Chapter 26

אWe must now understand the further descent of the light [as it is] within the ten sefirot of Abba and Imma (Insight and Comprehension) themselves.

ב[That is, we must understand] how the inner aspect of the brains of Abba and Imma (Insight and Comprehension) receive [influence] from Chessed and Gevurah of Arich Anpin (Kindness and Sternness of Desire).

גMoreover, [we must] certainly [understand] as they ascend to receive from the Mazalot of Arich Anpin, as mentioned previously.

ד[Finally, we must understand] the external aspect of NeHi”Y¹ of Abba and Imma (the gut emotions of Insight and Comprehension) which vest within the “brains” of Zeir Anpin (Intellect of the Emotions), as stated in Etz Chayim.²

הNow, the [explanation of this] matter is known, that the inner aspects of the brains of Abba and Imma are likened to Shabbat and Yom Tov.

וThis is because Shabbat, which is referred to as,³ “Kodesh – Holy,” is [observed] through the pleasure of “Chochmah which is a thing unto itself.”

זThis is the aspect of the inner light of Abba-Insight (which is the innerness of Atik Yomin (Pleasure). This is the reason for the statement,⁴ “And you shall call the Shabbat pleasure,” as explained elsewhere⁵ at length, regarding the matter of the three meals of Shabbat.)

חYom Tov, however, is refered to as,⁶ “Mikra Kodesh – It is called Holy,” [which is] an aspect of joy, as stated,⁷ “The mother of the children rejoices.”

ט[The “mother”] refers to the aspect of the brains of Imma [Comprehension] which receives from Abba [Insight], because the cessation [from work] of Shabbat is also within Chochmah.

יThat is to say, it is the inner aspect of Abba, which is the aspect of the “Koach Mah – The Potential Power of What (כח מה).”

יא[This is] the “[intangible] nothingness” of Chochmah, before it spreads forth to become a “[tangible] something” within the comprehension of Binah.

יבSimilarly, Binah, in its inner aspect, is the depth of the comprehension (Omek HaMoosag), for, as known, there is the “nothingness” (Ayin) of Chochmah in Binah, and there is [the somethingness (Yesh) of] Binah in Chochmah.

יגThis is the meaning of [the statement],⁸ “Be understanding in wisdom and wise in understanding,” which [refers to] the aspect of the inner unification of Abba and Imma.

ידThis is not the case, however, with the external flow of the influence of Chochmah and Binah, that is, their ChaGa”T and NeHi”Y etc., such as the emotional [sefirot] of Chochmah, which are called the aspect of the six directions of Abba.⁹

טוFor example [this is] the [quality of] Chessed of Chochmah (Kindness of Insight), which is the intellectual power that leans towards kindness, or the different intellectual power [of Gevurah of Chochmah] that leans towards judgment.

טזThese [in turn] radiate within Chessed and Gevurah of Binah (Kindness and Sternness of Comprehension).

יזThat is, it comes into comprehension, with sound reasoning and explanation, either for merit or liability.

יחThese are called the emotions of the comprehended intellect, before they are born as actual [heartfelt emotions] in and of themselves (as will be explained).

יטNow, when a person cannot find a reason in a [way of] comprehendible explanation [for his position], but is, nonetheless, incapable of conceding to the opposite [position] because of his intellectual leanings, this is an aspect of Chessed and Gevurah of Abba (Kindness and Sternness of Insight), [as it is] before it radiates from the “nothingness” [of Chochmah-Insight] into the “somethingness” of Binah–Comprehension. (An example of this is the matter of [the Talmudic¹⁰ incident in which] “Rav kept silent etc.”)

כ([However, the statements,¹¹] “Silence is a protective fence for wisdom” or¹² “[If speech is worth one Selah¹³, then] silence is worth two,” refer to the sublimation of the “Koach Mah – The Potential Power of What” of Chochmah, which ascends to the source from which all wisdom comes, and brings out new insights from there. This [source] is called “Chochmah Stima’ah – The Hidden Wisdom,” as previously explained.)

כאNow, the aspect of NeHi”Y of Chochmah (The gut emotions of Insight) is the aspect of the “scales” of intellect and insight, as to how this intellectual matter should come to be expressed. This is the aspect of “the kidneys that give counsel.”

כב(This is the matter of the strength of the intellect, which is called, “Strong Mindedness.”

כגJust as the legs have the strength to uphold the entire body, so too, the aspects of Netzach and Hod of Abba uphold the “body” of the mind.

