Chapter Twenty-Eight (פֶּרֶק עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמוֹנָה)

And know (וְדַע), that there are three kinds of Ibburim [Impregnations] (יֵשׁ שְׁלֹשָׁה מִינֵי עִיבּוּרִים), “from my flesh I behold God” (מִבְּשָׂרִי אֶחֱזֶה אֱלוֹהַּ) (Job 19:26), just as there are three periods of pregnancy in a woman (כְּמוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ שְׁלֹשָׁה זְמַנֵּי עִיבּוּר בָּאִשָּׁה), there is a woman who carries her fetus in pregnancy for only seven incomplete months and afterward gives birth (יֵשׁ אִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר תַּחֲזִיק עֻבָּרָהּ בְּעִיבּוּר ז׳ חֳדָשִׁים מְקֻטָּעִים לְבַד וְאַחַר כָּךְ תֵּלֵד), and there is a woman who does not give birth until nine months (וְיֵשׁ אִשָּׁה שֶׁלֹּא תֵלֵד עַד ט׳ חֳדָשִׁים), and there is a woman who does not give birth until twelve months (וְיֵשׁ אִשָּׁה שֶׁלֹּא תֵלֵד עַד י״ב חֳדָשִׁים). And it is known (וִידוּעַ), that no effect below comes about according to its proper manner unless the details of the effect correspond to the cause (כִּי כָּל מְסוּבָּב לְמַטָּה לֹא יְסוּבַּב עַל אֳפָנָיו אִם לֹא יִהְיוּ מְכֻוָּנִים פְּרָטֵי הַמְסוּבָּב עִם הַסִּבָּה), for everything that exists above in the spiritual realm exists below in the physical realm (כִּי כָּל מַה שֶּׁיֵּשׁ לְמַעְלָה בָּרוּחָנִי יֶשְׁנוֹ לְמַטָּה בְּגַשְׁמִי), for from it the lower was created (כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ נִבְרָא), and dominion belongs only to the Master of all to do according to His will (וְאֵין הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה זוּלָתִי לַאֲדוֹן הַכֹּל לַעֲשׂוֹת כִּרְצוֹנוֹ), for the orders of Creation have not changed (כִּי סִדְרֵי בְרֵאשִׁית לֹא נִשְׁתַּנוּ). Thus (כָּךְ), if above in Imma there were not three periods of Ibbur [Impregnation] concerning Ze’ir Anpin (אִם לֹא הָיָה לְמַעְלָה בְּאִמָּא ג׳ זְמַנֵּי עִיבּוּר אֵצֶל ז״א), below in the physical woman there would not be three periods of Ibbur [Impregnation] (לֹא הָיוּ לְמַטָּה בָּאִשָּׁה הַגַּשְׁמִי ג׳ זְמַנֵּי עִיבּוּר), and we must investigate its cause above in Atzilut (וּצְרִיכִים אָנוּ לַחֲקוֹר סִבָּתוֹ לְמַעְלָה בַּאֲצִילוּת), how in the first Ibbur [Impregnation] all these details are found within it: seven, nine, and twelve (אֵיךְ בָּעִיבּוּר הָרִאשׁוֹן נִמְצָא בוֹ כָּל אֵלּוּ הַפְּרָטִים ז׳ ט׳ י״ב).

