The Letter "Pe"
88) The letter פ "Pe" presented herself and pleaded thus: May it please thee, O Lord of the world, to create through me the world, seeing that I signify redemption and deliverance ("Purkana", "Peduth"), which thou are to vouchsafe to the world. It is, hence, meet that through me the world be created. The Lord answered: Thou art worthy, but thou representest transgression ("Pesha"), and moreover thou art shapen like the serpent, who had his head curled up within his body, symbolic of the guilty man who bends his head, concealing himself, and extends his hand, with the intention to sin further. This is demonstrated in the outline of the letter פ "Pe". Therein the "Yood" symbolizes the head of the sinner hiding within the body of the פ "Pe". The head of the "Pe" is bent within herself.
89) The letter ע "Ayin" was likewise refused as standing for iniquity ("Avon"), despite her plea that she represent humility ("Anavah").
90) The following is an outline of the dialogue between the letter פ "Pe" and the Creator.
The word "Poorkono" to which the פ "Pe" referred means "G'Ulah" (Redemption). The "Pe" expressed herself thus:
The redemption destined to be realized in the world is indicated in the letter "Pe". Hence, it is for this reason that the פ "Pe" is the proper instrument for the creation of the world. This is because exile as well as redemption, both of which are to function in the world, are dependent upon the status of "Malchut", the feminine principle.
91) In other words, whenever "Malchut", the feminine principle, lacks the bounty of light ("Meichin") of the first three Sephiroth "Chochmoh, "Binah" and "Daat", which are connoted "Meichin", the supernal light of the brain shining within "Malchut", then Israel is driven out from their Land into exile.
It is due to the fact that "Eretz Yisroel Shel Matoh" (The Lower Land of Israel), is affected by "Eretz Yisroel Shel Maaloh" (The Upper Land of Israel), that is "Malchut", who is the counterpart of "Z.A", which is adjusted to stand opposite the Lower Land of Israel.
92) Just as there exists in the upper realms a chasm between "Z.A" connoted Israel and his counterpart "Malchut", known as the Land of "Z.A", there exists a chasm here below between Israel the People and Israel the Land.
However, when the children of Israel correct their deeds, they bring about the result that Israel Above, "Z.A", will bestow light upon his counterpart "Malchut", which is actually Land of "Z.A".
What is meant by the imparting of the light of "Malchut" by "Z.A" is that "Z.A" is establishing "Malchut" with the light of "Meichin", that is, the light that stems from the head.
93) This process of the bestowal of light to Kingdom causes the children of Israel to merit redemption here on earth. This is dramatized by Israel's return to their land.
Again, the "Meichin" that the "Nukvah Malchut"receives from "Z.A" and is thus built by these lights stem from the head of the Sephiroth, that is to say: the first three Sephiroth - "Chochmah", "Binah" and "Daat". These lights are garmented within the Sephiroth "Netzach" and "Hod" of "Z.A", "Tifereth". The brain of "Chochmah" (Wisdom) is first enclosed in the Sephirah "Netzach" (Triumph) of "Z.A"; and the "Moach" (Brain) of "Binah" is encased in the Sephirah "Hod" (Triumph) of "Z.A", as revealed in the Zohar and the Kabbalah.
94) The letters ע "Ayin" and פ "Pe" dwell in the two Sephiroth "Netzach" and "Hod" of "Z.A" as mentioned before.
It has been made clear why the letter "Pe", which represents the Sephirah "Hod" of "Z.A" presented the following plea to the Creator:
The "Purkana" (Redemption) which thou will bring to pass in the world is indicated within me. That is to say: the "Meichin" of "Malchut" which constitutes the light of redemption. This light will be imparted to the feminine principle "Malchut", through which the redemption will be brought about. Consequently, the light that will redeem all creation is always garmented within the פ "Pe", which makes this letter the proper vessel for creation; for it is only through the פ "Pe" that the world can become enhanced to the state of final emendation.
At this juncture, it is in order to seek out why it was that the פ "Pe" considered hersalf a better instrument for GOD to use in the creation of the world than the letter ע "Ayin". On the surface, the letter "Ayin" would seem to be better equipped for the creation than the letter "Pe".
95) At the outset, it must be pointed out that the "Meichin", the light which stems from the head or the Sephiroth and illuminates the "Nukvah" ("Malchut") is first received by the Sephiroth "Netzach" and "Hod" of "Tifereth", where the letters "Ayin" and "Pe" abide. However, the essential light of the "Meichin", which is to redeem "Malchut", is first imparted to the Sephirah "Netzach", where the letter ע "Ayin" dwells. This being so, what was it that made the letter פ "Pe" consider herself more suited for use by GOD in the creation of the world than the letter ע "Ayin"?
