The Essence

In the beginning of the portion of the Torah read this week, we are told that “Jacob left Be’er Sheva and went to Haran.”[1]

Based on this verse, the Arizal discusses certain details of how Z’eir Anpin is developed out of Abba and Ima. Jacob represents the full development of the concept of “patriarch,” the individual fully fit to become the progenitor of the Jewish people, in contrast to Abraham and Isaac, who represented preparatory stages in this process. Similarly, Abba and Ima, the intellect, can be considered preparatory phases in the developmental process that leads to Z’eir Anpin (and Nukva), the emotions, which is the main partzuf through which Divinity is manifest on earth.

Abraham and Isaac personified [respectively] the chesed and gevurah of the yesod of Ima as it is enclothed in the da’at of Z’eir Anpin.

Yesod of Ima is the drive of binah for self-actualization. This drive contains an element of chesed, or love, as part of its motivation, as well as an element of gevurah, or power. Yesod of Ima becomes enclothed in the da’at of Z’eir Anpin, meaning that Z’eir Anpin’s ability to empathize (da’at) is taken from his “mother” (Ima). Da’at contains within it the twin faces of empathy, chesed and gevurah, which later emerge as the primary emotions.

Jacob personified the yesod of Abba, which is enclothed within the yesod of Ima.

When yesod of Ima becomes enclothed in the da’at of Z’eir Anpin, it already has within it the yesod of Abba. In other words, the drive for self-actualization within Ima carries with it the drive for self-actualization within Abba. Abba and Ima are “the two companions that never separate,” always joined in conjugal union, since chochmah without binah is ephemeral and binah without chochmah can lose its bearings, as we have explained previously.

Now, it is known that at first there enters Z’eir Anpin immature mentality, signified by the Name Elokim.

The Name Elokim signifies tzimtzum (“contraction”) of Divine light. The constricted consciousness of immature mentality is therefore signified by this Name.

Afterwards, when the above-mentioned mature mentality enters [his mind], the original, immature mentality descends into his throat.[2] For this reason, the numerical value of the word for “throat” [garon, gimel-reish-vav-nun, 259] is equal to three times that of the Name Elokim [alef-lamed-hei-yud-mem, 86, plus 1 for the kolel]. This is also the numerical value of Haran [chet-reish-nun, 258].

It follows that the yesod of Ima in the state of mature mentality extends only as far as the chest of Z’eir Anpin.

Ima’s drive for self-actualization ends once it has become the intellect of the emotions.

However, the yesod of Abba, which is male and longer, extends further down, down to the level of the yesod of Z’eir Anpin itself.

The yesod of Abba was enclothed within the yesod of Ima, but it extends further into the reality of Z’eir Anpin. This is because it is “male,” i.e., as a drive for self-actualization it extends further. The original insight of chochmah carries in it the seed of full manifestation in reality and therefore the drive and power to penetrate reality until the insight has inspired and remade reality in its image to the fullest extent possible. In contrast, the processing of the insight in binah mitigates its power, since the whole purpose of binah is to integrate the insight into the existing reality and world-view. This does, of course, endow binah with a certain drive for self-actualization once the new synthesis of old-thinking and new-thinking has been completed, but this cannot compare with the original force of the unprocessed flash of insight.

The yesod of Abba therefore continues further than the yesod of Ima, down to the level where yesod of Z’eir Anpin is poised to bring into being Nukva. In other words, this may be seen as the drive within any father to have a daughter, and psychologically may account for the affinity between fathers and daughters (whereas the fact that yesod of Ima terminates in Z’eir Anpin may account for the greater affinity between mothers and sons). The female, as we have discussed previously, is the true actualization of any ideal, since she is the embodiment of G-d’s will to manifest His Divinity within creation. The male, embodying the inspiration of chochmah, is driven toward this ideal, but is incapable himself of actualizing it just because of his abstract nature.

A radiance of this extension of the yesod of Abba—that extends lower than the chest [of Z’eir Anpin] and is then exposed—shines outside of Z’eir Anpin itself, and becomes the partzuf of Yaakov.

