488. “And God made the two great lights.” In the beginning, the two great lights were equal to each other. These two lights were as one, adhered together. They were of one value, and both were called “great.”
489. Malchut was as big as ZA not because the moon, Malchut, was initially bigger and superior in importance than what she is now, but whenever the moon stands with the sun as one, because of him, she is called great, with him. The tail of the lion is also the lion, and it is called “a lion.”
“And God made the two great lights.” This verse was written about Malchut in the first state, when Malchut was as big as ZA, which is why ZA and Malchut, the sun and the moon, are the two great lights. We should not be mistaken about this, that at that time, Malchut was more important than she is now, in the second state, for at that time, she was in posterior and could not shine, while now, in the second state, she is in anterior and shines in all the completeness.
However, at that time, she was regarded as big as ZA because then both of them received from one root, from Bina, for ZA clothed the right line of Bina, and Malchut clothed the left line of Bina. Hence, ZA and Malchut were both a degree below Bina. And since they are on the same degree, she is as big as him, for in the second state, she already went down from there to below ZA and to receive from ZA, which is why she is regarded as smaller than him.
490. The moon said to the Creator, “Can one king use two crowns together? Rather, this needs to be on its own, and that needs to be on its own.”
The Zohar interprets here a new way to explain the complaint of the moon. In every place, the phrasing of the complaint is “Two kings do not use the same crown,” where ZA and Malchut are the two kings, and the one crown is Bina. But here the meaning is that the one king is Bina, and ZA and Malchut are the two crowns.
The complaint was over Malchut being adhered to ZA in one Partzuf, at which time Bina was using both of them at once. Malchut wanted to part from him and become her own Partzuf, which is why she said, “This needs to be on its own, and that needs to be on its own.”
491. He said to her, “I see about you, that you want to be the head of the foxes, to be a distinct Partzuf and bestow Hochma to the Sefirot of the three worlds BYA that need Hochma, and which are called ‘foxes’ in relation to the Sefirot of Atzilut, which are called ‘lions.’ Go and diminish yourself, for although you will be the head of the foxes, you will be more diminished than you are now,” for then she will be a degree below ZA and the Sium [end] of Atzilut, which is the Rosh [head/beginning] of Beria.
492. This is why the moon, Malchut, said to Bina, “Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where do you pasture,” where can you lead the world with two crowns together, ZA and Malchut?
“Where do you make it lie down at noon,” for in that state, the moon is unfit to shine, and you cannot lead the world with two crowns together, with the sun and with the moon, ZA and Malchut attached in one Partzuf, since the moon, what light does she have at noon? When ZA shines in his full power. For this reason, you cannot use two crowns together.
493. “For why should I be like one who veils herself by the flocks of your friends?” Where will I be enveloped at noon, when the light and the power of the sun intensify? Since I am wrapped in shame before Him, and cannot serve you, so how will you be able to lead and use both crowns together?”
494. The Creator, who is Bina, told her: “I understand you, that you want to control and bestow Hochma; go and diminish yourself. ‘If you do not know, O fairest among women,’ for you said that it is impossible for Me to lead the world with two crowns together, go and diminish yourself.” That is, she should descend below the screen at the Chazeh of ZA and be a degree below him, and then she will be the head of the foxes, the dwellers of BYA.
495. “Go you out in the footsteps of the flocks,” go you out and be the head of the camps and armies below Atzilut, and pasture them and lead them, and be king over all the lower ones, and lead each one as is appropriate for him, and be the ruler of the night. Go and diminish yourself, and this is what befits you.”
496. Elijah said to Rabbi Shimon, “Happy are you that the secrets of your master shine before you like the light of the sun. Because of it, all the words from your mouth are engraved above. I am happy that I have heard them from your mouth. Happy are you in this world and happy are you in the next world. The meaning of this matter was hanging before the holy king, and was not disclosed to all the armies of above. Who is it who disclosed it now in this verse? It is you. Happy are you in this world and in the next world.”