176. Sitrei Torah (Secrets of the Torah). Mishnah. Children of the High One, supernal sages, Blessed of the World, of the inner part of the nut, gather and know: a bird descends every day, and is awakened in the garden with a flame of fire in her wings and three shovels in her left hand as sharp as a sword, and the keys to the treasures in her right hand.
177. She cries out loud, saying TO THE RIGHTEOUS IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, Whoever among you has a shining face - THAT IS, WHO MERITS WISDOM, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "A MAN'S WISDOM MAKES HIS FACE SHINE" (KOHELET 8:1) - who entered, left and was strengthened by the Tree of Life. THAT IS, WHOEVER ENTERED BY MEANS OF THE RIGHT COLUMN, LEFT BY MEANS OF THE LEFT COLUMN, AND WAS STRENGTHENED BY THE TREE OF LIFE, THE CENTRAL COLUMN. And whoever touched its branches - CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, INCLUDED WITHIN ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECRET OF THE TREE OF LIFE - AND whoever grasped the roots, THE FIRST THREE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN; AND whoever eats from its fruits which are sweeter than honey (THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH OF THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECRET OF ITS FRUITS.) IT IS SWEET, ACCORDING TO THE MYSTERY IN THE VERSE, "TRULY THE LIGHT IS SWEET...FOR THE EYES" (KOHELET 11:7), AND THE EYES ARE THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH, who revives the soul and heals the body.
178. SHE ANNOUNCES THAT WHOEVER MERITS ALL THAT IS the one who is kept from the evil contemplation that defies the Tree of Life; from CONTEMPLATION that defiles the river and the spring, which is the source of Yisrael; and from CONTEMPLATION that results in death to the soul and breaking of oneself, so that he has no existence.
179. The contemplation, which defiles the source OF THE TREE OF LIFE, ZEIR ANPIN, produces a tree of lies because that contemplation rises and exchanges one soul for another, THAT IS, THE SOUL (NEFESH) OF THE LIGHTS OF THE OTHER SIDE IS EXCHANGED FOR THE SOUL (NEFESH) OF THE LIGHTS OF HOLINESS. FOR BECAUSE OF THAT CONTEMPLATION, the Tree of Life is gone and the Tree of Death, from which he draws his soul, clings to him.
180. Woe to him who, because of that contemplation, is uprooted from the Tree of Life and attached to the Tree of Death, which has no branches. THIS MEANS THAT ITS LIGHT NO LONGER ILLUMINATES. He who clings to it never sees goodness. He is dry, without the LIGHT'S moisture , and his fruits are as bitter as wormwood. Of him it is said, "For he shall be like the juniper tree in the desert, and shall not see when good comes" (Yirmeyah 17:6).
181. But good contemplation ascends and seizes the Tree of Life, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN, embracing its branches and eating its fruits. All that is holy and all blessings come from it. He inherits life for his soul and healing for himself. Of him it is said, "For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out its roots by the river..." (Ibid. 8)
182. Every act in the world follows thought and contemplation. Of this the scripture reads, "You shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and you shall be holy" (Vayikra 11:44), because sanctities in the world are manifested and drawn by means of good contemplation.
183. He who is defiled by the evil contemplation of thinking about another woman while inseminating his wife, will confuse the supernal high grades BY SWITCHING the Holy grade with the grade of Defilement. As he changes his thoughts from his wife to another woman, so he causes change above.
184. As the body of the son he begets is called a 'changed son,' so his soul is also called 'changed son,' as his contemplation was not drawn from holiness, and his soul was thus changed into another grade, NAMELY, A GRADE FROM THE OTHER SIDE.
185. It was revealed before the Holy One, blessed be He, that all Jacob, the perfect one, did was true, and that he harbored thoughts of Truth. The night he had intercourse with Leah, his thoughts were of Rachel. He was with Leah and thought of Rachel, and his issue came from that thought.