READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNINGHT AND DAWN WEDNESDAY

Zohar for All. Introduction of The Book of Zohar. You Are in Partnership with Me

LESSON MATERIAL

You Are in Partnership with Me

61) Rabbi Shimon started, “I have put My words in your mouth.” One should toil in the Torah day and night because the Creator listens to the voice of those who engage in Torah. In each word that is renewed in the Torah through a person who labors in the Torah, He makes one firmament.

The Creator gave His power of speech into the mouths of the righteous, as it is written, “You are with Me, to partner with Me. As I have made the heaven and earth with My speech, as it is written, ‘By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,’ the righteous will create heaven by the power of their speech.” By that, Rabbi Shimon began the verse “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” “Created” is a blocked word, a word that closes rather than opens. We should understand why it was made in closing. He says that He did so in order to place the end of the correction of heaven and earth in the speech of the righteous, to make them partners with Him in creating heaven and earth, as it is written, “And I will place My words in your mouth.”

This contains two discernments of renewal of heaven and earth, which He placed in the mouths of the righteous:

1. To correct the sin of Adam HaRishon, since the Emanator made the correction of heaven and earth in the sublime way prior to the sin of Adam HaRishon. It is explained in the act of creation that ZON of Atzilut rose to AA and to upper AVI, and Adam HaRishon rose and clothed YESHSUT and ZON of Atzilut. Also, Adam HaRishon had NRN of Atzilut, called “upper brightness,” until the heel of Adam was darkening the circle of the sun.

After the sin with the tree of knowledge, he descended to this corporeal world and his NRN now came to him from the worlds of the separated BYA, and heaven and earth of Atzilut declined because of him into VAK and a point from Tabur of AA and below. The righteous must mend all the flaws that were caused by the sin, to renew the heaven and earth of Atzilut, who are ZON, and elevate them to AA and to AVI, as they were prior to the sin. Also, the righteous themselves will reacquire the upper brightness of Adam HaRishon, which is NRN from the world of Atzilut.

2. Before the sin, Adam HaRishon, too, did not have all the wholeness that the Emanator wished to give him. This is why once the righteous correct the sin of the tree of knowledge and obtain the wholeness of NRN of Atzilut that Adam HaRishon had before the sin, they must work anew to extend all the upper Mochin that have never been in the world, as it is written, “No eye has seen a God besides You.”

And these worlds, which no eye has yet seen, and which complement the righteous, are called “a new heaven and a new land,” for they are truly new and have never existed. But those heaven and earth—which the righteous renew and bring back, as it was in the act of creation, before the sin of Adam HaRishon—are not considered truly new heaven and earth. After all, they have already existed in the world, since the Emanator has already corrected them by Himself before the sin. Rather, they are renewed, since after they were blemished and were canceled‎, they were renewed.

For this reason, these righteous are still not regarded as partners with the Creator. Thus, the verse “I have put My words in your mouth,” which Rabbi Shimon introduces, refers to the upper Mochin, which Adam HaRishon lacked, as well, since they were actually innovated by the righteous, for they had not yet departed from the Emanator. This is why the righteous are considered as actual partners in that regard.

The Creator listens to the voices of those who engage in Torah. With each word that is renewed in the Torah through a person who toils in the Torah, he makes one firmament. ZA is called “a voice,” and Nukva is called “speech.” When the righteous engages in Torah, he raises MAN to ZON with the voice and speech of his Torah. A voice rises to ZA and the speech rises to the Nukva. The Creator listens to the voices of those who engage in Torah because the voice of Torah rises for MAN to ZA, who is called “the Creator.” And in each word that is renewed in the Torah through the person who is exerting in Torah, he makes one firmament.

A word means speech. Each word that is renewed in the Torah of the one who engages in the Torah rises as MAN for the Nukva, who is called “word and speech.” By that, one firmament is done. The firmament—the screen on which the coupling of the Creator with His Shechina [Divinity] is done—is carried out through the MAN that the righteous raise by their engagement in the Torah.

