Voice and speech
A deeply hidden secret pertains to the spiritual powers of the mouth. As letters and words arouse the very forces that they describe, the mouth animates the spiritual forces that it speaks. Positive words generate positive angels, while negative speech produces negative angels. The good and bad events in our lives are merely the net effect of the angelic influences created through the power of speech. The Evil Inclination works to blind us from this spiritual truth. Having succumbed to the uncertainty and doubt implanted within us by our negative tendencies, most of us disregard the words that come out of our mouths. Yet Kabbalah teaches that it is far more important to consider what comes out of the mouth than what goes into it. It is fitting that, through the power of the Zohar's words, we can draw Light to help us use our speech in a positive manner.
236. Rabbi Shimon said: Similarly, Torah, THAT IS, ZEIR ANPIN, is situated between two houses - BETWEEN TWO FEMALES. FOR IMA IS CALLED "HOUSE," as in "For both houses of Yisrael" (Yeshayah 8:14). One is upper and sealed - THE SUPERNAL IMA, BINAH; the other is more revealed. The supernal, SEALED one is the great voice referred to in: "A great voice which was not heard again" (Devarim 5:19).
236. אָמַר רָבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כְּגַוְונָא דָא אוֹרַיְיתָא קָאֵים בֵּין תְּרֵי בָּתִּים, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב לִשְׁנֵי בָּתֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל וגו'. חַד סְתִימָא עִלָּאָה, וְחַד אִתְגַּלְיָא יַתִּיר, עִלָּאָה, קוֹל גָּדוֹל, דִּכְתִיב קוֹל גָדוֹל וְלֹא יָסָף.
237. This is an inner voice that cannot be heard or revealed. IT IS NOT HEARD IN THE FORM OF A VOICE AND NOT REVEALED IN SPEECH. It is produced when the palate is connected to the larynx to produce Hei in a SOUNDLESS whisper. This is perpetually produced; it never ceases. It is a very thin inner voice that can never be heard.
237. וְהַאי קוֹל פְּנִימָאָה אִיהוּ, דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע, וְלָא אִתְגַּלְּיָא, וְדָא הוּא, כַּד נְבִיעַ בֵּי גָרוֹן, אַפֵּיק ה' בַּחֲשַׁאי, וּנְבִיעַ תָּדִיר וְלָא פָּסַק, וְאִיהוּ דַּקָּה פְּנִימָאָה, דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע לְעָלְמִין.
238. From this voice, FROM ABA AND IMA, THE GREAT VOICE, Torah, called "the voice of Jacob," NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, originates. This audible VOICE comes from THE VOICE THAT IS not heard, NAMELY ABA AND IMA. Subsequently, speech is linked to the inner voice. Speech comes AND IS HEARD through the strength and initiative OF JACOB'S VOICE. The voice of Jacob, called Torah, THAT IS, ZEIR ANPIN, is embraced between two females. It is then linked to the inaudible inner VOICE, NAMELY IMA, and to the audible external one, NAMELY THE NUKVA.
238. וּמֵהָכָא נָפְקָא אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִיהוּ קוֹל יַעֲקֹב, וְהַאי אִשְׁתְּמַע, דְּנָפְקָא מֵהַהִיא דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע, וּלְבָתַר אִתְאַחֵיד דִּבּוּר בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וּנְפַק לְבַר, מֵחֵילֵיהּ וּמִתָּקְפֵּיהּ, וְקוֹל דְּיַעֲקֹב דְּאִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא, אָחִיד בֵּין תְּרֵי נִקְבֵי, אָחִיד בְּהַאי פְּנִימָאָה דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע, וְאָחִיד בְּהַאי דִלְבַר דְּאִשְׁתְּמַע.
