Chapter Forty-Five (פֶּרֶק אַרְבָּעִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה)

The first Gadlut [Greatness] is the nursing (גַּדְלוּת רִאשׁוֹן הִיא הַיְנִיקָה), which continues for twenty-four months (שֶׁנִּמְשֶׁכֶת כ״ד חֳדָשִׁים), and the reason is that the attribute of Hod requires sweetening for eight months (וְהַטַּעַם הוּא שֶׁמִּדַּת הַהוֹד צְרִיכָה לְמִיתּוּק ח׳ חֳדָשִׁים), meaning, from the eight Sefirot upon it which renew it in the secret of sweetening (פֵּרוּשׁ מֵח׳ סְפִירוֹת שֶׁעָלֶיהָ הַמְחַדְּשִׁים אוֹתָהּ בְּסוֹד מִיתּוּק), therefore they are called months (לָכֵן נִקְרְאוּ חֳדָשִׁים), because it is included from the seven above it that have already been selected in their place (כִּי הִיא כְּלוּלָה מֵהַשֶּׁבַע שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה שֶׁכְּבָר הוּבְרְרוּ בִּמְקוֹמָם). Only Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut have not yet been selected (רַק הוֹ״ד יְסוֹ״ד מַלְכוּ״ת לֹא נִבְרְרוּ עֲדַיִן), and they require selection and sweetening (וּצְרִיכִים בֵּירוּר וּמִיתּוּק), like a child who cannot walk upon his feet until after the nursing (כְּמוֹ הַיֶּלֶד שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לֵילֵךְ בְּרַגְלָיו עַד אַחַר הַיְנִיקָה), so too Netzach and Hod, which are the legs (כֵּן נֵצַח הוֹד הֵם הַשּׁוֹקַיִם), did not have the power to perform their function and attain sweetening (לֹא הָיָה לָהֶם כֹּחַ לִפְעֹל פְּעֻלָּתָם וּלְהַשִּׂיג מִיתּוּק). And since Hod is included from the seven above it that were selected (וּמֵאַחַר שֶׁהוֹד כְּלוּלָה מֵהַשִּׁבְעָה שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁנִּבְרְרוּ), namely (דְּהַיְנוּ), when you count from Keter to Hod there are seven (כְּשֶׁאַתָּה מוֹנֶה מִכֶּתֶר עַד הוֹד הֵם שִׁבְעָה), and together with Hod they are eight (וְעִם הוֹד הֵם שְׁמוֹנָה), and likewise Yesod together with the seven above it are eight (וְכֵן יְסוֹד וְשִׁבְעָה שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה הֵם שְׁמוֹנָה), and likewise Malkhut together with the seven above it are eight (וְכֵן מַלְכוּת וְשִׁבְעָה שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה הֵימֶנָּה הֵם שְׁמוֹנָה). And when you count Yesod you skip Hod (וְשֶׁתִּמְנֶה יְסוֹד תְּדַלֵּג הוֹד), because “the guarantor of Hod requires a guarantor” (כִּי עֲרָבָא דְהוֹד עֲרָבָא צָרִיךְ), he is sufficient to bring forth for himself the renewal of these months (כְּדַאי הוּא לוֹ לְאַפְקָא לְעַצְמוֹ הַחִדּוּשׁ שֶׁל הֶחֳדָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה), because in one time these three were selected (כִּי בְּפַעַם אַחַת נִבְרְרוּ הַג׳ אֵלֶּה), namely Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut (הוֹד יְסוֹד מַלְכוּת), and sweetening reached them from the seven above them (וְהִגִּיעַ לָהֶם מִיתּוּק מֵהַז׳ שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה מֵהֶם).

