We learned that the voice [that habitually draws flow from Bina or from Zeir Anpin to malchut] is stopped [because of sins down below] and judgments [aroused in malchut because this flow has stopped [ stir four times a year [corresponding to chesed, gevura, tiferet, and malchut of malchut]. Repentance [bina, that depends on the repentance of Israel; for if they repent, then bina returns to flow down again to malchut] is then left dangling [since bina has no ability to flow down to malchut] until it is made ready [through the repentance of Israel]. When judgments stir [when Israel does not do Teshuvah], a voice resounds and the four corners of the world [corresponding to chesed, gevura, tiferet, and malchut of malchut] go up [Above to receive the power of judgment] and down [to execute it below]. A herald proclaims this process but no one listens to wake up. G‑d is ready [to return the flow to the malchut if Israel return] and in case they repent and return [then Zeir Anpin returns the flow to the malchut]. If they do not, the voice [and the flow from Zeir Anpin] is stopped and the judgments are enacted [below]. Then He is considered as "it grieves Him at His heart" (Gen. 6:6) in the outer houses [the worlds of Beriya, Yetzira and Asiya, for the grief corresponds to the judgment done below but does not affect the "inner house", the world of Atzilut].

Rabbi Yehuda said, We learned,1 that since the Temple was destroyed, not a day passes without evil anger [whereas before this was only aroused four times a year as discussed above]. Why is it so? As we learned,2 Rabbi Yuday said that Rabbi Yesa said that G‑d swore an oath not to enter the supernal Jerusalem [there will be no union with malchut, the 7th level] until Israel enter the earthly Jerusalem [in the days of Mashiach]. For that reason, there is anger [and judgment] in the world.

Rabbi Yosi said, It is written, "The nakedness of your father, or the nakedness of your mother, shall you not uncover." (Lev. 18:7) [Do not cause your sins to repel the higher consciousness of Abba and Imma from influencing Zeir Anpin. When this flow is disrupted, then the lower sefirot are retracted revealing their yesod/foundations; this is called "nakedness", May the Merciful One save us!] and "She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness". We learned that it surely is your mother [Imma Ila'ah/Higher Bina consciousness]. If he [one's sins] uncovered her nakedness, should he return her covering? Yes he certainly should rectify his uncovering [by doing complete teshuvah to repair the damage].

According to what we learned, when the Evil Inclination grows stronger within man, it does so through immoral sexual conduct alone. All sins are attached to that nakedness. It is written, "you shall not uncover." When one makes amends, one returns to cover it. This is called return/repentance.

Rabbi Yitzhak said, All the sins of the world are connected so much that mother/Imma is uncovered [and thus removed from Zeir Anpin and Nukva] for our sins. When it is, all her children are uncovered [because the chashmal/energy of Imma/Bina consciousness that influences Zeir Anpin and Nukva from all sides is removed also from them]. It is also written, "You shall not take the mother bird together with the young." (Deut. 22:6) [Do not let your sins cause the removal of Imma from Zeir Anpin and Nukva.] When the lower world is corrected [through Teshuvah], everything is corrected until the correction rises to Holy Imma. She is then corrected and that which was uncovered is covered. It is therefore written, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." (Ps. 32:1) [Then her yesod is covered and protected from any kelipot.] She is then called repentance indeed [and she is cleansed of sin and returns healed], and is called Yom Kippur, as it says "that you may be clean from all your sins before G‑d." (Lev. 16:30) ["Before" G‑d means that Binah is returned to her proper place - "before" Zeir Anpin, who is referred to as G‑d.]

Rabbi Yehuda said, When is it [the sign that Israel has returned] called repentance? When the mother is covered and stands joyfully by the children,[and gives them their consciousness] as it is written, "A joyful mother of children." (Ps. 118) [She is joyful to flow into her children Zeir Anpin and Nukva] She is established [and vested in her children] and that [those sparks of Holiness] which was closed and concealed [inside the kelipot] returns to its place. All the levels return one by one, and every one of them are blessed. Then it is considered repentance, repentance in general that includes everything.

BeRahamim LeHayyim: Why did the Ari and Chida include this section? What do they want us to learn?

"Momma told me, you'd better shop around..." If she meant to be REAL CAREFUL where you put your desires, passions, life force energy, she was right. Because we are bonded with Momma/Imma in a unique way. That is why when we pray for health we go through Momma. Momma makes us a Jew, so if one's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's mother is Jewish, that person is a 100% Jew, no question. We get our association to a specific tribe from Papa, but not our Jewish identity.

if we mess up, this stain doesn't stay with merely us below, it actually moves and blemishes a higher realm, our relationship with our Supernal Mother. See, our life's work is to get back to the Garden, to the womb where we lived a life in a Mikveh, in the yesod of Imma. That is where we need to be spiritually. For we are commanded "to work and to guard" the Garden. Living mindfully means living in the moment, with conscious reflection on consequences. Teshuva means that we've recognized our miss-take, regretted it, and resolved not to do it again. Those 3 steps, if done correctly, take us home. "You can never go home again," therefore, is not a Jewish saying. Yes, "a man must leave his Abba and Imma and cling to his wife," but come Neilah-time in less than 40 days, we're back home, by hook or by crook.

What does the above mean for your teshuva, and why is it revealed now?

Bracketed annotations from Metok Midevash and Sulam commentaries
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