שער הכללים

2. The Gestation of Imma from Zeir Anpin and Nukva. The word *ibbur* (gestation) contains the values 72 and 216. It is known that 72 comes from the right and 216 from the left. This corresponds to the Name *Ehyeh* spelled with Yuds, which has a gematria of 161, and the Name *Ben* spelled with Heys, which equals 213. Then divide the Name *Elohim*: *El* from the right side of Binah, *Yam* from the left, and *Heh* in the middle — this yields 216. Know that these three Names — *Ehyeh*, *Ben*, and *Elohim* — all three come from the side of Imma.Know that there are three gestations: the first is a gestation of seven months, the second is a gestation of nine months, and the third is a gestation of twelve months. The nine-month gestation corresponds to the gestation of Binah from Zeir Anpin — three within three. Each of the lower three sefirot is included and bound within all three of the upper three: Netzach is included and bound within the three of Chesed, Gevurah, and Tiferet; Hod is likewise included and bound within those same three; and Yesod is similarly included within those three. This is the meaning of "three contained within three" — each of the three lower sefirot included within each of the three upper, yielding nine aspects of inclusion, and corresponding to this, a nine-month gestation was required.

The seven-month gestation was needed for the inclusion of Netzach, Hod, and Yesod of Arich Anpin, together with the lower half of Tiferet in Chesed and Gevurah, and the upper half of Tiferet of Arich Anpin as mentioned. This inclusion was necessary for Arich Anpin himself, because his Netzach, Hod, and Yesod were exposed, and they needed to be included in this way so that Zeir Anpin and Nukva could emerge and clothe the Netzach, Hod, and Yesod of Arich Anpin. This inclusion required seven months alone, but for the sake of Zeir Anpin, two additional months were added, making nine — for Arich Anpin completed his inclusion in seven months, while the inclusion of Zeir Anpin in the pattern of three within three required nine months. However, the Nukva of Zeir Anpin was not completed until the full twelve months were finished, as will be explained with God's help.

We will now explain the matter of the seven months of Arich Anpin. The lower half of Tiferet of Arich Anpin was included within its upper half, and therefore it did not need to be included within all three upper sefirot — since half of it already belongs among the upper ones, it was included only within the upper half, which counts as one month. But Netzach needed to be included within all three upper sefirot, because it is a measure unto itself, comprised of lower qualities, and must be included within all three upper ones. The same applies to Hod. This gives six months for Netzach and Hod, and one month for Tiferet — totaling seven months. This is the secret of what the Sages said, that Moses our Teacher was born after seven months, for he corresponds to this aspect of Tiferet, whose lower half is included within the upper half — seven months. But Jacob corresponds to Yesod of Arich Anpin, and he too is included within the upper half of Tiferet, so he requires more than seven months. This is the secret of what the Zohar says — Moses is from within, corresponding to Tiferet, and Jacob is from without, corresponding to Yesod.

The third gestation of twelve months is for the bringing forth of Malkhut. This is the secret of the verse "and afterward she bore a daughter" — the initial letters spell twelve, for the daughter was born after twelve months. She remained there twelve months — the word "afterward" carries the sense of "after until now." The meaning of these twelve is as explained above: Malkhut too was included within each of the three upper sefirot of Chesed, Gevurah, and Tiferet, requiring three additional months. First the three lower sefirot — Netzach, Hod, and Yesod — were included within each of the three middle ones, taking nine months, and afterward Malkhut was born as described — "and afterward she bore the daughter" — requiring three more months for her inclusion within each of the three middle sefirot, totaling twelve months.

We now return to explain the matter of the inclusion of Arich Anpin. When Netzach, Hod, and Yesod of Arich Anpin ascended into his three middle sefirot — Chesed, Gevurah, and Tiferet — the choicest lights of the broken vessels ascended with them. Know that within the womb of Imma, that which was purest and most refined was included — from this, the Partzuf of Zeir Anpin was formed, each point of those called the broken vessels containing ten sefirot within it. When the Partzuf of Arich Anpin and Abba and Imma were repaired, the purer light ascended, and from it the aforementioned Partzufim were formed. However, some light remained that could not be refined — it was coarse and not pure — from the three upper sefirot of each of the seven broken points. Now when Zeir Anpin and Nukva were repaired, the three upper sefirot of each of those points were also refined, and from them Arich Anpin and Abba and Imma were formed. But that which was too coarse among those upper three to ascend to the three mentioned — Zeir Anpin took for himself, for even though it was not fit for the level of Abba and Imma, it was fit for Zeir Anpin. Then the food was refined from within the waste, and from the three upper sefirot of each of the seven broken points, the head of Zeir Anpin was formed — his three brains of Chokhmah, Binah, and Daat — while he was in the state of gestation within the womb of Imma. For even though at that stage he is three contained within three, the embryo nonetheless possesses a head even while in the womb of its mother.

Afterward, the four aspects of Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, and Netzach were refined from the points of the seven broken points, and from them the body of Zeir Anpin was formed. The purest and most refined was extracted as described above regarding the three upper sefirot. Three remained — the ten sefirot within each individual point — that were not refined at all until the time of nursing, as will be explained. Because they are lower and the *klipah* clings to them greatly, they could not be refined at that time. This is the secret of the verse "when a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she is impure for seven days" — because Zeir Anpin remained in gestation in order to be refined, and seven aspects were refined within him: Chokhmah, Binah, Daat, Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, and Netzach. When Zeir Anpin was born, all the judgments — the waste remaining from the seven aspects that could not be further refined, the food having already been extracted — the waste of the seven aspects went forth in the secret of the menstrual blood that flows at the time of birth. Therefore she is impure for seven days, corresponding to those seven *klipot*. But if she bears a female — for the female corresponds to those seven *klipot* plus seven additional *klipot*, which are the waste remaining from the seven aspects of Malkhut present within each of the aforementioned aspects — since the female only comes after the refinement of the male, therefore she is impure for two weeks, fourteen days: seven and seven.

