And Built Him a House

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131) “And Jacob journeyed to Succoth.” When the Creator, who is ZA, wished to create the world, to build Partzuf Nukva, called “world,” he took a knot, which is the Masach, out of the hard spark, when ZA rose for MAN to Ima, and a level of Hassadim came out there on his Masach de Hirik. This level is the middle line that connects the two lines—right and left of Bina—to one another. This is why it is called “a knot and was set alight from within the dark, as it was included in the left line, which is darkness, and its illumination is considered setting alight, as in “creator of the light of the fire.” And this illumination, which was illumination of Hochma, remains in ascent, as it shines from below upwards. His own illumination, which is Hassadim, descends, as it shines from above downwards. This is because when the middle line connects the two lines—right and left—to one another in a way that both shine, it keeps the illumination of the left so it will shine from below upwards, and the illumination of the right from above downwards.

After he explains the manner of emergence of the connection—the middle line—and how he properly corrected both illuminations, he now explains how the left line, the darkness, is itself included of all three lines, and emanates them to the Nukva. That darkness, the left line, is blazing and shines in 100 trails, in ways finer than fine, and in ways that are great, and they become the house of the world, from which the Nukva, called “home,” is built.

Yesodot [plural for Yesod, foundation] de AVI are called “trails,” and Yesodot of YESHSUT are called “ways.” It is known that the right line is AVI, which shine in pure air—covered Hassadim—and the left line is YESHSUT, which shine in illumination of Hochma—the Yod that departed the Avir [air] and left Ohr [light]. This is why he calls the Hitkalelut [mingling] of the left in the right line, “100 trails,” since he receives from Yesodot AVI, called “trails.” And the number, 100, is from YESHSUT, which are counted as hundreds.⁽⁴⁾

And the illumination of Hochma on the left extends from Yesodot YESHSUT, called “ways.” They are divided into two discernments:

1. Before it is included in the middle line, it is called “fine ways,” since then they are blocked and frozen;
2. After it is included in the middle line, it is called “great ways,” since then it shines abundantly.

Fine ways are from the left line itself, the great are from the middle line, and after the dark, which is the left, is included in all three lines, the Nukva, called “the house of the world,” is built out of it.

132) That house is in the middle of everything, in the middle line of all the trails and ways. In those that are considered great ways, the Nukva has several doors and rooms, round about the higher Holy places. This is where the birds of the sky nest, each kind separately.

The NHY of Nukva are called “doors,” and her HGT are called “rooms.” They receive from the three lines, which are included of the left of Ima, originally called “three places.” The doors and the rooms receive from the three places of Ima, which are the higher, Holy places. The birds of the sky are the Angels above.

After he explains the construction of the Nukva, he clarifies the order of ZA’s imparting to the Nukva. He says, “Within him emerges one large tree,” which is ZA, which imparts its branches and many fruits into the house and feeds all. It contains both the bestowal of Hassadim and bestowal of Hochma, and each receives its own discernment from it.

That tree rises up to the clouds of the heaven, for illumination of Hassadim, called “clouds,” and is covered between three mountains, as it is written, “there are no mountains but only fathers,”—HGT, in which the Hassadim are covered so as to not receive illumination of Hochma.

And it emerges from under these three mountains, at the NHY below HGT—rises up and climbs down. Below HGT, the Hassadim come out and appear in illumination of Hochma, through the middle line that preserves the right and the left. The middle line emerges from the cover of HGT and preserves the illumination of right and left, so that the illumination of the left will shine from below upwards, and the illumination of the right will shine from above downwards.

133) This house, Nukva, receives two kinds of illuminations from ZA: 1) When she is watered by it with illumination of Hochma, called “drinking”; 2) When ZA conceals many sublime, uncharted treasures within the house, meaning illumination of Hassadim from AVI, called “hidden” and “unknown.” By that, the house is built and improved.

That tree, ZA, appears during the day and covers at night. And that house, the Nukva, governs at night and is covered during the day.

Also, at night, which is the illumination of the left, darkness, since the Hochma is without Hassadim and cannot shine, there is emergence of the middle line, the Hitkalelut of left in right, as well as the Zivug of ZON. It is all as it is during the day. The only difference is in the governance, because all three lines shine at night, too, and ZA is in Zivug with Nukva as during the day. However, Nukva has control, and ZA and the right line are subordinate to her and are seemingly covered, to make room for her dominion, as it is written that at that time, the Creator enters the Garden of Eden—the Nukva—to play with the illumination of Hochma in her. Hence, the illumination of Hassadim is not apparent and she is darkness and not light.

