Daat Utbuna #125

Vihi no'am Adonai Eloheinu aleinu uma'aseh yadeinu konenah aleinu uma'aseh yadeinu konenehu (May the favor of Adonai our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands). Da'at uTevunah (Knowledge and Understanding), perek lamed-alef (chapter 31), daf taf-samech-alef (page 461). We're talking about the different levels in the development of Nukva (female aspect), the aspect of Malchut (Kingship). In the third aspect, during the yenikah (nursing) of Ze'eir Anpin (small countenance), yenikah is when it opens up and has six, Chagat Nehi (Chesed-Gevurah-Tiferet, Netzach-Hod-Yesod). “Ki az yatze'u sheneihem mitoch heh ila'ah” (for then they both came out of the upper heh): They both come out of Ima (mother), which is heh ila'ah (upper heh). “Besod haledah venitgalu” (in the secret of birth, and they were revealed), “vehu na'asah vav” (and it became a vav): The vav separates from the heh, and now the Za becomes six, in the Name, “vehi na'aset heh tata'ah shebashem” (and she becomes the lower heh in the Name). She becomes the heh. Therefore, that's how you get the last two letters: vav and heh—Za and Nukva—and Yud-keh—Abba ve-Ima (Father and Mother). “Vehi devukah be'achorei havav” (and she is attached to the back of the vav): She's attached from the achorayim (back side) of the vav. The matter is that, “ki besod ha'ibur” (for in the secret of conception), “altah nekudatah vehilbishah et hayesod hamalbish gam hu et hatiferet” (her point ascended and clothed the foundation, which also clothes beauty). At the time of the ibur (conception), the nekudah (point), which is Malchut, went up and clothed the yesod (foundation) of the Za, which also clothes the tiferet (beauty); it clothes the tiferet. During ibur, everybody is on top of each other. Exactly: The Nehi and the Chagat are on top of each other, and they clothe each other. “When they went out,” she did not descend with the yesod when it descended and spread out over the tiferet, “and six revealed points were formed in it.” Therefore, now the Za opened up and became six revealed points. But she remained attached up there, at the back of the tiferet. Where did the da'at (knowledge) go? Where did the nekudah stay? By the achorayim of the tiferet. “Umakifato me'achorav” (and it surrounds it from behind): It is a makif (surrounding light) at the back of the tiferet. That's how it ended up there. How did the Nukva end up at the tiferet? Because at the time of ibur, they were folded over on top of each other. The nekudah is really by the yesod, but the yesod is clothed over the tiferet, and the tiferet clothes over it. Therefore, when it opens up, the nekudah remains by the achorayim of the tiferet, in the Chagat. Exactly, in the Chagat. That's why it's up there; that's why it's in the tiferet. “Vezeh sod” (and this is the secret): You could fold it this way or that way. Correct, folded up. This is the secret we mentioned earlier. We started this the other day, and we're getting back to it now: “Ha'ishah olah im ba'alah, ve'einah yoredet imo” (the woman ascends with her husband, but does not descend with him). When the yesod ascends over the tiferet to clothe it, she ascends with it, as mentioned. Exactly: The yesod goes up to the tiferet, so whoever is attached to the yesod gets an aliyah (ascent) as well—a free ride up. Now that the yesod has descended to its place, though, she doesn't go down with it. She only goes up; she doesn't go down. She stays by the tiferet, and remains attached up there, at the back of the tiferet. This is a new explanation of the Gemara in Ketubot (Ketubot tractate). “Ve'omnam shorshah harishon shehinichah ba'atarah shebo lo zaz velo ne'ekar misham le'olam” (but its original root, which it left in the crown within it, never moved or was removed from there). As we learned in the last shiur (lesson), although its attachment to the yesod is no longer there, it leaves an everlasting roshem (imprint). “Ve'ein tzarich lehazkircha tamid zeh bechol makom” (there is no need to remind you of this all the time, in every place). I mean, I already told you. “Kevar nitba'er le'eil” (it was already explained above). Now, what made the female aspect grow was that it became the complete measure of the tiferet sefirah, not as it was originally, when it was a quarter of the yesod, as mentioned. Before, it was only the atarah (crown) of the yesod, which we said was a quarter of the measure of the yesod. Now it rises