Daily Zohar # 4958 – Beresheet – Like the appearance of awesome ice

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Hebrew translation:

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Zohar Beresheet
Continued from previous DZ
#367
It is written, ‘גַּן נָעוּל אֲחוֹתִי’—’ A locked garden is my sister’ (Songs 4:12). The Nukva (Malchut) is called a locked garden (גן נעול , gan na’ul) when all the lights (אורות) are sealed within her and all the lights are included within her. She is called a locked spring (גל נעול). When that river, meaning the river that flows from Eden, is drawn and flows from Eden and enters her, the Nukva, to water her from Eden. ‘A river flows from Eden’ refers to Binah, which went out from the head of Arich Anpin (A” A), called Eden, to water the garden (גן, gan). This is when the upper firmament descends from its place to the place of the chest, raising all the levels to the head of A” A, as mentioned above (in the adjacent discourse). Then the Nukva receives the Mochin of drinking (שתיה, shtiah), encompassing all the Mochin, but she does not emit their illumination (he’aratam), for the waters, which are the Mochin, congeal and remain within her. He asks, “What is the reason they congeal?” And he answers: It is because the north wind (רוח צפון, ruach tzafon) blows on these waters, causing them to congeal and not flow outward until they become ice (קרח, kerach). The north wind refers to the left line, drawn from the point of shuruk (וּ) of Binah, meaning from when she ascended to the head of A” A, where she has Chokhmah without Chassadim. Therefore, the lights congealed within her, for Chokhmah cannot shine without Chassadim. This is why it is said that the lights froze within her and did not extend outward to shine, creating ice and frost (קיפאון< kipa’on). And were it not for the south side (צד דרום, tzad darom), meaning the right line, which breaks the strength of this ice, the waters would never flow from it. This means: Were it not for the zivug (union) made through the masach (מסך, screen) of the point of chirik (וִ), which draws the stature (קומה, komat) of Chassadim from the south side, the right line, in which Chokhmah is clothed and shines, the lights could never shine there, for even the Chokhmah within her could not shine without Chassadim.

Notes:
This Zohar passage interprets Song of Songs 4:12, describing Malchut (Nukva) as a locked garden or spring when she contains but cannot emit Mochin due to Chokhmah’s congealing (from Binah’s shuruk, וּ, left line) without Chassadim. The zivug via Yessod’s masach of chirik (וִ) draws Chassadim (וֹ, cholam, right line), enabling Chokhmah to shine, connecting the upper waters (Binah, Eden) to the lower waters (Malchut, ים הגדול, yam hagadol). This ties to Genesis 1:6 (רקיע, rakia) and the unification of Z” A and Malchut (יום אחד, yom echad).

#368
And the appearance of that upper firmament (רקיע עליון, rakia elyon) is like the appearance of ice (קרח, kerach) that congeals, gathering within it all those waters poured upon it. So too, that upper firmament gathers all those waters and separates between the upper waters (mayim elyonim) and the lower waters (mayim tachtonim). This means: It revolves around the verse ‘וּדְמוּת עַל־רָאשֵׁי הַחַיָּה רָקִיעַ כְּעֵין הַקֶּרַח הַנּוֹרָא’—’ And above the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of a firmament, like the appearance of awesome ice’ (Ezekiel 1:22). And it says that it is the upper firmament, which, when it descends from the mouth of Arich Anpin (א” א, A” A) and raises all the lights of Atzilut-Briah-Yetzirah-Asiyah (אבי” ע,A-B-Y-A) to the head of A” A, as mentioned above (in the adjacent discourse), becomes like awesome ice (קרח הנורא, kerach hanora), unable to shine due to a lack of Chassadim there in the head of A” A. And through this, it separates there between the upper waters and the lower waters, for the three upper sefirot (ג” ר,G” R, Keter-Chokhmah-Binah), which are the upper waters, can receive Chokhmah without Chassadim, but the seven lower sefirot (ז” ת, Zat, Chessed to Malchut), which are the lower waters, cannot shine without Chassadim and become congealed, turning into ice (קרח, kerach). And this is what it says: This firmament gathers all the levels, which are Abba and Imma (Chokhmah and Binah), Yisrael Saba and Tevunah, and Zeir Anpin and Nukva (זו” ן, Zon,Z” A and Malchut) of Atzilut, and raises them to the head of A” A, as mentioned above. Then all the aspects of the ז” ת, Zat that cannot receive Chokhmah without Chassadim congeal, and this is what it says: It separates between the ג” ר, G” R, which are the upper waters that can shine with Chokhmah without Chassadim, and the ז” ת, Zat, which are the lower waters that cannot shine without Chassadim.

Notes:
This Zohar passage interprets Ezekiel 1:22 and Genesis 1:6, describing the upper rakia (firmament, parsa) at the mouth of Arich Anpin (A” A, Keter) as resembling congealed ice (קרח, kerach), gathering all lights of Atzilut but unable to shine due to Chokhmah’s lack of Chassadim. It separates the upper waters (G” R, Binah, able to receive Chokhmah) from the lower waters (ז” ת, Zat, Malchut, needing Chassadim). In Gadlut, the parsa raises levels to A” A’s head, but Zat congeals without Chassadim, requiring zivug to shine.

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