222. “One who refrains, etc.” One who refrains from procreation diminishes, as it were, the form that includes all forms, which is the human form, and affects that river, Yesod of Ze’er Anpin, so that its waters do not flow, and impairs the holy covenant on all sides. With regard to him it is stated: “And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men who have rebelled against Me” [Isaiah 66:24]. Indeed “Me”; This is referring to the body, whereas his soul does not enter the partition at all, i. e., into the domain of the Holy One, blessed be He, and he is banished from that world.

Explanation: The Malkhut is called “the form that includes all forms,” because all the forms of nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshama of the righteous and the angels of the three worlds Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya are drawn forth through [the Malkhut]. Those [beings] are the soldiers and armies [of the Malkhut]. Therefore, one who does not engage in procreation diminishes the form of Malkhut and prevents it from bringing out all its soldiers and armies. [This is because it is through] an awakening from below [such as the act of reproduction] that there is a corresponding awakening from above, causing a coupling of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Divine Presence, to beget nefesh, ruaḥ, and neshama and angels in Beria, Yetzira, and Asiya, as stated above.

This is the meaning of the statement: “And affects that river such that its waters do not flow.” [A person] causes Yesod of Ze’er Anpin to not transmit masculine waters to the Divine Presence. [The person] impairs the holy covenant in all of its aspects, [in that he] holds back the two types of fusion, one from the side of the six extremities and [one] from the side of the first three [sefirot]. “With regard to him it is stated: ‘And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men who have rebelled against Me, ’” since the [fulfilment of the] commandment of procreation [imparts a] constant expansion of his soul, by virtue of which he also triumphs over his body forever, so that it will stand at the resurrection of the dead. One who does not engage in procreation renders his body like a carcass, as it states regarding him: “And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses etc.” His soul will be unable to enter the domain of the Holy One, blessed be He, and he is rebuffed from the World-to-Come.