Afterward, during the time of nursing — just as the nursing woman's menstrual blood is transformed into milk — so too those three of the ten sefirot that were not refined during the gestation, as mentioned, which were entirely judgments in the secret of blood, yet still had food within the waste, and therefore did not emerge at the time of birth as is known — they remained within Imma to be refined over the extended period of nursing. The food within them became milk, and Imma nurses Zeir Anpin from this milk so that he may be complete in all his extremities. The period of nursing is twenty-four months. The reason is that Hod requires eight months to be sweetened, since it is included within seven upper ones and is itself the eighth; likewise Yesod eight months; and likewise Malkhut eight months in the same manner — totaling twenty-four months. Through this nursing from the ten sefirot, Zeir Anpin grew — for during the twenty-four months, the three that were included within three expanded and grew and became six extremities.

If you ask: but were they not already three included within three — how then do we say that the three sefirot mentioned remained within Imma in the secret of the milk? The answer is that they were not refined until the time of nursing, for then the judgments within them were sweetened in the secret of the milk that nurses them. Through that milk, the aspects of the legs and the three lower sefirot of Zeir Anpin grew — for initially they were greatly lacking in their proper expression, and therefore they were three included within three and not discernible within him. After he nursed and received those aspects of judgment that were within them and they were refined through nursing, then he was completed and his legs grew — for what remained within Imma was not the three sefirot of the ten themselves, but only the judgments within them that were fit to be refined through the blood transformed into milk. This is analogous to a child who already has legs and feet but cannot walk with them until he nurses, and through nursing his legs grow and he begins to walk. The expansion from the three upper sefirot that were included there — this is their growth.

Yet one must note that both legs are refined through nursing and grow — but Netzach was already refined during gestation. The reason is that they go together, for Netzach and Hod are in the secret of the two halves of the body, and since Hod was not yet refined, the refinement of Netzach is not revealed until Hod finishes being refined through nursing.

The secret of the milk is the Name *Ehyeh* in Binah — for *Ehyeh* spelled with Heys, simple and full and filled again: *Alef-Heh-Heh Yud-Vav-Dalet Heh-Heh Heh-Alef* — these letters, together with the word itself and the collective, equal the gematria of *chalav* (milk). And you already know that *Ehyeh* spelled with Heys is in Daat and in Tiferet, for that is where the breasts are located in every central axis.

Also in another way: blood is transformed into milk. The blood corresponds to the backward spelling of the Name *Ehyeh* — whose gematria equals *dam* (blood): *Alef, Alef-Heh, Alef-Heh-Yud, Alef-Heh-Yud-Heh* — remove from it the four letters of *Ehyeh* and the remainder equals the gematria of *chalav* (milk), which is the filling alone.

The secret of the breasts — both terms for breasts — is in the secret of "and he passed" (*vaya'avor*), for the secret of *vaya'avor*: 72 from the right, 216 from the left, *YHVH* in the middle — and all of this is in Binah, for she is the one who nurses. Now 72 and 216 and *YHVH* together have the gematria of *Shaddai*, which refers to the breasts. They are also called *dadim* (breasts), and they correspond to the secret of *Elohim* in Binah: *El* from the right, *Mi* from the left, *Heh* in the middle. Join *El* from the right with *dad* and you get *El-dad*; join *Mi* from the left with *dad* and you get *Mi-dad* — this is the secret of Eldad and Medad who prophesied in the camp.

When Imma nurses her children she is called *El Shaddai*, named for the breasts with which she nurses. When she ascends above and withdraws from her children once their nursing is complete, she is called *El Elyon* — "who bestows good kindnesses," as we say in the blessing of the Patriarchs — and *gomel* comes from the language of "and the child grew and was weaned" (*vayigamel*), for the time of nursing has ended. The secret of *El Elyon* is Binah when she ascends above, while *Shaddai* refers to her when she nurses with her breasts, as we have explained what *Shaddai* is. Also, *Elyon* corresponds to the back of *Samech-Gimmel* (63), whose gematria equals *elyon*, and the Name *El* faces the front of *Samech-Gimmel* — the Name *Yud-Yud-Alef-Yud* within it has the gematria of *El* — and this is *El Elyon*. Also, *Ehyeh* spelled with Yuds has a gematria equal to *elyon* when the four letters themselves are included.

We return to explain the letter *Heh* in the middle, remaining from the Name *Elohim* as mentioned: *El* from the right, *Mi* from the left, *Heh* in the middle. We explained that *El* and *Mi* are the two breasts in the secret of Eldad and Midad. The secret of the *Heh* is the milk that flows through both breasts — it is in the middle because it flows to the right breast and the left breast. Thus there are two kinds of milk: one flowing to the right breast and one to the left. Accordingly, this *Heh* must contain two kinds of milk, and they work as follows: the letter *Heh* has two forms — *Dalet-Vav* and *Dalet-Yud* — whose gematria is 24. Also, if you fill this *Heh* with three fillings whose sign is *Yud-Heh-Alef*, the gematria is 16, and together with 24 the total is the gematria of *chalav* (milk) — all from the form of the letter without counting the *Heh* itself. Also in another way: the three *Heh*s in their fillings — *Heh-Yud*, *Heh-Heh*, *Heh-Alef* — have a gematria of *El*, and with their six letters equals 37, and the three letters of the filling *Yud-Heh-Alef* — their gematria equals *chalav* (milk). These are the two kinds of milk flowing from this *Heh* in the middle of the breasts of Binah, and from this *Heh* the two kinds of milk flow — one to the right breast and one to the left breast.