All His Blessed Actions Are Composed of Emanation and Limitation – Aspects of Chesed and judgment
כָּל פְּעוּלוֹתָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ מֻרְכָּבוֹת מֵהָאָרָה וְהַגְבָּלָה – בְּחִינַת חֶסֶד וְדִין
Know, that our Sages of blessed memory said that the Holy One Blessed Be He created the world with judgment (דַּע, כִּי אָמְרוּ רַז״ל שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בָּרָא אֶת הָעוֹלָם בְּדִין), and He partnered with it the attribute of mercy (וְשִׁיתֵּף עִמּוֹ מִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים). And the secret of this matter is: that the Emanator, blessed be He, is infinite (וְסוֹד הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה הוּא – כִּי הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּלְתִּי–בַּעַל–תַּכְלִית), and His operations, if He wished to act by His own power, would likewise be infinite (וּפְעֻלוֹתָיו אִם הָיָה רוֹצֶה לִפְעֹל בְּכֹחוֹ, הָיוּ בִּלְתִּי תַּכְלִית גַּם כֵּן). But He desired to create beings that are finite (וְהוּא רָצָה לִבְרוֹא נִבְרָאִים בַּעֲלֵי תַּכְלִית), and therefore He acted with finite operations (וְלָכֵן פָּעַל פְּעֻלוֹת בַּעֲלֵי תַּכְלִית).
The explanation of the matter is-not that there is finitude in the essence of their illumination (פֵּרוּשׁ הָעִנְיָן, לֹא שֶׁיְּהֵא תַּכְלִית בְּעַצְמוּת הָהָאָרָה שֶׁלָּהֶם), for this cannot be said (כִּי אֵין שַׁיָּךְ לוֹמַר זֶה הָעִנְיָן), since the Emanator, blessed be He, is the One Who acts, and He acts by way of radiant emanation (כִּי הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא הוּא הַפּוֹעֵל, וּפוֹעֵל בְּדֶרֶךְ הִתְנַצּוּצוּת), and since He is infinite-His radiance is likewise so (וּבִהְיוֹתוֹ בִּלְתִּי–בַּעַל–תַּכְלִית – גַּם הִתְנַצּוּצוּתוֹ הוּא כָּךְ), as if we could say-all of Him radiates (כְּאִלּוּ נוּכַל לוֹמַר – כֻּלוֹ מִתְנַצֵּץ), for in truth, the one who acts, acts with his entire being in every operation that he performs (כִּי בֶאֱמֶת כָּל הַפּוֹעֵל הוּא פּוֹעֵל בְּכָל פְּעוּלָה שֶׁיָּפְעַל).
Only this can be said-that the One acting need not place His full power in every operation He performs (רַק זֶה נוּכַל לוֹמַר – שֶׁאֵין צָרִיךְ הַפּוֹעֵל לָתֵת בְּכָל פְּעוּלָה מִמֶּנּוּ כָּל כֹּחוֹ), for behold, in one action He may increase power more than in another (כִּי הֲלֹא בִּפְעוּלָה אַחַת יוֹסִיף כֹּחַ מִפְּעוּלָה אַחֶרֶת). And therefore it is said that the Emanator, blessed be He, did not wish to act with His full power, which is infinite, but only with a measured portion of that which He desired and decreed (וְעַל כֵּן נֶאֱמַר שֶׁהַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֹא רָצָה לִפְעֹל בְּכָל כֹּחוֹ, שֶׁהוּא בִּלְתִּי–בַּעַל–תַּכְלִית, אֶלָּא בְּמִקְצַת כֹּחַ מִמַּה שֶׁרָצָה וְגָזַר). It is found, according to this, that the first matter which the Emanator, blessed be He, did was to set a boundary to the power through which He would perform His actions (נִמְצָא לְפִי זֶה, שֶׁהָעִנְיָן הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁעָשָׂה הַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא – הוּא שֵׂם הַגְּבוּל לַכֹּחַ הַזֶּה שֶׁבּוֹ יִפְעַל פְּעֻלוֹתָיו). And in truth, every action will have a boundary of its own (וּבֶאֱמֶת כָּל פְּעוּלָה יִהְיֶה לָהּ גְּבוּל בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ).
