The Rose

1) Rabbi Hizkiya began: “It is written, ‘As a rose among the thorns.’” What is a rose? It is the assembly of Israel, Malchut. There is a rose, and there is a rose. Just as a rose among the thorns has red and white, the assembly of Israel has judgment and mercy. Just as a rose has thirteen petals, the assembly of Israel has thirteen qualities of mercy that surround it on all sides.

Also, God, in the verse “In the beginning God created,” God elicited thirteen words to surround the assembly of Israel and to keep her: THE, HEAVEN, AND-THE, EARTH, AND-THE EARTH, WAS, EMPTY, AND-CHAOTIC, AND-THE DARKNESS, OVER, THE FACE, OF THE ABYSS, AND-THE SPIRIT, up to the words “of God hovered” [In Hebrew, “and” is written in conjunction with the word following it, so it is regarded as one word].

Explanation: There are ten Sefirot: Keter, Hochma, Bina, Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut. However, essentially, they are only five: Keter, Hochma, Bina, Tifferet, and Malchut, since the Sefira [singular of Sefirot] Tifferet contains six Sefirot HGT NHY within it. They became five Partzufim [plural of Partzuf]: AA, AVI, and ZON. Keter is called Arich Anpin (AA), Hochma and Bina (HB) are called Aba ve [and] Ima (AVI), Tifferet and Malchut are called Zeir Anpin and Nukva (ZON).

The seven days of creation are the two Partzufim Zeir Anpin and Nukva of Atzilut. They contain seven Sefirot HGT NHY and Malchut. The writings of the work of creation explain how AVI, which are HB, emanated them from the beginning of their formation to the end of the Gadlut [adulthood/greatness], which take place in them over six thousand years.

Rabbi Hizkiya begins with the explanation of Nukva of ZA, explaining the order of her emanation from Ima, Bina, which is called Elokim [God]. This is the meaning of Rabbi Hizkiya beginning with the explanation of the rose, which is the Nukva of ZA. At the time of Gadlut, the Nukva of ZA is called “the assembly of Israel,” and this is why he said, “What is a rose? It is the assembly of Israel.”

There are two states to the rose: 1) Katnut—the beginning of her formation, in which there is only the Sefira Keter in her, in which her light of Nefesh is clothed, and her bottom nine Sefirot fall outside of Atzilut, in the world of Beria. 2) Gadlut—when her bottom nine rise from the world of Beria to the world of Atzilut and with them, she is built into a complete Partzuf with ten Sefirot. At that time, she rises with ZA, her husband, to an equal level with AVI of Atzilut and they clothe them. Then ZA is called Ysrael [Israel], with the letters Li Rosh [a Rosh (head) to me], and the Nukva is called “the assembly of Israel,” for she assembles within her all the lights of Israel, her husband, and gives them to the lower ones.

Katnut [infancy/smallness] is called “a rose among the thorns” since her bottom nine were emptied from the light of Atzilut and remained as thorns. Gadlut is called plainly “a rose” or “the assembly of Israel.” This is why it was said, “There is a rose, and there is a rose.”

The red color indicates that there is a grip to the outer ones there, for the shells to suckle from her. This is in Katnut, when her bottom nine are in Beria. There is also white in her vessel of Keter, where there is no grip to the outer ones. This is why it was said, “Just as a rose among the thorns has red and white, the assembly of Israel has judgment and mercy.” This indicates that even in her Gadlut, called “the assembly of Israel,” although at that time, she rises and clothes the Bina, judgment still remains in her because she needs the screen that is set up in her for the coupling by striking.

Because of the judgment in the screen, it strikes the upper light and reflects it back. By this, it raises ten Sefirot of reflected light, which is called the light of judgment. Within them, it draws ten Sefirot of direct light called “light of mercy.” Hence, there are judgment and mercy in the assembly of Israel, as well, corresponding to the red and the white that the rose among the thorns has.

This is the sea that Solomon made, which stands on twelve oxen, for her bottom nine that fell into Beria have been established there in twelve oxen, and the point of Keter that remained in Atzilut is the sea that stands atop them. All together, they are called “the thirteen petals of the rose.”

