Chapter Forty-Three (פֶּרֶק אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה)

After the nine months of the first Katnut [Smallness] (אַחַר הַתִּשְׁעָה חֳדָשִׁים שֶׁל הַקַּטְנוּת רִאשׁוֹן), namely, the first Ibbur [Impregnation] of Imma (דְּהַיְנוּ עִיבּוּר רִאשׁוֹן דְּאִמָּא), the womb of the Supernal Imma opened (נִפְתְּחָה רַחְמָהּ שֶׁל אִמָּא עִלָּאָה), and the waters emerged turbid from the placenta, so to speak (וְיָצְאוּ הַמַּיִם עֲכוּרִים מֵהַשִּׁלְיָא כִּבְיָכוֹל), and they are the judgments which fell below (וְהֵם הַדִּינִים אֲשֶׁר נָפְלוּ לְמַטָּה). And immediately Ze’ir Anpin and his Nukvah emerged attached on one side alone (וְתֵכֶף יָצְאוּ זְעִיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ דְּבוּקִים מִצַּד אֶחָד לְבַד), and they emerged in the secret of dual Partzufim [Configurations] (וְיָצְאוּ בְּסוֹד דּ״ו פַּרְצוּפִין), and now they are growing through their nursing of the milk from Binah (וְעַכְשָׁיו מִתְגַּדְּלִים עַל יְדֵי יְנִיקָתָם הֶחָלָב מֵהַבִּינָה). For Binah has breasts called El-Shaddai (שֶׁבִּינָה יֵשׁ לָהּ דַּדִּים הַנִּקְרָאִים אֵל־שַׁדַּי), an expression of breasts (לְשׁוֹן שָׁדַיִם), and El is Chesed [Kindness] (וְאֵל הוּא חֶסֶד), as it is said, “The kindness of El is all the day” (חֶסֶד אֵל כָּל הַיּוֹם) (Psalms 52:3). And it comes from Atika [the Ancient One] to Imma (וְהוּא בָּא מִן עַתִּיקָא לְאִמָּא), from the peyot [side-locks] and from the Thirteen Tikkunim [Rectifications] (מֵהַפֵּאוֹת וּמֵהַי״ג תִּיקּוּנִים). For the first Tikkun [Rectification] is called El (כִּי תִּיקּוּן רִאשׁוֹן נִקְרָא אֵל), and this Tikkun sits to subdue judgments (וְזֶה הַתִּיקּוּן יָתִיב לְאַכְפָּיָא דִּינִין). To sweeten them and transform them into milk, which is Chesed [Kindness] (לְמַתְּקָם וּלְהָפְכָם לְחָלָב שֶׁהוּא חֶסֶד), and this is the milk that is in the two breasts of Binah (וְהַיְינוּ הֶחָלָב שֶׁבִּשְׁנֵי דַּדֵּי הַבִּינָה), as our Rabbis of blessed memory said (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַזַּ״ל), that He made for her breasts in the place of Binah (שֶׁעָשָׂה לָהּ דַּדִּים בִּמְקוֹם בִּינָה) (Berakhot 10a), and these breasts are (וְאֵלּוּ הַדַּדִּים הֵם). In the secret of Elohim (בְּסוֹד אֱלֹהִים), and this is the secret of Eldad and Medad (וְזֶהוּ סוֹד אֶל־דָּד וּמֵידָד). El is one breast on the right (אֵל דַּד אֶחָד מִימִין), and Mi [Who] is one breast on the left (וּמִי דַּד אֶחָד מִשְּׂמֹאל), and the remaining Heh of Elohim is the milk, as we shall explain with the help of Heaven (וְהַהֵ״י הַנִּשְׁאָרֶת מֵאֱלֹהִי״ם הוּא הֶחָלָב כַּאֲשֶׁר נְבָאֵר בְּסִיעַתָּא דִּשְׁמַיָּא). And if you should say why the letters Mi [Who] were not transformed into that Yam [Sea], as it is in the Name Elohim (וְאִם תֹּאמַר לָמָּה לֹא נֶהְפַּךְ אוֹתִיּוֹת מִי לְאוֹתוֹ יָם כַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא בְּשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים), and this is because it is the secret of Mi [Who] (וְזֹאת מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא סוֹד מִי), the Mem is judgment (הַמֵּ״ם