The Flower Buds

4) In the beginning, Rabbi Shimon started, “The flower buds have appeared in the land; the time of pruning has arrived, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.” “The flower buds” are the work of creation. “Have appeared in the land” on the third day, as it is written, “And the earth shall spring forth grass.” “The time of pruning has arrived” is the fourth day, in which there was the pruning of the tyrants. This is why it is written about it “Let there be lights” without a Vav [in Hebrew], which is a curse. “And the voice of the turtledove” is the fifth day, of which it is written, “Let the waters swarm” to produce offspring. “Is heard” is the sixth day, of which it is written, “Let us make man,” who is destined to put doing before hearing. “In our land” is the Sabbath, which is like the land of the living, the next world.

Explanation: The flower buds are the six days of the work of creation, VAK, HGT NHY of ZA, from whom the ten Sefirot of Partzuf Nukva of ZA are built. This is so because the Nukva has nothing of her own and her whole construction is from what ZA gives her.

He interprets how the Nukva is built from the VAK of ZA. He says, “Appeared in the land,” on the third day, since the Nukva is called “earth.” The flower buds, Sefirot of ZA, were received and appeared in the Nukva, who is called “earth,” on the third day of the work of creation. This was on the third day, Tifferet, since first she was emanated in the two great lights, and then she was equal to Tifferet of ZA.

It follows that she was emanated on the third day equally with Tifferet of ZA, who is called “the third day of the work of creation.” Then they “Appeared in the land,” since that state did not exist in Nukva. Hence, they “Appeared in the land” means that they appeared so once.

Afterwards, “The time of pruning has arrived.” This is the fourth day, on which there was the pruning of tyrants, since on the fourth day, the moon, Nukva of ZA, was diminished, as we learn that the moon complained and said, “Two kings cannot use the same crown.” And the Creator told her, “Go and diminish yourself.” At that time, she descended into a dot under Yesod of ZA, her bottom nine fell into Beria, and only her point of Keter remained in Atzilut, and she stood under the Yesod. And henceforth, she is built by NH of ZA.

This is called “Pruning of tyrants” since the diminution became a preparation and a receptacle for receiving Mochin of Haya, and these Mochin cut off all the shells that cling to the Nukva. “Pruning” means cutting off, and the “tyrants” are the external ones and the shells that surround the rose.

“The voice of the turtledove” is the fifth day. The turtledove is Netzah of ZA. The voice of the turtledove is Hod of ZA, who receives from the Hod that is included in Netzah of ZA. For this reason, this reception is called “The voice of the turtledove.”

“Heard” is the sixth day. The voice of the turtledove is received in the Nukva only through the sixth day, Yesod of ZA, which includes NH and imparts them to the Nukva. It is heard to the Nukva only on the sixth day. The rule is that the Nukva receives only from the middle line of ZA, which is Daat-Tifferet-Yesod, or from Daat, or from Tifferet, or from Yesod.

“Heard” is the sixth day, in which it is written, “Let us make man,” who is destined to put doing before hearing. Hearing is Bina, since seeing and hearing are HB. Doing is Malchut.

In the second restriction, the bottom Hey rose to Nikvey Einayim (NE) to associate her with the quality of mercy, upper Bina. Yet, Aba moved Ima outside, and Aba himself was established as male and female, since Einayim is Aba, and through the ascent of the bottom Hey to him, the coupling of Rosh was established in the bottom Hey, who is called NE. And Ima, Bina, went because of that from Rosh to Guf. Thus, there are KH in Rosh of AA, and Bina went out to the Guf. It follows that “doing,” the bottom Hey, Malchut, comes before “hearing,” Bina, since Aba was established in the Nukva, who is called “I” and the Nukva became like Aba, the second Sefira after Keter.

From the ascent of Malchut to NE, she was sweetened there and became fit to rise and clothe upper AVI and receive Mochin of Haya, like upper Ima. This is because the moon was full. Hence, upon the giving of the Torah, Israel said first, “We shall do and we shall hear,” putting doing before hearing. By this they were rewarded with the reception of the Torah, since doing, Malchut, rose and clothed upper AVI, and the Yovel, the fiftieth gate, was revealed.

This is why the hearing was on the sixth day, since on it the correction of putting doing before hearing was done, as at the time of the giving of the Torah. For this reason, on Shabbat [the Sabbath] of Beresheet, Malchut became regarded as “the land of the living,” upper Ima.

