Heaven and Earth

151) Rabbi Shimon opened and said, “In the beginning God created.” We should consider this verse. Anyone who says that there is another God will perish from the world, as it is written in Jeremiah, “Thus you shall say to them, ‘The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under these heavens,’” since there is no other God but the Creator.

Explanation: This relates to what he said, “Sit and we will renew the correction of the bride.” Hence, he started to explain, “In the beginning God created,” which is the root of all the corrections of the bride during the 6,000 years. Elokim [God] is the upper Elokim, Bina, and he is called Elokim, in regard to MI [who] created ELEH [these]. And as MI connected to ELEH, the name always connects, and by that, the world exists.

With it, he explained that the Creator, Bina, is called Elokim—associating MI with ELEH—through clothing of light of Hochma in garments of glory that shine with Hassadim. By that, the world exists. Hence, “The Elokim [gods] that did not make the heavens and the earth,” could not give sustenance to the world. That is, other gods, who separate ELEH from MI, must certainly perish from under the heavens that are corrected by connecting ELEH with MI.

This is so because with their strength, there can never be existence to the world, but rather ruin. This is why the text stresses, “Under these [ELEH] heavens.” This verse is a translation [from Aramaic to Hebrew], except for the word ELEH at the end of the verse, meaning ELEH, indicating the bonding of MI with ELEH.

152) “This verse is a translation, except for the word ELEH at the end of the verse.” Is it so because the holy angels do not listen to translation, to the Aramaic language and do not know it? If so, it should have been the opposite; he should have said it in the holy tongue [language], so that the holy angels would hear it and listen in order to thank for it.

However, it is certainly written in translation because the holy angels do not listen to it, and will not envy a person and harm him, since the holy angels are included in this verse, as well, for they, too, are called “gods”: they are included in the gods and they did not make the heavens and the earth.

The language of the translation is close to the holy tongue, yet the angels do not need it and do not know it, while they do need and know the languages of the nations of the world. The language of translation is posterior, VAK of the holy tongue, since VAK are called posterior and sleep, without Mochin, which are GAR. For this reason, the translation is truly very close to the holy tongue.

Therefore, the translation is indeed very close to the holy tongue. However, there is another reason here, for which the angels do not need it. The holy tongue is the language that decides in the middle, the fulcrum that tips the scale, deciding that the side of merits be above the side of faults, and returning everything to Kedusha [holiness]. This is why it is called “the holy tongue” [in Hebrew, the scale’s fulcrum is called “the tongue of the scales”].

The matter of the scales is understood from what Rabbi Shimon said, “The heavens and their hosts were created with MA,” Malchut. This is why it is written, “In the beginning God created,” the upper God, Bina, and not Malchut, since MA is Malchut, and it was not built in MI ELEH. However, when the letters ELEH are drawn from above, from Bina, to below, to Malchut, since the mother [Ima] lends her clothes to her daughter, as it is written, “These [ELEH] I remember,” I mention the letters ELEH with my mouth, shedding tears with the will of my soul to draw the letters ELEH. Then “I will walk,” from above, “to the house of God” will be called Elokim [God].

Thus, Elokim does not appear in the heaven and earth that were created with MA, except by extending the letters ELEH from upper Ima through MAN and good deeds, as it is written, “I mention these [ELEH] letters with my mouth and I shed tears.” This is because Mochin of GAR, called Elokim, are not permanent in heaven and earth, which are ZON, since when raising MAN from below, MA becomes MI, and the letters ELEH join the MI, and the name Elokim is made—the Mochin in heaven and earth.

And if the lower ones corrupt their works, the Mochin depart from ZON and remain in KH of the vessels and Ruach-Nefesh of lights, which are called MI or MA. Then the letters ELEH fall to the shells, since MI is GE and ELEH is AHP.

Thus, the correction depends entirely on the connection of the letters ELEH the MI through MAN. This is why this correction is called “the holy tongue,” the fulcrum of the scales which decides in the middle and by which the Mochin, who are called “holiness,” are drawn out. It is because it extends the holy name Elokim to ZON and shifts the letters ELEH to the side of merit, of Kedusha. Also, they are called Moznayim [scales] from the word Ozen [ear], since the lights of AHP are named after the highest phase in them, which is Ozen.

Conversely, there is the language of translation, since when the lower ones do not raise MAN in purity, it is considered that they wish to grip only to the letters ELEH and not to connect them with the name MI, Bina. But then the posterior of ZON, MA, appear, and the heaven and earth, ZON, return to VAK, and it is in the language of translation.