239. There are two inaudible VOICES, CALLED CONCEALED CHASSADIM, and two other VOICES that are audible EXTERNALLY. IN THEM - IN THE CHASSADIM - THESE VOICES ARE REVEALED BY THE RADIANCE OF CHOCHMAH. HE EXPLAINS, the two inaudible voices are the supernal and concealed Chochmah, NAMELY ARICH ANPIN, CLOTHED by thought, AND THE SUPERNAL ABA, heard neither in speech nor IN THE ASPECT OF voice. First, it is revealed slightly by an inaudible whisper, AS IN THE ISSUING OF THE LETTER HEI, called the great voice. The great voice is a faint sound emitted secretly, AND IT IS THE SUPERNAL IMA. THOSE ARE THE TWO INAUDIBLE VOICES, ABA AND IMA.
239. תְּרֵין אִינוּן דְּלָא אִשְׁתָּמְעוּ, וּתְרֵין אִינוּן דְּאִשְׁתָּמְעוּ. תְּרֵין דְּלָא אִשְׁתָּמְעוּ, דָּא הוּא חָכְמָה עִלָּאָה סְתִימָאָה, דְּקָיְימָא בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה, דְּלָא אִתְגַּלְיָא וְלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע. לְבָתַר נָפְקָא וְאִתְגַּלְּיָא זְעֵיר בַּחֲשַׁאי, דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע, הַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי קוֹל גָּדוֹל, דְּהוּא דַּק וְנָפֵיק בַּחֲשַׁאי.
240. The two audible voices are emitted from here, PRODUCED BY THE TWO INAUDIBLE ONES. THOSE ARE the voice of Jacob, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, and the speech that cleaves to it, WHICH IS THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN. The great voice, BINAH, is whispered and not heard. It is a house (Heb. bayit) for the supernal Chochmah, WHICH IS ABA. Because each female is called "House," BINAH IS CALLED "HOUSE." Speech, WHICH IS THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, is the house (Bayit) for the Voice of Jacob, which is Torah, OR ZEIR ANPIN. Hence Torah starts with the letter Bet or Beresheet (in Hebrew, both bayit and the letter Bet are spelled in the same way).
240. תְּרֵין אִינוּן דְּאִשְׁתָּמְעוּ, אִינוּן דְּנָפְקֵי מֵהָכָא, קוֹל דְּיַעֲקֹב, וְדִבּוּר דְּאִתְאֲחֵיד בַּהֲדֵיהּ. הַאי קוֹל גָּדוֹל, דְּאִיהוּ בַּחֲשַׁאי וְלָא אִשְׁתְּמַע, אִיהִי בַּיִת לַחָכְמָה עִלָּאָה, וְכָל נוּקְבָא בַּיִת אִקְרֵי, וְהַאי דִּבּוּר בַּתְרָאָה, אִיהוּ בַּיִת לַקּוֹל דְּיַעֲקֹב, דְּאִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא. וְעַל דָּא אוֹרַיְיתָא שַׁרְיָא בְּבֵי"ת, בֵּי"ת רֵאשִׁית.
241. RABBI SHIMON said that the words "In the beginning Elohim created" correspond to "the side, which Hashem Elohim... had made." THE STRUCTURING OF THE NUKVA BY ABA AND IMA IS INSINUATED HERE. The words "the heaven" CORRESPOND TO THE SECRET OF THE GREAT MALE AND FEMALE IN the words, "and brought her to the man." Likewise, "and the earth" corresponds to "bone of my bones," THE SECRET OF THE SMALLER MALE AND FEMALE. THE SMALL NUKVA, ALLUDED TO IN "AND THE EARTH" is called "the land of the living."
241. פְּתַח וַאֲמַר, בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים, הַיְינוּ דִכְתִיב וַיִּבֶן ה' אֱלֹקִים אֶת הַצֵּלָע. אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם, הַיְינוּ דִכְתִיב וַיְבִיאֶהָ אֶל הָאָדָם. וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ, כד"א וְעֶצֶם מֵעֲצָמַי, וַדַּאי הַאי אִיהִי אֶרֶץ הַחַיִּים.