27. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion with the verse: "He sends the springs into the valleys...they give drink to every wild beast..." (Tehilim 104:10-11). These verses were uttered by King David in the Holy Spirit, and they require studying. Come and behold: there was a time when the higher wisdom imprinted its engravings, MEANING AT THE MOMENT WHEN THE HIGHER CHOCHMAH AND BINAH UNITED TOGETHER, even though THE HIGHER CHOCHMAH is the most hidden of all the hidden, SINCE IN HIGHER CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, WHICH ARE ABA AND IMA ABOVE, THE YUD DOES NOT EMERGE FROM THE AIR. It is an opening from which flows a river full of higher gates, THAT IS BINAH.
28. HE COMPARES THIS SUBJECT MATTER OF ABA AND IMA ABOVE AND YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH to a spring and source of water that fills up a huge lake. From there, FROM THE LAKE, flow springs, streams and rivers in every direction, TO THE RIGHT AND TO THE LEFT. Similarly, this ABA AND IMA AND YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH flows through a certain narrow path that is not known, MEANING AT THE UNION OF YESOD'S ABA AND IMA ABOVE, WHO ARE NOT REVEALED, IN WHOM THE YUD DOES NOT EMANATE FROM THE AIR. That river emerges continuously and emanates FROM EDEN. THROUGH THIS EXITING AND ENTERING, it fills that deep stream - MEANING YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH, SIMILAR TO THE HUGE LAKE OF WATER THAT IS FILLED UP FROM THE SPRING AND SOURCE THAT ARE ABA AND IMA ABOVE. From there, springs and streams continue TO ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, and from it they are filled up WITH CHOCHMAH AND CHASSADIM. This is what it is written: "He sends the springs into the valleys" (Ibid.). These are the higher sanctified rivers OF ZEIR ANPIN of pure balsam, SINCE IT IS THE SECRET OF THE PURE AIR THAT CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN RECEIVE FROM ABA AND IMA ABOVE. THAT IS THE SECRET OF THE PURE BALSAM AND THAT IS WHAT IS MEANT BY: "THEY FLOW BETWEEN THE HILLS," WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN, CALLED 'MOUNTAINS.' AND FROM IT MALCHUT RECEIVES. And all, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, drink together from that spring of the higher sanctified stream that continues to flow, WHICH IS YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH.
29. AFTER ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT DRINK, "they give to drink to every wild beast" that which is written: "and from thence it was parted, and branched into four streams (lit. 'heads')" (Beresheet 2:10). These four heads are "every wild (lit. 'field,' Heb. sadai) beast," WHICH ARE FOUR CREATURES, LION, OX, EAGLE AND MAN, WHICH ARE THE CHARIOT OF MALCHUT. They are the inclusion of all the camps and legions THAT ARE IN BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH to which Shadai, THAT IS METATRON THAT IS CALLED 'SHADAI,' is attached, WHO IS ABOVE ALL OF THEM. Do not pronounce it Sadai WITH SIN, but rather Shadai, WITH SHIN, which is METATRON that receives and perfects IN HIMSELF the Name from Yesod, the Foundation of the world. This is SINCE THE NAME SHADAI IS IN YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, AND METATRON, BEING A CHARIOT TO YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, RECEIVES THIS NAME.
30. "The wild asses quench their thirst" (Tehilim 104:11). These are the ones about whom it is written: "and the wheels were lifted up along with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels" (Yechezkel 1:20). What is "the living creature?'' These are the wild beasts, which are four, and each one of them is in one direction OF THE FOUR DIRECTIONS of the world, and is called a 'living creature.' There are FOUR wheels to each one OF THE FOUR CREATURES, and none OF THE WHEELS move except from the spirit of the living creature that goes over it, MEANING EACH ONE OF THE WHEELS FROM THE CORRESPONDING SPIRIT IN THE CREATURES. When these LIVING CREATURES AND WHEELS are imbued with that higher drinking liquid, all the rest of the legions are fed and saturated and are rooted in their sources, and they unite with each other at certain levels. This is what is written: "beside them dwell the birds of the sky...He waters the hills from His upper chambers..." (Tehilim 104:12-13). These are the rest of the higher levels.
31. After all this, WHEN ALL THE HIGHER AND LOWER GRADES WERE FILLED WITH ABUNDANCE FROM ABA AND IMA, IT SAYS: "the earth is satiated with the fruits of Your works" (Ibid.); that is, the sanctified land up high, MEANING MALCHUT. When it is blessed, all the worlds are gladdened and are blessed, and that happens when the blessings prevail from the watering of the stream, WHICH IS THE SPRING MENTIONED ABOVE, THAT IS ABA AND IMA, the deepest of all.
32. At the time when the blessings are not available to descend upon the world, WHICH ARE CHASSADIM, AND MALCHUT RECEIVES CHOCHMAH FROM THE LEFT WITHOUT THE CHASSADIM, the world, THAT IS MALCHUT, sits in Judgment. From the left side stirs a spirit that extends over the world, and many regiments of harmful angels dwell in the world and rest over the people, SINCE WHEN CHOCHMAH IS WITHOUT CHASSADIM, ALL THE HARSH JUDGMENTS EMANATE FROM HER. And that spirit defiles them, similar to a person who dies and has a Spirit of Defilement dwell upon him. This is true for whoever comes near that SPIRIT FROM THE LEFT.
33. That is what is meant when it says: "You hide Your face, they are troubled" (Ibid. 29). What does this verse mean? It is only, "You hide Your face, they are troubled." That is because THOSE LEVELS were not watered so that blessings would prevail in the world, SINCE "YOUR FACE" MEANS CHASSADIM AND BLESSINGS. THEN, "You take away their breath (also: 'spirit'), they die" (Ibid.), because another spirit stirs from the left direction, WITHOUT THE RIGHT. The Spirit of Defilement dwells upon people, upon those who died, those who were with them, and on the rest of humanity, MEANING THAT THE SPIRIT OF DEFILEMENT EXPANDS OVER THE WHOLE WORLD. What is its remedy? This is what is written: "and return to their dust" (Ibid.). That means the dust of the burning of this offering in order to have purification, and that is the secret meaning of, "all are of the dust" (Kohelet 3:20), even the sun's circle.
34. After returning to this dust in order to be purified through it, AS MENTIONED NEARBY, the Spirit of Defilement is removed. And another Holy Spirit is aroused, which prevails upon the world. This is what it says: "You send forth your breath (also: 'spirit'), they are created" (Ibid. 30); they are created and healed with the loftier remedy of another spirit. "And You renew the face of the earth" (Ibid.); since it was purified, the moon is renewed and all the realms are blessed. Praised is the lot of Yisrael, since the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them counsel. All of it is a remedy in order to gain life in the World to Come, and for them to be considered purified in this world and sanctified for the World to Come. About them, it is written: "then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean" (Yechezkel 36:25).