Now you can understand that “sleep” [Tardema] in Gematria is “translation” [Targum]. It is also the letters Tered MA [MA will descend], since through this language, which is not pure, the posterior, MA, appear, and this is the meaning of Tered MA. It follows that the scales descend and arrive at a side of fault.

All this is in regard to ZON, which is heaven and earth that were created in MA because they emerged from the coupling of Yesodot, called MA. But the holy angels emerged from the coupling of Neshikin [kisses] of AVI and have no MA in them, only MI, the upper world, Bina. On the one hand, this is why they are always only in VAK and not in GAR, but on the other hand, their VAK is light of Hassadim of upper Bina, too, MI, who are just as important as GAR and do not need Hochma as does upper Ima. This is why they are holy, since GAR are called “holiness.”

For this reason, the angels are not at all impressed by the language of translation that reveals MA in ZON and brings them back to VAK for two reasons: 1) Even when ZON have GAR from the holy tongue, they do not receive the GAR from him, as they desire only light of Hassadim, like upper Ima. 2) The disclosure of the posterior of MA does not concern them because there is no MA in them.

This is why the holy angels do not listen to the translation, to the Aramaic language, and do not know it. They have no need because they do not lose anything because of it, and do not gain anything by its departure, as they are only VAK and do not know it, as there is no MA in them.

It was said that they will not envy a person so as to harm him because this verse curses other gods, who disrupt the disclosure of Mochin of GAR from Hochma. Hence, they must perish from the earth and from under these heavens. And since the angels, too, have no GAR of Hochma, only GAR of Hassadim, they will feel degradation of their degree and will envy us for thinking so highly of ourselves.

Also, they are called Elokim and are included in Elokim, but they did not make the heaven and the earth, since they are called Elokim because they are drawn out of Ima, who is called Elokim, hence they are included in Elokim. Yet, they did not make the heaven and the earth because they, too, cannot keep the heaven and the earth in the GAR of Hochma, and there is no existence for heaven and earth for people’s settlement with seed and harvest except through Mochin of GAR of Hochma. Thus, they, too, did not make the heaven and the earth.

153) It is written, “And the land,” since the land is one of seven lands below. In that place are the children of Cain’s children because once he was expelled from the face of the earth, he went down there, produced offspring, and his mind was confused there, meaning that he did not know anything. It is a doubled land, doubled with darkness and light.

ZAT are incorporated in one another, and in each there are seven Sefirot HGT NHYM, which are also found in Malchut. In the lower land there are seven lands, as well: Earth, Land, Arka [Earth in Aramaic], Valley, Oblivion, Aridity, and Universe. Our earth is Universe, the highest among the seven lands. Arka is the third among the seven lands.

The souls of Cain and Abel were extended from the name Elokim. However, because of the filth that the serpent cast in Eve, the soul of Cain was the first to come out of the letters ELEH, then Abel came out from the letters MI.

They were meant to be included in one another in Rachamim, then the name Elokim would be on both of them together, as MI always bonded with ELEH in the name Elokim. Yet, the filth of the serpent, who came out with the soul of Cain, caused him to slander his brother Abel, who is MI of Elokim, until he rose up against him and killed him, since he caused the departure of the letters MI from ELEH, which is the killing of Abel. Then ELEH, which are himself, fell to the shells, and he was expelled from the face of the earth because he fell from the land of Kedusha [holiness], descended there to Arka, the place of the shells, made offspring, and his mind was confused there until he knew nothing because he made offspring under the governance of the shells. Hence, the holy tongue was confused in his mouth to the language of translation, meaning that he did not know anything, for he had lost his Daat [reason], since the shells have no Daat because they have Mochin of HB without Daat.

The matter of his killing of Abel is only because by the force of MAN in purity is MI drawn to the ZON. Afterwards, the letters ELEH are drawn and the name Elokim is completed in ZON, too, as in AVI. Then the Nukva, too, ends in male vessels, like Ima, upon the exit of the letter Hey and the ascent of the Yod.

This does not mean that the letter Hey of MA of Nukva departs altogether. Rather, the Hey entered within the Nukva in concealment, and the Yod of MI appeared outwards. In this way, the holy name Elokim is present in ZON, too, which are heaven and earth. However, Cain raised MAN not in purity and wished to enhance the letters ELEH of himself, to delight himself, and it is written, “Cain rose up against Abel his brother” because he lifted himself up by the dominion of MI, which is Abel.

At that time, the posterior of the Nukva, who is Hey of MA that was in concealment, immediately appeared, and the name MI departed from the Nukva. For this reason, the soul of Abel, which was extended from the MI of Nukva, departed above as well. This is why it is written, “And killed him,” and this is why it is said in The Zohar that when Cain killed Abel, he bit him with his teeth like the primordial serpent and killed him.

Because the filth of the serpent was in him, he wished to enhance the letters ELEH and to annul the MI, and subdue him under him. This is why he disclosed the posterior, MA, in Nukva, and MI departed from her. For this reason, the soul of Abel that is extended from her departed and he killed him, while Cain himself, who is ELEH, fell into the domain of the shells, which are Arka, called in the text, “the land of Nod.”

“It is a doubled land, doubled with darkness and light.” There are two appointees there, since light and darkness operate in mixture there, without boundaries between them, as there are two appointees there, equally governing this land: 1) The appointee over darkness, who places the darkness there. 2) The appointee over the light, who places the light there.

154) There are two appointees who govern there, one in darkness and one in light. They were hostile toward each other, and when Cain went down there, they united with each other and were completed together. Then everyone saw that they were Cain’s offspring. Hence, they have two heads, like two serpents, except when that appointee over the light governs. He wins his own, meaning the light, and wins the other, the appointee over the darkness. Hence, those in the darkness were incorporated in those in the light, and they became one.

Upon the emergence of the holy name Elokim, the letters ELEH first rise and join MI, in the form of concealed in the name, since they are devoid of Hassadim. The holiness, Hochma, cannot clothe in them without clothing of Hassadim, hence they are hidden in the name Elokim. Afterwards, a second coupling is made in MI to draw out Hassadim, and now Hochma dresses in Hassadim and the name Elokim is completed, as it is said, “Who created these?” He created light for His light, meaning garments of glory of Hassadim, and clothed in them. Thus, ELEH conjoined with MI, and Elokim was completed.

In MI, Bina, there is GAR, upper AVI, who were established as pure air, desiring mercy and not receiving Hochma. Only ZAT of MI, YESHSUT, receive Hochma. Hence, in the beginning of the ascent of the letters ELEH to MI, they rise to ZAT of MI, which receive Hochma. At that time, they are hidden in the name Elokim. But afterwards, the second coupling of the GAR of MI—pure air—takes place, giving the garment of glory that shines for ELEH, and then they are completed in the holy name Elokim.

The soul of Cain was from the ELEH while they were hidden in the name. Hence, the Kedusha, Hochma, was hidden for him due to the absence of clothing of Hassadim. But not only did he not raise MAN to draw the MI of Hassadim, he also wished to extend Hochma from upper AVI, by which he killed Abel, for he disclosed the posterior of Nukva of ZA, casting his soul to the shells, which are ELEH, since the place of these shells is in Arka.

The two appointees that are there are from ELEH of the shells, as it is written, “God has made them one opposite the other.” In the Nukva, there are concealed posterior of MA and disclosed MI. Then she can shine to the souls with the holy name Elokim in completeness. It is so because then the Hochma of the letters ELEH, who received from the ZAT of MI, clothe in Hassadim of GAR of MI Hassadim of GAR of MI, and the holy name appears there.

However, in the Sitra Achra, whose suckling is only from the posterior of Kedusha, MA, the letters ELEH are with two faults: 1) They are completely devoid of Hassadim. 2) The Hochma in ELEH cannot clothe there due to lack of Hassadim of MI; hence, they are in darkness and not in light.

This is the male of ELEH of the shell, since his vessels are vessels of Hochma, ELEH, but they are empty of Hochma for lack of Hassadim of MI, in a way that is entirely dark from both Hochma and from Hassadim. Yet, his great merit is in the power of his vessels, who were fit for Hochma, if he could receive the clothing of Hassadim.

Also, the Nukva of ELEH of the shell is from the posterior of MA of the Nukva of Kedusha, who is a vessel of Hassadim. Yet, she is very flawed in the shell, who is the root of the separation, forging in the name of the King.

Tuma’a [impurity] has many names, according to her corruptions. However, she has a tiny light from her vessels, from the posterior of MA, who are essentially vessels of Hassadim.

Know that these male and female of ELEH of the shell are the two appointees in the land Arka: the male is appointed over the darkness, and the female is appointed over the light that is there. Hence, they slander each other because they are opposite from one another. In the male are the empty vessels of Hochma from the letters of ELEH. Hence, he hates the force of forgery and separation in his vessels of the Nukva, and prefers the darkness in him. The female, who has a tiny light from Hassadim, has no desire for light of Hochma whatsoever, much less the darkness of the male; hence, she slanders him and runs away from him.

It was said that there are two appointed rulers there who govern—one in the darkness and one in the light—and who were hostile toward each other because the male governs in the dark and the female in the light. They slander and hate each other, and since they are separated from one another they cannot expand at all and are powerless to harm.

