The text essentially says: hold on a minute! This idea of male and female isn't some late addition. It's baked into the cosmic cake much earlier than you might think.
Think of it in two parts. First, the very idea of male and female exists way up there, even before the Nekudim. Now, the Nekudim… that's a complex concept in Kabbalah, referring to a world of "points" or "lights" that preceded our current world. So, we're talking about something incredibly primordial.
Then, secondly, there's a specific difference in how this male and female dynamic plays out in the world of Nekudim. This distinction helps us resolve any confusion or seeming contradictions that might arise from our previous discussions.
So, how do we know this? How can we be so sure that this aspect of male and female existed even before the Nekudim?
Well, the Kalach Pitchei Chokhmah says it's "obvious." But it doesn't just leave it at that! It points us to the teachings of the ARI, Rabbi Isaac Luria, the giant of 16th-century Kabbalah. Specifically, it refers to his work Etz Chayim, "The Tree of Life," in the section called Shaar Derushey HaNekudot, "The Gate of the Discourses on the Nekudot."
There, on page 36b, we learn that the joining, the coupling, of AV and SaG happened before the Nekudim even emerged. AV and SaG are two different configurations of the divine name, essentially different aspects of God's self-revelation, and they are understood within a male and female dynamic.
So, what does this all mean? It suggests that the fundamental principle of union, of complementary forces coming together, is not an afterthought. It's not a reaction to some cosmic event. Instead, it is woven into the very fabric of creation, present from the earliest, most primordial stages. The dance between masculine and feminine energies isn't just something we experience in our relationships; it's a reflection of a deeper, cosmic reality. And understanding this can give us a richer appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things.