9. That SUPERNAL point, WHICH IS ARICH ANPIN, sowed inside the chamber - WHICH IS YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH - the secret of the three vowels: Cholam, Shuruk and Chirik. So they are combined into one secret, a Voice that emerges from the joining OF THE THREE VOWELS. When THE VOICE came forth, its female counterpart came with it. She included all the letters as it is written: "the heaven" (Beresheet 1:1); that is, the voice and its Female principle. This voice, which is THE SECRET OF the heaven, is the last NAME OF Eheyeh, which is the brightness that contains all the letters and colors in this manner.

10. Until now, this is the secret of "Hashem our Elohim, Hashem" (Devarim 6:4). These three grades correspond to the supernal secret in the verse: "In the beginning Elohim created..." AND SO THE TERM "in the beginning" is an ancient secret, NAMELY CHOCHMAH THAT IS CALLED BEGINNING. THE TERM "created" alludes to a concealed secret, from which everything else expands. Elohim's secret meaning is sustaining everything that exists below. The term "the heaven" ALLUDES TO THE UNION OF the male and female, and it is forbidden to separate them, BUT RATHER ONE SHOULD COMBINE THEM, FOR THEY ARE THE SECRET OF THE VOICE AND THE UTTERANCE - YUD HEI VAV HEI - ADONAI, WHICH ARE UNITED INTO ONE.

11. (The particle Et (the) is created by combining the letters Aleph and Tav, which are the first and last letters of the alphabet.) Thus, Et includes all the letters from beginning to end. Afterwards, the letter Hei was added to Et, so all the letters would be united with Hei. This formed the word Atah (Eng. 'you', Aleph-Tav-Hei.) Thus, the verse reads: "And you do preserve them all" (Nechemyah 9:6). Et is the secret of Adonai and is so called. Heaven is Yud Hei Vav Hei, which is superior TO THE NAME ADONAI, FOR ZEIR ANPIN, CALLED "THE HEAVENS" AND ALSO CALLED "VOICE," IS THE SECRET OF THE NAME OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. AND HIS FEMALE PRINCIPLE, CALLED 'ET' AND 'SPEECH,' IS THE SECRET OF THE NAME ADONAI.

19. When this formlessness was refined and purified, "a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke the rocks..." (I Melachim 19:11) Then it emerged like the wind that Elijah saw. The void was refined and purified and noise came from it, as it is written: "And after the wind an earthquake (also: 'noise')" (Ibid.). When the darkness was refined, fire was then included in its secret, as it is written: "And after the earthquake a fire" (Ibid. 12). The wind was refined and a "still small voice" was included within it.

24. The wind THAT IS MENTIONED IN THE VERSE: "AND A WIND FROM ELOHIM," is a voice that rests upon the void and guides it in all its needs. This is the secret of the verses: "The voice of Hashem is upon the waters" (Tehilim 29:3) and "And a wind from Elohim moved over the surface of the waters." The stones are immersed deep inside the abyss from which waters flow. This is why they are called "the surface of the waters." The wind guided and strengthened the faces, called the surface of the deep, each according to its requirements.

26. "And a great and strong wind rent the mountains...but Hashem was not in the wind..." (I Melachim 19:11). The name YUD HEI VAV HEI was not in the wind BECAUSE THIS STRONG WIND COMES FROM formlessness, upon which the name Shadai rests. HENCE IT READS, "BUT HASHEM WAS NOT IN THE WIND." AND IT EXPLAINS THAT THE EARTHQUAKE CAME FROM VOID, AS THE VERSE CONTINUES: "And after the wind an earthquake; but Hashem was not in the earthquake," because only the name Tzva'ot rests upon it in the secret of the Void. Hence, it is called Void. AS FOR THE FIRE THAT COMES OUT OF DARKNESS, THE SCRIPTURE READS, "And after the earthquake a fire; but Hashem was not in the fire" (Ibid. 12), because the name Elohim rests upon it from the aspect of darkness. "And after the fire a still small voice," WHICH COMES FROM THE ASPECT OF A WIND FROM ELOHIM, upon which the name Yud Hei Vav Hei rests. THE VERSE READS "AND WHEN ELIJAH HEARD IT...AND WENT OUT, AND STOOD IN THE ENTRANCE OF THE CAVE. AND, BEHOLD, THERE CAME A VOICE TO HIM, AND SAID, 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, ELIJAH?" (IBID. 13). HE DID NOT LEAVE THE CAVE AT THE FIRST THREE ASPECTS, ONLY WHEN HE HEARD A STILL SMALL VOICE, because the name Yud Hei Vav Hei was there. AND HE KNEW THAT YUD HEI VAV HEI WAS TALKING TO HIM.

