Chapter Thirty-Five (פֶּרֶק שְׁלֹשִׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה)

After the nine months (אַחַר הַתִּשְׁעָה חֳדָשִׁים), which is after the first Ibbur [Impregnation] of nine months (שֶׁהוּא אַחַר עִבּוּר רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל תִּשְׁעָה חֳדָשִׁים), of the first Katnut [Smallness] (שֶׁל קַטְנוּת רִאשׁוֹן), immediately Ze’ir Anpin emerged together with Rachel attached by only one back (תֵּכֶף יָצָא ז״א עִם רָחֵל דְּבוּקִים בְּגַב אֶחָד לְבַד), not as they entered the womb of Imma in the secret of a tail (לֹא כְּמוֹ שֶׁבָּאוּ אֶל מְעֵי אִמָּא בְּסוֹד זָנָב), but in the secret of two Partzufim [Configurations] (אֶלָּא בְּסוֹד דּוּ פַּרְצוּפִין). And this is what our Rabbis of blessed memory said (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל), “The first Adam” (אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן), which is the secret of Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁהוּא סוֹד ז״א), “He created him as two Partzufim” (דּוּ פַּרְצוּפִין בְּרָאוֹ) (Eruvin 18a; Berakhot 61a), and they were attached by only one back (וּדְבוּקִים מִגַּב אֶחָד לְבַד), and one wall for both of them (וְכֹתֶל אֶחָד לִשְׁנֵיהֶם). And Rachel emerged with Ze’ir in the first emergence (וְרָחֵל יָצְאָת עִם זְעֵיר בִּיצִיאָה רִאשׁוֹנָה), from his navel [of the chest] and downward (מִטַּבּוּרוֹ [דְּחָזֵה] וּלְמַטָּה), and begins from behind him between his arms (וּמַתְחֶלֶת מֵאֲחוֹרָיו מִבֵּין חַדְוֹהִי), namely from the end of the upper third of Tiferet and downward (דְּהַיְינוּ מִסּוֹף הַשְּׁלִישׁ הָעֶלְיוֹן שֶׁל תִּפְאֶרֶת וּלְמַטָּה), she enclothes down to the feet (מְלַבֶּשֶׁת עַד הָרַגְלַיִם). And there is an opening there in the secret of the navel [the navel of the heart] (וְיֵשׁ שָׁם נֶקֶב בְּסוֹד הַטַּבּוּר [טַבּוּרָא דְלִבָּא]), aligned opposite an opening that exists in her head, in her crown (מְכֻוָּן נֶגֶד נֶקֶב שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּרֹאשָׁהּ בְּקָדְקֳדָהּ), and from it come her flow and her life-force forever (וּמִמֶּנָּה הַשְׁפָּעָתָהּ וְחַיּוּתָהּ לְעוֹלָם), and when there is a union (וּכְשֶׁיֵּשׁ זִוּוּג), she is separated by Nesirah [Separation] and comes to him face to face (הִיא נִנְסֶרֶת וּבָאָה אֵלָיו פָּנִים בְּפָנִים).

And know (וְדַע), that Rachel includes only Netzach, Hod, Yesod and half of Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet (כִּי רָחֵל אֵינָהּ כּוֹלֶלֶת אֶלָּא נה״י וַחֲצִי חג״ת), and she is only half of the point of the tail (וְאֵינָהּ אֶלָּא חֲצִי נְקוּדַת הַזָּנָב), and half of the tail (וַחֲצִי הַזָּנָב), namely the upper portion, Chokhmah, Binah, Da’at and the upper half of Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet (דְּהַיְינוּ הַחֵלֶק הָעֶלְיוֹן חב״ד וַחֲצִי חג״ת הָעֶלְיוֹן), is Leah (הִיא לֵאָה), who did not emerge with Ze’ir in the first emergence (לֹא יָצְאָתָה עִם זְעֵיר בִּיצִיאָה רִאשׁוֹנָה), because the judgments were severe (לִהְיוֹת הַדִּינִין תַּקִּיפִין). For Ze’ir Anpin and his Nukvah were refined somewhat from the judgments in their mother's womb (כִּי זְעֵיר וְנוּקְבֵיהּ בְּבֶטֶן אִמּוֹ הֻבְרְרוּ מְעַט מֵהַדִּינִים), and there the drop of Malkhut was divided into two (וְשָׁם נֶחְלְקָה טִפַּת מַלְכוּת לִשְׁתַּיִם), from the appearance of the waist and downward is Rachel (מִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנֶיהָ וּלְמַטָּה רָחֵל), and from the appearance of the waist and upward is Leah (וּמִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנֶיהָ וּלְמַעְלָה הִיא לֵאָה). And because she possesses judgments more severe than Rachel (וְלִהְיוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ דִּינִין תַּקִּיפִין יוֹתֵר מֵרָחֵל), therefore she did not emerge with