Daf 8b (דַּף ח׳ ע״ב)

In the secret of Returning Light (בְּסוֹד אוֹר חוֹזֵר), and they do not permit enjoyment from them (וְאֵינָם מַנִּיחִים לֵהָנוֹת מֵהֶם), in this seed of silk (בְּהַאי זַרְעָא דְּמֶשִׁי), meaning (כְּלוֹמַר), in the place of the Tehiru (בִּמְקוֹם טְהִירוּ), the Three Heads of Atika Kadisha were established (נִתְקְנוּ הַתְּלַת רֵישִׁין שֶׁל עַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא), from the seven Inner Lights of the Broken Vessels (מִזּ׳ אוֹרוֹת פְּנִימִיּוֹת שֶׁל מָאנִין תְּבִירִין), which are designated by the name “silk” (הַמְכוּנֶה בְּשֵׁם מֶשִׁי), which is an allegory (שֶׁהוּא מָשָׁל), to distinguish by many distinctions (לְהַבְדִּיל כַּמָּה הַבְדָּלוֹת), the spider's threads (קוֹרֵי עַכָּבִישׁ), which emerge from the worm (שֶׁיּוֹצְאִים מִן הַתּוֹלַעַת), that weaves this silk from its mouth (שֶׁאוֹרֶגֶת מִפִּיהָ הַמֶּשִׁי הַזֶּה). And the World of Tohu was not so that it should be destroyed (שֶׁעוֹלָם הַתֹּהוּ לֹא הָיָה כְּדֵי לְהַחֲרִיבוֹ), and this silk (וְהַמֶּשִׁי הַזֶּה), is also consumed and destroyed (הוּא גַּם כֵּן כָּלֶה וְכָלֶה), and is not a strong substance (וְאֵינוֹ דָּבָר חָזָק). Thus before this seed (כָּךְ קֹדֶם הַזֶּרַע הַזֶּה), it was consumed in the dust (הָיָה מִתְאַכֵּל בֶּעָפָר), and afterward returned, sprouted, and rose in goodness (וְאַחַר כָּךְ חָזַר וְצָמַח וְעָלָה בְּטוֹב), from the Moach [Brain] (מֵהַמּוֹחַ), and existence came into being from nothingness (וְנִתְהַוָּה יֵשׁ מֵאַיִן), for they were only spider's threads that were nothingness (שֶׁהֵם קוֹרֵי עַכָּבִישׁ שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ אֶלָּא אַיִן), and became silk, a precious thing (וְנַעֲשׂוּ מֶשִׁי דָּבָר חָשׁוּב). And even today (וְגַם עוֹד הַיּוֹם), the seed of the Neshamot and the Mochin of Ze'ir Anpin and his Nukvah comes (בָּא הַזֶּרַע שֶׁל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת וְהַמּוֹחִין דְּזְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), and the flow of Abba and Imma and Atika Kadisha (וְהַשְּׁפָּעַת אַבָּא וְאִמָּא וְעַתִּיקָא קַדִּישָׁא), all of it (כֻּלּוֹ), through Mayin Nukvin (עַל יְדֵי מַיִן נוּקְבִין), which is through the thirty-two teeth (שֶׁהוּא עַל יְדֵי הַל״ב שִׁנַּיִם), grinding Manna for the righteous (הַשּׁוֹחֲקִים מ״ן לַצַּדִּיקִים), the sparks of purity (נִיצוֹצֵי טָהֳרָה), and this is the secret of silk (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד מֶשִׁי), for “silk” has the numerical value of “tooth” (כִּי מֶשִׁי גִּימַטְרִיָּא שֵׁ״ן), which is the secret of the teeth (שֶׁהֵם סוֹד הַשִּׁנַּיִם), that separate food from waste (הַמְּבָרְרִים אֹכֶל מִתּוֹךְ הַפְּסֹלֶת). And its awakening comes from the Name Mem-Bet [42] (וְהַתְעוֹרְרוּת שֶׁלּוֹ בָּא מִן שֵׁם מ״ב), which is the secret of Mayin Nukvin (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד מַיִן נוּקְבִין), raising the sparks of purity (הַמַּעֲלֶה הַנִּיצוֹצֵי טָהֳרָה), and bringing down the thirty-two teeth (וְהַמּוֹרִיד אֶת הַל״ב שִׁנַּיִם), and this Name is called “worm” (וְהַשֵּׁם הַזֶּה נִקְרָא תּוֹלַע), because it consumes the impurity of the Klipot (כִּי הוּא מְכַלֶּה הַטֻּמְאָה לַקְּלִיפּוֹת), until they all perish (עַד שֶׁיָּמוּתוּ כֻּלָּם), and also ABGYTTZ has the numerical value of “worm” p1-5(וְגַם אַבְגִיתַ״ץ גִּימַטְרִיָּא תּוֹלַע), and this is the secret of, “The faithful ones are upon the worm” (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד הָאֱמוּנִיִּם עֲלֵי תּוֹלַע) (Lamentations 4:5), they are Yisrael (הֵם יִשְׂרָאֵל), whose Neshamot were made through this worm (נִשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם נַעֲשׂוּ עַל יְדֵי הַתּוֹלַע הַזֶּה), which awakens the thirty-two Elohim (הַמִּתְעוֹרֵר ל״ב אֱלֹהִים), and brings forth sparks of purity (וּמוֹצִיא נִיצוֹצֵי טָהֳרָה), and through this Ze'ir Anpin and his Nukvah unite (וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נִזְדַּוְּגוּ זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ), and from them angels and Neshamot are created (וְנִבְרָאִים מֵהֶם מַלְאָכִים וּנְשָׁמוֹת), and without an awakening from below no union is found (וְזוּלַת אִתְעָרוּתָא דִּתְתָּאֵי אֵין זִוּוּג בִּנְמָצָא). “Purple wool” (דְּאַרְגְּוָן טָב׳), its explanation being: these Gevurot of the Hard Spark (פֵּירוּשׁוֹ הַגְּבוּרוֹת הָאֵלֶּה שֶׁל הַבּוּצִינָא דְקַדְרִינוּתָא), because they did not have revelation (לִהְיוֹת שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה לָהֶם הִתְגַּלּוּת), in the secret of silk (בְּסוֹד מֶשִׁי), whose beginning is nothingness (שֶׁתְּחִלָּתוֹ אַיִן), like the seven Keters, the seven Chokhmot, and the seven Binot (כְּמוֹ הַז׳ כְּתָרִים וְהַז׳ חָכְמוֹת וְהַז׳ בִּינוֹת), and the Three Heads were formed (וְנַעֲשׂוּ ג׳ רֵישִׁין), in this Malkhut (בַּמַּלְכוּת הַזֹּאת), each kind found its own kind (מָצָא מִין אֶת מִינוֹ), and the thirty-two membranes were strengthened (וְנִתְחַזְּקוּ הַל״ב קְרוּמִים), in this House, namely the Malkhut of Reisha d'Lo Ityada [The Unknowable Head] (בַּבַּיִת הַזֹּאת הִיא מַלְכוּת דְּל״א). But when the letters MNTZPKH spread below (אֲבָל כְּשֶׁמִּתְפַּשְּׁטִים לְמַטָּה אוֹתִיּוֹת מנצפ״ך), which are the root of the Name Elohim (אֲשֶׁר הֵם שֹׁרֶשׁ שֶׁל שֵׁם אֱלֹהִים), the first two letters become the most severe Judgment (נַעֲשִׂים שְׁתֵּי אוֹתִיּוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת דִּין קָשֶׁה בְּיוֹתֵר), and they are the secret of Mayin Nukvin (וְהֵם סוֹד מ״ן), and there is concern (וְיֵשׁ לָחוּשׁ), lest they become excessively strengthened (שֶׁלֹּא יִתְחַזְּקוּ יוֹתֵר מִדַּי), so that they spread below (שֶׁיִּתְפַּשְּׁטוּ לְמַטָּה), and from the Mem is made “death” and from the Nun “serpent” (וְיַעֲשֶׂה מֵהַמֵּ״ם מָוֶת וּמִן הַנּוּ״ן נָחָשׁ), for it itself has the form of a serpent (כִּי הִיא עַצְמָהּ צוּרַת נָחָשׁ), therefore it is elongated (לָכֵן הִיא אֲרֻכָּה), and on the Side of the Other Side (וּבְסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא), they are called “the five foreign crowns” (הֵם נִקְרָאִים ה׳ קִטְרִין נוּכְרָאָן), which strengthened the Mayin Nukvin (שֶׁהֶחֱזִיקוּ אֶת הַמ״ן), its explanation being: the Mayin Nukvin are M"N, and the five Gevurot are included within it p1-6(פֵּירוּשׁ הַמ״ן הוּא מ״ן וְה׳ גְּבוּרוֹת נִכְלָלִים בּוֹ), and death and the serpent ruled over it (וּמָוֶת וְנָחָשׁ שָׁלְטוּ בּוֹ), upon the tree fifty cubits high (בְּעֵץ גָּבֹהַּ חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה) (Esther 5:14), therefore they require sweetening (לָכֵן צְרִיכִים מִיתּוּק).