We have learnt as follows. From the side of the Mother issue emissaries of punishment who are armed with the clubs of Geburah (Severity), and prevail over Mercy, and then the worlds are defective and there is conflict between them.
But when men amend their ways below, punishment is mitigated and removed, and mercy is awakened and prevails over the evil which arose from stern judgement, and then there is joy and consolation, as it is written, “And the Lord was comforted of the evil” (Ex. 32, 14).
When judgement is mitigated, all the Crowns return to their places and the keys are restored to the Mother, and this is called repentance (teshubah, lit. returning), and the world is forgiven, since the Mother is in perfect joy.’1The passage which follows is written in so allusive a style that it would be hardly possible to convey its meaning by a translation. The point of it is that sin (especially the sin of unchastity) uncovers the nakedness of the Mother (Binah)… and repentance is the covering-up again. The word teshubah (returning) is also explained to mean, “causing the light from the Ancient Holy One to return to the Small of Countenance”.
תָּאנָא. מִסִּטְרָא דְּאִימָּא, נָפְקִין גַּרְדִּינִין נִימוּסִין קְלִיפִין, וְאַחֲדִין בְּקוּלְפוֹי דִּגְבוּרָה, שַׁלְטִין עַל רַחֲמֵי, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (במדבר טז) הַנּוֹעָדִים עַל יְיָ', עַל יְיָ' מַמָּשׁ. וּכְדֵין אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ עָלְמִין חֲסֵרִין, (ס"א קטירין) דְּלָא שְׁלֵמִין, וּקְטָטוּתָא אִתְעָר בְּכֻלְּהוּ.
We have learnt as follows. From the side of the Mother issue emissaries of punishment who are armed with the clubs of Geburah (Severity), and prevail over Mercy, and then the worlds are defective and there is conflict between them.
וכַד בְּנִי עָלְמָא מַכְשְׁרִין עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן לְתַתָּא, מִתְבַּסְּמָן דִּינִין, וּמִתְעַבְרָן, וּמִתְעָרֵי רַחֲמֵי וְשַׁלְטָן עַל הַהוּא בִּישָׁא דְּאִתְּעַר מִן דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא. וְכַד מִתְעֲרָן רַחֲמֵי, חֶדְוָה וְנִיחוּמִין מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין, מִשּׁוּם דְּשָׁלִיטִין עַל הַהוּא בִּישָׁא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שמות ל״ב:י״ד) ויִּנָּחֶם יְיָ' עַל הָרָעָה. וַיִּנָּחֶם מִשּׁוּם (דשלטא על הרעה) דְּאִתְכַּפְיָא דִּינָא קַשְׁיָא, וְשַׁלְטִין רַחֲמֵי.
But when men amend their ways below, punishment is mitigated and removed, and mercy is awakened and prevails over the evil which arose from stern judgement, and then there is joy and consolation, as it is written, “And the Lord was comforted of the evil” (Ex. 32, 14).
תָּאנָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמִתְבַּסְּמָן דִּינִין, וְשַׁלְטִין רַחֲמֵי, כָּל כִּתְרָא וְכִתְרָא תָּב בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ, וּמִתְבָּרְכָאן כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא. וְכַד תַּיְיבִין כָּל חַד וְחַד לְאַתְרֵיהּ, וּמִתְבָּרְכָאן כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא, וּמִתְבַּסְּמָא אִימָּא בְּקַלְדִיטֵי גְּלִיפִין וְתַיְיבִין לְסִטְרָהָא, כְּדֵין אִקְרֵי תְּשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵימָה, וְאִתְכַּפָּר עָלְמָא, דְּהָא אִימָּא בְּחֶדְוָותָא שְׁלֵימָתָא יָתְבָא, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים קי״ג:ט׳) אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה, וּכְדֵין אִתְקְרֵי יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ (ויקרא ט״ז:ל׳) לְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם מִכָּל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם. וּמִתְפַּתְחִין נ' תַּרְעִין דְּסִטְרִין גְּלִיפִין.
When judgement is mitigated, all the Crowns return to their places and the keys are restored to the Mother, and this is called repentance (teshubah, lit. returning), and the world is forgiven, since the Mother is in perfect joy.’1The passage which follows is written in so allusive a style that it would be hardly possible to convey its meaning by a translation. The point of it is that sin (especially the sin of unchastity) uncovers the nakedness of the Mother (Binah)… and repentance is the covering-up again. The word teshubah (returning) is also explained to mean, “causing the light from the Ancient Holy One to return to the Small of Countenance”.
תָּאנָא, כְּתִיב וְהָיָה כִּי יֶחטָא וְאָשֵׁם, מַהוּ כִּי יֶחטָא, וּלְבַסּוֹף וְאָשֵׁם. אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּאנָא, כִּי יֶחטָא מֵאִינּוּן חוֹבִין דְּאִקְרוּן חֵטְא, דִּכְתִּיב מִכָּל חֲטָאוֹת הָאָדָם. וְאָשֵׁם: כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (במדבר ה׳:ח׳) הָאָשָׁם הַמּוּשָׁב לַיְיָ'. וְאָשֵׁם: וִיתַקֵּן, כְּלוֹמַר אִם יְתַקֵּן עוֹבָדוֹי, וְהֵשִׁיב אֶת הַגְּזֵלָה אֲשֶׁר גָּזָל. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי מִמַּשְׁמַע דִּכְתִּיב וְהֵשִׁיב, ויָשִׁיב לָא כְּתִיב אֶלָּא וְהֵשִׁיב, וְהֵשִׁיב דַּיְיקָא.