The reason why he says, “In a word of Torah” and does not say, “Innovation in the voice of Torah” is that the Nukva needs the construction of her Yesod anew for each coupling, since after each coupling, she becomes a virgin once again. And through the MAN of the righteous, the Yesod in her is always renewed, meaning the receptacle for the lights of ZA. This is why he says, “In each word that is renewed in the Torah,” since the word, Malchut, is truly renewed by the righteous’ word of Torah, for after every coupling her receptacle disappears once more.

62) At the time when a new word of Torah comes out of the mouth of a man, that word rises and is introduced before the Creator. The Creator takes that word, kisses it, and crowns it with seventy decorated and engraved crowns. Then the new word of wisdom rises and sits on the head of the righteous one who lives forever. From there, it flies and sails through 70,000 worlds, rising to Atik Yomin, the Keter. All the words of Atik Yomin are words of wisdom in the high, hidden secrets. That is, when a person raises MAN with his word of Torah, the upper word, Nukva of ZA, rises and is introduced before the Creator for a coupling with Him.

“The Creator takes that word and kisses it.” There are two discernments in each coupling of ZON: coupling of Neshikin [kisses], and coupling of Yesodot [“foundations,” plural of Yesod]. This is so because the name is not completed before He creates light for His light and they clothe in one another, for besides the level of Hochma, a second coupling is required, for the level of Hassadim, so the level of Hochma might clothe in the level of Hassadim.

For this reason, each coupling includes two couplings: 1) A coupling for the level of Hochma, called “coupling of Neshikin.” It is in the Peh of Rosh, for the level of Rosh and GAR. 2) A coupling for the level of Hassadim. This is called “coupling of Yesodot,” and it is for the level of Hassadim.

The Creator takes that word Nukva and kisses it, meaning a coupling of Neshikin for the level of GAR. He crowns it, meaning a coupling of Yesodot, for the level of Hassadim, at which time the Hochma dresses in Hassadim and the Nukva is crowned with complete Mochin.

“And crowns it with seventy decorated and engraved crowns.” The complete Mochin of the Nukva is called “seventy crowns” because the Nukva is the seventh day. When she receives from ZA, who is in tens, she becomes seventy. The Mochin is called “crowns,” hence he is called “seventy crowns.” He says that they are decorated and engraved, meaning that through the MAN of the righteous, they become a receptacle for those seventy crowns.

“And the new word of wisdom rises and sits on the head of the righteous one who lives forever.” There are two renewals of heaven and earth, which are ZON: 1) To reinstate the crown as it was prior to the sin of Adam HaRishon. On this renewal, the Nukva is called “word of Torah,” and this is what Rabbi Shimon explained thus far. 2) The renewal of heaven and earth in upper Mochin, which even Adam HaRishon did not attain. In that regard, Nukva is called “word of wisdom.”

“And the new word of wisdom rises and sits on the head of the righteous one who lives forever,” as it is written, “Righteous sit with their crowns on their heads.” This is so because through the MAN of the righteous, who are already complete with the upper brightness of Adam HaRishon, such as Rabbi Shimon and his friends, the Nukva of ZA rises to being a crown at the head of the righteous, ZA, with respect to his Yesod, the one who lives forever.

Commentary: The light of Hochma is called “the light of Haya.” And since ZA can draw the light of Haya only through the Nukva, it is considered that he is alive only when in coupling with the Nukva, who is called “world.” This is why at that time, he is called “the righteous one who lives forever.” It is also discerned that the Nukva is a crown over his head, for the Mochin that are called “crown” are from the Nukva, and he would not be rewarded with them without her. We also learn that “He did not move from being fond of her until my mother called,” since the consequence is regarded as the offspring of its cause. And because the Nukva was the cause for the light of Haya of ZA, in that respect, the Nukva has become his mother.

“From there, it flies and sails through 70,000 worlds.” After she made a coupling with ZA in a crown over the head of the righteous, she flies and rises further up, to AA, where her ZAT are corrected in 700,000 worlds. This is so because the Sefirot of AA are 10,000, and she rises from AA to Atik Yomin, and he calculates the ascents of ZON one at a time up to Atik Yomin, which is done by the MAN of the complete righteous. This is because the coupling of the crown on the head of the righteous is by ascending to upper AVI, and rising from there to AA in 70,000 worlds, and from there to Atik, who is the highest of all.

“All the words of Atik Yomin are words of wisdom in the high, hidden secrets.” He interprets the merit of the Mochin that are given to the Nukva through her ascent to Atik Yomin. He says that all the words of Atik Yomin, all the levels that are received from Atik Yomin, are words of wisdom in the high and hidden secrets, GAR of Hochma. This is so because words of Hochma [wisdom] indicate the level of Hochma, and the high and hidden secrets are GAR of Hochma. Those are revealed only by ascending to the place of Atik Yomin and not below him.

63) When that word of wisdom that was innovated in this world rises, it connects to those words of Atik Yomin, ascends and descends with them, and enters eighteen concealed worlds, which “No eye has seen a God besides You.” They come out of there and wander, and they come full and whole, and assemble before Atik Yomin.

At that time, Atik Yomin smells that thing, and it is more desirable to him than anything. Then he takes that thing and crowns it with 370,000 crowns, and that new innovations in the Torah wanders, ascending and descending, and one firmament is made out of it.

This is so because at the time of Nukva’s ascent to Atik Yomin, she is incorporated in the coupling that is there. She raises reflected light and extends direct light from Atik Yomin. “She rises” means that she raises reflected light from below upwards. “Descends” means that she extends direct light from above downwards, at which time she receives words of wisdom in the high and hidden secrets, and she is incorporated with the reflected light and direct light in Atik himself.

It was said, “Ascends and descends with them, and enters eighteen concealed worlds, which ‘No eye has seen a God besides You.’” This is so because the coupling that is made in Atik is also in the Yesod of Atik that is there, and it, too, is the righteous one who lives forever, like Yesod of ZA upon its ascent to upper AVI. The difference is that Yesod of Atik is “No eye has seen a God besides You,” since the coupling of Yesod is done on the screen by striking, which raises reflected light to clothe the direct light, while below, in AVI, the screen is regarded as wings that cover the upper light when it is repelled. This indicates that there is the force of Din [judgment] in them, for every reflected light is called “light of Din.”

But in Yesod of Atik, it is written, “Your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will see your Teacher.” This is so because even though the screen raises reflected light from below upwards, there are still no wings in it, hence it is called “eighteen concealed worlds, that ‘No eye has seen a God besides You.’” In other words, there are no wings there yet, covering from a foreign eye, since there are no Dinim [judgments] there. Rather, “No eye has seen a God besides You,” since a discernment from below upwards is called “concealed,” though it is in the form of “No eye has seen a God besides You.”

“They come out of there and wander, and they come full and whole,” since they come out of there, of a coupling on the screen, which is called “eighteen concealed worlds that ‘No eye has seen a God besides You.’” “And wander” means that he raises reflected light from below upwards. “And they come” means that she extends the direct light from above downwards. And then they are “Full and whole,” filled with direct light from wisdom [Hochma] in the high and hidden secrets, and whole with reflected light, in which there is no Din, but is entirely utter mercy, on a par with the direct light. At that time, they “Assemble before Atik Yomin,” meaning they are ready to clothe the Atik Yomin.

“At that time, Atik Yomin smells that thing, and it is more desirable to him than anything.” “Smells” means contentment, since that great and sublime coupling brings sublime contentment to Atik Yomin, since then all the worlds and all their merit are included in the Nukva. “And it is more desirable to him than anything” because that contentment comes to him from all the worlds at once, as she is the utter perfection and sublimity, and the one on whom the worlds were created.

“Then he takes that thing and crowns it with 370,000 crowns,” for then he imparts upon her the sublime Mochin of Atik himself, which are HB TM, since the Sefirot of Atik are 100,000 each. However, the difference is in the thirty upper ones of Hochma, as it is written, “He was more honored than the thirty, but he did not come to the three.” In other words, even though she receives and is honored by GAR of Hochma of Atik, too, who are the 30,000 upper ones, the Nukva still cannot actually rise and clothe the 30,000 themselves. If she could clothe those 30,000, too, the Nukva would be annulled in it as a candle before a torch. Hence, she receives from Atik only 370,000 crowns, which is 400,000 minus 30,000.

“And that new innovations in the Torah wanders, ascending and descending, and one firmament is made out of it.” “Wanders” means flying upwards. “Wanders, ascending” means that he raises reflected light from below upwards. “And descending” means that through the reflected light that he raises, she descends with the direct light from above downward, “And one firmament is made out of it,” meaning that through clothing of reflected light over direct light, a firmament is made there.

This is so because after the coupling is made on that same screen that was established in Malchut to raise reflected light, which reached the Nukva through the good deeds and the MAN that they raised in order to impart contentment upon their Maker, it becomes a firmament, through which the righteous obtain the level of coupling that was made on it. And when a degree comes down to the righteous through the firmament, it clothes in a garment that extends from the firmament in reflected light that inverts from the firmament and below, with the direct light from the firmament and above.

Thus, she comes to the attainment of the righteous who are clothed in one another, since those righteous that have been rewarded with wholeness, raising MAN for that sublime coupling, no longer have any reception for themselves. Also, the MAN that they raised was to bestow, and not to receive.

Hence, with the good deeds and the MAN, they correct the screen for the Nukva and qualify her for this great coupling where the qualification itself is reflected light that rises from the screen of the Nukva and above, since anything that rises from below upwards is bestowal and repelling of reception for oneself. At that time, the coupling by striking with the upper light takes place, and the upper light dresses in a garment of the rising reflected light.

And the light that descends from above to below and dresses in reflected light comes to the reception of the lower one, to that righteous who raised the MAN, since anything that comes from above to below comes for reception. And since the upper light passes to the lower one through the firmament, it takes with it the clothing of reflected light from the firmament, and the lower one receives the upper light inside this garment. This is so because even after the level is attained by the lower one, he still does not enjoy any of the upper light that descends to him, but only according to the measure of bestowal of contentment upon his Maker, that is, to the extent of the clothing of reflected light that clothes the upper light.

This is regarded as “receiving in order to bestow.” He is not receiving anything if there is no bestowal upon his Maker in it. Hence, reception is clothed within bestowal, direct light in reflected light. This is the precision that he makes, the “Innovations in the Torah wanders, ascending and descending, and one firmament is made out of it,” meaning it is received by the lower ones only through the firmament, clothed with it.

64) So it is with each word of wisdom. Firmaments are made, established in complete existence before Atik Yomin, and he calls them “new heaven,” meaning renewed heaven, which are blocked, of the secrets of the upper wisdom. Similarly, all the new words of Torah, which are not from the upper wisdom, stand before the Creator, rise, become the lands of the living, and descend and crown unto one land. It is made new, and everything becomes a new land by that thing that is renewed in the Torah.

So the righteous go, always raising MAN and extending those sublime degrees from Atik Yomin through those firmaments that were made by the upper coupling. And out of those firmaments, the new heaven is made, renewed at the degree of Atik Yomin, hence those high attainments are called “blocked, of the secrets of the upper wisdom,” which come and clothe the garment that extends from the firmaments.

And all the other new words of Torah “Stand before the Creator, rise, and become the lands of the living, and descend and crown unto one land. It is made new, and everything becomes a new land.” This is so because there are HB TM at every level. Thus far, it was only about the secrets of Hochma [wisdom], and not of Bina, ZA, and Malchut at each level. It was said that they become the lands of the living because they all become Bina, called “the land of the living.” They descend and crown unto one land, to Malchut, who is called land, simply. It is made new, and everything becomes a new land because the Malchut was crowned and received all the degrees of the lands of the living, Bina.

Thus, Malchut rose into being Bina, and it is now called “a new land,” since what was previously Malchut is now Bina. This is the meaning of BON being destined to be SAG, and MA being destined to be AB, since heaven are ZA, and at the degree of Atik Yomin, they are now in the secrets of the upper Hochma. Thus, the MA, ZA, became AB, Hochma, and land, Nukva of ZA, has become SAG, Bina. It follows that new heaven and new land are MA and BON that were canceled‎ and have become AB SAG.

65) It is written about that, “For just as the new heavens and the new earth which I make.” It does not say “Which I made,” but “make,” in present tense, since He always makes new heaven and earth of those innovations and secrets of the Torah. It is written about that, “I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish heaven, to found the earth.” It does not say “The heavens,” but “heaven,” without the “the,” since it is not about the actual heaven, but about a renewed heaven, which was made out of words of Torah.