כדThe reverse is true if he is not strong minded. He will easily fall [and retreat] from his logical reasoning, [and change his stance] from [judging something as being] liable to [being] meritorious, or from being impure to being pure etc.

כהThe same principle applies to Netzach and Hod of Imma.)

כוIn general, the brains of Zeir Anpin, which are [heartfelt] emotions that are below intellect (as will be explained), come about from the enclothement of the aspect of the NeHi”Y of Abba into the NeHi”Y of Imma.

כזNow, the particular matters of the unifications of Abba and Imma are well known.

כח[This refers to] whether [their unification] is in their inner aspect, for their own purpose, which is the [unification] of their first three [Sefirot] before they spread forth into the emotional [Sefirot], or whether they unify to bring about new “brains” for Zeir Anpin and Nukvah, which is only [the external unification of] NeHi”Y.

כטThe [difference between these two unifications] is the [same as the] difference between Shabbat and the weekdays.

ל(In the Shema recital, the [inner] intention of [the words] “HaShem our God-Hashem Elohei”nu-יהו״ה אלהינ״ו” is the inner [unification] of Abba and Imma (Insight and Comprehension), from which [it follows that] “Hashem is One-HaShem Echad-יהו״ה אחד,” [which refers to] the unification of Zeir Anpin and Nukvah (Emotions and Speech [or actions]) as they receive an aspect of additional influence of new intellect, so that they may be able to give birth etc.

לאThis is [brought about] by giving ourselves over to HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, with complete self-sacrifice during the Shema recital. In contrast, when [one studies] Torah and [performs] the commandments without self-sacrifice, then Zeir Anpin and Nukvah (Emotions and Speech [or Action]) only [receive] from an external unification of Abba and Imma (Insight and Comprehension), as explained elsewhere.

לבAn example [of the inner unification] is the matter of the ten martyrs who brought about an ascent of the “Feminine Waters-Mayim Nukvin” to the inner aspect of Abba and Imma, specifically through giving their [actual] lives over to HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, with complete self-sacrifice.)

לג(This [also] is the matter of the unification of the “upper Abba and Imma,” and the unification of the “lower Abba and Imma,” which are Yisroel Saba and Tvunah, as was explained at length in regard to the matter of Binah and Tvunah.

לדThe aspect of Yisroel Saba is the six directions of Abba,¹⁴ and Tvunah is the six directions of Imma.¹⁵

להThese [two] are called “The lower Abba and Imma.”

לו[However], there is another Yisroel Saba that is even higher than the “upper Abba and Imma.”

לזThis is the six directions of the “Hidden Chochmah” of Arich Anpin and [the higher] Tvunah is the six directions of Binah of Arich Anpin.¹⁶

לחThe source for the inner unification of the “upper Abba and Imma,” involving their first three [Sefirot, as explained above], is drawn from the [unification of the higher Yisroel Saba and Tvunah of Arich Anpin].)

לטNow, when intellect is drawn down from Abba and Imma to Zeir Anpin and Nukvah in order to give birth to souls, it then is necessary for the unification of Abba and Imma to be in the inner intellect, in their root within the two Mazalot of Arich Anpin.

מ(This then, is the meaning of [the statement],¹⁷ “Children, [health, and livelihood] are dependent upon Mazal”).

מאThis is as explained elsewhere, that this is the [inner] meaning of [the prayer,¹⁸ “The Supernal God, who bestows good kindnesses, the Possessor of all, who remembers the kindnesses of the forefathers and brings a redeemer to their children’s children etc.”] The “Supernal God-El Elyon-א״ל עליון” refers to the ascent of the inner light of Abba (Insight) as it receives from the Mazal of “Notzer.”¹⁹

מבThen, [the result of this is that] “He bestows good kindnesses” through the aspect of Yesod, which is called “The Possessor of all,”²⁰ to give birth to offspring through [the resulting unification of] Zeir Anpin and Nukvah.

מגThis then, is the meaning of [the continuation of the words of the prayer], “He remembers the kindnesses of the forefathers and brings a redeemer to their children’s children.”

מדThe analogy for this is well known. It is similar a person who is particularly outstanding in his [deep] insight [and wisdom]. Since he knows the concept to its depth, specifically to the very source of its inception, he is therefore capable of [bringing out] influence from it to someone who is of a much lesser [intellectual capacity than himself], even to a small child.

