"Joseph is a fruitful bough"

770. The ending of the body, YESOD, is referred to in the verse, "Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well" (Beresheet 49:22). HE ASKS, Why does it say twice "A FRUITFUL BOUGH?" HE ANSWERS, There is a fruitful bough above and a fruitful bough below. Why is there no fruitful bough below among the implements of the Matron, NAMELY AMONG THE TWELVE TRIBES, THE SECRET OF THE TWELVE OXEN, WHICH SUPPORT THE MATRON ABOVE? HE REPLIES, "The daughters advanced upon the wall" (Idib.), WHICH MEANS THAT females are used as her implements, FEMALE ASPECTS, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF THE TWELVE TRIBES, and not sons. AND JOSEPH IS YESOD, WHICH IS A SON, NAMELY MALE. Hence it says, "Many daughters have done virtuously" (Mishlei 31:29). "Many daughters have done virtuously" are the twelve tribes, WHO ARE MADE A THRONE FOR THE NUKVA. THUS, THE VERSE ENDS WITH "BUT YOU EXCEL (LIT. 'RISES ABOVE') THEM ALL" (IBID.).

771. Come and see, the holy Malchut does not attain perfection as holy Malchut, until it is united with the Patriarchs, WHO ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET FROM THE CHEST AND ABOVE OF ZEIR ANPIN. When it joins them, the Kingdom was turned into a complete building by the upper world, which is the world of the male, NAMELY BINAH, SINCE THEN CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN RECEIVE FROM ITS RIGHT SIDE AND MALCHUT FROM BINAH'S LEFT SIDE. The supernal world is called seven years since it includes all seven years, AS BINAH INCLUDES WITHIN HER ALL THE SEVEN SFIROT CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT CALLED SEVEN YEARS.

772. This is indicated by: "And he built it seven years" (I Melachim 6:38). This is the upper world BINAH, WHICH INCLUDES SEVEN YEARS. It therefore does not say 'in seven years,' BUT SEVEN, as in, "For six days Hashem made heaven and earth" (Shemot 31:17), instead of 'in six days.' THIS MEANS THAT THE SIX DAYS CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH; HERE ALSO IT MEANS THAT THE SEVEN YEARS, BINAH, BUILT IT. It is written, "These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created (Heb. be'hibar'am)" (Beresheet 2:4), the letters of "be'abraham (Eng. 'in Abraham')," for Abraham, WHO IS CHESED, is called seven days, and by him the upper world, BINAH, was built. They are called the 'world of the male.'

773. Likewise there are seven years below, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT DIVIDED AMONG THE TWELVE TRIBES, the secret of the lower world, THE NUKVA. This is the secret meaning of the words,, "Seven days and seven days, fourteen days" (I Melachim 8:66). HE ASKS, From "seven days and seven days," do I not know they amount to fourteen, WHY ADD "FOURTEEN DAYS?" HE ANSWERS, THEIR PURPOSE IS to indicate the upper and lower worlds, which are seven days and seven days, ALLUDED TO BY THE FOURTEEN DAYS. Those OF THE UPPER WORLD are males and those OF THE LOWER WORLD are females. This world, THE NUKVA, is above the females, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD DIVIDED AMONG THE SAID TWELVE, as it is written, "Many daughters have done virtuously." This refers to the twelve tribes, that "have done virtuously," as "all that were numbered in the camp of Judah..." (Bemidbar 2:9) and the others MULTIPLIED EXCEEDINGLY. THUS THE VERSE ENDS WITH "BUT YOU RISE ABOVE THEM ALL," SINCE THE NUKVA IS OVER THEM.

774. HE ASKS, You may say that the verse says "many" yet they are but twelve, excepting their virtuous deeds, FOR EACH MULTIPLIED, AS HINTED BY THE WORDS "HAVE DONE VIRTUOUSLY." Why does it say "many (Heb. rabot) daughters?" HE REPLIES, As in the verse, "Because the cry of Sodom and Amorah is great (Heb. rabah)" (Beresheet 18:20), "many" means that they are great, above all and greater than all. These are the great living creatures. They "have done virtuously" AS EACH TRIBE MULTIPLIED EXCEEDINGLY. "AND THOSE THAT ENCAMP BY HIM" (BEMIDBAR 2:5), ISSACHAR AND ZEBULUN BY THE STANDARD OF JUDAH, AND SO ON, are called 'small living creatures,' which join as one the great living creatures, JUDAH, REUBEN, EPHRAIM AND DAN, so that the Matron, THE NUKVA, will be established by them. The upper and lower will rejoice in them. Hence it says, "There is the Leviathan, whom You have made to play therein" (Tehilim 104:26). THE LEVIATHAN IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SMALL AND GREAT LIVING CREATURES. Therefore "many daughters have done virtuously..."

