Chapter Twenty-Seven (פֶּרֶק עֶשְׂרִים וְשִׁבְעָה)

And now (וְעַתָּה), you must know (צָרִיךְ שֶׁתֵּדַע), that the first Ibbur [Impregnation] is the first Katnut [Smallness] (עִבּוּר רִאשׁוֹן הוּא קַטְנוּת רִאשׁוֹן), for everything that we have spoken of concerning these six extremities of Ze’ir Anpin (שֶׁכָּל מַה שֶּׁאָמַרְנוּ בְּאֵלּוּ שֵׁשׁ קְצָווֹת שֶׁל ז״א), is in the secret of the Ibbur [Impregnation] while he was in the womb of Binah (הוּא בְּסוֹד הָעִבּוּר בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בִּמְעֵי בִינָה), when she was receiving illumination in order to conceive from him (כְּשֶׁהָיְתָה הִיא מְקַבֶּלֶת הֶאָרָה לְהִתְעַבֵּר מִמֶּנּוּ), and this is the first Ibbur [Impregnation] and the first Katnut [Smallness] (וְהוּא עִבּוּר רִאשׁוֹן וְקַטְנוּת רִאשׁוֹן).

Now you must know (עַתָּה צָרִיךְ אַתָּה לָדַעַת), what is the secret of the Ibbur [Impregnation] above (מַהוּ סוֹד הָעִבּוּר לְמַעְלָה), and do not let your heart persuade you (וְאַל יַשִּׁיאֲךָ לִבְּךָ), that above there are kisses and breaths and physical speech and conception, Heaven forbid (שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה יֵשׁ נְשִׁיקוֹת וַהֲבָלִים וְדִבּוּר הַגַּשְׁמִי וְעִבּוּר חַס וְחָלִילָה). For there is there neither physical form nor likeness (כִּי אֵין שָׁם לֹא צֶלֶם וְלֹא דְמוּת גַּשְׁמִי), rather everything is great illuminations of awesome Names (אֶלָּא הַכֹּל הֶאָרוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת שֶׁל שֵׁמוֹת נוֹרָאִים), as we explained concerning Ayin [Eye], Ozen [Ear], and Etzba [Finger] (כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ אֵצֶל עי״ן וְאוֹז״ן וְאֶצְבּ״ע), that all of them are awesome Names (שֶׁכּוּלָּם שֵׁמוֹת נוֹרָאִים), which perform spiritually what the physical organs perform (שֶׁהֵם פּוֹעֲלִים בְּרוּחָנִיּוּת מַה שֶּׁפּוֹעֲלִים הָאֵיבָרִים הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים), but in an exceedingly subtle manner (אֲבָל הוּא דַּק מְאֹד). And the human being clouded by coarse matter (וְהַבֶּן אָדָם הֶעָכוּר מֵחוֹמֶר הַגַּס), cannot depict this in his thought (אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְצַיֵּר זֶה בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ), except by seeing above (כִּי אִם בִּרְאוֹתוֹ לְמַעְלָה), through his vision of the Merkavah [Chariot] (בְּצְפִיָּיתוֹ בַּמֶּרְכָּבָה), for all who behold it become wise (אֲשֶׁר כָּל רוֹאֵיהֶם מִתְחַכְּמִים), how much more so those who drink from the waters of wisdom itself (עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה הַשּׁוֹתִים מִמֵּי הַחָכְמָה עַצְמָהּ). And all of this that we are speaking of (וְכָל זֶה מַה שֶּׁאָנוּ מְדַבְּרִים), is by way of metaphor and parable (הוּא דֶּרֶךְ הַשְּׁאָלָה וּמָשָׁל), to make the ear receptive (לְשַׁכֵּךְ הָאֹזֶן), for the Torah spoke in the language of human beings (שֶׁדִּבְּרָה תּוֹרָה בִּלְשׁוֹן בְּנֵי אָדָם) (Berakhot 31b; Yevamot 71a; Bava Metzia 31b), so too we speak here in the language of human beings (כֵּן אָנוּ מְדַבְּרִים בְּכָאן בִּלְשׁוֹן בְּנֵי אָדָם), to make the ear receptive and to understand the secrets of the Torah (לְשַׁכֵּךְ הָאֹזֶן וּלְהָבִין סִתְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה), as it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר), “And from my flesh I behold God” (וּמִבְּשָׂרִי אֶחֱזֶה אֱלוֹהַּ) (Job 19:26).

