Twenty-Two Letters and MANTZEPACH

283. Elijah said, “Draw me, we will run after you.” It is written, “And God created the man in His image.” When the Creator created Adam, two Partzufim, male and female, were created together, ZA and Malchut, with big letters for ZA, and small letters for Malchut.

284. The top, big letters, were directly toward the male, ZA. The bottom, small letters were in reverse order, toward the Nukva, Malchut.

The top, big letters, were directly toward the male, in direct order, Aleph-Bet Gimel-Dalet, and likewise all of them, as the letters should go in a direct way toward the male, to the Panim [anterior/face]. The small, bottom letters, were in reverse order, backwards, to the Nukva, Malchut, Tav-Shin-Reish-Kof Tzadi-Peh-Ayin-Samech, and likewise all of them, beginning in Tav [the last letter] and ending in Aleph [the first letter], as it should be with the Nukva, who was from the posterior of ZA in a tie of the Tefillin, which is called “posterior,” behind the head.

285. It is written, “You have made me in behind and before.” “Behind,” with the Nukva, who was from his posterior, and “before,” with the male, who is the anterior. It is written, “You will see My back,” Nukva, Malchut. This was in the first state of Malchut, who was then in the posterior of ZA and could not bestow, just as a person does not bestow upon one’s friend unless from his face. Because at that time, she was in Hochma without Hassadim, and Hochma cannot bestow when she is without Hassadim.

286. When the Nukva, Malchut, was decorated, when she came to the second state, she returned to being face-to-face, meaning that the upper king, ZA, decorated her, returning her letters to their proper place. He admitted her into his chambers to be corrected, and her letters were corrected.

287. Each letter of the Nukva, Malchut, called upon each letter in the male, ZA, and they were incorporated together, and each letter was established as male and female, and each letter called out and said, “Draw me, we will run after you.”

288. When they were established to connect, they were established in the order of Aleph-Tav Bet-Shin. Aleph, male, connected with Tav, female. Bet, female, connected with Shin, male, and they settled face-to-face. When the Nukva wants to be seen by ZA, she says that she has decorated herself with the desire of Ima, with the illumination of Bina, and all the letters were established. This is why it is written, “The king has brought me into his chambers,” to be corrected and decorated properly in the illumination of GAR, called “decorations.”

289. All this is because as it is written, “We will rejoice and delight in You.” “In You” indicates the twenty-two upper, inscribed letters, since “in You” is the letters of twenty-two, and it is written, “to whom You swore by Your own self.”

290. “We will rejoice and delight in You; we will praise your love more than wine.” When we connect together in our joy, we will give a portion to each one from our joy, and satiate them, as it is written, “May He remember all your offerings.” “Than wine,” than our joy from the side of the wine, the illumination of Hochma, which delights everyone.

291. “The straight ones love you.” “Straight ones” are the rest of the letters that remained of the twenty-two letters, and they are MANTZEPACH. In all the letters, there are none that are called “straight” except for those. The straight ones were doubled in one another: Mem with final Mem, Nun with final Nun, Tzadi with final Tzadi, Peh with final Peh, Kaf with final Kaf. These are the straight ones, these in those and this in that.

292. Twenty-two letters are incorporated in the word “in you,” those that remained, which are straight, MANTZEPACH. “Love you” means to be incorporated with you in these twenty-two letters.

293. These straight ones, the MANTZEPACH, are hidden and concealed letters inside the upper world. When the first light was concealed, these letters were concealed, and Adam HaRishon knew them. After Adam sinned, the letters MANTZEPACH were concealed as in the beginning until Abraham came and knew them by the holy spirit that was on him.

294. Afterwards, Isaac inherited those MANTZEPACH, as it is written, “And Abraham gave all that was his to Isaac. Isaac inherited them to Jacob; Jacob inherited them to Joseph, and when Joseph died and the children of Israel went into exile, the letters MANTZEPACH were concealed and departed as in the beginning.

