98. “On the day of the snow, on the day, etc.” “On the day of the snow” (II Samuel 23:20). That is, on the day when the sins caused [their downfall], when the judgment was issued above, from the supernal courthouse. It is therefore written: “She is not afraid of the snow for her household” (Proverbs 31:21), as this is the supernal judgment, which is termed “snow.” Why is she not afraid**? “For her entire household is clothed in scarlet”** (Proverbs 31:21), and therefore she could tolerate a strong fire. Until here is the secret of the verse.

Explanation: The judgments that correspond to the male are called “snow,” and therefore they are considered to be drawn from the supernal courthouse. These judgments are very harsh at first, but slight in the end, as they are mitigated only at the conclusion, which is the Nukba. With respect to those judgments, the Nukba said: “Stay me with dainties [ashishot]” (Song of Songs 2:5), alluding to two ishot [“fires”], the upper fire, which is Bina, and her own fire.

Subsequently, once [the Nukba] has those two fires, she mitigates the cold judgments of the snow, since her fire alleviates their chill. This is the meaning of the statement: “‘She is not afraid of the snow for her household, ’ this is the supernal judgment,” referring to the harsh judgments of the masculine, which is called the supernal judgment. “Why? ‘For her entire household is clothed in scarlet [shanim]’” – two [shenayim], which is the mystical meaning of those two fires. Since her household is clothed in two fires, “she is not afraid of the snow for her household.” On the contrary, the snow is tempered in her fires.

[The Zohar] thus states that “she could tolerate a strong fire,” as this snow helps her bear her fires. This is informing us that now that the partitions and fusions of Ban and Sag have been nullified, and those two fires have [likewise] been nullified, the judgments of snow have regained their strength. “Until here is the secret of the verse. What is written after it... [from the start of the next section].” This is alluding to the fact that what has been presented thus far was revealed immediately after the fusion of the Atik Yomin, but what appears in the next verse is a consequence and comes afterwards.