Daf 6b (דַּף ו׳ ע״ב)

In the secret of El Dad, etc. (בְּסוֹד אֵל דַּד וְכוּ׳), and there the measure of his attainment is also established (וְשָׁם נַעֲשֶׂה גַּם כֵּן שִׁעוּר אֶל הַשָּׂגָתוֹ), through the power of the Gevurot in Reisha d'Ein [the Head of Ein] (מִכֹּחַ הַגְּבוּרוֹת שֶׁבְּרֵישָׁא דְּאֵין), in the secret of “And Elohim said” (בְּסוֹד וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים). And since the attainment and the flow of the Torah proceed downward (וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהַהַשָּׂגָה וְהַשֶּׁפַע שֶׁל הַתּוֹרָה הוֹלֶכֶת לְמַטָּה), it proceeds in the secret of speech (הוּא הוֹלֵךְ בְּסוֹד הַדִּבּוּר), which never ceases (שֶׁאֵינוֹ פּוֹסֵק), as I have written (כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּבְתִּי), concerning the Ten Commandments (עַל עִנְיַן עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת), on the verse “Anochi [I Am]” (בַּפָּסוּק אָנֹכִי) (Exodus 20:2), that the speech came from the Holy One, Blessed Be He (שֶׁהַדִּבּוּר בָּא מִן הַקב״ה), right and left (יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל), male and female (זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה), the Written Torah and the Oral Torah (תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב וְתוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה), and it appeared before the camp of Yisrael (וְהָיְתָה מִתְרָאָה עַצְמָהּ נֶגֶד מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל), and afterward was engraved upon the Tablets (וְהָיְתָה אַחַר כָּךְ נֶחְקֶקֶת בַּלוּחוֹת), and this is the secret of the proclamation (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד הַכָּרוֹז), Above (שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה), which never ceases (שֶׁאֵינוֹ פּוֹסֵק).

“The Zohar of the Concealment of Concealments” (זֹהַר סְתִימוּ דִּסְתִימִין), its explanation being: this Yod (פֵּירוּשׁ הַיּוֹ״ד הַזֹּאת), which illuminates (הַמְּאִירוֹת), and reveals (וּמִתְגַּלּוֹת), the power of the Gevurot in Chokhmah (כֹּחַ הַגְּבוּרוֹת בַּחָכְמָה), in the secret of the Hard Spark (בְּסוֹד בּוּצִינָא דְקַדְרִינוּתָא), therefore this Yod is called “Zohar” (וְלָכֵן הַיּוֹ״ד הַזֹּאת נִקְרָא זֹהַר), for the Light shines forth and is revealed in Chokhmah (שֶׁמִּתְנוֹצֵץ וּמִתְגַּלֶּה אוֹר בַּחָכְמָה), which is called “the Hidden of hiddenness” (הַנִּקְרָא סְתִימוּ דִּסְתִימִין), as we explained in the previous discourse (כִּדְפֵירַשְׁנוּ בַּמַּאֲמָר הַקּוֹדֵם). “It struck its Air” (בָּטִישׁ אֲוִירָא דִילֵיהּ), that is to say, with its exceedingly fine lower point (ר״ל בְּהַקּוֹץ הַתַּחְתּוֹן שֶׁלָּהּ הַדַּק מְאֹד), it struck the sphere of the Tehiru (בָּטְשָׁה בַּכַּדּוּר הַטְּהִירוּ), so that a slight Air was made in the place of the breakthrough (דְּנַעֲשָׂה מְעַט אֲוִיר בִּמְקוֹם הַבְּקִיעָה), which is the secret of the revelation of the Yod, the Ten Utterances between the letters of “Avir [Air]” (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד גִּלּוּי יו״ד מַאֲמָרוֹת בֵּין אוֹתִיּוֹת אֲוִיר), for it is Avir [Air] (הִיא אֲוִיר), and it is the secret of the Ten Utterances (וְהוּא סוֹד עֶשֶׂר מַאֲמָרוֹת), and the twenty-two letters (וְכ״ב אוֹתִיּוֹת), which are called the Light of the Garment (הַנִּקְרָאִים אוֹר הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ). And the meaning of this striking (וְעִנְיַן הַבְּטִישָׁה הַזֹּאת), is that it strikes and joins itself (הוּא שֶׁהִיא מַכָּה וּמְזַוֶּגֶת