However, after Cain sinned and dropped the letters ELEH of Kedusha in his soul to those shells in Arka, his letters ELEH, which were blocked from Hassadim, as well, clothed inside the light of the Nukva of ELEH of the shell. By that, he revived small sparks that remained in Cain’s vessels of ELEH, related to Hochma, since the light of the evil shell revived them like the light of Hassadim of Kedusha.

As a result, the male of ELEH of the shell made a coupling with this Nukva, who clothed the ELEH of Cain, for he had the same vessels as Cain’s. Through this coupling, Cain begot offspring that are from the sparks of Hochma that remained in his letters ELEH that are mixed with the vessels of ELEH of the male of the shell, which clothed in the light of the evil Nukva of the shell.

This is why it was said that when Cain went down there, they conjoined and were completed together, since the sparks of Hochma that remained in Cain’s ELEH clothed in the light of the female of the shell. By that, the male of the shell lusted after her to receive and enjoy Cain’s sparks of Hochma of ELEH.

Thus, they made a coupling with each other, becoming associated and completed by one another together. Then everyone saw that they were Cain’s offspring, for offspring emerged by this coupling, clothing of Cain’s sparks of ELEH in the light of the shell. By that, the sparks of Hochma of Cain’s soul were revealed and everyone saw that they were Cain’s offspring, born by that evil coupling.

This is why they have two heads like two serpents, since they emerged from the joining of the male and female of ELEH of the shell, who are opposite in their roots. Therefore, the offspring that Cain engendered with its help have the same two heads of those two shells: one leaning toward the darkness of the vessels of Hochma, and the other leaning toward the light in the vessels of impurity of the Nukva of the shell.

It was said that they are as two serpents because they are the opposite of the two animals in the Merkava [assembly/chariot]: ox and eagle.

They have two heads only when the male dominates, the governance of the darkness, since it follows that through his clothing in the light of the Nukva, to enjoy Cain’s sparks of Hochma, he also sustains the domination of his Nukva against his will because he needs his light. Hence, at that time, the offspring have two heads, one pulling this way and the other pulling that way.

But the Nukva of the shell does not need her male at all, since he does not give her anything because he is all darkness. Hence, when the Nukva governs and wishes to win with her impurity, she has complete dominance, leaving nothing of the male. Then Cain’s offspring, their two heads, return to being one, except for the time when that appointee over the light governs.

He wins over his own and wins over the other. That is, when the Nukva of the shell—who owns the light—governs, she grows stronger so as to defeat the male—the other appointee. He wins over his own means that he wins over his own force, as well as defeats the other, defeating the other appointee, who is the male, since she completely wins over the male under her dominion.

Hence, those who are in the darkness were incorporated with those who are in the light, and they became one. Because of it, the domination of the male, darkness, was incorporated with the domination of the female, the light, and the two heads become one.

155) Those two appointees are called Afrira and Kastimon, and their form is as the forms of the holy angels, with six wings. One is in the shape of an ox, one in the shape of an eagle, and when they unite, they become the shape of a man.

The male is called Kastimon, from the word Kosti, which means “ruin.” He is called so because he is darkness and is unfit for settling people. The female is called Afrira, from the word Afar [dust], unfit for sowing. She is called so to indicate that although there is light in her, it is still not enough for sowing and harvesting, to nourish people with it.

Their shape is as the shape of the six-wing angels, as they are the opposite of the upper angels, who have six wings corresponding to the Vav [six in Gematria] of HaVaYaH, and to distinguish from the holy animals, who have only four wings, corresponding to the letters of the name ADNI. It comes to indicate the height of these shells, which are the opposite of the upper holy angels.

The male, Kastimon, is in the shape of an ox, who is the first garment in which the Sitra Achra dresses, as it is said in The Zohar, that one appellant and slanderer, the first evildoer in the world, comes out of the wine-yeast. He is in the shape of a man when he approaches the holy because when he went out of the holy. Once he comes out and wants to descend, to clothe in a garment to harm the world, he and his Merkavot [plural of Merkava] descend, and the first garment that he takes is the shape of an ox. And the first evildoer of those four primordial evildoers is an ox.

Commentary: The upper Mochin are called “wine that delights God and people.” At their end there is dross, the wine-yeast. From this waste emerges the first evildoer to the world, who, while still adhered to the Kedusha, to the yeast, has the shape of a man. However, when he comes down to harm people, he dresses in the shape of an ox. Hence, the ox is the first of the primordial evildoers.

