Chapter Twenty-Eight (פֶּרֶק עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמוֹנָה)

And you must know that the Inner Influx, which is ten myriads for each Sefirah as we have said, remained in the Avir immediately when they were shattering (וְצָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת, כִּי הַשֶּׁפַע הַפְּנִימִי שֶׁהֵם י׳ רְבוֹא לְכָל סְפִירָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ, נִשְׁאֲרוּ בָּאֲוִיר תֵּכֶף כְּשֶׁהָיוּ מִשְׁתַּבְּרוֹת), those letters of the Inner Influx would ascend upward, together with the primary letters of the vessel itself (הָיוּ עוֹלִים לְמַעְלָה, אֵלּוּ הָאוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל שֶׁפַע הַפְּנִימִיּוּת, עִם אוֹתִיּוֹת הָעִיקָּרִיּוֹת שֶׁל הַכְּלִי עַצְמוֹ), and all the Light that was fit to surround, but did not surround (וְכָל [הָאוֹר] הָרָאוּי לְהַקֵּף וְלֹא הִקִּיף). And this is because there was no space between one Sefirah and its companion (וְזֹאת מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה רֶוַח בֵּין סְפִירָה לַחֲבֶרְתָּהּ), for the seven were one connected arrangement, one below the other, without any space between them (כִּי הַז׳ הָיוּ חִבּוּר אֶחָד, זֶה תַּחַת זֶה, בְּלִי רֶוַח בֵּינֵיהֶם), as I have explained on the phrase "and he reigned in his stead" (Bereshit 36) (כַּאֲשֶׁר בֵּאַרְתִּי בְּמִלַּת "וַיִּמְלֹךְ תַּחְתָּיו"). That Light which was fit to surround descended below (אוֹתוֹ הָאוֹר הָרָאוּי לְהַקֵּיף יָרַד לְמַטָּה), until by it Malkhut was completed in being crushed and made into a sandal (עַד שֶׁבּוֹ נִשְׁלְמָה לְהִתְמַעֵךְ מַלְכוּת וְלֵהֵעָשׂוֹת כְּסַנְדָּל). And all the letters of the Inner Influx went out from her (וְיָצְאוּ מִמֶּנָּה כָּל הָאוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל שֶׁפַע הַפְּנִימִי), and ascended above (וְעָלוּ לְמַעְלָה), and entered into the womb of Imma (וְנִכְנְסוּ בִּמְעֵי אִמָּא), along with the primary letters of the aforementioned vessel (עִם הָאוֹתִיּוֹת הָעִקָּרִיּוֹת שֶׁל הַכֵּלִי הַנִּזְכָּר), in such a manner that when the letters of the Surrounding Light ascended (בְּאֹפֶן כְּשֶׁעָלוּ אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל אוֹר הַמַּקִּיף), and entered into the womb of Imma (וְנִכְנְסוּ בִּמְעֵי אִמָּא), Imma was already cracked from the Inner Light that had entered her (כְּבָר הָיְתָה אִמָּא סְדוּקָה מֵאוֹר הַפְּנִימִי שֶׁנִּכְנַס בָּהּ). And know that the dispersion of Malkhut was not a complete dispersion (וְדַע שֶׁפִּיזּוּר מַלְכוּת לֹא הָיָה פִּיזּוּר מִכֹּל וָכֹל), for she was somewhat expanded (כִּי נִתְרַחֲבָה מְעַט), because of the four myriads that entered into her (מִפְּנֵי הַד׳ רְבוֹא שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ לְתוֹכָהּ), more than her portion, which Yesod had given her (יוֹתֵר מֵחֶלְקָהּ, שֶׁנָּתַן לָהּ יְסוֹד). And because of this, she was not able to receive the rest of the influx within her (וּמִפְּנֵי כָּךְ לֹא הִסְפִּיקָה הִיא לְקַבֵּל שְׁאָר הַשֶּׁפַע בְּתוֹכָהּ), and they came upon her from the outside (וּבָאוּ עָלֶיהָ מִבַּחוּץ), and she was nullified from the form of a vessel (וְנִתְבַּטְּלָה מִצּוּרַת כֵּלִי). And once she was nullified, and the ten myriads of influx went out from her (וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנִּתְבַּטְּלָה וְיָצְאוּ מִמֶּנָּה הָעֲשָׂרָה רְבוֹא שֶׁל שֶׁפַע), the primary letters of her vessel also ascended with them into the womb of Imma (עָלוּ גַּם אוֹתִיּוֹת