The Gate of Unity 26/נר מצוה ותורה אור; שער היחוד כ״ו

1We must now understand the further descent of the light [as it is] within the ten sefirot of Abba and Imma (Insight and Comprehension) themselves.

2[That is, we must understand] how the inner aspect of the brains of Abba and Imma (Insight and Comprehension) receive [influence] from Chessed and Gevurah of Arich Anpin (Kindness and Sternness of Desire).

3Moreover, [we must] certainly [understand] as they ascend to receive from the Mazalot of Arich Anpin, as mentioned previously.

5Now, the [explanation of this] matter is known, that the inner aspects of the brains of Abba and Imma are likened to Shabbat and Yom Tov.

9[The “mother”] refers to the aspect of the brains of Imma [Comprehension] which receives from Abba [Insight], because the cessation [from work] of Shabbat is also within Chochmah.

10That is to say, it is the inner aspect of Abba, which is the aspect of the “Koach Mah – The Potential Power of What (כח מה).”

11[This is] the “[intangible] nothingness” of Chochmah, before it spreads forth to become a “[tangible] something” within the comprehension of Binah.

12Similarly, Binah, in its inner aspect, is the depth of the comprehension (Omek HaMoosag), for, as known, there is the “nothingness” (Ayin) of Chochmah in Binah, and there is [the somethingness (Yesh) of] Binah in Chochmah.

15For example [this is] the [quality of] Chessed of Chochmah (Kindness of Insight), which is the intellectual power that leans towards kindness, or the different intellectual power [of Gevurah of Chochmah] that leans towards judgment.

16These [in turn] radiate within Chessed and Gevurah of Binah (Kindness and Sternness of Comprehension).

17That is, it comes into comprehension, with sound reasoning and explanation, either for merit or liability.

18These are called the emotions of the comprehended intellect, before they are born as actual [heartfelt emotions] in and of themselves (as will be explained).

21Now, the aspect of NeHi”Y of Chochmah (The gut emotions of Insight) is the aspect of the “scales” of intellect and insight, as to how this intellectual matter should come to be expressed. This is the aspect of “the kidneys that give counsel.”

22(This is the matter of the strength of the intellect, which is called, “Strong Mindedness.”

23Just as the legs have the strength to uphold the entire body, so too, the aspects of Netzach and Hod of Abba uphold the “body” of the mind.

24The reverse is true if he is not strong minded. He will easily fall [and retreat] from his logical reasoning, [and change his stance] from [judging something as being] liable to [being] meritorious, or from being impure to being pure etc.

25The same principle applies to Netzach and Hod of Imma.)

26In general, the brains of Zeir Anpin, which are [heartfelt] emotions that are below intellect (as will be explained), come about from the enclothement of the aspect of the NeHi”Y of Abba into the NeHi”Y of Imma.

27Now, the particular matters of the unifications of Abba and Imma are well known.

28[This refers to] whether [their unification] is in their inner aspect, for their own purpose, which is the [unification] of their first three [Sefirot] before they spread forth into the emotional [Sefirot], or whether they unify to bring about new “brains” for Zeir Anpin and Nukvah, which is only [the external unification of] NeHi”Y.

29The [difference between these two unifications] is the [same as the] difference between Shabbat and the weekdays.

30(In the Shema recital, the [inner] intention of [the words] “HaShem our God-Hashem Elohei”nu-יהו״ה אלהינ״ו” is the inner [unification] of Abba and Imma (Insight and Comprehension), from which [it follows that] “Hashem is One-HaShem Echad-יהו״ה אחד,” [which refers to] the unification of Zeir Anpin and Nukvah (Emotions and Speech [or actions]) as they receive an aspect of additional influence of new intellect, so that they may be able to give birth etc.

31This is [brought about] by giving ourselves over to HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, with complete self-sacrifice during the Shema recital. In contrast, when [one studies] Torah and [performs] the commandments without self-sacrifice, then Zeir Anpin and Nukvah (Emotions and Speech [or Action]) only [receive] from an external unification of Abba and Imma (Insight and Comprehension), as explained elsewhere.

32An example [of the inner unification] is the matter of the ten martyrs who brought about an ascent of the “Feminine Waters-Mayim Nukvin” to the inner aspect of Abba and Imma, specifically through giving their [actual] lives over to HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, with complete self-sacrifice.)

33(This [also] is the matter of the unification of the “upper Abba and Imma,” and the unification of the “lower Abba and Imma,” which are Yisroel Saba and Tvunah, as was explained at length in regard to the matter of Binah and Tvunah.

35These [two] are called “The lower Abba and Imma.”

36[However], there is another Yisroel Saba that is even higher than the “upper Abba and Imma.”

38The source for the inner unification of the “upper Abba and Imma,” involving their first three [Sefirot, as explained above], is drawn from the [unification of the higher Yisroel Saba and Tvunah of Arich Anpin].)

39Now, when intellect is drawn down from Abba and Imma to Zeir Anpin and Nukvah in order to give birth to souls, it then is necessary for the unification of Abba and Imma to be in the inner intellect, in their root within the two Mazalot of Arich Anpin.

43This then, is the meaning of [the continuation of the words of the prayer], “He remembers the kindnesses of the forefathers and brings a redeemer to their children’s children.”

44The analogy for this is well known. It is similar a person who is particularly outstanding in his [deep] insight [and wisdom]. Since he knows the concept to its depth, specifically to the very source of its inception, he is therefore capable of [bringing out] influence from it to someone who is of a much lesser [intellectual capacity than himself], even to a small child.

45[This is to say that] he can make new combinations [to explain] how to conceptualize this concept, specifically not merely [explaining it] as it [already] is [in his own mind].

46Furthermore, he is capable of formulating and giving rise to entirely new and different concepts, through this concept.

47However, such is not the case in regard to a person who is not so exceptionally wise and who grasps the concept and wisdom merely as it is.

48It is [difficult] enough for him to make the “breakthrough” and grasp it himself.

49However, he will be incapable of “giving birth” to new insights from it altogether.

50Certainly, he will be incapable of lowering it and “bringing down” the explanation of the concept, so that [even] a child could understand it.

51[From all the above] we find that the aspect of NeHi”Y of Chochmah (the gut emotions of Insight), which is the aspect of Yesod, that is, the power to influence a recipient, is specifically dependent on the potential power to conceptualize (Ko’ach HaMaskeel), which is the source from which all concepts are “hewn” from “nothing” to “something.”

52This is likewise so in regard to the birth of souls from the aspect of NeHi”Y.

53[The aspect of NeHi”Y] cannot give birth [to new souls] unless there is additional [influence of] strength in the source of its intellect, from a much higher level than intellect.

54This is the reason that for there to be a birth of souls through the unification of Abba and Imma, there must be [influence] from higher than the source of the intellect of Abba and Imma.

55This is the aspect of the Mazalot of the “Hidden Wisdom” (Chochmah Steema’a) which is even higher than Chochmah and Binah of Arich Anpin itself, as previously explained.

56This is also the reason for the inner unification of Abba and Imma during the night of the “Holy Shabbat (Shabbat Kodesh).”

57This is because [this unification] is to give birth to souls.

59This is because they are Torah Scholars who are called “Kodesh – Holy” and the source of Shabbat is in the “upper Kodesh –Holiness,” which is the inner aspect of the light of Abba, as previously explained. This will suffice for those of understanding.