295. Finally, when Israel stood on Mount Sinai and the Torah was given to Israel, the letters MANTZEPACH were revealed, and Israel knew them in clarity, in engraved names, until they sinned. When they sinned, it is written, “And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments.” Moses knew them, Joshua and the seventy elders, and they came to the land in them.

296. When the Temple was built and that song was revealed, MANTZEPACH were engraved in twenty-two letters, which are Bet-Kaf. This is “The straight ones love you,” for MANTZEPACH, the straight ones, love to adhere to You in twenty-two letters.

297. It is written, “You have established the straight ones,” and it is written, “And your palate, like the good wine, goes straight to my beloved.” “Straight” means MANTZEPACH, concealed Sefirot inside the next world, Bina. They are all a fountain in the thought in the engraving of the holy names in the engraving of the male and female, so they will be appeased and consent to one another to be together, since in all the letters, there is no desire and consent of these in those to be together in one another, except in those letters MANTZEPACH.

The letters are the vessels in each Partzuf. There are no more than three vessels in each Partzuf, Bina, ZA, and Malchut, since Haya and Yechida have no vessels. They are the Rosh-Toch-Sof of the Partzuf. However, individually, there are nine Sefirot in Bina, which are the Rosh of the Partzuf, nine Sefirot in ZA, the Toch of the Partzuf, nine Sefirot in Malchut, the Sof of the Partzuf.

These are the twenty-seven letters according to the number of the Sefirot in the Partzuf: nine vessels of Bina, nine vessels of ZA, and nine vessels of Malchut.

The nine vessels of Bina are units, the letters from Aleph to Yod. The nine vessels of ZA is tens, the letters from Yod to Kof. The nine vessels of Malchut are hundreds, the letters from Kof to the long Tzadi: Kof, Reish, Shin, Tav, final Kaf, final Mem, final Nun, final Peh, and final Tzadi.

They are the combination of the alphabet Aleph-Yod-Kof in Kaf-Reish, and so forth, where each one is a combination from the Rosh-Toch-Sof, Bina, ZA, and Malchut. This is so because Aleph-Yod-Kof are three Ketarim [pl. of Keter] of units, tens, and hundreds, where Keter of Bina is Aleph, Keter of ZA is Yod, and Keter of Malchut is Kof. In Kaf-Reish, they are three Hochmot [pl. of Hochma] of units, tens, and hundreds: Hesed of Bina, Hesed of ZA, and Hesed of Malchut. The Nun-Kaf are three Gevurot [pl. of Gevura] of units, tens, and hundreds: Gevura of Bina, Gevura of ZA, and Gevura of Malchut.

Vav-Samech-Mem are three times Tifferet: units, tens, and hundreds, Tifferet of Bina, Tifferet of ZA, and Tifferet of Malchut. Zayin-Ayin-Nun are three times Netzah—of units, tens, and hundreds, Netzah of Bina, Netzah of ZA, and Netzah of Malchut. Het-Peh-Peh are three kinds of Hod: of units, tens, and hundreds, Hod of Bina, Hod of ZA, and Hod of Malchut. Tet-Tzadi-Tzadi are three times Yesod: of units, tens, and hundreds, Yesod of Bina, Yesod of ZA, and Yesod of Malchut.

Thus, it has been explained that the twenty-seven letters are nine Sefirot of the Rosh, nine Sefirot of the Toch, and nine Sefirot of the Sof [end] of the Partzuf. However, why do we say only twenty-two letters and not twenty-seven?

It is so because there are two times in each Partzuf: Katnut [smallness/infancy] and Gadlut [greatness/adulthood]. In Katnut, Malchut ascends to Bina of the degree and ends the degree there, and half of Bina and TM of the degree exit the degree and fall to the degree below it. For this reason, the GAR depart from the degree, since only the vessels of KH and half of Bina remain in the degree, with the lights of Nefesh-Ruach. This is the time of Katnut.

