93. The secret of the face is for those who master inner wisdom. The features of the face are not RECOGNIZED by the outward impressions ON THE SKIN OF THE FACE, AS WAS SAID OF THE FOREHEAD, but by the impressions of inner secrets. For the features of the face are inverted AND APPEAR by force of impressions of the face, which are concealed in the spirit that dwells within. And from this spirit, the features of the face appear outside, which are recognizable only to the wise OF INTERNAL WISDOM, AS MENTIONED ABOVE.
94. The features of the face are recognized from the spirit. There is in man a spirit on which the secret of the letters are engraved, and all 22 letters are enclosed in that spirit. According to the seasons OF MAN, the impressions of these very same letters enter into the face. And as these letters come up, so does the face appear with these engraved impressions according to the time OF MAN. But this appearance does not last long, FOR THESE FEATURES SOON PASS. Only men of Wisdom see them, and they exist never to be forgotten by them.
95. There is a place which is called the 'World to Come,' WHICH IS BINAH. From there issues forth the secret of the Torah, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN THAT EMANATES FROM BINAH, with all its letters, consisting of 22 letters that comprise everything. And the river that goes forth from Eden, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, receives everything. When the spirits and the souls soar from it, all are stamped with the imprint of these same letters. And everything emerges in this manner. Therefore, the spirit of man is stamped with the imprint of these letters, and the imprint forms a shape on the face OF MAN.
96. Rabbi Shimon said to him, If so, the image of the mother OF THE SPIRIT, NAMELY MALCHUT, is not shaped from within that spirit, AS THE LETTERS COME FROM THE FATHER OF THE SPIRIT - NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, AS MENTIONED. They replied to him, So we heard from our master, that the form of letters comes from above, FROM ZEIR ANPIN and the form of the mother - NAMELY MALCHUT CONTAINING FOUR FACES, LION, OX, AND SO ON - is formed in that spirit below. And the form of the letters, THAT COME FROM ZEIR ANPIN, are concealed within, and the form of Ima projects outwardly.
97. The form of Ima, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is the face of a man, the face of a lion, the face of an ox and the face of an eagle. And the spirit projects the image of all of them for a time, for everything belonging on the side of the spirit projects itself to the outside, and when it becomes visible, is IMMEDIATELY concealed. All these forms which become visible and are designed in the shape of letters, COME FROM ZEIR ANPIN, even though they are concealed FROM WITHIN, AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED. These four forms are visible for a time to those who have eyes to see, AND THESE ARE MEN OF WISDOM who comprehend, by the mystery of wisdom, how to contemplate them.
98. The first form is as follows. When a man walks in the way of Truth, those who know the secret of their Master discern him, because the spirit within is established in him and projects the design to the outside, WHICH INCLUDES the full design; that form becomes the form of man. This form is the most perfect of all other designs, and this is the design that passes for a time before the eyes of the wise-hearted. When they look at his appearance from the outside, at that face that is before them, the eyes of the heart are moved to love him.
99. Four letter signs are impressed on it. One vein is conspicuous on his face in a depression, THAT IS TO SAY, IT IS NOT PROJECTED ON THE OUTSIDE, LIKE A CONSPICUOUS GROOVE, from the right side. There is another vein that includes and seizes two others that are attached to it from the left side OF THE FACE. These four signs are the four letters Ayin, Vav, Dalet, and Tav (Heb. edut, lit. 'testimony'). The sign Ayin is the vein on the right side and is conspicuous in its sunken position. The Dalet and the two letters attached to it, Vav and Tav, form a vein which includes two other veins ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FACE. This is the secret of the phrase, "This He ordained in Joseph for testimony" (Tehilim 81:6), for everyone who saw him loved him in their heart, and in this love he was perfected.
100. In the seed of David, the colors are reversed. This is why Samuel erred, as it is written, "Look not on his countenance" (I Shmuel 16:7), since the Other Side was in Eliav, which was not so in David. For the features of David were covered, for the forms of the Other Side were included in his own features. And it is the form of the Other Side that is seen first, passing over the eyes temporarily and frightening the heart, yet afterwards, "a comely person, and Hashem is with him" (Ibid. 19). This gives testimony about him.
101. The image of man includes all forms, and all forms include his. Such a man is not frightened in spirit, in times of anger he is calm, his words are calming and he is quickly appeased.
102. In the seed of David - where the image OF THE OTHER SIDE is seen at first and passes briefly before the eyes, AS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED - he is self-controlled in anger, and quickly appeased. Yet, he must guard a serpentine hatred in the end. For it is that side that brought THIS about, surrounding itself on all sides UNTIL IT TAKES ITS REVENGE, but the fruit that is enclosed in its shell and the heart become righteous. This is true for righteous people, but in evil people, the original evil form is not turned aside from them, being fully attached to them.