מה[This is to say that] he can make new combinations [to explain] how to conceptualize this concept, specifically not merely [explaining it] as it [already] is [in his own mind].

מוFurthermore, he is capable of formulating and giving rise to entirely new and different concepts, through this concept.

מזHowever, such is not the case in regard to a person who is not so exceptionally wise and who grasps the concept and wisdom merely as it is.

מחIt is [difficult] enough for him to make the “breakthrough” and grasp it himself.

מטHowever, he will be incapable of “giving birth” to new insights from it altogether.

נCertainly, he will be incapable of lowering it and “bringing down” the explanation of the concept, so that [even] a child could understand it.

נא[From all the above] we find that the aspect of NeHi”Y of Chochmah (the gut emotions of Insight), which is the aspect of Yesod, that is, the power to influence a recipient, is specifically dependent on the potential power to conceptualize (Ko’ach HaMaskeel), which is the source from which all concepts are “hewn” from “nothing” to “something.”

נבThis is likewise so in regard to the birth of souls from the aspect of NeHi”Y.

נג[The aspect of NeHi”Y] cannot give birth [to new souls] unless there is additional [influence of] strength in the source of its intellect, from a much higher level than intellect.

נדThis is the reason that for there to be a birth of souls through the unification of Abba and Imma, there must be [influence] from higher than the source of the intellect of Abba and Imma.

נהThis is the aspect of the Mazalot of the “Hidden Wisdom” (Chochmah Steema’a) which is even higher than Chochmah and Binah of Arich Anpin itself, as previously explained.

נוThis is also the reason for the inner unification of Abba and Imma during the night of the “Holy Shabbat (Shabbat Kodesh).”

נזThis is because [this unification] is to give birth to souls.

נחThis is, therefore, specifically the time for the “marital relations of the Sages.”²¹

נטThis is because they are Torah Scholars who are called “Kodesh – Holy” and the source of Shabbat is in the “upper Kodesh –Holiness,” which is the inner aspect of the light of Abba, as previously explained. This will suffice for those of understanding.

ס1 Netzach, Hod and Yesod.

סא2 See Etz Chayim (Shaar Drushei HaNekudot) Shaar 8 Ch. 2; Shaar 16 (Holadat Av”A V’Zu”N) Ch. 7.

סב3 See Exodus 31:14, 15. See Zohar III 95a; Also see Pri Etz Chayim (Shaar Mikra Kodesh) Shaar 20, Ch. 1.

סג4 Isaiah 58:13

סד5 See Siddur Im Divrei Elokim Chayim, Seder Seudah Shelishit, pg. 204c.

סה6 Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:4

סו7 Psalms 113:9

סז8 Sefer Yetzirah 1:4

סח9 The six directions of Abba (Vav Kitzvin D’Abba) refer to the three emotions, Chesed, Gevurah and Tiferet and the three gut emotions, Netzach, Hod and Yesod, of Insight-Chochmah.

סט10 Talmud Bavli, Beitza 6a

ע11 Mishnah Avot 3:13

עא12 Talmud Bavli, Megillah 18a

עב13 A Selah was an ancient monetary currency used during Talmudic times.

עג14 This refers to the three emotions (Chessed, Gevurah, Tiferet) and the three gut emotions (Netzach, Hod, Yesod) of the insight-Chochmah.

עד15 This refers to the three emotions (Chessed, Gevurah, Tiferet) and the three gut emotions (Netzach, Hod, Yesod) of the comprehension-Binah.

עה16 See HaGahot Tzemach to Etz Chayim, (Drush Igullim V’Yosher) Shaar 1, Anaf 5.

עו17 Talmud Bavli, Mo’ed Katan 28a

עז18 See beginning of Amidah prayer. Also see Pri Etz Chayim (Shaar Ha’Amidah), Shaar 9, Ch. 3.

עח19 HaShem’s-יהו״ה title God-E”l-א״ל is a title that relates to Chochmah. Therefore “The Supernal God-E”l Elyon-א״ל עליון” refers to the inner light of Chochmah-Insight as it ascends to receive from the Mazal of Notzer of Arich-Desire.

עט20 As will be explained later (in chapter thirty-six), Yesod is also called “Kol-All-כל,” since everything (i.e. all the preceding lights) gather in Yesod in order to spread forth as influence to the recipient.

פ21 See Introduction to Zohar 14a; Also see Zohar II 136a & 204b, and elsewhere.