96) In order to answer this query, it must be said that the letter פ "Pe" found justification in voicing her plea by the mere mention of the word "P'Doos" (Redemption); for "P'Doos" is particularly bound up with the Sephirah "Hod", which is symbolic of "Malchut", where the letter "Pe" abides.
By "Redemption" is meant that "Immah Binah", the Mother of "Z.A" and "Malchut", at the outset of the emendation of "Malchut" ("Immah") releases the "Nukvah" ("Malchut") from the "Dinim" (Judgments). They constitute the restrictions that shut out the light of mercy from "Kingdom". This is because it is only when "Malchut" becomes freed from the "Zimzum", the power of obstructing the light from her, that she becomes equipped to enjoy full redemption.
This great emendation produced in "Malchut" is dramatized in the following:
"K'NESHER YOER KINEI AL GEIZOLOV YERACHEF"
"AS AN EAGLE STIRRETH UP HER NEST, FLUTTERETH OVER HER YOUNG, SPREADETH ABROAD HER WINGS, TAKETH THEM, BEARETH THEM ON HER WINGS" (DEUTERONOMY 11:32).
97) In order to vivify the process of the redemption of the "Shechinah", that is, "Malchut", the Midrash offers the following:
In the Midrash, the process relating to the redemption of the "Shechinah", that is "Malchut", is given treatment. Therein the sages stress that the eagle, symbolic of the Sephirah "Binah", is compassionate to his children; and protects them from the shooting arrow sent forth by the enemy by placing them upon his wings. The eagle, in assuming the risk of being hit by the arrow of the enemy, says: "I prefer to have the arrow strike me instead of having the arrow hit my children".
98) In order to treat further this matter of the redemption of "Malchut" from the "Klippoth", it must be noted that "Z.A" and "Nukvah" are unfit to receive "Meichin" from "Immah" unless they first undergo reparation; that is to say: purification from all the "dinim", the powers that prevent the light from entering the 'Partzufim", that is, "Z.A" and "Malchut".
This "Tikkun" (Emendation) can only come about through the vessels of "Immah" ("Binah") being lent to her daughter, the "Nukvah" ("Malchut").
The vessels of "Immah" are effective to burn away all the alien forces, thus enabling "Malchut" to receive light.
It is because the "Nukvah", even before creation, that is, when she functioned as the vessel of the infinite light who, of her own free will, chose to withdraw from the Infinite Light, which action thereafter resulted in a limitation that prevented her from receiving ample light from the Infinite. This initial restriction on the part of Kingdom demonstrated before the Infinite the reluctance of the Vessel Kingdom to retain the Infinite Light. As a result, the Infinite then reduced his light to the extent that Kingdom of the Infinite, which is the only vessel that contained the light of the Infinite, later on, after the withdrawal of the Infinite Light, received but a line of light, which was tantamount to Kingdom's becoming a vacuum, void of all light.
This restriction upon the vessel Kingdom, which was devised by the Infinite, caused the revelation of the origin of the power of "Dinim" (Judgments) in the original vessel "Kingdom of the Infinite".
99) The "Dinim" embody a light which, later on, in the evolvement of the lower worlds, wherever revealed, obstructs the release of mercy and compassion from the worlds. In other words, the "Dinim" place a limitation upon the light, acting as a damper upon the light.
The "Cholol" (Vacuum) disclosed in Kingdom of The Infinite designates that "Kingdom", by her "Zimzum" (withdrawal of light from her) made room for the lower worlds to appear within that vacuum. These worlds in the vacuum of Kingdom became manifest by the process of evolvement, that is, cause and effect. Whenever mention is made of "Cholol", it refers to the vessel Kingdom.
100) It must be pointed out that the vessel of the Infinite Light is the source to all vessels of all the worlds, stretching out by evolvement, until it reaches the heart of man, the last vessel in creation to receive light.
The heart, the vessel of the corporeal body of man, was, of course, also affected by the vacuum. The "Dinim" inherent on the heart of man are dramatized by the evil "Yetzer" (instinct) that prompts man to give vent to his bodily proclivities. Man, as a result of the evil "Yetzer" is prone to be beguiled by evil and dragged down into the abyss of total deprivation of light until, by his own efforts, man wages war with the evil that is within his heart, subduing it, until he achieves total purification.