Daf 62b (דַּף ס״ב ע״ב)
Therefore all the Chokhmot [Wisdoms] are designated by the name Thought (לָכֵן כָּל הַחָכְמוֹת נִתְכְּנוּ בְּשֵׁם מַחֲשָׁבָה), which is the mystery of the word Bereshit, whose Targum is BeChokhmata [With Wisdom] (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד מִלַּת בְּרֵאשִׁית שֶׁתַּרְגּוּמוֹ הוּא בְּחָכְמְתָא), that is to say, the mystery that the Chokhmot [Wisdoms] are called Thought (דְּהַיְינוּ סוֹד הַחָכְמוֹת נִקְרְאוּ מַחֲשָׁבָה), and all the Beginnings came from the Yod, which is called Reshit [Beginning] (וְכָל הָרֵאשִׁית בָּאוּ מֵהַיוֹ״ד שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת רֵאשִׁית), and it acts through its Thought in silence (וְהִיא פּוֹעֶלֶת בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתָּהּ בַּחֲשַׁאי), for its activity took place through the repeated returns (כִּי הַפְּעֻלָּה הָיְתָה בְּסוֹד הַחֲזָרוֹת), and through the mystery of the return it established the Kelim [Vessels] (וּבְסוֹד הַחֲזָרָה הִצִּיבָה כֵּלִים), and every return is Judgment (וְכָל חֲזָרָה הִיא דִּין), in the mystery of Elohim (בְּסוֹד אֱלֹהִים), and every Judgment, although it acts in its descent below (וְכָל דִּין אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁפּוֹעֵל בִּירִידָתוֹ לְמַטָּה), ascends silently Above (הוֹלֵךְ בַּחֲשַׁאי לְמַעְלָה), because its nature is like Fire, whose desire is to ascend and not to descend (כִּי טִבְעוֹ הוּא כְּמוֹ הָאֵשׁ שֶׁתְּשׁוּקָתוֹ לַעֲלוֹת וְלֹא לָרֶדֶת), and although within it the Judgment was not yet so manifest in its own place (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבָּהּ לֹא הָיְתָה מִתְגַּלָּה כָּל כָּךְ <בִּמְקוֹמָהּ הַדִּין), nevertheless it was called Reshit [Beginning] (עִם כָּל זֹאת נִקְרְאָה רֵאשִׁית), because from there all the awakenings of the Judgments came forth in potential through its union with the Heh of the Name B"N [Fifty-Two] (שֶׁמִּשָּׁם בָּאוּ כָּל הִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַדִּינִין בְּכֹחַ הִתְחַבְּרוּתָהּ עִם ה׳ שֶׁל שֵׁם ב״ן), but when it descended it separated out a Terumah [Portion], each one by itself, through the power of the Particular (אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיָּרְדָה הִפְרִישָׁה תְּרוּמָה כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְבַדּוֹ בְּכֹחַ הַפְּרָט), and formed the sphere of the Tehiru (וְעָשְׂתָה כְּדוּר הַטְּהִירוּ), and through its return upward it raised the entire Neshamah [Soul] of the Reshimu [Impression] of the Ohr [Light] of the Ein Sof from within the sphere of the Tehiru (וְהִיא הָיְתָה מַעֲלָה בַּחֲזָרָתָהּ לְמַעְלָה כָּל נִשְׁמַת רֹשֶׁם אוֹר אֵין סוֹף שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַכַּדּוּר שֶׁל טְהִירוּ לְמַעְלָה), and from it Adam Kadmon came into being (וְנַעֲשָׂה מִמֶּנּוּ אָדָם קַדְמוֹן),p1-66 for this Light prevented the revelation of the Kelim [Vessels], which establish the boundary and the Measuring Line for all emanated beings (כִּי הָאוֹר זֶה הָיָה מוֹנֵעַ גִּלּוּי שֶׁל הַכֵּלִים הַנּוֹתֵן גְּבוּל וְקַו הַמִּדָּה לְכָל הַדְּבָרִים הַנֶּאֱצָלִים), but this took place in silence, in the manner of Judgment, which acts by way of descent and striking (אֲבָל זֶה הָיָה בַּחֲשַׁאי כְּדֶרֶךְ הַדִּין שֶׁפּוֹעֵל בְּדֶרֶךְ נְפִילָה וְהַכָּאָה), for it struck its essential Heh upon its head and caused it to descend to act in silence (שֶׁהָיְתָה מַכָּה הַה״א שֶׁלָּהּ הַשָּׁרְשִׁית עַל רֹאשָׁהּ וְהוֹרִידָהּ לִפְעוֹל בַּחֲשַׁאי), for immediately afterward it ascended Above again (כִּי תֵּכֶף עָלְתָה לָהּ לְמַעְלָה), and this is the mystery of, “You have laid Your palm upon me, and You cast me down” (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד וַתָּשֶׁת עָלַי כַּפֶּכָה וַתּוֹרִידֵנִי), and that palm, adjacent to its essential Heh (וְהִיא הַכַּף <שֶׁל כַּת> הַסָּמוּךְ לְהֵי שֶׁלָּהּ הַשָּׁרְשִׁית), caused it to descend in order to act and to break open within the sphere of the Tehiru (הִיא הוֹרִידָה לִפְעוֹל וְלִבְקֹעַ בְּתוֹךְ כְּדוּר טְהִירוּ), to distinguish each of the particulars of the Kelim [Vessels] and establish each one separately (לִפְרוֹט כָּל הַפְּרָטִים שֶׁל הַכֵּלִים וּלְהַצִּיב כָּל אֶחָד לְבַדּוֹ), afterward it silently ascended Above and rested upon this sphere, half outside and half inside (וְאַחַ״כ עָלְתָה בַּחֲשַׁאי לְמַעְלָה וְיָשְׁבָה לָהּ עַל כַּדּוּר זֶה חֶצְיָהּ מִבַּחוּץ וְחֶצְיָהּ מִבִּפְנִים),p1-67 and this is the meaning of what the Zohar says, “The power that was lifted up ascended silently, from the mystery of the Ein Sof, at first in the mystery of Thought” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאוֹמֵר בַּזֹּהַר וַיֹּאמֶר חֵילָא דְּאִתְרָם אֲרָמוּתָא בַּחֲשַׁאי מֵרָזָא דְּאֵין סוֹף בְּרֵישׁ בְּרָזָא דְּמַחֲשָׁבָה).
