Chapter 9

The times of Gadlut [Greatness] of the Nukvah of Ze’ir Anpin

פרק ט זמני גדלות נוקבא דז״א

And now we will explain the aspect of the Nukvah of Ze’ir Anpin in three stages (וְעַתָּה נְבָאֵר בְּחִינַת נוּקְבָא דְּז״א בְּג׳ זְמַנִּים): at the time when Ze’ir Anpin was in the first Ibbur [Gestation], three included within three (כְּשֶׁהָיָה ז״א בְּעִיבּוּר תְּלָת כְּלִילָן בִּתְלָת), and the time of Yenikah [Nursing] (וּזְמַן יְנִיקָה), and the second Ibbur [Gestation] of the Gadlut [Greatness] of Ze’ir Anpin (וְעִיבּוּר ב׳ דְּגַדְלוּת ז״א), what then was the Nukvah (מָה הָיְתָה אָז הַנּוּקְבָא). And behold, you already know that Arich Anpin is the Neshamah [Soul] for all of Atzilut (וְהִנֵּה כְּבָר יָדַעְתָּ כִּי א״א הוּא הַנְּשָׁמָה לְכָל הָאֲצִילוּת), and he spreads and clothes himself within all of it (וּמִתְפַּשֵּׁט וּמִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּכֻלּוֹ). And we have already explained that Abba and Imma extend until the half of the Tiferet of Arich Anpin (וּכְבָר בֵּאַרְנוּ כִּי או״א הֵם עַד חֲצִי ת״ת דְּא״א), and Ze’ir Anpin and Nukvah are from there downward (וְזו״ן מִשָּׁם וּלְמַטָּה).

And behold, in the first Ibbur [Gestation] of three included within three we already explained that Arich Anpin himself raised his Netzach, Hod, Yesod and the lower half of his Tiferet (וְהִנֵּה בְּעִיבּוּר א׳ דְּתכב״ת כְּבָר בֵּאַרְנוּ כִּי גַּם א״א עַצְמוֹ הֶעֱלָה נֵה״י וַחֲצִי ת״ת הַתַּחְתּוֹן שֶׁלּוֹ), and they were included within the upper half of the Tiferet and within his Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet (וְנִכְלְלוּ בְּחֲצִי ת״ת עֶלְיוֹן וּבְחַג״ת שֶׁלּוֹ). And then Ze’ir Anpin was also included three within three (וְאָז נִכְלַל ז״א גַּם כֵּן ג׳ כְּלוּלִין בְּג׳). And then the Nukvah, who had been only a point, grew according to the measure of the Yesod of Ze’ir Anpin, which is called Israel (וְאָז נוּקְבָא שֶׁהָיְתָה נְקוּדָה לְבַד נִגְדְּלָה כְּשִׁעוּר יְסוֹד דְּז״א הַנִּקְרָא יִשְׂרָאֵל).

And you already know that the Yesod is called “Rova‘ Yisrael,” meaning one-quarter of the Tiferet (וּכְבָר יָדַעְתָּ כִּי הַיְסוֹד נִקְרָא רוֹבַע יִשְׂרָאֵל פֵּרוּשׁ רְבִיעִית שֶׁל ת״ת), for the measure of the body is four covenant-parts (כִּי שִׁעוּרֵי הַגּוּפָא ד׳ בְּרִיתוֹת הוּא). And the Malkhut was the fourth of the Yesod (וְהַמַּלְכוּת הָיְתָה רְבִיעִית הַיְסוֹד). And when the Yesod and the Malkhut ascended and were included above in the half of the Tiferet as mentioned above (וּכְשֶׁנִּתְעַלּוּ וְעָלוּ הַיְסוֹד וְהַמַּלְכוּת וְנִכְלְלוּ לְמַעְלָה בְּחֲצִי ת״ת כַּנַּ״ל), then the Yesod grew and became equal to the measure of the Tiferet itself (אָז הַיְסוֹד נִגְדַּל וְנַעֲשָׂה כְּמִדַּת ת״ת עַצְמוֹ), and the Malkhut grew to the measure of the entire Yesod (וְנִגְדְּלָה הַמַּלְכוּת כְּמִדַּת הַיְסוֹד כֻּלּוֹ), which had initially been “Rova‘ Yisrael,” one-quarter of the Tiferet (שֶׁהָיָה תְּחִלָּה רוֹבַע יִשְׂרָאֵל רְבִיעִית הַת״ת). And afterward, during the time of Yenikah [Nursing], the Malkhut grew to the measure of the Tiferet itself (וְאַחַר כָּךְ בִּזְמַן הַיְּנִיקָה נִגְדְּלָה הַמַּלְכוּת כְּמִדַּת הַת״ת מַמָּשׁ). And afterward, with the Gadlut [Greatness] of the Mochin [Intellects], she also grew and became a complete Partzuf (וְאַחַר כָּךְ בְּגַדְלוּת הַמּוֹחִין נִגְדְּלָה גַּם הִיא וְנַעֲשֵׂית פַּרְצוּף שָׁלֵם).

And know (וְדַע) that from the half of the Tiferet of Arich Anpin until the end of the Yesod of Arich Anpin there is made a Neshamah [Soul] for Ze’ir Anpin (כִּי מֵחֲצִי ת״ת דְּא״א עַד סוֹף הַיְסוֹד דְּא״א נַעֲשָׂה נְשָׁמָה לְז״א), and from the crown of the Yesod of Arich Anpin there is a Neshamah [Soul] for the Nukvah of Ze’ir Anpin (וּמֵעֲטֶרֶת יְסוֹד דְּא״א נְשָׁמָה לְנוּקְבָא דְּז״א). It is thus found that Arich Anpin spreads and clothes himself within all of Atzilut entirely (נִמְצָא כִּי א״א מִתְפַּשֵּׁט וּמִתְלַבֵּשׁ בְּכָל אֲצִילוּת כֻּלּוֹ), and the Light of Ein Sof passes within Arich Anpin (וְאוֹר אֵין סוֹף עוֹבֵר בְּתוֹךְ א״א). And concerning him it is said, “And You give life to them all” (וְעָלָיו נֶאֱמַר וְאַתָּה מְחַיֶּה אֶת כֻּלָּם), for he gives life to all the worlds by clothing himself within them, as explained above (כִּי הוּא מְחַיֶּה כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת בְּהִתְלַבְּשׁוּתוֹ בְּתוֹכָם כַּנַּ״ל).