The Gate of Unity – Chapter 34 Intro – Section 2

The explanation of all of the above, in addition to how the emotions are included in the seminal drop and flash of insight of Chochmah which then develop in Binah, may further be understood as follows:  It was previously explained that Chochmah is the aspect of intangible “nothingness” while Binah is the aspect of tangibility and “something-ness”.  This is because the influence of Chochmah is drawn forth like a flash of lightening from above to below, and is only the aspect of a point.  Afterwards, in Binah this point spreads out into a length and breadth, which is the length and breadth of the contemplation and comprehension, as was previously explained using the analogy of the length and width of a river (on the verse, “A river came out of Eden” etc.)  For this reason, the Yesod of Abba – Father (Chochmah) is an aspect of spreading forth from above to below, for it is the aspect of the flash of the point of insight which spreads forth from influencer (Chochmah) to recipient (Binah).  Binah is the aspect of the recipient of this influence, and is therefore called Imma – Mother.

Now, as explained in chapter twenty-six, the heartfelt emotions are born specifically out of a unification of Abba – Father (Chochmah) and Imma – Mother (Binah), i.e. when the influence of the light of Chochmah is drawn forth into the vessel of Yesod of Binah.  As mentioned in chapter thirty, this is analogous to the seminal drop, which certainly includes the entire form within itself, including all the particular limbs of the child which will be developed etc.  This is similar to the fact that if one examines a lima bean, he will find an entire tiny lima plant folded within it.  However, in the seminal drop, all of the limbs, literally from head to toe, are included there, but in a more spiritual and refined manner. At this point, if observed under a microscope, one will not see anything remotely resembling a tiny man. Nonetheless, everything is there in a very hidden fashion, encoded into the DNA etc.  This means that the seminal drop only contains the spiritual potentiality for each limb which will develop in the mother’s womb etc.  Moreover, the spiritual “organs” are so totally concealed there to the extent that we are not aware of their existence altogether.

However, during the nine months of pregnancy, once the fetus begins to form in the mother’s womb, it progressively takes on more and more recognizable characteristics, though it is still concealed in the womb.  Moreover, although its state of existence is more recognizable than its state as a seminal drop, nonetheless, it still is concealed and totally dependant on its mother.  This is because a fetus only consumes whatever its mother consumes, as known. Even so, the extent of the concealment at this stage is not at all comparable to the extent of concealment and complete inclusion when it was a seminal drop, in which the organs only existed as spiritual potentialities and were completely hidden.

According to this analogy we may understand the birth of the emotions from the aspect of Yesod of Abba which was mentioned above.  In the seminal drop of Chochmah the emotions are in an aspect of great concealment, and their existence is not noticeable whatsoever.  This is not the case in regard to Binah, in which the existence of the emotions is felt to a much greater degree, although, even as they are in Binah they still are concealed, like a fetus in its mother’s womb.  As is clearly observable, there is an arousal of love and fear even in the brain of Binah.  This arousal is called “intellectual love and fear”, as is known.[1]  Although it is only an arousal of intellect alone, nevertheless, there is an aspect of emotions, such as the emotions of love etc.  However, it is totally included and one with the intellect itself, and is not felt to be an aspect of a “something” in and of itself.

This is not the case, however, after the emotion is born “out of the womb” of Imma – the Mother (Binah).  Here, there is the birth of heartfelt emotions which come out completely revealed as totally felt emotions and indeed have an existence of their own, (as if they are) completely separate from the power of the intellect.  Nonetheless, even as the emotions are aroused as they are included in the intellect (of Binah) they are recognizable and felt as an existence of the aspect of emotions, and are, literally, according to how they will be afterwards, when they become revealed in the heart from their former state of concealment.

However, as they are in Binah they still are concealed within the intellect.  This is, literally, like the analogy of a fetus which is in its mother’s womb. There, it does indeed have a recognizable and felt existence of its own, but is, nonetheless, concealed and included in the womb and is nourished solely by what the mother consumes etc.  (Likewise, the nine months of pregnancy correspond to the nine sefirot of the emotions of Zeir Anpin.)  In contrast, the aspect of the emotions which are included in the aspect of Chochmah, which transcends comprehension, do not possess a recognizable or felt existence as an emotion or arousal whatsoever, as of yet.  Of course, they most certainly and necessarily have an existence, even as they are in Chochmah, nonetheless, they are spiritual and refined without any noticeable existence whatsoever.  This is, literally, comparable to the fetus as it is concealed and included when it still is only a seminal drop etc.

(As previously mentioned, the first letter Heh (ה)of the tetragrammaton (the four letter name of G-d, Havayah) refers to the aspect of Binah.  Now, the letter Heh (ה) has a small leg which is in the form of a tiny Vav (ו).  The main body of the Heh (ה) is in the form of the letter Dalet (ד), which represents the aspect of spreading forth to a length and breadth.  This is the aspect of the length and breadth of the comprehension of Binah itself.  The small leg of the Heh (ה), which is in the form of a Vav (ו) (which has a numerical value of six) represents the aspect of the six emotions (of Zeir Anpin) as they are included within the “womb” of Imma (Binah).  However, at this stage of the emotions, they are only a “tiny Vav”, representing the smallness and immaturity of the emotions.  This is because as long as the emotions are concealed within Binah they are only like a fetus which is “folded over three within three, with its head between his knees” (i.e. in the “fetal position”).

This is in contrast to how the emotions are included in the aspect of Chochmah. As previously explained, Chochmah corresponds to the letter Yud (י) of the four letter name of G-d. The letter Yud (י) is like a point. The six emotions (and the aspect of Malchut) are included in the Yud (י) of Chochmah in a manner of total concealment. They are not observable in the Yud (י) itself, but are only implied. That is, when one spells out the implied letters of Yud (י) it is spelled Yud-Vav-Dalet (יו”ד). The letter Vav (ו) has a numerical value of six and corresponds to the aspect of the six emotional qualities of Zeir Anpin. (As will be explained later on in the book, the letter Dalet (ד) corresponds to the aspect of Malchut, which is called “Dal – Poor” (דל), as she has nothing of her own but only what she receives from the other Sefirot.) Thus, these aspects are included in Chochmah in a manner of total concealment.[2])

From all of the above we may now understand why it is that when the emotions of Zeir Anpin are still included in the aspect of Abba (Chochmah)it is considered to be a true “Inclusion – Hitkaleloot”.  In contrast, when they descend as a seminal flash to become developed in Imma (Binah) they are considered to be in a state of gestation, like a fetus in the womb of its mother, and are called an “Ubar – Fetus”.  This is the first state of the emotions, as they are still within the intellectual statures of Abba and Imma, before they are “born” as a “something” in and of themselves.[3]