הוּא דִּין), and the Yud is mercies (וְהַיּוּ״ד הִיא רַחֲמִים), and it is the Yud that protects from outside (וְהִיא הַיּוּ״ד הַמְּגִינָה מִבַּחוּץ), so that the judgments shall not derive benefit and shall not become strengthened (שֶׁלֹּא יֵהָנוּ הַדִּינִין וְלֹא יִתְגַּבָּרוּ). And the nursing is eighteen months according to the opinion of Rabbi Yehudah (וְהַיְנִיקָה הִיא י״ח חֳדָשִׁים לְפִי סְבָרַת ר׳ יוּדָא), namely, nine months of Binah and nine months of Tevunah (דְּהַיְנוּ ט׳ חֳדָשִׁים שֶׁל בִּינָה וְ־ט׳ חֳדָשִׁים שֶׁל תְּבוּנָה), and the six of the inclusive one (וְהַשִּׁשָּׁה שֶׁל הַכּוֹלֵל), from the six complete thirds of Binah and of Tevunah (מֵהַשִּׁשָּׁה שְׁלִישִׁים שְׁלֵמִים שֶׁל בִּינָה וְשֶׁל תְּבוּנָה), in each one Chokhmah, Binah, Da’at, Gedulah, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod (בְּכָל אֶחָד חב״ד גג״ת נה״י), the total is twenty-four months, according to the opinion of the Rabbis (סַךְ הַכֹּל כ״ד חֳדָשִׁים, לְפִי סְבָרַת רַבָּנַן). And the secret of the milk is from the simple Name Ehyeh (וְסוֹד הֶחָלָב הוּא מִשֵּׁם אֶהְיֶה פָּשׁוּט), doubled, tripled, squared, like this (כָּפוּל מְשׁוּלָּשׁ מְרוּבָּע כָּזֶה): Aleph, Aleph-Heh (א׳ א״ה), Aleph-Heh-Yud, Aleph-Heh-Yud-Heh (אֶה״י אֶהְיֶ״ה), and it rises to Dam [blood] (וְהוּא עוֹלֶה דָּ״ם), and now remove the four final letters that were sweetened (וְעַתָּה הָסִיר ד׳ אוֹתִיּוֹת הָאַחֲרוֹנִים שֶׁנִּמְתְּקוּ), there remains the numerical value of Chalav [milk] (נִשְׁאַר כְּמִנְיַן חָלָ״ב), thus the blood was transformed into milk (הֲרֵי שֶׁהַדָּם נֶהְפַּךְ לְחָלָב). And behold, the Heh of Elohim has two forms (וְהִנֵּה הַה״י שֶׁל אֱלֹהִי״ם יֵשׁ לָהּ שְׁתֵּי צוּרוֹת), and your sign is Dodi [my beloved] (וְסִימָנִיךְ דּוֹדִ״י), Dalet over Vav, one form like this: (ד׳ עַל ו׳ צוּרָה אַחַת כָּזֶה:ה), Dalet over Yud, the second form of Heh like this: (ד׳ עַל י׳ צוּרַת ה׳ שְׁנִיָּה כָּזֶה:ה). Both of them rise to twenty-four (עוֹלִים שְׁנֵיהֶם כ״ד), namely, twenty-four to the right side, to El-Dad (הַיְינוּ כ״ד לְצַד יָמִין לְאֵלִ דַּד), and a second twenty-four to the left side, to Mi-Dad (וְכ״ד שֵׁנִית לְצַד שְׂמֹאל לְמִי־דַּ״ד). And the milk ascended from the combination of this Heh to the inclusion of both of them (וְעָלְתָה הֶחָלָב מִצֵּירוּף הַה״י הַזֹּאת לִכְלִילַת שְׁתֵּיהֶן), and two Kadim [jugs] are the two breasts in which there is the milk (וּשְׁנֵי כַּדִּי״ם הֵם שְׁנֵי שָׁדַיִם שֶׁבָּהֶם הֶחָלָב), it is found that two times twenty-four rise to forty-eight (נִמְצָא כִּי שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים כ״ד עוֹלִים מ״ח), remove eight, which is Dad [breast] (תָּסִיר שְׁמוֹנֶה הוּא דַּ״ד), the root that includes right and left (הַשּׁוֹרֶשׁ הַכּוֹלֵל יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל), namely, two Dalets from two times Dodi [my beloved] (הַיְינוּ ב׳ דַּלְתִין מִן שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים דּוֹדִ״י), and the milk will remain (וְיִשָּׁאֵר הֶחָלָב), meaning, the numerical value of Chalav [milk] (רָצָה לוֹמַר כְּמִנְיַן חָלָ״ב).