And this quality of boundary is itself an action that accompanies each of His actions as a mode of illumination (וְנִמְצָא בְּחִינַת הַגְּבוּל הַזֶּה גַּם כֵּן פְּעוּלָה הַמִּתְלַוָּה אֶל כָּל פְּעוּלָה מִפְּעֻלוֹתָיו בְּבְחִינַת הָאָרָה). The explanation of the matter is: that every action is bounded, and therefore within every action there are two things-illumination and boundaryp1-8 (פֵּרוּשׁ הָעִנְיָן, כִּי כָל פְּעוּלָה הִיא מֻגְבֶּלֶת, אִם כֵּן נִמְצָא בְּכָל פְּעוּלָה שְׁנֵי דְּבָרִים – פְּעוּלָה אוֹ הָאָרָה, וְגְּבוּל). And in truth both are operations, for boundary is not mere absence, but a positive existing operation that limitsp1-9 (וּבֶאֱמֶת שְׁנֵיהֶם פְּעוּלוֹת, כִּי אֵין הַגְּבוּל הֶעְדֵּר לְבַדּוֹ, אֶלָּא מְצִיאוּת פְּעוּלָה מְגַבֶּלֶת).
For behold, you have heard how all the operations of the Emanator are in the mode of illumination, which has real existence (וְזֶה, כִּי הֲלֹא שָׁמַעְתָּ אֵיךְ כָּל פְּעוּלוֹת הַמַּאֲצִיל הֵן בְּדֶרֶךְ הִתְנַצּוּצוּת, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶן מְצִיאוּת), and therefore even the operation of delimitation is a real, substantial matter (וְלָכֵן גַּם פְּעוּלַת הַהַגְבָּלָה הוּא עִנְיָן נִמְצָא, מַמָּשִׁי). And this is the secret of the verse, “He made darkness His hiding place” (וְהוּא סוֹד הַכָּתוּב ״יַשֶׁת חֹשֶׁךְ סִתְרוֹ״), and this operation accompanies the operation of illumination, more or less, and gives measure to the illumination itself (וְזֹאת הַפְּעוּלָה מִתְלַוָּה אֶל פְּעוּלַת הָהָאָרָה, יוֹתֵר אוֹ פָּחוֹת, וּנוֹתֶנֶת מִדָּה לָהָאָרָה עַצְמָהּ).
And in truth, the separate entities-and especially the corporeal-are such because of the great limitation of the illumination within them, such that they remain in darkness (וּבֶאֱמֶת הַנִּפְרָדִים, וּבִפְרָט הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים, הֵם כָּךְ – מִפְּנֵי רֹב הֱיוֹת נִגְבֶּלֶת הָהָאָרָה בָּהֶם, שֶׁהֵם נִשְׁאָרִים חֲשׁוּכִים). For the body is very dark, and the Neshamah less so than it (כִּי הַגּוּף חָשׁוּךְ הַרְבֵּה, וְהַנְּשָׁמָה פָּחוֹת מִמֶּנָּה). And the angels are elevated likewise above humankind (וְהַמַּלְאָכִים מִתְעַלִּים כְּמוֹ כֵן עַל בְּנֵי אָדָם), and they themselves are elevated one above the other in their degrees (וְהֵם עַצְמָם מִתְעַלִּים זֶה עַל זֶה בְּמַדְרֵגָתָם). And the closer one is to the Essence, the more illumination he has within his essence, and is further from the nature of darkness than one beneath him (וְהַקָּרוֹב יוֹתֵר הוּא אֲשֶׁר בְּעַצְמוּתוֹ יֵשׁ הָאָרָה יוֹתֵר, וּמִתְרַחֵק מִמַּהוּת הָאֲפֵלָה שֹׁרֶשׁ, פָּחוֹת מִמַּה שֶּׁמִּתְרַחֵק מִי שֶׁהוּא תַּחְתָּיו). Even though the distance from the root to the branch is in truth very great, it will nonetheless be a lesser distance than the one below it (גַּם כִּי הָרִיחוּק מִן הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ אֶל הָעֲנָף כְּבָר רַב הוּא בֶאֱמֶת, אֲבָל יִהְיֶה רָחוֹק פָּחוֹת מִן הָאַחֵר).
