"The nakedness of your father's wife shall you not uncover"

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon says that there is concealed knowledge in the words of the title verse. He says that "your father's wife" is the wife of Zeir Anpin who is in exile with Yisrael and who is far from Him. When she is called "your mother" she is with the King, and the command is to be careful not to separate them through sinning. Even when she is in exile a man must be careful not to alienate her so that she will not cease to stand guard over him.

Adonai Holy Name Nakedness Tetragrammaton Torah Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

336. "The nakedness of your father's wife shall you not uncover" (Vayikra 18:8). HE QUESTIONS: Who is your father's wife? Rabbi Shimon said: We learned that all the words of the Torah are concealed yet revealed, just as the Holy Name is concealed yet revealed. IT IS WRITTEN YUD HEI VAV HEI AND READ ADONAI. The Torah, which is the Holy Name, is also concealed and revealed. Here IN THIS VERSE, all is openly manifest, MEANING ACCORDING TO THE LITERAL MEANING THE VERSE IS SPEAKING ABOUT THE WIFE OF THE FATHER. BUT THERE IS IN IT concealed knowledge, as we have established.

336. עֶרְוַת אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה, מַאן אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ. אר"ש, הָא תָּנֵינָן, כָּל מִלּוֹי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא סָתִים וְגַלְיָא, כְּמָה דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא סָתִים וְגַלְיָא, אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּהִיא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, הָכִי נָמֵי סָתִים וְגַלְיָא. הָכָא כֺּלָּא בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא, יְדִיעָא סָתִים כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא.

Divorce Exile Zeir Anpin

337. This verse is such, "Your father's wife" we have learned. As long as the Queen is with the King and she nurtures you, FROM HER ABUNDANCE, she is called your mother. Now, IN EXILE, she has been exiled with you and is far from the King, so she is called "your father's wife." She is the wife of the Holy King, ZEIR ANPIN, as she was never set free with a divorce. She is surely His wife, as it is written, "Thus says Hashem, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, with which I have put her away?" (Yeshayah 50:1). Surely she is the wife of the King even though she was exiled.

337. וְהַאי קְרָא הָכִי הוּא, אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ תָּאנָא, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא אִשְׁתְּכַחַת בְּמַלְכָּא, וְיַנְקָא לָךְ, אִקְרֵי אִמֶּךָ. הַשְׁתָּא דְּאִתְגַּלְיָא עַמָּךְ וְאִתְרָחֲקַת מִן מַלְכָּא, אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ אִתְקְרֵי. אִנְתּוּ הִיא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא לָא אִתְפְּטָרַת בְּתִרוּכִין מִינֵּהּ, אִנְתְּתֵיהּ הִיא וַדַּאי. כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, כֺּה אָמַר יְיָ' אֵי זֶה סֵפֶר כְּרִיתוּת אִמְּכֶם אֲשֶׁר שִׁלַּחְתִּיהָ. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי אִנְתּוּ הִיא דְּמַלְכָּא, אע"ג דְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא.

Exile Nakedness Sin

338. Therefore, He commanded about her twice, once when she sits united with the King and is called "your mother," as it is written, "The nakedness of your mother, shall you not uncover," MEANING do not cause them to separate from each other, or her to be sent away because of your sin, as it is written, "And for your transgressions was your mother put away" (Ibid.). The other was when she is in exile with you, exiled from the palace of the King, called THEN wife of the King. Even though she was distanced from THE KING, do not cause her to turn away from you, and thus your enemies will gain control over you and she will not guard you in exile. This is what is written, "The nakedness of your father's wife shall you not uncover." What is the reason? Because she is "your father's nakedness." Although she was distanced from the King, the King's supervision is still upon her constantly, so one needs to watch himself more carefully in relation to her, so as not to sin against her.

338. וְעַ"ד פָּקִיד עָלָה תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי, כַּד יָתְבָא בְּמַלְכָּא בְּזִוּוּגָא חַד, וְאִתְקְרֵי אִמְּךָ, דִּכְתִּיב עֶרְוַת אִמְּךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה, לָא תַּעֲבִיד דְּיִתְרַחֲקוּן דָּא מִן דָּא, וְתִשְׁתְּלַח עַל חוֹבָךְ, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב וּבְפִשְׁעֵכֶם שָׁלְחָה אִמְּכֶם. וְחַד, כַּד הִיא בְּגָלוּתָא עִמָּךְ, וְאִתְגַּלְיָיא מֵהֵיכָלָא דְּמַלְכָּא, וְאִתְקְרֵי אִנְתּוּ דְּמַלְכָּא. אע"ג דְּאִתְרַחֲקָת מִנֵּיהּ לָא תַּעֲבִיד בְּגִין דְּתַעְדֵי מִבֵּינָךְ, וְיִשְׁלְטוּן בָּךְ שַׂנְאָךְ, וְלָא תִּסְתַּמָר עֲלָךְ בְּגָלוּתָא. הה"ד עֶרְוַת אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה. מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין כִּי עֶרְוַת אָבִיךָ הוּא. אע"ג דְּאִתְרַחֲקָת מִן מַלְכָּא, אַשְׁגָּחוּתָא דְּמַלְכָּא בָּהּ תְּדִירָא, וּבַעְיָא לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא לָקֳבְלָה יַתִּיר, וְלָא תֵּיחוּב לְגַבָּהּ.