אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר. אמרו חכמינו ז"ל, (נדה דל"א ע"א) אשה מזרעת תחלה יולדת זכר כו', דיש שני מיני התעוררות, ענין א' הוא שמתעורר הוא תחלה בתשובה וכיוצא ודבר טוב, ואחר כך מסייעין אותו מלמעלה, כדין (יומא דל"ח ע"ב) הבא לטהר מסייעין אותו, התעוררות ב' שאינו נותן לב לשוב מעצמו בתשובה, או לעשות טוב, כי אם על ידי שמעוררין אותו מלמעלה תחלה אז מתעורר למטה לעשות תשובה, והנפקותא בין שני התעוררות אלו שמעתי ממורי זלה"ה בסוד אשה מזרעת תחלה יולדת זכר שהוא רחמים וכו', והכי נמי כך, אם התעוררות מלמטה תחלה שהוא מיין נוקבין, ואחר כך בא מלמעלה מיין דכורין, הוי זכר רחמים, ובהיפוך הוי דינא: (בן פורת יוסף בדרוש לש"ת תקכ"א, דקט"ו ע"ג, ובדרוש לשה"ג תקכ"ז, דק"ז ע"א).
And the L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, saying: If a woman gives seed, and bears a male child . . . (Leviticus 12:1-2) The Sages said: “When a woman emits seed first, she will conceive a male child.”1Nidah 31a. According to the Talmud, both men and women emit seed during coitus. If the woman emits seed first, the child will be a boy. If the man emits seed first, the child will be a girl. That is, there are two levels of [spiritual] awakening. In one case, a person takes the initiative to repent or perform some good deed, and afterward, receives help from Above, as it is said: “When a person comes to purify himself, they help him.”2Yoma 38b. In the second case, a person does not think of repenting or doing good unless they arouse him first from Above. Only then does he become motivated to repent. The difference between these two forms of arousal is alluded to in the verse: “If a woman gives seed, and bears a male child” – which is Compassion, etc.3This is based upon the Kabbalistic principle that there are two basic spiritual forces at work in the universe: love-compassion versus severity-judgment. These forces are also defined in terms of lights and vessels, expansion and contraction, upper and lower worlds. Masculine energy is considered expansive, whereas feminine energy is contractive, in that it forms a vessel to hold the light. Both must work in conjunction to create a harmonious balance in the Sefirot and in the Worlds (thus forming a third principle of Tiferet – Harmony). When we engender a relationship with G-d through our proper actions, then the “woman” – i.e. this world – takes an active role, and engenders the “birth” of a corresponding flow of compassion from Above, a “male child.” However, when an influx of spiritual light reaches us spontaneously, without our participation, then we are merely receivers, which is the aspect of severity and judgment, and the light that reaches us reflects these qualities as well. R. Yaakov Meir Shechter, a contemporary Jerusalem kabbalist, explains this differently. When a person initiates the relationship with G-d, he deserves any illumination that he receives. However, when the illumination reaches him spontaneously, then heaven judges him to see what he did, or what he will do, to deserve such a gift. That is, if the lower arousal, which is “Feminine Waters,”4Feminine Waters, Mayin Nukvin, means all those actions that we take the initiative to perform, and that rise up from this lower world to engender a corresponding outflow – Masculine Waters, Mayin D’churin – from the upper worlds. comes first, then the “Masculine Waters” – Compassion – will descend from above. But if the opposite occurs, the result will be Strict Judgments. Ben Poras Yosef, Derush l’Shabbos Teshuva, p. 230
אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר. אמרו חכמינו ז"ל, (נדה דל"א ע"א) אשה מזרעת תחלה יולדת זכר כו', דיש שני מיני התעוררות, ענין א' הוא שמתעורר הוא תחלה בתשובה וכיוצא ודבר טוב, ואחר כך מסייעין אותו מלמעלה, כדין (יומא דל"ח ע"ב) הבא לטהר מסייעין אותו, התעוררות ב' שאינו נותן לב לשוב מעצמו בתשובה, או לעשות טוב, כי אם על ידי שמעוררין אותו מלמעלה תחלה אז מתעורר למטה לעשות תשובה, והנפקותא בין שני התעוררות אלו שמעתי ממורי זלה"ה בסוד אשה מזרעת תחלה יולדת זכר שהוא רחמים וכו', והכי נמי כך, אם התעוררות מלמטה תחלה שהוא מיין נוקבין, ואחר כך בא מלמעלה מיין דכורין, הוי זכר רחמים, ובהיפוך הוי דינא:
(בן פורת יוסף בדרוש לש"ת תקכ"א, דקט"ו ע"ג, ובדרוש לשה"ג תקכ"ז, דק"ז ע"א).
And the L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, saying: If a woman gives seed, and bears a male child . . . (Leviticus 12:1-2)
The Sages said: “When a woman emits seed first, she will conceive a male child.”1Nidah 31a. According to the Talmud, both men and women emit seed during coitus. If the woman emits seed first, the child will be a boy. If the man emits seed first, the child will be a girl. That is, there are two levels of [spiritual] awakening. In one case, a person takes the initiative to repent or perform some good deed, and afterward, receives help from Above, as it is said: “When a person comes to purify himself, they help him.”2Yoma 38b. In the second case, a person does not think of repenting or doing good unless they arouse him first from Above. Only then does he become motivated to repent.
The difference between these two forms of arousal is alluded to in the verse: “If a woman gives seed, and bears a male child” – which is Compassion, etc.3This is based upon the Kabbalistic principle that there are two basic spiritual forces at work in the universe: love-compassion versus severity-judgment. These forces are also defined in terms of lights and vessels, expansion and contraction, upper and lower worlds. Masculine energy is considered expansive, whereas feminine energy is contractive, in that it forms a vessel to hold the light. Both must work in conjunction to create a harmonious balance in the Sefirot and in the Worlds (thus forming a third principle of Tiferet – Harmony). When we engender a relationship with G-d through our proper actions, then the “woman” – i.e. this world – takes an active role, and engenders the “birth” of a corresponding flow of compassion from Above, a “male child.” However, when an influx of spiritual light reaches us spontaneously, without our participation, then we are merely receivers, which is the aspect of severity and judgment, and the light that reaches us reflects these qualities as well.
R. Yaakov Meir Shechter, a contemporary Jerusalem kabbalist, explains this differently. When a person initiates the relationship with G-d, he deserves any illumination that he receives. However, when the illumination reaches him spontaneously, then heaven judges him to see what he did, or what he will do, to deserve such a gift. That is, if the lower arousal, which is “Feminine Waters,”4Feminine Waters, Mayin Nukvin, means all those actions that we take the initiative to perform, and that rise up from this lower world to engender a corresponding outflow – Masculine Waters, Mayin D’churin – from the upper worlds. comes first, then the “Masculine Waters” – Compassion – will descend from above. But if the opposite occurs, the result will be Strict Judgments.
Ben Poras Yosef, Derush l’Shabbos Teshuva, p. 230