Chapter 50

1Now, it is known regarding the particulars of the matter of the five judgments¹MaNTzePa”Ch (מנצפ״ך) of speech in the ten utterances [of creation] that² “the mother lends [to the daughter],” that these are the five organs of [speech of] the mouth.

2[The letters] Aleph-א, Chet-ח, Heh-ה, Ayin-ע are from the throat, Gimel-ג, Yod-י, Chaf-כ, Kof-ק are from the palate,³ and so forth, so that there are specific letters for each organ, in and of itself.

3The combinations arise through their union and intermingling in various different manners.

4This is in accordance with what it states in Sefer Yetzirah,⁴ “And He set them in the mouth etc., He made [the] letter [Aleph-א] reign etc., go out and contemplate that from five letters, one hundred and twenty combinations are made etc.”

5This comes about by means of the aspect of the five judgments that divide the breath of speech.

6For in speech there is substance (Chomer) and form (Tzurah). The breath of the voice of speech is the substance, which is comprised of fire, water and wind (אמ”ר),⁵ and the voice is divided into various combinations. Nonetheless, a single voice unites the totality of all the combinations.

7(This is as explained elsewhere about the matter of,⁶ “Your neck with [a necklace of] beads” that it is like the single strand that unifies and binds the many stones of a necklace together.

8It is likewise so, regarding the aspect of the letters of thought in speech, that there is a single general thought that encompasses and unifies all the particular letters of thought that [come out] in the particulars of speech.

9The same is likewise so in regard to the voice of thought itself and the five judgments of Imma etc.)

10Now, as known⁷ “The father founded the daughter” as stated that the [power of] combination is of Chochmah etc.⁸

11This is in accordance with what was previously explained regarding thought, that is, that the combinations of speech themselves are by means of the aspect of the five judgments that restrain the manner that the intellect [is revealed] in speech, and that it is specifically according to this, that the combinations are drawn forth.

12Therefore, the various different ways that the combinations [of speech] constantly change, is precisely according to the dictates of the intention of the thought that is [vested] in the speech.

13The above explains the statement that it is specifically Imma that “lends [the clothes] etc.,” which is the aspect of Binah – that is, the upper Imma – that is drawn into the lower Imma, which is the aspect of Binah that becomes vested within the thought of speech, that is, within the specific manner of each combination of speech etc.

14However, the statement that, “the [power of] combination is of Chochmah,” refers to the root and power to actually combine these various combinations that are in accordance to the intellect of Binah.

15For, we observe that immediately upon the arousal of one’s desire to speak in various specific combinations, one need not delve into the intellect and comprehension of Binah to determine how to combine the letters, for even a small child who speaks, immediately knows to combine the letters of speech, without any preparation for it whatsoever.

16This is because the root of this power to combine comes spontaneously from the radiance of the Koach Ma”H (כח מ״ה) of Chochmah (חכמה) that transcends the comprehension of Binah. That is, it is from the aspect of the power of the intellect (Koach HaMaskeel) itself, which is the source of Chochmah.

17(This is as explained elsewhere regarding the verse,⁹ “And the man became a living soul [Nefesh Chayah],” which is the inner aspect of the beginnings of Chochmah, and that it is specifically then that he is able to speak and is called a “Ruach Memalela – a speaking spirit etc.”)

18This then, [explains] the statement that, “the father founded the daughter,” as known.

19(In this respect, the statement that, “Bereishit-בראשית is also an utterance,” refers [only] to the Chochmah and intellect that is within the utterances, and does not refer to the power of combination that all speakers possess, which is called the “speaking soul” etc.)

20This then, is the primary aspect of a human being, who is called a “speaker” (Medaber), referring to the power and root of the combinations of speech, in that he is specifically called a “speaking soul” etc.

21(This refers to when the aspect of the root and source of the letters of the soul themselves, come to be revealed in the aspect of the speech of the soul itself, that it is called a speaking soul (Nefesh HaMedaberet) or speaking spirit (Ru’ach Memalela) etc.)

22According to this we may understand the matter of the changes in the combinations of the six days of creation of the emotive qualities of Malchut of Atzilut.

23For example, the combination of the first day, “Let there be light-Yehiy Ohr-יהי אור,” which is the aspect of Chessed,¹⁰ is the root of the first millennium of Briyah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, as known regarding the verse, “In six days [HaShem] made etc.,” referring to the six upper days of Zeir Anpin and Nukvah of Atzilut etc., that are called,¹¹ “Yemei Olam - the days of the world” [in the masculine] and “Yemot Olam - the days of the world” [in the feminine].

24And from the combinations of the second day,¹² “Let there be a firmament-Yehiy Rakia-יהי רקיע,” come the aspect of judgment of Malchut, which is the source for the second millennium.

25This is as known regarding the explanation of [the verse,]¹³ “For a thousand years [in Your eyes] are but a day of yesterday etc.,” referring to the¹⁴ “six thousand years [that] the world exists,” which are drawn from the six emotions of Malchut etc., that is, from the different changes in the combinations of the speaking spirit of Malchut, which is called the speaking soul, as in “And God said-Vayomer Elohi”m-ויאמר אלהי״ם etc.”

26In other words, [the changing combinations] are because of the aspect of change in the drawing forth of the intellect of Chochmah and Binah in the emotions, whereby the manner of the combinations automatically changes from kindness to judgment, both generally and specifically.

27These [combinations] are all according to the aspect of the light of the radiance of Abba which founded the daughter (Barta), for it is the root [of the power] to combine, as discussed previously, and it transcends the light of the intellect of Chochmah within the speech [itself] as mentioned above.

28This [even] includes specific [changes] such as how Rabbi Chaninah Ben Dosa said,¹⁵ “Let He who told oil to ignite [tell the vinegar to ignite] etc.” That is, let He who combined through the ten utterances of the title God-Elohim-אלהי״ם, this nature of oil to ignite; let Him say this combination and nature to vinegar, so that it should ignite.

29This is as stated that,¹⁶ “The righteous (Tzaddik) rules with his fear of God-Elohi”m-אלהי״ם,” that is, with the one hundred and twenty combinations of HaShem’s-יהו"ה title Elohi”m-אלהי״ם,¹⁷ as known.

30The primary aspect of this “ruling” are the changes in the manner of the intellect of Nukvah, that is, the Chochmah and Binah that is within the ten utterances from the very root of the wisdom and the root of the desire.

31This is as stated,¹⁸ “Everything that HaShem-יהו"ה desired He did” with the ten utterances of the supernal speech of Atzilut, in the aspect of Asiyah of Malchut of Atzilut discussed previously.

32From all of the above we may also understand the general [principle and unity of the] Hitbonenut-contemplation, with all its numerous details, that is, from the very root of the desire in Malchut of the Unlimited One (Ein Sof), HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, until Malchut of Malchut of Atzilut and until the very final action, so that it literally is [understood] that “Everything that HaShem-יהו"ה desired He did” in actuality, like actually making vinegar ignite, and the like. This will suffice for the understanding.

Rabbi Amiram Markel (Neirot) · CC BY · sefaria.org