הקדמה

10. “Mi is the edge of the heavens etc.”Mi is the edge of the heavens above, which is Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna; Ma is the edge of the heavens below, which is Malkhut. This is what Jacob inherited, who is Ze’er Anpin, who “passes through from edge to edge” [Exodus 26:28] – from the first edge, which is Mi, to the last edge, which is Ma, as [Ze'er Anpin] is positioned in the middle, between Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna and Malkhut. Therefore, “who has created these [eleh,” Isaiah 40:26]. As Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, who are called Mi ("who"), created Ze’er Anpin and Malkhut, which are called eleh.

Explanation: It would seem that the verse should have said “from the top of heaven to the [bottom] edge of heaven.” Why does it say, “from one edge to the other edge” [Deuteronomy 4:32], implying from end to end, which does not mean anything? He therefore states: “Mi is the edge of the heavens above,” i.e., Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, which is poised for a question and which enclothes from the chest to the navel of Arikh Anpin.1This is the default state of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna before any ascents result from feminine waters, and the yearning from below. See the preceding sections in order to understand the foundations of this section. Ma is the Nukba2Nukba is the female partzuf counterpart to Ze'er Anpin and corresponds to the sefira of Malkhut. before the ascent of feminine waters, which is the end of all the levels from the chest of Ze’er Anpin and below. Jacob is positioned between [Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna and Nukba] – he is Ze’er Anpin, who starts to enclothe from the place of the navel of Arikh Anpin until the Nukba, which means he passes from the end of Mi [the bottom of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna] to the end of Ma [the top of Nukba, the partzuf of Malkhut]. For the Mi concludes at the navel of Arikh Anpin, where Jacob begins, as stated, and the Nukba, which is Ma, is positioned at his conclusion, as stated.

However, the verse is speaking [of the stage] after the drawing of the brains3The "brains" refer to particular levels of supernal light. One of the main themes of these sections is the required adjustments in the structures of the partzufim to attain access to higher brains, levels of supernal light. to [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, as it written, at the start of the verse: “For ask now of the days past etc.” [Deuteronomy 4:32]. This is referring to the time when the [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba ascend and receive the brains of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, which are called “the days past,” as stated. For then, the edge of the heavens below, which is Ma, i.e., the Nukba, ascends and enclothes at the edge of the heavens above, that is, on the Mi, which is Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, and thus they are literally both in one place. This is why the verse states “from edge to edge” [Deuteronomy 4:32], as they have both now become the aspect of one edge of heaven. For the Ze’er Anpin receives “the days past,” which are six extremities from Yisrael Sabba:4This refers to the male component of the partzuf structure of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna. Ḥesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzaḥ, Hod, and Yesod, while the Nukba takes Tevuna, i.e., the Malkhut of Bina, which is now at the edge of Ze’er Anpin, called “heaven.”5This is the layout of how Ze'er Anpin matches with Yisrael Sabba and Nukba with Tevuna during this phase. However, with respect to the quality that precedes the brains, she is considered the head of heaven.

There is also a second explanation [of the verse]: The heavens above is Yisrael Sabba, which incorporates the six first days, which are Ḥesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzaḥ, Hod, and Yesod of Bina.6Recall that Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna are the lower seven sefirot of the sefira of Bina of the level of Arikh Anpin. Yisrael Sabba here is the lower six of Bina, and Tevuna is Malkhut of Bina. The edge of the heavens above is the Tevuna, which is the Malkhut of Bina. The verse should thus be understood as follows: From the edge of Yisrael Sabba to the edge of Ze’er Anpin, which is called “the heavens below.”

[The Zohar] thus states: “Regarding who has created these.” That is, it is in reference to these brains that the verse states “who [mi] has created these,” for Mi is Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, which is positioned in the place of Beria of Arikh Anpin, i.e., from the chest to the navel, below the diaphragm that is inside the intestine of Arikh Anpin, since the illumination of the head of Arikh Anpin no longer reaches there (as stated above, in section 7, third paragraph; see there).7The world of Beria lies below the diaphragm positioned at the "bottom" of the world of Atzilut. Similarly, in the body of Arikh Anpin, the area below the diaphragm in the chest of Arikh Anpin, where Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna is positioned, is the region corresponding to Beria. As mentioned previously, the light of the head of Arikh Anpin does not penetrate below the diaphragm. This is why [that region] is considered Beria, i.e., outside [bar] of the head of Arikh Anpin, and therefore [Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna] is poised for a question. Thus, once the [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba attain the brains [of this region], by ascending and enclothing this Mi and taking its place from the chest to the navel of Arikh Anpin, their brains, too, are now only Beria of Arikh Anpin. This is the meaning of the verse: “Who [Mi] has created [bara] these,” i.e., the [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba took the brains of Beria from the Mi.