211. Corresponding to Revi'a INTONATION, which rises IN THE INTONATION, there is the Cholam AMONG THE VOWELS, WHICH IS ALSO CHESED. The Sh'varim, OR THE TEVIR OF THE INTONATION, is equivalent to the VOWEL Sheva. In PRONOUNCING this, REVI'A, one should raise his voice and in PRONOUNCING the other, REFERRING TO THE TEVIR, WHICH IS GVURAH, one should lower his voice. Because of this, it is CALLED Sh'varim (DERIVED FROM THE HEB. FOR 'BREAK') AS THE VOICE SHOULD BE LOWERED (LIT. 'BROKEN'). This is done in secret, as it is written of the lower Shechinah: "But her voice was not heard" (I Shmuel 1:13). T'ruah is THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, WHICH IS CALLED Shalshelet. THIS IS ALSO THE SECRET OF THE YUD, LOCATED BETWEEN THE TWO MEM'S OF "FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS." THIS IS THE SECRET OF SEGOLTA AMONG THE INTONATIONS.

213. RABBI SHIMON said: Zarka, Makaf, Shofar Holech, Segolta. The vowel to the right, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE VOWEL OF CHOLAM AND CHESED, is 'Hashem reigns'. The vowel to the left, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE SHURUK OR SHEVA AND GVURAH, is 'Hashem reigned.' The vowel in the middle, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE VOWEL CHIRIK, TIFERET, is 'Hashem shall reign.' Rabbi Acha said: 'Hashem reigns' is the supernal world, 'Hashem reigned' is Tiferet and 'Hashem shall reign' is the Ark of the Covenant.

290. "And they heard the voice of Hashem Elohim..." (Beresheet 3:8). THIS ALLUDES TO THE TIME when YISRAEL approached Mount Sinai TO RECEIVE THE TORAH, as it is written: "Did ever people hear the voice of Elohim speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live?" (Devarim 4:33). WE HAVE LEARNED THAT THERE IS AN ANALOGY BETWEEN THE VERSES DERIVED FROM THE USE OF THE WORD "HEAR." While the mixed multitude, WHICH COULD NOT BEAR TO HEAR THE VOICE OF ELOHIM, perished, those FROM AMONG THE MIXED MULTITUDE WHO REMAINED ALIVE said AFTERWARDS to Moses, "But let not Elohim speak with us, lest we die" (Shemot 20:19). They then caused the Torah to be forgotten BY BRINGING THE SIN OF THE GOLDEN CALF UPON YISRAEL. THE MIXED MULTITUDE consists of ignorant people, about whom it is written: "Cursed be he that lies with any manner of beast" (Devarim 27:21), because they come from the side of that Serpent, of which it is written: "You are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field" (Beresheet 3:14).

333. Rabbi Elazar rose to the front and explained THE VERSE: "The voice of Hashem is upon the waters; the El of glory thunders; Hashem is upon many waters" (Tehilim 29:3). "The voice of Hashem" is the supernal voice that is appointed over the waters. THESE WATERS ARE THE MOCHIN THAT flow from grade to grade, FROM THE GRADE OF BINAH TO THAT OF ZEIR ANPIN AND FROM THE GRADE OF CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN TO THE GRADE OF NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. Until they gather in one place, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF HIS YESOD, in one congregation, BECAUSE YESOD INCLUDES ALL THE GRADES WITHIN ITSELF, AND IS THUS CALLED 'ALL.' This supernal voice sends these waters on their way, TO EVERY SFIRAH AND SFIRAH, each according to its course. Just as that gardener who guides the DITCH OF water and sends THE STREAM OF WATER to each and every spot as is required, "the voice of Hashem" governs the waters, WHICH ARE THE MOCHIN, in the same manner.

