908. The sixth chamber stands above the rest of the lower chambers. There are four openings to this chamber: one is called 'death', one 'evil', one 'shadow of death' and the last one 'somber'. These four openings are there to cause evil, and comprise everything, FOR SINCE IT CORRESPONDS TO THE HOLY CHAMBER OF TIFERET, WHICH INCLUDES ALL THE OTHER SIX CHAMBERS CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, SO THIS CHAMBER OF DEFILEMENT INCLUDES ALL THE CHAMBERS OF DEFILEMENT.
909. As there are on the side of holiness, in the secret of the Faith, four openings to the four sides, connected to each other, all of them holy, so it is down here. When they are united and joined with each other in this chamber, then this chamber is called 'a roomy house', as it is written, "a brawling woman in a roomy house" (Mishlei 21:9). This chamber is there to cause evil always.
910. It is written of this chamber, "but the kisses of the enemy are profuse" (Mishlei 27:6), for here abide all the evil kisses and evil lusts, and all the pleasures of the body in this world, for which delights man is driven from this world and the World to Come. Of this chamber the verse says, "For the lips of a strange woman drip honey..." (Mishlei 5:3). THESE DEFILED KISSES AND PLEASURES HERE CORRESPOND TO THE KISSES AND DELIGHTS OF THE SIXTH CHAMBER OF HOLINESS.
911. There is a spirit in this chamber in charge of all those below, that adornments of beauty more than the chambers BENEATH IT. The feet of fools are trapped in this chamber, of which the verse says, "Lust not after her beauty in your heart, nor let her take you with her eyelids" (Mishlei 6:25).
912. All the lusts in the world are from this chamber, and all the pleasure of the fools, the heartless and the witless, as it is written, "and beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, passing through the street near her corner... in the twilight, in the evening" (Mishlei 7:7-8). Then his feet approach this chamber, which comprises all those below it, BEING THE CHAMBER OF TIFERET OF DEFILEMENT, WHICH INCLUDES ALL THE SIX DIRECTIONS. Then "behold, there met him a woman with the attire (Heb. sheett) of a harlot, and wily of heart" (Ibid. 10). The word 'sheett' refers to this sixth (Heb. shtit) chamber in number. Here stands the harlot to seduce the fools.
913. In this chamber THE HARLOT resides yet resides not, for she comes down to seduce, then goes up and blames, as it is written, "her feet do not remain in her house: now she is outside," WHEN SHE COMES DOWN TO SEDUCE, "now in the streets" when she goes up TO BLAME, "and she lies in wait at every corner" (Ibid. 11-12) , to take his soul away, NAMELY, TO KILL HIM.
914. It is further written, "So she caught hold of him, and kissed him" (Ibid. 13). These are defiling kisses, to mislead people to follow her, for here is the place of all the evil kisses and strange harlotries, which are sweet for the moment, and woe to their ending, as it is written, "and her mouth is smoother than oil" (Mishlei 5:3).
915. It is also written, "but her end is bitter as wormwood" (Ibid. 4). HE ASKS: What is the meaning of "bitter as wormwood"? HE ANSWERS: When a man is tempted by her in this world, when his time arrives to pass away from this world, she is upon him, arrayed before him in a garment of a body of fire, a sharp sword in her hand, with three drops in it.
916. We explained that one of the drops OF THE SWORD is bitter, and when she spills it in a man's mouth, it enters his bowels, and the soul is confused. The drop travels within the body and plucks the soul from its place, and does not let it return. THE DROP is bitter as wormwood, and man tastes bitterness instead of the sweetness he savored in this world when he was attracted to her. She throws at him another drop, and the soul leaves, and the man dies. She then tosses yet another drop and his face becomes green and putrid. THE REASON THE SOUL LEAVES IS because the soul is sacred, and when the Other Side has power over it, it runs away from it, not to be with it.
917. For that reason, as man clings with evil kisses in this world, also at this time, if he followed her in this world and left the holy side, the soul does not come back to the holy place, for since he went after her in this world, she now has control over his soul, and the soul leaves the body by ropes, as we explained. All that is caused by the sweet kisses she gave him in this world, and later, at that hour, he finds them bitter. Of this IT IS WRITTEN, "So she caught hold of him, and kissed him" (Mishlei 7:13) in this world, as we explained.