זוהר, ויחי ע״הZohar, Vayechi 75

Segment 1א׳

סִיּוּמָא דְגוּפָא דָּא, דִּכְתִיב בֵּן פּוֹרָת יוֹסֵף בֵּן פּוֹרָת עֲלֵי עָיִן, אַמַּאי תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי. אֶלָּא בֵּן פּוֹרָת לְעֵילָא. בֵּן פּוֹרָת לְתַתָּא. וְאַמַּאי לָאו אִיהוּ בֵּן פּוֹרָת לְתַתָּא, בְּתִקּוּנִי מַטְרוֹנִיתָא. בְּגִין דְּבָנוֹת צָעֲדָה, לְמֶהֱוֵי עֲלֵי שׁוּר, דְּבָעְיָין בָּנוֹת לְתִקּוּנָהָא וְלָא בָנִים. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (משלי ל״א:כ״ט) רַבּוֹת בָּנוֹת עָשׂוּ חָיִל וְגו'. רַבּוֹת בָּנוֹת עָשׂוּ חָיִל, אִלֵּין תְּרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין.

JOSEPH IS A FRUITFUL BOUGH, A FRUITFUL BOUGH BY A FOUNTAIN. The words fruitful bough are repeated to show that he is such both above and below. Observe that the holy kingdom does not attain its perfection as holy kingdom until it is joined with the patriarchs. Then its structure is completed from the upper world, which is the world of the male. The upper world is called “seven years” because all the “seven years” are in it. The mnemonic of this is “and he built it seven years” (I Kings 6, 38). By means of this the lower world was built, which also is alluded to as “seven years”. The mnemonic for this is “Seven days and seven days, fourteen days” (I Kings 8, 66), the first seven being male and the second female. It is written: “Many daughters have done virtuously” (Prov. 31, 29). These are the twelve tribes who did valiantly. Hence it is written here: “The daughters advanced upon the wall”; that is to say, the daughters took part in the adornment of the Shekinah, but not the sons.

Segment 2ב׳

תָּא חֲזֵי, מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא, לָא קַבִּיל מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא שְׁלֵימָתָא, עַד דְּאִתְחַבַּר בַּאֲבָהָן, וְכַד אִתְחַבַּר בַּאֲבָהָן, אִתְבְּנֵי בִּנְיָינָא שְׁלֵימָא (בבניינא שלימא) מֵעַלְמָא עִלָּאָה, דְּאִיהוּ עַלְמָא דִּדְכוּרָא, וְעַלְמָא עִלָאָה אִקְרֵי ז' שְׁנִין, בְּגִין דְּכֻלְּהוּ ז' שְׁנִין בֵּיהּ.

BUT HIS BOW ABODE IN STRENGTH. This means that the bow which was his mate clothed him with strength and kept him firm, knowing that he would not go astray right or left in regard to his own proper grade of the sign of the covenant. AND THE ARMS OF HIS HANDS WERE MADE STRONG : the word vayaphozu (were made strong) is akin to the word paz (fine gold), and indicates that his arms were adorned with precious jewels. BY THE HANDS OF THE MIGHTY ONE OF JACOB : these are the two sides to which Jacob held fast. FROM THENCE HE FED THE STONE OF ISRAEL : by him was supported that precious stone, as we have said. Or again, it may mean that that precious stone was sustained by these two sides which are north and south, and between which it was placed by the hands of the Righteous One.

Segment 3ג׳

וְסִימָנִיךָ (מלכים א ו׳:ל״ח) וַיִּבְנֵהוּ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, דָּא עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה, וְלָא כְּתִיב בְּשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שמות ל״א:י״ז) כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה ה' אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ, וְלָא כְּתִיב בְּשֵׁשֶׁת וּכְתִיב, (בראשית ב׳:ד׳) אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם, בְּאַבְרָהָם. וְאַבְרָהָם, ז' יָמִים אִקְרֵי, וּבֵיהּ אִתְבְּנִי עַלְמָא עִלָּאָה, (ס"א כגוונא דא ויבנהו שבע שנים) וְאִלֵּין אִקְרוּן עַלְמָא דִּדְכוּרָא (ס"א וביה אתבני עלמא לתתא).

And your mnemonic is: “and he built it seven years” (I Kings 6, 38) — this is the upper world; and it is not written “in seven years”. So too you say: “for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth” (Ex. 31, 17), and it is not written “in six”. And it is written: “These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created (be-hibaram)” (Gen. 2, 4) — with Abraham (be-Abraham). And Abraham is called “seven days”, and by him the upper world was built. And these are called the world of the male.