאשִׁית), and although within the mystery of Bereshit the Utterance existed in potential within Thought (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבְּסוֹד בְּרֵאשִׁית הָיָה בּוֹ בְּכֹחַ הַמַּאֲמָר בַּמַּחֲשָׁבָה), in the mystery that Ma'amar [Utterance] equals MNTZPKH in numerical value (בְּסוֹד מַאֲמָר עוֹלֶה מנצפ״ך), namely the Butzina d'Kardinuta [The Hard Spark] (בּוּצִינָא דְּקַדְרִינוּתָא), it had not yet emerged into actuality (אֲבָל לֹא יָצָא עֲדַיִן לַפֹּעַל). But the expression, “And Elohim said” (אֲבָל לְשׁוֹן וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים), namely the MNTZPKH that brought forth Elohim (דְּהַיְינוּ הַמנצפ״ך שֶׁהוֹצִיא אֱלֹהִים), all existed within the mystery of the Yod of the Primordial Avir [Air] (וְהָיוּ כֻּלָּם בְּסוֹד יוֹ״ד שֶׁל אֲוִיר קַדְמוֹן), for all the MNTZPKH letters are the power of the doubled tens (כִּי כָּל אוֹתִיּוֹת מנצפ״ך הֵם כֹּחַ כֶּפֶל הָעֲשָׂרוֹת), and they were all included within one great Yod between the letters of Ohr [Light] (וְהָיוּ נִכְלָלִים בְּיוֹ״ד אֶחָד גְּדוֹלָה בֵּין אוֹתִיּוֹת אוֹר), afterward this Yod was revealed into its individual parts in the mystery of MNTZPKH (וְאַחַ״כ נִתְגַּלְּתָה הַיוֹ״ד הַזֹּאת לַחֲלָקֶיהָ בְּסוֹד מנצפ״ך), and this MNTZPKH likewise brought forth Elohim (וְזֹאת הַמנצפ״ך הוֹצִיאָה גַּם כֵּן אֱלֹהִים), and through the power of both of them the Kelim [Vessels] were emanated (וּבְכֹחַ שְׁתֵּיהֶם נֶאֶצְלוּ הַכֵּלִים), and the boundary was established (וְנַעֲשָׂה הַגְּבוּל), making each Sefirah known individually (לְהוֹדִיעַ כָּל סְפִירָה וּסְפִירָה בִּפְרָטִיּוּת), so that one may inquire concerning each individual particular, “Who is this, and who is that?” (לִשְׁאוֹל עַל כָּל פְּרָט וּפְרָט בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ מִי הוּא וּמִי זֶה), but when it is united within its parts (אֲבָל אִם נִתְיַחֲדָה בַּחֲלָקֶיהָ), one cannot inquire into its individual particulars (אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִשְׁאוֹל עַל פְּרָטִיּוֹתֶיהָ), since it is a General and is not divided (מֵאַחַר שֶׁהוּא כְּלָל וְאֵינוֹ נֶחְלָק). This is the meaning of the Zohar, “This Vayomer [And He Said] exists in order to inquire and to know” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאוֹמֵר הַזֹּהַר וַיֹּאמֶר הַזֶּה אִיהוּ קַיְימָא לְמִשְׁאַל וּלְמִנְדַּע), concerning every particular that it brought forth from the General (עַל כָּל פְּרָט וּפְרָט שֶׁהוֹצִיא מִן הַכְּלָל), and this is the mystery of the Ma'amar [Utterance], which apprehends each particular and includes every matter individually (וְזֶהוּ הוּא סוֹד מַאֲמָר שֶׁתּוֹפֵס הַפְּרָט הַזֶּה וְכוֹלֵל כָּל דָּבָר בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ), and within it there is knowledge (וְיֵשׁ בּוֹ יְדִיעָה), unlike when it existed in the mystery of Thought (מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן כְּשֶׁהָיָה בְּסוֹד מַחֲשָׁבָה), and this Ma'amar [Utterance] brought forth Keter, which is Thought preceding Thought (וְהַמַּאֲמָר הַזֶּה הוֹצִיא כֶּתֶר מַחֲשָׁבָה לְמַחֲשָׁבָה), afterward Thought itself, namely Abba, Chokhmah [Wisdom] (וְאַחַ״כ מַחֲשָׁבָה עַצְמָהּ שֶׁהוּא אַבָּא חָכְמָה), afterward the Tongue, which is Binah [Understanding] (וְאַחַ״כ הַלָּשׁוֹן שֶׁהִיא הַבִּינָה), afterward the Voice (וְאַחַ״כ הַקּוֹל), and afterward the Speech (וְאַחַ״כ הַדִּבּוּר), namely Ze'ir Anpin and Nukvah (דְּהַיְינוּ זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ).