84. “For there are two ‘peaces, ’ etc.” For there are two “peaces” below. One is Jacob, which is Tiferet, and [the other] one is Joseph, which is Yesod. This is why “peace” is written twice: “Peace, peace, to he who is far off and to he who is near” (Isaiah 57:19). “To he who is far” is Jacob; “and to he who is near” is Joseph. “To he who is far,” as it is stated: “From afar the Lord appeared to me” (Jeremiah 31:2), and likewise: “And his sister stood afar off” (Exodus 2:4). “To he who is near [ve-lakarov],” as it is stated: “New ones, who came up recently [mi-karov]” (Deuteronomy 32:17).

Explanation: “For there are two ‘peaces’ below, etc.” “Below” means in [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, which contain the aspect of Jacob, which is Tiferet, and also the aspect of Joseph, which is Yesod. This alludes to the two aspects of fusion that are in [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, since “peace” is the mystical meaning of a [fusion through collision]. ¹, often simply translated as “peace,” comes from the root shalem, which means “wholeness.” A more accurate translation for shalom is “harmony,” expressing the harmonious relationships between different parts, forming a whole. This concept underlies the idea here that shalom is the mystical meaning of fusion between male and female (Ze’er Anpin and Nukba). There is the aspect of higher fusion, to drawing forth the height of Ḥokhma, and there is a lower fusion, for drawing forth [the light of giving]. The higher one is the mystical meaning of Jacob and the lower one is the mystical meaning of Joseph.

footnotes: ¹ The word shalom

As explained earlier (section 14, fourth paragraph), the seven lower [sefirot] cannot receive the height of Ḥokhma without [the light of giving], and therefore the height of Ḥokhma in [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba is considered to be far from them, since they can receive [the height of Ḥokhma] only by enclothing it in [the light of giving]. This is the mystical meaning of: “From afar the Lord appeared to me,” since the height of Ḥokhma is far from him and he needs to enclothe [it] in order to receive it.

Therefore, Jacob’s aspect of peace is called “far,” while the lower fusion, which is the peace of Joseph, is called “near,” for it is received without clothing [of the light of giving]. Moreover, because of the height of [the light of giving in the aspect of Joseph], it can receive [the light of] Ḥokhma as well (as stated in section 14). This is the mystical meaning of the verse: “Peace, peace, to he who is far off and to he who is near,” [referring to] two “peaces,” of Jacob and Joseph, which always operate in the fusion of maturity of [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba. There is a dispute in these “two peaces” that are in [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba, which are considered the mystical meaning of a square, and [Ze’er Anpin and Nukba] end in [the letter] heh, which is the mystical meaning of female. This is not the case for the supernal king, the mystical meaning of Bina; [this structure] ends in [the letter] yod, the mystical meaning of male, and there is no dispute in [this structure]. Even the dynamic of far and near does not apply in Bina itself, as [Bina] is of the aspect of the first three [sefirot], and the first three can receive Ḥokhma “in the near,” that is, they do not need to enclothe [the light of Ḥokhma] in [the light of giving] at all, and they receive Ḥokhma without [the light of giving]. This is alluded to above, that “the supernal king” is the “king who has peace” (section 83), and [the supernal king] does not contain two “peaces,” the way [Ze’er Anpin] and Nukba [do].