It is found according to this, that the root of the existence of all beings is this very limitation (נִמְצָא לְפִי זֶה, שֹׁרֶשׁ מְצִיאוּת הַנִּמְצָאִים הוּא הַגְּבוּל הַזֶּה), for the Emanator, blessed be He, has no boundary (כִּי לַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֵין גְּבוּל), and the boundary exists in the created beings (וְהַגְּבוּל הוּא בַּנִּבְרָאִים), and the Emanator, blessed be He, according to the boundary-so does He shine His illuminations (וְהַמַּאֲצִיל בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְפִי הַגְּבוּל – כָּךְ מֵאִיר בְּהָאֲרוֹתָיו), such that the illumination is measured according to that boundary (שֶׁהָאֲרָה תִּהְיֶה נִמְדֶּדֶת בַּגְּבוּל הַהוּא). And this boundary is the matter of judgment (וְזֶה הַגְּבוּל הוּא עִנְיָן הַדִּין), which is required specifically for the sake of created beings (הַמִּצְטָרֵךְ דַּוְקָא לְצוֹרֶךְ הַנִּמְצָאִים). And Chesed is the aspect of illumination and expansion (וְהַחֶסֶד הוּא בְּחִינַת הָאֲרָה וְהִתְפַּשְּׁטוּת). And behold, the creation of the world was through judgment-and this is the initial boundary placed upon the illumination (וְהִנֵּה בְּרִיאָת הָעוֹלָם הָיָה בְּדִין, וְהוּא הַגְּבוּל הַזֶּה הַנִּתָּן בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה אֶל הָאֲרָה):
Notes
Illumination or boundary (הָאֲרָה אוֹ גְּבוּל): and this is the secret of what is brought many times in Tikkunei Zohar and by the Ramchal (וְהוּא סוֹד מַה שֶּׁמֻּבָא פְּעָמִים רַבּוֹת בִּתִּיקּוּנֵי זוֹהַר, וְאֵצֶל הָרַמְחַ״ל), see Adir BaMarom, page 258 (רְאֵה אַדִּיר בַּמָּרוֹם, עַמּוּד רנ״ח): and the truth is that the root of the formation of the letters themselves is the four letters of the Name, blessed be He (וְהָאֱמֶת כִּי שֹׁרֶשׁ בִּנְיַן הָאוֹתִיּוֹת עַצְמָן הֵם ד׳ אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל הַשֵּׁם בָּרוּךְ הוּא), and the explanation of the matter is thus (וּפֵרוּשׁ הָעִנְיָן כָּךְ הוּא): know that the types of illuminations at their beginning are two (דַּע כִּי מִינֵי הָאֲרוֹת בְּרֵאשִׁיתָן הֵם שְׁנַיִם), and that is either a spark or a firmament (וְהַיְנוּ אוֹ נִיצוֹץ אוֹ רָקִיעַ), meaning-either a contained and sealed illumination, which is Yud (פֵּרוּשׁ – אוֹ הָאָרָה כְּלוּלָה וּסְתוּמָה וְהִיא יו״ד), or open and expanding, which is Vav (אוֹ פְּתוּחָה וּמִתְפַּשֶּׁטֶת וְהִיא וָו). And afterward, from these two arose the combinations (וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵאֵלֶּה הַשְּׁנַיִם גָּעֲשׁוּ הַהַרְכָּבוֹת), that is, these