הקדמה

17. “But when they are drawn forth etc.”But when these letters, eleh, are drawn forth from above, from Bina, to below, to Malkhut – for the mother lends her garments to the daughter and adorns her with her ornaments – then the name Elohim extends from Bina, which is the mother, to Malkhut, the daughter. And when does she adorn her with her ornaments properly? That is, when all males appears before her, as then it is written with regard to her: “Before the Master, God” (Exodus 23:17). Then the Malkhut is called “Master,” which is in the masculine form. As it is stated: “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Master of all the earth” (Joshua 3:11). Thus, the verse calls the Malkhut, which is termed “the ark of the covenant,” by the name “the Master of all the earth,” which is a masculine name. This is because Malkhut received the vessels called “garments,” and the brains, which are called “ornaments,” from the mother, which is Bina. Then the [letter] heh leaves Ma, and is replaced by a yod, and the Malkhut is called Mi, like the Bina. At that time, [Malkhut] is adorned in male garments, i.e., the garments of Bina, as stated, corresponding to all the males in Israel [see Exodus 23:17].

Explanation: As was explained (section 13, above), after “he made in the head” of Arikh Anpin “a single dot, and this ascended to become a thought” – for the Ḥokhma was established through [the dot] as male and female – then “he depicted all of the pictures in it,” as all the levels of the five partzufim of Atzilut were depicted in it, in such a manner that there is only Keter and Ḥokhma in every level, in Arikh Anpin, Abba and Imma (father and mother), and [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba. And “he engraved all of the engravings in it,” that through [the dot's] force, the three sefirot: Bina, Ze’er Anpin, and Malkhut, separated from each [of their] levels [and descended] to the level below: Bina, Ze’er Anpin, and Malkhut of Arikh Anpin fell into the [level of] Abba and Imma; Bina, Ze’er Anpin, and Malkhut of Abba and Imma fell to [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba; and Bina, Ze’er Anpin, and Malkhut of [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba fell to Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya; see there.

It was explained in the Sulam there that these two sefirot that remained in the level, which are Keter and Ḥokhma, are called Mi, whereas those three sefirot that were separated from every level are called the three letters alef-lamed-heh [eleh].

[The Zohar thus says]: “When these letters, eleh, are drawn forth from above to below,” that is, when the dot ascended to become a thought, as stated, and then the three letters alef-lamed-heh separated from Abba and Imma (father and mother) and fell to the level below them, [the level of Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, as stated. It is then considered that [the letters] alef-lamed-heh1These letters refer to the three lower sefirot of the given level, Bina, Ze'er Anpin and Malkhut, which were separated by the second constriction and descended to the level below. of Abba and Imma, which are in [the level of Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, were drawn from above to below and enclothed within the [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, since alef-lamed-heh of Abba,2This represents the male aspect of the male-female paired partzuf structure of Abba and Imma. which is Yisrael Sabba,3This represents the male aspect of the male-female paired partzuf structure of Yisrael Sbaba and Tevuna, the structure of the lower seven sefirot of Bina of Atzilut. was drawn to Ze’er Anpin This represents the male aspect of the male-female paired partzuf structure of, and alef-lamed-heh of Imma, which is Tevuna,4This represents the female aspect of the male-female paired partzufim structure of Yisrael Saba and Tevuna, the structure of the lower seven sefirot of Bina of Atzilut. was drawn to Nukba.

Thus [the Zohar] states: “The mother lends her garments to the daughter and adorns her with her ornaments,” that is, at the time of the arrival of the brains of maturity, as clarified in the words of Rabbi Shimon above, when “an engraving of one sealed picture, the holy of holies, a deep structure that emerges from the thought,” is drawn forth. This means that the dot reverted, emerging from the thought to its place, to Malkhut, as the three vessels: Bina, [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, were thereby restored to the level, and the three lights of Keter, Ḥokhma, and Bina, which are called “holy of holies,” were drawn forth; see there.

Know that when the vessels Bina, [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, were returned from the body to the head of Arikh Anpin, the Abba and Imma (father and mother) that enclothe them were also drawn with them, and Abba and Imma too ascended to the head of Arikh Anpin, where Abba and Imma received those brains of the holy of holies at the head of Arikh Anpin. The reason [that Abba and Imma also ascended] is that there is a rule that a higher entity which descends to a lower level becomes like [that level], and likewise a lower entity that ascends to a higher level becomes like [that higher level]. Therefore, in the phase of immaturity, when Bina, [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba separate from the head of Arikh Anpin and fall to the body [of Arikh Anpin] – where they are enclothed by the [partzuf] of Abba and Imma from the mouth [of Arikh Anpin] and below – Bina, [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba of Arikh Anpin become the actual aspect of Abba and Imma. Consequently, in the state of maturity, when Bina, [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba of Arikh Anpin return to the level of the head, they take with them the [aspect of] Abba and Imma as well, for they have already become a single level [with Abba and Imma] during the phase of immaturity. As a result, in the phase of maturity, Abba and Imma ascend with [Bina, Ze'er Anpin and Nukba] to the head of Arikh Anpin because [Abba and Imma] became equal to them, and they receive the same brains of the head of Arikh Anpin that are called “holy of holies.”