הָעִקָּרִיּוֹת שֶׁל כֵּלִי שֶׁלָּהּ עִמָּהֶם בְּתוֹךְ מְעֵי אִמָּא). And immediately when Imma was cracked, there fell from her droppings, which are letters of the Inner Influx Light (וְתֵכֶף שֶׁנִּסְדְּקָה אִמָּא נָפְלוּ מִמֶּנָּה נוֹבְלוֹת, שֶׁהֵם אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁל אוֹר הַשֶּׁפַע הַפְּנִימִי), and afterward there ascended as well into the womb of Imma the Surrounding Light, as we have said (וְאַחַר כָּךְ עָלָה גַּם כֵּן בִּמְעֵי אִמָּא אוֹר הַמַּקִּיף, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ). And if you say: how did the Surrounding Light enter into the womb of Imma to become Inner Light for the nine (וְאִם תֹּאמַר: אֵיךְ נִכְנַס בִּמְעֵי אִמָּא הָאוֹר הַמַּקִּיף לִהְיוֹת אוֹר פְּנִימִי לַתִּשְׁעָה), [rather] because it had previously been her Inner Light, and therefore it returned to enter the place from which it was hewn (אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיָה מִקֹּדֶם אוֹר פְּנִימִי שֶׁלָּהּ, וְלָכֵן חָזַר לְהִכָּנֵס לַמָּקוֹם שֶׁחֻצְּבָה). And if you say: if Imma is cracked and droppings fell from her, how could she receive this Surrounding Light (וְאִם תֹּאמַר: אִם אִמָּא הִיא סְדוּקָה וְנָפְלוּ מִמֶּנָּה הַנּוֹבְלוֹת, אֵיךְ יָכְלָה לְקַבֵּל הַאוֹר הַמַּקִּיף הַזֶּה)? The answer: know that the archetype of the two cracks in this world is the wheat and the barley (תְּשׁוּבָה: דַּע שֶׁדֻּנְמַת שְׁנֵי הַסְּדָקִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הוּא הַחִטָּה וְהַשְּׂעוֹרָה), for they crack along their length-the wheat corresponding to Abba and the barley corresponding to Imma (שֶׁהֵם נִסְדָּקִים לְאֹרְכָּם, הַחִטָּה כְּנֶגֶד אַבָּא וְהַשְּׂעוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד אִמָּא). From this is known that the crack of Abba never returned to be rejoined (מִמֶּנָּה נוֹדַע, שֶׁסְּדִיקַת אַבָּא לֹא חָזַר לְעוֹלָם לְהִדָּבֵק), and likewise the crack of the wheat goes inward, within the wheat (וּכְמוֹ כֵן סְדִיקַת הַחִטָּה, הִיא נִכְנֶסֶת לִפְנִים תּוֹךְ הַחִטָּה). And the reason is because this crack is a window from which light goes out to all the worlds (וְהַטַּעַם הוּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁסְּדִיקָה זוֹ הוּא חַלּוֹן הַיּוֹצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ אוֹר לְכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת), and all the worlds require this light (וְכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת צְרִיכִין לְאוֹר זֶה). And about this there were in the Beit HaMikdash the windows narrow within and wide without (וְעַל זֶה הָיוּ בְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הַחַלּוֹנוֹת שְׁקוּפִים אֲטוּמִים), like the inner crack of the wheat, narrow on the inside and wide on the outside (כְּסְדִיקַת הַחִטָּה מִבִּפְנִים, וְרָחֲבָה מִבַּחוּץ). And Imma too was cracked, and droppings went out from her (וְאִמָּא גַּם־הִיא נִסְדְּקָה, וְיָצְאוּ מִמֶּנָּה נוֹבְלוֹת), and afterward she was rejoined (וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִדְבְּקָה), yet the trace of the crack remained in her (אֲבָל נִשְׁאָרָה בָּהּ רֹשֶׁם הַסְּדִיקָה), like the barley which has the trace of the crack and it does not go inward (כְּמוֹ הַשְּׂעוֹרָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ רֹשֶׁם הַסְּדִיקָה, וְאֵינָהּ נִכְנֶסֶת לִפְנִים), and therefore she was able to receive within herself this Surrounding Light (וְלָכֵן יָכְלָה לְקַבֵּל בְּתוֹכָהּ הַאוֹר הַמַּקִּיף הַזֶּה).

