Section: The World of Repair (Openings 59–69)
This chapter resolves a difficulty implicit in Op. 63: did Male/Female only emerge after the repair? Answer: Male/Female existed before the Nekudim (in AK above) — but in the Nekudim specifically, the proper Male/Female repair was lacking because BaN emerged on its own; only when MaH joined via the repair did the Nekudim enter the category of Male/Female. From Atzilut downwards, every root of Male/Female depends on the Balance (matkela = MaH-BaN joining). Two parts: (Part 1) Male/Female found above the Nekudim too (in AK). Etz Chayim, Shaar Derushey HaNekudot ch. 2 p. 36b: coupling of AV and SaG (male and female) took place before Nekudim. Logical reason: each limb is composite of Kindness and Judgment → must have two generators. This combination also existed after the Tzimtzum (Line and Residue = Kindness and Judgment). Therefore two generators (male and female) must exist there too. (Part 2) The difference in the Nekudim: initially lacked proper Male/Female repair — specifically because BaN emerged on its own. The lack was specific to the Nekudim, not overall. In Nekudim no coupling until after the repair. Only then was MaH put into them via the repair = new state. So: every root of Male/Female from Atzilut and downwards depends on the Balance — because the existence of Kindness/Judgment higher up did not bring the Nekudim into the Male/Female category (BaN-alone difference). The Balance introduced Male/Female (Balance = joining of MaH-BaN, fixing the relative proportion of MaH and BaN parts in each Partzuf). Hence: Balance governs Male/Female throughout. The Balance is the root of this aspect.
This is the unit's seventh chapter — Op. 63-64 detailed the Male-Female-coupling mechanism for the Nekudim's repair. Op. 65 broadens out to ask: was Male/Female new in the Nekudim? Answer: no, it existed above; but the Nekudim's specific failure required the Balance to bring them into that category, so from Atzilut downwards the Balance is the root of Male/Female.
Part 1 — Male/Female above the Nekudim too. AV-SaG coupling before Nekudim (Etz Chayim, Shaar Derushey HaNekudot ch. 2 p. 36b). Logical reason: limbs composite of Kindness/Judgment → two generators. After Tzimtzum: Line + Residue = Kindness + Judgment → two generators (male/female).
Part 2 — The Nekudim's specific lack. Lack specific to Nekudim, not overall. BaN emerged on own → no coupling until after repair → MaH joined via repair = new state. From Atzilut downwards, every Male/Female root depends on Balance. Balance fixes relative proportion of MaH-and-BaN parts. Balance governs throughout.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
ענין הדו"ן שלפני הנקודים ושלאחר התיקון:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> Male and Female before the Nekudim. The Balance as the root of Male and Female thereafter. Plain English: Theme: Male/Female before Nekudim; Balance = root of Male/Female thereafter.
Concepts: male_female_above_nekudim, matkela_balance, balance_governs_throughout.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
ענין הדו"ן נמצא גם למעלה מזה, כיון שכבר הושמה ההנהגה בסוד חסד ודין. אלא בנקודים היה השינוי, שבתחלה לא היה בהם תיקון דו"ן, יען יצא הב"ן לבדו, ואחר כך ניתן בהם מ"ה על ידי התיקון. ולכן כל שורש של דו"ן שמהאצילות ולמטה תלוי במתקלא, שהוא סוד חיבור מ"ה וב"ן:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> The aspect of Male and Female is also found above this, since the governmental order had already been founded on the mystery of Kindness and Judgment. The difference in the Nekudim was that initially they lacked the proper repair of the aspect of Male and Female on account of BaN's having emerged on its own. Only afterwards was MaH put into them through the process of the repair. Accordingly, every root involving Male and Female from Atzilut and downwards depends upon the Balance, which is the mystery of the joining of MaH and BaN. Plain English: Five claims: (1) Male/Female also above this (above Nekudim); (2) governmental order already on Kindness/Judgment foundation; (3) Nekudim's initial lack of proper Male/Female repair — BaN emerged on its own; (4) MaH put into them only afterwards via repair; (5) every root of Male/Female from Atzilut downwards depends on the Balance (= MaH-BaN joining).