“In our land” is the day of Shabbat [Sabbath], which is a sample of the land of the living. Upper Ima is called “the land of the living,” and through the bestowal of the sixth day, Nukva rose on the day of Shabbat of the work of creation up to upper Ima, and Nukva, too, became like the land of the living, since the lower one that rises to the upper one becomes like it.

5) The flower buds are the patriarchs, who entered in thought and entered the next world, Bina, and were hidden there. From there, they emerged in concealment and were hidden in the true prophets. Joseph was born and they hid in him. Joseph entered the holy land and erected them there, and then they appeared in the land and were revealed there.

When are they seen? They appear when the rainbow appears in the world. And at that time, the time of pruning arrives, the time to cut off the wicked from the world. Why were they saved? It was because the flower buds appeared in the land. Had they not appeared already, they would not have remained in the world, and the world would not have existed.

Explanation: The Zohar explains the attainment of Mochin of Haya of ZA itself. The flower buds relate to HGT of ZA, which are called “the patriarchs.” NHY of ZA are called “sons” and they are two Partzufim [plural of Partzuf] that divide on Chazeh of ZA since HGT are called “the big ZON,” and NHY are called “the small ZON.”

Hence, The Zohar makes the precision of telling us that it is from the great ZA, and this is why it said, “patriarchs.” They are called “flower buds,” which means plantings, since they grow like plantings. First, their measure was as that of NHY. Afterwards, in Yenika [suckling], they became HGT, and then, in the first Gadlut, they became HBD of Neshama. In the second Gadlut, they became HBD of Haya.

The flower buds are the patriarchs, who entered in a thought, and entered the next world, Bina. This refers to the Ibur [impregnation/conception] of ZA, since during his Ibur, he rises to AVI, who are called “thought” and “the next world.” Aba is called “thought” and Ima is called “the next world.” There is the beginning of the construction of ZA in three within three, which means that HGT are clothed inside NHY.

This is why it was said, “The plantings were as antenna of grasshoppers.” He uprooted them from there and planted them elsewhere and raised it. The plantings are the patriarchs, HGT from their root. Through their ascent to HB for Ibur, when he plants them elsewhere, they obtain there the sweetened Malchut, which is fit for Mochin at the time of Gadlut. By that, they gradually grew in Ibur, then through Yenika, through the first Gadlut, and finally through the second Gadlut.

From there, they emerged in concealment. Once HGT receive all the Mochin of Ibur, they are born and emerge from AVI to their place below. They emerge in concealment since after their exit from AVI to their place, they still remained in concealment, in diminished light.

They “Were hidden in the true prophets” means that by obtaining Mochin of Yenika, the unique light was extended to NHY of ZA, the true prophets. Then HGT expanded for them out of NHY and he obtained VAK. This is why they are still hidden, for they are still in concealment of Mochin of Rosh and only have Nefesh Ruach (NR).

This is why it was said that they were hidden inside the true prophets. They are NH that they obtained through the Yenika, but they were hidden in them because their light disappeared and is no longer revealed. Know that there is always an inverse relation between vessels and lights, for in relation to the lights, the light of HGT, meaning Ruach, is obtained through Yenika. In relation to the vessels, the vessels of NH are obtained in Yenika, and the light of Nefesh that was in HGT descends in them. Similarly, in Mochin of Gadlut, in relation to the lights, it is considered that light of HBD is obtained, and in relation to the vessels, it is considered that they obtained the vessel of Yesod of Gadlut.

“Joseph was born and they hid in him.” After the completion of the Mochin of Yenika, ZA rises for a second Ibur to Mochin of the first Gadlut. Through these Mochin, his HGT became HBD and Rosh, and the NHY that he acquired through the Yenika became HGT for him. Then, new NHY were born to him, which are called “NHY of Mochin of Gadlut.” These NHY are called “Joseph,” who is Yesod of Gadlut, which includes NH of Gadlut. This is why it was said, “Joseph was born,” meaning the Yesod of Gadlut.

“And they hid in him” means that HGT still do not have the complete lights of Gadlut and are still in concealment. This is so because in the first Gadlut, he obtains only Mochin of Neshama, which are still regarded as posterior for ZA. This is why it is said that they hid in him, since they are still concealed.

Joseph entered the holy land and established them there, for after the Mochin of the first Gadlut, ZA begins to receive Mochin of the second Gadlut, Mochin of Haya. At that time, the Nukva is cut off from him and is built as a whole Partzuf in Mochin of Haya. Then, the Nukva is called “the holy land” since the Mochin of Haya is called “holiness.”

Joseph, Yesod of Gadlut of ZA, entered the holy land, the Nukva, face-to-face with ZA, at an equal level.

He established them in the holy land, since Mochin of Haya, the light of Hochma, are drawn only in a coupling of ZON as one, and they remain only in the authority of the Nukva because only by her are they drawn during the coupling.

And he erected them in her house, since the value of ZA compared to the Nukva is as the value of upper AVI compared to YESHSUT. Hence, Mochin of Haya, light of Hochma, appears only in Nukva, which is considered YESHSUT.

Then they appeared in the land and were revealed there. Now they have become sufficiently revealed in the quality of Gadlut, but until now they were regarded as hidden and concealed.

When are they seen? The Zohar already explained that they appear when Joseph enters the holy land, meaning at the time of the coupling, and the place of revealing is in the Nukva. Thus, why is he asking again, “When are they seen”? The thing is that even during the coupling there are two discernments: 1) Incorporation of the left in the right, the five Hassadim in the male, and 2) Incorporation of the right in the left, the five Gevurot in the Nukva.

This is why he asks, “When are they seen?” during the incorporation of the right in the left or during the incorporation of the left in the right?

Answer: When the rainbow is seen in the world. The rainbow is Yesod of ZA in the world, in Nukva. This is an incorporation of the right in the left during the coupling, as it is written, “I have set My bow in the cloud.” Only from that are the upper Mochin extended, as then they appear from the incorporation of the right in the left.

And at that time, “The time of pruning has arrived,” a time to cut off the wicked from the world. When the wicked multiply in the world, there is much gripping to the shells and the Sitra Achra because of them, as was at the time of the generation of the flood, for which all that exists in the world was wiped out. At that time, the people in the world have no other hope but through the disclosure of the upper Mochin, Mochin of Haya.

Why were they saved? It is because the flower buds appeared. Why were the people of the world saved from extinction, as it happened at the time of the flood? It was because the flower buds appeared in the land. This is so because disclosure of Mochin of Haya removes the shells from the land, Malchut, and they can no longer grip to it, as it is written, “And I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant.”

Had they not been seen, they would not have remained in the world. First, the Nukva is built with the two great lights, and she has an equal level with ZA. However, she stands at the posterior of ZA. This is why the moon complained that two kings cannot use the same crown. For this reason, these Mochin are regarded as posterior Mochin. They are called Mochin of VAK of Nukva, which are Mochin of her Katnut from the beginning of her formation.

And at that time, ZON are regarded as a “small face,” and are called “children,” “youths,” “youngsters.” However, once she is completed with these Mochin, she returns to upper AVI for a second Ibur, and then she is built as a great structure with Mochin of face-to-face with ZA. And then they are called “big face.”

It is known that there is no change or absence in the spiritual, and those posterior Mochin, small face, remain in her even at the time of Mochin and Gadlut. Moreover, the reason for the extension of the Mochin of Haya is primarily in the vessels of the posterior Mochin in the small face.

“Had they not been seen, they would not have remained in the world.” In other words, if those flower buds had not been seen in the Nukva from her Katnut, in the construction of her posterior, the Mochin of Haya would not have remained in her during the Gadlut, as well, since she would have no vessels in which to receive them.

6) And who is the one who sustains the world and causes the patriarchs to appear? It is the voice of the children who engage in Torah. Because of these children of the world, the world is saved. It is written in relation to them: “We will make for you turtledoves of gold.” These are the children, youths, and youngsters, as it is written, “You shall make two cherubim of gold.”

Explanation: The children of the world are posterior Mochin, called “small face.” Also, the children of the world, as well as children, youths, and youngsters, and their coupling in that state, are called “the voice of the children who engage in Torah.” They are the turtledoves of gold. They are the two cherubim, small Panim [face], without which these Mochin of Haya, which extend by the incorporation of right in left, would not be received in the Nukva whatsoever.

And who is the one who sustains the world at the time of proliferation of the shells, who have the power to destroy the world as during the time of the flood? There is no hope except by drawing Mochin of Haya in the rainbow. By this, the world is saved. Who is the one who sustains and saves the world at that time, and causes the patriarchs—who cause the disclosure of HGT in Mochin of Rosh, when HGT became HBD of Haya—to appear? The voice of the children who engage in Torah causes it, the posterior Mochin, which is the voice of the children and the turtle doves of gold.