Here, King Solomon, that legendary figure of wisdom, unveils some secrets about the divine feminine. He speaks of two aspects: Ima and Malchut. Now, Ima literally means "mother," and in Kabbalah, she represents the archetypal Divine Mother, the source of understanding and wisdom. Malchut, on the other hand, means "kingdom," and she symbolizes the realm of manifestation, the world as we experience it.
Solomon explains that Ima is concealed, a hidden wellspring of potential. Malchut, however, is more accessible, more tangible. But here’s the crucial part: the value, the very essence of Malchut, flows entirely from Ima. As it says in the Song of Songs (Shir Hashirim 6:9), “she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bore her.” Think of it like this: the kingdom's splendor is a reflection of the mother's inherent glory.
And what's more, Ima wears the bridal crown! Why? Because Malchut, the bride, ascends to become one with Ima. It’s a beautiful image of unification, of the lower realm finding its completion in the higher. And the benevolence of Yud—representing Chochmah, divine wisdom—towards her is unending. She partakes of both the realms above and the realms below, acting as a bridge, a conduit.
This brings us to the heart of the matter: freedom. The text states that the freedom of slaves, the freedom of all, even the freedom of the evil, rests entirely with Ima. She has the power to purify everything! How? Well, the Idra Zuta connects this to the Jubilee year, the Yovel. As Leviticus (Vayikra 16:30) says, “for on that day will he forgive you,” and further on (Vayikra 25:10) "And you shall hallow the fiftieth year." The Yovel is a time of liberation, of debts forgiven, and of land returned to its original owners.
The text beautifully likens Yovel to a river, a yuval, “that spreads out its roots by the river” (Yirmiyahu 17:8). Ima, that divine mother, is that river. She flows continuously, endlessly, to the garden, which is Malchut. This river of divine grace, this ceaseless flow of Ima's essence, is what cleanses and liberates.
So, what does this mean for us? Perhaps it's a reminder that true freedom isn't just about physical liberation. It’s about tapping into that wellspring of divine grace, that unceasing flow of Ima, that allows us to purify ourselves, to forgive, and to return to our truest, most liberated selves. It suggests that by connecting to the divine feminine within ourselves and in the world, we unlock the potential for profound and lasting freedom. And isn't that a beautiful thought?