Sources – Chapter J

Love

Now the aspect of zivug panim be'fanim (face-to-face union) is called the inclusion of the Nukva (the Feminine) in the Dechura (the Masculine). For through complete greatness (gadlut), without any diminution – which is the great yearning of Israel for the Creator, blessed be He, as our Sages said: "each and every one pointed with his finger and said, 'This is Hashem, we have hoped in Him'" – they became one with Him, blessed be He, and were included in Him, and became one unity, through the great cleaving and yearning that they arouse in themselves for the Creator, blessed be His name; and also through the great yearning that is aroused, as it were, in Him, blessed be He, to cleave to Knesset Yisrael (the Community of Israel), through the greatness of their perception. For we, the children of Israel, are in the secret of the Nukva, for we receive all the influx from Him, blessed be He, as the verse says: "Moses commanded us the Torah, an inheritance…" (Deuteronomy 33:4) – do not read morashah (inheritance) but me'orasah (betrothed). Therefore at the giving of the Torah, when the aspect of face-to-face union took place, it is said: "Go to the people and sanctify them…" (Exodus 19:10), which is the secret of kiddushin (betrothal) to the Nukva. And then, as it were, a unity was made through inclusion, so that [Israel] is also called by the name "male," through the inclusion of the aspect of Nukva in Dechura, by the great yearning and love for Him, blessed be He, in the great attainment of da'at (awareness) without katnut (smallness). By way of analogy – with a thousand thousand thousand distinctions – in physical union, through desire the inclusion of the female in the male takes place, and through this comes birth, and they become "one flesh," on account of the inclusion and unity that was first made in their spirit; without this there would be no birth afterwards, to become one flesh. Therefore one who lives without a wife is called only "half a body." So too in the analogue – with a thousand thousand thousand distinctions, without end or limit – with His Godliness, blessed be He, and Knesset Yisrael: when it is in the aspect of face-to-face union, Knesset Yisrael is called the aspect of "male," on account of its inclusion in the aspect of male.
(Bereishit)

But "not like these" is "Hashem's portion, His people" – the children of Israel, for we have da'at: "Know the God of your father and serve Him." We must raise the aspect of love to the supernal love, as explained elsewhere, and as the Baal Shem Tov, whose soul is in the treasuries on high, said: "And if a man takes his sister… it is chesed (kindness)" (Leviticus 20:17) – that is, the fallen love, which one must elevate, as explained elsewhere; and likewise with all the middot (traits). And this is "And these (ve'eleh)" – the Vav, which is the secret of da'at, through which one elevates the middot; and then it "adds to the former matter," for he adds to and expands the boundary of holiness by bringing out the holy sparks from the kelipah (husk) and elevating them.
(Me'or Einayim – Toldot)

The general rule is that all physical and created things are only a mashal (parable), to understand from them the nimshal (the meaning), which is the aspect of Godliness within that thing; and through this "the whole earth is full of His glory." Just as when a teacher wishes to explain some matter to a student, and the student cannot grasp it unless the teacher lowers the matter for him and clothes it according to his intellect, and through this he understands the meaning – so is the intention of the Creator, blessed be He, in His world, in that the supernal middot were imprinted also in lowly and material things, as it is written: "See, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil" (Deuteronomy 30:15). For this is the free choice in a person's hand: to draw himself with that trait either upward or downward. "And you shall choose life" – meaning the vitality, the intention of the Creator, blessed be He, within that thing. For the reverse, God forbid, is called death, for he brings the trait down below, since "whoever descends from his level, it is said of him 'and he died.'" And this is "See life with the woman whom you love" (Ecclesiastes 9:9): meaning, with that love, look at the vitality that is clothed in that thing, and do not be drawn downward, leaving the trait in contraction there; rather, cleave through it to the love of the Creator, and then the trait will rise to its root, which is the aspect of life.

And this is "And if a man takes his sister – it is chesed" (Leviticus 20:17), as explained by us elsewhere in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, may his soul rest in the treasuries on high: for the supernal love [descended] so that through it they could come to the love of Hashem, for without this that trait would not be aroused in him. Therefore the Torah said: "And if a man takes his sister" and is drawn downward with that trait – how did he not set his mind to understand that "it is chesed," meaning that it has fallen from the supernal attribute of chesed so that through it it would be easy for him to come to the love of the Creator, blessed be He? On the contrary, through it he is drawn downward and compels, as it were, the will and intention of the Creator, blessed be He, to change it – and a word to the wise is enough. And there is no greater blemish than this, God forbid.

Translated from the Hebrew sources page "מקורות- פרק י" by Roni Ayalon-Hirsch.