354. Therefore, we have learned about the verse: "He uncovers deep things out of darkness" (Iyov 12:22). Rabbi Yosi said, You may say ABOUT THE MEANING OF THE VERSE that out of the concealed darkness, OUT OF THE DARKNESS OF BINAH, deep things are revealed, yet all of the supernal crowns OF BINAH are hidden. Therefore, they are called "deep things" IN THE SCRIPTURAL VERSE. What is MEANT BY THE VERSE: "He uncovers DEEP THINGS," SINCE THEY ARE NOT REVEALED AT ALL? RABBI YOSI REPLIED: All these supernal deep things are only revealed from within that darkness, which is the secret of the night, WHICH IS THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. Come and behold: All these hidden deep things that emerge from Thought - BINAH - which the voice - ZEIR ANPIN - takes up, are not exposed until the word manifests them. HE ASKS: What is the word? HE REPLIES: It is speech, NAMELY MALCHUT, BECAUSE ZEIR ANPIN WITH THE MOCHIN OF GREATNESS IS CALLED 'THE VOICE' AND MALCHUT IS THEN CALLED 'THE SPEECH.'

355. This speech, OR RATHER THE COMBINATION OF THOUGHT, VOICE AND SPEECH, is called Shabbat. SHABBAT, CONSISTS OF THE SHIN AND BAT (DAUGHTER). SHIN ALLUDES TO THE UPPER THREE SFIROT AND DAUGHTER ALLUDES TO THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. Because Shabbat is called speech, worldly speech is forbidden on Shabbat, BECAUSE IT DISRUPTS THE GREAT UNION OF THE VOICE AND SPEECH. And this speech OF SHABBAT should prevail IN THE WORLD, and not another speech OF WEEKDAYS. This speech, which comes from the aspect of darkness, reveals 'deep things' from within it. The meaning of the phrase: 'out of darkness' is that which emerges from the aspect of darkness. It is precisely written: 'out of'.

359. RABBI SHIMON began THE DISCOURSE ON THE VERSE: "Louder than the voice of the archers; in the places of drawing water, there let them recite the righteous acts of Hashem..." (Shoftim 5:11). He said, "The voice of archers" is the voice of Jacob, because "archers" means as it is written: "And there went out a champion..." (I Shmuel 17:4). "In the place of drawing water" means that Jacob, TIFERET, dwells among those who draw water on high. He, REFERRING TO ZEIR ANPIN, travels along the two sides, RIGHT AND LEFT, AND combines them within himself, THEREBY REVEALING THEIR PERFECTION.

360. In the verse: "There let them recite the righteous acts of Hashem," "there" is the place of Faith, WHICH IS THE QUEEN - NAMELY THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE ABOVE THE CHEST OF ZEIR ANPIN - to cleave to. "There let them recite the righteous acts of Hashem MEANS THAT they absorb the righteous acts of Hashem from there. THE PHRASE: "The righteous acts towards the inhabitants of his villages," WHICH IS THE CONTINUATION OF THE VERSE, "LOUDER THAN THE VOICE OF THE ARCHERS," alludes to the Righteous of the world, NAMELY YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, who is the covenant and is holy. He draws and takes everything and discharges into the great sea, NAMELY THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, these supernal waters, NAMELY HIS MOCHIN THAT ARE DRAWN FROM IMA, THE SUPERNAL WATERS. THE PHRASE "in Yisrael," WHICH ENDS THE VERSE, MEANS that Yisrael shall inherit this covenant and the Holy One, blessed be He, gave this to them as an everlasting inheritance.