It is to the contrary during the day. At that time, the Nukva is subordinate to ZA, the illumination of the Nukva is covered, ZA governs, and only the illumination of Hassadim—the quality of ZA—is apparent. But there is no difference between day and night in the order of the building and the order of the Zivug.

134) When darkness comes and the Nukva connects to it, she governs and shines in Hochma, which is her governance. And since she lacks Hassadim, all her openings are blocked from all sides, for all the lights freeze within her and there is no vent in her, through which any light can appear.

These three lines in the left are the three shifts of the night—three times four hours.

The first shift, trails, is Midat ha Din [quality of judgment] of the unmitigated Malchut—the Hitkalelut of the right line in it.

The second shift is the four middle hours of the night. Those are considered ways—the mitigated Malchut. But the first two hours until midnight are small ways, which are illumination of the left line with respect to itself, before it is included with a middle line, and the point of midnight is the coming of the middle line and its inclusion in the left. At that time it receives what is discerned as great lights. This discernment continues the whole night and is ascribed primarily to the third shift, but its manifestation time is midnight.

In the first shift, the beginning of the night, it is called “ways.” Afterwards, in the beginning of the second shift, the Nukva is tied in the dark, which is the left line of Ima and domination. At that time, it is considered being in fine ways, since this discernment precedes the appearance of the middle line. Hence, not only do the openings of the Hassadim not shine, but even the openings of Hochma do not shine in her, since Hochma cannot shine without clothing of Hassadim. This lasts two hours, until the point of midnight.

Then, in those two hours, many spirits of the righteous blossom in the air and crave to know, to receive Hochma and to permeate the Nukva. And they enter among those birds and take testimony there; they receive Mochin of Eden, Hochma, and roam and see what they see. Seeing means Mochin de Hochma.

Even though at that time, the vents in the Nukva are blocked from all sides so no light is seen from her. Yet, the time of reception of light of Hochma is precisely then. This is why The Zohar accurately says that she is filled with light, but the vents are blocked. Afterwards, when the middle line awakens in her and opens the vents, they will receive the illumination of Hochma from her, which was blocked within her at that time. This is so because afterwards she diminishes from GAR to VAK because of the middle line and her illumination is far lower than during that time, when she was still not included in the middle line. It is written that they crave to permeate the Nukva precisely when she is discerned as small ways and blocked vents, since only then is the Hochma in her complete.

It is written that they come along with the discernment of birds in the Nukva and receive Mochin of Eden, of Hochma. Birds refer to the discernment of Nefesh de Nukva, Divinity from the side of the throne, which is a Neshama [soul], is called “eagle.” And from the side of the boy, which is Ruach [spirit], she is called “dove”; and from the side of the wheel, which is Nefesh, she is a “bird.” But even at that time, the spirits of the righteous cannot receive from her, from the discernment of Ruach in the Nukva, but only from the discernment of Nefesh in her.

135) The blocking of the vents continues until that darkness—the left line of Ima that the Nukva was tied to—awakens and produces one flame. This means that the darkness in the Nukva awakened ZA to rise for MAN to Ima, relating to the Masach de Hirik in it, which is considered a flame. And there the middle line comes out on it, which strikes with all the strong hammers, the Klipot, and opens the blocked vents and breaks the rocks.

There are two actions here: The first extends from the actual flame, the Masach de Hirik that diminishes the ten Sefirot of the left line from GAR to VAK. He says about her, “and breaks rocks,” since the Sefirot of the left line are akin to hard rocks due to the multitude of judgments in them. And the Masach breaks them. And the GAR in them is the distance from the left line, leaving in it only the ZAT in them. The second extends from the level of Hassadim that emerges on that Masach, which opens the vents, since now the Hochma clothes these Hassadim and shines in utter perfection. This is considered that all the gates that were blocked have now been opened to shine abundantly. And these two actions unfold in the middle of the second shift, which is the midnight point.

This flame, which is the Masach de Hirik, rises and falls. It rises to Ima through ZA and then descends from there to ZA himself. And he strikes and imparts to the world, and through her, through a Zivug de Hakaa, he educes the level of Hassadim in Nukva, too, which is called “world,” and voices awaken above and below. Voices refer to the level of Hassadim that emerge on the Masach de Hirik—above in Bina and below in Nukva.