Kastimon is the evildoer with the shape of an ox, indicating that he is the root of all evildoers who are called “the ox of the shell,” the dross of the upper Mochin of the holy name Elokim, ELEH of the shell, corresponding to ELEH of the name Elokim, as it is dross and yeast that stand below them. Hence, while he was still connected to Kedusha, he had the shape of a man because these Mochin of Elokim are the shape [in Hebrew Tzelem] of a man, of whom it is written, “For in the image of God He made man.” However, when he became separated from the Kedusha and went down to his place, to Arka, he clothed in the clothing of an ox.

His female in Arka has the form of an eagle, after her role to drop souls of people that fall under her governance. Nesher [eagle] comes from the word Neshira [falling/dropping] of leaves from the tree. It is her role to wander in the world and bring people into nocturnal emission, blemishing the holy covenant, and by that flaw, the souls fall off people. When they unite, they become shaped like a man, and if they reunite with Kedusha, to be there yeast under the wine, they return to the shape of a man as they were before they descended into Arka and became evildoers.

156) When they are in the dark, they invert into the shape of a serpent with two heads. They walk like a serpent and fly in the deep, and bathe in the great sea. When they arrive at the chain of Aza and Azael, they anger them and awaken them, then leap into the mountains of darkness and think that the Creator wishes to summon them for judgment.

Except when that appointee over the light governs. He wins over the light and wins over the other. Hence, those who are in the dark were included in those who are in the light and became one, for at the time of the domination of the Nukva, light, the two heads return to being one head. But when they are in the dark, at the time of the governance of the male Kastimon, they invert into the form of a double-head serpent, since the male cannot revoke the domination of the Nukva, as he needs to clothe in her light. Hence, they are as a serpent with two heads, going to harm in the way of the serpent, in the same way that the serpent seduced Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge.

By the power of the Rosh of the Nukva of the shell, they fly within the deep, where there is the root of the shells, called “deep,” which is the lowest descent of all, as it is written, “They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths.” By the power of the Rosh of the male of the shell, they bathe in the great sea, which is Hochma of the shell, since “sea” is the name of Hochma. Know that because of it, Arka is called “the land of Nod,” as they always Mitnadnedim [swing/sway] due to the two heads of those appointees—once rising in the great sea and once going down to the depths.

Clarification of the angels Aza and Azael: Know that Aza and Azael are of the highest angels. You find that even after their fall from the heavens into this world, to the mountains of darkness, and being bound with iron chains, Balaam attained all his degrees in prophecy through them. It is said about them, “Who sees the vision of the Almighty,” by his attainment of those angels, who are called “falling” and “open eyed.”

Aza is called “falling” after his fall from heaven to earth. Azael is called “open eyed” in relation to Aza, in whose face the Creator threw darkness. And if you say that the Balaam’s degree of prophecy is a small thing, we learn, “Never has a prophet such as Moses arisen in Israel.” Never has one arisen in Israel, but in the nations of the world one has arisen, and he is Balaam.

The reason why they fell from heaven to earth is that they slandered the man during creation. However, we must understand, since many angels slandered at that time, as we learn, so why did the Creator drop only Aza and Azael?

But when the Creator wished to create man, He summoned sects of the upper angels, sat them down before Him, and said, “I wish to create man.” They replied, “What is man, that You should remember him?” That is, “What is the nature of this man?” He told them, “Man was created in our image; his wisdom will be greater than your wisdom, since man’s soul incorporates all the angels and upper degrees, just as his body incorporates all the creations of this world. For this reason, upon the creation of man’s soul, He called upon all the upper angels to include themselves in man’s soul, as it is written, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” In other words, He associated all the angels so they would be incorporated in the image and likeness of the man.

They asked the Creator, “What is the nature of this man?” meaning, “What will we gain from him, by our incorporation in him?”

He replied, “Man was created in our image; his wisdom will be greater than your wisdom.” He promised them that this man, who was to be comprised of our image, his wisdom would be greater than your wisdom. And you, too, will gain that great attainment that you are now lacking.

In the future, Israel’s merit will be greater than that of the angels. Thus, they all partook and were incorporated in man’s image.

After He created man and he sinned, Aza and Azael came and said to the Creator, “We have a complaint to make before You: This man that You made sinned before You.” He replied, “If you were with them, you would be worse than him.” Then the Creator dropped them from their holy degree, from heaven. After the Creator dropped them from their holy place, they went astray after the women of the world and misled the people of the world.

Explanation: You will see that not all the angels came to complain to the Creator for Adam’s sin, only Aza and Azael. This is because they knew that he would repent. However, Aza and Azael knew that this fault that they obtained because of Adam’s sin would not be corrected by his repentance whatsoever. Moreover, they would rather he did not repent at all, which is why only they complained about Adam’s sin, because for them, it is as it is written, a wrong that cannot be mended and a fault that cannot be counted.