Notes
Compare Emek HaMelekh, Part I, Gate 3, Chapter 4 (רְאוּ עֵמֶק הַמֶּלֶךְ, א, שַׁעַר ג, פֶּרֶק ד): “Five times the Yod descended below to raise the Neshamah [Soul] of the Reshimu [Impression] of the Ohr [Light] of the Ein Sof, blessed be He, upward (וַחֲמִשָּׁה פְּעָמִים יָרְדָה לְמַטָּה הַי׳ לְהַעֲלוֹת נִשְׁמַת רֹשֶׁם אוֹר אֵין סוֹף ב״ה לְמַעְלָה), and the Reshimu [Impression] of the Ohr [Light] of the Neshamah [Soul] of the Garment from the sphere of the Tehiru (וְרֹשֶׁם אוֹר נִשְׁמַת הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ מִכַּדּוּר טְהִירוּ), in order to form from it Adam Kadmon (כְּדֵי לַעֲשׂוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ אָדָם קַדְמוֹן), and every return is Judgment (וְכָל חֲזָרָה הִיא דִּין), like the verse VaYavo [And He Came] from the Name A"B [Seventy-Two], which proceeds backward (כְּמוֹ פָּסוּק וַיָּבֹא [מִשֵּׁם ע״ב] שֶׁהוּא לְאָחוֹר), and it strikes the Light toward the back aspects (וְהוּא מַכֶּה הָאוֹר לָאֲחוֹרַיִים), preventing the sphere of the Tehiru from being revealed (הַמּוֹנֵעַ מִלְּהִתְגַּלּוֹת כַּדּוּר הַטְּהִירוּ). The reason for the five returns is that they come through the power of the Vav-Dalet of the Spelling in Full of the Yod (וְטַעַם הַחֲמִשָּׁה חֲזָרוֹת הוּא לְפִי שֶׁבָּאִים מִכֹּחַ ו״ד שֶׁל מִלּוּי יו״ד); place the Vav beneath the Dalet and it becomes Heh (תַּעֲשֶׂה ו׳ תַּחַת הַדָּלֶ״ת הִיא ה׳), that is, by adding the short stroke to the Heh (הַיְינוּ הוֹסָפַת הַקַּו הַקָּצָר לַהֵ״א), and every Spelling in Full is Judgment (וְכָל מִלּוּי הוּא דִּין), in order to attain the intended purpose of the creation of the World of the Nefesh [Soul], namely the World of the Tehiru (כְּדֵי לָבוֹא אֶל כַּוָּנַת תַּכְלִית בְּרִיאַת עוֹלַם הַנֶּפֶשׁ, עוֹלַם הַטְּהִירוּ).
Compare Emek HaMelekh, Part 1, Gate 5, Chapter 10 (רְאוּ עֵמֶק הַמֶּלֶךְ, א, שַׁעַר ה, פֶּרֶק י): “When the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to bring forth the Sefirot from the aforementioned Keter [Crown], in order to bring the worlds into existence (כְּשֶׁרָצָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהוֹצִיא הַסְּפִירוֹת מֵהַכֶּתֶר הַנִּזְכָּר, כְּדֵי לְהַמְצִיא הָעוֹלָמוֹת), the Holy One, blessed be He, directed this Yod to sit at the head of this Keter [Crown], as mentioned above, half outside and half inside (רָמַז הַקָּבָּ״ה לַיוֹ״ד הַזֹּאת שֶׁתֵּשֵׁב בְּרֹאשׁ הַכֶּתֶר הַזֶּה, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְמַעְלָה, חֶצְיָהּ מִבַּחוּץ וְחֶצְיָהּ מִבִּפְנִים), and the Holy One, blessed be He, directed the Vav of the Spelling in Full of the Vav of the Name S"G [Sixty-Three] to descend through the Tehiru (וְרָמַז הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַוָי״ו שֶׁל מִלּוּי וָא״ו שֶׁל שֵׁם ס״ג שֶׁתֵּרֵד דֶּרֶךְ הַטְּהִירוּ), and to give its Light to the aforementioned Yod (וְתִתֵּן אוֹרָהּ לַיוֹ״ד הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת), for the final Heh of S"G [Sixty-Three] had already given its Light to this Yod from ancient times (כִּי הַה״י אַחֲרוֹנָה שֶׁל ס״ג, נָתְנָה אוֹרָהּ מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא לַיוֹ״ד הַזֹּאת), in order to raise the parts of the Reshimu [Impression], as explained in the previous chapters (לְהַעֲלוֹת חַלְקֵי הָרְשִׁימוּ, כַּנִּזְכָּר בַּפְּרָקִים הַקּוֹדְמִים).