It follows that here, with respect to Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut (נִמְצָא שֶׁיֵּשׁ כָּאן אֵצֶל הוֹד־יְסוֹד מַלְכוּת), there are three times eight, which equal twenty-four months (ג׳ פְּעָמִים ח׳ שֶׁעוֹלִים כּ״ד חֳדָשִׁים), and this is according to the opinion of the Rabbis (וְזֶה לְפִי סְבָרַת רַבָּנַן), who say that the nursing is twenty-four months (הָאוֹמְרִים שֶׁהַיְנִיקָה הִיא כּ״ד חֳדָשִׁים). But according to Rabbi Yehudah (אֲבָל לְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה) (source uncertain), who holds that the nursing is only eighteen months (דְּסוֹבֵר שֶׁאֵין הַיְנִיקָה אֶלָּא ח״י חֹדֶשׁ), it is sufficient for Ze’ir Anpin that the sweetening of Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut comes from their Binah and below (דַּי לוֹ לִזְעִיר הַמִּיתּוּק לְהוֹד יְסוֹד מַלְכוּת מִבִּינָה שֶׁלָּהֶם וְלְמַטָּה), which are five (שֶׁהֵן חֲמִשָּׁה), because Binah is the one who nurses (לְפִי שֶׁבִּינָה הִיא הַמֵּינֶקֶת), therefore Rabbi Yehudah holds that the calculation begins from Binah and below (לָכֵן סוֹבֵר ר׳ יְהוּדָה שֶׁהַחֶשְׁבּוֹן מַתְחִיל מֵהַבִּינָה וּלְמַטָּה). And each of Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut requires sweetening, selection, and renewal from the five above it (וְכָל אֶחָד מֵהוֹד יְסוֹד מַלְכוּת צְרִיכָה מִיתּוּק וּבֵירוּר וְחִדּוּשׁ מֵהַחֲמִשָּׁה שֶׁעָלֶיהָ), therefore Hod together with the five above it are six (לָכֵן הוֹד וַחֲמִשָּׁה שֶׁעָלֶיהָ הֵם שִׁשָּׁה), and Yesod together with the five above it are six (וִיסוֹד וַחֲמִשָּׁה שֶׁעָלָיו הֵם שִׁשָּׁה), and Malkhut together with the five above it are six (וּמַלְכוּת וַחֲמִשָּׁה שֶׁעָלֶיהָ הֵם שִׁשָּׁה), it follows that they are three times six, which equal eighteen months (נִמְצָא שֶׁהֵם ג׳ פְּעָמִים שִׁשָּׁה עוֹלִים ח״י חֹדֶשׁ), therefore he holds that the nursing is eighteen months (לָכֵן סוֹבֵר שֶׁהַיְנִיקָה הִיא ח״י חֹדֶשׁ). And with the nursing the three spread forth (וְעִם הַיְנִיקָה נִתְפַּשְּׁטוּ הַתְּלָת), which had been “three within three” (שֶׁהָיוּ תְּלָת גּוֹ תְּלָת), and even though we say that Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut remained in her womb (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֲנוּ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁהוֹ״ד יְסוֹ״ד וּמַלְכוּ״ת נִשְׁאֲרוּ בִּמְעֶיהָ), and did not spread forth (וְלֹא נִתְפַּשְּׁטוּ), and were not selected (וְנִתְבָּרְרוּ), until the time of the nursing (עַד זְמַן הַיְנִיקָה), for the judgments that were within them were sweetened and became milk with which she nursed them (שֶׁהַדִּינִין שֶׁהָיוּ בָהֶם נִמְתְּקוּ וְנַעֲשׂוּ חָלָב שֶׁהֵנִיקָה אוֹתָם), and each and every one spread forth individually (וְנִתְפַּשְּׁטוּ כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ), and they add strength to enlarge the limbs (וּמוֹסִיפִים כֹּחַ לְגַדֵּל הָאֵיבָרִים), and to perform their function (וְלַעֲשׂוֹת מְלַאכְתָּם), and also through their enlargement they add strength, as mentioned (וְגַם בְּהַגְדָּלָתָם מוֹסִיפִים כֹּחַ כַּנִּזְכָּר). “And from my flesh I behold God” (וּמִבְּשָׂרִי אֶחֱזֶה אֱלוֹהַּ) (Job 19:26), just as at the time when an infant is born, even though he has legs and feet (כְּשֵׁם שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנּוֹלַד הַוָּלָד אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ שׁוֹקַיִם וְרַגְלַיִם), he is unable to walk (אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַהֲלֹךְ), until they nurse him (עַד שֶׁמַּנִּיקִים אוֹתוֹ), and after the time of nursing he walks upon his feet through the power of the milk (וְאַחַר זְמַן הַיְנִיקָה הוֹלֵךְ עַל רַגְלָיו מִכֹּחַ הֶחָלָב). So too above, Netzach and Hod, which are the legs (כָּךְ לְמַעְלָה נֵצַח הוֹד שֶׁהֵם הַשּׁוֹקַיִם), were not selected until the time of nursing (לֹא נִבְרְרוּ עַד זְמַן הַיְנִיקָה), and even though Netzach had already been selected (וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכְּבָר נֵצַח נִתְבָּרֵר), nevertheless it had still not spread forth (עִם כָּל זֹאת עֲדַיִן לֹא נִתְפַּשֵּׁט), since Hod, which is the left leg (מֵאַחַר שֶׁהוֹד הוּא שׁוֹק שְׂמֹאל), had still not been selected in the womb of Imma (עֲדַיִן לֹא נִתְבָּרֵר בִּמְעֵי אִמָּא), Netzach likewise had no power to spread forth and perform its function (גַּם נֵצַח אֵין לוֹ כֹּחַ לְהִתְפַּשֵּׁט וְלִפְעֹל פְּעֻלָּתוֹ), for it is impossible to walk on one leg (כִּי אִי אֶפְשָׁר לֵילֵךְ עַל רֶגֶל אֶחָד), therefore Netzach also accomplishes nothing without Hod (לָכֵן גַּם נֵצַח אֵינוֹ פּוֹעֵל כְּלוּם בְּלִי הוֹד).