768. The Suckling of the Klipot

Concerning the matter that a suckling for the Klipot [shells/peels] was made, which are regarded as “very thin light.”

“Mixing” means that there is no distinction between one who serves Him and one who does not serve Him.

“A righteous falls before a wicked” means that until we are rewarded with the fiftieth gate, called “repentance,” all the degrees fall into the Klipa [sing. of Klipot]. This is the meaning of “When the benefit and holiness increase, their lives increase,” since when a person is on the lowest degree of Kedusha [holiness], such as in Behina Aleph, and the Sitra Achra [other side] makes him sin, she takes that degree.

For example, if one already has an order in the work and he can make efforts and has illumination in that quality, when the Sitra Achra makes him sin, she takes that degree. In other words, she fastens this quality to herself, and a person can no longer attach this action to Kedusha. Instead, he has no other choice but to take a higher degree.

For example, he should muster more strength and make greater efforts because the previous measure is already flawed in him. It follows that she holds it so he cannot perform any Mitzvot [commandments] or act in Kedusha in this manner, so he must accept a higher servitude, which the Sitra Achra does not know that he is working in this manner. When he feels that he is above, she chases him and holds that degree, as in the first.

Therefore, our only choice is to go to an even higher level until we come to forty-nine gates of Tuma’a [impurity]. And then, “He has swallowed up riches and he will vomit it up, and God will expel them from his belly.” That is, he takes all the powers that fell into her authority and connects them to Kedusha.