The breaking of the vessels and the sin of Adam HaRishon are the same thing. However, it is called “the breaking of the vessels” with respect to the existence of the worlds, and with respect to the souls, it was done in Adam’s sin. It is known that the breaking of the vessels governed in the eight kings, the king of Daat and the ZAT, HGT NHYM. In each of those kings are 40 phases, which are ten Sefirot, and four phases HB TM in each Sefira. Thus, eight times 40 are 320 phases. They are called 320 sparks that were thrown in every direction upon the breaking of the vessels.

Repentance means that by raising MAN, we raise these sparks from the shells back to their place in Atzilut as they were prior to the sin of Adam HaRishon. However, we do not have the strength to sort the Malchuts in those eight kings because their flaw is far beyond our strength. Hence, we are permitted only to sort out the 288 sparks through our repentance, which are only nine times 32, and we are forbidden to even touch the 32 Malchuts in them, which are called “the stony heart.”

By that, the GAR of AVI, called “Inner AVI” were hidden, since those 32 sparks belong to them for the completion of their ten Sefirot, and as long as they lack them, they have no coupling. However, once the sorting of all 288 sparks is completed, the stony heart will be sorted by itself, without requiring action on our part. Then it will be said, “And I will remove the stony heart from your flesh.” Then, inner AVI will obtain their Mochin, and this will be at the end of correction. However, this posterior of AVI cannot receive any correction by our repentance before the end of correction.

Know that these angels, Aza and Azael, are the posterior of AVI who were canceled‎ at the time of the breaking of the vessels. But prior to the sin of Adam HaRishon, they were corrected again to a great extent, were canceled‎ once more after the sin of Adam HaRishon, and cannot be corrected prior to the end of correction. This is why Aza and Azael complained to the Creator about their Mochin, which they lost due to Adam’s sin, since they saw that they had no hope that man would be able to correct them through his repentance.

Moreover, they saw that through his repentance, Adam HaRishon would drop them even lower than their degree because the repentance should be only on the 288 sparks without touching the stony heart, which belong to the correction of inner AVI, to which the Mochin of these angels relate. The whole issue of repentance and raising of MAN is about removing this waste, the 32 sparks, from the food, which are the 288.

It follows that they bring Aza and Azael even further down by completely removing the waste—which is the stony heart—from the Kedusha. For this reason, they slandered and prevented Adam from repenting, since repentance would bring them even lower down because those 32 sparks belong to their structure.

And when the Creator saw that their slandering would weaken Adam from repenting, He told them, “If you were with them, you would be worse than him.” It is so because Adam HaRishon did not corrupt them at all by his sin. Although they have merit and Kedusha while they are in heaven, where the shells have no grip, it is not complete wholeness while they cannot be in this world of ours, the place of the shells. This is why the Creator told them, “You did not lose anything by Adam’s sin because you are no better than him anyway, for your merit is only because the place causes it.”

The Creator’s speech is action. Hence, they promptly fell from heaven into our earth. And once the Creator dropped them from their holy place, they went astray after the women of the world and misled the people of the world. That is, once they came to this world, they began to sort the stony heart, which is included in the daughters of man, as it is written, “And the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.” This is because they did not wish to separate the waste of the stony heart and choose only the 288, but took from whatever they chose, meaning the stony heart, as well. Then they, too, failed with the Nukva, wicked Lilit, and they wished to mislead the world with those evil deeds of theirs because they did not want man to repent, as this contradicts their root.

What did the Creator do? He saw that Aza and Azael were misleading the world. He bound them with iron chains in the mountains of darkness because the Creator saw that if they had the strength to return to heaven after their sin, all of Adam’s children would fail after them and would not be able to repent, for their dominance would be very great.

Thus, although they are of a high root, He gave permission to the root of the shells, called “iron,” as it is written, “No iron tools were heard in the house while it was being built.” And since this shell was attached to them, they were bound by it as with iron chains, inside the mountains of darkness, unable to rise from there until the end of correction.

This is why it was said that when they are in the dark, they turn into the shape of a serpent with two heads, and they walk like a serpent and fly inside the abyss and bathe in the great sea. When they arrive at the chain of Aza and Azael, they anger them and awaken them, since once they bathe in the great sea—Hochma of the shells—they receive the strength to bond with Aza and Azael, which are in the mountains of darkness, to receive Hochma from them. They awakened them to give them of their Hochma, they anger them and awaken them the awakening of phase four, which is the Gadlut of reception, called “anger” and “vexation,” as we learn, “All who are greedy are angry.” They leap into the mountains of darkness and think that the Creator wishes to summon them for judgment because they could not rise to their root and receive Hochma for them due to the iron chains on them.

