Chapter Seventeen (פֶּרֶק שִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר)

Let us return to what we were occupied with (נַחֲזוֹר לְמַה שֶּׁהָיִינוּ עֲסוּקִים בּוֹ), and it is that from Abba the judgments entered into Imma (וְהוּא כִּי מֵאַבָּא נִכְנְסוּ הַדִּינִין בְּאִמָּא), and thus she is clothed in ten Names of Elohim (וְנִמְצֵאת מְלוּבֶּשֶׁת בְּי׳ שֵׁמוֹת אֱלֹהִים), and in the Yesod of Imma ten Names of Ehyeh emerged (וּבִיסוֹד שֶׁל אִמָּא יָצְאוּ י׳ שֵׁמוֹת שֶׁל אֶהְיֶ״ה), in order to form the fetus as a complete Partzuf (כְּדֵי לְצַיֵּר הַוָּלָד פַּרְצוּף שָׁלֵם), for the Yesod is the secret of the womb (כִּי הַיְסוֹד הוּא סוֹד בֵּית רֶחֶם). It follows now that Elohim is Havayah and Ehyeh (נִמְצָא עַתָּה שֶׁאֱלֹהִים הוּא הֲוָיָ״ה וְאֶהְיֶ״ה), and this one draws from Elohim to itself (וְזֶה מוֹשֵׁךְ מֵאֱלֹהִים אֶצְלוֹ), and that one draws from Elohim to itself to sweeten them (וְזֶה מוֹשֵׁךְ מֵאֱלֹהִים אֶצְלוֹ לְמַתְּקָם), and from there Abba was purified (וּמִשָּׁם נִתְבָּרֵר אַבָּא), and when the drop comes from Abba it comes entirely white (וְהַטִּפָּה כְּשֶׁבָּאָה מֵאַבָּא בָּאָה כּוּלָּהּ לֹבֶן), because even Abba possesses its own aspect of Elohim (לְפִי שֶׁאַף לְאַבָּא יֵשׁ לוֹ בְּחִינַת אֱלֹהִים לְעַצְמוֹ), and this is what is written, “You sift my path and my lying down” (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב אָרְחִי וְרִבְעִי זֵרִיתָ) (Psalms 139:3). And there Elohim takes on the color red (וְשָׁם לוֹקֵחַ אֱלֹהִים גּוֹן אֹדֶם), and therefore our Sages of blessed memory said, “His mother contributes the red” (וְלָזֶה אָמְרוּ חֲזַ״ל אִמּוֹ מַזְרַעַת אֹדֶם) (Niddah 31a), even though the principal giving of the red comes from Abba (אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַנְּתִינָה הָעִקָּרִית שֶׁל אֹדֶם הִיא מֵאַבָּא), nevertheless, since it does not possess a red color except through Imma (מִכָּל מָקוֹם אַחַר שֶׁאֵין לוֹ גּוֹן אֹדֶם אֶלָּא מֵאִמָּא), we attribute it to Imma (אֵינוֹ [אָנוּ] מַכְנִיס [מְכַנִּים] אוֹתוֹ לְאִמָּא). And despite all this, there are also Gevurot of Imma (וְעַל כָּל זֹאת יֵשׁ גַּם כֵּן גְּבוּרוֹת שֶׁל אִמָּא), and in all of them there is separation and refinement (וּבְכוּלְּהוֹ אִית בְּרִירָה), and all of them are transformed into blood (וְכֻלָּם נֶהְפָּכִים לְדָם), which is the life-force of the fetus formed from her, as it were (שֶׁהוּא הַחַיּוּת שֶׁל הַוָּלָד הַנּוֹצָר מִמֶּנָּה כִּבְיָכוֹל), and this is Ze’ir Anpin (זֶה הוּא זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין), concerning whom it is said, “For the blood is the Nefesh” (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי הַדָּם הוּא הַנָּפֶשׁ) (Deuteronomy 12:23).