775. Hence "the daughters advanced upon the wall" (Beresheet 49:22). HE ASKS, IT SAYS "daughters advanced (sing.)" INSTEAD OF IN THE PLURAL. HE ANSWERS, This is the reflection of that which is written above "A FRUITFUL BOUGH BY A WELL." What is this WELL? It is the well of justice, THE NUKVA, WHICH RECEIVES JUSTICE, TIFERET. JOSEPH gives to the well, THE NUKVA, which advances to take daughters for its adornment. "The daughters advanced:" THE NUKVA ADVANCED WITH DAUGHTERS but not with sons, for daughters are worthy to establish Her, but sons are not. "They fiercely attacked him" (Beresheet 49:23) by looking lovingly at him, as it is written, "Turn away your eyes from me, for they have overcome me" (Shir Hashirim 6:5), FOR THEY BURN ME WITH YOUR LOVE'S FLAME. HERE TOO HE COULD NOT SUFFER THE NUKVA'S ARROWS OF LOVE. THIS IS THE MEANING OF "THEY FIERCELY ATTACKED HIM" and "the archers hated him" (Beresheet 49:23), THAT HE COULD NOT TOLERATE IT.

776. "But his bow abode in strength" (Beresheet 49:24). The bow IS THE NUKVA. HE ASKS, Why say "his bow" WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 'BUT A (?) BOW ABODE...?' HE ANSWERS, It is JOSEPH'S spouse, AND THEREFORE IT SAYS "HIS BOW." "In strength" means that she clothed him in strength and might, and so his strength will not be enfeebled FOR HIS UNION WITH HER. For she knew that Joseph would not turn aside within his grade; MEANING, HE WOULD NOT TURN, DUE TO MATING, TO THE LEFT GRADE, THE PLACE OF JUDGMENTS, since his sign of the Covenant turns both right and left IN ONE.

777. What do the words "were made supple (Heb. vayafozu)" (Ibid.) mean? HE ANSWERS, As it says, "More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold (Heb. paz)" (Tehilim 19:11) and "nor shall it be valued with pure gold (Heb. paz)" (Iyov 28: 18). HERE TOO, VAYAFOZU IS DERIVED FROM PAZ, FINE GOLD AND PRECIOUSNESS, as his hands were precious with the sublime pearl, THE SUPERNAL NUKVA ABOVE THE CHEST, THAT RECEIVED ABUNDANCE FROM BEING UNITED. SHE RECEIVED "by the hand of the mighty One of Jacob" (Beresheet 49:24) from the two sides, RIGHT AND LEFT, by which Jacob was strengthened. "From thence he fed the stone of Yisrael" (Ibid.), from thence that precious stone, THE NUKVA, was fed, like we said. We should further explain that the precious stone was fed by the twelve sides, north and south, WHICH ARE THE HANDS OF JACOB, FOR THERE ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD TO THE NORTH AND CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD TO THE SOUTH, ALTOGETHER TWELVE. THE NUKVA is put in their midst to be blessed by them, fed by them via JOSEPH the Righteous.

778. Come and see, Joseph was bestowed yet another blessing "by the El of your father, and He shall help you; AND BY (ET) SHADAI, AND HE SHALL BLESS YOU" (Beresheet 49:25). This verse is hard to understand, since it says "by the El of your father," when it should have been 'the El of your father help you.' It says "Et Shadai" instead of 'El' as in "and El Shadai give you Mercy before the man" (Beresheet 43:14). "And He shall bless you" should have been 'He shall bless you.'

779. HE REPLIES, He inherited both above IN ZEIR ANPIN and below IN THE NUKVA. He inherited above, as it says "by the El of your father," which is the supernal inheritance, a place called heaven, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH CHARIOT JACOB WAS. "And He shall help you:" He shall not exchange it for another place, and His help shall be from this place and no other.

