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דוְהֵן הֵם כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשִׂים תַּחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, אֲשֶׁר ״הַכֹּל הֶבֶל וּרְעוּת רוּחַ״, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר בְּשַׁלַּח, שֶׁהֵן ״תְּבִירוּ דְרוּחָא כוּ׳״, וְכֵן כָּל הַדִּבּוּרִים וְכָל הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת אֲשֶׁר לֹא לַה׳ הֵמָּה וְלִרְצוֹנוֹ וְלַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, שֶׁזֶּהוּ פֵּירוּשׁ לְשׁוֹן ״סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא״, פֵּירוּשׁ – צַד אַחֵר, שֶׁאֵינוֹ צַד הַקְּדוּשָּׁה.

4It is these that constitute all the deeds that are done under the sun, which are all “vanity and striving after the wind,”⁶ as interpreted in the Zohar, Beshalach,⁷ in the sense of a “ruination of the spirit….”⁸ So, too, are all utterances and thoughts which are not directed toward G–d and His will and service. For this is the meaning of sitra achara—“the other side,” i.e., not the side of holiness.

הוְצַד הַקְּדוּשָּׁה אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא הַשְׁרָאָה וְהַמְשָׁכָה מִקְּדוּשָּׁתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, וְאֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא שׁוֹרֶה אֶלָּא עַל דָּבָר שֶׁבָּטֵל אֶצְלוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, בֵּין בְּפוֹעַל מַמָּשׁ – כְּמַלְאָכִים עֶלְיוֹנִים, בֵּין בְּכֹחַ – כְּכָל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַטָּה, שֶׁבְּכֹחוֹ לִהְיוֹת בָּטֵל מַמָּשׁ לְגַבֵּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא בִּמְסִירַת נַפְשׁוֹ עַל קְדוּשַּׁת ה׳.

5For the holy side is nothing but the indwelling and extension of the holiness of the Holy One, blessed is He, and He dwells only on such a thing that abnegates itself completely to Him, either actually, as in the case of the angels above, or potentially, as in the case of every Jew down below, having the capacity to abnegate himself completely to the Holy One, blessed is He, through martyrdom for the sanctification of G–d.

ווְלָכֵן אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁאֲפִילוּ אֶחָד שֶׁיּוֹשֵׁב וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה – שְׁכִינָה שְׁרוּיָה כוּ׳, וְ״כָל בֵּי עֲשָׂרָה שְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא״ לְעוֹלָם.

6That is why our Sages have said that “Even when a single individual sits and engages in the Torah the Shechinah rests on him”⁹ and “On every gathering of ten [Jews] the Shechinah rests”¹⁰ always.

ז אֲבָל כָּל מַה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ בָּטֵל אֶצְלוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, אֶלָּא הוּא דָּבָר נִפְרָד בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, אֵינוֹ מְקַבֵּל חַיּוּת מִקְּדוּשָּׁתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מִבְּחִינַת פְּנִימִית הַקְּדוּשָּׁה וּמַהוּתָהּ וְעַצְמוּתָהּ בִּכְבוֹדָהּ וּבְעַצְמָהּ, אֶלָּא מִבְּחִינַת אֲחוֹרַיִים, שֶׁיּוֹרְדִים מִמַּדְרֵגָה לְמַדְרֵגָה רִבְבוֹת מַדְרֵגוֹת, בְּהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת הָעוֹלָמוֹת דֶּרֶךְ עִלָּה וְעָלוּל וְצִמְצוּמִים רַבִּים, עַד שֶׁנִּתְמַעֵט כָּל כָּךְ הָאוֹר וְהַחַיּוּת, מִיעוּט אַחַר מִיעוּט, עַד שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהִתְצַמְצֵם וּלְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת תּוֹךְ אוֹתוֹ דָּבָר הַנִּפְרָד, לְהַחֲיוֹתוֹ וּלְקַיְּימוֹ מֵאַיִן לְיֵשׁ, שֶׁלֹּא יַחֲזוֹר לִהְיוֹת אַיִן וָאֶפֶס כְּבַתְּחִלָּה מִקּוֹדֶם שֶׁנִּבְרָא.

7However, that which does not surrender itself to G–d, but is a separate thing by itself, does not receive its vitality from the holiness of the Holy One, blessed is He, that is, from the very inner essence and substance of the holiness itself, but from “behind its back,” as it were,¹¹ descending degree by degree, through myriads of degrees with the lowering of the worlds, by way of cause and effect and innumerable contractions,¹² until the light and life is so diminished through repeated diminutions that it can be compressed and incorporated, in a state of exile as it were, within that separated thing, giving it vitality and existence ex nihilo, so that it does not revert to nothingness and nonexistence as it was before it was created.¹³

Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org

Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org