That feeling is at the heart of a profound idea in Kabbalah.

We're diving into the Sulam Commentary, specifically section 52, which tackles a complex, yet beautiful concept: how seemingly separate things are intertwined, how one can become three, and three can become one. It all revolves around the ascent of what's called “feminine waters” of Ze’er Anpin. Now, Ze’er Anpin is a Kabbalistic term referring to a particular configuration of the divine attributes, but for our purposes, think of it as a force yearning for connection.

The text explains that this ascent is all about uniting the right and left lines of Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna. These lines, right and left, represent different aspects of divine energy – like mercy and judgment. But they need something to bring them together, something to mediate between them. And that something is a "partition of ḥirik."

Ḥirik? That’s probably new to you. Think of it as a point of division, a point of focus within Ze’er Anpin. It’s through this partition that the middle line is completed. Why is that middle line so important? Because it mediates between those two opposing lines of Bina (Understanding).

So, what happens next? Three lines emerge in Bina! These lines are called Ḥokhma (Wisdom), Bina (Understanding), and Da’at (Knowledge). As we’ve touched on before, Da’at plays a crucial role in rectifying these lines.

Think of it this way: the yearning from below – the ascent of the feminine waters – triggers a change above. And this change isn't just confined to the upper realm. It's also reflected below, in the very place where the yearning originated. This is because, as the text states, the light that a lower level causes to illuminate in an upper level is also merited by the lower level.

Therefore, because Ze’er Anpin, with its partition, caused these three lines – Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da’at – to emerge in Yisrael Sabba and Tevuna, Ze’er Anpin also merits its own three lines of Ḥokhma, Bina, and Da’at. It’s a beautiful feedback loop of divine energy.

And this is where we arrive at the heart of the matter, the quote from the Zohar (Bereshit 1:363): "Three come out of one; one exists in three."

Isn't that profound? It encapsulates the entire process we’ve been discussing. The single yearning gives rise to three distinct expressions, and yet, those three expressions are ultimately contained within, and inseparable from, that original, singular source.

It's a reminder that the universe isn't just a collection of separate pieces. Everything is connected, influencing, and reflecting everything else. What does this all mean for us? Perhaps it’s an invitation to see the interconnectedness of all things, to recognize the ripple effect of our actions, and to understand that even the smallest yearning can have profound consequences in both the heavens and on earth.