The Eighth Discourse: Zohar I, Introduction, 1a

מַאֲמָר שְׁמִינִי: זֹהַר א, הַקְדָּמָה, א ע״א

Rabbi Chizkiyah opened, “It is written, ‘Like a rose among the thorns’” (רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה פָּתַח כְּתִיב כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים) (Song of Songs 2:2). “What is the Rose (מַאי שׁוֹשַׁנָּה)? This is Knesset Yisrael (דָּא כ״י), because there is a Rose and there is a Rose (בְּגִין דְּאִית שׁוֹשַׁנָּה וְאִית שׁוֹשַׁנָּה). Just as this Rose, which is among the thorns, contains red and white (מָה שׁוֹשַׁנָּה דָּא דְּאִיהִי בֵּין הַחוֹחִים אִית בָּהּ סוּמָק וְחִיוָּר), so too Knesset Yisrael contains Din [Judgment] and Rachamim [Mercy] (אוּף כ״י אִית בָּהּ דִּין וְרַחֲמֵי).

And this is its explanation: “What is the Rose? This is Knesset Yisrael” (וְהָכִי פֵּרוּשׁוֹ מַאי שׁוֹשַׁנָּה דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), for Rashbi said in Parashat Vayechi (דְּקָאָמַר הָרַשְׁבִּ״י בְּפ׳ וַיְחִי), that after she becomes attached to the King through those kisses (דְּבָתַר דְּאִתְדַּבְּקַת בֵּיהּ בְּמַלְכָּא בְּאִינוּן נְשִׁיקִין), she is called a Rose (אִקְרֵי שׁוֹשַׁנָּה), because it is written, “His lips are lilies” (בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב שִׂפְתוֹתָיו שׁוֹשַׁנִּים) (Song of Songs 5:13). Rather, this name comes after she has become attached to her Husband (אֶלָּא הַאי שְׁמָא לְאַחַר דְּאִתְדַּבְּקַת בְּבַעְלָהּ), for she receives from Him (רָוַח לָהּ מִינֵיהּ), and therefore they call her Knesset Yisrael (וּלְהָכִי קָרוּ לָהּ כ״י), because from the King, who is Yisrael, her Husband (דְּמִמַּלְכָּא דְּאִיהוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּעְלָהּ), she receives in order to become a Rose (נָקְטָא לְמֶהֱוֵי שׁוֹשַׁנָּה). The reason for the matter is that she is Din [Judgment], while He is Rachamim [Mercy] (וְטַעְמָא דְּמִלְּתָא דְּאִיהִי דִּינָא וְאִיהוּ רַחֲמֵי), and when she becomes attached to Him through those kisses (וְכַד אִתְדַּבְּקַת בֵּיהּ בְּאִינוּן נְשִׁיקִין), she is called a Rose (אִקְרֵי שׁוֹשַׁנָּה), for Ruach [Spirit] receives Rachamim [Mercy] from Ruach [Spirit] (רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא נָקְטָא מִינֵיהּ רַחֲמֵי), and returns to become red and white like a Rose (וְאַהֲדָרַת לְמֶהֱוֵי סוּמָק וְחִיוָּר כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה), while He likewise receives from her the Din [Judgment], which is red (וְאִיהוּ נָקִיט נָמֵי מִינָהּ דִּינָא דְּאִיהוּ סוּמָק), and returns to become white and red like a Rose (וְאַהֲדַר לְמֶהֱוֵי חִוָּר וְסוּמָק כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה), and this is the meaning of, “His lips are lilies” (וְהַיְינוּ שִׂפְתוֹתָיו שׁוֹשַׁנִּים) (Song of Songs 5:13), namely His two lips (בְּתַרֵין שִׂפְתוֹתָיו), which