הקדמה

41. “Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi etc.”Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi Yosei were walking along the way. When they reached a certain field, Rabbi Ḥiyya said to Rabbi Yosei: When you say Bara-shit, which is hinted to in [the word] Bereshit, this [implication] is certainly the case, since the six higher days, which are only the six extremities of Bina, give to the Torah, Ze’er Anpin, and not more. The others, the first three [sefirot] of Bina, are concealed.

Explanation: The Torah refers to Ze’er Anpin, which is called Orayta [“the Torah”]. The six higher days refers to the six extremities of Bina, which are above Ze’er Anpin. [Rabbi Ḥiyya] says that it is for this reason that Bara-shit is implied in the word Bereshit, since [the word] Bereshit is indicative of the Bina that returned to be Ḥokhma in order to give to Ze’er Anpin. Since Ze’er Anpin does not receive the first three [sefirot] of Ḥokhma from [Bina], but only the six extremities of Ḥokhma, the letters of Bara-shit are alluded to in this Ḥokhma of Bereshit, to indicate that Ze’er Anpin receives from [Bina] only the six extremities of Ḥokhma. This is the meaning of [Rabbi Ḥiyya's] statement: But “the others are concealed,” because the first three [sefirot] of the Ḥokhma remain concealed from Ze’er Anpin and [Ze'er Anpin] does not attain them.

The reason is as follows: It is known that the second constriction was established in Atik, that is, it raised the lower heh to the apertures of the eyes, in order to emanate the partzuf of Arikh Anpin (as stated above, section 13, third paragraph). Therefore, the Keter was divided into two halves, with the gulgalta, eyes, and apertures of the eyes remaining in Nukba of Atik, while the lower half of the Keter, which consists of the ears, nose, and mouth, was established as the partzuf of Arikh Anpin. In this state, the lower heh operates in the apertures of the eyes of Atik, and yod-heh-vav in the ears, nose, and mouth, which are Arikh Anpin.1The ascent of Malkhut to the aperture of the eyes (Bina) is described as the last heh of the Tetragrammaton, the four-letter name of God. This leaves the other three letters operating in the emanated partzuf of Arikh Anpin, without a lower heh. This is because the bottom heh of Havaya is missing in Arikh Anpin, and therefore there are only the first nine sefirot in Arikh Anpin, without Malkhut, and only the coronet of Yesod of Ze’er Anpin completes Arikh Anpin into ten sefirot, as is known. The Malkhut is concealed in the apertures of the eyes of Atik, and all the partzufim of Atzilut are imprinted from them. All [these] partzufim were divided into two halves: Gulgalta, eyes and the apertures of the eyes by themselves, and the ears, nose, and mouth by themselves. For [example], the Bina is divided into two partzufim, with the gulgalta, eyes and apertures of the eyes in [Bina] established as Abba and Imma Ila'in, and the ears, nose, and mouth in [Bina] as Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna.

Thus, the lower heh [of the level of Bina] is in the apertures of the eyes of Abba and Imma Ila'in, and yod-heh-vav, without the lower heh, are in Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna. The [yod-heh-vav] lack the Malkhut because their Malkhut remained in the apertures of the eyes of Abba and Imma (father and mother), in the manner stated above with regard to Atik and Arikh Anpin.2This pattern reflects the "imprinting" from the levels above. These lower partzufim have the same structure as Atik and Arikh Anpin, with a corresponding ascendant Malkhut to the apertures of the eyes. Similarly, in Ze’er Anpin and Nukba, the gulgalta and eyes were established as the large Ze’er Anpin and Nukba, and the ears, nose, and mouth as the small Ze’er Anpin and Nukba. The Malkhut remained in the apertures of the eyes of the large Ze’er Anpin and Nukba, and the small Ze’er Anpin and Nukba have only the first nine [sefirot], without Malkhut. Only the coronet of Yesod completes [their sefirot by serving] as their Malkhut, in the manner stated above regarding Atik and Arikh Anpin. Thus, just as the Keter was divided into two halves – the first three and the lower seven3This count refers to the higher level as being the "first three, " a term used to denote the head, the brains of the particular level or partzuf. This is in contrast to the lower seven, a reference to the aspect of the six extremities without a head, the lower aspect of a partzuf. This count should not be confused with the count described previously of the lower nine sefirot after the ascent of the lower heh. – so too was Bina divided, and also Ze’er Anpin and Nukba: The lower heh remained in the first three of each, while in the lower seven there are only yod-heh-vav, without the lower heh, and only the coronet of Yesod of Malkhut completes the [total count of the sefirot] instead of Malkhut.

Therefore, the upper half of each [of these] levels remains of the aspect of "unknown." This is like the partzuf of Atik, in which the lower heh does not return and descend from the apertures of the eyes even in the phase of maturity. Although in the phase of maturity the [partzufim] bring back to themselves the vessels of ears, nose, and mouth that they lacked, they still do not draw forth the first three of the lights.4Normally, a return of these lower vessels to a level should allow the higher lights to return as well. This is on account of the lower heh that is concealed in them, upon which the first constriction occurred, so as not to receive [the light of] Ḥokhma.5The first constriction prevents the light of Ḥokhma from entering the vessel of Malkhut. Consequently, the first three [of the level] always remain in the light of giving, in the mystical meaning of pure air.6This term refers to the environment in which the Malkhut is present. In this concept, the Malkhut is described as a yod, and it enters into the environment of the light (or) of Ḥokhma. The presence of Malkhut causes that light to flee, as a result of the first constriction, leaving only the light of giving. This is described as the yod being added to the word or (light), converting it to avir, air, which is the light of giving. Instead, only the lower half of each level draws forth the first three of lights in the phase of maturity, in the mystical meaning of the yod emerging from their air, and this [lower aspect] returns to be the light of Ḥokhma and the first three.

As a result, it is considered that the partzufim of the first three [sefirot] that are drawn in [each of] the five partzufim of Atzilut are regarded as only the six extremities of Ḥokhma and remain lacking in the first three of Ḥokhma. This is because the first three of each partzuf do not receive Ḥokhma, but rather [only] the six extremities of each partzuf [receive Ḥokhma]. For this reason, there is only the [level of six extremities of Ḥokhma in the brains [of these levels].

[Rabbi Ḥiyya] thus says: “The six higher days give to the Torah and not more.” The meaning is as stated, that the Ze’er Anpin only receives from the supernal brains of the six days, which are the brains of six extremities. But “the others are concealed” – the first three of the brains are hidden, since they are hidden even in the partzufim that are higher than [Ze'er Anpin], as only the aspect of the six extremities of the higher partzufim have brains.