136) At that time, an announcer rises and connects to the Avir [air] and calls out. That air comes out of the pillar of cloud of the internal altar, and when it leaves, it spreads through the four winds of the world. Thousands are in it on the left side; tens of thousands are in it on the right side, and then the announcer proclaims its existence, and reads aloud and calls. At that time, many are those who correct singing and do work. And there are two open vents in her—one to the south, for illumination of Hassadim, and one to the north, for illumination of Hochma.

Illumination of Hochma before its completion is called “announcer,” since after it is complete with clothing of Hassadim in a daytime Zivug, she is called “speech,” which reveals the illumination of Hochma in the Mochin. But at night, she is called “announcer” because she is still not completed to be named “speech,” since the words of the wise are spoken in quiet, and the announcer is heard by raising a loud voice, which points to the Dinim [judgments] that are mingled in it. However, both announcer and speech are heard only when clothed in Hassadim, called “voice.”

It is written that the illumination of Hochma dresses in Hassadim, air, at midnight, and then it is possible to call out and declare. But before it is clothed in Hassadim, it has no voice and it cannot announce.

There are two kinds of Hassadim: one that extends from the upper AVI, which are GAR, even though they are covered from Hochma. These are called “pure air.” The other extends from YESHSUT. These lack GAR and are therefore simply called “air.” These are not pure because of the absence of Hochma is felt in them.

Therefore, as long as there is no illumination of Hochma in ZON, the Hassadim are considered extending from the discernment of YESHSUT, lacking GAR. However, after there is illumination of Hochma in ZON, the Hassadim are considered to be extending GAR and pure air from the upper AVI.

This air is the light of Hassadim that the announcer is clothed in. The upper Ima is called the “inner altar.” The light of Hassadim is called the “pillar of cloud.” The Hassadim that the announcer—illumination of Hochma—clothed in, extend from upper Aba and Ima, called the “inner altar,” which are pure air. This is so because here there is already illumination of Hochma, as in the announcer itself, for at that time the Hassadim extend in the form of pure air from AVI, which spread in HB TM in the Nukva, called the “four winds of the world.”

And the ten Sefirot de YESHSUT, from which the left line emerges in illumination of Hochma after the Yod departs their Avir [air] and leaves Ohr [light], is considered thousands. And the ten Sefirot of upper AVI, from which the Hassadim extend, are considered tens of thousands. From this discernment, it extends from YESHSUT, whose ten Sefirot are one thousand. And it extends from the upper AVI, from the discernment of the Hassadim in the right, whose ten Sefirot are ten thousand. Then, after the announcer is included in Hassadim, called “voice,” it can call aloud and declare.

137) Once the Nukva is built for her own needs from the three lines that are included in the left, she rises to ZA for a Zivug to receive for others. And this house, the Nukva, rises and permits connection between the two sides—right and left—of ZA. And they sing songs and praises rise from the lower ones who raise MAN for the Zivug of ZON. At that time, ZA enters whispering, since the Nukva has no voice, as she is Hassadim. And although she has already received Hassadim for her own construction, she is still considered left without right—to bestow upon others, which is the Zivug in whisper and at night, without light. This is so because then ZA bestows light of Hassadim upon her, which is “voice.” And the house, which is Nukva, is inflamed in the six lights of Hassadim, HGT NHY. These shine splendor to all sides, which are Hassadim mingled with Hochma. And rivers of perfume, which is illumination of Hochma, emerge from her, mingled with Hassadim, for all the animals to drink, as it is written, “will water all you beasts of the field.” And they sing until the morning comes. And when the light of day rises, the stars and fortunes and the heaven and their host all praise and sing, as it is written, “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.”

This is so because the illumination of the Zivug from the night, although there is Hassadim in it, the dominion is still for the illumination of Hochma. This is why at that time, only the animals of the field receive, since they extend from the Achoraim of the Nukva, and this is why they sing. But those that extend from the Panim [face] of Nukva receive from her only in the morning. At that time, all the degrees in BYA sing, both those that extend from the Panim, and those that extend from the Achoraim, as it is written, “and all the sons of God shouted for joy,” because they all sing.

138) “Unless the Lord builds the house.” “Unless the Lord…” is the Upper King, ZA, who always builds, as in a never ending Zivug. “…the house” is the Nukva, and He corrects it. He bestows upon her from the never ending Zivug, when the intentions of the work properly rise from below. When the lower ones raise MAN for this Zivug, ZON rise to AVI, and like them, are in a never ending Zivug.

