As Ramchal explains in his comments here, this is a depiction of the descent sequence (\u05d4\u05e9\u05ea\u05dc\u05e9\u05dc\u05d5\u05ea), \u201cwhereby each light is emanated by and emerges from another light\u201d gradually and step by step. And it comes about through the process of zivvug<\/i> — \u201cconjunction\u201d, \u201cunion\u201d, or intercourse in human terms.<\/p>\n
As he words it in the Petach<\/i> itself, of these two <\/b>producing lights, one would be \u201cmale\u201d and from the side of MaH<\/i>, and one \u201cfemale\u201d and from the side of BaN<\/i>. They would then produce the light that needs to be produced <\/b>by their conjunction, which will <\/b>thus be constructed out of both MaH<\/i> and BaN<\/i>.<\/b><\/p>\n
That\u2019s to say that everything — even supernal lights, as in this instance — was designed to be produced by the union of \u201cmale\u201d (MaH<\/i> in this instance) and \u201cfemale\u201d (BaN <\/i>here) much the way that children are born by the union of a mother (an Imma<\/i> in Hebrew) and a father (Abba<\/i>).<\/p>\n
Ramchal tempers the sexual implications by offering in his comments to the Petach<\/i> that this works the way ideas<\/i> are \u201cborn\u201d too, in that they\u2019re produced by the rapid interaction of other, preceding thoughts. But his central point here is that natural and supernatural entities are produced by the rapid (i.e., excited) interaction and union of male and female progenitors [1].<\/p>\n
As Ar\u201di stated the principle, \u201cthe zivvug<\/i> of Abba<\/i> and Imma<\/i> comes about so as to have lights from yet higher levels descend onto lower levels \u2026. And the intention behind the zivvug<\/i> of Zeir Anpin<\/i> and Nukveh<\/i> was to have souls descend into this world\u201d as in childbirth (Sha\u2019ar HaKavvanot<\/i>, K\u2019riat Sh\u2019ma<\/i> 2) [2].<\/p>\n
Notes:<\/p>\n
[1] \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 See Eitz<\/i> Chaim<\/i> 39 on this analogy.<\/p>\n
[2] \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b>The frankly sexual nature of the discussion is what flabbergasted non-Kabbalists when Kabbalah was first being discussed openly in Torah circles, and it\u2019s probably what lay behind the edict that one shouldn\u2019t study it before being married (or before 40 years of age, when one\u2019s passions were presumably tempered and could read these things with more aplomb).<\/p>\n
(c) 2013 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman<\/p>\n
Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org<\/a><\/p>\n ———————————————————-<\/p>\n AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman’s translation of Maimonides’ “Eight Chapters” is available here<\/a> at a discount.<\/p>\n You can still purchase a copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” here<\/a> at a discount as well.<\/p>\n Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon “The Path of the Just” and “The Duties of the Heart” (Jason Aronson Publishers).<\/p>\n Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled “Spiritual Excellence<\/a>\u201d and \u201cRamchal<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As Ramchal explains in his comments here, this is a depiction of the descent sequence (\u05d4\u05e9\u05ea\u05dc\u05e9\u05dc\u05d5\u05ea), \u201cwhereby each light is emanated by and emerges from another light\u201d gradually and step by step. And it comes about through the process of … Continue reading