to the tiferet and is equal to the tiferet, its complete measure. It is not a percentage of the tiferet; it is the size of the tiferet. Therefore, now that through yenikah it grew and became a complete measure, the same measure as the tiferet within it, it is called the final heh in the Name. It is its own letter, a complete measure. By contrast, during ibur, when Ze'eir Anpin was secondary and included in the letter vav, the small vav within the heh, the first heh was secondary to Ze'eir Anpin, in the secret of pesiah lebar (step outward). During ibur, where was the Za? The Za was the vav in the heh, in the first heh. The first heh is Ima, and the vav of the heh is the Za in Ima. She is there too, but she is considered pesiah lebar. That's why we see, again—I can say it again—in the sifrei Torah (Torah scrolls) we like, the first heh has the pesiah lebar, which represents that perfect structure. It's Ima with the Za and the pesiah lebar, which is holding on. “Besod pesi'ah lebar shel vav ze'ira” (in the secret of the step outward of the small vav). It is known that Ze'eir Anpin, even during yenikah, has mochin dekatnut (constricted consciousness) of yenikah. At the time of yenikah, it has what we call mochin dekatnut of yenikah. It is in the aspect of the vav of Havayah (Divine Name), and its mochin are the first two letters, Yud-kei. The Yud-kei are considered the mochin at the time of yenikah. Let's see what that means. “Vegam hem bivchinat yud-kei bizman hayenikah, kemo sheyitba'er bimkomo” (they are also in the aspect of Yud-kei during the time of nursing, as will be explained in its place). The female aspect also now has mochin of yenikah alone. Come on, its own mochin, and it is a female. “Vehi remuzah vetefeilah elav beshem Havayah” (she is alluded to and secondary to him in the Name Havayah), because he, together with the aspect of his mochin, which are Yud-kei, is called Yud-kei-vav. Yud-kei over vav: those are the mochin on the vav. She is in the aspect of the final heh, secondary to him, and her mochin are also alluded to in the form of this final heh. But, as we're going to see, we haven't yet reached the mochin of these levels. Now the matter of her mochin has been explained, when she is in the aspect of the final heh, secondary to Ze'eir Anpin. But in adulthood, she is not secondary to him, and she has a name of her own, which will be Adnut (the Name Adonai) or the Name Elokim, depending on the change in the aspect of adulthood. She is not secondary to him as the final heh, as mentioned in parashat Bereshit, verse 18: “Shenei hame'orot hagedolim” (the two great luminaries). Right? She is also considered gedolah (grown); she is not secondary once she becomes the final heh. That's why sometimes, in the final heh in the siddurim (prayer books), there's Adnut in there, because that's the Name of the Nukva. Now, during yenikah, she is in the aspect of the final heh in the Name, and she has a complete measure of the tiferet of Ze'eir Anpin. She has a complete measure of the tiferet, but she does not have a complete partzuf (divine configuration). She has only one complete and large measure. Therefore, she is not yet called ketanah (minor girl), but the final heh, as mentioned. She didn't even reach the level of a ketanah. A ketanah is full. Just ketanah. Here, it's not; it's just called the final heh. That's her name. She also has another name now: tzela (rib; side). The verse says, “Vayiven Hashem Elokim et hatzela” (And Hashem Elokim built the side), which is the rib—or the side, depending on how you learn it. When she is behind the chest, when she is a complete measure behind the chest of Ze'eir Anpin, she is called his tzela. That's exactly where she is, by the rib. Afterwards, a complete partzuf is built at his back, and then that is the building of the tzela. But the verse says, “Vayiven Hashem Elokim et hatzela.” In the fourth aspect, she is called ketanah. Now it's going to become complete, albeit a ketanah, but complete. Yes. They should be very happy; we're giving them a lot of pages here. At first, she was in the aspect of a tzela, a complete measure behind the chest, but she still had no partzuf of ten sefirot (divine emanations). Then the verse said: “Lo tov heyot ha'adam levado, e'eseh lo ezer kenegdo” (It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helpmate opposite him). Then He took this tzela and built it into a complete partzuf behind him, as we