Once the yesod of Abba extends out further than the yesod of Ima, it is no longer enclothed in the yesod of Ima but is exposed. Its “light” can then shine, and it shines outside of Z’eir Anpin itself. From this residual, secondary light is formed a new partzuf, Yaakov.

Now, we generally speak of six principle partzufim: Atik Yomin, Arich Anpin, Abba, Ima, Z’eir Anpin, and Nukva. In this general scheme, Z’eir Anpin and Nukva are often personified by Jacob (Yaakov) and Rachel. However, there is a secondary development of partzufim as well, in which some of these split into or give rise to additional partzufim.[3] We are introduced here to one of these secondary partzufim, that of Yaakov, which develops out of the primary partzuf of Z’eir Anpin.

This, then, is the mystical meaning of the verse: “Jacob [Yaakov] left [or: ‘went out from’] Be’er Sheva and went to Haran.” The partzuf of Yaakov originates, as we have said, from the yesod of Abba after the extension of the yesod of Ima and terminated at the chest of Z’eir Anpin. At that point [yesod of Abba] goes forth and is revealed from within the yesod of Ima, which is termed “Be’er Sheva,” as we will explain.

Be’er Sheva means “the well of seven”; its mystical association with yesod of Ima will be explained presently. The verse thus reads: The origin of Yaakov, i.e., yesod of Abba, went forth from the yesod of Ima, i.e., Be’er Sheva….

The yesod of Abba, who is male, is termed the “[male] organ” [eiver, alef-beit-reish]. It is therefore alluded to in the final letters of the words “Jacob left Be’er…” [va-yeitzei Yaakov mi-be’er, alef-beit-reish].

The yesod of Ima, however, is female, and is therefore alluded to by the inversion of these letters, which yields the word for a “well” [alef-beit-reish — beit-alef-reish, be’er], which is concave and hollow, and into which the male organ is inserted. Therefore the yesod of the female [partzuf] is always called a “well.”

This is true also for the reason that [the female partzuf] causes “female waters” to ascend—just as a well is an upwelling of subterranean water—toward the male organ.

In order to couple, the male and female partzufim must mutually arouse each other. The Zoharic terms for these processes of arousal are “the descent of male water” and “the ascent of female water,” respectively. The images evoked are that of rain for the male and the upwelling of spring water.

As to why [the female yesod] is called Be’er Sheva [“the well of seven”], this is for two reasons. First, the brains of Z’eir Anpin were originally four: chochmah, binah, and [the states of] chesed and gevurah [that would later be contained within da’at].

“Originally” here refers to before Z’eir Anpin emerged as a partzuf and was still in the “womb” of Ima.

Later, when they descended further and entered the netzach-hod-yesod of Ima, they became three brains: chochmah, binah, and da’at—which now included chesed and gevurah [within it].

Part of the maturation process of Z’eir Anpin was the coalescence of chesed and gevurah in to one power of empathy, da’at.

As is known, these mature states of mentality are all Names Havayah. Therefore, the two developmental stages comprise seven Names Havayah [within Ima], and therefore [yesod of Ima] is called Be’er Sheva.

The second reason is that when the three brains [of Z’eir Anpin]—chochmah, binah, and da’at—[when it is at the level] of netzach-hod-yesod of Abba are joined with the four brains [of Z’eir Anpin]—chochmah, binah, chesed, and gevurah—[when it is at the level] of netzach-hod-yesod of Ima it gives seven Names Havayah. They are all enclothed within Ima, as is known, and therefore her yesod is called Be’er Sheva.

The fact that yesod of Ima becomes enclothed in the da’at of Z’eir Anpin is just part of a larger picture: the entire triplet of netzach-hod-yesod of Ima becomes enclothed in the triplet of chochmah-binah-da’at of Z’eir Anpin. Similarly, just as yesod of Abba is enclothed within yesod of Ima (and therefore, once removed, within the da’at of Z’eir Anpin), so is the entire triplet of netzach-hod-yesod of Abba enclothed within the triplet of netzach-hod-yesod of Ima (and therefore, once removed, within the chochmah-binah-da’at of Z’eir Anpin).

