Chapter Fourteen (פֶּרֶק אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר)

The Nukvah of Ze’ir Anpin also possesses the thirty-two Elohim of Abba (נוּקְבֵיהּ דְּזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין יֵשׁ לָהּ גַּם כֵּן הַל״ב אֱלֹהִי״ם דְּאַבָּא), which are the thirty-two Paths of Chokhmah (שֶׁהֵם הַל״ב נְתִיבוֹת חָכְמָה), and the secret of the matter is what the Zohar says in the Idra Naso (וְסוֹד הַדָּבָר הוּא מַה שֶׁאוֹמֵר הַזֹּהַר בְּאַדְרָא נָשֹׂא): “The Dinim [judgments] of the male are three hundred and twenty, and those of his Nukvah are three hundred and twenty-five” (דִּינִין דִּדְכוּרָא הֵם שַׁ״ךְ וְשֶׁל נוּקְבֵיהּ הֵם שכ״ה) (Zohar Bamidbar 141b–142b), thus the Nukvah has five additional Dinim [judgments] from Imma (הֲרֵי שֶׁלַּנְּקֵבָה חֲמִשָּׁה דִּינִין יְתֵרִים מֵאִמָּא), which are the root of the five Gevurot from which she is built (שֶׁהֵם הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ מֵהַחֲמִשָּׁה גְּבוּרוֹת שֶׁהִיא נִבְנֵית מֵהֶם), and this is the secret of Ishah [woman] (וְהוּא סוֹד אִשָּׁה), that is, Asherah (דְּהַיְינוּ אֲשֵׁרָה), and they are the five letters MNTZPKH (וְהֵן ה׳ אוֹתִיּוֹת מנצפ״ך), and they are the secret of the final Heh (וְהִיא הִיא סוֹד ה׳ אַחֲרוֹנָה). For Malkhut is built from these five Gevurot (כִּי מַלְכוּת נִבְנֵית מִן חֲמִשָּׁה גְּבוּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ), therefore she possesses those very thirty-two of Abba (הֲרֵי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ אוֹתָם הַל״ב שֶׁל אַבָּא בְּעַצְמָם), for the woman also has teeth (שֶׁגַּם הָאִשָּׁה יֵשׁ לָהּ שִׁנַּיִם), but because they are from Abba (אֲבָל לִהְיוֹתָם מֵאַבָּא), therefore they are somewhat smaller than those of a man (לָזֶה הֵם יוֹתֵר קְטַנִּים מְעַט מִשֶּׁל אִישׁ), for they are smaller Dinim [judgments] (שֶׁהֵם דִּינִים קְטַנִּים), but for him they are large (אֲבָל לוֹ הֵם גְּדוֹלִים), because he is the one who distributes sustenance to all (כִּי הוּא הַמַּשְׁבִּיר לַכֹּל).

And we have already said that “the Dinim [judgments] of the Nukvah are gentle in the head and harsh in the end” (וּכְבָר אָמַרְנוּ שֶׁדִּינִין דְּנוּקְבָא נַיְיחִין בְּרֵישָׁא וְקַשְׁיָין בְּסִיפָא) (Zohar Bamidbar 142b), meaning (כְּלוֹמַר) that in the head they are the secret of the teeth (שֶׁבְּרֵישָׁא הֵם סוֹד הַשִּׁנַּיִם), which are small (שֶׁהֵם קְטַנִּים). And afterward she has five kinds of impure bloods (וְאַחַר כָּךְ יֵשׁ לָהּ ה׳ מִינֵי דָמִים שֶׁל טֻמְאָה), which are harsh in the end (שֶׁהֵם קַשִׁים בְּסִיפָא), for they emerge from her end (שֶׁהֵם יוֹצְאִים מִסּוֹפָהּ), meaning from her Yesod (פֵּרוּשׁ מִיסוֹד שֶׁלָּהּ). Therefore, in order to blend Din [judgment] with Rachamim [mercy] (וְלָכֵן כְּדֵי לְמַזֵּג דִּין עִם רַחֲמִים), that is, as Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said (דְּהַיְינוּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הָרַשְׁבִּ״י), that the fire in the north is exceedingly cold (בָּאֵשׁ שֶׁבַּצָּפוֹן הוּא קַר בְּיוֹתֵר), and it ought to be Rachamim [mercy] (וְהוּא רָאוּי לִהְיוֹת רַחֲמִים), then the element of fire, which is Din [judgment], comes and is established within it (וּבָא יְסוֹד הָאֵשׁ שֶׁהוּא דִּין וְנִתְיַסֵּד בּוֹ), in order to temper its coldness (כְּדֵי לְמַזֵּג בּוֹ קְרִירוּת), and this is the meaning of “and the north wind brings forth rain” (וְהַיְינוּ וְרוּחַ צָפוֹן תְּחוֹלֵל גָּשֶׁם) (Proverbs 25:23). Meaning (כְּלוֹמַר), just as with these rains (שֶׁכְּמוֹ שֶׁבַּגְּשָׁמִים