139) When the night is dark and armed discernments of the Sitra Achra wander in the world and the vents are blocked, HaVaYaH, the middle line, raises MAN from the Masach de Hirik and extends a middle line, and the vents open. By that, it is kept from all sides, so no uncircumcised and impure will approach the holy, as it is written, “henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean,” for the Creator will remove them from the world.

There are two actions in the middle line, until it unites the two lines—right and left—with one another: 1) when it extends the level of Hassadim on the Masach; 2) when it diminishes the GAR of the left line, when the left does not surrender until it comes and connects with the right only by these two actions.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” This is the first action because HaVaYaH is ZA. Had he not extended plentiful Hassadim through the middle line to build the Nukva, called “house,” the left line would not have surrendered to unite with the right, and “they labor in vain who build it.”

“Unless the Lord guards the city” refers to the second action, which is the diminution of GAR of the left line. By diminishing the GAR of the left line, they remove the grip of the Sitra Achra from the left line in the Nukva, and the city, Nukva, is kept from the uncircumcised and the unclean by ZA raising the Masach de Hirik and diminishing the GAR of the left line. This is so because then they have nothing on which to nourish from her left and they part her, as it is written, “Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.”

140) Who is uncircumcised and who is unclean? The uncircumcised and unclean are all one. It is what Adam and his woman were tempted by and followed and caused death to the whole world—the primordial serpent. This is what defiles that house, the Nukva, until such time as the Creator removes him from the world, which is Nukva. For this reason, “Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.”

141) “And Jacob journeyed to Succoth.” He went to Bina, meaning raised MAN from Masach de Hirik, to receive the share of the faith, the Nukva. “So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir, and Jacob journeyed to Succoth.” This was because each separated to his own side: Esau to the side of Seir, which is a strange woman, a foreign god, and Jacob went to Succoth, which is the upper faith, Bina, meaning he raised MAN from Masach de Hirik to Bina in order to extend the middle line from there so as to build the Nukva.

142) “…and built him a house,” the house of Jacob, the Nukva. He corrected the evening prayer, the Nukva, as it should be, meaning extended for her Hassadim from upper AVI. “…and made booths for his cattle,” different Succoth [tabernacles], so as to keep them.

The two actions are clarified in the verse.

1. The abundance of Hassadim is clarified in the verse “…and built him a house,” whose correction and construction are done by extending Hassadim, as it is written, “Unless the Lord builds the house.”
2. The diminution of GAR from the left line in order to keep it from the uncircumcised and the unclean, as it is written, “…and made booths for his cattle.” This is so because a Succah [tabernacle] comes from the word Masach [screen], that he extended the Masach de Hirik to diminish the GAR of the left line, as it is written, “Unless the Lord guards the city,” meaning other Succoth, to guard them from the uncircumcised and unclean.

143) And Jacob came whole. He was complete with everything—with Hochma and with Hassadim. And it is written, “In Salem [in Hebrew it is pronounced Shallem, which means “whole”] also is set His tabernacle,” and it is all one secret—obtainment of wholeness through the middle line, both for ZA, called “Jacob,” and for his Succah, which is the Nukva. This is so because then, when he is whole, faith, the Nukva, connects with him. And when he crowns in his worthy place, in the middle line, the Succah crowns with him, as well, and it is said about her, as well, “In Salem also is set His tabernacle.” This was so because he was complete with his fathers, complete with his children, and this is considered being whole, when he is complete above and complete below, complete in heaven, and complete on earth. Complete above is ZA, as it includes the patriarchs, which is Tifferet Israel [the glory of Israel], which includes Abraham and Isaac, Hesed and Gevura. Complete below, in the Nukva, in his holy sons, which are the twelve tribes, being the chariot of the Nukva. It turns out that he is complete in heaven, which is ZA. This is why it is said about him, “And Jacob came whole.” And complete on earth is the Nukva, when it is said about her, “In Salem also is set His tabernacle.”

144) “And Dinah…went out.” Many degrees and discernments separate above, some for Kedusha and some for the Sitra Achra, for one opposite the other has God made them. And they all differ from one another: some are for Hesed and some are for Dinim [judgments]. Animals are different from one another: some want to govern others and take prey; each is its own kind.

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(4) Nukva is considered units, ZA—tens, YESHSUT—hundreds, AVI—thousands, and AA—tens of thousands.

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