Also, it does not say “I have made,” but “make,” indicating that we should not err in interpreting the text, “new heaven and new earth,” which are like a correction of something that is done and innovated only once, for this is not the case. Rather, they concern perpetual work, for the righteous who have already been completed in the upper brightness, constantly going and becoming new heaven and earth, as it is written, “Righteous go from strength to strength.”

He brings evidence to that, since it is written, “The new heavens and the new earth which I make,” and it does not say, “Which I have made.” Thus, those heaven and earth are always renewed by the innovations of Torah of the complete righteous. He also brings evidence from the words “To establish heaven,” for if it were for one time only, it should have written, “To establish the heavens,” with a “the.” But since it writes, “heaven,” it means that it is constantly occurring.

66) “And [I] have covered you with the shadow of My hand.” When the Torah was given to Moses, many tens of thousands of high angels came to burn him with the flames of their mouths, until the Creator covered him. Now that the innovation in the Torah rises and is crowned, and stands before the Creator, He covers that thing and covers that person, so it will not be known to them, but to the Creator, and they will not envy him until that desert becomes a new heaven and a new earth.

Everything that is covered from the eye rises for high benefit, as it is written, “And [I] have covered you with the shadow of My hand.” It was covered and hidden from the eye for the upper benefit. It is also written, “To establish heaven, to found the earth,” as we learned, so new heaven and earth would grow out of it.

“And [I] have covered you with the shadow of My hand” refers to the clothing that extends from the firmament, clothing and covering the level of Mochin. This clothing is a shadow that covers the Mochin and hides them from foreign eyes, and they are known only to the Creator, to conceal those great degrees from the ministering angel, so they will not envy him.

Concerning the angels’ envy, being of fine substance, when they look at a righteous, they find him inferior in their envy with him for the high degree he was awarded. Afterwards, the slanderers cling to that inferiority that the angels discovered in him. Hence, when the degree dresses in the garment of the firmament, that garment measures his degree for him, so he will not receive too much of it, but only to benefit the upper one. Thus, he is kept from the envy of the angels, for then the righteous can keep from blemishing the degree completely equally with the angels.

It was said that anything that is covered from the eye rises to higher benefit, for the eye sees and the heart covets and cannot keep one’s thought clean, solely on bringing contentment to one’s Maker, but receives for one’s own benefit. However, “Covered from the eye” means clothed in the garment of the firmament, he is certain that he will not receive more than the amount that is for the benefit of the upper one. This is why it was said that he is covered and hidden from the eye.

67) “And to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’” To say means to those gates and words, marked one atop the other, to the innovations in the Torah, “You are My people.” Do not pronounce “You are My people [Ami]” with a Patach in the Ayin, but “You are with Me [Imi],” with a Hirik in the Ayin, which means partnering with Me. As I made heaven and earth with My speech, as it is written, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,” you, with your words of wisdom, have made new heaven and earth. Happy are those who exert in Torah.

Reception is called gates that are open to receive. Bestowal through MAN is called “words.” It is said, “The gates and the words are marked one atop the other,” since they clothe in one another, and by this they are marked.

68) But does a new word of any person do it, even when he does not know what he is saying? Come and see that when one who is not proficient in the secrets of Torah innovated words that he does not know how to verify properly, that innovation rises and comes out to that thing, an unreliable man who speaks lies, out of the female of the great deep. He leaps 500 Parsas [“parasangs”] to receive that thing. He takes it and walks with the thing to his female, and makes a false firmament in her, which is called Tohu.

The MAN that the righteous raise to bring contentment to their Maker, to benefit the upper one, is called “innovated words of Torah.” This is so because they are innovated by the upper coupling, and through them ZON receive new Mochin until they are thus rewarded with establishing heaven and founding earth. By that, they become partners with the Creator because through their words, heaven and earth are renewed.