These three vessels, half of Bina and TM, which exit the degree and fall to the lower degree in Katnut, and return to the degree in Gadlut, are called by the names MANTZEPACH with respect to the letters. It is as we learn, “MANTZEPACH, watchers said them, but they forgot them and reestablished them.”

This is so because during the Katnut of the degree, they are forgotten since they are not in the degree, but rather in the degree below it. In Gadlut, the MANTZEPACH reconnect to their degree. It follows that they reestablished them. At that time, those with the degree are called “watchers,” since they obtain illumination of Hochma, which is called “seeing.”

The origin of the letters is from Bina, but there, they had still not been embodied, until they come to ZA, and in ZA, they are embodied and completed. For this reason, the letters are regarded as beginning only in ZA, for the main part of ZA is the Katnut in him, in VAK without a Rosh, the permanence in him. The Gadlut is not the main part in him, but rather an addition of Mochin. It follows that the main part of ZA is only twenty-two letters, and the MANTZEPACH are only an addition for him. This is why only twenty-two letters are taken into account, and not twenty-seven.

Upon the exit of Bina and TM from the degree, there are only nine Sefirot of Malchut, where in the number hundreds, where Kof-Reish-Shin-Tav are KH and half of Bina that remained in the degree, Kof is Keter, Reish is Hochma, Shin is half of Bina, Tav is the screen that ends the Partzuf, and MANTZEPACH are half of Bina and TM that went out from the degree of ZA and fell to the degree of the Nukva. Then, nine letters of Bina, nine letters of ZA, and four letters of Malchut in him remain in the degree, which are twenty-two letters.

We discern the exit of Bina and TM from the degree neither the nine letters of Bina, units, nor in the nine letters of ZA, tens, but in the ten letters of Malchut, since when Bina and TM went out from the nine letters of Bina, the Rosh of ZA, they fell to the degree below it, to the nine letters of ZA, the Toch [insides] of ZA.

Also, Bina and TM that went out from the degree of the nine letters of ZA, the Toch, fell to the degree below them, the letters of Malchut, the Sof [end]. But either way, they did not exit Partzuf ZA whatsoever. For this reason, they are not deficient from Partzuf ZA, and only Bina and TM that fell from the nine letters of Malchut, which are MANTZEPACH, went out completely from Partzuf ZA and came into the Partzuf of the Nukva. For this reason, they are lacking in ZA, and there are only the nine of Bina and the nine of ZA and the four of Malchut there, which are only twenty-two letters.

When the Creator, Bina, created Adam, ZA, HaVaYaH filled with the letters Aleph, which is Adam (45) in Gematria, two Partzufim were created, male and female, in twenty-two big letters for ZA, and twenty-two small letters for the Nukva, which are the nine vessels of the Rosh, the nine vessels of the Toch, and the four vessels of the Sof, which are in ZA or in the Nukva, and whose number is twenty-two, and they are the core of the degree and are always fixed in it. But the five letters MANTZEPACH are not permanent in it since they are present only in Gadlut. Hence, they are regarded as merely an addition.

Twenty-two letters are the right line in the degree, Hassadim, and MANTZEPACH are the left line, illumination of Hochma in the left. The state of Katnut, when Bina and TM are missing, which are the twenty-two letters, is the right line, and those Bina and TM that return to the degree at the time of Gadlut are MANTZEPACH, the left line.

All this is because it is written, “We will rejoice and delight in You.” “In You” [spelled like twenty-two] indicates the twenty-two letters, and all that the Nukva was rewarded with receiving from ZA in Gadlut is because she merited adhering to the twenty-two letters of ZA, which are the permanent Hassadim in ZA, which do not change. It is written, “to whom You swore by Your own self,” in the twenty-two letters that are always set in Him, the Hassadim, where there is the oath.

The straight ones are the rest of the letters that remained of the twenty-two letters. They are MANTZEPACH, since those letters that remained in Katnut outside of ZA are not the core in him, and are not counted among the permanent letters in him.

MANTZEPACH is the left line, and the left cannot shine before the middle line unites it with the right. The middle line is called “straight” because its illumination consists of right and left in a straight way, and does not lean to the right or to the left. Since the MANTZEPACH is the left line, which cannot shine without the correction of the middle line, which is called “straight,” they, too, are called “straight” due to the correction of the “straight” that lies on them.

In all the letters, there are none that will be called “straight,” except for these, since all twenty-two letters can shine without the help of the middle line except for the MANTZEPACH, which can shine only in the correction of the middle line, which is called “straight,” and corrects them so as to shine only from below upward.

The straight ones were doubled in one another: Mem with final Mem, Nun with final Nun, etc. When the final MANTZEPACH, left, connect to the right line, which are the regular MANTZEPACH in the twenty-two letters [Mem-Nun-Peh-Tzadi-Kaf], when that unification is done by the middle line, they are called “straight ones,” as it is written, “The straight ones love you,” to be incorporated with you in these twenty-two letters, since they can shine only by incorporation with the right, which is twenty-two letters.

The MANTZEPACH of ZA in Katnut fall to the degree below ZA, to the Nukva, meaning to vessels without the lights in them, but the lights in them depart to their root, to the degree above ZA, to Bina. Hence, these MANTZEPACH are hidden and concealed letters inside the upper world, where at the time of Katnut, their lights rise and become concealed in the degree above ZA, Bina.

When the light of GAR, called “first light,” was concealed, which was because of the ascent of Malchut to Bina, which took Bina and TM out of ZA, those letters MANTZEPACH were concealed. Their lights went up to Bina, and the vessels to Nukva of ZA, and disappeared from ZA.

Adam HaRishon knew them, for before he sinned, he had five vessels KHB TM, and five lights NRNHY, since the MANTZEPACH were connected in twenty-two letters, and he had nine vessels of Bina from Aleph to Yod, which are units, and the nine vessels of ZA from Yod to Kof, which are tens, and nine vessels of Malchut, which are from Kof to the final Tzadi.

After Adam sinned, the letters MANTZEPACH became concealed as in the beginning, as the MANTZEPACH, which are Bina and TM, went out from him to a lower degree, and the lights of GAR departed from him. Finally, Abraham came and knew them by the spirit of holiness that was on him, for he raised MAN and returned the MANTZEPACH to their degree, and the lights of GAR returned—the first light, from before the ascent of Malchut to Bina, and also to Jacob, who received from Abraham, and to Joseph, who received from Jacob.

Since Joseph died and the children of Israel went into exile, for Israel sinned, the MANTZEPACH fell once more from ZA, and ZA returned to his Katnut, VAK without a Rosh, and the letters MANTZEPACH became concealed and departed as in the beginning, where MANTZEPACH fell once more. When Israel stood on Mount Sinai and the Torah was given to Israel, the letters MANTZEPACH were revealed, meaning that the MANTZEPACH returned to the degree of ZA and the first light returned, GAR. Since they sinned, it is written, “And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments.” “Their ornaments” include MANTZEPACH of the vessels and GAR of the lights.

Also, Moses and Joshua and the elders knew the MANTZEPACH, as they were connected in the twenty-two letters of ZA, and in them, they came to the land and that song was revealed, which is the light of GAR that is clothed in The Song of Songs.

The MANTZEPACH were engraved, meaning the letters of MANTZEPACH connected to the twenty-two letters, which are “in you,” where MANTZEPACH returned to the degree and were incorporated in the right, which is twenty-two letters, and after they were incorporated in the right, they are called “straight ones.” They love to connect to the twenty-two letters because they cannot shine without them.