joined with each other (שֶׁנִּתְחַבְּרוּ אֵלֶּה עִם אֵלֶּה יַחַד), either firmament with firmament or firmament with spark (אוֹ רָקִיעַ בְּרָקִיעַ אוֹ רָקִיעַ בְּנִיצוֹץ), but spark with spark does not constitute a combination (אֲבָל נִיצוֹץ בְּנִיצוֹץ אֵין שַׁיָּךְ לוֹמַר הַרְכָּבָה), for the joining of sparks is itself a firmament (כִּי חִבּוּר הַנִּיצוֹצוֹת הִיא רָקִיעַ), which is a line made of points (שֶׁהוּא קַו עָשׂוּי מִנְּקֻדּוֹת). And the remaining combinations are only two types (וְנִשְׁאֲרוּ הַהַרְכָּבוֹת שְׁנֵי מִינִים לְבַד), either firmament with spark-such as Alef, which is Yud–Vav–Yud (אוֹ רָקִיעַ בְּנִיצוֹץ, כְּגוֹן א׳ – יו״י), or firmament with firmament-such as Bet, which is two Vavs (אוֹ רָקִיעַ בְּרָקִיעַ, כְּגוֹן ב׳ – שֶׁהוּא שְׁנֵי וָוִי״ן). And the root of these combinations is in the letter Hey (וְשֹׁרֶשׁ הַהַרְכָּבוֹת הָאֵלֶּה הוּא בָּאוֹת ה״), which includes two types of combinations (שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ שְׁנֵי מִינֵי הַרְכָּבוֹת): either in the form of Dalet–Vav, in which firmament joins with firmament (אוֹ צוּרַת ד״ו, שֶׁבָּהּ מִתְחַבֵּר רָקִיעַ בְּרָקִיעַ), or in the form Dalet–Yud, in which firmament joins spark (אוֹ צוּרַת ד״י, שֶׁבָּהּ מִתְחַבֵּר רָקִיעַ בְּנִיצוֹץ). And these are the two Heys of the Holy Name (וְאֵלֶּה הֵן שְׁתֵּי הֵי״ין שֶׁל הַשֵּׁם הַקָּדוֹשׁ). And once the root was given to this composition (וּכְיוֹן שֶׁנִּתַּן שֹׁרֶשׁ לְהַרְכָּבָה הַזֹּאת), then the twenty-two letters were formed in their orders (אָז נַעֲשׂוּ הַכ״ב אוֹתִיּוֹת בְּסִדְרֵיהֶן), and they became the foundations of all the rest of the structure (וְנַעֲשׂוּ יְסוֹדוֹת לְכָל שְׁאָר הַבִּנְיָן). See also Klach Pithei Chokhmah, Petach 19 (רְאֵה גַּם כֵּן קַֽלַ״ח פִּתְחֵי חָכְמָה, פֶּתַח י״ט).
See also Klach Pithei Chokhmah, Petach 24, where it is explained (רְאֵה גַּם קַֽלַ״ח פֶּתַח כ״ד, בְּפֵרוּשׁ): “And He took for Himself a path of limited action (וְלָקַח לוֹ דֶּרֶךְ פְּעוּלָה מֻגְבֶּלֶת)-and this is called the Tzimtzum of the Ein Sof, blessed be He (וְזֶה נִקְרָא צִמְצוּם אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא), that is to say, the Tzimtzum is not negation to the outside (ר״ל שֶׁאֵין הַצִּמְצוּם הֶעְדֵּר לַבַּר), but a sustaining force (אֶלָּא קִיּוּם). The Infinite is stirred in this matter (הַבִּלְתִּי תַּכְלִית נֶעֱרַר בְּעִנְיָן זֶה), but the boundary is sustained (אֲבָל הַגְּבוּל מִתְקַיֵּם), and it is the root of the judgment that became revealed” (וְהוּא שֹׁרֶשׁ הַדִּין שֶׁנִּתְגַּלֶּה).