4a (ד׳:א׳)

“And the fourth river is Perat” (וְהַנָּהָר הָרְבִיעִי הוּא פְּרָת), this Sefirah is Malkhut (זוֹאת הַסְּפִירָה הִיא מַלְכוּת), which is the end of the ten Sefirot (שֶׁהִיא סוֹף י׳ סְפִירוֹת). And it is called Perat because from there the fruits of the deeds of human beings are produced (וְנִקְרֵאת פְּרָת שֶׁמִּשָּׁם עוֹשִׂים פֵּרוֹת מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם שֶׁל בְּנֵי אָדָם), both the righteous and the wicked (הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהָרְשָׁעִים).

The righteous, in the manner of “Say of the righteous that it shall be good, for the fruit of their deeds they shall eat” (הַצַּדִּיקִים עַל דֶּרֶךְ: ״אִמְרוּ צַדִּיק כִּי טוֹב כִּי פְּרִי מַעַלְלֵיהֶם יֹאכֵלוּ) (Isaiah 3:10), and the wicked: “Woe to the wicked, [for the reward of his hands shall be done to him]” etc (וְהָרְשָׁעִים: ״אוֹי לָרָשָׁע רָע״ וְגוֹ׳) (Isaiah 3:11). And because it deals to every person according to his way and as the fruit of his deeds (וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא גוֹמֶלֶת לְכָל אִישׁ כְּדַרְכּוֹ וּכְפְרִי מַעַלְלָיו), therefore there is in it a hint of both blessing and blow, as we have said (לָכֵן יֵשׁ בָּהּ רֶמֶז בְּרָכָה וּמַכָּה כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ). And it does not say of it “and the name of the fourth river is Perat” (וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר בָּהּ וְשֵׁם הַנָּהָר הָרְבִיעִי פְּרָת), as it said concerning the three other rivers mentioned (כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בִּג׳ הַנְּהָרוֹת הַנִּזְכָּרִים), and this is because those three Sefirot flow into other Sefirot (הוּא לְפִי שֶׁכָּל ג׳ סְפִירוֹת הָאֵלֶּה הֵם מַשְׁפִּיעִים עַל סְפִירוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת), therefore it says of them “and the name” (לָכֵן נֶאֱמַר בָּהֶם "וְשֵׁם).

But this one, which is the Sefirah of Malkhut, in which all ten Sefirot are completed (אֲבָל זוֹ, שֶׁהִיא סְפִירַת מַלְכוּת, שֶׁבָּהּ נִשְׁלְמוּ כָּל עֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת), it is not fitting to say of it “and the name” (לֹא יִתָּכֵן לוֹמַר בָּהּ ״וְשֵׁם), but rather it said of it simply “Perat” (אֶלָּא אָמַר בָּהּ ״פְּרָת), because from it people receive the fruits of their actions, whether for good or the opposite (כִּי מִמֶּנָּה מְקַבְּלִים בְּנֵי אָדָם שָׂכָר פֵּרוֹתֵיהֶם, אִם טוֹב וְאִם הֲפַכוֹ). And when they are “pure of way” (וּכְשֶׁהֵם תְּמִימֵי דָרֶךְ), the three upper Sefirot influence human beings in a direct path (מַשְׁפִּיעוֹת ג׳ סְפִירוֹת עֶלְיוֹנוֹת עַל בְּנֵי אָדָם דֶּרֶךְ יָשָׁר), as it is said: “And Ya'akov was a pure man, dwelling in tents” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יוֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים) (Bereshit 25:27), the letters of which are the same as Elohim (אוֹתִיּוֹת אֱלֹהִים), explanation: that the influence reaching him from the four Sefirot is settled and ordered in a direct path (פֵּרוּשׁ: שֶׁהַשְׁפָּעָתוֹ הַמַּגַּעַת אֵלָיו מִד׳ סְפִירוֹת הָאֵלּוּ מְיוּשֶּׁבוֹת וּמְתוּקָּנוֹת בְּדֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה).