Hence, it is considered that they would jump up and fall back down, by which they made their place in the mountains of darkness deeper, and they thought that the Creator wished to renew the power of judgment over them due to their jumps to receive from their root. This is why they ceased from leaping. And yet, those two appointees swim in the great sea. That is, although they could not really give them anything, since they only jumped and fell, it was enough for the two appointees to receive Hochma from them, until they swam in the great sea. It is so because now they had the strength to sail there in the sea of Hochma of the shell, whereas before they had only the strength to bathe there.

The reason is that there is no action in all this matter of those high shells. All their actions end with just a thought and a desire because they are the forces of separation. Before they come into action, the Kedusha departs from there, hence it is unimaginable that they will ever come into action. For this reason, in idol-worship, the Creator also punishes only for the thought and the desire, as it is written, “to capture the house of Israel in their hearts.” It is as we learn, that a man is punished for a thought of idolatry as much as for an act. Thus, the jumps of Aza and Azael were enough to receive their Hochma, although in truth, they were given nothing.

157) Those two appointees swim in the great sea, depart from there, and go to Naama at night, along with the demons who strayed after her, the first sons of the gods, who contemplate approaching her. She leaps over 60,000 parasangs and inverts into several shapes for people, so people will be led astray after her.

Commentary: Once they received power from Aza and from Azael, they could make a coupling with Naama, as well, after whom the first angels, Aza and Azael went astray, as well. Out of that coupling, Naama bore all the evil spirits and demons in the world. The first sons of the gods were led astray after her, which are Aza and Azael, who are called “sons of the gods,” as written in Genesis.

We should understand the matter, since they were angels of above, so how did they come into erring in whoring with Naama? Also, why did Naama bear only demons and spirits because of it, and not people?

The upper world, AVI, was created with a Yod, male, and there is nothing of phase four in them whatsoever. But ZON, the lower world, were created with a Hey, which also consists also of phase four.

AVI, Bina, desire the light of Hassadim, for this is how Bina emerged initially, in the four phases of direct light. However, ZON need light of Hochma because so was ZA of Ohr Yashar emanated, in this illumination of Hochma in these Hassadim. The angels who are at the Sium of the Yod, like them, came out from the coupling of AVI, and desire only after Hassadim and not after Hochma, like them. The souls of people came out from the lower world, ZON, and the souls are at the Sium of the Hey, on which there was the restriction of not receiving Hochma because phase four is included in her. Also, they need and crave Hochma, like ZON, as they are extended from them.

When Adam HaRishon was born from ZON, ZON were clothing the upper world, AVI, and ended in the Yod, as well, but the Hey was hidden in their posterior. Hence, the merit of Adam HaRishon was very great because being in ZON in the upper world and ending in the Yod, his degree was as the angels above, who are born from AVI. Yet, he was receiving upper Hochma since he was from ZON, and the name Elokim was on him—Hochma—in the wholeness of the upper world, since there is no restriction and phase four in Yod. He bore Cain and Abel out of that phase—Cain from ELEH and Abel from MI. Yet, in both, the bottom Hey was not revealed, but only the Yod, since there was upper Hochma in them. Also, the primary carrier of the Hochma is ELEH, ZAT of Bina, Cain’s soul.

Still, Cain was envious of the superior twin that was hidden in MI, since the bottom Hey is concealed in this Yod, and Cain wished to make a coupling with her. That is, he wished to extend his Hochma into phase four that was hidden in Abel’s soul. By that, he killed Abel because once the bottom Hey was disclosed, the restriction on her became disclosed, as well—that she was forbidden to receive from the upper light. Hence, the name Elokim departed from both of them.

However, MI, which is GAR, departed upward, and this is considered that he killed Abel. Cain’s ELEH, ZAT, fell into the shells, which is Arka, and although he fell to the shells, there still remained some sparks of Hochma in the vessels, especially in his daughters, who were not so blemished—they have even more sparks from Bina.

Naama, of Cain’s daughter, was more beautiful than all of Adam’s daughters. This is so because the sin was primarily in Cain’s males and not in the females, who are the ground of the world. Hence, after the Creator dropped Aza and Azael into this world, which was created with a Hey, and they saw Naama, a great new craving awakened in them, one that has never existed before: the craving for light of Hochma. At their root, they desire only Hassadim. But seeing Naama bore in them this new craving to extend Hochma.

And since they do not have the restricted bottom Hey in their own structure, and the bottom Hey was not revealed in the structure of Naama herself, since she draws from Cain’s ELEH, they erred in her, that she was fit for reception of Hochma, and made a coupling with her.

