Aba and Ima, which are Chochmah and Binah

74. Rabbi Shimon lifted up his hands and was glad. He said, Surely it is a time of revelation, and there is a need for everything at such a time. We learned that when the most hidden Atika Kadisha wanted to prepare, He established everything as male and female. BUT where male and female were incorporated IN EVERY SFIRAH, they survived only by another existence of male and female. This Chochmah, which includes everything, NAMELY CHOCHMAH OF 32 PATHS, when it emerged and shone from Atika Kadisha, it shone only as male and female as Chochmah expanded and produced Binah from itself, and so there are male and female; Chochmah is a father and Binah a mother. Chochmah and Binah are weighed with the same measure, male and female, THAT IS, THEY ARE BOTH EQUAL. Because of them everything endured by means of male and female, for otherwise it would not have existed.

75. This beginning, NAMELY, CHOCHMAH OF 32 PATHS, WHICH ARE ABA AND IMA, is a father to all, father to all fathers, WHO ARE CHOCHMAH, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN, AND CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, WHICH ARE ABA AND IMA, united with each other and shining into each other. When they joined they gave birth TO ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, and faith, WHICH IS MALCHUT CALLED FAITH, spread. In the Agadah of Rav Yeba Saba we learned it thus: what is Binah? When Yud and Hei joined each other, NAMELY CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, BINAH conceived, gave birth and produced a son, ZEIR ANPIN. Hence it is called Binah, for giving birth to the son (Heb. ben) of Yud Hei, AS BINAH IS SPELLED WITH 'BEN' AND THE LETTERS YUD HEI, which is overall perfection, for both CHOCHMAH AND BINAH join, and the son, ZEIR ANPIN, between them, which comprises everything. With their establishment, there is overall perfection, namely, everything, father and mother, CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, son and daughter, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, WHICH ARE THE FOUR LETTERS YUD HEI VAV HEI, FROM WHICH ALL REALITY SPRINGS.

76. Such things were not meant to be revealed except for lofty saints that entered INTO CHOCHMAH and came out from it IN PEACE, who know the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, who never move from them right or left, as it is written, "for the ways of Hashem are right, and the just do walk in them..." (Hoshea 14:10). Blessed is the portion of he who merited knowing His ways and who does not stray nor is misled by them. For these matters are concealed, and the lofty saints shine upon them, as one shining with candlelight. These words were handed only to those who came INTO CHOCHMAH and came out. For whoever has not come in and out, it is better for him had he not been born. For it is known before the most hidden Atika Kadisha that these matters shine in my heart with the perfection of love and awe before the Holy One, blessed be He. And these my children in here, I know about them that they entered CHOCHMAH and came out of it IN PEACE, and they shone on these matters though not on them all. And now they shine fully, as befitting. Blessed is my portion with them in that world.

77. Rabbi Shimon said, All I said of Atika Kadisha and all I said of Zeir Anpin is all the same. It is the same matter without division in it. Blessed is He and blessed is His name forever and ever.

78. Come and see, this beginning that is called father is included within Yud that comes out AND SHINES FROM holy Mazal, WHICH IS THE BEARD. Yud therefore includes other letters, NAMELY VAV DALET, SINCE IT IS FULLY SPELLED YUD VAV DALET. Yud is the comprising of all other letters, AS EVERY LETTER BEGINS WITH A DOT, WHICH IS YUD. Yud is the beginning and ending of everything, AS SUPERNAL CHOCHMAH THAT IS THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING IS CALLED YUD, AND SO IS LOWER CHOCHMAH THE ENDING OF EVERYTHING, NAMELY MALCHUT.

79. That river that comes out and flows, NAMELY BINAH THAT COMES OUT OF CHOCHMAH, is called the World to Come, BECAUSE it runs always and never stops. This is the Eden of the righteous who will merit life in that World to Come that constantly waters the Garden, NAMELY MALE AND FEMALE, and never stops. It says of it, "like a spring of water, whose waters fail not" (Yeshayah 58:11). That World to Come is created with Yud, THAT IS, BY CHOCHMAH THAT IS CALLED YUD. This is the meaning of, "And a river went out of Eden," THAT IS, BINAH COMING OUT OF CHOCHMAH THAT IS CALLED SUPERNAL EDEN, "to water the garden" (Beresheet 2:10), NAMELY TO WATER MALE AND FEMALE CALLED VAV DALET, since Yud FULLY SPELLED includes the two letters Vav Dalet, AS SHALL BE EXPLAINED.

80. In the book of Agadah of Rav Yeba Saba we learned why Vav Dalet are included within Yud. AND HE EXPLAINS, this planting of the Garden, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, is called Vav. There is another Garden called Dalet. From this Vav, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, Dalet is watered, WHICH IS MALCHUT. This is the secret of the words, "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden." Eden is supernal Chochmah, which is Yud. "To water the garden" refers to Vav, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN; "and from thence it was parted, and branched into four streams" (Ibid.) refers to Dalet, NAMELY MALCHUT. All that is included in Yud.

81. Because of that THAT EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED IN YUD, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH; CHOCHMAH is called a father to the fathers, WHO ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN, a beginning to everything, a house to everything, as it is written, "Through wisdom a house is built" (Mishlei 24:3), and "in wisdom have You made them all" (Tehilim 104:24). CHOCHMAH in its place is neither revealed nor known. When it is united with Ima, WHICH IS BINAH, it is alluded to in Ima, and because of that Ima IS MADE all inclusive, in which the beginning and ending of everything is made known and indicated, NAMELY SUPERNAL CHOCHMAH AND LOWER CHOCHMAH, WHICH IS MALCHUT. For everything is hidden within it.