הָאֵלּוּ), we see that the waters congeal in the clouds (אָנוּ רוֹאִים שֶׁנִּקְרָשִׁים הַמַּיִם בֶּעָבִים), and are unable to pour down rain (וְאֵינָם יְכוֹלִים לְהַזִּיל מָטָר), until another wind comes to them that is somewhat warm (עַד שֶׁבָּא אֲלֵיהֶם רוּחַ אַחֵר שֶׁהוּא חַם מְעַט), and then they flow as water (וְהֵם נוֹזְלִים מַיִם), and sometimes they fall as snow (וְלִפְעָמִים נוֹזְלִים שֶׁלֶג), and even though we do not see that warm wind (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ רוֹאִין אוֹתוֹ הָרוּחַ הֶחָם), nevertheless you perceive through experience (אַף עַל פִּי כֵן תִּרְאֶה בַּחוּשׁ), that at the time the snow falls, the force of the cold is broken (שֶׁבִּזְמַן שֶׁיּוֹרֵד הַשֶּׁלֶג נִשְׁבָּר כֹּחַ הַקּוֹר), and likewise with the rain (וְכֵן הַמָּטָר), because it comes through the power of the north (לְפִי שֶׁבָּא מִכֹּחַ הַצָּפוֹן), even though it is not sensed by us (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מוּרְגָּשׁ לָנוּ), so too Above in all the worlds (כָּךְ לְמַעְלָה בְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת), the north is designated as Din [judgment] (בַּצָּפוֹן הוּא מְכֻנֶּה הַדִּין), in order to sweeten its congealed severity (כְּדֵי לְמַתֵּק קְרִישׁוּתוֹ), which is in the secret of Rachamim [mercy] (שֶׁהוּא בְּסוֹד רַחֲמִים). And therefore these angels as well, who are on the side of the south (וְלָכֵן גַּם כֵּן אֵלּוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים שֶׁהֵם בְּצַד דָּרוֹם), in the Heikhal Etzem HaShamayim [Palace of the Essence of Heaven] (בְּהֵיכַל עֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם), the lower one among the Heikhalot of Malkhut (הַתַּחְתּוֹן שֶׁל הֵיכְלֵי מַלְכוּת), are appointed to receive the cry of women giving birth to females (מְמֻנִּים לְקַבֵּל צַעֲקַת יוֹלֶדֶת נְקֵבוֹת), even though they are Din [judgment] (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם דִּין), in order to blend Din [judgment] with Rachamim [mercy] (כְּדֵי לְמַזֵּג דִּין בְּרַחֲמִים), and this is the wording that the Sephardim pray every Monday and Thursday (וְזֶהוּ הַנּוֹסַח שֶׁהַסְּפָרַדִּים מִתְפַּלְּלִים בְּכָל יוֹם שֵׁנִי וַחֲמִישִׁי), “Please, God, let the blend not be lacking” (נָא אֵל יֶחְסַר הַמֶּזֶג). And because of this you see that females are cold by their nature (וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה תִּרְאֶה שֶׁהַנְּקֵבוֹת הֵן קָרוֹת מִטִּבְעָן), whereas it would have been more fitting for their nature to incline toward warmth because they are Dinim [judgments] (שֶׁהָיָה רָאוּי יוֹתֵר לִנְטוֹת טִבְעָם לְחַמִּימוּת לִהְיוֹתָם דִּינִים), but the power of the south comes and sweetens them (אֶלָּא שֶׁבָּא כֹּחַ דָּרוֹם וּמְמַתְּקָם), and through the abundance of the sweetening it does not depart from there (וּבְרֹב הַמִּתּוּק לֹא זָז מִשָּׁם), until it cools them (עַד שֶׁמְּקָרְרָם), and this is sufficient (וְדַי בָּזֶה). “Hashem desired, for the sake of His righteousness, to magnify the Torah and make it glorious” (י״י חָפֵץ לְמַעַן צִדְקוֹ יַגְדִּיל תּוֹרָה וְיַאְדִּיר) (Isaiah 42:21), in my heart (בְּלִבִּי), and in the heart of all who branch forth in the shade of my beam (וּבְלֵב כָּל הַמִּסְתַּעֲפִים בְּצֵל קוֹרָתִי), “for there Hashem commanded the blessing, life forevermore” (כִּי שָׁם צִוָּה י״י אֶת הַבְּרָכָה חַיִּים עַד הָעוֹלָם) (Psalms 133:3), Amen (אָמֵן), blessed is Hashem forever, Amen and Amen (יִתְבָּרַךְ י״י לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן).