Chapter One Hundred Forty-Two (פֶּרֶק מֵאָה אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁנַיִם)

Another principle that you must know (עוֹד כְּלָל אֶחָד צָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת), is that Binah has two names (שֶׁהַבִּינָה יֵשׁ לָהּ שְׁנֵי שֵׁמוֹת), which are Mem and Samekh (שֶׁהֵם מ״ם וְסָמֶ״ךְ), for sometimes the Zohar calls the Supernal Binah Samekh (כִּי לִפְעָמִים קוֹרֵא לְבִינָה עֶלְיוֹנָה בַּזֹּהַר סָמֶ״ךְ), and at other times the Zohar calls her Mem (וּפְעָמִים קוֹרֵא אוֹתָהּ בַּזֹּהַר מ״ם). And the reason is (וְהַטַּעַם), that the Yod of the Name Havayah is in Chokhmah (כִּי הַיּוֹ״ד שֶׁל שֵׁם הֲוָיָ״ה הִיא בְּחָכְמָה), and the tip of the Yod is the Supernal Keter (וְקוֹצוֹ שֶׁל יו״ד כֶּתֶר עֶלְיוֹן), and the Yod of Chokhmah has three letters (וְהַיּוֹ״ד שֶׁל חָכְמָה יֵשׁ לָהּ ג׳ אוֹתִיּוֹת): Yod, Vav, Dalet (יו״ד וָי״ו דָלֶ״ת). Multiply and say (תַּכֶּה וְתֹאמַר), six times ten equals sixty (ו׳ פְּעָמִים י׳ עוֹלֶה ס׳), and again multiply and say (עוֹד תַּכֶּה וְתֹאמַר), four times ten equals forty (ד׳ פְּעָמִים י׳ עוֹלֶה מ׳). And the intention is (וְהַכַּוָּנָה), that when she is in union with Abba (בִּזְמַן שֶׁהִיא בְּיִחוּד עִם אַבָּא), then she is called Samekh (אָז נִקְרֵאת ס׳), meaning (פֵּירוּשׁ), closed off (סְתוּמָה), because she receives all the lights from Abba (שֶׁמְּקַבֶּלֶת כָּל הָאוֹרוֹת מֵאַבָּא), and closes those lights within herself (וְסוֹתֶמֶת אוֹתָם הָאוֹרוֹת לְעַצְמָהּ). And from this you will understand the secret of the Vav (וּמִזֶּה תֵּדַע סוֹד הַוָי״ו), why its head inclines toward the Dalet before it (לָמָּה רֹאשָׁהּ נָטוּי לַדָּלֶ״ת שֶׁלְּפָנֶיהָ), to draw the flow from the Yod, which is Abba, to the Dalet, which is Imma (לְהַמְשִׁיךְ הַשֶּׁפַע מִיּוֹ״ד שֶׁהִיא אַבָּא לַדָּלֶ״ת שֶׁהִיא אִמָּא). Therefore the intention of the inclination of the head is (אִם כֵּן כַּוָּנַת נְטִיַּת הָרֹאשׁ הוּא), that Abba bestows upon Imma (שֶׁמַּשְׁפִּיעַ אַבָּא לְאִמָּא), and therefore she is then called Samekh (וְלָכֵן אָז נִקְרָא סָמֶ״ךְ). And the Vav increases and becomes filled from the power of the Yod (וְזֹאת הוא״ו מִתְרַבֵּית וּמִתְמַלֵּאת מִכֹּחַ הַיו״ד), and becomes a closed Samekh (וְנַעֲשֵׂית סָמֶ״ךְ סְתוּמָה), and when she is without Zivug [union] (וּכְשֶׁהִיא בְּלִי זִוּוּג), and is only crouching over her children (וְאֵינָהּ אֶלָּא רְבִיעָא עַל בְּנִין), then she is called Imma, the open Mem (אָז נִקְרֵאת אִמָּא מ׳ פְּתוּחָה), and therefore she is open below (וְלָכֵן הִיא פְּתוּחָה מִלְּמַטָּה), to indicate that everything she receives she gives to them (לוֹמַר שֶׁכָּל מַה שֶּׁמְּקַבֶּלֶת נוֹתֶנֶת אֲלֵיהֶם), but when there is a Zivug [union] (אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ זִוּוּג), then she is called Samekh (נִקְרֵאת אָז ס׳), and there is no opening whatsoever (וְאֵין שׁוּם פֶּתַח), for she receives everything for herself (שֶׁהַכֹּל מְקַבֶּלֶת לְעַצְמָהּ), and does not bestow (וְאֵינָהּ מַשְׁפַּעַת).

Know (תֵּדַע), that at the time when a woman is in Zivug [union] with her husband (כִּי בִּזְמַן שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה בְּזִוּוּג עִם בַּעְלָהּ), she is unable to oversee her household (אֵינָהּ יְכוֹלָה לְהַשְׁגִּיחַ עַל בֵּיתָהּ), and this is the secret of the Samekh and Mem (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד ס׳ מ׳), mentioned in the Zohar concerning Binah (הָאֲמוּרִים בַּזֹּהַר עַל הַבִּינָה), for sometimes she is called Mem (שֶׁפְּעָמִים נִקְרֵאת מ׳), and sometimes Samekh (וּפְעָמִים ס׳). And the analogy is with a woman who is the mainstay of the household (וְהַדֻּגְמָא בָּאִשָּׁה עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת), that when she is in Zivug [union] with her husband (שֶׁבִּזְמַן שֶׁהִיא בְּזִוּוּג עִם בַּעְלָהּ), she has no leisure at that moment to supervise her children (אֵין לָהּ פְּנַאי בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה לְהַשְׁגִּיחַ עַל בָּנֶיהָ), and this is the secret of the verse (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד הַפָּסוּק): “Who settles the barren woman of the house as a joyful mother of children. Halleluyah” (מוֹשִׁיבִי עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה הַלְלוּיָהּ) (Psalms 113:9).

The meaning is (פֵּירוּשׁ), that David praises the Holy One Blessed Be He concerning Imma (דָּוִד מְשַׁבֵּחַ לְהַקב״ה אוֹדוֹת אִמָּא), who received influx from Abba in the secret of Samekh (שֶׁקִּבְּלָה שֶׁפַע מֵאַבָּא בְּסוֹד ס׳), the aspect of “the mainstay of the household” (בְּחִינַת עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת), because it is first fitting for Imma to receive influx from Abba (כִּי קֹדֶם רָאוּי לְאִמָּא שֶׁתְּקַבֵּל שֶׁפַע מֵאַבָּא), and afterward to bestow upon the children (וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַשְׁפִּיעַ עַל בְּנִין). And the meaning of the verse is (וּפֵירוּשׁ הַפָּסוּק הוּא), that He returns Imma from the aspect of “the mainstay of the household” (שֶׁמֵּשִׁיב אִמָּא מִבְּחִינַת עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת), to the aspect of “a joyful mother of children” (לִבְחִינַת אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה), which is the secret of the open Mem (שֶׁהִיא סוֹד מ׳ פְּתוּחָה), and therefore “Hallelujah” (וְלָכֵן הַלְלוּיָהּ), which is the secret of Abba and Imma (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד אַבָּא וְאִמָּא), because from the parents the influx comes to the children (כִּי מֵהָאָבוֹת בָּא הַשֶּׁפַע לַבָּנִים), and examine the secret of Afiryon and Afersemon in the Zohar (וְעַיֵּן בְּסוֹד אַפִרְיוֹן וַאֲפַרְסְמוֹן בַּזֹּוהַר).