Netzah and Hod in the Vav
88. Similarly, there are three sides—right, left, and middle, NHY—that emerge from the upper sides, which are right, left, and middle in the Vav, from HGT of ZA. These NHY emerge outside of them since NHY emerge outside the Guf [body], HGT, and only two of them, Netzah and Hod [NH], stand outside, while the third one, Yesod, is not regarded so much as outside since the covenant and the Guf are regarded as one, and everyone takes Merkavot below the Chazeh of ZA.
89. These NHY below the Chazeh of ZA, which emerge from these upper sides, HGT, are like them. Netzah is right; Hod is left; Yesod is the middle, which is adhered inside a middle, Tifferet, since Yesod is adhered to Tifferet. All of them, all the NHY, are incorporated in those three upper ones, HGT, and all of them, all HGT NHY, are incorporated in the letter Vav, ZA, which contains all of them since ZA contains HGT NHY, and all of them are in specific Merkavot divided by their side.
90. These NHY are not called by specific names like the HGT, but by appellations of below, like the upper appellations that are said in the nine Merkavot that emerge from HGT. Those lower ones are gripped to the upper ones, where NHY are gripped to HGT, but these other three, NHY, are Merkavot outside the Guf of HGT.
91. Two pillars, NH, are the supporters on the outside. They are in two lines right and left, and they are called “the Hassadim [mercy/kindness] of David,” and these hosts of above are their Merkava. They are two that stand and perform a mission in the true prophets, since the prophets receive from NH.
92. From NH come the deeds of the Creator in the world openly, as illumination of Hochma is not revealed above the Chazeh of ZA, but below the Chazeh of ZA, where there are NH.
Deeds means Mochin, as it is written, “Great are the deeds of the Lord.” They are called great because they emerge from the great one, who is illumination of Hochma, called Gadlut [greatness/adulthood]. These are called “Your mercies are many, O Lord,” as well as “Where are Your first mercies, Lord,” and “Remember Your mercies, Lord, and Your kindness, for they have been from of old.” All those concern NH, which are called “many mercies and first Hassadim [kindness/mercy].
Although the Hassadim and Rachamim [mercies] are above the Chazeh, in HGT, they also expand below in NH, such as above, as it is written, “for they have been from of old,” meaning below.
93. For this reason, Netzah and Hod are not called by names, as those of above are called by names, but rather by appellations, since they are such as above, but they are included among those who stand outside HGT. They are the supporters of the Torah, Tifferet, since NH support the Guf, called Tifferet, which emerge from the upper Merkavot of HGT.
They are the ones that King David mentioned, calling them many Rachamim and first Hassadim. This is what David always mentioned in general, many Rachamim and first Hassadim, and did not interpret their origin.
94. All those upper names from those ten, which are the names HGT, El, Elokim, HaVaYaH, are unerasable. But those Merkavot of theirs, the nine Merkavot that emerge from each one of the HGT, which are names that are called appellations, why are they erasable?
95. All the upper names stand as a Guf to the upper soul, Bina, which is not known and not revealed. These appellations are a clothing to the name, which are as a body. They are like the walnut, which has a shell for the shell, or those flowers that have a shell for the shell, and the brain inside.
96. Likewise, those ten names are all like that shell to the brain. Although they are all brain, for the names are brain, as well, they are all upper lights and upper perfumes; no one understands their existence, but they are all like a shell compared to what is not known and is not at all in Hochma, much less Ein Sof [infinity] that is clothed within them.
For this reason, according to their value, the names are called shells, and those appellations are a shell to the names. It is all one inside the other, and MS of AA is in the insides of the inside, and it is not known at all. For this reason, the last shell, the appellations, we do not worry about them not being erased. However, although they are erasable, permission was not given to erase even a tiny letter in the Torah.
97. Thus, are the bottom Hey, Malchut, also the last shell of those appellations? No. Rather, it is a shell with respect to the upper Sefirot, but not toward those appellations since only the upper names use it, which are HGT, and not those appellations.
98. However, when Malchut ascends to ZA to be crowned and be unified in the right and in the left of ZA, all the Merkavot—which are appellations—surround her and cover her all around like a husband spreading his wings over his wife. Likewise, all the appellations spread the garment of her husband, ZA, over her and cover her from every side, and she serves her husband, as it is written, “And I will spread My wing over you,” and “Spread your wings over your maidservant.”
99. For this reason, the appellations are outside Malchut, hovering over her, and Malchut inside is the appellations. She is inside with respect to the appellations, and she is outside with respect to the upper names of HGT. Likewise, the appellations are inside with respect to the ones below them, and outside with respect to Malchut, in a way that what is inside is regarded as outside with respect to the ones above it, and what is outside is regarded as within with respect to the ones below it.
They are three phases: 1) The insides of the inside, called Mocha, Neshama. Concealed and not known at all, MS and AVI, which are concealed from Hochma. 2) Internality, Guf, HGT of ZA, which are called by the names El, Elokim, HaVaYaH. They are known in Hochma in order to bestow upon the lower ones from the Chazeh and below, but they themselves are in Hassadim that are covered from Hochma. 3) Externality, outside the Guf, NH from the Chazeh of ZA and below, a clothing for the Guf. They are not called by names but by appellations, but the Hochma is revealed in them.
When Malchut shines in illumination of Hochma, she is called “evening” or “night,” since illumination of Hochma shines only with judgments and darkness, and HGT of ZA are called “day” or “morning” since they shine Hassadim in great abundance, but the Hochma is covered in them.
This is the meaning of what is written, “And there was evening, and there was morning, one day,” meaning that evening and morning, which are Malchut and ZA, make a coupling with each other, and then the two of them are called “one day,” for then even Malchut becomes reception of Hassadim, and the Hochma is concealed in her as in HGT of ZA. For this reason, during the coupling, she, too, is called “day.”
Yet, even during the coupling, the bestowal of Hochma does not completely disappear from Malchut. Rather, it is considered that NH encircle her at that time from the outside, from afar, and bestow upon her Hochma in her posterior vessels from the outside.