95. “The holy throne fell, etc.” The holy throne, which is Malkhut, fell, as it is stated: “I was among the exiles” (Ezekiel 1:1), that is, that level which is called “I,” Malkhut, is among the exiles. Why? “By the river Chebar” (Ezekiel 1:1), meaning by the river that extends and emerges since past times [kevar], and now its waters and springs have gone, and it no longer flows as before. This is as it is stated: “And the river shall be drained dry” (Isaiah 19:5). “Drained” in the First Temple and “dry” in the Second Temple. And for this reason it is stated: “He smote the two altar-hearths of Moab” (II Samuel 23:20). Moab means that they are from the Father [me-av] in heaven. They were destroyed and are gone on its account, and all the lights that had illuminated for Israel have all darkened.

Explanation: The throne indicates the tempering of the Malkhut in Bina, which is the mystical meaning of the Throne of Mercy, through which all the brains are bestowed in the [spiritual phase of] six thousand years to all the partzufim of Atzilut, Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya. This is the meaning of the statement: “The holy throne fell,” since due to the nullification of the partition of Ban, the partition of Sag, which is the mystical meaning of the throne, was also nullified and fell. “As it is stated: ‘I was among the exiles, ’ that level which is called ‘I, ’ is among the exiles” – “I” is the mystical meaning of Malkhut of the upper [level] which becomes Keter for the lower [level]. ¹ at the top and a Malkhut at the bottom. The Malkhut of a relative upper level is the Keter of the level below. This is because the letters alef-nun-yod [ani, “I”] are the same letters as ein [absence], which is the name of the Keter.

footnotes: ¹ Each level of existence has a Keter

It is known that the Malkhut of an upper [level] is the entire connection between the partzufim. Each upper [level] performs the [fusion through collision] on its Malkhut, which draws forth returning light that enclothes the direct light of the upper [level]. Subsequently, the Malkhut of the upper [level] descends in the mystical meaning of the ten sefirot of the returning light, within which is the height of direct light, and [this structure] is enclothed in the lower [level]. This illustrates that now “that level which is called ‘I’ is among the exiles,” since the [fusion through collision] with the supernal light has been nullified from [that level as a result of the partition being nullified] and the supernal light has ceased from all the partzufim. This is the meaning of the statement: “Why? ‘By the river Chebar” – by the river that extends and emerges; its waters and springs are gone.” While [the level] is established with a partition, it is called “a river that extends and emerges,” that is, the supernal light is drawn by means of [the level] to the lower [level below], like the waters of a river that are drawn and flow unceasingly.

But now that the partition has been nullified, the river aspect [of the level] is called “the river Chebar,” for in the past [kevar] it was a river, but not currently, since now “its waters and springs have gone.” “Its waters” is the supernal light that was drawn forth from it; “its springs” means the partition, which was considered a spring while it was established in [the level]. [The level considered a spring] because the shefa was connected to it and ceaselessly flowed from it. Now all that has stopped “and it no longer flows as before,” as the supernal light is no longer drawn from it like previously, “This is as it is stated: ‘And the river shall be drained dry’; ‘drained’ in the First Temple and ‘dry’ in the Second Temple. The Imma is called “the First Temple,” while Tevuna is called **“the Second Temple.”**² and Tevuna are the female aspects of the two main components of the larger Bina structure, Abba and Imma Ila'in and Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna. It says “drained” with regard to the First Temple because the fusion stopped in it, as the spring, which is the partition, was drained. And since there is no [fusion through collision] in the supernal Imma, Tevuna was therefore entirely dried out. This is why it says “dry” with respect to Tevuna.

footnotes: ² The Imma

[The Zohar] continues: “Moab, that they are from the Father [me-av] in heaven etc.” For the root of the brains of the two temples is from the Abba, who is the Father in heaven, ³ and Imma Ila'in. that is, the one who illuminates for Ze’er Anpin, which is called heaven, whose lights elevated [Ze’er Anpin and Nukba to [the level of] Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna in the Second Temple, and to [the level of] Abba and Imma Ila'in in the First Temple. They have now been destroyed and darkened “on its account,” that is, due to the cessation of the shefa of the body of the Atik Yomin, “and all the lights that had illuminated for Israel have all darkened.” In other words, not only have the great brains of the two temples darkened, but all the lights that shone for Israel, that is, even the lights of the six extremities and the lights of Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya, have been destroyed.

footnotes: ³ This refers to the male component of Abba