וְגַם־אָמְנָ֗ה אֲחֹתִ֤י בַת־אָבִי֙ הִ֔וא אַ֖ךְ לֹ֣א בַת־אִמִּ֑י וַתְּהִי־לִ֖י לְאִשָּֽׁה׃
Y á la verdad también es mi hermana, hija de mi padre, mas no hija de mi madre, y toméla por mujer.
Sha'arei Orah
I will give you a hint by which to understand this. The verse states,218Isaiah 1:18 “If your sins are like scarlet (Shanim-שנים), they will become as white (Yalbeenu-ילבינו) as snow.” The upper one is called Whiteness-Levanon-לבנון,219That is, the Understanding-Binah, as mentioned before. whereas the lower one is garbed in Her Scarlet-Shanim-שנים garment,220As previously explained in the Fifth Gate, the term “Year-Shanah-שנה” is of the root “change-Shinuy-שנוי,” and refers to the changes that the novel created beings undergo, that are brought forth from the thirty garments [“Shanim-שנים” in the plural] of Kingship-Malchut of the world of Emanation. and the Jewish people must transform Her Scarlet-Shanee-שני garment to Whiteness-Loven-לובן. This is why it is called the Day of Atonements-Yom HaKippurim-יום הכפורים [in the plural]. This is likewise the secret of the crimson strip that would turn white-Malbin-מלבין as a result of the atonements-Kippurim-כיפורים,221See Talmud Bavli, Yoma 67a being that the Sefirah of Understanding-Binah would appear upon the Sefirah of Kingship-Malchut, to illuminate and purify Her of every impurity. This also is the secret of the goat that was pushed off the cliff on this day. Thus, since these two Sefirot are aligned corresponding to each other – and are the secret of the Upper Mother-Imma Ila’ah-אמא עילאה and the Lower Mother-Imma Tata’ah-אמא תתאה – and because on this day they would be engaged in purifying the Jewish people, it therefore is forbidden to engage in marital relations on the Day of Atonements-Yom HaKippurim,222That is, Yom HaKippurim is the ascent and union of the Sefirah of Kingship-Malchut with the Sefirah of Understanding-Binah, which is called the Coming World-Olam HaBa-עולם הבא, about which it states (Talmud Bavli, Brachot 17a), “In the Coming World there is no eating, drinking, procreation, or business negotiations etc.” Also see Zohar II 116a. though on Shabbat and Festivals it is permitted.223On Shabbat and the Festivals, the union is between the Sefirah of Splendor-Tiferet and the Sefirah of Kingship-Malchut. See Zohar III 81a and elsewhere. Those who know the hidden wisdom know that this secret is hinted in the verse,224Genesis 20:12 “Moreover, she indeed is my sister, my father’s daughter, though not my mother’s daughter; and she became my wife.”225See Zohar III 100b. This is the secret of the Day of Atonements-Yom HaKippurim-יום הכפורים.