wrote, with God's help. But it is not fully built until she completes 12 years and one day, as the Gemara says: During all this time she is called ketanah; afterwards, she is a na'arah (young woman) for six months, right? From 12 to 12 and 6 months, she's called a na'arah, and then she becomes a bogeret (adult woman). Afterwards, she is called a bogeret. The male does not become complete until 13 years and one day. All this time he is a katan (minor boy), and afterwards he is called a gadol (adult), as is known. The different ages. Now it has been explained that the fourth aspect extends for 12 years and one day, during which she is still called a ketanah. After 12 years and one day have been completed, the six months of na'arut begin, and then she is in the fifth and sixth aspects. So she goes from naar to na'arah. We'll see how that works. There's one naar without the heh, and naar with the heh. Is the one without also pronounced na'arah? Yeah. Yeah. If you look at the Torah, it's spelled as naar; they just say na'arah. The fifth and sixth aspects are after 12 years and one day, when her partzuf is completed, and she leaves the category of ketanah and enters the aspect of naar, na'arah. Here are these two aspects, briefly. Besides what we need to do to repair the partzuf of the female, we also need first to repair within her, before she mates with her husband, the kli harechem (womb vessel). Its parts must be repaired and fit to receive the tipat hazra'ah (drop of seed), to form within her the valad (offspring). She also needs to have mayim nukbin (feminine waters)—to send up—and this vessel also has doors and hinges. We know that the doors have to open. In the body, these would be the different kli holadah (reproductive organs), the opening and closing of the womb: ptichat harechem (opening of the womb), and so on. As our Sages, of blessed memory, alluded to in the verse, “Ki lo sagar daltei vitni” (For he did not close the doors of my womb)—Iyov (Job) refers to his belly having doors. Another verse says, “Ki nehpechu aleha tzireha” (for her hinges have turned against her): tzireha means hinges. It turns out that there are two doors and two hinges, and two kinds of mayim nukbin. When half of them are repaired within her—one door, one hinge, and one kind of mayim nukbin—she is still called naar. Therefore, she is called naar because she is not yet complete; she's halfway there. When the second door, the second hinge, and the second mayim nukbin are given to her, then she is called na'arah. That's the difference. Exactly. That takes six months. Therefore, we first need to discuss all these things we've mentioned. Now that we know what the parts are, we'll explain their reality: where they are, and also when they occur. This will help you understand the time called naar and the time called na'arah. Let's begin by discussing the doors and hinges. What are these mayim nukbin? Know that we find in the Zohar (Radiance) two names for Malchut: Tziyon (Zion) and Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). Their explanation is a nice drash (interpretation), because at a wedding the chatan (groom) says, “Im eshkachech Yerushalayim tishkach yemini” (If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget). He can also be referring to his bride, because the bride is the Nukva; the bride is Yerushalayim. This is a clothed way of saying, “I will never forget you,” because she is also in the aspect of Yerushalayim. That's the pledge he makes under the chupah (wedding canopy). Yes, yes. Three people will understand. That's enough. Know that we find in the Zohar two names for Malchut: Tziyon and Yerushalayim. The point of the yesod of the Nukva is called Tziyon. That's the nekudah of the yesod; we call it Tziyon. The same as Yosef (Joseph), that's correct. And the same as Yosef. The kelipah (husks) of Tziyon is Yavan (Greece). Those are the letters without the tzadik. Take the tzadik away from Tziyon, and you have Yavan; they were coming after Tziyon. As it is written in the Aderet Ha'azinu (Idra of Ha'azinu), “Ki Tziyon banukva keveit rechem letata” (for Tziyon in the female is like a womb below). The Tziyon of the Nukva, that element called Tziyon, is like the beit rechem, like the womb of a woman. But the point of Malchut within the Nukva is called Yerushalayim. Here's how these two aspects are represented in a woman. Just as the male has yesod and Malchut—that is the ever (limb), rosh hagviyah (head of the body), the member—he has yesod, and at its head is an atarah. It is like a high wall of flesh at the end of the gid (organ), and that is the aspect of Malchut in the male. The same applies to the woman: There is a chamber inside, with the womb within it, and this chamber is called her yesod. That's the yesod, the rechem (womb). At the opening of this chamber, there is a high wall of flesh. In that room, the womb, there is a piece of wall of flesh called in the Gemara “shipulei me'ayim.” It's a piece of flesh that protrudes in the middle, between the thighs, at the opening of the yesod. This is the Malchut of the Nukva. That's her Malchut. So you have Malchut, which is the end, and inside you have Tziyon, which is the rechem. The aspect of Malchut in the female is not a complete aspect like the other nine sefirot within her, which are complete aspects from keter (crown) to her yesod, as their matter is explained by us. But her Malchut is only a small illumination, like something less than a handbreadth, alluded to in that thick piece of flesh that protrudes and stands there, as mentioned. The reason is that the entire aspect of the female is called Malchut, and therefore her Malchut was not a complete aspect, as mentioned. The reason is that the entire aspect of the female is called Malchut. That's her whole essence; she's called Malchut. Therefore, her Malchut was not a complete aspect, as mentioned. Why not? I don't know why not. What's the reason? Therefore, her Malchut was not a complete aspect, as mentioned. Okay, just because she's called Malchut, her Malchut doesn't deserve to have its own ten sefirot? Okay. Well, that's what he's saying. I don't know why that should be, but that's what he's saying. But the reason there had to be an aspect of Malchut there, even though it is only alluded to, was very important, and is hinted at in the words of our Sages. I'll see what it says in the Gemara, Avodah Zarah (Idolatry): “Arba'ah devarim tzerichim chotam betoch chotam” (four things require a seal within a seal). Why does it need a double seal? The mnemonic is chavit (acronym for four items): milk, meat, wine, and techelet (blue-dyed wool). The four items are milk, meat, wine, and techelet. We'll explain the aspect of wine, which is one of them, and why it needs a chotam betoch chotam, a double seal. What is the matter of these two seals? The matter is, know that the wine represents the five gevurot (forces of severity) within the yesod of the Nukva, as is known. They are her mayim nukbin. Those are the mayim nukbin. They are called mantzepach (five final letters), as is known. How much is mantzepach? 280. And how much is na'arah? 320. Oh, so it's more. Nun, ayin—mine is already 270. Good, so it's more. Nun, ayin is 120, and then the reish is 320—370. So we have to see exactly how that comes into... as is known, because we're going to go back to that, obviously. As is known, all the external forces and kelipot get their vitality from the shimrei hayayin (wine dregs) of the supernal wine. The kelipot are in a place called the shimrei hayayin; those are the sediments of the supernal wine, the spiritual wine. They stand beneath the Nukva, as is known, in the secret of “ragleha yoredot mavet” (her feet descend to death). Beneath the feet of the Nukva is mavet (death). They only attach themselves at her end and below. When these gevurot are called wine, and are guarded within the yesod of the female, these gevurot—mantzepach, which are called wine—are guarded in the yesod of the female by two seals, one seal upon another. Then they are the wine that gladdens, the gevurot when they are sweetened. Is that because there are three seals? Yes, because they're sealed, and they're in the gevurah, so that sealing gives it a mituk (sweetening). Sometimes those gevurot turn from the wine that gladdens into dam (blood). That's why the woman has blood. Sometimes the wine that gladdens turns into dam, which is dinim gemurim (unmitigated judgments), and then it becomes dam nidot (menstrual blood). So there are two elements there. When they go out, the external forces draw from this menstrual blood. The external forces obviously have a hold on the dam nidah. It will be explained below that the gevurot themselves become dam, and the seal has the gematria of niddat. So the seal has the gematria of niddah. This is “dam niddat,” and understand this. That's a remez (hint) that the seal itself will