780. "And (Heb. et) Shadai:" What is the meaning of this phrase, SHOULD IT NOT HAVE BEEN 'EL SHADAI,' AS ASKED ABOVE? But this is another lower grade, as we have learned that uniformly "Et (Eng. 'the') Hashem" is the Shechinah, as in "I saw (et) Hashem" (Yechezkel 6:1); Et includes THE SHECHINAH. "And the (Heb. et)" ALLUDES TO ZEIR ANPIN, thus comprising day, ZEIR ANPIN in night, and night in day, as it is written, "and (et) Shadai" WITH VAV (= AND), since from thence blessings issue into the world.

781. We should explain further why it does not say 'And El Shadai,' seeing that it has the same meaning as we said THAT IT TOO ALLUDES TO THE NUKVA, ALSO CALLED "EL SHADAI," as it is written, "and El Shadai give you mercy." All is the same SINCE "AND EL SHADAI" REFERS TO THE NUKVA LIKE "AND (ET) SHADAI." Why then omit the Lamed and replace IT with Tav? It is a mystery, that when these paths come from above, MEANING, THE 22 LETTERS, FROM WHICH EVERY PERFECTION IS SUPPLIED, the whole of the Torah, THE ABUNDANCE OF ZEIR ANPIN, is inherited by heaven, ZEIR ANPIN, as it is written, "the (et) heaven" (Beresheet 1:1), ET (ALEPH TAV) including all the 22 letters FROM ALEPH TO TAV. From here, they depart to the Oral Law, called earth, NAMELY THE NUKVA, as it says "and the (et) earth" (Ibid.), ALEPH TAV including the 22 letters RECEIVED BY THE NUKVA. AT FIRST, heaven, ZEIR ANPIN, includes them all as one, and then the moon, THE NUKVA, is adorned by them all; MEANING, SHE RECEIVES THEM FROM ZEIR ANPIN and dwells in perfection. Blessings are then drawn from there, and thus it says "and (et) Shadai," WHICH INDICATES THE GREAT PERFECTION OF THE INCLUSION OF THE 22 LETTERS OF THE NUKVA, WHENCE THERE ARE BLESSINGS.

782. "And (Vav) He shall bless you" IS SPELLED WITH VAV, for further lasting prevalence TO THE BLESSINGS. For wherever there is Vav, it is an indication of an increase and maintenance. Up to this point, it was said in general. Now he gives details, as is written, "blessings of heaven..."

783. "The blessings of your father are potent above the blessings of my progenitors" (Beresheet 49:26). The blessings of your father JACOB, THE CENTRAL COLUMN, are surely more potent THAN THE BLESSINGS OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC, since Jacob inherited more praises than the Patriarchs, he being perfect in all. He gave it all to Joseph. Why? Because this is fit, for the Righteous, YESOD, NAMELY JOSEPH, takes and inherits all together; MEANING, HE RECEIVES FROM ALL THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN TOGETHER; and all blessings dwell in him. He draws them from the head above, THE FIRST THREE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN, and all the members of the body, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, prepare to pass the blessings TO YESOD, and then YESOD turns into a river which flows from Eden.

784. HE ASKS OF THE MEANING OF "from Eden (lit. 'delight')." HE SAYS, When all the limbs are linked together in delight and desire from the abundance in the head above and from below, they all pour UPON YESOD their delight and desire, and it becomes a river which flows and comes out from Eden. WE SHOULD further EXPLAIN THAT the word "from Eden" MEANS that from supernal Chochmah called Eden, all flows and turns into a river, which pours down until it reaches the grade OF YESOD, and then all THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN are blessed, and all is one.

785. "To the utmost bound (also: 'desires') of the everlasting (lit. 'world') hills" (Beresheet 49:26) is the passion for the two everlasting hills. What are they? The two females, one above, BINAH, and one below, THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN, each called 'world.' The desire of all the members of the body, ALL THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN, is for these two mothers. They desire to suck from the upper mother, BINAH, and desire to be attached to the lower mother, THE NUKVA. These desires are all the same, and therefore "they shall be on the head of Joseph" (Ibid.), WHO IS YESOD, who will receive them all as befits.

786. Happy are those who are called righteous, for only those who keep the grade of the sign of the Holy Covenant are so called. They are happy in this world and in the World to Come. They came out of the cave. Rabbi Shimon said, Let each of us discourse as we walk.