388. Rabbi Yitzchak said: It is written, "By the word of Hashem were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth" (Tehilim 33:6). "By the word of Hashem were the heavens made" refers to the lower heavens, which were made by the word of the upper heavens. They were made "By the breath" that produces a voice until it reaches the river that comes out and flows, and whose waters never cease. AND THE PHRASE, "And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth" APPLIES TO all lower beings, who exist ONLY by THE LIGHT OF the breath, which is male.

410. The verse then reads: "And every winged bird after its kind" (Beresheet 1:21), as it is written ABOUT THOSE ANGELS, "for a bird of the sky shall carry the sound, and that which has wings shall tell the matter" (Kohelet 10:20). THESE ARE THE ASPECTS OF THE ANGELS THAT COME FROM ZEIR ANPIN, WHO IS CALLED 'SOUND.' Rabbi Yosi said: They all have six wings and they never change. THEY HAVE SIX WINGS, BECAUSE THEY COME FROM ZEIR ANPIN, WHO HAS SIX SFIROT, AND THEY NEVER CHANGE THEIR IMAGE SO THEY CAN ENTER THE BODY. Thus, it is written: "After its kind." HE ASKS: What is THE MEANING OF, "after its kind"? AND ANSWERS: "After its kind" from above. THIS IS WHY THEY DO NOT CHANGE AND ENTER BODIES. They fly around and roam over the world with six flaps of their wings, WHICH CORRESPONDS TO THE SIX SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN. They carry their observations of human behavior up TO THE CELESTIAL COURT, and it is thus written, "Do not curse the king, no, not even in your thought," (Ibid.) REFERRING TO THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE. BECAUSE THE "BIRD OF THE SKY" - - NAMELY THE ANGELS - "SHALL CARRY THE SOUND" UP TO THE HEAVENS.

448. "And when the woman saw that the tree was good..." She saw yet did not see that the tree was good. She "saw that the tree was good," but could not decide. It is then written, "She took of the fruit thereof" and not 'she took of it.' WHY? BECAUSE HER MIND WAS NOT SET THAT THE "TREE WAS GOOD." BY TAKING OF ITS FRUIT AND NOT FROM THE TREE ITSELF, she became attached to the place of death, brought death upon the world and separated life from death. And this sin caused a separation between the wife, THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, and her husband, ZEIR ANPIN, because the voice - ZEIR ANPIN - is never separated from the utterance, THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. Whoever separates the voice from the utterance, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN FROM HIS FEMALE PRINCIPLE, becomes dumb and loses the ability to speak. As a result of losing the ability to speak, he is given to the dust. THIS IS WHY IT IS WRITTEN, "AND TO DUST SHALL YOU RETURN" (BERESHEET 3:19).

449. Rabbi Shimon said: It is written, "I was dumb with silence, I held my peace (even from good), had no comfort, and my pain was stirred up" (Tehilim 39:3). "I was dumb with silence" WAS EXPRESSED BY the Congregation Yisrael, WHICH IS THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE OF ZEIR ANPIN, at the time of the exile. Why? Because the voice, ZEIR ANPIN, conducts the utterance, THE FEMALE. Since she is in exile, the voice is separated from it and the utterance, THE FEMALE, is not heard. Because of this, THE FEMALE SAID, "I was dumb with silence." Why WAS SHE DUMB? Because "I held my peace, even from good," WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED GOOD AND IS THE VOICE. THEREFORE, the voice does not accompany it. Yisrael THEN said, "Praise waits for you (in silence), Elohim" (Tehilim 65:2). What does "in silence" mean? This is when the praise of David, ALLUDING TO THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, WHICH IS CALLED PRAISE DURING GREATNESS, is silent during the exile and becomes dumb, without a voice. Rabbi Yitzchak asks: What is the meaning of "for you" IN THE VERSE, "PRAISE WAITS FOR YOU?" HE ANSWERS: YISRAEL CRIES OUT TO ZEIR ANPIN SAYING, 'It is because of you that she is dumb and in silence,' since the voice - NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN - has abandoned her.