And know that the Inner Light of all the seven lower Sefirot, which were seventy myriads of letters (וְדַע לְךָ שֶׁאוֹר הַפְּנִימִי שֶׁל כָּל ז׳ סְפִירוֹת הָאַחֲרוֹנוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ ע׳ רְבוֹא אוֹתִיּוֹת), once their vessels were shattered, ascended above (כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּשְׁבְּרוּ כֵּלֵיהֶם הָלְכוּ לְמַעְלָה), and continued ascending until they entered the womb of Imma (וְהָיוּ הוֹלְכִים וְעוֹלִים עַד שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ בִּמְעֵי אִמָּא). And when Imma saw that they were ascending (וְאִמָּא כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאֲתָה שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹלִים), she widened space within herself so that they would be able to ascend into the Keter (הִרְחִיבָה לָהֶם מָקוֹם בְּתוֹכָהּ כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לַעֲלוֹת אֶל תּוֹךְ הַכֶּתֶר), but the Keter did not wish to receive them, because they had already become embodied and descended (וְהַכֶּתֶר לֹא רָצָה לְקַבְּלָם מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכְּבָר נִתְגַּלְּמוּ וְיָרְדוּ). And they entered again into Abba (וְנִכְנְסוּ פַּעַם אַחַת אֶל תּוֹךְ אַבָּא), and he thought to sustain them within himself (וְהוּא חָשַׁב לְקַיְּימָם בְּתוֹכוֹ), but was unable and was cracked (וְלֹא יָכֹל וְנִסְדַּק), and from him emerged those seventy myriads of letters which we have said were the Inner Influx (וְיָצְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ אֵלּוּ הָע׳ רְבוֹא אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ שֶׁהָיָה הַשֶּׁפַע הַפְּנִימִי). And from the window of this emptying emerge lights every single day continually (וּמֵחַלּוֹן שֶׁל מְרִיקָה זוֹ יוֹצְאִים אוֹרוֹת בְּכָל יוֹם תָּמִיד), and they illuminate all the worlds (וּמֵאִירִים לְכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת), for all the worlds require them (שֶׁכָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת צְרִיכִים לָהֶם). And these lights are called “droppings” (וְנִקְרְאוּ אֵלּוּ הָאוֹרוֹת נוֹבְלוֹת), because such are the droppings-they are like them (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכֵּן הַנּוֹבְלוֹת הָאֵלּוּ הֵם דּוּגְמָתָם), that every day they descend and fall, little by little, from the Tree (שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם יוֹרְדִים וְנוֹבְלִים מְעַט מְעַט מִן הָאִילָן). And once they emerged from Abba, they entered into Imma (וְכֵיוָן שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מֵאַבָּא נִכְנְסוּ בְּאִמָּא), and she, when she saw that they had descended (וְהִיא, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאֲתָה שֶׁיָּרְדוּ), wanted to contain them within herself (רָצְתָה לְקַיְּיטָם בְּתוֹכָהּ), but she was not able and she too was cracked (וְלֹא יָכְלָה, וְנִסְדְּקָה גַּם־הִיא), and from her emerged forty-nine myriads of letters from among those of the seven shattered Sefirot (וְיָצְאוּ מִמֶּנָּה מ״ט רְבוֹא אוֹתִיּוֹת מֵאֵלּוּ שֶׁהֵם מִז׳ סְפִירוֹת הַנִּשְׁבָּרִים), and they are seven times seven, which is forty-nine (וְהֵם ז׳ פְּעָמִים ז׳, הוּא מ״ט). And there remained in Binah three times seven, which is twenty-one myriads of letters (וְנִשְׁאֲרוּ בִּבִינָה ג׳ פְּעָמִים ז׳, שֶׁהוּא כ״א רְבוֹא אוֹתִיּוֹת), which were sent above for the rectification of Keter–Chokhmah–Binah (אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁלְחוּ לְמַעְלָה לְתִקּוּן כַּחַ״ב), Which is the secret of the rectification of the Three Heads (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד תִּקּוּן תְּלַת רֵישִׁין), and it is the number of Ehyeh (וְהוּא מִסְפָּר אֶהְיֶה), and Arich, which includes the Three Heads, is called Ehyeh (וְאַרִיךְ הַכּוֹלֵל ג׳ רֵישִׁין נִקְרָא אֶהְיֶה), because it is the Binah of Keter (לְפִי שֶׁהוּא בִינָה שֶׁל כֶּתֶר). And they together are the ten times Ehyeh (וְהֵם בְּיַחַד הַיּוֹד פְּעָמִים אֶהְיֶה), which were rectified in the exile of Egypt (שֶׁנִּתְקְנוּ בְּגָלוּת מִצְרַיִם), which are the gematria of 21o (אֲשֶׁר הֵם גִּימַטְרִיָּא רַד״ו רְבַע מֵאוֹת וְאַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה), and they are also three times seventy (וְהֵם ג׳ פְּעָמִים ע׳), for each seven includes ten, which is seventy (שֶׁכָּל ז׳ כָּלִיל מֵעֶשֶׂר הוּא ע׳), in the secret of the Three Heads, which are seventy times three, and that is 21o, and that is the exile of Egypt that was at the beginning, as is known (בְּסוֹד תְּלַת רֵישִׁין הוּא שִׁבְעִים ג׳ פְּעָמִים, וְהוּא רַד״ו, וְהוּא גָלוּת מִצְרַיִם שֶׁהָיָה בָּרֹאשׁ כַּנּוֹדָע).