The Mochin of Gadlut of Nukva that have illumination of Hochma are extended from the thirteen names, called “the thirteen qualities of mercy.” This is why the assembly of Israel has thirteen qualities of mercy, as well. The main thing that Rabbi Hizkiya comes to teach by this comparison between the rose among the thorns and the assembly of Israel is that everything that the Nukva has in her state of Gadlut must, correspondingly, have a preparation and qualification in the beginning of her formation, in the state of Katnut. This is why it was said that opposite the white and red in Katnut, judgment and mercy come out in her in Gadlut, and opposite the thirteen petals in Katnut, thirteen qualities of mercy emerge in her in Gadlut.

Elokim [God] in the verse “In the beginning God created” is the Bina that emanates to the Nukva of ZA. He elicited thirteen words: THE, HEAVEN, AND-THE, EARTH, AND-THE EARTH, WAS, EMPTY, AND-CHAOTIC, AND-THE-DARKNESS, OVER, THE-FACE, OF-THE-ABYSS, AND-THE-SPIRIT, up to the second Elokim. These thirteen words imply the same thirteen petals of the rose among the thorns, the sea that stands over the twelve oxen, which are preparation and qualification for the assembly of Israel to receive the thirteen qualities of mercy, to surround the assembly of Israel and to keep her since the thirteen qualities of mercy—the complete Mochin of Nukva—are regarded as surrounding and illuminating her on all sides from all around. Through them, she is kept from contact with the outer ones because as long as the great Mochin in illumination of Hochma from the thirteen qualities are not in her, there is nursing for the outer ones in her.

2) Afterwards, the name Elokim is mentioned another time, as it is written, “...of God hovers” to elicit five hard leaves that surround the rose. These five leaves are called “salvations,” and they are five gates. It is written about it, “I shall lift up the cup of salvations.” It is a cup of blessing.

A cup of blessing must be over five fingers and not more, like the rose that sits on five hard leaves that correspond to the five fingers, and this rose is a cup of blessing.

There are five words from the second name Elokim to the third name Elokim: HOVERED, OVER, THE-FACE, OF-THE-WATERS, AND ... SAID [in Hebrew Elokim comes after the “said”], corresponding to the five leaves. Henceforth, when it writes, “God ... Let there be light,” it is the light that was created and concealed, and was included in that covenant that entered the rose and produced a seed in her. This is called “a fruit bearing tree” with which they sowed. And that seed is found in the very token of the covenant.

Explanation: Five hard leaves are the five Gevurot [plural of Gevura] of Nukva, which are ten Sefirot of reflected light that the Nukva raises through a coupling by striking with the upper light, called “light of judgment,” for the ten Sefirot of direct light are called five Hassadim HGT NH, and clothe the five Gevurot HGT NH of reflected light.

Those five hard leaves are the power of judgment in the screen that detains the upper light from clothing from the screen down. This is why now it is only called “five hard leaves,” since she is still unfit for coupling on them. At the time of Gadlut, when a screen comes in a coupling with the upper light, they are called five Gevurot.

These five hard leaves are five words that there are from the second Elokim to the third Elokim: HOVERED, OVER, THE-FACE, OF-THE-WATERS, AND ... SAID. And why was it mentioned another time, implying that there is a new action here? It is in order to bring these five hard leaves out of the Nukva, which are a preparation for a coupling at the time of Gadlut.

Ten Sefirot of reflected light are called five Gevurot HGT NH. They are not called KHB TM because they extend only light of Hassadim. Hence, KHB descended from their degree, and they are called HGT, and TM are called NH.

In Gadlut, when the five hard leaves became five Gevurot, they are considered five gates, open to receive the five Hassadim of direct light. Also, they are called “salvations,” and then the Nukva is called “a cup of salvations” or “a cup of blessing” since through them, the Nukva becomes a vessel that holds the blessing, five Hassadim.

The number of Sefirot is ten. Essentially, they are five phases, or thirteen, like the thirteen qualities of mercy. Ten indicates the Sefira ZON, in which there is only light of Hassadim. Thirteen indicates the Mochin of illumination of Hochma, which is received for ZON.

A cup of blessing indicates the extension of five Hassadim within her five Gevurot. It must be five fingers and not more, meaning only in the number ten, HGT NH and not more, with the exception of the number thirteen since the Nukva is unfit to receive Hochma from thirteen except by clothing of Hochma in Hassadim. For this reason, first there must be an extension of blessing, which are five Hassadim, specifically through the five fingers, which are five Gevurot, and then she can receive from the thirteen, as well.

This means that it refers to the five fingers of the left hand, which are five Gevurot, since the five fingers of the right hand are five Hassadim. Thus, the cup of blessing must be raised with both hands, meaning with the five fingers of the left hand, as well, to indicate the intention of the five Gevurot. However, afterwards, in the beginning of the blessing, only the five fingers of the right hand should remain on the cup to avoid awakening the gripping of the Sitra Achra, which nurses from the left.

The third Elokim in the verse “Let there be light” is to emanate the Gadlut of Nukva, which is five Hassadim and the thirteen qualities of mercy, where the five Hassadim are five times “light” in the verses “Let there be light,” “And there was light,” “That the light was good,” “Between the light,” “The light, day.” The thirteen qualities of mercy are implied in the words “And there was evening and there was morning, one day,” since one is thirteen and also thirteen in Gematria.

These five lights are the light that the Creator created on the first day. Adam was watching it from the end of the world to its end. When the Creator looked at the generation of the flood and the generation of Babylon and saw that their actions were corrupt, He stood and concealed it from them. It is written, “God, ‘Let there be light.’” This is the light that was created and concealed and included in that covenant, meaning entered the rose, that the five Hassadim were first incorporated in Yesod of ZA and did not come straight from Bina, from Elokim, to the Nukva, and the covenant, Yesod of ZA, which entered the rose and gave them to her.

These five Hassadim that emerge on five Gevurot are called “seed.” The power of the judgment and the Gevurot in the screen, by whose power it strikes the upper light and repels it, is mainly found only in Ateret Yesod of ZA, which it extended from Mazal veNakeh in Dikna while the Nukva receives from it only an illumination and a branch.

For this reason, the coupling on the screen, which raises the five Gevurot that extend and clothe the five Hassadim, which are five lights, is done mainly in Yesod of ZA, and he is the one who gives them to the Nukva. That seed, five Hassadim and five Gevurot, is found in the very token of the covenant, since in the token of the covenant, which is Ateret Yesod of ZA, there is the actuality of the Gevurot that extend five Hassadim called “seed.” However, the Yesod of the Nukva receives only the form of his Gevurot. This is why the Yesod of the Nukva is called only by the name of the form of the covenant.

3) As the form of the covenant was sown in forty-two couplings from the seed, the engraved and explicit Name was sown in the forty-two letters of the work of creation.

Explanation: The name “forty-two letters” is simple HaVaYaH, HaVaYaH with a filling, HaVaYaH with a filling of filling, in which there are forty-two letters. That seed, which is found in the token of the covenant—which are five Hassadim and five Gevurot—extends from the name “forty-two.”

Therefore, as the form of the covenant, Yesod of Nukva, was sown in forty-two couplings from the seed of the token of the covenant, the engraved and explicit Name was sown in forty-two letters of the work of creation.

There are two phases in Nukva: 1) The construction of her Partzuf, which was built by Bina, and 2) Her copulation with ZA, which is called “the coupling.”

As the form of the covenant, Yesod of Nukva, was sown in forty-two couplings from that seed of the token of the covenant, where the difference is in the coupling, so you deduce in the order of the emanation of the construction of the Nukva, called “the work of creation,” through the Bina, who was in the name “forty-two,” as well.

There are two states in the construction of the Nukva: Katnut and Gadlut. The Katnut is called “engraving,” meaning engraving into a receptacle of the lights of the time of Gadlut, since all that is received by the Nukva at the time of Gadlut requires preparation and qualification for them from the days of Katnut. The Gadlut is called by the explicit Name because all that is concealed during the Katnut is explained and becomes known during the Gadlut.

Thus, “The engraved and explicit Name” is sown in the forty-two letters of the work of creation. The Nukva is called “a name.” “Engraved” means her Katnut, “explicit” is her Gadlut, and they, too, were sown and built in forty-two letters like the forty-two couplings in the coupling in the token of the covenant. Also, the forty-two letters of the work of creation are the forty-two letters presented from Beresheet [In the beginning] through the Bet of Bohu [Tohu veBohu means “unformed and chaotic”].