Kabbalah Library

21) “These are the generations of Jacob, Joseph, seventeen years old.” After Joseph settled in Jacob, and ZA, the sun, made a coupling with the moon, Nukva, Joseph began to beget offspring. This is because that same river which comes out of Eden, Yesod, Joseph, makes the generations, since its waters never stop.

The souls of Israel were born from coupling ZON. But ZA does not bear souls before he rises and clothes AVI, whose coupling never stops. At that time, he obtains Yesod of Gadlut [adulthood], called “Joseph,” since then Joseph, Yesod of Gadlut, sits in Jacob, ZA. At that time, Joseph begins to beget offspring, and not before.

22) Although ZA, the sun, conjoined with the moon, Nukva, to produce fruits and to beget offspring to the world, he bears fruit only from the degree of righteous, Yesod, Joseph, which is Jacob’s degree, too. This is why it is written, “These are the generations of Jacob, Joseph.”

The last degree of ZA, called “righteous” or Yesod, is the one that carries the screen upon which the upper light strikes, and ZA rises and dresses it. This is how all the degrees and levels are emanated.

23) “These are the generations of Jacob, Joseph.” Anyone who gazed upon the form of Joseph would say that it is the form of Jacob. But of all of Jacob’s sons, it does not say, “These are the generations of Jacob, Reuben,” or Shimon, only of Joseph, as it is written, “These are the generations of Jacob, Joseph,” since his form was similar to the form of his father.

Jacob is Tifferet, the middle line, which decides between the two lines from the Chazeh upwards, which are Hesed and Gevura. Similarly, Joseph is Yesod, a middle line that determines between the two lines from the Chazeh downwards, between Netzah and Hod. Thus, their form is the same, since both are the form of the middle line that determines between the edges.

24) “…being seventeen years old…” the Creator implied to him that when Joseph was taken away, he was seventeen years of age. And all the time that remained after he was seventeen years old, when he did not see Joseph, he wept for those seventeen years. And as he was weeping for them, the Creator gave him seventeen other years, which he lived in the land of Egypt with joy and honors and in complete wholeness. His son, Joseph was a king, and all his sons were before him. These seventeen years were considered by him as life, which is why the text tells us that Joseph was seventeen years old when he was taken away from him.

Yesod, which is Joseph, is called “seventeen,” since it contains the “double bread,” which means light of Hochma, as well as light of Hassadim, which is the completion of the souls. And the light of Hochma in it is implied by the number seven, since it shines with the light of Nukva, called “seventh,” only from below upwards, lacking GAR of GAR. And the light of Hassadim in it is implied by the number ten because it shines from above downwards; hence the number is complete.

This is what the Creator implied to him, that when Joseph perished, he was seventeen years old, that the measure of the completeness of Joseph’s degree is seventeen years, which contains the complete wholeness, Hochma and Hassadim. And all those days that remained after he was seventeen years old, which Joseph did not see, he was crying over those seventeen years, over Joseph’s great degree that he had lost.

And as he was crying over them, the Creator gave him seventeen other years, after he found Joseph once more, in Egypt. Those seventeen years were regarded for him as life because the light of Hochma is regarded as light of Haya. And since seventeen contains Hochma, as well, it is considered life for him. But when Joseph was taken away, he had light of Hassadim without Hochma, which is not considered life for him, and similarly before Joseph was born.