are Netzach and Hod (וְהַיְינוּ נֵצַח וְהוֹד); she is bound to Hod (אִיהִי אִתְקַשְּׁרַת בְּהוֹד), and He to Netzach (וְאִיהוּ בְּנֵצַח). Now he says that the Rose in the absolute sense is Knesset Yisrael (וְהַשְׁתָּא קָאָמַר דְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה סְתָם כ״י הִיא), namely the Malkhut when she is Above in the place of Yisrael Saba (שֶׁהִיא מַלְכוּת בִּהְיוֹתָהּ לְמַעְלָה בִּמְקוֹם יִשְׂרָאֵל סָבָא), and then she is called Peh [Mouth] (וְהִיא נִקְרֵאת אָז פֶּה), and the mystery of Peh [Mouth] is the Name S"G [Sixty-Three] and the twenty-two letters (וְסוֹד פֶּה הוּא שֵׁם ס״ג וְכ״ב אַתְוָון), corresponding to the twenty-two letters contained in this Name (נֶגֶד כ״ב אַתְוָון דְּאִית בְּהַאי שְׁמָא), whose total numerical value is Peh [Mouth] (לְמִנְיָן עוֹלֶה הַכֹּל פֶּה), and Moshe Rabbenu, peace be upon him, merited this aspect (וּבְחִינָה זוֹ זָכָה מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ לָהּ), and this is the meaning of, “Mouth to mouth” (וְז״שׁ פֶּה אֶל פֶּה) (Numbers 12:8), whose numerical value is Milah [Circumcision] (גִּי׳ מִילָה), indicating the Yesod of Abba included within the Yesod of Imma (לְהוֹרוֹת יְסוֹד אַבָּא הַכָּלוּל בִּיסוֹד אִמָּא), in the mystery of DPK [184] and KSA [161], whose numerical value is Moshe (בְּסוֹד דפ״ק וְקס״א גִּי׳ מֹשֶׁה),p1-75 “I speak with him” (אֲדַבֶּר בּוֹ) (Numbers 12:8), etc. And this is the meaning of what Rabbi Abba said in Parashat Vayikra: “The bride of Moshe—this is Knesset Yisrael” (וְז״שׁ רַבִּי אַבָּא בְּפ׳ וַיִּקְרָא כַּלַּת מֹשֶׁה דָּא כ״י), and she is called the Tzela [Side] (וְנִקְרֵאת צֵלָע), and this is the Shekhinah Ila'ah [Supernal Shekhinah] mentioned in the Tikkunim (וְזוֹ הִיא שְׁכִינְתָא עִלָּאָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת בַּתִּקּוּנִים), and this supernal aspect is called Binah (וְנִקְרֵאת בִּינָה בְּחִינָה זוֹ הָעֶלְיוֹנָה), because her Husband is in Chokhmah, in the mystery of, “Yisrael arose in Thought” (כִּי בַּעְלָהּ שֶׁלָּהּ בְּחָכְמָה בְּסוֹד יִשְׂרָאֵל עָלָה בַּמַּחֲשָׁבָה), while she is in Binah, called the Mouth (וְהִיא בְּבִינָה הַנִּקְרֵאת פּוּמָא), therefore this aspect is called Binah [Understanding] (וּלְכָךְ נִקְרֵאת בִּינָה), because while she is in the bosom of Imma (בִּהְיוֹתָהּ בְּחֵיק אִמָּא), she is included in Leah (נִכְלֶלֶת בְּלֵאָה), which is a more exalted union (שֶׁהוּא זִוּוּג יוֹתֵר עֶלְיוֹן), and therefore they said that Moshe merited Binah (וְלָזֶה אָמְרוּ שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה זָכָה לְבִינָה), for he merited the Malkhut while she was included Above with Moshe, “Yisrael is a youth,” within Binah (שֶׁזָּכָה לַמַּלְכוּת בִּהְיוֹתָהּ נִכְלֶלֶת לְמַעְלָה עִם מֹשֶׁה הוּא נַעַר יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּבִינָה).