Daily Zohar # 4935 – Beresheet – When the upper and lower worlds unite

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Hebrew translation:

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Zohar Beresheet
The studies of Beresheet (Genesis) are important to understand the process of Creation.
All base on the translation and commentary by Rabbi Ashlag of blessed memory. The fact the he wrote and explain a lot about a short Zohar paragraphs indicates how deep is the study. Do not miss any of the studies on Beresheet. If you miss some studies, go back and repeat. I myself take a lot of time to understand the Zohar and translate (with AI help), and add study notes below the translation to support the understanding of the Zohar.

Continued from previous DZ
#308
Now it explains the difference between the zivug (union) of the supernal world of Binah and the zivug of the lower world of Binah. It says that the supernal world descends to the lower world, meaning to emanate the lower world of Zeir Anpin and Nukva (Z&N), which is Z&N in their small state. It is filled through the zivug from the supernal light, in a road (אורח) of one level that rests upon it, like the concealed, hidden, and stored pathway (שְׁבִיל נִסְתָּר וְטָמִיר וְגָנוּז) of above. This means that there are two types of Malchut, one called the lock (מנעולה, man’ula) and the key (מפתחה, maftecha). The one in supernal Abba v’Imma (Chokhmah and Binah) serves as the secret of the lock (man’ula), meaning that she locks there the zivug of the illumination of Chokhmah, in the secret that the Yud (י) does not emerge from the air (אוירא, avira) of Abba v’Imma. Therefore, Abba v’Imma remain in pure air (אוירא דכיא, avira da’chiya), in the secret of covered Chessed. For this reason, this lock (man’ula) is called a concealed, hidden, and stored pathway (שְׁבִיל נִסְתָּר וְטָמִיר וְגָנוּז). In Yisrael Sava u’Tevunah, she serves as the key (maftecha), which opens in them the Mochin of the illumination of Chokhmah, and the Yud emerges from their air, becoming light (אור, or). Therefore, the Malchut of Yisrael Sava u’Tevunah is called a road (אורח, orach) or pathway (דרך, derech), for all the Mochin of the illumination of Chokhmah are revealed in her. This is what is meant by ‘and it is filled through a road of one level,’ meaning the level of the key (maftecha) that rests upon the lower world, which is Yisrael Sava u’Tevunah, that dwells upon Yisrael Sava u’Tevunah like the manner of that pathway, etc., above, in Abba v’Imma as the Zohar itself proceeds to explain before us. Only that one of them is a thin pathway (shvil dak), meaning in Abba v’Imma. And one of them is a road (orach), meaning in Yisrael Sava u’Tevunah. The one below is a road (orach), as it is written, ‘וְאֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נֹגַהּ הוֹלֵךְ וָאוֹר עַד נְכוֹן הַיּוֹם’—’ And the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day’ (Proverbs 4:18). And the one above, which is Abba v’Imma, is a thin pathway (שְׁבִיל דַּקִּיק), as it is written, ‘נְתִיב לֹא־יְדָעוֹ עָיִט’—’ A path that no bird of prey knows’ (Job 28:7), meaning that there is no zivug there, which is called knowledge (ידיעה). Therefore, the verse says of it, ‘A path that no bird of prey knows,’ for it is not known (לא אתיידע).
The secret of all this is, ‘הַנּוֹתֵן בַּיָּם דֶּרֶךְ’—’ Who gives a way in the sea’ (Isaiah 43:16). This means Yisrael Sava u’Tevunah that is rectified in Malchut of the key (maftecha), called a road (דרך, derech). ‘וּבְמַיִם עַזִּים נְתִיבָה’—’ And a path in the mighty waters’ (Isaiah 43:16), meaning Abba v’Imma, where Malchut of the lock (man’ula) is rectified, called a pathway (שביל, shvil) or path (נתיב, netiv). For the aspect of the male (זכר, zachor) of the lock is called a pathway (shvil), and the aspect of the female (nukva) is called a path. And it is written, ‘בַּיָּם דְּרָכֶךָ’—’ In the sea is Your way’ (Psalms 77:20), meaning Yisrael Sava u’Tevunah whose rectification is in Malchut of the road (דרך, derech). ‘וּשְׁבִילֶךָ בְּמַיִם רַבִּים’—’And Your paths in great waters’ (Psalms 77:20), meaning Abba v’Imma whose rectification is in Malchut of the thin pathway (שְׁבִיל דַּקִּיק, shvil dak). All this explains that when the supernal world of Binah is included in the lower world and emanates the lower world of Zeir Anpin and Nukva (Z&N), called Z&N in their small state, behold, they are emanated in the secret of the key (maftecha), called a road (דרך, derech) or path (אורח, orach). Therefore, they also receive the illumination of Chokhmah, like the lower world of Binah.
Notes:
This Zohar passage interprets Isaiah 43:16 and Psalms 77:20 to illustrate the tikkun of Malchut in the supernal (Abba v’Imma) and lower (Yisrael Sava u’Tevunah) aspects of Binah, using the metaphors of the sea (ים, yam), way (דרך, derech), path (נתיב, netiv), and pathway (שביל, shvil). It emphasizes how the inclusion of the supernal in the lower enables Z&n’s Katnut (smallness) state to receive Chokhmah’s illumination.

#309
Nourished by the waters of the heavens, the earth is sustained, and from their waters, seeds are cast into her. This means they are the sustenance for the existence of the earth, which is the Nukva, and they are masculine waters (מים זכרים, mayim zecharim) for the generation of souls, cast in the secret of seed that shoots like an arrow to give birth. She receives from the heavens, which is Zeir Anpin, but the supernal waters in the earth, meaning what she received from the heavens, are masculine, and the lower waters in her, meaning in herself, are feminine (מים נוקבין, mayim nukavin). The lower waters are nourished from the masculine waters, meaning from the supernal waters that she received from the heavens. The lower waters in the earth call to the supernal waters in the heavens to bestow upon them their need, like a female open to receive from the male. The Nukva indicates the lower waters corresponding to the supernal masculine waters to generate souls, and likewise, the Nukva is nourished from the male. For the female has nothing of her own, and they are the sustenance, meaning the abundance for her existence, and they are the generation of souls; she receives from the male. Therefore, it is written ‘וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ’—’ and the earth’ (Genesis 1:1), with the addition of the Vav (ו) on the word et (אֵת), which alludes to the male (זכר, zachar) in the earth, as explained above in the adjacent discussion. For there is male and female in the heavens, considered the supernal heavens and earth, and likewise there is male and female in the earth, considered the lower heavens and earth.
Notes:
This Zohar passage interprets Genesis 1:1, “and the earth” (‘וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ, ve-et ha-aretz), as describing Malchut (the Nukva, earth) being nourished by Zeir Anpin (heavens), through masculine (זכר, zachar) and feminine (נקבה, nekvah) waters, symbolizing the spiritual sustenance (מזונות, mezonot) and generation of souls. The addition of the Vav (ו) in ve-et underscores the male aspect within Malchut, facilitating her zivug (union) with Zeir Anpin.
This reflects the zivug process, where Malchut (nekevah) calls to Zeir Anpin (zachar) to receive divine abundance, emphasizing her dependence on him for existence and procreation (souls), as Malchut has nothing of her own without this flow.

Malchut, the feminine aspect of the sefirot symbolized as the vessel or Shekhinah, represents the receptive principle that manifests divine energy in the physical world. As a vessel, Malchut is inherently passive and empty without the masculine light—embodied by Zeir Anpin, which flows from higher realms like Binah and Chokhmah. This light, or Mochin, fills and activates Malchut, enabling her to “manifest” creation, souls, and blessings, much like a womb requires seed to bring forth life. In exile, Malchut’s vessel is diminished, separated from this masculine light by impurities like the erev rav’s impurities, but in rectification (tikkun), their union restores harmony, as the Zohar teaches through metaphors like the frozen sea melting to receive the supernal river.

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