And I have already told you (וּכְבָר אָמַרְתִּי לְךָ), that Imma, who is Binah (כִּי אִמָּא שֶׁהִיא בִינָה), became impregnated from Ze’ir Anpin (נִתְעַבְּרָה מִזְּעֵיר אַנְפִּין), and he was folded within her womb (וְהוּא מְקֻפָּל בְּבִטְנָהּ), three within three (תְּלַת גּוֹ תְּלַת), meaning Netzach, Hod, and Yesod within Chesed, Gevurah, and Tiferet (פֵּירוּשׁ נה״י בְּחג״ת), namely Netzach within Chesed (דְּהַיְינוּ נֵצַח בְּחֶסֶד), Hod within Gevurah (הוֹד בִּגְבוּרָה), and Yesod together with the lower half of Tiferet within the upper half of Tiferet (וִיסוֹד וַחֲצִי ת״ת הַתַּחְתּוֹן בַּחֲצִי ת״ת הָעֶלְיוֹן). And you must know (וְצָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת), that each one is included from all three (שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד כָּלוּל מִשְּׁלָשְׁתָּן), Netzach is included from all three (נֵצַח כָּלוּל מִשְּׁלָשְׁתָּן), namely from Chesed, Gevurah, and Tiferet (דְּהַיְינוּ מֵחג״ת), and likewise Hod is also included from Chesed, Gevurah, and Tiferet (וְכֵן הוֹד כָּלוּל גַּם כֵּן מֵחג״ת), and likewise Yesod (וְכֵן יְסוֹד), thus now (נִמְצָא עַתָּה), three times three are nine (שֶׁשָּׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים שָׁלֹשׁ הֵם תֵּשַׁע), behold the nine-month Ibbur [Impregnation] is explained before you (הִנֵּה מְבֹאָר לְפָנֶיךָ עִיבּוּר תִּשְׁעָה). And the seven-month Ibbur [Impregnation] is (וְעִיבּוּר שִׁבְעָה הוּא), that we already said above (שֶׁכְּבָר אָמַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה), that the lower half of Tiferet is included within the upper half (כִּי חֲצִי ת״ת הַתַּחְתּוֹן נִכְלָל בַּחֲצִי הָעֶלְיוֹן), and because it is one single attribute, Tiferet (וְלִהְיוֹתָהּ מִדָּה אַחַת תִּפְאֶרֶת), its half is included within its half (נִכְלֶלֶת חֶצְיָהּ בַּחֶצְיָהּ), and it was not necessary for it to be included from others (וְלֹא הִצְרִיכוּהָ לְהִכָּלֵל מֵאֲחֵרִים), and this inclusion of its half within its half is sufficient for it (וְדַי לָהּ בִּכְלִילוּת הַזֶּה שֶׁנִּכְלַל חֶצְיָהּ בַּחֶצְיָהּ). But Netzach and Hod (אֲבָל נֵצַח וְהוֹד), each one is included from the three Sefirot, Chesed, Gevurah, and Tiferet (כָּל אֶחָד כָּלוּל מִשָּׁלֹשׁ סְפִירוֹת חג״ת), these are six (הֵם שִׁשָּׁה), and the seventh is the inclusion of Tiferet, its half within its half (וְהַשְּׁבִיעִי הוּא כְּלִילוּת תִּפְאֶרֶת חֶצְיָהּ בַּחֶצְיָהּ), and it is counted in the reckoning as one month (וְנֶחְשֶׁבֶת בַּמִּסְפָּר לְחֹדֶשׁ אֶחָד), thus you have seven months (נִמְצָא יֵשׁ לְךָ ז׳ חֳדָשִׁים). And this is what they said (וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ), “Moshe was born after seven months” (מֹשֶׁה נוֹלַד לְשִׁבְעָה) (Sotah 12b), because he is from within, from the attribute of Tiferet, its half within its half (לִהְיוֹתוֹ מִלְּגָאו מִמִּדַּת תִּפְאֶרֶת חֶצְיָהּ בַּחֶצְיָהּ), and Yaakov is from without, from the attribute of Yesod (וְיַעֲקֹב מִלְּבַר מִמִּדַּת יְסוֹד), and this is the intention of Rashbi, peace be upon him, who says (וְזֶהוּ כַּוָּנַת הרשב״י ע״ה שֶׁאוֹמֵר), “Moshe is from within, Yaakov is from without” (מֹשֶׁה מִלְּגָאו יַעֲקֹב מִלְּבַר), this is the second Ibbur [Impregnation] of seven months (זֶהוּ עִיבּוּר שֵׁנִי שֶׁל ז׳ חֳדָשִׁים).

The third Ibbur [Impregnation], which is of twelve months (עִיבּוּר שְׁלִישִׁי שֶׁהוּא מִי״ב חֹדֶשׁ), is the aspect of Malkhut (הוּא בְּחִינַת הַמַּלְכוּת), in the secret of the verse, “and afterward she bore a daughter” (בְּסוֹד הַפָּסוּק וְאַחַר יָלְדָה בַּת) (Genesis 30:21). And our Rabbis said (וְאָמְרוּ חז״ל), that she was delayed twelve months (שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּהֲתָה י״ב חֹדֶשׁ) (Yevamot 121a / Midrash Tanchuma / Niddah 31a). And Dinah also alludes to Malkhut (וְגַם דִּינָה רוֹמֶזֶת לְמַלְכוּת), which is the attribute of softened judgment (שֶׁהִיא מִדַּת הַדִּין הָרָפֶה), and Dina with an Aleph (וְגַם דִּינָא בְּאַלֶ״ף), is the secret of “the law of the kingdom is law” (הוּא סוֹד דִּינָא דְמַלְכוּתָא דִּינָא) (Gittin 10b; Nedarim 28a; Bava Kamma 113a), and reversed it is Adonai (וּבְהִיפּוּכוֹ הוּא אֲדֹנָי), which is the Name of Malkhut, as is known (שֶׁהוּא שֵׁם הַמַּלְכוּת כַּנּוֹדָע).

It follows that they are four (נִמְצָא שֶׁהֵם אַרְבָּעָה): Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut (נֵצַח הוֹד יְסוֹד מַלְכוּת), and the attribute of Malkhut will be included from the three Sefirot, Chesed, Gevurah, and Tiferet (וְתִכָּלֵל מִדַּת הַמַּלְכוּת מִשָּׁלֹשׁ סְפִירוֹת שֶׁהֵם חג״ת), just as Netzach, Hod, and Yesod were included, each one from all three of them, namely the aforementioned Chesed, Gevurah, and Tiferet (כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּכְלְלוּ נה״י כָּל אֶחָד מִשְּׁלָשְׁתָּן דְּהַיְינוּ חג״ת הַנִּזְכָּרִים), and these four Sefirot, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malkhut (וְאֵלּוּ הָאַרְבַּע סְפִירוֹת נהי״ם), each one included from three (כָּל אֶחָד כָּלוּל מִשָּׁלֹשׁ), behold they are twelve months (הֲרֵי שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ), and this is the third Ibbur [Impregnation] (וְזֶהוּ עִיבּוּר שְׁלִישִׁי).