Chapter Thirty-Six (פֶּרֶק שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה)

Leah, because she is severe judgments (לֵאָה לִהְיוֹת שֶׁהִיא דִּינִין תַּקִּיפִין), Imma needed to leave her in her womb (הֻצְרְכָה אִמָּא לְהַנִּיחַ אוֹתָהּ בְּמֵעֶיהָ), after the emergence of Ze’ir and Rachel from her womb (אַחַר יְצִיאַת זְעֵיר וְרָחֵל מִבֶּטֶן שֶׁלָּהּ), namely after the Yenikah [Nursing] of twenty-four months, which is the first Gadlut [Greatness] (דְּהַיְינוּ אַחַר הַיְנִיקָה כ״ד חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁהוּא גַּדְלוּת רִאשׁוֹן), when Imma returns and becomes impregnated from them a second time (שֶׁחוֹזֶרֶת אִמָּא וְנִתְעַבֶּרֶת מֵהֶם שֵׁנִית), for she inclined herself and returned and took Ze’ir together with Rachel (שֶׁהִרְכִּינָה עַצְמָהּ וְחָזְרָה וְלָקְחָה אֶת זְעֵיר עִם רָחֵל), and Ze’ir and Rachel were folded three within three (וְנִתְקַפְּלוּ זְעֵיר וְרָחֵל תְּלַת גּוֹ תְּלַת), and she returned them to her womb (וְהֶחֱזִירָה אוֹתָם לְמֵעֶיהָ), and this second Ibbur [Impregnation] is the second Katnut [Smallness] (וְזֶה הָעִיבּוּר שֵׁנִי הוּא קַטְנוּת שֵׁנִי). And this is what Rashbi, peace be upon him, says (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאוֹמֵר הרשב״י ע״ה), “After she gave birth to them, she returned and became impregnated from them, and remained with them twelve months” (בָּתַר דְּאוֹלִידַת לְהוֹן הֲדָרַת וְאִתְעַבְּרַת מִינַּיְיהוּ, וְאִשְׁתְּהֵי לְהוֹן תְּרֵיסַר יַרְחֵי). And afterward she gave birth to them in the secret of planting (וְאַחַר כָּךְ יָלְדָה אוֹתָם בְּסוֹד נְטִיעָה), and this is what Rashbi, peace be upon him, says (וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר הרשב״י ע״ה), “And they were planted in another place” (וְאִשְׁתִּילוּ בַּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא) (Bereshit 35a). And through this planting (וְהַשְּׁתִילָה הַזֹּאת), Leah emerged attached to Ze’ir (יָצְאָה לֵאָה דְּבוּקָה עִם זְעֵיר), namely her head with his head (דְּהַיְינוּ רֹאשָׁהּ בְּרֹאשׁוֹ), and she is the secret of the knot of the Tefillin (וְהִיא סוֹד קֶשֶׁר שֶׁל תְּפִלִּין), which begins from there to become clothed (שֶׁמַּתְחֶלֶת מִשָּׁם לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ), and this is what our Rabbis of blessed memory said (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל), “Moshe merited Binah” (מֹשֶׁה זָכָה לְבִינָה) (Zohar Shemot 43b), namely Leah, who is the knot of the Tefillin (הַיְינוּ לֵאָה הִיא קֶשֶׁר שֶׁל תְּפִלִּין). And why is this Partzuf [Configuration] called Leah and not Binah (וְלָמָּה נִקְרָאת הַפַּרְצוּף הַזֶּה לֵאָה וְלֹא בִינָה), the reason is (הַטַּעַם הוּא), for two causes (לִשְׁתֵּי סִבּוֹת). The first (הָאַחַת), because the point of Malkhut was divided (בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁנֶּחְלְקָה נְקוּדַת מַלְכוּת), and Leah is the joining of the point (וְלֵאָה הִיא חִבּוּר שֶׁל הַנְּקוּדָה), and because she is female (וְלִהְיוֹת שֶׁהִיא נְקֵבָה), her Keter and its joining are called in the feminine form (נִקְרָא כֶּתֶר שֶׁלָּהּ וְחִבּוּרוֹ בִּלְשׁוֹן נְקֵבָה). And she includes half of the Partzuf of Malkhut (וְהִיא כּוֹלֶלֶת חֲצִי הַפַּרְצוּף שֶׁל מַלְכוּת), which is Chokhmah, Binah, Da’at and half of Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet (שֶׁהוּא חב״ד וַחֲצִי חג״ת), therefore Leah is not called Binah (לָכֵן לֵאָה לֹא יִקָּרֵא בִינָה). And the second cause (וְסִבָּה שְׁנִיָּה), because she remained twenty-four months longer than Ze’ir in the womb of Imma (לִהְיוֹת שֶׁשָּׁהֲתָה כ״ד חֳדָשִׁים יוֹתֵר מִזְּעֵיר בִּמְעֵי אִמָּא), and she dwelt in the Malkhut of Binah (וְהָיְתָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת בְּמַלְכוּת שֶׁל בִּינָה), and there she was magnified (וְשָׁם נִתְגַּדְּלָה), and your sign is “and the name of the elder was Leah” (וְסִימָנָךְ וְשֵׁם הַגְּדוֹלָה לֵאָה) (Genesis 29:16).

If so (אִם כֵּן), Leah is always Malkhut (לְעוֹלָם לֵאָה הִיא מַלְכוּת), namely Chokhmah, Binah, Da’at and half of Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet (הַיְינוּ חב״ד וַחֲצִי חג״ת), and therefore our father Yaakov, peace be upon him (וְלָזֶה יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ ע״ה), who included Ze’ir Anpin from his head to his end (שֶׁהָיָה כּוֹלֵל זְעֵיר מֵרֹאשׁוֹ וְעַד סוֹפוֹ), meaning two Partzufim [Configurations] (רָצָה לוֹמַר שְׁנֵי פַּרְצוּפִין), from the appearance of his waist and upward was called Yisrael (מִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנָיו וּלְמַעְלָה נִקְרָא יִשְׂרָאֵל), the youth (הַנַּעַר), and from the appearance of his waist and downward, Yaakov (וּמִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנָיו וּלְמַטָּה יַעֲקֹב), took both of them, Leah and Rachel (לָקַח אֶת שְׁתֵּיהֶן לֵאָה וְרָחֵל). Meaning (כְּלוֹמַר), corresponding to the Partzuf of Yisrael is Leah (כְּנֶגֶד פַּרְצוּף יִשְׂרָאֵל הִיא לֵאָה), and corresponding to the Partzuf of Yaakov is Rachel (וּכְנֶגֶד פַּרְצוּף יַעֲקֹב הִיא רָחֵל), and the proof is (וְהָרְאָיָה), that when he was called Yisrael, Rachel immediately died (כְּשֶׁנִּקְרָא יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיָּד מֵתָה רָחֵל), and this is what Yaakov said (וְהַיְינוּ דְּקָאָמַר יַעֲקֹב), “Rachel died upon me” (מֵתָה עָלַי רָחֵל) (Genesis 48:7), meaning (כְּלוֹמַר), through my becoming called Yisrael (בְּסִבָּתִי שֶׁאֲנִי נִקְרָא יִשְׂרָאֵל), Rachel died (מֵתָה רָחֵל).