Daf 73b (דַּף ע״ג ע״ב)

For Da'at [Knowledge] is very high above her, “as high as the heavens are above the earth” (כִּי גָּבַהּ מִמֶּנָּה מְאֹד כִּגְבֹהַּ שָׁמַיִם עַל הָאָרֶץ) (Psalms 103:11), for she is the lower Rose (שֶׁהִיא הַשּׁוֹשַׁנָּה הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה), however Tiferet, which is outside, together with this inward Rose, are equal (וְאָמְנָם הַתּ״ת שֶׁהוּא מִלְּבַר עִם שׁוֹשַׁנָּה זוֹ הַפְּנִימִיּוּת שָׁוִים), and concerning them they said, “It is impossible for two kings,” namely Tiferet and his Nukvah, this inward one, “to use one crown” (וַעֲלֵיהֶם אָמְרוּ א״א לִשְׁנֵי מְלָכִים שֶׁהֵם תּ״ת וְנוּקְבֵיהּ זוֹ פְּנִימִיּוּת לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּכֶתֶר א׳), for they are all equal, as explained (שֶׁכֻּלָּם שָׁוִים כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּי׳), and it was said to her, “Go and diminish yourself” (אֲשֶׁר נֶאֱמַר לָהּ לְכִי וּמַעֲטִי אֶת עַצְמֵךְ), to enclothe in the body (לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּגוּפָא), which is the outer Malkhut (וְהוּא הַמַּלְכוּת הַחִיצוֹנָה), which emerged from behind him, from between the two arms (שֶׁיָּצְאָה מֵאֲחוֹרוֹי מִבֵּין תְּרֵין דְּרוֹעִין). “Likewise, the Elohim here, from the time that thirteen words are mentioned” (אַף אֱלֹהִים דְּהָכָא מִשַּׁעְתָּא דְּאַדְכַּר י״ג תֵּיבִין), means that these thirteen Attributes of Mercy were drawn to her from the aspect of her supernal six extremities (יִרְצֶה כִּי י״ג מְכִילָן דְּרַחֲמֵי אֵלּוּ נִמְשְׁכוּ לָהּ מִצַּד שֵׁשׁ קְצָווֹתֶיהָ הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת), which are in Chokhmah [Wisdom], each included within the other, making thirteen (שֶׁהֵם בְּחָכְמָה נִכְלָלִים כָּל א׳ בַּחֲבֵירוֹ וְהֵם י״ג), and furthermore, the Elohim here, which is Imma Ila'ah [Supernal Mother], brought forth thirteen words from her six extremities from the side of Judgment (וְעוֹד אֱלֹהִים דְּהָכָא שֶׁהוּא אִימָּא עִלָּאָה הוֹצִיאָה י״ג תֵּיבוֹת מִשֵּׁשׁ קְצָווֹתֶיהָ מִצַּד הַדִּין), to guard this inward point, so that the Klipot would not draw from her (לִשְׁמוֹר נְקוּדָּה זוֹ הַפְּנִימִיּוּת לְבַל יִשְׁאֲבוּ מִמֶּנָּה הַקְּלִיפּוֹת), and this is the meaning of, “to surround Knesset Yisrael and to guard her” (וְז״שׁ לְאַסְחֲרָא לכ״י וּלְנַטְרָא לָהּ). After I wrote all this, I contemplated what is mentioned in Sefer Bamidbar, daf 233b, in the Zohar, and this is its language (אַחֲרֵי שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי כָּל זֶה הִתְבּוֹנַנְתִּי בְּמַה שֶּׁנִּזְכָּר בְּסֵפֶר בַּמִּדְבָּר דַּף רל״ג עַמּוּד ב׳ בַּזֹּהַר וְז״ל): “And as for Shushan [Lily], what testimony does it testify? Rather, Shushan [Lily] is testimony to the act of Creation, and it is testimony to Knesset Yisrael, and testimony to Yisrael, and testimony to the unification; this is it, etc.” (וְכִי שׁוּשַׁן מַאי סַהֲדוּתָא סָהִידֵי אֶלָּא שׁוּשַׁן דָּא הִיא סַהֲדוּתָא לְמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית וְאִיהוּ סַהֲדוּתָא לכ״י וְסַהֲדוּתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְסַהֲדוּתָא לְיִחוּדָא דָּא אִיהוּ וכו׳), see there (וְע״שׁ), and these are precisely the words of Rabbi Chizkiyah (וְהֵם הֵם דִּבְרֵי ר׳ חִזְקִיָּה). “And afterward it mentions another time” (וּלְבָתַר אַדְכַּר זִמְנָא אַחֲרָא), means that Imma Ila'ah [Supernal Mother] brought forth another five Gevurot [Powers] (יִרְצֶה כִּי אִימָּא עִלָּאָה הוֹצִיאָה עוֹד ה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת), which are the mystery of MNTZPKH (שֶׁהֵם סוֹד מנצפ״ך), to guard the lower Rose that emerged from behind him (לִשְׁמוֹר אֶת הַשּׁוֹשַׁנָּה הַתַּחְתּוֹנָה שֶׁיָּצְאָה מֵאֲחוֹרוֹהִי), and these are the five strong petals mentioned here (וְהֵם הֵם חֲמִשָּׁה עָלִין תַּקִּיפִין הַנִּזְכָּר בְּכָאן), and they were drawn from the fifty supernal Gates of Binah [Understanding] (וְנִמְשְׁכוּ מֵחֲמִשִּׁים שַׁעֲרֵי בִּינָה הָעֶלְיוֹנִים), each one included of ten, in the mystery of the Judgment within them (כָּל זו׳ כְּלוּלָה מֵעֶשֶׂר בְּסוֹד הַדִּין שֶׁבָּהֶם), and therefore they are called Gevurot [Powers], in the mystery of Judgment (וּלְפִיכָךְ נִקְרָא גְּבוּרוֹת בְּסוֹד הַדִּין), and they are five gates, each gate including ten (וְאִינוּן חָמֵשׁ תַּרְעִין כָּל שַׁעַר כּוֹלֵל עֶשֶׂר), and they are called Yeshuot [Salvations] (וְאִקְרוֹן יְשׁוּעוֹת), for they save the maiden so that a stranger will not rule over her and so that insolent ones will not oppress her (כִּי הֵם מוֹשִׁיעִים אֶת הַנַּעֲרָה לְבַל יִמְשׁוֹל בָּהּ זָר וּלְבַל יַעַשְׁקוּהָ זֵדִים).