And the three Sefirot which are Chokhmah, Chesed, and Netzach are the portion of Avraham (וּג׳ סְפִירוֹת שֶׁהֵן חָכְמָה, חֶסֶד, נֵצַח מֵחֶלְקוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם), and the three Sefirot which are Binah, Gevurah, and Hod are the portion of Yitzchak (וּג׳ סְפִירוֹת שֶׁהֵן בִּינָה, גְּבוּרָה, הוֹד מֵחֶלְקוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק). And the portion of Ya'akov, which are Keter, Tiferet, Yesod, Malkhut (וְחֶלְקוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב, שֶׁהֵן כֶּתֶר, תִּפְאֶרֶת, יְסוֹד, מַלְכוּת), influence in a direct path through the middle, from above to below (מַשְׁפִּיעוֹת בְּדֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה בָּאֶמְצָע, מִלְּמַעְלָה לְמַטָּה). If so, in the two Sefirot which are Keter and Tiferet, he mentioned “encircling” (אִם כֵּן, בִּשְׁנֵי הַסְּפִירוֹת שֶׁהֵן כֶּתֶר וְתִפְאֶרֶת הִזְכִּיר ״סוֹבֵב), which are the first two rivers (שֶׁהֵם שְׁנֵי הַנְּהָרוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים), and in the third, which is Yesod, he mentioned “walking” (וּבַשְּׁלִישִׁי שֶׁהוּא יְסוֹד הִזְכִּיר "הוֹלֵךְ), and in the fourth, which is Malkhut, he did not mention walking or encircling (וּבָרְבִיעִי שֶׁהוּא מַלְכוּת לֹא הִזְכִּיר לֹא הֲלִיכָה וְלֹא סִיבּוּב), because it is the end of all the Sefirot (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא סוֹף כָּל הַסְּפִירוֹת), and it has neither to encircle nor to walk, but only to produce fruits (וְאֵין לוֹ לֹא לְסַבֵּב וְלֹא לַהֲלוֹךְ כִּי אִם לַעֲשׂוֹת פֵּרוֹת). Therefore it is called Perat, for it is the reception of reward for good deeds and punishment for transgressions (לָכָךְ נִקְרֵאת פְּרָת, שֶׁהוּא קַבָּלַת שָׂכָר מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים וְעוֹנֶשׁ עֲבֵרוֹת). And so in the attribute of Malkhut is hinted both blessing and blow (וְכֵן נִרְמַז בְּמִדַּת מַלְכוּת בְּרָכָה וּמַכָּה). And he mentioned these four Sefirot alone (וְהִזְכִּיר אֵלוּ ד׳ סְפִירוֹת לְבַדָּן), because in them all ten Sefirot are included (לְפִי שֶׁבָּהֶן נִכְלָלוֹת כָּל עֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת), for thus Yisra’el equals ten in Mispar Katan (שֶׁכָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹלֶה עֲשָׂרָה בְּמִסְפָּר קָטָן). And these four Sefirot influence, as we have written (וְד׳ סְפִירוֹת הָאֵלֶּה מַשְׁפִּיעוֹת כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ), and they are the four elements of the world (וְאֵלּוּ ד׳ יְסוֹדוֹת הָעוֹלָם).

And just as the world was created from four elements (וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהָעוֹלָם נִבְרָא מִד׳ יְסוֹדוֹת), and from them were made all the creatures beneath all the heavens (וּמֵהֶם נַעֲשׂוּ כָּל הַבְּרִיּוֹת אֲשֶׁר תַּחַת כָּל הַשָּׁמַיִם), and without them it is impossible for any being to be made (וּזְלָעָתָם אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהֵעָשׂוֹת שׁוּם נִבְרָא), so too, because of Ya'akov the world is sustained (כָּךְ בַּעֲבוּר יַעֲקֹב נִתְקַיֵּם הָעוֹלָם), for from these four Sefirot the influence reaches him in a straight and perfect path (לְפִי שֶׁמֵּאַרְבַּע סְפִירוֹת הָאֵלּוּ תַּגִּיעַ אֵלָיו הַשְּׁפָעָה בְּדֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה וּתְמִימָה), for all his seed is pure and holy (לְפִי שֶׁכָּל זַרְעוֹ טָהוֹר וְקָדוֹשׁ), unlike Avraham and Yitzchak, from whom came forth inferior seed (לֹא כְּאַבְרָהָם וְלֹא כְּיִצְחָק שֶׁיָּצָא מֵהֶם זֶרַע דְּלָא מַעֲלְיָא).