become blood. A chotam is really wine; chotam betoch chotam. But at a certain point, sometimes the wine becomes blood—the blood becomes wine. It will also be explained below that these two kinds of blood, dam nidah and dam tohar (pure blood), the gevurot, each comprise five. Five of them are called the five kinds of impure blood, and the other five are called pure blood. We know dam tohar. Therefore, the gevurot called wine, which sometimes become blood, and from which the external forces draw, need to be guarded by a chotam betoch chotam. But the chasadim (forces of kindness) called water have no hold for the external forces. There is no hold in that area, in the chasadim. The gevurot have a hold for the kelipot, so they do not need guarding. The matter of the two seals is the aspects of yesod and Malchut found in the Nukva. The five gevurot, which are wine, are guarded within the yesod, called a seal, and above the yesod is a second seal, Malchut. The first seal is called yesod, and the second is called Malchut. Through these two seals, the external forces have no control to draw from the inner wine. They can't get to the wine. “Vehineh chotam otiyot chomat” (and chotam has the same letters as chomah). Okay, because it's like a wall, just as a wall protects the city. Like the wall of a city that protects its inhabitants from the fear of the enemies surrounding the city from outside: the seal of the yesod and the seal of the Malchut in the Nukva are both alluded to in the verse. What does the verse in Eichah (Lamentations) say? “Chomat bat Tziyon horidi chanachal dim'ah,” and it is written, “Al chomotayich Yerushalayim” (O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears flow like a stream; and it is written, Upon your walls, Jerusalem). And Yerushalayim, we said, is the Nukva. “Al chomotayich”—your walls. That's what we said: the two. Exactly. Chomotayich, chotomotayich (your seals), right? They are her yesod, called Tziyon, and her Malchut, called Yerushalayim. So Tziyon and Yerushalayim, yesod and Malchut: chotam betoch chotam. Also, chotam has the same letters as techum. Another configuration, meaning: “Ad kan techum hakedushah” (up to here is the boundary of holiness). That's where kedushah (holiness) ends; beyond that point are the kelipot. Malchut is the border line. What happens under Malchut? “Ragleha yoredot mavet.” Therefore, we need to put a seal on that very dangerous border, so the kelipot won't rise up and take the gevurot of the wine. They want to drink it. “Ad kan techum hakedushah, misham vehalah kelipot” (up to here is the boundary of holiness; from there onward are the husks). Look how gorgeous: chotam, techum, chomah. This itself is the prohibition of going beyond the techum; this is techum Shabbat. We've learned many times that this is the whole matter of techum Shabbat. What happens on Shabbat is that there is an aliyah of the olamot (worlds). During the week, we're at the border, so it's dangerous. On Shabbat, it says, “Uvayom hashvi'i nit'alah” (and on the seventh day, it ascended). There is an aliyah; we go up with the olamot. Now there's what's called a chalal (the void, the vacuum) between the elevation and where we were. Therefore, they don't want us to go into that neutral zone, and that's why they say “mechaleleha.” “Mechaleleha milashon” (mechaleleha comes from the word), exactly: those who enter that chalal. And that's what—the void, the vacuum. That's why Shabbat can be the most dangerous day of the week for those who desecrate Shabbat. Now you're going into the chalal, and you're subject to the kelipot. The reason is that the kelipot are able to rise, so God has to separate us from them. He lifts us up so we're not vulnerable. But if you're going to go into the area of chillul Shabbat (desecration of Shabbat), that's where all the villains are. Therefore, it's sakanah (danger). Shabbat can be a protector, but people don't know that chillul Shabbat is mamesh sakanah. That's why the rabbi said that as long as El Al, which incidentally had the best quarter in its history, since my since my friend bought the the airlines, Kenny—the best—I mean, the war is a curse for some people and a blessing for others. Anyway, when El Al started to fly its planes on Shabbat... The rabbis said we can't fly it; we can't fly El Al. Many years ago, the gedolim (great rabbis) were posek (halachic decisor) like that. What was their logic? Their logic was that, logically