However, one whose ways are not in the secrets of Torah, who is not proficient in the ways of the Creator, to know how to keep himself from blemishing the upper degrees, says that his aim is for a higher benefit. However, he is misleading himself, for he does not know that it is in his soul to know the scrutiny that he is not aiming for his own needs. His punishment is grave indeed, for he gives power to the Klipot to kill people.

He “Innovated words that he did not know how to verify properly” means that he raised MAN for the upper coupling and did not fully and sufficiently know that it was truly so. In that case, he is an unreliable man who speaks lies, and leaps 500 Parsas to receive that thing.

“An unreliable man who speaks lies, out of the female of the great deep.” There are male and female in the Klipot, as well. The male is called “false,” and the female is called “lie.” This is so because the male Klipa is not as bad as the female. For himself, he is not failing people into lying in the name of the Creator. On the contrary, he speaks well, or so it seems. Yet, his eye is evil, as it is written, “Do not eat the bread of an evil-eyed man … He says to you, ‘Eat and drink!’ but his heart is not with you.” Also, anyone who is captured by him speaks the name of the Creator in vain, for he is separated from the Creator and cannot receive any bounty.

It is written, “‘Anyone who is proud,’ says the Creator, ‘he and I cannot dwell in the same abode.’” It is so because when one’s aim is to receive his needs for himself, to brag and to boast, and so on, he is captured by the authority of that evil-eyed. Thus, the MAN that he raises does not extend any bounty from above, and he speaks the name of the Creator in vain. For this reason, the male Klipa is called “false,” since the Creator cannot be attached to that man, to dwell with him in the same abode.

And the female Klipa is called “lie,” for once the man is caught in the net of the male, who is called “false,” he has the power to make a coupling with his female, who is an evil and bitter Klipa, which fakes the name of the Creator and lies in it. Then she descends and incites, rises and complains, and takes his soul from him.

For this reason, he is called “an unreliable man,” for first “He says to you, ‘Eat and drink!’” meaning he raises MAN to the Creator and extends abundance for a high need, and seems as though he is from the side of Kedusha [holiness]. Afterwards, by the power of his falsehood, he makes a coupling with the female of the great deep, and with her lie, he takes his soul and kills him. It was said, “An unreliable man who speaks lies, out of the female of the great deep,” since he turns into speaking lies only by the power of the female of the great deep in which he is associated, and not in and of himself.

He leaps 500 Parsas to receive that thing. This is so because at their root, ZON of Tuma’a [impurity] have only VAK and a point, only VAK and a point opposite the ZON of Kedusha [of holiness]. In that place, they have neither a place nor the power to cling to Bina. However, through the MAN that the lower one raises, he gives the male of Tuma’a power to skip over the ZAT of Bina, which are extended into ZON of Kedusha, who are essentially only five Sefirot HGT NH, called “500 Parsas.”

This is so because the Sefirot of Bina are regarded as hundreds, and it was said that he leaped 500 Parsas to receive that thing because immediately upon the raising of MAN he obtained the power to leap into a place that is not his—the five bottom Sefirot HGT NH of Bina, which are called 500 Parsas. To receive that thing refers to the MAN raised by the man who did not know sufficiently if his aim was to please his Maker.

He “Walks with the thing to his female, and makes a false firmament in her, which is called Tohu.” That is, he makes a coupling over this MAN with his female of the great deep, and extends lights of Kedusha to him, to his lot and to his construction, similar to the new heaven of Kedusha that is done by the MAN of Kedusha. Those heavens that he extended by his coupling are called “the false firmament,” with respect to the male, and “a firmament of Tohu,” with respect to the participation with the Nukva of the great deep, which is called “a firmament of Tohu.” Tohu is the name of the male, and “deep” is the name of the female. It was said that he made the false firmament through his own self, which is called Tohu, by his association with the deep, the Nukva.

69) That unreliable man flies in the false firmament 6,000 Parsas at once, and once a false firmament stands, a woman of harlotry immediately comes out, holding that false firmament and taking part in it. From there she goes out and kills several thousands and tens of thousands, since while she is in that firmament, she has permission and ability to fly and to traverse the entire world in an instant.

This is so because these Mochin that were drawn out to him in that false firmament are from the Sitra Achra opposite the Hochma of Kedusha, whose numbers are thousands. He flies in the firmament and grips through it, 6,000 Parsas at once, in six Sefirot HGT NHY of Hochma, which are called 6,000 Parsas, since they are from Hochma.