And now that permission has been given to us to employ a parable (וְעַתָּה שֶׁנִּתַּן לָנוּ רְשׁוּת לַעֲשׂוֹת מָשָׁל), it is necessary to know what is the secret of the supernal Ibbur [Impregnation] (צָרִיךְ לֵידַע מַהוּ סוֹד עִיבּוּר שֶׁל מַעְלָה), by which Imma became impregnated from Ze’ir (שֶׁנִּתְעַבְּרָה אִמָּא מִזְּעֵיר), and which illumination of Names is alluded to in the word Ibbur [Impregnation] (וְאֵיזֶה הֶאָרָה שֶׁל שֵׁמוֹת הַמְרֻמָּז בְּמִלַּת עִיבּוּר), and the intention is (וְהַכַּוָּנָה), divide the word Ibbur [Impregnation] into two words (מִלַּת עִיבּוּר תַּחֲלֹק אוֹתוֹ לִשְׁתֵּי תֵבוֹת), and say A"B [72] and Reish-Yud-Vav [216] (וְתֹאמַר ע״ב רי״ו). And its explanation is (וּפֵירוּשׁוֹ), A"B is from the right side (ע״ב הוּא מִימִין), thus (כָּזֶה): Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh (יו״ד ה״י וי״ו ה״י). And Reish-Yud-Vav [216] is from the left side (וְרי״ו הוּא מִשְּׂמֹאל), it is the Name Ehyeh filled with Yudin (הוּא שֵׁם אֶהְיֶ״ה בְּמִלּוּי יוּדִי״ן), which equals one hundred and sixty-one (שֶׁעוֹלֶה קס״א), and together with the Name Havayah filled with Hehin, which equals B"N (וְעִם שֵׁם שֶׁל הֲוָיָה בְּמִלּוּי הֶהִי״ן שֶׁעוֹלֶה ב״ן), thus (כָּזֶה): Yud-Heh-Heh, Vav-Heh-Heh (יו״ד ה״ה ו״ו ה״ה), behold B"N and one hundred and sixty-one equal two hundred and thirteen (הִנֵּה ב״ן וקס״א עוֹלִים רי״ג), and three more are lacking to reach the number Reish-Yud-Vav [216] (וַחֲסֵרִים עוֹד שְׁלֹשָׁה לְמִסְפַּר רי״ו). Take the Name Elohim (קַח אַתָּה שֵׁם אֱלֹהִים), and divide it into three parts (וְתַחֲלֹק אוֹתוֹ לִשְׁלֹשָׁה חֲלָקִים), El on the right side (אֵ״ל מִימִין), Binah, Mi [Who] on the left side (בִּינָה מ״י מִשְּׂמֹאל), and Heh in the middle between the two breasts (ה׳ בָּאֶמְצַע בֵּין שְׁנֵי דַדִּים), for she herself is the milk that pours forth according to her children during the days of the first Gadlut [Greatness] (כִּי הִיא עַצְמָהּ הֶחָלָב הַמְרִיקָה לְפִי בָנֶיהָ בִּימֵי גַּדְלוּת רִאשׁוֹן), as you will know in its place in the secret of Yenikah [Nursing] (כַּאֲשֶׁר תֵּדַע בִּמְקוֹמוֹ בְּסוֹד הַיְנִיקָה), with the help of Kudsha Berikh Hu and His Shekhinta (בְּסִיַעְתָּא דְקב״ה וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ).

And now it is not the time to explain the secret of the milk of this Heh in its two aspects, right and left, of the two breasts of the Supernal Imma (וְעַתָּה אֵין הָעֵת לְפָרֵשׁ סוֹד הֶחָלָב שֶׁל הַה״י הַזֹּאת בִּשְׁנֵי אֳפָנִים יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל שֶׁל שְׁנֵי דַדִּים דְּאִמָּא עִלָּאָה), for as long as the first Ibbur [Impregnation] endures, it still remains in the secret of Katnut [Smallness] (כִּי כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָעִיבּוּר הָרִאשׁוֹן קַיָּם עוֹדֶנּוּ בְּסוֹד קַטְנוּת), behold the Name Elohim is divided into three parts (הֲרֵי שֵׁם אֱלֹהִים נֶחְלָק לִשְׁלֹשָׁה חֲלָקִים), and the two hundred and thirteen that we have from the two Names, one hundred and sixty-one and B"N, behold they become Reish-Yud-Vav [216] (וְרִי״ג שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָנוּ מִשְּׁנֵי שֵׁמוֹת קס״א וּב״ן הֲרֵי רי״ו). And also know (וְגַם דַּע), that these three aforementioned Names, Ehyeh and Havayah and Elohim (שֶׁאֵלּוּ הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה שֵׁמוֹת הַנִּזְכָּרִים אֶהְיֶ״ה וַהֲוָיָה וֶאֱלֹהִים), are from the side of Binah that became impregnated from Ze’ir Anpin (הֵם מִצַּד הַבִּינָה שֶׁנִּתְעַבְּרָה מִזְּעֵיר אַנְפִּין), behold before you is the explanation of the word Ibbur [Impregnation], namely A"B [72] and Reish-Yud-Vav [216] (הֲרֵי לְפָנֶיךָ פֵּירוּשׁ מִלַּת עִיבּוּר שֶׁהוּא ע״ב רי״ו). And its explanation is (וּפֵירוּשׁוֹ), that at the time when Ze’ir Anpin came into being (שֶׁאוֹתוֹ הַזְּמַן שֶׁנִּתְהַוָּה ז״א), Binah was receiving illumination from these Names (הָיְתָה בִּינָה מְקַבֶּלֶת הֶאָרָה מֵאֵלּוּ הַשֵּׁמוֹת), and through their illumination Ze’ir Anpin was made and came into being within the womb of Binah (וּבְהֶאָרָתָם נַעֲשָׂה וְנִתְהַוָּה ז״א בְּתוֹךְ מְעֵי הַבִּינָה).