speaking, El Al should be the most dangerous airline in the world, because it's a Jewish airline and therefore a target. There's a reason they have all that security, because it's a dangerous airline. So what's the heter (permission) to fly it? The shemirat Shabbat (Shabbat observance). “Ki yishmor Shabbat, Hashem yishmereni” (if he observes Shabbat, Hashem will protect me). Once they're already giving away Shabbat, they're entering the chalal. That's it. So now what's the protection? Now you have to follow nature and say that it's dangerous, and you don't have the protection of Shabbat. Begin would say, in one of his speeches—and this is an old saying—“More than the Jewish people have protected Shabbat, Shabbat has protected Yisrael (Israel).” He felt that it was a chillul Hashem (desecration of God's name) to have Jewish stars flying in the sky on Shabbat. Jewish stars represent Yahadut (Judaism) and the Ten Commandments. We brought the Ten Commandments down to the world. Chillul Hashem. Begin understood certain things, and he fought it. He was a kana'i (zealot) on that, and he won. He brought it back to—you know, they wanted a. And look at that: They have a Shomer Shabbat airline, and they turn a profit of, I don't know how many, eighty million dollars or something in one quarter or something. It's a tremendous amount of money. Shomer Shabbat. Anyway, he says here: “Baruch Atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech ha'olam shehakol nihyah bidvaro” (Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, by whose word all things came to be). Amen. Also, chotam means something stamped in another place, whose image remains there. It's like an endorser: When you endorse something, you have a seal. That seal leaves an impression, a mark. That's also called a chotam. Like we learned in Masechet Shabbat (Shabbat tractate), the rings: They have a taba'at (ring) with a chotam on it that they used to seal documents. “Gam chotam hu milshon davar hanichtam” (also, chotam is from the expression for something stamped), “bimkom acher venish'ar tziyuro bo” (in another place, with its image remaining there). It leaves a picture there, leaves an image. The yesod is called a chotam because, as it extends along the length of the yesod of Ze'eir Anpin, opposite the middle line of the Nukva standing opposite it behind him, it reaches the end of the tiferet within her. Therefore, all the other sefirot in the Nukva are aligned opposite the Nehi of Ze'eir Anpin, and they have something to rely on. But the main formation of her yesod did not take place like the other sefirot within her, which were formed through the illumination of Ze'eir Anpin within her. Rather, it was formed through the striking of the gevurot from below, from the tiferet to the yesod, as they descended and illuminated there. Their illumination was stamped and engraved there, and through their illumination this yesod was formed. So he's saying somehow that the yesod of Ima—I'm sorry, the yesod of the Nukva—is created by a betishah (collision) of orot (lights) coming down from the tiferet to the yesod. I guess as they're coming down, it says their illumination is stamped and engraved there; through their illumination, this yesod is formed. Through their illumination this yesod was formed, and therefore her yesod is called the seal that is stamped, because it is a seal from the gevurot that illuminated there through their striking and descent. Her Malchut is also called a seal, because its illumination comes only from the illumination of the seal of the yesod. This is the meaning of the expression chotam betoch chotam. Interesting. So when we do that, we read that on Shavuot (Weeks), you see in the yehi ratzon (may it be Your will), chotam; on Hoshana Rabbah (Great Hoshana), chotam betoch chotam. What is it talking about? It's based on the yesod and Malchut of the Nukva, the final two sefirot of the Nukva. It's called chotam betoch chotam. “Ki chotam hachitzon shehi hamalchut nimshechet vena'asit mehe'arat chotam hapenimi shehu yesod shebah” (for the outer seal, which is Malchut, is drawn out and formed from the illumination of the inner seal, which is the yesod within her). Basically, we're not getting into the details of how they strike each other, but it's called a chotam because it's through a—exactly, through a collision. It's like a stamp making its mark. Look how many things this chotam represents. Okay, we'll stop here.