והנה במקום אחר כתב שרמ״ח מצות עשה הן בה׳ חסדים

Now, in one source13 it is written14 that the 248 positive commandments are [rooted] in the Five Attributes of Kindness of Za of Atzilut, for every positive command serves as a vessel to receive an expression of the kindly attributes and a calling forth of Divinity,

ושס״ה לא תעשה בה׳ גבורות וכו׳

and the 365 prohibitions are [rooted] in the Five Attributes of Severity of Za of Atzilut.

The Gevurot (the attributes of severity) reflect a Divine thrust to self-contraction and limitation. The prohibitory commands thus derive from them, since the intent of these commands is to withhold the efflux of holiness from kelipot.

ובמקום אחר כתב שהן תרי״ג ארחין נמשכין מחד ארחא כו׳

Elsewhere it is written15 that there are 613 paths (i.e., the 613 mitzvot) that derive from one path…,

שהוא לבנונית וכו׳

which is the Lavnunit…, the benevolent pristine “whiteness” of the Supernal Keter.

This level includes no element of severity at all. As the Zohar states there, “There is no ‘left’ in Atik” — i.e., there is no element of Gevurah in the internal level of Keter; there is only Chesed.

We thus seem to have a compound contradiction: We have just stated here that the 248 positive commandments stem from the vessels of the Ten Sefirot of Za; the Zohar states that the 248 positive commandments stem from the Five Chasadim (attributes of kindness) of Za while the 365 prohibitory commandments stem from the Five Gevurot (attributes of severity) of Za; and the Zohar states elsewhere that the commandments derive from the Lavnunit of the Supernal Keter, where attributes of severity do not exist at all.

אך הענין, שכל המצות לתקן רמ״ח אברי ז״א, על ידי המשכת אור אין סוף ברוך הוא במוחין, הכלולין בה׳ חסדים וה׳ גבורות

The explanation is: All the mitzvot are designed to rectify the 248 organs of Za, by drawing the [infinite] Ein Sof-light into the [Divine] Intellect as incorporated within the Five Attributes of Kindness and Five Attributes of Severity. (In mortal man, too, by way of analogy, one’s intellectual decisions are commonly swayed by a natural leaning to kindness or severity.)

Since the purpose of mitzvot is to “repair” the 248 organs of Za, it is true to say that mitzvot are rooted in the vessels of the Sefirot that constitute Za. Since the repair is accomplished through drawing the infinite light into the Divine Intellect that is housed in the Five Attributes of Kindness and the Five Attributes of Severity, it is also sometimes said that the mitzvot themselves are rooted in the Five Attributes of Kindness and the Five Attributes of Severity.

ומקור המוחין הוא לבנונית כו׳

The source of the [Divine] Intellect is the Lavnunit [of Keter],

הוא הענג וחפץ העליון להמשיך אור למטה, לרמ״ח אברין דז״א

which is the supreme delight and desire to draw the light below into the 248 organs of Za, for relative to Keter, Za is deemed “below”.

Thus the Zohar also says elsewhere that the commandments are rooted in the level of Supernal Keter called Lavnunit, where there are no attributes of severity whatever, for this is the source of mitzvot as they exist in the supreme delight and desire of Keter.