Ze’ir in the first emergence (לָכֵן לֹא יָצְאָה עִם זְעֵיר בִּיצִיאָה רִאשׁוֹנָה), and remained there for twelve months (וְנִשְׁתַּהֲתָה שָׁם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ), and emerged with him in the second emergence (וְיָצְאָה עִמּוֹ בִּיצִיאָה שְׁנִיָּה), and meanwhile her judgments were sweetened (וּבֵין כָּךְ נִמְתְּקוּ דִּינֶיהָ). And were it not for the Netzach and Hod of Imma that illuminate within her (וְלוּלֵי הַנֵּצַח וְהוֹד שֶׁל אִמָּא שֶׁמְּאִירִים בָּהּ), in the secret of “soft” (בְּסוֹד הָרַכּוֹת), that they lengthen in order to enter within Ze’ir afterward in the secret of Yenikah [Nursing] (שֶׁמִּתְאָרְכוֹת כְּדֵי לְהַכְנִיסָם בְּתוֹךְ זְעֵיר אַחַר כָּךְ בְּסוֹד הַיְנִיקָה), and sweeten her judgments (וּמְמַתְּקִים דִּינֶיהָ), she would have had almost no sweetening at all (לֹא הָיָה לָהּ כִּמְעַט מִתּוּק). For they illuminate Leah through Ze’ir (כִּי הֵם מְאִירִים עַל יְדֵי זְעֵיר לְלֵאָה), and become eyes for her (וְנַעֲשׂוּ לָהּ עֵינַיִן), and this is the meaning of the verse, “And the eyes of Leah were soft” (וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב וְעֵינֵי לֵאָה רַכּוֹת) (Genesis 29:17). And Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra explained there on the verse (וּפֵרֵשׁ רַבִּי אַבְרָהָם אִבְּן עֶזְרָא שָׁם בַּפָּסוּק), “long” (אֲרֻכּוֹת), and he prophesied without knowing what he prophesied (וְנִבָּא וְלֹא יָדַע מַה נִּבָּא), and this is exactly the intention of the secret (וְהוּא מַמָּשׁ כַּוָּנַת הַסּוֹד), that the Netzach and Hod of Imma lengthen (שֶׁמִּתְאָרְכוֹת נֵצַח וְהוֹד דְּאִמָּא), and become eyes for Leah (וְנַעֲשׂוּ לְלֵאָה עֵינַיִן), and sweeten her (וּמְמַתְּקִין אוֹתָהּ), and she continually takes from the head of Ze’ir the weight of the judgments (וְהִיא לוֹקַחַת תָּמִיד מֵרֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל זְעֵיר כֹּבֶד הַדִּינִים). And because Imma extends down to the navel of Ze’ir (וְלִהְיוֹת שֶׁאִמָּא מִתְפַּשֶּׁטֶת עַד טַבּוּרוֹ שֶׁל זְעֵיר), and when she inclines she reaches as far as Hod (וּבְהַרְכָּנָתָהּ מַגַּעַת עַד הוֹד), she too is sweetened through the illumination of Binah (גַּם הִיא נִמְתֶּקֶת עַל יְדֵי הֶאָרַת בִּינָה), and your sign is “and the name of the elder was Leah” (וְסִימָנִיךָ וְשֵׁם הַגְּדוֹלָה לֵאָה) (Genesis 29:16), for Leah is always with Binah (שֶׁלֵּאָה תָּמִיד הִיא עִם בִּינָה), and there she was magnified (וְשָׁם נִתְגַּדְּלָה). But Rachel (אֲבָל רָחֵל), because she begins from the navel of Ze’ir Anpin (לִהְיוֹתָהּ מַתְחֶלֶת מִטַּבּוּרוֹ שֶׁל זְעֵיר אַנְפִּין), and there the illumination of these elongated ones does not reach (וְשָׁם אֵינָהּ מַגַּעַת הֶאָרַת הָאֲרֻכּוֹת הָאֵלֶּה), and she has no eyes (וְאֵין לָהּ עֵינַיִן), therefore she is called the maiden (לָכֵן נִקְרֵאת עוֹלִימְתָא), “the beautiful one who has no eyes” (שַׁפִּירְתָּא דְּלֵית לָהּ עֵינַיִן). And through the illumination of the Tzitzit [Fringes] that are placed opposite the heart (וּבְהֶאָרַת הַצִּיצִית שֶׁמְּשִׂימִים כְּנֶגֶד הַלֵּב), in the section of Tzitzit [Fringes] (בְּפָרָשַׁת צִיצִית), when saying “the commandments of Hashem, and you shall see it” (בְּאוֹמְרוֹ מִצְוֹת י״י וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ) (Numbers 15:39), one must intend the Name Havayah of the eyes (הוּא צָרִיךְ לְכַוֵּן בְּשֵׁם הֲוָיָה דְּעֵינַיִן), for the Tzitzit [Fringes] begin at the end of the Tallit (כִּי הַצִּיצִית הֵם מַתְחִילִים בְּסוֹף הַטַּלִּית), and extend downward opposite the chest (וּמִתְפַּשְּׁטִים לְמַטָּה כְּנֶגֶד הֶחָזֶה), as I shall explain in this gate (כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבָאֵר בָּזֶה הַשַּׁעַר), according as Hashem my God grants goodness upon me (כְּפִי י״י אֱלֹהַי הַטּוֹבָה עָלָי).