In the very same manner, the [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba ascend to Abba and Imma, since once Abba and Imma receive the brains of the head of Arikh Anpin, the dot emerges from the thought in them as well, to the place of Malkhut, through which their Bina, [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba are restored to their level [of origin] of Abba and Imma, as stated above with regard to Arikh Anpin. Now, at the same time that the vessels of Bina, [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba [of Abba and Imma], ascended once again to Abba and Imma, they took with them the [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba that enclothe [the Bina, Ze'er Anpin and Nukba of Abba and Imma] and the [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba also ascend to [the level of] Abba and Imma, and receive the brains of the holy of holies that are there.

This is the meaning of [the Zohar's] statement: “The mother lends her garments to the daughter and adorns her with her ornaments.” In other words, since the three letters alef-lamed-heh of the mother were drawn to the Nukba in the phase of immaturity, as we said, it is considered that the “mother lends her garments to the daughter.” By means of the departure of the three vessels Bina, [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba (which are alef-lamed-heh) from the mother and their falling into the Nukba, they become actual Nukba,5Meaning, they unite with the level of Nukba and take on its characteristics. because a higher entity that descends to a lower level becomes like it. It is considered that the mother lent her vessels of eleh to the daughter, which is the Nukba, since now the Nukba is using them. And yet, [the mother] also adorns [the daughter] with her ornaments, i.e., at the phase of maturity, as the three vessels Eleh, [meaning] Bina, and [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, of the mother return to [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba of the mother, and the Nukba also ascends to the mother with them, as stated. Then the Nukba receives the brains of the holy of holies that are in the mother, since a lower entity that ascends to a higher [level] becomes like it, as stated. It follows that now, since the mother lends her garments of eleh to the daughter at the phase of immaturity, she therefore adorns her with her ornaments (which are the brains) in the phase of maturity, and she is thus adorned with the ornaments of the mother.

“And when does she adorn her with her ornaments? When it is proper.” There are two types of ornaments from the mother to the Nukba, which are the brains6Meaning, the brains, which are the first three lights in their vessels, are of two different levels in the case of the Nukba. of the first three [sefirot]: Either from the lower mother, called Tevuna,7This is the female component of the partzuf called Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna and represents the "lower mother" here. located from the chest of Arikh Anpin and below, or from the higher mother, located from the chest of Arikh Anpin and above. When the Nukba ascends to Tevuna and Tevuna adorns her with her ornaments, it is considered that these ornaments are not yet in their proper state, because then the Nukba is still poised for a question, like the Tevuna before the raising of feminine waters as stated above (section 8, 4th paragraph).8The state of being "poised for a question" is discussed extensively in the previous sections and refers to the lower state of brains of Nukba referenced here. Hence, [the ornaments] are not in their proper state. Rather, [it is] when the Nukba ascends to the place of the higher mother, from the chest of Arikh Anpin and above, and the higher mother adorns the Nukba with her ornaments, then her ornaments are considered proper, as [the Zohar] proceeds to explain.

“When all males appear before her etc. then she is called Master.” [This is] when the Nukba ascends to Tevuna and receives the brains from her. At this point, the ornaments are not yet in their proper state, for [the Nukba] is still poised for a question, meaning she still requires the raising of feminine waters in order to be fully complete, as stated. [In this stage] it is considered that the males of Israel receive from Ze’er Anpin, who ascended to Yisrael Sabba. However, when the Nukba ascends to the higher mother,9This refers to the ascent of the Nukba to the female component of Abba and Imma, in which Nukba acquires the higher level of brains. she is fully completed and is no longer poised for a question, i.e., to receive feminine waters. [The Nukba] is then considered a male, and the males in Israel receive from her.

This is the meaning of [the Zohar's] statement: “When all males appear before her,” i.e., all the males in Israel appear before [Nukba] and receive from her, “then she is called Master [Adon],” that is, she is no longer called by the name of Adonai, which is feminine, but by the masculine name Adon. This is because she is no longer poised for a question, as the dynamic of raising feminine waters no longer applies to her, and therefore [Nukba] is considered a male. [The Zohar] then states: “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Master of all the earth” – the ark is called the Nukba, since the Yesod of Ze’er Anpin, which is called “covenant,” enters her. Thus, the verse calls the Nukba by the name: “Master of all the earth,” which is a male name. [The Zohar] continues: “Then heh leaves, and is replaced by a yod.” In other words, the heh of Ma is removed from [Ma], for this heh of Ma indicates being poised for a question, as stated previously, which is: “What did you know etc. After all, everything is as concealed as before”; see there [section 8]). Thus, the heh of Ma denotes being poised for a question. [The Zohar] is saying that this heh of Ma is removed from it, and a yod replaces the heh, and [the Nukba] is [then] called Mi, like the mother. Then [the Nukba] is constructed in the name Elohim, like the mother.