Zeir Anpin

108. Up until now my words were interconnected, and the concealed matters in the most hidden Atika Kadisha were explained, and how the ones are connected to the others, THAT IS, HOW THE THREE HEADS OF ATIKA ARE MUTUALLY ATTACHED, HOW THE BEARD IS ATTACHED TO ATIKA, AND HOW ABA AND IMA ARE CONNECTED TO THE BEARD. The following are matters that pertain to Zeir Anpin that were not revealed in the Idra RABA, those concealed in my heart, where they did not manifest. Now they are manifested and disclosed. All these matters are hidden yet clear. Blessed is my portion and that of those who receive this inheritance, as it is written, "Happy is the people, that is in such a case..." (Tehilim 144:15).

109. This we have explained, that Aba and Ima are attached to the manifestations of Atika, THAT IS, TO THE BEARD THAT MANIFESTED. It is so, because they derive from the most concealed brain and are attached to it. When they examine what I say THEY WILL SEE that everything is only Atika, that was, is and will be, and that all those manifestations are in it. Aba and Ima come out of this CONCEALED brain and are a part of Mazal. They derive from and are attached to it. Zeir Anpin derives from Atika Kadisha and is attached to it. We have already explained these issues in the Idra RABA. Blessed is the portion of he who came into WISDOM and came out IN PEACE, and who knows the paths not to deviate right or left BUT BE IN THE CENTRAL COLUMN. And whoever has not come in and out IN PEACE, it is better for him had he not been born, as it is also written, "for the ways of Hashem are right" (Hoshea 14:10).

110. Rabbi Shimon said, All my life I observed this verse that says, "My soul shall glory in Hashem; the humble shall hear of it, and be glad" (Tehilim 34:3), and now the whole verse is fulfilled. Surely "My soul shall glory in Hashem," because my soul is attached to Him, glows from Him, cleaves to Him and strives, through which striving it shall rise to its place. "The humble shall hear of it, and be glad" relates to all the righteous, the members of the holy Yeshivah, and the righteous who have come now with the Shechinah. They all listen to my words and rejoice. For that reason, "O magnify Hashem with me, and let us exalt His name together" (Ibid. 4).

111. He opened with, "And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom" (Beresheet 36:31). This is the meaning of, "For, lo, great kings were assembled, they came (or: 'passed') on together" (Tehilim 48:5). Where were they assembled? In the land of Edom, which Judgments hold onto. "they passed on together," as it is written, "And...died...reigned in his place" (Beresheet 36:33-39). "As soon as they saw, they were astounded; they were affrighted; they rushed away" (Tehilim 48:6), because they were not settled BUT BROKE AND DIED, because the King's establishments had not yet set and the holy city, NAMELY MALCHUT, and its walls had not yet come to be.

112. This is the meaning of, "As we have heard, so have we seen..." (Ibid. 9), because none survived, but she, MALCHUT, survives now that the male dwelt with her, as it is written, "and Hadar reigned in his place, and the name of his city was Pa'u; and his wife's name was Mehitavel, daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezehab" (Beresheet 36:39); gold water certainly, as we explained in the Idra.

113. In the Agadah book of Rav Hamnuna Saba we learned that, "Hadar reigned in his place." Hadar surely, NAMELY YESOD THAT IS CALLED THE TREE HADAR, as it is written, "the fruit of the tree hadar" (Vayikra 23:40), IN WHICH MALCHUT IS CALLED FRUIT AND YESOD THE TREE HADAR; "and his wife's name was Mehitavel" as in "branches of palm trees" (Ibid.), WHICH IS YESOD AND WHICH IS NAMED IN THE PLURAL "PALM TREES" BECAUSE it is written, "The righteous man flourishes like the palm tree" (Tehilim 92:13), WHICH MEANS HE DOES NOT FLOURISH WITHOUT THE FEMALE, because THE PALM TREE is both male and female. HENCE IT SAYS OF HIM, "AND HIS WIFE'S NAME WAS MEHITAVEL." This MALCHUT is called "the daughter of Matred," WHICH MEANS SHE IS a daughter to that place everyone is busy (Heb. trudim) attaining, which is called a father, NAMELY CHOCHMAH. It is also written, "Man cannot know its price; nor is it found in the land of the living" (Iyov 28:13), SINCE EVERYONE IS BUSY ATTAINING IT. According to another explanation, she is a daughter to mother, WHO IS BINAH, from whose aspect Judgments rise that disturb (Heb. matridim) everyone. THIS IS WHY SHE IS CALLED "THE DAUGHTER OF MATRED." She is "the daughter of Mezehab (lit. 'gold water')," BECAUSE SHE is fed from both aspects that radiate in two manners, with Chesed and with Judgments, THAT IS, FROM RIGHT AND LEFT, THE RIGHT BEING CHESED AND CALLED WATER, AND LEFT THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH CALLED GOLD. HENCE THE GOLD WATER.

114. Before the world was created, they did not face and look at each other face to face, and because of that the earlier worlds were destroyed, BY BEING BROKEN AND DYING. The first worlds were formed but not fixed, and that KING that was not established was called glowing sparks, THAT IS, HIS KINGDOM AND REIGN WERE LIKE THE LIGHT OF A SPARK THAT IS IMMEDIATELY EXTINGUISHED AND DISAPPEARS. It is like a craftsman who strikes on an iron tool with a hammer, and produces sparks in every direction. These sparks come out glowing and shining but are extinguished at once. These are called the first worlds. For this reason they were destroyed and did not survive, until Atika Kadisha manifested and the craftsman began His work.