The First Discourse: Zohar I, 15a–15b
מַאֲמָר רִאשׁוֹן: זֹהַר א, טו ע״א־ע״ב
n the Head, by decree of the Holy King (בְּרֵישׁ הוֹרְמָנוּתָא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא), He engraved an engraving in the Supernal Tihara [Tehiru] (גָּלִיף גְּלִיפָא בְּטִיהֲרָאp1-0 עִלָּאָה). The intention of the Mouth (כַּוָּנַת הַפֶּה). The holy Luminary (קַדּוֹשׁ בּוּצִינָא), of the Light (דִּנְהוֹרָא), Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, peace be upon him (רשב״י ע״ה), who is alluded to in the word “Bereish” [In the Head] p1-1(הַנִּרְמָז בְּמִילַת בְּרֵישׁ), explained to us (וּבֵאֵר לָנוּ), these three words: “Bereshit Bara Elohim” (ג׳ תֵּיבוֹת אֵלֶּה בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים) (Genesis 1:1). All of them are in this World of Delight (כֻּלָּם בְּעוֹלַם הַשַּׁעֲשׁוּעַ הַזֶּה הַנִּקְרָא), “Beginning [Reishit]” (רֵאשִׁית), for it is the head of all the worlds (כִּי הוּא רֹאשׁ לְכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת). “Bara Elohim [created Elohim]” (בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים), which is the secret of the King's judgment (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד הַדִּין שֶׁל הַמֶּלֶךְ), Who gives reward and punishment (הַנּוֹתֵן שָׂכָר וָעֹנֶשׁ), in the mystery of the boundary of the words of the World of the Malbush [Garment]” (בְּסוֹד הַגְּבוּל שֶׁל תֵּיבוֹת עוֹלָם הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ). Therefore the holy Mouth called it (וְלָכֵן קְרָאוֹ הַפֶּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ), in the Zohar on Bereshit (בַּזֹּהַר בְּרֵאשִׁית), “by decree of the Semitra [Mitre/Turban]” (מִטוּן דְּסְמִיטְרָא) (Zohar Bereshit 29a), its explanation being “within the circle of the turban” (פֵּירוּשׁוֹ בְּעִגּוּל הַמִּצְנֶפֶת), which is upon the head (אֲשֶׁר הִיא עַל הָרֹאשׁ). Thus this world is the lower head (כָּךְ הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הוּא רֹאשׁ דְּלְתַתָּא), the secret of Mayin Nukvin (סוֹד מ״ן). The delights of Yisrael are awakened (מִתְעוֹרְרִים הַשַּׁעֲשׁוּעִים שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל), which arose in the Thought (עָלָה בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה), of the World of the Garment (שֶׁל עוֹלָם הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ), therefore the Zohar said (לָכֵן אָמַר בַּזֹּהַר), “with the delights of the Holy King” (בְּשַׁעֲשׁוּעִים דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא). And hold this principle in your hand (וּנְקוֹט הָא כְּלָל בְּיָדְךָ): every place where “delight” is mentioned (כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר שַׁעֲשׁוּעַ), it is the light of the flow of this joy (הוּא אוֹר שֶׁפַע שֶׁל שִׂמְחָה הַזֹּאת), which anoints the World of Beri’ah together with its companions (הַמְּשַׁח אֶת עוֹלַם הַבְּרִיאָה עִם חֲבֵרָיו), to sweeten its judgments (לְמַתֵּק דִּינָיו), for it is entirely sorrow and sighing (אֲשֶׁר כֻּלּוֹ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה), and all the more so Yetzirah and Asiyah (וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן יְצִירָה וַעֲשִׂיָּה), for in the worlds of Beri’ah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah (כִּי בְּעוֹלָמוֹת בי״ע), the Gevurot are good (טוֹב הֵם הַגְּבוּרוֹת), the Klipot are evil (וְרַע הֵם הַקְּלִיפּוֹת), and the Chasadim come from Above (וְהַחֲסָדִים בָּאִים מִלְמַעְלָה). And this is the secret (וְז״ס), of the delight of the Holy One, Blessed Be He (הַשַּׁעֲשׁוּעַ שֶׁל הַקב״ה), the righteous (הַצַּדִּיקִים).
Notes
See Emek HaMelekh, Part I, Gate One, Chapter Fifty-Two: “Therefore it says, ‘And he chose the portion of the Lawgiver, for there a hidden portion was reserved’ (לָכֵן אָמַר ‘חֶלְקַת מְחֹקֵק שָׂפוּן’) (Deuteronomy 33:21), meaning that the World of the Garment is called ‘the Portion of the Lawgiver’ (כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁעוֹלָם הַמַּלְבּוּשׁ נִקְרָא ‘חֶלְקַת מְחֹקֵק’), namely, the engraving and the measure of the letters (דְּהַיְנוּ הַגְּלִיפוּ וְהַשִּׁעוּר שֶׁל הָאוֹתִיּוֹת), there hidden and concealed (שָׁם סָפוּן וְטָמוּן), and this is the portion of attainment of Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him (וְהוּא חֵלֶק הַהַשָּׂגָה שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם), and this is the fiftieth path which Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, did not attain (וְזֶהוּ הַנָּתִיב הַחֲמִשִּׁים שֶׁלֹּא הִשִּׂיגוֹ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם), as it is said, ‘The path no bird of prey has known’ (נָתִיב לֹא יְדָעוֹ עָיִט) (Job 28:7), … and this engraving is alluded to in the opening of the Zohar (וְהַחֲקִיקָה הַזֹּאת הִיא רְמוּזָה בַּזֹּהַר בְּהַתְחָלָתוֹ): ‘In the Head, by decree of the King, He engraved an engraving in the supernal tehiru’ (בְּרֵישׁ הוֹרְמָנוּתָא דְּמַלְכָּא גָּלִיף גְּלִיפוֹי בְּטָהִירוּ עִלָּאָה), its explanation being: Rashbi, peace be upon him (פֵּירוּשׁ: הָרַשְׁבִּ״י עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם), who is alluded to in the word ‘Bereish [In the Head]’ (הַנִּרְמָז בְּמִלַּת ‘בְּרֵישׁ’), an acronym for ‘Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’ (נוֹטָרִיקוֹן ‘רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחַאי’), and he is a spark of Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him (וְהוּא נִיצוֹץ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ ע״ה), both of them attained the ‘Hormanuta’ (decree, permission, authority) (שְׁנֵיהֶם הִשִּׂיגוּ אֶל ‘הַהוֹרְמָנוּתָא’), and the dominion of the judgment of engraving (וְהַשּׁוֹלְטָנוּת שֶׁל דִּין הַחֲקִיקָה).”
Tehiru (בְּטָהִירוּ) in Zohar daf 15a