Their mistake was twofold: 1) Even though they do not have the bottom Hey in their own structure, the place still causes. And since they are in this world, the bottom Hey controlled them and they were forbidden to extend the light of Hochma. 2) Their thinking that there was no bottom Hey in the construction of Naama, as well, since in truth, the bottom Hey was concealed within her. Thus, out of their coupling, all the harm-doing demons and spirits came out from their coupling.

Now you will understand what we learn, that the demons are half as ministering angels and half as people. On the part of their father, Aza and Azael, they are as angels, and on the part of their mother, Naama, they are as people. However, she could not bear people because there was no seed of people in her, but one from angels, harm-doing ones, since they were born from the harlotry of the greatest separation in the world, hence they take their filth with them to harm wherever they are.

Those two appointees swim in the great sea and fly from there and go at night to Naama, mother of the demons, after whom the first sons of the gods were led astray, since once they received strength from those angels who were the first to whore with Naama, they also could go and whore with her, like them. They walk at night because the power of Hochma of the shells governs only in the dark, at night, when the judgments reign. And also, because of their root, which are Aza and Azael, who were bound in the mountains of darkness.

They contemplate approaching her, and she leaps 60,000 parasangs. This is so because once they whored with her, she leaps 60,000 parasangs, which means that she smelled of such stench that she wished to cancel the Parsa over VAK of AA, whose every Sefira is considered 10,000, and you find that his VAK is 60,000 parasangs.

However, he does not say that they approached her, only that they contemplated approaching her. Also, he does not say that she roamed 60,000 parasangs, but only that she leaped 60,000 parasangs. This is so because she only leaped, but she immediately fell back down and did not touch them, since no act applies to those high shells. Their only flaw is in their thought and desire.

However, even so, she already has enough strength for people to be led astray after her. Although she does not cause an actual deed on the part of a person, but only a thought and a will such as hers, here the Creator punishes for the thought as much as for an act, as it is written, “To capture the house of Israel in their hearts.”

158) Those two appointees depart and roam throughout the world, then return to their place. They awaken the sons of Cain’s sons with a spirit of evil inclinations to make offspring.

They roam throughout the world to harm people because they cause people to be defiled by nocturnal emission. This is so because once they make the people of this world sin, they return to their permanent place, which is Arka, where they evoke the sons of Cain’s sons to make offspring in their filth. He tells us that besides making the sons of Cain sin in Arka, they also roam our land, Universe, making the dwellers of this land sin.

159) The heavens that govern there are not as our heavens, and the land does not bear through seed and harvesting, such as ours, nor do the seeds grow once more but only every several years and times. They are the ones of whom it was said, “The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish” from the upper land, called Universe. They will not govern it, nor roam it, nor cause people to be defiled by nocturnal emission. Hence, they will “Perish from the earth and from under these heavens,” who were made by the name ELEH.

Commentary: Our heavens receive from ZA, who is Mochin of begetting. Hence, our land, which receives in his Nukva, receives seed and harvesting. But the heavens of Arka have no Mochin of begetting due to the domination of the shells there. Hence, the land does not bear by them seed and harvesting such as ours, as there is no power in the land to receive seed and to put forth crop and harvest, as it is done in our land. Also, the seeds grow only once every several years and times, since the seed that is planted there grows only once every several years and times.

It was said that those two appointees, Afriron and Kastimon, are the gods who have not made the heaven and the earth. They could not mend the heaven and the Arka to make them fit for producing fruit. Hence, they have no permission to roam and to make people in our land, Universe, sin. While they are here, they damage our land, as well, to become like their heaven and earth.

They will be lost from the upper land, called Universe, meaning they will be lost from our land, Universe, so they will not control it and roam in it, causing people to be defiled by nocturnal emission. This is so because through their wandering in our Universe, they cause people the sin of nocturnal emission—the curse that lies over Arka because of their governance there.

Hence, they will perish from the earth and from under our heavens, who were made by the name ELEH. This is so because our heavens receive from the corrected ZON, who were made in the name ELEH, as it is written, “In the beginning God created,” where MI is associated with ELEH. Hence, our land, too, is corrected in the upper Kedusha [holiness], since by that does the world exist. For this reason, those two appointees have no permission to roam here.

160) This verse is a translation so that the upper angels do not think that it is said about them and will not be hostile toward us. Hence, the word ELEH is a holy word that is not replaced in the translation, since the whole verse is written in translation, except for the word ELEH, as it is written, “Shall perish from the earth and from under these [ELEH] heavens.”

This word cannot be translated because the connection of ELEH in MI extends upper Mochin of Hochma, and if the letters ELEH are blemished, like Cain, they fall into the shells, and even the sanctity of the translation does not remain in them. Thus, there cannot be a translation of them, which is VAK of Kedusha.