1The first 3 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation.‘We have learnt that the upper He was conceived from the love of its inseparable companion Yod, and brought forth Vau. When this Vau came forth, its mate came forth with it. Lovingkindness came and parted them, and there came forth roots from beneath the Highest, and branches spread and grew and the lower He, was produced. It spread its branches higher and higher until it joined the upper tree and Vau was linked with He. Who caused this? Hesed.
But the union of Yod with the upper He is not caused by Hesed but by mazzal (lit. Iuck). In this way Yod is linked with He, He with Van, Vau with He, and He, with all, and all forms one entity, of which the elements are never to be separated. He who causes separation between them, as it were, lays waste the world and is called “the nakedness of all”.
תָּאנָא עֶרְוַת אֲחוֹת אָבִיךָ, כְּמָה דְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא בִּסְתִּימָא. כְּתִיב, (הושע י״ד:י׳) כִּי יְשָׁרִים דַּרְכֵי יְיָ' וְצַדִּיקִים יֵלְכוּ בָם וְגוֹ', זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא, דְּיַדְעֵי אָרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאַזְלִין בְּהוּ, וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן גַּבַּיְיהוּ. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן.
תָּאנָא, אִתְעַבְּרַת הֵ"א עִלָּאָה בִּרְחִימוּתָא וַחֲבִיבוּתָא דְּלָא מִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנָּהּ יוֹ"ד לְעָלְמִין. אִתְעַבְּרַת וְאַפִּיקַת וָא"ו, לְבָתַר קָאִים קַמָּהּ, וְיַנְקָא לֵיהּ. וְדָא (נ"א ודאין בעלמא) וָא"ו כַּד נָפְקָא, בַּת זוּגוֹ נַפְקָא עִמֵּיהּ. אַתְיָא חֶסֶד אִתְּעַר גַּבֵּיהּ, וּפָרִישׁ לוֹן, וְנַפְקוּ גִּזְעִין מִתְּחוֹת לְעֵילָּא, וְאִתְפָּשָּׁטוּ עַנְפִין, וְאַסְגִּיאוּ, וְאִתְעָבִידַת הֵ"א תַּתָּאָה. וְאִתְרַבִּיאַת בְּעַנְפָּהָא לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא, עַד דְּאִזְדַּוְּוגַת בְּאִילָנָא עִלָּאָה, וְאִתְחַבָּרוּ וָא"ו עִם הֵ"א, מַאן גָּרִים לוֹן. חֶסֶד הוּא. חֶסֶד הוּא וַדַּאי. דְּחִבֵּר לוֹן כַּחֲדָא.
1The first 3 lines of the Hebrew text are not found in our translation.‘We have learnt that the upper He was conceived from the love of its inseparable companion Yod, and brought forth Vau. When this Vau came forth, its mate came forth with it. Lovingkindness came and parted them, and there came forth roots from beneath the Highest, and branches spread and grew and the lower He, was produced. It spread its branches higher and higher until it joined the upper tree and Vau was linked with He. Who caused this? Hesed.
יוֹ"ד עִם הֵ"א עִלָּאָה. לָא תַּלְיָא חִבּוּרָא דִּלְהוֹן בְּחֶסֶד, אֶלָּא בְּמַזָּלָא תַּלְיָיא חִבּוּרָא דִּלְהוֹן, וַחֲבִיבוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן, דְּלָא (ס"א ע"ב) מִתְפָּרְשָׁן לְעָלְמִין. יוֹ"ד אִתְקָשַׁר בְּהֵ"א, וְהֵ"א אִתְקָשַׁר בְּוָא"ו, וָא"ו אִתְקָשַׁר בְּהֵ"א, וְהֵ"א אִתְקָשַׁר בְּכֹלָּא. וְכֹלָּא חַד קִשּׁוּרָא הוּא, וְחַד מִלָּה. לָא אִתְפְּרָשׁוּ דָּא מִן דָּא לְעָלְמִין. כִּבְיָכוֹל, מַאן דְּגָרִים פִּרוּדָא, כְּאִלּוּ חָרִיב עָלְמָא, וְאִקְרֵי עֶרְיָיתָא דְּכֹלָּא.
But the union of Yod with the upper He is not caused by Hesed but by mazzal (lit. Iuck). In this way Yod is linked with He, He with Van, Vau with He, and He, with all, and all forms one entity, of which the elements are never to be separated. He who causes separation between them, as it were, lays waste the world and is called “the nakedness of all”.