But Ya'akov has Keter and Tiferet (אֲבָל יַעֲקֹב יֵשׁ לוֹ כֶּתֶר וְתִפְאֶרֶת), Keter corresponding to the intellect (כֶּתֶר כְּנֶגֶד הַשֵּׂכֶל), and Tiferet corresponding to the heart (וְתִפְאֶרֶת כְּנֶגֶד הַלֵּב), and Yesod, which is the foundation of the world (וְיְסוֹד שֶׁהוּא יְסוֹד הָעוֹלָם), and Malkhut, which is the open gateway to bestow kindness upon those who do His will and punishment upon those who transgress His will (וּמַלְכוּת שֶׁהִיא הַפֶּתַח פָּתוּחַ לִגְמוֹל חֶסֶד לְעוֹשֵׂי רְצוֹנוֹ וְהַמַּכָּה לְעוֹבְרֵי רְצוֹנוֹ). And just as if a person lacks intellect or heart or hands or feet he is not called a complete person (וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁאִם יֶחְסַר לְאָדָם שֵׂכֶל אוֹ לֵב אוֹ יָדַיִם אוֹ רַגְלַיִם אֵינוֹ נִקְרָא אָדָם שָׁלֵם), so too if these four Sefirot are delayed from influencing in the order and repair designated for them (כָּךְ אִם יִתְעַכְּבוּ אֵלוּ ד׳ סְפִירוֹת מִלְהַשְׁפִּיעַ כַּסֵּדֶר הַמְּסוּרָה וְהַמְּתוּקֶנֶת לָהֶם), the world would not endure (לֹא יִתְקַיֵּם הָעוֹלָם). And in our time, when Yisrael is in exile and Yesod does not influence Malkhut (וּבִזְמַנֵּנוּ זֶה שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל בַּגָּלוּת וְיְסוֹד אֵינוֹ מַשְׁפִּיעַ עַל מַלְכוּת), how shall the world endure? (אֵיךְ יִתְקַיֵּם הָעוֹלָם)

For this it is said: that because the world lacks Tzaddikim, who are the cause of Yesod’s influence (לָזֶה נֶאֱמַר: כִּי בִּסְבִיבַת שֶׁחָסֵר הָעוֹלָם צַדִּיקִים שֶׁהֵם סִבַּת הַשְׁפָּעַת יְסוֹד), as it is said: “And the Tzaddik is the foundation of the world” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם) (Proverbs 10:25), Yesod is delayed from influencing Malkhut with the blessing it was fit to bestow upon it had there been Tzaddikim in the generation (נִתְעַכֵּב יְסוֹד מִלְהַשְׁפִּיעַ עַל מַלְכוּת הַבְּרָכָה שֶׁהָיָה רָאוּי לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ עָלֶיהָ אִם יִמָּצְאוּ צַדִּיקִים בַּדּוֹר). And now, since none are found in the generation except those filled with wickedness and transgression (וְעַתָּה, שֶׁלֹּא נִמְצְאוּ בַּדּוֹר כִּי אִם בַּעֲלֵי רֶשַׁע וַעֲבֵרוֹת), it bestows upon them blow (מַשְׁפִּיעַ עֲלֵיהֶם מַכָּה), and from it come upon Yisrael the blows and afflictions with which we are smitten and afflicted by the nations (וּמִמֶּנָּה מַגִּיעִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הַמַּכּוֹת וְהַיְּסוּרִין אֲשֶׁר אֲנַחְנוּ מֻכִּים וּמְיוּסָרִים מֵהָאֻמּוֹת).