Supernal Ima is a friend, lower Ima a bride

377. "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother" (Vayikra 18:14): Rabbi Yehuda said that this verse speaks of Yisrael below, AS YISRAEL ARE THE BROTHERS OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHO IS YOUR FATHER. "Your mother's sister" (Ibid. 13) is Jerusalem on earth, THE SISTER OF MALCHUT ABOVE, YOUR MOTHER. Through these sins IS UNCOVERED THE NAKEDNESS OF YISRAEL, MEANING Yisrael will be in exile among the nations. THE NAKEDNESS OF JERUSALEM IS UNCOVERED, MEANING Jerusalem below will be destroyed. About this, we learned of the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, in that He called Yisrael brothers, as it is written, "For my brethren and friends' sake, I will now say..." (Tehilim 122:8). THEREFORE, THE VERSE SAYS ABOUT THEM, "THE NAKEDNESS OF YOUR FATHER'S BROTHER."

378. Rabbi Yehuda said: If it says "brethren," why IS WRITTEN "friends" and if "friends," why WRITE "brethren?" HE ANSWERS: We have learned that something that is never interrupted is called a friend, as it is said, "Do not forsake your own friend, and your father's friend" (Mishlei 27:10). This is the secret of what Rabbi Shimon said: Supernal Ima, NAMELY BINAH, is called "friend," because the love of Aba never ceases from her. The Ima below, MEANING MALCHUT, is called bride and is called sister, as we have explained the verse, "We have a little sister" (Shir Hashirim 8:8), DENOTING MALCHUT.

379. This is like the Mishnah that is unspecific, MEANING THAT WITH WHAT WAS MENTIONED THAT ABA AND IMA ARE NEVER SEPARATED, THE GENERAL WORDS OF THE MISHNAH WILL BE UNDERSTOOD. It is written here, "The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or daughter of your mother" (Vayikra 18:9). Since it is said, "the daughter of your father," what is "or daughter of your mother?" HE ANSWERS: If she is from the side of Aba, MEANING THE SIDE OF ABA IS DOMINANT IN HER, MALCHUT is named Chochmah. If she is from the side of Ima, MEANING THAT THE SIDE OF IMA IS DOMINANT IN HER, she is called Binah. At any rate, whether from here or there, she is from Aba and Ima TOGETHER, for the Yud, WHICH IS ABA, never parts from the Hei, NAMELY IMA. This is the secret in the verse, "Whether she is born at home" (Ibid.) WHEN SHE IS from the side of Aba and "or born abroad" (Ibid.) WHEN SHE IS from the side of Ima, AS IMA IS THE EXTERNAL PART OF ABA. THE END OF THE VERSE EXPLAINS ITS BEGINNING.

380. Rabbi Aba said, "Through wisdom a house is built" (Mishlei 24:3). What is a house built with Chochmah? Some say it is the river flowing from Eden, MEANING BINAH. For this reason it is WRITTEN, "born at home," MEANING MALCHUT BORN FROM BINAH CONSIDERED A HOUSE FOR CHOCHMAH. "Or born abroad," MEANING when MALCHUT comes out of the Vav, BEING ZEIR ANPIN, as it is written WHEN ADAM, ZEIR ANPIN, SAID ABOUT EVE, MALCHUT, "Bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh" (Beresheet 2:23). It is also written, "And He took one of his sides" (Ibid. 21), SO MALCHUT IS COMING OUT FROM ZEIR ANPIN. This is "born abroad," from the place where Zeir Anpin is, WHICH IS CONSIDERED ON THE OUTSIDE OF IMA, as we have learned.