Concepts: male_female_above_nekudim, mah_ban_joining, matkela_balance, balance_governs_throughout.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
זה תירוץ קושיא על שאמרנו שדו"ן נתחדש אחר התיקון:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> This resolves a difficulty arising out of our earlier discussion in Opening 63 implying that the aspect of Male and Female was a new innovation after the repair. Plain English: Resolves Op. 63 difficulty implying Male/Female was new innovation after repair.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
חלקי המאמר הזה ב'. ח"א, ענין הדו"ן, והוא הקדמה זאת שיש דו"ך למעלה. ח"ב, אלא שבנקודים וכו', והוא ענין אחד פרטי שיש בנקודים בענין זה, שבו מתורצת הקושיא הנ"ל:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> This proposition has two parts. Part 1: The aspect of Male and Female... This initial premise explains that the aspect of Male and Female does indeed exist higher up, prior to the Nekudim. Part 2: The difference... This explains a particular aspect of the Nekudim whereby the above-mentioned difficulty is resolved. Plain English: Two parts: (1) Male/Female above Nekudim; (2) Nekudim's particular aspect resolves the difficulty.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
חלק א: ענין הדו"ן נמצא גם למעלה מזה, זה פשוט, שהרי נראה מן הדרושים שכבר היה זיווג דע"ב וס"ג דא"ק קודם שיצאו הנקודים:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> Part 1: The aspect of Male and Female is also found above this... (i.e. in the worlds of Adam Kadmon above the Nekudim.) This is obvious, because it is evident in the teachings of the ARI (Etz Chayim, Shaar Derushey HaNekudot ch. 2 p. 36b) that the coupling of AV and SaG (which are in the category of male and female) took place before the emergence of the Nekudim. Plain English: Above this = AK above Nekudim. Etz Chayim, Shaar Derushey HaNekudot ch. 2 p. 36b: coupling of AV and SaG (male and female) took place before the emergence of the Nekudim.
Concepts: male_female_above_nekudim, av_sag_coupling, av_expansion, sag_expansion.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
כיון שכבר הושמה ההנהגה בסוד חסד ודין, וזה ראיה. וגם טעמא דמסתבר על היות הזיווג. והיינו שכל ענין זה נמשך מפני שכיון שכל אבר מורכב מחסד ודין, צריך לו שני מולידים כנ"ל. אך הרכבה זאת היתה גם באורות העליונים אחר שנהיה הצמצום, אחר שיש קו ורשימו, אם כן גם שני המולידים צריך שיהיו:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> ...since the governmental order had already been founded on the mystery of Kindness and Judgment. This proves and also provides a logical reason for the existence of coupling prior to the repair. For this entire concept derives from the fact that since each limb is a composite of Kindness and Judgment, it must have two generators, as discussed earlier. However this combination also existed in the supreme lights after the Tzimtzum took place, as soon as there was a Line and a Residue (which are in the categories of Kindness and Judgment respectively). If so, there must likewise be two generators (in the category of male and female). Plain English: Logical reason: limb = composite of Kindness/Judgment → must have two generators (Op. 63). Combination existed after Tzimtzum — Line + Residue = Kindness + Judgment. Therefore two generators (male and female) must exist there too.
Concepts: two_generators_per_function, chessed, din, line_kav, reshimu, tzimtzum, male_female_above_nekudim.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
חלק ב: אלא בנקודים היה השינוי, שבתחילה לא היה בהם תיקון דו"ן, אם כן קשה איך אנו אומרים שדו"ן תלוי במתקלא, שהיה בזמן התיקון. אלא התשובה היא, שזה הענין אינו כללי, אלא פרטי. פירוש - שבנקודים לא היה זיווג אלא אחר התיקון:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> Part 2: The difference in the Nekudim was that initially they lacked the proper repair of the aspect of Male and Female... According to what we have just stated (that the aspect of Male and Female was present even before the Nekudim), how can we say that the aspect of Male and Female depends on the Balance (מתקלא, matkela), which originated only in the time of the repair? The answer to this difficulty is that the lack of the repair of the aspect of Male and Female was not overall but specific to the Nekudim. It was in the Nekudim that there was no coupling until after the repair. Plain English: Apparent difficulty: if Male/Female existed before Nekudim, how does Male/Female depend on the Balance (matkela), which originated only at the time of repair? Answer: lack of repair was NOT overall but specific to Nekudim. In Nekudim, no coupling until after the repair.
Concepts: matkela_balance, male_female_above_nekudim, mah_ban_joining.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
יען יצא ב"ן לבדו, זהו הטעם הפרטי שהיה בנקודים, לפי הכוונה המכוונת בהם, כמ"ש עד עתה: ואחר כך ניתן בהם מ"ה על ידי התיקון, שהוא ענין חדש שנתחדש בעולמות האלה, בבחינת מ"ה שנתגלה:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> ...on account of BaN's having emerged on its own. This is the particular reason applying specifically in the case of the Nekudim, in accordance with their intended purpose, as has already been explained. Only afterwards was MaH put into them through the process of the repair. The repair was a new state brought about in these worlds through the revelation of MaH. Plain English: Particular reason for Nekudim: BaN emerged on its own per intended purpose. Afterwards: MaH put into them via repair = new state through revelation of MaH.