For this reason Yaakov also comprises these seven Names Havayah, whose combined numerical value is the same as that of Yaakov. This, then, is the mystical meaning of “Jacob went out of Be’er Sheva.”

Now, it is known that these Names Havayah that manifest the mature mentality [of Z’eir Anpin] spread via the three axes throughout the body of Z’eir Anpin. In this process, they pass through the throat, which is termed Haran, which is formed from the three Names Elokim that manifest the immature mentality [of Z’eir Anpin, as above]. In addition, the yesod of Abba—which is termed Yaakov [because the partzuf of this name will develop out of it]—passes through it. This is the mystical meaning of “…and went to Haran,” for Haran signifies these three Names Elokim.

The word “to Haran,” however is in Hebrew one word: the word for “Haran” with a hei attached as a suffix.

The additional hei in the word “to Haran” signifies the five letters of Elokim.

The meaning of the word Haran as well indicates [immature or constricted consciousness, for it means] “anger,” which [is caused by] severe stages of judgement, which are called Elokim.

The Name Elokim indicates G-d’s attribute of judgement and justice, which “incites” His “anger.”

This is the mystical meaning of the verse, “My throat is parched [literally, ‘grew angry’].”[4] For since the throat expresses the Name Elokim, it becomes hot and parched, just as the idiom [for “anger” in Hebrew] is “heating of the nostril.” Also, the word for “parched” in this verse [nichar, nun-chet-reish] comprises the same letters as the word for Haran [charan, chet-reish-nun], and its numerical value is also [naturally] that of the word for “throat” [garon, gimel-reish-vav-nun] with the kollel. It is all one.

Now, as we have explained elsewhere, these three Names Elokim are [the three ways of spelling out this Name:] with the letter yud, with the letter alef, and with the letter hei.

root-letter	spelling out
alef	alef-lamed-pei
lamed	lamed-mem-dalet
hei	hei-yud	hei-alef	hei-hei
yud	yud-vav-dalet
mem	mem-mem

The [Name Elokim] that is spelled out with the letter yud is first, and is manifest in the partzuf of Leah, which is situated above. The last is the one spelled out with the letter hei, and is manifest in the partzuf of Rachel, which is situated below. The middle one is the one spelled out with the letter alef, and is manifest in the partzuf of Yaakov.

In the secondary array of partzufim, the partzuf of Yaakov, the emotions, couples with two female partzufim, Leah (thought) and Rachel (speech).

Since Yaakov is the middle of the three, he encompasses both of them, the higher and the lower [partzufim]. Therefore the numerical value of Yaakov is [ten more than] twice that of Elokim, i.e., that of the word for “heel” [eikev, Yaakov without the yud].

The extra yud in Yaakov corresponds to the ten letters [in all the names of these partzufim], indicating how he comprises them all.

There are three letters in Leah (lamed-alef-hei), four in Yaakov (yud-ayin-kuf-beit), and three in Rachel (reish-chet-lamed), giving 10.

—translated from Sha’ar HaPesukim and Likutei Torah by Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky

Disclaimer: the above translation, as the previous installments in this series, has not yet been checked over for accuracy by any authority on the teachings of Kabbalah. Therefore, although I have rendered and explained the Arizal’s teachings as best I can based on my knowledge and research, there may be passages that I misunderstood and rendered incorrectly. Before publishing these translations in book form they will, please G-d, be examined for accuracy by a competent authority, and any necessary changes will be made then.

[1] Genesis 28:10.

[2] The original text of Sha’ar HaPesukim has here: “…which is his binah,” but as Rabbi Wolf Ashkenazi points out, this is difficult to understand, because elsewhere the Arizal clearly states that only in Arich Anpin is binah situated in the throat. The corresponding passage in Likutei Torah, in fact, does not mention that the throat is the location of binah.

[3] See, for example, The Mystery of Marriage, p. 436.

[4] Psalms 69:4.