82. What includes everything is the Holy Name. Up until now I have made allusions but have not said IT EXPLICITLY all these days. Now the aspects are imprinted; Yud OF YUD HEI VAV HEI includes this Chochmah, NAMELY CHOCHMAH OF 32 PATHS, WHICH IS ABA. Hei is Ima and is called Binah. Vav Hei are the two children, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT that are adorned by Ima. We have learned that Binah includes them all, because Yud, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, is united with HEI, WHICH IS Ima, and they beget a son, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. This is the meaning of THE LETTERS OF Binah: a father and mother, who are Yud Hei, with a son (Heb. ben) between them, BECAUSE BINAH IS THE LETTERS OF BEN YUD HEI.

83. We now have to examine: It is Binah, but it is called Tevunah. Why is it called Tevunah rather than Binah? AND HE ANSWERS, For IMA is called Tevunah when suckling the two children, a son and a daughter that are called Vav-Hei, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. At that time it is called Tevunah, since everything is included within those letters, ben (Eng. 'son') and bat (Eng. 'daughter'), who are Vav-Hei. THAT IS, TEVUNAH IS SPELLED WITH THE LETTERS OF ben and bat, Vav-Hei, and everything is one whole, namely Tevunah.

84. In his book, Rav Hamnuna Saba said that the first description King Solomon revealed, when he said, "Behold, you are fair, my love" (Shir Hashirim 1:15), comes from it. THAT IS, IT RELATES TO IMA, WHOM ABA CALLS "MY LOVE." The second description HE MENTIONED, "COME WITH ME FROM LEBANON, MY BRIDE" (SHIR HASHIRIM 4:8) is considered a bride, who is the lower Nukva, NAMELY MALCHUT. As for those who say that both relate to the lower Nukva, MALCHUT, it is not so, because the first Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI is not considered a bride, BUT "MY LOVE," BECAUSE ABA AND IMA ARE CONSIDERED LOVERS. But last Hei is considered a bride at certain times, because on many occasions the male, ZEIR ANPIN, does not unite with her but leaves her. Of that time it is written, "Also you shall not approach to a woman in the impurity of her menstrual flow" (Vayikra 18:19). When the female is purified and the male wishes to unite with her, she is considered a bride, because she comes as a real bride.

85. But as for Ima, the desire of both ABA AND IMA never stops. They emerge as one and rest as one. The one does not stop flowing from the other, nor leaves the other. For that reason it is written, "And a river went out of Eden" (Beresheet 2:10). "Went out" MEANS constantly, ceaselessly, as it is written, "like a spring of water, whose waters fail not" (Yeshayah 58:11). Hence it is written, "my love" ABOUT IMA, because they dwell with brotherly desire AND LOVE, with absolute unity. But here, IN MALCHUT, she is considered a bride, because when the male comes, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, to join her, she is a bride, and comes as an actual bride.

86. For that reason, Solomon interprets the two descriptions of the female, IMA AND MALCHUT. The first description OF IMA is vague, because Ima is vague AND HIDDEN. The second description IN MALCHUT gives more explanation and is not so vague. Later, it applies all the value OF MALCHUT to the upper one, IMA, as it is written, "she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bore her" (Shir Hashirim 6:9). And since Ima is bedecked with a bride's crown, and the desire of Yud, WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, towards her never stops, AND SHE IS ATTACHED TO BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER BEINGS, THEREFORE the freedom of all slaves is under her jurisdiction to purify everything, as it is written, "for on that day will He forgive you" (Vayikra 16:30), and, "And you shall hallow the fiftieth year...it shall be a jubilee for you" (Vayikra 25:10). What is a Jubilee (Heb. yovel)? It accords with the words, "and that spreads out its roots by the river (Heb. yuval)" (Yirmeyah 17:8). FOR JUBILEE MEANS A RIVER after the river, WHICH IS IMA, that comes out, flows and emerges uninterruptedly TO THE GARDEN, WHICH IS MALCHUT.

87. It is written, "if (Heb. im) you cry after wisdom (Binah), and lift up your voice for understanding (Tevunah)" (Mishlei 2:3). HE ASKS, Once it said, "mother (Heb. em) you cry after Binah," why ADD, "AND LIFT UP YOUR VOICE for Tevunah," AND HE ANSWERS, Everything is as I said THAT WHEN BINAH SUCKLES THE SON AND DAUGHTER IT IS CALLED TEVUNAH. HE ASKS, Which one is superior, AND HE ANSWERS, Binah is superior to Tevunah. Binah is father, mother and son, SINCE Yud Hei are father and mother with a son between them, WHO IS VAV. THAT IS, BINAH IS SPELLED BEN (ENG. 'SON OF') YUD-HEI. All of Tevunah is entirely of children, AS IT IS SPELLED WITH THE LETTERS OF ben (Eng. 'son'), bat (Eng. 'daughter'), Vav-Hei. YUD-HEI ARE NOT MENTIONED IN IT. FROM THIS WE UNDERSTAND THAT BINAH IS SUPERIOR TO TEVUNAH, because father and mother, WHO ARE YUD-HEI, are only in Binah, but in Tevunah THERE IS NO YUD-HEI; surely the mother crouches over the children, VAV-HEI, WHILE THE MOTHER HERSELF does not appear THERE. HENCE TEVUNAH CONTAINS ONLY THE LETTERS OF BEN BAT VAV-HEI, BUT NOT YUD HEI. Thus the sum of all two children, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, is called Tevunah, while the whole of the father, mother and son, WHO ARE CHOCHMAH, BINAH AND ZEIR ANPIN, is considered Binah, which, when wishing to include everything, YUD-HEI AS WELL, they are included IN BINAH.