And once a false firmament is established, a woman of harlotry immediately comes out, grips that false firmament, and partakes in it. That is, once the new heaven of the male Klipa—who is called only by the name “false”—is completed, the female of the great deep discloses her strength, and her strength attacks the firmament to lie in the name of the Creator. She flies in the firmament and then it is called “a firmament of Tohu.”

“From there she goes out and kills several thousands and tens of thousands, since while she is in that firmament, she has permission and ability to fly and to traverse the entire world in an instant.” This is so because while she partakes in that firmament, she grows stronger and bigger than the level of the male, since the male grows only to VAK of Hochma, which are 6,000 Parsas, and the Nukva grows through him in ten complete Sefirot, a complete world, and has permission and ability to fly and to traverse the entire world—a whole world in ten Sefirot—in an instant. It is written about it, “And how long is His anger? A moment.” Hence, she has great power for killing thousands and tens of thousands of people, as it is written, “For many are the victims she has cast down.”

And as new heaven and earth for Kedusha are always built by the MAN of the righteous, the heaven and earth for the Klipot is always built by the MAN of those who do not know how to truly serve the Creator, as it is written, “God has made them one opposite the other.”

70) It is written about that, “Woe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of falsehood, and sin is as cart ropes.” Iniquity is male; sin is female, a woman of harlotry. One who sins draws in the iniquity, the male, by those false ropes, as it is written, “And sin is as cart ropes.” This means that he draws into that female, who is called “sin,” who intensifies there to fly and to slay people. This is why it is written, “For many are the victims she has cast down.” Who cast down? It is she, that sin, who kills people. And who caused it? It was a disciple of the wise who did not achieve teaching, yet teaches nonetheless.

The male of Klipa is not as bad as the female because he resembles himself to Kedusha, as it is written, “He says to you, ‘Eat and drink!’ but his heart is not with you.” This is why he is called “false.” Yet, for this reason, he has great power to capture people in his net. And once he has fallen into his net, he comes and makes a coupling with his Nukva. Then, “Sin is as cart ropes,” and she pulls him into the great deep.

The falsehood only ties him with ropes and captures him, as it is written, “Woe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of falsehood,” and then he drops him before his female. Then, “Sin is as cart ropes,” when the sin drops him into the great deep and kills him. This is why it was said that she is that sin which kills people.

71) Rabbi Shimon said to the friends, “Please, do not utter a word of Torah which you did not know or hear from a tree that is as great as it should be, so you will not be causing that sin of killing numerous people for naught.” They all said, “May the Merciful One save us.”

In other words, if you know for yourselves, it is best. If you do not, you must hear how to properly serve the Creator from a great tree, meaning from a great man who is trustworthy, so you will not be causing that sin of killing numerous people for naught.

72) The Creator created the world with the Torah. We learn that it is written, “Then I was beside Him, as a master workman; and I was daily His delight.” This relates to the Torah, with which the Creator was playing 2,000 years before the world was created. He looked at her once, twice, thrice, and four times, and then He told them. In the end, he performed a deed in her, to teach people not to come and err in her, as it is written, “Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out. And to man He said.” “He saw” is the first time, “Declared it” is the second time, “Established it” is the third time, “And also searched it out” is the fourth time. Then he told them, as it is written, “And to man He said…”

73) The Creator created what He created corresponding those four times that are written, “Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out.” And until He did His deed, He first brought four words, as it is written, “Beresheet Barah Elokim Et” [In the beginning God created the], thus four. Afterwards, it is written, “HaShamaim” [the heaven], which correspond to four times that the Creator looked in the Torah before He took out His deed for His work.

Those four times are HB TM: “Then He saw it” is Hochma, “And declared it” is Bina, “He established it” is ZA, “And also searched it out” is Malchut. After those four clothings the Creator created what He created. This is what the first four words in the Torah imply, as well: Beresheet [in the beginning] is Hochma, Barah [created] is Bina, Elokim [God] is ZA, Et [the] is Malchut, and after those four clothings, the Shamaim [heavens] were made.