In Kabbalah, the relationships between different aspects of the divine can feel a bit like that. We've talked about MaH and BaN before, but let's dive a little deeper, guided by the ancient text, Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, or "Sixty-Four Openings of Wisdom."
Now, a question might pop into your head: Didn’t we say that MaH chooses what's suitable from BaN? But then, in this particular "opening," it seems like BaN is where the selection process actually happens, and that the descent of MaH depends on BaN. Confusing. It’s like wondering if the chicken or the egg came first.
The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah offers a beautiful way to understand this apparent contradiction. It explains that, yes, this arrangement between MaH and BaN – figuring out which parts of each were suited to the other – was established right at the very beginning. MaH made the initial selection, guided by its own inherent nature. Think of it like this: MaH laid out the blueprints.
How did this happen? Well, it involves the mystery of the drop of Adam Kadmon’s Male Waters. Adam Kadmon, you'll recall, is the primordial, archetypal human. This "drop," according to Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah, sweetened the Primordial Kings. This is connected to the mystery of Yesod of Adam Kadmon, which sweetened Malchut. Yesod (Foundation) and Malchut (Kingdom) are Sefirot, divine attributes, playing crucial roles in the structure of creation.
From this foundation emerged the Reisha delo ityeda (רישא דלא אתידע), the "Head that is not Known." This concept, which we'll explore further later, represents a realm beyond our immediate understanding. It's like the unknowable source from which all things emanate.
So, where does that leave us? The text continues by explaining that after this initial stage, the overall Nukva – the feminine aspect, the Bride – goes through a process of selecting what is suitable, based on that original, supreme division. In other words, MaH initially chose what could be repaired, providing the "Male Waters" as the material for that repair. Afterward, the Nukva correspondingly selects what is actually fit to be repaired out of the "breakage."
The Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah clarifies further: The selection by MaH follows the pathways of the world of reward – the "Head that is not Known" that we mentioned. But the actual, practical selection is carried out through the Nukva, by means of the service of the lower creations – us!
So, it’s a layered process. MaH sets the stage, offering the potential for repair, and then the Nukva, through our actions in the world, makes the actual choices about what gets repaired and how. It’s a collaboration, a divine partnership playing out across different realms of existence.
Ultimately, this intricate dance between MaH and BaN, between masculine and feminine, between potential and actualization, reminds us that creation is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process. And we, as participants in that process, have a crucial role to play. What do you choose to repair today?