Concepts: ban_expansion, mah_expansion, new_state_not_old_state, tikkun_repair.
Source — Hebrew (קל"ח פתחי חכמה):
ולכן כל שורש של דו"ן שמהאצילות ולמטה תלוי במתקלא, שהוא סוד חיבור מ"ה וב"ן, זהו מה שאנו אומרים שדו"ן בא מן המתקלא, כי היות למעלה חסד ודין - לא גרם לנקודים להיות בדו"ן, מפני השינוי שהיה בהם כנ"ל. רק המתקלא הוא שחידש ענין זה, על כן נתלהו בו. וזה פשוט, כיון שהוא נמשך ממנו, הרי יתנהגו אחריו בכל הענין, ובעבור זה נכירהו לשורש שלו:
Source — English (Greenbaum):
> Accordingly, every root involving Male and Female from Atzilut and downwards depends upon the Balance, which is the mystery of the joining of MaH and BaN. This is the sense in which we are saying that the aspect of Male and Female derives from the Balance. For the existence of Kindness and Judgment higher up did not cause the Nekudim to enter into the category of Male and Female owing to the difference in the case of the Nekudim, as explained above (that BaN emerged alone). It was only the Balance that introduced the aspect of Male and Female (since the Balance consists of the joining of MaH with BaN, which fixes the relative balance of the parts of MaH and those of BaN contained in each Partzuf), and accordingly we relate the aspect of Male and Female to the Balance. And obviously, since the aspect of Male and Female derives in this sense from the Balance, they are governed by the Balance throughout. For this reason we must recognize the Balance as the root of this aspect. Plain English: Every root of Male/Female from Atzilut downwards depends on Balance. Existence of Kindness/Judgment higher up did not bring Nekudim into Male/Female category (BaN-alone difference). Only Balance introduced Male/Female: Balance = joining of MaH-BaN — fixes relative balance of MaH-parts and BaN-parts in each Partzuf. So Male/Female derives from Balance → governed by Balance throughout. Balance = root of this aspect.
Concepts: matkela_balance, mah_ban_joining, balance_governs_throughout, balance_fixes_relative_proportion, male_female_above_nekudim.
Op. 65 resolves a difficulty implicit in Op. 63: did Male/Female only emerge with the repair? The answer distinguishes two questions: (a) Did Male/Female exist before the Nekudim? — Yes, it existed above, in Adam Kadmon, in the coupling of AV and SaG (male and female respectively, Etz Chayim, Shaar Derushey HaNekudot ch. 2 p. 36b) — before the emergence of the Nekudim. The logical reason: each limb is a composite of Kindness and Judgment, so two generators are required (Op. 63); this combination also existed after the Tzimtzum (Line + Residue = Kindness + Judgment); therefore two generators (male and female) must exist there too. (b) Did the Nekudim enter the category of Male/Female before the repair? — No. The lack of the proper Male/Female repair was specific to the Nekudim, not overall — because BaN emerged on its own (per the Nekudim's intended purpose). In the Nekudim, no coupling existed until after the repair. Only when MaH was put into them through the repair — a new state brought about by the revelation of MaH — did the Nekudim enter the Male/Female category. From this distinction comes the chapter's key claim: every root of Male/Female from Atzilut downwards depends on the Balance (matkela, the joining of MaH and BaN). The existence of Kindness and Judgment higher up did NOT bring the Nekudim into Male/Female (BaN was alone); only the Balance did — because the Balance fixes the relative proportion of MaH-parts and BaN-parts contained in each Partzuf. Since Male/Female derives from the Balance, the Balance governs Male/Female throughout — and the Balance is the root of this aspect. The chapter is structurally important: it locates the Balance not as one feature among many, but as the root of the entire Male/Female architecture from Atzilut downwards — which means the Balance is the root of every coupling, every developmental step, every Partzuf-construction throughout the rectified ABYA.
male_female_above_nekudim, av_sag_coupling, balance_governs_throughout, balance_fixes_relative_proportion.Op. 65 says Male and Female above Nekudim too — AV/SaG coupling. The Balance (matkela) is the root of Male and Female from Atzilut downwards. Forecasts Op. 63.