עַצְמָהּ), among the twenty-two letters of the Torah (בֵּין אוֹתִיּוֹת הַכ״ב שֶׁל הַתּוֹרָה), and brings them forth (וּמוֹצִיאָם), outside (לַחוּץ), and pushes them (וְדָחְתָה אוֹתָם), downward (לְמַטָּה). “It reaches and does not reach” (דְּמָטֵי וְלָא מָטֵי), that is to say, this Yod (ר״ל כִּי הַיּוֹ״ד הַזֹּאת), does not reach with its body (אֵינֶנָּה מַגַּעַת בְּגוּפָהּ), to the place where this point was divided (לַמָּקוֹם שֶׁנֶּחְלְקָה הַנְּקוּדָּה הַזֹּאת), and it does not descend so far below (וְאֵינָהּ הוֹלֶכֶת כָּל כָּךְ לְמַטָּה), to complete this action (לִגְמוֹר הַפְּעֻלָּה הַזֹּאת), rather it only shines forth below (רַק הִיא מִתְנוֹצֶצֶת לְמַטָּה), and gives power to this point (וְנוֹתֶנֶת כֹּחַ לַנְּקוּדָּה הַזֹּאת), to perform its action (לַעֲשׂוֹת פְּעֻלָּתָהּ), but with its body it does not reach at all (אֲבָל בְּגוּפָהּ אֵינָהּ מַגַּעַת כְּלָל), to the body of the Tehiru (בְּגוּף הַטְּהִירוּ), and it does not make a thick, coarse, and broad breakthrough (וְאֵינָהּ עוֹשָׂה בְּקִיעָה עָבָה וְגַסָּה וּרְחָבָה), only a constricted Air of this breakthrough (רַק דְּחוּקָה אֲוִיר הַבְּקִיעָה הַזֹּאת), and with its body it hovers over the sphere of the Tehiru from outside (וּבְגוּפָהּ הִיא מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי כַּדּוּר הַטְּהִירוּ מִבַּחוּץ), and rests upon it alone (וְיָשְׁבָה עָלָיו לְבַד), and pierced only with its lower point (וְלֹא בָּקְעָה אֶלָּא בְּהַגִּיוֹ הַתַּחְתּוֹן), therefore this breakthrough did not widen through the force of the striking (לָכֵן לֹא נִתְרַחֲבָה הַבְּקִיעָה הַזֹּאת מִכֹּחַ הַבְּטִישָׁה), and likewise Above it cannot ascend (וְגַם לְמַעְלָה אֵינָהּ יְכוֹלָה לַעֲלוֹת), for its light had already become somewhat dense by its descent below (כִּי כְּבָר נִתְעַבָּה אוֹרָהּ בִּירִידָתָהּ לְמַטָּה), and it also does not possess sufficient power (וְגַם אֵין לָהּ כָּל כָּךְ כֹּחַ), to perform the action of Judgment in its completeness in its own place (לִפְעֹל פְּעֻלַּת הַדִּין בִּשְׁלֵמוּת בִּמְקוֹמָהּ), for that place is Chesed (כִּי הַמָּקוֹם הוּא חֶסֶד). For it is outside (כִּי הִיא מִלְּבַר), and therefore it has no ability to split the sphere into two (וְלָכֵן אֵין לָהּ לְבַקֵּעַ הַכַּדּוּר לִשְׁנַיִם), and it is unable to pierce the sphere except with its lower point (וְאֵינֶנָּה יְכוֹלָה לִבְקֹעַ הַכַּדּוּר כִּי אִם בְּהַגִּיו הַתַּחְתּוֹן), and for this very reason it reaches and does not reach (וּמִזֶּה הַטַּעַם עַצְמוֹ מָטֵי וְלָא מָטֵי), because the thickness of the sphere prevents it (כִּי עֹבִי הַכַּדּוּר מְעַכְּבָהּ), from entering into the thickness of its middle point (שֶׁלֹּא לִכְנֹס בְּעֹבִי הַגִּיו שֶׁבָּאֶמְצַע). In this point (בְּהַאי נְקוּדָה), namely, the Hard Spark (כְּלוֹמַר הַבּוּצִינָא דְקַדְרִינוּתָא), it is still a point (עוֹדֶנּוּ נְקוּדָה), for it is not divided into its parts (דְּאֵינוֹ נֶחְלָק לַחֲלָקָיו), into Yod, Vav and Yod, Vav (לְי״ו י״ו), or into the thirty-two (אוֹ ל״ב), and the three hundred and twenty and three hundred and twenty-five Judgments (וְש״ךְ וְשכ״ה דִּינִין), therefore it is called a point (וְלָכֵן נִקְרֵאת נְקוּדָה), because it is not divided into parts (שֶׁאֵינָהּ נֶחְלֶקֶת לַחֲלָקִים), and furthermore the Judgment is hidden within it (וְעוֹד הַדִּין גָּנוּז בְּתוֹכָהּ), for it reaches and does not reach in this point (כִּי הִיא מָטֵי וְלָא מָטֵי בְּזֹאת הַנְּקוּדָה), and therefore it is not divided by its own power (וְלָכֵן אֵינָהּ נֶחְלֶקֶת בְּכֹחַ עַצְמָהּ).