It is written, “You have established the straight ones.” “You,” Hesed, established the MANTZEPACH, who are called “straight ones,” since before the MANTZEPACH were clothed in Hesed, they could not shine, and they are Sefirot concealed within the next world, whose lights are concealed in Bina, the next world. All of them are a fountain, where the illumination of Hochma that stems from the MANTZEPACH chases to be incorporated in the springing of Hassadim in the twenty-two letters, for it is inside the thought, which is Bina, in the engraving of the holy names, MI-ELEH [Mem-Yod Aleph-Lamed-Hey] of Elokim.

Also, in the engraving of the male and the Nukva [female], since the Nukva, whose foundation is from the left, which is MANTZEPACH, chases to be included in ZA, whose primary part is Hassadim and right, so they will be appeased and agree to one another, to be together, to be in one agreement under the control of Hassadim, since in all the letters, there is no desire and consent of these in those, to be together in one another, except for these letters MANTZEPACH, since these MANTZEPACH cannot shine at all without connection with Hassadim. Therefore, they chase them in order to be together with them.

298. “Straight ones” are Yod-hey, HB, whose love is for the Vav, ZA. They are in complete agreement and in one desire to bestow upon the Vav. This is why Malchut says to ZA, “Draw me to you,” to be with you, since the Vav connects to the upper, holy letters Yod-Hey, and it is a high and holy name Yod-Hey-Vav. Hence, the bottom Hey, Malchut, who sits under him and has nothing of her own, all her passion is to rise to him and connect with him. But she rises only with permission from ZA, and she says “Draw me,” to be with you in one connection.

299. “The king has brought me into his chambers.” Malchut says that the king has brought me into his chambers and established me with all the kinds of corrections in the upper beauty so I would be with you. For this reason, “We will rejoice and delight in You,” I and all my corrections when I am with you in one connection.

300. “We will praise your love more than wine,” meaning we will satiate each and every one, those who need Hassadim, and those who need Hochma, and we will delight them from that wine that delights all, illumination of Hochma, and we will not stop delighting them. “For the straight ones love you” are Yod-Hey, HB, who will not stop giving to You since they love You, to give to You, to bestow upon You, and to shine for You.

301. It is written, “You have established the straight ones.” If the straight ones are Yod-Hey, HB, who can correct them besides the most ancient [Atik] of all that are ancient, Keter, the degree above HB, and who is completely unknown? And that unknown one, the concealed and hidden one, Keter, is not called “You,” with a wording of revealed, so why is it written, “You have established the straight ones”?

302. There is no shape to the letters in their actuality until they exit Bina. When they go outside, actuality is made in them, and they are established so the Creator will be called by these letters. For this reason, it is written, “You have established the straight ones.”

Once they arrived at the place called “You,” the straight ones were established. “Straight ones” concerns only the letters of Bina, Yod-Hey, which have no actuality until they come to the place of ZA, and then they acquire actuality. This is why it is written, “You have established the straight ones,” for ZA, who is called “You,” is the one who corrects the letters of Bina, which are called “straight ones.”

303. This is why Malchut yearns to connect to the letters of the straight ones, so that all will be a complete name. Before her phases are completed, which are the seven damsels, she will not be able to connect to these letters, for all to be a complete name.

304. Therefore, Malchut says in the corrections of her beauty, “Draw me, we will run after you,” she and her phases. “The king has brought me into his chambers; we will rejoice and delight in you.” “Rejoice,” she and her phases, the seven damsels, for before her phases are established, she will not be able to connect with him.

305. Malchut is established in the beauty of her corrections in order to connect with ZA in one connection, to be with him a complete name in one connection, since when she ascends to ZA, he is a complete name HaVaYaH Elokim.

306. When she rises so as to bond with ZA, he is in a complete name HaVaYaH, but where is the name Elokim? When the name is in completeness, they are incorporated together above and below. Above, HaVaYaH, ZA. Below, Elokim, Malchut, and then, everything is completed.