THE NAKEDNESS OF THY FATHER’S BROTHER THOU SHALT NOT UNCOVER. R. Judah taught that this refers to Israel below, and “the mother’s sister” to Jerusalem below; for it was for these sins that Israel was destined to go into exile among the peoples and the earthly Jerusalem to be destroyed. Concerning this we have learnt that God showed His love for Israel by calling them brothers, as it is written, “For my brethren and companions’ sake I will speak peace concerning thee” (Ps. 122, 8), the esoteric meaning of which is as follows, as explained by R. Simeon in the name of R. Judah.
The word “companion” refers to one who never parts, and so the supernal Mother is called “companion” because the love of the Father never departs from her, whereas the lower Mother is called “bride” (daughter-in-law) and “sister”.
In this passage it refers to her as “the daughter of thy father” and “the daughter of thy mother”. If she is from the side of the Father she is called Wisdom (Hokhmah), and if from the side of the Mother she is called Understanding (Binah); and in either case she is from both the Father and the Mother; and this is hinted in the words “born at home”, to wit from the side of the Father, “or born abroad”, to wit, from the side of the Mother.
(ויקרא ח"י) עֶרְוַת אֲחִי אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה. תָּאנֵי רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, דָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא. וַאֲחוֹת אִמְּךָ: דָּא יְרוּשָׁלַם דִּלְתַתָּא. דִּבְחוֹבִין אִלֵּין, יִגְלוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּינֵי עֲמְמַיָיא, וְיִתְחֲרִיב יְרוּשָׁלַ ם לְתַתָּא. וְעַל דָּא תָּנֵינָן, רְחִימוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּקָרָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אַחִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים קכ״ב:ח׳) לְמַעַן אַחַי וְרֵעָי אֲדַבְּרָה נָא וְגוֹ'. (ואוקימנא מילין ותמן (ס"א מילי תמן) בת בנה ובת בתה וכו' ואף על גב דאינון באתגלייא ובאתכסיא וכן בתריה. דהא עלמא איצטריך לון, ואינון ישובא דעלמא כמה דכתיב (משלי כ"ז) רעך ורע אביך) וְהַאי רָזָא דְמִלָה. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן
THE NAKEDNESS OF THY FATHER’S BROTHER THOU SHALT NOT UNCOVER. R. Judah taught that this refers to Israel below, and “the mother’s sister” to Jerusalem below; for it was for these sins that Israel was destined to go into exile among the peoples and the earthly Jerusalem to be destroyed. Concerning this we have learnt that God showed His love for Israel by calling them brothers, as it is written, “For my brethren and companions’ sake I will speak peace concerning thee” (Ps. 122, 8), the esoteric meaning of which is as follows, as explained by R. Simeon in the name of R. Judah.
אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, אִי אַחַי לָמָּה רֵעַי, וְאִי רֵעַי לָמָּה אַחַי. אֶלָּא תָּאנָא, הַהוּא מִלָּה דְּלָא אִתְעָדֵי לְעָלְמִין, אִקְרֵי רֵעַ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר רֵעֲךָ וְרֵעַ אָבִיךָ אַל תַּעֲזוֹב. וְהַאי רָזָא דְּמִלָּה דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אִימָא עִלָּאָה, רַעְיָא אִקְרֵי, בְּגִין דְּלָא אִתְעָדֵי (ס"א ע"ב) רְחִימוּתָא דְּאַבָּא מִנָּהּ לְעָלְמִין. וְאִימָא תַּתָּאָה כַּלָה אִקְרֵי, וְאִקְרֵי אֲחוֹת, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא (שיר השירים ח׳:ח׳) אֲחוֹת לָנוּ קְטַנָּה.
The word “companion” refers to one who never parts, and so the supernal Mother is called “companion” because the love of the Father never departs from her, whereas the lower Mother is called “bride” (daughter-in-law) and “sister”.
וְהַיְינוּ סְתָם מַתְנִיתָא דִּילָן, דִּכְתִּיב הָכָא, עֶרְוַת אֲחוֹתְךָ בַת אָבִיךָ אוֹ בַת אִמֶּךָ, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר בַת אָבִיךָ, מַאי אוֹ בַת אִמֶּךָ. אֶלָּא, אִי מִסִּטְרָא דְּאַבָּא אִשְׁתְּכַחַת, חָכְמָה אִתְקְרֵי. וְאִי מִסִּטְרָא דְּאִימָא, בִּינָה אִתְקְרֵי. וְעַל כָּל פָּנִים בֵּין הַאי וּבֵין הַאי, מֵאִימָא וְאַבָּא אִשְׁתְּכַחַת. דְּהָא יוֹ"ד לָא אִתְעָדֵי מִן ה' לְעָלְמִין. וְדָא הוּא רָזָא דְּמִלָּה, מוֹלֶדֶת בַּיִת: מִסִּטְרָא דְּאַבָּא. אוֹ מוֹלֶדֶת חוּץ: מִסִּטְרָא דְּאִימָא.
In this passage it refers to her as “the daughter of thy father” and “the daughter of thy mother”. If she is from the side of the Father she is called Wisdom (Hokhmah), and if from the side of the Mother she is called Understanding (Binah); and in either case she is from both the Father and the Mother; and this is hinted in the words “born at home”, to wit from the side of the Father, “or born abroad”, to wit, from the side of the Mother.